Preface: This fic is part of the Antipode series and a sequel to Antipode: The Year Between. If you are new and want to start here, I will cover the gist of the AU at the end of this chapter.

x.x.x

Chapter 1: A Rough Fresh Start

Twilight Town was a wasteland. A truly wondrous abyss. Piles upon piles of cement shards, crushed bricks, and shattered glass flooded the once open streets. Dented crossbeams rose from the crumbled remains. Deep craters dotted the roads, torn asunder by rivers of jagged cracks and crevices. The few remaining buildings overlooking the ruin provided a bird's eye view of the wreckage. But while the view below was certainly fascinating, Xemnas' gaze wandered to the very top of the Station Heights, its hill smothered in walls of rubble. Still, in spite of the destruction, he could still see the distant figure of a cream-colored tower, its golden bells ringing silent.

In fact, silence hung over the entire town. He saw not a single creature, save for the twitching, white Dusks slithering across the tarnished roads. With no sign of the Keybearers, he could only conclude that their plan had succeeded. Perhaps at a great cost, but one he was more than ready to pay if it yielded proper results.

So, with a smirk steadily crawling across his lips, Xemnas turned his back on the ruined town. A shadow began to grow near the edge of the rooftop. It started as a small dot, then began to whirl, inky black tendrils stretching toward the heavens, pulling the shadow into a wide, elliptical shape that chilled the air to absolute zero. More than ready to embrace the darkness' depths, Xemnas strode toward the corridor. Then, just as he set one foot inside, a sudden jolt hit him like lightning to the skull. It was an abrupt, tingling sort of sensation, like an itch he couldn't scratch. A relentlessly nagging feeling that brought him to a complete stop.

Taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes and focused. A blurry image hovered before him, rippling like the surface of a pond. He saw a floating chunk of land drifting beneath a sea of stars. A rim of deep green pines ran along the edge of the landscape, coated in lush blades of grass. Between all the trees, a crooked tower pierced the sky, its pointed blue roof patterned with stars and crescent moons.

The image abruptly shifted, showing a boy in a small, rounded room, surrounded by mirrors. Even without seeing his face, the boy's silver hair, now significantly shorter, stood out among the haze, and when he opened his eyes, Xemnas couldn't help but laugh.

"So your flesh bears the sigil… What a convenient turn of events."

x.x.x

Of all the ways to start his next journey, it had to be in an explosion of pink sparkles. With the flick of a wand, a whirlwind of glitter spiraled around him, and Riku slapped his hand over his mouth, half-expecting to sneeze. His gut instinct told him that he'd probably start floating at the first happy thought that flashed through his head. But this wasn't Neverland, and the three fairies surrounding him sure weren't Tinker Bell. For one, they all stood around four feet tall, dwarfing Tink by a landslide. They each wore long, wide dresses colored red, blue, and green, with pointed hats and capes to match. The fairy in blue was kinda plump and kinda stocky, the one in green taller and the skinniest of the three, while the one in red stood somewhere in the middle.

And despite repeated protests, they just kept flicking their wands, giving Riku next to no time to even take in his new duds. After all, the constant blasts of pink and blue turned him into a living strobe light. Between flashes, he barely noticed the fact that his waders had been replaced with baggy jeans, his shredded yellow top with a zip-up vest, and his shoes with lace-up sneakers. His black wristbands and gloves remained the same as ever, but every few seconds, they along with the rest of his getup would shift from pink to blue, then pink all over again.

Over by the door, he saw Donald covering his beak. The sound of his snickers carried over constant shouts from Flora and Merryweather. He wasn't alone, either. Standing between Donald and Goofy, Kairi bit her lip and looked off to the side. Her nose wrinkled, and she concealed half her face behind her hand, like she was resisting the urge to giggle. On the upside, Goofy gave no signs of amusement, merely scratching his noggin as he watched the sparkly light show.

Several moments passed with no stop to the fairies' bickering. Shaking her head, Kairi pushed away from the door and slipped behind the trio.

"Hey, do you think you could slow down? I know you're just trying to help, but Riku looks a little…"

"Overwhelmed? Yeah, that's one way of putting it." He crossed his arms, giving the fairies a dry look.

Flora's eyes widened, and she fluttered back. "But surely you don't want to wear blue. I think a lovely shade of pink will bring out your eyes."

With a single wand flick, another torrent of pink spewed into Riku's face, sending him crashing into one of the mirrors. Huffing and puffing up her cheeks, Merryweather pulled up her sleeves and thrust her own wand forward.

"Oh, but who ever heard of a boy wearing pink?" Another splash of magic turned his whole getup dark blue.

Just as Flora lifted her wand again, Fauna drifted between the two fairies and pulled them apart. "Now, dears, don't you think we should let him decide?"

Riku heaved a loud sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "See? At least she gets it."

"Oh, all right. Perhaps we were being a touch too forceful." Flora tapped her chin with her wand. "Well then, what colors would you like?"

"Hmm… Same as my last duds. Yellows, blacks, blues… maybe some whites to balance it out." He shrugged his shoulders and took a peek at the mirror. "Think you can pull it off?"

