Four lions, one mandrill, and a hornbill all climbed the slopes of snowy mountains. To any outsider looking in, the group might have come off as unusual, as lions never grouped themselves with other species. Yet the group themselves found it felt like traveling with family.

When they first started the climb up the mountain it was snowing. The snow helped hide themselves from the outsiders as it covered their scent and paw prints. The group managed to make it up the mountains and were now just traveling across when Mufasa noticed the weather change.

"The snow fall stopped. It won't be able to cover our tracks anymore." Sade looked behind to see that Mufasa was right. Their paw and hand prints were clearly visible in the snow.

"We need to cover that up, the outsiders have a trail right to us." Sade said as she tried to find something to use. Mufasa stayed quiet as he looked at his group of lost animals, all trying to find something in Milele.

"Zazu!" Said hornbill almost fell from the sky in surprise at being called.

Zazu flew down to land in front of Mufasa, a confused look on his, and everyone else's, face.

"Think you could do me a favor?" Zazu nodded.

"See that snow up there? Could push the snow down? Cover our tracks." Mufasa said, gesturing to the snow that sat on the mountain side.

Zazu seemed hesitant to do what Mufasa asked. The hornbill seemed unsure he could it.

"You want me to do it?" Mufasa bent down so he was face to face with Zazu.

"There's no one else I would ask." Zazu instantly felt his chest feathers puff up as he lifted his head high.

"Then I will not disappoint you! I will hide our tracks better than any other animal could!" Zazu said as he flew up and back down the mountain to cover the prints.

Sade and Sarabi turned to each other, impressed looks on their faces. Zazu had been complaining about how cold it was in the mountains and he just willing went to go move the cold snow.

'The power of Mufasa,' Sade supposed.

Taka was a few paces ahead of the group, wanting to find some place to shelter up for the up coming night. Sarabi and Sade turned to follow before both turned back upon hearing a thud.

It was Rafiki, stick lying next to him as he laughed making snow angels. Sade felt a smile on her face at Rafiki's antics.

Remembering how Sade helped the monkey before, Mufasa walked up and crouched low to the ground.

"I got you Rafiki, I got you." Mufasa laughed. Sade felt her heart stop as she remembered those same words spoken to her not too long ago.

"Mufasa?" Sade whispered as the lion passed, now with a monkey on his back. Sarabi sent the female a confused look before following the others.

Sade could only stand still as she watched Mufass walk away from her. He was the one that saved her during the stampede. He lied to her, to make Taka look better. Sarabi was right.

With determination on her mind Sade quickly rushed to catch up to the group. She looked at Mufasa with a glint in her eye as she promised herself she would confront him about the lie tonight.

The group managed to find a rocky overhang on the last mountain before night fall. Deciding to wait until morning to travel down the mountains, Mufasa left to find something to eat.

"I'll be back." Sade said to Sarabi as she passed. Sarabi sent a knowing wink before she continued to talk to Zazu and Rafiki. The two smaller animals pressed next to Sarabi to share her body heat.

"Mufasa?" Sade softly called to the lion before her. Mufasa looked to the side to see Sade and smiled in greeting.

"What are you doing?" Sade questioned as she approached him. He nodded towards a single rock, snow dusting the top of it.

"Waiting."

"For...?" Sade asked.

"An ermine. It's under the rock, it's about to come up." Sade felt her eyes widen in disbelief.

"You can smell that?" Mufasa, still focused on the now exposed ermine shrugged his shoulders.

"There's several layers of snow on top of the ermines home. You shouldn't be able to smell that, it's almost impossible!" Sade said harshly, finally counting the dots.

"You told Taka about the blue asters. You smelt them on my fur every birthday when I came back and the other day at the canyon." Mufasa froze before looking to the lioness.

"No, no that was Taka that smelt them." Sade rolled her eyes as she huffed out.

"Right, just as Taka saved me from the stampede, huh? I got you Rafiki, I got you? You said the same thing to me not a day prior! Why are you lying to me?" Mufasa, forgetting the ermine stood to his full height and started to shake his head no.

