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Three years later. As the wet and dry seasons cycled and changed the Serengeti, so did time change the cubs of the deserter pride. Zuri grew into a beautiful young lioness, her coat now devoid of the faint spots of her youth, leaving her fur pure white. Despite the circumstances of their rogue pride's desertion, she and the other cubs were trained in the ways of their kind the same as usual. Adolescent males stayed within the pride in an unusual diversion from lions' customs, but Askari and Foronya decided the more, the better. And speaking of the fated lioness' parents...

"What do you mean I'm not going with you on the hunt?" asked Zuri, her lashing tail betraying her disappointment.

"I don't doubt your skill as a hunter," said Foronya, standing in front of her hunting party made up of the pride's lionesses. "You've trained very well. But I'm afraid you'll just make us too easy to spot. I'm sorry, but you'll only make things harder for us if you join the hunt." Zuri flattened her ears and lashed her tail even harder before letting out a great dejected sigh.

"Alright," she said calmly. "If it's for the good of the pride, I'll stay. No matter how much I want to go."

"Don't worry, my daughter," said Foronya comfortingly as she nuzzled Zuri's face. "You'll get your chance one day. But for now, keep an eye on your father and the other males. Make sure those buffoons don't get into any trouble."

"Will do, mom," chuckled Zuri. She always did have a penchant for wisecracking at males. "See you later."

"See you later, Zuri." said Foronya as she turned and led her party eastward to a nearby watering hole where a herd of zebras had stopped to drink.

Zuri walked over to the males, all of them either sleeping or lazing about in the shade of an acacia tree. No way they were going to cause any trouble in their current state, so she ultimately decided to simply join them in the leonine art of napping. As she lay next to her father, she contemplated her life since the pride's desertion from Mchawi's. She hadn't heard anything from her since, but she still haunted Zuri in her nightmares sometimes it was Mtemi again. Others it was her parents. Even Zuri herself wasn't exempt from a very real-feeling death at Mchawi's fangs and claws. Every nightmare shook Zuri to her core, fear spreading like a plague upon her heart and mind. But through them all, her pride... her parents, were there to comfort her. True, they'd been a small bit more overprotective since their self-banishment, but that was something Zuri truthfully expected. It definitely made sense they'd want to make sure their daughter was safe at all times so there wasn't a repeat of the incidents involving the crocs or Mchawi. The crocs... Zuri hadn't used anything like her hypnosis over the crocs since the incident. But other times, she could hear the thoughts of others, not of her own accord. Sometimes a random vision of the past or future flashed through her mind's eye, which admittedly did come in handy once or twice. But she'd never used her powers voluntarily. She considered trying to train herself. If it was part of her uniqueness as a white lion, why shouldn't she try and do more with her gifts? What was the true extent of her powers? And what of Mchawi? How powerful was she? She wondered what became of her... and her friend that was left under her rule...

***

Mwenzi also grew into a fine lioness in her own right. Her pale brown coat darkened into a brownish gold, and she now sported a small mane-like tuft of black fur on the top of her head that hung down on one side. She lay sulking at the base of the home kopje, contemplating over how much things had changed since Mchawi took over. Anyone who rebelled but still stayed had their minds broken by Mchawi's power until they were completely loyal. Cubs were trained far more brutally, and many just couldn't take it. But probably the most strange was the fact that Mchawi had assembled an army. She sent Tazama to all corners of the Serengeti, and in most cases, she returned with prides of lions willing to join Mchawi's unknown cause. Over time, hundreds of lions crowded around the home kopje. Mwenzi gave up on trying to understand it all long ago, instead opting to just go along with Mchawi's rule, albeit unwillingly. All she knew was that she missed her friend greatly... a fact that Mchawi sensed as she and her elite guard lionesses seemed to appear out of thin air right behind the young lioness.

(Standing in the Mud by Bear McCreary)

"Mwenzi," said the black-hearted white lion, startling Mwenzi from her sulking as she whipped around to submissively face her leader, averting her eyes and slightly bowing. "I understand you've been missing your friend, Zuri?" Fear took hold of Mwenzi as she remembered that she wanted her friend for something... but what?

"Y-yes," stammered Mwenzi. "I miss her very much."

"Good," said Mchawi with a smile. "Do you want to see her again?"

"Yes," said Mwenzi. Where was Mchawi going with this? Was she really going to let her leave? "Do I have to do anything, or am I just free to go?"

"You just have to do one thing," said Mchawi, taking a paw and lifting Mwenzi's chin up to where they were face to face. "Look into my eyes."

The violet glow of Mchawi's eyes reflected in Mwenzi's, overtaking both her green eyes and her mind. In no time at all, the now hypnotized Mwenzi stood in front of Mchawi, waiting for her orders.

"The eclipse is only days away," said Mchawi, her tail flicking. "And the deserters are no closer to returning. Take my elites and find them, Mwenzi. Find your friend and bring her to me. Go." Mwenzi and Mchawi's elites ran off eastward with thunderous roars, the white-furred tyrant smiling wickedly as she watched her huntresses. Soon, she thought. Soon, my dreams will become real.

***

That night, as the rest of the deserter pride slept peacefully, Zuri was trapped inside her own mind as another nightmare took hold of her. She ran through a hellish landscape, the savanna's grass turned into fire and clouds into smoke. Behind her she heard roars of rage as a number of lionesses pursued her, led by a lioness with glowing violet eyes, fangs and claws bared. Zuri made her way up a rocky ridge and leaped across a wide gorge in attempt to escape her hunters. Only her front half made it to the other side, and despite her efforts to claw her way up, she fell for what seemed to be hours into pitch darkness. But just before she hit the ground, something massive, hairless, and smooth coiled around her. Massive slit-pupiled blue eyes bore into Zuri as a feminine but deep voice echoed within her mind...

***

(The Next Day by Nitin Sawhney)

"Zuri... Zuri... Zuri..." came the voice as Zuri awoke, her eyes glowing blue. She rose to her paws and began to walk south, but not before stepping on a stray twig, waking her parents.

"Zuri?" asked Askari with a yawn.

"Zuri, where are you going?" asked Foronya. No answer came from her daughter as she continued walking, seemingly entranced. "Everyone, wake up! Something's going on with Zuri!" The pride obeyed and woke, following Zuri with both fear and fascination in their hearts. After a while, Zuri stopped in front of a massive cave. The glow in her eyes faded, and she shook her head and looked around as if just woken up. Zuri was overcome by confusion, but something about the cave compelled her to go inside. She looked back at her pride, which was staring at the cave with fear in their eyes. Zuri wasn't sure what she was doing here, but if this cave was so important... She stepped inside as darkness enshrouded her.