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

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini wanted to tell everyone what happend so badly, but she was afraid to do so while Sarabi was there, even if she seemed to not even hearing the conversation. "I..." she said, trying to make something up quickly, "I didn't find him..." she said, hoping she could have come up with a better cover next time she needed one.

-

Busara was also curious about Uhuru's whereabouts, but guess that she was probably with Tanga, and that the two were probably making their way to them right now. "She's probably with Tanga. She'll be here soon."

-

Uhuru sighed. She was really hungry, and her parents were probably beginning to worry about her. Normally she ran off in an intention to scare them to death, but with everything that happend lately, she figured that it wasn't a good time to play games. "Okay..." she said, and began to walk toards where they usually ate their meals together

[AustralianChaos]

Nala sighed as Marini said she didn't find him. "I hope he's okay...he's had it rough today..." she said sadly, before resuming her meal.

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Kali gave Marini a disbelieving look as the young lioness made her story. She was certain that Marini had found Tanga, and was wondering why Marini was covering it up. She eventually decided to drop the matter, but did give Marini a look, very vaguely gesturing towards a clump of shrubs nearby, silently telling Marini she wanted to talk when they were finished with the meal.

But the mother was quickly distracted when Sarabi responded to Nala's comment about Tanga having a rough day by snorting disbelievingly, showing she was listening in, and had not completely zoned out. "Something you want to tell us, Sarabi?" she asked shortly.

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Sarabi looked up as Kali asked her to explain her snort, and briefly considered just saying nothing, before deciding that her information should be shared, particularly when she noticed Uhuru approaching...alone. Since everyone except Tanga was here, she decided it was time.

"Tanga has not had as rough a day as he would have us all believe. He's been playing us for fools all day, and possibly for weeks or even months before that." She paused for a moment, before continuing. "Tanga's attack on Simba was deliberate, and just before he tried to attack me, as well, when I went to talk to him about his reasons for hurting my son."

She then turned to Kali and Busara. "I know this might be hard to accept, but I do not think he should be allowed to stay here any longer...he's dangerous, and who knows what he might do?"

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Tanga sighed as Uhuru left, and he headed into Kali and Busara's den, finding a corner where he'd be out of the way and lying down, hoping to get some rest.

But it never came...as the light started to fade as night settled in, Tanga found himself jumping at the slightest noise, and any shadow that moved. He was soon shaking again, and eventually just curled up, hiding his head. "Please..." he whispered to the shadows and the noises, whatever they might be to his paranoid mind. "Please just don't hurt me..."

[TheWhistlerify]

(( Simba is not there =O ))

Busara couldn't believe what Sarabi was saying. Tanga never seemed like someone hwo would harm anyone delibretly.

Marini felt like she was about to explode on Sarabi for saying those words, but just then she noticed Uhuru coming closer. Yeah, Uhuru saw what happend, she would tell everyone.

Uhuru came closer, noticing everyone standing in a silence and saying nothing. Were they waiting for her or something? "Hey everyone..." she said hesitatly, trying not to look at Sarabi

[AustralianChaos]

((*facepaws* well, that was stupid...I edited the post to match your latest one, good job making your next post despite the problem))

Kali just stared at Sarabi in shock, having absolutely no idea what to say. Eventually Uhuru's voice made her snap back to reality, and she turned around. "Hey, Uhuru...where've you been? I called out for everyone some time ago, aren't you hungry or something?"

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Nala had just opened her muzzle to completely let rip with a vocal tirade at Sarabi when Uhuru jumped into the scene. Not wanting to scare the cub by going nuts in front of her, she shut her mouth, her body actually shaking lightly as she fought to contain her anger at Sarabi. She started tearing at her meal with renewed vigour and britality, trying to take some of her anger out on it.

[TheWhistlerify]

Busara also turned to his daughter, who was nodding at her mother and moving in for some of the meal as well. She didn't seem to have heard anything from what Sarabi said, and Busara didn't want to concren her by letting her know what just happend.

--

Marini frowned and stopped eating, Uhuru had no idea of what just happend, and Marini had to inform her somehow. Maybe speaking of Tanga was going to get Sarabi say something that would get Uhuru to see the lies she was saying about her brother. "Uhuru, you seen Tanga?" she asked suddenly

Uhuru looked at her confused. Why was she asking that? She knew that Tanga was with her a few minutes ago. "Yeah, he said he'll be back later."

Marini then came up with an idea. What got Sarabi mad a moment ago was Nala saying that he had a rough day. "Well, I bet he needs some time for himself, he probably had a rough day."

