Chapter LXXI: The trials of the Coliseum part VII

Watching the battle from the sidelines Phil was in shock! As were the rest of the audience sitting in their seats, for nothing of this calibre had ever occurred in all of the history of the coliseum.

Looking at what was happening Phil immediately thought of halting the match instantly for he was sure that the elements being used here was against the rules, "Now whoa! Whoa! This has gotta end right here and now!"

Hearing him Cait sith agreed absolutely as he too spoke out, "yeah! Ya've said it goat boy! This is so against-"

However he was interrupted as a cold collected voice spoke, "let it continue."

Turning the both of them felt that familiar ominous shade loom over them and then they saw the scarlet clad Vincent who had arrived and was now gazing on at the battle with serious eyes.

Phil though hearing this was far from agreement on this as he then started to answer back, "What do ya mean let it go on! Havin water like that in a match is-"

However Vincent interrupted once more, "I would have to remind you, you were the one who trained them and others to be ready for surprises… it would be interesting to see if they can over come this…"

"And what would ya know ya daft! Havin water like that ain't-"

Phil silent looking up did remember saying this… but as he looked on as the others continued to struggle on he decided if it did go too far he was going to step in instantly.

With that the trainer and mysterious hero gazed on at the battle ignoring Cait sith as he continued to complain onwards...

Outside though unbeknownst to the audience or anyone else still battling on the arena floor, a ghost emerged in a wisp as it sat down upon the coliseum stairs.

Looking around itself for many quiet moments it looked up to the sky as it saw the warm golden light shining down… then looking to the other door across it then halted it's gaze.

It felt something as it jolted and then with a shiver… it felt it, that same familiar ominous energy of the lord of the dead, as it called him…

Then with a shudder he closed his eyes as his misty form quickly faded away and what was left was a pale blue glowing orb the very source of what he was.

Suddenly the door shuddered open and all at once the standing glowing orb raced inside in the blink of an eye, then suddenly all at once around the gates and the floor more orbs emerged and at once they all raced in too.

It was like a ground of pale blue comets as they all zoomed speeding onwards into the dark door and into the even darker pit that was the underworld…

Gazing up at the horrible wave as it towered over the lot of them, Riku Mickey and especially Nozomi looked on with wide eyes as they heard the waters rushing and gushing roar.

Nozomi couldn't believe it! They were both nobodies and what was worst now was that she and the others had to face this!

However above and upon the wave Ori looked on grinning savagely with his sharp teeth as then he took aim with his bow, and then on signal his archer dusks did the same, Saria in the meanwhile in the midst still of her song standing upon the gaiser then sung once again as she played her violin, "ready, ready on the brink as we all come and thou shall sink!"

It was then everyone down below knew what was coming as they all braced themselves for what was coming next looking on with gritted teeth.

Ori on the other hand only grinned more as then the yellow energy of his arrow came through and at once all the other archers too called on their arrows and with that with menace in his voice he commanded, "go!"

With that the wave came crashing towards the three keybladers, seeing it coming towards them all Cait sith shouted out from the stands panicked like mad, "lads!!!"

Turning as she heard this cry Nozomi looked at Cait sith for a moment but then as she did suddenly she heard the king call out, "watch out!"

Then all at once turning back forwards Nozomi then saw the water right on them as it came thundering down as she cried out, "oh n-"

With that the water smashed into the lot of them hard and furious the current sending them all reeling far and scattered apart.

Cait sith watching on gazed horrified along with Phil while all the other members of the audience did as well while Vincent remained indifferent.

Nozomi panicked as she had only got a small breath inside and she had no idea what to do as she flurried around panicked out of her head, as she couldn't swim and she had no idea how long she'd last at this depth.

Trying harder and harder to reach where she thought the surface was it proved fruitless, as she seemed to be going nowhere!

She felt like she was choking as her mouth was begging to open to gain air however she couldn't as she pursed her lips shut her hands over her mouth, she was terrified.

Looking around in the darkness of the water as she felt the horrible iciness as she felt like there was no hope left at all…

But then suddenly out of nowhere someone was coming in front of her swimming fast and furiously towards her, looking in the darkness of the depths she spied his ever familiar shade of silver shining hair as he gazed down at her furious with concentration.

Nozomi's eyes widened as she saw him, Riku coming for her, she didn't know what to do at all as she felt her energy fast depleting as it was painful as she closed her eyes, but then suddenly as she did this she felt Riku grab onto her as he pulled her head close to his chest while his other hand wrapped around her back as he held her tightly.

Feeling his firmness Nozomi had no idea what he was doing as she had her eyes closed still firmly as ever, but yet at his touch despite the horrible situation she felt comforted inside strangely.

Riku holding Nozomi close to him pushed himself hard as he swam forwards into the dark waters going as fast as he could for he remembered before that she couldn't swim, and beyond everything else he couldn't let her die, not now and not there!

Then all at once things changed as he broke out of the waters of the wave as he hurdled in the air still holding Nozomi close to him, then quickly and painfully he landed on the floor of the soaking arena floor.

Breathing fast and quickly giving his lungs a full supply of oxygen his eyes closed as Nozomi too did the same finally releasing her hands from her mouth feeling cold and wet.

Riku finally feeling better then spoke though still a little breathless, "are... you okay?... Nozomi?"

