"Okay Kairi, just relax here," Kairi mutters to herself, pacing back and forth through the competitor's tunnel. Icarus sits on a barrel near the wall, his head lazily lolling back and forth as his partner marches a few feet before swiveling around to continue in the other direction. "You knew this would happen, rescuing someone from the Underworld probably isn't the easiest thing. Just stall for a little time, try not to get your butt kicked. Simple."
"Not if you're gonna be all up in your own head about it," Phil instructs the redhead, watching her pacing routine with exasperation practically radiating off his small body. "Ya need to remember Rule Number Fourteen: Ya can't win any battle in the arena if you're fighting one in your head too."
"Is that Rule Fourteen?" Icarus comments thoughtfully from his perch. "I thought that was the one about staying away from Phil."
"In your case, kid," the satyr says with a stern glare, "just go ahead and consider that to be every rule."
The inventor smiles, the insult flying right over his wig-clad head. "I will make a note of it!"
"I guess you're right," Kairi admits, slumping by the wall with a frown on her face. "But that is way easier said than done. I mean, if I screw this up I may never see Sora again. Or if I do, he'll be under someone else's control. And all because Azlyn…"
Gritting her teeth, the redhead unleashes a frustrated kick into the group of barrels where Icarus is sitting. They go flying, the inventor taking a spill as well. Once she sees what she's done, Kairi's eyes go wide and she kneels beside her partner, apologies spilling from her lips.
"Hey, it's okay!" Icarus assures her, standing up on wobbly legs. "I know you're all nervous, and probably pretty mad that you got put in this situation anyway. Plus…" With a beaming smile, the inventor gives his Sora wig a strong pull. "That was a pretty good test of the new adhesive I invented. This baby didn't move an inch!"
"Still, I shouldn't have let myself go like that." Kairi stands, helping Icarus to his feet as well. After a moment of silent wondering, she can't help but ask, "Uh, Icarus. If your adhesive is so amazing, just how do you plan to get that wig off after the match is done?"
"Well," Icarus explains, his chest puffing up proudly. Until he realizes that, unfortunately, he doesn't have an explanation. "Oh, dear. Guess I didn't think this through." After a second, he shrugs it off. "Well, whatever. At least this time my complete lack of foresight didn't get me almost burned to a crisp!"
There's no good response to that, and thankfully Kairi is saved from having to invent one when Hermes comes flying in. The blue-skinned god looks pretty excited, the wings on his shoes flapping faster than Kairi can remember seeing them go before.
"Alrighty, fighty-tighties, Big Finale time!" the god announces, fluttering around the competitor's with a wide grin. "Just give this bash the same vigor you brought to your little girl-on-girl smackdown, and this should end up as a tournament to remember!"
Still over the moon, Hermes flies back out to the arena, rising high until even the spectators in the cheap seats have to look up at him. Below, Kairi and Icarus walk out from their side, while Gilgamesh strides rather grandly from his tunnel. The large warrior's red cloak seems even more voluminous as usual, billowing in the faint wind.
"So, before we get things kicked off, I got only one question," Hermes asks the audience, grinning down at them like a loon. "Has this been your fave tourney of the year, or what?"
The crowd's response hits like a tidal wave, washing over the competitors. Kairi smiles up at them, relishing the feeling of the spotlight. She makes sure to take it all in, wrapping it around her fear for Sora, her anger for the situation she's in, and the nerves the scrutiny of an audience can bring on. If she can simply hold tight to these feelings, smother the negativity until it can no longer affect her, then victory (or at least an adequate period of stalling) is in her grasp.
"I'd say that answers my question, huh?" Hermes chuckles, flitting down closer to the arena floor. He hovers between Gilgamesh and Kairi, giving both teams a sly look. "And what better way to bring the Megara Cup to a spectacular closing than a heated match between rivals Sora and Gilgamesh." Kairi rather indignant, forces out a loud cough, coupling it with a glare at the announcer. "Yeah, and Sora's girlfriend is here too, I guess."
Not a ringing endorsement, but at least the crowd reacts positively.
"So," Hermes says, zipping over to Icarus in a flash, "Sora, tell me… How do you feel, going up against a guy who has several times made it a point to personally call you out?"
