Six times the rains would come upon the jungle, and for a while there would be peace. Reports of the tiger, Shere Khan, inhabiting the forest eventually dwindled, and soon the creatures of the woods found their bounties to be plentiful. There was enough water to go around, and the plants flourished underneath the orange skies.

At the edge of the forest sat the man-village. It was a lonely establishment, for the numbers of man had grown thin over the last decade. The village itself was just a solitary reminder of what had come before.

The buildings—or huts—did not even number twenty within the village. They were all situated in a circular shape, with a massive pit placed in the middle. Each night, the fire would be lit within the pit, and the flames would leap many feet into the air. Sparks would dance in the night, the shadows of the inhabitants would whoop and dance, and drinks would be passed around in the same frequency as stories and tall tales.

And in that village, Mowgli would learn the ways of man and grow among them.

But adulthood would still be just shy out of reach.

For one morning, on a day that began like any other, it started when Shanti swept into Mowgli's hut, pushing aside the drapery that marked the entrance. Shanti had annoyed look on her face as she entered the darkness of the hut as she made her way over to where Mowgli slept. The paler girl was still in bed, sleeping on her stomach, head turned away. Shanti gave a grumpy huff—the sun was already out and Mowgli was still dead to the world!

She knelt down and touched Mowgli's bare shoulder, which protruded from underneath the blanket that she slept. "Mowgli," she whispered.

The other girl grumbled in her sleep and gave a slight stir, but otherwise did not waken.

Shanti frowned and, now abandoning courtesy, gave Mowgli a firm shove. "Mowgli!"

Immediately, Mowgli sat up, her hair askew. "Huhh—wha?" she mumbled, her eyes half-open. The blanket fell off of her body and Shanti quickly blushed and turned away as she realized that Mowgli was naked underneath the blanket. This was a common occurrence with Mowgli and Shanti had come to accept it, but lately, the feelings of embarrassment and something just a bit deeper had come to arouse themselves within Shanti whenever she saw her friend nude.

"Um…" Shanti mumbled. "You're naked."

"Yeah," Mowgli yawned. "It's hot in here."

It's always hot in the jungle, Shanti was tempted to say, but she bit her tongue. Still, the quick peek at Mowgli's breast and soft nipple stayed etched in her mind. Quick, change the subject! "It's almost noon," she said. "We need to fetch the water for the village today. It's… it's our turn."

"Oh. Thought we were going to do that tomorrow."

Shanti resisted rolling her eyes. "It is tomorrow."

Mowgli yawned again and Shanti's eyes widened as she saw, out of the corner of her eye, the blanket become cast to the ground from Mowgli's kick. "Lemme get dressed," her friend continued to mumble. "You can stay, if you want."

Shanti stood, feeling like she was made of stone. "I'll… I'll wait outside," she mustered in a halting tone, knowing that if she turned around, she would see Mowgli fully nude, without a care in the world. Not that it mattered quite a bit—her first meeting with her friend was when she had washed up from the river, naked as the day she was born. In that time, she had seen Mowgli naked loads of times, but why was it that only recently she was getting these feelings of unease whenever she saw the other girl's bare skin? It felt like she was being gripped by the hand of desire, urging her to take some forbidden plunge.

She quickly got up and left the tent. There was a tree just in front of Mowgli's hut that she leaned against. Shanti surveyed the village—it was quiet at this part of the day. The men of the village had gone out hunting and the women and children were either napping or having their lunch. Things would pick up once the sun fell out of the tallest position in the sky, and the village would be buzzing with activity again.

There was a stir from within the hut and Mowgli exited, wearing a lovely blue sari. Henna tattoos made ringlets around Mowgli's bare arms, as well as her ankles—Shanti could see from the slits in the sari that Mowgli walked around barefoot. Mowgli had grown quite fond of the tattoos after seeing women of the village apply them—she would always issue a fresh coating every week or so. But Mowgli seemed uncomfortable wearing the sari—she always had that sort of reaction when it came to clothing, as if having nearly her whole body covered never sat right with her. It was something from her jungle upbringing that she had not yet shaken, much to the village's attempts to stamp it out of her.

