Author's Note 1: I apologize for the delay. The reason I'm late in this chapter was because my computer broke down on me. And aside from the fact that information was lost, I also had some work that I needed to do. To add to the situation, I suffering from allergies. This was the worst way to start February. But enough of that, let's continue with the story, shall we?
Part 3.1: The King of the Jungle
As the group traveled on their gummi ship, Sophia stared out the window. A look of concern was on her face as they soared through space. Most of the group couldn't help but to notice the young symbologist's depressed attitude. "I wonder what's wrong with Sophia?" Goofy asked.
"Who knows," Nel said. "Normally, Sophia is the liveliest of our party."
"I guess someone should go cheer her up," Sora said.
"Stand back, everyone," Cyrus said heartily. "As a shizznit, it be a crime to have a lady get all sob-like. Let me take care of it."
"Go ahead," Donald said.
Cyrus walked casually to Sophia, who was still staring out in space. The young shizznit cleared his throat and began to strike a conversation. "Yo, yo, Sophy," he replied.
"Huh?" a surprised Sophia said. "Oh, Cyrus. What are you doing?"
"Nothin' really. Just a little worried about ya. You sick or somethin'?"
"No, nothing like that… It's just… I'm worried about Fayt, and everyone else. They're out there all alone. If I was nearly beheaded, then there is no telling what they're going through."
"That's true, but we can't give in. Those guys are strong, and they know that help is on the way. Besides, if I know Fayt and the rest of those guys, I know that they can fend for themselves. Know what I mean?"
Sophia was silent as she contemplated everything that Cyrus told her. "I guess you're right," she said with a smile. "Besides, it won't be too long until we find everybody."
"That's the spirit! I promise we'll get them back safe and sound."
"Thank you, Cyrus."
"Anytime." Sophia walked away from the windows and took a seat.
"Cyrus," Maria called as she approached the teenager. "It seems that we've arrived at another world."
"Really? Well then, let's check this out." The two walked to the control console where Donald, Goofy. The ship orbited a world that was covered in lush green forest. A large tree house lay on top of the world while a waterfall flowed through the bottom.
"What a beautiful place," Nel said in awe. "We might be able to find a friend of ours down there."
"Maybe she's right," Goofy agreed. "Hey, perhaps King Mickey is down there too."
"On that backwater world?" Donald retorted. "I don't think so. Let's move on."
"Wait!" Sora yelped. "Maybe Riku and Kairi are down there. We have to go!"
"There's no time for that! We're on a serious mission!"
"Just land!" Sora ordered as he tinkered with the buttons.
"No way!" Donald shouted as he was trying to force the Keyblade wielder back.
"Let go!"
"Never!"
"We will land!" Sora replied as he was ready to push a large red button.
"Don't push that!" Donald advised. However, it was too late. "Noooooo!"
Sora had just pushed the button and Donald face was paralyzed in horror. "What did Sora do?" Maria asked.
"He pushed the big red button," Donald said as he slowly turned around toward the group.
"That's only supposed to be used in emergencies," Goofy asked.
"The big red button." Cyrus said flatly before he slapped his forehead. "Why is it always the big red button?"
"What is supposed to happen?" Nel asked.
"Well first, the engines go out," Donald explained. In a few seconds, the sounds of turbines from the engine room died. "Then the ship's power shuts down." As soon as he said that, the lights and systems turned off. "Thanks to Sora, now we have no control of the ship!"
"Hey, it's not my fault!" Everyone, except Goofy, glared at Sora for an few minutes while sounds of crickets were heard. "Okay, so I'm partially responsible…"
"Partially?" Maria said under her breath.
"Okay, okay!" Sora said hastily
"Donald?" Goofy called.
"What is it now?" Donald shouted.
"How is this ship moving if no one is moving it?"
"Huh? What?" Just as Goofy said, the small vessel was quickly approaching the strange world. "It looks like we're going in for a crash landing!"
"Oh no!" Sophia said.
"That's just great," Cyrus replied.
"Hang on, everyone!" Sora said as the wayward ship began spiraling out of control.
"I told you not to press the big red button!" Donald shouted before Cyrus whited out.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself falling from the sky with Sora and Sophia. Knowing that the power of flight was futile, he joined his comrades in yelling for dear life. After a few seconds, the trio crashed through a roof of the tree house, hitting a few of the beams as they fell. "Ow… my head…" Sora said as he rubbed his forehead.
"Sophia, are you alright?" Cyrus asked.
"Yes, I think I'll be okay. But where's Nel and Maria?"
"Donald?" Sora called. "Goofy?"
"They shouldn't be too far," Cyrus said. Without warning, a large creature pounced off the top floor of the house and landed on the wooden floor. It was a muscular beast. It's eyes were bright yellow with the gleam of a man-eater. Its coat was covered in an array of spots. Its teeth were as sharp as knives.
"Is that-?" Sora asked before Sophia interrupted.
"A leopard," Sophia replied.
"Panthera pardus," Cyrus said. "It's time to shank ol' tabby. Let's show it how we do business." The group got into their battle positions as Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to "Forest Explodes" from The Lost World Jurassic Park game. The leopard made the first move. With its claws bared, the big cat was ready leap at Sophia. However, its attack was cancelled out by a strong Lightning Blast. The electric current zapped the feline in midair and hurled it back. The creature landed on its side from the assault, but it quickly recovered. As retribution, the carnivore gave a quick slash to Sophia that knocked her back. Cyrus and Sora quickly attacked the leopard, slashing at the enemy with their swords. However, the leopard blitzed through their double team and slashed at both warriors. Cyrus got up and made a string of hits, that sent the cat back. However, the leopard evaded the last swipe and charged full speed at him. The dark shizznit braced himself, but the force of the blow was too much and sent him falling back. Sophia used her Healing skill on herself and Sora while Cyrus healed himself with the same move. The big cat was ready to pounce on Sophia, but the three were able to finish it off with one powerful blow. As soon as it crashed to the ground, the battle ended.
"Is it…?" Sophia asked, still shaking from the fight.
