Chapter XV: Goodness of the Heart
Getting into the palace proved to be no challenge as the three waltz in lead by Kuzco. Reaching a dark room, they neared a fanged wall decoration.
"Alright, just pull the lever and we'll go where we need." Kuzco said.
Pacha pulled the lever as the floor beneath Kuzco opened up and dropped him. Ushio looked down as the floor slid back. After a minute, the door opened up as Kuzco reentered with an alligator.
"Ok, why does she even have that lever?" he complained. Kicking the alligator to scare it away, Ushio couldn't help but snicker.
The llama stood beside the two as Pacha pulled the other fang. The floor and wall flipped the three into a manically smiling cart. The cart moved forward as it plummeted down a long drop. Following its path, it spun in a downward spiral before launching them into the lab.
"What does it look like?" Pacha asked as the trio scrambled to find the potion to return Kuzco to normal.
"I don't know. Just keep looking." Kuzco replied.
Ushio looked over numerous tubes and vial, but they all seemed the same pinkish purple liquid. Labels didn't help her any as she searched more and more.
"Over here!" Pacha opened up a large cabinet. "It has to be one of these."
Kuzco and Ushio joined him as they scanned the shelves. Below each potion were carvings of the intended result. Ushio could make out lions, tigers, and bears, but upon reaching human, no vial sat above it.
"Oh, my." Yzma's voice rang out. "Looking for this?"
"You." Ushio turned around.
"No! It can't be!" Kuzco let out. "How did you get back here before us?
"Well, you got me." Kronk stated. "By all accounts, it doesn't make sense.
"Oh, well, back to business." Yzma shrugged off.
"Yzma, do you really want to kill me?" Kuzco asked.
"Just think of it as you're being let go." she responded.
"I can't believe this is happening." Kuzco said.
"Then I bet you weren't expecting this." Yzma said as she pulled out a dagger. "Finish them off."She throw the dagger to Kronk.
Kronk had a concerned look on his face as he debated the situation. He mumbled to him as Ushio and the others looked on bewildered. Taking precautions, Ushio summoned her Keyblade and settled into her battle stance.
"Kronk! Why did I think you could do this?" Yzma asked. "This one simple thing. It's like I'm talking to a monkey. A really, really big stupid monkey named Kronk!"
Kronk looked at the chandelier above Yzma. Cutting the rope, it fell towards the woman. Yet, the hole in the middle fell perfectly on top her, leaving her unscathed. She hopped over to a lever, pulling it to drop the floor below Kronk.
"Ah. Should have seen that coming." he said as he fell.
Taking the opportunity, Pacha grabbed the vial as Yzma tried to get it back. She grabbed it only for Kuzco to cause to drop it. It rolled across the floor as Ushio attempted to grab it. Yzma, having worked her way over to the cabinet, shoved it and caused the numerous vials to spill onto the floor. With no labels and each one looking the same, the three couldn't find the correct one.
"Which one? Which one?" teased Yzma. Pulling an alarm, palace guards arrived. "Kill them! They murdered the emperor!"
The guards in blue and red body paint charged the three as Kuzco pleaded with them to no avail. Pacha began to gather up the vials as Ushio stood at the ready. Tipping over a table, the liquids fell onto the guards and turned them into animals.
Steaming from everything that had occured, the darkness swelled around Yzma. Ushio could see the dark clouds surrounding her. Sensing the darkness growing in the woman, a Heartless she had seen before appeared. Clad in a long purple robe, the Heartless appeared humanoid. However, it's skin was a pitch black with glowing yellow eyes. It smiled, revealing a jagged maw. This Sorceress held more power than any of the Heartless Ushio had encountered before.
"Kuzco, Pacha, you run and try to change back. I'll deal with this one." Ushio steeled herself.
"Are you sure." Pacha asked, seeing the creature that was about ten feet tall.
"Of course. These things are my specialty. Besides, you still have her to deal with." she gestured towards the evil woman.
"After them!" Yzma yelled. The pair ran as the transformed guards chased after them. "I'll leave this thing to deal with you, brat."
