Jasmine wandered the deck for awhile after most of the crew had gone to bed. Amelia was holding a private meeting in her office with John, Phoebus, Robin, Milo and Sinbad and their crews, Merlin, Doppler and Hercules. The only other person awake was Eric, who couldn't be compelled to leave the helm. She was left with some peace and privacy, strolling along the edge of the ship and gazing into the vast expanse that surrounded them. She'd never thought she'd ever see something like this... She'd hardly set foot out of her own home, she never once thought about what it would be like to explore the galaxy. Space was at once dark and lifeless and empty as well as colorful and glittering with the light of thousands- maybe millions- of stars. An endless conundrum in and of itself, constantly contradicting its own nature... Though she supposed that the nature of space was that it was unpredictable, full of endless possibilities... She just couldn't believe that she was actually standing in the middle of it all.
"Hey, Jazz."
She turned to smile at Aladdin, who she hadn't heard sneaking up before. He beamed at her as he came to stand by her side.
"Pretty impressive, huh?" He asked.
She laughed quietly and nodded, staring out at the stars. "Yes... It's amazing." The area around them was blooming with clouds of purple and blue and pink, wisps of green and yellow snaking through here and there. It was all illuminated by the white-hot stars burning all around. "I never knew what was up here before..."
"Wanna get a better view? If you climb up into the bird's nest, the lights from the deck won't interfere so much." Aladdin said.
"Alright..." She smirked.
The pair of them scaled their way up the mast until they found themselves in the large basket that Rat usually called home. With him in the meeting with the Captain, they had it all to themselves. Jasmine couldn't help grinning as the view became more spectacular. The colors of the strange space clouds became more saturated and effervescent as the stars glowed more fiercely, uninhibited by the immediate lantern light. She sighed dreamily and leaned against the edge, taking it all in.
Aladdin watched her for awhile, captivated by her silhouette in the starlight. He watched the playful gleam dance over her amber eyes, and felt his heart race. He felt as though he could stay up here with her forever. If he could just stop time at this moment, he would. Then, a dreadful feeling plummeted in his gut and he was forced to face reality.
He'd found this girl, a stranger, and on a whim he'd encouraged her to join the crew just when they were setting out to fight a band of malicious pirates in a foreign and completely unexplored territory. He'd seen before that she could handle herself. She was skilled thanks to her hard life back on Agrabah, but these were completely different circumstances. He'd seen her skills in evasion and stealth, but he hadn't seen her fight... He didn't even know if she could fight! What the hell had he been thinking?!
I can't let anything happen to her.
"Hey, uh... These pirates we're going after... They're really not people to mess with." He said.
His grave tone caught her attention and she turned to look at him. A warm thrill surged through his chest.
"I mean, uh..." He cleared his throat. "They won't hesitate to kill you if they get the chance."
"Captain Amelia briefed me on the crew of the Jolly Roger. I think I know what to expect." She answered steadily. But he could see in her eyes that she was worried.
"I know you can look after yourself, but..."
"I don't need you to protect me."
"I know, but I could still help."
She raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Well, how good are you in a fight?" He asked.
Now she looked a lot less sure of herself. "I've always been good at getting out of tough situations. I've never gotten to a point where I need to fight head-on."
He nodded. "That's what I thought... Okay. Let me teach you a few moves. Just so you can defend yourself, if necessary."
"Really?" She seemed both doubtful and excited about the idea.
He smiled. "Yeah. I mean, I can teach you whatever you want to know, but I figure we ought to ease into it. Right?"
"That's probably for the best." She was blushing slightly.
"Let's start right now. We can go down to the cargo bay with some swords. And once we reach the planet, we'll find a secluded area so I can teach you to shoot. Deal?"
"Sounds good to me." She assured him. He started to climb down to the deck and she followed suit, biting her lip on a smile the whole way.
A Few Days Later...
The journey to Atlantis was long and arduous. Eric was attentive the entire time, unwilling to leave the helm or take his eyes off the course for even a second. He steered them away from any other singularities in their path, not wanting to repeat their first experience with a black hole. He also maneuvered the ship through two seperate asteroid feilds, both dense and cumbersome. He and the others noticed that the second field of asteroids didn't contain rocks, but metal discs in uniform rows. Amelia came to the conclusion that the metal objects were once a booby trap, a means of defense from intruders. They were magnetic explosives. But now, after however many millions of years since being set up, they lay dormant.
Now the Legacy floated through a plain of fragmented statues that once stood guard over Atlantis.
"The Sentinels..." Milo gaped and took pictures with his portable holophone.
