- 4 hours ago
💞HOT SHORT 💞 Too Late For Sorry My Lion King
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00:03The night before my wedding, my husband slept with Hyena.
00:07I was alone in our new den, doing the final touches.
00:10I pawed open the deepest layer of bedding, and I found them.
00:14Dried stains.
00:15Coarse hairs.
00:17Gray with black spots.
00:18Hyena.
00:20Tira.
00:20I shifted to human form, standing barefoot on the bedding.
00:25I pinched the hairs between my fingers and brought them to my nose.
00:29Her scent.
00:30No mistake.
00:32I tossed the hairs away, shifted back to lioness.
00:42Ripples spread across the water's surface.
00:44I waited for Jago's face to appear, but the reflection wasn't his mane.
00:48It was another face.
00:50Round ears, green eyes, Tira.
00:52She shifted to human form, wearing an eye livery ring on a cord around her neck.
00:56That's a really comfortable nest.
00:58She said.
00:59I tested it for you.
01:00Where's Jango?
01:02I asked.
01:04Tira smiled.
01:06She stirred the water with her hand.
01:08Then Jango's voice drifted out.
01:10Tira.
01:11Come lick my back.
01:13Tira looked at the water.
01:15Looked at my face.
01:17The groom's not bad either, she said.
01:20Tested him for you too.
01:22The water went dark.
01:24I collapsed on the boulder.
01:26Moonlight on my fur.
01:28I don't know how long I lay there.
01:31Eventually, I went back to the den.
01:33Dragged out all the carefully laid grass, acacia pluff, lavender, and shoved it all off the rocks into the ravine
01:42below.
01:43I clawed deep gouges into the boulder.
01:47Then I bit through the knot of the wedding charm hanging at the entrance.
01:51I sent word to all our families and friends.
01:54Wedding cancelled.
01:55Then I turned off the water link.
01:57And went back to my own den.
02:00I drank fermented monkey bread fruit wine.
02:03And slept till morning.
02:06I woke to thunderous roaring outside my cave.
02:10Jango stood at the entrance with his brothers.
02:13They were all in lion form.
02:16Manes braided, coated with resin, gleaming in the morning light.
02:21Jango wore the brightest red parrot feathers around his neck.
02:24The groom's mark.
02:25The prey he was carrying had been crushed into pulp.
02:29Blood dripping everywhere.
02:30He shifted to human.
02:33His hair a mess.
02:35He's clearly just woken up.
02:37And his eyes went red.
02:40Cora!
02:42Have you lost your damn mind?
02:44The twisted look on his face was so ridiculous.
02:47That laugh couldn't help but laugh.
02:49That laugh pushed him over the edge.
02:52He slammed the pulpsed carcass onto the ground and roared at me.
02:56Do you know what today is?
02:58I sat up on my grass bed.
03:01The old animal held slipped down to my waist.
03:04I ran my fingers through my hair and said, voice raspy.
03:09I told you.
03:11Wedding's off.
03:12We're done.
03:13Jango's eyes were bloodshot.
03:15He squeezed them shut, grinding his teeth.
03:19Come with me right now.
03:21I'll pretend nothing happened.
03:27I forgive you.
03:29I glanced at his brothers behind him.
03:31They all had that look, enjoying the show.
03:36I stood up, tied the old hide tighter around my waist.
03:41And said coldly,
03:44Jango, you're the one who messed up.
03:47You really want to do this here?
03:49In front of everyone?
03:51Talk about you and the hyena queen?
03:53Get lost.
03:55We're done.
03:58Jango froze.
04:00His face went through about five different expressions.
04:03That arrogant fire got doused real quick.
04:06His eyes started darting around, unable to meet mine.
04:10But he didn't leave.
04:12His voice went soft.
04:14You've got it wrong.
04:15My fault.
04:16I should have told you sooner.
04:17Fight me.
04:18Claw me.
04:19Whatever.
04:19Ever.
04:21But today's our big nay.
04:23The whole Savannah's watching.
04:26Stop making a scene and come with me, okay?
04:29He shook his head, gave a bitter smile, looked so sincere, like I was the one being crazy.
