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Episode XIV (14): Deep Jungle Deep Trouble

Clayton walked into the throne room of the Dark Masters and he asked kneeling before them, "Why would you call me at this point?"

Turbo commented, "We have a rodent problem."

Clayton scoffed. "If it's that mouse Basil, hire Ratigan."

Maleficent cleared her throat. "Perhaps I can clarify the matter. It's regarding those children."

Clayton was still disinterested. "With due respect, I'm a poacher, not a kidnapper."

Turbo stated, "One of them has a dog and one of the boys has a pet hamster."

Clayton commented, "Those pets mean nothing."

Frollo replied, "I have been hearing that you can kill those brats. Be careful with the mentally unstable magpie."

Clayton asked, "Why?"

Maleficent figured she knew how to change Clayton's mind. "I'll make you a deal. If you can capture those children and bring them to our castle, you will be handsomely rewarded. We'll even increase your payment if you can kill them."

If there was one think Clayton couldn't refuse, it was a chance for a bountiful reward. "I suppose if I make money either way," he was saying silently. "I'd be a fool to pass this up."

"Indeed," said Jafar. "Oh, and you had best not fail us or do anything to betray us. We don't look kindly upon such actions."

Clayton began to think about it and he asked, "What am I facing up against?"

A minion came and presented Clayton with a folder containing information about the heroes.

Clayton asked, "What am I to do with those pets of theirs?"

Turbo commented, "You could sell them."

"We have no interest in their animals," Frollo was saying. "And they're not valuable. Do away with them as you wish."

Clayton commented, "All right. Now who should I target first?"

"Go for the flame brat," Turbo immediately declared.

Clayton asked, "Can I kill that magpie?"

Frollo answered, "No."

Clayton asked, "Why not?!"

"You will abide by our orders and start with the Firebird's host," Maleficent declared. "Disobey, and you will face severe consequences."

"But you just said you were interested in having me kill all of those brats," Clayton protested.

Maleficent answered, "You will spare the magpie and bring her here. However, you will start with the boy with the Firebird."

Clayton asked, "What's so bloody special about a magpie?"

"I'm afraid we can't disclose that information with you," Jafar said, standing from his throne. He placed his staff close to Clayton's eyes. "You will seize the Firebird's host." he commanded.

Clayton replied, "I will seize the host of the Firebird."

"Good," Jafar said, satisfied. "Off with you now. Those children will be in your world soon."

Clayton smiled at the amount of money that he would collect once he dealt with the teens that would be arriving to his world.

Turbo asked, "You think we'll eradicate those pests?"

As the Dark Masters watched Clayton leave, Maleficent asked Jafar, "Now was that really necessary?"

"There's no better way for us to force our minions to do our bidding without them questioning us," he replied.

Maleficent groaned. This was why Queen Grimhilde warned her to keep the sorcerer in check. She knew he would still forget his limits despite the power he had. At least Jafar knew not to mesmerize a fellow Dark Master.

Turbo asked, "How long does it take for the hypnosis would last?"

"With Clayton, that depends how long it will take for him to do as he was ordered," Jafar answered. "But if it should wear off once he encounters the children, he'll still be forced to go after the flame brat."

Turbo stated, "Nice."

"Besides, there's nothing a poacher won't do for money," Jafar added.

Frollo pointed out, "His greed will be his downfall if he fails."

"He won't fail," Turbo said smugly. "At least, he'd better not. But if he disobeys us, at least we can dispose of him like we should have done with Gaston."

Frollo commented, "Gaston had a prideful downfall, I would like to see if Clayton can be up to the task."

"But just think," Jafar was saying, "if he was alive, he would've helped Clayton. Then again, he would defy us again."

Frollo stated, "Too bad he did just that and paid the price."

"He deserved it too," Jafar added, "being slaughtered like the swine he was."

Turbo stated, "Or better we should've turned him into a swine and then killed him."

Maleficent finally stopped their discussion. "The past is past, gentlemen. We need to keep our sights on the future."

Turbo commented, "Oh. That's right. Hopefully Clayton won't fail us."

Frollo asked, "Did anyone warn him about the Firebird."

"Perhaps you weren't listening as I was mesmerizing him," Jafar said, stroking his staff. "I did say the words 'Firebird's host', so he would know beforehand."

Frollo stated, "Ah yes."

Turbo asked, "What if he comes back to this castle after being defeated? Should we turn him into a swine and kill him?"

Jafar smiled. "I think I'd enjoy that."

Maleficent answered differently. "No. We only execute our minions if they defy us or betray us."

Turbo asked, "What about if he fails?"

