...She found that whatever stupor she had been in the night before had worn off. She was hungry again, but not ravenously so: She hadn't finished digesting her huge meal. Nala groaned and lifted herself to her feet. It was a difficult task, and for a moment she remembered how she'd immobilized herself the night before and thought in a panic that she wouldn't be able to get up at all. But no, she eventually managed to get herself up on all fours, though it took longer than she was used to. Since she hadn't fully digested her last meal, her belly still hung low and heavy between her legs, which messed up her center of gravity.

Slowly, unused to her new weight, Nala waddled toward the mouth of the den. As she walked, she absently wondered what it would be like to have a belly like this all the time, not just when it was full of food. She was initially unhappy with the idea, since moving her colossal stomach was such a pain, but she thought back to the night before and how food had just kept appearing in her mouth. If she could find a way to live like that all the time, semi-mobility wouldn't be so bad, especially since it would allow her to eat as much as she desired.

All of a sudden, Scar bounded into the mouth of the den, standing between the bloated young lioness and freedom. Nala shrank back instinctively, but didn't know why. After all, Scar had been nothing but helpful to her. Even the force-feeding had been in Nala's best interests.

"And just where do you think you're going, young lady?" Scar asked.

"I'm going home," Nala replied. "My mom and dad will worry about me if I'm gone too long. Y-you're not going to try to stop me, are you?" In her present condition (not to mention the fact that she was still only a cub), there was no way she would be able to overpower a full-grown lion. But Scar's thin mouth broke into a wide grin.

"Of course not, my dear. After the way you proved yourself last night, you're free to go whenever you want." As if to prove his point, he slithered out of her way, leaving her with a clear view of the den entrance. "I just thought you might like some breakfast before you go, to sustain you through the long journey back."

On Scar's signal, two hyenas dragged an antelope carcass out where Nala could see--and, more importantly, smell--it. In spite of how full she still was, the young lioness found herself salivating at the thought of eating more, but she was already dangerously low on mobility. If she ate the whole antelope (and she knew that if she started, she would eat the whole thing), she could be stuck here while she digested.