Hey everyone,
Wow, incredible! I didn't really think that I would be able to give you more than 12 chapters max and here we are at thirteen chapters. I know it's only one more than I originally intended, but I really didn't think I could get this much work done, especially with the new text layout and all, in the course of the last month.
Merry Christmas, all,

Venquine1990


Chapter 44
He'll be here soon

Riku's POV

Olympus Coliseum was a world I have never travelled to before and now I regret it. The place is huge, large enough to probably fit that Darkside I had to fight in my memory of Destiny Island back at Castle Oblivion and how they were able to put those gigantic soldier statues in this amazing courtyard, I'll never understand.
The doors are made of wood with golden clasps and are at least seventeen if not twenty times my size. The pillars on both sides of the door opposite me are about one and half times the size of the Great Hall and the walls on the sides have windows every one feet or so, looking out over the clouds and into the vast sky.

All in all the Coliseum is amazing.

I walk over the soft sand courtyard and hear a gruff voice asks: "You here to train, rookie?" I look down and see what looks like a brown colored goat with orange furred rear legs and a curled goatee that can surprisingly enough stand on its hind legs alone as his rear legs actually have hands instead of hooves along with a human face.
I shake my head and say: "No sir, I'm looking for Hercules. There's something important I have to ask him." The goat-man humps and asks: "What's so important it makes you not want to train at the famous Olympus Coliseum?" I sigh and say: "It concerns a new friend of mine. A Keyblade wielder to be exact."

The man looks shocked and then a kinder voice asks: "Did I hear the words Keyblade Wielder?" And I see a strong muscled man with rust-colored hair that is held back by a reddish-brown headband, save for a single bang that falls over it. He has beautiful blue eyes and a kind smile as he wears a metal sort of armor.
He walks over and says: "Hi, I'm Hercules. Are you a friend of Sora's?" I smile at the man, glad to finally meet Hercules and say: "Yes, I am. My name's Riku." To which the goat-man says: "So you're the famous Riku. Sora was looking for you every time he came here, you know?" This makes me lower my head in shame.

Hercules slaps me on the shoulder and says: "Hey, don't mind Phil, he's just pissed I finished the training so quickly and that he has no new material for me." I smile at him and say: "Well, if you're not training, maybe you can answer me a few questions me and my friends have. They concern Hades and Maleficent."
The man turns grim and asks: "What do you want to know?" And I explain him everything. How an older friend of mine knew Harry as a teacher, how they lost sight of each other, how they reunited and how we discovered he was a Keyblade Wielder and abused terribly by his relatives, even so far as locking him in his room on his birthday.
Hercules has his lips thin and his muscles are showing more than ever as he tenses them in anger. He then suddenly turns around and hits one of the pillars with what seems to be all his strength, the pilar carving itself into the stone structure of the Coliseum. I look flabbergasted at this amazing show of power and he asks:
"So what do you want to ask? And what does all this have to do with Hades?" I shrug and say: "We know a woman, actually a witch, who's just as bad as Hades and we were wondering if Hades would be enough to punish those three. Sora wants to do both of them, but I don't want those two joining forces again."

Hercules tilts his head and asks: "Again?" I nod and say: "They joined forces when Sora first came here. When he helped you beat Cerberus and all. Maleficent tried to join forces with Oogie-Boogie the last time, when Hydra destroyed the Coliseum, but I don't want her joining forces with Hades. With Pete, she's bad enough."
Hercules nods and crosses his arms, apparently calmed down from his anger as he says: "I'm not sure if Hades is even willing to go out there and scare those people, but sending them here and then leading them to him might work. Then again, I know he has three helpers that can predict when someone is to die; they tried to cheat on that with Meg once."

I nod and ask: "Think they'll be willing to slightly cheat with that again. Not totally – to kill them or anything – but to make them feel how badly their health really is. Two of them have the size of a human whale you see, so it would be interesting to see them realize how badly their health really is." But then Phil steps in and says:
"You want a human whale to feel the bad affects of his condition? You don't need Hades for that." We both look at him and Hercules says: "Phil, you wouldn't." But the goat man waves him down and says: "Hell yeah, I would. I hate it if a Keyblade wielder or a young hero can't get to the full of his ability thanks to some jerks."

