A/N: Hey there guys, MCN here back from his four month long fan fiction hiatus to bring you the next chapter of Reconnect! Wow, a whole year without updating this story... you know, it never ceases to amaze me just how slowly I write for these things. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy, and I'll see you at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Beta Reader: Dragonexx
A Flash Of Lightning
The Underworld.
It was about as pleasant as one would expect it to be. Cold and damp in some places, blazing hot in others, but always filled with the tormented screams of the souls of the damned. It was where all of the souls of the people of Greece would find themselves eventually, and there was nary a mortal man or woman who didn't fear its dark depths. However, there was one thing that was worse than residing within this pit of hopelessness and despair for all of eternity, and that… was running the place.
"Alright, let's see… old age, sickness, crushed by a bolder, stung by a scorpion… what's this, pushed off a cliff into the ocean as a sacrifice to Poseidon? Yeesh, and they call me ruthless, oy…"
Sitting on his black throne, his long, boney blue fingers flipping through a seemingly endless list of new arrivals, was Hades, god of the underworld, eldest of the children of Cronos, and glorified stock boy for the souls of mortals, or so he begrudgingly referred to himself as. His voice echoed throughout the chambers of his throne room as he read off the causes of death, answered by the wails of each newly perished soul as they were plunged into the River Styx that flowed outside his window. An indignant sigh escaped his lips as he combed his hand through the dark blue flames that were acting as his hair, placing the papers in his hand onto an enormous pile on the left hand side of his throne.
"Well, that about does it for the new arrivals, now on to more… important matters." Hades said, his lips parting into a devilish smirk that revealed his pointed, demonic teeth. "Pain! Panic! Get in here!"
As the order echoed throughout the palace, Hades could hear the tell tale sounds of his two demonic servants bumbling their way up the steps and to the door. They mumbled to each other, perhaps arguing who would be the one to open the door, before it slowly began to swing open. Struggling against the ornate black slab was a portly little red demon, his arms thin as twigs, making the task of opening the door that much harder for him.
"Ugggghhhh… Pain…" The little demon strained to say before falling flat on his face as he lost his grip on the door. A moment later, the long, pointed face of a lanky blue demon peaked through the crack in the doorway, before nervously stepping inside.
"A-And Panic," The blue demon said as Pain quickly stood back up. Both demons stood up straight at attention and gave their master a salute. "Reporting for duty!"
"Yes, yes, we get the shtick." Hades said with a roll of his eyes as he stood from his throne. He walked over to a black war table that was built into the center of the throne room, on it were numerous little statuettes representing various people and places all throughout Greece. Hades grabbed one statuette off the table that was placed in the town of Thebes, shaped like a handsome, well built young man that was flexing its arms heroically. "So, tell me, how is our old pal "wonder-breath" doing these days?" Hades asked as he glared at the statuette in his hands.
"Oh, he's doing great boss!" Pain replied. "Everyone in Thebes loves him,"
"H-His relationship with Meg is going smoothly," Panic added.
"And he and Phil are about ready to restart the Games in the new and improved Coliseum!" Pain finished, completely oblivious to his master's growing temper.
"Well, isn't that just SWELL!" Hades growled, his blue skin and flaming hair turning a bright red for a moment as the statuette in his hand was burned to cinders. "…No, no, it's ok, I'm cool, I'm fine." The irritable god said to calm himself down, ignoring the way his servants were cowering behind him from his outburst. With a wave of his hand, the cinders of the statuette transformed into a smoky image of a starry sky, seven brightly glowing stars, the planets of the solar system, in near perfect alignment.
Hades let out a sigh.
"My eighteen year deadline is right around the corner, and yet that pain-in-my-fanny Hercules is still running around playing hero!" With another wave of his hand, the statuette of Hercules reformed, which he placed on a model of Mt. Olympus next to another statuette that represented Hades' brother, the king of the gods, Zeus. "If he's still around once I release all of the Titans, than my plan to supplant Zeus and take over the universe is KAPUT!" Hades shouted, slamming his fist on the table and making the entire throne room shake.
"But, with the Games starting up again, I have one last chance to get rid of that putz once and for all." Hades said as he moved the Hercules statuette back down to the model of the Coliseum.
"But, uh, boss, don't you always try to take out Hercules during the Games?" Pain inquired.
"…Yes."
"And, hasn't Hercules survived the Games every single time?" Panic followed up.
"…Yes."
"And, don't your attempts to overwhelm him like that usually just make him seem more impressive to…"
"Yes, yes, yes, I KNOW! THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME!" Hades erupted, turning blazing red as he loomed over a newly cowering Pain and Panic. He quickly calmed himself with a deep, cleansing breath, before continuing. "…But this time, things will be different." He asserted before walking back to the war table.
"Need I remind you, I almost had him the last couple of rounds, but that runt with the Keyblade," Hades summoned a statuette depicting Sora with a wave of his hand. "And his little Junior Hero buddies," He summoned statuettes depicting Donald and Goofy. "Kept interfering with my plans." He placed the trio around the statuette of Hercules. "But, luckily for us, the little twerp hasn't shown his face around here since getting his portrait done up in the stars. And, if you two dolts managed to do what I asked you to do, we won't be seeing him any time soon." Hades concluded, looking back to Pain and Panic expectantly.
"No problem there boss!" Pain confidently replied.
"We put it exactly where you told us to put it. Nobody is gonna to get passed that." Panic assured.
"Perfect! Now we just need to find another sucker to enter the Games on my behalf, and we'll be all set." Hades said, stroking his long, pointed chin in thought as he turned back around to face his war table.
"Hey, Pain, aren't you gonna tell him?" Panic whispered to the other demon.
"What? I thought you were gonna tell him?" Pain replied in confusion.
"Tell me what?" Hades ominously inquired, clearly overhearing his mumbling minions.
"Uh, w-well, on our way back from the job you asked us to do, we spotted, uh… somebody." Pain began.
"Somebody?" Hades repeated quizzically.
"A-An alive somebody, fighting the Heartless here in the Underworld!" Panic elaborated.
"The Heartless? You mean that Key-slinging brat is already here!?" Hades shouted, about to blow his top yet again.
"No no no no, of course not, you're most lugubriousness!" Pain quickly corrected as Panic cowered behind him. "Th-The one we saw was actually a girl!"
"A girl?"
"Th-That's right, a girl! Sh-She was pretty strong, too." Panic said, peaking out from behind Pain. "She was really giving those Heartless what for! The Underworld's miasma didn't even slow her down from the looks of it."
"Huh… you don't say." Hades said, stroking his chin pensively as an idea formed in his head. "Well, I'm nothing if not a good host, so what do you say we go and greet out new… guest, shall we." The Lord of the Dead suggested, a calculating smirk appearing on his face as he led his minions back out into the dark depths of the Underworld.
Huh? Where did the exit go? What is this place…!?
There's something wrong… the path keeps changing…
The static that clouded Madoka's vision slowly began to clear, and yet she was still unable to recognize the environment that she and Sayaka were running around in. It was a world made of paper cut outs, rose bushes and barbed wire everywhere, with a cut out of the Eiffel Tower literally taped onto the background. The paper craft world was constantly shifting around them, foiling any chance they had of escape, and if that wasn't enough, the girls had found themselves surrounded by a small army of these horrific looking creatures, heads nothing more than a tuft of cotton with a small mustache, hung upon a thin stem that grew out of a butterfly.
'What… what are those things? Heartless? No… these are… different…'
A flash of static cut to the next scene, where the girls were confronted by an all too familiar face.
That was close… But you're safe now…
'Huh? Mami-san…?'
My name is Tomoe Mami… I'm a third year student and Mitakihara Middle School, and…
Madoka watched in awe as she was suddenly hit with a barrage of static-filled images, starting with the older girl transforming in a similar fashion to Nagisa, donning a frilly costume before quickly and easily dispatching the hostile creatures with a volley of magical gunfire.