"It was Taka, Taka is the one for you. He is a king meant to rule with you as queen. It's his destiny and yours."

"No Mufasa! His destiny was to save you! Mine is to be with you!" Sade yelled back, telling Mufasa what her heart has been saying all these years.

Mufasa muttered to himself as he slowly backed away from the approaching Sade.

"It's you Mufasa. It's always been you." Sade whispered, her eyes focused on Mufasa.

"You have feelings for me..?" Mufasa asked, a slightly weight leaving his chest at knowing his feelings were reciprocated. Yet, Mufasa still found himself unworthy of Sade. She was everything good, beautiful and kind. He didn't deserve her.

"Ever since you appeared I've been running from something deep inside. And it's worse than I feared cause when I look into your eyes I can't hide. I push you away—" Mufasa confessed, looking away from Sade caught up in his thoughts.

"Don't push me away—" Sade tried to get Mufasa to look at her. To see her truth, her feelings, her heart.

"But the feelings come back, just twice as strong. I don't know what to say." Sade ran in front of Mufasa to respond.

"You know just what to say." Sade said, eyes focused on him, and him alone. She would be here, every step of the way, to remind him of how good he was.

"But I know I'm right where I belong." Mufasa admitted as he stared at Sade. Sade felt at home when she was by Mufasa, it seemed Mufasa felt the same.

"The way you know just where to be." Sade thought back to all the memories she had of Mufasa. All the smiles, and laughs.

"The way you move, the way you see." Mufasa said to Sade.

"You see me." Sade said back to Mufasa. She'd never felt more important, safe, secure, happy than when she was with Mufasa.

"The way you feel when you're with me."

"Besides me." Both lions said together, a spark in their eyes as they walked in circles around each other.

"Don't hide from me anymore." Sade said to Mufasa, she wanted Mufasa to stay by her side until her dying breath.

"Tell me it's you, I know it's you." Sade pleaded with Mufasa.

"What do I say? Where do I go? How do I know you feel the same?" Mufasa turned and ran into one of the tunnels. His self doubt creeping back into the corners of his mind.

Sade followed him into the caves, refusing to let Mufasa go, not when the truth was finally coming to light. She wouldn't let Mufasa off the hook that easily, not when Sarabi made her realize her own feelings towards the lion.

"Quiet and low, letting it go, letting you know what's in me. Everywhere that I roam, I remind myself not to overstay." Mufasa confessed his deepest fears, Sade listening patiently as she walked throughout the icy caves with him.

"Every time I find home, something happens to take that home away." Sade felt her eyes soften at Mufasa's words. She knew about wanting to find his family again, she had helped him look. Until Mufasa decided to stop or he finally finds them, Sade would continue to help look.

"But you've seen what I've seen." Mufasa and Sade stood on either sides of an iced wall. Only seeing the distorted image of the other.

"I see you." Sade said back to Mufasa. She had seen his selflessness, his kindness and courage, "As you lead with a strength that shines right through."

"You move like a queen, a true queen." Sade found herself wondering what her purpose was. She would be queen only if Mufasa was her king.

"Don't let anything take me away from you." Both lions said as they approached the end of the ice wall. Face to face and looking right at each other.

"Tell me it's you, I know it's you." Mufasa felt a smile on his face as he finally admitted the truth that's been gnawing at him. Ever since the lioness jumped into a river with crocodiles as a cub to save him, he knew, deep down, that his heart started to beat for her that day. Both lions exited the caves, finding themselves back in the snow.

"Say it again, say it again. Tell me you're always with me." Sade felt a smile on her face as she danced around with Mufasa.

"The love I feel when you're with me." Sade said.

"Say it again, say it again. Tell me the world won't interfere." Mufasa started to circle with Sade, both keept close to the other.

"Say it again, say it again. Tell me the words I wanna hear." Sade said as she walked up to Mufasa.

"Open our eyes and here we go." Sade stood right in front of Mufasa, waiting. The outcome was in his hands, she left the decision up to him. Mufasa felt a soft smile on his face as he gently nuzzled her head.

"I know it's you."