"Uh," the disguised inventor replies, his voice actually affecting a Sora-like quality rather admirably. "Well, to tell you the truth there, Hermes… I'm still kinda fuzzy on who this guy is exactly. Or what his whole deal with me is?"
The audience gasps, then burst out into raucous laughter. Some of them are practically rolling in the aisles, all while Kairi winces, Icarus looks confused, and Gilgamesh's face because almost as red as his armor. Hermes, for his part, retains as much professionalism as he can.
"Now that is some grade-A smack talk, ladies and gentlemen!" he announces, flitting quickly over to the plainly incensed Gilgamesh. "So, Gil, are you just gonna stand there and take that? You gotta have a response!"
"I will not allow myself to be demoralized by such a base insult as he has just given!" Gilgamesh announces, though it sounds he's trying a bit too hard to throw up a wall of bravado. "I see no need to return his, his… nastiness with venomous words of my own. Instead, I shall let all be said on the field of battle!"
"Okay, that's…" Hermes begins as the crowd cheers, only to be interrupted by Gilgamesh pulling his Buster sword (Which must be fake, since Leon and Cloud had both confirmed that they still possessed their signature weapons. How that works is anyone's guess).
"We have clashed before, Sora," the red-cloaked warrior says. "Last time, I was not properly prepared. I had not taken into account the power of my opponent. This time, I assure you that I will hold nothing back." With his free hand, Gilgamesh grabs the front of his shawl and tugs it off his body.
His torso is still covered in red armor, the dull scarlet gleaming in the overhead sun. But hardly anyone is focused on his chest, least of all Kairi or Icarus. They simply stare up at their opponent in shock, silently counting. To four.
As in, four arms. Each of which pulls out a different sword. His buster sword, his gunblade, a hooked blade colored shimmering blue as if made of water, and another futuristic looking sword.
The crowd is silent for a long moment, the shocked hush lasting for nearly a full minute. Then one person, realizing exactly what he's about to witness, stands up and hollers like a madman. From that starting point, it isn't long before the whole arena has exploded into excited applause and cheering. This, the masses have decided, will truly be a spectacle to behold.
"Kairi," Icarus whispers to his partner, shocking her out of the surprised state that she'd been shocked into. "Are we in trouble here?"
The Princess of Heart has absolutely no idea what to say. She'd expected a challenge from this guy, even anticipated him pulling out some trick. But this… This is nothing she could have prepared for. It feels as if someone's thrown a bucket of icy water all over her hopes and expectations.
But, even through all the terror she feels at this moment, a steely resolve manages to hold fast. Looking inside herself, Kairi simply refuses to give in to fear. She still has a duty to perform here, to the best of her ability no matter how dire things may seem. If she ever wants to see Sora again, the only way to press on is without allowing the possibility of failure, of defeat. She and her partner will need to pull out some heavy duty tricks to survive this battle, but…
"No," she replies with a cocky grin, modeling the expression after one she's seen Sora wear a hundred times. "Don't worry about a thing, Icarus. The only thing we have to worry about is taking this guy down before Riku and Tel can get Sora back here."
"You're darn right!" the inventor enthusiastically agrees, pumping his gift-shop Keyblade in the air. He's really not quite sure he believes, but at the very least it feels good to be the sane one for once in his life.
KH-KH-KH
Reflect spells take a lot out of a spell caster. Not quite as much as Cure, but enough that after casting six if them in a row, Telary is beginning to get nervous about how long his magical power can hold out in this battle. Never mind how much physical exertion he's putting himself through.
It feels like he and Riku have been moving nonstop, caught in a crossfire of needle-sharp icicles flying from the two Colossi. Between Tel's Reflect and Riku's Dark Shields, they've mostly remained unscathed. But both young men are becoming increasingly tired, not to mention frustrated by the way their long-range attacks, probably the only effective recourse in this battle, simply freeze once they approach the Underworld's guardians.
"We need to get closer," Riku declares, dropping his shield just in time to bat back a cluster of icicles with Way to Dawn. The crystals fly back to their sender, shattering against the Colossus's icy skin. It shakes its head, apparently damaged somewhat. It's good to see that there is something that can be done to the creatures, but at the moment it just seems too little.
