Chapter Twenty-Nine: Welcome to India Jungle: Law of the Jungle
"Now this is an odd world" Max said as they walked down a jungle trail they landed on.
"Well when compared to a lost city, a haunted mansion, a kitchen and a ship full of space pirates this world seems by far the most normal" Jason said.
"Wait, what's that?" Max asked as they felt the ground starts shaking rhythmically.
"Look over there!" Jason said as they saw a pack of Elephants.
"Hup, two, three, four! Keep it up, two, three, four! Hup, two, three, four! Keep it up, two, three, four! Hup, two, three, four!"
"Are those animals talking?" Max said.
"Sounds like it" Jason said as he looks up and spots a small boy in a tree with a black panther as the young Mowgli wakes up.
"A parade!" Mowgli said.
"Oh, no! The Dawn Patrol again" Bagheera groaned as Mowgli climbs down on the ground to look closer.
"Company... sound off!" Coronel Hathi yelled as the Elephants begin to sing.
"Oh, the aim of our patrol."
"Is a question rather droll."
"For to march and drill! Over field and hill" they sang as they all blew their trunks to make a group trumpet.
"Is a military goal!" Coronel Hathi said.
"Is a military goal!" the other Elephants sang.
"They're good" Jason said.
"With a hup, two, three, four~! Dress it up, two, three, four! By the ranks or single file! Over every jungle mile! Oh we stamp and crush! Through the underbrush!"
At the back of the pack a small baby elephant blew his own trunk.
"In the military style!" Hathi Jr. sang.
"In the military style!"
"Uh oh" Jason said spotting Mowgli approach the baby elephant.
"Hello, what are you doing?" Mowgli asked.
"Shhhh! Drilling" Hathi Jr. whispered.
"Can I do it too?" Mowgli whispered.
"Sure, just do what I do, but don't talk in rank, it's against regulations" Hathi Jr. said.
"An Elephant Military, now I know why this world is odd too the animals talk" Jason said to Max who nodded as they watched Mowgli walks after Hathi Jr. in the rear of the file.
"To the rear... March!" Hathi Jr. said as they walk to the rear, Hathi Jr. and Mowgli collide.
"The other way, turn around" Hathi Jr. said.
"Hup, two, three, four! Keep it up, two, three, four! To the rear... Ho! Company... Halt!" Coronel Hathi yelled as Mowgli collides with Hathi Jr. again.
"That means "stop"." Hathi Jr. said.
"Company... Left face!" Coronel Hathi yelled.
"March, march, march, my feet are killing me" Winifred said.
"I am putting in for a transfer to another herd" another Elephant said.
"Silence in the ranks!" Coronel Hathi yelled as he walks around the rank.
"Dress up that line!" he said as the Elephants raise their rears.
"Pull it in, Winifred" he said slapping her rear with a stick he held with his trunk
"OH!" Winifred said as Coronel Hathi walks back to front.
"Inspection... arms!" he yelled as the Elephants stick their trunks out.
"Wow amazing how much the kingdom could use a Coronel like that" Max said.
"Stick your nose out" Hathi Jr. whispered to Mowgli.
"Like this?" Mowgli asked sticking his nose out.
"That's right."
"Tsk-tsk-tsk, dusty muzzle, soldier, remember in battle that trunk can save your life, take good care of it, my man" Coronel Hathi said to an elephant.
"Yes, Sir!"
"Very good, carry on" Coronel Hathi said as he looks at another Elephant who is chewing on some grass.
"Ahem! Hmm, let's have a little more spit and polish on those bayonets!"
"Yes, Sir!"
"Esprit de Corps! That's the way I earned my commission in the Maharaja's pachyderm brigade. Back in '88 it was, or was it?" Coronel Hathi began.
"Here it comes, the Victoria-cross bit again" Winifred said to another elephant.
"It was then I received the Victoria Cross for bravery above and beyond the call of duty. Ha-ha! Those were the days! Discipline. Discipline was the thing. Builds character and all that sort of thing-" Coronel Hathi said leaning on his small bamboo stick as a loud snap of the small bamboo stick Hathi leaned on interrupts his speech "Oh.. Where was I? Oh, yes. Inspection" he said as as he looks at another elephant.
