Chapter 25: Wild Beasts
Disclaimer: read chapter 1
Aladdin and Jiminy met eye to eye contact with their savior, who pulled them up from the swamp. Its eyes were glowing yellow in the shadows, but there's no mistaken the scaly tail that pulled them up. They met a talking snake. Aladdin should've just said thank you and walked away, but the snake's voice. It was alluring. You couldn't ignore it.
"Ssssso," The snake began with a hiss, "What are you doing ssssso deep in the jungle, mancub?"
"Uh," Aladdin stuttered, rubbing the back of his head, didn't think of the fact that the snake called him mancub, "W-We - we-"
"We're just leaving this gloomy place!" Jiminy snapped.
The snake realized that he saved more than one creature, "Go? That isssss asssshame. I couldn't get to know the friendsssss I rescued. I'm Kaa."
"Well, Kaa, Cricket's the name - Jiminy Cricket," as much as he didn't want to introduce himself, he took off his hat and made a bow. It was a force a habit.
"And I'm Aladdin," The street rat said without stutter.
Kaa mouth curled into a smile, his eyes brightened, slithering around Aladdin and Jiminy as if they were his prey, "It isssss a pleasssssure to make your acquaintanccccce. Tell me, mancub..." he began addressing Aladdin, his coils were hovering over the man's shoulders.
Aladdin suddenly felt a cold vibe as the coils were a centimeter away from touching his muscular arms. Something didn't feel right about this strange character. Something about Kaa that couldn't be trusted.
Kaa continued, "What bringsssss you here to thisssss jungle?"
"I don't mean to be rude, Sir-"
"Ma'am!" Kaa corrected him.
Jiminy widened his eyes at the revelation, "I beg your pardon?"
"I am a female!" Kaa hissed, "Not a male, you bug!" She slithered close to Jiminy, flicking her tongue in and out.
Now Jiminy blew it. He was about to correct the snake not to call him bug, but the name calling was well earned. He clearly offended the female snake. He tipped his hat again in apology, "Oh my! Kaa, please excuse me, I-"
"We're sorry, Kaa," Aladdin tried to defuse the situation, "From the fall we had, Jiminy is out of it. We have a big journey ahead of us!"
Kaa turned her gaze from Jiminy, much to his relief, and focused on Aladdin, "Oh? Pray tell."
Aladdin continued to rub the back of his neck. He might've helped Jiminy, but it didn't mean they're off the hook from the snake just yet. They needed to go. They had no time for small talk. Kelsey and Genie could be anywhere.
"W-We would, but... But we can't. You see we're in a hurry!"
"Why not? You sssseem tenssssse. Why don't you ssssstay and relaxxxxx?"
Aladdin began to babble, shaking his head, "Sorry. We can't. We lost two of our friends on the way, and we planned on finding another person in the process." Aladdin huffed, "It's stressful, but we need to push through and find our friends."
Jiminy noticed a flicker of interest in that female snake's golden eyes and a hint of a smirk. He had a huge feeling that Kaa was more than just a hero - heroine.
"Well then, maybe I can be sssssome asssssisssstancccce. How about we go together and find your dear friendssss?"
That was a red flag. Aladdin needed to be strong. He can't let Kaa go with them to find Kelsey and Genie for many reasons. One: she's just a stranger. Two: Jiminy didn't like the way she called Aladdin a mancub. It was like talking to its prey. It was haunting but alluring. Kaa reminded Jiminy of the mermaids from Neverland. Sweet and friendly, but deadly.
"Oh no!" Jiminy cut in, "There's no need to-"
"I didn't asssssk you!" Kaa snapped at Jiminy, and his jaw snapped shut. Her head slithered towards Aladdin's. He gulped at the sudden closeness, averting the snake's gaze.
"Well?" Kaa asked.
"I-I-" Aladdin turned to Jiminy briefly, receiving a knowing glare at him. Deep down, they both know that its a bad idea. He turned to snake, but avoid eye contact, he already received goosebumps from her, "We appreciate the offer, but-"
"Why aren't you looking at me?" Kaa asked suddenly.
Aladdin blinked, taken off guard, "Uh-"
"Am I ugly? Do I frighten you? Don't you trusssssst me?"
"Oh no - I mean yes - I mean..." Aladdin sighed, not sure what to say.
