Kingdom Hearts
Ch. 33
Deep Jungle
Apes and Men
"DONALD, GOOFY!" shouted a frustrated Sora. He grunted in annoyance at the thought of being separated again.
"Calm down Sora," said Jiminy. The young keyblade wielder had climbed up a cliff to find Donald and Goofy again. "Now don't you worry. You guys managed to find each other back on Wonderland. If you can make it through there you can make it anywhere," said Jiminy. Sora standing on the cliff looked out witnessing the vast jungle that pervaded this world. An entire world with nothing but miles of rainforest. Sora looked down and kicked a stone off the cliff sending it crashing down below. Sora turned around and walked back into the forest. "Sora try retracing your steps. Maybe they're back the way we came," mentioned Jiminy.
Sora makes his way back through the trees and responded, "No, we should find the ship. We can launch the rocket and look for them with it."
Jiminy realizing that's a much better idea remarked, "Your right. It will be easier to find them in the air." Jiminy resting on Sora's shoulders spoke, "Sora." The boy turned his head a bit signaling that he's listening. "Those people we met at the camp. They said they were colonists right."
Sora stared up, "Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?"
Jiminy took out his journal reviewing everything he wrote down. "Colonists are people who leave their homeland to settle in newly acquired foreign land. And well, these colonists said that they came here from another world. Does that mean they were planning on settling here?"
Sora began breathing louder, "Yeah, I remember Jane mentioning something about helping different worlds by teaching them." Jiminy jumped off Sora's shoulder landing on the ground. "Sora, if what they are doing is forcing their ways of life onto others. Then that means-"
"The people of Britannia are imperialists." Jiminy was interrupted by a man with a low deep voice. The two friends looked up to see a man in a black shroud floating over them. He descended to the ground. His body forming upon touching the dirt and leaves beneath his feet. The dark man with white eyes stared at the young keyblade wielder.
Jiminy jumped back onto Sora's shoulder. "Who are you?" he said.
"You may call me Cloak. I am from another world as you are," said the hooded figure.
"What you're not from here either and what do you mean imperialists?" Jiminy asked. He took out his journal and prepared to write anything the shrouded man would say.
Cloak not making a single facial expression spoke, "The people of Britannia believe that they are helping other worlds. But they are not. They have no interest in improving the lives of others. What they want is conquest and resources. Every world has vast amounts of goods and energy sources. The Britannian Empire wishes to obtain these resources to increase its power as well as to expand its control. So they set out and colonize as many worlds as they want. Because of Britannia's superior technology they can easily walk in and take over."
"Wait but how can that be. They were so nice. Jane and the others. Why would they do this?" After saying this Sora stepped back and remembered what happened with Ralum. "But don't they know how dangerous that is especially with the heartless and all the worlds that are disappearing into the darkness. With all that fighting no doubt that they are luring heartless towards them."
Cloak continued to explain, "That's because The Prince wields the keyblade as you do."
Sora remembered Jane telling him this. "But how does he do it. How does he keep worlds from disappearing?"
"Surely you must know being the one who bears a keyblade. The weapon has not just the ability to unlock hidden treasures and secrets but to lock things as well. After a world is colonized the Prince visits there through a vortex set between worlds to make travel easier. He then takes his keyblade and locks up the world so the heartless can't take it, but how exactly he does it is unknown."
"Sora!" said Jiminy trying to get his attention.
"I want to meet him," he said confidently.
"But!" said Jiminy.
"No I have to. Whether we like to or not we have to know how to lock up worlds. Besides what they are doing is wrong. We need to talk with him and convince him to stop," said Sora. He then asked a couple more questions back to back. "Anyways how do you know so much about Britannia? What world did you come from? How did you get here?"
