The circle of life moved time onward as is usually does; too slow in the eyes of the young, too fast in the eyes of the adults.
Soon Max, Leo, and the rest of the pups had become adolescents, young adults.
Max had completed his adult training and now had joined his father almost full-time in the tunnels. It was lucky for Max that he followed his father, because he was not only adept at digging, he found he enjoyed it as well.
Things had gotten very busy for Mel and Ann. Work in the tunnels was becoming harder for Mel as he aged, and Ann was now an official aid to Ruth. Both parents now had so much to do that the remainder of Leo's adult training fell on Max.
"Leo. Leo pay attention." Max said as he tried to get his brother to listen. That far-off look he got sometimes was not really what was needed right now.
Leo snapped back to the here and now and looked at Max. He sat up from the ground and stretched. "I'm sorry, Max. You have to consider, though, it is getting late." Leo said. Luckily enough a yawn was escaping Max's lips at that very moment.
"I know its getting late, but you need to be able to find your way at night. Now, the things in the sky don't give much light, so it can be tricky..."
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but why do I need to know this?"
"Well, what if you get lost and the sun goes down?"
"I'll just wait until morning to look for home."
"Come on, Leo. You're not making the whole learning process any easier."
"Yeah, but I heard you the first two times you told me about how tricky the dark is. Lets take a break at least."
Max realized that at this point they probably weren't going to get anything else done, so he decided to throw in the towel for now.
"Oh, fine. I guess we can stop for tonight."
"Great." said Leo, sounding tired and glad. He was about to start off when he smiled and turned back to Max. "Although, I think I have learned a bit from this lesson tonight. I think I can find my way back home in the nighttime...see ya!"
He then dashed off towards the tunnels.
It took Max a minute to realize that this was a race, and after rolling his eyes and smirking at his brother's immaturity, he ran off after him.
They raced in record time and found themselves already in the tunnels on their way back to their burrow. Since entering the underground they had slowed and quieted, so as not to disturb anyone.
Leo was laughing softly as he flopped down onto his nest bed.
Max had sat down on his own bed when Leo had calmed down enough to ask, "Hey Max, do you really like digging in the tunnels?"
Max's response was casual, but Leo thought he heard the smallest amount of doubt in his words. "Sure. I'm good at it ain't I?"
"That's not really what I asked. I meant, is that what you really want to do."
"Yeah. Why?"
"Its just that I'm still not sure."
"What's to be sure about? You followed Dad and me around enough when you were little, I'd think you'd wanna follow us into work."
Leo thought for a moment, then he realized that he'd probably need more than a moment. "Hmm." he said to Max. "Goodnight."
The time that Leo shared with Max while Max taught him helped the two brothers to see each other as friends, but Leo's ambitions were never often a topic they discussed. For he and Max were now beginning to differ on the things their Grandpa Buzz believed.
Leo still wanted so much to be like his father and grandfather, but the influence Max gave seemed to be changing his dreams. Now that they were closer as friends, Max shared more openly with Leo about how joining the digging workforce with himself and their father was probably the right way to go. He did think it was more practical, even if it was hard and boring.
Leo began to think that maybe right now was not the time for the ideals he shared with his grandfather. They were seeming, as Leo grew and saw more of the world in which his colony lived, to be more and more in the realm of impossibilities.
Besides, who had time to think about exploring and fighting hyenas when all the work he was soon going to have to do was looming.
Maybe he should just resign to his fate. It would make his family happy if he were to be a digger.
Leo continued to ponder all of this long after his brother had fallen asleep.
By the end of the night, Leo felt his dreams shift behind his want to make his family happy.
Author's Note: Man, this chapter is lame. I know its short and not my best (in fact it might just be one of my worst chapters), but it ended up being like ch. 2 of T&P:ToC, were I wanted what happens in here and what happens next seperate. Also this chapter only needed to accomplish two things, and I think/hope it did.
