Nala loved to watch Simba sleep. He looked so adorable and peaceful while doing it. The way his head rested on his soft paws; the way his cute little nose twitched; and the way he always seemed to have a little smile on his face. It just… made her happy.

Oh, Simba, Nala thought with a smile, ruffling the tuft on Simba's head. Why is it I love ya so much?

"Don't mess with the tuft," said Simba groggily, awakening from his sleep. "Or suffer the consequences." His eyes flickered open, and he was surprised to find Nala staring back at him. "Nala?" His eyes widened. "Oh, it's… it's you. I thought you were… somebody else for a second there."

"Somebody else?" exclaimed Nala. "Who else would be messing with your tuft?" she asked.

"I thought Haiba was trying to kiss me in my sleep or something," Simba replied, rubbing his eyes with a paw. "It's not unusual for him, that's for sure." He looked around the den. "Where is Haiba, anyway?"

Nala shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "Last time I saw him was last night, when he showed us that trick where he could swallow his own blood and then make it appear in your mouth."

Simba stuck his tongue out, rubbing it with a paw. "Yeah…" he said. "Not exactly the best night I've ever had. Do you know what it's like to taste someone else's blood? Well, you probably would, actually – you were a vampire once."

"I don't know what happened, though," Nala told him. "I lost my memory. Thanks to Tama. She could be really mean, sometimes."

"So could my fifth girlfriend," remarked a voice from behind the two cubs.

Simba and Nala turned around to see Haiba walking towards them. "There you are," Simba said, actually sounding a little relieved. "We thought you'd run off to some far-off place in the middle of nowhere."

"Like that place with the frog?" replied Haiba. "Nah, I haven't been there. I just went for a morning walk." He sniffed the air.

"It's a lovely morning today. Could be the most peaceful day in the world."

"Either that or the day Shocker tries to get his revenge," said Simba, a suspicious look crossing his face as he turned around to look out of the den.

"Uh-oh." Haiba whispered in Nala's ear. "He's got The Look again."

"You never know," Simba continued. "He could be out to give us the shock of our lives!"

"Did you say that pun twelve times before you went to sleep?" Haiba asked. "Sounds like you were working on it all night."

"It was just… coincidence," Simba responded. "With a name like Shocker, you can't really blame me."

Nala sighed. "You just don't look on the bright side anymore, do you? I remember the days when we would just play Pinned Ya all day. Now it's always 'save this' and 'stop that'. Gets pretty annoying sometimes."

"Gives you a good rush, though," Haiba said. "Great exercise, too. I feel like I could run a mile these days. Maybe even two."

"Is it 'happy, happy, happy' day all of a sudden?" Simba asked, turning back to the two. "What is it with you being so… cheerful?"

Haiba shrugged. "How should I know? It's just one of those days. I thought you would be happy, too."

"I'm never happy!" Simba exclaimed, prompting Nala and Haiba to look very surprised. "Oh, you know what I mean!" He let out an annoyed cry, pulling at his tuft with his fore paws.

"Simba, what's wrong?" Nala asked, taking a step towards her boyfriend. She put a paw on his shoulder. "You look… mad."

"Oh, I don't know, it's just…" Simba looked at Nala. "Something weird happened to me last night."

"What, that trick with the blood?" asked Haiba. "I did try to warn you, but you wouldn't listen."

"Not that." Simba shook his head. "This… dream I had." He looked a little confused. "At least, I think it was a dream."

"What do you mean?" asked Nala. She got the feeling that Simba was having mental problems again. That seemed to happen from time to time. As if something was getting into Simba's head. She just couldn't figure it out.

"It was… um, my dad's dad," Simba started to explain, looking as if he was straining to remember the dream – if it was a dream – he had last night. "He was… talking to this guy. I don't know who he was, but… I think he told him to give birth to my Uncle Scar."

"I don't think male lions can give birth, Simba," said Haiba.

"You get what I mean," replied Simba. "He wanted to find someone to give birth to my Uncle Scar. Apparently he wanted his whole pride to suffer. It makes me wonder, though."

