59. The Land the Gods Forgot

Sandmobile

"Whoa whoa whoa, say that again." Nolan responded as he piloted the airborne Sandmobile. "Your daughter's a Sleeper Agent?"

"Yes." Kami answered with frustration. She sat next to Wiccan in the backseat. "And that cyborg guy said Carter Pewterschmidt knew her activation code. I don't know what possessed Kimaya to go to Mexico, but if Carter's in the same place, I'm afraid he'll try to use her."

"I feel like I heard of 'Sleeper Agents' before." Yuki said. "Do you have to say some kind of funny sentence to activate her? Like a sentence you wouldn't say in normal conversation?"

"That's right."

"What's Kimaya's, Hi'm just curious!" Yuki chortled.

"I'm not telling you! Sigh, I was always afraid of Kimaya finding out and never trusting me again. What if she runs away from home, or starts acting paranoid because I know the code?"

"At least you're doing the honest thing now." Haruka reasoned, having to sit on the floor while the adults occupied the seats. "As soon as we see what this Carter guy is up to, we'll tell the Kids Next Door about Project Daycare and put a stop to it."

"Why is she here again?" asked Yuki.

"Poison- and chemical-based villains are her specialty." Nolan remarked.

"Darn straight!" Haru cheered.

"Nolan, look out there!" Crystal pointed left outside the ship. "There's some boy with four children in an airplane!"

They all looked left to see this. Indeed, there was a boy with sunglasses piloting a biplane. In the backseat was a football-headed baby, a spike-haired baby, a boy with an afro, and a girl with a skull mask. The pilot gave a grin and wink at the Sandmobile before flying down. "Was that Ace?" Kami asked. "What's his deal?"

Miners' Mountain

Django's Ghost Train screeched to a halt in the desert. The sun was nearly set beyond the horizon, but they could not see it because of the towering mountain. The Gang members stepped off the train as Django gaped in horror. "I don't remember this being here!"

"This dern mountain?" Kimaya asked, her boots clanking as she stepped beside him.

"Take a closer look! It's a freaking coal mountain!"

Leo, Beat, and Rhyme came to observe. It was a mountain of rubble that smelled like burning sulfur, or some chemical they didn't know, with coal trucks driving along it. Django approached a pile of rocks that were glowing green and picked one up. He scratched some gravel off. "So, he's been mining for more all this time."

"Who you talkin' about?" Kimaya asked.

"No one…" Django crushed the rock in his hand. "Pueblo de Niebla's somewhere on the other side. I can't imagine how it looks now… Must be horrible."

"Yo man, I thinkin' about backin' outta this trip!" Beat said, pinching his nose. "This smells WORSE than skunks makin' a poop mountain! It smells like… DEATH makin' one!"

"Yeah, Kimaya!" Kaleo pinched his nose shut. "Even I think it smells bad. Let's just go home."

Kimaya held the Keyblade and aimed it up at the mountain. She felt an odd magnet-like force pulling it. "I gotta see what this is. This magic key's puttin' off some weird mojo."

"I say just shove that magic key up a wizard's magic nose and forget it!" Beat shouted. "This is the kind of stuff you see in a nature documentary. And when those things don't bore me to death, they freakin' scare me!"

"Then stay behind, you scared-ass pussy. Ah wanna see where Django's from. Is it a city of dead people, too?"

"It probably is by now. Sigh… Let's get moving." Django approached the slope.

Kimaya followed him, and then Leo. Beat and Rhyme exchanged worried glances as the former said, "Stay close to me, Rhyme. That ain't the only weird smell Ah smell here." (Play "Canadian Wilderness" from Sly 2!)

Stage 61: Pueblo de Niebla

Mission: Get to the Fogged Village.

Act 1: Miners' Mountain

The slope was too slippery to step up normally, so The Gang jumped up some flat parts until they reached the top of the gravel hill. They had view of part of the mountain range, looking down into a gorge where a machine appeared to be mining from a glowing green pit. The Gang tried to travel along a right path, but a coal truck was coming and would run them over carelessly. They saw a truck drive by on a low path on their left, so they decided to jump down and ride it a short way. It was coming to a tunnel, so the kids jumped to the ledge above it, back on the previous path, which was past the point where the coal trucks came out on this path.

They followed a snaky road between some large coal mounds, then came to a small field where some filthy-looking miners were grilling burgers and drinking beer, engaged in laughter. Beat and Rhyme withheld from barfing when their soot-covered gloves picked up the burgers to begin eating. "I wouldn't mind a bite." said Django. "Let's kick their asses!" He ran out to strum a sonic wave at one of the miners. They grabbed guns and tried to shoot the kids, so The Gang scattered, with the Bitos riding their skateboards. The siblings circled around the miners while Kimaya bent a stream of gas through the grill, using the resulted flame to scorch the miners' butts. In their effort to put the fire out, Beat and Rhyme blast Song Beams to knock them out.

