Deeper Into the Jungle

by Angelwriter84

A new turn of events causes Baloo, Bagheera, and two newcomers to embark on a new journey to Mowgli's village. Meanwhile, Shere Khan battles with his past. Will these new journies piece things together somehow? And if it does, how will it affect their lives in the deep jungle? Only a new jounrey will tell! Non/slash and my very first story.

21. Chapter 21 Part 2: Fallen

Chapter 21 Part 2 Fallen

Mowgli

Nervousness got the better of him as he approached the cave where Salena, Bagheera, and the others were. But he had to do it….or no one would ever want him around for sure. And Salena….she was never that bad. Out of Shere Khan and all the others, Bagheera was his biggest fear right now.

As he approached the cave, he heard Bagheera's sincere voice speaking gently to a saddened Salena. Shanti was still sleeping, but Baloo and Shere Ki were stroking Salena's back with sympathetic expressions as Bagheera spoke to her…Mowgli guessed Shere Khan was out hunting nearby.

Bagheera was speaking. "…..I can't marry you on our wedding date, Salena. I'm sorry."

Salena was crying now, she cried out in pain when a sob shook her body, and her voice was slightly hoarse. "Why? Is it because I'm hurt?"

Bagheera sounded as solemn as Mowgli had ever heard, but he answered her question quickly. "Yes. I can't marry you knowing you are in pain on our wedding day." He blinked in sadness when Salena gasped and stared at the ground. "I'm sorry, Salena. Maybe we can set it for another time when you are better…."

Salena stared up at him with wide eyes, as if she were afraid of something. "We can't wait that long. There are so many others who have started on their way here now."

Bagheera did no second guesses, but his voice was full of remorse when he answered again. "I'm sorry, Salena. I can't, dear."

Salena was pleading now. "Bagheera, please wait. I….I can get better, I know I can. Just let me try first…."

"No, Salena." Bagheera's voice was firm now, out of concern for her safety….but enough to make Salena freeze. There was a long pause as a stream of tears began to run down Salena's face; Bagheera softened and tried his best to comfort her. "I want you to enjoy our wedding day, Salena….not while you are in a world of pain. I'm so sorry, dear. I…." But Salena had already turned her face away and was sobbing quietly into Baloo's fur.

Mowgli could see Baloo looking at Bagheera with uncertainty….as if he was wondering if the panther was sure, but Shere Ki seemed to understand that it was final, and gently pushed Bagheera toward the exit of the cave so Salena could be alone for a while. Bagheera didn't resist, but turned back with a pained look before exiting the cave. He froze when he spotted Mowgli; his saddened face turned hard as he stared back at Mowgli with cold eyes. Look what you've done. That's the message Mowgli saw in Bagheera's face. Without a word, Bagheera continued to walk past him.

Mowgli reached out to stop him. "Bagheer….." He didn't have time to say anything else. The panther just brushed past him and leapt into a tree; with one last hard glance over his shoulder, he disappeared into the tree. Mowgli rubbed his arm and kicked at the dirt. He isn't going to forgive me.

Mowgli felt himself drowning in guilt when the sound of Salena's quiet sobs echoed on the walls of the cave. Baloo was holding her head in his lap now while Shere Ki rubbed her shoulder. Baloo sounded desperate to find something to say that would comfort her. "Aw…it ain't forever, Salena. Maybe Baggy's right about putting it off a few days….." He trailed off at the sight of Mowgli. He and Shere Ki exchanged uncertain glances as Mowgli slowly approached Salena. He tried not to pay any attention to this….he only wanted to reach one at a time.

He sank to his knees when he reached Salena, and tried to keep his voice soft as he spoke to her. "Salena…"

The little panther reluctantly turned her tear stained face toward him. She sounded weakened and frail as she tried to steady her sobs. "What is it?"

Mowgli tried to approach her in a way that meant he came in peace, but he froze when Salena shrank back slightly. "I'm sorry, Salena….for everything…..for the way I treated you. I never meant for you to fall..." He paused, when he couldn't find anything else to say, he pleaded with her. "Please, Salena…forgive me?"

