Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah. I know I don't own them. ;_; Why do you have to be so cruel and make me admit I don't? Can't you let a girl have her fantasies? -.-;
A/N: Okay! So here is the next Chapter… Heh. I hope you don't mind it. I wrote it at random spurts and freakish times. *looks at clock* Ah… so it is 1am when I am writing this a/n… what's that you say? I have school in 6 hours? What? I didn't hear you… come closer… *smacks* Teach you for telling me what I should be doing. *grumble grumble* Anyone else telling me I should be ready for school and sleeping? *cracks knuckles* Anyway… Hope you enjoy this! Thanks for what reviews I have! Helped my muse a bit! D And enter Sora! And Riku…? Well, at least you get to see Donald and Goofy! XD *falls over laughing at the torture*
Oh, and yes… you might notice from now on I am following the order of events basically. Though, I decided to have Deep Jungle before Coliseum and such, but I probably will have most things remaining the same, just with different dialog and different side plots and the likes. Hope that doesn't make anyone made! Heh…
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Chapter 2
Locked Heart
Sora closed his eyes and sighed as he locked the keyhole to the Deep Jungle. The bright colors faded from the walls and it seemed dark and cold all of the sudden. He shivered from the mist of the water hitting the back of his neck. It wasn't just that that made him shiver, but it also felt like he was being watched. One of his eyes opened and he looked from it in suspicion. He only caught a wisp of something, but it was gone all to quickly.
After enough time had passed he opened both of his eyes, revealing their tender blue that reflected his soul to the fullest extent. He let his eyes shift over each person who was standing there, well, duck, dog and person. The crowd he had begun to run with was a certainly strange lot. It was a unique situation he would not place upon another person because of the pain he had to suffer through.
"Well, let's head to the coliseum now… The tournament should be about ready to start," he said as he looked at his two partners. When he saw their nod of agreement he gave a thankful nod to the ape-man and began leading his group back to the gummi ship. It was a long travel, but simple. It seemed there were less enemies then before, since the planet was locked now.
Locked… it all seemed like locking things made everything distant. Well, that's what it did, but he had no choice other than this. Soon, the worlds would be locked totally from one another and he would be once again trapped on the world he grew up on. It almost seemed like people themselves were being locked into themselves from this whole situation… so… maybe getting everyone separated was a good idea.
If he sealed the worlds he was sure to see Riku again. The boy would return as well, right? Oh, did he hope this was the truth. He didn't want to never see this other boy again. Well, true he caught glimpses and he had this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he would see the boy again… but not like how it used to be between them. It would be a terrible thing when they finally met again. He just knew it somewhere in his heart.
"Gee, Sora. Maybe you'll find your friends at this tournament?" Goofy asked in his strange tone he took about everything. Even when he was serious he would sound like he was fooling around. It wasn't his fault that his maker decided to have him be exactly as his name stated: Goofy. He wasn't that bad of a being, really. He did come out to protect a friend in need. He was a nice companion. He guessed it was true what they say about a dog being a man's best friend. Loyal and caring, it was nice.
The boy couldn't help but let out a lilting laugh at this. "Yeah, sure. I bet…" he said in a bit of a disappointed tone. He wasn't really sure that that would happen at all. Lately he had felt more of a sense of being watched. It was creepy, really. He hoped he would be able to face the person who was obsessively stalking him.
Once he reached the gummi ship he let himself glance around the surroundings a bit more before ducking inside. His partners, Goofy and Donald, quickly followed him. This would be such a fun and exciting ride. Not. It wasn't like the three of them had much in common to talk about. Sora was just a boy looking for his friends who was chosen to lead this fate. Goofy was easily amused and strange, but not too much for a conversationalist. And Donald… well… he was a duck.
Goofy looked at the moping kid and wanted to cheer him up. He didn't know how, though, since he wasn't an expert at cheering people up unless it was acting like a fool. "Err… Sora! Tell us about your friends your looking for!" Goofy said in an excited tone.
"We don't need to hear about them! Our mission is to find the kind and to help the keyblade holder seal the worlds," Donald scolded Goofy. It wasn't that he didn't want to hear, it was just that he felt pressuring Sora into thinking about his friends might not be such a great idea. I mean it would cause anybody pain thinking about the friends they'd lost. He knew it well with having lost the king.