Cloak floated back into the air opening his cloak revealing a black void of darkness. In the darkness an image appeared. The picture was that of his home world. It was covered in grass and flowers with a great forest dividing two kingdoms. One on the top glistening in the light and one at the bottom covered in shadows. "My world was one of the first worlds to be invaded. Our Prince was taken out of power while the Princess went missing. From what I can tell she is not in the custody of the Britannians. She just disappeared one day. I was very close to her. I met her when I was younger, and she helped me when I needed it the most. Back then our world was ruled by two kingdoms. One of light and one of darkness. They were at constant odds with each other. But after her Stepmother vanished the young Princess was next in line to the throne. She married the Prince of the Light Kingdom and the countries were unified. We then were able to experience a few years of peace before they came. Britannia's forces were to strong and our unified kingdom fell in days. Before she disappeared the Princess gave me this magic cloak that converts my body into a being of darkness. It allows me to travel through the shadows so I can appear anywhere I want. I can even use it to travel to other worlds with it. Though I can take people with me I can't bring them to other worlds. So I took the name Cloak on a quest to free my world and find the princess."
"Wow this is very interesting," said Jiminy writing down everything word by word in his journal.
"Wait, what about the heartless?" asked Sora.
"Yes, the heartless, they were in regular abundance in our world till the colonists came. When the fighting began heartless increased in number. The Prince of Britannia wasn't able to lock the world away in time. As a result, my world was lost to the darkness with everyone on it."
Jiminy lamented with Cloak, "I'm sorry for your loss. Me and Sora's world were lost to the heartless as well."
Sora then was reminded, "Now that you mention it. All the previous worlds we went to seemed to have heartless around. But I haven't run into any of them here yet."
Jiminy hopped up. He put his journal back into his hat, "Well I think it has something to do with this being a level four world. So that means there's not any people to feed off of. Animals are different from humans in terms of light and darkness. Heartless tend to go after ordinary people because their hearts are more susceptible to darkness. Animals are simple and don't really side with the light or the dark. But because there's no one of interest here most heartless probably avoid this world."
Cloak came back down speaking, "Wielder of the Keyblade, though I wish to stop the people Britannia. I don't think of them ill and either should you. I wish to end the fighting and bring about peace. But right now this place is in danger. After making contact with this virgin world. We may have brought a grave evil to it."
Sora and Jiminy knew what he means. "The heartless!" they said.
"Yes, after landing here the colonists have lured the forces of darkness to this forsaken jungle. Right now the colonists are in danger you must help them. As well as the animals that live in this forest."
Sora nodded his head, "But can you show me the way. We're kind of lost." Cloak transformed his body back into darkness and wrapped it around Sora. Jiminy went back into Sora's hood before he was engulfed into the shadows.
Sora was then warped in a world of complete darkness. He could not move or even speak. His eyes stared out into black nothingness. After a few minutes, Sora saw light and soon found himself back at the camp site. He turned to Cloak thanking him. "Oh if you can do me a favor. Please find Donald and Goofy for me and when you do bring them to our ship. They'll know what to do after that."
Cloak agreed. He disappeared back into the shadows leaving no trace of his presence. Sora then ran towards the camp finding it in chaos. He summoned his keyblade at the very thing he feared. "Heartless!" he shouted.
The creatures have invaded this world just as Cloak said. Ready to take it into the darkness like all the others. All the pedestrians were nowhere around while the soldiers tried to fight them off. As they were low on resources they've been having trouble defeating them. The heartless were shaped like green monkeys called "Powerwilds." While the pink ones wore a bow and held a sling shot called "Bouncywild."
"Dagger pistol," sounded the Elite Dagger. She flipped over the shoulders of the dark monkeys launching 5 light knifes destroying the heartless with one blow. Their corrupted hearts flew into the sky. Dagger landed with her legs spread out with 5 more knifes in hand. A Powerwild jumped at Dagger from behind hoping to strike her back. Sora ran over and destroyed the monkey before it could make the hit.
"You," said Dagger.
"Talk later, where is everyone else?" Sora asked.
"Everyone is hiding in the ship for protection. But Clayton and Ralum have disappeared." Dagger then threw her daggers piercing the demon monkeys in the chest.
"Okay, lets finish these guys before anyone else gets hurt." Just then Sora and Dagger were surrounded by a hoard of heartless. Shadows, mushrooms, and monkeys variants circled around them. The two heroes stood their ground and fought them off one by one.
Back in the forest the sun was setting. The sky bathed in twilight causing a dark shadow to pervade over the land. Sitting atop a tree was Tarzan of the Apes. He crouched down holding a vine in his hand. He quietly watched the sunlight fade as day made way for night. He heard footsteps as someone was approaching him. It was his Mother Kala. She walked over and rested her arm on his shoulder. She leaned in closer and whispered something in his ear. She wanted him to follow her.
