A/N: I know this is a day late, but I got sidetracked. Anyway, happy Valentine's Day!

oOo

"You know Takasa, I actually saw Lingwa yesterday."

"Not very nice is he, or didn't you speak to him?"

"Oh no, I spoke to him. He's certainly not as nice as you, that's for sure."

Takasa smiled, "Thanks, what did you talk to him about?"

"Well . . . actually . . . I don't really want to talk about it."

"Oh, come on Weusi, I'm your mate!"

She smiled, "It hasn't got anything to do with you, don't worry."

"Well . . . I guess that's a good thing in a way. Alright, suit yourself."

Weusi was happy with that answer, though she couldn't help but think, if only I had told Lingwa, if only I had told him that that was Jabari, then and there, then I'd have nothing to fear.

oOo

Weusi walked out to the waterhole, stretching her legs. She had acted perfectly normally around Takasa. He hadn't even tried to press the issue of what she had talked to Lingwa about. So far as she knew, he had no idea what she had done yesterday.

She leaned down to take a drink when she saw a rippling reflection in the water. She looked up to see Lingwa standing opposite her. She realized once again just how utterly alone she was with him. She tried to force some amount of steel into her voice as she said, "What do you want?"

"I found Jabari yesterday."

Weusi swallowed. She hadn't mentioned his name. "Is he . . ." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Not yet. He has three days to live. In three days, he'll be dead."

"Good," said Weusi. She began to lap up water, trying to act casual about it.

"And how do I know that you'll follow through on your end of the bargain?"

"How do I know you'll keep yours?" asked Weusi.

Lingwa smirked. "But what's stopping me from taking what I want?" he asked, walking toward her.

"My mate can still hear me scream."

Lingwa laughed. "It will be done on the third day from now. Jabari, Tanzia, Azimo—they'll all be gone."

"What?"

Lingwa kissed her on the cheek, smiling as he heard her gasp. "You don't need to worry about it," he said, turning as she walked away. "Everybody burns the same."

oOo

Kifaa found Jabari sitting in front of the waterhole, idly playing with the water. She had waited for him to come home all night, yet nothing had happened. They only had five days left now. "Jabari?"

"Go away, Kifaa," he said coldly, not even looking up at her.

"Jabari I—I'm sorry about what I said—"

"That doesn't change anything," he said angrily.

"I didn't mean to tell her, Jabari, I swear! I was just so scared—"

"Then why don't you just leave me?!" he roared, turning around to face her. "Leave me, just like she did! I'm scum, you've proven that! And you've proven it to her again, too!"

Jabari turned back and started playing with the water again, while Kifaa remained speechless, yet she stood her ground.

"Jabari . . . you're not scum," she waited for him to respond, "Jabari?"

"Kifaa, I said go away," making it obvious.

Kifaa turned around, but she knew she couldn't give up. "Just thought I'd let you know, the den's just about finished."

"Good," Jabari murmured back.

"Do—do you want to come and see it?"

"Kifaa," Jabari said moving back to face her, obviously annoyed, "why don't you just go back home, to where Issa and all your other sisters are. You've just made things worse for me, I don't need you anymore, I don't want you anymore; for Aiheu's sake Kifaa just go!"

"I'm not one of them anymore Jabari!" A few tears that she'd been holding back started to leak through. "My sisters all hated you, Issa especially, none of them loved you."

"Oh, and you do?"

"Well . . . not like that. But Jabari, you're doing so well, I've grown really . . . listen, Jabari, there's bound to be a way, I never really knew why Weusi ever liked you but, well, now I do, and I'm sure if you can just . . ."

"If Weusi saw me right now the first thing she'd do would be attack me, thanks to you Kifaa, I wouldn't be able to get a single word out."

Kifaa paused, her eyes now glistening. "Is there—"

"Yes, you could go away."

She sniffled. "Okay . . . I—I'll be in the den. Will you come home tonight?"

"I'll think about it."

"Okay . . ." There was still hope. Kifaa left.

There was Takasa.

Such a wonderful lion. Weusi sat on the hill, watching him drink from a distance. He's even better than Bagra, so much nicer, so much more handsome.

