Chapter 48: Strangers In A Strange Land

A/N: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way, shape or form.

Hello again, my dearest readers! I know I said I was taking November off, but NaNo November turned out to be a bit more than I could chew.

And so, we return to "Kingdom Hearts: Rise Above the X." Roxas, Axel and Xion's adventure is continuing!

"And then, I guess the water broke the spell, and the Horseman's gone now," Roxas said, speaking slowly so that Master Yen Sid could hear every word clearly. Talking over a Gummiphone wasn't very easy, at least when it came when turning in what amounted to a mission report. "We stayed another night and Brom and Katrina said that there was a sort of…calm in the air that hadn't been there before."

"Is there anything else to report?" Master Yen Sid asked. "Did you encounter any other beings that do not belong in this reality? That bridge the lines between life and death?"

"Um…" Roxas hesitated. He wasn't really sure what else there was to add. They'd gone over everything that had happened in Sleepy Hollow. The legends and stories the villagers told, the Horseman himself appearing…but those were all old legends. Maleficent herself hadn't shown up—or if she had, Roxas hadn't seen her. What he had seen…what he had felt…looking down the hood of the Horseman. Fire and sulfur…Roxas shuddered. That…was something he hoped he would never ever see again.

"Sorry," Xion apologized. "I should have asked more questions when Katrina and I were alone…I should have done better, Master."

Roxas grit his teeth—Xion, you did just fine!—but Master Yen Sid held up a hand. Over the Gummiphone, it wasn't quite as indicative as it might have been otherwise.

"That is enough, children," Master Yen Sid said. "This might not have been particularly productive in regards to figuring out what Maleficent may be planning. Indeed, this latest conflict might not even be tied to Sora's abuse of the Power of Waking. From what you tell me, the Horseman appears to be a threat from an older era. But you have saved several lives and that is not to be overlooked.

"Going forward, please, continue to search the worlds," Master Yen Sid instructed. "Find those who need help and provide it, as Keybearers ought. See if you can find the truth of the matter at hand. If you are able, uncover Maleficent's motivations."

"We'll do our best, sir," Roxas said

"Very good, all three of you…pardon me, all four of you," Master Yen Sid smiled. "Though, I do have to ask, that the next time you reach out to inform us of your traveling, not to wait quite so long. It's been two weeks since you've left Disney Castle, and your friends

"Two weeks?!" Roxas exclaimed. "What do you mean two weeks?! We weren't in Sleepy Hollow for more than three days!"

"I'm so sorry!" Xion gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Can you please let the others know we're alright?!"

"Were you not aware that time passes differently between worlds?" Master Yen Sid asked, though he sounded more amused than concerned. "It would appear that I have more to instruct you than even I realized."

"Ha ha, ha ha," Axel interrupted over Roxas and Xion's stammering. "What do you expect, most of the worlds they visited in the Organization were on the same time structure."

"But of course," Master Yen Sid said. "Now go forth, my students, and let your hearts be your guiding keys."

Axel disabled the connection before Roxas could and shook his head roughly. Roxas scratched the back of his head.

"Crazy old coot," Axel muttered. "Like that geezer is one to talk about timelines between worlds. I spent I don't even know how long in that forest trying to get my Keyblade and then longer still training with Kairi and meanwhile, barely a week goes by in the regular worlds."

Geezer? What's a geezer?

"Now, Axel," Jiminy Cricket piped up, "I understand you're frustrated, but I'm not sure you're being fair. Master Yen Sid has the right to be concerned when we don't check in…though I admit, I had no idea as much time passed for them as it had."

"I didn't even realize that was possible," Roxas said. "Back in the Organization, every mission we had, it only took a day…but some missions were longer than others…"

"It's always twilight in Twilight Town," Xion murmured. "Maybe that has something to do with it. Or maybe someone travels to a different world, it's always set to be a certain time there…wait…that doesn't make much sense…"

Roxas chewed his lip. No matter how you sliced it, it was a little confusing. Different worlds seemed to be in different places in history—Twilight Town and Radiant Garden had to be about the same, since they were connected by Ansem the Wise's computers. But they didn't even have lightbulbs in Sleepy Hollow or Olympus.

"I'm not sure it matters," Roxas said. "So long as we check in after every mission."

"Works for me," Xion said. "But…where do we go now…like Master Yen Sid said, we don't know where to go next."

