Two Brothers Under the Sun
Chapter – IX
Clash at the Floodplains
Floodplains, south Bukuvu
A large green bush sticks out above the tall grass, swiveling from left to right. Timon's head emerges from atop the shrub. He freezes and surveys the area before looking down and shaking his head. The 'bush' goes back to wandering around the plains until it reaches a lone tree. Popping out from the disguise, Timon and Pumbaa each peek around one side of the tree and switch places alternately.
Baloo's head emerged from the bush and he uttered in a low voice: "Tango-Charlie-Alpha. What's your position?"
"Above you." A familiar dry tone responded.
"Gyahh!" Timon gave out a light yell at the sight of a panther in the tree's branches.
Bagheera sighed as he came down. "We don't have time for this, the nightfall is approaching."
"Hey, give me some slack, Baggy. I haven't hunted in like what? 10 or 15 Turnings of Season?" the bear replied.
"Pretty sure it was more than that." The panther replied, his eyes were dull.
"Are you sure they will be here?" asked a concerned Pumbaa.
"Yes, I told Tarzan to follow the river." Bagheera responded. "We should find them soon."
"Eh, okay." Timon said as he got out of the bush. Then, he looked warily at the panther. "But... on the VERY hypothetical chance that we run into those tigers... what do we do?"
"Stay close to one another, away from the tall grass, and retreat back to the other side of the river as soon as possible."
The meerkat nodded frantically. "I like that plan!"
"Me too!" Pumbaa did the same.
Bagheera turned to Baloo. "Let's keep looking."
The bear agreed. "Okay. You go that way, we will cover you."
The panther nodded and they split in opposing directions to keep searching. Bagheera found himself prowling around the grass stretches of south Bukuvu for the first time in many years. Further south, he could see the herds huddling together for protection in the coming Night Hunt, a daily occurrence in these parts even before Shere Khan moved in. Hopefully, his student and the cub that was with him wouldn't be amongst those who would perish before the coming of the Sunrise.
Spinning around, he saw the Troop's platoons. Kerchak had been less than pleased at the turn of events. It took persuasion from his, Baloo's, King Sokwe's, and Kala's part to convince him to lead the squad into the tigers' territory, and they were still forced to send some of the gorillas, including Terk, back to the Wakalu, so as to not bring any unnecessary attention to this operation. With any luck, they would run into one of the Colonel's patrols and possibly get them as reinforcements.
As Bagheera moved to the vicinity of the Blue Lagoon, the sky grew darker and darker. One by one, the stars twinkled as the driving clouds obscured the full moon from sight. Night had peacefully fallen over the jungle. A calm before the storm.
Broken off by the alarm call of the guineafowl.
Soon after, Kerchak's roars were heard: it was time to fall back to a defensive position and take up arms.
Bagheera took longer to comply. As a scout, it was his duty to gather info on the enemy before retreating back to brief the Troop. He saw something in the shade of the underbrush.
'CRACK'
His eyes widened at the gaze of two feral amber dots glowing in the foliage, above a rock cracked by the powerful grip of a mighty paw.
"Bagheera," a profound and bitter tone came out at the same time as Shere Khan emerged from the undergrowth.
The horrified panther made a run for it. This was exactly the one thing he wanted to avoid. Khan was within striking distance and the gorillas only had one squad of warriors in the area. It would only be a matter of time before they would be overwhelmed by the forces of the Khanate. Bagheera took a moment to realize that he wasn't being followed—as far as he could tell—, yet that didn't reassure him in the slightest. This was Shere Khan's turf, and the tiger had a flavor for taunting a troublesome prey before delivering a killing strike.
He made it to the kopje where the gorillas had set up for the battle. Kerchak was still chatting with the sub-commanders when the moonlight illuminated the Floodplains, revealing the army of tigers approaching. Bagheera barely had any time to brief the Silverback. As the enemy closed in, many sighed in relief: the number of felines wasn't too vast, this was not a force meant for a full-scale pitched battle.
Shere Khan moved forward... and that feeling sank.
"Gorillas!" most of the Black Backs tensed at the booming of the Khan's ominous voice. "You are surrounded. Your armies, distant. You were offered Peace or War and choose the latter. But I, Shere Khan, am not completely without mercy." He exposed his sickle-like claws. "I grant you a warrior's death. Prepare!"
'THUNDER CRASH'
The lightning flash illuminated the plains for a fraction of a second, when darkness returned, there was no sign of Khan; an unspoken signal to his fighters to hide themselves in the grass. Soon, there was no tiger to be seen.
There was nothing but haunting silence. A gust of wind blew some scattered leaves and swayed the wild grass. The gorillas remained tightly clustered in their defensible formation, aware of any movement in the proximities. Baloo stood behind the line to give space for the great apes to use their clubs without getting caught in their range. Bagheera grimaced as sweat build up in the pads of his paws. Right now, they were prey being stalked by none other than the most ferocious predators of the Bukuvu. The fear and trepidation were almost palpable.
The panther glanced down to the fields and his eyes widened as a Black Back moved out of ranks. He stopped himself from intervening when he noticed that none of the gorillas nearby were doing anything to stop him. The dizzy-looking juvenile was slowly walking towards the grass, grabbing him back shouldn't be a problem, but something was off. That was when Bagheera saw something moving in the grass.
"Hista!" he cried out and dashed.
Heads snapped, eyes bulged...
And claws glistened.
The Black Back was pounced from the side and disappeared in the foliage. A gruesome barrage of tigers suddenly leaped from the darkness and crashed against the defenses, initiating a bloody fight. Bagheera pounced from the edge and struck the python with the full force of his slender body. A tiger breached the perimeter only to be batted aside by Baloo. Kerchak and Sokwe held up like an elephant withstanding a rampaging rhino. The rest of the platoon engaged in battles of clubs against claws and fangs with the enemy. The kopje turned into a vision of chaos. Massive felines closing in on all sides to meet the mighty apes in battle order, heavy blows, heavy bodies, blood-curdling cries, darkness, and sudden death leaping from the murk.
Hista twisted and flipped to get the panther out of him. His coils swung wildly around the foliage and bent the grass, creating crooked arcs. He rolled to the ground and was finally able to free himself. Shooking his head, the serpent flicked its tongue to find the panther hidden in the vegetation. He detected something... and thrust himself.
"Bagheera!" Baloo cried out as the python raised its huge body and revealed a lump going down the throat. With horror in his eyes, the bear lowered his head and spoke in a somber tone: "Oh, Bagheera."
