The sun rose up and its rays fell down on the sleeping humans and animals. Mari was the first to wake up, feeling the sun on her face. She opened her eyes and saw Bagheera and Baloo still sleeping. She furrowed her eyebrows as she didn't see Kaa in sight. Where was he? She than looked up and smiled as she saw him in the trees. His legs dangling and his back propped up against the tree trunk. Mari felt her smile vanish as she realized that today might be the last day she would see Kaa like this again. They were close to finding the shaman. When she first saw him like this, she thought she would be happy when it would be over, but now…now she wished it wasn't happening. Mari got out of her tent and made her way to the nearby stream.

Bagheera opened his eye and saw Mari walking by him. She got down on her knees and splashed the water on her face. The panther watched as her eyes traveled to Kaa resting in the tree. Bagheera furrowed his eyebrows as he saw her sigh sadly and went back to washing herself. Had she fallen for Kaa? Bagheera watched as she sadly went back to her tent and pulled out a sharpened stick and went for the fruit trees nearby. Bagheera saw neither Kaa or Baloo were up and stretched himself out and meandered over to her.
"Mari." Bagheera called from behind as she was getting ready to throw the spear.
"Hi Bagheera." Mari steadied her arm and threw the spear at the vine holding a strong of berries. She caught them and gently placed them on a nearby rock.
"We need to talk." Bagheera said.
"About what?" Mari picked up her spear.
"About Kaa."
Mari stopped what she was doing and felt her heart grow heavy. She should have expected this again, knowing Bagheera.
"What about him?" Mari asked.
"Mari, you do realize that once Kaa is turned back into a snake, it will all be over. His feelings will go back to what they were toward you."
"You don't know that." Mari said.
"Mari," Bagheera sighed seeing her getting worked up, "animals like Kaa don't change that quickly. I'm just preparing you for what will happen next."
Mari grunted as she threw her spear again getting another string of berries. She caught them and placed them with the others.
"Bagheera, I know what I've been seeing these past few days ok? He has changed. He even apologized to me about his actions."
"Impossible." Bagheera shaking his head at the thought of Kaa actually apologizing, "For all you know he could've just tried to gte on your side Mari."
"Stop it!" Mari snapped at her father figure, tears forming in her eyes, "Why are you doing this Bagheera?"
"Mari." Bagheera was shocked as he saw his charge actually shedding tears in front of him, and about Kaa?
"Mari-"
"Why can't you see that maybe he actually has a heart?" she practically wailed.
"Because I know who he is and Kaa is not going to change at the drop of a leaf."
"Some do." She protested.
"Mari, enough." Bagheera.
"Don't treat me like I'm still a cub still Bagheera. I'm a woman." Mari pointed out.
"Just barely Mari. You still don't understand-"
"No," Mari said with tears rolling down her cheeks, "You don't understand, Bagheera. I see who Kaa is turning into now and it's that side of him that I've fallen in love with. Maybe you don't see it yet, but I have. And I know Bagheera. I know."
Mari turned onto her heels and took the berries with her, leaving Bagheera in shock, just now realizing that his girl-cub was no longer a cub, but becoming an independent woman.

Breakfast was bitter sweet, and everyone was walking. Mari distanced herself away from everyone, she felt her heart breaking as they got closer to the end of the road. They would find the shaman, Kaa would be back to being a snake, and everything Mari and he had would be gone. She was doing her best not to show it, but her sadness didn't go unnoticed by Baloo and Bagheera. Kaa noticed too, but he was too deep in his thoughts as he thought about the same thing. Things would end between him and Mari once they found the shaman. Bagheera watched as Mari stayed behind feeling her sadness coming in waves. Even Baloo felt it, from both his lil' britches and Kaa. There were times when the bear noticed Kaa looking at her than sighing in hopelessness. Bagheera kept his eyes on him and couldn't help but think differently from earlier,
'Maybe Kaa has changed.' Bagheera thought to himself.

Mari, Kaa, Baloo and Bagheera were walking to the entrance of the swamp area. Each of them feeling a wave of nervousness as they entered.
"This is it?" Mari asked.
"Y-yes." Kaa confirmed, his stuttering a bit. It was much darker than he remembered the last time. As if something sinister was afoot.
"Everybody stay close. It'll be easy to get lost here." Bagheera said.
Mari kept her eyes and ear open as she went forward followed by Kaa, Bagheera and Baloo. Not realizing that they were being watched by familiar eyes.

Shere Khan had been looking for suitable prey himself and he heard voices. He hid himself behind the thick brush of vines nearby and saw Mari, a man, and that bear and panther with her. He smiled deviously,
"At last, it's been a while since the last time girl-cub. Although not much of a cub anymore. But it won't matter," The tiger said as he slinked behind the brush following them with hungry eyes, "I will have my revenge on you yet."
And so Shere Khan followed them.

