The Younger Brother

Author's Note: Hi all! I'm here presenting my new story. Please give it a read and a review please. Thanks!

Summary: After Nala gives birth to Kion, Simba begins to fear that history will repeat itself with his two cubs. Who can convince him that all will be well?

Simba had never felt as useless as he did standing outside the den, listening to Nala's loud and excruciating groans.

All of Simba's instincts told him to run into that den and help Nala through whatever pain she was enduring, lick her head and assure her that he was there for her and that he loved her. But Simba knew that he couldn't go in, not just yet.

He needed to stay with Kiara, who may not have been too keen on seeing her mother giving birth.

Simba knew that Nala was being taken care of by Rafiki and he had nothing to worry about. Kiara was scared hearing her mother's painful groans and needed comfort from her daddy. Instinctively, Simba pulled her into his leg and licked her head.

"Don't worry, princess. Your mother is going to be alright," Simba assured his daughter. "This will be over soon, and you'll have a little brother or sister to play with."

The pregnancy came as a shock to Simba. He and Nala had never had a discussion about giving Kiara a sibling. Nala told him about the pregnancy the night he returned to Pride Rock, after reprimanding Kiara for wandering off into the Outlands. Surprised but already in love with this unborn cub, Simba doted on Nala throughout her pregnancy and helped to prepare Kiara to be a big sister.

"I don't like hearing mom screaming," Kiara admitted as she cuddled into her dad's leg. Simba sighed and ran a paw up and down his daughter's back.

"I know, Kiara, I don't either. But this is all part of the Circle of Life. We have to go through pain so that we can appreciate the joy," Simba assured Kiara, trying to ignore Nala's groans that seemed to just get louder and louder.

Kiara bit her lip and pulled away from her father.

"Daddy, what's going to change once this new cub is born?" Kiara asked, her voice unusually anxious. Simba raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing is going to change, Kiara. The only thing that is new is that you have a new playmate," Simba said with a warm smile. Kiara didn't seem convinced.

"Are you and mom going to love me less now that there is a new cub?"

"No! Of course not Kiara, your mother and I will love you both the same. A new sibling isn't a replacement," Simba assured his daughter. Kiara sighed and looked towards the promontory.

"If it's a boy, do I not get to be queen anymore?"

"No Kiara, you will still be queen. You are the firstborn. The throne goes to you when your mother and I move on in the Circle of Life."

Kiara continued to stare at the promontory, where she will one day claim her place as queen with a mighty roar. She hoped that the dark-haired cub she met in the Outlands would be standing beside her, but Kiara decided it was best she not bring that up to her father.

"But wasn't Scar younger than grandfather Mufasa and he became king?" Kiara asked in a quiet voice.

Simba felt a thud deep in his chest. Talking about his disgraced uncle still made Simba anxious, even though he knew that Scar had no more power over him or the Pride Lands. Simba nervously licked his lips.

"That was different, Kiara. Scar was greedy and only wanted to hurt those around him. It destroyed him in the end," Simba said, feeling his blood boil recalling the memory of his uncle. He had always been careful talking about Scar around Kiara and Nala, trying to save them from the trauma that still snuck up on him sometimes.

"What if this younger cub is like Scar?" Kiara asked, looking at her father with genuine fear and concern in her eyes.

Every trauma that Simba thought had died along with Scar had paralyzed him. Growing up as an only cub, Simba never had to worry about being overthrown by a jealous younger sibling. Had he damned Kiara to a life of pain and tragedy by having another cub?

Before Simba could try and convince them both that a new cub wouldn't result in history repeating itself, they each heard one final painful scream in the den followed by silence. Moments later, Rafiki and Sarafina emerged. They had matching wide smiles.

"King Simba, Princess Kiara––it is my honor to inform you that Her Royal Highness Queen Nala was safely delivered of a son," Rafiki proclaimed as he bowed to Simba. Sarafina stepped forward and nuzzled her son-in-law and then her granddaughter.

"You may go in and meet the new Prince," Sarafina said, beaming. "Nala wants you both to meet him before he is presented to the Pride Lands."

Kiara was about to run into the den to see her mother and the new cub, but Simba placing a paw in front of her stopped her. Kiara looked up at her father in confusion. Simba just stared into the den.

"Sarafina, can you stay out here with Kiara? I'd like to see Nala first."

The two lions and mandrill looked at the king in confusion. This should've been a special moment for the entire family. Why would he not want Kiara to join him in meeting the new cub?

"Simba…" Sarafina started to object, but was silenced by Simba simply raising his paw.

"I will get Kiara when I am ready for her to meet her brother. For now, I would like you to watch over your granddaughter."

Without a word, Sarafina took a seat next to her bewildered granddaughter. Simba licked his daughter's cheek, silently assuring her that he would be back soon. Giving a knowing glance to Rafiki, Simba entered into the den.

