Now you see him, now you don't.

[Veggirl]

Sorry for the long wait guys for the next Zodiac Chase installment. I was pretty busy with my new High School, so I didn't had a lot of time. But I finally have the first chapter up. Read and enjoy!

Chapter 1

Smart Guy awoke to a strange beeping sound. He sat up in his bed. On his dresser, was a small little green device beeping wildly. Smart Guy instantly knew another zodiac animal had been found. He quickly got out of bed, and went over to it. Pressing a few buttons, the device revealed a map of where the animal was located. The Toontown Jungle. Smart Guy nodded. But when he saw the animal, he stared at it.
“Uhh oh.”

The next morning at breakfast, Smart Guy stood up.
“All right boys, looks like another zodiac animal had been found.”
Kovu leaped up. “Great! Where are we going?”
“The Toontown Jungle.” Smart Guy answered. He turned to Wheezy. “Hey Wheeze, you wouldn’t mind if you stayed home, do you?”
“Why?!” Wheezy said. “What’s wrong?”
“Well, it’s just that---”
“Look boss,” Wheezy interrupted. “I’m not scared of any danger. If any pirates are gonna come and get us, then let them get us! I’m not scared of anything! I’m gonna go!”
Smart Guy frowned. “You sure?”
Wheezy nodded. “I’m sure! Cross my heart!”
Smart Guy grinned. “Well good. We’ll just go to the jungle and get the snake and---”
Wheezy suddenly held up a hand.
“Hold on…did you say…snake?”
“Yeah.”
Wheezy stared at him, turned and walked away. “I’m out.”
“Hey, come back!” Smart Guy snapped, racing after him.
Kovu frowned and looked up at the others. “What was that all about?”
The weasels shrugged and went back to eating breakfast.

“Wheeze!” Smart Guy snapped. “You said you will be coming!”
“Yeah, that was before I found out we were gonna get a snake!” Wheezy snapped.
“So? The snake is part of the Chinese zodiac!”
“I don’t care! I can’t look at them, I can’t be in the same room with them, I JUST DON’T LIKE THEM!!!”
“Look,” Smart Guy growled. “You’re gonna go and find the Zodiac animal. If you don’t, the pirates will get it, and it will be used for their own evil purposes!”
Wheezy eyed his boss suspiciously. “How will I know you’re not gonna do anything to me when we find it?”
Smart Guy held up a hand. “I solemnly swear that I will not do anything that will scare Wheeze.”
Wheezy frowned. “Fine!”
“All righty then!” Smart Guy said. “We’ll go at once to the airport and fly to the Jungle.”
Wheezy stared at him.
“FLY?!”

[Cobrawolf]

Wow.

[netske]

Yau, a new fic! Cool!

[Veggirl]

Thanks guys! Time for the next chapter. Eh...sorry if it's short.
-_-'

Chapter 2

Smart Guy looked down at the jungle landscape from his seat in the airplane. It would be a matter of hours until he and the gang will land in the jungle. Behind him, Greasy was nudging Wheezy who had his paws up to his eyes. "Oh come on," Greasy said. "It’s not bad." "Easy for you to say!" Wheezy groaned. "You’re not afraid of heights!" Smart Guy rolled his eyes. Wheezy was usually afraid of most things. Heights and Snakes were his two phobias. Which is a huge problem right now because the zodiac they had located was the snake zodiac. Beside him, Kovu was reading the zodiac book, reading the part about the snake.

In the great race, the horse was about to take sixth place, but the snake had slithered ahead of him and won the title. The snake is usually crafty and sly, but can be vain and menacing. It has the power of invisibility.

Kovu looked up.
"How are we going to find the snake, Smart Guy? It does have the power of invisibility!"
"The Zodiac locator has a device that can locate the snake, even if it’s invisible." Smart Guy replied. "Hester installed it this morning before leaving."
Fidget poked his head from behind. "Hey, I just spoke to the pilot. He said we will land soon."
Smart Guy nodded. "All right then." He looked back.
"Hey Wheeze, the pilot said we will be landing soon."
Wheezy groaned. "I hate this part! All the bumping around and stomach dropping and—"
He shakily stood up. "I’ll be right back."

