Six Feet Under

Hista's head bobbed up and down as he towered over the group of animals assembled around the pit. "I call dibsss on the fat one," he hissed as his forked tongue flicked in Two-Tone's direction. "I've been needing a good meal," he chuckled as he opened his mouth to yawn. How long was this damn thing gonna take? just push em in already! Hista thought, though he would never dare speak out of turn.

The hyena's grumbled, but reluctantly parted. A few snapped at her heels, but they were kept back with a feral snarl from her own parted jowls and a vicious snap of her jaws clamping shut on the air not too far from the face of one of the creatures. Parting with a particularly scathing sneer, she turned and made her way through the separated forces. A sea of grey, dust, and dirt broken by a silver bullet.

As she exited, she paused to respectfully incline her head to the one responsible for her release. Sabor. A deep purr in her throat, as she did settle by Sabor's side. An extended stretch of her neck, as she passed over a curt nuzzle with the tip of her nose to the upper shoulder of the other exotic feline.

"My most gracious thanks, sister." her words like a sweet liquid slipping from her jowls.

Toulouse had wanted to say something, wanted to at least acknowledge Bellatrix's words, but things began rapidly happening around him before he had the chance. Scar had decided to spare the silvery lioness, and she moved on to join those who had been saved. Green eyes flickered with wonder, and the orange-furred feline wondered if maybe he could somehow convince them to save Two-Tone as well. He partly opened his mouth to meow out his question, but he shut it again when he caught sight of Buster speaking with Two-Tone. Buster... Looking at that mixed breed, Toulouse realized he didn't have much of a chance. A chance at what? Well, he wasn't certain. Toulouse had kind of liked to think that the pudgy dalmatian, who did appear to be growing up a bit like he was, might have been taking a shine to him since she'd been away from Buster. His ears drooped slightly, but he said nothing.

Out of nowhere, Nuka called out that he wanted to save Oliver and Berlioz. That, he realized, wasn't to be unexpected. Nuka did treat Berlioz like a brother, and the tabby tom was practically an adviser to the scruffy, scrawny lion. Toulouse looked Berlioz's way for the first time since they'd been brought to the Outlands again and looked on in shock when he heard his brother say he didn't want to go. Not without Danielle, he had said. Naturally, Toulouse was unsurprised again. Of course he'd want to take his girlfriend. Whether or not she actually gained freedom in that moment with his brother was something only fate could determine.

"This is like one big nightmare," he finally murmured. Toulouse had been silent for so long that he assumed all eyes had been taken off of him. He would have assumed this to be true, anyway, since no one had addressed him in particular in a while. Not even his siblings, both of whom had been fighting each other verbally for some time before Nuka determined that he wanted to try and save the greyish-black cat. In spite of that, Toulouse did turn his attention back to Two-Tone. If nothing else, he wanted to at least try and make sure she didn't die horribly in that pit. Not so soon after getting her leg back.

"Two-Tone," he said, "Just stick close with me when we get pushed in. I'll try to do something so you don't get too badly hurt down there," Toulouse said. Maybe he could rub up against her and somehow pass on the ability to fall with grace to the dog? ...No. Even he thought that sounded ridiculous. Toulouse would just have to hope he could either break Two-Tone's fall or hope for some kind of miracle.

Marie's blue eyes widened when she heard Nuka's request to save Oliver. Sure, she knew that Oliver was sort of an adviser to Nuka but really, why Berlioz! That wasn't fair. Giving a slight huff, she began to smooth down her fur in an attempt to hide her anger. Since when was war ever fair. White haired kitten turned to Oliver. "Go ahead big boy, go to where you are needed." she said with a smirk. "I'm a big girl, i can take care of myself."

No matter what her siblings thought of this, she didn't care, she was going to prove herself here and now weather they wanted her to or not. She would not go down, if she did, she would go down fighting and bravely. Not a coward like her brothers seemed to be.

"Tonesy, what are ya doing in a mess like this? I see your leg's back, why didn't you come home?"

"HUMPH!" Prissy canine scoffed as if she wasn't about to fall to her doom. "I JUST got it back you brute, then we headed here! I didn't have time to come back! But now I'm stuck here!" She planted her rear on the ground and whined. "I just wanted to be pretty again! Now I'm going to be a splat on the ground just when I got pretty again! It's not FAIR!"