Salena seemed to think for a moment as she stared at the ground, but when she looked back up at him, her face was hard. "I do…but I don't think that will be enough, Mowgli." She sniffled as fresh tears came to her eyes; her statement seemed to require more explanation, so she forced her words through her tears. "I'm not going to be able to marry Bagheera at all, Mowgli! You don't like me, but….." She stopped when a brief, racking sob escaped her. When she continued, she was speaking around cries. "But Bagheera loves you as a son. And I….am going to be standing between you no matter what I do, and…I can't do that to him, Mowgli!" Salena looked down then, taking on a tone of finality when she made her next statement. "And that's why….I have to tell him the wedding is off."

Everyone who had been standing by quietly reacted to that her words in some way. Shere Ki's mouth parted slightly in disbelief, Baloo looked dumbfounded….even Shanti, who had awoken sometime in the middle of their conversation, had heard and was now sitting halfway up with wide eyes. But Mowgli experienced something new. For a split second, he felt as if he were Bagheera, and felt his own heart break when he heard the news. Oh, Bagheera….

This couldn't happen. Mowgli crept a little closer to Salena on all fours as he pleaded. "No, Salena. Please don't tell him that. I want you to marry Bagheera. We can get to know each other better…."

This only seemed to make it worse; finally, Salena interrupted with an outburst through her tears. "No, Mowgli! You've gotten what you wanted! I'll….tell him as soon as he comes back. Please, just….leave me alone!"

She burst into sobs again, and Mowgli felt nothing but the wind whistling around him as he ran from the cave.

Shere Ki

The tigress felt numb as she watched Mowgli run from the cave after Salena's outburst. She couldn't mean that. Shere Ki's mind worked quickly as she placed a reassuring paw on Salena's back. She could feel the little panther react to the pain in her ribs as she sobbed into Baloo's fur. Her eyes met Baloo's for a moment as he started to get up. Shere Ki read his mind and stopped him with her words. "Let me go."

Baloo didn't hesitate, or question her request. When he nodded, she heaved herself to her paws and quickly exited the cave. She wanted to talk to Mowgli; she had been debating it for a long time….ever since she noticed his attitude toward Salena. Shere Ki didn't think he really hated her…..there had to be something else to it…something that could be resolved without two broken panthers and a solemn boy.

Shere Ki found his trail almost immediately; as she thought, he had simply made a beeline from the cave. Had it been any other time, she could have caught up to him in a matter of seconds easily. The thing she hated the most about carrying a cub was how weak it made her feel….it was times like this that she just wanted their little daughter to be born. I'm not running. Shere Ki sighed and settled for a steady trot that would raise objections from everyone, but they weren't around…and it felt good to move at a faster pace again. When his trail started to get stronger, she knew he had stopped and that she would catch up to him soon.

She found him sitting atop a steep hill, staring blankly at the line of trees that clashed with the afternoon sky. She was panting when she reached the top of the hill; when she stopped to catch her breath, she felt as if she were just going to topple back down. Suddenly she was angry that she felt so out of shape and that there was little she could do about it….she never felt well with this cub. When she raised her eyes, Mowgli was staring back at her in utmost confusion.

Shere Ki grinned at him as she let one last heavy breath escape her. "Oh, Mowgli….you're going to have to go easier on me from now on." She sat beside him. "I'm not as fast as I was two months ago, you know."

Mowgli stared back at her in disbelief. "I didn't think anyone would come after me….especially you."

Shere Ki lay down. "Well, I did. So if I happen to topple back down this hill, I would expect you to help me when I have to explain myself to the others."

This got a small cackle out of Mowgli. After a long pause, Shere Ki focused her steady gaze on him. "Mowgli, why don't you really like Salena?"

When Mowgli fell silent from lack of words, Shere Ki voiced all she thought she had gathered so far. "It's not really her, is it? Does it have to do with Bagheera?"

Mowgli's downcast eyes told her she had been correct, but from there she had no idea what it could be. Shere Ki tiled her head so she could somewhat see Mowgli's eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Shere Ki could just make out a tear running down Mowgli's face when he finally looked up at her. "I didn't ever mean for Salena to fall, Shere Ki. You have to believe me."

Shere Ki was surprised at his grief over the accident; all she could think to do was to put a paw on his knee and reassure him. She spoke in her calm, silky voice. "I know."

