Love Beyond Reasons

A/N: Here's Part Two of Chapter 7!

Chapter 7

Kion Discovers His Destiny

Part Two

Back at Pride Rock, Nala and Simba were at the peak of their home along with Rafiki upon hearing Kion's thunderous roar. However, they were amazed that that roar belonged to their young son.

"That was Kion's roar?" Nala asked.

Rafiki laughed joyfully. "Yes, Nala, yes!" He confirmed. "He is ready! It is time!"

"No, Rafiki." Simba disagreed. "He can't possibly be ready. He's still a cub."

The mjuzi came over to the king. "Simba, Simba, you heard the Roar!"

"I heard it." Simba said. "It's just, it's a big responsibility. I need more time to prepare him."

Nala faced her mate. "I think you've just ran out of time, Simba." She said, knowing that their son can finally know his place in the Circle of Life. "You need to tell him."

"But Nala-" Simba began to protest as his mate started to leave.

"Listen to Rafiki, Simba." She calmly cut him off, and then she entered the cave.

Rafiki gently placed an arm over Simba. "Kion is ready." He said. "It is time."

By then, Kion and Bunga had arrived on the scene. "Time for what?" Kion asked. "Dad, Rafiki, what's going on?"

Rafiki nudged Simba, who gave him a glare. There was no turning back now.

"Son, we need to talk." Simba said.

Kion felt something crawl up his spine. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to like this.

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

Kion's mind and heart were racing giddily. His father had just asked him to assemble the new Lion Guard! Now he knows his role in the Circle of Life. No longer would he just be sitting on the sidelines as just a prince. He could finally be someone important! All he needed to do was find the best of the best in the Pride Lands for the Bravest, the Strongest, the Fastest, and the Keenest of Sight.

As leader of the new Lion Guard, he was meant to be the Fiercest, so that meant that he had the Roar of the Elders. It was a magical and powerful roar that whenever he needed to, the Lions of the Past would roar with him. He just had to tell Kiara this. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she hears this!

He already knew who was the bravest in the Pride Lands, and that was his best friend. The honey badger was overjoyed by the request. "I can't wait to tell my Uncle Timon and Uncle Pumbaa!" He exclaimed.

Just then, they heard a scream in the distance. "Little help?" It sounded feminine.

Kion rolled his eyes. He knew who that voice belonged to. "Sounds like Kiara's friend, Zuri." He said with mild annoyance.

Zuri was always one for keeping her claws sharp and shiny. Basically, she liked to always look pretty. Honestly, Kion couldn't care less. What was the point of looking nice if you're going to get your fur at least a little ruffled up later?

However, Bunga was more excited, thinking that it could be their first mission as the new Lion Guard, even though the others hadn't been called yet. He rushed off towards the voice, with Kion following behind.

When he finally caught up with him, Kion saw Bunga standing on the log, Kiara and Tiifu comforting a crying Zuri, who had her left paw up, and Timon and Pumbaa digging into a rotten old log, filled with grubs. Tiifu had pale cream fur with dark speckles across her face and green eyes, while Zuri had a similar shade of peach matching Kiara's fur, except a little bit darker, and blue eyes. The latter was slightly moaning in pain as she held her left paw off the ground.

"What happened here?" Kion asked them, though immediately after he said that, he had a feeling he was going to regret it.

"I, I broke a claw!" Zuri cried out, showing her claws to show that one of them was snapped in half. "It hurts."

"It's okay, Zuri." Tiifu said, giving her friend a reassuring nuzzle. "You're gonna be just fine."

Kion jumped down to where everyone else was. "Hey, Kiara." He greeted his sister. "How'd the gazelle tracking go?"

Kiara sighed. "We never got to the gazelles." She said. "Zuri got her claws stuck in a tree."

Why does that not surprise me? Kion thought to himself.

But then, Timon and Pumbaa appeared out from the rotten log, the warthog's mouth and the meerkat's paws filled with grubs. "And then she fell face-first into a log full of bugs!" Pumbaa continued, his mouth full.

