Author's Note:
Hey, guys! TheSavageMan100 is back! Sorry I couldn't do my weekly posting. A lot of work, and I had to visit a few relatives. Anyway, here is the next chapter of Kingdom Fairy Tail, taking place at Olympus Coliseum. Enjoy!


Gummi Ship

As the Gummi Ship sailed away from Wonderland, Jiminy Cricket was sitting on Wendy's shoulder, adding new notes entailing all the discoveries and encounters in their adventure so far. Between writing entries, he was speaking to the group, "Simply astounding! We've seen and learned so much during our stay in Wonderland: We fell through a deep rabbit hole, followed the White Rabbit to the Queen of Hearts, found Alice falsely accused for assault, collected evidence of her innocence, and reunited with Wendy's friend from Earth-land, Sherria Blendy." She gestured to the Sky God Slayer standing next to Wendy's seat, "Afterwards, we discovered that the Jester Jugular dark guild kidnapped Alice, and we ran into its master, Jabberwock. We defeated him and his powerful Trickmaster, but Alice was nowhere to be found."

Donald sighed from the co-pilot's seat, "Easy for you to say. You write, not fight."

Jiminy countered, "It's my job, after all. Even if I can fight, how much help would I have been? I'm a cricket, and I'd end up a squashed bug!"

Sherria asked, "But aren't crickets the kind of bugs that jump around to avoid getting squashed? They jump really fast."

Jiminy replied, "I'm just stating the fact that I'm small, and everyone else is big. Why, if I'm big, those Heartless wouldn't bother to try and kick around. A cricket tangoing with a heart-eating demon is not exactly fitting."

Sherria asked, "But the size of a tiny bug doesn't compare to the size of the heart, right?"

Jiminy nodded, "Yep. And this heart beats with a dream to explore road after road and chronicle every adventure into an amazing story, a story to be shared for generations to come. As of today, since I've been entrusted by Queen Minnie, my objective is to take note of your travels."

Sherria remarked, "Cool. It's like you're writing a novel. Think of all the ratings, the big sales, and how much people are going to love you, mostly us, for your stories!" She began to fantasize, "They'll say, 'Let's hear about Wendy and her amazing friends, Carla and Sherria Blendy!' And they'll say, 'Yeah, that's one of my favorite stories. Wendy Marvell was really courageous, wasn't she, Daddy?' 'Yes, my boy, the best heroine in any world. And that's saying a lot.'" She added gleefully, "You'll be the best chronicler ever!"

Jiminy chuckled, "Now that you put it that way, I could share your stories to the locals in the Disney Kingdom. It's worth a shot."

Donald argued, "Hey, did you leave us out? We're main characters of the story, too. Wendy wouldn't have gotten this far without us."

Goofy chuckled from the other co-pilot's seat, "I bet they wanna hear about Donald and Goofy, two of Wendy's companions from the Disney Kingdom."

Sherria apologized, "Oops, almost forgot about you two. You're the sidekicks."

Donald's eyes widened in shock, "SIDEKICKS?!"

Sherria smiled, "You heard me. You and Goofy are the sidekicks. Sure, you're a little nerdy, but I guess you're okay. I just wish you'd stop whacking Heartless in the heads with toys like a staff and a shield. It gets a little old! You should try something new once in a while."

Goofy admitted, "Well, a staff and a shield are our only weapons, and they're fittin' for our titles. My weapon of choice is a shield, and I have plenty of uses, like throwin' it like a Frisbee, usin' it as a snowboard, and..."

Donald boasted, "Weapons don't matter if we have the guts to fight bad guys! We're not sidekicks; we're heroes. We're royal officials and big stars! That's what we are!" He gestured to Carla, "Carla's the sidekick type. She's Wendy's feline companion! All she ever does is fly around with wings."

Carla interrupted, "I hate to disagree with you, but..." There was a flash of light that brightened the cockpit, and taking the place of the white Exceed was a child sporting white shoulder-length hair with cat ears on top, and a tail with a ribbon. Donald and Goofy turned from their seats, and were stunned of Carla's transformation from Exceed to human.

Goofy remarked, "A-hyuck, check out the new look. You're a smokin' hot cat!"

Donald asked incredulously, "You can change into a girl, too?"

Carla explained, "After the destruction of the Tartaros dark guild, I've spent a year training to take on the form of a human being at will. In this form, my magic and precognitive abilities are enhanced." She sighed in disbelief, "I was about to use this form during our previous scuffles, but..."

Wendy nodded, "That's what I've been meaning to ask you. Why didn't you transform into your human form? You could've been of great help to us."

Carla explained, "For an inexplicable reason, a powerful force prevents me from transforming. It surged into my body the moment you and I were whisked away from Tenrou Island. I tried to focus my Magic Energy while we were in Traverse Town and Wonderland, but any attempts have failed. The only thing I could do was spread my wings. However, as time passed, I felt all of my powers slowly returning, and I regained my transformation ability. Perhaps a sudden cross between worlds is the cause of my delay?"

Wendy smiled, "Well, what matters is that you've got all your powers back. It'll make things easy for us."

Carla acknowledged, "It is my honor to be of great help to you once more. Now then, where were we?" She turned to Donald and cleared her throat, "With my transformation ability, I can provide assistance in both flight and combat."

Wendy stated, "I'm so proud of how strong Carla has become. She's been my help in several missions, and we've been a team ever since."

Sherria pointed out, "The first time I saw Carla in action, it was Lamia Scale's Thanksgiving Festival, when the Orochi's Fin guild tried to crash it. I saw her do a cartwheel, just like Wendy, and kick an bad guy in the face! You should've seen it!"

Donald rolled his eyes, "Oh, sure. You can magically turn into a girl. So what? You're a cat! You can't fight!"

A proud look crossed Carla's face, "I mentioned before that my magic has increased in this form. It also increases my strength. And I can fight. Would you like a demonstration?"

Donald scoffed, "What are you gonna do? Leave me in a beaten mess with your super legs?"

A minute later...

Sure enough, the duck's face was bruised with his right eye black, courtesy of a kick from Carla. Perhaps if he hadn't asked, he wouldn't have been given a demonstration. Carla transformed back to her original Exceed form, and she eyed the slightly injured Donald with a sly look, as Wendy and the others laughed in amusement. "I'm sorry. I thought you asked."