The sun set as the jungle gave way to the night. Flowers closed off there colors and scents. Animals of all kind gathered together to fall asleep. Monkeys and cats rested in their beds of leaves and sticks shutting their eyes.
Kala led Tarzan back to the tree house where he first met Sora. The ape opened the door showing her son what's inside. She grunted pointing to a crate in the back of the room. Tarzan walked to it slowly. Next to the crate was a crib with white fabric wrapped around the bed. Tarzan looked in the crate finding several items inside. He reached in pulling out a picture frame. Inside placed a photo of a human family depicting a grown man next to his wife. In her arms she held a tiny baby boy. "This is me?" said Tarzan quietly. Kala nodded. He spoke slowly, "And this is my Father and my." Tarzan stopped hesitantly. Kala lowered her head. Tarzan walked over to his adopted Mother. The motherly ape began to weep. Tarzan knelt down and rested his hands on her face. Tarzan muttered in ape, ("No matter where I'm from. You'll always be my Mother.") Kala embraced Tarzan weeping softly. The two held each other until the she stopped crying.
The sun has set on the camp wrecked by the heartless. Sora knelt down catching his breathe. Dagger took out the last heartless thus ending the battle. Both breathed heavily gaining a moment of peace. "Oh Lady Dagger, please tell me you're okay," shouted Jane running over to her with two clerics behind her. Jane came over to Dagger resting her arms on her shoulders. Both clerics began to check the heroes. Sora smiled giving a thumbs up signaling he's fine. Dagger smiled as well nodding to the cleric's applying healing magic.
Sora got up and stretched his arms and yawned, "It's getting late." Sora looked around the camp to see it nearly emptied.
"Good thing most of our belongings were loaded on to the ship. Not much was damaged in the end" said Jane.
Dagger huffed looking up in the sky, "Why were the heartless here? They've never appeared before."
Sora cocked an eyebrow and answered her question, "Because heartless are drawn to the darkness into people's hearts. Since this world is a level four they would normally have no interest in this place."
"But why now?" Dagger said.
Sora slowly walks away towards the bamboo thicket. "It's because of you. They're after your hearts. Your presence here has attracted the heartless to this world." Jane looked to Dagger her blonde hair glimmered in the moonlight. She stared up at the stars silently. "But why now? We've been stuck here for a month. And this is the first encounter we've reported since landing here?" said Jane turning back to Sora.
"Clayton and Ralum," spoke Dagger.
Sora turned around his fists clenched near his thighs said, "Yeah where are those two anyway?"
"They're missing. They disappeared shortly after returning to the camp. What's strange is the heartless began to appear right after they went missing. Do you think there's connection?" said Dagger. She got up wiping the dirt from her suit.
"Enough Don't You People Get It!" shouted Sora. Everyone looked at Sora not knowing what to say. "Don't you understand? All this happening because you were meddling in other worlds. You have to stop this colonization. You're not helping anyone but yourselves."
Dagger sat quietly remembering back to what Cloak told her. Jane stepped forward "S-Sora I don't know what this have to do with anything. We are trying to help these worlds eliminate the heartless. And keep them from plunging from into the darkness."
Sora thrusted his head in her direction "You think I don't know. He told me what you are doing. He told me how you come from the sky declaring peace and assistance but after you gain the natives trust you control them. You destroy kingdoms for – yahh" shouted Sora.
A scythe flew from the bamboo striking the ground. The weapon flew out through the bamboo cutting anything in its path striking right by Sora's waist. The sound it made caused a loud boom. Birds from all around were freighted by the loud noise. They flew for safety flapping the wings as they ascended to the skies. "That's enough out of you. I swear if you spat out one more word I'm going to vomit." Sora's hair rose as he could feel a dark energy walking towards him.
The scythe that was thrown was red and had a rose design to it. Dagger could also feel it. She recognized the weapon she stared in fear as a man stepped forward through the thicket. The bamboo moved aside by itself without the help of anyone. Looking through the thicket a man in shadows walked towards them. One cleric recognized the man and shouted, "Lord Ralum."
Dagger eyes twitched "Ralum," she said softly. The man stepped into the camp area revealing him to be the red haired Elite himself.
