Simba got the birth announcement in a text a few days after Rhea had been born, and afterwards, he’d spent a good amount of his time waiting on tenterhooks for when he would be able to go visit. He hadn’t gotten proper baby time in so long--like small, little baby. He played with the Patts twins sometimes, of course, and back in March he’d been in Kenyan absolutely surrounded by babies, but there was a difference between toddlers and small little just-born babies you could practically hold in your hand.
But, he knew he had to be patient, because new parents were always different--they always wanted time to themselves and their family at first, which, of course, Simba totally understood and respected that. If he had a baby of his own, he was pretty sure he’d not let anyone else hold them, not even Ber--o-or, well, his...partner.
Anyway--
He finally had gotten the okay from Raksha after waiting almost a whole month and not bothering her once, except to ask for pictures every now and then, y’know, to tide him over. But, his patience paid off because Raksha invited him over and he didn’t waste a second hopping into his brand new car and zipping to her apartment.
When he got there, he texted her, not wanting to knock in case Rhea was asleep. The door opened after a minute or two and Raksha had the baby in her arms, draped in a colorful blanket--it reminded him of home at once. He smiled wide as he greeted her.
“Hullo, Raksha!” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek, putting a hand on her shoulder. Part of the action was definitely so he could duck his head down afterwards to look at little Rhea bundled in her mother’s arms. “Awh, jambo thamani,” he murmured in Swahili.
The journey from India to England had been long and uncomfortable for Akela, who was not used to confined spaces such as airplanes. Though he would not admit it to any, flying was one of Akela’s least favorite things. He would have driven, taken a train, a boat--anything, if it would not have taken days and days. He was nothing if not practical. And so, a plane it was.
After a 12 hour flight, a layover in Germany and another 3 hour flight, then a four hour train ride from London to Swynlake, he was feeling more than a little itchy. With only his one dufflebag full of clothing and momentos (anything he had been able to scavenge from the fire), Akela stepped off the train platform. Immediately, he turned to the woods, the scent of fresh dirt and air already in his nose, his skin itching to shift.
Inside the treeline, he found a rotted log to stash his things and he quickly stripped down, the only thing he was left wearing was his wedding ring on a long twine rope around his neck.
Stretching his fingers up to the sky and then taking a running leap forwards, he was a wolf as soon as he touched the ground, pads of his feet heavy against the ground. He shook his fur out and then dropped to the ground, rolling in the dirt, letting out a grunt of contentment.
Getting up, he shook his fur again and then lifted his muzzle to the canopy, letting out a deep, bellowing howl that startled the birds from their trees.
He let the echo of the call peter out, his ears twitching left and right, muzzle still to the air as he sniffed at the sky.
And then--he heard an answering cry that shuddered through his bones and squeezed in his heart.
Raksha.
He knew her clear and bright howl from anywhere, before he felt the tickle of her conscious rubbing up against his own. It felt good for his brain to be full of another’s thoughts. Even if it was just one other’s, when once it had been 15. It was better than nothing, in fact, it was everything.
Immediately, he set out at a run, jumping over a log and springing off the path.
Summary: Where I really wanted like four of my characters to go down under all for their different reasons and so brilliantly decided to bring them all together and just do one big journey!!! I still have no fucking clue how I’m pulling this off.... buttttttttt I’ll figure it out as it goes along haha
Trigger Warnings: None
Warnings: It is looonggggg. My forever warning for every single one-shot (or will this be like a four-shot since it involves four of my girls??????) that I do, buttttttt in my defense, I had to bring all four girls together!!!!!! That like automatically makes the beginning long!!!
Sally had many reasons to be where she currently was. She could tell you all of them, lay out the paths that would intertwine into what would become the journey she had ahead of her. She had seen all that would befall her, each puzzle piece before they all have even begun.
Funny... she had always tried to stop her visions from occurring, but she has begun to learn that each puzzle piece shown to her was a string in the grand loom of fate.
