A/N: Hey guys. Sorry I've been out so long. I had evil end of semester projects to attend to. Yay for me.
Banjo: Let's see… she had the Science Fair Project… The World History Project… The English portfolio…
Kazooie: Dang, that's a lot…
Yep. And I have an all-day speech tournament next Saturday, and all this stuff is simply killing me altogether. TT;
Kazooie: Moving right along…
Chappie time!!!!
And here's where it all came tumbling down.
All the hopes, the dreams, the trust…
All came down like an avalanche,
Crushing the hopes I had left.
The Amethyst Shamans: Chapter 9: The Truth is Told
Banjo bashed the front door in with his shoulder, hastily stepping inside the house. The residents faced the door upon hearing the door slam against the wall.
"Banjo!" half of them cried.
"Where's Kyra?" Bottles asked.
"She'll catch up," Banjo answered quickly, holding the Glowbo towards Mumbo. "Here's the Glowbo."
Mumbo brought out his bag. "Put in Mumbo's Bag!"
Carefully, Banjo placed the creature inside the leather bag and watched anxiously as Mumbo approached the bedside of the still unconscious Kazooie. Mumbo looked the breegul over thoughtfully, and then Wumba approached his side.
"Little bird big heap hurt," she said softly, grasping the side of his bag. "Will need both our powers combined."
Mumbo nodded as they held their hands out above Kazooie. Magical little sparks radiated off their fingertips and swirled around the injured bird, working their magic.
The house was awfully quiet. Banjo watched anxiously, Kazooie's deathly pale pallor terrifying him deeply. Which would win, heal or hurt?
Soon, the magic disappeared, as it was finished. Everyone held their breath.
Come on, come on, come on… Banjo silently begged, a grim look in his eyes as he prayed and prayed…
…and Kazooie's eyes slowly opened.
An air of relief cycled around the room as Kazooie began to recognize her surroundings. She sat up and looked up at Banjo, who grinned as tears of joy began streaming down his face.
"What's your problem, Banjo!?"
"Oh, Kazooie!" he cried happily, embracing her tightly and catching her off-guard. "I thought I'd never hear one of your wisecracks again!"
"Huh…?" Kazooie grunted in confusion. "What happened?"
A few minutes passed as Kazooie listened to the story from everyone, gingerly removing her now unnecessary bandages. "So, that's it, huh?" she muttered after hearing the details from Banjo of their small journey. She then looked around. "So, where's Kyra?"
"Back at Cloud Cuckooland. I hope she's o…" But Banjo didn't finish that statement as his whole body tensed up as if he had heard something.
"What is it, Banjo?" someone asked him, but he couldn't tell who, for he only focused on the desperate call he heard echoing in his mind:
-Banjo! The snake, it was Gruntilda! I'm now being held prisoner in Cauldron Keep! Help!!-
Hearing this, Banjo shot up from his seat, receiving many looks of confusion from his friends.
"Banjo…? Are you okay?" Bottles asked skeptically.
"Kyra! She's in trouble! I can hear her!" he cried.
Mumbo looked at the bear oddly. "How Banjo know?"
"No time to explain! Grunty's got her!" he urged, pulling the backpack off the hat rack and tugging it on hastily. He then turned to Kazooie, a smirk suddenly playing across his snout. "You ready to get revenge on the smelly hag?"
Kazooie's fierce eyes of emerald brightened as she grinned in elation. "You bet!!" she trilled, leaping gleefully into the backpack, eager to kick butt.
Banjo turned to the rest, a new kind of determination flashing in his aquatic blue eyes. "Anyone else?"
----------
In the end, Bottles, Mumbo, and Wumba ended up going with the determined bear and bird duo. Tooty stayed behind for safety purposes, and since he was last to call dibs, Jamjars was left to look after Tooty reluctantly in case Gruntilda tried anything sneaky while they were dealing with the ugly crone.
The rescue party quickly reached Cauldron Keep, climbing to the top room of the rust-green tower, where B.O.B. once stood. Seems like Grunty destroyed it after it was declared practically useless. All there was left of it were a few scraps of metal scattered on the glass floor.
But that's not what mattered at the moment. As the group looked ahead, they saw Gruntilda herself standing on a standing on a higher platform, giving them a spiteful smirk as she tightened her grip on Kyra's wrists, which were apparently already tied up. The priestess looked up and briefly stopped her struggle as she caught the sight of Banjo, an angry look in his eyes as he glared the witch down.
The most hated archrivals exchanged angry glares, then Grunty chuckled deeply and creepily. "So, fuzzhead, you came after all… I knew you'd come for your precious little Kyra…"
Her mocking tone only proved to anger him more as his paws tightened into angry fists and lips curled back in a dangerous snarl, baring his sharp teeth. His furious glare grew more intense as he took a few steps forward fearlessly, eyes narrowing as he got closer.