"Yes, Baloo?"
The bear snapped his head to the and, sure enough, there was the black leopard. "Bagheera! But, then, what-"
A raspy cough drew their attention to the serpent. The lump in his throat had disappeared to its stomach. Judging by the anger in his eyes, it hadn't been a nice meal.
"I. Hate. Vegetables!" Hista hissed furiously and leered at the pair with full force, advancing through the fighters in the way.
Bagheera jumped to avoid the attack and Baloo was forced to fight off the angry python's jaws for the second time that day. Bagheera tried to assist the bear but was pushed away by a powerful tail swipe, courtesy of the snake. He got himself up in time to hear a mighty roar and evade a tiger pouncing down right where he had been seconds ago.
Positioning himself to face his attacker, he stared down at the imposing form of Shere Khan.
Bagheera faltered with fear and panic as the Khan swiped his claws to him. The panther ducked over the sharp nails before the terrifying beast lurked over. A roar was heard from the right and Shere Khan moved in time to block a club aimed at his spine with his paw pads. Another bludging came to his blindside, but he blocked that one too. The tiger turned and held his own against two Black Backs that tried to attack him from behind before taking off, running circles around the battlefield, and bounding in a vicious rampage.
Khan's way of fighting was euphoric even to the eyes of the Silverbacks. His movements were different from anything the jungle had ever seen before. The perfect combination of strength and speed, capable of taking on multiple opponents at the same time, even those with body sizes similar to the tiger's.
That was the power he had used to conquer half of the Bukuvu.
Bagheera turned around and gasped in terror as Baloo, entangled in Hista's coils, rolled sideways towards him. The panther leaped out of the way and managed to get a glimpse of the battle surrounding them. The fight seemed to swing to and fro. Neither side had a particular advantage in numbers, but the brutality in display was staggering. The tigers prowled into the ranks of the gorillas, the apes swatted them away, and the cats just jumped back into the fray.
Right after landing, Bagheera yanked a Black Back away from a claw swipe that would have taken off his head. Some of the apes climbed on the surrounding outcrops to descend upon the felines. Shere Khan leaped above the rock formations and proceeded to cut down the great apes one by one as he jumped from one stone to another. Bagheera's eyes followed the beast as he came down to slash him, the panther avoided the attack by descending from the edge and hanging to the cliff-side of the kopje for dear life. Baloo threw Hista into the air and ran to the tiger lord to shove him down the slope. The two predators slid underneath a pond and started pulling each other down to the water while trying to deliver a finishing blow to their respective opponent. Baloo tried to keep himself above the watery surface but the tiger hit him against a rock wall. Bagheera chose that moment to jump from above onto the tiger's back and take a bite. His efforts only got the Khan more infuriated and the lord of the south jungles just slammed him in the bottom of the pond. Shere Khan was this close to slashing the pair when he spotted some of the gorillas coming down to join the fight. Not wanting to get caught in an encirclement in a position that limited his movement, the Top Predator moved fast to reach dry land.
Shere Khan climbed to the top of the kopje in great leaps. When he was about to rejoin the battle, Kerchak stood to block the tiger's path. Sokwe had been delegated to lead the defensive line. Khan skidded to stop and swung a claw to counter a blow from the Silverback's club. Kerchak whirled to gather strength for his next attack, Shere Khan dodged it in the last second and brought his claws to impale the gorilla. Kerchak caught his paw and held him in place to smash the tiger with his great club. Shere Khan responded by pulling back with his mighty strength, bringing the Ape down to him, their bodies crashing and falling down the hillside. They dropped to the muddy part of the pond, both of them covered in muck. Kerchak shook it off and whirled around, searching for both his weapon and the Khan. Suddenly, the mud behind him erupted with the tiger bearing down his claws to gut him. Kerchak allowed himself to fall on the muddy ground but held the claws from piercing his chest. Their bodies rolled in the mire.
The Silverback kept a strong grip around the big cat. The environment hampered the tiger's speed and jumping ability, providing Kerchak with the perfect chance to engage his enemy in a melee, where he, hopefully, would have the advantage. The two separated, exchanged blood-curling roars and collided in the mudhole, swung blows, and tried to take a bite of each other. The Silverback took several scratches before grabbing the tiger on a suplex and throwing him to the ground and pressing him into the muck in an attempt to suffocate the feline. Shere Khan shook his head and managed to make an opening to bite the gorilla's finger, making Kerchak cry in pain and giving the tiger an opening to push the primate away. The two fighters took a moment to catch their breath before resuming the match.
A loud roar was heard... and the two stopped.
The Khan curiously gazed in the sound's direction. "Kreegah bundolo." He learned of the gorilla's warning call long ago from Mzingo's intel.
Kerchak also had his eyes set on the patch of woodland behind the kopje. Unfortunately, the tiger noticed the grim expression on his face and bolted.
As he ran, Shere Khan evaluated what he knew so far: somebody on the gorilla's side was calling for aid; all the enemy fighters — according to the vultures' hampered night-scouting — were engaged in battle, and the Man-Cub was nowhere to be seen. Now, the Khan believed he had found his prey.
That was when Bagheera tackled him from the cliffside.
They rolled in the grass before the tiger stood up with the panther trying to maul his backbone. The Khan swatted at him, delivering a strike the stunned the black leopard, allowing the tiger to slam him to the ground. Shere Khan bared his claws to finish off his opponent but then, Baloo appeared from the side and lunged at him, sending the feline near the rock wall.
Kerchak was about to make it to his downed foe when the cry of help was sounded again. He glanced worryingly to the woods before looking at his two mismatched allies.
"Go, Chief. Kala needs your help." Baloo told him.
Bagheera kept his attention locked on the tiger. "We will hold him off. Go!"
Kerchak hesitated for a single moment before hurrying into the woods.
Right after he left, the pair turned to the great tiger.
Shere Khan sent a smile that promised pain to the both of them. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite pair of Oathbreakers." His eyes focused on the bear. "I thought we had an agreement, Baloo."
"Come on, Khan. Why do you wanna hurt the kid?" The bear asked.
The tiger smiled sardonically. "Why not?"
"It doesn't have to be this way."
Shere Khan bared his claws as he chuckled, a feeling of deja vu from a past night surged through him. "I'm afraid you've missed the time for parley." He now eyed the bear with a stern look. "That's enough prattling, I have some unfinished business to attend to." He walked a couple of steps before narrowing his eyes. "Move."
Baloo frowned right back at him. "I am not moving from this spot!"