"No, Donald… It's okay, really," Sora spoke in a soft tone. He gave a bit of a smile as he thought of his friends. Thinking about them and speaking fondly was easier than just brooding about them. "Heh, so you want to know about them, Goofy?" he asked the faithful dog who gave an enthusiastic nod to this.
Sora pondered for a moment about how to describe each of his friends he was searching so dearly for. "Kairi, well… She's the type of girl you're parents would love to see you bring home. She's sweet, caring, and innocent… And she's cute," he said with a sigh. He did have a childhood crush on her, but he knew that was as far as it extended. He didn't want to be the one to bring her home to his family because he wasn't that interested in her. He knew, though, if he remained on the island like before he would have ended up just being the one to hitch up with Kairi in time. He didn't want that, even if he knew the girl adored him.
"Gee, Sora… it kind of sounds like you might have a crush on her," Goofy said with a dopey tone. He smiled an innocent smile at Sora and didn't know better. With these words a blush crossed over the boy's face and he looked down.
"It really isn't a crush. Well… a crush. Nothing more… Believe me!" he said with slight scorn from his blushing. He placed his hand on his face trying to cover his blush. He really didn't like these reddened cheeks, they were too warm and they made him feel a bit lightheaded.
"Aw, I didn't mean no harm," Goofy apologized in a quiet tone. He knew he was forgiven when Sora waved his hand and shook his head, though. He didn't mean to embarrass the boy or anything, it just came out. "Now how about that other friend of yours? Riku, was it?" the dog insisted on changing to the other friend.
"Yes, Riku…" the boy reminisced with a sigh. "We've always been the best of friends. Growing up on an island with not much to do can have that affect on a person. He and I would always have sword fights with wooden blades and would have races around the island. It seemed that he started to act really strange when Kairi came, though. He withdrew more into himself and become more distant from even me," the boy commented with a frown. He pressed his eyes closed and could just imagine the blue-haired boy with that grin on his face.
Goofy blinked a few times from these words and gave the human a kind and compassionate smile. "Golly, Sora. I'm sorry to hear that. I really hope things can be better when you see him again," he suggested with a calm and caring voice. Even with this calm and sincere meaning, his voice did still have its silly side and couldn't be taken to its fullest affect.
"Thanks, Goofy…" Sora commented in a lower voice then before. He looked at the animal with a soft smile on his face now, appreciating the kind words that he had received.
"You're friend sounds like he needs to learn some respect and emotions!" Donald said in his rasped voice. He wasn't one to be too sensitive to anyone's needs but his own and the king's. Well, not even the king when that mouse was around.
Goofy got a bit wide eyed and Sora seemed to form a glare toward the duck. He seemed to start wanting to be a big-time carnivore at this moment for some reason… He didn't know why… Not at all…
"Gawrsh, Donald! You don't have to be so mean about it," Goofy said trying to break the tension. He knew it wasn't a good thing when one person insulted another's friends. There have been some deadly fights that have broken out from them. He wanted to keep this gummi ship at peace, at least… until the end of their mission. Afterward the two could tell each one to go to hell for all that mattered, but for now they had to cooperate.
Sora just shot one last lingering look at Donald and then faintly nodded at Goofy. "Thanks, but it doesn't matter, really… Let's just stay silent until we get to the coliseum…" he commanded more than suggested. With that, he just looked off to the side, enjoying the tense silence for some odd reason.
**********
Riku picked up one of the innocent jars lying around and threw it against the wall in rage. He hissed as some of the pieces flew back and cut his cheek. His eyes narrowed and he kicked some of the pieces to the side as he stomped toward where Maleficent resided. Anyone in his way quickly moved to the side, knowing full well that they didn't want to mess with the dark witch's new pet… err… with the boy.
"When the hell can I have my full powers?" Riku demanded of the evil woman. It wasn't that he cared what sides people were on anymore… he just wanted to bring Kairi back from this heartless state and he wanted to torture Sore's mind.
