Here I go again! This fan fic has one sole purpose: phase one to make my old stories (save "Rediscovery") fit into the cannon that's now set in place by our three episodes (otherwise known as "Milo's Return").
The original fic idea was inspired by the music to, and later the imagery, to Treasure Planet (Jim Saves the Crew, was the first big spark). It started as a few scenes and an idea for a search, something for the crew to do. After the sequel, the story changed from post trilogy to pre. Yes, the old stories will be changed slightly, especially "Revelation." When, I don't know, but the stories will still be about the same. Minor changes include character reaction and especially time. (Instead of WWI it will be closer to or during WWII.) Also, for those of you who have read my stories (thank you for your support!) there will be changes regarding Neil from Dark Continent's Enigma (Duma's view of animal conservation was way before his time, and Neil will react to that, now) and, as you will see in this story, Temlon.
In a world were a people were returning to glory, a world where balance was eternally delicate, in a world were one world was merging with another, there was Atlantis.
CHAPTER 1: Longing
Milo strolled along in the Arboretum. The morning sun's light mingled with the light of the Mother Crystal, and the leaves splashed through the leaves to splatter Milo's skin. The sea breezes were both foreign and familiar. It was a scent he knew, but not here. It was true Atlantis was always surrounded by saltwater, but the smell of the lava and the cavern had always altered its fragrance. In the distance the calls of parrot lizards became confused with that of sea gulls.
He missed the team. Though there was always more to repair, always more to unearth in the library that was still above water, Milo longed for something more. He was happy teaching others and helping to renew traditions. However, there was a feeling he had come to sample, a sensation he loved almost as much as his wife. It was there when he found Atlantis. It was there when he solved the mysteries of the surface, the surface Atlantis was now a part of. Now, he could only experience it fleetingly with a new find in the Circle Doot Library or a bit of old technology or tradition. It was the thrill of discovery, the thrill of adventure Milo missed. He missed the joy of being with the team.
The linguist kicked lightly at a rock, which chattered along old stone. He smiled to himself, realizing his desires were the same his grandfather had. The smile faded quickly, and he sighed, putting his thumbs in the green sash along his waist as if there were pockets there.
He looked back up to the light, thinking of the sun. He chuckled to himself, remembering the day Atlantis rose. He people rejoiced in the golden light, and Kida was no exception. That evening she and Milo sat atop the palace and he showed her the night sky, telling her about the wonders of space. He remembered it well…
"Milo? I have seen many depictions of the moon. Some look like the great disk we see tonight. Others are crescent shaped. Why is this? Have people stylized the moon over the ages?"
He laughed. "Well, not exactly. People have stylized the moon, but the moon changes. They're called, 'phases.'"
She cocked her head. "…How can that be?"
"Oh, well, you see, the moon doesn't actually glow."
"Then how is it that we see it?"
"Because we see the sunlight on it."
"But the sun is not shining."
"Oh, no. No. The moon is a very long distance away. Let's see. How to explain this…" He ran a hand over his hair before his face lit up with an idea. "Cover your crystal a moment." The scholar held up his own, as well as a fist. "Okay, imagine my crystal is the sun, okay? This is the earth." He looked to his fist. "And… Okay, think of my head as the moon. Really the moon is smaller than the earth, but this will do."
"Then why do we not use your eye as the moon?" she teased, gazing into them.
Milo blushed, removing his glasses. "…Okay. Now, you see the light of the sun, my crystal, falls directly onto the moon, my eye, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, every month, the path of the earth comes between the sun and the moon. As the earth's shadow falls on the moon, it makes more of a crescent shape." The shadow of his fist came over his face. "Until finally, you have a 'new moon,' which is when the moon is completely in shadow."
A intrigued grin came over the queen's face, but only briefly. She paused, looking concerned and puzzled, as she ran a hand over her forearm, removing her arm protector.
"What's wrong?"
The queen blinked. "My… skin hurts."
"Wha--? Oh." He looked at her arm as she ran a finger from the once-covered area to her upper arm. "Guess you don't have much resistance to the sun. I mean, you spent your entire life underground. Well, almost. That's the longest you've ever spent in direct sunlight. Longer than even when we were out in the desert."
