Disclaimer: I own nothing really.
Ben's Note of Sheer Awesome: Hey! You guys thought I forgot about this fic, didn't ya? Well nope! I didn't forget a thing, nope! Now I do have some explanations before we get started into this next chapter. Due to the fact Wonderland is connected to Ever After, I have not included it as a world in this fic. I apologize to those of you who liked the Wonderland world, but it's not showing up. I also will not necessarily be following the order of the worlds, as I've cut some worlds and added others. I think everything else should be explained in the story, so enjoy!
Olympus Coliseum-Part 1
Gowther had led the massive group to the giant Gummi Ship waiting right outside the world. Rikku was ecstatic at the sight of it and was hugging it by the time Raven got to it. Raven rolled her eyes with a smile as she walked up to the repair girl. "I think you might be in love," Raven said with a light giggle.
"I have every right to be! Look at this baby! It's so beautiful!" Rikku giggled.
Gowther cocked his head. "Is it normal for humans be sexual attracted to ships?" Gowther asked.
"No, it's not normal Gowther," Ban grumbled. "But who really cares now a days? Some random chick is always finding something weird to worship with their body. I bet this one is no different."
Rikku pouted, turning around and giving Ban a look. "Are you calling me weird? I do like guys, but Gummi is great," Rikku said.
"Well, I'm just saying that being attracted to a ship isn't normal," Ban shrugged.
"I don't really like you!"
"Same here sweet heart, only I love myself and hate you more."
"We haven't even gotten in the ship and we're already arguing," Darling whispered to Raven as they boarded the ship. "You sure this is a good idea?"
"Gowther and Ban want to help," Raven said. "Papyrus owes me one and he's a pretty nice guy. Rikku seems to be attached to Papyrus, so why not?"
"Darling's right though," Lizzie said, joining them. "I don't think Ban's going to get along with us very well. If we were in Wonderland, I would have him beheaded… but alas, we are not."
"Come on guys," Raven said with a smile. "All we have to do is get to know each other. I'm sure we'll get along as our journey goes on. You'll see."
Darling and Lizzie glanced at each other, still unsure about this. However, everyone started to board the Gummi Ship, ending the discussion for that moment. Gowther led everyone to the main cockpit and the eight companions took a seat, which was convenient, since eight seats were available right at that moment. Gowther started the engines and took off, steering the ship through space.
There was a silence for a long time as Gowther steered the ship. Ban was glaring at Rikku and Rikku was pouting the whole time. Papyrus looked like he wanted to say something, but always shut his mouth right as he was about to say it. Maddie was playing with her hat, pulling out random things and giggling, putting them back in. Raven sighed at the silence, knowing it was up to her to stop the awkward silence.
"So… how are you guys?" Raven asked.
"Peachy. I'd rather be at Grillby's having a drink," Ban grumbled.
"I'd rather not be around him," Rikku scowled, pointing at Ban.
"I WISH TO SIMPLY BE A PEACEMAKER!"
"Shut up bones."
"HEY! I MAY BE A PILE OF BONES, BUT AT LEAST I HAVE STANDARDS!"
Raven sighed for a moment… before taking a confident breath. "Look, we're going to be traveling with each other for a while," Raven said. "Why don't we try getting to know each other? We'll introduce who we are, why we're here, and what our weapon is."
"Ooo! Me! Me! Me first!" Maddie said, raising her hand frantically.
"Go ahead Maddie," Raven chuckled.
"My name is Madeline Hatter! I'm here because the nice lady girl told me I was here because I was following my heart! My weapon is Magical Hat, which is a magical hat!" Maddie said, giving off a few giggles.
"Pfft. Following your heart," Ban grumbled, rolling his eyes. "All it gets you is hurt and you lose everything you care for."
"I'm Darling Charming," Darling said, ignoring Ban's statement. "I'm here for the same reasons as Maddie is. I will follow and help protect Raven with my life. My weapon is this sword… although I don't know what it is."
