An entire month had passed by since the Elsa had last saw Jack. Elsa had remained confined to the cave, due to gunshot wound in her shoulder. In the many days that followed, both the pain and the wound itself began to fade. But as the pain of the wound faded, their persisted another from that day. It was now apparent to her that she had now been exiled of her own kind. But what was the most drastic thing to come to grips with was the separated from Jack.
It was upon meeting him that was a moment that barred great remembrance to her. It was the first time since the beginning of her life in the jungle, when she was reunited with her own kind. It was becoming what could be a great friendship with the boy. But that friendship was only to face a very tragic occurrence. The roar of the gun and the very strike of death it had almost brought upon her.
For every creature of the jungle, it was that very weapon of man that was the greatest fear. Now it was brought upon the young girl in an excruciating way, it apparent to her that she was like a wild animal to them. It was that factor that hurt the most. Her own kind was now rejected her.
Deep within the den, Elsa sits between the two front legs of her mother as she grooms her. Feeling her mother rough tongue stroking her back, Elsa groaned.
"Mama." She said.
"Hold still, you." said Diata.
Diata moved up and began work on her bleach blond hair. Elsa tried desperately, to stay still as her mother stroked her braided hair with her rough tongue.
"Mama." she said, having trouble with dealing with the tugging feeling of her hair.
"Just hold still." she said.
"I'm almost done."
Diata continued to lick the top of her adopted daughter's head, her hair tugged as the lionesses tong went across. After a few more times, she finally stopped. To Elsa, it was such a relief. Being raised by lions, the one thing she never did like was having a bath, in their way to be exact. Being licked cleaned all the time, it felt gross. Though the worst part was how rough it was. Her skin was not as big a deal. But feeling.
"That really hurt." she said, having to feel the constant tugging.
"I know." said Diata, knowing herself what it was like to be bathed in such a manner.
"I wasn't so keen of it either."
Elsa rubbed her head, trying to clear away the pain. Diata simply chuckled, remembering how she felt when her mother gave her a bath. He mother when cleaning her always tugged on her white fur. It was so irritating having to put up with it. After Elsa had finished, she looked back up at Diata.
"Hey mom, can I go play?" she asked.
"I feel better and my arm doesn't hurt anymore."
Diata frowned, glancing to the side. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to let Elsa go off on her own. She wasn't at all convinced she would disobey her again. Rather she was concerned for the safety of her daughter. She had already come close to losing Elsa by man. She couldn't allow for something to happen to her. Not again.
"I don't know." said Diata.
"Please?" Elsa begged.
Diata saw her daughter was so anxious to be outside. She couldn't just keep Elsa in the cave forever. Elsa had the right to be free in the jungle like all the other cubs in the pride.
"Well... alright." Diata said.
Elsa gasped excitedly. She came and hugged her mother tightly.
"Thank you, mama." she said.
Diata looked down to her adopted daughter, smiling at the sight of her joy. As Elsa departed from her, Diata nuzzled the young wild girl. Afterwards, Elsa got up and ran out of the cave entrance. The wild girl came outside of the stone shelter and hurried down to the jungle below, passing by a few lionesses along the way. After of which, Elsa then disappeared into the jungle.
Elsa raced through the jungle, hoping that he would perhaps find Simba and Nala.
"Simba." she called out, hoping that they were somewhere nearby.
"Nala!"
There was no answer by the two cubs. Elsa turned and began to walk in another direction.
"Guys!"
But still she heard nothing. Elsa looked up to a tree off to her left.. It was perhaps the best way to find them is from above in the tree. The wild girl turned and began to climb up the tree to the high branches pulled herself up upon a high branch, gazing down below to the jungle floor. There was nothing to be seen, even with the view from higher in the tree, she still wouldn't see them cause of all the green leaves of the tree.
If it was in that case, then she would have to keep moving through the jungle to find her two friends. The wild girl walked along the tree branch, coming to a hanging vine. Elsa reached out and grabbed onto the vine. She leapt from the branch, swinging over to the next tree. She landed on the branch of the tree ahead, just as she let the previous vine go, she grabbed a new one and continued to swing deeper into the jungle.
