Special thanks for this chapter goes to a good friend, Maddy, and to a fellow writer, Starzinmieyez, for their review, that of which prompted me to release this.

Prologue

It had been many years since Mheetu had set foot in the Pride Lands, he was reluctant to enter but he knew had to. The late King Mufasa had come to him in a dream and told him that he must return. He walked just off the northern border letting his skills as an expert tracker guide him towards the spot Mufasa had described to him. " You will meet someone whom you might not remember." Who could Mufasa have meant when he said that? thought Mheetu. As he neared the spot he was surprised to see that it was an elephant graveyard. Why would he want me here? It's land that belongs to the hyenas, a group of animals that we lions despise very much. Mheetu continued his journey deeper into the graveyard, this triggered a memory that he had tried to bury deep inside; he was chased out of the pride lands by a group of hyenas who had allied with scar. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned to confront what had made the noise, he was startled when he received a big hug.

"It's been too long," said a mandrill who looked vaguely familiar. "You are here because Mufasa has sent you, does Rafiki assume correctly?"

Suddenly Mheetu remembered. He returned the embrace that the mandrill had greeted him with. "Yes, you are correct. If I may ask, why has Mufasa sent me here? He told me that I should come to this spot, well actually it is down that cliff." Mheetu motioned towards the steep drop that lead down into the main part of the graveyard. As they started walking down the steep embankment Mheetu continued explaining. "He also said, 'you shall care for what he has saved.' I think it is safe to assume that you are the 'he' that Mufasa mentioned but what have you saved?" As Mheetu finished he couldn't help but notice the startled and saddened look on Rafiki's face. The mandrill was staring at something with golden fur that was lying motionless in a pile of bones. Mheetu followed Rafiki's gaze and he too was fixated.

"No Kopa, you are too young," exclaimed a now deeply saddened mandrill. He ran over to the body of a lion cub, speaking frantically while working on Kopa, "I must work fast if I am to save him. When Mufasa came to Rafiki he told me, 'after you save a life you mustn't tell anyone what you did. It will bring more chaos and conflict to the Pride Lands. He will return when the time is right.' Now, Rafiki still can't figure out why he would ask this, but I'm sure he has a plan. Just in case you're not caught up with all the news of the Pride Lands, Kopa is the son of Simba and Nala, the royal couple." He started to crush up some berries and apply them to Kopa's wounds. "Rafiki is not sure what has happened but once he does I hope Mufasa's plan is revealed." The mandrill gave some berries to Mheetu and said, "please, care for him well and I think that Mufasa will let us know when the time is right. Give him these berries a few hours after he awakens. He will not remember anything so when he wakes, you are his father . Go quickly," finished, the mandrill gave a parting hug and took off.

Mheetu watched Rafiki run towards the Pride Lands. While he did he could hear a trio of hyenas, laughing as they came closer to where he was. M y little sister and Simba? Wait Simba's alive? W hy has Mufasa tasked me with this? M heetu had so many questions for Rafiki and he wanted to yell out and ask him to wait, but he knew that he must act now if he was to save the life of this cub. "I will take care of him" he spoke to himself. He gently picked up the cub in his jaws and ran back the way he came, just before the hyenas reached them.


Chapter 3

"Kopa," whispered an almost adolescent cub. "Kopa wake up." She prodded her sleeping brother with her nose in an attempt to wake him. She sat there trembling in fear of what had occurred in her dream. Putting her paws on Kopa's body she started to push him. "Kopa please wake up, I had a bad dream."

"Wha... Maisha it's late what are you doing up?" Kopa had managed to open his eyes just wide enough to make out his sister's figure.

"I said, I had a bad dream." She repeated

"Oh ok. Well would you like to talk about?" Kopa asked. He patted the ground in front of him offering her a spot it lay down. The cub came and laid in the spot, as she did she nuzzled him, rubbing her body along his just as a cub would do to their mother. He pulled her closer letting her head rest on his paws. Now that she was so close he could feeling the young cub's quickened heart rate and anxious breathing. "That bad huh?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "It was about you. You had saved me but you..." Tears formed in her eyes. She buried her face into Kopa's young adult mane. As the tears streamed down Kopa held her tighter. "...you didn't make it out. You were dead."

"I'm still here and I will never let you go." Kopa gave his sister a small lick across the cheek. She returned his kiss with one of her own. Her heart rate slowed and it wasn't long before she was asleep again.

It's strange how a small dream can cause so much pain, I wonder what could have caused a dream like that. I hope it wasn't because I told her what my dreams were about. I couldn't imagine a life without Maisha. She is so loving and caring, sometimes she acts more like an older sister like a younger sister sometimes. Deep in thought Kopa also started to drift off to sleep.

