"I don't understand…" said Nala, feeling confused after Sarabi had explained everything to her. "You shouted at Simba because you thought he was immature?"

"I shouted at Simba because I knew he was immature," Sarabi corrected her. "Nala, all he does is get you into trouble. I appreciate that you two are rather… outgoing, but this simply cannot continue. He has to learn to listen to his parents. Why does he do things like this all the time? He could get himself killed!"

"He does it because he's a good person," Nala answered, looking up at Sarabi. "And when he wants to help, he wants to help. He doesn't just do dangerous things for the sake of it. He does it for a reason."

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" Sarabi retorted. "You could just be trying to cover up the numerous mistakes Simba has made."

Nala rolled her eyes. "I don't think he would have run away if that was true," she said, before walking past Simba's mother, leaving her very shocked.

Walking across the den, Nala spotted Haiba lying to the side, sleeping. She nudged him, and he looked up, his eyes flickering open. "W-what – what is it?"

"Haiba, come on," replied Nala. "Simba's ran away, and we've got to find him before he does something stupid."

"But I was just having the loveliest dream about Simba kissing me—" Haiba stopped midsentence. "Actually, never mind," he said, getting to his paws and following Nala out of the den.

Nala hurried over to the edge of Pride Rock, quickly scanning the vast surroundings of the Pride Lands. "Okay, so if I were Simba, where would I be?"

"Aren't you just like him?" Haiba asked, rubbing his eyes as he joined Nala by her side. "You should know straight away, shouldn't you? It's like you're… connected. Wait a sec, why am I figuring this out for you?"

"Thanks, anyway," said Nala, continuing to look down on the lands that she would one day rule over with Simba – that is, if he was still alive. "Doesn't look like he's around. Jeez, he sure knows how to run off quick, doesn't he?"

"All right, where do you think he is?" Haiba asked. "You don't think he's found another Uchoyo Diamond and decided to try and enslave us all again, do you?"

Nala shook her head. "I don't think so. He's just angry with his mother. Last time he was angry with me."

"Is there a difference?" said Haiba, raising an eyebrow at her. "I mean, it's still one person he's angry at."

"It's me, Haiba," replied Nala. "And Simba cares about me a lot. Plus, we don't normally argue as much."

"So why would he go and not tell us?" Haiba wondered. "Maybe he's run off to his secret other life at the top of a distant mountain."

"You have a very weird imagination," Nala said. "But then again, so do I. Somehow, I don't think Simba is living two different lives. He's just mad, so he's running off. He always does that."

"We might never see him again," said Haiba. "He's probably met two highly irritating animals and is now living with them in the jungle. We probably won't see him for a couple of years or so."

"Yeah, Simba tried to do something like that before," Nala told him. "And I almost ended up getting my soul drained by an insane meerkat and a stupid warthog. But I don't think Simba would try the same thing again. He's too smart for that."

Nala turned around, and made her way back down Pride Rock. "Okay, so we know two things. One: Simba's ran away. Two: we don't know where Simba has run away to."

"Well, I'd say that we're pretty much doomed," Haiba concluded. "There we go. What a shame. End of story." He pulled Nala towards him. "Let's get married!"

Nala slapped Haiba on the face, sending him to the ground. "Ow!" he cried out in pain, a paw held to his cheek. "Hey… wait a second…" He looked up at Nala, smiling. "You said yesterday that you only slapped Simba, which means…" A grin spread across his face. "Our bond is strengthening. We're developing a relationship!"

"There isn't a relationship!" Nala exclaimed. "It's not happening, not ever! How desperate are you?"

"Well…" Haiba looked out across the Pride Lands, narrowing his eyes. "I quite like the look of that elephant over there…"

He grinned. "Weight isn't exactly an issue for a guy like me."

Nala shook her head, rolling her eyes and walking away. "Come on, Haiba. You can go and have your weird fantasies later."

"But I like my weird fantasies!" Haiba protested, following her. "It's what makes me who I am!"

"Yeah – that's the problem," Nala remarked. "Haiba, if it wasn't for me, where would you be?"

"In the den – sleeping," Haiba replied.

"No, no, no. I mean mentally, where would you be?" Nala asked.

Haiba nodded. "Oh, right – I'd be marrying myself. I'm that handsome," he said with a chuckle.

Nala sighed. "This isn't turning out to be a very good day, is it?" she asked, a disappointed look in her eyes. "And I thought nothing could top yesterday's incident with Froggy the… frog."

"There're plenty of worse things," said Haiba, his tone serious. "What about when Hago did all those… things to you?"

Nala winced, trying to block out agonising memories. "D-don't say that, Haiba," she stammered. "I don't want to remember it." She put a paw to her temple. "It hurts."

"So where would Simba go?" Haiba wondered. "He can't have too many hiding places – unless there's something you're not telling me."

"He likes to go to the tree where we first met," Nala told him. "He does that whenever he's having 'personal issues'. It helps him to think." She smiled at Haiba. "And I can't say I blame him. It's a good memory. Meeting your first – and best – friend."

"So would he be there now?" Haiba asked. "'Cause I didn't see anything when we were at Pride Rock."

"Me neither," Nala agreed.

"Well, I've got an idea," Haiba said. "Why don't we search the jungle?"

"Nah, that's stupid," replied Nala. "Wait a minute…" A grin spread across her face. "I have an idea!"

"Gee, I wonder what it could be," Haiba said, rolling his eyes.

"We're going to search the jungle!" Nala exclaimed.

"That's what I said—"

"Come on!" Nala broke into a run. "I bet we can get there before Simba! We've got to find him before he wrecks his whole life!"

Haiba followed her. "I still think that we should get married," Haiba told her. "Why don't we start a pride of our own?"

"Haiba, one more word about us getting married and I'm going to send you flying back into the Grand Lands," Nala threatened.

Haiba shut his mouth. "Received and understood."