(Ladies, Gentlemen, all that other crap I mention on my profile, prepare yourself for what might be a mild shock. Not a huge shock, but a mild one. Maybe several mild ones. Actually... there's one reader in particular I know who's going to have a freaking heart attack about mid way through the story. You know who you are.
I'd dedicate the chapter to you, but you haven't given me nearly enough fudge for that sort of honor. Maybe next time, yeah?
Now, get ready for a chapter that's a little longer, a little better, and hopefully, a little worth your time. Also I liked doing the Omake thing. I'm doing it again. So there.
If it's not, please don't tell me so in so many four letter words, lest you come off as trolls.
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Alright, there, I said it. Now give me my money! Wait wh- oh hell NO it's not in the mail! Prepare to bleed!)
Oathkeeper
Chapter Thirteen: Don't Try That At Home
Sora didn't really know what to think.
On one hand, they had rushed in, saved Alice, and then won against an opponent that was beating the stuffing out of them. He reasoned that he should feel bloody heroic then, like he did the other time at Traverse Town. But then...
Alice had gone missing.
Sora reasoned again that chances were she had gotten scared of the... indescribable creature that came out of the trees and began attacking. She could've ran. She could be safe. Chances were, that was exactly what happened. So... why did he feel as if he failed?
No, he still felt accomplished, and since he didn't know for sure, that sense of failure was more like a nagging, spiteful little voice in the back of his head. And ever since a certain other voice dropped a legend into his hand, he had grown to dislike them. He supposed that since it gave him cause to survive the world's breaking, it was worth it. But still... he was given a heartless magnet. What the hell kind of gift was that?
But Keyblade or not, he sat in his chair, not really reading his book, brooding the doubt away slowly but surely. Since it was such a slow process, he chose to occupy his mind with other things. Like say, half heartedly questioning how they had found the gummi ship.
The door continued to yell obscenities, understandably so, and the three could do nothing else but take it as they searched for signs of Alice, and coming up extremely empty handed. Wherever she was, it certainly wasn't in their vicinity at the time. A Malqura (The aparent second level to the detection spell) had proven this. And Goofy had mentioned that she had left without a trace. As if she had vanished. Sora was impressed with Goofy's apparent tracking skill, up until he began trying to puzzle out which side of a rock moss grew on. Donald had chosen then to announce that they would be finding nothing, and they should be concentrating instead on finding the gummi ship. Just then, the door swung open rather hard, and was now swearing muffled curse words against the side of the stump. Out marched Snoopy, who had suddenly looked panicked. As it turned out, the door lead straight into the bridge. Snoopy was expecting to go to his quarters and had instead wound up there with the trio.
It was unanimous at that point to get the hell back on the ship, and fly away. Before they lost this very very convenient excuse to find it before a certain monarch. And what was left of her deck of guards.
Wonderland worked in mysterious and sometimes frustrating ways. If it wasn't for the prospect of another unbirthday party, Sora wouldn't consider coming back to this batshit insane world.
Seriously. The party rocked that hard.
But now, they were moving away from that world, and on to their original destination. Which would be a long time coming. Dammit... Oh wait, the book suddenly got interesting. Link about to try slaying a fire dragon? Hell yes. Suddenly the wait wasn't all that bad.
--
"What?! How did you get in?!" A woman demanded of two figures that most definitely did not belong in her chambers. They had somehow fooled and slipped past numerous magical wards, moving in completely undetected. She herself would not have noticed them if she didn't feel at that time like hearing how beautiful she was. The fairest of the land, now that the hunter had disposed of that wretch.
"It certainly was not easy, even for one of his skill." One of the two answered, another woman from the sound of her voice. She stepped into the light, a slight smile on her face. Had her eyes not been hinting at something darker, her expression could've been one of greeting a casual friend.
"What are you doing here?" The dark queen hissed at the intruders. She was disgusted at the green hue of Maleficent's skin. How dare this unsightly woman address her at all? Maleficent's smile was replaced by a neutral expression. One for talking business.
"I would like information. And perhaps a chat concerning... mutual benefits." The dark queen paused. Two individuals such as these, getting past her wards as they were ghosts... what else were they capable of, she wondered?
"I'm listening." Maleficent's smile returned.
"Well, as far as mutual benefits go... I noticed quite the store of dark magic tomes on my way to this room. Are you against perhaps sharing? I happen to have a few choice titles that you do not. As it happens, I noticed books that I had never seen before. For the purpose of magical education?" The queen stiffened. The prospect of sharing such knowledge with someone she hadn't known for ten minutes was something that made her wary. Maleficent continued.
"You could also have a place among us. I am leading an organization with a rather... lofty goal. There is another sorceress among our number, one who I learned a great deal from. I would guarantee your power would increase exponentially."
"... And the information? What are you after in return for this... generosity?"
"Nothing of great consequence. I would like to know the whereabouts of a girl I'm sure you're familiar with. As a show of good will, I have not laced the surrounding lands with my agents to find her."
"Your agents...?"
"Are you familiar with the term... heartless?" By the shocked look on her face, she did indeed. If Maleficent didn't have her attention before, she by now had it in a vice grip.
"If I were to loose them, there are good chances your world would suffer greatly, the surrounding lands in particular. All I need from you is the whereabouts of Snow White."
"I am afraid that the insightful worm no longer lives." Maleficent's face went from a cat who just got the cream, to a harsh, icy anger. Understandably so. If the Princess of Heart was killed, she would be required to await her reincarnation. Which could take as long as decades.
"Explain."
"She had liberties that she had no right to, and as thus, I had her removed. I have her heart, still warm with her blood, in this box." The queen mentioned, presenting an ornate case for something so gruesome.
"It was cut out from her living body. I am afraid I have nothing for you." Maleficent visibly relaxed, for reasons unknown. However, it was plain to see that she was still severely agitated.
