Chapter Fourteen: Through the Eyes of a Hero

Hercules patted Pegasus on the nose as he led his winged horse to an open area of the Coliseum. It'd be easier to take off here, which would make the journey to Mount Olympus all the quicker. It was funny, Hercules thought to himself. For so long, he had been separated from his homeland, his mortality preventing him from being able to even visit Mount Olympus. And now, he found himself visiting frequently, though lately it'd often been under less than happy circumstance. Hercules had gone to the Temple of Zeus to invite his father to the Games, so the last time he'd actually been on Olympus was when Sora had helped him out with the Titans.

Ah, Sora. He'd come such a long way since that first day they'd met. Hercules chuckled to himself. The first time he had ever met that 'junior hero' was when Sora had charged in to face Cerberus, Hades's gigantic, blood-thirsty three-headed dog. Granted, Hercules had already worn the beast down quite a bit, but still, nobody could say that Sora didn't have guts. But there was still a ton Sora—and his pals Donald and Goofy—had had to learn about what it meant to be a hero. It was more than strength, it was tenacity and teamwork and putting all of your heart into your goals. And being willing to lay down your life.

But man, had Sora delivered and then some. He'd not only won tournament after tournament, but he had proven to be one of the most stalwart friends Hercules had ever known. Whenever there had been real trouble in the last couple years, Sora had been there to help. Hercules was proud to call Sora his friend.

Hercules hadn't seen Sora since right after the fight with the Titans, with that creep in the black coat had taunted Sora about losing his strength. Sora hadn't really explained how that had happened and Hercules hadn't cared to ask. What mattered was making sure Sora got his head back on straight. Not so long ago, Sora had guided Hercules out of his despair. Being there in turn was the least Hercules could do to help his friend, after everything Sora had done for him.

On that note, Hercules was curious about this new trainee of Phil's. Well, actually, he was curious about all of them, but the one who asked to follow him to Olympus was Xion. Another kiddo with a Keyblade, though she appeared to be about the same age Sora had been when Hercules had first met him, if somewhat smaller and shyer. Heh, fighting alongside kiddos with Keyblades—it'd be just like the old days.

Hercules glanced over his shoulder. Xion was talking with her two friends, Roxas and Axel, promising she'd be careful on Mount Olympus and pleading with them to do the same. Though he couldn't make out the words, and wouldn't eavesdrop in the first place, Hercules could still hear a note of earnest desperation in her voice. That made Hercules frown—clearly, the kid didn't have a lot of self-confidence. He could relate—he'd been out of place growing up. Axel, who was as tall as Hercules, patted her shoulder gently, his body language softer and more compassionate than Hercules had yet seen.

"You don't need to worry," Hercules said, walking over to the others. In his best hero voice, he added, "I will make sure Xion stays safe. Pegasus is the finest horse in our entire world."

"Alright, thank you," Xion said politely. She shuffled her feet nervously and reached out to pet Pegasus on the nose. Pegasus seemed to like her, ducking his head lower so Xion could more easily reach him. After a moment, she paused to take off a glove, rubbing her fingers through Pegasus's mane. Not that Pegasus really had much of a mane, but still, he seemed to enjoy it. After a moment, Xion reached into her pocket and pulled out a small biscuit and held it out for Pegasus to eat.

"Shouldn't be more than a couple of hours," Hercules said. "All goes well, your friend will be better by suppertime."

Hercules helped Xion mount Pegasus and then got on behind her. The girl tensed when one of his hands brushed against her arm. Hercules frowned but then disregarded it. It was probably just nerves—flying did take some getting used to, after all.

"You don't have to worry about heights," Hercules said reassuringly. "I'll make sure you won't fall off. Pegasus can carry two people easily. And you're friends with Sora right? Pegasus loved it when Sora would ride him. I'm sure he'll like you."

Hercules gave Pegasus a pat on the side of the head and then the winged horse took off. Xion gave a yelp of surprise but Hercules looped one of his arms around her waist, keeping her safe as Pegasus flew them high above the streets of Thebes. Hercules couldn't help by smile—from above, it was all the easier to see the massive strides in repairs that had been made in the last few weeks. It wouldn't be long before the city would be restored to its old glory. The Big Olive would be back.

