grandfather figured you might've not shown up before the ceremony began, so he sent me out to find you."

            "Well you're not taking me back over there. I'm too fast for you."

            Tojo laughed. "I have no doubt about that. No, I could do away from the commotion myself. I've only been home for a few months now, and it's still a lot to take in."

            "You're telling me. You won't tell them I'm here, will you?"

            "They probably know you're here anyways. I won't say anything, though. But after the ceremony ends, I know your grandparents will come looking for you."

            Right, because Mom will be too busy gooing over her newest baby, thought Adanna resentfully.

            As if sensing her thoughts, Tojo placed his paw on her shoulder, receiving a jolt from the younger lioness. "Adanna, I know we're complete strangers. Heck, I'm still in shock over Kiara. But... I'm not your enemy, I guess is what I'm trying to say."

            Adanna stared at Tojo, and really looked at him. She could tell something had happened to him in the past, and perhaps he was trying to rectify it with coming back home, and trying to play cool uncle - no, great-uncle, she reminded herself. Her real uncle, Kopa, died before her mother was even born.

            Then, she noticed the sudden quiet of the area around them, and she looked around. "I guess the ceremony's over."

            Tojo slowly rose to his paws. "Well, will you come back?"

            Adanna sighed and rolled back onto her side. "Let them find me."

            "They already have." Adanna groaned inwardly at the sound of Nala's sweet voice.

            Tojo smiled. "Hi Nala. How did the ceremony go?"

            Nala seemed almost surprised to see Tojo with Adanna. "I thought you were at the ceremony as well?"

            "Kula."

            "Oh, okay."

            "She, uh... she hasn't been asking for me, has she?"

            Nala frowned. "I'm sorry."

            Tojo sighed. "I figured as much. All right, well I'll see you about, Adanna. Take care." He disappeared through the overgrown grass, and Adanna wondered at the solemn tone of his voice.

            "Now young lady, I know you're going through a rough time, but your mother was very upset that you weren't at the ceremony," scolded Nala. "You at least owed that to her."

            At this, Adanna scrambled onto her paws, an enraged look on her face. "Are you kidding?" she snapped. "I don't owe her anything! Everything was okay until... until he showed up! And now she's got another cub, and she'll turn away from me! I'm just better off leaving here then."

            "Adanna..." Nala stepped forward, a sympathetic look on her face. "Your grandfather and I love you very much, and so do your mother and Defir. And I know you miss your father, we all do-"

            "Apparently not."

            "-but your mother deserves to be happy. Can't you be a little happy for her?"

            "Yeah? And what about me? Am I not allowed to be happy?"

            "Of course you are, sweetie!"

            "Then why am I not happy?!" Adanna unsheathed her claws and dug into the dirt just to soothe her anger. "I'm going."

            "Good, your mother wants to speak to you-"

            "No, I mean I'm going. As in I'm leaving the Pridelands."

            Nala's eyes grew at this. "Adanna! Don't you dare!"

            Adanna shrugged. "Why not? Mom's moved on, she's got Defir and the stupid cub of his now. She doesn't  need me now. Just like she didn't need Dad."

            "That's not ri-"

            But Adanna was already turning to move beyond the borders of the pride. Nala leapt in front of her, growling, but Adanna moved past her, and trudged past the border. "Oh, by the way," she called to her grandmother, "Tell her that I'm not going to miss her at all!"

            Then she was gone.

~*~

            Abel didn't know why his mother wasn't smiling today. He knew that there were some days when she'd look at the sky, and sigh sadly, but then Dad would come, and she would cheer up, and lick Abel's face. He liked it when she did that. She was a good Mom.

            But today she didn't smile at all. Not when Defir joined her, or when Abel made a pass to play with her. She just laid curled up at the back of the den and sighed. Abel grew scared. Mom could be sad sometimes, sure, but never this much. Was it something he did? Thoughts raced in Abel's head just to be able to recall anything he had done that was bad the past few months, but he couldn't think of anything. Did Dad do something? Nah, that didn't seem right. Dad was always kind and always liked to joke with them. Abel loved his father's jokes.

            Perhaps he should get her a gift, something to cheer her up. He knew he wasn't allowed to go into the lands without an escort with him, but Abel wanted to do this by himself. He wanted to cheer Kiara up, and if that meant he was going to get into trouble over it then that was fine. As long as she stopped being sad.

            Sometimes sneaking out was hard. There were always lionesses and Zazu patrolling the lands, day and night, and, of course, he had his parents to worry about. But Abel found a way to get away. In the back wall of the den they shared, there was a small crevice that was just about the same size for him to easily squeeze through, and emerge on the other side of Pride Rock. Abel was patient, waiting for the moon to rise in the sky before sneaking out. There would've been no way he could've safely gotten past during the day, but now that everyone was resting for the day, he had the advantage.

            Kiara always warned him of slipping and falling over the rocks, but Abel picked up the skill quite easily. He was able to leap to each rock without losing his footing and slipping between them. When he finally touched the ground, he looked up at the giant rock formation that was his home. He imagined Kiara's face when he brought her some food back, perhaps a meerkat or a hornbill. Oh, how happy she'd be! She might even smile! Abel could not resist smiling at the thought.

            I'll make you happy, Mama, he thought.

            Unfortunately the only things he had learned to hunt were butterflies and the occasional moth. Defir had taken him out once or twice to teach him to hunt the smaller rodents, but it had been infrequent, so the skills he had learned that day never stuck with Abel.

            Abel pounced from patch of grass to patch of grass, imagining himself to be as fearsome of a lion as his father was. Or even his grandfather. Abel leapt from a small stone and let out a mighty roar, which was actually just a small meow. His ears perked and twitched at the sounds the night made. Crickets were about and Abel could hear the faintness of animals on the plains surrounding their home. Oh, what if he brought home a big gazelle for his mother? She would be so amazed with