Two Brothers Under the Sun
Chapter – XVII
The Stampede
Outer stems, Wakalu, northeastern Bukuvu
The sun rose above the mountaintops of the Theluji, shining its light all over the eastern edge of the jungle below, heating the land, and burning off the morning fog. The Troop had settled in for the night facing the direction of the foothills, by the Outer Stems of the Wakalu, as such, the gorillas were amongst the firsts of the great beasts of the jungle to be greeted by the morning light. Silverbacks and Black Backs made ready for the coming of the Rainy Season, sky-gazing for any conglomeration of dark clouds on the horizon. Most younglings rested longer into the day with their mothers constantly at their side. When the thunder arrives, their nights will become restless.
Among the awakened is an excited man-cub, who has been granted leave for the day. Tarzan splashed the water on his face to clear the sleepness of his eyes as sat down near one of the gentler distributary streams of the Dirisha. As always, the boy was eager for the day ahead and the new lessons he would learn. After clearing off the water with a leaf, the boy honed his Battle Cry while doing the Troop's traditional Chest Pound and stretching his arms with energized vigor. "Ready to start the day!"
With his morning routine completed, the boy headed to meet his teacher, crossing the area beneath the shade of the canopy. As he circled around the Green Mother's many children, he couldn't help but watch the elders going about their duties, always there to protect the Family. While this was far from being an unusual sight to him, this was the first time he saw the Troop taking direct orders from somebody that wasn't Kerchak; Even if the one covering for him was Sokwe, Tarzan still found it unusual to not see the Chief Silverback dictating commands at this time of day.
Regardless of that, his eyes drifted to where they always would: the shining silver in the broad back of the Silverbacks.
Kerchak was not present because he was protecting the Wakalu from the tigers in the frozen mountains. One day, Tarzan too will finally get to fight for the Troop, and when he has finally earned their respect he will climb to the top of the Wakalu to get his own Silver Saddle.
Once he has finally proven himself to the Silverbacks, he will be a real gorilla. Respected by all.
"One day, that saddle will be mine." He looked down at his hand, tightening the grip of his fist.
"Tarzan!" His mother's calling stirred the boy from his daydreams of grandeur. "Are you ready?"
"I am coming, Mom!"
After stopping to retrieve his wooden 'Fang' from his last nesting site, the man-cub then set out to find his teacher. Waving off his mother as he passed by her, he rushed outside of the Wakalu's boundaries. Not long after starting his search, he spotted Bagheera atop the mohwa tree and moved toward him. Soon, master and student set off along the river before switching to follow the nearest elephant trail leading to the grass fields.
###
Cliffside Dwelling, Hakuna Matata Falls, northern Bukuvu
Sunlight arrived at the lowlands before the panther and the man-cub. Simba emerged from the den, stretched, and yawned before shaking his head. Another day, another lesson. He left the Cliffside Dwelling and then descended to the valley floor, from there he slowly walked across the plains towards the water hole for a drink. After quenching his thirst, the little lion checked his reflection, raising his head so he could properly see his neck. After he was done, he sighed to himself in slight dismay.
He had been training hard over the last few days, there wasn't a single scrawny muscle in him anymore but there was still no sign of a growing red mane either.
Now a bit frustrated, Simba turned around and sat down near the water, staring off the wide-open fields of the jungle. Bagheera would teach him to hunt today so he had made sure to wake up early for the lesson. And Baloo had told him that this was the best place to hunt on this side of the River of Patience. Indeed, it was the break of Dawn yet he could see lots of movement in the lands around the lair. But, occasionally, the kitten would feel a stir in the air as well. The rumbling, rolling beat of restless beasts with restless hooves. A sound that made him restless in turn. The youngling tensed for a second when he heard the noise in question passing by... then recomposed himself, gathering his resolve. Today he gave another step toward becoming a jungle cat. Today he would hunt for game.
Today, he would face his terrors in the grassland.
His eyes wandered in the direction of the elephants' trail and he saw his friend and teacher heading through the grass, prompting the lion cub to run to meet them.
Bagheera went ahead with Tarzan following him at a steady pace. After the episode with the Lawbreaker, the panther had made sure to teach the boy how to make his way between the waterfall and the Green Mother, which came in hand with the latter's new routine. Tarzan was now perfectly capable of doing the trip on his own, not that his teacher nor his mother were just going to let him come this far from home without either of them or Baloo coming along.
But now, they were not alone.
Across the pastures, the migrating herds roamed alongside them, grazing peacefully. Bagheera had hunted last night so he wouldn't be hungry for the rest of the morning, thus he had no reason to sneak up to the antelopes, reassuring them that he wasn't going to attack. The visitors also knew to enjoy the tranquility near the Hakuna Matata Falls, where Baloo and Basi's Pod deter hunting.
At last, beneath the towering shadow of the waterfall's cliffside, they saw Simba coming towards them.
"Hey, Simba!" Tarzan called with a smile as they all stopped in front of each other. "Ready for your first hunt?"
The lion suppressed whatever doubts he still had and nodded to his friend and teacher. "I am ready."
"Good." Said Bagheera. "We got quite the day ahead of us." He tilted his head down at his apprentices. "But first, we have to find the grazing area of the gazelles."
"Hey, I know where we can find their herds." Simba stepped up, having gotten a good look at the area's panorama from his lair.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Tarzan sent a playful grin at the lion cub before taking off. "Race you there!" He called, already bolting across the grasslands.
"Oh no you don't!" Simba called back as he chased after him. Perhaps a sign of either acceptance or of him just being in a good mood, Bagheera decided to pay little mind to the younglings' antics as he followed them.
Thus the little band of intrepid hunters set forth to find the lion's potential first prey. The grasslands stretched wide and open, so Bagheera had them sneak their way through the patches of woodland and bush thickets adorning the plains to keep themselves hidden. Prowling down on the underbrush, Tarzan retained the same smile he always had on his face while they roamed across the jungle and was fascinated by all of his neighbors, old and new ones, not caring he wouldn't get to contribute much to his friend's lesson. On the other hand, even before they had vanished within the dense foliage, Bagheera had noticed over the last few days how Simba would skittishly keep his distance from the herds, always making sure he was never less than one hundred feet from the nearest antelope; The teacher shrugged that off as the youngling probably being afraid of getting trampled by the tall stags and bulls. Something that would need to be solved right away if he was to become a proper hunter. Once they reached the edge of the bushes, Bagheera stopped, giving a silent signal to his pupils.