However, it wasn't long before the sun started to come up and when the sun comes up it beckons any cub to become wide awake up. Slowly slipping from the comforting embrace of her brother, Maisha walked to the edge of the cave and stretched. Her front paws extended out in front of her and her rear in the air, she let out a big yawn. I wish I knew why I had a dream like that. Maybe it's because Kopa finally told me what his dreams had been about. She often asked but it was only recently he had told her. She couldn't bare to see him in pain. He was her idol and if it hurt him it would hurt her even more. I should have told him the rest of my dream. It wasn't all about him but I just couldn't bare too. I don't think I've ever met the cub who was with me but he looked kind of cute. His golden pelt look very close to Kopa's, in fact if I hadn't known better I could have mistaken this cub for Kopa. She decided to talk it out in an attempt to try and make sense of it. "The dream had named this cub a very beautiful and elegant name. Asante." She said to herself. "He kept telling me about all of these great adventures he had gone on. He even mentioned that he would be king someday." This was all very confusing for the young cub. She wanted to wake Kopa to ask for some help but she also hesitated. Feeling very anxious indeed she was unaware that her brother had woken.

"Good morning Maisha, how was the rest of you night? I hope there weren't anymore nightmares." Asked Kopa.

Maisha turned to see her brother coming out of the cave. She felt relieved that she wouldn't have to wake him up. She had already done that once today. "It was dreamless," she sighed in a rather defeated sort of way. She hoped that it didn't give a way her anxiety.

"Why are you so anxious? Was the dream worse than you let on?"

Wow I guess I really am anxious about my dream, though Maisha. In a long deep sigh she replied, "Yes it was. You died, I told you that already. However there was also a part that confused me. I met a lion named Mufasa. He told me that I was needed. Then he introduced me to a cub named Asante. He said that Asante would be "

As much as Kopa wanted to believe her, it just seemed too outlandish. "Are you sure this wasn't just an overactive imagination?" Interrupted Kopa.

"No, Kopa! I know this really happened in my dream." She anxiously pleaded. "I'm not sure why. I wish I knew but I don't. It sounds like someone needs help and I have no way of helping them."

Kopa could see it in her eyes. She was genuinely sad that she could not help. They sat there in silence each thinking about there respective dreams. Before long Maisha's eyes started to well up again. Kopa intervened to stop her from crying, "Maisha, you have the biggest heart of anyone I know. If it really means this much to you, I'm sure will figure this out. Maybe dad will know how to help you."

Despite his best efforts, a tear still rolled down Maisha's face. He reached over and pulled her closer to him. He wiped off the tear and hugged his sister. He could feel how tense she was. Her shoulders were stiff and her tail quick from moving from side to side.

After a few minutes Maisha could feel her body relax. "Now I know what it was like for you," she said. "Why would you say that?" Replied Kopa.
"I've been having this dream for a few days now."
Shocked kopa asked, "And what made this particular one so scary that you had to wake me up?"

"This was the first time I saw you die," she replied. "I'm sure that I need to help because it is so vivid. You know how that is right?" Maisha asked hopeful that she could connect with Kopa about their dreams.

He Sighed. She isn't wrong about that. My dreams are just like that, they happen over and over and always in the same manner, Kopa thought. "Yes, I do understand. My dreams are the same. It always ends the same, I am flying through the air down a ravine towards what looks to be a boneyard." Surprised he had told Maisha so much he suggested something. "Maybe we need to take a walk and get some fresh air. It could help us sort through our dreams.

Back in the cave Mheetu had woken up, he was on his way out when her heard some interesting dialogue between his two cubs. He decided to lay down and listen. Mheetu started to doze off again when Kopa said something that sparked his interest. He had to ask more question so he made his presents knows my a loud yawn.

Kinda startled Kopa turned and asked, "Dad, is that you?"

"As a matter of fact it is me." Mheetu replied as he can into the light that the other two were talking in. "Mind if I take a walk with you?"

"No, not at all dad. How much of that did you hear?" Asked Kopa who was still a little bit startled from his dad's surprise entrance.

"I heard enough," said Mheetu. "I think I might be able to help you. You are starting to remember your early cubhood right?"

"That's right. If I'm honest I've been having the same dream, or memory for quite some time now."

"It is a memory," said Mheetu. "I can't tell you anything about your memory but, I can tell you how you might remember more."

Maisha who had been very quiet for a while asked, "how does that help me? I had a dream where I saw Kopa die! Maybe if Kopa's dreams a real, my dreams a real too."

"Don't worry Maisha help will come soon enough." Mheetu looked down into Maisha's eyes. They were so full of emotion. He pulled her closer with a paw and said, "That is a very good point and I think I can help put your mind at ease. Kopa, you need to learn about your past. To do this you must go to the place your dreams have shown you." Now turning to Maisha he continued, "you my dear must accompany your brother on this trip. If you dreams do turn out to be true, then I need you there to help protect you brother. Can I trust you with this?"

"Yes, of course dad." Said Maisha beaming because she had been intrusted with an important task.

"Kopa, I'm not 100 percent sure where exactly you're going but if you head southwest you should be heading in the right direction," Mheetu said.

"Dad, are you really going to let us go like this?" Asked Kopa

"Why of course. I can't stop you from wanting to know about your dream. Anyway it's about time you got out and explored the world." Mheetu hugged his son and then gestures to the plains to the south and said, "your journey awaits."

"Good my dad," said Maisha. She hugged him too. And with that they started off into the distance.

I hope I didn't do the wrong thing, thought Mheetu as he watched his adopted family walk off. Thinking about what the mandrill said all those years ago he was sure that it was the right time for Kopa to return.