Chapter 35
Welcome to the Jungle
The evening air was warm and dry as Irva Torvald took the podium in front of hundreds of people in Radiant Garden's town square. Gradually, their gossiping faded until there was dead silence. Irva looked over to June who returned his stare with a nod. Then, he began to speak.
"Yesterday evening at 7 PM, an explosive device went off near the eastern wall, injuring as many as thirteen. Taking the lives of three. I've already spoken to the families of the victims and will continue to work with them over the next few days to ensure the proper compensation is put in place. That said, compensation is no true substitute for the loss or harm of a loved one. This was nothing more than an act of cowardice, and today I ask you to question one thing: where does your loyalty lie? Many of you may indeed hate us, but at what cost? Enough to see others take over at the expense of the pain and suffering of your fellow citizens?" Irva moved around the podium and stepped forward. "Your old rulers have abandoned you, running with their tails behind their legs. Now, they seek to reclaim the power they once had by any means necessary. What they fail to understand by their actions is that even if they gain power, they will not have done so without their hands clean. One cannot hope to rule properly if he does not have the mandate and respect to do so.
"Now, I'm not one to miss out on the irony of my own words, and though I did wish to secure as peaceful a transition of power as possible, quite a few of you were injured in the process, for which I apologize. My father, the previous leader of Horus, was a man who pursued his vision of a united world through fear and aggression. Despite being tutored under him, I hated his ways. When I eventually took over, I vowed to do things differently, and of course some of the higher ups close to my father were against that. The first days of my tenure were those rife of frustration and revolt, but not once did I abandon my convictions, for though I hated my father, the one thing I admired about him was his tenacity. That is what I promise you today as we embark on a new journey together. I believe in everything this place stands for and I will fight for it until my last breath. I refuse to take a step forward if you are not walking with me. If a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, then I shall work day in and day out to strengthen that link until even the weakest is strong. In our Radiant Garden, no one will be left behind."
By the time he was finished, Irva's nostrils were flaring and his gaze was an arrow that could pierce the human heart. The part about his father had not been part of the original script and he certainly hadn't told anyone in Horus except June about his enmity for the man who had raised him. He had simply been speaking the thoughts and feelings he had kept deep inside for a while.
The town square burst into applause, the crowd seeming to warm to Irva. He let out a relieved sigh and then walked back to the podium.
June joined him and gave him a pat on the back. "You were so good! I think people have seen a leader who'll stand by them in you. And less support for the Restoration Committee means they'll be easier to wipe out."
"We're only just getting started," Irva said. "I won't just surpass my father's dream. I'll crush it while it's limping on the ground."
Sora peered around the tree, watching as one of Seren's team walked past him. He looked down to his left arm. Blood was travelling down his arm, not due to getting engaged in any fights but from a simple careless mistake of coming into contact with a prickly bramble bush. Though it stung, he tried his best to ignore it and instead moved to tear a piece of his sleeve off. He quickly wrapped it around the source of the bleeding and leaned his head against the tree for a moment.
After making sure no one else was nearby, Sora approached the man quickly, his movement through the undergrowth drowned out by rain. Once behind him, Sora swung hard at his head with the Kingdom Key, knocking him right out.
"He's over here!"
Sora shot a sideways glance at the direction he had come from to see another Horus member heading his way. They aimed their Keyblade and cast fire, but Sora raised his own to guard. The lackey continued firing off magic in hopes of catching Sora while the brunette ducked and disappeared behind trees. Eventually, Sora leaned around the current tree he was behind and cast thunder, sending an arc of lightning at the lackey.
"This is getting so old it's practically Triassic," Sora said annoyed. The part of the bark next to him was suddenly chipped off as more magic whizzed past. Anger and frustration was beginning to boil within Sora. He closed his eyes for but a moment when Yeul's voice entered his head:
"If you really do intend to see me at yours and Luna's side, if you intend to see Riku and Kairi again, then you need to keep fighting. Sora, I believe in you."
Sora nodded and stepped out of cover. Gripping the Kingdom Key tightly in both hands, he charged forward, deflecting each magic projectile that came his way. If he wanted these people to leave him and his friends alone, then he had to communicate that to them in a language that they understood. That was the thought on his mind anyway.
