R E G I C I D E

[Huela]

All the yelling does finally rouse the Geck from her sleep, but it's not enough to really warrant much. She's... upside down. Okay. Also, it's daytime, outside. Didn't she go to bed in the tent?


There's a soft yawn from Mulan's hand as one leg stretches upwards, little wings flickering.


"Ngh.. Five more minutes, Mulan... That dream was just gettin' good..."

---

Dhall's stone fingers carefully draw across the large insect in her arms, volcanic gaze observing the drama from afar. She'd witnessed most of the fiasco from back at the entrance to her workshop, but hadn't said a single thing thus far. To her, this was a bunch of petty mortal squabbling. But if there was one thing she knew about mortals, is that things were never so easy.


"Little one, I think we'll be taking a gift to our new prisoner later. Let's set to work.


With that, she disappears back into her tent, as silent as she'd come

[Zamora]

Zamora bristles as she's told to stand down, hair blades slapping forcefully against her back. It seems she'd follow the order, but not happily. Mandibles pop softly and shift as her mouth closes, lips pressed in a tight line, and fading eyes follow Jasper worriedly. One more glance is stolen at the quadrupedal queen, and she gives a sharp snort. It's enough to get a point across.


If he ends up hurt, she'd have their heads.


Gaze carefully rolls to Nevada, a hand gently outstretched to hold. Her tail sways low before coming to rest in the dirt, relaxing with something akin to exhaustion.


She'd follow Jasper's command. He knew what he was doing. And he was no fairweather murderer. There was something missing here, and some hoighty walking rug wasn't going to keep her from figuring it out

[Mulan]

  Mulan's brows furrowed as her gaze met Jasper's. She still had so many questions, but suddenly wasn't sure she'd know the answer to any of them. 'It's complicated', his eyes seemed to say to her. So he didn't deny it, then. This man truly had murdered the lion king.

"Ngh.. Five more minutes, Mulan... That dream was just gettin' good..."

  "H-huh? Oh..." Mulan's gaze finally tore away to look at the little lizard in her hand. She hadn't realized she'd been holding the Geck this entire time. And now that Jasper was being escorted away, Mulan's heart suddenly weighed heavy in her chest. She pulled the small reptile close and held her. 

  "I'm sorry, Huela."  She murmured softly, patting the Geck's head with a careful hand.  "Go back to sleep. I'll... bring you up to speed later."

  The gathered audience was beginning to disperse, and Mulan stole one last look at their now tarnished leader as he was walking away. Her mind reeled with a hundred different thoughts and feelings. What should she do now? What could she do now? Lips pursing into a fine line, Mulan turned and slowly made her way back to her tent.

  More than just the peace had been broken today.

[Shani]

Shani had hidden behind Jasper the entire confrontation, shaking with guilt, fear, but also anger. Anger at the words the members of the royal family were spitting out, as though they didn't care about the other side of the story.

Aside from Kiara and Nala, everyone else's words were just white noise, even Kopa who had tried to get to her, attack her, probably kill her if he could have, if Nevada and Boso hadn't intervened. None of it was paid any attention to.

"Go to Nevada, little one."

"Papa," she choked out, her voice strained and cracked as she looked up at him. She was prepared to argue, she didn't want to leave his side, but he had already pushed her to Nevada's paws, before walking toward Nala.
This was her fault.
Her fault.
Hers.
Her fault.
He was being arrested because of her. She had to fix this. She had to try.

"PAPA! No!" She yelled, trying to run after him, only to be held back by... someone. Zamora, Nevada, someone else, she didn't know who, and she didn't care.
Letting out a noise that was almost scary to hear coming from the normally quiet, kind cub, she snarled, tears still streaming down her face,
"NALA! YOU HYPOCRITE!"

This had caused the queen to turn and look at the cub with a cold stare.
"Hold your tounge," she hissed.

"NO, I won't! YOU arrest papa for murder, but you blatantly ignore the fact that your KING," she spat the word as though it was a bad taste in her mouth, "caused the deaths of HALF THE FREEDOM FIGHTER ARMY!? Jasper was trying to save our lives! Oh, but you don't care about that do you? NO, I see now, the royal family only cares about themselves, they don't give a damn about any of us. We are just the dirt on the bottom of your paws, aren't we? A means to and end."

