Hey, I'm back from Wisconsin! Had my future sister-in-law's bridal shower and bachellorette party. Man, those girls are loud drunks. Anyway, once again I put a battle in here, but cut to the end. I'm very bad at making action shots without my muse. Don't see her online as much, but I've managed to survive. Anyway, go ahead and read!
Chapter 4:
Present...
Timon received a few stares from his family after sharing the last memory. He blinked and shrugged, "What are you looking at me like that for?"
"You were using Pumbaa to get you to safety. I thought I taught you better than that," Ma said, folding her arms in front of her chest.
"He wanted to come with me! Rafiki sent him after me anyway, right?" Timon blew some air out of his mouth. "I let him stay around, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you wanted me to stay around to be your bodyguard," Pumbaa snorted. "I had to put on a guilt trip to let you keep me around after we found that spot by the water hole."
Timon growled and pulled Pumbaa down to his level. "For your information, I didn't let you stay because of the guilt trip! I wanted you to stay!"
"To be your bodyguard."
"To be my friend." Pumbaa's expression softened, and Timon let out a sigh.
"That's right. Poor thing didn't have a friend in the world. His closest companion was me," Ma said, nodding.
"No one? What about Uncle Max, or Pete?" Zuri asked.
"Timon was a constant screw-up. He delayed the tunnel construction constantly. He didn't know a tunnel from a hole in the ground. He even flunked the history of dirt!" Uncle Max said.
"See what I mean?" Timon mumbled to Pumbaa.
"Well, what about Pete?" Pumbaa asked. "I mean, he seemed to like you, at least when Buzz was alive."
"He liked me, but not the same way. See, Dad was probably his best friend, and when he thought I was in the tunnel when Dad went outside to fight the hyenas, that I was the cause of his death..." Timon shook his head sadly. "It was just another reason the colony didn't like me that well."
"Gee... I'm sorry, Timon."
Timon patted Pumbaa on the snout. "And I'm sorry I used you in the beginning. But that's all in the past now, right? Let's share another memory!"
"Good idea," Uncle Max said as he collected the straws. The group drew the straws again. This time, Zuri won.
"Guess it's my turn. Hmm..." Zuri put a paw to her chin, thinking. "Well, it doesn't have anything to do with you guys, but thinking about friends reminds me of one close friend I had in my colony."
"Old friend? You're not friends anymore?" Timon asked.
"Well, he left about two years ago. I haven't seen him since. But I do think about him now and again... In fact, you remind me of him, Timon. Guess that's one of the reasons I fell for you."
"You mean you and he...?" Timon made some motions with his paws.
"We were boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Oh, to think, if he was still here, I might never have had a chance with you!" Timon fell onto his back, being dramatic. "I'm the second boyfriend!"
"Oh, stop it. He left the colony, and you have me now. You're the first husband, and hopefully the last. So, Hakuna Matata."
"Why did he leave?" Pumbaa asked.
"I'll tell you..."
2 years ago...
"Papa, come on! If you're going to pick my fiancé, could you at least pick someone I like?" Zuri asked her father Shomari as they walked through the tunnels near sunset.
"Most of the meerkats you like aren't worthy or strong enough," Shomari replied, nodding to a few meerkats passing by.
"Most of the meerkats in this colony aren't worthy or strong enough, period." Zuri sighed. "You picked Sudi's girlfriend to be his fiancé."
"She's suitable for bearing pups."
Zuri put her paws on her hips, furrowing her brow. "Papa, that almost sounds sexist."
"Say what you want. It's not going to help me decide your fiancé. Right now, I'm leaning towards Makali."
"Ugh, Makali? He's so... serious. Couldn't you lean a little more towards Sly?"
"Sly?" Shomari shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know what you see in that boy."
"Well, unlike Makali, he looks at a woman's personality, not looks, including his own. And he actually listens to what I have to say. He's kind of cute, too."
"He lacks the muscles though."
Zuri's shoulder sunk and stopped walking. "Strength isn't everything."
Shomari continued to walk ahead of her. "It is if you want to survive out here."
Zuri sighed, and then she felt someone stop at her side. She looked to a male meerkat with dark hair, light green eyes, four brown stripes on his back, and fur color that was a shade or two darker than hers. "Hey, babe. Why the long face?"
