MrTiki.com - Tiki Chronicle Archive

Tiki Chronicle Archive

Saturday, Dec 1, 2007 to Monday, Dec 31, 2007
CURRENT EVENTS 12-07-2007 Congrats to Rosaleen_Nov97! -The first resident to find the elusive Ninja Nut. Beware the side effects of capturing this dangerous nut. Side effects may include: spontaneous break-dancing ability, lightning fast reflexes, and random head-chopping. 12-17-2007 For those of you who would like to earn the Dirthill Dude coconut, or even earn a TPC, click here to participate in a helpful activity! 12-17-2007 Hey we added a 'suggestion box' of sorts... users can even vote on other users ideas! Until we have a central location for it, get to it by clicking here 12-24-2007 May all your wishes come true, this Anantiki Holiday Season! 12-27-2007 Wootropolis has it's new theme song now! Check it out, and don't forget to send TIKIMAESTRO a Tiki Mail telling him how awesome it is! 12-30-2007 We have a couple of new shipping businesses in town! Either visit the Woo P.S. in Wootropolis, or Wiki Tiki Shipping in Tiki Village! Have fun!
WEEKLY STORY - updated Mondays
A SIGN FROM THE HEAVENS ARCHIVES December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 March 2009 December 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 Wootropolis was unrelenting. Night descended on Tiki Island and the emerging city carried on with a pace both methodical and constant, a groaning titan of metal and glass writhing its way to life. The villagers watched as giant beasts of steam and steel roamed up and down paved paths of blackened rock. Kaia had deduced that each type of beast had its own purpose. Some transported the materials needed to build those sharp, angular structures further and further into the sky, while others gathered up debris and transported it to places unknown. A third group of beasts, ones that were shaped like giant sand crabs with spinning blade-arms, ventured beyond the city's borders and set about cutting down the surrounding woodland with a brutal, cold efficiency. Kaia sat with Muskwa by one of the many fires peppered throughout the makeshift camp. For six days the villagers had waited along the edge of the forest, forced to endure the proximity of the alien city, its presence permeating the air with a nervous tension. Whispers of worry and doubt spread unabated. The Chief had not left his tent since their arrival. "I know what you are thinking, Kaia. Such thoughts can only lead to trouble." Muskwa could read Kaia's face in the firelight, her fascination as she stared towards the city, straining to make out any small movement in the darkness. "Oh, Muskwa. I don't really want to go there. I just think it's all so...interesting is all," struggling to find the right words to express her mixture of wonderment and fear. "Ha! And I'm sure that arachnidite you brought home seemed quite interesting as well, right up until the moment it bit you," Muskwa retorted. "That was years ago, Muskwa. And besides, you're the one who's always telling me to embrace my curiosity. To uncover the secrets of the island." Kaia sighed. This was an argument they had had many times before. Raymew stirred grumpily from Kaia's lap, annoyed by the conversation that was disturbing the flumper's sleep. "Through learning, Kaia," Muskwa corrected, "and through prudence. Never forget: it is the island that chooses when and which secrets it will reveal, and it is we who must gain the understanding necessary to recognize when the island speaks to us." Muskwa spoke with a hint of sadness, as if such advice had been hard won through some personal turmoil. "And is that why we haven't left yet to return to the village? Or why we haven't tried to contact those in the metal city? Why the Chief remains in his tent while we sit here and do nothing?" Kaia looked around at the sullen faces and hunched figures of her fellow villagers huddled around the other fires. Although they each trusted the village's leader implicitly, that trust could not make them forget their own weariness, or their homes and beds. "Yes, yes, and no," answered Muskwa simply. "The Chief, better than anyone, knows in his heart the truth of what I have just told you. We are not 'doing nothing', Kaia. We are waiting. There is an important difference." "Waiting for what?!? What does the Chief expect? For the island to just send him a sign falling from the sky?" In her anger, Kaia did not immediately notice the rhythmic thumping sound in the distance, a faint beat at first that had gradually grown in volume and pace, at this point attracting the attentions of many of the villagers, who now turned their faces upwards. From up above, a giant metal beast descended towards the center of the campground, the thumping now transformed into a deafening groan, the air beneath its stiff wings displaced with such a force as to snuff out several of the camp's fires. Raymew, wide awake now, scurried up Kaia's back and onto her shoulder, wrapping its tail over the front of her neck as it shivered with fear. The monster finally reached the ground with an awkward thud, and immediately a wide gaping hole