"Two-Tone, Just stick close with me when we get pushed in. I'll try to do something so you don't get too badly hurt down there."

Ears perked as she turned towards the cat who spoke to her. Her eyes watered over as she lay next to Toulouse, letting out a bit of a whimper. "Oh Toulouse," she sighed, "You're the best friend ever! I mean you aren't a dog but you're still the coolest cat I know!" She growled, looking down in the pit. "But unless I land on you, I don't think I'm going to survive. Or maybe I might. I probably won't though."

She flicked her eyes to Buster, narrowing darkly. "DO something!" She commanded, "I mean maybe you can't...but maybe you can!"

"Father!" Nuka cried out. "Father! I wanna save two others! I'm sorry! I should have said it before, I know! But you can't let them die, Father! Or fall to injury!"

"Oh Nuka," a seemingly exasperated Scar sighed while rubbing his temples with a paw.

"I want to call out Oliver! And Berlioz!" Nuka whined.

Scar opened his mouth to deny his son's request, but Kuzimu's words rendered the king mute. "Not Mommy?" she whimpered.

Scar suppressed an amused laugh by biting his tongue. Interesting...

"Please father! C-can I at least save those two? Please?"

Now to screw with him. "You're too bombastic for your own good," Scar drawled. "However, I am a merciful king and despite your arrogance, Oliver and Berlioz are free to go. Sorry, Kuzimu, Nia." Scar gave his granddaughters a cruel grin. "Looks like Daddy doesn't need Mommy anymore. You see, Daddy thinks Berlioz and Oliver are better than Mommy which is why he asked me to spare them instead of your mother. Why? I think it's because Mommy's the reason why your brother is dead. If Mommy truly cared about Mauko, she would have gladly given up her life to ensure her son lived. But she didn't. If it wasn't for your mother's selfishness, Mauko would still be alive, and you would still have a family. Oh well. Better luck next time I suppose. Now, be good little girls and wave goodbye to your mother. Because you're never going to see her again. You can thank Nuka for that."

"I'm not going. Not without
Danielle."

Honey furred cocker-mix lifted her head, sticking her lower lip out in a pout, a whimper. "Berlioz, what're you doing?" She said, genuinely confused. Someone was caring for her. Someone was willing to sacrifice their life just to be with her. Ignored, shunned, called the weird one, Danielle was used to being tossed off as the silly pup. Heck, when she was born they even mistook her for a boy. But now Danielle was dealing with something she wasn't used to. Sacrifice for love.

"Berlioz..." She could barely speak. She swallowed, moistening her mouth before she spoke again. "Berlioz...Berlioz, you can't. Don't be stupid." She hung her head, guilt welling in her chest. Se didn't want to be responsible for Berlioz not surviving. Her mind was a blur. A devil and an angel on her shoulder.

Don't you DARE let him sacrifice himself for you!
He's a cat, he'll be fine! He loves you!

She bit her lip and pushed against his smokey shoulder. "I'm not going to let you do that...you can't get hurt for me. I'm not worth it."

Defiant, Berlioz glared back at her. He knew Danielle wanted him to make sure he lived, but the dusky-furred feline didn't care. He didn't have any friends left save for her - Shani and Nuka had both betrayed his trust - and the small cat wasn't prepared to lose the only person he still called a friend. "I'm not being stupid. You said yourself, I'm gonna be okay. And I'm not going to let you fall down that hole and die. Even if I have to break your fall myself, I will," he promised. What would happen then, he hadn't a clue, but if they were alive together, be believed they'd be able to come up with something.

"You're not gonna be able to make me leave you here, so don't waste your breath," he added, nestling in closer to the young dog he'd come to care for as much as his own life. "I might not know much about friendship, but I know friends don't leave each other to die to save their own skins. I'm sticking with you."

Acting on a sudden impulse, he squeezed her paw for the briefest moment possible. "No matter what."

Like Bellatrix had told her, Dotty held her head high and refused to let her fear and anger show. She would not give Scar and Zira the satisfaction of seeing her break. She wouldn't let her girls see just how scared she was.

Dotty would be brave.

