"Things Will Look Better in the Morning"

The forest Bagheera entered was very different from the one he called home. Where Bagheera lived in a jungle, this was a more deciduous forest, like one would find in Europe.

But this was no place on Earth; instead, this was the primordial forest known as the Pink Plant Woods, and it was part of a world called The Glade of Dreams.

As luck would have it, someone had been snoozing in the branches of one of the nearby trees, so they definitely heard Bagheera calling out.

That someone hopped down: a very unusual humanoid, with a bulbous nose, a mess of blonde hair erupting from his head, and big, expressive eyes. He seemed to be wearing a purple shirt with a red hood, white gloves on his hands, and yellow-and-white shoes on his feet. But the most striking thing about this character’s appearance was the fact that he had no limbs or neck! Instead, his torso floated above his feet, and above that floated his head, while on either side of hos torso floated his hands.

Bagheera surely had never seen anything like this fellow before?

Fortunately, he seemed friendly enough, introducing himself, “Hey there! Rayman’s the name. What’s yours?”

The foliage that enveloped this forested place contrasted greatly to that which grew in the dense jungle of Bagheera’s home. Yet the panther padded forward cautiously, his golden gaze searching the area for some signs of local inhabitants. Namely, one that would be willing to help him get back home.  The solution to his problem soon presented itself in the form of a strange creature. One that had been snoozing in a tree, and now stood before the jungle cat. The appearance of this humanoid did indeed startled Bagheera. Who stopped abruptly in his tracks, the fur along his back standing on end while his eyes grew very wide. But upon noticing that this person, or whoever he was, meant him no harm and appeared very friendly, the panther was able to relax.  “Ah, hello there.” Bagheera replied, managing a small smile. “My name is Bagheera. I appear to be lost. Would you be so kind as to tell me where I am?”

Mufasa did not immediately recognize the black shape from the ledge he was perched on, so his first thought was Kimya. For all the leopard’s arrogance and obsession with revenge, the king had not thought him stupid enough to approach Pride Rock in broad daylight. The fur on the back of his neck bristled, but when the leopard was close enough that Mufasa could clearly see his friendly features, the lion relaxed and offered a warm smile.

“Indeed. This is a most pleasant surprise. What brings you back to the Pridelands, Bagheera?”

Resembling a certain vicious enemy of the Pridelands had caused confusion before, and had even endangered the jungle cat at times. But now he was grateful that his presence was better known now so that such mistakes could be avoided. Bagheera grinned wider upon seeing Mufasa smile with warmth similar to that of the sun. The panther quickened his pace as he trotted up to pride rock, bounding up a few lower ledges to respectfully take his own perch beneath that of the King’s. He sat back on his haunches, tilting his head back to glance up at the regal lion with admiration, a friendly composure on his face. 

“Well, it has been such a long time since my last visit. I thought it best to return, to see that you and your pride are keeping well and staying safe.” Of course, there was reason behind this as well. Ever one to care deeply about others, he feared that something bad would happen with Kimya being a constant threat. Perhaps, he could help in some way.

Strange things were not unheard of in the jungle. But the odd appearance of an unusual spiral doorway had warranted further investigation. The jungle animals have never seen nor witnessed a portal before, so when Bagheera passed through and found himself in strange new surroundings on the other side, he was very surprised indeed. The panther glanced around, eyes wide in confusion. He hoped to spot someone, anyone, who might provide some explanation of where he was or how to get home. “Hello?” He called out with caution. “Is there anyone here?” 

During the morning of a brand new day in the jungle, Bagheera set out to find Mowgli. After prowling about in search of him, he finally found where the young mancub currently resided. Upon spotting him, the panther approached with a smile. “Good morning, Mowgli.” He greeted, padding closer to investigate what the boy was doing. Even though he tended to be ruled more by practicality and reason, this didn’t mean he was entirely opposed to fun. So long as the activities at hand were perfectly safe, of course. “Now, what are you up to?” He asked, peering over the mancub’s shoulder with genuine interest and curiosity.

It was another such day when Bagheera had strayed from his jungle home and returned to the Pridelands for a visit. The hot African sun beat against his sleek black pelt. The ground underfoot was warm and mildly uncomfortable. But he didn’t seem to mind much, having experienced these things before. He approached Pride Rock, golden eyes searching for the King himself. When he would eventually come face to face with his maned friend, who he had pleasantly convened with before, it would bring a smile to his muzzle. “Mufasa,” He began. “How wonderful it is to see you again, sire. It has been awhile, has it not?” 

((HELLO!!