A few years slowley passed in heaven. Rusty sat and slouched on a cloud listening to the head angel giving out angel pins for the most decorated angels,"Now I know why they call it an eternity," he complained,"everything takes forever." All the angels hushed him. His newfound friend, Bandit rolled his eyes. Bandit was nothing more then a tawny furball with ruby eyes and a fuzzy black mane with a scar across his left eye.

"Hey, Rusty, be quiet. I can't hear."

"Our final decorated angel will prove that all deserve a second chance..." The angel kept on talking.

"I deserve a second chance." Rusty talked to himself as he sat up straight to listen for his name.

"Bandit!" The angel said the name. After he got the pin, he walked with Rusty.

"Don't worry," Bandit laughed a little,"even though you're the only angel without a pin."

"Not till the newcomers come in, halo poilisher," all the angels headed for the pearly gates. The newcomers are coming. Rusty skid down the angels and sent one angel down a tunnel back to earth,"sorry, lousy brake pads." The angel just shook her head and stood at the front gate.

Over 20 animals later...

"That's it. That's all animals." Rusty looked surprised.

"There must be more, Gem. I'm expecting company."

"Let's see," she looked at her clipboard,"Fido, Fifi, Sasha..." He looked at the gates and saw a familiar lion bumping into Gem.

"Juru!" He yelled with excitement.

"Wait," She looked at the board,"...Dallas, Johnny and yes. Juru's on the list." Rusty looked at his friend. Who coughed up a bone with zebra meat on it.

"Thanks, Juru," thanked Rusty,"how did you know zebra meat was my type of food choice?" Gem grabbed the bone.

"Sorry, you can't take it with you." She put on him a pair of wings and a halo.

"Juru, come on. Let me give you the grand tour of this heavenly place." They finally walked down a golden road and talked about their life.

"Wait, Rusty, if you're dead, does that mean?"

"Yes. Like a lion who gags on a zebra bone."

"I got wings. Does that mean I can fly?" Rusty flew around a bit.

"Part of the basic package."

"I'm gonna like it here." Rusty landed.

"Sorry, it gets old fast." They sat on a cloud.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's too heavenly here. Too peaceful and paradise like. Straight and narrow and much to nice like, endlessly sunny and clear. It's too heavenly here."

"Don't worry about it, Rusty. You'll get used to it."

"I've been here for a few years. You need to get used to it."

"Yeah sure, ha ha." Rusty flew to a floating cloud. Juru looked around him and saw fireworks shooting from the night sky. He got on the same cloud with his friend and looked at the sky. Rusty sighed, jumped off the cloud and went inside Gem's doghouse/mansion. He turned on a medium sized radio and played some music and saw Gem. She had on around her neck, a sparkley key that opens the gates.

"Say, Gem. Would you like to dance? Why do you choose Bandit over me for the pin?" He spun her around.

"The heavenly council decides on everything."

"How about you take off that key? Let's say, give it to me for safe keeping."

"No. In the wrong paws, it's disaster for us all." He pulled her closer and swiftley took the key. She groaned, turned off the radio and ordered him to get out. He quickley put on the key that hid in his mane. When he was out, he smirked with happiness as he headed for the gates.

"In about 3 seconds, she would have realized..." Bandit flew out of a cloud and swiftley took the key.

"You're my key to fortune!" He snickered as he flew to the gates ahead of Rusty.

Bandit opened and closed the gate. He put the key down as he threw off the wings and halo. When he did, he accidently kicked the key down the tunnel back to earth. Bandit gasped and went down to get it.

Rusty was on his stomach wonereing how he lost the key when it was on his neck,"You were wrong about this place, Rusty." said Juru.

"It maybe fun for you. But there's still something missing." Gem was soon on a cloud overlooking everyone.

"Listen up everyone, I won't say any names," she looked at Rusty,"but someone took my key to open the pearly gates."

"Without the key, no animals can get into heaven." said some angels.

"Lucky animals." Mumbled Rusty.

"Cain," said Gem,"you are our most honorable angel. I need you to go back to get it. it's located in Kenya." Rusty's ears perked up.

"We could go back to Kenya?" Cain, a cheetah cleared his throat.

"Gem, it would be-" Rusty made his way through.

"You can't Cain send there. Look at him for heavens sake. A cheetah who lived in the zoo all his life won't make it down there." A meerkat came.

"Send me, Gem." Rusty flicked him away.

"This is no job for someone below the food chain. You need someone who knows the ropes and the dopes-"

"Like you?" Said Gem.

"Well, I gotta talk to my people and get back with you. Ok, I'll do it."

"Be an idiot somewhere else."

"Ok, I guess all the innicent newcomers will go somewhere else." She gasped.

