Recap: The four are sent to find Hercules' friend Meg when he is preoccupied with holding off a monster Hades sent to Olympus Coliseum. They encounter Demyx and Auron in the Underworld, and learn about the Farplane. The Underworld's magic affected Sora more than the others; he starts to fall ill there.
Activity in the usually desolate prison of Hades' lair made Meg turn her amethyst eyes up in hope. Her face quickly contorted to disgust when she saw it was a familiar haze of black smoke.
"What do you want?" She grumbled, jerking her head to remove a strand of wavy auburn hair from her face. She smirked when Hades didn't reply, pacing from one end of the dungeon to the other in clear anxiety.
"Aw, did Wonderboy rain on your parade?" She taunted. He rounded on her, his flames automatically turning bright orange. She chuckled, reveling in his anger. "Again?"
"I am in a really, really bad mood." Hades growled each word with a step towards her. "So don't test me, little girl!" Spurts of flame danced around him, and she glared with an equally furious fire in her eyes.
Suddenly, Pete crawled into the room, breathing heavily. He opened his mouth to say something, but a blur of blue and white loudly jumped on him and knocked him unconscious. "The rescue team has arrived!"
Sora, Goofy, Reina, and Auron stormed into the dungeon, already in battle stances. Hades looked from the fallen Pete to the other four and screeched, "Get them, you big dunce!"
Auron and Goofy rushed forward and prevented Hades from lunging at the group, giving Sora, Donald, and Reina enough time to free Meg from the complicated chains that bound her. Suddenly, the cave started to rumble violently, as if they were next to the cause of the earthquake.
"Get out of here!" Auron grunted, striking the enraged Hades to make him fall back from lunging at Meg, Sora, and Reina.
"But what about—" Sora started, relaxing the Keyblade.
"Consider my debt repaid." Auron mumbled, shielding the group from a meteor. "Go! Now!"
Reluctantly, Sora nodded and beckoned the group to follow him out of the cave. They ran precariously past the ledge across from the Farplane, navigated through the familiar, twisting paths of the Underworld and finally sighed with relief seeing the exit and the Gummi Ship beyond it. As soon as they crossed the threshold away from the Underworld, Reina felt completeness wash over her, as if she were finally whole again. Donald, Goofy, and Meg felt similar waves of relief and they broke into grateful smiles, especially after seeing the golden staircase that led to the Coliseum. However, Sora didn't feel as liberated as the others.
The same sickly feeling thrived like a ghost haunting him. He tried to convince himself that he really might be catching a cold and pushed the small, nagging voice that reminded him, "This is the same way I felt when I became a Heartless."
He kept his head down in thought and spotted a golden medallion with a bolt of lightning embossed on it.
"The Olympus Stone!" Meg cried in relief, seeing the stone. "It protects you from the Underworld's curse." She carefully took the stone from Sora and examined it.
"Big help it is now." Donald grumbled, crossing his arms.
"But it does have special healing powers that Herc…" They all looked up, hearing a faint roar from the Coliseum above.
"We should hurry." Reina said worriedly. Sounds from the hydra grew louder as the group marched up the stairs, but as soon as they crossed the threshold to the Coliseum, the noise stopped.
"Oh no…"
The once proud standing Coliseum was torn apart, completely unrecognizable. Debris was strewn everywhere. The previously intimidating golden soldier statues that guarded the Coliseum were now feeble representations of what was once there. A young man stepped through the rubble, his well toned body slumping from fatigue fighting the hydra. Phil followed him with sorrow in his eyes at the sight of his precious Coliseum.
"Herc!" Meg cried, rushing to his aid. His watery eyes looked up in relief from behind messy orange brown curls matted with dust and sweat. They embraced tightly, comforted in each other's arms.
"I failed…" Hercules muttered in depression.
"Hey, it's not your fault." Meg assured him. "Even a god would be exhausted."
"She's right. Give yourself a chance to rest." Sora said with a smile and Hercules faced the group for the first time.
"How can I ever thank you all?" He said, feeling full of indebtedness. "I can't even imagine…"
"It's no big deal." Goofy waved off. "Just let us know if Hades or the Heartless is actin' up again, okay?"
"That's what heroes are for!" Donald stuck out his chest proudly.
"Junior heroes, Donald. Junior." Reina added teasingly.
Meg's eyes turned to the chuckling teen. "I apologize for my manners; everything happened so fast, I didn't even get the time to introduce myself! I'm Meg."
She extended her hand and introductions were going around when the Olympus Stone in Meg's hand started to glow brightly and rise into the air. The Heartseeker appeared with a bright beam connecting it to the Stone and Reina nodded to Sora. A large Keyhole materialized where the Olympus Stone was, and he summoned the Keyblade to lock it, making a dry clicking sound echo onto the hollowed out Coliseum.
