R E G I C I D E

[The Gourmand]

Max had just turned on his personal coffee machine when the noise from outside alerted him. There was so much ruckus, he was concerned enough to stick his head out. Unbrushed, messy blond hair was blown away from his face and he squinted his eyes. Max was a rather short man, so he had a hard time seeing much of anything above the other soldiers, save what he caught of a few jostling bodies and the hairy back of something large.

His pale face became shaded once he turned to retreat back into his tent. His hand remained upon the fabric flap.

He hesitated.

Blinking and furrowing his brows, he turned again. The flap closed behind him and he stood in front of his tent, raising to his tiptoes in an attempt to see.

~*~

The Gourmand, at first, was about as happy as you would think someone with a name like his would be having his breakfast interrupted. It wasn’t long before that melted away. While a normal person might feel worry or even fear from the cacophony, a wide smile gradually crawled upon the vile merman’s lips as he listened on. Oh, what was this? Unrest? Resistance?

The Gourmand didn’t want the Freedom Fighters to go down in flames. After all, while he cared little for their soft morality, they were the strongest allies he had. But the army had problems and he felt that tensions would reach a breaking point eventually. He wasn’t fooling himself. And sometimes, problems were best solved with a little bit of tooth and nail. Literally, as he saw things were shaping up to occur.

The large pod’s hum modulated as it lifted above the heads of most of the soldiers and slowly (heck almost even gingerly) drew closer to the center of action. He didn’t plan to interfere with anything yet -- he merely moved in because his pod allowed him to. If changes were to occur, the warmonger wanted in.

And he was certain he knew whose side he was on.

Thumb flicked and the metal cap protecting the controls of his main turret hinged back; just in case things went too far south for his liking.

[Copper]

Copper leapt to his paws, the fur along his shoulders and back standing on end. Dark brown eyes were widened as they darted to and fro trying to get a hold on his surroundings. The young hound had been sleeping underneath a nearby Marula tree, not yet having risen for the day with the other soldiers just yet. His somewhat peaceful slumber had been quite rudely interrupted by the commotion coming from somewhere within the camp. The roar that woke him likely being Nala’s as just a few moments later a sound that Copper had heard for weeks in his dreams after his last meeting with Tod pierced through the air splitting it almost as if with a knife. Copper knew that sound. He knew that sound well.

It was the roar of a bear.

For a brief second, the hound debated going in the opposite direction. His last encounter with a bear hadn’t ended very well, and he’d honestly rather not have another one in his lifetime if he could help it. But then he heard the shouting, and the screams and Copper’s better judgment seemed to fail him. Something was happening, and if his fellow soldiers were being hurt the least he could do was help. With a deep breath to steel himself, Copper willed his paws to move, and he tore away from the tree toward the sounds of chaos.

What he saw when he got there was not at all what he expected. Surprisingly, he recognized Jasper rather quickly, the Freedom Fighters’ leader having transformed himself into the form of a large bear that was currently glaring down the lioness, Queen Nala. The rest of the commotion was just taken in in slices of information. The lion cub, Shani, hidden beneath Jasper’s paws, and the lion, Prince Kopa, glaring her down as he roared. A large canine that Copper didn’t recognize by face, but could place a name to as Nevada by smell. And last but not least was the towering beast that was the alien Zamora as she stood before the whole group, her entire being just daring any of the onlookers to approach with anything less than hostility on their minds.

White-tipped tail vanished between the hound’s rear legs, and he lowered himself slightly to the ground. Copper didn’t fear violence, and he sure as hell didn’t fear the fight, but he was very much fearful of the enormous creature that was making herself known before them, and he had half a mind to go back on his decision to turn tail and run the other way. But, he didn’t. He would stay here. He would watch how this unfolded, and if need be, he would lend his paw where needed. When worst came to worst, however, Copper was sure of one thing:

He was following Jasper.

[Tarzan]

Tarzan, Still new to the camp himself, watched the event from a group of tents. This was something he felt he had no right to butt into, as none of it was his business and no one asked for his assistance.  Tarzan looked on to see the result. He felt what would happen next might rock the foundations of the Freedom Fighters for months to come.

[Kiara]

"IN THE NAME OF THE QUEEN, MAKE WAY!!"

Kiara had not been far behind mother and brother, though of the three she seemed to have kept the clearest head. Her shout echoed with elements of a roar adding rough emphasis to her angered cry. Fur spiked angry ridges along the female's spine in a sharp relief, fanning out behind her lowered head. Stalking forward at a trot Kiara's gaze and bearing cleared a path where her words didn't, making those before her part.