[AustralianChaos]

Sarabi sighed at Marini's behaviour, barely resisting the urge to rant at her, before taking a deep, calming breath, and speaking in a level tone that was obviously forced. "Marini, you can't let your relationship with Tanga stop you from seeing the truth. I just explained how Tanga attacked me just before, and deliberately attack Simba this morning, so why do you ignore me? Tanga is dangerous, and I know it's hard to accept, but if we don't, he could just hurt more of us. I don't know what has happened to him to make him do this, but it's irrelevant...it cannot be allowed to continue."

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Again, Nala had to use all of her mental strength to stop herself from exploding at Sarabi. The only thing that stopped her was the way Marini had dictated the course of her conversation with Uhuru. She could tell that Tanga's girlfriend was trying to get Sarabi to blow up for some reason, and Nala suspected it had somethign to do with Uhuru.

No longer hungry, with Sarabi's lies, whether intentional or not, ruining her appetite, Nala instead got to work cutting off a portion of meat for Simba, somehow remembering her promise despite the drama unfolding.

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As Kali heard Sarabi's story a second time, a few questions suddenly popped into her head. "What do you mean, Tanga attacked you just before? And how do you know he's so dangerous?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Uhuru then understood what Marini was doing. She listened to what Sarabi said in shock, she was lying to everyone. Marini was probably expecting her to tell everyone what she saw, but Uhuru was afraid to stand against someone older than her, especially after seeing the way she attacked her own brother. But she had to do it at some point, better late than never. Once her mother was done with her own questions, Uhuru spoke to her first, "Don't bother asking questions, she's lying." Uhuru started, gathering all the courage she could find, "When Tanga and Sarabi left, I followed them both, and when I got outside I saw you attack him! You threatened him to never come near Simba again, and when he tried to get up you hit him again. He did not attack you, or tried to! The real question is why are you making this all up!"

[AustralianChaos]

Kali just stared at her daughter in slack-jawed shock as she stood up to Sarabi, calling the former queen a liar and accusing her of attacking Tanga. She was completely speechless, and could only wait and see what happened next.

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Nala was similarly stunned by Uhuru's boldness. Never, in a million years, did Nala believe that Uhuru would do such a thing...the Great Kings knew she herself probably couldn't do it.

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Sarabi was as stunned as the others, but was also the first to recover. "Uhuru, what you saw was his punishment for hurting Simba...and when he got back up, he was attempting to attack, so I had to strike back to stop him. I would never make any of this up...I have no reason to."

Although Sarabi had severely misjudged much of todays events, in her mind, every word she spoke to Uhuru was the truth. She believed that, for some reason that escaped her, that Tanga was out to get Simba, and now her, as well. "And I will not let him near Simba again...not if I can help it," she added with a firm defiance.

[TheWhistlerify]

"He wasn't trying to attack you. He was trying to get away from you. Maybe you had your back turned but I saw." Uhuru was quickly to deny what Sarabi intended of having everyone believe in. She saw exactly what happend, but she wasn't sure whether Sarabi was really making this up or not. "Let's say you really don't have a reason for making this all up, what reason can Tanga possibly have to delibrately hurt Simba?"

[AustralianChaos]

Sarabi sighed as Uhuru countered her argument of Tanga attacking her. "Uhuru, you're young, and you don't fully understand what happened. I know what you believe you saw, but Tanga did try to attack me, and I had to defend myself. I didn't want to, but I had no choice."

But when Uhuru kept going, Sarabi's temper started to flare at the cub's persistence. "Enough, Uhuru!" she barked. "I am looking out for my son, and for the future of the Pridelands! Whatever Tanga's reasons are, he has hurt my son, and tried to hurt me! And I will not stand aside and watch it happen!" She turned and stalked off, having not eaten much, but no longer. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make sure my son's okay," she said as she made her way towards the ravine that concealed the cave system, hoping that Tanga had not taken this oppourtunity to hurt Simba again, not knowing he was currently holed up in Kali and Busara's den, scared half to death.

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Nala glared angrily at Sarabi's retreating back, before turning to the portion of food she had reserved for Simba. "I'll take this to Simba...and keep an eye on her," she said, grabbing the meat and following after the protective mother, praying that if she told Simba her story, that he would not believe it. But what scared Nala was that it seemed that, one way or another, this was going to tear their makeshift pride apart.

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Kali also glared at Sarabi's retreating back, before quickly moving to her daughter's side. "Uhuru, are you alright?" she asked as she wrapped her daughter in a hug, hoping she wasn't too shaken by Sarabi's sudden angry outburst. "Just ignore Sarabi...she's not mad at you, she'll calm down eventually."