Chapter 50: Serpents and Spooks

A/N: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. I do not own Tarzan, which is the property of Edgar Burrough's estate. I do not own Dresden Files, which is the property of Jim Butcher.

This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way, shape or form.

Read on, my beloved readers. Read on!

Leaving Hugo and Hooft with the Professor, Tarzan led Roxas and Xion through the jungle, towards the treehouse. It would be a much better position to try and look for their friend. As happy as they were to find each other, neither one of them seemed truly at peace. Whether that was because of the Heartless Roxas had struck down, or because they were anxious about their friend, Tarzan couldn't be sure.

What happened to Sora?

The question gnawed at Tarzan, like a hyena gnawed on bones. Part of him wondered whether it was truly his business, and given that Roxas and Xion hadn't divulged any more information, Tarzan wasn't sure how he would ask. But at the same time, Sora was his friend, even if they had not seen one another in quite some time. Surely that meant that he, Tarzan, had the right to know what had happened to his friend.

That wasn't even mentioning the trouble that had happened a few weeks after the last time he had seen Sora. For nearly two years, Tarzan had forgotten him entirely. A very troubling thought, as so little time had passed to justify the lapse in memories. Tarzan did not want to think about what might have caused it.

They walked on, through the jungle. Tarzan felt a chill down his spine and he wasn't sure why. Roxas had slain the giant Heartless and now the jungle was returning to normal. Above their heads, several parrots flew and chittered. A mongoose scurried by, not looking at them. Such was life in the jungle. After a short while—it really wasn't very far to the treehouse from Professor Porter's camp, even by foot—Tarzan could hear two voices arguing before they even reached the rope bridge.

"Now, really, do you honestly believe that for even a moment?"

"I'm just saying, think about it logically!"

Tarzan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Even now, years after he and Jane had gotten married, she and Terk argued with one another like panthers. In some ways, it was a little annoying. But in other ways, there was almost a comfort in their bickering. They argued, but they never held grudges.

"How is your jumping to radical conclusions logical in any way, shape or form?"

"Who said anything about jumping? I can't jump. No ape can jump. Only you weirdo humans can jump."

"Terk, you know that isn't true! I saw you leap into the air not two days ago!"

"There were bananas! I was trying to reach the bananas! And quit changing the subject! I saw what I saw when I saw it!"

Crossing the rope bridge was not how Tarzan usually entered his treehouse—he generally would swing in on a vine. But given the circumstances, he wasn't sure Roxas and Xion would take to vine swinging—even Sora had had to wrap his arms and legs around any vine he tried to swing on. And as they walked very carefully across the bridge, clinging to the supporting ropes very tightly, Tarzan was reassured of his decision. In any case, Jane had her back to the front door. She was still arguing animatedly with Terk.

"Jane!"

"Tarzan!" Jane greeted cheerfully. "Oh, how wonderful to see you! And oh, we have company? Who is this?"

"Er…my name is Roxas. And this is Xion…we're, um…we think you knew our brother, Sora?"

Jane's eyes widened in surprise and behind her, even Terk seemed to recognize the name Sora.

"Now there's a name I haven't heard in quite some time," Jane said pleasantly. "You two are Sora'

"Um…sort of," Xion said. "It's kind of complicated. But Sora loved everyone so much, it's just easier to call him our brother."

There was something in the way she said that…the way she said Sora loved everyone. Not "loves," but "loved." Tarzan shook his head briefly, to get the hair out of his eyes. If something truly bad had happened to Sora, he would settle his grief later on. Beyond that, complicated family ties were not something he was unfamiliar with—Terk was his cousin through Kala and Kerchak. And on the other side of Terk's parentage, Moyo was her cousin.

"Well, he was a very polite and helpful young man when he visited us," Jane said, raising an eyebrow and catching Tarzan's gaze. "And I'm sure that he's set a very good example for you two to follow."

"Oh, yes, ma'am," Xion said, bowing her head slightly. "Er…and I will be sure to tell Sora that you say hi."

"Why don't you two go out onto the deck," Tarzan suggested. "See if you can find where your friend might be?"

The two children nodded and walked slowly towards the deck, taking deliberate steps. They were apprehensive. Xion in particular appeared anxious that she might break something.

"Jane, can we speak privately?"

xxxx

Tarzan looked over his shoulder to make sure Roxas and Xion hadn't followed him back from the deck. They stood side-by-side, their oddly-colored jackets standing out against the green of the jungle canopy. In hushed tones, Tarzan related everything he had seen from Roxas and Xion.

"A Heartless?" Jane asked. "Like the kind that Clayton used when he tried to capture the gorillas? Tarzan, are you sure?"

"I am positive," Tarzan said. "And Roxas fought it, and beat it, single-handedly. He's incredibly strong, Jane, even if he doesn't look like it."

"My goodness…well, appearances can certainly be deceiving," Jane put a finger to her chin. "But what about Sora, and Donald and Goofy for that matter? They visited occasionally, but Sora never mentioned his family that I can remember."

"It makes me wonder too," Tarzan said. "What is their connection, if Sora never mentioned them? There are other gorilla families that I might only know one or two of—Gobo's family, for instance. But I know every single gorilla in my family."

"But then, does that matter, really?" Jane asked. "Gorillas stay with their families for almost their entire lives, don't they? Back in London, I would have only been expected to stay with my father until I married. My extended family does not keep in nearly such close contact as do gorillas. I have cousins of my own I've only met once or twice."

