A/N: Thank you Pichooi, GlassRose101997, and LittleMeerkatGirl for reviewing! I'm hoping for some more reviews, otherwise I may not continue this Fanfic because of the seeming lack of interest. Anyway, for now, here's the third chapter!

~ ViolaViolette

Chapter Three

Moments after plunging into the tempestuous rapids, Timon was thrashed around as violently as a crocodile would shake its prey. He struggled for the surface, his lungs burning for air.

As soon as the meerkat broke the surface, opening his mouth to take a breath, he was forced under by another wave of water. Scrambling to get his bearings after being clobbered by the relentless waves, Timon was able to stay above the surface.

"Pumbaa!" he yelled, scanning the river and wiping water out of his eyes in attempt to clear his blurred vision."Adia!"

"Timon!"

The male meerkat swung his head to see Pumbaa swimming toward him, snorting water out of his nostrils. Timon began to swim to his companion, when the warthog disappeared from view after a wave passed before him. The meerkat was plunged into the unyielding rapids before he could take so much as another gasp of breath.

He forced his eyelids open. The water was dark and murky, obscuring his vision. Pumping his arms, Timon swam for the surface once again.

After breaking the surface, Timon realized that the rapids were becoming stronger. "Adia! Pumbaa!" he yelled desperately, using his arms and legs to keep his head above water.

Out of the corner of his eye, Timon noticed a piece of driftwood approaching him. He quickly swam toward it, hoping to use it to keep himself afloat.

On the spur of the moment, Timon noticed a dark, motionless figure lying limply across the dead wood. He squinted at the motionless body, trying to make out what it was. His eyes widened when he realized it was Adia. Her arms draped over one side of the log, her legs dangling in the water. The waves lapped at her already soaking fur, threatening to knock her from the log and drag her beneath the river's surface. The male meerkat paddled toward the unconscious female, struggling to keep his head above the water.

Grasping the log with one arm, he held Adia around the waist to keep her secure. She let out a soft, unconscious groan, limp in Timon's hold. Her head leaned against his chest.
The male meerkat began to cough as he scanned the roaring waters for his porcine pal. "Pumbaa," he called, pausing to fill his lungs, "where are ya?"

The warthog was still no where to be seen. Timon bit his lip, continuing to scrutinize the river's rapids for his partner, to no avail. As the river continued to drag the two meerkats downstream, Timon began to search for an easily accessible outcrop, where he would be able to drag himself and Adia to safety. He caught sight of a small bank and released the old driftwood, using one arm to swim toward it and the other to hold onto the unresponsive female.

He hoisted Adia's head above the water as he neared the riverbank, struggling to keep afloat himself. He reached out a paw, digging his fingers into the soft sand. After getting a decent hold, he pulled Adia onto the bank, causing his fingers to slowly slip and lose their grasp. He fell back into the rushing water, leaving Adia's unconscious body on the riverside, alone.

Bursting through the surface and gasping for air, Timon caught sight of Pumbaa once more. The warthog was struggling through the violent rapids, swimming in the male meerkat's direction.

Timon's fingers drifted by an old tree branch, which he quickly clung to. He was about to call out to Pumbaa, when another wave pummeled him, causing him to swallow a lungful of water as he was forced under the water. He came up moments later, gagging and coughing.

Pumbaa lowered his snout as he reached Timon, allowing the meerkat to scramble on. He clutched Pumbaa's ears in his paws, leading him back to the riverbank. "Adia's-" he coughed, "-back there!"

Pumbaa nodded as a response, struggling against the rapids as they headed back upstream. Coughing every now and then, the warthog quickly began to wear out, when they finally reached the riverbank. Timon slid off his accomplice's shoulders, steadying himself on the riverbank before grasping Pumbaa's tusks, heaving his pal onto the soft sand.

Timon collapsed onto his chest, coughing violently in attempt to empty the water from his lungs. Pumbaa groaned in exhaustion, his body racked with convulsions as he coughed. Timon wearily lifted his head, glancing in Adia's direction. Her eyes were closed and her body had remained quiescent.

