Riku hits the water first, creating a mighty splash that only gets worse when Azlyn lands right on top of him. The water is only a few feet deep, doing almost nothing to mitigate the force of either impact. With a growl that sends bubbles floating to the surface, Riku heaves the knight off of him. She lands face first in the water, coming up sputtering.
"And here I was gonna thank you for breaking my fall," she says, spitting up a little more water. "But I think what's in order here is…"
"I'm sorry," Riku interrupts. "What happened there wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have reacted that way."
That contrition takes the knight by surprise. "Eh, it's whatever," Azlyn replies, shrugging. "Let's just get outta this place and find Sora. Race ya to the top!"
The shallow pool takes up most of the room, and off against the left wall is a raised walkway and staircase that leads to a simple wooden door. Azlyn is on her feet and running for it within a heartbeat, Riku quickly recovering himself and following after. He comes up on her just as she's stepping on to the lip, and the silver-haired young man can resist grabbing the back of her jacket and pulling her back down into the water. She yelps, flailing around and cuffing him on the ear as she goes down.
Riku just laughs, rubbing his ear with one hand while he holds the other down for her. The knight scoffs, loudly, splashing water at him before getting to her feet by herself. "This really," she remarks, stepping out of the pool, "isn't the time to be doing this kiddy crap."
"Probably not, no," Riku agrees easily. "Of course, you were the one who suggested the race."
They're about to head up the stairs again, shenanigan free, when a slow hiss begins to fill the room. Azlyn and Riku both whirl to face the pool, steam rising off the water and filling the air. Both of them can feel the rising heat, and just before they're scalded by it, Riku throws up a dark shield to surround them completely. The magical protection keeps them from being fried, but enough heat leaks through to make things very uncomfortable in their little bubble. After a few long moments, the steam begins to fade.
A Heartless steps from the fading vapor, humanoid and about as tall as Azlyn standing on Riku's shoulders. Its torso is black minus the familiar Heartless symbol standing out like a tattoo, one thick arm empty, the other holding a wooden club with sharp bits of black obsidian protruding from it. It wears a skirt around its legs, colored in alternating stripes of sky blue and bright orange. Its face is the basic mass of black darkness with pinpoint yellow eyes, a helmet with a sun-shaped crest atop its head.
The heroes don't have time to do much more than take this in, as suddenly the creature's helm begins glowing with an intense light. A beam shoots from the sun crest, forcing Azlyn and Riku to split up and dive away. Azlyn comes up on one knee, hurling her shield. The Heartless uses its sword to swat the disc out of the air.
Riku dives in, moving to strike at its exposed side. But the Sun Warrior is faster than its size would imply, and the Keyblade wielder only manages to slash at its leg, which turns out to be armored beneath its battle skirt. The Heartless pivots and swings down, but Riku jumps back enough that he can simply deflect the move.
The creature doesn't pursue, occupied suddenly by a solid strike from Azlyn's shied against its back. The Heartless turns, once again firing its helm-beam. The blonde knight's weapon can't return to her hand fast enough, so she simply rolls away. Her shield curves midair, back in Azlyn's hand by the time she's safe. She charges in, ready to swing. On the Sun Warrior's other side, Riku dives in as well.
The Heartless moves back, the pair nearly colliding with each other. Luckily, both of them have quick enough reflexes to stop their moves. Feeling a sudden heat and seeing brightness flash from the corner of his eye, Riku jumps behind Azlyn and nudges her shield hand into blocking position. While Azlyn bounces the beam into the wall, Riku fires off three Dark Fires over her shoulder that crash into the creature's chest.
The heroes switch places as their adversary changes tack, rushing towards the pair with its sword held high. They split up once again as the weapon comes down on them, Azlyn aiming a throw at the Sun Warrior's head. The disc collides with the creature's face, snapping its head back. The sword comes back up toward Riku, who barely manages to duck beneath the swing.
Another light beam shoots toward Azlyn, and without her feet being properly planted the knight slides backward against the stone floor. Riku leaps at the Heartless's torso, landing a successful slash across its insignia. It spins, one powerful leg throwing the silver-haired young man back several feet. Its target staggered, the Sun Warrior prepares another helmet beam.
Azlyn spots the glow immediately, flinging her shield once again for the creature's face. Its head snaps back, the laser plowing into the ceiling instead of her companion. Chunks of stone rain down on the Heartless, staggering it and throwing its focus right out.
Neither Riku nor Azlyn waits a moment to take advantage of that, both charging forward. Azlyn jumps up on one stone chunk, propelling herself higher toward the Sun Warrior's chest. Riku leaps up as well, Keyblade held back to strike. They slash an X across the Heartless's torso, and it's a deathblow.
Sensing its end draw near, the Sun Warrior begins firing laser from its helm wildly, determined to collapse the chamber and take its opponents with it into oblivion. Azlyn and Riku rush to each other, each getting an arm around the other's shoulders. Azlyn's free arm rises above their heads with shield held to block, and Riku surrounds them with a barrier of energy. Rocks fall upon them, but with the double protection they can do no harm. Finally, the Sun Warrior fades into black particles, is crystalline heart visible for a few moments before vanishing.
Azlyn and Riku watch it disappear, standing still and silent even a few heartbeats after it's gone. Then, finally realizing their position, the pair separate quickly. Azlyn throws her shield onto its holding magnet, feeling it shrink by a few inches for easier transport. As the knight begins walking back toward the staircase, she feels a hand on her shoulder.
"Azlyn," Riku begins, looking her right in the eyes. "I'm sorry for the way I acted, back on the Gummi ship. Accusing you like that, with no proof at all, and then refusing to listen, was the wrong thing for me to do."
