It was a warm cozy day this evening. Especially to drink tea close to the elephants today in the river. 

Brook sighs in contentment as she had placed a mat to drink tea, listening to and observing the elephants. Tarzan was patroling his colony before swinging over to sit next to her. 

She smiled at him before offering some tea. He shook his head before grabbing her waist and placing her on his lap. She would have blushed but have grown accustomed to it. 

"How are they?" Brook started, leaning back on his chest. 

"They are fine. They're having lunch," he snuggled his nose against her tresses. 

She laughs, being tickled but didn't do anything to move. 

Brook observed more on the elephants and saw that there were more than usual. 

"Tarzan, do those elephants look familiar to you?" 

He glanced at the elephants but didn't recognize any of them. "No. I've never seen them before."

They heard steps beside them, seeing Terk and Tantor walking toward them. 

"Hey, Tantor. Who are the new pack?" Terk asked. 

"I don't know and I don't want to know," Tantor gruffed. 

"Why is that?" Brook asked, standing up to meet them. 

Tarzan pouts before standing next to her too. 

"Who knows what bacterial microbes they're introducing into our delicate ecosystem as we speak!" Tantor exclaims. 

Brook smiled, understanding him. "You're afraid to say hello? Tantor, you shouldn't let your fear hold you back."

Terk scoffs, "Are you kiddin'? Fear holds him back from everything! You know, except more fear."

Tantor gave her a pointed look before turning to Brook. "I probably don't have anything in common with them anyway."

He spoke too soon as a baby elephant didn't want to get near the water. 

"Are you sure this water is sanitary? It looks questionable to me..." the baby elephant moved back from the water. 

Tantor, Tarzan, and Terk blinked at the elephant. They clearly reminded themselves of when Tantor was younger. 

"You were saying..." Terk smirked at Tantor. 

Tantor's eyes widened and walked over to the small elephant family where the baby elephant was. 

"Jabari, don't bother the other elephants," the baby elephant's father spoke. 

"I'm so sorry mister...." his mother apologized. 

"Tantor. The name's Tantor," Tantor introduced himself. 

"Pleased to meet you, Tantor. I'm Brutie and this is my wife Jamila and my son Jabari. I hope we're not too much of an imposition but–"

"Mabaya! This big, old, ugly elephant and our herd went rogue!" Jabari interrupted. 

"Went rogue?" Brook frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's terrible! A rogue elephant goes into a blind rage! Trampling everything in its path!" Jabari stomped angrily. 

"Oh my," Brook gasped. "What caused them to do that?"

"No one knows," Tantor shook his head before turning to Jabari. 

"Some say it's genetic," Brutie sighs. 

"But I think it's developmental. A lot of those rogues come from broken herds," Jamila informed. 

"I think the cause is dietetic! I saw Mabaya eating some questionable plants!" Jabari exclaims before his mother pulled his tail to her. 

"Of course you did dear," she refrained from rolling her eyes. 

"Only one thing is certain," Tantor frowned in worry. "Going rogue is an elephant's greatest fear!"

"And a new one to the list," Terk smirked, indicating a new fear in Tantor's list. 

"Anyway, Mabaya is why we wound up here," Brutie spoke. 

"I'm sure you can understand us wanting to raise our child in a rogue-free environment," Jamila smiles. 

"Oh, sure! An exceptional lad like Jabari deserves the best. If you'd like, I could give him a little tour of the jungle," Tantor offered. 

Jabari jumped in excitement, "Can I go, Mom and Dad? Can I? Can I? Can I? Please?"

"Okay by me. Thank you, Tantor. That's darn generous of you," Brutie smiled at Tantor. 

Jabari cheered before following Tantor to find plants that can cause rashes. 

Brook couldn't help but be worried for them. A rogue elephant wandering around is very dangerous. She turned to her husband in concern. 

"A small question. Is it possible that Mabaya could come here?"

"If he does, I'll protect the herd," Tarzan informed. 

She blinked in disbelief. "You'll drive off a rogue elephant?"

"Sure, why not?" he shrugged. 

"But because he's a rogue! And an elephant! Doesn't that frighten you in the least?" 

"Not really," he grins. 

Brook chuckled, not believing a word he said. Everyone is afraid of something. "Dear, isn't there anything you're afraid of?"

Tarzan hummed in thought, "No."

"Hey, I'll tell you what I'm afraid of," Terk interrupted. "Those two alone in the jungle together."

They saw as Tantor and Jabari were scared and ran away from a butterfly. 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Brook and Tarzan went back home. After Tarzan finally made her a new bow and arrows, Brook decided to get them lunch and was successful. 

They have decided to eat fruits as they relaxed in the house. Brook couldn't help but wonder if Tarzan is not afraid of anything. 

There has to be something. Otherwise, he isn't human. 

