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Star Fox: Welcome to the Jungle Chapter 7: His Majesty Krystal had been walking in the jungle for an hour, intent on finding Baloo, Bagheera & the wolves. So far, her search for them was proving fruitless. Normally, the cobalt vixen’s telepathy would have sensed anyone from a far distance, barring the situations where someone was on a different planet than she was. Why was it having trouble sensing her new friends? Was it because of the fact that she had only spent a few days on this planet? Could it be because so much had happened in such a short span of time? Both reasons were likely, though Krystal felt that it was due to her missing Fox & the others back in the Lylat System. Walking some more, Krystal looked up & saw a temple on top of a mountain. It was in a part of the jungle that had less trees, so it stuck out like a sore thumb. She had not noticed it before, largely due to what had happened prior to today. Turning around, the cobalt vixen saw that she was nowhere near the wolf den, meaning that she was farther away from everyone. Using her telepathy, she could sense a few thought patterns that were moving through the jungle. However, they were not Baloo & the others, but different animals. Looking up at a tree, Krystal could see vines dangling from it. There were vines dangling all over the place, ranging in size. Realizing that walking around would get her nowhere (not helping matters was that her Arwing was back in the Lylat System), the cobalt vixen was going to try swinging from vines, hoping that she would reach her friends faster. If that did not work, then she would have to try something else. “Never thought that I would do this.” Krystal said, grabbing a vine. Being as careful as she could, Krystal climbed up a vine & swung herself back & forth. Swinging herself forward, she jumped towards another vine, grabbing it. The cobalt vixen used her telepathy to see if Baloo & the others were nearby. Luckily, they were only eleven miles away, so all she needed to do was to keep swinging. However, there were other thought patterns nearby, none of them belonging to anyone she had encountered before. As there were miles of trees around her, the Cerinian needed to be careful where she swung, lest she hit a tree or encounter an animal that would knock her off a vine. Suddenly, Krystal lost her grip on a vine, which caused her to fall. In the process, the Cerinian sensed someone swinging near her. Before she could hit the ground, she felt herself being grabbed by whoever she had sensed. Looking above, she saw the creature that had saved her from falling: a monkey. It was holding her upside down, dangling her by her leg. Given how the primate seemed unwilling to release her, Krystal could guess that he was one of the Bandar-log Hathi had mentioned. “Let me go!” Krystal shouted, hoping that someone would hear her. The monkey did not release her. Rather, he began to swing through the vines while holding her leg as tightly as he could. As Krystal was being swung around in the air by her captor, she tried to reach for her staff, but was unsuccessful. Being jerked & shook in the air meant that the cobalt vixen could not grab her staff & free herself. Even if she could reach it, she would be unable to get a direct hit on the Bandar-log due to how quickly the monkey changed directions as he carried her. Not only that, but she would be risking the weapon slipping from her grip or losing it by getting it stuck in a tree. As Krystal was being taken by the Bandar-log, Shere Khan was walking by. Needless to say, the tiger was astonished by what he had seen. The fox who had managed to slip away from him swinging through each vine with her feet. However, Shere Khan did not see the monkey that was dangling Krystal by her leg. All he saw was her practically being thrown around in the air, being unable to save herself. Despite being unable to see much beyond that, the most feared animal in the jungle was wowed. “Swinging through vines with only your feet?” Shere Khan spoke. “Clever girl.” Once the monkey reached the end of the forested area, he was joined by several others. Krystal tried to run away from the Bandar-log, but they immediately tied her up, preventing her from escaping or getting a weapon out. Together, they carried the cobalt vixen up the path that led to the temple that sat on the mountain. As that happened, she could sense something big inside the temple. It was much larger than Baloo or Hathi, though how big it actually was had yet to be seen. Krystal dreaded facing this creature, knowing that it would not be as friendly as the others she had encountered (barring Shere Khan). While the Bandar-log was carrying Krystal up the mountain, Kaa was watching in horror. Knowing who the Bandar-log worked for, the snake knew that his new friend would not be leaving that temple. They were often sent out by their boss to do his dirty work, but they rarely took someone to the temple. It was evident that he wanted Krystal for something, but why he wanted her was unclear. Kaa shuddered to think of what the cobalt vixen would be used for, fearing the worst. For now, he had to swallow his fear & gather those who Krystal had befriended. Looking down, Kaa saw Baloo & Bagheera walking through the jungle. It was clear by their body language that they were looking for something & the snake had a feeling he knew what they were looking for. The sloth bear & the panther had worried expressions on their faces, though the latter seemed to be more calm than the former. While they looked around, Kaa carefully slithered down, hoping that they would see him. “Krystal!” Baloo shouted. “Krystal, where are you, hon?!” “She has to be somewhere!” Bagheera spoke. “We have looked everywhere in the jungle!” “You have not looked everywhere, my friendss!” Kaa spoke. “In fact, sshe hass been in placess you have not checked!” Looking ahead of them, Baloo & Bagheera saw Kaa wrapped around the tree that was his home. “Kaa, have you seen a little lady with blue fur & the prettiest eyes ever?!” Baloo asked. “Did you do something with her?!” Bagheera asked, having anger in his voice. “I have not, but ssomeone elsse hass!” Kaa spoke. “Sshe wass sswinging on a vine, trying to look for you when a monkey grabbed her by her leg!” “You mean the Bandar-log?!” Baloo gulped. “Yess!” The snake cried. “They have taken Krysstal up the mountain, sso that the King can usse her for whatever horrible thing he hass planned!” “Well, what are we waiting for?” Bagheera spoke. “We have to get her back!” “Sure, just let me get Akela & the others!” Baloo said, deciding to head back to the den. “Gather whoever you can!” Kaa spoke. “From the wolvess to the elephantss, it doess not matter!” “You are right, we are about to enter the temple of the King!” Bagheera said. Once the Bandar-log brought Krystal to the temple, they threw her to the ground. Before she could do anything, they untied the cobalt vixen, but held her so that she could not escape. A monkey made sure to grab a strange artifact that was on her back while his compatriots held her still. They made sure that their captive would be unable to get it back, as they feared that it was a weapon. Krystal struggled to break free from the Bandar-log, as the artifact they had taken from her was her staff. She needed to get it back, as she feared that the monkeys would use it for terrible destruction. “Alright, I am not going to be some helpless victim here!” Krystal spoke. “Let me go, give me back my staff, let me leave & we can all pretend like this never happened!” Suddenly, the Bandar-log were silent, standing like deer in the headlights. From behind Krystal, a piercing set of blue eyes crept out from within the shadows. One of the monkeys covered his ears, another covered his mouth & a third covered his eyes. As for the rest of them, they stood to the side. The cobalt vixen was annoyed by this. She had no time for the Bandar-log & whatever nonsense they had planned. If it killed her, the Cerinian was getting her staff back & leaving this temple. “Yes, your poses are hilarious.” Krystal said. “Look, if you do not give me my staff back & let me leave, I will -!” Krystal then felt a sharp jolt in her mind, causing her to clutch her head & moan in pain. Her telepathy had picked up that large creature again & its size was enough to make her recoil. The cobalt vixen quickly shut off her telepathy & tried to run, only to feel something wrap around her. She let out a gasp, knowing that it was the creature she had been sensing. It got a hold on the Cerinian & would not let go, her arms being bound as well. She struggled to escape, even as her captor stepped out of the shadows. With Krystal in his hand, the leader of the Bandar-log revealed himself. He was an ape that resembled an orangutan, but was much larger than any orangutan in the world. From what the cobalt vixen could tell, this beast was roughly eighteen-feet-tall, which made him the largest animal in the jungle. Not only that, but something felt … prehistoric about the leader of the Bandar-log. Krystal had seen giant creatures on the Isle of the Beasts, but they were different than this ape. It was evident that he was not only a primate that resembled an orangutan, but a creature that was thought to be extinct. “You will stay here, strange girl.” The ape spoke. “I need you to help me.” “Oh my …” Krystal tried to speak. “I am Louie, King of the Bandar-log.” He said. “I am also the master of the jungle.” “Krystal.” The cobalt vixen said. “Look, I do not know what you want from me. If you let me go, I will leave & you will never have to hear from me again.” “I want to make you a proposal.” Louie said. “I heard that a bad cat wants you.” “That is true, unfortunately.” The Cerinian said. “I do not know him, before you ask.” The orangutan-like creature said. “Not socially, at least. But I have the ability to protect you. On the other hand, you have the ability to create the red flower, as my servants have told me. Seeing as you are capable of doing so, you can give me the secret.” Krystal gulped, fearing what Louie would do with the fire once he was shown how it was made. She did not trust this giant ape, not one bit. “But fire is feared by the animals.” She said. “You cannot hope to master it.” “Oh I disagree.” Louie spoke. “If you master the red flower, you master the jungle.” “You just said that you were the master of the jungle.” Krystal stated. “Going to be, sugar.” The orangutan-like ape said. “I have to know certain