"It's not just that they claim to be part of his family," Tarzan said. "The last time there were Heartless in this jungle, or at least, the last time there were Heartless of that size, there were people who sought to harm others…"

"That doesn't seem to be the case with them," Jane said. "Really, Tarzan, I'm not sure why you're so apprehensive. They're only children."

"It's not them I'm afraid of. Anyone who would fight a Heartless is welcome," Tarzan said. "But who is controlling the Heartless this time? Nobody I've fought in years has ever used them. Staquait didn't, Philander didn't…not even La."

"I can see your point," Jane said. "That is something to be concerned about…very concerned indeed. Is there nobody you might be able to talk to about this? I wouldn't recommend asking Daddy. He's so skeptical about these sorts of things."

"That's because he didn't see the Heartless for himself," Tarzan shook his head. "But after everything else we've seen…"

Jane placed her hand on top of Tarzan's. It was smaller than his own hand, the fingers not as long. But even now, it was soft and cool to the touch. And at the same time, it was warm and firm…hands were strange that way. They could be used for work—gathering fruit and nuts or making nests. They could be used for combat—grappling with leopards or poachers or even crocodiles, or making and throwing spears. And they could be used for comfort and connection, almost like hearts. Jane…

"TARZAN!"

Tarzan jerked away from Jane. Terk was standing up, pointing towards the deck where Roxas and Xion had been standing.

"Something real bad is happening!"

oooo

Up the trees, down the trees, though the bushes and shrubs, it seemed to never end. Roxas grit his teeth and ran to keep up with Tarzan, who was swinging on vines far above them. If there weren't so many trees, Roxas thought it might have been possible to start using magic to propel himself forward. But there were a lot of trees—a lot of trees. Way more than in the woods back in Twilight Town. And that wasn't even factoring in the gazillion little animals that kept running towards them. Roxas didn't recognize half of them.

But he did recognize that there had to be trouble. There had been just as many animals running away from the giant Heartless. But still…something felt off. He didn't think it was a Heartless causing this trouble. A monkey, barely bigger than his hands, leapt from a tree branch and scurried up Xion's shoulder, as if trying to hide behind her.

"Oof!"

"The mongoose says there's a snake," Tarzan called out, from where he was perched on a dizzyingly high branch. The little monkey perched on Xion's shoulder nodded in fright.

"A snake?" Roxas asked. "I've never heard of a snake causing all this!"

He had already slain that massive Heartless that looked like a lizard, so it made a little bit of sense for there to be a Heartless that looked like a giant snake too, but Roxas couldn't remember ever fighting one, or for that matter, Sora ever fighting one either.

Tarzan didn't appear to have heard him though and continued swinging through the vines. Xion shooed the little monkey away and ran after him as fast as her legs could carry her. Roxas took up the back of the line. He summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion to his side. And then he continued to run.

"Aaaaaaaa-aaaaaa-aaaa-ahhhhhhh!"

As Roxas broke through the last of the clearing, he saw it. A snake…the largest, longest snake that Roxas had ever seen. Much longer, if not quite as massive, as the lizard Heartless had been. It had to be seventy or eighty feet long, red with black stripes. And darting around it was a large gorilla, snarling and pounding his chest. As large as the gorilla was, the snake was big enough to swallow him with a single bite. But there was no emblem on the snake that Roxas could see. No mark that signified it was a Heartless, if artificially created. Could this creature just be a regular snake? Roxas didn't want to think about that—the thing was big enough to swallow him and Xion

Tarzan swung on a vine to swipe at the snake with a spear. The gorilla flung a boulder at the snake, but the serpent was able to move quickly enough to dodge it. The gorilla roared in fury and charged at it.

"Firaga!" Xion shouted, sending a ball of fire from the tip of her Keyblade. The fireball grazed against the snake's body, but it didn't seem to phase the snake at all. It roared at her and tried to strike, but Xion leapt backwards and the attack missed. Roxas grit his teeth. He was not going to let her get hurt. Not after everything else they'd gone through.

Roxas twisted his wrist and sent Oblivion soaring towards the giant serpent. The serpent dove forward and Oblivion flew over it. Roxas bit back a curse and slashed with Oathkeeper instead. There was a flash of light, but it didn't seem to work either. The serpent roared again, an awful hissing and raised its head again.

The gorilla stood up—it really wasn't very tall, but it still looked huge—and slammed its hands against its chest. It roared, far more snarly and it lifted the boulder again and threw it as hard as it could. The boulder bounced against the snake and it shrieked in pain, but it continued its assault. Tarzan gave a bellow and tossed his spear against it. The weapon sliced at the snake's jaw and blood began to trickle out. But the snake showed no signs of slowing down. If anything, it seemed to grow faster in its anger.

Roxas called Oblivion back to his hand and slashed out again. The great snake turned its massive head towards him, its fangs glistening. It lunged at Roxas but he leapt back, just as if it had been a Heartless. He shot a beam of light out of Oathkeeper and it struck the snake in the eyes, but it didn't seem to phase it.

"Over here!" Xion called, waving her arms. "Come and get me, ugly!"

The snake turned its head just as Xion set a burst of Blizzard magic at it. The ice encased the snake's nose…or snout…or…whatever it was and it slammed its head against several trees, snapping them down in the process.

"Hoo hoo hoo!"

Roxas turned his head and gasped .There was a teeny gorilla, smaller than even the little monkey that had perched on Xion's shoulder. The great snake dove for it, but then Tarzan swung in on yet another vine and kicked it hard on the nose. It didn't seem to have hurt the snake, but it did distract it long enough for the large gorilla to gallop over and scoop the baby up to carry it to safety.

