Ch13

Triton woke, blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he pawed his wife, rising from her belly, and realized she was not there, his chin instead lying on a cub sized log. The log was not right either, it's bottom had flat parts with silver metal balls in them. He wasn't unfamiliar with these silver metal balls, they were found in the human's metal steeds, but what they were doing fastening a log to the ground he couldn't fathom. The rock floor he raised himself off of felt wrong too, unnatural.

He turned about, around him where areas meant to look like rocky outcrops, they glistened with morning dew, "the hell am I?" He said drowsy, he felt as if he had been using the monkey's drink. What wasn't meant to look like a barren section of his own pride lands, something not dissimilar to Pride Rock, where white and brick like, human, aside from the clear shield over a tall, thin, cavern that fronted the area, where humans watched him. Panic rose in his chest, that panic made his head swim, and he woke.

He was afraid to move, instead sitting still and listening. His head rose and fell with the soft breath of his wife, who was now, months after coming to live with his great uncle, very pregnant, he'd guess if they were just twins they where raring to come out. He breathed out a soft breath of relief, his wife's eyes fluttered open in the morning sun.

"Didn't mean to wake you," he whispered, admiring her without taking his chin off of her belly.

"You didn't really," she said stretching without rising, "just felt weird for a moment. Like there was something to be worried about."

"Probably just registering my emotions. Bad dreams."

"Divinations?"

He shrugged, rising, "maybe, but today I divine I am starved," he glanced to the clothed pile that was his uncle with a tired smile, "gotta go wake the warden."

He padded across the cool soft dirt which scattered beneath his paws, warm compared to the fake rock he had woke on in his dream, and he mused that he had actually felt the rock. Who knew, maybe it was a divination, he could discuss it with Brae while his elder watched him do all the work to bring home breakfast.

"Wakey wakey eggs and bakey uncle, I'm starved," he nosed the old lion, then drew back. The smell was unmistakable, the smell of someone who had drew their last breath around the time the moon rode high among the stars, along with the waste they passed while doing it, he closed his eyes.

"Tri?" his wife called to him.

The lion had been ancient, his time had come and gone and he had lived past, but it didn't make it easier, his great uncle had been good to him. Then there was the fact that without Brae he had no idea what he was going to do about his wife or himself.

His wife slowly, carefully, padded up to him, "I'm sorry Tri, I had no idea he had passed last night."

"Neither of us did," Triton whispered, he tried to visualize the waves on the beach. He opened his eyes and instead of his wife he saw the young princess, anger lit his left eye on fire and he closed them again, when he opened them it was his wife.

"Tri?" she asked, peering at him.

"I-I'm ok," he insisted, "We gotta tell somebody, he deserves a royal burial, he was considered a prince by marriage but he was a prince none the less."

She looked at the old lion, "may… maybe we shouldn't."

He shot her a confused glance, "What?"

"Tri, if they find out our guardian is no more they'll split us."

Tri closed his eyes, "it might be for the better."

She held her oversized belly, "I can't move an inch, I can't even fit out of the hole, and even if I could I wouldn't have the energy to make it."

"Then I'll have to leave…" he thought a bit, "find one of my uncles disciples, live it out with them…" he looked away, "or return to my tree…"

His wife pulled him by his dark mane into a nuzzle which he returned sadly, "I'm not losing you again old man." He could feel wetness against his fur and realized she was starting to cry.

"Whoa whoa Price," he held her, "I won't leave you, not now, not ever again, we'll work it out."

She nodded into his cheek, "ok" she sniffed.

He pulled back again, "I have to tell my family, and Riki whose kind of been his closest friend since the death of his brother and the rest of his close family."

His wife wiped his eyes, "sure, go. I'll be here, but come back."

He nuzzled her, hard, "I promise."

He squeezed himself out of the exit and made his way up the tree, his hunger forgotten, Riki was sadly studying something in his hand when his ear caught the lion coming, "I already know," he whispered, taking up the cane of his father, "please go tell your family. I'll bring the prince out and make preparations for a royal burning."