Lizzie glanced at the blade for a moment. "It's the Vorpal Blade, used to slay the Jabberwockeys of Wonderland," Lizzie said, her eyes widening. "But… only three were ever made, and they're all in Wonderland. How'd you get one of them?"
"The Captain gave it to me," Gowther said simply. "I believe he knew one of you would need it."
"Huh," Darling said, looking down at the Vorpal Blade curiously.
"I BELIEVE IT IS MY TURN!" Papyrus said with a giant smile. "I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! I AM AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD AND MY WEAPON IS BONE TROUSEL! I AM HERE BECAUSE I OWE RAVEN A LIFE DEBT!"
"Not just that Papyrus," Raven smiled. "You're a great guy. I'm glad you decided to join us."
"WOWIE! MY NEW FRIEND APPRECIATES MY COMPANY!" Papyrus said, blushing.
"Yay!" Rikku giggled.
Ban glared at Gowther. "I #$% hate you so much right now," Ban grumbled.
"I know you do. I am Gowther. I am the Goat Sin of Lust and I am here because the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins asked me to come to your aid. I do not wield a weapon, I merely use my mind."
"Fun!" Maddie giggled.
"Not really. He reads minds," Ban grumbled.
"Fun!"
"Is everything fun with you?"
"Fun!"
"Sorry I #$% asked."
"I'm Lizzie Hearts," Lizzie introduced, getting the conversation back on track. "I'm here because my heart brought me here to help protect Raven. My weapon is the Heart of Cards, since these are Wonderlandian Cards."
"Looks like the Captain went on vacation to Wonderland," Ban whispered to Gowther.
"If that's what you chose to believe," Gowther said simply.
"I'm Rikku!" Rikku chimed in. "I'm a mechanic and I'm here mostly because Papyrus is! I don't have a real weapon, I just like mixing things together and see what sticks!"
"Honey!" Maddie cheered.
"Never really thought of that… what do you have in that hat of yours?"
"Honey!"
"What else?"
"I think I saw some grenades in here earlier!"
"Perfect," Rikku smirked.
Raven glanced at Ban, who merely glared back at her. Finally, Ban sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, I'll bite your little game," Ban grumbled. "I'm Ban. I'm here because Gowther #$% guilted me into it. I wield some nunchuktu, but eh, I can fight bare handed if I want. There, now shut up and leave me alone."
Raven sighed, figuring that there was nothing she could do to get more out of Ban. "I'm Raven Queen," Raven said simply. "I'm here because… well, the Keyblade needs me here, I guess. My Keyblade is called Dark Service."
"Great. Now that that's done, let's go back to the awkward silence, can we?" Ban said flatly.
"No, for we've arrived," Gowther said. Everyone looked out the window and beheld a world in front of them. It was a big building like world with sand covering around it on all sides. It teemed before them, making them feel so small compared to it. "Olympus Coliseum, according to the scanner."
"THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS HEARD OF COLISEUMS BEFORE!" Papyrus said with a grin. "IT'S WHERE PEOPLE FIGHT LIONS AND OTHER ANIMALS!"
"I don't think that's what this one is for," Darling mused.
"Whatever the case, we better take a look," Raven said. "We'll never know if some of our friends are down there unless we check, and who knows, maybe the Captain is down their too."
Ban 'hmphed' and glared at the world before them. "Whatever. Let's hurry up and check it out so we can move on already."
"You know, you're attitude wouldn't get you very far in Wonderland," Lizzie scowled.
"Good thing I don't live there, mostly because it's gone."
There was silence among the group. "Too far Ban," Darling said darkly. "Gowther, hurry up and land."
(Coliseum Gates)
The eight companions had landed their ship and pushed past the looming gates before them. A pavilion with sand covering every square inch met their gaze, along with a giant well-structured building. On the walls of the gates were some purple tarps, some of them with yellow markings on them. The eight companions mused at this as they made their way forward.
