Two Brothers Under the Sun

Chapter – XXI

The Rain's Monster

Part 1: A Hero's Return

Simba ran as fast as he could, his best friend right beside him. The pair rushed blindly through the dry, barren wasteland littered with the remains of dead elephants. The sun hadn't set yet a shadow of gray was cast over the rocky landscape due to the perpetual fog that covered the dark craggy vale regardless of the time of day. This only served to difficult their escape as they had to be extra careful to avoid the many steam vents in the area, never mind the numerous geysers. Eventually, the two cubs raced into a high-walled section of the Elephant Graveyard. They climbed up an elephant skeleton and pawed desperately at the high wall, only for the rotting skin to break under them and send both tumbling to the ground. They clambered back to their paws and backed away in terror at the sight of the hyenas closing in on them.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty." One of the males taunted as the trio of scavengers cornered the two younglings.

Simba moved to stand protectively in front of Nala. He tried to roar in defiance but could only manage a weak roar-like yowl.

"Oo-hoo... That was it?" Shenzi, the female and leader of the clan, laughed mockingly with her partners. "Do it again, come on."

Simba opened his mouth to roar again:

'ROAR'

But the roar of a full-grown lion is heard. The hyenas paused

"Huh?"

Suddenly, the great paw of a full-grown lion swatted them aside. Mufasa surged and roared out loud as he attacked the trio. Simba and Nala watched in terror, their back pressed against the stone wall; a red-billed hornbill landed next to them. The lion king ended the fight by tossing the hyenas aside like ragdolls and then pinning them to the ground, his opponents cringing and yipping under him.

"Ow, ow, ow!" One of the males, Banzai, chittered his teeth.

"Oh, please, please! Uncle! Uncle!" Shenzi begged whilst recoiling.

"SILENCE!" Mufasa half-roared, making them flinch.

"Oh, come on, we're gonna shut up right now!" Banzai nodded vigorously.

"Calm down. We're really sorry," claimed Shenzi.

"If you ever come near my son again..." Mufasa glared down at them, utterly furious.

"Oh, this is...this is your son?" The female feigned ignorance.

"Oh, yours!" Banzai pointed at Mufasa, then rubbed his head with one paw, also in mock realization.

"Did you know that?" Shenzi 'asked'.

"No! Me?" Banzai gestured to himself with a paw. "I didn't know. No!" He glanced at her. "Did you?"

"No, of course not!" She continued the farse.

Finally, they both turned to the last member of their group.

"Ed?"

'Ed' Stupidly nodded yes.

'ROAR'

Shenzi and Ed hugged one another in fear while Banzai chuckled. "Heh, heh. Toodles!" He waved at Mufasa before the three of them fled the scene, whimpering and yipping in terror all the way. Zazu, the most loyal of the tick birds, went to his king's side, giving him a "that'll show 'em" nod... but then withered under Mufasa's angry glare. Simba and Nala approach tentatively from behind.

"Dad, I..."

Mufasa's neck snapped to look over his shoulder, aiming a stern scowl at his son. "You deliberately disobeyed me."

The lion cub looked crestfallen. "Dad, I'm... I'm sorry."

"Let's go home," Mufasa stated, his tone sharp before he walked off. Zazu flew after him, casting a sad look at Simba and Nala, who were trailing behind the adults. Both cubs bent down in shame as they all started walking out of the Burial Grounds.

"I thought you were very brave," Nala said, trying to raise his spirits.

But Simba merely looked away sadly.

Waking up back in the Cliffside Dwelling, the lion cub gasped ever so slightly as he hauled himself up from his bed. Bolting upright, he greedily sucked the night air, filling his lungs with deep, panting gasps, his heartbeat calming down as his whole body seemed to wheeze. The dream had felt so real he could have mistaken it for yesterday's memories; when it was actually from many moons ago.

Yet, the last time he had felt as ashamed as back there was right after the battle at the Waingunga.

When he realized the battle had raged on right in front of him... while he just stood there, paralyzed.

He hesitated.

Messed up again.

He clenches his eyes shut until he went back to sleep; he would not wake up until late in the morning.