One of the most fun things in her jungle life was vine swinging. It felt like the closest way to fly and was even the fastest way to get around in her tropical home. When she would be hanging around the apes or even monkeys for that matter, Elsa always played on the high tree ropes, swinging back and forth. Kala would sometimes push her.
Elsa swung up to a vine ahead. The wild girl reached out her right hand and grabbed hold, swinging further ahead. Elsa resumed swinging further into the jungle, when she finally stopped at a tree. The jungle girl landed upon the branch, releasing the vine as she settled on the tree branch. Elsa gazed downward at the jungle, seeing if she could see Simba or Nala.
But she couldn't see them anywhere. Elsa looked forward and saw a small shine just ahead. The wild girl squinted, trying to keep a good sight of to whatever it was.
"What is that?" She asked herself.
With her growing curiosity, Elsa looked forward to and hanging vine. She grabbed hold and leaped onto the branch, beginning to climb down to the jungle floor. As she drew closer, she leaped down and landed in a crouching formation.
Elsa stood up, looking ahead at the shining. She began to slowly creep toward it. She came into the lush green plants, pushing through them to get a better view. She saw something moving far ahead. Elsa ducked down, peering through the openings through the lush jungle plants. She saw the shining of light reappear. Elsa gazed toward the small shine ahead, till then.
Bang!
The roar echoed through the jungle, Elsa jumped in fear, her young eyes so opened wide. The sound, the roar of man's could feel her very heart beat in her chest, it felt like it was racing so much. She felt stunned, hearing that sound once more. Another roar was lead out once more. Elsa went back a bit at its occurrence. The horrifying memories that happened across the river came flooding back to her, when she and her mother scattering through the jungle as they tried to escape man's wrath.
Elsa could not bear another burden as that. The wild girl quickly turned and began to run back the way she came. She took no time to stop, not even to look back. Elsa plowed through the lush vegetation, passing by tree after tree. She had far distance herself from the site of the roar, but couldn't for a moment stop for anything.
Elsa came to a clearing from the jungle plants, when suddenly; she caught her foot upon something and tripped over, landing on the ground. Elsa slowly picked herself up. As she did, she felt her legs were draped over something. It felt… scaly and fat. She looked back to whatever her legs were draped over. What she saw, was the end tail of a snake, a large snake. Elsa gasped as she turned herself around and back away. She saw the tail slither behind the tree trunk.
The light blond jungle girl got back on her feet, gazing to the place she had saw the snake's tail. For a moment, the jungle was silent, not a sound could be heard. Elsa slowly backed away, looking left and right, but not a single animal could be seen. Elsa felt so warm and cold inside at the same time.
"Hello?" she said.
It was then a voice came to answer. It sounded to be a female's voice, one that sounded seductive and yet motherly.
"Hello."
Elsa turned looking all around.
"Is someone there?" she asked.
The voice answered again.
"I'm here."
Elsa looked all around.
"Where are you?" Elsa said.
"Are you alone out here?" voice questioned again.
"What is a poor little cub like you, doing so far in the jungle?"
The wild girl looked all around.
"I'm looking for my friends." Elsa answered.
"Have you seen them?"
Elsa continued to look up to the high tree tops.
"Where are you?" Elsa asked, wanting to see who it was talking to her.
"Please come out and let me see you."
There came a strange hissing sound. Elsa looked all around for what the source could possibly be. As there came another hiss that came from behind, Elsa quickly turned to face whatever it was. From behind, there was nothing but green, lush jungle vegetation and trees. She turned around and slowly backed away.
But upon a few steps, Elsa suddenly felt something scaly wrap around her. She looked down and saw large coils twirling around her, getting bigger as they came. Elsa raised her arms up and over the coils as they came around her chest. She was taken off the jungle floor and high above in the trees.
"Wow!" she said.
The wild girl came above the tree branches, before stopping some feet from the jungle floor. Elsa looked around her, panicking. She knew that snakes were dangerous, especially the big ones. She didn't want to become prey of one. Elsa looked forward and gasped. The snake's head descended from a branch above, gazing toward the wild girl.
The python slithered up over the air, its neck rose up and its head down as its eyes gazed to Elsa. Elsa stood still within the snake's coils that wrapped around, holding her tight. The snake moved around Elsa, continuing to face toward her. It hissed, as it thin red tongue slipped out from its mouth and then back in within a quick second. The jungle girl turned to face toward the python, following around with the large rock snake.