It all was going to happen. It was what was meant to be, she was only to help it move along, become the weaver that adjoined each string together.
She was to weave together four different stories, one including her own and they all began at the bottom of the crumbling steps Sally was staring before her. The entrance to the Underworld.
The air around her was still, branches didn’t sway and life seemed to cease. The soft running of the Kahaku River was all that was heard echoing against the thickened bark of looming trees. All was lit in a soft aura of bright blue, even Daniel as he hovered beside her seem to glow in a gentle blue.
Are you sure you want to do this, Sals?
Sally didn’t move her eyes away from the steps in front of her simply nodding her head in return. “I’m certain. It’s what I have to do.”
Then... why aren’t you moving? You know that I will go with you every step of the way.
A small smile softly touched her features, her gaze drifting over to her dearest friend. “I know, but this journey isn’t mine alone. It belongs to three others as well.”
Daniel seemed confused, but Sally’s line of vision moved over to the forest that was stretched out behind her to see the figure of a woman approaching her, skin tanned, luscious dark brown hair that flowed down to a slightly swollen belly.
Raksha hadn’t thought that she would be finding anyone near the entrance of the Underworld and seeing another person, well a woman with ginger hair merely standing there and smiling over at her... that made her weary. Why was she here just standing around, and at the entrance of the Underworld of all places? That, however, mattered little in the end. Raksha was determined to find her son and if this woman wanted to linger by the entrance of the Underworld then so be it. It wasn’t going to stop her.
Sally smiled, feeling the strong beating of that determination filling her own chest. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to stop you from finding your son, but you might want to wait before heading down. There are still two others who are shortly behind and we’ll be needing them.”
Raksha eyes filled themselves with shock. This woman spoke about her son, but... how?! No one knew of Rahil save her pack, and husband. She was about to force the information out of her if need be when the sound of footsteps caused her to quickly turn around. In front of her stood a girl, whom Raksha recognized thoroughly from the memories that were placed in her from this world.
“Violet?! What are you doing here?”
Violet simply grinned those smart-ass smirks that she loved placing on her features. “The same as you I’m going to guess. ....You’re going down there... right? Because I’ll go down with you. I can be of... value. I... can’t stay up here. I’m not a fucking Priestess and my brothers... they’ll be okay... trust me... I can be of use.”
“She’s right.” Sally chimed in. “She will be of great value.”
Raksha gave Sally a piercing glare from the depths of her dark brown eyes. Violet quirked a brow. “Who the fuck is she?”
“You have a foul mouth for someone your age.” Raksha reprimanded in a low growl, but she’ll be damned if she had to become responsible for the life of such a young girl who still had so much to live. “You should not be here. There is no reason for you to be traveling to the Underworld. Return back to your house, or the Temple.”
“Curiosity is hers.” Again Sally chimed in, her eyes now falling over Violet. “Curiosity killed the cat you know.”
Violet blinked lost of words in shock at how this redheaded woman knew the reason for her desire to travel down under. See, Violet had a love for Dante’s Inferno, was always fascinated in such things since a young age and this... this was her chance. The hell she was going to let it slip away to sit on her knees and pray some boring ass pointless prayers. Violet was about to retort, when Sally suddenly gave a little clap of her hands, her smile growing big and wide.
“Oh good! Number four is here!”
And right on cue appeared Minnie, a look of confusion decorating her features as her eyes fell over a group of three ladies all hovering by the entrance of the Underworld. She paused in her steps. “I-uhh.. number four..? I’m sorry... but I don’t really think I know any of you....” There wasn’t a face Minnie recognized between the three ladies, but she wasn’t here to recognize faces was she? She was here to pull some bloody crazy stunt that she wasn’t exactly sure, nor confident could be pulled off, and travel the Underworld to find her loved ones.
“Yes, number four. We were all waiting for you.” Sally answered as both Violet and Raksha looked at her with straight disbelief coating their eyes.
“We?” Raksha exclaimed in a bit of a bite as Violet simply looked at Sally with her head cocked to an angle. “Again.... who the fuck are you?”