"What liberties exactly did she take?"
"She was more beautiful then I." All of her anger returned, with company.
"You nearly ruined my plans, plans that I had taken so much time and effort into creating and carrying out, for the sake of your pitiful vanity?" The question was rhetorical, something that Maleficent wasn't prone to do when she was so serious.
"I of course say nearly, because you are so pitifully inept, you can't recognize the heart of a pig in place of the heart of a hated enemy." The dark queen's eyes widened in shock, flicking down to the box to study it more intently. It seemed that she didn't notice perhaps, because she didn't bother to examine it closely at all.
"... The huntsman lied to me. I'm going to-"
"No you will not. You have nearly trespassed against me unforgivably, and for that, you will never do anything ever again." Maleficent stated. Her tone could freeze boiling water.
"Itachi, would you?" She asked her companion. It was an honest request, one that could be refused. The only reason Maleficent had even asked was because she wanted this woman to suffer. She was happy to note Itachi's nod, and she strode out of the room to secure the princess' whereabouts. The unfortunate queen's agonized scream was music to her ears.
It wouldn't do to have another dark queen in her inner circle anyway.
Now, the orders of buisness were clean out the woman's library, and secure Snow White. Both would be easy child's play. She had brought Itachi along for the purpose of a bodyguard, but it seemed he was far from necessary on this particular expedition. She wondered at the risk of leaving him to himself the next time. Itachi would obey without question, but she had the suspicion that his agreement to accompany her was reluctant. Still, Itachi was proof that she had a far way to come before achieving true power. And it was unlikely he was the only one who had. He would be her shadow from now on, she decided.
"Attend me." She commanded in an even voice, stopping in the hall. A single heartless emerged from the walls, and silently observed her, waiting.
"Find her. Take her. Leave her intact." They needed simple commands, to get through the crippling blood lust they always felt. The hunger she was told, was overwhelming. It didn't show any sign of having understood, it merely disappeared from whence it came. Perfect.
"Itachi." She greeted, when she felt his presence. There was no question the narcissistic woman was dead now. Everything in the castle was now hers, and the princess would be found within the hour. Life, she admitted in a rare occurrence, was good. She set off at a brisk walk, set on exiting the castle and traversing the forest. The Heartless would need help, as the Princess' of Heart almost always had some heroic fool gravitate towards them. The prince who attempted to save Princess Aurora on her old world was one such example. Him and those three damnable faeries, who thought that tossing him a sword and shield would be enough to conquer her. Fools, the lot of them. A lowly heartless had conquered him from behind, a pathetic end for a pathetic pawn. A pity those faeries managed to get away before the world broke... Maleficent idly wondered if they even now dedicated themselves to helping 'heroes'.
"Ah... we have our heading." The sorceress said, her good mood restored as she felt the dark activity congealing in the north. She had been found. However... since there was no apparent ceasing of said activity, either this particular princess had a method of protecting herself (Doubtful, she thought), or as predicted, she was guarded. It was time to show once again the fate of heroes. She stepped into a portal, followed by her own guard.
As she emerged, she was surprised. This one didn't have a single protector. The fair girl somehow managed to rope herself seven dwarves, all fighting desperately for her safety. Oh how Maleficent hated foolish heroes, believing themselves gallant because they valued another life above their own. A sentiment that would land them in an early grave, accomplishing nothing. These would be no different.
Six of the dwarves were rather predictable, all combating the heartless effectively with their ancestral signature. Some variant of battle axe or war hammer. The seventh however, she congratulated on betraying her expectations with a raised eyebrow. The youngest one it appeared, due to his lack of facial hair, was wielding instead a rapier reminding her of some swashbuckler or another she had seen. At her arrival, the heartless stopped their attack, instead waiting for orders. Such brainless creatures.
"Surrender the girl, and you'll be spared." She offered. She was nothing if not diplomatic. There was silence following, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't dealing with complete idiots for once. She was proven wrong however, when the young one leapt forward in front of the others, and brandished his sword at her in an unorthodox fencer's stance. As if inspired by this open show of defiance, the others readied their weapons for another charge. One behind the fencer spoke, leveling his large hammer at her. His voice came out almost as a growl, perhaps because of that sour expression that never left his face.
"Take her." Their bravery would make their kin proud. More fools. Everyone following the light were fools. Pitiful, idealistic, doomed to die, fools. Idiots.
"Prepare yourselves for death." She stated, gathering magic to strike. Itachi stood in the trees, observing, waiting for a signal that would never come. Dwarven battle cries soon rent the air, followed by the roar of green flames and the crack of black lightning.
The battle was long.
--
"Hey, Donald. There's something I'm curious about."
"What's that Sora?"
"Well, after I used Raijinken, Uh... there was this kinda hollow feeling in my gut. It's like that whenever I use magic. Is that normal?" Donald nodded.
"Yes, it is. That feeling is a side effect of using magic. It's your bodies way of telling you your stores are being depleted. As you use magic, your reserves will slowly expand, and the feeling won't be quite so severe so soon. Just remember that you don't have a lot of magic to work with, since you've only started using magic correctly very recently. If you ever start tiring as a result, the best course of action is to either stop using magic, or drink an ether."
"Ethers give you back magic?"
"No... that's kind of the only thing they don't do. It's impossible to replenish magic instantly, or if there is a method, nobody's found it yet. What ethers do is boost the rate at which your body replenishes magic naturally, and numbs the hollow feeling you have when you use too much. You do get magic back, though it's a small amount over a long period of time. And you'll be able to use magic without sucumming to magic exhaustion until the ether wears off. In short, they're very unhealthy for you. They're much like some sort of magic steroid."