The girl was very overtaken by fear of the snake's intentions. Yet she remembered something that Bagheera had taught her. The jungle's most sacred and master phrases, what would allow her to speak to any animal that lived in the jungle.
The girl rose but her hand to the snake and said.
"We be of one blood, ye and I."
It was for the girl's relief, the snake heard her well. The master words of the jungle to be spoken by a child of man, was truly a surprise to the limbless serpent.
"Of one blood?" it said with the voice of a female.
"How interesting, did I heard true, a man-cub speak the very words of the jungle?"
The snake came around to face Elsa. Elsa gazed to the snake, looking to the python with great fear.
"Please don't eat me." Elsa begged the snake.
The python only chuckled.
"Calm now, little cub." She said.
"I won't hurt you."
The snake hissed at her as she came forth to the girl
"Let go of your fear now, little cub." She said.
"I am your friend... I'll keep you close...I'll protect you."
The snake rose up from the little bleach blond girl.
"Who are you?" Elsa asked curiously.
"I am Kaaaaa." The snake said.
Suddenly, Elsa was raised high in the trees, where Kaa brought her to a space between the reaching limbs of the tree. She came down between the few large limbs, coming on her feet. Kaa's coils slithered around her, unraveling the girl from her holding. Kaa's head came from above, her head stopping at the same level as Elsa's and the her long neck coming downward the rest of the way.
"I have heard so much in the jungle in the recent time." Kaa explained.
"The pride of Mufassa has come to accept a girl cub as one of their own, cared for by the white lioness."
Elsa nodded her head, smiling.
"Diata." Elsa said.
"I'm her daughter."
"As I see." said Kaa.
"I have seen cubs of man in such rare times. But never have I known one that has come to grips of learning the life of the jungle."
Kaa slithered around to the right of Elsa, as the young girl turned to face the snake.
"After all." said Kaa.
"The jungle is far too dangerous for one so young and beautiful as you. Shere Khan, the tiger would kill you with but one touch of his paw."
Elsa knew of that name. Diata had told Elsa of those within their jungle home, who would be considered a danger to Elsa. Scar, Mufassa's banished brother, The leopard, Sabor, the three hyenas, Shanzi, Banzai and Ed, Zira, the lionees and her many followers and lastly, the lame tiger himself, Shere Khan. Diata explained that Shere Khan was but one of the jungles most feared and respected. He had a great hate for man, being that he was exposed to the many burdens of man and swore to vanquish the opposing threat to the jungle.
If he were to meet Elsa, she would no doubt be seen as a threat. Though, Shere Khan hunts far in the jungle, kept in a great distance from Elsa. Also, Shere Khan wouldn't dare to go against Mufassa; he was much stronger than the lame one.
"But my mother told me Shere Khan was far away." said Elsa.
"So true, little cub." said Kaa.
"The stripped one is so far. But should you ever come to cross paths with him or the King's brother, Scar, shall you, little cub not walk into their mouths."
"I won't walk into their mouths." said Elsa, knowing that she was protected by her mother and friends of the jungle.
"I am a friend to all the animals; they would protect me from Scar and Shere Khan."
"Perhaps." said Kaa.
"The jungle must show great love to you. But to what is one like you so far from your own kind."
Elsa frowned and narrowed her head. The reason for her life in the wilderness of the jungle was far from what she could explain, let alone bare a word to explain it.
"I-I came here with my...parents." Elsa said, trying to explain.
"But they-"
Elsa paused, thinking of her parents felt so unbearable and so torturing to her. She couldn't find the strength to Kaa saw the pain and agony of the young girl. Thinking of her parents made her feel so sad inside.
"Ohhhh." She said as she slithered around the girl.
"You poor little cub."
Elsa could feel the snakes large coil drag across her body.
"Come now." said Kaa turning to face her.
"Don't be so sad."
Kaa's head came forth, bending to reveal the top, it set down Elsa's forehead. The wild girl could hear Kaa's hissing. She looked up as Kaa departed from her, a single tear rolled down from let left eye. Seeing the tear slid down her cheek and finally drops down, is when the snake was then met by Elsa's fading wound.
