Hi everybody!
So, I've officially added the poll for Yay or Nay to a Halo:Combat Evolved based world to my profile. So go and vote. I'm also adding a minor change to the previous chapters that you will notice I start in this chapter. I started getting confused with my own timeline after I started working on Riku's part so in order to make better sense of it for myself and all you readers who might be confused, I'm now including dates. Also, I'm trying to come up with summon ideas, please feel free to make suggestions and I just might use my favorites.
Thanks go out to Xtrepe Nobody, janus juan, D-Ro2593, SisterOfScarletDevil, Linkandzel, Eri21, Ragnarok Warrior, knarf2010, and AnimeMaster24 for reviewing last time! Keep the reviews coming! I love feedback!
Disclaimer: A moot point by now. You know the drill. I only own my plot and original characters. Nothing else.
Enjoy!
Chapter Thirteen: Gods Don't Bleed
Friday, June 18th 4794 P.C.
Tzekel-Kan and the bear warrior watched Miguel and Sora from the doorway of the High Priest's temple. Down in a courtyard below, Miguel and Sora played a game of ball with the native children. Tzekel-Kan glanced down at the open book in his hands. An image of a god clad in grey armor, carrying a sword as the world burned behind it and demons fed on the souls of the living stared back at him.
"Hmm. This is not what I expected," Tzekel-Kan said to the warrior. He looked back down at Miguel and Sora and closed the book, slipping it inside his tunic as he turned to face the warrior. "Perhaps Lord Tulio will enlighten me." He straightened his clothing and ran a hand through his hair to straighten it. "How do I look?" The bear warrior seemed a little taken aback at the question.
"Oh. Uh- well, you-" he began, stuttering as he attempted to compliment the High Priest. Tzekel-Kan glared at him.
"Oh, shut up."
LD
Tulio chuckled as Chel kissed up and down his exposed chest. Chel giggled as Tulio cried out in surprise as her lips touched a sensitive spot on his-
"My Lord?" Tzekel-Kan's voice echoed throughout the god's temple. Chel gasped in surprise, still straddling Tulio. Tulio sat up with her, his hair was a complete mess and he wore a slightly dazed and satisfied look on his face. "Hello?"
"The High Priest!" Chel whispered. She shoved Tulio back down to the ground behind one of the many high-backed stone benches so they wouldn't be seen, ignoring Tulio's muffled "Ow!" Chel climbed of Tulio. "What is he going to think if he finds one of the gods like this with me?" Tulio grinned stupidly.
"Um, lucky god?" he suggested. He turned to grin at Chel, who glared back at him.
"Hello?" Tzekel-Kan called out again. Chel through Tulio out from behind the bench, clothes ruffled and hair a mess, and out of the way of Tzekel-Kan's view while the High Priest had his back turned. Tzekel-Kan spun around as he heard Tulio cry out in shock, only to see an empty room before him. He turned around again to continue checking by the entry way.
"Oh, Tzekel-Kan," Tulio said from behind him. Tzekel-Kan turned around again to face Tulio, who's hair and clothes had somehow been put back in order in less than the second Tzekel-Kan hadn't seen him emerge from behind the bench. "What brings you here?"
"I-I-I-I-I humbly request an audience with you, my lord," he bowed low to Tulio.
"Oh yes," Tulio said as he adjusted his vest. "What can I do for you?"
"My lord, I have just seen Lord Miguel and Master Sora out among the people," Tzekel-Kan said, keeping his head bowed so that it was always lower than Tulio's.
"Really?" Tulio said, not at all surprised.
"If I may be so bold as to offer some advice," Tzekel-Kan suggested with a small smile. Behind him, Chel popped up and gestured for Tulio to say 'No'.
"All right," Tulio said, not noticing Chel, "shoot." Tzekel-Kan grinned and cleared his throat as Chel slapped a hand over her face exasperatedly.
"My lord, you are perfect," Tzekel-Kan said. Tulio smirked smugly.
"Oh, well, go on," he said with a chuckle, examining his fingernails.
"But in your perfection, you cannot know how imperfect humans are," Tzekel-Kan continued, slowly circling around Tulio. His hands began to glow green as he wove his hands intricately in front of him, leaving trails of glowing green energy hanging in the air.
"Like snakes, they are spineless and slippery." A pair of glowing green snakes took form from the green energy and hung on the air, hissing at Tulio. Tulio glanced at Chel, both wore the same expression of concern.
Tzekel-Kan strode over to a bowl of fruit and began waving his hand over them as his tone became excited and zealot-like. "They are as untrustworthy as rats," the fruits all transformed suddenly into rats which scurried off towards the door, "stealing and cheating with no remorse!"
He held onto one rat by its tail as it changed back into a fruit. He took a bite and spat it back out on the floor. He spread his arms wide and the walls became covered in more green energy that took the form of hundreds of spiders and massive spider webs. Chel and Tulio both cringed. "Spinning webs of lies, like spiders!" Tzekel-Kan exclaimed as one of the spiders landed in the palm of his hand. He clenched his fist, crushing the spider in an instant.
"Stop it!" Tulio cried out. "That's disgusting." Tzekel-Kan waved his hands and the illusions he had created vanished.
"They're beyond disgusting!" He proclaimed as he stepped towards Tulio and Chel. The pair began to back away from the High Priest.
"Yeah, yeah, way beyond," Tulio said, determined to make sure Tzekel-Kan didn't conjure up any other weird illusions.
"Then we're in agreement!" Tzekel-Kan exclaimed. "I'll begin the necessary preparations immediately. Now, do you wish to have your victims bound to an altar, or would you prefer them free range?" Tulio glanced at Chel in confusion. "And will you be devouring their essence whole, or piece by piece?" He grinned up at Tulio. Tulio opened his mouth trying to come up with a response but couldn't think of anything.
"Tzekel, you've lost me," he settled on saying.
"My lord, these people will not respect you if they do not fear you," Tzekel-Kan explained matter-of-factly.
"And of course, we'll make them fear us by-?"
"A sacrifice! As it is prophesized. The history of the Age of the Jaguar will be written in-"
"-Ink?"
"Blood!"
"Blood! Oh, right," Tulio smacked himself lightly, playing along with Tzekel-Kan's religious zealot attitude. He and Chel continued to make their way towards the stairs to the temple. "Of course. I should probably consult with Lord Miguel. This is fairly important stuff." He gestured behind his back for Chel to start heading down the stairs. "I, um, should discuss the entire, uh, blood issue, right away. Excuse us, won't you?" He grabbed Chel by the hand and led her down the stairs.
"Let's go," he muttered under his breath. Tzekel-Kan let out a sigh and wiped a tear of joy from his eye.
"Finally," he said happily. "We're connecting."
LD
Cortes looked up from the ground at the opening in the caves ceiling that appeared to be shaped like a bird in flight. He looked back at his men.
"This way," he said, leading them out of the caves and back into the jungle.
