Milo and Kairi were waiting for the Atlantean princess to get out of the room, hidden behind a pillar until they saw her get out and close the door. "OK, Milo, don't take no for an answer." Milo prepared mentally."Look, I have some questions for you... and I'm not leaving this city until they're answered!" He practiced. "Yeah, that's it. That's good, that's good."
"You should better rehearse that tone," Kairi suggested.
They both looked to intercept the woman, but she had disappeared, with no trace of her, leaving puzzled Kairi and Milo. The two looked around, not knowing that the Atlantean jumped behind them and grabbed Milo from behind, covering his mouth while Kairi looked surprised at what was happening.
"I have some questions for you... and you are not leaving this city... until they are answered." The woman said.
"Yeah, well, I... OK." Milo answered before the girl shut him up. Kairi nodded just because she couldn't do anything at that time.
"Come with me." She said, taking both with her.
Kairi and Milo followed the woman through several hidden routes of Atlantis, clearly abandoned and full of plants and roots and small creatures until she took them to a room almost as abandoned as the city.
"There is so much to ask about your world." The woman said as she looked Milo down a giant root and Kairi followed him close. "You are a scholar, are you not?" She asked to Milo. "Judging from your diminished physique and large forehead… you are suited for nothing else." She said and looked at Kairi. "And you must be some kind of warrior in practice. I can tell by how you move and how you're vigilant around." The Atlantean commented on Kairi. "What is your country of origin? When did the flood waters recede? How did you..."
"Wait a minute. I got a few questions for you, too." Interrupted Milo and Kairi nodded."So let's do this, OK? You ask one, then I'll ask one... then you, then me, then... Well, you get it."
"Very well." The woman said. "What is your first question?"
"Well, OK, uh, how did you get here?" Milo asked, and Kairi looked as if he had made the wrong question. "Well, I mean, not you personally... but your... your culture. I mean, how did all of this end up down here?"
"It is said that the gods became jealous of Atlantis. They sent a great cataclysm and banished us here." The woman answered and walked around the ruins, while they followed her. "All I can remember is the sky going dark... and people shouting and running. Then, a bright light, like a star... floating above the city." Continued, saddened. "My father said it called my mother to it. I never saw her again."
"Partly, I know that feeling," Kairi said sadly. "I just never knew my parents, but my grandmother was the closest thing to a family, until that day when my world... What?!" She asked when she noticed something that didn't fit in her history.
"I'm sorry. If it... if it's any consolation... I-I know how you feel, because I lost my... Wait a minute. Wait a minute! Whoa, back up!" Milo exclaimed suddenly, realizing the same"Wh... what... what are you telling me... that you remember because you were there? No, that... that's impossible... because, I mean, that would make you... you know."
"More than an elf could live!" Kairi exclaimed. "And that's that I travel with one"
"Yes." Was her only answer.
Milo began processing in his mind all that information until he had to answer the Atlantean."Oh, well, hey, uh, pfft! Lookin' good." Milo said while Kairi slapped herself on her forehead. "Just, uh, ahem... You got another question for me?"
"Yes. How is it you found your way to this place?" The woman asked.
"Well, I'll tell you, it wasn't easy." Milo said, pulling the Journal of the Shepherd from his bag, but she immediately took her to see "If it weren't for this book, we never would have made it." The woman was looking through the book with great surprise. "OK, second question. Legend has it that your people possessed... a power source of some kind that enabled them..."
"You mean you can understand this?" The woman asks, looking at the book.
"Yes, I'm a linguist. That's what I do, that's my job. Now, getting back to my question..."
"This, right here, you can read this?" She asked, putting the book in the face of Milo.
"Hey, calm down!" Kairi said. "Let's not get nervous!"
"Yes, yes. I can read Atlantean, just like you." Milo answered.
"So, you can't, can you?" Kairi asked, connecting the dots.
"No one can. Such knowledge has been lost to us... since the time of the Mehbelmok." The woman answered.
"Oh, the Great Flood." Milo understood.
"Show me." She said, putting the book on his chest.
"Ok, uh..." Milo began to speak in the language of the book, but she was able to understand what he said, translating what he said. "Follow the narrow passage for another league. There you will find the fifth marker."
"Yeah. Yeah, that's it." Milo confirmed. "How was my accent?"
"Boorish, provincial... and you speak it through your nose." She explained.
"Thankfully I don't speak it," Kairi said. "I'm not good at languages. And I need to practice."
"Here, let me show you something." She said.
She took them to something that was covered with a blanket and removed it to show them a large object like a fish size.
"What? It looks like some sort of vehicle." Milo suspected.
"That seems," Kairi said. "But is really ancient."
"Yes. But no matter what I try... it will not respond." The woman explained.
Milo then began to review the strange machine to see how it worked, but Kairi was left out knowing that she knew nothing of machines. The only expert she knew was Eve who was several miles away as much high. He soon found out how to activate it properly. They had followed the instructions of the vehicle and then rose from around a foot off the ground.
"Wow!" Kairi said surprised as the woman.
"Yeah, you got that right," Milo said as surprised as these, all approaching the machine. "Oh, th... this is great! With this thing... I could see the whole city in no time at all." Milo suspected. "Wonder how fast it goes." Asked himself, touching the shining mark of the machine
Without warning, the machine flew at full speed, bouncing all over the walls of the room. Either they had to drop to the ground to avoid being hit by the vehicle, which crashed into a wall, turning itself off. Kairi and the woman looked at Milo a little angry about what happened.
