Chapter 1: The new Simba

(To understand this Fanfic, you must read the previous 2: Lion's heart and King's Soul. Several characters are my OCs and if they have names similar to others, they are mere coincidence)

It was an afternoon in the Pride Lands, and the usual atmosphere of tranquility was noticeable outside: birds were singing and various animals were cooling off in the springs and oases. On the king's rock, a cub was running at full speed with his cousin.

"Ready Haki?" The cub asked, positioning himself to watch the boys' fight.

"Sometimes I don't understand them," one commented.

"Boys are hard to understand, that's for sure," said the other.

The cubs stopped playing when they noticed the two girls.

"Hello, what is the honor of your visit?" Simba asked them.

"Have you forgotten it?" Amira told him, "I thought we would go play at Lake Shangaza for a while."

"Oh, wow. I forgot. But we always go to Lake Shangaza... couldn't we go to...?"

"I hope you don't think about going to Outlands," warned a lioness who came out of the cave. "Dogo's Clan takes its intruder law seriously"

"I thought they were good friends with us, Aunt Shany," Salma said.

"Let's say we have a non-aggression pact as long as we do not enter without authorization from the king or the leader of the Lion's Guard. If you enter of your own free will, you are considered an intruder"

"Can we go, mom?" Simba asked, trying to put on his best face.

"Even if it is the queen, it must be your father who gives the authorization. Or perhaps, your uncle"

"But dad is busy preparing for Kupatana..." the cub was sad, "And Uncle Koda and the Lion's guard are helping a herd of leopards to set up their territory after a sandstorm."

"Simba..." Amira stopped him, "Don't worry, it will be another time. Besides, we're all together to find a way to have fun, right, cousins?"

"Yes," Haki and Salma responded.

Simba sighed and then seemed to feel happier.

"Okay," he said, "Be careful"

"Yes mom" Simba and Amira responded together.

The quartet of cubs then happily climbed down the Pride Rock and ventured out into the Pride lands. Many of the animals greeted them happily because they had hopes fixed in them, although the cubs did not notice it.

The cubs arrived at Shangaza Lake, where they spent an hour playing fun swimming games, splashing, and wrestling competitions.

"Ha!" Amira exclaimed when she knocked down Haki, "It's 3 to 0! It's obvious that I'm better, cousin!"

"There... I'm giving you the advantage!" this one complained.

"Yeah, sure..." Salma commented in a sarcastic tone, "What do you think, Simba? Simba?"

But Simba was distracted, sitting on a rock, looking at the horizon beyond the Outlands.

"Simba!" Amira and Salma shouted at him, waking him up suddenly.

"Hey! What was that for?" asked.

"What are you thinking about that you're very distracted?" Salma asked.

"Well, I..." Simba replied, turning his gaze toward the horizon, "What do you think is beyond the Outlands?"

"Well, dad says that there are lands where few good creatures and several bad creatures live," Amira responded, "It's dangerous for us animals to go to those lands..."

"Yes... I remember..."

(A week before...)

It was very early in the Pride Lands and the sun was beginning to rise weakly on the horizon. Simba was almost awake, but he had trouble getting up. However, a soft parental paw stroked his head.

"If you're tired, we can leave it for another time," his father whispered.

"No, I'm awake," Simba replied, opening his eyes and getting up, "I'm ready, dad."

"Well, let's go then..."

His father led him out of the cave of Pride Rock, to the peak of it, where he could see the dawn of the Pride Lands. Simba beheld that magnificent sight that his predecessors had also seen. Once there, his father explained to him all the land bathed in sunlight, as well as the areas covered by shadows, the Outlands... which he specified were areas not so striking due to certain attitudes of its inhabitants.

"To the west, behind Pride Rock, are the Backlands," his father continued, "A pride of leopards live there. Beyond, frozen mountains, bamboo forests, the ocean and the Tree of life, where lives more of our family. If you want, one day we can go visit them."

"I would love to, Dad," said Simba, "By the way, what is beyond Pride Lands, to the East? I mean beyond the Outlands"

"It is... difficult to explain... these are not places for either a cub or an adult lion. They are lands more dangerous than the Elephant Graveyard"

"Why? What could be more dangerous than graveyard geysers?"

"The creatures that live beyond these realms: humans, are not all, but there are too many evil ones in those lands who do not know the values of union, friendship or love. They are not subject to the laws of the Pride Lands… They make their own decisions and, sometimes, do not take into account the consequences of these decisions on others."

"Have you ever been there?"

His father remained silent at first, as if not wanting to say anything. However, he had to explain certain things to his son.

"They came to the Pride Lands once, when I was a cub," he explained, "That's when they took your mother, but then we got her back, and your great-grandfather was injured... for trying to save me."

The cub only heard those words with great tension: they seemed like really dangerous creatures. However, he was still curious that this was true. As if reading his mind, his father said:

"Simba, I know that you are curious about what lands beyond the Pride Lands, but the dangers that exist in those lands are impossible to foresee. Here you are safe with your family, and I promise you that I will give my all to protect you, you understand?"

"Yes Dad..."

"Simba!" Amira's voice woke him up, then he felt water fall on his face.

The cub abruptly woke up from his memory and returned to the present. He was still in Lake Shangaza, and Amira had poured water on his face to wake him up.

"Hey! What was that for?" Simba asked, drying himself off.

"It was the only way to wake you up," Salma laughed, and Haki and Amira followed.

"Oh yeah?"

Simba approached the water and, taking some of it, started a water battle with his sister and cousins. They were golden times, but of course, a simple accident can ruin that atmosphere of peace and relaxation.