Chapter 14: Put the "Glad" in Gladiator

The sun filtered through the curtains covering the hotel room's wall-sized window, and Xion sat up in her bed with a stretch and satisfied yawn. She looked over to the bed beside hers, where Roxas was entangled in his sheets and had all but fallen off, but was still sleeping soundly. If something good came of the sudden chaos from the night before, it was that the two of them had gotten a good night's rest, the best they'd had since this whole thing started. Moving silently so as not to wake Roxas (both to be nice and because she um, wasn't exactly fully dressed), Xion slipped out of bed and into the bathroom to start running the bath.

It was a large bath, the kind that's deep and takes up the majority of the bathroom – a far cry from the shower at their apartment, or heaven forbid the barracks-like ones in the Castle That Never Was. Xion took her sweet time relaxing in the warm water and almost fell asleep again before she started hearing conversations on the other side of the locked door. How long had she even been in here? She'd lost track of time and hadn't even thought about much, just had been glad to relax for once. After climbing out, drying off, and getting dressed, Xion walked out to see Roxas, still in his pajamas, sitting cross-legged on his bed with his phone in one hand and a pastry in the other.

"Yeah, we're kind of stuck here until we figure things out– Oh, morning Xion!"

"Morning," Xion replied as she sat down next to Roxas on his bed. She glanced down at the caller on the screen, and a bright smile broke onto her face. "Axel!"

Lea gave a salute and a smile to match Xion's own. "Hey there, kiddo. Roxas filled me in on everything. How are you holding up?"

Xion absentmindedly tugged at a strand of her damp hair as she spoke. "We're managing. I'm not sure exactly what we'll do, but we'll do something..." Xion trailed off as she thought back to their conversation last night, and what she had seen in the show chronicling Herc's adventures. They needed to get their hands on Hades's statues somehow.

"Hey, say the word and I'll be there in the blink of an eye. Isa can handle things here without me."

"What, you don't trust us?" Roxas asked through a mouth full of bread. He swallowed before continuing. "We've been cornered plenty of times before. We'll find our way out of this one."

Lea laughed. "Believe me, I know how good you two are. But I also know you're both stubborn. I don't want you getting in over your heads."

Roxas took another bite of his breakfast. "Axel, we have a literal god on our side!"

"Demigod, technically," Xion corrected. Then she frowned and looked at the pastry Roxas was eating. "Where did you even get that?"

"Room service came by while you were in the bath. He said it was complimentary with the room Phil got us. There's more over there." Roxas pointed over to a table across the room, where a plate with an impressive breakfast spread sat. Ooh, those eggs looked really good.

Xion slipped off the bed and started helping herself to some breakfast. She heard a growl from the Gummiphone, followed by Lea moaning. "You guys get fancy fixings and meanwhile I'm stuck with leftover pizza."

Roxas gasped in genuine offense. "You had pizza without us?!"

"And why are you complaining about that?" Xion asked from the table. "Pizza tastes best when it's reheated anyway. You're the one who taught us that."

"Because Isa ordered it so it was all vegetables. I need meat, man!"

The lighthearted conversation continued between the three friends for a while as Xion and Roxas finished breakfast, and then between just Lea and Xion as Roxas washed up and got dressed for the morning. By the time he was drying his hair and messing it back up, Lea was getting ready for work on the other end. Adjusting his uniform, Lea picked up his phone and stared dead into the camera, locking eyes with Roxas and Xion. "Seriously. Call me if you need me and I'll drop everything to fly over. I know you two can handle this but that doesn't mean I can't be there for you."

Roxas and Xion had twin expressions on their face, smiles a mix of happiness and sadness. "It really is nice of you to offer Axel, but we really can figure things out on our own," Roxas said in maybe the most serious and genuine tone of voice he'd had all morning.

"Besides, don't you need to get the rent money for this month ready?" Xion chimed in.

Lea rolled his eyes. "I wish the two of you hadn't grown up so quickly. Alright, I'll go to work. You kids stay safe, you hear me?"

"We've got it memorized, Axel. Talk to you soon." The screen went black and Roxas slipped his phone back into his pocket. He opened the door to their room and then turned to Xion. "Ready?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah."