Simba heard two sounds as he entered the dark den: laboured breathing and sweet mewling. He walked towards the bedrock at the back of the cave.

Simba saw Nala lying down, licking a small bundle of fur that was nestled on her chest. While she was still breathing heavily from giving birth, Nala was cooing to the newborn cub. When Simba approached, Nala looked over at her mate. She had happy tears in her blue eyes.

"Simba. Come meet our son," Nala said in a breathy whisper, her voice shaking from crying.

Gulping hard, Simba stepped onto the bedrock and rested down beside his mate. Nala adjusted the mewling cub in her paws so that Simba could get a good luck at their son. Simba's breath hitched.

This little cub looked like a carbon copy of not just Simba, but also of Mufasa. The young male cub was golden yellow, and had a red tuft at the top of his head. In his eyes, Simba saw only himself. Feeling nothing but pure love, Simba cried at the sight of his son.

Leaning forward, Simba nuzzled this little mewling cub and he licked the top of his head. He began to remember the relationship he had with his father when he was a cub, and Simba had always promised that if he were ever lucky enough to have a son of his own, he would share that same bond.

Tears still in his eyes, Simba pulled away from his son and he nuzzled Nala affectionately. She had given him everything, and the only thing he could do to repay her was to love her. He licked her cheek and her sweat-soaked head.

"Oh, Nala. You did it. He's perfect," Simba whispered as he alternated between licking and nuzzling his mate. Nala smiled, leaning into Simba and nestling their newborn son closer into her chest.

"He really is, Simba. Where's Kiara? Didn't she want to meet her brother?" Nala asked, looking around the den for her daughter.

Simba's breath hitched for a different reason this time. He had all but forgotten his newfound fears that his younger son would grow up to be like Scar. Simba knew this worry was irrational, but he couldn't shake the feeling that his son could grow up to harm Kiara for the throne. Simba sighed.

"I told her to wait outside because I wanted to talk to you." Nala raised both her eyebrows.

"Is everything alright, Simba?" Nala asked, as Kion continued to whimper into her chest.

Simba sighed and started looking everywhere but at Nala. He was aware that this conversation could lead to a big fight.

"I uh…I love our son, and I love Kiara, I want to make that incredibly clear right now," Simba began nervously.

"Simba, I can't believe you're even saying this. Of course I know you love our cubs, you don't have to prove that to me," Nala reassured Simba, as she began to rock the whimpering cub still nestled in her paws. Simba sighed again.

"Nala, I'm worried."

"Worried about what?"

"I'm worried that our son is going to be like Scar," Simba finally said, his voice louder and more frantic than he meant it to me.

A silence fell in the cave, except for the young cub's cries. Nala just stared at her mate in disbelief, while Simba looked at her in shame. It was moments before either of them could speak.

"Simba, our son will be nothing like Scar."

"But how can you know that? I'm sure my grandparents didn't think that their son would kill their older son just so he could be king," Simba said, extending a paw to his son and began petting his head, in attempts to calm the crying infant.

"Scar had a darkness that just couldn't find the light. Our son already has light within him because you are his father. Don't you feel it?" Nala asked, desperate for her mate to believe it.

"I can," a voice said in the darkness.

Simba whipped his head back. It was Rafiki. He had that familiar knowing smile on his face. Simba didn't even hear Rafiki enter the den.

"The Great Kings of the Past have allowed me to see your son's soul, just as I saw your daughter's and even yours when you were born, your majesty," Rafiki said as he approached the King and Queen, who held the new prince close.

"What did they show you?" Simba asked, desperately. Putting a hand on Simba's muscular shoulder, Rafiki continued.

"They showed me a big, wonderful life. Just like his father, he is mischievous and curious, but also brave. Like his mother, he is level-headed and loving," Rafiki said as he circled the three lions.

"At his core, there is a fire that burns brightly and with great strength. The spirits have shown me that your son will be a leader in his own way, and he will be loved and adored by all who live in the Pride Lands."

Simba felt his chest swell with pride and a weight taken off his shoulders. His son wasn't like Scar. The Great Kings of the Past spoke, and the Great Kings of the Past never lie. Relief washed over the king.

"Our son isn't Scar," Simba breathed out, nuzzling Nala. She just looked at him with sad eyes.

"It breaks my heart that you even thought our cub could ever grow to be like Scar," Nala admitted in a quiet voice.

Simba stared at Nala, and saw that she had tears welling in her eyes. And he knew that those were no longer happy tears. Ashamed, he leaned forward and nuzzled Nala and affectionately licked her cheek.

"Nala, my love, forgive me. Even though I've been doing better, I seem to still have some trauma from the past that I need to work through," Simba assured her, licking her cheek again before licking their still whimpering cub's head.

