This story is meant to be the first story of a trilogy, the other two likely to be much shorter. This trilogy is an attempt on my part to replace the "Team Atlantis" series and "Shards of Chaos," both of which do not appear to be occurring. The third installment will be "Shards of Chaos." Of course, if that sequel actually will be produced, the title would be changed. Now note that this is all up in the air because the other two stories need much more development.
This story is meant to develop Kida's character more, but be warned that, since there are so many takes on her personality, this version may not be agreeable to you. Just try and read this with an open mind as simply an interpretation. Remember, this is not Disney-approved, of course.
To restate, chapters one through four are rated G, while chapter five is rated PG.
Yes, most of my stories' titles will be proceeded by "Team Atlantis" or "Atlantis," as silly as it is.
Updates include changing from 1914 (late November) to 1938. This is to encompass the sequel.
In a world where chaos was nearing the throne, in a world where life was being shortened, in a world where sorrow and fear were becoming a plague, there was Atlantis.
CHAPTER 1: Plans
In a world were peace was abundant, in a world were life was long, in a world were needs were provided for and the people were content, there was Atlantis.
The city of Atlantis seemed to shimmer with its grandeur, ruins remade by a disaster. The quick repairs made did not have the strength to support themselves, and returned to a state similar to the more than twenty years ago when the city was found. From its glorious skies the tiny green creature stooped, swooping past the prospering people of the marketplace and plaza. It flew past a recently moved boulder into an overgrown passageway, simultaneously trying to rub off the note tied to its leg. Tree twigs and ropes of vine reached out as if to ensnare the parrot lizard as it traveled. It darted into an open chamber known, until then, only to two. A small insect flitted across its field of vision, and the parrot lizard changed course to catch it for a meal. Upon ensnaring the morsel, the yeragos lighted upon a sturdy branch to dine. From there it could see the entire hollow. He even perceived the two formally dressed figures that sat on either side of each other upon the tail of a magnificent fish statue.
Milo and Kida sat side by side with their arms around each other, watching the light of the Mother Crystal filter through the leaves of the trees. The trees rustled in the wind, as if to quietly confess their love to one another.
"It's all still a dream," mused Milo, still in awe of his home.
"As it is for me as well," Kida replied. "Only a few decades ago we were a crumbling city. Now, at last, we are on the rise."
"Thank goodness for that." Milo took hold of his indigo, regally ornamented, but oversized hat. He then placed it next to his staff and his satchel on the ground. The satchel, which was nearly identical to the one Kida had, was filled nearly to bursting with writing supplies. When he felt her cuddle beside him in an embrace, he kissed her silently upon her crowned head. Adjusting his position, Milo slid his bare foot along the cold, yet smooth stone ground. His attention was diverted away for a brief moment upon realizing his foot had encountered an odd object. He slowly broke away from Kida to investigate.
Upon the ground Milo saw a strange little animal skull. Retrieving it, he began to inspect it with pure curiosity. He noted the large nasal passages that the skull sported. "Kida, you know what this is?
She leaned close to him to observe the specimen. After reaching for it, she too began to make an assessment of it. After a second or so, she responded, "This? This is a parrot lizard skull."
"Huh." He thought for a moment. "I still have so much to learn about your culture. There are so many wonderful things I'd like to know."
"As would I. We will always be learning."
Milo recalled the progress Atlantis had made, and still had to make. In the past he had happily taught Kida for hours on end how to read and write her own language, as well as teaching her of her country's past. He still did so to this day, though studies were far beyond the Atlantean ABC's. In addition, Kida had sought to learn how to read his language, partially because the way he spoke Atlantean was still a little harsh to the ear at the time. It was here, in this secret alcove, that they studied and read the history of this once great, and ever amazing civilization.
"I would like to learn of your culture better as well. Having been there has made me all the more curious." A dreamy, inquisitive expression appeared on her face.
"Oh, America? Well,… where do I start? I have to get you to some museums. You've tried the food…
"Yes." She made an interesting face. "It tends to be a little greasy."
"Besides Cookie's?"
"Yes. Like fried chih-ken."
