Chapter 14: Deep Jungle's Destruction
"Location: Deep Jungle, The World Of Disney, November 28th 2110"
Nihil was still hiding by the Treehouse.
"Now, how shall I harvest his heart? He seems to have connections to the animals here. If I kill those animals, that should cause him to come running. I'll check with George first." Nihil thought.
He returned to Monstro and waited for the other two to arrive. George was the first one to get back. He released the Neoshadows with him and looked at Nihil.
"Where's Xylnn?" George asked.
"Who knows? Must've gotten bored staying in this whale all day. Hearts knows I'd do the same." Nihil replied.
"What did you find?" George asked.
"A man with monkey-like mannerisms took out the Heartless Scouts that I had with me." Nihil replied.
"That would be Tarzan." George said.
"He must be our Savior." Nihil said.
"Right. Let's begin Harvestation." George said.
Just then, Xylnn stumbled upon the two, jumping from a tree branch and looking at the other two.
"Hey, guys. Did I miss something?" Xylnn asked.
"We've found this world's Savior and we're about to harvest his heart. Did you find any information on you're journey?" George asked.
"There's an entire area full of monkeys nearby here. Some guy in brown trunks was grunting like them, as if he was talking to them." Xylnn replied.
"That's him. If we kill those animals, he'll come running. Nihil, I'll leave their deaths to you." George said.
"Understood." Nihil said.
"Xylnn, follow that man if you can. Keep him busy so that Nihil can harvest the animals without interference." George ordered.
But what the trio didn't know was that Tarzan was in the treetops, listening to them the whole time.
"Not George. It can't be. I thought he was better than this." Tarzan thought.
He left, heading for the monkey area to warn his kin.
"Location: Atlantis, The World Of Disney, November 28th 2110"
A portal opened up in the world of Atlantis. Vanellope, Taffyta, Adorabeezle, and Nougetsia stepped out, with Iniabi and Cynthia following behind them. Earlier that day before leaving TheDisneyFan365's fortress, Vanellope had asked them to come along as back-up. He had agreed to help, adding that he might even regain some of his memory while out with them.
Immediately upon arriving in the water-based world, the Sugar Rushers could tell that something was wrong. Unlike most of the other times they and the rest of the team was there, a heavy rainfall was covering all of Atlantis. It was obvious that the rain had been falling on the world for some time.
"Alright, we're finally here. Though, it would be nice if this rain would let up. I feel so soaked." Vanellope said.
Taffyta turned to Cynthia.
"Hey, are you alright?" Taffyta asked.
Cynthia nodded. She couldn't get her dream from earlier out of her head, but she had managed to calm down somewhat.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Cynthia replied.
Taffyta wasn't convinced, but she decided to leave it be. Vanellope turned to the others.
"Let's find Milo and the others, and see how we can help them free Ruta." Vanellope said.
Just then, a loud trumpeting cry echoed through the land. It was as if a very large animal was angry and lashing out. The cry was followed by a rumble and mechanical sounds. The group looked out into the distance towards where the sounds came from, and they could just manage to see a long snout spraying water into the air. It was obviously the main cause for the intense rainfall upon the water world. Just then, Kida ran up to them.
"Vanellope! Taffyta! Adorabeezle! Nougetsia! And... Cynthia and Iniabi. You came at just the right time." Kida greeted.
"Hey, Kida. TheDisneyFan365 said you and the rest of your world was in danger. Sorry to keep you waiting." Vanellope greeted.
"That's not at all a problem. But what you are saying about us in danger is true. Atlantis is in danger because of the massive rainfall coming from this strange machine. Will you help us? We need all the strength we can get." Kida asked.
Adorabeezle nodded.
"Gladly. In fact, we were told about the machine, which is called Vah Ruta, from TheDisneyFan365 and came to assist you." Adorabeezle replied.
"Thanks for telling me that info. And excellent. Let's head to the palace immediately. There's time to waste." Kida said.
Vanellope's group and Kida began to make their way along the path to the palace.