Sora carefully approached the body of the leopard. Suddenly, the cat sprung back to life and roared at the team. The keyblade wielder was taken by surprise and fell back. Cyrus and Sophia were ready to aid their comrade, but they were too far to provide any service. Sora raised his keyblade up, ready to block the sharp fangs of the carnivore. The situation looked pretty grim. That was until, out of nowhere, a tall man with long hair and a loincloth landed between the combatants. The leopard's sharp jaws were locked on the man's spear and were gnawing to get through his defense. However, the next event surprised even Cyrus. A small figure landed from one of the beams and kicked the big cat square in the face before landing the ground. The enemy was thrown back a few feet from the hit and after a few minute showdown, retreated through a window. The new ally was a small boy, no bigger than three feet. His hair was red and his skin was tanned. He wore a striped vest and striped boots. His long, pointed ears were a distinguishing factor. Cyrus saw the child had a long, bushy tail that was striped, rocking back and forth. "I knew it!" Cyrus thought to himself. As Sora struck a conversation with the man, Sophia and Cyrus decided to talk with the kid. "Well Roge, long time, no see," he said.
The child turned to the two and smiled. "Hey you two!" Roger said happily. "It's good to see ya."
"You too, Roger," Sophia said.
"So, who else came?"
"Well, we were here with Nel and Maria, but got separated," Cyrus answered. "There's no doubt that they landed here, but we have no idea where."
"How about you, Roger?" Sophia asked. "Did you come here with someone else?"
"Sorry, but I was the only one that got here," Roger said.
"Hey you guys," Sora said as he walked to the group with Tarzan, who walked on his knuckles, not too far behind. "Tarzan said that he might know where Riku and Kairi are." Sora then glanced at Roger below him. "Hey there, little guy," he greeted.
"Little?" Roger said in a fit. "I am not little! I'm vertically challenged."
"Yeah, sure."
"Sora, I would like you to meet Roger," Cyrus introduced. "Roger, this is Sora, our travelling compadre."
"Sora, huh?"
"Yep."
"Tarzan is it, you know where we can find them?" Sophia asked.
The jungle man gave a few hoots and grunts. Then he replied by saying, "Friends here."
"Do you know what he said?" Cyrus asked Sophia.
"Not a clue."
"It's not like we have any choice," Sora said. "He said he'll lead us to them."
"Well what are we standing around here for?" Cyrus said. The group nodded and followed Tarzan out the treehouse's door.
The party took the moment to survey the magnificent view of the jungle. "It's so lovely," Sophia said. There was nothing a see of treetops that stretched for miles on end. In the distance, small birds flew past them. It was a dazzling sight. "There aren't this many places that are as beautiful as this back on Earth."
"That's because after the nineteenth century, the value of lumber has become quite a commodity," Cyrus pointed out. "With the high demand on wood, the logging industry soared. However, there were only a handful of such pristine areas that were left the last time I checked or less. In fact, nearly a million acres of rainforest chopped down every year."
"Really?" Sora said. "That sounds terrible."
"More than you know."
"So Tarzan, where to?" Roger asked.
"Down there," he said.
"Are you sure?" Sora asked. "It looks like a long way down."
"Let's not talk about long ways down," Cyrus quipped.
"I told you guys, it was an accident."
Cyrus only shook his head at Sora's statement. "I'm sure it was. Just remind me not to let you near a control console." The shizznit turned his MP3 Player to "Deep Jungle" from Kingdom Hearts.
Tarzan jumped over the rail of the deck and slid on one of the beams below which supported a net. Roger quickly followed and both the jungle man and the Menodix fell in the jungle below. "Are we supposed to do that?" Sophia asked.
"Well, it's not like we have any choice," Cyrus said.
"Last one down's a rotten egg!" Sora said as he quickly leapt over the rail.
"I'm gonna make an omelet outta you, son!" Cyrus replied as he hastily went after him.
"Wait for me!" Sophia said as she reluctantly pursued them.
In a few minutes, the trio landed in a hidden tunnel. The place was covered in bushes and roots. The only exits were a path from the ledge above and a hollow log. "This way," Tarzan said as he jumped down the log. The four members shrugged, but followed.
They landed on a branch below of a massive tree, surfing on its limb. The team raced on the tree, shifting their weight in their turns and sliding faster. Cyrus rode his Abysmal Offender like a skateboard, balancing and steering on the weapon as well as making trick jumps. Though there were a few obstacles on the track, but it didn't slow the group down as the vegetation was cleared away with the Keyblade and lightsaber. In a few minutes, Tarzan led the group to their destination. It was a campsite hidden in a bamboo thicket. "Is this where they are?" Sora asked.
"Yes," Tarzan complied.
"I wonder why there is a camp here?" Cyrus asked.
Roger shrugged. "Something about researching," the Menodix simply replied.
The four followed Tarzan as he walked inside. The tent was quite large. In the shelter was a map of Africa, a few seats and a projector on legs. Near the entrance was a young woman with dark hair and green eyes that welcomed the travelers. "Tarzan! Roger!" she called.
"Jane!" said Tarzan.
"Hello, miss," Roger politely greeted.
"Are these friends of yours?" Jane asked.
"Hello, we're-" Sora began before being interrupted by Jane.
"Oh, I see that you speak English. Then it's clear that you are not at all related to Tarzan."
"Well, I see you guys are okay," a voice said.
The group looked behind them and saw Nel and Maria standing nonchalantly. "Nel, Maria," Cyrus called.
"Hey you two," Nel replied once more as she and Maria walked over to the party.
"It's good to see you guys," Maria said.
"What happened?" Sophia asked. "We were worried sick."
"Well, after the little 'accident', Nel and I were brought here thanks to Jane."
"She allowed us to stay for the time being," Nel said.
"Well, thank you so much," Sophia said and bowed.
"It was a pleasure," Jane said.
"Hello ladies," Roger said as he tried to use his "charm". "Missed me?"
The girls paused and had flat looks on their faces. "Not especially…" Nel said.