Zuri sighed again. "Papa still won't let me pick my fiancé."
The meerkat pouted his lips a moment. "Just to satisfy my meerkat curiosity, did you happen to mention me as a potential future son-in-law?"
Zuri grinned and leaned her weight against him. "Of course, Sly."
"Didn't work though, right?"
"Nope."
Sly sighed and shook his head. "Wish we still had the competition. Then we'd at least be together if I made it up the ladder far enough."
"Sly, we didn't have feelings for each other when we were a year old. We probably would've gotten different mates."
"Yeah, that's true." Sly then stood up straight and puffed his chest out. "Well, if you can't get your father's approval by talking to him, then I guess I'm gonna have to prove my worthiness to him."
"Sly, you're not going to do something reckless, are you?"
"Who, me?" Sly asked innocently. Zuri cocked an eyebrow at him. Sly nervously chuckled. "Oh, relax, Zuri. I'm just going to ask him something."
"What's that?"
"Simply, 'what do I have to do to prove my worthiness?' Then I'll do it."
"What if he asks you to kick a hyena in the face?"
Sly paused for a moment. "Well... he wouldn't do that, would he? I mean, he wants you to have a mate that isn't suicidal, right?" He straightened himself out. "Right. I'm gonna go ask him then." He walked in the direction Shomari went, with Zuri following.
...
"You want to prove your worthiness to me so you can become my daughter's fiancé?" Shomari asked when Sly and Zuri met up with him outside.
"Is there a problem with that?" Sly asked, nervously twiddling his fingers together.
"Well, Sly, the only thing I could possibly think of at the moment is for you to fight with Makali, the meerkat I currently have in mind for Zuri."
"Ugh..." Zuri groaned softly.
"No problem! If I win, I get your daughter's paw, right?"
"Right. But if you lose..."
"I know, I know, I never talk to your daughter again. I'll risk it," Sly waved him off.
"That's not exactly what I was about to say." Shomari cleared his throat. "If you lose, you're to leave this colony. Immediately and permanently."
Zuri gasped. "Papa! That's way too extreme!"
"No, no, it's all right, Zuri. If I can't prove I'm strong enough, then why should I stay here where I'm not appreciated?" Sly said, holding a paw out to Zuri.
"Exactly. So, do we have an agreement?" Shomari asked.
"Yes."
Present...
"Uh... lemme take a wild guess here..." Pumbaa interrupted the memory. "I'm guessing Sly lost the fight with Makali and he was banished from the colony, right?"
"That's right," Zuri nodded.
Timon slapped a paw over his eyes. "Aww, Pumbaa!"
"What?"
Timon dragged a paw over his face and looked over at Pumbaa. "I didn't want to hear the ending before she even started the fight scene."
"Sorry."
"Uh, can I continue?" Zuri asked, a little annoyed.
"Sure, go ahead."
2 years ago...
Makali, his paw at Sly's throat, pinned down Sly to the ground. The grip tightened around Sly's neck. Sly clenched his teeth and tried to escape, but to no avail.
"Makali, there's no need to kill him. Let him up," Shomari said. Makali looked over at Shomari, then released his grip on Sly's neck, who inhaled deeply and coughed. Makali walked over to Shomari as Sly sat up and put a paw to his neck, and coughed again. "I'm sorry, Sly, but I'm afraid you must now pay the price."
"I only regret I couldn't prove myself to you," Sly said in a rough voice, and then he cleared his throat.
"You did give it your best effort, so for that I'll let you spend a few minutes alone with Zuri. And then I want you gone." Shomari turned and walked back towards the tunnels, Makali following.
Zuri walked over to Sly, and helped him up. "I guess this is it, huh?"
Sly sighed and turned his eyes away from her. "I guess so. I'm sorry I couldn't fight better."
"I'm sorry my father is stubborn. Sly... I want to come with you."
"Leave your family behind? Zuri..." Sly took Zuri's paws into his own and looked at her. "I can't let you do that. You don't belong out there. Wondering the grasslands as a rogue... I can't see you doing that, let alone for someone like me."
"But I want to be with you."
