After a while, Joka and Nafisa got tired, and they jumped down from the branch to go sleep within some soft undergrowth. Nafisa curled up, and Joka rapped himself around her, resting his head on her shoulders. The last thing he remembered was gently stroking her back fur before he himself drifted off into undisturbed sleep.

Maisha woke, the last thing she had been doing was staring strangely at Scar's and Zira's odd, rather eriee expressions. Surely they were genuine. They had done so much for the pride! Simba was gone. That was that...

"Hey, uh..Maisha, you up?"

"Huh?" Maisha turned around to see Taja sitting up from where he was previously laying, staring at her with curious amber eyes. "Yes, Taja." She nodded, smiling.

"Can we, uh...talk outside?" Taja murmured.

"Of-of course." Maisha tilted her head at him before rising to her paws to meet up with him at the middle of the cave and continue onward and out, walking side by side.

"I didn't really get the chance to...to say what I was..meaning to say." Maisha muttered when Taja didn't say anything right away. "Zazu came flying in, and..I almost completely forgot."

"Hmm...I see." Taja stared straight forward, his expression blank. For a moment, he sort of reminded Maisha of Cheja, with his calm, curt and even subtle way of saying things. "I suppose, if you are bringing it up now...you wish to say it?"

The two padded across the grassy, lush Pride Lands after climbing down from Pride Rock, and they walked up a hill to sit under a tree.

"Yes," Maisha shrugged. "I guess I should."

Taja placed his paw on hers, pulling himself closer. "I'd love to hear it."

Maisha breathed out, staring into his eyes. Then, she suddenly took off, feeling rather playful again, "You're going to have to catch me first!"

It was much similar to play-fighting with Cheja that morning, except...it was not a sibling-like, friend relationship that she was dealing with, but...something perhaps more than that.

Taja chased her across the field of grass silently, until he ran her into a tree, in which he pinned her against.

Maisha smirked up at his wicked expression. "I love you, Taja." She pushed her muzzle into his before he had time to react.

Taja's head shot back slightly, though he quickly found himself easing into her touch. He loved her too, he always had. He just couldn't find the words to say in response.

Maisha breathed in his scent, her eyes closing. She wanted nothing more at that very moment. His arms were rapped around her, and that was all she really needed. Taja smiled lovingly as he and her lay down against the tree together, pressing their heads together in a long nuzzle. He didn't feel like he was hugging a murderer. He was hugging his mate, his soon-to-be wife. That was that...

Morning came.

Joka and Nafisa rose to greet it in happy spirits. Neither knew of anything bad that could happen now. It was all over. The battle was won, and they could be together without any more worries.

Despite new problems once we're King and Queen. He reminded himself silently.

Though he didn't mind. Nothing could possibly be worse in the near future than anything that had happened in the past few days. But at the same time...it prepared him. It prepared him and toughened him up. He learned from this whole journey. Perhaps Maisha had been through more than him, but he felt wiser and stronger for sure.

Gazing at Nafisa with his calm, greenish-blue eyes, he then realized that he as well gained something, more like someone, that he would most certainly protect with his life.

Then again... He smiled.

She'd get mad at him for saying that. That was what he loved about her so much.

Making their way back to Pride Rock, Joka and Nafisa met up with Taja and Maisha who looked equally happy.

"What's up, guys?" Nafisa chirped, a spring to her step.

"Guess who's getting married!" Taja and Maisha both grinned at them.

"Likewise." Joka beamed, brushing up against Nafisa. "I've found my queen."

Nafisa laughed lightly, licking him on the cheek.

They happily congratulated eachother, then made their way back to see the pride again. And their parents.

Maisha was far happier than before. She found someone to absolutely love to death, and the friends she had made on her journey were just a few paw-steps away from reach..but most, above all...she was with her brother again. There was no one she shared the same kind of connection with. Even after all that happened over the last few days. Not even Cheja or Taja were quite the same in her mind.

In any case, she was pretty sure she was on her way to becoming care-free again, like the old days, when she was just a cub with no thought of what the future would hold.

She smiled at this.

Her next highest hope was that of a cheerful future with Taja. They'd have cubs, and they would hopefully not live through the same types of horrors that she and her friends had to endure.

The one thing that Maisha did want of her cubs that happened to be quite similar to her own life was that of learning. Just as her brother had, she had learned so much. It felt good for it all to come to this end though. She needed a break. She was sure Joka, Nafisa, Taja and everyone else needed it too.

Tomorrow was a new day though. Whether it be a drought, a stampede, an un-timely death of any sort, backstab, banishing, a birth..she could go on. Maisha reminded herself to be prepared for all of it. Something she hadn't done from the very beginning.

Don't lie either, Maisha, Her own voice told her, and a mischievious smile played across her muzzle. right, uh...I'll have to tell the truth about that antelope that 'I' supposedly caught on my solo hunt. Thanks a lot though. Dad'll never let me hear the end of it!

The End.

That's the end! Well, I'll bet you read that bottom thing there..kinda..can't really go past there without seeing it...

AHEM, anyway! It's been quite a long, fun road. And I know, I was wondering what I was going to do about Nafisa covering for Maisha on her solo hunt. I sorta just left that off like it was nothing, right? So I decided to make it a funny gag at the end. -fails majorly-

Also, you may ask what I plan to do about the Scar and Zira thing. I left that off too, didn't I? Didn't really seem fit for an ending gag though, so...

Sequel :DD What do you think? I don't want Scar and Zira to get owned though. D: They're so epic! Well, I'll find a way, probably...

Anyway, please review. This is the first story I EVER finished. So tell me how you think I did. 8D