"So, who's hungry?" Milo asked, innocently.
"And that's all you can think to ask?" Kairi asked.
The woman, Kidagakash, also called Kida, led Milo and Kairi throughout the city, learning about the group, but of course, Kida was driving them crazy completely messing up what they said. During the dinner, Kida could finally learn about the crew properly... Close enough.
"Cookies are sweet, but yours is not. Sweet is kindly, but that is not his name. Audrey is sweet, but she is not your doctor. Kairi is a Princess of Heart without evil in her heart. Edea is the princess of a realm away from here. Rena is an elf and is the oldest of the group. And the little digging animal called Mole... he is your pet?
"Close enough," Milo answered.
"The oldest of the group?" Asked Rena, upset by Kida's comment. "I don't remember having gray hair or something like that."
"Do you care about your age? I have no idea how this is eaten." Edea said with a bug cooked but alive in hand.
"Tell me something new," Vinny said in the same situation.
"Oh, don't forget to eat the head," Sweet said eating the bug's head. "That's where all the nutrients are."
Edea and Vinny looked stunned as Sweet ate the insect's head, besides seeing Mole eat the whole bug as nothing, and finally belching loudly.
"I'm afraid to ask where they got him," Rena commented.
"Yes, is more feral than some wild girl I know," Edea said.
None suspected that at that time, some soldiers of the expedition collected several boxes from a truck with assault rifles, while a group of Fallen joined them, forming alongside the soldiers.
Kida took Milo, while Kairi accompanied them for safety near the water next to one huge fallen pillar. There they were hunting bright insects like the ones that started the fire at the camp the last time.
"You know, Kida... the most we ever hoped to find... was some crumbling buildings, maybe some broken pottery. Instead, we find a living, thriving society." Milo said to Kida.
"Partly it's a shame we haven't found anything related to the Keyblade War, as if this information was lost during the Great Flood," Kairi said, leaning against a wall.
"But it's something," Milo said, as one of the bugs ran around the arm. "These guys are kinda cute when they're not, you know... formed into a fiery column of death." Milo caught the bug in his hands and took it to Kida, who wore a primitive lamp consisting of a crystal ball.
"Well, you look at the chaos they did before," Kairi commented.
"We are not thriving." Kida interrupted. "True, our people live... but our culture is dying. We are like a stone the ocean beats against. With each passing year... a little more of us is worn away."
Kairi looked to one side depressed while Milo sighed. "I wish there was something I could do."
"I have brought you to this place to ask you for your help," Kida said. "There is a mural here...with writing all around the pictures."
"Yeah, well, you came to the right guy," Mido said taking the lamp, as he surveyed the fallen pillar. Soon he looked at Kida, being astonished as Kairi since the Atlantean was removing her lower skirt.
"You do swim, do you not?" Kida asked, revealing to wear a swimsuit under the skirt.
Mido was stunned looking at her at that moment."Oh, I swim pretty girl." Kairi nudged him in the side so he woke up. "Pr-pretty good! Pretty good. Sw... Good, swim good. Pretty good. I swim pretty good."
"And I living on an island, I have to know how to swim by force," Kairi said. "But I'm not willing to take my clothes now. I have no bathing suit, but I will don't lose sight of both of you."
"Good. It is a fair distance to where we are going." Kida said, entering the water, while Mido pulled his clothes off, remaining in underwear.
"Hey, you are talkin' to the belly flop champ... at Camp Runamuck," Milo said entering the water, but his underpants swelled, forcing him to move air out of them while Kida, and honestly Kairi, who soon came into the water, laughed. "Come on, we're... we're wasting time." Milo took a deep breath and dove into the water, but Kida and Kairi waited for a little until he resurfaced.
"Forgot something, Milo?" Kairi asked.
"Why don't you lead the way... because I have no idea where we're going," Milo said as Kairi shook her head at his clumsiness.
Kida took a deep breath and dove into the water, soon followed by Kairi and Mido, who followed the Atlantean by a large number of submerged areas of the city, until a small airbag, where collected more air and immersed, finding a huge mural, which Kida illuminated with the help of her crystal, while Milo read what it said wall. After a while, the three returned to the airbag.
"This is amazing! A complete history of Atlantis! It's just like Plato described it."
"Are you sure?" Kairi asked.
"Well, he was off on a few details, but..."
"The light I saw. The star in the middle of the city. What does the writing say about that?" Kida asked, interrupting Milo.
"I don't know yet." Milo answered "But we're gonna find out. Come on."
The three immersed again, looking in more detail at the enormous mural, slowly learning what was explained until after seeing some of the murals, Milo signaled Kida's crystal and finally resurfaced.
"The heart of Atlantis!"
"What?" Kida and Kairi asked.
"It's the heart of Atlantis! That's what the shepherd w-was talking about. It wasn't a star, it was... it was some kind of crystal... uh, like these!" Milo said holding Kida's crystal. "Don't you get it?"
"I certainly don't," Kairi said.
"The power source I've been looking for... the bright light you remember... they're the same thing!" Milo explained.
"That cannot be," Kida answered.