Down the stairs and out the hotel, into the lively city of Thebes once again. The damage from the Heartless attack was extremely localized compared to the Titans' rampage before the two of them had arrived, and so while reconstruction wasn't finished yet it was further along in a shorter time. Meg and Phil had really rallied the Thebans quickly…probably mostly Meg, honestly. Roxas and Xion journeyed to the Coliseum where, after checking in at the front desk, they were shuffeled into a back room where many competitors of all shapes and sizes waited for the Games to begin. Some mingled with each other, some got in some finishing workouts, and others just sat around making mean faces at each other. In one corner of the room was a familiar trio, and Hercules's face lit up as he saw Roxas and Xion approach.

Herc stood up and brought his hands down on their shoulders. "Glad to see you kids again! You sleep well?"

"It was the best sleep we've had in a while," Xion affirmed. She turned to Phil. "And thanks for paying for the breakfast Phil, that was really good too."

Phil snorted a laugh and swiped a finger across his nose. "Hey, you kids have three full days ahead of you."

Xion tilted her head. "Three?"

Megara, sitting on the bench next to where Herc had been before he stood up, chuckled. "I guess this is your first Games, isn't it? They're not done in a day, they're spread out. There's too many fighters to get so many matches in one day."

"Oh…" That made sense, actually. But Xion wasn't sure they had the time to stick around in one world so long.

"Especially this time," Phil said while tugging at his beard. "Previous Games have had a bunch of Heartless teams get signed up by Hades under our nose. But for the Sora Cup we've got fighters from all over Greece, and some from even further out. Of course, the fights Herc's in will all wrap up real quick."

Roxas rested a hand on his hip. "And mine and Xion's too, right?"

Phil eyed Roxas up and down. "Eh, yeah, maybe. You seem a bit more of a stick than in your last Games though, rookie."

Roxas's face flushed. "Hey! You saw me fight last night just fine!"

Phil smirked and crossed his arms. "It's none of my business what you do in your downtime, but maybe you should buy a set of weights or something."

Herc laughed. "Phil, that's enough teasing him. And I'm sure the competition will be just as much of a challenge for me as for everyone else. We've got some nasty-looking faces this time around."

Roxas calmed down from his embarrassment and looked around the room. Xion joined him. There were people of all shapes, sizes, and colors here, from big burly men with horned helmets and axes to dark-skinned women with spears and masks. And who knew what fighting styles or magics they could employ? All Xion really knew was fighting Heartless and the Organization. Battling just for fun could be, well, fun!

There was just one problem, though. She looked back to Phil. "So are we going to go up against Herc right away? I'd rather we have more time to figure out a loophole before then."

Meg was the one who answered her question. "Phil made sure the two of you are in an entirely separate block from Hercules. That means that you won't be seeing him until the finals, which is where the two blocks meet. We have three days to figure out what to do about Hades's soulbinding."

Xion let out a breath. "That's a relief."

Fanfare blared then, coming from somewhere outside, encouraging music made to get the audience pumped. And pumped they were, because the fanfare was accompanied by cheers from thousands of people. Herc clapped his hand together and looked to Xion and Roxas. "That's our cue! Time for the opening ceremonies, come on."

Large stone doors opened on the far wall of the waiting room and sunlight poured in. Herc led the way with Roxas and Xion right behind him, and the rest of the competitors following after. They emerged into a large, circular arena with seats absolutely overflowing with attendees. They cheered, they jeered, and they cried for all of the fighters as they entered the Coliseum. And of course the loudest cheers were for Hercules, who waved both hands to the crowd as they held up signs and merchandise depicting Thebes's hero. Not everyone was as built for the limelight as him, though; Xion felt her stomach drop at the sight of all those people. What if she messed up? What if she embarrassed herself? What if– Roxas's hand found hers, and Xion looked over to him. His smile was strained and he was obviously just as nervous as her, but his touch calmed her nerves. Somewhat.

The competitors came to a stop in the center of the Coliseum but the roar of the crowd continued and wasn't quieted until a bright light flashed fell from the sky like a lightning bolt and landed in front of Hercules with an echoing crash. When the dust cleared from the impact, a blue-skinned woman whose very body glowed with a heavenly light greeted them.

An announcer's voice called out over the hushed Coliseum: "Presenting Athena: goddess of wisdom, skill, and battle strategy!"

A god! And actual honest-to-goodness god was only a few yards in front of them! Xion almost dropped to her knees, the only thing keeping her from doing so being that no one else was.