"Ah... that's good to know. I was kinda thinking that I could start taking ethers and keep blasting things."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Of course... you wouldn't be the first to go thinking that way. Even so, it would be difficult to use them so frivolously. Ethers are expensive. How many do you have?"
"Oh, I was given a box of potions, a good bunch of those... and like... seven or eight ethers." Donald's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"That's... a lot to have at one time. Your friends are generous."
"They told me they want me to stay alive..."
"Mm... if that's the case, Sora, I only carry one ether at a time. Would you mind if I shared your stock? I would be using them to defend our lives..." Sora smiled brightly, happy to help.
"My ethers are your ethers. All I've got is the Raijinken. They'd be worth a lot more in your hands anyway. Watch our backs, okay?" Donald returned his smile.
"With my life. Now, are you hungry?"
"Uh... no, not really." Donald's smile turned itself around quickly.
"How long haven't you been hungry?" The duck asked rather seriously. Sora felt a scolding coming on.
"Um... I didn't eat dinner... It's weird, but I'm still not hungry." Donald sighed.
"So, not since we destroyed that heartless?"
"No."
"... When the body is low on magic, the resulting feeling of exhaustion will make you stop feeling hunger or thirst. It would be best if you ate Sora. Don't fill up though, or you won't sleep well."
"Yes mo-" Sora was interrupted by a sound that came over the speakers. He was somewhat reminded of the noise that sounded on planes when you had to put on your seatbelt.
"Hm... That means that Snoopy's going to land. Have we arrived already...?" Donald asked to no one in particular. He turned and strode to the bridge, presumably to handle things. Sora followed, wanting to get a look at the next world. If it was another covered with rainbow fog, they were turning the ship the hell around, even if he had to blow up the controls. However... if it was another world like that, he might not be the first to suggest such a thing.
Stepping onto the bridge, Sora looked out the window to find a world that seemed to be made up of a large sea, surrounding a single large island.
"Hey, Donald, is this where we were supposed to go the first time?"
"Yes," Donald said, "but we should not be here this soon... No matter. Snoopy, please find an appropriate landing spot. Don't worry about stealth, this spot is a gathering spot for travelers."
"It is?" Sora asked. He wondered just how common such worlds were.
"Sure is Sora. People come from completely different galaxies for the Colosseum." Goofy supplied. The mention of a Colosseum grabbed Sora's attention. Fighting for fun instead of for their lives would be a very welcome change. And then there was the prospect of prizes...
"Hey, can we enter?"
"Why would we want to do that?" Donald asked. "We get enough of fighting as it is."
"But here, we can fight for prizes." Sora shot back, grinning. Maybe there'd be more cool magical things, like his necklace up for grabs. Out of the three, because of that charm, Sora was the best protected. If they could pick up a few more accessories like that, they would stand a better chance at pretty much any trouble that would come their way. "Or money. Or something else just as useful. You know, as long as the rules say no killing."
"No Sora, no fighting. Even if there are rules against killing, there will still be injurys, and you'll be fighting against professionals who make their living in the ring."
"Aw come on, please?" Sora pouted. The only reason Donald was able to resist such a brutal attack was his reasoning that he was preventing that pouting boy from getting himself hurt, or killed or... worse. It was impossible to know what some people were capable of.
"No."
"Please...?"
"No!"
"... I'll buy you ice cream."
"Sora, I said NO!"
--
"Sora, stop pouting. The only reason I'm letting you watch is so you can realize just how out of your league you are here." Sora did not stop pouting, even if they were sitting in the stands for free. Donald didn't understand it.
"But it's an amateur's tournament! I could totally survive here!"
"Sora, you wanted to enter the experts tournament because you wanted that set of genji armor. You would've been killed there. No question."
"I dunno Donald, we could've entered as a team. I could've used the genji shield. Real nifty piece of equipment there..."
"Goofy, don't encourage him. I'm warning you." The very temperature seemed to drop around them.
"Gwarsh..."
"Well, can I at least get myself a pretzel?" Sora asked, seeming to accept his situation.
"No."
"...Why not?"
"Because there's still time to enter the tournament, and the sign up is right beside the pretzel stand." Sora looked like Christmas had been canceled. "Sora, honestly, you're too young, too inexperienced, and you simply are not strong enough yet to tough your way through a tournament full of fighters that have all these things."
"Donald, you're bein' kinda harsh, don't ya think?"
"And as far as age goes, I saw two people entering who weren't that much older then me. Like, sixteen something."
"No Sora."
"Aw..."
--
The dwarves were strong. Dwarves were always strong. Maleficent however, noted with a sense of pride that she was able to overcome seven. But it was such a waste that seven strong warriors each lost their hearts in the defense of a single useless girl, who could do nothing but cower in fear as each lost their lives one after the other. Such was the fate of heroes. Now she needed to mix herself an elixir to take care of the limp she was now sporting.
It was hard to mind though, when you had achieved one of your life's goals. Snow White was now hers. The rest would follow quickly. She had also managed to find another one in Jafar's world which was fortunate beyond belief, given his gift for hypnosis and his position right beside the world's ruler.
Honestly, could things get any more continent then that? If they could, she certainly wanted to find out.
"Ah, Maleficent. Welcome back. However, I regret to inform you that we may have a problem." Ursula greeted her as she walked into the scrying room.
"And what problem would this be?"
"Would you happen to know, or Itachi for that matter, would either of you know if there's a princess on a small world called Traverse Town?" Maleficent had heard of the small world, a hive of survivors from broken worlds. The chances of a princess residing there was probable indeed. However, she hadn't given it any thought until now, so the world remained uninvestigated.
"What reason is there to look into it?" Maleficent inquired. It was a good place to look, but the mention of a problem suggested sooner would be better then later. It would be nice to find out how much more important 'sooner' was. Ursula was about to answer, but she was cut off rather rudely by that pirate.