"I'm getting tired of all this resistance." The tiger stated. "Why don't you behave for once in your life and move aside?"
"Don't tell about behaving, mister!" He stared at the tiger right into the eyes without backing down. "Because, for once, I'm acting like the Alpha I'm supposed to be." He pointed at himself for emphasis. "And if you want that kid, you will have to go through me." he stared challengingly at the tiger.
Khan just maintained his stern face as he between the bear before glancing at Bagheera. The bear's speech seemed to have emboldened the panther if the similar look he had in the eyes was any indication. "Hm, very emotional." He closed his eyes and opened them to reveal a VERY displeased face. "Well then, so be it." He roared and bolted to the pair.
Baloo stood in his hind legs, roared as well, and charged to meet the tiger.
###
Woodland grove near the Floodplains, south Bukuvu
Two days. It had been two days since that incident at Zulu Falls and the only time Kala could remember being this agitated was back then, and the couple of days that followed the death of her first son. She was still having a hard time believing how things had gone from bad to worse since Bagheera took her son to the Eastern Bank. From Sabor crossing the unguarded border and chasing Tarzan away, to her son getting stranded in the tiger's part of the jungle and the Assassin escaping back as well.
Kerchak hadn't dared to look into her eyes since they left the Green Mother. It took Bagheera briefing them of the situation to get her and her mate to finally speak to one another. Sadly, that conversation managed to go even worse than their last one: she HAD to find Tarzan but, as the leader, Kerchak needed to think about what was best for the Troop. Making an incursion into Khan's lands with a small force would be suicidal and they had missed the last of Colonel Hathi's patrol, although there was still hope that the elephants would be informed of the situation and send a contingent to help.
She didn't like the idea of putting her family in danger any more than Kerchak did. But, if they stopped, she would lose another son. The indescribable pain caused by the memory of that night alone was enough to make her feel her heart ache. Yet, nothing short of a miracle should convince Kerchak and the others to cross the Dirisha.
But it came... from some very unlikely sources.
Baloo arrived with a warthog and a meerkat, a pair of Outlanders from the savannas of the east, and offered to help rescue Tarzan. The trio had befriended her son and offered him asylum during the last night, something that Kala would be sure to thank them for after this was over. Kerchak had been quick to dissuade their plans, pointing out the grave peril that awaited them. That was when the meerkat, Timon, stood right in front of the squad and, likely unknowingly, appealed to the pride of the Troop by declaring that he, Bagheera, Baloo, and the warthog, Pumbaa, would rescue Tarzan by themselves. Proclaiming he would rather be a hero for 2 minutes than spend the remainder of his life as a cowardly worm.
He didn't stay to see the look on Kerchak's face and started walking to the ford. Bagheera joined him, and Baloo, and Pumbaa. Tublat, of all people, started following them in the same direction (though he kept glaring at the tanned mongoose), then his underlings, then Sokwe and his group, then Kala herself. Soon enough, the entire platoon was heading south.
All thanks to these two creatures in front of her.
Timon and Pumbaa were walking into the grove military-fashion, sniffing the air, and darting between boulders and logs with especial-units-team-style "Hup! Hup! Hup!" noises that Kala recognized from the pachyderms' allied drills around Zulu.
"Slow down." She called to them. "Don't get too far ahead."
"Sorry, Mrs. Tarzan," Pumbaa responded near the grove's entrance. "But finding them isn't being easy."
"Well, you heard the panther." Timon said. "We gotta be inconspicuous, lest the tiger finds us." He muttered the last part with a twinge of fear.
"He shouldn't be far." Kala said. "He's gotta be here, somewhere."
Timon climbed a slope to get a better look at the surrounding area. It was getting dark and wouldn't make the search any easier, but they were running out of options. He scurried atop the rock when he felt something through his feet. He got down to his knees and knocked the stone as he eyed it curiously. After checking that spot, he tested one further away and confirmed his throughs.
The first one was hollow.
The brash sound of thumping grabbed Pumbaa's attention, who moved next to the meerkat and looked puzzled at him.
"What is it, Timon?" The warthog asked.
"I think there is something here." The meerkat got back on his feet. "Just give me a moment." He started jumping on the rock surface.
After a moment, they got a response.
"They moved! The stones moved!"
The pair widened their eyes. That was Tarzan's voice!
Timon went back to jumping, this time with more fervor. The stones under him started sinking, until finally...
He froze.
He and Pumbaa noticed a large shadow towering over them. The meerkat slowly turned around, looked up, and gulped. The warthog did the same only to get a similar expression of terror on his face. Tublat was bearing down upon them, an ugly smile on his face.
"Goin' somewhere, boys?" The Silverback laughed cruelly.
Timon just stared up and swallowed. "Um, we're just lookin' for some grub." He laughed weakly. "Right, Pumbaa?"
The warthog nodded frantically. "Yeah! We missed dinner."
Tublat's smile turned savage as he brought his face too close for the duo's comfort.
"What's going on?" Kala called out as she approached the scene. She stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Tublat? What are you doing here?"
"Mom?"
Kala made a double-take. "Tarzan?" she made haste but her path was blocked by Tublat. She looked astonished at him. "Tublat, what are you doing?!"
"Something that should have been done a long time ago." He started his tirade. "It's time that we get rid of all the creepers on our trees." He proclaimed. "We'll start anew, as rulers of the jungle, as it always should have been."
"What are you saying?" Kala asked aghast. "Kerchak won't stand for this!"
"That's right, because he is a coward." His jaw clenched into a scowl. "And thanks to others like him, those upstart cats managed to expand into our lands, turning it into their personal hunting grounds." He glared at her. "The others declared him leader because they pitied the loss of his infant, but when we had the Khan running with his tail between the legs, he had us make a Truce!"
"The tigers are too powerful. If we had pursued them, half the Troop could have been killed!" Kala argued.
"At least the weaklings would have died for something," Tublat snarled, his tone growing in intensity. "Everything has been nothing but pointless skirmishes since that night." He turned to where they had heard Tarzan's voice. "I'm tired of running away from the fighting. If I have to strand us here, forever searching for a hairless runt, just so we can finally destroy those cats," he turned to look at her, his expression turning savage. "So be it!"
He rams her with his shoulder, making her stumble backward. Kala lost her footing and tripped, falling down a cliff obscured by darkness and foliage.
"NO!" Timon and Pumbaa raced to the edge and found the female gorilla landed in a rock ledge protruding from the cliff-side. Much to their relief, she seemed okay.