The wicked woman walked over toward the angered boy and placed her hand on his injured cheek. "My dear boy, you must learn a little patience. You cannot have everything at an instant's notices. Time…" she said in a cold and eerie voice. He words lingered in the air for a few moments before the dropped away. She slowly moved her hand from his cheek and now revealed a fully healed cheek.
From the dark lord's action Riku couldn't help but snort a bit and turn away. Don't touch me again, wench," he said in disgust. He still didn't trust her at all, but he had no one else to turn to. He was alone in this cold world and she was offering him the one thing he wanted. "I only cooperate because we have mutual trade. Nothing more," he stated bitterly.
"Ah, yes, child. Though, we are only having this mutual trade… I suggest you learn to respect me more. I could crush your soul in an instant and find someone to replace you just as easily. I just wanted to help you," she commented with a slightly threatening tone. It isn't like she really wanted to destroy him; it was just that he had to learn how to obey her better.
Riku just shrugged her words off and walked away. He was really getting annoyed with her. Maybe something would happen and he would end up trusting her more than Sora, but right now he couldn't trust either even in the least. Sora had abandoned him for those two others. A duck and a dog, was he really that much lower than those animals? It made him even angrier just thinking about this.
"You will pay for leaving me, Sora. You'll see all too well… You should have never acquired those two… friends," he snapped out in the cold air. The last word he had said in an even deeper tone of scorn and hate than the others.
Without much thought, the boy found himself standing outside on a glorious balcony. He blinked at the view and sighed, hanging his head. He was alone now. He didn't have to be strong. No one could see him now. It was too hard to be weak in the presence of others. He wouldn't dare such a thing. With a moping look Riku hung his legs over the edge and looked down toward the seemingly endless area of sky. He was alone. Now and forever… it was rather depressing to think about, really.
"Are they really better than me?" Riku asked as if he were once again a child. His tone was almost like he was a little boy who was lost in the woods and felt he would never be found. He still had so much growing up to do… he was such a kid. Soon enough, he found himself sniffling back tears that threatened and whipped the tears away from his eyes with the back of his arm.
The lost boy bit down on his lower lip, trying to hold back the pain. He didn't like this. He felt like he was the weakest being in all these worlds. He felt lost and destroyed. It made him feel so inferior and despised. It made him want to hate Sora even more, but he just couldn't hate him. Sora was his only touchstone in his life… his only friend… even if he was abandoned by his friend.
At these thoughts, Riku's face hardened. He stood up slowly and walked back to the area where Maleficent was. His stride was more regale and superior now. He wouldn't let it be known how low and worthless he really felt. Once he reached the doors to the woman's hiding place he pushed them open without a moment's hesitation. "I will be the one to kill the keyblade holder."
These words set the boy's fate for certain. He had just turned his back on Sora as the brown-haired boy had done to him. It was a fair trade off. It made sense. They were always trying to better the other when they were growing up and now it turned into one of life or death. In time, he would have Sora right where he wanted him… right where he could crush him.
**********
Sora was the first one to bail out of the gummi ship and stumbled over his own big feet. Once he was steadied he looked around the coliseum with a strange look. This was certainly a strange place. And it was so… empty. If there was a tournament going on… shouldn't there be a lot of people around? Well, maybe they were all inside or something. That must be it. Well, only one way to find out.
Without much thought Sora began to lead his group toward the opening he saw straight ahead. He entered and saw a strange being. Very strange… He didn't even know what the hell the thing was! It was a man… no… it was a goat… no… what the hell? He was just about to question the thing when it began to talk to him.
"What are you three chumps doin' here?" it asked in a slightly slang and off tone. Its voice sounded almost nasal, but it wasn't that overly annoying nasal. It tried to make itself look as tough and tall as it could… which didn't work too well.
The human boy looked down on the half man, half animal with a raised eyebrow. "Umm… we're here to fight in the tournament, actually. Could you tell us where we are supposed to go?" Sora asked in a softer voice than he meant to. It wasn't that he was afraid or anything, he just wasn't sure where he was or what he was doing.
"You're late. You know that? Hero's are never late. So, obviously you aren't any sort of hero… so scram, kid," he said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms and hooves. His eyes traveled over Sora and took him in with much disdain.