04:35One of Jango's good brothers shifted to human form and opened his mouth.
04:39Sister-in-law, can't you sort this out later?
04:42Let's just do the ceremony today.
04:44Wait here.
04:47I turned back into the cave, finger-combed my hair, tied it back with vines, put on a clean hide
04:53skirt, and came back out.
04:55No red clay bridal paint.
04:57No red clay bridal paint.
04:59No jewelry.
04:59Jango asked why I wasn't going to the river to bathe first.
05:02Why I wasn't putting on makeup.
05:04I didn't answer.
05:06His face darkened.
05:09But he couldn't do a thing about it.
05:11The wedding was under the baobab tree.
05:14When I got there, I saw it was basically just Jango's family and friends.
05:18None of my siblings.
05:20None of my people.
05:21I'd already told them last night.
05:22Seeing me show up so casually, the guests started murmuring.
05:27A few old lionesses shifted to human form and started whispering in shrill voices.
05:31How can she throw such a tantrum over something so small?
05:34So entitled.
05:35Exactly.
05:36All these guests waiting.
05:37And she pulls this.
05:39If she didn't want to marry him, she should have said so earlier.
05:42Jango'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.
05:50Silly child.
05:52We couldn't reach you on the water link last night.
05:55We were so worried.
05:56And said gently,
05:57Did Jango hurt you?
05:59Tell me.
06:00I'll deal with him.
06:02Before I could answer,
06:04someone arrived.
06:06Tira.
06:07New pay walk.
06:13She was wearing a spotted hyena hide dyed red.
06:17Madla root dye.
06:18Red as blood.
06:20Behind her came three hyena guards, all in human form, moving in perfect step.
06:26Her face was painted with flower juice and charcoal ash.
06:30Elaborate patterns running from the corners of her eyes all the way to her lips.
06:36She wore bone heels.
06:38Every step went click, click.
06:42Hope I'm not too late.
06:43She said, voice like sand and blood mixed together.
06:47Congratulations on the wedding, Cora.
06:49Tira walked to the main seat and sat down next to me.
06:53When she sat,
06:55something around her neck caught the light.
06:59An ivory ring.
07:04Exactly like the one around my neck.
07:06That design.
07:07I'd carved it by hand with stone tools.
07:09It took me a month, polishing it with sandstone slabs.
07:13There were only two in the world.
07:15One around my neck.
07:16One I'd placed in Jego's hands myself.
07:19Now it hung around the hyena queen's neck.
07:24My fingers clenched the hem of my hide skirt.
07:29Jego and the baboon Shabba walked over together.
07:36The bride's red fur coat is really pretty.
07:41Tira laughed.
07:44Oh, I'm not the bride today.
07:47Don't mind me, Cora.
07:51He saw Tira.
07:53A flicker of panic crossed his face.
07:59But he quickly looked away.
08:01Why aren't you getting ready?
08:06Jango!
08:07Watch your tone!
08:11Yeah, Cora's just a little upset.
08:14Tira chimed in.
08:15You should sweet talk her.
08:20That made Jego even angrier.
08:24He shifted to lion form and roared at me.
08:29Cora!
08:30There's a limit to your stubbornness!
08:33Go!
08:35Now!
08:39Tira stood up and patted Jempa's shoulder.
08:42Don't be mad.
08:43Cora will go get ready.
08:44I'll help you greet the guests.
08:47You might as well just marry him yourself.
08:49I said.
08:51I stood up, raised my voice so every guest could hear.
08:55Sorry, everyone.
08:56You came all this way for nothing.
09:00Eat.
09:00Drink.
09:01Be merry.
09:04But Jango and I?
09:06Officially done.
09:08As of now.
09:09You're all witnesses.
09:14Jango shifted back to human.
09:17Glaring at me.
09:18Are you done!
09:23Tira looked genuinely worried.
09:27Cora, don't misunderstand.
09:31I was just offering to help with the guests.
09:35You've done way more than help with guests.
09:39I said.
09:42Didn't you already test out the bed for me?
09:46Something flickered deep in Tira's eyes.
09:50Satisfaction.
09:52But she switched it out fast for a hurt look.