LD
"Found him," Kairi said as she and Naminé emerged into a courtyard where a few dozen citizens were watching as Sora and Miguel played a game of ball with Chief Tannabok and several children. "Sora!" Sora immediately stopped playing at the sound of his name. He looked around for the source for a few moments before spotting Kairi and Naminé. A grin spread across his face and he ran over to greet them.
"Hey, you two," he said as he swept Kairi into a tight hug and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. "Any luck finding the Keyhole?" Naminé shook her head.
"I got attacked by a Stealth Sneak," Kairi said. "Does that count for anything?" Sora immediately felt his heart begin to race in worry.
"What?" He said as his voice shook slightly. "Are you okay?" Kairi smiled comfortingly at him.
"Yup," she said. "No harm done. Don't worry yourself, babe. I can handle myself. I'm still here aren't I?"
Except for the part where you needed me to save your sorry butt. Naminé whispered in Kairi's mind.
Oh, hush. Kairi said. Her eyes flashed up to the slightly concealed gash on her forehead before darting back to meet Sora's. But the spiky-haired boy had already noticed where her eyes had glanced.
"'No harm done', huh?" Sora said, pointing at the barely bleeding gash. Kairi chuckled nervously.
"It could've been worse," she pointed out. Sora nodded.
"I'll give you that," he said with a smirk. He raised his hand so that his palm hovered less than an inch above Kairi's wound. "Curaga." Green tendrils of light drifted from his fingertips and surrounded the gash in a bright green glow. Kairi shivered uncomfortably as she felt the wound close.
After the light faded, Kairi tentatively placed a hand on her head where the wound had been. Her skin was perfectly smooth. She grinned and gave Sora a peck on the cheek.
"Thank you!" She said cheerfully. Sora smirked.
"My pleasure," he said with a mocking bow. "Just don't go leaping headfirst at walls for awhile. They're tricky creatures, those walls." Naminé bit down on her lower lip to stop from giggling as Kairi smacked Sora on the back of his head.
"Jerk," she said. Sora laughed and drew her into a hug.
"But that's why you love me," he said, flashing her his classic, goofy grin. Kairi couldn't help but smile at that.
"Yeah, you win," she said, faking reluctance. The two laughed. Naminé watched them with a bittersweet taste in her mouth. As happy as she was to have her own body and as happy as she was to see these two be happy together, she longed to be in Roxas' arms, even if it meant she couldn't have a body of her own. She turned back to watch the ball game in time to see the Chief bounce the ball off his hip and above Miguel's head. Naminé smirked as Miguel ran desperately after the ball to bounce it back, only to run straight into an irritated-looking Tulio. The ball fell back to earth and bounced off Tulio's head. Naminé slipped closer to the pair so she could hear them better.
"What do you think you're doing?" Tulio demanded in a whisper. Miguel gave a small chuckle.
"Lying low," he responded as if it should have been obvious. Tulio raised his hands like he was going to strangle Miguel and then forced himself to lower them.
"Look, change of plans," Tulio whispered as he grabbed Miguel by the shoulders. "We have to grab what we can carry and get out of here now!" Naminé raised an eyebrow at him.
"What?" She and Miguel asked in unison. "Why?" Tzekel-Kan strode up behind Tulio.
"Because the High Priest is nuts!" Tulio whispered desperately as Tzekel-Kan glanced around the courtyard. Sora and Kairi walked up behind Naminé with confused looks on their faces. "He wants-"
"This is unacceptable!" Tzekel-Kan suddenly exclaimed.
"Yeah. Yeah!" Tulio exclaimed. "What he said.
"The gods should not be playing ball like this!" Tzekel-Kan picked up the ball and brandished it angrily.
"Well, exactly!" Tulio agreed, giving Miguel an I told you so sort of look. Less than ten minutes later, they found themselves in the center of a huge arena with two parallel, high stone walls on either side rising up and two small golden circles hanging opposite of one another. The citizens of El Dorado lined the benches at the top of the walls.
"THIS is how the gods should play ball!" Tzekel-Kan declared. Tulio, Chel and the three Keyblade Wielders all glared at Miguel, who winced under their stares.
"Well, don't blame me!" He said.
"I blame you," Tulio said in a low, angry voice. "What is the object of this game, pray tell?"
"You've gotta knock the ball through the hoop," Sora said, looking up at the golden circles, both of which had openings barely big enough for the ball to fit through. Even more intimidating was the fact that the hoops were at least twenty feet in the air.
"What hoop?" Tulio asked, looking around for it. Kairi pointed up.
"That hoop," she said, pointing up at the golden hoops. Tulio and Miguel both looked up.
"That's impossible," Tulio groaned. "We're going to lose!"
"Gods don't lose," Chel said as she stroked Altivo's nose. The horse looked at the two 'gods' with a sucks to be you look.
"Who will we be playing?" Miguel asked. Tzekel-Kan cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"My lords," he said proudly, "Chief Tannabok's warriors are the finest ball players in the city. Fifteen mere mortals against two gods." Tulio and Miguel both gulped audibly. "I realize it is a bit uneven, but I do hope they'll challenge you enough to make the game, interesting."
"Um, where are the warriors?" Kairi said. Tzekel-Kan looked at her in confusion before turning around. Sure enough, there were none of the Chief's warriors on the court. The gathered crowd began whispering to one another as they realized there were no players for the 'gods' to play against.
"Where are Chief Tannabok's warriors?" Tzekel-Kan shouted angrily. There was a moment of silence before he was answered by the terrified screams of fifteen men. The small crowd on the court turned to look as Chief Tannabok's warriors ran towards them, screaming like frightened animals. Sora, Kairi and Naminé exchanged a quick glance. The Oblivion, Destiny's Embrace and Rejection of Fate Keyblades all appeared in their wielders hands.
Tzekel-Kan didn't seem to notice. He turned back to Tulio and Miguel with a large grin on his face.
"And now that your opponents are here," he said as he placed the ball in the center of the court, "let's play ba-" The warriors ran right past them, still screaming.
"Where are you going?" Tzekel-Kan demanded, turning to shout at the warriors. "Get back here and play the game like you're supposed to!" One of the arena walls exploded suddenly into a thousand shards of white stone. The citizens of El Dorado cried out in fear as the dust settled, revealing the source of the warrior's terror.
A Heartless, strode slowly from the dust and debris. It towered high above Sora and the others, at least twelve feet tall or more. It's skin was a dark, purplish-bruise color. Instead of a head, a black mist hung around in its place with two pairs of glowing yellow eyes. On each hand it had seven long black claws in place of fingers and its left arm seemed to be shifting as if the limb was a boiling liquid. Emblazoned on each shoulder was the red and black Heartless emblem.
"Go!" Sora shouted to the others as the three Keyblade wielders charged at the Heartless. "We can handle this!"
"Best of luck!" Miguel said, turning to take cover without a second's hesitation.
"Adios!" Tulio cried out as he and Chel leapt onto Altivo's back and took off.
"Wait for me!" Tzekel-Kan cried out, running after the fleeing three.