"Sentinels?" Jane asked uneasily.
"Watchers, protectors of the planet. Judging by the look of them, these statues are ancient. And long out of commission." Milo explained.
"Did the Jolly Roger do this?" Belle asked in disbelief.
John shook his head. "No... They don't have nearly enough firepower. Something else destroyed them. Long ago."
"Seems like Atlantis was having tough times before the pirates came along..." Dr. Sweet muttered while Tiana held onto his arm.
"The Atlanteans are a strong and proud people. They have survived this long for a reason. But I say someone finally chipped in." Amelia said haughtily.
Eric sailed between the floating chunks of the massive statues, finally catching sight of the secluded planet. Everyone aboard gasped of chattered excitedly as Atlantis came into view. It didn't look too different from how the Earth did back in its prime, but was swathed in a few fine, shifting layers of mist, and it was slightly smaller than the Earth was.
Wendy and Alice were both inspecting the face of one of the statues as they passed it by. Alice squinted at the dark crevices that worked their way through the surface of the stone, and the empty, hollow eyes that seemed to stare blindly ahead.
"Milo... Were these things...alive?" Alice asked.
"In a way, yes. It's kind of hard to explain, but...well, think of them like robots. Except that they're made of rock." Milo replied, too excited about nearing the lost planet to focus on the Sentinels any more.
A strange, gutteral sound echoed around them, shaking the ship. Eric frowned at his radar screen as the noise ground to a whining halt. The sonar was reading off the charts. The noise resounded again, this time much closer. A few people covered their ears as the sound reached a painful crescendo. Eric checked the radar again, but saw nothing. The noise finally stopped, but the silence didn't put anyone at ease.
"Eric, what the hell was-" Amelia was cut off when the ship was thrown violently to the side.
Eric quickly put up a defense shield to block them from any further attack. But when he turned to see what had thrown the ship, he realized that the shield wouldn't be enough, and quickly jumped into evasive maneuvers while the screams of his crew echoed in his ears.
The creature was massive, and covered with a thick shell, like a crustacean. It bellowed and growled with a magnitude like an explosive, and threw out one giant, black claw to grab the ship. Its eyes burned red as though ready to spit flames.
"Ready the cannons!" Amelia ordered the crew.
Phoebus and John ran around relaying the order and gathering people to go below deck and prepare to fire. Meanwhile, Eric was buying them some time by racing ahead of the creature, luring it away from the planet.
"Eric, turn around!" Milo called. "We have to reach Atlantis!"
"Are you crazy? That thing will follow us and destroy the planet!" Eric cried.
"No, it won't! It's protecting it, like the Sentinels!"
"What?!"
"It explains why it didn't want to let us pass!" Robin commented.
Eric groaned and sharply turned the ship around, ducking under the creature just as it was gaining on them. It flew over them and clumsily turned to follow as they sailed back toward Atlantis.
"Milo, what is this thing?!" Eric demanded.
"The Leviathan! I thought it was just a myth, since no alien species like it has been-" Milo caught sight of how the armor-like shell gleamed in the light coming from the ship. "Metal... Of course! It's made of metal! It's a machine! "
Amelia groaned. "I don't think anything we've got will put a dent in it, then..."
"How did the Jolly Roger manage this?!" Jane shrieked.
"Their ship is much smaller and faster than ours!" Eric replied, gritting his teeth as he made a risky maneuver to avoid the Leviathan's grasping claw. A few people screamed or shouted unhappily. "Sorry, guys!"
"There's not much I can do about size, but I think we can help you out with speed!" Audrey's voice came over the comm.
"Are you sure the engine can handle another push so soon?" Amelia asked.
"Do we really have a choice? Honestly, if the ship explodes, we'll die much faster than if that thing gets ahold of us!"
"Not helpful, Audrey!" Milo snapped.
"Whatever you guys are gonna do, do it!" Eric said.
"Okay... Keep the ship straight! No fancy flying, or you might lose control!" Audrey told him. Then, she turned from the comm and called to Merida, "On my count..."
"Brace yourselves!" Amelia called to everyone on the deck.
Eric straightened the ship out, making a beeline for the planet at top speed while the Leviathan roared and raced after them.
As they drew nearer to the planet at dangerous speeds, Dr. Doppler grew uneasy and asked, "How do we know that the planet doesn't have a force feild around it?! I mean, with all these other defenses, they obviously don't want us getting in!"
"Nonsense, doctor! How could the Jolly Roger have gotten in then?" Amelia retorted.
"With access codes in that journal that Hook neglected to give to you!"
"Hook wants us to come meet him!"