"Come on! That isn't fair… I was doing something important. Can't you just let me in?" he asked with a minor whine to his tone.
"What's your name, kid?" the satyr asked graciously. He took in the figures of Sora's partners now. A duck. What the heck? Who takes a duck for a partner in fighting? And a dog… Sure they were loyal and wouldn't backstab you, but what can a dog do? Roll over? Play dead? Gee… what a thrilling group.
The boy seemed to perk up when he was asked his name. "I'm Sora!" he said with excitement and stuck out his hand. A silly grin placed itself on his face as he stood there. "Oh, and this is Donald and Goofy," he added on with enthusiasm, almost forgetting the whole… incident before.
"Sora? Well… let me tell you something, Sora. If you don't leave quickly, I'm going to have to get a true hero to come here and escort you out, care of Phil. Unless, you want to try and see if you can make it? Why not…?" the goat-man said as he pointed to a large stone. "Try and push that, kid."
Doing as he was commanded to, Sora walked over to the stone and tried to push on it. He leaned his full weight on it and closed his eyes. A small groaning escaped from his lips as he tried to push. This thing was impossible to move!
"As I told ya, kid. You aren't made for the big hero work," he said as he gave a grin that made a person just want to smack him. Trying to think of a way to outsmart this freak of nature was going to be hard, but maybe if Sora could…
"Hey! Why don't you try and push it, huh?" the boy asked with a confident smile on his face. "If you can't move it, you have to let us in," he said with a proud tone and a puffing up of his chest. He knew there was no chance that the goat-thing could move it.
The goat-man looked at Sora with a raised eyebrow and snorted a bit. "Sure. Just wanting to see how strong I am…" he said as he walked to the large, stone block. He leaned up against it and started to push with all his might; he even started to run with his little legs while pushing. After much effort and work he slumped against it, panting. "Alright… you can take the trials," Phil said with much protest.
Sora jumped up with delight and grinned at Donald and Goofy. "But only one of you can enter, kid. And I'm guessing it'll be you," the satyr stated as he walked into the arena area. He looked around and pressed something on the wall and it seemed to generate barrels on the ground of the fighting area. "I'll time you. Break them all… starting… now," he said without much warning. It isn't like he wanted this boy to get in.
The young human ran quickly and took out all of the barrels, just breaking the time limit he was set on. With that task done he didn't have much time to think when he was set to breaking another group of barrels in another amount of time. When he finished this task he thought there would be more, but he saw the disgruntled and disappointed look on the man/animal's face. "So, I can get in now?"
Phil didn't say anything, but gave Sora the power of Thunder. "No, kid. You still have work to do. You're not ready to be a true hero, yet. Now go on and train some more and come back when you are stronger," he said as he walked past the boy and into the lobby of the coliseum.
**********
Defeated and sad, Sora left the lobby of the coliseum. Though, upon entering the open space out there he saw an unfamiliar face and figure. He looked over the blue skinned man and cocked his head to the side a bit.
"Kid, you wanted to enter the tournament, didn't you? That stubborn goat not lettin' you in?" the tall man spoke out smoothly. He looked almost evil, but the boy wouldn't pass judgment on this creature unless he was forced to fight.
Sora merely nodded to this and moped about it. He really did want to be in the tournament, it would have been really fun.
"Hey, don't look so down! Come on… how would this make you feel?" he asked as he snapped his fingers and a blue flame made a Hero's Pass appear in between two of his blue fingers. He held it out to Sora with a soft smile. His yellow eyes seemed to catch something mischievous for a moment, but passed quickly.
With this simple piece of paper Sora's mood hit a high for the day. He reached out and took the piece of paper in his hand and smiled wide. "Thank you so much!" he said with glee as he ran back to the satyr. He hoped the thanks he gave was enough for the blue skinned man.
Hade just stood and watched him run away. "This should be fun…" he said with a lower voice and a flair of his blue, flaming hair.
**********
A/N: Heh… Sorry this chapter really wasn't humorous! I promise I will get back the funnies! I tried to get in some humor, but Riku was just being so… dark! Heh… So, yeah… I have a feeling this fic will switch off from angst to humor… So, hope you don't mind much! I'm *trying* to make this a good fic!