"Well, very good" he said moving on to a elephant with a smile. "Wipe off that silly grin, soldier. This is the army!"
"I wonder where the keyhole for this place might be" Jason said looking around as Coronel Hathi moves to the next elephant and kills a fly buzzing above his head with the bamboo stick.
"Ahem. Eyes front" he said moving to the next soldier, "Tsk-tsk-tsk, Lieutenant, that haircut is not regulation, rather on the gaudy side, don't you think?" he said as he cuts his hair short using his bamboo stick, "There. That's better."
"Wow these sticks are sharp" Jason said picking up a bamboo stick.
"And as for you-" Coronel Hathi said looking down at Hathi Jr, "-oh, there you are. Heh-heh-heh. Let's keep those heels together, shell we, son?"
"Okay Pop... Sir!" Hathi Jr. said.
"That's better" Coronel Hathi moving to Mowgli, "Well, new recruit, eh? Ha-ha-ha... I say, what happened to your trunk?" he said as he pushes Mowgli's face with his stick.
"Hey, stop that!" Mowgli yelled as Coronel Hathi sputters.
"A man-cub! This is treason! Sabotage! I'll have no man-cub in my jungle!" Coronel Hathi yelled picking up Mowgli with his trunk
"It's not your jungle!" Mowgli said.
"Uh-oh!" Jason said about to go help as Bagheera arrives fast.
"Hold it! Hold it, I can explain, Hathi!" Bagheera said.
"Colonel Hathi, if you please, sir!"
"Oh, yes, yes. Colonel Hathi, the man-cub is with me, I'm taking him back to the man-village" Bagheera said.
"To stay?" Coronel Hathi said.
"You have the word of Bagheera."
"Good, and remember, an elephant never forgets" Coronel Hathi said as he turns to leave setting Mowgli down.
"Humph! I don't know what the army's coming to. These young whippersnappers, who do they think they are?" he said as he notices all the elephants are dosing by now, but wake up as soon as Hathi commands.
"Ahem! Let's get on with it, right face! Forward... march!"
"Dear, haven't you forgotten something?" Winifred said.
"Nonsense, Winifred, old girl. An elephant never forgets" Coronel Hathi said.
"Well, you just forgot our son."
"Ah yes.. Son? Son?" he turns to see Hathi Jr. playing with Mowgli "Oh yes, quite right.. To the rear... march!"
"When I grow up, I'm gonna be a colonel. Just like my-" Hathi Jr. said to Mowgli but got picked up by Coronel Hathi.
"If I told you once, I've told you a thousand times-" he began as Hathi Jr. sees the other elephants marching into Hathi's rear.
"Pop! Look out!"
"Uh-oh!" Jason said winching as he and Max watch the Elephants crash and were now in a large pile.
"Gee, Pop. You forgot to say 'halt'." Hathi Jr. said.
"Ha-ha-ha, he said an elephant never forgets" Mowgli laughed.
"It's not funny, let's get out of here quick before anything else happens-" Bagheera began a Unversed began to appear all looking like tropical birds and monkeys.
(A.N. Here is where you search this on youtube (KH: Birth By Sleep - Wheel Master Boss Music ( ) this will be the battle theme for this fight)
"Bagheera! It's them again!" Mowgli said.
"Mowgli run!" Bagheera yelled as Jason and Max moved in front of them with their backs to them and weapons drawn.
"You guys go hide we got these guys!" Jason said.
"Ya! Ha! Take this!" Jason yelled attacking two unversed monkeys.
"Huh! Ha! Ya! Like that!" Max yelled striking some of the Unversed.
"Magnera!" Jason yelled using the spell as all the Unversed got caught in the magic ball above Jason.
"Ya! Ha! Take that!" Max yelled attacking the spinning Unversed.
"Thundera!" Jason yelled using the spell to finish the remaining Unversed.
"Is it just me or are they getting easier to get rid?" Max asked.
"No I noticed it too, we must be getting stronger" Jason said.
"Man, are you from the Man Village?" Bagheera asked approaching them.
