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

[AustralianChaos]

Kali saw that both Nala and Sarabi had pulled out, and was a little surprised that Sarabi had dropped out so early. But when she thought over it, and remember just how old she was, she realised that her body was not happy with these sort of exertions any more. Letting it go, she decided as the made it about a third of the way through the next to give them a taste of some of her worst. She picked up the pace once more, and although she was not sprinting, she was moving fast enough that most lions and lionesses would not cope for more than a few moments. She knew she was now moving faster than Uhuru's small body would be physically capable of achieving, but she did not expect her daughter to keep up anyway...she was free to back off when she wished.

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Tanga kept going, even as he felt his body protesting wildly to the fast run Kali was setting. Every part of his body now screamed for him to stop, but he fought to keep going.

But the decision was made for him, when Tanga's unsteady gait caused him to trip over his own paws. Stumbling wildly, Tanga managed to hold himself up for long enough to throw the left side of his body, the least injured side, into the ground, stopping his wounds from taking the brunt of the fall as he slid to a stop, lying in the grass, panting hard, his body finally having enough.

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Sarabi came up to Nala and Busara, smiling at them as she lay down, rubbing her sore limbs. "I'm getting too old for all this," she commented dryly to the two of them. "I should have realised my age would be a problem in this training."

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba didn't notice Tanga fall so he kept running as fast as he could.

-

When Marini noticed Tanga fall she didn't know whether she should stop running and help him out or keep running. Little that matter because a few seconds after that, her legs failed her and she fell on her stomach. Despite how much her legs and limbs were aching at that moment, she forced herself to her feet and slowly walked to were Tanga lay, allowing her body to collapse back down as she reached Tanga

[AustralianChaos]

Kali noticed that it was now Simba and Uhuru left running, although Uhuru had long since fallen behind, unable to keep up with her fast pace. "Looks like it's just you and me, mister!" she called as she reached the halfway point. She herself was starting to feel the effects of the run, but was not showing it as she decided, with only one runner left, the give the session an early end. "I hope you've got something left in you, Simba, because we're going home hard!"

With those words, she turned her run into a dead sprint, deciding it was time to push the limits for the last half-lap, wondering if Simba actually had it in him to make the last half-lap.

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Tanga tried to get up as he noticed Marini fall ahead of him, but his shaking legs would not respond as he lay ther, panting furously. When she got up and staggered to his side, collapsing back down, he managed to put a forepaw over one of her own. "You...you okay?" he managed to force out between heavy breaths.

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Sarabi turned to Busara, deciding to talk with him a little while they waited. "Has Kali ever done this since Uhuru was born?" she asked, deciding to confirm what Uhuru had said earlier.

[TheWhistlerify]

Busara turned to Sarabi, thinking on what she said. He went through the last year and 2 months in which they had been here, sicne Kali began her pregnancy with Uhuru. As far as he remembered, she did this a little at first, untill the pregnancy ade it too difficult for her. And since Uhuru was born, he hadn't seen her do it at all. "I think she didn't at all." he said, waiting to see if any of the four remaining runners, Uhuru in particular would managed to end te third lap.

-

Marini lay quiet for a few momets, but despite her heavy breathing and aching limbs she forced herself to speak as Tanga did. "Yeah I'm... I'm fine." she said and smild at him for a moment. According to Kali, this should be getting easier a little bit whenever they push their body to their limits,and Marini felt like shehad pushed it a little too much.

-

Simba felt as if Kali kept this same pace he could make it to the end of the second lap, and even a bit more. Even though his body was protesting with every step he took, he still kept going. As far as he remembered the spot they were at was about a middle lap left to finish the total lap. Only when she said it was just him and her, Simba glanced around his shoulder and saw that Marini and Tanga had already dropped out, and that Uhuru have either fell behind, or dropped out as well.

Suddenly Kali brought up the pace again, this time she began running in a sprint. Simba didn't know if he could keep the same distance they had untill now, but he felt like he had to prove to himself that he can make it to the end of the second lap. He forced himself to run, as fast as his legs could carry him, tryig not to pay any attention to the pain in his legs and limbs

[AustralianChaos]

Sarabi nodded in response to Busara's question. "It seems like she's not quite at the peak she used to be before you...left." She finished with a little hesitancy, realising she had spoken of that moment again, a moment that, when she had found they had left Tanga behind, had torn the young cub apart.

She found herself voicing this before she could think better of it. "I'm so glad Tanga's settling in here well. You know, he was only a couple of months old at the time, but it took him a long time to adapt after that day. He's become shy to a certain extent, but rather independant, too."

Deciding to pull the subject of the conversation away from the sensitive topic, Sarabi turned to Busara, smiling slightly as she did. "When Tanga pulled you aside, he talked to you about Marini, didn't he?" She could see the look on Tanga's face as he has left for a private word that time...and it was a look he had sported often when he was deep in thought, particularly when Marini was close by.