"You sure about that?" Telary asks, sparking up a much easier to summon fireball that melts a few icy projectiles. "I don't want to find out that that cold field these things are throwing up has the same effects on the human body."
"Well," the silver-haired Keyblade wielder says through clenched teeth, "if you have any other suggestions, I am all for hearing them!"
Truth be told, the wizard really doesn't. It seems that Hades has chosen the guardians of his prize well in this instance. Tel desperately searches for an answer to he and Riku's conundrum, but none is forthcoming.
"I'm going for it," Riku declares after deflecting another group of needles. "The match has started by now, and I can't keep Kairi hanging long. Good idea or not, this'll have to be enough."
Telary wants to say something, speak the words of caution he so often provides his friends, but deep in the wizard's heart he knows Riku is correct. They have to do something anyway, whether or not they have to contend with that freezing aura.
"Okay, you're right," he finally admits. "Let's go in together, though. I'll call up a Firaga, maybe counteract the aura long enough to get through without becoming snowmen. On three. Okay, one, two…"
"Three!" Riku's dark shield reflects a hail of ice bullets, and as soon as it's dropped he's booking it across the stone cavern. Telary rushes right alongside him, trying to remain close enough to cast a surrounding Firaga spell without burning his partner to a crisp.
As soon as the wizard feels the chill, a physical sensation like his the very blood in his veins is beginning to thicken, he closes his eyes and casts the spell. Orbs of fire as big as a man's head surround the heroic pair, and they can both feel the fire's heat as it diffuses the threatening energy. For a quick second, they feel indescribably hot and cold at the same time, like burning in ice. That sound nonsensical, but there are just some things one can't adequately use words to explain.
Then, as if they've passed through some invisible curtain, the young men feel the oppressive heat and cold passing away. The air remains chilly and harsh, but at least no one is becoming a snow-cone. It seems that this plan has worked.
Naturally, the Ice Colossus they charged isn't quite so ecstatic. Its mouth opens with a sound like glass shattering, baring stalactite teeth as one fist raises high into the air. The monster isn't quite the picture of speedy movement, however, allowing Riku and Telary plenty of time to dodge the incoming fist.
Icicles spring up around the fist, forcing the heroes to quickly backpedal. As they retreat, both Riku and Telary can feel themselves becoming colder, gradually stepping back into the icy aura. Gritting his teeth, Riku swings Way to Dawn in a wide arc, decapitating a few icicles and allowing the boys to step away from the deadly cold and into attack positions.
Telary goes first, his staff thrusting forward as a ball of Fira magic issues forth. It gradually shrinks within the minimized cold field up close to the colossus, but even reduced it hits a vulnerable spot on the monsters foot that immediately throws up a cloud of steam. From there Riku charges the weak point with his Keyblade, chips of ice flying away as he slashes through.
The Ice Colossus staggers, falling to one knee in pain and putting its head in a far more vulnerable position. Smirking, Riku leaps upward to bash his Keyblade against the monster's face. The result is nothing so dramatic as a complete shattering, but a web of cracks splinter out from the point of impact. A small victory, but…
Not one they'll be long enjoying.
The Ice Colossus shrieks, an absolute flood of cold energy gushing from its mouth directly at Riku and Telary. Luckily the wizard's magical reflexes are honed as ever, and a shining Reflect spell ensconces them in a safe sphere. Propelled by the force of the monster's icy vomit, the pair go flying backwards.
They finally manage to skid to a stop, the protection spell disintegrating in a flash of broken light. The magic has done its job well, leaving the pair untouched. And, unfortunately, trapped inside a thick sphere of nearly opaque ice.
"Well," Telary says with a nervous flutter, tapping his staff against the dome's roof. "At least we're safe in here, huh?"
Before Riku can respond, a massive impact rattles the ice barrier. Looking up through the distorting haze of ice, the pair can see booth Colossi, standing over them with fists raised. One pounds down another blow, massive cracks beginning to show in the barrier.
"Why," the wizard laments, "does the universe always seem to take such joy in proving me wrong?"