Wendy teased, "That's what happens when you get on her bad side."

Sherria chuckled, "Carla is the best companion Wendy could ask for, a proud member of Fairy Tail."

Goofy smiled, "Maybe she could help us fight them Heartless the next time we see 'em."

Carla nodded, "I agree. Should we ever encounter those vile beasts again, I'll be there."

Donald rubbed his bad eye as he grumbled to himself, "That's what I get for trusting a cat with wings and a human body with bad legs."

Wendy spoke up with a thought in her mind, "You know, I feel kinda bad leaving without telling the Queen of Hearts about what happened to Alice."

Goofy turned his head to face Wendy, "Don't worry yer little head about it. Far as we know, Alice's is still missin'. When we find her and bring her back here, it's like she hadn't left her world in the first place. Our best bet is to press on."

With that put in perspective, Wendy complied, "Good point. Alice could be anywhere. But she's not the only one we're looking for; it's King Mickey and my Fairy Tail friends." She lowered her eyes for a moment, "I feel like the Heartless are trying to accomplish something, but I don't know what. Why were they after the doorknob? Why are the dark guilds controlling them? And why did the Keyblade react to that glowing keyhole in the doorknob's mouth?" A steady breath, and she attempted a theory, "Is that the Keyhole the old lady and Halloween were talking about?"

Donald looked over his seat and asked in concern, "Are you okay, kid?"

Wendy responded, "I'm fine. It's just this feeling I got, about the Heartless, the dark guilds, and that keyhole I locked."

Goofy cheered up, "Lighten up, Wendy. We've got more worlds to explore, and Wonderland's the first one. The more we explore, the more answers we get. Yup, nothin' can stop us from findin' our friends, not even the Heartless and those dark guild guys."

Wendy worried, "I don't know if it's going to be that easy, Goofy."

Goofy shrugged, "Well, why wouldn't it be? From the sound of things, our team's up to five, so it shouldn't be hard. Gettin' through these worlds and findin' our friends should be a piece of cake."

Wendy replied, "It's not just our friends I'm worried about. It's the kind of other worlds we'll be going to next. We've had a little bit of luck getting through Wonderland, but we still don't know what's out there."

Carla spoke, "She has a point, you know. Considering the circumstances, Wonderland and Traverse Town are the only worlds we're familiar with. Whether the next world is wondrous at best or terrifying at worst, there's no telling what we'll find."

Goofy grinned, "A-hyuck, then we'll just have to find out for ourselves." His eyes shifted to the navigation screen, "It's only an hour before we get to the next world. We're gonna have to keep our shirts on."

Carla sighed, "This could take longer than we expected."

Wendy asked, "You guys got anything to read?"

Jiminy offered with his journal, "Wendy, would you like to see what I have so far in my journal?"

Wendy eyed the tiny book in the cricket's hand, "But it's too small."

Jiminy assured, "Don't worry, I've enlarged the letters to make it readable. Feel free to observe its contents for as long as you want."

Wendy smiled and took the book, "Thanks."

Goofy offered, "Why don't you, Carla, and Sherria help yourselves in the engine lounge? We'll keep driving this thing 'til we get there."

Sherria cheered, "Yeah, it'll be fun! You and me, having some quality time together. Remember Ryuzetsu Land and the Thanksgiving Festival?"

Wendy giggled, "Those were the best times! Come on, let's go to the engine lounge!"

One hour later...

It was easy to see that Sherria was mesmerized. Both she and Wendy were sitting on a large couch, sharing Jiminy's notes and each other's thoughts over milk and a plate of cookies. The engine lounge was the beating heart of the ship, which had also been modified into comfortable quarters for anyone who elected to come along for the trip. Every time Wendy and Sherria conversed, it took them back to happier days before Earth-land was swallowed in darkness, and any trace of worry was gone.

Wendy fantasized, "Just imagine it, Sherria. There are other worlds out there, just like ours..."

Sherria said excitedly, "When we have a ship like this one, we should go on a space adventure someday! Don't you think that'd be so cool?"

Wendy smiled back, "Are you kidding? It'd be the coolest thing ever!"

Sherria continued, "Speaking of ships, I heard you suffer from motion sickness since the whole Tartaros affair a year ago."

Wendy confessed, "Yeah, I've been training a lot, and I've gained a lot of strength. Since then, my experience with vehicles tends to be a bit dizzying for me."

Sherria asked, "Well, since you're in a ship right now, how come you don't feel your stomach turn over?"

Wendy answered, "I think..." She touched her stomach to think of a possible reason, "A strange sensation prevented me from losing my sense of balance. The first time I received the Keyblade, I took a boat, and I thought I was going to feel my stomach turn over. I think its magic stopped me from experiencing motion sickness."

Sherria chuckled, "I guess so. That key-shaped blade does wonders, I bet. You're now free to travel through space."

Wendy sighed, "If the rest of Fairy Tail was here, we'd definitely travel through space."

Sherria pointed out, "There are as many worlds as there are stars. If we're gonna search our friends, we gotta search 'em all. No use crying over spilled milk, right?"

Wendy nodded, "Right. Oh..." A thought occurred to her, "And there's one thing I wanted to say about the Queen of Hearts. She may be mean and scary, but deep down, she wasn't such a bad person."

Sherria agreed, "Yeah. She's trying to protect Wonderland from bad guys like the Heartless and Jester Jugular."

Wendy wondered, "Where do you think we'll go next?"

Sherria winked, "For now, Wendy, we gotta take it to the stars. Wherever destiny leads us." She held Wendy's hand in both of hers, "Together."

Wendy agreed, "Together." She placed her hand on top of the pile, before she decided to stretch out her arms and wrap Sherria in a warm hug. The Sky God Slayer returned it, and the two nuzzled at each other's embrace.

Carla sighed with affection at this display of resolve and comfort. She said to herself, "I'm looking forward to what those two can accomplish together."

They were suddenly interrupted by a loud rumbling sound. "What's going on?" Wendy gasped.

"Did we hit turbulence or something?" Sherria wondered.

"Let's go up," Wendy urged.

At the cockpit...

