Chapter XIX- Deep Jungle (Part 5)
"You are lucky that no major arteries got hit." Jane said inspecting Koga who is back at the camp with everyone else. Tarzan left a short while ago, probably to check on the gorillas. "Also it seems that your wound is healing very fast." She said astonished.
"Cool, can I go now?" Koga asked, getting antsy with Jane getting so close to his face.
"Wait, let me just bandage it first just in case" Jane said as she rummaged through the stuff finding the med kit with bandage wrapping. Koga sighed and turned to his brother. "So with the Heartless and Clayton taken care of, what now?"
"Beats me." Sora shrugged. "We still haven't found any other trace of Riku, Kairi, or the King."
"Maybe they aren't here anymore. If they left, we have to get a move on." Donald said.
"Well we can't give u- " Koga was cut off by a burning and stinging jolt of pain from his shoulder. He immediately bit into his sleeve letting out a muffled scream. Jane backed the rubbing alcohol away from the wound.
"Oh, sorry. I should have warned you before I disinfected it."
"Y-yeah, ya think!" Koga said voice cracking. Just then Tarzan entered the tent.
"Hiya Tarzan, how's the gorillas?" Goofy asked.
"Gorillas safe." Tarzan said.
"I'm just glad that everyone is safe. Except for..." Jane frowned thinking of Clayton. Everyone looked at her sadly. "Mr. Clayton wasn't the greatest of people but for him to go down such a dark path."
"I'm sorry Jane. We had to do what we had to do even if it I really didn't want to." Koga said with a serious tone. Killing the Heartless was one thing, they are mindless beasts, but today they killed a man. That doesn't set well in his stomach, or Sora's.
"Clayton, no friend." Tarzan said.
"C'mon Koga, don't let it get you down!" Goofy said with a half smile. "You gotta think on the bright side of things. We saved the gorillas."
"He's right." Jane said, finishing bandaging the shoulder. "If it wasn't for you, the gorillas would be at his mercy. So I thank you for what you've done."
During all this Tarzan nudged Sora and grunted, getting his attention. "Sora go see friends."
Sora's eyes widened "Wait, you mean..."
"The nesting grounds!" Jane exclaimed.
"Sora follow Tarzan?" the ape-man asked.
Sora didn't even need to ask the others. "Yes, lead the way!"
The group along with Jane hiked behind Tarzan who led them through the jungle once again, hopefully for the last time. With the storm and the Heartless gone, the jungle seemed lively again, and thanks to them it will stay that way. They eventually reached a waterfall and went behind it. There was a large cavern hidden there where the gorillas were. They looked at them startled but quickly calmed when they recognized who they were. With the roaring of the falls, the group follow silently through the caves. Jane could barely keep her excitement in, trying to stay calm to not startle them. Koga waved with his non bandaged arm and hand at the gorillas. They only grunted wildly in confusion. They even passed Kerchak who was still glaring at them, though slightly less angrily and there was even a glint of respect in his eyes. Kala was next to him giving a grateful smile at them. They passed they gorillas and went deeper into the cave, the way being illuminated by the sunlight leaking though the holes on the ceiling.
"Friends."
The group stopped and the twins snapped their heads forward excitedly. What they saw was a empty part of the cave covered all over in thick moss. There was a hole in the ceiling that pointed to a cave wall. Against said wall was the root of a very ancient looking tree. Luminous butterflies fly around, most of them bundle up against a part of the root. Nothing else was there. Koga and Sora looked around frantically.
"RIKU! KAIRI!" They called out. There was no answer just the echo of their voice.
"What's going on Tarzan!?" Koga said accusingly. "You said they were here!"
"*&&X%... friends here." Tarzan said gesturing to his chest.
"Koga..." Jane said putting a hand on his shoulder. "I think I understand now. Tarzan mistook the meaning of friends, thinking it meant something else." She pondered for a second. "When he says *&&X% I think 'heart' is what he actually meant."
"Heart?" Sora said. Now that he thinks about it it makes sense. But that means that their friends were never here. Koga sighed crestfallen.