Django proceeded to eat the remaining burgers before pushing the propane-powered grill toward a large stone wall. "Mmm, not bad. Leo, see if you can blow this up." Kaleo nodded and farted a Gas Bomb at the grill, exploding in the fire, which in turn blew up the propane tank and blasted an opening in the wall. They peeked inside the cave, seeing bits of gravel dripping from the ceiling. "A cave through a rubble mountain?" Beat questioned.

"I know, it isn't stable." Django said, strumming a black skateboard with a skull design into existence. "We better be quick if we wanna get through!" With that, The Gang members hopped on their skateboards and rode through the cave, Django using his eyes as red flashlights. They dodged boulders and dripping gravel that would follow with boulders, then reached a left curve where they skated up the wall before shifting direction. They jumped a gap and grinded across minecart tracks, having to jump between tracks before they collapsed. They jumped back on a road, jumping all the small bumps as the ceiling began to cave in behind them. They made a tight turn to the rock before coming out of the cave.

Their momentum increased as they skated down a hill, and had a nice view of the sunset in the distance. They skated down to a field and got off their boards. There was a Sombrero Shy Guy in the middle of the field, playing the level's music. His notes summoned Red Nocturne, Blue Rhapsody, Green Requiem, and Yellow Opera Heartless. The floating bells cast their respective elements, but when The Gang tried to hit them, the Heartless dodged swiftly, being powered by the Sombrero Guy's song. Kaleo was able to fart a Gas Bomb to explode against several Heartless, but the Green Requiems healed their comrades.

The Sombrero Guy danced away from the action, keeping the Heartless empowered. "Hey, buddy! I know a song you can play!" Django summoned four skeletons around the Shy Guy and had them gang up. "It's called 'Your Funeral'!" With the music spell gone, the Heartless were weakened. Kimaya flipped around and stylishly cut them with her Keyblade, and when some flew too high, she blasted laser bullets. For each Heartless defeated, a captive heart flew out of it.

"You got some weird-ass animals in your hometown, Django." Kimaya said.

"No we don't. I dunno what those things were. But I got a bad feeling."

The Gang progressed down the path, coming to a wide area with a chasm and minecart tracks over it. The carts were simply rolling back and forth, and had piles of coal in them. The kids jumped on the first when it came over, then to a cart on a track that went right, one more that went forward, and jumped to the next ledge. They followed another path to a very expansive field with lots of short hills, which all made a wavy formation. A sudden gust of wind brushed across the field, The Gang shielding their eyes as gravel blew. "This isn't normal, either!" Django yelled. "What…"

They saw someone soar in from the sky. He was a thin man in a purple jumpsuit, a black heart symbol with red outline on his chest, and a tan face. He rode a flying surfboard with the same symbol. "'ey, yo-yo, why-don't-you; yo, why-don't-you-kiddies-get-on-outta-here, man?" Boomhauer requested.

"Is he speaking Spanish, because I can't understand him." Rhyme said.

"No, it's not Spanish. And he's probably one of Carter's dogs." Django glared at him.

Boomhauer scanned the kids before setting his sights on Kimaya. "'ey, yo… You there. Uh, dang-ol' admin, he-he's-pretty-reasonable, man."

"? ? ?" The Gang exchanged baffled looks.

"Uh, dang-dang-old-admin. D-Dang-old-admin, he-; admin is reasonable, man!" Boomhauer insisted.

"I'll just say he's sayin' it's Surfer Season!" Kimaya shot laser bullets from her Keyblade like a gun.

"Ahh!" Boomhauer barely dodged, soaring behind them as he used dark airbending to blow the gravel. The Gang got on their skateboards to flee when a sandstorm of gravel washed after them. Smaller waves brushed at them from the parent wave, forcing them to dodge to the sides. A pit was coming, the skaters went up a curve along the right wall, back on the path once across, then up a left curve to avoid another pit. They were skating to tall rocks blocking the path, but when larger sub-waves began to surf up from the parent, they would lift the Gang members up, giving them the chance to jump the top of the rocks.

"Guuuuys!" Kaleo cried, pointing at the steep hill ahead. "We're gonna crash!"

"This is what we trained for, Raimu! Are you ready?" Beat fist-palmed.

"Yeah, Bito! Let's rock their world! Hehe, get it, rocks!"

The rapstar siblings projected a Song Road, which they all used to glide up the hill, bouncing between lines and hitting the notes to keep the song flowing. "Brothers in the hood and-" "-sisters in the jeans!" Beat and Rhyme took turns. "Boys doin' good and-" "-girls being mean!" "And when they meet up right downtown, they'll-" "-TEAR EACH OTHER all year rooo-ound!"

They got to the top of the hill, safe from the sandstorm. "You Americans have weird music." Django remarked. He frowned as he looked down at the sandstorm. "Hmm… looks like we lost that guy. I wonder what else he has in store." The Gang continued along a path that steadily sloped down. Air Soldier Heartless appeared, bat-like Heartless with pilot hats. Kimaya shot them with laser bullets while Django and the Bitos knocked them down with Song Beams.