Roxas placed a hand on his chest. He could feel his heartbeat. His heart was supposed to be his guiding key. But where did that lead to next…where was this threat, this line between life and death being crossed, most dire? And would they be able to discern the difference between it and a pre-existing threat, like the Horseman?

His thoughts drifted back towards Sora. Sora…lost somewhere…somewhere they still hadn't been able to find. And Roxas hadn't seen him in a long time…not properly. As awful as at the visions of Sora had been…to see him and talk to him only for him to fade away…at least he had been there. Kind of. But unless you counted the Fountain of Youth, the last Roxas had seen of Sora had been when Mushu had been able to call him forth from…wherever it was he was. Roxas's heart grew so tight, it felt like it might burst, and without even meaning to, Roxas summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion.

His Keyblades…Sora's Keyblades…when he looked into the waters of the Fountain of Youth, Roxas hadn't seen a younger version of himself. He had seen Sora.

Sora…Sora…SORA!

Sora had traveled the worlds, visiting so many that Roxas couldn't keep count of them all if he tried…probably. And he had made so many connections to the people who lived there…connections…

"There are so many hearts that are connected to yours…you're me, so you can feel what I felt."

"What?! No, Roxas, you are you. We're not the same. You deserve as much as I do to be your own person.

Light…hearts…connections…connections within hearts…Roxas let go a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Twin lights shined out of his Keyblade and the Gummi Ship began to move, slowly. In front of them, another portal emerged.

"Alright!" Axel called. "Looking good Roxas!"

I hope this works, brother…

oooo

"Visitors, sir!" One of the crewman said. "Are you in?"

Renard Dumont looked up from the newspaper he had been perusing. News traveled slowly in this part of the jungle, but one thing he prided himself on was keeping a close eye on the comings and goings of the various ships. Travelers to the jungle outright were still relatively rare, though there was far from a shortage of customers who would stop to resupply their stocks. And as the proud owner of the only shop in the town, Dumont was happy to provide for any weary traveler what they may need. For a reasonable fee, of course.

As it was though, there weren't due to be any ships from England until the next morning, and they hadn't gotten a telegram about favorable winds expediting a ship's arrival either. Ships from America were not due to arrive for another four nights. Dumont frowned. Something about this did not sit right with him, but he would keep his opinions to himself. Their money was as fine as anybody else's, more likely than not.

There were four visitors standing before him, none of whom he had seen before. This was hardly unusual in itself, but these four visitors in particular were peculiar. There was one man who was nearly impossibly large—why, he had to be larger than even the most massive of the gorillas who lived in the jungle, though his countenance resembled something between a leopard and a hippopotamus. And the two women seemed even more unnatural…tall and regal and beautiful no doubt, but there was something almost magical about them. Dumont's brow wrinkled. He did not have the most pleasurable experiences when it came to magic…not that he was actually able to recall them. The last was a boy, possibly sixteen or so, with fair skin, a sneer and some of the most peculiar clothes Dumont had ever seen.

"Greetings," The taller of the women said, in a voice that commanded respect. "Are you the purveyor of this establishment?"

"Yes, ma'am," Dumont said, straightening up to his full height. He was still much shorter than her. "Renard Dumont, at your service. What brings you to my most humble trading post?"

"We are archeologists," The woman said. "My companions and I seek to explore this jungle and the ruins as well, and discover whatever there may be from the native peoples who lived in these lands so long ago.

That didn't seem particularly likely. Dumont was reminded of the "volcanologists" who had turned out to be common thieves, seeking diamond mines. More to the point, there was an entire village of Waziri a few days' journey by riverboat. An expedition to the ruins was hardly necessary for anthropologists or archaeologists. Beyond that, none of the woman's companions seemed the least bit interested in any of the lanterns or pick-axes or shovels…or any of the tools that would be practical on such a trip.

"That's some fine rope, you got here," The large man said, pointing to the coils Dumont had so carefully set up just a few hours before. "How much?"

"That is some fine rope," Dumont agreed. "Most useful for holding cargo together. It is infused with a solution of my own design that makes it water-resistant, which I can assure you, is a most necessary quality in this jungle."

"Hmmm…" The large man scratched his chin. "Ya know, I don't think you actually answered the question."

Dumont felt a chill down his spine as the large man glared at him. What business did these strangers truly have?

"The rope will cost you ten notes a coil," Dumont said. "American or British, the difference is negligible in the jungle."

