The Lion King: Legacies

Book I – The Flood

"About, about, in reel and rout

The death-fires danced at night;

The water, like a witch's oils,

Burnt green, and blue and white."

"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Chapter 1

The world was damp. The dry season had ended some time ago and now the Great Kings of the Past saw fit to bless the Pridelands with life-giving rain. The water trickled it's the way down through the soil to the roots of plants, filling the air with the scent of wet dust and down further, where it could be soaked up by the thirst trees and parched grass. Soon, the lands would be vibrant once more, aglow with greenery and alight with petals of a hundred different flowers and fruits. Such was the circle of life.

The beauty and rhythm of the moment however, was soundly lost on the lioness that ran across the savannah. She shook her fur dry for the seventh time in as many minutes and cursed loudly to all the kings and spirits, and any other gods, deities or supernatural entities that may have been listening or otherwise have found themselves to be within earshot. She had never liked the rain. In fact, there were times where she had preferred the dry and dusty land of the Outlands – a trait she had shared with Fuli, the cheetah, herself the former fastest of the Pridelands. Not that Fuli was even around anymore. She had left with Kion and the rest of the old guard, almost a year ago. She swallowed as she ran and approached Pride Rock. Her home.

"Hey! Hey Vitani!" A voice called out to her in greeting. Vitani smiled. Princess Kiara.

"Your Highness." She returned the greeting to her future queen. The other lionesses' smile was infectious. Try as anyone might, it was impossible not to like the young princess, who embodied all of Simba's wisdom, with all of Nala's grace and beauty (if not her mother's near mythical talent for hunting). Kiara had broken through Vitani's standoffishness in less than a month of knowing her and treated her as a sister. Which – in a sense – she now was.

"It is good to see you back so soon! I guess the rain made you run all the quicker huh? How fare the Pridelands?" Kiara asked her. Vitani snorted.

"I wasn't on patrol. Just going for a run." She told her. "It clears my head." She admitted. Kiara nodded, and led the way back into the den. The majority of the lionesses were about in the den of Pride Rock now. They were none too fond of the rain either.

"Huh. And where's the loveable oaf?" Vitani asked looking around. Kiara arched an eyebrow.

"Do you mean my husband and the future King of the Pridelands?"

"Well, I don't mean King Simba. That would be disrespectful and treasonous." Vitani snarked. Kiara rolled her eyes. Vitani's irreverence and honesty had made her a welcome breath of fresh air in the den of the Pridelands, most of the time. But even she had her limits.

"He's with Dad, I think. Oh, look. There they are now." And no sooner had she said as much, they saw Kovu approaching from the mouth of the den and he was joined by King Simba. The king of the Pridelands appeared mighty and powerful as ever, though Kiara would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't see the occasional fleck of grey fur within his mane these days. Kovu came up to Kiara, and the two embraced in a such a sickeningly sweet display of affection that it caused Vitani to avert her eyes. Simba did his best not to look uncomfortable at his daughter embracing her mate.

"My handsome prince returns." Kiara said as Kovu chuckled.

"How is my beautiful princess?" He asked her and the two laughed, albeit mainly at Vitani's revolted expression at the simpering sentiment of it. Which was, she expected, part of why they did it.

"I am simply wonderful Kovu. What took you so long? I expected you to be back before Vitani?" She asked. Kovu shrugged. The young lion betrayed a tired expression now though, clearly exhausted.

"The usual. The kingdom runs night and day. Many people come to seek the advice of the King. I just try to help out." he said.

"You're too modest Kovu." Simba said. "I appreciated your company today. Besides. You need the practice if you and my daughter are going to rule in my place one day." He said. Kiara smiled.

"I heard…" She whispered in a conspirator tone. "That you dealt with a cheetah war-chief this evening." She said. Kovu smirked, and rolled his eyes.

"Cheetahs. I hate cheetahs. The pompous creature was making all sorts of the most ridiculous demands. You know how the cheetahs can be sometimes. Each of them sees themselves as a mighty lord second only to the King himself – everyone and everything else is usually inferior in their eyes. This one wanted special hunting privileges in its domain. Exceptions from the laws on hunting for sport. That sort of thing." Kovu said. The brown furred lion was frowning, leaving no doubt as to what he thought of that particular thought. It was a well witnessed phenomena in the Pridelands that whilst all parties agreed that the balance of the circle of life needed to be maintained, it was another question entirely who it should be that made the sacrifices necessary to keeping the balance, and who should be exempted from the usual patterns of behavior.