"Why would I need to resist the sun? It felt wonderful upon me."
"No, no, no. I mean you have no resistance to sunburn."
"The sun burns! It is no wonder you resist it!"
"No, I mean your skin has no resistance," he began, feeling his own arm. He too, was a little sunburned.
"My skin resists," Kida said, believing she was correcting his grammar. "But how does one's very skin fight it?"
"Well, your skin created pigments that help. I'm afraid I don't know the details about--" he trailed off as he saw the look on her face.
"…So… Color in your skin fights the sun. But… If your skin is busy fighting the sun, and your skin is attached to your muscles, does that not hinder you from fighting a different opponent?"
As Milo stepped from stone to foliage, he shook his head at the thought of the memory. He loved her so much. Often he thought about the day he had proposed to her. Even though in Atlantean years, they knew each other less than a month, their love had been fast and true.
The scholar paced along, his mind returning to what he had missed, something he wanted to share with Kida once more. He readjusted his glasses as he walked to what seemed to be a flat, moss-covered area, and spoke to himself.
"…Wouldn't it be great to go through something like that again? The discoveries to stumble upo-- YAHHHH!!!" As soon as Milo stepped upon the flat area it gave way, and eh found himself landing hard and sliding on algae a few yards. He got up painfully, rubbing his rear. The area had clearly been untouched for millennia, having evaded the eyes of repair people. It smelled faintly of mildew, and the poorly-lit air was stale. Looking around, it reminded him of an automotive repair shop. Decayed tools littered the ground, and vehicles were scattered here ad there, all partially submerged under a thin layer of water. One wall seemed entirely composed of old vines, but an occasional sliver of light revealed it was once an open door, having been sealed by the fingers of nature. A shining in the water caught his attention, and he splashed across the room. Uncovering layers of algae and plant growth, Milo beheld a vehicle he had never known.
His heart began to rise with enthusiasm.
The vehicle somewhat resembled a lionfish, except it was flattened out notably. A fin of sorts rested long its back, clamped down. Its pectoral fins had been repositioned by Atlantean artists so as to spread from its body, making it even wider.
Grinning, Milo looked to its head where a crystal slot and instructions were.
"'…KEH-lokh instructions… Place crystal into slot… Place your hand on the inscription pad… Turn crystal a half turn to the right… Quarter turn to the left… Keep your hand on the pad…' What? '…Grip fin-bar tightly and balance to maneuver…? Avoid operation too close to the Heart of Atlantis…? Emergency commands go through the fin-bar…? To raise crystal fin, place foot or hand on the inscription pad…?' What is this?" He rubbed his neck and put his crystal in, activating the vehicle.
With a roar and a pop the sail-like fin snapped up to attention, surprising the linguist enough to make him lose his balance. "Jiminy Christmas!" Again on his rear, he looked up in awe at the intricate crystalline mesh that glowed on the fin, his eyes examining every link, and looking at the crystal bar that ran alongside the fin.
Milo's heart raced with another episode of short discovery.
He got back up to examine it all, stepping onto the vehicle. "This is amazing! This actually appears to be a modification of older technology. The style of most of this, including the sail is different from the quality of some of the text and the fin-bar." He reached out to the glowing rod. "The rod must have been used to help control--"
The kelokh sped forward, aimed right at the vine wall. "Holy smokes--!" Milo held on for dear life, ducking down as the vehicle exploited from the overgrowth, leaving him dangling by one arm. The vehicle flew from the trees, rising swiftly. He swung his other arm forward and pulled himself fully onto the vehicle. A column loomed dead ahead. "Whoooaaa!!!" He leaned to the side, moving every ounce of his scrawny body. Amazingly it turned to the side, but it still rose.
Milo looked down. People waved to him as they shrank away. The air grew colder, wetter. He had entered a low-hanging cloud. Carefully he leaned forward, and the kelokh stabilized, no longer rising. The linguist breathed a sigh of relief, loosening his death grip on the fin-bar. "Wow… What a ride!" He rubbed his head, wondering how to land. His fingers slid back on the bar, bumping a tiny protrusion. He looked to it just as the pressure of his fingers pressed it in.
