Authors note: This story is based off a series I made using lion king bases on Deviantart. It is still on going, so please don't demand chapters be available every day. I'll work on as much as I can. Also to note, the lions in this story, like other stories I have made, age as fast as humans do.

Welcome to the Jungle Pride

Chapter 1: Saved by a Princess

It had been a long while since Simba had been traveling. Everything was so hot, and he felt so tired and hungry. He wasn't sure where to go, but, there was a sight of green in front of him that told the 4 year old cub to keep going. But now everything was becoming a bit of a blur. He wasn't sure where he was, and he wasn't sure why he was traveling where he was. In fact, much of what he was trying to remember was actually slipping his mind. He began to try and think why he had wandered this way in the first place. But he was drawing a blank all of the sudden. He couldn't remember where he had traveled from or why he had traveled from there. The only thing that was clear in his head was that his name was Simba. All of this think had begun to exhaust him. And just as he was about 20 paw steps from the greenery in front of him. He collapsed. His legs couldn't go further. He was too tried to try and get himself to stand again. He thought, maybe he could take a rest, and then, he'd walk into the oasis after he slept. As his eyes were beginning to shut, he spotted two figures, they were brown and beige. One giant, the other smaller, but still bigger then him. As his eyes shut, all he could hear was a faint cawing of something, and then a soft comforting voice saying, "Hang in there little one." Then, his world went black.

Moments ago in the jungle

Rhea, a princess to the Jungle Pride had been with her daughter Princess Mara. While her sister, Queen Kalima had been in the healing den, being the pride's head healer, Rhea was teaching her daughter some hunting lessons. She knew Mara was young, no older than 6 years of age, and most didn't go on their true first hunt til they were 13, but in never hurt to train her daughter early. Besides it would only be for small game, like field mice and the small flightless birds. Just then, she heard a caw. It was vultures. But they had been banished from the Jungle long ago. Seeing as they were airborne, there was little she could do at the moment to deal with them, and they were still a good bit away from flying directly over the jungle. But when she saw them, she saw they were circling. They had spotted something. When she used her nose to catch the scent, she had expected to smell rotten meat near. She didn't but she did pick up a scent that was new to the area. It meant what they were circling was alive.

Rhea was one who respected the circle of life, but this was not the way. The vultures had been warned they were restricted to dead meat. Not meat that still had life. It was a condition of their banishment. "Mara, it appears that our lessons will have to wait for another time. We've got trouble," Rhea informed her daughter.

Mara nodded, knowing that the buzzards were a bad sign, and Rhea had to deal with it. She followed her mother as they made a dash for the desert that bordered their Jungle home. As they entered the open sand filled area, she saw her mother roar fiercely. This scared off the buzzards that had tried to feast on what was in front of them. When her eye came upon it, she was shocked to see a young cub. A toddler at best. He was smaller than she or her friends were, not hint of his mane coming in yet was a huge indicator. As Rhea gave one last roar to send the buzzards completely fleeing, she then looked down at the little cub before her. He had a golden pelt with a beige underbelly. She could tell this cub had been through quite the ordeal. Thorns from somewhere off a ways all over his fur, a few even stuck in his paw. And he must have been famished to have collapsed paws lengths from the shaded shelter of the jungle before him. He was no more than 4 years of age at most from her determination. She saw he was fast fading from consciousness, and stated, "Hang in there little one."

As the little toddler cub passed out, Rhea took a good whiff of the cub's sent. Knowing his sent would be the combined sent of both his parents, she took a sniff of the air to see if she could detect any sign of them. There was no scent. Either this cub had been abandoned by his parents, or they had perished far before himself. Whatever the case was, being a mother to her little Mara, she couldn't leave this tiny cub to the cruel fate of the heat. She then, after gently brushing off what she could of the thorns in his fur, carefully picked the tiny cub up and carried him towards the shade of their jungle home. She and her daughter made their way back to the sheltered area of the Jungle that provided a huge amount of caves, the dwelling area of the Jungle Pride. As the two approached, they were seen by other members of their pride. Rhea could hear her fellow sisters conversing about the little cubs she was carrying in her mouth. Many of them positive, and making the pride sister's giggle. She knew they couldn't help it, while he was a stranger, the golden cub was cute. In need of a good bath, but cute. She then came to her private den. Which was an extension of the royal family's den. She gently set the cub down between her paws careful not to cause him a lot of pain. She then called out "Layla! Can you please come here?!"

A lioness with a bit of lighter brown fur compared to her own walked up.

"Yes Princess Rhea, how might I help you?" the lioness inquired.

