Chapter 51: Baboons, Bulldozers and Battle

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.

Howdy, everyone! I decided to leap right back into writing. I hope you all enjoy what I have to offer for you. Writing in the Deep Jungle has been a real treat.

Read on, my dearest readers! Let's see what Roxas, Xion and Lea have in store for them today!

When Jane awoke the next morning, she still wasn't sure what to think of the three strangers. Roxas and Xion were definitely related to Sora somehow—their eyes were identical, and Roxas's facial features resembled Sora's very closely. If not a brother, then perhaps a cousin? It did seem odd that Sora had helped to rescue Tarzan's gorilla family and yet never mentioned his own. The children were far quieter than Sora, however, and tended to speak only when spoken to. That was sharply different from Sora who, while initially shy, was quite vocal once he became accustomed to his surroundings. Lea was a curiosity as well—he claimed himself to be their best friend, though he had to be nearly a decade older than either of the children, if not more.

That in itself wasn't unusual, really. Little Abby Markham would probably call Jane her best friend, and the age difference between them had to be roughly equivalent to the one separating Lea from Roxas and Xion. But the way Lea behaved struck Jane as something far closer to an elder brother or perhaps a parent…but then again, that also wasn't that different from how she acted with Abby. The poor dear's mother had died when she was very young and Abby looked up to Jane. She and Tarzan didn't have any children of their own and in some ways, Abby filled a hole in Jane's heart that she hadn't realized was there. A hole that most certainly had not been filled by any of the baby gorillas or Manu, the baby baboon.

Perhaps whatever had happened to Sora had splintered the entire family, spreading them to the winds. Lea taking Roxas and Xion under his wing would make much more sense there. It would also explain the devotion that Roxas and Xion had for one another—Daddy had told her that Xion had insisted over and over that she didn't need medical attention, she needed to find her friends. How emotionally dependent on them was she, that Xion was willing to ignore injury and risk infection just to see them?

Still, this was all speculation, really, and none of it was definitive. And it was rather rude, was it not, to speculate like this? Granted, she and Tarzan had done much the same thing just the day before, when he had first brought the children to the treehouse. Well, there was no more putting it off. Jane ran her fingers through her hair and opened the door of the bedroom she shared with Tarzan.

The main room, which functioned as a living room, dining room, den and parlor, was…clean. Or cleaner. The borrowed quilt was folded neatly, placed on the cushions next to the window. The floor…it'd been scrubbed? Jane placed a bare foot on the wooden floor…indeed it had! In the corner, she could see a wooden bucket tucked away. The scent of ivory soap lingered.

Had Roxas, Xion and Lea had scrubbed the floor as a thank you for granting them sanctuary the previous night? That was something that Jane would not have expected. Very few of the guests she and Tarzan had allowed into the treehouse over the years had ever repaid them like that. Perhaps she had underestimated these three, though where they would have gotten the soap, Jane had no idea.

Still, this was tremendously sweet of them and Jane was grateful for it. But where were they now? The room was empty, save for her. Where could they be? Not on the deck, overlooking the jungle, which was where Roxas and Xion had spent quite some time watching the horizon. Could they be out on the rope bridge? Jane peered out the door, aha! Her assumption was right. Roxas and Xion and Lea were all trailing Tarzan, their arms filled with mangoes, bananas and melons…oh, and Lea was carrying wild celery as well.

"This should be enough fruit for everyone, for two days," Tarzan said. "Thank you, this has been very helpful."

"Hopefully, you're not gonna need it," Lea said. "If we can take out Hista, then we can turn our attention to La…and Maleficent."

La…Jane's brow furrowed. That witch was probably the most dangerous person any of them had ever faced. She had kidnapped Daddy, she had tried to force herself onto Tarzan, she had tried to kill Jane, she had enslaved countless leopards…and the worst thing of it was that she had been doing so for centuries, if the catacombs were any indication. So many had suffered because of her…and the they thought they were rid of her.

If La were back, then they were going to have to be doubly careful going forward. They couldn't leave anything to chance—especially if La had assistance from another sorceress.

"Tarzan!"

"Jane," Tarzan took her hands in his own. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I'd wager," Jane said, squeezing Tarzan's hands. "And if you're ready as well, then that's all there is to it."

Everything was a gamble when you got done to it. No action was

xxxx

Jane took to the ground, walking alongside the man called Lea—though she also noticed that the children occasionally called him "Axel." An interesting nickname, if not particularly creative. Above their heads, Roxas and Xion trailed after Tarzan, swinging through the vines. Every now and then, some small creature—Manu the baboon, a family of parrots, a civet cat—would scamper through the trees with them.

"Gah!" Lea cried as Manu leapt from a tree and landed onto his shoulder. The little monkey took a fistful of Lea's hair. "Get it off, get it off!"

"Hello!" Manu chirped, raising his little hand to wave at Jane. Jane smiled, almost in spite of it all. Three years and that little baboon had barely grown at all. Clinging to Lea's hair—and indeed it was an impressively long mane of hair—probably reminded the little dear of his mother's fur.

"Manu, let go. Lea doesn't like his hair to be pulled like that."

"Hello!" Manu said, leaping off of Lea's shoulder to scamper up one of the vines hanging from a branch, almost as if he were imitating Tarzan. "Ah ah ah aaaah!"

Jane put her fingers to her mouth in a fit of giggles. Exactly as if he were imitating Tarzan. That was really quite sweet.

"Did you just…"

"Speak to the baby baboon? Yes," Jane said. "It's a bit of a survival technique, learning to speak to animals, but once you get used to it, you'll find that they can hold a conversation just the same as you. Granted, my Baboon isn't nearly as strong as my Gorilla or Elephant, but I took to it far more readily than I did Latin when I was taking my schooling,"

Lea was staring at her, his mouth open in shock. He closed it slowly and then ran a hand through his hair.

"What does it say about me that that's one of the least unbelievable things I've ever heard."

"I can imagine," Jane said. "If you are friends with Sora, then I would suspect that you've seen quite a few remarkable things. Pity Sora never took to learning the languages of the animals. I think he would have enjoyed it."