"You girls ready?" Sora shouted as the trio surrounded the Heartless.
"You know it!" Naminé shouted eagerly. Kairi nodded, determined to not let herself get thrown around this time.
"Then let's do this!" Sora shouted. The three Wielders leapt in unison, slashing at the Heartless' limbs.
LD
Maleficent grinned nastily as she and her followers watched the three Keyblade Wielders attack her newest Heartless, courtesy of the Doctor and his experiments. She glanced over at the Apostle of the Star in question. The Doctor smirked and pushed his glasses further up on his nose, eagerly observing his Heartless creation in action.
Maleficent looked back at the pink crystal and watched as the three Keyblade Wielders first strike ended abruptly as the trio was flung back by the Heartless' speed and strength.
Is this enough of a challenge for you, Princess?
LD
Sora, Kairi and Naminé all cried out in pain as they were flung back from the Heartless and into the remaining walls of the arena. Kairi and Naminé crumpled to the ground, both groaning and struggling to get up. Sora however had planted his feet against stone wall, giving him leverage to propel himself at the Heartless.
The Heartless had turned to face the fallen Naminé. Sora grinned slightly at his fortune and drew the Oblivion back to deal a powerful slash to the Heartless' exposed blind zone. Sora was less than a foot away from striking the Heartless when its eyes suddenly appeared on the back of its smoky head, staring straight into Sora's face. The smoke of its head suddenly changed from black mist to bright red and orange flames.
Sora cried out as the Heartless' entire body became engulfed in flame. It was too late to stop his momentum. He passed straight through Heartless as if it had become a living flame. He crashed into the ground and rolled several feet before coming to a halt.
"Sora!" Kairi cried out. She aimed Destiny's Embrace at the Heartless. "Blizzard!" A volley of ice shards burst from her Keyblade's tip and struck the Heartless in the side. Where the ice struck, the fire was extinguished, becoming the normal skin of the Heartless again. The Heartless turned to face Kairi, tendrils of fire rising from its body and lashing out towards Kairi as it advanced on her.
"Blizzaga!" Sora shouted. Three large shards of ice slammed into the Heartless' back and melted instantly, extinguishing the remaining flame. The Heatless seemed momentarily stunned. Sora and Kairi leapt at the Heartless, both attacking the legs while Naminé dropped down on it from above, the edge of the Rejection of Fate glowing with a bright light.
In unison, Sora and Kairi struck the Heartless in the back of its legs, forcing it to its knees. Fire covered the Oblivion as Sora plunged it into the Heartless' back, and slashed lengthwise as Kairi sliced off its right arm. Naminé's Keyblade glowed brighter as she plunged it into the place where the Heartless' neck would've been.
The Heartless collapsed to the ground a gagging sound escaping its throat as its entire body seemed to bubble. The three Wielders leapt back from Heartless as its body exploded into globs of purple liquid. Kairi and Naminé both covered their faces while the entire front of Sora's body. The Heartless' emblem clattered to the ground, still solid.
"Okay," Kairi said, flinging the purple mess off of her hands, "That's just gross." Sora wiped the purple liquid out of his eyes.
"I couldn't agree more," he said as he wiped more off of his face. All around them the citizens of El Dorado began cheering for them.
"Your warriors truly are powerful, my lords," Tzekel-Kan said to Tulio and Miguel, both of whom seemed rather stunned.
"I'll say," Tulio said.
LD
"It would seem your home-grown Heartless wasn't much of a match against the Keyblade Wielders, Doctor," Maleficent said, turning from the crystal to face a man in a white lab coat.
"It was a rather pathetic display, actually," Keila said as she casually examined her fingernails. "I think a pair of Darksides would've fared better." The man in the white coat sneered at her.
"I don't remember seeing the end of the fight, do you?" The Doctor said. A smirk forming on his face as he looked up at Maleficent.
LD
"That seemed to go a lot smoother than I had expected," Naminé said as the three Wielders bowed to the crowd.
"Are you complaining?" Kairi asked. Naminé shook her head.
"Hell no! I'm just we didn't have to fight anything tougher. That would've ruined my day for sure," she said with a wide grin. The crowd all let out gasps of shock and began pointing behind the three wielders.
"Why do I get the feeling if we turn around there's going to be another Heartless?" Naminé asked sarcastically. The three teens turned around. The Heartless that they had just defeated and forced to explode into purple liquid was rapidly reforming. The Heartless emblem floated in midair as the rest of its body took shape around it again.
"Well, that's just fantastic," Kairi said, the sarcasm heavy in her voice. Wisps of black smoke formed where the Heartless' head should've been and its four glowing yellow eyes slowly took form.
"Perhaps I spoke too soon," Tzekel-Kan said, sneering down at the Wielders.
"This thing just doesn't know when to give up," Sora grunted as he raised the Oblivion back into a fighting stance. "I think it needs to be taught a lesson."
"Right," Kairi and Naminé said in unison. The three of them charged once again at the Heartless. Sora put on an extra burst of speed and reached the Heartless before the others did. As he swung back the Oblivion to deal a powerful strike to the Heartless' knees, the Heartless' left hand glowed briefly with a bright light. Sora stumbled back in surprise. The light faded, revealing that the hand had transformed into a large, triangular blade. Kairi and Naminé halted in their charge as they saw the blade.
"What the-?" Sora cried out, as the Heartless' four eyes directed their attention onto him. The Heartless drew back its sword arm and stabbed down at Sora's exposed chest.
"Reflect!" Kairi called out. A small orb of light burst from Destiny's Embrace and struck Sora in the back. A dome of light surrounded Sora less than a second before the Heartless' blade would've pierced Sora's chest. Instead, the blade glanced of the barrier, causing the Heartless to stumble forward.
"Take this!" Naminé shouted from above the Heartless. A trio of light rings had surrounded her as she dropped down on it. From its back, the Heartless rapidly grew another pair of arms which snatched Naminé from the sky and slammed her headfirst into the ground. The citizens of El Dorado cried out in shock.
"Naminé!" Kairi and Sora shouted in unison. The Heartless raised Naminé again, preparing to slam her back down into the ground. Sora hurled the Oblivion at the Heartless, striking it against the emblem emblazoned on its chest. The Heartless let out a cry of rage and stumbled backwards, releasing Naminé. Kairi dashed forward and caught the blonde in her arms before she could hit the ground. Her golden blonde hair was streaked crimson with blood.
"Naminé," Kairi said frantically as she pulled her sister aside. "Can you hear me?" Behind them, Sora dashed at the Heartless, determined to keep its attention on him and away from the two girls.
"Look, my new ship can talk!" Naminé said, weakly her eyes unfocused and a ditzy-looking smile forming on her face. "And it knows things! That's a good ship!" Kairi just stared at her.
"Uh… Maybe you should lie down here in the shade for awhile," she stared, as she helped the blonde lay down. Kairi held her hand out over Naminé's head. "Cure," green tendrils of light flowed from Kairi's fingertips down onto the blondes wound. "That should at least stop the bleeding." She glanced back to where Sora was fighting the Heartless single-handedly in time to watch the spiky-haired teen get thrown into a wall. She turned back to Naminé.