Sally simply smiled her eyes traveling over all three ladies, ladies in where she will be aiding in weaving their journeys.
“I’m Sally. I’ve seen all of our journeys, each one’s path down in the Underworld. It’s my magic. I have visions, and each of you have your own cause for needing this journey, but without the other it will all fail. We each offer a piece that is needed to become successful. We all do: myself, Raksha, Violet, and Minnie.” Sally’s eyes were glittering now with a weird wonder and sense of fascination as she purposefully spoke each name to prove her point in seeing what has yet to come. “So, what do you say? Will you all fight me? Or—”
Sally began to walk towards the stairs taking the first initial steps into the dark gaping hole that lead to the Underworld. “Follow me? It all up to you, but as we are all heading to the same place.... what is there to lose?”
Nothing, because you were willing to lose it all coming down to the Underworld as it was, no? And all three women must have thought the same as they each stepped forward.
Four Converged Into One: A Prologue
Sorrows Through The Meadows: Part One
Summary: In where the ladies pass through the Asphodel Meadows and reach the Doors of Judgement. Minnie soon discovers that this is her piece of the journey.
Trigger Warnings: Death, Injuries, Blood, Wounds
Additional Information: Ahem, I think I can confidently say that this is the longest thing I have written TO DATE. I have officially written a noveelll and it fucked me up. Oh! The titles to each one-shot tells you the task my child will be going through and where in the Underworld they’ll face that task because I thought I was being clever that way hahaha I’m such a loser. That is all.
The boy had been waiting for them the moment they all finished their tread through the snow filled path.
It had been a cold tread, but then again this whole journey had begun cold. It was the kind of cold that soaked right through Minnie’s bones leaving her shivering and pulling her arms into a tight hug to conserve some inkling of heat. They had all made it through the winding path and that was where Minnie witnessed Raksha seeing her son for the first time since his death.
They were all in a meadow of sorts, each woman taking in the scene that laid before them. It was similar to the entrance except these trees had more life to them. The branches were filled with leaves that didn’t cast haunting shadows, and actually swayed with a soft guided gentleness to them. The skies weren’t dark, but light a sheer and pale almost periwinkle blue. The leaves that grew from the branches were the same color. There was a river that coursed through the very center of the meadows it’s currents strong, ethereal, but peaceful.
The place… it was beautiful. Homes of all different shapes and structures filled themselves along the line of the river banks and the trees grew fruits far more plentiful than any tree Minnie has seen before, rich in color bright and tempting to the human eye.
The redheaded woman had told the group that they have now entered the Asphodel Meadows, well according to her dead friend anyways. It was there where Raksha’s son’s soul rested. He was such a precious looking kid. Short in height, with gorgeous waves of unruly dark hair and dark brown eyes.
His eyes reminded Minnie of Dodger’s eyes, so dark with depths that one could easily melt in. That was what Minnie wanted more than anything right now, to get lost in Dodger’s eyes while he held her so close to him so that she could hear the strong beating of his heart. His heart beat always washed everything away, and it could do that now for her, wash away all she had seen and all that has yet to even come. That was what she thought of as she watched the kid lead Raksha to the home he resided in now. Raksha had shed tears of joy to be reunited with her son and as it seemed, with other loved ones as well who were now watching over her son for Raksha.
It was then when all three ladies knew that this was where Raksha’s journey ended, here with her son and loved ones. Raksha would not be joining them any further. In a way…. Minnie envied that. Her own journey was far from ending and she didn’t know if such happiness was what awaited her. She had no way of knowing how Sweet, Tibbs, or Dodger were fairing… she didn’t even know if Dodger was still alive.
But Minnie…. she had to hold on to hope. She had to believe that they were all okay… that they were all alive... somewhere out there… wherever this hell prison may be. They all bid their fair wells to Raksha and for as much as Minnie secretly envied her ending, she was glad for the woman. What Minnie had witnessed back in the paths… it had been horrifying. Yes, she was unaware of what Raksha had been going through or exactly what had happened for that matter, but whatever it was that the woman had seen it was enough to bring her down to her knees and scream piercing cries of pure grief.