"Wonder what?" Nala asked.

"Well… what happened?" Simba looked very intrigued. "What happened to King Ahadi? How did he die? And who was that guy he was talking to?"

"Simba, it was just a dream," Nala told him. "I don't think any of it was supposed to be real. It was just one of those… weird nightmare thingies, right?"

"I don't think so," said Simba, shaking his head. "It didn't exactly… feel like a dream. More like… More like I was seeing something that had actually happened."

"Like you were seeing into the past?" asked Haiba, raising an eyebrow. "Can't say I've ever heard of that happening before."

Simba scratched his head in confusion. "It makes my brain itch just thinking about it." He sighed. "Man, my life is weird."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to see what's happening down at the water hole," said Haiba. "Plus, I need a drink. Like, really badly."

"Good." Simba walked past the two, heading out of the den. "I need to go outside and think. It's too crowded in here."

Nala and Haiba looked around the empty den. "But it's just the three of us," Nala pointed out. "That doesn't make any—"

"You know what I mean!" Simba interrupted.

"Actually, I don't know what you mean!" Haiba retorted, following him out of the den. "Explain it. Please!"

"Look, it's just that I have a bad feeling about—" Simba stopped dead as soon as he walked outside, his eyes going wide.

Nala and Haiba stared at him. "Uh, Simba?" Nala tapped him on the head. "Did I accidentally hypnotise you again? Simba?"

"Just leave him," said Haiba. Since she was focusing on Simba, she didn't notice that his eyes were glowing red. "It's just another one of his weird little trances."

Simba's eyes grew wider, as a strange scene – from years and years ago – presented itself before him.

King Ahadi was surprised when his mysterious, unseen ally appeared again.

This time it was by the water hole, very late at night. His face was darkened by the looming shadow of a tree. A tree that two certain cubs would come to meet by many years later. "Aha, babe, you're just not getting the picture, are you?"

Ahadi actually found himself a little scared at the sound of the voice. Turning around quickly, he faced the darkened, mysterious figure. "You again," said Ahadi. "It's been months. What do you want this time?"

"I must say I'm very disappointed in ya, Aha," said the figure. "Very, very disappointed. So disappointed that it just makes me feel… Well, like a dope, if I'm honest."

Ahadi narrowed his eyes. "Just what exactly are you referring to?" he asked.

"Your new son, Aha," replied the figure. "You see, I've taken a little peek at his future – just to be on the safe side – and I've gotta say it's not looking bright. Granted, he wasn't killed by your son's son, but he still gets murdered."

"What?" Ahadi was in outrage. "How could you possibly know of such things? I know you're a very mythical creature, but the type of power you're speaking of… Well, it just isn't possible."

"The correct term is 'magical', Aha, baby," said the figure. "And I happen to be the most magical… thing of them all. You're son's gonna be a total failure. Sure, he'll try his best to enslave the kingdom – but in this world, trying means nothing. Your older son – brave little Muffy – is still gonna come out on top. So, I'm afraid that the time has come, Aha."

"Time?" Ahadi was confused. "What the hell are you talking about, you great, big buffoon?"

"Oh, dear, now he's gone down the insult path," the figure said. "That's not gonna get you anywhere, Aha."

"Stop calling me that!" Ahadi roared. "My name is Ahadi! Use my full name when you talk to a god such as myself!"

The figure chuckled. "Oh, boy, Aha, you just don't get it, do you? You see, I've got plans – very big plans – and you aren't in 'em. Sorry, but that's just the way things go. And if I don't need you, then what I do need… is to end you."

"Are you implying what I think you're implying?" asked Ahadi, his claws extending. He was ready for a fight.

"Hey, Aha, guess what?" The figure stepped out from the darkness. "Death came back."

He poked Ahadi with a long, jagged claw.

And instantly, King Ahadi collapsed to the ground, his eyes closed.

Dead.

The figure looked up at the sky. "Guess what, Pride Lands?" he said. "Kufa inawadia."