Merryweather grinned, tipping her head back and puffing out her chest. "See? What did I tell you?"

"Oh, hush now," said Flora. "If we're going to make this work, then we're all going to have to work together."

"That's the spirit, dears!" Fauna beamed, and with the bickering finally at its end, the three fairies huddled together, raised their wands, and gave them one last flick.

A rainbow of pink, green, and blue sparkles flowed through the air, swirling up from Riku's feet, past his ankles, his knees, and his waist. They twinkled and chimed, spinning faster and faster. The whole room flashed, and he threw his arms over his face to block out the explosion of light. When the light finally subsided, he slowly lowered his hands and looked down at his new attire. A softer sigh blew out of him when he found a distinct lack of pinks.

Instead, he now wore a white vest with yellow trim, a black collar, and black rings around the arm holes. Under the vest was a sleeveless black top, matching his gloves and wristbands, not to mention Sora's blackened necklace, which still hung around his neck. Faded blue jeans ran all the way down to his ankles, loose enough for comfort, but not so loose that they risked sliding off his waist. Just like before, Kairi's lucky charm hung from the right side of his belt. His shoes had lost the bright pinks and blues as well, replaced with white sneakers with black laces and soles. All in all, it wasn't too shabby, and probably a step up from what Sora dubbed 'balloon pants.'

Best of all, they kept the zippers and belts to a minimum. No offense to Donald, of course.

Clapping his hands together, he moseyed away from the mirror. "All right. Now that that's outta the way, I think it's time to get moving."

"Already?" Fauna gave a soft gasp, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, but don't you want to sit down for a little tea? You've only just gotten back."

"Oh yes," said Flora. "Perhaps it will calm your nerves."

Donald set his hand on his hip and started tapping his foot. "Aw, but we already had a party!"

"Maybe next time." Riku chuckled, slipping into the other room. "But thanks for the help. I'll try not to get these shredded any time soon." Though, given the mobs of Heartless waiting for him outside, who knew how that'd turn out?

With his friends close behind, Riku slipped back into Yen Sid's chamber. Looking across the wide, round room, he skimmed the crowd for familiar faces. Next to one of the bookshelves, he spotted a blue-haired young woman with her nose in a book. As soon as he stepped out the door, Aqua snapped the book shut and greeted him with a cheery expression. She was joined by another girl with long, blonde hair draped over one of her shoulders. With her sketchbook in hand, Naminé crouched next to a wide clay pot and scribbled away, though she stopped just long enough to wave.

Over by a huge, star-shaped window, Riku caught a lone figure dressed in a black coat with shoulder-length silver hair. By the time Riku made it halfway through the room, the Replica swiveled around and laughed.

"What, no pink?"

"Don't even go there," said Riku, reaching for his temple. "I'm lucky I didn't get a migraine from all that flashing."

"If you think that'd bad, you should've seen what they did with last week's dinner." Riku was about to ask for details when the Replica's smile faded, and he turned to the window again. "But seriously, there's a lot you missed out on. And I—"

Riku waved his right hand. "Relax, Xiruk. Don't we have more important things to worry about?"

"Hey, don't blame me." He snickered. "Had to get those self-blaming habits from somewhere…"

Well, it wasn't like Riku could argue that. So, instead, he looked to the desk clear across the room, where he spotted a man with a bushy, grey beard and a pointed hat decorated with stars. Up until now, Yen Sid hadn't said a word, though his eyes stayed fixed on Riku as he made his approach. Rather than keep him waiting, Riku picked up the pace, and on the way, an inky black blur zipped up to him, yellow eyes glowing bright.

With a stupidly large grin, Sora crawled at his side. Not that Riku could fault him for his excitement. Almost two years had passed since the islands sank into darkness, and only now were they getting a chance to journey together. The past few days of rest and recovery had only spurred Sora's restless spirit in spite of the destruction they'd left behind. Was it all just a front? A cheery mask to keep their thoughts away from the crumbled husk of Twilight Town? Tempting as it was to ask, Riku knew better than to reopen fresh wounds. For now, they needed to move forward.

Thus, upon reaching the desk, they turned their full attention to Yen Sid.

"So, what's the plan?"

"About that…" Xiruk winced. Shaking his head, he pushed away from the wall, stopping at Yen Sid's side. "See, the thing is, we're still trying to piece it all together."

"Xiruk is correct." Yen Sid shut his eyes, exhaling slowly. "Regrettably, we've yet to find a proper means of breaching the Organization's castle. As your friends can attest, they have found a means of shielding their realm from outsiders. And even if we possessed the means to reach their stronghold, it would be careless to simply launch an attack."

"Great." Riku scowled, pulling his arms tightly around his chest. "So, what are we gonna do? We can't just hide in this tower. Not after what happened to Twilight Town…" And there he was, reopening that old wound after all.

Goofy gulped not once, but twice, and his lower lip quivered. "Gawrsh, Riku, we ain't too happy about that, either. But if it makes ya feel any better, the Organization's still out tryin' to turn more fellers into Heartless."

"How's that supposed to help?" said Donald.

"Well, if they're out spreadin' darkness, that means we can still fight 'em! And now that were all together again, it'll be just like old times."