"What did you do?" Kiara asked him, already suspecting she knew the answer. Vitani though was surprised. Kovu wasn't usually the diplomatic type.

"Simba spent a good few hours trying to reason with it. I eventually strolled over, roared in its ear and said that the King was very busy and that if he wished to continue such absurdity, he could do so with me. Over dinner. He left without another word, shaking all over. Simba was rather… grateful." Kovu said.

"I'd say so. You might need to work on your patience, Kovu, but I can't say you didn't say exactly what I was thinking." Simba said.

Kiara smiled.

"That all? The only thing we need to worry about? Squabbling cheetahs? No tyrants, no rebels, no traitors or murderers or thieves. No resurrected spirits or insurgents. Just simple, honest, petty arguments. It feels… strange. Not to have to worry anything more severe…" She said.

"I think we have earned our peace, don't you Kiara? Come. I want to see my Son, and hear all about what you have done today." he said, smiling. She grinned back and the two left together, leaving Vitani alone with the King. When Simba watched her leave, and smiled.

"It's been months since she was mated with Kovu. They have a child together. Why do I still feel like I just lost my baby girl…?"

"Your Majesty?" Vitani asked, instead of offering an answer. Simba snorted, not expecting her to provide and answer. Instead he watched Kovu leave.

"Vitani?" He asked her. "What do you think of Kovu?" Vitani was taken aback by the question.

"I… What do I think of my brother? What do you mean?" She was perplexed. It was an odd question for the King of the Pridelands to ask her.

"Alright then, how do the rest of the lionesses see him?" Simba asked. Vitani hesitated, gathering her thoughts. How best to describe her brother?

"Well… that depends on the lioness I guess." She said. "I mean, the former Outlanders are completely devoted to him, but that's nothing new. They spent years convinced he was going to be their messiah, and there was no room for doubt. Moth-", she cut herself off. "Zira," she corrected, "made sure to stamp out anything else. I guess she was right about one thing. I mean, he did get us back into Pridelands, didn't he? Just not the way we thought he would." She looked at where Kovu had gone. "If anything, they love him all the more for it." She said. "Nuka at the very least would have been beside himself." She said, smirking, then caught herself. Simba nodded sadly at the name of her other brother. Nuka's life had been a sad story from start to finish by all accounts, and though he would never say as much aloud there was a part of him that still wished things had turned out differently. Although all things considered it had been a miracle that more lionesses hadn't been killed during Zira's insurrection, Nuka's death weighed upon them whenever they celebrated the Prides reunification. Much more than their adopted mother's death.

"And your other Pridesisters?" He said delicately. Usually he discouraged mentally dividing Pride into former Pridelanders and former Outlanders, but it seemed unavoidable here. On this, Vitani edged.

"Well…" She said. "I've never heard anyone say a thing against him out loud. I think they've mostly gotten over some of our peculiarities, by now." Vitani said. Simba looked confused for a moment and then burst out laughing.

"Ah! Yes. Nala told me." He said. A 'cultural difference' they had called it. He laughed at the memory of how, in the first few days after the reunification of the Pridelands, Kovu had approached her and asked who he should report to regarding joining the hunting party. Right in front of the rest of the lionesses. "Two of the other lionesses nearly fainted." He said. Vitani gave a laugh at the memory. Pridelanders had some strange hang-ups indeed, and one such was their insistence that it was not appropriate for Kovu, or indeed any male, to serve on the hunting party. Much to Nala's dismay once she'd seen him in action. It still sounded harsh by comparison, but it was an improvement.

"Yeah. Neither of us expected our new Pridesisters to be so… prudish… About it. You'd have thought that he'd suggested growing a second head from the way they reacted." She said.

"Lionesses can be a funny bunch, I've noticed." Simba said, his eyes glinting. "I don't think every lioness objected to the idea of a male joining the hunt. You have to understand Vitani, that unless the Pride is starving, males hunting is usually considered a more personal activity. There was a reason he teaching Kiara to hunt raised eyebrows around the Pride." He said. Vitani rolled her eyes at that.