###

The rains carried on through the week but the skies were finally clearing up for the morning, allowing the denizens of the jungle to enjoy a nice and warm sunny day. The younglings in particular were pretty happy now that they could finally get out of their dens and stretch their legs. During a round of hide-and-seek, Terk paused when she investigated the inside of a hollow log and spotted a nice, pink mango on the other side.

"Hello, delicious." Her eyes sparkled and she didn't think twice before moving inside the tunnel that used to be a tree's trunk. Unfortunately, so eager was the she-ape to get her hands on the ripened fruit that she had underestimated how narrow the tree became as she crawled her way to the other end. Once there, Terk quickly realized her mistake when she found she couldn't her arms and had to resort to reaching the mango with her mouth. Before she could do so...

"Tag~"

A finger poked her forehead, prompting Terk to look up to see the smirking face of her naked cousin. Much to her aghast, he then caught the mango and bounded off in a hurry.

"Hey, that was my lunch!" She barked, still stuck on the tree.

Jumping to the branches, Tarzan looked down at her and smirked as he juggled the fruit in his hand. "You want it, come and get it!"

She grunted, fought to get back on her feet, and burst out of the log by brute force. Afterward, she took to the trees after him. "Oh, I will tell you who's gonna get it!"

Not too far away were the grownups: Bagheera, Baloo, Kala, Timon, and Pumbaa, talked amongst themselves.

"The last time I saw them, those dholes were making a beeline outta here." Baloo chuckled as they all sat by the entrance of his dwelling. "To points unknown."

"Whoa. We saved the whole jungle." Said the awed warthog. "Do you think anyone will know?"

"We'll know. We were quite the team back there." Bagheera smiled at the group assembled around him. For an 'outlier', it felt good to have someone to count on in the jungle; even though he wished Pua was still there.

'SPLASH'

Sadly, the moment was interrupted by a hasty little ape.

"Oy!" Timon shouted indignantly, glaring at his now water-covered body. "Ugh, sometimes, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed." The man-cub hopped around in the puddles and then climbed back to the treetops. Watching over his shoulder, he finally took notice of the meerkat sending a dull frown up to him.

"He-he. Sorry, Timon." Tarzan giggled. "But, you know, on you, the wet look doesn't look so bad."

"Sill practicing, in this weather?" Kala asked, walking nearer to get a good look at her son. The last shower had washed off the clay from his hair, unmaking his thick strands and freeing his hair strings. Since the whole jungle had been pretty much drenched by rain at that point, plus the humidity in the cold air around the rainforest, the man-cub didn't see a reason to go back to Pumbaa's wallowing spot for the time being. At least until the rains left.

"Hi, mother!" He slid across the branches before turning to see her. He had been practicing for a while and found out he was really good at sliding on the mossy-green branches of the jungle, and someday, he hoped to be able to slide his way from one point of the Bukuvu to the other.

"Such skill. You move like a bird in the branches." Kala smiled at her naked son. "But now that the red dogs are gone, you don't need to overdo it with your training."

"No, I can't stop now." He shook his head, his mind made up. "I never know when my skills will come in handy." He glanced to the side, staring off at the horizon with his smile never leaving his face. "I still have so much to learn, there is a whole life of practicing for me."

The man-cub had taken his time to think about it. Pua had made his own choice, he had saved him and Simba and half of the jungle, at the cost of his own life. It's just… he missed him. And it hurt. It hurt so much, knowing that he was gone. Gone from their lives for good. But it wasn't senseless, not like how that antelope had died just so the man-cub could get used to the smell of blood, nor like the dholes in their senseless squabble over food. Pua had died for a reason, for his choice… to defeat Bundo and his hateful horde. And to protect the jungle from their hatred of The Great Circle. Tarzan wouldn't let his sacrifice be in vain. No, he would honor his friend and his choice by following the path that he'd followed to his end. It was by the Will of the Great Circle that he got the courage to protect those he loved back on the beach and the strength that allowed him to do it.

He would continue to protect their home, as Pua had done.

