:Stares at readers with big teary eyes: Only two reviews the first day? OK, so I threw that chapter together almost outta the blue, and there's not much Timon and Buzz action. :Rubs her hands together: So I'm gonna work hard on this one and the reviews shall hopefully pour in better than Chapter 5's.
Thanks to Tash for helping me set up the scene, and my buddy Stormie for helping me with some dialog and action scene. Love ya, sweetie:Hug: UPDATE: Removed Fearless Buzz lyric.
Chapter 6:
Timon watched the clouds roll by as he laid back on Simba's back. He stared up at the position of the sun, which was just about overhead. Suddenly he felt Simba stop.
"Hey, what'd we stop for? The sun's not directly overhead yet," Timon said as he sat up.
"Maybe not, but we're here anyway," Ma said as she jumped off Pumbaa's back. Simba and Pumbaa stared dumbly at the old, abandoned tunnels.
"So this is where you used to live?" Pumbaa asked.
"Very... rustic," Simba said with a polite smile.
"Well, like I said, it isn't glamorous," Timon said, then hopped off Simba's back. He looked around, and then looked to the tree with a large rock underneath it. He gulped, and then approached it. He climbed onto it and looked around a bit.
Ma motioned Pumbaa and Simba down to her level. "That's the sentry point where Timon was stationed the day he left the colony. He broke into song and hyenas attacked when he was off guard. That's also the spot where Buzz died."
"Oh," they both said. Timon looked around at the area sadly, then his shoulders sunk.
"Oy. Just what we needed..." Timon pointed to where the group had walked. The group looked behind them. Uncle Max and the rest of Timon's colony approached the group. "More mourners."
"Uncle Max, what are you doing all the way out here?" Ma asked.
"I told the mob about Timon running off, and then you running off to catch him and you never came back. We decided to leave and try to find you... then we decided since we were here, we'd pay some respects to Buzz," Max said.
"Uh-uh! No way!" Timon said as he jumped off the rock and gestured everyone to go away. "I started coming out here alone, then I reluctantly let Ma and Pumbaa come along, then Simba volunteered to come along. And now you guys show up! What do I gotta do to get some privacy?"
"Timon! That's no way to speak to your colony! They can stay and pay respect if they want to! Buzz was your father, but he was also my husband!" Ma said as she stood in front of Timon with her paws on her hips. Timon's eyes lowered slightly, then he looked away from her.
"I-I just wanted to see him alone," he said.
"OK. We'll give you some privacy," Ma said, then she turned to the group, "won't we, guys?" The group agreed.
Timon sighed, "All right."
"You go ahead, Timon. We'll move over here," Ma said, and then she backed away from Timon. The group moved away from Timon, who then walked around to the other side of the rock, where he stared at some carvings in the rock. First a portrait of a strong looking meerkat, then of the meerkat standing on high ground and speaking to a group of meerkats, then of the meerkat chasing a hyena with a club, then of the meerkat surrounded by hyenas. There was a meerkat sized rock set under the portraits and Timon knelt down to it. He put a paw on it, and sighed.
"Is Timon gonna be OK?" Pumbaa asked as the group moved away from Timon.
"Soon as he gets whatever he has to say off his chest, maybe," Ma said.
"He feels guilty because Buzz went out looking for him when the hyenas attacked," Uncle Max said.
"And it turned out he was in the tunnel the whole time," a male meerkat said.
"If we knew Timon was still in the tunnel, Buzz wouldn't have gone outside to look for him and meet his end with the hyenas," a second male said. Timon could still hear the group talking. When he heard the meerkat say that line, he bowed his head and let a few tears fall.
"What happened, exactly?" Simba asked as he plopped down onto the sand. The other meerkats sat down in the sand and leaned against Simba. They've met him once before, so they knew he was safe to be around. Pumbaa also sat down.
"That day... dark clouds rolled in, threatening rain at any time..." Ma began as she looked up at the sun.