"Yeah…" Lea turned his head, staring as far away from Jane as possible. When he spoke again, his voice was husky. "That's definitely something that half-pint would have liked…I'll be sure to make sure he knows you said that."

oooo

Renard Dumont checked his watch. The small boat pulling into port was right on time. But he wasn't sure that was a good thing. There was still the question of the strangers to be concerned about—usually poachers were apprehended very quickly, especially since there were precious few these days who ignored his warnings about hunting in this jungle. That being said, he did have a business to uphold. And there were no finer business in all of Africa than his trading post…not that there were particularly many businesses.

"Tarzan's nervous," Hugo said, glancing over his shoulder in the directions of the jungle. "I dunno, Dumont, maybe it would be better if we didn't let them dock."

"Their money is as green as anyone else's," Dumont said. "Moreover, we have a responsibility to provide only the best for our customers…besides, some of them may need to restock their supplies. You would leave them to till the next port? Suppose they get stranded? You would abandon who knows how many women and children on a ship, lost at sea?"

"Doh!" Hugo said, shaking his head and waving his hands. "Absolutely not! No! Never! Who would ever do such a thing?"

"Might not even be a problem!" Hooft called out, holding up a bottle of the hot sauce he and Hugo had developed. "So long as they buy our wares and then go back to their ship, what difference does it make? Nobody's coming for a visit are they?"

"Visit?" Hugo asked. "Huh, now let's see…it's an American vessel so that rules out Jane's friends from finishing school. That writer guy, what's his name? Oh yeah, Ed. Ed's happy to send a currier, so no need to worry about him. Markham's backers usually use the train so…huh, you might be right Hooft. I don't think anybody's coming."

"Sure's shootin', son!" Hooft held out his chest in a rather pompous fashion. "But there you go, no need to worry. It's just regular buyers and that means greenbacks for the two of us!"

"Three of us," Dumont interrupted. "Less you forget my fee for the bottles and the labeling and the storage."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Hooft waved his hand. "Heard ya the first three thousand times Mister Dumont. Point is—oh, look alive now! We got customers."

The small boat pulled to a near stop, and two of Dumont's crewmen, Pierre and Jacques hoisted a gangplank upwards to allow any sailors to cross onto the dock. Three men with short sleeves and tattooed arms were the first to cross. They didn't say much, but bought three bottles of hot sauce, two bottles of whiskey and several packages of boeuf séché. Good, good, and the money was very nice.

There were some more travelers coming ashore. Dumont didn't recognize any of them—the polite ones tended to run together, as it were. It was generally those who displeased him that stuck in his memory. That scoundrel actor who burned down half of his trading post just to spite Tarzan, for example. Or the charlatan who had been willing to exploit the gorilla Terk as a boxer for obscene profits that he would not share. Pah!

"Come along now, Ian. Don't dawdle!"

Dumont looked up from his position. Last off the boat, save for the handful that had not yet rejoined the crew, were a woman of nearly sixty and a boy maybe twelve. The woman wore a neatly pressed yellow shirt and brown trousers, looking as if she were about to go on safari. The boy wore a simple suit and looked like he would prefer nothing more than to tear off his jacket at first opportunity. They both wore glasses.

Robin and Ian Doyle. Now these two, Dumont remembered. They had not visited in almost two years, but Dumont would not forget them. Americans. Robin was a scientist, who specialized in anthropology, as he recalled. Ian was a lad who had taken a shine to Tarzan. But then, that Dumont could understand. What was book-learning compared to running about, swinging from vines and sliding on mossy branches?

"Hello there, Monsieur Dumont," Robin said politely, bowing her head slightly. "Mister Hugo, Mister Hooft, I trust you both are well."

"Gah! It's the Professor's girlfriend!" Hugo shouted, dropping a heavy trunk on Hooft's foot.

"He's not my boyfriend," Robin said, crossing her arms. "Now really, aren't you two a little old for schoolyard gossip? Now, I wrote the Professor some weeks ago, and Ian and I have come for another visit."

"I love it here," Ian said, his voice almost awestruck, as he took in his surroundings. "I didn't even want to leave last time. And it's changed so much, so soon. You're friends with Tarzan, aren't you?"

"In a manner of speaking," Dumont said. "I have to admit, I was not aware that Tarzan was expecting company."

"Well, it's meant to be a bit of a surprise for Tarzan," Robin said. "Told ol' Archie about this months ago."

"Really?" Dumont asked. "I must say, he has not mentioned anything of the sort."

"It's Professor Porter, though," Ian piped up. "He probably forgot."

"Now, now Ian, none of that," Robin scolded. "What part of surprise don't any of you understand?"

"Eh," Hooft said, with a shrug. "I dunno, kid's got a point."

Dumont resisted rolling his eyes as Robin and Ian walked off into the jungle. Whatever business Robin had with Porter was of little consideration to him. So long as he had his payments for services provided, he would be satisfied. And if they meant up with Tarzan, then all the better.

He hadn't heard hide or hair of the poachers since they'd showed up, Dumont thought to himself with a firm nod. There was truly nothing to worry about…nothing at all….

Wasn't that right?

oooo

His trunk hurt! His trunk hurt! His trunk hurt! It'd been hours and hours and his trunk still hurt. It wasn't fair!

Jabari whimpered and rubbed his trunk against a tree. He wasn't sure which kind of tree it was, or what kind of germs it might have, but right now he didn't care. His trunk had be grabbed and squeezed and his ear had been twisted around and it hurt. It hurt like nothing else had ever hurt Jabari in his whole life. This was worse than bee stings, way, way worse.

What had he done? Nothing! He'd just been standing there and that mean human boy had yanked on his trunk and twisted his ear. Jabari was a crybaby, he wasn't too proud to admit that. And now he wanted to cry and he wanted his mother and father! He was almost back to the watering hole, the really big one where the other elephants liked to drink and mingle. Even if the water was questionably sanitary.

But his mother and father were there. Jabari loved his mother and father, even if they weren't as worried about germs as he was. He could talk to them and let them know that someone had grabbed on his trunk.

He walked and walked and walked and tripped over himself and walked some more. Why couldn't he be big like his mother or his father or Mister Tantor? Nobody was ever mean to big elephants…well, except for rogue elephants, like Mabaya. But Jabari hadn't seen Mabaya for a very, very long time. So long that Jabari wasn't even sure that Mabaya was even around anymore. That was okay with him though—as bad as mean humans could be, a rogue elephant was way, way worse.

