Love Beyond Reasons

A/N: Here's Part Three!

Chapter 7

Kion Discovers His Destiny

Part Three

Further away, both the lion cub in question and his best friends were laughing. "Man, I've been wanting to do that for so long!" Kion said.

"How long is that?" Bunga asked.

"Ever since she started acting so princessy." Kion answered. "Which was about a couple of months ago."

"Wow, Kion." Bunga said. "But at least you didn't yell at her."

Kion scoffed. "Yelling doesn't get through to her thick head." He said.

When they arrived at a hill, the young lion cub started the discussion. "Hey, guys." Kion greeted them. "Thanks for meeting with me. I wanted to talk to you guys because, well, I need your help."

"What's the kerbubble, Kion?" Beshte asked.

"The five of us are the Pride Lands' Fiercest, Bravest, Strongest, Fastest, and Keenest of Sight." Kion replied, looking at each of his friends. "And that's why I want you all to join the new Lion Guard. Together, we can protect the Pride Lands and defend the Circle of Life."

Ono whistled lowly, impressed. "Well, lick my tail and call me a meerkat." Beshte exclaimed.

"Hey!" Bunga exclaimed, offended. "My uncle's a meerkat!"

"No offense, Bunga." Beshte apologized. "Wait. Aren't you a honey badger?"

But then, Fuli came up to Kion. "The Lion Guard?" She asked. Then, she scoffed while rolling her eyes. "Figures. Always the lions, lording over the Pride Lands. I suppose Simba put you in charge of this little team, Kion?"

"You bet your spots he did!" Bunga said, quickly coming to his friend's defense.

Kion slightly narrowed his eyes at her. Even though Fuli was his friend, she did have something against his kind, due to the lions and cheetahs being competitors for food. But this wasn't a time for an argument.

"Fuli, the Lion Guard needs you. You're the Pride Lands' Fastest." He said to her, trying to appeal to her.

"You got that right." Fuli said proudly. "And you're supposed to be the Fiercest?"

"Well, he is a lion." Beshte said.

"And lions are fierce." Ono added before rolling his eyes. "It's kind of common knowledge, really."

Bunga then appeared beside Kion. There was only one way that Fuli can start to respect Kion as a leader. "Show them the Roar, Kion. Show them the Roar!" He exclaimed.

"What's Bunga talking about?" Fuli asked before getting up into Kion's face. "'The Roar?' You think you're something special just because you can roar?"

Kion growled loudly at her, making her actually flinch. Her attitude towards his species was now starting to get on his nerves. And he thought that lions were supposed to be the prideful ones. Well, this cheetah friend of his can put a lion's personal pride to shame.

"Easy, Kion." Bunga said. Then, he turned back to Fuli. "Wait 'til you hear it! Come on, Kion. Show them the Roar!"

"What is the deal with your roar?" Beshte asked.

"Oh, you totally have to show us now, Kion." Fuli challenged.

"Stop it!" Kion shouted at her, growling even more fiercely than before. This time, everyone backed away from him with fright.

Just then, Simba appeared, along with Kiara. "Kion!" He called worriedly to his son, and then came over to him. "Easy, son."

Kion looked back at his father, still with an angry look in his eyes. For a brief second, Simba saw his son change into a haunting and frightening image of the past. His fur turned orange, his short mane became black, and his eyes changed to green. But the scar remained the same.

However, it ended quickly when Kion saw his father, and the image vanished. He took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. "Thanks, Dad." He said gratefully.

"That's good." Simba said. "But now, why I'm here. Kiara tells me that you've asked Bunga to join the Lion Guard." Bunga waved sheepishly at the king, while Kion gave a fierce glare to his sister, who had a smug smile on her face.

"Tattletale." He quickly hissed to her.

"Is this true?" Simba asked his son.

"Well, yeah." Kion said. "I was just talking to all my friends about it-"

"Your friends?" Simba asked. "Kion, I asked you to assemble the new Lion Guard. Instead, you're playing with your friends?"

"I'm not playing, Dad." Kion said. "My friends are the new Lion Guard. Fuli's the Fastest, Beshte's the Strongest, Ono is the Keenest of Sight, and the Bravest, it's Bunga."

"Kion, the Lion Guard has always been made up of lions." Simba said.

"Actually-" Kion tried to explain, feeling his temper starting to flare up again by everyone's lack of faith in him, but his father cut him off.

"Son, listen." Simba said. As his father began lecturing him about how the Lion Guard isn't a game, and he should take it seriously like how his sister takes on her responsibilities, Kion looked back at his friends, and then at Kiara. His friends were watching him with concern, while Kiara was still looking at him with that smug smile. Finally, he had reached a breaking point.