It was something… something Minnie herself would never want to go through.
The rest of the three continued to move on reaching the end of the meadow only to find themselves in front of a door. Well…. that was certainly something rather sorty, even for the Underworld. Nevertheless, they all opened the door stepping into a room that was very dimly lighted, practically scarce of light. The door behind them immediately closed shut and now all three women were facing a….. scale? It was encrusted in pure gold standing right in the center of the room both scales evenly in balance with nothing currently above their golden plates.
“We are now in the Doors of Judgement.” Sally once again broke the silence letting the girls know of their current surroundings. Violet had crossed her arms over her chest, her brow quirking.
“Let me guess…. your dead friend, huh?” She drawled in her normal sarcastic drip.
“Yes and that dead friend has informed me that the scale weighs our deeds. A gold coin for every good deed and a stone for every bad one. We each must be judged by the scale in order to be allowed to pass through.”
Minnie’s eyes fell over the scale. Okay… that didn’t sound so horrible, right? For everything that they have yet to face…. at least this one… well this one didn’t seem so bad. She can go first. There truly wasn’t much she had to hide. “Alright. I-I wouldn’t mind going first….”
She was about to take a step forward to begin the process when Sally abruptly stuck her arm out blocking the brunette’s attempt. “No.” She spoke sternly. “You need to go last. The door opens with you, not with Violet, or myself. Welcome to your part of the journey, Minnie.”
Minnie was left in shock without so much as words being able to slip from her mouth because no sooner had Sally finished speaking then she pushed Violet forward and therein began the judgement. One could tell that Violet was furious for having been pushed forward without her approval, but that sentiment had slowly faded away when the sound of coins dropping onto the scale echoed loudly against the small enclosed area. Soon came the stones although Violet truly didn't have that many and before they knew it, the scale had easily balanced itself.
Violet had taken a step forward, walking over to the other end of the room as Sally, taking purposeful care to deliberately step in front of Minnie, proceeded next. The motions repeated itself as the scale had rebalanced and now coins were dripping like rain drops onto the golden plates, but Sally had more stones than Violet. As it seemed, however, her good deeds won in the end and the scale was able to become perfectly balanced. She proceeded in moving walking to take her place besides Violet.
It was Minnie’s turn now, but somehow, she didn’t want to move. The doors opened with her? But… why wouldn’t it open for Sally, or for Violet? Both had managed to balance the scale… why would the door then only open for her? Minnie didn’t know what would be in store for her and that… it scared her, but behind the other door somewhere deeper in the Underworld that’s where Dodger was and if she was going to find him and have any chance at being with him again—
Minnie stepped forward.
At first, there was only silence and then the coins began to drop just as it had for Violet and Sally. There were many trickling down in a steady stream clattering and clanging against the gold plate. Minnie’s chest grew light. Good… this was good. Those were all her good deeds. Then a stone dropped and for as many good deeds that piled up on the right-hand side of the scale that one stone kilted the scale completely over to it’s side. Nothing had taken place after the stone had dropped and Minnie she stood quiet looking over at the scale confused. What was she to do now? She didn’t get it….. the scale… it-it had to be wrong. What could she had possibly done so bad that it could out weigh every single good deed?! She scoured through her mind desperately trying to find the answer, but it was to no avail.
It was then when a voice entered the room, one that made Minnie turn in an instant, the blood in her veins freezing over.
Pequeña?
In front of Minnie now stood a beautiful older woman with a stature much like Minnie herself.
"Ma-mami?!" The words came out in a choke, her eyes rimming with tears that were on the verge of sliding down her cheeks. She hardly realized when they had begun to form, but in that moment she didn't care. She ran into her mother wrapping her arms around her to embrace her in a tender hug filled with an aching longing. Melanie wrapped her arms around her daughter one of her hands softly pressing over long brown locks.