09:58I slapped her across the face.
10:00The whole place went dead silent.
10:03Four bloody scratches appeared on Tira's face.
10:06She froze for a second.
10:08Then her eyes changed.
10:12The three hyena guards behind her all stepped forward at once.
10:16Low rattling growls in their throats.
10:21Jango panicked.
10:23He stepped in front of Tira.
10:26No.
10:27He blocked her.
10:32Cora, are you insane?
10:34He roared at me.
10:37Tira finally let the tears fall.
10:40She buried her face in Jango's chest.
10:43But her eyes, over his shoulder, stayed locked on mine.
10:46There was rage in that look.
10:48And triumph.
10:49Lady Brown moved fast.
10:51She lunged forward and yanked Tira out of Jango's arms.
10:58Tira, this is a family matter.
11:02You don't belong here.
11:04Now.
11:05Tira looked at Jango.
11:07He looked away.
11:10She looked at me.
11:13Then she smiled.
11:14She shifted to hyena form.
11:17Mouth splitting all the way to her ears, rows of yellow teeth.
11:23She turned and walked away.
11:29But Jango wasn't done.
11:33He shifted to lion and roared at me.
11:36Happy now?
11:38You ruined the wedding!
11:41No other lion in this world will want you.
11:46Are you just in world?
11:49You crazy bitch!
11:51I slammed my palm on the table.
11:56You're right.
11:58It's off.
11:59But today, I'm teaching you a lesson.
12:04I walked to the stone wall and traced Tira's name in the sand.
12:09The wall lit up.
12:11Last night's images filled the entire rock face.
12:15That's a really comfortable nest.
12:18I tested it for you.
12:21Where's Jango?
12:22The groom's not bad either.
12:25Tested him for you too?
12:27And in the image, Jango's voice from deep inside the cave.
12:31Tira, come lick my back.
12:39The images faded.
12:41The wall went dark.
12:42Silence.
12:43Mr. Brown stood up.
12:45Walked to Jango.
12:47And slapped him across the face.
12:51Jango staggered.
12:53Tears ran down the old man's face.
12:56Jango, I said, voice rising from somewhere deep in my chest.
13:02The one who betrayed this marriage was you.
13:06You and the hyena queen.
13:08In our marriage bed.
13:11My eyes started blurring.
13:15I shook my head.
13:16Shook the tears off.
13:18Jagen's lips trembled.
13:19Nothing came out.
13:21I didn't look at him again.
13:22I only said to Jango's parents and the guests.
13:24I'm sorry for everything that happened today.
13:27Jango and I are done.
13:29Please forgive my rudeness.
13:31Then I turned and walked away.
13:34And in the image, Jango's voice from deep inside the cave.
13:38Tira, come lick my back.
13:42The images faded.
13:44The wall went dark.
13:46Silence.
13:49Behind the baobab tree, I ran into Tira leaning against the trunk.
13:54She hadn't left.
13:57She'd been waiting for me.
14:00So Cora's not getting married today.
14:02Where are you off to?
14:03She asked.
14:04I didn't answer.
14:05She kept going.
14:06Cora.
14:07A plain, ordinary lioness like you should just find some plain, ordinary lion.
14:14Jango was never someone you could reach.
14:16I couldn't reach him.
14:18I repeated.
14:20Isn't that the truth?
14:22Cora needs to know her place.
14:25I 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.
14:36It doesn't belong on you.
14:38Jango gave that to me!
14:39Tira lunged for it.
14:42I bent down and used my toe to nudge the ring into a pile of fresh dung.
14:48Watching her face I said flatly.
14:50Trash belongs in the trash heap.
14:52If you want to dig through shit for food, be my guest.
14:57Same goes for Jeba.
15:01I gave her one last look and walked into the grass.
15:05You think you've won?
15:07Tira's voice followed me.
15:10I didn't look back.
15:11Before dawn the next day.
15:13Jango came back.
15:15He stood outside my cave.
15:18No brothers.
15:19No feathers.
15:21Alone.
15:23Two enormous black circles under his eyes.
15:26The moment I came out, he shoved a freshly killed wildebeest towards me.
15:31Cora, I brought you something fresh.
