Hey guys, I'm back! Though I'm sorry to say, I still don't have a new laptop. But I did manage to find some time to update, so that's good news, right?
Sora: You mean…you didn't forget about me?
Me: Of course not! I mean, I've watched trailers of 2.8 remember? So I haven't forgotten you. By the way, speaking of 2.8, it looks awesome, I cannot wait for it!
Sora: Aren't you forgetting something?
Me: Before I get to that! Anyways, I've also recently finished Final Fantasy 15. If you have not watched it yet, go and do so right now, it's awesome!
Sora: Come on, Wolfie!
Me: Oh, alright. Thank you guys for being so patient with me and for being understanding. I also want to thank all the readers, because I can't thank all the reviewers and such this time. But to everyone who questioned the presence of Ayame, I won't be specific about her but she will be very important. And the reason Shaylee's hand is only bleeding now, aside from the fact that the idea just came to me when I wrote that chapter, it's also because her destiny is to be the Guardian of Light and that's it. Everything else she's done all on her own.
Sora: Now enjoy the story!
Me: Sor-
(Static erupts)
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, here we go. Firaga!"
"Whoa! What was that?!"
"Enemies will not fight on your level so you need to be prepared for anything."
"Ugh!"
"Don't just dodge. Fight me."
"But-Augh!"
"No hesitation."
"Okay…"
Keyblades clashed back and forth for several minutes, with the only interruption being grunts of pain, shouts of incantations and firm yet gentle teachings.
Finally, Shaylee held Unity of Hearts at Sora's throat, the Kingdom Key in her free hand.
"That's enough for now." Shaylee said as she stepped back and returned the Kingdom Key to Sora, who banished it.
The difference between the two was startling. While Sora was sweating profusely and gasping for air, Shaylee hadn't broken into a sweat and was breathing normally.
"How…how did…you…you survive…this?" Sora asked between gasps. The training, honestly, had felt like torture to him.
"I've been doing this for years; it just takes getting used to. After all, I looked like you after my first training session." Shaylee answered as she banished Unity of Hearts.
"Real…really?" Sora panted.
"Yep. Now come on, we'll be disembarking soon." Shaylee said as she helped Sora up and gave him a bottle of water, which he instantly drank all of.
A minute later, Donald shouted that they had landed and the party of four disembarked.
"Wow!" Sora gasped in amazement as he looked around the courtyard that they entered upon landing on the Olympus Coliseum.
"Incredible, isn't it?" Shaylee asked rhetorically. "Wait until you see the inside."
"You've been here, Shay?" Donald asked.
"Yeah…a long time ago." Shaylee answered as her eyes took on a faraway look and she reached into her pocket.
"Hey, uh, why don't we go inside and see if anyone's home?" Goofy suggested.
"Good idea, Goofy." Sora, eager to explore, nodded before he ran into the lobby. The other three followed right behind him, two just as eager as Sora and one curious to what she'd find.
Once they entered the lobby, Sora approached who Shaylee knew was none other than Phil, who had his back to the group.
"Um…" Sora started.
"Good timing. Give me a hand, will ya?" Phil interrupted, not turning around. "Move that pedestal over there for me. I gotta spruce this place up for the games." Sora looked back at the group before he shrugged and walked over to the pedestal. Trying to push it, Sora began to grunt from the effort.
"It weighs a ton!" He grunted. Donald and Goofy both tried but to no avail.
"Come on, let's tell him." Shaylee suggested. Nodding, the party returned to Phil.
"It's way too heavy!" Sora told him.
"What? Too heavy? Since when have you been such a little-" Phil turned around only to see Sora instead of Hercules. "Oh. Wrong guy. What're you doing here?"
"Hey, Phil. Long time, no see." Shaylee spoke up. Phil turned to look at the girl before his eyes widened. He jumped down and walked over to her.
"Shaylee? That you?" Phil asked.
"Yep…it's great to see you again." Shaylee smiled.
"You too, kid. What's it been, ten years? You look like you haven't aged a day!" Phil said.
"That's…a long story." Shaylee admitted.
"…I can tell, you've got the mark of a True Hero, after all." Phil nodded.
"What…?" Shaylee whispered. The satyr then turned to the boys of the party.
"Now what're you kids doing here? This is the world famous Coliseum-heroes only! And I got my hands full preparing for the games. So run alone, pipsqueaks." Phil said.
