Chapter Text
Sixteen-year-old Tarzan stared intently at the trees around them, making sure they stayed predator free while his friends all took a long drink at the river. A storm brewed above them, threatening to drop hundreds of gallons of water on them, but it held off for now, which Tarzan was thankful for. If the winds shifted at all, Kerchak would demand the family to move to higher ground, and Tarzan was getting a bit tired of the constant traveling they’d been doing lately. This rainy season was the worst.
Tarzan glanced back at his friends, smiling as Terk splashed Mungo for a stupid comment he had said, while Flynt chuckled in amusement. Asha and Kaphi whispered softly among themselves as they sat near the riverbank, and two other teen apes who had followed the group were slurping up water quickly.
Tarzan moved to the river and used his hand to scoop water into his mouth. Technically, he and the others were not supposed to separate from the gorilla family during flash flood season. It was too risky for someone to get swept away and never be heard from again, and the family would never know it. However, Terk, Flynt and Mungo had discussed needing a drink but not wanting to wake the entire family from their slumber, and Tarzan had decided he would act as leader and keep an eye out for predators or any weather changes while the others got a drink. That had made everyone happy, and a few other apes tagged along as Tarzan snuck his friends out of the family and to the river.
“We should probably head back,” Terk said, looking up at the darkening clouds. “Hey, Kerchak Jr! Lead the way!”
Tarzan rolled his eyes at Terk’s nickname as he walked over to her.
“Alright, guys, let’s go,” he said. “Dad will probably want to start relocating soon if those clouds are anything to go by.”
“Yeah, after he’s done skinning you,” Terk said.
Tarzan waited until everyone followed him, glancing back at Kaphi and Asha before proceeding forward.
“He won’t skin me,” Tarzan said. “I doubt he’s even noticed we left with how busy he’s been with tracking the storms. Besides, he can’t be too mad. I’ve been shadowing his leadership skills since I was a child, I’m practically a pro at it now. I am his successor after all.”
“Yeah, and you’re so ready for the role,” Flynt sniggered. “We’re really only following you because if Kerchak asks, we can say it was your idea, which it kind of was.”
Tarzan rolled his eyes as he turned deeper into the trees, hoping to find a small clearing to give him a good view of the family so he could slip back into the group unnoticed with his friends. Honestly, this little adventure couldn’t have gone better. No predators, no hiccups along the way, no storm changes. This job was rather easy.
“We just went down to the river for a drink, then came back,” Tarzan said, jumping over a log and waiting for the others to clamber over. “It’s nothing different we’d do on a sunny day. And everything went fine.”
Tarzan could see the family just past a small clearing. He checked his surroundings, then smirked confidently as he turned around and sat before his friends.
“See? Got us back to the family and Dad’s none the wiser.”
“Till he asks where we’ve all been and smells the river on us,” Terk said. “Don’t get cocky now, buddy, we’re not out of the clear yet.”
“We could say we were wrestling,” Tarzan said with a shrug. “The ground smells like the river with all the rain we’ve had. It’s not like he’ll be able to tell the difference. Besides, what Dad doesn’t know won’t kill him.”
Someone cleared their throat behind him, and Tarzan froze, finally seeing his friends’ wide eyes as they stared at something behind him. He winced, then slowly turned to face Kerchak, who was giving him a very stern look.
“I suppose,” Kerchak said, “I have no need to ask where you all have been.”
“You heard?” Tarzan asked.
“Everything,” Kerchak said, narrowing his eyes at his son.
“Ah. You know, I was just kidding. We were totally going to tell you what we did. It was just a quick trip down to the river for a drink and we came right back. No problems. Right, guys?” Tarzan glared back at his friends to get their support, and everyone nodded their heads.
“Yeah, no problems whatsoever!” Flynt said.
“Tarzan did great leading!” Terk added in. “You’re really teaching him well, Kerchak.”
“No predators, no floods, all good!” Kaphi added in.
“None of you were supposed to leave family grounds,” Kerchak snarled at everyone, “especially now with the flash floods happening.”
Everyone lowered their heads submissively, but Tarzan rolled his eyes and said, “We were fine. I had everything under control.”
“Did you? Did you consider the recent drop in temperature? How low the clouds are? How high the river was? The weather is not predictable right now and it is best to heed my warning and follow the rules I instill. There is a storm coming very soon, and the family must relocate to higher, sheltered ground, but we can’t go anywhere because we are missing half the family!”
