- 8 minutes ago
Too Late for Sorry My Lion King
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00:03the night before my wedding my husband slept with hyena i was alone in our new den doing the final
00:09touches i pawed open the deepest layer of bedding and i found them dried stains coarse hairs gray
00:16with black spots hyena tira i shifted to human form standing barefoot on the bedding i pinched
00:25the hairs between my fingers and brought them to my nose her scent no mistake i tossed the hairs away
00:32shifted back to lioness
00:42ripples spread across the water's surface i waited for jago's face to appear but the reflection wasn't
00:47his mane it was another face round ears green eyes tira she shifted to human form wearing an
00:53eye livery ring on a cord around her neck that's a really comfortable nest she said i tested it for
00:59you where's jango i asked tira smiled she stirred the water with her hand then jango's voice drifted out
01:09tira come lick my back tira looked at the water looked at my face the groom's not bad either she
01:18said tested him for you too the water went dark i collapsed on the boulder moonlight on my fur i
01:28don't
01:28know how long i lay there eventually i went back to the den dragged out all the carefully laid grass
01:36acacia fluff lavender and shoved it all off the rocks into the ravine below i clawed deep gouges
01:44into the boulder then i bit through the knot of the wedding charm hanging at the entrance i sent word
01:51to all our families and friends wedding canceled then i turned off the water link and went back to my
01:58own den i drank fermented monkey bread fruit wine and slept till morning i woke to thunderous roaring
02:08outside my cave jago stood at the entrance with his brothers they were all in lion form manes braided coated
02:17with resin gleaming in the morning light jango wore the brightest red parrot feathers around his neck
02:23the groom's mark the prey he was carrying had been crushed into pulp blood dripping everywhere he shifted
02:30to human his hair a mess he's clearly just woken up and his eyes went red cora have you lost
02:42your damn
02:43mind the twisted look on his face was so ridiculous that laugh couldn't help but laugh that laugh pushed
02:50him over the edge he slammed the pulped carcass onto the ground and roared at me do you know what
02:57today is
02:58i sat up on my grass bed the old animal held slipped down to my waist i ran my fingers
03:05through my hair
03:06and said voice raspy i told you wedding's off we're done jango's eyes were bloodshot he squeezed them
03:16shut grinding his teeth come with me right now i'll pretend nothing happened
03:26i forgive you i glanced at his brothers behind him they all had that look enjoying the show
03:35i stood up tied the old hide tighter around my waist
03:40and said coldly jago you're the one who messed up
03:46you really want to do this here in front of everyone talk about you and the hyena queen
03:52get lost we're done
03:58jago froze his face went through about five different expressions
04:02that arrogant fire got doused real quick his eyes started darting around unable to meet mine
04:10but he didn't leave his voice went soft you've got it wrong my fault i should have told you sooner
04:16fight me claw me whatever
04:20but today's our big nay the whole savannah's watching
04:25stop making a scene and come with me okay
04:28he shook his head gave a bitter smile looked so sincere like i was the one being crazy
04:34one of jago's good brothers shifted to human form and opened his mouth
04:39sister-in-law can't you sort this out later let's just do the ceremony today wait here
04:46i turned back into the cave finger combed my hair tied it back with vines put on a clean hide
04:52skirt
04:52and came back out no red clay bridal paint no jewelry jango asked why i wasn't going to the river
05:00to
05:00bathe first why i wasn't putting on makeup i didn't answer his face darkened but he couldn't do a thing
05:10about it the wedding was under the baobab tree when i got there i saw it was basically just jango's
05:16family and friends none of my siblings none of my people i'd already told them last night seeing me
05:23show up so casually the guests started murmuring a few old lionesses shifted to human form and started
05:29whispering in shrill voices how can she throw such a tantrum over something so small so entitled
05:34exactly all these guests waiting and she pulls this if she didn't want to marry him she should
05:40have said so earlier jago's mother lady brown came up to me and sat me down in the main seat
05:46she stayed in human form reached over to smooth my hair silly child we couldn't reach you on the
05:53water link last night we were so worried and said gently did jago hurt you tell me i'll deal with
06:00him before i could answer someone arrived tira new pay walk