"Lord Ralum, we we're so relieved you're okay," said one of the clerics. Sora looked at the red haired man with an angry face. Ralum summoned back his scythe. Sora brought out his keyblade in defense. He got up and stood his ground. Sora held his keyblade in preparation for another attack.
"Ralum, what is the meaning of this? What are you doing? If you haven't noticed we've just fought off an attack while you disappeared. Not to mention the head cleric was found dead in your quarters," shouted Dagger.
Ralum not even looking to her said, "Dagger, shut up."
Dagger furious generated knifes in her hand shouting to him, "Ralum so help me. You have a lot of explaining to do. The bystanders looked in horror as the two Elites quarreled with each other. Jane knowing this could escalate badly turned to everyone else watching. "Please go back to the ship. Let them sort this out we mustn't interfere." Everyone agreed, being fearful of the elite they all ran for cover.
Ralum pointed his scythe at Sora's face. Such an interesting creature. It would be excellent news for my Prince. When he learns that I killed a keyblade wielder. Sora's eyes cracked open while Ralum thrusted the sharp end of his scythe at Sora's throat. Sora having nowhere to run purposely fell down on his back.
"What are you doing?" shouted Dagger. She threw her daggers at Ralum's back. He maneuvered his scythe with the razor in front of the light daggers deflecting her attacks. He turned towards her with an emotionless face.
"Don't get in my way. This is for the good of all Britannia's people. We can't let something like this wield such a powerful weapon." He turned back to Sora who was struggling to move out of the way. He looked down to see something grabbing his feet. It was plants that have grown out of the ground. They wrapped around his legs keeping him in place. Sora desperately tried to free himself. He tore apart the vines only for more to grow in its place.
Ralum looked over the young boy with a smile on his face. Sora noticed the shadow casting over his body. Their eyes locked. Sora stared straight into his eyes and saw nothing but emptiness.
Ralum lifted his scythe over his head saying, "In the end, evolution always pulls through." As he finished speaking he gripped his scythe preparing to slash straight through Sora's body. Dagger threw her light daggers into Ralum's back harming him. He wailed in pain stepping back. Dagger ran and jumped over Ralum in a flip. Midair she shot her light daggers at the vines freeing Sora from his confinement.
"Ralum since when can you control plants? After all these years we've known each other you've never displayed that ability before." said Dagger. She landed in front of Sora holding a dagger down her arm.
Ralum looked down smiling. He began to giggle. As he did, they could hear the trees rustling. His laugh became louder and louder till he was hysterical. The trees began shaking abruptly causing animals all over to awake startled and frightened.
He eventually calmed down and stared back at Dagger. "I've learned some new tricks recently."
Sora looked at Ralum behind Dagger. Both noticed dark aura around him.
"The darkness it has taken him?" said Sora. Dagger hearing what Sora said looked at her friend and ally to see he has changed. He raised his scythe and rested it on his shoulder. He grinned again.
"Rose Speak," he sounded. With the blink of an eye he was gone with the wind. Only flower petals blew around the spot where he once stood. He then with incredible speed appeared in front of Dagger. The spear end of his scythe stabbed her stomach. Ralum thrusted his weapon into Dagger's body. She cried out in pain. Her voice could be heard throughout the whole forest. Ralum removed his spear out of her body causing blood to flow out. It dripped down her leg pouring on the ground. Dagger tried to cover her wound with her hands trying to ease the pain.
She fell to the ground coping with the pain. The grass was flooded with her blood she remained twitching her hands stained red. Sora ran over to her, "Are you okay?" He turned to Ralum shouting, "How could do that to her? She was your friend."
Ralum wiped the blood off his scythe, "Don't worry it's not like she's going to die. She has fast healing abilities. Give her a few minutes she'll be fine. I only wanted to incapacitate her so she doesn't get in my way." Ralum's scythe swung at Sora. He lifted his blade clashing the two weapons together. Sora deflected his weapon away. The scythe was jammed into the ground making Ralum pull it out. He grasped the pole giving Sora an opportunity to counter. He swung his keyblade hitting Ralum in the face. Caught in a daze Ralum dropped his weapon giving Sora time to get away. He ran in the thicket out of sight from the red haired man. Ralum pulled his scythe out the ground. He looked around to see where Sora went. He has disappeared into the thicket as Ralum could not see him.