…Once I made a contract with Kyubey, I became a Magical Girl…
'Kyubey… Magical Girl…'
Before Madoka could fully ponder on the complex swell of emotions that came with hearing those two names, her vision was blocked with a flash of violent static, obscuring her view of a scene that directly followed their rescue. A moment later, her vision returned to her, to the familiar scene of Madoka, Sayaka, and Mami seated around the table in Mami's living room, sipping tea and munching on sweets. Mami then presented the girls with a glimmering crystal, glowing bright yellow as it sat in its golden casing.
This is a Soul Gem… When Kyubey makes a contract with a girl, a Soul Gem is made…
'That's… the same as Nagisa-chan's…'
It is the source of our magic, and the proof that we are Magical Girls…
As if to further explain, Madoka was presented with various images of Mami using her Soul Gem to transform into a Magical Girl, the gem itself transforming into a flower shaped hairpin that glowed every time she used any kind of magic.
What's this about a contract…?
I will grant you one wish… but in exchange for that wish, a Soul Gem is created… Those who possess Soul Gems are duty bound to do battle with Witches…
Madoka was then flooded with images of Mami facing off against these… horrible abominations, each one so sickeningly chaotic and twisted that they could only be the source of the distorting labyrinths that they hid within.
Many of the inexplicable murders and suicides that occur… are caused by a Witch's curse…
Each one gave Mami a hard fought struggle, but in the end they all met the same fate, a flashy, explosive death at the older girl's hands. The scene then settled upon the three of them, convening within an abandoned building in downtown Mitakihara at sun set, Mami presenting a strange black trinket in the shape of an orb encased in silver, perfectly balanced on the point of a long spike.
This is a Grief Seed… It's a Witch's egg…
Mami then brought her dimming Soul Gem close to the Grief Seed, the impurities that clouded the crystal being absorbed by the black orb, allowing the Soul Gem to shine brightly once again.
With this, the magic I expended during the fight is restored as well…
Despite having just demonstrated the trinket's utility, Mami threw it into a dark corridor, the Grief Seed being caught but someone unseen in the shadows.
If should be good for one more use… I'll let you have it, Ake...
The scene was suddenly distorted by heavy static, and when Madoka's vision finally cleared, it was to see the Grief Seed once again in the hands of a very displeased looking Mami.
I see, so that's your answer…
With that cryptic exchange, the scene changed one last time, to the three girls walking across a pedestrian bridge at night, illuminated by the streetlamps.
So have you figured out what to wish for…?
Nuh-uh… how about you, Madoka…?
…What did you wish for Mami-san…?
The older girl stopped in her tracks, the smile on her face becoming fare more somber.
In my case…
*static*
*static*
*static*
Madoka could feel a single tear fall down her cheek as the memory came to an end.
"Madoka… Madoka! Fer goodness sakes lass, wake up!"
As Madoka roused from her sleep, she was met with the horrid sound of a blaring emergency alarm, the radar screens flashing with the word "WARNING" in bright red text that bathed the cockpit in the alarming color.
"Ugh… huh? Wait, what's going…?" Madoka was cut off as the Gummi Ship violently shook, jostling Madoka in her seat and nearly making her fall out of it. She grabbed hold of the armrests on her chair as she fully regained consciousness and was now able to notice the heavy turbulence that shook the cockpit.
"Look alive lass, we've got ourselves some company!" Scrooge shouted, as he pulled hard on the controls of the Gummi Ship.
For a moment, their flight path stabilized, allowing Madoka the chance to steady her nerves and assess the situation. It didn't take her long to figure out what was going on, as it was quite literally staring her right in the face as she glanced out the window of the cockpit. Flying beside the Gummi Ship was a large, mechanical creature easily twice the size of their rocket. It had a spherical brown body with a golden engine on its back that guided its flight, on the top of its body was a translucent dome that protected its black, spherical head, and hanging off the sides of it were two short limbs that ended in navy blue and light blue drills. Madoka instantly knew what this creature was, even without seeing the familiar red and black emblem emblazoned on its chest.
"Heartless!" Madoka gasped.
At that very moment, the Driller Heartless raised its eponymous appendage, the colorful drill head spinning on its axis before it slammed it into the side of the Gummi Ship. Madoka braced for impact at just the right moment, a transparent barrier that surrounded the ship protecting them from the brunt of the damage. Rattled by the strike, Madoka turned her gaze to the other side of the ship, just in time to see a second Driller pull up on the port side.
"Oh, think ye can flank us now do ye!" Scrooge shouted as he began fiddling with some of the controls.
Madoka braced herself as she watched the second Driller rear back its arm as its drill began to spin. Just when the Heartless was about to strike, the turret guns on the front of the ship whirred to life, swiveling in place and opening fire right into the domed face of the gigantic creature. The Driller staggered as it was bombarded by a volley of blaster pellets, the Heartless bringing up its spinning drill hand in order to defend itself from the onslaught. At the same time, the first Driller pulled back slightly in preparation to ram its hefty body into the ship, but Scrooge was one step ahead. The duck pulled back on the controls to decelerate, the momentum of the Heartless flying through the Lanes Between carrying it straight passed them and causing the ramming Driller to instead collide with its own comrade, both creatures disappearing in a puff of darkness.
Scrooge let out a hardy laugh at his short-lived victory, only to be cut off as the ship was caught in more of that heavy turbulence.
"Oh fer the love of…" Scrooge cursed under his breath as he struggled to steady the ship. Just when he managed to stabilize their flight pattern, another Driller materialized on the port side, Scrooge just barely able to avoid its drill with a perfectly timed barrel roll. Scrooge then directed the blasters to fire at the new hostile, but in the few seconds his wing was off of the controls; the Gummi Ship was caught in the turbulence yet again.
"W-What's happening, what is this!?" Madoka desperately asked.
"Aye, I'm afraid we're caught in some kind of storm, lass!" Scrooge replied, fighting to keep the Gummi Ship steady. "It's really makin' it difficult to deal with these bildrat Heartless!" As if to prove his point, a second Driller materialized right in their flight pattern.
"Look out!" Madoka screamed, Scrooge immediately reacting to the warning by accelerating. The spinning drill narrowly missed its mark as the Gummi Ship flew passed it, Scrooge steadying them a moment later.
"Listen lass," Scrooge began as he flipped a few switches. "I hate to throw ye into the deep end like this, but I need ye to man the blasters!"
"What?" Madoka's gasp came right before a pair of crisscrossing black seat belts secured her to her chair, which was carried forward up to a section of the control panel that sprang to life with a pair of joy sticks and a screen. "What!? B-But I'm no good at these kinds of things!" The pinkette protested, not that she had much experience with working a turret gun in the first place. The closest thing was an arcade game that Sayaka and Kyoko liked to play, and she wasn't exactly racking up any high scores on that either.
"Ye don't need to be a crack shot, lass, just aim and shoot while I focus on keepin' us steady!" Scrooge said, narrowing his eyes as he put all of his focus on keeping the ship out of the unnaturally strong air currents.
"I… I'll try!" Madoka replied, looking over the weapons system's controls. Much like wielding the Keyblade, it came naturally to her, Sora's memories guiding her through the process of familiarizing herself with the basic controls.
Suddenly, there was a ping on her monitor, warning her of the Driller that had pulled up to them on the starboard side. In a slight panic, Madoka grabbed hold of the joysticks and turned the blasters in the proper direction, the reticle on the screen turning from blue to red once she had a proper shot lined up. The moment the color changed, Madoka pulled the trigger, sending a barrage of blaster bullets in the direction of the Driller. The first few shots pelted against the Heartless' rotund body, but it didn't take long for the Driller to wise up and bring up its arms in defense, the bullets flying in all different directions as they ricocheted off of the spinning drills. Just then, there was another ping on her radar, warning her of the second Driller that was approaching them from behind.
"Mr. Scrooge, behind us!"
"Aye, I see him." Scrooge said as he pulled the Gummi Ship upwards, the drill of the Heartless stabbing through the empty space below them where they had once been.
As soon as the drill retracted, Scrooge brought the ship back to its original altitude to avoid getting caught in another violent gale; meanwhile Madoka diligently spun the blasters around and fired on the Driller. In response, the Heartless reduced its speed, creating enough distance between them that it could avoid the hail of bullets as Madoka struggled to keep the moving target in her reticle.
