Telary opens his eyes to the shining light of the barely post-dawn sun, streaming in through the windows of he and Azlyn's bedrooms. He could've sworn he'd drawn the curtains last night, after he and his fiancée had, ahem, gone to bed.
Speaking of the Azlyn, the spot next to him, which she had occupied last night, is empty. She must have gotten up early, determined to seize the day with gusto. Grimacing, the wizard tries to follow in her footsteps, despite how sore he feels. Not a great way to begin a day in which you'll be competing in a fighting tournament, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made for your partner's happiness. And there had certainly been a lot of happiness the night before.
But Telary is, if nothing else, unfailingly prepared. He quickly grabs the potion bottle he'd set on his nightstand before going to bed, anticipating his current condition. After letting out a good long yawn, he downs the liquid. Restored, he gets out of bed.
After a bit of investigation to find all his clothes, the wizard gets dressed. After making sure he hasn't forgotten anything, Telary leaves his room (one of six on the rent-a-mansion's second floor). It's early, and experience tells him Sora is still snoozing, but maybe Riku is up training or something, and Kairi is often an early riser as well. Besides, there's still the mystery of where exactly Azlyn could be.
His footsteps echo as he descends the building's grand stairway, heading down into the mansion's outrageously ostentatious foyer. The only sound that can be heard other than Tel's shoe-clad footsteps is the faint noises of a working kitchen. A good thing too, since drinking a potion on an empty stomach can beget quite the stomachache.
The breakfast spread is just as extensive as one could expect from an establishment such as this, an assortment of fruits, meats, cheeses, and other fine foods all laid out on a long table. Taking a plate, Telary grabs a little of everything. Usually he prefers light breakfasts, but for a day-long fighting tournament, he'll need his energy.
It seems like such a nice morning, so the wizard decides that the best way to enjoy this breakfast would be outside. He quickly exits the large backdoor, heading for a group of tables set up by a small pool. Nobody's here, except of course the burly workers transporting large bags that tinkle with the familiar sound of munny…
"Oh dear," Telary sighs, popping a grape into his mouth and chewing it harder than necessary. His nose is twitching, which means Azlyn's either currently doing, or about to do, something over-the-top, ill-advised, and all-around objectionable. Stuffing a few more grapes in his mouth and grabbing an apple, Tel places the too-heavy plate on the table before stalking off in the direction the workmen just went.
He eventually follows the trail to a large building. The outside facade resembles some of the temples Telary has seen on the world, attached to a large round building. Riku, Sora, and Kairi stand at the bottom of the steps leading up to it, watching as the bags of munny are hauled up and into the structure. They, Telary notes with a bit of self-reproachment, brought breakfast with them.
"I missed something, didn't I?" the wizard sighs, biting into his single measly apple.
"How could you have not heard all these guys?" Sora asks, stuffing a sausage into his mouth without decorum. "They've been up and banging for hours."
"Uh, guess I just slept through it," Telary says, a bit sheepish as he recalls the, ahem, events of last night. "I was up kind of late…"
"Banging for hours?" Riku finishes with a suggestive raise of one eyebrow. Telary eyes him dubiously.
"I haven't seen Azlyn all morning, either," Kairi chimes in, stealing an apple slice off her boyfriend's plate. "Then I saw all the munny going in there and thought, well duh! I wonder what she's got in mind."
"Something annoying," Riku comments bitterly, taking a quick sip of steaming coffee. Telary thinks of admonishing him for speaking ill, but he may just have a point there.
The quartet sit on the steps and chat for a while, sharing breakfast food and watching more and more men haul bags into the temple. Then, finally, the workflow stops. Azlyn strides out of the building, dressed in a black silk robe.
"Hey," she says, which is definitely less than the group was expecting to hear. "Good to see you're all here." She sighs contentedly, grinning like a loon. "It's finally finished. And just as glorious as I imagined it would be."
"What exactly are you talking about?" Telary asks warily.
Azlyn just gestures grandly towards the building's entrance. As she does, Telary notes a ring on her finger that is not the one he gave her upon their engagement. "Come and see for yourselves!"
With the knight enthusiastically leading the way, everyone heads up the steps and through the building's massive double-door entrance. Inside is just a small lobby, a polished-to-shining floor leading to a curved stone wall. A staircase climbs the wall, leading to a large, recessed doorway.
"Those guys climbed all the way up here with all that munny?" Kairi asks, a bit astonished and majorly sympathetic.
"Thy climbed back down with a fair amount for themselves, I'd say," Azlyn grumbles. "But, if you wanna make munny, ya gotta spend it."
"This building is making you munny, then?" Riku asks, skepticism dripping from every word.
"Admittedly no," Azlyn sighs, walking up the last stair and into a short hallway. She stops in front of a large door, a small keyhole set into its face. Turning the non-engagement ring on her finger, she gives the group a smirk. "This is just where I keep it all."
She removes the mystery ring, revealing a strange protrusion on one side. She inserts it into the lock, then gives it a twist. A loud noise sounds behind, or more accurately from within the door.
"Keyblade, meet key ring," the knight explains as she places the object back on her finger. "The only key to this door, by the way. I figured it would be best to keep the circle of access small, within my sight at all times. Besides, you three hardly need any help unlocking things."
"You said this is where you're keeping the munny," Sora says, raising his hand for some reason. "So what, is this like some kind of vault?"
"Very good, Sora," Azlyn replies with a sly grin. "And, well, you're sorta right."
Suddenly, two and two make four in Telary's mind. "A huge building, stockpiled with massive amounts of munny. Oh Azlyn, you didn't?"
She just smiles back, pushing up the heavy locking mechanism with a strong heave. "Oh, I did baby. I did."
Still grinning like a toddler with a new toy, Azlyn pulls back on the door. It slides back easily enough, slowly emitting a golden glow from within. Everyone takes several steps back, trying not to get hit by the massive door or the half-maniacal woman yanking it open.
A short platform, bearing an uncanny resemblance a diving board, extends out into the open air. Below that, piled up like the treasure horde of some hibernating dragon, is a literal pool of munny. The golden coins glitter in the light of huge spotlights shining down from the vault's roof.
"You certainly did," Telary sighs. If he hadn't known this would go bad before, he definitely does now.
"This is… something," Riku comments, trying but failing to hide his awed expression at the sheer wealth crammed below.