"Come on, darling. There must be something you're afraid of."

Tarzan shrugged as he ate his apple. 

"Leopards?"

"No."

"Crocodiles? Pythons?"

Tarzan finished his apple before grabbing a banana. "No."

Brook bit her lip in thought of other scary animals before finally thinking of one. 

"I know! Tarantulas?"

Conveniently enough, a tarantula was on Tarzan's banana. He wasn't the least fazed by it, grabbing it gently and taking it outside, setting it free. 

Brook shivered and blinked as Tarzan was in fact not afraid of tarantulas. 

"Guess not."

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

With Tantor, he has increasingly gotten scared as many worrisome questions Jabari gave him. 

"Do you think the circle of life just circulates disease?" Jabari asked once again. 

"Um...Jabari. What do you say, this topic for a little lunch?" Tantor spotted his favorite plants and started eating. "These African violets are a good source of antioxidants," he smiled. 

"Don't eat those! They make you go rogue!" Jabari shouted, making Tantor spit out the flowers. 

"What?!"

"Yeah! That's what happened to Mabaya! He started eating African violets, then he started frothing at the mouth, and then he went rogue!"

"I've been eating them for years!" Tantor murmured to himself in fear. 

"What did you say, Mr. Tantor?" Jabari asked. 

"Oh...I said that uh, that concludes Mr. Tantor's tour of the jungle! You better get back to your folks," Tantor trembled nervously. 

"Oh. Okay! Thanks, Mr. Tantor! See you later!" he grinned before walking back to his parents, leaving a scared Tantor behind. 

Tantor wandered off away from the herd as his heart kept pulsing loudly and harshly. 

"Oh...All right, Tantor. All right," he tried to calm himself. "I'm sure Jabari was wrong about the African violets. Don't let your fears get the best of you."

Don't eat those! They make you go rogue! Frothing at the mouth!

Tantor gasped, stopping where he was. "What if he was right! I might go ro–ro–ro–...." he fainted. 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Brook attempted to try Jane's hobby to paint. She was no expert but it was fun to draw and color. 

She glances at the door as Tarzan entered, dropping a barrel to the ground. 

"Sharks?" she asked. 

"No," he smirked amusedly. 

"Piranhas?"

"No."

"Leeches," she wiggled her fingers to set the frightening mood but he only chuckled. 

"No. But I am a little afraid of you right now."

Brook chuckled, shaking her head. She went back to try and pain when her flask of paintbrushes trembled as the stomping shook the house a little. 

She frowned at it, "What on earth?"

"Mabaya," Tarzan narrowed his eyes, walking over to Brook. "Stay here and don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

He kissed her head before running off to stop Mabaya from attacking the herd. 

Brook worriedly walked out of the house and bumped into Terk who was going to check on them. 

"Hey, don't sweat it. He may not be afraid, but he's not stupid either," Terk comforted in her way. 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Mabaya was in fact the culprit. He angrily stomped everywhere in his path. including breaking some trees. Some of the trees had gorillas on top. 

They ran away from the tremor. One of them, however, climbed on a branch but broke on the edge as they plummeted to the ground. 

Tarzan was able to catch them and leaned them back on the tree as he went to check on the others. He swung on the vine and stopped atop a branch and saw as Mabaya was chasing after the elephant herd. 

Jabari was too small and couldn't catch up to them, leaving him behind of the herd. 

"Jabari!" his parents called in worry. 

Jabari called for help but Mabaya was getting closer and closer to stomping on him. Tarzan managed to catch up and push him away from Mabaya's trail. 

Mabaya gruffed in anger and ran away. But Tarzan wasn't going to let him get away and chased after him. 

He swung on the vine and jumped on top of Mabaya. "Leave this jungle!" Tarzan shouts. 

Above them, Brook saw the whole occurrence and gasped in worry. "Tarzan!"

Mabaya grew irritated that something was on top of him and tried to shake him off. Tarzan grunts and kept hold on. 

Mabaya tried to stomp himself free and crashed around Archimedes' camp, destroying everything. Archimedes was ever so oblivious as he was taking a shower as the disaster was occurring. 

Mabaya ran off, almost crashing into Tantor if it wasn't for Tantor moving away as he slept. 

Tarzan managed to grab the cloth that covered Archimedes when he showered and used it to cover Mabaya's view. 

Being blinded, caused Mabaya to go full rampage and break everything around. Tarzan can barely do much as Mabaya stopped out of nowhere, almost causing him to fall. 

Mabaya stomped again to get rid of him, stomping on a pile of bananas. The remains landed on Tantor's face without notice. 

Tarzan had enough and jumped up a branch, seeing Mabaya going away from the herd and the colony. 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Tantor woke up as a fly was buzzing on his face where the bananas were smushed on his face. 