Mowgli continued around sobs. "It's not that I didn't like her either; it's just that….." He paused for a moment to think. "Bagheera seemed to love her from the start, and I thought that…."

Shere Ki finished for him. "You thought that she would replace you." When Mowgli bowed his head to confirm this was true, Shere Ki finally understood everything. She kept a strong, reassuring paw on Mowgli's knee as she spoke. "Mowgli, Salena never wanted to replace you….and nothing could ever replace the friendship between you and Bagheera. What he and Salena have is just a different kind of love, but Bagheera would never want you gone….he just….acts stern sometimes because he wants to protect you. And so does Salena. But…only Bagheera can confirm that for you."

Mowgli's eyes were hopeful for a moment, and then he bent his head and voiced his thoughts in a saddened voice. "Maybe that was it….but it's too late now. Bagheera won't even talk to me anymore."

Shere Ki kept her gaze focused on him. "He will."

Mowgli stared back at her with newfound hope. "So you think I should tell them, then?"

Definitely. Shere Ki kept her tone quiet and calm when she answered. "I think they should know."

Mowgli was quiet for a moment as he considered this. Shere Ki listened carefully when he spoke again. "Mother Wolf told me that, too." At Shere Ki's quizzical look, Mowgli explained further. "You know? What you said about Bagheera just wanting to protect me? She said that too."

Shere Ki understood then. "You mean Raksha?"

When Mowgli nodded, she smiled. "She's a very wise mother."

There was a long pause as they watched a flock of birds fly from the tree tops; it wasn't until they had flown out of sight that Mowgli spoke again. "Shere Ki, what was your mother like?"

The man cub's question threw the tigress completely off guard. She rarely spoke of her parents to anyone; even Shere Khan had only heard bits and pieces about them. Shere Ki struggled for a good answer as she conjured up memories of her mother that she had buried deep inside her due to grief. "Well…she…." Shere Ki let out a breath to steady herself as she felt her cub moving inside of her. "She was…strong and brave. I can remember how my father used to joke about how nothing could scare her. And yet she was kind and clever and…..everything a mother should be. I still miss her every day."

Mowgli considered this for a moment. Just when she thought he had no response, he spoke out of nowhere. "I bet you'll be a good mother like her, Shere Ki."

Shere Ki was amazed by his words; no one had ever said that to her before. Her words came out in a gasp. "Thank you, Mowgli."

Mowgli smiled at her. "Is Shere Khan a good father?"

Shere Ki breathed out a note of laughter as she tried to find an accurate answer. "Yes, he really is….but he can be very protective. It will be interesting to watch him figure out how to deal with a daughter."

She and Mowgli laughed at the thought before he tilted his head at her. "So you really think it's a girl?"

Shere Ki nodded with a confident smile; for some reason, she grew more certain of that every day.

Mowgli suddenly looked thoughtful; Shere Ki couldn't help but wonder what was coming next. Mowgli turned to her. "Shere Ki…I don't want Salena to call off the wedding. And I want them to be able to get married on their set wedding date. Do you have any ideas on how to make that happen?"

That was a tough one. Shere Ki glanced back at him when she came up with nothing. "I was hoping you did."

Mowgli looked back at her uncertainly. "I do, but it's a longshot…" She leaned closer to listen as he whispered his idea to her. When he had finished, he pulled back and looked into her eyes. "What do you think?"

Shere Ki thought a moment; there really was nothing to lose from it. Suddenly, Shere Ki felt proud of the boy. She smiled back at him. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

She stiffened when Mowgli threw his arms around her unexpectedly; but she soon warmed up enough to hug him back with one forearm. Mowgli sounded overjoyed. "So you'll help me with it?"

Shere Ki giggled when her eyes fell on the steep slope below them. "Yeah, if you will help me down this hill."

Shanti

Shanti almost wished they had never come to the jungle at all now; if she and Mowgli had stayed where they belonged, Bagheera and Salena might still be having a happy wedding. But now it was about to be called off completely. She was so angry with Mowgli, she didn't even feel like going to comfort him; instead, she stayed with Baloo as he attempted to console Salena. But nothing he said or did changed the panther's mind. Salena dozed off for a while, and then woke up again from shifting the wrong way. She was in so much pain, even when she talked.

