R U N

[Afua]

"Find people that can be trusted. Anyone well-respected, with... With fair opinions. Ask around if you need to, but try to bring them up here. Do it quickly!"

“But what if they don’t listen?” Afua’s words were lost as the princess moves away and Afua bounds down into the crowd begging to anyone who would listen to try and help. He turned back as Nala speaks before calling out to his best friend as he was led inside the cave. He glances between his aunt and the crowd around him.

“Anyone?!” His voice was lost in the shouting

[The Gourmand]

The voice was low and melodic compared to the chaos going on all around. It stood out simply because it was so calm and deep, enough to make the ground rumble, like the thunder before a storm;

“As above,

So below.

Place your bets which way the head will roll.

Made in your image, we

Are at least as twisted and mean as thee.

'Fore your eyes,

What a curious sight;

Your children have turned on you.

And you say, you don't sleep well at night.

Well, we'll take care of that for you.”

He was singing to himself.

The rumble of his voice elevated into an unrestrained fit of cackling, complete with a mocking slow clap. The warlord began to lift himself farther and farther overhead. Gradually, he encroached on the eye level of the queen, unafraid to question any supposed authority she possessed. As far as he was concerned, an unfit leader had no power over him. Suddenly, a rapid inhale cut the laughter abruptly short.

“THIS ARMY IS A JOKE.”

The statement was sharp as a dagger to the side.

“I will not have it!” the Gourmand rose his head, making a great clatter as he forcefully pounded a fist on his pod, “We will not have it! We deserve an army fit to win! It’s abundantly clear a new order must be instilled. Let the cowards flee; we will have no use for cowards.”

The Gourmand had been turned to his fellow soldiers. His expression cooled from boiling to icy cold, briefly finding a resting point in-between at a strange blankness. His seat whirred as he turned it to face the monarchy and their prisoner directly.

“As for you, your majesty.”

One could almost feel the spit ejected from his mouth as he hissed the word in hatred. A short black claw was directed at the lioness.

“You… also stand here accused,” his head tilted, blood red eyes flared in some twisted approximation of playfulness, “Who, pray tell, will judge you?”

[Deleted]

Kanzi looked like they wanted to be anywhere but here. They stepped forward hesitantly, their head hanging and their tail drooping despondently. 

What were they even supposed to do now? Mom was just as guilty as Jasper, but Mom was also Mom. She was the only parent they had...

"Bullshit! If you were in on this too, you should be punished too! Traitor!"

Kanzi winced and looked up at Mom expectantly. They naïvely hoped she would somehow appease the angry crowd. Whatever it was she wanted them to do, they resolved to do it.

[Nala]

A shrill voice broke through the clamor. 

"Bullshit!"

From her ledge, Nala's teeth clenched in anger at the insolence. "Excuse me?"

"If you were in on this too, you should be punished too! Traitor!"

A flicker of uncertainty crossed Nala's face, but it was soon replaced by a look of thunder. "Arrest her!" she screeched.

Then the Gourmand began to sing. The lionesses stopped dead in their tracks. Nala blinked in surprise as the ground appeared to vibrate from her vantage point. What was he even? 

The Gourmand then laughed cruelly and elevated himself until he was as tall as Pride Rock's ledge. Nala unsheathed her claws, but her face was naked with fear. "I-if you're quite done..."

"THIS ARMY IS A JOKE."

"You-!" But the Gourmand went on as if she had not said anything at all.

"I will not have it! We will not have it! We deserve an army fit to win! It's abundantly clear a new order must be instilled. Let the cowards flee; we will have no use for cowards."

Nala narrowed her eyes. "You are out of lin-" Again, she was interrupted.

"As for you, your majesty."

Nala's face scrunched up as flecks of what she assumed was saliva speckled her cheeks. 

"You…also stand here accused. Who, pray tell, will judge you?"

"No one," she snapped. "I am the queen. Only the Great Kings of the Past may judge me. Any attempt to depose, dethrone or restrict my powers is contrary to the will of the Great Kings and will be punished to the fullest extent of the law."

But none of the Freedom Fighters seemed pleased, not even her own lionesses. The ones guarding Jasper looked doubtful at best. 

Nala glanced at Kanzi. The panic in her eyes faded and was replaced with - remorse? What she was about to do would give her no pleasure. Kopa could not control himself, Kiara had a big head and Kion was always off doing his own thing. But Kanzi had always been a sweet, obedient cub. Even now, in spite of what they knew, they were standing with her, willing to do whatever she asked them to do. She could not have asked for a better cub. 

She returned her attention to Jasper, who was staring at her malevolently. Suddenly, she felt calm. 

"You won't be needing this anymore."

She shoved Kanzi as hard as she could. 

[Deleted]

"MOM!"

Kanzi stumbled forward into empty air. Their paws flew, but there was nothing for them to grab on to. The cub's body fell like a stone, spinning for oblivion.

[Kiara]

When Jasper's gaze turned upon her Kiara couldn't help but let out a hopeless whine. Her own eyes widened perceptibly at the expression within his. Despite all the support she'd seen in his name the man before her could do nothing. The fire that had been sparked was no longer a tool for any but a blazing bane of destruction.


"Wh... What..."

"Kanzi, do come up here."

Crimson eyes lifted from Jasper and up the incline to Nala, standing at the point of Pride Rock. Kiara did nothing, said nothing as the landlocked sea creature rose to match words with her mother, instead looking about in confusion for her summoned sibling. Kanzi?? What did mother want with Kanzi now? Her ears registered a snarled plea from the man she stood beside.