"So, tell us more about what is occurring with Vah Ruta." Iniabi said.
"That I will wait for my father to explain, as he can do it better than I probably could." Kida said.
"Location: Deep Jungle, The World Of Disney, November 28th 2110"
Tarzan raced through the treetops, quickly making his way to the area where the Gorillas congregated. He entered the area and quickly explained what was going on to Kerchack. Xylnn and Nihil then jumped out of the trees just as the Gorillas and Tarzan raced to combat positions.
"You're mine!" Xylnn shouted.
She lunged at Tarzan with her boomerang at the ready. Meanwhile, Nihil summoned his fake Keyblade and began his assault on the Gorillas, who were no match for him despite his smaller frame. As the animals were slaughtered, Tarzan begins to glow with rage. A bright light surrounded him, and he pushed Xylnn away with his spear before rushing towards Nihil, who had slain all of the Gorillas except Kala. She was cowering in the corner as Nihil lifted his weapon. Fortunately, Tarzan attacked just as the weapon was about to strike Kala.
"Where is George at?" Tarzan asked.
"George? We are the ones killing your kin. Why do you want our ally?" Nihil asked.
"George is the cause. He can leave. You can leave, too." Tarzan replied angrily.
A scream was suddenly heard as George slayed Kala behind Tarzan's back.
"Mother!" Tarzan cried, rushing to her aid.
She fell, caught by Tarzan before she hit the ground. George stepped back, signaling the other two to come to his side.
"We should attack while his back is turned." Nihil said.
"Let him make peace with his kin. It's the only mercy we can give him at this point." George said.
"Why? Why kill animals? They do nothing!" Tarzan asked, turning to face the three.
"We need every heart we can get. I know they were dear to you, but they serve a larger cause now." George replied.
George pointed upward as the hearts that belonged to the Gorillas soared up to the sky and beyond.
"Now, be a good son and join your parents in servitude." George said.
The white haired boy pointed his Keyblade at Tarzan, signifying bloodlust. Xylnn took out her boomerang, while Nihil summoned his fake Keyblade. A dark aura surrounded George, matching the newfound aura of light that surrounded Tarzan.
"Now die!" George shouted.
The boy lunged at Tarzan with agility matching that of a gazelle. However, the older man got into the defensive, evading George's swipes. Nihil tried to rush into the fight, but Xylnn stopped him.
"There's a reason that George didn't order us to attack. Stay your hand." Xylnn ordered.
George eventually began to overwhelm Tarzan, and he easily destroyed the man's spear using one swipe of his blade. He then almost launched the killing blow, but Tarzan jumped out of the way in a spilt-second.
"You should stay still. You merely delay the inevitable." George snapped.
"Location: Atlantis, The World Of Disney, November 28th 2110"
The group moved through the city and saw the going-ons of life in Atlantis. Families walked together in groups, and friends moved in and out of shops. Iniabi recalled the city from some visits there during his childhood. He had only been to Atlantis a handful of times. The first time, he was on a trip with Amber and Kida had interacted with him. The second time, he was with Morgan on diplomatic business. The last time he was there, it was shortly before the Nightmare King returned. The journey to the palace was not a long one. As the group approached the building, Kida pointed to the left.
"Ruta is stationed over there, in that reservoir." Kida explained.
There was a huge wall that acted as a dam for the water housed in the reservoir. The group entered the palace and entered the throne room, where Kashekim was sitting.
"Father, I've found some of the Sugar Rushers, as well as Cynthia and Iniabi. They're willing to aid us in our efforts to calm the giant beast, which they say is called Vah Ruta." Kida announced.
"Thank you, Kida. You've done well to bring them here." Kashekim said. He turned his attention to Vanellope and her group and explained "Now then, as Atlantis is in danger and you have willingly offered your help, we can deal with this problem swiftly. This "Vah Ruta" has great power. It has the unique ability to create an endless supply of water. Of late, it has been mercilessly been spouting water into the air. As a result, this area has been plagued be the heavy rains. For us Atlantians, water has been no problem to us since Atlantis was raised back to ground level, so you wouldn't think this would be such a problem. Sadly, the rains have filled the Western Reservoir nearly to the point of flooding. If the reservoir bursts, I fear that immense damage will befall on the city. Atlantis is under threat of vanishing underground again because of Vah Ruta. If it sinks into oblivion once more, Atlantian culture will disappear altogether.".