"Mom?!" Tarzan's scream was heard from inside the cave.
"Mrs. Tarzan!" Timon called down to her.
"We gotta save her-" Pumbaa was interrupted when a pair of giant hands grasped both him and the meerkat.
"Not so fast." Tublat brought the pair close to his face and smiled evilly. The Silverback stopped when he heard Kala roaring the alarm call from the cliff's edge. Timon used that chance to bite his captor's finger, freeing him enough to catch Pumbaa's tail when the warthog swatted it's in his way and pulled.
'BOOM'
The resulting explosion was nowhere as powerful as the one unleashed against the pythons in the Ancient Ruins, but it was enough to stun the Silverback and give the pair a chance to escape. The duo screamed as they ran out of the grove, Tublat quickly on their tails, his four-toed steps sinking the ground. Timon and Pumbaa rushed as fast as they could to get to the others, their efforts hindered by the darkess of the night. As they ran, Timon turned to look behind and was greeted by Tublat's great bulk flying down towards him, making the mongoose scream and jump to avoid the great beast but the gorilla managed to snatch him in his grip.
Tublat stared at the whimpering meerkat with a cruel smile when a deep voice was heard.
"Tublat!"
The vicious gorilla turned his head and found Kerchak looking down from an outcrop, his eyes glaring at him. "Let him go."
"Whatever you say, Kerchak." The Silverback dropped the mongoose —who hastened away fast— and fully turned to the Chief.
Kerchak jumped from the rock and landed with a booming tremor. The glare did not leave his face. "Where's Kala?"
Tublat shrugged nonchalantly. "Somewhere back in the grove." He smirked wickedly at the Chief. "Come and get her."
Kerchak growled hatefully at him. "You would betray the Troop?"
Tublat wagged his finger. "My allegiance to you has earned me nothing. The Troop needs a new and strong leader," Still smirking, he assumed a fighting stance. "And I will take it."
Kerchak snarled and readied himself as well. "Never!"
The two Silverbacks circled around each other and exchanged glares. They grunted, bared teeth, growled, and snarled. Then they roared... and charged. Their massive bulks collided as they jumped up before shaking their heads to recover from the shock. Tublat advanced and Kerchak slammed his arms in the ground to propel a double kick that sent his adversary railing back. The Chief ducked from a powerful jab before shoving himself against the opponent. Tublat braced himself against the impact and took hold of Kerchak's fists, initiating a grappling stand-off.
"Mrs. Tarzan, hang on to my tusks!" Pumbaa cried out to Kala as he lowered himself for her to reach.
"Come on. Climb up." Timon argued from beside the warthog.
Kala clung to the cliff-side to get as far as possible from the edge. She extended her hand and managed to grab Pumbaa's snout, pulling with all her might.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow." The warthog moaned in pain.
Timon shook his arms to get her to stop. "Stop, stop. Before you give him an elephant trunk!"
Unknown to the three of them, the cubs were still trying to get out of the cave. They clambered up a pile of rock and the Man-Cub held the little lion up high to reach the spot where Timon was stomping a few moments ago. Simba pawed desperately at the ceiling until it finally came down, exposing the cave to the moonlight. The lion got out first, then came the ape.
Tarzan spotted Timon and Pumbaa and ran to join them at the cliff's edge with Simba following. The man-cub looked down to see his mother. "Mom! Are you okay?!"
"Tarzan!" Kala cried out in joy at the sight of her son alive and well. Tarzan had the same smile.
'CRACK'
The moment was cut short at the sound of cracking rock. All eyes turned in horror as a crevasse formed in the stone ledge.
"We gotta get her up fast." Timon muttered in near-panic.
Tarzan looked around frantically, they needed something long and strong for his mother to climb up. That was when he spotted some vines in the nearby tree. "Hey guys! I've got an idea!" The three looked as the Man-Cub ran up the trunks and grabbed as many vines as he could.
Kala grunted as she tried to throw herself up the cliff, clinging to the rocky surface. She found some stones to grip and pull herself further up the steep decline. She was almost reaching the top when the stone she was using to pull herself gave in.
Then, her hands found an interlaced vine.
She wheezed for a second before looking up to the cliff's edge. She couldn't see the others but heard their familiar voices grunting as the vine tensed. Kala pulled while her legs dangled loosely below her body. Her hands eventually grabbed the edge and she pulled herself to solid ground.
Tarzan was immediately in his mother's arms and Kala squeezed her son to her chest. The man-cub had tears leaking from his eyes, yet both he and his mother were smiling, extremely happy to find each other after everything that's happened.
"Oh, l thought I'd lost you." She told him, half-wheezing.
"I'm sorry, Mom. l didn't want you to get hurt." He hugged her again.
Kala held him tighter before looking at him warmly. "I'm so glad you're safe, my son."
They embraced each other gently. The others gave them space. Simba and Pumbaa were smiling at the touching moment, the former doing a better job at hiding his happy tears. The warthog glanced at his meerkat friend.
"Timon?" Pumbaa stared incredulously between his tears. "Are you crying?"
Timon — hunched over, sniffling, and sobbing — lied: "I'm fine! I-I just have something in my eye."
After a few moments, mother and son separated. "What happened to Tublat?" Kala asked.
"He's fighting that Kerchak guy." Timon responded.
"They were just outside the grove." Pumbaa informed.
Baloo was taken back by the strength and speed of Khan's attack. I had been many Turns of Season since the bear had fought against a beast that could take on his attacks and strike back with equal ferocity. He and Bagheera had been taking turns delivering blows to the great feline; the bear would attempt to pine down the tiger with his great strength while the panther would wait for an opening to gnaw the bigger cat with his claws and fangs. Baloo clutched the tiger to keep him in place but Shere Khan fought off his grasp in time to intercept a paw strike from behind, courtesy of Bagheera. The Khan turned back and bared his teeth and claws to the bear, making him let go. The tiger started running in circles around his two combatants, threatening them with slashes and bites. Bagheera, nimble and agile as any leopard worth of his position on the Food Chain, was able to evade the Khan's rampage. Baloo, on the other hand, was slow and cumbersome, and, as such, was forced to guard himself against the tiger's onslaught. Shere Khan took a bite at the bear's backside before coming back to throw two paw swipes to his face, stunning Baloo and making him involuntarily drop his guard. Bagheera came from the side and pressed his jaws shut with the tiger's tail inside, making the striped feline recoil before he could maul the ursine.