"He doesn't want us! He just wants something he thinks we have! And it will be much easier for him to take it from us if we all die crashing into a wall of invisible solid matter!"
Amelia glanced behind them to see the Leviathan catching up to them. "Do you really think it's a good idea to slow down right now, doctor?!"
The ship rattled, signaling that the engineers were getting ready to give the ship a jump. Doppler groaned and sat behind a crate to brace himself.
Just as the Leviathan nearly snatched the ship in its claws, the Legacy was launched forward, far out of its grasp. The gargantuan machine lunged after them, but its attempt to catch them was futile. It was too big and clumsy to match their speed. Within seconds, the ship had disappeared into the thick mist that swirled around the planet, the petrifying wail of the Leviathan fading away behind it.
Once they'd safely entered the planet's atmosphere, Eric shouted into his comm for Audrey and Merida to take the engines down to normal speed. Momentarily, the ship was drifting peacefully amongst the fluffy clouds in the crystal-clear blue sky. Most of the crew cheered or celebrated the successful arrival in some way. Amelia gave Eric a congratulatory pat on the shoulder, which he responded to with a grin.
"This is a historic moment, helmsman." Amelia proudly told him. "We are one of the very few ships to ever reach this mystical land."
"Well, let's not forget that a bunch of pirates got here first..." Robin muttered darkly, staring over the side of the ship as they were dropping out of the clouds.
A few other members of the crew looked out as well, and there were a few gasps and pained cries. John quickly grabbed his little sister and said, "Alice, don't look." He turned her around and pulled her close. But it was too late. Alice had already seen the awful sight. She cried against her brother's chest. Jane and Belle held onto Wendy in much the same fashion. Hercules tried to get Belle to look away, but she was too angry to notice his attempts to comfort her.
"Those monsters." She hissed.
For as far as they could see, villages were left in crackling cinders and the jungles were dark with heavy smoke. A few screams echoed from the smoldering landscape, from no discernable direction. Some villagers were hiding out in improvised tents and crying together. The earth was buried in ash and still-burning rubble. Below the clouds, the sky was grey, and a faint aura of red reached up from the canopy of the jungle, signaling more flames hidden in the distance.
"We will assist the victims immediately, and put out any fires we come across." Amelia ordered solemnly.
After Eric landed the ship on the outskirts of the jungle, the crew spent nearly an hour sweeping their way deeper and deeper into the trees to help the villagers. With more strong hands to help, water was taken from the rivers and coves nearby to put out the fires. Dr. Sweet and a few others worked quickly to help the injured while the others helped the natives to recover those lost to the flames. Amelia watched as the villagers prepared funeral pyres for the dead.
"How could anyone do this?" Phoebus growled.
Amelia replied stonily, "Not just anyone could."
"We have to catch up to Hook and his crew. They've undoubtedly reached the main city by now." Milo said worriedly.
"You're seeking the pirates?"
The crew turned in surprise toward the new voice. A tall, statuesque woman with copper skin stepped toward them on nimble, bare feet and long, svelte legs. Her brown eyes shone with tears and her sleek black hair whipped about her sensual face in the wind. She was quite beautiful, but obviously full of sorrow.
Amelia nodded. "Yes."
"You folks speak English?" John asked.
"We speak many languages here." The woman answered. She motioned her hand in greeting. "I am Pocahontas. My father was the Chief of our tribe. Those horrible people killed him, as well as my husband, Kocoum."
"I'm very sorry to hear that." Amelia said sadly.
"What's done is done. Now, you must allow me to lead you to the main city, to bring justice for my people, and all others lost to their brutality." Pocahontas said solemnly.
Amelia was already shaking her head. "No, we couldn't ask you to-"
"I am the best tracker you will find in these lands. Aside from myself, the only people who know the way to Kashekim's castle are the other village Chiefs, but I am sure they have suffered the same fate my father did." Pocahontas ducked her head, then looked up at Amelia with softened eyes. "Please. Allow me to help bring those monsters to justice."
"I will come, too." A young man stepped forward, his already shaggy black hair mussed and his face streaked with ash. He spoke with a fierceness that Pocahontas was noticably lacking. "The pirates killed my oldest brother, Sitka. And I am skilled at scavenging and hunting, and know my way around the jungles. Pocahontas and I together will help you survive the journey."
Pocahontas gave him a guarded look as he spoke, then turned back to Amelia with a hopeful expression.
Amelia looked him over and asked, "And what is your name, sir?"
"Kenai."
Amelia nodded at each of them, addressing each respectfully. "Kenai. Pocahontas. We thank you for your courage. And we would be glad for you both to join us. I'm sure we won't get far without your help."
