Author's Notes: This one took a bit longer than usual, but here it is. Most of my chapters will slowly be released so if you are following this story, please be patient. :)
About twenty minutes later and the group led by Mi'kotyana arrived at the entrance to the city of Naza'rabar. The bird-like Nak'tol turned stopped and then turned her frame around to face them.
"Welcome to the city of Naza'rabar!" She told them excitedly and raising her arms into the air, as if to present the city to them.
Behind her were many buildings, not just a few, but a plethora of structures. This was by far the largest concentration of civilization that they had seen so far in this strange new world. Though this particular part of the city was not very well-kept. It seemed they were in the slums of town.
Many barrels with strange blue flames were scattered about many of the alleyways with a few of the Nak'tol surrounding them. Mario assumed that the flame was probably cold due to both the color and the fact that they wouldn't possibly be gathered around a flame in the middle of a dessert.
"As you can see, these are the slums of Naza'rabar. The city has two tiers, one is the slums, and the other is the Upper Tier, home to the Az'nam family. No one but members of that family are allowed up there." Mi'kotyana informed them. "But we in the slums are not burdened by that fact, we all live quite peaceful lives here. Well... up until they started to attack..."
"They? Who do you mean?" Tails inquired.
"We like to call them Mak-Kaokao, or as they call it in your language, Armored Burrowers." Mi'kotyana answered. "No one knows why they have come here, they have always lived in the more northern parts of the dessert up until recently."
"How awful..." Aragonite stated lacing sadness within his words. "What have you done to try and stop these beasts?"
"As you already know, the only way to stop them is by destroying their cores when they resonate energy through it." She replied. "But the Nak'tol were never a combative race, we prefer the sanctity of knowledge to help us survive."
"Does-a that mean you-a all have been-a getting picked off like-a farm of-a some sort?" Luigi said worried that his question would yield a grim answer.
"Unfortunately, yes..." Mi'Kotyana gave him the answer he was hoping not to hear. "By the way, I hate to be such a brown nosing little twerp, but what the heck are you guys doing in the dessert anyway?"
"We are looking for a temple, One that holds information on the goddess Tsukiyomi."
When they uttered the name of that being, the look on Mi'kotyana's face flushed white. She quickly pulled them all into the nearest empty alley and then dropped to a low whisper.
"That name is not to be spoken in the public like that. There are many that would seek to squeeze out the teachings of Tsukiyomi." Mi'kotyana whispered to them. "If you wish to know information on this temple though, I know just the person to bring you to."
While Mi'kotyana was discussing this with the group, Luigi decided to poke his head out of the alley and see what was going on around in the city. Something then caught his eyes, something that brought not only surprise but also fear and dread. Two familiar looking people were walking past some of the local Nak'tols asking if they had seen two suspicious looking plumbers and a blue-furred creature.
Luigi knew these two, they were from the Discordial Avengers, and that meant big trouble. He softly let out a worried yelp, and then tugged at his brother's overalls.
"M-m-m-m-m-m-mario... we-a have company..." Luigi stated while pointing towards Kuratai and Raitai, the two who he had noticed.
"Oh no!" Mario exclaimed, having interrupted Mi'kotyana in saying so. "I am-a deeply sorry Mi'kotyana, for interrupting you, but-a we need to-a get out of here, and-a fast!"
"But why? Did someone catch on to us?" Mi'kotyana asked wondering what all the fuss was about.
"Oh heck... Not those guys again." Sonic said after succumbing to curiosity and looking around the corner of the alley. "This is bad Mario, we are not prepared for them right now."
Tails was just as confused as Mi'kotyana, but from the look on Sonic's face he knew it was serious, and adjusted to the situation accordingly.
"Let's-a just say that those-a two guys out there right-a now are-a big trouble, and will-a cause big damage if they-a find us!" Mario stated.
"Okay follow me then, I know this place like the back of my hand." Mi'kotyana reassured them, knowing that the direness of this matter was of the utmost importance.