The fighters withdrew and breathed heavily, the battle having taken a toll out on them. All three were covered in dirt, dry and fresh blood, and with numerous wounds, from cuts and bite marks to bruises. Despite all that, Baloo and Bagheera still stood defiantly against the Khan. To surrender would mean not only abandoning Tarzan to death but also sealing the fate of the gorillas; once Shere Khan rejoined the battle, the defensive line would surely collapse, and all members of the searching party would be exterminated.
Shere Khan bounded at the pair once more. Baloo readied himself for impact while Bagheera leaped to the flank. The tiger spun in the last second and intercepted a strike from the panther, meant for when the bear had him pinned and swatted him aside. Baloo came in to deliver a paw strike but the tiger ducked beneath him and bit his leg, making the bear cry in pain and forcing him to the ground. Bagheera sank his fangs into the tiger's claw when the latter bared them to finish off the bear. Shere Khan fought against the pain and brought the panther close to maul his jugular. Baloo took that chance to snap his jaws at the tiger's snout. The Khan hissed in pain and swiped at the pair so he could jump away and re-initiate his attack.
Then, a trumpet was heard across the battlefield.
'PAWOO'
All of the battle's participants looked towards the source of the noise. The stars illuminated the Floodplains, revealing Colonel Hathi and his elephants swept around in an arc facing the kopje! He had led a crack force of pachyderms in an audacious nighttime crossing of the Dirisha.
Luck was now on the Troop's side. With great timing, the Jungle Patrol had arrived to join the battle. At the trumpet's sound, the pachyderms sped on ahead, flattening the tall grass in their wake. In the span of a few seconds, the gorillas went from being pretty much the underdog to having the elite of Bukuvu's fighting forces burst on the screen, frightening the wits out of the tigers: the whole battle had turned around.
Watching the mass of giants stampeding towards them, the cohesion in the forces of the Khanate snapped. The tigers ceased their attack and made a break for it, heading southwards, and from there they would retreat back to their dense forests. The Silverbacks now conducted a counter-attack against the fleeing enemy. The Black Backs pulled and stomped on the cats' tails before smashing them with the brute force of their clubs and fists.
As the big cats fled from the battlefields, the previously fighting trio rushed in time to watch the withdraw. Shere Khan knew it was over. His warriors couldn't hope to stand ground against the raw power of the largest land animals in all of Africa, especially with a meager force. Not only that, but the elephants could cut off his army's retreat back into the forest.
There was only one thing to do.
"FALL BACK!" The Khan formally issued the order to retreat, despite the routing having already started.
Swallowing his pride, he sent one last hateful growl to his two opponents.
"Listen to everything I say: don't think for a moment this was the end of it. I will be back, and when I do, I will kill the Man-Cub..." his wrathful scowl intensified. "And destroy everyone that stands on my way."
The duo responded in kind.
"Just try it." Baloo snarled defiantly.
"We will be counting the seconds." Bagheera replied coolly.
With that, the Khan disappeared in the grassy plains. Escaping with his forces back to the woodlands, where the elephants would have difficulty traversing even if it wasn't dark.
Tublat lunged at the Chief Silverback; Kerchak held him firm in turn. The two giants grappled with each other for the future of the Troop. Kerchak pressed his junior to the ground but Tublat fought back with greater ferocity. The Silverbacks shifted their grip to each other's arms, trying to force the opponent back. Kerchak prevailed and managed to knock Tublat to the forest floor. He got on top of the challenger and was about to deliver a powerful smash with his fists, when Tublat grasped him with his semi-opposable feet and kicked him away, sending him flying forward. Kerchak's body bounced before finally landing. He shook himself to get his mind back into the match, just in time to be tackled back to the ground by Tublat. The junior tried to immobilize the senior but the latter lunged at him, making them both roll on the grassy floor. By the time they finished their tussle, Kerchak had his opponent's arms locked in a powerful hold.
"Ka-goda?" The Chief snarled for his adversary to cease resistance and submit.
Tublat begrudgingly gave in. "Ka-goda."
Kerchak dropped him and started walking to the grove, his adversary would pay for his crimes later, now he needed to find Kala. His search ended before it even started, for she showed up right away, making her way to him with the others following. Tarzan was among them. Along with a tiger cub?
Before he could say anything, his mate cried out loud in alarm.
Kerchak's head revolved quickly and his eyes widened at the sight of an incoming club.
'BONK'
"Kerchak!" Kala cried.
The Chief's unconscious form fell to the ground at the feet of his challenger. Tublat stood above the defenseless Silverback and bared the new club that he had made with a broken branch to finish him off.
But then he was hit in the nose by three rocks. Tublat covered his pained snout before shifting his eyes in the direction the projectiles came from.
"Nice shot, Tarzan!" Timon complimented the man-cub who held a rock in his hand as he glared at the one who had imprisoned him and Simba.
Tublat's fury was now totally directed at the youngling. "You hairless runt!" he put down the club and started marching to the group. "You broke my nose!" he lunged at Tarzan especially.
But a now awaken Kerchak intercepted him in the air.
Tublat was slammed hard to the ground, making him slightly dizzy. Kerchak gripped his shoulders and pushed him to the side. The challenger strumbled and tripped down a slope before slumping into a tree branch girdled by a fig vine. The deadwood wasn't able to support the weight of the Great Ape, it quickly snapped and fell to the river below, with Tublat clutching onto it, screaming as he fell. Kerchak came in time to see the gorilla's bulk disappear in the currents of the Dirisha.
Kerchak scowled down to the river before he turned his attention to Kala. She quickly approached him and started checking for wounds, her mate, in turn, asked about her well-being and if the traitor had hurt her. The female told that she was okay and all was just a fright. The others arrived on the side. Kerchak quirked a suspicious eyebrow at the strange cub at Tarzan's side, which was replaced by a deep frow the moment he noticed the man-cub was there.
Tarzan met the Silverback's stare for a fraction of a second but, before anything else happened, the trumpet was heard, catching everyone by surprise.
Soon after, Bagheera and Baloo arrived, both equally anxious and panting.
"Everybody okay?" Baloo asked as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Yeah, we're fine." Timon responded, then he noticed the pair's injuries. "What in the world happened to you guys?"
"Where is Khan?" Kerchak asked half-growling.
"Fled." Bagheera responded to the ape. "The Jungle Patrol drove him off. We won."
The grown-ups gave out long relieved sighs, and some even smiled. Simba looked puzzled and turned to ask Tarzan when heavy stomping steps were heard, drawing everyone's attention in the direction of the plains.