"I wonder," Jane pondered. "Are you all here to study the gorillas?"
"I doubt it," another person said in a rugged British voice. He walked in the tent holding a double barreled shotgun. The man wore tight pants and a yellow shirt. He had a cleft chin, a wide mouth and crewcut hair that was combed back. Trailing behind him were Donald and Goofy.
"It's Sora!" Goofy exclaimed.
"Donald! Goofy!" Sora yelped in glee as he held Donald's hands. As soon as the two looked at one another, the mage and the blade wielder looked away separately, still remembering their argument back at the gummi ship.
"I see that little escapade won't be forgotten," Cyrus said as he put his hands in the pockets of his trench coats.
"A band of clowns," the man said. "Not any use for hunting gorillas."
"Mr. Clayton!" Jane retorted. "How many times must I tell you that this is not a hunting trip. This is a research expedition for studying gorillas in their natural habitat."
"Of course. Silly me." He walked out the tent and returned to guard the campsite.
"Oh well, do make yourselves at home. After all, the more the merrier."
"Did you say gorillas?" Maria asked.
"That's right," Jane said. "Our reason for coming here is to learn more about these great apes in their natural habitat."
"What is a gorilla?" Nel asked.
"A gorilla is a large primate that lives in the jungles of Africa," Cyrus explained. "There are three different races. And judging by our location, I say you're searching for the Mountain Gorilla."
"That's right," Jane said. "We have already found evidence that they were here. It's only a matter of time before we could study a live one. However, it won't be easy."
"Why is that?" Sophia asked.
"Because the Mountain Gorilla, along with its kin, are one of the rarest animals in Africa," Cyrus said. "During this time and age, the gorilla has been seen as a powerful creature and a trophy for poachers. Also, the loss of jungle have taken a toll on the population."
"I see."
"That's why I came here. With enough information, there maybe a chance to preserve these magnificent creature so that they can live on in the years to come."
"Jane, can you tell us about Tarzan?" Sora asked. "He maybe able to help us find my friends."
"Throughout the years, Tarzan lived here in the jungle. He was brought up by the gorillas that are residents in this area. Unfortunately, even though he's learning English quite well, communication is still a little difficult."
"So you mean, he was talking in gorilla?"
"That's right," Roger said. The group turned to the Menodix who gave a small smirk. "Lucky for me, I understand what he's saying."
"Really?" Goofy asked.
"How can you speak gorilla?" Donald asked.
"I'm a Menodix. We have the ability to either understand what animals say, or control them. Of course, that's only for a few special people."
"You mean you got the lower end of the stick."
"Don't you have a pond to go to?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Anyway, Tarzan said that Riku and Kairi were here," Sora said, trying to change the subject. "He also mentioned a word I couldn't understand. Is there some way we can get him to speak more clearly?"
"There could be one way," Jane said. "I have some slides that I show Tarzan. We'll see if any of the pictures match the word he is trying to say." Jane began searching near the projector. "Where…? I thought they were here a few minutes ago…"
"Don't sweat it," Cyrus said. "We'll find them."
"Let's just do this quickly so that we can find the king and get out of here," Donald replied as he walked out the temp.
"Whatever," Sora said.
The group searched the camp for the slides for half an hour. The objects were located near boxes and other equipment. After their search, the group recovered six slides and handed them to Jane. Ms. Porter turned on the machine and began showing the slides. The first one not only startled Sora, but also made Cyrus turn his attention on the picture. "What's wrong, you two?" Donald asked.
"You guys looked like you've seen a ghost," Maria said.
"What do you mean?" Sora asked. "It's… it's nothing. Right, Cyrus?"
Cyrus was silent and mesmerized by the screen. "Is that Hallow Bastion before it went under the control of them chumps?" he thought. "But why? Why do I feel like I'm connected to it somehow? Is that castle part of my past?"
"Cyrus?"
The young shizznit snapped back to reality and smiled. "Oh, don't worry. Just admiring the detail. Whoever made it was quite the artiste," he recovered.
"I'm sure that's all," Nel assured. "I do admit, this illustration is quite impressive."
Jane continued turning the slides. "Well, Tarzan?" she asked.
"Do you know where Riku and Kairi are?" Sora asked, waiting for a positive reply. To his dismay, however, Tarzan shook his head, signaling that their whereabouts were unknown to him. "But I you said…"
"Maybe they are here," Cyrus said.
"That's right," Goofy replied. "Maybe we overlooked one place."
"And there is only one part of this land that they could be," Clayton said as he walked into the tent. He turned to Sora and looked down upon him. "Young man, we have been godforsaken jungle for quite some time. If they were here, we would have known about it." Then a smirk came to his face. "However, there is but one area where they could possibly be at."
"And that area is?" Maria questioned.
"The gorilla's nesting grounds."
"Well then, why don't we go and search that area," Nel suggested.
"Unfortunately, that is impossible."
"Why do you say that?" Sophia asked.
"The only one that knows the way, young lady, is Tarzan. However, he refuses to take us to them."
"Mr. Clayton!" Jane replied. "You don't really think-!"
"Indeed I do, Ms. Porter. If Tarzan has nothing to hide, then he would take us to them!" He turned to Tarzan. "What do you say, old chap? Why don't you take us to the gorillas. Go-rill-as!"
Tarzan turns his focus on the members of the group and then to Sora. "I will," Tarzan said.
"Really!" Sora replied cheerfully.
"Are you sure about this, Tarzan?" Jane asked in concern.
"Yes. Tarzan go see Kerchak."
"Kerchak?" Sophia asked. "Who's that?"
"That sounds like the silverback," Cyrus replied. "Usually, the troop is led by a strong male gorilla with a silver patch on his back. His job consists of watching over the group and defending them and the territory from other silverback males and predators."
"Excellent," Clayton said with a pleased tone. "I shall escort you all to our destination. After all, the jungle is a very violent place," he said before a large smile grew on his mug.
"Well, please be careful, everyone," Jane said.
"Don't worry, m'lady," Roger replied. "This won't take to long. And besides, I'm with them, so they won't get into too much trouble."
