"Well, you'll not have to worry about them for too much longer. We've made shorter work of much longer odds in the past; Clayton's remnants will not be too much to deal with; especially without a strong head.", Jason said.
"Let's be careful, Jason... they still have prisoners we must save.", Adam reminded.
Shere Khan smiled gratefully, "I appreciate your determination and your aid, United Talons, but we must make a plan first. Young Adam is right. We cannot risk my husband's life, along with the other prisoners. What rumors did you hear around the other nations? Is someone else coming to take charge as the head?".
Emma replied, "Well, we have heard rumors about Frollo and General Scar, and that Scar is looking to capture the Congo as extra territory, or so it seems.".
"He may have already sent a few new commanders to replace Clayton even before he left.", Logan said. "But other than that, we're mostly in the dark as you are.".
"I see...", Khan stroked his chin. Sounds of running is heard in the distance, and with torches in the dark even if it's daytime, two men exited one of the tunnels, panting and heaving.
Shere Khan widened his eyes, "Timon, Pumbaa! What has happened?". Timon, a lanky red-haired man in brown clothes, with meerkat ears and tail, spoke, "We got word from the far shore. Another shipment just like every two weeks.".
Pumbaa, a large black-haired man in black clothes, with warthog ears and tail, nodded, "Slaves again. Must have been Clayton's doing before he slipped away. Heard that they took the long way around Enchantia, not wanting to confront Atlantica.".
Shere Khan sighed heavily, "Which island this time?", and Timon replied, "It was Lania. They had connections with this guy who hates native people with all his dark heart. And you couldn't believe this, but one of the slaves, it's Pocahontas.".
Shere Khan blinked in surprise, "John Smith's woman?", and Pumbaa nodded, "The same, but your majesty, it's bad. He's dead.", knowing that John Smith was best friends with Jane Porter, almost like brother and sister, and John was protective of her when Shere Khan and Tarzan asked for her hand years ago, and John grew to like the kings then.
"Damn it...", several of the Talons cursed under their breath; yet another character they knew killed in this world. And this one much fresher. Emma felt a knot of guilt in her stomach; that her pregnancy and all may have condemned John Smith to death when they might have been able to win the whole war months ago at the rate they were going.
Shere Khan exhaled with a growl, "Who did it?", and Timon replied, "The guy who gave Pocahontas and all the survivors of the mass murder of her people to the shipment, his name is John Ratcliffe, he killed Smith with some sort of dark magic arrows. And that's not the worst of it. Pocahontas is pregnant, quite heavily too, that is. One of my family on patrol reported that she could be due any day.".
That twisted the knife even more for those that knew. "I'm going to rip that fucker's head off...", Jasmine heard Logan growl underneath his breath. "We'll all get him... I promise.", she told him.
Haku asked out in concern, "How did she look?", and Pumbaa replied, "Tired, scared, dirty. She and her surviving people are in chains in a cart, heading down to the goon camp from the far shore, the patrol said so.".
Haku was both worried for the health of the baby and guilty to know that Pocahontas is alive in this world while John Smith is dead..For some reason, when he had watched her movie, he fell in love with her culture, and was having a crush on her when she clearly had eyes and attraction for John Smith.
Shere Khan sneered, "How far are they from camp?", and Timon replied, "The report was a half hour ago, so they are probably midway on the path by now.".
"So, could we ambush them before they arrive to their end location?", Pippa asked. "To hell with that! I say let them go to their camp and then we can take them all out at once.", Logan argued.
Haku shook his head, "Logan! Calm yourself down! And look, Pocahontas wouldn't have time herself if Timon was right that she'd be due any day which means it could happen today as well. If we ambush, we can help the cartload of prisoners, and we have more help to fight and rescue in the camp another day. We do not know when Scar will come.".
Shere Khan exhaled, "Haku has a point. The goon camp doesn't have a healer for situations like pregnancies, and from peeks into camp, the prisoners are kept in cages or tied to poles. Pocahontas would be alone in her own cage, without help from her people or a healer, and I wouldn't wish that on her, especially when Smith was my wife's best friend and adoptive brother.".
Logan growled again as he threw a knife that he had on him at the ground by his feet. He sighed as he picked it up, "Sorry, you're right... just... hearing what has happened is deeply upsetting to me.".
Jasmine sighed heavily, patting his shoulder in comfort, "I apologize for my husband's outburst, your majesty. He has endured more loss out of all of us in his past.", and Jason's eyes took on a glint of grief, knowing that he has shared the same as his brother.
Shere Khan replied, "No apology needed, Princess Jasmine. We all have experienced grief and loss in several ways. Still, we must hurry. Timon, Pumbaa, gather your troops. It's time to make an ambush, and since it's morning, the mist will help us.".