The knight looks away. "Yeah, sure," she says with a shrug. Taking a deep breath, she faces the older man once more. "But I shouldn't have been so hostile about it, either. I thought, at first, that we were just playing around like we usually do. I guess I forget, sometimes…" She trails off, kicking at a stone.
"Forget what?"
"That we're not, I mean, not really friends," Azlyn answers. "We have to hang out because, y'know, of everybody else, but…"
Riku shakes his head, grimacing. "Azlyn, no. You…"
"We make the best of it, busting each others' chops and stuff," the knight continues. "And yeah, I've got your back and everything. But, in the end…"
Anything else Azlyn might have to say is cut off as Riku full-force pushes her. She flails for a moment, the back of her knees hitting a stone and forcing her down to sit on it. An indignant reply forms on the knight's lips, but one look at the way Riku is looking down at her forces her into a stunned silence.
"I know I've said this before," Riku begins, his face and voice intensely serious, "but this time I am really, really meaning it. Azlyn, you're being an absolute, stone cold, full intensity imbecile right now."
Azlyn still says nothing, just looks up at the silver-haired young man with a curious expression.
"I'm not really like Sora, or Kairi, or even you," he continues, intense as ever. "You all, it just seems sometimes like you really get people. You know how to make friends, form connections with them. For me, it's like… Ugh, it's like everybody is speaking some kind of foreign language sometimes. Sometimes, I think that if Sora and I hadn't…" Riku pauses, running a hand through his hair to regain composure. "But just because it's hard, or maybe exactly because it is, when I manage to make a real connection, to get a friend, it's like… like their name goes on this list in my head.
"Once they're there, once a person is on that list… At that point, I swear I would do anything for them. It's the kind of thing that lets me take on the form of Xehanort's Heartless, or ignore the less than noble implications of Ansem and I did with Roxas and Naminé." Riku kneels down, his face barely more than a foot from Azlyn's. "The kind of thing that makes it second nature to jump in front of some Heartless's laser beam."
The knight looks back at him, trying to blink away the tears forming in her eyes. Finally she can't take it, she just has to wipe them away on the back of her glove.
"No matter what we say to each other when we fight," Riku says, politely ignoring Azlyn's distress, "or how many times we start fighting to begin with, you and Telary are on my list, Azlyn. And not just because of Sora, or Kairi, or Mickey. Because you two are some of the best, truest friends I have ever, or will ever, have."
"Okay, okay," Azlyn says, rolling her eyes with carefully orchestrated flippancy. "I understand, I get it. Thanks, Riku." For a long moment, they just stare each other down, both putting themselves back in full control. "Y'know, if Sora or Telary were here, they'd probably want us to, like, hug or something like that."
"Yeah," Riku agrees, nodding. "Good thing they're not around."
Azlyn chuckles, jumping to her feet. "Damn straight. And, Riku?"
"Yeah?"
"Just so there's no doubt," she says, playfully punching him in the shoulder, "you're on my list too, and Telary's." The knight is thoughtful for a second, and then, "Actually, you're on two of our lists, but discussing the second one might get a little awkward."
"I appreciate the restraint." Riku turns, heading towards the stairs again. "Now c'mon, let's find our way to Sora and Pacha. I just hope they haven't found themselves in a trap of their own while we were stuck getting sappy."
KH-KH-KH
All the time, Sora is finding new ways to really hate being a llama. Currently, it's the fact that he's having to struggle out of an ill-fitting lab coat and gloves that just won't come off his hooves. Upon finishing up their madcap roller coaster ride (a truly bewildering display of the disparity in technology across this world), both he and Pacha had been deposited here in the lab, dressed up in matching outfits.
Pacha, who must have been through something like this before, was quickly able to remove his garments. Having hands had really helped him out there. Even with the llama herder's help, Sora's new outfit takes considerable effort to remove.
"I'm really hoping Kuzco was right about a potion just sitting around," Sora remarks, glumly kicking his labcoat away. "I am so ready for hands."
Pacha leads him further into the lab, toward a table stocked with glass tubes and vials. Sora examines it, rather perplexed by the labyrinthine twists and turns of the equipment. The Keybearer can't even begin to judge what Telary may or may not need to reverse the potion's effects.
Luckily, that seemingly won't be an issue. Just a few yards away, sitting on a stone pedestal and illuminated with light from above, is a small vial full of pink liquid. The label is even tinier than the container, but when Sora squints he can see the picture upon it: that of a two-legged, two-armed, hand-having man!
"Now, Sora…" Pacha begins to caution him. But it's too late, as Sora eagerly gallops over to the pedestal. He's a little too eager, still not quite used to four legs. When he tries to stop, he bumps the pedestal and sends it rocking.
The sound of metal sliding against metal momentarily fills the air, and within a few moments a large cage falls down around the Keybearer. As it settles, he regards the trap with a sigh. "Yeah, okay. I probably should have suspected something like this." He holds up a hoof to steady the pedestal, eyeing the potion on it as it slides to a stop. "And drinking this is probably right out, too."
"I wouldn't try it," Pacha agrees, though not without a hint of scolding.
Sora falls back on his haunches, running a hoof over his snout. "This is so not my day. Just what I need on top of everything else."
"It's not so bad, Sora," Pacha consoles him. "Look, there's a lock on the door right there. All it'll take is a tap of your Keyblade, and…"
"I'm, uh, kinda talking about more than that, Pacha," Sora informs the llama herder.
He shrugs in reply. "Yeah, I figured. But maybe a good way to get through all this stuff, is to just focus on what you can do right now."
Sora sighs. "Maybe you're right. Sounds like something Kairi would say." He stands, eyeing the cage door. "But honestly, I'm not sure I can even do something so simple as unlocking this cage."
"You can, Sora."
