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A chuckle echoed through the cavern.

"She is confused and hurt…Angry and betrayed…Perfect. Soon she shall be near us. Then we shall strike…And the world shall end as we know it!"
And cackles filled the air.

Winda yawned and stretched herself out. She shook her head of sleepiness and squinted up at the morning sky.

'One day closer to war,' she thought glumly. The poor ex-princess had stayed up long the previous night thinking over her options. One, join the lions and ultimely betray the hyenas and save her family at the risk of being punished for running away. Two, join the hyenas and feel guilt as she went to war with her own family, but she would keep her past a secret. Neither were very good options…She groaned aloud once more and stood.

"Sauda!"
Winda jerked her head up. Rika ran over to her, apparently beginning to run out of breath. Winda smiled at her friend's tired expression.

"Calm down Rika, I'm sure whatever you need to tell me can wait until you're sure you won't collapse of exhaustion," she said, slightly amused and concerned at the same time. Rika mock glared at her and calmed down as instructed.

"Cara—the female head of the Hideout—she and Jiri are going to be really busy with the hyenas and training today; this includes the group that usually goes out for food, so Cara and Jiri were wondering if you could get some food."
Winda blinked in surprise.

"They trust me enough to let me get the food on my own?"
Rika nodded.

"I know it might be a bit tough going without extra help, but some of our food has gone missing, and since everyone else is busy…Well, you're pretty reliable, as Jiri said…and you're plenty strong enough, you must admit. So can you do that for us?"
Winda nodded.

"I'm on it."
Rika grinned happily.

"Thanks, Sauda."
Winda grinned back and took off, but at a slightly slower pace than what Rika's had been. Deciding not to check back with Jiri in case he was busy, she set straight off to get the food. She finally reached an area that looked like a fairly good hunting ground. Sure enough, a herd of gazelle was grazing in the savanna ahead. The hybrid crouched in the underbrush, narrowing her eyes, waiting for a good moment to bound over.

"Ssshh!"
Winda nearly jumped a foot in the air. Making sure not to make any noise, she crept towards the source of the outburst and just managed to suck in her gasp before it was let loose. Her parents, grandparents, Timon, Pumba, and Zazu were in the field behind her. All were looking for food, except for Timon, Pumba, and Zazu, who were contentedly munching on some bugs.

"Are we near the place the king told us of yet?"
Shilark asked anxiously. Tunya glanced around.

"I don't see any signs of it yet, but I think we have to go in that direction," he nodded in Winda's direction, "through the plain and onward, I believe. But for now we must focus soley on obtaining food for everyone."

Timon swallowed a worm.

"We're doing fine!"
He announced. Tunya glared at him and cast a look at Kiara.

"How long did it take for you to adjust to him?"
Kiara laughed.

"You'll adjust, Tunya. And don't even think about eating him, or my dad will have a fit."
Tunya grumbled something under his breath and smiled as Shilark nuzzled him. Winda (you didn't forget that she was there, did you?) had seen enough. She stalked through the grass once more, teeth bared. Now she was really determined to get food. Unfortunately, since she was in such a bad mood, she forgot about her temper…

"RAAWR!"
And she scared the poor gazelle away, the whole herd. She almost screamed in frustration, but remembered that her family was near. Speaking of which…

"What was that?"
Uh-oh. She took off at a run, not bothering to look back, hoping that she wasn't being followed. Although, it wasn't like she could be; she was running so hard and fast that she was catching up to the gazelle. Luckily for the gazelle, she was too busy to even think of attacking one. She dashed into the bushes and crawled as fast as she could to get to the entrace of the Hideout. Once she spotted a familiar landmark, an oddly shaped sequoia tree, she took a hard right and skidded to a stop at the small oasis where she had met Sekou. The panicky hybrid dashed into the Hideout, breathless.

"Everyone! The Pridelanders are approaching!"
She managed to gasp out. Cara looked startled, unlike Jiri, who remained calm. The male head of the Hideout calmly walked over to her.

"I have been thinking, W—Sauda. We cannot fight the Pridelanders. Not now. So, I have devised a plan that will save us and the Pridelanders."
Winda's eye widened.

"What are you—We need to…!"
Jiri rushed at her and knocked her with his shoulder, forcing her onto the ground and shocking a nerve. Everyone gasped.

"Jiri, what are you…?"
Jiri didn't reply. He instead rushed over to the momentarily paralyzed Winda and dumped the leaf of water on her. The mud and everything else used for her disguise was washed off. She stood and shook herself. Jiri gave her a knowing smile. Winda stared at Jiri in shock. He had known? But…How…? Jiri turned to the Hideout Clan.

"Her identity is revealed," Jiri nodded at the now exposed princess, "she is Princess Winda of the Pridelands, not Sauda, a lone hyena from another clan, as she told all of you."

Everyone stared in shock at Winda. All was silent. Winda's eyes grew wider in fear.

"I-I-I can explain! Really! I…I…" she stood a bit taller, "Jiri's right. I am the exiled Princess Winda of the Pridelands, daughter of Shilark and Tunya, king and queen of the Pridelands."

And silence was heard.

Author's Notes: Now the chapters are rolling out! I guarantee that the story will be finished by this week…I can't take having it on my plate anymore! (growls) (coughs) Ahem. Well, the good news about this is that I can post up my Inuyasha fic, called Ivy Rain, my Yu-gi-oh fic, called A Dark Wind, my Kim Possible fic, called The Footsteps of Fate, and my Danny Phantom fic, called Supernatural. (Supernatural is the sequel to the Halfa Revolt, so read that one first…) Anyhow, I must get going! Ciao!

-G. Rose