When Zira approached her girls, Dotty couldn't help the low growl which ripped from her throat. If it weren't for Scar's lackeys holding them back, the grey-furred lioness would have ripped Zira's throat out where she stood. Instead, she had to watch as her bold Kuzimu whimpered under Zira's claws. Dotty felt disgusted just watching it.

You killed Mauko! You killed my son! How dare you touch my daughter!

However, her attention soon went to her other cub. "No! You're a liar! A monster killed Mauko, not Mama! You're evil and I hate you!" Nia yelled at Scar, baring her teeth at the older lion in defiance. He had been trying to bait her cubs, get them to turn against their father and to his cause using her death. Dotty could only stare at her youngest daughter with a mixture of fear and pride, There is some steel in her, Dotty thought.

The younger cub broke away from her father's side and dodged through the hyenas and other animals assembled until, to Dotty's horror, she was at her side.

"I'm staying with Mama!" she declared.

Digger's ears flicked when Scar spoke, she swivelled her head to face her king, and a very confused look spread across her features. Scar had allowed the two cats to be spared, Digger's gaze drifted to the cats within the hyena walls. "Odd…" She mumbled before Scar spoke again, there were the words she had been expecting. They blamed Dotty for Mauko's death. Digger narrowed her eyes at the king before looking back to Dotty, Dotty didn't seem pleased with their words either.

Dotty's daughters weren't buying it though, and Digger smiled at this. "Even they can see through Scar's words, despite their age." Digger commented to herself, she could hear one of the cub's openly defying Scar's words and the smile stayed on her maw. 'Good, at least someone is standing up to him.' She thought before she heard small paws running and shifted her gaze, one of the cubs had run to Dotty's side. Digger's crimson orbs widened and her maw opened, if that cub fell into that pit she was not going to survive.

Before Digger really thought about it she was walking towards Dotty, her eyes focused on her and her daughter, she had to do something here. Hopefully the cub wouldn't go through with her idea of following her mother into the pit. "Dotty…" Digger managed to say then her maw just kind of hung open, unsure of what to say next. It had been such a long time since she had seen the other lioness. She walked parallel to the dark furred lioness, a wall of hyena's between them. Her eyes watched Dotty, her maw closed gently, she had no idea what to say.

"You're not gonna be able to make me leave you here, so don't waste your breath!"

"You're too bombastic for your own good. However, I am a merciful king and despite your arrogance, Oliver and Berlioz are free to go. Sorry, Kuzimu, Nia. Looks like Daddy doesn't need Mommy anymore. You see, Daddy thinks Berlioz and Oliver are better than Mommy which is why he asked me to spare them instead of your mother. Why? I think it's because Mommy's the reason why your brother is dead. If Mommy truly cared about Mauko, she would have gladly given up her life to ensure her son lived. But she didn't. If it wasn't for your mother's selfishness, Mauko would still be alive, and you would still have a family. Oh well. Better luck next time I suppose. Now, be good little girls and wave goodbye to your mother. Because you're never going to see her again. You can thank Nuka for that."

"I'm staying with Mama!"


Nuka's jaw was open. They were all turning against him. Didn't his family know he was just protecting them? He watched his daughter scamper to her mother's side, mouth in an "o" shape as he watched her make her stand. He didn't bother to look at Kuzimu. If he had he'd have seen her ears folded back as she stayed under Zira's paws, fear in her body, tail between her legs. Her sister had run off. What was she supposed to do? Should she stay with Daddy? Go die with Mommy? She didn't want to die. "I don't wanna die, Nia."

"Lovely, good little girl you have here in your hellspawn," Zira said, fangs dripping with joy at the sight of Dotty reacting to her petting her granddaughter, "What a lovely replacement she'll make for Vitani. However if you want your other...less practical daughter to die as well-"

"Oh NO she's not! Nia get back here this instant!" Nuka commanded, waving his other daughter over. "Berlioz, NOW. I can't lose you. I can't lose any of you I care about!" 

"Wait..." Kuzimu said, "Is the big meany scar-lion right? Do you not care about Mommy no more?"