"That's the spirit, fellas!" Another door slammed shut, and King Mickey marched into the room with a spring in his step. "I know it isn't what we were hopin' for, but the best thing we can do right now is continue protecting the worlds. And who knows? Maybe we'll learn somethin' on the way."

Pouting, Sora pulled a notepad out of his pocket and started scribbling. 'But it'd be a lot easier if I could still spy on 'em.'

"Well, just 'cause we can't get into the castle doesn't mean we're outta options." Mickey tapped his chin, tail flicking back and forth. "Most of the Organization's members used to be Ansem apprentices. If I could just find him..." He stopped and slumped. "Well, his old study might have a few clues."

Naminé looked up from her sketchbook, standing up straight. "Isn't it in Hollow Bastion?"

"If it hasn't been destroyed." Mickey's shoulders drooped, and he stared at the floor. "It's been so long, and I dunno if it's even there anymore."

"Good thing we're here." Xiruk gestured at Naminé. "Hollow Bastion's like a second home for us, and I bet we could persuade Leon's gang to chip in without too much trouble."

"Wait, you're friends with Leon?" Riku snorted, raising an eyebrow. "Geez, just what happened while I was gone? Has everything changed?" He looked to Aqua, who let out a soft laugh.

"Don't worry, Riku. If I can adjust after a decade in darkness, I'm sure you'll catch up without too much trouble."

"…Right. I keep forgetting about that." Riku rubbed the side of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "But we can play catch up later. If the Organization's still up to their old tricks, then it's time we reminded them just what they're up against."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Kairi squeezed her hands together, a tiny frown tugging at her lips. "It's been a while, so maybe we should take it slow."

"Yes, I believe that would be best." Yen Sid stroked his beard, scooting forward. "While your triumph over Xehanort's Heartless was commendable, I think it would be wise to allow your body to catch up with your heart."

"That too." Kairi nudged him with her elbow. "You're practically a tree now."

Xiruk leaned forward and pressed a hand over his chest. "And unlike me, you did that growing all at once. Wouldn't want to trip over your own feet."

Riku slapped his palm over his face. "I'm not gonna trip. Seriously, if I can fight on all fours, I can deal with a few extra inches."

"But it still wouldn't hurt to practice," said Aqua. "Besides, there are a few techniques you haven't learned yet."

Her words made Riku do a double take. "Like what? Spells?"

Goofy raised his index finger. "Well, there's those shoot-lock attacks."

"That's Shotlock, Goofy." Kairi rolled her eyes, though her smile suggested amusement over frustration. "But you said there's more to it, right, Aqua?"

"Absolutely. Shotlocks are only one skill—I still haven't shown you how to use Command Styles." She reached behind her back, pulling out her lucky charm. "There's really a lot I can teach you, but we should probably keep it simple for now."

"Hmm… Well, what the heck?" Riku slapped his hand on his hip, snickering. "It's been a while since we hit the Coliseum, anyway. And maybe this time—"

Before he could finish, Aqua cut him off. "It would be nice to see Zack and Hercules again."

Goofy's head snapped towards her. "Gawrsh, we've never met this Zack feller."

Aqua seemed a bit surprised at the remark. "Really? He used to spend a lot of time at the Coliseum. He was always so dedicated to becoming a hero..."

"Huh." Riku squinted, fingers drumming on the desk. "Never met him, but who knows? Maybe we just missed him last time."

"Then let's get out there and find out!" In the time they spent chatting, Donald had already made it over to the door and was back to tapping his foot. However, before opening the door, he spun back around. "Wait! Before we go… What're we gonna do about the Keyblades?"

A suspiciously long pause followed, and then it hit Riku. They'd forgone their Keyblades before, and now they had an extra wielder among their ranks. Xiruk in particular grimaced at his words, rubbing a shoulder and looking away.

Aqua and Kairi must have shared his sentiment, as their faces paled and they both tensed up.

Finally, Aqua said, "In light of what happened in Twilight Town, I don't think we can afford to use temporary weapons anymore. It's too predictable, and if anything, it'd just encourage the Organization to desecrate even more worlds."

"Yeah. That's… kinda another reason I wanna hit Hollow Bastion," Xiruk added. "There's six of us now, Xion's still missing, and the fact is, we don't want too many hearts getting released all at once." Heaving a heavy sigh, he rubbed his neck. "Besides, the temp weapons were my stupid idea."

"I wouldn't call it stupid," said Mickey. "But anyway, try not to think too hard on what happened, all right, Riku? You just work on gettin' back into shape, and try to have some fun while you're at it." Heh. A nice thought, at least, in light of recent events, so Riku nodded despite himself.

Lucky for Donald, it only took a short walk down the winding stairway and a few steps out the door before the gang stumbled upon a box-like red ship Riku'd recognize from a mile away. Everything from the cubical cockpit to the bright yellow blasters stood out against the surrounding greenery. And, channeling his inner gentleman, Goofy marched right up to the door, flung it wide open, and waved inside.

"Well, all aboard! Next stop: good ol' Olympus Coliseum!"

