A/N: Yes, I am quite aware this a rather weird ended piece. It's sorta a PoV of Terk. I wrote it about a year ago when I had not yet discovered the joys of JK Rowling and was on somewhat of a Disney kick. Anywayers...um...eh-heh I just dug this up and posted it on a whim, so please don't kill me for it, 'kay?
The effects of junglewear on moody gorillas
It was a peaceful day in the jungle, perhaps a bit too quiet. The baboons had long ceased their usual chattering and the joyous songs of tropical birds had died down to no more than a whisper in the treetops. The only noticeable sound was the crash of a waterfall off in the distance. The tranquility was not to last for long though, because all too soon there was a rustle in the undergrowth and the most bizarre sight emerged from it.
A female gorilla, wearing a yellow Victorian-style gown stumbled into the clearing. She paused to catch her breath; panting and brushing a few stray leaves out of her hair. As she yanked clumsily at her ill-fitting outfit, an elephant crashed through the brush behind her. A little jacket and safari hat covered his trunk, a grass 'mustache' topping off the strange display. He glanced back worriedly for a moment before turning to his companion.
"You think we lost 'em Terk?" The gorilla adjusted her own hat and turned to the elephant with a sigh.
"Tant, look, if ya keep askin' me that we aren't. Now shut
yer trunk already! Yer givin' me a headache!" Again Tantor looked
back to where they had come from, his eyes round
"But what if Kerchak-"
"He ain't gonna catch up just yet, relax."
Terk cut in, tugging at the hem of her skirt. "At least you don't
gotta wear this..this..thing!" she scowled with a look of disgust.
The dress was already badly stained with mud and holes were ripped in the
fine cloth. Terk's mop of hair flopped in her face, her hat slowly
slipping off her head. While the hem of her dress dragged on the
floor, the top was way too small. Already the back buttons had popped
open and yet still the front was tight. A thick messy line of lipstick
spread across her mouth, completing the absurd look. The young ape
grumbled, finally catching her breath "geez, this is sooo annoying! If
I had to go tramp around the jungle with this thing on every day I think
I'd throw myself to the leopards." she whined, her hands on her hips.
"Aw Terk, you look so cute!" Tantor grinned,
muffling a chuckle. Terk only rolled her eyes
"How did he ever get me into this?" she muttered,
"Why did I ever listen to that freaky Tarzan! I waste half my beautiful
childhood making sure he doesn't wind up stranglin' himself in vines and
this is how he repays me?". Panicked, Tantor clapped his trunk over Terk's
mouth before she started another outburst. Together they scanned
the area for Kerchak again. Terk frowned, why she was roped into
this, she didn't know. All she knew was her best buddy put her in
charge of losing the family's leader while he was off hanging out with
his new friend.
Ever since Tarzan had defeated the killer leopard
Sabor, he had been acting a little strange. Not that he wasn't strange
to begin with. Tarzan was, after all, a freak (to put it bluntly).
He didn't look at all like the other gorillas in the troop and was practically
an outcast in the family. No one knew exactly where he came from
or what he was. Terk was his best friend, that is..till the new hairless
wonder came along.
Terk had only seen her once, briefly, and boy did
she look weird! In fact she looked remarkably similar to Tarzan!
He was even convinced they were the same species. At first Terk found
this funny, but now it was getting rather irritating. Every day he
would wake up at the crack of dawn and not return till nightfall.
Kala had been worried sick. Terk was worried too, not about Tarzan, but
about their friendship. Since they were young, Tarzan and Terk had
been inseparable. Now that Tarzan ran off every morning to go hang
with other hairless freaks, Terk was lonely...and more than a little jealous.
Then, Tarzan had the nerve to ask her to help him distract Kerchak while he showed his new friend off to the rest of the family. While Kerchak didn't exactly hate Tarzan, he wasn't his biggest fan either. Kerchak told then to stay away from the strangers in the jungle, and technically what Tarzan was doing was downright forbidden. And here she was, romping through the jungle in the strangest costume ever created!
Terk knew from the beginning that something wasn't right. She felt a little guilty about tricking Kerchak too. Besides, if Tarzan got in trouble, maybe he'd never hang around his new friends again. She was sick of hearing Tarzan blabber on and on about this "Jane" creature all day. So Terk decided to call it quits. As she began to hear Kerchak tromping throughout the foliage in the distance, she turned and headed off in the direction of the nesting grounds. Tantor stumbled after her with a dazed expression on his face.
"Uh..Terk? You're going the wrong way." The gorilla only smirked, hiking up her muddy skirt.
"I know."
Kerchak's noise grew louder and the two took off, making a beeline to where the rest of the family was. Panting, Tantor gasped out "But...but this'll ruin everything!" When Terk made no reply, Tantor spoke up again "Terk?" She stopped short and turned to the elephant with an exasperated sigh.
"Wha-at!" She exclaimed a bit grumpily. Tantor only gave a bemused smile, cocking his head to the side
"Your lipstick is running."