Kaa sighed heavily, "I don't blame you. I try to be a friend to everyone in thisssss jungle, but failed. The animalssssss here. They don't want me - they make fun of me. I thought mancubssss like you would be different... but I wasss wrong. It'sssss like you can't trusssst anyone at all."
Aladdin raised a brow, raising one eye up to see Kaa's head lowered in defeat as if she was really upset.
"Might assssss well die alone... in thisssss misssserable, pathetic jungle."
As much as they hated it, Aladdin and Jiminy couldn't but sympathize the snake. They both understood all too well what was it like to have nobody in their life. It was before Aladdin met Abu, before Jiminy met Pinnochio. The snake earned their sympathy.
"We're sorry to hear that, Kaa," Aladdin said making eye contact with the snake, "If it makes you any better, you made two new friends already." He turned to Jiminy for backup, "Right, Jiminy."
Jiminy nodded, "Of course."
Kaa raised her eyes up with hope, "Really?"
The boys nodded.
"Prove it," she challenged. "Look into my eyessss."
The boys seemed hesitant, but they want to make Kaa feel better. They did as she asked and met her eyes.
Somehow, her colors changed. What started glowing yellow turned into a spiraling rainbow. The mancub and bug froze into place, slowly falling into a trance.
"Trussssst in meeeeee, jusssst in meeeeee," Kaa sang her hypnotic song.
"W-What are y-you doing?" Jiminy asked softly. He would've been firmer if it wasn't for the colors. How the rainbow slowly drew you in, relaxing every muscle in your body, same with your mind. All you could hear was the soft lullaby. All you could see were colors. Jiminy was right. Something was off about the snake, but couldn't bare to say it. The snake's magic was over powering his senses.
"Ssssshut your eyesssss," Kaa commanded, "And trussssst in meeeeeee..."
Next thing, the boys knew, they were under her spell and soon to be her lunch.
~000~000~000~
Kelsey wanted to stop running, but the growling forced her to keep moving. She didn't know how long she could last. All she know that her Disney luck was about to run out. Getting eaten by jaguars wasn't what she had in mind for her cause of death. If she chose how she would die, it would be in her sleep like the way her great grandmother died.
She can't afford to die today. Her sister was still out there. Alone. In a savage jungle! She had to find Kailey and bring her back home.
"Run, Kelsey! Run!" Genie shrieked, watching the jaguars leaping after them, snarling with their teeth and having salvia escaping their mouths. They were hungry for a woman and a llama.
The trio jumped over logs, ducked under tree branches, and pushed through bushes just to keep going. Nothing could stand in their way from escaping... except one thing.
"STOP!"
Kuzco and Kelsey immediately slowed down when they came across a rocky cliff, thousand feet below was a river. Kelsey could jump if the fall wasn't long and there were no rocks in the water. Kelsey and Kuzco panted, staring wide eyed at the pack of jaguars. Kelsey immediately started crying, knowing how this was going to end. She could always jump, but she was terrified of heights.
"I don't want to die!" Kelsey cried, "I don't want to die!"
Kuzco cried with Kelsey, "I can't die! I have a whole life ahead of me and a throne waiting for me!"
"No one cares about your freakin throne!" Kelsey snapped. "We're going to die and it's all your fault!"
The growls were louder as the jaguars came closer, showing off their sharp teeth.
Kuzco was hyperventilating, "wish that I have hero to rescue me!"
Suddenly, there was a sudden cry a bit like Tarzan. Kelsey's eyes brightened, recalling a scene from this movie. The fat, green poncho - Pacha would come to the rescue by swinging a long vine. Kelsey was such an idiot, she believed that she'll be rescued from the vicious jaguars.
"Praise the Lord!" Kelsey cried happily. Kuzco was smirking at the jaguars, knowing that he'll be rescued.
Their hope was cut short when Pacha flew passed them, kicking his feet. The jaguars returned growling at them.
"This is it!" Kuzco cried, "Goodbye world!" Then his body was snatched into the air. Pacha had returned to rescue the emperor, leaving Kelsey and Genie behind.
"HEY!" Kelsey screeched, "What about me?!"
"And me?!" Genie added.
Their attention was back on the jaguars. They were ready to pounce, ready to eat. But something stop them.
"ENOUGH!"
Everything fell in silence. The jaguars quickly unblocked the path back to the jungle. Something - someone was slowly making his way towards Kelsey's direction.
Kelsey and Genie widened their eyes in fear.
"Oh my God," Kelsey said quietly.
