After retiring the Lion Guard, Kion found his new role in the Circle of Life: being king of the Tree of Life. Over time, he made new friends and found out things he never knew before in his life. But one day, something horrifying happened that would...
The Tree of Life; a safe place for animals to go when they are hurt or sick. Back when the Tree was discovered by lions long ago, a hierarchy was quickly formed.
The King and Queen were two mates that displayed great leadership and responsibility. They had the most power of the pride, like any king or queen should have. Choosing what is best for their pride, kingdom, and all the rare animals that choose to stay was their role. Descendants of the royal family would be destined to continue ruling and keeping the Tree of Life at peace.
To help keep the Tree of Life at peace, a group of lions called the Night Pride would help defend the kingdom. A member of the royal family, whether they were king or queen, brother or sister, son or daughter, would lead this force of lions.
When the lands of the Tree of Life were first conquered, the first king and queen noticed that their lions conquered so much land that it was too much to control by themselves. The conquered lands were literally several miles long. And so, after deep thinking, the king sent out each member of the Night Pride to go and start a pride of their own, within the boundaries of the Tree of Life. Since there were three members of the Night Pride, (not including the leader) three more prides were added to the kingdom. These separate prides would help keep the lands in balance, while the King and Queen would still have full ownership over them. Each pride represented a quality trait that described as the lions of the Tree as a whole.
The Western Pride represents the power or strength of the Tree of Life. The Night Pride member that created this pride was known to be very strong and brave.
The Eastern Pride represents the calm and peacefulness of the Tree of Life. The member that started this pride was very calming and thoughtful.
The Southern Pride represents the mind and spirit of the Tree of Life. The first leader of this pride was very wise and smart during their time as part of the Night Pride.
These three prides have slightly different ways to defend and control their pride. Each of these prides have a first-in-command, second-in-command, and a huntress leader. The first and second in commands are chosen lions or lionesses to take charge of the pride. The second in command is always a generation younger than the first. Once the first dies, second will take their place, and a new second-in-command is chosen. The huntress leader is a lioness chosen to lead other lions on hunts.
These prides still stand today, and will continue to honor the kingdom.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, do you understand now?" Rani asks me.
"Wait, so we basically rule three separate kingdoms?"
"Four." Makini steps forward. "We're in the Northern Pride. The main part of the Tree of Life. And where the Tree actually is." she explains.
"Oh. But why are you guys explaining this to me again?"
"It's because you and I are going to the Western Pride tomorrow. To see Amari, the current first-in-command. You remember Amari right?" Rani asks.
I nod. Just a few weeks after my coronation, a bunch of lions I didn't know visited us. And I remember one of them was named Amari. I guess they were part of the Western Pride.
"You two should get some sleep. It's getting dark. And you have a small trip to start in the morning." Makini advises.
Rani and I nod in response. We leaped out of Makini's tree and started heading to the Tree of Life. It's been a few months since I became king and a lot changed since then.
We spot some lions in the forest.
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These are Rani's childhood friends. They left the Tree as cubs because of a harsh rogue attack. From left to right, I saw Soma, Isha, and Kala.
Soma and Isha were a bit like 'Tree of Life versions' of Tiifu and Zuri. But these two were way more mature. They were so similar in fact, that they even became royal advisors for Rani, alongside Makini. Isha was the best huntress out of the three, that she became the lioness huntress here at the Northern Pride. To the right, there was Kala. He was the mate of Isha. He acted like the older brother I never had.
I remember a while back when they heard Rani was already queen...
Okay sooo, I know I have been away for a while. My passion of writing has really gone away for me. My interest of The Lion King / Guard franchise isn't as strong as it was before. I've had this draft for a few months now and I didn't have the motivation to finish it. I don't really have the excitement to start writing stories for now. If anything new happens to the Lion King franchise, maybe I'll consider going back. For now, I'll still be around to support all of the wonderful writers on the website. Please don't pressure me to go back to writing. I've been dealing with signs of depression for a while and I don't want things like that going through my head. So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this draft.
