True Love Exists #9

                               True Love Exists#9



      In another part of the woods, it was getting dark and Mowgli was searching for Melody with Sebastian and Iago. When a cold wind knocked off them balance and into a nearby river, Sebastian and Iago went to Mowgli.
"Kid, we've searched for hours. There's no way we can find your princess."
"She's out there somewhere and who knows how long it will be before Shere Khan, Kaa, or even Mozenrath find her. " Mowgli said.
"It gonna be winter soon mon." Sebastian warned.
"I don't care."  Mowgli got back on Phantom and they rode off.  Determined to find Melody.

   
             In another part of jungle, Mozenrath was trudging through the thick brush, searching for Melody.
“I’ll find you princess, one way or another.”
“Yesss.”  Xerxes said.
It wasn’t long till he ran into Kaa and Shere Khan.  
"What do we have here?" Kaa hissed darkly, smacking his lips as he spied the Warlock.
Mozenrath was not intimated by the snake nor Shere Khan.  He opened his palm and threw a black ball of sand.  It landed near Shere Khan and he became incased in black gooey sand.  Kaa squeaked in fright.  Mozenrath and his familiar smirked,
"Now, do you wish to let me pass or end up as the same fate as your friend over there?"
"No, I'll just be on my way.  I need to find the girl to get the man cub."  Kaa mentioned quietly.  
However, Mozenrath heard him and immediately he grabbed Kaa by the neck and said, "What girl?"
"Did I say girl? Well- you know.  I'd love to stay and shoot the breeze and all, but-"
Kaa was too scared to keep talking as Mozenrath began to tighten his hold on Kaa, strangling him.  
"Where is she?"
"Who she?"
"The girl you mentioned.  I’m looking for one named Melody.  She is to become my bride.  You obviously know where she is, now tell me."
"Okay, okay." Kaa squeaking, "Can I explain ssssomething?"
"What?" Mozenrath asked.
"I don't know where sssshe is," The snake said to the warlock. "Sssshe got away from usss after I tried to hypnotizssse her. But…I let her go. Ssssshe's not my type.  Ssssshe's an ugly type, I don't eat ugly."
Mozenrath hit Kaa on the head, then stepped on him, "She is not ugly you overgrown worm, she is beautiful!"
Kaa took his face out from under his boot as he said with a dark smile,
"You know that sssshe lovessss the Man Cub, right?"
Mozenrath angrily shocked Kaa with his dark magic, "I'LL KILL THAT JUNGLE BRAT!" Mozenrath snarled.
"Okay, sssshut up and lisssssten!" 
Kaa slithered up and he looked like an accordion.  He fixed himself up and said,
"Why don't you nab thissss brat and sssset up a trap for the girl. Use the man cub to get your bride to come to you."
"Nab the brat." Mozenrath thought.  The idea had merit.   Mozenrath turned to a nervous Kaa with a sinister look,
"You'll go in to the jungle and capture the jungle brat. But just to make sure…"
He sucked Kaa's hypnosis in his eyes much to the snake's dismay.
"I will keep your power until you and your companion bring me the boy."
"You lisssssten, pal!" Kaa snapped.
However, he stopped in mid-sentence when Mozenrath grabbed his neck, ready to electrocute him.  Kaa pleaded,
"Can't we settle this like civilized humans and animals?"
Kaa was terrified of Mozenrath.  
When Kaa was set down Mozenrath said, ”You will do it since you obviously know then jungle.  Right…” he dragged the word out as he was ready to shock Kaa.
"We'll nab the boy." Kaa squeaked, nodding vigorously.  
Mozenrath released Shere Khan and they both glared at the warlock before they began to move into the jungle.