Mowgli walked up to Shanti and brushed her hair with her fingers until it was somewhat presentable. "Hi," she managed an awkward smile.

Shanti found that it was incredibly hard to make eye contact with the way that Mowgli was staring at her. "Hi," she repeated meekly. Mowgli had grown quite tall in the years in the man-village, and quite strong. There was not that much body fat on the girl's arms, even at her young age. Her muscles looked soft yet there was definition that betrayed her strength. The young men of the village had already taken notice, but Mowgli had become quite adept at skirting away from any would-be suitor who tried to make himself even noticed by the former jungle girl. She did not have eyes for any of the men. There was only one person who she bothered to pay attention to, anyhow.

Shanti thought that Mowgli looked absolutely beautiful, but for some reason, she lacked the strength to say that to her friend outright.

There were some jugs nearby, for which Shanti was thankful for something else to concentrate on, and she handed one to Mowgli while she picked up another. "Here you go."

"You'll lead the way?" Mowgli asked, and there was something about her smile that Shanti found disarming. Heat rose in her throat and it was a struggle to tear her eyes from her friend.

"Y-Yeah," Shanti said as she placed the empty jug on her head as she started down the narrow path into the jungle.

Their hike proceeded in silence the rest of the way. The path was level here, with the trees relatively sparse. Dry grass intruded between the whitened trunks and leaves crunched underfoot as the two girls walked through the forest.

Several times during their hike did Shanti try to think of something to say to dispel the awkward silence. But everything that she was coming up with in her head she only knew would make things only more awkward.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the still pond from which the village's water was drawn. Filling the jugs took only a fraction of the time, and Shanti noticed Mowgli's muscles flex just so whenever the other girl rose to place the jug atop her own head. Shanti wondered if Mowgli could see her blushing furiously.

Now, they made to head back home, when she heard Mowgli say from behind, "Hey, we don't need to be back at the village until before dark, right?"

Instinctively, Shanti glanced upward. The sun was still high in the sky. It would be several hours until it set. "Yeah," she said.

"Well… you want to head to our spot for a bit? Cool ourselves off?"

If Shanti had been older she would have been able to detect an ulterior motive in the invitation, but as it was, she had to agree with Mowgli that it was quite hot outside and she would give anything for a chance to be free of the sun, if only for a little bit.

She set her jug down in the shadow of a thickly rooted tree and turned to face Mowgli, a smile of resignation on her face. "Why not?"

Mowgli beamed and set her jug down right next to Shanti's. And, before Shanti could say anything, Mowgli reached down, gripped her sari at the waist and, with a flourish, pulled it up over her head. She was not wearing anything underneath, and Mowgli tossed the sari atop the jugs, grinning broadly as she stood before Shanti, completely naked.

For several seconds, Shanti could not look away and she knew that her eyes were the size of dinner plates right about now. Mowgli was limber and fit—though young, her belly was lined with faint traces of muscle. More henna tattoos had been drawn between her breasts, which were firm and soft, and could be cupped nicely in a hand. Her body was completely hairless—she made it so with the assistance of a sharpened stone that she used twice a week, leaving her skin smooth and bare as a newborn's, especially at the junction where her groin was. She seemed to glow in the bright sunlight that filtered down through the trees and her sly smile sparkled as she took in her friend's stunned expression, enjoying having put her in this situation.

Shanti gave a painful swallow and her eyebrows furrowed in irritation as she forced herself to meet her best friend's eyes. Mowgli was always pulling this stunt! Always getting naked in the jungle when the two of them were alone! Initially, Shanti thought that Mowgli was simply reverting to her life in the jungle, wanting to be naked and free, but now, she sensed that lately, Mowgli had been stripping for more than just her own benefit. And that dumb smile on the jungle girl's face merely confirmed her suspicions.

