Chapter 14
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters in Ice Age. They all belong to Twentieth Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios, not to me. I also do not own the Lion King characters, for they are owned by Disney. All lines in bold are either from any of the Ice Age movies, any of the Lion King movies, either Brother Bear movie, The Wild, or from a song that will be specified at the beginning of the applying chapter.
Timon's P.O.V.
Brian, Pumbaa, and I have been living with my old colony for about a week now. The sun comes in through the opening of the tunnel, blinding me momentarily.
"Good morning, Brian," I yawn as I roll over.
I don't see my four-week-old son anywhere in our tunnel. Grumbling to myself, I enter the main tunnel to look for him.
"Brian!" I yell.
I accidentally run into Flinchy on the way out.
"Watch it, Timon," Flinchy says.
"Excuse me. Have you seen my son? Has he been through here?" I ask him.
"No, Timon, I haven't," Flinchy tells me as he walks away.
Why do I even bother with these people?
"Brian!" I yell down the tunnel.
It is then that I see Uncle Max, singing Diggah Tunnel as usual.
"Uncle Max?" I ask.
"Aah!" he yells, not knowing it's just me behind him.
"Uncle Max, relax. Have you seen Brian?" I inquire.
This must be what my mom must have felt like when I was a pup.
"No, I haven't and what a day it's been. No fractures, no lacerations, no concussions, contusions, or injuries of any sort. As a matter of fact, there's no sign of Brian's handiwork anywhere!" Uncle Max laughs.
Suddenly, the ceiling of the tunnel collapses. Everyone sighs, and I see none other than Brian, holding up some dirt structure.
"That would be…. BRIAN!" Uncle Max shouts at the top of his lungs.
"Heh, heh. Hey, everybody," my son chuckles.
"Ha, ha. Nice work, Brian," Swifty sarcastically says.
"Way to go, tunnel klutz," Stumpy sighs.
"Who else could break a hole?" Flinchy questions.
"I'll give you two words. His father," Swifty replies/
"Four in one week- a new record-"Uncle Max groans.
"Not again," I beg.
"What? It's called a skylight," Brian reasons.
I realize that Brian is even more like me than I thought was possible.
"Ho, ho. Wow. Isn't that creative? A skylight. Oh. Ha, ha," I grin as I walk up and wrap an arm around my son.
Everyone else in the colony looks at me with disappointed looks.
"I'll just have a word with him," I tell the colony.
Brian's head hangs low with disappointment, and I know exactly how he feels. Once we are out of earshot, my son begins to talk to me.
"I-I was just trying to shed a little light on our pathetic existence," he mumbles.
"Brian, this can't go on. Just this week you've pulled down four walls and collapsed two tunnel exits," I remind.
"Dad, I'm sorry," Brian sniffs.
"Brian, it's okay. I was the exact same way when I was a pup," I assure.
"You were?" my son questions, wiping tears from his eyes.
"Of course I was. In fact, I'm still the biggest klutz around," I laugh.
"Thanks for trying to make me feel better, Dad, but let's face it. I'm never gonna fit in here," Brian sadly says.
I feel my heart rip as he says those words. I am trying to help him to not have a childhood like mine, and so far, I'm failing miserably.
"Nobody even likes me," Brian says as a tear slides down his cheek.
"Sure they do, Brian. Sure they do," I persuade.
"Besides you, Dad," he groans.
"I like you," Pumbaa says as he walks up.
"Thanks, Uncle Pumbaa. I'm glad three people like me," my son says with a slightly hurt voice.
I know he is referring to Pumbaa, myself, and my mother.
"All right, who's on sentry duty?" Uncle Max's voice rings.
A lightbulb goes off in my head.
"That's it- That's it; my son on sentry duty," I say out loud.
"Dad, what are you talking about?" Brian asks.
"Brian the sentry," I try out.
Hey, that has a nice ring to it. I decide to tell Uncle Max my brilliant idea.
"Brian the sentry? Why don't you save the hyenas the trouble and kill me now? Just kill me now!" Uncle Max begs.
