A/N: I was two words away from finishing final editing and i hit backspace. fuck existence. hopefully i can catch everything and get it back the way i want it. ugh.
"I despise everything about this." Eleanor gritted her teeth and held on tight to her keyblade with sweaty palms.
After Meg and Hercules had ushered both her and the grumpy satyr out into the dusty arena floor, he had proceeded to tell her all the fighting techniques Jack Sparrow had taught her were wrong, and if she wanted to be a hero she would need to essentially start completely over. Empty stone seats boxed them in on either side and columns rose up high and proud on all sides of her. She puffed a wayward curl out of her face as she took her battle stance against the enchanted floating vases Phil had set up for her. She tried to ignore the satyr yelling at her back about her form and her speed as she batted the vases out of the air only to have them float back to her moment later.
"Your arms need to be straighter!" Phil was shouting to her. "And your back is too hunched, what are you a little demon? There is nothing to work with here."
"You're being a little tough Phil, lighten up on her a bit." Hercules set a hand on his shoulder.
"And just for your information, also? I'll have you know, oh great and mighty Phil." She turned on her heel and glared down the rude little goat man. "I was taught the art of sword play by some of the most capable fighters I have ever known. I do not need your guidance." One of the vases hit her in the back of the head as she was yelling and she turned immediately and shattered it with a groan of frustration.
"From where I'm standing, you don't measure up at all kiddo." Phil leaned up against one of the half crumbled columns at the edge of the arena and began picking at his nails.
"Want to run that by me again, old man?" She asked as he marched up to her and poked her in the stomach.
"Show me you got heart skinny."
"Heart?" Eleanor's voice faltered. She was caught off guard. She had been expecting an insult and instead got something completely different.
However, before they had the chance to continue the thick wooden door at the end of the arena that had led to the trophy room creaked open and Sora, Donald and Goofy rushed out into the arena. Their sudden appearance distracted Phil, and Hercules who made their way over to meet them.
"Sora!" Their hands clapped together as Hercules greeted them with a bright smile. "It's been ages! Where have you guys been!"
Sora smiled and shook the demigod's hand. "You know, we were just in the neighborhood and we stopped and ran into meg-meg..mega trouble." He stuttered over his words but managed to save himself before he and meg set a hand on her forehead. "Other than that, we're defending the world from darkness, traveling around. Regular hero stuff."
"Junior heroes." Goofy whispered to Sora, who scowled in response to the unwelcome reminder.
Donald scoffed. "What you don't think we're real heroes yet?"
Goofy grinned. "Not until Phil thinks so, isn't that right?"
The satyr scowled. "Well at least you finally grew into those skinny legs kid. It's good to see you though. And, just a word to the wise? You're new friend here ain't cutting it. I don't think there's anything even I can do for her."
"Hey!" Her keyblade disappeared in a flash and she took a few quick steps to duck behind Sora's shoulders so she could continue to glower at the goat man from safety of the space behind her friends. "You have been nothing but insulting and rude to me the entire time I've been here. Sora, I am not staying with this rude little satyr a moment longer."
The trio broke out in a fit of giggles. Eleanor crossed her arms and glared down at Phil, who glared back at her.
"Where did you run into trouble?" Hercules broke the tension between the pair with a warm smile, and wrapped one of his arms around Meg's shoulders. "We haven't seen any heartless or anything around."
Sora glanced back at Eleanor to make sure she was okay. She had locked her gaze on one of the empty benches. "Oh we overshot our target and ended up in the underworld. We tried to fight our way through some heartless, but it sucked the energy right out of us, couldn't do a thing."
"Don't suppose you have any ideas?" Goofy asked Phil, tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Oh!-"
"Well there's the Olympus Stone." Hercules said suddenly, cutting off Phil. "The gods use it when we have to go down to the Underworld for any reason, but remember even with the stone protecting you from the curse of the Underworld, Hades is no pushover. You weren't planning on challenging him were you?"
"Oh don't worry about us." Sora gave him a blinding smile and wrapped his arms around Eleanor, Donald and Goofy and pulled them all close. "We've been up against way worst. Haven't we guys?"
