Time and Great Ruin

This story will combine elements from the book by Edgar Rice Burroughs as well as from the Disney version, where I first fell in love with the story (and Tarzan, mmmm). The apes are mangani, fictional apes created for the purpose of the story. This story will be TarzanxJane KorakxOC

I'd love feedback, even if you hate it. And if you want me to continue, please review!

Chapter 1: A Father and Son

Deep in a dense, unforgiving jungle, a woman hums quietly to herself while kneeling on the thick branch of an inescapably tall tree. She picks a few fruits from its leaves. Though far from being the young woman she was in her first days on the savage island, she still retains the beauty of her youth- her long, slender body, tanned skin, and big blue eyes, only mildly lined with wrinkles. She has a scar across her left arm. Her chestnut hair is a tangled mess, half knotted into locks with loose strands falling this way and that.

Growing weary of her task, she puts the materials in a basket to the side of her and stands tall on the branch looking at the view around her. Hundreds of feet in the air, she sees the mist rising from the mountains and the great waterfall that holds so many memories for all of them. She smiles peacefully when she sees a group of young apes gathering to play at the base of the waterfall. Though this can be dangerous, she does not fear for them. They are not a weak animal, and are even stronger in a group. Her smile fades when she realizes there is one thing that she cannot see.

Her eldest son, Korak.

She is spared her worry when she sees him swing from beneath the shelter of the tall trees and land with a splash into the river. Shaking her head with a demure smile, she turns, grabs her basket, and begins walking back toward the nest where the other apes will be waiting and perhaps Tarzan, her husband and leader of the tribe, will have returned from scouting the area. She turns back abruptly when she hears her son shout and sees the mighty Tarzan and his son, the ferocious Korak wrestling in the shallow water, splashing water and mud at the other mangani, who screech with mirth, cheering for their leader. She smirks when she hears her son bite out a scathing remark to his friends. Jane continues on to the nest to wait there for her mighty husband, Tarzan King of the Jungle, and her son, Korak the Killer.

"Thank you for your loyalty, friends," Korak grits out through clenched teeth, "I'll be sure to return the favor." His father laughs aloud at this, sitting atop his son's back, and grinds Korak's handsome face further into the dirt.

"There is no honor in being a sore loser," Tarzan winks at the apes. "Besides, didn't I teach you how to get out of this one?" His son growls and violently twists his body, pushing at his father's arms and legs, and in a flurry of movement the audience cannot follow he has his father in a choke-hold.

"You underestimate me, father," Korak smirks devilishly, his raven locks falling to cover his eyes, and tightens his grip around his father's neck. His father struggles for breath. This, the apes feel, is when Korak most looks like his title, the Killer.

Korak takes after his father in many ways. His skin, darkened by the sun and unrelenting heat of the jungle, has been burned a dark tan. He climbs higher, and swings faster, and fights more ferociously than any animal, having taken to the jungle like a fish to water, much like his father. The King's handsome features were passed on to him, in his long straight nose and strong, chiseled jaw. He is tall, just as tall and nearly taller than the King, and living in this harsh environment has afforded him a musculature that even a god would envy. His body is packed with the muscle necessary to survive while still being lean, assuring that he is as quick as he is powerful. He is every bit of his father's son, were it not for the raven hair that shocked his parents, though it seemed to make the mangani much more amicable towards him, or for the piercing gray eyes that many speculated were the eyes of a demon. Though he did not know this, these features were inherited from his grandfather, the true Lord Greystroke. Before Korak is allowed to gloat, his father flips the boy over his head and sends him splashing into the river.

"Perhaps I have, son," Tarzan adopts Korak's trademark smirk as he emerges from the water with a lily pad atop his head, which causes the onlookers to snicker. "But don't forget who taught you what you know," he winks at his scowling son. He turns to the young primates. "It will be getting dark soon," he addresses them. "You should start heading home." At this, he glares pointedly at Korak. "All of you." Korak snorts while the others mumble and begin walking towards the nest.

"Good show, father," Korak growls. "Did you have fun humiliating me in front of the others?" Korak stands and begins to follow his primate friends. Tarzan frowns and grabs a vine, quickly swinging to the front of his son and landing with a soft thump.

"Son," he begins.

"Save it!" Korak growls before leaping into the trees and disappearing into the jungle. Tarzan sighs, his frown deepening. He watches his troublesome son until he can no longer see him before leaping into a tree and disappearing himself.

When Tarzan returns to the nest, his wife can see that he is troubled and when she turns to see the very same expression and tightened posture on her son, she knows. Tarzan's deep jade eyes search for hers immediately, and when he sees that all is well he smiles and begins to make his way over, only to be distracted by one of the tribe's complaining. He glances at her helplessly as the mother mangani rambles on.

