Chapter 36! Timon and Pumbaa will have their hands/hooves full parenting Simba. Enjoy!
The scene transitions to Timon and Pumbaa sleeping in the jungle. The camera slowly zooms in on Timon.
LEBO M:
IN THE JUNGLE, THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT. IN THE JUNGLE, THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT.
"Again, who's singing? This keeps happening." Fuli questioned.
SIMBA:
[from offscreen] Timon. Timon. Timon!
Timon wakes up and yawns.
TIMON:
Oh. Oh!
Cut to Simba's face upside-down.
SIMBA:
I got to go.
TIMON:
Go? Go where?
"Not go anywhere, go take a piss!" Janja griped.
Timon rolls over.
SIMBA:
You know, go...bad.
Timon rolls back over and sits up.
TIMON:
Oh, go. Why didn't you say so? Come on! Let's go! [Simba and Timon run across the log.] When you got to go, you got to go!
"True that." Beshte spoke. "Yup." Anga concurred.
The scene transitions. Timon and Pumbaa stand at the foot of a tree. "Jungle Boogie" plays in the background. Timon calls up into the tree.
TIMON:
Young lion, get down from there.
"He's a lion, he should be fine." Ullu mentioned. "But if he gets stuck or goes too high, it would be tricky for us to get him down." Pumbaa replied. "That's fair." She hooted.
Simba jumps around in the tree's branches.
SIMBA:
Woo-hoo! All right! [Simba looks down.] Man, you guys look [Cut to Timon and Pumbaa. Timon looks stern.] like ants down there.
TIMON:
I'm counting to three.
"Oh no, he's counting." Dusty teased. "I think every parent has used that at least once." Spirit chuckled.
Simba jumps to another branch.
SIMBA:
Yahoo!
As Simba lands, the branch breaks, and he falls. Pumbaa looks on worriedly.
Mufasa and Sarabi gasped in panic. "I was fine. You'll see." Simba reassured his parents.
PUMBAA:
Uh-oh.
Simba plunges toward the jungle floor. Timon, not paying attention, counts on his fingers.
"I thought they always landed on their feet." Cheezi tilted his head in confusion. "That's not actually true." Scar explained.
TIMON:
One, two–
The music stops abruptly. Pumbaa jumps on top of Timon, and Simba lands on his back. From underneath Pumbaa, Timon holds up a third finger.
TIMON:
Three.
Several animals winced. "See, Ma? I've ended up under him before and am perfectly fine." Timon reassured Ma.
Timon's arm falls limply to the ground. The scene transitions to Timon and Pumbaa sleeping in the jungle.
SIMBA:
[from offscreen] Timon.
Timon sits up, startled.
"What now?" Zira growled.
TIMON:
Oh! Again?
SIMBA:
No. I'm thirsty.
"Couldn't you have gotten water on your own?" Bunga asked. "This wasn't long after they first took me in, so I didn't know my way around quite yet. Plus I didn't want to be alone after.. well, the incident." Simba explained.
Simba and Timon walk across the log.
TIMON:
You know this means you'll be up again about two hours from now.
Cut to a large waterfall. "Jungle Boogie" plays in the background. Simba floats down a river on his back, while Timon swims after him frantically.
"Overprotective much?" Azaad asked. "Like mother, like son." Rafiki chuckled. "Hey!" Both meerkats shouted.
TIMON:
Hang on, Simba! I'll save you!
Simba falls over the edge of the waterfall.
SIMBA:
Yahoo!
Pumbaa catches Simba by the tail. The camera zooms out to reveal that Pumbaa is sitting in a tree beside the waterfall. Meanwhile, Timon falls past Pumbaa and Simba.
Mufasa and Sarabi breathed a sigh of relief. "You grabbed Simba, but not Timon?" Kopa asked. "I tried, but my hooves were full with Simba. Timon was fine, although sopping wet." Pumbaa explained.
TIMON:
Whoa!
The scene transitions to Timon and Pumbaa sleeping in the jungle.
SIMBA:
[from offscreen] Timon?
"Here we go again." Nuka groaned.
Simba looks at Timon pleadingly. Cut to Simba and Timon walking across the log.
TIMON:
We're going to get old walking across this thing.
"He's not wrong. We saw it happen in the first showing." Vitani pointed out.
Cut to Simba batting Timon in the air. "Jungle Boogie" plays in the background.
