The group of six approached a canyon. It stretched as far as Sade could see and went deep into the earth.

"Do we go around? Or through?" Rafiki questioned on top of Sade's back. Sade offered to give Rafiki a lift after having their discussion back at the flower field.

Rafiki had seen the scratch on her thigh and offered to apply a paste to help stop infection and heal the wound. Sade accepted the proposal and asked Rafiki about his life.

She was curious.

Rafiki then went on to tell Sade about his lost brother, his dreams and visions, and his bad hand. Apparently, when Rafiki was born it was twisted the wrong way. It never healed as Rafiki got older, resulting in his limp.

Sade felt bad after hearing about his injury and offered to give him a ride if he wanted. He agreed to the idea as his limp was hurting more than he thought it would have walking so much.

"Through the deepest canyons." Mufasa muttered to himself before turning to Rafiki.

"Through it." Sade nodded in agreement before she turned to go down the canyons side. Thankfully it had a slope leading from the top to the bottom of the rocky area.

"Through it? The outsiders will have an easier chance to attack us!" Sarabi exclaimed in disagreement. Sade felt herself wondering if Sarabi could hear how close the outsiders were. Going around it would surely allow the outsiders to catch up with them.

Mufasa seemed to be on the same page as he told Sarabi to close her eyes and listen. Mufasa asked what the lioness heard only to get a snappy remake back.

"Sarabi, truly listen. Focus." Sade advised as she walked back to Sarabi, Rafiki still on her back.

Sarabi let out an irritated huff before straining her ears. Just when Sarabi was going to tell the two she didn't hear anything, she heard the crunching of grass as it was run through. The soft thud of paws as they barely hit the ground, racing towards the group.

"I can hear them. The lionesses in front, half a day away from us." Sarabi opened her eyes to see Mufasa and Sade smiling at her. Taka was on the slope, clearly headed down when he paused to wait for them.

"Okay, let's go through." Sarabi conceded. Mufasa and Sade turned to head down the slope while Sarabi followed, Zazu flying above them and Taka in front.

"Do you think we could go any faster?" Taka questioned. Rafiki had gotten off of Sade's back and was now walking himself.

"If you wanna go fast, go alone. There's the road, off you go. But if you wanna go far, we go together. So good, so far, we go together." Rafiki said to Taka.

"Your father left you in my care. And now we're running who-knows-where. Sometimes, you need a bird's-eye view." Zazu flew down to Sarabi.

"And I've got you to see me through!" Sarabi said back.

"By land, by air!" Sade cut in, a laugh in her voice as she reminded Zazu of his importance. Zazu seemed the type to need constant reassurance that his presence was wanted.

"If you wanna go fast, go alone!" Rafikia said again.

"Day and night." Sarabi said to Zazu as the hornbill flew back into the air.

"There's the road." Rafiki kept humming to himself.

"I just might," Sade said back to tease Rafiki.

"Off you go!" Rafiki smiled back, humor in his tone.

"Yeah, alright," Sade laughed as she walked up a rocky slope to a different height level. Looking over her shoulder to the others, she found Mufasa doing the same on the opposing side.

"If you wanna go far, we go together! So good, so far, we go together." Rafiki, Zazu and Sarabi said together.

"I will find my family again, I will walk with you until then. I will walk with you 'til the end, it's  much easier with a friend." Mufasa said. The others couldn't hear Mufasa's promise to himself but Sade could. She felt her heart pull at Mufasa's words and found herself subconsciously drifting towards him.

"I will find my family again. I will walk with you until then. I will walk with you 'til the end. It's much easier with a friend." Mufasa and Sade said together. They found a bridge connecting the two sides and walked to the other. Both smiling as Sade realized the journey wouldn't end at Milele, not whole she had Mufasa with her.

"Like clouds and rain, like a meal in a field of grain. Like the flecks of gold in your mane, Sade.
You and me, we go together!" Taka said as he climbed up a slope to a rocky island in the middle of the canyon.

Taka knew he loved Sade, he never stopped. From the moment he laid eyes on her to now. His love continued to grow and grow as the years went by.

As the group continued to move through the mountain, each expressed what they desired to gain from the travels.

Mufasa and Sade to find his family, Taka to get Sade's love, Sarabi to gain a friend, and Rafiki to make it there.

