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

[AustralianChaos]

Nala could tell that Sarafina was making sense, and her stubborn nature fell away as she broke down, clutching her mother in a desperate, tight hug. "Please..." she sobbed pleadingly, her watery eyes looking up into her mother's. "Please come back safely."

She then turned to look at Simba, waiting for him to say or do something about the whole situation.

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Scar sneered down at Sarabi. "I think you will find, Sarabi, that the stampede killed him, not me," he said, wondering how she had discovered the truth.

Sarabi sneered right back. "Rubbish! I know about you taking Simba to the gorge, luring Mufasa back there...creating the stampede! It just took me a while to figure it out, that's all!"

Sarabi suppressed the urge to sigh. She was going to die...and the least she could do was take the fall for the others, and leave Scar in the dark about just how much Sarafina suspected him. But with the hyena continuing to pin her down, all she could do now was let Scar go through his conversation, and wait for the end, however long that might take.

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Tanga nodded, watching as Marini went into the tall grass. "So I'm playing hunter first, then?" he called after then, just to make sure. But as long as Marini wasn't looking, he kept a smirk on his face. It was going to be so much fun getting back at her!

[TheWhistlerify]

Sarafina sighed, knowing she couldn't promise anything. She turned around and ran off to the elephant graveyard, hoping she'd get there on time.
Simba sighed as Sarafina ran off, hoping that they'd both return back to Pride Rock safely. "Don't worry," he said noticing Nala was worried for her mother, "She'll be fine." he said trying to calm her down, even though he knew that the chances weren't very good.

Marini walked out of the grass as Tanga suggested to be the hunter. "Okay then... Let's say I'm an animal. You're a hunter using the grass as cover," she said pointing at the other side of the border in where the Pride Landers went hunting, "Try to pounce and pin me." she said and settled down a few feet away from the grass. "Untill you get it right." she added with a slight grin

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga gave her a nervous frown, which was not entirely faked, as he wandered off, heading around the tall grass, making sure he was well out of sight before his face split into a wide grin. He was going to get her good, he was certain of it.

As he wandered further away from Marini's position, he practiced walking silently, making sure he had it down right. Taking soft, careful steps, using the pads on his paws to avoid making a sound, he spent a couple of minutes altering and refining his technique...which would have to added bonus of making Marini nervous as she waited for any sign he was coming.

Once he felt he was as silent as he could possibly be, Tanga moved into the grass, stepping slowly and carefully, moving with complete silence. He caught onto the fact he was breathing a little hard in his excitement, and stopped, forcing himself to calm down. Once his breathing was as silent as his gait, he continued on, knowing he was getting closer to Marini's position.

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Nala heaved a shaky sigh. "It's not just her I'm worried about," she said, looking at Simba. "I feel so helpless," she admitted softly as they made their way back home. "Mum could be walking right into a trap, and we can't do anything but sit back and wait to see if she and Sarabi come back or not." She sniffed, trying to fight back her tears, forcing herself to remember that both their parents weren't dead yet, they could still come back.

She looked up to the morning sky, pleading with the Great Kings to let them both come home safely.

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As Scar started to congratulate Sarabi on figuring out his scheme, she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Heaving a disinterest sigh in Scar's direction to excuse her actions, she turned her head away from him, looking at what had caused the movement. What she saw almost made her screw up her act.

Sarafina was coming into the Elephant Graveyard, heading straight for her!

Taking a quick glance to ensure Scar was too wrapped up in his speech over his plans to take over Pride Rock to notice her, she turned to face Sarafina as casually as she could, mouthing to her without actually speaking, praying that she understood the message.

"Go, Sara! Run! There's too many!"

Sarabi knew that there were too many hyenas around, and any rescue attempt would just get Sarafina killed, too. But she was distracted as Scar told the hyena to get off her. She tried to stand the moment she was freed, but as she got on all fours, Scar swiped a paw into her cheek...hard. The blow sent the former queen sprawling to the ground, thin scratches running across her cheek.

"Who else knows?" Scar demanded. "Who else knows what you know?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini was getting a little impatient, but remained focused. She noticed Tanga's breathing and was about to walk away from the grass when she noticed that he stopped breathing hard. She decided she would comment on that later, and waited for any other sign that might give away his position.

Simba gave Nala a quick nuzzle. Surprised that he did, he was silent for a moment but then spoke. "We might not be able to do anything, but don't feel bad about this. None of this your fault." he said trying to reassure her.

Sarafina caught sight of Sarabi's lips moving, but she wasn't going to leave her friend behind. She took some cover behind a rock and began thinking of a plan. After a short moment she came up with something. It might be risky, but it would get Sarabi out of the graveyard alive if it worked.

[AustralianChaos]

When Nala felt Simba's nuzzle, she could not contain her emotions any longer. She wrapped her best friend up in the tightest hug she could manage, crying softly. "I know, Simba," she whimpered. "But it's so hard...thank you, Simba...for always being here."

She turned her tear-stained face skyward once more, not letting go of Simba. "Great Kings, please...please bring them back...don't let them die."

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Sarabi noticed Sarafina hide out of the corner of her eye, and silently prayed she would not do anything foolish. "No-one," Sarabi replied, getting back to her feet, standing proudly and defiantly before Scar. "No-one else knows what I know...it's just you and me!"