Just then, Ruta made another cry. Those in the throne room looked in the direction of the Western Reservoir.
"Hmm... Ruta is crying out once again." Kashekim said.
Kida nodded.
"Also, Cynthia has told me that Iniabi has lost his memory after an attack in his timeline." Kida said.
"What?" Kashekim asked.
"I lost my memory." Iniabi replied apologetically.
Kashekim leaned forward in shock.
"We have met during the war against Anthony, but you didn't really get to speak with us much, so I understand if you don't recognize us. But surely you at least remember Cynthia, right?" Kashekim asked.
"I... no, not really." Iniabi replied simply.
During the time in Atlantis, he had recovered one memory of Cynthia, but it had been small and nothing significant. Other than that, his memory was one big blank. Kashekim sighed, shaking his head.
"The two of you were so close." Kashekim said.
"Father, I do not believe discussing his memories is helping matters at the moment. Iniabi seems confused." Kida said.
Iniabi cast him a small grateful look. Kashekim nodded in understanding.
"Yes. Yes, you are correct, Kida." Kashekim said. He turned to Vanellope's group and asked "I have no doubt in my mind that you have faced many trials as of late. Still, I must ask you to hear us out. We cannot stop Ruta alone. Will you lend us your strength?".
"Yes." Vanellope replied simply.
In truth, while she knew that she and the others had no idea what they were up against, she definitely knew that at least she was exhausted in the moment.
"You have our thanks. Now then, according to discoveries we've made on Ruta so far, the armor protecting it's body seems to be Impenetrable. Not even attacks from the Guardians protecting Atlantis seem to deal any damage to it. However, a set of orbs located on it's shoulders are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. Unfortunately, they need electricity to work. They're out of control now because there is no electricity coursing through to stop them." Kashekim explained.
"Milo managed to hit one with an electrical laser from a Ketak. It seemed to slow the water a bit, but because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity at once, the water soon returned to it's full force. If we could get close enough, we could get the orbs working properly again. I will aid you in any way I can, of course." Kida added.
"Of course. As we said before, we'll help you." Vanellope said.
"Excellent. Once Ruta has stopped rampaging, you five can easily climb inside it. Let's go appease Ruta together." Kida said.
"I'm in. Let's do this." Cynthia said.
Kashekim chuckled.
"Thank you. Truly, it is us who are in debt to you." Kashekim said.
"Come now, Kashekim. You needn't repay us for such an act. It's the least we can do for our friends." Adorabeezle said.
Iniabi turned to Kida.
"I guess we don't have time to waste. Can you bring us to the reservoir?" Iniabi asked.
Kida nodded.
"I can do you one better." Kida replied.
"Location: Unknown, Kingdom Hearts Dimension, November 28th 2110"
"Sora... Sora... WAKE UP, SORA!" a voice shouted.
Sora sat straight up in his seat. He yawned and stretched.
"Was that really necessary?" Sora asked.
Goofy chuckled.
"Sorry, but it's nearly ten in the morning. And we're just about to arrive in Olympus Coliseum." Goofy replied from the pilot's seat.
"Thanks." Sora said.
The Keybearer stood up and walked over to the window of the Gummi Ship. He looked out at the world of Olympus Coliseum below them.
"I wonder if they repaired the Coliseum after last time." Sora said.
"Hopefully. It sure will be great to see Hercules and the others again." Donald said.
"Hold on. I'll bring down the ship now." Goofy said.
He moved his hands towards the controls to make the Gummi Ship land in the world below. But before it could move down towards Olympus Coliseum, it suddenly lurched to the side as a missile struck it's wing. Donald looked out the screen.
"Heartless! They found us!" Donald shouted.