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Tanga smiled as Marini eased his worries. "Mum...really knows how to run, huh?" he said jokingly, looking up and noticing that Kali and Simba were long gone. "I never knew Simba had such endurance in him," he commented, before looking back, knowing Uhuru had fallen behind before. "I wonder if Uhuru went back?"

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Kali kept her sprint up, despite her limbs starting to protest, telling her that her time spent raising Uhuru had left her fitness to degrade slightly. Making a mental note to get back into her old fitness routine from now on, she kept going as the three-quarter mark came and went, Simba still beside her. How the adolescent was doing it, she had no idea, but she could tell the young male was struggling, and had been for some time. He appeared to be giving it everything he had, and then some. Is he really that desperate to return home? she mentally asked herself, as the end of the lap started to close in.

[TheWhistlerify]

Busara tried not to think about the time they left Tanga behind as Sarabi spoke, and was glad that she changed the subject at some point, "Yeah, he did." Busara said, not bothering to ask her how did she know that, the lioness just seemed to igure ot everything on her own. He smiled slightly to himself at the thought of the two of them becoming mates in a few months, they both seemed to love each other and care for each other, judging by Tanga's wounds.

-

Marini, stlll heavily breathing smiled slightly as Tanga joked about his mother's running. At the moment she was very tired, and barely able to move, only then she understood why Kali was doing this. Because if they were in the middle of the fight, exhausted like that, they would probably die. She decided to throw a slight comment on what he said about Simba, "Yeah, who knew..." she said, beginning to wonder how was Uhuru doing when the little cub came into view. She was still running alright, but you could tell that just barely. Uhuru ran untill she reached them, before deciding that she had enough as well and laying herself down a few feet away from Marini and her brother.

-

Simba kept running, he wasn't sure how he was able to keep up with Kali this far. When he sawthat they were past the three-quarter, Simba gave it one last push. He knew he would have to stop once they ended the lap, he felt like he could go no more.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga smiled at Uhuru as she lay down near them. "Hey, there...you did good," he said as cheerfully as his exhausted state would allow, smiling at her.

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Sarabi smiled as Busara confirmed Sarabi's suspicions. "I have a feeling I know what he talked about," she said. "And trust me, if he came to you for that sort of advice, that means he trusts you...a lot. Don't take that conversation lightly, Busara...your son is trusting you with something very personal...you've made a real impression on him, it seems."

Sarabi's smile widened. "I doubt he'll ever trust you more than he trusts Marini, though. I've seen the way they've acted towards each other these last few months, and I haven't seen anything like it since I started going out with Mufasa. They seem to live for each other these days."

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At long last, Kali made the final charge home, and as the second lap ended, she looked back, finding Simba stopping. She decided to end it there for herself as well, turning around and heading back towards Simba, just staring at him for a few moments, giving him a chance to wind down.

[TheWhistlerify]

Uhuru smiled at Tanga, but didn't say anything in response. The fact she made it the same distance he did cost her alot more than it did to him. Her small size made the run longer and more exhausting for her.

-

Busara knew Sarabi was right, he himself was surprised that Tanga cme to discuss something so personal with him, but he was happy that they were now beginning to get along well. He wondered whether Kali would take his advice and try to interact with him a little as well. He then noticed Kali and Simba stopping, coming to a conclusion that Tanga and Marini backed out in the middle of the second lap, and that Uhuru was most likely with them.

-

Simba gasped and lay himself down when they finally reached the end of the second lap. He was happy that he managed to inish it, despite the fact that his body was protesting endlessly to the speed an distance he had taken after the half of the second lap. He decided to give himself a minute or two to regain his breath, before heading back to where his mother and Nala were

[AustralianChaos]

Kali approached Simba as he lay himself in the grass. "Simba...do you ever actively excercise or train, or have you ever done it before?" she asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.

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Sarabi also noticed Kali and Simba return, and smiled as her son finally came to a stop. "That's my boy," she whispered to herself, unable to keep the smile off her face.

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After they all rested for a couple of minutes, Tanga finally pulled himself to his feet, his legs still shaking slightly. "Come on, we should probably head back," he said, although he did not move. If either of them protested his suggestion, he would not argue the point...but he felt it was probably better if they retired to their dens to rest, rather than end up falling asleep out here and worrying the others.

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba wasn't surprised when Kali approached him, while not showing any sign of exhaustion. The lioness must have been already used to doing this, and her slightly bigger size probably made it easier for her. He didn't remember ever exercising or training before, he might have wrestled with one of his friends at least a few tiems a day, but that didn't really count for him. "No, I never exercised before." he said, still breathing heavily from the run he forced himself through.

-

Marini also forced herself up, before walking over to Uhuru, who had a harder time and rested less than they did. She picked her up and place her on her back, Uhuru showing no sign of resistance to this. "Yeah, let's go back." she said, forcing a smile to her muzzle as she followed Tanga.