Sora glared at the satyr in anger.
"Look, it's like this. Heroes are coming from all over to fight ferocious monsters right here in the Coliseum." Phil explained.
"You got heroes standing right in front of you." Donald protested as he crossed his arms.
"Yup. He's a real hero chosen by the Keyblade!" Goofy agreed as he placed his hands on Sora's shoulders.
"And we're heroes too." Donald insisted.
Shaylee was still in shock at Phil's last comment to her.
"Hero? That runt?" Phil asked. The satyr then began to laugh.
"Phil, you can't laugh at him when Herc started out exactly the same way!" Shaylee finally snapped as she walked up to the satyr. Phil didn't answer, instead laughing.
"What's so funny? I've fought a bunch of monsters!" Sora cried, angry.
"Hey, if you can't even move this…" Phil then tried to push the pedestal, to no success. "You can't call yourself…a hero!" Finally, Phil slid to the floor, exhausted. "Okay, so it takes more than brawn." At that, Shaylee rolled her eyes. "Well, well, let's see what you can do."
Once Sora passed the trial, the party reconvened at the lobby.
"You know, you ain't bad, kid." Phil complimented.
"Looks like I'm headed for the games." Sora grinned almost cockily.
"Afraid not." Phil denied.
"Why not?" Sora demanded, shocked.
"Two words:" Phil started.
"Here we go…" Shaylee sighed.
"You guys ain't heroes." Phil finished.
"I knew it." Shaylee shook her head.
"Come on!" Sora cried. But Phil wasn't hearing it. Disappointed, Sora, Donald and Goofy made their way to the courtyard. Shaylee, however, stayed back.
"Phil…what do you mean when you said you I've got the mark of a True Hero?" She asked.
"Exactly that. I recognize it on Herc too, that mark that says you've done something that's marked you as a True Hero." Phil answered.
"But…what could I have done that would mark me as a True Hero?" Shaylee asked, her hands coming up together near her heart.
"You've done something that's proven your heart is as strong as that of a True Hero." Phil explained, "Herc did it when he saved Meg from the Underworld."
"So…because of what happened ten years ago with Terra, Aqua and Ven, I've become a True Hero?" Shaylee asked.
"Yep. By the way, what happened to Terra, Aqua and Ventus?" Phil asked.
"He's, um…" Shaylee started when Sora, Donald and Goofy walked back in.
"Here you go." Sora grinned as he passed something to Phil.
"Hey, how'd you get this?" Phil asked as he looked over the pass, distracted from his conversation.
"Can we enter the games now?" Sora asked.
"Well…I guess so. We start with the preliminaries!" Phil said.
Shaylee sat and watched each match as Sora, Donald and Goofy competed. Phil sat beside her and, somehow, she managed to not have to answer his question about her friends.
Just a little longer and I'll see Aqua again…just a little longer.
When the final match, Cloud vs. the boys, began, Shaylee held her breath as she watched them. To be honest, she wasn't surprised when Cloud won because she always knew he was really strong while Sora was still just starting out. Cloud stood over the boy but he didn't make a move to kill him. When he turned back, however, Cerberus appeared and crushed him.
"Cloud!" Shaylee cried as he fell.
Sora gasped and Cerberus moved to attack only to be pushed up by…
"Herc!" Phil cried.
"Phil, get them out of here!" Hercules ordered. Phil led Sora, Donald and Goofy out while Shaylee jumped down, summoning Unity of Hearts.
"Herc, let Cerberus go and grab Cloud, I'll distract it!" Shaylee cried. Hercules briefly looked at her, surprised, before he obeyed, releasing the three headed dog and making a run for the blonde haired man. Shaylee jumped up and sliced at one of the heads before she flipped out of the way to avoid getting bitten. She then casted Thundaga and sliced at the beast's stomach before a paw threw her back. As she landed on the ground, Shaylee felt the air being knocked out of her lungs.
"Shay!" Hercules cried but he couldn't do anything with Cloud over one shoulder.
"I'm…fine…" Shaylee managed as Hercules tried to attack the three headed dog as best as he could. Cerberus backed Hercules into a corner, unable to reach the winded Shaylee. Then Sora, Donald and Goofy ran in and distracted the beast. Quickly, Hercules ran out of the arena and Phil helped Shaylee get up to leave, shouting,
"Kid, I got two words of advice for you: attack!"