When Athena spoke, her voice resounded across the entire Coliseum as if she were using a microphone. "What is the measure of a true hero? It is not mere brute strength, or else my brother Ares would be standing here today, not I. What makes a hero is the desire to do what is right, to save those dear to you, and to protect those who cannot protect themselves." She gestured up to the sky. "Were it night, we would see three images in the stars above us: images of three heroes, one of whom has proven his strength of heart again and again in the service of our world and has so lent his name to these Games."

Athena turned from the crowd to the assembled competitors. "I wish for all who battle in the Games for the next three days keep the meaning of a hero in their minds during their matches. Conduct your battles with strategy and wisdom, not brute force, and show us all the heart of a hero that lies within." Then she turned back to the masses and raised her arms. "Ladies and gentlemen, Grecians and travelers alike, I bid you welcome to the Sora Cup!"

Applause rose up once again, not only from the crowds but from the combatants as well. Even Xion couldn't help but grin and clap; that was right, this was being held for Sora. She knew that but it hadn't even really hit her until that speech. This tournament wouldn't be happening without him; all these people were gathered here today because of him. He really was a hero, wasn't he?

Athena turned to Hercules and spoke quietly, so that her voice would not be heard by the entire Coliseum. "And on a personal level, know that your father and all of us on Olympus are waiting to see your victory."

Herc smiled. "It'd be nice, but let's not pretend it's a guaranteed thing."

Athena smiled. "And that attitude is why I've always liked you." With another flash of light she vanished, and the Sora Cup officially began.

The challengers were funneled back into the waiting room, but two were quickly called out for the first match: Hercules and a man with a bright red spear from somewhere far to the west of Greece. Herc opted for a sword, but it had nowhere near the reach of that spear, which his opponent demonstrated by constantly keeping him at bay; Herc was too far to attack, but the spearman kept cutting him with his weapon's razor edge. And the spearman had amazing reflexes too: if Herc tossed a rock or something at him, it would simply get swatted out of the air. But after this game of cat and mouse, Hercules came up with something that would finally work. To the crowd's confusion he bent his sword and tossed it, only for it to be avoided by the spearman…and then circle around back like a boomerang. As incredible as his reflexes were, he didn't have eyes in the back of his head. The flat of the sword knocked him out cold, and – as everyone expected – Hercules won the opening round of the Games.

Several more fighters came and went, and around noon Xion's first match came. Her opponent was a mountain of a man with a hammer as large as he was. Though Xion could easily outpace him his weapon swung wide and strong, and getting near wasn't an option. Luckily, spellcasting was a forte of hers. But when she called down a Thunder spell from the sky, the giant simply raised his hammer and its metal head called the lightning to it. With his weapon coursing with electricity he sent it flying toward Xion and it collided dead on, knocking her into the wall below the audience's seats. Without the hammer weighing him down the man moved faster than his size should have allowed, and moments before he reached Xion and his weapon Xion gripped onto the hilt of the hammer tightly.

Of course she couldn't even pretend to lift it, it was so much larger than she was. But she didn't need to – all Xion had to do was hold onto it for a bit. The man grabbed his hammer by the head and swung it around wildly, trying to get Xion to let go of the weapon. Her body was flung back and forth, this way and that, but her grip didn't falter. Eventually the man tossed his hammer back onto the ground and grabbed Xion around her waist, pulling her off of it himself. But he had taken too long, and Xion got what she needed. Bands of white nothingness circled around her arm and she thrust her hand into the sky. An exact replica of the giant's hammer appeared in the air, and he only had a fraction of a second to realize what he was seeing before it fell down and collided with his head. Xion broke out of the unconscious giant's grip and stood between two identical hammers as the astonished crowd caught up to what had happened and started cheering.

Hours and hours of fighting led to the final match of the first day, Roxas's. Fittingly enough his fight was against the backdrop of sunset, with the soft warm glow of torches lighting the Coliseum illuminating the field. His opponent was a man dressed in Spartan armor wielding – well how about that – two swords. Roxas and the soldier dashed at each other and the clang of metal rang out across the Coliseum. Slashes, dodges, jabs, and jumps followed as the two met each other almost blow for parries. Roxas grew frustrated at it quickly, and an explosion of light from his body sent the Spartan flying. Before he collided with the wall Roxas dashed behind him while aglow with light and then kicked him forward, knocking him to the floor in the center of the Coliseum.

