"Dad, when did we come to the Pridelands? What made us start here?"

Kion's innocent question drove Simba to pause in his lessons as he walked with his son and daughter in the early evening in the Savannah. The orange lion looked to his cubs and smiled, ruffling his son's head.

"Oh years ago. It has been...a long, long time. Let me see if I can remember. My father told this to me when I was very little... Yes, alright. Do you two want a story?"

Gasps made their wishes clear, and Simba nodded and sat down.

"Alright, you two...listen closely."

"It was long ago, back in the days before real kings. Almost before lions truly gathered in large enough groups to be a kingdom. And the Pridelands were not always the Pridelands...at one point they were several separate kingdom which eventually were all strung together by one lion...

There was, then, a lion who rose among the others and proclaimed himself Emperor, the one to rule all. He was crowned, and was well-respected by his people. Esti ruled for many years with a warm and iron paw, eventually begetting one child, a girl. He had no other children, and so he waited for many a year for his protege to appear, for he refused to have a female heir. He would simply step down and the lands would be spun into chaos once again.

It was in his autumn days, nearing the end of his life and rule, that a lion pride stumbled upon the Empire.

This lion's name was Kapam..."

I treaded carefully into this new grassy land, my last mate by my side as she kept careful watch over our cubs. Letting out a sigh, she pressed her fur into my side with a forceful nudge and then pricked her ears forward. Her pridesister Esarai came and also copied the young mother.

"Kapam. Hyena pack, at three lions to the right, ten forward."

I hissed under my breath as Esarai gathered my and Bonvena's daughters, Kaba and Kala. At one year and seven months old each, the twin females are slowly edging up on full maturity. Kaba, with her mother's red eyes, looked at the impending hyenas, and whimpered. My mane busted out at that and I stepped forward. None of these mangy dogs would harm my daughters, not until the day I was long gone.

"Watch me, girls!"

With those words, I snarled at the pack of spotted hyenas that had been slowly encrouching up on us. I charged and rushed them, and as they scattered with loud yips of confusion, I clawed and swiped at them. As the matriarch rowled loudly in anger, I spat at her and knocked her aside with one blow. Minutes seemed to stretch longer than possible as they finally scattered. I snarled and let out one last huff as the adrenaline left my system and they raced off. My daughters, mate, and pridemember gathered around to check if I was hurt, and beside a few minor scratches I was unscathed. Esarai looked a bit impressed, and something tells me that when she comes into heat I will share her chamber. As they began to congradulate me on taking down eight hyenas within such a short time, a loud roar that was not one of them stilled their words, and I turned to see another lion approaching us at a fast rate of speed.

His appearence brought screams to both Kaba and Kala's throats and I launched myself at him, my fury increasing. He threw the first claw, but his fighting was horrible and I easily bested him. I held him down, effectively pinning him, and as I felt his strength go from him, I got up and he stared at me, shock in his eyes as his breath came back in short rasps.

"Why did you release me?"

I nodded to him, my head sweeping down, and I turned my head to my daughters. "To show them mercy, Lion. Not every opponent needs die. You must keep your conscious in this world. I don't want my daughters growing up as rouges without love. Who are you?"

He glanced at them and smiled, extending a paw in front of him. He was perhaps a little older than me, and his brown eyes were warm now that I had bested him and then backed off. "My name is Gvardioj. I am the guard assigned to this portion of land. I thank you for sparing me. We've met some rouges not so kind...I will mention this to my leader, and if you wish to follow me you may. Come."

I sighed, following the lion and motioning my pride to follow. As we headed towards large grassy holes, I saw lions poking their heads from them, and a large golden lioness rushed out of one and giggled, attacking Gvardioj and making him laugh. He glanced towards us and motioned to her as she let us up. "This is Senkulpeco. She's spunky." He gave her a soft lick on the forehead and she purred, closing her eyes in contentedness.

"Greetings, Senkulpeco. I am Kapam. Gvaurdioj, is she your daughter?"

His eyes hardened and he looked at me suspiciously. "My mate. Dear, go back to the burrow. I must show this lion to our king. He spared my life during a border tussle..."