The four lion cubs all cringed in disgust. "Bugs are so... gross." Zuri said.

But Timon and Pumbaa just came over to them. "And so delicious!" Timon added. Then, he climbed on top of Tiifu and picked out a bug that was behind Zuri's ear. "Ooh! Another one!"

Zuri screamed. "G-Get it away!" She yelped. Timon did so as he came back over to Pumbaa. Zuri tried to move herself further away, but she accidentally used her bad paw. "Ow! My paw!"

Timon just shrugged and then ate the bug in one bite, just as Bunga came down. "Hey, everyone! Everyone!" He said. "Listen to this! Simba just put Kion in charge of the new Lion Guard." He announced while gesturing to Kion, who stood tall and proud.

"Lion Guard?" Kiara asked. "What's a Lion Guard?"

"Dad just told me about it." Kion answered her. "The Lion Guard is the team that protects the Pride Lands and defends the Circle of Life. And I'm its new leader."

"I'm gonna be on the Lion Guard too!" Bunga added excitedly, doing a flip in the air. "It's un-bunga-lievable!"

"You and Bunga?" Kiara laughed, as if she didn't believe it. "Protecting the Pride Lands? Does Dad know about this?"

"Dad told me to assemble the Pride Lands' best." Kion corrected her with a smirk. While they were talking, Bunga was pleading with his adoptive uncles to allow him on the Guard. They were a little bit hesitant, but then Kion stepped in.

"Timon, Pumbaa, please." He asked. "I really do need Bunga on the Lion Guard. He's the bravest animal I know."

Timon's eyes widened with pride. "Bravest animal you know?" He repeated.

"He's brave, all right." Kiara said, before muttering to her friends. "Brave bordering on stupid."

"Thanks, Kiara." Bunga said, not really getting it.

"Well, when you put it that way...." Pumbaa said, he and Timon coming to a decision. The meerkat came over to shake his adoptive nephew's claw.

"Congratulations, Bunga." He said. "We always knew you had it in ya."

"Oh, brother." Kiara muttered, while rolling her eyes. "Kion's gonna wreck the Pride Lands before I even get to be queen."

Kion heard that and scoffed at his sister, a smirk on his face. "Not the way I see, sis." He said. He took a playful pouncing position, inching closer to his sister, making her back up as he started to sing.

Kion: I'm gonna lead a mighty guard,
So enemies beware!

He tackled her and then pinned her down before walking away with pep in his steps. Kiara just rolled her eyes as she shook her fur.

Kiara: Well, I've never seen a bro of mine
Acting like this is an answer to a prayer.

Kion just rolled his eyes at her as he confidently strutted past Tiifu and Zuri with Bunga, Timon, and Pumbaa following him in a line.

Kion: We're gonna be the main event
Like no guard was before.
I'm brushing up on looking down
I'm working on my roar!

When he sang that, he actually roared at Kiara and her friends, making them jump up and slip into a nearby mud puddle, making them all very annoyed. Well, it wasn't the Roar of the Elders, but it was a pretty good one for a young lion cub.

Kiara: Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing.

Both Kion and Bunga quickly shared a high-five before running off, Bunga waving goodbye to his adoptive uncles.

Kion: Oh, I've finally found my destiny.

"Kion, get back here!" Kiara said, jumping out of the mud puddle and chasing her brother and his friend as they continued to look for the best in the Pride Lands for the other members of the Lion Guard. Before her friends could complain about their fur, they followed Kiara as well.

Kion: Now for the Strongest,

Bunga: Then the eyes that ain't beat.

Kion: Then the swiftest in the land,

Both: And the Guard will be complete!

"That's far enough, little brother!" Kiara said loudly, getting in front of them, but then Kion saw Fuli racing nearby and called to her.

"Hey, Fuli!" The cheetah heard her friend calling her name and saw the situation. Immediately, she changed course, knowing just what to do.

