Two Brothers Under the Sun

Chapter – XIII

Red Dogs

Forests near The Wakalu, northeastern Bukuvu

"Eight, nine, ten... coming!" Called the lion cub, opening his eyes and setting off to find Baloo.

"Ha-ha. He will have to seek hard to find my hide." Chuckled the sloth bear, settling into a shady hollow beneath a stunted tree.

Although Simba could not see the slightest movement, his keen sense of smell soon picked up the unmistakable smell of honey from the bear's last meal. Wrinkling his nose, the little lion moved closer. He noticed the trunk of the tree was leaning over. That gave him an idea. Ever so slowly, he crept towards it, then climbed a few feet up the trunk, clinging to it with his sharp claws. Below him, he could spot the unsuspecting Baloo. Suddenly, Simba sprang, dropping right on the startled ursine.

"Great babbling baboons!" Squealed Baloo before laughing in amusement and grabbing Simba off his head. "You were only meant to find me, not give me a heart attack."

"Guess that will teach you to stop lion' around." The lion cub joked, both he and the bear shared a good laugh.

Baloo put him to the ground and started reciting with the cub in unison:

He bumped his left shoulder with Simba's right one. "Shoulder Bump!"

His right hip collided with the lion's left one. "Rump Thump!"

Simba slammed his paws on Baloo's extended ones. "Arm Slam!"

They swapped hips and bumped them again. "Hip Bam!"

Having finished their secret handshake, the bear then put the cub in a headlock and rubbed his knuckle on his head. "Noogie, noogie, noogie." Baloo chortled whilst Simba snickered from his position. The bear let go and called to the lion. "Now give me a big bear growl. Scare me."

Simba tried to roar. But only managed to produce a medium yowl.

Baloo just looked dumbfounded at that. "Oh, boy." He pondered to himself, the kid really could use some practicing. "I'm talkin' about like a BIG bear." He said before giving the youngling a demonstration.

'ROAR'

His lungs let out a booming and blood-curdling sound that almost blew the cub off the ground, carried through the jungle, scaring off the birds from the trees and causing agitation amongst the grazing herds. Simba was a bit shaky before the echo finally left his inner ears.

"See?" Baloo asked. "A big one, right from your toes."

"How's that?" Simba tried again...

'YOWL'

And it was exactly the same as before.

Nevertheless, Baloo encouraged him. "You're gettin' it, kid."

But Simba could see right through his facade. He just muttered a glum "Um-hum."

"That was much better; I'm serious!" Baloo kept insisting. "It dropped half an octave. And it sure scared me." He told the cub. "Made my hair stand up on end."

"Yeah, right." The little lion said sarcastically as he started walking in the direction they were originally heading.

Baloo followed him, still undeterred. "OK. Let's take it from the top."

###

Forests near Zulu Falls, eastern Bukuvu

The Wild can be a rough and dangerous place. As such, compromises between creatures of all kinds are vital for the long-term survival and thriving of each group. Some animals take that to the next level, attaching themselves (either literally or figuratively) to their partners. The 'tick birds' have an advantageous position due to their relationship with larger mammals, clearing them of parasites on their backs and scaring off other birds that suck the blood out of the wounds ticks create.

Right now, Tarzan was paying back the elephants for the incident back at Zulu Falls, working as the Colonel's temporary tick bird. Riding on the pachyderm around the vicinity of the lagoon with all the bugs he could eat.

Not the worst punishment in hindsight.

"Up a little," Hathi instructed him as the Man-Cub scratched an itch in his right ear. "W-wait. Now, down, just a little." He said and exhaled relaxed when the boy found the spot. "That's it." Once the hairless ape was done, he made himself comfortable in the elephant's back, snacking on ticks as he got ready to watch the scene that was about to play before him.

The Warden of Zulu looked back to the waterhole... and shouted:

"CHARGE!"

Tarzan winced, lost his grip, and almost fell off the bull. Tantor, who was standing to the side of his father holding a bamboo pole, clumsily sprinted through the shallow water toward the lieutenant.

"Weight forward!" Bellowed the Colonel to his son, his agitated movements not making it any easier for Tarzan to get back on top of him. "Lean into him! Steady, boy. Steady! Steady with the branch! Grip her tight! Hit him clean!" His eyes suddenly bulged and he started balking. "No, no, no! Heads up!" He lowered himself so fast that Tarzan stayed in the air long enough for the bamboo pole to miss him by an inch.