He closed the distance between him and his pursuer. The boy, probably only slightly older than Sora, swung outward but Sora ducked underneath and struck diagonally upwards. The boy stumbled backwards for a moment before letting out one last gasp and collapsing. He had chosen his side, and Sora had chosen his own. He wouldn't die here. He couldn't, not when he had so much to live for.
"Seren, where are you? I'm done hiding! I'll fight you fair and square!" Sora yelled out. He was sure she couldn't hear him, but it made him feel powerful and right now that was what he needed most.
He did a quick double check before advancing farther in. At this point, he was starting to get an idea where he was, and it didn't look good. He was in a jungle, a place so insurmountable and intangible that Sora didn't even know where to begin looking for Luna, let alone Balthier, Fran and Aya.
I suppose if Fran were here, she'd tell me to find a place to rest for the night. Can't do much in this storm, Sora thought. He just hoped they were all safe for now.
Sora soon made an important discovery—a river that separated one side of the jungle from the other. Rather than crossing to the other side, Sora decided to follow the river downstream from his side instead. This soon proved to be a sound guess when, upon reaching a small waterfall, he came across a wide rocky landscape with a cave all the way at the back.
"Yes," Sora whispered. He made his way down the slope to lower ground and crossed through the earthy terrain to reach the cave. Once inside he propped himself down and curled up into a ball. "I didn't even eat. Foooood. I need food."
Wanting something, anything, to distract him from that thought no matter how annoying it may be, Sora summoned Yuna, Rikku and Paine.
"About damn time! Can we get a least some fresh air every once in a while?" Rikku ranted loudly.
"Rikku, please turn it down a notch, will you? I probably should have let you out a bit more but it's not as easy as you think. Summoning is basically just another form of magic. It would be physically tasking on me if I did it all the time," Sora murmured.
"Well, we saw everything was going on from inside anyway. Let me see your arm," Yuna said. Sora lent it to her without much hesitation and watched curiously as she placed her hands on the bandaged wound. A warm green glow emanated between his arm and her hands causing a pleasant sensation that made Sora slightly lightheaded.
"Thank you. And I'm sorry," Sora said.
"It's okay. You can make up for it at a later date," Paine said.
"I wasn't talking about summoning you guys. I meant about getting you human bodies. That's the entire reason you've been travelling with us. And I still haven't found a way to give you that," Sora said. "And with this war, I don't know if I'll be able to for a while. I can understand if you want to leave."
"Oh, that? Please. That's all in the past," Rikku said. "Besides, we already figured out a way to become human."
"You have? How? When?" Sora asked.
"Heh, heh, heh. It was just a little idea we had when listening to your conversation with Luna back on the Gummi Ship," Rikku said.
"Well, it was technically all Paine's idea but we chipped in. It was before we arrived at Belle and the prince's castle, remember?" Yuna asked.
"Err, you'll have to remind me," Sora said. The green light soon faded and Sora removed the bandage to see only a light purplish bruise on his arm.
"We're going to find the Enchantress who cursed the prince and ask her to change us into a human," Paine said.
"Wow. That… I never thought of that. That's actually a good idea," Sora remarked.
"Isn't it? I originally suggested kidnapping her but Paine and Yuna argued that it probably wouldn't earn them any favors with her," Rikku said.
"And I'm thinking you were right to listen to them," Sora said with a smile.
"But I'm sure it won't be easy to look for her. She is an Enchantress after all," Rikku pointed out.
"Right, and considering she cursed the prince, it's hard to trust her," Sora said. "I'll help you look for her when the time comes. Not only because I want to help you guys become human but because I want to hear her side of story."
"I don't think I've ever said this, but you're a pretty good guy, you know that? I wish everyone else in the world was like you," Yuna said, lying on the floor next to him.
Sora smiled and closed his eyes. "Not even I would want something like that."
Sora's eyes opened as small beams of light crept into the cave. More pressing however was the wolf right in front of him simply watching as Sora looked back at him. Sora froze in place, unsure of what to do. He wanted to scream and run for it, but it probably would only cause the wolf to lash out in fear. Of course, he wasn't necessarily comfortable with the odds of survival just from staying still either.