TIMON:
Whoa!
Everyone laughed at Timon's predicament. "One minute he's the parent, the next he's a living cat toy." Dusty joked.
The scene transitions to Timon and Pumbaa sleeping in the jungle.
SIMBA:
[from offscreen] Timon?
Timon jumps awake, exasperated.
TIMON:
Ah! What have you got against the concept [Timon gets down from Pumbaa's stomach.] of a good night's sleep, huh?
Timon turns around with bloodshot eyes. Simba looks at Timon sadly.
"Be glad Simba wasn't a newborn cub when you took care of him. Then you really wouldn't have gotten any sleep." Sarafina spoke as she remembered those sleepless nights with Nala and Mheetu when they were babies.
SIMBA:
Actually, I, uh... I had a bad dream.
Timon's angry expression melts away.
TIMON:
Oh, well…
"Come on, you can't say no to that face." Makini urged.
Timon elbows Pumbaa in the side. He wakes up.
PUMBAA:
Uh! It wasn't me.
Timon points at Simba.
TIMON:
Junior had a bad dream.
"Wait… Simba, did you dream about the stampede?" Timon asked. "Yes, I did." Simba confirmed.
Pumbaa looks at Simba.
PUMBAA:
Oh. Why don't you sleep over here with us?
Timon pats Pumbaa's tummy welcomingly.
TIMON:
Mi Pumbaa, su Pumbaa.
"That was nice of you." Sarabi commented. Many animals remembered sleeping with their parents after a nightmare.
Simba bounds over to Timon and Pumbaa excitedly.
SIMBA:
All right!
Cut to a view of the log with no one on it.
LEBO M:
THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT.
Simba lies, curled, on top of Pumbaa. Timon lies next to him.
SIMBA:
Good night.
TIMON:
Sleep tight.
PUMBAA:
Dream of bedbugs tonight.
Pumbaa instantly passes out.
PUMBAA:
*snores*
SIMBA:
*giggles*
Timon starts to sleep, but Simba grabs him and pulls him in close.
"Aww…" Many animals couldn't help saying.
TIMON:
*sighs*
Timon settles into sleep. The camera slowly zooms out from Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa.
LEBO M:
MY LITTLE DARLING. DON'T FEAR, MY LITTLE DARLING. HEY-AH, OH, MY LITTLE DARLING. OH, DON'T FEAR, MY LITTLE DARLING. [Cut to a tree at dawn. Birds alight from the tree.] DON'T FEAR, MY LITTLE DARLING. [The camera begins panning downwards.] HEY-AH, OH, MY LITTLE DARLING.
Timon, Pumbaa, and a teenage Simba sleep together in the jungle. Simba stretches and yawns on Timon.
"I think that by this point he's gotten a bit too big to sleep on Pumbaa." Kiara giggled.
SIMBA:
*yawns*
Timon wakes up.
TIMON:
Whoa. Watch where you aim that morning breath. [Timon looks at Simba and holds his nose.] That should come with a warning label. [Simba smacks his lips.] Woo, what a wake-up call.
"At least it was from him and not Pumbaa's rear." Banzai commented.
Timon rolls over and closes his eyes.
SIMBA:
*chuckles* Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the warthog. What's the matter, Pops? Had a little too much [emphatically] hakuna matata?
TIMON:
Ooh. Sonny boy, I invented hakuna matata.
"Technically Rafiki told you about it." Zazu interjected.
SIMBA:
Oh, yeah? Well, I perfected it.
Timon continues lying down with his eyes closed.
TIMON:
Sure you did, sure you did. Pumbaa, [Timon looks at Pumbaa.] who holds the record for the world's longest bug belch?
"Lemme guess, Timon?" Uncle Max drawled.
Pumbaa lies on his back with his eyes closed.
PUMBAA:
Uh, that would be Simba.
Timon glances at Pumbaa.
TIMON:
All righty then. Who's the champion at slug swallowing?
PUMBAA:
Simba again.
Many animals' eyes widened as they heard all of Simba's victories. "Impressive, even if the events are a little, er, gross." Surak complimented.
Timon sits up in surprise.
TIMON: / PUMBAA:
Cricket crunching? / Simba.
TIMON: / PUMBAA:
Grub gulping? / Simba.
Timon begins to sweat.