"I'm not worth it. You're a beautiful meerkat and you deserve better. It may hurt for a while, but... eventually you'll forget about me and learn to love Makali or whoever your father sets you up with."
"I could never forget someone like you. Ever."
Sly sighed and pulled her into a hug. "I'll remember you, too."
Zuri sniffled and returned the hug, rubbing her face against his chest. They slowly pulled away, and Zuri wiped her eyes. She took his paws back into her own. "Try to take care of yourself, OK? I won't forgive you if you don't."
Sly half-chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Besides, maybe this is a good thing. I might end up finding where I really belong."
"Maybe..."
He then slowly released her paws. "Good-bye, Zuri."
"Good-bye, Sly." Sly gave her a sad smile, turned, and walked away. Zuri watched him until he was a mere dot against the setting sun.
Present...
"... And that was the last time I saw him," Zuri finished.
Pumbaa sniffled, "That's so sad, Zuri."
"I can't believe Shomari's parenting skills," Ma said, rubbing her forehead.
"But hey, didn't turn out all bad, right? If Sly was still with the colony, he'd be with Zuri instead of me," Timon said.
"No, I'd be with Makali if I didn't meet you," Zuri said, pulling Kito and Shani over to her.
"Oh, right."
"It's really weird... when I first saw you, Timon, I almost thought you were Sly. You looked a lot like him from a distance." Zuri half-laughed and shook her head. "But then when I went over to see you, I realized the hair and eyes were the wrong color and you have more stripes."
"I'm sorry I let your hopes up."
"But you still looked a bit like him--"
"Honestly, all you meerkats look the same to me," Pumbaa said.
"Yeah, and all you warthogs look the same to us," Uncle Max said.
"Point taken."
"Anyway, Timon also reminded me of him. I guess that's why I fell for him," Zuri continued.
"So I'm basically a substitute Sly?" Timon asked, folding his arms in front of his chest.
"Oh, there are other reasons I fell for you, ones that set you apart from Sly. Would you just drop it?"
"I guess..." Timon then perked up and clapped his paws together. "OK, Uncle Max, let's go around with the straws and get to the next memory!" As Uncle Max went around collecting the straws, Ma put a paw to her chin, looking deep in thought.
To be continued...
Chapter 4:
Present...
Timon received a few stares from his family after sharing the last memory. He blinked and shrugged, "What are you looking at me like that for?"
"You were using Pumbaa to get you to safety. I thought I taught you better than that," Ma said, folding her arms in front of her chest.
"He wanted to come with me! Rafiki sent him after me anyway, right?" Timon blew some air out of his mouth. "I let him stay around, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you wanted me to stay around to be your bodyguard," Pumbaa snorted. "I had to put on a guilt trip to let you keep me around after we found that spot by the water hole."
Timon growled and pulled Pumbaa down to his level. "For your information, I didn't let you stay because of the guilt trip! I wanted you to stay!"
"To be your bodyguard."
"To be my friend." Pumbaa's expression softened, and Timon let out a sigh.
"That's right. Poor thing didn't have a friend in the world. His closest companion was me," Ma said, nodding.
"No one? What about Uncle Max, or Pete?" Zuri asked.
"Timon was a constant screw-up. He delayed the tunnel construction constantly. He didn't know a tunnel from a hole in the ground. He even flunked the history of dirt!" Uncle Max said.
"See what I mean?" Timon mumbled to Pumbaa.
"Well, what about Pete?" Pumbaa asked. "I mean, he seemed to like you, at least when Buzz was alive."
"He liked me, but not the same way. See, Dad was probably his best friend, and when he thought I was in the tunnel when Dad went outside to fight the hyenas, that I was the cause of his death..." Timon shook his head sadly. "It was just another reason the colony didn't like me that well."
"Gee... I'm sorry, Timon."
Timon patted Pumbaa on the snout. "And I'm sorry I used you in the beginning. But that's all in the past now, right? Let's share another memory!"
"Good idea," Uncle Max said as he collected the straws. The group drew the straws again. This time, Zuri won.
"Guess it's my turn. Hmm..." Zuri put a paw to her chin, thinking. "Well, it doesn't have anything to do with you guys, but thinking about friends reminds me of one close friend I had in my colony."