"Huwezi!" She called, zipping past the three muddy cubs, making them spin around rapidly in circles, allowing Kion and Bunga to escape.

Kion: Free to run around all day,
Free to do it all our way.

"Hey, Fuli!" Bunga called to the cheetah. "Kion needs to talk with you for a second!"

"Okay!" The cheetah answered as she continued to race across the savannah, and then joined Kion and Bunga.

The girls' fur was thankfully no longer muddy, thanks to Fuli, but their pelts were now ruffled wildly by the swiftness of her running. Now Kiara was really steamed and continued to chase her brother and his friends, with Tiifu and Zuri following her.

Finally, she had them where she wanted them by the watering hole, where they were leaping across giant rocks towards the other side. The three females quickly followed them until the three friends had reached the other end, while the girls were standing on a large rock.

Kiara: I think it's time that you and I
Arranged a heart to heart.

Kion just smirked at her.

Kion: Guards don't need advice
From prissy sisters for a start.

Just then, the rock that was underneath the girls moved. It wasn't a rock, it was a hippo. More specifically, Beshte. The girls all yelped in surprise as they slipped off him and fell into the water with three loud splashes.

"Hey, Big B!" Bunga said to their friend, calling him by his special nickname for him. "Kion needs to talk with you for a little bit."

"Okay, Little B!" Beshte replied, getting out of the water. Then the four of them headed off again.

The three girls quickly came out of the water hole, sopping wet. Kiara furiously shook her fur, getting rid of the water and then continued her chase with Tiifu and Zuri.

Kiara: If this is where the kingdom is headed,
Count me out!
Out of service, out of Africa,
I wouldn't hang about!

Tiifu and Zuri: Her brother is gonna drive her crazy!

They had managed to catch up with the four friends when they arrived at a large acacia tree, where a flock of egrets were.

Kion: Now I've finally found my destiny.

"Hey, Ono!" Bunga called up. "You up there?"

One of the younger egrets looked down at them. "What's up, you guys?"

"Kion needs to talk with us." Bunga said. "He have something pretty awesome to ask."

"Okay." Ono agreed. But then, his eyes flashed when he saw something in the distance. "Guys, you have a K, T, and Z, coming right behind you."

The other four friends all looked behind them and saw the three girls coming their way. Kion and Bunga then both smirked at each other, and then shared it with Ono.

"Commence Operation Feather Dance." Kion said.

"Affirmative." Ono said, and then began leading his flock over to the girls, flying right through them, making them stop, since they couldn't see through all of the flying feathers. By now, other animals were gathering around the action and dance. Kion then took charge, and the animals obeyed with, while the girls were caught in the middle.

Everybody look left.
Everybody look right.
Everywhere you look, I'm
Standin' in the spotlight!

Kiara: Not yet!

Bunga quickly whispered a plan to some nearby baboons, who nodded their heads. When the girls were dusting themselves from the little ruckus they got caught in, they took them away from the commotion, against their will.

Animal chorus: Let every creature go for broke and sing.
Let's hear it in the herd and on the wing.
It's gonna be Prince Kion's finest fling!

Kiara watched bitterly as the animals danced along with Kion. She always was a little jealous of her younger brother, seeing how easily he made friends with other animals, and how everyone who knew him was so happy for him. She was supposed to be their future queen, yet they were acting like Kion was going to be king! Just because he finally found his purpose in life?

Everyone: Now I've finally found my destiny!
Oh, I've finally found my destiny!
Oh, I've finally found my destiny!

The animals finally dispersed after the song and went back to their own business. Kiara then saw that Kion and the rest of his friends were nowhere to be seen. "Oh, come on!" She yelled in frustration. It was moments like this that made her sometimes wish that she was an only child. "KION!"

A/N: The video up top inspired me to include a parody of "I Just Can't Wait to be King" here. Plus, I just love that song.

Stay tuned for Part Three!