Sorry about the long wait on this update. I got distracted for a bit. But I'm back and I hopefully have another good chapter for your enjoyment. And it should have some characters that you weren't expecting.
Xion sat on the edge of the roof, feet dangling over long drop and swinging slightly as she bounced her heels against the building. Her bright and colorful garden was flourishing behind her, but that didn't currently hold her attention. Her mind kept turning over her day at school. She needed to decide what to do about it.
She didn't think it was bad. Olette and even Pence seemed excited about it, talking about how much fun it would be. But Xion knew that she was at a slight disadvantage. She believed Lea when he told her that she wasn't dumb, but she had only been going to school for a few months. All the other students had years of experience.
Xion knew that she could try to do it alone. Or she could ask her friends for help. Olette already offered. Roxas would do whatever he could to assist her, but he shared the same disadvantage of being new to school projects that she did. And after his comments about Isa and Master Ansem trying to bore him do death, Xion didn't plan to ask Lea. Especially after everything that had happened recently. He'd had enough stress. Lea deserved a break.
There was one person who would be perfect to ask. But she didn't know if she should involve him in something so small. Yes, she went to him for advice regarding her gardening plans, but that felt different. Besides, it almost felt like cheating to involve him. Did his advantage balance out her disadvantage or did it simply make it unfair for everyone else?
Xion stared down at the Gummiphone in her hands. She shouldn't bother him. He was busy with his own projects. And yet, Xion couldn't ignore the possibility.
He'd said that he would enjoy getting to know her better. He wanted her to ask him things.
Biting her bottom lip, Xion touched the Gummiphone screen. Calling him before she could change her mind.
She waited through the ringing until someone finally answered. The screen filled with Even's curious frown that quickly shifted towards a surprised smile. He set aside what he was holding in his other hand and sat down, ensuring that she had his full attention.
"Greetings, Xion," he said. "How are your floral endeavors proceeding? Is there something that I can help you with? I have been wondering about the progress."
Smiling, he said, "It's going great. I can send you some pictures later."
"I look forward to seeing the results of your efforts, yes. But if it is not the fruits of your labor that you wish to discuss, then is there something else on your mind?"
Feet kicking slightly as they dangled over the edge, Xion said, "Well… There's something at school coming up. We don't have to do it if we don't want to, but my teacher said that he thought I might enjoy it and that I might be good at it. I just wanted some advice first." Hesitating a moment, she said, "It's something called a 'science fair.'"
Even's expression immediately lit up as a grin spread across his face. A rather unnerving grin that sent a shiver down her spine like she was hit with Blizzard. It reminded her of how he looked during the Keyblade War. The more manic elements of the scientist were shining through.
"I don't want to distract you if you're busy with more important things," she said hurriedly, wondering if it was such a good idea after all.
Waving his hand dismissively, Even said, "Nonsense. A child's school project might normally be a waste of my talents, yes. But I would be delighted to assist you in this endeavor. I used to collaborate with Ienzo occasionally when he was younger and it was a rather agreeable occasion. Not to mention that such collaborations serve as an effective means to evaluate the cognitive development and current knowledge reserves of young minds. I hope that your science fair project will be similar. So tell me, Xion, do you have any preferences on what type of experiment to attempt? Or perhaps a specific topic that you would like to investigate?"
"Are you sure that you'll be all right?" asked Roxas.
Smiling, Lea wrapped one arm around him in a hug. The teenager returned the gesture without complaint. At least until Lea's free hand snaked around to ruffle his hair. Then Roxas tried to wiggle free enough to duck his head. The light-hearted struggle ended with laughter and Lea shoving his friend on the couch.
Xion eagerly took his place, her arms wrapping tightly around his middle. Hugging him in a silent gesture of reassurance, encouragement, and comfort. But there was a little tension in her short frame. Just like there was in Isa's worried gaze from where he sat in the chair.
All three of them were worried about him. And to be honest, Lea could feel his own anxiety coiled in his chest.
