It is now at this time that our story is taken ahead through a few months to the return of Baloo. The many rains that have come and gone by since the day Elsa had met Bagheera. she had not seen the panther since than. Though he hadn't been far from her. The prediction the panther had assumed was very much strong in his mind, for he knew anything could happen here in the jungle if the chances. From time to time, the panther had kept watch upon the girl-cub, protecting her from harm that would come along the way.
The day had came to the time of it's inevitable evening as it's end was close at hand. Bagheera moved above the trees, leaping and walking atop ever branch that stood in the path he wished to take. The panther then stopped atop the middle of a long stretching limb of as he heard the sound of voices nearby. Ones that were indeed familiar to the panther.
The panther gazed down to the jungle floor below where he saw Baloo, walking along with Simba, Nala and Elsa. To the bears left, Simba and Nala walked along side him. It was atop his back, where Elsa, now ride of her torn dress and clad in a blue, one-piece loin-cloth, was laying upon her stomach, resting on his brown fur.
"What a day, huh?" He said as he cocked his head to look up at the girl-cub.
Elsa smiled shook her head to the bear.
"You said it, Uncle Baloo." She said.
"Yeah." Nala agreed.
The bear laughed at was said by the cubs.
"You guys got that right." He said.
As the four walked furthered ahead into the jungle, the panther leaped over to the tree rightward from him as he continued to follow the four. Though it wasn't a long before he found Baloo, standing on the edge of the clearing of the lions dens. He saw Simba and Nala begin making their way to the den where their mothers were waiting for them upon the bottom ledges of the large rock to the den.
He watched as Elsa slid off the back of the bear and down to his right. She began making her way toward her mother. Just as she passed by the brown bear, she turned back to him.
"Goodnight, uncle Baloo." The girl said, smiling.
Baloo smiled back at her.
"Goodnight, little El." He said back to her.
As the girl-cub turned and began walking to rejoin her lioness mother, the panther leaped down from the tree and landed upon the jungle floor. He then walked up and came up to the bears side, watching as Elsa walked along with her mother and fellow pride members.
"You know something?" Baloo said, turning to the panther
"There's something special about that girl-cub."
The panther gazed up at the girl cub, just as she along with the lions of her pride disappear into their cave.
"She just might be an opportunity for the jungle. Not just for Diata, to all of us."
The statement was but very controversial to the panther. The jungle in of itself had very little knowledge of Elsa. Though word was of course spreading of the presence of the girl cub and he knew of many that would not take this so lightly. The specie of man was foe to all the jungle folk and Elsa could easily been seen as this. He already knew of Kerchek and his tribe were of the that very mindset. Others would be the same, especially to what would soon come.
"Your forgetting, Baloo." Bagheera said, turning to him.
"She's a girl cub and not many may think of her they way you do."
"I know, she told me about Kerchek." Baloo insisted.
"It's not just Kerchek." Bagheera stated just as he turned around and began walking back into the jungle.
Baloo gazed back to the panther, curiously to what he meant by not only Kerchek. He turned and scattered ahead to catch up with Bagheera.
"Wait, what do mean?" Baloo asked curiously.
"You know that many in the jungle don't think well of man." Bagheera explained, knowing that man brought very much fear.
"There is already rumours spreading of Elsa and soon they will discover the truth."
By what the panther had said, the bear though of what he meant by that. For all the animals of the jungle to see the truth, there was only one particular way for that to happen. It was the one event that took place through the many generation, where all the animals were to gather together to meet and discuss terms.
"Wait you mean...?"
Bagheera stopped and looked back to him.
"The gathering at council rock." He finished.
"The time when all is gather together and the rumours are bound to be what the meeting will be."
The bear knew exactly what Bagheera now meant. It was going to be hard for the girl if things were to be the way Kercheks tribe had been. They would come to fear and reject her if it were to go that way. Though there was another factor that would contribute to this.
"What does Scar think of Elsa?" The bear asked.
Bagheera sighed as he turned his head. If there was anyone who he knew wouldn't be of any help, it would be Scar. From the moment Elsa was brought into the pride, he of course was the way to her as he was to his nephew Simba. He rejected her and had but little ambition to have her around. Though not exactly any surprising of course on his part.
"He not surprisingly wouldn't be of any help." Bgheera theorised.
"If anything he'll make it worse for her. But I'm afraid that isn't the only concern for her."
"And that would be?" Baloo asked curiously.
"She's living with the Mufassa's pride, Baloo." Bagheera stated.
"Hunting is a important trait to follow in their pride."
"And...?" Baloo said, not seeing what it was that was such a concern.
"She can't hunt the way a lion can, Baloo." The panther stated.
"She doesn't have the skills or the abilities like they do. If she doesn't learn any of that, then she'll never make it in the jungle."
It was just then they heard the sound of movement through the brush of leaves above. The two gazed up to the trees above, he saw a bush of lush green leaves rattle above them. A sound of a familiar voice chuckling. Bagheera turned himself around as he gazed to the suspecting stranger nearby.
"Who's there?" Bagheera called out.
What followed was more brushing of leaves, till suddenly a familiar mandrill, holding a staff in his right hand dropped from his cover and landed on the branch beneath him.
