Chapter 24:
"Outlands, shmoutlands... these are better than what Ma used to make!" Timon said as he ate a termite from in between two twigs ala Chinese chopsticks. He, Zuri, and Sudi were sitting in front of a termite hole and using twigs to fish the termites out.
"Don't let her hear you say that," Zuri said with a grin.
"She's half a day away from us. I'm pretty sure she can't hear us."
"I don't know... you know mothers."
Timon grimaced as he stood. "Not lately." He blinked as he noticed several meerkats pushing coconut shell halves into the cave. As they passed by Timon and the others could see there was water inside.
"Where'd they get all that water? The nearest source has crocodiles in it," Sudi said with a confused look as the last meerkats pushed their shells by.
"Well, it did rain last night," Timon said with a blink. He watched the last few meerkats with water shells stopped as Sly approached them. They exchanged some words, which couldn't be heard by Timon, and the three meerkats pushed the water shells back out of the cave.
Sly approached them. "Good news. My father talked to our leader Khairi, and he said you may stay until you find this Titus guy. He's still deciding on the warthogs and cheetah."
"You mean that wasn't your cheetah?" Timon asked.
Sly furrowed his brow and folded his arms across his chest. "Oh, yeah, sure. If the Nunda happens by it'll eat him instead of us." He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Of course he's not ours. I wouldn't wish that on a cub."
"The cheetah came with Kito and Bango," Sudi told Timon.
"Kito and Bango? Sheesh, what is it with this family and befriending big cat predator cubs?" Timon asked himself. He then shook his head. "I just hope this one isn't a prince or something that wants to come home with us."
Zuri stood and dusted her paws off. "Anyway, Sly, how long have you been living out here?"
"About eight months. We would've moved in right after the lions left, but we wanted to make sure this union thing was going to last. Aside from the shortage of water, it's a dry paradise," Sly said with his arms open a bit.
"So what do you do about water in the dry seasons?" Sudi asked.
"Dig deep. We usually find water." Sly shrugged, "Also good in case Nunda happens our way."
"Ahh, I see. So you're still a community that digs to hide and hides to dig," Timon said dryly, nodding.
"Are you accusing us of being cowards, Great Timon?" Sly growled as he cracked his knuckles.
"Oh, no, of course not. After all, not everyone has the backbone to face a hyena." Timon puffed his chest out a bit.
"Backbone or lack of common sense?" Sly asked dryly.
Timon growled, but cleared his throat when Zuri poked him with her 'chopsticks.' "Anyway, I'm allergic to tunnels, which is why I was concerned."
"Really."
"Yeah, it's very amusing. He breaks out in hives when he gets near one," Sudi jokingly grinned.
Timon furrowed his brow. "Thanks for the sympathy."
"Don't believe them, Sly." Zuri slapped her brother's shoulder. "He does not break out in hives and he is not allergic to tunnels."
"We still don't get along," Timon replied.
"I expect that much from in-laws," Sly grinned, eying both Timon and Sudi.
"I wasn't talking about--"
"Well, it's more than the in-law thing. I mean, when you're raised to--" Sudi began, but got his mouth covered by Timon's paw.
"Yeah, yeah, your daddy raised you to hate rogues. I know," Timon said with a furrowed brow. "Would you just drop it?"
Sudi pushed the paw away from his mouth. "Yeah. Rogues. Right."
"Well, it's true. We were raised that way," Sly nodded.
Timon turned to Sly with an arched brow. "Yeah, all colonies bring their kids up to hate rogues. In case you've forgotten, you were a rogue yourself, Sylvester."
Sly growled and rolled up his furry sleeves. "You've got a death wish coming, Timmy-boy."
Zuri sighed and rubbed her temples as she stepped in front of Sly. "Well, your temper sure hasn't changed." She glanced over her shoulder at Timon. "And you, quit trying to pick a fight."
"He started it, Zuri," Timon snorted.
"I don't care who started it. We're gonna be staying here for a few days, so can't you two at least try to get along so we can have a pleasant stay? I mean, what do I have to do? Beg?"
"Be a nice change for some people." Timon gulped at the look he was given from Zuri. "Anyway, Pumbaa and Jina could be coming back with Titus any minute, so we might be leaving sooner than you think."