He needed to find his parents and tell them what had happened. They would know what to do. They were elephants, and elephants were the smartest animals in the whole jungle! And maybe, when he was done telling his parents what had happened, Jabari could go with Mister Tantor to listen to the human girl Abby tell a story.

xxxx

"And you say a human did this to you?" Jabari's father, Baruti, snapped. Jabari nodded. He didn't like lying, even if his father tended to get really angry whenever he got hurt. "I knew that we couldn't trust them. There's no trusting any primate!"

"But Dad…this was a stranger," Jabari explained. He thought for a moment, trying to chose the right words. "It wasn't one of Tarzan's friends."

"Pah!" Baruti scoffed. "Our herd is held accountable for anything that an elephant does. Why shouldn't we hold Tarzan accountable for something a human does?"

Jabari frowned. He didn't think that was true. There were lots of humans who lived in the jungle and they all did different things. The girl, Abby, who read stories to the animals lived in a herd with humans who planted flowers and picked flowers and moss and stuff. Mister Tantor explained that was called "harvesting." But the "harvesters" didn't live with Tarzan. And the herd who lived down at the docks next to the ocean were their own herd. They had a building they called a "trading post," and there were lots of herds of humans who came to visit them, but only stayed for a few hours at the very, very most. And then there was the herd of humans who lived way, way up the river—they had darker skin than Tarzan but Jabari almost never saw them.

"Now, Jabari," Jamila, Jabari's mother, said. "What did this bad human look like? We need to tell Tarzan about him, so that he can be punished."

"Oh, that's not going to do anything and you know it, Jamila!" Baruti shook his head and stomped one of his feet. "Tarzan will probably just tell the human to go away and not come back to the jungle. He won't get into any real trouble. He hurt our son, so we should make him pay!"

"Whether we do or don't," Jamila said. "It's not going to make a difference if we don't know what he looks like."

"Oh…oh, yes," Baruti cleared his throat. "That's quite right. Son, what did this outsider look like?"

"Well…he had light skin, like Tarzan, but he had yellow hair and yellow eyes. And he was staying in one of the places where Tarzan doesn't take the gorillas to live," Jabari said. "And…um…he wore something on his head. I think Mister Tantor calls it a hat. I know it wasn't a bow. Abby, the girl who reads stories, has a bow in her hair."

"Huh…" Jamila said. "You know something, Jabari, I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to spend so much time with Mister Tantor."

"What?" Jabari asked. "But why? Mister Tantor's been so nice to us, for all this time. He wouldn't hurt a fly. He's afraid of flies! And he should be—the tsetse fly carries all sorts of terrible diseases!"

"Jabari, your mother is right," Baruti said. "There's no denying that Mister Tantor is a kind elephant, but he's far too close to humans. Tarzan's mate almost ruined our territory with that awful vine of hers and then Tarzan forced us to live in his territory in awful conditions unfit for elephants."

"That was ages ago!" Jabari argued. "Tarzan's helped us loads of times. All the leopards he's fought!"

"No sane leopard would dare attack an elephant," Baruti scoffed. "Tarzan was only protecting himself—an ordinary human would rightly be eaten by a leopard. It's the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest. And an outsider has hurt our son!"

Baruti raised his trunk and trumpeted, so loudly it made a bunch of birds fly out of their nests. Several other elephants looked up from what they'd been doing—eating or drinking or splashing or talking. Jabari's trunk already didn't feel good, but now he felt even worse in his belly. He didn't want anyone to get hurt.

"Come along, Jabari. I think it's time we had some words with Mister Tarzan!"

oooo

High up in the trees—way, way higher than he liked being, since trees weren't nearly so sturdy as a nice mountain—Pete stared down at the elephants. He somewhat liked elephants, as far as animals went. They were big and strong and didn't take nonsense from nobody. There was nothing bigger or tougher than a big alpha elephant…well, almost nothing at least. Though the baby elephant that was running around crying had to be the runtiest runt that Pete had seen in a very long time. Why it was almost as runty and whiny as…someone Pete hadn't seen in a long time.

Pete kept his mouth shut as Eris sent one of her discord arrows flying. It hit the biggest elephant right between the backs of his ears and disappeared very quickly. There was no remaining green marker, like there'd been on that scar-head she'd shot in Olympus. Nothing happened at first, but as the little runty elephant began talking in elephant-talk to the big elephant, Pete could see flashes of green along the lines of the back of the big elephant's head. Almost like his veins themselves were turning green, though Pete doubted any of the other elephants could notice.

The big bully elephant trumpeted so loudly that a bunch of parrots flew away in fright and then it began stomping its feet. It stormed off into the jungle, with a second elephant and the runty one trailing behind him.

"It's working?" Pete asked. "Well, what do you know? It's actually working! I thought you said your powers weren't as strong since you're not in your world."

"That's still the case," Eris answered. "But these creatures are not human. They are intelligent, there's no question of that. Elephants and gorilla alike…but they're not human and that changes things. My influence is…different here, than it would be in Olympus."

"You did alright with that scar-head," Pete nodded. "He'd have had that runty Keybearer if it had just been the two of them. But what's so special about these animals then?"

"They have hearts," Eris said. "They can think for themselves…but they're not ones who can truly reason. What does conquest matter to an elephant or a gorilla? They may take over territory, but that's because they seek resources for themselves. Food, water, shelter…there may be some level of spite and hatred between individuals…but it's not as if these creatures understand the nature of worlds."

"And shooting the big alpha male?" Pete asked. "What's that gonna do to him? Give him a little anti-conscience like what happened to Whatshisface?"

"Nothing so dramatic," Eris said. "Remember, my power here is weaker. I can make him angry and make it so that he will not stop in his anger, but I cannot give him any influence that he doesn't already posses. Isa's discord being brought to the surface came from issues that were somewhat resolved, but this elephant is different."

"Still…he's gonna make a big mess of things," Pete said. "But why shoot him? I thought we were here to get some leopards…think Maleficent or La would like one of them elephants?"

"He'll slow the would-be heroes down significantly, especially as they are so noble as to avoid hurting him," Eris said. "Why act so surprised? It's not as if you are unfamiliar with using brute force and Heartless to hold back the Keybearer Sora."

"Yeah," Pete said. "I see your point…but who says we have to stick to just leopards?"