"Which way?" Tarzan asked as they all stared at an empty section of the fields.
"There was a herd of lechwes around here." Bagheera's nose pinpointed the scent of the small antelopes in the direction of the river running down the Wangjanga Gorge. "The grass bends in that direction and the flowers are still fresh, so the herd must have come through here recently." The big cat paused in stiffness, his body seemingly freezing in place. His ears perked and his eyes shifted quickly towards the grazing areas on the far side of the pasture as a serious look came to his face. He addressed back his students. "Change of plans. We will make a detour."
"W-what?" Simba was bewildered with both confusion and concern by his tone.
"Where are we going?" Tarzan asked, sharing the same feeling but mostly of surprise.
Bagheera regarded his two disciples.
"Met the last of the Great Kings of Africa."
Ever since the lion and man-cub would come to visit each other's home and ever since Bagheera had started teaching Simba, the boys had explored much of the jungle; from Bukuvu's boundaries where the fields meet the savanna to the larger stretches of the northern bank of the River of Patience, and from Zulu Falls to the hunting grounds of the red dogs; there were few places in the north basin they had yet to set foot on. Tarzan had even boasted that he could find his way back to Monkey City... if only Bagheera wasn't so worried about him crossing the dholes' territory.
But, despite all the things they had seen there so far, the sight before them was... different.
Their teacher had taken off right after he declared they were going to meet the last members of Africa's royalty, he took off with long strides and the students quickened their pace to keep up with him. Afterward, Simba inhaled a mysterious smell, one he knew he never smelt before nor after he came to the jungle. Bagheera was walking in its direction; the two cubs were right behind him until he stopped; they joined his side and soon discovered where the smell was leading them:
A vast swathe of fresh tracks of flattened plants formed a very noticeable trail cutting through the plains and disappearing past a woodland grove. Who had done it? No rhino, the boys realized; hidden in the bent grasses, they spotted numerous large footprints sinking deep into the ground and heading in the same direction. Too small and not deep enough to be from someone of Herr Rhino's kind. Far away, a flock of birds made their landing, too far for the group to see so they climbed to the summit of a low rock ridge beneath the shade of some trees to investigate. Bagheera moved stealthily toward the direction of the sound, they were getting closer.
"Okay, now, eyes open." He told them as they lurked among the shadows. "We're entering dangerous territory." They kept moving forward while he spoke. "Of all the animals out here in the pastures, there is one species that everyone fears. And that is the- duck!"
"The duck?" The cubs took too long to notice the batch of fruits.
'BONK'
"Ow!" Came out the collective pained moan of the ape and the cat following their heads' clash with the hard peels.
"Oh, right." Tarzan mused with a hand rubbing his sore spot. "Duck."
The leopard stopped, and the curious boys moved to join him. "Anyway, as I was saying, the most dangerous animal... Is the buffalo."
They all looked down into the distant valley. There they were, the biggest and strongest of all grazers in the surrounding grassland. They were huge, bigger than the antelopes though smaller than any juvenile thick-skin. Their color was slaty-blue, they had long, backward-curved horns like the wildebeest, only bigger and thicker, little to no fur on their muscular forms, humps on their backs, and savage eyes ranging from black, brown, and green. The trio watched them from their vantage point, the teacher looking both revering and a bit concerned, while the students looked on with slight awe around the area. This grazing ground was all rocks and scrub and tussocks and little ravines with meager quantities of water, among which the herd scattered and dispersed. The buffaloes were mostly congregated by the pools and the muddy shores, where they lay wallowing or basking in the warm mud. With all the water and mud to go around, there was plenty of buffalo in these parts.
The panther turned to the boys, taking a moment to observe their reactions. Tarzan, having spent most of his life in the highlands by the Wakalu, was visibly happy to be there and have the chance to see all the kinds of different animals that lived in the lowlands, be it those who stayed all year round or those who came and would leave as soon as the Seasons passed. Ever since he started coming over to visit Baloo's little 'Commune', the man-cub had been very excited and curious to meet the neighbors. A good student, always eager to learn. Simba was another story. Whereas Tarzan was adventurous, inquisitive, and impressionable, the little lion was more melodramatic and paranoid. As he taught the younglings, Bagheera realized that Simba seemed to have insecurity issues and low self-esteem, only becoming more laid-back and fun-loving when he and Tarzan were loafing around, sometimes with Baloo, Timon, and Pumbaa. In spite of this, the kitten was also willing to partake in his lessons, though they sometimes pushed him out of his comfort zone, and Tarzan's encouragement was also helping him come along. But the leopard couldn't feel surprised when he saw his newest student recoiling under the shade of the tree behind him and Tarzan, nor could he blame him for doing so: most hunters shudder when encountering their first buffalo.
"All the herds respect them." He finally said something, making the duo turn their attention back to him. "Of all the great herds, not one is half as strong as the buffalo, nor does another come closer to matching the size of the Thick-Skins." Bagheera didn't need to raise his voice to keep the cubs' attention on him. "Those who can't follow the elephant, follow the buffalo. They are the Masters of the Plains, the Nomad Kings of the Savanna."
"Whoa..." Simba whispered as they looked back to the herd.
"Cool..." Tarzan breathed out. He didn't think he would get to see a Nomad King since the trip to the Theluji had been cut short.
"Be very careful now," Bagheera advised caution. "The buffalo don't like strange things in their environment." His eyes fell on the larger bulls of a darker shade of color. "We better not get any closer, if they see us as a threat they'll either charge or stampede. And if one decides to run, so will the others, that's the Way of the Herd."
His disciples nodded after a moment.
"A-are we going to attack them?" Simba asked, his voice dropping slightly with building anxiety.