"Buckle up, everyone. Things are about to get messy." Goofy said.
With that, he sent the ship into a downward spiral to avoid another hit from the Heartless that seemed to surround them.
"Location: Deep Jungle, The World Of Disney, November 28th 2110"
Tarzan was still on the defensive. George began to get annoyed as his blows became less precise. His hand then began to glow with darkness, and he sent out dark projectiles that hit Tarzan in the torso. The brown haired man fell to the ground with a thud, barely able to stand.
"Will you submit now?" George asked.
"Must... get... revenge. Must... protect... Jane!" Tarzan replied.
The aura of light around him intensified. A light surrounded Tarzan's right hand and a new spear appeared in his hand.
"Looks like the surveyors of the light are on to us." Nihil said.
"No matter. I'll consume it with my darkness." George said.
The white haired boy jumped and attacked with a downward slash. However, the improved Tarzan automatically blocked and sent him flying about two feet away.
"It looks like he needs help after all." Xylnn said, drawing her boomerang.
Nihil drew his weapon and they both moved in front of George, who was still staggering from the unexpected blow.
"Stronger than he looks, ain't he?" Xylnn asked.
"No. It's the light that's helping him, not his own strength." George replied.
"Then we'll just snuff out the light!" Nihil said, shooting a beam of darkness from his palm.
Tarzan blocked the blow very easily. Nihil kept sending out the beam, only for the two to enter a stand-off. Xylnn waved her hand across her boomerang, giving it a dark aura.
"Black Sabbath!" Xylnn shouted.
She sent her boomerang flying into Nihil's beam. That gave the beam more power and caused Tarzan to fall back slightly while maintaining his barrier. George looked on in awe at the power being used, before pointing his Dark Keyblade at Tarzan and shooting out a dark beam. The three dark powers collided and formed one fiery dark beam. Tarzan was eventually overwhelmed and destroyed by the beam. His heart attempted to fly into the sky, but George caught it and stained it in darkness. A large Gorilla-like Heartless with spears stabbed all over it's body appeared next to him.
"Well, that's over." Xylnn said.
"Another Savior down." George said, sending the Heartless away. He turned to Nihil and ordered "Now, take us to the Keyhole, Nihil.".
Nihil nodded and jumped into a nearby cave, navigating it's water-filled caverns with George and Xylnn following close behind. They eventually reached the Keyhole.
"Are you sure about this, kid? If you keep this up, everything will be destroyed. I find this cause very noble, but if you think you aren't up to it, then let us know now." Nihil asked.
"No. The light only seeks to create more things and overpopulate the world. What this universe needs now is a time of tranquility. Only the darkness can provide that. I shall destroy all light in the cosmos. I know I can do it." George replied.
He pointed his Dark Keyblade at the Keyhole and shot a dark projectile at it. Light poured out of the Keyhole and a portal of light appeared before the trio. They stepped through, and George pointed his Dark Keyblade at the sphere of light that was seen at the center of the world's heart. Nihil and Xylnn did the same with their weapons. The bright room began to be consumed by the darkness.
"This is my destiny. Only through destruction can chaos be eliminated." George said.
The heart began to dissolve as it was consumed by the darkness. The room began to shake and the trio exited the realm inside of the Keyhole.
"Nihil, summon Monstro so that we can leave." George ordered.
"He will not fit in this small cavern. Let's go outside first." Nihil said.
The trio exited the cavern just as a cave-in occurred. The sky turns black as a dark orb appeared in the center of the area, just like in Sugar Rush and Royal Woods. Nihil placed his palm in the air and shot a beam into the sky. Monstro appeared and teleported them inside it's body. The whale then left the world and entered deep space. Inside, George sat on his throne and overlooked the control center.
"Which world is next?" George asked.
"A world covered by desert. It has a magical air to it." Nihil replied.
"Hmm... it's gonna be hot over there. Bring water." Xylnn said.
"Set a course for our next world victim. Agrabah." George ordered.