The Keybearer perks up as Azlyn and Riku enter the room. Something about the way they walk together makes Sora think they've gotten over their argument, which brings an even greater smile to his face.
"Five minutes without us and he's back to moping," Azlyn remarks, shaking her head. "This is easy stuff, man. If the two of us can manage to get over ourselves, you can too."
"You're just great at this encouragement thing, y'know," Riku tells her, rolling his eyes.
"But she does have a point," Sora says with a grin. He summons Kingdom Key, gripping it firmly in his jaw. A quick shake of his head puts the Keyblade in contact with the lock, which pops open with a click. Azlyn throws the door open, Sora trotting out and dismissing his blade. "Just to be clear, I knew that was going to be easy. I was just trying to make a point."
"An emo point," Azlyn can't help but tease. Looking to Riku, she adds, "Seems like your mopey crown has been snatched."
"I'll check the potions cabinet," Pacha says, quickly throwing it open. He scans the contents for a few moments before shutting the cabinet back up. "Nothing. I figured we wouldn't find anything in there. Had to check though."
Riku is standing by the chemistry table, looking it over with bewildered eyes. "What of this stuff do you think Telary will need to cook up our own human potion?"
"I guess we should try and take all of it," Sora suggests. "Can we do that?"
"Bet I can carry more than the two of you!" Azlyn boasts.
"Hang on a second," Pacha cautions that group, looking over the beakers and tubes. "I think something is… Huh. Look at this."
The others follow his finger as it hovers above a long glass tube, running up from a large glass bubble before splitting into five smaller tubes. Each one is attached to a small potion vial.
"That's a panther, or maybe jaguar," Azlyn says, slowly looking over each other tiny glass bottles. "There's an eagle, and I think that's supposed to be some kinda bull…"
"Rhino," Sora corrects, noting the singular horn. "This one's a snake. These look like some pretty nasty customers."
"Not all of them," the knight declares. "This last one's a freaking squirrel, of all things. What's that about?"
"Combining potions like this," Pacha says, grimacing. "This doesn't look good, guys. If Yzma can become all those animals…"
"Then she won't need the Heartless to attack your village," Sora finishes for the llama herder. "She can get it done all by herself!"
"There's something else about all of this," Riku interjects, frowning at the table. "I think she might have used dark energy to enhance whatever potion she brewed here."
"That's good, right?" Sora asks. "I mean, Darkness stuff can't get through that field, right?"
"Hang on, though," Azlyn says, holding up a hand as she takes a moment to think. "Okay, I remember back in Notre Dame, that creepy old dude, uh, Fronose, or whatever, was still throwing around some dark power. I think the darkness in people is different from Heartless Darkness, somehow."
"That seems like an oversight," Pacha chimes in.
"Not if we're there to stop it," Sora declares, stomping a hoof against the floor.
"Shouldn't we take just a little more time to search?" Riku asks. "Maybe we can still find a human potion for you, Sora."
The Keybearer says nothing for a long moment, thinking things over. With Azlyn having brought the teleporter control fob with her, the group's trip back will be the next best thing to instantaneous. There could still be time to search.
Sora's gaze happens to land on Pacha, and he can see the llama herder's anxiety and fear plain as day. Yzma definitely has a head start on them, and with a dark portal her travel time would be nothing to sneeze at either.
"We can't waste the time," he finally answers his silver-haired friend. "Besides, when we take Yzma down, we can force her to make a potion for me and Kuzco. Azlyn, get us out of here."
KH-KH-KH
Telary leans over Pacha and Chicha's dining room table. Unrolled scrolls cover its surface, a few notes scribbled on each. All the documents sitting in front of him here have to do with the crystal suns, as far as he can tell. The others are still in the other room, a few of them unfurled. The ones the wizard had found interesting, at least.
"TELARY, HELLO!"
Kuzco's voice startles the redhead out of his scholastic focus. "What? Oh, uh, I mean to say…"
"No need to apologize, man," Kuzco says with a shrug. "You get the same look on your face as Malina when you concentrate that hard. Yours is less hottie-hot-hot, though. Anyway, are you finding anything?"
Telary purses his lips, briefly glancing over the papers again. "Uh, not much. The scrolls make reference to something called a "sun stone". I imagine that whatever's hanging in the cavern was carved from it at some point. Though what happened to the rest, I can't figure out. Interesting, but not exactly anything that's going to change me and my friends' mission."
"Too bad," the emperor says.
"Yeah," adds the voice of Chaca, walking into the room with Tipo on her heels. The young girl holds an open scroll in her hand. "Too bad you're focused on all the boring stuff. What's on this scroll is a lot more interesting."
Curiosity piqued, Telary gestures for her to bring the scroll closer. Unlike the others, no pictures accompany the words on the paper. The wizard recasts the spell he has running to translate. "'Beware the pale man'," he reads, not liking it one bit. "'The shadows attend him, the sun itself shies away from his presence. White skin against black death, a pale moon signaling doom. The dark drips even from his words, his cruel laughter. Beware the pale man, Supai's emissary, herald of darkness and death'."
"Well, that sounds…" Kuzco begins, searching for an appropriate adjective.
"It's creepy, is what it is," Tipo finishes, though there's a subtle look of approval on his face. Telary imagines the boy will spend the next days terrorizing his friends with this warning.
"A little overwrought for my tastes," Chaca chimes in with a shrug. She looks at her brother, one eyebrow raised. "I'll bet you wanna run and tell all your little friends about…"
Tipo doesn't even wait for her to finish before taking off. After a quick, pronounced eye roll to show dismissive maturity, she runs after him.
"So," Kuzco says after the kids are gone, nervously tapping a hoof against the floor, "those scrolls are really, really old, right?"