"Oh no, there were plenty who were all for it. Just not for the reasons he thought they were." She said. Vitani herself had no time for vapid lionesses who fell over themselves at the first sight of a male, and didn't honestly expect Kovu to give them much patience, either. For most of their lives though, it had been a simple fact of life in the Outlands, anyone who expected to eat was expected to hunt. Never mind any archaic ideas about what males and females should and shouldn't be doing in each other's company. Even today it was considered old fashioned. As Simba recalled, Nala had in fact been quite taken with the idea, and she had led the hunting party. Nala had liked Kovu from the beginning, even before the Pride's reunification, back when Kovu had first rejoined the Pride. And he was a skilled hunter. That was all that important to her. She had entreated Simba to allow Kovu to join the hunting party but was soundly informed that it was her decision to make. She had no qualms in publicly supporting for her Son-in-law, but Kovu – ever the peacemaker – had dropped the idea the moment anyone had made a fuss. It had never been his intention to make waves and now was a time for unity in the Pride. Not for creating more divisions. If other lionesses wanted to spend hours hunting meat for him, without him lifting a paw to help (in the name of some antiquated notion of propriety) let them. Instead, he hunted with Kiara, Nala and occasionally Vitani, and did so privately, and happily.

If anything, Nala had been more annoyed at the whole debacle than Kovu had been, and had cheerfully expressed it. Kovu was really quite good at hunting, even Vitani had to admit it. And there was nothing Nala abhorred more than wasted talent. Vitani did however, know that Kovu had been quite touched by Nala's unwavering support in the whole affair.

"So apart from him scandalizing the older lionesses with his hunting prowess –" Simba continued, breaking her thought. "You would say he's rather well liked and respected?" He asked.

Vitani swallowed, sensing that now was not the time to brush things into a better light for politeness sake.

"Well. Some of the lionesses are suspicious of him. Reuniting with their former Pridesisters is one thing… but accepting Scar's heir with open paws? As Kiara's mate? That will take some time. But – " She declared "they shall get over it." She said.

Simba nodded, thinking of Kovu as he did. He had been so very wrong about the rash young lion when he had met him. Kovu had grown into a serious, determined adult in the time since the Pride's reunification and Simba was increasingly confident that he had made the right choice in proclaiming him as his heir. It wasn't good to rule alone and Kovu would make a fine partner for Kiara. A mirror to Kiara that complemented her compassion and instinct for rule. He had a clear mind, where Kiara could let her heart rule her head, and She possessed a self-confidence where Kovu could be unsure of himself. They were a perfect match. As if they were made for each other. Yes. Kovu would be a fine heir. Ironically, it was possibly the only time he and his Uncle Scar had ever agreed on something. Looking at the two of them, his daughter and his son in law, Simba paused, wondering how he could ever have disliked him. No. Not just disliked him. Hated him. Hated him and everything he had stood for, for what – and who – he had represented. He had seen only Kovu's ancestry not what was truly important: his heart, his conscience and his goodness. It wasn't just guilt that bothered him. By all accounts, Scar too had been a good lion with another name until driven to madness by tragedy and violence. What if the same thing had happened to Kovu, because of what he had nearly done? What if Simba had exiled him and it had been from that very action that Kovu had become a monster who dreamt only of drinking Simba's blood? A new Scar, more terrible that Prince Taka had been? But no. Even on the most calamitous of days, Kovu would never have done that. Even so though, Simba had come terribly close to making a serious mistake that would have robbed his daughter of her mate and the Pridelands of a fine pair of rulers.

"Thank you Vitani. I am sorry for keeping you." He said. Vitani nodded, and left the king to his thoughts. Simba had, in his older years, become more withdrawn and kept his own council. In his younger years he had relied on other lionesses, and the even the advice of the likes of Rafiki, Timon and Pumba. Now though, the innerworkings of his mind were an enigma to her.

Simba looked over to his own mate, Nala, asleep on the dais. She was as beautiful as she had been the day she had come charging back into his life, through the jungle. His carefree world had been shattered. She had opened up old wounds that day, and brought with it much pain. But with it had come healing. Wounds that had been left to fester for too many years had been healed. And he loved her now as much as he had then.