Wendy, Carla, and Sherria saw through the cockpit window a small fleet of Heartless ships approaching the Gummi Ship like turtles.

Goofy warned, "Donald, Heartless ships at three o'clock!"

Donald scoffed, "Keep dreaming. They come in numbers, but they're not that tough." He then pushed a button, and a barrage of lasers blew every Heartless ship out of the stars. "Who invited them, anyway? Their gummi models are tiny and slow."

Wendy asked, "That's what's going on? More Heartless ships?"

Sherria remarked, "I didn't know they could run ships."

Wendy could barely stifle a laugh, "Yeah. Weird, right?"

Sherria snickered, "Very weird."

Carla interjected, "But what about the noise?"

Goofy explained, "It's our laser cannons shooting down an asteroid. It's so big, it exploded when we blew it up."

Sherria confirmed, "So that's what happened. It's the explosion of an asteroid that rocked the ship." She then sighed, "Just when we're about to enjoy a friendly moment..."

Wendy mused, "I know."

Goofy soon called, "Hey, fellas! We've approached a new world!" Everyone else peered through the window to see the next world coming into view: a large stone coliseum based on architecture from ancient Greece, where two giant golden statues of gladiators clashing swords stood around the main gate. The building was surrounded by wisps of white clouds, and was perched on a giant golden cloud.

Sherria admired, "Nice going, Goofy! That was fast, thought I wouldn't call it fast, since it took an hour to get there."

Goofy grinned at her, "Hey, that's my game."

Carla asked, "What do you suppose is our new destination?"

Donald suggested, "Let's ask Chip and Dale." He pressed a button on the control panel, and the Gummi Ship navigators appeared on the monitor screen. "What's the details on the new world?"

Chip answered, "According to our scans, it's called Olympus Coliseum. It's a legendary arena where fighters all over the world compete in tournaments to see if one of 'em's the best of the best."

Dale smiled, "Recently, they're havin' a tournament series, and whoever wins all the cups, they get tons of prizes! Fun fact: legend says that the Coliseum's made and fashioned by gods."

Sherria exclaimed, "Gods? That whole place is made by GODS?!"

Chip nodded, "Yeah, like Dale said. Y'know, big immortal guys wearin' dresses and making their home in the clouds?"

Dale stated, "The Coliseum's the most prized creation of the gods of Olympus."

Chip pointed out, "They built it so that fighters can prove their strength, speed, and athleticism."

Dale chimed, "Another fun fact: the Coliseum's fixed in the heavens, and heaven is where the gods live!"

Carla confirmed, "That would explain why the arena is standing on top of a cloud."

Wendy questioned, "Does that mean this world's the home of the gods?"

Chip answered, "Yes and no. The Coliseum's actually located on one of the highest peaks of Mount Olympus, easily reachable by mortals. That mountain is home of the gods, and the rest of the world is home to mortal folks."

Dale added, "To reach it, ya gotta climb the mountain. Just a few hikes up, and you're there! But I'm pretty sure you can land there without climbin' the mountain, considerin' you've got a ship."

Sherria rubbed her chin, "A coliseum in the heavens... Color me interested."

Goofy said, "I guess it's time for a little tour of the place."

Wendy suggested, "If our friends are down there, maybe they'll be at the arena."

Sherria pointed out, "If there's one thing our guilds can't miss up, it's good entertainment, competition, and a lot of sport." She shook happily, "This is it. We get to see actual gods for the first time, and I get to test my magic out! I can't wait!"

"Hold on!" Donald cut her off, as he stood up from his co-pilot's seat with a serious expression. "Before we go, let's institute some rules while we're in other worlds. I should've told Wendy a long time ago, but a job's a job." He counted his fingers, "Rule #1: You can't tell anyone you're from other worlds. Rule #2: You can't meddle in other people's affairs. Rule #3: You can't bring anyone from other worlds with us, except for the people we're familiar with. And Rule #4, the most important rule of all..." He paused to let this sink in, "...play it cool."

"Cool, huh?" Sherria crossed her hips. "To put it simply, we go out there and act like tourists."

"But what if somebody needs help?" Wendy asked. "What if the Heartless appear?"

"We can handle the Heartless," Donald responded. "But whatever business those people are doing, it's not our problem. This isn't the time for fun and games."

"Does this mean I'm not gonna fight a real god?" Sherria pouted.

"That's right," Donald nodded. "Our mission comes first before anything else. Only we can deal with it."

"And which 'we' are you referring to?" Sherria raised an eyebrow.

"Well..." Donald took a few seconds to respond. "Us! You know, Goofy and me. We're the main party of the mission, and you, Wendy, and the crazy cat lady are just the support party."

"I beg your pardon?" Carla asked suspiciously.

"No way!" Wendy refused. "You know very well you can't do this alone. King Mickey sent you to follow the one who holds the Keyblade, and you found me. Isn't that part of the mission? Would you have gotten this far if I hadn't showed up?"

"She's got a point," Goofy agreed. "I mean, who saved us when our butts were handed over by the Heartless and that mean ol' queen's house of cards? Who wrangled them giant Heartless with those sweet moves? Wendy did!"

"Don't tell me you're supporting that kid, too!" Donald exclaimed.

"The King's counting on us to follow the key and the person who holds it," Goofy reminded. "It doesn't matter how old or if that feller's a boy or a girl; we gotta stick with her no matter what. If we don't, the King's gonna be upset."

"But—" Donald attempted to protest.

"No buts, Donald," Goofy wagged a finger. "We're followin' her, whether we want to or not."

"I guess I'm stuck with you guys," Wendy giggled. "Probably for a long time."

"You also have an Exceed and a Sky God Slayer for backup," Sherria added. "We're gonna need all the help we can get if we ever want to make it through this universe. We'll be more than just a support party."

"Ah, phooey," Donald sighed in defeat. "Why did the Keyblade have to choose a little troublemaker like Wendy?"

"Ready to check out the place?" Goofy asked eagerly.

"Ready!" Wendy elected.

"I'm in!" Sherria raised a hand.

"Let's go," Carla affirmed.

"Then away we go!"


