Love Beyond Reasons

A/N: Here's Part Two. Hope you like it.

Chapter 8

A Brief Reunion

Part Two

It had only been a few seconds since Jasiri parted ways with Kion. She was keeping her guard. She really didn't want to bump into Janja. He would get all nosy in her business, and he would find out that Kion was in the Outlands.

Rocks suddenly tumbled down behind her, making her jump. She backed away from them carefully, and then when she turned back around, she was almost nose to nose with the last animal she wanted to face.

"Janja!" She exclaimed, surprised. Just her luck.

"Well, well." Janja said, smirking deviously. "If it isn't Jasiri. What are you doing on this side of our turf? You know you and your family aren't allowed here."

Jasiri backed away. She had gained a lot more confidence when it came to Janja and the rest of his hyenas in the past few months. "Just passing through." She said. "So move. Or do I have to move you myself?"

Janja sniffed the air. "Why do I smell that a lion has passed through here not too long ago?" He asked.

The female hyena laughed. "A lion?" She asked, as if the very notion of it was ridiculous. "In the Outlands? Please. You know as well as I do, Janja, that the only lions living here in the Outlands are Zira and her family. And they are much further west."

Just then, Cheezi and Chungu came up beside their leader, laughing maliciously. "I know you're hiding something." Janja said. "And either you're gonna cough it up, or I'm gonna make you."

Jasiri rolled her eyes. "Okay." She said. "I'll take another path."

She turned to leave in a different direction, but then yelped when she saw that more followers of Janja had already blocked her off. She glared over at their leader. "Come on. You three don't stand a chance against me after all of my training. What makes you think that all of you can?"

It was true. Biologically, female hyenas were much tougher, stronger, and capable fighters than males. But in this case, she was only one girl against seven older and more experienced males. She can hold her ground against them even though she is still pretty malnourished, but she wasn't so sure how long she can last. She was the only female in her family that was capable of fighting. Madoa could as well, but she was more of a pacifist at heart.

Janja just smirked as he and his followers began cornering her. "Come on, boys. It seems Jasiri isn't willing to talk. So we'll make her instead."

"Are these all the hyenas you got, Janja?" Jasiri challenged. No way was she going to break down and reveal Kion's presence without a fight.

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From further away, climbing the wall, her words reached the ears of a certain lion cub. "Jasiri?"

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The hyenas growled as they got closer to the young female. "Me first!" Cheezi laughed as he lunged at her. But Jasiri just headbutted him in the stomach, sending him flying into three other hyenas.

She laughed at the sight. "Who's next?" She asked with a confident smirk.

Janja getured to Chungu, and he approached her, snarling. Jasiri went to bite his leg, though it was just a false move. She repeated it to his face, making him back up and lose his balance and crash into another hyena that was behind him.

Furious, Janja ran up and roughly pinned Jasiri down on her back. "Enough playing around!" He said, snarling at her.

But then, suddenly, a shadow appeared over him. He looked up to see the figure of something standing on a large rock, its eyes narrowed fiercely. It jumped off the rock and gave him a mighty paw swipe, knocking him off of Jasiri.

"Kion?!" Janja exclaimed once he had identified him.

Jasiri got back on her paws. "What are you doing here?" She asked him.

Kion smiled at her confidently. "I'm here to help." He said.

She blinked at him with confusion. It was like when they were younger all over again. But this time with hyenas instead of jackals.

"If you say so." She said with her and Kion upon seeing that the hyenas were back up and starting to surround them. Jasiri and Kion took on fighting stances. "But I got them right where I want them."

With her paw, she scooped up some sand and flung it at two hyenas, momentarily blinding them. Then, in the midst of the dust, she knocked them down by kicking them with her hind legs.

"Hey. You remembered." Kion said, recalling when they both used a similar technique when they were surrounded by jackals as younglings.

"Of course." Jasiri said. "It's come in pretty handy."

"Yeah. I can tell." Kion said, before pounding another hyena with his paw. Jasiri then snarled viciously at another hyena that tried to sneak up behind her, making him flinch.

Kion jumped onto another hyena, and then delivered two punches to another one, one to the face and the other as an uppercut. Then, he headbutted into a third one.

Jasiri paw-pounded another hyena on the head and then saw something. "Kion! Behind you!" She warned him.

The lion cub turned around and saw that two hyenas were sneaking up behind him. But before either side could react, Jasiri slid into action, charging into one, and then pinning down the other one on his back. She smiled at him, who returned it, impressed.

"Nice move, Jasiri!" Kion said. But then, he saw that another hyena was behind her, ready to bite. He quickly got closer and pushed her down, all while skull bashing into the hyena. Both of them were dizzy by the impact, but Kion just shook it off while the hyena passed out.

Jasiri stood back up. "Thanks." She said. "You're not so bad yourself. For a lion."

"Well, my sister always says I have a thick skull." Kion said.

