Another One (Tarzan)

Chapter Two

Every moment now the bonds grow stronger

"Momma look! Look over there!" A small gorilla called utop her mother. The troop had been looking for Kala, as she had disappeared while they were searching for their new nesting grounds.

The other females rushed forward, in relief that she had returned. The silverback, Kerchak, noticed something different, and gazed at his mate, before sighing and joining the rest.

"I'm fine, really, honestly!" Kala replied to the questions of her safety. "It's just that I got a little...sidetracked." She opened her large arm to reveal the two small creatures, snuggled up against each other. Once the rest of the gorillas saw them, they gasped, just as the female of the two creatures had when she opened her eyes.

"Well, aren't they just-"

"It's, they're just so-"

"So-"

A smaller juvenile female pushed her way to the front of the troop, to get a better view of the small creatures. And as children do, she had no filer, and spoke up to say:

"...Well they're freaky lookin', that's what they are,"

"Turkina!" Her mother immediately called her name, to scold her. But, she ignored, climbing up to Kala's shoulder, to get a closer look. "What the heck are they, anyway?"

At this remark, Kala chuckled. "They're babies!" At this point, the male had woken up, and stared just as intently at the young Turk. He gave a small giggle.

"So where's their mama?"

"Well..." Kala tried to hide a prideful smile, but failed. "I'm going to be their mother now."

The rest of the mother gorillas became rather judgmental rather quickly, looking at their own young. But they were left to their own thoughts as they paved the way for Kerchak, who came up to Kala with wide eyes of both surprise and confusion.

At this point, Turk was playing with both creatures, making them laugh and clap their hands. "You know, they're not so bad once you get used to them," once she saw the silverback approaching however, she quickly dashed away, saying that "Kala's gonna be their mother now."

Kerchak learned forward to inspect the small things. He gave a few sniffs, which caused the male to giggle, but the female to gaze up at the giant beast with a wide mouth.

"Kerchak. I saved them from Sabor." Kala looked towards the leader, who in turn showed his honest surprised.

But then he sighed, regaining his composure, being a realist. "They won't replace the one we lost."

Kala nodded. "I know that. But..." she held the twins to the light, close in her arms, "They need me."

"But they, they... well look at them. They're not our kind." At this point Kerchak was growing exasperated. He shook his head. "No. You have to take them back." He started moving on, a signal that his decision was final.

This didn't agree with Kala. "Take them back? But they'll die!"

"If the jungle wants them-"

"I want them"

"Kala, I cannot let you put our family in danger!"

"Do they look dangerous to you?"

This was the last straw. Kerchak reared up, beating his chest and gave a mighty roar. He immediately got closer to Kala, who kept both her stance and hard look. He closed his eyes, knowing that nothing would sway her. "Are you sure, that there were no others?"

"Yes. Sabor killed them." Kala looked down, frightened to think of the event that befell the creatures' family and her own child that had been taken from them both.

Kerchak looked away. "Then you may keep them."

A bright sense of hope and happiness filled Kala, and pride swelled in her chest. "Oh Kerchak I know they be good children-"

"I said they can stay. That doesn't make them my children." He briefly turned to the rest of the troop, "we will nest here for the night!" But as he began to go back to his position, he still kept a hard look on Kala, and the two creatures that she had taken in.

As the others drifted off to search for nests, Terk poked Kala, peering down at the twins. "So, whatcha gonna call them?"

Kala gave a smile at her new children. "I'm going to call them... Tarzan and... Asha." The twins seemed satisfied enough with their names.

However, Turk didn't exactly agree. "Asha and Tarzan? Okay, they're your babies..."

But the conversation drew to a close as Turk's mother carried her away, as it was getting dark and they needed to find a nest.

Kala had realized this herself, and trekked off to find a spot to nest for the night, her two new children gripping onto the hair on her back, merrily making sounds as the sun set.