opened up along its side. Within it could be seen nothing but an uninviting blackness. Kaia, as did the rest of the village, stood frozen, mouths agape. The warriors of the village clutched their spears and readied themselves in battle stance, unsure of how to proceed. After a moment, Muskwa broke the silence. "I told you the Chief was smarter than you." "Kaia." The Chief's deep voice boomed across the silence, even though he had not yelled. The gargantuan visitor was temporarily forgotten as all eyes turned towards the hulking figure, the father of the village, finally emerged from his week-long hibernation. The Chief began his walk towards the metal beast, each step confident and assured, each step a release of whatever minor hysteria had accumulated during his absence. "Kaia," he repeated again, as he passed her on his way to the beast. "Come." It took Kaia a moment to realize it was she he was addressing, and another moment still to comprehend the meaning of his request. When she did, she took a step in his direction, but Muskwa reached out and grabbed her wrist. "No. She's just a girl. I won't allow it." Muskwa's tone was respectful but uncompromising. The Chief stopped and turned, regarding the old man, and his face softened. "Muskwa, it is all right. The Fathers of Tiki have spoken to me in vision. I dreamt of a journey through darkness, and in that darkness Kaia was my light, guiding us both to safety." The villagers looked from the Chief to Kaia. They knew that in his visions, the Chief was a representation of the village as a whole. "Do not be afraid. No harm will come to her while I still breathe. We will not be long." He stood and waited, honoring the old man by allowing him to choose his next actions. "Muskwa, it's okay. I'll be with the Chief. How much safer could I be?" Kaia gently pulled her arm away from him, and Muskwa, with hesitation, let go. "Come on, Raymew." Kaia made her way towards the Chief while her flumper shifted nervously on her shoulder. The Chief gave a short nod to Muskwa before turning and climbing into the metal monster, disappearing into the black void of its belly. Kaia reached the beast and, with a deep breath, followed the Chief inside. Immediately the opening resealed itself with a sharp clank, and the wings of the beast once again began their loud thumping, rising into the night sky while the villagers looked on. When the flying monstrosity finally receded into the distance, towards the heart of the city, all that remained for the villagers to listen to was the constant shrieking of the city's deforesters, as spinning metal cut into wood. WELCOME TO THE FUTURE! The flight into the city was neither as scary as Kaia expected, nor as interesting as she had hoped. There were no windows or holes in the beast, nor any lights, so although Kaia could feel the shift of movement and hear the dulled beating of the thing's wings, her vision was one of complete darkness. She could not even see the Chief who she knew was nearby. She sat with her arms around her knees on the cold metal floor and felt the excited beating of Raymew's heart against her neck. Kaia had the sudden realization of how high up she must be, and although she could not see anything, her fear of heights nevertheless formed beads of sweat on her forehead and quickened her breath. "It is all right, Kaia," came a voice from the darkness. The Chief, somehow sensing her distress, spoke softly. "Reach out and take my hand." Kaia didn't know how the Chief expected her to find him in the darkness. When she reached out her hand she immediately felt his own gently wrapping around her fingers and her anxiety melted away with each breath she took. A short period of time later, they experienced a heavy thud and were rocked violently. Kaia realized they were no longer moving. The side of the beast's body opened once again, and the Chief climbed out first, lending his massive hand to assist Kaia. As her eyes adjusted to the light of her surroundings, she noticed the expansive view sprawled out before her in all directions. They were in the heart of the city, two figures perched atop of what must have been its tallest building. Across the other end of the platform, where they had exited, stood a single opened door. The bright light emanated from it and concealed what laid within. Illuminated by a square perimeter of lights that wound around the roof's edge, the view would have been incredible for anyone else, but Kaia nearly collapsed in a wave of dizziness. The Chief lifted her into his arms in a comforting embrace. "Shall we follow the light, Kaia?" He carried her across the platform and into the lit door, which turned out to be a tiny box of a room. This gave the Chief a bit of trouble to squeeze in given his large stature. The doors immediately closed when they entered, and the whole box began to slowly descend. When the doors finally opened again, Kaia and the Chief stepped out into a room so large its corners must have marked the perimeter of the building itself. The first thing Kaia noticed was that the entire back wall was one massive window, allowing