Ralum paused and shut his eyes. He quietly listened for any sounds. He soon heard bamboo being brushed aside. He smiled and swung his blade in the direction of it sounding, "Blade of Death." With incredible strength his blade caused a white energy streak to form cutting down all the bamboo in its way. Sora trying to get away fell to the ground placing his hands over his head. The slash move missed him only cutting a few strands of hair. Sora tried to get up. His heart was pounding. He nearly tripped trying to get up.
"Man this guy means business. It's not safe to fight him here." Ralum went back into his fighting stance and dashed through the recently cut bamboo thicket. He was practically flying. Sora ran back into the forest using his keyblade to remove any obstacles in his way. Ralum quickly followed the broken branches leading to the same open area where he fought Kerchak earlier. He looked around to see the cut up tree where Kerchak delivered the final blow. He giggled looking for his enemy.
"FIRE!"
Behind some plants shot out a magic based fire ball. The flames bursts in Ralum's face pushing him back. The heat burnt his face. Smoke preceded his hair. He gritted his teeth taking his hand and trying to cool down his hair. He heard rustling again. Someone was moving through the brush. It sounded as if someone was climbing a tree. Then he heard vines begin to move. He looked up to see Sora swinging down a vine with keyblade in hand. Sora let go and fell towards Ralum preparing to swing his keyblade at him. Ralum moved aside dodging the attack. Sora landed on his feet sliding on the ground. The dirt and grass were mowed down by his giant yellow shoes. He was bent down with his keyblade lifted over his neck. He got up and turned towards Ralum.
He was smiling his eyes glowing bright. "What you think this is going to be a game of cat and mouse. As you can see I'm a better fighter then it appears. Before we begin I'd like to ask. Why do you wish to kill me? Have the darkness swallowed your heart already."
Ralum smiled back and waved his hair as flower petals fell out of his red brush. "To preserve the superior race."
Sora chocked an eyebrow, "Race what does that have to do with anything?"
Ralum spoke in a menacing voice, "Humph, you ever heard of natural selection."
Sora stopped and remembered learning this in his school years. "Natural Selection, the process of survival of the fittest. In which organisms who are more capable to survive will live on through the generations. But for those who can't will go extinct. Our world is one of the most advanced civilizations in the universe. Our people are superior to others. It is why we wish to inhabit new worlds. We wish to improve our race as well as others and evolve further and further. And the Prince's Keyblade we will achieve this. But people like you are holding us back. People like you who refuse change. You don't deserve to wield such a weapon."
Ralum scoffed in his prideful speech. He spoke calm and arrogantly. Sora still having his eyebrow cocked asked again, "Yeah, but that doesn't make sense. So, who cares where you are from. Why should that matter? The world were you come from doesn't define you. We are who we choose to be."
He looked back at Ralum veins began to appear on his forehead. "You call yourself so high and mighty but you were defeated by an ape. An animal."
Ralum's eyebrows crossed and he smiled. "Humph, it was just lucky. After I eliminate you, I'm going cut that animal into pieces." The dark aura appeared around Ralum again. He laughed picking up his scythe and holding it behind his back.
His pupils shrunk as the darkness covered his body he sounded, "Butchers Knife." Just as before with Dagger he thrusted at Sora swing his scythe in a horizontal slash. He swung causing another loud dice sound. This is the same move he used to cut the giant cedar tree from before. It should have cut Sora in half but something stopped it. Sora with quick reflexes lifted his leg and stopped the advancement of the blade with his own shoe. Ralum shocked that a measly twelve year old could block such an attack.
Sora smiled taking his keyblade and pointing it towards Ralum's face. "Blizzard," he sounded. A burst of ice magic shape like a snowflake flew through at Ralum.
He grunted jumping back to recover as he wiped his face and looked towards his enemy. "Magic, I thought you were a warrior class. But I guess it doesn't hurt to have a few tricks up your sleeve."
Sora smiled back, "Well we wouldn't want this fight to get stale."
Ralum brushed his hair back again. "Well you're not the only one with tricks." Ralum lifted his hands in the air sounding, "Vine Grab." Sora looked down to see plants began to inch out of the ground. He jumped in the air before the plants could grab hold of his legs. He raised his keyblade at Ralum sounding, "Fire." Just as before a burst of fire shot at Ralum.