With no one else in the room, Ushio stood toe to toe with the Sorceress. The darkness it elude kept Ushio on guard. Swinging it's right hand forward, orbs of darkness appeared and shot towards the girl. Ushio dodged rolled as the four orbs flew by her. Ushio charged forward as she barraged the creature with blow after blow. It seemed largely to ignore her attacks as its durability kept up. Bring it's left hand up, Ushio barely had time to react as lighting struck where she once was.
"W-Whoa…" she let out.
Swing once again, more orbs of darkness shot at her. Floating in from the side, she blocked it as another bolt of lighting shot out. Ushio felt the electricity throughout her body as she fell to the floor. Getting to her feet, she brought her Keyblade down on the Heartless. The enemy seemed to have enough as it grew agitated. Feeling the ground sinking beneath her, Ushio tried with all her might to get out. Despite her best efforts, she found herself sinking into it.
Her eyes adjusted as she found herself outside on top of the palace. The golden roof sloped off to each side, providing her feet to have a slight trouble with traction.
The Sorceress appeared once again in front of her as more orbs prepared themselves. She started running as hands popped up and attempted to grab her. Ushio ducked out of the way just in time to find an orb fly right above the hand.
"New trick, huh?"
Launching a fireball at the enemy, she continued her run towards the Heartless. Whacking it with all her might, she jumped to avoid a lightning strike. The foe started gathering darkness into itself as it grew huge. Now standing in at four times her height, Ushio knew it was getting desperate. The orbs appeared again as she prepared to dodge them. To her shock and pain, she found they started to produce a beam of energy outward.
Hitting the ground, she steadied herself with her Keyblade. Her new friends were counting on her winning the fight as much as she was counting on them to resolve their predicament. Jumping up, her blade found its way into the face of the foe several times. With her resolve at maximum, she brought it across with a loud swipe.
The Sorceress cried out as it crumpled down to the ground. It faded away as a large heart flew into the sky.
With the battle over, Ushio started on her way off the building.
—
Dawn arose as Ushio found her way through the palace. She entered a large room as she spied Pacha with a man in red robes and a gold headdress.
"Hey." the man said.
"Is that you, Kuzco?" she asked
"In the flesh." he stated. "Yzma's dealt with, you seem to dealt with that monster, and most importantly, I'm back to normal."
"That's good for you." Seeing Pacha near a model, she approached him. "So, everything okay for you."
"Yeah, pretty much." he nodded.
Kuzco saw the two looking over the model and had a realization.
"So, you lied to me." he said as he joined them.
"I did?" Pacha asked.
"Yeah. You said when the sun hits this ridge just right, these hills sing. Well, pal, I was dragged all over those hills and I did not hear any singing. So, I'll be building my summer home on a more magical hill. Thank you."
"Couldn't pull the wool over your eyes, huh?" Pacha smirked.
"Looks like you and your family are stuck on that tuneless hill forever, pal."
Kuzco walked over before taking a seat next to the two.
Ushio looked over at the pair as she smiled. Despite all the hardship and battles she'd endured, she'd come to bond with the two.
"Well, I guess I'll leave you two be." she said as she got up and started walking away.
"You're leaving already?" Pacha asked.
"Yeah. Your journey may be over, but mine's got a ways to go. I might be leaving, but we'll always be connected." Ushio said as she placed her hand over her heart. "Another thing my father always told me is that no matter where you may be, no matter what you go through, those you've connected with will always be there beside you in your heart."
"I don't know. My heart's kinda filled with all my own greatness." Kuzco replied.
"Heh, I suppose that just like you." Ushio said as she caught his slight smile.
—
Hovering in the Space Inbetween, Ushio had received a message from her parents. Looking at it, she'd found a location to input into her Gummi Ship. With it on autopilot, she'd taken the opportunity to have a quick nap.
Finding herself back on the beach of the small island back home, she pretended to fight as she swung around a wooden Keyblade. The dream was a memory of her as a kid. The wind blew her long, pink dress as she continued to strike at the air. Her foot lost its grip as she fell into the tiding water. She grinned as she looked towards the beach. A child sized figure stood there, hazy and blurry so much that she couldn't make it out. As they held out their hand, she woke up.
"What was that?" she mumbled. "Was there another kid I was with on the island?"