"Not all prophecies are set in stone, my King," Rafiki said. Simba bopped his head up and Nala turned to look at the old shaman.

"What do you mean Rafiki?"

"We all have a fire within us, that's true. But fire can either give warmth, or it can set the savannah ablaze. It's all about how you nurture it," Rafiki said, eyeing both Simba and Nala.

The only sound was the cub's mewling. Simba and Nala looked at each other, taking in what Rafiki had just told them. Raising good cubs starts with good and loving parents. Simba and Nala both knew in their hearts that their daughter and son would grow to be kind, brave and strong––qualities they were going to influence on them. Simba smiled as he nuzzled his whimpering son.

"As a King and a father, I can promise you this Rafiki. Nala and I are going to be exactly the kind of parents that our cubs need us to be––kind, understanding and loving. We want them to grow up to be the same way," Simba promised as he licked his son's head. Nala eased into a smile.

"Very well, my King. Shall I go get the princess?" Simba and Nala nodded together.

"Have you both decided on a name for the new prince? Or would you both like some more time?"

Simba and Nala looked at each other with knowing smiles. They had discussed a couple of names throughout the pregnancy, narrowing down their favourite names for a girl and a boy. Knowing what they knew now about their son, his name seemed all the more fitting

"Our son will be named Kiongozi, Kion for short. It means leader in our mother tongue," Simba said, which prompted his mate to nuzzle him affectionately.

Nodding with approval, Rafiki smiled and walked out of the den to retrieve Kiara.

As he left, Kion became increasingly fussy in Nala's arms and his cries became louder. Nala gently hushed him, but to no avail. Simba rested down beside his mate and took Kion into his arms, trying to help Nala calm their son down. Although Kion cuddled into his father, he still wailed loudly.

"If this is what his cries sound like now, imagine what his roar is going to sound like one day," Simba said to his mate, who looked on with a soft smile. She leaned forward and licked the top of Kion's head.

"This little guy wants to be heard, that's for sure," Nala said, trying to make a joke of Kion's nonstop crying.

Kiara soon emerged with Rafiki, who kept some distance from the royal family so that they could have a moment. Timidly, Kiara slowly approached her parents.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Kiara said as she nervously approached. Discarding his fears from before, Simba smiled at his daughter and with his free paw, motioned for her to come over.

"Come meet your brother, princess. He wants to meet you," Simba whispered to Kiara.

Still unsure about the crying cub, Kiara tiptoed over to the bedrock. She quickly nuzzled her parents before she settled between Simba and Nala and looked at the crying cub on her father's chest.

"Your brother's name is Kion," Nala whispered to Kiara before giving her a reassuring nuzzle. The young princess just looked at her brother with worried eyes.

"Why is he crying?"

"He's a cub, sometimes cubs just cry. Would you like to hold your brother?" Simba asked, offering Kion over to her. Kiara began shaking her head.

"Daddy, I don't know, I…" Kiara began, but was stopped when Simba leaned over and nuzzled her.

"Kion isn't going to hurt you, Kiara. And you're not going to hurt him. Give it a try," Simba urged his daughter.

Kiara looked to Nala, who gave her a supportive nod and smile. Taking a breath, Kiara adjusted herself so she could hold Kion. Gingerly, Simba placed the still crying cub into Kiara's lap.

Miraculously, Kion stopped crying when Kiara held him. He looked up at his big sister, the same way she was staring back at him. Simba and Nala looked on, hoping only for the best.

To their surprise, Kion started to cuddle his big sister, purring as he did so. Kiara soon found herself cuddling her baby brother in return, while Simba and Nala felt as though their hearts could explode from love and pride.

Kion loved his sister––everyone in the den could already see it. Kiara smiled back at her baby brother and licked his downy cheek. All of the fears that she and Simba shared about Kion being like Scar were long forgotten.

"You are so cute, Kion! I am going to take care of you, no matter what. I love you, little brother," Kiara cooed at the cub, who continued to purr and cuddle his big sister.

Proud and deeply in love, Simba and Nala nuzzled each other and licked each other's cheeks. Simba brought a paw to Nala's face and held her close to him.

"I am so sorry about earlier. I love you so much," Simba whispered to Nala. She could only smile.

"I love you, too," she whispered back, as they both turned their attention back to their two cubs. Kion had fallen asleep on Kiara, while she continued to coddle the cub. Nala rested her head on Simba's shoulder and they both smiled.

In that moment, Simba knew that everything in his life was perfect. Sure, he had the kingdom and the Pride Lands, but he something much more. He had everlasting love from Nala, the ever-present spirit of his father, and Kiara and Kion, who he knew were going to give him love and joy for the rest of his life.

Everything was perfect. There was nothing that could possibly ruin this moment.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Kiara asked, looking up at her parents.

"Yes, princess?"

"Where do cubs come from?"

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