"Oh...", that was all Haku could choke out there as he was trying to get his brain to catch up with things.
"I understand. Much like your compatriots, seeing those from the past that are no longer with the living can certainly cause some issues of not knowing what to say.", Powhatan chuckled.
Haku took a few moments to recover before speaking, "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to stop your war...", and Powhatan sighed, "You still harbor guilt for what you haven't done, but you were needed elsewhere at the time, Haku Teika. We cannot be everywhere at the same time.".
"Yeah, well, I still feel that maybe we could've saved more people had we not been delayed with things...", Haku sighed. He knew hearing that was helpful, but it would still take some time for him to lose that guilt.
Powhatan knelt to lay a hand on Haku's shoulder, "I understand, but the past is the past. No stone is set in the river of time.", before looking sternly at him, "Now, about my daughter and grandson, I have heard your concerns, and I have come to know John Smith in the heavens. You will not replace him, and you are not a replacement for him either. You are a second chance for her to believe, to heal, to be her true herself once again, and yes, even love as well.".
"That's my concern and all, that I'm simply just filling in for him... practically replacing her love. If I could help partially fill that hole in her heart, I would gladly do it... but it still just feels wrong to try and even be that person to fill it.", Haku said.
Powhatan rubbed his chin in thought before tapping his staff, and he closed his eyes, listening to something Haku cannot hear, and Powhatan opened his eyes, smiling reassuringly with a nod, "I will join you in your mental fear test. Now, we are only observers as this is an alternative way to see what happens if you weren't there for Pocahontas and little Koda.".
Before Haku knew it, the ice pond was gone, and the surroundings changed, showing the jungles of Congo, and Haku saw himself in a white-transparent glow, "Wh-what's going on?", and Powhatan calmly told him, "We are invisible. Think of it as that story...A Christmas Carol, I believe.".
"Oh, jeez...", Haku shook his head. "I mean, I get the mental fear and all; but I know exactly what's probably waiting for me then if this is a whole Christmas Carol situation.".
Powhatan chuckled, "Well, if that's the case, then you should easily conquer this test.". Haku rolled his eyes hearing that.
Haku sees the familiar cart rolling on the trail, with Pocahontas pregnant like she was in reality, heading into the fort, and to the area of cages and posts. Powhatan replied, "You were with the team in Narnia to help out in Pride Valley...".
Haku saw Ratcliffe grab Pocahontas roughly as she was the last one to exit the cart, and Haku was upset to see the mistreatment.
Haku growled but knew this wasn't happening; Logan took care of Ratcliffe easily and she was safe... for the time being at least. Couldn't be too sure; things could easily go wrong if the Talons weren't careful. "I understand what you're showing me... I thought for a moment maybe you'd show me what would've happened had Emma not got pregnant and we'd come to the Congo earlier or something.".
"Be patient for a moment, my son. And watch.", Powhatan advised. Haku was surprised to hear such a term of affection from Powhatan but ignored it for the moment as he needs to watch, even though it is only illusions of a different time.
Ratcliffe was taunting and leering at Pocahontas as he threw Pocahontas into a cage, hitting the floor and bars. That action caused Pocahontas to be in labor, and without food or even Nakoma to help her as she was in a different cage, only helpless to watch in horror as Pocahontas took a long time with the contractions and the pushing, losing blood and strength.
Haku was horrified himself to see Pocahontas losing her life as she pushed out Koda who was feet-first, only managing to give Koda one first and last meal of her breast milk, naming him, giving him affections for one last time, pleading to Nakoma to protect him, to raise him before she lost her life, whispering one last thing under her breath as she seemed to see something.
Ratcliffe ordered his goons to get rid of Pocahontas's body as he took the crying, shivering Koda none too gently, giving him to Nakoma. Pocahontas's body was then burned up as the rebels crashed into the camp, with many people losing their lives as they killed the goons and Ratcliffe, with a few survivors freeing the prisoners.
The scene became black as Powhatan replied, "Nakoma has strived to do Pocahontas's last request, and for five days, with substitutes of breast milk, Koda lived, but he didn't gain weight, and with Scar in Congo, there was an attack on the ruins, and Nakoma died in the attack, and without any other woman or healer, Koda perished only one day later.".
Haku gave a sigh as he nodded, "Right... things would've been much worse had we been elsewhere and all."
"Exactly, the right place and the right time is what helped save her life and that of Koda as well.", Powhatan nodded surely.
Haku took a deep breath, realizing what Powhatan meant by that, and he loves Pocahontas and Koda so much, that seeing this happen, this alternate timeline happening before his eyes, it hurts like heck.
Powhatan glanced at Haku, "You were afraid of filling Pocahontas's heart with your love. Are you still afraid?".
"With the alternative probably being death? I'm not sure.", Haku sat down once more. "I know what I would like... but it's her that I'm still worried about.".