Pocahontas bowed in gratitude while Kenai wandered off to gather supplies for the journey. Pocahontas walked up to Amelia and said, "We'll need a moment to say goodbye to our families. I have a daughter and many cousins who will worry, and Kenai has two other brothers and an elderly grandmother. We are lucky any of them survived. Now we must keep it that way."
"Pardon me, but wouldn't it be wise for you to remain here and lead these people in your father's place?" Amelia asked carefully.
Pocahontas was quiet for a moment, turning her head toward the jungle. Her eyes looked lost as they searched for nothing in particular through the smoke and trees.
"My father was a wise leader... Much wiser than myself. He always knew that I was a free spirit. He wanted me to be steady, like the river... But rivers aren't steady at all, aren't they?" She looked at Amelia now with determination. "I cannot choose the smooth course for now. I won't stay behind and try to comfort my people while strangers go to fight our battles. There are others who will know what to do better than I. They will understand my going with you."
Amelia nodded. "Well... Assure your daughter that you'll be back before she even has time to miss you. We'll make sure together that these pirates pay."
Pocahontas smiled faintly and nodded before walking away. She approached a young girl, around 12 or 13 years old, and the child flung herself at Pocahontas and they embraced as though they'd never get a chance to again. Amelia watched for a moment, then decided to give the two some privacy. She turned away and told Phoebus and John, "The girl's already lost a father. We won't let her mother be taken away from her. Understand?"
Both men nodded in the affirmative. Amelia withheld a sigh and turned to see Kenai having a quiet argument with another man about his age. Judging by the resemblance, she assumed it was one of his brothers.
"I should be going with you." Denahi hissed as Kenai packed for the journey.
Kenai shook his head at his older brother. "No. You are one of the only braves left. The people need you here. And Koda and Tanana need someone here to care for them."
"Kenai, you can't fight!" Denahi snapped.
Kenai glanced toward the sailors and noticed the knives and other strange weapons they carried. "I won't need to."
"Kenai..."
He turned and knelt down to hug his younger brother, Koda. The child pulled back after a long moment and peered up at him with moist eyes.
"Do you really have to go?" Koda whimpered.
Kenai nodded and gently said, "Yes. It wouldn't be wise to let Pocahontas travel with these strangers alone, no matter how noble their intentions may be. I must go to protect her as well as help catch those fiends. But I will be back before you know it. I swear."
They hugged again, longer this time. Then, Kenai stood up and handed Koda over to Denahi. He shared a goodbye with his grandmother, Tanana, before finishing with his packing and walking away to meet the sailors. Pocahontas soon joined them as well, after leaving her daughter with her cousins and packing a few things also. A few other members of the tribe had gifted the crew with food and supplies for their journey, which were spread between a few crew members to be carried safely.
"Right, then." Amelia called everyone to order. The group stood obediently before her and she continued, "A team of people needs to stay with the ship to guard it. Not that I don't trust the natives, but we should be cautious at this time. Once the crew of the Jolly Roger realizes we're here, I'm sure they'll try to sabotage our vessel. Eric, I'm assuming you'll want to stay behind?"
He nodded in response and came to stand beside her.
"Well, if I call your name, please come stand with Eric." Amelia told the others. "For starters, anyone under the age of 18 should stay on the ship."
All the underage crew members groaned in response, but after a sharp look from their Captain and a few of their elders, they obediently walked forward to join Eric. That meant Jim, Audrey, Peter, Wendy, Alice, Arthur, Taran and Mowgli were staying behind so far. And, of course, Tink obediently followed Peter.
"Chin up, dearies. I'm sure there'll be plenty of chores to keep you busy." Amelia joked half-heartedly. She turned to the others now. "Merlin. I suppose I can't compel you to stay with your charges?"
"The boys know I have a duty to you, Captain." The older man replied. Then he looked at Arthur, Taran and Mowgli. "You know I won't be long."
Mowgli and Taran glumly nodded along with Arthur responding in understanding, "We know."
"I can stay behind." Dr. Doppler eagerly volunteered.
Amelia rolled her eyes. "Be my guest." As he walked forward, she addressed the others, "The rest of you deliberate amongst yourselves who shall stay and who shall go."
The crowd immediately began to murmur.
"Tiana, I think it would be best if you stayed on the ship." Joshua whispered to his wife.
"I don't want you to go without me." She replied in concern.
"If things go bad, they're gonna need a cook aboard."
"Chef. And Cookie could-"
"A good cook."
She crossed her arms and glared up at him.