things well. I have the jungle, but I need fire. Many have the secret of fire, but they fail to properly use it. I need the fire. Give it to me, strange one! Give it to me!” “No.” The cobalt vixen said. “Give it to me.” The primate said, his voice having a more threatening tone. “Never!” The cobalt vixen said. “With the fire, you might kill a lot of animals!” “Then you give me no choice.” He said. “I will have to squeeze you. You will either give me the secret or be crushed!” Suddenly, Louie began to tighten his grip on Krystal, causing her to squeak. The cobalt vixen could feel herself being squeezed by this giant monster, but she did not want to show him how to make fire. It did not take telepathy to see that he would use it for terrible destruction. As he felt the orangutan-like beast slowly crush her, the Cerinian felt a small amount of pain, though it began to increase. He glared at her, waiting for her to tell him the secret of fire so that he would stop squeezing. Krystal would not tell him, even if her refusal would lead to her death. “Have you made your decision yet?” Louie asked. “I will not give you the secret to making fires!” Krystal said. “Even if you crush me, you will not change my mind!” “Perhaps squeezing you will not change your mind, but something else will.” The primate said. “I hope that you taste as good as you look.” Opening his mouth, Louie brought Krystal closer to his face. If the cobalt vixen would not give him fire, then he was going to eat her. All the orangutan-like creature needed to do was lower her into his maw, chew & swallow. Unless his captive suddenly decided to give him the secret to creating fires, this would be the end for her. The primate figured that the Cerinian would change her mind right before he tossed her in his mouth. After all, a near-death experience could cause anyone to rethink stuff. Knowing that Louie was intent on devouring her now, Krystal tried to find a way to break free. As her staff had been taken, the cobalt vixen decided to get out her blaster. She was a few seconds away from being dropped into the mouth of the giant ape, but she figured that she would have enough time to grab her blaster. Once the orangutan-like primate dropped the Cerinian into his maw, he would get a mouthful of rounds. Even if it was the last thing she would do, she was going to give Louie one painful “gift.” In the very least, he would not have the secret of fire. “Wait, your majesty!” One of the Bandar-log spoke. “If you consume or squeeze that beautiful creature, you will not have the secret to red flower!” Drawing his hand back from his face, Louie looked at Krystal. It was clear that his loyal subjects were correct. If the primate were to dispose of this creature before she could tell him the secret to creating fire, his efforts would be for naught. He released his grip on Krystal, causing her to fall to the ground. The Bandar-log surrounded the cobalt vixen, preventing her from escaping or getting out a weapon. If there was a promise Louie made, it would be that his prisoner would never leave. “Seeing as my methods of making you talk have failed to give the secret of red flower, it is obvious that you will have to show me how to make it.” Louie spoke. “Even if you do give it to me, you are not leaving this place. You will be mine until the end of your life!” Krystal felt a chill go down her spine once Louie finished speaking. Even if she had shown him how to make fire, the giant ape was not going to let her leave. The cobalt vixen knew that she was backed into a corner, so she had no other option but to make a fire. Once it was made, the Bandar-log would have the secret to it & they would use it for who knows what. However, Krystal was not going to let them use it for whatever they pleased. When she made it, she would turn their desires against them. Picking up two sticks from the ground, Krystal began to rub them together rapidly. Friction caused heat, so she was going to use enough friction to build a fire. The sticks started to blacken, with some smoke rising off of them. Louie & the Bandar-log watched in anticipation, hoping that the fabled red flower would explode out of the sticks. Krystal did not want them to have it, but she still had to try & make it. Even if she could not escape them at the moment, she needed to create a distraction. “Your majesty,” one of the Bandar-log spoke, “the strange one is creating red flower!” “I can see that!” Louie snapped. “Quiet, all of you!” Before Krystal could get the fire started, she heard a familiar chuckle. Looking up, the cobalt vixen saw Shere Khan enter the temple. The tiger had that familiar smug smile on his face, presumably happy that the woman who had been evading him was in a position where she could not escape him. In contrast, the Bandar-log were afraid of the jungle cat while Louie looked annoyed. “Well, your majesty, how is your day?” Shere Khan asked, trying to curtsy. “State your purpose, Shere Khan, then leave!” Louie said. “I want the girl that your monkeys have brought to you.” The tiger said. “She happens to be the love of my life.” “Well, you cannot have her.” The giant ape said. “She is my servant & she will show me the secret of red flower, which you happened to interrupt.” “I am not a