After I came in the portal, it became a tunnel. Instantly I could see pieces of both Lion king movies throughout the tunnel, voices talking, young Simba and Nala to adult ages and more. In the end of the tunnel I could see Pride Rock waiting. Then I heard a voice I never imagined that was actually there. It was Mufasa. I could hear his deep, majestic voice assuring me that everything will be all right. He said one more thing that I never understood until the end of my adventures. He replied, "A new star, a new family, this one will be a challenge. Guide the royals and never lose yourself. Remember." Then everything disappeared and flashed into darkness.
Slowly the blackness in my eyes became clearer and I blinked a few times to get the blurriness out. I looked around and saw many shades of green and a stream of clear water. I slowly got up and fell. I checked on myself. I was pleasantly surprised that I am a lioness. I am not human anymore. Again, I tried to get up as I was remembering how they walk. Slowly I got used to my new body and walked to the stream to see my reflection.
I curiously stared as a much darker look-alike Nala looked back at me. I took all in everything. My upper body color is a dark chocolate-brown that probably consisted from my old skin. My lower body color is a light dusty brown and my tail tuft is dark brownish-black. My eyes are still the same yet my nose is not of Nala's pridelander nose, instead, it is of Vitani's outlander nose.
I stared at myself for a few minutes and left the stream behind to take in the greenery. I murmured softly to myself,"Wait a second, this is not the greenery of the Pridelands." I then checked the greenery again and I realized shockingly that I was in Timon and Pumbaa's old jungle home. Hmm. I then remembered that I don't know where exactly I am. I figured I have to check where I am. So, I walked for an hour trying to find a landmark, then I heard voices nearby.
I instantly recognized these voices. These voices are of Timon's ma and uncle max. Walking closer, I peeked through some greenery and saw them talking. I recognized the landmark behind them. It was the jungle mountain and now I finally know where I am. I figured that they could help me so I walked to them. They didn't hear or see me for they are then arguing. I had to clear my throat loudly so they could hear me.
Ma and Uncle Max stopped arguing immediately and turned to take in the sight of myself. Uncle Max then screamed.
"Whoa, whoa. I am not hunting anyone, I just need help to find the way to the Pridelands!" I shouted. Uncle Max ran off to who knows where. Ma rolled her eyes, shook her head.
She sarcastically said, "I don't see why I put up with him." Then switched moods to a more pleasant one.
"Hello, dear. Did you say you need help?" asked Ma.
I told her that I did. Ma then said that I needed a guide to help me to find my way to the Pridelands. I asked her if she could be my guide. She gladly accepted the offer. She said she haven't seen her son in a long time now.
Wow. I offered her a ride and she hesitated at first, saying she doesn't want to be a burden. Nonsense. I told her that her son could be surprised at the sight of his mother riding a lioness. Then she instantly jumped into my back. With her telling me where to go, I managed to exit the jungle. She said it would be all night and the next day to get to the Pridelands. The evening fell and we made conversation throughout the night.
We made it to the Outlands border. I could see Pride Rock in the far distance. From our conversation last night, I found out 4 months has passed since prince Kopa was presented to the kingdom. Altogether, it made almost 5 months from my knowledge of lion time. So Kopa is real yet there is still Zira in the picture. Ma had said that Zira has been weird lately from what her son Timon said when he visited earlier after the presentation of Kopa. I got goosebumps instantly. I knew that sooner or later Zira will make her move. But there is good news also.
Ma had said that Queen Nala is pregnant again. Instantly, I knew it must be Kiara. Then I see the sunrise welcoming the new day. It was beautiful. The sky turns crystal blue and the kookaburra begins singing, and the hippos bellowing loudly from the riverbank to the watering hole. Over the time of my thoughts and the sunrise, we made it to the entrance of the Pridelands. Instantly, I could see the wildebeests galloping, the gazelles leaping, and the zebras bounding through the river.
We passed by Rakifi's tree. He was not there. Huh. I figured that he must be checking on Nala and other possibly pregnant lionesses. We walked to the waterhole where we had a break. I looked for anybody recognizable and there weren't any lionesses beside me there. Ma jumped from my back and went to the edge of the water to drink. I sat and then saw something in the tall grass.
It was a tail tuft. I smelled the air for the scent and instantly knew it was Pumbaa. I smiled and nosed Ma to the direction of where Pumbaa was. Pumbaa then walked out of the grass to the water to drink. He didn't notice us. Ma turned and smiled, "Let's move." Then she climbed my foreleg to my back. Once she got on, I stood up and walked to Pumbaa. He was still drinking. In a minute, we got to the right side of him. Ma surprised him by clearing her throat, "Excuse me, could you help us ladies?" Whoa, I didn't know that she can be sneaky. Pumbaa instantly turned his neck that I swore I heard a click and dropped his jaw to the ground. He was shocked at seeing Timon's mother riding on a strange lioness which is me.
I laughed instantly at the sight of Pumbaa shocked. Ma chuckled gently. Slowly, Pumbaa got back to his senses and asked for an explanation. Ma explained everything. Pumbaa nodded and sincerely asked me for my name. I gladly gave my name to him and he to me. Pumbaa then guided us to where the pride is. We walked to Pride Rock. It is truly majestic and huge. It would surely fit well in the center of Central Park if it was there. We went alongside the place to the sunning grounds. I instantly saw many lionesses and is that Simba with Nala under one of the trees?
Yes, it sure is. Looking closer, I saw Kopa playing with Timon. Poor Timon. Simba noticed Pumbaa guiding us. Simba widened his eyes when he saw Timon's ma riding on me. He told Timon, who turned his head when he was pinned under Kopa's weight. He widened his eyes too. He pushed Kopa off and ran to Ma who then jumped off when I was still walking. They hugged, well, Ma mainly hugging and Timon choking. I smiled and then went to lay on one of the nearby sunning stones.
I softly chuckled when Timon gently tried to get out of his ma's tight grip and Ma in full of tears, happily smiling to see her son. I slowly felt a prescence behind me, I turned my head to Simba in all his strong and majestic frame curiously staring at me. I noticed Nala heading toward us, her belly budging of little Kiara, having this gracious, happy glow of motherhood with Kopa skipping next to her. She noticed me and smiled, asked, "Who are you and why are you here?" Of course I couldn't tell everybody about my past and secret but I could tell them of my name which is Rosethorn and that technically I came to find a place and help anybody and wanting to belong which is actually the plans Sunrise told me to figure out.
So, I told my planned speech to them. Simba is a bit suspicious of me which I could understand. After all, I am a stranger to them. I told them I have hunting and babysitting skills which is true. I had the pleasure of hunting practice back on HQ Earth and I babysit or rather, child sat the young kids that the clan occasionally find on the streets and bring. Nala said that she has to talk to the other lionesses, whose are watching us. I understood her and offered her a deal that the others could possibly like. I told her that I could do a hunt test to show them what I can do.