"Stay here, alright?" She said, gently placing a hand on Naminé's shoulder. "I'm going to go help Sora beat this thing." Kairi called Destiny's Embrace back to her hand and charged at the Heartless from behind.
"Goodbye Major Cinnamon Bun!" Naminé called after her before passing out.
"How's Naminé?" Sora asked as he leapt over the Heartless' sword arm, effectively causing the Heartless to embed the blade into the stone wall of the arena. The Heartless attempted to wrench it free but was unable to do so. Kairi ran up and severed the Heartless' legs at its knees only to see them reattach instantaneously.
"She's a little bit on the delirious side at the moment," Kairi said through clenched teeth as she leapt back from the Heartless. "But she'll live."
"Good to know," Sora replied as he slashed at the Heartless' exposed chest. The Heartless reacted faster than Sora had thought possible as its free arm snatched Sora up and threw him across the arena. Sora growled in frustration, flipping his body so that he landed on his feet. He slid across the ground for several feet, putting additional distance between him and the battle. When he came to a stop, he broke into a flat out sprint.
The black smoke that made up the Heartless' head turned white. Its body quickly became encased in a segmented armor of ice. The wall where the Heartless' sword was stuck slowly began to freeze. The Heartless drew back its free hand and smashed the section of the wall into pieces, freeing its sword arm. It turned on its heel quickly and struck the ground with its ice covered fist. A large patch of ice began to form on the ground, spreading quickly across the arena to thoroughly coat the grounds surface. Sora and Kairi both found themselves slipping and sliding across the ice.
"I knew there was a reason I never went skiing on the mainland with my parents," Kairi growled as she fell flat on her rear. "I hate ice." Fire covered Destiny's Embrace as Kairi plunged it into the ice. The heat of the flames quickly melted Kairi a large enough patch in the ice to stand of firm ground without her sliding all over. Sora was hovering a good half-foot above the ground as he pointed the Oblivion at the Heartless.
The Heartless' sword arm was bathed in light, the sword vanished, changing back into the Heartless' normal arm. It raised its hands and a large sphere of ice formed in midair directly in front of it. The ice sphere began to rotate at a high velocity as the Heartless turned to face Sora directly. The ice sphere began to roll towards Sora. A large ball of fire formed on the tip of Sora's Keyblade.
"Firaga!" Sora shouted as the ice sphere drew dangerously close. The fireball burst from the Oblivion and streaked towards the ice sphere. Fire and ice collided, the clashing forces of magic and nature exploding violently. The entire arena shook. Shards of ice flew in every direction. The spectators covered their heads and ducked under the frozen projectiles. Miguel pushed Tulio out of the way as one shard nearly pierced Tulio's skull. Miguel however, wasn't so lucky. The shard that would've struck Tulio instead grazed the blonde-haired man's right eyebrow.
The Heartless' armor of ice cracked and fell to the ground, the ice, coating the arena floor quickly melted from the tropic heat, leaving massive puddles across the ground. It glanced down at its former armor before looking up to face Sora and Kairi, only to be met by their Keyblades as the couple plunged them deep into the Heartless' emblem.
"Light!" The two teens shouted. A multitude of light beams burst from the Heartless' body.
There was a long moment where all time seemed to stop. The citizens of El Dorado looked on in nervous anticipation as the light beams faded. The emblem on the Heartless' chest cracked into several pieces and faded away into nothing. The Heartless collapsed to its knees and vanished into a thick cloud of black mist. A large, glittering pink heart rose into the air before fading from sight. The crowd erupted into cheers.
Sora and Kairi grinned as their Keyblades vanished. The pair of them waved to the crowd before rushing over to help Naminé. A pair of Chief Tannabok's warriors who had run from the Heartless earlier had appeared from nowhere and were gently placing Naminé onto a makeshift stretcher.
"Naminé?" Kairi asked tentatively as she and Sora approached the injured blonde. "Can you hear me?"
"Kairi," Naminé said weakly, her eyes still shut tight, "if I die, I want you to have my orange juice."
"I think we need to get her to a bed," Sora said. "I think she's still completely out of it." Kairi nodded in agreement.
"That was amazing you two!" Tulio exclaimed, clapping Sora on the back as he and Miguel ran up to them.
"Great job at selling the 'greatest warriors' bit," Miguel said, glancing down at Naminé's unconscious body. "Is she going to be alright?" Sora and Kairi nodded.
"Nothing we can't fix," Sora said, flashing the 'gods' his trademark goofy grin.
"My lords," Tzekel-Kan said loudly as he and Chief Tannabok approached, closely tailed by the Chief's warriors who had run from the Heartless. "Your warriors truly are magnificent. Far superior and braver than Chief Tannabok's warriors." Tzekel-Kan shot a smirk at the Chief. "And now, you will, of course, wish to have the Chief's cowardly warriors sacrificed to your glory." The crowd gasped as Tzekel-Kan's voice carried throughout the arena. Sora and Kairi exchanged a worried glance. The Chief's warriors fell to their knees, clasped their hands together and groveled before the 'gods'.
"Not again," Miguel said exasperatedly. He pointed a finger at Tzekel-Kan. "Look, Tzekel-Kan." It suddenly dawned on Tulio that Miguel was about to cause trouble.
"Uh, Miguel?" He whispered, attempting to get the blonde man to stop.
"Forget the sacrifices. We don't want any sacrifices."
"But all of the sacred writings say that you will devour the wicked and the unrighteous," Tzekel-Kan exclaimed. Miguel quickly glanced around.
"Well, I don't see anyone here who fits that description," he said, a smug smile forming on his face. Tzekel-Kan made a scoffing noise as he stared incredulously at Miguel.
"Well, as speaker for the gods," Tzekel-Kan continued proudly, "it would be my privilege to point them out." He gestured with a tilt of his head towards Chief Tannabok, who glared daggers back at the High Priest.
"The gods are speaking for themselves now!" Miguel proclaimed. The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves. "This city, and these people, have no need for you anymore!" Miguel shoved past Tzekel-Kan and began helping Chief Tannabok's warriors back to their feet. "There will be no sacrifices! Not now, not ever!" The crowd began to cheer loudly. Tzekel-Kan looked around at his fellow citizens, unsure of how to react.
"Get out!" Miguel growled at him. Tzekel-Kan glanced over at the Chief, who waved goodbye to him. He stared back into the glaring face of Miguel and his eyes were immediately drawn to the scrape above Miguel's right eyebrow where the ice shard had grazed him.
Tzekel-Kan's eyes widened in shock. A single drop of blood oozed from the scrape and ran down the side of Miguel's face. The look of shock quickly became a look of sudden understanding of an important secret.
"As the… gods… command," he said in a low tone, slowly backing away from Miguel as the crowd hoisted the 'gods' and their warriors onto their collective shoulders.