"We simply lock him up in the dungeon," Maleficent answered.

Jafar asked Turbo, "Why do you want to have Clayton turned into a swine?"

"I prefer a rat," Frollo suggested.

Turbo commented, "His greed for more money is a good reason for a swine to fit the guy."

"We can discuss Clayton's fate once he returns." said Maleficent.

"If he returns." Jafar stated.

Frollo asked, "What if he successfully completed his task?"

"He will be rewarded as we promised him." Maleficent answered.

"We're actually going to pay him?" Turbo asked, surprised.

"We may be Dark Masters, but we have to have some honor and dignity," she told him. "I think we should be true to our word."

Turbo commented, "Hopefully he won't defy us like that Gaston!"

Jafar commented, "If he does then we should feed him to the animals in our service."

Diaval cawed as if saying, "I don't do human flesh. That would go to vultures or any other man-eating creatures. They would enjoy a banquet of a poacher."

Turbo got an idea. "How about Scar and his hyenas? I'm sure they'd love to eat him. The hunter can be the hunted."

Jafar commented, "Brilliant."

Frollo was disgusted at the idea. "Tell me you don't approve of their idea," he asked Maleficent.

She grinned and said, "Let me ask you something: have you ever wondered how we've disposed of our dead?"

Jafar had an assumption. "After executing our traitors, we use their corpses as examples to anyone who may get any ideas about betraying us."

"True," Maleficent replied, "but once we're finished, we feed the bodies to our animal friends while the souls go to Hades."

The other three looked at each other, filled with dread.

"Revolting as it is, the animal villains have to eat too." Maleficent stated.

Turbo asked, "Why did that penguin cover Gaston's face?"

"This was to entice Scar as he hates humans with a vengeance like Shere Khan." she answered.

Turbo commented, "At least Scar and his hyenas are doing their job in disposing of traitors to our power."

Frollo commented, "The hyenas are like the animal equivalent of a chainsaw."

Jafar grinned and asked, "You're not afraid of cats, are you?"

He sighed and replied, "Let's just say they're not one of my favorite animals."

Jafar commented, "I had to deal with a tiger once."

Turbo added, "As well as a monkey."

"We already know that, considering Princess Jasmine had a pet tiger who was fiercely protective of her," said Maleficent.

Jafar nodded. Before he had his magic powers, he was afraid to be anywhere near Rajah, knowing he wasn't able to protect himself then. As a tiger would have enough power of to kill a man with one swipe of their paw.

Frollo commented, "At least you were not employed by Saladin because you would've been executed by that man himself."

It was because of that matter that Jafar was grateful he made the wish to be a genie.

Turbo asked Jafar, "You know about that man?'

Jafar answered, "He was the sultan of Egypt, Palestine, Yemen, and Syria."

Maleficent stated, "I remember correctly that you made a wish to be a genie to save your own life."

Jafar commented, "Let's just say that the sultan of Agrabah was a good friend of Saladin."

Turbo decided to change the subject. "If Clayton should fail us, who will be the next candidate to take on those brats?"

"We'll have time to figure that out," said Maleficent.

"Should we send the boy Brandon?" Jafar asked. "He's quite anxious for an opportunity."

Maleficent answered, "All right."

Frollo asked, "Are you serious?"

"It will soon be time to test the boy," she was saying. "Then we can decide if he's really useful."

"And if he's not, we'll have to do away with him," Frollo reminded her.

She sneered at him and stated, "I would think you would look forward to that concept."

Jafar scoffed. "That's just wasted talent."

Turbo asked, "What if a spirit of an ancestor appears?"

Jafar asked, "What are you saying?"

"You forget that those spirits have no power here in our castle," Maleficent reminded her comrades. "Nothing would stop us from executing Brandon if he should act on insubordination."

Frollo grinned and added, "And we would gain one victory for ourselves by killing a chosen child."

Turbo asked, "Would that execution please Chernabog himself?"

"If we're going to stop those brats, we have to start somewhere," said Jafar.

He looked at Maleficent and asked, "That's what this has really been all about, isn't it? Getting the boy to trust us and to use him for our benefit until it's time to get rid of him."

Maleficent grinned and warned him, "If it is, don't let Brandon hear you say that."

Frollo asked, "Why not?!"

"Brandon may consider joining forces with those children," she answered.

"But if he does, it'll still be an act of betrayal on his part," Frollo stated. "And we'll still be able to have him put to death."

Jafar commented, "Not if I use the snake staff to have him do our bidding."