her nearly the same view of the city as on the rooftop. She gripped the Chief's hand in comfort. The floor of the room was a deep crimson, soft and made of a fabric Kaia's bare feet did not recognize. The walls were adorned with various wooden and metal engravings, as well as the heads of dead things, things Kaia had never seen before. Various statues, artifacts, and ornaments were littered throughout the room, displayed along its edges and corners. At the room's center sat a massive wooden table, and at the table's center, atop a tall black chair, sat a beautiful woman with fiery red hair. Her skin was fair and her features delicate, although what Kaia focused on were her eyes. The woman's eyes were strikingly green. They stared at Kaia with a piercing, predatory intensity she found disconcerting. The woman wore a black dress, her figure disappearing into the ebony throne on which she sat. The two Tikians approached the woman at the table until she held up her palm, indicating for them to stop. The Chief opened his mouth to greet the woman but she held up her finger, and he waited. Reaching into the table, she pulled out a tiny blue dot that rested on the end of her index finger. She pressed the dot against her neck and it affixed to her skin instantly. Strange sounds began emanating from her mouth, although the sounds did not match the movement of her lips. Noticing her two visitors' confusion, she tapped the dot and spoke again, repeating the process until she finally managed what the Tikians recognized as "Hello and greetings." The Chief responded with the formal greeting between villages, wishing her fortune with the Gods and peace for her Forefathers. Before he could continue, she interrupted with a wave of her hand. Kaia was shocked by her impertinence. "Hello and greetings," the woman repeated. "I am Veronica. I would like to welcome you and your people to Wootropolis, the epitome of modern civilization. Mr. Woo, the founder of this and all other Wootropolises throughout the world, has only one wish: to bring the technological miracles of the future to the last vestiges of the past. Mr. Woo believes it is the right of all people to benefit from the triumphs of the human intellect...at reasonable Woo rates, of course." Veronica's voice was one of mock cheeriness, as if she had delivered this speech many times before. "Mr. Woo wishes he could be here to welcome you himself, but unfortunately making the world a better place is a fulltime job. Currently this Wootropolis is still under construction. I must ask that you return from whence you came until the city has been completed. Failure to do so would prove...unfortunate," her cheery smile was full of menace. "Know that Mr. Woo values all of his new neighbors, for every new neighbor is a potential Wootropolis resident! So whatever greeting you have for us, to that we say, same to you too! Now please, return the way you came and let there be no more concern, bother, or worry between us." Veronica concluded with a smile and a dismissive wave, indicating they should leave. "Your metal beasts are destroying the land of Tiki. That is unacceptable." Before the Chief could continue further Veronica snapped her fingers, and a tiny figure fell from the shadows of the ceiling, he landed between Veronica and the visitors. The figure landed deftly on his legs, and stood facing the Chief in a clearly challenging manner, although even fully standing the man was shorter than Kaia. He was dressed in all black except for a red sash that ran around his waist, and the symbol engraved on his breast matched the one engraved into the wood of the table. His face was fully covered except for his eyes. Both men were silent as each stood measuring the other. For Kaia, it was an almost comedic sight to see this three foot figure try and intimidate the Chief, who was over twice his size. Yet she could feel the tense stillness between them. She knew then that not only was this small stranger incredibly dangerous but also how close they were to experiencing that danger. Raymew had jumped down off Kaia's shoulder and now stood in front of her, ready to protect his master, whatever came next. Kaia looked at the Chief and wrapped her hand around his. The Chief tensed momentarily, and then relaxed his grip, as if remembering her presence. He looked from Kaia to the man in black, and then to the scarlet-haired woman behind him. "I promised Muskwa. Let us go, Kaia." With that, the Chief turned his back on Veronica and her small, dangerous bodyguard, walking back towards the room they entered from, Kaia by his side. She stole one last glance over her shoulder before they reached the door and noticed that the black figure had already disappeared, as had Veronica's attention towards them, for she was already concentrating on some other order of business laid out before her. THE CLEARING "This looks like a good spot to rest a moment. These old legs are not quite what they used to be." Codi and Lady La Croix emerged in a small clearing of soft grass and shady relief, a welcome oasis from the dense foliage they had trodden