Jane is wrestling with her youngest and, she guiltily hopes, final child, a little girl of four years that looks almost exactly like the late Lady Greystroke, Tarzan's human mother, with thick, curly auburn hair and fair skin. The only difference being the child's bright blue eyes, inherited from her. Named for her late grandmother, Kala giggles when Jane attempts to clean her of the mess she'd made of her dinner.

"Archie!" Jane calls out and yelps as her second son seems to fall right from the sky into her view.

"Yes, mother?" he responds kindly, beaming at her with wide, innocent blue eyes, betrayed by the hands behind his back. Jane raises a suspicious brow at him.

"Whatever it is, drop it," she deadpans. He only smiles wider.

"But mother," he drawls, "would you really have me drop this?" He pulls from behind his back what must be the most ripe and delicious looking mango Jane had ever seen. This confused her because mangoes were not, as far as she knew, native to this island.

"Where did you get that?" She asks, her tone belying her curiosity. He shrugs.

"Would you like some?" He grins, his fine, golden curls dusting across his eyes in such a way that Jane can only smile and shake her head at her son. Having taken after his mother, Archimedes is slighter than her other boys, though similar in build, and does not tan as they do. He is a curious one, and is clearly gifted in matters of intelligence, as shown when his late grandfather, for whom he is named, began teaching him math and sciences that Archie picked up almost unnaturally quickly. Though she hardly finds this surprising, as Tarzan's is a mind to be reckoned with and she herself could be counted among the scholars. Archimedes seems especially fond of chemical sciences, and could be found on any given day creating various concoctions for purposes she dared not ask. Not after the last time. Jane sighed.

"Never mind that. Would you be a dear and watch after Kala for me?" Archie gently takes the toddler from his mother's hands and she stands. "I need to have a talk with your father."

"Uh oh! Daddy is in trouble!" Kala giggles from Archie's lap. He grins, eying his brother from across the canopy.

"And he's not the only one, am I right?"

"No. He isn't," Jane responds gruffly, thinking of her two most troublesome boys. She is not at all surprised by Archimedes' intuitiveness. Archie chuckles and makes shooing motions with his hands.

"Alright, mother. I've got the squirt," he laughs when his little sister pouts indignantly.

"No," she whines and grabs at his hair. "I've got you!" Archie falls over dramatically.

"Oh no! She's sunken her claws into me! Help! Someone!" He wails. Jane laughs at her son's antics before turning and grabbing onto a vine.

She leaves her children in the center of the nests, protected by those bigger and stronger than they on the outer edge of the nests. Swinging across the area, she lands onto another tall tree. Tarzan has just assuaged the tribemate's complaints and when he sees her coming, he quickly leaps across the trees to where she stands. She squeaks when his hands grab at her hind quarters indecently and he picks her up, kissing her long and deep, his tongue tangling with hers with a passion she had not expected given the current situation. Once thoroughly ravished, Jane is released and Tarzan laughs at the catcalls of the tribe.

"Jane," his voice is a low and Jane shivers, blushing. All these years and Tarzan still makes her blood rush.

"Ah, yes, well, it's quite good to see you too, Tarzan," she stutters, tucking a fly away lock behind her ear. Tarzan grins and grabs her again, pulling her against his chest. He buries his face in her neck and inhales deeply.

"I have missed you, Jane," he admits, trailing his firm lips across her sensitive neck. Shivering once more, Jane can scarcely speak.

"Ahem," she attempts to clear her throat, but when she speaks, her voice is hardly more than a whisper. "It's only been a few hours, love."

"That is much too long," he lifts his head and kisses her, once more grabbing at her rump. When they break apart, his eyes are dark. "I will have you tonight," he growls and Jane gasps, her eyes going wide and her cheeks furiously darkening, a sudden pang of heat striking her.

"Please stop before you make me sick and dead," Korak is suddenly spitting out, stomping by them. The mood effectively broken, Jane struggles to detach herself from Tarzan to no avail. Back in England, Jane would have never dared to even think about such things in front of any child, least of all her own, but here in the jungle privacy is a scarce resource.

"Korak!" Jane gasps. "I- we didn't- I mean, I should have-"

"Korak, stop," Tarzan interrupts, allowing Jane to disentangle them and stand at his side. For a moment it appears as though Korak will defy the King, but he stops. He doesn't turn around. Tarzan growls low in his throat, and the tribe looks on with open interest, keen on seeing how their King will take to such an open show of disrespect. "You will not upset your mother this way. Face me."

For a long moment, no one moves. Tensions in the air rise and the whole of the tribe is quiet. Korak looks at his brother and sister and sees the fear in their eyes. He huffs and quickly turns to face his parents, though he will not make eye contact with either of them. He crosses his arms defiantly.

"Apologize," Tarzan demands. Shaking her head, Jane leaps to her son's defense.