"Old friend? You're not friends anymore?" Timon asked.
"Well, he left about two years ago. I haven't seen him since. But I do think about him now and again... In fact, you remind me of him, Timon. Guess that's one of the reasons I fell for you."
"You mean you and he...?" Timon made some motions with his paws.
"We were boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Oh, to think, if he was still here, I might never have had a chance with you!" Timon fell onto his back, being dramatic. "I'm the second boyfriend!"
"Oh, stop it. He left the colony, and you have me now. You're the first husband, and hopefully the last. So, Hakuna Matata."
"Why did he leave?" Pumbaa asked.
"I'll tell you..."
2 years ago...
"Papa, come on! If you're going to pick my fiancé, could you at least pick someone I like?" Zuri asked her father Shomari as they walked through the tunnels near sunset.
"Most of the meerkats you like aren't worthy or strong enough," Shomari replied, nodding to a few meerkats passing by.
"Most of the meerkats in this colony aren't worthy or strong enough, period." Zuri sighed. "You picked Sudi's girlfriend to be his fiancé."
"She's suitable for bearing pups."
Zuri put her paws on her hips, furrowing her brow. "Papa, that almost sounds sexist."
"Say what you want. It's not going to help me decide your fiancé. Right now, I'm leaning towards Makali."
"Ugh, Makali? He's so... serious. Couldn't you lean a little more towards Sly?"
"Sly?" Shomari shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know what you see in that boy."
"Well, unlike Makali, he looks at a woman's personality, not looks, including his own. And he actually listens to what I have to say. He's kind of cute, too."
"He lacks the muscles though."
Zuri's shoulder sunk and stopped walking. "Strength isn't everything."
Shomari continued to walk ahead of her. "It is if you want to survive out here."
Zuri sighed, and then she felt someone stop at her side. She looked to a male meerkat with dark hair, light green eyes, four brown stripes on his back, and fur color that was a shade or two darker than hers. "Hey, babe. Why the long face?"
Zuri sighed again. "Papa still won't let me pick my fiancé."
The meerkat pouted his lips a moment. "Just to satisfy my meerkat curiosity, did you happen to mention me as a potential future son-in-law?"
Zuri grinned and leaned her weight against him. "Of course, Sly."
"Didn't work though, right?"
"Nope."
Sly sighed and shook his head. "Wish we still had the competition. Then we'd at least be together if I made it up the ladder far enough."
"Sly, we didn't have feelings for each other when we were a year old. We probably would've gotten different mates."
"Yeah, that's true." Sly then stood up straight and puffed his chest out. "Well, if you can't get your father's approval by talking to him, then I guess I'm gonna have to prove my worthiness to him."
"Sly, you're not going to do something reckless, are you?"
"Who, me?" Sly asked innocently. Zuri cocked an eyebrow at him. Sly nervously chuckled. "Oh, relax, Zuri. I'm just going to ask him something."
"What's that?"
"Simply, 'what do I have to do to prove my worthiness?' Then I'll do it."
"What if he asks you to kick a hyena in the face?"
Sly paused for a moment. "Well... he wouldn't do that, would he? I mean, he wants you to have a mate that isn't suicidal, right?" He straightened himself out. "Right. I'm gonna go ask him then." He walked in the direction Shomari went, with Zuri following.
...
"You want to prove your worthiness to me so you can become my daughter's fiancé?" Shomari asked when Sly and Zuri met up with him outside.
"Is there a problem with that?" Sly asked, nervously twiddling his fingers together.
"Well, Sly, the only thing I could possibly think of at the moment is for you to fight with Makali, the meerkat I currently have in mind for Zuri."
"Ugh..." Zuri groaned softly.
"No problem! If I win, I get your daughter's paw, right?"
"Right. But if you lose..."
"I know, I know, I never talk to your daughter again. I'll risk it," Sly waved him off.
"That's not exactly what I was about to say." Shomari cleared his throat. "If you lose, you're to leave this colony. Immediately and permanently."
Zuri gasped. "Papa! That's way too extreme!"