“Okay, okay,” Tarzan said, submitting slightly by lowering his head son. He hated when Kerchak raised his voice, especially in front of his friends. “I’m sorry. But we’re back now, so can we just go?”
Kerchak bared his teeth slightly as he lowered his head so he was eye to eye with Tarzan.
“Watch yourself,” Kerchak warned. Tarzan met Kerchak’s eyes for a few seconds before caving and looking down. Kerchak pushed up on his knuckles and scanned his eyes over the other apes, checking everyone briefly before gesturing for the group to follow him with a swing of his head. Tarzan huffed and followed his father, feeling slightly annoyed that Kerchak could only see everything wrong that they did, not the good job leading and protecting that Tarzan had done with his friends. Couldn’t Kerchak at least acknowledge that he was trying to follow in his footsteps, just once?
As they rejoined the family, Kerchak roared softly, signaling the rest of his troop to rise and line up behind him. Tarzan allowed himself to fall behind as they began moving, slowly making his way to the back of the family. Sometimes, bringing up the back meant he could stay lost in his own thoughts without being dragged into conversations with the other apes (or his father) and he avoided the infants and children running around playing their games as they stayed close to the family. It gave him a chance to just be alone and daydream.
As the family moved uphill through the mountains, following a narrow ledge a young baby slid down the mountain, having lost his footing on some loose stone, and he collided into Tarzan. The baby laughed and reached his hands up toward Tarzan, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the child.
“Tough climb, isn’t it?” Tarzan said as he scooped up the baby.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the edge of the path the family was walking along, and Tarzan jumped back, holding the crying gorilla to his chest in shock and surprise. The earth beneath him rumbled as it shook and crumbled, and then, it vanished beneath Tarzan’s feet.
Tarzan fell several feet before he managed to catch a hold of the rocky mountainside, and he hung precariously several hundred feet above the jungle floor, nothing but dark trees waiting below. He looked around and noticed he wasn’t the only one to tumble over the cliff, as a couple of others were clinging to the side and trying to climb up.
“Tarzan!” Kala cried, appearing at an unbroken section of the path. She reached out a hand toward Tarzan. “Reach for me. I’ll pull you up.”
Tarzan looked down at the child in his arm, then back up at his mother. Carefully, he tried to maneuver the ape to his back, but the baby was frozen in fear and had a tight pinch of Tarzan’s skin in his ape grip, refusing to let go. Realizing the baby may be able to hold on to his chest without his aid, Tarzan tested letting the child go, and when he stayed clung to him, he reached up to his mother, his fingertips just out of reach of hers.
The rock he was holding on to caved, and Tarzan gasped as he fell from the cliffside, hearing his mother’s loud cry of “No!”
Tarzan wrapped his arms around the baby and kept himself tucked in as he fell through the trees, striking branches as he went down. He felt vines around him and quickly looped his ankles around a few vines, tangling himself in them enough that he was jerked to a halt just before the forest floor. He kicked the vines loose and landed on his feet and hands, the baby gorilla shaking against his chest, though he had managed to hold on to Tarzan through the fall.
“Are you okay, Dayo?” Tarzan asked the child.
Dayo nodded, and Tarzan checked him over before pushing the child to sit on his back, and he clung to Tarzan’s shoulder since there was no hair to grab. Tarzan looked up at the trees above him, managing to get a glimpse of the mountains high above.
“For the love of—” Terk grumbled as she stumbled out of bushes while brushing debris off her arms. She froze at the sight of Tarzan and visibly relaxed. “Oh good, I’m not the only one that fell.”
“Guess that makes three of us,” Flynt said as he stepped into the clearing. He noticed Dayo and said, “I mean four.”
“Five,” Asha said as she joined the separated apes. She looked over her shoulder as she said, “And six.”
Another female ape stepped through the clearing, and Tarzan’s jaw dropped before he rushed to his little sister, checking her over.
“Kaphi!” he exclaimed, grabbing her arms and looking them over before checking her head. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I’m fine,” Kaphi said as she shoved her brother back, then rubbed her head. “I think I knocked my head up, but I’ll live.”
