A Home in the Forest

Wheeler looks around once more, and begins to walk away.

"Hold it Yankee!" Linka says grabbing him by the back of the shirt. "We are not done, yet! As Gertrude B. Elion said, 'Don't be afraid of hard work if it never comes easily'."

Gi and Kwame begin to laugh.

"What does that supposed to mean?" Wheeler asks.

Kwame smiles and says. "I think she meant, 'Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily.' Wheeler, if you want to make the world better, it's going to be hard. Gaia knew this would be hard, that's why we have a team."

Everyone begin to laugh except Ma-Ti who is on his hands and knees digging through the remains of a broken hut. Wheeler walks over and looks.

"Hey, it's an old hut."

Ma-Ti looks up with tears in his eyes. "Maybe to you, Wheeler! This is my home. My parents died long ago. The only memories I have from them are buried in here."

Wheeler gets on his knees and begins to dig. "Sorry Ma-Ti, I had no idea, little buddy. Come on, I'll help you."

As the two friends dig, and sort through the debris, Jose runs over to another small hut and begins digging through items and cleaning things off. Gi pulls a piece of paper from her pocket and makes some notes. For the next hour, the team works steadily, clearing out pathways and cutting up the remains of fallen trees. In between, they rescue animals from partly collapsed dens in the Earth. Out of breath, Jose stands and walks over to a small creek to get a sip of water. Gi comes over and joins him for a second, taking a bit of water.

"Jose, you might have just found a good source of water for Ma-Ti's village." She says, opening her kit and getting out a test tube.

Kwame takes a shovel from the wrecked Geo-cruiser, and begins to fill in some holes in the ground. Two men from the village go out with axes and begin cutting up a fallen tree. They carry the pieces back to one of the damaged huts. As Gi takes a water sample, Ma-Ti stands and walks by with two small baskets, heading for the forest.

"Where are you going?" Jose asks.

"To get some food. Plunder and Greedly destroyed most of the food we had stored." Ma-Ti explains. "We need to eat, and right now, few can hunt."

"Hold on, you are going to need some help!" He says, running after Ma-Ti.

The boys walk together down a trail into the forest, looking up in the trees. Finally, they spot some fruits. Ma-Ti grabs in to the tree and slowly begin to climb. Soon, he reaches a branch and scoots out onto it. For a moment, he wrestles around, before tossing a small yellow fruit down to him.

"Here, catch! These Maracujá are a staple in my village." Ma-Ti says with a smile.

"You all have passion fruits?" Jose asks, holding one up and looking it over.

Ma-Ti nods and licks his lips. "They are one of my favorite snacks! When they are ripe, they are very sweet. Get ready, I will toss you some more."

Jose puts the fruits aside and gets ready. Then Ma-Ti tosses some more down to him. Together they fill first one basket, then a second with fruit. Once they have all they can carry, Jose waves to Ma-Ti and grabs a basket. Climbing down he takes the other and they start back towards the village.

"We do not have all the stuff you have in the cities and towns." Ma-Ti says. "If you want to eat in my village, this is where food comes from. Picking Maracujá is one of my jobs at home."

Jose uses his arms to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and then yawns for a moment. With all of the fallen trees, the way back is long and dangerous. At times, they have to climb over logs and pass baskets to each other. At one point, Jose slips almost dropping the fruit, but just catches it at the last minute.

"That was close!" He says, pausing a moment. "My legs are starting to feel like rubber."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes Ma-Ti!" he replies with a nod. "Come on, we need to get this food to your village. There are hungry people waiting."

Looking at each other and smiling, they walk on until they get to one of the huts still standing. Ma-Ti knocks on the door and a woman with two girls and a small baby comes out and looks at them.

"We brough food for your family!" Ma-Ti says, holding up the basket. "Here!"

With a kind smile, she takes the basket of fruit inside and nods. "This is good. Now there are many others who need food too."

The boys smile and take off to find more fruit. On the way, they pass Gi and Kwame, who are holding small science kits.

"Hi guys!" Ma-Ti calls out waving.

With smiles, they wave back. Gi and Kwame walk down to the stream in the woods, looking it over carefully. As they kneel to take a look in, a Capybara comes to drink. Pointing to it, Gi begins to chuckle.

"It is nice to see our animal friends return." Kwame says pausing to watch.

Their rings flash and Captain Planet's voice echoes on the wind. "The power is yours!"

For a moment, they look at each other and smile. Gi chuckles lightly.

"Earth!" Kwame says, pointing his ring.

The ground around them begins to shift, closing up some of the pits and gashes left by Greedly and Plunder's mining. Gi leads the way, as they walk to the edge of the river. Once cloudy, brown water begins to clear slowly. Clicks and whistles fill the air around them. From the water, leap three pink river dolphins, and Gi goes running to the edge giggling and laughing. Kwame comes over and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Isn't this amazing?"

"Kwame, one of my first friends when I was a little girl was a dolphin named Kisa. That's why I wanted to do this." Gi says wiping a tear from her eye.

"Kisa would be proud of the work you did here." Kwame replies, putting a hand on her shoulder. "This time we won because of your work. These dolphins have a safe home to go back to."

"The work we did; this was a team effort!" Gi says, reaching down and rubbing the back of one of the dolphins.

As they head back to the village, they gather in a small clearing with Ma-Ti, Wheeler, Linka and the old Shaman. Suchi is hanging by his tail from a tree eating a piece of fruit. Looking up, Wheeler giggles. Ma-Ti and his grandfather hug closely for a moment.

