Max continued his rounds to the tunnels under construction as usual, trying to make it look like nothing was wrong. He continued to check back at the place that Leo was supposed to be. He still wasn't there. He hadn't been in the burrow when Max woke up and he hadn't shown up to work all day.
Max passed by Scruffy as he was pulling a rock out of the dirt.
"Scruffy, have ya seen Leo?" Max asked.
Scruffy turned around, now holding the heavy rock. "Uh..no Max. Why?"
Max didn't answer him, but finished walking past him. He thought maybe someone up top had seen him. Or, who knows? Maybe Leo'd be up there.
Max poked his head out...no Leo. There weren't as many meerkats out as usual, and he spotted that quiet friend of Kavie's going by close to him and he called to her.
"Hey uh..." Max paused. What was her name? "...Laila!"
"Laila" saw him and he motioned for her to come over. She looked very surprised and nervous, but maybe she always looked like that. Max didn't notice, he was too preoccupied with finding his brother.
When she got close enough he asked, "Have you seen Leo? 'Cause I know he spends a lot of time with Kavie and..." but the female started shaking her head before he had even finished.
"...Oh, well...if ya see him, tell him I'm looking for him." Just before he went back down he added, "Thanks anyway." His mother always told him to be polite to females, and even though he was in a hurry he
wanted to uphold that. Plus by the look she had on her face Max thought he'd scared the poor girl.
He made his way back to where his father was working. They had to keep going, even if Leo wasn't there. I just don't understand him anymore, he thought as he began helping Mel with his digging. first he comes late and falls asleep, now he's not coming altogether. Where are his
priorities?
"Any luck finding him?" Mel said as he collapsed, out of breath.
Max rushed over to Mel but he waved his son away. "I'm ok, I just need a second." he said. "So?"
"Nah, couldn't find him. This is getting to be a problem." Max was regaining his frustration at Leo now that his dad had stood back up.
"What problem?"
"Leo's behavior, Dad. He's got a responsibility to this project, to the whole colony. He needs to be here."
"Yeah, Max. I agree that he needs to be more responsible, but I can't really be mad at him. It was the same way with your mother and I. We took every available opportunity to see each other. Things calmed down
later on though, we each went back to our duties. Of course that was
around the time when we became mates. What I'm trying to say is that, he'll be back. He just needs time."
"Well, I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right. I'm your dad. Dads' are always right." He
chuckled a little as they continued digging.
"I'm just glad to hear that soon everything will be back to normal."
Mel shook his head. "I didn't say that. No, if anything things'll change even more now." Mel added. Then he gave a thoughtful little
laugh. "Your brother and a possible mate, heh, shows how much you boys
have grown up."
"Heh, yeah." Max agreed half-heartedly. He didn't understand why, but what his father said made him feel uneasy. He thought maybe he should have another talk with Leo.
Leo sat at the base of the sentry rock,almost between the rock and the tree that rested beside it. He had pretended to go in when Kavie did, but had snuck back to think. Something important was on his mind, and before he knew it the sun had risen.
A beetle crawled cautiously across the ground near him and he watched it make its progress. It was not until the beetle was far out of reach that he realized how hungry he was. He knew he should go. He would be in enough trouble already. He was getting up to leave when he saw another meerkat hop up onto the rock. A meerkat he had not seen for quite some time.
"Joey?"
The meerkat looked down at him curiously. "Hey Leo!"
Leo got up onto the rock as well and the two old friends greeted each other excitedly.
"Haven't seen you around in a while, where've you been?" Joey asked.
"In the tunnels." Leo answered. He tried not to sound regretful. "How about you Joey? A sentry, I guess?"
"Yeah, I'm actually on duty right now...and its "Joe" now."
"Oh, I'm sorry. If you need me to leave..."
"Nah, you're fine. Maybe just step off the rock, but I can still talk. Don't be offended if it doesn't look like I'm listening, though." Joe
said as he looked around.
As Leo got back off the rock he said. "Joe, huh?"
Joe stood up on his toes and tail, swiveling his head around. Leo saw a little smirk across his face. "Yeah, I thought "Joey" was more of a pup thing. Plus Sky seems to like it."
"Sky?"
"My mate." Joe said looking back down at Leo for the briefest moment.
"You have a mate? Already?"
"Sure, why not? We're not too young, and it felt right."
