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

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba was somehow touched by Tanga's painful~sounding statement. Even if it was going to make things a little harder, he couldn't force Tanga to do this, and hopefully others wouldn't attempt to. He wasn't sure whether the fact that Sarabi was still ignoring him was a good thing or not. Though a part of him was fine with the fact that she wasn't saying anything to or about Tanga.

--

Busara was impressed by the courage Tanga had gathered to make that statement in-front of everyone. It seemed like his son's decission about this was impossible to change.

[AustralianChaos]

Nala was the first to speak up after Tanga's declaration. "You know, Tanga may have just given us a way to keep the training going...even if he's not going to take part in it as much any more."

She paused for a moment, noticing Tanga's shooting her an odd, look, before pressing on. "What if we continued with the training as we were always meant to, but change a few things. Tanga said he would still observe us, and practice some things on his own...what if Simba watched as well, and when his paw begins to heal, he can start doing some simple things to start catching up. He may not be able to do any exercises, but knowing about fighting skills and tactics is far better than knowing nothing at all."

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Tanga nodded. Nala's reasoning was the exact same reason he was still vaguely taking part in the training, even if he was not going to go beyond observing and basic exercises to keep his basic skills sharp. "I agree with Nala here. With this, Simba will still be able to learn plenty, and the training can still continue normally."

But despite his own conviction, he turned to Simba. "But since Simba's the one injured, it should be his choice, I think."

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba listened to his girlfriend as she spoke. Her idea was probably the best he could do if they wanted to keep the other's training going. He didn't like the fact that he'll have a big gap between him and the others once his paw healed up, but like Nala said it was betetr than nothing at all. He would probably have to train slightly harder than the rest of them once his paw healed if he wanted to catch up. He then turned to Tanga once he was done speaking, "Like Nala said it's far better than knowing nothing. Besides I don't want to slow the rest of you down."

[AustralianChaos]

Kali smiled at the four of them. "So we're agreed then, we're going to keep going with the training, but Tanga and Simba will not take part in the practical lessons for a while yet?"

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Tanga and Nala both nodded their heads, agreeing. Tanga was fully prepared to abandon the practical side of the training, and was already formulating plans to keep himself in shape, while Nala was just happy that Simba's was not being completely put out by all this.

[TheWhistlerify]

(( I thought I already replied =o ))

Simba simply nodded and answered, "Yeah, sounds good."

----

Marini also agreed to this. At least the training would somehow go on, hopefully they would go back to Pride Rock early like they planned in the first place. She was glad that Nala and Tanga were friends again. She didn't really care much about Sarabi for now, as long as she didn't do anything to Tanga

[AustralianChaos]

Kali finally nodded. "Okay, then, so I'll be seeing everyone tomorrow. I'll conduct as much of the training as I can in here, so Simba doesn't have to move. And Simba, if we do have to train outside, I'd prefer it if you did not strain yourself by trying to come outside, at least not until your healing has progressed...but that's Sarabi's call, not mine." Kali turned to the former queen as she spoke, throwing an apologetic look at her.

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Sarabi nodded. "Simba, I want you to stay in this cave for at least until your paw has healed a bit. No need to take any risks by moving it around too much."

She would not say it in front of her son, but she was also worried about Tanga, and what could happen if Simba was able to wander out, where she could not keep an eye on the two of them. Despite everything everyone else was saying, she still did not trust Tanga...and probably never would again.

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Tanga was happy with the new arrangements, but his discomfort was growing fast as he noticed Sarabi beginning to stare at him once more.

Sighing, he turned to the others. "Excuse me, but I need some air," he said as a lame excuse, before turning and leaving the nook, heading towards the opposite entrance into the cave, the one that opened up at the base of the rock wall that split the hill in half.

What he did not notice was Sarabi following him, a hard frown crossing her muzzle.

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba sighed at the thought of staying in the cave for the enxt few days, but he nodded at his mother. Whether he liked what she said or not, she was still his mom and was at the bottum line only looking after him and his well-being. "Yes mom." he said and lay his head back into the position it had been since that morning. He didn't really care whether they stayed or not, though he hoped at least one of them would make him company for a while. As he thought about that he hadn't noticed Tanga leaving, and Sarabi following him.

----

"See you later Tanga." Marini called before turning back to Simba, and missing Sarabi leaving as well just by the second. She would have gone with Tanga, but he seemed fine now and she felt like staying inside, maybe not in Simba's nook but at least inside the cave system.

----

Uhuru did notice Sarabi leave, and hopped off from her father's head, turning around to face him as she did, "I'm going outside too." she said and walked outside. She wasn't aware of Sarabi's treatment of Tanga earlier, and was basicly just heading out for some time with her brother.

----

Busara nodded at his daughter, telling her she could go, "Don't go too far." he called after his daughter left, but came to a thought that she probably heard him. She was probably going to see Tanga or something like that. He then turned to look at his mate, waiting to see what she wanted to do next

[AustralianChaos]

Kali had noticed Sarabi leave right behind Tanga, and thought bad things were probably going to come of it...but realised that there was not much she could do...this was a problem Tanga would have to face. No-one could force Sarabi to forgive him.

