The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (October 1996 draft)

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is an early treatment for what would become the film of the same name. It was written by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus, and dated October 4, 1996.
==Synopsis==
In his tree, Rafiki reflected on how Simba had defeated his uncle, Scar, and become the king of the Pride Lands. However, Scar's mate, Zira, had remained loyal to him, and so, Simba had banished her and her followers to the Outlands. The Outsiders had scavenged the land, stripping it of life and slowly causing the same to happen to the Pride Lands. Rafiki proclaimed to the late king, Mufasa, that there was only one hope for the pride.
The next morning, King Simba and Queen Nala presented their newborn cub to the Pride Landers. Timon and Pumbaa relished the idea of reliving "the old days" with what they believed to be Simba's son. However, Rafiki revealed that the cub was a girl, to the shock of the duo and the whole kingdom.
Seasons later, Simba's young daughter, Aisha, was exploring the Pride Lands, chasing a butterfly. She scrabbled onto a rock and saw a clear view of the Pride Lands, which fueled her desire to explore. From behind the princess, the grass moved closer and closer. When Aisha turned around, she saw Timon and Pumbaa, who accidentally startled her and caused her to fall into the creek below. After helping her out, they reprimanded her for having gone out on her own and tried to check up on her, to her annoyance. The duo then took Aisha back to her father, who was receiving the morning report from Zazu.
Simba voiced his concerns about his daughter venturing near the Outlands and warned her of the dangers there, most notably the Outsiders. After Aisha seemingly accepted her father's advice, Timon and Pumbaa were once again assigned to watch her. Annoyed by her babysitters, Aisha seized the opportunity to wander off as they squabbled about bugs. Once on her own, she lamented how she wanted to make her own mark and be more than just Simba's daughter ("My Own Mark"). Eventually, she reached a tall cliff and began to explore a crystal cave in the cliff face. After passing through the cave, she reached the Outlands. Meanwhile, Timon and Pumbaa panicked over their charge's disappearance.
Meanwhile, an Outsider cub named Kovu trailed after an older Outsider lion named Nuka and attempted to persuade him to be allies. After rejecting the cub's proposal, Nuka abandoned Kovu at the border of the Pride Lands. Near a swampy river, Kovu discovered Aisha, and the two escaped a horde of crocodiles, becoming friends in the aftermath. From the sidelines, Kovu's mother, Zira, watched in disapproval. The lioness recognized Aisha as the daughter of Simba, and her disapproval turned to rage.
As Aisha taught Kovu how to play tag, Simba and Zira intervened, defending their children from one another. The two faced off, with Zazu, Timon, Pumbaa, Nala, and several other lionesses supporting Simba in the confrontation. When Simba ordered Zira to leave, she argued in favor of Scar's leadership, and Simba reminded her of his uncle's crimes. Zira then introduced Kovu to the Pride Landers, explaining that, due to her and Scar's lack of a lineal descendant, the orphaned Kovu had been chosen as Scar's successor. Zazu and Simba reminded Zira that she was due the death penalty for trespassing in the Pride Lands, and she presented Kovu to Simba. Refusing to kill the cub, Simba ordered Kovu and Zira to return to the Outlands, and Kovu and Aisha were separated.
Later that afternoon, Simba chastised Aisha for having put herself in so much danger and reminded her that it was her obligation to follow the rules, as she was the daughter of the king. Aisha protested that she did not want to be queen, but Simba reminded her that it was in her blood, as he was ("We Are One"). He attempted to encourage her to accept her role in the Circle of Life, but she remained doubtful.
Meanwhile, Zira and Kovu returned to the Outlands and reunited with Nuka and Vitani, the latter of whom had a crush on Kovu. Desperate for parental affection, Nuka attempted to impress Zira, but she turned her rage upon him for having let Kovu wander off. Kovu defended Nuka, taking the brunt of his mother's rage in the process. While chastising Kovu, Zira got a sinister idea and praised Kovu for having given it to her. Within the cave, she lulled her son to sleep and relished in her plan to raise Kovu to avenge the death of Scar, accompanied by her hyena henchmen, Shenzi and Banzai ("My Lullaby").