"So good, so far, we go together!" The group laughed as they reached a wide opening in the canyon. Sade sent Mufasa one last smile before she ran up to Sarabi, wanting to get to know the female more.

With Sade gone, Taka took his chance to ask for help.

"Mufasa, you must help me!" Mufasa sent a confused look to his brother.

"With what?" Taka rolled his eyes and continued to stare at Sade.

"With Sade! Listen I don't know how to talk to females, you do! You grew up with them, with Sade!" Mufasa felt his head instantly begin to shake. He didn't want to help Taka win over Sade's heart. Not when Sade held his own in her paws.

"Come on, Mufasa! As my brother and loyal subject, you have too!" Mufasa felt himself sadden at Taka's words. Taka was right, he was nothing but a stray, no royal blood in veins, not like Taka. Plus, Taka had saved him, let him win that stupid race and be a part of his pride. He owed his life to Taka.

But is his life worth destroying his heart?

"Okay, fine. Be yourself, act... disinterested."

"But I am interested." Taka said back immediately. Mufasa internally groaned, this was going to be a lot of work.

"Right but you don't want to come off too strong, it could freak Sade out. Remember, she enjoys the quiet simple moments, not the loud obnoxious ones." Mufasa said as he thought back to their many nights stargazing. Or the times she would leave the prides rambunctious noise to watch the sunset or rise with him.

"Okay, okay, yourself and disinterested."

"Ask about the flowers." Taka sent Mufasa a confused look. "The blue aster flowers, she went to a patch every year on her birthday with your mother. She smells like them right now." Taka felt his eyes widen as he mentally noted the flowers.

"Most importantly though, listen. Males seem to have a problem with that." Taka was mumbling to himself as Mufasa talked. He kept repeating the notes Mufasa had given him over and over again.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Taka teasingly asked. Mufasa sent a dumbfounded look before Taka laughed, reassuring Mufasa he heard.

As Taka ran up Sade and Sarabi, Rafiki joined Mufasa's side.

"You are letting the vulture steal your food."

"What?" Mufasa sent a bewildered look to Rafiki. Rafiki kept quiet as he and Mufasa continued to walk, eyes on the lions in front.

"Sade! Could I talk to you?" Sade turned her head to see Taka rushing up to her. Looking to Sarabi, her new friend, she sent one last smile before joining Taka.

Taka walked below Sade as she walked on a higher level rock. Sade wasn't for sure, but Taka seemed very nervous.

"Hello."

"Hi Taka."

"Nice weather, right? Very blue." Sade tried not to laugh.

"I suppose." Taka nodded in confidence. He seemed to think the conversation was going very well.

"I like to listen."

"To yourself?" Sade questioned back.

"No, to you."

"You're the one talking?" Sade said back confused. Taka had never been one to listen to others, he just did what he wanted and brushed off anyone who said otherwise.

"You smell like aster."

"I smell like what?" Taka felt his eyes widen at what it sounded like he said.

"Aster! Blue–Blue aster! The flower." Taka hurriedly said to fix the situation.

"How do you know about those?" Sade said freezing.

"Your fur, every time you pass you smell like them." Sade felt her eyes sadden as she thought about the beautiful flowers.

"I saw a patch when we stopped, took a moment to smell the flowers."

"Yes, just like when my mother took you on your birthday."

Sade felt her eyes widen in shock, Eshe said she never told anyone where they went. It was their place, a place where she could be nothing but a lion with her adoptive mother.

"How did you..." Sade was at a loss for words, Taka had never shown this level of attention to her before. She didn't know what to say.

"I see a way out! I repeat, we are reaching the end of the canyon!" Zazu called as he flew down to the group. Sarabi happily yelled as she called Sade to race her to the top.

Not having anything to say and needing time to think, she excused herself from Taka and raced with Sarabi to the top.

"Did he just say she smelt like ass?" Mufasa whispered to Rafiki. The duo overhearing the conversation. Was that because Mufasa wanted to know what Sade would say to Taka? Maybe.

"You guys call me the monkey." Rafiki corrected. The pair followed Taka as he kept staring longingly at Sade. Mufasa would have to tell him that staring was not the best way to gain a females affection.