4 years ago...
A low rumble was heard as dark clouds rolled over the desert. The sentry looked up at the sky.
"Rain! Everyone back to the tunnel!" she called out. The meerkats who were out gathering food quickly finished what they were doing and ran back to the tunnel entrances. Not a moment too soon as rain slowly started to fall. Buzz walked into the central meeting tunnel shaking some water off his paws.
"Doesn't look like it'll last long. Is everyone in?" he asked. Uncle Max counted heads.
"Hmm... I think we're missing someone," he said. Ma also counted heads.
"We are..." Ma said.
Buzz also counted, then he said, "Uh-oh..."
"What 'uh-oh,' Buzz?"
"Where's Timon?"
"Timon's up there!" She started to pace around. "He can't be outside in that! He'll catch a cold!"
"It's hardly a sprinkle," Buzz said flatly. They all turned to the sentry who came running into meeting tunnel.
She panted, "I barely made it. We've got a huge problem up there!"
Ma stared at Buzz, "Hardly a sprinkle, huh?"
"Well, actually, it is hardly a sprinkle right now. But what I mean is, I saw a hyena as I ducked into the tunnel!"
"You saw a WHAT!" Ma grabbed the sentry and shook her by the arms. "My baby's up there! What are we gonna do!" Buzz looked in the direction the sentry came, and then he had a determined look on his face. He started to walk back to the entrance. Uncle Max stepped in front of him.
"What are you doing, Buzz?" he asked sternly.
"I'm going to get Timon," Buzz said as he sidestepped to get past Max, only to have Max side step with him.
"In case you didn't hear, there's a HYENA outside!"
"I know there is." Max put a paw to Buzz's forehead. Buzz quickly swatted it off. "But my son is out there as well, Uncle Max! I gotta go find him!"
"Are you nuts!" Buzz stared at his uncle, and then pushed him aside. Ma put a paw on Buzz's shoulder.
"Buzz, please!" Buzz looked at her, then his expression softened when he saw the tears in her eyes. "I'm worried about Timon, too, but you can't fight a hyena."
"Timon has a worse chance than I do. That's why I have to get him."
"Buzz, be reasonable! Why do you think we dig these tunnels?" Uncle Max asked, gesturing the tunnels with his open arms. Buzz turned around to face the colony, and then his face turned determined again.
"No meerkat should have to hide." He looked at Ma, and then hugged her tightly. "I'm gonna bring him back. I promise." He kissed her on the cheek, released her, and then he ran for the exit.
"Buzz, no!" Ma held her paw out to him as he ran out.
"Buzz, stop! Come back!" other meerkats shouted. But Buzz could no longer be reached. Ma stared after him, and then swallowed hard. The meerkats stood there for a few moments, silent as they listened for anything above them. Then they heard Buzz yell. "Buzz!" A few meerkats ran to the other tunnel exits to check on Buzz.
Above, Buzz grabbed a large stick, twice the size he was, and swung it at the approaching hyena. "Here, batter, batter!" The hyena yelped and rolled over backwards from the unexpected impact. Buzz ran after the hyena, beating him with the stick.
"Look at him go!" a meerkat said.
"He's got that hyena begging for mercy!" Buzz chased the bruised hyena off, and then he tossed the stick aside. He panted, and then looked off behind the rock and tree sentry point. He walked behind the rock.
"It's too quiet. What's happening up there?" Ma called up to them.
"He chased the hyena off! Now he's behind the rock and tree sentry point," a female meerkat said.
"Well, what's he doing?" Uncle Max asked impatiently.
"Can't tell. Maybe he found Timon." They then noticed the hyena limping back towards Buzz... this time he brought five of his friends with. "Buzz! Look out! HYENAS!" They didn't see Buzz move away from the rock right away, but when he finally did, he jumped out from behind the rock and grabbed his stick again, trying to beat the new hyenas back.