"That loony who wanted into our exclusive club a while back is on his way there for some reason. The lubber probably intends to leave the world in ruins on his way out, whether he has a reason or not." That was undoubtedly true. The man in question was unstable beyond belief. Mentally, he was swiss cheese. No time to lose.
"Itachi." Maleficent addressed the ninja behind her. He had shown no sign of even hearing her, all he did was make eye contact. It was normal for him. "We need a world investigated. I trust you heard the situation?" Obviously he did, because he then turned his back and left.
"... That bastard is beginning to get on my nerves." Oh Captain Hook, stop, before you get yourself killed.
Maleficent surveyed the room, now that there was a chance.
"I know where Jafar is, but what could Hades possibly be doing?" The good Captain shrugged.
"He's just another loony. Could be doing anything."
--
"Hey, Cloud, baby, sweetie pie, we need to talk." Cloud sighed. He already hated this irritating man so very much, but he couldn't tell Hades to screw off because he had information that Cloud needed. Such was business, dealing with people you didn't like. Hades knew that Cloud hated him, but the underworld lord seemed to revel in the fact.
That made his mood worse.
"What?" He replied curtly, hoping to get this unpleasant 'request' out of the way so much faster. This was not the first time he had been given a 'request'. In exchange for five favors, Cloud would be given the information he needed, and he could leave and never talk to the man again. This was to be the fifth, win the tournament, and accept the exhibition match against a supposed corrupt champion. Then kill him. Normally, Cloud would leave at a commission like this. However, despite being quite less then pleasant, so far, Hades had been truthful. His first four favors were all alike, in that he was defeating monsters that were terrorizing nearby towns, then bringing them in to the god for 'questioning'. Despite this, Cloud didn't trust the hot head as far as he could figuratively throw him. Figuratively, because if pressed, Cloud could probably throw him across a blitzball sphere. Suffice to say, Cloud was suspicious. And he hated being used and lied to.
"I need to give you a little condition to your favor." Oh, this should be good.
"And that is?"
"All the applicants for the tournament signed waivers, in case they were accidentally killed, didn't they?" Cloud really didn't like where this was going. His glare was proof. Hades adopted a serious face in response, and his following tone was as if he was addressing a disobedient subordinate.
"Oh, you already know what I'm about to ask? Makes things more simple, but so I'm sure there's nothing lost in translation... I want you to kill every opponent you come across."
"And why would I have to do that? They have nothing to do with Hercules, why do I have to kill them too?" And he was only going to follow through if this Hercules was as evil as the god said he was. Everybody else was innocent.
"Because, I want to make sure you'll keep to the bargain. If you follow through with this, then I've got no doubt Herc's going to be seeing me soon after. Down under. Kapish?"
"There isn't a single difference either way."
"Sure there is kiddo. I'll know now, instead of later. And then I can sit back, drink my half coconut with a straw and little umbrella, and relax, because I'll be getting what I want in the end."
"You're already getting what you want."
"Well, that's not good enough right now. I know where he is, and I won't tell you unless you play by my rules, and play nice." Cloud was so good with his buster sword, so talented, he could skin this guy alive in four or five seconds if only he would keep acting like an arrogant son of a-
"..." Cloud said nothing, and walked into the ring for the first match.
"Play nice now, or no one winged angel playmate for you when you come home from-." Cloud shut out the god and resisted the violent urge to break something. Pity he was such a nice guy.
That blue bastard was lucky he didn't have Tifa's temper.
--
"AWRIGHT, who's ready for a Beatdown!" Sora began to feel a little glad he didn't enter when he saw that man walk in. Hair spikier then his, and a sword that could've doubled as an airplane wing were just two reasons. He would've listed more, but he was quite distracted by the strange man's opponent. A kid that looked just about his age came rocketing into the ring on a skateboard of all things, and in a single jump, managed several complicated tricks before landing on his feet, skateboard under his arm.
"Yeah! Beat is in the HOUSE! Don't try that at home kids, or yer ma's gonna come after me! Now, who am I messing up? Is it you?" The referee shook his head no, and pointed at the other guy with the giant sword. "Oh, you! You're goin' down like a sack of somethin' heavy! Hey, start the match! I wanna get this over with, yo!" The boy was dressed a white tank-top and beige cargo pants that looked just a little too loose. Covering most of his blonde hair was a black skull cap. Said skull cap was pulled down so it barely shadowed his eyes, and fitting to it's name, a large white skull decorated the forehead. His skateboard was a camouflage print, a popular design Sora remembered from back home. Could it be possible that this guy was from Earth...?
Sora was a little worried now. All Beat (if that was his name) was holding was his skateboard, whereas the other combatant was wielding the biggest sword Sora had ever seen. Beat was unarmed. Was he an idiot?
"Hey spiky! This is your chance to forfeit, yo! I'll be sendin' ya back to mama with more then just road rash!" Either he had a plan, or he was as dumb as a brick. 'Spiky', did nothing but ready his sword. With a 'begin' from the referee, Beat whooped, and jumped on his skateboard. And it quickly became obvious just what his weapon was.
He was fast, he was strong, and he was constantly off of the ground, as he jumped and bounced around the other man, lashing out with a limb, or the crushing force of the 'not-so-useless-anymore' skateboard. Beat wasn't flying per-say, but instead, flying back at the swordsman immediately after bouncing of the blocking sword The other man seemed to be on the defensive, as Beat attacked from several angles, only to drop and touch the ground for the first time since the match began, planting his hand on the stone floor of the ring. He whipped around, a vicious sweep kick and for some reason, the skateboard didn't fly off his feet, it was as if it was glued to his shoes...