A few miles away from the plane, a group of other planes followed them. A wolf captain, picked up a mouthpiece and spoke.
"Come in, Ratchet. Where is the plane of those Toon Patrol weasels heading for?"
"Right where the machine indicated, Captain!" A voice came from the radio. "The Toon Jungle."
"Good, good!" The wolf, Don Karnage, said. "Soon we will get our hands on the snake zodiac before they could say anything!"

[Veggirl]

Arrgh! Finally I can get on here and post this up! Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait!

Chapter 3

Wheezy groaned and flopped on the ground.
"I made it!" He groaned. Smart Guy looked down at him. "Well you better get up. We gotta go find the snake zodiac soon."
Wheezy groaned. "You know boss, you’re making this job harder and harder for me!"
Kovu meanwhile was standing on the dock of a river, looking down at the swirling water. In his jaws, he was clamping onto the snake tracker.
"Kovu!"
Kovu looked up, the tracking device still in his jaws. Hester looked straight at him.
"Do not open your mouth unless you want our mission to fail!"
"But how—" Kovu started to ask, releasing the device. Hester yelped as the device dropped into the water.
"AARRGGHHH! THE DEVICE!!!" He screeched. He raced over and plunged his paws into the water, gritting his teeth. He then pulled out the device, which began to beep.
"Oh please, let it be okay!" He moaned. There was one last beep and it went dead. Hester stared at it with wide eyes. He then closed them.
"Ohhh, great!" He groaned.
"What?" Greasy asked. "What’s the matter?"
Hester looked up at them with hopeless eyes. "I didn’t mentioned that the snake tracking device is not waterproof. If it contacts water, even a small drop, it’ll go dead and will be useless!"
The weasels and Fidget became silent.
"So the device doesn’t work?" Stupid asked.
Kovu moaned. "Oh guys, I’m sorry! I didn’t know! I should never had—"
"It’s not your fault, Kovu." Smart Guy said. Secretly, Wheezy was relieved that the device doesn’t work. He shrugged happily. "Well that’s that! Maybe we don’t need to find the snake after all. Now we can just go home and find another zodiac animal. One that is more safer and have legs!"
"No way, Wheeze." Smart Guy said. "We’re gonna find this snake zodiac, and we’re gonna bring him to the valley."
"Besides," Hester said. "Snakes are usually harmless." He then frowned. "Well there are those snakes who can poison you or squeeze you hard until you pass out."
Wheezy groaned. Smart Guy glared at the Toon cat.
"Not helping, Hester!" He hissed. He looked back at Wheezy. "Look Wheeze, why don’t I go with you when we search for the snake?"
Wheezy sighed and nodded.
"Okay." Smart Guy said. "Psycho, you go with Greasy. Stupid, you go with Fidget. And Kovu, you with Hester. Got it?"
Everyone nodded.
"Okay, lets go on a snake hunt!"

[Veggirl]

Hmm, seems like nobody's replying. Well, I'll post up a new chapter since I'm nice.