"Tarzan, please. There really is no need-"

"Jane," Tarzan interrupts softly but keeps his eyes on Korak. Jane quiets, lowering her eyes and steps back from the pair. This is not just a petty disagreement anymore. Tarzan cannot allow Korak to openly defy him in front of the tribe. If his authority is challenged, he will have to fight to preserve it. She is not to have any part of it. Staring helplessly at her son, she silently begs him to do what Tarzan says.

"Apologize," Tarzan repeats. There is an unspoken understanding that he will not do so again. Finally, after many agonizing moments, Korak lowers his arms and turns to Jane.

"I am sorry, mother," he says and Jane can see that he is sincere. "I didn't mean to upset you." She exhales shakily and smiles at him.

"I know, my darling. That's quite alright," she assures him. She quickly rushes to embrace him and just like that, the tension is gone. Almost instantaneously the chatter of the tribe resumes. Over her shoulder, Korak still glares defiantly at Tarzan, who stares back, not a single emotion on his handsome face. Soon after, it is time for the tribe to say goodnight and rest up for the following day. Jane has settled all three of her children in the nest they all share. Tarzan, she knows, will be high up in the trees, looking after the tribe and making sure that no predators will reach them.

Tarzan never planned to be the tribe's leader for this long. He is human and cannot sire any children from the tribe. He expected that another male would come that would take his place, and he would simply convince the male to spare the children already born in return for his unchallenged acceptance as tribe leader. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no prospects, as the last mangani to take care for the tribe was later killed by a poisonous snake hiding in his nest. The best he could do is wait for one of the tribe's young to come of age, and be strong enough to protect them. So Tarzan sits above his sleeping family and watches, spear at his side.

Silhouetted by the luminous moon and sky, Tarzan is truly a sight to behold and Jane once again muses that she must be luckiest woman in the world. She quickly climbs to reach him, though with much less grace than he or even her children. When she reaches him, his back is to her and his shoulders are slumped lower than his normal crouch. She knows that the incident today has effected him more than he would have the others to believe. She comes to sit beside him. He makes no movement, although Jane knows he was aware of her coming before she'd reached him. They sit silently and Jane stares at the moon.

"I don't know what to do," Tarzan finally speaks the first words of the night. Jane quietly questions, though she already knows the answer:

"What is it, Tarzan?"

"It's Korak," Tarzan frowns. "I think," he sighs, "I think he must hate me." Jane gasps.

"No!" She shouts. Tarzan quickly faces her, surprised by her sudden exuberance, while Jane checks to make sure she has not awoken any of the tribe. "No," she begins again quietly, "he could never hate you, love."

"Then why-"

"Tarzan," Jane sighs. "He's... Korak is... It's a troubling time in his life." She searches for the right words. "He's just turned twenty-one. He's getting older, questioning things. Questioning himself. He is fully grown now. In these times, all children become difficult to deal with. I'm sure your mother would say the same for you, perhaps even more so," she finishes with a playful smirk. At the mention of the late Kala, Tarzan smiles softly before sighing. He looks at Jane a moment, and grabs her hand, pulling her between his legs, her back to him. He wraps his arms around her and Jane makes herself comfortable in his embrace, though she could never be anything but.

"I only wish that he would let me help him, instead of..." he trails off and Jane finishes for him.

"Pushing you away?" He sighs and nods. "Oh, Tarzan," Jane twists to lean up and kiss him, hoping to comfort him with touch when the words escape her. "It's a phase," she continues when they are separated. "It will pass." Tarzan looks to where his three beloved children sleep in the nest his wife made for them all. His eyes fall to his eldest, and memories of when the boy was young come unbidden to him. Memories of holding him for the first time, feeding him, teaching him to hunt and fight, to navigate the jungle, playing and laughing... Somehow, thinking of these happy memories make his current pain deepen.

Jane is kissing him. Soft lips firmly move against his and her hands rest on his sides. It feels wonderful to kiss Jane. It always has. When she gently pulls away, his eyes open, though he could not remember them closing, and his beautiful wife and mate smiles at him with those dazzling azure eyes. He suddenly grins, and Jane's lips quirk with mirth. He picks her up with ease and moves her around to straddle his lap. Her loose hide skirt and his loincloth do little to separate them and Jane gasps as Tarzan slides against her.

"Jane," he kisses the skin between her neck and shoulder. Jane moans quietly when his hand crawls into her hide top. "I made a promise earlier, didn't I?" He smirks at her flushed face and dazed eyes.

"Well, yes," she breathes, stomach twitching at Tarzan's caresses. "I suppose so." The pair touch and tease each other, laughing and loving, entwined bodies bathed under the light of the moon and stars. Tarzan forgets his troubles and the two know only happiness.

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