Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Kingdom Hearts Route B ❯ Atlantis ( Chapter 13 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

 

 

 

Chapter 13: Atlantis

 

 

 

The surgically clean and empty foyer of Castle Oblivion made Sora's spine tingle with a warning. His steps echoed in the silence as he searched the corners of the room. No clues of a struggle, nothing left behind. Locke had simply vanished.

He stood in front of weak wall of the foyer. Through the blurry, white film of the castle wall, Sora saw dark, sharp edges. Something tall and wide stood beyond the wall. Had the world outside the castle changed in all the time they had been there?

Sora aimed his keyblade at the wall, but, just like the castle door back in Merida's world, no keyhole appeared. Frustrated, he slammed his keyblade against the flimsy surface. The only thing that did was make his arm tingle with fiery pins and needles. The keyblade fell to the floor while Sora shook his wrists in an effort to ease the pain.

One thing was for sure. If Locke had left them behind, he certainly hadn't gone outside the castle. Sora regrouped with Donald and Goofy but before the friends could even start their meeting, a deep, husky voice resonated from Castle Oblivion's dimensional door.

A shadow slithered over the door. Then, like pulling bark away from the tree, the shadow peeled off, and Dr. Facilier stood at the top of the steps. He leaned forward on his cane, chuckling at Sora, Donald and Goofy as they drew their weapons.

"Now, y'all weren't thinking about stopping your journey, were you? I would just hate for you to leave your friend behind here." The witch doctor tilted his top hat down over his face until only the sharp, white, shiny gleam of his teeth were visible. "That so called treasure hunter put up quite a good fight, but my friends on the other side proved to be too much for him to handle."

Donald gasped. "Treasure hunter?"

Sora hissed. "What did you do to Locke? Where is he?"

"Oh, he's just fine. I just thought he would be getting bored sitting here all on his own, so I opened the door for him."

Dr. Facilier spun around to tap the diminutional door with his cane.

Sora leapt forward.

"Better hurry, the world he ended up in looked very dangerous."

At the top of the steps, Sora swung his keyblade at Dr. Facilier.

He hit nothing but air.

Dr. Facilier was gone, but his laughter remained, haunting Sora with images of Locke trapped in a world of darkness.

Sora stared at the castle door. There was still no way out, and nothing to do but go forward. Donald and Goofy came to stand by his side. Each of the friends held out their hands.

All for one, and one for all. They would not leave their friends behind.

Together, they stepped through the door yet again.

 

 

 

Kairi looked around the library at Disney Castle. Sunlight sprinkled into the room through the windows on the ceiling, revealing her reflection in the polished, white and grey checkerboard floor. All four walls of the library were curved inward, giving the room a lopsided feeling.

Despite this, the library was beautiful, with a golden fireplace and chimney on one side, and a mahogany desk and chair on the other. The wall opposite the door was covered in book shelves. The books were so tightly packed that Kairi wondered whether pulling out one book would send the whole shelf toppling down on her head.

Queen Minnie stood next to the desk. In her hand was the letter that Pluto had given to Kairi on the destiny islands. Minnie slowly lowered the letter from her face.

"Oh dear."

Daisy snatched the letter and read, her frown deepening with each line.

"A machine that manufactures heartless? How awful! And if you're here, then the letter did not get to its recipient."

"That's right." Kairi turned to the queen. "Daisy mentioned that the king sends you letters. Do you think we can try to let the king know that his letter didn't reach Sora and the others?"

Minnie shook her head. "King Mickey has not sent me anything in quite some time. If you hadn't come here, none of us would have known that Sora, Donald and Goofy had completed their mission." Minnie put a hand on her cheek. "I have been trying to contact King Mickey for a while, but he hasn't been responding to my letters."

Daisy covered her beak. "Didn't restoring the worlds mean that they would be separated again?"

"Yes."

"If that's true, then how are His Majesty, Donald and Goofy going to get back home? In fact, how did Kairi get here?"

