Nala couldn't help it. She hugged Simba. Wrapped her paws around him in a warm, tight embrace. The poor guy. He was so troubled. So torn up inside. And he just refused to show it. No matter what happened to him. He never showed what he was truly feeling on the inside. Pain. Relentless, tormenting pain that twisted his insides. He needed help. Nala knew that. He needed serious help. This was all becoming too much. He couldn't handle this on his own. He needed some way of coping with it.

"Thanks, Nala," Simba said, still sounding as sad as ever. Even her warmest hugs just didn't seem to have an effect any more. These nightmares had gone beyond just scaring him in his sleep. They were beginning to scare him in real life, too. The horrific images from his brutal nightmares were creeping into reality, for some purpose or other. "I don't know how it'll help, though. Feels like nothing will. I'm..." He felt a lump in his throat. "I'm afraid," he admitted. "What if it never stops, and I'm stuck like this my whole life? I thought... I thought it would just go away after a while, but it doesn't." He stared at Nala, tears in his eyes. "What am I gonna do?"

"Well..." Nala was fearful of what Simba's reaction to this might be, but she decided to say it anyway. "Have you ever thought about... telling your parents?" she asked. "I mean, maybe they can help you," she suggested. "You never know, they might have an idea of what the cause is. What do you think?"

Simba stared down at the ground. "They won't help me," he stated, making it sound like that was a cold, hard fact. "When have they ever helped me before? When I wouldn't stop growing up, they sat back and did nothing. When my Dad's kingdom got taken over by Hago, I had to save it. They never help. I'm always the one who's helping them. I was right – they are selfish. They just want me to do all their work for them. I might as well become the King right now. It wouldn't make much of a difference."

"Simba, your parents will help you," Nala insisted. "I know sometimes that they don't seem very useful, but trust me. If you just explain to them about these nightmares, then I'm sure they'll know something. They have to! And then... maybe we can start to fix this. Make you right again."

"Make me right?" Simba stared up at her, his eyes widened. "There's nothing wrong with me! It's Hago! He's creating the nightmares! He's sticking them in my head! He's the one causing all the trouble! It's not me! What do you think I am, crazy or something?" he exclaimed, staring at Nala. He couldn't believe how she was acting! Now all of a sudden he was insane?

"No, I don't think you're crazy," Nala replied, shaking her head. "It's just that... Hago's dead, Simba. He can't just come back like that. I know he appears in some of your nightmares, but that doesn't exactly mean that he's causing them to—"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Simba interrupted, glaring at Nala angrily. "Is that it, Nala? Do you want me to tell my parents just so they'll think I'm lying, and I'll get in trouble? Do you want me to shut up about the nightmares? Is that what you want from me? Because that's why I don't talk about them in the first place! If you don't want me to talk about them then just say so!"

"Simba, you're missing the point!" Nala exclaimed. "I want you to tell your parents so you can get some help! You're not well! I don't know what's causing your nightmares, but whether it's you, or something else, you still need someone to help you! If you don't get help, then this will just keep repeating itself for ever! Is that what you want?"

Simba growled loudly at her. "Shut up," he snarled. "I don't need your opinion on this any more, Nala. I was an idiot to tell you in the first place. I should have known that you'd try to make it look like I'm insane or something. Maybe it's because you want to look like the hero for once. I bet you're just jealous of me, so you want everyone to think I'm crazy!"

"No!" Nala insisted, her eyes wide. "I would never do that to you, Simba! Just look at yourself! You're just being suspicious. I don't want everyone to think you're crazy! I want you to get some help. Stop being so paranoid!"

"Ooh, big word!" Simba teased. "Stop trying to make it look like you're better than me at everything, Nala. I know you're a total freak when it comes to competitions, but now you're just being ridiculous."

"Simba, stop it!" Nala cried. Now he was just being hurtful towards her. "You're acting like a big bully, and it's really hurting my feelings!" She was just trying to offer her help, and he refused to accept it. Just what was Simba's problem?

Did he want to be stuck like this for ever? If he complained about it so much, then why did he refuse help?

"Boo hoo, Nala," Simba replied. "My feelings have been hurt enough already. First by Hago, then my parents, and now you. It's about time someone else got their feelings hurt for once. I deserve more than what I get!"

"Now who's selfish?" Nala retorted. "You've got all you could possibly want, Simba! You're a prince, and you've got a great family, and you've got friends! Simba, what more could you possibly ask for?"

"With friends like you, who needs enemies?" Simba said with a shrug, turning away from Nala. That was it. It was just him. Alone in the world. Nobody else cared. Not even Nala. Everyone had betrayed him.

Nala gasped, her eyes widening in horror. She couldn't believe he'd actually said that. That was a truly horrible thing for him to say! Especially for the cub she thought not a few moments ago was so kind and caring. "Simba! How could you even—"

"And you can forget about being my Princess, too," Simba interrupted. "You don't deserve it." With that, he walked out of the den, his head hanging low. His mind was made up. He was leaving the Pride Lands. For ever. He'd find somewhere else to live. Somewhere where he'd have a better life. Away from all these traitors. I should have stayed with that stupid meerkat and that dumb warthog when I had the chance.

Nala just stood there, looking truly shocked. That last sentence Simba had said to her had broken her heart. Had he really just said that? Had the cub she thought she loved really just said that she wasn't his Princess any more? That she didn't deserve it?

Nala slowly lowered her head, closing her eyes. It's over, she thought. Simb a's gone, and he's never coming b ack ever again. She sobbed as tears streamed down her cheeks. And he's broken my heart.