"No." Bagheera promptly shook his head. "You are still not ready to take on regular antelope, much less something as big as the buffalo. But it will be dangerous for us to practice with them around, so we will have to do it far away from them." Slowly, he started prowling away from the buffalo. He glanced at them above his shoulder "Come on now."
The boys gazed at the giant bulls one last time before heading after their teacher.
As they strolled out of the groves to the open fields, Tarzan moved to his teacher's side so he could walk in the panther's shadow. The morning sun heated up the days fast in the Dry Season, too much for the man-cub's comfort. Bagheera glanced at him... and he couldn't take his eyes away from the sharpened wooden pole his student called his 'fang'.
"Tarzan," The boy shifted his head at the panther in a questioning manner. "While we are strolling the savanna, don't show your fang to the herds, it will get them agitated."
"Oh. Okay." The youngling changed his grip so he was now lifting the wood over his shoulder, pointing the sharp end down his back, and continuing his walk now with two legs and only one arm like his grown troopmates did with their clubs.
Thanks in no small part to the panther's sharp eyes and nose, the trio found a group of locals amongst the many migrant antelopes that were currently making pasture in the jungle. Three lechwes grazing in a shallow creek; their kind loved the marshes of Bukuvu and the plants that grew there, this group had allowed the visitors to forage in this area earlier but now they could finally enjoy the green delicacies all to themselves. Totally oblivious to the pair of crouched cats watching them from just a few yards away.
"Tarzan, since you are here, can you watch over Simba from the treetops? It's good to have a watcher during the hunt just in case." The adult said to the pinkish ape on his side behind them. The boy nodded and sent a wave to his teacher before he climbed up a nearby tree to a branch directly above the group of grazers. Bagheera turned back to the lion cub. "Be very quiet now, Simba. The Lechwe is especially quick when wading through the wetlands. Stay still and let your game come to you."
Not long after Bagheera gave his advice, one of the females distanced herself from the group as she searched for plants hidden in the stream. Simba knew there was no need for him to look back at his teacher to know that was his chance. Step by step he started to crawl his way through the grass, his belly flat on the ground like a crocodile. Right on the canopy above, Tarzan was also stalking on a branch to get a better look. The lion cub had his eyes set on the task at hand even as the undergrowth hit his face the closer he got to his prey. Then a dandelion of all things brushed one of his nostrils... he stiffened to a halt and...
"A-A-ACHOO!"
The female snapped her head in the noise's direction, she saw the lion and bolted, her companions scrambled as well, and they all retreated back to the herd, disappearing from view into the meadow backlit by the morning sun.
Bagheera, who had watched the whole thing from his spot, tsk-tsked at his student while shaking his head; Tarzan was shaking and he had to bring his hand to his mouth to keep himself from laughing. Simba met the panther's gaze with a bashful expression.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), things in nature must always be in balance.
'CRACK'
The branch the man-cub was holding onto broke off under him due to his sudden movements, causing him to fall into a pit of mud by the creek on the kitten's opposite side, splashing sludge everywhere. Now it was Simba's turn to laugh at his friend's predicament, not unlike that time when the man-cub had fallen inside Baloo's secret stash of honey the other day. Tarzan groaned as he lifted himself up in the quagmire.
"Hiya, Tarzan!" A voice greeted him from the side.
Tarzan turned in its direction only to hop up in surprise when he came face-to-face with a lumpy and bulbous creature emerging from the bottom of the mudhole, the trees around them obscuring its form in the shadows and spooking the currently cowering youngling.
"W-what kind of beast are you?" He asked, gazing up and down at the mysterious animal, taking a moment to realize it was not taller than him, just f-...larger. Tarzan blinked, then quirked his eyes at it before extending out a hand. "You are covered in mud." He touched its body, feeling the substance with his fingers.
"Of course!" The creature jolted with a familiar laugh and started shaking off the muddy layer of his body, revealing the familiar face of a familiar warthog. "Mud protects me from the heat."
Tarzan lowered his arms after the mud stopped coming. "Really?" He asked in curiosity. Not only would the bright hot sun punish his skin every time he stepped out of the shade, which eerily reminded the man-cub of an incident when he slept exposed to the skies and woke to a nasty surprise, but it also caused sweat to seep down from his hair to his face. A way to deal with that would be nice. He looked down at his dirty hands. "That works?"
"It sure does!" grinned Pumbaa.
"Please, don't start putting ideas on his head." The two of them turned to find Timon standing cautiously on a branch on the edge of the mud hole.
"Timon?" Simba walked from behind them, his eyes falling on his two guardians. "Pumbaa? What are you doing here?"
"Somebody here needed a mud bath." Timon pointed to the wallowing warthog. "We also thought of greeting the new neighbors."
The moment the meerkat finished, Pumbaa flung himself across the mud pit with a loud squelllcchh! After which, both Tarzan and Simba bounded up, laughing at the sight of Timon, who was now covered in great dollops of thick, gooey mud.
"Timon, you look almost like a warthog yourself!" Tarzan laughed, as the meerkat tried to clear the mud out of himself.
"No, he doesn't," chuckled Pumbaa. "He's too skinny. Now me, I am a real warthog, and I am going to do what warthogs do best!" With a happy squeal, he leaped into the mud hole, landing with such a splash that mud flew in all directions. "Oh, this is the life," he sighed, wallowing in delight. "What else could anyone ask for?"
"A bath would be nice," muttered Timon, still trying to shake the mud out of his fur, without much success. "Couldn't you have knocked me into a bramble bush instead? It might hurt a bit but I wouldn't be so dirty!" Timon clicked his tongue and took notice of his dried lips. "Come to think of it, I could manage a cool cocktail."
"You just read my mind." The mongoose spun around to see a smiling Baloo holding two coconut halves filled with slush. He offered one of them to Timon. "A little present. Courtesy of the Bandar-log." He addressed the younglings and Pumbaa, waving to the other side of the grove. "There is some for you over there too."
One moment the boys were there, making eye contact, the other, they were dashing in the direction of the pile of coconuts. Bagheera, who had just arrived at that spot without a hurry, stared off after the running pair before sighing and walking after his students. Pumbaa simply nodded at the ursine, he would drink later.
