The Warriors Have Arrived/We Don't Have to Fight

*(Later back at the Azteca Village at sunset, an army of Native American echidna warriors are arriving at the riverbank in their canoes, having been called upon by every Azteca Tribe messenger sent by Seifer under Pachacamac's orders. The Azteca Tribe spotted them)*

Male Azteca Tribe member 1: The warriors are here!

*(The Azteca Tribe arrived at the riverbank and greeted their fellow tribe members arriving. Nearby the cornfield, Tikal returned and saw, to her confusion, the warriors walking with Pachacamac to his teepee. Spotting Therru, who is also watching this and her apron off already, Tikal ran up to her)*

Tikal: What's going on?

*(Noticing her upon hearing her, Therru answered)*

Therru: The warriors have come.

*(Then after looking around a bit, she then whispered to Tikal in a reassuring tone)*

Therru: (Whispering) And rest assured, I kept your secret safe, as promised.

Tikal: (Whispering, smiling softly in gratitude) Thank you. You're the best friend I ever had.

*(Then Seifer arrived, smiling proudly)*

Seifer: (To Tikal) There you are!

Tikal: Seifer!

Seifer: (Proudly watching the fellow tribe members) Look at them. Now we have enough warriors to destroy those outsider demons!

*(Then Pachacamac made his announcement to both his people and their fellow tribe members in front of his teepee)*

Pachacamac: Now that we are joined by our brothers, we will defeat this enemy.

*(After the Azteca Tribe and their fellow tribe members, except Tikal and even Therru, whooped a bit, they resumed their business while Pachacamac and his fellow tribe members' chiefs walked towards his teepee. Concerned, Tikal then ran up to her father to talk with him about this, leaving Therru and Seifer alone to resume their business)*

Tikal: Father, I need to speak with you.

Pachacamac: Not now, Tikal. The council is gathering.

Tikal: We don’t have to fight them! There must be a better way.

Pachacamac: Sometimes our paths are chosen for us.

Tikal: But maybe we should try talking to them.

Pachacamac: I'm afraid they do not want to talk.

Tikal: But if one of them did want to talk, you would listen to him, wouldn’t you?

Pachacamac: Tikal....

Tikal: Wouldn't you?!

*(Pachacamac sighed)*

Pachacamac: Of course I would. But it is not that simple. Nothing is simple anymore.

*(Then he gently stroked Tikal's left cheek)*

Pachacamac: Now, until the war is over, just stay in the village where it's safe.

*(Tikal got calmly disappointed that Pachacamac won't reconsider like he used to, but regardless, she gave in)*

Tikal: Alright.

*(Then Pachacamac went inside his teepee to begin his meeting with the fellow tribe members' chiefs. Back in the forest at the same time, Pikachu caught up with Knuckles and the Dazzlings. But just before he approached, he heard a twig snap nearby. He turned and saw, to his surprise, it's Meowth, all exhausted. Upon spotting Pikachu, Meowth's energy boosted up again)*

Meowth: There you are!

*(He charged at him, his claws readied)*

Meowth: Wait'll I get my claws on you!

*(Pikachu tried to reason with him)*

Pikachu: (Scoldingly) Pika pika pika, pika chu, pika!

*(But Meowth, knowing what he's saying, refused to believe him)*

Meowth: (Sarcastically) Oh, sure you don't want to fight me. *(Seriously)* Now stay still!

*(He lunged at Pikachu, but Pikachu dodged, causing Meowth to plop right into a nearby empty stump, getting his upper part of his body stuck in there. Pikachu gave an apologetic look)*

Pikachu: (Apologetically and softly) Pika....

*(Then he joined up with Knuckles and the Dazzlings, who noticed him)*

Knuckles and Dazzlings: Pikachu!

Pikachu: (Happily) Pika!

Starlight: Our guess; You want to hang out with us, right?

Pikachu: (Nods happily) Pika pika.

*(Giving in with smiles, Knuckles and the Dazzlings agreed)*

Knuckles and Dazzlings: Okay.

Knuckles: But stay hidden in my bag please.

*(Complying happily, Pikachu then went inside of Knuckles' bag and stayed hidden as Knuckles and the Dazzlings continued their way back to the Jamestown settlement. Back with Meowth, he struggled to free himself from the stump, but to no avail. Meowth then groaned a bit in misery. Back at the Jamestown settlement, some settler lookouts heard the groan and got scared. At the entrance to the settlement, Tombo is holding his gun, on lookout when he heard a twig snap nearby. He quickly turned and aimed his gun, only to realize that it's....)*

Knuckles: Easy, Tombo!

Dazzlings: It's us!

*(Tombo got relieved that he lowered his gun)*

Tombo: Oh, Knuckles, Dazzlings. Sorry about that. I just almost killed you.

*(Knuckles then went up to Tombo reassuringly and taught him how to use a gun properly)*

Knuckles: Not aiming like that, you couldn’t. Keep both eyes open when you shoot. You’ll see twice as well.

Tombo: Thanks. I'll remember that.