"Welcome lady, gentlemen, and Riku," Azlyn declares with a showman's aplomb, "to Azlyn's Munny Bin!"
"Munny bin?" Kairi asks.
"There's a man back on our world," Telary explains, trying hard not to sound too terribly exasperated. "Well, a duck actually, but still. Scrooge McDuck, the richest duck in Mouseburg. He, uh, stores his munny similarly."
"It's been an inspiration to me ever since I first saw it," Azlyn says, looking out into space with palpable dreamy nostalgia. "The only time, by the way."
"We got banned from there pretty quickly," Telary deadpans.
Azlyn continues. "All that stuff, all in one place, all mine… I just knew that some day, I had to have one." She sniffles once, wiping a tear from her eye. "And now I do."
"I don't know what's sadder," Riku grumbles. "That you'd do something this insane, or that I'm actually jealous of it."
"Really cool, Azlyn," Sora says, sounding a little anxious. "But we gotta go now, or we're gonna be late for the tournament."
"Your public awaits," Kairi mutters with an eye roll.
Azlyn just shrugs. "You go on ahead. There's just one more thing I have to do to make the dream complete." Grabbing the lapel of her robe, she rips it off. Riku instinctively shields his eyes, but there's nothing to worry about. The knight's wearing a bathing suit underneath, one piece and colored Disney Castle blue.
"Oh, right." Telary sighs, rubbing at his forehead. He can feel a headache coming on. "I knew I'd forgotten one last piece of insanity."
"Wait a minute," Riku says as Azlyn pulls on a bathing cap and goggles. "You're not seriously thinking about…? You can't really…?"
"Just going for a swim, Rik," the knight replies nonchalantly.
"Uh, this might be a stupid question," Sora says, once again raising his hand. "But how can you swim in munny?"
"You can't," Kairi answers, giving her friend a worried look. "Azlyn, this is insane. A dive from this height, into that… It'll kill you!"
"I say go for it," Riku chimes in smartly. Kairi promptly smacks him hard on the arm.
"Oh, ye all of little faith," Azlyn chuckles, situating her goggles over her eyes. "I've been preparing for this day most of my life. Relax, it'll be fine."
"Telary!" Kairi implores her brother, wildly gesturing at his fiancée. "Stop her!"
"I wouldn't know how to," the wizard replies, head in his hands. His headache is only getting stronger.
"Well," Azlyn says, positioning herself on the ledge and giving the group a jaunty wave, "see ya on the other side!" Grinning from ear to ear, the knight leaps off the platform in a beautifully executed headfirst dive.
For a long few moments the others watch, various shades of worry and skepticism on their faces. Time seems to slow, only resuming its normal flow as Azlyn hits the sea of coins perfectly, sliding under and kicking up a few pieces in her wake.
She surfaces a second later, raising her arm up for a jaunty wave. Still all a bit stunned, her friends wave back.
"Feels good!" Azlyn declares, happily leaping up and diving back under.
"Well, now I've officially seen everything," Sora says, shaking his head as he watches the knight frolic amongst her golden treasure.
"I really thought she was going to get smashed," Kairi says breathlessly, shaking her head.
"So did I," Riku grumbles, walking away.
The others file out, leaving Telary alone to stare down at his future wife, playing in a pool of munny like a kid enjoying bath time. After about a minute, even he can't take it any more, exiting the Munny Bin without a word.
KH-KH-KH
The coliseum and it's surrounding area is once again thoroughly packed, even moreso than during the group's visit the previous day. That had just been registry, a prelim tournament to test the vigor and skill of as-yet untested combatants. Today is the real deal, the main event, the big show: The Megara Cup!
Riku proves invaluable to the task of actually getting to the arena, somehow cutting a determined swathe through the crowd without any overtly aggressive movements. The silver-haired youth may be firmly on the side of angels now, but there's no doubt something capably darker lurks beneath the surface.
Sora stays in the middle of the group, his hood pulled up tight. Kairi, walking beside him, spares a moment's concentration to give him an inquisitive look.
"I'm trying not be recognized," Sora whispers in response to her unspoken question. "It's tough enough getting to the doors as is. Imagine what would happen if my fans were swarming!"
Kairi says nothing, though in a very aggressive manner.
Finally, they're at the fighter registration table. From there it's just a quick name signing before being directed to the combatant staging area. A quick look at the schedule reveals that Sora and Kairi are up for the first match.
"Oh, great," Telary sighs as he reads over the rest of the list. Off the other's interested look, he explains. "Seems like we've got some, heh, 'old friends' in the cup today."
"Who?" Sora asks.
"Well, well," chortles a raspy, accented voice, "look who's back for another round."
Groaning, Sora and Telary turn to face the newcomer. Standing before them is a lizardlike man with mottled green and blue skin, decked out in silver armor on his torso, forearms, and shins. The aforementioned 'old friend', the bangaa bounty hunter Ba'Gamnan. Two other bangaa flank him, both of them purple. One is a darker hue, and the other much lighter in color, as well as wearing a (slight) covering over her chest. Bwagi and Rinok, the bounty hunter's siblings. Two of them anyway.
"How are you still allowed to compete?" Telary incredulously exclaims. "You actually tried to kill the woman this tournament is named after! There's gotta be some kind of ban on…"
"Shut your mealy trap, whelp!" Bwagi barks, his snout twisting in a menacing scowl.
"Ah, calm yourself, Bwagi," Ba'Gamnan barks, punching his sibling in the shoulder.
The purple bangaa lowers his head fearfully. "Yes, brother."
"We've been through some bad times, to be sure," the eldest lizardman explains with a sigh. "But after that business in the Underworld, we seen the error of our ways. That's right, Ba'Gamnan and the Bangaa Bros…"
"And sis," Rinok chimes in forcefully.
"We've gone and turned ourselves over a new leaf, we have," Ba'Gamnan finishes with only a slight glare at his interrupting sister.
"Really?" Sora asks, a bit skeptical in spite of himself.
Ba'Gamnan looks up at the Keybearer with a sly grin. "Of course we ain't! That's just the sob story I sold to the parole board. We're in one business, and one business only: makin' munny!"
"How are you gonna do that?" Riku asks, instinctively disliking this group. "There's a reward for the winner, sure, but it's not very big."
"Prize munny ain't never to be sneezed at," Ba'Gamnan argues with a sinister smile. "But we're after a bigger payoff, we are."