This alone shocks me, but it also proves how this being became the famous Trainer of Heroes. He then turns around and while waving at me, he says: "Just send those fools my way and I'll let them sweat worse than I do Herc on a bad day. And Herc, you make sure they don't take advantage of my height and try to scram, you got that?"
Hercules nods at the goat-man and then he turns to me and says: "We'll handle this. Just leave it to us and tell Sora I said hi." I nod and leave back for the portal, wondering what exactly I just left the Dursleys with. I take one last look at the coliseum as I step through and again marvel at the beauty of this amazing place.

Axel's POV

Having gone with Sora and Harry to see him train was just an excuse. An excuse to watch Sora and see my beautiful Roxas in that caramel-brown haired boy. The bone structure, height and way he talks and moves every now and then don't diminish the idea of him being Roxas either and I remember the day I realized I loved Roxas:

Flashback:

It was a day after we had finished Castle Oblivion. Vexen, Zexion, Lexaeus, Marluxia and Larxene are all destroyed – Vexen being the only one to have died by my hand while the other four were killed by either Sora, Riku or Riku's Replica – and I'm standing one floor lower than where Roxas and I usually meet.
The way I felt right after I let Naminé, the girl that – under Marluxia's orders – controlled and changed Sora's memories, go still bugs me and I wonder how I could have enjoyed what I did instead of just remembering how it felt to enjoy something. I remember telling the girl: "We Nobodies can never hope to be Somebodies."

I shake my head and think: "Was I wrong? Is there still a chance? Has my meeting with Sora –." And there realization struck. Sora had a Nobody – a Nobody I was in constant contact with. And according to everyone I heard talking about Sora, he has a special influence on those connected to him. Could the same apply to Roxas?
I think back to the days I joined in on missions with him and remember how we took down the Guardian together. I had, back then, believed what I was feeling was a memory of how it felt to be proud as it didn't feel all that different yet. But now, having met Sora, the emotions seem to grow stronger the more I think of both of them.
I look up, wondering if Roxas is sitting just one floor above me and think: "I just betrayed members of the only group he knows. Everyone keeps everything from him as long as – the project is yet to finish and I was told to do the same. But the longer I hang around with him and meet with him after missions, the harder this gets.

This makes me realize that yes, like Sora, Roxas has a special influence on those around him, those connected to him. While the poor bugger is probably still without heart himself, has he given me one and I didn't realize it until I started helping Sora by letting Naminé escape and then laughing at what her escape could cause.
I look back up again and whisper: "You are really something else, Roxas. Even from the person you are born from." I then look at the sunset and realize something. Roxas really gave me a heart, but not one to just care for him. The heart he gave me, he immediately stole as I fell head over heels for my little Roxy.

I smile at this flashback and whisper: "I really hope to see you soon again, Roxas. Missed you just so much." And for a minute I see Sora move his head my way as he parries and attacks Harry with his Keyblade. Wondering if those deep blue eyes I saw were Sora's or Roxy's, I smile hoping with all my heart he'll be here soon.

Sora's POV

I'm working with Harry on his skills and Keyblade movement when suddenly Roxas comes up and makes me look at Axel for just a second. I even feel my body change, as if the aura of another person is wrapped around me with body features and all and realize something as I focus back on the fight and parry Harry's uppercut blow.
Axel coming back gave Roxas a whole new reason to demerge with me. My Nobody is after all completely head over heels with the older boy and we had after all agreed to demerge already, even if it was only for my chances with Riku. And now – now Roxas has the same kind of chance with Axel and he wants to take it.
I jump back from the fight, knowing I would have gotten a headache from Harry's last blow had I not and whisper: "Come out when Harry meets Fawkes, that's who Axel was turned into. It will prove your loyalty to him." And again the aura comes over me and I feel my head nodding, making me smile as I jump back into the fight.