"Looks like it's time to leave." Goofy said.
"You're welcome to visit whenever you want." Hercules told the group.
"No!" Phil interjected. "We'll call you guys back when the Coliseum is rebuilt and the games are on again!" He turned to the ruins and proudly said, "I can already imagine it in my head! It'll be better than before, bigger than any tournament Thebes has ever seen!"
Meg rolled her eyes at the satyr. "We hope you come back soon." She said warmly.
Sora smiled brightly. "Watch out for us! We're coming back as heroes!"
"Watch out there, junior. You still have a long way to go." Hercules chimed in, the disappointment in seeing the Coliseum ruined fading away.
"We will!" Donald insisted.
"We'll prove it in the next Tournament!" Sora added.
Hercules laughed good-naturedly. "We'll have to wait and see then."
"We will." Sora agreed. "See you guys next time!"
The group waved their goodbyes and turned towards the exit in good spirits. Even Sora seemed to push the instinctual voice behind him, unaware of the hollow darkness that was growing inside him.
It was a regular blistery day on the streets of Agrabah, and the two Organization members entering the world's main bazaar were melting in the heat. Their hoods were up, completely blocking their faces from view.
"A most disagreeable climate…" The taller of the two muttered in a peculiar accent, tugging on his Organization uniform uncomfortably. "Of all places that…thing had to end up here."
"Will you stop complaining, 10? The sooner we find the Heartless the sooner we can get out of here." The shorter replied, not looking at him.
Number 10 made a sound of annoyance. "We should at least—" He made a motion to remove his hood and the shorter rounded on him.
"You know why we can't show our faces, don't you?" The shorter said scathingly. "If Reina shows up, she might recognize us."
"Thank you for reminding me, Saix." Number 10 replied sarcastically. "What ever would I do without you?" He fixed his hood back in place roughly.
Saix turned away from him coolly and continued walking with 10 reluctantly behind him.
"Time to meet Yuuta once again…"
A shrill buzz echoed in the Gummi Ship's training room, marking the beginning of Sora and Reina's first magic training session. Two Shadow illusions appeared in the middle of the ring, observed by Donald and Goofy out of the ring's protective boundaries.
"I'll go first!" Sora announced determinedly. The two were happy to finally escape the Royal Wizard's monotonous lecture which was made chiefly his own accomplishments as a magician rather than information on their first spell, Fire.
"Watch how it's done." He said confidently to Reina, who just rolled her eyes amusedly. "Fire!"
The tip of his Keyblade blazed alight with a faint flame, which he quickly threw at the Shadow Heartless. The flame went right through the illusion and melted into the protective barrier. Although the Shadow Heartless faded, it wasn't completely gone. Chip and Dale programmed each illusion to disappear when sufficient damage was done to it, and Sora frowned at the lingering figure.
"You still need more practice!" Donald admonished. "Don't you remember anything from last time?"
Sora glared at the duck and mumbled something under his breath to which Reina laughed.
"Hey, no laughing!" Donald jumped up and down. "Reina! Go!"
"Alright…" She shuffled toward her Heartless. Raising the Heartseeker, she thought of the incantation for fire and a burst of warmth spread from her chest to her fingertips. A cozy, tingling sensation stirred inside of her and bringing the spell to her lips made the Heartseeker feel like an extended part of her arm rather than a separate object.
"Fire!" A burst of flame ejected from the tip of the Heartseeker, evaporating the illusion completely. *Wow…* Reina thought, looking amazed, *I can do that?!*
She spun to look at Sora smugly. "You were saying?"
"Whatever." He raised his hands behind his head and yawned lazily. "Magic is stupid anyways."
"Hey!" Donald growled. "Take that back nut head!"
Reina laughed playfully, not noticing his sour expression. "Aw, jealous are we?"
Sora snorted irritably. "Yeah, of course, of the queen." Reina's smile faded slightly. He looked away from her.
"Just kid—"
"This is such a waste of time." He yawned again, forcefully. "I'm heading to bed."
Ignoring the voices that called him back, he quickly turned out of the room and marched down the stairs into the Front. He staggered to his room and kicked off his shoes aggressively. Sinking into the cold, open comforters of his bed, he struggled to calm his mind.
Sora's brain was throbbing and blood pounded in his ears as if a parade was marching inside his head. A surge of energy surged through his body, coming straight from his heart. He paled at the familiar sensation it caused.