Chapter 4

Hester sniffed a tree and looked up. "This looks like a good tree to climb upon."
"All the way up there?" Kovu asked, staring up at the giant height of the tree. Hester nodded. "Do you wanna go first, or should I?"
"I can go first." Kovu said stubbornly. Crouching down, he leaped on the tree trunk and grasped the bark with his claws. He felt himself sliding down. He wiggled his rump and leaped up again, but he still slid down.
Hester couldn’t help but smile in amusement.
"You need help?" He asked.
"I can do it!" Kovu hissed. Slowly and steady, he began to climb up the tree. Finally, he reached the first branch and crawled onto it. He looked around.
"Wow!"
The jungle stretched as far as he could see. Good thing Wheezy wasn’t here, or else he would be terrified to death. Hester leaped up next to him.
"Beautiful, isn’t it?"
"Yeah, it’s cool!" Kovu said, grinning.
Hester yawned. "Well I think it’s time we do a little catnap."
"A nap?" Kovu said, staring at him. "Hester, naps are for babies!"
"Well I need one!" Hester said. "Now if you excuse me, I’m going to have one right now."
With that, he curled up on the branch and closed his eyes. Kovu frowned and settled on the branch, growling. He didn’t noticed a scaly head watching him until he looked up. The head belonged to a huge python, with yellow eyes. The python grinned.
"Sssay now, what have we here? A lion cub? A delis-ci-ousss lion cub."
Kovu pushed his head away with a paw. "Oh go away and leave me alone!"
Hester grunted in his sleep. "Kovu, sleep." He growled.
The python nodded, grinning. "Yesss Kovu, please." Kovu turned to look straight into the python’s eyes but was frozen by the Technicolor’s swirling in the eyes. There was something in this python’s eyes, besides the whirling colors.
"Go to sssleep." The python hissed. "Pleassse go to sssleep. Resst in peace."
Kovu felt the coils wrap around his body, but still he couldn’t move.
"Hester?"
"Just let me sleep for two hours!" Hester growled.
"He won’t be here in two hours." The python chuckled as his coils tightened.
Hester opened one eye grumpily. "Oh yes he—"
His head shot up. "KAA!" He screeched. "HOLD IT KAA!" With a swipe from his paw, he rapped Kaa’s head with a stiff paw. Kaa’s head lurched upward and was knocked against a branch. The hypnotizing spell on Kovu was snapped and Kovu blinked.
"Oohh my sinusss." Kaa groaned. He then turned toward Hester, glaring at him. "You had just made a ssseriousss misstake my friend! A very ssstupid missstake!"
Hester backed away. "Now, now, Kaa...I was just—"
"Look me in the eyes when I’m ssspeaking to you." Kaa hissed, as the Technicolor began to dance in his eyes. Hester closed one eye.
"Please Kaa, I was just—"
"Both eyes if you please."
Hester’s eyes opened and he was fully hypnotized.
"You had sssealed your doom." Kaa hissed. He was about to bite Hester’s head when suddenly, Kovu pushed his coils off. Kaa yelped as he fell to the jungle floor. Kovu went over to Hester and nudged him. "Hey Hester! Hester wake up!"
Hester blinked. "What the? Huh?"
Kaa began to slither away. "Just wait until I get you in my coilsss!"
Suddenly, he was pulled back. He looked behind him and saw his tail was stuck on some bamboo roots.
"Hester, he has a knot in his tail!" Kovu exclaimed.
Kaa sneered and said mockingly, "Oh hee-hee-hee! He’s got a knot in his tail!" Kaa pulled and pulled until finally the stems broke and his coils were free. Kaa groaned.
"Ooo! This is going to slow down my ssslithering!"
Kovu laughed and looked up at Hester. Hester was staring at Kaa through narrowed eyes.
"What’s wrong, Hester?"
Hester looked at him. "Huh? Oh nothing. Well come on. We gotta go find the snake zodiac."

[Sodapop]

I bet 100$ that Kaa is the snake zodiac.

[Veggirl]

Next chapter up and running!

Chapter 5

The small snake stared up at the cat with fear in his eyes as the cat leaned in closer, smelling him. The little snake wondered if the cat was smelling him to see if he smelled good to eat. The cat frowned. "No." He then released the snake and it slithered away.
Kovu sighed. "Hester, that was our 93rd snake, and still we haven’t found the snake zodiac!"
Hester growled. "Look, there are about 150 snake species in the jungle. We just gotta find the right one!"
"150?!" Kovu groaned. He stormed off. "I’m gonna go look somewhere else."
He growled and slashed at the vegetation. "150 species! Can things get any worse?"
"Hello, young lion cub." A voice said. Kovu looked up and froze in horror. Don Karnage smiled coolly down at him.
"Long time no see, si?"