           
     The cold air began to change quickly.  The wind was blowing in Mowgli’s face and he could barely see.  Mowgli continued calling Melody's name, but he crashed against a mossy bank.  Mowgli was thrown off, and fell, hitting against the jagged rocks.  One had pierced through his shoulder making him gasp.  Sebastian and Iago pulled themselves up and gasped seeing the hurt Mowgli.  
"Oh great!  This is just great!  What are we gonna do now?"  Iago flapping his wings frantically.
“I can move.”  Mowgli grounded out.
"We can't stay here with him and do nothin.  Melody is still out there and I would be certain Ariel is out there lookin for her as well...Wait that's it!"
"What's it?  Don't keep me in suspense pal."
"We need to find Ariel and Eric.  They are looking for her now most likely on the ship."
"Think it'll work?" Iago said.
"It is our only hope.  Now come on mon."
They both looked back at Mowgli who nodded,
“Go ahead.  I’ll meet up with you.”
With that, Iago grabbed Sebastian and flew off.  Phantom came and sat down with Mowgli.  



        At sea, Ariel was on the ship. It has been half a month and still no sign of her child. She could only pray for her little daughter's safety as she sang.

Ariel: I know there's someone

Somewhere

Someone

Who's sure to find her

Soon

After the rain goes

There are rainbows

She'll find her rainbow

Soon


    Ariel took a seat on a barrel, in open lap was Melody’s locket her father had given her, clutched in her hand.

Soon

My breaking heart will mend

Soon, a happy ending

Troubles behind her

I will find her

Homeward bound

Safe and sound

And soon  


        As morning came into light in the jungle, Melody woke up from her handmade shelter to the sound of whistling.  She took the cloak off her and saw a small bird darting back and forth around her.   The bird tweeted as it flew around her head, before landing on a branch near the hut.  The bird sang which made Melody smile a bit.  Then she saw the bird was next to a nest, filled with eggs.
“Are they gonna hatch soon?”
The bird hopped on the branch and tweeted some more.  Putting some leaves around the eggs to keep them warm.  Melody smiled as she saw the bird tend to her eggs.  Feeling a bit better, she got up to her feet.
“Things must be hard in the cold weather huh?”
The bird didn’t answer her, it hopped again and flew to the ground below her.  Using its feet, it kicked frost and Melody saw new blades of grass beginning to grow.  She smiled.
“After winter, comes new life.”
The bird tweeted, as if agreeing with her.  Melody sighed, looking back at her bag and looking out to the jungle ahead of her.  She smiled as she put her finger down to the ground, gesturing for the bird to come to her.  The bird hopped onto her finger and Melody brought it to the nest.  The bird hopped into its nest tweeting to Melody, as if saying ‘thank you.’
“You’re welcome,”
Melody grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, heading further into the jungle, “I will make it home.”


         

In another part of the jungle, Kaa and Shere Khan came to Mozenrath.
“Empty-handed I see.”
“We have news for you though.”  Shere Khan said,
Mozenrath looked at them both.  
"We, uh, what if we were to tell you we know where Melody is right now? Huh? What if I was to tell you that? Would you give me my hypnosis?"
Mozenrath pondered this over for a moment.  A wicked grin came on his face and he shook Kaa's tail that dangled in front of his face.
"Tell me and you have a deal.”
"Good.  We heard talking and come to realize sssshe's on the path to the ssscity."
Mozenrath's smile faded and he glared at Kaa and Shere Khan.
"The city?"
"If I were you, I'd get over there before sssshe is long gone."  
Kaa slithered closer to Mozenrath, dropped his tail on his shoulders, "My hypnosis, if you pleasssse?"
"Where is she? I'll get there before she does!" Mozenrath yelled.
He dragged Kaa and Shere Khan with his black sand taking them with him,
“Let go of ussss! Where are we going?" Kaa asked, panicking,
"You told me my fiancé is heading to the city.  So that's where were going!"
"The ssscity, where all the humanssss are!  You have any idea what they’ll do to ussss!"
"SHUT UP!  You've proven to be valuable informants.  You're coming with me till I have my bride."  
Mozenrath started dragging them along.
"Look, why don't you jussssst go home and marry another girl. You ever think about that? You find yourssssself a pretty girl who doesssss dark magic, and brainsssss and you marry her?"
Kaa complained.
"Silence!" Mozenrath yelled.