What,

Nala looked back at Jasper as Kanzi drew up beside them.

does Kanzi,

Her mouth moved, a slight shifting of her weight. Words failed to put realization into form within Kiara's mind, but for a split second she saw the future laid out before them. Instinct yanked the young teen forward onto staggering paws, fixated upon mother and sibling.

have to do with this?

Something clicked in the back of Kiara's mind. Something that would be important later perhaps, but failed to hold a candle to the scene before her. Kiara's paws worked faster than they ever had before as she lunged.

-- too little --

-- too late.

Kanzi disappeared over the lip of the stone face as their sister slammed into Nala's side, paws scrabbling to seize at the empty air with a wordless scream.

[Zamora]

What was that.

Something was falling. Jasper? No. Smaller. Four legs. Tail. Cub? That’s a cub. That’s a cub!

Zamora’s already moving before she even identifies what’s falling off the cliff. She’s already left Nevada’s side, arms shifting to hand Shani over to the shifter with little warning. By the time the pit Beast is aware of what she’s doing, she’s already slid into position on her hip, all three arms snatching Kanzi just moments before fate and gravity takes them.

Thank the stars for hunter’s instincts.

As the dust settles, Zamora lets loose a breath she’d been holding. All signs of rage had faded, and the creature was left with fear and maternal concern. For the moment, she just seems to sit there, curled around the cub protectively, moving ever so slightly to ensure that Kanzi isn’t hurt.

———

”Arrest her!”

The Geck seems to bristle at Nala’s command, but doesn’t back down an inch. It seems, with a little protection, these little creatures can become quite stalwart.

”Come and get me, you pompous ru—“

The threats and calls leave Huela as Nala seems to do the unthinkable. That was... a child. They’d had nothing to do with this. Orange eyes follow the cub helplessly, only for someone below to catch her. Oh, thank heavens.

It doesn’t stop a wild gaze from once again turning to the queen.

”Murderer! Murderer!”

———

For the first time since this ordeal had started, Dhall’s face is one of shock. Thankfully, the cub had been caught, but it barely dulled the shock. Then something seems to click in her mind.

”No one, I am the queen.”

’A queen above her own law is not fit to bear that title, and is little more than a tyrant. Death! Death to the queen!”

Molten gaze turns to a glower, sharp and angry.

”May your ‘Kings Of The Past’ have mercy on the soul of a matricidal, traitorous liar.”

[The Gourmand]

The Gourmand hadn’t even paid any heed to the royal child that had been called up. What did he care about these brats? In fact, in the throng of catharsis he was experiencing, he’d even forgotten Huela was on board with him the whole time. Broad teeth were displayed in a madman’s grin, sure that her highness had essentially just convicted herself for him.

In an instant, the slasher smile vanished. He even let out a small growl of confusion as his head and eyes turned downward. It was difficult to see directly beneath his pod, but he could make out the previously disregarded child plummeting below. But… what did he care right?

Purple tendril uncoiled from within the seat and straightened out below. The pod even dipped, but the skinny end of the tentacle only swiped the air. He snarled. Craning, he saw the sight of the alien below grabbing the little cub.

That seemed to be enough to get him back to his bearings; realize it was not only he and the monarch alone. He even seemed to remember Huela, briefly catching her eye with his narrow pupils. Then he began to ascend again.

Click, click, click, click, whirrrr...

From under him, he pulled out all four of his pod turrets, and the large one, below the pod, descended from its holding spot.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

The crazed merman leveled his weapons directly for the heads of the Pride Lander guards who still chose to place themselves around the attempted murderer. He fired, fully intent to kill.

The Gourmand doesn’t screw around.

[Kiara]

Kiara was almost afraid to look over the edge  - - oh, Kanzi - - but when she straightened her neck to peek at what she was sure was to be her sibling's destroyed body the lioness slumped almost to the ground with relief. They'd been caught.

Thank the stars.

That weight lifted from Kiara's shoulder, leaving in its place a violent, angry question. Crimson gaze swung up to the lioness beside her and with a snarl Kiara straightened up.

"THAT IS ENOUGH."

To say that the princess had had enough was to make quite the understatement. Her fur spiked with adrenaline-fueled rage, her expression appeared nearly murderous as she looked upon the mother who had nearly killed her child. "THERE WILL BE NO BLOODSHED HERE!! By right of my blood and your own crimes I am removing you as queen -- lionesses!!" In a move that probably wasn't the best of ideas given Nala's recent proclivity towards violence upon her own cubs Kiara turned away, looking to those gathered on Pride Rock. Surely they were reasonable enough to follow her lead, having witnessed what they had!

"Arrest--" A clicking distracted Kiara, whose attention prior had tripped over the presence of the Gourmand in the moment of chaos. A shocked gaze swung up to meet the barrel of... Something unfamiliar, staring back at her mother along its sights. The lioness that Kiara was practically pressed against.

Startled into inaction, Kiara's mind went blank as light erupted from the gun pointed at the tip of Pride Rock.

[Kopa]

Kopa had it up to here. He pulled away from the lions who were trying to pull him in and he kicked them away before rushing back up to the outside.

What he saw made him angry.

He had seen Nala push his sibling Kanzi off the ledge. His blue eyes burned in anger. He only saw he for a split second but sighed in relief as they were caught buy the alien Zamora.

Kopa hissed at Nala, fully enraged now. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WERE YOU JUST GOING TO KILL YOUR OWN CUB? HOW SICK CAN YOU GET?" He roared.