06:13she was wearing a spotted hyena hide dyed red madler root dye red as blood behind her came three hyena
06:22guards all in human form moving in perfect step her face was painted with flower juice and charcoal ash
06:29elaborate patterns running from the corners of her eyes all the way to her lips
06:35she wore bone heels every step went click click hope i'm not too late she said voice like sand and
06:45blood mixed together congratulations on the wedding cora tira walked to the main seat and sat down next
06:51to me when she sat something around her neck caught the light an ivory ring
07:03exactly like the one around my neck that design i'd carved it by hand with stone tools
07:08it took me a month polishing it with sandstone slabs there were only two in the world one around my
07:15neck
07:15one i'd placed in jago's hands myself now it hung around the hyena queen's neck
07:23my fingers clenched the hem of my hide skirt
07:28jago and the baboon shabo walked over together
07:35the bride's red fur coat is really pretty
07:40tyra laughed oh i'm not the bride today don't mind me cora
07:51he saw tyra a flicker of panic crossed his face
07:58but he quickly looked away why aren't you getting ready
08:05jango watch your tone
08:10yeah cora's just a little upset
08:13tyra chimed in you should sweet talk her
08:20that made jago even angrier
08:23he shifted to lion form and roared at me
08:29cora there's a limit to your stubbornness
08:32go now
08:39tyra stood up and patted jempa's shoulder
08:41don't be mad cora will go get ready
08:44i'll help you greet the guests
08:46you might as well just marry him yourself
08:48i said
08:50i stood up raised my voice so every guest could hear
08:54sorry everyone you came all this way for nothing
08:58eat drink be merry
09:03but jango and i officially done as of now
09:08you're all witnesses
09:13jango shifted back to human
09:15glaring at me
09:17are you done
09:22tyra looked genuinely worried
09:28cora don't misunderstand
09:31i was just offering to help with the guests
09:35you've done way more than help with guests
09:38i said
09:41didn't you already test out the bed for me
09:46something flickered deep in tyra's eyes
09:49satisfaction
09:52but she switched it out fast for a hurt look
09:57i slapped her across the face
09:59the whole place went dead silent
10:02four bloody scratches appeared on tyra's face
10:05she froze for a second
10:07then her eyes changed
10:11the three hyena guards behind her all stepped forward at once
10:15low rattling growls in their throats
10:20jango panicked
10:23he stepped in front of tyra
10:24no
10:26he blocked her
10:31cora are you insane
10:33he roared at me
10:37tyra finally let the tears fall
10:40she buried her face in jago's chest
10:42but her eyes
10:43over his shoulder
10:44stayed locked on mine
10:45there was rage in that look
10:47and triumph
10:48lady brown moved fast
10:51she lunged forward and yanked tyra out of jago's arms
10:57tyra
10:58this is a family matter
11:01you don't belong here
11:03now
11:04tyra looked at jango
11:06he looked away
11:09she looked at me
11:12then she smiled
11:13she shifted to hyena form
11:16mouth splitting all the way to her ears
11:18rows of yellow teeth
11:22she turned and walked away
11:28but jango wasn't done
11:32he shifted to lion
11:34and roared at
11:35happy now
11:37you ruined the wedding
11:39no other lion
11:42in this world
11:43will want you
11:45are you tested world
11:48you crazy bitch
11:50i slammed my palm on the table
11:55you're right
11:56it's off
11:58but today
11:59i'm teaching you
12:01a lesson
12:04i walked to the stone wall
12:05and traced tyra's name in the sand
12:08the wall lit up
12:10last night's images filled the entire rock face
12:14that's a really comfortable nest
12:17i tested it for you
12:20where's jago
12:21the groom's not bad either
12:24tested him for you too
12:26and in the image
12:27jago's voice from deep inside the cave
12:30tyra
12:31come lick my back
12:38the images faded
12:40the wall went dark
12:41silence
12:42mr brown stood up
12:44walked to jango
12:47and slapped him across the face
12:50jango staggered
12:53tears ran down the old man's face
12:56jago
12:57i said
12:58voice rising from somewhere deep in my chest
13:02the one who betrayed this marriage was you
13:05you and the hyena queen
13:07in our marriage bed
13:10my eyes started blurring
13:14i shook my head
13:15shook the tears off
13:17jagan's lips trembled
13:18nothing came out
13:20i didn't look at him again
13:21i only said to jago's parents and the guests
13:24i'm sorry for everything that happened today
13:27jago and i are done
13:28please forgive my rudeness
13:30then i turned and walked away
13:32and in the image
13:35jago's voice from deep inside the cave
13:37tyra
13:38come lick my back
13:42the images faded
13:43the wall went dark
13:45silence
13:49behind the baobab tree
13:50i ran into tyra
13:52leaning against the trunk
13:53she hadn't left
13:56she'd been waiting for me