"Tell me this isn't some world domination scheme," Sora says, rolling his eyes.
The bangaa's smile widens even more. "Fer a manner of speakin', it is. And, truth be told whelp, we got you to thank fer the bright idea!"
"Oh no," Telary moans, signing heavily. "You can't be serious…"
"But we are!" Bwagi exclaims, laughing maniacally. "Soon as we win big in this tournament, the whole world's gonna know our name!"
"More important," Rinok chimes in, "whole world's gonna wanna wear our name!"
"So you're after star power too, huh?" Riku asks.
"Oh, much more than that," Ba'Gamnan refutes, shaking his head sagely. "Y'see, we poor bangaa are what ya might call a 'undeserved minority' in these parts. Not a lotta good role models for the littlies to look up to, ya see? Well, a win in this here tourney could change all that."
"Aw," Kairi coos, touching a hand to her heart. "That's actually a pretty nice thing to do. Give young bangaa someone to look up to, to stand up and say 'I can be anything I want, just like any human can'!"
"There's the idea, anyway," Ba'Gamnan agrees, head bobbing cheerfully. "Once the next generation of bangaa knows there's somebody like them can make it big in this where world…"
"Just think of all the dough they'll be shellin' out!" Bwagi finishes, laughing like mad.
"Ain't that the truth!" Rinok adds, clutching her belly as she cackles.
"So, this isn't about being a role model at all, huh?" Sora says, frowning sternly at the giggling siblings.
"You three are slimy even for a bunch of lizards," Riku remarks with unmistakable disdain.
Suddenly, the bounty hunter and his posse aren't quite so jovial. All three whirl on Riku, their long snouts twisting into bestial snarls.
"Best be watching your tongue, Shiny," Ba'Gamnan warns, hand curled into a fist. "Lest ya find yourself havin' to do without it."
Riku steps up to the gang right back, giving them each his best dismissive smirk. "I'd like to see you try. Lizard."
"That's it!" Rinok bellows, drawing a dagger from her belt.
"Hey, what in the Underworld are you bums doing?" Phil bellows, striding up to the group and giving them a stern look. "Save it for the arena, knuckleheads." The satyr poke his finger up at Ba'Gamnan and his siblings. "You three should be glad I let ya enter at all. Now scram, the matches are starting soon anyway."
"Fine," Ba'Gamnan pouts, signaling for Rinok to put her weapon away. The female bangaa complies, but not happily. The lizards' leader directs one last glare at Riku. "This'll be settled soon enough, in the arena."
"Sure thing," the silver-haired Keyblade wielder replies, affecting nonchalance. "Assuming you get past the first round, that is."
All threats and attempts at intimidation ended, the bangaa walk away. Sora, Telary, Riku, and Kairi are left standing with Phil.
"What is up with that, Phil?" Telary asks, practically screaming at the satyr. "How can you let those, those nogoods enter the tournament?"
Phil just shrugs. "Hey, they paid the entry fee."
"What is with everyone and munny all of the sudden?" Grumbling, the wizard walks away. Kairi follows him, offering consoling words.
"Well that ain't all it was," Phil almost pouts, crossing his arms indignantly. He gives Sora a conspiratorial look. "I figure they'll meet up with you guys in a match again eventually. Then, if history is any indication, you'll beat the stuffing out of 'em! Think of the entertainment value!"
"Oh," Sora says, nodding agreeably. "Man, that's two recurring villains in twenty-four hours! I tell ya Riku, this True Hero thing can be a real pain."
"My heart bleeds for you," the Keybearer's best friend deadpans.
"Anyway," Phil says, "almost time for the first round. You and your girlfriend are the match right after, kid, so prepare yourself."
"We're always prepared," Sora assures the trainer, grinning and slipping an arm around Kairi. The Princess of Heart giggles and shakes her head in amusement.
"Anybody else we should know about in the tournament?" Telary asks Phil, obviously still very perturbed over the Bangaa Bros situation. "Xemnas, maybe? Jafar? The monster who used to live under my bed?"
"Gods, you sure can whine," Phil replies, rolling his eyes. "Do it on your own time, though. C'mon, I'll show ya your suite."
"Suite?" Kairi repeats, confused. "Don't you mean, seats?"
The satyr shakes his head. "Not today, Missy. Didn't Blondie tell ya about your special accommodations?" Everyone else answers in the negative, prompting another eye roll from the trainer. "Okay, everybody come with me."
He leads them out of the competitor corridor, walking through the lobby to the hallway to main arena seating. From there, they duck into a stairwell, leading upwards. Finally, they come to a set of double doors, surrounded by molding that resembles fig leaves and lightning bolts.
"Has this always been here?" Sora asks as Phil fishes out a ring of keys.
"Naw," he replies, jabbing the key into its lock. "Part of the revamp. My own personal idea, just in case anybody with some coin wanted a seat away from the rabble."
"I'm sure the rabble are just thrilled about that," Riku mutters, mostly to himself.
"Anyway," Phil says, giving the group an almost salacious grin as he swings the door open. "Welcome to your humble perch."
Following the satyr's sweeping gesture, Sora and company cast their eyes about their accommodations for the next two days. In simple terms, the whole thing is one big balcony. Very big, overlooking the arena a few dozen feet below. A large cloth awning covers about two-thirds of it.
In one corner, a burly man in a toga and chef's hat is standing ready over a large, empty fire pit. An entire boar sits in an ice box beside it, apparently ready whenever the guests desire some food. A large open cabinet that seems well-stocked with drinks sits in the corner.
Speaking of desire, three women in rather short togas stand by the balcony's sunlit edge, holding palm fronds that look perfect for fanning. The chairs are luxurious loungers with pleasantly plump wine red cushions.
"Wow," Sora says, looking around with wide, bright eyes. The others make various mutterings that conform to the same basic sentiment.
"If ya need anything, just ask," Phil says, heading back towards the exit. "We can get it sent up to ya." Before he goes, the satyr turns to fix Sora with a stern glare. "Look kid, don't let all this hoity-toity décor distract ya, alright? This is still a tournament, something to be taken seriously. Capiche?"
"Of course, Phil," the Keybearer replies with a sincere nod. "Nothing can distract me from giving it my all to win. After all, the fans wouldn't settle for anything less."
"You're up in a few minutes, kid." With one last nod, Phil departs.