through all morning. "What are you talking about? You've been riding that thing the entire way!" Codi exclaimed. "I was talking about my boxen." Mageni bent its body low to the ground, allowing the old woman to climb carefully from its back, both feet hitting the ground in a slight bounce. "Mageni has been with me since I was a young woman. These trips to and from the village can take a toll on the poor thing." She ran her frail fingers through the boxen's thick orange fur, the act perhaps more of a comfort to her than it. Codi took a seat in the middle of the clearing, legs outstretched, letting out an exasperated sigh as he surveyed the surrounding woodland. He pulled the vial of liquid La Croix had given him earlier that morning from his pocket and sat there deftly twirling it between his fingers, lost in the sway of the purple concoction within as it glinted against the shafts of sunlight pooling into their enclosed nest. "Be careful with that. It might save your life someday." La Croix began circling the perimeter of the clearing, picking up leaves and loose twigs scattered about forest floor. "What am I supposed to do with it exactly?" Codi flipped the vial absent-mindedly in the air, each time catching it inches from hitting the ground. "From the short time I've known you, my boy, I'd say to just follow your instincts," La Croix replied. Apparently deciding she had amassed an adequate amount of forest refuse, La Croix joined Codi in the center of the clearing, sitting on the ground across from him and laying the pile out in front of her. Codi watched as the old woman began to rearrange the position of the pieces before her in a slow, deliberate manner, as if putting together the pieces of a puzzle that only she could decipher. Not normally finding herself with an audience, La Croix was not immediately aware of the strange looks she was receiving from the boy. His sudden wince in pain, however, caught her attention, Codi clutching the markings on his arm as if they burned invisibly. "You alright?" the woman asked, pausing from her work. A moment later the pain in Codi's arm vanished as suddenly as it had arrived, and the boy gave La Croix a suspicious glare, wondering if her enigmatic work with the leaves and branches were somehow the cause of his pain. "What are you doing?" Cody asked, motioning to the forest items lying in front of her. "Ah, this?" La Croix picked up a withered leaf from her pile, scanning the ground carefully before placing it a few inches to the left of where it had previously lay. The pain in Codi's arm did not return, abating some of his earlier suspicion. "Everything on Tiki Island is connected, from her smallest blade of grass or grain of sand to her most fearsome Spirits," La Croix motioned to Mageni, her boxen, who at that moment lay outstretched on its back scratching its stomach and looking particularly unfearsome. "There are many ways to listen to the voice of the island. Ancient ways." She indicated the collected items in front of her. "To you, these may seem no more than dead leaves and fallen branches. But they are not dead. Nothing on Tiki Island dies. Nothing but people." "So you use these to read the future?" Codi asked. "How can I read what has not yet been written?" La Croix asked in return. "The island cannot tell me what will happen. She only remembers what has come before. But knowledge of the past is powerful. The signs of an old storm allow us to see the new one on the horizon." "So what's the island telling you now?" Codi asked, straining to see meaning or message in the jumbled mess before him. "She says that something new has arrived," La Croix replied, "something she does not remember." La Croix looked directly at the boy. The ground began a low rumble, slowly shifting La Croix's pieces out of position. "Cooool! What is the island saying now?" Codi asked. "Oh poo!" La Croix jumped up immediately, moving towards the boy. "The island wants us to use the bathroom?" Codi was pulled to his feet with surprising force by La Croix. "We have to go. Now! It's a-" but her thought was cut short by second boxen that had suddenly emerged in the clearing behind Codi, racing towards them at full speed. La Croix moved protectively around the boy and braced for impact. The boxen barreled towards the two figures but was knocked aside by Mageni moments before reaching them. Another boxen suddenly appeared where the previous one had emerged, followed by a fourth and fifth boxen a moment after that. "It's a stampede! Run!" La Croix released the boy from her arms and he took off at full pace. "Don't look behind you, just keep running! I'll find you!" The boy obeyed and took off at full speed into the forest without any sense of where he was going, only knowing that the rumble behind him had not yet abated. Sharp branches scratched at his arms and legs as he ran past, and low-hanging vines and leaves obscured his vision. Codi put up his arms to protect his face, temporarily unable to see where he was running. He suddenly emerged from the forest at the edge of a deep rock chasm and tried to stop, but his momentum