But then suddenly she began to smell smoke. She glanced behind her, but couldn't see it, yet the scent got ever stronger. She checked to the left, then the right, whirling around on the spot searching for its presence. Still, she could not find it. Then she looked back down to where Takasa had been and gasped.

The fire had spread to the waterhole and engulfed Takasa in flames, she could now hear him screaming. His screams intensified quicker than she could run down the hill, but still, she knew, she needed to do everything possible to save him.

"Takasa! Takasa!"

Arriving at the waterhole, she too was now surrounded by flames, but faintly in the distance she could see his silhouette. It gave her renewed hope, she had to save him.

"Takasa!"

Finally breaking through, she saw him.

"Jabari?"

"Weusi! Help me!" he yelled as the flames spilled over him.

Weusi just stood there pondering what to do, breathing deeply to try and keep herself alive.

"Weusi! Weusi!"

Then for some reason, his voice now was different.

"Weusi!"

She yelped and all of a sudden felt as if she was breathing naturally again.

"Huh? What?"

She lifted her eyes.

"You were having a nightmare."

She looked in front of her, there was Takasa lying down next to her in their den.

"Oh." Weusi let out a sigh and then chuckled. "So none of it was real."

"Correct. Go back to sleep, dear."

Weusi licked him, "I love you Takasa."

oOo

"Lingwa, please, just call this whole thing off." Weusi stood in his most private den once again. It took all of her resolve to come back here and beg like this.

"No can do, I'm afraid Weusi. Besides, I thought you wanted Jabari dead."

"I do but you can't do this, you can't set the whole kingdom on fire!"

"It's not up to you how I kill him Weusi. I decide that, you just tell me who you want killed."

"Well now I don't want him killed."

"But that was never part of the bargain."

Weusi paused, not liking the look in his eyes. "The bargain, but—" She looked around the den. Once again, they were alone. She turned back horrified. "Lingwa—"

But before she could protest any further it was too late, Lingwa was already on top of her and thrusting himself into her.

Weusi screamed but no one came in to help her; they had probably been instructed not to do so. Within seconds, it was all over.

Weusi didn't know what to do. She struggled to get out from under Lingwa's hefty body and then ran out of the den away from him without looking back. Yet even through the sound of her tears she could hear him laughing from behind her.

oOo

Jabari had not come back to the den that night. So instead of waiting for him in the morning, Kifaa had decided to go out hunting. She was hungry.

Instead of looking around for prey however, all she could look at as she wandered along was the ground beneath her.

What have I done? Oh, Aiheu, what have I done? Jabari was getting on so much better, Weusi would've loved him, they would be back together again and they would have both been happy. But now look, just four days left and I've gone and ruined it all. But I can't give up, I got us all into this mess and now I need to get us out of it. But how? Oh how I wish I knew.

Kifaa looked up just to check that she wasn't going to run into anything and was suddenly taken aback. There was Weusi. She was quite a way off so she obviously hadn't seen her yet, but nonetheless, Kifaa could tell that it was most definitely her.

Kifaa sprang into action.

"Weusi!" she shouted as she ran across the grass to reach her.

Weusi had stopped at the sound of her name and looked over, realizing who it was.

Kifaa arrived next to her smiling but it fell once she saw the sorrowful look on her sister's face.

"Weusi, what's the matter?"

"I—I don't want to talk about it Kifaa." She hung her head to the ground in shame, yet Kifaa had already seen the tear marks underneath her eyes.

"Sis?"

"I did something really terribly wrong."

"W—What did you do?"

Weusi sniffed. "It doesn't matter." She lifted her head back up and started slowly walking again. "It will all be sorted in a few minutes."

"You're not looking for Jabari are you?"

"No, but now that you mention it . . ." she stopped walking, "Kifaa, you remember when you said he raped you?"

With no plan of action set, Kifaa blurted it out, "Jabari never raped me Weusi."

"But—you said—you said he did," Weusi said, taken aback.

"I don't recall."

"Kifaa!"

"Weusi, I never said anything of the sort! Jabari never raped me, that's absurd!"