Reaching out a hand, she playfully shoved Mowgli on the shoulder, forcing the taller girl a step back. "Just once, do you think you'll be able to wear some clothes while we're in the jungle?"

"Nope!" Mowgli said, already backpedaling down a side path that led deeper into the forest. "But what are you going to do about it?"

And with that, Mowgli turned, giving Shanti an ample view at her shapely butt and gave a cartwheel of victory, her legs spread to allow a quick peek at the slit between her legs. Mowgli straightened back and winked at Shanti. The barefooted young teen jogged down the path, leaving Shanti in the dust, at least until the other girl gave a huff, hiked up her skirt, and chased after her friend.

Mowgli was too quick for Shanti, though, and soon she lost sight of the naked girl past the forested corners of ferns and bushes. The vegetation here grew darker and thicker, with Shanti finding it harder to see, what with a few screens of mist moving in, turning everything damp. Water dripped from the waxy leaves of the bushes and soon Shanti felt the leavy walls close in as she tried to keep to the path as much as possible. "Mowgli?" she called, suddenly feeling all alone. "Mowgli, where are you!"

She heard a shout from overhead and Shanti whirled around. There was a blur of skin and Shanti ducked—Mowgli passed by just a foot overhead, clinging onto a vine, wearing the broadest smile the girl could possibly have. The naked girl swung onto the next vine, almost as if she were flying, her limber body carrying her through the air with ease. Her bare limbs kicked out into nothingness and she swung upon her perches in wide arcs around enormous trees, a fine sheen of sweat glistening on her skin.

Shanti stood back up, unable to stop herself from smiling as well. "Show off!" she called up to her swinging friend, for she lacked the strength or the courage to imitate such a feat.

Mowgli laughed as she made another pass by overhead. "Slowpoke!" she retorted before she leaped to another vine. "Come on, keep up!"

The nude girl deftly swung her way across the jungle, leaving Shanti alone once more. But renewed with a vigor, Shanti gritted her teeth in a tight smile, and hurried after her friend.

It only took her a few more minutes to reach what the two called "their spot," which was a little lake nestled in a small corner of the jungle. The lake was wider than their village, with a small moss-covered island in the center, and a towering waterfall near the back. Mowgli had found this place years ago by chance and she had shown it to Shanti. The kids promised to always keep this place a secret, for they liked having such a beautiful lake to call their own.

Mowgli was standing upon a boulder at the lake's edge, panting, but smiling in victory, her hands on her hips. She triumphantly straightened once she saw Shanti burst through the screen of bushes and waved an arm. "Looks like I win aga—"

She never got to finish her announcement, for Shanti had stormed over to Mowgli, closing the gap, and shoved her friend so hard that Mowgli was sent into the water with a cry of surprise. Mowgli soon surfaced and spat out a mouthful of water. "What was that for?"

"You never said we were racing," Shanti said, her arms crossed, trying her best to look superior to the naked kid who was treading water below her.

"You would have said no," Mowgli shrugged. "Now, get in!"

Shanti considered saying no to Mowgli's request. Even though she had worked up a sweat herself, chasing her friend all over the jungle, she was hesitant at removing her clothes to get into the water. Mowgli knew this, of course, for why else would she have suggested going swimming?

Then why had she agreed to this at all? Shanti thought.

She decided to torment her friend a little. "I figured I'd just lay down on this rock for a while," she said in a sing-song voice, slowly beginning to kneel down.

Mowgli made a whine and splashed water on Shanti. "Come on, it's not like I've never seen you naked, before."

That was true, but something still gripped Shanti to reason. As if she were to get in that water, her life as she knew it was going to change forever.

But, she was still a kid. And children at Shanti's age were not known for making good decisions.

With a dramatic sigh, Shanti reached down and yanked her sari over her head, the same as Mowgli had just done. She was wearing just a pair of underpants on underneath, but there was an exquisite swath of smooth brown skin, budding breasts with dark nipples, and a lean body. Shanti blushed as she initially covered her breasts with her hands, but eventually succumbed to the idea that Mowgli was going to see her no matter what. With another sigh of finality, she bent down and removed her underpants, letting Mowgli see the soft folds at the junction of her legs, which were also bereft of hair.