He sighed. "Chef. And besides, you try to keep that old coot from coming along. And you're good with the kids, and you've got the leadership skills to-"
"Joshua."
He fell silent and she smirked up at him.
"I'll stay." She finally consented, slightly amused. Then her expression furrowed in worry. "You just be careful."
He pulled her into a hug. "I will."
Meanwhile, Flynn was having a hard time convincing Rapunzel to stay behind.
"This is my first adventure! You can't expect me to back out!" Rapunzel argued like a child.
Flynn groaned. "Blondie, these are seriously cut-throat, murder-crazy, violent, greedy ruffians and thugs we're talking about here! You've never even been in a fight! And you've never been in a jungle like that before. There's bound to be all kinds of wild animals and poisonous plants and bugs in there..."
Her eyes suddenly went wide with fright. "Do you think there's quicksand?"
He stared at her for a moment. "Yeah, I mean, maybe. Wow. That's kinda a weird thing to bring up."
She looked sheepishly down at her feet, biting her lip.
Flynn sighed. "I really just think it would be for the best if you stayed put. Look, Rat's staying, too. You can learn more about the rigging or...whatever."
"I guess you're right..." Rapunzel walked sullenly toward Eric's growing group, obviously disappointed. Flynn watched her go, feeling more at ease knowing she was out of harm's way. Then he turned toward Aladdin and frowned when he saw Jazz standing casually beside him. Aladdin followed his gaze and gave Jazz a questioning look. Seeing the stubborn expression on her face and the firm shake of her head, he turned back to Flynn and shrugged. Flynn rolled his eyes and walked away.
"Are you quite sure I can't convince you to stay, Jane? It might do well to have someone stay with the girls." Mr. Porter was saying to Jane.
"Wendy and Alice have plenty of people to look after them, daddy. They'll be fine. And if you think I'm going to let you wander through this jungle without my supervision, you're sorely mistaken." Jane answered matter-of-factly.
"But, Jane-"
"If you're so worried about it, why don't you stay with them?"
"And let you go on this dangerous adventure without your father? Nonsense!" He sputtered.
Jane smiled cheerily. "Glad it's settled, then."
Amelia rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you both have such faith in me and trust me to keep you safe on our expedition."
Jane and their father both laughed at this. Amelia couldn't hide that she was amused as well.
Belle noticed Hercules staring at her with earnest eyes and turned to him with a curious look. She asked, "What is it?"
"I'm going to have to insist that you stay on the ship, Belle." He said plainly.
She laughed. "Well, if you insist..." She noticed the serious (and slightly confused) look on his face and frowned at him. She crossed her arms, obviously offended. "You're not joking."
"Belle-"
"Hercules, I'm an adult. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And I came on this expedition for a reason. I'm not sitting out."
"But, Belle, if these pirates are really as bad as everyone says- I mean, even if they were half as bad- I just can't in good conscience allow you to waltz into what could be a bloodbath!" He stepped toward her, attempting to take her hands in his. "If anything happens to you-"
She pulled her hands away from his reach and stepped back from him, leaving him looking hurt. "I'm glad to know how weak and fragile you really think I am! And what I do is not up to you, so never mind what you can 'allow'!"
"I just don't want you to get hurt!"
"I may not be much of a fighter, but I can handle myself should things go wrong. Now, I signed onto this expedition to explore new lands and go on real adventures, not just live vicariously through the ones in my books. And I don't think you have the right to take this opportunity away from me! I am going to help save Atlantis, not sit uselessly back on the ship!"
"If I go, Belle goes." Jane cut in.
"But-" Hercules tried to argue.
"End of discussion." Belle rebuked him. She and Jane linked arms, turned sharply around, and started to walk away, whispering to each other. Hercules stared after them in shock.
Merida discretely prodded Adam's ribs with one elbow and muttered, "Guess ya' might stand a chance with the lass after all, eh?"
Adam said nothing. The idea of Belle putting herself in danger didn't exactly excite him either. Still, the look on Hercules' face was enough to lift his spirits a bit. Merida glanced up to see him smirking, and smiled to herself, believing that she'd helped instill some hope in him.
John searched through the crowd until he found Naveen. He clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "Do you think you could stay behind and watch my sister?"
Naveen was about to protest, but then noticed the green-eyed gypsy girl being coerced into staying aboard by her older brother. Seeing the girl roll those beautiful eyes and turn to join Eric's group, Naveen eagerly nodded.
"Yes... Yes, of course. I'll, uh... I'll play some music to distract the kids, eh?" Naveen said suavely.
John nodded distractedly, already walking away. "Sounds like a plan, buddy..."