"But . . . I . . . you—" She was completely bewildered.

"Anyway, the point Weusi?" Kifaa was struggling to not let something slip, and therefore had concluded that the best thing she could do was change the subject.

"Kifaa, I recall you saying clearly, by the waterhole the other night, that you were—"

"I wasn't, now get to the point Weusi."

"—you said clearly, that you were raped by—"

"For Aiheu's sake Weusi, get to the freaking point!"

"No Kifaa, I need to know, you said—"

"He didn't rape me Weusi, I offered myself to him!"

"You—you—" Weusi fell aghast, "You offered yourself to him?"

"Yes I did, ask him yourself, he'll say so."

"You offered yourself to him?" Kifaa began to sense a hint of anger in Weusi's voice, and now she wished she'd taken it back. "You filthy—"

"Weu—"

But she was cut off as Weusi stuck her across the face, claws erect, knocking Kifaa down onto the ground.

Kifaa couldn't see it but she knew she was bleeding. "Weusi please—"

Yet once again Weusi struck at her with the back side of her paw hard in the face so it would make her feel pain. Kifaa started to cry.

"Weusi, there's something important I need to tell you!"

"What!?" she shouted as she stuck at her again.

"I will only tell you if you stop hitting me!" she cried.

"Oh, like I'm going to fall for that." She slashed her claws across Kifaa's head again as she tried to get up, "All of you, you, Issa, and the lot, you always laughed behind my back at how dimwitted I was. Well not anymore!" She slammed her paw into her this time knocking her sister onto her back.

"Weusi . . . Weusi . . . don't you want to know what happened to your daughter?"

"Aushi? What about her?" Weusi didn't strike but she held her foreleg up, ready as she stared down at her sister, livid.

"She's dead Weusi, she committed suicide. Your own daughter committed suicide, because of you!"

Weusi continued to hold her paw up, not flinching at all, yet continuing to breathe deeply.

"Look at yourself Weusi! You abandoned your daughter and left her to die, you've abandoned your whole family, and now you're standing above me, your sister, and you want to kill me! And Aiheu forbid what that 'terrible thing' is you said you did." Weusi's breaths began to relax, it was working. "Weusi," said Kifaa as she got up, "I have always considered you my favorite sister. I know you probably think that I liked Issa more but I didn't Weusi, she just shared my interests. You were always the kind, compassionate one, the innocent one, but now look what's happened to you. You're not the sister I remember."

Weusi brought her paw back down to the ground, staring into Kifaa's eyes, taking in all that she had just said. "Kifaa—your—your face—"

Kifaa smiled. "It doesn't hurt. Not that much . . ." They both brought out their paws and hugged each other, before tumbling over onto the ground both through their weakness and laughter.

Weusi chuckled and gave her sister a lick getting rid of the blood still oozing out on her face.

"Thanks," Kifaa said in response.

"I—I'm really, really sorry about that."

"No Weusi, it's me who should be sorry. I'm sorry about Aushi too."

Weusi sighed. "When?"

"The day you left. I'm so sorry." Weusi remained silent. "Anyway, so, where were you going?"

"Huh? Oh, I was going to see Tanzia."

"Really? Why?"

"Sorry Kifaa, I—I can't. Oh, Aiheu, I've gone and screwed up everything!"

Kifaa let out a sigh. "You couldn't have done worse than I have . . . and just four days left!"

"Four days?"

Kifaa suddenly remembered who she was talking to. "Oh—oh, it's nothing. Eh . . . so Weusi . . . would you mind if I came with you to see Tanzia?"

"Hmm? Why?"

"Well, really I just . . . I've been away from home for a little while also and I—I'd like to talk to someone."

"Honestly, Kifaa, I'd prefer you'd stay out of this. You don't want to know what I've done. Just promise me that you will come and see me tomorrow, it's going to be rather important I think."

"O-okay."

"Why, were you going anywhere? Why are you out here anyway?"

Kifaa remained silent. Weusi rolled her eyes towards her.

"Kifaa?"

"I—I'm not sure whether I should tell you."

"Well, don't let me pressure you or anything," Weusi said rolling back over. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine."

