Chapter 2:
Timon couldn't get the tune out of his head. It was worse than when it was sung during tunnel digging. He finally slowed from a run to a slow trot. He panted a bit, looking back towards the oasis. He sighed and walked. He hummed a familiar beat to himself to make the time go by, but realized he was humming to the tune of his old tunnel digging beat.Then he smacked himself. "Oy, it's worse than that 'Coconuts' song." He knew it would take a while to get where he was going by walking, since he left Pumbaa back at the oasis. He had to keep himself occupied somehow.
"Timon, wait up!" Timon let out a soft groan as he heard his mother call. He looked back to see her ride up to him on Pumbaa's back.
"Ma, do you mind? I'm moping here."
"Timon, it's OK to hurt, but running won't get you anywhere."
"Sure it can. Got a nice distance from the oasis before you showed up, didn't I?" Ma jumped off of Pumbaa's back and walked over to Timon.
"Why don't you let us come along? You'll get there faster with us," Ma said as she brushed some sand out of Timon's fur. She noticed Timon looking to the side, so she gently turned his face to meet hers. "Besides, it's been a while, and I want to go, too."
Timon softly sighed, "How do you know that's where I'm going?"
"I'm your mother. I know."
Pumbaa suddenly butted his head into the scene. "Oh, please Timon! I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go!"
"Pumbaa, you don't even know where we're going," Timon said.
"Does it have anything to do with your father?"
"... Yeah, it does."
"Then I wanna go! I wanna know more about him. Please, oh please, oh please, oh pleeeeeeeeeease?"
"Oy," both Timon and Ma mumbled.
"All right, Pumbaa. You and Ma can come."
"Yay!" Pumbaa lowered his head down to allow Timon and Ma back onto his back. "Which way?"
"Just keep going straight for a while. We'll let you know when to turn," Ma said. Pumbaa nodded and started trotting ahead.
"Will it take long?" Pumbaa asked.
"If you keep going this pace it will," Timon said.
"Then why don't you tell me a little about Fearless Buzz?" Timon bit his lower lip, then let his shoulders sink down a bit. Ma looked at Timon, then down at Pumbaa.
"I'll tell you about him... of course, back in the day, he wasn't known as 'Fearless' Buzz. He was better known as Buzz and Dad."
4 1/2 years ago...
Timon, now a 3-month-old meerkat, watched as an elder, stronger meerkat started to claw at the tunnel wall, demonstrating how to dig.
"See, Timon? Digging tunnels is easy. Why don't you give it a try?" The elder meerkat stepped away from the wall he started to dig at. Timon inhaled, and then walked over to the wall. He started in a digging motion, looking to the elder.
"Is this right, Dad?"
"Looks great, son. Keep going." Timon continued digging, and then suddenly the wall cracked. "Timon, Timon, stop!" By this time Timon's feet were hanging out of the tunnel exit he was creating.
"Whatcha say, Dad?" His father noticed a few chunks of dirt escaping from the crack, and then he quickly grabbed Timon's feet and pulled him away from the collapsing dirt. He sighed in relief.
"That was close." At that note, the rest of the tunnel wing collapsed on top of them. Their heads popped out from the dirt pile, and were greeted with a few stares from a younger Uncle Max, who had much less gray fur and brown hair.
"Buzz! What happened here?" Uncle Max asked as the father, Buzz, climbed out of the dirt and lifted Timon up.
"Uh, just giving Junior here a digging lesson, Uncle Max," Buzz said as he patted Timon on the back.
"Oh, so that's what it was. From the looks of this tunnel, I thought you were giving him a demolition lesson!" Buzz and Timon winced at his scream, which attracted the attention of a few other meerkats, including Timon's mother.
"Oh, can't you cut him a break? He's just a kid, after all."
"A break, Buzz? He broke the whole west wing!"
"Sorry, Uncle Max," Timon managed to squeek out. He ducked behind his father when Max gave him a glare. Buzz reached back to Timon with a reassuring paw.
"It... it won't happen again, Uncle Max."
"It better not." With that, Uncle Max promptly turned and walked away. The other meerkats went back to their digging duties, now mumbling that they'll have to repair the west wing. Timon's mother watched them go about their business.
Buzz noticed her. "Thanks for backing me up."
"You looked like you were handling it well. Why don't you talk to the boy?" Ma said as she grabbed a nearby leaf.
"Why don't you? He's your son, too, you know."