She wasn't just talking to Nala now, but the entire army, even as they started to dissipate. They had to know the truth, they had to know why this happened.
"Simba would have killed us all without a second thought! Everyone compared him to Mufasa, but he was becoming more and more like Scar. You KNEW what was happening Nala, but you just sat back and WATCHED. But as soon as someone messes with your precious perfect family, you're suddenly taking action?
PAPA IS A BETTER LEADER THAN ANY OF YOU WOULD EVER BE, NALA! At least he knew to put the lives of his people over the life of one messed up king."

[Flynn Rider]

Flynn looked around him for the person speaking to him, then glancing down to his side he noticed the wolf, standing expectantly. Why would this wolf stand there like that? It's almost...

as if he...

as<sub>ked the...

question.</sub>

RIGHT. Talking animals. This is an actual thing again. OK.

Flynn wasted no time. "Flynn Rider, since we haven't met. There's something going around camp, the rumor of some kind, I don't know, it's got most of the lions all riled up and now the..."

Flynn fumbled for the word before blurting out, "Alien, Zamora, now she's gone crazy, Jasper's getting arrested and I don't know where Rapunzel is. Have you seen her?" Before he could even listen to the wolf, Eugene's head perked up and glanced around for his closest friend.

[Nevada]

Green hues narrowed as Nevada listened to the infuriated words of the Royal family. He knew that Jasper would never sanction the murder of a comrade without good reason, it just wasn't in Jasper's nature to do something like that but it appeared that the majority of Freedom Fighters gathered around either didn't think the same or just didn't care. Nevada hadn't known Simba but he'd heard tales of how countless Freedom Fighters had perished in the Lion King's near-relentless efforts to eliminate Jafar as a threat.

Lips curled back in a threatening snarl as Nala called for Jasper's arrest; if she thought he was going to stand by and do nothing while his mate was taken from him again then she was wrong. Only Jasper's command for quiet stopped Nevada from lunging for the Lion Queen and the shifter cast a confused glance back at Jasper, ears pinning back slightly as Jasper appeared to be surrendering himself.

Green hues glanced down at Shani as Jasper told her to go to him and Nevada quietly shifted back to his own human form so that he was less intimidating to the young, blind cub before he perked at her outburst towards Nala. Immediately he scooped the young cub up into his arms to prevent her from reaching Jasper as he gave himself over to Nala and her supporters. He watched with a heavy heart as Jasper was led away before he turned his attention to Zamora, and quietly buried his face against her whilst holding Shani close to his chest.

[Boso]

Kopa was the least of Boso's problems now. As soon as Boso and Nevada had pushed Kopa off of Shani, the fawn gave the bully a "don't-you-touch-her-again-or-so-help-me" look and backed away to join the entourage of Freedom Fighters protecting Jasper from the angry mob. 

Boso could not get a word in edgewise. So many things were happening at once. Zamora had forced her way through the crowd, throwing any Freedom Fighter unlucky enough to be in the way of the tall, three-armed pit beast (Boso had been lucky not to be thrown himself). Tail between his legs, Copper sank to the ground in fear. The Gourmand slowly made his way to the eye of the storm. Tarzan, however, did no such thing. He just stared from a safe distance. Then it all began to blur like a mudslide: Kiara, Nala, Mulan, Afua, Zamora again, Michi...what was even going on?! Boso's whole body trembled as his comrades turned on each other like mad dogs.

"I have heard too much. Arrest him."

"No! You can't!" Boso's protest had fallen on deaf ears. There was a collective roar of anger. But to Boso's dismay, Jasper surrendered himself in spite of his supporters' outrage.

...and he was gone. Just like that. Tears came to Boso's eyes. Shani tried to run after him, but Nevada had sensibly scooped his sister into his arms. That did not stop Shani from immediately turning on Nala, even going as far as to proclaim that she was a hypocrite and that Jasper was a better leader.

Boso was too angry to speak. He just stared at his hooves, feeling sick to his stomach. Shani was not wrong, of course, but it was hopeless. Shani might as well have told Nala the moon was a giant salt lick. It made no difference. There would be no justice for any of them. Jasper was their last spark of hope, and Nala had stomped it out.