carried him over the edge. There was a split-second sensation of being suspended in the air as the ground beneath his feet disappeared. Flinging his arms out wildly, Codi managed to grab onto the edge of the cliff with his right arm, painfully swinging into the side of the rock wall. The boy let out a groan as he dangled fragilely off the edge of the chasm. Codi hung on a few seconds longer until his strength gave out, and the boy dropped into the black abyss below. THE TALE OF ANAN Long ago, on the outskirts of Tiki Village lived a boy named Anan. Although Anan and his family lived by the village, they were not a part of it, for generations earlier one of the boy's ancestors had dishonored himself for some forgotten reason, ostracizing him and his bloodline from the village. Anan could only grow up watching the village from a distance, longing to play with the other kids and share in their adventures. As Anan grew from a boy into a man, he came to fall in love with Shara, the most lovely girl in all of Tiki Village. At the time, when a woman was of age to marry, it was tradition in Tiki Village for all suitors to seek out a gift, the rarer and more beautiful the better. He who presented the best gift would win the woman's hand, and her heart. When Shara was ready to take on a husband, a dozen men from the village set out in all directions to seek the gift that would win them her love. Although Anan was not truly a member of the village, he could not bear to see Shara's love go to another, and thus set out himself to find his own gift to present. Anan traveled deep into the forests surrounding Tiki Village, discovering ancient, hidden places few had ever ventured. In the bowels of the forest he fought off vicious Spirit beasts and out-smarted cunning wood witches. Eventually Anan came upon a small clearing, and at its center grew a single, blue rose, the Heart of the Forest. For any other man, this would have been a magnificent gift, worthy of any woman's heart. But for Anan, it was not enough. Leaving the rose where it grew, he ventured on. Anan moved from the forests out into the plains, reaching an expansive valley that stretched as far as his eyes could see. None dared venture into the valley alone and on foot, for the secrets of the valley were deep and dangerous. Anan did not care about such dangers. He trekked across the valley, and in his travels faced amazing challenges, although their specifics remain a mystery. Anan discovered the hidden passages of the valley and its secret inhabitants, and in time came to know the greatest secret the valley had to offer. Such secret and powerful knowledge that no living being on Tiki Island could know or even imagine. Surely, were he to whisper it in the ear of any woman he so desired, she would instantly see the depths of his cunning and bravery, and be his forever. But for Anan, it was not enough. He ventured on. At the far end of the valley, Anan reached the foot of a great mountain. Its peak the tallest point in all of Tiki Island, was out of eyesight as Anan looked upwards standing before it. The rocks that formed the mountain were sharp and black and hot to the touch. A great fire burned within the belly of the mountain, and wisps of smoke emanated from every pore. All manner of Flame Spirits lived at the base of the mountain, waiting to prey on any unlucky enough to find himself in their presence. Anan, who had already braved the mighty beasts of the forest and the mysterious dangers of the valley, was not concerned. He gripped the wall of the mountain with both hands, although the searing heat pained him to do so, and began to climb. Anan climbed higher and higher up the mountain, avoiding the jets of burning steam that would shoot unexpectedly out of the mountain wall and the sharp, deadly boulders that continuously broke from the side of the mountain and fell from above. Many times he cried out in pain as his hands and feet burned with each new grip he took. He thought of Shara, as he had before in all the darkest moments of his journey, and he carried on. After what seemed like an eternity of climbing Anan looked down below him only to find that he could no longer see the ground, for he had climbed above the clouds themselves. Here the mountain and the air were no longer hot, but rather freezing cold. Flecks of ice began to form in Anan's hair, and his fingers were numb to all feeling. Still he climbed. At last, Anan reached the peak of the mountain, and hauled himself in one final push. Tired, broken, and near death. It was night time at the peak of the mountain, and the brilliant stars of the sky surrounded Anan in all directions, making him dizzy. A great voice both booming and vast rumbled from below, the voice of rock trying to speak as man. The mountain itself was speaking to Anan. "NO MAN HAS EVER REACHED MY PEAK," the voice bellowed. "WHAT IS IT YOU SEEK?" "I seek a gift. A symbol of my love for another," Anan replied. The mountain began to shake violently, and at the center of the peak the ground collapsed inwards and opened up, and from within arose a ball of dazzling red