"Django, you keep talking about this Carter dude." Kimaya said. "What's your beef with him, he done you wrong or something?"

"I'll explain as soon as we get there. I want the entire town to hear it. Assuming there's anybody actually left…"

At the edge of the hill was a canyon of gravel, where they had to sidle along a thin ledge on the left wall. Since it was a weak gravel ground, the ledge was crumbling under their weight, so they sidled quick to outrun the crumbling part. They were coming to the end of the ledge, but a coal truck was driving by, so they jumped down onto its load. Some of the rocks were colored with the bright green substance. The truck drove between a trench, where The Gang had to duck or jump metal scaffolds that were sticking out of the sides. When the truck drove into a tunnel, the kids jumped to a path above it.

The Gang crossed another road between large mounds of coal. Fat Bandit Heartless were stationed atop the mounds, breathing fire to ignite propane tanks, which they chucked down to explode. The Gang bolted to avoid the line of explosions, and the escape would lead them to a field of propane tanks. A single Fat Bandit coughed a fireball at one of the tanks, turning them all into a mine field. The Gang saw the exit, having to run around large holes in the ground to outrun the explosions, but they were able to get to another path within a trench.

"Hold up, pards." Kimaya stopped them, facing forward. "Big black bulgin' blob at 10:00."

"But my watch says it's seven!" Kaleo whined.

"It is, and it's not a blob." Django pointed. "Take a look!"

The black mass at the end of the path was a huge cloud of black smoke. The source of the smoke was a bug sprayer, which Dale Gribble was using to fly. He had the Heartless Emblem on his chest and hat, and his suit was a preying mantis skin. He blew smoke from his cigarette. "Ah could use the activation code on her… But I have a strong feeling I am also a Sleeper Agent. I probably have some weird code like… 'Quit raping that cow' or 'No, I wouldn't mind a budget cut.' I lie awake every night in fear. I can't turn on a fellow Sleeper. Best to just put you outta your misery."

He sent the black cloud to sweep over the path, and with the previous field still burning from explosions, The Gang was ensnared. Kimaya and Leo stepped in front and threw their hands up, using poisonbending to create an invisible shield. The black gas was strong, and they felt their selves getting overwhelmed. There was something unnatural about it.

The Sandmobile was gliding over the artificial mountains, seeing the black cloud and the person creating it. "What is that thing?" Haruka questioned.

"Let's fly down and ask it." Nolan said assertively. However, Boomhauer flew in front and used dark wind to blow their aircraft away. When the Sandmobile recomposed, the surfer flew up and bashed the ship with his board, sending it crashing on the ground.

"COUGH, kuoh!" Beat coughed. "Man, I don't wanna die like no bug! Can't you DO somethin', Django?"

"I can't see through this smoke!" Django yelled, blasting rays from his guitar. "I'd like to hit him, but…"

The Keyblade flashed in Kimaya's hand. The odd magnetic pull was aiming it upward. She aimed the blade that direction as a laser shot, striking Dale perfectly in the chest as his black cloud dispersed. "Oof!" The exterminator gripped his chest. "Some kind of newfangled laser-key-gun technology… The future's coming for us all." He retreated.

The ground was spray-painted black as a result. They turned left at the end of the path, coming to a field of pumpjacks. The ground was covered in oil, and if they stepped too close to the holes where the jacks were mining, they would slip and slide in. They used some flat rock platforms on their left to cross the first oil slope. Kimaya and Leo held onto their friends and used Poison Whip to rope the back end of the pumpjack, swing to another, rope it, and swing to a platform. The Gang jumped to a coal-filled minecart, which started to move along its rails that would lead it into the pit. Before it did, they jumped to another cart, and when this one rolled toward a pit, they jumped another—then immediately jumped once more as that one slid in a pit instantly.

"They clearly set 'em up like that just to troll us." Django figured. They were almost at the end of the field, but the slope before it was angled like a triangle. They used their skateboards to shred across this angle, keeping perfect balance, or else they would zip into the oily pit on either side. They made it to the edge of the slick field, setting their feet on dry ground. They passed through a short trench and discovered a lone coal truck, its headlights on, but its driver absent.

"Alright, we can use this to drive to the village!" Django hopped in the driver's seat with an eager grin.

"You got a driver's license?" Beat asked suspiciously.

"Hey, if I can drive a train, a truck will be no problem."

"That logic's more convincing than Gingerbread running from a fox." Kimaya said as she rode shotgun. "Let's hit town with this gas horse, fellers!"

"Seriously, Kim, the cowgirl talk isn't for you." Beat said as the other three climbed onto the coal pile.

The area was growing darker by the minute, and soon night would be completely upon them. They used the truck's headlights to see the path, avoiding usual hazards like pitfalls and rocks. The small propane tanks were more difficult to see, and when Django hit one of them, the truck took damage from the explosion. "YO, watch it, DJ!" Beat shouted. Heartless Bandits, who wore white turbans and blue suits, climbed up to attack the rooftop riders with their swords, forcing Beat, Rhyme, and Leo to fight back and push them off.