"To be honest, I don't know how I got here."

Carefully, Kairi explained about the realm of darkness. When she mentioned Oswald, Queen Minnie and Daisy tilted their heads.

"Why is that name so familiar?" Minnie wondered.

"Perhaps we should search the library," Daisy suggested, "to see if we have some record of this rabbit."

"Good idea. But first, why don't you finish your story, Kairi."

Before Kairi could answer, the door to the library swung open and Mary Poppins strutted in.

"Forgive the intrusion, Majesty." Mary bowed.

Minnie curtsied. "Welcome back, Mary."

"It appears as though I have come in during a very serious discussion."

"Indeed," Daisy said, "Kairi was telling us how she got here."

Mary took one look at Kairi and huffed. "Oh now that will never do!"

Kairi squinted. "Excuse me?"

Mary slammed her carpet bag on the desk. "Majesty Minnie and Lady Daisy, would you kindly fill me in while the young lady changes clothes?"

Kairi looked down. Her skirt-shorts were a little dirty, and the hem of her white tank was ripped.

"A lady must have proper attire when addressing royalty, training, or fighting."

"Fighting? Fighting what?"

Mary reaching far inside the carpet bag.

"Now where is it! I'm sure I brought it with me!"

She stuck her head in the bag, and then her whole waist. Kairi tried not to giggle. It looked as though Mary were nothing but a skirt and a pair of boots kicking around in midair. Mary straightened out of the bag. She removed a set of dressing panels and proceeded to unfold them in the corner of the library. Then she returned to her carpet bag and pulled out a square, paper wrapped parcel that was tied up neatly with a red ribbon. She placed the parcel in Kairi's hands and pushed the girl to stand behind the dressing panels.

"Try these on, please. It would be best to move around in clothes that do not impede your movements. Oh, and Majesty Minnie, about the discussion you were having before I entered the room."

As Minnie, Daisy and Mary began their meeting, Kairi stood alone behind the dressing curtain and inspected the parcel in her hands. She pulled the ribbon and the pink paper unfolded like flower petals. For such a small rectangle, there were a lot of items inside. Kairi changed.

"Are you finished, Kairi dear?" Mary called.

Taking in a deep breathe, and wiggling her toes in her new shoes, Kairi moved around the dressing panels. Queen Minnie and Daisy gasped.

"My, you look lovely," Minnie giggled.

"And functional," Daisy added. "I wouldn't expect anything less from Mary. Those leggings and shorts look much easier to move around in then the skirt you were wearing earlier."

"Quite right." Mary agreed. "I must say it is both fetching and more suitable for going on adventures."

Kairi awkwardly played with her new gauntlets, pulling the material higher up on her forearm. She was tempted to pull her black hood over her head to hide her face from all the flying compliments.

Mary produced a vanity mirror from her carpet bag and set it down in the middle of the room. Stepping in front of the mirror, Kairi took in her appearance. She wore a lilac v-neck tank top with a white undershirt. The straps of her top were made out of lacy, yellow stars.

She had replaced her purple skirt-shorts, with a pair of black damaged shorts over white leggings that ended just blow her knees. Her brown belt had leather pouches that rested on her hips. A pair of black, mid calf boots completed the look.

The only items Kairi questioned were the pair of metal gloves she wore on her hands. Silver covered the backs of her hands and fingers. Soft leather-like material cushioned her palms. The metal went all the way to her forearms. The design was sleek, non-bulky and inlaid with with images of stars.

"Do you not like your new attire?" Mary asked.

"No I love it! Though, I have to ask," Kairi lifted up her arms, showing off the gauntlets, "what are these for?"

"You'll get all your questions answered in due time. For now, we have much training to do. Come this way."

Mary went to the library door and opened it.

"Wait a minute, what about-"

"Majesty Minnie, I believe we should begin Kairi's training as soon as possible, as you quite keenly would agree?"

