Disclaimer: Not mine, don't even ask.

A/N: Woohoo. Two in one day! -Parties- I'm in a writing mooooooood! ... And, okay, I've had too much fanta...

'It's very... dark' Sarabi commented, as they walked in the dead land. The grass beneath their feet was grey, and sometimes, it wasn't even there. Sometimes, it was just hard dirt. Hard, cold dirt, that felt uncomfortable beneath Sarabi's paws. Her head lowered, as she crept forwards, her amber eyes looking around, anxiously, as if waiting for a predator to bound out of the bushes, and begin a chase.

'Aw. Little Sarabi's scared' Mufasa mocked, a loud laughter following it. A small grin was seen on his face, though it wasn't as large as it normally would be. It was obvious he was anxious about the situation, too. But, he had to win the bet, and he had to satisfy his curiosity. He looked at the trees, the bark dark, and cracked, barely a single leaf clinging desperately to the wood. It wasn't like the Pride Lands. It was evil. Bad vibes coming from it. It was a starving land, and he felt somewhat sorry for those who had been forced to live here.

'They have no food...' Mufasa said, sympathetically, 'Why do they live in a land so... without life. They wouldn't survive. Why do they live here?'

Sarabi paused for a moment, looking for something to answer it with. Her jaw hung open for a second, before sound finally emitted from it, in a matter-of-fact-ly sort of way. 'They were exiled, Mufasa. They deserve to be here... They did something really bad.'

'Why didn't they just kill them quickly?'

'Cause... they... didn't deserve it?' Sarabi answered, though her voice was unsure. Still, she was glad of conversation to take her mind off whatever rustling sounds she could hear. Good to be distracted, no matter who was talking.

'You aren't gonna chicken out, are you?' Mufasa asked, 'Run now, or it'll be too late once we meet one of those exiled lions...'

Sarabi rolled her eyes. 'I'm not scared, Mufasa. You're under-estimating me' she said, with a frown, though her head held high, 'That's your problem– You keep under-estimating me. And I'm not going to put up with your stupid comments, tricks and insults much longer, got it?'

'You've put up with them so far, what's the difference now?' Mufasa asked, with a raised eyebrow, 'I doubt things will change, all that much. Just... we'll get older... And you'll leave, and I'll be King, and stuff like that.' He shrugged, carelessly.

'Life can turn in unexpected directions.'

Mufasa rolled his eyes. 'You sound like some crazed fortune teller, Sarabi. Just be quiet so we can hear what's coming, okay? If you keep talking, then someone could attack us, and we wouldn't even know they were coming!'

Sarabi raised an eyebrow. 'You were the one who started it, numbskull!' she retorted, with a roll of her eyes, 'And... I think you're too late...' A worried look crossed her face, and she pointed toward three lions approaching. She looked around frantically, wondering if they had already been spotted. She didn't know how they couldn't of been, but she had to hope. Unfortunately, their eyes all pointed toward them, and she heard a growl rumble.

Sarabi felt herself trying to make herself feel taller, signalling she wasn't going to back down too easily– Of course, she was just a cub. Still. Mufasa took that as a signal, and tried to do the same thing.

One of the approaching lions looked in teen years, and was obviously a female. Her pelt was tawny, messy and matted, and she easily towered over Sarabi and Mufasa, no matter how tall they tried to make themselves. Accompanying her, were two cubs, both seeming older than the tress-passing lions, who tried to look as innocent as possible.

'Why are you here?' the oldest lioness immediately asked, her golden eyes gazing at Sarabi and Mufasa, penetrating them, and making them feel extremely small. She was intimidating them.

The two didn't reply. They didn't know why they were here, exactly. Finally, Mufasa opened his mouth. 'B-because... I want to be your– not you, specifically– friend?'

The lioness stared somewhat blankly at him. So he came to be social, she'd call it. To socialize with the Out Landers. Ha. 'And what about her?'

Sarabi found herself being looked at. By the lioness, the cubs by her side, and even Mufasa was wondering of her explanation. She glared icily at him. 'I come here for somewhat the same reason. But he's not my friend...'

'Well, what is he?'

'Well, you see, there was a bet, and we kinda have to stick near each other to make sure the other doesn't run back to our land, and cheat their way out of losing' she said, quite fast. She sighed after she said it, but it was true, after all.

'Well, who are you, then, eh?' the lioness went on, continuing the inquiry.

Sarabi looked at her wearily for a split second, wondering whether or not to use a fake name, but then decided against it. With a gulp, she answered. 'I'm Sarabi. This is Mufasa.'

'Mufasa?' one of the cubs said, peering at the male. Her eyes narrowed, as she looked at him, before they widened once again. 'I know that name, mum! It's... it's...' She paused, trying to remember. 'The Prince!'

The lioness seemed to ignore her child. 'I am Kolilia. These are my children, Azek and Kurei. Now, Mufasa, are you really the Prince... the Prince of the Pride Lands? Coming to befriend a few Out Landers?'

