In the midst of searching for her friends, Nala had ran into Tau and Malka who were returning from playing with her sister, Kula and Zahra.
"Malka! Tau! Thank goodness I found you guys," Nala said breathlessly.
"What's wrong Nala?" Malka asked his brown eyes wide with surprise.
"Yeah you look like you've seen a ghost or somethin'," Tau piped up concern in his bluish eyes.
"I just heard something terriable," Nala said quickly looking around to see if her parents were nearby and waiting for her sister, Zahra and Kula to get far away. "And it concerns you two."
"What do you mean?" Tau asked fear flickering in his bluish eyes.
But before Nala could explain Amani came out of the cave telling her son it was time to come in.
"Be right there mom," Malka called. "Let's meet later by the watering hole," the dark gold cub whispered. "After our parents have gone to bed, okay?"
Nala and Tau nodded and the dark gold cub turned and went inside the cave.
Tau turned to Nala and said, "Okay Nala what's goin' on? Tell me right now."
"Tau I..." Nala began but before she could continue Sarafina came over.
"Nala there you are," the creamy lioness said. "Time for bed. Come inside."
"But mother can't I just..." Nala started but was interrupted by Sarafina's sharp tone,
"No arguments Nala. Bed time."
Sarafina picked up her daughter by her scruff and carried her inside.
As she was leaving Nala mouthed the words watering hole to Tau who nodded his head in acknowledgement.
...X...
Later that night when she was sure her parents were asleep Nala snuck off to the watering hole to meet with Malka and Tau.
Being careful not to wake her family, Nala walked out of the cave having to step carefully over the other lionesses.
Once she was outside Nala still had to be careful because of all the hyenas that were all around.
The tawny cub managed to make it to the watering hole where Malka and Tau were already waiting for her.
"There you are Nala," Malka said sleepily. "I almost fell asleep waiting for you."
"Sorry I had to make sure my parents were asleep before I left," Nala said her voice a low whisper
"So what's the big emergency?" Tau asked with a yawn. "And why couldn't it wait until tomarrow?"
"You guys have to run away," Nala said quickly. "And I mean tonight. Like right now."
"But why?" Malka asked clearly confused.
"Because if you don't my father is going to kill you both," Nala said almost shouting.
"What!" Malka and Tau shouted together.
Nala shushed them before Tau whispered, "Are you sure about this Nal'?"
"Yes I am," Nala replied. "I heard my parents talking and my father said that all the males cubs in the pride have to be killed because they could pose a threat to my brother."
"But Nala that makes no sense," Malka said wrinkling his brow. "My mom and Tau's mom would never let anything bad happen to us."
"Yeah," Tau put in a little forcefully. "There's no way my mom would let your dad kill me. No way at all."
"But Tau your mom and Malka's mom wouldn't stand a chance aganist my father's hyena friends," Nala pointed out. "And you can bet he'll have them there when it happens."
"Ah my mom can handle anything," Malka said waving his paw at Nala. "Besides running away wouldn't help anything. Your dad would just track us down and kill us anyways. At least if we stay we'll have a fighting chance."
"Malka has a point Nala," Tau said. "We're only seven months old. There's no way we can survive on our own. At least here we have some kind of chance." Nala opened her mouth to protest but Tau held up his paw silencing her. "There's nothing you can say that's going to make me change my mind. We're staying and that's that. Come on Malka lets go back and try to get some sleep."
With that the creamy gold cub and the dark gold cub headed back towards Priderock leaving a stunned Nala behind.
The tawny princess was shocked that her friends were just going to stay and let her father murder them.
Shaking her head sadly Nala began to walk back to the cave dreading what tomorrow would bring.
...
The next day Nala was awaken by her parents talking. She heard her father say something about how it was time.
Time for what?
The seven month old princess thought. Then her green eyes widened as she relized that her father meant it was time for the killings.
Nala got to her paws quickly and being careful not to step on her sleeping brother and sister as she went over to her parents who stopped talking as soon as they realized she was awake.
"Good morning sweetheart," Sarafina greated giving her daughter a warm nuzzle. "Sleep well?"
"Yes mother," Nala replied returning her mother's nuzzle. "Very well."
Then Nala turned towards her father, "Good morning father."
"Good morning my dear," Scar replied bending down to give his daughter a nuzzle. The the reddish-brown lion looked at his mate who nodded at him. "Nala after breakfeast why don't you take your sister, Kula and Zahra for a little walk hmm?"
"Can't Malka and Tau come too?" Nala asked although she already knew the ansewer.
"No they can't," Scar snapped causing his daughter to jump. Then he said in a much calmer voice, "I need to spend a little time alone with the lads. You know... some guy time."
"Oh," Nala said soflty. "Okay."
The tawny cub went to have her breakfeast and she made sure she took her time eating every last bite of it.
...
Later that day Zira, Zahra, Kula, and Nala were walking through the Pridelands.
The brownish cub and the tan cub noticed that Nala wasn't her usual self.
"Hey what's with you Nala?" Kula asked. "You're bein' awful quiet. You ain't sick or somethin' are ya?" She looked at her friend concern in her green eyes.
"No I'm not sick," Nala said softly. "I'm sad."
"Sad about what?" Zahra asked confused.
"I'm sad beause...because," Nala said her voice shaking.
Before Nala could finish Zira rolled her green eyes in annoyance "Because our father is going to kill Malka and Tau."
When the dark tan cub said this the Nala broke down sobbing loudly.
"What?!" Kula and Zahra shouted their eyes wide with shock.
Zahra went over to Nala and put her paw around her young friend. "Hey Nala it's going to be okay. Don't cry."
"Yeah," Kula said trying not to let the sadness show in her voice.
She really didn't want Malka to die. Over the last month the brownish lioness cub had really grown to like Malka alot and she didn't want to lose that.
Then an idea popped into her head. "Hey it may not be too late. Come on girls we're goin' back to Priderock right now."
"We are?" Nala asked wiping her eyes with her paw. "But why?"
"To save Malka and Tau of course," Kula replied already running towards Priderock. "Come on we're wasting time."
"But 'Kul," Nala stammered but she was wasting her breath because Kula was already gone.
Zira, Nala and Zahra exchanged looks and the three cubs took off at full force hoping they weren't too late to save their friends.