"But...didn't anyone say anything to you two?"
Joe did little sniffing and flinching. "Sure, but we didn't listen. At some point in your
life you have to start making your own decisions and not let others influence them."
Leo tilted his head in confusion. Was this concept something everyone knew but him? "But whether you listened or not, others said things."
"Well, everyone has an opinion Leo." He looked down at his friend again. "Are we still talking about me and Sky? Something up?"
Whoa, since when was Joe so insightful? He seemed to have changed some too. He even seemed more mature, something Leo thought would never happen to Joey. But Leo guessed that was just part of growing up.
"No, no." He said quickly to Joe. Then he changed the subject. "So, how do you like being a sentry?"
"Love it, can't you tell?" Joe said. "Seriously, I am in my element up here. Although there are some drawbacks. You can't even imagine the pressure. I'm in charge of keeping everybody safe. I'm the one thing
that could keep someone from getting eaten or mauled."
"Doesn't it ever get to you?" Leo asked.
Joe looked behind him. "No. Well, not a lot. Sky thinks I should take a break every so often, but I'm the best sentry we've got. Literally, some of the other sentries are calling me "Iron Joe" because of my solid composure."
"Good for you, Joe." Leo said. A thought then sparked into his mind.
"Do you think I could do it?"
Joe started to laugh but then caught himself when he saw Leo's face. "Sorry Leo, but I don't know if you'd be able to. I mean, you've got to really pay attention."
Leo took this as a bit of an insult, then he saw Joe tense up as his eyes went skyward.
"Like now." Joe said to Leo, still unmoving. "There's a hawk flying out over the grassland. He's not too close, but hawks are very quick, and he could get over here faster than it could take you to run back into the nearest hole."
Leo looked up and saw the hawk. It didn't look too close, in fact it seemed to be flying in the opposite direction of them, but Leo
understood Joe had to be cautious.
"See? If something like that went unnoticed, we could all be in real danger." Joe said to Leo as he continued to watch the hawk so it didn't turn around.
Leo then heard something faint in the grass beside them. He disregarded it until he though he heard it again. Was it getting
closer?
"Joe." He tried to get his friend's attention.
"Leo, I still have to watch this hawk, give me a minute."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the grass stir, and a bird take flight. "Joe..." He said a little more urgently.
He then heard another nose, and saw a tuft of gray fur for the briefest
second. "Joe, I really think you should look out toward the grass."
Joe looked down at him exasperatedly. "Why?"
Then he heard it too.
"I saw something over there, is it a hyena?" Leo asked, fear finally
setting in.
Joe sniffed the air. "Definitely, and there can't be just one. Go warn everyone, but do it very discreetly." He began speaking softer and slower. "We...don't...want...anyone...to panic."
Leo gave an oddly cartoony gulp and backed towards the colony. He was about to do what Joe told him when his mind went to his grandfather. This could be his chance, his chance to do what his grandfather tried to do. He was scared almost to the point where he couldn't breathe, but still he couldn't pass up this opportunity. Something inside of him
told him he should. So quickly...before he could change his mind he
said "No, you warn them, it's your job. I gotta go." and ran off towards the grass.
On the way he grabbed the biggest, sharpest stick he could find, and quietly slipped into the golden grass.
He thought he heard Joe whisper "Leo!" but then he heard "EVERYONE BACK DOWN INTO THE HOLES! NOW! QUICK!"
That was Joe's idea of discreet? Yelling at the top of his lungs? He didn't have a second thought to spare on Joe after that, however, because he was now sneaking up on the closest hyena.
He didn't know how many there where, but he could now see the foot of the closest one. He paused, only inches away from the hyena's leg, he had now stopped breathing entirely, for fear it could hear him. He was
now afraid his pounding heart would give him away.
He closed his eyes, his father, Kavie, and his grandfather all sped through his mind as he jammed the stick as hard as he could into the hyena's ankle.
It did not go in very far, but it caused the hyena to give a small yelp, and Leo thought he would pass out as it turned its
head down to inspect its leg. Once its face was in view he jammed the stick again, this time when it made contact. Blood shot out onto the stick and grass nearby and the hyena screamed. "GAH!! Something got me! Oh, it hurts! It could've blinded me!"
Leo watched as two more hyenas came to the first. "What's wrong now, Fred?"