The Colonel frowned slightly, a bit exasperated. He waited for his now dizzy son to snap out of his funk before berating him. "Weight forward and stay on target." He turned and made his way to the trees to catch the pole. "You keep losing your grip." Said the elephant to the calf, offering him the branch which he accepted with a lowered head.

Tarzan watched silently from the King's head. Despite being one the mightiest animals in the jungle, Tantor was far from being the bravest elephant. In fact, his overreaction was partially responsible for that stampede. Still, the boy couldn't help but feel sympathy for the calf, probably because he himself was always trying to earn the respect of his family and mentors. So, despite their turbulent start, they ended up becoming good friends. Especially when the man-cub started coming over to groom the calf's father.

"Son, remember, stick-fighting is a fine skill." The Colonel coached the Young Private. "That pole can save your life in a battle."

"Okay, Pop." Tantor then put his front heels together and responded orderly. "Sir."

A raspy, repeated "rick-rack" call interrupted the lesson, prompting all eyes to turn to the sky. Flowing towards Zulu was a bird with a long, pointy orange beak and lavender circles across his large eyes. His eyelids were a slightly more bluish shade. Atop his head, he sported a crest of five feathers of differing lengths, starting off with a light yellow at the bases and transitioning to a slightly dark tangerine orange near the tips. That was Ono, Colonel Hathi's 'intellectual' and brainy cattle egret and Tarzan's senior in the tick bird service.

"Ah, Ono, welcome back." The Colonel greeted him. "And what's all the noise going on downriver, hmm?"

"Big News, Sir." He announced as he landed on a tree branch in front of the elephant. "Really big news."

Hathi nodded and fully directed his attention to his Majordomo. "Speak up, soldier, and let's hear all about it."

"New herds from abroad are coming to the jungle." Tarzan and Tantor perked up to hear him too.

"Oh, that's not news," The King replied. "They always do."

"Yeah, but, Colonel... Sir, here's the thing." The egret started. "A Nomad Pack followed them. They call themselves Dholes, Red Dogs coming south from the north saying they were driven off their Range."

The Colonel's curiosity rose at that. "How many?"

"Great numbers." The man-cub listened to their conversation. "I told them to head for Baloo's but they insisted on speaking with you, Sir."

Once again, the pachyderm nodded. "Then I suppose we shouldn't keep them waiting." He looked at his son. "Let's go, this should provide you a good chance to see your father in action on the field of diplomacy." After the calf nodded to him, he looked up at the boy in his head. "Tarzan. You are liberated, for now. I will send Ono if I need you back here."

"Yes, Sir." The Man-Cub moved to grab a vine to get back to the ground.

"Let's get on with it." The Colonel addressed the egret. "Go ahead and tell their Leader that I wish to meet him at the waterhole, and tell them our Safe Call." He shook his head. "And if they plan on staying here, I expect them to follow the Law. No hunting until an agreement is reached."

"Affirmative." Ono gave him a nod before flying back to the lagoon.

"Fall In!" A couple of bulls moved into formation at Hathi's order. "Forward, march!" With that, he led the Patrol west; Tantor marched from the end of the line with Tarzan joining in, the man-cub having decided to accompany the elephants since they were all heading towards Hakuna Matata Falls.

###

Hakuna Matata Falls, northern Bukuvu

"Come on, come on, one more time. You were so close."

"No, Baloo," Simba said in clear frustration as they kept walking. "I'm done for today."

"Maybe it's something technical." Suggested the sloth bear, rubbing his chin with the right paw. "Maybe you're not opening your mouth wide enough." He prepared to roar again to demonstrate. "Like this-"

'PAWOO'

The pair balked and ceased their pace at the sudden sounding of the trumpets. The ground started shaking all around them. They turned to look back in time to hear the music.

"Hup, two three four. Hup, two three four. Keep it up, two three..."

Baloo contemplated the column of pachyderms marching in the direction of their home with amusement. "Huh. Looks like the Colonel decided to pay us a visit." Meanwhile, the lion cub watched the King's entourage with interest.

From the front, Hathi barked out loud. "Company, sound off!"

The elephants sang the next verse in unison. "Oh, we march from here to there,"

"And it doesn't matter where." One of the bulls chanted solo.

The group continued with the next part. "You can hear us push through the deepest bush. Hup, two three four..."

Hathi performed a solo of his own. "With a military air."