"Ok. One note on the key. It's sparkles send a heavenly tone only us angels can hear," He took off his halo. Gem touched his nose and a blue spark appeared,"what I gave you is a miricle and this can be used only three times for only emergancys."

"Sparkles, tones, emergancy. Got it. Thanks." He took off his wings.

"I'm sending Juru down with you so he can make sure you stay on task." His halo and wings were off and they were soon down a tunnel.

"I don't wanna go," Juru complained,"I got flying lessons after lunch!" Gem was on the edge of the tunnel.

"Remember, Rusty. If you can't find the key, there'll be heaven to pay!" Rusty was almost through the tunnel.

"Got it," The two lions landed on the grasslands of Kenya, Rusty looked around,"look at this, Juru. Barren wastelands, animals eating others," he smiled,"we are home," a stampede of rinos came and the lions were out of the way. Rusty smelled the air,"hello. Zebra with a guinea fowl and a mouse.Three of my food choices." He ran to the scent but Juru blocked him.

"Our mission is to find the key and go back. Got it?"

"Hey, let's have some fun." He ran to the scent.

"I got a bad feeling about this." They reached to a club. They passed two tough guards who were looking for any ID on everyone. They threw one meerkat out. Rusty just nodded.

"Nice throw. Great isn't it, Juru, they didn't say anything about us." Juru was becoming confused. He saw his friend watching others trading food.

"Hey Scruffy," adviced Rusty,"two rats would give you a zebra leg. That sounds like a good deal," The animal ignored him as Rusty looked at a food court,"hold that thought." Juru was looking more confused.

"Rusty?" He sat by him.

"Hey, wanna gazelle?" He ordered his food but never got it.

"Rusty?"

"Looks like I gotta serve myself," he couldn't grab the gazelle because it went through his paws,"what?" The two looked at a puddle and didn't see their reflections.

"Rusty, we're ghosts!" The other lion growled looked at the heavens.

"Gem. Of all the rotten tricks!" He saw her in the puddle.

"Rusty, you're there for over an hour. We're waiting." He just put his paw in the puddle and watched the others eat, sing, laugh bust most importantly: having fun.

Chapter 3

Just then, after a singer finished his act, the spotlight fell on a stunning lioness. The master of ceremonies introduced the next contestint,"Let's give a round of appllause for Miss. Tasha." Rusty's ears perked up and saw his girlfriend.

"Juru, now I know what I'm missing in heaven, I gotta meet her again."

"You're a ghost."

"Quit reminding me," he stood infront of her but no one noticed. He walked to his friend and laid on his back,"I need to see her."

"You gotta love that Tasha huh?" A familiar voice said.

"Yeah, we met a while ago."

"Who's the voice?" Quiestioned Juru.

"New found friend named Bandit," Rusty shook his head and turned around,"Bandit!"

"You're out a little early."

"Off for good behavior. You?"

"Missionary work." He went to order some mice.

"Three please."

"He can't hear you Bandit." He got his food.

"Hey. How did you do that?" He pulled out a dark purple coller.

"I'm flesh and blood with this. Want one?" He nodded.

"Rusty, I don't like this." Juru told his friend.

"This will only take a minute." A few blocks later, they reached a dark cold cave.

"Lusifa will be here in a minute." Bandit said. Rusty laughed a little.

"Who's Lusifa, you're girlfriend?"

"Hey, that sounds really close to Lucifer. Another name for the-" an old feeble dark red lioness came on by and sat with the boys.

"Rusty and Juru I presume."

"See can see us?" Rusty cocked an eyebrow.

"She has mystical mumbo jumbo," Bandit explained,"Lusifa, they want to buy the collers." She smiled. She grabbed two collers and put them on the ghosts.

"See yourselves," They looked in a puddle and saw their reflections,"it's good till sunset today I'm afraid. Remember that, Rusty."

"That's not enough time. But I got it. Let's go Juru." His friend walked to Lusifa and Bandit.

"I'm on to you two." Rusty grabbed his friend by his coller and dragged him out. When they left, a puff of red smoke appeared. It transformed Lusifa's feeble image to a tall healthy looking lioness with glowing yellow eyes.

"They fell for it!" Bandit laughed.

"Silence," ordered the lioness,"you should have looked after the key! But, only angels could hear that tone."

"I'm an angel."

"No you idiot. You work for me now!"

"But-"

"Read the fine print on the article" she shoved an ad at him. It said in small prints: Will make you not an angel anymore but a demon.

"As long as I get my fortune." He crumbled up the ad and threw it away.

"Not bad singing for a mother and wife." The master of cerimonies complimented to Tasha.

"I'm known as either a widow or a girlfriend. May I have my prize?"

"Here." He laid out a big grub.

