TWO
Hades! We're home!" Pain bellowed as he entered Hades' throne room. Panic was right behind holding Roxas captive.
"Well I must say I am pleasantly surprised you dunderheads didn't mess this up." Despite the insult, the demons beamed up at the god. "You may go now, before you have a chance to screw it up." The two quickly exited through where they came.
Hades circled Roxas and examined him. "Hmm, you look just like him, but shorter, blonder, maybe a bit doughier. Oh where are my manners. Hades, Lord of the Underworld, how ya doin'?" He held out a hand to shake but Roxas did not offer his own.
"What do you want from me?" Roxas asked, staring into Hades' eyes.
"Oh, Roxy, may I call you Roxy? Roxy, you see I'm not one of those run of the mill villains, sitting in a leather chair that spins to slowly reveal myself stroking a white cat ready to give away the plot." Hades waved his hand and the rocky floor erupted with stalagmites that formed a chair. He ushered Roxas to take a seat, where the pointed rocks curled around his wrists and ankles, trapping him. "See, I've learned from experience that the most successful plans are off-the-cuff. I'm not going to wait in suspense for 18 years when my carefully laid plans are bested by A GODDAMN TEENAGER!" The blue flames of his hair erupted into orange at the thought of Hercules. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair, returning it to its natural shade. "No, this time I have plans, emphasis on the s. There are contingencies, and contingencies for the contingencies. I have looked at it from every possible angle. This time I'll have what is mine."
"What do I have to do with it?" Roxas asked, trying to escape his bindings. "I'm nobody."
"You're wrong. You are a Nobody. The article is important. I'm an ancient Greek God and I still understand the nuances in English. Besides, you're not just any Nobody, you're Sora's Nobody. That puts you in a very convenient place for me. You have control over the keyblade, which I need for one of my contingencies."
"You can't wield it, you fire headed moron." Roxas spat.
"Name calling is so juvenile, you feckless brat. And here I thought we were getting on so well. I guess I won't feel bad then for what I'm gonna have to do to you." Hades breathed smoke from his mouth that surrounded Roxas' head and entered him through every orifice.
"I don't need to wield the keyblade when I can wield you!" The words came from Roxas' mouth, but it was distinctly Hades voice. The smoke billowed from Roxas and he came back to consciousness coughing.
"See, you Nobodies exist in a nice not quite life state, which little ol' me can exploit to make you my puppet." Hades grinned. "But don't you worry your pretty little head, cos that's plan B."
"You're not going to win, Hades." Roxas was barely audible. The momentary loss of autonomy caused him to grow tired. His head hung and he sank into the rocks that held him.
"Eh, I'm also not gonna lose. To-may-to, to-mah-to." Hades responded. Listen, kid, I know it must be tough. You don't get to really feel. The whole lived human experience just within your grasp, but Sora stands in your way, and I know from experience how much of a thorn he is in the side. And even worse for you considering you basically are him. So you can't even bring yourself to end him and get him out of your way. You've been dealt a bad hand, but I'm keeping my poker face up until it's time to show the cards. So sit tight, I'm about to raise the stakes."
If Roxas hadn't known better, he could have sworn that Luxord had briefly possessed the god.
Hades had left him to his own devices, not that Roxas could have done a much of anything in his current state of captivity. He was still exhausted from Hades' smoke clouding his mind. "Axel," he pleaded, "please, find me."
"This is creepy." Donald said, as the group approached the river. The landscape had changed drastically, where the lush green had ceded to dying trees and wilting flowers. Styx was a deep black, and the waters that seeped from the river to the earth around it had kept the foliage in a state of preserved death. A fish jumped from the waters; it was nothing but bones. "Why did we agree to this?" Donald groaned.
"We've faced worse." Sora said. "We just have to find a boat and hope it will take us to the Underworld." As if commanded, a boat appeared before the four of them. They exchanged uneasy looks, but they had no other choice than to embark. "Now what?" Sora asked.
From the river, an arm reached out and its hand grasped the edge of the boat. Donald jumped in fright and hid behind Goofy. Another hand appeared and a body pulled itself out of the water. He rose straight up, effortless against the river current. He was standing upon the river before walking onto the boat. "I am Charon, guide of the damned."
