Six Feet Under

Wizzer had inched a bit away from Two Tone. Being near her made her feel a bit uncomfortable now. He was happy that that Two Tone had 2 dogs looking out for her. And chances were she was gonna survive. And for that he was happy, But what would come of him? Wizzer didn't want to stay here very long at all and find out. Why, OH WHY In god's name, couldn't Cadpig have been here? She might not have been too much of help and was kind of a loser. but, at least Wizzer would have something and someone telling him he'd be OK, and everything would work out. Cadpig was normally a Up Beat piece of sunshine that was trying to be optimistic. And right now Wizzer was a dark cloud of Pessimism.

"No!" Nia cried, pressing herself against Dotty's leg in an effort to remain as close as possible to her mother "Tell the bad lion to let Mama go! Tell him to let her go!"

Nia's wails seemed to snap Dotty out of her shock. She had not thought that Nia would be bold enough to, or that Scar's soldiers wouldn't have prevented her from, running to her side. Any pride of her daughter's calling out of Scar had evaporated quickly. If Nia stayed, she would die. Scar wouldn't save her and Nuka was in too precarious a position to try and brave the guards to retrieve his youngest cub himself.

"Nia, little one," Dotty murmured as her daughter continued to hide between her legs "Listen to your father, go back to him. Go!"

Her daughter was a stubborn little creature, Dotty saw that now, as she continued to hold her ground. "No! The bad lion's a liar! He's a liar and he's gonna hurt you!"

Dotty couldn't find her voice again after that. She didn't want to have to lie to her daughter, give her false hope that maybe, just maybe, she would live. Dotty couldn't do that to her. It would feel too much like a betrayal if she did die and left her girls broken.

Lifting her head, she met Nuka's eyes, pleading. Not for her own life, for Nia's. She would not let her daughter die because of Scar's whims. Then her eyes met Digger. She motioned for the other lioness, once again pleading, to her daughter who had planted herself firmly between her front paws.

Take her. Hold her back. Please.

Bellatrix had turned to leave, but upon a small lump of fur throwing themselves past her, she looked back. Dotty had a cub between her paws and was pleading with her to leave. Her maw wrinkled, and she glanced to where Sabor was, then the one in charge of this whole thing, Scar, before turning back to Dotty.

She took her chances, shouldering past a hyena to return to Dotty. Without taking her eyes from the darker lioness, Bella arched her neck forward, intending to firmly grab the child by the scruff and drag her off if she had to. But not before she uttered a soft and hoarse,

"Come child."

If Dotty was expected to survive this it would be because she knew her cubs were safe. She hoped the long uninterrupted eye contact would portray Bella's supposed intentions to keep watch over them. Truthfully? There wasn't a lot of sentiment in the pale lioness.

Digger was about to reach her way through the wall of hyena's to help Dotty when a streak of white blocked her way, so much for being of any help. Digger's ears folded back against her skull and a slightly annoyed look slipped onto her features, but if Bellatrix was going to save Dotty's cub then Digger was in no way going to intervene. Her crimson eyes instead looked to Dotty, allowing her to make the final decision. Wether the cub went with her or Bella it didn't matter as long as she was going to be safe, maybe Bellatrix would help her slip Dotty some food later. The white lioness seemed quite invested in the former queen of Nottingham, maybe they were friends now.

Digger looked back down to Dotty's daughter, "Come on Nia, come with us, you're mother will be safe." Those were the only words that Digger could come up with at that very moment, she had started to feel unwelcome and out of place. Bellatrix seemed to have everything under control, Digger felt her presence was simply becoming moot.

Marie wondered what was going to happen next. There seemed to be a roar of tension between several lions and what Scar had declared. She didn't find it fair either but she didn't see the point in arguing with it. Whatever Scar's choice was, it was meant to be. There had been a time where the white kitten would have complained and begged to be kept alive.

Not today. 'Let's just get this over with.' she thought as she flexed her claws in and out.

The scared poor pup was now convinced, when/if he ever gout of this mess. He would join the Heroes in a heart beat. He would at least try to talk to Two Tone about coming with him but, Wizzer would not press the issue. Nuka had done a despicable thing and Wizzer had done quite a bit, and given up a lot(At least in his opinion) to support Nuka. And this is how he repays him? After the countless times he had fought on Nuka's side, this was how he was gonna treat his own side and to a better extent his "Family" ? Well, you know what? Wizzer had his own family back on the heroes, I'm sure after a bunch of apologies and pleads they'd except him, right? Of COURSE they would, Wizzer was their family.

Berlioz didn't think he'd ever felt so torn in his life.

