Chapter LXXXXVII: Goin' onto the Groovin Empire Part XI

Outside the heavy darkened stormy skies were pouring with heavy falls of rain as lightning flashed angrily making the whole shadowed heartless infested palace of the empire completely ominous in its appearance.

However far from being scared or even anxious as she should have been Nozomi instead was utterly irritated as she walked through a single doorway that was shaped like a sharp toothed mouth appearing soaking wet as she asked annoyed, " okay! Why does that lever exist!"

For unfortunately as they had tried to test which lever would lead them into Yzma's lair they instead pulled the dummy one. Making Nozomi fall into a huge pool of water and now it left her dragging an unwanted bit of baggage that bit into one of her trouser veils, an alligator that stared up at her almost looking like a happy dog.

Kuzco and Pacha just stared at her as they saw her in her wet and awkward predicament. But Nozomi seeing that she wasn't going to get an answer from either of her companions she turned and looked at the alligator mad as she spun around and kicked it off with her left leg as she said, "get off me!" With that the alligator whimpered off like a dog quickly as it headed back down to its watery domain.

Annoyed bitterly Nozomi moved forwards again to pull the lever, she was fed up with having run for so long over so many days and being in such awkward situations. She just wanted to get Riku and Mickey out of their captive situations and know that they were both safe and sound.

She was also worried about Cait sith and leaving him behind with Pete, Kronk and Yzma. Could he really fight back against those villains on his own?

Pacha watched as Nozomi walked over towards him and Kuzco. He then asked her concerned, "are you all right Nozomi?"

Hearing him she turned and saw the worry in his eyes and felt bad for her irritated outburst and so shook her head and put a small smile on her face to reassure him as she told him, "oh I'm fine Pacha don't worry its just… let's just get things sorted out okay?"

As she said this Pacha didn't know how to respond but then knowing how she felt he told her, "yeah all right." As a small smile appeared on his face s well.

Kuzco in the meantime overcoming his own concern wanted to get moving too so he said, "fine whatever let's go!" With that he pulled the real lever, as they were all flipped forwards.

"Hey whoa!" Nozomi cried out surprised but then suddenly all of them were plonked into a small rather cramped evil smiling roller coaster car. Everyone wondering what was going on and why they were all in this strange device suddenly heard a mechanical voice speak out, "please remain seated and keep your arms and legs in at all times."

Baffled like mad Nozomi spoke out, "what!" But suddenly everyone shouted out loudly," WWWAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" The roller coaster was then sent running down a huge spiralling lane down into the deepest reaches of the lair.

Watching from a high distance as they all descended into the darkness 'he' smiled ever so slightly as he said, "so you finally made it, hey Nozomi?"

Finally arriving at the bottom of the lair at lightning fast speed everyone spilled out of the rollercoaster car, all bewildered finally making it to the ground.

On both feet surprisingly Nozomi looked to her right and saw that somehow Kuzco and Pacha had been dressed in white lab coats and black glasses. Looking at them both it was very weird seeing them like this for the coats they had, Pacha's was obviously too narrow and made him look like as though he had female hips and a very strange straight high reaching wig tied with a turquoise headband on his head along with black glasses over his eyes and black lab gloves on his hands. While Kuzco himself was in a huge white coat that was obviously too big for him along with black gloves that weren't even on his hooves and he too like Pacha had black glasses.

Staring at them blankly confused Nozomi asked them, "Where did you get those clothes!"

Hearing her they both they too noticed their own transformations as they spoke out baffled themselves, "huh?"

Nozomi spoke out again, "are you supposed to be dressing up for-"

But then a voice called out, "Nozomi!"

Recognising it in moments as she cried out, "king Mickey!" With that she ran forwards as Kuzco and Pacha looked at each other for a few more mere moments before they undressed and chased after her.

Running forwards Nozomi rushed to where she could hear the king's voice in a darkened corner of the lab, however there was no sight of him or jails or anything and so she called out again, "Mickey! Where are you! I can't see you!"

