Chapter 55:
Sly gulped when Timon and Ma lead him to the stream, where all the meerkats had gathered. Some were in the trees and some were on the ground, scattered all over. The warthogs and Morake were also waiting there. "I've never seen so many meerkats in one place before..." he said in shock.
"Combining two colonies can do that. Let's go, dead weight," Timon said as he pushed on Sly's back to get him moving closer. The group noticed their arrival and said their greetings. A few meerkats muttered as they noticed Sly.
Uncle Max was the first to approach Timon. "Well, Timon, we weren't expecting you back for about a month," he said.
"I don't dawdle when it comes to looking for my own son, Uncle Max," Timon replied.
"Well, I'm out five pounds of praying mantises then." Timon furrowed his brow, a little insulted.
"Lovable, isn't he?" Sly asked dryly.
"Yeah. You wanna pinch his cheeks, don't you?" Ma asked. She then tensed up when she noticed Shomari walking towards them. Sly cleared his throat.
Kito, who was sitting next to the warthogs, Morake, and Shani, blinked. "Is it just me, or is there suddenly a lot of tension here?"
"Yup. Grown-up tension," Barika nodded.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Sylvester, especially since I've told you I never wanted to see your face again," Shomari softly growled as Timon stepped in front of Sly to keep him from Shomari. He turned to Timon and scowled, "Step aside, Timon."
Timon shook his head and stood firm. "Sorry, Dad, but I like this guy and I don't want my kids exposed to extreme violence until they're at least six months old."
"Too late for some of us, Dad!" Kito called over. Bango and Morake nodded.
Sly stepped out from behind Timon and kept his eyes on Shomari. "Admit it. The only reason you never wanted to see my face again is because it looks like someone else's. That's the real reason you had me kicked out of the colony."
Shomari arched an eyebrow. "I don't recall ever saying that to you."
"But you do know I wasn't born into your colony, don't you?" Sly asked softly as he stepped up to Shomari with a furrowed brow. Shomari was silent. "If you're still holding a hatred because of who I look like, I won't stay. I was just making sure your kids and grandkid got home safe, and then I'll return to my life in exile. That's what you want, isn't it, Shomari?"
The crowd muttered amongst themselves. The only loud noise was Pumbaa's gulp. Finally, Shomari put a paw to his chin and nodded. "You were exiled from my mob, this is true. However, since the unity of my daughter and Timon we have been merged into one new single colony. New rules, new laws, new leaders, and old exiles expired. My rulings are no longer good here, so if you wish to stay in this new colony then I wouldn't stop you."
Timon blinked, surprised. Sly was equally surprised. Relieved sighs and breathing were heard all around. "He has changed," Sly said to himself.
"So, introduce him," Shomari said as he patted Timon on the back.
"Uh, thanks, Dad," Timon blinked as Shomari walked away. He cleared his throat and spoke to the group. "Shomari's side of the colony may remember this guy, but for my side of the colony, I'd like for you to meet Sylvester." He was elbowed in the side by Sly. "Ow! All right, all right. But you can call him Sly." There was a round of greetings to Sly, from both meerkats he recognized and meerkats he didn't recognize. "For those of you who remember Sly..." He mumbled to himself, trying to decide how to work out the right wording. "Uh... Sly's not whom you think he is. Then again, he wasn't who he thought he was either. Oy, this is confusing."
"Just spit it out, Timon!" Uncle Max shouted.
"All right, all right, all right! I'll just come right out and say it. Sly is actually my long lost brother Titus!" Sly put a paw over his eyes, a little embarrassed that Timon didn't explain the situation a little better. The group gasped and expressed their shock.
"Titus?" Pete and Uncle Max shouted from their separate locations.
Pumbaa was snacking on a grub that wondered by when Timon announced it, and coughed. Jina slapped him on the back, helping Pumbaa to swallow. When he regained himself, he expressed his shock. "Titus?"
