A Change of Plans [PRIVATE: AC & The Whistlerify]

[AustralianChaos]

Sarabi looked at Simba. "I have an idea for how to help Tanga and Marini...one that I think you'll like." Her face formed a sly grin as Simba looked back. "What? You didn't think you got your prankster nature from your father, did you?" she inwardly cringed at the mention of her lost mate, but otherwise showed no sign of anything amiss. The last month had given them plenty of time to move on.

She walked over to Marini and Tanga, still smiling. "Alright, you two...have either of you ever been to the southern borders of the Pridelands?" she asked, fully expecting a no.

The southern reaches of the Pridelands were where most of the pride spent their time hunting...there so little aside from endless grass occasionally dotted with a tree that the cubs generally considered it too boring to even bother visiting...but with an adventurous lot like these four, you just never knew.

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Nala's ears perked up as Sarabi mentioned she had a plan. She turned around as the former queen asked Tanga and Marini if they had ever been to the south. Nala rolled her eyes, remember the one time she had been to the south...and how empty and boring it was. Why would Sarabi ask about their main hunting grounds, anyway? And how would this stop Tanga and Marini from being exiled?

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Tanga could tell that Marini's words carried no sincerity to them...they might have each other, but without Simba and Nala, it was going to be hard.

But when Sarabi asked about the southern Pridelands, his thoughts turned confused. "What? No, I haven't. Rini?" he asked, even if he never tore his gaze from Sarabi. What is she up to? he wondered.

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba looked at Sarabi, wondering what was his apperantly prankster mother was up to.
Marini looked confused as well, "No, I've never been there." she asked, her tone sounding a little more hopeful

[AustralianChaos]

Sarabi nodded, smiling wider. "Good."

She pulled everyone, including Sarafina, into their little group discussion, so that she would not have to say this more than once. "Now, as you might already be aware, the southern parts of the Pridelands double as the pride's main hunting ground. Because of this, and the lack of significant landmarks there, most of the pride tends to avoid it."

She smirked at them, then, in particular Nala, whose eye's widened as she began to catch on to where Sarabi was going with the conversation. "Now if you head all the way to the southern borders, you'll come across a large river. It's wide, but shallow, and marks our southern border. At a particular point along the river, it makes a big zig-zag turn, each corner marked by a tree. Just across the river at that point, just beyond the Pridelands borders, is a hill. On one side of the hill there is a small cliff...and within that is a cave. It's quite large, and actally travels underground, splitting into multiple tunnels. I would not advise you to travel into the maze system in there...but it's a good home."

"On top of that," she continued, her smirk widening as she got to the real point of her tale. "It's close to the Pridelands, close enough that Simba and Nala could visit you fairly often without drawing Scar's suspicions. You're also close to the hunting area of our pride, so if you promise to be careful, I, at least, give you free reign to hunt there when you need to...just make sure you take your kill out of the Pridelands before anything else if you do."

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Tanga could barely believe his ears. Scar was banishing them from the Pridelands, but nothing he had said determined that, as long as they stayed off the border, just how close they could remain to said border. Sarabi had given them a new home that was far enough from Pride Rock that it would not draw Scar's attention, particularly since Tanga knew that the acting king avoided the southern lands when at all possible...but not only that, she had also given them a home that was close enough to Pride Rock that Simba and Nala could visit frequently!

He looked at Marini, a smile forming on his face for the first time since he had admitted his feelings to her. "What do you think?" he asked. "Does that sound good?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba listened to his mother's plan. It was perfect. Scar never went neither hunting nor explored that area, as far as he knew. And the cave was past the border, on the other side of the river, so technically Tanga and Marini were allowed there. He sighed in relief, noticing both Tanga and Marini felt alot better at this.

Marini smiled, feeling completely relieved that they knew they were going to a place where there was a cave to slepp at, water nearby and even a place to hunt. And, their new den was just past the border. Meaning they could be where Simba and Nala could visit and nearby Pride Rock. The only time they'll have to go past the border and into the Pride Lands just for hunting. And according to Sarabi, Scar never went there. She smiled at her friends, her face looking as if she felt alot better then a moment ago. "Oh, Sarabi thank you so much"! she said thankfully and looked at Tanga, "It sounds perfect." she said smiling back at him.

[AustralianChaos]

Sarabi smiled at the two cubs as Tanga also piped up with his own thanks. "Glad I could help...I don't know what's come over Scar to make him so convinced you're trying to betray the pride, but I know you're innocent, and I'll help you."

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Nala grinned at Simba, leaping around excitedly at the thought that her two friends were not completely gone from their lives. "Thank you, Sarabi!" she squealed, before hopping around to Simba's side. "We can see them all the time, still!"