The others repeated. "With a military air."

'PAWOO'

Baloo spotted Tarzan at the end of the line, mimicking the elephants' gait with both an arm and a leg of the same side moving together orderly. "Well, I will be... He's drafted our Man-Cub."

Oblivious to the bear's remark, Simba came over to Tarzan, easily keeping pace with the man-cub. "Hey, Tarzan. What are you doing?"

"Drilling." Responded the pink-skinned ape.

"Can I do it too?" The cat asked with a smile.

Tarzan thought about that for a second before humping to catch Tantor's attention. Once the calf turned to them, he asked while gesturing to Simba with his head. "Can he come with us?"

"Sure," Tantor said with a jubilant smile, he really enjoyed stroll-drilling across the jungle with his father's patrol. "Just do what I do." He told the lion cub. "But don't talk in ranks. It's against regulations." With that, Simba fell in the line imitating their gait.

"We're a crackerjack brigade," The Jungle Patrol sang in a well-trained Harmony. "On a pachyderm parade. But we'd rather stroll to a waterhole,"

The trio of younglings sang together: "Hup, two three four..."

"For a furlough in the shade"

Baloo stared as the group marched through the jungle trails before shrugging and getting on all fours to join the drill. While conduct and discipline weren't exactly his forte, the ursine couldn't resist a good parade. Nor the chance to return home in style.

"Hup, two three four. Keep it up, two three four. Hup, two three four. Keep it up, two three four. Hup, two three four..."

"Company, halt!

Simba strumbled head-first on Tarzan's heels, causing the two of them to tumble to the ground.

Tantor looked back at them. "That means stop."

"Hmm, I wonder why," Baloo spoke from behind them.

"I don't know. But Pop said it's the Protocol."

"No," The bear shook his head at the calf before poking out of ranks to see the front of the column. "I meant why here..."

Seeing the bear trail off with his words while his eyes widened prompted the younglings to join him and look ahead. The very moment they did, they were also at a loss for words.

From one side of the lakeshore to the other, stretched a large, noisy crowd of animals that had gathered around the lagoon. A lively mix of visitors circled around Hakuna Matata Falls: the biggest Herds were of zebra, gazelle, hartebeest, and wildebeest; with some blesboks, quaggas, topis, and elands intermixed. All united under the necessity of seasonal Migrations to search for water and grass to live on. If they were to stick around the area for more than a day, they would surely strip the land clean of fodder.

"Well... I leave for a few days and the grazers take over the entire place." Said a now deadpanned Baloo.

"We... sure are gonna have lots of guests for this Dry Season." The Colonel's wariness could be heard hidden in his words.

"What's with all these people?" Simba asked as he, Tarzan, and Tantor joined the grownups.

"I'll tell you what this is: it's a land rush!" They all turned to see Timon emerge from the mass of herbivores; the meerkat was sporting an irritated expression which he aimed at the ursine. "Baloo, you loudmouth bear! Did you blab to the whole world? Want me to define 'hideout' for you?!"

The bear could do little more than throw his slumped arms in defeat while offering a sheepish grin to the mongoose. It seems things hadn't gone so smoothly since he left.

"Colonel Hathi, thank goodness you're here."

Their collective gazes turned upward to find Bagheera staring at them from a tree branch.

"Hi, Bagheera!" Tarzan waved to his teacher.

The panther blinked for a second. "Tarzan?" He eyed the group that he expected to still be in the Theluji Mountains. "You're back already?"

"Yeah." Baloo cut in. "It's a long story."

Hathi approached to speak with the black leopard. "Oh. Now, what's all the commotion, Bagheera?"

The panther leaped to the ground in front of the elephant. "Well, Colonel, it is as you see: too many Herds have come to make pasture around the lagoon." He breathed tiredly. "I'm afraid it's too many for me to handle on my own."

"I was told we had a new pack of Red Dogs moving over."

"Dogs?!" Balked Timon. "Yay, this day just keeps getting better and better!"

Bagheera nodded to the pachyderm. "I heard rumors that they would be here so I came in hopes to speak with their Leader."

Baloo mused under his breath: "It took that for you to finally come visit." He turned to the meerkat. "Did you see them around here, Timon?"

"If they were, I think the crowd would get louder." He snorted before gesturing to the endless number of grazers feasting on the undergrowth. "They have been like this since morning."

