Mari felt her stomach heaving as she was tossed from monkey to monkey. She could make an idea of the ancient ruins as they came closer to the crumbling structure. She had been warned about King Louie as well, knowing he lived at the ruins. A crazy, party-swinging, man obsessed orangutan. As Bagheera had eloquently put it. Mari growled and snarled as the monkeys held tight to her. She had almost gotten away a second time but they still managed to keep her in their grasp.
"We got her King Louie." A monkey shouted downward.
Mari was flung upside down and dangling. This was her chance. As the monkeys started a ladder going down She twisted, got her right leg free and kicked with all her might. Her kick got the monkey right in the face and let go. Mari already saw it was a short drop and was prepared. She twisted her body and landed with the gracefulness of a panther, ignoring the silence that now echoed throughout the ruins as she landed into a fighter's stance and snarled as she faced King Louie and the surrounding monkeys. Some of the monkeys looked afraid, others were unsure of what to do. King Louie was shocked, but…thoughtful?
"Hey there cuz, no need to be all stressed. C'mon, unwind yourself." The Orangutan said as he got off the throne and tried to come near her.
"Yes, that's just what I need after you and your little flea circus decided to kidnap me." Mari spat out, baring her teeth.
"Hey cuz it's all fine now. Especially now that I got what I was looking for." Louie said, eyeing her.
The glint in his eyes put her on edge. She was here for a reason, not by a random choice.
"Oh really?" Mari sarcastically said picking herself up off the floor, "What does that have to do with me?"
"Well," He said coming towards Mari, "For starters, you're the man cub I've been hearing about-"
"I'm a girl!" She said indignantly.
"Girl. Whatever." King Louie said, making Mari growl a bit. She was hating this over grown furball by the second. He then grabbed her by the hem of her shorts, making her shriek as he carried her to his throne and plopped her on the armrest across from him.
"Anyhow, word has grabbed my royal ear," Grabbing a banana, squeezing it out of its peel with his hand and shooting it into her mouth before she could launch into a tirade, "that you want to stay in the jungle."
Mari calmly took the banana out of her mouth and eyed the king with a suspicious look, "Just how do you know that?"
"Girl, I've got ears everywhere. And Ol' King Louie, can fix ya problem for ya."
Mari did not trust this Orangutan at all. There was something saying he would want something in return. After all, why else would she have been brought here? She continued to eat the banana, and dodged two more than Louie tried to threw her way.
"Have we got a deal cuz?" He asked.
"I don't know. Tell me this, why are you offering to help me stay in the jungle?"
King Louie broke into a wide grin and leapt over her, "I'll lay it on the line for you."
Louie started singing,
A-bop-bop do-do do-be-do
Now I'm the king of the swingers
Oh, the jungle VIP
Mari rolled her eyes at that statement as she watched him dance around.
I've reached the top and had to stop
And that's what's botherin' me
Louie swung over to her by the vines above. He then grabbed Mari by the head with his feet, cutting off her oxygen.
I wanna be a man, girlcub
And stroll right into town
And be just like the other men
Mari felt herself being released and grabbed her neck as she took in large gulps of air. Mari rubbed her sore neck, glaring at the Orangutan acting like nothing was wrong as he kept dancing around.
I'm tired of monkeyin' around!
Oh, oobee doo
Monkeys: Bop-do-wee
Louie: I wanna be like you
Monkeys: Hum dee oobee-do-ba
Louie: I wanna walk like you
Monkey: Tee
Louie: Talk like you, too
Monkey: Too
Louie: You'll see it's true
An ape like me
Can learn to be human too
Mari watched the smaller monkey irritating Louie with a smirk. It was a bit funny seeing this overgrown ape riled up. Her eyes started scanning the area. No easy way out, especially with the monkeys dancing everywhere. She would have to come up with a clever idea to get out of here. Hopefully her friends were on their way here. Some monkeys got behind her and pushed her on the throne to the ground. She glared as they chittered and danced around her. One tried to get her to dance with him, but she moved out of the way and snarled.
"Whoa, calm down cuz, get into the beat." Louie said as he came up to her.
"How about you stop beating the bush and tell me why you brought me here?" Mari demanded, too angry to do anything.
Louie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him as he said,
"Your part of the deal cuz, lay the secret on me of man's red flower."
"Fire," Mari, startled pulled herself away from, shaking off his arm, "That's why you sent your cronies after me? For fire! Not happening. Besides, I don't know how to make fire."
Louie just frowned and grabbed her by the hair, lifting her off the ground,
Now don't try to kid me, mancub
I'm a girl." Mari said, but shrieked as Louie suddenly hung her upside down by her right foot.
I made a deal with you
"I never agreed to the deal." Mari said, trying to squirm out of his hold, but Louie was making her dizzy as he flung her around while dancing.
What I desire is man's red fire
To make my dream come true
Now give me the secret, mancub
Come on, clue me what to do
Mari had enough and got out of his hold. She tried to run but she way was blocked by the monkeys who danced around her and Louie. It was then she saw Baloo and Bagheera in the ruins, looking down at her.
Give me the power of man's red fire
So I can be like you
Mari smiled at them and shook her head to Louie with a look saying, 'get me out of here.' Baloo gestured her to keep quiet and she nodded understanding what he meant. Mari was then whisked away by a dancing monkey. One last look towards Baloo and Bagheera as they watched her go from their sight. Mari left herself being leaded with the dance as the monkey got her to forcefully follow him in synch. Mari clumsily moved along with him. She glanced at the others and saw them moving in a pattern. Turn around, stop and dance, and then repeat. Mari started following the monkey's footwork and hands, plastering a fake smile on her face, moving to the beat.