Jasiri laughed. "That I believe." She said. Not very many can easily brush off a move that he just did without getting a concussion.

But then, the two younger animals saw that all of the hyenas had surrounded them on all sides. "Uh-oh, looks like we're cornered." Kion said as he and Jasiri started to back away to maintain a somewhat safe distance.

Janja laughed as he got up to the front. "Gotcha now." He said.

Kion knew what he had to now. "Jasiri, get behind me, now!" He said. The hyena had tried to move forward to attack, but he stopped her with his paw.

"What? Why?" She asked as he turned to face her.

"Trust me." He said, looking at her right in the eyes.

Jasiri just stared in Kion's light hazel eyes. Finally, she rolled her own before getting behind the lion cub. "Can't believe I'm doing this."

"Don't know why you're in the Outlands helping a hyena, Kion." Janja said. "But it's the last thing you're gonna do." He laughed. "Get 'em, boys!"

"Gotcha now!" Chungu said as he and Cheezi got closer to the corner cub and pup. Kion just glared at them. Jasiri noticed that the wind had just started to blow the longer Kion glared at them.

Finally, Kion released the Roar of the Elders as the clouds above formed the heads of the Lions of the Past. Jasiri was stunned by how powerful the cub's roar was as it knocked away the hyenas from them and stared up at the lion clouds above her and Kion.

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Over at Flat Ridge Rock a short distance away, the other members of the Lion Guard were waiting for their leader for the past couple of minutes. Then, they heard the Roar.

"Zuka Zama! Kion's in trouble!" Bunga exclaimed. Then he and the others hurried into the Outlands in the direction of the Roar.

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Due to the force of the powerful noise, the hyenas were blown back into a pile of limbs, Janja on the bottom of the heap. "I hate that Roar." He muttered.

Then, he looked up nervously to see Kion glaring down at him sternly. He just returned the glare. "Come on, boys." He ordered his followers as they hastily made their retreat.

Jasiri just laughed as she came up beside Kion, watching the hyenas scamper away with their tails between their legs, whimpering. "Look at them go!" She said. "That is the funniest thing I've ever seen!"

Both she and Kion laughed at the sight until their enemies had disappeared into the canyon. Jasiri took a deep breath to calm herself and face Kion. "Okay, that roar thing, that is definitely something we don't have in common."

"I've seen you in action." Kion said, smirking at her. "You don't need a roar."

Jasiri returned the smirk just as playful. "You know, that is the second time that a lion has helped a hyena." She said before playfully shoving Kion, which caught him off guard for a few seconds. Something had bubbled up inside of him when that happened; something unfamiliar and it made his heart pound at a fast rate, but at the same time, it was warm and welcoming.

He just smiled at her before the internal conflict inside of him went on any longer. "Well, like I said before, not all lions are alike."

Jasiri blinked, but then returned the grin, feeling something stirring in her chest when she saw his kind yet playful smile aimed at her. Whatever it was, it certainly felt nice, like she couldn't stop smiling at him for some reason.

"He's over here!" Ono's voice ended the little moment as they both turned to see the Lion Guard coming towards them.

"Kion!" Bunga called to his best friend, relieved that he was okay.

Fuli however, was growling at Jasiri as the female hyena quickly took a defensive stance, snarling at the newcomers. The other members of the Guard got ready for a fight, just in case. But Fuli was the one who started to take the offense.

"Back off, hyena!" She spat at her, and the two females growled at each other, showing their teeth.

But quickly, Kion got between them, ending the stand-off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" He said. "Take it easy! She's a friend."

"She is?" Fuli asked, confused.

Jasiri herself was a little stunned. "I, I am?" She asked Kion.

He gave her a toothy smile. "Definitely." He said.

But then Bunga came over to him. "But she's a hyena!" He whispered loudly to him, thinking that his best friend might have gone cuckoo.

"Not all hyenas are bad, Bunga." Kion said. "Some of them are good." He turned to look over at Jasiri. "She's one of them."

"Really?" Ono asked.

Kion nodded. But then he remembered what Janja had said when they attacked the Pride Lands for the first time, when he had just formed the Lion Guard. He had asked him if his friends knew everything that had happened when he went into the Outlands when he was younger. He didn't tell them everything, just that he had a bad run-in with some jackals, which resulted in his scar. But he didn't tell them that he had befriended a couple of hyenas, Jasiri included. Well, he supposed that they might as well know the full story.

"Guys, there's something I need to tell you. Something I should've told you a while ago." He said. "You see, you know what happened the last time I went into the Outlands."

"Yeah, we've heard it like a hundred times." Bunga said. "Kiara brought you along, you two got separated, you had a run-in with some jackals, you got your scar, and somehow, you escaped and made it back home to one angry dad."

Kion briefly smiled at Bunga's version of it in a nutshell. "Well, I didn't tell you guys everything." He admitted, watching his friends' eyes widen in surprise. "You see, I met Jasiri back then. She and her sister helped me get back home."