"Very well." The King stepped forward to the large crowd. "I shall take care of things around here," He gazed at Bagheera and Baloo. "You go ahead and find the dholes. Should anything happen, I will send Ono to guide you, understood?"

"Yes, Sir." They responded at the same time.

"Now, son... Son?" Hathi turned to address his son but he couldn't find him.

Tantor was on the back, boasting to Tarzan and Simba. "When I grow up, I'm gonna be a brave and strong colonel just like my-"

"Tantor!" The calf screamed and dropped into a fainting goat position; the cubs couldn't help but laugh a little at that. The Colonel's expression dropped at the sight, and he clenched his eyes shut before speaking pointedly to his downed heir. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: you can play after finishing your lessons."

"Yes, Pop," Tantor responded from his position on the ground.

Baloo turned to Tarzan and Simba. "Okay, kids. Playtime will have to wait, Papa Bear here's gotta greet the neighbors, I'll meet you in the cave later."

"But we want to stay with you guys," Tarzan argued and Simba nodded from beside him, both of them looking more than a little bit dismayed.

"This will not be a social meeting," Bagheera said. "We have serious business to speak with the dholes, it could get dull for you younglings if you come with us."

"Sounds like a drag to me." Timon pointed out from a rock.

"You don't have to tell us that," Baloo remarked bluntly before ultimately slumping his shoulders. "But a bear gotta do what a bear gotta do. And I have to know what they want around here."

"Yeah, you do that," Timon said before preparing to leave. "I have to find Pumbaa," He muttered the next part. "He doesn't do well in crowds." The meerkat shivered before heading out.

"Umm... okay." Simba conceded though he was still upset. A part of him still wanted to practice his roar with the bear some more. Feeling a nudge on his back, he turned to see Tarzan smiling at him. Slowly, a smile started growing on the lion cub's face as well, and the two of them went to play around the trees.

Bagheera and Baloo smiled as they watched the boys turn to wave them off; a gesture that Tantor happily reciprocated. The colonel, on the other hand...

"Company, right face!" His booming voice rang in their heads, making them snap back as the pachyderm column formed back in ranks behind Hathi. "Forward march!" With his trusty bamboo pole in his trunk, he walked toward the vicinity of the lagoon with the Patrol in tow. Once the ringing stopped, Bagheera and Baloo walked through the crowd in a different direction.

Tarzan caught up with Simba as the kitten walked past the tree roots covered with dormant lichen, their branches cleared of indigo fruit, with one or two pairs of chattering lovebirds, and dry leaves. Simba glanced over his shoulder to the man-cub.

"Want to play 'King of the Beasts'?"

"How do we play that?" Tarzan asked back.

"I go to sleep and you hunt me up something to eat." Simba flops down in a relaxed and kingly pose. Tarzan raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, that's how we play it."

The pinkish ape got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh-okay." He prances off, leaving Simba lounging lazily on his own. The man-cub looked over his shoulder to see if he was spying before dashing off again.

A few moments later...

'PLOFT'

The lion cub was rudely awakened by a banana splattering in his face. A surprised Simba frantically shook his head to get his face rid of the mashed fruit. He sent a glare to the man-cub smirking at him from a short distance.

"Here's something to eat!"

Simba 'roared' and pounced at Tarzan, who jumped out of the way before high-tailing out of there. Simba chased after him with a playful smile of his own. "You will be sorry for that!"

He hurried after the hairless ape but eventually lost sight of him. Simba looked around the area and spotted a burrow and peered inside. Unaware that his friend was hiding behind a tree close by, Simba crawled into the dark hole. "I know you are in this tunnel, Tarzan!" The man-cub peeked from his hiding spot in time to see the Simba's tail vanish underground. He laughed a bit before letting go of the trunk and following after the lion cub. Simba saw a dim light ahead and began to work his way toward it. Bright Sunshine stung the cub's eyes when he finally emerged from a second opening, near a thicket. As he did so, two or three-horned heads turned in surprise, the lion had disturbed some grazing wildebeest.

Simba froze.

Terror gripped him, robbing every muscle of movement. Tossing his head, the wildebeest paced about, wary of the cub being so close. Still, Simba could not move an inch. He tried to roar but his voice failed him. For the Young lion, the few seconds he spent facing the wildebeest felt like an age. His mind was a mix of fear and despair. Then he heard hooves crashing toward him. Simba closed his eyes terrified of what he might see. Whump! Then he felt something firm wrap around his body and carry him upward. When the little lion dared to look, he saw he was now standing on a tree branch with his ape friend beside him, who had a vine in his hands connected to the lasso around the little lion's body. Tarzan watched as the confused bull below checked his surroundings before returning to join his herd.