"No, no, it's all right, Zuri. If I can't prove I'm strong enough, then why should I stay here where I'm not appreciated?" Sly said, holding a paw out to Zuri.
"Exactly. So, do we have an agreement?" Shomari asked.
"Yes."
Present...
"Uh... lemme take a wild guess here..." Pumbaa interrupted the memory. "I'm guessing Sly lost the fight with Makali and he was banished from the colony, right?"
"That's right," Zuri nodded.
Timon slapped a paw over his eyes. "Aww, Pumbaa!"
"What?"
Timon dragged a paw over his face and looked over at Pumbaa. "I didn't want to hear the ending before she even started the fight scene."
"Sorry."
"Uh, can I continue?" Zuri asked, a little annoyed.
"Sure, go ahead."
2 years ago...
Makali, his paw at Sly's throat, pinned down Sly to the ground. The grip tightened around Sly's neck. Sly clenched his teeth and tried to escape, but to no avail.
"Makali, there's no need to kill him. Let him up," Shomari said. Makali looked over at Shomari, then released his grip on Sly's neck, who inhaled deeply and coughed. Makali walked over to Shomari as Sly sat up and put a paw to his neck, and coughed again. "I'm sorry, Sly, but I'm afraid you must now pay the price."
"I only regret I couldn't prove myself to you," Sly said in a rough voice, and then he cleared his throat.
"You did give it your best effort, so for that I'll let you spend a few minutes alone with Zuri. And then I want you gone." Shomari turned and walked back towards the tunnels, Makali following.
Zuri walked over to Sly, and helped him up. "I guess this is it, huh?"
Sly sighed and turned his eyes away from her. "I guess so. I'm sorry I couldn't fight better."
"I'm sorry my father is stubborn. Sly... I want to come with you."
"Leave your family behind? Zuri..." Sly took Zuri's paws into his own and looked at her. "I can't let you do that. You don't belong out there. Wondering the grasslands as a rogue... I can't see you doing that, let alone for someone like me."
"But I want to be with you."
"I'm not worth it. You're a beautiful meerkat and you deserve better. It may hurt for a while, but... eventually you'll forget about me and learn to love Makali or whoever your father sets you up with."
"I could never forget someone like you. Ever."
Sly sighed and pulled her into a hug. "I'll remember you, too."
Zuri sniffled and returned the hug, rubbing her face against his chest. They slowly pulled away, and Zuri wiped her eyes. She took his paws back into her own. "Try to take care of yourself, OK? I won't forgive you if you don't."
Sly half-chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Besides, maybe this is a good thing. I might end up finding where I really belong."
"Maybe..."
He then slowly released her paws. "Good-bye, Zuri."
"Good-bye, Sly." Sly gave her a sad smile, turned, and walked away. Zuri watched him until he was a mere dot against the setting sun.
Present...
"... And that was the last time I saw him," Zuri finished.
Pumbaa sniffled, "That's so sad, Zuri."
"I can't believe Shomari's parenting skills," Ma said, rubbing her forehead.
"But hey, didn't turn out all bad, right? If Sly was still with the colony, he'd be with Zuri instead of me," Timon said.
"No, I'd be with Makali if I didn't meet you," Zuri said, pulling Kito and Shani over to her.
"Oh, right."
"It's really weird... when I first saw you, Timon, I almost thought you were Sly. You looked a lot like him from a distance." Zuri half-laughed and shook her head. "But then when I went over to see you, I realized the hair and eyes were the wrong color and you have more stripes."
"I'm sorry I let your hopes up."
"But you still looked a bit like him--"
"Honestly, all you meerkats look the same to me," Pumbaa said.
"Yeah, and all you warthogs look the same to us," Uncle Max said.
"Point taken."
"Anyway, Timon also reminded me of him. I guess that's why I fell for him," Zuri continued.
"So I'm basically a substitute Sly?" Timon asked, folding his arms in front of his chest.
"Oh, there are other reasons I fell for you, ones that set you apart from Sly. Would you just drop it?"
"I guess..." Timon then perked up and clapped his paws together. "OK, Uncle Max, let's go around with the straws and get to the next memory!" As Uncle Max went around collecting the straws, Ma put a paw to her chin, looking deep in thought.
To be continued...