Timon stumbled forward and turned his head to glare accusingly at the hyena
behind him. But the large gray creature just sneered down at the meerkat
and said in response, "Move faster!"
"I would if didn't have a pushy, pestering poacher on my back every few seconds!" Timon clipped back.
Banzai shoved his face into the meerkat and snarled, "What did you say to me?"
Without a bat of an eye, Timon snapped back, "Am I talking too fast for ya? Should I slow it down?" Timon took a breath and separated each word, "Get. Off. My. Back!"
Banzai leaned away from him, shocked at the meerkat's sudden audacity and tossed Ed a look. Timon remained staring at the two grimly, even though he knew inside that he could be easily eaten at any moment. Quickly, he added, "Look, I want to find her too... but bullying me isn't going to help."
"That's where you're wrong, hairball," Banzai grinned. "It does help... it helps ME feel better."
Timon scoffed and fanned a paw at him disgustedly, replying, "You hyenas are all the same! You pick on those who are smaller than you and run from those who are larger. You're just egotistical cowards."
Banzai glared at him. "I think you're being a little too brave now-a-days, rat. You've been hanging around a hyena too long."
"What does she see in you guys anyway?" Timon asked with a wrinkled nose.
"We're her friends!" Banzai shouted. "Until you came along! What does she see in YOU?
"I'm a better friend than you two would ever be."
Banzai flinched and then narrowed his eyes, growling, "I'm going to make you eat those words."
Timon opened his mouth to shoot something back in return but thought better of it—he had already dug himself in a big enough hole already. And by the wild look of fury in Banzai's eyes, he was starting to regret it. When HAD he become so brave?
"You have no idea what you're messing with, rat," Banzai said. "Allow me to enlighten you!"
Just then, the hyena lunged at him and Timon had no time to react before he was rolling across the ground. He landed on his side with his nose in the dirt, groaning when his sore muscles began to scream. He turned onto his back and looked up at the hyena that stood over him, gulping in fear.
"I don't think you feel the pressure of what you're up against," Banzai grinned, putting his paw onto of Timon's chest and pressing down. The meerkat gasped and clawed at his foot, but the hyena did now let up. Banzai just leaned his head down to look at the meerkat, adding, "You feel it now?"
Timon bobbed his head desperately, struggling to catch his breath but failing. The hyena continued to push down, almost to the point of crushing bones, and Timon's face began to turn blue. Timon started to feel dizzy and as hard as he tried, he couldn't get the hyena over him in focus. He was near to loosing consciousness when a blur of gold swept over him, knocking the hyena to the side. Timon sucked in a large mouthful of air, but still felt incredibly dizzy. There was a lot of noise around him that he couldn't make out. He turned his head slowly to try to see what was going on, but felt himself being lifted up off the ground and carried away.
He was set gently on the ground and he just sat there for a moment, swaying a little as all the blood rushed back to his head. Blinking to clear his vision, he looked up at the shape beside him and squinted desperately to make it out.
"You okay, Squirt?"
Timon grinned when Shenzi came into focus, never in his life happier to see her. She smiled uneasily back at him, looking about as awful as he felt.
"Oh, you know," Timon began with a fan of his paw. "We little guys are tougher than we look."
"Uh huh," she replied with a crook of an eyebrow.
Timon frowned when he heard yelping a short distance away and looked up at her with concern. "What's going on?"
Shenzi grinned and jerked her head over her shoulder. "A few of my foolish friends are getting a crash course lesson on what it means to be courteous."
"Aren't you worried that they'll be hurt?" Timon asked, crooking an eyebrow.
Shenzi's face drooped and she leaned down toward him, nudging him gently with her paw. "They hurt you."
Timon smiled a little at her. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Pssh, who said I was okay?" she replied, shaking her head. "We big guys are frailer than we look."
Timon smiled at her. "I have a feeling you'll be okay."
"Yeah, somewhat," Shenzi sighed, casting a look over her shoulder when the yelping quieted down. She turned back to him and shrugged a little, "My appetite will never be the same."
"How you figure?" Timon asked.