"Howdy." Goofy greeted exuberantly earning peculiar looks from his companions.
"You wish to go to Hades? The living should be keen to stay away." Charon said.
"I agree." Donald quacked.
"Donald!" Sora said. "We need to rescue someone from the Underworld."
"Poor pathetic mortals would risk their lives to save another. It would be so much simpler for all involved if you just killed yourself. Then you can be with them for eternity. I ferry the dead, not the living."
"Fine, we don't need you." Axel was tired of waiting. Every minute passing without knowing what was happening to Roxas was agony. He summoned his chakram and started spinning them in the air. Then he let them float from his palms as they spun. "Hold on tight." He said as he dipped the chakram into the river. The boat was swiftly propelled forward.
Charon's face held a mix of displeasure and amusement. At the bow, he stood and raised his arms, causing the water in front of them to raise high above their heads. The boat traveled under the river and they were suddenly at the gates of hell. "Welcome to the Underworld." Charon proclaimed. "Just beyond those gates you will come across all the wonders of hell. Beware of dog; Cerberus loves the taste of warm blood. If he does kill you, at least you're already here." Charon let out a blood-curdling laugh as he and his boat sank into the waters.
"We never had to face Cerberus to enter the Underworld before. Why does Hades want to keep us out so badly?" Sora asked.
"He must have a good reason." Donald said. "It's not too late to turn around."
"How did you defeat Ansem, Marluxia, Larxene and Vexen while being such a coward?" Axel asked.
Donald quacked in anger and walked to confront Axel. "There is a difference between cowardice and common sense. We can't beat Hades because he is an immortal god and we are in his Underworld. Not to mention the vicious three-headed dog beyond those gates."
"Well Charon is gone." Axel said flourishing his arm to the empty river. "There's no place to go but through the gate."
"I can stay right here." Donald said, folding his wings across his chest.
"Alone? Sure, that's safe." Axel scoffed and turned away from the duck. Donald turned his back to Axel's and quacked indignantly. "Well, I am tired of waiting. If you don't want to stop Xemnas and Hades, I guess I will."
He approached the gates, giant, black iron doors inserted into an archway carved into stone. He carefully opened one, an eerie creaking came from the hinges. He turned around one last time. "Well?"
Sora looked to Goofy and Donald before returning to Axel, waiting. "I want to stop them too. But I'm not leaving Donald behind."
"Donald, we need to stop the Organization and if Hades is helping them they're only gonna be more powerful." Goofy said, trying to convince his friend.
"I know we do, but this is dangerous. We don't know their plans and Hades is even more powerful down here than he is up there. I just think that judgment is being clouded by emotion." Donald said. "We wouldn't be down here if Axel wasn't in love with Roxas."
"I am not in love." Axel insisted. "Remember, I'm a Nobody." He knocked on his chest. "No heart."
"Then why are we here?" Donald countered angrily, his feathers ruffling around his neck. "If you don't love him then why didn't you just take Sora's heart like you were supposed to and go back to Xemnas?"
The redhead was surprised by the outburst. "Why do you care? Isn't it enough we are thwarting the Organization?"
Donald walked towards Axel with purpose. "That isn't enough for you. Why would you betray the Organization if you don't love him?" His anger had not subsided.
Axel met Donald half way and barked back. "Why does it matter to you?"
"Admit you love him." Donald yelled back. He had to crane his neck high to lock eyes with the much taller man. "Say it."
"No. Why do you…"
Donald raised his staff. "Gravira." He quacked, interrupting Axel. The force caused Axel's knees to buckle, and he fell to the ground. Sora and Goofy quickly ran to Donald's side in case the Nobody retaliated.
Now that they were at eye level, Donald slapped him a bit with his wing and then gripped onto the collar of Axel's robe. "Because I'm a good guy." Donald said. "Sora, Goofy and I can take care of Hades and Xemnas because, despite what you might hear from Phil, we are heroes. You are not, Axel. So if you don't love him, why are you going to rescue him?"
"He's my friend." Axel said.
"Sora and Goofy are my friends too, and I love them." Donald said, still gripping Axel's robe. "So why can't you admit you love him."
Axel was getting annoyed by the persistence of the King's mage. "We are wasting time." The effects of Donald's spell had subsided and he returned to his feet, shaking the duck off. "I don't need to admit anything to you." Axel headed toward the gate once more.