“If you’re sure?” Tarzan pushed, not wanting to leave his sister’s side, but when she gave him an annoyed look, he backed off slightly. “Okay. Is this everyone?”
“I think so,” Terk said, glancing around. Flynt also looked around, making sure there was no struggle or scuffle coming from anywhere in the trees.
“Tarzan!” Kerchak’s voice sounded like an echo above them. “Are you alright?”
“Dad!” Tarzan called back. He climbed up a tree to its highest branch, looking up at the mountains where he could see the small specks of his family in the distance. “Dad! I’m okay. I’ve got Dayo, Kaphi, Asha, Flynt, and Terk. We’re all okay.”
“Good,” Kerchak called back. “You need to get to higher ground, quickly. You’re too low. That storm is fast approaching.”
“Okay. I think we can get back up the mountain, but we’ll need to go around—”
“No, that’ll take too long. Focus on keeping who you have with you safe. There may be a safer and faster route up the mountain another way.”
“Okay. I’ll look for one.”
“Be careful, son.”
“You too, Dad,” Tarzan said softly as he watched the specks he could see move out of sight, disappearing up the ledge. Lightning continued to flash above them, and Tarzan let out a soft sigh before adjusting Dayo on his back so he could carefully swing down to the forest floor. The other gorillas waited patiently for him.
“Dad says we need to get up high and fast. The storm is close, so floods aren’t far behind. We need to find a path up the mountain that does not require us to go back. Any ideas?”
The other apes all shared a look, then stared back at Tarzan with frowns.
“Well?” Tarzan pushed.
“I’ve got nothing,” Flynt said while Terk gave a sympathetic smile and a shrug.
“That’s not really our forte,” Asha said. “We’re followers. Not leaders.”
“Looks like you’ll have to be Dad again,” Kaphi joked lightly.
Tarzan suddenly realized he would have to be the provider and protector of the small group before him. He would have to once again play Kerchak Junior, and this time Kerchak couldn’t be upset with him for filling in that role.
“Okay,” Tarzan said. “Follow me.”
Everyone eagerly followed Tarzan, respecting his newfound confidence. Tarzan led the way through the trees toward the mountain, and he scanned the rocky hillside for any easy path up. He wasn’t sure how long they walked or where exactly he was compared to the rest of the family, but he finally spotted a smooth, albeit slightly steep path that cut into the mountain slightly. He noted that it was fairly close to the top of the trees, and he pointed up.
“There’s our route,” he said. “Everyone, up the trees. We’ll have to jump for it.”
Tarzan began climbing a tree closest to the mountain base, and everyone followed his lead. At the top, Tarzan moved off to the side and waited for everyone to join him at the top of the tree. They all stared at the gap between the trees at the steep path.
“We’ll have to land carefully,” Flynt said. “One wrong move and we’ll slip right off.”
“There’s boulders just to the right of the path,” Tarzan said, pointing at the natural rock formations. “That should give us something to grab on to when we jump. Aim for it. Flynt, your first.”
“Why me?” Flynt asked, glaring at Tarzan.
“Because you’re the biggest and strongest here,” Tarzan said, glaring back. “You can help pull the rest of us to safety.”
Flynt grumbled under his breath but seemed to agree with Tarzan’s logic. He took a deep breath and eyed the gap, then stared at the path he was aiming for. He swung a little in the tree before launching himself through the air, landing and slipping on the slope, but he caught a hold of a crevice in the boulders and pulled himself up to a more secure location. He panted as the adrenaline rush washed over him before staring back at the others and nodding his head.
Tarzan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.
“Okay, Terk, you go.”
Terk hesitated for a second before accepting Tarzan’s command and throwing herself over to the mountain, catching a hold of the boulder as she landed and scrambling up the hillside.
“Asha,” Tarzan said.
Asha swallowed nervously, glancing down at the ground far below them, then across at where the others waited. Asha took a deep breath, then jumped for the mountain. She landed on the edge of the slope and slipped right off, screaming as she fell, but Flynt and Terk both grabbed an arm and yanked her up. She managed to find footing and scrambled further up the hill, panting heavily and staring back at the edge wide eyed.
Tarzan had been ready to leap into action to save her should she have fallen, but he was glad Flynt and Terk were quick to jump into action. He tried to calm his nerves as he looked at his sister.