Meanwhile, a now starry-eyed Timon was more than happy to accept the drink from the bear. "Ah, King Louie." He inhaled blissfully at the cool refreshment. "An ape after my own heart." He and Baloo poked holes in their respective 'bowls', toasted, and swallowed the cocktails while Pumbaa wallowed in the mudbank.
The bear then grinned knowingly at the meerkat. "Told ya. There was nothing to worry about."
"Whaaat...?" Timon stilted and smiled bashfully. "I didn't really think Simba was going to hunt us."
"Uh-huh." Baloo, who could see right through his denial, quirked a sly eyebrow. "Come on, Timon. You wouldn't be lying about a lion now, would ya?"
The ursine laughed heartily at his own joke, the warthog joined him. "He-he. Good one, Baloo."
"Carnivores, oy." Mumbled the disgruntled mongoose before he went back to savoring his drink.
Simba sniffed his way out of the grove, his nose to the ground like a hunting hound, Tarzan following right after him. The pair abruptly came to a stop when they found what they were looking for. There they were, a lovely bunch of coconuts standing in a row. Big ones, small ones, some as big as Baloo's head, much to the boys' happiness. They rushed to them, give them a twist to open their shells, and started drinking to their heart's content. It had been a while since their unexpected visit to the Ancient Ruins, and the last time they got to enjoy King Louie's famous juice mixes.
Unknown to the two cubs, others were watching them. Cold hungry eyes were dead-set on the young boy specifically, watching from tree-lined shadows at the edge of the fields. The dholes had left the little hollows and tussocks of the western high grassy downs that they used for lairs and steadily roamed eastward. Bundo growled down furiously at the scene: the man-cub now had a fang of his own, ready to test it on the Hunting Grounds. The Clan Leader had it enough of sharing the game with the panther and those wretched crocodiles, like hell he was going to share it with a man.
He rotated his head to the side, eyes casting on the one that was going to help him with this issue. Standing in the pool up to his belly was the largest bull the Dhole Clan had ever seen, his large bulk and dark color stood out from the others grazing in the area, and he was all by himself.
"There's lunch, bunch." Bundo licked his lips, but not because of the buffalo. He had learned more about the Laws of the Jungle, specifically one he was very familiar with at that. Once dead, every animal's body will belong to the land, its flesh will turn into the grass... or it will be food for scavengers. "And today, the dessert will be man-cub munch."
A strange sound was heard booming across the area, interrupting the three slackers. Baloo and Timon immediately aimed their crossed faces at the warthog.
"It wasn't me." Pumbaa quickly dissuaded any of their unspoken accusations.
Timon frowned before they heard it again. "Must just be the thunder." He looked upward and his expression fell. "...on a hot cloudless day...?"
A slight rumble was heard in the distance.
"Sure sounds like thunder," Pumbaa commented.
Baloo was wary. He turned in the direction of the rumbling, listening to it and trying to identify where it was coming from. Bagheera took it a step further and walked across the grassland, to catch a view of the far pastures. The kids, who only now could clearly hear the continuous rumbling, jerked their heads toward their teacher. In the distance, the noise was growing louder, drowning all the sounds in the surrounding area. It was like the rolling rumble of thunder, yet somehow more threatening. Soon the entire ground began to tremble and shake. And so did Simba.
It was a sound he had heard once before and with it had come... terrible danger.
"What is it?" Tarzan asked.
Bagheera didn't answer his student, not once taking his eyes away from the open plains. In an instant, it dawned on him.
"STAMPEDE!"
The plains ahead were split by an almost endless, snaking column of wildebeest charging alongside a great buffalo. The galloping hooves of the big, heavy-horned grazers sounded like the coming of an avalanche. There was much snorting and bellowing, too. For Simba, the sound of the advancing herd brought back painful memories.
"That's no storm, but we'll be overrun if we hang around here!" Cried Baloo, anxiously. Timon gasped in panic beside him.
"Wildebeest!" Snorted the mud-caked Pumbaa. "There is no stopping them once they've got going."
"Hurry!" Bagheera grabbed Tarzan with haste and hauled him over to his back and bolted towards the grove. "We'll cross the river ahead of them, and race to that rock rise." Said Bagheera, bounding for the rock in question, knowing the thickets of the grove wouldn't provide a good defense from the herd.
"You heard Baggy, guys! Gangway!" Baloo shouted before running hot on the leopard's heels.
The meerkat leaped onto the warthog's back, who rushed out of the mud pit. "Hang on, to my tail, Simba!" He called. "If we don't swim for it, we will be sunk!"
Thinking the lion cub was following up fast, the whole group took off without a backward glance. Had they looked, they would have seen that Simba was frozen with fear. It was not until they reached the far bank that Tarzan dared to look over his shoulder and realized, to his horror, that the kitten had been left behind.
"SIMBA!" Tarzan screamed, leaped off of Bagheera's back, and made a mad dash after the kitten.
"TARZAN?!" Baloo skidded to stop, causing Pumbaa to smash head-first on his backside, and Bagheera to smash on the warthog in turn, his attention having been shifted when he snapped his head to look behind him when he couldn't feel the boy on his back anymore. They all turned to find Tarzan running full speed toward the cloud of billowing dust that marked the wildebeest herd's rapid advance. Soon the teeming mass would reach the river... and Simba was standing right on their path.
"What's got into those kids? Have they gone crazy?!" Shrieked Timon.
"Is he trying to take them on?" Questioned the worried warthog.
Neither Bagheera nor Baloo took too long to voice his concerns. After no more than one collective horrified gasp, the panther dived back into the river while the bear launched himself across the water, causing a loud splash when he landed and started paddling his way back to the other side. Timon and Pumbaa recovered from their own shock in time to jump on his back, using it as a raft to carry them over to rescue the boys. Tarzan climbed up the riverbank and continued on. The lion cub didn't move an inch. In fact, Simba seemed mesmerized by the sight of so many animals thundering toward him.