"Ew, you advertised a meal for the winner!"

"Funds run low." She grabbed the grub and found a poor hungry meerkat smacking his mouth looking at the grub. She put it down and let him have it. She smiled a little and went to find some zebra, mouse and other food scraps. Rusty found and saunted up to Tasha.

"Hey, Tasha. Has anyone told you that you sing like an angel?" She laughed softley and gave him a nuzzle.

"I missed you."

"Me too. Looks like you got a feast for about four."

"I got a kid." She grabbed the scraps and walked home.

"Oh, how are the kids?"

"Tavo's growing his mane now and Shela is like a child everyone else. Why is your friend being squirmy?"

"Don't worry about Juru. How about you take us home?"

"Rusty," Juru yanked his friend closer,"we gotta find that key."

"We'll get it later. First, I wanna see the kids." They walked about a few minutes and found two sitting teenagers and something rattling in a bush. The lions smiled.

"Rusty!" They ran to him.

"Hey kids. I want you to meet a childhood friend of mine, Juru," Rusty saw Tasha going into a bush with some food,"giving the bush some food?"

"I got another kid."

"I'm good with kids." A small child with a tan dress, dark brownish-black eyes and shoulder legnth jet-black hair stood up and ate the food.

"Thanks, girl." Rusty looked astonished.

"Woah, she has a kid kid." Tavo sat by him.

"Yeah, she found us about three days ago." Rusty laughed.

"She found you? What did the kid do, follow you three home?" The girl yelled.

"You talk?" She's the only human Rusty met who can understand the animal languge.

"Don't we all? I'm Rusty, that squirmy looking one is Juru."

"Someones playing a trick." The kid searched everywhere for someone playing the trick.

"Nope. I'm an-"

"Rusty, no!" Commanded Juru.

"An angel."

"Prove it." After a few moments, he took off his coller and disappered. He put it back on after a few seconds.

"You must be an angel. But most importent, my guardian angel." Everyone's eyes widened.

"What?" Questioned Tasha.

"Everyone in my family says everyone has a guardian angel."

"Hey," remembered Tavo to his sister,"remember when we said Rusty was our angel?"

"Good times." Tasha sat by Rusty.

"If she understands you, tell her where she lives."

"Why not you?"

"That'll take a miricle." He took off his coller and touched the three lions on the nose and put it back on.

"Three rounds of miricles sent." Juru growled.

"You wasted up the miricles. It was for an emergancy."

"Tasha, say something."

"Something." The girl jumped.

"You can all talk." She held on around Tavo's neck.

"Ain't that the truth." She jumped again.

"What's your name?" Questioned Shela.

"Tyli."

"Why did you run away?" Questioned Tasha.

"Ask my guardian angel."

"Got kid problems?" Guessed Rusty.

"With my foster family."

"You live in a foster home?"

"My parents are dead. I used to live with Danny and Sanjay who are my older brothers. But they didn't have enough money to raise me and they dropped me off at some foster home. I ran away from the home and now I'm lost." His ears lowered.

"Hey, I'll find you some money and stuff. So you can go back."

"Really?"

"Hey, I am an angel." When everyone was walking, He heared a voice like Gem saying: Rusty! He looked around and saw her reflecion on a small elephant tusk.

"Rusty, new arrivels are here. I need that key!"

"Put up a holding pattern." He grabbed the tusk and threw it in a river near-by.

After walking for an hour, Tyli told Rusty,"Where are we going?"

"To a place where all your problems will disappear. We'll search some money and maybe the family." He walked back to talk to Tasha.

"Hello, Rusty."

"Listen, you ever want a husband and if so, what you want in them?"

"Not now. I don't want an interview."

"Just tell me. "

"Breeding, sensitivity, humility and," Rusty didn't see where he was going and bonked his head on a low tree branch,"of course style."

"Boy, are my ears ringing. I could hear a heavenly tone." Juru gasped.

"Rusty, look, it the key." Everyone saw a lion with the key around his neck.

"Hey, Juru get the key."

"It's your job." Rusty groaned.

"You're helping me by distracting him." Rusty took off his coller and took the key. When he put the coller back on, the lion who wore the key snarled.

"Hey! That's my key!" Everyone ran and rested behind a tree.

"Why do we have a key?" Questioned Shela.

"Guardian angel business." Informed Juru. They all went to an abandoned cave and Rusty was burying the key.

"Perfect."

"Rusy!"

"I have another mission with Tyli." The girl carried a small sack she found when they were walking and in it was a few pieces of money.

"Rusty, can my parents see me from heaven?"

"Of course they can, kiddo." Everyone gave her a lecture on why she should go home to either her brothers or the foster home.

"Ok, I'll go home. If you take me." She hugged Rusty.