"I just hope we can quickly overwhelm them before they decide to use their prisoners... in one way or another.", Pippa feared as Zuri nodded, "We will, just hang in there, alright?".
Shere Khan replied, "We will use the cave system tunnels. There are plenty of them around the path. If those who are dragons, perhaps you could use your claws to cut down trees to slow them down. Timon will use his troops to flank the sides, and Pumbaa will use his troops to flank the back. Let's plan more on the way. Follow us.", heading into one of the tunnels he only knows.
The group moved as fast as they could through the tunnels. It was clear that they needed speed to be able to pull this off and certainly with no casualties amongst the prisoners.
Zuri patted Haku's shoulder, whispering, "Don't worry, we'll save your crush and her baby.", and Haku sighed, speaking lowly "It's bad enough that you guys know one of my secrets thanks to our Disney marathon weekends. I am not looking forward to being a rebound even if she's single again, and pregnant to boot.".
"If you don't want to...", Zuri said. "Just wait and see, I guess... doesn't mean things will work... not after what clearly has happened.", Haku sighed.
Zuri nodded, "Same with me. Even before meeting Eric officially one day, I really want to pull him out of his depression. It's bad enough that Ariel is dead. I don't EVER want to see Eric doing self-suicide on himself.".
Haku rubbed her back, "Don't worry, you and I will get our happy endings, somehow, one way or another. For now, let's do what we do best, and that is to fight for people's freedom and give them hope.".
"Keep it tight you, two... we're going to be engaging pretty quick.", Emma reminded them. The others steeled themselves as they got ready. A bad fight was about to happen; with innocents that could be caught up in the middle if not careful.
Meanwhile, in the cart, sitting partly with her legs under her, her baby bump very prominent, in chains, is Pocahontas looking lost and tired as she looked at all the familiar faces of her people.
She would never forget how she met John Smith, and how she was secretly courted by him for one year, falling in love with him more and more every time they reunited in their secret glade, and the day she found out that she was pregnant thanks to Grandmother Willow who was a magical healer, how John Smith was overjoyed when she told him that night in the glade, asking her to marry him, unknowing what came afterwards until it was too late, with Kocoum, her best friend's brother, killed by Thomas, one of John Smith's comrades, and John Smith arrested and framed...
And then Pocahontas ran to save him at sunrise, confessing that she loves him and that she's carrying his child, and her father commanding one of the warriors to release him, and how John Smith pushed her back into her father's arms as he got killed at the same time by Ratcliffe...
Seeing how Ratcliffe was intending to kill Pocahontas and her baby, yet saved by John Smith, Pocahontas's father was enraged, ordering the warriors to shoot, and the war was then started, going for many moons, and then her father died in battle one day. Being the heir, she surrendered to Ratcliffe, not wanting any more of her people to die, to see her culture become dust in the air.
And now it's only a few young children, some women, a bunch of-age warriors, and a couple of elders, and her and Nakoma, after a long two-month trip on ship, and shackled to a cart to who knows where.
"Sir...", Wiggins, Ratcliffe's slimy second called out to him as the convoy continued to move through one of the few roads of the jungle. "I must confess how I'm a bit concerned of how exposed we are at this moment.".
"Nonsense...", Ratcliffe dismissed him. "We have more than enough protection to make sure the rebels don't try anything. Besides, if they do, they wouldn't dare risk the lives of our prisoners.", he chuckled.
Wiggins knew Ratcliffe too well and decided to leave it alone otherwise he'd get Ratcliffe's temper on him. He may be an excellent advisor and all, but he is not as large or dangerous with dark magic as Ratcliffe.
Oh, don't get him wrong, he hated John Smith for seeking a native woman behind Ratcliffe's back for Ratcliffe is really strict on orders and all, but he hated Ratcliffe more for putting a pregnant woman in danger even if Pocahontas is a native. He may be slimy in killing innocents and all, but he has a line for pregnant women and babies.
"Still, was it wise to send the scouts so far ahead of us?", Wiggins added. "You worry too much; the rebellion has better things to do than deal with us… Clayton's forces surely have them on their last ropes…", Ratcliffe smirked with a nod.
Wiggins nodded, "I suppose you're right, sir. And especially when the last shipments over the past few months, thanks to Alameda Slim and Captain Hook, hasn't been attacked at all.".
Ratcliffe chuckled heartily, "Indeed, Wiggins. So, there's no need to worry about anything, clear?", with a raised eyebrow, and Wiggins nodded, realizing that Ratcliffe is close to getting irritated which is still dangerous, low-dangerous compared to his temper, but still...He replied, "Crystal clear, sir.".
Of course, they would quickly learn how dead wrong they were as even at that very moment; the Talons and the rebels were already slowly making their way to encircle the convoy and waiting for the right moment to unleash hell upon it.
