[Random Melody]

Kila sighed and padded off after her sister, ears flat and eyes narrowed ahead, obviously not enjoying this. Had it just been her, Kiara, Vexy and Jelani, she'd have been okay with it. But did Tiifu and Zuri have to come along? Really? Kila personally didn't like the two. They were brats, spoiled, snobby, stuck-up brats and she didn't know why Kiara wanted to waste her time on them. The golden cub paused and turned her head to look over at Koja when they passed him, feeling this strange pressure in her chest when his sea-green eyes met her amber ones. And she quickly diverted her gaze, just in time to hear Kiara's question, and her eyes darted to Vexy. She didn't. She wouldn't.

Vexy trotted slightly-in front, slightly-beside Kila, ears perked up. She met Koja's gaze as well when they passed him, and pricked an ear, throwing a friendly smile his way. But she bared her teeth in the process, a warning and a greeting all in one. She turned an amused gaze to her best friend, then to Kiara when the Princess spoke. She ignored the warning glare Kila sent her way, ears pricking up even more, if possible. "Oh!" The lioness surged forward, leaving Kila's side to walk beside Kiara, much to the younger Princess's annoyance. Vexy lashed her tail slightly, turning surprised bright blue eyes onto Kiara. "Kila didn't tell you about it, huh?" She was stunned. Kila usually kept secrets but she would have thought that her best friend would've told her sister, at least? Weren't the two close?


~~~O3O~~~


"So what'll it be, cub?" Nigel spoke up after a while, since nobody else had said a single word for the longest time. The tiger was honestly growing frustrated with the reluctance Kion held. Lucifer would have to re-program the kid, wouldn't he? Because right now he was defying orders. Right now, he seemed pampered. And Nigel didn't like that, not at all. When Kion didn't move, Nigel sighed. "Alright, I get it," He kept his voice calm, way too calm. "Look, if you don't wanna cooperate, Runt, we could always get Lucifer down here. Should we do that, then?"

Kion paused, looking up at him, then looking back at Kopa. He had a million thoughts racing through his head, and just looked... Completely tortured. The mask he usually put on around his family, it was gone. And the look in his eyes was one of a cub that knew too much, that had seen too much, been through too much. That knew more than he was supposed to about this world, and it was too late to turn back. The innocence was gone. The innocence, the faked innocence, it was gone.

"We're waiting." Lissie sang, poking her nose sharply against Kion's shoulder and feeling a rush of that familiar satisfaction when the cub flinched. "And we don't like waiting, Red~"

"Lissie's right. The clock is a-tickin'." Sam clicked his tongue. After a moment, he sighed. "Alright, Lis, go."

"Stop." Kion slammed a paw down on the leopard's tail when Lissie started off toward the desert, his amber eyes filled with a sudden fear. His gaze flickered from Kopa to Lissie, then back to Kopa, then up to Lissie again, then Nigel. "Alright, I get it. You hate me. All three of you do." He said desperately. "More than that, you'd probably like to rip my head off about now, and I don't blame you - The feelings are mutual. But your crap, Master's crap, that's with me. Don't," His voice took on an almost pleading edge, his gaze flickering down to Kopa for a moment before he looked back at Nigel. "Don't drag him into this, too. He doesn't deserve this." He lashed his tail, narrowing his eyes at Nigel. The tiger tipped his head, and looked over at Sam, who was just smirking, amused. Then both of them just shook their heads, and Kion felt his heart drop, blood running cold, like a plunge into icy water. I tried. Kopa, I tried.

@Constellation