"Well, okay, that little restaurant did have pretty greasy fried chicken, but it's usually not that bad. If the truck hadn't broken down, I'd have preferred to eat somewhere away Carnaby's ranch. He already got enough money from yo-- Err, a purchase we made."
"That reminds me of something. How is it that your vehicles run? You obviously do not have the blessing of the Crystal to provide you transportation."
"Oh, well, they get their power, basically, by the combustion of gasoline."
"Gah-soh-leen?"
Milo then began to understand how difficult bridging the culture gap would be. "Yes. A fluid from the earth that can light on fire."
"Like lava?"
"No. It looks clear, kind of like water. Or more like…you know about oil produced when you're cooking some foods? Kind of like that."
"Alright…" Kida said, not fully comprehending. "…Tell me of your home before you came here."
"I'm from Washington D.C., not that I was born there, but that's where I live-err-lived. The buildings are very large there, some of them about as big as the palace, and many higher. The architecture of the area is pretty elaborate, but very different from here. More points, and boxier. Not all that rounded for the most part."
"What else?" Kida smiled delightedly, childlike wonder in her expression. "And what of your king?"
"Well, uh, we don't have a king. Our government is made up of three parts, all made to be equal. The main leader of our country, an official of the law-enforcing division, is the President. He's put into his position by, basically, the people. It's really a lot more complicated than that, though."
"The people position your leader?"
"Not like what you mean. People vote to choose the President, as well as other government officials. It's a democracy; sort of similar to the kind of government Atlantis had many millennia ago. You see what I mean by being more complicated?"
"Yes…" Her eyes still opened wide, she stared into space. "Remarkable! It sounds so wonderful."
"There's also the animals, too y'know. In Washington I had a cat. A cat is-"
"It would be wonderful to visit America, would it not?"
"Well, it certainly has its good points, but…" He noted Kida was pulling out the contents of her leather satchel. Along with the expected clay tablets, styluses, charcoal and paper, she brought out several large scrolls.
"I found these in the library. They are maps to the surface, to the western continent. Is that not where America is?"
"Yes, but…when…?" He wondered how Kida could have obtained the scrolls without his noticing. He had been spending the entire day either with her or in the library. Perhaps he had been too absorbed in his studies to become aware of her presence. It then became evident to Milo that Kida had been planning this all along.
"Look," she said, opening an ancient map. In her blue gown she kneeled on the ground, spreading the scroll completely. Milo stood and moved beside her. He then crouched down to view it, for his glasses, made to compensate for his being far-sighted, would not allow him to focus on the small characters at that range. Kida ran her finger under bold-faced words. "'WEH-nokh-kah DAH-neh.' The Western Continents."
He smiled, remembering when she struggled with words like that. He was amazed at her learning speed for reading and writing.
"If I am correct, this would be a very direct route to the surface." Kida pointed her strong, yet slender finger along some lines and stylized landmarks to a place in a surprisingly accurate depiction of North America, considering the age of the atlas.
Milo peered at the renderings. "…Up through the Mihn-TOH-kahn and over the NEE-lom River to…" He read on. His eyes finally met with a landmark that he recognized. "COO-nokh EH TEN…" Milo gawked at his realization. "'The Grand Cave!' I think… That's Mammoth Cave! In Kentucky!"
"Kehn-TUH-kee?"
"A place in the United States. But I know where this cave is! By this map… A trip to the surface would take only three, pfft, two days!" He was astounded. "There's no need to travel past the Leviathan anymore! This is a shorter route!"
"So we will visit your world?" Kida eyed him with anticipation.
Milo sighed. He loved to share his knowledge with others. That was why he had become a teacher all those years ago. He had found his dream, Atlantis, and Kida was a part of that dream as someone to share it with. He understood her point of view perfectly. The desire in her to learn of other cultures was but one quality that he truly admired, and teaching her would be the greatest of pleasures. "Well," he silently mused to himself, "we never had our honeymoon." "Alright," he responded, speaking aloud, his crooked smile growing upon his face. "We'll use Packard's telephones to contact him."
"I had forgotten she had updated that technology. I never got the chance to use the radios."
Milo shook his head as he looked down at himself. "Well, we can't go to the surface like this." He lifted one of the loosely hanging decorative panels from his long light blue robes. "Guess we'll grab our other sets of clothes. We put them in the chest, right?"
