"This is certainly something to see so many new visitors," commented Simba as he was introduced to Hunter inside Pride Rock. "You say you recognize him, Kopa?"

"Of course!" replied the Lion King's son. "Uncle Hunter, why didn't you come with Daraka when we left?"

Hunter couldn't think of a quick reply, but he didn't have to. Daraka replied for him.

"I wasn't sure whether these lands actually existed or not," replied Daraka. "I figured it'd be best to wait until I was accepted into the Pridelands before I began bringing the rest of the family here." He then gave a perplexed glance to Hunter. "So…how did you find out that we were here?"

"Oh…" replied Hunter, "…um…I…eh…Fedha told us! That's right. She said she'd heard news of your arrival and acceptance."

Well played, Hunter, well played.

"S—so sorry I keep stuttering – it is just something else to see the King Simba here. I…I must shake your paw, your majesty."

Simba chuckled as a response. "Well," he said, "if you feel obligated to do so, I'm not going to say 'no.'"

Simba held his paw out for Hunter to shake. Hunter smirked.

"Hunter!" called a voice from the cave entrance.

Everyone whirled around to take a look at who had just entered.

"Aunt Ami!" called Kopa.

"Hunter," called Amani again, panting heavily, "there's been an emergency. You've got to come, quick. No time to lose!"

"Don't you think I should greet his majesty with a handshake first?" asked Hunter.

Amani caught on to what he was trying to ask.

"NO!" she replied rather harshly.

"Can we help?" asked Simba, stepping forward.

"No," replied Amani, "I mean, not yet. I—I just need Hunter for now. I'll call the rest of you if I do need your help. Now come on!"

Hunter followed Amani's word and he ran out of the cave. Amani joined him and they ran down Pride Rock and across the lands until they were far enough away from where any of the other lions were. Amani ran in front of Hunter and whirled around, stopping her mate from running in his tracks.

"Ulaga's lying," whispered Amani.

"Come again?"

"Ulaga's lying!"

"Amani, have you been listening to the others? You know we're not supposed to."

"It was that Fedha bird again!"

"Yeah…what about her?"

"You remember those two cubs we abandoned back at our home pride? They were my…I mean…they were our cubs!"

"What are you talking about?"

"They called me 'Mommy!'"

"They probably call every lioness 'Mommy.'"

"No, it was legit Hunter! They were glad to see me! They are our children, and that means Ulaga is lying, and that means, I bet, Simba did NOT kill our pride!"

"Amani…calm down…calm down…I'm finding it difficult to make sense of you right now."

Amani growled. She decided that she had no choice. She swung her paw towards Hunter's face. Hunter lifted his front paws up to block and, consequently, dropped the piece of straw. Amani, expecting such a reaction, swiftly moved her other paw downwards and wrapped her toes around the straw.

She smiled. "Thank you, Hunter."

Hunter looked down at Amani's paw. He saw what she had just done. "N—no…wait – Amani…you can't…you don't know – Amani!"

Amani was ignoring him. She was running back to Pride Rock. Hunter followed.

"Where is Rafiki?" asked Amani, holding the piece of straw up as she entered Pride Rock, "I believe I have something that belongs to him."

Everyone crowded around Amani and looked at the thing she had in her paw.

Hunter ran into Pride Rock behind Amani.

"Amani!" he snapped. "I'm warning you!"

Amani smirked and then moved the straw closer to her face. She tilted it downwards and sucked the liquid out of the piece of straw and down her throat.

"Mm…" she commented. "Cherry flavored."

Hunter groaned.

"Was that a…" began Nala, "…was that a potion of Rafiki's?"

"Right you are," replied Amani. "Harmless when swallowed, fatal when injected." Amani tossed the sharp piece of straw up into the air and then caught it back in her hand. "That's what this was for."

The rest of the Pridelanders understood.

"For who?" asked Simba.

Amani chuckled. "You, of course," she replied.

The rest of the pride tensed up. Amani could mean trouble…

"Oh, now don't worry. It's not me who wants you dead."

"Amani," said Hunter, "think about what you're doing…"

"It's Ulaga," continued Amani, ignoring her mate. "This potion belongs to Ulaga."

"No," snapped Simba back. "That potion belonged to Rafiki, Ulaga stole it. Where is it?"

"About an hour and half north of here in a small cave just north of the former Outlands. And just so you know…Hunter and I don't remember you, Sarafina. Or you, Daraka. I think Ulaga may have cleared our memories before he took over our pride."

"That's quite possible," stated Simba. "Ulaga has a potion that allows him to do that."

"Took over our pride?" Daraka asked. "Well where's the rest of them?"

Amani saddened and looked down at the ground. That served as enough of an answer for Daraka.

"Oh…" Daraka replied.

"Well come on!" called Simba to the rest of the pride. "We've got no time to lose!"

The rest of the Pridelanders followed Simba as they all rushed out of Pride Rock, leaving just Hunter and Amani indoors.

"Amani," called Hunter once again, "are you sure about what you just did?"

"Simba has enough clues as to which pride we came from. If he really did attack our pride, Ulaga's right…he'd want us dead too. He could have killed us easily right now if he'd wanted to, but he didn't. We're being tricked by Ulaga, Hunter. Simba's innocent."

"O—Okay Amani…I trust you…but…how do we know for sure?"

Amani thought about it a second before replying.

"We have to find the potion that brings back memories," she replied. "And we have to drink it."