Love Beyond Reasons

A/N: I had just rewatched "The Lion King 2" a couple of days ago, and I remembered that this song spoke out to me now that I understand it better. So of course I had to put it in here. So let's get on with Chapter 5! Roll it!

Chapter 5

We Are One

A few minutes later, everyone was nearing the vicinity of Pride Rock. Simba had put Kion back down on the ground earlier, and the cub was walking slowly behind his father. Nala had handed Kiara back to her mate, so he was now holding her by the scruff.

Then, Simba stopped Kion with his paw, making him look up at him as they stopped walking.

"Simba?" Nala asked.

The King only cleared his throat, silently saying that he needed to talk to the cubs alone for a few minutes. She nodded in understanding, and went ahead with everyone else. Kion tried to follow his mother, but she stopped him with her paw. She gently nudged him back to his father, and then gave him a reassuring lick on the head.

Simba gently placed Kiara on a large rock, and Kion hopped on beside her. While he looked down at his paws, ashamed, his sister tried to give their father a bright smile. When he didn't perk up but only glared more sternly at them, her smile vanished.

"What were you two thinking you were doing?" He asked them. "You could've been killed today." He said. "Especially you, Kion. You are lucky enough to be alive."

Kion flinched when his father mentioned his little incident, but he still looked up at him when he said his name.

"Daddy, I, we didn't mean to-" Kiara tried to speak, but Simba cut her off.

"I'm telling you two this because I love you." He continued. "I don't want to lose either of you."

"We know." The cubs both said.

Simba sighed. "If something happened to either of you, I don't know what I'd do." He then looked over at each of his cubs as he spoke to them.

"Look, Kiara. One day, I won't be here, and I need you to take my place. And Kion, you're still a young cub and not ready to take on the world yet. But one day, you'll find your own path. You each are a part of the great-"

"'Circle of Life', we know." Kiara mumbled. Kion just glared at his sister. He knew how important the Circle of Life is, he just doesn't know what his place in it yet.

"Exactly." Simba said. "And you need to be careful. As future queen-"

"What if I don't want to be queen?" Kiara complained, turning away from her father. "It's no fun."

Kion began feeling a little out of place. To him, this wasn't just a father-daughter conversation. This was more of a king talking to his princess, and the future ruler of the Pride Lands. He doesn't exactly fit in this conversation. Sure, he was the prince of the Pride Lands, but he wasn't going to become king, as he is second-in-line after Kiara. He wasn't even sure about what the future holds for him when he gets older. He wanted to be more than just a prince, he wanted to do his part to keep the balance, but what was it?

Simba just smiled at his cubs, his daughter turned away from him, and his son looking down at his paws, deep in thought. "That's like saying you don't want to be a lion." He told Kiara. "It's in your blood, as I am and Kion." The younger cub looked back up at his father when he said that. "We are a part of each other."

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Kiara just ignored her father's words with a huff, so Simba just nudged Kion closer to her, a teasing glint in his eyes. His son caught onto the implication, and gently pushed her off the rock with him pinning her down. The two laughed slightly before they looked up at their father, who had a cheeky grin on his face. Both of them returned the grin as Kion released his sister and they both nuzzled Simba under his chin, purring lovingly. Then, their father started to sing.

Simba: As you go through life, you'll see
There is so much that we
Don't understand.

The three lions looked up to a nearby bird's nest, where a mother bird was feeding her fledgling babies. One of them left the nest, went over to a nearby branch, and began trying to fly. Both cubs perked up at the sight.

And the only thing we know
Is things don't always go
The way we planned.

But then, the mother flew over to the wandering chick and gave her child a stern glare. The chick gave its mother a stubborn look before flying back to the nest. Kiara and Kion looked a little disappointed at the sight, but they quickly perked up to try and keep up with their father.

But you'll see every day
That we'll never turn away
When it seems all your dreams come undone.

They were now standing near a wildebeest herd, where a mother wildebeest was teaching her newborn calf to stand. The calf had some trouble in the beginning, but it soon got the hang of it, amazing the cubs. It even started to run, and the mother ran with it to keep her calf from running too far from the herd.

We will stand by your side
Filled with hope and filled with pride.
We are more than we are.
We are one.

Simba led his cubs off the rocks and through the grasslands of the Pridelands, families of every kind watching over their little ones. What got Kion's attention the most was a young hippo calf hopping onto top of his parents.

Soon, both he and Kiara had stopped on a log to stare down at their reflections, while their dad towered above them. They both exchanged a glance with him.

Kiara: If there's so much I must be,
Can I still just be me
The way I am?

As Kiara continued staring down at her reflection, even when a fish jumped out of the water, Kion stared up at the sky, looking at a flock of egrets that were flying above, a particular chick standing out in the group to him.

Kion: Can I trust in my own heart,
Or am I just one part
Of some big plan?

Simba then led his cubs to a fallen-down tree with large crooked branches, where the wind began gently blowing through their fur. He then showed them the first star that appeared in the twilight sky, and all of the families that lived in the Pride Lands.

Simba: Even those who are gone
Are with us as we go on.
Your journey has only begun.

Tears of pain, tears of joy,
One thing nothing can destroy
Is our pride, deep inside.
We are one.

The King of the Pride Lands then led his cubs off of the tree and through the grasslands in a playful romp as they ran past each of the families that lived in the kingdom. There were elephants and their calves, ostriches and their chicks, giraffes and their calves, zebras and their foals, and gazelles and their fawns. Simba and his cubs all splashed through puddles and jumped onto large boulders as they eventually reached the site of their own home, Pride Rock.

We are one, you and I.
We are like the earth and sky,
One family under the sun.

Simba then looked down on his cubs and then back up at the peak of Pride Rock with pride in his heart.

All the wisdom to lead,
All the courage that you need.
You will find when you see
We are one.

The two cubs looked unsure as they stared up at the peak of their home. Kiara still wasn't sure if being queen was what she really wanted to do with her life, and Kion wasn't even sure of his own destiny and his place in the Circle of Life. He was just... there.

Simba saw the uncertainty in their eyes and came over to them. "As long as you two live here, it's who you are." He then nuzzled them and licked the top of their heads. "You'll understand someday."

Kiara and Kion just smiled at their father as he walked up to their cave in Pride Rock. Just then, the same little bird from earlier flew to the princess and prince. Both of them smiled at it being able to leave its nest. Then, it flew off into the horizon.

The two cubs were a little sad at the sight, but then smiled that it was now free. They both sat down together in silence as they watched the sun disappear beneath the horizon.

Kion's mind wandered to that hyena pup, Jasiri. He hoped that one day, he can see her again. She didn't seem so bad, for a hyena. Maybe they could've been friends.

Kiara, however, looked over at her brother and her longing smile vanished when she saw his new scar. It was because of her crazy idea that Kion got hurt. She was grateful that he was still alive. But if they ever did a stunt like that again, he might not be so lucky. It was probably best for both of them, and for their family, if she took her duties as future queen more seriously. Then maybe, Kion wouldn't have to go through a similar ordeal ever again in the future.

A/N: I had to give some sort of explanation about how Kiara changed her attitude in the beginning of "The Lion Guard", and I thought this was reasonable enough. Until the next chapter! I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think. They are highly appreciated.

Got to fly! ;)