Another fist falls, their only protection getting weaker…
Something passes into Riku's field of vision, a round object flying through the air and knocking into one of the Colossus's fists. The sound of cracking ice resounds through the air, and one of the creatures shrieks.
"What…?" the silver-haired Keybearer begins to ask, only for Telary to cut him off.
"I'd recognize that shield anywhere," he says, grinning. "Azlyn's out there."
Riku crosses his arms, frowning. "Nice of her to show up. Finally. And not to sound ungrateful…"
"You kinda do…"
He holds up a hand. "Not to sound too ungrateful, but what exactly do you think she's going to be able to do on her own?"
The sound of cracking ice interrupts the conversation, both boys turning to see a figure hacking away at the ice barricade. It's hard to make out through the haze, but whoever it is doesn't look exactly human…
The sound of a buzzsaw fills the small dome, as part of it is cut away to form a doorway. Once the carving is complete, a clawed foot kicks the ice through. Standing at the newly-formed entrance, saw-staff propped nonchalantly on one shoulder, is the bangaa Ba'Gamnan.
"What're you whelps staring at?" the lizardman asks gruffly, narrowing his slitted eyes at the pair. "Not the rescue ya expected, eh?"
"I can honestly say not," Telary answers.
"It's throwing me for a loop," concurs Riku. "I assume there's munny involved?"
There's really no time to work out the details now, a fact everyone is reminded of when an icy shriek echoes around the cavern. Immediately, the odd trio of Riku, Telary, and Ba'Gamnan rush past the ice enclosure and back out into the heat of battle.
The remaining members of Ba'Gamnan's band, his brothers Gijuk and Bwagi, with sister Rinok, are focused on one of the Colossi, smashing its thick foot with all they've got. With their thick leathery hides, it seems that the trio of lizard-people are unaffected by the monster's surrounding cold field.
That leaves the other monster all to Azlyn. The knight carefully dodges waves of deadly icicles, retaliating whenever she can with shield throws that always lose momentum as the pass through the Colossus's frozen aura. From the way she's shivering, it seems that even sticking to the field's outskirts is having an effect.
Riku and her fiancée rush to the knight's side. Telary casts a fire spell that he makes sure goes past her, giving the blonde some needed warmth. Catching her shield on the rebound, Azlyn turns to face the boys.
"This is your big redemption moment?" Riku declares before either she or her future husband can say anything to one another.
"I'd say so," she shoots right back, jabbing a finger over to where the bangaa bros (and sister) have managed to bring the Colossus they're facing down to one knee. With its more vulnerable part within reach, they turn their assault to the creature's face.
"You could have told us about all this!" Telary yells, throwing up a very weak Reflect spell to prevent the trio from being eviscerated.
"Look, can we have this conversation later?" she demands, batting away an icicle. "In case you haven't noticed, there's kinda something going on here!"
Yet another shriek echoes through the cavern, this one pained and full of sorrow rather than triumph. Seconds later, a noise like a hundred glass vases shattering at once fills the space. Looking at the hired help, Riku, Azlyn, and Telary are stunned to see pieces of the Ice Colossus rain down. The bangaa siblings aren't quite prepared for a shattering of that magnitude, throwing up their arms as they're buried under an avalanche of ice.
"Guess this one's on us," Azlyn declares, rushing forward at the massive beast. If she bothered to look up, the knight might see that it seems the creature is looking forward to the bout.
Slamming a hand down palm first, the Colossus summons from the ground a huge icicle, its needle gleaming like the tip of a well-honed spear. Azlyn dodges to the left, only to find another needle rising there as well. Just as she's bracing for impact, a ball of purple fire melts the attack into oblivion. Instead of being skewered, she puts all her strength into a throw at the creature's face. Her shield impacts against its left eye, snapping the head off to the side.
Three dark fireballs fly through the cold field, turning into ice but maintaining enough impact to keep the monster's head turned. Telary is suddenly at Azlyn's side, urging her forward. Really running on the last dregs of his magical power now, the wizard surrounds he and his fiancée with enough fire to make their way into the Colossus's close quarters. They skid to a stop just under the ice creature's chin.