Terk rolled her eyes and tugged at his trunk,
obviously not finding the humor of the whole situation anymore. "Shut up
and move it" she ordered, climbing onto Tantor's back. They continued onward,
an angry silverback at their heels. As the two neared the nesting grounds,
yellow cloth billowed around Terk like a big flag. As she swatted
the dress down, the material suddenly flopped in Tantor's face, catching
on his tusks. The elephant trumpeted, panicked as his view was blocked.
"Ahhh! It's attacking me! Get it off! Get it off!"
He shrieked, skidding to a stop as he cowered, tripping over a large root.
Terk's eyes widened as she was flung off his back, thrown headfirst into
the clearing just narrowly missing a tree branch. She landed with a loud
thump, blinking in shock as her hair splayed out in all directions. Glancing
down at what she had landed on, she realized it was…Tantor's rump. He had
tumbled into the nesting grounds only to wind up upside-down, gasping for
breath dizzily. Looking up again, she found the whole troop staring at
her, plus a few bewildered strangers. She winced lightly as she saw the
look in Tarzan's eyes as he groaned.
"Oh no…"
With a loud roar, Kerchak burst through the clearing, beating his chest in rage. Terk looked away with another grimace as she realized this was bad...very bad. What happened next was a blur. Terk was more concerned with getting the hot, itchy outfit off then paying attention to anything else. She thrashed about, the entire dress splitting down the back as she yanked it off, tossing the torn garment aside in a heap. Terk turned to the rest of the troop to find Tarzan with Kerchak in a headlock! What on earth was he doing! Terk's jaw dropped, staring at her friend in disbelief. She looked to Tantor, who had an equal look of confusion. Fear gripped her for a moment, what was he trying to do, kill Kerchak? The strange creatures ran off into the jungle till finally Tarzan released his grip, leaping back and staring at his hands in a dazed way.
An uneasy silence fell upon the group, all eyes on Kerchak and Tarzan. Instead of protecting the family, he had risked the lives of every one of them. Then he attacked their leader? Kerchak seemed equally stunned though he just frowned deeply, offering nothing but a cold stare. After what seemed like ages, Tarzan ran off into the trees. Sighing, Terk shook her head, still shocked. "Geez, who tied his loincloth too tight!" Sets of eyes turned to her, all emotionless. Terk ignored the odd looks and chuckled, trying to lighten the mood "I mean..er…eh-heh..what is up with him?"
"We were hoping maybe you could explain that Terkina."
Terk gulped. She knew that voice
from anywhere, and looking to the left, her eyes met the stern face
of her mother. She took a deep breath.
"Well…ya see uh..Tarzan, he comes up to us and…and he says" she stuttered, staring down at her feet sheepishly. Tantor took over from there, confessing how Tarzan had convinced them to dress as humans to distract Kerchak Terk shut her eyes, not wanting to see the looks on their faces. Many of the older gorillas shook their head, murmuring to themselves in disapproval. It wasn't supposed to happen like this! Tarzan was supposed to get in trouble, not her!
Kerchak spoke sternly "Do you realize you put the family in danger? What were you thinking?" Terk shrugged meekly, her head hung shamefully. Kerchak had a way of making you feel guilty. His voice was firm and powerful, and for once Terk's voice fell to barley a whisper
"I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't think anything bad would really happen and Tarzan said-"
"Terk! You're the responsible one here and-"
"-And you're saying this happened because Tarzan isn't our kind" Kala's voice softly cut in. "he just doesn't realize-"
"Then when is he?" Kerchak asked gruffly, "You knew
this would happen Kala, and now he must go where he belongs" His point
being made, Kerchak stormed off. Others started to disperse, fixing their
nests for the night as if nothing unusual had happened. Kala sighed deeply
and rested her hand on Terk's shoulder.
"It's not your fault…it isn't anyone's fault. Let
me go talk to him"
"Okay auntie K" Terk mumbled softly. Kala wandered off in the direction Tarzan had retreated. A tangle of thoughts clouded Terk's mind, thicker than the dense undergrowth of the jungle itself. She needed to go off on her own somewhere, to have time to think. She turned to go off on her own when her pal Flynt called out to her
"Hey Terk!" Flynt grinned, having found her deposited dress "Wanna play dress up?" he smirked mockingly, clad in the tattered outfit. Terk only rolled her eyes and folded her arms
"No thanks, I already wore the thing"
"Lookit me! I'm a hairless wonder!" Mungo exclaimed, running up to Flynt and Terk. Tantor's safari hat planted on his head, Mungo danced in circles chanting "Look at me! I'm a freak! Look at me! I'm a freak!" Terk scowled, in a bad mood already and in no mood whatsoever for games
"That's real nice, now either shut up or feed yourself
to a leopard" she grumbled, shoving both of them away. Flynt and Mungo
only looked at each other and shrugged, sauntering off and leaving her
alone.