Copyright

All of The Lion King characters are owned by Disney, not me, and Leo is my character so there.

Note- Names inside parenthesis, Example (Simba), are there so you know who Leo's talking about in some parts they aren't in his real journal.

Leo's Journal Part I-Arrival in the Pridelands

1988

I have been given an assignment in field observation for the guardians. My job will be to monitor a pride of lions west of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa and to collect blood samples from select pride members then to report back upon request. I ship out in a week...

One week later...

I have arrived in Tanzania. The land all around is breathtaking, it's like stepping into a whole new wold. One untouched by humans (now I see the positive side of the expression "3rd world country") Anyway now to observe the the pride.

The lions live mainly in a large rock formation in the center of their lands. It seems to be a medium size pride at 14 lioness and one male. After blood analysis it appears that the pride has good genetic diversity. The Pride Leader is a pale gold with a long black mane and bright green eyes (Ahadi).

While exploring around the formation I found a nice sized cave hidden high up the slope on the back of the rock formation. There is a lot of tree cover there and the lions never seem to be there, it is a perfect place to set up my headquarters.

Collected a blood sample from the Pride Leader.

1989

5 lion cubs born

Two male twins born to one lioness (Uru). The youngest is a dark brown with emerald green eyes (Taka) and the oldest a pale gold with brown eyes (Mufasa), father is current leader of pride (Ahadi).

Three females are also born to three separate lionesses. Cubs are colored as follows, one light brown with brown eyes (Sarabi), other light tan with green eyes (Sarafina), and the last is dark tan with red/brown eyes (Zira). Their fathers are unknown to me at this time but believed to be nomadic males.

Collected blood samples from the four mothers.

1991

Cubs have reached adolescence, The leader of the pride should banish the the twins soon.

Collected blood samples from the 5 now adolescent cubs.

1992

Recent observations indicate that the two brothers do not seem to get along very well. Also, father seems to be letting his sons continue to live in the pride. This is very unusual as normally they would have been kicked out by now... The brothers mane's have grown in. The eldest mane is red, the youngest black. Also the dark brown lioness (Zira) has developed a dark stripe going from between her eyes to down her neck.

1993

The pride leader and father of the two brothers has died. It seems that the elder of the two brothers has taken his father's place as the leader of the pride.

I find this odd since brothers normally co-rule prides.

Furthermore the brothers have taken up mates. The eldest brother's mate is the light brown one with brown eyes (Sarabi). The youngest brother's mate is the light tan one with green eyes (Sarafina).

Later in 1993

The mate of the dark lion (Sarafina) slashes his left eye leaving a deep cut on the eyelid. It will probably leave a scar.

1994-1998

Observations disrupted, all current blood samples lost...

1998

I have returned to observations on the pride. It seems that there is a new Pride leader (or King as I now call it) and lioness.

The King is a deep golden brown with brown eyes and a red mane (Simba). The female is a little paler but with blue eyes (Nala). The two seem to be really close to each other, they are most likely mates.

I have noticed that some lioness, the mothers to the cubs from my previous visit, and the 3 of the 5 cubs (now adults) have gone missing. The missing, now adult cubs, are the two brothers (Mufasa and Scar) and the the lioness with the dark brown stripe (Zira).

Later in 1998

The new King and lioness have had a cub. It is female, her fur is a mix between the two but she has brown eyes like her father (Kiara).

Also I have found the missing lioness with the dark stripe (Zira)! She is living in a pride with some of the other missing lions in the dessert regions of Kenya east of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Why are they there?

Anyway, it seems that she has three cubs one of them nearing adolescence. The youngest is dark brown with emerald green eyes (Kovu) and is a twin to a tan female cub with crystal blue eyes (Vitani). The adolescent is a dark brown with ruby red eyes and the starting of a black mane (Nuka) (and is it just me or does he have a goatee?).

Also, there is no sign of the brothers I guess they must have died in a takeover with the new King...

Even Later In 1998

Cubs have grown a little.

The dark cub is now starting to develop a black tuft of mane on his head and elbows (or whatever they are called in a lion). His twin sister also has a tuft of hair above her eyes I get the feeling they are bangs.

During observations one day I found two of the cubs from the different prides met each other. At first the brown one (Kovu) was growling the cub from the other pride (Kiara) then they started (what it appeared) to be playing to me next to the river that separated the two pride's lands.

They got into in a skirmish with some crocodiles, but fortunately, the two cubs were able to help each other to escape from the crocodiles and climb up a downed tree then jump to safety on a nearby ledge. After that the two cubs started what I think was a game of tag then they were about to play fight when all of a sudden the King of the western lands (Simba) came and roared at the dark cub, then out of nowhere the dark stripe lioness (Zira) came out of nowhere and roared right back!

They then started to snarl at each other when I hear two words that almost seemed to be said through clenched teeth. They were "Zira" and "Simba". I thought someone was behind me so I turned around only to see nothing there, was it the lions? No, it couldn't have...

I refocused my thoughts to the scene unfolding in front of me. The dark stripe lioness (Zira) was about to attack the King when more lioness (including his mate (Nala) and, I guess with the way this pride is ruled, Queen) and oddly a meerkat (Timon) and warthog (Pumbaa) came and stood on the King's side.

The dark stripe lioness (Zira) and King (Simba) exchange more growls. The dark stripe lioness (Zira) then pushes her cub (Kovu) in front of the King (Simba). The cub (Kovu) whimpers as his mother (Zira) bears her teeth (it almost looks like a smile).

The King (Simba) snarls then picks up his cub and departs with the other lioness, the warthog, and the meerkat. The dark stripe lioness (Zira) then does likewise.

I guess that there must have been a conflict between the two prides when they were one and then split off into two separate prides. I wonder what happened the four years I was gone...

Later that day I suddenly realized that I haven't given the lions names, so I decided to name them. Their names are as follows.

The King - Simba

The Queen- Nala

Simba and Nala's cub- Kiara

The dark stripe lioness- Zira

Zira's dark cub- Kovu

Zira's tan cub- Vitani

Zira's adolescent- Nuka

Light brown lioness with brown eyes- Sarabi

Light tan lioness with green eyes- Sarafina

I don't know why I gave those names they just felt... right.

End of Leo's Journal Part I

Hope you enjoyed Leo's Journal Part I, Part II coming soon...

And just for any one who may be a little confused by this story...

This story is to set the foundation for all that are to follow.

Please read and review.