"More hyenas? Oh, that's right, they travel in packs," Ma said as she nervously rubbed her paws together. She suddenly felt someone at her side. She looked and found Timon, now 5 months, 3 weeks old.
"Hi, Mom," he nervously said.
"Timmy! Where have you been?" Ma asked as she bent over and hugged Timon tightly.
"I, uh, found a truffle and I was eating when the rain started to fall. So I came into the tunnel and then I kinda had to go," Timon said quietly.
"Go?"
"You know... go."
"Oh, that go."
Uncle Max stormed up to Timon. "You could've TOLD us, pup! Your father is up there fighting hyenas before he was looking for you!"
"What!" Timon quickly rushed up the tunnel exit where a group of meerkats was watching Buzz fight. One hyena knocked Buzz against the large rock, knocking him out. "Dad!" Buzz, wounded, grunted softly and pushed himself up. He looked towards the meerkats watching, and then noticed Timon was among them.
"Timon..." One of the hyenas noticed the group watching and started charging towards them. The meerkats screamed and ducked back down into the hole before the hyena could snap his jaws at them. Timon ran to his mother.
"Mom, Dad's hurt real bad up there! We gotta save him!" Timon pulled on her arm, trying to drag her outside. Ma wouldn't move. She was too afraid. Timon frantically looked at the group, then he went to Uncle Max. "Uncle Max, come on, we gotta--!" A strong slap across his face stopped Timon from finishing his sentence. It echoed in the tunnels like a clap of thunder. Ma gasped, shocked that Uncle Max had just slapped her son.
"It's your fault he's out there in the first place, pup! If you had come straight to the meeting tunnel like you were suppose to during a predator attack or storm, he would be down here now!" Uncle Max sternly said to him. Timon put a paw to his left red cheek as his mother came over to him.
"Uncle Max, if I ever see you strike my son like that again, I'll skin you alive!" Ma threatened. Uncle Max gulped softly. The argument was interrupted by a loud boom, followed a few chips of dirt coming down on them as hyenas were heard yelping. Then, all was quiet. Timon panted and ran for the exit. "Timon!" Ma ran after him, followed by a few more meerkats. Now pouring rain, Timon climbed out of the tunnel and towards the rock and tree sentry point. He stopped when he noticed what made the boom. There was a burning tree that was split in half by a lightning strike.
"That must've been what scared the hyenas away," Timon said to himself. He then remembered Buzz and continued to run where he last saw him. "Dad! Are you all right? Speak to me!" He heard silence. He panted softly as his heartbeat quicken. He ran to the rock and went behind it as Ma, Uncle Max, and a few other meerkats came out of the tunnel.
"Timon! Buzz!" Ma called. Ma walked over to behind the rock, where she saw Timon standing, eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Timon, there you are. What--?" she began, and then she saw what he was looking at. She gasped and shook her head, denying what she was seeing. "No..." The other meerkats came over and gasped.
"Buzz..." Uncle Max softly said. Timon continued to stare, and then he softly gasped when he felt a paw on his shoulder. He looked to see his mother. Timon couldn't hold it in anymore, so he tightly hugged his mother and started crying. Ma held him tightly and started to cry herself. The other meerkats bowed their heads.
The next day, just before the sunset, a meerkat had put the finishing touches on a carved portrait in the sentry point rock. He brushed away some dust, and then stood back to admire the work. It told the story of a meerkat's bravery, the first meerkat to fight a hyena, and his tragic end. The whole colony attended this day. Timon stared at the dirt mound that was laid next to the sentry rock as a smaller meerkat sized rock was set on top. His mother stood behind him.
One meerkat slowly sang as he turned and walked away from the scene, and was soon followed by another, and another. Soon the whole colony was singing the praises of Fearless Buzz as they walked away from the grave. By the time the sun had set, Timon and Ma were the last ones standing. Timon stared at the artwork, then felt a paw on his shoulder.