With a huffy little squawk and a lopsided smile, Donald waddled inside and tossed himself into the driver's seat. Kairi and Aqua followed soon after, squeezing into the back. And rather than sit up front, Riku slipped right behind them, with Sora scampering at his tail. Once everyone settled in their seats, Goofy pulled the door shut, while Donald started cranking the levers. The cockpit rumbled, the engines roared, and the ship blasted through the atmosphere and entered the dark depths of space.

It was strange feeling the small vibrations under the seat after a whole year spent grounded in the simulation and even stranger to peer out the windows and watch a trail of purple space rocks zip by. The once tiny stars now shimmered all around like miniature suns, and without even thinking, Riku pressed his palm against the glass. His lips curled up, and his eyes got lost in the sea of giant, colored rings, craterous stones, and tiny ships soaring outside.

An avalanche of nostalgia threatened to flatten him against the floor, but before long, he pulled his focus off the scenery and back to the friends surrounding him.

He was just in time to spot Sora fidgeting in his seat, smiling bright. Twirling his pen, he held up his notepad. 'So, what's that Coliseum like, anyway?'

"Huge." Riku chuckled, leaning back. "It's wide and round with rows of bleachers running all around the walls. You could probably fit at least a few thousand people in there. Not to mention a three-headed dog."

Sora's mouth slowly slid open before he jotted another message. 'Man, I can't wait to see it! D'you think we'll have time to compete?'

"Time's not an issue. The real challenge is getting past Phil."

"Really?" Aqua tilted her head, and her eyebrows drew close together. "But I had no trouble entering the Games."

"What?!" Donald slapped his hand down on the controls and peeked over the back of his seat. "But we had to give him a pass before he let us enter!"

"Yup! Phil wasn't gonna let anyone fight unless they were heroes."

Sora shuddered at that last bit, and his head drooped. Even stranger, Riku could've sworn he heard his voice echoing inside his skull.

I dunno, Ven. Even if I have changed, I don't think—

To make matters weirder, Sora's lips didn't even move. None of the others even responded. Donald and Goofy's continued watching the blinking radar, and while Kairi reached for his hand, she didn't say a word. In fact, nobody spoke up until Aqua ruffled Sora's hair and silenced him on the spot. If he was even speaking in the first place.

"I think Ven has the right idea. And if I have to, I'll explain everything."

"And she won't be alone." Kairi winked. "If we all worked together, there's no way he could turn you down."

Sora slumped, lowering his gaze, and went right back to writing. 'But would he even let a Heartless compete?'

Okay, so maybe Riku was just hallucinating. Then again, Aqua did mention Ven, and Riku sure didn't hear him speaking. Not that he knew who Ven was in the first place. Reaching for his temple, Riku sighed, slouched, and gave a small nod. "Hey, we were practically swimming in Heartless during the last Games. Guess there's some kinda loophole for the forces of darkness."

"That would explain the Unversed." Aqua placed her hand below her lips, eyes narrowed, but the fact that she mentioned something other than the Heartless grabbed Riku's attention right away.

"Wait, what's an Unversed?"

"Oh! They're monsters born out of negativity. Or they were." She draped her arm over her seat, giving the window another glance. "They may not have fed on people's hearts, but they were just as ruthless as any Heartless. Plus, negative feelings only made them stronger."

"Great. And if you drop a bunch of emotion-sucking monsters in the middle of a fight…"

"Exactly. It was dangerous, and any other combatants might have been hurt, maybe even killed. I'm sure that wasn't Phil's intent, but that still doesn't explain why he'd let them compete."

"Well, what's a competition without a little challenge?" said Kairi. "If it was a contest for heroes, then maybe he just wanted you to prove yourselves."

"Ha! And that's just what we did." Donald snickered, bumping his fist against his chest. "And now we're officially heroes."

Riku smirked, leaning over his seat. "Don't you mean Junior Heroes?"

"Aw, that was before. He has to have changed his mind by now!" He paused, steering the ship to the right. "Anyway, get ready for landing! We're just about—"

Before he finished, their dark surroundings flashed into a bright blue sky. White clouds drifted past the cockpit windows, and streaks of bright sunlight forced Riku to shield his eyes. The ship dipped down, and when Riku looked out the window again, he saw an ocean of red-roofed buildings, sculpted with smooth white marble. Golden statues clads in suits of armor stood upon towering pedestals. White pillars ran along the front of each building, smooth cylinders of equal size and equal spacing. Across the winding roads, hordes of tiny dots scampered like a colony of ants.

And in the middle of the crowd, a big, brown blotch appeared, smashing what looked like a giant club. Just watching made him bristle, and he let out a low growl.

"Great. Looks like the Games will have to wait."

"Bah, it figures." Donald blew a great big sigh. "Well, at least you'll be getting a good warm up, Riku!"

That was the only warning Donald gave before he sent the ship lurching into a nosedive toward the town. As the Highwind plummeted, Riku bit his lip and clung to his seat. The once tiny rooftops grew rapidly larger. The scampering ants below revealed themselves to be a mob of people clad in loose white togas and colorful robes. The brown blotch became a hulking, muscled beast with huge, curved horns, a bull-like face, glowing yellow eyes. Clutching a spiked club in its enormous hands, it moved around on hoofed hind legs, knocking the crowd over like a bunch of fleeing bowling pins. To top it all off, it had a red, heart-shaped emblem plastered to its chest.

