Sade and Mufasa walked side by side back to the others. Every so often Mufasa would nuzzle his head onto hers just to remind himself she was there, she had chosen him.

"Finally! I was going insane. If I had to see one more fleeting look or you two ogling each other I was going to throw up." Sarabi said as she saw the two, very happy, approaching lions.

Zazu looked to Sarabi before looking to the pair. Rafiki behind him with a smile on his face.

"What's happened?" Zazu whispered to Rafiki. Well, more like tried to whisper, everyone heard him though.

Sade laughed at the bird before walking past towards the rocky overhang. The group deciding this would cover their backs the best. It also offered a barrier against the blowing wind.

Mufasa followed behind her as both laid down together. Sarabi, Zazu and Rafiki following suit and lying down next to them. Staying close kept the warmth between them.

"Where's Taka?" Mufasa asked, realizing his brother was no longer with them. Sade, also noticing the lions absence, looked around the mountain top for him.

Sarabi looked to the pair before replying, "He said he was going to find you guys. Didn't you see him?" Mufasa and Sade shared a worried glance as both shook their heads. Mufasa stood up to go look for his brother but Zazu deciding now would be the time to give a daily report.

"I do have to report a snow storm coming in. Wherever Taka is, I'm sure he'll be okay. Going out to look for him would get us lost." Zazu said. He had been flying before Sade and Mufasa came back and saw the incoming storm. It had big flakes of snow that covered the eyes and wind that made it difficult to fly in. Zazu had to come down before he got lost.

Mufasa let out a nervous sound before he slowly went back to lying down next to Sade. She placed her head next to his before she nuzzled his snout with her own.

"He'll be okay, Mufasa. Taka knows how to find us, and if he can't, he knows to wait for the storm to pass. He isn't dumb." Sade tried to reassure the concerned male. Mufasa sent a look of appreciation towards Sade, she always knew what to say to make him feel better.

"Let's try and get some sleep, we have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow." Sarabi nodded in agreement with Sade. Together, the misfit family drifted off to sleep, dreams of Milele and newfound relationships filling their heads.

"Taka! Where were you?" Sade woke up to Mufasa yelling. Lifting her head, Sade saw Taka approaching Mufasa who was standing by her side. Sarabi was a little ways away stretching while Rafiki watched Taka with contempt. Zazu must have been in the air flying, looking for a way down.

"Yes, here I am brother." Taka said back. Sade felt her face pull together at his crypt response.

"I was worried for you. Where were you?" Mufasa asked as Taka approached the pair, Sade still lying down next to the male.

"Waiting out the storm. I went to find you two. Instead I found a lie." Sade stood up, looking to Taka in confusion.

"Taka—"

"No need to explain brother, I understand." In that moment Sade knew Taka saw them together. She had no words for the lion as she wasn't going to apologize for choosing Mufasa. She lost her choice once, back when the engagement was announced. She refused to lose it again.

"I found a way down! Through those two peaks!" Zazu broke up the tense air between the lions as he flew down to Mufasa. Mufasa nodded his thanks before Zazu left to tell the others.

"Let us find Milele together, brother." Taka said as he moved to the side to let Mufasa and Sade pass. Both lions passed by a look shared between them. While they realized their choice would upset Taka, they didn't realize it would be this much.

"You were meant to be mine, you know. Engaged to me and everything." Sade paused as Taka whispered behind her. Mufasa looked back to the lioness before continuing to walk as Sade gestured to leave them.

"I'm not something you can have Taka." Sade said back, turning to face the lion. Taka felt a sarcastic laugh live him.

"No, no you're not. But you were promised to me."

"Exactly, promised. Not anymore. Your mother gave me the chance to choose, Taka. Respect that." Taka only turned around, facing the wall instead of her. Sade felt a wave of sorrow overcome her at Taka's words. Was she ever more to Taka than just a promise?

Maybe deep down, that's why Sade picked Mufasa. Mufasa saw her as his equal, just as he saw the animals around him as equals. It was the circle of life idea, something both Mufasa and Sade valued deeply.

Taka never understood that about them. He believed everyone was below him, he was a king and the others, his loyal subjects. Sade wouldn't have been his obedient queen like he wanted though. She never would have accepted that fate.

"You okay?" Mufasa asked once Sade reached his side. She sent him a small smile while nodding her head.

"I will. As long as you're with me." Mufasa sent a smile back before bumping her shoulder with his.

"Like I ever plan to leave." Sade let out a laugh at Mufasa as Sarabi cried from ahead.

"Sarabi!" Sade yelled in worry as both lions raced to the bottom where had they last seen her.

"Sarabi! What's wro– Woah." A beautiful world lay before Sade. The grass was the greenest she had ever seen, trees tall and healthy. The sky as blue as blue could be.

"Come on!" Sarabi yelled from a pond of water. Sade could have been delusional, but she swore the water glistened as Sarabi splashed it around.

"Haha!" Sade laughed before rushing to splash Sarabi. The lionesses playful splash each other with water, no care in the world at finally making it to Milele.

"Sade!" Mufasa called. Sade turned around only to see Mufasa pounce on her. She laughed as her body hit the watery floor, Mufasa on top of her. Looking at Mufasa there, in a land they had only dreamed about, her heart felt so full of love.

Reaching up, Sade licked his cheek before lowering her head back into the water. Mufasa blushed above her as he slowly backed away, thinking about her kiss to him.

"Okay love birds!" Sarabi broke up the moment by splashing them both. Sade got up to splash back when she saw Taka come into the water.

At first she didn't know what to do. Taka had told her she belonged to him, that she made the wrong choice.

But then she thought of her childhood with him. His father, Obasi, who did nothing but lounge around and claimed to be a king by doing nothing. Eshe constantly worried for Taka and his childish outlook on life.

In that moment, Sade found herself wondering if Taka just needed to be shown a better path. A path that gave Taka more than just a title in his life. One that would give him fulfillment, love, laughter, and joy. Maybe Taka was lost, just as Mufasa was not too long ago.

With that thought in mind, Sade approached the lion and splashed him. Sade wasn't anything special, but she would try to help show Taka there was more to life, maybe even help him go down a different path than the one he was on.

"Race you to the other side?" Sade asked, brow raised. Taka found himself thinking back to what he said to Mufasa before they left the pride. When everything was fine and his parents were alive.

It filled him with joy.

Taka sent a smirk towards the lioness and bounded towards the other side of the pond. Sade laughed as she yelled 'cheater' before following close behind.

Both lions laughed to each other once they raced through the pond. Their lungs heaving as they tried to get air into their lungs.

Sade was about to ask Taka to race back when she heard Rafiki start to scream. He was running towards a huge tree. The branches sticking out to form a dome of leaves above the tree top, creating a huge space for a, potentially, crazy monkey to live in.

Mufasa looked to Sade and followed Rafiki as Sade followed him.