Growling, Azlyn hurls her shield straight upwards, just as the Ice Colossus is turning its head to face its opponent's again. The attack from below, completely unexpected, slams into the monster's jaw hard enough to send its whole head snapping back. Telary draws back his staff, preparing the very last spell he'll be able to cast for a while now. With an upward thrust, he sends a fireball straight into the Ice Colossus's neck.
Even reduced by the wizard's drained power, that single flaming orb is hot enough to sheer straight through the Colossus's skull. The creature's entire face melts away, leaving nothing but a nub in the middle of its shoulders. Without a mind to guide itself, the creature collapses. Realizing that they've put themselves in a precarious position, the Disney Castle pair turn tail and run as fast they can.
It won't be enough, not as the body picks up speed while falling. The shadow grows smaller, coming closer and closer until… Riku thrusts out his hand with a grunt, producing a Dark Fira just strong enough to melt a hole in the creature's chest. Azlyn and Telary switch direction, running towards the small clear spot that is their salvation. With only a second to spare, they slide onto their knees, into safety.
As the dust is settling, Telary begins to realize that the woman in his arms is shaking like a leaf. At first he thinks it's due to simple cold, but then the deafening boom of impact dies down, and he hears a single, sad sob.
Azlyn is crying.
"It's not enough," she says, fighting her way through the sorrow thickening her throat. "It's not… I can't make this up to him. Or to Riku or Kairi. Or to you."
"Maybe not," he replies, backing up and tilting her face up to look him in the eyes. "But you can try. Just keep trying."
"He's right, y'know," Riku chimes in suddenly. Of course, having the silver-haired Keyblade wielder see her at a weak moment has Azlyn scooting away from her fiancée like he's suddenly on fire, wiping tears hastily from her eyes. "It isn't always easy, and the mistakes will probably always be at the forefront of your mind. But the only way to move past something, is to go forward." He shrugs. "Just a little 'screwing up' lesson from the league record holder."
"I'll keep it in mind," the knight replies. Then, deciding she's had enough of letting emotions overwhelm her, Azlyn stands up.
"Humes," scoffs Ba'Gamnan, standing to the side with his siblings. They're all fixing the mammalian trio with looks of undisguised disgust. "Soft-hearted, warm blood freaks, the lot of 'em!"
"Oh yeah, that's a smart idea," Azlyn says, sliding down the Ice Colossus's back and jumping down to the cavern floor. "Make fun of the lady who's paying your scaly asses."
"Ya said the job was ta get your fleshy arses outta the Underworld alive," Rinok grumbles right back. "Didn't say nothing about 'emotional health', as I recall."
"My my, what interesting company you keep," Riku quips, shaking his head. "But, I guess they did come through in the clutch here."
"Speaking of," Telary chimes in, glancing nervously upward, "we're kind of on a deadline here, and we don't even know what exactly that deadline is, so…"
"Yeah, let's get a move on," Azlyn agrees, already walking across the cavern with the clear expectation that she'll be followed.
From the shadows, two imps watch the group pass by, nervous expressions on both their faces. It seems that it's time to call in the boss man. Oh, joy.
KH-KH-KH
Four swords is three too many. If that's not a saying already, Kairi is fully prepared to start any kind of letter writing campaign she needs in order to make it so. As far as she's concerned, it's already prove itself true enough.
She's never fought so hard to remain aware of her surroundings, never allowed herself to unconsciously take in so many small cues to keep herself alive. Her experience in Deep Jungle notwithstanding, this single fight truly is serving as the ultimate test of the abilities she's cultivated over the last several months.
It helps, somewhat, the Gilgamesh is far more fixated on "Sora" than her. Even when she's right in front of him, the quad-armed warrior seems to only have eyes for Icarus. The inventor's faking skills are getting almost as much of a trial as Kairi's sword fighting. It's not everyone who can pull off running away while making it look like he isn't. And kudos to whoever designed those toy Keyblades, because the one Icarus is using has even managed to deflect a few blows.
But that's really all they can do, unfortunately. Survival is the name of the game, not victory. Not that the Princess of Heart is so cocky she thinks that can be arranged as things currently stand anyway.
