Timon felt his grip slipping and he gasped at the painful strain in his
hands and arms. He knew he couldn't hold on much longer. His strength was
quickly diminishing, but that was the least of his problems right now. The
very least...
Bazil stared down at meerkat over the bridge of his nose, watching smugly as the small creature helplessly clawed at the rocks on the edge of the cliff. He considered just waiting for him to fall on his own, but knew there were would be no fun in that. He took a step down from the rock he stood at and carefully advanced down the slope to where meerkat was clinging to life, grinning excitedly.
Time to end this, Bazil thought.
Timon looked up, noticing the cat's movement in the corner of his eye. His breath quickened, knowing this was it... Just as he was about to close his eyes and let him come, he realized... he wasn't just fighting for himself... Pumbaa needed him.
His eyes snapped up to Bazil, who was now only a foot away, and Timon's face hardened in determination. Looking around, Timon spotted a limb a short distance away from his right... if only he could get to that.
"Any last words?" he heard Bazil say and Timon jerked his head up to see the big cat's paw raised up in the air.
"Yeah!" Timon shouted. "Don't forget to write!" And with that, he swung his lower body up and kicked a large stone next to him. The rock gave, causing a ripple effect all the way up to where the leopard was standing. Bazil looked down, his face dropping as the very ground beneath him began to slide downward.
Rocks tumbled by Timon, threatening to make him lose his grip as well. Shifting his hold, Timon turned his head and watched as the cat helpless clawed at the moving stones, before he, himself, was rolled right over the edge, giving a tremendous roar all the way down.
Timon cringed when his shouts were abruptly ended and resisted the urge to look below him. He didn't have to see the mess to know that the cat was dead.
Timon took a sigh of relief, but his crisis wasn't over. He felt the rocks underneath him shift as well and his eyes widened. Turning his head to the right, he looked desperately at the lone limb hanging out from the edge, knowing he had to get to it before the rocks started to tumble.
Which was very soon...
* * * *
"He, ah... said he can't," Nuni replied carefully. "He just can't bear seeing you again. I tried to reason with him, telling him to at least say goodbye to you. But he wouldn't budge. He was still too angry."
Pumbaa stared at her for a moment and was about to say something but was cut short when they heard a great roar erupt through the jungle. Pumbaa looked around as the echo slowly died away, before he turned to Nuni in question. "What was that?"
Nuni looked equally confused. "Sounded like..." Her eyes widened and she jumped to her feet. "Bazil, ah, is... probably just out hunting."
"It sounded like a distressed call."
"He always sounds like that," she answered quickly.
Ignoring her, Pumbaa turned and darted into the woods in the direction of the howl. Nuni took a breath and followed after him, yelling for him to stop.
Pumbaa reached the clearing and skidded to a stop just before the edge of the small slope. He cringed and leaned over as far as he could, looking down the cliff to the rocky bottom below. He frowned when he spotted something half buried by gray stones, too covered up to make it out.
Nuni broke through the brush as well and stopped beside him, following his gaze down to the bottom. She gasped and backed away a little, surprised by the sight.
"Bazil," she whispered in shock. She shook her head, desperate to not believe it, but when the impact slowly sank in, her face hardened. "That meerkat killed my friend."
Pumbaa looked at her with wide eyes. "Timon?" Pumbaa asked, turning to look around the cliff fearfully. "Is Timon here? Where's Timon?"
Bazil stared down at meerkat over the bridge of his nose, watching smugly as the small creature helplessly clawed at the rocks on the edge of the cliff. He considered just waiting for him to fall on his own, but knew there were would be no fun in that. He took a step down from the rock he stood at and carefully advanced down the slope to where meerkat was clinging to life, grinning excitedly.
Time to end this, Bazil thought.
Timon looked up, noticing the cat's movement in the corner of his eye. His breath quickened, knowing this was it... Just as he was about to close his eyes and let him come, he realized... he wasn't just fighting for himself... Pumbaa needed him.
His eyes snapped up to Bazil, who was now only a foot away, and Timon's face hardened in determination. Looking around, Timon spotted a limb a short distance away from his right... if only he could get to that.
"Any last words?" he heard Bazil say and Timon jerked his head up to see the big cat's paw raised up in the air.
"Yeah!" Timon shouted. "Don't forget to write!" And with that, he swung his lower body up and kicked a large stone next to him. The rock gave, causing a ripple effect all the way up to where the leopard was standing. Bazil looked down, his face dropping as the very ground beneath him began to slide downward.
Rocks tumbled by Timon, threatening to make him lose his grip as well. Shifting his hold, Timon turned his head and watched as the cat helpless clawed at the moving stones, before he, himself, was rolled right over the edge, giving a tremendous roar all the way down.
Timon cringed when his shouts were abruptly ended and resisted the urge to look below him. He didn't have to see the mess to know that the cat was dead.
Timon took a sigh of relief, but his crisis wasn't over. He felt the rocks underneath him shift as well and his eyes widened. Turning his head to the right, he looked desperately at the lone limb hanging out from the edge, knowing he had to get to it before the rocks started to tumble.
Which was very soon...
* * * *
"He, ah... said he can't," Nuni replied carefully. "He just can't bear seeing you again. I tried to reason with him, telling him to at least say goodbye to you. But he wouldn't budge. He was still too angry."
Pumbaa stared at her for a moment and was about to say something but was cut short when they heard a great roar erupt through the jungle. Pumbaa looked around as the echo slowly died away, before he turned to Nuni in question. "What was that?"
Nuni looked equally confused. "Sounded like..." Her eyes widened and she jumped to her feet. "Bazil, ah, is... probably just out hunting."
"It sounded like a distressed call."
"He always sounds like that," she answered quickly.
Ignoring her, Pumbaa turned and darted into the woods in the direction of the howl. Nuni took a breath and followed after him, yelling for him to stop.
Pumbaa reached the clearing and skidded to a stop just before the edge of the small slope. He cringed and leaned over as far as he could, looking down the cliff to the rocky bottom below. He frowned when he spotted something half buried by gray stones, too covered up to make it out.
Nuni broke through the brush as well and stopped beside him, following his gaze down to the bottom. She gasped and backed away a little, surprised by the sight.
"Bazil," she whispered in shock. She shook her head, desperate to not believe it, but when the impact slowly sank in, her face hardened. "That meerkat killed my friend."
Pumbaa looked at her with wide eyes. "Timon?" Pumbaa asked, turning to look around the cliff fearfully. "Is Timon here? Where's Timon?"