Sora and Aqua flew in low and landed gently on the sand covered ground in the commons area of Olympus Coliseum. Their Keyblade Riders and armor quickly vanished as they looked up at the newly rebuilt coliseum from after the Hydra had devastated it.
"This place is practically the same as I remember." Aqua said as Sora nodded.
"In looking at it now, you would never have known that this place was an absolute wreck when I saw it last." Sora said, earning a curious look from Aqua.
"Really? What happened?" Aqua asked.
"Oh, a big giant monster destroyed it while Hercules wasn't around. I wonder where he is right now though." Sora said as Aqua looked at him with a surprised smile.
"Hercules? You know him?!" Aqua asked as Sora nodded.
"Yep, he's a true hero now. He would have become a god for it but he chose not to." Sora explained as Aqua smiled up at the two tall statues on either side of the lobby doors.
"That's good to hear. When I knew him, he was just a teenager and a hero in training. I'm glad to see he's done so well for himself." Aqua said as she looked around.
"Say, you didn't happen to run into a guy with spiky hair while you were here did you?" Aqua asked, still looking around.
"You mean Cloud? Yeah this is where I first met him." Sora replied as Aqua shook her head.
"No, his name wasn't Cloud. His name was Zack." Aqua replied as Sora shook his head.
"Nope. Sorry. Never met anyone named Zack." Sora said as Aqua nodded understandingly.
"It's okay Sora. I don't expect you to know everyone from my past. Perhaps Hercules or his nanny goat can tell us." Aqua said as Sora snickered.
"You mean Phil? Yeah maybe." Sora shrugged as they started walking towards the lobby doors. Aqua paused as they reached the doors. Sora stopped and turned to her with a curious expression.
"What's wrong?" Sora asked. Aqua didn't answer, instead turning slightly to look behind them. Sora turned too and they both saw something unexpected. Two people, a woman about as old, if not slightly older than Aqua and a young boy about Sora's age, perhaps even a year younger. The woman had long, light pink hair and blue eyes and she wore a light brown turtleneck shirt along with a necklace with a lightning bolt pendant underneath a white soldier uniform. There was a green metal plate over her left shoulder with two glowing yellow stripes, a long flowing red cape attached to her back on the left side, and a brown belt around her waist. She also wore two blue gloves with gold plates over the knuckles, a long black sleeve over her left arm that began from her bicep, and a brown mini-skirt. She also had a hidden pair of black shorts on under the skirt. She had a storage pack attached to her skirt and left leg, and she wore two knee-high leather boots. In her arms, was what appeared to be a shining polished silver metal combat rifle of some sort.
The boy had silver hair and greenish gray eyes. He wore an orange and yellow coat, a detailed green scarf over a black shirt, black gloves with white palms though the thumbs remain black but the left glove had a yellow wristband over it, deep green pants that stopped just below the knees, a black storage pack on his left leg, and light green shoes with black laces and straps. The two newcomers came to a stop about halfway between the entrance to the underworld and the doors to the lobby, the pink haired woman staring silently at Aqua and Sora with an emotionless stare. The boy didn't seem to regard them much until he noticed the woman's glare.
"Why is she…staring at us?" Sora whispered to Aqua.
"I'm…not really sure." Aqua replied.
"Maybe we should go greet them. You know, be friendly." Sora said as Aqua shrugged.
"I don't see why not." Aqua said as they turned and started approaching the two strangers.
"Hello there!" Sora called out with a wave. The boy smiled up at the woman.
"I think they're friendly, Light. Don't know what that other guy was talking about." The boy said as the woman glanced down at him for a moment.
"Mmm." Was her only reply and that in itself was open to interpretation. Aqua and Sora came to a stop before the two.
"Hi, I'm Sora and this is my Master, Aqua." Sora introduced as the boy smiled and gave him a nod.
"I'm Hope, and this is my friend and protector, Lightning." The boy introduced as the woman regarded the two with only a single nod.
"So what brings you two here?" Aqua asked.
"We're here to compete in the games." Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII) replied as Hope (Also Final Fantasy XIII) nodded.
"Really? So are we." Sora said.
"Mmm." Lightning replied.
"Light's not really herself right now. See she's trying to find her sis-OW!" Hope grunted as Lightning slapped him upside the head.
"That's none of your business. Now if you will excuse us, we need to go and register for the games." Lightning said as she elbowed her way past Aqua and Sora towards the lobby doors. Leaving Hope behind.