Kito was snacking on a piece of fruit Barika had brought over, and then he spat it out when heard the announcement, coughing. "WHAT!"
Shani growled as rubbed the coughed fruit off the front of her fur. "And I just cleaned the fur..."
"Mr. Sly is Uncle Titus?" Bango asked with wide eyes. "He's been Uncle Titus this whole entire time?"
"Small world," Morake blinked.
The meerkats talked amongst themselves again. "It's true?"
"He's a son of Fearless Buzz?"
"He does look like Buzz from here. Look at his coloring."
Kito wiped his mouth off and walked over to Sly. "You're Uncle Titus?" Sly nodded. The pup stood there, aghast. "I can't believe I didn't notice it!" Kito looked him over a bit, and then to Timon, and then back to Sly. He then folded his arms in front of his chest. "Actually, I still don't notice. I just don't see it."
Zuri put a paw to her mouth and laughed, "He's your son all right, Timon."
"Don't start that again," Timon said with an annoyed glare.
Kito then ran over to Bango, took hold of his hoofs, and danced around in a circle with him. "We did it, Bango, we really did it! We did find Uncle Titus for Dad and Grandma! I told ya fortune favored the brave!" He released Bango when he noticed his cousin was getting dizzy.
"Brave fortunes the favor. Oy..." Bango dizzily said and then collapsed. Morake blinked as Shani and Barika shook their heads.
Sly grimaced as he noticed Max walking up to him and looking at his back. "Hmm... you do have Panya's stripes and Buzz's colorings..." He stepped on his tail as he walked around to the front.
"Yeowch!" Sly growled and rolled his up furry sleeves. "Watch where you're walking, Maxie, or you're gonna be walking funny!"
Max grinned as looked at his face and then walked away. "And you certainly have Buzz's temper and Panya's eyes. I'm convinced. You're my long lost great-nephew." A few meerkats uttered their agreements.
Sly stared daggers at Max as he rubbed his tail. "He did that on purpose!"
"Obviously," Timon blinked.
"Don't worry, sweetie, I'll get him back for that one," Ma said as she patted a paw on Sly's shoulder. She took a look at Sly's tail. "Doesn't look bruised yet. Come back in an hour and I'll look it over again."
"Mom..." Sly said in a low tone as he snatched his tail back. "There are people watching..."
They then noticed Pete walking up to them. "Ti... er, Sly? I'm glad to know I was right about you." He let out a slight chuckle and shrugged. "I don't know why I kept saying it, but I'm glad I did." Sly blinked once. Then Pete nervously smiled. "You probably don't even know what I'm talking about, but just know that I'm glad you're still here. I just wish Buzz was here to see it."
"He knows, Pete. I know he does. And... thanks."
Pete blinked, "How'd you know my name?"
Sly gulped, "Uh..."
Thankfully for Sly, Pete was distracted by Jina. "Well, this is a good excuse to party! Let's celebrate!" she said, followed by cheers from the meerkats. She led the group away from the stream to their usual party location by a small waterfall. A few of the meerkats lingered behind.
"Yeah, par-tay!" Timon began to follow, but then he blinked when he suddenly found himself being pushed onto a rock. "Ma!"
"No dancing for you, Timon, not with that toe of yours," Ma said to her son. Timon grunted and folded his arms in front of his chest. "It's for the best."
Zuri walked over and sat next to Timon. "I'll sit this one out with you," she said as she leaned against him.
"Thanks, babe. You're all heart," Timon grinned.
"... 'Babe?'" She then pushed him over and off of the rock.
"Hey!" He sat up and rubbed his backside. "Gotta remember to learn from past mistakes." He then snorted softly when he noticed Sudi approaching. He stood as Sudi stopped in front of him.
"I'm sorry about the other night, Timon. I never really gave you a chance to get to know you, to see what my sister sees in you. I guess I was speaking for the colony when I was really speaking for myself."
"So you just told me all that stuff to get under my skin?" Timon asked with a furrowed brow.