"Old Rafiki has heard true!" He said, smiling gracefully out of his joy of truth.
"There really is a girl-cub in the jungle!"
The sight of the high-spirited mandrill caused Baloo to sigh and shake his head. Rafiki to him was very much the jungles most overjoyed. To follow with one too high of spirit comes to very much great annoyance.
"Oh, great." The bear said, shaking his head.
"Out of all the jungle folk, it had to be the deranged baboon didn't it?"
Bagheera turned back up to the mandrill in the tree.
"So you know about the girl-cub, Rafiki?" The panther assumed.
The mandrill chuckled just as he leaped down from branch and landed upon the jungle floor.
"Word has spread to all in the jungle." The baboon said, putting his hand to his left hand.
"Old Rafiki, he is all ears and he hears of a girl-cub now living in the jungle."
"Well I fear that it won't be for long." The panther said.
"Oh?" Rafiki said, raising his eye brow for the reason.
The panther walked passed the mandrill as he thought of the reason. Man was but the animal who could not live in the jungle and who has built their own world. The girl-cub was of no exception. She was of no fit to follow in the ways and laws of the jungle. This left her to be easy prey to any other predator, despite the protection given to her by him or the lions.
"Man has but little following of the law of the jungle." Bagheera explained, before looking back to Rafiki and the mandrill.
"Therefore they have little contribute to the circle of life. They don't live the way we do and this girl cub has seen enough of her own kind to learn their way of living. Which means the life here in the jungle won't be easy for her to learn."
"Easy, hmm?" The mandrill said, stroking his white beard.
"I fear you are very mistaken, Bagheera. Learning does no so easily come to one. It takes much time for one to truly understand."
"It isn't the understanding that is the major concern." Bagheera said, knowing that Elsa.
"It is the execution that she struggles the most of. She isn't capable to hunt what the pride. If anything this means she is liability to the pride."
"Ahh..." Rafiki said raising his finger in understanding what he meant.
"That is a very big problem."
Seeing that the mandrill finally came to understand the plight, Bagheera shook his head. Finally he understood the struggle the girl would go through and the danger it was going to be. Not just to her but everyone around her in general.
"You don't see the solution before you." Rafiki said, placing his hand upon his side.
The panther gazed confusingly to the Mandrill to his words. None of it had anything to do with what he told him of the girl-cub. Instead it was as if he had very little attention to conversation. Even if it was, what was to be the solution to the problem?
"Solution?" He asked.
"Yes, Yes!" The mandrill insisted.
"You see only the problem, but are blind to the answer that stands before you."
The panther gazed over to Baloo, who only shrugged. Neither he knew what was meant by the mandrill. Of course that was very expected on his part. He never truly understood what the mandrill said at any time before.
"I don't understand?" Bagheera said, turning back to the mandrill.
"It's very simple, Bagheera." The mandrill explained.
"You may think there is only one way for to learn, but there is another way for her to follow in the paw prints of a lions."
The mandrill's answer stuck the panther with growing curiosity. He as much as Diata wished that for Elsa to learn to survive in the jungle. If there was another way to go about it than the path already known, he was all the more eager to hear of it.
"But how?" The panther asked.
"Through the wisdom and teachings of one who understands her." Rafiki answered.
"Someone who knows of man and it's ways of hunting."
"And who pray-tell might that be exactly?" Baloo asked coming up to the mandrill.
"The one of which I speak of is..." Rafiki said as he raised his finger and twirled it around a few times.
The mandrill than pointed forward. The point of his long arm was in the general direction of Bagheera. To which the panther gazed curiously to the mandrill for the choice he made.
"Me?" Bagheera asked curiously.
The mandrill shook his head and chuckled.
"Yes, Bagheera." he answered.
"It is you who must show the girl-cub the way."
Hearing the responsibility, it was very unclear of the panther as to why this his path to go. Why was he who much teach Elsa? What was it that made him the one to do this task?
"Why me?" Bagheera questioned.
"How can I show the girl cub this path?"
"Bagheera." The mandrill said.
"You have an understanding of man that is beyond most of the jungle. You know their ways better than anyone."
"I'm sorry" Baloo said, stepping into the conversation.
"You mean teach her how to hunt like man?"
"She is a girl-cub, Baloo." Bagheera said, knowing the obvious truth.
"Yeah." Baloo said, knowing that to be certain.
"But I thought we're trying to teach her to hunt like a lion."
"No." Bagheera said as he turned to Baloo.
"Rafiki is right. If Elsa is to hunt, the ways of man might be the only way for her to do so."
As much as it was to be true, how was it that Bagheera was to teach her. It was law and custom for all mothers to teach their young. It was stated that none must ever come between a mother and her cub.
"But hang on." Baloo said, knowing of what was to keep this solution at bay.
"How are you going to teach Elsa? You know that the lionesses are suppose to teach their cubs."
"True." Rafiki said, knowing the bear was right.
The mandrill turned to Bagheera. The panther for a moment pondered to what they were to do. The law he indeed respected and wished not to break it by any means. But his will to help Diata and Elsa was very much strong as that. Though the law may not be so denial of the panthers need. The panther then came to realisation that there was truly a way. He gazed back up to the two before finally speaking up.
"There is indeed a way."
(I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to whatever criticism you have.)