This is chapter twenty - five. Thank you Bakon Hawk, Bookworm Gal, and caitlinkeitorin for reviewing last chapter!
Chapter Twenty - Five: Yzma's Potion
"Hello, Kuzco," Yzma greeted. "And Lea. Thank you so much for leading them to me."
Lea snorted. "You and I both know that's not true. But thanks for looking out for me."
Yzma looked amused. "Well, sometimes it's just not worth the risk to stay around." Her eyes locked onto Kuzco, who was looking nervous as he stood beside Pacha. "Now I think I'd better finish what I started." Lea immediately summoned his Chakrams and stepped in front of Kuzco and Pacha. "What? You're going to protect them? I thought you said it didn't matter?"
"Hey, they helped me when you didn't," Lea retorted. "If nothing else, I owe them." He smirked, pointing a Chakram towards her and twirling it in his hand. "So, why don't you move aside?"
"What makes you think I'm going to, you ingrate?" Yzma hissed.
"I don't know, Yzma, those things look pretty sharp," Krunk whispered.
"Quiet, Krunk! I didn't come here without a plan!" She smiled as Lea's face contorted in confusion and withdrew a vile filled with purple liquid.
"Wait, don't let he drink that!" Kuzco cried in alarm.
His warning came too late; Yzma had already uncorked the vile and swallowed the liquid. She grinned, laughing as her body. "Now, get ready to face something more powerful than you ever dreamed!"
Lea's eyes stretched wide when he saw what Yzma had transformed herself into. "Great, she's a rhino," he muttered, fingers clenching tightly around his Chakrams.
"Ha! Now take this!" She charged forward, her attack barely allowing for her three targets to dodge out of the way.
"I'll just wait over here, Yzma!" Krunk called, pointing to the sidelines.
"Kuzco, Pacha, stay back!" Lea warned. He held his Chakrams out to his side, allowing them to ignite into flame before he sent them flying. Yzma deflected one with one of her horns, but the other cut along her side. She let out a cry of pain, but Lea knew that her pain was just beginning, smirking as he caught the Chakram that returned to him.
"Why does it still hurt?" she wailed, rolling on the ground as if it would stop the pain.
"My fire's special," Lea responded. He decided he wasn't willing to state anymore, lunging forward and bringing his Chakram sharply across in an attempt to slash his opponent. Yzma, however, recovered before he had the chance, charging towards him. He cursed, using the metal of his weapon to deflect the worst of the blow, though he was still sent flying. I'll have to be more careful. He jumped back to his feet, lifting his Chakram and firing a burst of dark fire from the tip. The attack struck the witch's eyes, and she released a cry of pain, shaking her head. Lea took the opportunity to race for his other Chakram, scooping it off the ground and spinning around to face Yzma again. He didn't intend to give her much of a chance to recover, slashing his Chakrams in an X and allowing a stream of dark fire to fly towards the rhino.
He felt a jolt of surprise as she charged through it, horn lowered to impale him. He tried to jump out of the way, but wasn't quite quick enough, and ended up having his sleeve and some of his skin ripped open. He stumbled, attempting to regain his footing before she made another attack.
"Kuzco to the rescue!"
"What?" Lea asked in alarm, head shooting up as he saw the llama running towards the rhino and jumping onto her back.
Yzma wasn't pleased by this turn of events. "Get off me, you idiot!" she screeched, bucking to try and rid herself of him.
"No way!" Kuzco responded. "I want the potion that's going to turn me back into a human!"
"And here I thought he had no bravery," Pacha commented.
Lea smirked. "Well, it helps us out." He paused, focusing on where he'd need to aim, then threw one of his Chakrams. The disk-like weapon spun through the air, flying towards an exposed spot on her chest. She ducked at the last second, and the weapon slashed her leg instead. She let out a cry, toppling to the ground and almost crushing Kuzco. The llama scrambled away, looking alarmed. Lea swung his remaining Chakram upward, creating a surge of dark fire that engulfed her form.
"Krunk!" Yzma's furious screech was raised above the roar of the flames. "Bring me another potion!"
"Coming, Yzma!" the burly man responded as the flames began to die.
Lea's eyes widened. "Stop him!" he hissed, racing towards Yzma. Pacha nodded, running towards Krunk and tackling him. The action, however, allowed the potion to go flying towards the downed rhino. She swiped Lea away as he neared her, then turned her head and caught the potion in her mouth.
Lea hit the ground, grunting in pain, as he heard something behind him. He started to turn, then let out a shocked cry as something pinched his leg. He rolled over, lifting it up to see a crab dangling from his pants. He almost laughed. "You're making it too easy," he commented, lifting his Chakram to slash her.
She released him, dropping back to the ground. "Krunk!" she cried. "Another!"
"Hang on, Yzma!" Krunk cried, trying to free himself from his struggle with Pacha.
Lea had no intention of just letting her change again. "There are going to be a lot less problems stopping you now!" he called, attempting to step on her as she scuttled away.
She was proving to be surprisingly fast in this form. "Krunk!" she cried again.
The man leaned back, throwing a potion. "Here!"
Lea jerked his head up. "Oh no you don't!" he hissed, lunging forward. A sharp pain in his ankle caused him to stumble. Yzma released her pincher and hurried to where the potion would land, catching it in one of her claws. Though Lea was too late to prevent her from grabbing the potion, he would take the opportunity to jump on the small crab.
He felt a jolt of alarm as he landed not on a crab, but on the furred back of a wolf. "I can make this work," he hissed, stabbing the tip of his Chakram into the wolf's fur.