OLYMPUS COLISEUM

Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Carla, and Sherria entered the Coliseum Gates through the main gateway, and looked up in awe at the impressive infrastructure. The giant gladiator statues glimmered with the rays of the sun, their blades clashing over another set of doors. At the statues' feet were torches lit by flame, even though the sun had brightened the scenery. The five went inside, and along the way, they discovered nine more Dalmatian puppies enclosed in a treasure chest no one bothered to use.

Found Dalmatians. Numbers 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 returned home!

They entered what appeared to be the coliseum lobby, with two torches on either side casting a dim light on the walls, and the cracks in the stone visible underfoot. A "closed" sign was tied in a dark doorway, and a large pedestal was placed against the wall near one of the torches. Putting up a sign on the wall near the doorway was a satyr, a creature with the lower body of a goat with orange fur and brown hooves, and the upper body of a short man with an enormous gut and hair on his chest and arms. The top of his head was bald, save for four strands of orange hair, while the back of his hair was about shoulder-length. He had a pink nose, pointed ears, black eyes, a brown uni-brow, and two brown goat horns sprouting out of the top of his head.

Wendy walked up to the busy-looking satyr, and was about to tap on his shoulder. "Um, excuse me..."

"Good timin'," the satyr spoke, not turning his back to look at Wendy. "Give me a hand, will ya?" He pointed to the pedestal, still facing the sign on the wall, "Move that pedestal over there for me. I gotta spruce this place up for the Games."

"Move the pedestal?" Wendy turned to her friends. "What do you think he meant by that?"

"How should I know?" Sherria shrugged. "He asked you a favor."

"I'll try..." Wendy walked over the pedestal and placed her hands against it to start pushing. She tried with all her might, but it simply wouldn't budge. The Sky Maiden panted, and on her last breath, wiped a few sweat from her forehead. She exclaimed, "It's no use! It's weighs a ton!"

"Are you alright, Wendy?" Carla asked.

"I'm fine," Wendy tensed, rubbing her arms. She walked back up to the satyr, who was still setting up the sign, "I'm sorry, mister. I can't move it. It's way too heavy!"

"What?! Too heavy?!" the satyr exclaimed. "Since when have you been such a little—" He turned around, excepting to see someone much taller, and he changed his tone when he spotted the Sky Dragon Slayer. "Oh, wrong guy. All I see is a little girl wanderin' around the lobby. What's the matter, did ya get lost or somethin'?"

"I'm not alone," Wendy shook her head, before gesturing to the rest of her group. "I'm with my friends."

"Oh, okay. I get it," the satyr confirmed. "All I see is a bunch of kids playin' hide-and-seek in the lobby. What're you all doing here? You never seen a satyr before?"

"Satyr?" Sherria raised an eyebrow. "What's a satyr?"

"Half-man, half goat, duh," the satyr rolled his eyes. "Geez, you're from kindergarten, and you don't know the first thing about a satyr? You gotta listen to your elders."

"Do you have any idea who you're talking to, smart mouth?" Donald glared.

"Yeah, I'm talkin' to you, duck boy," the satyr glared back.

"Duck boy?" Donald fumed with anger. "Why, I oughta...!"

"Don't mind him," Goofy held him back. "He has a short temper."

"No, I don't," Donald muttered. "It's just..."

"Wow, a goat and a man mixed together as one!" Wendy marveled. "A goat man!"

"Oh, you think?" the satyr said sarcastically. "Would you believe me if this 'goat man's' the one runnin' the joint?"

"You own this place?" Carla asked curiously. "Who are you, if I may ask?"

"The name's Philoctetes, the trainer of heroes. Call me Phil," the satyr introduced himself. He hopped down to their level and gaited towards Donald, who backed away. "And this here's the world-famous Olympus Coliseum— heroes only! Right now, I've got my hands full preparing for the Games. So run along, pipsqueaks."

"That's not very polite," Carla frowned. "We just met, and you're brushing us aside?"

"We only came here wondering what these Games were," Wendy explained. "We thought someone we knew might've been here to watch, maybe even be a part of the fighting."

Instead of showing them the door, Philoctetes relaxed a bit and explained while pacing around, "Look, it's like this. Heroes are coming from all over to fight ferocious monsters right here in the Coliseum. If you wanna reserve a seat for all the intense action you're gonna see, you'll have to go to the ticket counter."

"But we're not here to watch the Games," Wendy responded. "We're here to enter. If we participate in whatever competition the Coliseum's having, we might be able to find what we're looking for." She turned to her companions for their opinion, "What do you think?"

"Why not?" Goofy shrugged. "For all we know, King Mickey and your fairy friends could be out there in the crowd, cheerin' for us."

"I suppose we should participate," Carla accepted. "We'll find something of equal importance there."

"Not only that, we're gonna display our skills in the arena," Sherria determined. "We'll end up fighting the whole coliseum crowd. So yeah, let's join the Games."

"Ha! You five think you can handle something like the Coliseum Games?" Philoctetes scoffed. "This is no playground; there are heroes out there with special powers and sweet abilities no ordinary person can match. You're dealing with tough, experienced warriors. You'll easily get mashed into fish paste."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wendy wondered.

"To put it short and sweet, you're too wimpy," Philoctetes explained. "You wouldn't last five seconds. I doubt any of you have what it takes."

"Oh, yeah?" Donald crossed his arms with a smirk. "Take a good look at us, goat man. You've got REAL heroes standing right in front of you."

"Wendy, Carla, and I are members of magical guilds," Sherria stated. "We've battled evildoers in our own right."

"Yup!" Goofy placed his hands on Wendy's shoulders, and she smiled. "Wendy's a real heroine chosen by the Keyblade."

"And we're heroes, too!" Donald pointed a thumb to himself.

Philoctetes felt that was quite absurd, especially with Wendy. He pointed a finger in disbelief, "Heroine?! That blueberry cupcake?!" He began laughing hysterically, slapping his large belly.

"What's so funny?" Wendy demanded, taking great offense to the satyr's behavior. "I fought a bunch of monsters!"

Philoctetes just kept on laughing as he fell on the ground, laughing even harder. "This is really making my day! The girl with blue hair, she's a hero! A cutie hero! What's your special power? Cuddling everyone to death?" He clutched his sides, and he rolled all the way to the pedestal. "Miss Cutie Hero!" Philoctetes mocked in a baby voice, "Would you like some tea, Mr. Kratos? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, cutie hero!" He then mimicked another voice, "How many lumps? Three or four?" Wendy was annoyed even further. Eventually, the satyr stopped laughing and caught his breath, wiping a tear from his eye. "Hey, what you said about the cutie pie being a real hero, it struck my funny bone!"