Shanti wished there was some way she and Bagheera would still marry on their wedding date….the way it was supposed to be. Just then, a solemn Bagheera returned to the cave with a small, lean rabbit for Salena. Shanti's last hope was gone when she saw that Salena was awake; she lifted her head when she heard him coming. Shanti could see the grief in her eyes when Bagheera laid the rabbit at her paws and tentatively licked her cheek with a small, careful smile.

He sounded quiet as he tried to cheer her up. "How are you feeling, Salena? I brought something for you to eat…maybe you can try to eat a small bite. Yamini said that…."

"Oh, maybe later, Bagheera." She took his paw in both of hers as she interrupted him. "I…I have to tell you something…" Shanti bit her lip when she heard Baloo sigh.

Bagheera was still clueless; he lay down in front of Salena and rubbed her paws with his free one. "Is this about earlier?"

Salena seemed to be trying to find the right words now. "No, I…"

Bagheera straightened in anger at his next assumption. "Did Mowgli say something? I…."

Salena intercepted again. "It's not that. I…" She was trying unsuccessfully to suppress sobs now. "I love you so much, Bagheera. You can't forget that. But I can do this. I'm so sorry, but I…."

Bagheera seemed confused, and upset when Salena started to cry. She grabbed his paw when he caressed her cheek. He didn't seem to get what she was trying to say; his voice shook as he tried to make sense of her words. "Wh-what….?"

Suddenly, Mowgli burst into the cave, closely followed by Shere Ki. Shanti clenched at Baloo's arm. Don't make it worse than it already is, Mowgli. But Mowgli surprised her by throwing his hand in the air before Salena could say more. "Wait!"

Bagheera turned his gaze to Mowgli for a moment before dismissively turning his attention back to Salena. "Oh. Not now, Mowgli."

Mowgli didn't back down; his words were rushed. Shanti soon realized that he was trying to stop Salena from calling off the wedding. "Yes, now. I've got something to say." With that, he knelt down in front of Salena and stroked both sides of her face in his gentle way as he spoke to her. "Salena, I'm sorry I made you fall…and I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you. I was jealous, is all. I thought that Bagheera loved you better, and that he would forget about me. But I know now it's not true….it was never really you. And I want to get to know you better….but first I want to see you marry Bagheera, because you make him happy."

As Salena stared back at him with confusion and uncertainty, Mowgli turned to a baffled Bagheera. "I'm sorry, Bagheera. I hope you will forgive me….for everything. And I'd like to talk to you about some things….if you wanted to, that is."

When Bagheera finally found words, his voice was stern and steady. "Fair enough, man cub….I'm proud of you. That was a very brave thing you have just done. And I would be happy to answer your questions; we can talk as soon as Salena and I finish talking." He turned back to Salena with a soft look. "What is it, dear?"

Salena had to tear her gaze from Mowgli; Shanti could tell she got Mowgli's message. Now it was up to her. Salena sounded uncertain. "I…." She looked from Mowgli to Bagheera, then caressed his cheek as she made her decision. "I'm just….afraid….to face my family!" The last bit sounded too bright, but she made a reasonable recovery.

Bagheera looked baffled and let his paw drop to the ground with an exasperated 'That's it?' look. He repeated her phrase as if he didn't believe it. "You are afraid of facing your family….?"

Salena nodded. "I don't know what to tell them, Bagheera…..especially after traveling all this way. Please don't set the wedding date back just yet. Let me try to work with Yamini to get better first, and then we'll see. Oh, please Bagheera….just give me a chance."

Bagheera hesitated a long moment as everyone held their breath; finally, he gave a solemn nod that made Salena smile. He gave only one condition. "But if I see you are rushing or straining yourself, I will push the date back. Do you understand?"

"Umm hmm." Everyone awed when Salena kissed his cheek.

When Bagheera went outside for their talk, Mowgli quickly took Salena's paw in his hands and offered her a brief explanation. "Salena, Shere Ki and I have an idea. We know how we might can help you get better in time for your wedding. It's like therapy. We'll talk to Yamini and get some exercises for your muscles. But I don't think Bagheera will support in until he sees it will help, so we will have to keep it quiet."

Salena brightened as he talked and nodded her agreement to him with a smile. Mowgli turned to Shanti and waved a hand tentatively. Shanti threw her arms around her best friend. She was so proud of him. When they pulled back, Mowgli exited the cave as Baloo and Salena questioned Shere Ki for details.