"Too true." Bagheera came to join Kala's side, eyes glued on his disciple. "This is just the beginning. It's best that you be ready for whatever comes next."

"Where have we failed?" Timon lamented with Baloo and Pumbaa. "He is turning into a workaholic."

"Well, all right." She acknowledged their point, smiling nonetheless at her boy. "In that case, go sharpen your skills as much as you want. But watch your step, there are mud pools all over the jungle."

"I know right?!" Beamed Pumbaa. "There is a spa on every corner."

"Oh, don't worry, Aunt K." Terk's voice was heard from within the thick canopy, right over Tarzan's head. "I'll make he doesn't slack on his wrestling practice!" She dived on top of the man-cub like the gust of a tornado, bringing the two of them rolling to the jungle floor. Their antics had the adults laughing.

But before they got back to their conversation, Bagheera caught a familiar scent coming eastward. Turning his head in that direction, the panther scanned the surroundings until his eyes halted at the sight of a big black figure coming over a slight hill. At first glance, he could already make out it was a gorilla making its way toward the dwelling, but when he checked it again...

"Could it be...?" The black leopard half-whispered. The others follow his gaze and soon, all of them perked up.

"It can! Ha-ha!" Baloo guffawed, answering the panther's question with a large smile that only the she-ape could match. "About time!"

There he was, the biggest ape on this side of the jungle clearing a way for himself across the undergrowth, looking stoic as the day he had left, although his stare softened when meet Kala's gaze. Whatever new scars he had were hidden under his thick fur. His mate broke off from the group and meet him halfway, clasping and hugging him into a tight embrace —a right he reserved exclusively for a couple of people: her and his closest friend— which he returned.

"Ain't this a sight for sore eyes?" Remarked the chuckling bear while he and Bagheera joined them on the side, Timon and Pumbaa lagging after. Once the reunited couple ceased their hold on each other and the Chief Silverback exchanged greetings with the two beasts, Baloo further inquired: "So, what became of the good old tiger?"

"He lives," Kerchak grumbled, his tone flat and unmoving. Only those who personally knew him well could catch the tranquil anger beneath it. "We managed to beat him back but, with Tublat and the leopards on his side, we couldn't force him out of the mountains." He paused to clench his jaw, shook his head, and continued: "I only came back because the one they call Chirin is keeping them at bay till the next season."

"I see," Bagheera trailed off, a light atmosphere of uneasiness set in around the group. "There is no need to worry." He elaborated: "The Khan will not stay away from his lands for too long, so I wouldn't be surprised if he left the Theluji before the last herds leave here."

"Yeah, there is no point getting all angsty about that, Chief." Baloo agreed, putting a hand on the Silverback's shoulder for reassurance. "You are back, we are here, and the whole jungle is safe thanks to us." He motioned to the scenery around the Cliffside Dwelling. "We should celebrate, I'll handle the beverages."

Looking around to see a brightening expression on Kala's face, Kerchak begrudgingly accepted that the bear had a point. While the Khanate's presence in the Theluji was now too powerful for them to overcome, at least for the time being, they had kept them away from the mountain passes. For now, the fighting was over, the warriors deserved a rest.

The Central Plateau would be safe for now.

...

That was when he fully processed everything the sloth bear had just said.

"For what reason it wouldn't be safe?" He arched an eyebrow.

'SPLASH'

A ball made of two younglings emerged from within the bushes and splashed on a large puddle ahead of the grownups, revealing a young she-ape pining down a man-cub with a pink-yellow fruit next to the side of his head.

"Hey!" Tarzan exclaimed when he saw the mango they had been fighting for had a black spot on its side. "It's bruised!"

"Good, you will have some company after I'm done with you!" Terk declared but her cousin managed to force her back to the ground, restarting their grappling roll.

Kerchak watched them go with a plain expression. "I see some things haven't changed."

Baloo snorted after hearing that. "Quite the contrary, Chief." He clapped Bagheera on the shoulder, startling the feline for a moment. "I'm not sure you will believe it but Baggy and I turned that boy into a fighting machine."

"...What?" The Silverback asked as he turned his attention to the panther.