Wendy said adamantly, "Well, I'm the chosen wielder of the Keyblade and a Sky Dragon Slayer. It doesn't matter how young I am. I'm plenty strong!"

Philoctetes mocked, "Plenty strong, huh? Hey, if you can't even move this..." He pushed against the pedestal to prove his point, but it didn't move. He tried pushing with his back against it, his hooves slipping on the floor, "You can't... call... yourself..." Wendy and company exchanged glances, shaking their heads from side to side. This was starting to look somewhat pathetic. "...a hero!" Philoctetes collapsed against the side of the pedestal, trying to catch his breath again.

Carla asked with an unimpressed look, "You were saying?"

Philoctetes wheezed, "Okay, so it takes more than brawn." After a moment, he stood back up with the pedestal as support, "Well, since you're sure of yourself, I'll give you a trial run. Just to warn ya, this ain't easy. Think you got it in you, sweetie?"

Wendy flipped out her Keyblade with a determined expression. She cried, "I'm ready!"

Philoctetes unfastened the closed sign from the doorway, giving Wendy and company permission to enter. "Okay, kid. Let's see what you got."


Coliseum

The group found themselves in the Coliseum's battle arena, separated into two gigantic slabs of stone carved as benches for an audience. Between the seating areas was the stage signified by six large stone pillars, forming an irregular hexagon. Opposite of the door leading out of the vestibule was a caged doorway, and beyond that gate was where the opponents would access to enter the arena. In Grecian times, caged gates kept lions and other kinds of wild beasts as reservations for entertainment. Yet something told Wendy that in this case, those opponents, should she and her friends were allowed to join the Games, were going to be monsters, possibly hordes of Heartless.

Sherria remarked, "This place is huge. Sorta reminds me of Domus Flau. Remember, Wendy?"

Wendy giggled, "How could I forget? That's where the Grand Magic Games took place, and my guild won."

Sherria admired, "I was so happy for your victory, I nearly spilled a glass of milk."

Wendy appreciated, "It was our bonds of family that led us to victory."

Carla raised a paw, "Excuse me, Philoctetes? If you're a trainer of heroes, who have you trained so far?"

Philoctetes answered, "In my day, I've whipped to shape a whole slew of would-be heroes; Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, a lotta 'yessus.' And then there was Achilles." A smile briefly crossed his face, "That guy practically had it all, but none of these guys could go the distance the way he can."

Carla wondered, "And who exactly is he?"

Philoctetes responded, "You'll find out soon. Ah, here we are!" The five stopped in front of the arena, where several piles of barrels were set up around it. "We only have a few minutes before the arena's jam packed with crowds, so let's make this quick."

Wendy asked eagerly, "What are we gonna do?"

Philoctetes instructed, "The rules are simple: bust all the barrels in less than a minute. Got it?"

Wendy confirmed, "No problem." She then stepped into the arena.

Donald, Goofy, Carla, and Sherria were about to follow, but Philoctetes stopped them. "Just her. You can watch."

Donald wondered, "Why does she have to do it alone?"

Goofy guessed, "Maybe he's tryin' to get her to show her stuff."

Philoctetes gave the signal, "Ready? Go!"

Gripping the Blue Mistral, Wendy ran up and slashed three barrels easily with a combo. Once they broke, the barrels flew towards and hit more targets, counting as hits. Her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic enforcing her body, she sped through the rest of the barrels, slashing them and finishing with a bit of time to spare. Wendy looked at Philoctetes, "How's that?"

Philoctetes remarked, "Not bad. For a beginner, that is. That was just the warm-up. Let's see what you can really do." Within seconds, the broken wood magically disappeared, and was replaced by fifty more barrels. "Think you can beat it?"

Wendy was a bit confused, but decided it was best to take the challenge anyway, and got into position. Once Philoctetes gave the signal, she charged at the barrels and cut them down with speed and accuracy. She even used a few Sky Dragon Slayer Magic spells at a couple. With only five seconds left, she managed to make it through.

Philoctetes admired, "Hey, you're better than I thought!"


Lobby

As they returned to the vestibule, Donald, Goofy, Carla, and Sherria patted Wendy's back, congratulating her on a job well done. Philoctetes also gave his congratulations, "You know, you ain't bad, kid."

Wendy giggled and rubbed the back of her head, feeling confident about herself. She said, "Looks like I'm headed for the Games."

Philoctetes' face immediately hardened, as he put his fists on his waist. He gave his answer, "Afraid not."

Everyone was just as surprised as Wendy was. "WHAT?!"

Sherria demanded, "How come?"

Philoctetes answered, "Listen, just because your blueberry friend whacked a couple of barrels doesn't mean I'm letting you frolic your way into the Games!"

Wendy asked in disbelief, "W-Why not?"

"Two words:" Philoctetes barked, raising two fingers for Wendy to see. "You guys ain't heroes!"

Wendy whined, "Come on!"

Sherria exclaimed, "This is so wrong! Can't you give us a chance?! And it's four words."

Goofy counted his fingers, "One, two..."

Philoctetes scoffed, "Who cares? At least you get what I meant!"

Carla shook her head in disappointment, "How pathetic. You had to be the most stubborn creature we've ever met."

Philoctetes rolled his eyes, "Does it look like I care?"

Carla glared, "Can't you see how skilled Wendy was? She is capable of holding her own, and you won't admit it!"

Philoctetes crossed his arms, "Admit it? Ha! She's nothing short of a wimpy crybaby with a toy blade!"

Carla argued, "This is no mere blade! It's a Keyblade! She is obviously the right choice!"

Philoctetes countered, "You don't know nothin' about being a hero. I'm a trainer of heroes, and I know a lot more about heroes than you do."

Carla sneered, "I don't see a trainer of heroes. I see a stubborn old goat! Stubborn is what you are!"

Philoctetes jeered, "At least I'm taller than you, kitty cat. You don't even have a tall body! Ha-ha-ha!"