The monkey seem surprised when he received a nuzzle of the young lion, which he returned with a good old hug with his lengthy arms.

Tatter and his family of three, soon to be four, where pulling meat of what was left of a antelope when his nephew came bounding in the cave, stopped at the entrance, seemed to gather himself, and walked in slowly, his head low, like a serf his uncle thought.

"Triton, you are not a prince but try to carry yourself like one," he said, picking some of the meat off his claws.

"Uncle," he started, sitting a few feet away.

Tatter glanced up, "what's wrong my son?"

Triton smiled sadly when his uncle called him his son, "It's uncle Brae."

Aunt Sandra covered her mouth while her daughter glanced between her parents, Tatter just lowered his head, "finally." He walked over to his nephew to wrap and arm around him, "you ok?"

"Yeah, it just, you know, shocking. And it… complicates things."

"You and your wife?"

Triton nodded, "her safety, mostly. Her and my children, without uncle watching us I have no idea what will happen if I have another…" he glanced away, pulling from his uncles hold, "no I know exactly what will happen."

Tatter was lost for words for a moment, he had no idea how he could help his nephew, "you two are always welcome here," his wife shot him a cautious glance and he shrugged.

Triton shook his head, "I'd be endangering you three, and another baby, neither of you where trained by Brae to watch me. I can't ask prices father because he his own family to take care of." He was quite for a bit, thinking through his list of people he had recognized at that meeting, "maybe."

"What are you thinking?" the king inquired.

"That I still have friends, and father figures, that might be able to help. Oh!" he turned to his uncle, bowing, "sorry sir, but Riki is going to prepare the funeral for Uncle Brae, he requests the timely return of the royal family, I'll be there as soon as I feel it's safe for me to do so."

Triton took off from pride rock, nearly skipping most of the ledges on the way down, and headed north. Miles later, with his muscles growing and used to such distances from his extra work through the past few years, he found himself edging along the northern forests. Here and there Sai's old family was spread about the planes, and within the southern edge of the forest. He knew if he headed any further east form here while the forest stretched on for a good while the pride would give way to uninhabited desert lands.

He entered the forest to find Sai's father lounging, his head against one of the many very tall vine covered trees, nearby he could hear the waterfalls he had been wed at. Sai's father rose at his approach, "Triton the finder of lovers, how goes the old match maker."

The albino shook his head, "none to well today sir."

The large lion frowned, "what's wrong? Can I help you with something?"

Triton looked up at him, "I sure hope so."

The family had gathered, not as large as it had once been, but large enough. Pyre had come with her sister from their southern caves, the entirety of pride rock and even Riki's students, old and present, had shown. Though almost everyone was there, Triton was still missing, and the king wanted to wait for him, so the family waited and chatted.

Triton finally returned, with a large lion Tatter didn't really know, but whom wore a cloak like his uncle had. The duo sat next to the tree from which Triton's wife watched between the roots, unable to make her way out.

As they sat, Riki began. "Brae is the last of an old age, an age where one legend of the pride was passed onto another, where the kings of Mufasa's blood was passed to the king's off Jake's blood. He was King Jake's own brother, loyal to the kingdom, and a good friend to me and all my students. He treated all animals he could with respect, and all lions he knew with love.

It seems now he's gone too soon though he lived two generations passed the rest of his own." The monkey stopped a while, rubbing at his eyes, Triton thought the old ape was the only person affected that deeply by his great uncles passing, the monkey lifted a torch, backing a safe distance from his best friends body, "Brae Satre', brother of the late hero King Jake Satre', son of the late racer Tatter Satre', and my own very good friend, we release your spirit and your body so you may live with the kings, and return to the earth."

Tatter winced as the medicine man dropped the torch, and the body, soaked in something, quickly burst into flames. As he winced he remembered his travels through hell, the crystallized body of the old queen, and he hoped his uncle was destined for a better place than that. He thought about the stories his father had told him that involved his uncle, the escape from a falling cave, the ravine of the south, recruiting him to be of the royal family along with their mother. He thought of the generations he had saw, and the generations of stories that left with him.