"Well, if you deem it so necessary."

"Good. Come now, girl, I have many spells to teach."

 

 

 

Darkness greeted Sora, Donald and Goofy when they passed through the door. The smell of moist earth, and the drip, drip, dripping of water echoed in the vast nothing ahead. Behind them, he door to Castle Oblivion glowed, brightening and dimming like a slow heartbeat.

Donald chanted a spell. His staff lit up with fire. He moved his make-shift torch around, and the light flickered over stalagmite, brown rock and soot.

"Look's like a we're in a cave," he said.

Goofy rubbed his nose. "That's a relief. It would have been terrible if Dr. Facilier had thrown Locke into the realm of darkness."

Sora felt his gut twist.

"We'd better get moving if we want to find him." He turned around to face his friends. "Keep your ears," he blinked, "open?"

Donald tapped his foot. "What is it?"

"Our clothes."

Sora ran his hand over the sleeve of his new black, military, buttoned down shirt. On his shoulders, he felt golden, metal stars stitched into the cotton. He looked down at a set of red, cargo pants, and black, steel toed boots.

Donald knocked on the beige pith helmet on top of his head.

"Ah-hyuck, nice hat, Donald."

"You too."

Blinking, Goofy lifted his hand to notice that he was wearing an identical helmet. His usual cargo pants were replaced by green kakis. He wore, thick leather boots and an olive military jacket over an orange undershirt.

Donald seemed the most comfortable in his outfit. His new royal-blue sailor uniform had military medals over the front breast pockets. A yellow scarf around his neck completed the look.

Holding out his hand in front of him, Sora flexed his fingers, testing out the new leather gloves he wore. From between his fingers, he saw something flash from deeper within the cave.

Blue light flickered in the darkness. Soot sprinkled dorm from the ceiling as the cave rumbled. The blue light was getting brighter, lighting up the cave. Something wide, stoney and blue was zooming toward Sora's eyes.

"Hit the deck!"

Donald and Goofy flattened onto the ground. Sora covered his head when he ducked. The air above him shifted, his ears tingled with a high pitched sound.

He shouldn't have looked up.

Blue light shot directly into his eyes. Sora yelped. When he was finally able to look again, he realized that whatever had passed over them was moving deeper and deeper into the cave.

"Gawrsh, what was that?"

Donald raised his staff. "A heartless?"

There was a crash.

Footsteps.

Sora, Donald and Goofy had barely stood back when a spear jutted out of the darkness and stopped them in their tracks. They raised their weapons, preparing to fight, but the spear was fast, knocking the staff, shield, and keyblade away in seconds, leaving the trio with nothing better to do then to put up their hands.

Sora's eyes moved from the sharp end of the spear to the shaft and then to the young woman holding it. She was cast in a blue glow which radiated out of the crystal around her neck. She hissed at Sora, Donald and Goofy, and then began speaking a language that none of them had heard before.

"What is she saying?" Donald said.

"What makes you think I know?" Sora snapped.

A beam of light flashed from behind the young woman, obscuring her features for a moment. There was a blast of air and the light moved over Sora, Donald and Goofy till it stopped directly overhead.

Sora looked up and his jaw dropped. A massive, stone fish was floating over their heads. The fish creature's giant eyes and open mouth glowed the same cerulean color as the young woman's necklace. The light illuminated the cavern, and it was just then that Sora noticed that someone was sitting on top of the fish.

A young man jumped down to stand next to the woman with a spear. He tapped her gently on the shoulder.

"Uh, Kida, I don't think these guys are in league with those creatures," the young man said.

"Creatures?"

Sora shared a look with Donald and Goofy.

The young woman, Kida lowered her speak. She moved around the trio.

"Fascinating." She tapped Donald with the shaft of her spear. "Could this creature be related to Mole?"

"I'm not a mole, I'm a duck! Donald Duck!"

Kida ignored him. She poked Goofy on the nose.