   
      Not far, hiding in the underbrush, the four vultures were listening to the villains' conversation carefully.  As soon as the villains were gone, Beaky gasped,
“They don’t know about the boy being alive still.”
“Too focused on the princess.”
“Well, what are we waiting for lads.  Let’s go find our friend and tell him the news.”
With that, the four vultures, headed off to search for Mowgli.


       Over at Sea, Ariel watched the waves.  It seemed hope was lost with finding Melody.  She groaned as she felt her unborn child kick her hard.  Eric came up to her and gently hugged her.  She buried her face within his shirt.  Eric felt her shaking a bit and rubbed her back.  King Triton came up and sighed to see his youngest daughter cry again.
"I'm beginning to lose hope Eric, what if we don't find her?"
"I just spoke with the captain; we're nearing India now.  Ariel, I promise you we will find her and I intend to keep it till we have her in our arms."
Ariel smiled until she heard an 'awk'.   Everyone looked up and saw Iago falling with Sebastian.  Ariel immediately took Eric's sword and cut a part of the mast, allowing her to roll it out like a safety net.  Sebastian and Iago landed on top of each other.
"Oof, get off me!"
"You get off me first mon."
After entangling themselves, Sebastian was in Ariel's hands where she took him over to both her father and Eric.  Iago flew after them, hopping on the mast.
"Sebastian, what's happened to Melody?  Have you been with her?"
"I have and she's been fine…and for now I hope."
"What do you mean for now?" Eric asked,
"After we got nabbed, she was sold into a slave market where she was bought by a warlock named Mozenrath."
Iago interrupted them, "She is supposed to marry this wiz-kid, but I helped her and this free loader out of the brothel until we ran into a couple of slobbering hyenas who were about to rip our limbs off until she got saved by-"
"Saved?  By who?"  Ariel asked.
"Mowgli.  A boy her age who has been living in the jungle with a pack of wolves.  He saved us and we spent days with them and den they have been getting real cozy with each other."
"What?"  Ariel asked.  
Iago and Sebastian both shouted, "THEY'RE IN LOVE!"
Smiles were on everyone's faces.
"He's been looking for her ever since she got nabbed by a snake, but she got away.  But Mowgli…he fell and…he’s very hurt."
Before they could say anything else, Iago started flapping his wings hastily,
"But right now we need to get back to shore, before that warlock gets her, or else that snake and tiger will."
Ariel gasped and Eric immediately told the crew to set a course.  Her father dove beneath the seas ready to assemble the guards.  Ariel clutched the diary hard.  She was not going to allow anyone stop her from having her daughter safely back in her arms.
"We're coming Melody."
     

               
   Mowgli was trying to move slowly, but his wound was deep.  Phantom was trying to help him, but it was not doing any good.  The rock was firmly in his shoulder.  
“Hey friend.”
He looked up and saw the four vulture friends of his flying down.
“Oy friend what happened to you?”
“I got…ugh.. bucked off and…went into…the rocks.”
The four vultures winced as the jungle boy moved, but barely could as the rock kept him in place.  The vultures all surrounded him.
“Friend, we’ll help ya out of there.”
“Yeah, otherwise yas gonna lose your girlfriend.”
Mowgli perked up when he heard that, “Where’s Melody?”
“She’s heading for the city, friend.”
“And Kaa and Shere Khan are going with Mozenrath to head her off.”
Mowgli felt his insides grow cold when he heard this.  Kaa and Shere Khan!!  Melody wouldn’t stand a chance against all of them. That was motivation for him as he set himself up and pulled himself forward.  Mowgli got free from the rock, blood gushing out from the wound.  The vultures winced as they saw the damage.  Mowgli groaned and looked around for something to use.  But nothing.  Phantom was whinnying.
“I’ll worry about my wound later, I need to get to Melody.”
Mowgli staggered as he got up to his feet and walked to Phantom.  The vultures watched as blood dripped but the teenager hoisted himself onto Phantom.  He grabbed his reigns, smacked them and trotted off with the vultures flying after him