The man recovered in time to block both of Roxas's Keyblades as they came down on him from above, and then replied with a kick of his own to Roxas's gut. But when Roxas was sent skyward, he hung there in midair instead of falling down. Roxas held his Keyblades together and then backflipped and held them out to his sides, and pillars of light began to rain down on the Coliseum. There was nothing the Spartan could do to counter, so all he could do was run and try to avoid Magic Hour. He didn't. One of the blue-white beams of light hit him dead on and he lost his grip on both swords. Roxas responded by dropping to the ground and performing a cross-slash across the soldier's chest, leaving visible marks on his armor. He collapsed in a heap while muttering that he surrendered.

x-x-x

And on and on the fights continued. Into the second day, and then past that. Roxas and Xion quickly became the crowd favorites, or at least second place behind Hercules. And on the second night as Xion soaked in the bath at their hotel room, she had to admit that despite the situation that put them here it was nice to put smiles on so many peoples' faces. To be wanted and valued for something by thousands was definitely an experience she would never forget. But there was a problem with all this progress, too.

Xion lowered her face further into the water and blew out frustrated bubbles. They were growing closer and closer to the finals, which meant closer and closer to the match with Hercules. And they needed to find a way out of their soulbinding deal with Hades before that happened. They just had until tomorrow night… Well, maybe if she took it one step at a time. The two of them had fights scheduled for the morning, and then the semifinals were after that.

…Wait. Oh, no.

Frantically Xion climbed out of the bath, not caring if she splashed water everywhere. She grabbed a towel and slammed the door open. "Roxas!"

Roxas nearly choked on the sandwich he was eating. He dropped his plate and threw his hands over his eyes. "Xion, put some clothes on!"

"Shut up, I have a towel. Listen!" She hurried over to a large paper on the wall that the two had made on the first night of the Games, one which charted out the tournament. Xion found her marker quickly and then ran her finger along the sheet until she found Roxas. I knew it.

"What is it?" Roxas finally got up and joined her side, his face still beet red.

"Look at the tree. If the two of us win our first matches tomorrow then we'll be facing each other in the semifinals."

Roxas's gaze moved from Xion to the sheet as he examined the spots she pointed to. His face fell, his expression one of disappointment. "Wait, you're right. But Xion, I don't want to hurt you."

Xion nervously bit at the nail of her thumb. They would hurt each other if this fight happened. More than one of the competitors had been taken away unconscious, after all. "Yeah, me neither. But you heard Phil on the night of the show, we can't just refuse to fight, because of Hades."

A grimace coated Roxas's features. "If only we could break those statues…"

Yeah, if only. Xion continued chewing at her nail in thought and looked outside, at the thousands of torchlights decorating Thebes like stars. Her mind kept going back to a plan she'd suggested the night of the Heartless attack. Herc had shot it down, but… "I'll find them at Hades's base."

Roxas jumped and stared at her with eyes wide as dinner plates. "What?"

Xion placed her hands on her hips. "I said I–"

"I thought I heard wrong, and now I wish I had! Xion, Hades is keeping them in the Underworld! You know, his home base? And there's no way he'd leave them just sitting out in the open either!"

"What choice do we have? It's been three days and it's the only thing that any of us have come up with. Besides, you remember the show: it's what Sora did when Auron was in trouble!"

"It's exactly because that was done before that Hades would know to guard better!" Roxas's voice was rising, which made Xion a bit angry. Where did he get off trying to tell her to back down? This was the right thing to do!

"I'm not arguing this with you, Roxas. I'm doing it. I'll sneak through like we did Maleficent's castle, and I'll be out before Hades even realizes I'm there."

Roxas groaned and rubbed his temples. "I'm pretty sure Hades is more competent than Maleficent's goons, Xion!"

"It's what Sora would do!" Xion shouted. Roxas froze, and so did she; even she herself hadn't expected that volume out of her. Her shoulders slumped and then she hugged herself, feeling the damp towel beneath her arms. "He wouldn't even hesitate, and you know he wouldn't. Even if it meant getting hurt, he could handle it. And so can I."

Several tense moments passed between them without a world. Roxas rested a hand over his chest, feeling his heartbeat. After several more seconds, he let out a quiet sigh. "…Okay. You're right." Roxas glanced outside their window, up at a constellation sparkling in the night sky. "So what's the plan?"