What did you do mama that was so bad? Melanie lovingly teased as Minnie looked up at her shaking her head.
"I don't- I don't know."
We have to figure that out if you're going to move forward to find that rock star of yours, si? I like him. Minnie blushed. Melanie laughed. You have grown so much mi cielo... I don't know if I can even call you my pequeña anymore."
The tears were now flooding down Minnie's eyes, but she laughed, a soft sound of happiness that filled the room with the sudden joy that swirled around her. Another stone dropped then the dense sound alerting Minnie back to the present scale at hand. She was going to turn to position herself back in front of the scale, but something rather odd kept her from doing so. The line of her spinal column suddenly felt.... moist. Something was dripping down against her robes and sliding down her skin. It felt heavy as if whatever touched her was some sort of thick liquid.
Minnie turned around to see what it could’ve possibly been when she caught sight of one of her mother’s arms that had been previously hugging her. It now bore a large grotesque wound open and deep, deep enough to see vessels and tissues. It bled, the red liquid oozing down the woman’s palm and fingertips, drops dripping one by one onto the ground.
Another stone fell. It followed the loud, ear-splitting sound of a crack. It was the sound of bone penetrating through tissue, muscles and flesh. It was her mother’s thigh the bone had punctured right through skin protruding outward. Melanie screamed a cry of pure gut-wrenching pain that rang like laser-sharp edges stabbing Minnie’s head. Her mother dropped to the ground and behind her Minnie could now hear a continous flow of small stones falling.
For each stone that fell, a new cut marred the skin of Melanie’s face. Minnie dropped to her knees, with shaking hands she had ripped a portion of her robe wrapping it around the open wound on her mother’s arms through steady streams of tears. She-she had to... pressure... to stop the bleed—
The bone. Minnie had to splint that thigh but she- she had nothing with her! Melanie was writhing in pain her screams still echoing sharply within the room. She was moving too much—her screaming was too loud! Minnie... she couldn’t take her screaming. It burned, tore at her heart and making it feel as if the organ was shredding into pieces. She-she c-couldn’t stop her mother’s pain. She couldn’t think! Not against the piercing shrills.
“M-ma-mi y-you have to—you have to s-stop moving. Mami, mami please. You-you have to stay still. I-I know it hurts b-but you have to stay s-still.” Her words felt choked inside of her throat, Melanie’s eyes now filled with tears.
Stop pequeña.
What had she said? Another stone dropped.
This time Minnie saw a wound beginning to form over the center of her mother’s stomach. Another sharp cry bellowed in the room. It was bleeding, bleeding out like a stock pig. Minnie quickly crawled over to the wound, her knees scraping hard against the cemented ground and scraping skin. She immediately placed her hands over the bleeding applying pressure. It-it had to s-stop her mother was going to bleed out! The thick liquid kept running over Minnie’s hands. It felt so warm, thick... there was so much of it— heavy and red a crimson bright red. It flowed over her knees slid down to her legs and feet. It wasn’t lessening. Melanie kept bleeding.
It’s okay to stop now, pequeña. I’ll be alright. Close your eyes for me, Minerva... Do that for mami, okay? Close... close those eyes and cover your ears....
Minnie’s eyes were thickened with ceaseless tears, her throat grew tighter and tighter, her chest so heavy. She knew those words. She was ten years old again hovered over her mother’s injured body on the day of the car accident... those were her mother’s last words to her...
“No! Mami, no! Not this time. I-I’m not going to stop. Y-you aren’t going to die on me again I-I can’t let you—”
Die. Because Minnie had when she was ten, when she was that little girl hovered over her mother’s dying body. She had listened to her mom. She had closed her eyes and covered her ears. She allowed her mother to die. Minnie had killed her mother.
It’s okay to stop now, pequeña. I’ll be alright. Close your eyes for me, Minerva... Do that for mami, okay? Close... close those eyes and cover your ears....
