Middle-Earth… a beautiful world full of lives , beauty and adventures. A world of fantasy and fairytale where many creatures lived such as Elves , Dwarves, Men , Orcs and Trolls as well as Dragons and Goblins. But there was a place where many creatures co-existed in harmony. A place where , despise the burning sun, as lush as the field of Rohan. It was an area where Nature ruled as it was inhabited by numerous creatures.
From old stories, Legendary creatures , like Dragons, used to live there before setting out elsewhere in the vast world of Middle-Earth. It had many names but for everyone, this area was known as the Pridelands. This is where our story begins…
As the sun rose in the sky, filling the savanna in a bright orange light, all creatures of the Pridelands started to woke from their peaceful sleep. The birds chirped , the gazelles grazed in the field alongside Wildebeests and Zebras. The Hippos relaxed in the lake or pound of the Pridelands. Elephants were eating leaves from high trees along with the Giraffes…
Those land were governed under one philosophy called 'Circle of Life' which explained that all life plays a vital role in the ecosystem, a system that must maintain balance to prevent catastrophic consequences.
However, of all creatures of the Pridelands, one specie in particular was the most respected as they were 'designated' to protect those lands from any threats that could endanger its habitants : Lions. Since the creation of Middle-Earth , the Powerful Eru Ilúvatar blessed Lions by giving them many abilities such as a long life-time (the first King of the Pridelands , Mohadu , died of old age at 220 years old ) ,invulnerability against weapons and even claws that could rend through stones and any type of metals.
The Lion Pride currently lived in an ancient and massive rock like structure they called Priderock. The pride made their den in a cavern in one part of the formation. It was shown to be so tall, that one could see the entire Pride Lands from its peak ! The rocky formation could be seen from any part of the Pride Lands and because of this, the area served as a gathering place for many events such as the presentation of a new Prince/Princess.
A hour after the sunrise, a heavier built male Lion stepped out of the Royal Den. He had a large russet mane and brownish-gold fur as well as a cream colored belly, muzzle and paws. He also had large bright eyes with red irises and yellow scleras along with a pink nose. The Lion was none other than Simba , the current King of the Pridelands.
The Great Lion stretched his muscular body before sitting at the edge of Priderock to look around at his Kingdom. It had been 60 years since he took back his throne from his Evil Uncle Scar and reestablished peace and harmony in the Pridelands. 60 years already and he still looked like the young Lion he was when he helped Thorin Oakenshield and the Dwarves to reconquer Erebor from Smaug the Terrible.
A smile appeared on his muzzle as he remembered Fili and Kili , Thorin's nephews , as he grew fond of them. Thorin had the same behavior than his diseased father Mufasa who died in a stampede when he was a young cub because of Scar. The twisted Lion had blamed him for his father's death and he ran away from home after this terrible day.
Later he met Timon and Pumbaa and the young cub grew up in the Jungle under the philosophy of Hakuna Matata. As he grew up, the unusual trio met Gandalf the Grey , a wizard along with a group Dwarves known as the Company of Thorin Oakenshield. After hearing their stories, the young Lion decided to help them in their Quest and convinced Timon and Pumbaa to come with them. He befriended Bilbo Baggins , a Hobbit , in the journey to Erebor and even fought in the 'Battle of Fives Armies'.
His heart clenched as the memory of this battle. He had lost good friends that day : Fili, Kili, Thorin… Even now he still missed them. After this terrible battle, the red maned Lion escorted Bilbo back to his home in a country named the Shire before returning back to Hakuna Matata Jungle along with Timon and Pumbaa.
But months after returning home, he had to leave the jungle again to confront his Uncle Scar who destroyed the Pridelands by letting Hyenas roaming around freely. Because of this, the herds left and the once beautiful land became dull , empty and waterless. He discovered that his Uncle was responsible for his father's death and a terrible fight took place. He defeated the evil black-maned Lion in a single combat at the top of Priderock before taking his rightful place as ruler of those lands.
At the news of the defeat of Scar and the Hyenas' departure , the herds came back and the Pridelands grew back to his former glory. The Pride was glad that everything returned back to normal after the disasters of Scar's terrible reign.
"Simba ?" someone called behind him and the King turned his head to see the Queen of the Pridelands : Nala. She was his childhood friend before ultimately becoming his mate. She had a cream-colored pelt , a pale muzzle and underbelly along with a pale eyes rim. She also got beautiful turquoise eyes and a brown nose.
She was the once who found Simba after she left the Pridelands to find help. The two fell in love at Hakuna Matata Jungle (Much to Timon and Pumbaa's chagrin ) and she tried to convince him to come back and challenge Scar but he refused so the two ended up into a argument.