"While I see your point, an elephant would be far too cumbersome to be turned in Opar," Eris said. "I've seen my share of temples be destroyed and stealth and agility tended to be of an asset to those who would defend them."

"Hmmm…yeah," Pete said. "Then explain why we're using that snake that's as big as a house."

"Fear," Eris said. "Distrust. The serpent was slain many months ago, and yet Maleficent brought it back. Who's to say what other creatures she may bring back to face these humans…and you know darn well that there's plenty more snakes where that one came from, each just as large as the one before."

"Okay, okay," Pete put his hands on his hips. "You made your point…but who says we gotta just stick to leopards? Maybe something smaller can help get the job done."

"Be that as it may," Eris said. "We…actually, you may be on to something there…yes, I do like the sound of that."

xxxx

Pete was regretting he ever opened his big mouth about any other critters besides leopards or elephants. Eris had gotten ahold of a bunch of little…Pete wasn't sure what they were exactly. They were bigger than mongooses, but smaller than leopards. And he was the one who had to carry the sack of them and had gotten bitten and scratched a whole bunch of times for his troubles. Pah!

Meanwhile, Maleficent and the Phantom Blot had been gathering leopards to bring them to Opar, for Queen La. Pete wasn't sure what she had in mind exactly. She kept going on about "Leopard Men," but Pete wasn't sure what that meant. There were loads of Heartless, but Pete couldn't think of any that were really leopard-like. Still, he figured he was gonna find out sooner or later.

Opar was big, with its stone walls and statues and fountains. It was almost a mix of Olympus and Hollow Bastion, but it wasn't as easy to get lost. The temples here were wider and all the fountains flowed out from one giant fountain, right in the middle of the city. Which is where Pete and Eris found Queen La, as well as the two humans Muviro and Rokoff.

"You're back," Queen La said. "Though I suspect you've done more than merely spy on our enemies."

"Didn't see the ape-man or them Keybrats," Pete shook his head. "But Eris got one of her discord arrows into an elephant and apparently, she got him to go after all humans. Them pipsqueaks won't know what hit 'em."

"I do not know of any discord arrows," Queen La said. "And I must point out that I am a human. Would I be targeted by this elephant?"

"Er…" Pete said. "Um…it was her idea!"

"Quite right," Eris said cooly. "And I assure you, the elephant will confront the Keybearers first. In so doing, he will quite possibly take care of them for you and for Mistress Maleficent. And as his anger spreads, so will the strife. Thereby distracting Tarzan long enough to solidify our forces."

Muviro and Rokoff exchanged a quiet look, their eyes hard. Pete grunted. He didn't see them get up and go out into the jungle to actually do something. What were those two up to?

"What's in the sack?" La asked. "I suspect it is not a leopard cub."

"Not exactly," Pete said. He reached in and pulled out a squirmy…mongoose-cat-weasel…thing. It bit him on the hand and tried to wrench itself free, but Pete kept a tight grip.

"That's a civet," La said. "It is ill-suited to be among my Leopard Men. Far too small."

"I get that it's shrimpy," Pete agreed. "But it could be useful—a lot of them Keybrats is pipsqueaks and they'd think this is something cute…which could give us the opening to grab them!"

"You raise a good point," La said. It was almost like she was purring even though she was a person. Pete shuddered as she raised her staff. The glowing jewel inside it shined as bright as fire and it shot a beam at the little mongoose-cat, er, civet, in Pete's hand.

The civet began to jerk around even more violently and then the same glowing light encompassed it. It jerked around some more and then it was raised into the air. Its legs began stretching and its paws began twitching. The civet gave a yowl and it fell to the ground, landing on its feet, almost like it was a person. Its face and snout were stretched out. It wasn't very tall—barely taller than the shrimpy Mouse or Duck would be. But it snarled and spat and lunged in fury.

"Go," La said. "Go into the jungle and bring more of your kind here. Now."

The jeweled staff glowed again, not quite as shiny as before, but the civet didn't seem to object and it ran into the forest, far more gracefully than it should have, since it didn't look like it liked walking on two legs.

"Thank you…" La purred again. "You two have given me a fabulous idea. In the past, I relied on leopards…but if I am to rule this world, then why shouldn't I expand my horizons. Show my powers to bind all to my will. Leopards…civets…gorillas…"

oooo

"Steady now," Professor Porter said, as he hoisted a box of supplies onto Tantor's back. "Need to get this tied securely, mind you."

"Easy does it, Professor," Tantor said. "I've got a bad feeling about all of this. I can just hear Hista crashing through the jungle now."

"Can you?" Professor Porter asked. "You are an elephant after all, and your hearing is far greater than mine. Good show, then, ol' boy."

"Oh no, no…what I meant to say is, I can feel it in my bones. Hista's watching us…I just know."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Professor Porter said. "Pythons have awful vision, they rely on body heat, don't you know? Now, it's the others you've got to worry about, the strangers that Hugo and Hooft warned were here."

"Professor, be reasonable!"

"I am being reasonable, Basuli! It is perfectly reasonable to not want my science experiments to be left all about! Who knows what sort of mischief those scoundrels might get up to?"

Professor Porter scurried about his campsite, heaving as many books as he could carry. Should he take the tome on Mesopotamia? No…that wouldn't do. There was only so much that he could carry. Even with Tantor helping him, he wouldn't be able to take all that he needed. And Basuli and his companions were mostly just standing there, with bemused expressions on their faces.

"I hardly think that your…phonograph…is going to be necessary," Basuli said. "You do realize that your sanctuary is in our village. Something this cumbersome would hardly be practical."

"What's that? Oh, yes the phonograph," Professor Porter exclaimed. "That's not what's important, my dear friend. It's what's inside. There should be a compartment, just turn that knob there."

"What's this?" Basuli asked. He opened the drawer of the phonograph and pulled out a small vial. "Is this a tonic?"

"Oh, not exactly," Professor Porter chuckled. "Some time ago, not long after we met you, Basuli, I developed a serum of sorts…quite by accident, really."

"That incident with the animals and the radio tower?" Basuli asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought Jane said that your tonic was ineffective."

"Oh, now that was a different situation," Professor Porter said. "This vial contains a formula that causes a subject to grow exponentially in size. The beetles that were exposed to this very formula wound up growing to quite a tremendous size. More like pachyderms than insects, you might say."