If there's any glimmer of hope at all, it's that while having four arms to wield four swords gives Gilgamesh a lot of options, it's clear the red-clad warrior isn't quite used to having two extra arms yet. The top limbs he uses perfectly well, executing combination strikes that have Kairi scrambling to keep up with him. The bottom two, however, he only manages to use in clumsy strikes and attempted surprise attacks. As long as Kairi doesn't leave herself locking swords with the man, she should be able to turn those blades into a non-issue.
In the end, the name of the game is distance. Up close there's too much to deal with, so the redhead and her partner make to retreat whenever they can. Considering the noises they can hear coming down from above, the crowd doesn't quite know what to make of all this dancing away.
But they'll just have to learn to live with it for a while longer. This match is far from over.
KH-KH-KH
The large, two-level atrium just outside the place where Hades' Underdrome lock is located is quiet as any other Underworld cavern when Azlyn and her band enter. Which means that the two Ice Colossi were the only guardians the Lord of the Dead had bothered to set up. Even three-headed Cerberus is a no-show.
"This better not be a trap," Riku declares, frowning as he and the others start up the stairway to the chamber's second level. "I mean, I know it probably is, but some things you just have to say in this situation."
But despite how fervently their lives seem to draw from common fantasy tropes, the second floor is just as deserted. Only a few yards of stone floor, a staircase, and an elaborately carved pair of double doors stand between the group and Sora.
"This job ain't half bad," Ba'Gamnan declares with a quiet chuckle. "After we got ya over that first hurdle, smooth sailing all the way."
"Hardly," Azlyn says. She takes a step forward, holding up a hand to keep the others from doing the same. Setting her face in a defiant stare, the knight holds her head up high. "Okay, Hades. You can come out now. I know you want to!"
Just like the showman he is, the God of the Underworld can never miss a cue. Smoke flows into the cavern from all sides, coalescing into a thicky black column a few feet in front of Azlyn. As the fumes finish taking on Hades' shape, the knight doesn't let a single emotion show on her face.
"Well, are you a savvy little Sadie," Hades says, crossing his arms and leering at the girl standing defiantly before him. "Ya knew that I couldn't just let my grand prize go skipping off into the Olympic sunset with you."
"I hate to admit it," Azlyn says, her tightly clenched teeth lending credence to the words, "but you played this perfectly. You know we can't go through you and get Sora back. Not in enough time. This is a scheme we can't force our way out of."
"Azlyn…" Telary says nervously, stepping closer to his fiancée. Riku stops him, putting a hand on the wizard's shoulder and cementing him in place.
"I don't have much hope of tricking you, either," Azlyn continues, her voice calm and steady despite how defeatist her words are. "So, it looks like there's just one choice I've got left."
"I guess so," the god says, his eyes glittering. "You gonna take it?"
For a long moment, Azlyn says nothing. Then, slowly and deliberately, the knight reaches into one of the pouches around her belt. From there, she draws forth a piece of paper, words scribbled all over it.
"Well, what do we have here?" Hades asks, as if he doesn't know.
"I made a guess at your plans for Sora, after we lose him," Azlyn says, her voice giving away almost nothing. "I mean, it's pretty easy to work out. You send him to kill Hercules. There's just no other option in your mind."
"Well gee," Hades replies, frowning a bit. "You make me sound like some kind of obsessive."
"But, there's something else you can't deny," Azlyn continues steadily. "Even with Sora under your command, you know the track record of your plans involving Herc. Every time you go up against that redheaded demigod boy scout, you lose. It's been happening for years."
"Things change," the Lord of the Dead replies, though he hardly sounds as confident as he did a few seconds ago. "Ya never know what…"
Azlyn cuts him off, which judging by the god's expression is a rare occurrence. "So, you can't beat Hercules. But, after all the times me, Sora, and Telary have gotten involved in your little schemes, you've almost got yourself a new nemesis, haven't ya? And you haven't figured out whether this one is unbeatable or not." She holds out the piece of paper in her head, expression set in sad determination. "Well, I'm here to tell you… The answer is no. You can beat us. You already have."
"Azlyn, what are you doing?" Telary asks, fighting hard to keep his voice as steady as the knight's. It's not a successful effort.