Smart Guy looked up at the tall tree that reached the blue sky. He looked at Wheezy.
"Want me to go get the snake?"
Wheezy nodded reluctantly. Smart Guy began to climb up the tree, higher and higher. As he got closer to the top, he heard a voice.
"If I sssee that little sssquirt ever again, it’ll be too much!"
Finally, Smart Guy pulled himself up on a branch and was facing a python who’s back was turned towards him.
"Aha!" Smart Guy said with triumph. The python froze and slowly turned his head. Smart Guy recognized him at once. It was Kaa, the slithery snake from The Jungle Book. Smart Guy slowly reached down to his pocket. If he startled Kaa, it could activate the power of invisibility, if he really was the snake zodiac. He got out a small snake bag and slowly opened it.
"Now Kaa...please get in the bag."
Kaa gave him a weird look with squinted eyes. Smart Guy stared into the eyes and almost fell off the tree when he saw a small black picture in the eye. The picture was long and thin. It was the picture of the snake zodiac!

[Sodapop]

Kaa must think Smart Ass is totally bonkers. ;D LOL xD

[Sour Plum]

Who's Don Karnage?

[Veggirl]

He's the pirate captain frm TaleSpin.

Next chap up!

Chapter 6

Smart Guy gulped and placed the bag near Kaa.
"Kaa, get in the magic bag so you won’t activate your—"
Kaa suddenly disappeared and Smart Guy saw the leaves rustle as if something was slithering past them.
"Invisibility power!" Smart Guy yelped. "WAIT! The pirates want to get your power! I’m only trying to protect you!!!"
Smart Guy climbed down the tree rapidly and landed on the ground.
"Did you find him?" Wheezy asked.
"Yeah," Smart Guy said. "But he’s getting away!"
"Wait, how do you know it’s him?" Wheezy asked.
"He has the snake zodiac in his eyes!"
"What?! How?"
"I don’t know, but we gotta go after him!"
The weasels raced off into the jungle as above, the invisible snake leapt and slithered through the trees. Kaa reappeared to his formal self up in the trees. He looked down. The weasels were way below down on the jungle floor. He smirked. Now he was safe from them. Suddenly, a shadow came down upon him and snatched him up. Kaa yelped with surprise as he was in the air. He looked up. A bat was grabbing him and flying down to the weasels. Smart Guy opened up the bag.
"Put him here, Fidget!"
The last thing Kaa remembered was being placed in a bag, then darkness.

Smart Guy tied the bag up and held it up triumphantly. "Good work gang! We caught the snake zodiac!"
"Great," Wheezy sighed. "Now can we get out of here before more snakes come?"
Greasy, Stupid and Psycho came racing in.
"Did you caught him?" Stupid asked.
"Yep, we have it right here!" Smart Guy said, holding up the bag.
Hester then came over. "Hey guys, have you’ve seen—"
"Already have him Hester." Smart Guy said proudly. "We finally caught the snake zodiac!"
Hester frowned. "It’s not the snake I’m worried about, it’s Kovu!"
"Kovu?" Greasy said. "Where is he?"
"How should I know?!" Hester said. "He just went off to look somewhere else and he didn’t returned!"
"Do you think the pirates must have gotten him?" Stupid said, his voice filled with worry.
"Well wherever he is, we gotta find him!"

Meanwhile, Kovu was tied upside down on a tree as Don Karnage and the pirates stood in front of him.
"Now young lion cub, tell me where the snake zodiac is and I’ll let you out easy, yes-no?"
"I don’t know where the snake is!" Kovu snapped.
"You do!"
"I don’t!"
"You do!"
"I don’t!"
"You don’t?" Karnage snarled, turning around. "Ah well, how about if I find your little friends the Toon Patrol and—"
Don Karnage yowled in pain as Kovu bit his tail.
"YOU...YOU BIT ME!! All right, I had enough! Dumptruck, bring me the turnip and the sandpaper."