"I like it! I wouldn't mind taking a sand bath right now!" Maddie giggled.
"With or without cloths?" Ban asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Banana peels!"
Ben scowled. "Yeah, I was afraid I'd get that answer," he grumbled.
"I believe that the correct place to go is that building," Gowther said, pointing to the building in front of them. "Perhaps we can find out more about this coliseum and what its intentions are."
"Sounds like a decent enough plan," Darling nodded. "Raven?"
"Sure," Raven shrugged. The eight companions went forward to the building and entered through its doors. It led into a fairly small lobby, lit by some fires in some alcoves in the walls. A small man with goat hooves was cleaning a plague on the wall, too deep in his work to notice them come in. A pedestal was on the other side of the room, sitting out of place.
Raven approached the goat-man, the others waiting at the door way. "Excuse me…" Raven began to say.
"Perfect, right on time," the goat said, interrupting Raven. "See that pedestal over there?" He pointed at the out of place pedestal on the other side of the room. "Move it out of here, would ya?"
Raven looked at the others, who simply shrugged. "FEAR NOT!" Papyrus said. "FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN PUSH SOMETHING THIS LARGE!"
"Eh? Papyrus? Ha! Nice try Herc…" the goat-man said, turning around. However, when he did so, he scowled. "Oh. Whoops. My mistake."
However, right as he said that, Papyrus went to the pedestal. Positioning himself, he grabbed the pedestal and started to push it. It started to move, but it didn't move very freely. Deciding to help, Ban, Darling, and Maddie all walked over and helped him push. Together, the four managed to push the pedestal right out the door, sighing in relief as they did so. The goat-man's eyes widened as they did so, blinking them a few times.
"Don't say I don't do anything for you guys," Ban grumbled.
"Well, well, well," the goat-man said, jumping from the pedestal he was standing on. "Looks like we got some heroes here. Have to say, just lookin' at ya, you didn't seem like much. But eh, I've been wrong before. I take you're all here for the games, right?"
"Games? Ooo! Can I play poker? I love poker!" Maddie giggled.
"No, not poker! Although, I do love playing that… I mean the Olympic Games, held only here at the Olympus Coliseum," the goat-man explained. "I'm Phil, the coordinator for the games. Everyone from far and wide comes here to participate and try to win the Hades Cup. Of course, only the best of heroes stand a chance… but I think you guys have what it takes."
"Aw, thanks!" Rikku smiled.
"Yeah, glad we fit your standards," Raven said kindly. "Sure, we'd all love to…"
"No, not you," Phil said, turning on Raven. "Or you!" He pointed at Rikku. "Or you or you!" He pointed at Lizzie and Gowther. "Just those four, who moved the pedestal!"
"Really?" Ban laughed, shaking his head. "Sorry dude, you got the wrong guy. I'm not a hero, just a lowly thief who cares nothing about the rest of these losers."
"I QUITE AGREE WITH BAN!" Papyrus said. "HE IS NO HERO!"
"Yeah, pretty sure I covered it Bones."
"I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, NOT A SIMPLE PILE OF BONES!"
"I'm still calling you Bones."
"You heard me. Those four have what it takes to be a true hero," Phil said. "You other four… you don't look like much, have to admit. Can't believe a bunch of heroes would allow sidekicks like you guys to tag along."
"Sidekicks? I'm afraid you're mistaken," Darling said. "Raven's actually our leader. Well, kind of, anyway. If anyone's a hero, it's her."
"Oh really?" Phil said, turning to Raven and looking her over. "If she's a true hero, then she'll be willing to show me what she's got. Come on in the main arena. I'll show you all that I'm a great judge of character and that this little princess isn't a hero."
Raven stiffened, glaring at Phil as he headed to a hallway. "Would that make me a villain then?" Raven asked.
"No, but I wouldn't doubt that you'd probably become one," Phil shrugged.
"Uh oh…" Maddie said, hiding behind Papyrus.