"Nothing's working! Why isn't anything working?!"

"Thundara!" Xion shouted, sending bolts of lightning from her Keyblade. A moment later, she dismissed Kingdom Key only to summon her claymore in its place. The longer weapon didn't seem to make that much of a difference. The great snake still hissed and then it began to circle its massive coils around Xion. She leapt up, but the snake smacked her back down with a flick of its tail.

"Raaaarr!" Roxas snarled. His heart was beating so hard, he could barely hear anything, not even Xion's shout of pain. The snake hissed again and roared and Roxas charged. He thought back to the battle in the antechamber with the Big Bad Wolf and to the skirmish against the Headless Horseman. Xion was in danger now, just like she'd been in danger then. Roxas summoned his Keyblade Armor.

Slamming against the side of the snake finally seemed to make a difference—Roxas's Keyblades were larger now, more powerful, or perhaps less concentrated in their power. But now every blow actually seemed to make the snake draw back. Xion had gotten back to her feet—and Roxas saw that she had summoned her own Armor as well. Just like before…

"Together Roxas!" Xion cried, just barely ducking out of the way as the snake lunged at her, yet again. She held Kingdom Key tightly with both hands.

"Waterga!"

"Firaga!"

Roxas sent forth waves of water from Oathkeeper and Oblivion and combining with Xion's fire magic, it created boiling jets. Roxas flinched as he felt the heat radiate off the steaming water. The snake shrieked in pain and reared up, trying to get away from them and it roared its fury all the louder as the boiling water washed away.

Thwerp!

An arrow. A teeny, tiny arrow protruded from one of the snake's eyes. It roared again, only to be knocked back by a flaming chakram.

"Keep your coils off my kids!"

"Axel!"

Axel was here! Along with…three other guys! Men that Roxas had never met before, with dark skin and…were those tunics? Two of the men were holding spears, while the third cocked another arrow from his quiver.

"Basuli!" Tarzan called out from the trees, far above their heads. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving your life, my friend!" The tallest of the men called out. "Allow us to give you a hand!"

The archer fired another arrow—this one flying high through the trees, and dropping several vines. Basuli and the other spearman waved their spears menacingly and pounded the ground as loudly as they could.

The snake jerked its head left and right and back again, going from Roxas and Xion to Tarzan to Axel and Basuli and the other two guys. It roared in fury again, just before Tarzan leap from his position in the trees with two vines in his hands. He swung low, beneath the snake's jaws, and then up again, twisting the vines around so that they would hold the snake's mouth shut. It reared its head again, but Tarzan's vines held true and the snake slammed its head to the ground. As it did so, yet another boulder flew through the air—the gorilla was back and snarling its challenge. The boulder landed on the snake's tail and it screeched as best it could with its jaws bound shut.

The snake slammed its head again and slithered away from the half-circle of fighters. It knocked down several more small trees as it did so.

"We have it on the ropes," Axel called out. "Let's finish it off!"

"No," Tarzan shook his head. "There's something not right about this."

"No kidding," Axel said. "All the more reason to kill it."

"That's just it though," Tarzan said. "That snake is called Hista. And it's supposed to be dead."

oooo

The aftermath of Hista's attack had not been pleasant. While none of the gorillas in his family had been lost, for which Tarzan was very thankful, Moyo did not like to think what this might mean.

"This doesn't make sense," Moyo said. "We saw Hista sink into the tar pit. We saw him drown."

"It might not be Hista. It could be another python," Tarzan said. "Though I've never seen one that large apart from Hista. But that doesn't really make a difference. As far as the family is concerned, it may as well be Hista. I'm sorry, Moyo. If I gotten here sooner—"

"Nobody was that badly hurt," Moyo said, glancing at his own leg. It wasn't broken, only sprained, but it would still slow him down for several weeks. "You came as soon as you could. And from what I see, those two friends of yours were the ones who did most of the fighting. They protected our family far more than I did today"

That was true—Roxas and Xion, with their Keyblades and odd magic, had proven to be far more effective at fighting Hista. Making the boiling water had been particularly effective. Pythons tracked their prey by sensing body heat, and the hot water splashing on all the trees and ferns and shrubs had made it very hard for Hista to be able to track anything.

"Who are they anyway?" Terk asked, raising a hand. " Members of Jane's family from London?"

"No, no—they say they're part of Sora's family," Tarzan said. "The boy who helped rescue you all from Clayton."

"Oh yeah—he was friends with that…duck," Terk said, waving a hand through her fur with an expression on her face that looked almost…romantic. "Whatever happened to him?"

"I'm not sure," Tarzan shook his head. "I suspect that whatever it is, it makes Roxas and Xion very sad. So I have not yet asked them about it."

"Roxas and Xion…huh, and here I thought Tarzan was a funny name," Terk shook her head. "Well, weirdos will be weirdos. You don't know where they came from do you?"

"Wherever they came from doesn't really matter," Moyo said. "They helped us and that's the important thing. So now, what are we going to do? Hista will probably come back and the tar pits are miles from here. It won't be easy to herd him back into them."

"He's injured," Tarzan said. "That's definitely something to take note of. Even if pythons don't see with their eyes like people or apes, he still has an arrow sticking out of his eye. It won't be long before infection sets in."

"I don't know, there's loads of animals that can survive stuff that should kill them," Terk said. "Tublat's got a whole mess of scars on his ugly mug and that goes double for that rogue elephant Mubaya."