"I guess . . . I guess you could sum it up as I just had a falling out with Issa."

"Oh? Why, what happened?"

"We're just not alike anymore and, well, Issa has a tendency to be very opinionated."

"Really? You were always both really alike when I saw you two together, you never disagreed over anything."

Kifaa stopped, pondering how to phrase her next question.

"Weusi?"

"Yes?"

"I—I've been wondering . . . you know, it's just, I've never really considered it in the past but . . . what's it like to have a mate?"

"Oh, you know about Takasa?"

"Takasa?"

"Yeah . . . my new mate."

Kifaa had to use her best judgment for this one. "I—I have, yes."

Weusi smiled. "I didn't know that. Oh, Takasa's really nice, had I ever mentioned him to you before?"

"Yes, but, Weusi, that doesn't answer my question," Kifaa said, though deep down there were a lot of other burning questions now inside her, most of which she knew only she herself could answer.

"Well, it's—it's hard to explain really but . . . well, you want a mate, right?"

"I—I've been considering it."

"Anyone in particular?"

"No, not really." This statement was mostly true. "Do you think I'd be happy with a mate? You know me well enough, I expect."

Weusi sighed. "I don't know Kifaa, I don't know you like that. I think you're . . . nice though . . . you're pretty, I mean, if you liked a male I'm sure he's bound to like you back."

Kifaa smiled, "How much of that is true?"

"Eh . . . about half."

"Weusi!" She shoved her sister over playfully and they both started to laugh. Kifaa continued laughing even as she got back up.

"I'll see you tomorrow then . . . good luck with Tanzia."

Weusi stopped laughing but continued to smile as Kifaa walked away.

"Thanks."

Then Kifaa was gone.

"Oh gods, please help me," she groaned.

Kifaa, realizing also that she was a good distance away from Weusi, took a swipe at the ground.

"Damn it, I knew I should've told her! Oh . . . now what am I going to tell Jabari?"

oOo

Weusi looked into the den uncertainly. It was empty save for a lion and a lioness, the two of them necking, obviously enjoying their time alone. "Um . . ." The two lions practically leapt apart from each other. "Are you—"

"No, of course not!" said the lion with a kind of panicked laugh. "I mean, who would have sex in the middle of the afternoon?"

"Tanzia," said the lioness quietly.

"Nymphos, right? And that's definitely not—"

"Tanzia!" said the lioness.

"Oh, um . . . sorry . . . something I can help you with?"

"You're Tanzia, right? King of these lands?"

"That's me," said the lion. "Something you need?"

"I—I came to warn you. Lingwa's going to attack your kingdom tomorrow."

Tanzia stood up angrily. "He what? That goddamn, ignorant, son of a—"

"Tanzia, dear," said the lioness.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. Look, thank you very much for the information," said Tanzia, "but you can understand if there are a few things that I need to do right now . . ."

"He's going to burn down the kingdom," said Weusi.

Tanzia stared at her like she was crazy. "You're joking."

"I wish I was. He said he was going to burn down the kingdom. He wants to get rid of you for once and for all."

"That's insane! The fire would probably even spread to his kingdom, he should know that!"

"I don't think he thought it through that much."

Tanzia stared at the ground. "Shit." He looked over at the lioness. "What? I can't evacuate an entire kingdom in a day. What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know," said the lioness. "This is—this is awful!"

"Shit," said Tanzia again. "Alright, I'm gonna go try to round up the lionesses—no, you do that, I'll try to get word out through the kingdom." He looked over at Weusi. "You're sure about this?"

Weusi nodded miserably. "I—I'm positive." She had almost confessed that it was her fault.

"Look," said Tanzia, "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've really got to get going. Um . . . look, come back later and I'll find some way to repay you, okay? Just go back home—wherever it is."

"Alright," said Weusi. Tanzia rushed out of the den, the lioness following him after she gave Weusi a quick "Thank you." Weusi felt sick. She knew she had done the right thing, but the feeling that she'd never quite be able to live this down still remained. How many would die because of her?

oOo

Kifaa walked into the den, her head hung low. She expected to see—she wanted to see—anything but Jabari sprawled out on the floor of the den. She swallowed nervously. She didn't know what he would do. The memory of him beating Weusi when he was angry sprang into her head. It was irrational, she knew that. He didn't seem like that type anymore.