Zuri shook her head, "I really doubt it's gonna be that easy. Just because your parents named him Titus then, it doesn't mean he'll answer to that name now."
"What do you mean?" Timon asked with a worried expression.
"Your brother wasn't old enough to talk, so he wouldn't be able to tell anyone what his real name was. Whoever picked him up would name him something different. The odds that he'd keep his name are like ten million to one."
"She's got a point," Sudi said, nodding.
"Oh, so what are we suppose to do, go around every stinkin' meerkat colony in the Outlands and ask if they've come across a meerkat pup who just appeared out of the blue six years ago?" Timon sarcastically asked.
"How do you know he's part of an Outlands colony? He could've just been wondering the Outlands at the time that monkey was doing the location spell," Sly said. "We've yet to encounter a second mob out here."
Timon stepped up to Sly. "How do I know you're not just saying that so that we'll leave quicker?"
"Would you believe me if I said I swore it on my mother's grave?"
Timon looked to Zuri and Sudi to get a confirmation. "We buried his mother," Sudi said.
"Crud," Timon grunted.
"Timon, he said yet to encounter. That doesn't mean there isn't another colony out here," Zuri said, pulling Timon away from Sly.
"That's right. Though we try not to stray far from the caves, especially at night when the Nunda is out," Sly nodded.
Timon shook his head dismissingly. "OK, all this negative talking is starting to bring me down again. If I wanted this I would've stayed in the oasis. I'm gonna get some fresh air." He turned around and walked away, waving back at them. "Later."
Sudi watched after Timon, and then cleared his throat. "Uh, I'm gonna go see how Kito's doing on that tour with Yasmin. You two get reacquainted." He patted Zuri's shoulder and walked away.
Sly watched after Timon as Zuri watched after Sudi.
Zuri blew some air out of her mouth. "I'm sorry about Timon, Sly. He just learned he had a brother a few days ago and he's been pretty moody."
"And competitive?" Sly snorted slightly.
"Usually for grubs, not for my attention."
Sly nodded his head in Timon's direction as he asked, "And your father made you marry that slob?"
Zuri grunted slightly as she turned to look at Sly. "Timon's not a slob... well, he's a little lazy and he can't express his feelings very well, but he's not a slob. And Papa didn't exactly make me marry him. He let me."
Sly blinked as he turned to Zuri. "Let you? Since when does Shomari let you do anything?"
Zuri smiled and shook her head. "You'd be surprised how much a person can change over time when you don't have to worry about being eaten or digging tunnels."
"Yes, Timon mentioned an oasis," Sly nodded, sounding a little bitter. "Is it that good?"
"Waterfalls, hot tubs, bugs galore, and best of all, no predators trying to eat us. Timon and his warthog friend Pumbaa found on completely on accident."
Sly nodded, and then he blinked a moment. "OK, it's odd enough that you made friends with a warthog, but you find another meerkat who has a warthog for a friend?" He clicked his tongue. "Must be destiny."
Zuri lowered her eyes slightly, and then raised them back to Sly. "I hope you realize that despite this union, I never forgot about you, Sly. But I was really starting to believe I'd never see you again."
"I don't blame you for that." Sly cleared his throat. "But we can't change the past." He began to walk away, but Zuri grabbed onto his wrist.
"I want you to come back with us."
Sly shook his head to clear it, unsure if he heard that correctly. "What?"
"My father has changed so much since the union. I'm sure he'll let you come back into the colony if you ask. I know a lot of people who'd be happy to see you."
Sly sighed and removed her paw from his wrist. "I'm engaged to the leader's daughter, and any day now it'll be time to complete his part in the circle of life. With our union I'll take his place as leader of this colony with Yasmin. I can't abandon that." He started to walk away again.
Zuri watched after him with sad eyes. "But you'd abandon your family?"
Sly stopped before turning a corner and looked back at her. He scoffed, "Shomari kicked me out. My mother and my litter siblings are dead. My father is the only blood family I have. This colony is my home now. Live with it." He turned the corner.
Zuri's shoulders sunk and she sighed deeply. "Sly..."
To be continued...