"You must be joking," Kairi said.
"It's what's keeping all these things... you, all of Atlantis alive," Milo said.
"Then where is it now?" Kida asked.
"I don't know, I don't know. You'd think something this important... would have been in the Journal, but... Unless..."
"Are we thinking the same thing?" Kairi asked, thinking of something that Milo said before.
"The missing page," Milo answered.
"I have the feeling that someone is playing with us." Kairi suspected. "We must return to the city and tell it to the others."
Milo and Kairi emerged from the water where they came earlier, but...
"You have a nice swim?" Rourke asked, along with the expedition and his men, fully armed with weapons.
"I don't like it," Kairi commented.
"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Milo asked."What's... what's with all the guns?" Milo and Kairi don't take so much to join the dots and find out what's happening. "I am such an idiot. This is just another treasure hunt for you. You're after the crystal."
"Oh, you mean this?" Rourke asked holding a page pulled from his pocket, showing the same as the figures.
"The heart of Atlantis," Milo confirmed, and Kairi looked around her, trying to find an exit from this situation.
"Yeah. About that... I would've told you sooner... but it was strictly on a need-to-know basis... and, well, now you know. I had to be sure you were one of us." Rourke explained, soon extending his hand to him. "Welcome to the club, son."
"I'm no mercenary," Milo said, getting away from him.
Soon Kida emerged from the water on the other side, but a soldier grabbed her hair and Milo and Kairi tried to help, but some soldiers stopped them, but Kida could throw to the water at one of them and knocked several more, but it soon was stopped by a warning shot from Rourke to stop. Soon two soldiers grabbed Kida, as she kicked in the crotch to a third one.
"Mercenary? I prefer the term 'adventure capitalist.' Besides, you're the one who got us here. You led us right to the treasure chest." Rourke explained.
"You don't know what you're tampering with, Rourke," Milo said, getting out of the water, followed by Kairi.
"What's to know? It's big. It's shiny. It's going to make us all rich."
"You think it's some kind of a diamond... I thought it was some kind of a battery... but we're both wrong. It's their life force. That crystal is the only thing keeping these people alive. You take that away, and they'll die." Milo explained to Rourke.
"And we don't know what could happen if for some reason it comes to the surface," Kairi said, helping Milo.
"Well, that changes things," Rourke asked while Helga grabbed the page. "Helga, what do you think?"
"Knowing that I'd double the price," Helga said, returning the page to his boss.
"I was thinking triple."
"Rourke, don't do this," Milo exclaimed, but Vinny put himself in the middle.
"Academics. You never want to get your hands dirty." Rourke said. "Think about it. If you gave back every stolen artifact... from a museum... you'd be left with an empty building. We're just providing a necessary service... to the archeological community."
"That's what you think!" Kairi said invoking her Keyblade, but an arrow hit the ground, and looking at her side found Master Brain, surrounded by Tritons, Skeleton Archer, and several armors with large crossbows. (Crossbow Armor). Next to them were Edea and Rena, their hands tied behind their backs. "Edea, Rena!"
"We have been tricked," Edea said. "All of us have been tricked, without exception."
"And I bet whatever that the show in the submarine was his idea," Rena said, looking at Master Brain.
"If it was for me, you three would be dead already, but this is Rourke's plan." Said Master Brain, and he noticed that Kairi looked around. "If you want the Chieftain, forget it, there is no Chieftain."
"Chieftain?" Asked Kairi.
"They are the Fallen who rule over the other Fallen. As the skeletal spider in Radiant Garden and the armor in Twilight Town," Replied Master Brain. "And now, disarm yourself."
Kairi sighed and unsummoned her weapon before two soldiers caught her. Rourke, meanwhile, turned away from them.
"Me and Master Brain have a deal. He helps us and we help him. In part, how do you think the old Whitmore got your information first?" Rourke asked. "Part of it to his sources, but most of the information was acquired by him. And you know what? It was he who told Whitmore you were already there. Although the truth, I would prefer one of those beautiful ladies, or even that spotted cat, instead of this stubborn brainiac."
"Shaft and the Devil Wives?" Kairi asked.
"Yes, I am part of the pentagram that surrounds the Dark Lord." Master Brain said. "Technically, I'm the scientist of the group. And you don't know the desire I have to experiment with you."
"Master Brain, enough. We have things to do." Rourke said, snapping his fingers. And a soldier threw Kida down and pointed at her head. "Let's try this again." Rourke showed the page to Milo.
Soon they reached the door of the king's chamber, which Vinny shattered with one of his bombs. The guards tried to defend the room from the group but were clearly at a disadvantage, and they were using Kida as a hostage.
"Drop the weapons," Ramuh ordered. "We can't do anything."
The guards soon left their weapons on the ground, and soon began looking around the room, while several Skeleton Soldiers and Armor Knights surrounded the king and Ramuh to do nothing suspicious.
"You're not applying yourself, son. There's got to be something else." Rourke said to Milo, growing impatient.
"Well, there isn't," Milo replied. "It just says... 'The heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of her king.'"
"Well, then maybe Old King Cole here... can help us fill in the blanks," Rourke said, getting in front of the king, the Fallen got Ramuh away to a side. "How about it, chief? Where's the crystal chamber?"
"You will destroy yourselves." The king warned.