"Phew! Bagheera told me to watch out for the antelopes; their kicks are nasty and they get spooked easily." The man-cub glanced at his friend to see that he was staring down with pale-white eyes and his breath was tense. Now worried, he asked: "Simba, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine..." Muttered the little lion miserably, his expression unchanged.

Tarzan knew that was not the case but he didn't want to press his friend into telling him. So, he just nodded instead. "Okay. You're thirsty? Let's go over to the river."

Simba nodded and they followed the well-worn path to the water. They arrived at a section of the river's edge surprisingly unoccupied and started drinking. The kitten drank by drawing his tongue back from the water to his mouth in quick succession. A splashing sound caught his attention and he watched as Tarzan used a bisected part of a hollow fruit as a gourd to gather the water so he could drink from it in gulps. The man-cub noticed the cat's stare and offered him the drink. A few seconds later, Simba was savoring the water coming down to his mouth while Tarzan tipped the gourd so he could drink.

The lion cub found it incredibly refreshing.

Neither of them noticed the herds nearby raise their heads in alert.

As Simba was halfway done emptying the contents of the gourd, Tarzan's eyes started wandering around the area, and he quirked an eyebrow as the Nomads slowly distanced themselves from their current spot. A nagging feeling started bothering him. The boy couldn't put a finger on it. He felt tense and weary. When he sent a passing glance at the forest behind them, he realized what it was. The bushes were rustling behind them. Swallowing his panic, he pretended to focus back on his friend. That was when Simba finished drinking.

The moment he did so, Tarzan grabbed him and ran.

A Clan of ferocious wild red dogs had traveled far – and they were hungry. They lunged after the cubs who scrambled away in panic. They rushed to reach the trees and climb to safety, only to be forced to dodge the snapping of teeth powerful enough to tear and slash through flesh. The onlookers scatter at the commotion. Moving lightly on their legs, the hunters were gaining ground fast. And when they managed to get the pair backed up against a rock wall, they felt as if they could already feel the taste of their next meal.

Tarzan quickly imitated a trumpet sound, giving the Elephants' Safe Call. A secret word or phrase spoken in the tongue of the beasts who created it to protect their underlings, so they would be identified as being under their direct protection. The Colonel taught him the Herd's since he started working as his tick bird. Some of the dholes hesitated at the sound, recognizing the meaning of the words and giving the younglings a chance to get a good look at them. The red dogs had low-hung tails, heavy shoulders, weak quarters, and watery mouths. But the Leader, the brute who led the group that attacked them near the water, was fuming as he approached the two of them. Tarzan and Simba felt the cold-ice grip of terror, the boy stood in front of the kitten, protecting his friend who was now petrified in fear as this scene brought back dark memories.

A blink-of-the-eye before the cubs could be mauled by the dogs, a combination of growling, rolling, and guttural sounds were heard. Tarzan recognized it from his first visit to the lowlands of the northwest. The dholes wrench back, eyes popping as they looked to the trees and saw a small army of baboons baring their teeth towards them. Standing in front of the Troop, and glaring fiercely at the red dogs, was none other than King Louie of the Bandar-log.

Tarzan's jaw dropped in amazement before he smiled in relief. The moment Louie came down to the ground followed by his goons, he dragged Simba to hide behind the protection of the orangutan's large arms.

"Step aside, primate." The Clan Leader addressed the Ape King. "We caught them fair and square."

"The only squares here are you, doggy." Asserted the Monarch, still scowling as he shielded the boys. "We have a rule here, 'No Cubs For Dinner'."

"That one is not one of yours, it's a man." The Leader snarled. "And you are standing in the way of my lunch!"

"Well, too bad for you; we ain't picky in my kingdom." Louie started, his frown deepened as more baboons came to join his side. "We got you outnumbered. You want the boy?" He bashed his fists to snap his fingers. "Then you will be in for a rumble in the jungle."

The Leader snarled but one of his lackeys interrupted before he could say anything else. "But Bundo, that man knows the Safe Call of the elephant."

"Oh, shut up. The pachyderms aren't even here yet." The Leader, now identified as Bundo, told him.

"But they will be here soon, and if the boy is with him, that Hathi fellow will not be happy." Another argued.