Thankfully, he was asleep. She would have until he woke up to decided just what to tell him. She lied down next to him, and found herself wanting to press herself to his side. Just as she was about to, she heard him mutter, "I came back."

She froze, her head snapping up to his. His eyes were closed. He opened one up and looked at her. "I—I see that."

"I may have overreacted a little bit," said Jabari. "I know—I know it's not your fault, what happened with Weusi. Probably mine more than anyone's. I figured that out now." He stroked the side of her face. "Sorry for running away."

"Jabari . . ."

"Come here." He placed a foreleg over her, scooting her torso closer. He kissed her gently on the cheek. "Sorry."

"Jabari, Weusi's remarried." The words were out before Kifaa could stop them.

Kifaa could see Jabari's eyes widen before he looked away from her. "I thought that might have happened."

"I just found out. Jabari—Jabari, I'm sorry, I never wanted—"

"It's okay." Jabari smiled down at her. "I tried." He moved his paw to the back of Kifaa's head. "Besides, it'd be a shame to let this den go to waste . . ."

A chill spread down Kifaa's spine as she realized what he was saying. "Jabari—" She stopped as he nuzzled her gently. She didn't understand this. She knew it was wrong, yet it felt so good. "Jabari, I shouldn't feel like this . . ."

"Feel like what?" Jabari kissed her neck.

It wasn't sexual arousal, it was something more. She simply wanted this male to hold her, to be with her, to call her his own. "Jabari, I shouldn't . . ."

He smiled at her, then nuzzled her again. "You look so much like her," he whispered. She could feel her pelt grow slightly damp where his head was. He was shaking. "Oh, Weusi . . . Weusi . . ."

Kifaa gripped him tightly. "It'll be okay," she promised impulsively. She kissed the top of his head. "It'll all be okay."

oOo

Lingwa grinned maniacally. He was here. Finally here. He should have done this years ago. Why hadn't he? What had stopped him? Fear of Tanzia's retribution? Fear of the attack of other prides? Foolishness. After today he would be remembered once more. After today he would be feared. After today, everything would be changed.

He turned to the lionesses behind him, each one carrying a flaming stick. "Let it burn."

oOo

Jabari felt Kifaa shaking him, rousing him from his sleep. "What is it?" he asked sleepily.

"Jabari, it's Tanzia."

"Tanzia who?" He looked up to see the king standing in front of him. "What do you want?"

"You have to get out of here," said Tanzia. "Lingwa's setting the kingdom on fire."

"He's doing what?" asked Jabari immediately awake.

"He's burning down the entire kingdom! You two have to leave now."

"I can help," said Jabari. "Kifaa, just stay here. I'll go with Tanzia."

"But—" she began to protest.

"You'll be safe here, the fire can't get you inside the den. Just stay here." He turned to Tanzia. "Let's go."

"Are you sure—"

"Yes, let's go, come on!"

The two lions ran off into the savannah, Kifaa watching as they raced off. Her head turned as she caught sight of something else: a pillar of smoke raising high into the sky.

oOo

"Weusi! Weusi, where are you?" yelled out Takasa. He darted around the edge of the flames, looking for her. Ever since he had seen the smoke, he had feared the worst. Animals darted past him, running away; he seemed to be the only one that was going toward it.

"Weusi!"

The flames surged forward with the wind, propelling Takasa backwards as they licked at his pelt. He had to find Weusi, had to make sure she was alright. If she was in there, he'd never forgive himself. He took a few steps back and prepared to jump when suddenly two figures flew past him, rushing into the fire.

He stared at where they had disappeared, flames instantly closing the gap. He shied away as the wind blew the flames forward once again, the fire taking still more of the kingdom. A lion burst out of the flames, carrying a cheetah on his back, her pup in her mouth. He laid them down gently, the cheetah stumbling to her feet. "Just get to a waterhole," the lion instructed. The cheetah nodded and took her cub. The lion turned to Takasa. "Well? Are you just going to stand there?" The lion barreled back into the flames. Takasa braced himself and did the same.