“Don’t look down and work yourself up,” he told her. “Just jump. If you fall, someone will catch you. But you won’t fall. You can do this.”
Kaphi nodded. She stared determinedly at the ledge and was about to leap for it when a loud roar met everyone’s ears, and they looked down at the forest below, and collectively gasped.
The river had flooded, and water was racing right for them, and Tarzan braced himself as water crashed into the tree they were in, rocking the weak trunk slightly as the ground flooded below them, the water rushing by with tons of loose forest debris. Kaphi cried out as she nearly lost her grip, but she thankfully didn’t fall.
Tarzan climbed a bit higher up the tree, using all his strength to hold on.
“Kaphi!” He yelled at his sister. “Jump! Now!”
Propelled by the panic in her brother’s voice, Kaphi flew for the ledge, landing just on the edge, but she was yanked forward by Flynt, and the four apes watched in horror as the tree Tarzan was on swung to and fro as the trunk snapped partially.
“Hey, catch!” Tarzan grabbed Dayo’s arm and yanked him off his back before throwing him at the others, and they all caught the screaming infant in their arms.
“Tarzan!” Kaphi cried as the tree finally tumbled down.
Tarzan leaped off the tree and bounced off another falling tree before pushing off the branch of a sturdy tree and leaping for the mountainside, and he grabbed onto a protruding rock and held on with dear life as the flood waters shook the earth below. He panted as he forced himself not to look down while praying the rock he held on to did not crumble or break off.
“Tarzan!” Terk’s voice called him.
He looked up and saw Terk reaching out a hand, along with Flynt, whose longer arms could just touch his hair. Tarzan took Flynt’s hand first, then grabbed Terk’s as he was pulled to safety.
“We’ve got you,” Terk said.
Now on sturdy land, Tarzan really took the moment to catch his breath. He gave everyone an appreciative look, his eyes speaking for him. Everyone gave him a submissive smile in return. Dayo crawled over to him and hugged Tarzan, cooing softly. Tarzan ruffled his hair before helping the baby to his back. For the first time, Tarzan finally understood the risks and challenges his father took on every day with protecting the family. He saw the sacrifices that were made with every decision, every action, every choice. He really appreciated all that his father did for him and the family and felt quite awful for all the times he had acted a bit bratty. He looked up at the darkening sky above them and was dismayed when the rain started falling.
“We have to move,” Tarzan said. “This is just the beginning of this storm. We do not want to end up swept away or out in the cold for too long.”
“Lead the way,” Flynt said.
“We’re right behind you, Kerchak Jr.,” Terk said.
Tarzan swung his head in a similar manner to Kerchak, gesturing for everyone to follow him as he walked up the steep incline, digging his knuckles and toes into the ground beneath him. He was sure this was a mountain Kerchak frequented often when storms struck, and if he remembered correctly, on the other side there was a large cave that would give them the shelter they needed. He just had to find a way to it.
The group climbed higher and higher before finally encountering a small tunnel in the side of the mountain. Tarzan walked in first, grunting loudly to alert anyone inside of his presence. When he wasn’t charged by a foe gorilla or predator, he called out for everyone to come inside, and they gladly shook the water off themselves. Dayo slid off Tarzan’s back and shook off his wet fur, puffing out slightly. Tarzan snorted at him before he led the way through the tunnels.
“Stay close,” Tarzan said softly. “I’m not entirely sure where this cave leads. Hopefully it connects to the one the family is in.”
Everyone shared a look, but they trusted Tarzan’s judgement at this time, so they carried on through the dark caves. Dayo ran ahead and played on a stalactite rising up from the ground, spinning around it playfully.
“Dayo!” Tarzan snapped at the young child. “Stay close to us. You’re going to get lost or hurt.”
Dayo whimpered and scampered back to the group. He gave Tarzan a submissive smile before climbing up Tarzan’s back and holding on to his shoulders once more. Kaphi shuffled up to her brother, nudging him gently.
“You sounded an awful lot like Dad just then,” she said.
“I did?” Tarzan frowned, then shook his head. “Huh. Don’t tell Dad that.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” she said with a sly grin.
Tarzan shouldered his sister playfully. He stared ahead, keeping an eye out for any threats or challenges. The cave was getting darker the further down they went, and at last a little light sparkled through an upper crevice in the mountain—shining down on a pitch-black chasm cutting off their path. Tarzan halted just before the drop, and the others walked around him to see what caught their leader’s attention. They sighed defeatedly.
