CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
We returned to the surface of Olympus Coliseum, where it was still in ruins from the last time we visited. It was nighttime, and the stars and moon twinkled high in the sky.
"Thanks again, guys! You're the best." Hercules said.
"Excuse us for meddling." Donald grumbled with his arms crossed.
"Aw... sounds like somebody's feathers are a little ruffled." Megara said. "I'm kidding. Thank you, Sora, Hallie, Callum, Donald, Goofy."
"So where you guys headed next?" Hercules said.
Sora crossed his arms. "Aw, you know..." he said. "You two lovebirds seem to be getting along just fine without us hanging around."
Hercules and Megara looked at each other and quickly stepped away from each other. They looked away, then back at each other and smiled. I held my hands behind my back and smiled.
"Yeah, we gotta go." Donald said.
"Uh-huh, before we start meddlin'." Goofy said.
"You mean anymore than you already have?" I said.
"Are you turkeys trying to put me out of a job?" Phil called, walking over to us. "If you keep acing every challenge, Champ, who am I gonna train?"
"Aw, you can't abandon me now, Phil! I gotta be at the top of my game in case Hades shows up again." Hercules said, flexing his muscles.
Donald and Sora ran over to Phil and got in his face.
"Hey, are we true heroes yet?!" Donald said.
"Yeah! C'mon, Phil, how 'bout it?" Sora said.
"Lemme see now..." Phil said. "Well, you're not wise enough... Not quite... seasoned enough..."
"Okay, okay, we get the hint!" Sora said.
"Look, kid, it's not my call."
"Aw, phooey!" Donald said.
"Course, if it was, you'd have no problem. I'd make you all heroes, in a heartbeat!"
"Really?!" Sora cried.
"Say it again!" Donald said.
"On second thought, if those are your "hero" faces, you still got a lotta work to do."
Phil turned around and walked away. Donald scurried up beside him.
"Hey, what do you mean?" he said.
"Go away!" Phil said and he broke into a run.
"Phil!" Sora called, chasing after him.
"Leave me alone!"
Phil ran over behind Hercules.
"Hey, Phil, I got an idea." Hercules said. "Why don't you train Hallie?"
"What?" I said.
Phil came out from behind Hercules and approached me. "Yeah, you aced my challenges with the best times I've seen since Wonderboy here, and you were pretty impressive in the Hades Cup." Phil said. "I could turn you into a real hero. What do you say, Hallie?"
"A hero?"
I turned to my friends. They looked at me with sad smiles.
"Um, I need to think about this."
I turned around and ran down into the Underworld.
With a grunt, I slashed through another Heartless. Leaning on my Keyblade, I panted and stood in the now empty battle platform. A pool of darkness rippled next to me. I took my foot and stomped on it. I heard a shriek and the pool disappeared.
"Impressive."
I gasped and whirled around, pointing my Keyblade in the direction of the voice. I lowered my Keyblade and dispelled it as Sora hopped off of the boat and walked onto the platform.
"I can see why Phil would want to train you."
"Sora, I..." I said.
"Don't say anything." Sora said. "I didn't come here to try and convince you to stay and train or to reject it and continue with us."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because you need to hear this."
I wiped my clammy hands on my shorts. Sora approached me.
"If you want to stay here and train, I won't be mad. I'll understand." Sora said. "I want you to be where your heart wants to be. Where it feels like it belongs."
Sora smiled at me. I looked away and squeezed my eyes shut. I clenched my fists as a lump formed in my throat. Sora's smile faded.
"I want you to be happy." Sora said quietly.
I heard his footsteps fade and the sound of oars striking the water. I looked up to see Sora as a small speck climb out of the boat. He turned around and lingered his gaze at the Coliseum. Tears sprang from my eyes and down my cheeks.
"Huh?" I said as I felt my cheek and looked at my tear-smeared hand.
I clenched my fist and looked up. Sora was gone. More tears ran down my face.
~SORA~
"Is Hallie okay?" Goofy said.
"I don't know." I said, looking at the ground. "I guess we'll just have to see what she chooses."
Donald and Goofy looked at me then at each other.
"See that?" I heard Megara say.
"Well, whaddya know?" Hercules said.
We looked up in the sky and gasped. The stars began to swirl around until they collected together to create images of us.
"Well, lookie there!" Goofy said.
"I guess we are heroes after all, huh Phil?!" Donald said.
Phil stared at the sky in shock.
I stared at the images. In the sky, Goofy and Donald stood alongside me. But then I saw another person standing in between me and Donald. Hallie. Her image twinkled brightly in the sky, putting all the other stars to shame.
"The stars are sure beautiful tonight, huh?" Callum said beside me.
I smiled to myself. "Yeah..."
We said goodbye to Hercules and the gang piled into the Gummi Ship. We sat in our seats and looked at each other with concern on our faces.
"So I guess...?" I said.
"I think so." Goofy said.
I nodded and gripped the steering wheel.
"Did you honestly think you could take off without me?" a voice said.
We all turned around and jumped out of our chairs.
"Hallie!" we all cried.
Hallie stood at the doorway with her fists on her hips. She smiled. Callum ran over and hugged her.
"We thought you were going to stay and train." Callum said.
"You really thought I would leave all of this just to spend my days smashing pots?" Hallie said. "There's no way I would leave you guys. I'm happy here with you."
I smiled as Hallie walked over and sat in her chair next to mine.
"Besides, we've got a mission to finish!" she said. "The Organization isn't going to stop itself."
"Right." I said, sitting down and revving up the Gummi Ship.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hallie is offered the opportunity to stay and train with Phil and Hercules in Olympus Coliseum and become a hero. She escapes to the Underworld to think about her decision. Sora follows her into the Underdrome and tells her that he'll accept whatever choice she makes, even if it means having to let her go, as long as that choice will make her happy. In the end, Hallie comes to the obvious conclusion to continue journeying with her friends, because being with them is where she feels like she belongs.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!