15:33Still warm.
15:35I looked at him calmly.
15:38Suddenly, none of it meant anything.
15:43I pushed him.
15:44He didn't move.
15:45I tried to go back into the cave.
15:48He stuck his hand in the rock crack to block me.
15:50Cora, please.
15:51It's all my fault.
15:54I was wrong.
15:55Give me one more chance.
15:57It was Tira who seduced me.
15:59You know I only love you.
16:02Cheating is cheating.
16:03I said.
16:05And you have the nerve to blame someone else?
16:08My calm unsettled him.
16:10But you disgust me.
16:12I said.
16:12One word at a time.
16:14Jango froze.
16:16Then came the hot, humiliated explosion.
16:19He shifted to lion, roaring at me.
16:23Then his voice went soft again.
16:29I was just led astray for a moment.
16:31I shook my head.
16:33After all that, what you can't let go of, is it me?
16:38Or my family's water source?
16:41Jango's face went white.
16:43Your pride has had it easy all these years because of our shared water agreement.
16:49If it weren't for my father taking pity on you, your dried up territory wouldn't survive a single dry season.
16:58Jango, what I give, I can take back.
17:02With interest.
17:05Every word landed like a claw.
17:08Jango's face drained completely.
17:11His lips trembled.
17:13Nothing came out.
17:14I didn't look at him again.
17:17I turned and walked into the savannah.
17:20Behind me, Jango's voice came out.
17:23Shredded.
17:24Like it was claw from the bottom of his throat.
17:27Cora!
17:28I didn't look back.
17:30A few days later, Lady Brown found me.
17:35Jango is going to jump off the cliff.
17:39Can you come?
17:41I looked into her eyes.
17:43Something in them made my heart soften.
17:48I sighed.
17:52I went.
17:54Jango stood at the cliff's edge.
17:56He was in lion form, mane blowing back in the wind like a broken flag.
18:00His front paws had already crept over the edge.
18:04Pebbles crumbled beneath him.
18:07Lady Brown was sobbing nearby, barely standing.
18:09Mr. Brown kept sighing, pounding his thigh with his fist.
18:12Tira was there too.
18:14She wasn't crying.
18:15She was just watching Jango coldly.
18:18The corner of her mouth curled in something.
18:20Half smile, half something else.
18:22Jango saw me.
18:25His eyes went red instantly.
18:30Cora.
18:32If I jump, will you forgive me?
18:34I didn't answer.
18:36Cora, just tell him yes.
18:38I'm begging you.
18:42I'll get on my knees if I have to.
18:44I steadied her.
18:45Fine.
18:46I forgive you.
18:47At that point, hate didn't matter anymore.
18:54That's when Tira spoke up.
18:56You believe her?
18:58As long as you're alive, she will never forgive you.
19:01You've got nothing now.
19:04No water, no territory, no her.
19:09What's the point of living?
19:11Jango's eyes went bloodshot.
19:13He looked at Tira, looked at me, took another step toward the edge.
19:18More pebbles fell.
19:20Jango, do you want to know why I cut off the water?
19:25Jango turned his head.
19:27It's not just because of you and Tira.
19:29If that were all, I'd have broken up with you.
19:32But I wouldn't have cut off your whole pride's survival.
19:35It's because of Tira.
19:38She sold your pride's hunting routes to the rogue pride in the north.
19:43If we kept sharing water, my pride would get dragged into it too.
19:47Sooner or later, those rogues would follow the water straight to our territory.
19:52I was telling the truth.
19:54I found out after.
19:56Tira didn't just want to steal Jango.
19:59She wanted to destroy everyone.
20:01Jango's face went pale in a whole new way.
20:03Was it you?
20:04Tira's face finally changed.
20:06She opened her mouth, but it was too late.
20:09The guards, Jango's family guards, Mr. Brown had placed them there,
20:12had been waiting for this moment.
20:14The split second Jango got distracted.
20:17Two male lions from the side and pulled him back from the edge.
20:20They hit the ground rolling.
20:22Jango struggled for a second, then went limp.
20:24Mr. Brown walked over, crouched down, and patted Jango's back.
