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Her Dying Wish

"It amazed so many, that my life was based on someone who was dead…but I made the promise."

-Yimba (Dark Era)

The fight carried on for some time.Ahadgna was still upon the hill, watching as her own family was dying. There was one certain roar that led her to get up, and move to a ravine in the east. As she stopped at its edge, her weary eyes fell onto a group of cowering lions. Four of them. But wait...they were not cowering. They were waiting...waiting for an ambush. A single lioness from her pride was being pushed back into the ravine by three others. It was Meersha.

Smirking slightly, the white one suddenly leapt down with a loud roar, landing on the back of one of the lions in the ravine. He snarled in surprise, but quickly fell as she dug her teeth into the back of his neck and barely twisted before she heard a snap. Having been the break of her forced fall, that lion was easy enough to kill. The lioness leapt off, though as she saw the other three. One leapt, and she ducked. He went rolling into the earth's wall. This gave Ahadgna a chance to turn and pounce him. Before he could gather his wits, before she herself could even attack him, Ahadgna was off his body once more. She found herself a couple feet away, just as the lion's own companion had landed on and attacked him instead. With an angry roar, the third lion launched himself through the air, but was quickly thrown back at the fourth lion. As this happened, both were knocked into the ravine's wall, too. Only this time, the earth began to tremble.

Izegbe blinked and scrambled out of the way of the ravine's entrance, past the distracted lions who pondered why their ambush had not worked. They, too, were off, though as the walls fell over each other.

Dirt and rock began to crumble, and plummet to the ground. Ahadnga was right where they would land. She had to get out of there for her life. The lioness sped towards the entrance. It was her only escape. Rock and earth fell behind her, giving out their own thunderous roars. Almost there. Almost out. Just a few yards. Now a few feet. She was going to make it!

Suddenly a huge rock came to the ground right in front of her, causing her to halt. And just in those couple seconds, Ahadgna was forced to her doom. The earth fell, and she was buried.

Still, the war went on. Though several were dead, many were still alive from both prides. Ahadgna's capture by earth itself was not unseen. Yawnda had watched the whole thing, and was now onto of the residue. There was no ravine left, just a place full of rocks and loose dirt. Quickly, she dug through the ground. She stopped only when her mother's head was uncovered, as well as part of her left forepaw.

"Mother," Yawnda quietly said. Her voice was not sad, nor mad, or even shocked. It was in fact nothing, just as her expression. She knew Ahadgna was to die, and so the only thing to look after now was the pride itself. "Ahadgna," Yawnda then whispered.

Ahadgna's ears twitched, and the lioness slowly opened her eyes. One was red, and full of popped blood vessels. Yawnda ignored it and listened to the distant voice of her dying leader.

"Yawnda...sister." Ahadgna choked. Yawnda leaned closer, straining to listen over the nearby fight. "I have lived many years, and now my death has finally come."

"Mother. Ahadgna." the dark lioness growled strongly. "Our pride is dying. Soon we will have lost. Please, tell me what to do."

There was silence between the two, and all that could be heard besides the brawl, was Ahadgna raspy breathing. Finally, she spoke again.

"Fulfill my dying wish, my sister." she whispered.

"What is your dying wish, Mother?"

"Save Izegbe." Ahadgna answered quietly.

Yawnda inwardly gasped. After all this, all Ahadgna could think about was the life of one lioness?

"Izegbe is to bring on the way of the Broken-Claw. If you save her, you save the Broken-Claw...Save Izegbe..."

Ahadgna's head fell back as a dribble of blood came down out from her open mouth. Her eyes stared at nothing, and Yawnda just stood there in pity, disgust and shock.

With that, Yawnda turned. Her eyes scanned the fighting lions. Suddenly, they were caught by a lioness. Five more lions were behind her, chasing her. Or was she leading them? It didn't matter. She had to take care of this once and for fall.

Yawnda growled to herself, and stalked out into the savannah, after the lions. They were headed to a gorge in the east, full of unruly water. Finally, the lioness began to sprint off to the group.

"Meersha!" yelled Zarazu, who was now outside of the main group of fighters.

Before he could run after her, he was caught under two other lions.

Now Izegbe was caught between the edge of the gorge, and the five lions. They stopped and snickered at her, but she only snarled, keeping herself strong and in attack position. She was not about to let them see her as a weak lion. Suddenly Yawnda jumped in beside her, roaring at the lions. One in front shifted his shoulder blades as he crouched, getting ready to pounce. As Yawnda glanced behind her, she could see a tree falling and, as the lion leapt into the air, she turned to Izegbe. For a split second, they stared at each other. There was no understanding, no connection, not even the least bit of friendship between the two, and Yawnda could see the Meersha deep in Izegbe's eyes. You were wrong, Mother, she thought. With a whicked smirk, the older lioness pushed Izegbe back. Izegbe's eyes widened in fear and realization as she felt herself being pushed off of the cliff's edge. For a moment, she could see the lion that was now in the air, coming at them, but she could do nothing about it as her body was falling now. The lioness gave a shrill scream, not even hearing the splash of the log below her. She twisted in the air, thrusting out and struggling to keep any balance, to try and grasp something, but there was nothing. Nothing to keep her from plummeting into the river, yards below. All Izegbe could hear now was her own heart beat and, in those frightful moments, she could remember her cubhood, adolescence, and the wonderful things in life that made her Meersha. She recalled her family and friends, and it seemed as if her short life was passing before her while she free fell. And then, it stopped. Everything did.

The lioness landed hard onto the log below, causing her to black out. Everywhere around her, the waters pushed and pulled. They churned and even growled, as if trying to force her off that log. That very thing that kept her unconscious body from going under and dying. But the lioness's forepaw was caught in a hole, and no matter how much the rapids themselves tried to her off, Meersha stayed put.

"No!" cried Zarazu.

He had struggled off past his own attackers, and was now running to the five lions and Yawnda. He had seen his own pride member push Meersha! Down into the gorge and rough river! Down to her death! How could this be? Sure Yawnda and Meersha had not been friends but...

"You!" Zarazu snarled, running past the other lions, who watched in shock and amusement. Zarazu's eyes settled on Yawnda as he glared. He couldn't think. He didn't even have time to mourn before his rage kicked in. But the lion did not stop as he ran, and before Yawnda could respond, Kikaru pushed the lion off her, and he pushed her over, just as she had done to his mate. He didn't have time to save Meersha, but at least he could avenge her.