"Zuka zama! You beat them at everything!" Bunga exclaimed. "Yes, I did." Simba smirked. Timon rolled his eyes.
TIMON: / PUMBAA:
Maggot munching? / Still Simba.
TIMON:
[desperately] Snail slurping?
Pumbaa opens his eyes.
PUMBAA:
Oh, uh, [Pumbaa sits up.] nobody. We never had a snail eating contest before.
"I have a feeling this isn't gonna end well." Baliyo admitted.
Cut to a pile of snails. The camera pans to show the sun. "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" plays in the background. Simba and Timon face off at opposite ends of a massive pile of snails on a rock table. They each have a determined expression on their face. They flex their paws to the beat of the music. Meanwhile, Pumbaa sits in a bush, clearly worried.
PUMBAA:
I don't think this is such a good idea.
"You and I both." Nirmala spoke up.
Simba grabs a snail and slurps it straight out of its shell, leaving slime all over his chin. He slams the shell down and leers at Timon, who yawns theatrically, then slurps down a snail of his own and folds his arms defiantly.
Simba raises a paw with four snails, which he slurps down rapid-fire one after the other, then tosses the shells down and grins devilishly.
"Showoff." Shenzi snorted. "It runs in the family." Scar rolled his eyes. "You're one to talk." Mufasa raised an eyebrow.
Timon stares back in amazement, his eye twitching. Then he swallows four of his own, swats away the shells, and grins at Simba, a trifle insanely, breathing heavily.
Cut to Pumbaa in the bushes, looking at one, then the other, like in a tennis match, as we hear slurps from one side and then the other in rapid succession.
Several animals(mostly female) were nauseated by the slurping sounds.
Finally, Pumbaa sinks down in trepidation, and the camera switches back to Simba and Timon, who are slumped against the rock table, only one snail left in front of each of them. In extreme perspective, Simba reaches for his final snail and shudders.
SIMBA:
*groans*
Simba slurps the snail down.
SIMBA:
*belches*
"Better out than in, I always say!" Dusty joked.
Simba tosses the shell away with a drunken smirk and rests his head on his paws. Timon looks uncertainly at his final snail. He picks it up, his belly bulging out over the edge of the rock. The snail in his hands morphs into Pumbaa.
"What in the Pride Lands?!" Kion exclaimed.
PUMBAA SNAIL:
I told you this wasn't such a good idea!
Timon gags. In slow motion, he throws the snail up in defeat and collapses backward onto the ground. His arm falls limply against the grass. In regular speed, the snail lands on the rock table and crawls away frantically. Cut to an overhead view of Timon lying on the ground. The camera slowly zooms out to show the large pile of snail shells next to him.
"Looks like Simba wins again." Kovu smirked.
PUMBAA:
[voiceover] Thus did the pupil surpass the teacher.
TIMON:
[voiceover] You've been hanging around with the monkey again, haven't you?
Everyone looked at Rafiki and Pumbaa, who tried to look innocent.
Pumbaa approaches Timon, looking concerned. He helps Timon stand.
TIMON:
Uh. [Timon watches Simba swagger away.] Our Simba is growing up.
"It happens so fast." Ma wistfully mused.
Timon and Pumbaa stare after Simba wistfully. Timon gesticulates holding a baby.
TIMON:
IS THIS THE LITTLE BOY I CARRIED?
"I don't think it's physically possible for you to carry him on your own." Ono advised. "Work with me here, huh?" Timon replied.
Pumbaa looks at Timon.
PUMBAA:
WHEN DID HE GROW TO BE SO TALL?
TIMON AND PUMBAA:
WASN'T IT YESTERDAY WHEN HE WAS SMALL?
"I think all parents feel that way." Ananda smiled sadly. "One moment your child is sleeping in your paws, the next they're going out on their first hunt or fighting to protect their home." Nala reminisced.
The scene transitions to a view of the sky. Timon floats up into the air.
Chorus:
SUNRISE, [At the peak of his flight, Timon does a split.] SUNSET. [Timon falls offscreen.] SUNRISE, [Pumbaa floats up and, at the peak of his flight, poses like a ballerina.], SUNSET. [Pumbaa falls offscreen.]
"How are they flying?" Kijana asked. "I dunno, but it looks fun!" Dogo yipped excitedly.