Goofy giggled. "And I'm Goofy. Pleasure ma'am."

Kida smiled and nodded at him. Then she pointed at Sora.

"And you?"

"Right. I'm Sora."

"Where are you from?"

"Uh, we're explorers, kinda."

"Really," said the young man excitedly. "Are you here to find Atlantis too?"

Kida blew her silver bangs out her eyes. "Are all surface dwellers this strange, Milo?"

Goofy scratched his temple. "Atlantis? Don't you mean Atlantica?"

"No," said the young man, Milo, "Atlantis. You know, the ancient civilization that sank into the ocean thousands of years ago."

Donald pointed at the giant fish above them. "What is that thing?"

"It's a vehicle. From Atlantis," Milo answered proudly.

Sora squinted at the fish. "So, you're saying, that's a machine?"

He had never heard of a fish that was made out of solid stone. He stared up into the vehicle's glowing blue mouth, and then up at the pair yellow eyes peering down at them from above. Eyes that moved in the darkness. Eyes that quickly multiplied, and were slowly moving closer.

"Donald, Goofy, it's the heartless!"

A pitchfork came down over Milo's head.

"Milo, look out!"

Kida pushed Milo and jumped back, barely avoiding the pitchfork that stabbed the ground. A green heartless with a long, torpedo shaped head was holding on to the weapon. Kida wasted no time. She stabbed the creature in the chest with her spear, lifted it up and threw it down into the stalagmites. The heartless burst into dust.

Sora, Donald and Goofy sprung into action. Goofy tackled a heartless and smashed it between the cave wall and his shield. Donald jumped up onto the fish-vehicle and blasted the remaining heartless off of it with a series of firaga spells. Sora and Kida stabbed and bludgeoned any heartless that were unlucky enough to be down on the cave floor.

Just when they thought the battle was won, Milo yelped. The heartless were on him, pulling at his coat, his arms, his legs, stretching him out.

Kida sliced through the heartless holding down Milo's feet, but she was too slow to stop the heartless near his head. The heartless crawled over Milo's chest. It reached into his coat and pulled out a leather bound book. Then it ran into the darkness, book in hand.

Milo struggled to pull his arms free. "Wait! No! The shepard's journal!"

Kida and Sora reached out to stop the heartless, but it had already slipped away. Goofy came charging back, bulldozing through the heartless that were still holding Milo down. He then extended a hand to Milo, but young man waved him off.

"Forget about me! The book!"

Kida jumped up onto the fish vehicle with Donald.

"Hey Sora," she called, "you ready to for a chase?"

"I'll stay with Milo," Goofy said. "You guys go."

Sora climbed onto the vehicle. Kida took off her necklace and placed the crystal into a hole on top of the vehicle, much like a key being put into ignition. A second later, the fish jerked forward like a bullet. Donald yelped and grabbed onto Kida's waist in an attempt not to fall off. Sora tightened his legs around the stone fish. He tried his best not to get dizzy as Kida ducked and weaved through the winding tunnels of the cave.

Up ahead, a group of heartless hovered through the caverns. Sora concentrated, charging up a lightning spell. He aimed his spell at the heartless. "What do you think you're doing?" Donald snapped.

He turned around and smacked the keyblade, causing Sora's spell to fly out and crash against the cave wall.

"What did you do that for?"

"You dummy! If you attack them with magic, you might end up frying the journal as well."

"Then what do we do? They're getting away!"

Kida stood up on fish, facing forward with her staff out. "Sora, take over."

"What? I don't know how to drive this thing!"

"Just put your hand on the inscription pad."

Sora looked down at the glowing writing all along the stone fish. There was a square shaped pad. He slapped his hand down on it. The fish jerked forward so fast, Sora slapped his hands on the surface, his fingers digging into the ridges as his legs dangeled out behind him. Kida stumbled, stabbing her spear into the fish, trying not to slip off.