"Lass, on yer left!" Scrooge shouted, but it was too late.
By the time Madoka turned her attention to the starboard side, the other Driller had slammed its drill into the side of the Gummi Ship, a small crack forming in the shields from the piercing strike. Madoka shook in her seat, the straps keeping her secure, and with a shake of her head to right herself, she turned her full attention to the Driller. She watched as it reared back its second arm, the drill head spinning in preparation to fully pierce through the ship's shields.
Madoka wasn't going to let that happen, but rather than take the time to aim the reticle at the Driller, she instead, instinctually, tapped a button on the top of the right joystick. A crystal on the side of the Gummi Ship sparked with bright blue energy before unleashing a streak of laser light that honed in on the Heartless' exposed face. The Driller staggered back from the force of the blast, colliding into a piece of interspatial debris that made it burst into a puff of black smoke, defeated.
"Phew…" Madoka sighed in relief, but there was no time to celebrate as Scrooge quickly avoided another strike from the Driller behind them with a barrel roll. A second strike was avoided before the Driller attempted to ram the ship, Scrooge diving under the Heartless as it propelled itself forward and ended up in front of them. Madoka wasted no time opening fire on the exposed engine on its back, the blaster ammo igniting the fuel within and destroying the mechanical Heartless in a fiery explosion.
"We did it!" Madoka cheered, but the wind was taken right out of her sails as the cockpit began to shake.
"It's not over yet lass," Scrooge lamented as he made some adjustments to their flight pattern to keep them steady. "Seems we're approachin' the source of this nasty storm." He said, the radar indeed indicating that large-scale threat was just up ahead.
Not that she needed the radar, as she could see it right through the window.
Out in the distance, the slightly visible air currents that have been knocking them around all coalesced into a giant, black funnel. It's chaotic form twisted and swayed as its bottom tip balanced on what Madoka could only describe as a skull shaped asteroid.
"That's… a tornado!?"
"I'm afraid it's a fair bit more bothersome than that, lass." Scrooge lamented as the Gummi Ship followed the funneling air currents. They circled around the storm as they approached, and before long a pair of glowing red eyes came into view, peering at the ship through the black swirling mass.
"It's alive!?" Madoka shrieked.
"Aye, and none too happy see us, I'd wager!"
Right on cue, the twister let out a loud, guttural roar that shook the cockpit of the Gummi Ship. Suddenly, the direction in which the storm was rotating reversed, and a moment later, the Gummi Ship was swept up in the resulting violent current. The rocket tumbled in the wind, an alarm blaring in the cockpit as Madoka screamed in terror. Scrooge, on the other hand, remained calm, the only sign of his panic being a scowl on his old, wrinkled face as he grabbed hold of the controls and forced them to turn where he wanted them. Eventually, the Gummi Ship stabilized, the two passengers shaking their heads to rid them of the dizziness.
As they focused back on the twister, the creature had its eyes firmly locked onto them as they rode the swirling current that surrounded it. It narrowed its glare as the funnel on top of it grew wider and began sucking in some of the debris that was also in its orbit. A moment later, two more arm-like funnels were produced from its body, and out from one of them came a clump of Gummi Mater that the twister had swallowed, sending it careening towards the Gummi Ship.
"Incomin'!" Scrooge warned as he accelerated, just barely able to move out of the path of the improvised projectile.
However, by the time the Gummi clump was half way to them, a second projectile in the form of an asteroid was shot out of the other arm and headed towards their new position. However, Madoka thought quickly and aimed the blasters at the asteroid and open fired. The force of the bullets not only cut down on the asteroid's momentum, but also shattered the large projectile into numerous smaller pieces, which Scrooge was easily able to maneuver through. The twister continued firing debris at them, Scrooge evading as best as he could while Madoka shot at any that came too close for comfort, reducing them to rubble small enough that, even upon collision, didn't have enough force to damage the shields.
Eventually, the debris stopped coming, but the twister had no intention of giving them a moment of respite. Once it realized it was out of ammo, the living storm widened its funnel and began taking in debris again.
"Oh no you don't!" Madoka said as she readied the blasters.
She aimed the reticle at the only notable spot on the swirling black mass, its glowing red eyes, and pulled the trigger, sending a hail of bullets into the creature's "face". As the projectiles bombarded the twister, it noticeably flinched, and so out of curiosity, Madoka fired two streaks of lasers, the blasts exploding in a pulse of light on the twisters face that resulted in a loud cry of pain as it staggered.
"Good work lass, ye found the beasty's weak spot!" Scrooge praised, much to Madoka's delight. The twister, on the other hand, looked positively livid, it's eyes glowing even brighter and letting out a loud, challenging cry before it brought out its vortex arms and began firing more debris at the ship. "Hang on tight lass, I'll bring us in close so ye can do some real damage!" Scrooge declared as he accelerated forward to avoid a Gummi mass and then ducked under an asteroid.
The eyes of the twister followed them as the Gummi Ship orbited around it, slowly closing in as they evaded and obliterated everything in their path. Once the debris stopped coming, Scrooge hit the gas and brought the Gummi Ship right up into the twister's face, its giant red eyes meeting Madoka's straight through the domed cockpit. Madoka swallowed the knot that formed in her throat, aimed the blasters, and fired, pelting the twister with the ship's glowing orange ammo.
In an attempt to stop the barrage, the twister brought out one of its arms and tried to suck the Gummi Ship into it, forcing Madoka to stop firing as Scrooge attempted to keep them out of the vortex. The suction of the limb proved too much for the ship's thrusters to fully free them from, and so, on a whim, Madoka realigned the blasters and fired at the arm. The bullets found purchase on the appendage, and it eventually sustained enough damage that the twister retracted it, freeing the ship. Scrooge took a moment to steady them before Madoka continued firing on the twister's face. The twister attempted to suck them in with the other arm, but Madoka immediately began firing on it, the twister retracting it not too long after.
The twister roared in defiance, the top funnel opening wide one last time to suck in even more debris. In a moment of desperation, Madoka held down the buttons on the joysticks, charging up the laser cannons as much as she could while the twister brought up its arms in order to bombard the defenseless ship point blank. Madoka's heart pounded in her chest as she bided her time, waiting until the top funnel stopped taking in ammunition, and once the funnels on the arms began to widen to let the debris through, Madoka released her hold on the buttons, firing the laser cannons on full blast.
The powerful streaks of light honed in on the face of the twister, its eyes widening in shock before they were lit up in a bright flash of blue light. The living storm let out a thunderous shout, the debris swirling inside it tumbling against the sides of its black mass as it began to lose control of its very form. Madoka and Scrooge watched as the twister began to recede, getting smaller and smaller as it was absorbed into the skull shaped asteroid at its base. Once the creature had completely vanished, the violent winds that plagued the ship completely settled, and a moment later the grim little asteroid vanished in a Corridor of Darkness. A few moments of calm passed before Madoka fell back into her chair, letting out a relieved sigh.
"Good on ye, lass! Ye sent that Titan packin' in no time at all!" Scrooge praised with a hardy laugh.
"…Titan?" Madoka said quizzically, vaguely recognizing the name.
"Aye, terribly nasty primordial brutes that only know how to run amok. Not many are lucky enough to see one up close and live to tell the tale." Scrooge explained. "And with that in mind, I do believe I have a hunch as to where our next stop will be." The old duck added as he brought the ship back into working order and flew them through the final stretch to the end of the pathway.
Madoka peered out the window to get a look at the world as they approached. It consisted of a fluffy, golden cloud; upon which rested what appeared to be a Greco-Roman style building that had two statues of sword and shield bearing gladiators crossing their weapons above the threshold. In stark contrast, a dark stone structure in the vague shape of a skull hung off the bottom of the cloud, a swirling river of eerie green water flowing around the base of the tall, menacing palace. The dichotomy of the World's outer appearance put Madoka a bit on edge, but she quickly calmed her nerves as Scrooge brought the Gummi Ship into the World's orbit.
"Ye lookin' a wee bit shaken there, lass. Ye want to take a moment to catch yer breath before we head off to the surface?" Scrooge offered, but Madoka quickly shook her head.