Far from the Pridelands, over mountains and moors and rivers and oceans, the jungle was alit with flame. White and green and red and blue arced and flashed and flared. The shadows they cast moved and distorted and rippled casting many shades about the jungle floor. A shaman ducked and weaved as she ran through the forest, swinging from branch to branch. She was an ape, a chimpanzee, and her muscles were tired and sore. Her heart thought was beating in her chest so loudly she could hear it, or feel it in the very least pounding in her ears and behind her eyes. A slender rod of a light brown wood was held firmly in her twisted tail. Her fur was scorched and blacked in places, and tender pink flesh burned beneath where flame had licked it. She lurched to one side, ducking under another arc of flame, a string of stone beads jingled from the tip of the staff as she did so. She turned in midair, releasing her staff from her tail and catching it in her hand in one motion, then swung down and around and dangled from a branch by her tail. The chimpanzee twirled the staff and with it, caught the searing flames that had struck out at her. The wood did not burn, and with a flick the fiery bolt was sent spinning to the ground where it landed in a pile of leaves and moss. The female shaman panted, her eyes scanning the air, the ground and the trees for any sign of her attacker. There was none. Her eyes narrowed.

"Come out! I know you are there. I can smell your shamanism – the scent of smoke and brimstone as always. You did like to be dramatic…" She said then she raised her own staff and white light shone around it. As she lifted it the winds began to pick up. Gentle at first, but growing quickly in strength until it felt like a storm blew around them. The leaves were ripped from the trees and sent spinning away into the air. Her own hair blew around her but she held on tight by her tail. More and more of the tree leaves and branches were blown away, eradicating cover and camouflage until eventually there was a flash of orange. Gotcha. The winds narrowed. It was a strange thing to see. But the breaths of air narrowed into a single jet. A beam of compressed air – invisible but almost tangible around the edges. It struck at the flash of orange and there was a grunt as whatever it was, was thrown into the air by the blast, and spent spinning around. He span around and then there was a loud "bang!" and flash and he disappeared. The chimpanzee cursed and glanced around. There was another flash, and he appeared right in front of her. She barely raised her staff in time to block the overhead blow aimed at her face. She stumbled back and for the first time saw her adversary in full. The stench of brimstone was overpowering. Her own mysticism was scented by fresh mint leaves and the clashing of the odors made her stomach twist. He was an orangutan. Orange and wide framed, a full head shorter than her, but his arms were far longer and it allowed him far greater reach as he swung his rod like a quarterstaff. It crackled with red light and heat as it did so. Another blow nearly caught her in the face – the thorn tipped staff nearly grazed her cheek and she felt the hair there singe as it did so. In attempting such a risky blow however, her assailant he had over extended himself. She struck back and with a mighty BANG, the full force of the four winds was brought against him. The rival shaman was sent flying again and nearly crashed into a tree. He should have been crushed.

He was undaunted however. Letting lose a cry of anger, the shaman made a slashing movement of his staff, a bright crack appeared in the air before him. That was the only way to describe it. An alien, ethereal thing that hovered in the space between them, its edges wreathed with a murky dismal light, as if the world had been sliced apart by the finest blade.

A second such fracture in the world appeared on the ground behind her and both breaches opened at the same time, widening, tearing. It was if the very fabric of the universe ripped. He fell through one and emerged behind her. With a second he had gone from being beaten to being once more in control.

His blow struck her from behind, taking her in the side of the chest. She felt a rip crack and cried out in pain, stumbling. The act saved her life. In stumbling she had ducked a second, fatal blow. Using a jet of air, she leapt from the ground and caught herself with her tail, landing a short distance away, one hand clutching her staff, the other holding her side. She turned to the orangutan. Another shaman. Her equal once. Now her foe.

"Marsade!" She cried out the name. Only then did he pause. He was not even breathing hard. "Why? Why are you doing this?" She demanded of him. He hesitated.

"Doing what? Attacking you? It should think it apparent that I am attempting to kill you…" he said. She looked shocked. His casual admittance to his murderous cause was somehow worse than the fact that her old friend wanted her dead.