"Just be careful not to do anything that will make the boy become suspicious of us," Maleficent warned. She knew it would be wise to keep quiet about her plans with Brandon because she often wondered if he would be hiding in the shadows and eavesdropping on their meetings. If he was, pray he would be smart not to anger the Dark Masters or do anything that would cause him to wind up dead.

Turbo argued, "You failed to kill those brats!"

"And you think you can do better?" Jafar challenged.

"If you could have defeated them, you would have done it by now!" Turbo snapped. "I'm willing to take my chances."

Frollo asked, "So you can fail again Jafar? No."

"I haven't even had a chance to deal with them yet!" Turbo complained, "I want to take them down!

Frollo warned, "You need to show more dignity."

"Being a genie, I can't possibly kill, remember?" Jafar reminded his comrades.

Frollo commented, "I forgot about that."

Turbo argued, "Just be glad that he wasn't thrown into the ocean over the Golden Gate Bridge like what that Nasir man who bore his name. He tried to do just that, but he neglected to realize that there was a railing of a net that saved our comrade."

Jafar added, "A very prejudiced neighbor was able to retrieve my lamp and he wasted two wishes."

Frollo asked, "What wishes did you grant him? Just curious."

"He wanted me to help him kill the man," Jafar answered. "I liked his idea, so I agreed to help him. I couldn't do it myself, so I provided the man a few, shall we say, tools. He wished for a venomous snake. His second wish was for me to cover his tracks. But I made few alterations so he would eventually be discovered. After that, my lamp was brought back to this castle after being retrieved from an evidence room, so the poor fool didn't get to make his last wish."

Turbo asked, "What happened to him?"

"If memory serves me, that jealous neighbor was found out and arrested for life." he recalled.

Frollo commented, "At least he didn't get the lamp back, he would've wasted it on an escape."

Turbo laughed. "Yeah, and knowing you, Jafar, you'd probably let him get away only to get caught again and maybe killed."

Jafar commented, "That would teach him not to play with my lamp."

Maleficent grinned. "But remember, Jafar, I hold your lamp now. That means you're at my command."

Jafar hated that reminder. He was a powerful genie, yet under Maleficent's control. The reminder of that made him feel inferior and because of that, he often received insults about always being second.

Turbo asked, "When can I get a chance?!"

"Once Clayton's purpose has been served and we've put Brandon to the test, you'll get your chance," Maleficent promised him. She looked at Frollo and added, "That is, unless Frollo wants the opportunity."

Frollo retorted, "I already had to put up with outsiders from the Warner Domain!"

Turbo stated, "We know what you've done over one month earlier, and our minions have reported that you mingled with a princess from a domain outside ours. Your rank is at risk because of it!"

Frollo begged, "Give me one more chance!"

Maleficent countered, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't remove your rank."

Frollo cried as he fell to his knees, "I didn't expect for a small group to even find our worlds. Have mercy!"

She gave it some thought. Finally, she said, "Frollo, for your sake, you had better hope those so-called warriors do not return to your world. If they do and you are caught with them-,"

"It wasn't even my fault," he protested. "Look, what if I were to capture them and bring them here?"

"No!" she declared. "You said it yourself; we have enough problems to deal with and we should not drag a domain outside our own."

Jafar added, "Besides. It had been over a month since your encounter with that group."

Frollo had almost forgotten how much time had passed since he encountered a small group that came from the Warner Domain, but they were able to escape from his wrath.

Jafar commented, "Why not separate those rats?"

"Because I don't have powers like the rest of you, as you like to keep reminding me," he snapped.

Maleficent raised her hands. "Now, now, let's all calm down."

Frollo stated, "You are right."

"Frollo, I will not punish you for something out of your control," Maleficent promised him. "If Millennia's heroes do return to your world, I will not blame you. But try to avoid them and keep your sights on the magpie and her friends."

"I'll try," he promised.

Maleficent accepted his response. "Good."

Turbo asked, "We have to think of a way to get rid of those brats."

Jafar had an idea. "Why don't we divide and conquer?"

"You mean turn them against each other?" Maleficent asked. "I have a feeling they'd be too smart for a trick like that."

Jafar clarified, "We take them separately and punish them individually for trespassing."

"And how are we going to do that?" Turbo asked. "By luring them to our castle?"

Maleficent answered, "No."

Frollo scoffed. "Then Jafar's plan isn't a good one."

Jafar commented, "I also consider enlisting two others to help us take them out."

Frollo argued, "No."

"You can't fight a whole group alone," Jafar argued.

Frollo argued, "Those minor villains are not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier."

"Perhaps," Maleficent was saying, "but we can still use them to our advantage like we do with Hawkins." Then she remembered. "Frollo, weren't you planning on asking Hawkins for help in case Jafar wouldn't be able to deal with the magpie?"