Carla threatened, "Watch your words, you insolent goat!"

Philoctetes shouted, "Oh, yeah?! Whatcha gonna do about it, furball for brains?!"

A minute later...

Philoctetes was rubbing his cheek, which had been bruised as a result of a kick from Carla's human form, as punishment for disrespecting Wendy. Donald, Goofy, and Sherria laughed at his expense, while Wendy stared with disdain. The satyr muttered, "Note to self: never trust a cat that can change into a girl." He then turned to Wendy and her friends with a serious expression, "Look, you wanna become a real hero? Start by mastering this spell." He went into the corner and brought something familiar to the group: a yellow Magic Orb, pulsating with small jolts of lightning.

Donald recognized, "A Thunder Magic Orb! We'll take it." He took the Magic Orb and handed it to the Sky Dragon Slayer, "Here you go, kid."

Wendy touched the Magic Orb, which popped into light and transferred into the Keyblade, adding a new slot to her Keyblade Magic. "Now I can use Lightning Magic like Laxus. Too bad I can't use this in the Games."

Philoctetes mentioned, "Sorry, rookies. The rules of the Olympus Coliseum commission clearly state that you need a pass to get in the Games. You can still stick around and watch if you want."

Goofy began, "I suppose we could..."

Donald quickly squashed that idea, "Ah, phooey. We don't have time for this. We've got other places to go and people to see."

Philoctetes shrugged, "Suit yourself." He then got back to work, and Wendy and her friends departed from the lobby, but not before Donald secretly summoned a Thunder spell that electrocuted the stubborn satyr, frying his body to a crisp. "Holy Hera..." With a cough, Philoctetes collapsed to the ground, and Donald chuckled mischievously.

"Serves you right!"


Coliseum Gates

The group left the vestibule and decided to look for their friends elsewhere. Though disappointed, Wendy tried her best not to show it, until Sherria wrapped her arm around her waist. "Aww, it's gonna be okay, Wendy."

Wendy turned to the Sky God Slayer, "I'm fine. It's just... Phil doesn't want us to be in the Games."

Carla reminded, "He's too blind to see what you can do, child."

Goofy nodded, "Yup, they're missin' out one little gal who's tougher than nails!" He then noticed Wendy, Carla, and Sherria staring at him with odd looks. "At least you get what I'm sayin'."

Donald interjected, "Who needs to be a part of those stupid games, anyway? And who wants to be a hero in this world? We're heroes in our own right! But seriously, if we're not wanted here, we're needed elsewhere. This place isn't worth our time. Let's move on."

Wendy sighed, "You're right, Donald. Let's go back to the ship."

"Hmph, rather a stubborn old goat. Wouldn't you say?"

A mysterious voice sounded from near the coliseum gates, causing the group to come to a halt. They turned and were startled to see Hades, the same figure that was part of Maleficent's Alliance of Evil.

Donald narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger, demanding answers. "Who are you?"

Hades approached them, "Whoa, hold on there, fuzz boy. I wasn't trying to scare you. I couldn't help but overhear you five wanting to enter the games. Am I right?" He walked over to them, the blue flame dancing on his head. He stood behind Wendy, placing his long-fingered hand on her shoulder. "Well, then, hey, get a load of this." His fingers cupped together, and from a wisp of blue flame, a piece of papyrus appeared in his hand.

Wendy's eyes widened when she saw what it was. "A pass? You're giving this to us?"

Hades nodded, "It's a leftover. Good enough for a team of five such as yourselves. Blueberry, Cherry Hair, Duck Boy, Dog Boy, and Cat Girl. It's all yours." He began to leave after giving the Sky Dragon Slayer the entry pass, "Good luck, kid. I'm pulling for ya."

Wendy appreciated, "Thanks, mister... Uh..."

Hades introduced himself, "Hades, Lord of the Dead, blah, blah, blah. Oh, and sweetheart, keep this our little secret." He then left.

Carla felt suspicious that the group received the entry pass from a stranger. She wondered, "Why would he give it to us? He's obviously dark and mysterious."

Donald smirked, "Who cares? We can enter the Games now! I can't wait to see the look on his face when we show it to him."

Wendy said, "I don't understand it either. But come on, let's see if we can enter the Games."

Carla, in the end, decided to put her suspicions on hold and followed her friends back into the Coliseum. Hades watched from afar, a large insidious grin growing on his face. "Suckers."


Lobby

Philoctetes was hanging up the rule board inside when he heard footsteps. He turned to see that Wendy's group had returned to the vestibule. "Huh? Oh, it's you again. You must be dreaming if you think a little thunder's gonna convince me to let you in."

Donald gloated, "Hey, old timer! We've got something for ya!"

Wendy showed the pass, and Philoctetes took it, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Hey, how'd you get this?"

Remembering Hades' words, Wendy changed the subject, "Can we enter the Games now?"

Philoctetes observed the pass closely, "Well... I guess so. You're in." Wendy and her friends cheered excitedly and gave each other hi-fives in response to this opportunity. Philoctetes then pointed to the rule board for them to see, "The Games just have three rules: no summons, no fighting to the death, and have fun throughout." The group nodded in understanding. "Now that we got that out of the way, we start with the preliminaries! You guys ready?"

Wendy said proudly, "You bet!"

Sherria said confidently, "Not a problem for us."

Carla nodded, "We accept your challenge."

Philoctetes pointed out, "And one more thing, some real weirdos signed up for the Games. Better watch yourself."

Sherria confirmed, "Weirdos, huh? Okay, we'll keep our eyes open."


Coliseum

For the next hour, hundreds of people filled up the Coliseum. The audience was very excited to finally see the Games after so much hype and speculation. An announcer in Greek clothing came out to make his announcement, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the annual Olympus Coliseum Games! Warriors and heroes all over the world collide in the largest dream contest of the century! Fine teams, equally renowned, deserve to win the championship trophies today, but only one team will emerge victorious! Who will rise among them all? Let's start things off by beginning the first round of the preliminaries! In just a few moments, the first round participants will enter the arena floor. The object of each match is to duel until one side submits or can no longer continue. The winners will move on to the rounds until all but one team or participant remains. Whoever wins the preliminaries receives the opportunity to advance in the next set of tournaments. Introducing first to my left, Team Wendy: Wendy Marvell, Donald Duck, Goofy, Carla, and Sherria Blendy!"