The voice that stopped the jaguars wasn't a hero, not even close. The face was the animal that hated man, the animal who was capable of killing. Black and orange striped. His teeth just as sharp as the jaguars, but his eyes were more menacing, full of hate. Just because he stopped the jaguars from eating Kelsey, it didn't mean that she's off the hook.
"Well, isn't this a delightful turn of events?" the animal chuckled deeply, sending chills down to Genie and Kelsey's spine.
"Uh, i-it sure is," Genie agreed, chuckling nervously. Kelsey wasn't laughing with them. Her eyes were locked with the animal's big and yellows eyes. "Thank you!" Genie said happily, "Thank you, Mr. Tiger - Sir!"
The tiger that saved them raised a brow at Genie as if he was an unusual animal. Which was true. Genie was the most unusual thing, the tiger ever saw.
"My. What strange creatures we have lurking in this jungle," The tiger continued, pacing back and forth without taking eyes off the girl on the edge of falling.
"S-She... Shere Khan," Kelsey whispered breathlessly.
~000~000~000~
"Trust in me... Just in me..." Kaa sang her lullaby at the man and bug, before she has them for lunch. "Shut your eyes... and trust in meeeee."
Coils were wrapped around Aladdin. Jiminy wasn't in the coils, but he was standing on Aladdin's shoulder, still in a trance.
Kaa opened her mouth, about to devour Aladdin...
A screech was made, and before Kaa could realize what happened, her head was whacked repeatedly by a stick.
Abu was making angry monkey noises as he beat up Kaa. Aladdin and Jiminy shook their heads, no longer under Kaa's evil spell.
"W-Wha-What?!" Jiminy shook his head side-to-side, taking in his reality.
Aladdin groaned, rubbing his temples, "Oh, what happened?" It didn't take long for them to see what was happening in front of them. Abu was saving them from the snake. Aladdin laughed with approval, "Well, what do you know? Abu's not a coward after all."
Jiminy looked down and gasped, "Aladdin, look!"
"Huh?" Aladdin realized that his body was wrapped in coils, "What the?!" He looked up at Kaa angrily, before squirming his way out of her trap. Abu continued to beat up Kaa with a stick, until her tail hit him back. Abu flew back and hit his back against the bark of the trees.
"You will pay for that, sssssstupid monkey!" she barked angrily, approaching the little monkey that was now cowering in fear.
As she was distracted, Aladdin was freed. He and Jiminy were so mad at Kaa for almost eating them alive, they decided to return the favor. Aladdin pushed the coils off the trees, making her fall from the tree away, from her prey. Aladdin and Jiminy looked down to see if they killed her. She didn't die. She landed in the dirty, swampy water.
"Serves you right!" Aladdin snapped, turning his attention to Abu. The monkey was panting for breath, shaken about the thought of being almost attacked by a hundred foot long python. "Abu!" Aladdin cradled him, "Are you okay?"
Shivering in his arms, Abu nodded.
"Abu!" Jiminy cried happily, "That was incredible! You were brave! I didn't know you have it in you!"
"You saved us, Abu!" Aladdin stated. Abu widened his eyes, clearly shocked as well. He didn't realize what he was doing, only thing he knew was that his best friend was in trouble.
Aladdin squeezed Abu tightly in appreciation, "Thank you!"
"Yes, we are most grateful!" Jiminy agreed.
Abu smiled, happy that he was appreciated. He should be brave more often.
"Now come on!" Aladdin began, placing Abu back on his shoulders, "Lets get out of here! It's starting to stink here." Jiminy and Abu agreed as Aladdin was climbing the branches, finding their way out of the dark.
~000~000~000~
The tiger stopped pacing, perked his brows, surprised that this girl knew his identity.
"Ah, so you have heard of me. Tell me, my dear, how is it that you know me?"
Kelsey didn't respond, because she was too scared of what the tiger might - will do.
"Oh!" Genie dismissed the question with a wave, "Pfft! We heard stories all about you! You're like a legend!"
"How flattering," Shere Khan said, disinterested of Genie's pathetic excuse. He lowered his eyes at Kelsey's, who immediately looked away. She couldn't take his eyes, they were hypnotic, and that's what made him dangerous. He could put you in a spell, becoming his prey.
"P-Please... Please don't hurt me," she pleaded, knowing that her pleas would reach deaf ears.
He gave her a sweet smile, "I sense your fear, little one."