"A growth formula?" Basuli asked. "I never knew that was possible."

"Oh, it is indeed possible, my friend," Professor Porter said. "Though you are quite right, it is far too cumbersome to carry on a long journey. I'll just put that vial in my traveling bag. And there we go now…"

The shortest of the Waziri, the one who held a bow and quiver, picked up several beakers and a bunsen burner. Excellent, most excellent, he could use those to great extent as well. And his microscope, and his bowtie collection…the tome on African jungle flora, that could come in quite usefully…

"Now, then," Professor Porter said, "I do believe that is everything. So if we are all set with my belongings, then the next thing to do is to hoist up the cargo onto Tantor."

"Oh…easy does it, Professor," Tantor groaned as he crouched down—as much as an elephant could crouch anyway. Remarkable really, Tantor was capable of things that logically should not be possible for an elephant. Tantor scooped up several of Professor Porter's possessions with his powerful trunk and helped the Waziri secure them into place.

"There we are now, medical supplies, tonics, books, bowties, beakers…" Professor Porter put a hand to his chin. "Now then, am I forgetting anything?"

Nothing came to mind. This whole business with Keyblades was hardly something he was overly familiar with. Why, the last time there had been someone with a Keyblade, that Clayton scoundrel had still been alive. As it were, he had been indisposed—he and Tantor both had been stuck in a tree. But that was then and this was now, all seemed to be in order. There was nothing more to be concerned with…

"Hello, Archimedes."

Professor Porter turned his head. Standing at the very opening to his camp were two people, one a lad in the cusp of adolescence. He was not particularly tall, but for his age—maybe twelve—he was rather broad-chested. The other a lady, of an age closer to Professor Porter's own, with silver hair.

"Oh, hello Robin," Professor Porter said cheerfully. "You've caught us at a rather busy time, I'm afraid and—Robin!"

Robin Doyle? His old friend? His…most trusted scientific partner? Here, in the jungles of darkest Africa? Well…that was hardly new. Robin had visited the jungle twice in as many years. Her trips had been among the highlights of all of the visits from outsiders to the jungle that Professor Porter called home. But…oh yes…she had mentioned she was coming for a visit, hadn't she? Oh yes, indeed she had, and he had been so preoccupied the last two days that he had completely forgotten.

"I told you, he would have forgotten Aunt Robin. Hello, Professor Porter, it's nice to see you again—hi Tantor!"

The young man tossed down his very large pack and ran up to hug the elephant around the trunk. That couldn't be young Ian could it? Oh, how the years went by…

"Oh-ho," Tantor groaned mournfully, patting Ian on the shoulder with his trunk. "You grew up! Why do you have to grow up? It seems like just yesterday that you were trying to climb trees and running from baboons."

"Doctor Doyle!" Basuli said holding out his hand. "You probably do not remember me, but it is good to see you again."

"Basuli!" Robin said joyfully, taking his hand in both of hers. "How wonderful to see you! And you two as well, Wasimbu, Chowambi! It's been years! Tell me, is your father well? And Usula and the other elders?"

"Everyone is fine," Basuli said. "I did not realize that you would be arriving…"

"Like I said," Ian piped up. "Professor Porter forgot…what's going on? Why do you have so much luggage, Professor?"

"Er…well…the truth of the matter is that there's trouble afoot," Professor Porter admitted. "I must say, the crisis drew your visit completely from my mind. Bad business it is, a great python is menacing our jungle."

"Pythons…ick," Ian shook his head. "But I bet Tarzan can fight it no problem. He's wrestled loads of pythons."

"When the python is eighty feet long and named Hista, my boy," Professor Porter said gravelly, "I'm afraid things are not so simple as having Tarzan fight off the threat."

"Eighty feet…that's impossible!" Ian said. "The books at the library say they don't get bigger than twenty-five feet."

"And those books also say that gorillas would not raise a human boy," Basuli countered. "And before Doctor Doyle and Professor Porter spoke to our elders, were there any books that spoke of Waziri?"

"Um…well…okay, I see your point," Ian said. "But I'm still glad to be here. It's been so long since I've seen Tarzan and Jane. And Terk, too!"

"Doctor Doyle, I have to agree with Professor Porter," Basuli shook his head. "It's very dangerous with Hista in this jungle…and there may be more to it than that. Come with us…I suspect your boat has already left, so our village is probably safest. There's strength in numbers."

"You should bring your belongings along," Chowambi said. He shifted his grip so that the microscope would not dangle in danger of dropping. "We do not know how long we may need to stay in the village. Do you have many items?

"Just this," Ian said, lifting up his pack. "But I'll carry it. It's not as heavy as it looks."

Excellent, most excellent. The forgotten visit had turned out not to be nearly as problematic as he had feared. There was the issue of the snake to be sure, pythons were nasty business in the best of times. But the joy of a visit from Robin and Ian was not something to be overlooked. Robin in particular…she was, perhaps, the keenest mind of any that Professor Porter had ever met. And among the most graceful and the most stunning and the most…well, mere superlatives scarcely did her justice.

oooo

Lea scratched the back of his head as he walked through the jungle. Above his head, his two half-pints were swinging on vines with Tarzan. They were up high enough that they looked more like teaspoons than half-pints. Apparently, it gave them a better view of the jungle. Something of a vantage point, really. Lea could understand that. Anything that could help them see where that stupid serpent had slithered to was alright in Lea's book.

"I must say, you're going about this quite a bit differently than I expected," Jane said. "Not many people would be willing to allow the children under their watch to swing on vines like that."

"They're…tougher than you realize," Lea said. "Compared to some of the things I've seen them do, vine swinging is nothing."

He meant it. He really did. After everything, after Sephiroth, after the fights in Olympus and the Land of Dragons, after the Coachman and the Headless Horseman, a few vines in the jungle were nothing to be afraid of. But that didn't mean his heart didn't leap into his throat every time that Roxas or Xion let go of one vine to swing to an other…when they had to be over a hundred feet up. If it weren't for their fairy-made clothing, Lea doubted he'd even be able to see them at all.

"All the same, it was a long time before I felt confident enough to swing around like that," Jane shook her head loosely. "But then again, Sora swung through those trees just the same way when he visited with Donald and Goofy. Perhaps it comes with being a child. Do you think that's possible?"