A/N: Okay! So here is the next Chapter… Heh. I hope you don't mind it. I wrote it at random spurts and freakish times. *looks at clock* Ah… so it is 1am when I am writing this a/n… what's that you say? I have school in 6 hours? What? I didn't hear you… come closer… *smacks* Teach you for telling me what I should be doing. *grumble grumble* Anyone else telling me I should be ready for school and sleeping? *cracks knuckles* Anyway… Hope you enjoy this! Thanks for what reviews I have! Helped my muse a bit! D And enter Sora! And Riku…? Well, at least you get to see Donald and Goofy! XD *falls over laughing at the torture*
Oh, and yes… you might notice from now on I am following the order of events basically. Though, I decided to have Deep Jungle before Coliseum and such, but I probably will have most things remaining the same, just with different dialog and different side plots and the likes. Hope that doesn't make anyone made! Heh…
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Chapter 2
Locked Heart
Sora closed his eyes and sighed as he locked the keyhole to the Deep Jungle. The bright colors faded from the walls and it seemed dark and cold all of the sudden. He shivered from the mist of the water hitting the back of his neck. It wasn't just that that made him shiver, but it also felt like he was being watched. One of his eyes opened and he looked from it in suspicion. He only caught a wisp of something, but it was gone all to quickly.
After enough time had passed he opened both of his eyes, revealing their tender blue that reflected his soul to the fullest extent. He let his eyes shift over each person who was standing there, well, duck, dog and person. The crowd he had begun to run with was a certainly strange lot. It was a unique situation he would not place upon another person because of the pain he had to suffer through.
"Well, let's head to the coliseum now… The tournament should be about ready to start," he said as he looked at his two partners. When he saw their nod of agreement he gave a thankful nod to the ape-man and began leading his group back to the gummi ship. It was a long travel, but simple. It seemed there were less enemies then before, since the planet was locked now.
Locked… it all seemed like locking things made everything distant. Well, that's what it did, but he had no choice other than this. Soon, the worlds would be locked totally from one another and he would be once again trapped on the world he grew up on. It almost seemed like people themselves were being locked into themselves from this whole situation… so… maybe getting everyone separated was a good idea.
If he sealed the worlds he was sure to see Riku again. The boy would return as well, right? Oh, did he hope this was the truth. He didn't want to never see this other boy again. Well, true he caught glimpses and he had this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he would see the boy again… but not like how it used to be between them. It would be a terrible thing when they finally met again. He just knew it somewhere in his heart.
"Gee, Sora. Maybe you'll find your friends at this tournament?" Goofy asked in his strange tone he took about everything. Even when he was serious he would sound like he was fooling around. It wasn't his fault that his maker decided to have him be exactly as his name stated: Goofy. He wasn't that bad of a being, really. He did come out to protect a friend in need. He was a nice companion. He guessed it was true what they say about a dog being a man's best friend. Loyal and caring, it was nice.
The boy couldn't help but let out a lilting laugh at this. "Yeah, sure. I bet…" he said in a bit of a disappointed tone. He wasn't really sure that that would happen at all. Lately he had felt more of a sense of being watched. It was creepy, really. He hoped he would be able to face the person who was obsessively stalking him.
Once he reached the gummi ship he let himself glance around the surroundings a bit more before ducking inside. His partners, Goofy and Donald, quickly followed him. This would be such a fun and exciting ride. Not. It wasn't like the three of them had much in common to talk about. Sora was just a boy looking for his friends who was chosen to lead this fate. Goofy was easily amused and strange, but not too much for a conversationalist. And Donald… well… he was a duck.
Goofy looked at the moping kid and wanted to cheer him up. He didn't know how, though, since he wasn't an expert at cheering people up unless it was acting like a fool. "Err… Sora! Tell us about your friends your looking for!" Goofy said in an excited tone.
"We don't need to hear about them! Our mission is to find the kind and to help the keyblade holder seal the worlds," Donald scolded Goofy. It wasn't that he didn't want to hear, it was just that he felt pressuring Sora into thinking about his friends might not be such a great idea. I mean it would cause anybody pain thinking about the friends they'd lost. He knew it well with having lost the king.