13:59so cora's not getting married today
14:01where are you off to
14:02she asked
14:03i didn't answer
14:04she kept going
14:05cora
14:06a plain ordinary lioness like you
14:09should just find some plain ordinary lion
14:13jago was never someone you could reach
14:15i couldn't reach him
14:17i repeated
14:20isn't that the truth
14:22cora needs to know her place
14:24i stepped forward and yanked the leather cord off her neck
14:30the ivory ring fell to the ground
14:33i carved that ring with my own hands
14:35it doesn't belong on you
14:37jago gave that to me
14:39tyra lunged for it
14:41i bent down
14:42and used my toe
14:44to nudge the ring into a pile of fresh dung
14:47watching her face i said flatly
14:49trash belongs in the trash heap
14:51if you want to dig through shit for food
14:54be my guest
14:57same goes for jeba
15:00i gave her one last look
15:02and walked into the grass
15:04you think you've won
15:07tyra's voice followed me
15:09i didn't look back
15:11before dawn the next day
15:12jango came back
15:15he stood outside my cave
15:17no brothers
15:18no brothers
15:19no feathers
15:20alone
15:22two enormous black circles under his eyes
15:25the moment i came out
15:26he shoved a freshly killed wildebeest towards me
15:29cora
15:30i brought you something fresh
15:32still warm
15:35i looked at him calmly
15:37suddenly none of it meant anything
15:42i pushed him
15:43he didn't move
15:44i tried to go back into the cave
15:47he stuck his hand in the rock crack to block me
15:50cora please
15:50it's all my fault
15:53i was wrong
15:54give me one more chance
15:56it was tyra who seduced me
15:58you know i only love you
16:00cheating is cheating
16:02i said
16:04and you have the nerve to blame someone else
16:06my calm unsettled him
16:09but you disgust me
16:11i said
16:11one word at a time
16:14jango froze
16:15then came the hot humiliated explosion
16:18he shifted to lion
16:20roaring at me
16:22then his voice went soft again
16:28i was just led astray for a moment
16:30i shook my head
16:33after all that
16:34what you can't let go of
16:36is it me
16:37or my family's water source
16:40jenga's face went white
16:42your pride has had it easy
16:45all these years
16:46because of our shared water agreement
16:49if it weren't for my father
16:51taking pity on you
16:53your dried up territory
16:55wouldn't survive a single dry season
16:57jago
16:58what i give
16:59i can take back
17:02with interest
17:04every word landed like a claw
17:07jago's face drained completely
17:10his lips trembled
17:12nothing came out
17:14i didn't look at him again
17:16i turned
17:17and walked into the savannah
17:19behind me
17:20jango's voice came out
17:22shredded
17:22like it was claw from the bottom of his throat
17:27i didn't look back
17:29a few days later
17:31lady brown found me
17:34jago is going to jump off the cliff
17:39can you come
17:40i looked into her eyes
17:43something in them made my heart soften
17:48i sighed
17:52i went
17:53jago stood at the cliff's edge
17:55he was in lion form
17:57mane blowing back in the wind like a broken flag
18:00his front paws had already crept over the edge
18:04pebbles crumbled beneath him
18:06lady brown was sobbing nearby
18:07barely standing
18:08mr brown kept sighing
18:10pounding his thigh with his fist
18:12tira was there too
18:13she wasn't crying
18:14she was just watching jango coldly
18:17the corner of her mouth curled in something
18:19half smile
18:20half something else
18:21jago saw me
18:25his eyes went red instantly
18:30cora
18:31if i jump
18:32will you forgive me
18:34i didn't answer
18:35cora just tell him yes
18:37i'm begging you
18:41i'll get on my knees if i have to
18:43i steadied her
18:44fine
18:45i forgive you
18:46at that point
18:48hate didn't matter anymore
18:54that's when tira spoke up
18:55you believe her
18:57as long as you're alive
18:59she will never forgive you
19:01you've got nothing now
19:03no water
19:04no territory
19:05no her
19:08what's the point of living
19:10jango's eyes went bloodshot
19:12he looked at tira
19:14looked at me
19:15took another step toward the edge
19:17more pebbles fell
19:19jango
19:20do you want to know why i cut off the water
19:24jango turned his head
19:26it's not just because of you and tira
19:29if that were all
19:30i'd have broken up with you
19:31but i wouldn't have cut off your whole pride's survival
19:35it's because of tira
19:37she sold your pride's hunting routes to the rogue pride in the north
19:43if we kept sharing water
19:45my pride would get dragged into it too
19:47sooner or later
19:48those rogues would follow the water straight to our territory
19:51i was telling the truth
19:53i found out after
19:56tira didn't just want to steal jango
19:58she wanted to destroy everyone
20:00jango's face went pale in a whole new way
20:02was it you
20:03tira's face finally changed
20:05she opened her mouth
20:07but it was too late