Quickly, Shanti dove into the water in a graceful arc, just over Mowgli's head. At least her body would be obscured this way. She kicked her way to the surface, her long black hair streaming behind her like a fan. She wiped water from her eyes, blinking, and saw that Mowgli was treading water just feet away.

"I'm glad you're out here," Mowgli said, heart thudding in her chest.

"I'm glad, too," Shanti admitted.

Mowgli let out a low sigh. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to get you out here," she said. And before Shanti could ask as to what that meant, Mowgli dove under the surface and grabbed Shanti's bare foot with a hand as she swam by, eliciting a squeal from her friend.

"You brat! Get back here!"

And so it went. The children chased each other around the lake, making several circuits of the island in the middle, fastidiously trying to catch one another in a game of tag. Eventually, they forgot they were naked together. They were just two friends—the best of friends—having the time of their lives out in the wilderness. After they had bored of the game, they walked up to the waterfall, braving the torrents of mist and spray, and stood directly underneath the towering falls, laughing and screaming in turn as their nude bodies were pummeled by the angry water. Their feet danced upon the slippery rocks and they held onto one another, skin against skin, water running down their backsides and butts and pooling in their toes. Mowgli even snuck a kiss against Shanti's cheek, as she tended to do from time to time, but this time, instead of shying away, she leaned into the affection, blushing as she did so.

After they were thoroughly battered from standing underneath the waterfall, the naked girls hurled themselves back into the lake again. The sun was bathing down on them, so they swam to the small, moss-covered island to bask in the light for a bit. The children brought themselves out, dripping water, smiling nervously at one another. Then, they laid back down on their backs, the light causing Mowgli's paler skin to almost glow.

After fifteen minutes had passed did Mowgli finally work the courage to speak up. She turned on her side, taking a moment to ogle her naked friend, which Shanti, having cracked an eye open upon detecting the noise of movement next to her, definitely noticed. She too was staring at Mowgli, particularly her supple breasts and the rather delicious looking gap between her legs, which in turn gave her stomach a brutal throb.

"Can I…" Mowgli swallowed, raising a hand over Shanti's stomach. "Can I please touch you?"

Shanti considered pulling away at the request and she closed her legs unconsciously. But, a smile lingered on her face and, despite what that little voice in her head had been warning her against for the entire morning, she seemed to shrug. She turned so that she was now also on her side, allowing Mowgli's hands to come to her hips while she in turn threw her arms over her friend.

The two girls were nearly quivering with nerves, their breath in fluttering gasps. Their noses were nearly touching and their skin was hot to the touch. They could feel the racing pulses through their bodies and it soon dawned on them that being naked together was only natural, Shanti's previous embarrassment forgotten.

"Shanti…" Mowgli whispered, her braggadocio for the moment fading, "…I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"I think… I think I'm in love with you."

The truth was simple and obvious, and though Shanti had deduced long ago that Mowgli felt this way, the admission was enough to make a knot in her chest relax. No more tip-toing around. No more furtive measures. It was all out in the open, now.

It was Mowgli's courage that allowed the truth to spill from her own voice, even now: "I think I love you too, Mowgli."

Mowgli's hands tightened upon Shanti's hips and little gasps of delight squirmed between the two girls as they lay there on that tiny island together. Their smiles grew big and beautiful and they were barely able to contain their joy.

But the moment, as all things do, was about to fade as Shanti's expression grew glum and she had to break eye contact. "Though… I don't know if it's right. I mean… we're… you know…"

"Girls?" Mowgli finished for her.

Shanti nodded.

"So what?" Mowgli asked.

"The village… I don't know if they will accept us. Being together, I mean."

Mowgli drew Shanti in closer so that their bellies were just brushing the other's. "If they cast us out, there's a whole jungle out there. You'll be with me. I'll protect you. I lived it before."