"Oh! Diseased fly! Can an elephant get some peace and quiet around–" he stopped as he saw how everything around him was completely broken. 

"What happened?" he looked around. "And how on earth did I sleep through it?"

He spotted something on his face and paled. "I'm frothing in the mouth?! Oh no...African violets...froth...rampage...it was me! I did this! I've gone rogue!"

He whimpered as he trembled in fear. "I've gone rogue...Rogue! Rogue!"

Tarzan jumped on a branch in front of Tantor and frowned. "I know."

"You know?" Tantor blinked before gasping. "Well, what are you going to do?"

"Whatever it takes to protect the elephant herd and the gorilla colony," Tarzan glares. 

"Anything as in..."

Tarzan jumped down and glared. "Whatever it takes. I'm not afraid of rogues."

Tantor paled as he believed that Tarzan would most definitely hurt him. "Excuse me...AAAHHH!" he ran away, leaving a confused Tarzan behind. 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"Mr. Porter! Mr. Porter! Are you here?!" Brook called out as she saw that Archimede's camp was a disaster and went to the nearest water where the elephants drink water. 

"Here I am, Brook," Archimedes walked over to her, drying his hair with a towel, fully clothed. 

Brook sighs in relief, grabbing his hands. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right."

Archimedes laughs, "Yes. Well, nonetheless uh...I think I'll stick to baths from now on."

Brook sighs worriedly, "I do hope the animals are all right."

"There were some close calls, but the gorillas came out okay," Terk walked over to them. 

"But, what about the elephants?"

They stopped as they saw the elephants walking over safe and sound. 

"No need to worry about us, sweetheart. We're all hunky-dory," Jamila smiled. 

"I believe I may have suffered some minor abrasions," Jabari jiggled his ear. 

"He's fine," Brutie smiles at Brook. 

"Thanks to Tarzan," Jamila smiles. 

Tarzan swung over and landed in front of Jabari, patting his head. "Glad to help."

Jabari laughs and walks off. 

Tarzan glanced back to Brook and saw no injuries on her and walked over. Brook looked over him too in worry but she didn't see a speck of fear on him. 

"So, dear. You mean to tell me that you weren't at all afraid of Mabaya?"

"Not really," Tarzan shrugged, grinning before walking off. 

"Face it, Red. He's not afraid of anything!" Terk smirked, before following him. 

"But you must be afraid of something. You know, it's only a matter of time before–oh! I know! Monkey-eating eagles?" she followed.

"No," Tarzan sighs. 

"Bat-eating frogs?"

"No."

"Ew!" Terk scowled. 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

The next day, Archimedes asked Tarzan and Terk to help adjust his camp. Brook woke up early to prepare breakfast for them. 

After lifting his tower back, Archimedes thanked them before looking back at the camp to see more things to be fixed. 

"I do appreciate all of your help. I'm afraid Mabaya's rampage left my camp in all but ruins," Archimedes sighed. 

Brook placed the tray before flinching back when she saw a scorpion. She sighs as she sees that it was one of Archimedes' experiments and grabbed it. She grinned, thinking that this might actually fear Tarzan. 

"Tarzan!" she smiles, hiding the scorpion behind her back, walking over. 

Tarzan glanced at her as she smiled mischievously. "I believe I have finally found something that will frighten you...a scorpion!"

She showed the scorpion to him but he was unaffected. 

"Sorry, not afraid of scorpions. Especially not dead ones from Mr. Porter's collection," he smirked, running away before Brook could ask more suggestions. 

She hummed in disappointment that it didn't work. 

Terk and Tarzan kept adjusting the camp with Brook's help when they were interrupted as Jabari's parents ran towards them in worry looking for their son. 

"Jabari!" they cried in worry. 

They all stopped as Jabari's parents stopped in front of them. "Oh, please! Have you seen Jabari?!" Jamila cried. 

"We can't find him anywhere!" Brutie shook his head. 

"No," Tarzan shook his head. 

"We can't find Tantor either," Brook spoke. 

"Oh, dear," Jamila cringed. 

"What is it?" Brook asked. 

"Um, Jabari may have given Tantor the impression that he was uh...rogue," Jamila stated. 

"That'll do it," Terk nodded, understanding. 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

With Tantor, he was actually confronting Mabaya as Jabari felt guilty earlier figuring out that Tantor was not rogue and tried to find him when he encountered Mabaya. 

Tantor believing that he is rogue, angrily glared at Mabaya. "There's only room for one rogue in this jungle."

"Mr. Tantor! You're not rogue!" Jabari exclaims. 

"Unfortunately I am rogue, Jabari! I ate the African violets, I frothed up a storm!"

"But dad says African violets don't make an elephant go rogue!"

"I uh–Wait. They don't? Oh, what a relief! I'm not rogue! I'm not–Oh oh," he stopped as he saw how big Mabaya was compared to him. 

