The morning sun felt warm against Isha's fur as she sprawled in the cool grass. Always an early riser, she took joy in the thought that the other lionesses would be stuck sunning themselves on the hard rocks; between the drought and last night's fire, there was precious little grass left to lie on at the moment.

Rolling over, she saw her small son Habusu sitting up, peering intently at something out of her line of vision. Leaning over, she nuzzled him. "What are you doing, Habu?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Look, mama, there's Togo and Kombi. Can I go play with them, pleeease?" He looked at her mournfully. Isha couldn't help but laugh.

"All right, you little scamp! Go ahead, but stay close to Uzuri; I don't want you all wandering off, now."

He smiled broadly. "I’ll be good! " He scampered over to the others.

He was unexpectedly flattened by Togo. "Hey, Habu! Wanna play Mud Tag?" Togo asked.

Habusu got up shakily. "Uhh, yeah, I guess."

Kombi smiled menacingly. "Good, then ... you're IT! " With a brutal shove, he sent the poor cub sliding down the slope to land in a mud puddle. Dragging himself out of the brackish water, Habusu's eyes brimmed over with tears as he listened to the two laughing. Unable to bear it any longer, he turned and fled.

His progress was tracked sharply by two sets of dark eyes. Shenzi and Losara stood behind a stand of dry grass, with Losara's pup Bashak lying next to her. Looking at her friend impatiently, Losara shook her head.

"Shenzi, what are we doing here? What if we get caught?"

"Hsshh! Here he comes." Shenzi bared her teeth in a huge grin. "Perfect." She glanced down at the bored pup next to her, and her grin widened. "Bashak, are you having fun?"

"No ma'am." Fidgeting, he nuzzled his mother. "Mama, I'm bored, " the pup said crossly. Losara looked at him, and smiled gently.

"Why don't you go play with the cub? We won't be long."

"Okay." He trudged off. There was no cub in sight, but he did spot a locust on the grass. He patted at it with his paw and it jumped. He followed it, and it jumped again. He sprang up locust-like, laughing.

A blur of tawny lightning tore through a gap in the bushes and slammed into him, knocking him over. Rolling to a stop, he caught his breath.

"Cripes! Why don't you look where you're goin! " Bashak stared at the sodden mass before him. "What happened to you?"

Habusu looked at him miserably. "Uh, nothing." He blinked, confused. "What are you, anyway?"

"I'm a hyena, silly. My name's Bashak." He peered at Habusu worriedly. "Uh, what about you?"

Habusu's chest swelled proudly. "I'm Habusu. I'm a lion! "

Bashak looked at him, eyes wide. "Wow! I've never seen a lion up close before! " But he looked at him again. "They look much bigger from a distance."

"That's cause I'm not full grown."

"How big will you be when you're full grown?"

"See that bush?" Habusu smiled. "Bigger than that."

"No kidding! " He thought a moment. "Then you'll be as big as me! " Grinning, Bashak leaped on Habusu, and the two rolled in the dust, shrieking with glee. Habusu twisted lithely, bringing his greater weight to bear on the hyena pup, pinning him to the ground.

The sound of footsteps padded up to the bush. Losara poked her head in, pushing aside twigs with her nose. "Okay, Bashak, time to go..." she broke off, staring, her eyes narrowing at the sight of her child pinned under the paws of a lion cub. Shenzi's head joined her. "Well, well, well, what have we here?"

Habusu shrank away, frightened by the looming females. "Look mama, " Bashak said excitedly. "This is my friend, Habusu. He's a lion! Only he's not full grown yet."

"I see that." Losara swallowed heavily. Dredging up a smile that felt too big for her face, she looked at the youngsters pleasantly. "Time to go home, now."

Bashak's face fell. "Aww, man, " he whined. "Do we have to?"

"Yes, if you want to eat anything for lunch." She cocked her head, as if thinking. "If your friend's hungry, why don't you invite him? When you get done eating lunch, you can show him around the elephant graveyard."

"Really?! " Bashak turned excitedly. "Hey, Habusu, wanna?"

The lion cub returned his friend's grin. "Yeah! That'd be cool! "

Shenzi grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get some lunch! "

Nala yawned luxuriously in the morning light. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she stood up, extending her forelegs in front of her, shifted her weight to the rear and stretched. She closed her eyes in ecstasy as she felt the muscles in her back and legs tingle as they loosened.

Straightening up, she steped over to where Simba lay. Smiling to herself, she bent down and licked his nose. "Wake up, hon."

He twitched his nose reflexively, but otherwise didn't react. Her smile widening, Nala leaned over and nuzzled his face. Pursing her lips, she sent a gentle puff of air into his ear. He twitched spasmodically, flipping a paw up to brush her away. "Cut it out, Pumbaa, " he chuckled sleepily.

"Pumbaa, indeed! " Nala sent her tongue sweeping in a broad stroke across his face. She watched with amusement as his eyes shot open in surprise, relaxing as they focused on her.

"Beloved, " he whispered, and pawed her softly. "What time is it?"

"It's tree-tall."

He let out with a tremendous yawn. "Tree-tall, huh? Gods, I must have been tired to sleep this late."

She laughed prettily. "Oh, I'm sorry, " she said in mock contriteness. "Perhaps I shouldn't have kept you up so late."

He grinned at her, but before he could reply, Isha bounded in the entrance, her eyes widened to the whites.

"Forgive my intrusion, Incosi, but I can't find my son! Please help me! " Isha was nearly incoherent. "I let him go play with Uzuri's cubs' but they don't know where he went and he won't answer my calls! "

"Calm down, Isha." Nala padded over. "Where did you see him last?"

"I was lying in the grassy spot over by the north face. He went off to play with Togo and Kombi. I told him to stay near Uzuri but he didn't listen." She struck the ground with her paw. "I should never have let him go! "

Uzuri trotted in, her cubs scampering along behind her to huddle at her feet. "I can't find him, Isha. I don't know where he went, but I found out why." She turned to glare at the two cubs, who shrank back miserably. "It seems Togo and Kombi were playing a little...rough." She patted Isha other lioness comfortingly. "Don't worry, hon, he's probably just sulking somewhere."

"That's just it; he always comes when I call him, no matter what mood he's in. He's such a good boy..." Wailing, she buried her head against Uzuri's shoulder, her cries muffled against the fur.

Simba looked at Nala worriedly. "Oh, boy. I'm gonna go ask Rafiki if he can help. Maybe he'll know where to look. In the meanwhile, get some search parties organized."

She nodded, and led the other lionesses outside. Simba trotted hurriedly down the slope of the Rock to the ground below. Breaking into a run, he sprinted toward a nearby acacia, his feet kicking up small plumes of ash that settled slowly back to the charred ground. Nearing the tree, he shouted, “Rafiki! ”

Reaching the base, he peered up through the denuded branches to see the mandrill blinking sleepily. "Rafiki? Are you awake?"

"Indeed I am. And not from your bellowing, my friend; I don't think I got a wink of sleep all night." He eyed the branches of the tree reproachfully. "Too many spines; I don't know how civilized folk can stand to live in these." Casting his gaze down at Simba, Rafiki frowned. "What is all the commotion about?"

“Habusu is lost. Can you do anything to help us? We have to find him quickly, before something else does."