"Come on, little homie," Cyrus said. "If we keep you here any longer, you're the one going to get into trouble yourself.
The group left the tent, except for Clayton who was getting his supplies. They waited for the hunter, until an unwelcomed guest ambushed the group. It was none other the leopard, Sabor. "What the-?" Donald replied as she pulled out her laser.
"Sabor!" Tarzan shouted.
"Dang!" Sora replied. "Not again."
"What is that thing?" Nel asked.
"A spotted coat of trouble," Cyrus said. "Sophia, Sora and I already had our fun. So we'll leave this one to you guys."
"Oh you shouldn't have," Maria sarcastically sneered. The team went into battle against the enemy. Sabor leapt at the team, nearly hitting Nel. Tarzan attacked with a powerful strike from his spear. The big cat retaliated with a quick and powerful slash that was blocked by a shield from Goofy. Donald attacked the enemy with a ball of fire, that landed a direct hit. Before he could strike with his wand, the leopard leapt out of the way, injuring the duck and the Menodix that was ready to attack. Nel used her Shockwave against the enemy and then combined it with a few quick strikes. Sabor was weakened and was ready to attack Maria. It jumped into the air and was about to pounce upon the blue-haired gunner. Maria pulled out her blaster and used Scatter Beam. Maria shot a number of lasers that made numerous hits on the big cat. As soon as it got hit, the foe slammed to the ground hard. The carnivore then rose back on all fours and ran out of camp.
It was at that moment that Clayton had casually walked out of the tent with his shotgun ready. "Are you all ready?" he asked. The group did nothing but look at the hunter with odd stares. "Well, come on, then. We have some gorillas to find."
"We're out here fending off a vicious beast, and he's telling us to hurry up," Nel said.
"Forget about him," Cyrus said. "From what it looks like, Van Pelt over here needs us as an escort more than the other way around."
"Okay Tarzan, show us to the gorillas," Sora said. Tarzan nodded with the Keyblade bearers plea. They left by using a path in the jungle, hoping to find the gorillas and rescue Riku and Kairi.
Author's Note 2: Sometimes, the answers for the future lie in the past. This statement is part of the theme in this story and my theory I posted in the forum. In Learning Curve of Kingdom Hearts Over Coffee and Tea, I theorized that some of the skills Sora learns, including attacks in KH2, were taught by another person that isn't shown in the game or manga (think of Musashi in his series or Lagi in Panzer Dragoon: Azel). Sora wields his Keyblade with amazing skill, but as they say, "with great power comes great responsibility" as well as "absolute power corrupts absolutely". In order to use such a weapon properly, the person in question may have shown him other moves with a weapon that is similar. These moves would be later used by Sora in about a year (that's when KH2 takes place), which would include his "Drive" ability. If anyone wants this feature in the story, post a reply.
Part 3.2: Ambush and Ambition
Ever since they left, Cyrus had been listening to "Primordial Forest" from the Lost World: Jurassic Park game. In about a few minutes, the group arrived in a lush freshwater lagoon. In the water, there were small patches of land and what seemed like large stones. On the other side of the body of water, there was a long vine that looked climbable. "Maybe we could use that vine over there," Sophia said.
"Tarzan, is that where the gorillas are?" Sora asked.
"Yes," he said. "We have to climb up there."
"Splendid," Clayton said. "Perhaps this savage-er, I mean, our dear friend, hasn't let us down." Suddenly, he saw a large, dark shape zipped past him from behind. "Would you excuse me. There is something, um… important that I must do." The hunter left the group in the direction that the form left.
"I'm sure there is," Cyrus said.
"I'm beginning to question Mr. Clayton?" Maria whispered with a hint of suspicion.
"I know what you mean. Whatever that dude's up to, it ain't right."
"Let's go, already," Donald replied. "All we have to do is jump on those rocks."
"That's what you think," Roger said as he pointed to one of the large stones. Beside it, bubbles appeared and another large object floated up to the surface. However, it proved to be a living creature. The object was a massive head small eyes, small ears, large nostrils and a wide mouth. "Think they're rocks now?"
"What is that?" Goofy asked.
"Hippopotamus amphibius," Cyrus said. "The larger of the two species of hippo and a distant aquatic cousin of the pig."
"How do you know this stuff?" Donald asked.
"I'm a young genius with a 198 IQ, homie. And I watched that National Geographic Channel special on the Seringetti before turning to BET on my free time."
"Okay…"
"They don't look so tough," Nel said.
"Careful. One bite from these can snap a croc in half. And it's a known fact that hippos kill more people in Africa than lions or sharks combined."
"When you say it like that…" a scarred Goofy said, hiding behind his shield.
"I'm not afraid," Sora replied. He jumped on the back of the large swine and leapt on the strip of land.
The group was baffled. "I thought you said hippos were dangerous?" Donald asked.
"They are," Cyrus answered. "It seems that these guys are basking in the sun to gather their energy."
"Well then let's hurry," Sophia said. The group raced across the pond, hopping from one hippo to the next and to a thin strip of land. However, there were a few times Donald slipped off the animals and into the water. Other than that, they all made it to the other side safely.
"That wasn't so hard," Goofy said.
"Easy for you to say, you big palooka," Donald said, still drenched in water.
"I hope everyone knows how to climb," Cyrus said as he tugged on the vine.
"I was one of the best at gym class," Sophia said.
"You don't have to worry about me," Sora replied.
"Excellent," Cyrus stated. "Goin' up…" The party climbed up the vine and into the trees above. The team found themselves ninety feet above the lagoon with a sea of vines draped in front of them.
On a branch above them was a big silverback accompanied by a smaller brown female. "Is that…?" Sophia asked.
"That's right," Cyrus said. "Even I'm at awe. I knew they was big, but that one's huge."
Tarzan began grunting to the male gorilla. However, the group could not understand a word he was saying. "Any clue on what he's saying?" Goofy asked.
"Nope," Donald replied.
"I know what he's saying?" Roger said.
"Alright, Roger," Sora said. "What are they talking about?"
