YES! LOGIN FINALLY WORKS!!! Here's chapter 3! ::Happily eats cookie from Tash.::
Chapter 3:
"I thought you said he was just getting a drink," Ma said to Pumbaa as she paced around a bit.
"Well, he didn't say 'I'm going to get a drink,' exactly. He just said he needed a break," Pumbaa said as he watched Ma pace around in a circle.
"Call off the search party. I just got a little hungry. Come and get it!" Timon said cheerfully as he carried a large leaf platter of worms, crickets, and grasshoppers over his head. He walked over to the two. "And Ma, look what I dug up." Timon lowered the platter down to show his mother.
"A tuber! Thank you, Timmy." Ma said as she snatched the swollen, fleshy plant stem from the platter. "You seem in a better mood."
Timon shrugged as he slurped a worm like a strand of spaghetti, "Food puts me in a better mood. I missed out on the termites you gathered back home, so I thought I'd make it up to ya with a salad."
"Thanks. Don't slurp your worms, Timon. You get your face messy. And don't talk with your mouth full," Ma said as she wiped Timon's lips and cheeks clean of mud and worm slime. "Did you chew your food 20 times before you swallowed? Never mind, you never did." Timon uttered a soft 'oy' and rolled his eyes. Ma then turned to Pumbaa who was munching on a few crickets. "Don't chew with your mouth open, Pumbaa."
Pumbaa made one last loud munch and swallowed. He shyly grinned, "Sorry."
Ma took a bite out of her tuber. "This is much better than the first time you brought food back when you were younger."
"It wasn't that bad... I caught a scorpion," Timon mumbled.
"Yeah, and you forgot to bring it back. Could've added a little meat to those eggs you brought back."
"There was a good reason I left it behind, Ma."
"Oh, yeah..." Ma turned to Pumbaa, who gulped down a worm. "I remember that day. Buzz took Timon outside to teach him how to gather food for himself."
4 1/2 years ago...
Buzz poked his head out of the tunnel exit, and then looked over to the sentry, standing high on top of a rock. "How's it looking, Pete?"
The sentry looked around briefly, and then looked back to Buzz. "Coast's clear!"
Buzz climbed out of the tunnel, followed by a slightly taller 4-month-old Timon. "This is it, Timon. It's time you gather your own food. You won't have to battle with the other pups to get grubs now."
"Too bad. We got a lot of exercise. By the way, Dad, I know I'm going to gather my own food, but what are you doing here? Seeing me off, fresh air?"
"Actually, your mother asked me to make sure you don't screw up and starve yourself."
"Does she not have faith in me?"
"Of course she does... but she's a mother. It's a mother's job to worry."
"And you're not worried, Dad? Or is that a job fathers don't do?"
Buzz looked at his son, then smiled slightly. "Sure I am... I'm worried I'm getting old because my son is growing up."
"That sounds kinda sappy."
"Yeah, I thought so, too, but I couldn't really sum up my emotions... it's a guy thing." Timon blinked once. Buzz shook his head then lead Timon over to a rock. "OK, here's where the grubs typically hang out."
Timon knelt down to the ground and stared at the rock a bit. "There's not a lot of room under there. Oh, I know. Is this what you use to squish 'em with?"
"What? No. Where would you get an idea like that?"
"That's how Aunt Sylvia bring her bugs back... bug-cakes, I think she calls 'em, when green syrup." Buzz twitched his nose, a bit disgusted about that idea... yet at the same time it sounded pretty good.
"That's because Aunt Sylvia weighs about 4 or 5 pounds. She typically steps on her meals and they collapse from her weight. She only knows how to make them one way. Now, see if there's a nice, fat one hiding under that rock, son." Timon shrugged, and then peaked under the rock. He pushed the rock over all the way, revealing a few ants. The ants quickly scampered away. "Not much there. Try that one over there." Buzz pointed to a swirly shaped rock, knowing exactly what it was. Timon pushed it, then jumped back in shock when he revealed it to be a snail. The snail looked up at him, then started to slug away, slowly.
"Yah! Dad, this is way different from how you and Mom bring 'em back!" Timon said as he backed away from the snail.
"What do you mean?" Buzz asked as he arched a brow.
"Well, look at it! It's moving! The ones you, Mom, and the others bring back don't move!"
