𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 {𝕋𝕒𝕣𝕫𝕒𝕟 𝕩 𝕆𝕔}

꧁༒•ℂ𝕙𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖•༒꧂

Kaia wasn't sure what her father wanted to show her. It was a little far off from her tree and the leopard territory. She spotted a broken-down plane hanging on the vines. It was eerie and she can hear the wind groaning at it, blowing it lightly. It's a surprise to see the plan still strong, hanging over the years. 

Mother Nature was around for it as vines and grass filled it around. Zaava waited on the ground while Kaia cautiously crawled inside the plane. The seats and walls were covered in grass and leaves.

Kaia wasn't bothered by it but stopped as she saw two human skeletons sitting in the back. She frowned as she recalled Archimedes teaching her to identify the gender of the skeletons. Male and female adults over thirty years before decomposing, cause of death she wasn't sure. But saw signs of struggle and fractured bones. 

Kaia stopped as she saw the female skeleton having something wrapped around her neck. It was a rounded necklace, similar to Jane's. Looking up at the skeleton, she gently removed it and looked at it. 

Broken and rusted like her trinkets. 

Kaia looked at it closer and saw it open. She looked inside, her eyes widening to see a male and a female hugging the baby close with grinning smiles. She looked at the baby closely, seeing how she looked similar to it. 

She heard the plane groan at the new weight. She turned around to see her father sitting in front of her. Kaia crawled closer to him, "Is this me?"

Zaava looked down at the picture, his eyes softening at his cub with her stupid pink blanket. "Yes."

"And they're–" Kaia pointed at the couple behind them. "They're..."

Zaava nodded, rubbing his snout at her cheek. "That doesn't change who you are, Kaia. What are you afraid of?"

Kaia's eyes welled up in tears as she leaned on him. "You're everything to me and I feel like everything is proving to me that I'm not your daughter and that you're a monster when I know you're not. I don't know what to do."

"What did I say the day before you left?" 

Kaia frowned, not recalling anything that he said. Zaava chuckled, "I'll tell you because you're struggling with the obvious." Kaia looked at him and waited. "This is still your chance to explore this enormous world. You deserve to learn more and being here will not accomplish anything."

Kaia smiled, remembering the conversation and looking back at the couple. "What killed them?"

"I managed to get my lunch before a gorilla entered and crushed their bones," he joked at her. 

"I was your lunch?" her eyes widened in disbelief. 

"Yes," he shrugged, bumping his shoulder with hers. "But I couldn't eat you with your stupid grinning face. You weren't afraid of me," his eyes softened. "Sabor already felt the loss of not providing a family and I hoped your smile wouldn't be afraid of her but she ended up resenting me for it."

"I'm sorry," Kaia frowned, she winced as Zaava bit her shoulder sternly. 

"You're my daughter...No matter what decision you make, I'm always here," Zaava nodded and jumped out to the ceiling and down to the grass. 

Kaia frowned, looking down at the locket and back to the jungle. She knew she wanted so deeply to stay in this sheltered jungle and be safe. But her heart wanted to know more. Perhaps know who her human parents were but what about Tarzan?

She didn't want to leave him alone with his family's problems. She can see Jane's ship on the sea as the sun was rising. 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Zaava waited patiently for Kaia to make her decision. Hearing steps behind him, he turned to see her standing on two feet in a long blue skirt and a black sleeveless shirt tucked in. Her feet were covered in black flats and her hair was pinned up in a braided bun. 

Her braces were gone. 

Zaava didn't realize he was crying until Kaia crouched in front of him and wiped his tears. He laughs tearily to see her crying too. 

"You're ugly when you cry," Kaia joked tearily. "I don't want to see you cry again."

Zaava smiled, rubbing his snout at her cheek and remembering everything from her. 

Her first growl at him, whining that he was being unfair. 

Her first fight which ended with the leopards mad at her and him stepping in. 

Her frustrated tears when she looked at her reflection in the water. 

Their constant arguments about anything but comfortable silence as they slept next to each other. 

When she would flinch at the thunder and rain and cling to his fur while he shielded her every night. 

Her first hunt that resulted in snake bites and earning a bird and a rattle. 

How proud she was to prove to everyone that she was one of them. 

When Kaia found her first trinket but was pissed when he was accidentally biting it which caused them to wrestle for it. 

All their moments in struggles to survive yet managed to get by being together for years. It has all come to an end. Her cub was grown up into a beautiful strong woman. 

"You'll always be my daughter, you hear me?" Zaava spoke, making her nod. 

"And you'll always be my dad. My annoying and loving dad," she cried, hugging him tightly. 

He hugged her back, nuzzling her snout in her tresses. "I love you."

Kaia's eyes widened but later softened, hugging him tightly. "I love you."

Kaia sniffed and let go and stood up, she slowly walked off for a few distances. She shrugged her bag and ran into the jungle like she always does but didn't look back.

Zaava watched as she goes. His eyes softened at the thorned feather still tucked in her hair. 

Published: February 21, 2023

Word Count: 1012