"You know why I should be."
Shere Khan took a step back, clearly surprised that Kelsey responded to him. He raised his brows, "You understand me?"
Kelsey nodded, "Y-Yes, Sir."
"Hmmm," He purred, "How interesting... very interesting."
There was an awkward moment of silence, until Genie decided to break it.
"Well. Thank you again, Mr. Sheer Can."
Shere Khan whipped his head towards Genie's, narrowing his yellow eyes at him.
Genie continued, "It is a pleasure to meet ya. Now if you don't mind, Kelsey and I will be on our way."
"Ah... So that is your name," Shere Khan said with warm delight, turning back to the shivering girl, "Kelsey. To be honest, I never met a man who has that remarkable ability to understand animals... except one boy." He had his claws out from his paws, dangerously sliding one claw down the rock, creating a painfully loud screech. The way he spoke her name was a chill down her spine. She wished she had the guts to jump off the cliff, right now. She didn't respond to him, nor did Sher Khan expected her to.
"Come on, Kelsey. Let's go find our friends," Genie whispered, slightly pushing her past the tiger, but Sher Khan didn't hesitate to jump in their way.
Kelsey took an instant step back a safe distance, but Sher Khan took a step closer. The jaguars were standing on both sides, watching the action unfold.
"My apologies, Man-cub and friend," Sher Khan began, "It seems that you have misunderstood my intentions."
Genie furrowed his brows, clearly not getting what Sher Khan was implying, "Get what? You saved us from those black cats!"
"Maybe so... but the only reason why they stopped, because they know." Sher Khan chuckled, "They know that it's my job to take care of the... man problem."
Kelsey cleared her throat, while refusing to make eye contact with the tiger, "L-Listen... Sher Khan, I... I understand..."
"Do you really?" he asked.
Kelsey nodded.
"Look at me and answer!" He commanded harshly.
Kelsey jumped at his snappy command and met her eyes with his, she continued but only stammered, "Listen... Please... I-I understand... I understand why you hate people... Believe me... I-I don't want to stay here another minute!"
"Then why have you come?!" he demanded, using the same, menacing tone.
"Because I'm desperate!" Kelsey replied, "I know it's strange, but if you let us go, we will leave the jungle forever, y-you would never have to see us again! EVER AGAIN!"
Sher Khan was silent as if he was taking Kelsey's plea into consideration. All that filled the silence was Kelsey's heavy breathing. Genie was glancing at the jaguars, that were staring down at them, holding back their urge to attack.
"Hmmm," he purred. Kelsey's fear heightened as his lips curled into smirk, showing off its sharp teeth. "What a reasonable agreement... It truly is..."
"Great!" Genie said happy, sighing with relief, "Now that we have an agreement, let us through-"
"I said that it was reasonable," Sher Khan continued, narrowing his eyes at the girl, "but I never have actually agreed. The girl already knows why I can't let her live."
Kelsey took another step back, widened her eyes bigger, up to the point her eyeballs should be out of her sockets. "Please! Please don't!" she pleaded with tears falling from her eyes, "Please you don't have to do this!"
"You're right. I don't have to... but I want to. I can't have your kind wander around in this jungle. Man. Is. FORBIDDEN!" Sher Khan stretched back, claws out, ready to pounce.
Kelsey took another step back. She needed to act fast. A moment of distraction so she could escape.
"Psst, Kelsey," Genie whispered in her ear, "Psst. In case you haven't noticed, a tiger is about to attack. Make a wish."
Kelsey was an idiot. She almost forgotten that she still had a wish - one wish left. She wanted to use it to find her sister. But she already wasted two for it. Would she be willing to waste her last lifeline for her own sake? YES!
Before Kelsey could say the words, she spotted something up the trees. It was the same squirrel that threatened to pop a balloon back in the jungle. It was waving its arms frantically, pointing at something by her. She narrowed her eyes, confused, until she followed its gaze. Right next to her was an acorn. How could she not noticed the squirrel threw an acorn at her? Probably the tiger was to blame. Kelsey was surprised that Sher Khan didn't notice it as well. Maybe he was distracted by her as she was with him.
What could she possibly do with an acorn? She noticed the squirrel making a pitching motion. She almost visualized her little sister throwing shells at the beach. She was once taught that throwing rocks and shells at a certain place in your body could kill you. Would an acorn be an exception? It was worth a try, but she needed a distraction. She knew exactly what would keep the tiger busy for a split second.
