Inspired by the new Legend of Tarzan movie. Here is my mystical, fantastical (modern) rendition.

/ DISCLAIMED / CCS, LEGEND OF TARZAN (2016) , DISNEY TARZAN (1999), DISNEY TARZAN & JANE (2002), (original) TARZAN BY EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS / yes, I might've done a lot of "research".

LEGEND OF SYAORAN

The jungle is wild, there is no law, there is no discipline. It is eat or get eaten. There is only the prey and the predator.

Except for him. He is the guardian of the jungle. Protector of the realm. He is the fog that settles over the trees. He is the thunder that rolls over the mangrove. He is the rain the feeds the fauna. He is the wind rustling in the leaves. He is the magic that surrounds the jungle.

He is not the god of the jungle. The jungle is still untamed, brimming with magical energy. He is not an animal of the jungle. He is certainly not a prey or a predator. He is not merciful or kind. But he is not to be feared. He serves the smallest parrot, rescuing the injured bird. He serves the most dangerous panther, preventing only the unnecessary slaughters.

He is friends with the spirit of the trees. He is an enemy of the invaders, the people that come to steal resources that belong to the jungle. He is protector of the jungle's secrets.

He has only one name, and there is only one way to describe him.

Syaoran.

"The Legend of the Jungle." Fujitaka Kinomoto concluded with a tone of finality and closed the book gently. He offered a gentle smile to his children, who gazed up at him with their full attention.

Her bright eyes looked wonderingly up at her father, "does he really have magic?"

"Of course!"

Sakura gasped in delight, looking down at her own hands. "Do I have magic?"

"No, stupid!" Touya crossed his arms, stubbornly ignoring his father's stern gaze. "Our family has not an ounce of magic!"

"We don't?" Sakura asked in disbelief. Fujitaka confirmed her question with a shake of his head. "Not grandpa?" Another shake. "Not great-great-great-grandpa?" A sad frown.

"Only few people in England have magic now!" Touya sat up straight to show off his knowledge, bringing out his little fingers and shoving three at her. "the Duke of Abbington, the crazy guy that lives at Hertfordshire - " another stern look, "and -"

"The Queen!" Sakura cut in with delight.

"-the royal family." Touya finished triumphantly.

"Is the Queen the most powerful?"

"It's the crazy guy at Hertfordshire!" Touya cut in.

"Of all time?"

"Oh no, dear," Fujitaka smiled, "the most powerful magician ever was the great Clow, but that's a story for another time."

"But-"

"Time for bed." Fujitaka scooped the youngling into his arms, sending another stern look at his son. "You too, Touya."

The children pouted and whined and bickered but eventually, they were sent off to bed. Sakura was tucked in despite her obvious excitement.

As soon as their father's gentle footsteps faded down the hall, Sakura lept out of her small bed, messing up the carefully arranged sheets. She hurdled into Touya's room, jumping onto his bed with a loud 'shh!' as he attempted to shout at her (though he fully expected it).

"Sakura!" Touya reprimended as sternly as a child could. "Leave me alone!"

"But-but-but why wasn't Clow on your list? You were wrong!" Sakura tugged at Touya's sheets, "and I like your blankie better!"

"Clow's dead!" Touya answered, snatching his blankets out of her grasp, "you have your own blankets!"

Shocked into stillness, the little girl sat down - unfortunately for Touya - right on his stomach. "What? I thought magicians were immortal!"

"No, monster," Touya sighed, voice strained as he shoved his sister off of him, "they just die slower. Magicians live to be 1,000 and we humans live to be 80 if we're lucky."

Sakura remined quiet, unperturbed by Touya's shoves. "But…" her eyes were big and wide as they turned to meet his, freezing her brother in place, "Mum died when she was 27."

Touya, only a child, didn't know what to do. Finally, he sighed, "fine, you can sleep next to me but no kicking."

Delighted and distracted, Sakura crawled under his comforters and snuggled into his pillow, nearly pushing Touya off the small bed.

"I said no kicking!"

In the morning, Fujitaka always wondered why he put so much effort into tucking the hyper Sakura in her bed when she somehow winds up in Touya's. And Touya…on the floor.

A botanist, archeologist, and a ranger venture into the Jungle, their fates to be forever changed.

There is magic in the Jungle, the most magic anyone has ever seen in centuries.

"Wait a second - No, wait, Sakura's - WHAT - Eriol and WHO - going WHERE - to do WHAT - I CAN NOT CONDONE THIS!"

"Oh, bugger off," Sakura muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes and redirecting her gaze towards her cousin. Eriol remained placid, smiling nervously but saying nothing to save his own skin. Instead, he kept his mouth full on crumpets with the occasional sip of tea.

"I heard THAT!" Touya whirled on her, shaking an accusatory finger but directing his accusatory gaze at his father. "Father! Please, Sakura?"

"Seems interesting." Their absentminded father responded easily, he raised his eyes from the morning paper to give his son a bemused glance, "even I want to go. But alas, a professor has his duties."

"Yes, so does -"

"Dad's a full professor!" Sakura cut in, "I'm a lecturer. There's a difference."

"The difference is-" Touya stabbed into his toast.

At the same time, Sakura cut in, "-I have more free time."

"-you have to work harder-"

The two siblings glared at each other over the teapot.

"It's the jungle." Both siblings spoke at the same time. Sakura's emphasis on the word portrayed her delight and fascination. Touya's emphasis on the word portrayed danger and doom.

"Well, I can't go."

"Why do you need to go?" Sakura scowled at her brother. "You're a businessman, what will you do? Devise a market strategy for the distribution of fruits to gorillas?"

Touya scoffed at her taunt. "That is ridiculous. And this is ridiculous. Eriol can't perform a spell to save his life, let alone yours. What would you do when a panther attacks you? Throw books at it?"

"Well, there is that Kei coming with us." Eriol finally spoke up, to semi-defend himself. "He's a wilderness expert. Ish."

Touya turned his glare to his cousin. "Kei," he spat the word, "doesn't even have magic. Not an ounce. And he cannot be trusted around my sister." Touya waved gesturally to indicate that he was referring to Kei's shameless courting of the youngest Kinomoto.

"Eh," Eriol shrugged, "I'll be there." He sipped his tea, then looked up to find himself scrutinized under a skeptical stare. "To prevent him from gaining any ground. Not like Sakura is doing him any favors."

Both young men turned to look at the young woman, who tilted her head sideways cluelessly at their exchange. "Eh?"

Eriol shrugged at the older brother as if to say, 'you see?' Touya made a semi-agreeable grunt. Perhaps Sakura's obliviousness is an advantage on this front. Poor suitors.

After a beat of silence, Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto set down the morning newspaper with a loud rustle. He sipped his tea gently, then smiled. "I think it's wonderful."

"Of course you do." Touya grumbled under his breath.