"So, you admit I won, huh?" Hades asks, not even bothering to hide his amusement. "I take it that means I win something, right?"
"Oh, definitely," Azlyn replies. "If you give Sora back to us, let him go to compete in the tournament, then everything but his soul and the clothes on our backs is yours. All the munny, all the perks, everything."
Telary nearly collapses, only barely staying upright with Riku's assistance. Actually, the silver-haired young man doesn't look too steady himself at the moment. Whatever either of the older guys had expected, this certainly wasn't it.
"And what, pray tell, is a god supposed to do with all that?" Hades asks, attempting to be smooth but not hiding his piqued interest very well at all.
"Dunno," Azlyn answers, shrugging again. "But you have it, and we don't. That sounds like a victory to me. And hey, who knows? Maybe we won't get to the arena before your boy takes Kairi and Icarus down, maybe Sora won't be strong enough to win. There's still a chance you get all that and a bag of chips."
"A very interesting offer," Hades says, and immediately Azlyn can sense she's won. Or rather, lost very strategically. "Y'know, they say living well is the best revenge. And besides, even if I got the Keybrat on a string, wouldn't be long before ol' Mal showed up and decided it was her turn to play."
The mention of Maleficent has the human trio's ears perking up a bit, but more important things are happening right now.
Finally, the villainous Lord of the Dead shrugs. "Eh, what the Home?" He snatches the contract in Azlyn's hand, singing his signature on the bottom line. As soon as the smoldering has finished, the double doors behind the god open.
Riku immediately rushes in, Keyblade in hand. A large stone sits before him, a bas-relief of Sora in repose carved on its face. Raising his sword, the silver-haired young man unleashes a beam of unlocking energy. The stone begins crumbling into tiny particles, and when the pile becomes too big to sustain it collapses. Sora is revealed, slumping forward groggily. Luckily, Riku is there to catch his best friend.
"Riku?" the spiky-haired Keybearer mutters, his eyes fluttering open. "Hey, what's going on?"
"I'll explain later," Riku replies, throwing the younger boy's arm around his shoulders and lifting him to a standing position. "Short version: It's all Azlyn's fault."
The knight opens her mouth to make an indignant reply, but it quickly snaps closed when she realizes that it is indeed. Telary whistles for Pegasus, who quickly comes flying into the chamber. The winged horse lands, and in no time everyone manages to get mounted on his back. If all this weight bothers Herc's animal friend, he doesn't show it.
"Wait a minute!" Ba'Gamnan grumbles. "How are we supposed to get back topside?"
Azlyn shrugs. "Don't know, don't care. Kick ya around later!"
Riku kicks his heels into Pegasus's side, and the winged horse rises into the air with a few labored flaps of his feathered wings. A few seconds later, the group is off to save the day, once and for all.
KH-KH-KH
Kairi falls backwards hard, barely maneuvering herself around to both stay steady and deflect a downward swipe of two blades. She knows Gilgamesh's lower arms are already preparing an upward thrust, so as quick as possible she disengages and rushes back.
Time gets kind of fuzzy in the arena, but if Kairi had to guess, she'd say this match has lasted almost half an hour. So maybe, even if she loses her boyfriend's soul to an evil god forever, she can at least say she set a record for longest tournament fight.
Even the crowd isn't quite as absorbed in the proceedings, though once in a while things will get dicey and they'll lean forward a bit, anticipating a killing blow. But inevitably the redhead or her boyfriend manages to escape, and soon boredom returns.
Gilgamesh, to his credit, still goes as hard as possible. Kairi can only imagine how much energy handling four heavy metal blades takes, but it has to be considerable. There's something to be said, at least, for a worthy opponent.
Icarus dives in a Gilgamesh's side, but the red-garbed warrior sidesteps and lashes out with a fist. The butt of the imitation gunblade almost collides with the inventor's forehead, but he manages to duck in time. He commits a little too much to the movement though, falling back on his butt. Kairi sees Gilgamesh's eyes light up, not-Buster sword rising high to slash down.
Not on her watch. The redhead dives forward, Keyblade parallel to the ground. It takes all her strength to resist her opponent's blow, but she stops the blade from falling on Icarus. Disengaging the lock is another matter through, and even her strongest upward pull isn't enough to throw Gilgamesh off.