"Heart... Friends... " Tarzan mumbled furrowing his eyebrows. He looked at the tree root. "Friends, same heart. Clayton, lose heart. No heart, no see friends."
Tarzan then pointed right at Sora's chest. "Friends in heart. Don't lose heart, don't lose friends."
Sora let out a small gasp then turned to Donald and Goofy. "So, we are still going to stick together after this right?"
"Of course!" Goofy said brightly. "Four heads work better than two!"
"That's not how the saying goes!" Donald said.
And then Koga started giggling out loud, trying to hold in his laughter. Some tears welled up in his eyes.
Sora looked at him confused. "What's so funny?"
"Hee hee, I-It's just... heh it's just that in the end, hee hee, we did find our friends. Us." He said between his giggles.
The group looked at him confused which then turned into realization, then it quickly turned to a smile, then to snickers until they were all laughing out loud. For a good minute they were laughing together no longer thinking about the friends that were still missing.
"Even if we didn't find Riku, Kairi, or the King we don't have to worry, they are always in our heart. We will find them together." Sora said brightly.
"As friends, and a team!" Donald said.
Just then Koga's Keyblade appeared, making him quickly stop laughing. He felt it tugging making it point right at the tree. The butterflies parted revealing a key shaped hole in the roots.
"What's going on?" Jane asked.
"I don't know!" Koga said just as confused as Jane.
Then, just like in Wonderland, a burst of light came from the Keyblade and entered the keyhole, make a lock sound, and popped something out before it vanished.
"A gummi block?" Donald said. He picked it up and examined it. "It came from that keyhole. It looks exactly like the one we found earlier."
"Guess the King really wasn't here." Goofy said.
"Does this mean you will be moving on?" Jane asked.
"Yeah, we still got a lot of places to look." Sora said.
"Well I wish you both the best of luck." She said. Tarzan grunted and nodded. "Tarzan does as well."
They said their goodbyes and made their way to their Gummi ship.
Maleficent and her dark allies looked at the image as they watched Sora, Koga, Donald, and Goofy leave the jungle world. They were still observing them as they go on their adventure.
"Whatever drew the Heartless to that world?" Jafar asked inquisitively. "Unless there is something you aren't telling us?"
Maleficent smiled but it held no warmth. "I had nothing to do with the Heartless appearing there. It was the hunter who lured them there. His darkness, the lust for power was the bait but it seemed that the bait was too much for him."
"Yeah!" Oogie Boogie laughed. "He got chomped instead!"
Jafar stepped forward. "Such a weak-hearted fool like him stood no chance against the heartless."
"Quiet ya bilge rat!" Capt. Hook said. "He wasn't weak he was just inexperienced. Just like the rest of us, we could've ended up like him if it wasn't for Maleficent showing us."
Hades chuckled. "Ha, feeling a little defensive aren't ya? Unlike the rest of us, you got no magic of your own. You're just a man like that hunter, vulnerable and very mortal." Hook growled in anger.
Jafar felt the conversation was going off track, ignoring the bigger picture. "Regardless, the boys have proven to be a problem. They already found two of the Keyholes."
Maleficent shook her head. "Fear not Jafar, it will take them ages to find the rest of them. Besides, they fight the Heartless believing they are actually dwindling their numbers."
"Thank's to your other underling, we have plenty of Heartless to spare." Jafar said. "By the way, why is it that you're hiding your recent guest from us? Why is that?"
"I have my reasons, just like you have your own reasons for being here. All will be achieved when we complete our plan."
"Yes, the Princesses." Ursula agreed.
Hiding in another nearby room were several glass caskets holding people inside them in a deep sleep. One of the recent additions contained a young blonde girl in a blue and white dress, unaware that Koga and Sora are looking for her.
"One by one they fall into our hands. Only 2 remain..." Maleficent cackled.
Finally done with the Deep Jungle world!
Now to never talk about this world again for the rest of the series, because Disney copyrights...
I'm a little excited for the next chapter because I got some interesting ideas that I can't wait for you to see.
Anyway, if you like what you see remember to Follow, Favorite, and leave a Review (please, I need the critical thoughts on my work!)
See you guys next time...
HAVE FUN!