"Whoa! Gently! Press the pad gently!"

Sora put a finger on the pad and the vehicle slowed down. In fact, it slowed down a lot. The heartless were getting away.

With one hand, Kida held on to the fish's dorsal fin. She leaned over the side of the vehicle, her speak tight in her other hand. "I take it back. Punch it, Sora!"

"Okay! Hold on tight!"

Sora slapped his hand against the inscription pad and they rocketed through the air so fast that his teeth rattled. The vehicle looped up and down, and Sora had to duck several times to avoid getting beheaded by stalactites.

"G-g-get me off this th-th-thing!" Donald wailed.

"We're almost there," Kida screamed over the wind, "just a little bit farther! Sora take us down."

"But the stalagmites!"

"Just move your hand to the left or right to dodge them."

Sora did as instructed, weaving through incoming stalagmites so fast that his stomach turned. They were nearing a heartless. Kida leaned out and sliced through the air with her spear, cutting the heartless in half.

"Up," Kida commanded, and a moment later, she cut through a heartless that had been keeping close to the ceiling.

The tunnel narrowed.

"Sora!" Donald screamed. "Put on the breaks!"

"No, don't stop," Kida commanded, "we can make it through!"

She get back up onto the fish, and passed her hand over the inscription pad. "Hold on!"

The vehicle rolled. Sora felt electricity rush through his bones as they looped. Once they were right side up again, he felt the pain of Donald's hand clamping on his ankle. The duck had almost fallen off.

While Sora helped Donald back up on the vehicle, Kida stood up and angled her spear above her head. With a roar, she threw her spear and it pierced through the last three remaining heartless like a shesh-kebab. A book fell down onto the cave floor.

Kida slowed the vehicle down. Donald jumped off when it stopped. He could barely walk. After a few, uneasy steps, he collapsed onto the ground and Sora swore he saw stars circling around the poor duck's head.

Kida laughed. "You're friend is unsuited for intense rides it seems."

"That was amazing! You got all three of those heartless at once!"

"You weren't so bad yourself. Nice driving."

She jumped off the stone fish.

"Come on, we'd better find that book before Milo winds himself in knots."

Finding the book was easy, and the ride back was much less unpleasant, even if Donald refused to let go of the back of Sora's shirt the whole time.

To say that Milo was happy to get his book back was an understatement. As soon as Kida and Sora had given him the shepard's journal, Milo began flipping through the pages and muttering to himself.

"Those creatures are nothing like the Atlantean guardians we saw on our way here. If I had known that the shepherd's journal was being literal, I would have helped Commander Rourke take better precautions, but who would have possibly guessed that Atlantis would have such marvels guarding it?" He paced back and forth. "I mean, of course the legends talk about how Atlanteans had advanced science, medicine and technology, but machines that still work? Over thousands of years later? I never would have imagined such a thing!"

He pointed his journal at Sora. "Do you understand the magnitude of such an archeological find?"

"Uh."

Milo groaned. "If only those creatures did not appear during our journey! I could have focused all my energies on uncovering the secrets of Atlantis by now!"

Sora leaned toward Kida and whispered, "If he okay?"

"He's a scholar, can't you tell. Judging by his diminished physique and large forehead, he's suited for nothing else."

Milo wrung his hands. "I lead a whole crew to the greatest archeological find in history, only to have some crazy, yellow eyed creatures get in the way!"

"Sounds like you are having troubles with our specialty, ah-yuck."

Milo froze. "Your specialty?"

"Me and my friends, we're sort of experts on those creatures."

"They're called heartless," Donald explained.

Sora raised his hand. "We're also looking for friend of ours. If we can keep the heartless at bay, do you think you can take us to Atlantis. He might be there."

"I like this idea," Kida said. "They are very capable fighters and we need help if we are to figure out what happened to my city."

"Your city?" Donald asked.