The kids were returning to their own rooms tonight. Both of them. As much as Lea might have liked keeping them close, it wasn't a long term solution. He wanted to be able to sleep on his own without nightmares plaguing him. And he'd been doing better. Lea knew that he'd been improving since that really bad night. He wanted to try this.
"You remember the rules, right?" said Xion, practically mumbling into his chest.
Nodding, he said, "Door stays open. And if I have a nightmare, I have to tell someone."
"And no apologizing for nightmares," added Roxas as he sat up from the couch.
"Right. I've got it memorized."
Crossing his arms, Isa said, "And you will actually obey the rules this time?"
Lea grimaced slightly. Yeah, he probably deserved that. He scratched the back of his head while giving a short nod.
"I promise that I'll get one of you if I need you," he said. "No more hiding it or keeping secrets, even unintentionally."
As Xion released her hug, Lea headed over to the kitchen. He'd shared his plan for the evening and reassured them that he would be fine. Now it was time to get started with the tea.
Morning came, the purple skies shifting back towards red and then golden-orange. The apartment came back to life as the inhabitants stirred. Not a single one touched by nightmares.
"This is a bad idea," said Xion, clearly ignoring the fact that she was actively helping to carry everything.
Roxas grinned at her. She wasn't exactly wrong; it was absolutely a bad idea. But it would certainly be a fun one.
They weren't running through the streets of Twilight Town. The pair had chosen a more sedate pace. It gave them more time to reconsider the whole thing. It was the weekend and they were supposed to be hanging out. Isa agreed to stay with Lea; Roxas heard them talking about going to watch a movie at the outdoor theater. As long as they kept their Gummiphones, it should be fine to spend the day with Hayner, Pence, and Olette.
It was their plans that were questionable.
"Hey," called Hayner as they reached the hideout, "what took you guys so long? And what's the surprise?"
Grinning at the trio, Roxas gestured towards Xion. The two of them were wearing their fairy-provided, darkness-shielding outfits. And in her arms was a pile of sturdy black material. Pence immediately stood up from his spot on the couch, eyes wide.
"Wait, are those the Black Coats of Kidnapping?"
"What?" asked Xion.
Waving him off, Olette said, "Never mind. Pence is being weird about it. What's going on?"
"Remember when we took you to the Destiny Islands?" asked Roxas. "We're going somewhere else today."
"But we aren't taking the Gummi Ship." Xion started handing over the black coats. "We wanted to leave it here for Axel and Isa in case they need it while we're gone. Oure clothes are fine, but you'll need these."
Still grinning at the black coat in his hand, Pence asked, "Are we going through the weird portal things?"
"Didn't Isa threaten us that if we try traveling through them, he'll make us regret it?" asked Hayner, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you have a problem with that?" asked Roxas.
"Nope." Pence started fumbling with the thick material as he tried to get it on. "I'm in."
Roxas and Xion had brought their own black coats, but they had three friends. They'd ended up raiding Lea's wardrobe to "borrow" his. It wasn't like he would be wearing it while watching a movie with Isa. Unfortunately, Pence ended up swimming in the huge black coat. Oversized sleeves that draped over gloves with extremely long fingers and the hem of the outfit dragging along the ground. The ridiculousness of his appearance produced chuckles.
Trying to adjust the hood enough to get it out of his eyes, Pence complained, "It's not that funny."
Roxas strongly disagreed. Which was why he paused briefly to snap a picture with his Gummiphone. That earned a groan of complaint from Pence and more laughter from his friends, Hayner nearly falling over in the process.
"Never try this without us and protective clothes," said Xion. "Isa's right. The dark corridors can be dangerous. They can erode at your heart."
Nodding, Roxas added, "And they're rarer now since there's no one to command them, but Nobodies can still use these paths. The risk is greater near worlds like here and the World That Never Was. There's a chance of running into one of them. Doesn't happen often, but it can."