"No, Donald… It's okay, really," Sora spoke in a soft tone. He gave a bit of a smile as he thought of his friends. Thinking about them and speaking fondly was easier than just brooding about them. "Heh, so you want to know about them, Goofy?" he asked the faithful dog who gave an enthusiastic nod to this.
Sora pondered for a moment about how to describe each of his friends he was searching so dearly for. "Kairi, well… She's the type of girl you're parents would love to see you bring home. She's sweet, caring, and innocent… And she's cute," he said with a sigh. He did have a childhood crush on her, but he knew that was as far as it extended. He didn't want to be the one to bring her home to his family because he wasn't that interested in her. He knew, though, if he remained on the island like before he would have ended up just being the one to hitch up with Kairi in time. He didn't want that, even if he knew the girl adored him.
"Gee, Sora… it kind of sounds like you might have a crush on her," Goofy said with a dopey tone. He smiled an innocent smile at Sora and didn't know better. With these words a blush crossed over the boy's face and he looked down.
"It really isn't a crush. Well… a crush. Nothing more… Believe me!" he said with slight scorn from his blushing. He placed his hand on his face trying to cover his blush. He really didn't like these reddened cheeks, they were too warm and they made him feel a bit lightheaded.
"Aw, I didn't mean no harm," Goofy apologized in a quiet tone. He knew he was forgiven when Sora waved his hand and shook his head, though. He didn't mean to embarrass the boy or anything, it just came out. "Now how about that other friend of yours? Riku, was it?" the dog insisted on changing to the other friend.
"Yes, Riku…" the boy reminisced with a sigh. "We've always been the best of friends. Growing up on an island with not much to do can have that affect on a person. He and I would always have sword fights with wooden blades and would have races around the island. It seemed that he started to act really strange when Kairi came, though. He withdrew more into himself and become more distant from even me," the boy commented with a frown. He pressed his eyes closed and could just imagine the blue-haired boy with that grin on his face.
Goofy blinked a few times from these words and gave the human a kind and compassionate smile. "Golly, Sora. I'm sorry to hear that. I really hope things can be better when you see him again," he suggested with a calm and caring voice. Even with this calm and sincere meaning, his voice did still have its silly side and couldn't be taken to its fullest affect.
"Thanks, Goofy…" Sora commented in a lower voice then before. He looked at the animal with a soft smile on his face now, appreciating the kind words that he had received.
"You're friend sounds like he needs to learn some respect and emotions!" Donald said in his rasped voice. He wasn't one to be too sensitive to anyone's needs but his own and the king's. Well, not even the king when that mouse was around.
Goofy got a bit wide eyed and Sora seemed to form a glare toward the duck. He seemed to start wanting to be a big-time carnivore at this moment for some reason… He didn't know why… Not at all…
"Gawrsh, Donald! You don't have to be so mean about it," Goofy said trying to break the tension. He knew it wasn't a good thing when one person insulted another's friends. There have been some deadly fights that have broken out from them. He wanted to keep this gummi ship at peace, at least… until the end of their mission. Afterward the two could tell each one to go to hell for all that mattered, but for now they had to cooperate.
Sora just shot one last lingering look at Donald and then faintly nodded at Goofy. "Thanks, but it doesn't matter, really… Let's just stay silent until we get to the coliseum…" he commanded more than suggested. With that, he just looked off to the side, enjoying the tense silence for some odd reason.
**********
Riku picked up one of the innocent jars lying around and threw it against the wall in rage. He hissed as some of the pieces flew back and cut his cheek. His eyes narrowed and he kicked some of the pieces to the side as he stomped toward where Maleficent resided. Anyone in his way quickly moved to the side, knowing full well that they didn't want to mess with the dark witch's new pet… err… with the boy.
"When the hell can I have my full powers?" Riku demanded of the evil woman. It wasn't that he cared what sides people were on anymore… he just wanted to bring Kairi back from this heartless state and he wanted to torture Sore's mind.