Django hit the boost to drive the truck up a slope and over a chasm, resulting in an uncomfy bumpy landing. Afterwards, a large metal wall was opening and closing sideways. Django hit the brake to avoid crashing, then sped forward when the wall opened. He had to repeat the actions for more opening walls, during which Red Nocturnes shot fireballs at the truck. The Bito kids blasted Song Beams to defeat them. They came to a row of five walls that opened and closed sequentially. Django waited for the first to open, hit the gas, and sped through the doors as they were opening, then drove up and over a chasm, followed by a forceful land.

"Django, some idgit's standing in the road!" Kimaya pointed up ahead. There was a bloated purple fat man wearing only briefs, stretching his arms in a blocking position. He had a Heartless Emblem.

"Then I guess tonight's the night fatheads die." Django kept driving, showing no concern for the man.

The minute the truck made contact, it was slowing to a halt. "Hnnnnrrrrrr!" Bill Dauterive kept as firm as he could, pouring every ounce of strength into pushing the truck. "You think you getting past me? Ah once kept a 200 pound leg press … hmmm, for two days straight!"

"MOVE ASIDE, gramps!" Django stomped the gas and applied more pressure.

"HOOOO-WEEEEE!" Bill felt his legs slipping. With an extra thrust from the truck, it bumped his legs—he fell back as his legs were bent up. "SOOO! I think my rectum just… went through my spine." The truck forced itself over and squished his bones. "SQUEEOOoooo…" The kids heard a SPLAT as the truck kept driving.

"That must be the entrance to the village!" Django pointed at the huge, upcoming gate. "I'll ram this baby through it!"

"YOU CRAZY, D?!" Kimaya shouted. "You ain't worried about squishing little kids on the street?!"

"Not one bit!" Django narrowed his eyes.

"Well FRAP this! ABORT, FELLERS!" She jumped out the door.

"COWBOYS DON'T SAY ABORT!" Beat jumped off.

"No, they say GIT OFF!" Rhyme jumped off, then Kaleo.

They watched from a safe distance as Django smashed through the gate. They didn't want to imagine how many people were smashed on the other side, and they were even thinking of turning around and heading back. But they guessed they had to see if Django wasn't more dead. (End song.)

After the smoke cleared, they saw the truck crashed against a fountain in the center of town. The fountain wasn't leaking anything, and it looked like it had been dry for ages. Django fell out of the truck, then got up as he limped toward The Gang. "Well… Welcome to my home." He said with no enthusiasm.

Pueblo de Niebla was a withered village of wooden houses, filthy streets, and putrid air. The only thing to compliment it were the streetlights that came on when night fell. "This place is…" Kimaya began.

"Really depressing…" Rhyme finished.

They saw people peeking out of windows. Kids stepped out of the houses. They all had pale brown skin and were coughing. Their clothing was ragged and only a few of them wore shoes. "Es que un esqueleto?" a boy asked. ("Is that a skeleton?")

"Es Parca? (Is it Grim Reaper?)" a girl asked.

Django climbed on top of the coal truck. "People of Pueblo de Niebla!" he announced in Spanish. "I am Django de los Muertos. Yes, I just drove a truck through your door, but I had no reason not to. For you see, I was a citizen of your town! But now, I am dead! I am dead because of the man who calls himself your protector! 30 years ago, you called me an unholy demon. You ran me out of town. By this time, I am certain that everyone I knew back then is dead. You're a new generation of suffering victims. Well, I'm back. Now I will tell you all the story. The citizens and my new friends." He gestured at The Gang.

Django muttered, "And since my friends won't understand jack shit of what I'm saying, here's a language converter." He tuned his guitar and shot a calm sonic wave at The Gang. The soundwaves of Spanish words would reform into English words. "Perfect. Ahem, now then…"

33 years ago…

It was a time when the village was slightly more peaceful than it is now. A time when the fountain was running, but it was unwise to drink from it. Django sat on the edge of the fountain and played a gentle tune on his guitar. His music was the life of the village, made them forget their sorrows. Kids were always seen around him, sitting politely with smiles on their faces. Django himself looked like the most healthy person in town, with no pale features on his brown skin, black hair with a curve at the front, and wore a black jacket, red bandana, brown pants and brown shoes.

"Thank you, thank you." Django said with a cool smile. "I'm Django Diaz! Here all day, every day, 24/7!" Yes, that is my last name.

"I don't think 'Django' is your first name." Kimaya said.

"Shut up!"

A little girl was about to throw a coin into his cowboy hat. "Oh, there's no need for that." Django picked up and put his hat on. "Today's free of charge. Now this next song is about my grandma. She lives in Miracle City, and she's now, eh… among her ancestors."

"Awwww." The kids frowned.

"This song is an ode to her memory! Ahem… Here's the story… of Sartana. Sartana D-"

"Look, everyone!" A woman pointed to the town entrance. "The government is here!"