"I'm willing to believe just about anything's possible," Lea said. "You and Tarzan talk to gorillas and elephants, for crying out loud."

"Oh yes, that," Jane put a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "I suppose I really have become accustomed to that. The jungle suits me, I suppose. There are some people who are just meant to be in certain places."

Now that Lea could definitely agree with. He'd been raised in Radiant Garden, but his home was Twilight Town and would always be Twilight Town. And it wasn't just a matter of painful memories or whatnot. There was just something about Twilight Town that suited him. The orange skies, the quiet atmosphere, the slowness of it all. Radiant Garden was beautiful, to be sure, but it was also a lot busier. He had a hard time imagining life would go back to normal within

But he couldn't tell Jane any of that—even if she was friends with Sora and probably knew at least the idea of other worlds, it was probably best that she think that all Keybearers came from the same neck of the woods. Or jungle.

"Now, Markham and his men keep their camp just across this river," Jane explained. "See these flowers? He planted the entire lot so they could be harvested for medicines."

Lea blinked in surprise. Sure enough, they had come to a hillside that was absolutely covered with small, purple flowers. They weren't violets either. If anything, they vaguely resembled tulips. Rather pretty, if you liked flowers…huh…Xion would love these.

"You can use these for medicine?" Lea asked. "I didn't know that."

"Oh yes, almost any sort of medicine that you can think of can be made using ingredients here," Jane said. "Why, Markham has worked with my father to create cures for viruses, toothaches, headaches, earaches, sore muscles, rashes…"

Hmmm…that sounded pretty good to Lea…but then again, he had no idea if any of the tonics would work for them. There could be a weird reaction for them if they weren't form this world. Or worse, what if they wound up poisoning themselves by some freak accident? Trouble tended to follow them, wherever they went.

"Hello there!" Jane called out. "Mister Markham? Abby?"

"Missus Jane!"

The teeniest little girl that Lea had seen in a long time was running towards them, as fast as her little legs could carry her. She had short auburn hair and wore a yellow dress and flung her arms around Jane.

"Abby!" Jane cried happily. "How wonderful to see you!"

"I missed you, Missus Jane!"

"Missed me? Why, it's only been four days since we last saw each other," Jane laughed as she spun Abby around. "Oh, what am I saying? I missed you too, dear little one."

Lea smiled and somehow felt a lump start to develop in his throat. The way Jane spun Abby around…almost like a big sister. Heh…wasn't Xion just the same? Saying she missed Lea when he visited her at the ice cream shop, when she had seen him at breakfast? He glanced back up at Roxas and Xion, who were slowly making their ways down from the trees. So very high…

"Are you a friend of Miss Stranger's?"

Lea blinked and looked down. Abby was staring up at him with wide eyes and a sweet smile.

"Er…her name's Xion."

"Xion…" Abby said, the unfamiliar syllables rolling over her tongue. "Right…I'll remember that. But you're her friend, right? She was looking for you! Even when she had her leg all hurt, she wanted to find you…Mister Axel, right?"

"Er…Axel's a nickname," Lea said, rubbing the back of his head. "But…yeah, you can call me that, if you like."

Jane stared at him thoughtfully but before Lea could think of an excuse, he heard a thump from behind him. Oh, the others had just gotten out of that tree—that had been way higher than any sane person would ever climb.

"Hi, Mister Tarzan! And you must be Roxas! Xion was saying she needed to find you, and she did! That's great! Xion, your leg's all better! See, I told you that Professor Porter would be able to fix it!"

Roxas and Xion took a step back in surprise. Abby was a very talkative little girl. Lea smiled—it was quite charming, really.

"I have something for you, Xion," Abby said, holding up a flower. It was different from the little purple tulip-y flower. It was wider with red and yellow petals. It was very pretty. "It was to make you feel better, but I guess, you're already all better. But still…I think it looks nice."

"Oh my goodness," Xion said, taking the flower as delicately as if it were made of crystal. "Thank you so much. This is so sweet of you."

"You're welcome!" Abby grinned and then Roxas and Xion smiled back at her and Lea felt the tension in his chest ease to almost nothing.

"Abby, where's your father?" Tarzan asked, kneeling down so he could look her in the eye. "Are you and the others ready to go?"

"Yeah…" Abby said. She sighed and blew a bit of hair out of her face. "Daddy said we have to move because there's a really big snake."

"Yes…and because there's some people in the jungle who may be trying to hurt others," Tarzan said. "And until we stop them, it won't be safe for you or your family."

"I guess…"

"Hello there! Ah, Abby, there you are! Tarzan, Jane!"

A man with greying black hair and mustache walked down the path. He looked as if he had been up the entire night. Lea grimaced in sympathy as the man shook hands with Tarzan and Jane and then scooped Abby up in his arms. This must be her father.

"Bob Markham," The man said, nodding at Lea, Roxas and Xion. "Good to meet you two—and good to see you're feeling better, kid. Abby was worried about you something fierce last night. Tarzan, Walter, Steven and Hank are all ready and loaded up. We're…ready to go."

Abby began to squirm and as Markham let her down, the little girl scurried back up the path, beckoning for Roxas and Xion to follow her. Markham hesitated for a moment and shut his eyes and then opened them slowly. Lea looked over Markham's shoulder. He could see four small cabins and several large wooden tables. This…was his home.

"It's not going to be forever, Markham," Tarzan said gently, so much so that Lea could barely hear him. "When the time comes…you'll get to come back."

"How can you be sure of that, Tarzan?" Markham asked, his voice almost as quiet. Lea's throat went dry. He wanted to move his legs but they suddenly felt very heavy. For a moment, Lea couldn't even hear the calls of birds or croaking of frogs, but the silence itself was nearly deafening. "What's going to be left for her, if something happens? There's no place for us to go after this."

"You're coming home, Markham," Tarzan repeated. "I understand that you're nervous, believe me…but this is going to be the best option, for your daughter."

Before Markham could say anything else, before Lea could say anything either, an ear-splitting scream rang through the forest. Lea's heart skipped a beat.

"That wasn't Abby!" Markham shouted. "Was it your kid? The girl—what's her name?"

"Xion!"

oooo

"And over there is the cabins where we all live. And over there is the table where Walter takes the seeds out of the flowers so we can grow more. And over there is…wow! That log's moving!"