"Pumbaa... do you see what I see?" Timon asked, his tone building up with enthusiasm.
"Colonel Hathi?" The warthog's voice was entranced with reverence.
"The King of the Jungle." The meerkat muttered before he bowed down in respect with Pumbaa following suit.
The Warden of Zulu now walked into the grove, his mate and his son coming right behind. The task of clearing off the fields from the tigers had been delegated to his lieutenants. As he came in, the others also greeted him with reverence, though not to the same level as Timon and Pumbaa. Still slightly confused, Simba glanced at the man-cub once more and saw that his friend was also bowing his head. Tarzan turned to him and gestured to do the same, so Simba complied.
Hathi's expression was indistinguishable as he slowly stepped near the group. He finally stopped in front of Tarzan, the youngling being forced to bend his head to look at the Colonel's face.
"The Man-Cub." He eyed the cub curiously as he hummed to himself. "Or would it be a piranha?" Tantor in the back timidly lowered his head.
Tarzan took a deep gulp before speaking: "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I didn't mean for that to happen back in the Falls. I-"
The Colonel raised his trunk as if to say for him to stop; Tarzan understood and did so. "Now, look here, Ma-Tarzan." Hathi corrected himself. "What was the big idea of going behind a bull and pulling its tail… and worrying the living daylights out of everyone?" he finished after noticing the boy's mother behind him. The pachyderm was still having a hard time trying to wrap up such a crazy idea.
"I'm sorry, sir. I promise I will never do that again." Tarzan said honestly.
"Well, sorry's not enough." Declared the elephant as he pondered a suitable retribution. "I just happen to be in need of a new tickbird." He finally said while shifting his eyes to the lad. "For the next Moon, you will be on grooming duty." Tarzan nodded, and the Colonel glanced at him one last time as he started making his way back to the Floodplains. "Report back to me at Zulu tomorrow."
Hathi marched his way back, his mate close behind. Tarzan spotted Tantor and sent him a friendly smile, which the calf reciprocated before following after his parents.
"Getting yourself a job as the King's servant?" Timon said with a sly smile as he came to nudge the man-cub's side. "Not bad, kid."
"Hey, Baloo. What does an elephant tick taste like?" Pumbaa asked the bear.
Smiling, Baloo shrugged. "Not as good as larvae glazed with honey, but a lot bigger."
Realization passed through his eyes. "Oh, that reminds me." he turned and smiled at the two cubs. "We're late for dinner. Who's up for some grub?"
The younglings, along with Timon and Pumbaa, perked up at that. "I am, I am, I am!"
Bagheera nodded. "Let's get outta here, before anything else happens."
Kala smiled. "Let's all go home for supper."
A deep grumble cut them off.
All eyes turned to Kerchak. The Chief Silverback hadn't gotten away unscathed from his scruffles. His body was covered in bruises, cuts, perforations, and bite marks. He had an eventful night and wanted to put it to an end.
But there was one last thing he would do before retiring.
He gestured the others to move aside, including Kala, who hesitated. He then glared at the man-cub. "Because of you, almost half of the Troop was put in danger. You could have started a diplomatic incident back at the lagoon; you could have gotten someone killed! If you ever do something like that again, I will personally have you banned from the Wakalu."
Baloo started to walk in between them. "Now, Chief. Maybe you should calm down-"
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Kerchak bellowed, causing Baloo and his posse to step back both from surprise and fright.
He turned back to the now crestfallen cub. "You are not going anywhere without supervision from now on." He continued. "And I protect this Family. You shouldn't have interfered back there."
Timon looked astonished at that. "Now, listen here, pal..." He was about to say something before freezing at the glare he got from the great ape.
"I would have done it again."
Now the whole world froze.
Astounded faces shifted towards the Man-Cub, who wasn't looking to the ground anymore. In fact, his stance looked more straightened than ever. To say the others were shocked would be an understatement, it was rare for anyone to talk back to Kerchak during his bad moods, even back in the Troop.
"Tarzan..." Kala began, unsure of what her son was doing.
Kerchak took one step closer to Tarzan. "What did you say?" his voice got more rough and deep.
The man-cub was hit with a twinge of anxiety but shook his hesitation away. "I-I said I would have done it again." He looked at the Silverback right in the eye. "He hurt my mother and was going to hurt you."
Kerchak was still glaring at him. "Like I said, I protect the Family."
"Well, I wanna protect them too!" yelled Tarzan.
Kerchak blinked for a bit before scoffing dismissively. "Don't make me laugh. You can't even save yourself."
"Then I will learn! I will train until I become as strong as you!" Tarzan declared out loud.
Kerchak didn't budge either. "You can barely pass for an Ape."
"I don't care!" he shouted, catching even the Chief out of guard. "I'm sick of being a problem to everyone. Even if we are different, I wanna protect MY Family. I will learn all of the Jungle's secrets, I will get stronger and faster," he glared back at the gorilla. "I will not let anyone else get hurt. No matter what, I will become the best Ape ever!"
There was a few moments of silence as Tarzan and Kerchak regarded one another, the youngling doing his best to catch his breath after shouting so loudly. The others exchanged nervous and shocked glances but otherwise decided to stay silent.
"Spoiled little brat." Kerchak broke the silence, his voice hard and stern. "In the Troop, you give everything you have... and more." He glared at him again as he started turning around. "I won't forgive you if you cause me any more trouble."
Tarzan swallowed hard before bowing down, formally yielding to the will of his leader. "You will see. I will show you how much I wanna be like you; you better believe it."
Everyone looked at Baloo.
"What?" the bear asked, either from genuine or feigning obliviousness.
Kerchak gazed at Tarzan. Suddenly, the Silverback found himself back at the Wakalu, overlooking his and Kala's nest. Just the night before, that spot was meant for three. He had just told his mate that he had sent envoys to the other Troops. They would assemble around the Green Mother by morning... and he swore to her that he would banish the tigers.
"I won't let anyone else die."
Kerchak shook his head and scoffed, trying to get his mind away from such throughs as he made his way out of the grove to link up with the remnants of the searching party.
Nearby, Bagheera was smiling at his student before breathing deeply, too tired at this point.
"Come on, let's go home."
The group prepared to take off as the bats flew from the branches above. Kala gave her hand to her son, who climbed it to get on her shoulder. She felt him patting to get her attention, she turned to him, and he pointed to the cub that was now looking at them.