"Maybe I'm not being clear," Rourke said, and soon punched him in the chest, this falling to the ground.
"You beast!" Kairi said, unable to act
"Rourke, this was not a part of the plan," Sweet said watching near the king.
"Plan's changed, doc." Rourke said coldly. Rourke sat on the bed and threatened to kill the king, but from that position discovered that the floor had the same silhouette that the brand of the book, realizing at last. "'The heart of Atlantis... lies in the eyes of her king.'" Rourke murmured. "This is it. We're in." Said briskly and threw the book at Milo, approaching the center of the room.
"Rourke, for the last time... you've got to listen to me. You don't have the slightest idea... what this power is capable of." Milo said, trying to reason with him.
"True, but I can think of a few countries... who'd pay anything to find out," Helga said, with Kida near.
"And maybe try to buy it to experiment with it." Master Brain said.
"Stop talking nonsense. Why do you keep us alive?" Rena asked.
"Talk with Rourke! It is up to him."
Rourke touched what was the center of the room itself, seeing that there was a platform, but after putting the hand there came a lock on that platform.
"I thought so," Rourke said and looked at Kairi. "Well, princess, do I have to ask you nicely or have to force you to cooperate?"
"No!" The king cried, trying to stop them.
Master Brain aimed with one arm at the old king and fired an energy ball that hit in the chest, sending him to the ground in front of the terrified eyes of Kida who saw it. Some members of the expedition looked at Master Brain despised, but he aimed them with both arms. "Does anyone want more?" Threatened Master Brain, making the others sigh. He then looked at Kairi. "Do it!"
Kairi sighed and summoned her Keyblade, and pointed to the keyhole, firing a beam of light that hit within it. The keyhole disappeared and the platform began to tremble, and soon Rourke, Helga, Kida, Milo, and Kairi jumped on it, as came down very deep. Basically, they found a huge shiny crystal surrounded by stone masks revolving around it, forming something like a shield.
"Jackpot," Rourke said smiling.
"The kings of our past," Kida said tearfully and soon knelt, beginning to speak Atlantean.
"Thatch, tell her to wrap it up. We got a schedule to meet." Rourke ordered.
Milo helped Kidra to get up, while Rourke watched the way to get what he wanted. When throwing a pebble into the water beneath the crystal, this began to shine in a red tone, creating beams of light, as if searching for something in place.
"Come on, let's get this over with," Helga suggested. "I don't like this place."
"All right, Thatch, what's next?" Rourke asked.
"OK, there's a giant crystal... hovering 150 feet above our heads... over a bottomless pit of water. Doesn't anything surprise you?"
"The only thing that surprises me... That thing's not on the truck yet." Rourke said, nobody, realizing that the light beams turned blue on Kida, while she went into a trance. "Now move it!"
"I don't know how to move it. I don't even know what's holding it up there." Milo said.
"And you?" He asked Kairi.
"Maybe I could move with the Keyblade if there was a keyhole," Kairi said. "But you see any around here, perhaps?"
"Watch that tone, young lady. Don't make me slap you." Threatened Rourke, but soon realized that Kida was moving in her trance. Milo tries to go with her, but Rourke stopped him. "Talk to me, Thatch. What's happening?"
"Look, all it says here... is that the crystal is alive somehow. It... I don't know how to explain it." Milo said looking into the journal. "It's their deity. It's their power source."
"I haven't understood anything," Kairi said.
"Speak English, professor," Rourke demanded.
"They're part of it. It's a part of them. I... I'm doing the best I can here." Milo said.
"Well, do better," Rourke said, getting his gun.
"Oh, I know. Why don't you translate... and I'll wave the gun around." Milo answered his threat. "And on the way, brings your friend, the mechanical monster down here and try to translate this."
"Milo, don't give him ideas," Kairi suggested.
Kida began speaking in Atlante, turning slowly to them.
"What did she say?" Rourke asked Milo.
"I don't know. I... I didn't catch it." Milo lied, knowing what Kida said.
Kida moved on, walking on the water, surprising the people there, to stay under the crystal. The masks began to open around like an inverted flower it was, and soon Kida began to rise up to the crystal. Then the stone masks began to rotate at high speed around until the crystal was melted with Kida, making it like a glass figure, full of energy. Soon she lowered the water level, but this turned away from her as if her energy repelled the water.
"Hold your horses, lover boy," Rourke said, stopping Milo with his hand on his shoulder.
Kairi thought about going with her, but something told her to stay there. The Stones Masks began to fall around her, creating waves of water that seemed to be repelled by a circular energy field around Kida, as she started to move toward them. Rourke tried to grab her, but Milo suggested not touching her.
Soon the crystallized Kida was placed in a steel container, while Milo looked down on his 'friends', and Kairi was with Edea and Rena, being targeted by the Fallen. Milo could only watch as the container with Kida climbed into a truck.
"So... I guess this is how it ends, huh?" Milo said. "Fine. You win. You're wiping out an entire civilization... but, hey... you'll be rich." The young Thatch said with contempt. "Congratulations, Audrey. Guess you and your dad will be able... to open up that second garage after all. And, Vinny, you can start a whole chain of flower shops. I'm sure your family's going to be very proud. But that's what it's all about, right? Money."
"Shut up!" Master Brain demanded. "I want this to end as soon as possible and want to end the princess as soon as possible."