Raven calmly walked up to Phil and turned him around. Her face was calm, which was surprising to Maddie, Darling, and Lizzie. However, what she said next was all but expected from the three Ever After girls. "I'm not my mother," she said darkly. "I'm no villain Phil. Don't mistake me for one."
"Could've fooled me," Phil grunted, turning back around, unphased. "If you're a hero, you'll be able to get through this no sweat."
Raven grumbled something to herself, but none the less followed after Phil. After waiting for a moment, Lizzie started to walk after her. "Didn't you here the goat?" Ban asked as Lizzie went to the hallway. "This is Raven's test. We should wait here."
"She wasn't the only hurt by what Phil said," Lizzie said simply and walked into the hallway. After a moment, Rikku followed after her, sticking her tongue out at Ban as she did so. It took a seoncd before Gowther followed too, much to the surprise of pretty much everyone.
"Humans confuse me," Gowther said simply as he left. "I want to know why Raven and Lizzie took that so badly. Perhaps it's an emotion I simply do not comprehend."
There was silence between the other four for a moment. "Huh," Darling chuckled. "Everyone Phil didn't call a hero went in after Raven. I find it funny…"
"I FIND IT SAD, IF NOT A LITTLE DISTURBING!" Papyrus said. "SHOULDN'T WE ALSO SUPPORT RAVEN? WE MIGHT BE 'HEROES' ACCORDING TO PHIL, BUT WE'RE STILL RAVEN'S FRIENDS!"
"Papyrus is righto!" Maddie said. "Don't worry bestie! I'm coming!" Maddie giggled to herself and sped down the hallway. Darling and Papyrus laughed at this and followed after Maddie. Ban was left alone in the lobby, staring after them.
"I'm the only sane one," Ban grumbled, reluctantly following after them.
(Arena)
"Barrel breaking?" Raven asked flatly. Phil had led her to one of the countless arenas of the coliseum. This one seemed fairly normal to her, with barrels set up all around the area. "To prove I'm a hero, you and me to break barrels?"
"Too simple? A true hero doesn't deny any challenge thrown at 'em," Phil grunted.
Raven sighed, shaking her head. "You know, this is kind of ridiculous," Raven said.
"So are you. Now get in there and…"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, five Heartless appeared within the arena, smashing the barrels around them. Phil jumped in surprise, confused. In the arena, a new type of Heartless had appeared. There were two Shadows and two Soldiers, but there was also a big round Heartless as well. It was similar to the Soldier, but bigger and rounder.
"Great, now I have to quarantine this one too," Phil grumbled, walking over to the entrance. At that moment, Lizzie and Rikku came out to Raven and noticed the Heartless in the arena. They looked at Raven, who had summoned Dark Service.
"I'm not evil," Raven said and ran into the arena.
"We know that though," Rikku said to Lizzie. "Why she take it so hard?"
"Her mother was evil," Lizzie explained. "Raven refuses to follow in her mother's footsteps. Those who want her to… make her take action."
Rikku nodded in understanding… before smiling. "We're not letting her do this alone, huh?" Rikku giggled.
"Why would we not help her?" Lizzie said with a smile. The two promptly ran into the arena with Raven, standing behind her, their weapons drawn. A force field went up right after, sealing them with the Heartless.
"What are you doing?!" Darling yelled, running into the arena with Gowther, Papyrus, and Maddie, Ban trailing behind them. "You can't leave them in there!"
"Sorry kid," Phil said. "Those things have been wreaking havoc on the other stadiums. I'm holding the prelims to clear them out… but I guess those guys were stupid enough to wonder in as I activated it."
"Then turn it off!" Darling said.
"Can't do that," Phil said simply. "I can't go having monsters destroying the coliseum. If they want out, they'll have to die or beat them."
"Then we shall win," Gowther said, walking up to the force field. Without flinching, he passed right through it, joining the other three in the fight.
"How did he…" Phil said, confused.
