The next morning was filled with debate. Donald and Goofy should or shouldn't accompany the kids, Kairi should or shouldn't stay behind; either way, Sora and Ventus were both unnaturally silent the entire time. They just sat there, staring at each other. It wasn't necessarily friendly, but it wasn't quite filled with so much animosity and regret.

"...Sora?"

Sora blinked upon hearing his name, and folded his hand behind his head as he grumpily said "What?"

"Do you think you guys could handle things on your own?"

"Of course. You guys can take Ventus and go to completely different worlds, have your own adventures-"

"Sora, Ventus is coming with you." Minnie said.

Sora jerked up from his seat, but Riku forced him down "While you were off in dream land, we agreed that you and Ven need to learn how to cooperate."

"But-" he protested.

"Sora." Minnie's voice changed, the normally polite lilt dropping dangerously low.

Sora sank lower in his chair, folding his arms and muttering "Fine, the bastard can come along."

Ventus flinched. Kairi placed a hand on his shoulder saying softly "Don't listen to him."

Ven only shrugged, and said "Well, I think we should split up." His voice grew louder, more confident "We can cover more ground, find a way to get Mickey back, and figure out just what this Organization is and what they're after." He smiled at Donald and Goofy "Not that I don't appreciate your company, it's just I think the more answers we find, the better our chances."

Minnie then sighed "But I'm worried things might get out of hand between you and Sora-"

"I'll come along." Kairi interrupted with a glare at Sora "I promise, if anything gets out of hand I'll stop it." Sora sank a little lower, looking away from Kairi.

Minnie thought, then said "Very well. Donald, Goofy, you know what to do."


An hour later, Sora was lazily kicking his foot up and down as he waited for Kairi to find the world Queen Minnie had suggested. Ventus and Riku were playing a card game.

Sora found himself watching them, how they quietly wound their way through the deck, how their faces remained a silent mask. He payed special attention to Ventus, soaking in each little twitch, trying to read his thoughts for any secret motives. Nothing but what had already been given: regret, sadness, unease. Sora noted that he and Ventus made eye contact out of the corners of their eyes more than once, since Ven always looked over for signs of another violent streak in Sora.

He's such a wimp... He thought for no reason. Hardly appropriate to be coming along anyways...

Ventus shuddered suddenly, and glanced again at Sora. He looked away moments later, rubbing his arm uncomfortably while asking for a card from Riku. Riku glanced over, then shook his head while saying "Go fish,"

Sora sighed, then folded his arms around him and tugged his hood over his eyes. Moments later he was fast asleep.


Ventus paused underneath a huge archway into a bustling Grecian city, blinking and looking around in recognition.

Kairi sauntered up to him, asking "You know this place, Ven?"

Ventus ran a hand on a stone column, not replying, gaze vacant.

"I don't think he does-" Sora muttered before Ventus broke into a smile and whooped in delight. He dashed down the street, crying "I KNOW THIS PLACE!" He laughed, repeating the line giddily. He wiped away a single tear of joy, and waved them over "Come on! I have some friends I want you to meet!"

Riku blinked slowly, the three remaining heroes watching Ventus dash away. He then smiled, saying "I don't think I've ever seen him that happy." Kairi nodded, smiling as well "It's nice," she then added dryly with emphasis "Isn't it, Sora?"

Sora rolled his eyes and began following Ventus "Come on, let's just see what's getting him so annoyingly peppy."


Ventus stopped in the courtyard of a massive coliseum. He took a look around, saying happily "Stuff hasn't changed, wonder where Phil is-"

"Ven! Is that you?!" A squat, middle-aged satyr trotted up to Ventus, eyes wide in disbelief. Ventus smiled even wider, scooping him up in his arms and laughing "Phil! Yeah, it's been awhile!"

The satyr patted his back, saying "Awhile? Good gods, buddy! It's been a decade!" Ventus set him down, chuckling "Um, yeah. I'll just say I've taken a pretty long nap." He looked around, and asked "Say, where's Herc?"

There was a roar of cheers from the arena, and Phil jerked his thumb towards it "In there."

Ventus blinked "You mean?!-"

"Yep, bona fide hero material! Took a few years, but he-"

Ventus ran over to the gates "Oh man! He made it without me?! Oh come on-" he suddenly stopped, and then turned back around and asked "Say, what about Zack?"

Phil rubbed his comb-over, and sighed "He's been just about as gone as you. Dissapeared the same day you left and never came back."

Ventus's face fell "Zack's... Gone...?" He then sadly chuckled at his eagerness "Should've figured SOMEONE would be gone..."

There was another set of cheers, and Phil waved Ventus over to the heavy doors "Come on, Herc should be finishing up by now- oh! You've brought a few friends!" Phil finally noticed Sora, Kairi, and Riku. The trotted over, asking "So who are these junior heroes?"

Ventus introduced them "That's Kairi, Riku, and-"

"Sora." Sora interrupted him, then added gruffly "I can introduce myself, idiot." Ventus cringed at the mention of 'idiot'.

Phil then snapped at Sora "Oy! I'm not tolerating that kinda of behavior bucko!" He trotted up to him, saying "Rule number two of being a hero: don't poke fun at anyone who doesn't deserve it!" He then caught Sora rolling his eyes and added "And rule number ten:" he suddenly raised his voice, causing Sora to jump "RESPECT YOUR ELDERS!"

Ventus quickly held his hands to his mouth to supress a laugh. Kairi outright giggled, and Riku simply said "THAT, he has trouble with."

Sora glared at all of them, but then said softly "Yes, sir."

The laughter faded away to shock, Riku blinking and asking "Sora did you just-"

"Yes, I did! Quit gawking!" He barked.

Phil pursed his lips, then thought aloud "Well, you're quite a angry mess, but maybe I can get you just as good as Hercules at some point."

Sora walked over to a long and large list of people "No thanks. I don't need any training. So, what's up with this?"

Phil held himself a little higher, saying proudly "That's our leaderboard for the games. All the heroes of Greece gathered right here! Fighting to prove who's the fastest, the strongest, the bravest. You can enter, in fact, I just got a new chump in a black coat-"

"Sign me up." Sora said immediately.

"Sora, we're not here to-" Kairi said before Sora jerked her and Riku over "That guy who mentioned the Organization had a black coat." He hissed "We need to get in, beat the chump up and get some info!"

"Um, you all joining?" Phil asked. Sora, Kairi, and Riku turned to the short satyr, and all three said "Yes, we are."

Ventus then asked "Think I could join too?"

Phil then started walking over to the coliseum, saying "Well, we gotta get you signed up then!" He then prattled on about rule and regulations and they followed him into the massive coliseum.

They had a mysterious member to fight.


Wee Olympus Coliseum! I've been re-playing KH2 recently, and everything is just SO MUCH SADDER since I've beaten 358/2. Oh yeah, and take a guess at who our little member is gonna be! Go ahead!