"Uh…is this enough?" The large man hoisted three coils into one of his arms and then handed over some coins. Dumont did not recognize this currency, but gold was gold and silver was silver. There were some other ores mixed in with these coins…but it wasn't iron or tin or copper. The coins were much too heavy for that, but it seemed fair enough, even if he personally preferred paper currency.

"That will be fine," Dumont said, taking the coins. He glanced at the four strangers as discreetly as he could. He hadn't heard any commotion from any of his workers outside—though whether that was because some of his men were continuously armed, he couldn't be sure. Trouble tended to come in clusters and he somewhat doubted these four were the whole of their party.

Dumont was no specimen of fitness and valor himself, he could freely admit. He lacked the psychical prowess required for hand-to-hand combat. But he was not a fool either. And he had seen enough to make sure to always have a rifle, loaded and chambered, within easy reach of his position. He was not going to lose his trading post over some hot-headed thief or vandal, no sir.

"Let's get going," The teenager called. "I'm sick of standing around. Maybe when we actually go into the jungle, we can get some work done. I've always wanted a leopard-skin cape."

Oh no, I cannot let that happen.

"Now you listen here boy," Dumont said. "I know not of your business. I seek neither to help nor hinder you. But I am warning you now—do not partake in hunting in this jungle. If it suits you, then take it elsewhere. There are those who live in this jungle who will not allow the animals who live here to be harmed. Not even leopards."

He doubted that any of the strangers believed him, but whether they did or not, nobody would be able to claim that he hadn't at least tried to warn them. At one point in time, Dumont had cared little for animals. He had not actively sought to harm them, but he had no interest in helping them either. He had driven out a herd of rhinoceros using explosives…that had led to a conflict that had proven most precarious.

But in this jungle…the rhinos, the hippopotami, the elephants... Those titans were truly awe-inspiring. And the other animals as well—the baboons, the forest hogs and especially the gorillas. They were part of this jungle and without them…to deliberately hurt any of these creatures for sport rather than harvesting for food or to protect property was abhorrent.

Dumont had neither the physique nor the knowledge to be truly a man of the jungle. But he would give what help he could to those who could not speak for themselves. And the less conflict, the better. It was bad for business all the way around.

"Hugo! Hoft!" Dumont called. A moment later, two of his crewmen came running in. Hugo tripped over his own feet as he did so. Hooft gave a toothy grin and bent down to help Hugo up.

"You wanted to see us, boss?" Hugo gave a wide, hopeful, though somewhat sheepish smile.

"I need you two to go into the jungle," Dumont said. "This is a matter of utmost importance."

"Gee whiz, Mister Dumont," Hooft said. "Are you running low on our famous hot sauce already? I told you it would be a money spinner!"

"No, no—well, maybe later," Dumont said. The crews of the American ships in particular had a fondness for the hot sauce his men had developed, but they still had a decent stock for at least a month. "I think there may be some sort of danger. I think poachers may be in the area."

"Poachers?" Hugo groaned. "Oh boy, I can think of a couple of people who are not going to be happy about that, not one wee little bit."

"I agree," Dumont nodded. "And you two know this jungle, know them better than anyone. Find them and warn them—as many as you can. Find Tarzan and the apes."

oooo

Xion took another bite of ice cream. She put a hand on her stomach and tried not to grimace. This was…actually, she had lost count a few hours ago. The pile of ice cream sticks in front of them though…it was almost as tall as Vivi. This world had taken a very, very long time to get to. Having to use ice cream sticks for fuel had its disadvantages…she'd only ridden in it a couple of times, but she missed the Highwind. Running on happy faces was so much simpler…Roxas and Axel made her happy.

"Whoa," Axel said, "Look at that view!"

Xion glanced out the window. They had gotten close enough to the world that departure was more of a formality at this point. They needed to find a place to land, or else have the ship hover in low orbit. It was a nice view. She could see tall mountains and lots and lots of enormous trees. Xion wasn't sure she'd seen a forest like that before. It seemed…greener than the other forests in the worlds she'd gone to, even the woods in Twilight Town. But there was something still familiar about it…had Sora visited this place?

"I know this world," Jiminy Cricket piped up, as if he had read her mind. "This is the jungle that Sora, Donald and Goofy visited during their first adventures. We didn't spend a lot of time here, actually. But we made friends with a man named Tarzan."