"She's an Atlantean," Milo explained. "Amazing, isn't it? My team and I came all the way down here, hoping to find ruins, maybe some ancient artifacts, not a living, thriving city."

Kida didn't look as excited as Milo. She turned away for a moment, and Sora spied her rubbing her crystal necklace between her fingers. Before he could ask her what was on her mind, she jumped back up onto the fish-vehicle.

"Why don't we talk on the way to the city? We have more to discover there."

Milo grunted, pulling himself up onto the vehicle. "Good idea."

"And you three can look for your friend there too."

"Just a sec."

Sora called for a huddle.

"I want to explore Atlantis, but we can't forget about Locke."

"Right," Goofy agreed, "if the heartless are here, he may be in danger."

Donald groaned. "I just wish we didn't have to ride that stupid fish thing."

Lucky for Donald, the fish moved at a more leisurely pace. As they rode through the caverns, Sora described what Locke looked like. Unfortunately, neither Kida nor Milo had any clue as to Locke's whereabouts, so the topic was changed to talking about Atlantis.

Milo adjusted the glasses on his nose, his face widening into a grin. He then launched into a lecture about everything he had ever studied. Donald and Goofy's eyes drooped, but Sora was stuck on every word.

"Atlantis was once a continent that possessed all kinds of powerful technology and medicine far beyond what is current in the world. It was struck by a some kind of cataclysmic event that sank it to the bottom of the sea. My grandpa spent his whole life searching for Atlantis! He was most amazing explorer. I'm here to prove all the things that he believed. You see numerous cultures all over the agree that Atlantis possessed a power source of some kind. More powerful then steam, then coal! More powerful then our modern combustable engines. That power source is the key, the heart, of Atlantis if you will. That's what I came down here, all the way under the ocean, to look for."

"Wait, you're saying this cave is under the sea?"

"That's right."

Sora swallowed. Suddenly the cave air felt lighter, making him dizzy. Sure, he had been in the sea before, but that was back when he could breathe underwater. How on earth had Milo managed to dive so deep into the sea and find such a cave? When Sora asked him, Milo's eyes lit up.

"Let me tell you the story."

 

 

 

The rain slammed against the mansion's enormous windows, blocking out the view of the estate outside. Milo walked deeper and deeper into the spacious room, staring at the floor to ceiling bookshelves on the walls. Historical artifacts decorated the room. The only light sources were the orange glow that came from the fireplace and the massive, blue fish tank that was built into the wall.

"Um, hello?"

There was no answer. A painting caught Milo's attention. Two old men, their hands clasped in camaraderie, were depicted in the frame. One man wore a brown suit, while the other was dressed in a green expedition uniform and helmet. Milo stared at the man in green.

"Grandpa?"

"Finest explorer I ever met," said a voice.

Milo turned. The other man from the picture was sitting behind him. He no longer wore his brown suit. Instead, he was in a navy blue bathrobe and his arms and legs were folded around him like a pretzel.

"Preston Witmore," the old man introduced himself. "Pleasure to meet you, Milo."

He extended his foot like hand and Milo awkwardly shook it.

Mr. Witmore's joints cracked as he unfolded himself. He sat straight for a moment before twisting his upper half. "Join me in a little yoga?"

Mr. Whitmore bent his body in a way that put his feet up onto the top of his head.

"Um no, but thank you. Mr. Whitmore, did you really know my Grandfather?"

"Oh yeah," Mr. Whitmore grunted, "met old Thaddeus Thatch in Georgetown. He even took me on some of his expeditions. Crazy as a bat, that old Thaddeaus. He spoke of you often."

"Funny." Milo turned away as Mr. Whitmore did a headstand. "He never mentioned you."

"Oh he wouldn't. I like my privacy."

Milo tried his best not to turn his head until Mr. Whitmore was sitting properly.

"Why exactly am I here?"

"Oh right. Check the desk there, son."

Milo looked around. A rectangular package sat on top of the desk in front of the fish tank.