"Um sorry were from another Man Village very far from here" Jason said.
"My name is Bagheera and that boy over there is Mowgli, I need to get him back to his Man Village before Shere Khan gets him" Bagheera said.
"Who Shere Khan?" Max asked.
"A tiger who hates man and will kill Mowgli if he gets him" Bagheera said.
"Kill him!" Jason said horrified.
"As you can see I am running out of time and with those strange creatures slowing us down Shere Khan will get the man cub" Bagheera said.
"So you want us to help you escort Mowgli to his village?" Jason asked.
"If it's not too much to ask" Bagheera said.
"Okay, we'll help, I'm Jason and this is Max."
"It is a pleasure to meet you both, now we must go time is against us" Bagheera said.
Soon they were run through the jungle as Jason and Max ran to keep up with the panther like Mowgli.
"Bagheera, where are we going?" Mowgli asked.
"You're going back to the man-village right now" Bagheera said.
"I am not going" Mowgli said.
"Oh, yes you are."
"I am staying right here" Mowgli said sitting at the trunk of a tree.
"Oh boy" Jason sighed.
"You're going if I have to drag you every step away!" Bagheera said as Mowgli holds at a small tree while Bagheera tries to get him off it and drag away by pulling on his red short.
"Let go, you-" Bagheera muffled.
"You, let go of me!" Mowgli said as Bagheera lets go and falls into water and while getting up, hits his head against a log.
"Are you okay?" Max asked.
"Oh, that does it! I've had it, man-cub, from now on, you're on your own, ALONE!" Bagheera growled.
"Don't worry about me" Mowgli said as Bagheera leaves and Mowgli walks aimlessly away.
"Mowgli! Bagheera! Oh! Okay Max you followed Bagheera and try to calm him down and I will make sure Mowgli satay out of trouble" Jason sighed.
"Got it" Max said running in the direction Baheera went.
"Bagheera wait!" Max called to Bagheera who was still walking away.
"Ah, foolish man-cub!" Bagheera growled.
"He's a kid he doesn't understand the danger he is in Bagheera we need to be patient and drag his butt there" Max said.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Mowgli wait!" Jason said as he see Mowgli sits down near some rock with his head low until, "look I don't like being the bad guy here but you have to understand your on danger if you-" he began as they hear the sounds from nearby bushes as Baloo comes in singing.
"Doo-bee doo-bee doo-bee dee-doo. Well, it's a doo-bah-dee-do. Yes, it's a doo-bah-dee-do. I mean a doo-be doo-bee doo-be. Doo-be doo-bee doo. And with-" Baloo sang as he see Mowgli and Jason, "Well now, ha-ha! What have we here?"
"What do we look like?" Jason said sarcastically as Baloo sniffs them both, "uh what are you doing?"
"Hmm.. Hey, what a funny little bit of a-" Baloo began as Mowgli slaps him "Ow!"
"Go away!" Mowgli said.
"Oh boy, I've seen everything in these woods, what have I run on? What a pretty thing this is!" Baloo said.
"Leave me alone" Mowgli said.
"Yeah get lost bear" Jason said.
"Well now, that's pretty big talk, little britches" Baloo said.
"Little?" Jason said raising an eyebrow.
"I'm big enough" Mowgli said as he starts hitting Baloo in the tummy repeatedly but Baloo doesn't almost notice that.
"Oi" Jason sighed covering his face his hand and shaking his head.
"Ha-ha.. tsk-tsk-tsk. Pitiful. Hey, kid, you need help. And old Baloo is gonna learn you to fight like a bear, now come on, I'm gonna show you. Grrr" Baloo said as he starts to dance around and Mowgli too, mimicking Baloo's moves, "Ha-ha. Yeah! All right now kid, loosen up, get real loosen, then start to weave, weave a little, now move, that's it. Now give me a big bear growl, scare me!"
"Grrr" Mowgli said making a barely audible growl.
"That was a growl?" Jason said taking a seat on a tree log.
"Tsk-tsk-tsk. Oh boy, I'm talking about like a big bear!" Baloo said as he makes a very loud roar which rocks the jungle to the bottom and even Bagheera who was walking away all this time with Max try to convince him to reconsider as they hear it.