It was a sad evening, but no lions roared mournfully for the one due his time.

After the ceremony and everyone left Triton escorted Sai's father around the tree. The large lion had agreed to be his caretaker until Triton figured some way to stop his transformations once and for all.

Sai's father, Gregory, glanced at the hole, then back at Triton, "you're kidding right?"

Triton shrugged, looking up towards the tree, "I fear making it any bigger will topple the old thing."

Greg rolled his eyes, "guess I'll have to try." He leapt into hole, and for a moment it seemed to Triton he would be stuck, but then he started scooting his girth forward, inch by slow inch.

After his new keeper popped out the other side, Triton made his way through, swearing the hole was now a bit wider. Sais' father was on the other-side receiving a warm nuzzle from Price, "how goes Sai's kids?"

Greg laughed, "due any day now, the poor lady hasn't moved an inch in weeks, and I don't blame her. Lionesses have like four max, but she's going to pop and there's going to be many more."

"Her last litter was like seven," Triton remarked coming upon them, "maybe she's too fertile, produces to many eggs."

Greg blushed at this, not anymore a ladies' man than his son, Triton wondered how he had ever gotten a lioness. Regaining his composure he turned back towards his hosts, "so how goes your own?"

Price pet her belly, "I have no idea on time, but I'm doing far better than Kimb."

Greg laughed, he got comfortable, then sniffed something he lied next to, a pile of brown leaves, "what is this awful smelling stuff?"

Triton shook his head, "medicine, nothing more."

It was one month later, his wife was her heaviest, when Triton woke, and took a back seat to blind fury. The anger and bitterness that wracked at his heart like none he hadn't ever felt, the area he slept in was bathed in pink.

When he turned sharpley, stalking his prey, he both grew in size and shrunk in youth, he was no longer an adult lion but the frustrated kid he once was. He was no longer under a tree, but inside his old cave home of Pride Rock. He turned not on his young cub like cousin, but on the sleeping form of his uncle, the king. The cave was empty except those two and himself.

His uncle was too large to kill normally, so he sunk his claws from both his paws into his neck, cherishing the warmth of his blood as it flowed around his paws. Enjoying the choked roar he tried to get out, which woke his cousin, "Triton no!" she shouted, so youthful, so afraid.

His uncle watched him with tasty fear, he pawed at something around his belly, as if he had lost his favorite rock he was always misplacing, and then his eyes rolled into the back of his head, with that he released his last breath, the king was no more.

Triton released his uncle by withdrawing his claws, and turned on his cousin, the princess, no, now the queen. His cousin tried to scoot away, but it seemed her back legs had failed her in her fear, "Triton no, I love you!" she screamed, bathed in that strange pink light.

"Young princess… "he growled, older sounding than he thought seemed right, "you only love yourself, your father, and that throne!" He swiped at her with his claws, leaving a bloody stain on her right cheek, he thought that cheek looked tasty enough to eat.

The pain in that swipe had shaken her legless fear from her, and the princess rose, weekly, to run as quick as she could to her parents' bedroom, though her father lied bleeding behind them in the throne room. Despite the dead end she had ran into she was gone, he glanced at the window. It was quite a fall from that window, but he supposed she may have escaped down the side. He'd never fit through the window, he thought oddly to himself, even though he knew they were nearly the same size. He didn't care, he pushed the wall, and it shattered outward, letting him through.

Oddly beyond the wall was grass and dirt instead of a drop, but it didn't matter, because a few yards away his cousin sat, panting.

"Triton," she moaned, "please no, it's happening now Triton, come back to me."

He came to her, with every intent to finish her off once and for all, growling, unable to speak in his furor.

He gripped her neck, lifting her with one paw, letting two claws bite into non vital areas, wanting her to suffer as he had done for so long. "Triton," she squealed, "they're coming!"

He glared at her, "whose coming?" his voice surprised him, nothing like his own, deep, guttural, almost demonic.

"The babies Triton, it's me, Price!"