Xion took a bite of sea-salt ice cream and chewed it slowly. That's right…they had called this world Deep Jungle. The memories she shared of this world were fainter…maybe it was because Sora hadn't spent that much time here. But when she concentrated, she could remember shady areas with hippos and a clearing with a big tent set up and lots of science experiments. And two kind humans, one a lady with a funny accent and a man who was big and strong and lived with the gorillas…

"Oh! You speak English! So, obviously, you're not related to Tarzan…"

"Tarzan go see Kerchak."

Xion shook her head roughly. It had been a very long time since Sora had come to visit this world and see the friends he'd made. But now Sora was gone and couldn't visit this world at all…

And that's your fault! Sora would still be alive if it weren't for you! You helped hurt Kairi and then you didn't do nearly enough to save her or Sora when Xemnas blasted them with that spell of his! And you didn't go after Xemnas when he took Kairi away, which let Xehanort shatter her into a million pieces! Sora got himself killed putting Kairi back together again, and that's your fault too! Everything you touch, you destroy! Sora should have struck you down in the Keyblade Graveyard—everyone would be better off! You're a failed experiment that should never have been even thought up in the first place.

"What's going on?" Roxas shouted.

Startled, Xion bit down and instead of ice cream felt the splintery taste of the ice cream stick on her tongue. Ick! The Gummi Ship was rattling around. More than anything, it reminded Xion of the crash landing Mister McDuck's pilot Launchpad had made, way back at Disney Castle, before they even had their own ship. Isa had called it turbulence, hadn't he? Xion fumbled around, looking for something to hold onto. She didn't think this Gummi Ship had been designed with seat belts.

"I don't know…something's wrong with the Gummi Ship!" Axel began pressing buttons very quickly. "Er, were either of you paying attention when King Mickey said how to control this thing?"

"I don't remember anything but ice cream being how we make it move!" Roxas said. "I'm not sure what we do next!"

"Actually, this is pretty familiar," Jiminy said. Out of the corner of her eye, Xion saw him hop up onto Roxas's shoulder. "Sora and Donald crashed the Highwind when they fought over the controls and…brace yourselves!"

oooo

"And then the donkey, dog, cat and rooster all lived happily ever after, for the rest of their days," Abigail Markham read aloud. "The end."

She closed her storybook. The Four Musicians of Bremen was her daddy's favorite and she liked it too, even though it didn't have any princesses in it. She looked at all the animals who had come to hear her read the story. There was a little furry piglet, a little monkey, two baby gorillas and a great big elephant. Abby (Abigail didn't really like being called by her full name) liked the elephant—he was a friend of Mister Tarzan's. His name was Tantor and he could talk! Mister Tarzan and Missus Jane had taught her how to talk to elephants and gorillas, which was really neat!

"So what did you all think?" Abby asked. "Mister Tantor?"

"Is that it?" Tantor asked, holding up his trunk like he was raising his hand in school. "Nothing happened after that?"

"Well," Abby thought for a moment. She hadn't given much thought to anything after happily ever after. "I guess, because they were happy, they didn't need a reason to tell any more of their stories."

"Oh," Tantor said, sitting down. The little monkey grabbed the two baby gorillas and scooted them out of the way so they wouldn't get squished. "Well, I guess that makes sense…but they didn't get to become musicians."

"That's true, Mister Tantor," Abby said. "But then, they didn't need to go all the way to Bermen. They had each other and that was all that mattered. They had all become friends, like you and Mister Tarzan and Miss Terk."

Abby paused. Terk was one of the gorillas who lived in the jungle. But she never came to listen to storytime. But she was good friends with Mister Tantor and Mister Tarzan.

"Does anybody else have a thought?"

The two little baby gorillas hooted happily and that made Abby smile. There weren't any other children in this part of the jungle—Tarzan and Jane didn't have children of their own, none of her daddy's workers or the men who worked at the trading post had families either. There were lots of children in the Waziri tribe, but they all lived too far away to visit regularly. So Abby had made friends with the animals—the gorillas were probably the most fun to talk to, but Abby didn't like to play favorites. She didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings.

"Hello!" The little baboon chirped. That was all he ever said, or maybe, the only words that Abby ever understood. But she liked him anyway, his name was Manu. She wasn't sure what the little forest piglet's name was—not even Tarzan spoke to forest hogs much.

