We are gathered together today to say good-bye to our dear friend Timon... yeah, right! As I told you before in the A/N in the first chapter, this fic takes place BEFORE Lion King 2, so unless Timon was a zombie... I'm not that cruel. :Mops up Rahlee Niyani.: I'm, like, totally freaked out by this. I've had several reviewers react and leave odd reviews, but this... this is the first one that actually explodes. Quit scaring the reviewers. And I must say, this is the most treats I've ever gotten for fics. :eats brownie from Tash, then stares at the year's supply of cookies from Saria the Meerkat, sweatdrops.: I'm gonna gain a lot of weight by the time I finish this story. :Dunks a cookie in the milk from Tash, eats, drinks, starts writing.: UPDATE: Removed Fearless Buzz lyric.
Chapter 9:
Timon opened his eyes and found himself in a dark area. He looked around, unsure of where he was. He couldn't even feel his feet touching the ground. He suddenly put his paws over his ears, trying to block out the voices in his head, but to no avail. A few familiar voices overlapping over each other brought Timon to believe his head was going to explode. He closed his eyes tightly.
"Everything the light touches belongs to someone else... That's nature's design!... Feared by no one and eaten by all!... You're gonna be meerkat chow the next time you walk out that tunnel... I don't want you acting brave if there's a predator attacking..."
"I know you're going to make me proud, even Dad... Just once, I would like to see you two get along. Can't you do that for me?... I just know there's a way for you to fit in here... Try to make this one work... I hope you find what you're looking for, honey... It's been a while, and I want to go, too..."
"From the looks of this tunnel, I thought you were giving him a demolition lesson... He broke the whole west wing!... Your father is up there fighting hyenas before he was looking for you!... If you had come straight to the meeting tunnel like you were suppose to... Feared by no one and eaten by all!... I did trust you... Your stupidity is what killed him!... We're on the bottom of the food chain, Timon!... Your distraction cost him his life..."
Timon gritted his teeth, trying to drown out the voices. "Stop it... Shut up. Shut up!" Timon's voice echoed in the dark area. The voices slowly drowned out to one single voice.
"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!... It's none of your business, sire!... Not when we were just starting to get close..." Timon finally reopened his eyes, viewing Pumbaa lying next to a rock. Timon's eyes widen, assuming the worst.
"PUMBAA!" He started to run towards him, but then he skid to a halt when he looked up at the shadowed figure of a hyena. The hyena growled, baring his teeth. Timon stared up at him, scared stiff. "I'm sorry, Dad..." Timon stood there as the hyena opened his mouth and lunged forward at Timon--
Timon shot up in a cold sweat, panting. He looked around, noticing he was in a white, foggy area. "Was that... just a dream?" His panting slowed, and then he wiped his forehead with the back of his paw. He stood and turned in a circle. "Where am I? Ma? Uncle Max? Pete? Pu--?" Timon stopped before he finished calling out his best pal's name. He remembered he saw Pumbaa lying motionless next to a rock. Does that mean he's...? Timon's shoulders sunk. "Pumbaa..." From the corner of his eye Timon noticed a shadowy figure walking towards him, and Timon slowly backed away from him.
"Don't be afraid, Timon. It's me," the figure said in a familiar voice. Timon gasped, then squinted his eyes at the figure as he came into view.
"Dad? Is that you?" It was, indeed, Buzz. He looked just as he did the day he died, but cleaned and presentable. He was still slightly taller than Timon. Timon gulped, and then he smiled. "Dad." He suddenly frowned. "Oh, no. I'm dead, aren't I? That hyena ate me!" Timon went over to his father and grabbed onto his arms. "Who attended the funeral? Did they sing my song?"
"Timon--"
"I tried to make the hyena pay for what he did to you, Dad, I swear I did!" Timon stopped when Buzz put a paw on his head, ruffling his hair. Timon let out a shuddering sigh, as he missed that feeling only his father could give him.
"You're not dead, Timon. This is your subconscious." Buzz cocked his head when Timon looked away from him. Buzz put his paw under Timon's chin, turning his face back to meet his. Buzz half-grinned. "Hey, I'm not that ugly, pup."
Timon swallowed, and blinked his eyes, letting some tears fall. "It's my fault you're dead. If I just came into the tunnel when--"
"Stop right there, Timon!" Timon jumped when his father interrupted him. Buzz exhaled and looked at his son. "Stop letting what Uncle Max tells you interfere with how I really died. I died saving you, so you could live on, not to feel guilty. I did what any father would do for their child. I went up there to fight the hyena to keep you safe, because I love you. You were right, Timon. No meerkat should have to hide. It was your words that gave the colony the courage to come out of the tunnel and fight those hyenas."
"Still cost you your life."
"A small price to pay to give you the encouragement to find a better life for them. And you did."
"But, Dad, why? When we were just starting to get close? We barely argued like we used to."
Buzz inhaled deeply, "We're closer now than we ever were when I was alive, because I live in you..." Buzz took Timon's paw and placed it over his heart. "Here." Timon sighed, clenching the fur over his heart. "And I'm always gonna be there, even if you forget about me."
"I did forget about you," Timon said in a soft voice.
"I know, and that hurt me..." Timon bowed his head, ashamed. Buzz lightly ruffled Timon's hair. "... But you didn't forget about me completely. You still remembered you had a father."
"Still... I would've liked to have been taught all that other stuff only a father could teach a son. Uncle Max just didn't cut it." Buzz put both of his paws on Timon's shoulders.