Shanti knew that Mowgli meant every single word and her heart gave a swell at that.

"Is it safe out there, Mowgli?" she asked, meaning the jungle.

The jungle girl's expression blanked and Shanti realized that she had touched a part of Mowgli that had not been brought up in a while. All the time they had been together, Shanti had never bothered to ask why Mowgli had not wanted to go back to the jungle at all.

But Mowgli perked up a little bit, a false confidence. "We'll be safe as long as we're together."

"Well," Shanti said, "you survived. And you were littler then. How bad could it be?" When she saw Mowgli's lips purse at that, Shanti sensed there was more to the story. "What happened in the jungle, Mowgli? When I found you in the river, you were completely naked. You were shivering and exhausted."

"I was running," Mowgli whispered, suddenly feeling cold.

"Running from what?"

"From the jungle. And the creatures that lived in it. Oh, Shanti… I don't know how to say this…"

"You can tell me, Mowgli. I'm your friend and I love you."

Now the poor jungle girl, this young child that was not yet a woman, gave a quivering sigh that turned into a moan.

"Shanti… they had sex with me."

Of all the things that would have been divulged, Shanti did not expect this. "Oh, Mowgli…" she whispered, brushing the girl's face, wiping away a tear that had begun to perch at the other girl's eye.

"They raped me, Shanti. No one was there to protect me in the jungle. I tried to get away, but they always caught me. Always forced me to…" she had to take a swallow, "…to mate with them."

Suddenly, the situation of being nearly tangled up in one another while naked seemed vastly inappropriate once again to Shanti. She tried to pull away, if only to be respectful, but Mowgli held tight.

"Stay with me," she begged Shanti.

"You poor thing," Shanti whispered. "You've been so hurt for so long. I… what kind of friend would I be if I took advantage of you right now? I want to be with you, Mowgli, I really do. And I can't imagine the pain you went through in the jungle. They raped you… oh, Mowgli, I could weep for you. I should weep for you! I need to share this pain with you, because I love you and I need you to know you are not alone."

"Don't," Mowgli vigorously shook her head. "Don't share my pain. Share my joy."

"But it's—"

"I made a promise," Mowgli continued, "that I would never be raped again. And if I were to ever have sex again, it would be on my terms. With someone I love."

And with that, Mowgli brought her head forward and pressed her lips against Shanti's in a passionate kiss.

There was a brief jolt of surprise from the other girl, but not for long. For Shanti also brought herself in closer, holding Mowgli tight, returning the kiss with vigor. In no time, their bodies were slowly moving against each other, their legs making a tangle as they rolled this way and that upon the soft moss, their mouths already open as their tongues slid upon the other in their frantic kissing.

Time seemed to come to a standstill as the naked girls made the island their bed. Their hands explored all over the bodies of their partners, grabbing at breasts, buttocks, and brushing against the folds of their cunts, causing each other to gasp explosively in pleasure. Mowgli moved herself downward so that she could take one of Shanti's nipples in her mouth—she sucked at the hardening bud and Shanti held the girl's head to her breast, her breaths coming so short they sounded painful.

Soon, Shanti gave a roll and she was now atop Mowgli. The jungle girl's hands were cupping Shanti's well-rounded rear, emitting a blush from the other child. Tentatively, Shanti bent her head down and kissed Mowgli's breast, her tongue snaking out of her mouth with uncertainty so that she could lick Mowgli's nipple. The cooing noise that Mowgli was making indicated that she was enjoying this, so Shanti began kissing lower down Mowgli's body. Between her breasts. Upon her stomach. Tongue dipping into her belly button. Licking her abdomen. And finally… her head was between Mowgli's legs, lips positioned just over Mowgli's cunt, her breath against her folds producing an agonizing ache the jungle girl had never before experienced.