"What's this?" She said, looking to the young girl's shoulder.
The python stared to the wound in the girl's shoulder. A sight that was all so familiar to the snake. A wound she had seen long before, the people of the jungle greatest fear to be known. Elsa looked down to the gunshot wound that was disappearing in the slowest manner. She placed her hand upon it, covering with her palm.
"It is the mark of man." Said Kaa, knowing what it was the girl had been marked with.
"So does their burden come down upon their own cub?"
Elsa looked back up to Kaa.
"A man did this to me." Elsa said, remembering Jack's uncle with his gun.
"He was trying to get me and my mother."
Kaa never knew of a hunter of man to bring harm to their own cubs. While it was, man breaks the jungles law of hunting; they always looked after their own children as far as she knew. It was such a great shock to know a hunter had tried to kill one of their own.
"It would seem so." said Kaa.
"Man would not hunt one of their own. But it would be known for you, little cub. Man has turn away from you."
"But why?!" Elsa asked, curiously.
Kaa slithered around Elsa. The wild girl turned to face her, as Kaa looked back to her.
"Climb on, little cub."
Elsa looked down to Kaa's large Coil. The wild girl came up and climbed on the snake's back, holding tight the snakes round, body frame. Kaa then turned, looking ahead and began to slither down and slithered across the long, bark covered tree branch, Elsa hanging onto the back of the large rock python. Through the tops of the trees, Kaa slithered forward in a zigzag formation. Elsa looked all over at her surroundings, passing through tree after tree, countless branches covered by lush green leaves.
Elsa looked up front to Kaa.
"Where are we going?" The wild girl asked curiously.
"To the river ahead." Kaa answered.
"There is something I wish to share with you."
The two had come to the end of the jungle, where the river separates the other side. Kaa came to the last end of branch, came off and lowered herself down into the rushing river. Elsa came down into the water with the Rock Python. With a big splash, Elsa came into the rushing river; she shook her head, ridding the waters from her.
"Tell me, little cub." said Kaa, going downstream.
"What do you see? What is all around you?"
Elsa looked all over, to all sides there was the lush jungle, from there and far ahead was the lush, tropical forest of Africa. The tall dense trees that sprouted high to the air, the green petals that cover every end of every branch, and the lush plants that grows from the moist jungle soil below. This was but what Kaa was referring to, the jungle that was her home.
"The jungle?" Elsa answered.
"Yes." Kaa said, moving back and forth through the water.
"It is the jungle, little cub. That is but the answer to your question."
Elsa looked curiously to Kaa.
"But how, Kaa?" Elsa asked curiously.
"How is the jungle the answer to my question?"
"Because, little cub." said Kaa.
"You are but part of the jungle. You are one of its thriving; you are learning its laws and living under its way to Life."
Elsa thought to Kaa's answer was. She knew she was now one of the many cubs of the jungle. She was being taught the laws by the Black Panther, Bagheera, and from Rafiki the mandrill. She took under the lions that raised her for these many passing months of her life in the jungle. She followed in their ways of life, also learned the traits of all the animals she called her friends. So was it true? Was it that she was really one of the jungles thriving? Was this was Jack's uncle had shot her?
"So, I am part of the jungle?" Elsa asked curiously.
"Yes, little cub, yes." Kaa answered.
It seemed to be that the pieces she had, looked to fall into place. It was now apparent to her, that man had cast her away, because she was now of the wild heritage. Elsa was a jungle girl, who had fled away from human nature, choosing to live the life of a wild animal. As so, man had cast her away because of this.
Further up the river, there were large flat rocks that stuck out from the river. Kaa moved toward the rocks and slithered atop their hard, smooth surface. Elsa came out of the water and upon coming onto the flat surface; the wild girl came off of Kaa's long coil and sat before the python.
Kaa rose her head up as she looked to Elsa.
"You have great love for your lush home, don't you?" Kaa asked curiously.
Elsa nodded her head yes. She loved the jungle like the animals that raised her, it was wide and free. it gave food, it gave shelter, and also, it gave such fun. The jungle was truly her home, never had she felt like this in her short life among humans
"I do." she said.
"I love the jungle."
"AAAhhhh." Kaa responded.