"That could be debated." Meg murmured. "You can't underestimate him at all you got it?"
"Ahyuk, you don't need ta fret Meg." Goofy assured her.
Hercules nodded. "Okay well. Lemme get it for you then. Just hang tight here and don't do anything reckless."
With that Hercules disappeared to go find the stone for them. Meg retreated into the shade of the trophy room and Donald and Goofy began sparring under Phil's critical direction. Eleanor sat next to Sora, who had settled a seat above her, leaning back against the stone bench behind him with his back and elbows. She sat sideways, with her chin resting on her elbows staring up at him as he told her about their brief trip into the underworld. She sat as close to his side as she could, to make sure that he wouldn't leave again.
"Promise me I won't have to stay here again by myself Sora I don't know if I can guarantee Phil's safety if he continues to insult me like he has been." She said under her breath to the keyblade master who only laughed and scrunched his nose up at her.
"Well you can tag along only if you think you can handle some serious fights, which Phil doesn't think you're up to, apparently." He grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
"You are unbelievable." Eleanor scowled and turned away from him in a huff.
"Oh hey stop that, I'm just kidding." He slipped easily down to the stone seat beside her as she crossed her arms across her chest. "All I meant was, Hades is gonna be really mad when we go back down there. He called out so many heartless and even Cerberus too. We were able to get away but I can't imagine what he'll think when we head back down."
"You know, in addition to what you're saying, just making me stay behind is not keeping me safe in the sense I had imagined when we made that pinkie promise Sora."
"Hm.." He didn't respond except to pick at his thumbnail.
"Besides." She pulled his hands away from one another and smiled. "How can I be expected to uphold my end of the bargain if I can't even see you?"
"Noted." He said with a small smile.
"There so at least we're in agreement." She patted the back of his hands and held them tightly in her lap.
He smiled and gave her hands a tight squeeze. "I won't leave you again, unless we have to. Deal?"
Eleanor opened her mouth to respond to him but Hercules' return interrupted her. Everyone turned to him as he let out a long breath.
"Bad news guys, I'm really sorry but the stones been stolen. Someone in a black coat apparently came in and took it. I'm not sure what to make of it, but does that mean anything to you?" Hercules made his way through a gate at the far end of the arena.
"Black coats?" Eleanor asked Sora, who had stood up beside her.
"The Organization?" Donald and Goofy's weapons disappeared as they approached Hercules.
"Never heard of them." The demi-god admitted. "Not good though right? If you three are after them they can't be."
"They're really bad guys. That's all we really know." Sora helped Eleanor to her feet and they too made their way over to Hercules. He ran a hand through his messy hair. "I didn't think we'd be running into them here with you around though. Any ideas where this guy ended up?"
"No I couldn't tell you." He let out a long breath. "Well if you can get the stone back you know you can use it as long as you need. You think you can find it for me?" He paused and looked around. "Hey where's Meg?"
"Wasn't she with you?" Goofy asked.
"Aww.. What's wrong your hero-ness? Lose your damsel in distress?" A smooth voice came from the shadowy top of the empty bleachers Hades stood lazily and brushed off his robes. "Everyone relax, I'm only here to deliver some mildly interesting news." In a swirl of smoke he floated down the stairway, picking nonchalantly at his fingernails.
Sora clenched his jaw. "Oh! We've been looking for you! We need to talk Hades-"
With a wave of his skeletal hand, Hades sent Sora flying backwards into the stone seats with a sickening crack that knocked the breath from his lungs. "No time for you keybrat. Make an appointment. I cant deal with everything at once today."
"Sora!" Donald, Goofy and Eleanor all scrambled to his side to help him sit up.
Eleanor took a hesitant breath and let her gaze shift over to the Lord of the dead, who faced Hercules. Her hands found Sora's arm as he, Donald, and Goofy watched the pair in the center of the arena tensely.
"Wonderbreath." Hades grinned as he continued to slink towards Hercules. "Looks like little Nut-Meg has gone and gotten herself lost in the Underworld. Wonder how something like that could have possibly happened, funny how that kinda thing works huh?"