"I'm hurt and bleeding!"
"Lemme see." One of the others inspected the wound on Fred's face. "Ah, you'll live. Now whaddya think attacked you?"
"Probably just a stray piece of grass!" Laughed the other hyena. The other two then began laughing at Fred.
"No, I'm telling you! Something attacked me!"
"Oh, you're such a wimp." said one of the others, still laughing a bit. "Why don't you just go crying to Shanti about it?"
"Yeah, and we can watch her beat you up for disturbing her with your whining." said the other of the three."Come on Banny, meerkats!"
"Nah, I'm not in the mood, anymore." said Banny, looking over at Fred. "Whiny-butt here's killed my appetite." Then the other two trotted off away from the colony and cackled with Fred trailing behind calling to
them. "Hey, come on, guys! I am not whiny! Even if I was...I'm hurt! So I should have the right to!"
As they left Leo almost felt like laughing himself, but his terror kept the impulse pushed way down. He couldn't believe it. He had
actually chased the hyenas away! Well, not chased, but he'd managed to get them to leave anyway.
He disposed of the blood-drenched stick and walked slowly back through the grass. He was standing by the rock in the exact same place he had been earlier.
Joe was the first to come out of the tunnels. He saw Leo and looked surprised and relieved. "Leo! Oh for a second there I thought you'd actuallygone towards the hyenas! Phew!"
Once he'd gotten up to Leo he slapped him on the back. "Wow, Leo. I can't believe you noticed them before I did! You could definitely be a sentry!"
"Thanks Joe." said Leo.
Leo's mind was alive with thoughts. The conversation he and Joe had before the hyenas, then the hyenas themselves, both things made him sure of what he had to do next.
"I gotta go now, bye Joe."
"...Ok, bye Leo. But try and come back tomorrow, we'll see if we can get you on duty soon!" Joe called as Leo left the sentry rock.
Leo turned back to wave to Joe and fell over something. When he sat up he noticed that it was Kavie's uncle Lee.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Leo said as he helped Lee up. "Are you ok?"
"Uh...yes I'm fine." Lee said quickly, and without saying anything else quickly vanished down the closest tunnel hole.
"It's alright, we've been given the all-clear." said Ruth. "Ann, would you get the message out?"
"Yes, ma'm." Ann answered and left. The scare had been so short that Ruth had not managed to get to the main burrow to make sure everyone was underground, but it was such a hot day she hoped that most everyone
had already been there.
"I hope everyone is alright." Kavie said, looking up towards the ceiling of the tunnel they were in.
"I do too. I don't think too many meerkats were up there, but I'll need to speak with the sentries to be sure." Ruth said. She then gave her granddaughter a thoughtful smile, and said, "Kavie, I need to speak with you."
She led Kavie to a small empty burrow and waited until they had both sat down before speaking again.
"Kavie, you have grown up so much, into such a lovely meerkat. I know that your parents would be so proud, especially today.
I have chosen you, Kavie, as my successor."
Kavie was stunned. "Wha...are you sure?"
Her grandmother chuckled. "Yes, I am quite sure."
"But...I mean, am I really the best candidate?"
"Believe me, Kavie. I thought long and hard about this, I have closely watched every female that showed interest. You have the right
disposition, and the right view of what is important and right for the colony." She placed her paw on Kavie's. "You care, and that caring is what will make you a great matriarch."
Kavie felt uncertain. She wanted to take the position but she still wasn't sure Ruth had made the right decision. She smiled broadly, though. "If your absolutely sure."
"It's my final decision." Ruth said assuredly.
"Then I promise I won't let you down." Kavie said, brightening up and hugging her grandmother.
"I know you won't, Dear."
They heard the faint sounds of someone scurrying past the burrow.
"I'll make the announcement officially soon." Ruth said, continuing to grin at Kavie.
"Would you mind if I told Leo?" Kavie asked her. "And Laita too?"
"Not at all. I would ask that you not tell anyone else until I've announced it, alright?"
"Alright." she said, and hugged her grandmother once more before rushing off to find Leo and Laita.
It was now late afternoon, Max was going to go past Leo's appointed spot one last time. If he wasn't there this time he would just have to corner him when he got home.
To his surprise Leo was there this time, pausing from his digging to set up a support beam, looking like he had not been gone all day.