"This is true," Tarzan said quietly. "I just wish I knew what had allowed this to happen. If it is truly Hista…then I have no idea what that might mean."

"Well, why don't you talk to the weirdos?" Terk asked. "If they're the ones who fight the monsters best, maybe they might know where they're coming from!"

Her tone was harsh, and Tarzan did not care for Roxas or Xion to be called "weirdos," but he had to admit that he didn't have any better ideas. The two children were standing very close to the man they called "Axel," though he had introduced himself as "Lea," and that was the name that Basuli and the other Waziris were calling him. Axel, or Lea, looked…remarkably content. As if everything could be going wrong for him, but so long as he had the two children within arm's reach, he would be happy.

Tarzan gave Terk and Moyo a nod and then walked over towards the three strangers. Their whispered conversation dropped off as he drew closer. Basuli left his two Waziri tribesmen and walked over towards them as well.

"May we speak?" Tarzan asked. "I want to know what you are doing here."

"Um…"

"I don't know very much about Keyblades," Tarzan said gently. "But I know that you fight monsters. You also seem to know who might be controlling the Heartless—when Hugo and Hooft arrived at the camp earlier today, you two were very nervous when they described the strangers that came through the trading post. As leader of the family that lives in this jungle, I believe I have the right to know, what's going on?"

"It's…it's hard to explain," Xion said. She wrung her hands as she spoke and for a moment, she reminded Tarzan a bit of himself as a child, when he feared Kerchak's reprimands. "It's…well…see…"

"Tarzan," Basuli said. "The legends say that Keybearers come to make peace and fight those who violate the natural order."

"You know about Keyblades?" Roxas said, his mouth falling open. "That's…that's against the rules!"

"The only rules I am bound to are those of my tribe," Basuli said. "Waziri keep records of all that they see. Besides, you can't say we didn't notice the stars falling into darkness, what was it, three or four years ago. The Waziri tribes may keep to themselves, but we are not ignorant."

"Oh yeah," Lea muttered. "You know, I'm surprised more people didn't pick up on that."

"Is this related then?" Tarzan asked. "Sora sealed our Keyhole. And before today, I might have seen maybe ten or twelve Heartless in the last three years."

"Not exactly…um…well, there's a witch we're trying to find…we think she may have been at the trading post earlier," Xion said, tugging at a lock of her hair. "And that she's using Heartless…and ghosts and stuff…to try and take over everything."

Tarzan's eyes widened. Ghosts? There weren't ghosts in this jungle. All of the animals lived and died in a natural cycle. Deer and forest hogs ate plants and roots and mushrooms. Gorillas ate fruit and sometimes termites. Elephants ate leaves. Even leopards who sometimes tried to attack monkeys and apes had their place in the circle of life. But once something died, it didn't return…unless…

"Basuli," Tarzan said. "Has the elder Usula left the village recently?"

"He prefers to be called experienced, but no," Basuli shook his head. "He has not mentioned anything strange going on."

"You are a long way from home, a full day's journey by the river," Tarzan said. "And you and the others traveled here on foot. Things might have changed."

"That is also true…things might have changed," Basuli said. "But why bring up Usula…unless…you do not think that this might be her doing, do you?"

"Yes…" Tarzan said. "It is possible that Queen La might be behind all of this. We will need to gather the others…spread word to our families. She is very dangerous."

"I've heard the legends, since before I could walk!" Basuli said, spreading his arms out. "I know exactly how dangerous she is! Her witchcraft is a blight on creation itself!"

"Yo! Mind cluing us in?" Lea snapped, crossing his arms. "Who's this Queen La?"

"A witch, who used powerful magic to keep herself alive even after her body was destroyed," Tarzan said. "If Hista has returned…it's not out of the question that La is the one who did it…this isn't good."

oooo

"This isn't good," Seifer snapped. "That snake almost got 'em but of course, they figured out a way to cheat. Since when do those lamers have armor?"

"Since a while ago," Pete shook his head. "But…wait, why are you all surprised? Them pipsqueaks used it in their last fight back on Pleasure Island! You were there! It weren't that long ago, not for us at least!"

Seifer didn't remember how that fight had gone. It was fuzzy. He had gotten on the wrong side of that giant lamer, Axel..or Lea…or whatever. Lea the Lamer had had to protect Roxas and Xion because the other two lamers were too pathetic to fight their own battles. Oh, how he hated them. He hated the lot of them. Roxas who was too pathetic for words, always staring out into space like a lamer zombie. And he cheated at Struggle and couldn't take a joke. And that little wimp Xion, the stupid crybaby.

Seifer ran his fingers down the side of his sword. It was jagged, almost like a steak knife. Funny that, the Big Bad Wolf was always talking about how much he wanted to eat Roxas and Xion. Pah, he was welcome to them, after Seifer had taken his pound of flesh.

Opar was their new base now. Queen La and Maleficent called it a city, but it wasn't really a city. The only people who lived in it were the members of their crew. It was probably no more than a mile in any direction. Oh, there were some statues that could walk and move around on their own. But that wasn't the same as being a real city. Still…an empty city was better in some ways.

There was nobody to get in the way. As pathetic as some of Maleficent's underlings could be, and they definitely were pathetic, they did tend to leave him alone, unless he wanted to train. He had to get stronger. He would make sure the next time he faced those two lamers, he was going to win. They wouldn't get to cheat him this time. He would beat them and he would make it hurt very badly.