At once Mickey called out, "over here!" Nozomi turned at once looking around erratically as Mickey then called out again, "this way!" Finally at last Nozomi turned and looked to where Mickey was. However she could still see nothing, nothing except a red-wired hamster cage and a few veterinarian cages piled in a single column of three.

Pacha and Kuzco walking forwards finally arrived and watched as Nozomi walked towards where Mickey cried from," Mickey I can't see you at all! Where are-"

"Here!" Stopping finally again as the king called out Nozomi looked at the red hamster cage and as she concentrated on it, she saw a sight that really surprised her, "your majesty is that you!"

Hearing the disbelieving tone in her voice Pacha and Kuzco rushed over and as they did Pacha asked loudly worried, "what is it!" Kuzco then asked as well, "yeah what's happened to-"

Then as they arrived behind her they too finally saw what had happened to Mickey themselves, for there he stood holding onto the bars of the cage however he was tiny! He was barely 1/5 of his original size and if no one had known of his true height they would have just assumed it was just what it was in front of them.

Seeing who'd come before him before he could reply to Nozomi he spoke out pleased, "Pacha!" Then looking to Kuzco he recognised the llama emperor in moments as he spoke out, "Kuzco! You're all okay! How did you all get to-"

But then Nozomi interrupted him herself, "it's a long story your majesty, but what happened to you! Why are you so small?"

Hearing her ask this Mickey was quiet for a moment as his eyes darted to one of the vet cages before he turned back to everyone, he then explained to them, "well we were all knocked out by this sleeping drug of some kind but also… it changed us into these forms cause it looks like that that Yzma ladies fella mixed up the wrong potions."

Hearing this Pacha asked, "Mixed up the wrong potions?" As he asked this Nozomi looked to the cage to where the king had looked before and heard a shuffling noise of some kind. She then looked at it questioningly.

Mickey nodded at this as he continued on with his story, "uh huh, then Yzma was real mad so she put us here and…" Mickey then had his hands on his head as he tried to remember what else had happened.

Seeing him like this Kuzco then asked him, "and what?"

However nothing came to his mind still and he felt a slight headache as the darkness ensued and all he could do was shake his head. So with nothing he decided to come up with the most reasonable suggestion as to why this was, "I dunno, my head's still blurry from the potion but I know Pete was there and when they learnt that you'd gone they went out to get you and we were both left here and that's it."

Taking in all this information everyone was quiet, but then Nozomi had her own question to ask, "I see… well I'm glad you're both safe but, is Riku in there with you? Your majesty?"

As this question Mickey stopped for a moment as he then said, "well…"

But then a voice spoke up though it was obviously disgruntled, "I'm in here."

Turning then Nozomi and everyone turned to the vet cages next to them, hearing his voice Nozomi spoke out, "Riku!" Immediately she went to the cage to touch the bars but as she did a huge shot of purple coloured electricity jolted at her hands, "ow!" She cried out loudly as she flinched back and fell onto her backside as holding her hands.

Seeing this happen Pacha and Kuzco rushed over to her in moments as they cried out, "Nozomi!"

Her hands still aching from the surge she cradled her hands as she asked, "man! What the heck was that!"

Before she was given a helping hand up Riku's tone sounded up again sounding annoyed, "you should have been more careful, it's a spell they set up to stop us from getting out."

Hearing this Nozomi repeated, " a spell?"

It was then Pacha walked over as he reached a hand down to her, "Nozomi?"

Seeing this she replied and smiled quickly saying, "oh thanks." With that she was lifted back up onto her feet.

Riku spoke out again, "exactly and because of it we haven't been able to do anything."

Looking at the cage as he said this Nozomi asked, "anything? Haven't you tried to use the keyblade to-"

However she was interrupted as once again Riku spoke, "no… because I, because we can't in these forms."

Repeating this word Nozomi asked, "these forms?" There was silence for a few awkward moments as she then asked, "Why what did she turn you into?"