He was reminded of darkness in that moment he stood across the illusion. Hollow, lonely darkness. It was a Shadow Heartless that he'd taken form of when he'd opened his heart for Kairi and his incompetency of being able to destroy the physical representation of that fear did nothing to lessen the internal reminder that spawned ever since he entered the Underworld. He'd started tasting the numb sensation of darkness already and the idea of losing his heart to it scared him. He'd have no control over himself; He'd hurt the people he cared for, he'd lose them, he'd become a pawn that would lead to their downfall. He'd just become an empty vassal that would soon fade at the hands of someone probably more worthy of the Keyblade of him. He wouldn't be the hero anymore, he'd be the villain.
*No.* Sora thought indignantly at his moment of weakness. *I'd never let that happen again. Things were different back then, and they're different now. Like I'd let darkness take over me! I'll just beat it like last time! This is nothing!*
The momentum of his positive energy fell short when he heard Reina's voice outside the door. "Sora…?"
He didn't reply. He quickly rolled over onto his sheets to make it look like he was sleeping. There was a pit of guilt in his stomach when he remembered the way he acted and his face flushed with embarrassment. He turned to the door. *I'll apologize next time I see them.*
"Sora?"
He didn't budge, still feeling mortified.
There was a shuffle outside and then a louder, more annoyed voice yelled, "On a count of 3! I'm going to knock this door down! One…two…ahhhh!"
Sora quickly opened the door and Donald burst into his room and onto his floor, beak first. He chuckled nervously.
"Sorry?"
"You better be!"
Sora cringed and turned to see Reina stride into the room with her arms crossed.
"Who do you think you are, huh?!"
"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean it! I was just…tired." He coughed. "I feel sick."
Reina searched his sheepish gaze with a critical eye. "Hmph."
"Not fine! How dare you call magic stupid?!" Donald lunged at him, but was restrained by Reina. Goofy walked in, holding a large green bottle and a thermometer and everyone froze, knowing what the bottle contained. Amongst many of Donald's restorative concoctions, the green bottle held the remedy for most common ailments and was also the most tough to get down.
"You said you were sick, right?" Donald said with a tone of vengeance in his voice.
"I mean, I'm not that sick," Sora stepped back, eyeing the bottle with apprehension. "I just need some rest!"
"We'll see about that!" Donald snatched the thermometer from Goofy and prodded it into Sora's mouth.
"That hurt…" The teen complained, rubbing his cheek.
"Shut up!" Donald replied with a satisfied tone.
Reina stretched, letting out a yawn. "I think I'll head off to bed too. See you all."
Before leaving, she pointed an accusatory finger at Sora. "I'm keeping an eye on you."
"I said I'm sorry!" Sora chuckled along with her before waving goodbye. Goofy noticed the way his lingered at the door and the brightened smile that stayed on his face even after Reina left.
Goofy started wondering…
"Abu, this isn't the time!"
Aladdin grabbed the mischievous monkey from eyeing a fruit vendor's stall. He quickly sped off down one of Agrabah's narrow alleys in hopes of cornering the gigantic Heartless that he and two others were pursuing. He didn't know who they were and why they were helping him and he didn't really care; he only knew that they referred to each other using numbers instead of names. To add to the absurdness of the day, the Heartless wasn't anything like Aladdin had ever seen, even when he compared it to what Jafar became.
Aladdin rounded the corner just to find it speed past him, followed by two of the men clothed in black uniforms. He was shocked at how fast the Heartless could run, but then he did take into consideration the twelve arms sprouting from its back. Half man, half wispy ghost, the Heartless left tendrils of darkness wherever it was which made it easy for Aladdin to find it but it was much too agile for the three to keep it in one place. What Aladdin thought was the weirdest about the Heartless was that it never sought to hurt anyone unless it was provoked, and held its beady eyes for one object only.
"He dropped the lamp!"
Abu jumped off of Aladdin's shoulder and sped toward the golden object before the Heartless snatched it and roared in the trembling monkey's face. It made the approaching Organization members airborne with a swipe of one of its muscular arms. It vanished into the alley that led to the Main Bazaar.
"We'll lead it to the Cave of Wonders." One of the men told Aladdin.
"Right, I'll get some of the palace guards." Aladdin told him before he sped off into the main bazaar. Aladdin looked back at the glaring golden dome of the royal palace with determination. He was going to do whatever it took to get Genie back.
Before the group could even take in Agrabah's sights, surprised screams pierced the air as the busy crown of the Main Bazaar parted to make way for a charging black figure.
*Why do we have to end up exactly at these moments?* Reina thought with a tired sigh, taking out the Heartseeker. Reina gripped the weapon tightly when she saw the speed of the Heartless and gritted her teeth for one of the toughest Heartless they'd face yet. But before they could even touch the Heartless, it disappeared into a portal of darkness, followed by two other Organization members.