"What was that?!" Max said.
"He's in trouble! I shouldn't have left him alone!" Bagheera said.
"We need to hurry!" Max said summoning his Dream Sword as they run back to Mowgli and Jason.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Grrr" Mowgli growled as Jason watched with amsument.
"GRRR!" Baloo growled back.
"Grrr."
"A big one, right from your toes" Baloo said.
"How's that?" Mowgli asked as Bagheera and Max arrives.
"Oh you two arrived in time" Jason chuckled.
"Grrr!" Mowgli growled again.
"Ha-ha-ha, ya, you're getting it, kid" Baloo chuckled.
"Who is that?" Max asked.
"Oh no! It's Baloo! That shiftless stupid jungle bum" Bagheera groaned.
"So that is his name" Jason said as he watched Baloo and Mowgli dance around again.
"Weave about, now look for an opening. Keep movin', keep" Baloo said as Mowgli takes some swings at Baloo's nose but misses.
"Ha-ha! Ya, you're getting it kid, ha-ha. Come on, that's it. Ha-ha-ha! He's a dandy!" Baloo said as he playfully slaps Mowgli which sends him rolling around and leaves him knocked out on the ground.
"Oh that had to hurt" Jason winced.
"Heh-heh. Fine teacher you are, old Iron Paws" Bagheera chuckled.
"Oh thanks, Bagheera" Baloo said.
"Yeah, tell me, tell me after you knock your pupil senseless, how do you expect him to remember the lesson?" Bagheera said raising an eyebrow at him.
Mowgli at this time already came to and sits on the ground, shaking head.
"Well, I, I didn't mean to lay it on him so hard" Baloo said as Mowgli walks to Baloo, though kinda unsteadily.
"I'm not hurt. I'm all right. I'm a lot tougher than some people think" Mowgli said.
"You better believe it! Now let's go once more. Now you keep ciclin' or I'm gonna knock your roof in again, you better keep movin'-" Baloo said as Mowgli hits Baloo into lower jaw, "Ooph!" he grunted as he playfully falls down, "Hey! Right on the button!"
"Well done Mowgli you took out the Jungle Bum" Jason said playfully clapping.
Mowgli then climbs on Baloo, occasionally tickling him with his feet.
"Ah, ha-ha, no, no-no, now you're tickling. ha-ha-ha!" Baloo laughed as Mowgli starts tickling him deliberately, "No, no, we don't do that here, no cheating, no, you're tickling, I can't stand tickling, heh-heh-heh. Help, Bagheera!"
"Now that's all he needs more confidence" Bagheera said.
"Give up, Baloo?" Mowgli asked.
"I give up, I told ya. Oh, I give-" Baloo laughed as Mowgli stops, "Hey, ha-ha. You know something? You're all right, kid. What do they call you?"
"Mowgli. And he's going back to the man-village right now, Jason Max and I need to get him there right now" Bagheera said,
"Man-village? They'll ruin 'im! They'll make a man out of 'im" Baloo said.
"Isn't that the point? So he can grow up to get stronger?" Jason said.
"Oh, Baloo, I want to stay here with you!" Mowgli said.
"Certainly you do" Baloo said.
"Oh? And just how do you think you will survive?" Bagheera said.
" 'How do you think you will' - What do you mean 'How do you think you will'? He's with me, any, and I'll learn him all I know" Baloo said.
"You mean 'you will teach him all you know' and Baloo stay out of this!" Max said.
"Well, heh, that shouldn't take too long" Bagheera said as Baloo glares at Bagheera and then turns to Mowgli.
"Look, now it's like this, little britches. All you've got to do is..." Baloo said as he began to sing, "Look for the bare necessities. The simple bare necessities. Forget about your worries and your strife. I mean the bare necessities, Are Mother Nature's recipes. That bring the bare necessities of life. Wherever I wander. Wherever I roam. I couldn't be fonder. Of my big home" Baloo sang cracking a coconut on his head as Mowgli tried and ended up hurting his head and rubbing it.