"Hey, not bad for my first commandment, huh?" Miguel said, gently nudging Tulio on the shoulder and slapping Sora's hand in a high five.
LD
"Do you know why the gods demand blood?" Tzekel-Kan asked the bear warrior as the pair of them entered the High Priests temple.
"I don't know," the warrior said in confusion. Tzekel-Kan pulled out a jagged, stone knife and sliced open the palm of his hand. He strode over to a carving of the gods and their three warriors and smeared the blood from his palm onto the face of one of the gods.
"Because gods don't bleed," Tzekel-Kan answered. He pulled his hand away from the stone and watched as the remaining blood on his palm retreated back into the wound, which disappeared in a flash of sickly green light. "Its' time to take the future into my own hands, and this city will be cleansed. Even if I have to do it myself." Tzekel-Kan snatched an old, worn out tome from the warriors hands.
"Um, how?" The warrior asked. Tzekel-Kan began flipping through the pages. One showed a demon wielding a jagged sword falling into a fiery pit lined with skulls. Another showed a man fishing while sitting on a crescent moon. Another depicted a man dressed in a black cloak creating silver fire in his bare hands while several other black cloaked figures stood behind him.
"There are dark magics here," Tzekel-Kan explained. "And power, and-" he stopped on a page depicting a large jaguar tearing apart a temple. "Oh, my, my, my, my, my." He snapped the tome shut and tossed it to the warrior. "It's not called the Age of the Jaguar for nothing." He chuckled sinisterly. He walked over to the doorway of the temple and gazed out to where several dozen men were rapidly building the boat for the 'gods'. "This will be a delightful way to bid the false gods… goodbye."
LD
"Looks like your Heartless experiment failed, Doctor," Keila said, turning away from the pink viewing crystal to smile smugly at the spectacled man. The Doctor chuckled and pushed his glasses back into place on his nose.
"This prototype version, yes," he said with a sinister grin. "But that was the trial run. The next version won't be as weak. It'll surpass all others by the time I'm through with it."
LD
Sunday, June 20th 4794 P.C.
The next two days had passed by fairly quickly and uneventfully for the three teens. Kairi stayed by Naminé's bedside for most of the time while Sora headed out into the city to search for the Keyhole alone, but with no results.
Before they knew it, Chief Tannabok's carpenters had built a boat large enough to transport all of the gold from El Dorado and it was ready for its maiden voyage. While Kairi, Chel and Tulio tended to Naminé (or in Tulio's case, the gold), Sora went with Miguel to examine the ship with Chief Tannabok.
"Well, it's, um, uh, nice," Miguel said. Sora looked at him incredulously. Nice? This was nothing compared to the Dauntless in Port Royal. That was a "nice" ship.
"Nice?" Chief Tannabok asked taking a drag on his cigar, waiting for further clarification.
"Yes, nice."
"But?"
"Um, but, uh, is it really fit for the gods?" Miguel asked.
What is he doing? Roxas said in the back of Sora's mind.
I have no idea.
"I have been around boats, believe me," Miguel said with a chuckle. "And that, um, the pointy, tall, um, the, the, the, the long up and down thing-" Sora fought back the urge to snicker as Miguel gestured at the mast.
"The mast?" Chief Tannabok suggested.
"The mast, yes, yes," Miguel said quickly, attempting to recover from his blunder. "The mast is good. Well look at it." He was stammering, trying to come up with reasons why the boat wasn't ready. "There's not nearly enough… uh, rope."
Does he want us to stay here in El Dorado or something?
"Rope?" Sora and the Chief asked in unison, both thoroughly confused. A grin spread across Miguel's face.
"Yes, rope," he said. "Exactly my point. Vertical ascension requires a lot more rope. And look at this." Miguel strode over to the hand carved wood railing and began tugging at it with all his might, unable to make it move. "This doesn't look at all secure. Chief, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but all in all, it is a complete do-over." Miguel leaned against the railing dejectedly, staring sadly out at the sunset. Chief Tannabok smiled knowingly and walked over to lean against the rail next to Miguel.
"You know, Lord Miguel," he said thoughtfully, "if you wish to stay, you only need to say so." Miguel looked genuinely tempted by the Chief's offer.
So he does want to stay. Sora noticed. Miguel turned to look at the Chief.
"You mean… forever?" He asked hesitantly. The Chief nodded.
"Of course." The Chief said. Miguel sighed.
"Oh, no, I can't," he said. "I have to go back with Tulio. We're… we're partners."
"Big plans in the other world, huh?" The Chief said with an accepting smile. Miguel gave him a half-hearted smile in return.
"Yup," he said, staring back out at the water. "Big plans." The Chief clapped Miguel on the shoulder.
"Well, then, I better go get some more rope, huh?" He said as he began to walk away.
"Oh, Chief, forget about the rope," Miguel said quickly. "My mistake." The Chief shrugged and tapped the tip of his cigar against one of his bracelets.
"Hey," he said, his tone one of understanding, "to err is human." He gave Sora a knowing nod and imitated zipping his lips shut.
He knows. Roxas said in realization.
Knows what?
That Miguel and Tulio aren't gods and that we aren't their warriors.
Why do you say that?
Just a feeling I guess.
Ah.
Miguel stared at the Chief for a moment before he and Sora climbed down from the ship, Miguel leading Altivo back up to the temple while Sora went off to continue his search for the elusive Keyhole.
LD
Kairi and the bedridden Naminé watched with mild interest as Tulio and Chel debated on how the gold would be distributed.
"Half?" Tulio exclaimed in shock, forgetting that Kairi and Naminé were watching.
"Mm-hmm," Chel hummed as she examined her nails. Tulio chuckled loudly.
"I don't think so," he said. "I'll tell you what. Uh, I'll let you come back to Spain with us, like you wanted, and, um, yeah, I can see my way clear to throwing you ten percent?" Chel chuckled.
"You know, maybe I won't go to Spain with you and take a third," she suggested.
"They're totally hot for each other," Naminé said as she bit into a bright green fruit. Kairi shushed her.
"Oh hush," she said to her injured sister. "You and Roxas would be like that if you two were in their place." Naminé's face fell slightly as she remembered that Roxas still didn't have a body of his own. Kairi immediately felt a knot of guilt form in her gut.
"Naminé, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up," she said quietly. Naminé wiped a tear that had formed from the corner of her eye.
"Don't worry about it," she said, staring over at Tulio and Chel while attempting to stifle the pain she felt in her heart from being without Roxas.
"Like you don't want to go to Spain," Tulio was saying with a smug, knowing attitude.
"Oh, like you don't want me to want to go to Spain," Chel shot back.
"I want you to want-" Tulio began angrily before slowing down as he had an epiphany, "-What you want." A look of surprise formed on Chel's face.
"Go on," Chel suggested.
"All right," Tulio said, throwing his arms up in defeat. "Cards on the table. Uh, I want you to come to Spain with me and Miguel. Mostly me. Especially me." A delighted smile formed quickly on Chel's face. "Only me. Forget Miguel." Chel chuckled.