Buzz sighed a bit as he watched the snail inch away. "That's because we usually bring them back dead so they don't get away from you pups. But you're old enough to gather your own now, so whether you eat them alive or dead doesn't matter... just be sure to eat them head first. Points them in the right direction down your throat."
Timon twitched his nose, a little grossed out. "Ew, Dad..."
"Quit stalling. Go grab him before he gets away."
"Dad, at this rate, I could stand here a week and only have to walk 5 feet to catch up with him." Nonetheless, Timon reached out and grabbed the snail. The snail ducked back into its shell to keep from Timon's reach. Timon closed an eye and looked into the shell at the snail.
"How am I suppose to get him out now? You got a nutcracker on you?"
"Nope. You gotta slurp him out."
"But Mom says not to slurp. Gets your face all messy."
"That's for worms and other stringy things. Go on." Timon looked into the shell again, put his mouth up to the opening, and then inhaled. He slurped the snail up and swallowed him, leaving snail extract all over his lips. "Atta boy, Timon!" Timon licked his lips clean and was about to reply when he let out a large, loud burp. A few startled birds flew up from the ground a few hundred feet away from them into the air, leaving a few nests abandoned. Timon looked to his father.
"Is that how we get the bird eggs, Dad?"
"Not exactly, but your way works good, too. Let's grab a few before they come back. We'll make a scorpion omelet."
"Yeah! But do we have any scorpions?"
"Um... no. See if you can find one while I get the eggs. Just be sure to remove its stinger. Instinct should kick in."
Timon mumbled as his father ran over to the abandoned bird nests. "That's what you said about the tunnel digging." Timon shrugged, and then went looking for the scorpions. Timon scurried over to a plant and dug at the roots where the dirt was soft. He thought maybe scorpions hide underground. Meanwhile Buzz rolled two bird eggs over to the tunnel. He looked over at Pete the sentry.
"Can you see Timon, Pete?" Pete looked around a bit, then looked out towards Timon.
"Yeah. He's digging under a plant."
"Any predators in sight?"
Pete looked around, and then looked skyward to make sure no birds were overhead. Except for the birds Timon scared away, the sky was clear. "Not yet."
Timon found a few buried bugs and started munching on those. He came up for some air and licked his fingers. "Good find. I'll have to come back here." He smacked his lips a few times, and then noticed a scorpion a few feet away from him heading towards the birds' nests. Timon grinned and started following it on all fours.
"Oh-ho, he's on the move, Buzz. He's stalking a scorpion," Pete said as Buzz came back out of the tunnel after depositing his bird eggs.
"Go, Timon! Let that instinct kick in!" Timon tackled the scorpion and quickly bit its stinger off. He pushed it across the sand and knocked it around a bit until it stopped moving.
"He got it, Buzz!"
"Oh yeah, that's my boy." Buzz proudly grinned, then watched the birds above to see if he had time to get one or two more eggs. He frowned when he saw a larger bird with a 6-foot wingspan swoop past the birds and looked down towards Timon, who was too busy being proud of his first catch.
"It's a Martial Eagle! And he's got his sights on Timon!" Pete gasped.
"Timon, duck!" Buzz shouted towards Timon.
Timon looked up at the eagle. "Dad, that's not a duck! Its beak is way too sharp!" Timon said, a bit confused.
"Yeah, and you should worry about that sharp beak, son! It eats pups like you for breakfast! Run!" Timon dropped his scorpion catch and started to run as the eagle swooped down and tried to grab Timon. The talons missed him, but it caused Timon to roll from the wind gust the eagle stirred up. He rolled right into the hole he dug earlier.
"I didn't think I'd come back here so soon." Timon panted as he watched the eagle climb back into the air to attempt it again.
"He's a goner!" Pete said.
"Not yet, he's not. I'll get Timon, you try to distract the eagle!" Buzz said as he ran towards Timon's hole. Pete climbed up the tree near his sentry rock and whistled at the eagle. The eagle looked towards Pete and headed towards him, ignoring Timon completely. Buzz skid to a halt when he reached the hole and looked down at Timon, who curled himself into a ball and tried not to move. "Timon, this is no time to play dead!" Buzz said as he reached in and pulled Timon out.
"Sorry, Dad... I lost the scorpion," Timon said, a little disappointed in himself.
"Forget the scorpion, just run back to the tunnel!" Buzz grabbed Timon's arm and raced back to the tunnel entrance. He dropped Timon in first, and then signaled to Pete. "Pete, I got him! Get in here!" Buzz jumped into the tunnel.