They hadn't even landed, and already they'd found their first Heartless.

As the ship drew closer, Donald began hammering the buttons and cranking the levers. A barrage of red lasers bombarded the Minotaur's face, chest, and shoulders, sending it skidding backwards. Bellowing, it sprung into the air, spinning around as if searching for its target. This made Donald snicker.

"Good thing we've got the cloaking—"

BAM! The Highwind shuddered upon the sudden impact. Gritting her teeth, Aqua slid out of her seat and summoned a Keyblade with a metallic, grey shaft and a boxy, silver guard. White light pooled around the tip, and a flash blinded Riku for several seconds. He heard a loud THUD outside, but the ship stayed steady. A quick look out the window revealed a sphere of translucent hexagons, and the Minotaur plummeted down to the concrete below.

Riku let out a shaky laugh and slapped the arm of his seat. "Man, how'd you do that?"

"All it takes is a little magic. I'd be happy to teach you, once—" She paused when that pesky Minotaur came flying up for another attack. "Well, one thing at a time. Donald, do you think you can land near one of those buildings?"

"I could, but then we'd be stuck right in the middle of that!" He gestured to the stampede of passing civilians.

Kairi sighed, frowning at the raging mob below. "Then can you get us close to the ground? We can keep it busy while you find a place to park."

Another thud, and the barrier started to crack. More lasers blasted the Minotaur's gut, once again knocking it down, but at the rate things were going, they needed to hurry. Flexing his claws, Sora hopped onto the floor and tucked his notepad away. He clapped his hands. A twist of darkness swallowed him from head to toe, and he reappeared in the middle of the crowd, scrambling towards the fallen Minotaur. The ship continued its descent, slowly drifting past the citizens. While Goofy scooped up his shield, Donald looked to the others.

"This is about as close as I can get. If we get any lower, then that stupid furball's gonna have an easy target with or without the cloaking device!"

"Then we'll just glide the rest of the way." Riku shrugged, reaching for the door. "C'mon, it's not like we haven't done this before."

"That's the spirit, pal!"

With a hearty a-hyuck, Goofy plunged outside, and Riku rushed right behind him. At first he plummeted, prompting a series of screams and gasps. Before he or the townspeople wound up human pancakes, he drifted toward the pavement like a falling leaf, gliding at the last second. Raising her flowery Keyblade, Kairi burst from the ship and blasted white orbs at the Minotaur's snout. She flipped forward and landed next to Riku, while Aqua crashed into the monster's legs, surrounded by whirlwind of electricity. Just what was that attack? Some kind of Thunder Surge? He'd have to ask her later. For now, they needed to focus.

After dragging his claws down the Minotaur's hairy arm, Sora launched himself at his friends and crouched on all fours. Goofy's shield whirled at its face, but it deflected it with a swing of its club, scraping one of its hooves against the pavement. The shield crashed into Goofy's stomach, sending him skidding into a fleeing old man. Yelping, he stepped away from the old timer and pulled him back to his feet.

"Gee, I'm really sorry, sir!"

The Minotaur charged, horns pointed at the group. Flattening himself, Sora shot under its legs and latched onto its back. Though he dragged his claws down the monster's spine, it continued its approach, barreling straight at Riku. A strip of glowing dots spread in front of his feet. Colorful balls of light blasted the Minotaur's cheeks. Completely clueless, it trampled across the mines, flung into the air by an explosion of white light.

Riku tried sprinting beneath it, but with his legs longer than he remembered, he wound up wobbling as he ran. Gritting his teeth, he flung himself into a somersault and slipped under the falling beast, but his movements were sluggish, and his dodge roll became more of a flop.

After regaining his footing, Riku spun around and slammed his Keyblade against the pavement. The ground rumbled. Jagged spikes erupted before him, skewering the Minotaur's shaggy back. It let out a bellowing cry, kicking its hooves and shaking its torso. While it squirmed and thrashed, Sora catapulted himself onto its belly and ripped his claws across its chest. After marring its muscles with some bright red gashes, he flipped backwards and blew a raspberry at the over-sized beefsteak.

Riku held out his fist, and the two bumped knuckles. "Man, when did you get so tough?"

Sora's cheeks puffed up, and he put his hands on his hips. Any other day, Riku would have gladly joked about his puppy-like pout. But, as luck would have it, a twist of darkness wrapped around the Minotaur's body, pulling it out of sight. Less than a second later, a shadow descended over the duo.

Acting on pure impulse, he shoved Sora aside. Before he got a chance to flee, the weight of an asteroid crashed into his back, squeezing the air from his lungs. The spikes of the Minotaur's weapon pierced his flesh, and while Riku clamped his jaw shut and fumbled for his Keyblade, another strike made him wail, unable to fight back a scream any longer.