How dare he. How dare he stand in their land, holding their trust, and have the audacity to act as though he hadn't a clue why they hunted him? How dare he be protected by the very forces that had allied with the Pridelands?! Kiara snarled and lunged forward, clearing the last few yards until she stood but a few meters away from the stand-off squaring up in the heart of the camp.

"ALL OF YOU, STAND AWAY! THAT... THAT MALE," Her words spat like venom in the air, "THIS SHIFTER WHO DARES CALL HIMSELF YOUR LEADER IS A TRECHEROUS MURDERER!!" Before arguments could be made the young lioness began to pace, tail lashing like a decapitated serpent behind her. "HE STANDS ACCUSED OF ALLYING HIMSELF WITH OUR ENEMY THE BLACKBLOOD LEGION IN ORDER TO AMBUSH OUR FORCES AND MURDER THE PRIDELANDS' TRUE KING!"

A great breath was taken as Kiara came to a halt, claws grinding into the soft soil beneath her. When she spoke again the princess' voice was as low and cold as the ocean deep. Crimson gaze pierced the bear in a lance that would have been lethal had it only been given physical form. "Those of you with honor, step away that he might see justice for his crimes."

[Mulan]

  It was supposed to be peaceful today.

  Mulan had been tending to her gear. Once again, finding solace in the mundane. She was only just starting to be herself again, after the disaster that had been the excursion out to sea. Her 'tentmate', as she had taken to calling herself, was fast asleep on the pillow. Mulan had been meaning to ask her where she had acquired that. But in any case. It was supposed to be peaceful.

  So when the roaring, the screaming, and the shouting kicked up all at once, it wasn't that much of a stretch for Mulan to assume that they were under attack. She jolted out of her seat on the floor, snatching up her sword and rushing outside. She hadn't given it any consideration, but in the rush, she had grabbed Huela as well, nearly tripping out of her tent and hurrying towards the sound of the commotion.

  At first, Mulan felt a wave of relief wash over her to see that the camp hadn't been turned into a warzone. But as her pace slowed and she approached, it was clear that something was seriously wrong. Soldiers were turned on another, poised and ready to strike. The lioness queen held nothing short of murder in her eyes, and Mulan was reminded of her powerful, wild nature in that gaze alone. Then there was the source of her fury, Jasper. Sides were quickly being chosen, and the air hung heavy with a tension that was desperate for blood. Just what on earth was happening!?

"THIS SHIFTER WHO DARES CALL HIMSELF YOUR LEADER IS A TRECHEROUS MURDERER!! HE STANDS ACCUSED OF ALLYING HIMSELF WITH OUR ENEMY THE BLACKBLOOD LEGION IN ORDER TO AMBUSH OUR FORCES AND MURDER THE PRIDELANDS' TRUE KING!"

  Wait... what?

  Mulan's brows knit together, unable to fully process everything being said. She could already hear the gasp slipping through the crowd, and the hushed whispers that followed. Her feet carried her forward, pushing past a couple soldiers until she was within earshot of the Freedom Fighters' leader. The words slipped out of her before she could think. She simply had to know.

  "Jasper... is this true?"

[Afua]

Rumbling snarls that belonged to the large male know as Mega would be heard as he trails behind the lions, it was a blur to him, his ears ringing almost as if he was trying to block out the horrible idea. He turns,watching as Kiara speaks, telling those around what was happening. “Kopa!” Afua called after his friend unable to stop the attack even if he wanted to. He turns towards his best friend’s sister listening finally putting the pieces together and he whips around to look at the giant bear that was Jasper.

[Zamora]

Zamora doesn't budge.

At Kiara's rant, there's something.. wicked... in the noise that Zamora makes. It's a laugh, buried under the snarling tongue. Honor. Sure, yeah. Those with honor would attack a blind child while she ran to her father figure crying. These creatures had no sense of honor, only self-service.

Zamora bolsters herself, and shoves a finger towards Kiara. These pale, blind eyes are now focused right at the little creature, their lunar hue having slowly faded into a deep red beneath that strange, dark cloud.

"͈N͓o͍̥͔̼͈̬̺t͕̞.̦ ͇͈̺͓M͉̳̩͉̼y͕̖.̲͚̺ ̝͙̺̱͔͔Q̩̬̰̘͙u̥̖̩͖͉̞e̤̖͔͎̼̬͇ḙ̭̭̻̥n.̠̯̱̘͙͓͈"̘

The words are harsh in her tone and accent, but she's speaking clear enough to get her point across. Nothing Kiara could do or say was going to move this beast for her protective spot. She was going to protect Jasper and Shani from these people with her last breath, if she must.

