Nala shook her head. "Thank you for...for everything. But I have to go home." She felt bad about leaving when Scar so obviously wished she would stay, but if she didn't go now, she'd probably never be able to get up the willpower to leave. Scar sighed.

"Very well. Thank you for the pleasure of your company, and please remember that you're welcome back here any time."

"I-I will." And with that, the bloated young lioness started off. The way her hanging paunch brushed the ground wasn't unpleasant, but she wasn't used to the new weight. The journey from Scar's den back to her parents' was a long one, even under optimal conditions, and in her current shape, it took much longer than normal: Her walk itself was slower, to compensate for her pendulous gut, and she kept having to stop and rest. More than once along the way, she wished that she had taken up Scar's offer and had a bite to eat before she left, because she was positively starving.