"Tarzan! S-I-M-B-A!" Hollered Pumbaa and Timon, with little effect. This time, Baloo joined the chorus, peering his huge head above the water, almost causing the duo to fall off in the process. "Simba! Tarzan! Little Britches! Run! Run!" They all cried.
The leading wildebeest were almost upon him when Simba suddenly awoke from his trance. His fight-or-flight instinctual response immediately went berserk. The cub made a wild dash to the riverside. Part of the wildebeest herd burst through the woodland, smashing and trampling plants and trees to bits, and storming closer to the younglings. Tarzan faltered as he tried to run fast outside of the range of the stampede with only tree limbs on the ground and the other busy holding on to his fang. He had lost sight of Simba in the commotion and now he was in danger too. The bulls were now bearing down on the man-cub, their deafening hoof beats and their snorting breath just some feet away from him. Quickly formulating a plan, the boy went to action. He began with a short sprint, plated his pole on the ground, swinging himself high upward, and tumbled down gently into the intended grassy pile, safe and sound. Not a moment too soon, the wildebeest harmlessly passed by. Before he had a chance to process what had happened, Bagheera appeared from nowhere and pulled him to a safer distance. The boy finally collapsed after that close call. Both student and teacher gathered themselves and watched as the stampede roared past them down the grasslands.
"Simba...?" The man-cub felt a hitch inside his throat. There was no sign of the little cat.
The lion cub hadn't stopped on the riverbank, nor did he dived into the stream. The nearby waterfall had turned this part of the river into rapids, running strong even with the lowered water levels, too fast for him to swim across on his own. He looked about for the helpful sloth bear but Baloo was still downriver, none the wiser of the boy's predicament and too far to boot. So Simba ran like never before. A combination of fear for his life and all the training he'd done since Bagheera became his tutor. He felt a shiver running down his back and tensed, his muscles contracting, then he leaped out of the way before one of the females could accidentally run him over. A quick and practiced action, more instinct than reason. Simba sprinted as fast as he could, joining the stampede. He looked over his shoulder in fear, as the wildebeests closed in. The cub never stopped moving, knowing that he wouldn't make it out alive if he did so. He looked around, dust was rising up across the gorge. The scorching midday sun shrunk even the shadows of the towering barren cliffs, just like he was feeling right now with the large antelopes engulfing him from all sides, driving him to the edge of desperation. He was so scared, the thumping of his heart disappearing amongst the rumbling of the stampede, which he could feel coming closer. Soon he would be flattened.
But then, his eyes set back on the path ahead.
"Always go forward, never back."
They stayed there, focused on the wildebeest running right ahead. Ever so slightly, he felt his mind grow tranquil. The herd cutting through the wind as they run overtook his sense of hearing. He was now running by instinct and instinct alone, his legs never stopping.
"Truth be told, almost any animal can outrun us if they get a running start." Bagheera's voice spoke from his mind again. "So you will have to rely on your brain."
Drafting; that was the lesson from that day. Get the antelopes to do the work for him. As Baloo had put it, cling to 'em like two scarab beetles. So he chased after the wildebeest; not too slow to get trampled from behind, not too fast to be in the range of its kicks. His heightened senses entirely focused on the path in front of him.
Then came another shiver.
"Rely on your reflexes."
His perception of time slowed to a crawl, in the span of a second, he turned to the side and flung himself the moment he saw the herd's charge had loosened on that path. Avoiding an incoming bull that slammed in a frenzy against the one Simba had been drafting after.
"When you spot an opening, steady yourself and go!"
He landed safely in between the wildebeest and continued to run. Relying entirely on instinct and reflexes, the lion cub managed to sneak his way through the herd unscathed. Every time his eyes caught an opening, he took to it with a sprint. Every time an antelope bore down on him, he leaped out of the way. The results of his training in the thick jungles were showing. As he moved through the crowd, the barren cliffs shrunk around him, gradually giving space for him to maneuver on the wide grasslands of the jungle. Simba had calmed down enough to feel pride in himself along with a sensation of relief, he was going to make it.
Then... something was gone.
The lion cub snapped back to reality. The growing pain was the first thing to set in; the temporary numbness that had come with the adrenaline had seemingly vanished away. The kitten suddenly felt his leg muscles bulging and burning steadily as he rushed and his chest was soon hurting just as badly, his lungs struggling against an abrupt case of suffocation. He had never run so fast and for such a long period before, his breathing was now reducing to heavy panting and wheezes; he was getting tired. His stamina was seeping away, quicker than those of the enduring wildebeest, whose legs he now realized were again getting dangerously close. Fear returned and mixed with his exhaustion. In a matter of time, Simba knew that he wouldn't be able to keep away for much longer.
Once more he turned his vision to the side, and once again he found an escape route. The lion made a turn and started to race along the bank toward a dead tree. With one last push from his hind legs, he shot into the air before landing on the trunk and bounding up the tree, then pulled himself onto one of the lower branches that overhung the fast-flowing water.
"Phew! He made it!" Gasped Pumbaa on the far bank.
"No thanks to you, bacon-brain!" Came Timon's reply. "You were meant to have him in tow, remember?"
"Stay there!" Baloo called to the little lion. "We'll come around to you."
By now, the lion cub's three guardians had reached a sandbar in mid-river and, from there they could see their young ward. The first wave of wildebeest swept down to the river and began to cross. Terrified, Simba was trapped above their buffeting bodies. Many brushed against the weak tree, causing its branches and Simba to shudder violently.
'CRACK'
The sound startled him. The next second, Simba felt the branch give way beneath him. Rotten through, it crashed into the river taking the lion cub with it. Water and wildebeest engulfed him. Simba struggled to reach the surface. One snatched breath and he was pushed under again.
"Great barging buffalo! We've got to save him!" Yelled Pumbaa.
"The water's blocked by wildebeest! You will never reach him!" cried Timon.
'SPLASH'
Even as the meerkat spoke, there was a mighty splash and a great crocodile launched himself into the river, its rudder-like tail giving him a massive speed boost in the water. There was nothing else to do. Many wildebeest were already emerging on the far bank, keeping the grownups from returning to the river. Swiftly cutting his path through the water, the crocodile snapped his jaws at the trashing antelopes in order to drive them away from the little lion.