"Much as I hate to say it," Riku says as he sinks into a chair, "I'm glad Azlyn set this whole thing up." One of the frond-bearing women approaches him and starts to fan. The silver-haired young man sighs contentedly, closing his eyes and just soaking it all in.
"We could've just sat in the arena," Telary mutters, crossing his arms. "I know that all this new wealth is pretty dazzling, but doing all of this just seems a little excess…" The wizard stops short, the second his butt is touching soft, velvety smooth cushion. He lets out a breath, releasing all his tension and slowly leaning back. "Okay, this is much nicer than a stone bench, I'll freely admit that."
As another fanning girl approaches her bother, Kairi turns to Sora with an excited, expressive look. "It's time, right?" she asks, punching a fist into the opposite palm.
"Sure is," Sora agrees with a nod, taking the girl's hand in his and heading for the exit. Before he goes, he calls over his shoulder, "Wish us luck!"
"Mmm," Riku mutters, too absorbed in his comfort to make the effort for much else.
"Yeah, good luck!" Telary yawns, lazily stretching his arms out. "We'll be here. Holding down the fort." He opens one eye, casting it towards the girl fanning him. "Say, would you mind doing that just a touch faster? Thanks."
KH-KH-KH
The crowd roars as the champion of the first match, a burly man in generic gladiator armor, raises his sword in victory. The unfortunate challenger lies at his feet, groaning in pain.
"And there you have it folks," Hermes, messenger god and Coliseum commentator extraordinaire, announces as he flies on winged feet over his captive audience. "The first match of the cup is over, the round going to Nameless Gladiator #2" Perplexed, the lithe god looks down at the official documents in his hands, raising his pink-tinted sunglasses up just a smidge as he rereads. "Really, that's what you're going with?" He gives a pointed look upwards. "It's like somebody's not even trying!"
Regardless of odd names, the crowd still chants "Nameless, Nameless" as the winner marches back up the tunnel. The man can only be cannon fodder, anyways. Not with who they know is also competing for the cup.
"Well, what a great way to get things started, eh?" Hermes asks the crowd, grinning when they give him enthusiastic shouts back. "Well, if you though that was a good one, wait 'til y'all see who we've got up next." Waggling his eyebrows, the god zips over to the north entrance tunnel. "Here it is folks, the moment you've all been waiting for. You know him, you love him, you can get his replica action figure at the gift shop for only seventy-five munny, iiiiiiiit's SORA!"
The spectators go wild like they seldom have before, springing to their feet as they clap and cheer for a hero they've come to know and love. A boy who not only won the Hercules Cup, but vanquished the dreaded Hydra, and even Hades himself. And they only get louder once they can actually see him.
Down on the yellow sands of the arena floor, Sora can almost feel the noise of the crowd, washing over him like a physical wave. He closes his eyes for a moment, just taking it all in. Then suddenly they snap open again, as a thought hits him. Reaching out, he grabs his redheaded partner's hand.
"And my teammate, Kairi!" he yells up into the overwhelming din of the crowd. It's of little use, though, as a steady chant of his name has filled the air. Frowning, the boy turns to his girlfriend. "Uh, sorry about that."
Kairi just shrugs. "Hey, it's no problem. You are a pretty big deal around here, after all."
The Keybearer still looks forlorn. "Yeah, I know. But…"
"And now for the challenger!" Hermes bellows, the immediate booing that follows the statement drowning out Sora's apology. "A local guy, looking to use his tech smarts to become a hometown hero! His interests include cleaning, dusting, and eradicating mess-making meddlers, everybody give it up for Mechanicles!"
The booing only intensifies as the challenger walks out, giving out waves as if he's interpreting the crowd's jeers as some sort of unorthodox cheering. He's a thin man, dressed in a red robe with a white sash tied diagonally across it. He's a bit hair-challenged, with only two curly black tufts on either side of his head, leaving a massive and obvious bald spot. He wears a monocle, which to Sora's surprise zooms in and out as he looks over the arena.
"Yes, unwashed heathen masses, it is I!" the man exclaims, his voice high-pitched and just generally unpleasant. "Mechanicles, greatest of the great Greek geniuses!"
"Is this guy really our first opponent?" Kairi whispers to Sora, who just shrugs. "No offense to him, but in that case this is going to be a piece of cake."
"Uh, buddy," Hermes says, floating down to get on Mechanicles' level. "You sure about this? You know who you're up against, right?"
"Well of course I do, I am after all a genius!" Mechanicles screeches, sending Hermes' hands clapping over the god's ears. "And as such, I shouldn't like to get my hands dirty. Which is why I have this!"
Reaching into the folds of his robe, the genius pulls out a large remote control. Grinning maniacally, he begins manipulating various buttons and a pair of joysticks. Suddenly, the arena begins vibrating with a steady rhythm, as if a giant is slowly approaching on foot. Soon, a loud whirring can be heard coming from up the tunnel, as the shocks just get larger and larger.
Finally, Mechanicles' creation emerges. The mouth of ever person in the arena drop open, though none wider than Sora and Kairi's, as a giant, red-armored mech takes the field. It's modeled after a scorpion, with four pointy legs supporting a torso with two large pincer arms extending from it. A giant segmented tail completes the look, currently lowered but obviously ready to be raised in an instant.
"Well, uh, how do ya like that folks?" Hermes says sheepishly, quickly flying high out of the machine's range. The crowd seems a bit too stunned to say anything.
Sora can understand how they feel. "I guess this won't be so easy after all, huh?"
"Probably not," Kairi concurs, her brow furrowed in thought. "But how did a guy like that get accesses to such advanced technology?"
Hidden within the shadows of the entrance tunnel, Hades smirks. Time for round one. Should be a nice warm up, with the main event yet to come.
"As unorthodox as the whole thing seems, folks," Hermes announces as the combatants move into the arena, "it's time to get things underway, as Sora and Kairi take on Mechanicles and his Guard Scorpion!"
Despite all the weirdness going on, the crowd at Olympus Coliseum knows precisely when to just sit back and let a fight happen. After all, they're thoroughly protected by the magic barriers governing arena movement. And even if they weren't, how could the great hero Sora fall to some metal mook and its kooky creator?
"Now, I want a good, clean fight, ya here?" Hermes sternly tells the competitors. "Just remember who's watching, alright?"
