Chapter Thirty-six Reunited
Audrey used the fish machine as a battering ram as she slammed it into the crate carrying Kida. She and Vincent jumped off and started hacking at the chain attaching the crate to the Gummi. Milo took over the controls and elevated the Atlantian war machine up several feet and jumped into the Gummi with its cockpit still open. Seeing a crowbar, Milo grabbed it and prepared to face Horge. But before he could react, someone slammed him in the back of the head.
"Why don't you just shoot the darn chain!" Audrey yelled at Vincent as he tried to use his golden claw to cut the attachment holding the crystallized Atlantian princess to Horge's escape Gummi Ship.
"One of my bullets would break the chain, but it probably will kill us all," Vincent said bluntly. The ship above suddenly jerked to the side, knocking Vincent and Audrey off the crate.
"Nothing personal," Lt. Sinclair whispered as she disabled the ship with a final shot. As the smoke wafted away from the barrel of her gun, her body went limp. The Heartless man barely caught one of the chains below the crate with his claw and held on tightly to Audrey with his other hand.
Meanwhile in the cockpit of the Gummi ship, Horge delivered blow after blow to Milo, whose face was now covered with his own blood, "Congratulations son, you've one the Golden Kewpie Doll for most stupidly heroic,"
Milo's head was spinning, he could feeling himself growing weaker and felt the ship losing altitude quickly. Horge realized the same thing, and in an act of anger seized a fireman's ax and aimed it at the cartographer. With an act of pure adrenaline, Milo leapt out of the way and fell out of the ship onto the crate below. Crazed and furious, Horge followed, swinging his ax back and forth trying to hit Milo. Milo lost balance and fell backwards on one of the chains. In the last second he moved his head out of the way and Horge struck the glass window of Kida's crate. A blue light hissed and fizzed and crystallized over Horge's ax, making him unable to remove his weapon. Seeing his chance, Milo grabbed a shard of glass covered with the liquid blue light and with a desperate act sliced Horge's arm. The cut was merely superficial, drawing barely any blood and the evil commander wretched his ax free. Milo didn't move, he had no more energy to fight back.
Or so it seemed. Horge grinned mercilessly as he prepared to strike Milo with the ax, but the smile soon faded for a look of fear. The arm Milo sliced began to crystallize like the ax had and the light spread until Horge turned completely into a living crystal. He was taken aback momentarily until he realized he could still move. Milo flinched, waiting for the final blow as he acknowledged his plan failed. But as he prepared to strike Milo again a blast hit the man and sent the evil being apart in a million shards. Audrey was smiling and Vincent's riffle had smoke coming from the barrel.
The Gummi ship finally crashed to the bottom of the magma chamber and Milo frantically disconnected Kida's crate from Horge's ship and attached it the Atlantian fish machine. The entire cavern began to tremor and the three realized they had to leave. They lifted the princess into the air and began to head back out the tunnel. Milo and the others rushed past the still raging battle between Horge's forces and Atlantis, but as soon as the Atlantians saw Milo rush the opposite direction with the crate, they realized they should follow. The quaking in the tunnel increased and Mole looked frantic, "The volcano! She is about to erupt!"
It was a race to beat the hot magma as the Atlantians flew back to the city. The heat and light of the rushing lava was just behind them and if they made any mistakes, it would mean certain destruction. Audrey crash-landed her fish in front of the palace and using the crowbar from Horge's ship Milo forced open the crate with Kida. As soon as he touched the bar to the box, the crate seemed to burst apart. Kida was moving again and while everyone was panicking as the lava threatened to destroy them she calmly walked to a point in the middle of the city and spread her arms out wide. A light as blue as her crystal body poured down from her and lit up every line and relief etched on the ground and on every building. From the chamber below ground, the stone-carved faces of the kings of the past burst up and began rapidly spinning around the princess. She floated into the air as the faces spun faster and faster. On the far reaches of the city the giant statues came to life and spread their arms protectively over the city as the magma broke through the tunnels and began burning the surrounding cliffs and waterfalls. The lava threatened to wash over the city like a wave, light poured between the giant's arms and connected to Kida forming a wall over the entire city of Atlantis. The lava blasted against it harmlessly, oozing down the wall of light and hardening harmlessly before vanishing completely. The spinning faces slowed down to a calm orbit and a figure floated down from the crystal. Milo ran to catch the gently sinking figure
Kida was back to normal. And Atlantis was saved.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Sweet asked as Vincent, Riku and Donald packed their Gummi Ships with supplies.