"No, I'm ok, in fact… I think I'll be more calm once I'm back on solid ground, you know?" The pinkette bashfully admitted, Scrooge chuckling in response.
"Aye, I catch yer meanin'." Scrooge said as he slipped on a head set and Madoka took her place on the glowing circle that appeared at the back of the cockpit. "Alright now, third time's the charm! Good luck, lass." The old duck said before Madoka was transported down onto the surface of the World in a flash of light.
When Madoka's vision returned to her, she found herself standing at the threshold of a tall, pristine gateway, consisting of a pair of bright white pillars that supported a triangular overhang that was adorned with carvings of five beautiful, singing women. As Madoka passed through the threshold, she marveled at her surroundings, entering the limits of a sprawling, Greco-Roman styled city that looked like a picture from a history book brought to life. The town square was filled with people wearing Greek togas of all different colors, merchants peddling freshly painted pottery, and passers-by who stopped to gawk at the giant statue that stood at the center of the square.
Madoka couldn't help but do the same, the sheer size of the monument impressive enough, but it was the finely crafted details, the contours of the flexing muscles, the wrinkles in the cape, and the confident expression carved into the marble rock face, that really inspired awe in the young pinkette.
"Hey, isn't that…"
You won't stop a true hero!
"Hercules!" Madoka exclaimed in realization.
"Well who else would it be?" Madoka flinched at the unexpected response, turning to see an old man in a toga pulling a cart of pottery through the square. "He's only the greatest hero that Thebes has ever seen. Why wouldn't there be a statue or two in his honor around town?" The old peddler asserted, not bothering to wait for a response as he continued on his way.
"Thebes?" Madoka said quizzically before Mini-Scrooge popped out of her hood to explain.
"Aye lass, Thebes, the most dangerous city in all of Greece… or so it was back in my day." Scrooge said as he took a look around at the relative peace of the town square. "Why, the last time I was here, the city was an outright mess! Volcanoes, earthquakes, monsters of all shapes and sizes; ye name it, Thebes has endured it."
"Was it really that bad?" Madoka inquired.
"Aye, and how. Why, this city has gone through more than its fair share of wannabe heroes, and I'll tell ye somethin' lass, not a single one of them lasted long enough to even get a vase painted in their honor, let alone a two story tall statue!" Mini-Scrooge asserted. "My, have times changed."
"Right, so the reason the city is at peace now is because Hercules, a true hero, is protecting it." Madoka mused as she gazed up at the towering depiction of the Greek hero. Between ancient China and mythical Greece, Madoka felt a little bit more like a time traveler than a world-hopper, but judging by the admittedly limited understanding she had of the mythical Hercules of her World… well, let's just say she much preferred the Hercules depicted in Sora's memories.
"Aye, so it seems. But, as the sayin' goes; a hero's work is never done. We best keep our eyes peeled for any danger while we're here." Scrooge suggested, Madoka giving an understanding nod.
"MONSTER!"
The attention of all in the square was immediately grabbed by the sudden cry for help. Rushing back from a nearby street was the same old peddler from moments before, a terrified look on his face as he struggled to pull the cart that held his wares behind him.
"Help! Those monsters are back!" As the man cried his warning, a strange weapon flew over his cart from behind and landed right in his path, the old peddler skidding to a stop in order to avoid colliding with the object.
Much to the horror of all present, the weapon, in the shape of a large, black lance, seemed to have a mind of its own, as it pulled its thin, jagged tip out of the ground and turned in mid air to confront its cowering victim. The lance itself had a jagged-toothed maw, as well as a pair of red, angular swirls that acted as its eyes, and with a mighty thrust, it plowed its way straight through the old man's cart, the man himself just barely managing to duck out of the way just in time. Passed the splintered wood of the cart and shards of pottery that scattered about, the lance returned to its owner, a tall, lanky humanoid clad in orange armor, a tall hour-glass shaped helmet protecting its spherical black head, and the Heartless symbol emblazoned on its breast plate; the Lance Soldier.
"Heartless!" Madoka exclaimed, and that was all the townsfolk needed to begin fleeing. Madoka struggled to keep herself from being swept away by the mass of people trying to leave the town square, eventually pushing her way through the masses to see the Lance Soldier looming over the prone old man, its lance pulled back in preparation to strike.
"Stop right there!" Madoka demanded as she summoned the Keyblade. Immediately, the Heartless turned its attention to her, the old peddler taking the opportunity to flee to safety, much to Madoka's relief. That relief didn't last long however, as four Shadow Heartless rose up from the shadows on the ground to surround her, Madoka falling into a fighting stance as the Lance Soldier tried to get its weapon under control in order to fight.
The Shadows struck, one of them leaping towards Madoka with its claws brandished, but the pinkette easily rolled out of the way and retaliated with a horizontal slash that cleaved straight through the Shadow. Madoka then quickly guarded against a second Shadow's claw, retaliating with a downward slash that made the Heartless stagger, and following up with a forward thrust that put an end to it. Meanwhile, a third Shadow approached her from behind, but the attempted sneak attack was thwarted when Madoka cleaved through the Heartless with a wide spinning slash. The forth and final Shadow retreated from its initial approach by fazing into the ground and resurfacing well out of Madoka's reach, but the Keybearer thought quickly, pointing her weapon in its direction and focusing on the new spell she had recently obtained.
"Fire!" Madoka cried as a small ball of flame shot out of the tip of the Keyblade. The spell was much faster than her usual Blizzard spell, closing the distance between her and the target in the blink of eye, the Shadow having no opportunity to evade as the flame exploded in its face, destroying it.
"Say, that kid's pretty good…"
"Doesn't that sword look kind of familiar…?"
"Is she here for the games…?"
It was then that Madoka noticed the small crowd of bystanders that were currently spectating the battle from a safe distance away, Madoka becoming just a bit self conscious for a moment before she noticed the Lance Soldier finally manage to get a solid grip on its rambunctious weapon. Holding the lance out in front of it, the Heartless began spinning rapidly like a top, quickly closing the distance between them. Madoka managed to roll out of the way of the strike, giving the Heartless a wide birth as it spun across the town square. To its credit, it stopped on a dime, but the maneuver seemed to make it terribly dizzy, as it staggered for a moment with cartoonish stars orbiting its bobbing head. Madoka took the opportunity for what it was.
"Freeze!" Madoka cried as she casted a Blizzard spell at the Heartless' feet, freezing them in place. Once the Lance Soldier regained its composure, it quickly noticed the frost on its feet, trying in vain to pull its armored feet off of the ground.
"Got you now!" Madoka exclaimed as she charged forward and leapt into the air, the Keyblade raised for a downward strike.
Unfortunately, the strike didn't connect, as the Heartless' lance escaped its wielder's grip once again and blocked the strike on its own, sending Madoka staggering back, just barely able to land on her feet. The lance began to bounce around impatiently on its handle, the Heartless desperately trying to get a hold of its weapon. After a few failed grasps, the Lance Soldier managed to grab the handle again, and with a single mighty tug, the lance pulled its wielder free from the ice.
"Uh oh!" Madoka lamented as she watched the Heartless fly up into the air. Carried by the chaotic whims of its own weapon, the Lance Soldier began to zip around the battlefield, crashing into stalls and pillars as Madoka frantically evaded its erratic strikes.
"Slippery little devil ain't it." Mini-Scrooge commented from her hood.
"Yeah."
"Help! Mommy help!" Madoka's attention was drawn to the fearful cries of a little girl. Taking her attention off of the battle for a just a moment, she saw the child lying prone on the ground, her foot caught in a pile of debris that was knocked over by the Heartless. "Help! I'm stuck!"
"Oh no!" Madoka gasped as she immediately moved to help the girl. "Don't worry, I'm on my, oof!" She was cut off as she was knocked off of her feet by the Lance Soldier. She fell to the ground face first, the Heartless continuing its erratic flight, which took it careening towards the trapped child.