The messenger god gestures upward, to where Hercules, his wife Megara, and his father Zeus all sit on a puffy cloud, eagerly watching the goings on below. Herc and Meg send little waves down to Sora, who happily returns the gesture with a cheerful smile.
"Not to worry, little blue man," Mechanicles says with a smirk. "Clean is what I'm all about!"
"Well then, as soon as I'm outta here, it's game one!" Before he goes, Hermes surreptitiously whispers to Sora. "Don't tell anybody, but I'm rootin' for you all the way, kid!" with a little nod, the messenger god ascends to the skies. "Okay everybody, it's what you've been waiting for. Let the match… COMMENCE!"
Cheers fill the air, more enthusiastic than before if it can be believed, as Sora and Kairi summon their blades and prepare battle stances. Across the field, Mechanicles smirks as he inputs a few commands into his remote. The Guard Scorpion snaps to life, raising up its stinger tail.
"Plan?" Kairi asks Sora, warily eyeing the mechanical monstrosity.
"I'm thinking the usual," the Keybearer replies, charging in with his blade held high. The crowd's exclamations surge forward once more, spurring the young man on with greater speed.
Kairi watches it all with a sigh, moving in much more cautiously.
Mechanicles' hands are moving across his remote at a speed almost too quick to follow, his creation responding in kind. It slams its stinger tail downward at Sora, only for the Keybearer to rather easily sidestep.
Then the tail swings upward again, smacking Sora in the side and sending him flying. He lands harshly against the stone ground a few feet away, moaning.
"Ooh, looks like it's first blood to Mechanicles," Hermes comments, wincing. "This doesn't look good for my bookie… I mean, uh, for our brave hero!"
Kairi rushes to Sora, leaping up and swatting at the Guard Scorpion's tail with her Keyblade. It swings away, crashing into the arena's magical barrier and throwing up a spark of light at the impact point.
"I'm fine," Sora says as he rises, wincing in pain. Kairi helps pull him up by the arm. "Didn't expect it to be that fast."
Speaking of fast, the tail is swinging in for another stab. The Keyblade wielders scatter to either side, making sure to land far enough away to avoid a repeat of the machine's earlier tactic. The tail quickly swings around for another shot at Kairi, who barely manages to raise her blade in a proper block. She skids across the arena floor, kicking up dust as she goes.
Sora hopes to take advantage of the opening, rushing at the mech's currently unguarded legs. He gets in a good swipe at the limb, only for the robot to scuttle away. The Keybearer can hear its tail approaching, and quickly dives out of the way. The scorpion' s tail manages to nick its own limb, sending up a shower of sparks. Grinning, Sora swipes at the other front limb, which he managed to land by when coming out of his roll.
His attack leaves a dent, but that's all he can do before the tail comes swinging in, this time careful to avoid hitting its main body. He backpedals, swiftly deflecting a glancing blow. The force of it knocks him off balance, but he manages to recover and move out of range before a second attack can come.
Kairi moves in while her boyfriend seems to have the tail's full attention, heading for the already damaged foreleg. She gets in close, paying attention to Sora's duel with the tail in her peripheral vision. Just as she has her blade raised up for a strike, the robot's pincer dives at her, the deadly claw opening wide.
Instead of attacking, Kairi makes a quick decision to focus on defense. She takes a step back, her Keyblade poised diagonally across her body. The pincer clamps around its bronze shaft, tugging hard. The Princess of Heart grunts, trying her hardest to hold on. But it's no use, and the Keyblade is pried out of her grasp.
Before she can get the chance to re-summon it, the robot's damaged leg kicks out at her. Kairi gasps, quickly gathering her thoughts and summoning a quick barrier spell. She falls back a bit due to deferred force, but manages to keep from breaking all her bones.
"Hey!" Telary says up on the balcony, smiling down at his sister below. "I taught her that!"
"Good for you," Riku replies, keeping his mouth open for one of the attendants to drop in a grape.
The balcony doors suddenly bang open, Azlyn walking through them wearing a proud smile. And a rather fetching pantsuit.
"Enjoying the luxurious life I see," she says with a knowing smirk, moving to take a seat at the lounge chair nearest her fiancée. She puts her feet up, letting the sun soak her face.
"This is a nice way to watch the tournament," Telary concedes. He spares a quick glance down to the action in the arena. Sora and Kairi still seem to be at a disadvantage, both scrambling to keep from being defeated by the mechanical arachnid threatening them.
"I'm getting a manicure in ten minutes," Riku chimes in. Azlyn and Telary both turn to look at him, but the silver-haired Keyblade wielder just shrugs. "What? I want to look good for my big coliseum debut. Is it so wrong to just do something for myself?"
"But," Telary says, him and Azlyn turning away from Riku, "are you sure this is a wise idea? I'll bet this costs a pretty penny, and then there's that mansion you rented… This stuff all adds up, y'know."
"Yes, Tel, I know how munny works," the knight replies with a not-inconsiderable bite in her tone. "But relax and just let me deal with it, all right? Once I get my ducks all in a row, we'll never have to worry about costs again."
That statement fails to sway Telary into total relaxation, but a loud noise from below prompts the wizard to return his attention to the arena. Things don't look so hunky-dory down there, Kairi and Sora backpedaling away from the mechanical scorpion and its stinger tail.
"This is officially the worst match ever," Sora declares, still holding his Keyblade up in a defensive position. After a moment, he pulls a thoughtful face and says, "Okay, maybe the one where Hades showed up and tried to fry me was worse. And that time Cerberus burst in, right after Cloud kicked my butt? And that's not even mentioning the Underdrome…"
"Hey, Sora!" Kairi calls out, dodging around a strike from the tail. "Could you maybe reminisce later!" She ducks a swing, coming up next to the Keybearer. "Right now, we need a plan for this thing."
"Right, right," he agrees, shaking off his nostalgic fugue. Just in time to leap over a horizontal swing from the mech's stinger tail. Upon landing, he looks over to see that Kairi thankfully managed to dodge as well.
"Oh, what a glorious day this is!" Mechanicles gloats from his safe spot between the Guard Scorpion and the arena's barriers. "And once I've destroyed the two of you, my wish will be granted! The oceans of this world will boil, and a glorious wave of steam will rise up to cleanse all of Olympus!"
From his secret watching spot, Hades grimaces. "Is that what I promised this loon to get him to work for me? Oy, Poseidon is gonna be pissed!"