*(Suddenly, as soon as they reentered the settlement, the Badniks ran up to Knuckles and the Dazzlings)*

Scratch: Knuckles, Dazzlings!

Coconuts: There you are!

Grounder: We were looking all over for you!

*(Suddenly, Dick and Muttley arrived, with the former extremely livid)*

Dick: Knuckles! Where have you been?!

Dazzlings: (Aghast) Excuse us?!

Adagio: What about us?!

Dick: (To the Dazzlings, nonchalantly) Oh, yes. Glad to see you're safe. *(To Knuckles angrily)* Now, where were you?!

Knuckles: I was out scouting the terrain with the Dazzlings, Sir.

*(Then Dick got impressed and got confident as the rest of the settlers arrived to see this meeting)*

Dick: Excellent. Then you must know the Indians’ whereabouts, and we’ll need that information for the battle.

Knuckles: (Confused) What battle?

Aria: (Confused with the Dazzlings) What are you talking about?

Dick: We will eliminate these savages once and for all.

*(Knuckles and the Dazzlings objected)*

Knuckles and Dazzlings: No, you can't! (you mustn't!)

*(Dick and the settlers got surprised)*

Dick: Oh? And why can't we?

Knuckles: Look, we don't have to fight them.

Adagio: We could just try to talk with them.

Tombo: (Confused) Knuckles, what's gotten into you and the Dazzlings suddenly?

Knuckles: The Dazzlings and I met one of them.

*(The settlers got surprised)*

Scratch and Coconuts: (Surprised) You what?!

Grounder: (Surprised) A savage, why?!

Knuckles: They're not savages, they can help us, like how we can try and help them!

Adagio: And the Indian we befriended is the princess.

Sonata: In other words, the Daughter of the Chief.

Trixie: And her tribe in this land is called the Azteca Tribe.

*(The settlers got calmly surprised, as if becoming interested, all except Dick, that is)*

Settlers: (Calmly surprised) "Princess?"

Tombo: (Calmly surprised) "Daughter of the Chief?"

Badniks: (Calmly surprised) "Azteca Tribe of this land?"

Knuckles and Dazzlings: That's right.

Trixie: Her name is Tikal.

Knuckles: She even taught us all about this place.

Starlight: She trusts us greatly.

Sonata: A really nice and smart girl.

Aria: And she's not even afraid of us.

Knuckles: In fact, she and her people know the land, they even know how to navigate the rivers.

*(Pikachu then secretly poked the cornear given to them out of Knuckles' bad. Realizing, Knuckles then pulled the cornear out)*

Knuckles: And see this? This is actual food!

Adagio: They call this corn.

Trixie: We had two, but we ate one.

Sonata: It was so delicious even!

Grounder: More delicious than biscuits?

Dazzlings: Yeah!

Knuckles: Way better than biscuits, hardtack, and gruel, for sure!

Muttley: (Happily) I like gruel!

*(Getting angry and annoyed, Dick snatched the cornear from Knuckles and threw it on the ground, and while he was distracted by his angry ranting, Trixie picked up the cornear and secretly puts it back in Knuckles' bag)*

Dick: They don’t want to feed us, you ninnies! They want to kill us! All of us! They’ve got our gold!

*(He then shook a nearby settler by his shirt's neck rim a bit)*

Dick: And they’ll do anything to keep it!

Knuckles: But there is no gold!

Adagio: It turned out we were all wrong about gold being here!

Dazzlings except Adagio: That's right!

*(The settlers, upon hearing this, got calmly surprised even more)*

Scratch: No gold?

Dick: (Nonchalantly smug) And let me guess; I suppose your little Indian princess friend told you this.

Knuckles: Yes.

Adagio: And we could sense the sincerity in her voice when she told us that.

Dazzlings except Adagio: We all did.

Dick: Lies, lies, all of it! They're nothing but murderous thieves, trying to manipulate and deceive you all! And there’s no room for their kind in civilized society.

*(Shocked and angry at Dick making such claims, Knuckles and the Dazzlings objected)*

Knuckles: But this is their land!

Dazzlings: You can't just take it away!

Dick: This is *my* land! *I* make the laws here!

*(Then he dagger glared at Knuckles and the Dazzlings)*

Dick: And from now on, anyone so much as looks at an Indian without killing him, or her, on sight, will be tried for treason, and hanged!

*(After a brief angry staring contest, Knuckles and the Dazzlings then stormed off back into Knuckles' tent while Dick and Muttley returned into Dick's tent. After watching this, the settlers then resumed their business, feeling confused and/or concerned about what they just seen and heard)*

***Coming up: Nighttime comes, and Tikal and Knuckles, along with Zazu, Pikachu's group, and the Dazzlings meet up again at Starfire's glen as promised to discuss how to prevent their own people from fighting each other, even soon welcoming Meowth into their group, as well as convince him to get along with Pikachu, after he unexpectedly stumbled upon them. But unfortunately, thanks to Seifer calmly forcing a confession from Therru, he, as well as Tombo, who was sent by Dick to follow Knuckles, would soon make things take a turn for the worst in a shocking, unexpected tragic way.***