The wolf pup looked away and let out a cry. Moments later, a bigger wolf entered the cave. Sora pressed his palms against the cave, slowly inching upwards until he was standing.
"Who are you?" the wolf asked with a female voice. Even after visiting somewhere like the Pride Lands or communicating with mice at Baker Street, a talking wolf still came as somewhat of a surprise to him. It was probably because he had been more concerned with finding his friends than expecting to meet anyone else.
"Err… I'm Sora. I'm sorry if I was intruding on your home, I didn't mean anything by it. There was a storm and I needed somewhere to stay," Sora explained.
"And now you shall leave. Man has no place here," the wolf said. "Come along Mochi."
"It's okay, Raksha. He's with me."
That voice… Sora looked towards the entrance to see a figure shadowed by the sunlight outside. As she moved closer to them, Sora's hardened face seemed to melt at the sight of her.
"Xion…" Sora whispered as the girl came into view. It had taken a moment for him to even recognize her. She had grown out her hair to shoulder-length with the ends flicking and curving off in different directions. A thick fringe of hair hung straight down the middle of her forehead, almost reaching eye level. She also wore a sleeveless jacket over a forest green and violet dress with beige hot pants underneath.
"Xion, are you sure about this? He isn't one of them?" Raksha asked. Xion shook her head and smiled at Raksha before turning back to Sora.
"What are you doing here?" Xion asked. There was something about the question, whether it was the serious expression on Xion's face or maybe even that she didn't seem to realize the irony of her question, that made Sora laugh out loud.
"What am I doing here? What am I- are you even hearing yourself right now? Where have you been? You disappeared on us. We were worried sick about you and your first thought is to ask me what I'm doing here?" Sora asked.
"You're taking this too personally," Xion replied.
"Well excuse me for caring," Sora said. "I suppose I expected more of an 'I'm so glad you're here' instead of a 'why are you here'."
"You're right. That was pretty insensitive of me. Come outside with me and we'll talk. Oh, and Sora, this is Raksha, the wolf mother of the pack. Raksha, this is Sora, my friend," Xion introduced. Raksha only nodded and looked at the wolf pup she had called Mochi before leading him away from Xion and Sora.
"So she says man doesn't belong here yet you two seem to be on a first-name basis. What's up with that?" Sora asked.
"I saved them from invaders. Keyblade wielders," Xion said, exiting the cave. Sora followed post-haste, emerging from darkness to a world of light.
Without the rain, Sora could see a lush environment with a diverse line-up of plant life, ranging from trees as tall as skyscrapers to overgrown thickets. Sounds that were not there before now burst into life. Parakeets, monkeys, frogs and other species made their presence known to Sora—that make no mistake, the jungle was their dominion and he was merely a visitor passing by, estranged from their way of life.
But Sora was not among the entire jungle. He was among wolves. As he and Xion walked past them, Sora observed pups bouncing excited and playing around with one another while the adult wolves seemed more cautious around Sora and seemed to steer clear as he and Xion closed the distance between them. He also noticed a Chocobo lying next to a boulder and pointed it out to Xion.
"That's my friend, Boco. He's how I've been getting around. How we met is a long story," Xion told him. She didn't seem particularly interested in diving into the details, leaving them in silence for the small duration of their walk.
Xion soon stopped at the small lake from which water from the waterfall arrived at and turned to him. "Two separate factions, tribes, whatever you want to call it, have been battling it out here for a while now. They've set up camps not too far from here and it's been causing problems, not just for the wolves who need to hunt but for all the wildlife in the jungle. When I first came here, I found Raksha on the brink of death and at the mercy of one of those Keyblade wielders. I killed him and did my best to nurse her back to health. The only thing she was guilty of doing was protecting her pups and they still lashed out at her for it. It made me realize something. There are people out there who are suffering simply from being virtuous. From trying to live their lives like they normally would. Tell me, Sora. What's so wrong in wanting to live a normal life?"