Underwater, Simba tried to maneuver between the oncoming wildebeests. Terror overtaking his face. His muscles were aching again, his head spun around, and he found it hard to keep his eyes open. To him, everything now turning into a blur. He registered the herd making strange movements in the water. In a flash, his father emerged and Simba suddenly felt that he was back on solid ground, feeling the hard uneven terrain of the rocky ledge beneath his body. Simba could see his father's face staring down worryingly at him. The little cub smiled in relief. It was okay. He was safe. They both were.
But then, he turned to the side... and his expression turned grim.
Out of thin air, his father was struck by a wildebeest from behind and carried off into the stampede.
"Simba! Simba!" His father let out one last roar before plummeting under the mass of bodies and water. "Help me!"
"No!" The cub cried out. Not again! "Dad!"
Horrified and desperate, with tears bursting out of his eyes, Simba plunged himself into the swirling mass of wildebeest below him. Wheeling himself away underwater, he searched through the stampede with increasing distress. At last, he found his father, latched a paw around his own, and pulled with all his might, trying to fight off the pulling force of the river caused by the stampede and rescue his dear father. Holding his beat, Simba clung desperately to the older lion with the last ounce of air in his straining lungs. Just a little farther! They had to make it!
That was when his paw slipped.
"Simba!" His father screamed, his voice perfectly distinguishable as he was dragged by the antelope-made current.
"NO!" Simba screamed but only in vain, his lungs filling with liquid before he closed his mouth. The kitten couldn't do anything but watch as his father disappeared into the waters of the river. Barely conscious by now, he was suddenly aware of a powerful underwater force lifting him upwards to the surface. Just before his senses failed and all he could see was darkness.
Awakening with a start, the lion cub gasped for air and coughed out water. He stirred, feeling sore all over his body along with a severe case of fatigue. Nevertheless, Simba quickly darted his eyes about and realized he was riding on the plated back of a crocodile. He was on the verge of fleeing off again when a familiar voice addressed him.
"I wouldn't do that again if I were you." His huge helper warned him, revealing himself to be Pua. "The currents here can sweep a cub your size even in the Dry Season."
"P-Pua?" Simba meekly questioned, still recovering from the shock.
"Hold on, little one," Pua told him before focusing back on his directions. "I will carry you to the shore until things quieten down."
"You s-saved my life," said Simba, dropping weakly off the former crocodile Leader. "Why?"
"With or without Float, I intend to honor my alliance with your teacher." Replied the croc.
Simba needed another moment before he gave a nodding, thankful grunt to the crocodilian. He then timidly shifted his position so he could look back to the herd, his eyes staring longingly with sadness. One moment too late and he would have been gone... just like his father. The cub scowled with frustration at what he had done back there. His father was never coming back... the stampede took him away... and it was all his fault.
It was just not fair.
Pua had taken notice of the youngling's gloomy silence and saw the cub angrily staring off at the herd vanishing on the other side. "Don't blame the wildebeest, it's just their Blind Panic." He told the boy, hoping to soothe him after such a close encounter with death. "When they take to the hoof, they just want to get somewhere else in a hurry."
"What makes you think that?" He asked, his tone nonchalant.
"You can always tell by their eyes." The kitten stayed silent, but Pua caught one of his ears flapping at him. One sigh later, the reptile continued. "Blind Panic, that's the Way of the Herds. They know that no matter where they go, there will always be predators on the prowl, looking for any weaknesses. Thus they are all fast on their feet, their instincts take over, and the only thing on their mind is to get away as quickly as they can. That's how they survive."
Simba had now fully turned to him, a tiny glint of curiosity in his eyes. He remembered when the herd was coming down on him and he was paralyzed in fear. Now that his mind was clearer, he also could remember the empty eyes of the antelopes and their faces stuck in a frightened expression.
"They mean no harm, they are just doing what comes naturally."
Still a tad frustrated, the lion didn't think too much before asking: "What do you know about that?"
Pua just smiled at him, slightly amused. "You're not the only animal who's ever jumped in the middle of a stampeding river-cross." He pointed out. "And not even we crocodiles can survive knocked out in the water after taking a good hit."
Simba paused. He had forgotten what kind of animal he was talking to. "So... y-you have done this before?"
The croc gave him a nod. "I am an Undertaker, and I have hunted many stampeding herds in my time."
The lion cub looked at him, visibly hesitant. This time he took a few more seconds to think before asking: "Did you ever lose someone in those hunts?"
"On some occasions, yes," Pua responded, a tiny catch in his voice.
"But doesn't that make you afraid? Of risking yourself or anyone else?" He swallowed and lowered his head. "What if you died...?"
Wordlessly, Pua turned his eyes back to the far shore, giving the cub the back of his scalp but Simba could still get a good glimpse of his serene expression, which contrasted with his crocodilian cold features. "Deep down, we all fear death, and with good reason." He started talking and Simba didn't change his gaze from him for a moment. "But death is a very important part of the Great Circle, and, like so, it binds us all together. As painful as it can be to accept it, we have to come to terms with it. And none of us are alone in facing that fact, we can take comfort in that it's there for all of us in the end." He glanced back to the youngling in his back. "So, you see, there's no point in fearing death. But we must respect it."
The boy was in complete silence after taking everything the adult had said. "I-I hadn't thought about it like that."
He turned to look for his friends and saw them roaming about on the far bank of the river.
"Any luck?" A gloomy Baloo asked his two roommates, both looked equally distressed.
"We have searched under every rock and tree in this bank." Timon shook his head sadly while Pumbaa was on the verge of an emotional outburst. "Not a trace, nothing."
Bagheera came to their side with a sorrowful expression of his own. "I followed the herd all the way to the gorge. No sign of him, not even his scent."
Simba couldn't hear them but his eyes followed their gazes when they darted to the side and spotted Tarzan leaning against a nearby tree. The kitten staggered out of Pua's back and moved to join the man-cub's side.
"Hey, what's wrong, Tarzan?" Simba asked when saw the depressed look on his friend's face. "You look like you lost your best friend or something."