"Your grandpa gave me that to give to ya when you were ready. Whatever that means."

Milo picked up the package and unwrapped it. His heart flipped as he lifted up a leather bound journal.

"This can't be! This is the shepard's journal."

Milo whirled around to pin Mr. Whitmore with an incredulous stare.

"This is the key to unlocking the secrets of Atlantis! My grandfather found it?"

Mr. Whitmore chuckled. He got off his yoga pillow and moved around the room to stand behind some dressing panels. As he changed clothes, he spoke to Milo.

"For years, your granddad bent my ear with stories about that old book. I didn't buy it for a minute. So finally, I got fed up and made a bet with the old coot."

Mr. Whitmore came around the dressing panels. He was now fully clothed in a white business suit, complete with a red tie and a gentleman's cane.

"I said 'Thatch, if you ever actually find that so called journal, not only would I finance the expedition, but I will kiss you full on the mouth!'" He shuddered. "Imagine my embarrassment when he did find the darn thing."

Mr. Whitmore went to the table in front of the fish tank and sat down.

"Well, Milo, now that you have journal, what do you plan to do?"

Milo brushed his hair out of his forehead. "My gosh. Um, I will show the journal to the board members of the museum and get funding for the expedition."

"Hah! Those old fools? They'll never believe you."

"I will show them. I will make them believe."

"Like you've been trying and failing to do all these years?"

Milo grit his teeth. "I will find Atlantis on my own! Even if I have to rent a row boat."

Mr. Whitmore's mustache rose up in a smile. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. But forget the rowboat son. We'll travel in style."

He pressed a button on the table. Milo heard a mechanical whirl and then the surface of the table opened up. A platform rose up from within the table. Lined up on the platform were miniatures of submarines, digging equipment, boats, balloons, planes and excavation tools all.

"It's all been arranged. The whole ball of wax."

"Why?"

Mr. Whitmore sighed. "Your grandpa was a great man. Greater then you'll ever know. Those fools at the museum dragged him down, made a laughing stock out of him. 'Atlantis. Ridiculous,' they said. Oh, Thatch. If I can do one thing for my friend, find one shred of proof that Atlantis exists, that will be enough for me."

Milo looked at all the materials on the table. The expense must have been immense and he felt the weight of his grandfather's legacy pressing down on him. To find Atlantis, to prove to the world what his grandfather believed in. Milo's heart brightened. But there were still one problem.

"Mr. Whitmore, in order to do what you're purposing, we need a crew. Engineers, and geologists."

Mr. Whitmore tapped a pile of folders on the desk with his cane. "Taken care off. I got em all. The best of the best."

He winked at Milo, holding out the young man's coat.

"All we need now, is a linguist. You know, an expert in gibberish to make sense of all the Atlantean writing? What do you say?"

Milo was so jittery with excitement that he put his coat on completely backwards.

"I'm your man, Mr. Whitmore. You will not regret this!"

 

 

 

Jiminy's Journal

Kidagakash Nedakh (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): Kida for short. The princess of Atlantis and a powerful warrior in her own right. Kida is devoted to finding out the ancient forgotten secrets of her city so that she can save her people. She is as curious and playful as she is fierce, and finds Milo's excited scholarly ramblings entertaining.

Milo James Thatch (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): A linguist from the surface, Milo has spent most of his career searching for answers about the lost city of Atlantis. He idolizes he grandfather, Thaddeus Thatch, who was a famous historian before the scholars on the surface ruined his reputation. Milo hopes that by finding the heart of Atlantis, he can restore his grandfather's honor. His passion for Atlantis and its mysteries endears him to Kida.

Preston Witmore (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): Mr. Witmore is the financial backer of the expedition to find Atlantis. He is an old friend of Milo's grandfather. Despite the fact that Thaddeus Thatch is long gone, Mr. Whitmore believed that his friend's dream deserved to come to reality and gave his full support to Milo and his team.