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Tanga smiled at Sarabi's words, before looking up at the sun, which had reached it's zenith, and was just beginning it's slow journey down towards the western horizon.

He nudged Marini to get her attention, before turning to everyone. "Well...I guess if we want to be gone before sunset, so Scar doesn't come looking for us, we'd probably better go now."

Tanga also thought that he did not like the idea of trying to find this cave in the dark, and as such wanted to get to it sooner rather than later...even if it meant leaving his friends behind now.

Tanga moved and sat awkwardly in fron of Sarabi and Sarafina. "Thanks...both of you...you both saved our lives several times today...I know I owe you everything now."

He then turned to face Simba and Nala. "Well, I guess...I guess this is goodbye for now, then..." he said reluctantly, not wanting to leave them.

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba looked at Tanga and Marini, "The first thing I'll do as king will be to bring you two back." he said and smiled, knowing he and Nala could still see Tanga and Marini every once in a while. "When will we see you?" he asked them.

"Well the cave Sarabi mentioned isn't far from the river, so I guess we can be by the river for most time of the day where we can see you on the other side of the border." She said, excited that they weren't completely leaving Simba and Nala behind, "come visit us when you get the chance." she then looked at Tanga, "Yeah... we better get going." she said and sighed before turning to Sarabi again, "I don't know how to thank you..."

[AustralianChaos]

Sarabi looked at the two young adolescents. "You can thank me by surviving, and returning when Simba becomes king...that would be the best thanks I could ever ask for."

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Tanga looked at Simba and Nala, before drawing both into a brief, but warm and heart-felt hug. "Stay safe...and visit us when you can. We'll always be on the lookout for you," he said, before letting go of them.

He then turned to Sarabi and Sarafina. "Thank you...both of you...you're both more of a mother to me than my real mother ever was."

He finally turned to Marini, nodding to her. "Come on, Rini...let's go."

But even as he slowly walked away from two of his friends, and their mothers, every step was in a way painful. He hoped Simba and Nala would be able to visit them soon, but knew that, for Scar to be completely decieved, they would probably have to stay away from the southern lands for a least a few days. But he managed to draw some comfort from the fact that it could be far worse, if not for Sarabi...and not only that, but he was with Marini.

Thinking about Marini lead his mind back to the conversation they had been having by the waterhole before the hyenass had interrupted. As they retreated towards the south, now a good distance from both the waterhole and Pride Rock, he turned to Marini. "Uhh...Marini? About...about what happened by the waterhole, you know...before all this..." but he found both his thoughts and his voice failing him as his nervous mind lost track of what he wanted to say. She had seemed to return the affection he had for her, but he still was not sure, and his shy nature was stopping him from bringing it up properly.

But he knew he had to bring it up now, unless he wanted their time in exile to become extremely awkward.

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini didn't feel like leaving Simba and Nala, but they had toget moving if they wanted to be out of the Pride Lands before sun set. But things turned out alot better then she had expected thanks to Sarabi. She blushed slightly as Tanga poser his question. Because of the hyenas and scar, she completly forgot about it. "Oh... ah...." she said a little nervously, "What about it?"

Simba sighed heavily as both his friends walked into almost a on year exile, even though he knew it could have ended up worse, he was still angry that Scar did this to his friends.

[AustralianChaos]

Sarabi came up behind her son, giving him a brief nuzzle, along with a lick on the top of the head. "They'll both be fine, dear. Just give them a few days to settle in, and for Scar to see that they're gone, then you and Nala can go see them all the time."

She paused for a moment, before nudging Simba's back, giving him a little shove towards Pride Rock. "Come on, we'd best get back ourselves," she said as she led the way towards Pride Rock.

But despite her calm outward appearance, inside she was hurting for the two cubs. Scar should not have done this, and she fully intended to get to the bottom of why Scar believed the two were trying to hurt the Pridelands...and why he had been so harsh, attempting to send the two cubs to their deaths.

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Tanga gathered his thoughts, rubbing a paw nevously through the miniscule tuft on his head. "Well, I just...I thought we should talk about it, you know...so things don't get...awkward, between us," he said rather pathetically. "And I'm sorry about last night, too. I know I shouldn't do it without asking you...but I was too afraid to ask, and I just sleep so much better beside you...it's much better than being cold and alone."

[TheWhistlerify]

Sarafina looked down at her daughter, who still seemed a little down-hearted about everything. "Don't worry Nala, they'll be fine and you can visit them soon." she said giving her daughter a slight nuzzle. She hoped Nala would feel better soon, after all, it could have ended alot worse then it turned out.

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Marini looked at Tanga, "Oh, that's okay." she said with a sign of relief. She then walked a little closer to him, "I'm just glad that we're together in this..." she said with a smile, "I don't know what would I do if I was exiled all by myself. Also... in the waterhole... you saved my life."