"What's her problem?" Aqua asked curiously.
"Eh, she's just a little focused right now. We were told if we win the games we'll find someone that's close to her." Hope explained. Just then they heard Lightning yell…
"Hope!" She yelled. They turned to see her looking squarely at Hope with a glare that made Hope and Sora both cower slightly.
"I better go. See you guys in the games!" Hope said as he hurried to catch up with Lightning. Sora and Aqua both looked at each other curiously.
"What was that about?" Sora asked as Aqua shrugged.
"Come on, we better go and register ourselves." Aqua said as they headed into the lobby. As soon as the doors closed behind them, a cloud of black smoke appeared and as it dissipated, Hades stood looking at the doors to the lobby with a sinister smirk on his face.
Inside the lobby…
Sora and Aqua entered just as Phil finished signing up Lightning and Hope. Hercules, Megara, and Pegasus were nowhere to be seen.
"Alright that's Hope Es-…Es-…eh, how do you pronounce your last name?" Phil asked Hope who rolled his eyes.
"Estheim. Hope Estheim." Hope said as Phil nodded.
"Right, Hope Estheim and Lightning…uh…" Phil said, looking at Lightning who only shot the satyr a death glare. Phil got the message and hid behind his clipboard.
"Okay, alright, the two of you are now officially entered in the games. The arena's right through that door there." Phil said as the two turned and entered the arena.
"Sheesh, tough lady. Okay NEXT!" Phil shouted as Sora and Aqua walked up. Phil was looking at the clipboard and didn't even bother looking up at them.
"Name?" Phil asked.
"Aqua." "Sora." The two introduced one at a time but with cheeky smiles on their faces.
"Right-right. Aqua and Sora. Alright you two are-…" Phil said as he froze midsentence and lowered the clipboard. Sora and Aqua were standing casually with the same expressions.
"Oh very funny you two wise guys. Hey junior hero, you a true hero yet?" Phil asked Sora who was about to answer but Aqua interrupted.
"He isn't yet but that's what I'm here to help him do. I'm training him to become a true…hero." Aqua said, hesitating to use the term Keyblade Master in the instance.
"Well trust me lady, this kid can take all the help he can get." Phil said as Sora wrinkled his nose in offence.
"Hey!" he whined.
"Cool it kid, ya can still compete in the games. Your competition just went inside the arena." Phil said as Aqua pondered.
"I don't suppose that you happen to know what happened to a guy named Zack. He competed here about eleven years ago." Aqua said as Phil scratched his head.
"Zack…Zack…nope don't remember him at all. But I remember you though. You came through and beat up ol' Hades and his Ice Titan. Quite a mean feat if you ask me. This kid ain't even beaten a single Titan on his own. He's always got the help of some couple a wise guys with 'em to help him out." Phil said as Aqua folded her arms over her chest.
"Now hold on, Sora's fully capable of handling himself. Give him some credit already will you?" Aqua asked.
"He can have credit after he finishes four simple words. Win. The. Games!" Phil said as Aqua rolled her eyes at the satyr's mathematical skills…or lack thereof.
"Then where's Hercules? Is he here?" Sora asked as Phil shook his head.
"Nah sorry kid. The champ's takin' a vacation with that broad of his. He's earned it after all. Becomin' a true hero then rebuildin' this whole coliseum on his own! Yeah that's worth the down time." Phil answered.
"What about Auron? Is he still here?" Sora asked as Phil shook his head.
"The dead guy with the sword? Nah, he went back to the underworld after Herc finished rebuildin' the coliseum. Haven't seen him since." Phil said as he hopped off the podium and towards the arena doors.
"I guess we should probably head out there huh?" Sora asked as Aqua nodded and they both started heading out into the arena. They walked into the sunlit arena that was empty as usual. They looked around and saw Lightning and Hope standing off near a metal grating along the right wall. Phil then walked to a podium in the center of the arena and hopped up onto the top.
"(Ahem) The games will begin in thirty minutes!" Phil announced before he hopped off and walked back into the lobby.
"Thirty minutes? That's probably enough time to discuss your training, Sora." Aqua said as Sora looked up at her curiously.
"Really?" Sora asked as Aqua nodded.
"We should probably discuss the Command Styles now that you've stumbled upon them. Sound good to you?" Aqua asked as Sora nodded.