Before it could hit him Ralum swung his scythe at the blast eviscerating it. "Don't waste your magic. You can only use it so much."
Sora landed running around to the left of Ralum. He then charged towards him hoping to land a few hits. Ralum took his weapon and both blades clashed together. They swung blade on blade as their weapons crashed into one another. Sora tried to upper cut his foe but Ralum used his handle to cease the attack. Ralum switched the sides of his weapons thrusting his handle like a spear. He thrusted it with a massive barrage which would leave any man with multiple holes in his chest.
Sora quickly dodged all of it. He stepped back and threw his keyblade at Ralum. The red haired still managed to block the attack. But Sora had a backup plan. Right after he threw it he charged again with no weapon. After Ralum deflected the keyblade. Sora summoned it back hitting Ralum in the chest with it. Ralum held the back end of his scythe like a javelin. He threw the spear at Sora with incredible speed. Sora dodged the attack with little effort as it seemed Ralum missed on purpose. The scythe struck a tree with its blade pointing up.
Sora remarked, "Man you got a terrible aim." After he said that he realized Ralum was gone with only flower petals in his place. He turned towards the tree to see Ralum lunging at him. Ralum has copied Sora's technique but only the other way around. He swung his blade slashing Sora in the back. The young keyblade wielder squalled in pain. A giant cut was now made on his back. Sora dropped his keyblade and fell to his hands and knees. Ralum's blade dripped with Sora's blood. He rested his scythe back on his shoulders. He smiled as flower petals blew around him as if the wind itself was under his control.
Sora quickly moved away trying to prevent another attack from taking effect. He crawled away and tried to get up. His legs were shaking, and his teeth were pressed hard. He held his keyblade like a wounded knight in a duel. "Don't worry its nothing serious. Just a preview of what's to come when I tear you apart."
"Heavens Judgment," sounded a woman. Ralum looked up to see sharp pieces of light forming in the air. It was Dagger. She formed tons of light daggers around her. She raised her hands and waved causing the light barrage to begin. Nearly 100 light attacks shot towards Ralum. He used his scythe to try to deflect all the incoming projectiles. He could only avoid most of them.
The light daggers pierced his body causing him to back off. Dagger now having an opportunity to help Sora ran over to him and sounded, "Cure." She placed her hand over Sora's wound. Then green magic sparkled over the two of them and the wound was gone. After her attack was finished her light daggers disappeared into thin air.
Ralum felt the pain of the attack but noticed there was no injuries. Ralum looked over to her menacingly. "Oh Dagger, why do you keep disappointing me." Dagger turned to Ralum with a harsh look. Ralum brushed his hair again saying, "That suit you wear gives you your powers. It allows you to have extreme healing abilities. But you are so vulnerable. With one serious attack and you go down like a common thug. You were always the weakest of us."
He raised his hand up and began moving his fingers like a puppet master. The ground began to shake and the trees moved suddenly. Ralum sounded, "Forest of Death." With that roots and vines appeared out of the shadows. They moved like tentacles heading towards Sora and Dagger. Both heroes knew they had no choice but to fight. Dagger's hands both were full of light daggers. Sora brought out his keyblade preparing for round two.
Both were scared of Ralum and what he has become. Neither was in a position to fight. When all hope seemed lost someone came to their rescue. Ralum noticed a figure appear over the two heroes. It seemed like a creature of pure shadows. It wrapped Sora and Dagger in its cape disappearing into the night with Sora and Dagger. Ralum did not know what had happened. One second, they were here and now they were not. "Is this some of trick, where did they go?" he thought. After observing the area he concluded they were nowhere around.
After realizing he was alone he walked off into the jungle. He strolled down the path to come across a great tree in the heart of the jungle. Its roots stuck out the ground. Its trunk was taller than any other he's seen before. He walked up towards it and sat down on the vines and roots like a king on a throne. He smiled as he called the plant life to come to him. "I'll find them they can't hide forever. He touched the bark of the tree feeling as it felt. This newfound power gave him the title of "King of the Jungle." His red flowers popped up over the forest surveying the landscape like thousands of eyes. This jungle was his.