Riku didn't answer though and Mickey looked on awkwardly from his cage, as he didn't know what to say since he promised Riku that he wouldn't say anything about it.

Kuzco seeing and feeling the awkward atmosphere spoke up, "are you embarrassed about it?"

Nozomi wondered then as she looked at Kuzco, 'Riku embarrassed? What's he got to be embarrassed about?' There was silence in the air as it seemed that it had become even more awkward.

But Pacha seeing that this was definitely what it was spoke up, "well you know it can't be as bad as you think it is, whatever you've been turned into, we're not going to say anything bad about it."

Kuzco concurred as he added, "Yeah besides you can't be any worse than what I am."

Nozomi nodded at this too, "exactly, so why don't you just show yourself already Riku?'

There was silence then for a long moment but Riku finally spoke up, "I will when you let us both out."

Hearing this still not understanding what he was being grumpy for Nozomi said, "well all right." With she called out 'The Starseeker' and with it she pointed it forwards and as she did the single beam of white light flashed out in seconds and immediately destroyed the barrier spell that encased all the cages there. They disappeared in a purple crackle of light opening the cage doors in seconds.

Seeing that he was free at last Mickey spoke as he exited his cage, "hey thanks a lot there Nozomi!"

Smiling she responded, "hey no problem your majesty!"

Pacha smiled gently at this glad that they were free but then Kuzco noticed that Riku still hadn't come out of his own cage. Seeing this the llama emperor called out, "hey there's nothing to stop you coming out now! Let's see what you've become."

Remembering Riku then Nozomi turned her head and waited with slight anxious anticipation, had he been turned into a painful form? Was it monstrous? Could it be-

But then Riku responded though it was clear he was reluctant, "all right…" with that everyone waited with baited breath… there was a sound of shuffling almost like running when suddenly something hopped out of the cage and landed on the ground looking up the creature spoke with Riku's voice, "here I am."

Everyone was blank as they stared at him, for the animal that was standing there on the floor was a small snow white rabbit with long floppy ears that were raised over its head, its eyes revealed Riku's turquoise blue eyes that were enlarged slightly and finishing as he turned slightly getting comfortable he showed that he had a small fluffy tail that wriggled slightly. Seeing it no one said a word but then Pacha decided to speak up, "um? Well that's different."

Hearing him Kuzco concurred as added, "Uh yeah it is… definitely very, very different."

Riku just felt more and more down and mad being like this when Mickey spoke up, "well you can see now why he didn't really want you fella's to know and-" Mickey then stopped though as he saw Nozomi was staring wide-eyed down at Riku absolutely rock solid and still. Seeing this he asked out, "Nozomi?"

Looking at her Pacha and then Kuzco saw her expression too and wondered what was wrong and so Kuzco walked over to her and tapped her shoulder asking, "hey Nozomi are you-"

"AAAAAAWWWWWWWWW!" Came a huge squeal from her that shocked everyone in the room making even Riku jump out of his skin, then suddenly at once Nozomi launched herself forwards as she suddenly scooped Riku up into her arms as she hugged him tightly and called out over affectionately, "you're so cute!"

Hearing this not understanding what had caused this enormous reaction, he then suddenly noticed the tightness that Nozomi had as she hugged him making him completely embarrassed as he spoke out loudly himself as she continued to rock him back and forth, "what's gotten into you! Let go!"

Seeing this very 'loving' scene no one knew what to say at all but then Pacha spoke, "so I guess you like rabbits huh?"

However there was no reply to this as Nozomi just continued to hug Riku giggling happily oblivious as to what was being said to her. Riku in the meantime still being held tightly was finding it a little tricky to breathe like this so spoke out again, "Will you stop this it's humiliating! We've got things to do you know!"

At this it was then Mickey spoke up as he then tried to coax Nozomi out of it himself, "yeah, that's true you know Nozomi, do you think you could stop that for now?"

Hearing this Nozomi stopped for a second as she paused but then she turned around brightly and said, "okay! But can I keep Riku like this for a while?" She asked as she held him still in her arms.

