"Donnie!" I called out as Darwin and I looked for him through the dusty landscape. "Donnie, where are you?"

"Here, Donnie, Donnie, Donnie, Donnie, Donnie!" Darwin called.

"Dar, you know he's not a cat." I said.

"Well, sometimes, he acts like a wild one. That's all I'm saying." said Darwin.

"Good point." I said, before calling out to...

"Donnie! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

I stopped myself short upon seeing a unpleasant sight.

"Uh, Darwin? You might wanna take a look at this."

Darwin headed over to where I was.

In front of us lay a bunch of skeletons.

"Who knew a drought this big could starve so many animals?"

I raised an eyebrow at Darwin, who shrugged, saying. "Well, somebody had to say it."

"ARE YOU NUTS?!" shouted a voice.

Darwin and I looked around until that same voice called. "Down here, you ignoramuses!"

We looked down and saw a old meerkat standing on a rock with his arm crossed.

"You two have no business being out in the Pride Lands." he said.

"The Pride Lands?" I repeated. "Is that where we are?"

"Don't waste what's left of your life with stupid questions, Four Eyes!" said the meerkat, who had just pulled me closer. "It's not safe out here in hyena territory, day or night."

"And what, pray tell, makes you think this land is hyena territory?" asked Darwin.

But as he did so, the sound of laughter echoed, startling Darwin, who hid behind me, saying. "I had to ask."

Through the dust appeared three hyenas, who walked towards us menacingly.

"Well, well, well, Banzai. What have we got here?" asked the first hyena.

"Hmm. I don't know, Shenzi." said Banzai. "Uh...what do you think, Ed?"

Ed only laughed in response.

"Yeah, just what I was thinking." said Banzai. "A trio of trespassers!"

"Uh, better make that a couple of trespassers." said the old meerkat, who quickly scurried into the ground, which Shenzi, Banzai and Ed dug through.

"No, don't hurt him!" I pleaded.

The hyenas stared at me coldly while I went on, saying. "He's just...trying to find a place to hide."

"Like you should be doing?" sneered Banzai as he, Shenzi and Ed circled around me and Darwin, who said. "He does have a point."

"Look, we're not trying to cause any trouble, but..." I said, only to be cut short by Shenzi, who asked. "Do you know what we do to those causing trouble out here in the Pride Lands?"

"Uh, you take them to see the boss?" guessed Darwin.

"Errrr. Wrong answer, monkey boy!" said Banzai.

But before he could strike, Shenzi stopped him, saying. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait. Hold on, Banzai. This guy may have just the right idea."

"He does?" asked Banzai.

"I do?" asked Darwin, who, then, cleared his throat. "I mean, yes. Of course, I do."

"Let's bring them back to Pride Rock." Shenzi said to Banzai and Ed. "Scar will know what to do with them."

As she started to walk away, Banzai barked at us. "All right, ya loafers! You heard the lady! Let's keep it movin'! Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on!"

"All right, all right, we're going." said Darwin as he and I followed the hyenas. "You don't need to shout so loud."

"Will ya settle for a nip instead?" Banzai asked, gnashing his teeth, which made Darwin feel uneasy.

"Uh, neither will do."

Meanwhile, the old meerkat had just poked his head out of the ground to see the hyenas leading us to Pride Rock.