But later, she followed him after learning that he left and she fought the Hyenas after Scar admitted he was responsible for the former King's death. After the battle, she , along with the rest of the Pride, welcomed Simba as their rightful ruler.
Nala approached her mate before nuzzling his mane lovingly " Something bothering you Simba ?" she asked him calmly but with a hint of concern. The Great Lion sighed as he gazed at the horizon " I was thinking about the Orcs we fought recently..." he half-lied to his mate who nodded in agreement.
The pass few days, Orcs (evil Creatures from a land known to everyone as Mordor ) had been seen entering the Pridelands but they were kicked out by the Pride "Never before Orcs entered our lands…" Simba stated with a frown and a soft growl "I know… " The Queen agreed with a sigh before another voice echoed behind the two. "Let's just hope there won't be more of those filthy beasts !"
Simba and Nala turned their heads to see their first born , Kopa, approaching them with a serious expression on his face. Kopa fairly looked like his father as he had a bright golden fur but instead of a russet mane , he had a brown one. His eyes as the same colors that his mother , Nala.
The young Lion had recently came back to the Pridelands after being declared dead years ago. When he was a cub , he was attacked by Zira , Scar's most devoted follower, who tried to kill him as revenge for her mate's death. He, thankfully, managed to escape by fainting to be dead but despise this, he received scars from this terrible encounter with Zira. The most noticeable ones are the scars on his face : one who pass through his muzzle and another scar on his lips.
For years, he lived on his own and became a rogue Lion. As he grew up, he gained strong muscles so one day, he would take his revenge on Zira for trying to kill him but when he learned that the twisted Lioness was no more… he decided to come back home.
You should have seen Simba's and Nala's faces when they saw him ! They couldn't believed their eyes : their son… the one they thought to be killed by Zira… was standing before them alive and healthy. They welcomed him warmly and the lost Prince got to meet his younger sister Kiara who couldn't believe that she had an older brother as her parents never told her about him.
Kiara's color was a mix of Simba's brownish-gold fur and Nala's cream one. She was also less robust and stocky than her father but just as lithe and sleek as her mother. Her muzzle, paws, and underbelly were cream in color while her tail tuft was creamy brown. In addition , she got reddish-brown eyes.
Kopa also got to meet his sister's mate, Kovu. His sister's love had an auburn fur along with creamy colored muzzle, paws and underbelly. In addition, he had a dark brown mane and green emerald eyes. He also had a scar on his left eye.
Kovu explained to him that he was formally an Outsider and Zira's son but he turned his back on her because of his love for Kiara. The lost Prince , who at first didn't trusted him, grew to like him and the two males became good friends much to Kiara's relief.
However , apart of Simba and Nala, someone else was overjoyed to see Kopa. It was Kovu's sister, Vitani. She looked exactly liked Zira , her mother, but she had a tuft of hair at the top of her hair and a beige pelt . She also had blue eyes, dark eye rims, a dark pink nose and a less prominent mouth. In addition, her ears were stripped with blacks. Like her brother, she was a former Outsider but then became a member of Simba's Pride after Kovu and Kiara stopped the fight near the Gorge.
When she was a cub , she was Kopa's best friend and was heart-broken and upset when she heard about his 'death'. But now, she was happier than ever. She approached him and the two shared a tearful hug as they missed each other dearly. Everyone had watched the reunion with warm smiles on their muzzles.
Of course the two of them became mates after a few days and , everyone's surprise, Kopa asked his father if he could let his younger sister becoming Queen instead of him. Simba was hesitant at first but he nodded. Since that day, the life in the Pridelands had been peaceful… Well…. Until Orcs were spotted at the borders.
Kopa approached his parents before sitting near them " I hope it as well son… but something tell me that there will be more of them..." The King inquired as he let out a soft growl of anger. He never was fond of those hateful creatures. The trio staid silent as they watched the horizon .
But soon the sound of footsteps caught their attention and they turned their heads to see Kiara , Kovu and Vitani stepping out of the Royal Den . Kopa smiled as he approached his mate who pressed her head against his brown mane "Hello love~" she purred at him warmly as she licked his cheek. "Hello to you too sunshine~" he purred back fondly.
"Hello Daddy...Hello Mom… Hey brother… What were you talking about ?" Kiara asked her family after greeting them in her usual cheerful behavior. "Well… " Simba began to say before being interrupted by Kopa " We were wondering if a cold bath would be good for you dear sister~".
Kiara ,of course, glared back at him playfully as everyone snickered in amusement. Kopa smirked at his younger sibling innocently before saying "I have YEARS of sibling rivalry to catch up you know..." The Princess pouted in response which caused his mate to laugh...before being stopped when Kiara gave him a stern glare.