"No… no, wait! Don't!" Madoka senselessly pleaded as she quickly got back onto her feet and dashed towards the girl. As she ran, she aimed the Keyblade at the Heartless, shooting a Fire spell at it in hopes of knocking it off course, or even out of the sky entirely. The spell stuck true, and yet the Heartless seemed to completely ignore it, as its lance carried it up into the air directly over the frightened little girl.
'I'm… I'm not gonna make it in time!' Madoka realized, even as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. As she watched the Lance Soldier come flying down towards the trapped child, Madoka desperately discarded the Keyblade and slid the rest of the way to the girl, unable to do anything but wrap her in her arms and shield her with her own body.
CLANG!
The sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the square, followed by surprised gasps from the onlookers. Once she realized that she was still alive, Madoka looked up at the figure casting a shadow over her and the child. Standing protectively over them was a tall young woman, a head of wavy pink hair falling gracefully over her left shoulder. Her left arm was clad in silvery armor that ended in a shield strapped to her forearm that was currently holding back the tip of the Heartless' lance. The Lance Soldier pushed back on the woman's shield, but she wouldn't budge, not giving the creature an inch.
"Go! Now!" The woman shouted at Madoka over her shoulder.
"Uh, r-right!" Madoka replied before turning her attention back to the girl in her arms. "I'm going to pull you out on the count of three, okay?" She said, the child nodding her head in understanding. "One, two… three!" With a single tug, Madoka managed to pull the girl's foot out of the rubble that was trapping her, scooping her up in her arms and carrying her out of the square to safety.
With the children out of harms way, the woman shifted her stance and pushed against the Heartless, sending the creature flying back and tumbling clumsily to the ground on the other side of the square. Snapping its jaws angrily, the lance pulled its wielder back onto its feet, as two more identical Heartless appeared on either side of it, their own weapons struggling in their grasp as they stood together against their new adversary. Unfazed, the woman reached to her side and unsheathed the longsword that was strapped to her hip, the long metal blade shimmering in the sunlight before the swordswoman narrowed her gaze and dashed forward.
The original Lance Soldier charged in as well, taking four powerful strides before it clumsily tripped on its own feet, sending its living weapon flying towards the swordswoman. With a wave of her weapon, she blocked the incoming projectile off to the side as she closed in, raising her sword and bringing the blade down into a powerful downward slash that tore straight through the stumbling Heartless' armor. With its weapon all the way across the battlefield, it was unable to defend against a follow up horizontal slash that cleaved its body in two, the remains vanishing in a puff of dark smoke.
The second Lance Soldier then rushed in, intending to impale the swordswoman with its living lance, only for her to bring up her shield to knock the jagged point off center and allow her to step passed the charging strike. She retaliated with a thrust of her sword at the Heartless' exposed back, the creature staggering forward as the swordswoman spun around and knocked the lance of the third Lance Soldier out of its hand as it approached. The swordswoman then brought her shield forward and rammed the now unarmed Lance Soldier, pushing it back and pinning it up against the wall of a nearby building.
Meanwhile, Madoka took the little girl she had saved over to the edge of the square, where a frantic woman forced herself through the crowd of onlookers as Madoka set the girl down.
"Mommy!" The girl exclaimed as she rushed up and was brought into a tight hug by the woman who was apparently her mother.
"Oh thank the gods!" The mother exclaimed, holding her child close as tears streamed down her face.
Madoka let out a sigh of relief at the touching scene before turning her attention back to the brawl that was unfolding in the square. She watched as the mysterious swordswoman pinned the Lance Soldier against the side of a nearby building, struggling in vain to escape from under her shield while the creature's weapon just flailed about aimlessly. Meanwhile, the second Lance Solider took solid hold of its own weapon, held it forward, and spun rapidly towards the currently occupied warrior.
"Look out!" Madoka exclaimed, about to summon the Keyblade back to her.
Without missing a beat, the young swordswoman took a step back from the wall, releasing the Heartless as she squatted down and leaped over the spinning Heartless' head. The Lance Solider thus crashed into its own comrade, the duo staggering in dizziness as the swordswoman did a triple back flip onto the side of a nearby pillar. Before the Heartless had a chance to recollect themselves, the swordswoman pushed off the pillar and unleashed a triple spinning slash on her two stunned enemies, cleaving through them and destroying them in almost an instant before landing gracefully back on the ground.
"Wow…" Madoka breathed in awe at the skillful strike. However, the moment didn't last long, as a quartet of Soldier Heartless suddenly appeared, surrounding the swordswoman.
"You want some too?" She said challengingly as she brandished her sword and turned to face them. She wasted no time charging in, one of the Soldiers trudging forward to meet her, but before the blade of her sword could clash against its sharpened claw, the Heartless was suddenly encased in ice, allowing Madoka to come up from behind and slash through it, shattering it into countless little icy shards.
"What are you doing!?" The swordswoman said, much to Madoka's surprise. Before the younger pinkette had a chance to answer, the remaining Soldier Heartless began to close in, stealing the swordswoman's attention. "Thunder!" She exclaimed as she pointed her sword into the air. A moment later, three bolts of lightning came down from the cloudless sky and struck each one of the remaining Heartless, paralyzing them for a moment as electricity coursed through their shadowy bodies.
Madoka knew from first hand experience how unpleasant such a thing was.
Luckily, they were quickly put out of their misery as Madoka and the mysterious swordswoman slashed through each of them, ending their existences in a puff of smoke and sparks.
"You should have gotten to safety when you had the chance!" Madoka couldn't help but flinch from the sudden chastising from the older woman.
"But… but I can't let you fight alone!" Madoka protested.
The swordswoman opened her mouth to say something, but she was swiftly cut off when another wave of Heartless appeared, consisting of six Shadows and a pair of Large Bodies.
"…Suit yourself." She relented, both pinkette's falling into defensive stances as they faced their adversaries.
With a few stomps of its feet, and a hardy smack on its own rotund belly, the first Large Body charged forward, its arms flailing behind it as it stuck its belly out to ram into the duo. The two impromptu allies quickly rolled out of the way, Madoka turning her attention to the charging Heartless while the mysterious swordswoman focused on the one that had yet to act. It didn't take long for the second Large Body to rush in as well, the swordswoman ducking under a swing of its massive arm before leaping out of the way as the second swung in as well. The swordswoman kicked off of a nearby column and landed a slash on the Large Body's head before landing behind it and unleashing a double spinning slash on its exposed back, sending it stumbling forward. It was then that she noticed some of the Shadow Heartless crawling in the shadows on the ground, as if trying to position themselves in a the most optimal spot to strike at her, but she wouldn't let that happen.
"Water!" The swordswoman said with a wave of her sword, summoning a small sphere of water that hung in the air for a moment before separating into three separate torrents. Each one honed in on the two-dimensional Shadows, and upon contact, forced them back to the surface, allowing her to easily pick them off one by one.
"Freeze!" Meanwhile, Madoka shot a Blizzard spell at the back of the first Large Body, prematurely ending its charge as a coat of ice appeared on its spherical backside. Madoka took the chance to close the distance and take a swing at it with the Keyblade, but unfortunately, the ice wasn't enough to slow its movements and the Large Body quickly turned on its heel to face her, causing her blade to bounce off of its rotund belly. The Heartless then swung its arms at Madoka, the girl ducking under each hefty swing, but before she could retaliate, the Large Body jumped into the air and slammed back onto the ground with all of its weight, Madoka just barely able to roll out of the way of the resulting shockwave.
Just as she was about to hop back into the fray, a Shadow managed to sneak up behind her and claw her in the back, making Madoka stagger. She quickly recovered and blocked the follow up claw swipe, giving her the opening she needed to step inside the Shadow's guard and cleave through it in a single slash. She rolled out of the way of a leaping strike from a second Shadow and retaliated with a quick Fire spell that burned it to cinders, before clashing her weapon against the claws of the third Shadow. The clash lasted for only a second, but that was all the time the Large Body needed to charge forward and slam its belly against Madoka and the Shadow, destroying the latter and sending the former flying back.