'Baloo, Bagheera, please tell me you guys have a plan.' Mari was thinking as she continued to dance. That was when the door busted open and saw Baloo dressed as an ape,
Baloo: Hey!
Da-zaap bon-ronee
Hap ba-dee dee-lap-da-non
Hene-bebe-re
Doot zaba-doo-bee-bay
Bo-bom, za-ba-pa-panney!
Mari watched as King Louie raced over to Baloo dancing while at the same time was going, 'What. The. Heck. Is. he. doing?' Apparently Bagheera had the same thought as she noticed his jaw dropping expression. She shrugged as she saw Louie dance with him and struggled to not laugh at the hilarious display happening.
Louie: Abba-doo-dee?
Baloo :a reep-bon-naza
Louie: Eh ba-daba doy
Baloo: Well-a-la-ba zini
Louie: War-la-bop, boor-la-bop
Baloo: See-ble-dop, dooney
Louie: Ooh, ooh, ooh!
Baloo: With a huh, huh, huh, huh!
Mari heard Louie growling and Baloo responding, "Get mad, baby!" She rolled her eyes and started scanning for Bagheera, hoping he could get her out of the dancing. It was taking every amount of willpower to not break the façade and start fighting back the monkey who was her dance partner.
Baloo: Hada-lada hada-lada
Louie: Oodle-loodle-oodle-loodle
Baloo: Ooh-doo-daa-daa-daa
Louie: Doodle-doot, doodle-doot
Baloo: Zee-ba-da-da Haba-da
Louie: You!
I wanna be like you
Mari danced way from Bagheera's paws, making her give him a 'sorry, not my fault' look over her shoulder.
Baloo and Louie: I wanna walk like you
Bagheera tried again, only to be pulled back by the tail as Baloo had thrown Louie forward. Mari groaned under her breath at Baloo's actions. At this rate, she would probably not be out of this place anytime soon.
Talk like you, too
You'll see it's true
Someone like me
Can learn to be
Like someone like me
"Hit me home Daddy." Baloo said. Louie danced right next to Baloo.
Baloo and Louie: Can learn to be
Like someone like you
Louie said, "One more time." Slapping Baloo on the back, making the makeshift disguise fall away.
Baloo: Can learn to be
Like someone like me
Louie frowned, the monkeys stopped dancing. Mari grimaced as she saw the jig was up and everyone saw Baloo. Baloo stopped scatting once he realized his leaf skirt fell to his feet.
"It's Baloo the bear."
"Yeah that's him, how did that square get in here?"
Mari kicked the monkey who had been dancing with her away and ran toward her friend, "Baloo, let's go."
Baloo took the note because he grabbed Mari, making her yelp as he ran with her. Only it didn't last long as a monkey took her out of Baloo's arms. Mari punched the monkey in the face making him drop her, but Louie was right next to her and tried to grab her, only for Baloo to knock him on the head before the king of the monkeys had the chance.
"Thanks." Mari looked up at Baloo.
"No problem lil huntress, now let's go." He said, sounding serious for once.
Mari agreed as she ran with him, only for another monkey to try and grab her away from Baloo. Mari head-butted him in the gut, making the two fall to the ground. Monkeys surrounded Mari but she was already up on her feet fighting back. Baloo joined her, punching them away. Mari dodged and did a flying kick forward, taking out two monkeys. One tried to come from behind but Mari heard it and reacted with roundhouse kick. Unfortunately, she had forgotten about King Louie and felt his large hands grab her arms from behind.
"Let go of me hairball!" Feeling her lift her up.
"No can do cuz. You will show me how to make fire."
Mari was thrown over his shoulders and being carried away. Baloo ran for her. She spied the fallen fruit around the floor. She leaned over and somehow managed to grab two mushy bananas. Mari jammed both bananas into Louie's eyes and was dropped from the hold. Louie yelped, wiping the bananas off his face and growled as he faced her. Mari stood her ground, looking for a way out. She saw Bagheera was slinking around a nearby pillar. She glanced his way seeing a short vine not too far away from the pillar. If she could reach that…a plan formed in her mind. Mari faced Louie who kept creeping toward her. Mari knew she had to be precise or he would have a clear shot at her. Mari dived to the right just as Louie made a grab for her. She barely caught the vine and swung right towards Bagheera who caught on as he jumped below her. Mari landed right on his back,
"GO!" Mari said.
Bagheera started running. Louie tried scrambling after them, till Baloo rammed the ape into a nearby ruin pillar. Louie had gone through it, causing the leftover structure to buckle. Baloo saw this and with a mischievous look in his eyes, ran over to Louie and started tickling him under the arm pits. The monkeys saw this, grabbed a battering ram and hit Baloo away from their king. However, that was a big mistake. More of the ruins had been away curtesy of Baloo taking some with him as he fell. The structure was starting to shake and that was the sign to everyone the ruins were coming down. Mari, Baloo and Bagheera saw the whole place starting a domino effect. Baloo waved him sayonara and joined Mari and Bagheera as the ancient ruins started coming down.
Mari held onto Bagheera as he ran through the falling rocks coming down. Mari felt herself almost bucking off as Bagheera got hit by a piece of the structure falling on his side. Scrapping her leg on the ground. Bagheera, Mari, and Baloo headed back into the jungle, making sure they were far away from the scene. Bagheera stopped and looked back as Baloo was behind them still. Mari climbed off Bagheera's back,
"Mari, you ok?" Noticing the small cut on her leg.
"I'm fine. You ok?" Noticing he already had a hint of a black-eye forming.
"I'm alright." Bagheera reassured her.
Baloo caught up to them and sighed, "Ha, ha, ha, man that's what I call a swingin' party."
Mari just groaned along with Bagheera.