The group of five emerged from the left entrance until they arrived in the middle of the stage. Sherria looked around to see the ocean of spectators erupting into cheers. "Look at all these people."

Donald asked, "What do you think? Are we going to pull this off?"

Wendy encouraged, "Of course we can. If we work together, we can do anything."

The announcer continued, "And their opponents to my right, Shadow Scout!"

Much to Wendy and company's surprise, their opponents were comprised of Heartless. The team consisted of four Soldiers and three Blue Rhapsodies.

Goofy exclaimed, "Heartless! Phil wasn't kiddin' about weirdos enterin' the Games..."

Sherria guessed, "Looks like they came here to get a piece of us."

Wendy summoned her Keyblade, "Even so, we can take them on."

Carla transformed into her human form, "Let's do it!"

Round 1: Shadow Scout

Donald, Goofy, and Sherria went after the Blue Rhapsodies, so that Wendy and Carla could deal with the Soldiers. One Soldier tried clawing at the Sky Maiden, to which she blocked with her Keyblade. She then jumped away and aimed right at all three of them, firing a Blizzard spell that destroyed them. The last Soldier tried to attack from behind, but Carla delivered a flurry of kicks that rendered it paralyzed. That gave Wendy the chance to finish off the Soldier with a 3-hit combo. Meanwhile, Donald incinerated the first Blue Rhapsody with a Fire spell, Goofy dispatched the second with Goofy Tornado, and Sherria crushed the third with Sky God's Boreas. The dust cleared, the audience cheered, and Wendy and company did a victory dance.

Wendy twirled her Keyblade around, "We got 'em!"

Seconds later...

Wendy and her companions met up with Philoctetes, who scouted them during the intermission. "You see that, goat man? I told you we're good!" Donald boasted.

"You're no heroes yet, but you ain't doing bad," Philoctetes commented, stroking his goatee. "Lucky you came to me for coaching."

Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Carla, and Sherria gave a half smile and shook their heads, chuckling at Philoctetes. Just then, a tall young man with spiky blonde hair walked past the five of them. He was dressed in a long red cape torn on the end, a blue shirt with strapped belts, brown gloves, a blue extension on his right arm, several metal bracelets around his left arm, a metal shoulder pad, blue pants, brown shoes, and a holster for a sword. The man continued his walk, glancing at Wendy with mysterious intent, and she glanced back with curiosity. He then looked away, his attention drawn elsewhere, and his cape flying behind him.

"Something tells me he'll be a tough one to beat," Philoctetes remarked. "Who knows, maybe you'll end up facing him."

"By the look in his eyes, he has his own reasons for entering the Games," Wendy assumed.

"Whatever the reason, we must stay focused," Carla reminded.

Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Carla, and Sherria were sent back into the arena for their next match. The next wave of Heartless was called Sinisters, consisting of three Blue Rhapsodies and ten Shadows.

Round 2: Sinisters

The Shadows all went into the ground and scattered. Wendy waited patiently for them to show up, and she pointed her Keyblade in the air with a mighty cry, "Thunder!" Several lightning bolts came out of the sky, hitting the Shadows, destroying six of them. One Blue Rhapsody shot an ice arrow, but the Sky Dragon Slayer cartwheeled away and counterattacked with Sky Dragon's Claw. She then shot three Fire spells in a row, two at the Shadows and one at a Blue Rhapsody, which burned them to a crisp, and then executed Sky Dragon's Roar at the remaining Heartless.

Team Wendy emerged victorious. Wendy crossed her hips and smiled, "That was easy!"

The next group they faced was called Heat & Freeze, which had Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsodies together in one team.

Round 3: Heat & Freeze

The spellcasting Heartless flew around in different directions, each firing a rain of fireballs and ice arrows at Wendy's group, but they managed to dodge them all. Donald cast Fire at the Blue Rhapsodies, while Wendy cast Blizzard at the Red Nocturnes, destroying them in rapid succession.

The match was won. Donald tossed his staff in the air and posed, "Good work!"

Afterwards...

During another intermission, Wendy and company reunited with Philoctetes, who began to let the Sky Maiden's skills grow on him. "Say, you're better than I thought, kid! Wish he was here to see this."

This perked Wendy's interest. "Who?"

"Hercules," Philoctetes explained. "He's the all-time undefeated champ of Olympus Coliseum. A hero if ever there was one. Too bad he's off visiting his father, or he'd be here scouting the competition, including you. In case you're wondering, he's my trainee."

"Hercules is your student?" Wendy asked in surprise.

"How interesting..." Carla rubbed her chin. "How is it that he gained such a reputation?"

"Oh, you'll definitely like him!" Philoctetes smiled proudly. "Herc has those bursting-at-the-seams biceps that's won him hugs and kisses all over Greece. He has super strength that lets him lift the chunk of a whole mountain, and it's a hundred thousand pounds over!"

"Cool! The champion of the Coliseum is a super-strong guy with super-tough biceps!" Sherria marveled. "It's like he's a god!"

"He is a god," Philoctetes replied. "He's the son of Zeus and Hera, king and queen of the gods on Mount Olympus."

"WHAAAAAATTTT?!" Sherria screamed at the top of her lungs, extremely shocked at the satyr's revelation. Wendy, Donald, Goofy, and Carla were startled by her reaction. "HE'S A GOOOOOOOOD?!"

"Sherria, not so loud!" Donald covered his ears, flinching at the loud noise. "You'll wake up the neighborhood!"

"It's an arena," Carla said dryly. "It doesn't have any neighbors."

"I'm just saying," Donald shrugged. "You've got a problem with that, cat?"

"I have no comment about it whatsoever, duck," Carla countered.

"Hercules is a god?" Wendy asked curiously.

"In a way, yeah," Philoctetes nodded. "Though he's the son of a god, he lives down on earth as a mortal. When he was a baby, somebody kidnapped him and used some kind of formula to turn him mortal. But he didn't drink the last drop, and he still has godlike strength he inherited from Zeus. If he's ever gonna rejoin the gods on Olympus, he's gotta be a true hero. For that purpose, he asked me to train him, and he's been in my shoes ever since."

