Artwork by AlphaMamaLioness

Hello Lion King fans and happy Pride month! This also coincides with the Lion King’s 30th anniversary! So for this month and likely some of July, I’ve taken to posting a short series detailing the origins of the Pridelands. Specifically, the origin of how it’s eternal spiritual guardian, and how she helped jumpstart the most prosperous haven for her kind the world had ever seen. This is a story of tragedy, hope, and magic. This is the story of Mimba.

Introduction

Pride Rock had always been there. Always standing tall, looking over all that was surrounding it. It did, however, stand empty. It was used from time to time by roving predators passing through the dry savannah, but never for more than a single night. The titanic structure would at long last play host to its very first settlers. A group of nomadic lions who’d been searching for a place to settle, at least for a while. This small pride consisted of a small hunting party of lionesses, an older but well built male as their leader, his daughter, and a cub that didn’t belong to any of them, except for perhaps the cub’s older sister.

Mimba had been caring for her brother Mohatu since he was born. Her mother had passed bringing him into the world not even a year prior. Getting picked up by this moving group was a godsend for her and her baby brother. She was given protection, easier access for food through group hunting, and lions to talk to. Most of all was Nisha. Nisha was the only daughter of the pride’s leader Amuru. A fair, soft spoken, but strong lioness who took to the new girl quite quickly. Mimba had never really had a friend before, and Nisha was happy to spend all her time with her, even to watch over little Mohatu from time to time. Months went by and the bond between the two lionesses had grown far beyond friendship.

The two snuck a nuzzle they shared as they group discovered what Amuru proclaimed would be their new home. All of the lions had had their fill of wandering through sandy wastelands searching for anything edible. These lands, while still dry, were fertile enough to sustain some grasslands, and that meant passing food. For a while, that’s how it was for the group. Resting inside of the tall rock’s inner caves, hunting, eating more than they usually had, and for Mimba and Nisha, more opportunity to indulge in their secret and forbidden love. This routine that Mimba had begun getting used to however would be broken when another male lion came onto the scene. He was younger and stronger than Nisha’s father. Instead of fighting this would-be challenger, Amuru welcomed him as a potential successor.

The male’s name was Mshipa. An overconfident and dismissive kind of lion one would expect to be looking for a pride to usurp. Many males existed like him, following the perceived way of life for his kind to the letter. It went so far that he’d openly questioned if little Mohatu was Amuru’s, meaning to potentially take the cub’s life. Mimba answered by stating that he was her own, and that if he ever laid a single paw on her little brother, he would die that same day. Mimba found the way most lions lived their lives to be horrifying. A constant state of fighting for power while the slaughter of the youngest and most innocent was seen as necessary. There was little she could do other than protect her brother, but Mimba hoped one day this way of living could change for her kind.

Once Mshipa accepted the offer to stick around until Amuru’s passing, Nisha was taken aside by her father, and asked to become the new lion’s mate. Amuru was never able to have any male cubs during his life, and Nisha was the only thing he truly had left to make a legacy of himself, and he simply wanted to be alive to see it happen, despite Nisha’s reluctance. The dark furred lioness had little choice in the matter, and, after giving her private apologies to Mimba, wooed Mshipa into becoming her mate. Mimba was upset by this of course, but was promised that Nisha wouldn’t change who she was for him, and would only do as required. The two lionesses were still in love, hoping one day to leave on their own and hunt across Africa.

332 Years before the Birth of Simba

This all led to several more months going by. It was the dry season, and it hit their home around the giant rock hard. The ground had almost completely dried up, and herds were driven out of their lands in search of more fertile lands. This dry season couldn’t have picked up at a worse time for one certain lioness. Thanks to her courting with the former rogue Mshipa, she’d become pregnant with a sizable litter of cubs. Both males were quite proud of themselves for the accomplishment, though at this moment, Nisha felt like a mosquito that had reached its critical fill of blood. She’d gone from dashing and skidding on her paws in the grasslands to bring down antelope, to waddling about their homestead. Looking at her, one could tell that the litter she carried was large. Well over three cubs. The top priority was to keep Nisha fed, but with this dry season, nobody was really fed. Almost everyone was suffering from some form of malnourishment, as the lionesses were sent farther and farther out to search for food.