The witty meerkat placed a paw on her shoulder, shaking her gently in attempt to rouse her. "Adia, you okay?" he croaked, coughing a few more times. "Adia?"

Pumbaa shakily got to his feet and ambled over to the meerkats, a look of concern on his face. "Is she..." he trailed off, "... dead?"

"No, she can't be!" snapped Timon, placing both paws on Adia's shoulders. Her fur was soaking wet, and little beads of water had gathered on her eyelashes. Her dark, reddish-brown hair was mussed and unkempt. Water dripped down the side of her face and down her chin.

"C'mon, lady! Gimme a sign!" Timon demanded, shaking her shoulders expeditiously. She offered no response, not a word nor a sound. He sighed sadly, releasing her shoulders and averting his eyes. "Nothing."

Pumbaa glanced at the motionless meerkat, a look of grief passing over his face. He trotted over to Timon to stand beside him as he continued to shake the female's shoulders. "Adia! C'mon!"
The warthog glanced closely at the meerkat. She was breathing, but just barely, and her breaths seemed quick and shallow, as if she were struggling to breathe. Getting an idea, Pumbaa carefully tilted his head toward Adia, sliding a tusk underneath her and flipping her onto her stomach. She immediately began coughing up water, her eyes opening slowly as she struggled to empty her lungs.

After glimpsing briefly at Pumbaa, Timon placed a paw on Adia's shoulder as her body racked with coughs. She took several shaky breaths before settling down on the ground, peering up at the warthog and meerkat. "W-what happened?" she murmured. "Where... where are we?"

"We're on the riverbank," said Pumbaa. "Timon saved your life! You almost drowned!"

The female meerkat looked towards Timon in disbelief. "You saved me?" Adia's eyes widened. "I obviously missed a lot." Seeing Timon, who seemed as if he were expecting a reward or some appreciation, she smirked. "I guess that makes us even."

"Hmm?" Timon raised a paw to his ear. "Anything else?"

Adia narrowed her eyes. "Thank you," she muttered, rolling her eyes and sitting up.

Timon smiled with satisfaction, standing in a proud stature. "Now we're even," he informed her. Ignoring Adia's glare, he glanced around the looming cliffs. The sky was beginning to darken, becoming the dark color of cooling embers. The sun was setting slowly, making vision a bit limited. Timon squinted as he tried to determine the group's location.

Adia glanced around as well, her body feeling weak and fatigued as she got to her feet, coughing once and a while. She leaned against Pumbaa's leg to support herself. As the sky darkened, she sighed. "We should find a place to sleep for the night."

Timon nodded in agreement, jumping onto Pumbaa's shoulders. Pumbaa lowered his head once more, allowing Adia to climb onto his back with ease. She settled herself beside Timon, her eyelids drooping with exhaustion.

Timon felt tired himself, but he managed to keep himself awake. He grabbed Pumbaa's ears, leading the warthog along the side of the cliffs to stick to the shadows, concealing the group from any predators that could be lurking around at night. Adia yawned quietly and rested her head in her paws, struggling to stay awake.

Pumbaa glanced at Adia over his shoulder. "You know, Miss Adia, you could get some sleep."

"Yeah," Timon agreed, "we can find a place to stay for the night. We'll wake you up if there's any danger."

"Are you sure?" questioned Adia, trying to stifle a yawn to no avail.

"Hakuna matata," Timon responded.

The female meerkat raised an eyebrow. "I've heard you use that expression before... um... a tuna frittata?" she guessed.

"Hakuna matata," corrected Timon, "it means 'no worries.'"

"Hmm," Adia said, lying down on Pumbaa's back. "That's an interesting motto." She closed her eyes, pausing a moment before continuing, "You two have pretty carefree lives, don't you?"

Timon and Pumbaa exchanged glances, not responding at first. After a few silent moments, Pumbaa finally said, "Well... we have a different lifestyle than you do," he said, choosing his words carefully.

"So that would be a 'yes,' correct?"