servant.” Krystal spoke. “And I am not a trophy, either!” “This does not concern you!” The primate hissed at her. “Dear girl,” Shere Khan spoke, “it would be better for you to watch your temper instead of speaking out. Besides, even if you did try to run away, we could always recapture you. You are alone at the moment, Krystal.” “She is not alone.” A familiar voice spoke. “Not now, not ever!” Looking past Shere Khan, Krystal could not help but smile. Standing in the entrance of the temple were Baloo, Bagheera, the wolves & Kaa. Not only were her new friends here, but they did not look intimidated by Shere Khan, Louie or the Bandar-log. Hathi & his army were nowhere to be seen, but it was possible that they were outside the temple in case everyone else is overwhelmed. It was not hard to determine that someone saw the Bandar-log carrying Krystal to the temple & decided to gather everyone for a rescue mission. With that in mind, Krystal was intent on helping her new friends. “Well, what do we have here?” Louie spoke. “A bunch of interlopers have decided to interrupt our conversation.” “Cut the crap, Louie!” Baloo spoke. “Let Krystal go this instant!” “Oh, I do not think I will.” The giant ape said. “She is the key to red flower & I intend to keep her forever.” “You cannot wield red flower without causing terrible destruction.” Bagheera said. “If you act careless with it, you will destroy everything!” “Now, Bagheera, it is not wise to doubt the will of the king.” Shere Khan spoke. “Besides, like he said, Krystal belongs to him now. Of course, that does not stop me from making her mine.” “That remains to be seen.” Akela said, standing forward. Suddenly, the wolves rushed towards the Bandar-log, giving the others an opportunity to attack. Bagheera found himself fighting with Shere Khan, intent on defeating the tiger himself. As for Baloo, he jumped onto Louie, letting out a powerful roar. Kaa slithered his way through the temple, presumably intent on hypnotizing members of the Bandar-log. While all this was happening, Krystal had managed to create a fire on one of the sticks she was holding. However, while she was glad she had made it, she was not going to let Louie have it. “Krystal, run for it!” Bagheera said. “We can handle it!” With a fire lit, Krystal decided to run out of the temple. In the process, she was able to get her staff back, picking it up while the Bandar-log were distracted. However, she did not go unnoticed by either Shere Khan or Louie. In fact, this caused Louie to flick Baloo off of him. Shere Khan merely threw Bagheera off of him with his hind legs, not letting the panther get in his way. They both had the same objective in mind: catch Krystal. Once she was outside the temple, Krystal thought about throwing the fire she had created over the side, knowing that Louie would chase after it. With the giant out of the way, she would head back to Baloo & the others, hoping to help them in the fight with the Bandar-log. Her staff was back in her hand, meaning that her enemies would not know what would hit them. The cobalt vixen planned on teaching her captors a lesson &, as soon as she tricked Louie into chasing after the fire, she was eager to carry it out. “Sorry, my dear, but you are at a dead end.” Shere Khan spoke. Krystal, turning her head, saw Shere Khan moving towards her. He was right in that she was at a dead end, as she could not move from her position. The cobalt vixen was knocked over by the tiger, who was still looking at her with lustful eyes. However, she was not going to be some helpless victim. Once Shere Khan made a move on her, Krystal was going to throw him off of her. Even if that failed, she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her break. “Now, sweetheart, I WILL have you!” Shere Khan spoke. “If you resist, then this will be more painful than it needed to be!” He began to lick Krystal, all while she glared at him. Not only that, but he traced his claws on her uniform, shredding it a little more. The cobalt vixen could not use her staff in the position she was in, but that did not mean that she was helpless. Looking down at the fire she had made, she knew that it would be a great weapon. Luckily, Shere Khan did not seem to notice the blaze on a stick. With that in mind, Krystal knew that she had to act before he did something terrible to her. Looking at the tail of her enemy, Krystal immediately targeted it with her fire on a stick. Upon feeling the flame, Shere Khan let out a cry of pain & began to panic. He then leapt off of Krystal, falling off the cliff & down to what lie below. Soon after, the cobalt vixen heard a splash, which caused her to look over the cliff. Shere Khan had managed to land in a river that was far below the cliff. He had a bewildered look on his face, even as he looked back up to the temple. “Did you light my tail on fire & compel me to jump into the river?!” Shere Khan called to Krystal. “Actually, I did not see a river from where I was standing!” Krystal spoke. “I did light your tail on fire in an attempt to get free from you, though, & it worked!” “Clever girl.” Shere Khan chuckled to himself before swimming away in the river. While Krystal was dealing with Shere Khan, Louie had managed to throw Baloo off of him. The Bandar-log was fighting