"Kyra…" he hissed through clenched teeth, the undercurrents of a threat clearly detected in his deep voice. "Release her. Now."
Kyra looked down at him, slightly shocked. Never before had she seen this kind, gentle being so angry… so agitated… so full of hate…
Grunty threw her head back in maniacal laughter as if that was the most ridiculous thing she ever heard. "HA! You think I'm gonna give her up that easily!? Well, then you're in for a rude awakening!"
"Just let her go!" Banjo exploded in rage, startling many of his already apprehensive friends behind him. "She had nothing to do with you!"
Kyra winced at these words as Gruntilda sneered. "Ooh, she does alright… She most certainly does!"
Banjo's look of anger shifted silently to that of suspicion, but before he could say anything, the witch continued. "Now, listen up, dunce! I'm willing to let your precious Kyra go…that is, if you willingly give yourself in!"
A look of shock came over many faces at the atrocious request. But as Banjo looked upon a helpless Kyra, his composure changed to that of uncertainty as he was once again caught in the middle of a tough decision.
"No way! He'd never give in to you!!" Kazooie instantly retorted hotly. "Would you, Banjo!?"
But when she looked into those hopeless and distraught eyes of her partner, she instantly regretted speaking. But thinking quickly, she came back with, "But we'll fight you for her freedom!"
"That's not part of the deal, egglayer, so back off!" Grunty snapped harshly, turning her attention back to Banjo. "Kyra's freedom in exchange for your capture. Well?"
Banjo didn't know what to do. He looked back at his friends, who were silently shaking their heads, clearly disagreeing with the idea. His friends, who were always there through thick and thin, and always willing to help in any way bring down any naughty witches. He couldn't just abandon them…
But then he glanced up at Kyra as she stood with pleading eyes, seemingly defenseless against Gruntilda's brutish strength. She was in desperate trouble, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he just left her alone to her fate…
In what was probably the most hardest decision he had to make, Banjo sighed and lowered his gaze in defeat. "Fine," he said in a shaky voice, receiving looks of shock from his friends.
Grunty grinned evilly. "Very well!" She ripped the ropes bounding Kyra off, then snapped her fingers. At this, magical beams of lightening tightened themselves around the groups' wrists, officially claiming them as prisoners. But the one clamping over Banjo's wrists had dreadful powers within them, causing much pain as it drained the energy from his body. Kyra watched in horror as he collapsed to his knees, slowly losing strength.
"No, stop! Don't hurt him, please!" she begged as she rushed to his side, kneeling by him and embracing him tightly. -Banjo… I'm so sorry…-
Gruntilda looked over the two, a cruel grin spreading across her warty face. She snapped her fingers again, halting the lightening chains' draining effects on the bear. Then she leaned casually against the wall, ready to twist the knife in his emotional wound.
"By the way, Banjo…" she started. "I should mention that Kyra was working for me the whole time!"
After getting him to his feet and hearing this, Kyra turned sharply in shock. "No! That's not true!" she bellowed in denial.
"Oh, but it is!" The witch's sadistic smile only grew. "She cleverly sniffed out your greatest weakness- herself! And thanks to her, you are now in my clutches!"
Kyra desperately took Banjo's paws in hers as he slowly looked at her, big, beautiful eyes afraid. "Kyra… tell me it isn't true…" he softly pleaded, his voice cracking.
Kyra looked into his begging eyes, and found herself unable to lie any longer. It was time for the truth. Ashamed, she lowered her gaze.
"She is…not lying…"
Banjo was struck with a thousand emotions. His heart sank as he felt confused, devastated, and betrayed. Slowly, she looked up into his hurt eyes, tears gathering within them as his last hopes shattered.
"Banjo, please! It's not what you think!" she begged as he bitterly drew back and turned away, closing his eyes in remorse. Tears began flowing freely down her cheeks as she desperately tried to hold him back by the shoulder. "Please! Just let me explain…!"
Grunty cackled cruelly in amusement at her enemy's pain as a few of her minions grabbed the other angry and protesting prisoners, leading them back out of the room. Banjo went obediently; though reluctant to go, he had given up his last hope. It had rested on Kyra before, but now it was gone.
Kyra stood rooted to the floor frightfully, watching them go silently, broken with no words. Banjo briefly turned back to face her, and Kyra caught a glimpse of the depressed and hopeless look on his face. As he was pushed along, a whisper in a spirit-call literally broke her heart in two.
-Why, Kyra? Why?- he pleaded as the door hissed closed after them.
Guilt. That's what plagued the young shamaness, and its weight became unbearable. She fell to her knees, covering her face in despair as the dry sobs and tears came freely.
"What have I done…?"
A/N: I HATE SCHOOL AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME!!!!!!!!!!
Banjo: O.O (is blown back)
Kazooie: Dang, NN1's mad.
Banjo: Ya think!?
Oh, just review, please.