"Stop it, Dad!" Kion shouted, surprising everyone. "I am taking this seriously! I finally know what my purpose is, and you think I'm not taking it seriously?!"

"Kion-" Simba started to reply, but he got cut off by his angry and hurt son.

"Would someone just listen to me for once in my life?!" Kion yelled. "Dad, you wanted the best for the Lion Guard, and I found them! And now, you're saying that the best isn't good enough?! Come on, Dad! What are you so afraid of me doing this?!"

Simba didn't answer, but his eyes habitually wandered to the scar on his son's face. Kion knew what he was looking at. He had seen that look enough times in his life, ever since he first got it.

"Is that it?" He asked lowly.

"Kion, you didn't know what happened after your incident." Simba said. "After you got that scar, many of the animals started to fear that you-"

"That I would end like him?" Kion asked, as if it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "Just because I have a scar on my face that I got when I was little because of jackals? Were you one of them that feared that, Dad?"

And then, he turned to his sister. "Is that why, Kiara?"

Kiara trembled. "No, Kion." She said.

"Is that why you started to avoid me like I was some sort of embarrassment to the 'future Queen of the Pride Lands?'" Her brother continued in an angry rant. "You don't know what it's like to just sit on the sidelines, not knowing what your place is in life! To be the spare! You had your destiny all laid out for you since the minute you were born! Not me! And now that I know my role, all of you either don't believe that I know what I'm doing just because I'm the younger cub, or that you're afraid that I might turn evil! Well, guess what?! I'M. NOT. EVIL!"

With that, Kion ran off into the distance, breathing heavily as he tried to fight back the lump in his throat that was building up. "Kion!" Simba called out after him.

"Kion." Bunga called to his friend.

"Little B." Beshte said, stopping him. "I think Kion needs some time to himself."

Fuli just stood there, feeling very ashamed of herself. She had to let her pride go to her head and unintentionally hurt her friend. He was the only one of their group of friends that didn't really know his place in the Circle of Life. Now that he does, she just downgraded him instead of supporting him. Some friend she was.

Kiara just stood there silently, completely shaken up. She didn't know how much Kion had been suffering that much ever since she decided to take her royal duties seriously. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she felt the guilt eating away at her mind.

Simba looked down at the grass, ashamed. Then, he turned to his daughter. "Go on, Kiara." He said. "Head back to the gazelles."

Kiara only nodded mutely and started to slowly make her way back to where her friends were waiting for her. Simba looked back in the direction where Kion ran off. He thought that his son wasn't ready to lead the Lion Guard, but it turned out that he wasn't ready to let him go.

*******************************

Further off, Kion had stopped running and lied down beside a small stream, trying to fight back his tears. Then, he caught sight of his reflection in the stream. The pink scar on his face stood out against everything. He glared at it hatefully, and then thrust his paw against the water, blearing the reflection. That scar seemed to have been a bane on his life, and he didn't know it until a few minutes ago.

Recalling his angry conversation with his father, Kion continued to take deep breaths to calm down as he started to sing.

Kion: Why, why even trust me at all?
They say the Guard is my call.
But then come tell me I'm wrong.

He looked back at his reflection in the stream as a leaf fluttered down and landed in it, gently creating ripples in the water.

Now what, what should I do?
And who, who do I turn to?
Now everything feels so upside down.

Then, Kion jumped up to a nearby hill.

Deep down, maybe I knew
It was way too good to be true.
With all my friends lookin' up to me,
Some leader I turn out to be!

"Kion!" A gentle yet powerful voice suddenly called out to the lion cub. He turned around and what he saw amazed him. There was the face of a lion in the clouds, talking to him. The more he looked up at him, the more he looked somewhat familiar. The thick red mane, the wise face.

"Heyvi kabisa!" He exclaimed in awe. "Are you-?"

"Yes, Kion." The lion said. "I am your grandfather."

"Mufasa." Kion breathed. "I've heard a lot about you." He remembered the many stories of his late grandfather told to him by his own father.

"And I've been watching you." Mufasa said. "You are about to embark on a great journey, Kion. Leader of the Lion Guard."

"I'm not sure Dad's gonna let me lead the Lion Guard." Kion said, remembering his argument with his father. "He's worried that I can't handle it."

"Kion." Mufasa said. "Simba is worried, but he's worried because he loves you. Being leader of the Lion Guard will not always be easy."

Kion looked down for a second. He knew that his father worried about him, and it doesn't help that he has a scar on his face from when he was younger. "Then, maybe Dad's right. Maybe I'm not ready to lead, or use the Roar. I keep thinking that he's just worried about me just because of what happened when I was little. Just because I have a scar doesn't mean that I might... be like him."