Sarabi continued to watch the rock Sarafina had hidden behind, praying that she would take the hint and leave. One dead mother was enough...she did not want Sarafina to join her.

Sarabi turned to Scar. "So now what, Scar...are you going to kill me as well?" she said, no trace of fear in her voice. Ever since Mufasa's death, part of her had wanted to join him in the heavens, and now it seemed, her moment had come at last, Simba would be absolutely crushed, but with Nala and Sarafina by his side, he would move on, and be stronger for it...it was always the way Simba had worked.

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Finally, Tanga came far enough through the grass that he could see Marini in between the blades, now within pouncing distance. He crouched low, hesitated, making sure that Marini would never expect him. Her ears were up, despite a relaxed stance, telling Tanga that she was alert for any sign of his upcoming pounce. Forcing himself to keep things slow and steady, he held himself low to the ground, took a few more cautious steps fowards, moving as close as he dared, before pouncing, growling.

His pounce was right on target, his paws landing on Marini's back as he landed on her, shoving her triumphantly into the ground, whilst making sure he did not put too much weight on her and crush her. "Ha!" he laughed, looking down at the back of Marini's pale-furred head. "Gotcha!" He then jumped off her, prancing around her with a self-satisfied smirk across his face as he waited for her to respond.

[TheWhistlerify]

Upon being tightly hugged by Nala Simba was a little surprised, but he didn't move, knowing that Nala was drawing comfor from him at the moment. "They'll be back." Simba said, again trying to reassure her.

Sarafina wanted to make he rmove, but she thought htat if Scar wanted to kill Sarabi he would have killed her already. What was he up to now, she didn't know. She knew that if Sarabi's life would be put into risk, she would have to do something.

Marini got up to see Tanga bouncing around with joy. "Impressive." she said with a seductive tone and laughed again. Then her tone turned back normal again, "Try making your breath as shallow as you can, and I heard your growling before the pounce." She then looked at the border, "Do you think we can try and catch something now or do oyu want another go?"

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga stopped his happy prancing when Marini mentioned actually hunting. "Uhh...exactly what are we going to catch?" he asked, gesturing to their small bodies, still well short of full-sized...they really weren't all that much bigger than they were one month ago. "I don't know about you, but I doubt we're going to be able to bring down wildebeest and antelope when we're this small."

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Nala just held onto Simba, letting his words help calm her down. "I hope so...I really hope so."

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Scar looked at Sarabi as she posed her question. She seemed to hold no fear of death, no regret for what he might do to end her life. Smiling, Scar turned around, speaking instead to his three favourite lackeys. "Shenzi! Banzai! Ed! Come over here!"

Part of Scar did not want to kill Sarabi...she was in no way part of his plans to take over Pride Rock, and he had been happily content with leaving her alone...but events had forced his paw, she knew too much now. It was either kill her now, or have the whole pride clued into his plans, which would cause a riot, and ruin his chances of being king.

[TheWhistlerify]

"Well we have to find something." Marini said as she became even more hungry. "Maybe we can catch a younger wildbeast if we find one." she said referring to their small size. "Or we can eat grass." she said with a grin to show she was just joking.

Sima sighed and said, "We should probably get going..."

As the three hyenas came over to Scar, Sarafina was almost completly sure what he was about to order them to do. She decided to give her plan a shot and use all the acting she could into this. She walked out of her cover and let Scar know she was there by clapping her paws a few times before starting her pretending. "Impressive." she said, taking a few slow steps forward, and showing no sign of apprehension, a fake sly smile on her face. "I must admit Scar, you surprised me. I wasn't expecting a success, but... not bad."

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga sighed...there was really much else they could do. If they did not find food fast, they would start to starve. "Alright," he said. "I guess we have little choice...let's go see what we can find."

With that, he leapt back into the river, casually swimming across it and reaching the other side, befoe turning back to Marini once again. "Which way do you think we should go?"

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Nala nodded at Simba's suggestion and let go of him...reluctantly. But as the two of them ventured back towards Pride Rock, she kept glancing back towards the Elephant Graveyard, remember the experience they had both shared there, and praying that Sarabi and Sarafina weren't in the middle of a similar confrontation.

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Scar's head snapped up, looking thoroughly bewildered as Sarafina walked in, applauding and complimenting him. Several hyenas started move threateningly towards her, growling.

"Stop!" Scar called. When the hyenas halted their attack, Scar turned back to Sarafina, cocking his head in curiosity, wondering what the lioness was up to.

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Sarabi looked up as Sarafina entered, she knew this was all an act the lioness was putting on, but the fact that she was advancing on Scar left her horrified. "Sara...what are you doing?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini looked at Tanga, "I don't know... can you see anything?" she asked, but before waiting for an answer, she climbed the tree on the side of the river and began looking around, noticing a small pack of antelopes and a few little ones. She jumped back down and turned her gaze to that direction, "This way." she said and began crossing the river.

As a few hyenas advance on her, Sarafina showed no sign of fear or attention to the hyenas and continued walking slowly. She ignored Sarabi's question, wanting to show as if she didn't care about her. "I've been keeping a... close watch on you in the past 2 months..." she said, trying to make it sound as if she knew about Scar's plans all along. "You... have my estimation." she then stopped talking, but kept the slow walking and fake sly smile, wanting to see how would Scar react to that before trying to move on.