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

[AustralianChaos]

Scar watched as Shenzi took Banzai and Ed away, hoping that they were smart enough to actually try to avoid attention along the way. It was not so much that he actually cared about them...more that those three hyenas had proved to be the most reliable of the bunch, and therefore were too useful to him for a simple mistake to get them killed for being caught in the Pridelands.

But he pushed his thoughts aside, focusing on showing an act of great sadness and grief as he saw Sarabi and Tanga approaching from down the gorge. He stood over Mufasa's body, heaving great, shaking sighs...to even the most observant lions, he looked every part of the grieving brother...his acting ability was a talent honed by years of practice...it was essential for his plans of overtaking the throne that he could be feeling one emotion, while showing a completely different one.

"Mufasa!" Sarabi's cry cut through the silence of the gorge, Scar taking it as his cue to look up sadly at Sarabi's face as he trotted slowly over to Mufasa's still form. "No, Mufasa!" Sarabi then looked up at Scar, surprised at his presence, as Tanga looked at Mufasa's body, the cub giving it another little nudge, obviously hoping there was still some life left in the king's body. "Scar..." Sarabi breathed, absolutely no suspicion in her voice. "Is he really...?"

Scar sighed heavily, even though, inwardly, he was ready to jump for joy. "Yes, Sarabi. I'm sorry, but he's gone."

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Nala managed a weak smile back at Marini, before turning her attention back to Simba. "We'll get through this...we've gotten through everything else before now," she managed to say.

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba sighed heavily, "I know we will... but it was just so sudden and... and I can't believe he's gone." he said, not managing to hold his tears back

[AustralianChaos]

Nala sighed. "I know...I can't either..."

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Tanga moved back from Mufasa's body when he noticed Scar there, quickly moving to hide behind Sarabi. For all intents and purposes, Scar did seem nice enough, but there was something Tanga felt around him that left him slightly scared of Mufasa's little brother. He just had this...creepy vibe that Tanga could not shake. He did not trust Scar, even if he was Simba's uncle.

Tanga tried to stay out of sight as Sarabi leaned over Mufasa's body, her entire frame shaking as she said her final goodbyes to her mate, Tanga also whispering some final words to the king that had been a father to him. But Scar turned to face him, and for a brief moment, Tanga saw a flash of...something...in Scar's eyes, that left fear clawing at his stomach once more. Scar was not happy at him for some reason, and Tanga tried not to think of what Scar could possibly be mad at him for...he generally avoided the lion whenever he could.

After a few minutes, Sarabi finally stood, somehow maintaining her tall, proud stance despite her grief wracking her body, leaving Tanga with a huge respect for their queen. "Come on," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "The rest of the pride needs to be told of what has happened."

Tanga slipped to Sarabi's side as the three lions made their way back towards Pride Rock, the golden-furred cub doing his best to hide himself from Scar...hoping the vibes he was getting were just paranoia, and not something worse.

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini walked closer to SImba and Nala, "What ever happens next, we'll be here for you." she said with her friendly smile, "Nala, Tanga and I will always be here."
Simba ssmiled slightly at the two of them, "Thanks." he said letting go of Nala and laying down on the den's floor

[AustralianChaos]

Nala watched as simba settled himself down on the floor. She debated whether to go join him, or whether to head back outside the den and try to get some answers from her mother...and possibly see if Sarabi and Tanga were returning yet...she hoped Tanga was coping with his decision to see Mufasa once more.

In the end, she moved out, nuzzling against her mother's leg to let her know she was there, before looking out across the plains. She saw Sarabi and Tanga were in fact returning...but were accompanied by another male. "Mufasa?!?" she yelled, amazed. she was just about to go back and call Simba, if he hadn't already heard her, when the fading light from the sunset removed the illusion, and showed the male for who he actually was. "Oh, Scar..."

She leaned against her mother's leg as fresh tears fell from her eyes...it was like losing the king all over again to have had that brief hope, and she sat there and cried, letting it all out as she came to the final conclusion, with Sarabi returning without her mate...their king was well and truly gone...forever.

[TheWhistlerify]

Sarafina looked down at her daughter but then continued to watch for Sarabi and Tanga's return. The sun caused an illusion as she saw the 3rd male. She was amazed and relieved ad the same time, but she then saw who it really was and realised that their king was dead. She leaned down to her daughter who seemed even more depressed at understanding that illusion. "Everything will be fine." she said nuzzling Nala, but she knew nothing will be the same again.