"Leopard?" she questioned. They had been in such a rush that she barely had time to process the kitten's presence, nor to remember that Baloo had mentioned another cub that was in danger.
He shook his head. "I'm a lion."
Tarzan spoke. "Mom, this is Simba, my best friend from the jungle."
Simba smiled a little.
Kala also smiled and greeted the little lion. "Hello, Simba."
"Hello." He replied simply.
Baloo joined them. "We found him together with Tarzan. The Little Britches was all alone."
Her face fell at that. "I know the feeling." She shifted her eyes to her son. "I once found someone that was all alone." She turned back to the kitten and gave him a smile before offering her hand. "Come..." Simba slowly moved to it and Kala lifted him to her back, putting him beside Tarzan. The two cubs smiled at each other as the female gorilla started carrying them away.
Baloo was smiling at the scene when Bagheera came to his side. "You know, now you have to present your friends at Zulu." The panther told him.
The bear waved his arms. "Yeah, time to cross that ford." He eyed the group walking to the plains, the cubs in particular. "Guess we both will have our hands full for some time, eh Bagheera?"
The panther nodded before sighing. "With all these younglings mucking about, we might as well start a daycare."
Baloo froze at those words. "Us?" he wiggled a shrewd eyebrow and smirked.
Bagheera sent him a dull frown. "Might as well, those two seem to have a tendency to get into trouble." He followed after them. "They're gonna need all the help they can get."
Baloo did the same. He walked on his hind legs with his eyes set on the path ahead. "Don't worry, Baggy. Between you and me, those two will stick to the right path. We can do it."
Bagheera didn't look so sure. "For once, I hope you're right." Then he frowned at him again. "And how many times do I have to tell you to not call me Baggy?"
###
Cold Lairs, south Bukuvu
Shere Khan gathered his troops and retreated east towards the forested areas and ultimately back to the Cold Lairs. His strong sense of pride and elegance had kept his temper in check when he led his warriors through the man-made stone paths back to their dens. By miscalculating the Troop's attempts to rescue the Man-Cub, he neglected to gather his forces for a decisive attack, giving up his advantage. A setback that demanded retaliation.
He was about to ponder his next course of action when Mzingo came in with a request for an audience. The Khan was not in the particular moody for such things but as he received more info from the vulture, his interest grew.
So here he was watching from atop his altar as Sabor groveled before him.
"My lord..." She bowed down. " I am but your humble servant."
Mzingo was smirking wickedly on the side of the Yard. "Yes. The mighty Assassin... who might have sat here by the side of the Khan... but undone by her maniac cravings."
One cold glare from the Lord of South Bukuvu was enough to get him to stop talking.
"Allow me to make a plea to you, so that I may hunt in your Ranges again." She requested.
The Khan stared coolly at her. "I will hear your plea... when I feel that you paid your debt."
Sabor just smiled ugly. "Then allow me to do so..."
The tiger raised an eyebrow as he watched the leopard. "You tarnished my name, broke a verbal deal, and antagonized a Tribe without my permission just because you couldn't control your bloodlust." He glared at her. "If you say you found a way to compensate me, I'm the one who will decide that."
Sabor kept smiling and turned behind to signal her underlings at the gate. "Bring the prisoner."
Those present watched with curiosity when the members of her Leap came forth, dragging a huge body using their mouths all the way to the center of the Yard.
The tiger looked curious, recognizing that as the upstart Silverback that spoke up his mind during that reunion at Zulu Falls many Seasons ago. His injuries indicated that he had fought hard, but the Khan didn't recall seeing him in the battle. Not only that, but while his body spotted numerous bite marks and bruises, there were no signs of slashing. He turned to Sabor, his eyes shining slightly with curiosity.
"Speak up."
A/N: And that wraps up Arc 1: Bukuvian Book.
Things to stay tuned: Lore and Worldbuilding; Tarzan and Simba growing up; Allies and Enemies; The Secrets of the Ancient Ruins; Khan's origin; Escalating War; The Human Expedition; The End.
Not gonna lie, I don't really trust myself when it comes to creating genuine original material. This fic is, by far, the greatest example of that. Coming up with the story I researched through numerous Works, some directly related to the main story trio, some not so much. The more I kept digging, the more things I wanted to include here. It got to the point where the research became a hobby almost independent of this Project. I would spend hours ravenously searching through videos and wiki pages looking for new pieces to add. By the time I finally decided it was done, I had included aspects from over 20 movies, 12 tv series, 3 short movies, lots of comics, and more...
Let it never be said that I'm lazy when the subject interests me.
What simply started as an attempt to quench my desire for more Kings and Khans resulted in a plot that could easily turn into a full-blown Long-Runner fic with plenty of potential for sequels... which is exactly what I intend to do... did I mention this is my first fic?
So don't forget to share, comment, and follow.
OMAKE: Tarzan and Simba's Adventures Series Trailer (Ala Archer Vice)
"Now people know that they can't just take from the land, and are starting to give something back." said Adult Tarzan to the animals gathered around Zulu Falls.
"They are protecting us?" asked Pumbaa.
"Well, I wanna protect them!" declared Timon.
"Hey, where are you guys going?" Simba asked as he saw his friends with a ton of luggage.
"We are gonna help you guys." Baloo told him.
"We could use another mode of transportation." Pondered King Louie.
"Listen, I know those guys..." Simba started.
"Are you really, really sure this is safe?" Bagheera quirked a very wary eyebrow to Baloo in the cockpit.
"Relax, Baggy. Just leave it all to me and good old Dam Busters." Replied the bear as he patted the plane's control panel.
"Smile and wave, boys." Skipper advised the crowd of animals coming out of the plane.
"Baloo, is that you, cousin?" Winnie the Pooh asked in a happy tone.
"Cousin Pooh!" the sloth bear extended his arms and beamed.
"Don't try to run." Phanty warned in a seductive voice before tackling Bagheera to the ground.
"Kion!?" Simba cried out in shock at the scene in front of him.
"Daddy, I can explain!" Said the prince, laying down on his belly in the bed with Jasiri on his back, hugging him from behind.
"Run, Tantor! Run!" The Ape-Man urged as he, his brother, his female cousin, and his male cousin raced along the Floodplains with Baloo and Bagheera following behind.
"I have heard about you," Louie commented as he prepared himself for what was to be the greatest challenge of his life.
Across the dance floor, King Julien threw a defiant stare to the orangutan.
Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa dropped their jaws on the floor.
"Holy fucking shit, its a dinosaur"
Aladar walked by the Pride Lands with his family on his back. Except his father, who was on his head.