"Little one, you have found your place. I told you that you would do something important. Brave as the best Kayapo warrior, yet caring. Chico would be proud of what his boy has become. This is a good circle of friends for you." The Shaman says. "Not every warrior needs a bow and arrows. Time and team work will finish what you have started here. Our people are strong and wise. As for your friends, they have proven themselves in battle with the enemy of all people. Welcome friends, you will always have a place with the Kayapo people. Your brave deeds will be long remembered."

"What of Gaia?" Kwame asks. "We should contact her."

"The spirit of Mother Earth is anywhere there is life. We knew of that spirit long before you came with your strange metal bird, friend." The Shaman says, putting some herbs on the coals.

Before them appears an image of Gaia smiling and looking on. "Kinicho, your people have saved one of the most important places on Earth. The great forest lives on and the Kayapo will continue to have a home. Your grandson shared the knowledge of how to keep the balance I gave you."

The elderly Shaman wipes a tear from his eye and nods. Then he turns to Ma-Ti, and wipes off his necklace. "This necklace was Chico's, now it is yours, for you have continued the fight he started long ago. My son would be so proud of the boy who is his legacy. You will always have a home here, but you have a calling to finish what your parents began. Ma-Ti, you are a warrior, but one for a new battle."

Ma-Ti smiles and hugs the old man as a tear runs from his eye.

"Now I know why we came to protect this place." Wheeler says softly.

"Well, it's about time you got with the program, Yankee." Linka replies, causing everyone to laugh.

Slowly everyone gets up and walks outside. All around them are people helping and working together to clean things up and save injured animals. Ma-Ti and Jose take off running with Wheeler in tow. As they go into a small trail, Ma-Ti holds his ring up.

"Heart!" Ma-Ti says, and the ring begins to glow.

For a moment he wanders around. A soft crying sound echoes and some of the bushes move slightly. Then, kneeling down he pushes some plants aside and they find two jaguar cubs with a sticky oil-like substance on their fur. Quietly, he holds his hand with his ring over them until they calm down. Carefully, Ma-Ti lifts them out and begins cleaning one off.

"Here, let me help the other." Jose says, reaching for the cub.

"I'll be right back." Wheeler says, jumping up and running off.

A few minutes later, he returns with a bucket of water. Pointing his ring at it he says, "Fire!"

The ring glows red and moments later, the water is steaming hot. Now the three of them begin to scrub the thick gooey mess from the fur of the cubs. Jose kneels and begins to scrub, pulling mud and other stuff from the kitten's fur. One of the cubs begins to lick Wheeler, making him laugh. Jose rinses the tiny Jaguar carefully, then lets it go. He chuckles as it bounds off into the bushes.

"You did a good job with that." Kwame says, walking over to them.

"Thanks Ma-Ti, thanks Kwame." Jose replies looking up. "I'll never forget what you gave me."

"Gave you?" Kwame asks with a confused look. "I don't understand my friend. You are the one who risked your wellbeing to help us. How did we give you something?"

He looks up with a smile. "For the first time, I made a real difference for the animals I love. What we did won't go away as soon as we leave. Showing other kids a picture, is not the same as helping this little cub, or rescuing animals from a flooding river. I know this is dangerous, but it's what I want to do. Someone needs to do this if our planet is going to survive, so why not me?"

"You, my friend, are a true Planeteer. People like you make the difference we need." Ma-Ti says.

Suddenly, they see a strange orange glow, like a sunrise, by a fallen tree. Jose gets up and walks over to look. Reaching down, he finds a small amulet on a chain that pulses with a beautiful orange color. As his hand touches it, his eyes widen. Slowly he wipes it off and looks it over.

"Wonder who owns this?" He asks, holding it up in the light. "It sure is pretty!"

Before anyone can speak, Gaia's face appears before them with a warm smile. Jose backs away and begins to put it down.

"You own it now, Jose Poblos. Your father, Pedro, was trying to help a Kayapo friend named Chico when he died. Beside you is Chico's only son. It was your wish to make a real difference, so I am giving you that chance." Gaia says. "Welcome to the Planeteers. We need brave, young people like you. Come!"

Jose stares in wonder for a moment, as Gaia disappears. Now he brings it close to his heart and holds it.

"Chico was a Kayapo?" Jose asks softly, turning to Ma-Ti. "So my dad knew the people of the forest were real. Ma-Ti, my dad was fighting the same battle your parents were fighting. I can't believe it!"

Ma-Ti nods and wipes a tear from his eye. Jose hangs the amulet around his neck and looks up at the sky. With a deep breath, he wipes his face. Kwame walks over and puts an arm around both of them. Quietly, they walk through the village, looking around.

"Back home in my village, the elders say when a friendship is forged by one generation, and carried on by the next, it becomes twice as strong. Pedro and Chico started this journey." Kwame explained. "How fitting that Ma-Ti and Jose team up to finish it for them. Your fathers would be so proud."

The two young boys hug each other, laugh, and walk on.

"Come Ma-Ti, we have more to do."

The two of them walk over to Gi and Linka, who are working on the Geo-cruiser. Linka pokes her head out, and wipes the grease from her hands.

"That last landing was a hard one, but I think we can fly it again."

Ma-Ti looks on with concern. "We're going to do that again?"