Little child of mine. Let the moon shine upon you.

[Split Personality]

Ukoo was taking to being a mother very well. In fact-everthing seemed to be going smoothly for her now. Perhaps it was, the fact that she was settled here now. This was her home-no other place would do. This was all she knew-she had been taken as a child from her home land-and was so accustomed to this pride that-she knew no other way. She would now pass on her prideal blood to her three cubs.

She was watching them sleep and doze as the sun went down. She watched as the bright orb slowly ate the horizon-spilling its red blood across the sky. She sighed, knowing the little ones would be up soon enough. She had brought them many toys in the past week or so... the little haven of ferns and frawns... was their home for now. Until she felt they were ready to meet their new life and pride.

Until then, she concentrated on keeping them safe. She didn't trust the red and white lioness, shaitani-yet. She had tried to kill her own offspring as they grew in her belly. Imagine what she would do to live cubs.  

[Das Tor]

Dahabu was the first to wake. Last born, but so aware of the world. As the jungle grew ever darker, blood-red eyes opened and the dark cub wiggled and stretched, yawning widely. A new night with his family had begun. Being careful of his sleeping siblings, he climbed onto his mother.

"Evening Mother." He nuzzled her back, purring happily. As long as there was Mother, Dahabu was certain he would always be happy.  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo felt the presence of her little one-smiling before he even stired. She had had dreams of all her children-and they all had bright futures by what she saw. She turned and gazed at him as he spoke-and she felt her heart flutter. How she loved her children so. His other siblings slept quietly-so Ukoo felt this was going to be just a little visit with him for a while.

"Good Evening my child" She said, her own crimson eyes sparkling at his words. Such a polite little child... He would someday be strong and influencial in the pride-he would make his slave mother proud. "Did you sleep well Dahabu?"

She stretched and yawned-ready to begin the night. But she did not want to disturb the other little ones-and she stood slowly. She gazed out from the ferns that was her den-checking for danger she knew was not there. It was safe here.  

[Das Tor]

The dark cub nodded. "I did. Had a nice dream too! Can't remember it...but it was nice, and I know you were in it." He reached up to paw at one of her ears. "What about you, Mother? Did you sleep well too?"  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo looked down to her child. Something about seeing his tiny form, so familiar to hers and yet different-it made her heart beat. It made her swell with delight and devotion to her family and to her pride. Here is where she would always stay-with her children and her king and queen. She grinned down to him, lowering her head so he could get better access to her ears. "Of course my dear. I always have dreams since you three came along. My dreams always revolve around my children now."

She would not reveal that most of her childhood she dreamed of horrible things from her grandfathers past to her future here with the Mwala. She was an ill child due to her lack of sleep and her inner torment. Now, she guessed that being in such a comforting place-with her babies-was making her seeress dreams leave her. And good riddance. "Mommy dreams of nothing but her children... though sometimes I also do not remember my dreams. This is a perfectly normal thing..."

 

[Das Tor]

"It is? That's good." Now that her ears were in reach, he licked the outside of one in an affectionate gesture, purring. "I'm glad you have good dreams, Mother." If Mother had good dreams, that meant he and his siblings would! After all...she protected them from bad dreams just like everything else.  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo was so glad that none of her children seemed to share her horrible seer powers-that caused her to be the weakest and sickest of her siblings. Those were terrible times-the nightmares and the sickness that followed her lack of sleep. She shook her head of her Uncle Pya's ideas of getting rid of the weak. She sighed. "Mother used to have dreams that made her very sick as a baby..." She said, pulling him down to give him a good cleaning. "She used to see things that hurt her mind and hurt her body..."

She pressed her nose against his little cheek. "But since you three were born-Mother has had nice dreams... I am happy..." She crooned. "And seeing you and your brother and sister get bigger and stronger makes me stronger in my heart!"  

[Das Tor]

Mother had once had bad dreams? He nuzzled her, trying to be reassuring. "Me and Kibweti and Pua will chase away your bad dreams...just like you chase ours away!" He was a happy little cub. Happy that his mother didn't have the bad dreams anymore, that he and his siblings made her stronger by growing, that he and his siblings didn't have bad dreams.  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo was glad that her cubs were normal. Her seer powers made her ill her whole life and now she was stunted-rather small for her age. She nodded slowly and grinned-obviously pleased by her childs words. She reached for him and rubbed her cheek over him. "What good children I have. Promising to chase away my bad dreams!" She said with a chuckle, her crimson eyes looking down to Dahabu. "Now all I dream about is what my babies are doing!"

She began to vigorously clean his little ears-her apparent pleasure at this immense. She didn't care that she had to take care of them herself-she didn't care if there were only three-she didn't care what they would someday be ranked-all she cared about was that they were here with her. She pulled him closer and murmered into his back. "If it weren't for you and your siblings I would still be very very sad"  

[Das Tor]

Dahabu purred away happily, not minding the cleaning at all. He liked bathtime. It was more time spent with his Mother. "And one day, we'll do lots of things you can be happy to have dreams about! Me and Pua, we'll grow big and strong so we can protect and care for our families one day! And Kibweti will grow up to be a good mother, and really pretty!" That seemed to the norm with the vampires...The males were strong, and the females were beautiful.  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo smiled down at her cub. As her dreams only told her of her little cubs and not of her impending disappearance. Her soon to be sorrow at not being able to see her cubs grow. For some reason, she could not see this day in her dreams. She would only see her cubs and happiness.

"My lovely boys will be strong and mighty and true and my little girl will be beautiful and be the best temptress around? My, what a seer you are turning out to be my darling child!" She said teasingly, smothering his chest with her nose. "How can you see the future so well my darling!"  

[Das Tor]

The dark cub laughed and did his best to stay on his mother's back...but he slid down to the ground again, still laughing. "It's the future we want! And...we can make it happen, if we try hard enough, want it enough!" His smile was bright and cheerful and no malice or sorrow lay in his red eyes. "We'll make you proud, Mother!" He was determined to...Because his mother was special to him, even if she wasn't like the rest of the pride. She was, in a way, more important to him, because she gave of herself so the pride could continue. "I love you Mother."  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo was true to her status. She would have given her very last drop of blood to save her people and that was a fact. She gazed at her cub, adorned with her markings, and found solace and joy in her time with him. She nestled herself against him, sighing. "I am already proud my son." She said, smiling warmly.

"I love to too my child. Shall we find the rest of the family?" She asked, standing up and lowering her head. "Perhaps if you are on my back, you can see them better?"  

[Das Tor]

Dahabu scrambled back onto his mother's back, his smile never fading. "I'm glad you're proud, Mother." He nuzzled her neck and moved so it would be a chore for him to fall off. "Let's go find Kibweti and Pua!" His siblings were his other two favorite lions in the whole world...his near-twin and beautiful sister were his family, and family was very, very important.