"He's Gowther. I wouldn't question it," Ban shrugged.
The four people in the arena readied their weapons, the Heartless twitching in an anticipation. Raven looked back at Lizzie, who was shuffling through her deck. "Gowther, cover Lizzie," Raven said. "Rikku, which ones do you think you can fight?"
"Shadows!"
"Alright, you take the two Shadows and I'll take the Soldiers," Raven nodded. "Lizzie, pick a card that'll take care of the Large Body."
Everyone nodded in agreement and executed the plan. Rikku went left, approaching one of the two Shadows. The Shadow rubbed it's head and slid forward, preparing to attack. Rikku slid out of the way and punched it with Devastator, sending it flying forward. Rikku then jumped into the air and slammed down into it, making it vanish.
Raven, meanwhile, slid behind one of the Soldiers, who swung its claws forward. Raven swung Dark Service down, sending the Soldier flying forward. However, it quickly regained its footing and threw itself forward. Raven panicked and held Dark Service up in defense. The Soldier hit the key and recoiled, leaving it open for attack. Raven smirked and she stabbed the Soldier, making it disappear.
Lizzie was frantically looking through her deck, looking for a card to get rid of the Large Body. As she did so, the remaining Shadow had sunk into the ground and slid around to behind her. It rose out of the ground and looked to the side, seeing the other Soldier had gone to the other side of Lizzie. With a subtle nod, the two both charged her.
But they didn't get that far. Suddenly, two arrows of light appeared in the heads of the two Heartless. After a few seconds, the two exploded into darkness. Gowther nodded to himself, looking expectantly at Lizzie. "Have you found one yet?" Gowther asked.
"No… wait… oh! Here!" Lizzie said. She held up a card with a picture of a lamp shade which was currently powered on. "Blinding Light!"
A flash of light blinded everyone in the arena, including those standing outside the force field. The only one who was not blinded was Lizzie, who slid around everyone to behind the Large Body. She smirked and lightly touched the Large Body. Due to the sensitivity of the light, the Large Body couldn't take the light pressure of Lizzie's touched and exploded into darkness.
The bright light faded, leaving the arena empty. Phil's eyes were widened, surprised that the enemies were defeated so easily. He quickly deactivated the force field, allowing the four to come out. They smiled as they did so, quite proud of themselves. Except for Gowther, who didn't really care.
"That was incredible!" Phil said. "I'm astounded! You know, I have four words to say to you all after a display like that!"
"That you were wrong?" Rikku guessed with a smile.
"You guys still ain't heroes!"
"Oh come on!" Raven said.
"YES, I BELIEVE THAT WAS FIVE WORDS!" Papyrus said with a confused smile. "OR MAYBE I FORGOT TO COUNT ZERO! THAT MUST BE IT!"
"Well, there's that Papyrus, but we totally took out those Heartless! We have to be heroes after that!" Raven said.
"Sorry, but you four just don't cut it," Phil shrugged. He then turned to face Papyrus, Ban, Darling, and Maddie. "You four on the other hand do have what it takes."
"But they didn't even fight!" Rikku pouted.
"So? I can tell that they can handle the Games," Phil said simply. "You four can go wait outside the lobby. I have to talk to these four about signing up."
Darling and Maddie gave Raven a glance of sympathy while Raven sighed. "Come on guys," Raven said, beckoning Lizzie, Rikku, and Gowther to follow her. "I can tell when we can't win this one."
"We don't have to compete!" Maddie said as Raven passed her. "We're still a team!"
"No, it's ok Maddie," Raven said with a weak smile. "Maybe by winning this tournament we can find a way to broadcast it and get the Captain and our other friends. Compete, alright?"
"Whatever. I don't really care either way," Ban grumbled.
"WHAT DO YOU CARE ABOUT?"
"None of your beeswax Bones."
"BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY BEES!"