So, it's time to resort to a more inventive tactic. Angling her blade so its tip faces Gilgamesh, the Princess of Heart unleashes a Blizzard spell. Her opponent stumbles back, swiping at his almost frozen eyes.
"Thanks," Icarus says, rising to his feet. He's panting. "How much longer do you think we have to hold this line? Because I gotta tell ya, I…"
"WOOO!"
The sound of a familiar cry sends Kairi's gaze upwards, to Azlyn's private box. Two figures stand at its edge, hollering down at their friends. Looking closer, she sees its Azlyn and Riku. Grinning, Riku gives her a thumbs up.
"Not much longer at all, Icarus," Kairi says, clenching her fist and remembering the part she plays in this stage of the plan.
Gilgamesh has just recovered, blinking so his eyes can adjust and expel any leftover moisture. He might as well not have bothered. No sooner does the red-clad warrior's gaze fix itself on his opponent than she opens her hand, light streaming out of it. He, and all of the arena's patrons, cry out as the light once again attacks their eyes. They all immediately move to save their vision, just in time to miss the other flash of light in the arena, this one centered around Icarus.
Once the lights fade and everyone's eyes adjust, things in this final match start to really get interesting.
"Way to hold the line, Kairi," Sora, the real one, congratulates his girlfriend. "Consider this final test passed!"
"Good to have you back," she says, smiling so hard it almost hurts her cheeks. Sora is here, and everything is inevitably going to be alright.
"Great to be back," he agrees, eyes narrowing as he spots Gilgamesh recovering across the floor. Grinning, Sora raises his Keyblade high. "Time to finish this."
"Clever tricks and magic will not save you!" Gilgamesh roars, all four swords flailing. The sight gives Sora pause, but he manages to work through it. Four swords hardly seems an issue after facing one-thousand swords in the hands of as many Heartless. "Victory will be mine, and then I shall…!"
"Oh, put a sock in it!" Sora rushes forward, swinging his Keyblade in a flurry of attacks. Caught off guard by the sudden aggression, it's all Gilgamesh can do to keep his four swords intercepting the determined swipes.
Kairi simply watches it unfold, a half hour of straight combat busting through the adrenaline that has been keeping her going. She forgets, sometimes, how incredible her man can be in battle. It's nothing compared to how he is off the field of conflict, but still… It's pretty hot.
Sora backs away from a lower-blade thrust, turns aside an attack from the upper left. Seeing an opening, he jams his Keyblade down on the nearest arms. Both upper and lower take the hit, two swords bouncing to the arena floor.
The crowd's enthusiasm is back in full force, most of them way too absorbed to actually wonder where this kind of fighting has been all day. Perhaps, some rationalize, he was simply saving his strength for this particular moment.
Gilgamesh takes a step back, quickly throwing his hooked sword into the grip of his other upper arm. Now with both strong arms holding a weapon, he goes for a full attack himself. Sora is quick to defend, Keyblade moving side-to-side as he deflects one sword then the other.
But a blow manages to slip past his defense. The not-gunblade smashes into the magically protected material of his jacket, not cutting through but definitely scoring a nasty hit. With a cry of pain, the Keybearer falls backwards. He lands awkwardly, completely vulnerable.
The crowd gasps, and Gilgamesh's eyes widen this could be his chance! Finally, to be able to say he bested the Keybearer in single combat…
But this combat, despite the red-clad warrior's, and come to think of it the crowd's, misconceptions, is decidedly not single. They all learn their lesson quickly, as Kairi dives forward with orbs of light surrounding her like moons around a planet. She crashes into Gilgamesh, a straight-on hit to the torso that sends him flying back. The warrior lands on the stone ground with a great crash, uttering one more groan before he drops into unconsciousness. Then, seconds later, he teleports from the arena. He's lost.
Sora and Kairi are the winners. And, contrary to what popular opinion may have projected, it's mostly thanks to the latter.
The crowd jumps to its feet, their roars of triumph and excitement echoing all throughout the coliseum. No one, of course, is cheering louder than the four people watching from their own private box.