"Great," Sora sighs, deflecting a blow that sends him skidding backwards. He barely manages to dig in his heels before he hits the magic barrier. "Now he's gloating! Can you believe this guy, Kairi? He's not even doing any of the work. Just controlling this stupid…"
"Sora, that's it!" Kairi exclaims. She flings her hand outward, a blast of ice energy momentarily freezing a few of the robot's tail joints. In the temporary reprieve, she runs to her partner. "We don't have to take actually this thing out. Mechanicles has the controls, which means…"
Sora's eyes light up. "Once he's out of the picture, this match is ours! Oh Kairi, I could kiss you right now! In fact…"
The Keybearer pulls her in close, planting the promised lips on Kairi's lips. It lasts a few seconds, the crowd cheering like mad all the while, before the Princess of Heart frantically pushes Sora out of the way. Just in time, as the unfrozen stinger crashes down where they just stood.
"Keep this thing busy," Sora calls, setting his face in steely determination. "I'll be right back!" He darts forward, dodging two downward stabs as he rushes towards the true opponent in this bout.
Mechanicles' eyes widen, hands flying across his controls as he realizes the opposing team's strategy. "No worries, Mechanicles," he mutters to himself. "You're still a genius, you still have this giant robot, everything is going to be fine…"
Kairi jumps into Sora's wake, but instead of joining his charge, she plants herself firmly between him and the tail. It snaps at her, but with a grunt she swings her blade up to deflect the attack. It goes flying back, sparks shooting off its frame. That attack was sloppy, which means Mechanicles is getting desperate. A great point in Team Keyblade's favor…
Sora rushes beneath the desperate swing of a claw, turning and delivering a backhand swing that knocks the top pincer right off its frame. That danger passed, he resumes his laser-guided rush at the Guard Scorpion's master.
"Oookay," Mechanicles mutters as Sora approaches, Keyblade raised high. "This might be a good time to panic."
Kingdom Key comes down like a ton of bricks, smacking the Guard Scorpion's control panel right out of its creator's hands. Already smashed, its landing on the unforgiving arena stones blows the device to smithereens. Devoid of instruction, the mechanical arachnid goes completely still, stinger tail dropping to the ground as its pistons no longer even try to hold it up.
"Oh, dear," is all that Mechanicles finds himself able to say, monocle zooming in on Sora. The Keybearer gives the inventor a smirk, holding up his Keyblade threateningly. "Uh, so…"
He doesn't get the chance to finish. A quick blow to the stomach (at half-strength, it must be said), sends the self-proclaimed 'great genius' to the ground. He groans painfully, clutching at his belly.
Kairi leans over, sucking in huge breaths. That had been a close one. But they'd managed to tough it out, thanks to her idea! A good feeling suddenly washes over the Princess of Heart, especially when the cheers start up.
"Well, how do you like that, folks?" Hermes chuckles, slowly descending to the coliseum floor. "Once again, our great hero Sora has proven himself a worthy champion! And that he's more than just a pretty face!" The messenger god slings an arm around Sora, leaning in close. "So tell the people, Sora, how long exactly did you let that geek think he had the upper hand, before utterly destroying him?"
"W-well," Sora stammers, trying frantically to come up with a way to explain what truly happened, "that's not exactly what I… I mean, it was a team effort, after all!"
"So modest, my lad!" Hermes laughs, clapping the Keybearer on the back. "But hey, what did we expect, huh?"
"No, wait!" Sora protests. It's too late though, Hermes already moving skyward again.
"Well, if that wasn't an exciting return for our favorite spiky-haired champ, I don't know what would be, eh?" Hermes declares, gaining an uproarious cheer from the spectators. "He's gonna be the one to beat folks, mark my words!"
Sora rushes to Kairi's side, his face stricken with guilt. "I'm so sorry!" he apologizes, shaking his head almost dangerously fast. "I didn't mean to hog the spotlight, and it was your idea that got us the victory…"
She just holds up a hand. "Don't worry about it, Sora," she says, trying to sound as convincing as she can. "Really, I'm fine."
"But you shouldn't have to be all, y'know, unsung and stuff!" He leans in to give her another kiss, this one a small peck on the cheek. "The next one is all yours, I promise!"
Kairi blushes, in spite of herself. That does actually make her feel a lot better. She shows Sora just how much with a peck of her own. Right in the lips.
"Aw, young love," Hermes coos, breaking up the couple's moment. As they awkwardly separate, the announcer gets serious. "Somewhere else maybe, though? Kinda trying to get a tournament moving here."
The team heads off, back up the tunnel. As they pass, a pair of cute little boys in togas rush up to Sora.
"Jeepers mister, you're really strong!" declares one, plumper than his friend. Reaching into his pocket, the boy pulls out a piece of paper, folded over a few times. Flipping over the bottom fold, he presents it to the Keybearer. "Would you mind…?"
Sora smiles, grabbing the pen he's decided to keep on him at all times. He takes the paper from his fan's hands, signing it with a flourish. As he's handing it back, and idea strikes him. "Hey," he says. "How would you like an autograph from my great teammate, Kai…"
"No thanks," the kid blurts hastily, shoving his prize into a pocket and taking off down the concourse.
Sora offers his girlfriend an apologetic shrug, but she just sighs and walks on.
KH-KH-KH
Sora and Kairi, pumped from their victory, return to the private balcony to find three friends who don't seem quite as caught up in the hype. Telary, Azlyn, and Riku all lay back lazily in their chairs. The Disney Castle pair are still soaking up some sun, while Riku enjoys his manicure.
"Um, guys?" Sora prompts, coughing a little for good measure. Telary shoots up in his chair, shaking away the last few sleepy cobwebs. Riku opens one eye, but Azlyn continues to lay out.
"Congratulations, you two!" Telary says, with as much excitement as he can muster right after waking up. "Great job out there." The wizard walks up to his sister and gives her a quick hug. "Especially you. I don't care what Hermes said, that plan to take out the inventor himself was all you."
"Why do you say that?" Sora asks, grinning playfully. "Are you just figuring I wouldn't be smart enough to come up with something like that myself, or…?"
"Of c-course not!" the wizard stammers, nervously reaching out to ruffle the Keybearer's hair. "I just meant that, well, uh…"
"Relax, Tel," Kairi says, giggling as she places a hand on his chest. "He's just messing with you. And thank you, by the way."