"I didn't get to teach you how to become a father, but you still did a great job on that lion cub. Instinct took over, eh? And I know when his cub comes, you'll be there to help him raise him, but how to be a lion this time." Timon gulped at that. Buzz chuckled. "But he won't eat meerkats and warthogs, of course, especially Daddy's friends."
"Whew," Timon sighed in relief.
"I won't be there in the physical sense, but don't be afraid to talk to me because of that. Look up to those fireflies and think of me. I'm living among them now."
"You're not yanking my tail, are ya, Dad?"
"Not this time, pup. You can also close your eyes and then you can see me. I'll always be here. And I'm proud of you." Timon stared at Buzz, then he threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly. Buzz returned the favor, allowing the tears fall, and a few fell on top of Timon's head. "I love you, Timon."
Timon nuzzled his head into Buzz's shoulder, letting a some tears seep into his fur. "I love ya, too, Dad."
"Timon? Timon, please! Wake up, sweetie!" a voice was heard inside Timon's head.
Timon blinked. "Ma?"
"It's time for you to wake up," Buzz said.
"But--"
"Don't worry. I'll always be here. Remember that, pup." Timon looked at his father, and then he nodded. Timon slowly dropped his arms and backed away from Buzz. Timon closed his eyes as the world around him began to fade.
Ma rubbed a paw over Timon's forehead. She felt a paw on her shoulder, but did not look away from Timon.
"I don't think he's gonna wake up. Why don't you--?" Pete began.
"I am not going to lose Timon like I lost Buzz! I won't!" Ma turned and snapped at him, with tears in her eyes. Pumbaa whimpered, then some movement from Timon caught his eye. He noticed Timon's paw twitched, and then it flexed into a fist.
"Hey, he's moving!" Pumbaa said, wagging his tail. Everyone turned back to Timon, who let out a soft groan.
"Timmy?" Timon opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the sky clearing, revealing millions of stars. The next thing he saw was his mother. He sensed the rest of the colony was there as well. Timon sat up, and softly winced.
"Ow. I'm gonna feel that in the morning," he said, rubbing his head.
"He's alive!" Pete said. The colony cheered.
"Oy, turn down the volume. I've got a splitting headache..." Timon mumbled. The colony complied with nervous grins.
"Are you OK, Timon?" Pumbaa asked, getting up close to Timon.
"Yeah, but I'll be sore for a few days." Something in his mind suddenly clicked. "Pumbaa?" Timon noticed he was talking to Pumbaa, and smiled. "Pumbaa, you're alive!" Pumbaa picked Timon up and hugged him.
"You're alive, too, Timon! I'm so happy!" Pumbaa said.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Too tight, too tight!" Pumbaa put Timon down and grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry." Timon dusted himself off, then was put into the death hug by his mother.
"Oh, Timmy, don't you ever do that to me again!" she said, not realizing how tight she was hugging.
"Ma, choking, not breathing!" He inhaled deeply when she let go. Uncle Max approached Timon next. Timon crossed his two index fingers together to make an 'x.' "That's enough! Ma and Pumbaa are closest to me. They're the only ones here who get to break my bones!"
"You really are a real chip off the old block, Timon. Good show," Uncle Max said, patting Timon's shoulder.
"You made old Fearless Buzz proud," Pete said.
"I know I did," Timon smiled as he looked up at the stars. "I know." He clapped his paws together. "So, shall we head back to the oasis?"
"In the morning. Until then, why don't we all pay our respects to Buzz..." Ma said, then took hold of Timon's paws. "Together, this time." Timon smiled and nodded.
The colony gathered at Buzz's grave, each planting a flower on top. Even Pumbaa joined in, carefully dropping a small flower on top of the rest. The meerkats and Pumbaa sang the Fearless Buzzverse to celebrate his life, soon followed by Timon's verse. The meerkats continued to sing as they lined up to go into the tunnel, all except for Timon and Ma, who were still looking at Buzz's grave. Ma looked at Timon for a moment.
"You seem better, Timon. Why?" she asked.
"I think I finally came to terms with Dad's death. And I know no matter how lonely I get, he'll always be with me," Timon said, putting a paw over his heart and then he looked up at the stars. "What really makes me happy is that I finally know he's proud of me."
Ma smiled, "I think he always was proud of you. Are you coming inside?" Timon looked over at Pumbaa, who had just plopped down by the rock he was by earlier. He rolled onto his back, ready to sleep.
"Nah. You go on inside, Ma. I'm gonna sleep out here with Pumbaa tonight... y'know, so he doesn't get lonely?" Ma nodded, then headed into the tunnel.
"Good night, Timon."
"Night, Ma." Timon walked over to Pumbaa and climbed onto his stomach.
"Hi, Timon," Pumbaa said.
"Hey. Mind if I sleep here tonight?"
"I never do. Be my guest." Timon settled down to his comfortable position, stretched out and yawned. "Good night."
"Sleep tight."
"Dream of bed bugs tonight." Then Pumbaa dropped his head back and started snoring. Timon grinned.
"At last, this endless night will be coming to an end." Timon looked up at the stars and smiled. "Good night, Dad." Timon rolled over onto his stomach and settled down to sleep. The wind blew by, ruffling Timon's hair. Timon smiled in his sleep, thinking now his father can become wind. Hey, why not? He's a firefly now, right? So, Timon's guilt has finally risen and he can get a peaceful night's sleep again.
The end? Almost! Coming up next... epilogue!