"Well, whenever I come across a helpless, whiney creature... I will think of you."
Timon shook his head. "Gee, thanks."
"What about you? Will you be okay?"
"Yeah," Timon grinned. He looked away in thought and said with a shrug, "Whenever I come across a mean, bad-tempered creature, I will think of... well, running."
Shenzi chuckled and then shoved him with her paw. "You're not so bad for a squirt."
Timon hissed through his teeth and grabbed his ribs, but managed a small smile for her. "Thanks, I think."
Shenzi shot the grass behind her a look and then sighed heavily. "Well, I hope things get back on track with your friends."
"Yeah, me too."
She looked down at him and smiled a little, before leaning down and nuzzling him with her nose. "Bye, Squirt."
Timon was a bit taken back by the sudden affection she was showing him, but his only response was to nuzzle her back. She leaned away and stared at him for a moment, before Timon said uneasily, "I thought you hated long goodbyes."
"I know, I'm a complete and utter sap," she griped, twisting her mouth disgustedly. She leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Just don't tell anyone, okay?"
Timon beamed. "I won't. They wouldn't believe me anyway."
"Good," Shenzi said with a wink. She stood up and looked around with a frown, before saying, "Well, I guess this is it."
Timon stood up slowly and gazed up at her. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Take care of yourself, Sq—" she paused, then said, "Timon."
He smiled. "You too, Shenzi."
She turned and then froze when she saw that Simba, Pumbaa and the two hyenas stood behind her. They looked exhausted, but no longer angry, which was a sign that they had settled their differences. Shenzi looked from Ed and Banzai to Simba, who took a step toward her.
"I want to apologize, Shenzi," Simba replied. "Any friend of Timon is a friend of mine. I should have listened to him."
"Ah, don't sweat it, your mighty-ness," she said. "You can just make it up to me by letting me live off of your Pride Lands."
Simba crooked an eyebrow.
Shenzi grinned and shrugged. "Okay, well it was worth a shot." She turned and gave Timon a wink, before saying, "I'll see ya around, Squirt." She turned back to Simba and Pumbaa and nodded once at them. "Gentlemen." Walking toward Ed and Banzai, she screeched, "Alright, you idiots! Let's go home."
Simba and Pumbaa both watched as the three hyenas trotted away, before turning to the meerkat standing alone. Timon sensed their gazes and looked over at them, giving them a smile before sitting heavily back down.
Simba and Pumbaa slowly approached him, taking a seat on either side of him and falling into an awkward silence. Timon twisted his lips and looked up between the two, wondering who was going to go first.
"Thanks," Timon whispered.
"Yup," Simba replied.
Timon looked down and twiddled his thumbs for a moment, and then added, "And I'm sorry for what I said about you being some king. You're a great king, Simba. Your pops would be proud."
Simba sighed and looked down at him. "Thank you."
Timon grinned and then turned his head to look at Pumbaa. "And I'm sorry for just leaving ya, buddy. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It is okay," Pumbaa replied in a tight voice. He stared down at him for a long moment, his lip trembling, before he sobbed and scooped Timon up into a hug. "Oh, I missed you!"
"Oh! Pumbaa!" Timon gagged, feeling his muscles surge with agony. "Too tight! Too tight!"
"Oh, sorry," the warthog said, setting him back down sheepishly.
Timon smiled and patted his large friend twice, before turning back to Simba. "So, can I come back, Simba?"
Simba smiled. "You don't even have to ask."
"Well, whew," Timon said, wiping his brow. "Good, because being on the outside was pretty rough. I mean, she hardly carried me!" He turned to beam a large smile at Pumbaa, who in turn bowed his head.
"Climb aboard, buddy!"
"Oh, thank you!" Timon grinned, pulling himself up somewhat awkwardly onto the warthog's head. He sighed and nestled down on the soft black hair of his friend's head, suddenly realizing how much he missed the spot.
And as they started off toward Pride Rock, Timon grinned and shot the Out Lands a quick look. He never knew how good he had it until he was standing on the outside looking in.
And boy, did he have it good.