Passing over the streets took only a few minutes and they were over the valleys and woods. In the distance, Hercules could see farmland and he felt a pang of whimsical nostalgia in his heart. It was true that he hadn't fit in among the people in the neighboring towns, but still…he had had a lot of good years with Mom and Dad.

Xion, for her part, didn't seem to be enjoying the flying very much. Even through her thick, leather coat pressed against his own tunic, Hercules could feel her shaking against him. Hercules glanced down—they were pretty high up. Had to be that way—Phil always insisted on flying high enough to avoid tree branches, and Pegasus, curiously, actually seemed to be better at flying the higher in the sky he got.

It wouldn't be much longer now—they'd reached the nearest mountains, though Mount Olympus still loomed on the horizon, and even then they'd have to fly higher still. Hercules chewed his lip thoughtfully. What would happen once they actually reached Olympus? Would his father be able to help them? From the way she had asked to come along, Xion seemed to think it was her fault that her friend—Isa—had been stricken by Eris's arrows. Which was certainly not true, though it did beg the question as to why Eris was getting involved. Maybe his father would have an idea there, or his sister Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

There! The golden gates of Olympus were just on the horizon! Hercules chuckled as Xion gasped in wonder. Hercules could sympathize. There was no place more wondrous to behold than Olympus. Temples that served as the houses for the gods arose from massive clouds. Wondrous sculptures, finer than the purest marble, and euphoria flowed from golden fountains. Hercules patted Pegasus's flank and his winged horse looped through the air once—Xion's gasp of wonder turned into a small shriek—before landing.

"You get used to it," Hercules chuckled, dismounting at the edge of the gates. Xion looked a little ill and was gripping tightly to Pegasus's mane. "Alright, Xion, down we go."

Xion stumbled slightly and held her arms out to get her bearings. She looked left and right and left again and then gave Hercules one of the softest smiles he'd ever seen.

"Thank you, Mister Hercules."

"You don't have to call me 'Mister,' Xion," Hercules said kindly. "Now, let's go see my father."

For as much as she seemed to dislike flying on Pegasus, Xion seemed right at home as she followed Hercules up the staircases of the temples. Hercules remembered every turn he was supposed to take to reach his parents' chambers. Two lefts, a right, up the spiral staircase, down two corridors, up another staircase—there! A half dozen massive figures of various vibrant hues were mingling around a foyer. Hercules had only eyes were the largest and most powerful of the gods, sitting in a chair made of clouds.

"Father!"

Hercules's father, Zeus, looked up from his chair and gave a booming laugh that echoed across Mount Olympus. He pulled himself up to his full height—he towered over everyone, including the other gods and goddess. At his side was a gorgeous goddess with pink skin, hair and glittering robes, Hercules's mother Hera.

"Oh, Hercules! How wonderful to see you!" Hera wrapped her arms around Hercules and ran her hand through his hair.

"You were so anxious to see us, kiddo, you couldn't wait till this evening?" Zeus wiggled his eyebrows playfully and then he saw Xion. "And who is this little lady?"

"Um…" Xion stammered. "My name is Xion, your Majesty and I need your help, sir. Oof!"

"Such manners, heh heh. And I don't remember the last time I was called 'Your Majesty,'" Zeus chuckled heartily and placed a hand on her head. "It's so sweet, kiddo."

"Please, sir," Xion asked, and Hercules noted the desperation return to her voice. "My friend's been put under a curse."

"A curse?" Zeus's expression became far more serious and beside him, Hera put a hand to her mouth in alarm. "What sort of curse? Wasn't from me was it? I don't normally change my mind about those sorts of things."

Xion's face fell but Hercules took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. Xion trembled slightly and Hercules felt a twinge of conviction in his heart.

"Father, one of her friends was hit by one of Eris's arrows. He's struggling to maintain control of himself."