Triton squeezed, cutting off her voice, "don't ever claim to be my best friend again." And he threw the cub princess, so shortly a queen, back against the bottom of Pride Rock, and has he glanced back his eyes widened. Pride Rock seemed to fold in on itself. The top of the mountain fell forward towards them, and he ran, but it was too late, and he was crushed by a boulder.

Triton came to, to the sound of Riki calling for him and his wife, his head beat with pain. He wasn't crushed by a boulder, but underneath a tree branch that had nearly done the job. He rose, "here," he croaked out.

Riki bounded around, "what happened?"

Triton rubbed his head, and smelled blood, he eyed his paws, sticky with it "oh god no."

He leapt past the shocked monkey, and raced down the felled ancient tree, "no, no" he kept repeating to himself. He raced down to where the top folded away from the bottom. Slowing as he came to the spot he tensed, and peered in the cavern the tree had made of itself, "No," he croaked, anger lit his body again, and he no longer cared. His wife lied motionless under where the tree folded, though she was under none of the debris and sheltered by the body of the ancient thing she bled from the neck, and he wasn't sure she was breathing.

Tears of anger and hate slid from his eyes, he hated himself now, and he realized, as he closed his eyes against the pain, he could see pink.

"No!" he roared, "never again!" He pushed out his claws, and sank them into the pinkness. With a pop, and a roar, his eye came out, and he brought it down. As he did this the pink fought, it tried to transform him one last time, the star grew out form his eye, but it lost the battle, the albino lion severed the optical nerves and veins with his teeth in one clean bite, then he lowered his head and relished his pain.

"By the kings," Riki said as he came upon the scene, Triton opened his right eye to watch the monkey as he entered the tree made cave.

"Is she?" he whispered.

The monkey came out, cautious, "your eye."

"Fuck my eye! Is she!?"

The monkey shook his head, "come, it is not good, but I cannot tell you if she yet is going to live or die."

Triton followed the monkey, slowly, his head and tail dragging the ground. He sat feet from her, not feeling worthy of her touch, or her love. He watched his love, blood drying upon her neck, breathing shallow, and then her body shivered with violence.

"What's going on?" The monkey came to her, placing his hand on her belly, and Triton's eyes widened, "oh god, she said it was time, have I killed my children?"

The monkey shook his head, "I do not think so, but they are coming. I need your help young lion."

"But…"

"But nothing!" it was his time to shout, "come here and help me if you want to save possibly the lives of both your children and your wife!"

He came, Riki places her paw in his, and he held his other over hers, full of love and sorrow, "I'm so sorry Price."

Riki moved to her lower half, "ok, when I tell you, claw her, it should force her to tense" he sniffed, "I smell death and this one is not yet dead."

Triton closed his eye, "I may have killed Sai's father in my fit."

The monkey nodded, "that will come later, this comes now, now, do it!"

He slipped a claw into her palm and she reacted by tensing her whole body and screaming, with that she woke.

"Triton? What?" she tensed again and screamed, "am I dying?"

"Not right now!" the monkey yelled, cheering a bit with the awakening of the young lioness, "but you are giving birth!"

It was her time to claw Triton, "oh god!"

Triton watched as she gave birth to one, and then a second, "Twins!" Riki exclaimed.

"No!" Price squeezed Triton's paw, then she fell silent.

"Pricey?" Triton wined, he put his head to her, face, no breath came from her, "She's not breathing!"

His voice escaped him as Riki held a third, motionless, cub, glancing back towards both the lioness and her child, both in peril.

"Save the cub!" he nearly screamed, "Price couldn't live with herself if you didn't try." He glanced at his passing wife, "what should I do?"

The monkey turned from exiting the tree cave, "try to shock her awake, and breath as deeply as you can through her throat, good luck young Triton."

Triton turned to him and nodded him out the door. He turned back to his wife, pushed his wives mouth open with hiss, and met her muzzle lengthways, trying to breath through it. He drew back and listened, nothing, he clawed her, drawing blood from an already wounded cheek, nothing still. Outside he heard exclaims of 'live damn you,' and Triton now knew, after today, he deserved to die.

