OK, we'll continue. Thank you for reviewing, animelovercat.
Misty could've been sitting around for an hour, maybe longer, but the sky had begun to darken. She had no idea what to do, where to go. She still remembered the rumour about the tiger – Shear something...no…
Shere...
"Shere...Kone?" Misty wondered. "Shere...Can...nearly...Shere Khan!" Even the name sent a shiver through her frame. She couldn't stay there, unprotected. Even if Shere Khan didn't try to kill her, she wasn't going to hang around to find out. And if she ended up passing Kaa, he might well try again.
Misty felt miserable. Why had she confronted Mowgli? Him being all distant was better than him not being there at all, even if he wasn't as jungle-savvy as he thought. He still knew the place better than her.
She also thought about Baloo and Bagheera, wondering what had happened to them. She hadn't seen either of them since the argument, since Mowgli had dragged her off afterwards. She sort of missed them.
"Not as much as you miss Mowgli." her conscience pointed out. Misty sighed. She did miss the jungle boy a lot. He might not really be as smart as he thought, but he was good fun, and up for anything, and now she knew that he really did like her.
Misty stood up, making her decision. Mowgli took risks, so if she wanted to find him, she'd have to do the same. She set off in the direction he was in.
It was about two hours later when she incidentally managed to find Mowgli. He was surrounded by four vultures.
"Nobody wants me around." Mowgli was saying.
"Yeah, we know how you feel." said one of the vultures.
"Nobody wants us around, either." added another.
"We may look a bit shabby, but we've got hearts."
"And feelings, too."
"And just to prove it, we're gonna let you join our little group."
"Kid, we'd like to make you an honorary vulture."
"Thanks," Mowgli said uncertainly, "But I'd rather be on my own."
The vultures insisted. They even began a little number about how they would be friends. But right in the middle, one of the vultures caught sight of Misty. "Look, lads!" he exclaimed. "There's another of them."
Misty stepped back uncertainly. "Um, yes.." she said. "I'm really with him." she pointed to Mowgli. "But we kind of...had a fight. We're both alone, you see."
That made the vultures resume the song, along with the two kids singing.
"Forevermore..." they sang, about to end the song.
"That's what friends...are...fooooor..." A new voice broke in, a deep baritone. The vultures and Misty all cowered behind Mowgli when they saw the owner of the voice. It was a tiger. He clapped. "Bravo, bravo. An extraordinary performance, and thank you for detaining my victims." His eyes locked on Misty and Mowgli.
"Shere Khan." Misty whispered, too soft for anyone else to hear.
"D-don't mention it, your highness." one of the vultures gulped.
Shere Khan laughed, and then spoke abruptly. "Boo."
All four of the vultures freaked at that one word and flew up to the nearest tree in the barren landscape.
"Run, friends, run!" called out one of them.
Misty would have done that, but Mowgli suddenly reached around and clasped one of her hands. "Why should I run?" he said.
"Why should you run?" Shere Khan repeated. "Could it be possible that you don't know who I am?"
"I know you all right. You're Shere Khan." Mowgli answered.
"Precisely. Then you should also know that everyone runs from Shere Khan." the tiger said, placing a claw under Mowgli's chin. The boy pushed it away.
"You don't scare me." he said stubbornly. "I won't run from anyone."
Khan didn't seem to have any change in emotion. He smiled and nodded all the time, making Misty fear him all the more. "Would you be able to speak for your little girlfriend?" he questioned calmly. "It seems that she would prefer not to stay."
Mowgli glared, but didn't contradict the use of the word 'girlfriend'. "I'm protecting her. You won't get close to either of us. I told you, I'm not scared of you."
"You have spirit for one so small." Khan said. "And such spirit is deserving of a sporting chance. Now, I'm going to close my eyes and count to ten. It makes the chase more interesting. For me." He began to count slowly. Mowgli pushed Misty further out of harm's way and got a stick.
"You're trying my patience." Khan suddenly said, turning around. He'd only gotten to four. Then he sped up his counting impossibly fast. "Five six seven eight, nine, ten!" He suddenly lunged for Mowgli who dropped the stick in terror.
Suddenly, Khan stopped. He was being held back by...
"Run, Mowgli, run, Misty! Run!" Baloo had appeared out of nowhere to save the day.
Mowgli started to hit Khan with the stick ineffectively, but then Khan took off, taking Baloo with him.
"Somebody do something with those kids!" Baloo hollered. Two vultures each took hold of each of the teens.
"Let go, Baloo needs help!" Mowgli was yelling. By that time, Khan had the upper hand, and was clawing at Baloo like crazy.
Lightning struck. The tree suddenly burst into flames, and the vultures put Mowgli down. "That's the only thing ol' stripes is afraid of!" one of them exclaimed. "You get the fire, we'll do the rest!"
Three of the vultures distracted Shere Khan while the other kept Misty out of harm's way. She was way past speaking up for herself, and could only helplessly watch as Mowgli tied a burning branch to Khan's tail, making his eyes nearly pop out and run off, terrified.
Mowgli wasn't happy, though. Baloo still lay there, motionless. And Misty, while OK physically, was emotionally exhausted. She passed out right there, only metres away from Baloo. Mowgli held her in one arm, while he sat next to his friend.
It was up to Bagheera to explain to Mowgli that he had to be brave, and how Baloo was a hero of the jungle.
"It's best we leave now." he finished. "Come along, man-cub."
The next voice even woke the exhausted Misty up. "Hey, don't stop now, Baggy, you're doing great. There's more, lots more!"
Bagheera didn't seem that pleased to see that Baloo was alive after all, but Misty and Mowgli were. Even Misty was able to run up to him, thrilled that he was OK.
"You sure had us worried!" Mowgli said.
"You saved us." Misty said. "And then we thought, if you'd done that at the cost..."
"Aw, I was just taking five. You know, playing it cool." Baloo said carelessly.
"Good old Papa Bear!" Mowgli said happily, adopting a nickname for his friend.
Misty smiled. If the portal arrived on time – that was in about eleven days –, then she wouldn't mind surviving a little longer in the jungle.
And that wouldn't be because of a certain jungle boy, right, Misty? OK, just, please, review.
