Part 3: Fall of an Ex-Wazari
Chapter 29
"The Battle of Opar: Part 2"
With La's hyenas hot on their tails, Tarzan, Basuli and the Wazari Warriors led them outside out into the open. The warriors managed to shoot as many of the hyenas as they could, but with each shot that was fired and with each hyena that fell, another would take its place and continue the pursuit. Seizing a chance to hide, Tarzan and Basuli managed to trick the hyenas into thinking that they had disappeared. However, the hyenas regained their focus when Tarzan broke out of the hiding place and grabbed the ear of one of the hyenas. Another hyena swung his axe at Tarzan with the intent of hitting Tarzan, but ending up hitting his comrade, killing him. Several more hyenas tried to stop Tarzan, but Basuli and several soldiers who had been hiding emerged and fired several more arrows at the hyenas striking them down. With most of the hyenas down, Tarzan and Basuli jumped into a small pool and the hyenas who chased them down, could not swim and drowned right then and there.
"Thanks Basuli," said Tarzan as they emerged from the water. "That will take there of them. What do we do now?" But, Basuli had to reprimand Tarzan for not letting him carry out his intention to end La's reign.
"You know," he said, trying to protest his earlier intention. "I had one good plan to stop La and you prevented that from happening."
This made Tarzan very cross at what Basuli had just said. He would not allow Jane to be killed, even if she was being possessed.
"Basuli, your plan would have killed Jane," replied Tarzan angrily. "There has to be another way to save her and stop La."
"La will never release her, Tarzan," remarked Basuli, trying to tell Tarzan the true. "She is as good as dead. I am sorry, but it is true."
Tarzan lowered his head in shame and sorrow upon hearing those words. The thought that Jane could not remember him was one thing, but to consider her dead was something that Tarzan would not even think of. However, seeing that La was a Wazari, Basuli knew that there was only one way to go.
"The best way right now is for La's villainy to end here," said Basuli. But, Tarzan would not allow that to happen. He decided that the only way to face La, was for him to face her himself.
"No," replied Tarzan, now his mind filled with determination. "If there is someone who must die to save Jane, let it be me."
He climbed up the side of a statue and pushed away the corpse of a dead humanoid hyena. But just as Basuli was going to follow and help Tarzan, a hulking shadow emerged and jumped on top of him, sending Basuli into the pool. Opening his eyes, he could see Muviro with a look of hate deep in his face. This made Basuli regain his focus and kneed him once again in the family jewels. Groaning in pain, Basuli jumped out of the water and turned towards several of his warriors.
"You three," he ordered as he tried to fight off Muviro. "Follow Tarzan and help him!"
Heeding his call, three of the Wazari warriors jumped up and followed Tarzan into La's palace, where La was looking down with Archimedes as her hostage.
"Tarzan always makes things far more difficult than need be," she said turning around towards her captive. "But he can't hide forever."
"You won't get away with this!" he said defiantly to the soul controlling his daughter's body.
"I already have," replied La, smiling sinisterly. "When I am done with Tarzan, I'll deal with you. My warriors will find Tarzan and finish him off. Once I send them an order."
"They can stop looking!" called a voice. "They are all dead and you will soon join them!"
Just then, Tarzan and the Wazari Warriors emerged in front of La and stared directly at her and saw that Archimedes was bound and at her mercy.
"Tarzan," she said slitherly. "You've come to me and my guest. Why, thank you for coming. It saves me a lot of trouble."
She then pointed her staff to Archimedes and knowing that she was doing a gambit, Tarzan had to find a way to get to La without hurting his father-in-law.
"But I wish I can say the same for this man here," she continued. "One step towards me and he joins his lovely daughter Jane in hell."
"I won't let you hurt Jane and the Professor," snapped Tarzan, ready to attack with the warriors in tow. But, La was determined to let Tarzan know that the one he knew as Jane was long gone and that she was the one who was going to keep her body as long as she lived.
"But I already have her dear," replied La, holding her cape over Jane's body. "Now, would you like your father-in-law to be a gibbon or a jackal?"
This sentence pushed Tarzan to his breaking point and the warriors readied their weapons as La's staff filled itself with magic.
"Very well then," she finished. "I will surprise you."
La aimed her staff at Archimedes ready to fire a blast at him, but Tarzan leapt into action and tackled La, causing her spear to fall off the side of the quarters and sparing Archimedes from certain fate.
"No! No!" cried La, as she struggled against Tarzan. "What are you doing?"
"Jumping," replied Tarzan, defiantly. But, La was now beginning to fear for her life.
"But, you'll kill us both!" cried La, fearing the worst. But, Tarzan didn't care what she was feeling or fearing for that matter.
"Jane is my only reason for living," snapped Tarzan. "You have interfered with us for the last time, La! Now, you shall pay!"
Jumping off the side, Tarzan grabbed La and with her in tow, La screamed knowing that she had to do something fast and quick.
"No, I will not die here!" she thought. "I may have wanted Jane, but if I am to continue living, I must have another body and I know just who I want!"
With that, she reluctantly released herself from Jane's body and transferred her spirit into Tarzan's, giving her complete control of his body. Meanwhile, Basuli and Muviro continued their struggle and with his own protection knocked unconscious, Basuli had to protect himself at all costs from Muviro's wrath. Dodging every swipe that was meant for him, Basuli tried desperately to gain the upper hand and it wasn't until he saw Tarzan and Jane jumping into a bush did he finally get the upper hand, tossing Muviro onto the hard ground below.