"Location: Atlantis, The World Of Disney, November 28th 2110"
Kida took the group to a jetty that overlooked the Western Reservoir, where Ruta was housed in. Everyone except Kida looked at it curiously. It was a huge behemoth of mechanical parts and looked to be some sort of elephant, with four legs and waterfalls at it's shoulders, just how they had been described. Not only that, but the same snout they had seen before came out of the animal's head and was still spraying water into the air.
"So, how exactly are we going to get over there?" Iniabi asked.
Kida motioned to some Ketaks parked nearby.
"We're going to be riding these over there." Kida replied. She then looked over to Ruta and asked "Do you see those glowing pink orbs on Ruta's shoulders?".
"Yes." Taffyta replied.
"We will need to shoot each of them with an electrical laser from these Ketaks. If we can cut off it's water line, that should stop it from attacking and even prevent the reservoir from overfilling. Once we cut it off, you can board it." Kida explained.
"Got it. Let's go." Vanellope ordered.
There were just enough Ketaks for all those in the group. Once everyone was on there's, they powered on.
"Here we go!" Kida said.
The group moved out and began to accelerate at a constantly fast speed. Kida took the lead, leading the others on a a course that took them in a circle around the Divine Beast. As the pair got close, Ruta began to move and shake.
"Ruta is responding to our presence! Move away and wait for an opening before we approach! Keep going at full speed in order to avoid being hit by it's attacks. It'll undoubtedly use it's cannons or trunk against us. They are highly powered and very painful were you to be hit by a projectile or water from the trunk. Luckily, the canons require time to cool down after several uses. That will be our opening." Kida called out.
"Got it!" Cynthia shouted.
The group was now at Ruta's side. They could see the cannons activating and coming out of their storage holds in order to defend the Divine Beast. The cannons charged up as Kida led them around the back of the Divine Beast in order to get to the other side. A cannon fired, and the round landed just a meter in front of the group as it hit the water. The other cannon on the side of the Divine Beast fired. Nougetsia had to duck in order to avoid having her head taken off by the passing projectile.
"Two more shots and they'll need cooling down." Kida said.
The Atlantean changed the direction she was moving to the way she came. The others followed behind her. Taffyta swiftly took aim and fired an electrical laser. However, the laser did no damage as it smashed harmlessly into the armor of the Divine Beast, breaking on impact with one last fizzle of electrical energy. A cannon fired again and landed close enough to the group to throw Adorabeezle off of her Ketak. The girl quickly got back on and was soon traveling again.
"If we can bait that cannon one more time, you'll be able to get to the orb it defends. Do you think you can get both orbs on this side of Ruta while we're there?" Kida asked.
"I'll do my best." Iniabi replied.
The same cannon fired again and missed by two meters. The speed of the Ketaks was definitely helping with avoiding cannon fire. The group moved closer to Ruta.
"Get ready!" Kida yelled.
Vanellope and Taffyta kept their gazes focused, and the two fired electrical lasers on the two orbs of their side. They hit the orbs, turning them from a pink glow to a yellow one. The group then moved around the back of Ruta. Instantly as they came into range, another roar bellowed through the air, and Ruta raised it's trunk and shot a heavy blast of water towards them. They avoided the blasts with ease as they navigated the waters, followed by canon fire. After a short time, one of the cannons required cooling down. The group moved in, and Cynthia quickly fired a laser at the third orb, hitting it and making it change color. However, one of the cannons on the back of the Divine Beast fired at Cynthia, distracting the white haired girl. She was not able to fire a laser at the last orb and was knocked into the water. Kida came over and helped her back onto her Ketak, and they and the others were moving again. However, the cannon that required cooling became operational again.
"We've got to get the cannon near the rear of the beast to fire so it can cool." Kida said.
"Bait it!" Vanellope ordered.
Kida followed Vanellope's order and the cannon fired. After awhile, it began to cool down.
"To the waterfall now!" Vanellope yelled.
The group immediately moved towards Ruta. Iniabi took aim at the last orb and fired a laser. It successfully hit.