Listening to this Riku was outraged as he then quarrelled again," what do you think I am! I'm no cuddly toy! I'm-" but once again Nozomi only hugged him all the more this time with Nozomi smothering his mouth silencing any others words that he could have said.

Seeing this happen still feeling the awkwardness from Nozomi's unusual hyperness Mickey responded, "um sure okay?" With that he then turned to Pacha as he asked him, "hey Pacha could ya lift me up onto yer shoulder?"

Hearing him ask this Pacha replied as he heard him, "oh yeah sure," with that he walked on over to where Mickey was and let him climb up his arm as then sat on shoulder. Smiling as he became comfortable Mickey told him, "thanks."
Pacha in turn replied smiling, "no problem!"

Now it was onto the serious issue, how were they all going to turn back to normal? However it was Kuzco who voiced it as he then spoke out, "all right! All right! Now let's go and find the cure for this! I'm fed up with being a llama!" For he himself was annoyed at the delay that was going on and for some reason the look of seeing Nozomi being all gooey was really irritating for some reason.

At once Pacha and Kuzco begun searching amongst all the bottles and glasses and apparatus of Yzma's lab trying to search for the miracle concoction.

The liquids were flowing in all directions and were all in swarms of neon colours of lilacs, blues, purples, pinks and red making it all the more daunting to search through. But what was making it even more difficult was the fact that all the odd test tubes and laboratory equipment all had strange Mayan faces and animal designs, thus turning it into a glowing nightmare to search through.

Mickey sitting on Pacha's shoulder watched as he looked from one bottle to another, it was obvious that he was getting nowhere fast. Feeling his urgency the mouse king listened as Pacha asked, "just what does it look? How are we supposed to find it!"

Hearing this Mickey told him, "well it's gotta be here somewhere, it should be in a pink potion bottle like the ones she used before."

Kuzco looking through various ones though voiced himself, "yeah but there are millions of them here which one do we know will-" but then he noticed something, Nozomi wasn't helping them! Turning around to where he'd last seen her walk to he spoke to her, "hey Nozomi will you give us a hand here we're-" however once again she was too busy hugging Riku in his appalled bunny form still like a giddy child and hadn't heard a word he'd said. Annoyed he said under his breath, "idiot!"

The king in the meantime knew that Pacha still wasn't getting anywhere and so looked around himself for something that might help and suddenly noticed something, quickly he spoke, "Pacha!"

Hearing him he turned his head and asked, "what?"

Mickey then pointed something out to him, "look there!" With that Pacha turned and looked to see where he was pointing, there he saw a huge white statue shaped like an owl. However as he looked Pacha realised that just like Mickey that it was not just a statue, so running forwards he pulled its wings open revealing what it really was, a cabinet.

Looking inside he found rows upon rows of pink potion bottles and seeing this he called, "Kuzco! Nozomi over here!"

Hearing this Kuzco turned and for once Nozomi turned around and stopped her giddiness for a moment as she heard the urgency in Pacha's voice. Running over as Kuzco did Riku was finally able to speak again as Nozomi's grip lessened his rabbit ears drooped tiredly, "finally!"

Kuzco making it over first asked, "what is it?"

Nozomi then asked, "Yeah what have you found?"

At once Pacha answered, "Mickey and I have found all these vials! It's gotta be one of these!"

Glad at this Kuzco spoke, "fantastic!"

Nozomi however was slightly a bit reluctant as she just looked down slightly as she held Riku a little more tightly making him look up at her oddly.

Nodding though not noticing this Mickey spoke up, "yeah! Now let's see!" With that he looked to the shelf that housed the vials, he then saw underneath indicating which type each one was as he read them out, "lions, tigers, bears-"

But then as he came to the next aisle where a human shape was a voice spoke up as they all saw it was empty, a voice suddenly spoke up, "oh my!"

Turning around as they all heard that familiar feminine tone it spoke again revealing the very thing in her hand that they'd been searching for! "Looking for this!" It was Yzma with the human potion in her hand!