"... Well... sometimes danger threatens the Pridelands, but it's usually handled easily with the lions around," Pumbaa admitted. Glancing at Timon, he continued, "Although, it can get pretty lonely sometimes," he hinted at the male meerkat. Timon sent him a silent glare, which silenced the warthog from continuing any further.

"I know what you mean," the female responded, not opening her eyes. She intertwined her fingers through Pumbaa's thick, tousled mane. "Even if there are others to talk to... sometimes, I just feel like something's missing... I feel..."

"Empty?"

Adia opened her eyes in surprise, looking in Timon's direction. The witty meerkat locked gazes with Adia.

"That's it exactly," Adia murmured, closing her eyes a few moments later, falling into a peaceful sleep. Timon kept a careful eye on her as Pumbaa navigated through the gorge, the female's breathing becoming a soft whisper.

"Look, Timon," Pumbaa said, "a cave!" He picked up his pace, trotting quietly through the shadows as the small crevice in the rock became visible to the meerkat.

"Great, Pumbaa," he praised the warthog. Pumbaa beamed, slipping inside the cave and glancing around, observing the small area. He bent down, allowing Timon to slide down his snout and land on the cold stone ground. Adia snored softly, her fingers tangled in the warthog's dark mane.

"No sense in waking her up," Timon said. Pumbaa nodded in agreement, circling briefly and settling down in the center of the cave. The female meerkat remained in the same state, a slight shiver rocking her shoulders. She curled up on Pumbaa's back, briefly opening her eyes to glance at Timon.

"Good night," Adia murmured, turning onto her side and closing her eyes.

"Sleep tight," Timon replied, leaning against the cave wall, his eyelids closing slowly.

"Dream of bedbugs tonight!" Pumbaa interjected, smiling contentedly before falling into immediate sleep, snoring loudly and obnoxiously.

"You idiots! You let them get away!"

"I'm sorry, Jela," Ajabu muttered, "it was Erevu's fault."

"What?" Erevu hissed, lifting his injured leg off the ground. "If you hadn't left me behind, we would've stood a better chance-"

"Silence!"

Both of the lions fell silent immediately. A dark figure, cloaked by the shadows, narrowed his shocking green eyes at the two lions, his lips curling into a silent snarl.

"You will go back out there and scour the riverside until you find them, whether it takes you two hours or two months!" he snarled. "Those two will be our last chance to get to Simba!"

"But Jela," Ajabu said, his brow furrowed, "there is no way they can still be alive. They jumped off the gorge, into the river! No animal could survive a drop that high!"

"Are you questioning me, Ajabu?" Jela roared, his long claws scraping against the cold stone. Ajabu jumped backwards, quickly gaining back his composure.

"Not at all, Jela, not at all-" he began.

"Good. Then you will go back out there until you find them."

"And if we don't?" Erevu asked, limping forward.

"You will find them, or you will pay for it with your own lives."

Both of the lions gulped simultaneously, running for the cave exit as soon as the words escaped their leader's jaws. Jela chuckled darkly to himself, standing out in the cave entrance, watching the two lions limping for the hills. Erevu looked back once, throwing a hasty glance over his shoulder, but quickly followed Ajabu, who was already half-way to the gorge. Jela's gaze drifted to the Pridelands in the far distance. Smirking, he slunk towards the open, lush grasslands, standing at the border between the two territories. He stood underneath an acacia tree, masking him from the inhabitants of the savanna.

His gaze flickered to Pride Rock. He growled quietly. Scar, you had the right idea. Simba must be destroyed. He scowled. His grandson. He would fight for his grandson to his last breath. He smirked quietly. "And so he shall."

His green eyes caught sight of flustered feathered wings taking off for the sky. He thought for a moment as he watched the bird, knowing that it struck him as familiar. Suddenly, it hit him... the next step to destroy Simba. It was too obvious, it had been right under his nose. How hadn't he thought of it before?

Mufasa's majordomo, always at his side, always watching over his grandson, Imara, and the entire extent of the Pridelands. He would give him the most valuable intel, the juiciest details. More importantly, he could lead him to the king's friends, Timon and Pumbaa.

He chuckled to himself. "Zazu."