"And what's happening with you?" Milo asked. "If you want to kill a Princess of Heart, there are a total of seven. At least six of them can be easier to kill, but no! You, cursed and rotting Fallen, have to concentrate only on this one, and why? Surely you are the only ones who know the secret. What makes her so special that you want to kill her, at the risk of provoking a universal cataclysm with it?"
Master Brain was about to shoot Milo at the time, but Rourke interrupted.
"Get off your soapbox, Thatch," Rourke said, walking to him. "You've read Darwin. It's called natural selection. We're just helping it along."
"Commander, we're ready," Helga said.
"Yeah, give me a minute," Rourke said. Without warning, Rourke punched Milo in the face and sent him to the ground, making a picture of him and his grandfather out of his bag. "Look at it this way, son." Rourke began, stepping on the picture. "You were the man who discovered Atlantis... and now you're part of the exhibit." Then he left Milo, as he took the picture of his grandfather and looked at it.
"Leave them, Master Brain," Rourke said to Master Brain, who was already pointing to Kairi.
"Why?" The mechanical genius demanded.
"We still have to get this out of here and remember the deal. When we leave here with the crystal, they will be yours. After all, they can't go far away, and we know where they are." Rourke reasoned.
"Okay." Master Brain said, sulking, going along with Rourke with the others Fallen, still watching the Atlanteans.
"Let's move, people," Rourke ordered.
While everyone was getting ready to leave, something unexpected happened: Audrey left the truck and headed with Milo, helping to raise him on his feet. Soon Vinny approached them too and finally joined them Cookie, Mole, and Packard. Vinny came to the no longer guarded Kairi, Edea, and Rena and freed them from their bonds with a knife.
"Oh, you can't be serious," Rourke said, seeing them all together.
"This is wrong, and you know it," Audrey exclaimed.
"We're this close to our biggest payday ever... and you pick now of all times to grow a conscience," Rourke said.
"We've done a lot of things we're not proud of... robbing graves, plundering tombs... double parking... but nobody got hurt. Well, maybe somebody got hurt... but nobody we knew." Vinny explained.
"Well, if that's the way you want it, fine," Rourke said, climbing on a truck."More for me."
The convoy of Rourke and Master Brain with his Fallen left the city, crossing the bridge that was on an endless sea of lava. Milo tried to stop them from taking Kida and the crystal away, but Vinny stopped him. On the other hand, Master Brain aimed at the bridge, firing an energy ball that blew some dynamite cartridges hidden under the bridge, which eventually destroyed it completely.
"OK, now you can go," Vinny said to Milo.
"What now?" Rena asked Kairi.
"I dunno..." Kairi answered, desperate about the situation.
"Milo, you better get up here," Sweet warned from the king's chamber.
Milo and Kairi got into the chamber, where they found Sweet, who decided to desert first, treating the wound of the old king that made Master Brain on him.
"How's he doing?" Milo asked.
"Not good, I'm afraid," Sweet said. "Internal bleeding. And the shot of that metal monster doesn't help. There's nothing more I can do."
Milo approached the king and Sweet.
"What a nightmare. And I brought it here." Milo said.
"Ah, don't go beating yourself up," Sweet said. "He's been after that crystal since Iceland."
"You mean where you found the journal, right?" Asked Kairi, and Sweet nodded. "Between then and now it must have been when he met Master Brain and the Fallen."
Milo was thoughtful until he had an idea. "The crystal. Sweet, that's it." Then he grabs the king's extinct crystal. "These... these crystals... they have some sort of healing energy. I've... I've seen it work."
"Yes, I remember that," Kairi said.
"No." The king said, holding the hand where the crystal was. "Where is my daughter?"
"Well, she... she..." Milo was unable to finish the sentence.
"She has been chosen... like her mother before her." The king answered.
"What?"
"In times of danger... the crystal will choose a host... one of royal blood... to protect itself... and its people." The king explained. "It will accept no other."
"W-Wait a minute." Milo interrupted. "Choose? So this thing is alive?"
"I wouldn't be surprised," Kairi commented.
"In a way." The king answered.
"I knew it." Kairi rolled her eyes to the side.
"The crystal thrives... on the collective emotions... of all who came before us. In return, it provides power... longevity, protection. As it grew... it developed a consciousness of its own." He continued."In my arrogance... I sought to use it as a weapon of war... but it's power proved too great to control. It overwhelmed us... and led to our destruction."
"That's why you hid it beneath the city..." Milo reasoned. "To keep history from repeating itself.
"And to prevent Kida from suffering the same fate... as my beloved wife."
"What do you mean? Wh... What's going to happen to Kida?" Milo asked.
"If she remains bonded to the crystal... she could be lost to it forever. The love of my daughter is all I have left. My burden would have become hers... when the time was right..." Then the king takes out his crystal and gave it to Milo. "But now...it falls to you."
"Me?"
"Return the crystal. Save Atlantis. Save my daughter." With that last sentence, the old and noble King of Atlantis exhaled his last breath and left the world of the living.
Milo stared depressed the crystal, while Kairi just sighed saddened at what happened. Sweet stored in silence his medical team in his bag and sighed before looking at Milo. "So, what's it going to be?"
"Excuse me?" Milo asked.
"I followed you in, and I'll follow you out," Sweet answered."It's your decision."