One morning outside of Pride Rock, Nisha was on her side in her best attempt to lay in a comfortable position, with little Mohatu sleeping on her front legs, nestled in like it was a nest for him to rest in. When Mimba wasn’t around, Nisha took the roll of babysitter. She was glad to be preparing for motherhood somehow. The sound of paws padding through the cave behind her drew her gaze away from the cub and towards the tan furred and green eyed lioness who came into view. A relieved exhale left her nostrils as Mimba came out and nuzzled her expecting lover.

“I’m back, my sunset.” Mimba purred. It was the pet name they agreed for Nisha, as her eyes were the color of the more beautiful sunsets that befell their new home. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing around..” The lioness muttered after her took a moment to nuzzle their heads.

Nisha sighed, a bit of tightness forming in her chest. Inside, she was quite troubled over the lack of food. It meant less food for the life that was growing and developing within her, and even less for herself. Either way, she easily smiled as Mimba came around into her view.
“You did your best, Mim. All of us have. It’s just…awful timing that I should end up like this at this time of the year..” Her lavender gaze turned to her bulging belly, which gently heaved up and down with each breath she took. Her expression showed many feelings, dread being chief among them.

Mimba sighed, understanding her lover’s worry as she took a step closer. “I know. I know you love your father, but he’s a fool for having us stay here in these conditions. We should’ve left a month ago to keep up with the last herds. It’s still not too late for us, you know.” Mimba smiled with a glimmer of hope. Nisha would only chuckle and shake her head.

“I’m sorry but, I think I have to disagree. Look at me, Mimba. I’m about to pop. I can hardly move around our home, let alone travel through these wastelands on my own paws. I’d be moving at the pace of an overfed rhino, and before we’d both know it, the cubs will be coming.” Nisha stated plainly. “As much as I want us to live together…duty has overtaken me now. You know I’ll have to raise the litter when they come out. I may not have truly wanted this for myself, but they’re mine regardless. I can’t just pass them off to another.”

“You know I’d gladly take them.” Mimba smiled as she came over and laid didn’t close to the larger lioness, sniffing at her little sibling as he leaned his little head to the side, lost in dreamland.

Chuckling, Nisha dipped her head down and touched her nose against Mimba affectionately. “I’d have to think about that. Having what I’m feeling is…four, having five little ones grow inside you and get heavier and heavier every waking day, moving collectively for room and preventing you from even breaking into a jog…I wouldn’t even wish it on my worst enemy.” The lioness sighed briefly. “Whatever happens, I’m just excited for when I can finally get them out of me. I’d very much like my body back.” The two laughed softly.


It warmed Mimba’s heart to see her loved one remain resolute and at least a little optimistic in such dire circumstances. “Just…promise me you’ll be okay, Nisha. Apart from Mohatu, you’re all I have left after I lost my mother.”

“I promise. We’ll be together as long as we live. We might not be able to express it openly, but we still have one another’s backs. Plus there’s no limit to the amount of dens away from the rock. I’ll make time, promise.” The warmth only grew on Nisha’s face as she thought about the future. It gave Mimba hope. It always did.

A sigh left the tan lioness’ lips as their heads pressed together once more. “I'm glad you’re more optimistic about all this than me. I’m just so worried..”

“I’d be concerned if you weren’t. Your love fills me up more than any food I could be eating right now. Even more than these little rascals have filled me for the past couple months.” After taking another glance to her belly, seeing a flutter of inner movement from the unborn cubs. The two lionesses then shared another nuzzle together, with little Mohatu none the wiser.

To Be Continued