"Tarzan is asking Kerchak to help us find your friends. But it doesn't look like the big ape's sayin' anything."
"Why is that?"
"Beats me."
After Tarzan made his speech, Kerchak looked as though he was tense. Both great apes left the scene, heading for a different area of the jungle. Tarzan was disappointed that the gorilla wouldn't cooperate. "Gwarsh," Goofy said. "Looked like he was distracted by somethin'."
"The direction the silverback faced... Isn't that where the wooden hizzouse is at?" Cyrus asked.
"The what?" Donald asked.
"He means the tree house," Sophia clarified.
"Tarzan, is there a shortcut?" Roger asked.
"Yes. This way." Tarzan said. The group climbed up a vine to the top of the tree. Tarzan led the group to a passage which sent them back to the tree house.
When they arrived, Sora saw a large figure at the entrance of the house. "Is that..?"
"Clayton!" Donald yelped. The hunter already had his gun aimed at a target: a young gorilla.
"Let's go!" Maria said. Donald was already ahead of the team. The rest of the group were right behind him. At the doorway, Clayton had the ape in his sights and was ready to pull the trigger. That was until the duck squawked his loudest, causing the hunter to loose his concentration and miss the primate. The gorilla was able to dodge the shot and climbed to the top floor where the silverback, Kerchak, entered.
"What's you problem?" Donald scolded Clayton.
"How could you do such a thing?" shouted Nel.
Tarzan stepped forward and began hooting. "Er, translation?" Sora asked Roger.
"He's giving an apology but it doesn't look like Kerchak's buying it."
The silent male left the house. The smaller gorilla also exited the house after saying a silent goodbye to Donald. The group silently stared at Clayton who was still sitting on the ground. "Okay, let me explain. There was… A snake! A very big one, that was about to harm that poor gorilla. I saved its life, you see."
Tarzan shook his head in disbelief. "Let's ghost," Cyrus suggested. "There's no point in staying here."
"He's right," Sophia agreed. "We'll go back to camp and work on a plan there."
"In the meantime," Cyrus said as he turned to Clayton, "I'd best make a good excuse for you and your Dimple-ator."
"My what?" Clayton said in confusion.
"The big gun, ya punk!"
The team trekked back to the camp. At that time, Cyrus was listening to "Guerillas in da Mist" by Da Lench Mob. The trip time was shortened with the shortcut through the use of a certain limb that they slid on. When they arrived at the campsite, the group faced against Sabor. However, with the combined skill of Roger, Tarzan and Goofy, the leopard was beaten once more and high-tailed it out of the area. The party went inside the tent and gave Jane the details on Clayton's hunt. "You were going to shoot at a gorilla?" a furious Jane yelled. "How could you!"
"Please, Miss Porter, please," Clayton begged. "Like I said, my target was not the gorilla."
"That's it. From now on, you will not, and I repeat, will not, go near the gorillas again!"
"Just because of a small mishap? But…" Clayton stopped in mid-sentence. All he could see in front of him were angry scowls from the group, including Jane and Tarzan. The tent was also filled with an unsettling silence. The hunter took this as his cue to leave the tent.
"I can't help but to feel some responsibility," Jane said. "How could I have not known this would happen?"
"Jane," Tarzan said as he walked up and put a hand on her shoulder. "It is not your fault."
"He's right," Sora agreed. "It's no one's fault. Clayton had his own plans."
"Correct," Nel said. "He did this on his own accord."
"Besides, sooner or later, he'll get what's coming to him," Cyrus said. Suddenly, the conversation was stopped when a shot echoed throughout the campsite.
"Was that Clayton?" Goofy asked with his hands over his ears.
"No doubt it was," Roger replied.
"Let's go," Cyrus said. Everyone left the tent and arrived outside.
Near the passage to the bamboo thicket, the team saw a mob of Powerwilds harassing a female gorilla. They appeared to be monkeys that were dark blue in color and had a crossed heart insignia patched on their bellies. "What are those things!" Roger shouted.
"Heartless!" shouted Sora.
"This is no time to monkey around," Cyrus replied.
"Let's get 'em," Donald yelped.
The group rushed to the rescue. Sora, Donald and Goofy charged into battle against the enemies. The monkey-like heartless headed toward the trio just as they were rushing toward them. One of the Powerwilds slid Sora, but the Keyblade wielder leapt over the attack. As soon as he landed, Sora slashed the enemy with a chain of blows that destroyed the foe. Another was about to attack from behind with quick slashes, but Goofy charged into it shield first. Donald used his ice magic, firing a large ball of ice at the Heartless to weaken the foe, and then he whacked the target with his staff. From above, a Powerwild jumped toward the duck and used a volley of swift strikes, but Sora interceded and pulled off a string of midair combos. The last Heartless was destroyed by a powerful fire ball from Donald. The gorilla, who came out of hiding walked over to the trio. She gave Sora a gummi block and left the campsite. "Hey look," Goofy said. "Another gummi block."
"It's just like the one from before," Donald said. "The king must have been here."
"At the moment, it looks like the only ones that are here are the Heartless," Sora said.
"We'll need to split up," Nel replied.
"Okay!" Cyrus said. "Nel, Cyrus, Roger, and I will take this area. Sora, you and Tarzan shall lead the rest in the jungle."
"Let's bounce!" Cyrus said before turning his MP3 Player to "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns and Roses. The group parted ways. When Cyrus and his group entered the bamboo thicket, an area surrounded by tall stalks of bamboo and a small hill in the center. The team found another gorilla under siege against a few Heartless. The four charged into battle and the gorilla fled the scene. Cyrus slashed at one of the Powerwild with the Abysmal Offender and then blocked the attack of another. He countered with a spinning slash that decimated both foes. Roger spun toward his foe, chopping it with his axe in each revolution. Then he activated his Fiery Axe. After heating his axe, he leapt up in the air and slammed blade first into the ground. A large explosion engulfed a few of the simian imposters, weakening them greatly. The survivors were picked off by laser shots from Maria's blaster. From behind, a Powerwild was sliding toward her, but Maria black flipped and landed behind her assailant. The Quark captain kicked the enemy hard and used Aiming Device. Her foe was finished off. Nel slashed at two Powerwilds that were approaching in for an attack. With quick strikes from her blades, the opposition was defeated and the battle ended. The gorilla that was harassed came over to Cyrus and gave him another gummi block before it left.