Madoka managed to recover with a shoulder roll, landing in a crouch before standing back up and facing the approaching Heartless. She then pointed the Keyblade forward and casted a Fire spell, the small flaming orb flying out the tip and colliding with the Large Body's small round head. She immediately casted another fire spell, and then a third after that, the Large Body staggering back as it's face was pelted with flames. Compared to her usual Blizzard spell, Madoka noticed how much quicker the Fire spell was, and while it didn't seem to have the same utility, it seemed to be more destructive, and have a much more free range of movement compared to the more rigid traveling Blizzard spell. Regardless, she relented from casting any more, not wanting to be crippled by casting fatigue, and the lull in the spell fire gave the Large Body the chance to retaliate.
The Large Body flailed its arms, stomped its feet, and drummed its belly in what appeared to be fury, before it belly flopped onto the ground and, in complete defiance of the laws of inertia, slid across the battle field towards Madoka at great speeds. The pinkette was just barely able to roll out of the way of the onslaught, only to realize that her mysterious ally was right behind her.
"Miss, look out!" Madoka screamed a warning, the swordswoman glancing over her shoulder and catching a glimpse of the approaching Heartless. At the very last second, the swordswoman leaped into the air, avoiding the sliding Large Body with a graceful backflip. Once she landed, her sword began arcing with sparks of electricity, and with a single leap to close the distance, she came down upon the Heartless with an electrified downward slash, defeating it.
With that, the only remaining Heartless left was the second Large Body, who had began flailing around as well in preparation to pull off the same technique. The swordswoman, however, stood her ground, rooting her stance and bringing her shield forward, prepared to meet the charging Heartless head on. Madoka watched as the Large Body slid across the ground, leaving small shockwaves in its wake, but the moment it collided with the swordswoman's shield, it was knocked up into the air, flailing helplessly as it completely lost all of its momentum. The swordswoman then charged her blade with lightning once more, leaping up to meet the Large Body in the air and then cleave it in two with a downward spinning slash, the electrical zap echoing throughout the square as the swordswoman stuck the landing.
"Wow…"
With a quick flourish of her sword to rid it of the residual sparks, she calmly sheathed the weapon back on her hip, her face remaining stone cold even as the crowd of onlookers began to cheer. The swordswoman ignored all of the haphazard praise that was being thrown her way as she turned on her heel and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Madoka called, the mysterious swordswoman stopping to turn her attention to the smaller pinkette. "Um, I just wanted to thank you for your help, miss…"
"…Lightning." The swordswoman flatly informed her.
"Lightning…-san." Madoka chewed on the rather strange name, but quickly dismissed it. "Thank you so much for your help, I… don't even want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't been there." She said with a gracious bow before flashing a friendly smile in hopes of showing her appreciation as much as possible. The swordswoman, Lightning, remained silent for a moment, Madoka feeling a bit nervous under her scrutinizing gaze.
"…You both would have died, that's what would have happened." Lightning bluntly replied, much to Madoka's surprise.
"Uh… well…" Madoka looked back on that split second decision she made. It was all happening so fast; all she could think of was rescuing the girl, and the consequences should she have not made it in time.
"I won't be there the next time you make a mistake like that. Go home kid, you're not cut out for the battlefield." With that, Lightning walked right passed a stunned Madoka, the smaller pinkette turning her gaze downward as she listened to Lightning's purposeful steps across the stone floor fade away deeper into the city.
"Bah! Don't ye listen to her, lass!" Mini-Scrooge said as he perched himself on Madoka's shoulder. "You've fought yer way through more Heartless than most people can shake a sword at. Anybody would agree that yer a fine swordswoman in yer own right!"
"But… I do make a lot of mistakes." Madoka rebuked, thinking back to the destroyed carriage in the Land of Dragons, and the kidnapping of the White Rabbit in Wonderland.
"Aye, I suppose so, but ye know what lass, it all comes with the territory. Why, if I had a nickel for every blunder I ever made in my time as an adventurer, I wouldn't have needed to be as business savvy as I am to have made me fortune!" Mini-Scrooge assured her, the two of them sharing an amused chuckle.
The pep talk was suddenly interrupted when Madoka felt a light tug on her hoodie. She turned around to see none other than the little girl she had rescued, accompanied by her mother, who watched from a few steps back.
"Thank you very much for saving me." The little girl said with a polite bow.
"Oh, uh… you're very much welcome, but…" Madoka was about to decline the praise, to point out that if anything, it was Lightning that saved them both, but was swiftly cut off when the girl spoke up again.
"My name's Calliope, I'm five years old!" She said with a proud toothy smile on her face and holding up five fingers on her hand. Madoka couldn't help but giggle, it reminded her of her little brother Tatsuya right around when he first started talking, taking every opportunity to introduce himself with his name and his age.
"It's nice to meet you, Calliope-chan." Madoka replied as she kneeled down to eye level with the girl. "My name is Kaname Madoka, but you can call me Madoka."
"Ok, Madoka!"
"Really, we can't thank you enough!" The mother said as she approached. "We were separated in all the chaos. If you hadn't had been here… well, thank the gods you were." The woman thanked, taking one of Madoka's hands into hers and shaking it graciously with a bow of her head.
"You're very kind ma'am, but there's no need to thank me. I'm just glad that Calliope-chan is safe." Madoka insisted, looking down and patting the little girl on the head.
"Hey, hey, Madoka, are you gonna enter the games!" Calliope asked.
"Huh? Games?" Madoka replied quizzically.
This here's the world famous coliseum, heroes only! And I got my hands full preparing for the games.
"You mean, the ones held at the coliseum?"
"Yeah! Daddy says that all of the strongest heroes in all of Greece are going to be there to compete!"
"Strongest… heroes… wait, you mean me?" Madoka said in disbelief, even as the little girl nodded her head enthusiastically. "No way! I-I'm not a hero!"
"Well what a silly thing to say." The mother rebuked. "You fought off those monsters, didn't you? And you saved my Calliope. At the very least, that makes you our hero."
"Yeah!" Calliope cheered in agreement.
"Me… enter the games?" Madoka pondered the idea, her gaze drawn to the statue of Hercules that stood over them.
She recalled the memories of Sora's match with Hercules in the finals of the previous games; the demi-god hero's blows hit like a truck, meanwhile Sora's swings with the Keyblade may as well have been friendly love taps. Madoka's face went pale as she remembered every single blow of that grueling match, an ordeal she had no intention of reenacting.
"Uh… I think I'll pass, I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet." Madoka awkwardly declined the idea, much to Calliope's disappointment.
"Aww, but I wanted to cheer you on."
"Sorry, maybe next time." Madoka consoled the pouting girl.
"Well, if your not here to compete in the games, than what brings you to Thebes of all places?" The mother inquired curiously.
"Well, I'm looking for somebody," Madoka admitted.
You know, you ain't bad, kid.
Ha ha! Look's like I'm headed for the games.
"…And as a matter of fact, I think you just gave me an idea of where I can find him."
"Wow~!"
"Aye, ain't she a beaut?"
Madoka had to agree as she passed through the large double doors and into the courtyard of the legendary Olympus Coliseum. The wide open area was surrounded by tall walls of finely chiseled stone, the front gates that led to the lobby framed by six marble stone columns, three on each side, and flanked on either side by a tall bronze statue of a sword and shield wielding gladiator, just as it was shown from the Lanes Between. The front gate itself was a tall stone doorway carved with lightning bolt and ornate gate iconography, which Madoka could only guess represented the golden gates that led to Olympus, realm of the Greek gods.
Sora's memories really didn't do the place justice, though she suspected that might be because of the fact that the building had to be rebuilt and restored after being destroyed by the Hydra the last time Sora was here. As a result, the coliseum looked much more new and pristine than how Sora remembered it, which brought a smile to Madoka's face. She was glad that they were able to rebuild after that traumatic set back, and she knew that Sora would feel the same.
As she looked around, her gaze fell upon three banners that hung off to the side of the front entrance. Each one was labeled with "Rankings", with a silhouette of Hercules, his trusty stead Pegasus, and his trainer Philoctetes depicted over a list of names.
"Phil Cup Rankings – Winner: Sora." Madoka read aloud. "Pegasus Cup Rankings – Winner: Sora. Hercules Cup Rankings – Winner: Sora. Wow, Sora really swept the whole games, didn't he?"