Abby looked up at the sun. She didn't have a watch, but Tarzan had taught her a bit about how to tell what time it was by where the sun was in the sky. Judging by the sun, it was almost lunchtime.

Snap!

"What was that?"

Abby glanced at Mister Tantor, who looked very nervous. This wasn't really something new. Mister Tantor was always worried about something. But even Manu and the baby gorillas were chittering and shaking.

"Hello?" Abby asked. "Is there anybody there?"

She frowned. There were some things in the jungle that were dangerous. There were snakes and spiders, but if you didn't bother them, they usually didn't bother you. There were other things though—leopards and jackals and they were very dangerous. A big mean leopard named Sabor had eaten up Tarzan's own mommy and daddy.

"Roxas? Axel? Is that you?"

"Um…" Abby said. "Those aren't my names. And I'm not allowed to talk to strangers!"

Especially here in the jungle. Strangers, if they weren't already friends with Mister Tarzan, tended to be people who wanted to hurt others. Poachers who wanted to steal animals away from their homes. Or those mean men who wanted to find diamonds but not do it the right way—Abby hadn't actually ever met those mean men, but Mister Tantor had told her about them a long time ago.

"Oh, Abby, we better go," Mister Tantor said and he reached his trunk down to scoop her up. As he did so, there was the sound of more breaking branches. And then, just as Mister Tantor set her on his back, the stranger stumbled out of the bushes.

The stranger was…not a grown-up. She was a big kid, bigger than Abby anyway, but she was not a grown-up at all. She looked younger than Missus Jane, and probably wasn't even as tall as Mister Hugo who worked at the trading post. She had black hair and was wearing a blue shirt and a purple coat and wow! The stranger wore trousers! Even Missus Jane didn't wear those! And…she was hurt! Her leg was all bloody!

"Mister Tantor! Set me down!" Abby cried. "You need to pick her up instead! She's hurt!"

"But she's a stranger," Mister Tantor said. "And Tarzan and Mrs. Tarzan and your father all asked me to keep you safe! What if she's a monster?"

"Not…a monster…" The stranger said weakly. "Need…to speak…"

"Speak to who?" Abby asked. "Who do you need to speak to?"

The strange girl fell to the ground, on her hands and knees. She was breathing really heavy.

"…Tarzan…"

xxxx

Getting Mister Tantor to carry the strange girl hadn't been very hard after all. All Abby had to do was hold her breath and Mister Tantor agreed right away. The walk to her daddy's camp was not long. Before she knew it, they were back in the clearing.

"Daddy!"

"Abby!"

Her father, Robert Markham, stooped down to give her a hug. Standing beside him was Professor Porter, who was Missus Jane's own daddy. Behind her, Abby could hear the strange girl making small, sick sounds.

"Daddy, there's big, big trouble!" Abby said. "Someone's hurt really bad!"

"Goodness me!" Professor Porter shouted. "What happened to her?"

"She fell out the thicket," Abby explained. "I think she got lost. She said three names…Axel, um…Rocko…Rocks…something like that, and Tarzan. But I've talked to Mister Tarzan a bunch of times, and he's never mentioned anyone with those names."

"Oh me, oh my…" Professor Porter said. "Tantor, be a dear and set the poor thing down, gently now."

Professor Porter was a scientist and did all sorts of experiments on animals and plants and he was also something of a doctor. Once, when Abby and her daddy and the other workers had all moved to the jungle, they had gotten sick. Professor Porter had made the medicine they needed—Daddy and Mister Tarzan had gotten him the ingredients he needed, because they were heroes.

"Nuh…nuh," The strange girl tried to move Professor Porter's hand from her wrist. "Please…don't."

"I'm just trying to check your pulse, dear," Professor Porter said. "Please, try and hold still. You'll only hurt yourself worse."

As Professor Porter continued to try and check to see what might be wrong with the strange girl—or at least, what else might be wrong, besides her cut-up leg—Daddy and his workers began to talk in whispered tones.

"It doesn't make sense," Daddy said. "There aren't supposed to be any more visitors from England for at least another day—and they never come to our part of the jungle. It's rare enough that Tarzan and his family get visitors. Our own merchant's not due in for another month. How could this girl get way out here?"

"Weird clothes, too," Walter, the largest of Daddy's workers pointed out. "I've never seen clothes like that before. Since when do women wear trousers? Some new fashion from England?"