"Nothing," Sora answered. "But those people, the ones who are hurting others, they won't get away with it."
"I hope you aren't suggesting what I think you are. Karma doesn't exist, not in the fairy tale sense of the word anyway. There is no invisible meter on our lives that weighs up how mean we've been to each other and then dishes out an appropriate response just to balance things out. The world is unfair and cruel. It only took a war for us to realize that. If there are good people who genuinely try to help the world and are never recognized for it, then no one should expect that a person who hurts the world should always be punished for it."
"Well I'd expect that a person who helps the world would want to do it because he wants to help the world, not because he wants to be noticed," Sora replied.
"Everyone wants to be noticed, Sora. It's what validates our existence," Xion said. Sora didn't have a rebuttal for that. It just seemed strange to him that he was listening to a somehow wiser (though he may not agree with her) Xion and that one of their first conversations since reuniting was about philosophical concepts. If Xion was planning on making this as awkward a reunion as possible, she was succeeding.
"Well, forget all that for a second. Why did you disappear on us? Riku was worried about you. He couldn't even get any sleep over it," Sora said, trying his best to put on a smile. Xion didn't smile back, which caused his own to falter.
"I… can't use the Keyblade anymore," Xion said. "Ever since being locked up in Janus' prison."
Sora glanced over from Xion to the lake, watching as the ripples of water spread outward. "I'm sorry to hear that. But maybe there's a way to bring it back-"
"I don't think so. It's not something external that I'm looking for. Trust me, I've tried. It's in me. There's something… broken inside me and I don't know if it can ever be repaired," Xion said. "But going back to when I disappeared, I was in the forest nearby when I saw this strange figure. I decided to follow but I lost him. Then I saw something else—a swirling vortex of light, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It was so beautiful, so otherworldly, and it called to me. I walked into its warmth and when I came back out, I found myself at the beach, staring at the ocean and an amazing red bridge reaching out into the mist. And for reference, the bridge is called the San Fransokyo Bridge, also known as Golden Gate though I can't say it's made of gold nor does it have gold of any kind waiting for you on either side. The closest thing that might come to it is what it looks like at night. The lamp posts give off this nice warm glow on street level which does quite reach the towers of the bridge itself. They just disappear off into the night sky. You'd have to see it yourself, it's really beautiful.
"Anyway, I didn't have to wait long to find out what was waiting for me there. When I turned around, I came face to face with a man who I would come to realize possessed incredible intellect and strength. I've been training under his guidance until recently. They once called him the Silver Samurai."
"Silver Samurai? That sounds pretty amazing. Then if you trained under him, you must be-"
"A samurai. Keyblade wielders have their own code of conduct that they follow. I have mine," Xion said.
"Then that's not unlike the code Neuge follows. Bushidō, isn't it?" Sora asked.
Xion nodded. "It's not merely down to combat. Art, writing, philosophy… Master Harada taught me that all those arts can help build compassion. Understanding. Justice. I'll enact my own justice on those who prey upon the innocent, and eventually, given enough time, I'll inherit the mantle of the Silver Samurai. I left Master Harada a month ago, promising to return for more training. He suggested enlightenment by seeing the world was a good way to gain perspective on my own judgement, awareness and growth. And that's led me here."
"Huh. Now I have to wonder if this is the same guy Neuge met. I kind of want to meet him," Sora said.
"You should. Maybe you'll be able to find something in yourself with his help that you never could find alone," Xion said. She stood up again and walked over to the boulder with Boco nearby, kneeling down behind it to retrieve the katana.
"Isn't that sword a little big for a girl like you?" Sora asked, watching as she stroked Boco's beak with her other hand.
Xion smiled at him. A first since meeting him. "It's not the size that counts, but how you use it. Surely you've heard that one before."
"Touché," Sora conceded. He was about to say something else when it hit him like a ton of bricks. "Oh, right! I'm sorry, we need to go. We were fighting some of Horus' guys and a storm happened and Luna and I ended up separated from each other and our friends. I can't stay here. You're coming along, right?"
"To find Luna? Of course. Coming along in general? No," Xion said.
Sora looked on perplexed. "Xion… everyone else is waiting for you."