[Sodapop]

Turnip? Sandpaper? Whaaat???

[Sodapop]

When's the next chappy? This is a good fic.

[Veggirl]

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Smart Guy crashed through the bushes, searching for any tracks for Kovu.
"Where could he be?!" He growled. Slung over his shoulder was the snake bag. Inside, Kaa wiggled a bit.
Hester had given him a sleeping potion that will make him sleep until they get back to the valley.
Smart Guy pushed aside some bushes and stopped. Tilting his head, he could hear some voices a few feet away. Turning to that direction, he went toward the voices. When he got to the voices, he stopped cold. There were the Air pirates with Kovu tied upside down on a hanging branch. Dumptruck was ambling towards Don Karnage with a turnip and a sand paper. Smart Guy gulped. He didn’t know what torture had to do with a turnip or sand paper, but he knew it couldn’t be good. What can he do to save Kovu? Suddenly, an idea hit him.
Of course! The snake!
Dropping the bag on the floor, he opened it and picked Kaa up. Kaa blinked with annoyance and glared at Smart Guy.
"Who do you think you are, disssturbing my peaceful sssleep?"
"Can’t talk right now." Smart Guy said, placing Kaa on his shoulder. "We have rescuing to do. Now do your work."
Kaa sighed and closed his eyes. Smart Guy looked down as he watched his bottom part of his body disappear completely.
He took a deep breath. "Okay, time to go rescue Kovu."
He stepped into the pirate’s lair.

Don Karnage smiled coolly at Kovu.
"Now little lion cub, tell me where the snake zodiac is, or I’ll—"
"Stuff it up your windsock!" Kovu snapped.
"My windsock?!!" Don Karnage yelped, stung by the sharp remark. "All right! That’s it! You are going to suffer the punishment of—"
Suddenly, Kovu was freed from the ropes. He fell to the ground and raced off.
"How did he—?!" Don Karnage yelped. He pointed at Kovu. "After him! After him you fools!" The pirates raced toward Kovu, but then suddenly fell to the ground by an unknown force. When the pirates tried to get up, they were either pushed back to the ground or kicked a few feet away.
"What is going on?!" Karnage shouted.
"Someone is attacking us, Captain!" Mad Dog cried.
Kaa tightened his hold on Smart Guy’s neck, fearing that he will fall off. Smart Guy tugged him.
"You’re choking me!"
Kaa wasn’t listening, but tightened himself around Smart Guy’s neck. Smart Guy tugged. “GET OFF!”
Without looking where he was going, Smart Guy didn’t noticed the rock ahead. He tripped over it and came crashing to the ground. Kaa went flying and landed ontop of a small tree. Smart Guy slowly opened his eyes and noticed a bunch of pirates surrounding him. He gulped and smiled slowly.
“Is there a problem?”
Karnage meanwhile was jumping up and down, pointing at Kaa. “Forget pink suited weasel! Get me the snake!”
“Yes Captain!” The pirates said, racing over to the tree. Dumptruck was the one who got the first. He reached up and took hold of the trees branches. He began to pull the branches down, making the tree trunk bend over. Kaa tried to wiggle away, but he kept on getting lower and lower to Dumptruck.
“Hey!” Smart Guy shouted. “You’re shoes are untied!”
“Really?” Dumptruck said, looking down and unfortunately, letting go of the branches. The tree sprang upright and Kaa was sent flying into the air.
Smart Guy stared at the flying snake until it disappeared from sight. What made him snap out of it, was the sound of roaring pirates coming towards him.
He gulped. “Well, better get out of here.”
He leaped into the bushes and raced off.

[Sodapop]

I hope they can find Kaa again. Dumptruck isn't very bright, is he?