Django's audience excitedly got up to gather by the entrance. "Darn it! Better remember to copyright that song." he mumbled.

I didn't know how long our people had been sick. But apparently, government agents were sent here to study this land, and they discovered a dangerous chemical underground. It polluted the water and even the soil, causing an epidemic. But instead of moving, the government ordered us to remain secluded, fearing that our diseases would spread. They brought fresh water, food, and medicine every week, but they didn't stay long. However, there was something odd about their arrival…

Instead of food or medicine trucks, flatbed trucks carrying machines were parking outside the town. A black helicopter with the label Pewterschmidt Industries landed at the gates. A man in a black tuxedo, brown hair and small mustache, and a large triangle-shaped nose stepped out and greeted the town (with an agent to translate his words).

"People of Pueblo de Spanish Word: by the authority and permission of the World Government, this property is under the control of Pewterschmidt Industries. I'm Carter Pewterschmidt, and from this day forward, you can call me your second mayor."

"We don't have a mayor!" a woman yelled.

"Ah, perfect, I don't have to share my pool with anyone. Anyway, the government has granted me permission to mine the land around this village for the source of the poison. My company is going to study this chemical, and from it develop a cure for your gross-looking town. Your salvation is UNDERWAY or some crap from the Bible or… something. Ahem, but my generosity doesn't come cheap. There's going to be a tax increase. Thankfully, we have plenty of new openings in our new mining operations. Sign-up sheets are over there."

"None of us know how to write!" a girl shouted.

"Man, this town is boring! Fine, everyone just raise your hand if you wanna volunteer."

The announcement caught everyone off guard, and everyone engaged in frantic, muddled discussion. Django picked up his guitar and cut through the crowds as he made his way to the east side of town. There was a rugged hill that led up to a lone house. It looked like it had been here for centuries, more decayed than any other house in town. The slightest tap against the siding may topple the whole structure.

Django creaked open the crooked front door. He tiptoed into the house, moving the cobwebs aside and stepping over the broken floorboards. There was a bed near the empty fireplace. The blanket was in a lump—someone was laying in it. The occupant was coughing as Django approached him. "You still hanging in there, Luviro?"

"Cough!" The boy gave Django a weak smile. His head was wrapped up in a blanket, and his skin was a pale white. He definitely was the most sick person in town, for he never got out of his bed. His eyes were green with yellow sclera. "I'm just fine… Amigo Django."

He was my best friend. I visit him almost every day to bring him medicine or tell him what's going down. It was a year beforehand when I first discovered his house.

"The town's coming under new management, it seems." Django told him. "Some bigwig American guy. He's going to start mining our town for the chemical. The townspeople don't know how to feel about this, and neither do I. I mean… won't it just harm our town more if it were more exposed?"

"But why does he… want to… Cough!"

"He says that he wants to make a cure. Sigh…" Django smiled with humor. "I would never think the word 'cure' held meaning here. I thought sickness was our very existence. What do you think?"

"Cough. Cure… it's funny. I only dreamed about days when I… wasn't coughing. When I can walk and… breathe normally. I think the only reason I'm still alive… is 'cause I can imagine a day like that coming."

"Hmm… The idea of a cure does sound like a dream. I'd like to imagine it, too…" He closed his eyes.

"Django… sing me a song."

He looked at Luviro. "Do you wanna hear the song about that legend you told me about?"

"Yes… I like that song."

"Okay." Django sat on an old chair and played his guitar, singing softly.

Six magic gems… from a faraway land

Six you must find… Find them if you can

End-less fire… eeeendless poooower

The key that which lies… at the top of the tooower

Just follow your heart… to a suuuunny tomoooorrow

You will find the core… of your love and your sorrow

With unmatched strength… harder… than stone

With friendship… you'll never be… alone…

I was the only person in town born with magic. Maybe that's why I'm not as ill. The other townspeople wouldn't look at that too well. They would think I'm a demon. And I guess they're right. Luviro was the only one who knew. My music eased his soul; namely when I played this song his grandma used to sing him. His grandma passed away, too. It makes me wonder…

Three years later

Pewterschmidt Industries dug several mines and brought more mining equipment. Taxes increased, forcing more people to volunteer as miners, even children. Dozens perished. A factory was being constructed on the north edge of town, and what that had of it became the primary mine site. For Django, life went on like normal. His music kept the hearts of the children at ease, kept their faces smiling, hoping there would be a brighter tomorrow.

Special volunteers wanted, the posters read in Spanish. Speak to President Pewterschmidt. Django pulled one of these papers down, looking at it with a raised brow. He headed to the factory.

Mining operations were in progress under the factory's basement. They had found a flowing river of the chemical, which was a pinkish-red color. A crane was lowered down into the river. Carter Pewterschmidt watched as a boulder was raised from its depths. The crane dropped the stone beside Carter.

"President Pewterschmidt." Carter turned to face an agent, who was standing by a Mexican boy with a guitar. "This child wanted to speak to you regarding the 'special volunteers' posting."