Weusi . . .

oOo

Lingwa grinned, walking calmly through the flames. He could feel brushing against his pelt, trying to spread, the heat causing pain to shoot through his body, but he didn't care. This was it, this was finally it. He caught sight of a lion running through the flames and ran after him. He pinned him to the ground. "Tanzia, you're mine!"

Tanzia yelped as he was pushed down into hot ash. He tried to push up, but Lingwa was simply too heavy. He was turned over roughly onto his back to see Lingwa staring down at him maniacally. Lingwa brought his head down hard on Tanzia's, filling the lion's head with blinding pain. Lingwa clubbed Tanzia across the face. Tanzia pushed against his stomach, Lingwa's blow setting him off balance.

Lingwa rolled off Tanzia, seeing Tanzia run off. He suddenly felt excruciating pain and looked down. The ashes he had rolled into had lit his mane on fire. He snarled as he tried to brush them off, and soon they began to die. He looked back up. Tanzia was getting away! He leapt after him, jumping up on a rock for a better view. He could see it: Tanzia walled in by flame, the fire steadily closing in. He laughed as the fire spread across Tanzia's body. This was going well according to plan.

oOo

Jabari ran through the flames. He'd managed to save a few, but there had to be more here. There was almost no warning before the fire had been started. He heard a cry for help and ran toward it. A tree crashed down in front of him; he simply rammed into it, the wood splintering. The fire was becoming almost impossible to traverse, the flames consuming all that they had previously missed.

"Help!" Jabari spun toward the voice. He dodged through the flames, finding a lioness stumbling through the fire helplessly.

"W-Weusi?"

The lioness stopped, stunned. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm getting animals out of here, now come on—"

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked. "Just—just don't—"

"Do you want to die here?" Jabari yelled over the roar of the flames.

"I don't want you!"

"You hate me so much you'd rather die here than be saved by me?"

"You ruined my life!" she screamed. "You killed our cubs!"

"And I'm sorry!"

"Sorry's not enough! Sorry isn't going to give me back what I lost!"

"Then give me a second chance!"

"You don't deserve a second chance! I have a mate now, Jabari, a mate who loves me! A mate that actually cares about me! One that I can love back!"

"Dammit, Weusi, I love you!"

"Don't lie to me! You just used me, we both know it!"

"It was a mistake. I never should have done that. You deserved better than that. I want to give that to you now. I've—I've been waiting so long . . ."

"It's too little too late, Jabari," she said coldly.

"Weusi, I love you. And I'll do anything to have you back," he said. He lied down in front of her, begging. "Please, Weusi."

Weusi stared at him, the fire roaring around them. Here he was, before her. She could do whatever she wanted to him, even leave him to die. That was what she wanted after all, wasn't it? That was what she had gone to Lingwa for, before it had spiraled so far out of control. And here he was, at her mercy.

So why couldn't she do it?

"Weusi, please," Jabari pleaded. "I love you."

"I can't love you. I shouldn't love you."

"You don't have to be miserable. This is tearing us both apart, I know it. I can't take away what I've done, but just give me a chance to fix it. Please."

Weusi looked down at him. "I—"

She was interrupted by a creaking sound, both of them looking up at a nearby tree. Jabari tried to get to his paws, but it was too late; the tree came crashing down on him. It wasn't a roar he let out, it was a whimper. He clawed at the ground in front of him, trying uselessly to pull himself out from underneath the smoldering tree.

"Jabari!" Weusi tried to push it off, but it was no use. It was too heavy for her. "Jabari—Jabari, I'm so sorry . . ."

Jabari gasped, his breathing labored. He finally stopped struggling, surrendering to his fate. "I'm sorry, too . . ." He reached for Weusi's face; she knelt down, nuzzling his paw. "I love you."

Weusi looked up at him, her tears hissing as they hit the ash below. "I love you, too, Jabari. I always will."

He smiled weakly. "Not too bad for last words . . ."