“Now what?” Asha asked, looking at Tarzan.
Tarzan looked over the gauge to the other side. It was too far a gap to jump, and there was no way around it. Looking around the cave, Tarzan did not see anything he could use as a bridge. He ground his teeth in frustration as he racked his brain for an idea. On his back, Dayo was annoyingly reaching up to touch different stalactites pointing downward at them, and Tarzan growled at him softly.
“Stop playing with everything for a moment,” he said. “I’m trying to think.”
Dayo hugged himself closer to Tarzan submissively, blinking at him. Tarzan glanced up at the stalactites and was struck with a thought.
“Actually,” he said, “you’re a genius, Dayo.”
Dayo perked up with an excited squeal.
Tarzan carefully climbed up the stalactites, weaving himself between several and feeling for any give. When he found a path that would not crumble or felt too weak, he signaled for another ape to climb up and follow the same path he was taking.
“Do exactly as I do, guys,” Tarzan said. “These aren’t the most sturdy, so we have to be really careful and move quickly so we don’t put too much weight on them.”
Soon, everyone was climbing through the stalactites, and Tarzan made sure to weave through in a way that the others would have to squeeze through a little more, so it offered more support, limiting the chance of anyone slipping or falling. It took a while, but eventually, everyone was able to drop down safely on the other side, and they all shared looks of victory. Tarzan smiled proudly at everyone before leading the way once more.
There was a bit of light at the end of the tunnel before them, then a low grunt had everyone freezing in place. Tarzan recognized the sound however, and he grinned as he gave a small grunt back, then ran ahead, everyone chasing him.
At last, they had reunited with the family.
Kerchak was the first to greet them, having heard their walking and was guarding the tunnel exit. He smiled proudly at his son, embracing Tarzan and Kaphi when they collided with him. He touched his lips gently to Tarzan’s temple as he said, “Well done, son. I knew you had it in you.”
“Thank you,” Tarzan said.
Dayo squeezed his way out of the hug and ran over to his mother, who came over as soon as she saw who had returned, and she squeezed her son lovingly before walking over to Tarzan, who turned to face her.
“Thank you, Tarzan, for returning my son to me,” she said, brushing her knuckles against Tarzan’s.
“Of course,” Tarzan said, smiling at Dayo who was clinging to his mother’s back. “He’s family.”
Everyone else happily reunited with the family, greeting their mothers and friends happily, grooming each other and cuddling somewhere in the cave to wait out the storm. Kaphi joined her mother in a back corner while Tarzan followed his father to the cave entrance to see what the weather was doing. The dark clouds did not look like they were parting any time soon and the heavy rain continued to bring floods to the jungle.
“Dad?” Tarzan asked, glancing up at his father.
Kerchak looked down at his son to give him his full attention.
“I’m sorry for disobeying you earlier today,” Tarzan said quickly, “I shouldn’t have taken anyone to the river without your okay. And I’m sorry for always being . . . you know, maybe a little difficult—I never realized how much went into protecting everyone and making the choices you do for the safety of the family, and I’ve been messing that up and . . .”
Kerchak closed his eyes and pushed his head against Tarzan’s, who stopped talking at once and accepted the calming gesture. He closed his own eyes for a moment, letting his thoughts go for a moment.
“I do not expect you to carry the jungle on your shoulders,” Kerchak said lowly, as he opened his eyes. “Nor to be the jungle’s next greatest leader. You are absolutely perfect the way you are to me.”
Tarzan felt tears well in his eyes as he smiled at his father. Kerchak returned the smile as he sat down next to his son.
“You are defiant,” Kerchak said, “more often than not, which is far more often than most silverbacks would ever put up with in any other family. You are stubborn, rebellious, creative, resourceful, courageous, loyal, and very kindhearted.”
Tarzan sat next to his father and leaned against him, resting his head on Kerchak’s shoulder. His father did acknowledge all the good things about him. It felt good to know that Kerchak did not just see the negative as Tarzan thought at first.
“I know I can be hard you,” Kerchak continued, “but I only want to make sure you become the best ape you can be. And you are well on your way there. You will make a great leader one day, Tarzan.”
“Thanks, Dad. Love you.”
“Love you more.”