Shere Khan in his tiger form watched from the bushes, flickering an ear as a signal to one of the Talons, and Pippa shifted her hands into claws, cutting into a tree, mutely saying the word, 'timber' to herself as the tree fell in the path of the convoy not too far off.
The convoy didn't hear the thud as Jason used his ring's magic to quietly cradle the falling tree and rested it down just in time for the magic to disappear out of the convoy's sight, and the convoy stopped, thinking that the tree fell in the storm last night.
Ratcliffe ordered some of his guards to remove it, and the guards went to check the tree, with Shere Khan jumping into the fallen tree, slashing the guards in the face and neck, roaring out loud, and the Talons, with the rest of the rebels went into action.
"AMBUSH! AMBUSH! MOVE INT-", Radcliffe's orders never truly came as Logan slit his throat right then and there. Well, maybe slit wasn't the right word as the cut was so deep, Radcliffe's head was almost completely severed off his shoulders. The rest of the convoy panicked as they tried to regroup as best as they could, but they were so quickly overwhelmed, it never made a difference.
As the rebels and some of the United Talons took care of the guards and such, Haku, Jasmine, and Emma went to the cart to free the prisoners, with Haku heading straight for Pocahontas.
"I'm a healer, ma'am.", Haku smiled reassuringly as he leaned down to use a conjured lockpick to free the chains, "Is the baby moving good?".
Pocahontas was confused with him talking and all before she finally nodded. "I... I think so...", she said. "How...?".
"A few of Khan's men discovered your plight and all... I'm deeply sorry for your loss...", Jasmine told her as Emma continued to free other prisoners. "Don't worry though about your child... Haku is more than capable of making sure it'll all be fine.".
"Maybe...", Pocahontas sighed; she may have now just suddenly been freed... but that wouldn't bring John back.
Haku introduced himself, "I am Haku Teika, but you can call me Haku.", as he gently unlocked the leg chains, minding the baby bump, "Do you think it's a boy or girl?", gesturing to the baby bump with a smile, "A baby is a gift in any world.".
Pocahontas can see this unique man being sincere and kind, seeing the glint of respect in his dark brown eyes, his black hair having a scruffy look since it has grown from a mohawk due to the fact that hair clippers don't exist here, and his goatee neatly groomed.
"I thank you for freeing me, Haku. I am Pocahontas. I do not know the gender...My grandmother, Willow, was a magical healer, but she was killed before she was able to tell me the gender. I only wish for the baby to be healthy and alive...The trip on the ship alone hasn't done it any favors.", Pocahontas responded with a grateful smile before frowning in concern.
"Well, at least you're going to be safe now...", Haku told her. "I heard from others about that clearly you've suffered greatly in terms of loss in recent months...".
Pocahontas had seen Ratcliffe killed by one of the other men, and she was extremely happy that he won't be alive no more to capture more natives of other regions, not wishing the same on them.
Pocahontas smiled bitterly, "Please tell your friend that I am grateful that Ratcliffe is gone. He had murdered my lover, John Smith just because he was protecting me from being killed by Ratcliffe...", closing her eyes, remembering how she scrambled to John's side, crying and trying to hold him up, but he was tortured by those dark magic arrows, trying not to scream, twitching and shaking from the pain.
John, when he felt Pocahontas's hands on his face, he looked straight at her, struggling to speak, "P-Pocahontas, please don't give up...Our baby...You're a mother...I love you so much...", and Pocahontas cried, desperately kissing him, "I love you too, John Smith.", and John looked at her with a weak smile as he touched her belly, not yet showing for another moon, "Take care of your mama, kid. I love you, both of you.", before exhaling and closing his eyes, never to awaken again.
Haku had small tears in his eyes as he saw Pocahontas starting to tear up herself. "Sorry, I get a little emotional at times like this...", he apologized as she gave him a small smile.
"It's alright... not much you could do then, and you've at least helped prevent it from happening again with Ratcliffe's death.", Pocahontas said.
Emma came over to pat Haku's shoulder to grab his attention, "The guards are all dead. The prisoners are freed. We must head back into the tunnels as the goon patrols is sure to come up on this scene sooner or later.".
Haku nodded, "Okay. Pocahontas, do you think you can get up?", anxiously concerned, and Pocahontas exhaled, "I can try.", shakily getting up to her feet with Haku's aid, walking across the empty cart to the latch door wall that is open down to the floor.
"That's it, Pocahontas. Don't worry, there's shelter and food awaiting you and your people, and there's bound to be a place where you can give birth safely in the ruins where the rebels are hiding at.", Haku smiled encouragingly.
"Thank you...", Pocahontas smiled at him before Logan and Jason came along. "You want us to carry her?", Logan asked as Jason nodded.
"Better to keep her off her feet on the way back; less likely to cause her an issue. Last thing we need is her falling over and risking harm to the baby at this hour.", Haku said.