She led them down the alley past three blocks before turning to the right on to a descending stair case. At the end of it, there was a door, and inside the building the door was connected too there was another set of stairs, that traveled upwards in a square shape. Going up three floors, Mi'kotyana then proceeded to travel out a entrance heading to the north. Her frame dashed on to a bridge, and shortly behind her the rest of Mario's gang followed.
They quickly ran across the bridge, avoiding being spotted by any members of the Avengers. Once they were across, Mi'kotyana instructed them to duck against the building walls. Using them as cover the group could easily sneak across the rooves.
"I have a place we can hide out at for the time being." Mi'kotyana told them. "Follow me!"
She led them across several buildings before hopping down one of the walls on to a wooden porch hanging off the side of a building. This porch was also a pathway that connected to the sides of many other structures. It was used by the denizens to make travel easier and provide less traffic on the streets. After passing by three homes, she then took a left into a more narrow alley. Mario and company continued right behind her, Luigi kept scanning around to see if anyone had noticed them yet. To his relief no one spotted them, but he was still rather nervous.
Five minutes later and Mi'kotyana had come to a halt at a particular door. Shrouded in the shadows of the alleyway the place was darker than the outer areas that were exposed to the desert sun. Motioning for them to stay here, she went inside. It was just a mere minute that she had then returned in and welcomed them into the home. A being that looked very aged sat cross-legged on a rug centered in the back of the room. On both sides of him were pots that burned some strange incense. He urged them to come deeper inside and to have a seat.
"Come in Come in travelers, make yourselves at home!" The man told them. "My name is Hek'tol and I am Mi'kotyana's grandfather. I heard how you risked your lives to save my granddaughter's life, for that I am grateful. If there is anything I can do to assist you and pay you back please let me know."
"Grandpa, These travelers seek the temple of Tsukiyomi." Mi'kotyana told him.
"Is that so? So you seek the knowledge of the goddess?" Hek'tol inquired them.
"Yes, We have been told by a chieftain in the crystal tropics of a temple in the Iron Sand Dunes that had ancient knowledge on the goddess." Sonic answered the elder. "We were hoping to get in there and maybe find out something that could help us return home."
"Although you did me a huge favor for protecting my Granddaughter's life, The temple of the goddess is strictly forbidden from having outsider's crawl around in it's interior." Hek'tol informed them. "Only those with the blessing of the elders may be granted entrance, and you must do something truly noble to warrant that."
"Ugh, This is not good, what do we do Mario?" Aragonite whispered into his ears.
"I've-a got an idea!" He told them all. "What-a if we-a cull the recent increase in-a worms?"
"That is daring, but do you really think you have the capabilities to vanquish a matriarch of their species?" Hek'tol said unto them whilst giving them a stern look. "The matriarch is a creature that is twenty times the size of a normal worm, and has a core harder than Urgotian diamond."
"What Urgotian diamond? Not good at all." Aragonite told the group.
"Whats-a Urgotian?" Luigi asked, having never heard of this thing before.
"Urgotian diamond is a mineral farmed within the lands of the Urgotian empire that is nearly impossible to crack, break, smash, or do any kind of damage to." Aragonite answered him.
"Urgotian? I've heard that term before. You also said Urgotian empire, which I have also heard of amongst the squabbles I've had with certain creatures." Tails said beaming with a bit a pride as he showed off his smarts. "If I am correct in what I've heard, then Urgotia is the biggest empire on the entire continent, possibly on the entire planet. They also are able to harness the power of Urgotian energy, which is said to be within the atmosphere of this world, and use it to fight with."
"I am impressed Tails, you seemed to have accumulated a very good foundation of information regarding the Urgotians. We can discuss this more in detail later, as I am sure we will need to head there, but for now, we need to figure out a way to combat these worms." Aragonite responded.
"If you wish to help extinguish the rise in worm population, then head a bit north of the city, there you will find their burrows." Hek'tol informed them. "Under the sandy desert lies an intricate web of tunnels and chambers that makes up their entire colony."
"We-a will be happy to-a help you out Hek'tol" Mario settled the deal with this statement.