Minnie kept the pressure even against the fading voice of her mother. The blood wasn’t ceasing. She looked at Melanie then, a deep seeded anger burning hot in her veins.
“How could you! How can you ask me that?! How-how can you ask me that now?! Ask me that when I was ten?! I was little! You knew that I knew no better! You let me—you made me stop! You made me leave you to die!”
There was a stark silence then. No stones, no coins, no screams and no tears. Minnie’s eyes peered over the scale it hung in balance now. She let out a sob. She knew the deed, the deed that outweighed everything. It was that silent anger she bore her mother for making her stop... for letting her die. It was one she denied in existence, burying it so, so deep so that she would never have to see it’s ugliness and face it. Not until now.
It’s okay to stop now, pequeña.
Minnie slowly nodded her head. She lightened the pressure, dropping her arms to her side, her body feeling so numb. She closed her eyes and she covered her ears. A door jarred open, but all Minnie could do was weep in silence, bend forward and cry onto her thighs. She heard footsteps moving through the door. Minnie didn’t move, she just wept. She felt a hand now, a soft touch falling over her back. She lifted her head. It was Melanie, the mother Minnie remembered before the tragic car accident coming into form through the dense blur of her vision.
“I’m so sorry.” She choked in between a sharp sob that had raked through her chest.
Melanie only smiled warmly in return her fingers wiping away the tears that stained her daughter’s cheek.
I know, mi cielo. I know, and I am so, so sorry too. I only wanted to protect you. There was nothing more you could have done that day that would’ve changed it all. You have to know that, sweetie, there was nothing. I was already far too injured... far too gone. I never wanted for you to see or hear my last breath. I never wanted to have that as your last memory of me, to have that as the one thing that will haunt you. Forgive me.... I wanted to protect you.
She pulled her daughter into a strong embrace allowing her to sob in her arms. Melanie pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, passing a gentle had threw her daughter’s hair. They remained as such for a while. One holding, the other sobbing, sobbing enough to wash it all away, to wash it away for the both of them.
You have to go now, Minerva. It doesn’t end here for you. You can’t stay in my arms. You have to find him, remember? He is here and he’s alive. Her smile turned lighter as Melanie lifted Minnie’s chin to look at her daughter. I really like him for you.
“I really like him too.” Melanie laughed softly, helping her daughter up from the ground and leading her to the door. I love you, pequeña.
Minnie took a hold of the door, her eyes falling over her mother. “I love you too, mami.” She smiled watching her mother disappeared into the air. With a last glance of her mother, Minnie took a step through the door.
You know how hard it was to push a carriage over the cobblestone streets of Swynlake?
So, so, so hard. Especially when in heels because you’d been dropping your resume off at literally the last of the businesses in Swynlake--the restaurants. Perdita had a full degree, double-major in English and Mathematics, and she hadn’t found a single job yet. She’d stooped so low as to applying for food and beverage. Perdita had never worked in food and beverage in her entire life. Had never actually had a job at all but that was besides the point.
This is what Swynlake had reduced her to. A possible waitress/hostess, single mother, with two babies to feed and money that was wearing thinner and thinner with every day that passed. She was starting to panic, just a bit. And though she knew she had Anita to lean on for support, that, for once, was not enough.
Anita could not help her when she was too poor to feed her babes.
She knew that she could not go home. Her parents would make her give up the babies right away, cast them off in secret and refuse to have them talked about. She could not bring shame on her family. She could not go back to Paul, because she didn’t even know if she had a family with Paul anymore or if she had ruined it because she was scared, and cowardly, and awful.
Now, the carriage was stuck in the middle of a side street of the main one and her heel had broken when she’d tried to push it out and the babies were both crying at the top of her lungs and people were staring but no one was doing a single thing about it and Perdita felt like she was drowning.
Actually, she felt like leaving the babies right there in the middle of the street and kicking off her shoes and running far, far away where no one would know who she was.
She actually took a step away from the carriage, and then another, and then--
Perdita collapsed into tears on the curb of the sidewalk.