"Eris…oh my, this isn't good," Zeus scratched his chin. Behind him, Hercules could see his mother exchange a dark look with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. "She's a mean one to be sure. One of her arrows, you say?"

"Yes, I saw the mark for myself," Hercules said. "A perfect circle, glowing green. Can you help us?"

"I'm not sure if I'm the best one to do this," Zeus said thoughtfully. "But Eris is the goddess of discord, so it sounds like you need the goddess of harmony to fix this. Anyone see Harmonia?"

"Here I am, my lord," A goddess who was much smaller than Zeus, though still far larger than most humans, appeared from a passageway. She had golden hair and eyes and radiated a soft yellow aura. She knelt down onto one knee to look Xion in the eye. "I heard the whole thing, dear child. And I know Eris well. Your friend will be well as rain just as soon as I whip up an antidote."

"Really?! That's wonderful! Oh, Isa's gonna be better and Axel's gonna be happy, oh perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you, ma'am," Xion said all of this really fast and it was a little unnerving.

"Now, then," Harmonia continued. "Where is the poor dear, Isa, you said his name was?"

"Back at the Coliseum, where we're holding the Games," Hercules answered. "I put him in one of the waiting chambers. Safest spot for him I could think of."

"There's a good lad, Hercules," Harmonia said. Behind her, Hercules could see his mother and father nod in agreement. "So it's settled then, I will accompany you. The antidote must be taken immediately after brewing, but I must start the process here."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

oooo

Roxas was pacing around the interior of the lobby as Axel spoke with Phil. It'd been ages since Xion and Hercules had left for Olympus. Or at least it seemed like ages. Roxas was too unnerved to try and read a sundial—this world hadn't invented normal clocks yet, and he didn't think it'd be a good idea to pull out something as fancy as his Gummiphone.

Roxas looked against the walls where several trophies were displayed. They were in a row, starting with a plaque and then a small golden trophy, a larger golden trophy with two handles, and then a very large dark blue trophy with ornate decorations. A twinge of familiarity in Roxas's heart told him that these trophies had been won by Sora. I wish you were here…

"I'm telling ya, they're gonna be able to fix your friend. The best thing to do right now is wait for Hercules to get back with the antidote."

"But why did they do this in the first place?" Axel growled. "You said before there hadn't been much funny business with Hades lately, but that's not what I heard."

"Because we haven't!" Phil insisted. "I'm not sure what rumors you heard, but there hasn't been anything brewin' from the Underworld."

"No ghosts? Nothing coming up from the Underworld that's supposed to be dead?"

"That's only happened twice in the entire history of this world!" Phil insisted. "There was Castor and Pollux, but other than that, there was just one other time! And it's dangerous to go there in the first place!"

"More dangerous than fighting in the Games?" Roxas asked, walking back over. The pudgy little satyr nodded fiercely.

"More than you realize, Rookie!" Phil nodded. "The place is evil. Sick, twisted—it's the domain of Hades and it's as twisted as him. There's a curse on the entire Underworld. It saps your strength."

"Saps your strength?" Roxas asked. "You mean, it makes you weak?"

"Exactly! The further you go in, the weaker you get, and eventually it'll kill ya!"

"There's gotta be a way around that," Axel argued. "There's always a way around a magic curse."

Roxas chewed his lip. There was something familiar about what Phil was saying. Sora had visited this world a bunch of times, if those trophies on the wall were any indication. And Sora had needed something that let him keep his strength in the Underworld. Roxas couldn't remember what it was though. But maybe Xion would talk to Hercules about it while they were at Olympus. It would make sense, killing two birds with one stone. Help Isa and get something else they might need.

But…maybe there was another way. Roxas looked down at his hand. He hadn't tried to open a Dark Corridor since back in the days when he served the Organization. Sure, he'd forgotten he could even do it in the first place back in the alternate Twilight Town…but could he do it now? Axel said he had done it but now that he had his heart back, doing so was extraordinarily dangerous. But Roxas was now in a Replica body…Xion had been able to do it easily enough way back when and even then she had far more light than she did darkness.