"Well, as long as that's what you want," she said, poking Tulio in the center of his chest. "Me too."
"Okay then," Tulio said as he and Chel pulled their bodies closer together. "Deal?"
"Deal," Chel whispered as she pulled Tulio into a deep, passionate kiss. Naminé forced herself to look away. She could feel her heart breaking. Kairi didn't notice and almost smiled when she noticed Miguel leaning against the doorway, glaring in at Tulio and Chel, both of whom were oblivious to his presence. Altivo strode up next to the blonde-haired man, his jaw dropping as he saw the couple.
"'Forget Miguel'?" Miguel whispered. "Well, forget Tulio." He pushed himself off the doorway and walked away, Altivo following suit. Kairi watched sadly as Miguel and Altivo vanished from sight.
LD
The bear warrior knelt before a deep vat built into the floor of the High Priest's temple, slowly stirring a glowing green concoction with a long stick. A variety of ingredients lay scattered around him. Tzekel-Kan slowly paced the room, humming to himself.
"Well, is it ready yet?" The former High Priest asked the warrior, his patience wearing thin. The warrior smiled up at him and dipped a bowl into the steaming liquid. He pulled it back out, now full and gently blew on it to cool it down before offering it to Tzekel-Kan, who sneered down at it. The warrior realized what he had forgotten, he grabbed a tiny, purple paper umbrella, opened it and handed it to Tzekel-Kan.
Tzekel-Kan took several sniffs, it didn't smell quite as powerful as he had expected. He tossed the bowl aside in disgust and picked up the tome, rifling through it to find the page he wanted.
"It seems to be missing something," he muttered to himself. He tapped the page with his finger as he realized the final ingredient was missing. "Ah, that's it." He strode behind the warrior and turned his back to him. "It needs more… body." Tzekel-Kan kicked backwards, knocking the warrior into the steaming concoction. There was a bright flash of light from the concoction that lifted Tzekel-Kan off of his feet and pinned him against the stone carving of the gods and their warriors. His eyes began to glow a bright green as glowing, pale green tribal patterns appeared on his flesh.
The same patterns spread from the concoction across the floor and up into the giant stone statue of a jaguar that rested against one wall of the temple. The same pattern that appeared on stone jaguars body, running up from its paws to its eyes, which began to glow exactly like Tzekel-Kan's.
Tzekel-Kan forced himself off of the stone carving, his every movement mirrored by the jaguar, which freed itself from the wall of the temple. Both fell forward onto all fours. The carving of the gods fell forward and broke into two, separating the stone images of the gods from one another.
"Do… as I command!" Tzekel-Kan said as he began to laugh maniacally. The jaguar imitating his every movement perfectly.
LD
Sora and Kairi sipped nervously from the cups they had been offered at the farewell party the citizens of El Dorado were holding for the 'gods'. After a villager laughed and assured them that it was nothing more than mango juice, the pair's nervousness faded quickly. A couple of children were reenacting Miguel's declaration that there would be no more sacrifices.
"That kid does you better than you do," they heard Tulio say to an angry-looking Miguel. The pair of them moved in closer to listen. "Some send off, huh? We're finally at the 'go back to Spain and live like kings' part."
"Well," Miguel said slowly as he stirred his drink, "isn't king kind of a step down from god?" Tulio nearly choked on his drink in shock.
"What?" He whispered. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Miguel, we can't stay here." He chuckled nervously. "We have a plan, remember?"
"How about… we forget the plan?" Miguel suggested. Tulio looked at his partner like he was wearing a pin emblazoned with the words 'Room for Rent: Inquire Within'. Tulio opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a roar that sounded like stone grinding together.
The top of the High Priest's temple exploded into thousands of shards of stone as a giant stone jaguar climbed out. The citizen's of El Dorado began screaming and running for cover. Tulio and Miguel both let out high-pitched screams of terror as Sora and Kairi summoned their Keyblades. As the jaguar descended the side of the temple, Tzekel-Kan emerged, laughing evilly.
"Now everyone will know the truth of your 'divinity'," he called out to Miguel and Tulio. Chief Tannabok's warriors ran forward, determined to prove themselves to the 'gods'. A volley of spears flew through the air and shattered against the jaguar's stone body. The jaguar picked up one warrior in its massive stone teeth and tossed him into the air. The warrior let out a cry of shock and terror as he flew up before being caught once again by the jaguar's powerful stone jaws. The jaguar's gaze fell upon Tulio and Miguel and it dropped the warrior to the ground.
"I'm okay!" The warrior exclaimed, sounding extremely relieved as he sat up from his fall. One of the jaguar's hind paws descended on the warrior, crushing him. Sora and Kairi both winced. "I'm still okay!" The warrior shouted weakly. Tulio and Miguel both turned from the jaguar and started running along with the other citizens of El Dorado. The jaguar charged after the two 'gods'.
"Come on!" Sora shouted to Kairi as the couple wove their way through the panicked crowd. They caught up to the jaguar and began striking its paws with their Keyblades repeatedly, but nothing seemed to phase the jaguar. Tzekel-Kan let out another maniacal laugh.
"See how powerless your warriors are against the mighty jaguar?" He taunted. Sora growled under his breath. The edge of the Oblivion became coated in fire as he swung it down. Tzekel-Kan let out a cry of pain. While the blow hadn't damaged his jaguar, the connection he shared with it had caused Sora's attack to burn the back of his hand. Tzekel-Kan swept his hand to the side to ease the pain with the cool night air and the jaguar imitated his movement, knocking Sora off of his feet and through a stone wall.
"Sora!" Kairi cried out, worriedly. Her worry immediately dissolved into anger. She leapt up higher than she thought possible and landed on the jaguar's back. Grinning ferociously, she ran up to stand on its snout. The jaguar halted its advance, staring at the auburn-haired teen standing on its face.
"Hi there," Kairi said, flashing a sweet smile at the jaguar before she drew back Destiny's Embrace and plunged it into the jaguar's eye. The jaguar and Tzekel-Kan both let out cries of pain. Kairi leapt gracefully off of the jaguar's face and held out her hand towards its head as she slowly fell back to the ground. "Light!" A beam of light shot from her palm and struck one of the jaguar's ears, blasting it into oblivion. Kairi's brief moment of triumph was cut short as the one of the jaguar's paws knocked out of the air and into Sora's unconscious body.
Darkness quickly closed in around the edge of her vision. The last thing she saw before passing out was the jaguar chasing Tulio and Miguel into the jungle and Tzekel-Kan smirking down at the two teens as he followed his stone puppet in pursuit of the 'gods'.
LD
Tulio and Miguel came to a sudden halt as they found themselves perched on the edge of the outcropping above the massive whirlpool where Tzekel-Kan had held the reverent ceremony for the 'gods'. The jaguar stopped shortly behind them, blocking their only means of escape.