"MOWGLI, RUN!" Kelsey cried.
The tiger widened his eyes, turning his head behind him. The jaguars were distracted too by their master's gaze. Now it was Kelsey's chance.
She picked up the acorn right when Sher Khan turned back around.
"I don't see-" he didn't have a chance to finish as the acorn hit him right in the eye. His left eye. He growled loudly, clutching his eye, clenching his paws against the dirt from the ground.
"KELSEY, RUN!"
Kelsey was about to make a run for it, but a pack of jaguars were blocking her way, growling at her. She turned back and run, not realizing what was up ahead.
She had committed suicide, because as far as Kelsey knew, she was now falling and screaming.
"AAAAAAHHHH!"
She spun 360 degrees around, moving her arms around uncontrollably. Her heart was pounding. The wind went through her hair and body. She wasn't thinking at all, only that she's going to be wet and dead.
Once she inhaled, she instantly regretted it. Water entered her lungs and couldn't breathe. She pushed herself up, coughing and gasping for air. Her body was sailing with the river, the waves forcing her to move. She rubbed her eyes to see that she was in water.
"Oh, thank God!" Kelsey cried. "I'm not dead! I'm not dead, Genie! We're alive!"
Genie didn't respond.
"Genie?!"
"Kelsey!" She looked over to see Genie, but the lamp was across from her. It was no longer in her hands.
"SHIT!" Kelsey cursed, "Hold on, Genie!"
"Kelsey - waterfall!"
To make matters worse, there was a large water about to take its victims. Kelsey tried to swim back, but the current was forcing her to move forward. It's official. Her Disney Luck had ran out. Her time was up.
Nearby was a rock, not a bridge to jump back to land, but it would keep her from falling to her death. Kelsey planned to swim there with Genie. But Genie was far away. She had a choice. Avoid her sanctuary and save Genie, but die; or go to the rock, letting Genie fall alone. Kelsey's biggest fears were not only heights, but dying. She can't die. She had a whole life ahead of her. Genie was immortal. He lived more than a century, but he needed his master - Aladdin. Kelsey had a deal with the street rat, Genie for his help to save Kailey. If Kelsey let Genie go, there's no telling how Aladdin's tale would end. But she also needed Genie to find Kailey. If Jiminy was here, he would've told her to be noble.
Unfortunately, Kelsey wasn't noble. She wasn't a hero. It was every woman for herself. That's how her life was at school and at home. She would always try to save herself, and that's what she's about to do.
She reached her arm to the rock and held on, forcing to pushing one leg before another onto the rock. She looked up to see Genie reaching his blue hand out to her, giving her the puppy-dog eyes. Kelsey had just made the biggest mistake of her life.
"KELSEY!" Genie cried as he fell in the waterfall.
"GENIE!" Kelsey cried back, uselessly reaching out to him, tears falling from her eyes. Her mind finally processed what happened.
"What have I done?! WHAT have I DONE?!" Her mind chanted that question over and over, while weeping onto the moss rock.
Kelsey rested her head on the rock, holding on for dear life as she started crying.
She didn't notice a large log floating by, about to become its next victim, until Kelsey heard a "boo-yah-yah-yah!" She stared ahead at the falls, glad to know that she hadn't twist Emperor's New Groove. If she saw Pancho and Kuzco again, she was going to run from them as fast as she could.
She didn't know what to do now. Her last hope for survival was gone, and she was stuck in this rock with no way out other than the waterfall. She was doomed.
"Ahem."
Kelsey perked up to see a familiar pink striped cat smiling down at her. She scrunched her brows in confusion, "Cheshire Cat?"
He winked at her, but slowly lowered his golden eyes at the rock they're on. He took a claw and stuck in a crack that revealed to be a hidden compartment. Kelsey narrowed her eyes to see a red button. What was that? Why would there be a red button on a rock? This was a jungle!
Her eyes raised back at Cheshire's as he smirked, pressing the button. She furrowed her brows, not sure what just happened or what the button was supposed to do.
Cheshire Cat screeched at her, causing her to scream and release. What a mistake. Kelsey was back in the water, kicking, swimming, doing whatever it took to be back on the rock. But it wasn't enough. Next thing she knew, she was falling again, screaming, waving her arms and legs around.
What she thought would see black and red - darkness and blood. What she saw next was unexpected. A rainbow of colors...