She tsked, her youth and beauty radiating off of her as she circled him and plucked a few twigs from his mane where they had been tangled during our skirmish. "I should've known. Will you return for dinner?" As he gave his answer, I looked away. The sharp embarrassment had gone through like a thorn when I took her for his cub, though she certainly was young enough to be. Ah well, not every lioness could be my mate.

He lead me into a large grass ditch, which was intracitely carved out and hosted a large old grey lion in the middle of the cool room. Gvuardioj bowed and I forced myself to follow, coughing as I got dust up my nose. The grey bag of bones stuck his nose up and looked down at the lion who stood beside me. "And who is this you've brought into my home, Lion Guard?"

"A new guard, King Esti. He bested me in a fight."

"Not hard to do, you are a rather poor guard. It is only respect for your father that you are on the Guard. Now, Lion, come forward."

I stepped forward and he snarled, swiping his claws at me. I grasped at him with my paws and missed, but one nicked his ear. He cried out in fury and bit me, his teeth sinking into my flank. I growled and swung around, grabbing him at the shoulder and tearing, hearing a sharp and distinctive RIIIIP as the skin was forced from its owner. He screamed and flicked his ears back, a sign of giving in. I spat out the fur and pinned him, repeating the same strangle and release I had done to Gvuardioj. As King Esti got up he grinned at me and shook out his mane, glancing at his shoulder. "You passed the test. Good job, Lion. Take this feather as a token, stick it in your mane or whatever. You may stay as long as you wish in this land."

Thunder boomed overhead as I stared at the grey lion, confusion and anger slowly melding into one. "You attack those who wish to be a part of your pride? You're crazy!"

He stiffened at my words and tone, and then nodded.

"Yes. I do. It is a test of strength, and a test of determination."

"Let me tell you waht I think of that, King Esti!"

I spat at him, my anger clouding my better judgement. I saw lions which had hidden in the shadows quickly come out of their observing modes and restrain me, and though I gasped and was a trained fighter, I could not free myself from at least eight lions in such close quarters. King Esti had lowered his head as my spit landed on his nose, and now his head rose just a bit, so that his blue eyes glistened clearly with anger. As his mouth opened and he began to speak my crime of disrespect and punishment for being so insubordinate, a golden beauty lerked forward and lowered herself so that her belly touched the ground.

"Father, no! I am quite taken with him. I wish to speak with him please. There are few males among the pride whom can give me a son to become your heir, please let me become one with him. Let me bear you a son."

Her wide, pleading eyes sought his approval, and finally he sighed, glancing away and nodding. As the eight guards relesed me, the young lioness squealed and nuzzled me, her wide amber eyes seemed warm and caring, and her voice was velvet as her tail wrapped around me.

"I am Yangu. Daughter to the King. Welcome, Lion. What is your name?"

"I am Kapam. These are my daughters Kala and Kaba, their mother Bovena, and our pridesister Esarai. And may I say, Princess, that you are a very lovely young lass."

She smiled and dipped her head, turning away and going to a small corner of the room which was well protected from the cold dirt by many heaps of grass and pretty flowers. Dipping her head down and then bringing it back up immediately, she came up with a small bright feather and she placed it gently on my mane. It stayed there behind my ear and she walked quickly past me before I could say anything.

"See these lands here? These are the Kichaka Lands, the shrublands. You will have complete control over them, as I am the princess to that domain. My elder brother is reigning over the Grasses over yonder. I think the only problems you'll have besides the few rouges you'll encounter is the African wild dogs, they're pretty vicious. Keep your cubs close. They will disappear if you don't. We've had cubs disappear like that. An occasional hyena might accost you, as we share the borders with them. But other than that, this is your land and you may do as you wish. I'll give you some days to get settled into your new home."

A/N: Well, first chapter is up. This will mostly be in italics, I think, as it is told by Simba, yet at the same time, he sees what he and other generations were told. So, be aware of this, and it will likely end at Mufasa's Generation. Enjoy, readers!