When he spotted Max Leo gave a kind of nod and greeted him casually. "Hey Max."
"Cut the act, Leo. I know you've been gone all day. You didn't even tell me this time." He was trying to keep his voice calm, but still disapproving.
Leo kept working as he spoke, subconsciously thinking that this would be better than just standing there. "I'm sorry. I didn't think I would be gone very long. I just got held up."
"Yeah, held up with Kavie."
"I was looking for her, yes. I got held up because I saw my friend Joe."
"Oh, well I'm glad you had a lovely little visit while everyone else was working." Max said, sarcasm was very apparent in this last
sentence. "Leo, I'm sorry to keep on ya about this, but I think this is a real problem. I think you're losing sight of what's important."
"Actually, I think I've finally found it." Leo said it before he even thought about it. Now he was wondering if he should have said
anything at all.
What he said did make Max look at him curiously. "...Why exactly were you looking for Kavie?"
Yup. He knew Max was going to ask this, possibly from the moment he came over. He supposed he better tell him now. Leo wondered how he would react. "I was going to ask her to be my mate."
"What!? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!"
"Why's that?" Leo asked defensively.
"Because you are way too young! You're a kid! You're not even reliable enough to come to work on time anymore! How can you take care of a mate?"
This was exactly the way he thought it would go, and yet he was still angry at his reaction. "I am not a kid, and we'd do just fine!"
"Oh, come on, Leo! Have you even thought about this?"
"Yes, Max, I have. Very long and hard." He didn't like being angry with Max, but this was the first time he was not going to
agree with his brother. "This was my decision. I don't even know why you're being this way, you're not Dad!"
Max was shocked. Leo had never talked to him like this before. What was making him? Was this really that important to him?
"I know I'm not Dad, but I am your older brother. Plus I thought we were friends."
Max's voice had dropped, so Leo lowered his too. "We are. That's kind of why I thought you'd be happy for me."
"I am." There was that uneasiness again. Max still didn't know what it was. He was happy for Leo, yet that feeling continued to squirm. "I'm just concerned. I wanna make sure you're ok."
Leo looked at his brother with a kind of thankful smile. "I'll be ok." he said.
Max nodded, then fought to give Leo a returning smile. "Did ya find her?"
"Yeah, and she's said yes."
Max watched Leo turn back to work, he obviously was done talking for now. Max thought about what Leo said as he turned around to leave, but all that kept coming up in his mind was, Great, now everything's going
to be different...juust great.
While Max was heading towards Leo, another meerkat was walking purposefully towards her own tiny burrow.
She entered and found her mate half-asleep, then jerked him awake before sitting down. She was clearly not in the best mood.
Her groggy mate looked blearily at her as he sat up. "What's wrong, Molly?"
Molly gave him a piercing look. This was probably not a very good question to ask her. However, Molly rolled her eyes and began to rant.
"Ruth has chosen little miss Kavie to be matriarch!" She cringed at the mention of her niece. "I knew she was going to pick her! She knew how much I wanted it, and she still chose Kavie! You'd think all those talks I had with her were for nothing!"
Her mate tried to say something, but when Molly noticed she merely said, "Lee, still talking here! I thought she was going to look at all the females and pick the best one, not just pick her precious granddaughter!"
Lee tried again. "Well, maybe..." But Molly shot him a look and he was silent again.
""Maybe she was the best one?" Is that what you were going to say? Ha! So not! I am ten times more qualified! Plus I'm older! Well, not that much older, but still, more mature!"
"Yes, you are older." Lee spoke up, trying to agree with her. This did not help her somehow. She rubbed her temples as if she were having a migraine.
"Ugh. It is just so unfair! She's even got a mate lined up now, too! I got to overhear that as well! It's that Leo boy." she said that last
part dismissively.
Lee perked up at hearing this. "Hey Molly, I saw him earlier today."
"So?" Molly said, annoyed.
"Well, it was before the predator scare, I saw him talking to the sentry on that rock, and then when I came back up he was coming out of the grass. It was kind of weird."
Molly was still rubbing her head, but then she looked up. "Wait, why was he coming out of the grass? Wouldn't that be where the predators are?"
"Maybe." Lee said. "Maybe he was running from them."