"Alright!" Amelia called after everyone was done splitting up. "Now, Eric will take you lot back to the ship. As well as guarding our vessel, you are to lend assistance to the villagers as needed." She nodded at the group and they headed back to the ship. Then she turned to the larger group that remained. "We shall leave immediately for the main city. We haven't a moment to lose."
Some Hours Later...
They'd been hiking through this jungle for most of the day now. It was now night, but Amelia and her crew were well-rested enough to keep going without a break. And Pocahontas and Kenai were both determined to reach the main city before it was too late. No one was eager to make camp in this wilderness.
Pocahontas moved through the jungle with grace, treading lightly on nimble feet, as though she didn't wish to disrupt nature any further in light of the recent tragedies. She and Kenai walked further ahead of the group, leading them patiently through the jungle. But they couldn't help being so far ahead. This way of travel was much easier for them than for the sailors, and they naturally moved quicker. At first, the two walked in silence, with quite a distance between them. But eventually Kenai found his way to her side. She silently appreciated his presence. When Kenai felt they could speak freely without being overheard, he quietly said, "I'm very sorry about Kocoum."
Pocahontas turned to give him a guarded look, saying nothing. Kenai could tell that she wanted to believe him, but couldn't help being doubtful.
He sighed. "I really am. Kocoum was a good man, a great warrior. I owe my life to him as much as anyone. We may have had our differences..."
Pocahontas couldn't control the bitter laugh that crept up her throat. Kenai looked at her in shock.
"You had your differences? That's how you'd like to say it?" She whispered, looking ahead coldly as she moved onward.
Kenai was quiet for a moment before cautiously responding. "Yes. Differences. Like everyone always saying he was better then me. Like him being your father's favorite of all the braves. Like my brothers always bragging about him..." He paused, then spoke in a tremulous hush. "Like him taking the love of my life from me."
She was surprised by his honesty, but showed no reaction. She was quiet as she continued to walk. He waited for a response for awhile, making a show of surveying their surroundings. Then, he muttered, "But just because of all that, he did not deserve to die."
"I know that. I know you did not wish death upon him, in spite of everything." She replied softly. She'd known Kenai long enough to recognize the kindness of his heart. He wore his gentle nature like an aura for all to see. But she also knew that he often acted upon the impulses of his heart rather than his head, and made rash decisions as a result. His emotions were strong and at times muddled his normally logical mind. His big heart was as much a curse as a blessing.
"You and Tiger Lily have suffered a great loss." He said after a moment.
"My daughter and I will get by." She responded automatically.
"Pocahontas-"
"No, Kenai." She hissed. "I understand that your intentions are good, and you're worried about me. But I cannot do it to my daughter." She looked up toward the canopy as they moved, catching glimpses of the stars dancing among the leaves. "Tiger Lily looked at her father like he was a god. She aspired to be like him in all ways of life. Her love for Kocoum triumphed mine at many times. For him to be taken from her in such a way is a terrible crime. But you..." She shook her head. "No matter what has happened between you and I or how we feel for each other, you are a stranger to her. It wouldn't do her well to have a man she doesn't know swoop in and try to provide for us, to take her beloved father's place. And I do not plan to remarry, any way. It would be disrespectful to Kocoum, and to my father who adored him like a son." She blinked as hot tears pricked her eyes. "Both these men who have shaped my life and meant so much are gone now. You cannot take the place of either of them."
Kenai was silent for awhile, ducking his head in shame as they walked onward. Finally, he whispered, "I... I only want to help."
"Is that it? Or is it actually that you've always envied the life that Kocoum and I made together?" She pondered aloud.
Kenai laughed dryly. "That may be part of it... I've tried to keep the bitterness of losing you out of my heart, but seeing how happy you were together, and the beautiful family you had after he took you from me... Everything, I ever wanted- everything- he had. And I just had to sit by and watch. But, Pocahontas, I swear to you, I never let that jealousy turn to hatred. I never wished ill upon him, or any of you. I..." He hesitated before saying, "I still love you. After all this time. That never went away. I believe that that's what saved me from my envy."