"Then they shouldn't. I don't hide behind my intentions. Being a samurai is about honor and there's no honor in revenge. I don't know whether this is true or not, but I'd like to think the vortex in the forest appeared because it understood my desires, and wanted to prep me so I could fulfil them. With these own two hands, I'll kill Janus," Xion said. "You know what I can't help wondering every time of think about him? What does he see behind those shades of his? Because I figure… that someone as sadistic and monstrous as him must see the world completely differently from the rest of us."
"You're just like Riku. Obsessed with revenge," Sora said calmly.
"You would be too if you had experienced even half the hell we had. I thought Kefka was bad. Janus is a monster in human guise. His time will come, but until then, we need to deal with the others, starting with the ones nearby here. How about we check the nearby camps for any sign of Luna? If she's not there then there's probably one other place she and your other friends could be," Xion said.
"Right. Let's get going then, shall we?" Sora proposed. Xion nodded and walked over to Raksha who was watching contently as the wolf pups ran around nearby.
"We're heading off, Raksha," Xion told her.
"Be careful out there," Raksha said. She looked over to Sora and asked, "You will keep her safe. Won't you?"
"Of course. I heard from Xion how she saved you. I'm so sorry about what happened but I hope you won't think that all of us are like that. Most of us are genuinely good people who are suffering from those guys as well. We'll get rid of them for you. I promise," Sora said.
"In the jungle, actions speak louder than words," Raksha said.
"What a coincidence! Outside the jungle, actions speak louder than words too," Sora replied with a smile.
"Unfortunately. You only need look at the destruction you bring in your wake to see that," Raksha said unamused.
"Fair point," Sora said, bobbing his head up and down.
"But maybe you really are different. You remind me of someone who once used to live among us. He was man cub who we found when he was but a babe. We decided to name him Mowgli, which means frog in the language of the jungle. He now lives among his own in a village not too far from here. Like him, I sense a fire burning bright within you," Raksha said.
"Sense, ma'am?" Sora asked.
"I suppose being around those with a similar sense of adventure and mischief tends to make it easier to notice these things. More importantly, a friend of Xion's is a friend of ours as well," Raksha said. Sora flashed Raksha an appreciative smile before turning and giving a nod to Xion.
Sora crouched low behind a tree and leaned forward to get a closer look at the camp. There were six people in sight, some older while others appeared to be teenagers. There were also three tents set up around the camp. Assuming six was all they were, then that probably meant two for each tent.
"I can't stand another minute in this stupid jungle. It's so muggy," one of the two girls among the six whined.
"Just go shirtless then," another boy said, winking at her.
"You wish, you perv," the girl replied. "Seriously though, considering there's an assassin somewhere around here, I'm not exactly thrilled about staying here."
"There's one of them and eight of us. And as long as we stay here together they'd be a serious fool to try and take us," said another man. He took a swig from his flask and held it out for the girl to take.
"Eight? So two others are around here somewhere," Sora whispered.
Xion, who was right behind him, gave a soft chuckle. "They think they're safe. You know, there used to be more of them. And then I showed up in their lives."
"Well that isn't in the least bit terrifying," Sora replied sarcastically. "So… wait a second, what's the plan here?"
"You, actually. Sora, be a dear and act as a distraction for me, will you?" Xion asked.
Sora let out an exasperated sigh. "You owe me for this."
"Of course," Xion replied. Her face was an unreadable mask but Sora got the distinct impression that she was enjoying this.
"Okay. Well, I'll try to lure some of the way so you can take the others. You can still use magic?" Sora asked. Xion shook her head and he nodded in grim understanding. "Well, just try not to get yourself hurt."
"You worry about yourself. Now go," Xion said. Sora slipped away from their hiding place and sneaked his way around the perimeter of the camp. He placed his hand on his chest, concentrated, and summoned a Cera Terror Dream Eater. He pointed forward at the camp's barricade and the Cera Terror charged forward.