flame. "THIS IS MY SOUL. THE SOUL OF TIKI ISLAND ITSELF. IS THIS WHAT YOU HAVE COME FOR?" the voice asked. Anan stared a moment at the orb, entranced by the flames that danced around it. "No," he replied simply, "I would never take your soul. That is not what I have come for." "THEN WHAT?" the voice asked. Anan looked up and stretched his hands into the sky above him, standing on his very tip-toes. He closed his eyes, and he thought of Shara, and he plucked a star from the night sky. Rested in the palm of his hand, the star shone almost blindingly, warm and radiant in his presence. Finally, Anan had a gift worthy of his love. With the star firmly in his grasp, Anan took a deep breath, turned around, and began his journey back to the village. Again Anan climbed down the mountain, no less perilous than it had been before. Again Anan trekked across the forbidden valley, its deadly traps threatening every step he took. Again Anan journeyed through the depths of the forest, facing even greater monsters seeking revenge for the ones he had slain before. All these challenges Anan faced, and faced happily, for what lay at the end of his journey was worth any trial. As Anan reached the coastline that marked the final stretch to the village, he spotted a young boy struggling out in the water. Anan recognized the boy as a local of Tiki Village. The boy had been careless and the tide had pulled him too far out into the ocean. Quickly Anan jumped into the water and swam out to assist the boy. What Anan could not know was that Undari, the Spirit God of the Ocean, sensed the presence of the star in Anan's possession as soon as he ventured into the water. For an eternity the Ocean God had stared in futility at the stars, forever out of his grasp, and coveted them. With one now finally within reach, Undari summoned a great wave, the force of which pulled the star from Anan's hand. Anan quickly helped the boy to shore, and then immediately jumped back in the water, refusing to allow his prized possession to be lost to its depths. The stars bright light shone as a beacon even in the darkest depths of the water, and Anan swam to it, reclaiming it once again. But Anan, for all his determination and perseverance, was just a man. The Spirit God, angered at Anan's insolence, sent wave after wave crashing down upon him. The star eventually slipped once again from Anan's grasp, and with one final violent wave, Anan was slammed against the rock wall of the island's shore. The little boy whom Anan had saved ran to him as he lay dying on the beach. That night at Tiki Village, Shara stood both nervous and a little awkward, waiting to receive the gifts each suitor had brought for her. Some had returned with valuable stones and gems, while others had returned with exotic trinkets from distant villages. Finally, when all potential suitors had seemingly presented their gifts, a young boy slowly approached Shara, much to her and the rest of the village's confusion. "I have a gift for you, although it is not my gift and I am not here to ask for you to be my wife. My gift is not a stone or a gem or anything like the pretty items you have here. My gift is simply a story, told to me by a dying man who saved my life today. A story of his love for you." The boy recounted the tale of Anan and his adventures to win the heart of the one he loved. And before the story was finished Shara began to cry, as did the boy telling the story. And so the legend goes that the stars themselves heard the story of Anan told by this little boy, and in their sadness rained stars from the heavens, a gift for the one Anan had lost. Every year since then, all those that inhabit Tiki Island can look up to see a thousand stars raining from the night sky. The villagers will gather in celebration of this occasion and exchange gifts to the ones they love, on the night they call Anantiki. NIGHTMARES IN THE DARK The freezing water rushes into Codi's mouth and he can't help but swallow. He tries to cough it out again but that only makes it worse. His limbs flail helplessly in the dark, in the water. Everything is black except for the sporadic flashes of lightning that illuminate the ocean depths. There are no sounds but the dull pressure of the current and a low rumbling coming from...somewhere. Maybe everywhere. He tries to swim to the surface but he doesn't know which way is up. His body feels numb and tired and he stops swimming. Tries to focus. His heartbeat reverberates throughout his body, the length between each beat slightly longer than the last. The salt water stings his eyes but he keeps them open anyways. He hopes desperately for another flash, for some sign of the surface. He can't tell if he's crying or not, being underwater. Codi waits in the dark, in the cold, alone and terrified in the vast breathless ocean. Codi awoke with a jolt and a cry to find that he was indeed in the dark, but not underwater. The lingering, vivid images of his nightmare left him soaking in a cold sweat, and for a moment he cared only about taking in several deep lungfuls of air. Slowly the memory of what had happened