Aside from shocked whispers, the bazaar went back to its regular state as if nothing had happened and the group was left with their weapons out, still in shock.
"What…just happened?" Reina asked the others, who shared her confusion.
"Two Organization members!" Donald exclaimed.
"And a Heartless." Goofy added.
"We should go ask Aladdin and Jasmine if they know anything about this." Sora suggested. The others nodded in agreement and followed him down the road to the royal palace.
"Fifty-three percent"
"Aladdin! Jasmine!"
The four stormed onto the palace's entrance grounds and the couple spun to greet them with relieved smiles.
"Sora, Donald, Goofy!"
"Boy, are we glad to see you guys!"
"Do you know anything about those Organization members and—"
"The Heartless that enchanted Genie back into his lamp and stole it?" Jasmine finished and the trio's jaws fell open.
"How?"
"When?"
"Why…?"
Aladdin shook his head sadly. "We have no idea, but we need help capturing it. Are you guys up for it?"
"You bet!" Sora replied without hesitation.
Aladdin grinned and whistled loudly. Reina's eyes widened to a see a blur of colors swirl around Aladdin and became even more shocked when she saw it was a flying carpet, something she'd only heard about in storybooks.
"Hop on, I'll tell you everything I know on the way."
The Cave of Wonders was a cool and damp oasis compared to the arid Agrabah desert outside. Mounds of gold and jewels were strewn along the path and much to Donald's disappointment, they weren't allowed to take anything with them.
"So you took the Organization's help?" Sora repeated in shock.
"Yeah, if that's what they're called." Aladdin replied, looking closely around for signs of the Heartless' arrival. "What's wrong with them?"
"Everything!" Donald exclaimed.
"I'm surprised they haven't filled this world with Nobodies yet." Reina stated.
"Nobodies are like Heartless that the Organization control." Goofy said in response to Aladdin's quizzical expression.
"They must have their own reasons for getting that Heartless…" Sora said, voicing what was in everyone's mind.
Aladdin shrugged. "I don't know what it is, but as long as they help me get Genie back I don't care."
The five traveled in silence, looking out for traces of darkness in the slowly dimming cave when a haze lingered in front of them. Aladdin paused to examine it before making a decision on which way to go.
"This way."
They sped past torch lined corridors to an enclosed room that shouts were coming from. The Organization members were fighting a losing battle against the Heartless, and they seemed to realize it when the five arrived. They disappeared into portals of darkness promptly after spotting them.
"Cowards." Sora growled through gritted teeth, summoning the Keyblade.
"Wait." Aladdin breathed, observing the Heartless intently. The Heartless banged the lamp against the stone wall, as if trying to pry it open. It wasn't bothered by the groups presence at all.
"I get it now." Aladdin said with sudden clarity.
"What?"
"It wants to make a wish…why else would it want Genie?" Aladdin told the group. "I knew something was different…"
The group was stunned silent. The more Reina looked at it, the more she saw what Aladdin was talking about. It made the Heartless seem more…human. Reina didn't know whether she should pity the creature or fear it. There was an overwhelming sadness that swept over her as she kept looking at its face.
"What does it want?" She whispered tremblingly. The Heartless looked up and faced the group for the first time, fixating its glowing ochre orbs at Reina. It stared at her for a minute as if searching for a lost thought before taking a step toward her.
Defensively, Sora quickly took out the Keyblade and glared back at the Heartless before Reina could stop him. The Heartless immediately turned violent and made an earth shattering howl before lunging at the group. The five quickly dispersed into different sides of the room, which made them believe they had an extreme advantage over the Heartless. But before they could even take a step forward to strike the Heartless, wisps of solidified darkness wrapped around their limbs and threw each of them around the room with great force.
Disoriented, Reina barely felt herself being lifted up until she met those characteristic glowing eyes just inches away from her face.
!Author's Note!
Yeah, it's been like two months since I've updated, sorry! School really sucks big time xp Anyways, I barely looked through this chapter for editing, which is probably why this is rushed and all over the place Dx I actually really wanted to get through this world and move on to the next chapters as soon as possible though, and I'll really try hard to get them out as soon as possible.
Okay, last chapter, Sora was at sixty-eight percent completion, and now he's at forty three for starters so any guesses on why or how this is happening? The mysterious Heartless (Yuuta), has a direct relation to Reina...can you tell what the wish is? Or who he is to Reina? I know I really didn't get into it here, but I'll probably expand on this next chapter so stay tuned!
Any questions or comments? Be sure to tell me! :D
~narcotic-lullaby