Bagheera affirmed. "It's true, he performed surprisingly well during the battle."

"There was a battle?" The bewildered gorilla grew more and more confused by the second.

"Didn't Sokwe tell you?" Pumbaa blinked.

"No," Kerchak contemplated for a moment. He had left the Troop's stamping grounds the moment he was told Kala was visiting Baloo's home. "Looks like he forgot to mention that."

"There was a battle, yes," Kala informed, getting his attention before she proudly stated: "But we won thanks to Tarzan and Simba."

"How?" Kerchak pressed, trying to wrap his head around what he had just heard.

"He has gotten faster," Bagheera explained. "And his fang was well tested in the fight."

"His fang?" His brows furrowed, barely having noticed any differences in the man's cub when he laid eyes on him. Hearing the kids' ruckus again, he turned to see they had separated and now the boy was fending off Terkina with a long sharpened branch, just a little thicker than a twig. Cocking an eyebrow, he went back to addressing the cub's mentors. "He is planning to wage war with a stick?"

"Perhaps it's a stick to you, but he whacked a bunch of dogs with that." Timon asserted, but then he put a hand under his chin. "Then again, the bees did quite the number on them first."

Kerchak made a noise that sounded like a mixture of annoyance and confusion. "What exactly happened here?"

"Well, basically, you missed out on a pretty crazy Drought Season, Chief." Baloo put a hand on his shoulder again. "How about this, just let me catch Simba in the lair and we will tell you everything on the way to the Wakalu."

Kerchak still seemed a bit unsure. Then Kala came over to his side, smiling brightly and giving him an encouraging nod. So, the Chief Silverback agreed to the bear's offer.

As soon as the three younglings had joined them, the group set off. As they walked and made small talk, Baloo spoke excitedly of the foods they would have at the Green Mother, hastening their pace and changing the topic of the conversation before Bagheera called out to him. They arrived at the Wakalu in due time for supper and were greeted by a great feast of grubs. After a successful defense of the mountain passes, Kerchak returned home as a hero, even greater than when he had left. Battle-hardened and with now veteran forces in toll. Kerchak's fighters had long daydreamed of the food of their homes and joked about finally being away from the cold of the mountains, which contrasted greatly with the climate of the damp jungle. Their families had long awaited to see them and couldn't await to catch up. Between heap servings of bugs, plants, and fruits, the conversation drifted from the gossip about the battle on the Honey Cliffs to rumors, local news, and venting about the army drama. Within just a few moments, the wayward apes found their spirits lifted as they made their rounds catching up with everyone's lives and sharing their own adventures. It was good to be home.

That night, the great apes rejoiced, believing Kerchak could only lead them to further victories as he turned his attention back to conflict closer to home.

###

Theluji mountain base, Khanate territory

As the rains poured over the lush forests and feeding grounds of the Bukuvu, many herds made ready for their journey back to the Pride Lands. Some would be back next year while others would follow on the Trail of the Rains deeper into the continent. Without much use for the stockpiles of hay, they proceeded to topple the now soggy foliage on top of their dung before leaving; in due time, and with some assistance from the rainfall, it would decompose into good fertilizer to feed the next harvest, which would entice the herds to come by next time as well to relish themselves with it.

And if there came too many to feast on the plains, the tigers would eat them.

The Circle of Life at its finest... just like he had left it.

Shere Khan inhaled deeply through his nose, cutting off all of his senses except for his sense of smell so he could focus only on the fresh air of his home. It felt good to know everything was how it should be.

"Welcome home, dear brother."

Opening his eyes out of his peaceful stupor, the Great Khan turned to see his brother for the first time in several moons.

"I got you some bad news, most of the Dhole Clan was lost after the battle at the Waingunga." Despite saying that, Berdan smirked. "But I think you will find this interesting."

He approached, motioning for his brother to lend him his ear. The Khan did so and his kin whispered his next bit of information.

"Indeed." Shere Khan gave a light nod before his brother stepped away. "But we will worry about that later." He shifted his attention back to the edge of the ridge, from where he could see all of his domain touched by the light of the noon sun. "I am home, that's all that matters."