Yzma released a yelp of pain, twisting a turning to try and force Lea off her. She rolled over, the shock of the sudden movement causing Lea to release his hold. She was on him in an instant, teeth sinking into his leg and tugging. He cried out in pain, slashing out with his Chakram to try and force her to let go. She let out a yelp as he slashed her muzzled, and he jerked his leg free, blood dripping from the newly-obtained puncture wounds. He tried to scramble towards his other Chakram, but quickly discovered that his injured leg couldn't take much weight. His breath hissed out between his teeth.
The sound of movement nearby drew his attention, and he turned around in time to see Yzma lunging for him, jaws parted. He lifted up a Chakram as he was tackled, the weapon keeping the wolf-woman away from his throat. She growled, jumping off him before lunging at him from the other side. He slashed quickly towards him, forcing her to jump back.
He noticed that she was grinning, despite the fact that she was having trouble reaching him. "Yes, this is perfect. You're at my mercy."
"Your mercy?" Kuzco called. "You're just an old hag!"
"What did you call me?" Yzma barked, her head snapping around to glare at him.
Realizing what Kuzco had done had actually managed to help, Lea called up a ring of dark fire around him. The flames burned Yzma's purple fur, and she released a howl of pain. When the fire died down, she was half-crouched on the ground, shaking with burning eyes. "Who's at whose mercy?" Lea asked, managing a faint smirk as he slowly rose to his feet, doing his best to balance on one.
Yzma growled. "Krunk!" she snapped. "I need something bigger!"
"Coming right up!" The big man finally managed to through Pacha off, racing towards the burned wolf with a potion in hand. Lea through a Chakram his way, hoping to stop him before he reached the witch. His lack of balance, however, affected his aim, and the weapon missed entirely. Grimacing, Lea lifted a hand, intending to release more dark fire. This'll be the last spell I can use for a while, he realized grimly, the thought causing him to hesitate.
His hesitation was long enough for Krunk to reach Yzma, opening the bottle and pouring its contents into the wolf's mouth. "No!" Lea hissed, unleashing the ball of dark fire.
The magical attack collided with a large, solid leg. Lea stared in horror at the elephant that now stood before him. Yzma laughed, stomping the ground with one massive foot. "You won't be able to stand this!" Damn it. What now? Lea wondered, hopping backwards and trying to keep his balance.
Master, why don't you send me in?
He felt a flash of surprise at the voice; he'd almost forgotten about Ifrit. He pulled out the creature's crystal, holding it in front of him as Yzma began to charge towards him. "Ifrit!"
Red light exploded around the area, Ifrit's form flying from the depths towards the elephant that was racing towards his master. He collided with Yzma's head, ricocheting off. He landed in front of Lea and planted his hooves, hands stretching out to grab onto the elephant's tusks. He grunted slid back a few inches as Yzma's full weight collided with him, but managed to hold her back. "What are you supposed to be?" the witch hissed, eyes narrowed.
Though Lea couldn't see his face, he was sure the strange creature was smirking. "I could ask the same to you, bitch." While Yzma was busy being offended, Ifrit roared out, "Hellfire!"
Flames roared up around him, Yzma, and Lea, raging wildly. Lea lifted an arm to shield himself from the intense light, wincing as he heard Yzma's cries of pain and Ifrit's laughter. He waited, eyes screwed shut, until the light died down. Then, slowly, he lowered his arm.
Ifrit still had a hold of Yzma's tusks, while the elephant-woman was struggling to stay upright. The strange creature cocked his head to one side. "Still standing, eh? Well, I guess I'll have to fix that."
"Wait." It took Lea a few moments to realize he'd been the one who'd said the words.
Ifrit looked back at him, a slightly puzzled look on his face. "Why do you want me to wait?" Lea, knowing he didn't have an answer, remained silent. The fire demon sighed, releasing his hold on the witch's tusks and allowing her to fall to the ground. "Fine. I'll leave her be." Red light converged around him, the crystal he hid in dropping to the ground as soon as it faded.
"That's it," Yzma hissed. "I've had enough." She looked back at her minion. "Krunk. Give me the potion that will change me back."
"Ok, Yzma," Krunk agreed. He held the two potions in his hands, and looked uncertainly between them. "Now, which one was the right one?"
"Krunk!" The man jumped and ran over to where Yzma lay, uncorking one of the bottles and pouring the liquid into her mouth.
Lea, in the meantime, had walked forward to retrieve Ifrit's crystal. He looked at it, a faint frown creasing his face. Why did I ask him to spare her? he wondered. It's not like she wouldn't have deserved it.
"No! No, what's happened to me?!"
Lea's attention was drawn by the sound of a shocked, high-pitched voice. He turned his head to see a small purple kitten where Yzma had once been. "Oops, wrong potion," Krunk said, looking at the other.
It was taken almost immediately out of his hand by Pacha. "I believe this is for you," he commented, uncorking the bottle and giving it to Kuzco.
Lea allowed himself a small smile as he saw the llama return to human form. "I'm me again!" Kuzco cried, hugging himself.
"Guess it's good to return to who you are," Lea commented quietly. An image of his past serving under Zylen flashed through his mind, and he flinched. He looked towards where Yzma was still complaining about her new form. "Speaking of that," he whispered, walking towards her, "I still have to redeem myself." He reached down, grabbing Yzma by the scruff of her neck and lifting her up, much to the nervous surprise of Krunk. "Alright, Braig and Isa; where are they?"
"I don't know!" Yzma protested. "I don't know anything! Don't burn me anymore, you jerk!"
Lea narrowed his eyes at her then, deciding it wasn't worth the effort, dropped her on the ground and began to walk away. "Hey, thanks for your help!" Pacha called after him.
Lea paused. "Yeah. No problem." He lifted his hand, summoning a Corridor of Darkness. Or it least it wouldn't be, he thought as he entered, if it had brought me any closer to finding those two.
That'd be the end of chapter twenty - five. Please review?