"Would you hurry up, already?" Shenzi sighed, watching him twist a finger
in his ear. "I didn't even go near you face."
"Well, might as well be clean all over," Timon replied, running droplets through his hair. He pushed the red locks back, making them lay down, and Shenzi snickered. The meerkat looked at her, partly confused, mostly annoyed. "What?"
"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Just hurry up before I decide to have meerkat soup."
Shenzi watched as Timon's face lowered mischievously, but had no time to move before he swung a paw-full of water her way. The splash hit her squarely in the face, and she stumbled backwards, sputtering water.
"Oh, no you didn't!" she screeched, wiping a paw over her face.
Timon smiled so painfully huge, trying to look as innocent as possible. But the smile dropped and his eyes went large when he suddenly had a hyena souring at him. He let out a startled yelp and turned to escape, but it was no use. She made a huge splash, pulling him under.
Water swirled around him, engulfing him in a world of bubbles. He came up with a gasp of air and then immediately went for the edge in a desperate escape. But while the water was to his chin, it was only up to her belly, making it very difficult for him to outrun her. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed, swooping him up with a paw and bringing him to her chest. Timon struggled, but gave up when she began to rub his head with her other paw. "There! All... squeaky... clean!" she said with clenched teeth.
"Ugh! Stop it!" Timon said, squirming in her hold.
Abruptly, she dropped him. He let out a quick yelp before he hit the water with a 'plop' and it was only a few seconds before he came up coughing and hacking. He struggled for the edge, but didn't make it before he was lifted up from the water.
He was gently placed on the grassy ledge, still coughing. When his fit was through, he turned to face her to snap a wisecrack, but was struck silent by the expression on her face. He could have sworn there was a brief second of concern, before she masked it with annoyance.
"Y'know, I'm seriously going to hurt you one of these days," she griped, climbing out of the water.
Timon followed her with his eyes for a moment, before smiling softly. He was going to say something, but decided against it, instead standing up and shaking the water from his fur.
"Well, I guess it is time for you to meet the family," Timon said.
Shenzi frowned and then shot the jungle around them a look. "Maybe I should just go..."
"Wait, but I thought you wanted..."
"I'm not so sure this was a good idea," she replied quickly.
"What? Why not?" Timon exclaimed, putting his paws on his hips.
"I... I don't know. This was just a bad idea."
Timon furrowed his brow as he watched her turn and walk away, before calling out, "Wait! Where are you going?"
"Back home," Shenzi replied. "I don't belong here."
"Shenzi..."
"Don't Shenzi me," she said, whirling around on him. "I ain't one of your push-over, cuddily-wuddily friends."
Timon flinched, but didn't say anything. He couldn't—he was too shocked to find anything to reply with. Instead, he just looked away from her, crossing his arms over his chest.
With a whoosh of air, Shenzi sat down and bowed her head. Her voice didn't hold its usual tone when she admitted, "The truth is... I came along... to find out where your colony was."
Timon stared at her for a moment, digesting what she was trying to say. When it finally sunk in, he dropped his arms and whispered, "What?"
She lifted her head and looked at him with a frown. "I had hoped that you would lead me to your colony, so me and the boys could find them."
"You... you tricked me?" Timon asked, taking a step back. "All of this... was... a trick?"
"No... no, not all of it," Shenzi said, standing up. "I just..."
"You wanted my colony?" Timon whispered, shaking his head and continuing to back away from her.
"Not anymore," she admitted. "After coming with you, I realized that it just wasn't worth it."
"Get away from here," Timon growled, his face suddenly hardening.
"I made a mistake," Shenzi replied. She gave him a weak grin and added, "Can't ya just forgive a girl?" Her smile faltered and her face drooped sadly. "I'm sorry, Squirt."
"Get away from here!" Timon shouted, covering his ears and turning away from her. "Just go away!"
"Please, just listen to me..."
"You lied to me!"
"Yeah, but what matters is that I didn't go through with it!" she snarled back.
"Oh, gee! I guess I'm in your favor now, huh?" Timon replied, mockingly. "Thank you soooo much! How can I ever repay you?"
"Timon... just listen..."
"What? You use my real name now?"
"I'm sorry..."
Timon crossed his arms and turned his back on her, signaling all conversation was over. She just stared at him sadly, wishing she knew what to do, but knowing there was nothing she could do that would make things right. She wisely remained silent and turned away, slowly walking back toward the winding dunes.