"I'm going to round up dinner. You seem to have time." Buzz sighed, then turned around, put a paw on Timon's back, and led him outside.
"I'm sorry, Timon. I guess I should've gone over the digging technique better for you. I thought instinct was going to kick in."
"Yeah, I know... dig so we can hide, and hide so we can dig," Timon mumbled under his breath.
"What's that?"
"Look, Dad, I know we're pretty low on the food chain and all, but why do we have to dig tunnels all the time? We should stand up for ourselves. I mean, where's our pride, where's our dignity?"
"Son, lemme tell you something about dignity." Buzz looked out to the east, over the plains and grasslands. "Everything the light touches belongs to someone else." Timon grimaced.
"So we own everything the light doesn't touch? Meaning the underground?"
"I'm sorry, pal. That's just the way it is. Dignity's got nothing to do with it. It's nature's design. We are what we are and what we are is food for other animals. Feared by no one and eaten by all." At that note, Buzz looked around real fast, holding Timon close. He exhaled a minute later and released Timon. "Not safe up here with hyenas running around."
"That's what I'm talking about. Why not find a better life? Maybe there's a place out there with no hyenas." Timon climbed onto a rock and spread his arms out. "A place where we don't have to run or dig tunnels!"
Buzz climbed onto the rock and put his paws on both of Timon's shoulders. "Timon, this is our home, and I'm proud of those tunnels. Your mother and I dig those tunnels to keep you safe." He softly exhaled as he knelt down to Timon's level, put his paw on Timon's head and ruffled his hair. "We dig those tunnels because we love you."
Timon shoved his father's paw off his head. "No, you just dig tunnels because you're afraid of everything!" His father gave him a warning stare. Timon sighed and looked away. "Any chance for another lesson tomorrow?"
"We'll see."
Ma appeared carrying a leaf full of termites. "Oh, there you boys are. I've got some nice, fresh termites all ready for you."
Buzz sighed, "Termites again?"
"Feeling braver now, Buzz?" Ma asked as she broke the head off a termite and dropped it back into the group. Buzz gave her a warning glare, then turned away.
"I'll be home late." He started to walk away, but then stopped to add as he looked at Timon, "I've got a tunnel to repair." He walked away, and Timon sat down on the rock.
"Was I adopted?" he asked his mother.
"Timon... I swear, no matter what, you and your father always seem to disagree on something. Why?"
"Well, I'm tired of doing everything his way, or Uncle Max's way. They're always picking on me." Ma started to smooth out his hair.
"Oh, sweetie, you won't be a pup forever..." A cowlick refused to be smoothed out. She tried again. "...and whether your father or Uncle Max like it or not..." The hair popped up again. She used both paws now. "... you'll be making your own way soon." The hair popped up yet again. She shrugged and ruffled Timon's hair up, making Timon laugh unexpectedly. She looked at Timon's messed up hair and smiled as she put her paws on his cheeks. "Whatever you do, I know you're going to make me proud."
"You really think so?"
"Even Dad." Timon smiled and hugged her.
"Thanks, Mom." Ma smiled and handed Timon a termite.
"Don't stay out long." She headed back towards the tunnel, leaving Timon alone on his rock. Timon gulped down his termite and looked out to the horizon.
"There's gotta be a better life out there somewhere... and I'll find it someday. I just know it."
Present...
Timon watched the scenery pass by as Pumbaa trotted along the savanna. Ma had just fallen asleep, putting an end to the story telling for a while. Timon was still mostly awake.
"Timon, is your mother asleep?" Pumbaa asked.
"She's not telling the story, is she?" Timon mumbled.
"Just checking." Timon laid his head down, resting it on his outstretched arm. "So back then your father wasn't known as 'Fearless' yet, right?"
"Right."
"I thought so. He didn't sound too fearless when you were younger."
"You really know how to lay your sensitive questions down gently, don't ya, Pumbaa?"
"Thanks. So, when was he known as 'Fearless'?"
"... Pull over, Pumbaa. I could use a break." Pumbaa decided to let Timon have his way with avoiding his question. He trotted off the path and over to a group of trees. He laid down instead of sitting so he would not disturb Ma's sleeping. Timon hopped off Pumbaa's back and walked over to a small watering hole. He knelt down to it to get a drink. He bent down and started to drink, then stopped after a few sips. He looked at his rippling reflection, almost swearing his saw Buzz in there. "Dad?" The ripples stopped, reavealing Timon's reflection, not Buzz's. Timon sighed, swallowed, and looked away from it.
To be continued...