"It's the jungle," Steven, a man shorter and thinner than either Daddy or Walter, said. "That probably doesn't mean much by itself. But the kid says she knows someone named Axel? Maybe she means that captain who brought us here in the first place? Could she be a niece or a cousin or something?"

"Axellrod?" Daddy shook his head. "Nah, it can't be him. He said he had four nephews, but no nieces…and I can't think of where Rocks fits in."

"What about Mister Tarzan?" Abby asked. "Mister Tarzan knows lots and lots of people…hmmm…maybe Mister Tantor can carry Miss Stranger to Mister Tarzan."

"That would probably be best," Professor Porter said, looking up at them. "Forgive me, Markham, but most of the equipment I would need for treatment is at my own camp."

"Of course," Daddy nodded. "And take whatever supplies you need. This is as much your place as ours."

"There doesn't seem to be infection setting in just yet," Professor Porter said. "But I can't take any sort of risks. Do you have some iodine?"

The girl protested again as Mister Tantor scooped her up with his trunk and Daddy handed Professor Porter some medicine. Abby walked over to the girl, who was clutched in Mister Tantor's trunk.

"Don't worry," Abby said kindly. "Professor Porter is a great doctor. He'll fix you right up. And Mister Tarzan married his daughter, so you should be able to see him very soon."

The strange girl stared at Abby. She had very pretty blue eyes that reminded Abby of the ocean. But her eyes were also wide and scared and sad….that made Abby a little sad too. But when the Professor fixed her leg, the girl would feel better. And then she could find her friends—Mister Tarzan would help, most likely, because he was nice like that—and then she could be happy.

oooo

Lea felt as if he was going to throw up and it had nothing to do with residual turbulence. He'd been separated from Roxas and Xion. He had been separated from Roxas and Xion. And this wasn't in the heat of battle, where one of them got cut off from the others. He legitimately had no idea where they were. This was bad. Way bad. As bad as things had ever been. Lea summoned his chakrams and began slicing at the vines and plants in front of him.

He needed to find Roxas and Xion. He had no idea where they were. He had no idea how large this world truly was—it wasn't as if they'd gone missing in Beast's Castle, which was much, much smaller. He had no idea if they'd been hurt—he had one sucker of a headache himself and it made him want to say words that Roxas and Xion would get in huge trouble if they were to say them.

Lea cut and sliced and said bad words and sent out fire to clear the brush in front of him. He hated this jungle. He hated how hot it was and how humid it was and how buggy. He doubted he'd been on the ground more than ten minutes and he had already swatted more than forty friggin' mosquitos.

Lea walked on, getting tripped up by giant tree roots and rocks and who knew what else, growing more frustrated. Lea almost welcomed the opportunity for Heartless to show up, just so that he could cut them down. He shooed away a parrot that dove by his head and bit back a curse. There were more animals in this jungle than he could count, but the chitters and chirps and whistles were getting on his frayed nerves.

"Is there anybody in this stupid jungle who can talk to me?!"

"Hello? Who is there?"

Lea startled. Okay, that was something he had not been expecting. A moment later, a figure emerged from the jungle.

The man was much shorter than Lea, though he still would have towered over his half-pints. He had dark skin and was well-muscled. There were two other men, both slightly shorter than the first. They all wore simple tunics and carried spears. The shortest man had a bow and quiver of arrows as well.

"What are you doing in our jungle, outsider?" The first man asked, tightening the grip on his spear. "What is your business?"

"Look," Lea said. He didn't bother asking how this man could speak English. "I'm not looking for trouble. I was separated from two of my friends. You haven't seen them, have you?"

"More outsiders? No, I have not seen them," The man said. "You are the first white man I have seen in several weeks—Tarzan has not visited the tribe in some time."

"Tarzan?" Lea asked. "Oh, right. I never met him, but a friend of mine did! Has he ever mentioned a boy named Sora? 'Bout this tall, spiky hair?"

The three men glanced at one another and began to whisper in a language Lea couldn't understand. Oh boy, this could be real trouble.

"You say that you are not looking for trouble, and yet you carry weapons?" The man countered. "And wield fire?"

"Er…" Lea said. "I know this looks bad, but I swear, I don't want to hurt you or your family or anybody else. I just want to get my friends back. Please, their names are Roxas and Xion."