"Yes!" Iniabi shouted.
Each waterfall had stopped when it's corresponding orb was hit with an electrical laser. The main spout at the front of the Divine Beast dropped and stopped releasing water into the sky.
"Well done, Iniabi!" Kida said.
The rain quickly and gradually began to stop after the spout had dropped.
"The water spouting from Ruta has stopped. It's raising higher to open it's entrance. You can get inside through there. Do what you can in there to appease this thing. This is where the real work starts." Kida said.
The group came to a platform in front of the entrance. Vanellope and her group got off of their Ketaks and onto the platform.
"Best of luck, everyone. Show the enemy no fear and return to the palace once you've finished. I'll see you there." Kida ordered.
"We most definitely will, Kida. You've been a brilliant companion." Iniabi said.
Kida smiled just as the Divine Beast began to rise again. The Atlantean had the rest of the Ketaks return to the jetty, before starting to head there herself. Meanwhile, Vanellope, Taffyta, Adorabeezle, Iniabi, and Cynthia walked inside Ruta, ready to take it on.
"Location: Unknown, Kingdom Hearts Dimension, November 28th 2110"
Sora felt sick to his stomach. The Gummi Ship had been tossed in so many directions that he was having trouble telling which way was up. Goofy had been forced to fly away from Olympus Coliseum and had gotten caught in an Asteroid Field. He was currently trying to steer out of it, but it wasn't easy. Heartless ships were everywhere, and it took all his concentration to keep from crashing into chunks of rock. Donald grasped the arm rests of his seat tightly as he shouted each time a boulder came too close.
"Goofy! If we live through this, I'm gonna kill you!" Donald shouted with his eyes shut tight.
Sora felt the same as the duck and he moved to the weapons station. A hologram screen appeared, showing the space surrounding the ship. Sora glared at the screen as a Heartless ship came in sight and fired twice. The first one missed, but the second one struck the enemy in the left wing, causing it to crash into another that swooped in from below. Both ships exploded on impact. The Gummi Ship got back on course, and with the combined efforts of Goofy and Sora, the Heartless numbers started to shrink. But just as their hopes went up, a sudden jolt nearly sent Donald falling from his chair as Sora almost lost his footing. A flashing red alert appeared on the screen. Sora recovered and looked at the display.
"It's a big one! It's a boss!" Sora said.
The ship that had struck them was three times the size of the Gummi Ship. It had four arms and two sets of wings that resembled that of a dragonfly. It also had a scorpion-like tail that contained a lightning globe at the tip, which was charging up.
"It's going to fire!" Sora shouted.
"Hang on!" Goofy shouted.
He forced the ship to make a hard left turn. The creature unleashed it's attack, just barely missing the ship's right engine.
"That does it!" Goofy said.
He pulled the ship into a U-turn and began flying right towards the Heartless ship.
"Are you insane? We'll be killed!" Donald shouted with his eyes open wide.
Goofy turned to Sora.
"Get ready, Sora." Goofy ordered.
"Right." Sora said.
They flew at the ship, with Sora waiting for the right moment. Seconds seemed like hours as both the Gummi Ship and Heartless ship headed on a collision course. Finally, Goofy spoke.
"Now Sora!" Goofy shouted.
The Gummi Ship tilted as it flew in close and unleashed a barrage of missiles and laser blasts. The Heartless fired as well, but most of the attacks missed. One struck the ship's engine, causing smoke to spew from behind and the air around it to buzz with sparks of electricity. The Gummi Ship was damaged, but the Heartless spiraled out of control until it slammed into an Asteroid and exploded.
"Yes!" Sora exclaimed happily.
Donald and Goofy smiled along him, but that vanished when a flashing red light filled the screen. Sora stepped away from the weapon's station, which retracted back into the floor now that the Heartless ships were no longer a threat.
"What is it?" He asked.
"We took a pretty good hit. The engine's in rough shape. We'll have to land and make repairs. There's a world nearby, but we've haven't been there yet." Goofy replied.
"Land there anyway." Sora ordered.