"I just wanted you to know that somebody appreciates your contribution, which was major," Tel says, lightly clapping her shoulder. "And that I was awake for the whole match. It was only afterwards that I fell asleep."
"At least you didn't think doing your nails was more important than Kairi's first coliseum match!" Sora declares with a pointed look at his best friend.
"I saw the whole thing," Riku declares, rolling his eyes. "But hey, my debut is coming up in just a few minutes. I've got to make a good first impression."
"Not enough time in the world," Azlyn says lazily, sitting up and stretching herself out. She throws a glance over to a sundial sitting in the balcony's corner. "Speaking of time, my new business associate is meeting me here in just a few minutes. So, if we could maybe have the balcony?"
"Hey, technically I'm paying for this," Sora shoots back, crossing his arms and giving the knight a stubborn look. "And I say we can stay here. What's this meeting about anyway? Stocks?"
Azlyn rolls her eyes, walking over to everyone else. "No. If you must know, it's some big name inventor. If I'm gonna one-up Phil, it'll take something new and exciting. Sky's the limit!"
"I'd actually avoid that general direction if I was you," a new, high-pitched and undeniably manic voice declares from the entryway. Everyone turns to see a short, wiry-built man dressed in a blue tunic. His hair matches his voice, sticking out at every possible angle (and even a few highly improbable ones) and looking strangely burnt. "Trust me, there are some things up there you do not want to get up close and personal with. Mostly the sun."
"Um, can we help you?" Sora asks, quite miffed by this strange little man.
"Too close to the sun, huh?" Azlyn says, stepping past the others. "You must be Icarus, right? The inventor?"
"One-hundred percent correcto, Madame," the man agrees with a theatrical bow that happens so fast it seems likely to cause whiplash. "Normally I don't get outta the lab except for product testing, but one word from my ol' pal Herc and I came quick as a flash."
"You know Hercules?" Kairi asks, interested.
"Sure do, beautiful lady," Icarus replies with a waggling eyebrow. "Old school chums we are. Lots of adventures were had between me and him, he and I, us two, we band of broth…"
"Let's get going Tel," Riku interrupts, grabbing the wizard's hand and pulling him to the exit. "Match starts in five."
"Good luck!" Sora and Kairi call out, waving enthusiastically.
"Thanks," Telary accepts with a nod.
"Yeah." Riku gives Azlyn and Icarus, now chatting amicably about various new Sora-related products, a significant look. "You too. Looks like you might need it more."
"I'm telling you, I have so many ideas it's scaring me!" Icarus rants happily, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of scrolls, presumably blueprints. He opens one and promptly screams out loud. "See, I wasn't kiddin' with ya!"
"What's that?" Sora asks, enthusiastically pointing to a design.
"Keyblade-shaped nightlight!" the inventor coos. "The only kink I haven't worked out yet is where exactly people would plug it in…"
"Same place they'd get parts for their giant robot, probably," Kairi suggests, throwing a hand towards the arena where they'd just inexplicably encountered such a thing.
"Yeah, that was pretty cool," Icarus says, a dreamy look in his (still quite manic) eyes. "I haven't seen such a poetic beauty since my lovely Cassandra."
"Your girlfriend?" Sora asks.
The inventor sighs. "No, sadly we were never able to make that leap in school. And hey, that restraining order she served me didn't exactly help either!"
"Bottom line," Azlyn interjects, flipping through a stack of designs, "you can build a better Sora action figure than Phil can?"
Icarus nods. "Guar-an-teed! The guys working for the coliseum shop are good for novelty-makers, but they're bush-league compared to moi's genius!"
"Good." Azlyn turns and walks to the balcony, gleefully rubbing her hands together. "One more thing off Phil's list. Now all I need is a way to make this crap myself, and then it's goodbye middleman, hello second munny bin!"
"Uh, Az?" Sora interrupts. The knight spins around to face him, one eyebrow raised curiously. "You do realize that you're talking to yourself like some Saturday morning supervillain, right?"
KH-KH-KH
Telary and Riku stand in the competitor tunnel, watching as the previous match winds down. A short, dark-skinned woman wielding an ax only just a bit shorter than herself. She's dressed quite provocatively, from her cleavage-and-midriff bearing to to the short red skirt, lined with white fur, she wears around her waits. According to Hermes, she's a rather infamous bounty hunter by the name of Lani.
The boys can see why she's got the reputation. The woman is fast despite her large weapon, easily dodging the spear of her opponent. He goes for the throat, but she only waves her ax like it's a fan, knocking the metal tip away from her body. She moves in close, coming up and slamming the butt of her weapon's shaft into the young man's face.
He's wearing a helmet and faceplate, mitigating the damage somewhat, but it still clearly hurts. The warrior staggers backward, giving Lani a perfect opportunity to sweep his legs out from underneath him. He falls to his back as the audience cheers (and in some cases, whistles).
Hermes floats down into the arena. "Another incredible performance here today folks, this time by badass femme fatale Lani!"
More cheers and whistles resound through the stadium, Lani giving a bow in return that seems somehow condescending. Nobody in the audience seems to take note of that though, their applause even becoming just the slightest bit louder!
"She's not bad," Telary remarks, nodding appreciatively.
"Definitely not," Riku agrees, in a tone of voice that suggests he has a desire to give a whistle himself. "Great even, I'd say. In a lot of ways."
Telary tries hard not to roll his eyes. If Sora's stories are true, Riku considered himself quite the ladies' man back on Destiny Islands. Different strokes for different folks, of course, but honestly that kind of lecherous behavior makes the wizard quite uncomfortable.
"Always glad to have a fan," Lani says, strutting into the tunnel. She steps up into Riku's personal bubble, placing a hand against his chest. "Want me to sign something for ya?"
"Uh…"
Tel feels his eyebrow raise involuntarily. Apparently Riku's romantic reputation has been quite exaggerated, if the wide-eyed, borderline catatonic look he's giving the friendly bounty hunter is any indication.
"Hm," Lani says, taking a step back and regarding the silver-haired Keyblade wielder with a smirk. "As opening lines go, and I've heard a lot of then, that's quite unique."
"Well, er…" Riku continues to stammer awkwardly. "What I meant to say there is… Was…"
"Nice moves out there," Telary interjects, gently pushing his friend aside. "And I mean that in a strictly platonic, non-innuendo way."