"The big snake almost had 'em," Pete said. "Really, if it had only been one of the Keybrats, it probably could have eaten the pipsqueak."

Seifer scowled. He had no interest in hearing how things might have gone if those lamers hadn't cheated. Power was what mattered. Results were what mattered. Thinking about what might have been, if things had been different…that stuff was useless. He needed to win. He needed to make Roxas and Xion hurt.

There was a chittering in the jungle, just at the edge of the city. Seifer grinned. It wasn't one of the lamers, but it was probably some weak and pathetic little animal. He would find it and get it and if he felt like it, he'd kill it. He hadn't had a chance to really use his mordite sword in ages. Not since that crazy doctor had captured Xion. Heh…it had been pretty funny to hear her scream while the Big Bad Wolf ate all those stupid little turtles.

Seifer stomped into the jungle and it didn't take him long to find his target. It was a little elephant. A little, stupid red elephant that had gotten separated from its mommy and daddy. Hmm…Seifer dismissed the mordite sword. He wouldn't need it to take this baby elephant. He crouched down and it looked up at him.

"Hey little buddy," Seifer said. He wiggled his fingers. The elephant didn't take a step closer. It actually backed away. Huh, maybe it was smarter than he thought. Seifer took another step closer and then another. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

A lie. But then, the little elephant couldn't know that. It wasn't like it could read minds. It just stood there and stared up at Seifer with big, round eyes. He took another step closer and the elephant didn't run away. Guess it wasn't that smart after all.

Seifer took another step closer and picked up a leaf. It was a regular ol' jungle leaf, just like everything else in this stupid jungle.

"Do you want the leaf?" Seifer asked. "Do you like the leaf, little guy?"

Just as the stupid baby elephant reached for the leaf, Seifer reached out his other hand and grabbed the baby elephant by its stupid, giant nose. He yanked hard, just the way he used to pull that crybaby Olette's pigtails, back in grade school. Man, even back then, she had never been one to take a joke. None of those lamers had ever been able to take jokes and they went and got him in trouble for no good reason.

The baby elephant yelped and began stomping its feet, but Seifer wouldn't let go. He was a human and this was just a stupid elephant. You had to show lamers who was boss.

"Hahaha! What do you think of that, lamer?" Seifer cackled as he reached out to tug on the elephant's stupid, giant ear. He pulled on the elephant's nose again and it began crying, almost like a person. It yanked its nose back, and began running away. It bumped into a tree and some weird melon fell out of it and hit the elephant on its stupid head.

Seifer chuckled heartily and then turned back to Opar. Making little elephant cry like dummies was fun, but he still didn't like the jungle. Too many bugs, too hot, too humid—pah. But maybe Maleficent would have something for him to do…yeah, now that he was practicing again, there would definitely be something for him to do. And he wouldn't fail at it like that lamer snake.

oooo

"And so the man asks his wife what happened to his clock," Walter said. "And then she says that his alarm clark went off at six o'clock."

Everyone laughed, even Abby, though it was clear she quite didn't get the punchline. Bob Markham chuckled. It really wasn't that funny a joke—and Walter had told it several times before. Still, there were a lot worse things in the world than a not particularly funny joke. Markham took a bite out of his fish. It was very frequent that he and his men had fish—it was about the only thing they could hunt that Tarzan didn't take issue with. Still, fish was plentiful and with the mangoes and bananas, it made for a tasty meal.

Bob reached for his flask of water when he heard something in the bushes. He didn't pay it much mind. There were plenty of animals that lived in the jungle, but very few were dangerous enough to come into a campsite that had a fire going. Bob had lived with his daughter and his men in this jungle for almost two and a half years now and hadn't seen a leopard in almost six months.

"Markham."

A tall man, well-muscled, with hair reaching past his shoulders leapt into his camp. Bob nodded politely and held out his hand. The man shook it gravely.

"Hi, Mister Tarzan!" Abby piped up from the table. "How's Missus Jane?"

"'Lo, Tarzan!"

"Tarzan," Bob said, his voice lowering. He and Tarzan had long since patched up their differences, but there was something about the way Tarzan looked. It was troubling…almost fearful. "Is…everything alright?"

"You need to leave," Tarzan said. "As soon as you can. There's danger."

"Danger?" Bob asked. "What sort of danger? We've been careful with the flowers and plants we've been using to make medicines and ointments."

"No, no, nothing like that. It's not what you've done," Tarzan said, shaking his head. "Hista has returned…a giant snake."

Bob raised an eyebrow. Tarzan was strong, and frankly, more than a little crazy when it came to animals. If there were a snake that was big enough to scare him, then…that would be real trouble.

"How big are we talking?"

"Probably seventy or eighty feet long," Tarzan answered. "Large enough to swallow a gorilla. Or a man."

Large enough to swallow a gorilla?! That sounded more like something out of the Book of Revelation than it did the jungle! He had seen his share of pythons, and while some of them were big enough to scare Abby—and terrify him as a father—none of them could have made a meal out of a grown-man. Bob bit back a curse word—he didn't want Abby overhearing it or worse, repeating it.

"Markham, please listen, you and your men need to leave," Tarzan repeated. "There may be more danger than just Hista."

Bob ran a hand through his greying hair. He didn't like the idea of leaving. It had been hared enough packing up everything he owned and putting it all into a logging operation. It had been harder still to switch from logging to collecting flowers and plants to make medicines. And frankly, he liked it a lot better here in the jungle than back in the States. The city was noisy and crowded and smoky.

"Where…where would we go?"