[AustralianChaos]

Nala could tell that her mother's words were to reassure her...and nothing more. But she kept quiet, finding her soft fur comforting as she watched Tanga, Sarabi and Scar returning, wondering what they would do now...

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Tanga saw Pride rock up ahead, but did not, as he usually did, sprint up to his home to greet his friends. His spirit and drive that he usually possessed around his friends had been all but snuffed out by the events of the day. And as he made his way back to Pride Rock, listening in vaguely as Sarabi and Scar discussed the future of their pride, he knew that nothing would ever be the same again...including himself.

As he reached Pride Rock, he paused briefly as Sarabi and Scar moved into the main den, obviously to continue their conversation. He looked at Sarafina and Nala, then inside, towards Simba and Marini. Noticing gazes beginning to turn his way, he swallowed, struggling to hold back the tears that kept reforming in his eyes.

In the end, without speaking a single word, Tanga turned away from everyone, moving around to the side of Prick Rock, looking for one of the smaller private dens some Pridelanders used on occasion. When he reached a den he picked out, he broke down completely, curling up in the darkest corner he could find and sobbing uncontrollably, refusing to hold back any longer as he cried for Mufasa, the father of his best friend...and his own father in all but blood.

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini saw Tanga by the mouth of the den and expected it to come in. She could tell that seeing Mufasa's corps again didn't do him any good. Tanga was trying to hold his tears back and Marini didn't like seeing him that way. As he moved away, she walked outside and saw him by the side of Pride Rock. She was about to say something when he walked down Pride Rock and walked towards one of the small dens. There were a few of those around the lands, but Marini had never been into one before. After a few moments she decided to follow, hoping she might be able to cheer him up anyhow. She was about to enter the den Tanga picked when he began crying. She stayed out of sight and decided to wait a little longer before talking to him

[AustralianChaos]

After conversing with Scar all the way back to Pride Rock, Sarabi split upwith him after talking in the den for a few more minutes. Scar headed off to mourn privately, while Sarabi headed to Sarafina to get her opinion on what she and Scar had talked about.

"Sarafina, can I talk for a moment?" she asked quietly, looking down at Nala as she said it. The little cub seemed comfortable cuddling against her mother's leg, but the conversation probably wasn't best for the cub's ears, particularly since it involved Mufasa and Simba.

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Nala looked up at Sarabi as the queen posed her question to her mother. Knowing Sarabi did not want her to listen in, and knowing that she probably would not want to hear what they were talking about, Nala reluctantly moved away from her mother's leg, forestalling any comment she might have. "It's okay, mum...I'll just go see how Simba's doing," she said as she walked off, leaving the two mothers to their talk as she entered tha main den once more.

"Simba...can I stay with you for a bit?" she asked, not wanting to intrude on what could be a moment Simba wanted alone. She had seen Tanga arrive and head off towards the private dens alone, and knew that his second visit to Mufasa had shaken him up even more than the last one. She had been tempted to follow him, noticing that he was really struggling with his grief, but she had stopped when Marini had followed after him. She knew how close the two of them were, and that, if anyone could comfort Tanga...Marini could.

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Scar wandered off to the north...towards the Elephant Graveyard. He had the beginnings of a new plan in motion...and it was time to get Shenzi, Banzai, Ed and the other hyenas involved in the act.

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For several minutes, Tanga cried his heart out, mourning the loss of a lion that was so close to his heart. He did not notice Marini hanging around outside the small den, barely big enough for two lions, as he slowly began to calm down, his heaving sobs giving way to grief-stricken sniffles and hiccoughs as he finally spent all of his emotions and tears.

[TheWhistlerify]

Sarafina nodded slowly at Sarabi as Nala headed inside. She walked over to Sarabi. "I'm really sorry." was all she could say at the moment.

Simba looked around at Nala. He felt like being left alone but he didn't show it. "Of course you can." he said and wiped a tear off his cheek with the back of his paw.

Noticing Tanga stopped crying Marini peeked into the den. He seemed completely lost and terrified currled up in that corner. "Tanga," she said quietly as he turned his gaze to her, "can I come in?" she asked hoping he wouldn't mind so that she might be able to comfort him a little