"Do you not see, little cub. You bare the respect for the wild, one that man has failed to show."
Kaa knew this to be true. Man had taken for granted the treasures and gifts of the jungle. They fail to honour the law, for they have broken many before, the guiltiest of this crime against the jungle was the white men. Hunting for pleasure and without the need for food, tearing down the trees, wiping away all that nature created. Man had done so much, taken without giving back. But Elsa had proven to be the opposite of her own kind.
She is proving herself to truly be one of the jungles. She is leaning to follow the laws, to be part of the lush forest as the others. This was also hard for Elsa to understand. She had been cast away from her own kind, for the reason of being part of the jungle. Elsa narrowed her head, pondering to herself. All that had happened, the plane crash, the roar and the wound of the gun. This was a clear sign that man had banished her to the wild lands of Africa.
Elsa looked back and down into the rushing water. She stared down at her reflection. To know her own kid had rejected her, it was far too much to take in.
"So, my own kind wants me gone?" Elsa questioned.
"But why do they?"
Elsa looked back to Kaa.
"I'm one of them."
"No, little cub." Kaa explained.
"You are no longer of their world."
Elsa frowned, narrowing her eyes. The truth was hard to accept, but it had to be for what it was. Elsa looked up to Kaa. She then felt Kaa's coil pass by her hand. The wild girl gazed down and looked to Kaa's long body. He skin, so wet and scaly, a dark grey covered by a pattern of yellow. Elsa placed her hand down upon Kaa's long body.
"Your skin looks so beautiful, Kaa." said the wild girl as she looked up to the python.
Kaa smiled gratefully at the girl.
"Yes, little cub." She said.
"I am Beautiful."
Kaa slithered around the girl.
"In every few months gone by, I shed my skin. I rid myself from my old dying ssurface and I am able to given new, fresh skin."
Elsa gazed curiously at Kaa.
"New skin?" Elsa asked.
Kaa nodded her head.
"Yes." said Kaa.
"New beautiful skin."
Elsa gazed back down to Kaa's large coil. She thought of what the wise python had explained. Relieving herself from her own skin and beginning again.
Elsa crawled over the edge of the rock and looked down upon the rushing water below. Through the constant stream, Elsa looked down upon her reflection who gazed back at her. She saw the skin of herself, the little girl who had been confined to her home in her time in civilization. She was no longer of that world, no longer human, but part of the lush adopted home that was the jungle. Seeing herself in the water stream, she suddenly thought of her memories in her past came flooding back.
It was through her past, memories began appearing to his mind. Elsa began frowning, thinking of her past life. Elsa then saw Kaa's reflection upon the water.
"So I'm no longer human." said Elsa.
Kaa shook her head no.
"No, little cub." said Kaa.
Elsa narrowed her eyes.
"Why do they no longer want me?" Elsa said.
"I don't know." Kaa answered.
Elsa turned to look back at Kaa. The python looked down upon the girl with eyes of sympathy.
"Your place among man may be gone, but you are a part of this jungle." Kaa explained.
"The animals are your brothers, they will always be there on your journey, to guide you along your way."
"And sisters?"Elsa said, referring to the females of the jungle.
Kaa chucked.
"Yess, little cub." said Kaa.
"We are of one blood, you and I. Forever shall we be one."
Elsa reached up and took hold of the sides of Kaa's face. She brought her close to her set Kaa's forehead upon hissed before closing her eyes. Through this grieving time, she was thankful to have one the friendship of the animals.
"Thank you, Kaa." said the wild girl.
Kaa departed from Elsa, smiling happily. She nodded her head the wild girl.
"You're welcome, little cub." said Kaa.
Kaa turned back to the other side of the river.
"I think it'sss time for us to return home." said Kaa as she looked back to Elsa.
"Yeah, mama must be looking for me." said Elsa.
"Cimb on, little cub." said Kaa, slithering up a bit for Elsa.
The young girl crawled up to Elsa and came up on her back. Once Elsa had settled upon the snakes coil, Kaa then slithered down into the rushing water, moving from left to right, as they crossed through the river. As the water hit upon Elsa's body, she felt the little force that was pushing upon her body, drenching her even more. It was a short time, when Elsa slithered up upon the bank on the other side of the river, pulling Elsa up out of the water with her.