"I did," Tarzan spoke softly, noticeable melancholy in his voice.
Simba blinked once... twice... "Who?"
"You." The boy responded, earning him a dumbstruck look from the lion cub, the two of them completely oblivious to the collective shocked gasps coming from the grownups.
...
...
...
"!"
"WHOA! Hang on a second!" Tarzan, finally aware of his presence, turned to look at him, smiled ear-to-ear, and started shaking Simba in place. "Simba! You are alive!"
The lion cub needed to massage his head after that. "Last time I checked."
"I can't believe it!" Right after the man-cub ceased his hold, a meerkat jumped to hug the kitten's chest, a warthog dogpiled the two of them, resulting in all three falling to the ground, and then a bear scooped them up in a tight bear-hug. The sound of cheers now filled the air as Baloo lowered them and Timon and Pumbaa got off of Simba to give the youngling some air. A relieved panther came over to them, having already put together who was the crocodile that had rescued his student. "You made it through the stampede!"
Puffing hard, Pumbaa trotted along until he was directly opposing his ward. "From now on, Simba," he began. "We are sticking to you like..."
"Mud?" Suggested Simba.
"Don't mind if I do!" Laughed the warthog. "Just lead me to it!"
"Be serious, you guys." Snapped Timon, jumping down. "We're talking about a near-miss catastrophe here!"
"There's your lion cub." All turned backward. Pua had crawled out of the lake to speak with the group. "Just don't let him make a habit of playing chicken with those wildebeest." He gave a light chuckle. "It's not healthy."
"Thank you for saving him, Pua." Bagheera addressed him cordially as always. "We owe you a great deal."
"Baggy's right." Baloo stepped in. "Just tell us how many you want and we will get you a pile of your favorite fruits."
"Any time, you all." The Undertaker smiled back at the pair. "And I'll hold to your offer."
After they were done checking over the cub for injuries, Timon and Pumbaa made sure to uphold their vow to protect him right then and there: keeping an eye out for him as he played about with Tarzan. Deciding this little break time would be a good chance for him to speak with the former float Leader, Bagheera brought Pua away from the group to discuss some of the recent developments involving the float.
"The truth is I am very concerned, Pua." The panther said as he flicked a tiny pile of pebbles, sending them skipping across the water. He turned to the crocodile basking in the sandy bank a short distance away. "I'm sure you have heard of Makuu's debacle with the dholes." He grimaced. "The Colonel will leave soon, if war breaks out, it could upset the entire jungle."
"Yes, I'm well aware." Pua contemplated his thoughts for a moment. "Not much of a surprise honestly, my float's been hunting on that part of the riverbank for many Seasons." He regarded the panther once more. "When you told me about those red dogs, most of my crocodiles weren't very happy at the idea of yielding it to them."
Bagheera nodded. "Makuu didn't even bother to make an agreement with the dogs." The leopard's tongue clicked; he faced his old ally. "I was thinking. If you called for another Mashindano, you might be able to beat Makuu. Then you and Bundo could reach an understanding."
Pua'a answer came with a scoff. "You were there, Bagheera. Makuu is stronger than me. There are times when you have to accept that you've been beaten." He elaborated, already knowing this issue must have bothered the panther for a while now. "Even though you might not like it, Makuu has most certainly won."
"But that doesn't make him a better Leader than you," Bagheera replied.
"True," Pua admitted. "But he's young. He can learn."
"But how long will it take until he does?" Remarked the leopard, unconvinced.
Baloo, who had listened to their conversation from afar, walked over to the pair. "Now look, Pua, I helped you out of some jams when I moved here." He reminded the crocodile as he stood beside Bagheera. "Do I have to refresh your memory of that Cold Fang?"
"There's no need for that, Baloo. The mark may be gone from my leg but that scar will always remain in my memory." He would never forget that day when a peace-loving bear helped an arrogant crocodile in his prime who had gotten his leg stuck in an old trap left by the Men of the yet-to-be-called Cold Lairs. Ironically enough, earlier that same day, the crocodile had almost trapped said bear in his jaws.
"So you owe me a solid in return." He pulled up the old favor, hoping to sway the croc to their side. "This is my home too, you know?"
Pua looked conflicted. "I would gladly help you Baloo, and Bagheera as well." He shook his head, dismayed. "But I am an old croc. My fighting days are drawing to a close. The best I can do is provide you with advice to deter this war." His eyes lowered down. "And if that is not enough, step down before you trip over me on the battlefield."
Bagheera looked as if there was more he wanted to say... but knew there was nothing he could do, so he simply accepted the reptile's explanation. "Very well, Pua. Be that as it may, I have spoken with Basi about solving the disputes between the clan and the float." He looked around between the two beasts present. "We will have a meeting at Hippo Springs in a few days, Colonel Hathi will be present as well." His eyes meet Pua's again. "I was hoping you could be of assistance during the peace talks."
"I am not sure how much I will be of help to you with Makuu and his followers but I will gladly help protect the balance of our home." Responded the crocodile with a firm nod, determined to defuse the situation to the best of his abilities.
As the grownups discussed, Simba spotted another drama unfolding. By the river's edge, a young wildebeest had lost his footing and tumbled down a crumbling ridge. Dazed, the calf hit the water and, the next moment was being swept away. The poor creature was too dazed and stunned from the fall to swim for the riverbank; Blind Panic had kicked in and he instinctively attempted to reach the shore, trying desperately to fight against the strong current and losing. Simba was lucky to be alive, so he was really inclined to obey his first impulse and walk away.
But then he looked into the youngling antelope's eyes. Empty and stuck in a frightened expression. Blind Panic.
He looked so small, so frail, and all so terrified; Simba knew he would grow, yet he couldn't picture this calf turning into an animal that would one day take a father away from its child, at least not willingly. And, most of all, the lion couldn't force himself to look away because the calf looked as frightened as he was when he first came to Bukuvu. Simba looked at him and saw himself. The sight of so many wildebeest had stirred fear and anger inside the cub. But watching the helpless calf, the kitten could only feel pity. He was desperate... and, also like Simba, he needed help.