Kairi didn't answer and stared at Milo."Oh, my decision? Well, I think we've seen how effective... my decisions have been. Let's recap. I lead a band of plundering vandals... to the greatest archeological find... in recorded history... thus enabling the kidnap and/or murder... of the royal family... not to mention personally delivering... the most powerful force known to man... into the hands of a mercenary nutcase... who's probably going to sell it to the KAISER! Or in the worst case, to the Fallen and the very own DARK LORD! Have I left anything out?" Milo explained angrily, throwing the journal to the ground.
"Well, you did set the camp on fire... and drop us down that big hole," Sweet added.
"Thank you. Thank you very much." Milo said furiously, sitting on a big jar.
"Part of this is our fault," Kairi said. "After all, I opened the doors."
"Without forgetting that you hid us your alliance with the Fallen. By the way, thanks for the slap to take my weapon!" Edea said when she and Rena entered the room after hearing the conversation.
"Sorry about it, okay?" Sweet said, and picked up the journal, taking it to Milo. "Of course, it's been my experience... when you hit bottom... the only place left to go is up."
Milo sighed. "Who told you that?"
"A fella by the name of Thaddeus Thatch," Sweet answered.
Milo didn't answer. While Kairi noticed that Ramuh approached from the shadow of the room. "You're happy, right?" Kairi asked. "You knew what was going on! You had an idea of why we come here really! And yet convinced the king for us to stay one night!" Kairi exclaimed angrily. "Well! That one night has been enough to send not only Atlantis but this whole world to the brink of its own doomsday! Do you have an excuse for it?!"
"Everything has to happen for some reason. At the end of the day, was fate that, through the actions of others, you were taken to this place. And I will not be who go against fate." Ramuh answered.
"Nice answer," Edea said, standing next to Kairi. "Tell that to Kida when she learns that his father has died and that you could have prevented it by kicking us out of here!"
The conversation between them had caught the attention of Milo and Sweet, who could only look on.
"But for that, you need to rescue her and the crystal," Ramuh said. "And there is no bridge, do you remember?"
"I don't care! We will seek the way!" Rena said.
"And how?"
"I don't know! Maybe create an ice bridge or something similar and we cross it!" Kairi said.
"And Rourke and the Fallen? Have you thought about them?"
"I don't care!" Kairi answered."We will go there and stop them! If we let them get away with it, I will throw my Keyblade to the lava, and forget him forever! So, with or without help, we will go, alone if necessary!"
Ramuh just stood watching. "Congratulations, Kairi. This is exactly what I wanted to hear. But forget that idea, Miss." Ramuh said and looked at the shadows behind him. "You'll need help."
Everyone looked at where was looking Ramuh, and all gasped when everyone saw the same thing. In the shadows of the room appeared no less than two beings that Kairi and saw before: Shiva and Ifrit.
"Shiva? Ifrit?" Kairi asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"An old friend asked for our help, and we are here." the ice Eidolon said, standing next to Ramuh.
"Wait, you are too an Eidolón?" Rena asked.
"Ramuh..." Milo said loudly. "I knew I had read that name before: Shiva, the Ice Queen; Ifrit, the Beast of Fire; and Ramuh, the Judge of Thunder."
"Right," Ramuh said and looked at Kairi. "Kairi, despite what happened, you're determined to end this and save this world, despite the dangers that you can run. And that determination is what I admire. Which reminds me..." Ramuh said, and in his hand appeared a yellow orb with sparks of electricity."I think you will have a good use for it." Then threw the orb to Kairi, who entered in, the Princess of Heart realized what it was, and she nodded.
"Now the question is how to reach them," Edea said.
Milo then looked at the crystal, and then took it firmly.
Milo decided it was time to act and had an idea. Intended to use the old Atlantean battleships to hunt down Rourke and Master Brain, and clearly, all Atlanteans who wanted to fight decided to take part in the mission to save the princess and Atlantis. They soon reached the cave and began traveling on it.
"OK, here's the plan. We're going to come in low and fast... and take them by surprise." Milo said.
"Well, I've got news for you, Milo. Rourke is never surprised, and he's got a lot of guns." Audrey warned. "And Master Brain is with him, and his legions too."
"Great. Well, do you have any suggestions?"
"Yeah. Don't get shot." Vinny said.
The Rourke and Master Brain's group had prepared everything to leave the cave and had prepared a balloon to carry the box with Kida and the crystal, but soon they were surprised by the rescue group. The soldiers began to respond to the attack of the Atlanteans, while being covered by Skeleton Archers and Crossbow Armors soldiers, firing everything they had, but they had many problems with the continuous attacks of Ifrit, Shiva, and Ramuh, who use their powers contained the enemy attack from the ground.
"They seem to manage very well for be a group of freaks," commented Coockie.
"I know. I had to defeat two of them previously and they were very hard." Kairi exclaimed.
During the battle, they were surprised by soldiers piloting unitary airplanes loaded with machine guns, turning the battle harder. And they were not the only ones, as they also were attacked by legions of bats and Wraiths of all known types. Nevertheless, the mission was clear and was to prevent the balloon to reach the exit.
"Vinny, new plan," Milo yelled. "You and me, we're going to be decoys. Audrey, Sweet, fly up underneath that thing... and cut her loose. Kairi, Rena, Edea, take care of Master Brain and his escort."