On the one paw, he couldn't believe he was even considering leaving Danielle. She was... well, to say she had become everything to him would be something of an exaggeration, but as his best friend, she came closer than anyone else. And he had absolutely no reason to trust Oliver whatsoever; not to mention that Marie's maddeningly superior look was making him want to stay with the group destined for the pit, for the sole purpose of proving that he could be just as tough as she thought she was.

On the other, Oliver was making sense. And if he indeed had a plan to save the others... if it had been anyone else, Berlioz would have taken their word for it straight away, but thus far the tabby tom hadn't done anything to prove himself trustworthy in the younger feline's eyes. He could just be trying to 'toughen' Berlioz by unwittingly leaving the one he cared most about to her fate. His azure orbs darted from Oliver, to Danielle, and back to Oliver again.

He wanted to believe that the tabby feline wasn't lying, that he really had a plan; yet his skepticism of Oliver's motives was too strong to fully ignore. Charcoal feline glanced at Danielle one final time. She was so close to him that she must have heard even Oliver's quieter words, though whether she'd trust them any more that he did, adolescent cat wasn't certain.

"What do I do?" he softly pleaded of her.

"What do I do?"

Danielle's big brown eyes and lowered ears gave away too much. She wanted him to stay. She wanted him to be at her side and tell her everything was okay. But her mouth was dry. So she lifted her head and rubbed it against his cheek.

Nuka's own mouth was dry as he looked towards his former mate, his remaining children, his mother, his father and everyone involved in the rebellion. How they'd followed him into the abyss at the chance at hope and wonder in Nottingham. Now they were dying because of him and his arrogance.

"Listen to your father, go back to him. Go!"

Nuka backed up, claws scraping against the ground. He shook his head wildly before letting out a weak defeated roar. He was done. He couldn't watch them fall to their deaths. Mother was right. Father was right. Kovu and Vitani were right. He was a coward.

He ran off. Ran. Thin limbs carrying him across the dust. He would hide in his father's cave until they came to fetch him, fear crawling up his spine like the termites which used to bite him and would return shortly now that he was residing home once more.

(Nuka left the thread.)

A wicked chuckling came from somewhere within the villains' group, followed by the sound of lighting clapping hands. Leroy's clone was getting a kick out of this. From what he could tell some of the Earth creatures were getting ready to push their comrads into a pit. For what reason he didn't know. It was despicable, disgusting, and....he loved every minute of it. So much that it was almost sickening to those standing watch around him. He especially loved when the scrawny lion turned and ran like a coward. Abandoning his comrades to their fate. Such a detestable act!! Such atrocity!! The clone giggled and gurgled like he was a baby being fed a fresh bottle of milk. How he wished he had popcorn or...fried chicken or some such novelty to round out the afternoon!

"Hey, hey!!" He growled, stepping forward to address Scar, "Can throw the Earth creatures into hole?" Of course, he was about ready to toss a few in whether Scar consented to it or not.

Sabor waas reasonably patient.

Reasonably. But she had things to do, things to see, helpless animals to hunt and a child to feed.

"Your Majesty," Gem-like eyes glittered as they flicked towards the dark lion. The family show and displays of friendship and 'true love' between the menagerie of animals was all very touching, but the leopard felt they'd reached the point of comfortable indulgence. With the arch of a brow Sabor inclined her head ever so slightly in the direction of Nuka's motley remaining army, now abandoned by their former leader. "Are we to waste more time playing witness to these inferiorities and their sentiments?"

It wasn't as though Sabor really wanted to watch a bunch of young animals be tortured - but neither did she care whether they lived. Best to get it over with and stop wasting her time.

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

Scar scowled. "Hmph. This one's going to be trouble," he observed. If Nia wasn't going to behave, then Scar had no choice but to discipline her. Nuka had forfeited his daughters' lives the moment he stepped paw into the Outlands. However, Scar did not intend to kill them. Not yet. He would use them as bargaining chips in order to sway Nuka in the right direction. Once Nuka fulfilled his destiny, they'll be put down. Still...it'd be a shame to kill Kuzimu. Perhaps he can make some use of her in the not-so-distant future.

"ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR!!!"

"Nuka, enough with the histrionics," Scar deadpanned, unfazed. "Do you see anyone else throwing a tantrum? You're embarrassing me!"

Nuka then ran. Overjoyed, Scar watched his son leave through narrowed eyes. It is done. Nuka's now broken. Never again would he defy Scar. "Let him go," Scar told the Outlanders. "He's had a long day."

"Your Majesty. Are we to waste more time playing witness to these inferiorities and their sentiments?" Sabor asked. 

Scar shook his head and addressed the Outlanders one last time. "Ok, show's over!" he roared. "Toss the rest of the traitors into the hole. Now."