"Aye, so he did." Mini-Scrooge said, just as impressed as Madoka was.
Suddenly, the sound of roaring cheers reached the courtyard passed the front gates of the coliseum, drawing the duo's attention to the flashes of light that could just barely be made out in the sky over the arena.
"It sounds like the games have already started." Madoka said.
"With a crowd that tame, I'd wager it's only the qualifiers." A second round of thunderous applause punctuated Mini-Scrooge's statement. "What do ye say lass, ye thinkin' of maybe throwin' yer hat into the ring after all?"
"N-No, that's ok." Madoka awkwardly declined the idea. "Competition fighting isn't really my thing."
"Aye, suit yerself then." Mini-Scrooge replied with a dismissive shrug before hopping back into Madoka's hood.
Madoka turned her attention to the entrance of the coliseum, walking underneath the outstretched sword arms of the statues and up to the heavy stone doors. With a hefty push, Madoka swung the doors open, leading into a short hallway that branched off into two others. The left hall was labeled with yellow tiles that spelled out "LOBBY", while the right hall was labeled "STANDS".
"The Lobby is where the competitors wait for their turn to fight, right?" Madoka mused to herself, recalling Sora's time waiting in that very room for his own matches during the games. "I'll check there first."
Madoka made her way down the left corridor, lit torches fastened to the walls every few feet to allow for visibility. Eventually, she reached the end of the long corridor, coming upon a set of stone doors that was nearly identical to the ones at the front gate. With a deep breath, she pushed open the stone doors to enter.
Inside, the first thing Madoka noticed were the competitors, sat on long benches on either side of the room. Some of them were decked out in gladiator-esque armor and weaponry, while others seemed to be equipped with mage's robes and arcane focuses, but every last one of them was sweaty, exhausted, and dressing their wounds. All eyes turned to her as soon as the doors swung open and she walked through, the girl offering a nervous smile and a polite bow in greeting, and that seemed to satisfy the warriors as they just as quickly returned their attention to their battle scars and damaged equipment.
"Lost in the third round, did ya?" Madoka perked up at the sound of the familiar voice, her eyes immediately locking on to the source from across the lobby. Standing on a stone pedestal, a clipboard in hand and conversing with one of the competitors, was a diminutive half-man, half-goat creature, with a bulbous gut, bright red nose, goat like horns atop a balding head, and a red goatee hanging under his chin.
It's way too heavy!
What? Too heavy? Since when have you been such a little…? Oh, wrong guy.
"It's Phil!" Madoka cheered to herself at the sight of a familiar face.
"Sorry pal, with only two rounds under your belt, you only qualify for the Pegasus Cup." Phil informed the gladiator, who only mumbled in disappointment as he used his spear to support him as he limped over to the nearest bench. "Better luck next time." Phil said as he began writing something down on his clipboard. With the conversation concluded, Madoka took the chance to approach the portly little satyr.
"Um, excuse me…"
"Sorry, coliseum's closed to new entries today. Come back tomorrow." Phil immediately waved her off, without so much as looking up from his clipboard.
"Oh, uh, no, I'm not here to enter." Madoka quickly corrected him, earning the satyr's attention. He looked up from his clipboard at Madoka, eyeing her up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.
"…Heh, no kidding." He scoffed. "Look kid, I don't know how you managed to wander in here with all the signs up, but this here lobby is for competitors only, capiche? Now run along back to the stands before you miss the final match of the day." Phil instructed with a wave of his hand before returning his attention to his clipboard.
'Wait… does he think I'm a lost child?' Madoka quickly realized. She wasn't really surprised, she recalled Phil doing something similar to Sora and his friends when they first met, and yet Madoka couldn't help but take it just a bit more… personally. Madoka had always been short and petit, and so even as a third year middle schooler she was often mistaken for an elementary school student. Madoka's face fell into an adorable pout, which really didn't help her case at all, but she quickly managed to get back on track.
"Look, I'm sorry for bothering you when you're so busy, but I just wanted to ask if you had seen Sora around at all." Madoka pleaded, immediately stealing back Phil's attention.
"Sora? You came back here looking for Sora?"
"Yes, that's right." Madoka confirmed.
"Well why didn't you say so?" Phil said with a friendly smile, Madoka looking back at him hopefully. "I got two words for you kid: Sora. Ain't. Here."
"Huh?" Madoka gasped in shock, setting aside the fact that he had provided three words rather then the promised two. "You mean… not here in the coliseum?"
"I mean not here in Greece!" Phil clarified. "If he was, he'd be here, defending his title, but I got all the names of the competitors right here, and sorry to say kid, but Sora ain't on it." He informed her, making a show of flipping through the two or three pages attached to his clipboard.
"Oh…" Madoka sighed, her body going limp in disappointment. "Well, thanks anyway." She said with a halfhearted bow before making her way back to the door. Phil watched the pitiful display of the girl dragging her feet to the exit, the girl having never stepped foot in the ring and yet looked the most defeated out of all of the lobby's occupants. He let out a sigh as he ran his hand across his face in exasperation.
"Hold up there kid." Phil called back to Madoka, the girl stopping at the door and turning back to him. "Look, it's like this; the coliseum games are held across three days, qualifiers on the first two, and the main event on the third." He explained, hopping off of his perch and walking across the lobby to her.
"So… there's still a chance that Sora could enter?" Madoka reasoned.
"Could be." Phil replied. "All I know is, if he's even within a stone's throw of Greece right now, then he'll be here, the kid loves to show off like that. So why don't you stick around till then, maybe you can catch him on his way out of the ring, yeah?" He suggested, Madoka's face lighting up with renewed hope.
"Yeah, ok, I will!" She beamed with a smile on her face.
"Great. Now get a move on, I gotta wrap things up here for the day." Phil waved her off before retreating back into the lobby.
"Oh, right, uh, thank you!" Madoka quickly thanked with an appreciative bow before taking her leave, a renewed spring in her step as she left the room and trotted back down the corridor.
"Well lass, looks like we'll be stickin' around fer the games after all." Mini-Scrooge said as he perched on Madoka's shoulder.
"Yeah, looks like it." Provided that Sora actually showed up to enter, Madoka neglected to clarify. It was probably irresponsible of her to wait three whole days before asking Sora for help, but she was already going to be asking him for such a huge favor, the least she could do was let him have his rematch with Hercules. As she rounded back to the fork in the corridor, the sounds of fierce combat, followed by adoring applause, echoing down the hallway that led to the stands of the coliseum.
"Sounds like Sora has some stiff competition this time around." Mimi-Scrooge commented.
"I guess so." Madoka replied, though she didn't seem too concerned. After all, Sora was able to defeat the Hercules, the greatest hero in all of Greece, and then went on to save all of the Worlds, not once, but twice! With accomplishments like that under his belt, she couldn't imagine that there was anybody out there that could measure up to a true hero like…
"…Tiro Volley…!"
…
Madoka's heart skipped a beat as the faint but familiar voice ringed against her eardrums, followed by the sounds of gunfire and another round of applause.
"Hm? Hey now, are ye alright lass, yer lookin' a wee bit…"
The mechanical duck was cut off as Madoka suddenly dashed down the corridor, following the sounds of gladiatorial combat down the long and subtly curving passageway.
'That voice… that battle cry… it can only be…' Madoka's thoughts raced, her legs carrying her closer and closer to a closed door at the end of the corridor.
As she burst through the threshold, she was momentarily blinded by the bright afternoon sun, just as her ears were flooded with the uninhibited cheers of the adoring crowd. As her vision cleared, she saw the familiar sight of the arena of Olympus Coliseum, a rectangular stone battlefield with four columns stationed at each corner, surrounded by a sand pit which itself was boarded by tiers of rising seats where spectators sat and watched the spectacle. Once her vision had been fully restored, Madoka's eyes widened in shock, as standing in the center of the arena, hair tied in extravagant swirls and wearing an over the top frilly costume, was Tomoe Mami, her eyes closed and back turned to Madoka as she awaited the start of the next round.