"I do not know those names," The man said. "But I do know Tarzan and he has never mentioned knowing any other outsiders, least of all ones who know how to manipulate the elements."

"Listen," Lea said. He dismissed his chakrams and held up his hands. "I'm sorry. And I know this looks bad, but I'm telling you, please, my friends might be in danger. Please…I can't lose them again."

The three men began to whisper to each other again and Lea mused the possibility of ducking out of their sight and using a Dark Corridor. He hadn't used one in ages but…if he didn't get out of this…these guys were just trying to protect their homes, he couldn't fault them for that.

Thump!

"What was that?" The shortest man said, cocking an arrow. "What made that noise?"

"Leopard?" Lea suggested, holding his hand to his side to summon Flame Liberator if he needed to. A little fire would probably be enough to spook any leopard away.

"Far too noisy for a leopard," The first man shook his head. "Besides, Tarzan tells me that our tribe lives far from leopard territory."

A moment later, a Heartless burst from the thicket. A Powerwild. Blasted little monkey. Lea called forth Flame Liberator and struck it down in one swipe. The Powerwild exploded and Lea watched as its captured heart was released and traveled into the sky. As it vanished, Lea turned his attention to the three men. Who were staring at him with very wide eyes.

"Is that…a Keyblade?" The first man looked thunderstruck. "You are a Keybearer?"

"Yeah," Lea said. "Wait a sec, you know about us? We try not to draw too much attention to ourselves."

"I…I've heard the legends," The man said. He crouched down in front of Lea. "It is a great honor to be in your presence, Keybearer. I would be honored to help you find your friends, sir."

"That would be…great," Lea said. He held out his hand. "But don't call me sir. The name's Lea, got it memorized?"

"As you wish, Lea," The man said. "And if I must call you that, then please, call me by my name. I am Bazuli."

xxxx

Lea was feeling a bit better about the circumstances, all things considered. After having to keep his details vague in Sleepy Hollow, it was almost refreshing to be around people who knew about Keyblades…but who curiously didn't know Sora.

"The elders in our tribe have told stories," Bazuli explained. "Of how the world was once one, and how it split into many. And of righteous men who fought to protect all the worlds, using swords crafted into the shapes of Keys. They can undo any lock and harness the powers of the elements."

"Yeah," Lea said. "You pretty much got it covered. Now, you're sure you haven't seen my friends? Roxas and Xion are…well, they're kids. They might be considered adults in your village, but where we come from, they're just kids."

"I haven't seen anyone but you," Bazuli said. "How long do you think you've been in this jungle?"

"Maybe five or six hours," Lea guessed. "Not sure, really. We were separated, but I can't tell you more than that."

"From what I've heard in the legends," Bazuli suggested. "Your friends were probably brought closer to the heart of this world. I've never seen it for myself, but my father did, many seasons ago, when he was a child."

"Huh," Lea said. "Well, that's helpful…I should probably talk to your father, after we find my friends. If there's one thing I learned, it's that the bad guys tend to keep coming to the same areas, over and over again."

"While I see your point, Father's never met a Keybearer, Lea," Bazuli shook his head. "He's only seen the Keyhole."

"Still," Lea said, "It's all I've got to go on at the moment. I'm not exactly sure why we're here, if you get my meaning…I know you said you hadn't seen any other strangers, but have you seen anything out of the ordinary? Any animals that don't belong in this jungle, maybe?"

"Heartless are rare in this world," Bazuli nodded. "I haven't seen very much of anything of that sort myself. About three years ago, there were many Heartless…and the stars were fading away. But then, one night, the stars reappeared and most of the Heartless were gone. As if they had never been here in the first place."

That had been three years ago for your people?! Lea resisted the urge to stagger. The conversation from the Gummi Ship came rushing back—that different worlds had time pass differently between them. That said, if three years had gone by for the people of this world, then time passed more quickly here than it did in Twilight Town or Disney Castle. He wasn't sure whether or not that was a comfort.

He stole a glance at Bazuli. He carried himself like he knew the jungle like the back of his own hand. He didn't trip over any roots or rocks.