SWIFTLY [An adult Simba floats up and, at the peak of his flight, takes a casual pose. He falls back down.] FLY [The camera follows Simba's fall to show him, Timon, and Pumbaa bouncing off a trampoline of vines. Simba grabs Timon and Pumbaa as they bounce back up.] THE YEARS,
"Oh, they're bouncing on the vines." Rani realized.
At the peak of their flight, the three laugh, then fall back down. Cut to the three on their backs looking at the stars.
ONE SEASON FOLLOWING ANOTHER, [Cut to Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa hanging in vine hammocks while Simba lightly pushes his friends with his feet.] LADEN WITH HAPPINESS AND TEARS.
"Those hammocks look really relaxing." Spirit whispered. "I know, I could fall asleep in those." Dusty replied.
The scene transitions to a bubbling pool in the jungle. Pumbaa and Simba relax in the water.
PUMBAA:
So, you see, that's why they call it a dung beetle.
Simba looks at Pumbaa in disgust.
SIMBA:
Ewww. You don't say. And yet still so tasty.
"Especially the utamu!" Bunga salivated at the thought of said grubs.
PUMBAA:
Oh, yeah, [Timon walks up to the edge of the pool, holding a leaf like it's a towel.] and they're my favorite too.
Timon throws the leaf aside and tests the water with his toe.
TIMON:
Ooh! [Timon begins easing himself into the pool.] Ah. Ah.
Timon slides fully into the pool. He, Pumbaa, and Simba relax in the water.
"That looks really relaxing." Tiifu commented. "Just like the mud pools we went in." Zuri added. "Um…" Timon was about to say something, but Spirit signaled him not to.
TIMON:
Just what the doctor ordered.
PUMBAA:
Yep. After a long day of doing nothing, it's good to kick back.
SIMBA:
Three pals and no worries. What more could you want?
"That's all they need!" Spirit joked.
SIMBA, TIMON, AND PUMBAA:
Ah.
PUMBAA:
*yawns* [Pumbaa stretches and rubs his backside.] I'm bushed. [Pumbaa starts to climb out of the pool.] Think I'll turn in for the night.
Pumbaa gets out of the pool, and the bubbles immediately stop. Pumbaa waddles away. Simba and Timon open their eyes and stare after Pumbaa. They look down at the pool in disgust, then at each other.
"Wait, where did the bubbles go?" Chungu asked. Everyone groaned in disgust when they realized what the 'bubbles' actually were.
TIMON:
I'm out.
Timon darts out of the pool. Simba does the same.
SIMBA:
Right behind you.
"I wouldn't want to stay in that water." Beshte spoke up.
Pumbaa approaches his leaf bed. Simba and Timon run to join him. As the three slide into bed together, Simba gives Pumbaa a noogie.
SIMBA:
Oh!
PUMBAA:
Ah, ha, ha! You're killing me!
Timon tickles Simba.
"Ahh, memories." Timon sighed. "Those were the days, right Timon?" Pumbaa added. "Right, pal." He replied.
SIMBA:
*laughs*
Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa snuggle together and close their eyes. Pumbaa looks at Timon.
PUMBAA:
Timon, it's your turn to say good night.
Pumbaa closes his eyes.
TIMON:
Good night!
Simba glances at Timon.
SIMBA:
Sleep tight!
Pumbaa glances at Timon.
PUMBAA:
Dream of bedbugs tonight! [Pumbaa instantly passes out.] *snores*
Simba moves his paw so his head is resting on it, and Pumbaa gets comically squished. Timon lies with Simba's other paw over him. Simba moves it unconsciously, and Timon, realizing what is happening, grabs for it and snuggles with it again. The camera slowly zooms out from Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa.
Many animals couldn't help smiling at the sight of the three friends snuggled together.
TIMON:
[voiceover] Ah. You go to admit, we had a pretty good thing going there.
PUMBAA:
[voiceover] We could've gone on like that forever.
TIMON:
[voiceover] Except for one teeny, weeny, little thing we forgot to count on.
"What was it?" Madoa asked. "Me showing up in the jungle and reuniting with Simba." Nala replied. "I'm guessing they weren't happy about you taking Simba away from them?" Ono guessed. "No, they were not." Simba chuckled.
Sorry this chapter was a bit late, as I was extremely busy last month and didn't have as much time to write as usual. I hope you enjoyed! See you next time for Operation: Can't Feel the Love Tonight!