Throughout the entire onslaught, Cloud did nothing but block every attack that came at him, and leap over the sweep, which looked very potentially painful with the way it cut a groove into the arena floor. Beat didn't seem to be discouraged at all, lazily costing backwards and around Cloud on four wheels.
"Hey, is that all ya gonna do? Com'on, les go dumbass!" Cloud had obviously by now had enough, and dashed forward to the surprised boarder, slugging him in the face with a vicious punch. As Beat flew backwards, Cloud leapt to meet him, hammering him into the ground with the flat of his sword. Beat grunted, opened his eyes, and saw that the match had ended, and he was staring down the business end of a buster sword. His eyes widened in realization that he might die.
Nothing happened for a few tense moments, just Beat on the ground, and Cloud standing with his swordpoint at Beat's throat, staring intensely into the boy's eyes, waiting for something. Eventually, Beat figured out what it might be. At least it was something he had to do anyway...
"I... forfeit... dammit..." Beat obviously didn't want to go out so easily or quickly.
"...Something's wrong here." Donald said, sitting on the edge of his seat. He had got there the minute the swordsman counterattacked.
"What's that?" Goofy asked, puzzled.
"That boy was an amateur, a strong one but still... The man was obviously not an amateur at all." Sora was inclined to agree. The boy got his skateboard served back to him on a platter. "He's got experience, in spades. Why would he enter an amateur's event when he could easily sweep the intermediate and win close to twice the prize money, and some equipment to sell? Or enter the expert for four times the prize money, and some very valuable armor? He hit the boy twice, and won easily, barely using that weapon at all."
"Well... hey, Donald, wasn't there some sort of power cap on the amateur's entry? Shouldn't he be disqualified?"
"Exactly." And Donald said nothing else. Sora turned back to the ring, to see the retreating back of the warrior, leaving Beat to pick himself up off the ground. Something was going on.
"So... why would someone that strong be allowed in?"
"Somebody's bending the rules. Meaning that that swordsman is here for a very specific reason. And the boy wasn't his target."
--
"He wasn't the target."
"I KNOW HE'S NOT THE TARGET!" Cloud had heard once that the especially hot flames burned blue, while regular flames appeared orange. He wondered idly why Hades switched to red skin and orange flames when he was angry. "But I TOLD you to kill him! You're grating on my last nerve kid, and if you refuse to play by my rules one more time, there's going to be consequences, believe me!" Again, Cloud had enough. Matching the 'god of the dead' with an equally fierce glare, he stated as simply as he could;
"I'm not killing anyone unless I have to. If you're not going to play by my rules, my job ends here." And with that, Cloud blew out the god's fire hair, and walked over to check the next match. He was going to mop up the rest of the tourney, refuse the exhibition match, take his prize money, and leave. The only reason he wasn't dropping out now, was his complete lack of cash at the moment. And since he wasn't getting information or payment from his ex-employer, he had to take what he could get. He didn't regret his decision for a second. The man he was looking for was important. He wasn't worth the trail of blood Cloud would be leaving behind his boots.
Whatever god knew Sephiroth would gloat if he found out.
And next time, he was entering the expert level tournament. That armor would've made him a fortune...
"Alright, alright, I'm nothing if not an understanding guy. If you don't want to work for me, far be it from me to change your mind." Hades said, re-lighting his head with blue flames, meaning he had actually calmed down. "Be seeing you kid." Cloud really didn't like being called 'kid'. He was lamenting his decision less and less by the second. It was hard to take a man seriously when he introduced himself as a god of all things...
--
"Would the next challenger come forth?" The referee announced to whoever was listening. As it turned out, after the swordsman's wiping out of Beat, everyone else forfeited. All except for one fighter. Since he had just been catapulted into the finals, it seemed like a pretty good deal.
And he wasn't the type to give up at all. Again, a blur rocketed out of the opposing gate into the ring. Two blurs in fact.
"YOSH! My burning flames of youth will win me the day!" The green blur said as he landed in the ring. A green spandex body suit, and a green flak vest of some kind made up his outfit. The only other things of note were the red sash around his waist, a metal plate where a belt buckle would normally be, and orange leg warmers extended from the ankle of his toe-less shoes, up to his knees. Another thing to note would be the epically massive eyebrows the boy was sporting. When compared with this decidedly bizzare package, the his bowl cut hair seemed almost normal.
"Charmander!" Cried the other blur, revealing itself to be an orange lizard, standing on it's hind legs up to about the boy's knee. It was also wearing a green spandex suit, without the vest, sash, or leg warmers, probably specially made. The tip of it's tail was engulfed in a flame. Both took similar stances of an unfamiliar martial art, their left arm curled behind and pressing against the small of their backs, while the right was at a fourty-five degree angle to the ground, palm open. Both also grinned, and it was obvious that they spent hours brushing their teeth because said smiles were blinding. The boy saw fit to introduce himself now, after such an entrance.
"I am Rock Lee, the beautiful green beast of the Hidden Leaf Village! Against the combined might of myself, and my youthful companion Homori, you don't stand a chance!" The lizard agreed, it was simple to see.
"Char!"
"Well, fortunately, he won't have to stand against your combined might, because this is a singles tournament." The referee said. "One of you is going to have to leave, unless you want to be disqualified. Entering as a team only means you get to decide on one fighter beforehand." Both Lee and Homori visibly deflated, as if air was slowly let out of them both.
"But... but... how could I misunderstand the rules?! And I wanted to fight alongside Homori so much! How will I bask in the light of his springtime of youth now?!"
"You both can fight, if you want." The swordsman offered, and while the comment would seem arrogant normally, his tone felt more like he was doing the green boy a favor. Lee and Homori immediately stopped holding their heads and crying out in anguish, moving back into their identical stances as if the ridiculous display had never happened. It was plain to see that the entire audience was basking in the light of 'what the hell?' as the entire arena fell so silent it began to hurt Sora's ears.