Seeing her no one could believe it! Nozomi seeing her spoke up shocked, "now way!"

Looking at her Pacha spoke up instantly too wide-eyed, "I don't believe it!" As he saw the sinister evil grin on her face.

"You'd better believe it there buddy!" For there appeared next to her was Pete grinning widely. As Nozomi saw him she further couldn't believe it! But yet Cait sith! What had happened to-

However it was Kuzco who next partially asked the question that came to her mind, "how'd you get here before us!"

At this Yzma was about to answer but then she paused as this puzzled herself for a moment and then she turned and asked, "uh? How did we Kronk?"

Hearing her appearing out of the shadows himself he tried to answer his mistress, "uh well I um…" However it was obvious that Kronk couldn't think of the answer at all.

So seeing this Pete answered the question for them, "it was all thanks to me! I just teleported everyone here usin' the portals of darkness!"

At this answer Nozomi then spoke out still holding Riku in her arms, "Cait sith! What did you do to Cait sith!"

Pete hearing the small cat's name being mentioned flinched as he remembered the very memory of the scratches and blasts of yellow light that he'd thrown at the lot of them, virtually no time to attack or do anything against the little animals fury.

However not wanting to lose his cool he simply relayed a half-truth of what had happened, "what that little furball! I left the heartless to devour em! He's probably outta of the picture by now!"

Hearing this Nozomi couldn't believe it! Dropping Riku from her arms as he landed on the floor she cried outraged pointing at him angrily, "how dare you do that to him! I'll-"

However before she could move she was stopped by Pacha as he told her, "no stop Nozomi! This isn't going to solve anything!"

Listening to this line Yzma smiled as she replied, "exactly and that's how you'll all go out the same way!"

Kuzco hearing this, though he knew that Yzma was on the side of the heartless and darkness there was still some doubt left in him as he began to speak up with a slight nervous giggle, "okay I admit it, maybe I wasn't as nice as I should have been, but Yzma do you really want to kill me and everyone here?"

To which his former advisor replied with a coy sinister coolness, "just think of it as you're being let go, that your life's going in a different direction, that your body's part of a permanent out of placement. "

These words chilled Kuzco and everyone else in the room incredibly, Pete on the other hand simply smiled smugly as he couldn't wait to bestow his own dish of horror upon them.

However just like Kronk always does said, "hey that's what he kinda said to you when you got fired."

At this Yzma got a weird face for a moment but then she replied, "I know it's called a cruel irony, just like my dependence on you two." She finished looking at both him and Pete annoyed. This in turn made Pete shake his head with a hand to his forehead as he couldn't believe his naiveté again!

Kuzco then spoke up, "I can't believe that this happening!"

"Then I bet you weren't expecting this!" Yzma cried as she at once clicked her fingers and in seconds wolf heartless appeared around the small group of animals and two people as she commanded, "finish them!"

Seeing the monsters surrounding them Nozomi looked on agitated as she summoned her keyblade in moments, as she did then Yzma went onto say, "Now I'll just take this little potion off your hands." With that she began to walk away as Pete stayed on to watch with Kronk following after his boss.

Hearing this Nozomi knew what to do in moments so without delay she spoke up, "don't let her get away! I'll handle these guys!" At once she went straight into attacking the heartless.

At her words everyone replied, "right!" With that they all ran forwards as Nozomi cleared the path slashing left and right for them all so that they could get what they were now after.

Turning around as she heard the yell Yzma saw them all charging forward and unprepared for this sudden attack she began to try and run, however it was too late as Pacha was the first to reach forwards and grab the vial and pull it out of her thin bony hand, he cried ecstatically, "I got it!"

Quickly though Pete intervened as he cried out, "oh no yah don't!" With that he shoved into Pacha with his elbow winding him and making him fall backwards painfully onto the floor. Then running he snatched the potion into his own big hands, proud of his accomplishment he began to boast loudly, "ha ya've gone long way to go before-"

However he was interrupted when suddenly both Riku and Mickey launched forwards and both kicked Pete in the face making him fall backwards, snatching the concoction in his paws Riku called out, "ours!" With that he and Mickey began to run away from him.

