The silence of the Pridelands morning was broken by a triumphant roar. Kovu, now the

king, was roaring to all the animals that a new prince--and princess!--had been born. Those

around Pride Rock answered, but they didn't gather around. It wasn't time for the Presentation. The

grazers fell back to grazing and the predators either slept or stalked around. By the early afternoon,

most of the creatures would be asleep.

Kiara leaned over the cubs. The female cub was pure white, except for a brown tuft on the

top of her head. Her eyes were a gorgeousblue color. She snuggled against her mother, but her

brother hunched next to Kiara's paw and stared at the light coming into the cave off to the side. The

cub was so dark, he really seemed to blend into the cave. The only part of him visible at the moment

were his yellow-and-green eyes. By the next day, however, Kiara and her son and daughter

headed out to where Kovu stood, and so the proud parents got a good look at their son.

As they walked into the sunshine, Kiara, almost startled,stared at her new son, but then smiled

and led both cubsforward. When Kovu saw the boy cub, however, he gasped and stepped back.

A strange look crossed his face as if he were rememberingsomething dark in his past.Swallowing,

he nuzzled his mate and took another look at both of his cubs. His son stood tall, sniffing the air, and

Kovu stepped back, as if in shock.

"We're still naming him Nukoy, right?" Kiara gasped, alarmed at the expression on her

mate's face.

"Of course, I agreed to name our cub after my brother if the cub turned out to be a boy."

"I like Nukoy. It's a good name."

Kovu had reason to be startled at Nukoy's appearance. He was a lean, dark-colored cub,

with narrow yellow-and-green eyes. He had enormous paws and a long, low-slung body. He

looked every inch like Scar had looked as a cub. Of course, Nukoy's father had not seen Scar as a

cub, but Zira had often described Scar both as an adult and as a cub to 'her

Kovu'.

The four lions moved out onto the open savannah. The cubs' mother looked at the dark cub

and his sister, and then murmured:"I'll name the girl Luneia, for she glows like the moon."

"Sounds good!" interrupted a sassy voice. Vitani walked over to the royal family. "That's a

gorgeous name. What is the name of...of...the...male?" she continued, staring at Nukoy.

"Nukoy." Kovu replied. When he continued speaking, Kiara was a little surprised at what he said.

"Yes, he looks like Scar, as Zira described him, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Kovu..." Kiara cried. "Does he really look that much like Scar? My father never described Scar

that well..."

"Yes. But you're Mufasa's granddaughter, which makes you Scar's neice. So its not too surprising

he looks like Scar..."

"Come on," Vitani interrupted hastily. "We lionesses have caught a fresh gazelle..."

The small family followed Vitani to a spot where the lionesses had brought down the fleet, deer-

like animal, and all the Pridelanders, which now included Scarand Zira's former pride, partook of

the feast.