From what Phil said, it sounded like the longer you spent inside the Underworld's borders, the weaker you became. That made a lot of sense…but what would happen if you went into the middle of the Underworld. If they could find out where Hades's lair was, maybe Roxas could open a Corridor and go in and just be a little weaker than he would be normally. Maybe…

"I'm gonna go…stretch my legs," Roxas said. "Back in a little while."

Maybe this was a stupid idea, maybe it wasn't…but Roxas felt a warmth in his heart as he exited the lobby and found himself back in the courtyard at the entrance to the Coliseum. This could work, this could really work. And even if it turned out bad, that wouldn't be the worst thing. If he would make sure not to close the Corridor behind him, then Roxas could just jump back and then he'd be back…

"Hey, Roxas! Over here!"

Roxas looked left and right. The voice had come from an alley. Somebody else here knew him? Who? Phil, Axel and Isa were all at the Coliseum, and Hercules hadn't gotten back yet.

"This way!"

Roxas wasn't an idiot. He raised his hand to be prepared to summon his Keyblade if he needed to. He couldn't think of who might be calling him, but he also knew that the bad guys tended to be able to find out stuff about you, even if you tried to keep stuff secret. It wasn't unlikely that Hades and Eris already knew him by name. He rounded the corner and braced himself and then his stomach leapt into his throat. The person who had called him was waiting for him. With spiky brown hair and black clothes and an all-too-familiar grin.

"Sora?!"

How many times had Roxas seen Sora now? Three? First in Twilight Town, then in Disney Castle, and now here? But this was the first time Sora had talked. Was it real then? Was he finally, finally back?

"Sora, is it really you?"

Sora stared back at him, and stretched his arms behind his head, in trademark fashion.

"Jeepers, Roxas. I guess so, why wouldn't it be? Were you expecting somebody else?"

Roxas wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, now that he thought about it. He had been prepared for an ambush, but that didn't seem like Hades's style, from what Phil was willing to talk about. But here Sora was!

"Oh, yeah—let's go see Wonder-boy!"

Wonder-boy? That didn't sound like Sora. While it was true Roxas didn't remember everything from holding Sora's memories, one thing he did remember is that he called Hercules "Herc." Which was a pretty lazy nickname all things considered, but at the same time, it was better than "Wonder-boy." Sora didn't call Hercules that.

"C'mon, Roxas! Let's go, slowpoke!"

Sora took off, his black shoes pounding against the stone path. Black shoes…wait a moment…

Sora didn't wear black anymore. The last time he and Roxas had seen each other, he'd been wearing those new clothes. Brown with red trim. That had been what he'd been wearing when he had helped guide Roxas back to Axel and Xion. It was what he'd been wearing when he'd defeated Master Xehanort. What he had been wearing when he had faded from existence…

This wasn't Sora. Rage bubbled up inside Roxas's stomach, hotter than even Axel's flames. Whoever this was, this wasn't Sora. He held his hand out and summoned Oathkeeper. His eyes narrowed—the imposter had his back turned. He wouldn't see it coming. Roxas charged.

Just as he struck, the imposter split in two. Roxas staggered briefly. and held out his hand to summon Oblivion as well. The two halls of Sora still looked like Sora, unnaturally so, as there was neither blood nor bone despite the split.

"Yah! He figured it out!"

The voice didn't match Sora's and bizarrely it seemed to come from Sora's legs. How that was possible, Roxas didn't have time to contemplate, as the two halves of Sora shifted and twisted and the next thing he knew, he was staring at two of the strangest creatures he'd ever seen. They were short, really short—only about as tall as Vivi. One was fat and pinkish-purple with a wide mouth of sharp teeth, the other skinny as a rail and bluish, with long, thin horns. And they both looked terrified.

"What?!" Roxas shouted.

"Let's get out of here!" The pink one shouted. He ran a dozen yards, and tripped over his own feet, bouncing down the path. The blue one scuttled after him.

"Come back and fight! Tell me where Sora is!"

Roxas tore after the two little monsters but they had had a head-start and he didn't really know his way around this world. That just made him angrier. Forget the Underworld, he wanted those two little…whatever-they-were to pay.