Elsa then got off of Kaa's coil and turned to Kaa.
"Take care, little cub." said Kaa.
"Goodbye, Kaa." said Elsa.
Kaa nodded her head to the girl. She then turned away and slithered into the jungle. Elsa watched as the python disappear into the lush vegetation. Once Kaa was gone, Elsa was left sad and still so confused. The girl narrowed her eyes, pondered of all that Kaa had told her. Elsa looked back at the other side of the river. Now knowing what it truly was, the moment the gun had set off and she was marked cruelly with bullet. But also all that had happened, how she had gotten here in the first place, it was her own kind banishing her away.
From her eyes, tears began to form and roll down her cheeks. She began sobbing, bringing her hands to cover her eyes as more tears came from her eyes. Elsa turned and ran the other way, plowing through the lush vegetation. She ran further away from the river, trying to distance herself from the streaming water. She passed through all the lush green plants in her way, moving them aside.
She then entered into a clearing, where she passed by Baloo and Bagheera, who turned watch her run away, crying.
"Elsa?" said Bagheera turning in her direction.
But the wild girl did not stop, but continued forward into the crowd of trees.
"Elsa!" called Bagheera as he ran up and gazed down to the wild girl.
Elsa continued to run further into the jungle, passing by the many tall standing trees that surrounded her, every animal that was nearby. She continued to cry over her banishment from her own kind. To what she had done to deserve such this, she didn't know. Elsa then came to a tall tree, with large roots that stuck up from the ground. Elsa collapsed in front of the tree, sobbing.
Elsa looked up to the tall tree, her cheeks wet from her shedding tears. The wild girl crawled upon her hands and knees, coming up to the tree root. She pressed up against the large brown root, curling her legs up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them, keeping them in place. Elsa narrowed her face down over her knees; she continued to draw out her pain.
"Mama, papa." she said.
She remembered her family from long ago, her mother and father. They were all gone. Everything she had ever known was taken away from her. She was now forgotten, an out casted, looked to be nothing more but an animal.
Elsa continued to lie in the very spot, continuing to cry and be left with thoughts of such pain and sorrow. Slowly she grew silent, only small sobbing was to follow. Though it was of that moment, she then heard a voice call her name.
"Elsa?"
The wild girl raised her head up and turned left. She saw Diata, walking toward her.
"Mama." said Elsa as she unraveled herself.
Diata came up to her daughter, as Elsa took her in her young arm, sobbing.
"Shhh, shhh." Diata responded, calming her daughter.
"It's okay, it's okay, I'm here."
Elsa pressed herself against her mother's chest, the side of her face felt soft white fur from underneath. Elsa shut her eyes tight as her head narrowed down a bit, moving across her mother's chest.
"Mama." Elsa whispered.
"I'm here." Diata said as she sat down in front of her daughter.
"It's alright, I'm here for you"
Diata came apart from her daughter, looking down upon Elsa. The little girl sniffed as she wiped a tear from her eye. The young girl looked up to her adopted mother, her blue sadden eyes staring up at the white lioness.
"Why don't they want me, mama?" Elsa asked.
"What?" Diata asked.
"Why doesn't my own kind want me?" Elsa asked again.
"What are you talking about?" Diata said, confused as to why she would say that.
"Why did they throw me away?"
"Elsa!" Diata said.
Elsa then stopped talking and gazed up to her mother. Diata was trying to fathom all that her daughter was saying to her. Much of it was so confusing, hearing Elsa say that her own kind no longer wanted her. Though, it wasn't a surprising thing for her to think, after all, she had been shot by that man across the river. But this wasn't anything she wanted her daughter to think of, let alone feel sad about.
"Listen to me." Diata said softly.
"What happened before doesn't matter now. You weren't thrown away."
"But Kaa told me….."
"Kaa?" said Diata, a bit shocked to hear that very name.
"The snake?"
Elsa nodded her head yes, admitting that she had saw the rock python. Diata was even more shocked then before. To think her own cub had met the wisest snake in all the jungle. Though she was curious to one matter, to what had the python told her cub.
"What did she tell you?" Diata asked, wanting to know what it was the python had explained to her.
"She said that I'm different from my own kind." Elsa said.