--
"So, uh... begin?" And no sooner then the words were out of the referee's mouth, Lee was off like a shot, as his lizard friend leaped into the air and spewed raging fire at the swordsman. Beat had been relatively strong by himself, all things considered. Now, with Lee hitting him on virtually all sides with advanced martial arts, the only real difference was the fact there was ranged support, and Cloud was forced to move, or suffer what might've been severe burns. Despite his various types of protection, fire would never stop hurting unless you were made of it.
Lee seemed to fly, and it was different then the wild hammering of Beat. Lee was unusually graceful as he flipped, punched, spun, and kicked in a never ending flurry of blows in the air as well as on the ground. And the obvious teamwork he and the lizard had complimented it wonderfully, as he didn't have to be afraid of the fire at all.
Homori rained fireballs around them, to where he was, and places where Cloud considered moving to during the fight, and the swordsman had to admit, it was impressive. Cloud would still win. But it was plain to see that the pair facing him would quickly become something dangerous over time.
And the boy still had yet to lose that grin of his. Time to make things a little interesting, it seemed.
Cloud began to fight back.
--
Hades stood, arms folded and leaning against the side of the massive door. The fight raged on, and while Hades appreciated a good fight, this one wouldn't end in a bloody death either.
He liked that kind of end. This was going to end boring. So... time to make things a little interesting, it seemed.
"Sic 'em." Three fearsome growls answered the order, and a large shadow lunged forward.
--
This fight was awesome. Sora still kinda wished it was him down there in the heat of things, but watching Lee occasionally disappear from view, the man swinging around a gigantic sword as if it were a pillow, and a small lizard creating explosions... Sora felt like he was watching a few of his childhood Saturday morning cartoons made real, and that was good enough at the moment. The feeling was nostalgic, and it got his adrenalin pumping because it was bloody freaking epic. Sora wished foolishly for something he could fight in an awesome display of heroism, and as per his brand of luck, his wish was granted rather promptly.
"GRAAAAGH!" Went the huge three headed dog that came bounding out of nowhere into the ring, interrupting the match, and getting ready to raise hell. It was obvious this wasn't planned, so naturally, everybody in the audience panicked and evacuated in a screaming mess of disorganized pushing, shoving, and accidental inappropriate touching. The swordsman seemed almost used to such a thing, as he switched targets and began combating the monster, this time using the great sword's blade for the first time Sora had seen. Lee took a moment to figure out what was happening, and then jumped to back the swordsman up, landing a vicious axe kick to a head attempting to bite the man's back. Homori, being a small bipedal lizard, about two feet tall, really couldn't do anything to the giant enemy but spit as much fire as it possibly could. At the least, the fire was making it hard for the beast to concentrate, but it was otherwise ineffective.
"Blizaga!" Yelled Donald on Sora's right, and out of the ground shot a jagged iceberg, surprising the three fighters in the arena.
"Hey! What's all the noise abou- Woah! What the hell is that?!" Beat came walking out of the side, and took a moment to notice the two guys rushing down into the ring, the three people in the ring, all the ice and fire, and the ginormus beast in the middle. At this point, Beat did what he always did in situations like these.
"Aw YEAH! Time for some action! You're going to the pound fluffy!" Like a cannon, Beat launched himself at the dog, skateboard first, laughing like an idiot. Granted, he was laughing like an idiot about to do some damage, but any other situation and Sora would've doubled over in laughter himself.
Speaking of, when did Sora start charging into the very dangerous arena? It was somewhere in between the blizaga, and Beat coming back for more fighting. Why was he charging into the arena? There was a giant three headed dog there, and there was already a lot of people fighting it, it probably wouldn't last long. They didn't need him, he reasoned.
But he still charged, jumped out of the way of a stomping foot, and began to gather as much magic as he could while cutting deep into the leg.
The dog was panicking, confused, and being slowly forced back as the attacks began to take their toll. It was an odd sort of teamwork that had manifested itself between the seven fighters, something that seemed to create itself. A battle formation had happened without anyone realizing it.
Goofy, Cloud, and Beat attacked the front, battering any attacking heads while Lee kept bounding from one head to the next, attacking with punches and kicks that could easily split stone. Donald and Homori stood back, supporting at a range. Sora, was charging through to the front, Keyblade crackling with as much magic as he could shove into it.
He hadn't even let off the spell yet, and he still felt empty.
With a sicking crack, Goofy impacted one of the front legs harshly, and the bone seemed to break. Stumbling forward, the dog's guard was down, and everybody saw their chance. However, they held back when they saw Sora running right into the beast with a glowing Keyblade.
"Raijinken!" Right between the eyes of the middle head, the blow hit, and the thunder fell.
While in terms of magical strength, the Raijinken wasn't quite as powerful as Donald's Thundara, it was made more to hammer then to electrocute. It wasn't just a magical ability, but more a powerful physical strike. Thus, it had a different kind of power altogether.
And that was why the Keyblade split the skull of the middle head when Donald's thunderbolts would not. The left head was split in a similar fashion by Cloud's sword landing a killing blow. The head on the right was impaled on a particularly sharp ice spike jutting out of the ground. And Sora was confused then, and sick because he really did split one of the dog's skulls after all, but after that, he was confused.
The dog dissolved into darkness. It wasn't a heartless.
"What...?" Were there other monsters that died like the heartless? Evidently, there were... He would be asking Donald about this later.
--
Meanwhile, Hades was annoyed. Not angry, but annoyed. Why the hell (he pardoned his pun) did they have to gang up on Cerberus? That just wasn't fair. Moreover, why did Cerberus preform so badly? He swore he trained the dog better then that.
He was even house broken. Three headed hell hounds weren't normally house broken.
