R E C U P E R A T E

[Hikaru]

Jasper's secrets were finally out.

Hikaru had known something would give sooner or later. Either Jasper himself, or the truth. It seems that time had come.

She had stopped to get caught up on the events by Boso, and then Rafael. To hear more clearly what exactly had happened, but afterwards neither could deter her from her course of action.

To follow Jasper.

Hikaru crunched along the pathway towards Pride Rock, where Jasper was said to have been taken. There were two lions ahead and they prowled forward standing before Hikaru and cutting off her advance.

"Halt, Hikaru. Turn back, no one is to see Jasper."

Hikaru moved slowly so as not to alarm the animals, so as not to risk their attack. She carefully unslung her rifle, and then unzipped her coat. The coat fell with a ridiculous thud, it looked nothing like it weighed.

Hikaru raised her hands up, she was still armed, ridiculously so, but the gesture was symbolic.

"I have sworn loyalty to Jasper, and Jasper alone. I knew of his crime and kept silent. I am an accessory," she spoke quietly, evenly, "I am turning myself in. Surrendering. Tell your queen."

The two lions glanced between each other, unsure how to respond to this human. After a minute there was some unspoken understanding, and one lion retreated inside to tell the others, while the first one stayed to watch Hikaru.

The lion really did not want to interrupt this event. They could taste the malignant tension in the air... but what else could they do?

"Your highness? Its Hikaru, the human, she says she's here to surrender. That she was an accessory to Simba's murder," the lion cleared their throat, "She won't be turned away..."

[Jasper]

Nala had hit one of her own children. In that one instant, Jasper could feel every single fang of his show; the fur that was settled against his back spiked like sharp needles and a deep rumble ebbed out of his chest. Kopa was, and most likely always would be, a hot-headed lad but even he didn't deserve to be hit by his own mother. It didn't matter to him if Nala had lost her patience or not, that type of action was simply where Jasper drew the line. Hitting children, no matter the age, was something he could not tolerate.

His growl grew in volume as Nala admitted to her faults, and his jaws parted. The echoing sound only dying slightly when the guards came in to inform Nala that Hikaru had made an appearance. Internally he cursed, he did not want her here, trying to take the fall with him but he also knew good and well how Hikaru would refuse to leave. Afterall, she had pledged herself to him and Hikaru had always kept good on her promises. It was a horrendous thing to think about though, it made him feel a weight in his chest that he hadn't felt since getting married to Nevada. The thought that another person was in the same line as him. He did not like the idea that if things got heated Hikaru would try to intervene and most likely get herself injured, or worse, killed in a spat and all for him. It unsettling...

However, despite how even those thoughts plagued him, they were cast aside as though they were a passing blip in light of the mumbles around him. "You should have told them. You should have told them the truth, instead, you left your children in the dark and now they have to deal with this- this trauma in a scale they shouldn't have too. You swore to me that you would tell them, and you swore to me that whatever actions I took for you would not be punished. I gave you my loyalty, I gave you my word, my honor, and my trust, and you've betrayed it for your own selfish gain..."

[Nala]

Nala smiled wryly though the queen felt her hackles rising. "Do you hear yourself, sometimes? Like, when you speak?" she asked disparagingly. "'You should have told them.' Ha! Look who's calling the beetle black!"

The lioness swished her tail. "It's one thing to not to concern children with something they have no control over. It's another to lie to your adult acolytes - who have pledged their lives to you. You should have told them the truth. Instead, you chose not to tell them what you did, and now they have to deal with the fact that the man they trusted the most is a murderer and a liar. You have no one to blame but yourself for this, Jasper. Had you been honest with them from the start, none of this would have happened."

"Your highness? Its Hikaru, the human, she says she's here to surrender. That she was an accessory to Simba's murder - she won't be turned away..."

Nala closed her eyes for longer than a blink. She preferred Jasper to be held in solitude, but she could not turn Hikaru away after such a blatant confession. "Send her in," she commanded brusquely. 

Hikaru was herded in, and Jasper regained the queen's attention. Her teal eyes flashed like cut zircons. "Whatever happens tomorrow, I can promise you one thing: the Freedom Fighters will never trust you again. You're done, Jasper."

She then turned to her children. "We're leaving. Now."

[Afua]

The golden furred teen leans down against his best friend, gently licking and cleaning the wound and blood away as best he could all while half listening to what Nala and Jasper were saying.