She turned back to the others, noticing that Marini and Nala seemed intent on staying. Realising that the evening was beginning to drag on, she turned to her mate. "Come on, dear...maybe we can get some food for everyone."

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Nala decided there was nothing she could say at that moment, so simply settled by Simba's side, showing him without words that she was not going anywhere. She managed a warm smile at Marini as well. "You staying here, Rini, or heading off?"

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"Tanga." The call came soon after Tanga left the cave, reaching the open hillside, bathed in a golden red light in the evening sunset. He stopped and turned, spotting Sarabi following him. His nervousness returned in full force at her presence, so much so that he did not see Uhuru behind Sarabi.

For a brief moment, neither Tanga nor Sarabi moved or spoke, just stared at each other, their muzzles seperated by about two feet of air. The moment of complete stillness was so consuming and complete that Tanga never saw Sarabi's first move coming. He definitely felt her paw strike his cheek, though, his muzzle cringing away from the stinging backhanded blow, although, thanks to it being the back of her paw, it did not draw blood.

But that was just the start, as a moment later, Tanga found himself on his back, pinned down by the former queen, who was snarling menacingly at him. "Look," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous, making sure no-one in the cave system could hear them. Sarabi also had no clue that Uhuru had followed them, and that her confrontation was being witness. "I don't fully know what happened today...and I don't really care. I want you to stay away from my son. And if you ever so much as lay a single hair on him, no amount of protesting your innocence is going to stop me...are we clear?!"

Tanga was now completely terrified. This was a side of Sarabi he had never seen, and he was scared that she was going to kill him then and there. "Sarabi, please..." he whimpered, before his voice was cut off as Sarabi pushed a paw roughly against his chest, causing him to growl in extreme discomfort.

"Are we clear?!" she demanded again, a little louder, getting a nod from Tanga, whose eyes were full of total fear and terror. "Good. Because I will not lose the last of my family. Not to Scar, not to you...not to anyone!"

[TheWhistlerify]

Busara nodded at his mate, deciding that it was probably time to start hunting before the evening came. "Yeah, let's go." he said simply and walked out of the nook so they could head towards the opposite exit of the cave system.

----

Marini smiled slightly at Nala and lay down some distance away from the two, so they could have all the space they wanted. "Yeah... if you two don't mind." she said, letting them know that she would leave if they wanted her to.

----

Uhuru was a little behind, and only arrived by the exit just in time to see Sarabi's paw come straight up and into her brother's jaw. She quickly hid by the wall on the inside of the cave, though her head was still peeking outside. She was completly horrifide by what she was just witnessing. She had never seen Sarabi this way, her voice, and the words she used left the little cub completly lost with questions that could not be answered.

She wanted to run and get one of her parents, or Marini, anyone! But she couldn't move at all. What she just saw left her absolutely frozen. It definetly seemed like the lioness was going to hurt Tanga, maybe even kill him, and she felt like there was nothing she could do about it! She shook herh ead and ran inside the nook Simba hid during the hide and seek game when she noticed Sarabi beginning to get off her brother and turn back towards the cave

[AustralianChaos]

Kali headed out towards the ravine exit, again completely unaware of the events happening just outside the opposite cave entrance. At one point she thought she might have heard something behind her, but passed it off as nothing as she left the cave system and looked around from the vantage point the hillside offerred, looking for some nearby hers they could hunt from.

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Nala smiled at Marini. "Nah, I don't mind at all...it's nice to see you without Tanga by your side from time to time," she added with a playful smile, before adopting a thoughtful look. "Hang on...where'd Sarabi go? I thought she'd be worried for you, Simba." She had no idea what Sarabi was up to...only Uhuru knew completely, but Nala was already worried that Sarabi had seemingly abandoned her son.

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As Sarabi, with one last hard stare, moved off Tanga, the gold-furred lion was on his feet in an instant, reflexively trying to hurry up and put as much distance as possible between himself and Sarabi. As luck would have it for him, Sarabi misinterpreted the sudden move badly. Thinking Tanga was leaping up for an aggressive move, she spun and have Tanga a hard strike across the jaw, this time not hesitating to use her claws.

The blow threw Tanga off his feet, and as he slammed back into the grass, he registered Sarabi's voice once more. "I knew it...I didn't want to believe it, but now I see it." She had taken Tanga's action as a move to harm her, and that confirmed it in her protective mind that he had deliberately harmed Simba this morning. She turned back to Tanga, placing a paw on his neck, forcing him to keep still. "If you so much as look at Simba the wrong way ever again, I won't give you another chance...and I don't want to see you anywhere near him ever again!"

Tanga did not move at all, but Sarabi figured, by the pure terror coverign his entire frame, that he had gotten the message, and let him go, hissing violently at him one more time before turning around and stalking back into the cave. In her anger, she never noticed Uhuru in the nook Simba had hidden in, and never looked back as she heard Tanga's first, strangled sob, as the terrifying moment of near-death finally sunk into his shocked and tormented mind.