Telary shrugs, sifting through a few more disturbing, yet poetic, descriptions. "Well, not that old in the grand scheme of things. Maybe three hundred years?"
"Okay. But, like, old enough that this 'pale man' guy who we're supposed to beware of is probably dead, right?"
"Yes, I think so," the wizard informs the very relieved emperor. "Probably, at least. He's more likely dead than not."
Kuzco doesn't seem one-hundred percent onboard with that answer. Still, all he can really do is sigh and follow the kids outside. Telary watches the emperor go, frowning as he begins to really think on his question. Normally, it's a fairly safe bet that anyone alive three hundred years ago is dead in the present day. But if there's one thing Telary knows for sure, it's that he does not live in a universe that has any respect for "normal".
Theoretically, someone with lost of magical talent could extend their lives by quite a long time. Master Yen Sid doesn't look any older than his mid-seventies, but Telary wouldn't be surprised if the old wizard has hit the tri-centinarian mark. And with dark powers in the mix, there's just no telling.
But another thought crosses his mind. The trolls in Arrendelle had spoke of another Keyblade wielder in times past, who had done his job well enough to restore their world when it was lost in Darkness. Which means any bad guy he'd encountered along the way had most likely been vanquished.
"Doesn't it?" he whispers, looking over the scroll again. There's certainly nothing in here about any heroic Keybearer. Just promises of darkness and death.
"Mr. Telary."
Chaca's voice shocks the wizard from his musings. He looks down to see the girl and her brother standing before him, Kuzco looming just behind.
"Um, yes?'" he replies.
"Can you settle something for us out here?" Tipo asks, throwing a thumb over his shoulder to the door outside. Telary shrugs, nodding for the group to lead him outside. "There's a really big bird out here, and I say it's a raven, but…"
"It's clearly a hawk," Chaca interrupts her brother, arms crossed. "Anybody with eyes can tell."
Looking up, Telary sees the bird the siblings' argument has focused on. It approaches the village at speed, its dark-feathered body standing out against the dusky sky. He squints, trying to quickly determine the specific species before it can fly over the hill. His eyes widen again quickly, as he realizes that the perspective on the creature is all wrong. He'd initially thought it small but fairly close, but now that he's really looking, he has to draw the conclusion that whatever is coming, it's large and farther away. Not much farther, however.
Kuzco seems to pick up on the wizard's rising alarm. "What is it?" He pauses, looking up at the approaching figure again. "Oh, that's not just some bird, is it?"
"I'm afraid not," Telary replies. "Can't be a Heartless, the sun hasn't quite…"
"Well, whatever sinister motive is behind its appearance," Chaca declares, "that is one-hundred and sixty percent a hawk!"
"Yeah, real smart of you to figure that out," Kuzco says, rolling his eyes. "Now get inside, kids. Now!"
The kids start on their way to the house, only for Tipo to stop and turn back to the adults with a wide, panicked look on his face. "Wait, what about Mom? She went down the hill to get the stuff for dinner."
"Don't worry about your mom," Kuzco assures the scared boy. "Me and Telary will go and get her. Go inside and hide in the closet, okay?'
Chaca nods, grabbing her little brother by the wrist and pulling him to their house. Once they're secure, Telary looks up to gauge the creature's approach. He gets eyes on it just in time to see its shape change. Once lean and graceful, suddenly the creature shifts into a bulkier form. Its wings gone, it begins streaking down toward the hilltop village.
Telary starts moving, only to stop as a gasp escapes Kuzco. He looks to the llama beside him, eyebrow raised in a silent question.
"It's purple," Kuzco says in a small voice.
With the shape much larger than before, Telary can confirm the emperor's assessment. In fact, he can almost make out someone riding down on the creature's back.
"Purple means Yzma."
KH-KH-KH
Yzma's rhino form lands on the hillside hard enough to shake the ground, dirt and grass flying up from the point of impact. Kronk, riding atop his mistress's back, feels his bones rattling. People all around him are screaming, but he only vaguely hears the cries through a sudden ringing in his ears.
"Wow," he remarks. "I'm kinda surprised that I survived that." He hears Yzma mutter something that sort of sounds like "Yeah, me too," but he can't be sure. Ignoring it, he hops onto the ground.
Yzma's form shifts again, becoming leaner, still strong but with a lithe, quiet menace. Once the transition from bull to jaguar is complete, she regards the mountaintop villagers with an icy stare.
"Give me Kuzco!" she demands, clawing a furrow in the ground beside her.
"Or else…?" Kronk prompts her after a few moments. Yzma regards him with genuine confusion. "Well, it's just that it's customary to, y'know, offer a violent alternative."
"What 'alternative'?" Yzma asks, still obviously confused. "Look, just take my emergency potion somewhere safe, alright? Let me deal with being threatening."
The henchman sighs, shrugging. "Yeah, sure thing."
Telary and Kuzco rush down the hillside path, meeting a group of terrified villagers about three quarters of the way to the square. All of them immediately look to their emperor for guidance. Everyone starts yelling at once, panic-filled voices blending into an overwhelming wall of terror.
Kuzco looks to Telary to calm everyone down, but the wizard hasn't stopped. He pushes through the crowd, focused on the battle awaiting him below. This is Kuzco's moment now, no one is going to help bail him out.
"Everyone listen!" Kuzco declares, an absolute authority in his voice that even he finds a bit surprising. "Gather up everyone you can. There's a cave behind the hill where you should all be safe. C'mon, let's get moving."
As the crowd starts organizing, Kuzco catches sight of someone moving further down the hill. Focusing, he realizes that it's Kronk. The emperor had been really surprised to learn that his friend was working with Yzma again. Especially with the scale of damage she seems intent on doing. Kuzco had just thought Kronk was too nice of a guy to go along with something like that. In fact…
"Chicha!" Kuzco maneuvers through the villagers to stop in front of Pacha's wife. "Can you lead everyone to the cave? Chaca and Tipo know where it is."