The fin snapped downward, leaving Milo reeling with nothing to hold onto. He cried out as he swung his arms, trying desperately not to fall off. The vehicle pitched when he teetered backwards. Quickly he heaved the other way, and the kelokh angled steeply downward.
All he could do was try to balance. He attempted to inch a toe to the vibrantly glowing inscription pad, but found himself unable to do so without risking a lethal fall. Slipping through the air, he gawked in fear as he went hurtling toward an ancient archway under construction, the men and women working on it watching him.
"Coming through!!! Watch out!!!" He saw vehicles moving out of the way and people running from the site.
Milo raised his arms in front of his head, ducking down as much as he could dare without falling off. The stone archway whooshed by, and he peeked from his arms to conform it, only to see the form of a giant crab stable straight ahead. He tore through the decorative cloths of the Atlantean version of a barn, and Milo looked back to see the angry crabs screeching after him. He slid a foot backwards inadvertently, and began to rise again. He threw his arms forward to keep his balance, and his foot slid onto the pad. The sail sprang up again, to his relief, as he neared the center of the city.
Suddenly turbulence arose that threatened to topple the vehicle, and Milo grasped the fin-bar tightly. He looked forward as the whole vehicle shook, as if from gale-force winds, and saw the Mother Crystal straight ahead of him. He gasped, throwing his whole body to the side to turn the vehicle away, but not before it flipped over once. Dizzy, the representative king struggled to regain control of the vehicle as it angled downward again.
A fallen stone statue menaced him, and he knew he could not avoid it entirely. The scholar swung to the side as best he could, and thought fast. He lowered the fin so it, at least, would avoid the reaching arm of the statue. As he clipped it, the jolt was enough to send him falling forward and slide on the vehicle deck.
Desperate fingers reached out immediately and bushed the inscription pad. The huge sail sprang back, and he caught some of the links at the edge to avoid falling to the ground. The crystal mesh surged with energy, and it proved painful to hold onto. Grimacing, Milo pulled himself up. Having been hanging off the back, the weight distribution had send the vehicle ascending again. The explorer took hold of the fin-bar, ordering the vehicle though emergency commands. He slowed as he maneuvered his way through a few more structures.
When the kelokh finally stopped, he stumbled off the vehicle, collapsing on a large stone. Milo smiled, panting, and looked back to the vehicle. "…Definitely quite a ride…" His grin broadened. "Kida's gonna love this."
"Milo.
Ther iz some thing yu and thi kween should si. Rite side of 615 Cerkl Din.
-Temlon"
The linguist laughed when he saw the note. "Ah, Temlon…" He shook his head. The supreme chancellor was an extremely intelligent, benevolent man, but he had never been one for spelling in English. Milo folded the note and slid it into a pocket behind his shoulder sash, placing it with the igneous rocks for Obbi.
He headed to an orchard near the palace. On his way, he nearly stepped on a small crab. After years of only seeing the gigantic versions often used as pack animals, such a common little creature from the surface was almost a novelty.
As Milo entered the orchard, the sweet smell of ripening Atlantean fruits welcomed him. In the distance he saw Kida in her street clothes, hanging from a tree limb. He called out to her in her tongue. "Toakh, KEE-duh-toap!"
The queen flipped over and dropped from the tree branches. "And a hello to you, Milo!" she called back in his language.
He came and embraced her. Kida's hair was mussed and her skin damp with perspiration. "Again, Kida? Don't you think you're--"
"'Taking this too far?' Yes, yes," she waved off the comment, "you have said that before."
"It's just that I've seen Olympic athletes train less."
"They still do that?"
"Do what?"
"The Olympics."
"Yes, but what I was saying was-- Wait a minute! How do you know about that? The games started 776 B.C. Atlantis was already submerged."
"…Every once in a great while, a stranger managed to sneak past the warriors. Curious, someone would give them some haven as long as they could. Some stories of the surface came to us that way."
"Interesting… Where was I…? Oh. But seriously, aren't you taking this a little far? If you weren't in your physical peak then, you certainly are now."
She turned, jumped, and caught hold of a low branch, nimbly swinging herself up. "I certainly was not then," she growled to herself. Kida stood up carefully, bare feet feeling along the branch.