Bagheera

As Bagheera listened to Mowgli talk, only speaking to help him out when he had a lack of words, he realized how much he had missed. He prided himself on his ability to reason, but as Mowgli talked, he saw that he had accidently discarded Mowgli's feelings out of concern for his safety. He knew he had never fully explained himself to Mowgli, but he didn't know how to make the boy understand the reasoning behind his actions, such as taking him from the jungle and keeping Baloo away from the Man Village. The boy had been so stubborn then. He thought Mowgli understood that he just wanted him to live in safety, but it turned out all this time the boy had been thinking he didn't like him at all.

At some points, Bagheera wanted to slap himself on the forehead, but then again….he wouldn't have changed a thing. Mowgli was safe and happy now; if he had given up and succumbed to Mowgli's wishes, the boy would have fallen to Shere Khan for sure. As long as Mowgli understood this, he could be at peace. Maybe he would try to explain the reason behind his harshness from now on, but Mowgli could still be quite stubborn at times, and Bagheera could not give up his safety. This was all he could think to do for now: try to see to it that Mowgli understood.

Mowgli was drawing to the end of his explanation now. "…..I understand everything now, Bagheera. I didn't before. And when Salena came along, well….you know. But I want to get to know her better, and I know she makes you happy. Do you…forgive me for the way I treated you…and her?"

Bagheera drew in a breath, unsure of where to start; he spoke in his rich, gentle tone as he made eye contact with Mowgli. "Of course I forgive you, man cub. And I am proud of you for coming to us like you did. But you put yourself and Salena in a lot of danger. I hope you have learned from this experience." When Mowgli nodded, he decided to stray from the lecture. "And I never meant to make you feel unwanted, Mowgli. I just wanted you to live a safe life. You understand this?"

Mowgli answered sincerely. "I do now."

Bagheera nodded. "Good. I'm not like Baloo, Mowgli; I can't put you in jeopardy even though I might want to keep you in the jungle at times, or for the sake of "fun". I will always speak up for what is best for you, but I can explain my actions to you from now on. You just have to try to be open to what I tell you, even if you don't always agree. But that doesn't mean I don't want with us, Mowgli; it just means that I want you safe. Do you understand, Mowgli?"

Mowgli grinned. "You're just the one who gets stuck with the hard decisions, right?"

He has no idea. Bagheera's mouth turned up in a smile. "Right." He chuckled as Mowgli embraced him. "It was good you came to me, man cub. You know you can talk to me anytime."

Mowgli laughed. "Unless it's something about me putting myself in danger?"

Bagheera rolled his eyes at the man cub's sarcasm. "You may want to go to Salena or Baloo for those."

Mowgli tilted his head. "You think Salena would help me out with those?"

Bagheera smiled. "She is more lenient, but I would hope she would at least tell you that you were in danger."

Shere Ki

Everyone was excited at the possibility of Salena and Bagheera getting to marry on their wedding date. All they had to do was talk with Yamini and come up with exercises that could help Salena without putting a strain on her. The only thing to do from there was wait and see if it worked. But Shere Ki and the others thought it was worth a shot.

Sometime after Mowgli and Bagheera entered the cave, Yamini arrived to check on Salena and decided to take an overnight shift with her to relieve the others. While the leopard worked Salena's muscles and examined her, Shere Khan popped his head into the mouth of the cave. Shere Ki smiled and walked over to nuzzle him. "We're in the middle of an examination."

Shere Khan returned her greeting by tapping his claws on the ground one by one in a neat fashion and grinning up at her. "I was only wondering if I could borrow my mate tonight. I haven't had her for the last few days."

Yamini smiled and spoke up before Shere Ki could request to stay another night. "I think it would be a good idea for Shere Ki to be relieved for the night. I believe Bagheera, the man cubs, and I will stay for the night. The rest of you should go home and take a walk. None of you have been out at all."

Baloo stretched out with a yawn. "Tell me about it! I need a good party."

Salena smiled up at Bagheera. "You're staying again?"

Bagheera touched his nose to hers. "I've been out today, and I can't leave you that long right now."