Jafar was outraged. "What?"

Frollo commented, "He had been working on something that could help us."

"What is it," Jafar was asking, "another failure waiting to happen like his experience with the Swedish girl?"

Frollo commented, "Go ahead and ask him yourself."

Jafar rose from his throne. "I think I will." And he left to go search for John Hawkins.

John Hawkins was trying to figure out a way to psychologically attack the heroes.

Jafar came into the room he was in and Hawkins asked in an irritated tone of voice, "Can I help you?"

Jafar approached the scientist. "I hear my comrades have requested your help in my absence. Would you care to tell me what that's all about?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." John lied.

"I'm not in the mood for games, Hawkins," Jafar growled. "Are you going to cooperate or am I going to have to mesmerize you?"

John was not amused by Jafar's words, and he stated, "I don't want to make the same mistake with that Swedish brat."

Hawkins added, "During your absence, I had to research those pesky brats that invaded the damned kingdom! One of them happens to be that black haired rodent boy Queen Grimhilde tried to capture seven years earlier. To think if she had brought him here, I think she would still be a Dark Master. That was like the Warner Domain fiasco with that girl."

"I don't suppose you mean the magpie and her friends," Jafar assumed. "Since they are proving to be a handful, we need all the help we can get if we are to stop them."

John replied, "I refer to that flaming brat and her as well!"

John added as he showed Jafar his results thus far, "I also have been trying to figure out how to break those brats! I have no idea what would happen if those brats returned to their world!"

Jafar scoffed. "I couldn't break the magpie. What makes you so certain you'll be able to?"

John looked at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It pains me to say this, but you should quit while you're ahead. After all, your experiments are a failure waiting to happen."

"Hey, if you're talking about what happened with that Swedish girl, don't blame me! I never expected her to escape with a werewolf who acquired an amulet of one of the elements. Not just any element, it's one of the purest. Empathy to be exact."

Jafar commented, "You failed to imprison that brat!"

John growled. "Look, if you and your comrades could have taken care of those kids, you would have done it by now."

Jafar snarled, "I was so close in destroying those brats!"

John laughed. "Guess you Dark Masters aren't so great and powerful after all, are you?"

Jafar snarled, "Hey! Turbo and Frollo haven't had a chance to get them."

"I still doubt they'll be any more successful," said John.

Jafar asked, "What makes you say that?"

John replied, "Those two would fail miserably! Especially when they acquired ancestral weaponry."

Even Jafar wasn't too confident about his comrades, but he didn't want to give John the benefit of the doubt.

Jafar asked, "Did you find anything?"

Unfortunately, John wasn't having a lot of progress. All he had so far was information regarding the heroes' ancestries, but he was having trouble finding their weaknesses.

Jafar asked as he noticed Mahad's folder, "Do you know of a man named Jonathan Andreas? He was a former master, but he was arrested and convicted of his crime."

John replied, "He was sentenced to death, but was commuted to a life sentence. I thought of that disaster was just stupid! Did he even realize that the man he killed was a father?!"

"If he did, perhaps he wanted the children to suffer just as he thought his son was suffering." Jafar assumed.

John commented, "At least you didn't fully cover his tracks."

"In all honesty, I don't care about the fools who just want me to grant their wishes." Jafar replied.

John asked, "How can I find a weakness for those brats?"

Jafar sighed. "If I had the answer to that, I would have already succeeded in breaking them."

John replied, "I have a good question. Did any of those brats bring pets?"

The magpie has a dog, and the flame boy has a rodent."

John asked, "What about that Nisar boy?"

Jafar didn't recall seeing any animals with Mahad.

John commented, "I was thinking about researching what pet is in the Nisar residence."

"I don't think going after the pets is going to be of any help to us," Jafar said, recalling how he tried hurting Wizard to get Danyal to comply with him.

John replied, "I was thinking about making them into creatures."

Jafar disapproved of this concept as he argued, "Unfortunately that won't work because there's no way you would control them. By the way, that sounds like mutating. I hate to burst your bubble, but that would backfire in a brutal manner."

John snarled, "Damn. We need to think of a way to get them!"

"Clayton will deal with the children for now," Jafar informed him. "We'll keep you informed if anything comes up." With that, he dismissed himself and returned to the throne room.

Turbo asked, "How'd it go?"

"Not like I had hoped," Jafar replied. "I wasn't able to get anything out of him." He looked at Maleficent and told her, "Maleficent, he's pathetic. I don't know why we keep him around."