[The Gourmand]

It was hard to believe that smile could grow wider, but somehow it did. Flat, wide teeth stretched back behind his eyes. His feeling had been right. This was rebellion. Sweet, sweet rebellion. It gave him a fluttery feeling inside. The beast could barely help himself but to give a wicked cluck, although it very likely went under the radar, considering the madness unfolding before them.

The Gourmand almost felt cut down in his enjoyment when the accused leader gave an order. It was unlikely he’d comply anyway without voicing his grievances, but it looked like someone else had that covered. As one might imagine, the Gourmand didn’t deal well with children, so he didn’t know who the young lioness was. And normally he wouldn’t care, but since she was speaking some much-needed words, he actually held himself back for a few moments just to savor.

This was delicious.

The pod whirred somewhat louder as it turned around to face the bulk of the retreating troops. He placed his fingertips together, appearing more composed and less... completely insane.

“I don’t think these fine gentlemen and gentlewomen should be dismissed so readily. After all, we do risk our lives for you lot, don’t we?” his voice was level, in stark contrast with the yelling that had transpired.

The Gourmand turned his head over his shoulder. Crimson eyes flickered like glowing embers as they fixed on the retreating form of shapeshifting leader.

“We should not be treated as pawns.”

[Tarzan]

Tarzan at this point had seen and heard enough. At least with all the screaming going on any way. Tarzan made his way into the group of people looking for Rapunzel or Grey Brother, since those had been the two he had interacted with we're familiar with but with so many people here it was hard to find them. He instead, walked over to Mulan. "So. Whats going to happen now with Jasper arrested?" He asked her. Of course he herd the gourmands 'complain' of sorts but it sounded like there was malevolent thought behind it as if to stir up people more.

[Kiara]

Kiara didn't understand the animosity towards her family. Prior to the war she'd led a sheltered life, always being told to keep within view of her ancestral home on the savannah. The order chaining her to Pride Rock had only tightened with the arrival of war and the army it brought; where she had once been allowed some freedoms she'd found there were little to be had. It was all to easy for a spy to slip amongst the ranks of the strangers that served under their banner, Simba had told her, far too easy for an enemy to seek out heirs to his throne and murder them.

Within the pride Kiara remained, keeping lions, birds, and the occasional Guard member as her only sources of socialization. The enforcement of the order dissipated with the ending of Simba's life, but guilt and grief kept it intact within Kiara's heart. How could she disobey her father's wishes when he himself had fallen to an enemy ambush within their lands? It had taken time for the princess to even consider taking an interest in what laid below as her depression sapped away her energy, and even longer to muster the courage to descend and meet them. The cost was any understanding towards what feelings the army harbored towards her family's bloodline.

So when faced with blatant hostility, Kiara froze. Pinned beneath Zamora’s murderous gaze the child seemed to wilt, visibly taken aback by her refusal. Eyes widened, ears tilted away, a spine that had been ram-rod straight took to a downward curve.

But… But Jasper had committed a crime!! He had approached their sworn enemy in hopes of a brief alliance for the sole purpose of ending the life of another leader… The king, her father. That was as clear-cut a crime as she could ever see. Why then was he being defended?

Mother too… Crimson eyes flicked to Nala, and her rebuff brought a shamed flush to the girl’s fur. 

With confusion already having Kiara off-balance Shani’s outburst brought out a flinch. She spoke with words loaded with heat of how the royal family cared only for themselves, not for the lives given to defend them. But that couldn’t be true!! Her father had been a just king -- sure, he’d been a bit overly dedicated to eradicating threats to their kingdom, but he’d assured her that those who died did so because they too believed it to be a war worth dying in.

It had made sense to Kiara at the time, who had simply been relieved that their losses had evidently done so in an act of ultimate martyrdom.

Now… She would find herself questioning it later, but in the moment she simply felt a cold pit of dread creeping into her stomach.

Kiara backed up a pair of hesitant steps, eyes traveling between her mother and those gathered until her hind brushed Afua’s fur. She clung to the familiar, quietly adjusting herself to stand between Mega and Afua with her head slightly lowered. The tension in the crowd… They were angry, but not at Jasper. At her mother. At Kopa. At her.  All too easily the cub could imagine that anger turning to bared fangs and claws.

It… It was frightening.

Even worse was the nagging voice that carried her own inflections, whispering to herself, There’s a reason they hate him… There must be a true reason.