"You bet!" Sora said as they both summoned their Keyblades and walked to the center of the arena. Almost instantly a few target barrels magically popped up from the ground.
"Okay, let me go over the basics of the Command Styles. To activate a Command Style, you first have to repetitively use a certain type of magic spell. For example, constantly using Fire based magic will cause you to enter the Fire Blazer Command Style. The way you know when you're close to unleashing a Command Style, is when you feel a buildup of energy inside your heart. You never know what kind of Command Style you'll unleash until you activate it by focusing that energy into your Keyblade." Aqua explained as Sora raised his hand.
"So, you can't predict what Command Style you will release?" Sora asked as Aqua nodded.
"No but you can try and release a particular one. You can do that by using one particular type of magic spell over and over again, like I said. I should probably mention that there are three general use Command Styles that are available to everyone with a Keyblade. Fire Blazer, like I said, which is achieved by constant fire magic. Fire Blazer is very versatile and is always handy in a pinch. Diamond Dust, one of my favorites, is achieved by using ice based magic and is good for dealing with crowds of enemies. Finally there is Thunder Bolt, which is achieved by using thunder based magic and causes powerful lightning damage when hitting an enemy. Any questions?" Aqua asked as Sora shook his head.
"Good, then maybe you should try using a few by attacking these barrels here." Aqua said as she quickly moved behind him.
"Which should I try first?" Sora asked as Aqua shrugged.
"It's up to you Sora. Remember, once you use a particular type of magic, keep using that magic until you feel the energy build up inside your heart and then release it into your Keyblade. Give it a try." Aqua instructed as Sora turned to the barrels. He then aimed his Keyblade and cast Blizzaga which caused the barrel to shatter but immediately be replaced by another barrel. He then started to quickly unleash Blizzaga after Blizzaga at the other barrels until he suddenly felt a cold surge of power in his heart. As instructed, he channeled the power to his Keyblade and he started glowing with a bluish aura.
"Well done Sora. Now try the other two styles and when you're finished, come back to me and we'll move on to what I call the Specialty Command Styles." Aqua said as Sora nodded and started attacking the barrels with new fervor. He leapt into the center of a whole cluster of barrels before stabbing the ground with his Keyblade and causing a powerful blast of ice to burst from the ground around him, shattering each of the barrels around him. He then leapt into the center of another set of barrels before swinging his Keyblade and causing four large spheres of ice to burst from the ground and spin around him at high speed, smashing the barrels to pieces. From the sidelines, Hope was watching with his jaw hanging open.
"Whoa! Would you look at that kid go, Light?!" Hope said.
"Mmm." Lightning replied. She wasn't even watching him. Just leaning against the stone wall, looking distant.
"Come on Light, don't tell me that's not impressive." Hope said as Lightning turned towards him.
"Keep watching him." Lightning said, confusing the youth.
"Huh?"
"Keep watching him. Analyze his moves, his strategies, his every action. If we have any hope of beating him at the games then we're going to have to know his weakness. That's if he has one that can be exploited on the battlefield." Lightning said, not noticing the blue flames appear in the shadows of the barred side area behind them.
"Oh I love the sound of conspiring in the afternoons." Hades said, startling the two.
"Hades." Lightning said to the Lord of the Underworld.
"Heh-heh, yeah hello kids, having fun yet?" Hades asked slyly.
"The games haven't even started." Hope replied.
"Why are you here? We made our deal and I intend on fulfilling my end of it. Defeat Hercules at the games and in exchange, you let both Serah and Hope's mother go from the underworld." Lightning said as Hades grinned and pinched her cheeks, irritating the woman.
"Such a keeper. Well there happens to have been a teeny-tiny little change in the deal. Ya see those two out there? Yeah that's right the two-brainless-kids-with-the-fancy-sticks. Well instead of Hercules, I want you guys to defeat them." Hades said as Lightning and Hope glanced at Sora and Aqua, Sora having now mastered Fire Blazer as he incinerated barrel after barrel with his Keyblade.
"Seems easy enough but what aren't you telling us? Where's Hercules?" Lightning asked as Hades shrugged.
"The lazy bum is taking a vacation but those two little twerps there are enough of a challenge…perhaps an even greater challenge than old 'jerk-ules." Hades said.
"So we just beat them and we get what you promised us, right?" Hope asked as Hades grinned.
