Chapter 13: Overcoming

"Hey, wake up," came a soft, kind, familiar voice.

"Hmm?" Kiara slowly opened a bright orange eye as the image of her "king" came into view. She blinked rapidly to clear the sleep from them before stretching and rising to her paws.

"She came to me last night," Kovu stated solemnly, looking Kiara straight in the eyes.

Kiara gave a sigh. "Really? She came to me, too. What did she say to you?"

"She said we're all a part of each other, and she's with us inside us," came Sumba's small, happy voice as he giggled and part a paw over his heart, as Simba carried him over in his mouth.

Kiara looked over at her father holding the tiny cub, and took a sudden interest in her paws, as she hung her head, the feeling of failing creeping into her once again.

Simba put Sumba down and the small cub wrapped himself lovingly around Kiara's front leg, smiling as he did so. "Chaka believes in you, and so do I, Kiara," Sumba whispered in a mature tone for a cub his age.

Kiara's eyes lit up, and she gasped, touched by Sumba's words. She looked down at him and embraced him as if he were her own son, or rather, brother seemed more realistic. She now knew what she had to do: she had to face reality and accept the fact that she was destined to be the future queen of the Pride lands, and had to accept the responsibilities that came along with it.

She smiled as a tear fell from her eye and was absorbed by her golden orange fur. Gently breaking the embrace, she smiled and licked Sumba's cheek, and then stood up and looked up at her father. She sighed deeply, and began to explain.

"Daddy, I'm sorry I ran away, and," she paused, and reflected on all that she, Kovu, and Sumba had been through since the first day of their journey. "Actually, I'm not sorry I ran away. But I am sorry that I caused us to be locked up in here, and I'm sorry I disappointed you and mom and worried you so much. But the truth is, looking back on all that's happened to me and Kovu since we ran away, I think I've gained a lot of good things," Kiara smiled, feeling more confident.

"Yes, your highness, I agree with Kiara, uh, your daughter. She saved me from the path I was condemned to follow, and if it weren't for her, I probably would never have known what it feels like to be cared for," Kovu spoke up, standing next to Kiara.

"I still think she's QUEEN Kiara, but if it wasn't for Kiara and Kovu, me and Chaka wouldn't have lived this long, and I wouldn't have a new mommy and daddy," Sumba proudly spoke his piece before cuddling in between Kovu and Kiara.

Simba stared down at the trio, speechless. They had proved him wrong, or so they seemed to. The great king was fully intrigued and had to know what had gone on during the time of their absence. He inhaled deeply and then looked to each cub.

"Kiara, Kovu, Sumba, tell me everything that happened up until now," he asked in a surprisingly calm voice.

Kovu and Sumba turned to Kiara, and she sat down, took a deep breath, and began to tell her part of the story, how it all began with her plan to unite the Outsiders and the Pride Landers.

Simba nodded as he knew his instinct was right when he was worried about Kiara that day. He turned to Kovu, signaling the young lion to speak.

Kovu explained how he had been baby-sat and teased as per usual by his older brother, the now deceased Nuka. He paused for a moment to recollect his thoughts and to give a moment of silence in memory of Nuka, even if he didn't really like him that much, he was his only brother. Kovu continued on with how he heard a noise coming from inside a log that he had just walked past. Thinking it was an Outlander cub trying to play a trick on him, he growled and went over to the log, but discovering it was his one and only friend, Kiara, whom he never thought he'd see again after their first encounter.

"I don't think I felt so happy in my whole life than at that moment," Kovu spoke enthusiastically, reliving the memory in his mind. "I had some much happiness inside me, I felt like I was going to explode, I didn't know what to do with all of it!" Kovu laughed joyfully.

Simba cocked his head and softened his expression. As he continued to study the young lion cub, he began to see past Kovu's exterior and into his true self. King Simba could see no resemblance to his late evil uncle, and now realized that the cub was innocent and pure, as all cubs are born as. There was no evil glint in his eyes, just soft, bright green eyes with no scar above his right eye. His coat was a rusty red color, and not as dark red-orange as Scar's was. And Kovu was built strong and healthy, and would grow into a muscular, powerful lion, whereas Scar was always scrawny and weak. He suddenly felt his current animosity towards Kovu dissolve and be replaced by a feeling of admiration.

Kovu finished and noticed Simba was studying him, with a smile across his face. This made him nervous, as he didn't know what to think of it. Did Simba think he was making it up, or was he trying to be nice? Kovu shook his head and quickly shifted his gaze toward Sumba, and looked down at the little cub, nodding for him to go ahead and tell his part of the story.

"Oh boy my turn finally!" he jumped to his paws and laughed. Then he cleared his throat and revealed his past to all three individuals.

"I remember Chaka's face and then a tan coat like mine, but it was blurry, and two blue eyes the color of the sky," Sumba pointed to the sky to emphasize his point.

"My mother, she smiled and fed us milk and gave us warm licks. She always made me feel warm and protected," then his smile faded.

"Then the day Kovu and Kiara found us, our mother brought Chaka and I to the border of our lands, and told us to go hide somewhere, but she never said why. That was the last time I saw her," Sumba paused to take a breath before continuing. "We sat there, scared for a few minutes, not knowing whether we should look for a place to hide or go find our mom, but we looked around and found ourselves staring at a cave. Something told us to run and hide in there, so we did, only to find out that it was home to ostrich eggs. We hid in the back of the cave behind a group of rocks, but the ostrich came back quickly and picked up our scent, and gave a loud screech! Chaka and I were so scared; we huddled against the wall in the darkness until the ostrich found us! Chaka began screaming for help instantly, and just as she was about to bend over and hurt us, we heard an older boy cub's roar, and we froze. The ostrich turned around and stalked towards the entrance of its cave. That's when we peeked out from behind the rocks and saw Kiara running towards us. We had never seen her before, and were still shaking from almost getting attacked from the ostrich." Sumba continued the rest of the story from their rescue to joining Kiara and Kovu's "pride" and proclaiming themselves, "Prince Sumba," and "Princess Chaka."

He then explained their second ostrich incident, the encounter with Timsu, and up to where they are right now.

Simba nodded. "Thank you all for telling me your part of the journey you've been on. I want to congratulate you all on fully convincing me that this journey has affected every one of you for the best, and you have also taught me that we are all part of each other, and we are one now and forever," Simba smiled and inhaled as he looked to the sky, and closed his eyes, letting a tear slide down his cheek. Then gasped softly as he felt something brush up against his foreleg; it was his beloved daughter, Kiara, and she buried her face into his fur.

"Daddy, I don't want to run anymore from who I am, because I can't. That's one of the things I've learned so far, is that no matter where you are you're still the same lion you were born to be. I am Princess Kiara, heir to the throne of Pride Rock and the kingdom of the Pride lands, and I will protect my pride from danger, even if it's not always fun," the Princess of the Pride lands stated, as she stood tall and proud before her father, finally able to accept the lioness that she was.