"Yes," Chicha replies instantly, clutching her baby tight to her chest. "But what are you…?"
"There's something I need to do."
KH-KH-KH
A Reflect spell stops Yzma's rhino charge, the transformed sorceress bouncing off. She recovers quickly, going from rhino to eagle and shooting up into the air. Telary tracks her ascent, shooting off Fira spells to roast her feathers. But Yzma's animal form is too graceful, spinning and pirouetting around every fireball. She swings down and starts a dive, morphing into a jaguar on the way.
Telary spreads a Blizzard spell across the mountain grass, jumping and sliding out of the way. Yzma scrambles a bit as she lands on the icy path, using her claws to find a solid grip. Once her bearings are back, she leaps up in another attack.
Telary holds both hands up and summons ice once more, the spell flowing faster with the element already in mind. Yzma is coated in a layer of frost, weighing her down and sending her down to the ground. Telary takes the opportunity to create more distance, but he doesn't have much time as his opponent shifts again.
Yzma's rhino form easily breaks through the ice, charging after the wizard. He shoots a fire spell, but another quick shift sends it soaring over her new form. Telary looks down, expecting the jaguar again. He's surprised to see that he needs to look even lower, where a small yet quick purple squirrel is making her way towards him. The wizard tries to hit Yzma with another fireball, but his target is so small and fast that it's almost impossible to get proper aim.
Then the squirrel leaps, her form shifting an elongating until a six foot long purple python is wrapping itself around Telary's torso. It squeezes tight, keeping the wizard immobile. Once she's fully wrapped, Yzma's head hovers in front of Telary. A sharp-toothed smirk spreads across her pebbly mouth.
"Maleficent said I should keep a close eye on you, wizard boy," the villain cackles. "And she's right, you're not bad at all kid." She squeezes, forcing a gasp of air from Telary's lungs. "But not quite good enough, hm?"
Yzma begins squeezing in earnest, the pain and shortness of breath distracting Telary from forming a coherent spell in his mind. He tries his best to struggle physically, but he knows his limits. Yzma watches it all with that same smug smile.
Until a disc comes flying in from behind, smacking the transformed sorceress in her reptilian face. The pressure on Telary's body eases up, and he quickly takes advantage by getting a hand around Yzma's body and calling extreme heat to his hands. For a quick moment his opponent is yelping in pain, before suddenly Telary has a grip on nothing. Yzma scurries away in squirrel form.
Telary falls to his knees, frantically trying to catch his breath. When he's finally able to look up, he's greeted with the sight of a concerned expression from his wife.
"Yeah, I do," Azlyn says with a wink. When Telary just gives her a puzzled look, she smiles. "You were thinking about what great timing I have.'
He chuckles, accepting her help to his feet. "Got it in one."
Riku has engaged Yzma by now, swinging Way to Dawn down at her head. But as a python she slips aside from the swing, her tail rushing toward the silver-haired young man's head. He falls back with a grimace, not ready for a rhinoceros horn to slam into him from behind. Edna Mode's design holds once again, but he is sent flying.
Sora moves to intercept, and Riku bounces off him instead of crashing into a heavy stone bench. The transformed Keybearer doesn't quite set himself right though, and he goes tumbling over the bench instead.
Azlyn leaps after Yzma, missing as the sorceress shrinks into jaguar form. She pounces on the knight's back, pinning her to the ground. Yzma begins transforming back into a rhino, hoping to crush the blonde beneath her massive weight. But Telary thinks fast enough to anticipate, hitting her with a Firaga spell as her mass is in the uncertain mid-transformation state. The villain goes flying, landing hard as her form finishes changing. She doesn't stay dazed, quickly flying up into the air as a hawk. Once she's at sufficient height, she shifts to jaguar form and dives straight for Riku.
KH-KH-KH
Kuzco briefly stops to take in the battle between his old enemy and new friends. This potion seems better and badder than anything Yzma's ever brought out before, but with the advantage of numbers plus their skills, Telary and the others are doing a good job of keeping her guessing. Evenly matched as they seem, however, the tide could turn at any moment. What this fight needs is a decisive advantage. Kuzco hopes he knows where to get it.
"I know you're in there, Kronk," he calls into a hut. The family inside has already evacuated, and his voice echoes as it goes through the door. "This is the best kitchen in town. Come out, I just want to talk to you. Kronk!"
For a long moment the house remains silent, the only sounds that of the distant battle. But soon enough Kuzco hears the clatter of displaced pots and pans. Kronk steps into view, looking sheepish and scared.
"Oh uh, hey there Kuzco," the henchman greets, his voice cracking. "Fancy, uh, running into you here, huh? What're the odds?"
"Well," Kuzco replies with his best unimpressed expression, "pretty good, considering you're back in the evil minion business. C'mon, Kronk. You know that you're better than this."
"Am I?" Kronk asks after a moment. "Am I really? Cuz, I don't know if you know what I've been doing since school ended, but it hasn't exactly been impressive."
"Oh."
"Yeah," the henchman continues, sighing. "Look, I'm glad you had the emperor gig all lined up for after school, but some of us weren't so lucky, y'know? I tried my best, man. I had an okay gig going down at Mudka's, but…" He shrugs. "Look, I don't know if I ever told you about my dad, Papi? Well, he always…"
"He had a dream for you," Kuzco finishes, an old conversation sparking in his memory. "That thing about the big house on the hill, right?"
"You… You remember me talking about that?"