Pete looked down towards Buzz as he pulled back a tree limb and released it, smacking the eagle in the face with it. He scrambled down the tree and into the tunnel before the bird could regain his senses. He panted as he greeted Timon and Buzz at the base of the tunnel. "Hey, Timon, great job catching that scorpion... too bad you didn't bring him back."
"Thanks. Pete... are you bleeding?" Timon asked as he saw a few red drops fall to the floor from Pete's back. Pete put his paw behind his back and winced softly.
"Yeah, I guess I am. Eagles have sharp talons, you know. But I'll be fine, Timon. Really." Timon still looked unsure.
"I think you've had enough excitement today, champ. Let's show your mother the eggs you brought home," Buzz said as he led Timon away.
Present...
Pumbaa wiped the sweat from his forehead after hearing the story. "Whew. That was a close call, Timon."
"You knew I was gonna survive anyway, Pumbaa," Timon said as he finished the last cricket off.
"Yeah, but I wasn't sure if your father was." Timon's face softened a bit, now looking a bit depressed again. "Oooh, sorry. The song didn't say he was eaten by eagles."
"We finished our supper, so why don't we get going?" Ma said as she dusted her paws off and climbed onto Pumbaa's back.
"Aren't we suppose to wait 30 minutes before going anywhere after we eat?" Pumbaa asked as Timon climbed onto his back.
"That's for swimming," Timon said.
"Oh, right," the warthog blushed slightly. Pumbaa trotted away from the small oasis and got back on the trail. "So, was that when he was known as 'Fearless'? When he saved you from the eagle, Timon?" There was silence. "Timon?" Once again avoiding the question, Timon laid down on Pumbaa's back, pretending to go to sleep.
"He's asleep, Pumbaa," Ma said as she brushed Timon's hair a bit. "Let him sleep. And no, Buzz wasn't known as 'Fearless' yet." Timon eventually fell asleep and dreamt back to after he and Buzz walked away from Pete.
4 1/2 years ago...
"You see what happens when you're not careful, Timon?" Buzz asked when they stopped walking.
"Like that's gonna happen twice--" Timon began.
"It won't. Next time, the meerkat that the eagle tags won't make it back to the tunnel. Pete got lucky, and hopefully he'll just end up with a scar on his back."
"At least then we'll know it's him from the back," Timon nervously said as he tapped his fingertips together.
"We won't always be so fortunant. Timon, if you don't shape up, you're going to be meerkat chow the next time you walk out that tunnel," Buzz said a little sternly.
"Well, that's all we are, aren't we, Dad? Feared by no one and eaten by all?" Timon asked angrily.
"Don't take that tone with me, pup! If I wasn't there, you would be digested in a few hours from now."
"Because we're meerkats, because we're one level above grubs! I've heard all that before! Why don't we stand up for ourselves?"
"You've asked that before and I've told you before, that's nature's design!"
"Maybe nature needs readjustment! Maybe meerkats should start growing backbones! I know you could use one!" Buzz raised his paw up in a threatening manner, silencing Timon. Timon panted softly and kept his expression. Buzz kept his paw raised a moment, then used it run it through his dark hair, letting his expression soften.
"We're not that strong, Timon. It almost takes the whole mob to scare off one cobra. It doesn't work the same with hyenas or predators like that. It's not that we don't want to... we just like living better."
"There's a better way of living. No meerkat should have to hide," Timon said softly.
Buzz sighed and kneeled down to his son, putting both of his paws on his shoulders. "Timmy... I don't want you acting brave if there's a predator attacking. You wouldn't stand a chance. I just want you to stay safe. That's why we dig these tunnels."
"You don't dig tunnels because you love me, Dad. Everyone--you, Mom, Uncle Max--you're all just afraid of everything. You're only saving your own hides! Hiding won't get us anywhere." Buzz stared hard at Timon, then inhaled and stood. He started to walk away.
Buzz turned to Timon and added, "I was afraid of something today... and it wasn't the eagle. I was afraid I was going to lose my only son. So don't you dare say I don't love you." Then he walked away, leaving Timon alone. Timon watched him leave, a sorry look spread across his face. He leaned against the tunnel wall, sunk down to the ground, hiked his knees up to his chest, and rested his head on them. He quietly sobbed as his father turned the corner that lead to his nest.
To be continued...