returned to him: the clearing, the stampede, the careless fall off the cliff-side. Lying on his back in pitch-black surroundings, he wondered if perhaps he was dead. That thought was quickly disproven, however, as he tried to sit up and sharp stabs of pain shot up his legs. Codi let out a cry that echoed back at him from all directions, his dry throat sent him into a fit of coughing. He had no idea how long he had been down there. "This sucks," he whispered under his breath. Codi could hear the sound of dripping water somewhere nearby. If only he could get to that water, get a drink, he thought. The notion of drinking jogged another vital memory, and moving his arms slowly�"lest they too were injured�"Codi began fumbling in his pockets. With a sigh of relief, he produced the vial of liquid concoction Lady La Croix had given him earlier, fully intact. He could feel the weight of the glass container in his palm. So great was his thirst, that he considered ignoring her previous warning not to drink it, but finally decided against it. The old woman had told him the vial could prove useful, but what to do with it? "'Follow my instincts', huh?" Codi muttered to himself. "Well, here goes." And with that, he raised the vial above his head and swung it downward, smashing the container on the ground beside where he lay. And similar to the nightmare Codi had endured just minutes earlier, a flash of light illuminated the darkness. * * * Kaia had been sleeping when the sudden scurrying of her Flumper over her body as it dashed outside the tent stirred her into consciousness. "What is it, Raymew?" she asked groggily over half-closed eyes. With an effort she pulled her half-asleep body up and followed after her Spirit. Outside the tent, the pale moonlight cast strange shadows across the groups of makeshift tents that comprised the population of Tiki Village. It was the middle of the night and no sign of life stirred outside the encampment. They were about a day's journey from returning to the village. Kaia found Raymew sitting a small ways from their tent, beside a burnt out campfire. She scooped the Spirit up in irritation, eager to return to bed. It was then that she noticed the source of the Flumper's curiosity. Kaia rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't imagining things in her tiredness. From the middle of the forest, no more than a mile away, a bright beam of purple light was emanating upwards into the sky. The light swirled in a gaseous glow, and Kaia stood astonished at this wholly unexpected sight. "It's a beacon," Muskwa was suddenly standing beside her, evidently having been awakened by her own disappearance from the tent. "Probably La Croix's doing," he continued, "it means someone's asking for help." "Shouldn't we tell The Chief? Or one of the warrior guards?" Kaia asked. "No use, Kaia," Muskwa responded. "We're not home yet. The Chief needs every warrior protecting the villagers. He won't send someone out to investigate what for all we know could be nothing, or worse, a trap." "But you said that it's probably La Croix's doing. What if it's her that's in trouble? We can't just do nothing!" Muskwa considered Kaia's words carefully. "That woman does love her purple," he said finally. "Get back in the tent, Kaia. If I'm not back by morning, tell the villagers to go ahead. I'll catch up." "No way, I'm coming with you." Kaia replied. "Kaia..." Muskwa began. "Muskwa, you know me. If Lady La Croix is in trouble, I won't just sit by and hope for the best. Either you can tell me to stay behind and have me chase after you alone the moment you leave the camp, or you can just take me with you now where you can keep an eye on me." Kaia spoke with the resolve that suggested her logic was infallible. Muskwa couldn't help but give a small smile. "Haven't you had enough excitement this trip?" Kaia took Muskwa's hand in hers. "I guess not," she replied. * * * Codi had to turn his head from the light to keep from being blinded by its intensity. Unfortunately, the light did just as good a job at keeping him from viewing his surroundings as the darkness had, and so he lay there, eyes clenched shut, the throbbing pain in his legs the only reminder that he still lived. Weak and tired, he again drifted out of consciousness. Codi is again in the ocean, but now he is swimming for the surface. Again and again he propels his body upwards, hurtling towards the small salvation air will bring. In a final, desperate push, his head breaks through the surface of the water, and he gasps painfully for air. A second later and he realizes that the only solace the surface has to offer is chaos. The rain attacks his face, fast and heavy, the shrieking wind nearly deafening to his ears. The frenzied swirling of the water forms deadly waves that smash angrily all around him. For a moment Codi considers diving back underwater, but the thought of the sightless, soundless emptiness of the black ocean depths does not give him enough comfort to do so. Helpless, trapped between two hells, Codi can do nothing but scream.

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