"Whatever happens tomorrow, I can promise you one thing: the Freedom Fighters will never trust you again. You're done, Jasper."

“You see? Just like I said” Afua pauses in his licking to whisper in his friend’s ear. Orange colored orbs turn to look at the newcomer bring escorted into the cave.

“Hikaru? Did you help murder him too?” Mega speaks in a hushed murmur glaring at her before turning to look at Nala and the others

"We're leaving. Now."

At Nala’s order the adult male stands up and moves out of the cave, giving a soft growl as he passes by Jasper unable to think of any words to say to him.

“I’ll meet you near the sleep corridors” Mega says over his shoulder to Nala and the kids. “I need some time to think all this over”

“C’mon Kopa” Afua says, gently nuzzling his friend standing up to trail along behind the guard lions as one exits the cave

[Kopa]

Kopa seemed to get his anger back and he glared at Nala. "Shut up! Just shut up! I will never trust you again! Never!" He yelled at his mother. He then nodded gently at Afua before slipping out of the cave.

He had nothing else to say but, "Thanks," he told Afua.

[Deleted]

Kanzi's shoulders slumped in defeat. To hear it from Shani and Jasper was one thing. To hear it from Mom was another thing entirely. Dad's absence had left a void in Kanzi's life, but they had grown up believing their father was a good lion and a good king. They took solace in continuing Dad's legacy by helping others like he would have wanted them to. Kanzi had lived their whole life by that. Now what?

"We're leaving. Now."

Mom was in hot water, but Kanzi did not want to stay here a moment longer. It was still cruel of Shani to say that she was glad Dad died, and Mom was right; Jasper was a murderer and a liar. Kanzi wanted nothing more to do with him. The Great Kings of the Past should strike him down then and there.

But wasn't Mom just as guilty as Jasper? Kanzi felt sick to their stomach. What were they supposed to do now? Mom did something really, really bad, but she was the only parent they had.

"Shut up! Just shut up! I will never trust you again! Never!"

Again, Kanzi could not help but feel for Kopa. Kopa had always been temperamental and aggressive, but he idolized Dad, and Mom had just hit him, drawing blood. 

Kanzi sighed as Kopa left with Afua and looked up at their mother. "How could you?"

[Kiara]

Simba hadn't just been betrayed and murdered. He had been executed.

Their mother, wife and queen to the king of the Pridelands...

She... Had known he was going to die. Had agreed that he needed to die.

It felt as though Kiara's stomach had flipped within her gut, mirroring the world about her that seemed to be turning upside down again and again with every passing moment until all that was left was to tumble through an endless loop of nauseous confusion. Crimson eyes glittered with tears shed from emotions the cub couldn't even name. Horror had its place, as well as confusion. The information being dumped upon the children was overwhelming, and Kiara could only stare with eyes that were wide and wild as unshed tears shone like crystalline beacons.

It was simply too much to process. This... This absolute betrayal.

As Nala summoned the children to join her in departure the reaction was almost instantaneous. Kiara felt the word rise to her teeth almost faster than she could bite down upon it, her complete and utter refusal. "Nn-"

Bite down Kiara did, seizing control of her voice as her gaze flicked involuntarily towards Kopa. Mom, the lioness who had just admitted complicity to her own husband's death, had struck him for talking back. How would she react to further rebellion? The girl felt a trembling in her gut as though she were about to be sick, ducking her head in a pained grimace at the ground. She didn't want to leave now... Not with her. Not before getting more answers. But...

Of all cats for her gaze to fall on it was Jasper that Kiara looked to, tumultuous thoughts and tortured mindframe clear as day before she lowered her gaze again and padded after Nala with stiff legs and a dragging tail.

[Jasper]

A loud annoyed scoff left the ex-leader at Nala's rant back at him, he barely held his tongue as she turned and left with her children. Annoyed and irritable gaze glared draggers at the back of his skull. She was right, the Freedom Fighters might not ever trust him again, but they would never trust her either. Not if he had anything to say, or do about it. He wasn't the only one behind this, and he would be damned if this damn lionness he had once called a friend pinned it solely on him.

He shook his head roughly, his gaze falling to Kiara as she looked at him. Harsh expression softened a small bit before she departed.

He was pissed, but at the moment his anger could not provide or do anything for him until tomorrow. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. A heavy huff left him. What was he going to do?