Mari felt her nerves on end as they looked for the shaman. She could feel waves of magic around her and it seemed to be everywhere. However she could also fear something, the sense of impending doom. Her ear caught the sound of something moving through the brush,
"Hold it." She said, causing everyone to look at questioningly.
"What is it? Bagheera asked, noticing Mari's tense movements.
"Something else is here, and it's following us." She said, her head looking everywhere like a bird.
"How can you tell?" Kaa said, feeling something too but not as much as she could.
"The forest is quiet. Too quiet. There's a predator nearby, and it's hunting us."
"Mari," Bagheera turned and faced her, "you're being paranoid, there is nobody else but-"
A roar broke their silence and Shere Khan lunged out of his hiding place teeth bared. As the tiger landed Mari tripped over a root and fell backwards down a hill near her. Rolling down, she felt herself thump hard against a mess of vines. Shere Khan laughed cruelly and jumped after the young woman. Mari felt her head pounding and grew scared as she heard the sounds of the tiger coming closer to her.
"You seem surprised to see me, girl-cub," He chuckled as Mari tried to get up and look for a weapon, but there was nothing she could use in sight.
"I can't imagine why. I wasn't going to let you get away with what you did to me." The tiger circled her,
"You humiliated me Mari," Shere Khan purred her name, "surely you do realize I simply can't let you live."
Shere khan said with a psychotic grin, like he was sharing with himself a private joke.
Mari held her stance, doing her best to not look afraid, but she was, she had nothing to defend herself and this tiger is fast enough to catch her if she tried to make a run for it. She was trapped.

From above the hill, Bagheera raced down and jumped onto Shere Khans back, shocking Mari and the tiger himself.
"Go Mari." Bagheera said as he tried to fight the tiger himself.
Mari didn't argue as she ran away from the two cats fighting and up the hill. Baloo and Kaa were waiting for her. Baloo pushed Mari towards Kaa.
"I'm going to help Baggie, Kaa, get her out of here." The bear said as he started running down the hill after Shere Khan.
Baloo!" Mari shouted, Kaa tugged on her hand.
"Come on, Baloo can handle himself."
Mari was tugged away and a roar made both Kaa and her freeze. Looking at each other, they ran away from the hill. Mari stopped when she heard a loud roar and it was close by.
"Run." She said. Kaa didn't need to be told twice as he started doing what she said with Mari right behind him.
"Over there." She pointed to the tree in front of them. Kaa and Mari ran for it, all the while Shere Khan was catching up to them. Kaa had managed to grab the first branch and pull himself up. Mari jumped up and grabbed the branch but before she could swing herself up Shere Khan jumped and flung his paw at her leg, knocking off away from the tree.
"Ahh." Mari went to the ground, feeling blood trickle down her leg. Kaa watched in horror as the tiger circled her.
"No more games girl-cub." He crouched down, ready to lunge.
'No. No, I'm not losing her!' Kaa grabbed the branch high above his head and broke it down. He then jumped up from his haven in the tree and got right between Mari and Shere Khan.
"Back away Shere Khan." Kaa said.
"Kaa?" It was than the tiger recognized his old ally's voice.
"Yes. Now leave her alone." He said, pointing the edge of the broken branch to Shere Khan's face.
"So, the coward is here to try and keep away what is rightfully mine? You lied to me snake when I was looking for her last."
"Yes, I did." Kaa admitted.
"Kaa, you and I can both take her out now. If you do this than I'll let you live." The tiger tried to reason. But all it was doing was making Kaa angry. This tiger had the gall to try and get him to go back to what he was before? Not a chance in hell.
"I'd rather die where I am than let you near her." Kaa said protectively. His tone shocking Shere Khan.
"You'd die for her? This…human?" The tiger said the last word in disgust, having a hard time hearing this from Kaa.
"Yes." The man glared down at the tiger.
Shere Khan narrowed his eyes at him, "So be it."
Kaa raised the stick and Shere Khan growled, lunging forward.

Kaa knocked the Shere Khan in the face, nearly losing the stick to the mouth of the tiger as he clamped his jaws on it for a brief moment. Kaa let out a snarl as he kept his eyes on the tiger. Shere khan went at him, but Kaa held his ground, swinging the branch as hard as he could. Mari could only watch as Kaa was actually defending her. Did he really care for her in that sense? Bagheera and Baloo had come running and stopped as they saw Kaa was actually holding off Shere Khan, putting himself between Mari and him. Mari started tried to move away, but Shere Khan managed to knock Kaa off his feet away from her. Shere Khan turned his eyes onto Mari. Kaa watched as a sadistic grin was on the cat's face and felt his heart stop. As Shere Khan went forward, Kaa abandoned his branch and ran to Mari. Mari watched as Shere Khan got ready to swipe her, but a pair of hands shoved her out of the way sending her into a bed of leaves. Mari got up and felt herself scream,
"NO!"
Kaa was lying down on the ground in front of her. A deep set of claws raked his chest, blood pouring out. Shere Khan was in shock at what happened but he shook it off and growled.
"You dare to get between me and my quarry Kaa? You care about this human so much, you die along with her."
Mari felt fire rise up and grabbed a rock next to her. She flung it right at the tiger's head, making him passed off. She got up and jumped onto Shere Khan's shoulders, jumped off him, and rolled over to the branch Kaa had. She whacked the tiger hard into the eye, making him roar in pain. Shere Khan now had a cut going across his right eye, blood trickling down his fur. Mari was about to step forward till she heard some voices yelling,
"Charge!" And four vultures came down going after Shere Khan.
"Go get to him lass, we'll do the rest here." Buzzy said.
Mari nodded her head in thanks and ran over to Kaa.
Baloo and Bagheera ran over and joined the vultures attacking Shere Khan. Bagheera rapped the tiger on the head, Dizzy started pulling Shere Khan's whiskers, another was biting and pulling his tail and then Baloo came in and body slammed into the cat. Sending him into a tree. Everyone glared at Shere Khan as he got up, knowing he was out numbered, the tiger glared at them and ran off.
"Well, that's the last of him." Flaps said, making the vultures high five each other on a job well done.
"Hold on fellas, looks like Khannie still got something in on us, look."
Everyone looked over and saw Mari on her knees with Kaa, breathing heavily.