Basuli ran over to Tarzan and Jane to check on them, but he was not prepared for what he heard next.
"Tarzan! Jane!" he cried as he ran over to them. "Are you all right?"
"Amazing," said La as she inspected Tarzan's body. "Such strength, such agility, I should have taken Tarzan in the first place."
This made Basuli jump back knowing that his friend was now under La's control. It was bad enough having Jane be brainwashed, but Tarzan being brainwashed was not a good idea.
"Oop e loop, Tarzan is loose!" he cried to his fellow warriors who rose to their feet and drew their weapons at him. Knowing that La had to be stopped, Basuli and his men readied their arrows eager to take La out with Tarzan's body.
"I am sorry it had to end this way," he said sorrowfully. But, just as they were about to open fire on Tarzan, Muviro recovered from being knocked out and once again tackled Basuli to the ground. Acting fast, Basuli fired his arrow just as Muviro tackled him and La merely grabbed it with Tarzan's hand.
"Now, I see the plan," laughed La evilly, throwing the arrow away. "Tarzan wanted me to take his body and it might have worked, were I still in Jane's pathetic body. But, Tarzan's senses are so honed, I am completely aware of my surroundings."
Just then, Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki and Naomi arrived on the scene and were shocked to see Tarzan acting strangely, not knowing that Tarzan was being controlled by La like a puppet.
"What did we miss?" asked Timon. "Is La defeated?"
"Not quite," replied Simba, as he sensed what was wrong. "Look!"
"And now," continued La, still grabbing hold of Jane's arm. "The final tragic twist: I finish Tarzan's one true love with his own hands."
Seizing a chance to break loose, Jane kneed La in the chest and broke free of her grasp running off as far as she could.
"Sorry, I'm not fond of tragedy," Jane said as she ran. Simba ran in front of La in an attempt to cut her off, but now that she was in Tarzan's body, she became more crafty and quick.
"La, if you want her, you'll have to get past me," said Simba, but using Tarzan's legs, La kicked Simba in the face and knocked him out cold.
"Ah, a chase," gasped La, smiling evilly. "Charming."
So, while La began to chase her prey down, Basuli and Muviro continued their fight while his warriors watched. But, Basuli knew that Jane was in danger and had to protect her from La.
"Go protect Jane!" ordered Basuli, but just then, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed had somehow emerged from the rivers below and stood in front of the warriors growling evilly.
"Going somewhere?" laughed Shenzi. The warriors leapt into action and began to battle the last of La's hyena henchmen.
Now, enough was enough and Basuli had to kill his rival for all the pain and misery that he had caused him after so many years. Kicking his rival in the chest, Basuli seized his rival's dagger and clutching it tightly, kicked Muviro again and gripping his rival's dagger tightly charged towards him as Muviro tried to rebound. The two warriors met up and Muviro felt a pain deep into his stomach as Basuli pushed him towards the side of the cliff where the raging waters roared down below. Knowing that the end was near, Muviro knew that there was only one way for his revenge to be fulfilled.
"If I go," he gasped. "You are going with me."
"Never," whispered Basuli, not being subjected to his rival's taunts. "Goodbye, my enemy."
He pushed Muviro forward and watched as Muviro fell into the waters below, a look of anger still in his face as he fell into the water and was consumed by the raging currents.
With one enemy down, Basuli and the others charged after the hyenas while Jane had to face La and Tarzan all on her own.
Running as fast as she could, Jane managed to hide between a structure thinking that La wouldn't find her. But, being craft thanks to her acquisition of Tarzan's body, La managed to find Jane as quickly as possible.
"Boo!" cried La and Jane squealed in fear, running away as fast as she could with La in hot pursuit. Finally, nearing the edge of the waterfall, La stopped Jane from running any further and prepared herself for the final strike.
"You can't run forever, Jane," she said evilly, with her captive now in a corner. But, knowing that this was the end, Jane was going to die a proper Englishwoman as she had always lived.
"You'll forgive me if I keep trying," replied Jane and she continued to run up into the palace only to come across a dead end.
"Blast!" she cried and now there was nowhere else for her to go. Now, La had a chance to finish off her rival with one final strike.
"Nowhere left to run, Jane," she said evilly. "You're trapped, just like a rat."
Just then, a loud growl was heard and La turned around to see Shenzi, Banzai and Ed staring right at him.
"Whose up for a little Tarzan on the barbie?" asked Shenzi, not knowing that Tarzan was being possessed. "All this running around and fighting has made us hungry."
"What?" asked La, trying to get her most loyal soldiers to listen to her. But, the hyenas would not listen to their leader. "No! Let me go, I am not Tarzan! I am…"
But, the hyenas would not listen and acting fast, La shut her eyes and released herself from Tarzan's grip and with his body back in his control; Tarzan kicked the three hyenas away so hard that Banzai and Shenzi fell off of the cliff once again and into the waters below.
And to make sure that they were gone for good, Jane grabbed a drape and jumped over to Ed, who was still holding a desire for her. Throwing it onto his head, Ed was blinded and he fell back over the side and into the waters below, but not before throwing Jane at Tarzan and he leapt to jump and grab her from getting hurt.
"This isn't over," cried La as her spirit floated away from her once mighty kingdom. "Once I regroup, you will pay for this!"
It was over, the Battle of Cape Doom was finally over…