Roxas took another turn, and then another, and then found himself on the outskirts of town, the two monsters racing down a dirt path a hundred yards ahead of him. They turned towards a large boulder and bounced against it. The boulder shifted slightly and then the two creatures vanished.

Roxas blinked. Vanish just like that? They hadn't used a Corridor of Darkness, but that boulder was still probably a landmark of some kind. Probably guarding a tunnel that led…well, somewhere else, the Underworld most likely. Perfect. He'd been wanting to try to get in there anyway.

"Roxas!"

Roxas skid to a stop. The entrance to the Underworld was so, so close. He was almost there! Irritation bubbled inside him alongside the rage.

"There you are, Roxas!" Axel was running towards him, Flame Liberator in hand. Behind him wasn't Isa or Phil, but a pretty woman with long brown hair. Roxas felt his irritation ebb slightly. If Axel were coming to get him, then that must mean that Xion had returned.

"Axel!"

His friend skid to a stop, panting heavily. But as he looked Roxas in the eye, Roxas felt his blood turn to ice.

"What's wrong?"

"Xion's hurt."

oooo

Once again, Xion was trembling against Hercules as they rode Pegasus alongside his parents and…cousin? Hercules couldn't quite remember how precisely he was related to many of the gods of Mount Olympus, and Xion had a hard time remembering everyone's names. Either way, Xion was pretty sure she wasn't trembling because she was afraid of falling—okay, maybe a little—but because she was excited.

It hadn't even been that hard to get to Olympus to get the cure for Isa. Harmonia was so kind, really everyone was, but Harmonia especially. This was great. Xion owed it to Isa to get help.

She felt awful for Isa, though. Right now he had something bad inside him, trying to make him do things that were wrong. Use his body for their own ends. Just like before…when Xehanort used you to help kill Kairi…

But they had the cure for Isa now—or nearly so. Harmonia said the antidote to cure him was almost ready—just needed one of Isa's hairs. Which sounded weird to Xion, but that wasn't really that unusual.

They were just leaving the mountain range Olympus towered over and were above a valley. Xion smiled. The view really was rather nice, and now that the end was in sight, she could actually enjoy it. So long as Pegasus didn't do another one of those loops. Hercules had his arm around her waist again, but as eager as she was, it felt more like a hug then anything else.

"Say sonny boy," Zeus called from the chariot he shared with Hera and Harmonia. "Do you think I can take part in the Games?"

"Father, those aren't starting till tomorrow!" Hercules nodded at his father and then brought Pegasus in for a landing. Zeus brought in his chariot beside them.

"I know!" Zeus chuckled. "I just thought it might be fun if we get an early start. Didn't Hades have his own tournament? What was it, a year ago? Year-and-a-half?"

"The Hades Cup?" Hercules answered. "Yeah, Sora and his friends beat it. Took them the whole day to do it too."

"Ah, that's right. The boy with the Keyblade!" Zeus chuckled. "Hope he's doing well. He's a friend of yours, right little lady?"

Friend…hardly. He helped you so much…and you helped get him killed.

"He's wonderful," Xion said, thinking for how to keep her answers vague, while still bringing forward the emotion. Sora had been so good to her, so brave. And he was such a good friend to Hercules, it'd be awful to try to change the subject. "He's more than a friend. More like a brother. We haven't talked much, but he's always been so kind. He saved my life."

"Are you related?" Hercules asked, curiously. "Sora never mentioned siblings, but I noticed you have the same eyes. Roxas and Ven too now that I think about it."

"Er," Xion hesitated. This was getting complicated. "Um, it's kind of complicated. I just call him 'brother,' because it's easier."

"That's the funny thing about family! Nothin's ever easy!" A new voice called out, and Xion felt Hercules tighten his grip around her waist. "Brothers tend to either help ya, or leave ya in the dirt."

"Uh…Hercules," Xion asked. "Who said that?"