Pocahontas stared into the distance, walking without really seeing as this washed over her. She tried to collect herself, but was failing. All at once, she relived the happiest memories of her past spent with Kenai, how she'd hoped her father would cast aside his obvious favor of Kocoum and allow her to marry the boy she truly loved. How instead she was forced to marry Kocoum, and spent every night of those first few years silently crying herself to sleep in their bed or laying awake wishing it was Kenai sleeping at her side. All the turmoil she felt while she was pregnant with Kocoum's child, which wound up leading to the most purely happy moment of her life: the birth of Tiger Lily. She'd never thought there would be a person in her life who she loved more than Kenai or her dear father. But Tiger Lily stole her heart from her first cry, the first time Pocahontas laid eyes on her. And then Pocahontas realized that all that mattered then was giving her child a good life. And she grew to love Kocoum in a way, for giving her such a perfect gift, and for being such a good husband and father. But a guilt always lingered in her, for she still secretly longed for a life that she was forced to believe could never be; a life with the man she truly loved. Her heart ached every time she and Kenai had to pass each other by in the village and act like strangers. But she busied herself with raising Tiger Lily, which gave her a joy which rivaled any feeling Kenai had awakened in her.
But now that had all fallen apart. Kocoum was gone, as was her father. And she left her young daughter alone to grieve while she came along on this mission... What was she even doing here? Seeking vengeance? She'd never been the type to do that before. Was she secretly seeking a temporary escape from her duties to her people- to her daughter?
What was she doing?
"Pocahontas?" Kenai whispered.
The wind suddenly picked up, carrying with it a few dead leaves from the ground. As the wind flowed around her, Pocahontas heard a faint whisper within it. Without hesitation, she ran in the direction that the wind was blowing. She heard a few people shouting behind her, but ignored it, only listening to the wind's song. She practically flew through the trees, letting the wind carry her toward her unknown destination, entranced.
"Where is she going?" Amelia demanded of Kenai as they ran after her.
"I don't know! She must have caught sight of something!" Kenai called back as he raced to keep up with Pocahontas.
Pocahontas felt the wind normalizing around her and slowed carefully to a stop, glancing around this new part of the jungle in wonder. Why had the wind brought her here? She searched around for a bit while the others caught up to her, asking all kinds of questions. Pocahontas slowly examined the trees that loomed over them until she spotted something. She held up a hand to the others, signaling them to be quiet and wait. They stood there in utter confusion as Pocahontas began to call up into the trees in Atlantean.
"What's going on?" John asked Kenai.
"She's talking to someone." Kenai replied simply.
Phoebus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we see that. But who? "
"And what's she saying?" Meg added peevishly.
"She's letting someone know that it's safe to come down. That we're not a threat." Milo whispered.
They were all silenced when a new presence made herself known. A beautiful young woman dropped down from the trees, landing before them with a prideful stance and a wary look in her pale blue eyes. Her dark skin, wild, white hair, blue tattoos and tribal clothes and jewelry made her easily recognizable as an Atlantean. A true, full-blooded, indigent life form, not one of the Terran refugees. The first actual Atlantean the crew had seen since arriving.
Pocahontas seemed to bristle at the sight of the newcomer. Amelia watched this reaction curiously. Pocahontas had seen the trademark characteristics of an Atlantean and wanted to help. But now that she and this girl were face-to-face, Pocahontas seemed to easily recognize her and was obviously displeased by her presence.
The only other person who immediately recognized the woman was Milo, whose jaw dropped. He muttered something unintelligible.
"Uh... What was that, buddy?" Sweet asked him.
"That's the princess... Princess Kidagakash... That's her..." Milo responded in shock.
The princess smirked and responded in perfect English, "You can call me Kida."
Milo seemed like he was about to faint.
"What are you doing out here, Your Highness?" Amelia asked.
"And what's with the shotgun?" Flynn asked uneasily.
Kida's face became very serious. "I will explain on the way... Come, we must go to the city immediately. I will lead the way." She noticed the cold look Pocahontas was giving her and frowned before turning to lead the group back the way she had come.
"Quite a turn of events, eh, Milo?" Vinny teased as they followed the princess's lead. Mole laughed hysterically while Milo eagerly raced to the front and began to ask Kida all kinds of questions about the planet and its culture, scribbling down notes as she patiently played along.
Adam noticed how closely Tarzan was watching the princess and smirked.
"This planet's got some nice sights, huh?" Adam mumbled in amusement.
Tarzan didn't seem to catch on to his insinuation and muttered in response, "Yeah, this place is nice..." His eyes seemed glued to Kida. "Beautiful."
Adam bit his lip on a laugh and shook his head. Then, spotting how Belle was still keeping her distance from Hercules, his grin only grew. "This trip's going pretty great."
Meanwhile...