"Jesus Christ, what the fuuuuuuck?!"
As the Dam Busters flew above the immensity of the Great Waters, the vultures decided to offer some entertainment for the trip.
"All together now (All together now) All together now (All together now)"
Wiley the Sheep beamed in excitement. "Finally, someone to talk to! We can discuss poetry, music, macrame. We can even do an intellectual interchange!"
Otis, along with the rest of the Team that he was guiding through the countryside, just looked puzzled.
"You have another brother?!" Tarzan looked baffled.
"It's complicated," Simba replied as the two of them went back to watching the anthro teenage lion with a red shirt, jeans pants, and sneakers from behind the bush.
"Ma, let me introduce you to my team." Timon gestured to the group. "Those are Tarzan, Simba, Pumbaa, Nala, Baloo, Bagheera, King Louie, King Julien, Terk, Tantor, Buzzie, Flaps, Ziggy, Dizzy, Kaa, Rafiki, Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, Jason, his girlfriend Carrie, Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, Private, Tarzan's cousin blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah too."
"So," Zazu eyed the volunteers assembled in front of him. "You think you have what it takes to be his Majesty's bodyguards?"
The two groups had passed the evaluation with flying colors, but the budget of Diamonds had been reduced due to the expedition to New York. Now, the Majordomo pondered on who should act as the security team for whenever the King was out in business.
But who would he choose: The Expandables or The Toretto Family?
Simba and his Pride collided with the Pack of Velociraptors.
"Take no prisoners!" Rabbit called out as he provided suppressing fire to his friends with a machine gun.
"They may take our lives, but they'll never take our Drums!" King Louie cried out to his army as they assembled for battle.
A great white lion shouted back in front of his army. "It's time to end the age of Voodoo Drums!"
"Like, let's go save the rainforest!" Shaggy yelled in the communicator of the spaceship-turned Mystery Machine, earning cheers of approval from the rest of the fleet as well as from his girlfriend Daphne, and his co-pilots Scooby and Scrappy.
"Thus saith the Lord!"
By the dim light of The Lion in the Moon, Simba faced his opponent atop a cliff. "Thus saith the Lord!"
"(I will not) Let your (my) people go!" He and Emperor Leo pounced at each other.
Tarzan braced his spear for the cavalry charge in a frozen wasteland.
"This is Black Dragon, we are going in." Hiccup talked in his communicator on Toothless's back as he and Jack dived down the tunnel to the center of the Earth.
Princess Anna cried out on her bed. "Son of a horse d### f###### s### weasel! F###### b#### w####... AAAAASS!"
Amused, Captain Jack Sparrow eyed his cup of rum. "Oh, sweet, naive, STUPID Thumbelina." He started talking between gulps. "You may not be able to see the dubious implications, but to a man as worldly as I-" he stopped himself, noticing his new drinking buddy wasn't there anymore and the lights were off.
Glancing to his side, he found the now not-so-small Thumbelina... in her underwear.
"Why are your pants still on? We doing this, or what?" she asked him.
Jack looked, just looked at her.
"Have you ever considered changing your name?" He told the definitely-not-small lass.
"So, Donna Giovanna, does this conclude our business?" Skipper asked the woman that, like him, was delegated to attend this meeting in someone else's stead (her husband in the former's case and his allies in the latter's).
Jolyne Giovanna responded from across the table. "Yes, I look forward to working with you guys."
From that day forth, Passione would crackdown on activities such as poaching and animal trafficking in Italy, as well as support politicians sympathetic to the cause and assist on the Team's endeavors.
Baloo gestured to the readers with a full-blown grin: "Bad guy falls in poop. Classic elemental physical comedy; now comes the part where we throw our heads back and laugh. Ready?"
Timon and Pumbaa, equally excited: "Ready!"
And the trio threw their heads back and laughed like monkeys.
Freakazoid steered the ship towards the underwater realm of Atlantica as he sang. "Now that I'm home, home again, it's clear. All I ever wanted, seems to be right here."
Peter Pan and Melody jumped off the Jolly Roger to one of the castle's towers. Freakazoid leaped to join them. "I've traveled East and West and now, I'm back again!" He brought the two of them close to a friendly hug. "And there's nothing in the world quite like a friend!"
Peter beamed. "There's nothing in the world..."
Melody glowed. "Nothing in the whole wide world..."
The three of them sung together as one: "There is nothing in the world quite like a frieeeeeeeeeeeeeend!"
Scroop was scooped from the ground by a giant metal hand. Turning his head, he came face-to-face with the Iron Giant.
Jim Hawkins smirked with Ella by his side. "By the way, did you meet my new security?"
"R-E-S-C-U-E Rescue Aid Society"
The Chairmouse led the various international mouse delegates in the song of pledge during the beginning of a R.A.S. (Rescue Aid Society) meeting. Amongst the chanting voices were the two newest members, representing Bukuvu.
"Heads held high, touch the sky," Timon stood out even while sitting in his chair.
"Our hearts we pledge to thee..." Pumbaa was reciting from the main entrance.
Meeting each other face to face, Tarzan and his older sister share a heartfelt reunion.
Tarzan raised his hand, no perceptible emotion on his face. "Hi."
His sister shrugged. "Hello."
...You guys can do better than that!
They interlocked eyes, smiles creeping to their faces, and giving in. They meet in the middle of the room, Tarzan hugging his sister and bouncing as the two of them howled happily.
"There are those who can't be trusted!" The Duke of Weaseltown sang to King Frederic in the monarch's own throne room.
"Uncle Genie, HELP!" Melody cried out through the phone of the Jolly Roger.
"HOLY MOLY!" Peter cried out as he and Twilight watched their son face off against the King of Monsters in horror.
"We just started a freaking coup!" Terk yelled through the communicator in the carriage while Alex readied his RPG to fire at the ones following them.
Princess Azula laughed maniacally as the village burned to the ground around her.
Shan Yu looked, just looked at her.
Suddenly,
He just stood there with his eyes threatening to jump out of their sockets and his jaw slightly opened.
life has new meaning to me
The deranged smile of the definitely mad girl glistened in the light of the flames.
There's beauty up above, and things we never take notice of
The Hunnic warlord didn't move a single muscle.
You wake up, and suddenly you're in love
"AAAAHH!" 'THUMP'
Little Creek sighed as he saw the White Woman known as Kayley trying again to tame the golden stallion and failing...again.
Tarzan, Simba, their friends, their families, and other giant apes bow down before King Kong.