Outcasts [COMPLETE]

Different

Morning came and the first thing she noticed was that her warm ally was gone. "You're killing me with the mixed messages Khan." She said, before noticing the fresh claw marks on the ground beside her. His way of saying I'll see you soon, and despite everything else, she couldn't help smiling.

~

Her mind wasn't on Mowgli when she went down to the water, but she timed her arrival poorly and when she looked up she saw him crouching in the bushes across the water, he had been creeping closer but then stopped upon noticing she was looking up. She smiled and sat back on her heels. "You may as well come out, I can see you." He paused before creeping forth on all fours, she arched a brow and he sat back on his heels, mimicking her.

"You're Zaria, the one who vanished." "Is that what they're calling me?" "In the pack anyway, Bagheera says everyone else calls you girl-cub." She laughed faintly. "I wouldn't say I'm a girl anymore. And you're Mowgli aren't you?" He nodded lightly, dry lips parted. "Are we...the same animal?" Her smile was soft, almost sad. "I suppose so." His face brightened. "Does that mean I could stay with? We could have our own pack, where we aren't outcasts." She didn't hesitate to say what she was thinking about next, she wish she did, it would've vouched for her humanity.

"I don't want to be part of a pack Mowgli, if I did I wouldn't have left Bagheera all those years ago. Besides, my life is such a complicated mess now, the last thing it needs is someone involved in it." He frowned a little and there was a pause. "Zaria?" "Yes?" "Why are we...different?" It took her a moment to come up with an answer.

"We're different because we're special. Only we can live with and like the animals around us, calling ourselves one of them despite everything else. You're more social, consider that a blessing, that means everyone grows to trust you quicker and the bonds you make are stronger. But that's not who I want to be, not anymore, seems like the only 'friends' I make are ones with benefits or can't be trusted no matter how long I know them." She paused then to really look at Mowgli, he really was awfully young, no more then ten at most, he didn't deserve to feel like he didn't belong in the only place he knew as home.

"Be careful who you trust Mowgli, there are some in this jungle that wouldn't hesitate to break you in two." "Are you one of them?" She smiled sadly. "I hope not." Before she turned and vanished into the foliage behind her, leaving the man-cub to wonder.

~

She wasn't initially planning on visiting the monkeys but while walking she realized she was close to the temple and decided to pay them a visit. Some feet into their territory, the leaves around her began to rustle and her sharp ears picked up the faint, curious shrieks of the monkeys that remembered her. In the rest of the jungle she was the girl-cub, here she was Princess Zaria, Queen now. At a certain point, two black and white monkeys swung down from the branches and bowed to her. She held herself up a little taller before emerging out into the sunshine and the ruins of the primate kingdom.

The monkeys had second to sharpest memory in the jungle, the elephants being first, they could remember important things, such as the ruler of their kingdom. They claimed they were free spirits but obeyed her every command.

As she stepped out into the light more and more of them noticed her, at first they released loud screeches to announce her arrival but as she drew closer they swung down to the ground and bowed with their heads to the stones beneath and their arms stretched out before them. She had forgotten how used to their loudness she was as she strode through the masses which willingly parted and showed her the way to the one building left standing. She paused briefly at the entrance, perhaps for effect, before stepping in, a few others sliding in alongside her.

The place was dark but she was used to it, there were a few strips of sunlight here and there but altogether it reminded her of Kaa's home, just less wet. The primates continued to watch her as she passed, she hadn't done all that much to gain their respect, they just knew how physically similar they all were. That and she was much nicer then the king before her.

King Louie...he had favored the woman long before she decided to isolate herself. They first met when she chased a monkey that had taken a fruit she had rightfully knocked down from a tree. She followed the rascal to the ruins where, despite being outnumbered a million to one, remained brave and let out such a scream the entire primate population stopped what they were doing and looked. Not used to being the center of attention, she decided the young monkey could keep the fruit and got ready to leave when, much to her surprise, he gave it back. Turns out the scream she gave impressed the lot of them and soon after getting to know her they realized how kind she was and dedicated themselves to her for life. It was only a matter of time before the king caught wind of this and she had an audience with him, it wasn't long until she was dubbed Princess Zaria.

Head high she strode to the back of the room where a stone throne sat dusty and unused. Two primates on either side knelt and gestured to it, she bobbed her head slightly before stepping up and sitting down, gazing at her subjects with an impassive face.

"Your queen has returned." And as the erupted into screeches, a small smile tugged at her lips.