"You are welcome to stay with us," Tarzan said. "There's room enough in the treehouse for all of you. Or with the professor."

"Professor Porter's a good man, but Tarzan…all five of us? If it were just me and Abby," Bob shook his head. "I can't see how that's fair to you."

"Then come with us, instead."

Bob turned his head. Out of the bushes stepped a man who was nearly as well-muscled as Tarzan, but with much darker skin. Oh, shoot—that was one of the locals. The chief's son…what was his name again? Basil, no that wasn't it…Busli? No, that wasn't it either.

"Mister Basuli!" Abby greeted cheerfully. "How are you?"

Basuli gave a friendly wave to his daughter but locked eyes with Bob. There was a fierceness in them that made Bob glad that Basuli was…if not his friend, then at least friendly.

"In two years, we have met several times. You have helped provide medicines we needed and your daughter has been a friend to the children of my village. You and your men have proven that you care about this jungle and that you do not seek to have it harmed for your own enrichment. Until the danger is passed, you are more than welcome to stay with the Waziri tribe."

Bob bit his lip and then glanced back at his daughter. Abby was giggling at another joke Walter had told. Walter and Steven and Patrick and Abby…his crewmen and his daughter. All the family he had left. And it was getting very dark…

"None of us is good at traveling the jungle by night," Bob said. "Can't we just stay here? Tomorrow, I'll take you up on your offer."

"Very well…I'll be back in the morning," Tarzan reached out and placed a hand on Bob's shoulder. "Thank you, Markham…come on, Basuli."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Abby scurried over from the dinner table. She had a flower gripped in her hands. "Can you give this to Miss Stranger? The one who hurt her leg. I think it'll make her feel better."

"You can give it to her yourself in the morning, Abby," Tarzan said, stooping down to look her in the eye. Bob smiled—Tarzan had always had a soft spot for Abby. "Her leg's healed and she's well enough to travel. And her name is Xion."

"Wow! Already?" Abby said. "But it hasn't even been a full day yet!"

"Yes, really," Tarzan reached out a hand to ruffle Abby's hair. She giggled heartily. "And she found her friends, Roxas and Axel too."

"Glad to hear it," Bob said. "I didn't like the idea of any kid, stranger or not, being out there alone."

"Yes…" Tarzan said. "It isn't good to be alone…I'll be back in the morning."

With a final handshake, Tarzan and Basuli took off into the jungle. In less than a minute, Bob couldn't even hear them anymore, as if they had never been there in the first place.

oooo

It was late. Roxas had no idea how late it was, he just knew that it was late. Way late…late enough that he should be asleep. But he couldn't sleep. He stood on the deck of the treehouse and stared out into the jungle instead. The stars here were…different. He hadn't paid it much mind, since he'd been so preoccupied with having to fight Heartless and ghosts and everything else…but each world's constellations were different. He didn't recognize any of the star patterns here. It was another example of just how truly massive the universe was.

Roxas glanced back inside the treehouse. Tarzan and Jane had generously let the three of them stay in the treehouse with them. Axel and Xion were asleep, sharing a borrowed quilt on the floor—there wasn't another separate bedroom.

Roxas knew he should join them. That he should try and sleep so he could regain some strength. After fighting the Heartless, and then fighting that massive snake, Hista, he was exhausted. But the battles replayed over and over in his mind. The enormous lizard-like Heartless that could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Roxas had struck it down but it had taken a lot out of him. But it made him remember…from before. It made him remember.

At the cliffside, there's a bunch of gorillas cornered, and there's a lot of Heartless too. And standing behind the Heartless, like he's herding them, is…

"Clayton?"

"Not Clayton! *&&X%! Not Clayton!"

You charge in, Donald and Goofy right behind you, but Tarzan immediately pulls ahead. He's snarling a challenge. You raised your Keyblade against Clayton, hitting him just before he pulls the trigger and his shot goes sideways. He blocks your next blow and is kicked back by Tarzan. Clayton barely gives so much as a grunt of pain and then backs up slowly, his back to the cliff.

And then…the entire cliff wall vanishes with a roar that is almost like thunder. And the next thing that you know, Clayton is riding something. Something huge, something invisible. And then the fight begins all over again. You fight and you fight and you fight. Donald throws balls of fire at whatever it is that Clayton's riding—a gigantic Heartless.

Finally, you're able to destroy it—and you see just what it is. Like a chameleon that's forty feet long, and has a horn that's bigger than your head. Clayton's thrown from it and though he tries to raise his gun against you again, it's too late. The giant Heartless has emerged from behind and crushes Clayton beneath it. A moment later, it vanishes, and Clayton's gone too…

Roxas shook away the memory. He didn't like dwelling on the memories that belonged to Sora. Sometimes…it made it hard to remember who was who. Roxas had fought his share of Heartless before this journey. Every day in the Organization, he'd be given a mission, and the vast majority of them involved slaying Heartless. It was because he could wield the Keyblade. Just like Sora.

Roxas wasn't Sora. For his entire existence, Roxas had argued this point. That he was himself, and nobody else…but hadn't he said just the same, in the end?

Sora…you're lucky. Looks like my summer vacation is over…

We got to meet our original selves…Anytime Sora and Kairi are together…

This could have been the other way around…You're me, so you can feel what I felt.

Roxas wasn't Sora. He was himself. No amount of shadowy phantoms of Sora could change that. Not even some weird Fountain of Youth that showed what you looked like when you were younger. But…what if that wasn't good enough anymore?