Xion smiled, truly thankful. "I'll go to the Underworld right after my first match, during yours. That way neither of us will miss a fight and go against Hades's binds. And I'll be break the statues before we or Herc have to fight each other."

Roxas nodded as she spoke. He glanced at the tournament tree hanging on their wall, looked thoughtful for a few moments, and then smiled. "Alright, if that's the plan then I'm for it too." Then a pause. His eyes flickered below her face for the briefest of brief moments, and then he turned away quickly. "Now please put some clothes on."

x-x-x

And so night passed and the final day of the Games began. Xion and Roxas returned to the Coliseum and greeted Herc, Meg, and Phil, but didn't let on the plan. Xion knew they'd try to stop her, but she didn't have it in her to have another argument about this.

Her match leading to the semifinals was against a muscular woman wielding a spiked ball and chain. Once again her opponent wielded a weapon that made getting in range difficult, but this time magic wasn't a liability. With some Fire and Thunder spells, Xion cleared the battle and secured her place in the semifinals. She didn't get away without a few cuts and bruises, though.

In the waiting room, Phil was standing on a stool so he could clasp his hand on Roxas's shoulder. "Alright kid, your next match was the chick who won the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. She's even faster than you are and fights with a bow and arrows, so you're gonna need to come up with a new tactic than just zipping around."

"Any suggestions?"

"Unless you got some apples on you, no."

"Apples…?" But Phil had already run off to speak to Herc, leaving Roxas nothing but confused. Xion returned from the arena then though, so tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. Roxas spared one look at her, standing in the back of the room with her hood up, and grimaced. "You're sure about this?"

"We went over this last night already. We don't have much else choice."

"I know. Just…be careful, alright?"

Xion smiled. "You too. Win this fight, and I'll break the statues before the two of us have to fight. I'll be back before you know it." The announcer called Roxas and his opponent's names, and Xion and Roxas cast one last glance at each other before Xion pulled her hood further over her head and hurried outside before she would be seen.

Would getting into the Underworld be a problem? No, because she already knew a way in. After all, they had seen a play showing their friends' previous adventures here. Though most of the Coliseum had been destroyed by the Hydra and then rebuilt, some of the original still stood. Even if the old courtyard wasn't used anymore it was still around, and on the far end were the large double doors sealed tight with a lock and chain to keep the common folk from wandering inside. But no lock could stop a Keyblade wielder.

Sign of Innocence fired its beam and the seal vanished. The doors slowly swung open to reveal a glowing staircase leading downward into the darkness. Xion took a breath to brace herself, heard the cheer of the crowd behind her as Roxas's fight began, and then continued her run into the Underworld. She was on the clock.

The atmosphere in the Underworld reminded her of the corridors of darkness by an uncomfortably high amount. It was as if the air itself was pressing down on her, weighing her body down. She felt incredibly heavy, like just moving her limbs was a struggle. Every color was duller, every sound was more muffled, and everything was so very cold. Xion rubbed her arms and watched as her breaths came out as faint mists. In the distance she could hear the constant sound of echoing screams, so faint that Xion wasn't sure if she was imagining them or if they were really there. She hoped it was the former.

She stepped off of the staircase to emerge in a vast, dark cavern. In front of Xion was a black river, with a brightly lit coliseum across it in the distance. To either side of her were roads leading to two large stone doors, one blue and one green. Well wasn't this just great? Sure she had seen a play about this, but it was just a play, they didn't go into details like what doors Sora had entered. It was a coin toss then, which door to choose? Eeny meeny miny moe…

Choosing the blue door, Xion made her way deeper into the network of tunnels and caves. A grey mist soon began to coat the floor, rising up to her ankles. As she ran further through the Underworld the temperature seemed to drop more and more, and the air grew damper as well. Xion found herself stopping to zip up her jacket to grab any warmth she could find. The mist at her feet was flowing forward like a river, and perhaps against her better judgment Xion followed it through the maze of tunnels, the only source of light coming from the occasional blue torch. She was so cold…

But then, a burst of heat. Xion threw up her hands and took several hasty steps back, back into the tunnel she had just emerged out of. What was that? Pausing for a moment to let her heart calm back down, she slowly peered back outside into the chamber she had entered. A stone bridge zig-zagged across a glowing green pit, and in contrast to the cold dampness of the rest of the Underworld, this place was like a furnace. Xion cautiously stepped outside and unzipped her jacket again, letting her body adjust more slowly than it had a moment before. Already she could feel sweat trickling down her neck and matting her hair to her face.