Huh?

Roxas took a step forward cautiously and put his arm out to keep Xion and the little girl, Abby. He had heard something…and what was that about a log moving? Roxas looked from right to left and back again. He could hear Xion whispering for Abby to get behind her and to stay quiet. There was a sudden stillness…almost as if…

"Roxas! There!"

There was a snapping almost as loud as thunder and then a hissing sound. And then, breaking through the bushes and knocking down branches was an enormous snake, with red and black markings.

The giant snake was back—Hista. And if anything, it seemed even larger and angrier than before. From behind the great snake, further up the path towards the cabins, Roxas could see three men holding…harvesting tools? A large, broad-shouldered man held a scythe, while two thinner men held metal axes in their hands. Those could have been enough for a regular python—Roxas didn't know a whole lot about snakes—but against Hista? They were no match.

Roxas summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion, ignoring the cries of surprise from the men behind him and the yelp of fright from the little girl, Abby. He glared at the serpent. It reared its head back and hissed at Roxas, so loudly it may as well have been a dragon's roar.

"Xion, get her out of here!"

Xion grabbed Abby's hand, pulled her up so that the little girl was hanging on tight to her shoulders and took off running towards a particularly large tree. Xion began to glow as she used her magic to propel herself upwards—the same magic that had enabled them to travel miles down the mountain and through the valleys in the Land of Dragons. In less time than it had taken Roxas to give her the warning in the first place, Xion had ascended up to a thick tree branch, maybe ninety or a hundred feet up—higher than Hista would be able to reach.

Roxas tightened his grip on his Keyblades. He hadn't done nearly as good a job against Hista last time as he should have. Sora would have been able to finish the snake off where he hadn't…but this was his second chance. He would protect Xion and the little girl and he would make sure Hista couldn't hurt anyone else ever again. He was strong when he was with Xion, and he was doubly strong when he knew she was safe. The horrible snake wasn't going to hurt her.

As Hista lunged and Roxas ducked out of the way, he thought back to their last battle. Hista had reacted badly to fire and water…it had made the snake disoriented. Roxas narrowed his eyes and pointed his Keyblades at Hista. Roxas grit his teeth. Casting dual magic was something that he didn't have a lot of practice with…he wasn't even sure he could remember casting two different spells at the same time, rather than one right after the other…but still…if it worked…

"Waterga! Firaga!"

A fountain of water gushed from Oathkeeper and a whirlwind of fire erupted from Oblivion. The two jets of magic, water and fire, circled around each other. Fire and water mixed and the magic began to steam. The spells hit Hista squarely in the face and the great serpent hissed in pain.

Hista lunged at Roxas again, its fangs glistening, each of them longer than a Struggle bat. Roxas dove out of the way and sent another wave of fire and jet of water out of his Keyblades. Thin ribbons of fire came out of the point of Oathkeeper, looping around a rushing wave of water sent forth by Oblivion. The wave began to boil as it splashed against Hista and the serpent gave another screech of pain and fury.

Roxas dodged another strike from Hista, but the serpent whipped its tail backwards and it caught him squarely in the chest. He fell to the ground wheezing and just managed to roll out of Hista's path as the snake tried to strike.

"Blizzaga!"

Ice…freezing cold ice…Roxas turned his head. Xion was bouncing from branch to branch, shooting Blizzard spells from her Kingdom Key. The ice mixed with the water soaking the serpent and Hista began to become encased in ice. The snake did not like this any more than it had the boiling water Roxas had sent at it. Roxas rolled out of the way and jumped into the air, as high as he could.

Hista snarled and slashed and lunged for Roxas again, his fangs just barely brushing against Roxas's jacket. Roxas stumbled and twisted around, so that Oathkeeper and Oblivion were facing outwards.

"Aerora!"

The whirlwinds blew out his Keyblades and propelled Roxas back into the air. He pressed himself against a tree branch and leapt forward, using his magic to steer himself around Hista. He shot a beam of light and it struck the snake in the back of the head. The serpent turned around like lightning, but Roxas dove away just as the snake struck. This time, it didn't even glance against him, but when he landed on the ground, Roxas's boot caught against a tree root.

"Roxas! Xion!"

Roxas wrenched the root away with Oathkeeper, slashing at Hista's snout with Oblivion and looked up. Axel was charging towards them, Flame Liberator in his hand. Tarzan was climbing up a tree, looking for a vine to grab. Mister Markham was climbing a tree as well.

"Hang on there, Abby! Daddy's coming!"

"Get away!" Axel shouted and with a flick of his wrist, flames sprouted out of his hand and slammed into Hista. The serpent gave another shriek of pain and whipped its tail. Axel leapt backwards, dodging it, but by doing that, he had to cancel his fire magic. Hista drew back and began to coil around. The coils were thick, as wide as a tree trunk, and Hista was well long enough to wrap itself around several times. Roxas grit his teeth and tightened his grip on Oathkeeper and Oblivion. His Keyblades bit into his palms.

"Don't let him get his coils around you," Tarzan called. "They're the most dangerous part of a python."

"Firaza!" Axel shouted, sending Flame Liberator spinning like one of his chakrams. The Keyblade began to glow as it burned, leaving a trail of flame behind it as it encircled Hista along his massive coils. The snake yowled in pain and struck out again, just barely missing Axel. Roxas's stomach leapt into his throat. He couldn't let anything happen to Axel either. But no matter what he did, it wasn't working…Hista kept taking hit after hit after hit.

"Come on, come on…here it comes!"

With every bit of strength he could muster, Roxas sent pillars of light out of Oathkeeper and Oblivion in perfect unison. The pillars were almost as tall as trees and they slammed into Hista, one right after the other. The snake reeled back and fell out of its coils.

"You've got it!" Axel called. "It's dying!"

But it wasn't dead…not yet…Roxas dodged to the side again as Hista tried to strike. It was getting much slower, but it was still massive and its fangs were as dangerous as ever. It struck out with its tail, knocking Axel back, but he got back up again. Far above their heads, Roxas could see Mister Markham reaching for his daughter. Hista turned its head towards them and began to lunge.

Axel swore and Xion screamed, but before any of them could do anything else, there was a sharp cry.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah!"