###

Hakuna Matata Falls, northern Bukuvu

"Now, Simba. If you want to do a truly terrifying roar, you just throw your head back and let it out."

"Okay, Baloo." The lion cub responded and prepared to give it a try. "I think got it."

'ROAR' His roar sounded like a cat of the jungle... the meow of jungle lynx, to be more precise, instead of a roaring big cat.

The usine tsked. "You have to do better than that, Little Britches. You wouldn't even scare Timon with that roar."

"Oi!" Exclaimed the mongoose in question from his usual position on the warthog's head, just a short distance away. "Don't give him any ideas!"

Baloo kept his attention on Simba. "Now, try again. And this time, put your lungs into it."

Simba didn't respond, he just lowered his ears and stared at the ground. Seeing that, Pumbaa tried to comfort him.

"Oh, come on, Simba." Said the swine. "I am sure your natural instincts will kick in sooner or later."

"I don't know, guys." Simba turned to walk away. "Perhaps I really just stink as a lion."

"Timon, could your big brain explain to me what's wrong here?"

"What we have here is a lion who lacks confidence." The meerkat started.

"That's Simba." Pumbaa glanced at the sad cub.

"That's right, and two little guys who always could use extra predator protection." Timon continued.

"That's us." The warthog responded again.

"Uh-huh. So we need a solution that will A) Reinstall confidence in said lion and B) restore our future personal bodyguard." Finished the mongoose as the both of them stared after the depressed youngling. Unsure of what to do, Pumbaa decided to ask their other friend.

"What do you think, Baloo?"

Unbeknownst to the meerkat-warthog duo, the bear's face had darkened the instant he saw the boy's face overtaken with a sense of failure. Without saying anything, Baloo went to sit down next to the lion cub.

"I don't know if I can do this, Baloo." Confessed the small cat.

"Sure you can." The ursine encouraged. "Trust me, you're gonna get the hang of it in no time."

"But I can't do a good roar." Simba lamented.

"But you will." Baloo pressed. "A fearsome roar comes in hand when scaring predators... and in-laws." He chuckled momentarily. "And it's good for calling your friends when you need help. When I am done with you, your roar will cut loose through the entire jungle."

"How are you gonna do that?" Asked the unsure youngling.

"Easy, you just gotta bring it up from your diaphragm."

Now confused, Simba fully turned to the bear. "My what-a-phragm?"

"Diaphragm," Baloo said, puffing and beating the middle area of his torso. "It is the muscles between your chest and your stomach, just take it all the way up from here." He smiled down at him. "I can teach you if want."

Simba thought for a moment before he eventually nodded. "All right," For a moment the adults could see the youngling's determination flare up again. "I want to learn more."

The trio smiled. So, the training carried on.

Baloo guided Simba to the cliffside's edge. "Here you stand on the edge of earth and sky"

A light breeze came from downriver, the lion cub couldn't resist the enjoyable feeling of the wind on his fur. "You can command them both if you try"

Baloo did the same before he took a finger to his mouth and then let it out to detect the wind's direction. "Look within, you may find even more"

Smiling when he felt the breeze change its direction, the bear roared at the top of his lungs. "As you learn the power of the Roar"

The sound was carried by the windy currents all the way to the gorge, stirring up a cloud of bees on the horizon. "The power of the Roar"

Simba stared on in awe. "The power of the Roar"

Turning to the ursine, Simba received a thumbs-up from Baloo. "It dwells inside you"

The two of them raced their way down to the vale. "And all around you"

Arriving at the riverbank, Baloo placed Simba on top of a giant lilypad leaf pointed at the other side. "In ways you've never seen before"

He let out another roar, so powerful it sent the surprised lion all the way across the stream. "The power of the Roar"

Later, Timon and Pumbaa assembled a bunch of medium-sized stones into three separate towers and then moved aside for the teacher-student duo. "The power of the Roar"

Simba watched quizzically as Baloo readied himself again. "Once you think you've found it all"

He let it out, and every rock toppled down to the ground. "You'll find there's still much more"