Well, no treats for quite a while, Hades decided. Cerberus failed. But at the least, he managed to get Cloud somehow. Sure the guy probably felt like a big man, slaying the beast...
"But, with no more tournament, guess who's sleeping on the streets? Good luck getting money now, kid." Now would be a good time to go check in with Maleficent. She'd be back with another princess by now. Time for a party.
If there was anything he was good at, it was parties. Death in general didn't count because that was his job. He did partys for fun.
"That hatter and hare got nothing on me. Unbirthdays... that's a load of something..."
--
The beast had been vanquished, and general crisis averted. All that was left, was that lingering feeling of 'what the hell do we do now?'
Cloud took the initiative, holstering the giant sword on his back, and walking out of the arena.
"Hey, who the hell does that guy think he is?!" Beat asked loudly. "We all worked our asses off to take that thing down, and he just leaves." The boy crossed his arms, scowling. "We didn't even get a 'thank you,' yo."
"Such a cool, hip, attitude..." Lee mused to himself as Homori, next to him, studied the new people with a curious interest.
"No, that's an asshole attitude. I should know, there was this one guy back hom- ah..." Beat then, very noticeably, changed the subject.
"So, why weren't you in the tournament? Or were you three some of those scrubs who wussied out after my match?"
"I would've entered. But somebody said no." Donald was shaking, resisting the urge to wack the back of Sora's head with his staff.
"So... what are your stories?" Sora asked, plopping down on his behind in the ring. The others, seeing nothing better to do at all followed suit.
"Name's Beat. My... my world broke, I guess. I'm lookin' for someone. She's all I got left." Beat fidgeted with his fingers, sitting on his skateboard.
"We... we got separated. I know she survived. I had her, but..."
"Mander!" Beat looked down and noticed the little orange lizard patting his knee sympathetically. Lee smiled.
"Homori is right. If she survived the world's breaking, then she must be strong enough to survive anything else!"
"...I think we only survived 'cause we got lucky."
"Luck is a part of strength." Lee pressed, still smiling in a way that couldn't help but reassure him.
"...So... you can understand this thing?" Beat asked, poking the lizard in the stomach lightly. It was dificult to believe that a creature giggling the way it did then could create enough fire to make a dragon jealous.
"Of course! Homori is my partner, and together, our flames of youth burn strongly!" Beat's expression suggested he didn't really know what to think about that. With a cry of 'Charmander!', the lizard agreed whole heartedly. Beat wondered if perhaps the thing was as young as it looked. Then it could've been corrupted by this psycho...
"My name is Rock Lee, and this is my companion, Homori."
"Char!"
"... What is he?" Sora asked, cocking his head to the side, examining the lizard. "Sorry, I've just never seen a fire breathing lizard before."
"He is aparently something called a Pokemon, one of several types. He's a Charmander. When I found him, I took the liberty of naming him." He seemed very proud of this. Homori seemed likewise, very fond of his name. "Oddly enough, people have been throwing things at him quite often... you wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"
"Ah, no... well, my name's Sora. This is Goofy, and Donald." Goofy raised a hand in greeting, while Donald grumbled about his name being mentioned last. This was probably because of his general bad mood today...
"Hey, now that we're all acquainted and stuff, can I ask for somethin'?" Beat asked. Nobody chose to comment about the question's abruptness until Sora answered.
"Sure, what?"
"Do any of you guys have a ship or anythin'? This place doesn't know anything I need, so I wanna leave. I'll work, don't think I won't! It's just... I can't really count on any prize money now..." Everyone fell silent. This guy was doing the pity thing to a 'T', making it very hard to say no.
"D-Donald, we've got room, right? And... he could help us out, right? Right?" Seeing Sora so hopeful for a reason not to deny the skateboarder was making things even harder. Donald sighed, and wondered briefly when he became 'the parent'. Not a literal parent by any means, but that person who everybody talked to first, asked for permission, what have you. He supposed that he did have the highest rank of anyone in the ship (saying nothing of Sora- and Beat now, he supposed- who had no rank).
Now that he noticed he actually was the one in charge, it made the decision a little easier to make. At times, authority gave him an important feeling, one he had in spades back at Disney Castle. It 'stuffed his shirt' a little bit, knowing that he commanded such respect even outside the castle.
"Provided you earn your keep, we'll take you with us. However! You are with us, and as thus, have no saying over where we're headed! Understood?" Donald finished with a stern tone. Authority felt good.
"Yeah! You won't regret this or nothin' I swear! Now when do we leave?!" Beat yelled jumping to his feet. "And where's yer ship?! I wanna be up in space yesterday, yo!" Donald didn't regret his decision, not really. However, it was now clear that Beat was going to be running at full blast the entire way. He hoped there was enough work to be done to keep him diverted...
"I wish you luck, my new friends. Now me and my youthful friend need to find out when the next tournament is. We're off!"
"Charmander!" Lee took off out of the Colosseum, perhaps to track down the referee. If there was another tournament, he would probably know...
"Hey Sora! You were great and all, fightin' like that, but what the heck are you hitting stuff with a toy for?! Common, get yourself a man's beat-stick! Les get ya a baseball bat! You'll destroy things with one'a'those..." Oh joy. Sora once again had to explain how 'not a toy' the Keyblade was.
They left the shattered remains of the ring, before anyone arrived to ask the wrong questions.
(Whoo! Chapter Thirteen done! I probably lost readers when Lee showed those gleaming teeth of his, but hey, my story.
Mine.
So, anyways, If anyone's wondering about Beat, he's from a rather recent release for the DS called 'The World Ends With You.' Funny story, it's made by SquareEnix, meaning we might be seeing him or somebody else from the games in the new Kingdom Hearts. Hope so, because 'TWEWY' was an awesome game. I suggest it, because not only is it good, but you will NEVER play anything like it. Good original games are hard to come by these days, so pick that up post haste. Alright, there, I publicized the game, now GIMME MY MONEY! Dammit, somebody's getting shanked if I don't see some financial gain!