"Kida," he sighed, "How many times do I have to tell you? You were just incredibly unlucky. It's not your fault you hit your head when you fought Eric Helstrom. A hit like that could've killed someone."
The huntress felt some of the reddish-purple fruit on the branches, finally picking two. "It was proof I had allowed my abilities to lessen after the Crystal was restored." She jumped down, handing him one. They sat down together on a large tree root. There was a hint of blush in her cheeks.
"Just how many hunts did you miss, anyway?"
"I missed enough."
"...It still seemed like you were hunting a lot."
"It matters not. What does matter is that I am getting the exercise I need."
Milo shrugged with a sigh, then shook his head. He could probably count on the fingers of one hand how many times she had missed in those years. Still, he decided not to press the issue further. The defeat was a source of embarrassment to her, he knew. The cartographer pulled out the note, handing it to his wife after she bit into the Pomli fruit. "It's from Temlon."
She unfolded the note with a hand clean of juice and read it as they ate. "...That man cannot spell."
Milo laughed. "You got that right. Do you know what he wants to show us?"
"No."
"Hmm... Okay. We need to head over there, then." He bit into the last of the fruit, getting up to walk to a spot in between trees. There Milo dug a shallow hole with his foot. He spat the large seed into his hand and dropped it in. "By the way, where's Obbi?"
Kida sighed. "He is at the blacksmith's shop. He is not very happy here..."
"So we have a lonely 'lava dog' on our hands?" Milo said, using his own nickname for the lava whale.
"...A little. There are other young lava whales in the city, including the one at that shop, but he seems to miss his friends in the wild. More so, I believe he misses the lava. The shop may be warm, but it does not give him the freedom of the lava flows. The fires are simply too small." She rose and dropped the seed from her fruit with Milo's. She pushed the soil back over with her foot.
The man turned, his love following. "Before I forget, when are they raising the King Stone?"
"It will be later today. It took quite some time to reconstruct it from the fragments and Packard's pictures."
"...Yeah. If that king were still alive today, we could've created a new design much easier." He sighed. "Well, accidents happen. If you can have automobile accidents, I guess there aren't exceptions here."
It was on that ironic note they headed to a vehicle platform to fly to Temlon.
"As I have said, I cannot figure out anything more from the text."
Milo looked back over his shoulder at Temlon. The chancellor was relatively muscular, but he also ate well. "If only these instructions weren't so fragmentary. It's clear there's something about a vehicle homing in on a signal of some kind at a destination… And that it's fast, but nothing else." He got up, taking his hand off the badly eroded main panel to look at the large, wrecked vehicle that it once controlled. The linguist's best guess was that it was fashioned like a swordfish, judging by what remained of the snout. Along the water's edge, close to where the old vehicle lay, was a long piece of stone he guessed was the swordfish's bill. "You know, I'm wondering if there were little stations like this across the city or even the continent. I mean, this has the number "2" written on it. It would make sense. It would be kind of like that ancient monorail, but independent of the tracks." The king shook his head slightly. It would be harder now. Though Atlantis had risen, it had only risen high enough to show what had existed above water before Milo discovered it. A while library was hidden below the tides, and he hoped the crystals in the scroll casings and book spines would be enough to preserve them until they were once again accessible. The scholar suspected if that extra amount was above water he might find another station or two.
"Perhaps others exist below the waves," Kida suggested. Milo smiled to her, as had been thinking of the same thing.
"Either way," Temlon began, "this vehicle is far from usable. I doubt it could be repaired, even if we knew how."
"Yeah, but it does provide interesting mysteries," the scholar smiled, walking over to the wreckage. "Take a look at this. It seems like the inner walls were actually lined with crystals. The walls would be completely glowing from the viewpoint of the rider. Looks like it only seats one, though."
"How odd. I wonder why?" Kida shifted her weight to the other hip.
Milo sighed. "Well, until we find some description of it in the library, who knows?" He readjusted his glasses, pausing long enough for the chancellor to speak up.
"Khobdesheh is actually there now, trying to figure out what it is, exactly. Obviously it is a transport of some kind, but details are..." He pointed to the control panel, the letter badly eroded. "...Unclear."