"Really?" Carter smoked a cigarette. "And what's our young volunteer's name? …Cough."

"Django Diaz." The boy replied. He played a musical spell that would allow him to understand and speak English.

"Ooo, badass!" Carter perked. He spoke more formally, "Ahem, well, Django, when I say 'special volunteers,' I don't mean just anyone." Carter said as he walked slowly around him, hands folded at his back. "Little boys your age believe in magic and wizards, don't you?"

Django raised a brow. "Yes?"

"Well, those little stories aren't just fantasies. There are forces in this universe that are hard for people to understand. And we believe that if we were to understand them, extraordinary things could happen… Cough."

"But what does that have to do with saving my hometown?"

"Because, boy, the chemical we are researching is one that we only heard in legends. And this river you see here," Carter waved an arm at the river as Django looked down at it, "is just how it was drawn in the books. It's called Lazarus. And the legends read that Lazarus is a powerful substance that can cure any illness. Unfortunately, if the source of the Lazarus was tainted in any way, it would create the opposite effect. Cough!"

"So the reason everybody in Niebla is sick is because this 'Lazarus' is tainted?"

"Yes. If we were to purify it, we could develop a cure to heal not just your village, but all the sick people in the world."

"What's the answer to purifying it? The reason for your 'special volunteer'?"

"The answer is over here. This way…"

Carter led Django up the river's trench, through a small tunnel. They got to a room with a pit that glowed a faint red. They looked into the pit. A huge cube was sitting in the river, with only the top sticking out. It cast a square shadow on the ceiling above, while the area around it reflected dim red light. "We believe this is the source of the Lazarus. It's being clogged by that stone. We built that giant crane to lift it," Carter pointed at the crane on the ceiling, "but it wouldn't budge. Then we brought in some agents who knew earthbending. Even they couldn't lift it. Clearly, this stone is not natural. The special volunteers I'm looking for are anyone who know how to get that stone out of this hole. Hm, but maybe asking this town was the wrong idea. Cough, cuah!"

Django looked at the guitar in his hands. He faced up at Carter, "Why do you care about our town, anyway? If you had someone who could lift it, why should they?"

"Django… I have a secret to tell you." He faced the boy more closely. "I may look like a man in the prime of my youth… but I am not. I have cancer. Cough! I feel so awful every day I wake up. And it makes me think about the plight of others… It makes me think of all the poor, innocent people who are suffering. Django… I really do want to help you. But as long as that rock is clogging up the source, we may never find a cure."

"…Don't give up just yet." Django turned the tuners on his guitar. "You may have just found your special guy." He closed his eyes and remembered the levitation song his grandma taught him. He played it softly. "Rise… to the sky… Rise… to the sky… Riiiise, oooohhh riiiise… very hiiiigh…"

Carter was confused as to what he was doing. But when he looked at the cube again, it began to twitch. "Riiiise… oooohh riiiise… Riiiise… uuuup hiiiigh… But the ceiling… works, tooooo… Will you doooo it… Won't yoooouu…"

The cube began to rise. It rose slowly out of the pit, dripping with the red Lazarus. Carter moved back when Django floated the cube over the ledge. He set it down and stopped his song. Carter didn't recognize the symbols on the stone, and Django said it wasn't Spanish. There was a keyhole below the writing.

Regardless, they both viewed down into the unclogged pit. The Lazarus bubbled and began to rise. The river flowed faster. "It worked, Django!" Carter exclaimed. "How the hell did you do that?!"

"I may have been born with… magic powers." He smiled proudly.

"Magic? You mean like… a wizard?"

"I guess so. Except instead of using a wand, I play this guitar." He strummed a few notes.

"Well, that just… works in my favor entirely." Carter grabbed the boy and threw him into the pit.

"AAAAAAHHH!" A searing pain burned Django's body. His clothes dissolved, his hat dissolved, he flailed his arms and legs desperately as his skin turned red. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET ME OUT OF HERE, AAAAAHHH!"

"There was one more page of the book I forgot to mention. The Lazarus's healing properties will only be revealed with a live sacrifice. My agents always wondered why you were the only healthy brat in this God-forsaken town. Now you come to me with the straight-up truth that you have magic. Just what the Lazarus needed: a healthy body of magic energy. You served me well, Django. Now you'll be able to curse your gods in person."

"AAAAAAAAHHH! AAAAAAAAAHH… AAAAAAA…"

His flesh burned off… his eyes melted… and soon, he knew, his skeleton would be lost, too. But it wasn't.

Django thought he would feel relief when the pain was gone. But he found himself in a realm of darkness. His bones gazed up at the black mass with red eyes, which spoke with a deep voice that sent a chill down his bare spine. "Your death has come sooner than I expected… Oh well. I still have a debt, I suppose. Django Diaz… I am Lucifer. A close friend of your grandmother, Sartana. Sartana of the Dead, as you already know her.