"I know what you are," Tzekel-Kan said, emerging from behind the jaguar, "and I know what you are not. And you are not gods!" Tulio and Miguel stared at him in a shocked silence, wondering how Tzekel-Kan had figured it out. Tulio quickly recovered.
"Y-you're not a god?" He asked Miguel, feigning ignorance. He grabbed the blonde-haired man by the collar of his shirt. "You lied to me?" Gesturing with his eyes, Tulio encouraged Miguel to play along with their usual witty banter they resorted to whenever they'd get caught in a scam. Miguel just glared back at him. Tulio cleared his throat and shoved Miguel away from him. "How dare you?"
"Hey, it was his stupid plan!" Miguel said to Tzekel-Kan, who looked confused.
"Oh, ho, ho. My plan was that we should lie low!" Tulio shouted. "Your plan was to run off and be all 'Oh, look at me! Look at me! I'm a god!'."
"That's not true!"
"No? Who're you kidding? You're buying your own con!"
"Well at least I'm not dating mine!"
"I- ooh, low blow," Tulio said. "Listen, Mr. High-and-Mighty, we'd both be sailing out of here with a mountain of gold if you had just listened to me!"
"Well, now you've got all the precious gold and Chel," Miguel pointed out as he shoved Tulio. "So what do you need me for?"
"Well, maybe I don't need you anymore!" Tulio shoved back. Tzekel-Kan smirked.
"Well then, why don't you just go back to Spain and I'll stay here and we'll both get what we want?" He grabbed Tulio's shoulders and shook him roughly. Tulio shoved him off.
"That's fine with me, pal!"
"Fine with me too!" Miguel slapped Tulio. Tzekel-Kan began to chuckle.
"Fine!" Tulio returned Miguel's slap with greater force.
"Okay!" Miguel growled as he slapped Tulio again.
"All right!" They both shouted together, turning to punch Tzekel-Kan in the face. The former High Priest was lifted off of his feet by the force of the blow.
"Tie him up!" Tulio said quickly as he and Miguel snatched up a thick vine that hung over the outcropping's edge. Tzekel-Kan quickly recovered, his eyes began to glow a brighter green and he let out a roar. Behind them, the jaguar sprang to life again and pounced towards them.
"Jump!" Tulio shouted. He and Miguel leapt over the sides of the outcropping, spared from plummeting to their deaths by the vine they were going to use to tie up Tzekel-Kan. The former High Priest let out a cry of shock as the jaguar landed directly above him. The outcropping cracked and broke from the jaguar's weight, sending both it and Tzekel-Kan tumbling into the whirlpool below.
LD
Tzekel-Kan was quickly dragged underwater by the powerful currents. He struggled desperately, trying his best to reach the surface. Suddenly, he was caught by an even stronger current and whisked away through a dark tunnel at a dangerously high velocity.
He emerged from the water into a slow flowing river several miles away from the city, gasping for breath. He crawled onto the shore and was greeted by the barrel of Cortes' rifle aiming straight into his face. Tzekel-Kan gasped, the man standing before him, clad in the dull gray armor was exactly like the prophecies foretold. This man was a real god.
"My lord," Tzekel-Kan groveled before Cortes. The Spaniard knocked the tip of his rifle against Tzekel-Kan's golden earrings.
"Where did you get this?" He demanded of the native. Tzekel-Kan grinned.
LD
Monday, June 21 4794 P.C.
Sora and Kairi both sat bolt upright in bed as Naminé splashed a jar of water over the pair of them.
"Rise and shine," she said cheerily. "Come on you two, the boat's already loaded with the gold and Tulio and Chel are waiting for us." Kairi groaned, gently massaging the back of her head where she could feel a faint lump.
"What happened?" She asked the blonde.
"You don't remember?" Naminé sighed and tossed Kairi a towel to dry herself off with. "You two were fighting that giant stone cat thing and it knocked you both through a building which knocked both you out. I'm the one who had to drag your sorry butts out of the rubble and up all of those godforsaken stairs outside just to get you up here." She stuck her tongue out at Sora. "And you're not exactly light either." Sora rolled his eyes and forced himself out of the bed.
"You said we're just meeting Tulio and Chel?" Sora pointed out as he slipped his oversized shoes on. "What about Miguel?" Naminé's smile fell.
"He wants to stay," she said.
"Why?" Sora asked.
"Because he saw Tulio and Chel kiss and Tulio told Chel he wanted her to come back to Spain with him and to forget Miguel," Kairi explained as she toweled off her hair. Sora made a small 'Oh' sound. And quickly made sure that none of the few possessions they had were missing.
"What happened to Tzekel-Kan?" Sora asked. Naminé smiled again.
"He and his jaguar fell into that giant whirlpool," she explained. "I don't think we'll be hearing from him again.
"How long were we out?" Kairi said as she examined her hair in a golden mirror.
"Almost all of last night and most of today," Naminé replied examining the tiny golden earrings she had picked out for herself. "So we'd better hurry."
LD
It seemed as if the entirety of the city had turned out to watch Tulio and the three warriors depart from El Dorado. The Chief gave them all bone crushing hugs and Altivo made certain that they all left with wet cheeks. Miguel shook their hands stiffly. As the five of them climbed into the boat.
"Well, good luck," Miguel said to Tulio. Tulio nodded sadly towards his former partner.
"Yeah, you too," he said. Miguel turned to walk away as the five travelers began the necessary preparations to set sail. A loud crack echoed from somewhere in the distance. It went unnoticed by all except Altivo, who looked up at the great forest. Several thick plumes of jet black smoke were rising into the air. He began to whinny alarmingly. Everyone looked around at him to see what the fuss was about.
"Whoa, boy," Miguel said, attempting to calm the horse. "What is it?" Altivo let out another whinny and jerked his head in the direction of the smoke. Miguel and the others followed the horses gaze. Miguel gasped. "Cortes."
"My lord," Chief Tannabok said in confusion. "What is it?" One of the Chief's warriors came running up, shouting for him.
"Chief Tanni! Chief Tanni!" The warrior collapsed at the Chief's feet. "Approaching the city is an army of strangers!" The Chief placed a comforting hand on the warrior's shoulder.
"We are safe here," the Chief said reassuringly. "They will never find the gate to the city." The soldier looked up at the Chief, his face displaying only fear.
"But sire," he said weakly, "they were being led by Tzekel-Kan!" The Chief's eyes widened in surprise and anger.
"He survived?" He growled. "Warriors! Prepare yourselves for battle!" The warriors all began shouting war cries and beat their spears against their shields.
"Chief! We cannot fight them!" Miguel said worriedly. The Chief spun to face him.
"Then how do we stop them?" He demanded.
"We can't," Miguel said hopelessly. He glanced down at Tulio in desperation. The gears in Tulio's head were already beginning to turn.
"One moment please!" He called out. He ran over to a small table in the center of the boat where Sora was sipping water out of a golden cup. Tulio piled golden coins into two stacks and placed a thin piece of gold in front of them.