With the passing seasons, Aisha and Kovu grew up and were trained by their respective parents to fulfill the roles predetermined for them. While Aisha continued to live under her father's wing, desperate to make her own mark through her first hunt, Kovu was brainwashed into becoming a teenage assassin. One night, Mufasa's spirit convinced Rafiki to reunite the Outsiders and Simba's pride through Aisha and Kovu.
One morning, Simba was loath to let Aisha embark on her first solo hunt, but Rafiki and Nala reminded him that it was a rite of passage, which eased his doubts slightly. At the same time, Zira examined the fully grown Kovu, who announced his destiny to avenge Scar and succeed him as the king of the Pride Lands by murdering Simba.
On the day of Aisha's first hunt, the pride gathered to wish her well. Aisha told Simba that she must hunt on her own, and he reluctantly promised that he would not interfere. However, as she embarked on her hunt, he nodded to Timon and Pumbaa, who began to tail her. At the same time, Nuka and Vitani visited the Elephant Graveyard, where they used steam from some geysers to set sticks on fire. They then left en route to the Pride Lands.
During her hunt, Aisha discovered Timon and Pumbaa spying on her and concluded that her father had broken his promise. Furious, she fled her babysitters and unknowingly sprang Zira's trap. At the same time, Nuka and Vitani torched the Pride Lands, forcing the princess as well as several other animals to flee. At Pride Rock, Simba and the others took notice of the brush fire and charged to the rescue.
Within an inch of her life, Aisha escaped the fire but collapsed from exhaustion. At that moment, Kovu approached and rescued her, during which he was spotted by Zazu. Once revived, Aisha confronted Kovu for having brought her back home, to Kovu's annoyance. During the confrontation, Aisha recognized Kovu as her old friend. However, the two were interrupted by Simba, who rushed to the scene alongside Zazu, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki. After Rafiki revealed that Kovu had saved Aisha's life, Kovu requested to join Simba's pride and have judgement be passed on him, lest he, like Simba, be persecuted for crimes that were not his and that had been committed in his youth. Abiding by Mufasa's law, Simba agreed to repay Kovu's debt and hesitantly allowed him to join the pride.
That night, Aisha attempted to sneak out on her own but was caught by Kovu, who had been forced to sleep outside. Kovu challenged Aisha to spend three days on her own and mocked her poor hunting skills, to which Aisha challenged him to teach her. Both accepted the other's proposals, then went back to sleep. Nearby, from a distance, Nuka and Zira watched the interaction, and Zira reminded Nuka that Kovu's relationship with Aisha would be the key to Simba's undoing.
The next morning, Kovu attempted to ambush Simba, but Aisha interrupted him, ready for her first hunting lesson. He obliged but not before witnessing Simba get out of range.
Later, Aisha and Kovu were spending time together and developing a romantic connection when Rafiki interrupted them.
Later, Simba was bonding with Kovu when they were ambushed by the Outsiders. Zira congratulated Kovu for having followed their plan, and Simba accused him of being a traitor. Though Kovu protested his innocence, Zira ordered her pride to attack, and they swarmed Simba. Kovu attempted to defend Simba, only for Vitani to confront him and take advantage of his hesitation to knock him unconscious. Eventually, Simba broke free of the Outsiders and fled into the gorge.
After the ambush, Kovu returned to the Pride Lands and begged Simba for forgiveness, but Simba rejected his appeal and exiled him from the kingdom ("One of Us"). Aisha eventually reunited with Kovu and persuaded him to help her unite their feuding prides.
Later, Kovu and Simba helped rescue Aisha from a raging river. After the rescue, Simba welcomed the Outsiders back into his pride, and the lions gathered together on Pride Rock.
==Appearances==
==Gallery==
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Category:Concepts
Category:Drafts
Category:Real world