Donald quacked as he hit the ground. He too was getting annoyed by Axel's avoidance. "Stop." Donald casted a spell. He raced out in front of Axel, flanked by his friends. "I'm not letting you hurt him."
The three all gave Donald curious looks. "Hurt who?" They chimed together in unison.
"Roxas." He answered
"I'm not going to hurt him." Axel scoffed. "I want to rescue him. That's why we're here."
"Then just say you love him." Donald said. "Otherwise, we will just rescue him ourselves."
Axel glared at Donald, and then chuckled. "What happened to the coward?"
"You're still here." Donald retorted earning a look of disdain from the redhead. "I am going to stand by my friends because our bond is strong, and I am not going to let them die without my help. Love, Axel, is stronger than cowardice. I still think this is a bad idea, but the three of us have faced challenges head-on and we've bested them." Donald put his wings on Goofy and Sora's backs. "We don't need your cowardice to beat Hades."
"I'm the coward? For what?" Axel stood akimbo glaring at the duck who just would not shut up.
"You won't say you love him." Donald said.
"Because I don't." Axel said. "How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Then we will rescue him on our own." Donald said. "Come on."
"You can't be serious?! Because I won't say that I'm in love?" Axel yelled. "Try and stop me."
Axel had summoned his chakram and flung them directly at Donald. This caught him by surprise, and he was not ready for the attack. Luckily for him, Sora and Goofy were prepared for the physical assault that was bound to happen. Goofy shielded him from one of the chakram while Sora hit the other away with his keyblade.
"Axel, don't do this. We're here to save Roxas, not attack each other." Sora said, holding a battle stance ready in front of Donald.
"Me!? He's been fighting me since we got down here. Wasting our time." He pointed at Donald menacingly. "He's been standing in our way because he doesn't want to save him."
"I don't want to hurt him." Donald said, breaking past Sora and Goofy's barrier. "Which is exactly what will happen if you don't find the courage to say that you love him."
"But I don't. I can't. I don't have a heart." Axel said, clutching his chest.
Donald noticed a flicker of sorrow in Axel's face and knew that he was finally breaking down the resolve of the man before him. "Roxas doesn't either."
"It's different." Axel spoke almost too softly to hear.
"Stop making excuses, coward." Donald fired back. "The boy I met is in pain because of you. If you can't love him then you're just going to hurt him."
"I won't." Axel said.
"It's too late." Donald said. "Let's go." Donald headed toward the gate. Goofy and Sora exchanged glances and then turned to the defeated Axel. He had made no attempt to stop them.
On the other side of the gates, Goofy and Sora followed behind Donald down a massive corridor of stone. There were moments of silence as they walked further into the Underworld.
"I guess I'll say it." Sora started. "What was that, Donald?"
"Nothing." Donald said tersely.
"It wasn't…"
"No, it was nothing." Donald said, ending the discussion.
The three walked in silence for a bit longer. The corridor started to narrow. There was no light at the end of the tunnel. The fires that lined the walls had been extinguished. "Firaga." Donald yelled, attempting to light the blackness at the end of the corridor.
A low growl erupted from the blackness. It was Cerberus, who was not happy about being disturbed from sleep.
"Run!" Sora yelled. They ran back down the corridor as one of Cerberus' heads snapped at them. They had outrun the dog's head, but Cerberus kept trying to reach them.
"Firaga! Blizzaga! Thundaga!" Donald shot spell after spell at the hellhound, but he was not affected. He only grew angrier.
An intense banging began as the other heads started attacking the rock walls, trying to widen the corridor and allow themselves entrance.
As the ceiling started crumbling, Sora shouted at them to run. They evaded the small rocks that fell as they hurried back to the gates and the River Styx.
The three nearly collided with Axel, who had rushed in to help when he heard the thunderous sounds coming from the cavern. "Why are you running?" Axel asked as they all came to a halt.
"Why?!" Donald quacked. "Cos we aren't being made into dog food today." Axel and Donald stared with loathing into each other's eyes. "So let's go!" Donald spun the tall man around and pushed against his back, forcing him to move.
The four exited the gates and approached the river. "Charon!" Sora yelled. No response. He called out again but still nothing.