"So? he will be a bit angry and is a little bigger than we are, you could say the same about most of the antelopes around here and you are not scared of them," Bundo argued.

"I guess so."

'PAWOO'

The trumpet washed off the Pack's bravado in an instant. From behind Louie, Tarzan and Simba (finally broken off his frightful trance) turned their heads along with everyone to see Colonel Hathi-with Ono Riding on his head, his warriors, Tantor, Bagheera, Baloo, Timon, and Pumbaa marching their way through the grass fields towards them.

"You were saying?" King Louie asked the dholes with a smug expression. The red dogs didn't answer, too busy shrinking under the Colonel's approach. The cubs jumped to join their friends' side.

"Tarzan, are you kids okay?" Bagheera asked in worry as he inspected the man-cub specifically for injuries.

"He saved us, Bagheera," Tarzan told the panther, bubbling over with admiration for the orangutan. "You should have seen."

The panther switched between looking at the boy with concern and the ape with suspicion; the latter was clearly basking under the former's adoration if the sly smile was anything to go by. All the same, he would have to wait to speak with the orangutan; for it was the Colonel who would ask the first questions.

Hathi stopped right in front of Bundo, forcing the red dog to step back so he could meet the elephant's piercing gaze. "You are the Leader of this Clan, I presume."

"Y-yes, Mister Hathi." The dhole responded meekly, a total contrast to the tone of his words before the pachyderm came in.

The King frowned slightly. "It's Colonel Hathi if you please." He continued, raising his bamboo stick. "Now, I believe you were informed that I would not stand for you hunting unauthorized around here." He reminded the canine pointedly.

"Oh, we are deeply sorry, Sir." The Leader insisted. "We are not criminals, we are just high-spirited."

"Call it whatever you want." The Colonel's tone didn't falter. "I am not gonna tolerate such misconduct in my jungle."

Bundo gulped. "You have my word, it won't happen again."

Still scowling, the Colonel nodded nevertheless. "I will hold you to that." He eyed the dhole critically. "And remember, an elephant never forgets." He finally turned to the others, focusing on the bear in particular. "Since we are all here, Baloo, shall we start this meeting?"

"Oh, sure." Responded the strongest beast in the area.

That was the signal everyone was waiting for. They all went to form a semi-circle; Baloo and Bagheera in front of Timon, Pumbaa, and the boys on one side; Bundo and his Packs on the other, opposing the group of locals; Colonel Hathi with Tantor at his side, Ono on his head, and his fellow elephant bulls behind him standing between the two groups. Louie and his baboons stood on the sidelines, watching from a short distance.

"Quiet, everyone." The Colonel called out. "This meeting is now in session. We will let our visitors speak for themselves before any decision is made." He declared before addressing the dholes. "Now, to give us a better understanding of the circumstances, I give the word to their Leader." Hathi gestured to the red dogs in question.

The Leader of the Clan came forward and bowed down to the mighty pachyderm in supplication. His companions follow suit.

"We're forced out of the highlands where we lived. So we had to leave and search for a new territory to make our Home Range." He started. "We've struggled through the great plains of the Pride Lands, in the heat of the Dry Season until we heard about this place, where the Great Migration Routes converge." Once he finished his story, he pleaded: "We humbly ask that you let us settle in your jungle, C-colonel."

"What?!" Timon shouted indignantly before scowling at the predators. "Nuh-uh, no way, forget about it!" He followed up his declaration by crossing his arms and turning away. "Not gonna happen!"

"Now, take it easy, Timon," Baloo said to calm down the meerkat.

"But Baloo, they tried to eat the cubs!" Pumbaa argued, earning a nod of approval from the mongoose in his head.

"That is a good point," Bagheera admitted before looking to the Colonel. "While I'm not fully against the idea of letting them stay, they broke the Law by targeting younglings and hunting here without permission." He continued. "As such, I demand compensation by setting the terms for their stay here."

"What?!" Bundo spoke again, now he was the one looking indignant. "I did not come here to spend the rest of my days licking off the paws of a cat!"

"Oh, Yeah?" Baloo raised his voice as he stood alongside the panther. "Well, you should have thought of that before trying to eat our cubs, doggy." He deepened his frown. "If you don't like it, then don't let the branches hit you on the way out."

"Oh, I don't think we will." The dhole snarled. "We have been running for a long time. And if there is any more running to do, I think you will be the ones doing it."