He was talking about his great-uncle, Scar. He was Mufasa's younger brother, and the previous leader of the Lion Guard. But all of that power went to his head, and he thought that he should be kind instead of his brother. When the Lion Guard refused to help him, Scar used the Roar of the Elders to destroy them. But because he had used the Roar for evil, Scar lost the Roar completely.

"I don't want to end up like Scar." Kion added.

"Don't be afraid, Kion." Mufasa assured him. "Trust your instincts. The Roar will be there for you when you need it. And so will I. Until the Pride Lands' end." With that, his image faded from the sky.

"Grandfather Mufasa!" Kion called up to the sky. "Don't go yet!" But the twilight pink sky was cloudless. The lion cub took in what his grandfather had told him.

"Trust my instincts." He repeated. "The Roar will be there when I need it." Then, he started to sing again as he approached a nearby ledge. As he did, a smile started to form on his face.

Maybe my journey is far from done.
They need a leader, and I'm the one.
So now it's time for them all to see
The lion I was born to be!

It is time to take the lead on my own.
It is time for something bigger than
I've ever known.

No need to wonder,
The choice is done.
Now I believe I truly am the one.

With his confidence in himself strengthened, he heard a gentle growl reaching his ears. Kion looked down and saw that the same image that he saw in the Lion Guard Lair a few hours earlier, and from when he had used the Roar of the Elders for the first time, had reappeared on his left shoulder. The Mark of the Lion Guard.

So is it time?
Is it time?
Yes,
It is time.

Feeling much better, Kion started to head back to where his friends were. But before he could, Bunga already found him. "Kion, Kion!" He shouted fearfully. "Janja! The hyenas! They're attacking the gazelles!"

"What? Oh, no!"

*****************************

Quickly, Kion and Bunga raced back towards where Beshte, Ono and Fuli were fearfully watching the hyenas attacking a herd of gazelles from a distance. From above the hyenas, a vulture named Mzingo was flying above them.

"Mzingo is telling the hyenas which one to target next." Ono observed. "Smart. In a devious sort of way."

"I don't get it." Beshte said. "They already scored a couple of gazelles. That should be plenty for all of them."

"Yeah." Fuli agreed. "Why are they still attacking?"

Just then, Kion and Bunga came up to them. "Janja and his clan will keep going until the whole herd is dead." The lion cub said grimly.

"What?" Ono squawked.

"No!" Beshte exclaimed.

"Don't they understand the Circle of Life?" Fuli asked.

"They don't care about the Circle of Life." Kion answered, glaring bitterly at the attacking hyenas. "They're not hunting for food. They want to throw the Pride Lands into chaos, and it's up to the Lion Guard to stop them."

"The Lion Guard?" Fuli questioned.

"You mean us?" Ono continued to ask.

"What about what Simba said?" Beshte asked.

"So what if we're not all lions?" Kion asked rhetorically. "I know we're the Pride Lands' Fiercest, Bravest, Fastest, Strongest, and Keenest of Sight."

"That's true." Beshte said.

"Of course we are!" Fuli agreed.

"I guess." Ono complied nervously.

"Yeah!" Bunga exclaimed confidently. "Let's go get those stinking hyenas!" But before the honey badger could charge, Kion stopped him by placing his paw on his tail.

"Hold on a sec, Bunga." Kion said to his best friend. "This isn't a game. We need a plan to take on the hyenas." A confident smile then appeared on his face. "And I think I have one."

He then turned to the rest of his friends. "That is, if the rest of you are ready to join the Lion Guard."

Determined grins soon came on their faces. "I'm in!" Fuli said.

"Ditto." Ono agreed.

"Lay it on us, Kion!" Beshte said confidently.

Kion smiled, and then first approached his best friend. "Bunga, you are the Bravest." He placed his paw on Bunga's left arm, and when he removed it, the Mark of the Lion Guard appeared in a silvery-blue color.

Next, he went to Fuli. "Fuli, you are the Fastest." He repeated the process, and the Mark appeared on her left shoulder in a bright gold color.

Then, Kion came to Ono. "Ono, you are the Keenest of Sight." When he placed his paw and removed it from his left wing, the Mark appeared in a bold gray color.

Finally, he approached Beshte. "Beshte, you are the Strongest." When Kion had repeated the process for the last time, the Mark appeared on the hippo's left shoulder in a light gray color.

"We are the Lion Guard." Kion said proudly, gathering his closest friends together in a huddle. "And here's what we're going to do."

A/N: Finally, Part Four will be up soon!