a losing battle against the animals who came to rescue their friend, with them running away from the fight. Kaa had managed to hypnotize some of the monkeys, swallowing them in the process. Bagheera & the wolves had managed to scare the ones they had been fighting with. Seeing as his enemies were distracted, Louie decided to go after Krystal. If Shere Khan had yet to do anything with the cobalt vixen, then the giant ape still wanted her. Once he looked outside, Louie saw Krystal collapse, presumably out of exhaustion. However, she had actually collapsed out of pain due to sensing her large enemy again. The cobalt vixen tried to get up, but the pain was a bit overwhelming. With that in mind, Louie was quick to grab her again, right before she was about to get her staff ready. He brought the Cerinian close to his face, letting her know right away that she could not escape from him. Krystal glared at him, showing no fear on her face. “Looks like you dealt with the tiger.” Louie said. “Now, you deal with me. Give me the red flower, child.” “No.” Krystal said. “I guess we will have to do this the hard way, huh?” The giant ape said, tightening his grip on her. Louie began to squeeze Krystal again, causing her to grimace in pain. He had managed to grab her so quickly, it prevented her from getting her staff out & blasting him. The pain from the headache was overwhelming & the pain of being crushed was proving to be even worse. As she felt the giant ape squeeze harder, the cobalt vixen let out a pained cry. This time, she was in so much pain, she could not reach her blaster. It was still on her belt, but she could not grab it at the moment. “This time, you have no choice but to accept your place.” Louie darkly said. “If you do not accept, I will crush you & eat up what remains of your body.” Krystal struggled as much as she could, hoping that she would reach her blaster & fire at Louie. She could feel her hand getting closer to it, but it seemed like she would have the life squeezed out of her before she could grab it. With her telepathy not working at the moment, the cobalt vixen could not call for her new friends to help her. For all she knew, they were still struggling with the Bandar-log. Not only that, but no one outside of the jungle knew about her. There was no help in sight & it looked like she was going to have to accept her place under the thumb of an evil giant ape. “Let her go!” A voice shouted from out of nowhere. Suddenly, something hit Louie, causing him to drop Krystal. The cobalt vixen landed on her feet, though her headache still lingered. As she was freed, she was able to see who or what had knocked down her captor. It happened to be a young boy who had swung in on a vine. He looked around the age of twelve, though he might have been older than that. He wore a set of clothes that looked brand new, likely having been given to him rather recently. Despite all of that, Krystal could sense that he was no stranger to the jungle as her telepathy stabilized. Once he saw that Krystal was safe, the boy noticed that Louie hit the wall of his temple. The wall started to crack, meaning that it was going to make the temple collapse once it was broken. With that in mind, the boy grabbed Krystal & rushed into the temple to see if anyone was inside. Baloo, Bagheera, the wolves & Kaa were still dealing with the Bandar-log when they heard the walls of the temple begin to collapse. Upon seeing Krystal being led through the collapsing structure by a human child, they immediately followed them. They got out just as the walls fell to pieces & as the roof caved in. When they were outside of the collapsed temple, Baloo & the others got a better look at the boy who had helped them rescue Krystal. He was someone they all knew, as he had lived in the jungle before. Of course, Krystal had yet to be introduced to him, but they hoped that he would speak to her. After all, it would be rude to not have a conversation with someone you had just met. Krystal had practically collapsed the moment they were outside of the temple, so she would have to recover. Granted, the cobalt vixen probably needed some rest. “Mowgli, what are you doing here?” Bagheera asked. “It iss sso good to ssee you again, mancub!” Kaa spoke. “I was just taking a walk through the jungle when I saw Louie crushing this strange woman.” Mowgli spoke, looking at Krystal. “I could not let her die, so I came to the rescue!” “That was rather heroic of you, Mowgli.” Raksha said. “But, I suppose that you & Krystal will need some time alone.” “I will take her to the village with me so that she can recover.” He said. “I had to carry her because she looked like she was going to be sick.” “Take care of her as well as you can, little britches.” Baloo said. “We need her to be okay.” Mowgli nodded, realizing that his friends knew the woman he had saved. He decided to call for Hathi to give him a ride to the village. The elephant let the boy ride on his back & had him place Krystal behind him. Once they got to the village, the cobalt vixen would be put in a hut so that she could rest & recover. Mowgli hoped that the villagers would help her get back in shape. He barely knew this fox-like creature, but he knew that she was just as important to his animal friends as he was.