Salena rubbed his nose with hers. "Why don't you take a walk for a bit, then? By the time we finish up, the others will be leaving and you will be back. You need some air."

When Bagheera reluctantly agreed and disappeared into a tree, Mowgli started to explain his idea of therapy to Yamini. The leopard listened to him intently. When he finished, she took a long look at Salena before she gave her final answer. "I don't think it would hurt as long as she doesn't overdo it. I think we would know by now if there were any internal damages besides her ribs….and nothing appears to be broken besides them. Maybe moving the muscles again is the answer to her cure. But what exercises to start with?"

Shere Ki noticed that Shere Khan had been listening to the conversation with interest; but when there was a long pause, he went back to his unanswered question. "So do I get to take my mate home?"

Shere Ki rolled her eyes, but Salena brightened at the sound of his voice and turned to him with a teasing note in her voice. "I think I could give her up for one small favor…." Shere Ki smiled when Shere Khan let his paw drop to the ground with an "I don't owe you anything" expression; but he listened as Salena giggled and continued her thought. "You're really strong…." At this point, Shere Khan was nodding as if she had uncovered a fact everyone already knew. Shere Ki bumped his shoulder with hers as Salena continued. "You've got to know some kind of easy exercises I can do. Can you work with Yamini and show us a few before you take her home?"

Shere Khan acted as if he were actually considering this. "So in addition to saving your life, I have to show you an exercise routine in exchange for taking my mate with me for the evening?"

Shere Khan surprised everyone by huffing at Salena's pleading grin and walking over to examine her with Yamini. Within a few moments, they determined that she should only start with one easy exercise and work her way up. After some considerations and eliminations, Yamini decided that it was important to keep her limbs functioning. Shere Khan came up with an idea and had Salena roll over onto her stomach. When she had a tough time with this, he smiled. "Your ribs are going to kill you."

Salena panted. "Just show me the exercise."

Shere Ki smiled as Shere Khan lay down on his stomach with his back legs stretched out behind him and his forelegs in front as he instructed Salena. "Do the same."

Yamini had to help Salena position her legs the right way, but soon she was laying in position waiting for further instruction. Shere Khan began the exercise with a teasing grin; he kept his limbs straight as he moved them in an easy up and down motion.

Salena just stared back at him as everyone else began to laugh; even Shere Ki cracked a smile at the sight of Shere Khan doing the exercise. Shere Khan stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Laugh if you will, but I do believe we were asked to see to it her legs work." When no one offered any objections, he turned to Salena. "Now you."

Mowgli interjected excitedly. "Like swimming!" Shere Khan at least pretended to have patience and nodded before looking at Salena with an expectant look.

Salena repeated his motions slowly with strained efforts. After a few strokes, Yamini stopped her and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her paw. "That's enough for now. But you've made progress."

Salena smiled and looked at Shere Khan's meaningful grin. "Thanks, Shere Khan. I guess you can take her home."

When Shere Khan rose to his feet and cast a patient smile in Shere Ki's direction, she shook her head and mumbled just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Glad I'm such a prize."

As everyone laughed, Baloo cast a teasing glance at Salena. "You barely did any!"

Salena snapped at the great bear. "Why don't you do it, then, Baloo?"

Baloo shook his head dismissively. "Hmmm…mmmmmm…..I'm tired just watchin' it!"

When Shere Ki and Shere Khan finally reached their cave, she found the most beautiful nest she had ever seen nestled in just the right corner of the cave. Dumbfounded, she made her way to the nest and carefully placed a paw in the middle of it. It was softer than any bedding she could have dreamed of making. Shere Ki's voice came out in an amazed gasp as she looked into the proud eyes of her mate. "Oh, Shere Khan!"

Shere Khan smiled at his work. "How is it?"

Shere Ki pressed down on it with her paw; steady as anything. She felt tears coming when she looked at him again. "It's perfect."

Shere Khan walked over and nuzzled her as tears escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "I was hoping you would say that."

Shere Ki reached up and caressed his cheek as she stared deep into his eyes. "You've done so much in the last few days, Shere Khan; I couldn't be more proud to renew our vows with you before the jungle. And our cub couldn't have a better father." She pressed her forehead to his. "I love you so much, Shere Khan."