Yet, Simba's expression turned unsure after seeing that display. Baloo, having noticed that, put a comforting hand on his head. "Free yourself from anger and from fear"

Taking a moment to rest, the sloth bear made sure to teach the little lion how to properly scratch himself on the rocks and trees. Something Simba found out he liked quite a bit. "The control that you seek will be clear"

The group of four mismatched creatures made it to a Milkweed field. "Though the Roar goes far beyond wind and sound"

Bending his head toward the ground, Baloo unleashed another powerful roar. "It can impact everything all around"

A giant explosion of Milkweed floss engulfed the area, including the quartet. "The power of the Roar"

After the seeds dispersed and floated away, the group laughed at the puffy white coats covering their fur. "The power of the Roar"

While Simba kept practicing with Baloo, Timon and Pumbaa wandered off a bit. "It dwells inside you"

Catching sight of a bug disappearing on the high grass, Timon dived in to take a bite. "And all around you"

A pained meow was heard, snapping the meerkat to the fact he now had his jaws around the tail of a jungle lynx. "In ways you've never seen before"

Fleeing in terror from the enraged feline, Timon intensively ran behind Simba's legs for protection. "The power of the Roar"

The angry cat snarled and raised himself higher from the ground, trying to intimidate the youngling. "The power of the Roar"

Simba almost buckled, but stayed stead and roared. "Once you think you've found it all"

The cat backed off and scrambled. The meerkat and the lion cub smiled, along with the sloth bear behind them. "You'll find there's still much more"

Back at the Cliffside Dwelling, teacher and student roared together in syntony. "The power of the Roar"

Baloo snapped his fingers at Simba, cueing the lion cub. Simba beat his diaphragm, opened wide his mouth as much as he could, and let out a feeble sawing roar.

Limited progress was still progress, so the ursine laughed anyway. "Very good."

Not too far, Timon muttered to Pumbaa. "Sounds kinda like a buffalo cow giving birth."

A steer grazing nearby immediately stiffened and snapped his head at his mate, he was gonna be a dad?!

###

By the time Simba was finally satisfied with practicing his roar, Baloo called it a day. Currently, the group was all sprawled around the base of a tree near the termite mounds, enjoying a well-deserved nap. Soon enough, the sloth bear slowly woke up at the feel of tiny feet crawling over him with no interruption. Blinking open his sleepy eyes, he saw a bunch of ants moving in a single file on his belly as they carried one leaf each to their nest on the side of a different tree, away from their anthill. They followed their instincts, which told them their old home wouldn't be of much use for what was to come.

"They must be preparing for the next rain." Baloo mused to himself. Instead of eating them, the bear ripped the leaves into smaller pieces to facilitate it for the bugs. "There you go."

"Baloo!"

Hearing his name, the ursine in question perked up and glanced up to the high branches, where he immediately spotted the panther that had called to him. The others stirred awake behind the bear.

"Hiya, Baggy."

Bagheera landed on the ground and approached. "The gorillas will be coming soon. How are the mounds today?"

"Oh, sure. I just cleared off the last one yesterday," Baloo responded, pointing over the shoulder to the said mounds. "They are right for the taking."

"Good," Kerchak announced his arrival, coming out from the bushes with a good number of Black Back, Silverbacks, and even some younglings —Tarzan included— behind him. "We will take them."

"Take as many as you want, Chief."

With that, the Chief Silverback started to lead his group toward the fields, where many termite colonies had made their nests. Curious, Simba suspended his upper body on a tall, exposed root to see whatever it was they were gonna do. While he, Tarzan, and Terk visited each other often, he had never seen the gorillas this far from their stamping grounds, with the exception of that trip they made to the Theluji. At first, the lion cub thought they wanted a snack until he remembered there were several colonies scattered near the vicinity of the Wakalu. Sure, their nests weren't anywhere as big and cool as the structures raised in the plains but to come all way here just to see them now?