He remembered the swarm of Nobodies in Betwixt and Between. Roxas remembered it vividly from within Sora's heart. They would no longer be guarding against intruders, but they might still cross paths if someone was unlucky. And their friends didn't have weapons and they weren't Nobodies themselves. It would be their first time traveling like that with people who didn't have any way to protect themselves. Roxas and Xion would have to be extra vigilant.
Summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion to his hands, he added, "Stay close, guys. We'll keep you safe."
Xion's Keyblade materialized in her hand and she summoned a corridor of darkness. Their friends took an involuntary step back, but eager grins quickly followed. Xion went through first, though Hayner and Pence immediately dove in after her. Olette approached it more cautiously. Roxas had already decided to bring up the rear in case of trouble. Between him and Xion, nothing would get near the others.
But despite their caution and concerns over possibly encountering a threat, the trip turned out to be extremely routine. Like the hundreds of past missions that always started with traveling through dark corridors to new worlds. Straightforward and simple. The only change of pace was the way that Hayner, Pence, and Olette kept trying to gawk at their surroundings like they did when they were in the Gummi Ship. It took regular reminders to keep them moving.
While Roxas and Xion were sometimes surprised and amazed by things that the trio considered ordinary, it was nice to see them in awe of things that the two of them barely thought about anymore.
They emerged into bright sunshine steaming down on tan stone. Tall walls built from it surrounded the courtyard. A large set of doors were next to them, leading out towards the rest of the world. Across from them were towering golden statues holding swords that crossed above the small platform towards another set of doors. Tall columns supported a small overhang. Scattered around the courtyard were braziers, fires burning despite not needing the extra light currently. And when Roxas glanced over his shoulders, he could see the ranking boards on the wall behind him. The familiar sight brought a small smile to his face; he could almost hear the fanfare in the air.
It was good to be back at the Olympus Coliseum.
"Another blue sky?" murmured Olette, already shedding the black coat.
Banishing her Keyblade, Xion said, "Most of the worlds that we've been to have blue skies except at sunset or at night."
"That's weird," said Hayner. "But I guess its kind of cool to know our world is special like that."
"Look, we can't tell anyone that other worlds exist," said Roxas, "or that we're—"
Waving him off, he said, "We know. We remember hearing Aqua lecture you two about it. We can keep quiet about it. But you still haven't explained why we're here."
"You keep talking about wanting to improve before the Struggle tournament at the end of summer. I knew that there's still some time, but we thought that you could use some help. I know someone here that trains heroes. His name is Phil and I don't know if he'll agree, but he might be willing to give you some training too."
"Hero training?" Hayner grinned. "For real? I'm in."
"That could be fun," agreed Pence.
Shrugging, Olette said, "Sure, let's give it a try."
When they were planning the visit, neither Roxas nor Xion considered the possibility that Phil wouldn't be there. Not until he let his Keyblade vanish and the smallest doubt crept in. They might be wasting their time. But Phil had been there every time that Roxas showed up on a mission. And this time turned out to be no different.
The foyer looked exactly as it did when Roxas was there last time, though he vaguely knew from his time in Sora's heart when he still refused to sleep that the entire coliseum had been destroyed and must have been rebuilt since then. The same tan stone walls and displayed trophies were back. One of the trophies was currently being polished by a short man with hooves and brown fur on his goat legs.
Not looking up from the trophy, he said offhandedly, "If you're here trying to get Herc's autograph, you're out of luck."
"Autograph?" asked Roxas, frowning in confusion.
The trophy hit the stone floor with a metallic clang as Phil spun around. Wide yes locked onto the teenager. He didn't move for a moment. Then the satyr dashed towards him, grabbing Roxas's hand and yanking him down to his level.
"Roxas!" Phil grinned brightly. "It is you. Where have you been? You disappeared without a word. What were you thinking, scaring a guy like that? I'm glad you're all right, kid."
"Thanks?" he said uncertainly. "I didn't mean to disappear like that. I didn't think you'd really notice."
"Me? Not noticing when someone with that much promise and potential, the most that I've seen in ages, suddenly vanishes one day and never comes back? Of course I noticed when you stopped coming by. I halfway considered asking Herc to go down to the Underworld to shake down Hades himself to see if you were there."