"Oh, Shanti," Mowgli groaned as she covered her eyes with her arms as she stretched out in anguish, "please…"

"Just a second," Shanti said. There was a splash as she had to get herself into the water to be oriented properly. She grabbed at Mowgli's hips and dragged her friend forward until half of Mowgli's calves were in the lake. She kissed Mowgli's thighs, enjoying her friend squirming at being teased so mercilessly.

Mowgli was now giggling almost uncontrollably, her hands covering her eyes, for she did not know what else to do with them. She was just waiting for her aching body to find relief in the comfort of Shanti's mouth. The fact that there was a loud splash just where Shanti was did not help matters much, especially as a drizzle of cool lake water splattered against Mowgli's skin, causing her to jolt in surprise.

"Oh, stop it," she moaned. "Please… just kiss me… right there…"

Fortunately, she was not left waiting any longer, for she felt something lick deep within her folds, brushing her clitoris, and Mowgli arched her back, eyes still closed, sighing a deep sigh of pleasure.

"Oh yeah… right there…"

The mouth closed against Mowgli's pubis and began to suck mercilessly, the tongue at her folds swirling hard against her clit. Mowgli felt herself grow wet in an instant, certain that she was dripping with need. Yet, she frowned, for Shanti's mouth did not feel as she expected. Huh, she's colder than I would have thought. And such light flicks from her tongue. Maybe she's nervous. Still, she enjoyed the sensations, knowing that her best friend was doing this to her. And now her lover. They would get to do this all the time, now. They would make love anywhere they could, now that they were no longer keeping secrets. Already Mowgli was thinking of where they could have sex next—she could show Shanti more of the forest, they would have sex in the trees, in the fruit groves, in the—

Mowgli had clenched her thighs instinctively on Shanti's head as the building orgasm in her began to reach a boiling point, which was streaming down her legs and into her toes.

Only, when the flesh of her thighs closed on the head in between her legs, she did not feel warm skin there.

It was cold. Cold and scaley.

Mowgli's eyes flashed open and she sat up, just as her orgasm approached.

As she began to squirt, she saw only the yellow beady eyes peer up above her abdomen, the large maw of which was clamped down upon her cunt, gulping down her orgasm. Fluid continued to shoot past the mouth and splattered the moss and rock upon which Mowgli sat as she grew completely frigid with horror as she saw that it was Kaa that was eating her out!

Kaa…

"NO!" Mowgli screamed as she scrambled backwards off the rock, still coming and coating the island with her ejaculate. "NO, NO!"

Mowgli clawed herself backwards so frantically that she dropped off the island entirely and into the water, where she somersaulted and lost her bearings for a moment. She surfaced, spluttering and coughing—Kaa had reared up on the other side of the island, smacking his lips.

"Hmm… you taste better than ever, girl-cub," he preened, snickering to himself as he watched the naked child get herself situated in the water. "It's been a while since we've seen each other—I almost thought you had forgotten me."

Wiping wet hair out of her eyes, Mowgli gave a snarl as her body began to cramp from fear, remembering how Kaa had violated her in the past, despite having just orgasmed.

"No matter," Kaa sighed idly. "Now that I have a taste for your kind, I'm sure your 'friend' will prove to be a satisfactory substitute." And Mowgli could now see, just past Kaa's raised head, that Shanti was suspended over the water, loops of coils wrapping her up from hip to neck, gagging her so that she could not talk. He had tied her up when Mowgli hadn't been looking, thinking that her best friend had been going down on her instead of the snake.

But Mowgli was still free. "Shanti!" she screamed, but Kaa was already slithering away, yanking away his prize faster than the jungle girl could swim and, five seconds later, they had disappeared into the deep and dark jungle.

Mowgli pounded the water as she stroked her way to shore. She drew herself up, water dripping from her bare flesh, as she leaped into the bushes, leaves scratching at her belly, and clambered up the nearest fallen tree, bare feet upon rotting wood. A vine was in front of her and she grabbed for it, the icy winds slicing at her skin as she took after the snake in hot pursuit, desperate to save Shanti!

TP: Sorry for the delay. Please leave a review for the chapter if you like it! :)