"We're on it," Sweet said.
"I think I can try something with it," Kairi said.
While the ships of Milo and company were going to attack the balloon, Kairi, Rena, and Edea's ship dropped to the platform where Master Brain was with a group of Crossbow Armors and Skeleton Archers opening coverage to Rourke's balloon. While defending the balloon, Master Brain spotted the girls' ship. "Shoot'em down!"
The Fallen started shooting arrows and explosive arrows against the ship, and the excessive number kept Rena busy for aim against all the Fallen.
"Any idea? I can't shoot them all! We must reduce their numbers exponentially!" Rena said.
"I have one, but I wish it wasn't the only one!" Kairi said and made the ship fly straight to the group. Just before the ship collided with the Fallen, the girls jumped on him, avoiding the impact that destroyed more than half of Master Brain's escort.
"That was the only idea?" Edea asked, rising from the ground.
"What would you have done in my place?" Kairi asked.
Edea tried to answer, but Master Brain started shooting with the cannon arm, forcing them to hide behind some big rocks. While trying to hang in there, Kairi could see that Milo was facing Rourke on the balloon, despite not being a good match for the mercenary, but her attention turned to Master Brain when it blew up a portion of the rock on which she was hiding.
"Well, I have to hand it to you. You're a bigger pain in the neck...more than I would have ever thought possible." Master Brain said, shooting another energy ball. "I consider myself an even-tempered genius. It takes a lot to get under my skin... but congratulations... you just won the solid-gold kewpie doll."
Master Brain prepared to shoot where it was Kairi, but his shot was deflected when Rena hit one of his arms with an arrow, forcing him to focus on Rena, who hid behind another big rock.
"If you have an idea, it's time to implement it!" Edea shouted behind a rock.
"Just give me time!" Kairi said.
"Well, that's just what we don't have!" Rena said, avoiding being pierced by Master Brain's gunfire.
"Never mind, Princess! This is the end!" Said Master Brain, firing to the rock where Kairi hid, making it into pieces. But Kairi was not there. "Where are you?"
"Here!" Master Brain turned and shot were heard the voice, but there was no one either. "No, here!" Master Brain fired again, repeating the same result.
"Stop playing hide and seek!" Shouted Master Brain, angry, but soon was hit frontally, knocking him to the ground. Despite the blow, the metal body stood up and looked at his attacker, who was none other than Kairi, who was now wearing a black and purple armor consisting of a breastplate protecting chest and groin, a pair of elongated pads, metal gloves arriving at the elbows, and a pair of metal boots that reached the knee. "Let me guess, Ramuh Form isn't it?" Master Brain asked before shooting on sight.
But Kairi disappeared into a spark of where she was, making the shot fail, and before could fire again, the princess had reappeared beside him, hitting him hard, and when he attempted to point, she disappeared and hit him from behind. Apparently, with the Ramuh Form, Kairi had acquired the ability to move momentarily at lightning speed, making it impossible to Master Brain to attack, while receiving blows without stopping, unable to defend themselves, being pushed to the edge of the platform where they were. Being about to fall, Master Brain carelessly started shooting around, trying to impact Kairi but was unable to hit her. Taking a minimal chance, Kairi jumped and landed hitting the Keyblade, powered by a powerful Thunder, breaking the platform where Master Brain was standing, causing it to fall to the floor of the volcano. The fall caused the mechanical body to break, leaving it completely unusable.
"This isn't over yet, Princess! I guarantee it!" Master Brain shouted, unable to move.
Kairi and the others peeked to see Master Brain's status, but suddenly something caught their attention because something exploded on the balloon, and Milo fell to the ground next to the box with Kida. They saw the balloon in flames began to fall and Kairi was as fast as she could to help Milo to move the container to the side before the balloon on fire fell on them.
Kairi sighed, looking at Kairi. "What happened to Rourke?"
"The power of the crystal was too much for him, and burst him into pieces," Milo said.
Soon the rest joined them, watching the balloon on fire but the unthinkable happened. The ground began to crack around the globe where it fell.
"I don't like it," Edea said.
"The volcano... she awakes!" Mole said, terrified.
"Hey, I had nothing to do with it," Vinny said, realizing he had a stick of dynamite ignited, turning it off soon.
"This here would be a good place not to be," Coockie suggested.
"No, wait. We got to get her back... or the whole city will die." Milo said, hooking one of the chains to the container.
"And if we don't get out of here, we'll die," Audrey said, grabbing the chain and hooking it to one of the ships.
"It's the only way to reverse this," Milo said. "Just do it!"
When they tried to drag the container, the grip broke, forcing Milo to try again to drag the chain, this time around the container. Fortunately, Kairi was still in her Ramuh Form and helped to hook it in time to fly before the lava chased them, both climbed on the box.
The ships flew as fast as possible ahead of the lava, to leave the cave, and reach the city. There they took the container to the square in front of the palace, and there Milo tried to open it.
"The fissure... it is about to eject... its pyroclastic fury!" Mole warned.
"What he said?" Rena asked.
"Mole says the wall's going to blow!" Sweet warned.
"Leave it to me!" Kairi said, pointing to the Keyblade to the container, hoping for some effect.