Taking a step forward, Xion said, "You seem really excited to see Roxas again."
"Of course I am. This kid is a future hero in the making and I want to help him reach that potential." He smiled proudly at Roxas for a moment before turning his attention back towards the others. "And who are your friends?"
Gesturing towards them, he said, "This is Xion, Hayner, Pence, and Olette. I was hoping that you could do us a favor."
"What sort of favor?"
"There's a tournament in our hometown. Nothing as big as the Games here," he explained, slinging an arm across Hayner's shoulders. "But this year, Hayner wants to win. And the best way that I know to help him is to see if we could get some training from the best."
Phil puffed up his chest slightly at the praise before turning towards the others. He eyed Hayner up and down a few times. Then he turned a similarly appraising look towards Pence, Olette, and Xion.
"I don't train just anyone, but… Today's a slow day and if he's got Roxas's vote of confidence, I suppose I can run him through the basics and see what we have to work with. In fact…" Phil stroked his goatee "Two words: group training session."
Roxas instinctively started counting along on his fingers and he saw a couple of the others doing the same. Pence even opened his mouth to correct the count until Roxas shook his head. It wasn't worth the effort.
"And don't think that you're getting off easy, Roxas," he continued, pointing at him sharply. "I plan to put you through your paces. I have to make sure that you haven't been slacking off."
Lea knew that the movie would be starting soon. A light-hearted silent movie at the outdoor theater. Today was the part of the weekend when the half-pints were supposed to be hanging out with their other friends and he would spend time with Isa. They might all be spending more time doing things together than they did when the arrangement began, but there was nothing wrong with having some quality time in smaller groups. The half-pints would be having fun while Lea and Isa would be perched on the wooden bench, having some time for themselves that didn't involve working with dull paperwork or renovating the Old Mansion.
It felt nice to know that Roxas and Xion were having a good time somewhere in Twilight Town. And he barely noticed that gnawing sense of anxiety and worry. Especially compared to several months ago. The lack of panic or the need to distract himself with combat to avoid worrying about them was definitely a welcome change of pace.
A bright chirp had Lea digging for his Gummiphone. Isa leaned over to look.
"Everything all right?" asked Isa.
Reading the message, he said, "Xion was just checking on me and letting me know what they're up to. Apparently, they are helping Hayner train for the Struggle tournament that they have at the end of summer break. I guess they'll be at the sandlot all afternoon."
"Sounds like they're having a good time then."
"And they don't want me to worry about them."
"You probably will always worry about them," said Isa. "Just like we'll always worry about you. And Riku and Kairi will almost certainly worry about Sora when he returns. That's what happens when you care about someone. Especially since we all live dangerous lives."
And because several of them had disappeared at various points. That gave their friends more than enough reason to worry over them. Every scar on Lea's body offered clear evidence why they should worry about him specifically.
"They'll be fine," said Isa.
"I know. I'm not panicking. I promise."
"Then let's try to enjoy the show," he said. "They'll call if they need you. And if they do, it would take us five minutes to get over to the sandlot."
Smiling faintly, Lea said, "Thanks for putting up with me being irrational every now and then."
"I've been putting up with you since we were kids," he said with a smirk. "That'll never change."
Further conversation fell to the wayside as the projector kicked on and the gathered crowd fell silent. The title appeared on the screen. Lea settled on the bench and tried to let the movie sweep him along.
Thebes looked better than the last time that they visited. Nothing was on fire, the buildings had been repaired during the last several months, and Heartless weren't chasing people through the streets. The agora was alive and filled with the chattering of the latest gossip. Children ran around underfoot while parents bought the various wares. Somewhere he could swear that he could smell something backing. It was the type of peaceful and happy world that they rarely got to visit.
Sora would have loved visiting the place like that.