"You kidnapped her?" Hercules threw a punch at the god of the Underworld, who disappeared in a puff of smoke only to re-materialize behind him and wrap a blue arm around his shoulders.
"Listen, details shmetails. Hey, she stays with me, safe more or less until you finish up your tournaments. What do you say? I heard today's weather was cloudy with a high chance of Hydra." Another wicked grin lit Hades' face. "I mean unless you want to see your beloved city destroyed? Really weigh it out here you know? All these innocents, or your little lady. Choices, choices. Hm, see ya later." He laughed and was gone in a puff of smoke.
"Hades! You rat!"
Eleanor had pulled Sora up to his feet with the help of the others, and she had worriedly brushed off his shoulders and pants. Goofy and Donald looked him over frantically to make sure no harm had come to him.
"Guys will you stop? I'm fine." Sora pushed their hands away with a roll of his bright eyes and rushed over to Hercules. "Hey don't worry Herc! Stay here and handle things topside, protect everyone like the hero you are! We can go find Meg and keep her safe no problem. We can take anything Hades can throw at us I promise."
Eleanor set a hand on Goofy's arm and another on Donald's shoulder as together they gave Hercules a nod of reassurance when he stole a glance over at them.
"Please be careful. You still don't have the Olympus Stone, and who knows what Hades has up his sleeve. Keep a sharp eye." Hercules warned them. He hesitated for a moment before he set a hand on Sora's shoulder. "Thank you for everything. You've earned your hero status as far as I'm concerned."
In a rush, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Eleanor were back down through the shadowy gate into the underworld. The dark and cold was a sharp contrast to the head she had been heat she had been training in in the hot arena. They slipped through one of the huge chained gates and into a damp, foggy corridor. The thick mist seemed to sap the energy out of Eleanor's limbs as soon as it touched her skin. She looked up at Sora, who had leant up against the wall and scanned the split passageway before them with his bright eyes.
"We'll have to split up." Donald said with a long suffering sigh.
"Knew it was coming." Eleanor rolled her eyes and set her hands on her hips.
"Well you and Donald can take the right and me and Goofy will take the left? What d'ya say?" Sora offered. "Find the stone, or Meg. Whichever comes first, and we'll all meet back at the entrance."
She scowled briefly at him, but Donald grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the fog with a wave of his wand. "Come on."
"Catch up soon!" Sora waved after her.
"Nothing to worry about right? Keep her safe Donald." Goofy grinned as well.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't dawdle!"
"Oh. Right behind you." With a little more effort than usual she summoned her keyblade into her waiting hands. She kept her eyes on Sora and Goofy for a moment before they disappeared into the fog with a pair of smiles. Donald waved his wand again and a small flame appeared above the top to light their way. She watched it flicker for a moment before she cleared her throat awkwardly. She hadn't really had a chance to get to know the magician and he was prickly enough for her to know any kind of conversation wasn't going to be easy going. "So.." The redhead started awkwardly. "I don't think I ever asked where you and Goofy were from. I mean, I know Sora's story, after about three or four times over. But where did the pair of you come from?"
"The King's Castle." The duck answered simply.
"Oh right. Of course. The King's Castle. How in the world did something that simple elude me?"
Donald shot a glare back over his shoulder. "Don't get smart. I'm the Court Magician and Goofy's Captain of the Guard. Or at least, we were until all this heartless mess got us all separated. That's when we left the castle to look for the key, which meant Sora of course. When we met he was stuck in an in-between world and looking for his friends and we were looking for the King so we invited him aboard and the rest is history, I guess. We haven't found the King just yet, but something tells me we're getting close to him."
Eleanor was set to make a snippy response to the rude magician. Instead her face softened, she let out a breath and chewed on her lip. "You're King is lost too? I'm so sorry. Has he been since Sora's friend-"
"Riku." Donald reminded her.
"Yes, how could I forget." She hesitated. "Will I ever meet your King?"