Rhea giggled, "I've told you a thousand times, there's no need for the formality, we've been friends for a while."

"I know your majesty. But even so, I will still address you as such out of respect for our friendship," Layla stated.

"Very well. Anyways, I need you to inform my sister the queen about our "new" arrival to the pride. I'll do what I can to help him. But he suffered from severe exhaustion out in the desert before I found him," Rhea informed her.

"Great Kings above, what possessed him to travel into that death zone?" Layla stated.

"That's what I intend to find out when he wakes up. Now, if you would be so kind," Rhea started.

"Oh, yes, the queen. Right away princess," Layla said, before scampering off.

"Mommy. Is he gonna be alright?" Mara asked.

"Yes dear. We got to him in time, so he will be okay. It will take him a while to get back on his feet, since he's so young, but he will be okay," Rhea assured her.

"Okay... can we keep him," Mara requested.

Rhea could only chuckle. She knew that Mara had talked about wanting a little brother for a while. But with Rhea's mate being a wanderer lion, never settling down in one place, it was extremely hard to really give Mara that kind of wish. And she wasn't about to go an woo the King to carry another cub. He was her sister's mate. Not hers. But she did have it in mind, that if there was no one that this cub would state to be his parents that were close by, she would take this cub in as her own. There were very few lionesses in the pride that were providing for cubs at the moment. And Mara had only recently been weaned a few days ago. So Rhea still had plenty of milk to provide for this cub. "We shall see Mara. First we must speak with your aunt and find out where this cub is from," Rhea told Mara.

After getting all the thorns out, including the ones stuck in the little boy's paws, as well as giving him a nice bath, Rhea set the cub next to her side, where she gently coaxed the resting cub to latch on and nurse. She knew this was the best way for the cub to regain his strength some and wake up. Soon, the tiny golden pelted cub was sleep nursing from her. She was happy that he was responding at all, and also felt joy, for she missed the feeling of her little Mara being this small and nursing.

"Why Rhea, why didn't you tell your own sister you were expecting," came the voice of the Queen, Kalima.

Rhea chuckled, "Very funny sister. This cub was found by me and my daughter just outside the Jungle on the desert sands. The buzzards almost had their way with him."

"Great Kings above. What possessed him to travel into that death zone?" Kalima wondered.

"That's exactly what I asked your majesty," Layla stated.

"Well, great minds do think alike. I'm glad to see that the cub is getting some nourishment. That was a very honorable thing you did sister. What are your intentions with this cub, if you don't mind me asking," Kalima asked.

"He's gonna be my new brother," Mara blurted out.

"Really now?" Kalima asked in mock shock.

"Well, maybe. First, we need the cub to wake. After that, I am going to ask him who he is, and where his parents are. If what I think may have happened turns out to be what is the truth, or any other logical reason for it, yes, I do intend to take the cub in as my own. I'm a mother, I can't just abandon a helpless cub dear sister," Rhea stated.

"I would expect nothing less from a Princess of the Jungle Pride. And you have my blessing to adopt the cub, if the worst case scenario has happened. I do suppose you wish for me to look the cub over, yes?" Kalima wondered.

"Yes, it would be best to know the condition of this tiny one before I let him go scampering around the Jungle," Rhea stated.

Kalima nodded, knowing that was a wise choice. As she examined the cub for any broken bones, or other ailments, she stated, "Well, the only thing I can determine is that the cub suffered from severe heat exhaustion and hunger. He must have been out there for days. Who knows how many times he went in circles out there. He'll probably be too weakened to walk for the time being. So, I don't think you'll have any trouble of him scampering off on you for a while sister. Give it about a week or so, with plenty of nourishment, and he'll be bounding around the family cave in no time."

"That's good news," Rhea sighed in relief as she and Kalima watched her daughter try to be a helpful big sister to her possible soon-to-be brother as she gave him a bath while he nursed.

Just then, they heard him moan, as if he was waking up from a nap. the little cub latched off, and as Rhea placed the little cub between her giant paws, she could see him slowly but surely try to open his eyes.

End of chapter 1. I hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know what you think. Constructive critiscism is always welcome. But please. No comments demanding that my other stories be worked on. I will work on them when I feel like I have the drive to. Trying to demand I write them will only demotivate me, and I will have less enthusiasm to write them. The comment section is meant for you to let me know what you thought of this story, so please, keep your comments relevant to this story, and don't try to sneak in hints about how you want the other stories worked on. And please do not make demands that this story goes a certain way. I will write the story the way I wish for things to occur.