"I'm sure you do," Lani replies, looking the wizard up and down. "Happily involved." She fixes her gaze on the wizard's left hand. "I can spot a ring from a mile away."
"That's quite a talent in itself," Telary says.
"Keeps me out of trouble." She throws a saucy wink to the wizard. "Or helps me get into it, depending on the situation."
Hermes zooms into the tunnel, sparing Lani a rather lascivious look before directing his attention to the boys. "I'm afraid getting acquainted time is over, lads. You're up!"
"Nice meeting you," Telary cheerfully informs Lani, offering his hand to shake. She accepts, though her eyes are fixated on the clearly still-uncomfortable Riku.
"You as well," she replies. Letting go of Tel's hand, she places it back on Riku's shoulder, causing the young man's whole body to tremble in surprise. "Maybe by the next time we meet, you'll have found your tongue."
"N-next time," Riku repeats, apparently regaining at least some composure. "Sure thing."
"Oh, I sure hope I get the chance to go a few rounds with you." With a wink, the bounty hunter starts strutting up the tunnel. "In the ring or out of it. Your choice entirely."
Riku watches Lani goes until he can't see her anymore, and when he turns away it's to find Telary giving him an enigmatic look. "What?"
"And all this time I thought you were the cool one," he teases.
The silver-haired young man just glares in reply, shouldering past his partner out into the sunlit arena. "Oh, shut up!"
KH-KH-KH
Azlyn stands at the balcony's edge, idly watching as Riku and Telary's match begins. Their opponent is a large blue-skinned creature with a human-like upper torso and the legs of a horse. A centaur, Hermes had called it, named Nessus. He looks tough enough, but Azlyn is hardly worried about the pair. This match will be over before she can muster up any real interest.
Behind her, Sora is being dazzled by Icarus, the scrawny inventor pulling out design after design with much chattering and flourish. Azlyn only drops in occasionally, making sure things go smoothly. Well, and to veto Icarus's Sora-themed breast pump idea. It's good to have Sora engaged in some aspect of his own business, and what better way to develop ideas for eight-year olds than to just use the biggest kid you can find? Kairi's off by herself, doing some swordplay in the corner.
One problem down then, two to go. If Icarus can keep the ideas coming on actual merchandise, all that remains is securing their own place to sell the stuff, an easy enough feat, and manufacturing. That's a much stickier prospect, but hopefully doable. Maybe. Materiel won't be too cheap either, given the grandness of some of the inventor's projects.
The knight/business manager scowls. All this has really just happened so fast, forcing her to think on her feet. A relatively simple matter in combat, but with decisions like these? Oh, it's a much harder prospect indeed.
Riku has managed to trick Nessus into headbutting one of the barrier posts, which means a resolution to this conflict can't be far behind. Azlyn turns from the balcony, heading for the exit.
"Where you going?" Sora asks, looking up from a set pf blueprints for some kind of miniature blimp toy.
"Taking a walk," she explains, a bit terse. Not waiting for a response, she stalks out into the corridor.
Azlyn's heels (four-inch) click against the stone floor as she walks the hallway, ideas sparking and dying in her head. Perhaps she could ask Hercules for another favor, but allowing someone that unfailingly honest and forthright to get too close to the analytical world of business is hardly the best idea. It's bad enough she's got Telary and the rest giving her disapproving looks every time she makes a pragmatic decision.
Here she is, all by herself in a shaky business no doubt filled with sharks lurking around every corner. As much as she believes in light and goodness and all that, it certainly would be nice to have someone on her side a bit more… morally flexible, as it were.
Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear. In this case, literally.
"Hey, if it isn't the Keybrat's blonde battering ram," the smarmy, sarcasm-dripping voice of Hades says. Azlyn turns to see the Lord of the Dead standing in the corridor's shadows, what little light there is gleaming off his spiked teeth. "Ya look pretty down for somebody who's just had a windfall like yours. And believe me sister, I know from down."
"Well, success is sometimes hard to manage," Azlyn replies, fixing the god with a glare. "Not that you would know anything about that, huh?"
Hades chuckles, though there's little mirth in it. He glides a bit closer to Azlyn, oily as ever. "You've got a point, Hun," he admits, shrugging. "My whole life has just been one foiled scheme after another. I've played almost every angle I could find, with nothing to show for it. Which is why I think it might be time to make a change."
"Really?" Azlyn raises an eyebrow, hands on her hips. "And you're telling me this why?"
"Because," the Underworld's master replies, grinning again, "you're not like all those other goody-two-sandals you pal around with. You understand the score. Ya got business sense, Babe."
"You're very complimentary today," Azlyn says, wheels turning in the back of her mind. But perhaps not the right wheels. "I figure that means something?"
Hades shrugs. "Could be. Could be."
Az shrugs right back. "Well, like you said, I've got business sense. But I also know what to expect from you by now."
"Do you really?" Hades asks, getting just the slightest bit closer. He waves a hand, and in puffs of smoke summons a table and two chairs. "Let's talk. Maybe afterwards, you'll find you've made an error in judgment."
For a long moment there's only silence, Azlyn gazing hard at the god before her. Like she said, she's dealt with Hades enough to assume that something's up. But maybe, she thinks, just maybe, that could give her the edge she needs to outfox him.
Well, she thinks as she takes a deep breath and moves towards the table, she's about to find out.
After two COM updates, I'm back with another chapter of the Olympus arc!
Just to run through some references made in this chapter, Mechanicles was actually a villain in the Aladdin animated series, but he was Greek themed and I thought he'd fit in here. Nessus is in the Hercules movie, the centaur who has Meg held hostage when Herc first saves her. Lani is a bounty hunter and minor antagonist from FF9. I just liked the character, and I wanted to establish how, despite his apparent coolness and charm, Riku's just a bit awkward with the ladies. That scene where he gets flustered with Shiki is one of the few parts of Dream Drop Distance I enjoyed. And Mechanicles' creation, the Guard Scorpion, is the first boss of FF7. Just a little easter egg I threw in. And of course Ba'Gamnan and his siblings are from FF12, showing up again the KttK universe.
So, next time we have a few more coliseum matches, Gilgamesh and the bangaa show up again, and we find out just what deal Hades and Azlyn are making.
Shoutouts to Bezerker21 and TheIrishWriter for their reviews, much appreciated to both of you. Well, until next time!