Spewing smoke out its nostrils, the Minotaur lifted its club a third time, but this time around, Kairi and Goofy intervened. While Goofy shielded Riku, Kairi kicked off the ground, blasting a fireball right between the Minotaur's eyes. Swatting the flames, the beast stumbled backwards, and Riku snapped up his Keyblade with a flick of his wrist. Warm, green light spread all across his body, dulling the needle-like pains.

"Gawrsh, that Minotaur sure ain't pullin' its punches!" When its club came down, Goofy sprung up, smacking the weapon off course. Flickers of purple lightning struck its skull, and Riku caught a black blur zipping behind the beast.

"Makes you wonder where Herc ran off to." Riku stepped back, blowing out a small puff of air. Blue sparks began dancing around the Kingdom Key's tip, and struck the Minotaur's horns with two more bolts of lightning. Twitching and flailing, it let out a hoarse cry. "But, hey, it's not like the rest of our enemies are gonna hold back."

Frowning, Kairi looked from the monster to Riku, then shoved it onto its back with a wall of white pillars. "Just be careful, okay? I know you can do this, but—"

He squeezed her shoulder. "Yeah. I know I'm kind of a klutz right now."

"You'll catch up." She flashed him a smile before she faced the Minotaur once more. "And if you struggle, well, you've got the rest of us as backup." To prove her point, Sora leaped out of the Minotaur's shadow, striking the back of its head. Smiling bright, Aqua fired off three fireballs at its feet, while Sora grabbed one of its horns in one hand and clawed the back of its neck with the other.

Shrieking, it hopped from hoof to hoof, thrashing its head left and right. Seizing the opportunity, Goofy dashed behind the beast and twirled into its back. Caught between dodging flames and shaking off Sora, the Minotaur toppled over.

"And there ain't nothin' wrong with bein' a little clumsy, either! Well, unless you're this feller."

Sora zipped back over to his friends, but, just to put a damper on things, the Minotaur flung its arms forward, scooped up its club, and rolled back on its feet. Its ears twitched, its eyes glowed, and a flaming purple aura consumed its body. Its lips pulled away from its jagged teeth, its nose wrinkled, and it took off at a breakneck pace.

The three exchanged glances, then tore off different directions, but the rumbling earth sent them tumbling into the crowd. To make matters worse, a wave of purple energy cruised across the ground, rising up and cascading over their heads. Latching onto Riku and Kairi's wrists, Sora sprung up and flipped backwards, dragging the two through a swirling black portal. They reappeared behind the Minotaur, and on the way down, Riku caught a clear, glassy wall wrapping around the crowd, stopping the wave in its tracks.

But the fun wasn't over yet. Each swing of the Minotaur's club rippled the earth like ocean waves that sent the group staggering about. An electrified sphere ripped it off its hooves, hurling it around for several seconds. In that time, Riku hammered at the beast, surrounded by an orange aura. One swing of its arm sent him flying, but thankfully a bearded man and a curvaceous woman caught him before he ate the cement.

The sound of ticking clocks caught his ear. Surrounded by a flickering orange aura, Aqua rammed the Minotaur from behind and let loose a flurry of slashes. Rings of fire swirled around her with each strike, sending orange embers racing down its shaggy spine, and when the Minotaur lifted a fist to retaliate, a metal disk smashed into its cheek.

"Hey, aren't ya forgettin' about the rest of us?"

"Well, it is bull-headed," said Kairi, twirling her Keyblade.

"Okay, lighten up on the puns." But as bad as it was, Riku still snickered. "C'mon, that Slow spell's not gonna hold it forever."

"Well, maybe it won't have to." The flames surrounding Aqua fizzled away. In place of the orange aura, violet blue light shot down from her head to her boots, all the way down to her Keyblade's tip. The light extended even further, becoming a broad, sharp blade twice as long as her body. While this was hardly the time to stare, Riku couldn't help but gawk.

"Sheesh, you're just full of surprises…"

"And now you know what a Command Style looks like." She pulled her arm back, then sliced across the Minotaur's waist. When it sluggishly swung its club at her face, Aqua sprung up, then lashed at its neck, while Sora hurled ice at its hooves and Goofy bashed it in the snout. Kairi fired a stream of water at its back, and Riku thrust out his palm, spewing bright blue flames in its eyes. The ticking stopped, and the Minotaur smashed the ground. A circular shockwave plowed through the group, but within seconds, they came charging back.

Aqua unleashed a fury of slashes. Dark Firaga sizzled its back. A gust of wind blew from Kairi's Keyblade, shoving it into more mines, and when a plume of smoke concealed its body, Goofy once again launched his shield. When it tried raising its club again, Sora flew at its face and clawed at its eyes, hands cloaked in bright green fire. At the rate things were going, they'd have this beast roasted in no time. They just needed a big finish to wrap it all up.

And, well, nothing said flashy like a little Dark Aura.

His brain still hadn't caught up with his body. A running charge risked him stumbling over his own feet. Snapping his fingers, Riku's body shone bright blue. He grabbed his Keyblade in both hands, took a deep breath, and catapulted through the air, striking the Minotaur's gut. Black smoke wrapped around his body, and he reappeared behind it, slamming into the small of its back. As the seconds flew by, he flew in a full circle, pounding, thrusting, and ramming the Minotaur before it got the chance to lift a finger. And, just as it hoisted its club over its face, Riku hit the ground, triggering an explosion of glowing geysers beneath its hooves.