"What kinda question is that? The King is the strongest warrior I know, he trained us both you know. And if Riku is back from the darkness then so is his Majesty. You'll meet him soon I promise." He paused. "And he'll like you too. He likes everyone. You're very like-able, I guess."
She smiled. "Aww, Donald. I didn't know you cared-"
He held out his wand and stopped her suddenly.
"What is it?" She looked around warily.
"Shush." He glared back at her again. "Don't you hear that?"
"Hear what..?" Even as she spoke the sound of running footsteps got louder in the cavern.
"Run! Run away as fast as you can!" A figure in a long black coat slid around the corner. His hood fell off this head to reveal a young face with a fluffy blonde mo-hawk.
"Wah! The Organization! Sora!" Donald was gone in a flash into the mist of the underworld.
Eleanor turned to stop him, but the man grabbed her elbows and hushed her with a gloved hand over her mouth.
"Sh.. Stay quiet or Hades will catch up and get both of us, you got it?" He threw and urgent look back over his slim shoulder with a frantic look in his aquamarine eyes. "Oh he was more steamed than a ball of rice. They sent the wrong guy down here. Coulda sent anyone else, literally anyone and they send the pacifist. Oh man." Frantically he pushed her backwards towards the shadows along the wall of the cave.
Eleanor rolled her eyes and pulled his hand away from her mouth, but kept a tight hold on his wrist. "And who may I ask are you? Black coat, are you the thief who took that magic stone?"
"Thief? Well that's just rude, is that what their calling me now?" He turned back to her with a raised eyebrow.
She gave him an incredulous look. "Taking without asking is stealing?"
He shrugged with a tilt of his head. "I guess I can't really argue with your logic."
Eleanor searched his bright face. "You're not a monster.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The blonde half pouted.
"No, no. I didn't mean to be rude." She held up her hands defensively. "I just, I don't know with all the mystery and the shadows and the big cloaks and hoods. I was expecting you to be hiding something under there. But, you're just like me." Eleanor took a few curious steps around his back to look his slim frame up and down. "You look normal and not really at all what was picturing I suppose."
He giggled and set his hands on his hips. "Well just about like you anyway." He corrected. "Nobodies don't have hearts, so not exactly like you. But I used to be! I remember what it was like. But alas!" He laid a hand over his chest dramatically. "Not a thing in there at all. Isn't that crazy?"
"Nobodies, right." She muttered. "Do you, er, have a name? Is that rude to ask?"
"Sure is, but I do thanks for asking. It's Demyx, nice to meet ya."
"Mine's Eleanor-"
"I know who you are." Demyx admitted. "Some sorta war era keybearer who showed up in a world you didn't belong isn't that right? Something about an incomplete heart, blah, blah, ancient history if you ask me.. Hey! Can I see that old keyblade of yours?"
"What does that mean. Everyone's been calling me incomplete ever since I started traveling with Sora."
Demyx set a hand on his forehead. "Well your heart is only kinda part of one, that's what our leader said anyway." He held up his hands in the shape of a heart. "I don't really understand it so much myself but hey, you're kinda like us! So where's Roxas? You came down here with him didn't you?"
"Yes, missing a piece is what incomplete means. Does it have to do with the keyblade?" She hesitated as her thoughts caught up to her. "No I came here with Sora, Perhaps you're mistaken?"
Demyx ran a hand through the fluffy blonde hair that stuck up on the top of his head. "Yeah I wish, that kid has a heart that's practically burning with light, like I've got a chance against that key of his at all. Oh man. Roxas is lost from where I stand. Ya see they're kinda one and the same."
"One in the what?"
"Get your hands off her!" Sora's voice interrupted the frantically whispered conversation between the cloaked nobody and the girl.
"See Sora? Just like I said! Cloak and all!" Donald hopped up and down. "Get away from her or suffer the consequences!"
"Gawrsh you okay over there Eleanor?" Goofy half hid behind his shield and watched them carefully.