Donald wished that the boy was there with them, neck craning to take it all in. Dashing around while dragging him and Goofy behind him as Sora explored every corner to discover the world's secrets. As much as he might enjoy King Mickey's company, something that had been in short supply the last few years, it felt wrong to be there without Sora.
But that was why the three of them were searching world after world. They needed to find any possible clues that could lead them to their missing Keyblade wielder. Sora was not gone. Not forever. They would get him back.
"You've been to this world before, right?" asked King Mickey.
Nodding, Goofy said, "Yep. Lots of times."
"And you said something about access to the Underworld?"
"Yeah," said Donald, scowling darkly. "That's where Hades is when he's not causing trouble."
No one wanted to suggest the possibility that Sora might actually be dead. Not any of their friends wanted to say the words. But the idea lurked at the back of their minds. And they needed to eliminate the possibility. They'd come to that world in order to see if Sora had ended up in Hades's clutches after the Keyblade War.
And if so, they would beat him to a smoldering pulp until he gave Sora back.
They wouldn't give up. They'd already searched through so many worlds. Speaking to all the different people that Sora had befriended on those various worlds. Searching for even the smallest clue. Donald knew that they would keep looking for however long it might take. But he had to admit that the search felt endless. He'd almost call the search hopeless…
But none of them were ready to surrender that hope.
"Donald? Goofy?"
They spun around at the familiar voice. The crowds parted easily around him like a large stone in the middle of a river. Tall, broad shouldered, and muscular, he looked too perfect to be human. Though their last visit had revealed some rather divine parentage, which explained a few things.
"Hercules," greeted Goofy, waving at him.
"It's been a little while," he said. "Who's your new friend?"
Gesturing, Donald said, "This is King Mickey."
They'd done these introductions before. Various friends of Sora's on different scattered worlds who recognized Donald and Goofy, but had never seen the king before. He'd always traveled alone or with Riku. His presence instead of the familiar boy always drew questions. And it made Donald's chest ache when they eventually asked—
"I'm happy to meet you then, your majesty. And where is Sora?" asked Hercules. "I don't think I've ever seen the two of you without him before."
Frowning, King Mickey said, "Gosh, that's the trouble, I'm afraid. He disappeared after facing a powerful foe. We've been searching for him or a way to bring him back."
"Have you seen or heard anything about Sora since the last time that we were here?" asked Goofy.
"I'm afraid that I haven't. It's been rather quiet here lately," he said, shaking his head slowly. "I'm sorry that I can't be more help. Maybe Phil knows something. He hears things from all the candidates who travel to the coliseum to try out for the Games."
"We should go ask him next," said Goofy.
Taking a deep breathe, Donald asked, "And what about Hades?"
"If Hades had Sora in his possession or knew anything about where he might be," said Hercules, "I'm quite sure that he would be up here bragging about it."
"And time," shouted Phil.
Roxas and Xion banished their Keyblades as they turned away from their separate collections of barrels. Destroying barrels and vases seemed to be one of his preferred training methods. Phil never seemed to run out of them. He probably had someone that he specifically hired to make them for the coliseum. Though Roxas didn't know why he used them. Fighting a target was different than smashing a wooden container. But Roxas and Xion could use them as a nice warm-up. And it would let them prove to Phil that they were both in fighting shape even if neither of them went on regular missions anymore.
"Nicely done," complimented Phil. "I really need to put you two in the Games. You'd both clean up the competition."
Roxas grinned proudly. He'd always enjoyed when he visited the Olympus Coliseum. Granted, he didn't really understand what it meant when Phil talked about having high expectations back then. He'd thought he was doing something wrong and not accomplishing what he should, that Phil expected him to do better. But now he understood what he meant. He believed in Roxas. Phil was proud of him. It was nice.
Turning his attention towards the other three, Phil said, "So, now that you've seen how its done, its your turn. I'm starting each of you off easy. Break twenty barrels within thirty seconds. Then we'll move up to twenty-five barrels within a minute, but with some more challenging terrain to navigate."