"Ugh…"
(Coliseum Gates)
Raven, Rikku, Lizzie, and Gowther walked out of the Lobby, sighing as they did so. "I don't get Phil," Raven said. "We proved we could handle ourselves in a fight, and we only have pure hearts. Why can't he see that we are heroes?"
"Stereo-types?" Rikku guessed. "People think I'm dumb because I'm blonde! I kind of am… but that doesn't matter, does it?"
"No, it doesn't," Lizzie smiled, then put a hand on Raven's shoulder. "It'll be ok Raven, I promise. Phil doesn't know what he's talking about. You and I are both heroes, and so are Rikku and Gowther. If he can't see that, then he's not worth it."
"He sure is a stubburn old goat, isn't he?" came a voice behind them. The four turned to see a blue man with flaming hair. "Hello, Hades, loud of the Dead, nice to meet you," Hades said simply.
"Um… why are you here?" Lizzie asked him hesitantly.
"To help us into the games," Gowther said. The three looked at him in confusion, which made Gowther shrug. "I thought it was obvious."
"The pink haired boy is right. I'm here to make all your dreams come true," Hades said, vanishing and appearing behind Raven. He snapped his fingers, and in a puff of flame, a piece of paper appeared in his hand. "Here you go!"
Raven raised an eyebrow and grabbed it. "Is this…a pass?" she asked.
"Yep! It'll guarantee your entry into the Games," Hades said. "I only have one catch. Clear out all the other contestants for me, would ya? I'm rootin' for ya kid."
Hades vanished, leaving Raven with one pass into the games. "Should we trust him?" Rikku asked worriedly. "I'm not sure if he's a good or a bad guy."
Raven looked down at the pass, turning it over. "It doesn't really matter," Raven finally said. "We'll show Phil we're just as good as the others. He'll see. Come on guys. We have some Games to win."
(Dark Waiting Room)
Somewhere hidden deep in the coliseum, there was a dark waiting room where four people were standing. One was a giant beast looking person, with blue fur and white hair on his head. He had a spear leaning next him. The next person was a blonde haired boy with a big blue sword in his hand. The third person looked robotic in purple and silver armor, topped with black hair. The four was a white haired fairy carrying a thorned staff.
"Where is that flame head?" Faybelle grumbled. "I have a schedule to keep!"
"Oh darling," the robotic man said. "You are not the one suffering here! Keeping me held up holds back the show!"
"Kimarhi doesn't like Mettaton," the blue beast grunted. "Kimarhi wants to leave with Tidus."
"We can't big guy," the blonde boy said. "Hades promised to help us find Yuna if we…"
"Kill Hercules," came a voice. Hades appeared in the middle of the room with a puff of smoke. "That was the deal, right?"
"For them honey, but what about me?" Mettaton asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I find your cousin," Hades said, waving it aside. He then turned to Faybelle. "And you're just here to make sure I do my job, right?"
"Yep," Faybelle smirked. "The Havestar and Flowey wanted me to make sure you helped kill off Raven's friends. Can't have her relying on them when it comes down to using her Key for our own."
"Yeah, yeah, I get the picture," Hades grumbled. "The four of you will fight together, alright? Once you get to the end, finish off Raven companions, whether her team gets to the end or the other one. Herc will show up and then you guys kill him. We all win."
"Kimarhi does not like this… but he will do it for Yuna," Kimarhi grumbled.
"Ditto," Tidus said.
"Great, it's all settled then!" Hades said simply. Inside his head, he thought, Hmm… but… it couldn't hurt to have a back-up plan. Just in case they get cold feet.
BN: You guys weren't expecting that, huh? Unlike Sora, I feel as though some of her companions (Papyrus, Ban, Darling, and Maddie) could easily move the pedestal without any hindrance. So, for Olympus Coliseum only, the main group will split off into two fighting groups. You might see it later on in different worlds, but for right now, it's just this one. Also, Cloud has been replaced by Tidus and Kimarhi from FFX and Mettaton from Undertale. And… what is Faybelle doing there? Find out… next time!
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