"I just don't understand it," Simba said, sighing as he lay down on his back that night. "I thought Hago was going to show up today. I knew he was going to. I could feel it." He shot a look at Nala. "You think I'm dumb, don't you?"

"Dumb?" Nala raised an eyebrow at Simba. "Why would I think you're dumb?"

"I'm dumb," Simba insisted, shaking his head. "Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. I've been getting worked up over nothing. Nothing! How could I be so stupid? Especially after everything I've been through. I get a whole bunch of creepy nightmares, and nothing happens? What kind of a sick monster would do such a thing to me? What did I do to deserve this? Gee, it's not like I go around saving everyone from certain doom all of the time."

"Just cool it, Simba," said Nala. "You never know, maybe Hago will show up – not that I would want him to – and come after us. For all I know, you could be absolutely right! I could be the idiot!"

"You're not an idiot," Simba told her. "You're never an idiot, Nala. It's just that I feel so stressed. If Hago wants to come after me, then why doesn't he just show himself? He might as well get killing me over and done with! Isn't that easier for the stupid idiot?"

Nala couldn't help but laugh. "So you think that he's just being awkward?" he asked. "Just to annoy you even more?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," Simba replied, closing his eyes. "I know exactly what'll happen now. I'll close my eyes, and I'll have a nightmare – a nightmare that's even worse than the one I had the night before!"

His eyes were wide with worry. "Uh, Simba, I think you're going a little crazy," Nala told him. "Maybe you should just take a few deep breaths or something – before your head explodes."

"I think that'd be better!" Simba cried. "Otherwise I'll just die a horrible, painful death and then you'll be upset and Mom and Dad will spend the rest of their lives crying and Haiba will say, 'I think that looks kind of hot,' and then—"

Nala rolled her eyes and gave him a big kiss on the muzzle, taking Simba by total surprise.

Releasing him from the kiss, Simba blinked a few times, stunned. He then smiled from ear-to-ear. "Suddenly, I feel a little sleepy," he said before falling to the ground, snoring quietly. "Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy…"

Nala wiped her forehead with her paw. "Phew!" she exclaimed, smiling. "Mom always said that giving a cub a big kiss would make him fall asleep. Looks like she was right." She chuckled to herself. "Maybe I should do that more often."

Nala opened her mouth and let out a yawn, before snuggling up to Simba, shutting her eyes. "And now I can sleep, too…"

Suddenly, Nala was grabbed by someone, and she cried out in surprise! "Who…? Who is it?"

She gasped loudly when she found herself staring into the menacing eyes of Hago – a lion she hoped never to see again. "It's… It's you!" she cried, pointing at him. "But… But how… how did you…?"

"How am I still alive?" Hago finished for her. "Well, my dear, it's a very interesting question you've asked. But the answer comes in the form of a very long story – which I don't particularly want to tell you at the moment. But it's not me that's important right now, Nala."

Nala glared back at him. "Oh, yeah?" she retorted, raising an eyebrow at the monster who had murdered her father. "And what is important, you murdering freak?"

A cruel smile spread across Hago's face. "Well, Nala, it's you. You see, I'm afraid I haven't been very truthful in the time we've known each other, and I have much to explain. But, since this will take a considerable amount of time – and I don't particularly want to be caught – I suggest I do the explaining elsewhere."

"You're not taking me anywhere," Nala told him firmly. "I'll kill you first – don't think I won't!" She wasn't going to let Hago get to her this time. He'd already caused enough trouble in her life. That was going to stop.

"You won't kill me, Nala," Hago replied. "I can tell. Behind those charming eyes, I can see that you're interested. Very interested in what I have to say to you. Isn't that right, Nala? Isn't it?"

Nala just stared at him. "So you now have excellent powers of observation," she said. "And what has this got to do with me?"

Hago sighed, looking down at the ground. "Just shut up, you insolent little girl," he snapped. "It's about time you listened to those older than you. You were always such an impatient cub."

"Good!" Nala spat angrily. "And you were always such a horrible, cruel, vile, evil lion!"

"Talkative, too," Hago remarked, before putting Nala down on the ground. "But I can fix that." He raised his staff and brought it crashing down on top of Nala's head. She stumbled about, a dazed smile on her face, and then collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Hago sighed, smiling. "That's a little better."

In one swift movement, Hago put Nala on his back, turned around and headed out of the den. Now to find somewhere to live, he thought. Obviously I can't live in the Outlands. For a start, it was horrible there. I'll find somewhere nicer to live out my newfound life. Somewhere far more pleasant.

"Whoa!" Haiba cried, as he suddenly found himself on the edge of Pride Rock, looking down at the ground below. He stumbled backwards, falling over. "What the heck?" he exclaimed, looking around frantically. "Weird…" He put a paw to his head. "Since when did I start sleepwalking?" He shrugged. "I must be adjusting to the climate of the Pride Lands – whatever that means…"

Turning around, Haiba was about to head back towards the den, when he saw Hago, who was carrying Nala on his back. He raised an eyebrow at seeing this. Odd, he thought. Didn't I kidnap Nala in the same way when I needed to get married to her? Maybe people are copying me… That's not fair!

Watching as Hago disappeared with Nala, Haiba hurried into the den and over to Simba, quickly nudging him awake.

"Simba, I think you'd better get up," he said.

Simba's eyes flickered open, and he looked up at Haiba. "Haiba?" He rubbed his eyes with a paw. "Why'd you wake me up? It was the first time in ages I'd slept without having a nightmare."

"Yeah, great – but we kinda have a problem," Haiba told him, pointing towards the outside of the den. "You know – one of those deadly problems that involve people dying horribly!"

"What are you talking about?" Simba asked, pulling himself to his paws.

"Nala!" Haiba exclaimed. "Some weird guy with a staff is taking her away from Pride Rock!"

Simba's eyes widened in horror. "Staff?"

Haiba nodded. "Yeah. The top of it looks like a cobra, for some reason. Does that mean something?"

"Hago," Simba whispered, before sprinting out of the den, as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"Hago?" Haiba narrowed his eyes, before running after Simba. "Simba, wait! You mean, as in Hago, Hago?"

Simba nodded in response as he ran. "Yeah," he confirmed. "That Hago. Not that I've heard of any other Hagos around here, of course. Have you?"

"No," Haiba replied, running alongside Simba now. "But, um… how exactly do we stop him from taking Nala to his horrible torture chamber of evil?"

"What makes you think he has a torture chamber of evil?" Simba asked.

"He's evil," Haiba replied. "All villains have a torture chamber of evil. Have you learnt nothing?"

"Oh, no…" Simba gasped, slowly coming to a halt in the middle of the field. "They've gone…"

"What do you mean, 'they've gone'?" Haiba asked, looking around the empty field. "Oh…"

Hago had seemingly disappeared, leaving no traces of him or Nala behind. He had completely vanished out of thin air.

Simba frowned. "It's starting again."