Its sharp horns pierced the encampment with ease, startling those who were there. Sora followed this by aiming his Keyblade at the tents and setting them on fire. Immediately, magic started flying in his direction. Sora deflected the projectiles quickly before ducking behind the remains of the barricade. He chuckled as he briefly caught sight of Cera Terror launching one of the grunts into the air. He recalled the Dream Eater back into his own heart and strode along to the left, casting large shards of Blizzaga that exploded around the field.
"Oh no you don't," Sora said, quickly pausing to blast away the girl from before who was running towards him with Aeroga.
Meanwhile, Xion ran right into the camp without anyone noticing and zig zagged forward before striking down her first victim. She never stayed in one place for too long, her feet acting like a spring that bounced excitedly as she began to dominate the camp. It was a Xion that Sora had never seen before.
Being picked off from both sides, the smaller group of Keyblade Wielders were forced into the defensive. Sora sniped with magic from afar while Xion moved in up close and personal, delivering heavy overhead strikes with her katana. She was careful to jump back and dodge however whenever someone attempt to retaliate. One of them aimed their Keyblade at her but she quickly pulled out a small shuriken from her pocket and threw it. The star-shaped projectile hit and lodged itself in the man's hand, causing him to scream in pain and drop his Keyblade. She walked forward and raised her sword while the man was tending to his hand and without hesitation, swung the blade down.
Soon enough, Sora and Xion found themselves standing alone among a pitying sight of eight bodies scattered around a camp. Sora aimed his Keyblade at the tents and quickly put the fires out with blasts of Waterga before walking over to Xion.
"You were really crazy out there! It's like you didn't fear a single thing. I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of scared of you," Sora said.
"Well if it can make even you afraid, I'll take that as a win," Xion said. She looked down at the bodies and grimaced. "Err, okay… I'm going to have to check the bodies, just to make sure they have anything useful on them. You don't have to participate if you don't want to."
Sora appeared surprised by this before quickly shaking his head. "No. I'd feel bad if I just left it to you. Can you take the women? I don't feel right searching a dead woman's body."
"Of course," Xion said. The two immediately got to work checking each of the bodies that they had taken out. Sora gradually felt his progress slowing as he came face to face with the prospect of having to inspect a body and looked over to Xion. Her actions were complimented by methodology, not emotion. She spent a few second checking out one body before moving onto the next. Ashamed of his own pace, Sora went back to what he was doing and in no time at all, he soon rejoined Xion. She had covered most of the bodies while he had covered three, albeit slowly.
"Dog tags," Xion said, showing him the small oval shaped plaques. "For identifying the dead, of course. And under their names is the group they're affiliated with."
"Cephadalus," Sora read. "Haven't seen these guys until now. You said they were fighting against another faction, right? I wonder who?"
"Even if the grass is greener on the other side, it's still grass. Well, more like weeds actually," Xion said.
"How do you do this?" Sora muttered, looking around him.
"This? Usually first with a sword and then I-"
"No, not that. I mean this. All of this. How can you remain so composed when you do this? They're people, just like you, aren't they?" Sora asked.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?" Sora repeated.
"Maybe they're people with their own thoughts and emotions, their own past. Maybe they had family and friends. Maybe that one girl there liked collecting seashells and that one guy like Sea Salt Ice Cream. Is that what you want me to say? Sora, they could be all the things in the world and that still wouldn't stop me from carrying out what I need to do. You start sympathizing with your enemies and you're putting yourself and everyone you care about at risk. I know what you want to say. That it's cold, even machine-like of me to see things like that. It's fitting considering what I am."
"Don't say that. You're human," Sora reasoned.
"I was extracted from your heart and placed in an empty shell, just like the first time. Janus… he somehow knew that. I could feel him… stripping me down with his eyes…" Xion looked off for a moment before blinking and returning to reality. "Sorry. Anyway, I know it's not easy, but if you really want to protect the people you care for then sometimes you have to do the unthinkable, even if it means depriving someone of their humanity in your own mind."
It was a cruel thing to say, but she wasn't wrong. This was the conclusion he himself had come to just yesterday night. One that had guaranteed his survival. In the end it really was going to come down to an 'us against them' type of situation, which Sora was annoyed about, but more annoying to him would be his inability to protect those closest to him. Indeed, he had already proven that he was capable of throwing others under the bus just to save one girl he liked so this wasn't exactly anything new to him.