He had slain that giant Heartless, but even working together, he and Xion and Axel hadn't been strong enough to finish that giant snake Hista off. Maybe, if they had followed it…they could have killed it.

Sora would have been able to kill it. He's strong enough that he could have done it by himself.

"Roxas?"

Roxas turned around. Xion was walking up to him, rubbing at her eye. Her hair was messy with bedhead, her feet were bare.

"Xion…what are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Xion said as she reached him. She stood right next to him, her hair brushing against his cheek. "It's…nice here."

"Yeah…it's almost as nice a view as the clock tower…" Roxas said. "But…you can't see the stars there. It never really gets dark enough."

"That's true," Xion said. She placed a hand on top of Roxas's and squeezed his fingers gently. "Is there something bothering you, Roxas?"

"I…er…what makes you ask?"

"Roxas, please," Xion said. "Don't do this. You've been upset since we left Sleepy Hollow, probably before. We were just distracted with Pinocchio and the Blue Fairy that I didn't notice. Something's been bothering you since…since Disney Castle."

"I…um…" Roxas exhaled slowly. He didn't want to worry her. Not Xion. Never Xion. "It's..well…um…"

"Roxas, what happened…when you were with Hayner and Pence and Scrooge and the others?"

"We saw the Fountain of Youth…" Roxas said. "And…I saw Sora."

"You did?!" Xion gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "What do you mean? Why didn't you tell me? Was he alright? Was he able to talk to you this time?"

"I didn't…see him see him," Roxas shook his head. "It wasn't really him. See, the Fountain shows you what you look like when you were younger…and I saw Sora's reflection instead of my own…but then again…he's me. Or I'm him. Or something."

"Oh…oh…" Xion sighed. She pressed her hands to the sides of her head and took a deep breath. "Roxas, you aren't Sora. You do know that. You have to know that. You were just…his body. But you are you. Your heart is your own."

"Yeah…but…" Roxas ran a hand through his hair. "That's not what's bothering me..not exactly. I don't know. Maybe if Sora were here, he could have killed that snake—Hista. I mean, he's stronger than me…"

"Maybe…but I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit. And there's something I remember Aqua saying once…" Xion said. "The three of us will always be one."

"Yeah…wait a sec," Roxas said, his brow furrowing. "When did you hear Aqua say that? I don't think she's spoken to either of us by herself."

"I think she was talking to Ven and Terra…I think I might have gotten some of Ven's memories too," Xion said. "But Roxas, think about what it means. Aqua's strongest when she's strongest with her friends. And I'm strongest when I'm with you, Roxas. And Axel. I miss Sora too…really bad…but I'm glad I'm here with you."

Roxas smiled at her. He was glad he was with her too. She was so sweet, so kind. She'd always been sweet and kind and gentle. Xion was as good a friend as any person could be. That had made him feel a little better…

"But I do get it…" Xion said. "Tarzan was saying that that giant snake was supposed to be dead."

A lot of things were supposed to be dead. Some would argue that, even now, Roxas and Xion had no right of their own to exist.

"I saw something…" Roxas said. "When we were fighting the Headless Horseman…I looked down his cloak…"

"Fire…" Xion answered. "You saw fire and smelled something awful. I felt it too…but I don't think I felt it quite as bad as you did."

"It was one of the worst things I've ever seen or felt," Roxas said. "I…just wish I knew what was going on. I think that's the real thing."

"We don't know what's going on," Xion agreed. "I mean…I think Maleficent is trying to find a way to steal powers, but I don't know why."

"There's gotta be some bigger reason than just theft…why go to so much trouble?" Roxas asked.

"I don't know…I don't like thinking about what she might be doing," Xion mumbled, rubbing her arm. "I just know we have to fight her…and others…"

"Yeah," Roxas said. "We're gonna have to fight. We'll take out that snake, the next time we see it…and then I guess we'll figure out what to do after that."

"C'mon, Roxas," Xion said, taking his hand. "Please…try and get a little sleep. You'll need all of your strength tomorrow."

Roxas nodded briefly and let Xion lead him back inside the treehouse. Axel was sleeping—snoring—in the center of the room. Roxas crouched down on one side and Xion snuggled into the other. In his sleep, Axel wrapped his arms around both of them. Roxas gave a small smile. He had to admit, there was something comforting being held like that. And talking to Xion had made him feel…well, something. He still missed Sora…and he still felt guilty about not destroying that snake when they had the chance.

But there was something else though…something burning in his belly, or maybe his heart. He glanced at the wall of the treehouse behind Xion's head. There were some pictures and something called a phonograph and lots of books. This was somebody's home…this entire world was somebody's home.

Tarzan was saying that everyone would have to leave this jungle. Leave their homes. Roxas wasn't sure just how far this world spread out—some of Tarzan's friends seemed to have come from a very long way themselves.

He would fight…he would save this jungle. Take out Hista. Find Maleficent and put a stop to her…permanently if he could manage it. And nobody else would be forced to leave their home…not Tarzan, not Basuli, not the gorillas…nobody else.

oooo

Every step was agony. Every step was stabbing pain. Not just in his legs, but his chest and his throat and his arm. But he relished the pain, savoring it. It meant that he was alive. Pain like this was something that he thought he would never be able to feel again. It was not a comfort but it was sustaining.

He had gambled everything on the quest to this thrice damned jungle. His men were handpicked, with keen eyes and no scruples. His mind sharper than a calvary saber, he had taken care of all variables. The map, more than two hundred years old, had been accurate. Shockingly so, given two hundred years of tree growth. And the treasure had very nearly been his. He would have been more than a king with that treasure.

