A/N: HEY Y'ALL! All my crap is done and over with, and it's the start of a new semester!
Kazooie: Which means you can update more, right?
Yep:D
Banjo: Yay!
CHAPPIE TIME!
It was all a plot.
All a scheme…
But somehow, someway,
I held on to a tiny hope that Kyra was good.
And I don't regret that at all.
The Amethyst Shamans: Chapter 10: Regained Trust
A damp, cold ground and a fairly unpleasant smell accompanied the prisoners in their dingy cells in the lowest chambers below the tower. A group of disgruntled mammals sat in discomfort, waiting for something to happen.
Kazooie glared angrily at the iron bars separating them from freedom. She tried everything she could think of to bust them down, from her Wing Whack to her explosive Grenade Eggs, but the stubborn gate refused to budge. There was no way of getting out.
She turned her attention towards the trio of Bottles, Mumbo, and Wumba, who sat huddled in a circle, mumbling amongst each other. They seemed very pessimistic as the breegul caught a bit of their conversation.
"I knew that girl was doing something to Banjo…"
"Mumbo knew too! She very suspicious…"
"Now we in big heap smelly prison!"
Kazooie frowned in disapproval of their negative attitude, then ruefully turned to look at Banjo. He sat in a dark corner, facing the wall, away from the others. He hugged his bent knees close, his face buried within them. A look of pity crossed her face as she stood, slowly approaching him. Now that she was closer, she noticed the slight movements and the slightly muffled sounds he made. Sounds… like dry sobs. Was he…
crying?
"Banjo…?" With her unnaturally soft-spoken voice, Banjo slowly lifted his head. As if to prove her assumption correct, his eyes were red and damp, cheeks drenched in salty tears. Disheartened, he buried his snout from view once more.
"Go away, Kazooie," he groaned in a quiet voice.
"Hey, come on, Banjo, what's wrong?" She sat down close to him.
"You know what's wrong."
"I ain't psychic, Banjo," Kazooie noted bluntly.
Banjo sighed, a dry sob escaping his throat. "I trusted her… All she did for me… for you… All of it… was fake…" The last word he uttered woefully, generating more tears as he hugged himself closer. "I'm such an idiot…"
"Hey, come on!" Kazooie said irritably. "Just 'cause she lied doesn't mean you have to beat yourself up about it!"
"Look, I know it's my fault," he retorted coldly, turning away from her. "So just leave me alone."
Kazooie sighed, becoming annoyed by his stubbornness. But she stopped herself from starting an argument, for a fight would only make things worse. Making Banjo feel better would require a different approach. So Kazooie thought of one as she settled into a more comfortable position on the floor.
"Y'know…" she began, trying to sound casual. "When Kyra first appeared, I got a little suspicious myself…"
"Why didn't you tell me…?"
"You were happy, that's why!" Kazooie responded, getting a little ticked off. "You actually had a mutual being to be with, and coincidentally, she was pretty too! Why should I have spoiled it for you?"
This got Banjo to look up at Kazooie surprisingly. She… cared about his happiness alone?
Kazooie calmed back down. "But that's not the point. After helping get that Glowbo to save me, she even got me to believe she was for real! Me, of all people!"
This got a tiny chuckle out of Banjo despite his mood, and it quickly died in his throat.
"The point is, either she's a really good actor, or maybe she isn't all that bad after all," she reasoned, recalling the details mentioned to her earlier. "Back at Cloud Cuckooland, she could've just let you fall, but did she?"
Hesitantly, Banjo shook his head.
"Right. And frankly, she didn't look all that happy when Grunty spilled the beans either."
Banjo looked at the ground thoughtfully.
"Now, I'm not fast to assume things…" But she changed her mind when Banjo gave her a playful look. "Okay, maybe I am, but something tells me that Kyra didn't mean to do all this. I'll bet you my birdseed money that the old hag threatened her or something like that!"
Banjo pulled his gaze up to his partner just as her emerald eyes became incredibly sincere.
"I believe Kyra a lot more than I believe Gruntilda, and I'm willing to give her another chance." She looked sternly into his gentle eyes. "Are you?"
Banjo looked back at Kazooie, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he nodded, sniffling a little.
Kazooie returned the grin. "Alright, then."
Banjo's happy smile turned into a grateful one. "Thanks, Kazooie."
The bird shrugged casually. "Hey, that's what I'm here for. You wouldn't last two minutes without me."
Banjo gave her a playful scowl, and they both laughed lightly. It looked like he was greatly cheered up, and Kazooie was glad for it.
After a little thinking, Banjo repositioned himself into the cross-legged position, getting a curious look from Kazooie.
"Whatcha doing, Banjo?"
"Finding Kyra," he responded simply, gently shutting his eyes and allowing himself to focus.
-Kyra… Kyra, where are you…-
Far above them in the top chamber, while carefully observing Gruntilda as she whispered to a few of her minions, Kyra hear this call, a little shocked.