"Amazing..." Wendy remarked. "A real god turned mortal, fighting to be a real hero..."

"That would explain his rise to prominence," Carla confirmed. "His godlike strength lets him triumph over impossible odds."

And just like that, the sounds of the hundreds in attendance, the whole arena, and the atmosphere drowned out around the Sky God Slayer. She barely felt her face contort in shocked happiness, or heard her voice cry out an excited shudder. Sherria was imagining the most glorious of futures, a perfect opportunity for a God Slayer such as herself to prove her worth. Every time she looked around the arena, she could see herself fighting Hercules in the final match of the tournament. After a long, arduous battle, she stood on top of the champion's crumpled figured. She dreamed of what it would be like when she presented the beaten, bruised body of the great hero to the Lamia Scale guild as a final respect. It would elevate their status and reputation, mostly hers.

Sherria remained silent, and stood frozen. She was still smiling, still breathing. A big grin never lost her face.

"Sherria?" Wendy tended to Sherria's condition. Another shudder was her friend's only reply. "Sherria?"

"What's her deal?" Philoctetes wondered. "It's like she's a big fan of heroes or gods."

"Or maybe she's excited," Wendy assumed. "That she gets to fight an actual god."

"It's one of Sherria's lifelong dreams," Carla assumed. "She desired to test the limits of her God Slayer Magic against a real god."

"Oh, brother..." Donald rolled his eyes.

"God Slayer Magic, huh?" Philoctetes stroked his goatee with intrigue. "Never heard of it before. Some kind of new magic that lets ya stand up to gods?"

"We hope so," Wendy replied. "She's so determined to follow her dreams. I'll gladly see it through with her to the end."

Philoctetes grinned, "Y'know, back when I was living on an island, I was a different goat man. After so many failures in life, I thought that dreams are for rookies and there's no point in following them because they only lead to so much disappointment. When I met Herc, I realized that I was wrong."

Wendy spoke, "Sounds like one of our friends. Carla used to be like that, too."

Philoctetes turned to look at the white Exceed, "Really?"

Carla confessed, "Yes. I used to feel the same way. I thought there was no point in following such an idyllic life, and my only purpose was my duty to protect Wendy. I was so focused on that duty that I shut myself off from everybody and kept to myself and Wendy's safety. That was only until I returned home to Extalia; I finally warmed up to the idea of having friends and finding a dream to pursue."

Wendy nodded, "So it's not like you're the only one who's thought along those lines, Phil. Sometimes it takes a lot to make somebody realize things they never would have before."

Philoctetes chuckled, "You're right, kid. Real life is a kicker, but you kick yourself back up. Come to think of it, Herc's a dreamer, too. When he first came to me, his clothes were kinda the same color as your fur."

Carla grinned, "Maybe being white has something to do with starting out with a clean slate!"

Wendy laughed, "I was just thinking the same thing!" They all had a good laugh at that until an announcement was heard.

"Would Team Wendy please make their way into the ring?"

"Uh-oh!" Donald exclaimed. "We better get back, or we'll forfeit the match."

"Let's go, guys," Wendy urged. Donald, Goofy, and Carla headed back to the arena, and the Sky Maiden paused to see Sherria still in a trance. She gave a loud shout to snap her out of it, "Sherria! We need to get back!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Gotta get moving!" Sherria jumped and quickly jolted over to the stage, and Wendy followed suit.

Putting their focus on the next match, Team Wendy was now dealing with Shadow Platoon, which included seven Red Nocturnes, seven Blue Rhapsodies, six Shadows, and six Soldiers.

Round 4: Shadow Platoon

Donald shot out a Blizzard spell to get rid of the Shadows quickly, and Wendy used a Thunder spell to electrocute the Soldiers. With them stunned, the group hit each of them with their respective attacks until they were eliminated. The Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsodies shot their respective elemental blasts which hit Wendy and Sherria, who gasped from the slight injuries. The two retaliated with aerial combos, taking them out. Goofy disposed of the remaining Heartless with his shield, deflecting projectiles and swirling his shield around in a frenzy, thus ending the match.

Wendy pumped her fist in the air, "Alright!"

Goofy chuckled, "Not bad, huh?"

For the next round, the group fought Blue Revenge, comprised of thirty Blue Rhapsodies.

Round 5: Blue Revenge

The swarm of spellcasting Heartless flew forward and began shooting a rain of icy arrows. Wendy, Donald, and Goofy used their weapons to deflect each shot. In turn, they dodged a few while slashing any in their way. When the Blue Rhapsodies were open and taking a few seconds to recharge, Wendy and her friends shot forward to finish them all off, and the match was over. The group did another victory dance.

Goofy jumped up and down, "We did it!"

Donald cheered, "For Daisy!"

Sherria smirked, "Don't mess with us!"

Wendy smiled, "Nothing to it!"

Carla crossed her arms, "Well done."


The audience cheered loudly for Team Wendy and the progress they had made so far. They were beginning to admire them as the next big thing in the Coliseum. However, not all of them were cheering. Hades observed the scene from the barracks, with the blonde soldier leaning against the wall next to him.

Hades gave instructions to the young man, "That little brat is your next opponent, okay? Win if you can, lose if you must, but when the match is over, take her out."

The man did a bit of backtalk at Hades, "The great god of the Underworld is afraid of a little girl? Sorry, but my contract says—"

"I know!" Hades snapped at the man, cutting him off. "You think I don't know? I wrote the contract! I know it says you're only required to kill Hercules in this tournament. But that little kindergartner's the only thing standing in your way. You've gotta fight her to get to him. Come on." He gestured to Wendy, who was talking to Philoctetes during another brief intermission, "Hey, it's like that old goat says: Rule #11: It's all just a game, so let loose and have fun with it!" He punched the air to state his point, "I mean, a casualty along the way is no big deal, right?"

Wordlessly, the warrior straightened himself and walked away, taking his confident strides. He didn't even give the god of the Underworld so much as a second glance. As soon as the blonde soldier vanished from sight, Hades breathed in annoyance. "Geez, stiffer than the stiffs back home," he muttered, before a wicked smile crept onto his face. "Still, suckers like him are often hard to come by."

A large snarl came from the darkness behind him. Whatever it was, it could only mean bad news.