"Okay, here's the gate, here's the boat," he muttered to himself as Kairi and Chel looked over his shoulders.
"Uh huh, and?" Chel asked. Tulio growled as he tried to come up with an idea quicker.
"Here's the gate."
"Okay…"
"Here's the boat."
"Got that. And?"
"Here's the goat and here's the bait-"
"Tulio!" Chel and Kairi cried out in unison, startling Tulio. Tulio accidentally elbowed Sora as he leapt up in surprise. Sora's half full cup of water fell to the table, spilling out the water, which carried the golden 'boat' into the 'gate' which smashed the two columns of gold coins.
"That's it!" Tulio exclaimed. "We'll crash the boat into the pillars!"
"That's it?" Chel asked. "But, I mean… what about the gold?" Tulio had obviously forgotten that part.
"Well…" he began sadly before sobbing slightly. "Chief!" He called out, his voice cracking slightly before he cleared it. "Chief!" The Chief and Miguel looked over at him. Tulio raised Sora's now empty water cup to them.
"I have a plan."
LD
Tzekel-Kan grinned as he pointed Cortes and his men in the direction of El Dorado. Behind them, the jungle burned.
"It had better be there," Cortes said to the native. "For your sake."
LD
Back in the city of gold, the strongest men Chief Tannabok could find were attaching ropes to one of the fountains by the city's entrance.
"Hold the lines steady!" The Chief called out. "They're almost in place.
Sora and Tulio steered the boat down the river with a pair of long oars, they were almost parallel with the fountain.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Sora whispered to Tulio.
"Me too," Tulio replied. He looked up at Miguel and nodded a farewell to his former partner. "Okay, Chief!" He called out. "On my signal!" He waited until the boat was perfectly aligned with the fountain. "Ready? Hit the pillars!" Chief Tannabok turned towards his men.
"Now!" He cried out. Twenty of the men rammed a log into the pillars that supported the fountain. The first pillar shattered. Quickly followed by the second, and the third. The ropes supporting the fountain all tightened and the men struggled to control it. Ropes began to snap, one after another.
"Kairi! Naminé!" Tulio shouted. "Get the sail! They're breaking too quickly!" Kairi and Naminé both leapt into action they began tugging on the ropes designed to unfurl the sail.
"It's stuck!" Kairi cried out worriedly. The two girls began climbing the mast to untangle the sail. The fountain was descending too quickly, the boat would surely be crushed. Chief Tannabok quickly snatched up a dozen ropes in his hands and with his strength, managed to significantly slow the descent of the fountain.
"They're not going to make it," Miguel realized. He took one look at city of gold and then back down at his friends on the boat. "Altivo!" The horse came racing up to him. Miguel swung his legs onto Altivo's back and the pair took off at a gallop down the shoreline. Altivo leapt from the shore when they were close enough and landed on the deck of the boat. Miguel jumped off of his back in mid-air and for one glorious second, flew like the god he was pretending to be. He slammed into the sail, freeing it and allowing the boat to quickly gain speed.
"Get off the boat, Miguel," Tulio said, "or you'll never see the city again!" Miguel removed his golden earrings and tossed them into the pile of gold on the ship.
"I know," he said. "You didn't think I was gonna let you have all the fun, did you?" The pair smiled at each other as Miguel got to his feet. "Now come on, we've got a wave to catch." Kairi leaned over the side of the boat and took one last picture of El Dorado with the camera, stowing it away quickly before anyone could see. The Chief and his men released the fountain, allowing it to fall heavily into the river.
A massive tidal wave burst forth, throwing the boat into the tunnel that was the entrance to the city of gold. They did their best to navigate the caves without sinking the ship. The mast snapped off as the surging wave nearly crushed them into the cave's ceiling.
"Sora!" Kairi cried out as they neared the pillars that supported the cave. "Look!" She pointed at the center of one of the pillars where a glowing blue outline of a Keyhole was clearly visible. The Oblivion appeared in Sora's hand. He aimed it at the Keyhole and grinned as a beam of blue light shot from the Oblivion's tip and into the Keyhole. A loud clicking noise echoed through the caves as the Keyhole vanished from sight.
"Found the Keyhole!" Sora shouted over the roar of the water. Kairi and Naminé both laughed. They were almost to the pillars.
"We're gonna have to hit it broadside!" Tulio shouted.
"That's your plan?" Miguel asked in shock. "But the gold!"
"I know!" Tulio sobbed. "Just turn the boat! On impact, everybody jump!" They all began working to turn the boat and less than five seconds later, they crashed into the pillars. The impact sent all six of the travelers and Altivo flying out of the boat and back out into the open air of the jungle. Behind them, the caves began to collapse.
"We made it!" Tulio exclaimed with a laugh. "It worked!" Chel quickly covered his mouth and dragged him behind a large pile of rocks, gesturing for everyone else to follow suit. They slid into hiding behind the rocks along with Chel and Tulio as Cortes and his army emerged from the forest, with Tzekel-Kan proudly leading the way.
Tzekel-Kan's eyes widened in horror as he saw that the entrance to El Dorado was now caved in. He looked nervously back at Cortes. Cortes glanced around the clearing and, seeing nothing but rocks, turned to glare at Tzekel-Kan.
"You lying heathen!" He snapped at the native. "There is nothing here at all. Men! Seize him!" A pair of soldiers grabbed Tzekel-Kan by the arms and dragged him away, screaming, as they left. The six travelers started laughing as soon as Cortes and his men were gone from sight.
"Now, that was an adventure!" Miguel said, a huge grin forming on his face.
"Yes, yes, it was," Tulio said in agreement before breaking down into sobs. "It was so much gold!" Chel placed a hand on his shoulder as he regained his composure. "I'm fine."
"Good," she said, giving him a kiss. Miguel extended his hand towards Tulio.
"Partner?" he asked. Tulio nodded and took Miguel's hand.
"Partner," he replied. Sora smiled at Kairi and Naminé.
"Well, I guess we'll be going then," Sora said aloud. Tulio, Miguel and Chel all looked up at him.
"You're not gonna stick around with us?" Miguel asked. Sora chuckled.
"Sorry guys, but we have other places to go," Kairi said as she hugged the three travelers. "But we'll never be too far." Naminé nodded and placed a hand to her heart.
"You can never be too far from your friends," she said. "They're always there inside your heart." Sora and Kairi nodded in agreement.
"I guess this is goodbye then," Tulio said as he and Miguel shook Sora's hand. Sora shook his head.
"Friend's never say goodbye," he said. The six of them laughed for a few final moments before the three Wielders headed into the jungle and out of sight.
"Shall we?" Sora asked his female companions as he pulled the remote to beam them back to the Kingdom from his pocket. Kairi and Naminé nodded. Sora pressed down on the button and the three of them were bathed in a bright white light as they were warped back to the Kingdom.
LD
That's it for this week. Please go vote in the poll and as always,I greatly appreciate reviews. Hope everyone's having a good week so far!
See you next time!
Shadow Horizons