"Seriously what were you talking about ?" The auburn male quickly asked to change the subject. "We were wondering why Orcs were entering the Pridelands..." Simba responded in a calm tone , all trace of amusement had disappeared from his face. Kovu growled angrily : he wasn't fond of Orcs either. As was Vitani and Kiara…. And the rest of the Pride in fact.
Speaking of the Princess, she opened her mouth to say " What do you think is luring them here ? Maybe someone ordered them to ?" Simba went deep in thought when his daughter stopped talking but soon, he responded gravely " I don't know Kiara…but... Something is happening I can feel it..."
" I feel it too… " Nala added with a nod of agreement to her mate's words. "Let's just hope it won't be more fight..." Kiara whispered in anxiety before her mate pressed his body against hers in comfort. Silence followed for a long time until it was interrupted by a blue Hornbill who looked frantic "YOUR MAJESTY ! YOUR MAJESTY !"
Everyone looked over to see Zuri , the king's majordomo, flying toward them in such a hurry, before landing near Simba.
Zuri was Zazu's daughter and she looked exactly like her father but thankfully, she wasn't as annoying as he was. Zazu died of sickness two days after Kopa's return and Zuri became his successor as King's majordomo.
The poor Horn-bill panted loudly to catch her breath "What's going on Zuri ?!" The King asked the bird with some concern in his voice. "Please don't tell me she saw Orcs again..." Kovu muttered to himself and Kopa shoved his shoulder in a friendly manner with a smirk.
"Sire… I heard something terrible from a close friend of mine..." The Hornbill began to say fearfully before pausing , unsure about something. "Well then ? What is it ?" The Red Maned Lion asked his majordomo who took a deep breath before responding "The One Ring was found !"
At those words, everyone gasped in shock. All of them had heard about the Ring of Powers and what happened after their creations such as the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Sauron's defeat , Isildur's death and above all the Disappearance of the One Ring !
"Are you sure ?!" Nala asked the bird with wide eyes of horror "Yes your Majesty ! Right now , the Ring is at Rivendell and Lord Elrond organized a great Council to discuss this matter !" Zuri explained as she looked at the Royal Family with disbelief. Simba's face grew stern as he closed his eyes so his mind could process what he just learned.
"The Ring was found ?! How ?! And WHO found it ?!" One Lioness of the Pride asked loudly. They woke up the moment Zuri delivered the news and all of them were horrified as they chatted with each other. Kovu and Kiara were looking at each other with wide eyes of shock and Kopa and his mate were doing the same.
But then everyone stopped talking when Simba opened his mouth to say " SILENCE !" All the Pride did what they were told but the King could see the fear still present in their eyes. "We will attend to Elrond's council ! If the One Ring was really found, then it concerned ALL habitants of Middle-Earth !"
The Pride nodded in agreement at their King's words before the Red Maned Lion added " I will go to Rivendell ! I will take with me : Nala, Kopa , Kiara , Kovu and Vitani !" The ones he chose bowed their heads to show him that they accepted. "Zuri ! I let you in charge of the Pridelands until my return and warn Rafiki about this..." The Hornbill nodded in respect to her King's wish.
"When are we leaving Father ?" Kopa asked the King who looked back at him with a calm but serious expression on his face "We will leave NOW ! This matter is to important to wait… " Nala stepped forward " Everyone ! Be prepared to leave !" she ordered them hurriedly and the group Simba's chose to come with him stepped closer. The King's heart clenched in sadness : Timon and Pumbaa would have come with them if they were still around. Sadly, the two died years ago of old ages.
With a nod and sigh , the Red Maned Lion walked away toward the border of his kingdom followed by Nala, Kiara , Kopa and their respective mates while the Pride wished them good lucks.
The trip was mostly in silence and when they approached the border which marked the end of the Pridelands. The group stopped for a moment, a feeling of uneasiness and nervousness surrounding them as they realized that they were about to step out of the limit of their home. Shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts, Simba was the first one to take a step forward quickly followed by Nala. Kopa and Vitani followed after them along with Kovu but then they stopped when they realized that Kiara was still standing there.
"Kiara ? Are you alright ?" Kopa asked his little sister with concern as he noticed her worried look "Kiara what is it ?" Kovu asked his mate , puzzled by her behavior. " If I take one more step… it'll be the farthest I've been from home..." Everyone seemed to understand what was bothering her : after all, of all of them, Kiara was the only one who never saw the world outside of the Pridelands.
Nala approached her daughter before licking her face comfortingly " Come on dear… We will be with you to the end~" Kiara looked at her mother with a grateful smile as some confidence grew inside her. Taking a deep breath, the young Lioness stepped forward and when she did, a feeling a freedom surrounded her as she looked at her comrades with excitement.