20:08the guards
20:09jango's family guards
20:10mr brown had placed them there
20:11had been waiting for this moment
20:13the split second jango got distracted
20:16two male lions from the side
20:18and pulled him back from the edge
20:20they hit the ground rolling
20:21jango struggled for a second
20:22then went limp
20:23mr brown walked over
20:25crouched down
20:26and patted jenga's back
20:27once
20:28twice
20:29didn't say a word
20:30jenga lay on the ground
20:32staring at the sky
20:33empty eyes
20:34i turned to leave
20:37tira moved
20:38she came from the side
20:40fast
20:40she'd shifted to hyena
20:42all four paws digging in
20:43cora
20:45die
20:45i wasn't ready
20:46her weight slammed into me
20:48i fell backward toward the cliff
20:49at the last second
20:51jango launched
20:52he hit tira from the side
20:53sent her tumbling
20:56i felt the rock sliding under me
20:59then a guard grabbed my scuff
21:01and hauled me back
21:03i was getting dragged by a lion's teeth
21:06but i didn't care about the pain
21:09i struggled to turn over
21:12my wrist twisted when i braced myself
21:15tira was pinned on the ground
21:17still struggling
21:19she shifted back to human
21:21hair wild
21:22face paint smeared
21:23still screaming
21:24let me go
21:25i'll kill her
21:26that bitch
21:27i have nothing left
21:30they dragged her away
21:32her voice got smaller and smaller
21:34finally swallowed by the wind
21:35i lay on the ground
21:37staring at the sky
21:38lady brown came over
21:40crouched beside me
21:41stroked my hair
21:43her hands were shaking
21:46cora
21:46i'm so sorry
21:48i shook my head
21:50not her fault
21:53later i found out
21:55tira had poisoned jago's water
21:57not lethal
21:58just herbs that clouded the mind
22:00mixed into fermented monkey bread wine
22:02jago drank it for days
22:05that's why he was so out of it
22:07that's why he stood on that cliff for so long
22:09tira's plan
22:10let jango jump
22:12then she'd jump too
22:13so they could be together forever
22:14she said this herself
22:16during questioning
22:20she said it with a smile
22:22i'd also sold my own pride's hunting roots to the rogue northern pride
22:27in exchange for them helping me cut off jaga's water at the start of dry season
22:32push jaga's pride into panic
22:38make jaga depend on my more
22:41what she didn't expect was that those same roots would expose my family's water source
22:46her hyena pack abandoned her
22:52her little sister took her place
22:54she was exiled
22:56alone
22:57no pack
22:58no allies
23:00on the savannah
23:01that's worse than death
23:03his pride splintered
23:04some followed his brother north
23:06the rest scattered across the savannah
23:08but the water was gone
23:09the territory was gone
23:11the allies were gone
23:12he stayed alone in that dried up territory
23:15wasted away to nothing
23:17i never saw him again
23:20i found a capable deputy to handle the pride's daily affairs
23:25the son of my father's old lieutenant
23:28someone who'd watched me grow up
23:30trustworthy
23:33i went to the great lake in the east
23:37three days of travel
23:40through an acacia forest
23:42across an open meadow
23:44over a dry riverbed
23:46the dry season river was nothing but white sand and scattered stones
23:52under my paws
23:57when i got to the lake
23:59the water was blue
24:02bright
24:03glittering
24:05like a gem
24:06trees along the shore
24:09the smell of acacia blossoms
24:13fish in the water
24:14every evening
24:16the sun set and turned the whole lake orange
24:19and the wind came off the water
24:22damp
24:23sweet
24:27and there were a lot of handsome lions
24:29one evening
24:30i was drinking at the water's edge
24:33lion form
24:34front legs in the shallows
24:36head down
24:37tongue curling cold water
24:39across the lake
24:41there was another lion
24:43his mane was black as night
24:45with purple glints in the setting sun
24:49he didn't come close
24:51didn't make a sound
24:54he just looked at me once
24:55then lowered his head
24:57and started drinking too
25:00we drank on opposite sides of the whole lake
25:04when he finished
25:06he shifted to human form
25:09berkey was gel
25:10mosestin's file
25:11and sat on a rock
25:13across the water
25:14a young man
25:16skin deep brown
25:17from the sun
25:18broad shoulders
25:21black hair
25:22curly
25:23falling over his shoulders
25:24his eyes were amber
25:26bright as two lamps
25:28in the sunset
25:30he looked at me
25:32i looked at him
25:36i shifted to human form
25:38and smoothed my hair
25:41we didn't speak
25:42but neither of us left first
25:44that night
25:46when the moon came up
25:47i heard a low lion's roar
25:49from the other side of the lake
25:52i lay down at the water's edge
25:56i didn't roar back
25:57but i didn't leave either
25:59i didn't have the water
25:59i even grew up
26:00when the moon came back
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