The albino lion left the tree cave, his newborn twins, and his wife, his head as low as his dragging tail. When he saw the monkey, his face in his hands over his third child, he sat, unwilling to move forward, feeling so dirty that his presence was an insult to anybody, alive, dead, lion or not.

"I'm so sorry Triton," the monkey said over the soaked body of the lion, he had apparently attempted to shock her awake with water, probably towards the end of the struggle. His lost little one had been a yellow one, with dark circles around her eyes, the spitting image of his cousin, and her bloodline. He should have known that this would have come had there been more than two, his visions never showed him other children, the two back in the cave where both albino caves, with dark circles around their eyes, the little girl cub had her black around her right eye, and the little boy around his left. "What about Price?"

Triton couldn't answer, his body shook violently with grief, his throat closed, threatening to choke him, and he thought that would be fine, to be killed by grief would serve him right. When finally he had control of himself he saw that Riki had left his lost daughter to come closer, to console him, though he stood a foot away. "Get away," he mumbled.

"Triton," the monkey cooed, as if talking to a baby, "it's not your fault, the Crystal, we should have taken the eye earlier, Brae and I should have seen the danger you posed."

Triton closed his eye, "get away from me," he said deeply, a small growl escaping his muzzle, and the monkey backed off another foot, "I'm the dirtiest filthiest animal to have ever lived in these lands, not even worthy the name Scar!" Triton shook again, he coughed.

"Triton." Riki insisted.

"Grab my children."

"What?"

"Grab my children damn you!" he roared at him, the monkey backed off towards his late daughter, "grab them and take them! Take them from all this death!"

"Where to?" Riki edged around the furious lion to where Price would be lying next to her surviving newborns.

Triton sat and faced away from the tree, he wasn't worthy that lioness or her precious cubs, it was bad enough they where cursed to look like him for the rest of their lives, "my uncle, leave them with his wife and the princess. The king has to come here."

"But…" the monkey started, standing just outside the recess of the caved tree.

"It's his duty, and his right, but before you come here, go west with him, and fetch my father in law, for it is his right too, even more so than my fathers."

"This is a death sentence," Riki pleaded with him.

Triton shook again, every muscle in his body began to spasm, he couldn't control it, and he didn't try to, "then so be it." He glanced one last time at the monkey, "now go," he said quietly, "or I'll add another body to the pile."

The medicine man nodded slowly, and disappeared into the shadows to reappear with the young albino twins. He nodded once more to the father of the twins before he set off as fast as he could, normally using his hands to run, towards pride rock.

After he watched the monkey leave he came to the stillborn form of his last cub, he looked at her, pawed her, and then curled his arms around her and brought her to his chest where he lied over her, protecting her as much as he sought comfort from her. He wasn't worth her either, but he needed somebody.

Authors note:

In this chapter I gave my readers a chance to guide the hand of fate, they ignored it, so five coin tosses decided fate, tails, or death, of just one of the characters. Two characters in this story, Great Uncle Brae and the third lion cub, where destined to pass no matter what. Brae was just passed his due, plus had he stuck around where the story wanted to go wouldn't have been able to happen, he was the guardian against such mishap, with his power he probably would have slaughtered Triton and brought our entire story to a very bloody end. As for the cub, I wasn't entirely aware there was going to be a third cub until I started writing the scene; my story leads me more than I write it, and that part was as shocking and depressing to me the first time I wrote it as it may have been to you, but the divinations did not give room for a third lion cub, and the story yearned yet for a second sacrifice.

The third death, of Sai's father who we just barely learned the name of, was not such a necessary death, but more or less he was just in the way. The story didn't ask for his death, but took it as he slept, the greed hungered demon this story is.

The fourth death, Price's, was the one that hanged on the fate of the readers and instead of ended up at the end of luck, poor luck, which I should have predicted because that is… my luck, and I didn't really want her to die, the story was depressing enough. Still once the third tails came the story demanded we follow fates guiding hand, and leave Triton as broken as he possibly could be.