A second chariot pulled up alongside them. Where Zeus's chariot was large enough to fit several of the gods and goddesses, this one was only big enough for one. Zeus's chariot was gold and glimmering, with the finest stallions that seemed to be made of clouds. This new chariot was jet-black with sharp curves, and the front was a grimacing face with pointy teeth and had wings on the back. Like someone had taken a gargoyle and turned it into the chariot. But worst of all was the being steering this new chariot.

He was so very tall, as tall as Zeus. But that's where the similarities ended. His skin was an eerie gray, his tunic black as tar. A crown of blue flames flickered on the top of his head, his legs were smoky. Worst of all, his eyes were gold, just like Xehanort's had been. Just like yours had been?

"What do you want, Hades?" Hercules growled. "Whatever it is, I'm not interested."

"Now is that any way to talk to your uncle?" The newcomer sneered. "What, I can't visit Wonder-boy?"

Hades…Xion sort of remembered Hades from Sora's memories. He was always trying to hurt people and cause trouble—Axel had mentioned he'd been in league with Maleficent a while back. And he was the Lord of the Dead and ruled the Underworld, she remembered that too—though some of that came from a few old mission reports she had stumbled across while in Organization XIII.

This was very bad.

"Hades!" Zeus called out. "You have no place here, be off with you!"

"See, that's what I'm talkin' about. A big, stinking brother who leaves ya in the dirt. Primo example, ol' Zeus-y Zeus."

"Whatever it is you want, Hades, we're not interested," Hercules growled. He glanced down at Xion and then back at Hades.

"Hey, hey, hey," Hades sneered. "I just want to talk now. Is that really such a bad thing? Is it wrong for me to want to talk?"

"Everything you have ever said has only been within your own self-interest," Zeus said, his teeth clenched together. "Why should this be any different?"

"Yowza," Hades chuckled, and it wasn't a nice chuckle. Xion looked from Hades to Zeus and back to Hades again. Hades grinned, and she could count all of his yellow teeth. "Tell me how you really feel, Zeus-y."

"I am in no mood for your mind games."

"Fine, fine, fine, fine," Hades rolled his eyes. "When did you become such a stiff? Alright, alright! I'm just sayin' that what goes around comes around, and I think it's time for you and I to switch places for a while, Zeus-y."

"Me? Give up Olympus to the likes of you?!" Zeus's eyes narrowed dangerously and Xion felt her hair begin to stand up on end, the way it had on stormy nights back in the World That Never Was. "Who would say that would be fair to anyone?"

"Says me, and says this!" Hades sneered. He held out his hand and in his fist formed an orb of darkness, black and purple and bits of silver. It was followed almost immediately by the clank of metal. Xion was no stranger to magical swords—her own Keyblade was at its core a sword—but she didn't recognize the purple and black blade in Hades's hand. It was longer than Kingdom Key would be, and curved. It looked a little like Riku's old sword, Soul Eater, but not quite as jagged.

"Hades…where did you get that mordite?" Zeus whispered. "Who could have gotten it for you?"

"Hey, I'm not gonna reveal my sources," Hades cackled holding his sword out towards Zeus's throat. "But do you hear that? It's the sound of the balance of power suddenly shifting."

"Xion," Hercules whispered into her ear. "We need to get rid of that sword. Do you think you can blast it away?"

"If I can get close…" Xion whispered back. This was going to be tricky. Hades was posturing and had his guard down, but the way he had just dropped in out of nowhere like that…he was quick. And very strong—he was a god after all. But if her target was just the sword that might be easier…maybe she could open a Dark Corridor, toss that strange sword inside and then close the Corridor up.

It would be risky, but she could do it. As quietly as she could, Xion slid off Pegasus to the ground and held her hand out, ready to summon her Keyblade, if she had to. Hades didn't seem to notice as he continued to monologue. Zeus and the other gods hand't made a move either.