"There's another area," Roger said. "Over here." The Menodix led the group to a cliff. This area was different from the rest of the jungle, with rock walls and small shrubs. Once again, another gorilla was being victimized by a small group of Powerwilds. When the Heartless saw the group, they turned their attention to the four. The gorilla took this chance to climb high on the rock wall. Cyrus led the party against the enemies. He fired a small fireball that made a direct hit at one of the foes, then he followed it up with strong slashes. One Powerwild hit Cyrus with a flurry of quick strikes from its sharp paws. Before it could attack again, Nel had already slammed by hurling her body straight at the foe. Roger dodged a baseball slide from his enemy by leaping to the side. Before the Heartless could attack again, the boy pulled use Whirling Heat. He pulled out an electromagnetic whip which wrapped around the Powerwild's leg. Then he pulled back hard, making the enemy spin a few times. The foe was dazed and was unable to focus on Roger. The Menodix leapt a few feet off the ground before diving straight at the Heartless with his axe. Maria shot two Heartless that were ready to strike with her Scatter Beam. Another was ready to attack from behind, but Maria leapt back to avoid the attack. While in the air, she shot at the airborne enemy square in the head. She then somersaulted until she was behind the remaining two enemies and then shot at them with her blaster. The fight was over and the gorilla climbed down from the bluff and handed over another gummi block before retreating.
"That wasn't so tough," Nel said as she withdrew her daggers.
"Let's go back to camp." Sophia suggested. "I think the others will return shortly."
"Better than stayin' here," Cyrus said. The four left the area and headed back for camp. After a few minutes of waiting, Sora and his team returned without a scratch. "What up, dogs. Find anything?"
"Yeah," Goofy said. "The Heartless are all over the place."
"They're after the gorillas," Sophia said.
"Are they alright?" Nel asked.
"Gorillas safe," Tarzan said. "Back to nesting grounds."
"What a relief," Roger said.
"We also found s few more gummi blocks," Donald added.
"Really? So did we," Cyrus said as he handed them to Sora.
"I wonder what this means?" Sora asked.
"Perhaps someone was here," Donald said.
"You said that the Heartless you encountered were on the gorillas, right?" Cyrus asked.
"That's right," Sora said.
"We too had faced that same situation."
"What do you think that means?"
"There's must be a pattern," Maria said. "Think about it. Every time we face the Heartless, there's a gorilla in danger. There must be a connection?"
"She's right," Donald agreed.
"But what would the Heartless want with the gorillas?" Sophia wondered.
"I think we'll learn later," Cyrus said. "Let's just get inside." The group went inside the tent and told Jane the situation.
"So these Heartless are after the gorillas?" Jane asked.
"That's right," Donald said. "But we don't know why."
"I see… Have any of you seen Clayton? He has been missing ever since you separated."
"No, we haven't," Sora said.
"No clue," Cyrus said.
"I do hope he is not in any harm…" Jane said. In a few seconds, a loud gunshot echoed throughout the campsite. "What was that?"
"I think that came from the thicket!" Roger said.
"Let's go!" Maria replied. The group stormed out of the tent and left the campsite.
Part 3.3: The Hunt, the Hunter, and the Hunted
When they arrived at the thicket, the group found Clayton's pipe on the small hill at the center of the area.
"Isn't that Clayton's?" Sophia asked. "What is it doing here?"
But before anyone could answer the group was ambushed once again by Sabor. The leopard was ready to fight to the end. Cyrus, Tarzan, Sora, and Roger got into battle position. Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to "Hunt 2" from Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis. The leopard charge at Sora, slashing with its sharp claws. The Keyblade wielder was knocked back from the blow and was susceptible to an attack. However, Tarzan got in between the two and attacked with a powerful slash from his spear. The leopard suffered some damage, but not before striking at the jungle man. Cyrus, with his Darkness Blade, went to the aid of his comrades, pulling off a string of blows that threw the leopard back. It looked like the big cat was lost, but it got back up and charged in the bamboo walls. "Where did he go?" Roger replied. The four fighters stayed on their guard, surveying their surroundings. Then, Sabor landed right behind Cyrus. Before the shizznit could attack, the carnivore had already struck. Roger used his Land Mines. He scattered a few small explosives throughout the area. The enemy stalked the Menodix, ready to strike, that was until the cat stepped on one of the devices, causing it to explode. This set off a chain reaction, setting off and blowing up the other devices. Sabor was thrown in midair and was vulnerable. Sora used this as an opportunity to finish off the leopard. After a few powerful slashes, the enemy was thrown back and rebounded on the ground. The four inched their way to the leopard only to discover a lifeless body. The battle was over. "We did it!" Roger shouted triumphantly.
Tarzan went to Sabor's body and pulled out one of the leopard's canines. "Sora," he said. "Take this."
"Really?" Sora asked. Tarzan nodded and handed the white fang to Sora. "Thank you," he said as he put the tooth in his pocket. "Now, let's get to the tent." The group went back to the campsite where they found a large number of Shadows, Powerwilds, and their feminine counterparts, Bouncywilds. However, the Heartless were no match against the group. They stepped into the camp, ready to tell Jane what they found, only to find that she wasn't there. "Hey, where did Jane go?" Sora asked.
"Why would she leave?" Cyrus asked. "It's dangerous if you ain't prepared."
In the corner of the tent, Goofy saw Tarzan studying small traces. "Is something wrong, Tarzan," the knight asked.
"Something coming," he said. "Jane, danger. Near… Near tree house."
"We have no time to loose," Nel said.
The group left the tent and headed back to the jungle they arrived back in the canopy of the tree where they found Jane. Unfortunately, she, and the same gorilla they saved from Clayton, were caged in one of the passageways. "Tarzan!" a scarred Jane cried.