"If your friends are smart, then they'd probably try to follow the river," Bazuli said. "Which makes sense, since it's an easy landmark. And several of my friends live further down the river, including Tarzan. Whenever there's danger in this jungle, Tarzan has fought to protect it. If anyone can help you find your friends, it's him."

oooo

They'd been walking for so long, Seifer thought he might go crazy. He hated this stupid jungle. It was filled with all sorts of wimpy, lamer animals. What did that stupid, old shopkeeper know? Humans were better than animals—if some wimpy animal couldn't run away fast enough, then why should Seifer take it for himself. The fangs and claws of leopards didn't scare him at all. And this place had elephants! Seifer could hear them trumpeting in the distance—the idea of poaching an elephant and making a sword out of its tusks would be amazing.

The jungle was hot, but Sefer didn't mind the heat much. Only the strongest of animals could live in jungles this hot. And if he could handle it, then he was strong and powerful too. There was no way that lamer Roxas would have been able to make it in this place, even if he had ditched his stupid black robes.

Eventually, they came to a clearing. A really wide clearing. It was more a valley than a jungle at this point. And there were wrecked buildings all over the place. It reminded Seifer of the pictures in the textbooks at school…not that he had bothered to read the chapters.

"So…uh…what's so special about this place?" Pete asked. "I mean, why this specific spot in the jungle?"

"This is not just any spot," Maleficent said. "This…is the city of Opar!"

Opar? What was an Opar? Seifer'd never heard of a city called Opar—he'd read enough of the history book to know that much. Seifer looked around the ruins. It was hard to say exactly how big the city might have been when it was around. But it was wrecked now, so how special could it have really been? A real city would last against anything. If storms or fires destroyed it, then it clearly hadn't been built properly. And if enemies had invaded and knocked everything down—which appeared to be the case, given how just about everything was broken—then it was just a lamer city.

"Did I not tell you?" Maleficent asked. "That in addition to housing pure hearts, there existed more within this world. This may be the key we need."

"I thought the goal of this world was to break the bond of those three lamers," Seifer said, gritting his teeth. "Wasn't the whole point of casting them away from each other in the first place?"

"Patience," Maleficent said. "It would do you well to learn that, dear child. We must take careful steps. As of right now…I call back a friend from a time long ago."

Maleficent held out a hand and a flash of green fire flew from her hand. Pete and Eris took a step backwards. Seifer held out his hand to call forth his mordite sword. He had a feeling in his gut that he was going to end up needing it. The flames grew larger and larger, till there was a pillar of fire nearly ten or twelve feet tall.

A woman emerged from the pillar of flames that Maleficent had summoned. She was not very tall—barely taller than Seifer, which made her much shorter than Maleficent or Eris. Her skin was dark and her hair was white, but she didn't look very old. She wore what looked like a fur bikini more than anything else and gold bracelets and anklets and earrings. Her skin was dark and her eyes…were gold.

Well, that settled that, then. Anyone who had gold eyes was someone powerful—Seifer had gotten much stronger since Maleficent had introduced him to using the powers of darkness. And if his eyes were gold instead of blue, then that wasn't a worry. And this woman, whoever she was, had power. She had tons of it—Seifer could sense it.

"La," Maleficent said. "Welcome back."

"Maleficent," La crouched down in front of her. "I had heard that you had been struck down by a Keybearer."

"I returned," Maleficent said. "Through the memories of those who feared me, and my own darkness, I refused to yield. In that, we have much in common."

"My body was destroyed," La shook her head. "And my attempts to bind my spirit to this realm were eventually thwarted. But by your magic…I have returned. Your power is greater than I ever imagined."

"It is not by my strength alone," Maleficent said cooly. "A Keybearer broke reality through his mis-use of the Power of Waking. He can no longer return to this plane of existence but…the line between life and death has been shattered beyond repair."

"We can tap into power the likes of which we hitherto never dreamed of," La whispered. "Immortality is within our grasp!"

Immortality…Seifer smirked. He liked the idea of living forever. Nobody could defeat him then, if he would never be able to die. And Roxas and Xion would be bent to his will. Yeah…Seifer clenched his fist. He could definitely get behind that…he would live forever. But first, he would kill Roxas and Xion.

A/N: And there we go, my dearest readers!

I've had plans for adapting Deep Jungle, and by extent, The Legend of Tarzan for months now. And we're finally getting to do it!

It was always one of my favorite shows as a kid and Queen La was an absolutely terrifying villain. Including her was a natural choice, and then I couldn't help but include the Waziri tribe as a whole. I loved Bazuli and Tarzan's friendship.

Please, leave a comment if you're so inclined. Tell me what you liked! I appreciate each and every one of you!