A/N: Hello. :) I just thought I'd like to post this story for tonight. Although, it isn't entirely finished, but the first 3 chapters should be quite interesting. And I trust that the main cast would be equally surprising as well. In fact, it's as follows: Haley Joel Osment as Mowgli, Mae Whitman as Shanti, Bob Joles as Bagheera, Bill Murray as Balloo, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, and Idris Elba as Shere Khan. If you think that's surprising, wait until you see how this story begins, this time. Enjoy. :)
The Jungle Book
Chapter 1: Growing Up in The Jungle/Meeting at Council Rock
It all started in the jungles of India as a panther named Bagheera was roaming the Jungle by tree branch.
"Many strange legends are told of these jungles of India. But none so strange as the story of a small boy and girl named Mowgli and Shanti. It all began when the silence of the jungle was broken by an unfamiliar sound.", Bagheera narrated before he overheard said unfamiliar sound, which, in this case, were a couple of babies crying, before he stopped and turned to look before getting closer to the basket to get a better look.
"It was a sound like one never heard before in this part of the jungle.", Bagheera continued before he noticed two babies, one wrapped in a light blue blanket and the other in a light purple one, much to Bagheera's surprise.
"It was a couple of man-cubs. Had I known how deeply I was to be involved, I would have obeyed my first impulse and walked away.", Bagheera continued was about to walk away when the babies stopped crying and started giggling and cooing before Bagheera turned back, laid down on the branch and looked at them playfully.
"These man-cubs would have to have nourishment, and soon. It was many days travel to the nearest man-village and without a mother's care, they would soon perish. Then it occurred to me.", Bagheera continued as he grew worried about what to do before an idea came to him as it dissolved to show five wolf cubs playing as their mother, Raksha, was watching them, unaware that Bagheera just saw them from behind the bushes.
"A family of wolves I knew had been blessed with a litter of cubs", Bagheera added as he watched from the bushes while holding the two baskets as the wolves walked into their lair and put the baskets right before the entrance with the baby boy and girl laying silent, much to Bagheera's concern before he snuck closer to the baskets carefully and pushed the baskets to get them to make a sound, which took Bagheera by surprise as they instead looked up and have puzzled coos before Bagheera had to hide and fast.
Sure enough, the Wolves came out and took a look at Mowgli and Shanti as they then gave giggles and coos.
"I knew there'd be no problem with Raksha, the mother, thanks to the maternal instinct, but I wasn't so sure about Rama, the father.", Bagheera narrated as Rama came back from the forest, looked at the two man-cubs with a sniff and saw the smiling face of Raksha before looking back at cute Mowgli and Shanti again, making him smile as well as the wolf cubs wagged their tails.
Then, the wolves carried the baskets with baby Mowgli and baby Shanti into the wolf lair.
10 years later, Bagheera arrived on top of the perch to look down and see Mowgli and Shanti, both of which are now grown as the former had only red-orange underwear while his sister, Shanti had the same underwear as Mowgli, but in a light purple color and with a small, yet durable brassiere of the same color as they returned to the cave.
"10 times, the rains have come and gone. And I often stopped by to see how Mowgli and Shanti, the man-cubs, were getting along. They were favorites with all the young wolf cubs of the pack.", Bagheera narrated before Mowgli and Shanti made wolf howls.
Then, Mowgli and Shanti's brothers ran to them and pounced on them playfully before licking them.
"No man-cub was ever happier. And yet... I knew that... someday, they would have to go back to their own kind.", Bagheera narrated before night fell later with the full moon in view.
"Then..., one night, the wolf pack elders met at Council Rock because Shere Khan, the tiger, had returned to their part of the jungle. This meeting was to change the man-cub's entire future.", Bagheera added as it then showed a pack of wolves gathered at a rock with Bagheera on a tree branch nearby.
"Shere Khan will surely kill the man cubs Mowgli and Shanti and all who try to protect them. Now, are we all in agreement as to what must be done?", Amelia asked before the wolves nodded in response.
"Now, it is my unpleasant duty to tell the boy's father. Rama! Come over here, please.", Amelia spoke to one of the wolves named Rama, who walked up to Amelia anxiously.
"Yes, Akela?", Rama asked.
"The Council has reached its decision. The Man-cubs must leave the pack.", Amelia stated.
"Leave?", Rama asked in shock.
"I am sorry, Rama. There is no other way.
"But...but the man-cub are... well, they're like my own children. Surely, they're entitled to the rotection of the pack.", Rama spoke.
"But, Rama. Even the strength of the pack is no match for the tiger.", Amelia argued.
"They...they cannot survive alone in the jungle.", Rama spoke before Bagheera spoke up.
"Akela, perhaps I can be of help.", Bagheera assured as he then got off the branch and walked over to him.
"You, Bagheera? How?", Akela puzzled.
"I know a man-village where he'll be safe. We've taken many walks into the jungle together. I'm sure Mowgli and Shanti go with me.", Bagheera assured.
"So be it. Now, there's no time to lose. Good luck.", Akela spoke as Bagheera started off on what would be a long journey to the Man Village.
A/N: And so, the journey begins. I also added another surprise in the next chapter.