"I'm not losing anyone else I care about either," Berlioz returned hotly, not moving so much as an inch as he defiantly folded his forepaws like a human. "And you can't tell me what to do anymore. You can't sentence my best friend to death then act like you still care for me. Shani thought she could do the same when she killed my dad, too, but it doesn't work like that." His glower was unforgiving, even in spite of the fear that was plain beneath it. He was terrified by the prospect of dying, of course he was; but he knew Danielle had to be feeling the exact same fear, and he didn't plan on leaving her to face that alone.

"I'm staying right here."

---

The only human present wished he didn't feel so helpless as he looked on. The last thing Cody wanted to do was wish harm on any animal, but even he thought he wouldn't mind making an exception for Nuka's father. The scarred lion was being outright cruel, and if the boy hadn't been certain he was in iminent danger of having his throat torn out if he put even a toe out of line, he would have spoken out against the old feline for sure.

"Nuka, why are you letting him do this?" the youngster, kept his voice low, but there was no hiding the desperation in his tone. There had to be something they could do, they couldn't let this go ahead! "This isn't right; it isn't natural," Scar was acting more like a human dictator than an animal; as far as Cody was concerned, no part of nature would be this cruel. He'd never met any animal that took such delight in sending others to their deaths unless it was for food. And though he typically disagreed with using weapons of any kind on animals, a rifle full or tranquiliser darts wouldn't have been amiss right now, Cody thought. He could have put Scar and a few of the hyenas to sleep, and in the confusion Nuka's troops would have got away. Alas, he didn't have such a thing to hand.

"Can't we do something?"

A shiver ran down Oliver's spine as he felt a pair of eyes rest on him. Biting back a low growl, he refused to turn and meet Nuka's gaze. He refused to give in to-

"Father! I wanna save two others! I'm sorry! I should have said it before, I know! But you can't let them die father! Or fall to injury!"

The tabby tom froze mid-step, ears flicking up to pay closer attention to the young lion's words. Time seemed to slow down as he swiveled his head to get a rough view of Nuka. Eyes slowly widening, he heard his own name called, a feeling a joy and bliss spreading throughout his entire being. The former alley cat wasn't worried about surviving the pit, moreso surviving his humility and hurt pride. But now, now that Nuka had realized his true priorities there was nothing else for him to fear. Shifting as he readied himself to join Nuka's side, the feeling of his own ginger pelt brushing against an all-too familiar white-furred girl's wiped away his feeling of joy.

Surely Marie could take care of herself, sure was more than capable of that, but there was no way that he could just leave his girlfriend. But then again, what good would he even be able to do her down there? Licking her ear gingerly at her words, he gave her a promising grin. "Just make sure you take care of yourself," He whispered before withdrawing and giving her a small wink, "Not that you need any reminding."

Ginger form whipping around to face the mangy black-furred lump that had also been called to leave the huddle. Letting out a slight hiss, he lashed a sheathed paw out over Berlioz's ear. "Don't be an idiot, Berlioz! What good will you do your little girlfriend from down there?!" He hissed, voice sharp and uncaring, though clearly hushed. Tone dropping another level, he took a step towards Berlioz, "I have a plan, just don't be an idiot and leave. We'll be able to help them, I promise." Straightening up, he narrowed his amber orbs before nodding to Marie once and heading out to join Nuka.

Marie turned to Berlioz with a smirk. Clearly she was going to prove that she was stronger than him no matter what it took. "Don't worry about me Oliver. I can hold my own." she said, with a dark but still girly tone to it. She stared at her brother and then at the dog beside him. She sniffed with a bit of digust before turning back to ignoring the two all together.

Buster smirked as the young dalmatian huffed. She had always been cute when she pouted. He had been about to say something when the orange cat showed up. Buster had never cared much for cats, the alley type anyway, heck he didn't like the fact that both the heroes and animal villains were run by lions but he couldn't do anything about that. He snorted and looked up at Scar before back down at Two-tone.

"Tonesy, you know I would..." He trailed off and looked away. "But I don't think I can do anything, you did join that scruffy lion's side and I doubt Scar's taking too kindly to that. I mean he is about to throw all of them into a big hole." He sighed and shook his head, he'd more than willingly do something if he could help her, but like he'd said he doubted there was anything he could do. He then looked to Toulouse with a growl. "You'd better watch her fuzz-ball, or else it'll be more than a ditch you'll be worrying about."