"Nah," Riku said cheerfully, "I'm sure your world is cool and all, but I have a hopeless idiot I'm in charge of protecting. Who knows what kind of trouble he's gotten into without us,"
"It was a real trip meeting you three," Audrey sighed as she helped pack other Gummi Ships to go back to her own world.
"Surely there is more than a ship that you would like as a reward?" Kida asked. Sweet and the others were loading gold and treasures, and despite Donald's greed Riku and Vincent had declined.
"No, we're good," Riku repeated. Donald clearly disagreed, but chose to say nothing about it.
"Riku, Donald, Vincent," Milo began quietly, "I can never thank you enough for all the help you've given me. If it weren't for you guys I'd never have the courage to fight like that,"
"I'm sure you would have Milo. But if you want to really thank us, just name your kids after us," Riku said deviously. Milo broke into a sweat and he and Kida exchanged shy smiles. Vincent and Donald brought out their final supplies and prepared to board the ship.
"It's time to go," Vincent said bluntly.
"Hey Vincent," Sweet called out, "There's a lot more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?"
"Well, that's really for you to decide. I just am who I am," Vincent shrugged. The cockpit on their Atlantian Gummi Ship hissed closed and gently lifted into the air. It seemed like the entire country was waving goodbye to them as the world became further and further away, until all that could be seen was the liquid blue crystal that hovered over the city like a protective sun.
Riku sighed as they left the world but soon turned to other pressing matters, "Well, this ship has working radio, let's see if we can get in contact with the Excalibur,"
"Hello, is anyone there?" A voice sputtered through the cracked screen. The image was very hazy and it was difficult to see who was talking, "Contacting the Excalibur. Can you read me?"
"That sounds like Riku!" Sora couldn't suppress his excitement, "Riku, is that you? It's me, Sora!"
"Sora?" The voice sputtered back, "It's good to hear from you pal, I hope you haven't done anything stupid without me,"
Goofy, Kairi, Lulu and Matilda began talking excitedly, trying to push Sora out of the way, but Sora stayed firm, "Oh, you know, the usual. Are the others with you, are they okay?"
"We're just fine!" Donald said in the background, "Now Riku, get out of the way so I can see where I'm driving,"
"What world did you end up on? We'll fly to you," Vincent's deep monotone voice broke through the static. Matilda looked as though she's about to cry and almost instantly, Lulu stopped rubbing her collarbone.
"We're on a world called Kuzcotopia," Sora replied.
"Well, according to this map we're not too far from you then," Riku began, "We'll probably be there within an hour. See you then. And don't get yourself blown up in the meantime. If I'm destined to be with these two for the rest of my life, I'll go crazy,"
A sound of pain and scuffling went off in the background as the transmission ended. Sora and the others asked for Pacha's help in preparing for their friends' arrival. At the Excalibur, the Keyblade Master and his friends set up a table full of food and waited. Nobody could sit still as the hour seemed to drag on. Suddenly a black dot appeared in the sky and as it got closer and closer the group could make out the shape of a black and blue Gummi Ship. The group shouted and waved as the ship landed, and as the cockpit hissed open, everyone ran over to greet their formerly lost friends. Goofy ran over and pulled Donald out into a tight hug before the duck could even undo his seat belt. As Riku jumped out Sora tried to give him a tackling hug but instead ended up in one of the white haired boy's infamous headlocks.
"You're getting slow, Sora. It's only been a few weeks and you're already getting weak on me," Riku laughed as he let his friend up and gave him and Kairi a proper hug.
A blinding streak of black and white nearly knocked Vincent over as he climbed out of the ship. Matilda had attached herself to Vincent's neck and was sobbing, "Oh Vincent, I was worried I'd never see you again. I almost lost hope!"
"Hey, what did I tell you about not crying," Vincent reminded the girl of their deal.
Matilda shook her head, "But these are happy tears!" Vincent sighed in defeat and the girl stuck on tight and Piff flew around the group's head whinnying. Lulu said nothing nor approached the group, but when she and Vincent made eye contact, she made no attempt to hide her relieved smile.