"The bees are buzzing in the tree. To make some honey just for me. When you look under the rocks and plants. And take a glance at the fancy ants. Then maybe try a few..." he said lifting a big rock and licking up some of the ants.
"You eat ants?" Mowgli said.
"Ha-ha, you better believe it! And you're gonna love the way they tickle" he said dropping the rock as the rock almost falls on Mowgli as Baheera, Max and Jason eyes widen in horror.
"Mowgli, look out!" They yelled as the rock slammed down and Mowgli is unharmed sitting next to it.
"The bare necessities of life will come to you."
"When?" Mowgli asked trying to catch an ant.
"They'll come to you!" Baloo sand knocking some bananas down from a tree and catching them.
"Look for the bare necessities. The simple bare necessities. Forget about your worries and your strife. I mean the bare necessities. That's why a bear can rest at ease. With just the bare necessities of life!" he sang as the tree sent a pile of bananas falling on Mowgli as Baloo went over to a cactus and began to pick them with his claws.
"Now when you pick a paw-paw or a prickly pear" he sang as Mowgli reaches for one of the small cactus and pricks his fingers.
"Ow!"
"And you prick a raw paw. Well, next time beware. Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw. When you pick a pear try to use the claw. But you don't need to use the claw. When you pick a pair of the big paw-paw. Have I given you a clue?" he said throwing a mango at Mowgli.
"Golly, thanks, Baloo!"
"Paw-paw, ha! Of all the silly gibberish" Bagheera said as Baloo pulls Bagheera by the tail.
"Come on, Baggy, get with the beat! The bare necessities of life will come to you."
"They'll come to me!" Mowgli sang.
"They'll come to you!" Baloo said walking on all four carrying Mowgli onhis back.
"I like this song" Max said.
"Where in the hell is that music coming from?" Jason said looking behind a tree for the source of the music.
"That is a good question" Max said looking around.
"How 'bout scratchin' that old left shoulder while you're up there, Mowgli? Now just a hair lower.. There, right there. That's it. Ahh.." Baloo said as Mowgli scratched his back, "This is beautiful. That's good. Kid, we've got to get to a tree, this calls for some big scratch!" he said going over a tree.
"You're lots of fun, Baloo!" Mowgli laughed as Baloo is now scratching against a tree.
"Right on it.. Yeah! That's delicious! Oh, ooo! Just a little bit-mmm.. yeah.. ha-ha.. ooo." He said as he pulls the tree from the ground finally and scratches by its trunk.
"That bear got some major fleas" Jason said.
"Mm... mmm... ha-ha.. ooo. yeah!" Baloo said now satisfied, lets himself fall into water.
"Oh man, this is really livin'. So just try and relax. Yeah" he said as Mowgli slides down from a rock and gets on his tummy.
"Where are they going?" Jason said as he and Max followed them on the river while Bagheera followed by the trees.
"Cool it. Fall apart in my back yard. 'Cause let me tell you something little britches. If you act like that bee acts, uh-uh. You're working too hard. And don't spend your time looking around for something you want, that can't be found."
"When you find out you can live without it. And go along not thinking about it. And I'll tell you something true. The bare necessities of life will come to you!"
"Uh Bagheera where are you going?" Max asked as he and Jason saw Bagheera walking away.
"Ahh.. I give up. Well I hope his luck holds out" Bagheera said.
"Okay I'll go get him" Max groaned following.
"Baloo! Baloo! We really need to get him back to his village!" Jason yelled running down the river after the two.
"Mowgli, how 'bout you singing?" Baloo asked as they both began to sing.
"Look for the bare necessities, The simple bare necessities, Forget about your worries and your strife."
"Yeah, man!" Mowgli sang.
"I mean the bare necessities, That's why a bear can rest at ease. With just the bare necessities of life."
"Yeah!"
"With just the bare necessities of life!"
"Yeah, man!"
"Ha-ha-ha. Beautiful. That's real jungle harmony" Baloo said.
"I like being a bear" Mowgli said,
"That's my boy. You're gonna make one swell bear. Why, you even sing like one" Baloo said.
"Ugh! This is going to be a long day" Jason sighed unaware that downstream, monkeys above plot Mowgli's stealing.
A.N. Please Review.