Once she was safely out of the arena, Shaylee casted Curaga on herself before she moved over to Cloud and began to work on healing him.
"Shay? Is it…really you?" Hercules asked as he watched the Guardian as she worked, avoiding his eyes.
"Yeah, Herc…it's me. I told you I'd come visit once you became a True Hero." She smiled, still avoiding his eyes.
"Shay…it's been ten years and you look exactly the same. And now you have the mark of a True Hero." Hercules said.
"It's…a long story. It actually involves Terra, Aqua and Ven." Shaylee answered. "Short version, I'm ageless because of magic for a while."
"You look great though." Hercules smiled, "It's really great to see you."
"You too." Shaylee smiled before she canceled the spell and hugged the demigod tightly before she returned to healing the blonde man. "How's Zack?"
"Good, last I saw him, he was leaving on his own quest to become a True Hero and find his way home after Phil finished our training." Hercules answered. "And how are your friends?"
"They're…well, that's a long story but they're lost. And I'm gonna find them." Shaylee answered. Just then, Cloud's bright blue eyes opened.
"Shay?" He whispered.
"Nice to see you again." Shaylee grinned as she helped Cloud up. "You okay?"
"Fine." Cloud muttered before he walked out.
"Stubborn man." Shaylee muttered.
"Sounds like someone I know." Hercules commented, sending Shaylee a look that made her hit him in the shoulder, causing him to laugh. A minute later, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Phil walked in.
"They did it! They actually beat Cerberus!" Phil cried.
"Nice job, guys!" Shaylee grinned.
"Well done." Hercules nodded.
Soon, Phil stood on the pedestal, Hercules on his right and Shaylee on his left with Sora, Donald and Goofy in front of them.
"Thus, I do hereby dub thee junior heroes, and confer upon thee full rights and privileges to participate in the games. Further-" Phil said.
"Hey! What do you mean 'junior heroes'?" Donald demanded.
"You rookies still don't understand what it takes to be a True Hero." Phil answered.
"So, what does it take?" Goofy asked.
"Well, that's just something you'll have to find out for yourselves. Just the way that Shay and I did." Hercules smiled.
"No problem. We'll start by proving ourselves in the games." Sora smiled.
"There ain't gonna be any games for a while." Phil denied, "Gotta clean up the mess from that last battle first."
"Okay. We'll be back." Sora nodded as the party of four made their way out, waving bye as they did.
As the party walked in the courtyard, Sora spotted Cloud and walked over to him.
"Hey, are you alright?" Sora asked.
"Yeah." Cloud stated.
"So why did you go along with him, anyway?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, the Cloud I know wouldn't do that without a reason." Shaylee added.
"I'm looking for someone. Hades promised to help." Cloud answered. "I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired. I fell into darkness and I couldn't find the light."
"You'll find it." Sora stated, confident. "I'm searching too."
"For your light?" Cloud asked. Sora nodded in response. "Don't lose sight of it." Cloud stated as he handed Sora a paper explaining how to do Sonic Blade before he walked away.
"How about a rematch sometime? Fair and square, no dark powers involved." Sora suggested.
"I think I'll pass." Cloud said as he moved his hair aside. "And Shay…it's good to see you again."
"You too, Cloud." Shaylee smiled as she fingered the ribbons on her arm.
With that, the blonde man walked away while the party of four returned to the Gummi Ship, the boys questioning Shaylee relentlessly but she refused to answer a word.
Seeing Herc, Phil and Cloud again was different. They know who I am and they all so easily accepted me again. It was…nice to feel like that again. To know there will always be people in the worlds that will accept you for who you are, no matter what. Herc specifically reminded me of my time with him, Ven and Zack. I can't say I don't miss those days but I will fight to get the ones who were in those days back home safe and sound.
Here's the chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed. Again, I'm sorry about the wait. But I'm working on it, I promise!
Sora: Be sure to leave a review to let Wolfie know how you feel!
Me: Don't you dare, Sora!
Sora: And don't forget that even though it'll be a long wait that Wolfie'll still be working on this!
Me: Sora!
Sora: And Wolfie will also be writing a Final Fantast 15 story soon so look out for it! Later!
Me: Sora! Forget KH3, you're gonna-
(static erupts)