Author's note: Well, here is chapter four. Be patient with me, this is not the final edition. All the plot and dialogue will stay in the edits, however. The reading will just be made smoother and typos removed, etc.

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The years passed until Nukoy was a vivacious young teenager. He was a strong young lion, but was not eager to become the king. Unlike his grandfather, he was willing to wait. He had, he claimed, too much to do anyway, which actually consisted of rock-climbing, sharpening his claws, and showing off to all the teenage lionesses, except, of course, Luneia. One young 'girl' who particularily caught his eye was Nixulu, a beautiful creature who was creamy gold, almost white. Her wide, almond-shaped eyes were a dark, deep violet color and twinkled like stars. She was the daughter of an obscure lioness, Ki'Lana. Kovu had never mated Ki'Lana, knowing she was weak and might not produce strong offspring. Heaven knew where Nixulu had even come from, she'd just appeared one day, which was strange. Ki'Lana had insisted it was an unexpected birth, but Kovu was sometimes suspicious.

One day, shy Luneia tried to talk to Nixulu. She admired the other lioness even though Nixulu herself was only a week older than Luneia. The perfect opportunity for a chat came after a hunt. The lionesses who were old enough to hunt--which included Nixulu and Luneia--gathered in the shade beneath some leafing-out trees, near the path to the waterfall.

"Hey, Nixulu!" Luneia murmured softly, trotting up to the violet-eyed animal, who lay stretched out on a sunny, bare patch of dirt.

"Great Ahadi, it's you!" Nixulu snarled. "Great, now I get to spend my day with a cub!"

"Don't swear about the great kings!"

"Oh, little Luneia...so naive. You'd think I burned down the Pridelands."

"I just wanted to talk, but apparently you want to disrespect those who have gone before!"

"Scar's wrath curse you!" the older lioness laughed cruelly. "How can someone with a brother like yours be such a dope!"

"You!" Luneia screamed. She became a white streak and pinned the darker creature to the ground until the latter choked. "Using his name to curse us me!"

"Lu...aaack...neeeaaaacck!" choked the immobolized big cat.

Luneia released her captor and stood back. Nixulu rubbed her throat, gasping. Just then, a dark lion bounded up, his sparse but neat mane flapping in the wind. He trotted up, obviously concerned for the violet-eyed lioness. He shoved his sister out of the way, but he hadn't meant to be mean. He was merely concerned about his girlfriend.

"Are you all right, Nixxi?" Nukoy asked, using her pet name.

"Your sister..." Nixxi snarled. "...choked me!"

"Luneia?" the male lion gasped, more surprised than angry at his sister.

"She cursed me with Scar's name!" Luneia defended herself.

"Is this true, Nixxi?"

"Puh. I was just trying to scare the little--the..."

Nixulu tried to catch herself, but Nukoy was already angry. He roared angrily at the bold lioness, whose purple eyes nearly turned to black.

"We're over, Nixulu, until you can prove yourself a functioning member of the Pride! I've seen you boss the other lionesses around, but I thought it was just 'growing pains', as Father calls them. But now that you've admitted to cursing my sister..."

"Hmmph!" Nixulu sniffed. Brother and sister walked away, but the other lioness glowered. She growled at her dirt, and her eyes glowed. For a moment she looked not like herself, but like a thin older lioness, brown-eyed, with an evil, crooked grin and a notched ear. She returned to normal a second later, and then walked to a low spot by the river and stared into the reflection. It was near sunset. Murmuring in a low voice, she paused. Then, on the water, came a reflection of that older lioness, the one with an evil grin.

"You will win Nukoy back soon, Nixulu." purred a rough, cunning voice. "Soon my Scar will talk to Nukoy again, and you two will be our heirs! Hail the rightful throne of Zira and Scar, soon to be the throne of Nixulu and Nukoy!"

"I will avenge your death, my true mother!" roared Nixxi.

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Author's note: The story of how Nixulu is actually Zira's daughter will be told in the next chapter, Kiara's Nightmare.