"When that man hurt me, she said that it's because… they no longer want me."
Diata was so doubtful of all she was hearing. She couldn't for a second believe that Kaa would tell this to her. While she knew that humans were a threat to her adopted cub, she didn't think for a second that it would be Elsa being cast away from her own people.
"Elsa, no." Diata said.
"That's not true at all, they didn't cast you away."
"But it is true." Elsa insisted.
"No it's not." said Diata.
Elsa looked down, narrowing her eyes below. She wanted to believe that her mother was right, that Kaa was lying, but something inside kept telling her otherwise. The long past she had endured before coming to the jungle, felt like something was true about it. Diata frowned, seeing Elsa feel so sad and torn. She wanted for Elsa to be happy, some way to relief her daughter from her pain. While the lioness though an idea then came to mind. She knew of a place, somewhere she had been before many times since she was young.
Diata looked back to her daughter.
"Elsa." she said, making the wild girl look up to her.
Diata came back up on her four paws and kneeled down to her daughter.
"Here, get on."
Elsa came up and climbed up on Diata's back. After she was over her mother back, Diata came back up and looked back to her.
"You on back there?" asked Diata.
Elsa nodded her head. Diata smiled back at her daughter.
"Alright, hang on." she said.
The white lioness then turned and walked ahead into the jungle.
As the evening light began to dim, as the jungle grew dark as the night sky that was changing the sky above and the full white moon began to shine it's light down upon the jungle below, the mother and daughter walked down a pathway through the lush vegetation around them. Elsa sat atop her mother's back, looking all around them. She had never been to this part of the jungle before.
"Where are we going, Mama?" Elsa asked curiously.
Diata turned back to her daughter.
"Someplace special." said her mother.
Elsa began feeling so curious and so eager. She wanted to know just where her mother was taking her too, anticipation was strong then it had ever been. Though soon, her question would soon be answered. The two came into an open clearing, where there was a small pond of water. From all around, there were tall trees, the banks were steep from all around the pond, High above, was the moon, shining down through the circular gap and reflected down on the water.
Elsa gazed up at the moon above, before gazing at the small open space.
"What is this place?" she said.
"This is one of the jungles most sacred places." Diata explained.
"Where one is lost, an answer can be found."
The wild girl thought to what her mother had told her. Where one is lost, an answer could be found. She was lost, trying to find out what path where she could be found. Elsa came off her mother's back and walked onto a large rock that stood in the pond.
"Wow." said Elsa.
She looked down to the water and gazed down the moon's reflection.
"It's so beautiful."
Diata nodded. The white lioness sat at Elsa's side, looking out over the pond. She gave a soft sighed, giving a smile as she thought of her past memories.
"This was always a special place to me." Diata said.
The white lioness looked down to Elsa.
"When I was your age, my mother and I would always come to this very spot. She used to tell me stories, sometimes; we would look up to the stars above."
The two looked high to the night sky, and through the darkness, the small stars twinkled their small lights.
"They're so pretty." said Elsa.
Diata shook her head yes, agreeing with her daughter.
"My mother told me something about them." Diata said.
"She said, from above those stars all those that came before us look down upon us."
"Even her?" Elsa said, looking to her mother.
Diata narrowed her eyes, nodding her head.
"Even her." said Diata.
Elsa looked to her adopted mother.
"What was your mother like?" the young girl asked curiously.
Diata chuckled a bit, thinking of her own mother.
"My mother, well..." Diata explained.
"My mother was the wisest and most loving that I've ever known. Every day I think of her, I remember everything she taught me. Whenever I needed her, she was always there for me. She guided me through my years of a cub."
Diata turned up to the stars.
"Even now, I wish that she could be here. But I know that she isn't gone."
Hearing all that her adopted mother told her, Elsa looked down to the water, sad, and thinking of her own parents. Throughout her time with them, it was only her mother that was her friend, she never saw her father, at least not allot. It was always her, confined to her room. Never once did she leave her house. Only her home was the world around her. Only when her father needed to travel, was it when she got to escape her trapped world.
Looking back down at her reflection, she saw herself. The one her father once called her Perfect little girl.
"Elsa?" Diata said.
Elsa looked back up at her adopted mother.