"He has a point," Brian dejectedly says.
"All you have to do is watch for hyenas and yell if you see one. Look at Iron Joe," I persuade.
"Don't close your eyes! Don't look away! Somebody's gotta guard us! Somebody's gotta protect us!" Iron Joe sobs.
"Not your best argument, Timon," I whisper to myself.
"Well, now I'm convinced," Brian sarcastically tells me.
"Listen, it's outside, up in the breeze, under the wide open sky. Isn't that what you want?" Pumbaa points out.
"Well, yeah, but…." Brian starts to say.
"Or maybe you would rather have him go back on the digging crew," I tell Uncle Max, using my mother's words from long ago.
"No!" The whole colony shouts in unison.
Brian's P.O.V.
"Good, then we all agree. Brian, listen to Uncle Max. He'll teach you everything you need to know. And, kiddo, try to make this one work," Dad tells me.
"I'll do my best, Dad. You won't be disappointed," I promise.
"Let's go, cadet," Uncle Max commands as my father and Uncle Pumbaa walk away to go eat lunch.
After walking for a short distance, we reach two rocks that are perfect for sentry duty. Uncle Max hops onto the nearest rock and begins to teach me the ropes.
"Scurry, sniff, flinch! Scurry, sniff, flinch! Scurry, sniff, flinch!" Uncle Max yells as he goes through the three stages of sentry duty.
I roll my eyes at his antics, wondering how long instruction time is going to last.
"Good. Now…. What do we do when we see a hyena?" Uncle Max asks to make sure I was paying attention during his demonstration.
"Scream Mommy? I question, hoping I said the right answer.
"That's right, mister, because the world out there is fraught with danger. Fraught, I tell you!" Uncle Max shouts as he acts out of the dangers the world has.
"Oh, boy; it's the fraught fest," I groan.
Dad's told me about these before. They usually last a few minutes, but if you're extremely unlucky, you might start one that lasts several hours.
"They'll rip us limb from limb," Uncle Max continues.
"Bravo, Uncle Max. Way to sell it to the cheap seats," I say with fake enthusiasm as I clap sarcastically.
"Applaud now, sonny boy, but try clapping when you don't have any hands," Uncle Max tells me.
I gulp, which causes me to swallow the lump in my throat.
"Uncle Max?" I call out.
I look around, searching for him in the grass. Seeing nothing, I decide I must call for him.
"Uncle Max, what did you mean by ripping us limb from limb?" I question out of fear.
There is no answer, and I know that I am alone.
"Scurry, sniff, flinch. Scurry, sniff, flinch," I find myself saying as I go through the three sentry motions.
There's a nice rhythm to that. It rolls off the tongue with ease.
"Huh. I like the sound of that," I say to myself.
I'm a natural at this!
"Scurry, sniff, flinch. Scurry, sniff, flinch. Scurry, sniff, fl-" I continue before stopping mid-sentry pose.
Wait a minute! This is so boring! There has to be a way to spice it up a bit. Bingo! The perfect idea hits me.
"Hakuna matata, what a wonderful phrase! Hakuna matata, ain't no passin' craze. It means no worries for the rest of your days!" I sing.
"Oh, look, it's dinner and a show," a threatening female voice says.
I stand completely still, fearing for the worst.
"And I thought beans were the only musical food," a male voice agrees.
The fur on my back stands up and I start to panic. I slowly start to turn around, only to find three full-grown hyenas and a hyena pup, all of whom are licking their chops.
"Hy- hy- hy-" I gasp.
"Well, HI to you too," the adult female mocks as she knocks me down the hill. I end up landing on top of Uncle Max.
"Oh. Ow! Ok," I groan, trying to catch my breath and get over the pain that is spreading across my entire body.
"This is no time for horseplay, Brian. You're supposed to be up there looking out for-" Uncle Max starts to rant.
There is some maniacal laughter that comes from behind me, and I panic all over again.