Suddenly though Yzma called out as she tried to get around Pete who had now made a huge obstacle on the floor, "get them Kronk!"

With that in his usual bashful awkward nature kicked in as he replied, "uh right there Yzma!" Quickly he launched forwards jumping over Pete as he then quickly torpedoed himself forwards grabbing both Mickey and Riku in his hands.

Feeling foreign hands on him Riku shouted out mad as he tried to kick with his bunny feet, "let go! Get off of me!" Mickey however could say nothing since he was being squeezed a bit too hard.

Hearing this Kronk tried to apologise a little, "uh sorry there I just-"

But suddenly then Kuzco ran forwards and rammed hard into his back knocking Kronk forwards and thus letting Mickey and Riku fall out of his hands, however as he did this Riku hit the floor hard, "Agh!" And as he did the bottle fell out of his paws.

Nozomi finishing off the last of the heartless she was facing suddenly heard the rattle of the bottle and then saw it began to roll away, "oh no!" She cried out as she began to try and chase after it.

Yzma annoyed though saw the potion rolling on the floor and watched as everyone was trying to get it, she knew that at this rate the scuffle would never be over. But as she watched as Nozomi ran forwards she noticed behind her that suddenly 'He' emerged from behind the white owl cabinet. Watching him Yzma watched as he acted moving his finger forwards and up, then suddenly all at once all the bottles on the cabinet fell out and all of them began to rattle and roll forwards losing the one crucial bottle into a sea of others.

Seeing what had happened Pete and Kronk quickly backed away as they both started to watch Nozomi and the others look at the sea of bottles statically.

Panicked as they all tried to find the right bottle Nozomi cried out, "oh no! How did this happen! Which one is it!"

Looking from one bottle to another himself, "I don't know just keep looking!"

Mickey adding himself as he climbed quickly up back onto Pacha's shoulder spoke up, "this doesn't look good fella's!"

Pete wondering how these bottles ended up on the floor then noticed the cabinet too and saw a flicker of dark light as he saw his accomplice vanish away, so he did this? But why? What did-

But suddenly Yzma spoke up in her usual ridiculing humour, "oh my goodness, which one? Which one?" She then pulled a silver pulley that rung a loud siren and at once there was a rumbling in the ground.

Everyone feeling this and seeing the bottles rattle then heard the sounds of many thunderous steps, looking up they could see swarms of shadows coming and as they emerged from the corner Yzma humoured them all again, "you all better hurry! The party will be here soon!"

Knowing that it was swarms of heartless coming Kuzco asked desperately, "What do we do! What're we going to do!"

Riku agitated gritting his teeth then told them all, "just take 'em all! We can't let any of these break!"

Doing just that Pacha scooped them up in his poncho and at once everyone began to run, Riku running forwards though wasn't used to doing it in this form and tripped up on his long rabbit ears, annoyed he spoke up, "darn this!"

Stopping for a moment as she saw him struggling Nozomi turned back and spoke out, "Riku!" With that she quickly took him as the heartless arrived, feeling her left arm around himself pushing him into her chest he shouted up to her embarrassed, "let me down you idiot! I can run on my own! I'm not-"

However Nozomi interrupted him agitated herself as she told him, "yes I know that! I know you're not a toy and you can run! But you can't run well like this can you!"

At these words Riku stopped as he then looked behind to see the heartless running after them all and he looked down grudgingly knowing Nozomi was right, but then heard softer words from her lips despite the desperate situation they were all in, "now look I just want to take care of you, so just rest easy for now, okay?" At this he turned up and saw her looking down at him with a gentle smile.

Surprised at this he looked down and felt his heart race as he then murmured annoyed putting his head onto her chest feeling her racing heart, "moron…" with that he was carried by Nozomi's strong left arm as she and the others raced away from the oncoming chaos.