"I miss my parents." said Elsa.
Diata frowned, remembering the day she found Elsa, when she the two bodies that were her parents. She understood Elsa's pain. To lose someone you love. She felt the same way as to when she had lost her previous cub, Pora. Things felt so difficult for her. For a cub like Elsa, the pain of loss was something that couldn't be handled.
"I know you do." said Diata.
"I'm sure they were good to you as I am."
Elsa narrowed her eyes. She looked back at her reflection, remembering her parents.
"They were, I guess." said Elsa.
Diata looked curiously to her adopted cub.
"Papa wasn't there much." Elsa said.
"He was always so busy with his work. He always wanted me and mama to stay home, he didn't like for me to be outside."
Diata listened to Elsa tell of her past life. All the while, she felt so bothered to hear what her father had done.
"He didn't want me to be hurt by anyone." Elsa said.
While it was one of his greatest intentions, he hadn't realized what he had done. He was so far from close to his daughter; always working on what he believed would be a breakthrough of science. He didn't know that he was hurting Elsa by not being there.
Elsa gazed down her reflection. Staring back was the same little girl, who was forced to be trapped in a room, almost like… an animal. Her father was in reality, shutting her in a confined space, like an animal in a zoo, unable to live free, being confined for all her years in civilization.
She shut her eyes, beginning to feel emotions take over once more. Diata came down to her daughter and nuzzled her girl cub. Elsa looked to her mother, as she did to her.
Elsa gazed to her adopted mother, the time she had met Diata, had her life turned another way. She was no longer trapped, she was no longer confined. She was now free within the world, now been given a chance at a new life. Elsa looked back to the pond.
"Maybe Kaa's right," said Elsa, remembering all of what Kaa had told her.
"Maybe I do belong here."
Elsa looked back to her reflection over the surface of the water. Looking down over her reflect, her braided hair hung down on her left. As she once more looked to her reflection, it was the slithering words of Kaa being spoken in her young mind.
"Shed your skin." she said in a whispering tone.
Those exact three words were of what Elsa felt herself. Looking upon herself now, she saw her old life of confinement and loneliness, her father ever so absent from her. It wasn't until now, living amongst her adopted family, was she finally given a chance of freedom? When she experience what is like to not be so confined by the four walls that barricaded her from the outside world. The new life in this jungle had all but changed her.
Elsa looked to her French braided hair, at the very bottom; there was the small snowflake clip that held it together. The wild girl reached her right hand for the bottom of her hair and unclipped it. Her bleach blond hair began to unravel and spread from one another. Elsa gazed back down at her reflection, seeing her long hair hang down from her head.
She was no longer the perfect girl, no longer the one trapped all her life. But she was of this jungle, for its lush forest was her home, the animals her brothers and sisters.
Elsa looked back up to Diata, who smiled back at her. Seeing Elsa's long bleach blond hair, she almost looked the part of a lion.
"How do I look?" Elsa said, smiling.
Her mother gave a slight chuckle.
"Elsa, lionesses don't have manes." said Diata.
The wild girl laughed in response.
"But I'm a lion girl, right?" asked Elsa.
Diata smirked.
"I suppose so." said Diata
Elsa looked back to her reflection, she saw herself with her long blond hair. It did look somewhat like Mufassa's mane, the male lion's symbol of dominance.
"This is who I Am." said Elsa proudly.
"I'm part of the jungle."
Diata smiled down upon Elsa. Never could she imagine having a cub like her, but there wasn't any cub that she would rather have to call her own.
"Yes you are." Diata said.
The wild girl looked up to her lioness mother.
"And you are always my daughter."
Diata leaned her head down and pushed up against the girl's shoulder. Elsa chuckled, and smiled up at her adopted mother.
It was through her most frightening time, had the white lioness came to her. She had taken the place of a mother to her, a mother that protected her, a mother who raised her as her own, and a mother that loved her so. She had given her a new life among the animals of the jungle, giving her a long awaited chance.
Elsa then came up and hugged her adopted mother, listening to her soft and gentle purr.
"I love you, mama." she said.
Diata opened her eyes, making them look to her young, beautiful daughter. Together, the mother and daughter kept close to one another. It was a moment for them both, one that neither of them wished to end.