"Or...maybe he was trying to chase them away." The wheels in Molly's head were now turning. She jumped up and stared at her mate. "Lee, Leo's the grandson of that Buzz guy, right? The loon that fought some hyenas and got killed and now half the colony thinks is a hero?"
"Uh...yeah."
Molly was silent for a moment. Thoughts began filling her mind and she smiled as an idea was forming in her mind, all the pieces coming together.
"Yes...it might work." she mumbled to herself.
"What?" Lee asked. He was very confused.
"Quiet! I need to think!"
Lee waited. He was never asked to give Molly time to think before. He watched her, it was hard to tell what she was thinking.
He waited for a long, long while and even had almost gone back to sleep before she spoke again. "It's brilliant."
"What?" Lee asked again.
"This is the perfect plan to get me to be matriarch!" She smiled confidently, and Lee leaned in.
"Now, there's noway to change your mother's mind," she said the words "your mother's" with a fair amount of contempt. "But there still is a way to force her to change it."
"Um...how?"
"I'm telling you how if you'll be patient! Honestly, Lee. But I shouldn't be too harsh on you, my dear Lee. After all, it was your
information that led me to my plan. Anyway, if what you say is true, then it is possible that little Leo is following his crazy
grandfather's teachings. Interesting, isn't it, that this is whom our Kavie wants for a mate?"
"Uh..." Lee didn't understand, but he didn't want to admit it or he'd be yelled at again.
"I'm not sure very many meerkats would like the idea of our future matriarch with someone who is following the ideas of a lunatic,
especially if he starts suggesting things. What if he suggest to her that all the sentries should start fending off hyenas and such, instead of just alerting everyone? Think how many lives would be lost! No, the other meerkats would not like that at all." She smiled even more broadly.
Lee raised an eyebrow. "But, would Leo actually do that?" he asked.
Oh, I don't know! Probably not! You're missing the point!" she said. "If we just tell everyone that and spread it around some, it would
probably get enough of the others to start questioning Ruth's choice! They'll start demanding she appoint someone else, and who do you think they will pick?"
"...You?"
"Of course me!"
"Wow, and you thought up all that just now?" Lee sounded genuinely impressed. Molly seemed to take this as an insult, though.
"What do you mean? I can't think up something like this? It should take me longer, or something? Are you saying I'm stupid?!"
"No! No! I wasn't saying that at all, Molly!" He was trying to backtrack. "You're not stupid."
"You're darned right I'm not! Oh yeah! I feel good about this, Lee. We can even start on it tomorrow." She was smiling to herself now, and leaned back with her arms behind her head.
"We?"
"Uh, yeah. You're going to help me."
Lee wasn't sure about this.Spreading things like that about his only niece and her mate just so Molly could be matriarch? There had to be some kind of line there. What would his mother think about this?
"But...maybe..."
"But?" Molly said, sitting up again. "Are you questioning me? You don't want to help me?"
Lee didn't know what to say here, he just stared, wide-eyed at her.
"You don't want to help your mate?" Molly's voice had gone down to a guilt-spouting purr. "You don't want to help her get what she really, really wants?" She scooted up next to him, and looked in his eyes.
"Don't you love me?" She grasped his paw and batted her eyes.
"Of course I love you."
"Then, you'll help me get what I want?" she said as she leaned in closer and brushed the fur on his head with her other paw.
Lee was getting a little nervous now, his heart was going faster. It was getting really hard to think about Kavie and his mom, or even
anything when Molly was this close to him.
"Yes." he found himself agreeing to her. He always seemed to.
"Good!" She said with an excited squeak. Then she immediately jumped up and went to the opposite side of the
burrow. "Well, it's getting late and I am so very tired. Goodnight, Lee dear!" She said with a
smile and laid down with her back facing him.
Lee didn't know what to do now but to go to sleep too. So he laid down as well, still wondering how in the world she did that.
Author's Notes: Oh...we're getting to the fun stuff now! And by fun, I mean interesting...not nessacarily good.
Thanks again to the nice people who review. Most of them are good friends. Hope you're still enjoying this story. This chapter's a lot busier than others, and they are just gonna get busier, I think!
I'm already hard at work on the next few chapters, but I have recently been suckered into playing Kingdom Hearts 2, so that might eat up some time. (especially when I finally get to the Lion King and Mulan worlds!)
Hope everyone has had a great summer, and that you all have an awesome fall!