[Michi]

All the chaos that was happening was hard to miss. And Michi's friend was caught in the middle of it.

Michi had run to find Shani as soon as she heard the cub's panicked voice. Then all hell had broken loose.
The crowd around Jasper and Nala only grew, and Michi dodged and weaved around many legs until she could reach them.

Upon hearing Kiara's shout, the kitten frowned. She ran over and stood next to Zamora, not far from where Jasper and Shani were and hissed, her tail puffed up,
"We won't take orders from you. You aren't queen yet, and you certainly aren't OUR queen."
Yes, she heard the accusations being thrown at Jasper, but she wanted to hear from him if it was true, and if it was, there HAD to be a good reason behind it, right?
This was the same man standing there protecting his adopted daughter, there was no way he was a heartless monster.

[Nala]

Nala stopped just short of Jasper, Zamora (who had forced her way through the crowd to protect him) and the rest of the leader's entourage as though immobilized by the their fury. Fur bristling, the lioness looked up at Jasper as though he were diseased. "You have stolen my mate from me, my own king - your king," she snarled. "What are you?!"

Her mind was spinning. "All this time..." Her voice shook. "All this time I thought it was the Blackblood Legion. But it was never that simple. I should have known. I really should have. But like him, I trusted you. And look where it's got us!" She made a point of looking around.

Kiara suddenly cut in, attempting to take control of the situation. "Princess!" Nala's voice rose above the rest as she glared at her impudent daughter, her teal eyes smoldered in a fiery blaze. Now was not the time. "That will do."

For a moment, Nala closed her eyes and fought for calm. The world that had seemed so solid minutes before was crashing all around her. It was too much to take in.

"I have heard too much. Arrest him," the queen boomed. "There will be a trial first thing tomorrow, and by the Great Kings there will be justice!"

[Jasper]

He struggled to keep up as droves of his army came out of their tents like they had been summoned. He could feel the tension growing high and as Kopa lunged for his cub he reacted as quick as he could and was about swing a massive clawed paw at him but his son intervened. Boso collided into the dumb youth and sent Kopa sprawling to the ground; and while Jasper was not satisfied with it, he would let it go for now.

Soon Nevada appeared and then Zamora, his worries did not yield at their appearance like it used too. They only intensified as frustrations grew and the yelling increased around them. Chaos was the only way to describe what the hell was going on both in his mind and outwardly. The 'bear' that had just so violently roared his protest was silent. His gaze locked on the Royals in front of him.

He had to weigh his choices here and now.

Mismatched hues closed tightly as he tried to silence the noise around him. He had to come to a decision, and quickly but it was not easy as much as he wished it was.

"Quiet." His voice was barely above a whisper over the shouting and mumbles of disbelief of the crowd but again he repeated himself. "Everyone be quiet!" He snapped. The yell caused an eerie hush to fall over everyone around him and the royal family. Though it seemed the growls of his supporters could still be heard even after the order. Especially from Nevada and Zamora, they would not back down so easily.

He gathered himself. Whatever of it that he could, and cast a gentle gaze down to Shani.

"Go to Nevada, little one." His words...

Were soft. Gentle as fall breeze right before the cold bristled by. He gently nudged his child to his family before he turned his attention to those who supported him. With a breath, he could still feel the tension in the air but he tried to ready himself. "Stand down. Go back to your business." It was not a request he spoke to them, it was an order that for their sake and his own needed to be followed. Once it was given he was quick to turn his attention back to the enraged Princess and Queen. Though his gaze settled on Mulan for a moment in it's travel towards the pair, for a split moment his eyes almost said everything that things were not as they seemed. It was not so black and white, and it hurt to look at one of his companions that way. Someone he had grown to consider a friend but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

His monstrous form soon was dissipating and his form flickered back to his human state. He looked shaken, pale as if he had burned far too much energy but he did not let that stop him. He felt uneasy but he pushed forward only to stop beside Zamora. He did not meet her gaze, he did not look upward towards her. "Zamora," His words again were soft like they had been with Shani. "Stay with our family. Keep them safe, alright?" He breathed in sharply, gathering the courage he had stored somewhere deep in his chest. "I'll be back." Without another word, he stepped into the growing circle of Nala's soldiers, her lionesses and allowed the push towards Pride Rock.

The Leader of the Freedom Fighters was a prisoner among his own people.