But it had all come crashing down. He had underestimated the jungle and all that lived here. The treasure, it had been buried in the Valley of the Leopards. He had sought to make it the Valley of Dead Leopards. But his guns…they had not saved him. They were truly that deadly. There had been three leopards…and then there were four…and then there were five. The more he had run, the more there had been. And even with his rifle, he had not made it…he had been brought down…and then there had been pain.

Fangs and claws and jaws…it had been worse than anything he could have imagined. He had still been alive when it had started. He remembered leaving his body.

How long ago had that been? This accursed valley had brought death to many, if the legends were true…though how the legends had spread in the first place, he had no idea. But he could still remember the leopards chasing him down…

He walked onwards, one foot in front of the other. He did not see any leopards. Had it been long enough that they had moved on to new territories?

It was dark. It was always dark in the jungle. But this sort of darkness seemed different than the usual darkness night promised. Perhaps he had simply been away too long…but the darkness here seemed purer. Almost black. It reminded him of Mother Russia. But there were lights up ahead, and they served as his beacon.

A…city? Perhaps that was not the proper word, but this was definitely more than a mere village of natives. These were not structures of earth and wood…these were made of fine stone. Marble, perhaps? And some of these pillars…they were as ornate as the finest cathedrals back in Mother Russia.

If there were temples here…then that meant there had to be people. And that would give him the chance to get his questions answered. He glanced at the fountains, but didn't stop for water. His anger and hatred fueled him as well as his pain and motivation.

Strange. Unless the jungle had changed in ways he had never dreamed possible, he would have thought the temple was Egyptian. But that made little sense. The Egyptians were a dead people. What little remained was little more than ruins and ancient wall paintings…the word escaped him at the moment. But these carvings were new. Remarkably new, in fact, as if they had only just been finished. Why, it was almost as if the statues breathed.

He walked further and he heard voices. Voices that echoed throughout the temple. He moved on. He had little interest in gossip among those who lived here, and he had no use for whatever healing remedies they may posses. He sought only revenge. For the one who had gotten him into this state in the first place.

"Tarzan has been a thorn in my side, one time too many…"

Tarzan. He knew that name. Oh, yes. He knew that name quite well. It had been Tarzan who he had faced in the Valley of the Leopards. It had been Tarzan, the vile jungle man, who had led to his demise. Who had sent three savage leopards after him.

The speaker was a woman, and from her tone, he could tell she was of a royal lineage. She spoke with authority, of one who was meant to rule. He understood that. He had lost his own lands, even before coming to this accursed jungle. But perhaps…perhaps she could help him. Yes…this woman could help him, help Nikolas Rokoff, have his measure of revenge.

Rokoff turned a corner and saw them. There were three tall women standing there, two them looking almost inhuman in their beauty. They had skin of unnatural colors…one of them bore horns on her head. The most human-looking of the three was shorter than he, with skin the color of copper and hair white as a sea bear's fur.

"An intruder?"

"My ladies…" Rokoff said, taking a knee. He pressed his fingers against the stone floor of the temple. "Forgive me, it was not my intention to cross your borders."

"What is this?" One of the inhuman women asked. Her skin and her hair…they were green. What sort of witchcraft allowed that? Rokoff had always scoffed at the fairy tales he'd been told as a child—though he had also tormented his younger siblings with tales of the Baba Yaga…but perhaps there was a shade of truthfulness to the stories after all. "Who are you, human?"

"I am…or perhaps I should say, I was Nikolas Rokoff," Rokoff answered. His voice felt rough…whether that was from disuse or the scars against his throat, he was not sure. "I…I do not know how to explain it, exactly, but…"

"You were dead," The third woman said. She was the tallest, and the most in-human looking. She was the one who bore horns from her head. She looked almost like the demons he had scoffed at as a younger man. "But you have returned."

"Is it your doing?" Rokoff asked. "Know that you have my gratitude. And…Mistress, I believe we share the same enemy."

"Enemy?" The dark woman scoffed. "From your scars, you are clearly one who crossed my leopards. The beasts I bent to my rule. I fail to see how that makes us share an enemy."

"No ma'am…the enemy we share is that blasted ape-man," Rokoff growled, gritting his teeth so hard, he could feel them begin to crack. "I want Tarzan's blood."

"Ah…another," The dark woman said, scratching her chin curiously. "I stand corrected, then. Perhaps we can help each other after all, Mister Rokoff. Join us, and we shall take destroy Tarzan, together."

Rokoff nodded curtly. Even this simple motion caused his body to cry out in pain and protest. But still…this pain meant he was alive. And it gave him motivation. Tarzan would feel exactly as he felt now. He would take all of this pain that Tarzan had given him, and he would give it back to him tenfold.

A/N: Another chapter has been completed, my dearest readers! Like I said, I loved watching The Legend of Tarzan as a kid, so including Nikolas Rokoff into the fold of villains was a natural choice. I can't imagine he survived his encounter in the Valley of the Leopards, but if Queen La can come back...

I wanted Xion to give Roxas a pep talk for a change, and going back over the story, I realized that Roxas had largely glossed over recounting his adventure with Scrooge McDuck and the others. This was a natural springboard.

The next chapter may take a few days, but I assure you, we're not out of the Jungle yet, and we won't be for a while.

Thank you for reading, my dear, dear readers! Please, leave a comment and tell me what you think! I appreciate each and every one of you!