"Hold on! I am coming!" cried out Simba, darting at top speed in the river's direction.
"Hold it there, Sonny Boy!" Screamed a puzzled meerkat. "Has the heat gotten to you?!"
"We can't let him drown!" replied Simba, not even bothering to explain. He was about to plunge into the water but Pumbaa pinned his tail to the ground. "Ouch! Pumbaa, let me go!" cried Simba, crossly.
"Keep your fur on, Little Britches." The sloth bear grinned, he and the others rushed back when they heard the shouting. "You had enough fun in the deep water for one day."
The cubs' patience was quickly wearing thin. "Well, what are we gonna do?" He cried, urgently pointing a paw. "The current's carrying him this way!"
"Bagheera, Baloo," Pua's firm tone served to get the attention of the two in question, who turned to find him carefully observing the scene in the river. "Perhaps the cubs can be of assistance."
"What?" Bagheera whispered incredulously until he and Baloo followed his gaze to the opposite bank of the river. Another danger was already stalking the young wildebeest. Several crocodiles slid with amazing speed into the river. Bagheera and Baloo spotted the reptiles a split second before they submerged.
"They should have an easier time in the currents in this part of the river," Pua shifted himself so he was now facing Simba and Tarzan. "Think you can secure the calf while we keep those ones busy?"
The cubs were cut before they could respond.
"Now, wait just one minute!" Timon came over, Pumbaa right on his trail. "These kids are not going anywhere..."
Simba looked devastated along with Tarzan.
"...Without us." He finished, smiling fondly at the younglings. Any mistrust he had of their lion cub was completely gone.
The boys brightened, turned to Pua, and gave him a nod, which he reciprocated.
"Are you with me?" Asked the croc to the panther and the bear.
"No problem." Baloo smiled as he snapped his fingers before getting to work. "Looks like it's time for my good deed of the day."
"Bagheera?"
"Let's go." Responded the determined cat. Killing a youngling is to break the Jungle Law, but to eat an animal grasped and drowned by the current was the right of all predators, especially the crocodiles.
But that didn't mean they couldn't save him.
Pumbaa finally released Simba's tail. Then the younglings watched as he joined the others and they all lumbered into the river, sending a wave washing over the cubs' feet. Nearby, the wide-eyed wildebeest calf dipped beneath the surface. Simba's heart missed a beat until the helpless animal's head bobbed into view again. Tarzan and Simba were quick to mount on the bear's back when it emerged from the water. The group swam for a spot midway between the wildebeest calf and where the crocodiles had disappeared. Bagheera turned to his students but there was no need, the pair already had leaped into the river and started making their way towards the antelope; Timon and Pumbaa right on their tail.
"Take it easy, Baggy," Baloo said. "That calf's as good as safe already."
Amongst the undertakers, is a long, sleek reptile with large, sharp teeth and patterns emerging from under his tail along with two dark green spots under his chin. A dark green color rimmed his eyes and it was also present on the back of his head. When he surged from the water, threatening Bagheera with a bite, the panther saw three green markings on the side of his ribs and the light green of his underbelly. Green Stripes also ran along the end of his tail. He narrowed his eyes at Pua, who responded in kind, standing with the panther and the bear between his fellow crocs and the helpless youngling.
Behind them, the others spun their heads when the river erupted, glancing back as the beasts splashed claws and snapped their jaws to repel the reptiles. Roars and bellows filling the air.
"I guess it pays to weigh 300 pounds," Timon remarked, unable to look away. He and Pumbaa lagged behind as Tarzan and Simba went to the rescue.
Having wasted all the strength of his small body in his panic frenzy, the calf started to sink underwater. Simba dived after him before emerging above the water, gripping the wildebeest by the scruff. Tarzan moved over and enveloped an arm around its body as they all swam towards the warthog's left side, gently towing the tiny antelope. The man-cub pulled while the kitten pushed the calf up to Pumbaa's back, hoping to use the pig's bulky body to carry the calf across the water.
"Easy does it, boys," Timon warned them as he moved to properly adjust the poor creature on his swine friend's back.
All the while, the adults formed a defensive barrier ready to fend off any crocodile raiders.
Pumbaa carefully carried the calf to the far side of the river, the boys swimming by his sides. Getting ashore, the young wildebeest shot awake and scrambled from the water until it collapsed on the grassy shore after the shock wore off; dripping wet, he stayed there until his mother found him.
"Some river rescue," Timon commented.
Pumbaa smiled and tried not to cry. "I just love a happy ending."
"Yeah, me too." Tarzan was sporting a similar smile.
The mother came to them and, as a display of gratitude, licked each of them on the top of the head. Timon flinched and mumbled that a hoof-to-handshake would have been enough; Pumbaa flushed bashfully, and Tarzan giggled. When she came over to Simba, the lion found himself staring at a full-grown wildebeest from hoof to horn. He didn't freeze in place, nor did he run away. He just meet her tender gaze, which actually reminded him a lot of his Aunt Kala now that he scrunched his eyes to get a better look... there was a bit of his mother's warming gaze there too.
She licked his ear, again stirring the cub's memories of his mother.
And making him giggle just like his friend.
The pair left to join their herd. Simba glanced at the riverbank and watched the wildebeest mother leading her calf safely back to their pastures. The calf pranced with joy the entire way.
It was a good feeling to have helped someone.
The lion cub had also helped himself. He had conquered his fear of wildebeest. Right now, Simba felt both relieved and happy.
"Oi, Simba!" He turned to Tarzan. "We're still on break, let's play! How about hide-and-seek?"
In good spirits, the kitten and his friends went to play, with the other adults joining in on the game once the crocodiles had left. With the loss of their potential quarry, the giant reptiles had seen the sense in a retreat; after one last snarl exchange with the trio, the crocodile in charge let out a bellow and sank back into the river, followed by his companions.
A/N: Sorry to say this but the updates will take longer than before. Between, my job, college, driving school, and helping with my brother's newborn, my life just became a lot more complicated.
A/N: Believe it or not, crocodiles do eat fruit.
A/N: What happened to the buffalo and the dholes? That is a secret.
A/N: To all a Happy Easter.