"Badda-bing! He gets one right! Ah-heh-heh. Well I better go find a good seat. Don't want to miss all the action." Hades said with a dark laugh as he disappeared into the shadows. Hope looked up at Lightning with a worried expression.
"I don't like this, Light. I just keep feeling like there's something…wrong about us dealing with this guy." Hope said as Lightning looked down at him.
"If it brings Serah back from the underworld, then I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I would have thought you would feel the same way about your mother?" Lightning said as Hope looked downward towards the floor, kicking at the dirt slightly.
"Well…of course I would. But something tells me that dealing with this guy…I just have a bad feeling is all." Hope said as Lightning knelt down on one knee, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"Hope, we've come this far together. This is the best lead we've had in a long time. It's our only option." Lightning said as Hope sighed and nodded.
"I know. I'm ready to do what it takes to bring my mom back." Hope said. Lightning smiled slightly as she stood back up.
"Good. We're going to have to defeat these two in the games. I'm going to rely on you to help me defeat them. They may not look like much but they're probably tougher than they look. You think you can handle it?" Lightning asked as she turned to continue watching Sora and Aqua. Sora was just mastering Thunder Bolt and laying waste to the barrels. Hope looked up at her with a determined expression.
"It's not a matter of can or can't. There are some things in life that you just do." Hope replied as Lightning smiled down at him.
"Now you're learning." Lightning said as they continued to watch the two Keyblade warriors. Sora had finished fighting with the barrels and approached Aqua.
"You're skills are improving, Sora. I'm impressed." Aqua said with a smile.
"I'm ready for the next part of the lesson, Master!" Sora said as Aqua chuckled and nodded.
"Alright then. Like I said, those were the three basic Command Styles, the one everyone with a Keyblade can use. The fourth is always different depending on the person. Master Eraqus would refer to them as the Unique Command Style since everyone's was different. You used Ven's Command Style, Speed Rave, a while ago, but I wonder if that's just a side effect from having Ven's heart inside of you." Aqua explained.
"So, the fourth Command Style is one that's unique to me." Sora said as Aqua nodded.
"Right. Learning how to trigger it can be tricky. You should try all sorts of methods. For example, my unique Command Style is called Magic Wish, and I trigger it by just using a lot of different magic spells in no particular order." Aqua explained.
"So I should just try different methods until I find the method that works?" Sora asked as Aqua nodded.
"Exactly. But I don't think that now is the time for experimentation." Aqua said as she noticed Phil entering with a megaphone.
"Alright! All competitors clear the arena! Warm up time is over! The games are about to begin!" Phil said as Sora, Aqua, Lightning, and Hope quickly entered the stands to the left of the entryway.
"Today's games are in two stages, starting with a timed match between one competitor and a series of these training…err…dummies." Phil said as a number of Heartless appeared in the arena space. Aqua and Sora looked at each other with determined looks. Lightning and Hope did the same.
"The final stage is two one on one matches to be held simultaneously. You've been divided up into groups for this one. Lightning and Hope Estheim are one group and will be facing against the other group, Aqua and Sora. If both members of a group win, then they're the winners. If only one member from each group wins then a third and final round will be fought between them. Winner takes all!" Phil announced as the four participants nodded. Phil then turned to the stands.
"Alright Junior Hero, you're up!" Phil said as Sora leapt down to the field. He turned and gave a smile and a thumbs up to Aqua who winked back with a smile at him. Sora walked up to the arena square and summoned his Keyblade just as Phil turned towards a nearby gong.
"Ready!" Phil shouted as he scraped his foot against the ground as if preparing to charge. The Heartless started huddling together in the center of the arena.
"Set!" Phil shouted, scraping his feet even faster as Sora dropped into his battle stance and started staring down the Heartless, ready to go at a moment's notice. Phil then charged at the gong, crashing into it with a resonating…
End Chapter 11.
I deliberately left out one of the Command Styles in BBS because it can only be triggered by particular items. Lightning & Hope are both from Final Fantasy XIII, which I do not own. Similarly I would like to apologize if you find Hope and Lightning OOC. I don't have a PS3 or 360 so I obviously don't have a copy of FFXIII to compare their characters against. Hooray for YouTube and Wikipedia huh?
Side note: The Firaga described is the KH1 & COM versions of the Fire magic, the lone ball of fire. The KH2 Firaga, the spinning fireballs, I have renamed "Fire/Fira/Firaga Shield" for the sake of clarification.