"Come on, Timmy. Time to go home," Ma softly said. Timon didn't say anything. Ma tilted her head, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Don't stay out long." She slowly walked away, leaving Timon alone. Timon stared at the artwork then he walked up to it. He stared at the portrait of his father, and then put a paw against it.
Present...
Timon had his paw against the portrait of his father, he sighed and looked away from it, letting his paw drag down and off. He listened to his mother's story and swallowed hard. And he continued to listen to what the others had to say.
"So he was known as 'Fearless' after the hyenas," Pumbaa sniffled as he wiped a tear from his eye.
"Yes," Ma softly said. The other meerkats bowed their heads and put their paws over their hearts.
"Meerkat brave, he was meerkat snack," they spoke in unison.
"Besides the fact that he was a tunnel klutz, that was one of the reasons we disliked Timon so much," Uncle Max said. "If he came to the meeting tunnel like he was suppose to..." He shook his head. Simba shook his head, then looked towards the sentry rock, then noticed Timon was coming around from behind it.
"Here he comes," Simba said. Ma looked at Timon's face and noticed he had wiped his face of any tears.
"Are you all right, Timmy?"
"Not really, Ma," Timon said softly. Timon looked to his friends and colony, and then sighed. "Everyone, I--"
"I can forgive you for being a klutz in the tunnel, Timon, but I can't forgive you for what you did to your father," Uncle Max said as he approached Timon with his finger pointed at him.
"Uncle Max, I--"
"Don't interrupt me! I've had it with your mouth! If you had even listened and paid attention to a thing we told you, Buzz would still be alive! Your stupidity is what killed him!" Timon's face suddenly became angry, and he clenched his fists.
"Let me talk! I tried to get your help to get him outta there, but you wouldn't move! You were too afraid to stand up to a few hyenas! Instead of running to help him, you decided to slap me instead!"
"There isn't a place to stand up to them! When predators come, we run for cover. We're on the bottom of the food chain, Timon! Buzz only went up there because he thought you were still up there!" Uncle Max said in a low voice, "Your distraction cost him his life."
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Timon growled and then launched himself onto Max with a scream. Max yelled in surprise, then started to fight against the younger meerkat. The other meerkats gasped at Timon's sudden outburst. Pumbaa and Simba stood up, surprised. Ma stared, also shocked.
"Timon!" Pumbaa gasped.
Timon and Max stood and interlocked paws, trying to overpower each other. Timon then tried to shove the older meerkat to the ground, only to have Max slap him in return, this time with his claws out. Timon sucked air through his teeth at the sensation of claws raking his left cheek. Ma's eyes widened when she saw blood begin to escape from the claw marks on her son's cheek.
"Max, get away from--!"
"Stay out of this, Ma!" Timon sternly said, looking straight at her.
Ma stopped as she looked at Timon with such a hard, determined expression... she realized how much Timon looked like Buzz at that moment. The harsh wrestling match ended with Timon pinning Max hard to the ground. The two panted hard after that fight. Timon looked almost scary with the expression on his face. A few drops of blood from Timon's face wound dripped down onto the dirt and onto Max's chest.
"Listen here, Timon--!" Max grunted as he tried to get out from under Timon's grip, only to have Timon cover his mouth with his paw.
"No, you listen to me, Maggot Mug, and don't interrupt me! If you weren't so stubborn, I could've told you a lot sooner that on that day, I wasn't in the tunnel when Dad went out looking for me!"
Pumbaa's jaw dropped. Simba stared at Timon in complete shock. Ma put a paw over her heart. The group stared at Timon with Max pinned beneath him. Max's expression softened when Timon said that, and Timon removed his paw from Max's mouth. Timon panted softly as he stared down at his Uncle Max. He let out a shuddering sigh and got up. He looked at the stunned looks of his mother, his friends, and his colony... then he turned around and walked away from the group, rubbing his arms and paying no attention to the salty tears stinging his cheek.
To be continued...