Axel opened a dark corridor. "Look, we should be able to get out of here without problems." The three looked at each other with doubt. "Come on, we have to find a way past Cerberus or else we won't get Roxas back.
"Alright." Donald stepped forward. "Let's follow Axel." Sora and Goofy nodded, and they all entered into the darkness.
They emerged within the Coliseum, where Philoctetes was putting Hercules through some rigorous training. "Let's go, champ!" Phil cheered on as Hercules destroyed countless urns and barrels with swiftness and ease. "Faster, Herc."
A giant urn had appeared in the center of the arena and Hercules ran towards it, preparing to shatter it, when the dark corridor opened in front of it. Hercules had jumped up to smash the pot, but the appearance of the three junior heroes and Axel had startled him. He did not want to hurt them, so he quickly changed course, rolling onto the ground to the side of them.
"Whoa. What's going on here?" Phil came trotting over. "Well, if it isn't the junior heroes."
Donald quacked derisively. Sora rolled his eyes and smiled at Phil. "Good to see you, Phil. Sorry we interrupted your training."
"No sweat." Phil replied. "I mean that literally, no sweat. This training doesn't even tire our golden boy anymore. Almost doesn't seem worthwhile."
"Does that mean I'm done training?" Hercules asked, approaching the group.
"Two words: Not even close." Phil replied. "We just need to find you a challenge."
"He could help us rescue Roxas from Hades." Axel suggested. "That's gotta be challenging enough."
"No can do, Red." Phil replied. Hercules opened his mouth, but Phil shook his head. "There's a challenge, and then there's suicide. You don't just waltz into the Underworld. Now I'm not saying Hercules here can't best ol' Blue Hair and his doggy, but not when there's home field advantage."
"Oh, come on Phil." Hercules sighed. "I'm a hero after all. Heroes help their friends in need."
"Heroes also don't blindly go into losing battles." Phil replied. "If you were still a god, no question, but you went and gave that up for love.
"But..." Hercules started. "Look." He demonstrated his power, lifting the still standing giant urn over his head and throwing it across the arena, where it broke into tiny pieces. "I'm strong enough."
"Cerberus is not made of clay. You can't just throw him and watch him explode." Phil said.
"Just give me a chance!" Hercules said.
"No. That's final." Phil said.
"Well regardless of what he's doing, we're going to go rescue him." Axel said. "So do you have any advice about taking down Cerberus?"
Phil bleated angrily. "Do you listen? It's not safe. Especially not for junior heroes, and I don't know who you are, but you don't look like any kind of hero."
Axel smiled snidely. "You're right, I'm no hero." He crossed his arms over his chest. "But if you don't have any advice, we'll find someone with a little more wisdom to impart."
Phil glared at the redhead. "I don't like this guy." He said to the other three.
"Me neither." Donald replied.
"But we're gonna help." Goofy said. "So if you know anything..."
"We'd appreciate it." Sora added. The boy smiled bright at the satyr, hoping to sway him.
Phil shook his head. "You don't beat Cerberus. He can't be killed. Maybe left unconscious, but I've never heard of that happening." The goat man pondered, stroking his chin. "There was a guy, Orpheus, who travelled to Hades to reclaim his wife. He halted Cerberus with a lullaby. Can any of you sing?" The four looked at each other. They each started to sing. "Ye gods, stop!" Phil cried, covering his ears.
"So a lullaby is out of the question." Sora said.
The four looked defeated. Phil, despite himself, offered a solution. "I think this is a terrible idea, all of it; trying to fight Cerberus, trying to rescue someone from Hades, and what I'm going to suggest."
"We'll try anything." Axel said. "No matter how crazy it is. I have to save him. What's the suggestion?"
"Legend tells of another world in the depths of an ocean. It is ruled by Poseidon's son, Triton. Outcast from that kingdom lives a sea witch, who has great power, and who can procure a voice that would lull even the vicious Cerberus into slumber. She's been known to help the poor, unfortunate souls of the ocean for a price, but everything worth having comes at a price." Donald, Goofy and Sora all exchanged looks, not liking where the story was headed. "It is in my expert opinion that there's only one entity that can help you, and her name is..."
The trio looked to Phil and spoke in unison. "Ursula."