"Jane!" Tarzan called back.
"Don't worry!" Maria said. "We'll get you out!"
On the tree's trunk was a giant black fruit. "Now when was the last time you saw a black fruit, especially one so big?" Cyrus said.
"Never happened," Donald said.
"Cover me," Sora said.
"Gotcha!" Cyrus complied. As Sora went after the fruit, the rest of the team fended off the enemy Heartless. After a few minutes, Sora destroyed the fruit and the barrier that trapped Jane and the gorilla withered away.
"Are you okay?" Roger asked.
"I'll be fine," Jane said.
"What happened?" Donald asked.
"All I can remember is… Clayton came, and… Everything else is a blank."
"Clayton!" Sophia replied in shock.
The gorilla that was with Jane hooted to Tarzan. "Gorillas trapped at cliff. Terk ran for help."
"The cliff?" Goofy said.
"Of course!" Cyrus replied. "The Heartless were hunting the gorillas. They must have been in cohoots with Clayton the whole time."
"We were just there," Roger replied.
"Please, save the gorillas," Jane said.
"Don't worry," Cyrus said. "We'll stop him. Let's jet." The group rushed back to the camp and into the thicket. The party encountered Heartless once more, but were able to take care of them quickly.
They proceeded to the cliff and found a small group of Heartless and Clayton ready to squeeze the trigger. "Stop!" Sora shouted. The hunter lowered his shotgun and stared at the team. It seemed as though he was in some sort of trance.
"Clayton?" Cyrus replied.
"Not Clayton!" Tarzan replied and hooted. "Not Clayton!" The gorillas escaped and Clayton climbed up the rock wall. The team destroyed the enemy Heartless and dodged most of the hunters shots, but not without getting hit by the monkey-like foes a few times. Cyrus and Sora teamed up against Clayton, striking with powerful slashes. The battle was over in about twenty minutes. Clayton rose up and aimed his shotgun at the group. Before he pulled the trigger, held his gun up, as if he was waiting for something. Suddenly, the forward wall, the barrier he stood behind, crumbled to pieces. It was clear that there was another entity. An invisible one at that. Tarzan rushed at the unseen enemy, but was swatted back and landed hard on the ground.
"What's going on!" Roger said.
Clayton was then floating up into the air and seemed to be riding on the foe "Just great," Maria said as she readied her gun.
Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to "Rumbling of the Earth" from Baten Kaitos before charging into battle. Even though no one could see the enemy, they knew that the enemy was wherever Clayton floated. The team slashed and shot at the foe mercilessly. In a few minutes, the cloak of the enemy had been compromised and was revealed to be a giant, bipedal green chameleon with the Heartless emblem on its chest. "What a hideous creature," Nel said.
"Stealth Sneak," Cyrus replied. "Even without their invisibility, they're still tough." The shizznit activated his Blazing Sword and returned to the battle. The Heartless was powerful indeed, as well as quick. Roger was ready to use his Fiery Axe, but the Stealth Sneak leapt behind the Menodix, kicking him with its back legs. The group were approaching the enemy, but were shot by Clayton's gun. The Heartless charged at the party with its horn. The team dodged the attack and the Stealth Sneak was stuck in the rock wall. However, they weren't able to evade some of Clayton's shots.
"We need to get Clayton off that thing!" Donald replied.
"Now that the Heartless is stuck, let's give it to 'em good," Cyrus said. The team slashed at the trapped enemy, while avoiding the gunshots from Clayton. After a powerful Aiming Device from Maria, the Stealth Sneak forced its horn out of the rock. At the same time, Clayton was knocked off his stead. The hunter got up and began shooting at the team. As Sora, Goofy, Tarzan, and Roger took care of Clayton, Cyrus and the rest of the team focused on the Heartless. With powerful strikes and blasts, the chameleon crashed to the ground. It looked like the Heartless was finished, until it sprung back to life and began attacking the team once more. Nel was ready to use her midair attack, but the enemy shot two beams of light from its eyes straight at the Crimson Blade spy. Sophia aided the team with her Healing technique, but she too was hit by a blast. Cyrus quickly got up close to the large lizard and struck with the still burning Abysmal Offender. The strike made a large slash in the midsection. Before he could follow up with the attack, Cyrus was thrown back. The Stealth Sneak was about to capitalize, but Maria used her Scatter Beam. The Heartless turned its attention to the Quark leader and Donald, who was also attacking the enemy. Cyrus saw his comrades getting attacked. "I know that it would be smarter to attack Clayton," he thought. "However, something's telling me to attack the Stealth Sneak." The shizznit did not notice that the Abysmal Offender was emitting in a red and blue light. He followed his instinct, once again focusing on the Heartless. The enemy saw Cyrus coming and quickly began to kick. However, he dodged the attack by rolling under it. Cyrus jumped back up and with enough force, stabbed the Stealth Sneak straight in the wound. The creature screeched in pain as the sword began absorbing its energy. Cyrus could feel his health return. Cyrus pulled his sword out from the Heartless and back flipped. While in midair, he kicked the enemy under its lower jaw, hard enough for it to stagger back to where it entered and fall on the ground. Sora and his team had also defeated Clayton, throwing the hunter in front of the Stealth Sneak. The hunter stood back up and was focusing his aim. At the same time, the mortally wounded Heartless was trying to rise to its feet. As it did, its body was becoming unstable, becoming invisible and visible and producing currents of darkness. Clayton looked at the creature with a nervous face. Before he could move out of the way, the Stealth Sneak's body landed on Clayton. The remains of both the Stealth Sneak and Clayton disappeared as a large heart was released from the body of the Heartless.
"Well, that takes care of him," Roger said.
"A crushing demise at the hands of a large lizard," Cyrus said with fake remorse while shaking his head. "That's… That's a pretty sad way to go."
Behind the group, the party was greeted by the group of gorilla. Walking towards them, was the silverback, Kerchak. He put his hand on Sora's shoulder and lifted him. He then hurled the Keyblade wielder in the air. "Is he really going to…?" Sophia asked.