A rush of movement and then…something round and yellow hit Hista in the eyes, exploding with a squishy splash. A boy landed on a branch, gripping a vine tight. He wore very uncomfortable looking clothing, but he looked absolutely ecstatic. In his free hand, he gripped…some sort of strange purple fruit.

"Wow, Tarzan—this has gotta be the biggest python I've ever seen you wrestle. And wow, you've got lots of new friends!"

"Kid, you don't know what you're messing with," Axel called. "This isn't a game, run!"

Hista lunged at the boy, but he jumped on top of its head, grabbed another vine and flung himself upward. Beside him, Roxas could hear Xion give a small scream of frustration as she leapt against a tree. Glowing, she propelled herself upward to help the boy get out of Hista's reach. Hista lunged at them again, but the boy tossed his purple fruit at the beast. Hista snarled as Xion took advantage of the distraction to hit the snake cleanly between the eyes with a slash from her Keyblade. But even that wasn't enough to finish it off.

"Move aside!"

There was a pounding and then a rushing and then a roaring of something mechanic. Roxas turned his head and just barely managed to dive out of the way. One of the workers—the large man who had held a scythe—had gotten into…what was that, a bulldozer? Yeah, it was a bulldozer—ten feet long with huge wheels and a cutting blade fitted to the front of it. The man drove the machine directly down the path and when Hista tried to lunge at him, the man pulled a lever and the blade of his bulldozer was lowered…right into Hista.

SLAM!

"Gah! Did I get it?" The man asked as he stumbled out of the bulldozer. "I know we're not supposed to use the bulldozers anymore, and that there was all that trouble back when…but nothing you were doing was working, so I figured, it couldn't hurt."

Roxas rubbed the back of his neck. Considering how close it'd been…that would have hurt him really, really badly. But then again…Hista was pinned to a tree. And flailing around. There was blood…so much blood…and then Hista tried to lunge, but there was only more blood…it wouldn't be much longer now.

"You did it Walter!" Mister Markham called. "You got him!"

"Good show, my boy!"

Roxas turned around. A short man with a very thick mustache was marching up to them, ahead of the three dark-skinned men from the day before. Bazuli and the other Waziri warriors. Behind them were a large, red elephant and a old woman with grey hair—it was hard to tell which of them looked more frightened.

"Oh my goodness…oh my, Archimedes! Ian, get down from there this instant!"

"Just a second, Aunt Robin!"

The boy—Ian—swung on a vine, lowering himself down to the jungle floor. A moment later, Xion—faintly glowing with a shiny blue light—landed, with the little girl Abby clinging to her back. Tarzan landed with Mister Markham on his back a second after her. As soon as he hit the ground, Mister Markham scooped Abby up and hugged her very tightly.

"You can see what I meant, Markham," Tarzan said, shaking his head. "The jungle isn't safe right now…"

oooo

The Phantom Blot followed Maleficent silently through the jungle. They had been given specific instructions from Queen La to gather as many leopards as possible to reform her army. Actually, it was more of a request, really. Queen La was certainly deferential to Maleficent. And rightly so, as Maleficent had been the one who had brought La back to the realm of the living. Back to this world.

This world was a curious one. Initially, it had been nearly beneath her notice, when she had first sought to conquer the worlds. Gathering the Princesses of Heart, plunging their worlds into darkness, she had very nearly achieved victory.

The Phantom Blot had little interest in conquest himself. He sought power and he had long held a grudge against the Keybearing King. Mickey…it was a shame that he had been so short on time the last time he had crossed paths with the Mouse. There had not been enough resources to build a proper trap. His bombs and dynamite had been structured so haphazardly. It was truly a pity. There was such a delicious element of fear and suspense when he had secured a victim to a proper trap. Even the Mouse's escapes had their own sense of suspense.

But a simple use of time magic, however advanced? That alone being enough to not just save himself but a captured Keybearer irked the Phantom Blot. Perhaps being in this world would provide new insights, proper ways to set his traps. But why was Maleficent so interested in this world?

"Tell me, Mistress," The Phantom Blot bowed his head as he walked. "What else brings us to this world? I suspect it is more than the sorceress."

"She is a powerful ally," Maleficent said. "But her overall role, I must admit, I have no idea. Whether she further our ends or not…but she is not the only asset we have here."

"What do you mean, Mistress?" The Phantom Blot asked. "Already, we have seen several that should be dead that yet walk among us."

"That is not all there is to this world," Maleficent said. "For within these borders, there exists an entire plane where that which was gone thrives. And with that, we shall plunge this world into ever-lasting darkness."

"Is that the goal?" The Phantom Blot wondered. "To do what you did before? What has changed about this world that you seek to plunge in into darkness? What makes this place so special in particular?"

They had come up to a peculiar looking rock. A boulder really. It was impressively large…and seemed oddly out of place. The Phantom Blot wondered what exactly would be the significance of this, when Maleficent raised her staff and blasted the boulder to bits. There was a crevasse lying just underneath.

"A crevasse?" The Phantom Blot asked. "I do not understand…the way it's shaped. It does not match what you did…what is it?"

"A gateway…of sorts…one that's naturally occurring," Maleficent said. "It is not like a corridor to the Realm of Darkness."

"Is it akin to the passages to the Realm of the Dead in Olympus?"

"You could say that…" Maleficent said, running her fingers along her staff. "But there lie living things beneath our feet. That crevasse is a doorway to a subterranean realm that counts among its denizens creatures that have not walked along the surface in millennia upon millennia."

"What are you saying?"

Maleficent didn't answer. She simply smiled and waved her hand. Slowly, a claw emerged from the crevasse. And then another claw. And then…a head. A scaly head…filled with razor sharp teeth.

"This cannot be!"

The velociraptor roared.

A/N: Do I know cliffhangers or do I know cliffhangers? Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Bringing in Pellucidar, as it was imagined in The Legend of Tarzan is something I've been looking forward to since as soon as I got the Sea Salt Trio to Deep Jungle.

Really, virtually everything in this chapter was inspired, at least in part, by episodes of the television show. Which was excellent, I might add.

I had a ton of fun writing this, and I assure you, there's more on the way!

Thank you for reading, my dearest readers! Please, leave a comment if you're so inclined. Comment on someone else's comment, if you think they made a good point! I appreciate each and every one of you, my dear, dear readers!