"Hyenas!" Uncle Pumbaa and my dad yell to alert the colony of coming danger.
I begin to run towards the tunnels, but before I can, Dad grabs me by my hand and pulls me onto Uncle Pumbaa's back.
"Thanks, Dad," I say as I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Well, hey, I can't let my son get eaten by hyenas," my dad says to ease the tension.
I watch as my dad keeps a count on who is in the tunnels, safe from harm.
"Phew. Everyone's here," my dad sighs in relief.
"Wait! Where's Uncle Max?" my grandmother calls from inside the tunnel.
I see the figure of Uncle Max as he runs from the hyena quartet.
"Max! Run for your life!" Stumpy yells.
"Play dead!" Flinchy suggests.
"Andale!" Swifty shouts.
"Almost there!" Dad calls.
"You've got it, Max!" Uncle Pumbaa encourages.
The hyenas close the gap between themselves and Uncle Max. The hyena pup jumps over Uncle Max's only escape route, and a lump forms in my throat once more. Uncle Pumbaa charges at the hyena pup to try and get her to move. The hyena's mother grabs her by the scruff of the neck and moves hr out of my warthog uncle's path.
"That's twice in one week that you were almost trampled by the same warthog!" the mother scolds her pup.
The pup's head droops in shame as she follows behind her mother and father.
"Ha ha! Oh, man. It just never gets old, does it?" the father hyena laughs.
"Ooh, the classics never do, honey," the female hyena replies.
"Pumbaa, set us down. It's time for Brian to face the angry mob," my dad tells Uncle Pumbaa.
I reach the tunnels, and slip in, trying my hardest not to be seen. However, all of the colony turns around to face me, angry looks on everyone's face, with the exception of Dad and Grandma. My dad clears his throat, which is his way of telling me to apologize.
"I, uh… I guess I owe everyone an apology," I mumble.
"Yeah, you do!" Flinchy shouts.
"All right, so I made a teensy mistake," I tell the colony.
"You've made teensy mistakes all week!" Swifty argues.
"Like we all haven't broken into song on sentry duty before. Ha ha, ha. Come on. Let me see a show of hands," I reason.
My dad's hand is the only one to go up.
"Ok," I say in a dejected tone.
"You don't belong here, Brian. You never did," Stumpy tells me.
"But-" I argue.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! We really thought Timon's ide was going to work," Uncle Pumbaa says from above ground.
"This was your idea, Timon?" Uncle Max asks in an enraged tone.
"Oops," Uncle Pumbaa apologizes.
"Answer me, Timon! Was this your idea?!" Uncle Max demands.
"Yes, it was. I thought Brian would make a good sentry," my dad softly tells the colony.
"I see. I want you to leave, Timon," Uncle Max announces.
"No, Max! Don't do this!" my grandmother begs.
"And this time, don't come back," he adds.
My father lowers his head, and the two of us climb out of the tunnels.
"Dad, I'm sorry," I sniff.
"It's okay, Brian. Pumbaa, let's go to the ship and start back for the island," Dad responds.
I let a single tear slip out of my eye as I realize what I've done. I've made my dad an outcast.
Diego's P.O.V.
"All right, bedtime everyone," I tell all twelve of my cubs.
"Aww!" all twelve of them complain.
"But, Dad, we're not sleepy yet," Shadow tells me.
"Now, cubs, I promised your mother I would put you to bed while she was hunting," I explain to them.
"Can't we stay up for five more minutes?" Lily asks.
"No, Lily, because five minutes will turn into twenty, and Mommy will be home by then," I laugh.
"Okay, Daddy," she yawns.
"Now, stay still where I can make sure you're all here," I grin.
"Dad! Dad! Dad!" Junior suddenly says.
I figure this is just a ploy for Diego Junior, my namesake, to convince me to let him stay up later, so I keep counting.
"Six, seven, eight—Careful," I say as I help Snowflake off of her back.
"Dad! Dad!" Junior continues.
"J—J—Just a minute, son. I'm counting your siblings," I remind.
"But, Dad!" he yells.