20:28Once, twice, didn't say a word.
20:32Jango lay on the ground, staring at the sky.
20:34Empty eyes.
20:35I turned to leave.
20:37Tira moved.
20:39She came from the side, fast.
20:41She'd shifted to Hyena, all four paws digging in.
20:45Korra, die!
20:46I wasn't ready.
20:47Her weight slammed into me.
20:48I fell backward toward the cliff.
20:50At the last second, Jango launched.
20:52He hit Tira from the side, sent her tumbling.
20:56I felt the rocks sliding under me.
20:59Then a guard grabbed my scuff and hauled me back.
21:03I was getting dragged by a lion's teeth.
21:07But I didn't care about the pain.
21:09I struggled to turn over.
21:13My wrist twisted when I braced myself.
21:16Tira was pinned on the ground, still struggling.
21:20She shifted back to human.
21:22Hair wild, face paint smeared, still screaming.
21:25Let me go!
21:26I'll kill her!
21:27That bitch!
21:28I have nothing left!
21:31They dragged her away.
21:32Her voice got smaller and smaller, finally swallowed by the wind.
21:36I lay on the ground, staring at the sky.
21:39Lady Brown came over.
21:40her, crouched beside me, stroked my hair.
21:44Her hands were shaking.
21:46Cora, I'm so sorry.
21:49I shook my head.
21:51Not her fault.
21:54Later I found out, Tira had poisoned Jango's water.
21:58Not lethal, just herbs that clouded the mind, mixed into fermented monkey bread wine.
22:03Jango 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.
22:10Tira's plan, let Jango jump.
22:12Then she'd jump too, so they could be together forever.
22:15However, she said this herself, during questioning.
22:21She said it with a smile.
22:23I'd also sold my own pride's hunting roots to the rogue northern pride, in exchange for
22:29them helping me cut off Jago's water at the start of dry season.
22:33Push Jago's pride into panic.
22:41What she didn't expect was that those same roots would expose my family's water source.
22:47Her hyena pack abandoned her.
22:53Her little sister took her place.
22:55She was exiled.
22:57Alone.
22:58No pack.
22:59No allies.
23:01On the savannah, that's worse than death.
23:04His pride splintered.
23:05Some followed his brother north.
23:07The rest scattered across the savannah.
23:08But the water was gone.
23:10The territory was gone.
23:11The allies were gone.
23:13He stayed alone in that dried up territory.
23:16Wasted away to nothing.
23:18I never saw him again.
23:21I 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.
23:31Trustworthy.
23:34I went to the great lake in the east.
23:37Three days of travel.
23:40Through an acacia forest.
23:43Across an open meadow.
23:45Over a dry riverbed.
23:48The dry season river was nothing but white sand and scattered stones.
23:53Under my paws.
23:58When I got to the lake.
24:01The water.
24:02The water was blue.
24:03Bright.
24:04Glittering.
24:06Like a gem.
24:08Trees along the shore.
24:10The smell of acacia blossoms.
24:13Fish in the water.
24:15Every evening.
24:17The sun set and turned the whole lake orange.
24:21And the wind came off the water.
24:23Damp.
24:24Sweet.
24:27And there were a lot of handsome lions.
24:30One evening.
24:31I was drinking at the water's edge.
24:33Lion form.
24:35Front legs in the shallows.
24:37Head down.
24:38Tongue curling cold water.
24:41Across the lake.
24:42There was another lion.
24:43His mane was black as night.
24:46His mane was black as night.
24:46With purple glints in the setting sun.
24:50He didn't come close.
24:52Didn't make a sound.
24:54He just looked at me once.
24:56Then lowered his head and started drinking too.
25:00We drank on opposite sides of the whole lake.
25:05When he finished.
25:31When he finished.
25:33He shifted to human form.
25:33And smoothed my hair.
25:37I shifted to human form.
25:39And smoothed my hair.
25:41We didn't speak.
25:42But neither of us left first.
25:45That night.
25:46When the moon came up.
25:48I heard a low lion's roar from the other side of the lake.
25:52I lay down at the water's edge.
25:56I didn't roar back.
25:58But I didn't leave either.
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