The mist had lifted from the floor and now faintly swirled around the large cavern. Xion avoided watching it, hopeful that those pained faces she thought she saw in the mist were just her mind playing tricks on her. Ahead of her, towering over this cavern, was a building formed of the same grey stone as the rest of the Underworld, carved into a shape vaguely reminiscent of a skull. If she were a betting girl, that would be Hades's throne room. She hoped so, anyway. She definitely didn't want to end up having gone the wrong way and needing to see more of this place.

She ran across the stone bridge as quickly as she could, even if her arms and legs felt like they were tied down by weights. What was up with this place? The sooner she left the Underworld, the better. When she crossed through the door at the far end and found another staircase, the temperature suddenly dropped to bone-chilling levels once again. And with the sweat formed from the last room, she felt even colder now. Shivering and zipping up her jacket again, Xion hurried upstairs.

"Thank goodness!" Xion cried in relief at the sight at the top of the stairs, and then leaned against the wall to rest. Yes, she had chosen the right door to take back at the beginning after all. In front of her was a large round table, atop which sat two familiar statues. Xion couldn't hide her smile as she approached the table, pushing aside the small purple box in her way and grabbing Roxas's statue.

You earned the icing on the cake.

How could he? How could that jerk attack you like that?

I am me! Nobody else!

Looks like my summer vacation is…over.

Hands off my friends.

She grasped her head and the statue clattered to the ground. "What was that?" Some of the voices she heard were familiar… Roxas's memories? Well, no matter. Xion summoned her Keyblade, held it in both hands, and pointed it down toward the statue on the floor. When the beam of light from her Keyblade made contact with the statue it exploded into sparkles of pink and gold that lifted into the sky and faded away. Hopefully that did it.

"So next…" Xion reached for her statue…but it wasn't there.

"Looking for something?"

Xion's heart leaped and stomach fell. She whirled around with her Keyblade ready to find herself face to face with Hades, his arms crossed and her statue held tight in his bony fingers. "Hand that over to me!"

"Hand it over? What? It's my property, kid." Hades glanced at the spot on the ground where Roxas's statue had been. "You know, you could be charged with destruction of private property."

"I don't belong to you!" Xion dashed forward and swung at Hades with all her might, both hands gripping the Keyblade tightly…and she passed right through him like he wasn't even there. "What?" Xion looked at him in shock but quickly collected herself and launched a volley of Water spells. They, too, phased through Hades's form harmlessly. Xion's grip weakened on her weapon, and her arms felt heavy. What was going on?

Hades let out a dark laugh. "What? Don't tell me, was this little detail not in that stage show either? Kid, it's simple. In the Underworld, heroes are zeroes! Comes with the territory."

A fireball knocked Xion against the wall and sent her Keyblade flying across the room. To her credit Xion quickly climbed up to her feet, but before she could call her weapon back into her hands her body froze up. A glow was coating her entire figure, and an identical glow was emanating from her statue in Hades's hand. "Hades!"

"Like I said, these little figurines are my property, my little blackbird. And if you're going to come and break my stuff, well…" He grinned wickedly, showing his sharp teeth, and then squeezed the glowing statue tightly. "Let the punishment fit the crime."

Xion fell to her knees and gripped her head as it throbbed again and again. Her body was being pressed down to the floor by an invisible force, her breathing was growing erratic, and her moans of pain were turning into cries. She could feel something, something familiar…and horrifying. Her mind was…slipping. Fading… Xion shook her head wildly as her nails dug into her skin, desperate to stop what she knew was happening. The cold, icy fingers of fear gripped tightly at her heart. No… Not again…

Hades's voice was distant. "Something tells me you're familiar with puppets."

Not…again…

This chapter and the next were originally one, but since this chapter ended up longer than I anticipated I decided to split them up.

Several (though not all) of the fighters in the Games were cameos from another series I'm a big fan of, Fate. As long as we were in a mythological setting with Olympus I couldn't resist. Hercules fought Cu Chulainn, Xion's second opponent was Penthesilea, and Roxas's second opponent was Atalanta.