The wicked woman walked over toward the angered boy and placed her hand on his injured cheek. "My dear boy, you must learn a little patience. You cannot have everything at an instant's notices. Time…" she said in a cold and eerie voice. He words lingered in the air for a few moments before the dropped away. She slowly moved her hand from his cheek and now revealed a fully healed cheek.
From the dark lord's action Riku couldn't help but snort a bit and turn away. Don't touch me again, wench," he said in disgust. He still didn't trust her at all, but he had no one else to turn to. He was alone in this cold world and she was offering him the one thing he wanted. "I only cooperate because we have mutual trade. Nothing more," he stated bitterly.
"Ah, yes, child. Though, we are only having this mutual trade… I suggest you learn to respect me more. I could crush your soul in an instant and find someone to replace you just as easily. I just wanted to help you," she commented with a slightly threatening tone. It isn't like she really wanted to destroy him; it was just that he had to learn how to obey her better.
Riku just shrugged her words off and walked away. He was really getting annoyed with her. Maybe something would happen and he would end up trusting her more than Sora, but right now he couldn't trust either even in the least. Sora had abandoned him for those two others. A duck and a dog, was he really that much lower than those animals? It made him even angrier just thinking about this.
"You will pay for leaving me, Sora. You'll see all too well… You should have never acquired those two… friends," he snapped out in the cold air. The last word he had said in an even deeper tone of scorn and hate than the others.
Without much thought, the boy found himself standing outside on a glorious balcony. He blinked at the view and sighed, hanging his head. He was alone now. He didn't have to be strong. No one could see him now. It was too hard to be weak in the presence of others. He wouldn't dare such a thing. With a moping look Riku hung his legs over the edge and looked down toward the seemingly endless area of sky. He was alone. Now and forever… it was rather depressing to think about, really.
"Are they really better than me?" Riku asked as if he were once again a child. His tone was almost like he was a little boy who was lost in the woods and felt he would never be found. He still had so much growing up to do… he was such a kid. Soon enough, he found himself sniffling back tears that threatened and whipped the tears away from his eyes with the back of his arm.
The lost boy bit down on his lower lip, trying to hold back the pain. He didn't like this. He felt like he was the weakest being in all these worlds. He felt lost and destroyed. It made him feel so inferior and despised. It made him want to hate Sora even more, but he just couldn't hate him. Sora was his only touchstone in his life… his only friend… even if he was abandoned by his friend.
At these thoughts, Riku's face hardened. He stood up slowly and walked back to the area where Maleficent was. His stride was more regale and superior now. He wouldn't let it be known how low and worthless he really felt. Once he reached the doors to the woman's hiding place he pushed them open without a moment's hesitation. "I will be the one to kill the keyblade holder."
These words set the boy's fate for certain. He had just turned his back on Sora as the brown-haired boy had done to him. It was a fair trade off. It made sense. They were always trying to better the other when they were growing up and now it turned into one of life or death. In time, he would have Sora right where he wanted him… right where he could crush him.
**********
Sora was the first one to bail out of the gummi ship and stumbled over his own big feet. Once he was steadied he looked around the coliseum with a strange look. This was certainly a strange place. And it was so… empty. If there was a tournament going on… shouldn't there be a lot of people around? Well, maybe they were all inside or something. That must be it. Well, only one way to find out.
Without much thought Sora began to lead his group toward the opening he saw straight ahead. He entered and saw a strange being. Very strange… He didn't even know what the hell the thing was! It was a man… no… it was a goat… no… what the hell? He was just about to question the thing when it began to talk to him.
"What are you three chumps doin' here?" it asked in a slightly slang and off tone. Its voice sounded almost nasal, but it wasn't that overly annoying nasal. It tried to make itself look as tough and tall as it could… which didn't work too well.
The human boy looked down on the half man, half animal with a raised eyebrow. "Umm… we're here to fight in the tournament, actually. Could you tell us where we are supposed to go?" Sora asked in a softer voice than he meant to. It wasn't that he was afraid or anything, he just wasn't sure where he was or what he was doing.
"You're late. You know that? Hero's are never late. So, obviously you aren't any sort of hero… so scram, kid," he said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms and hooves. His eyes traveled over Sora and took him in with much disdain.