"It was her request that I grant you magic abilities. And it was her request… that I let you share her fate. Now, I shall revive you, Django… You will be of the Dead… but you shall walk among the earth and seek your revenge…"

A dark mist shrouded Django's body. He was given a black shirt, black leather pants with boots, and a brownish-black cowboy hat that had a curve like his hair, and a skull and crossbones. His boney claws stuck out of his dark-brown gloves, swirly lines appeared on his skull, and his eyes glowed red. He raised his hand. A black guitar burned into being from blue flames. He brushed the other hand across the strings and made a strum.

The Lazarus turned a bright green thanks to Django's "sacrifice." Carter slowly climbed down, dipping only his legs into the Lazarus. He sniffed the toxic air and breathed a sigh of relief. He never felt so purified… his throat so clear… He climbed out of the pool. "But how long does it last… that's the question. We'll keep mining the land around this village for more bodies of Lazarus. Make sure the townspeople don't find out about this." Carter told his men before walking away from the pit.

He whipped around at the sound of a BURST, seeing a bright blue flame rise from the pit. A person flew out of it, landing firmly on the ground. It was a skeleton with large claws, wearing a bandana like Django's and holding a guitar at his back. He looked up at Carter with brimming red eyes. "Well? Aren't you gonna help the town?"

"W…What?"

"You said you wanted to cure the town… You gonna keep your word?"

"You're a… You're a demon!"

"I'm not the only demon… Are you gonna help the town?"

"SEND IN THE RANCOR!"

At Carter's command, a large cage was opened. A hideous brown monster with a rock-like body and misshapen mouth stomped out, roaring ravenously. The monster saw the skeleton child and felt a lust to crunch him to pieces. The Rancor charged over and swiped an arm at Django, who dodged and ran. The Rancor blasted a sound wave that Django countered with his guitar. Django ran and slid under the monster's legs, then climbed up its back, to the head.

Django gouged his claws into the Rancor's eyes, the monster screeching with agony. The Rancor stormed through the mine, knocking down all machines and people in its wake. Django kept his fingers in its eyes, wanting it to suffer until it felt like dropping dead.

The Rancor ended up bursting out of the factory, furiously shaking its head until Django flew off. The skeleton landed in the center of town. He looked around at the surrounding citizens. They were terrified of the living corpse, backing away and muttering prayers. The children who enjoyed Django's songs didn't recognize him. They only saw a cursed being.

"EVERYBODY IN YOUR HOUSES!" Carter shouted through a megaphone. "This demon appeared in my factory and summoned this monster! Get inside, we'll take care of it!"

Everybody scrambled to their houses like a swarm of bats fluttering out of a cave. Agents surrounded Django and aimed shotguns. Django glared murderously at Carter when he marched up between the soldiers. "I helped you!" Django growled. "Why are you betraying me? Why are you betraying these people?"

"You may be a demon, but you're still a child." Carter said. "So I wouldn't expect you to understand. This is a world of business and profit. The people who rule this world are people who know how to make money. Those are the only people worth saving. And if everybody had access to a medicine that can cure all, then we would be out of business. I need to keep people hoping for cures and miracles. And these people won't be hopeful with some unholy bone child walking their streets. You don't belong here. Now, leave."

Django stared at the men with their guns trained. He stared at the people peeking from the windows. He felt their fear. He felt Carter's desire. These dark feelings… He could feel them like the toxic air. "Fine." Django turned to the town entrance. His new boots clanking their metal at each step, he marched out.

He marched out to the dry, dry desert. He couldn't feel the sand in the breeze, nor the warmth of the sun as it set behind his home. His legs never felt weary from the long walk.

From that day on… I hated the world. People are cruel… adults especially. I began to ignore law and meaning.

Present time

"I went to Miracle City to live with my grandma." The people were still listening to his story. "I almost forgot the plight of my people. I gave up on them. Then one day, Grandma took me to Cleveland to meet the witch-doctor. I wandered off on my own… and met the first group of people I could call my friends."

Django jumped off the truck, beside The Gang. "What was it you told me, Kimaya? It was understood that we have rough backgrounds. It couldn't get any worse than being dead like me. You let me into your crew without question. And I paid regular visits, hung out with you guys… because deep down, a part of me sought coldblooded revenge. You said The Gang looks out for each other… If there was something I wanted from you, I shouldn't hesitate to ask. Well… can you understand what I'm asking you, and why?" He spun and indicated the pale, dire townspeople.

"Oh, I understand perfectly." They whipped in the direction of the factory. Carter Pewterschmidt marched up, the citizens limping aside to let him and the Heartless Hank Hill through. His hair and mustache were grey from old age, and he wore blue business attire. "Well, the translator did, but I understood… the translation. After all this time, you finally came back. I figured a demon like you would leave his people to die."

"Don't you people see?!" Django yelled. "This man is a fraud, he's been using you all along! He doesn't care about your health!"