The scholar nodded. It was not uncommon to find Khob in the Library. When the lesser choncellor was not studying what little he could about technology, or about governments, he initiated friendly debates with Milo about culture. Though they had their own, very different opinions on things, it very rarely hindered a good discussion. Milo changed the subject. "Any news from the diplomats?"
Temlon laughed, his voice rich and deep. "Yes. The ambassadors of foreign countries believe we do not exist. They are under the impression this is some hoax."
Milo chuckled. Kida cocked her head, smiling, and was amused at the notion of "not being real."
The linguist wiped away a jovial tear. "Well, are they meeting with us anyway?"
"They think it is a waste of time, but yes, a few said they would come, 'next month.' In other words, around two haramaken."
"Okay, good," he finished laughing. "Considering world politics, we'd better establish ourselves if we're going to be here. Make a friend or two, start some trade." His mind drifted, and he heard Temlon and Kida continue the discussion, voices fading off.
Milo thought back to decades ago. He knew about the assassination, the battles that blazed in Europe. The museum's "dungeon," then, Atlantis itself, had been his home. For a few years he resided in the sunken empire, blissfully unaware of the atrocities. A small Whitmore expedition had made their way down to Atlantis, bringing with them the last of some new technology. On their way down, they had set up relay stations fro radios, designed by Wilhelmina Packard, the system being a predecessor to her simple phone system.
It was through this expedition's new technology Milo learned America had joined the war. He felt hopeless. Atlantis still needed his help to get o its feet again, so leaving was not an option. The empire's mighty technology could easily lead to an American victory, but then there was no way to prevent the technology from being misused. Rourke had summed it up perfectly in his corruption of Darwin. In war it was all about "survival of the fittest," and "natural selection." There was nothing natural about war, but the power hungry and the greedy saw it as such. Revealing such technology, or especially revealing Atlantis itself at that time, would destroy his own dream, not to mention endanger or even obliterate countless lives.
Yet he could not tell Kida or any Atlantean for that matter, or he would risk the possibility they would volunteer. Kida, dutiful as she was, he had to be especially careful of. He feared she would risk the lives of her people if, and only if, she believed the lives saved would greatly outnumber the lives lost of her people, or even sacrifice herself just for the life of a single person.
Chances were, that would have been very much the case.
Milo did the only thing he could. He radioed Whitmore to urge him to contribute as much as he could to the war. He found it unnecessary, as the millionaire was already participating. Normal industrial production had turned into war manufacturing.
"Milo?"
He remembered how hard it was to tell Kida about the war, and wondered if it had been one of the biggest secrets kept by a person.
"Milo...?"
The scholar had felt guilty keeping it from her. Yet when he explained, though she was far from thrilled with him, she understood why he had done so.
Suddenly Mio found his glasses snatched from his face. "Hey!" He reeled around to see Kida, hand on a cocked hip, holding them up. Chuckling, she and Temlon smiled at each other. "What was that all about?!"
She laughed. "Welcome to the world beyond your daydreams."
"A man came to summon you," the supreme chancellor gestured. "The king stone is nearly complete, and it was deemed best if you came to see it."
"Oh. Okay. Sorry about that."
The only response was a chuckle from the other two.
"So, um, we better get going. Don't wanna waste time."
Grinning, Kida shook her head at his trying to change the subject away from his drifting attention. "Yes, we do need to go. Goodbye, Temlon."
"See you later, Temlon! Thanks for bringing this to our attention."
"It was my pleasure. Farewell."
They parted company. The location was not far away, certainly not worth the trouble of finding a vehicle. Soon the king stone would be moved via the stone vehicles to the main plaza for the raising ceremonies. For now, it was still under construction.
Kida brushed the back of Milo's hand, and he knew the cue well. Lovingly he took it as they walked, taking comfort in the embrace of her fingers. With his angular, dexterous ones he returned the grasp, sliding a finger carelessly over her tendons.
"You have been distant lately," Kida said softly.
"...I have?"
"Yes. Is something troubling you?"
"No, not really. I mean, I've been thinking about things..."