"Why? What did I do?" She begged of him, betrayal all too apparent on her face.

"Too many things to name, Haelien… Far too many. But for the moment, because you have something of mine." he said pointing to her staff. She clutched it tightly.

"This is mine. It was gifted to me and me alone." She said. Marsade sighed dramatically.

"I was hoping you'd say that. But even if you had handed over the staff, I'd have still killed you…" He said. Then growled, menacingly. "Where is he?" he demanded. Haelien stiffened.

"I don't know. You know I don't. But if I did, I wouldn't tell you. I have not had sight or sound of any of us for many years. I met Yessen a while back but if you think that I will just tell you where he is, then you truly have gone mad…" She said. Marsade laughed.

"Fine. I don't need you to. When the others realize that you are dead, they shall come into the open to me… once they realize someone is hunting and killing the ancient Shaman." He proclaimed. With a flourish there was a flash of blue light and a crackle of lighting. An orb of light appeared in his hand. It extended into a cylinder then began to fade. In its place, and glowing with ominous blue light a second rod lay in his hand. Haelien stepped back. The smell of fresh salted sea air, washed over them, mingling with brimstone and mint. The scent of the power of another of their number. It appalled her, to see it in the hands of another.

"So that is how you do it…" She whispered, remembering the unnatural tears in reality that he had created during their fight. "You… you killed Margane!" She whispered, remembering the gibbon that had once possessed that rod. Another shaman. Another of the Ancients. Throughout their unnaturally long lives, Margane had been sweet and caring throughout it all. Haelien shook with rage. "You killed our sister to take her staff!" She hissed. Marsade smirked.

"Sister? Really, she was a gibbon – how can she be my-" Haelien did not let him finished. She roared as she struck blast of air after blast of air at him, intending to destroy her friend's murderer. Any trace of their previous kinship was forgotten. Marsade laughed.

"That's it Haelien! Come at me! Destroy me! Never mind the stain it causes the Circle!" he shouted and raised both rods. Flashes of white and blue and red bust out of the forest.

Marsade laughed, twirling both staffs, one in each hand at once, sending fire and ice at her. She dodged desperately trying to weaving in and out of both threats at the same time. Sweat poured over her face. "I will end you Haelien! And when he comes looking, I shall slaughter him as well! With your rod under my control as well, how could he possibly stop me?!" he demanded of her, an evil glint in his eye. A ball of fire lurched out of his black staff. Haelien screamed as she blocked too slow and the fire struck her arm. It blackened and blistered almost instantly, sending her staff flying out of her hands. Then the jet of frozen air hit her.

In a second, she was standing completely motionless. Frozen still, held in her last moment. A scream permanently etched onto her face.

Marsade lowered both the staffs. He gave a satisfactory grunt as he did so, and looked at his former friend. With identical flashes of red and blue light his two staffs vanished, ready to be summoned again. He paced towards her, and closed his hand around her staff which hung in the air next to the pillar of ice that enclosed his former friend and ally.

She stood there. Dead. Her last seconds frozen there forever, held in agony at the moment of death. The orangutan shaman briefly considered smashing the statue. No. It would do Rafiki good to know that she had died in pain. The stolen rod of the Shaman vanished in a flash a white light, joining his own, and the Rod he had taken from his other sister. Three now. Two to go. Yessen. And Rafiki.

AN:

7/6/21

Well, greetings everyone. I have returned. At the end of the world.

To those of you who have read Flood before, this is "The Great Rewrite." Timelines and updates for Project: Rewrite, can be found on my bio page.

The new iteration of Flood, shall be twice the length of the original. However, broadly speaking the plot is the same. If you go on to read the books which have not yet received their remastery, you may find certain characters missing. However, the events depicted in the books ahead shall not be invalidated, merely improved upon and added too. Including the addition of additional events and characters not present in the books in their current form. Like Judgement before it, I have taken this opportunity to rewrite the earlier books, into something that is of much higher quality, which I am much happier with. I can honestly say that as a reader, this iteration is much, much better than the previous one. I humbly suggest you favorite and/or follow the series, to be alerted to any new chapters, and kindly leave your reviews below.

Sit down and enjoy the ride.

As always everyone, be happy, healthy and wise.

- Haradion