Maleficent answered, "He had become as greedy as Ebenezer Balfour the bitter uncle who cheated David Balfour from his inheritance and John Silver that pirate who committed mutiny."

Jafar grunted. "Any news concerning Clayton?"

"Not yet." she answered.

Turbo asked, "Can I give Clayton an animal spirit to protect him?"

Jafar asked, "What kind? It had better not be that stupid chameleon heartless."

Turbo answered. "A boar with the ability to blend in like that chameleon."

Jafar asked, "Why should we do that?"

"Even I don't follow," said Maleficent.

Turbo answered, "The pig has been used as a symbol of greed. Also, Clayton in the Kingdom Hearts game used a chameleon creature."

Maleficent replied, "You don't have that kind of power."

"This isn't a game," said Frollo.

Turbo answered back, "I also thought that a spirit animal could protect Clayton from those brats."

Frollo commented, "This is not your video game world."

Turbo growled. "I don't hear you coming up with any ideas."

Frollo commented, "We tried to turn a hamster into a monster, but that crow would chase that rodent."

"I even told Hawkins that if he were to successfully mutate those pets that follow those brats around, he probably wouldn't be able to control them," Jafar added.

Frollo agreed, "I hate to say it, but I agree with Jafar on this plan."

Maleficent sighed. "Let's just wait for Clayton's return. We can figure out what to do from there."

Jafar commented, "That's a good idea. If he comes back empty handed, then we can lock him in the dungeon."

Bianca asked as the heroes stepped outside the portal as the environment became dense trees. She was busy adding her friends into the Booklet of Good Dreams.

Jeanette asked, "So you're not upset about the Booklet of Nightmares being burned, are you?"

Bianca answered, "No. I'm surprised that the flame changed color the moment I tossed that nightmare booklet in the fire."

Jeanette carried an expression of amazement. "It's astonishing, the powers of these elements. I wonder how many there are."

"Master Yen Sid said there are as many elements as there are many worlds," said Figaro.

Danyal commented, "Just like the constellations, right?"

"Precisely," Figaro answered. "He also said that the constellations are different in some worlds."

Bianca asked, "What?! What do you mean?"

"I've heard that in some worlds, there are constellations in the forms of magical creatures," said Figaro. "Remember, each world has its own unique set of cultures, and they all have different histories and legends."

Mahad asked, "What kind of culture does this world possess?"

Figaro was silent as he thought. "Well, like humans, animals have their own traditions too, like how they mate for life or how a leader is decided. It's like that in most worlds."

Bianca stated, "I just finished you guys in the Booklet of Good Dreams. Now you guys might have sweet dreams instead of Nightmares."

"Let's hope so," Jeanette prayed.

Yuki looked at Natius and chittered asking, "What do we do now? I don't want to become a meal for predators."

Natius asked Figaro, "Is there a way for you to translate hamster? Yuki was asking me something."

Of course, Figaro could understand Yuki. He told Natius, "She's scared because of the predators and doesn't want to be eaten by any of them."

"Stay in the carrier, Yuki. It has durability to protect you from their jaws." Natius reassured his hamster.

Natius turned to the others, and he stated, " We have to find the camp. There might be some clues to help us with our search. By the way, don't touch anything."

"Hopefully the animals haven't already made a mess of it," Bianca muttered.

Natius stated, "I agree."

The heroes walked through the jungle, listening to the sounds of the many animals and the trees.

Vandela asked, "What if we come across a poacher?"

"I think 'poacher' would be the appropriate word," Toboé corrected.

Vandela stated, "That's what I meant."

"Nothing we can't handle," Bianca boasted. "After all, we defeated two of the four Dark Masters."

Danyal agreed, "That poacher won't stand a chance anyway."

At last, the heroes came to a clearing where a camp was set up.

To their surprise it had recently been cleaned up after a group of animals made a mess.

"Hello," Natius called out, looking around. "Anybody here?"

To their surprise, a small group of people were returning.

Mahad noticed that one of the two men was carrying a gun.

"Hello," the older man greeted. "Can I be of any assistance?"

Natius answered, "I'm not sure."

His daughter, Jane, was surprised. "Oh, my, I didn't expect to see children here. Where are your families?"

"We're here by ourselves," Jeanette answered.

Clayton looked at the group with suspicion and he asked, "What brings you here?"

"We're on an adventure," Zander answered.

Danyal warned Clayton, "The shots fired from your rifle is scaring off the wildlife here. I would recommend that you lower the gun and use it for self-defense."

"Stupid," Zander hissed. He pulled her away and whispered, "Why'd you say that? What if that poacher is working for the Dark Masters? You gotta think about these things before you speak up."

