(A/N: This is only a half-chapter, but that's because the next chapter will be the final one of the actual plot. There will be a fifteenth chapter too, but a jump of a few years will occur between.)

"Dere, dat feel any better?" asked Rafiki, as he trickled another liquid down onto Sarabi's side.

"Much. Thank you, Rafiki," replied Sarabi.

"My pleasure," replied the mandrill. Now with all his work done, he tied the empty tortoise and coconut shells that he carried back onto his stick, and then wandered off.

Sarabi sighed. "Nala, I told you not to run off."

"I know," replied the cub, "I thought you needed help though."

"Yes, I did. But if something had happened to you, there would've been no one around to have called help for you."

Nala looked down at the ground. She knew Sarabi was right. Of course she was. History had shown that Sarabi had this miraculous way of winning every argument they'd ever had.

Sarabi looked over at Nala and saw her looking down at the ground. She smiled. Nala had learned her lesson.

"You understand?" Sarabi asked.

Nala nodded.

"That's good. Now let's forget that happened. Thanks for getting Rafiki for me, Nala."

"You're welcome, Mom."

Sarabi closed her eyes and Nala lifted her head back up. Now that they'd put that behind them, surely there was something else they could do? Nala looked around from the tree she had climbed earlier to the waterhole where she had swum to the shade where she and Sarabi had eaten. Nothing seemed to suit her fancy right now, but maybe Sarabi could think of something?

"Mom, what can we do now?"

"I need a break, Nala. Sorry. I need to let Rafiki's medicine do its thing."

"So what can I do?"

"I don't know. You could chase a butterfly…climb a small tree…just don't go too far, okay?"

"None of that sounds fun anymore," Nala moaned.

Sarabi sighed. "I don't know, then. You could stay here and chat if you wanted. I like having someone to talk to."

Nala frowned. "Mom…why are you not happy?" she asked.

"I'm worn out. Sorry Nala. That swimming lesson took all my energy from me."

"No, I mean even before that. When we were eating you didn't look happy. Why?"

Sarabi smiled. "Don't worry about that, Nala. It's nothing important."

"I thought you wanted to talk, Mom."

"Well let's talk about something else."

"I don't want to. I want to know why you're upset."

"Must you?"

"Well, yeah. I could cheer you up if I knew why you weren't happy."

"Alright," replied Sarabi, "if you must."

Nala smiled; glad she was finally getting it her way. "So why?" she asked.

"I miss Simba."

Nala blinked. "That's it?"

"I told you it was nothing."

"But that's what's making you upset?"

"Yes, Nala. I do happen to love my own cub."

"So…would it cheer you up if we went and saw him?"

"We've seen those two enough today, Nala. He's sick, anyways. You wouldn't be able to play with him."

"So why do you want to see him?"

"Because he's my son, Nala. And last time I saw him he was ill, and I don't know if he's going to get better soon or not."

"Then why didn't you take care of him when he was ill, instead of leaving him to my mo…eh…I mean Aunt Sarafina?"

Sarabi smiled. "See why I didn't want to tell you why I was upset?"

"No. Why?"

Sarabi rolled her eyes. Of course Nala couldn't. She was an innocent cub who didn't care about pride, but rather, about doing the right thing. But yet it would take Sarabi down a peg or two if she was the one who ended up surrendering in her own game. If it turned out that she was the one who missed her cub the most, and not Sarafina. But then, Nala was right. What fun was this for anybody? Sarabi was miserable because she was injured and missed her cub, and soon Nala would be getting stroppy too. A cub her age needed someone to play with so that she could remain entertained, and right now she, Sarabi, was not the one up for the job. Sarabi wanted to see her son, and she herself needed a rest; while Nala, on the other hand, just needed someone to play with. Maybe it was best after all, if they just headed on, and tried to find Sarafina and Simba and called this game quits.

"Alright Nala, you win," said Sarabi. Slowly, she got up.

"Where are we going?" asked Nala.

"I'm returning you to your mother."

"Already? Really?" asked Nala excitedly. She got up onto all fours too.

"Yup," replied Sarabi.

"Why?" asked Nala.

Sarabi grinned. "Because you're spotlessly clean," she replied, "which means I win my bet with Sarafina."