"Like what?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. How nice it's been to have our wedding rings back... To feel it on my finger again." He smiled, remembering how happy they had been when they were repaired, chipped stones re-polished and heavily scratched metal restored. "How nice it is to feel it on your hand again," he slid his fingers over her ring. " Just everything from the war to the designs on the kraken when it died."
"Yes, the latter in particular concerns me..." she looked right at him, "...too."
"What?"
"You are thinking of troubling things. Thus, you are troubled."
"Well, if you put it that way... Kinda. But..."
"But is there something else?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Milo..."
Her free hand went to her hip.
"Well, I don't know. Maybe just have a little, 'cabin fever.'"
The queen's eyes went wide and she let go of him, placing a hand on his forehead. "How could this happen? It must be a disease you have not yet had for the crystal not to protect you from it!"
"No, no," he laughed, taking her hand again, "It just means I feel a little antsy, like I want to get out of the house, as it were."
She blinked. "You are outside already."
"No, I mean--"
"Or... Is it that your grandfather's blood burns in your veins?"
Milo was surprised. "Well, metaphorically. But yeah." He sighed. "Ever since the events that led to the raising of Atlantis, I can't help but think there are more myths out there waiting to be found."
The woman smiled, her tattoos enhancing her expression. It was nice for Milo to see her with the full set again. How embarrassing it was to discover the angles of the royal rank and wedding tattoos gave it a slightly different meaning by ancient tradition, something that had been lost over the years. It was especially bad for Kida, since she discovered, after so many years of wearing the tattoos on her face, that together with those angles, it meant that she had "saved Atlantis from a toilet." Finally, they had been corrected, though Milo did not really notice a real difference. "Then we shall have to do something about that," he heard her respond.
Milo grinned back, but noticed her smile fade, and she looked away.
"I, too, have felt anxious."
"You want to leave Atlantis?" It was a question rather than an offer.
She paused. "Not necessarily. It is just that I never have enough time to explore here, through either the reconstructed buildings or scrolls to my spirit's content. I want to learn!" She had stopped, her fists expressively clenched. "There is more about the past of our city than I could ever hope to learn, and now some of it is once again submerged, out of my reach. But I would like to try!"
Milo smiled. "The feeling's mutual." They began to walk again. "A lot more enriching than collecting coins," he laughed at his personal joke.
They walked in silence a moment before Kida spoke up. "How often do you think of the history of Atlantis?"
"How often do I breathe? It's kinda what I do now. It's my job."
"Of course."
"It'd be nice if we could just go back in time and see it."
She laughed at the notion. "It would be nice."
"...Or to find the remains of Old Atlantis. The rest of the continent that the Crystal couldn't protect. That would be great."
He saw Kida's eyes light up and he smiled back to her. They both stopped. "Do you think we could find it?!"
"My gosh, I don't know! If Atlantis sank straight down and rose straight up... It could be right below us! Right under our noses! Why didn't I think of this before?! What a great resource!"
"how much do you think survived?"
"I have no clue, not much I'm sure, but it's worth a shot!"
"The MEH-behl-moak was so powerful. It would be incredible if we could find something!"
"Well, Atlantis was built to last. Many ruins that age are in much worse condition than Atlantis was when we found it. We may find some foundations."
"Do you think Whitmore would mind funding it?"
"Hey, he said he'd provide air fare fro us to see the world. Why not for us to see the past of Atlantis?" The energy of his grin, his enthusiasm, could have powered a city. "I don't think he'd mind, but we should ask."
Kida's gaze was distant, dreamy, but her voice was clear. "Come, we must attend to the king stone. After the ceremony later today we shall contact him!" She blinked, her gaze back to normal, and took hold of Milo's arm, pulling him away.
The scholar's mind was elsewhere. His pulse flew in excitement at the hope of some great discovery. Milo's smile broadened. "...Atlantis is still waiting," he thought.
Based off the Disney Picture "Atlantis: the Lost Empire." The Name "Shards of Chaos" is property of Disney. The term "gorlock" is property of Disney Interactive. The characters, "MUH-suh MIH-kee" and Khohbdesheh are my property, and I acknowledge I do not own the names. Fan fiction storyline also my property. Milo Thatch, Kidagakash, Bendoh, Rourke and other characters, names, concepts, and all Atlantean in this story are property of the Walt Disney Company.