Danyal replied, "I understand your point, however the gun's presence is making me feel uneasy."

Zander began to understand what she meant.

She turned to Clayton, and she warned him, "Your path to quick money is not going to end well if you keep showing disrespect to the environment around you."

"I beg your pardon," Clayton was saying, "but I was hired to protect the professor and his daughter."

Danyal pointed out, "You're proficient with the gun in your own right, and from what I've heard you're on a tight schedule. My point is that with every round you fire using that loud obnoxious outdated toy, the gorillas would go further away."

"I'm afraid she's right," Jane told the hunter.

Clayton asked, "Have we met?!"

Danyal replied, "No. Clayface."

"Clayton," he corrected.

"Whatever," she replied.

Natius laughed, "Nice one!"

"Excuse me," Jane was saying, "You say you're looking for a warrior?"

Natius stated, "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Why are you looking for a warrior?" Jane asked.

"You know, it's rude to answer a question with a question," Bianca snapped.

Mahad stated, "We were told by an Oracle to find the warrior who has the element of Discovery."

"I've never heard of such a person," said Jane.

Mana asked, "What about a man in this jungle?"

Jane's eyes widened in surprise. "You've seen him too?" She wondered if they were talking about Tarzan, the ape-man who rescued her when she was in trouble.

Danyal having seen the movie stated, "I haven't seen him yet, but I can tell you now that he is facing some issues with his adopted family."

Mahad getting annoyed with her spoiling have things and he asked Figaro, "Can you please get Master Aqua to cast a silencing spell on Danyal? I'm getting annoyed with her being a spoiler!"

Natius agreed. "You're going to give us away if you keep this up." he hissed through his teeth.

Danyal replied, "Sorry. "

She turned to Jane, and she asked, "How long has it been since those baboons took your boot?"

Jane looked down. "A few days, but I'm actually managing well barefoot. Tarzan has also been visiting frequently, wanting to learn so much about us. I think if I can teach him enough, maybe I can ask him to show us the gorillas before we have to go back to London."

Danyal asked, "Did you have any luck with seeing the gorillas?"

Jane laughed. "When Tarzan brought me back here, we saw so many of them. But they left when Daddy and Clayton arrived." She looked on sadly. "We'll be leaving soon and I hope we can see them again before we do."

Danyal didn't trust Clayton she kept petting her dog and Clayton asked Natius, "What is with your short friend?"

"I'd be careful with my words if I were you," he warned the poacher. "We've met a few enemies who've been trying to break her. Say the wrong thing, and you may push her past her breaking point."

Danyal warned Clayton, "The boy's right. Should you attack my dog or say the wrong words, and you'll be a human pin cushion with arrows."

Clayton noticed the quiver on Danyal's back, and he asked her, "Are you a hunter?"

Danyal answered, "No. I don't have a license."

The heroes became startled by Tarzan's appearance!

The professor was really excited to see him again!

Mana asked, "What should we do now?"

Natius was observing Tarzan, looking for a mark that would resemble his element.

To his disappointment, there was no mark yet.

He then wondered, was it because this man was trying to figure out what he was that his element was discovery? It made sense to Natius.

Clayton looked at Natius and he asked, "What were you trying to find?"

Natius asked, "Why should I tell you, poacher?"

"You looked like you were looking for something," Clayton told him.

"I was just observing this fellow," Natius stated. "You have to admit, he's a sight to behold."
Jane agreed. "He certainly is."

Mahad asked Tarzan, "Can you take us to the gorillas?"

Tarzan looked at Natius and began observing him. He had never seen young humans so close before. It was making Natius feel a little uneasy.

Jane tried talking to him. "Tarzan, did you understand his question?"

"Yes, I did," he answered. "But I can't."

Everyone was dismayed. The heroes knew that it was because of the leader of the gorillas.

Mana asked, "Why not?"

Danyal whispered in her ear, "The leader of the gorillas, Kerchak would not approve of humans. People like Clayton are one of the reasons why Kerchak would kill us."

At this point, none of the heroes were sure what to do from here.

"So what now?" Mana asked.

"I guess we're just going to have to be patient," said Vandela.

Danyal commented, "We should keep an eye on that poaching scum."

Wizard started to growl at Clayton!

Natius sighed, irritated. "Danyal, I swear, if you don't teach your dog to behave, he's going to wind up dead. I mean, more than once, the Dark Masters have almost killed him."

Danyal flicked Wizard in the nose causing the dog to be quiet.

She scolded, "That's enough, Wizard. You need to work on your social skills."

Wizard whined. But he couldn't help it. He was very loyal and protective of Danyal.