Demyx searched Eleanor's face one last time. "Keep that chin up. See you around yeah?" He grinned and winked at her before turning on his heel to face the trio behind them. "Roxas! You in there buddy?" He shouted to the glaring brunette, who only raised an eyebrow curiously. Demyx fell limply in half with a groan. "Oh it's just no use is it. You're really long gone."
"You've got till the count of three to step away from her." Sora held out his keyblade and scowled again.
Goofy and Donald brandished their weapons behind the keybearer.
"You know, they told me if I couldn't break through to you to use force." The blonde reached into his sleeve and pulled out a glowing golden orb. "I'm supposed to be here to knock some sense into you, but there is just no way that's gonna happen. Is there? Look at you guys? I am out of my depths, that's for sure." He laughed.
"Quit stalling!" Donald summoned a few bolts of lightning that hit the cave floor in front of Demyx's feet.
"Woah who's stalling?" He jumped backwards. "Here! Just take this, I don't need it anymore." He tossed the stone back to Eleanor, who fumbled with it and almost dropped it. "I got sent down here on a mission and I'm done borrowing it now. And just by the way, I didn't ask for any of this, you know." He held up his hand and the water on the floor began to waver. All at once a few puddles on the floor jumped up and formed into ghostly half solid copies of himself. "Sorry about it. See you guys later okay?" Demyx was gone through a shadowy portal.
"Gawrsh what are they?" Goofy smashed through one of the wavering copies.
"A waste of time!" Donald squeaked.
Sora let out a groan of frustration as he slipped between a few of the water clones to Eleanor's side. "You got the stone back!" He pulled her into a tight hug and spun her around. "I'm proud of you!"
"I..I.." She opened and closed her mouth a few times and took hold of the brunette's elbows. "I didn't do anything Sora, I only talked to him."
"What do you mean?"
Goofy and Donald defeated the rest of the weakened clones and rushed to join them against the craggy wall. Goofy took hold of Eleanor's hands and hopped up and down with her. "You took the stone back!" He said excitedly. "I'm so proud of you!"
"No it's not like that at all." As Goofy dropped her hands she turned back to Sora and took hold of his elbows again. She held onto him a little tighter to try to help him understand what had happened. "He told me he used to be human. And he wasn't at at all what I pictured. There was no gloom, no crazy shadows or skeletons or anything like that. He was just this bright…. Look, listen perhaps there's something to be gained from trying to speak with them. If even one more is like him and willing to talk, there might be something we can learn."
"You can't reason with monsters." Donald crossed his arms.
"He told me he used to be human. He has memories of being human. The good fairies told me that too and now the information has been confirmed from taking a moment. Plus there's the very obvious fact that he didn't kill me." She set her hands on her hips and scowled down at the irritated duck.
"Yeah, and it won't happen again." Donald shot back quickly.
"How can you be so sure of something like that?"
"Alright, alright! Let's not get heated now!" Sora stepped between the pair. He set a hand on the side of Eleanor's arm softly as Goofy picked up a squawking Donald and turned him around. "What do you mean he used to be human?"
"Well I would know if his royal tail feathers would let us try and talk to another one." She snapped.
"Hey, come on, just focus on me and calm down. Don't think about anything else okay? He said he used to be human, sure. So what does it mean? What do you think we should do?" Sora stepped in front of her and snagged her full attention by giving her a soft smile. "I'll follow your lead, no matter what I've got your back okay. Are we gonna try and make peace with the next Organization guy we come across?"
"I think it's worth a shot.." She managed to say before a scream tore through the mists that filled the caves. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"Well gawrsh, actually alot." Goofy said quietly.
A half silent moment passed as she searched Sora's gaze carefully. They could at least give talking a shot, but they had to be ready for the worst case no matter what. A scream broke the silence and made them all jump.
"Oh no, we forgot about Meg!" Goofy dropped Donald to the wet floor and the pair of them scrambled into the fog.
"Come on, we'll talk about this later. Promise." Sora took the stone from Eleanor's fingers and stuck it in his pocket. "Let's save Meg first and then we'll worry about the rest."
She nodded and together they followed Donald and Goofy in the direction of the scream.