The Minotaur landed on its back, and its body grew still. The aura receded. Its glowing eyes dimmed. Its muscles grew limp, and a big, glowing heart burst out of its chest. A brief silence fell over the city. At first, the crowd stared, but in no time flat, they started cheering. The surrounding men, women, and children shouted, applauded, whistled, and hooted. It was like that whole brawl had been one glorified street performance instead of a life or death struggle.

But while most of the crowd rejoiced, two scrawny kids booed, stuck out their tongues, and pouted. One was about as skinny as a twig, with a green toga and long blonde hair. The other was short and pudgy, with curly brown hair and a matching robe. With a raised eyebrow, Riku turned to the kids, but they'd already taken off. He took a step forward and considered chasing after them, but before he could move another inch, the squeals of the crowd grew louder, and the wall of raving citizens began creeping closer and closer. Shrieking young girls extended their arms, and Riku staggered away, grimacing as one girl took a swipe at his hands.

Off to the side, he caught two burly men grabbing Goofy's shoulders and hoisting him into the air. Biting his lower lip, he squirmed and pushed his way back to the ground before ducking behind his shield.

"Gawrsh, fellers, I'm glad you're all safe, but my pals and I really gotta—hey!" Two more people draped their arms over his shoulders with big, toothy smiles. With a big gulp, Goofy jumped back and ducked behind Aqua, who was busy waving away a man holding out a bouquet of flowers.

A boy with curly blonde hair and a loose, white toga winked and took a step toward Kairi, but before he could get in a word, Sora popped out of the ground and spread out his arms, sending the man scurrying away with a squeak.

"Um, Sora…" Kairi patted his head, a lopsided smile on her face. "I think you might've overdone it this time."

Sora scratched his cheek, turning his eyes up at the surrounding citizens, now shivering and staring. After rubbing at his forehead, Riku made his way over to his friends and gave Sora's shoulder a tight squeeze. Several members of the crowd gasped at the sight, and Riku shot them a pointed look.

"Oh, relax. He's not gonna hurt you."

A tap on the shoulder pulled his eyes over to Aqua. "But we should probably leave while there's a lull in the crowd."

"But which way do we go?" said Kairi. "This city's huge…"

"True, but I think I still know my way around." She beamed, pointing her Keyblade at a gap in the mob. "Come on. I can take us straight to the Coliseum."

The sound of nearby murmurs caught Riku's ear like a blaring siren. With a chuckle and a smirk, he set a hand on his hip. "Man, is there anything you can't do?"

"Well, I can't control the darkness." She cracked a wry smile, making her way across the street. "Anyway, just stick close. If we're lucky, we should be able to get there in a few minutes."

x.x.x

Far beneath the sunny streets of Thebes lay the dark, dingy depths of the Underworld. Cold, grey stone replaced the shining gold statues and white marble pedestals. Instead of cheering crowds going all gaga over Jerkules, moans, howls, and shrieks drifted through the air. Instead of wide, open roads, cramped, dark tunnels paved the way past winding rivers flooded with glowing, white figures. Every now and then, these sad, pathetic saps would cling to the sides of Hades' rowboat, begging and pleading and going on and on about how they weren't ready. How it wasn't their time.

But see, the thing about death was that there were no take backs. No cheap escapes.

Well, except for a certain someone, anyway.

With his cool, blue flames threatening to burn bright red, Hades circled around the edge of his chamber. And what a place it was. A snarling, skull-faced chandelier dangled from a pair of black chains, decorated with spindly black bat wings just to nail in the hopeless atmosphere. A wall of sharp, black claws reached down from the rounded ceiling. Grey pillars patterned with jagged teeth marked the north and south walls, grey as the rest of the place, while round, open windows provided a lovely view of the passing fog.

At the center of the floor was a big, round table, painted blue, save for a zigzagging blotch of green land representing all of Greece. A gathering of gold figures lined the table, including one Minotaur, now knocked on its side. One look at the figure, and Hades felt his skin heat up, while his lips pulled back to reveal his pointed teeth.

Tucking his hands behind his back, he glared at two shivering imps before him. One was pudgy, pink, and had two stubby horns. To call him a pain would be selling the pipsqueak short, but hey, that was his name. And standing at his side was a taller, scrawnier imp with a long, hooked nose as sharp as a sword and two equally long horns curving back. While Pain squirmed in place, Panic chewed at the tips of his claws.

"U-uh, you know… we were going to send that Minotaur after Hercules, but we just thought that maybe…" He shut his eyes and gulped. "Well, you know how it is with heroes."

"Uh, right!" said Pain. "We thought it'd be more authentic—"

"If you let a bunch of Keyblade wielders waltz in and ruin everything?!" Hades flames flashed bright orange, and his skin turned blood red. "And it didn't even occur to you to call for reinforcements? One lousy Minotaur is not gonna cut it when dealing with those half-pints."

Pain gulped. "W-we didn't expect them to show up! Honest!"