"Yeah, he is," Nel said. The rest of the group shortly followed Sora. After being thrown into the air, the group landed on a the cliff that overlooked a lake fed by a thundering waterfall.
"Wow!" Sora said staring at the scenery.
"Sure is beautiful," Goofy replied.
"Beautiful?" Cyrus said in amazement. "No, dog. This is off the hizzle!"
"Where are we?" Sophia asked. "What is this place?"
"This place," Tarzan said as he climbed to the ledge. "Tarzan, home."
"So what do we do now?" Nel asked.
"Come. This way." Tarzan led the group to the waterfall's cavern The inside was damp and filled with stone ledges. The group jumped on the ledges of the cave and climbed on the ivory. In under half an hour, the team arrived at an unknown area of the cave. It was a large chamber with a strange glow emanating in front of the group with blue butterflies gathered at the spot. From behind them, Jane and the
Tarzan hooted to the group. "Roger?" Sora said.
"He said that this is his home."
"This is it? Then that means…" Before Cyrus could finish, Tarzan signaled everyone to be silent. The group listened and heard the roar of the waterfall.
"Amazing…" Jane said. "They're echoing all the way back here."
Tarzan once again hooted. "Friends, here. See friends."
"I get it. What Tarzan said means heart. Friends in our hearts."
"Heart…"
"That's exactly what he said, miss," Roger replied.
"So that's what he meant," Sophia said.
"Friends, same heart," Tarzan said. "Clayton, lose heart. No heart, no see friends."
"Um… Sorry about earlier, Donald," Sora apologized."I'm sorry also."
"Hey," Goofy said as he put his hands on his comrade's shoulders. "All for one and one for all, right."
"Exactly," Maria said. "We're in this together."
The light intensified and most of the butterflies left the scene. Appearing at the center of the wall was a small Keyhole just like the one seen in Wonderland. Sora pointed the Keyblade at the hole. As soon as it charged up, the Keyblade shot a narrow beam of light at the hole. Afterwards, the hole disappeared and was nothing more than a patch on the wall. At the same time, another gummi block fell to the ground. "A gummi," Donald said.
"But it isn't the king's," Goofy said.
The gorilla walked toward Donald and brushed off him affectionately. Nel giggled. "It looks like she likes you," the spy said.
"No, no, no, no!" Donald said as he waved his hands. "Daisy would kill me." Everyone in the room laughed at Donald's remark and left the area except for Cyrus and Goofy.
"Cyrus, are you coming?" Goofy asked.
"Oh yeah, give me a second," Cyrus said.
"Well, okay. We'll be at the camp."
"It won't take too long." Goofy left scene. As soon as he did, Cyrus felt the presence of someone else. "Alright, show yourself," he said before he turned around.
Appearing from the shadows was the same hooded young woman. "I see that you are improving," she said.
"Improving? What do you mean?"
"Let me clarify. Do you remember that picture of the castle?"
"What about it."
"I will let you in on a little secret. That was Hallow Bastion before the invasion of the Heartless. And what's more is that you are learning your true abilities, not just the ones limited by Diogo."
"You know my master?"
"In some way, yes. I must say, you are making good strides to learn about your history. This is something that my superiors didn't expect."
"What is my history you're going on about? Who are these superiors? How do I know that this isn't a lie? A trick set up by Lystara?"
"I'm sorry you need to ask all these questions, Cyrus. But tell me, do you think that your 'real' dimension was your actual home?"
"Of course it is!"
"I feel sorry for you, Mr. Splicer. I really do. Even with your intellect, you know nothing about yourself."
"Then tell me."
"I'm afraid I cannot do that."
"Then why are you interested in me?"
"Simple. Because you and I are bonded." As soon as Cyrus said that, he stood still and silent. "Your past is part of mine. Just as mine is a part of yours."
"You mean… you're my sister or cousin?"
"No, not like a relative at all. But to me, it is close."
"So tell me who you are?"
The girl shook her head. "Not now."
"Wait! Before you leave, tell me what you meant about my abilities."
"I don't need to. Just take a look at your left arm."
Cyrus looked at the woman in confusion. When he raised the limb, he discovered that the everything from his hand up to his elbow, including his sleeve, disappeared. He turned his focus back to his arm to see it had returned to normal. "What was that?" he thought to himself. "Well, there is no point in staying here. Time to go back." Cyrus left the waterfall caverns. After hiking for about a few minutes, he returned to the campsite. Cyrus saw that Roger changed back to his normal clothing and that the team was ready to leave. "Hey!" he said.
"So, are you finish with whatever you were doing in that cave?" Donald asked.
"Sure, sure."
"Well, I guess we better be leaving," Roger said.
"Where is your ship anyway?" Jane asked.
"Not too far, to say the least," Sophia said.
"Sora, Tarzan, friends," Tarzan said as he gave Sora a strange new keychain called the Jungle King.
"Thank you," Sora said. The group left the camp, and with Roger in their party, transported to the gummi ship. "Hey, that gummi block that fell out the hole isn't like the others," he said to his comrades. "Does anyone know what it's used for?"
"You think Leon'll know?" Goofy asked.
"So, then we're going to Traverse Town?" Donald asked.
"Not now," Cyrus said.
"Why not?" Nel asked. "Wouldn't it be better if we went there?"
"Maybe, but there are a couple more worlds we need to visit. There's a chance we'll find our comrades, Sora friends, and the King. We should go to those places first, then we can return to Traverse Town."
"Okay!" Sora said. "I'll be pilot!"
"No!" Donald screamed. "Stop it!"
"Hey, I'm the Keyblade master!"
"I don't care who you are!"
"Move over, you two!" Roger said. "Let me show you how a real man drives."
"No way!" As the three fought for control of the vessel, the ship began moving from one side to the other.
"Here we go again…" Goofy said.
"Oh Apris, please help us," Nel prayed.
"This is going to be a long trip to wherever we're going…" Cyrus said. "But let's hope no one presses the big red button, eh?"