Despite her difficulties, Nala eventually made it back to her parents' den. As soon as she was inside, she collapsed in a fat little heap, panting from exhaustion. She hoped that she had made it back in time for dinner. From father back in the den, her father raised his head.

"Nala? Where have you been young lady!? Your mother and I have been worried sick ab--" The lion stopped mid-censure as he took in his daughter's new, rounder form. "What happened to you?" he demanded. "Did you eat an elephant?"

"No," Nala said, hoping that he wouldn't ask about too many other animals. She curled into herself, trying to make herself look smaller so her dad would go easy on her, but there wasn't much she could do about her stomach.

"Wait until your mother sees what's happened to you," her father said, bounding over her and out of the cave. "Don't go anywhere, you!" he added over his shoulder.

Nala didn't want to go anywhere. She was miserable. She had expected her parents to be happy to have her home, but all her dad seemed to care about was her weight. Like it was any of his business if she liked to eat! Nala's stomach growled, since she hadn't eaten anything all day. Dismally, she hoped that she wasted away to nothing before her parents got back; it would serve them right if she died of starvation. It didn't occur to her that she was maybe overreacting a little.

She didn't manage to die before her parents returned.

"My goodness, dear, you were right!" her mother, Sarafina, said as she looked Nala over. "Well, we'll just have to make sure she eats right from now on." Seeing the horror on Nala's face, she added, "Oh, don't worry, Nala! We don't intend to starve you! Here, I brought you some dinner."

She dropped part of a zebra leg in front of the chubby cub. For any normal lion of Nala's age, it would have been a perfectly satisfying meal, but after her revelatory binge with Simba's uncle, Nala had grown to desire bigger and better things. She finished the meat quickly and felt like she hadn't eaten anything at all.

"Can I have some more?" Nala asked sweetly, putting on her saddest, most innocent expression. Unfortunately, Sarafina saw right through her.

"No, Nala. That was more than enough meat for a cub like you. If you don't watch your eating, how are you going to lose that extra weight?"

Maybe I don't want to lose the weight, Nala thought sullenly, but she didn't say as much out loud. She didn't know how she was going to survive on such pitiful amounts of food.