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

[AustralianChaos]

Kali nodded. "Yes, they do...but even with Simba's injury, I'm worried about Tanga, too." This time, Kali did notice Sarabi's cold actions, and her calm demeanour faded rapidly as she turned on the lioness. "I know you're worried about your son, Sarabi, but Tanga in no way meant to harm him...and if my knowledge of him over the past has shown me anything, it's that, right now, he's off hiding from us, because he feels completely guilty about what he's done. I would not be surprised if we don't see Tanga for the rest of the day." She spoke to Sarabi with a curt politeness, deliberately keeping her mood in check. It was not like Sarabi to judge someone, especially someone she knew as well as Tanga, so quickly and inaccurately.

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Sarabi's hard gaze turned on Kali. She was worried for her son, relieved that the damage would heal in time, and angry at Tanga for being the one to cause Simba so much pain, even if it was an accident. "Let him wallow," she said bluntly, before turning and stalking off. "I need a moment alone."

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"Nonsense, Simba," Nala said, as she settled herself down beside Simba, making sure to stay away from his broken paw. "You mean more to me than anything. And besides, I don't think the training's going to continue, so I really have nothing better to do anymore. Might as well give you some company."

She sighed as she lay down, her expression and voice hardenening. "I just wish Tanga had been more careful," she said tonelessly. "He should have known better than that."

[TheWhistlerify]

Busara was also surprised at Sarabi's reaction while the lioness took off. It really didn't seem like her, and he hoped that the sudden hatred for Tanga is just temporal.

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Simba decided not to argue with Nala. If she insisted on staying with him, why argue? But he was slightly surprised when she spoke about Tanga, with a more noticeably harder voice. "He didn't mean for this to happen, and being hard on him doesn't improve or change anything" he said, before noticing that he completly forgot that Tanga ran off. He should have gone to him and say that everything was okay, but he couldn't really do it now.

[AustralianChaos]

Kali sighed as Sarabi left, before turning to Marini. "Marini, you know Tanga better than anyone else here...what do you think he would be going through right now?"

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Nala sputtered, slightly surprised that Simba was defending Tanga. "But...your paw," she said. "He...he hurt you..."

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini snapped out of her empty thoughts when Kali walked over to her, asking about Tanga, "We probably wont see him for a while now, he'll hate himself, he'll think we all hate him and he would get really upset if you try and tell him that this wasn't his fault." Marini said, saying those like a list. She knew what Tanga was like, he would take it really hard at first, but he will slowly move on. But what was worrying her now was Sarabi, and whether she will ever allow Tanga to move on

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"Tanga?" Simba said, grinning fakily at Nala, "He wouldn't harm anyone delibratly even if his life depended on it." he knew what he just said was true, and became even more annoyed at the fact that Tanga was probably torturing himslef with guilt

[AustralianChaos]

Kali nodded at Marini's words, but her frown remained. "If my guess about how he behaves is correct, whether he'll get upset in company is going to be nearly irrelevant. If he's left alone, I get the feeling he's going to beat himself up even more. In fact, I'm worried we're not going to see him any more if he's left alone."

She then turned to Marini. "I've seen you, Marini, when Tanga talks about his injuries...I see the guilt. You blame yourself for Tanga's injuries, yet Tanga constantly brushes aside any blame you try and take, and I'm sure it helps. You know what a guilt-ridden mind can do to you...and what it could do to Tanga. If someone does not help him, his mind will cause him to believe that we all hate him for this...even you."

"If you feel up to it, it's best if you go find him. He'll probably get angry with you, but someone needs to bring him to his senses, just as I'm sure he brought you to yours after he got hurt."

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Nala nodded slowly, but was still mad. "Still, he hurt you...and I love you, Simba. I don't know if I can forgive him, even if it was an accident."

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini sighed, Kali was probably right. It would be best if she went to find him right away so without saying anything else to her, she turned and took off in Tanga's direction

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Nala didn' seem as if there was a chance to change her mind, at least for the time being, "Just try to find what it takes to do so, for me okay?" he asked, hoping that Nala would let go of today's accident eventually. He decided that they spoke about that enough, at-least for the time being. "Let's not think about this for now." he half asked half said

[AustralianChaos]

Kali watched Marini go with a worried frown. She prayed that the love the two of them shared would help Tanga come to his senses...but she knew that he needed her right now, and sighed, trying to keep her thoughts optimistic as she turned back to Busara. "The question now is what to do about their training, and about their need to return to the Pridelands?" she said, before laying down, sighing again as she looked to Uhuru. "Feel free to go off and play, sweetie...your friends are having a rough day."

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Nala nodded, nuzzling Simba as he asked her to try. "Okay, Simba...for you, I'll try." She said, before letting him drop the subject, snuggling as close to him as she could without risking knocking his leg.

[TheWhistlerify]

Uhuru nodded at her mother and took off, heading for the waterhole like she usually did

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Once Uhuru left, Busara turned back to Kali, "I don't know... But from what I understood we can't afford any delays." he said, trying to think on what could they really do now

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Marini ran down the hillside, before finding herself between Kali and Busara's den to the tall grass Tanga ran to when they first arrived here. Hoping that he would be there, Marini ran towards the tall grass and straight into it. "Tanga?" she called as she wandered through the grass, "You here?"

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Simba was glad that Nala agreed to try and forgive Tanga, and hopefully she would eventually, but he decided to really let go of the subject for now as his mind wandered to the Pridelands and to what could they do. "So what do you think will happen with our training now?"

[AustralianChaos]

Kali nodded. "No...we can't afford to wait for Simba's paw to heal...but I don't want to leave him out of the training while the others begin their work. But our only options are that we either continue the training without Simba...or abandon the training altogether. Neither option is pleasant, but I think the training may have to continue without Simba...if he were to continue observing, and listening to the theory I can teach on fighting, it may still help him. Knowing the skills without practicing them is not a favourable option, but it's far better than leaving him...and all the others, with nothing."

She turned and looked towards the cave system where Simba and Nala were currently resting. "But I'd have to ask Simba first...I don't want him to feel too left out...too many of us have already sufferred from today's accident."

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Nala sighed, looking at Simba. "I don't know," she said honestly. "There's no way you're going to be able to train for at least a month...and we can't afford to wait that long. We may have to end the training, and find another way of dealing with all this."

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Tanga heard Marini's call, bu other than tensing his body up, and raising his one good ear slightly to hear her better, he did not move from his curled-up position, keeping his face hidden, hoping she would just leave him alone. He did not want any more abuse thrown his way...not now, not while the memory of what he had done was still so fresh.

[TheWhistlerify]

Busara nodded at his mate's words, "Yeah, that's probably the best we can do right now."

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Simba sighed, unable to figure out a way of dealing with this besides going back to the usual plan which was to wait untill he was old enough before going back, since his paw wouldn't allow them to finish training before that happend. Yeah, probably..." he said and fell silent again.

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Not receiving any response from Tanga, Marini began sniffing around, trying to catch his scent. She caught onto his scent, and soon enough found him. He was curled up, obviosly filled with guilt about the accident he caused and he had his ear raised up. Obviously hewanted to be alone since he hasn't answered her before, but someone had to talk to him, probably she. "Tanga I..." she began, not sure of what exactly to say. She wasn't mad at Tanga for what happend, and luckily so was Simba, and she wanted to make sure he understood that