"Yeah, Kronk," Kuzco says, smiling. "I know I haven't always been the best guy, but c'mon. We were friends, pretty much. I'll tell you something else, let you in a little secrety secret, but I bet Yzma doesn't remember you talking about Papi. And remember what she said about your spinach puffs? C'mon, that lady is bad news all the way. And really, really ugly. That last thing isn't super important, but I do feel the need to point it out any chance I can. Because I mean… Like really. Yikes City, population her."
Kuzco is making some good points, Kronk has to concede. Still, this is a major decision. After all, he has, right in his pocket, the only human potion Yzma has produced in the last few months. The only one currently in existence. It would be a simple thing to turn the tide in the battle of good versus evil currently going on outside. And when it comes to decisions of good and evil…
Darkness begins swirling on Kronk's left shoulder, forming into a Dark Corridor. A tiny man in a black coat steps out of the energy, which collapses into thin air behind him. He tilts his hooded head up to regard Kronk from within a featureless darkness.
"All worlds begin in Darkness, and all so end," he begins, in a comically tinny voice for such a grandiose speech. "The heart is no different! Darkness…"
"Now wait just a second." Kronk glances to his right shoulder, just in time to see a Keyhole shaped portal open up above it. Another tiny figure emerges from it, a carbon copy of Kronk, except for being inches tall and dressed in a simple white robe. Angel Kronk carries a golden harp, strumming it softly as his fluffy white wings carry him down to Kronk Kronk's shoulder. "That is blatant plagiarism. Gotta be against the rules."
"Oh yeah?" The tiny black coat shoots back. He throws back his hood to reveal a red cowl and tiny little horns. Like the angel, Devil Kronk is the real thing writ small. "Well, the thing is though that I'm evil, so here's what I think of your 'rules'." With a saucy smirk, Devil Kronk turns and presents his backside to his angelic counterpart. A moment later, a three second long fart noise accompanies the action. "So, there."
"Oh good," the real deal Kronk says, wiping his suddenly sweating forehead. "I was just thinking about how much I could use your help right now."
"This is a moment of great importance, Kronk," Angel stresses, hands on hips. "You hold the fate of the world in your hands here. Literally."
"And you're holding that girly string thingy in your hands," Devil Kronk shoots back. "So ha! Look, big guy, here's the deal…"
"Hang on, hang on just one second," Kronk interrupts his tiny tempter. "What's with the black coat anyway?"
The Devil shrugs. "I dunno. It's just what the bad guys wear. C'mon, look how badass this thing is!"
"Badass, right," the angel mutters. "If you like lazy character design."
"Look, guys," Kronk interrupts. "I'm happy to see ya, really I am. But this decision here is kinda time sensitive. So, uh, if you could maybe hurry things along…"
"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha!" Devil Kronk is certainly chipper about the whole thing. "So like, Darkness right? You get a buncha cool powers, portals and stuff, summoning Heartless, making speeches that sound like a Philosophy 101 professor having a stroke. Plus, once again, the coat. Which is not lazy, it's mysterious."
"Oh please," Angel Kronk retaliates with a roll of his eyes. "I don't know if you know this, Kronk, but good triumphs over evil. Every time, Light wins out. Friendship, and hugs, and speeches that make the people at Hallmark want to puke. Be a good guy Kronk. Someone who is friendly and loyal. Don't be Darkness guy, don't be evil. At that point, you might as well start putting plot critical information in rhythm games."
"Hey!" Devil Kron protests indignantly. "I resent that remark. Even I'm not that evil."
"Uh Kronk?"
The henchman looks up to find Kuzco staring at him impatiently. "Uh, yeah?"
"I know you're probably doing your whole angel/devil routine right now," the emperor says. "And I'm sure it's hilarious and meta, but we don't have a lotta time. So just listen here. You help me out here, and I'll make you the head chef at my palace. I need to fire the guy who's there now anyway, he keeps serving me apple juice, no matter what I tell him. I don't drink any liquid that looks like urine."
Kronk looks to his tiny facsimiles for guidance "Sound good to you guys?"
"Sound righteous," Angel Kronk declares.
"And just self serving enough to satisfy me!" Devil Kronk agrees, throwing off his black cloak to reveal the red body suit beneath.
Kronk turns to Kuzco with a wide smile on his face. "You got yourself a Kronk, Kuzco." He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a tiny vial of pink liquid. "And a human potion on the side!"
"Thank you, Kronk!" Kuzco says, reaching out to take the potion in his mouth. He makes sure to handle it carefully, an idea on the best way to use it already popping into his head. Mouth full, he offers Kronk a nod before rushing out the door.
Just in time to see the sun disappear over the horizon.
KH-KH-KH
Sora feels the sun go down. Of course he sees that it's happened too, not much chance of missing that sight. But it's more than just visual. Whatever power had been protecting this hill is gone, leaving the village wide open to Darkness and disaster.
"Yes!" Yzma cries, rising into the air as a hawk. With a gleeful cackle, she calls upon a dozen Hook Bats. Below, Rabid Dogs and Soldiers start filling the town square. A moment later, the Heartless have engaged the heroes.
But a few slip out, six Rabid Dogs heading up the hillside with springs in their steps. Sora follows their likely trail with his eyes, gasping as he realizes it leads them to Kuzco. The emperor sees the danger as well, stopping suddenly in his tracks.
"No, Kuzco!" Sora cries, forcing his llama body into high gear. He gives it all he's got, heading for the fear-paralyzed emperor.
But when the Keybearer looks up, he realizes that Kuzco is not frozen at all. The llama charges straight at the Heartless swarm, seemingly without fear. For all his bravado, however, Kuzco isn't used to charging head long against also charging danger. The Rabid Dogs split up to harass the emperor, nipping at his heels. He kicks out, managing to push one back, but that's all the resistance he can really offer.