-Banjo… Is that really you-
-None other. Kyra… All I want to know is why you're on Grunty's side. Just tell me, and I'll understand.-
Grateful for a second chance, Kyra responded-It's difficult to explain, so just listen…-
And with that, she opened a connection with him that allowed him to hear the conversation she was about to strike up with Gruntilda. She cleared her throat loudly when Grunty sent away her minions, gaining her attention.
"What do YOU want?" the witch snapped acidly.
"May I return home now?" Kyra asked. "I have fulfilled my end of the deal. Since I aided you in the capture of you arch-nemesis, you shall leave Amethystar alone, right?"
So that was it, Banjo thought as he listened. Kazooie was right- Grunty DID threaten her!
Gruntilda looked at her, confused at first. "Huh…?... Oh, right…" A smirk began to form on her face as she hefted up one of the B.R.Y.A.N. blasters. "See, about that… I crossed my fingers when I made that deal."
"But you were holding that B.R.Y.A.N. contraption!"
"Oh… Then I just lied."
"WHAT?" both Kyra and Banjo cried out. The others all looked at Banjo oddly, wondering what was getting him so worked up.
"You heard me!" Grunty exclaimed irritably. "My whole army's suiting up for the takeover of your precious little island, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"NO!" Kyra bellowed angrily. "You can't do that! We had an agreement!"
"Well, you lied to Banjo."
"You MADE me!"
"Hmmp. Touché. But still, I'm going through with my plans, and I don't intend on letting anyone stand in my way, especially not a little girl!"
Kyra growled, and with an angry cry, jumped at the witch, dagger drawn. Highly annoyed, Gruntilda hit her hard with a blow that knocked the priestess to the back wall. She cried out from the vicious pain that shot up her spine.
"KYRA!" Banjo cried out, leaping to his feet. In turn, he received more puzzled looks.
Bottles blinked. "Banjo, are you o…?"
"Shh!" Banjo shushed him quickly.
Kyra glared up at Gruntilda through a black eye. "You will regret this! I swear by the Great Moon, you WILL regret this!"
Grunty threw her head back in evil laughter as Kyra bolted out of the room. "HA! WATCH ME, FOOLISH GIRL! WATCH ME!"
-
"ARGH! THAT SELFISH, TWISTED, NO GOOD WITCH!" Banjo shouted in anger, burying his fist into the wall. The others flinched, slightly intimidated by their friend's sudden burst of fury.
"B-Banjo… What wrong?" Wumba asked fearfully.
The bear sighed, trying to calm down. "Grunty… That hag lied to Kyra!"
"Huh?" everyone asked.
He turned to them all to freely express his anger. "She threatened the safety of Kyra's homeland! That's how she got her to work for her!"
"I knew it!" Kazooie exclaimed.
"But that double-crossing witch is attacking Amethystar anyway!" After getting the shocked expressions he expected, he continued. "We have to stop her!"
"Yeah, well, might I add, Banjo, that we're kinda stuck in a cage!"
Banjo gave Bottles an irritated look. "Then we first have to get out of here, and THEN stop Gruntilda!"
That's when the iron bars slid open, and in the exit stood Kyra. Banjo's face instantly brightened, as did hers.
"Banjo!"
"Kyra!" They flew into each other's arms in glee, happily embracing each other. Kyra was so glad to hold him closely like this again, for she had feared she'd never be able to enjoy the feeling again.
"Oh, Kyra, I'm so sorry for all this mess!" he cried, holding her tightly. Too soon, he drew away and gasped, placing a gentle paw on the side of her face. "Look what she did to you…"
Kyra winced briefly as the pain of her black eye became noticeable again.
Banjo's worried look hardened into a determined glare. "Don't worry, we'll make that hag pay!"
"… Banjo go save Amethystar?" Mumbo asked.
The bear turned and faced the rest, still holding Kyra in his arms. "We all will! We'll take Grunty down and show her what for!"
They all cheered (Kazooie the loudest) as they rushed out of their cell towards the exit. Banjo would've followed, but Kyra briefly stopped him.
"Listen, Banjo… About what I did… I-I…" But she stopped when Banjo raised a paw of silence shaking his head.
"You don't have to be sorry, Kyra. You were only protecting what mattered most to you- your home. And trust me, I understand completely how you feel… And if anyone should be sorry, it's me… for ever doubting you."
Kyra smiled through tears of joys, embracing him once more tightly. She was so glad he was so incredibly forgiving, and now she felt a new kind of happiness, as now she could love him freely without any restrictions. She felt free, and the guilt was lifted off her shoulders.
Once again, Banjo drew away, a determined smile spreading across his face. "Let's go save Amethystar."
Kyra agreed, and together they followed their friends out of Cauldron Keep and after the vile Gruntilda.
A/N: Wee! Look! An update:D
Kazooie: Are you hyper on something?
Yep! Chocolate:D
Banjo: Of course…
Review! I'm lacking reviews! Please review!
