"Weather sucks," Simba said, as he stared out of the den. "I mean, it really, really sucks. I hate it when it's wet."
"I feel your pain," Haiba agreed. "I'm not exactly fond of rain. It just makes the ground feel so… wet. I don't like it. It feels really funny when you're trying to walk. Not to mention that all the gloominess makes you feel depressed. Just look at that sky!"
The storm from last night had since passed. But that didn't mean that the weather had gotten a lot better. The sun still wasn't visible, and dark grey clouds hung in the air. Rain was still lightly falling to the ground. It was a lot better than the horrible storm from last night – but not by a lot. It was still pretty miserable.
"At least we can go outside, I suppose," Nala said, looking on the bright side of things. "We don't have to stay in the den anymore. I told you it would get better, didn't I?" She smiled at the two.
"I… guess," Simba eventually said, before walking out of the den. He felt his paws sink slightly into the mushy ground.
"Aw!" he exclaimed in disgust. "I knew it! The ground is like quicksand today!"
"Simba, what are you—" Nala followed him outside, and then realised when her own paws started to sink. "Oh. I see what you mean now."
Haiba didn't move from his original position. "What did I tell you?" he said. "You could probably drown in the ground if you stood in the same spot for long enough. Just how the heck are we supposed to have an exciting adventure in this kind of weather?"
"Hey, if you think about it, the weather could make things even more exciting," Nala suggested, still thinking positively.
The one thing she didn't want was to go back inside and just sit there all day. She'd had enough of that last night.
"How can this horrible rain make things more exciting, Nala?" Simba asked, frankly astounded that she had said such a thing. "It's rain. It's not fun at all. I don't really understand how clearer I can be."
"I think it's pretty adventurous," Nala continued, taking a few more steps forward, leaving her paw prints embedded in the ground. "Now all the normal stuff is dangerous to us, too. We could die by rolling down a hill! Isn't that exciting?"
"It's dangerous, is what it is," Haiba replied. "Maybe we should just leave it for another day or two. It should be a little bit dry by then."
A little bit dry? Nala yelled in her mind. I'm not waiting that long! "Hold on a second," she said, hurrying over to Haiba.
"Let's just spend an hour out here. I really don't want to go back inside. Please…" She gave him her best cheesy grin.
"Only if I can have a kiss," replied Haiba, a happy little grin on his face. He had Nala right where he wanted her. She would do anything in this desperate state. She wasn't the type of cub to stay at home all day. She liked to be out and about, careening from one adventure to the next. She wouldn't be able to refuse Haiba's offer.
"What?" Nala exclaimed, backing away. "I'd have to be insane to kiss you!" she exclaimed. "Why don't you ask Simba to do it?"
Haiba shrugged. "Hey, either of you, I don't care," he said, prompting Simba to look a little worried.
"Uh, I think I'm gonna pass on the 'kissing Haiba' thing," he said, cautiously stepping away. "I'm with Nala on this one.
Maybe we should spend a few hours outside. It's too boring and hot and stuffy inside that den. Especially with all of the other nasty cubs around."
Simba strode away, keeping his eyes on the Pride Lands that lay beyond him. Everything looked so depressing today. It was a horrible day to die. "So where do you think it won't be—"
He slipped into a muddy puddle, crying out in surprise. "Hey!" Splash! "Stupid puddles!" he exclaimed, as he slowly climbed out of the puddle, part of his cute golden-brown fur matted with dirt. "For once, why can't they annoy someone who deserves it?"
Nala couldn't help but giggle. "Maybe you should keep your eyes on the ground more often," she joked.
"Aw, come on!" Simba yelled, noticing the dirt that had gotten onto his fur. "This just isn't fair! All the stuff I do for the world, and what does it do? Throws it back in my face – literally!"
"Come on, Simba," said Nala, as she pulled him away from the puddle, leading him down Pride Rock. "It's about time we got our paws dirty for once. Maybe there's some more mud puddles around for us to have fun with!"
"You should see the Mud Puddles of Uchafu," said Haiba, as he followed the two. "They're so deep and long. You can actually go swimming in them! Needless to say, that's one date I never particularly wish I went on. But with this fur colour, mud doesn't really make me look all that different."
"Then why do you keep complaining?" Simba asked. "What is it with you and dirt that you just can't stand?"
"I could ask you the same question," Haiba retorted. "Besides, I am a very clean cub. Being a prince, I have to keep my figure – and my reputation. I don't want my future subjects to view me as a dirt-infested freak."
"You're already a bit of a freak," Nala said. "I mean, what other cub has romantic feelings for sticks and stones?"
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but they also happen to be very hot," he quipped, grinning at Nala. "Trust me, when you've been brought up by a psychotic parent then this type of stuff feels normal to you."
Nala raised an eyebrow at that. "It does? I know your mother was pretty sick in the head, but I've met crazier than her."
"Like that stupid frog," Simba muttered. "Do you know what it's like to be turned into a frog? It's not nice. It feels really… slimy and gooey. I didn't like it. It makes me really grateful to have a body like this."
Nala had a dreamy expression on her face, as she stared at Simba. "Yeah…" she said. "I'm really grateful, too."
Haiba's eyes glowed red at this.