"Well, might as well be clean all over," Timon replied, running droplets through his hair. He pushed the red locks back, making them lay down, and Shenzi snickered. The meerkat looked at her, partly confused, mostly annoyed. "What?"
"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Just hurry up before I decide to have meerkat soup."
Shenzi watched as Timon's face lowered mischievously, but had no time to move before he swung a paw-full of water her way. The splash hit her squarely in the face, and she stumbled backwards, sputtering water.
"Oh, no you didn't!" she screeched, wiping a paw over her face.
Timon smiled so painfully huge, trying to look as innocent as possible. But the smile dropped and his eyes went large when he suddenly had a hyena souring at him. He let out a startled yelp and turned to escape, but it was no use. She made a huge splash, pulling him under.
Water swirled around him, engulfing him in a world of bubbles. He came up with a gasp of air and then immediately went for the edge in a desperate escape. But while the water was to his chin, it was only up to her belly, making it very difficult for him to outrun her. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed, swooping him up with a paw and bringing him to her chest. Timon struggled, but gave up when she began to rub his head with her other paw. "There! All... squeaky... clean!" she said with clenched teeth.
"Ugh! Stop it!" Timon said, squirming in her hold.
Abruptly, she dropped him. He let out a quick yelp before he hit the water with a 'plop' and it was only a few seconds before he came up coughing and hacking. He struggled for the edge, but didn't make it before he was lifted up from the water.
He was gently placed on the grassy ledge, still coughing. When his fit was through, he turned to face her to snap a wisecrack, but was struck silent by the expression on her face. He could have sworn there was a brief second of concern, before she masked it with annoyance.
"Y'know, I'm seriously going to hurt you one of these days," she griped, climbing out of the water.
Timon followed her with his eyes for a moment, before smiling softly. He was going to say something, but decided against it, instead standing up and shaking the water from his fur.
"Well, I guess it is time for you to meet the family," Timon said.
Shenzi frowned and then shot the jungle around them a look. "Maybe I should just go..."
"Wait, but I thought you wanted..."
"I'm not so sure this was a good idea," she replied quickly.
"What? Why not?" Timon exclaimed, putting his paws on his hips.
"I... I don't know. This was just a bad idea."
Timon furrowed his brow as he watched her turn and walk away, before calling out, "Wait! Where are you going?"
"Back home," Shenzi replied. "I don't belong here."
"Shenzi..."
"Don't Shenzi me," she said, whirling around on him. "I ain't one of your push-over, cuddily-wuddily friends."
Timon flinched, but didn't say anything. He couldn't—he was too shocked to find anything to reply with. Instead, he just looked away from her, crossing his arms over his chest.
With a whoosh of air, Shenzi sat down and bowed her head. Her voice didn't hold its usual tone when she admitted, "The truth is... I came along... to find out where your colony was."
Timon stared at her for a moment, digesting what she was trying to say. When it finally sunk in, he dropped his arms and whispered, "What?"
She lifted her head and looked at him with a frown. "I had hoped that you would lead me to your colony, so me and the boys could find them."
"You... you tricked me?" Timon asked, taking a step back. "All of this... was... a trick?"
"No... no, not all of it," Shenzi said, standing up. "I just..."
"You wanted my colony?" Timon whispered, shaking his head and continuing to back away from her.
"Not anymore," she admitted. "After coming with you, I realized that it just wasn't worth it."
"Get away from here," Timon growled, his face suddenly hardening.
"I made a mistake," Shenzi replied. She gave him a weak grin and added, "Can't ya just forgive a girl?" Her smile faltered and her face drooped sadly. "I'm sorry, Squirt."
"Get away from here!" Timon shouted, covering his ears and turning away from her. "Just go away!"
"Please, just listen to me..."
"You lied to me!"
"Yeah, but what matters is that I didn't go through with it!" she snarled back.
"Oh, gee! I guess I'm in your favor now, huh?" Timon replied, mockingly. "Thank you soooo much! How can I ever repay you?"
"Timon... just listen..."
"What? You use my real name now?"
"I'm sorry..."
Timon crossed his arms and turned his back on her, signaling all conversation was over. She just stared at him sadly, wishing she knew what to do, but knowing there was nothing she could do that would make things right. She wisely remained silent and turned away, slowly walking back toward the winding dunes.