Eric busied himself with monitoring the radars, standing guard at the helm while the others who'd stayed behind entertained themselves on the deck. Night enveloped the land and, with the promise of the sailors' vigilance, the villagers nearby had fallen into a morose and silently fitful semblance of rest. Rat was teaching Rapunzel and a few of the kids some tricks in the rigging. Peter and Jim were holding a card game with the other kids while Naveen played a peaceful tune on a stringed instrument. Naveen noticed the elusive gypsy girl dancing in place to his music across the deck and grinned to himself. Tiana was in the galley, preparing food to last them and the villagers a few days, since most of the tribes' hunters were incapacitated or deceased. Wendy was helping her.
Everything seemed peaceful. Aside from Eric's growing irritation at how Dr. Doppler paced incessantly behind him and occasionally hovered over his shoulder to peek at the navigation screens. Eric remained patient and only silently rolled his eyes when he knew the doctor couldn't see.
Eventually the children gave into the exhaustion that weighed on them and they went off to bed. Rapunzel stubbornly tried to ward off sleep by pacing about the deck for awhile, but soon found herself heading down to her room as well. Tiana stayed up in the galley alone, worry for her husband and friends keeping her awake. Dr. Doppler finally (mercifully) left Eric alone to get some shut-eye. Eric watched Naveen and Esmeralda entertain each other with music and dance for awhile, allowing Naveen to keep playing because the sound was helping him stay awake as well. Eric watched in amusement as the two coyly performed together and for each other, but seemed too nervous to share words. It seemed as though this method of song and dance was more intimate than any conversation. Eric smirked when the last song wound to an end and Esmeralda slyly strolled to the side of the ship, turning her back on Naveen. Naveen seemed to consider pursuing a conversation with her, but was obviously quite tired and uncharacteristically at a loss for words. He sighed and headed below deck to rest. She turned to watch him go, her emerald eyes alight, as though her dancing had invigorated her.
Eric glanced up to see Rat, who was supposed to be keeping watch, taking a nap in the bird's nest. Eric shook his head in disapproval and opened his mouth, ready to shout at Rat to wake up.
"You ought to let him sleep."
Eric was startled and turned to see Esmeralda perching on the side of the ship closest to him. She'd moved so quickly and silently that he hadn't noticed her coming up the stairs to the helm. Eric looked at her questioningly. She smiled in amusement and explained.
"There's nothing to guard the ship from for now. The pirates are cozied up in the castle right now. Even if they know we're here, they won't come fight us. They'll wait for us to come to them. And they've already reaped the benefits that the villages had to offer..." Esmeralda hung her head with a sad expression. "Even so, the villagers are only pretending to sleep. They can protect themselves better than we can protect them. If anyone were to come along who posed a threat, they would alert us." She looked up at him again, thoughtfully. "We've helped all we could for today. We're no use to anyone exhausted."
Eric nodded in agreement after letting her words sink in. Maybe being trapped in this foreign environment where he knew the Jolly Roger's crew- and whatever else- lurked about was just making him paranoid. From what he could tell now, the surrounding area was still and quiet, recuperating after a very trying day. He was just on edge.
And admittedly very tired. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes in defeat.
Esmeralda smirked. "You should get some rest. I can watch for awhile."
"You're not tired?"
She shook her head. Eric looked at her curiously. She looked energized, for sure. She was undoubtedly more awake then any of the rest of them. He couldn't help wondering how she was pulling it off.
She seemed to read his thoughts and playfully said, "Growing up the way me and my brother did, you learn how to live on very little sleep."
Eric nodded in understanding, signaling to her that she didn't need to explain further.
"Well, isn't this touching?"
The sound of the unfamiliar voice alerted them both to turn and look at the older woman who now stood behind them. She'd climbed up onto the ship without either of them seeing or hearing, which they both found very unsettling. Eric saw the devious look in her eyes and quickly pulled out his gun, which was set to stun for now, and aimed it at her. Then, out of nowhere, a large hand swung out and caught Eric's arm, painfully twisting it until he was forced to drop his gun. While his arm was being pushed behind his back as he was forced to his knees, Eric saw Esmeralda being grabbed by another large man. Esmeralda struggled and fought valiantly against the man twice her size, even going so far as to bite his hand when he tried to cover her mouth with it. He shouted in pain and slapped her senseless.
"Hey!" Eric cried, trying to get up, but the other man hadn't released him and he was pinned.
The woman laughed and walked toward Eric, pausing momentarily to pluck his gun off the floor. Eric watched as she switched the setting from stun to kill and pointed it at Eric's face, narrowing her eyes at him menacingly.
"Right now, my boys are taking it easy on you. I think you'll find that I'm not so nice. Now, we'll be out of your hair as soon as you give me back what's mine. So tell me..." She pressed the gun against Eric's forehead and growled, "Where is Rapunzel?"