He took a few steps back in fear as Mabaya glared at them. They both screamed as Mabaya roared. Jabari was quick to his feet and ran away. Tantor wasn't able to do so as Mabaya struck him with his husks, throwing him close to a cliff. 

Tantor groaned as Mabaya caught up to him and started stomping on him. He gritted his teeth in pain when he heard a familiar cry echo in the jungle. 

Tarzan swung over and used the vines to tie around Mabaya's husks and pulled him back. Mabaya grew angrier and pushed Tantor off the cliff if it wasn't for Tantor catching himself. 

Mabaya tried to throw Tarzan off again but he kept holding on. Mabaya stomped and swung his head forward, making Tarzan fall forward but held on as Mabaya tried to stomp him off. 

Tarzan clung to his husks which was a final straw as Mabaya ran forward and struck his husks on a tree, trapping Tarzan and squishing him. 

Tarzan tried to escape but it was no use. 

"Tarzan!" Tantor cried in worry for his best friend. 

Jabari ran back to Tantor in worry. "Mr. Tantor! You have to stop Mabaya!"

"Me?! Stop a rogue?! Are you kidding?!" Tantor exclaimed. 

"You're afraid?" Jabari looked at him in disbelief. 

"With a cause! Terk was right. Fear holds me back from everything except more fear!"

"But you chased off those leopards! You weren't afraid then," Jabari tried. 

Tantor stopped, thinking back he chased off the leopards with no fear. He glanced back to Tarzan who was being crushed by Mabaya and gritted his teeth. 

"Maybe fear doesn't have to hold me back. Maybe, maybe I can stop a rogue!" 

He climbed up the cliff and stomped over to Mabaya and pulled his tail, getting his attention. 

Mabaya moved away to confront Tantor as Tarzan rolled away and hold his chest in pain. 

"Looks like you could use a little help, Tarzan," Tantor glared at Mabaya. 

"Tantor, no!" Tarzan grunts in pain. "I don't want you to get hurt!"

"Fear not! Nothing's gonna hold me back now! Nothing!"

Mabaya glared at Tantor and roared at him but Tantor kept glaring at him. "Oh, just because you're rogue, I'm supposed to be afraid? I don't think so!"

Mabaya ran toward him but Tantor was faster and use his trunk to lift him and shove him near the cliff. Mabaya dropped to the ground hard but made no noise of being in pain. 

Tarzan ran over and kicked Mabaya off the cliff. They watched as Mabaya slid down to the ground and stand up. He glared at them before walking away, being defeated. 

"Yay! Mr. Tantor!" Jabari cheered as Tarzan smiled. 

"Well, what do you know? I did it," Tantor blinked. 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"Tantor drove off Mabaya?!" Terk asked in disbelief. 

Tantor, Tarzan, and Jabari went back to the herd where Brook and the other were and told the story but Terk wouldn't believe it for a second.

"That's right," Tarzan grinned. "Thanks to Tantor, Mabaya is not coming back."

"But weren't you afraid?" Terk asked Tantor.

"Nope!" Tantor proudly grinned. "And for now on, I am never gonna let fear or anything else–" he stopped as a mosquito landed on his face. 

"Is that a mosquito?! Ew! Get it off! Get it off!" he ran off to get rid of it. 

The others sweatdropped at him and smiled. He'll never change.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"Hold still."

Tarzan lay back in bed as Brook tended to his wounds. She sighs, "And you're telling me that after all that, you weren't the slightest afraid?"

"Nope," he smiles as she rubs an ointment on his side. 

"You're crazy," she shakes her head, smiling as he was lucky to not get anything broken other than bruises. 

Checking him once over, she stands up to put her medkit away when she was suddenly pulled back to the bed. 

She yelps as she fell on top of Tarzan. She goes to get off in worry of making his injury hurt more but Tarzan wrapped his arms around her and didn't let go as he kissed his mark on her neck. 

She couldn't refrain herself from laughing as she tried to move away but he kept tickling her. 

"Tarzan!" she laughs.

He laughed too, turning her over to face him. They let their laughs die down before smiling at each other with love. 

"You really are crazy. I could have hurt you, you know?" she smiled.

He shook his head, tightening his hold around her, "You wouldn't."

She hummed and lied on his chest as he softly ran his fingers over her back. After a long, relaxing moment, Tarzan spoke up. 

"After you almost died twice...I'm afraid of not saving you the third time."

Her eyes widened and looked up at him. He saw the sincerity and sadness in his eyes. She cupped his cheek and placed her head against his, showing him that she is right there with him.

"I won't leave you. Nothing will stop me from going back to you, you know that."

He nuzzled against her, "I know. I will come back to you too. Always."

She smiled and pecked his lips. "Always."

Published: June 1, 2022

Word Count: 3355