"I shall convene with the other elders on this matter, If you do indeed come back alive and having vanquished this big problem of ours, then I assure you that entrance into the temple will be granted to you and your companions." he said with a bit of relief laced within his voice. "I know it will be dangerous, but Mi'kotyana, I want you to guide them to the colony."
"What?! Grandfather, why me? I am just a single Nak'tol child, surely you jest in wanting me to accompany them!" Mi'kotyana said shocked at her grandfather's decision.
"Mi'kotyana, you are strong and brave, I believe in your abilities as a Nak'tol, You may still be a child, but you have much potential that can be unlocked." Hek'tol told her. "It is for this very reason that I send you out into the danger, to help these travelers on their quest. Besides, They are apparently strong, so I trust them to protect you should anything go wrong."
"If you insist on me going, then I shall go." She gave up in trying to argue with her grandfather and then turned to Mario and company and smiled. "Well? What do you think? Do you wish for me to guide you to the colony?"
"I've no problem with you joining us, you seem pretty capable for a child, no offense." Sonic said.
"I agree with Sonic, Your knowledge of the desert will help us track the Mak-kaokao down quickly." Aragonite told her.
"Its-a fine with-a me" Mario said with a jump of excitement.
"Alright, it's settled then, we shall set out in the morning." Mi'kotyana said.
That night the heroes were fed a delicious banquet and allowed to rest in the home of Mi'kotyana and her grandfather Hek'tol. Sonic struggled with another nightmare of his as he slept. In it, he could see a tower, and Amy was inside of it. For some strange reason he was inside the tower room and could see Amy, but unfortunately he could not interact with her one bit. His voice wouldn't reach her, and he couldn't even touch her, which was evident when his hand just went right through her shoulder.
"Amy!" he called out to her in vain. She was just sitting at a desk, looking into a mirror with a sorrow filled face. The room looked barren and empty of everything but the desk, and a small wooden bed. While he floated in the air a strange individual entered into the room and addressed Amy. With a quick snapping turn, she faced the person, and had a look of intense fear stricken upon her features.
Whoever this was, Amy didn't particularly like.
"Now, now Amy, that is no way to treat me. You know I could just deal away with you at any second, but my superior deems it necessary to keep you alive." it said to her. "I do hope you will play nicely then, or else I will get a bit physical."
He demonstrated what kind of punishment he was talking about giving her by slapping her across the face. Amy, being in no seat of power, and with no way to protect herself from the speed of his slap, fell to the ground because of it.
"No, You leave Amy alone!" Sonic cried out.
"Oh, it seems we have a visitor." it said as it's eyes directed it's attention at Sonic.
Amy was confused as she couldn't see anyone else in the room. Sonic was even more bewildered as he assumed this was just a dream, but he at once realized otherwise when he felt his body tense up and start to struggle. He was being strangled by a strange sort of power.
"My oh my, it seems your dreams have made a strange connection with this realm, That is not good at all, you should not even know about any of this." it said in a calm and collective voice. "Allow me to sever this connection you seem to have."
Instantly he was awoken by his companions who were all worried about him.
"Amy!" Sonic let out as he woke up. He felt as sweaty and out of breath as the night that they met Aragonite.
"Sonic! Are you-a alright?" Mario asked him.
"Yeah... Just had a..." Sonic stopped short, he didn't want to burden his companions with what he dreamed about, even if it felt so real, as if it were a vision of some sort. "It was just a nightmare, a really bad nightmare."
Tails thoroughly examined Sonic from a distance. He could tell something was weighing heavily in his friend's mind, but they had a mission to do first, so he decided to inquire about it later. As the morning sun shined it's rays into the room through the windows, Sonic quickly got up and put on his usual attitude to let everyone know he was fine. Shortly afterwards Mi'kotyana came into the room and put on to a table another meal.
"Gee, for the lower section of town, you sure manage to eat well." Tails said curiously.
"Food is never a problem in our town. Everyone eats well regardless of social status." She told him. "Now dig in everybody, we have a big day ahead of us."
Once the meal had been finished, Mario and his companions set out north of town, their next destination being the colony of the Mak-kaokao.
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