Sora resolves to put up a better fight, Kingdom Key appearing in his mouth with a white flash. He attacks the Heartless group from behind, two creatures dead before the rest know what's going on. He jumps aside as a Rabid Dog pounces, quickly retaliating with an upward slash. It's an awkward swing, considering how low to the ground the Heartless are and how tall his neck is.
Kuzco helps him compensate, kicking Heartless up into the air where Sora can more easily slice through them. After a moment, all the dark creatures are gone.
"Thanks for the help, Kuzco," Sora says with a bright smile. "Honestly, I wouldn't have thought you had it in ya!"
Kuzco shrugs, opening his mouth to reveal the potion inside. Sora reaches for it, smiling. But the emperor pulls it out of his reach, shaking his head and gesturing downhill. Sora turns to look where his fellow llama indicated, seeing Yzma still using her rapidly changing forms to harass his friends below.
"You're right," he concedes, scowling. "We need to find a way that we can use that potion on all of us at once." Thinking on just the past few moments, the Keybearer has one suggestion. "Why don't we just charge into her?"
Kuzco nods enthusiastically, his body shifting into a ready stance. Sora moves to stand beside the emperor. After a quick nod, he begins a countdown. "Three, two, one… GO!"
KH-KH-KH
Riku notices Sora and Kuzco's approach from the corner of his eye, somehow instantly deciphering what it is they have planned. They've only got one shot, and he needs to do everything he can to help them along.
Yzma is currently in jaguar form, harassing Azlyn while Hook Bats keep Telary occupied. An idea springing to mind, Riku cuts through a Soldier and rushes toward the knight. He leaps at Yzma's back, Way to Dawn held high. But the sorceress is ready, jumping out of the way at the last second. Riku barrels into Azlyn, making sure to push her back a few extra steps. As he stops them, he sees her spot Sora and Kuzco. One look from her is all it takes to confirm she knows the plan.
Azlyn steps forward, lowering her shield to her side for several seconds. Yzma instantly takes note of the vulnerability. Smiling, she shifts into rhinoceros form, her largest and most powerful. And she charges, dangerously sharp horn gleaming even in the dark of night.
Just as they had in the underground chamber, Riku and Azlyn react simultaneously. The knight moves her shield to the front with incredible speed, Riku pulling up his mystical barrier with a thought. Yzma, momentum already committed to a charge, slams into them. Working together, however, they manage to stop her in her tracks. They grit their teeth, hoping a struggle will distract their enemy just long enough…
Kuzco hits Yzma first, opening his mouth and letting the potion fall. Sora uses his snout to smash it into the rhinoceros hide, shattering the glass and unleashing an explosion of pink mist. It surrounds the trio, covering Azlyn and Riku as well.
Telary fries a last trio of Hook Bats with Thundara, gazing into the pink cloud as he starts to regain his breath. For a long few moments, he can see nothing of his friends. Then, with a gust of wind, the cloud blows away.
Sora and Kuzco, two-legged and dressed in their clothes from this morning, stare down at their restored bodies with awe. After a moment of consideration, the pair slap their hands together in a high five.
At their feet, Yzma is not feeling the joy of humanity. She stares down at her wrinkled hands, mouth agape. "No!" she cries, furiously pounding the ground.
"Um, yeah," Kuzco retaliates joyfully. "Looks like it's Yzma still zero, Kuzco, like, fifty or something. The number's not important, just that I won and I'm not dead. Thanks for playing, better luck next time."
"Oh, don't think you've taken the victory yet!" Yzma leaps to her feet, surprisingly spry for her advanced age. "I still have the Heartless! And now that the sun's protection is gone, there's nothing to stop me from unleashing an army!"
With a heartbeat of the declaration, Yzma finds herself with two Keyblades, one shield, and a crackling fireball in her face. Her gaze moves from one to the other, a nervous gulp accompanying the action.
"Then again…"
"It's alright, Yzma."
Everyone turns to see Kronk walking into the square, giving his former mistress a look of pity. "Verbal abuse aside," the chef says amiably, "you've been there for me when nobody else was for a long time. Just give up, please. I'd rather see you in Kuzco's dungeon than have you end up like that Mozenrath guy."
"Mozenrath?" Sora asks, quirking an eyebrow. "I'm guessing Maleficent didn't react well to his failure?"
"Not at all," Yzma confirms, shivering. "As technically impressive as her evil is, that broad's got some screws loose. And this is me saying that! You're right, I'm better off with you than I am her!"
"Good to see you're being reasonable," Kronk says, smiling. "And hey, here's something else to think about: what better place is there to avoid your enemy the sun, than in a dungeon?"
KH-KH-KH
"As great as all this has been," Riku reminds everyone as soon as the palace guards have Yzma contained, "we are still kinda missing something here."
"The Keyhole," Telary agrees, nodding. "I'm afraid it isn't anywhere on this hill. Though I don't know why. Seems like this would be a smart place to put it."
"Well, things usually start wrapping up when we've got the villain stopped," Sora points out, momentarily diverting himself from playing with his fingers like he has been since getting them back. "Maybe something will come to us."
They stand in silence for a long minute.
"And you had the nerve to imply that I was lazy," Kuzco declares, shaking his head.
"Uh, guys?" Kronk comes walking up the road, something sitting on his shoulder. Upon closer examination, it turns out to be a squirrel. "Hi. Bucky here says there's something he needs to talk to you about."
The squirrel immediately begins chattering frantically, paw gestures included. Everyone is completely lost but Kronk, who merely nods along. Occasionally he adds a question or comment, talking in deep intonations of the word "squeak".
Once the rant is over, he turns to the group. "Bucky here saw you swinging the Keyblade around, and apparently there's something you might wanna see."
