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He’s fairly certain that his heart is going to beat right out of his chest if he doesn’t get to stop soon. Kuzco can’t remember a single time in his life he’s ever been on his feet for so long at one time, let alone run an actual marathon through the jungle while being chased by a crypt keeper and her loyal goon.
The humidity is nearly enough to suffocate him, surrounding him like a blanket and weighing his already heavy, matted fur down that much more. He’s panting heavily, mouth hanging open like an overheated dog as he follows Pacha up hill after hill to his little village, and doing his best to ignore the intimidating sight of the stairs looming ahead of him.
“Well, how would you describe her?”
“Oh; scary beyond all reason!”
“Yeah, that’s it!”
If Yzma and Kronk have already made it to the village, they know he’s still alive and they know that Pacha is helping him. Which means that Pacha’s family is in danger– and it’s all because of him.
Feelings are still new to him, a completely foreign concept; especially these feelings of guilt and responsibility. The idea that he could be responsible for something bad happening to Pacha’s family— the only person in the entire Empire who actually seems to care about him, as a person— weighs heavily on his mind in a way nothing else ever has.
“Okay, listen up– ” Pacha calls out, huffing as he navigates the last set of steps leading up the hill towards his hut. “When we get there, you head around to the back of the hut and wait for me outside, but make sure you stay out of view. I’ll try to get Chicha’s attention and let her know what’s going on.”
Kuzco can only nod in reply, too busy trying to keep his breathing under control to respond with real words. Yzma and Kronk never got a good look at him in that diner, lucky for them. Despite his odd red coloring, there’s no doubt in his mind he’ll be able to hide out in the pen with the rest of Pacha’s llamas if worse comes to worse.
As the hut finally comes into view, he and Pacha split up with Kuzco heading towards the back of the hut and the llama pen. There are a few of them milling about, lazily chewing on grass and they lift their heads to watch as he slows his approach to a relaxed canter instead of a full on run. “Hey, guys. Room for one more?” Kuzco pants, flashing them a grin as he stops beside a taller, tan female llama with little bands around the base of her ears.
The female llama seems to take an interest in him almost immediately, leaning her head closer and giving him a llamas approximation of a once over that makes his ears flatten against his head in discomfort. “. . . What are you looking at?” If he remembers correctly, this was the llama he saw when he first woke up inside of that sack– the one who screamed and ran away from him in his panicked state. What was her name. . .
Misty! That’s it, her name is Misty.
Misty trots around him in a slow circle, seemingly sizing him up and outright ignoring the suspicious look he gives her. A noise from the house draws his attention away, his ears perking as he tries to figure out where exactly it came from. Misty takes that as her opportunity to lean into his lower back, stepping in until she’s leaning against his side and giving his hair a long, pointed sniff. She apparently likes what she smells, because she doesn’t move away from him then– lifting her head even further to nibble playfully at his ear with her front teeth.
“Gah! What are– HEY! No touchy!” Kuzco screeches, fighting to keep his voice low as he jumps back and away from the nosey llama with a glare. If it’s possible for a llama to look love struck— this must be what it looks like, and his eyes widen as the realization finally dawns on him.
Kuzco laughs, a nervous chuckle more than anything, and takes a few steps back towards the other llamas watching with disinterested stares from further down the hill. “A hah. . . look. I’m sure you’ve got a great personality– “ Misty follows him, taking a step forward for each of the steps he takes backwards, not stopping even as he trips over a rock, and just barely manages to catch himself from stumbling down the hill in time. “ – You know I’m not REALLY a llama, right?”
He notices Pacha moving towards the back of the hut out of the corner of his eye and whips his head around to watch him, relieved. He must have caught Chicha’s attention. The sooner they can get a move on ahead of Yzma and Kronk the better, and that thought alone makes him anxious to find out what’s going on and when they can leave. Before he realizes what’s happening, Misty is back– this time, with her ears set back and making a strange clicking sound.
Instinctually (because apparently he’s attuned to that sort of thing now, as a llama), Kuzco sets his own ears back in defense and takes another step back, his eyes wide at the obvious signs of interest. A soft gurgling sound comes from her next and he blanches, his tail whipping behind him as he emits his own low humming noise in response. “Eh heh– okay, look— Misty. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. . . .” He’s backed into the corner of the pen now and with her closing in on him, he stands up on his haunches with his hands out to try and act as human as possible as his last act of defense. “It’s not me, it’s you! Really. I’m just. . . not ready for this type of commitment right now!”
Pacha slips into the back of the house, and Kuczo takes his chance; gasping and throwing an arm out to point over Misty's back with a hoof. “DEMON LLAMA!” Misty takes the bait, her eyes widening as she whips her head around and he takes off past her and up the hill as fast as his four legs will carry him.
“—So we have to get back to the palace, find the lab and change him back!”
Kuczo, relieved to be away from that creepy, flirty llama, doesn’t think twice to lift his head up into view of the window to announce himself when he comes in on the tail end of Pacha’s explanation.
Pacha has more than likely already put in a good word for him, and the women love him! Pacha’s wife will be thrilled to meet the Emperor, live and in the. . . fur. “Hi there!”
The next thing he knows? Complete and total darkness.
Kuzco regains consciousness slowly, his head feeling a lot like it’s been split open and with stars in the shape of . . . llamas? Dancing in front of his eyes. There’s a soft, wet feeling of something sliding against his ear that doesn’t feel horrible, just a little bit out of place, and his nose twitches in response to the foreign sensation. As he takes a moment to take stock of himself, trying to remember where he is and what’s going on– Misty dips her head and licks a long, wet stripe against the side of his snout with a soft, playful ‘mewl’.
He nearly jumps out of his fur as he scrambles backwards in his haste to get away from her and backs himself right into the wall of Pacha’s hut in the process. “Ahh! Where’d you come from?! I thought I lost you at the pen! Go away!” Pacha chooses that exact moment to come back outside and casts the two of them a suspicious look before turning to grab some supplies from a chest situated in the far corner. “Stop flirting, you two. We’ve got to get a move on! Chicha and the kids are keeping them busy for now.”
Kuzco flashes misty a dark look as he stands on shaky legs, the dizziness coming back to him full force and causing him to stumble. He groans and holds his head, walking himself unsteadily over to where Pacha and his wife are still saying their goodbyes. “You have a lovely wife.” He slurs, trying and failing to shake the pounding in his head away so he can focus on the one— no, two? images of Pacha’s wife in front of him.
“They’re both very pretty.”
As Pacha drags him off down the hillside, he misses the sad look Misty gives the two of them as they run, her ears falling and a sad hum leaving her at the loss of a potential mate. Maybe next time.