Note: I'm suddenly very sad to have ended this one. It had a special place in my heart –swoons-. I really hope you guys liked it!
"I would if didn't have a pushy, pestering poacher on my back every few seconds!" Timon clipped back.
Banzai shoved his face into the meerkat and snarled, "What did you say to me?"
Without a bat of an eye, Timon snapped back, "Am I talking too fast for ya? Should I slow it down?" Timon took a breath and separated each word, "Get. Off. My. Back!"
Banzai leaned away from him, shocked at the meerkat's sudden audacity and tossed Ed a look. Timon remained staring at the two grimly, even though he knew inside that he could be easily eaten at any moment. Quickly, he added, "Look, I want to find her too... but bullying me isn't going to help."
"That's where you're wrong, hairball," Banzai grinned. "It does help... it helps ME feel better."
Timon scoffed and fanned a paw at him disgustedly, replying, "You hyenas are all the same! You pick on those who are smaller than you and run from those who are larger. You're just egotistical cowards."
Banzai glared at him. "I think you're being a little too brave now-a-days, rat. You've been hanging around a hyena too long."
"What does she see in you guys anyway?" Timon asked with a wrinkled nose.
"We're her friends!" Banzai shouted. "Until you came along! What does she see in YOU?
"I'm a better friend than you two would ever be."
Banzai flinched and then narrowed his eyes, growling, "I'm going to make you eat those words."
Timon opened his mouth to shoot something back in return but thought better of it—he had already dug himself in a big enough hole already. And by the wild look of fury in Banzai's eyes, he was starting to regret it. When HAD he become so brave?
"You have no idea what you're messing with, rat," Banzai said. "Allow me to enlighten you!"
Just then, the hyena lunged at him and Timon had no time to react before he was rolling across the ground. He landed on his side with his nose in the dirt, groaning when his sore muscles began to scream. He turned onto his back and looked up at the hyena that stood over him, gulping in fear.
"I don't think you feel the pressure of what you're up against," Banzai grinned, putting his paw onto of Timon's chest and pressing down. The meerkat gasped and clawed at his foot, but the hyena did now let up. Banzai just leaned his head down to look at the meerkat, adding, "You feel it now?"
Timon bobbed his head desperately, struggling to catch his breath but failing. The hyena continued to push down, almost to the point of crushing bones, and Timon's face began to turn blue. Timon started to feel dizzy and as hard as he tried, he couldn't get the hyena over him in focus. He was near to loosing consciousness when a blur of gold swept over him, knocking the hyena to the side. Timon sucked in a large mouthful of air, but still felt incredibly dizzy. There was a lot of noise around him that he couldn't make out. He turned his head slowly to try to see what was going on, but felt himself being lifted up off the ground and carried away.
He was set gently on the ground and he just sat there for a moment, swaying a little as all the blood rushed back to his head. Blinking to clear his vision, he looked up at the shape beside him and squinted desperately to make it out.
"You okay, Squirt?"
Timon grinned when Shenzi came into focus, never in his life happier to see her. She smiled uneasily back at him, looking about as awful as he felt.
"Oh, you know," Timon began with a fan of his paw. "We little guys are tougher than we look."
"Uh huh," she replied with a crook of an eyebrow.
Timon frowned when he heard yelping a short distance away and looked up at her with concern. "What's going on?"
Shenzi grinned and jerked her head over her shoulder. "A few of my foolish friends are getting a crash course lesson on what it means to be courteous."
"Aren't you worried that they'll be hurt?" Timon asked, crooking an eyebrow.
Shenzi's face drooped and she leaned down toward him, nudging him gently with her paw. "They hurt you."
Timon smiled a little at her. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Pssh, who said I was okay?" she replied, shaking her head. "We big guys are frailer than we look."
Timon smiled at her. "I have a feeling you'll be okay."
"Yeah, somewhat," Shenzi sighed, casting a look over her shoulder when the yelping quieted down. She turned back to him and shrugged a little, "My appetite will never be the same."
"How you figure?" Timon asked.
"Well, whenever I come across a helpless, whiney creature... I will think of you."
Timon shook his head. "Gee, thanks."