Panic cleared his throat and shakily raised his index finger. "But it wasn't just a Minotaur. It was a Minotaur Heartless. That's a little better, isn't it?"

Hades' lips became a flat, straight line, and the dry look he gave his minions sent them stumbling into the wall. Rolling his eyes, he marched closer to them and clasped his hands together.

"See, here's the thing you seem to be forgetting: we're running out of time. And while you two morons sit here sniveling like cowards, those wannabe heroes are probably traipsing right up to that old goat's front door. And just what do you think'll happen if they start hanging with Jerkules?"

Pain winced, scratching the back of his head. "They'll get in the way?"

"Gee, you think?"

Really, it was a wonder he even kept them around when their incompetence had failed him time and time again. First, they couldn't even kill Hercules back when he was a snot-nosed runt. And sure, it wasn't like he'd had much luck either. They'd sent their mightiest monsters one by one, and somehow old Blunderboy made moussaka out of every last one. Even the bloodthirsty Hydra got squashed by an over-sized pebble. And they really thought a supped up Heartless would be enough?

Snarling, Hades dragged himself over to the edge of the table and glowered at the five new figures. The silver-haired wonder and his doofus lackeys, dogboy and the over-sized duck, Maleficent's delivery boy turned Heartless, little miss princess, and the bluebird herself... Was this the Fates' idea of a sick joke?

These were the same kids that made mincemeat outta Maleficent, calamari outta Ursula, squashed Oogie Boogie, shattered his Ice Colossus and made a mockery of him in the Games… Oh, and how could he forget the way that mop-headed brat turned his own guard dog into his personalized punching bag?

Put them all together, and it wouldn't matter if he deep-sixed Hercules. He could let loose a hundred Titans, and those twerps would still find a way to screw up his schemes. So, naturally, this was a matter that deserved a more… personalized approach. As he skimmed over the figures, Hades began stroking his chin. He took a glance out the window just in time to see a particularly dark cloud of fog tumble by.

His eyes drifted back down to the figures, and he pushed them close together. He even picked up the toppled sculpture of Bluebird and set her up nice and straight. How could he have not seen it sooner? The solution was sitting right under his nose. All he needed was the right incentive. Something to lead them right where he wanted.

A quick glance at the doorway revealed a tall, slender woman wearing an oh-so-smug smile. As she stepped into the room, she chuckled, totally clueless to what he had in store.

"Aw, did you hit a dead end? It's not every day you get worked up over a couple of kids."

Hades snorted, matching her expression. "Au contraire, my dear nutmeg. Let's just say I've had a stroke of inspiration…"

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: Chapter revised in 2019, along with the rest of the Olympus arc. Original AN below.

So, as promised, here is an overview of Antipode thus far. For a more extensive summary, you can take a peek at my profile. This will contain spoilers for the entire series, so if you want to start fresh, I'd recommend reading the other fics. You'll get more out of it if you do!

In Antipode, Riku obtained the Keyblade from the start. Sora still carried Kairi's heart, but was tricked into believing Maleficent's gang were heroes out to save the worlds. Over time, Riku went from seeing Donald and Goofy as a nuisance to respecting them and came to accept responsibility as the Keybearer. Sora learned the truth about Maleficent, freed Kairi's heart, and became a humanoid Heartless with Ven's heart inside him. Kairi joined Riku for the rest of his journey, and when they defeated Ansem, he left the Door to Darkness open out of a desire to find Sora.

In Act 2, Riku and friends met DiZ, learned about the Organization, and set off on a journey to save the worlds once more. Along the way, they encountered Riku's Replica and Roxas, then known as XIII, who shared a set of memories that led them to believing that Riku was the replica and their enemy. This led to friction between Riku and the Replica, though over time Riku tried to befriend his clone, even saving his life. All the while, Sora stuck to the shadows, spying on the Organization and sharing intel with Riku. By the end of Act 2, the Replica challenged Riku to a final fight, and Naminé shattered Riku's heart, saving both boys at a cost. Riku lost his memories and was placed into the digital Twilight Town, where he'd spend the next year.

In the simulation, Riku befriended Hayner, Pence, and Olette and faced an onslaught of glitches. Kairi, Donald, and Goofy continued to protect the worlds, while Sora went into the Realm of Darkness and rescued Aqua. While Roxas searched for Sora, the Replica and Naminé evaded Organization pursuit, eventually joining forces with King Mickey. Little did they realize, DiZ had his own plans and created a puppet named Xion to seek out Naminé at all costs.

As time went on, the Keybearers all joined forces to stall the Organization's plans. The Replica took on the name Xiruk. Xion befriended Roxas and the others, but later became troubled over her identity. Ansem revealed himself to Riku in the simulation, the Organization launched an attack on Twilight Town, and while Riku triumphed over Ansem and saved the simulation, the real Twilight Town was ultimately lost. The heroes fled, Xion joined forces with Marluxia, and now the journey continues.

So, with that summary out of the way, I'm very excited to start this next fic. You'll note that I chose to jump right into our first Disney world, mostly because I felt there was no need for a slow build or lengthy exposition. Plus, I've got big plans for Olympus this time. You could almost say they're titanic. ;)