"Hades, God of Thunder and Fire, Lord of the Sky and Dead," The god said, holding his sword up above his head. "That has a nice ring to it. King Hades, Mighty and Powerful…"

Why isn't anyone else getting involved? Xion thought to herself as she inched closer to Hades. There were five of them, counting Harmonia and just one of Hades. Yes, he was dangerous—that sword looked wicked—but still, five against one? After all, Hercules had fought Hades before. It had to do with that weird sword, obviously, but why that was, Xion couldn't imagine. Hades was still posturing, with his back towards her. A few more steps…

"Don't think I haven't looked forward to this, Zeus-y! I am finally gonna get my just rewards."

Xion held her breath. She needed an opening to strike. Almost, but not just yet. Soon…soon…when Hades gave her a better angle, then she'd make her move. Hades lifted up his sword dramatically—now! Xion charged, calling her Keyblade to her. But before she could make a blow at the blade, Hades vanished, and then reappeared off to the side. Xion screamed in frustration; she hadn't realized he could teleport.

"Nice try!" Hades parried her strike and made to swipe at her throat. Xion dodged the attack and immediately leapt down to avoid one of Hades's fireballs. Hercules charged towards Hades like a bull, but Hades stepped off to the side and slapped Hercules in the side of the neck, knocking him back.

"Curaga!"

The glowing green light erupted from her Keyblade, over Hercules. The hero grinned and leapt to his feet. Hades shouted in frustration and set another fireball at them. Drained of her magic for the moment, Xion held her Keyblade across her chest protectively. The fireball crashed against her, sending Xion back, but it was clear her Keyblade had succeeded in deflecting the bulk of the shot. Beside her, Hercules unsheathed his own sword.

"Try to get that mordite sword away from him," Hercules said. "And watch out—those fireballs are just a taste of Hades's magic."

Xion was no stranger to fighting someone adept at fire magic. She had fought Axel three times before, nearly killing him twice. But she didn't really know much about Hades's fighting style. This might be tricky.

Xion's misgivings turned out to be right. Hades was a very tough fighter. He struck blow after blow, and although Xion was fast enough to block most of them, Hades was tenacious enough that he didn't give her any opening to try and counterattack. Hercules was throwing punch after punch, but he kept having to sidestep to avoid hitting Xion in the crossfire. And neither one of them had managed to get that stupid sword.

Xion grunted to herself. So far, none of Hercules's extended family had gotten involved in the fight either. But maybe if she got behind him, she could attack from long range. Yeah, that could work. Hades hit hard close up, and yeah, he had those fireballs, but those balls were huge and easy to see coming. If she got at a tight enough angle that the fireballs wouldn't be able to get her, she'd be able to shoot a beam at Hades and get rid of that sword and then Zeus and the others would be able to help take Hades down. And Hades was the Lord of the Underworld…maybe if she beat him, Zeus would make Hades answer her questions. Xion ran towards Hades, held her Keyblade out in front of her in both hands and shot a beam out from the edge of the teeth.

It didn't work.

Hades teleported once again, vanishing in a cloud of smoke. The beam of light from her Keyblade, meant to dispel that strange mordite sword, hit Hercules in the chest, stunning him. Hades emerged from behind her and sliced his sword across her back. Xion was struck with such force that she skid twenty feet, slamming against a boulder.

"No!"

Pain throbbed throughout Xion's body and a chill went down her spine. Hercules was on his hands and knees, fumbling for his own sword. Hades kicked away Hercules's sword and grabbed his arm, forcing him upward.

"Oh…now this I like!" Hades chuckled, holding his sword to Hercules's neck. He glanced back at Xion's prone form and grinned evilly. He leaned in close to Xion's face, looking her in the eye, their noses an inch apart. His breath was horrible and it made Xion gag. "I could kill you now and be done with it, but I think I'll let you live with your failure for a while. Sleep well, little raven. I'll most likely kill you in the morning."

Xion watched helplessly as Hades, gripping Hercules by the throat, dragged him away and vanished in a puff of smoke. Her stomach burned white-hot in anger, which was followed immediately by icy-cold guilt rushing through her veins. The cries of shock and outrage from Zeus and the other immortals pierced her heart. You've failed….again…you got someone hurt.

Author's Note:

Another chapter posted, my dear readers!

Thank you for reading! Leave a comment if you're so inclined.

I appreciate each and every one of you!