"I promise." When she was fast asleep, Rusty lowered his ears and walked to a boulder near the cave. Tasha soon followed him.

"Rusty, you are an angel."

"No I'm not. Even as a guardian angel.

"What you're doing for Tyli is wonderful."

"I'm just an errend boy sent to fetch Gem's key to the pearly gates. I always make and break promises. I'm going to do it again."

"You can't take her home?"

"I have to go back. Just when I was reunited with someone special and met someone special."

"Oh, Rusty. Choose what you think is importent." He looked at her leave.

"Tasha, wait."

"What."

"I've-" his coller disappeared,"no, not now." Tasha couldn't see or hear him anymore.

"Tasha, where's Rusty and Juru?" Questioned Shela.

"I guess they're gone."

"Rusty wouldn't leave," said Tyli,"he's my guardian angel."

"We got to do something, Juru. I promised Tyli I bring her home." He ran to the cave where he saw Bandit and the old form of Lusifa eating.

"Look, Bandit. A customer." Said the lioness.

"Hey, Lusifa. Can I have a new coller?"

"You have to pay and I don't allow IOU's. Let me sleep on it."

"Please. This is importent. Uh, I have this key."

"I don't need anything opened."

"This key is powerful."

"I like your spirit," her eyes began to glow,"shake on it." He shook her hand. He saw Lucifa's new form and a coller slithered around his arm and choked on his neck. She snapped her fingers and made his coller tighten a little.

"You-"

"Be a good meow and fetch the key!" He left to do Lusifa's orders.

"What should I do?" said Bandit.

"Follow him." He did so and when he reached Rusty's cave, he saw Rusty digging.

"Rusty, made a deal with the devil."

"Bandit, I don't have time to talk." He looked up on the cave and saw everyone there with Lusifa. She whirled her finger and the key appeared. Soon, a stream of red smoke surrounded the key and went straight to the sky. All the angels were sent down to on now a barren piece of earth.

"Rusty," informed Gem,"look what you done!" He ran but Lusifa snapped her fingers again.

"One move you and your family will never have a prayer."

"Gem, got any ideas?" she touched him on the nose.

"I will give you two miricles. First, take off the coller and I'll make you invisible" he struggled to take the coller off, became invisible, climbed on the cave and successfuly put the coller on Lusifa. After that, Gem pointed at Rusty, a small spark appeared and he was visible.

Lusifa looked at Rusty,"The coller but be camouflaged." She snapped her fingers but the coller tightend her.

"That's what you get when you try to get me!" He took the key and held it up. Sending a gold light to the sky and sent all the angels to heaven. Lusifa roared and got sent to the other place.

Bandit looked around,"Look, Rusty, I wasn't being her partner."

"Yeah right. Did you give her anything for your coller?"

"Nope. She promised me a fortune!" Green smoke surrounded him. Lusifa's voice was heared underground.

"In the fine print below the actual find print, they fortune is being here!" Everyone's mouth dropped.

"Wow," said Shela,"and I thought there was a stairway to heaven." A light streaked down to earth.

"Come on, Rusty," said Juru as he was in the light,"time to go."

"Already? Tyli. Can Tasha, Shela and Tavo take you home?"

"Rusty." Her voice was cracking.

"Hey, I'll always be your guardian angel."

"Ok." He went into the light and picked up the key.

"Tasha, I'll never forget you."

"Me neither." They were about to be in heaven, but they stopped.

"Hey, I thought this dosen't take stops." Complained Juru. Gem came floating down.

"I'll take that, Rusty." He sighed and gave it to her.

"There you go."

"There is still someone who needs to go back home."

"I took care of Tyli."

"Not Tyli. You. For what you done, you deserve a second chance," she took a pin,"claim this in oh say 10 years?"

"You mean," She nodded,"Juru, we're going back!"

"Not for this cat. When you can fly, sore paws from walking so much. I'm going to miss you pal."

"Take care of yourself." After they floated to heaven, Rusty soared back to earth. All the lions and Tasha saw him and they all ran to him.

"Rusty!" Tyli hugged him.

"I got a weekend pass. For the rest of my life." Tyli's brothers soon saw and ran to their sister. They told her they got enough money to raise her. After talking to her brothers about keeping the helpful wild animals as their own, Tasha and Rusty had their own conservation.

"Ok, Rusty, tell me what you were about to tell me before you dissapeared. Don't con me."

"Well, I've got tthis idea to be an offical Mr. Tasha." She smiled and they all looked at Tyli.

"Hey, guys. You're allowed to stay. Because you helped me be safe and get home." Rusty gave a smile and walked with Tasha and the teenagers. He has a family on earth, Juru is safely in heaven and Bandit is sadly learning the benifets of working with the devil.