"Go ahead and tell them. They're too sick and weak to do anything. Why do you think this place is the Land Forsaken By God? Because these people have always been hopeless, not even worth saving. They may sell everything they own just to buy medicine from me, but they're better off waiting for death."

"Wow, man…" Kimaya said with disgust. "You have got to be the sickest son of a bitch I know."

"Oh, I'm far from it." Carter smirked at the girl in the Western hat. "That Male Administrator Is The Most Reasonable Man I Know."

A spark flashed in Kimaya's brain—she stood upright and saluted. "Agent 6767 activated. What are your orders?"

"What the fuck?!" Beat gaped.

"So, you really were a Sleeper." Carter said. "This couldn't be any easier. Agent Double-67: destroy that skeleton!"

"Understood." She lashed her Keyblade at Django.

"HEY!" Django swung his guitar to counter her attacks, then jumped away to strum a sonic wave, which Kim avoided. The townspeople retreated back indoors.

"Kimaya, what are you doing?!" Rhyme cried.

"It must be some kind of mind control!" Django dodged Kimaya's swift swings and slashed his claws at her face. "Rhyme, Beat, you two are musicbenders, see if you can cure it!"

"Man, the mood ain't right!" Beat shouted. "There's way too much pressure in the air, why don't you use your magic notes?"

"I'm not getting a good vibe myself!" Django said as he countered more of her slashes.

"Alright, alright. Lemme find a good beat," the rapper put his boombox down and tapped the song select, "okay! Rhyme, on three! One, two, ahem: Doooon't start unbelieeeeving. Never don't not know- AAH!" Beat was shot in the stomach by Hank Hill.

"BEAT!" Rhyme and Leo cried. The sister knelt beside her brother.

"Ahh… Rhyme!…" he choked.

"Yer outta time, Mister." Hank said before shooting him once more. Beat fell on his back, dead.

"BITOOOOO!" Rhyme ran up and knelt over his face. Her big brother showed no signs of life or motion. Rhyme's pretty blue eyes were overflowing with tears. "Beat… Beat… BEEEAT…"

"Rhyme?" Leo spoke, traumatized by the sight himself. He never saw the younger girl look so upset. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when Beat and Rhyme were ever apart. He approached carefully.

"BEEEAT. BEEEAT. BEEEAT." Leo hesitated as Rhyme's voice grew. "BEEEEAAAAT!" Her body fell dead atop her brother's as a dark mass came out of her. The black-purple creature had the same shape and size as Rhyme, but it had a hole in its chest, and when it turned around, Leo saw its frightening skull mask. "AAAAHH!"

"BUAAH, GET OFF ME!" Rhyme lunged at Hank, biting and tearing his arm. "Got damn little devil, I swear-!"

A gust of wind created by Boomhauer blew the dark creature off. As Rhyme snarled at him, Heartless Soldiers appeared. Rhyme blasted dark music notes to attack them. "Rhyme…" Leo looked between Rhyme's body and the creature, growing more confused.

"LEO, BEHIND YOU!" Django screamed.

The earth shook as Bill Dauterive stomped into town. His body was not splat, his bones were not misplaced, and he towered over the village at 40 feet. "I'm a BIIIIG BIIIIG man! And I need a BIIIIIG bowl of cereal!"

"AAAAAAHHH!" Kaleo bolted to the east side of town.

"WHERE YA GOIN', Puny?!" Bill charged after him, knocking over streetlights and squishing many of the lesser Heartless. "Don'tchu wanna goooo in my mooouuuth?"

"Well, I have nothing to worry about." Carter said assuringly. "I don't know how you boys turned into mutants, but as long as these brats get squashed, I don't really care."

"We aim to please ya, Mr. Pewterschmidt." Hank nodded. "But what're you gonna do about that there Kimaya girl? Ain't she the one you're s'posed to stop?"

"She's a Sleeper Agent, don't you see? As soon as she gets rid of that walking corpse, I'll tell her to kill herself. Then no more Twenty Keys!"

In the sky above

This group of kids had a hawk's-eye view of the coal mountain, and all the verminous Heartless. The conflict taking place at the village caught their attention. "The situation's worse than we thought." said a girl wielding a large scythe. She had sandy-blonde hair in two long bangs, green eyes, wore a black tux that flowed like a cape, and a red patterned skirt underneath.

Spirit KND Sector SCYTHE Leader

MAKA ALBARN

"I'm not afraid!" A boy with spiky blue hair smirked, whirling his kusarigama. He wore a black sleeveless shirt, large white pants, and a star marked on his right shoulder, gloves, and shoes. "I'll chop every last one of them to pieces!"

Spy of Sector SCYTHE

BLACK☆STAR

"These aren't Hollows we're dealing with." A girl with purple hair, golden eyes, and a red dress said. She had a skull mask on her head. "They're Heartless. In fact, I read that they and Hollows were enemies."

Mage of Sector SCYTHE

ELLEN WICKENS

"It doesn't matter." Maka said. "It's time we put an end to them. Sector SCYTHE, Battle Stations!"