Soon the box was opened, freeing Kida from within, and soon all the impressed of the whole city lit up, and once went out, the Stone Masks crossed the ground encircling her while reaching into the sky, where they became a large rotating light sphere. From it came beams of light hitting on part of the ruins, making huge Atlanteans stone giants rise from the water, which started to walk to the edges of the island, and then created a huge energy shield that covered the entire city, protecting it when the lava started flowing off the wall with force, covering the entire shield with molten magma, and as an effect of the barrier, the lava eventually freeze and petrify. Soon the petrified lava began to break and fall to the ground, and rocks clashed with the outside of the island and broke part of the stone wall, causing the water began to fall more strongly to the sides of the Atlantean stone giants.
Milo looked at the sky, watching Kida, in her normal form, began to descend to the ground, being picked up by Milo, and after regaining consciousness, they hugged each other.
"Look!" Edea exclaimed, overlooking the city.
All observed that the broken stone walls and drain most of the water that seemed to be stuck in, revealed much of the city that was completely flooded underwater, revealing the ancient splendor of Atlantis.
Kairi noticed something and looked at the sky, which was now the Heart of Atlantis. Despite its brilliance, she could glimpse at what appeared to be a Keyhole. Startled, she looked at Ramuh, who was at her side.
"A good place to hide the Heart of the World, isn't it?" Ramuh asked, smiling.
Kairi nodded and looked at the others, who now looked. "Stay alert, uh?" She asked, and pointed her Keyblade to the Keyhole, releasing a string of light inside, closing it altogether. Without warning, there was a white flash that blinded Kairi.
Kairi had returned to the vision of before, but this time was different. On this occasion, the woman who cared for her, her mother surely, was talking to her grandmother. It seemed that both were happy to have her, although it is clear that the grandmother was wondering where her father was at this time, her mother apologized for how busy he was with the Eidolon. Without warning, Kairi lost vision.
Kairi opened her eyes and noticed she was still in Atlantis, while everyone around her, worried.
"Is this normal?" Sweet asked.
"Calm down, this happened before," Rena said, reassuring the rest.
Edea and Audrey helped Kairi to stand up.
"What happened?" Milo asked. "It only curiously, since it is the first time I see something like this. Is it normal?"
"I told you, it's okay," Rena said.
The group was getting ready to leave. They even had a huge ship for them. Kida was giving away small crystals to everyone for their courage.
"Atlantis will honor your names forever," Kida said, giving the last crystal to Vinny. "I only wish there was more we could do for you."
"Uh, you know, thanks anyway... but I think we're good," Vinny said, looking at the huge ship, which was being loaded with treasures by the Atlanteans.
"They'll take you as far as the surface," Milo said.
"We are really going to miss you, Milo," Audrey said.
"You know, I'm going to reopen the flower shop... and I'm going to think of you guys every single day... Monday through Friday, Saturday until 2:00. Sunday... I'm going to take Sunday off probably, and... Maybe I'll go in for a couple of hours, you know... but August... I'm going to take August." Vinny said.
"Was that a farewell or advertisement?" Edea asked. Kairi and Rena just shrugged.
"I ain't so good at speechifyin'..." Cookie said, "But I wanted you to have this." Then Cookie gave Milo a pot full of grease. "It's the bacon grease from the whole trip."
Soon it was the turn of Audrey, who kissed him on the cheek, and then of Mole, who Milo tried to not hug him, and with a good reason.
"Now, you sure you want to stay?" Sweet asked. "There's a hero's welcome... waiting for the man who discovered Atlantis."
"Ah, I don't think the world needs another hero," Milo replied. "Besides, I hear there's an opening down here... for an expert in gibberish."
"You take good care of yourself, Milo Thatch," Sweet said, extending his hand.
"Yeah. You, too, Sweet." Milo said, shaking his hand.
"Come here," Sweet said grabbing and hugging him with force, something uncomfortable for Milo by the neck.
"Sweet, uh, before you go, could you..." Milo said and Sweet knew what he meant, so he repaired his neck. "Thanks."
"Can we go home now?" Packard asked.
"Come on, y'all. Let's get one last shot... in front of the fish." Sweet said, and they were to sit in the treasury, while an Atlantean trying to handle a camera.
"Say 'Gochk'." The Atlantean said while everyone repeated it, doing the photo.
Kairi, Rena, and Edea were back in the Lanes Between with the Gummi Ship fully repaired and ready, and with the fully functional communicators. The girls explained to Eve what happened on the trip, showing pictures of their trip. About to leave the atmosphere of the world, received a radio call from Whitmore, which they get.
"Yes, Mr. Whitmore?"
"I just wanted to know if you were good, and inform you that e all is settled," Whitmore said on the radio."They will say that they only found just rocks and fish and that Rourke, Helga, and Milo disappeared. Nobody will seek Atlantis for a while."
"And the Fallen?" Rena asked.
"Calm down, I've taken care of it!" Whitmore said. "I have informed the relevant authorities and will soon hunt them. We will not hear of them in a while."
"I'm glad," Kairi said.
"Kairi." Whitmore started. "I'm sorry you didn't find what you might be looking for there, but listen to this. If you need anything, remember that I have resources."
"Thank you," Kairi replied.
Eve broke the connection, and Kairi looked out of the ship, thinking about what she had seen in the vision now, thinking about what things would have also forgotten.