"That she'll be like Mulan and hang onto John? Leaving you waiting until the end of both your days?", Powhatan asked.
Haku nodded, "Yes. Oh, I know Mulan moved on with the blessing of Shang, and the courtship started with Jason confessing, but Pocahontas is a different woman, a special woman of incredible strength and strong love. She was afraid of failing Koda, of being a mother, but the moment she met him, it was like a missing piece was found, and she never leaves Koda out of her sight, even when she needs a moment to think.".
Haku exhales deeply, looking at Powhatan, "It's one of the reasons why I love her, to overcome fears like that...and Koda, I love him already like my own son...Even if he hasn't grown yet, and I know you were only faking, but that word, that name for me, Hapa...It's like I found somewhere I could belong...She and Koda's my home...".
"I know deep down, she feels the same too, she just doesn't know how to express it nor realize it yet... but she will, I promise you.", Powhatan assured him.
Haku smiled at him a little, "Thank you...You aren't angry at me for saying all of that?", and Powhatan smiled warmly, "My son, I have watched over my daughter ever since I died in battle, along with my beloved wife, and for you to be there for her and Koda, from the moment you saved her from such a horrible ordeal or whatsoever Ratcliffe had in mind for her, to helping her give birth safely in a place she's fed, warm, and surrounded by people, to be affectionate and gentle with my grandson when he's with you, and to be there for my daughter when she's sad or anxious or happy.".
"That's why I'm giving my blessing to you to be there in whatever Pocahontas decides to do, as friends, as healer and patient, or as man and woman in love.", Powhatan finished with a firm nod.
"T-thank you...", Haku gave a small bow out of respect as he sighed. "So... did I pass the test and all?", he asked. "The mental test, yes...", Powhatan nodded. "But there is still more that must be done.", he reminded.
"Of course.", Haku took a deep breath. Powhatan smiled, "Good. I wish you good luck. I'm afraid I have to go as I have done my task.", and Haku nodded, "I understand. Take care of yourself, Chief Powhatan.".
Powhatan chuckled, "I know your parents disowned you, Haku, I wouldn't replace them, but it makes sense since I call you my son, you call me Father.".
Haku widened his eyes in surprise before smiling, "Thank you, Father.", and Powhatan nodded with a smile before disappearing from view. Haku then can see a wigwam room with a longhouse doorway, with a wooden door in it, and to his surprise, he sees a chess set on a table, right before the doorway.
Haku walks to the table and sees a note. He reads it out loud, "Play a game with a new friend. Choose black or white, and once you sit, the friend will appear to you. Do you accept?".
Taking a deep breath and hoping that the old chess club in his old primary school helped him out a bit even if he didn't like competitions on his parents' demands, Haku replied, "I accept.", sitting down on the stool, facing the white side.
To his surprise, Percy the dog appeared, coming into shape as he sat on the stool, facing the black side. Haku spoke, "Did you learn chess behind Ratcliffe's back?", and Percy barked smugly with a nod.
"Playing chess with a dog... didn't see this one coming.", Haku smirked as he shook his head. "I swear, I'm gonna be depressed if you beat me.", he said as he moved his pawn first before the Pug moved one of his own. Haku made a mental sigh of relief since Percy moved the wrong pawn, that would allow him to win the game in less than two turns. At least the game would go shorter.
Haku then moved another pawn, and Percy snorted, moving a knight in a move that Haku didn't see coming, and he groaned, "Okay, I was admittedly a bit wrong. You're smart. Of course, you learned chess behind Ratcliffe's back. Adaptive intelligence.", remembering a term he learned in the army.
Haku kept going, competing against Percy who's surprisingly good, but not expertly good as Haku found out almost 20 minutes later when he realized that he's going to have a checkmate in one move left himself, and with a grin, Haku moved his king, "Checkmate!".
Percy put his paw on the last piece, knocking it down as a gesture of goodwill, and barked with a smile of acceptance, and Haku nodded, "Yes, good game, Percy. You did well. I would've loved to see Ratcliffe's face if he found out that you're a chess player.".
Percy seemed to snort like he was laughing and barked with a gesture to the queen and rook on the board, and Haku seemed to understand, "Oh, don't worry, I will take care of Pocahontas and Koda. They are the queen and prince of my heart, after all.", with a smile.
Percy barked happily with a nod, and disappeared from view, and the door opened to reveal a yellow gemstone floating above a pedestal.
"Darn, didn't even give him a chance to give him a belly rub.", Haku joked to himself as he stood up and walked towards the pedestal.
Haku took a deep breath as he walked into the surrounding room of the pedestal, and he could feel the energy immediately. He sensed excitement, mischief, playful sassiness, pride, and joy as he got closer to the yellow gemstone and reached out to touch it with his right hand.