"What about you? Will you be okay?"
"Yeah," Timon grinned. He looked away in thought and said with a shrug, "Whenever I come across a mean, bad-tempered creature, I will think of... well, running."
Shenzi chuckled and then shoved him with her paw. "You're not so bad for a squirt."
Timon hissed through his teeth and grabbed his ribs, but managed a small smile for her. "Thanks, I think."
Shenzi shot the grass behind her a look and then sighed heavily. "Well, I hope things get back on track with your friends."
"Yeah, me too."
She looked down at him and smiled a little, before leaning down and nuzzling him with her nose. "Bye, Squirt."
Timon was a bit taken back by the sudden affection she was showing him, but his only response was to nuzzle her back. She leaned away and stared at him for a moment, before Timon said uneasily, "I thought you hated long goodbyes."
"I know, I'm a complete and utter sap," she griped, twisting her mouth disgustedly. She leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Just don't tell anyone, okay?"
Timon beamed. "I won't. They wouldn't believe me anyway."
"Good," Shenzi said with a wink. She stood up and looked around with a frown, before saying, "Well, I guess this is it."
Timon stood up slowly and gazed up at her. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Take care of yourself, Sq—" she paused, then said, "Timon."
He smiled. "You too, Shenzi."
She turned and then froze when she saw that Simba, Pumbaa and the two hyenas stood behind her. They looked exhausted, but no longer angry, which was a sign that they had settled their differences. Shenzi looked from Ed and Banzai to Simba, who took a step toward her.
"I want to apologize, Shenzi," Simba replied. "Any friend of Timon is a friend of mine. I should have listened to him."
"Ah, don't sweat it, your mighty-ness," she said. "You can just make it up to me by letting me live off of your Pride Lands."
Simba crooked an eyebrow.
Shenzi grinned and shrugged. "Okay, well it was worth a shot." She turned and gave Timon a wink, before saying, "I'll see ya around, Squirt." She turned back to Simba and Pumbaa and nodded once at them. "Gentlemen." Walking toward Ed and Banzai, she screeched, "Alright, you idiots! Let's go home."
Simba and Pumbaa both watched as the three hyenas trotted away, before turning to the meerkat standing alone. Timon sensed their gazes and looked over at them, giving them a smile before sitting heavily back down.
Simba and Pumbaa slowly approached him, taking a seat on either side of him and falling into an awkward silence. Timon twisted his lips and looked up between the two, wondering who was going to go first.
"Thanks," Timon whispered.
"Yup," Simba replied.
Timon looked down and twiddled his thumbs for a moment, and then added, "And I'm sorry for what I said about you being some king. You're a great king, Simba. Your pops would be proud."
Simba sighed and looked down at him. "Thank you."
Timon grinned and then turned his head to look at Pumbaa. "And I'm sorry for just leaving ya, buddy. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It is okay," Pumbaa replied in a tight voice. He stared down at him for a long moment, his lip trembling, before he sobbed and scooped Timon up into a hug. "Oh, I missed you!"
"Oh! Pumbaa!" Timon gagged, feeling his muscles surge with agony. "Too tight! Too tight!"
"Oh, sorry," the warthog said, setting him back down sheepishly.
Timon smiled and patted his large friend twice, before turning back to Simba. "So, can I come back, Simba?"
Simba smiled. "You don't even have to ask."
"Well, whew," Timon said, wiping his brow. "Good, because being on the outside was pretty rough. I mean, she hardly carried me!" He turned to beam a large smile at Pumbaa, who in turn bowed his head.
"Climb aboard, buddy!"
"Oh, thank you!" Timon grinned, pulling himself up somewhat awkwardly onto the warthog's head. He sighed and nestled down on the soft black hair of his friend's head, suddenly realizing how much he missed the spot.
And as they started off toward Pride Rock, Timon grinned and shot the Out Lands a quick look. He never knew how good he had it until he was standing on the outside looking in.
And boy, did he have it good.
Note: I'm suddenly very sad to have ended this one. It had a special place in my heart –swoons-. I really hope you guys liked it!