"Yes."
Milo then looked to Kida's attire and long stark white hair. "We're going to need some help. Where we were traveling, you looked odd, but it wasn't practical to hide your appearance."
"Like how this attire would be deemed unacceptable for your world?"
"You got that right. We're going to have to ask the team to bring down some proper clothes for you to try on. Not just the sweater, jeans and boots, but some real women's clothes. But otherwise, I'm… I'm not sure what we'd need to do to help you blend in." He rubbed his shoulder, remembering how it itched after getting it despite the crystal healing.
The parrot lizard, having long since finished its meal, began to squawk and screech impatiently. Milo and Kida's eyes abruptly turned to face the displeased beast.
"Hey, Kida, isn't that 'MUH-suh'"
"Yes!" Then, to the parrot lizard: "'MUH-suh MIH-kee!' MAH-sink! Come here!" The creature fluttered down to the queen's extended arm. It cooed as she began to stroke its red crest. "What do you have there?" She placed the animal upon her lap to leave both hands free to remove the piece of parchment tied to its leg. Squawking in protest, the parrot lizard struggled. When the paper was free from its leg, it took flight and found safe haven on Milo's nearby shoulder.
"Kida, what is it?"
Upon unrolling the note, she sighed with some frustration. She held the paper up for Milo to see. Though Milo could read the note quite well, Kida still told him what was written on the slip of paper.
"Khobdesheh is trying to pressure me into considering ways to adjust the monarchy."
"Again?"
"Yes. The Heart of Atlantis needs royal blood to take a host. And those who may become hosts one day must know they have that responsibility."
"You know he means no harm."
"Of course. It is that I tell him some things and he does not listen immediately." She looked up to the light. "I wonder sometimes how father would have handled this." The queen sighed, her face solemn, as he gaze met the floor.
Milo put his arm around his wife, trying to comfort her. The parrot lizard quickly flew from its shifting perch. Milo then took her by the chin with his forefinger. "I know it's still hard. Sometimes I still feel sad about Grampa. We've both lost our families, but you know what? We have each other, right?"
Kida smiled. "Of course." She put her head on his shoulder.
"If I'm not mistaken about your religion, you just have to remember…" and with that he looked through the foliage of the trees to the source of the light above, "they are always with us. All those who came before us are up there, in a way."
Kida peered at Milo with mixed emotions. "Somehow… I know my father would have said the same."
Milo smiled kindly to her, and she returned the smile. He held her close for a few minutes before speaking again. "You know what?"
"No, I do not know 'what'? Tell me."
Milo chuckled a little. "You remember the bacon grease he gave me as a goodbye gift?" The linguist's face showed slight disgust at the remembrance of Cookie's meals and the thought of the distinctive smell of Cookie's grease.
"You still have it?"
"Yes. It's under that box in the room. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. But as he had said to me about his food, 'It'll keep, and keep and keep!' Amazingly he's right. It looks just like the day he gave it to me, though I don't have any desire to use the stuff."
"I doubt he would notice if you disposed of it."
"I know, but to him, that was important."
"I am sure he would say there is more if you want it. Considering his food, there is always more grease."
"True. Speaking of him, we should probably write down what we should say over the telephone. We only have 30 seconds, right?"
"I do not know. I have not used the technology, nor am I familiar with its workings.
"Hmmm, okay." Milo walked to his satchel to take out some paper and a beaten pencil that had survived the original journey to Atlantis. "Do you think Khohbdesheh can handle things while we're away?"
"He is competent of doing such a task."
"Great. Well, Kida, now you're finally going to get a proper introduction to the surface!" He then turned to his papers to jot down a message and directions.
Kida gave a delighted smile for a reply.
Based off the Disney Picture "Atlantis: the Lost Empire." The name "Atlantis: Revelation," as well as the characters Temlohn, "MUH-suh MIH-kee" and Khohbdesheh are my (Rebmakash's) property. I do not own the name, ""MUH-suh MIH-kee"." The name "Khohbdesheh" is my property only when used as a name. Fan fiction storyline also my property. Milo Thatch, Kidagakash, and other characters, names, concepts, and non-gibberish Atlantean are property of the Walt Disney Company.