Finally!! Leroy's clone scampered up to the waiting prisoners, chuckling maniacally. He scanned the group, looking for the smallest and weakest to push into the pit. Suddenly, his eyes settled on a half-grown gray...kitten..? Tomcat? Whatever. The point was he looked weak. Standing there looking all pitiful and undecided. "Meega decide for you!" The clone growled. "You die!!" And he charged at Berlioz still giggling wildly, giving the young tom a forceful shove that would surely send him spiraling into the pit.

The clone relished the thought. He could easily see Berlioz's doomed form falling head over heels into the pit, flailing for purchase on the soft dirt walls to no avail. It tickled him something horrible. "Say bye bye pussy cat!!!"

"NO!"

Danielle barely recognized her voice when she shrieked. Leroy or who she thought was Leroy had pushed Berlioz, HER Berlioz into the pit! There was no attitude, no barking, JUST fear. Terror. She whimpered, whined, turned towards the red furred experiment as she watched Berlioz fall. It seemed in slow motion to her, slow, like watching someone else's life. In fact she wished it'd been someone else. Marie maybe. The red furred thing didn't even give Berlioz a chance to go, to follow his brother and Oliver to safety. No, he'd just been pushed like a rag doll flopping to the ground. But he was a cat. Danielle was sure he'd land on his feet. She'd seen Si and Am tumble from the stairs and land on their dainty paws.

"HE'S NOT GONNA DIE! NO!" Her voice was foreign again, choked with sobs as she heard Two-Tone scream next to her. The chubby growing dal wasn't saddened however, she was terrified she and Toulouse would be next.

"BUSTER! DO SOMETHING!" She cried, "Anything! Now!"

She turned in shock as she heard Danielle. She'd jumped right after Berlioz, rolling down the side on the hole hoping she'd fall enough to land roughly, maybe break a bone but not smack and die.

She wasn't going to let Berlioz go alone.

"Toss the rest of the traitors into the hole. Now."[/i]

Berlioz didn't have time to comprehend that these words meant his time to decide whether or not to trust Oliver had been abruptly cut short before he found himself being rammed by some undefinable red creature. Near as he was to the pit, Berlioz didn't stand a chance; the charcoal feline was hurled clean over the edge. Thankfully, Danielle's prediction had been right; within moments, natural feline reflex kicked in, and Berlioz somehow managed to twist in midair and get his paws beneath him, landing uninjured, though still serverely shaken.

"NO!"

For an instant, Berlioz froze, wondering who else had just been shoved in as he had, then realising that the scream had belonged to none other than Danielle. "I'm alright!" he called up to her urgently, but it was too late; he could see her familiar honey-furred form hurling herself down after him. Berlioz could hardly breath; he felt as though his heart had lodged itself firmly in his throat. If she was hurt...

There was only one thing he could think of to do. The cat sprinted forward, positioning himself, as best as he could predict, directly in Danielle's path. Hoping against hope that his small form would cushion her landing enough to prevent any serious injury. Berlioz didn't bother thinking how much Danielle falling on top of him would probably hurt, just so long as he could prevent her from being hurt badly herself. He had a couple of seconds to reflect on how, if someone had told him months earlier that he would be putting a girl's wellbeing over his own, he would have scoffed outright, before bracing himself for the impact of her body against his own.

Oliver had paused once Scar had spoken, waiting until he heard Berlioz's paw steps behind him. After all, the tabby tom had been rather sure that the grey-furred feline would follow him, it was the smartest thing to do. While he despised the idea of associating with the petty weakling, Oliver knew that hey had to do everything to keep their comrades alive. And Marie. He would do everything in his power to help his girlfriend. The ally cat was sure that Berlioz would do the same. The mongrel was just taking forever.

Probably finishing up his sappy, lovey-dovey goodbyes to his canine compadre, He sniggered slightly at the thought, still rather unsure as to why the fluffy pup liked Berlioz. Probably because she was just as useless as him. Rolling his amber orbs, the tabby tom finally turned around to investigate exactly what was taking Berlioz so long. The two had to get a move on if they hoped to catch up to Nuka anytime soon. They needed to talk to their former king if they hoped to reconstruct themselves. Besides, Oliver wanted to hear the full story of what, exactly, it was that was going on.

Though, as Oliver turned, he was met with the sight of Berlioz tumbling down at the paws of some furry red vermin. Freezing, his eyes grew wide as he watched his rival fall over the edge into the abyss of a pit that lay waiting for him and the others. Taking a small step forward, he couldn't help but feel slightly worried for Berlioz's sake. Sure, the ally cat had wished death upon the ruby thousands of times, but never did he think that Berlioz would go out like this. Swallowing hard, Oliver took another step closer, before watching the pup fly down after him. Eyes growing wide, he quickly realized that Marie would be soon to come. Dread gripping his heart, he quickly turned around and rushed off in search of Nuka.

(Oliver has left the thread. This was typed and posted from my phone, so I apologize for any errors)