Sudi nervously smiled, "Well, not all of it. I did think Zuri thought of you as a replacement to Sly. And I knew and liked him, and I thought she was going back to him. I didn't want to see any competition between the two of you for her. Then I found out why she had us staying there."
"So you knew he was Titus, too?"
He nodded. "Needless to say I had trouble sleeping after that. So I decided, if I like Sly, a son of Fearless Buzz, and Zuri says you two are so alike, then I don't see a reason why I shouldn't try to like you, too. So, let's start over, OK?" He offered Timon a paw. "Sudi."
Timon glanced at the paw for a moment, grinned, and then took hold of it, shaking. "Timon."
"Finally. You know, for all the troubles we went through in the Pride Lands, I guess the outcome was worth it," Zuri said with a sigh.
"Amen," Sly said with a grin. He then looked around the oasis, taking it all in. "This place really is beautiful... but do I really belong here?"
Ma noticed the expression on her son's face. "Oh, sweetie..." She walked over to Sly, lowered his head down to her level, licked a paw, and started to smooth his hair down. Timon grimaced slightly, seeing that being done from a different angle. "Whatever you decide is up to you. Whether you stay or not you've made my life brighter because you're still alive." Sly glowered at his combed-over hair, which suddenly poofed up to a mess. As Sly fixed his hair up normally Ma continued, "Whatever you choose, I want you to be happy."
Sly pouted his lips for a moment, and then felt his arm being tugged at. He looked down to see Kito at his side. "You're not really leaving, are you, Uncle Titus? After all we went through to find you and bring you back for Dad and Grandma? I don't want you to go." Sly looked taken aback by that.
Zuri knelt down to Kito and took hold of him by his shoulders. "Kito, you are not putting any guilt trips on him, you understand me? It's rude."
"But Mom, it wasn't a guilt trip..."
Sly watched them, and then he paused for a moment when he felt the wind brush against his ears and ruffle his hair in a familiar manner. Is it...? "When you find someone who loves you for you, Sly... you'll know you belong," Buzz's voice rang in his ears.
Sly softly gasped, then felt his eyes mist. The wind became calm, and he could think again. Someone who loves me for me... He smiled. Thanks, Pop... He noticed Zuri and Kito were still talking. "Zuri, it's all right. He was just asking an innocent question, like pups normally do. And I've got a question of my own." All eyes turned to him.
"Not another question, Sly! I thought you got 'em all answered!" Timon said with a tired expression as he sat back down on the rock.
"You won't mind this one, trust me." Sly cleared his throat. "Would you all like me if I wasn't Panya's son?"
"... Huh?" Kito blinked, wrinkling his nose.
"If I was the way I am right now, but someone else's son, would you like me? I mean, you don't just like me because I'm Timon's brother, right?"
"Hey, come on, what are you talking about? Of course we'd like you. We liked you when we thought you were Sengbe's son... well, I was still having those issues..." Timon coughed. "But I like you now."
"Zuri and I grew up with you not knowing you weren't born into the colony, and we liked you. We still like you," Sudi said as Zuri nodded.
"And you saved me in the worst storm of the season from a hyena. Why wouldn't I like you?" Kito asked with a blink, as if he was wondering why such a question was being asked.
"And if what I've heard about you is true, then I would like you, too," Ma said as she put a paw on Sly's shoulder. She put a paw under his chin to turn his face towards her. "I loved you as you were as a pup, and as I get to know you better I know I can love you again."
"We all will," Timon said, nodding.
Sly looked at all of them, then grinned, bowed his head, and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt a warm feeling inside that he hadn't felt before. So maybe, this time... He then lifted it back up and looked at them again. "Yes."
"Yes what?" Kito asked.
"I'll stay."
