A/N well, expect me to be gone for about a week. Our school's senior trip this year is to Disney World and Universal Studios. We're taking a bus from Kentucky to Florida so I'll have plenty of time to write. I know this is super short, but I wanted to get something up before I leave.

I don't know what I'm going to do with Amani, but I'd like her to be in this a bit more than she has. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

So thank you to SunRise19, Pichooi, and MorpheusDreamer for reviewing! It's so nice to see a new reviewer! I'm glad you like it so far MD!

x x x

Amani lay on her stomach, stretched out along a low branch where she could see off into the desert. She squinted, tryingto tell whetherthe distant warthogwas alone.

'No doubt Timon's with him, I've never seen those two apart.' She thought, deciding that she had better let Max know, like she had been told to do. With a grunt she rolled off the branch, catching it just as she fell so she could drop safely to the one below. She didn't notice him standing there as she paused to recover from the drop. It was only when she bent to climb down again and he cleared his throat that she saw him. Amani gasped, startled, and clung to the limb, giving him an annoyed look.

"Can I help you?" she asked sourly. He smiled at her, but it came across as more of a smirk.

"Where are you going?" Amani didn't answer. She wasn't very familiar with the older members of the colony, if Max didn't like Pazu she wasn't sure she should either. Besides, this was just creepy. He frowned slightly. "I asked you a question."

"What should it matter to you where I'm going?" she said, still hanging halfway off the branch. Pazu walked closer to her. He leaned to peer down at the ground.

"It's not very far to the ground, but still…I imagine to fall would be very painful." She didn't quite get his meaning and scoffed, although she was a little worried.

"Yeah, if someone was enough of an idiot to—hey!" she cried out as he grabbed her arms, pulling her up and holding her out away from the branch. He didn't drop her, but held her out over the open air. Amani began to kick at him, crying out and hoping someone was nearby. "What are you crazy? Let me go, you idiot!"

"You want me to let go?" he asked innocently. She knew what he meant this time around and her tone changed instantly as she began to plead with him.

"Yes! No, I mean no! I mean-please just don't!" she ceased to struggle and hung there, staring at him imploringly. "What do you want?"

"Where were you going?" Pazu asked again. This time Amani sighed, gesturing out towards the desert with her head.

"I…I was just going to tell Max that Timon and Pumbaa were coming back." Pazu gave her a sour look. This wasn't what he had wanted to hear, and she feared for a moment that he was about to drop her. She was surprised, though, when he leaned close to her.

"I'm going to put you down. You are not going to Max. Instead, you need to spread the word that Hadiya is returning."

"Hadiya?"

"Yes. And she's alone. Understand?"

"But she's not-" he quieted her by jostling her out over the open air. She squealed and nodded furiously.

"She's alone! I got it!"

"Good." He pulled her back to safety, his scowl never fading. Amani returned as she began to climb down once more, shaken.

"I've got to quit volunteering for these kind of jobs..."