"We still have another camp to check out, right?" Sora asked instead.
Xion nodded. "This one's a bit farther. I kind of wish I had Boco with me but I guess you'll have to do. Alright, get down on your knees."
Sora's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What?"
"Well, you don't expect me to ride you if you won't bend over," Xion said. Sora let out a continuous 'err' sound that caused Xion to laugh. "I'm just kidding. Is not working?"
"I don't even know what's happening right now so I'll just say yes," Sora croaked, grimacing as he did so. "Well, let's get going. I don't want Luna waiting on me any longer than she has to."
Luna woke up to find herself in some kind of ruins. Moss covered some of the walls, some of which were intact and other dilapidated. Looking up, she could see the rays of the sun pouring into the room, illuminating her in an otherwise shadowy room.
Luna stood up and took a few steps out of the light. Her attention was drawn to an orangutan sitting upon a throne chair at the end of the room. His eyes were closed but below him was…
"A piece of heart," Luna whispered, hypnotized by its pulsating orange glow. As she stepped forward, her look of wonder left her as she heard a whisper. Whether it was in her head or in the room, she didn't know, but it came all the same from someone very familiar to her.
"I'm cold. I'm terrified…"
"Mom?" Luna mouthed, the words barely escaping her lips.
"I'm lonely… so lonely. It's my birthday today. And I'm twenty-one. The big two-one. I mean, that's when you do all the crazy stuff you couldn't do at twenty, right? Go clubbing, get drunk, or maybe even get really crazy and go skydiving. I'm kind of afraid of heights so I think I'll leave that one off the list. Still… what is age when my time has been stolen? I'm just… so tired and lonely all the time. Somebody help me… please help... put me out of my misery."
"Mom! What do I do? How can I help?" Luna asked desperately. It didn't even strike her that what she was saying was weird, or even that her own voice could wake the orangutan in front of her.
"I don't think your momma's coming, sweetheart," the orangutan suddenly said.
Luna screamed and fell backwards and pointed at him. "Bad monkey! Bad!"
"I take offence to that! Do all primates look alike to you? Cause from where I'm standing, all yours kind looks the same," the orangutan said. "Still, I think you'll do good by my side."
"What do you mean 'by your side'?" Luna asked.
"My queen, of course. Oh, where are my manners. Allow me to introduce myself," the orangutan said before suddenly bursting out into song.
"Now I'm the king of the swingers, hooo—
King Louie, that's my name
I've reached the top and had to stop
It's really become a pain
I wanted to be a man, my queen
And stroll right into town
But now I've had a change of heart
This solution's just as sound!
Oh, ooh-bee-doo
I wanna wife like you-hu-hu
She'll go on walks with me
She'll talk with me, guess who?! That's you-ou-ou
And you'll soon see-e-e
What it's like to be with me-e-e
Now put on that wedding dress
You'll release the man in me-e-e"
"Wh-what are you even saying?" Luna asked, backing away slowly.
"I've read your literature. Or attempted anyway. From my understanding a man cub only becomes a man when he devotes himself to his wife. And so I shall devote myself to you in hopes of becoming a man," King Louie said.
"That's… really not how it works," Luna said, looking behind her. "And would you look at the time. I happen to be somewhere… like, anywhere but here, right now. It's a shame you'll have to cancel the wedding but maybe you'll find someone different. Auf Wiedersehen!" Luna waved and attempted to run, only to have her exit blocked off by other monkeys. Luna looked around for another way out, eventually turning around to see Louie right in front of her.
"The wedding goes on," he insisted.
Meanwhile, Mari Seren watched the scene from above the exposed hole in the room with a smile. Her eyes wandered over to King Louie's seat where the heart lay alone and her brows raised.
"That light… could it be?"
A/N: Always wanted to know how far you could take King Louie's obsession. At least here, it seems like he wants to go down the Bowser route. Also, I can't say Mowgli will be a part of this story. He's living in the village at this point. Anyway, be sure to follow for more and leave a review and I'll see you guys next time.