Hathi had kept his silence as he studied the Alpha, for he could at least respect and understand the boldness of a Leader. His story was also far from being a unique case. Since most Herds disregarded fixed dwellings, their Migration Routes often intersected in certain places and the green plains of Bukuvu have always been a popular spot for the grazers; even more so in the Drought Season, when the Water Truce is called. Naturally, one or more predators would follow them to the jungle. Having this Pack settle here would be might help in keeping all these Herds at bay.

That said...

'STOMP'

Ono flew off higher before coming back to perch in his King's head. The stomping served to get everyone's attention back on the pachyderm, whose look was fierce and with a sharp edge.

"You're welcome to replenish your strength in these fields. I will even let you stay if you want." He said to the red dogs, his scowl contorting. "But take heed: there is no place here for those who defy the Law of the Jungle." All watched as the King displayed his dominance. Bagheera and Baloo became silent, already accustomed to such things; the kids looked stupefied at the imposing monarch along with Timon, and Pumbaa; and the dholes recoiled under the imposing size of the Colonel. "The animals here are all under the protection of the Law." He got right in front of Bundo and his Clan so as to make them bend their necks to meet his gaze. "And if you think you're gonna do as you please in my jungle... you'd better take your Clan and be gone."

Bundo forced himself to swallow his gulp. "Y-yes... Your Majesty."

Hathi, without the scowl ever leaving his face, nodded. "Good." He softened his tone and turned to the panther. "Alright, Bagheera... now, if you may give them your terms?"

Bagheera dictated his terms to the Dhole Clan. Baloo, Leader of the Commune of animals who gathered around Hakuna Matata Falls, gave some of his own. Bundo did nothing except yield to their conditions. Colonel Hathi was on the alert should there be any problem with the meeting. Timon and Pumbaa, although heavily hesitant, accepted that the dogs would stay; thankfully, their worries were subsided by the conditions put on the predators. King Louie just watched the occasion with mild interest. As for the kids... Bagheera spoke the truth, they couldn't even bring themselves to focus on the conversation in front of them.

But that was not out of boredom.

"Run away, Simba. Run away, and never return."

Simba, eyes red and puffed, ran as fast as he could, rushing broken and blindly through the barren gorge until he meet a dead-end. The cub panted and looked up to see the large stones arranged in a way that he could climb them to get out. But then, he sensed something behind him. He turned in time to see a trio of hyenas advancing toward him, snarling and drooling. He went back to running, making his way to escape as the predators gave chase. The little lion slips through a crack in the rocky wall, barely missing a hyena's slashing claws that scratched the stone he was standing on just a second ago. Simba hurried along the top of the gorge, pulling up short at a steep ledge, a large thorn patch right below him. The cub gasped in fright and looked over his shoulders to see the hyenas coming right at him. Right before his eyes, the hyenas morphed into dholes; Bundo was leading them, snarling and barking. The youngling gave out another gasp...

Then launched himself over the cliffside.

Simba jerked awake, gasping for air. He frantically whirled his head around in a panic. Slowly, he calmed down as he realized he was still at the Wakalu; he and Tarzan had played around the Green Mother for so long that night had fallen before they had noticed. Fortunately, King Sokwe had allowed him to sleep over, much to their excitement. The lion cub looked up to see Tarzan and Kala, slumbering together in their nest for the night, just a few feet away. Still shaken by the nightmare, Simba timidly walked to the sleeping mother.

"Psst. Aunt Kala?"

His small voice eventually broke through, and Kala blearily opened her eyes to see the cub awake and staring at her. Kala shuffled a groan under her breath as she turned to the cub, "Simba? What is the matter, sweetie?"

"I-I…" He strumbled a bit with his words. "I had a bad dream."

Instantly, Kala was awake. She raised her head to take a better look at the youngling and found him looking completely afraid. Her maternal instincts overcome her mind as she got up to give him room. "All right, sweetie... come here." She whispered for the cub, who bolted to join her and Tarzan in the nest. Simba snuggled near the still-sleeping man-cub, who batted his sleepy eyes for a moment before going back to sleep. "...Do you want to talk about it?" Kala asked him but he shook his head, burying his face into the soft bed of leaves she made. The female gave a deep sigh. She could feel there was more to that nightmare than Simba was letting on but chose to let it be; after all, she herself was no stranger to dark memories.

And like that fateful night when another defenseless cub found his way to her embrace, she knew exactly what she had to do.