Wow though, this one took a while compared to the others, and I haven't seen any reviews. I realize this story isn't exactly mainstream because Riku isn't taking Sora up the bum (yet), but I don't think it's THAT bad... right?
Remember, totally not whining. I said I wouldn't.
Also, three cheers for the Pokemon. Another reader of mine might be glad to see them. He should also know that a favorite Pokemon of both of ours is going to be making an appearance sometime in the second book, because frankly, she's too cool NOT to be in there. You know who YOU are.
Now, did anyone call for a very sexy ninja? No? How 'bout a pair of Omakes?)
OMAKE #1 BITCH!
"Charmander!" Cried the other blur, revealing itself to be an orange lizard, standing on it's hind legs up to about the boy's knee. Both assumed a fighting stance, before the match was called on account of interference from the audience.
"Oh my GOD, it's not registered!" Yelled a kid near Sora holding a Pokedex. Frantically, he reached into his side bag, pulled out a baseball shaped device, and hurled it into the ring with perfect accuracy. More soon followed. A LOT more.
"Holy Miltank, a wild Pokemon! You don't see any of the COMMON ones anymore! Then a rare one jumps out of nowhere, what are the odds?!"
"Hey! Get out of my way, I saw it first!"
"I will FIGHT you!"
"Please, My Pokemon would kick your-"
"Quit PUSHING!"
"Oh god BAD TOUCH!"
"AGH!" The arena was quickly turning into a different kind of battle ring, while in the real ring, Homori and Lee were deflecting Pokeballs left and right.
"Why, everywhere we go, WHY?!"
"Hey!" Interrupted a boy who had leapt into the ring, and was holding out a Pokeball as if it was something to be feared. A large yellow mouse creature sat on his shoulder.
"My name is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town, and I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokemon Master! That Charmander is-" The boy, Ash, was cut off. Course, that's normal when the foot of a giant three headed dog crushes you underneath. Everything stopped at the very obvious fatality. Up until...
"Hey! I call dibs on THAT one!" A single Pokeball flew out from the stands, and struck the dog in one of his heads. Sora's jaw dropped as it was then transformed into red energy, and sucked inside.
"HEY! WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO TO MY DOG?!"
"Sora." Donald said, tugging his sleeve. "We're leaving."
"Yeah, let's get out of here. That blue guy down there gives me the creeps."
OMAKE #2 EAT IT HAHA!
"Raijinken!" Sora yelled, plunging the Keyblade into the ground. A lightning bolt dropped out of the sky, and smoke filled the area. When it cleared, a familiar green and black ninja stood on the scene, idly fidgeting with his katana.
"Oh, again so soon? Well, at least you picked something big this time..." Raijinken said, sizing up the growling Cerberus. "So, how have you been since the last time I saw you? Me, I've been fine, still can't get a date to save my life... is it the mask? It might be the mask... Really don't want to take it off though, I mean it's-"
"-Uh, later! Right now, go get him!" Raijinken looked Sora deep in the eye.
"Hey, what's the magic word?"
"What?! Come on!"
"No, I'm serious. Sure, you summoned me, but seriously, manners, or I walk. I'm polite to you, taking time out of my busy schedule to come and save your ass from certain painful doom, and here you are ordering me around like I'm your servant. No Sora, no that is not how we make friends. Now, what is the magic word?"
"...Please go fight the evil three headed dog?"
"Nice manners, but that's not the magic word."
"Oh COME ON-"
"Alright, I've had my fun. Oh, by the way, the magic word is fudge. And I'd be very grateful if I got some of that magic word next time you decided to pop me into existence. Very grateful."
"Uh..."
"Yeah, alright, I'm going to fight now. Hey! YOU! Yeah, I'm talking to you, you three headed, carpet wetting, sorry excuse for... hang on, lost my train of thought. Ah, whatever, I'm just going to cut you." Sora briefly wondered if Raijinken had taken a little bit of Wonderland back with him the first time...
OMAKE #3 BECAUSE I CAN LOL!
"Alright, now that that's over, Sora! We were having a lovely conversation a bit ago, weren't we?"
"Raijinken?! Is that you?!" Lee shouted in disbelief
"Huh? Lee! I haven't seen you since Ninja-con last year! How've you been?!"
"Just fine my friend! But, why haven't you taken my suggestion of spandex seriously? Such a youthful material to use!"
"Oh, well I would have, but my gear's custom made. And the only place you can conceal weapons on that thing is in your leg warmers, and your vest. I've got too many places to count on this fashion statement here."
"Ah, right you are! But you still have great taste in color!"
"Oh, I know. Green's the best, am I right?"
"Your youthful appreciation for youthful colors shines through with blinding radiance! RAIJINKEN!"
"Your extensive knowledge of awesome colors burns brighter then the sun! LEE!"
"RAIJINKEN!"
"LEE!" And now they were hugging. Sora was reminded of a post card he had seen once, of a similar scene happening on a beach, with a sunset in the background. He wasn't sure why, but he was.
"RAIJINKEN!"
"LEE!" Alright, that did it. Wonderland infected him somehow. He was going to have to force himself to summon the loony ninja again...
(Alright, I got nothing else. Next chapter's coming whenever I feel like it.
In the next exciting episode of OATHKEEPER! Beat has joined the party, but will it be enough to protect them from the dangers that lie ahead? Prepare for thrills as Sora is exposed to an entirely new brand of danger! Prepare for chills, as death stalks them from every shadow! And prepare for tears as Sora is forced to learn that no hero is capable of saving everybody. All this and more, in the next exciting installment of OATHKEEPER!)