"Ya-hoo!" Kito cheered and then hugged Sly. "We'll have the best time, Uncle Titus! I'll show you where to go bungee jumping, and where the best grubs are, and-"
Sly pulled the excited pup away from his body and held him out in front of him. "Uh, Kito, if you don't mind, can we stick with Uncle Sly instead of Titus? Since I've been answering to Sly ever since I could remember."
"Oh. 'Kay." He looked over to Timon and Zuri with a hint of timid ness. "Is it OK if I go to the party?"
The two parents looked at each other, trying to read the other's mind. Zuri turned back to Kito and said, "We'll discuss your punishment after the party. So go on." Kito smiled as Sly released him and ran to catch up to the party.
Sly exhaled and sat down next to Timon. "I've been here for less than half an hour and I'm already worn out."
"Hakuna Matata. I'll show you where we get materials to build a nest later," Timon said.
"Thanks."
Sensing they should leave the two of them alone, Zuri, Sudi, and Ma to join the celebration. They both sat in silence, thinking about what had happened the past few days. Timon decided to forget about that payback he was going to give Sly for that incident between him and Zuri the other night. He did kind of owe him the favor for saving Kito. He was about to open his mouth to break the silence when the wind suddenly brushed against their fur, drawing their attention. Timon looked upward and grinned. He tapped Sly's shoulder and pointed to some leaves being lifted up and dancing in the wind.
Sly grinned as he watched them, reached up, and grabbed one of the leaves from the air. "Do they remind you of happier times, Timon?"
Timon watched as the leaf tried to escape Sly's grip, taking it from him, and watched as the leaves continued to dance. He smiled and shook his head. "Nah. These are happier times... now that the family's back together." He released the leaf, watching it dance in the breeze to catch up with its companions.
The leaf fluttered by Rafiki, who was up in a tree and looking over the two brothers. The leaf brushed against the fruits on his staff, making a soft rattling. He smiled and nodded. "So much joy here now that your sons have returned, Fearless Buzz."
"Yes. I've never seen Panya happier. Thank you, Rafiki. None of this would've been possible without your help," Buzz's voice said.
The old baboon chuckled as he took hold of one of the leaves as it fluttered by. "Rafiki did not do as much as you may think. He mostly gave the direction for the boys to follow. You did all the rest." He released the leaf, allowing it to return to the flow of the wind.
The wind sharply changed course, bringing the leaves with it. The wind lead the leaves to the small waterfall, where the party was starting. Tree trunks were beating, giant bugs were being thrown to other meerkats, drinks were being made, and meerkats were enjoying themselves. Ma sat to the side, watching. She normally wasn't too interested in the activities, at least not right away. She felt the wind against her, and she paused. She sat there motionless for a few moments, and then smiled and dried her eyes.
"Thank you, Buzz. You'll be in my heart until we meet again. I love you," she whispered. She closed her eyes as the wind gently blew past, carrying the leaves with it into the distance.
"Grandma?" Ma opened her eyes to see Kito and Shani standing in front of her. "Are you OK?" Kito asked.
"Your eyes look kind of wet," Shani said.
Ma rubbed her eyes again and stood, smiling. "I'm all right, kids. It was just the wind. Come on, let's go play a game with your friends." She walked away, with Kito and Shani following.
"So, Kito, did you have a lot of problems going out there?" Shani asked her brother.
"Uh..." Kito thought, and then counted the events on his fingers. "Well, we almost got baked in the desert, we didn't know where to find Rafiki's tree, got a rude awakening from Morake while we were trying to catch up on our sleep, nearly jumped out of my skin hearing that Nunda call, nearly eaten by a hyena in the worst storm I've ever been in, rescued Uncle Sudi after some interrogation, posed as various distractions in the geysers cave saving Mom in the process, and was almost eaten again by the same hyena. So... no, not a lot of problems." Shani watched him for a moment with an arched brow. "If you don't believe me, ask Bango or Morake! Or Uncle Sudi!"
"Hmm... I only have one question for you, big brother."
"Yes...?"
She turned to him and smiled, "When do Barika and I get to have our adventure?"
The End