Simba looked at his daughter with a proud smile before turning around and walking away. Kopa and Vitani went after him and soon Kovu , Nala and Kiara joined them. As they walked, Kovu nuzzled his mate's cheek whispering "I'm proud of you" Kiara smiled lovingly at him and nuzzled him back before looking back at her father as he leaded them toward their next destination : Rivendell.
/
The group of Lions were walking through the grasses with some haste as the Misty Mountains' large forms could be seen in the distance. All of them were relaxed thanks to the vast field they were currently in which reminded them of the Pridelands. After leaving their home behind, Simba and his group passed near the Shire and the Red Maned Lion , who wanted to see his old friend again after so long, was shocked to hear that Bilbo Baggins was not here anymore.
He left to live with the Elves from what he heard. Simba was a bit upset that he didn't have the chance to see the brave Hobbit again but he managed to hide it as he lead his group all the way to Rivendell, the home of Lord Elrond. The Lions passed near the village of Bree then across Weathertop.
But now days later, the group came across the river that led in the direction of their destination. The river flowed toward East so it was going to be easy to follow it. "We made it..." Nala whispered in relief and everyone silently cheered. Kiara , during the moment she stepped out of the Pridelands, became curious of everything she saw , much to everyone's amusement. Despise being a soon-to-be-adult lioness, she still acted like a cub.
" Come on everyone ! We don't have time to waste !" The King of the Pridelands stated as he set off toward the east. Suddenly, Kiara appeared next to him as she seemed really exited "I can't wait to see Rivendell !" The King looked at his daughter with an amused smile as he remembered that he acted the same back when he was just a cub.
After a moment, they finally reached their destination and everyone gasped in amazement at what they saw : the valley reflected the sunlight so much that every hour seemed to look like early dusk. Softs flowing rivers , Waterfalls and trees of the valley were absolutely breathtaking. In addition, the warm air and the scent of pine trees riped within the air. Throughout the valley, beech and oaks scattered across the sides of the slopes. The whole valley had beautiful and was surrounded by an impression of peacefulness.
"I don't have the words to…" Nala mumbled in awe as she looked around with wide eyes. Even Vitani and Kiara were speechless at the spectacle before them. Kopa , Kovu and Simba were also acting the same. This place was more beautiful that the Pridelands.
They staid like this for a moment until Simba cleared his throat to catch their attention "Come let's get going..." he said calmly as he walked toward a long, narrow stone bridge which extended over the valley with a waterfall inhabiting it.
As the group crossed the bridge , they were stopped by two Elves who blocked their paths "Who are you ?" one of them asked calmly. Simba stepped forward "I'm Simba , King of the Pridelands...and we are here to attend Lord Elrond's Council !"
The Elves bowed before him "My apologies , your Majesty, I will warn our Lord of your presence !" the Other Elf Guard mumbled before dashing away.
The Lions waited for a moment until a new Elf showed up but this one was different. This Elf looked more majestic that the Guards and in fact, an aura of authority and strength seemed to radiant from him. He approached the group of felines before bowing his head in a respectful manner.
"Welcome to Rivendell King Simba of the Pridelands ! So long since a Lion walked on our Lands !" the Newcomer , who was none other that Elrond said in a deep strong but calm tone. " Its a honor to finally meet you Lord Elrond !" Simba said back just as respectful. The noble Elf nodded before looking at the Lion King's companions "May I ask who are with you King Simba ?"
The Red Maned Lion smiled as he gestured for his group to present themselves. Nala was , of course, the first one to step forward "I'm Nala , Queen of the Pridelands..." Elrond bowed his head respectfully as her in response " Those two are our children : Kiara and Kopa~"
The Prince and Princess bowed their heads in greetings to the Lord Elf before them. In response, Elrond bowed his head back before looking at the two remaining Lions.
"I am Kovu...Kiara's husband !" The auburn male said as he stood next to Kiara. " And I'm Vitani , Kovu's sister and Kopa's mate " The beige Lioness said calmly with a respectful nod. "It a honor for me to have you all in Rivendell ! I'm sure you are here because of the news concerning the Ring..."
They all nodded in response "The Council will take place tomorrow… Until then, I suggest you take some rest… A room will be prepared for you… King Simba ? Queen Nala ? Can I talk to you ?" The two Royal Lions nodded as they followed Elrond to who-know where.
The youngsters were left behind "So what should we do ?" Kovu asked his comrade with a raise-brow "Maybe we can visit the place ?" Kopa asked with a smile as he looked around.
"Good idea ! Let's go !" Kiara shouted as she dashed away. Chuckling in amusement, the other three followed after her , eager to visit this strange but beautiful new place…
(To be continued…)