Natius noticed that the sun was setting!

The heroes decided to stay at the camp for the night. Jane and her father were kind enough to let them stay and even had beds made for the heroes.

Clayton was planning on how to kill Natius.

Tarzan was looking for a way to impress Jane because he wanted her to stay in the jungle with him.

Natius was having trouble sleeping.

He got up to look at the moonlit sky and he prayed, "I hope we'll find our way home."

The next morning, the heroes woke up to the commotion of the camp being taken down and everything being packed up. Jane kept trying to plead for a little more time before going back to England, but no one would listen to her.

Danyal commented, "That was fast."

Bianca looked at Natius and she asked "Are you feeling all right?"

Natius sighed. "I just want this to be over with quick. I want to rescue Mr. Virgil and get us all home safely."

Mahad asked, "You didn't have any nightmares, did you?"

"No," he answered.

Jeanette approached him. "Natius, I know you're worried, but we're all in this together."

Mahad noticed that Tarzan wanted to take them somewhere.

Zander knew what this was about. "He wants us to follow him."

So Tarzan began leading Jane, her father, and the heroes into the deep parts of the jungle where the gorillas lived. Clayton followed, for he had a plan in store for the heroes and for the animals.

Danyal noticed a pair of red eyes and her dog yelped in fright as he saw golden lion with a red mane!

She asked, "Simba?!"

Natius stopped and looked at Danyal. "Did you say Simba?"

"The lion?" Zander asked. "Why would he be here?"

Danyal replied, "Let's see if I can find out."

Danyal walked over to the bushes and she asked Simba, "Why are you here? What brings you here?"

Simba used his paw to lower Danyal to his level and he stated in an almost whispering voice, "Recently there have been rumors of poaching about to take place in the Pride Lands and rumor has it that a man with the name Clayton is the ringleader. I have made sure that Kovu and Kiara would maintain security of the lands, while I investigate if the rumors were true or not."

Little did Simba realize, Danyal had a cat allergy as he noticed that the girl's eyes were becoming bloodshot.

Before he would ask Danyal about her eyes, Danyal looked behind her and saw Clayton fighting for his gun with a gorilla!

Simba was about to pounce, but a gorilla with a silver back was fast enough to get to the hunter first and knocked Clayton down.

That gorilla was Kerchak, the leader. He was about to kill Clayton, but Tarzan began fighting with him, holding him off so everyone could escape.

That night, Zander asked Danyal, "What did Simba tell you?"

Danyal answered, "He told me that there have been rumors of poaching about to take place in the Pride Lands and he believes that Clayton is the ringleader. He also said that he left Kovu and Kiara to maintain the security of the Pride Lands during his absence."

Zander noticed that Danyal's eyes were watery and bloodshot. Before he would ask her something about this, he heard a screaming of pain!

Bianca ran into the tent where Natius was and to her horror and anger, she saw that he was being brutalized by Clayton who was using his cutlass to attack Natius.

Yuki seeing her owner injured, scurried out of the carrier and she began to attack Clayton and in a fit of rage, he grabbed the hamster and he asked, "I wonder what happens if I behead the disgusting vermin?!"

Natius cried, "Please don't kill her!"

He turned his attention back to Natius. "This animal is the least of your problems, young man. For you see, I have orders to bring you to the Dark Masters."

Natius started lightheaded as he felt himself collapsing on the ground and he tried to get himself up, but he began to feel dizzy! He tried to keep his eyes open, but to no avail.

Clayton smiled at the boy's unresponsive body and he was about to pick Natius to be thrown into a portal that was taking longer than the usual minute to open a portal.

Clayton laughed, "You'll be a challenge to experiment on."

Bianca had enough and she threw a truth shuriken and it struck Clayton in the arm holding the cutlass causing him to let go of both the hamster and the cutlass!

Yuki scurried over to Natius and began trying to wake him up. Jeanette picked her up and put her back in the carrier so she'd be safe from harm.

Zander picked up Natius and he glared at Clayton!

Ignoring his pain, Clayton reached for his gun and picked it up. "I was told to bring you children back with me to the Forbidden Castle, but the Dark Masters also promised to reward you if I killed you. Either way, if I make money, I'll be pleased."

Bianca threw another shuriken causing more thorns to wrap around the man!

Mahad saw blood dripping as the thorns were piercing the man's skin. "The scent of your blood will attract the predators that live in this jungle." Mahad warned Clayton.

Bianca snarled, "Are you conspiring to poach the Pride Lands?"