Harry's POV

I don't really know what's going on between the new older boy Axel and my new friend – and current teacher – Sora, but I get the feeling it has something to do with that whole Nobody thing they told us about. Especially since Sora told me he had a Nobody himself that he merged with and Axel himself is also a Nobody.
Wondering if Sora's Nobody and Axel knew each other, I fight Sora as hard as I can, reminding myself of the training I went through for the Patronus charm and the last tasks of the Tournament, but also minding my body. Then, as I want to strike Sora, I see him moving his head and for some reason do his looks change for just a second.
He jumps back and I see him whispering something I can't hear. He jumps back to me and – while he seemed to have been slacking since I saw him turn his head – does he seem all back into the fight now and I push myself even harder, wanting to move with my Keyblade as well as he does. All throughout the rest of the fight all I notice is Riku coming back.

Severus' POV

Working on the one potion that was and always has been a real challenge to me, I wonder if the plants and other flora here could help me improve the conditions of the Wolfsbane Potion, maybe even improve the conditions of a werewolf himself. Knowing that if I can, I can sell the potion, I decide to go and see how the twins are with their Jokeshop.
After all, we teachers aren't stupid and I have noticed them working harder and harder on their regular work – even if their test results are slacking off – since their Fifth year, since the Career Day. Wondering if Minerva has anything to do with it, I decide to do what I know Molly Prewett never did; ask the twins how they plan their Jokeshop construction.

Of course I'm quite well aware that I'm just thinking of random things I can do while on this island and that I'm trying not to let my anger get the better of me as Draco will still have two years before we get to where we are now before we can rightfully punish him, but the thought of him using the M word twice in 2 months keeps my anger high.
I sigh and stay working at the far west of the waterfalls, between a thick bush of greenery and just behind a part of the first waterfall, where people can barely see me and I have just enough light not to disturb some of the ingredients and still see what I'm doing perfectly, the greenery and waterfall causing exactly enough light.
Using tools created out of my surroundings also help a lot and make me feel all the more satisfactory of my work as I work with things I made myself. All in all pushing my thoughts of what Draco did away, thinking of things yet to do today and working with ingredients taken from the Island's flora make me feel quite well about myself.

Minerva's POV

The break is nearly over and I see that Severus is still quite busy on his potion. The man seems to draw his ingredients more out of his surroundings than from the Potions kit he took along and I wonder whether this will aid or trouble the man. Knowing it's best not to disturb him, as hearing that word twice in a single half an hour must be hard on him.
I then look further around and while the Bulgarian students have sought refuge in the higher platforms and the French have gone to the shade near the cove Harry and his family had sought refuge earlier, are all Hogwarts divided between surfing on wooden planks, swimming and sunning on the beach. All in all they all seem to enjoy themselves.
This makes me smile and I look at the far west platform, created between a large, thick tree and the mountains and see Axel, Sora and Harry, Axel leaning against the tree and Sora and Harry fighting. Harry seems to really improve the more Sora pushes him and I wonder how the boy's life would have been had Sora been his friend all along.
The boy in question seems to not just improve in his skills with the blade, but also his health and while I can easily see that Poppy is worrying over him, does Sora seem to really take into account how much he thinks Harry's body can handle as, even as he tries to hide it, it's still obvious that the experienced fighter is holding back.

I then see Riku coming back, something which Axel seems to notice as well as he uncrosses his arms and makes the Dark Portal – that still gives me the creeps – disappear before he crosses his arms again and smiles slightly as he watches Sora and Harry train. Riku soon joins him and leans against the opposite tree.
I look at the three newcomers and wonder what other worlds they can show us. They after all told us that there are loads of different worlds and all of them with life being different from each other and I think: "Wherever we go, I hope they will keep helping my little Godson. Merlin knows he needs it with all that bastard put on him."
I then sigh and continue watching over the students, with Naminé and Kairi sitting on the edge of the platform where I stand and happily chatting with each other. Next to this platform Narcissa and Andromeda seem to have found each other again and the fact that the sisters Black are reuniting makes me smile a small, relieved smile.