Shere Khan smiled her favorite smile and kissed her; when he looked into her eyes again, his were sincere. "And I love you." Shere Ki melted into his warmth when he pulled her to rest against his chest. She was nearly asleep when he spoke again in a charming tone that sounded familiar. "And I'm happy to see you so affectionate."

His statement before they talked in the Man Village. Shere Ki cracked up before she could stop herself; her tinkling laughter sounded through the cave as she struggled to stop it. When she finally stopped, she gave a triumphant Shere Khan a kiss before she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

For the next week, they occupied themselves with Salena's therapy. They worked muscle by muscle. Miraculously, Salena got to where she could walk while leaning heavily on Shere Khan or Baloo for support. When she began to take slow steps on her own, everyone's hopes began to rise that the wedding would continue as planned. Finally, the day came when they decided to show Bagheera how far she had come. He nearly panicked when Salena stood on her own and took a few steps, but with some coaxing from the others, he let her walk to the river with him and back. At everyone's expectant smiles, he agreed to consider leaving the wedding date as planned. Shere Ki laid her head on Shere Khan's shoulder as everyone cheered.

Bagheera and Salena

Salena couldn't believe how far she had come in just the last week. At first, every exercise had her body feel as if it were on fire; at times, the swelling would even get worse. But as time went on, her muscles began to feel stronger again. The swelling began to gradually go away, and Salena was overjoyed when she could walk independently with little trouble. Her ribs still caused problems for her, but they knew that would not go away for a while.

Even with Yamini's reassurances that Salena should be well enough to enjoy their wedding, Bagheera was still uncertain. He looked stressed and tensed as everyone begged him to go on with the wedding. Salena was starting to get a little flustered. "Yamini, do you know what it will take to make this panther feel better?"

Yamini smiled. "I think the two of you should go for a nice swim. That's the only thing you haven't done yet. If your body can withstand swimming, you are definitely in the clear. Not too much, though, Salena."

Salena turned to Bagheera. "Will that ease your mind at all?"

Bagheera tensed. "Oh, you're doing wonderfully, Salena. I'm just worried for you."

The two wound up making their way to the calm waters of the river, where the moonlight shone off the water and highlighted their beautiful, shiny black fur. Bagheera found himself lost in Salena's beauty. Only her deep blue eyes shining at him in the darkness of the night called him back.

Bagheera nearly melted when Salena nuzzled him under the chin. "Are you ready for a swim, Bagheera the Panther?"

He raised an eyebrow at her mischievously and walked to the water's edge as he called out to her in a respectful tone. "Actually, Salena, Daughter of Dihrem, I was wondering if you could tell me whether or not I was doing this right."

He gritted his teeth and slid into the water with ease; he paddled around gracefully, enjoying the feel of the water as he worked his muscle in the easy, stroking motions that Salena had taught him. When he paddled back to shore and looked up at Salena curiously, she looked amazed.

He watched the wonderful smile he had missed so much spread across her face as her wide eyes shone at him. Her voice was somewhere between a praise and a whisper. "You practiced!"

Bagheera smiled back at her and helped her as she took the first few strokes, when he let her go, she swam on her own easily. They swam in peace for a while, listening to the peaceful sounds of the jungle. Salena swam over to him and touched her nose to his with an innocent smile. "I passed my test. Can we just get married, already?"

Bagheera looked down at her and smiled his wonderful, sweet smile. Salena gasped with joy when she had her answer and pressed her nose to his. And then the two panthers swam around and around in silence, because nothing more needed to be said.

…I'm sorry this took a while; but I'm so excited this chapter is finally finished. I know a few of you were curious about Mowgli's situation a while back, but it's finally been resolved for him. I know the end had a lot of sweet moments in it, but the characters have finally gotten past the last tragedy and are ready to move on. I hope I didn't keep you scared too long and that you will keep checking back. Please feel free to leave a review if you will; that's how I know that you are connecting with the story.

Also, the last piece with Bagheera and Salena swimming around goes to my friend. They read the story and described the scene to me, and I finally found a good place for it and wrote it in my own words. But the credit for the idea goes to them :D

I also noticed I failed to give credit to Rudyard Kipling for the song Baloo and the others sang; Maxims of Baloo is in the Jungle Book and the work of Kipling.

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it and will review. Keep checking back!