As the lion cub pondered and observed, the great apes focused on their work. Bringing along their great wooden clubs and stones bigger than their heads, the gorillas made circles around the mounds and proceeded to bash the nests with their weapons. The initial sounds of the nests' surfaces crumbling down like a landslide startled the youngling momentarily. Afterward, his surprise gave way to confusion.

"Hey, I was gonna eat from that one!" Pumbaa exclaimed.

"Yikes!" Timon yelped as he and the warthog watched the scene from the lion's side. "I knew he wasn't happy because of the tiger but I didn't think he had all that pent-up frustration!"

"Relax, guys," Baloo spoke up. "I ate the queens from those nests, they are bug-free."

To that, Timon gave a critical stare that resembled the ones the ursine would usually get from Bagheera. "Well, so much for 'thou shall not waste what the jungle provides to thee', huh, Baloo?"

"They aren't going to waste it." Bagheera came over. "They need those nests."

Simba was as puzzled as ever. "But they are empty."

"Hey, guys!"

The group of five shifted their attention back to the fields, where a familiar man-cub was gathering the broken pieces of a mound —which looked like bone-dry honeycombs filled with holes interconnected in a confusing web of pathways— on a leaf that he then wrapped with the interlaced vines.

"Come see!" He called to them, folding the leaf and then putting it over his shoulder to carry it.

Bagheera was the first to go, whilst Baloo nodded at the others before doing the same. Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa exchanged questioning looks but, even so, followed after them anyway. Lagging behind the man-cub, the trio took notice that the gorillas of the Troop had gathered many chunks as well and now were carrying them back the way they came. The three smaller ones remained clueless yet didn't ask any questions; finding themselves really curious to see whatever it was the great apes were going to do. Trekking after Tarzan, it dawned on Simba that they were on the trail to the highlands, the same ones they had done to reach the Theluji.

But, once they finally arrived at the highest slopes of the mountains, an unfamiliar sight greeted them.

"Dam!" A surprised Pumbaa shouted.

"Hey, watch your language Pumbaa!" Timon reprimanded him.

"No, Timon, look!" The warthog moved aside so the meerkat could actually see it.

"Whoa..." Timon's voice trailed off in awe. Simba too was at a loss for words

It wasn't for naught, a great structure was being built across the hill's crest. Better yet, there were many. A crisscross of ramparts came together to form a barrier that enclosed the areas adjacent to the mountains' trails, funneling the path downwards. One by one, the great primates huddled up whatever they found on the jungle floor, from rocks to wood, and piled them up, big ones on the bottom and small ones on the top, to increase the size of their construction. In their midst, Tarzan and the others coming from the Falls discarded their load in a large pile nearby. Terk, Flynt, and Mungo did their part on the inner rim under Kala's watchful eye. Kerchak went to give instructions to Sokwe and the other Silverbacks. It was a hum of agitation around the construction site.

"Sheesh, looks like the Water Hole on Happy Hour." commented the meerkat, old memories flooding in.

"It's huge." Simba managed a whisper.

"What are they doing?" asked Pumbaa. "Playing 'termite'?"

"Actually, your first guess was right," Bagheera said as he walked past them. "They are making a dam. Very large, built to hold any kind of storm."

Simba, who had moved to Tarzan's side, eyed the panther strangely. "Hold the storm." That sounded off; besides the need for shelters, everyone seemed so happy that the rains had finally come to the jungle. "Why do that?"

"In case there is a flood." responded the man-cub, getting the lion cub's attention as well as the duo's, none of which had been living in the jungle for more than a year. "When the mountain springs get too much water, they overflow and wash down in a flood."

"Move it along, you all!" The Chief sounded the order and barked his commands to the workers. "The storm is coming pretty fast, we must make ready for the Rainy Season."

"You are a bit late there, Chief," Baloo remarked as Kerchak made his way next to them. "The rains already came by."

"Yes, and they have already filled the rivers full." retorted the greatest Silverback of all. "I am not taking any chances if a flood comes." He frowned at Tarzan as he passed by him, prompting the man-cub to go back to work. After that, he pressed on.

"It's always the hottest right before the rain," Bagheera observed, feeling the warm temperature on his fur. "We better get ready too."