"Come on! That isn't fair… I was doing something important. Can't you just let me in?" he asked with a minor whine to his tone.
"What's your name, kid?" the satyr asked graciously. He took in the figures of Sora's partners now. A duck. What the heck? Who takes a duck for a partner in fighting? And a dog… Sure they were loyal and wouldn't backstab you, but what can a dog do? Roll over? Play dead? Gee… what a thrilling group.
The boy seemed to perk up when he was asked his name. "I'm Sora!" he said with excitement and stuck out his hand. A silly grin placed itself on his face as he stood there. "Oh, and this is Donald and Goofy," he added on with enthusiasm, almost forgetting the whole… incident before.
"Sora? Well… let me tell you something, Sora. If you don't leave quickly, I'm going to have to get a true hero to come here and escort you out, care of Phil. Unless, you want to try and see if you can make it? Why not…?" the goat-man said as he pointed to a large stone. "Try and push that, kid."
Doing as he was commanded to, Sora walked over to the stone and tried to push on it. He leaned his full weight on it and closed his eyes. A small groaning escaped from his lips as he tried to push. This thing was impossible to move!
"As I told ya, kid. You aren't made for the big hero work," he said as he gave a grin that made a person just want to smack him. Trying to think of a way to outsmart this freak of nature was going to be hard, but maybe if Sora could…
"Hey! Why don't you try and push it, huh?" the boy asked with a confident smile on his face. "If you can't move it, you have to let us in," he said with a proud tone and a puffing up of his chest. He knew there was no chance that the goat-thing could move it.
The goat-man looked at Sora with a raised eyebrow and snorted a bit. "Sure. Just wanting to see how strong I am…" he said as he walked to the large, stone block. He leaned up against it and started to push with all his might; he even started to run with his little legs while pushing. After much effort and work he slumped against it, panting. "Alright… you can take the trials," Phil said with much protest.
Sora jumped up with delight and grinned at Donald and Goofy. "But only one of you can enter, kid. And I'm guessing it'll be you," the satyr stated as he walked into the arena area. He looked around and pressed something on the wall and it seemed to generate barrels on the ground of the fighting area. "I'll time you. Break them all… starting… now," he said without much warning. It isn't like he wanted this boy to get in.
The young human ran quickly and took out all of the barrels, just breaking the time limit he was set on. With that task done he didn't have much time to think when he was set to breaking another group of barrels in another amount of time. When he finished this task he thought there would be more, but he saw the disgruntled and disappointed look on the man/animal's face. "So, I can get in now?"
Phil didn't say anything, but gave Sora the power of Thunder. "No, kid. You still have work to do. You're not ready to be a true hero, yet. Now go on and train some more and come back when you are stronger," he said as he walked past the boy and into the lobby of the coliseum.
**********
Defeated and sad, Sora left the lobby of the coliseum. Though, upon entering the open space out there he saw an unfamiliar face and figure. He looked over the blue skinned man and cocked his head to the side a bit.
"Kid, you wanted to enter the tournament, didn't you? That stubborn goat not lettin' you in?" the tall man spoke out smoothly. He looked almost evil, but the boy wouldn't pass judgment on this creature unless he was forced to fight.
Sora merely nodded to this and moped about it. He really did want to be in the tournament, it would have been really fun.
"Hey, don't look so down! Come on… how would this make you feel?" he asked as he snapped his fingers and a blue flame made a Hero's Pass appear in between two of his blue fingers. He held it out to Sora with a soft smile. His yellow eyes seemed to catch something mischievous for a moment, but passed quickly.
With this simple piece of paper Sora's mood hit a high for the day. He reached out and took the piece of paper in his hand and smiled wide. "Thank you so much!" he said with glee as he ran back to the satyr. He hoped the thanks he gave was enough for the blue skinned man.
Hade just stood and watched him run away. "This should be fun…" he said with a lower voice and a flair of his blue, flaming hair.
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A/N: Heh… Sorry this chapter really wasn't humorous! I promise I will get back the funnies! I tried to get in some humor, but Riku was just being so… dark! Heh… So, yeah… I have a feeling this fic will switch off from angst to humor… So, hope you don't mind much! I'm *trying* to make this a good fic!