"Are you all right, son?" I ask in concern.
"Yes, Dad, I'm fine. Look what I can do," Junior smiles.
I watch as my oldest son stands up on his tiny legs, and he begins to walk across the cave floor. My face lights up with pride as he starts to run back towards me. When Junior gets close enough, he pounces on my paw.
"I got your paw, Daddy!" Junior smiles.
"Good job, kiddo. Just keep practicing," I praise my cub.
"Thanks, Dad!" Diego Jr. exclaims.
"You're welcome, Junior. Now, off to bed," I tell him as I rub a paw over his head.
Pretty soon, Shira is back with a deer carcass in her jaws. She sits it down near me before starting to talk.
"So, how were the kids?" Shira asks with a smile.
"They were perfect little angels," I assure.
"That's good. I wouldn't want them causing trouble," my mate says as she starts to tear into the deer.
"They were nothing of the sort. But, Junior did do something you should know about," I reveal.
"What did he do?" Shira asks in concern.
"Junior took his first steps while you were out," I respond.
"What? That's great!" she happily says.
"In fact, he even ran a couple of feet," I grin.
"They're growing up so fast," my mate yawns.
"That they are," I agree.
The two of us settle down for the night, happy that our cubs are by our sides, safe and sound.
"Dad!" a voice yells in the middle of the night.
"Snowflake?!" I yell in concern.
"Dad! Don't let them take me!" my precious daughter yells out.
I quickly jump up, preparing to fight off whatever intruders there might be. In horror, I notice that Kovu has Snowflake in his mouth, dangling her by her scruff. I growl at the lion, baring my teeth to show him I mean business. He begins to back away slowly, and then another figure leaps out of the shadows.
"Oscar!" I growl as the other saber approaches.
"Frustrated, Diego?" Oscar mocks.
I leap at my old pack mate, which brings him down.
"Dad, what's going on?" Will asks with wide eyes as he wakes up.
"Will, wake up Mommy," I tell my son.
He nudges Shira, and she is instantly awake. Shira jumps up and comes to my side. Once she notices that Snowflake is being held by Kovu, she lets out the fiercest roar I have ever heard. One thing Kovu forgot to count on was a mother's protective nature.
"PUT MY BABY DOWN!" Shira growls.
Kovu turns to run, and my heart drops into my stomach.
"No! Mommy! Daddy!" Snowflake screams at the top of her lungs.
Oscar knocks me away and starts sprinting after Kovu.
"Snowflake!" Shira yells as our daughter is carried away.
"Help!" Snowflake calls, fear consuming her usually happy voice.
"NO!" I roar as I fling myself out of the cave.
I start to gain on Kovu, so I put on more speed. It is then that I notice Shira running alongside me.
"Shira, go protect the other cubs. I'll get Snowflake!" I promise my mate.
Shira turns on her heel and runs back towards the cave. I put on all the speed I can muster, and I am now only a few feet behind Kovu, and more importantly, Snowflake.
"Dad! Help me!" my youngest cub screams out.
"SNOWFLAKE!" I yell as my feet slip on the ice.
Within seconds, Kovu has disappeared into the woods, taking with him my beautiful, young, and defenseless daughter.
"No," I sigh as I flop down on the ground.
I have failed my biggest mission. I let my daughter get kidnapped, and I don't know when I'll see her again. I begin to run, only I don't see the log that's at the bottom of the hill. I try to move, but something keeps me from doing so. Oh, great. My head is stuck.
Author's Note: And there's the new chapter! I know it's been forever since the last update, but school has been so crazy these past few weeks with all of the homework and tests my teachers have been assigning. But, this week is Fall Break, so I got the chance to update. I hope everyone enjoyed and thanks for your continued support! :) You guys and girls are amazing!
P.S., Acliptika, if you're out there, let me know what you thought. I haven't heard from you in a while, my friend! I hope you're doing well. Oh, and Diego and Shira are back! I know you've missed their side of the story! Hope to hear from you soon, Acliptika!