"Call it whatever you want," Sora says, giving Kuzco a smug smirk. "I'm just glad it works."
"Afraid we can't go with ya, though," Pacha says, approaching the group and putting an arm around Kuzco. "People are still pretty riled up. They're gonna need their fearless leader to keep things together around here."
"Do you happen to know anyone like that?" Azlyn asks with a sarcastic snort.
"I certainly do," Telary replies, smiling at Kuzco. "I told you, Kuzco, you already care about people. All you needed to do was remind yourself that concern should always override fear. Charging Yzma and the Heartless was a scary prospect I'm sure, but you did it anyway. Because you knew it was the right thing to do for your kingdom."
"Gee, thanks for spelling it all out," Kuzco replies, rolling his eyes. After a moment though, he gives the wizard a smile of his own. "Seriously, though, you helped. You're not gonna make a bad ruler yourself, Telary."
"Thanks, Kuzco." Though Telary is all smiles, he finds himself thinking of a counterpoint. He'd been more of a second-in-command for Kuzco than a leader in his own right. Sure he can help others, but when push comes to shove, could he take his own advice, his own responsibility? Does Telary have what it takes?
He can't help but wonder.
KH-KH-KH
Bucky's directions, translated via Kronk, lead the group back into the jungle. There are still a few Heartless roaming about, but they're just stragglers, and against four fighters they don't cause much trouble.
Azlyn trips over a tree root, Riku quickly holding out an arm to keep the knight from stumbling. She grabs it without thinking, giving the silver-haired young man a silent nod as she steadies herself.
Telary watches the interaction with a smile. "Well, you two seem much more friendly. Seems Sora's methods really do work."
"I can't believe you'd hold any doubts at this point, Tel," the Keybearer declares, hand held to his chest dramatically.
"You know I don't," the wizard replies immediately, rolling his eyes. "So, what were you two fighting so badly about anyway? I never heard."
"Something kinda stupid, now that I'm thinking about it calmly," Riku admits, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "You see, I had this cookie in the fridge…"
Telary's gasp stops the group in their tracks. When they turn to look at the wizard, he's red-faced. "You mean, um, that was your cookie?"
Sora snorts. "Tel!"
"Oh, wow, Telary," Azlyn comments with a sardonic chuckle. "Wow!"
"The last person I would have suspected," Riku says, shaking his head bemusedly. "Didn't you see the note? It was pretty explicit."
"I swear, there was no note on that container!" Telary says, crossing his heart with one finger. "It must have fallen off at some point. Don't worry though, I know the recipe by heart. I can make you another one in a snap." The wizard shakes his head, incredulous. "To think, all this drama and it was my fault."
"I wouldn't beat myself up about it," Azlyn says, shrugging. "Rik and I had some things we needed to get straight anyway. If the fight hadn't started over something stupid like this, it could've been a real, serious situation. In the end, I say it worked out for the best."
"As long as I get my cookie," Riku says, adding a mock-threatening point at Telary. "And at some point, I wanna know about this second list."
Azlyn snorts, while a shocked look explodes onto Telary's reddening face. Luckily, the moment is interrupted by a throat-clearing from Kronk. "Bucky says we're here. Oh, and don't worry about the jaguars. They're just here to keep an eye on the place, scare off anybody who gets too close."
Kronk leads the group down a path, the jungle becoming dark and more foreboding. The trees have less leaves, and what foliage does exist seems sharp and dangerous. After a minute, they reach a cave. Just as Bucky warned, six jaguars stand guard. They begin growling, until Sora summons the Keyblade and holds it up. The animals instantly clam up, lowering themselves into relaxed sitting positions. The offworlders move into the cave, though none of them take their eyes off the jungle cats until they're safely inside.
At the back of the cave, there's a tunnel stretching out about a mile down into the earth. Telary quickly notices the crystals sprouting up everywhere, semi-transparent stones identical in color to the carved one protecting Pacha's hill. None of these formations are very large, as if they've been growing either no long at all, or very slowly. A fascinating puzzle, the wizard can't help but think.
Finally, the group reaches the end. The tunnel opens up into a cavern, more of the orange crystals growing from the walls and ceiling. The thickest concentration of them is at the back, where orange protrusions as long as Sora's arm surround a solid crystal wall. All of them give off a faint glow, illuminating the underground chamber in soft light.
"Yeah, this looks like a Keyhole spot," Sora comments, Kingdom Key appearing in his hand. He starts to raise it, then pauses to look at Riku. "Y'know, I don't have to be the one to seal this. If you want to…"
Riku shrugs. "You go ahead, Sora. Think of it as compensation for having to go largely without Keyblade wielding on this adventure. I'll take the next one."
"Sharing is caring," Kronk points out with a small smile.
Sora holds up his blade, pointing it at the back wall. Light begins to swirl around the Keyblade's tip, and at the same time the back wall begins to brighten. A sheen of pure white sweeps over it the orange crystal, revealing the Keyhole. The light at Kingdom Key's tip coalesces into a solid white beam, streaking out to enter the Keyhole. The orange crystal sparks even brighter for a few seconds, a solid click sound echoing through the underground chamber.
"Oooh," Kronk says appreciatively as the Keyhole fades. "Nice."
"Yeah," Sora agrees. He's not looking at the Keyhole though, his gaze focused instead on his own hand, five fingers wrapped around the hilt of Kingdom Key. "It really is."
Finally, finally, FINALLY! Sorry about how long it took to get this finished. I really thought it would go smoother than it did. But, it's all done now, and the next two worlds already have their detailed outlines finished, so hopefully they come quicker. Fingers crossed.
Shoutouts to DJ Scales, Nightwing2013, and Bezerker21 for their reviews of the last chapter. Until next time!