Hayner stepped forward, clearly ready to go. Since they didn't have Keyblades and didn't bring their Struggle bats, the three of them received dull practice swords from Phil. Metal and certainly heavier than Struggle bats. But Hayner seemed eager to accept the challenge regardless. And Pence and Olette seemed willing to go with it.
Roxas sat down on the stand as Hayner got into position to go first. Xion walked over to give Olette a little advice. Despite both of them agreeing it was a bad idea to sneak their friends to a different world, he rather liked how it had turned out. Everyone was having fun.
Hayner dashed forward on Phil's signal, sword swinging towards the first barrel. Hitting hard as the blade buried deep into the wood. And immediately got stuck. Forcing Hayner to brace his foot against the barrel as he tried to wrestle it free. Not the best start.
"Ven?"
Roxas turned his head towards the entrance. A tall, muscular, and red-haired man in armor stared back at him, a surprised and confused smile spreading across his face.
"It's me," he continued. "Hercules? I haven't seen you in years. You haven't aged a day."
Standing back up and shoving aside the brief twinge of frustration, Roxas said, "I'm sorry. I know Ven, but I'm not him. I'm me. My name's Roxas."
"Oh, Roxas. Phil told me all about you. He said that you have the makings of a real hero. I'm so glad to finally meet you."
"Thanks," he said, ducking his head with a smile.
"Gah," yelped Hayner, falling backwards as the sword tore free. "I'm okay. Might have to restart and try again though. I might have run out of time."
Roxas shook his head slowly. Maybe not the best start, but the training sword was different and much heavier than the Struggle bat. That might take a few times to get used. He would need to adjust to those differences before he could really use it. But he knew Hayner and the others could pull it off.
"Not a bad first attempt. Not the best, but not bad. We'll give it one more try, kid," said Phil. "Then one of your friends get a turn while you work on some pushups. Maybe that'll put some muscle on your skinny arms."
"Hey, they aren't that skinny."
"Then I better see some broken barrels this time."
Three familiar figures crowded around Hercules at the entrance. King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. All with varying levels of surprise on their faces. Though Roxas did notice the way that the magician's eyes narrowed suspiciously at Hayner, Pence, and Olette swinging around their practice swords.
"Uh-oh," said Xion quietly. "World order speech…"
A few scattered claps of applause rang out as the movie came to a close. And Lea had to admit that it wasn't that bad. There were definitely worse ways to spend an afternoon.
Nudging him, Isa asked, "Was my movie choice that bad?"
"Nah, that was fun. You did good. The half-pints would have liked it too."
"Next time, we shall invite them. Today was their day with their friends. It's good for them to spend time doing normal things with children their own ages, right? Or at least their physical ages, if not their chronological ages."
"Yeah, I did say that," said Lea with a chuckle.
A cheerful chirp announced another message on his Gummiphone. He dug into his pocket.
"Another check-in from Roxas and Xion?" asked Isa.
Reading the message Lea frowned and said, "No, it's from King Mickey. Well, from his Gummiphone, but apparently Donald sent the message. He's a lot easier to understand when he isn't actually talking." He rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "Apparently the kids decided to have a field trip to the Olympic Coliseum. All of five of them. I think we need to implement a new rule. Maybe something about at least leaving a note before heading to another world?"
Isa gave him a look, raising an eyebrow and purposefully not commenting on how Lea used to sneak off to fight Heartless without telling anyone. That didn't mean the message didn't come across quite clearly. Isa was too good at silent communication and the two of them knew each other far too well.
"Shut up," muttered Lea. "I get it. But it would have still been nice to know about it ahead of time."
Smiling faintly, Isa said, "We'll discuss it with them when they make it home. They are reasonable. I'm certain that they will have no qualms about better communication regarding trips to other worlds moving forward."
It was nice having a quick visit to the Olympic Coliseum. Outside of Axel and Xion, Phil was probably the person treated Roxas the best during "Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days." He encouraged him, was proud of Roxas, and clearly cared about the kid. So yeah, I decided to have a bit of a reunion while also giving Hayner that training that I kept bringing up.