A powerful gust of wind surged from the high peaks, surprising all those present.

"We better round ourselves up some food supplies," Kala suggested, lowering her arm and fixating her eyes on the clouds above. "In case we need to fall back to the caves."

"Now that's something I can get behind," Baloo said as he turned around and prepared to leave.

"Finally," Timon gave out a long sigh. "Phew, all this activity is wearing me out." He and Pumbaa walked after the bear. "The elbow-to-elbow life reminds me a little too much of home."

"Always got your priorities straight, huh?" Bagheera uttered, eyes half-lidded.

"We'll get by fine, Baggy," Baloo said while massaging his belly, so big one could think he was hiding a melon patch under it. "Always have, and always will."

"Seriously, you three are just impossible."

"We prefer 'carefree'." clarified Pumbaa.

"Besides, if the rains are too much for you, you can just move over to our place." Timon made sure to point out. "We got everything back there. Cool refreshments, snacks, a homey little spot to wait out the rain, a lovely panoramic view—and it's all ours."

Bagheera stayed undeterred. "Could you at least try to be a good example?" He said, then his eyes drifted to the construction.

Following the panther's gaze, the three slackers saw Simba helping Tarzan as the latter tried to keep the mound pieces from rolling away from the pile.

"Geez, I already know how this song and dance goes." Baloo gave out a tired groan, already realizing where this was going. "If I help out with this, will you get off my case?"

"Uh-huh." The black panther nodded. A knowing look in his eyes and a not-very-modest smirk on his face as he watched the ursine walking towards the construction site.

"Thanks, Baloo." Kala smiled from the higher ground on the other side of the wall. "All help is welcome."

"No problem, Kala." He waved at her before stretching his arms. "Easy peasy."

"Keep it down, Pumbaa." Timon cautioned the swine. "They might put us to work."

Thus, they went back to work. Simba and Baloo helped Bagheera dig the ditch behind the rampart. Meanwhile, the males put the rocks and logs in place so the females could apply a very special substance to it. Using anything from thick branches to hard rocks, the great apes broke down the mound chunks even more before crushing and grinding them into dust. Then, they modeled the grains into a hollow circle, which they filled with water, and mashed both ingredients together to create a very special mud mixture. Gathering the wet clay-like slurry, the she-apes spread it all over the rustic walls, making sure to level it all out, making it as smooth as possible. Once dried, it would be as hard as solid rock.

The younglings, apathetic to the state of their fur, smashed and kicked the mixture to their heart's content. One of them, whose fur barely grew out of his head, tried to emulate the juveniles by bringing more material for the building; fighting against the strain the weight brought to his back and shoulders.

"You know, you could pretend your hands are bristling," Timon suggested to Tarzan as the boy made his trip back to the base of the wall for the twelfth time.

"They are bristling." The man-cub panted but didn't cease his peace. "But I can't just stay here doing nothing while they are getting ready for the rain."

Pumbaa's features formed an understanding expression "Still afraid you won't measure up to Kerchak?"

The youngling sighed for a moment. "Eeyup."

Watching as the small but determined primate continued on with his work, the meerkat shook his head in a somewhat disapproving manner. "That poor, hairless little man." He turned to his friend... and froze.

Pumbaa was staring directly at him, teary-eyed, lips quivering, and mouth whimpering like a dog.

"No!" Timon immediately said, knowing exactly what he wanted. "Pumbaa, I said no!" The warthog brought his face closer. "No!" Closer. "Absolutely not!" Even closer. "Aaargh, fine! But we're just gonna help them with these ones and that's it."

Several moments later...

"TIMBER!"

'THUD'

"Up, Pumbaa," Timon instructed him to host the dead trunk in his muzzle. Done that, Pumbaa tried to balance it while he clumsily made his way back to the construction site, guided by his mongoose friend. "To the left. No, the other left."

So, Bagheera, Baloo, Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa joined the Troop to help them with the long and difficult job of building the dam. Once done, it would be the biggest structure ever erected on this corner of the Bukuvu.

It had to be so. It would be put to the test pretty soon.

This is it, guys. The three-parter Arc finale!