'You make it seem like a crime' Mufasa said, nervously glancing at Sarabi, 'Maybe it wasn't such a good idea... But... Yes, actually... I-Is there a problem with that, Kolilia?'

'You'll get in a lot of trouble with your precious parents' she hissed, before leaning in close, her eyes narrowing, and giving the frightened cub a threatening look. A small whimper escaped him, his head lowering, as he tried to crawl backwards away from her eyes, as they glared at him, 'The ones who exiled me...'

Mufasa shifted uncomfortably, as he saw a malicious grin cross the lioness' face. 'Don't expect to return to Pride Rock, Prince Mufasa...' she hissed, growling slightly. A violent glint showed in her eyes, craving to attack and harm him... harm the King. Harm him by killing his son. She would get revenge through this.

Sarabi watched, helpless, before glancing at Azek and Kurei. It was her last hope to save the lion. As awful as he was to her, he didn't deserve to die, and to just stand by and watch could scar her, and make her feel guilty, and she didn't want that, either. She moved closer to the two other cubs. 'Save him!' she said, desperately, 'Come on! Please?' She doubted this would get through to them, but she had to try.

'But his dad kicked us out of the Pride! Well, mum at least!' Kurei whined, her brow creasing, 'Why should we?'

'Mufasa will be your friend' Sarabi said, hopefully, 'And maybe you can come on visits to Pride Rock, and perhaps we can get you some food so you won't starve, and allow you to drink from our rivers so you don't dehydrate!' Sarabi answered, taking whatever she could think of that would help them, and make them save him.

'I thought he wasn't your friend!' Azek said, looking at her suspiciously, his eyes narrowed, his pupils slits, and the yellow almost disappearing, 'Why don't you want him to die?'

'For one, I'll never be able to rid myself of the guilt of just standing by, and secondly, I'll be scarred by what happens here, and third of all, I might get in trouble' Sarabi said, with a roll of her eyes, 'So, he isn't my friend. Sheesh!'

Azek looked at Kurei, before the two said the fantastic word at the exact same time. Sarabi grinned broadly as soon as they said it. 'Okay.'

'Good, perfect!'

Meanwhile, a few feet away, Mufasa was frightened out of his wits, as the lioness's breathing grew rapid, her amber eyes glinting with a lust for blood, and violence. Her claws sunk into the ground, disappearing into the dirt, and growls continued to rumble in her throat.

'Save me' Mufasa whimpered, almost in tears. He was going to die! Where were his parents, or friends when you needed them?

A horrible laughter echoed in his ears. A sound that signalled the female was going to attack soon. 'There's no one to save you, Mufasa! You're going to die! And I will finally have revenge against your father, or the King of the Pride Lands, for sending me here!'

'Where you've gone crazy' Mufasa hissed, in disgust. He was only met with a vicious snarl, and a good deal of slobber landing on his forehead. A lot of 'ew's suddenly exited his mouth, repulsed.

'Mum!' Kurei whined, causing Koli to glance back at her child.

'What?' she snapped, reluctant to stop and hear what the young cub had to say.

'I... I... I don't think you should kill him. Why don't we think of something even bigger? I even have a plan in mind. And if you kill him, then they'll be expecting you' Kurei said. Sarabi was surprised at the cub's fast mind, as she had come up with this in a matter of seconds. She wondered if Kurei had really already thought of a plan.

'Excellent... Tell them and I kill you!' she added to Sarabi, and Mufasa, 'But you'll never know when we will strike!' Koli leapt away, Azek running after her. Kurei paused.

'Have a good... life' she said, nodding to the two of them, 'Come tell us some time when you plan on giving the meet, water, and inviting us to the Pride Lands. And... it's good you're still alive, Mufasa.' With a smile, Kurei then bounded away, tail swinging in the air, as she ran to catch up with her brother, and mother.

Mufasa looked after her, with a smile, though he looked nervous. He glanced at Sarabi, not wanting to say 'I think we should go now'.

'It's a tie' Sarabi said, 'Let's go...'

The two began to walk back to the Pride Lands, in silence, wanting to stay alert. A good deal of sounds were heard, but they saw no more signs of life as they walked, and made it back across the border in safety.

'I know you convinced that cub to persuade her mum not to kill me' Mufasa said, breaking the tense silence, as they walked along, 'Thanks. But why did you do that? After all those times I insulted, ridiculed and pushed you into the water, why didn't you just let her kill me?'

Sarabi rolled her eyes. She had felt the question coming on for quite a while. 'Well, yeah. Your welcome, I suppose' she said, pausing for a moment, 'And just because you did all those things doesn't mean you have to die. Not that dramatic. Plus, imagine the guilt that would of been there. And, to top it off, I probably would've been scarred by seeing your ugly face get even uglier, though it doesn't seem possible.'

Mufasa sighed. 'Gee, thanks Sarabi.'