Sirius' POV

The Bulgarians have sought refuge in the higher platforms, the French are in front of us on the shady part of the beach and Remus and I are back in the cove we were in when we first came here. We're both looking out for our little one and Remus says: "He's showing the same determination as with the Patronus lessons."
This makes me smile and then I turn to him and say: "You know, it might have been Hermione and Harry doing all the work, but if you hadn't taught him that spell, we would have all been dead." The man shudders and says: "I know. I still have nightmares of that night. Not being able to control myself and being so close to pup in that form –."
The man shudders and I quickly hug him, offering him my comfort and whispering: "You didn't do nothing, love. You didn't attack us, you didn't get near us and you didn't bite any of us. You were of no danger to us and you don't have to fear so any longer." The man sighs and hugs me back as he bitterly replies:

"Sirius, even now that I see Moony as a way for me to have gained a family and to stimulate you into Animagus, is there still the fact that I'm dangerous – a menace even – and nothing will ever change that." But then Riku, who walked by on his way to Axel, Sora and Harry, says: "Nothing, except for your own heart."
I look at him and he says: "Your heart decides whether your werewolf side is light or dark and if you let your heart be controlled by the darkness you believe your werewolf side to be, you could very well lose it and become one of those creatures we showed you. And then – there is only a 1% chance of you ever coming back."
Remus and I blanche and Riku climbs up a ladder before I turn to Remus and stab him with my finger, saying: "You will not lose that beautiful heart, you hear me? That is one of your attributes that I fell in love with and like hell that I will let you lose it. We've been through too much to let Darkness break us apart now."
Remus smiles at me, tears in his eyes and I kiss his lips, feeling my resolve weaken as those soft lips turn strong and demanding and I give into my Remus yet again, hiding us in the deeper parts of the cove and trusting in Viktor to keep an eye on Harry – and on his privacy wards to keep our actions secret to others.

Collin's POV

I just know that somewhere in the chapters soon to be read, the attack on my person will be mentioned and because I never told Dennis about it am I now trying to have as much fun with him as I can, making a castle on the beach and playing in the water with him, just to make him enjoy the last few moments before the story will turn dark.
Of course, I'm sure my little brother has noticed how hard I'm trying to keep him from worrying, but Dennis was always the fun, easy-going kind of kid and I really hope that will last when the story comes around to my time as a stone statue. Luckily enough was Justin Flinch-Fletchley, who was also petrified, willing to help me with this.
So whenever Dennis seems reluctant to play with me, Justin steps in and gets the boy to play water-tag or hide and seek or something of the like. This is such a moment and while hiding from Dennis, who has to find us, do I look at Harry and his training, feeling feeling quite both troubled and grateful that the secret will be revealed.
Of course my moment of not looking out for my brother comes back to bite me in the ass as Dennis finds me and I laugh, shocked that he found me this fast as Dennis was never good at Hide and Seek. I then go help him find Justin and try not to think of the time of my First year that I just can't remember – as it was all black that I saw.

Hermione's POV

I know my time being Petrified is not for a long shot, but the thought of reading about the Chamber and its problems alone scares the hell out of me as I felt restless with fear of what on earth could be causing the victims to be petrified and I can now vividly remember how the thought I would be next was constantly going through my mind.
All in all does this make me even more grateful to have Blaise by my side as he barely speaks about it and we just talk randomly, sometimes about issues that have been bugging me, sometimes about absolutely nothing, as we sit at the same spot as before. The dock is currently a little more crowded, but with Blaise around, I barely notice it.
I never really knew how it felt to fall in love, but if it means you feel free, yourself and can talk of things that you never knew about but don't want to ask that person his ears off and just want to listen to the sound of his voice, then I guess being in love really is an amazing thing – and Blaise Zabini really an amazing person.


Hey everyone,
So this chapter wasn't really the longest and it really was just a bit of a transition between one CR chapter and another, but personally I am hoping to implement more chapters like this as just CR stuff chapter after chapter after chapter after chapter – yeah, like this, that gets repetitive and I really don't want that for this story.
Merry Christmas,

Venquine1990