He saw darkness, hearing child-like giggles, and maybe less than a minute, he found himself waking up in a landscape of several environments like a garden of butterflies, like a snowy meadow, like a forest of mischievous animals, like a swamp of fireflies, and in those environments are several versions of himself; like from toddler age to his present age.
"Whoa. So, this is my mindscape...Cool.", Haku commented before hearing a laugh, seeing a flash of yellow through the sky of outer space, and with a thud, the flash of yellow took shape, revealing it to be Sparky, Experiment 221, the cousin of Stitch.
Sparky waved, "Aloha, cousin! Sparky here to be your dragon guide!", with a giggle as his antenna buzzed wildly. Haku saw the Stitch! movie with the others as it's Disney yet he never expected this, though he should have seen this coming...It's an alternate universe, after all.
"Well, you're quite a bit of a chatterbox. You were pretty silent before if I recalled.", Haku chuckled. While much of those sequels and direct to video works were fairly hit or miss, the Stitch stuff was fairly solid in his opinion, such as the film that Sparky was the center of, that served as a sort of backdoor pilot for the TV series.
Sparky smiled widely, "Ih! But Sparky was experiment of Madam Mim, not Jumba. She hated that Sparky was good, helping lost people in darkness. Madam Mim killed Sparky because jealous.".
Haku blinked in surprise, "Wow, that changed things around. Ouch...Is Madam Mim alive?", and Sparky shook his head, "Madam Mim was alive because of Facilier. When Facilier dead from friend Jason, connection to Madam Mim broke, and Madam Mim dead, gone to Tartarus. Merlin relieved.".
"Well, that's good to know that she's out of the picture too. Facilier was already bad enough. I guess it was lucky that Jason quickly got him, or we might have been in trouble if we didn't get the drop on him in a fight.", Haku said.
Sparky nodded, "Ih! Sparky agrees. Do Haku want Sparky to be dragon guide?", and Haku smiles, "Why not? You're already a dragon of sorts with your looks and energy. And of course, if I am a small dragon, I could slip into camp easily, put the drop on Scar somehow...", musing thoughtfully.
Sparky grins, "Sparky happy, and Sparky tell you that gemstone is Infinity Stone of Mind. When together with other gemstones, Mind Stone able to do energy blasts, manipulate minds, perform astral projections, but alone, with dragon form, teleportation through many types of fire and mental communication.".
"So, total mind dominance if I put it to it. In the case of running into a few foes that might be, shall we say, simple minded? I know Gaston probably would've been easy to do that. One simple suggestion of the mind and he would've run for the hills.", Haku smirked at the thought. He obviously wasn't going mad with power or anything of the sort; nor did he have much in mind of truly using much of those powers in what the others might deem as a dark way.
Sparky giggled, "Ih! But wait until Haku say yes. One thing first. Spiritual plane. Person Haku know is waiting for Haku.", and Haku sighed heavily, nodding, "Yes, I know who it's gonna be...John Smith...".
Sparky tilted his head, "Haku nervous?", and Haku nodded, "Understatement of the century, Sparky...I'm beyond nervous. I'm like full of jitters, and not the good kind.".
"Haku be fine.", the experiment assured him as Haku shook his head and had a small smile, "I wish I had your confidence at the moment.".
Sparky smiled, and held his hand out, "Haku ready?", and Haku took a deep breath, "Ready as I'll ever be.", before taking Sparky's hand, and in a flash of yellow among a tug of something behind his navel, he found himself panting as he stood shakily, "A moment here.", taking deep breaths before looking up.
He then widened his eyes in amazement as he saw a remarkable valley of Willow Trees with streams flowing around them in several directions, with a stunning sky of sunrise colors, and he's on a dirt trail, lined up with Chinese style fences on both sides, with sunflowers poking through the gaps of the fences.
Sparky giggled, "Welcome to vision of Haku's spiritual plane.", and Haku blinked, "So, this is the spiritual plane I only visioned in times when I think about death, then?".
Sparky nodded, "Ih. Haku keep going, Sparky here. Not long way. End of way, John Smith waits.".
"Thanks, buddy... I'll see you again real soon...", Haku said as Sparky vanished. "Okay then... one last test, right?", he thought to himself as he kept marching forward until he found himself at the Jamestown colony from the film. Of course, everything was silent, and it seemed no one was around.
Haku calls out, "Hello?", and in response, he heard a sputtering sound, and he looks over to see a fire starting up, with a very familiar man doing it.
Haku took a deep breath once more, and walked closer to the campfire, and as he got closer, he saw John Smith in full view of the fire's light. He widened his eyes as he saw not one, not two, but three arrow wounds in four-pointed marks, with one in John's chest, barely below the heart, like maybe the stomach or the liver, with the second one in the kidney spot, and the third in the small intestine.
Of course, he is clothed, but the spots are dark almost like black mold. John Smith replied, "Take a seat, please.".