When my eyes opened, the world around me shimmered with dream-like light. It warmed my fur as if I were submerged in a hot spring, but it wasn't unpleasant. The warmth spread from the tips of my ears to the toes of my paws to the tip of my tail. I've never felt such comfort, well, at least not since I left my mother's womb.

My electric blue eyes scanned my surroundings. This place was unrecognizable. I couldn't find any landmark that seemed familiar. Where was I? And where was everybody? How'd I get here?

"Hello?!" I called out in a timid voice that was nearly unrecognizable. "Is anyone out there?" I bounded in one direction in the hope of finding something to ease my anxiety. "Mother? Kovu?" Then, timidly: "Kopa?"

When no one replied, I shrunk back with my ears pinned nervously. How was I supposed to get home? I closed my eyes, imagining the caverns of the Termite Mounds: the darkness, the cool rock underpaw, the nests of dried grass... A gasp escaped from my mouth when I opened my eyes to see that I stood in the cavern that my pride called home. That's when I realized that this was a dream.

"It's just a dream," I whispered to myself with a sigh of relief.

I walked towards the cavern entrance, narrowing my eyes against the blinding sunlight. Silhouetted against the sun was a shadow of a lion. "Mother?" I wondered out loud. Curiously, I stepped closer to get a better look. When I stepped into the lion's shadow, I was finally able to see the lion's face.

"Hello, Vitani," The lioness greeted me warmly. She was incredibly beautiful with tan fur almost like my own with golden eyes that held the sun. I've never seen her before in my life, so who was she and how did she know my name?

"Who are you?" I asked with a slight growl. Mother taught me to never trust strangers, especially ones who hid their intentions. That's how you winded up dead.

The lioness purred in amusement at my sharp response. She shook her head as if chastising a newborn cub. "Oh Vitani, you needn't fear me. We're kin, after all."

At her words, my ears pricked forward in curiosity. Kin? That must make her my ancestor! No wonder we shared a slight resemblance. If she was kin, then surely I could trust her. After all, this was just a dream so what real harm could she cause?

"What's your name?" I asked her with newfound curiosity. Maybe I could ask Issa about her when I woke up. Mother wouldn't want to entertain such nonsense. She'd say 'leave the past where it belongs'.

"My name is Anu-"

Before she could finish, I became aware of a presence behind me. "I believe you were just leaving." I glanced over my shoulder and jumped in surprise at who stood there.

"Father!" I exclaimed with excitement, rushing to rub my head against his chest fur. "I've missed you!"

Clouds moved to cover the sun and cast the world into darkness. I peered up at the sky. Where had those clouds come from? But then I remembered that this was a dream and anything could happen here.

"Leave her be, Scar!" The lioness growled, suddenly very frightening. "You're not welcome here."

I turned around with a frown to face the lioness. "Why wouldn't he be welcome? He's my father." If she was my kin and Scar was my father, then...shouldn't they get along? Why would there be such animosity between them?

"Yes, why wouldn't I be welcome?" A smirk spread across my father's face. "If anything, you are not welcome here."

Thunder rolled across the sky with the same ferocity glowering on the lioness' face. "She'll see reason someday, Scar. And then it'll be over for you."

My father draped a paw across my shoulders to draw me closer to him. "We shall see about that."

Before I could speak my own thoughts, the world began to shimmer like the horizon on a hot day. I felt my eyes becoming droopy and my body heavy. Both the lioness and Scar disappeared from sight as the world around me disappeared into darkness.

~*~

Air filled my lungs as I gasped for breath. I found myself back in the cavern in my nest with Nuka nearby. Mother slept soundly at the base of Kovu's throne where my brother's flank rose and fell softly. Not far off, Dotty and Spotty slept by their parents, Armani and Cato. The rest of the pride laid out sporadically in groups. None of them were aware of my disturbing dream.

I stretched out my forelegs before standing up. All trances of tiredness left me, so I decided to leave the cavern for some fresh air. Overhead, the stars glimmered in the inky black sky like fireflies. My lungs filled with the arid, but albeit fresh, air. At least out here I didn't feel so constricted, so confined under Mother's scrutinizing watch.

My mind wandered back to the dream and I wondered if there was any meaning to it. Had any of it been real? If I told this to Zira or Kovu, they would say that dreams are only dreams. But then...why did it feel so real?

I shook my head to banish those thoughts from my mind. It didn't matter what I thought or if the dream was real. Scar was dead and my supposed kin as well. If they weren't alive, then they were of no use to me now.

At that, I felt a twinge of guilt. I missed my father and I hated myself for dismissing him so quickly. Sometimes, I wondered what my life would've been like if Scar had won the battle. My parents would still be King and Queen of the Pridelands. I'd be a princess and my brothers, princes. We wouldn't be half-starved in a termite-ridden cave.

I lifted my gaze to the stars and remembered my father's words: 'any lion, no matter how small, can climb to the top if they're willing to risk everything'.

"I'm going to climb to the top, Dad." I promised out loud in a whisper. "I'll make you proud."