Suddenly, trumpets began blaring in the coliseum as a small gaggle of Heartless materialized in the ring. The older girl finally opened her eyes and looked over her opponents, four Soldiers surrounding her, and two Armored Knights standing challengingly opposite her. Mami then took off the hat that rested on her head, did a quick twirl, and out from the hat appeared six ivory muskets, planting themselves in the ground around Mami in a perfect circle, ready for her to make use of.
And make use of them she did, for after placing her hat back onto her head, she grabbed two of the muskets and fired their single shots at two of the Soldiers just as they were beginning to approach, staggering them. She quickly discarded the spent weapons and grabbed two more, firing at the remaining two to keep them from making a move as well. She grabbed the last two muskets and fired them upon the first two Soldiers, hitting them both right between their beady yellow eyes before they both vanished in a puff of black smoke. Having run out of artillery, the third Soldier rushed up and swiped at the seemingly defenseless girl with its claw, only for Mami to easily side step the attack. She then twirled on her heel, grabbed one of her expended muskets by the barrel, and used it as a club to slam the Heartless into its approaching companion, the force of the impact enough to put an end to them both.
She turned her attention to the remaining two enemies just in time to avoid a heavy downward slash from the first Armored Knight, dodging with a back handspring that allowed her to grab another of her discarded rifles to wield alongside the first. Once she was back on her feet, the Armored Knight attempted to thrust its blade forward at her, Mami using one of her improvised clubs to block the strike and side step out of the way as the Heartless charged forward passed her. She smacked the exposed Heartless in the back of the head with the other club, the sound of the weapon clanging against the helmet ringing across the coliseum and staggering her foe.
Mami then twirled back around and blocked the blade of the second Armored Knight with the same club, knocking its sword arm away and following up with a swing of the other club, which the Heartless avoided by hopping back out of range. However, before Mami had a chance to capitalize on the opening, the Heartless immediately retaliated with a jumping overhead swing, forcing Mami to bring up her weapons in a cross guard to block the strike. As the Heartless pushed down on the defending weapons with all of its might, Mami cracked a smile as the muskets in her hands suddenly deformed into strands of yellow ribbons and ensnared the sword arm of the Heartless.
With a tug of the ribbons, she pulled the Armored Knight into the path of the first Armored Knight's sword thrust, the blade piercing through the armor of its companion and getting stuck there. With both Heartless entangled, Mami leaped over them, landing on the other side of the duo, and with a determined cry, heaved them over her head, sending them flying across the arena to crash into one of the corner pillars. Mami then twirled back onto her feet, summoning six muskets that floated in the air around her, and all at once she willed them to fire, raining down a barrage of bullets that defeated the entangled Heartless.
The crowd cheered at Mami's victory, but the fight was not over yet. As soon as the Armored Knights faded from existence, a hulking figure manifested behind her. The Heartless was a large knight clad in purple and blue armor, with a small head with a silver jaw, and massive arms so long that one of its fists dragged on the ground in an ape-like fashion. Its other arm carried an enormous shield, with a bluish black dog-like head bearing its jagged teeth at the literally bite sized Mami. The Defender.
The dog-like head of the Defender's shield opened its toothy maw and shot out a ball of fire at Mami, the girl cartwheeling to the side to avoid the attack. The Defender followed up by thrusting its shield forward, the head attempting to take a bite out of the girl, only for her to leap over the Defender's head, twirling in the air as she summoned six more rifled muskets before landing behind the Heartless. She fired her weapons all at once, only for the Defender to swing its shield around and effortlessly block the barrage of bullets, much to Mami's dismay. The shield opened its mouth again, fog rolling over its fangs before it breathed out a cloud of frost at Mami.
Thinking quickly, Mami shot a ribbon out of her sleeve that wrapped around the nearest pillar and pulled her towards it. The ground where she had just stood was covered in a thin sheet of ice as Mami safely landed on top of the pillar. However, she wasn't safe for long, as the Defender charged forward and slammed its shield against the pillar, effortlessly destroying it and sending Mami tumbling down with the crumbling debris.
Time slowed to a crawl as Madoka watched Mami fall, the Defender bringing its shield up which opened its toothy maw right under her.
"No…" Madoka squeaked, her heart hammering in her chest. Her eyes grew wide in sheer panic as flashes of a long forgotten memory invaded her mind, a memory of Mami, standing dumbfounded as she stared down the gaping maw of…
"Mami-san… MAMI-SAAAAAANNNN!" Madoka shrieked at the top of her lungs as she watched the upper classman she had always admired get her head chomped off by the Defender's shield… or so it seemed.
As soon as the shield's jaws clamped down over Mami's head, the girl evaporated into a myriad of tendril like ribbons that wrapped themselves around the Defender, muzzling its shield and constricting it against the Heartless' massive upper body.
"Close, but no cigar." The entire crowd followed the taunting voice, their gazes falling on the visage of the true Tomoe Mami, casually leaning against a pillar on the other side of the arena while sipping a cup of tea. Madoka let out the biggest sigh of relief in her entire life, falling back onto the stone seats, grasping her still racing heart, as the rest of the crowd cheered at the nerve-wracking misdirection.
Mami watched as the Defender struggled against its bindings, its spindly little legs having a hard time keeping its disproportionally large upper body up right. Mami giggled at the amusing sight before finishing off the last of her drink and dismissing the magically conjured cup and saucer in a flash of light.
"Well then, it's about time we wrap things up." Mami announced as she untied the single ribbon holding her collar together and back flipped onto the pillar at her back. She twirled in the air, the ribbon extending and swirling, forming the vague shape of a giant firearm before materializing into an oversized hand cannon once Mami landed on the pillar. She pointed the massive gun at the still struggling Heartless, lighting the fuse with a playful wink that eventually burned up and ignited the propulsion mechanism inside.
"Tiro Finale!" Mami dramatically shouted as a massive ball of light shot out of the oversized barrel of her weapon. The projectile traveled across the arena and engulfed the restrained Heartless in a fiery explosion, the force of which was enough to agitate a partially invisible barrier that protected the spectators from the carnage within.
Once the smoke cleared, Mami leaped off of the pillar, twirled in the air, and landed gracefully at the center of the arena, holding her hands out toward the crowd as they erupted in thunderous applause.
"Another one of those friends of yers, I presume?" Mini-Scrooge said as he perched on Madoka's shoulder, even as it heaved up and down as Madoka panted.
She watched as Mami worked the crowd, waving to them as they all gave her a standing ovation, leaving Madoka as the only one seated as she tried to process what she had just saw. Eventually, Mami's gaze fell on her, both girls gasping as they locked eyes, a complex swirl of emotions welling up inside of Madoka as she watched a relieved smile cross Mami's lips, about to be reunited with her lost friend.
Madoka, on the other hand, knew it wasn't going to be that simple.
A/N: And there you have it, the first chapter of the Olympus Coliseum Arc! Quite a few things going down in just one chapter: we have our first Gummi Ship mission of the story, we have the obligatory Final Fantasy cameo in Olympus Coliseum, this time the fan favorite request, Lightning of Final Fantasy XIII, and we introduce our next Holy Quintet boss fight, none other than Tomoe Mami. I'm sure it was no surprise that Mami wound up competing in the games, her flashy and theatrical fighting style lends itself perfectly to gladiatorial combat, and her heroic ideal perfectly fit in line with the general theme of the World, it's just a perfect fit! I think it goes without saying that the next few chapters are going to be rather combat heavy, so I really hope you enjoy my combat prose, cause you're gonna be seeing a lot of it.
In other, more personal news, I am now a godfather! No, not an Italian mob boss, let's get that out of the way right away. My best friend of 15 years had just had his first child with his wife, and they named me the godfather, it's a really big honor for me. The little guy was born yesterday, unfortunately he was born premature, so he has to stay in the hospital for the next month, so I'm offering all of my support to the parents as they give me constant updates on how my godson is doing. Of course, this won't effect my writing schedule at all, I'm just really excited to have a new member of the family, and figured I'd share in my excitement with you guys.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and fans will be happy to know that I will be focusing solely on updating this story until the Olympus Coliseum Arc is completed, after that... who knows, we'll have to wait and see. Well, see you guys next time.