"Wait, wait, wait." Bunga said, waving his claws. "So you're saying that you two," he waved a claw between Kion and Jasiri, "are old friends?"

Kion nodded, and then looked back at Jasiri. She was still a little shocked that Kion considered her a friend, even for all this time apart, but she gave him a smile.

"Really?" Fuli asked, slightly impressed.

"She helped me get through the Outlands. Twice now." Kion said.

"And he helped save my hide from bad guys. Twice now." Jasiri added, repeating his last words while giving him a cheeky look. He just rolled his eyes, but there was a sly grin on his face.

"Well, any friend of Kion's is a friend of ours." Beshte said, while Ono just nodded his head.

The lion cub was relieved and happy that his friends had accepted Jasiri. "You should've seen her take on Cheezi and Chungu." Kion said, mimicking a fighting position. "She was fierce."

Fuli smirked. "I like her already."

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In a matter of minutes, everyone had arrived at the border of Flat Ridge Rock. The other members of the Guard went ahead, while Kion and Jasiri stood back to exchange a few more words. It seems that they had realized how much they needed Kion as a leader, due to a few mishaps that happened while they were looking for Flat Ridge Rock.

Upon hearing Bunga's words, both of them slightly laughed. "Well, I better get back." Jasiri said. "I bet your Roar doesn't scare off Janja forever."

Kion playfully scoffed while rolling his eyes. "If only." He said, making Jasiri giggle.

"Bye, Kion." She said.

"Bye, Jasiri." Kion answered back as she turned to leave. "Maybe I'll see you again sometime?" He really hoped so. After all, they are friends.

Jasiri just laughed at that, but there was a bright smile on her face. "Not if I see you first!" Then, she jumped down the rock and back into the Outlands. Kion just stood there for a couple of extra seconds, a fond little grin on his face. Then, he rushed off to catch up with his friends.

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Jasiri was walking back to her family's cave, the smile not leaving her face. She had quite a day today, and it was one she was never going to forget. But unfortunately, as the saying goes, good things eventually come to an end. When she entered the den, she saw that Janja was there, waiting for her.

"You are seriously going to regret what you did." He snarled at her. "Helping a lion. And not just any lion, but that annoying Kion."

Jasiri just rolled her eyes with a scoff. There goes her good mood. "Kion and I just kicked your tail." She said. "I can easily do it again, with or without his help."

"Why do you even care so much about that pesky lion cub?" Janja asked.

"Because he is my friend." Jasiri answered, secretly liking the way it sounded coming from her mouth.

"Your friend?" Janja repeated, as if he didn't believe it. "Well, do friends keep secrets from each other? Did you even tell him that you're part of my clan, but a delinquent member of it?"

"He never asked me that question." Jasiri replied. "So of course not."

Janja snarled. "You know what will happen if you don't cooperate with this plan." He reminded her. "And now that your family has little cubs on the way, they need some food and water to feed them, right?"

Jasiri stood there, growling. It was true. She was about to become a big sister in a matter of days. And after the pups are born, they would need food and water more than ever, even though they are pretty much starving.

"Well, Zira's here, and she wants to talk to us." Janja said. Jasiri's eyes widened. Every time that lioness came over to the den to discuss plans, she always managed to terrify her.

Janja led her to where the evil lioness was waiting for them. When they came up to her, she faced them. "Well, my dear." She said. "I overheard that you ran into the prince again."

"So what if I did?" Jasiri answered, trying her best to remain brave. "I wasn't going to bring him here so you can kill him."

"Oh, no." Zira said. "Actually, I heard that you are still within his circle of trust."

"And if I am?" Jasiri challenged. "He is my friend, after all."

Zira rolled her eyes at the notion of a lion befriending a hyena. "Well, I actually want to meet this prince for myself." She said, and Jasiri's eyes widened in terror. "And you are going to help me with that, my dear. I want to see what he truly is made of. And if possible, he might become a formidable ally."

Jasiri growled fiercely at that thought. "Kion would never join up with you!" She shouted. "He's much stronger than you think."

Zira only deepened her smirk, sending a chill down her back. "All the more reason I want to meet him face to face." She said. "If he makes you feel this way, then he must be something... special."

Jasiri backed away, her stance slightly faltering. Zira chuckled deeply upon seeing that. She'll soon see what makes Prince Kion powerful, and maybe, she could use that.

A/N: Before you guys get mad at me and start calling me out in the comments, let me explain. I didn't insert "Sisi Ni Sawa" in this chapter because I want to use it later in the story. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE that song, and it's very catchy, and there is an important message in it that goes with the one in "We Are One." But since both of these messages are pretty similar, and they need to be learned on a much deeper level, that's why I'm waiting on it until the scheme is in place, like in the Lion King 2.

Other than that, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! And I'll see y'all in the next one! Please leave a comment about what you think.

Got to fly! ;)