Clayton wondered if she was referring to the savannah he came across while Jane and her father were spending time with Tarzan. "If you're referring to those open lands in the savannah far away from here, I did come across those lands. I tried getting word to a few fellow poachers about the place-"

"Like who? McLeach?" Anakin asked. "He's down under. That's thousands of miles from here."

Clayton answered, "There are other poachers in my business, but McLeach was too far away to help me out with the business."

"Well, I think your poaching days are over," Zander declared. "We're going to see to it that you never harm another animal no matter where you go."

Bianca took out her animal summoning shuriken and she stated, "I think that we'll take you away from this camp and there, I will have you pierced with this shuriken and a lion will maul you."

Jeanette stopped her. "First we have to take care of Natius."

"What about Tarzan?" Mana added. "If he decides to go with Jane, won't that keep him from-?"

Mahad placed his hand over her mouth to silence her, knowing what she was about to ask. He also knew she was right. If he left the jungle, he would never awaken as the warrior of his element."

Bianca took out the shurikens as the thorns released their prisoner and she held the shuriken to the level of his eyes.

She stated to Clayton, "I'm letting you go this time, but don't get used to it. You'll be punished soon enough."

Clayton was relieved to be free from the thorns. He left the heroes and went to treat his wounds. Right now, taking care of Natius was important.

Zander looked around for a medical person that would help him with his friend.

Zander asked, "Is there a medic here?!"

"I'll get the professor," Mahad said. He ran and found Jane's father and told him what happened. The professor brought a case a medical supplies and looked at Natius.

The professor asked, "What happened to him?"

"Clayton did this," Bianca said accusingly. "He was trying to kill Natius."

The professor asked, "Why would he do that?!"

Mahad answered, "Someone else hired that guy to try and kill him."

The professor replied, "I will see to it that the captain will throw him in the brig as punishment."

"Will Natius be all right?" Bianca asked.

"He just needs to rest," the professor answered. "After that, he should be good as new."

Natius began to have a good dream courtesy of Bianca's booklet.

Bianca walked out of the tent as she began to see the Three Good Fairies.

She asked them, "Do you have any suggestions on how to punish that poaching bastard for trying to kill Natius? I fear that Clayton will be successful in brutally murdering him."

"You don't have to worry about that, dear," Flora assured her. "The Dark Masters will be the ones to punish Clayton."

"But only if he should fail to do as they demanded him or if he should betray them in any way," Fauna warned.

"All you have to do is make sure he fails to capture and kill you children," Merryweather informed.

Bianca smiled, "All right. That poacher is going to regret his offer. By the way, if he's poaching gorillas and lions will he get punished for that?"

"Once the warrior of discovery awakens, he will be the one to deal with Clayton for that," Merryweather answered.

Bianca stated, "Thank you for your help."

The Good Fairies nodded. "If you ever need our guidance, your booklet has the power to summon us," said Flora.

Bianca stated, "Thanks."

The next day, Jane and her group were boarding a smaller boat to a bigger ship.

After thinking it over, Tarzan decided that he belonged with humans, with his own kind. He also understood that this meant he would be with Jane. As they crossed the sea and came to the ship, Tarzan saw that his friends were being attacked by the crew. He tried to fight them off, but was stopped and locked away with the others. Tarzan began to feel an incredible amount of guilt. With him locked up like this, he was helpless to protect his family.

Natius snarled at Clayton as he noticed the man holding his gun, "What do you want Clayface?"

Clayton was covered in bandages from last night's fight. "All I want is the reward I was promised if I could take care of you and your friends, my boy. I'll also receive an even bigger payment for every gorilla I can capture."

Bianca snarled, "You savage!"

Clayton smiled, "I might prevent this from happening if..."

"If what?!" asked Nausicaä

Clayton replied, "If you surrender."

Danyal asked, "Excuse me?!"

"Three words. That's all that takes."

Clayton was expecting for the heroes to cry, "We surrender, Clayton."

Instead Natius yelled at Clayton, "Fat chance, Clayface!"

"You're as dispicable as Gaston," Anakin snarled.

Clayton sighed. "A shame he had to die. He could have been helpful with the poaching."

"Then the Dark Masters would have killed you both!" said Vandela. "Defying orders is the last thing you'd ever do as they would normally execute those who do so."

Clayton replied, "I doubt they will be killing me anytime soon. I have some hunting to do."

With that, Clayton left the ship and went back to the jungle with most of his crew.

Author's notes: Looks like the heroes have been locked up. Will they escape and save the gorillas? Tune in for the next episode. By the way, the incident the Dark Masters refer to is an event that occurred in a story by MillenniumPrincess, Marvelous Adventures and Secret Lives. I would like to give her special thanks for helping with the episode.