Recovering as best she could to reply Nozomi spoke, "uh… yeah, I… yeah I am… but…"

"But what?" Riku asked his eyes still shut.

"You're… holding me too tight," Nozomi replied as she was now recovered though was uncomfortable as Riku held her head too close to his chest as he hadn't let her go at all.

At this Riku's eyes then opened instantly as he finally realised what he was doing as he felt her wet hair in his fingertips and her drenched back in his other.

Releasing them gently he then lay on her ground as he then moved his arms and started to get off her, as he did he saw her look up at him with a confused and dazed face with her eyes almost drowsy.

Looking at her he didn't know what to do or how to act as he felt frozen in place for some reason that he couldn't name, Nozomi herself finally released blinked a couple of times as she got her senses back together and then finally noticed Riku looking down at her strangely.

She then stared up at him startled herself as she wondered what on earth was going on and then for some odd reason she felt that strange feeling in her heart once again as it began to beat like mad making her cheeks go red with embarrassment.

But then suddenly before this odd situation could go on any further there was a familiar call, "Riku! Nozomi! Are ya both all right!?"

At this call it was then Nozomi and Riku quickly snapped out of their moment as they saw the king lying on the ground a short distance away just as soaked as they were as he lay on the ground coughing slightly.

Seeing this the two of them moved automatically, "your majesty!"" King Mickey!" With that they slipped and slid together until they got up and then finally managed to make it over to him.

"King Mickey are you okay?" Nozomi asked him anxiously as she helped to pull him up along with Riku who also looked at him with concern.

Hearing her ask the king looked at her with an awkward smile as he replied trying to make a joke out the situation, "well it's been a long while since I've been swimming."

Hearing this Riku and her though knew it was totally a weak joke but they couldn't help but show small smiles glad that they'd all made it through the brunt of the attack.

However suddenly interrupting this nice little moment between everyone came a familiar mocking tone, "oh ain't that all sweet and all?"

At this all three of them looked up and then saw now upon a smaller wave though still just as dangerous as ever was Ori along with his dusks and Saria still standing upon her gaiser as she continued to play though quietly on her violin as she murmured a silent song.

Looking up everyone had a mixture of negative expressions but Riku looked on with a horrible rage as he then spoke out agitated, "you tried to kill us!"

At this though Ori only smirked not seeing this snow top was taking things so seriously as he replied, "nah, just a crash course I said, sides if we wanted to kill ya… we wouldn't do it in somewhere so public…"

At this it was Mickey's turn to reply, "what do ya mean by that!"

Listening to him as she gazed up at Ori Nozomi realised now that she truly really didn't like him… but then as she gazed up at Saria she could see that her face was tormented even though her eyes were closed, this made Nozomi look up at her in concern.

However Ori continued, "nothin that concerns you guys but if you were to hit the right buttons…" with that he then clicked his fingers and with that Saria began to play her violin louder once again as she sung her song, "come and flee, come and flee water dance and be free!"

And with that the water upon the ground all around emerged four water twisters spinning on the surface of the arena as they twisted around the edges in a continuous circle.

Everybody looked at this with concerned eyes as they saw the water trickery was beginning all over again, though fortunately at least now they didn't have to deal with a big tidal wave.

Ori seeing their reactions only smiled more as he then pointed his finger out and he made Saria's and his dusks get to work.

With that the creatures instantly went as they jumped off the wave in seconds and splashed onto the water surface of the arena as they started to surf their way towards everyone.

Quickly on their feet everybody once again called out their keyblades in flashes of light as they prepared for their attacks, at this the king called out, "get ready everyone!"

At this both Nozomi and Riku nodded together and as they did so the dusks were almost upon them, but then suddenly only some feet away they dove into the water making huge splashes.

At this everybody was shocked as they saw this occur and then Nozomi protested, "huh where did they go! The water's not deep enough for them to dive in!"

Riku just as confused looked around him fast as the others did too, then suddenly looking behind he saw dark silhouettes in the surface as he quickly realised what was happening, "split!" He cried.

With that both Nozomi and Mickey looked behind themselves and saw the dusks suddenly jump out of the water as they started to shoot a barrage of their arrows at the lot of them standing upon the mermaid surfboards.

Seeing this everyone quickly moved back as they started to strike back and dodge the sizzling missiles as they suddenly dove back under the water fast.

Looking at this shocked nobody knew what to do at all, at this the king then cried out, "just what're these things up to! What are they-" but then suddenly once again there was no time to talk as the creatures began their surprise and attack pattern once again.

Ori watching this standing upon the dusk board still smiled as he watched the keybladers struggle against his creatures and Saria's, he then looked up to her to see how she was doing. Her eyes were still closed as she concentrated still upon her song and attack but as he looked he then noticed the expression on her face, as she looked deeply sad as she continued on.

Looking he knew that she was still upset that he and her had to be doing this to a friend that she had only just recently made and perhaps had even lost now which made him shake his own head sadly as he said to himself, "as I've said you're too soft for your own good…"

Meanwhile back on the battlefield Nozomi and everyone were still struggling on with the battle as they did their best to avoid the relentless barrage of arrows that came from the creatures as they kept diving and attacking before anyone had the chance to land any blows on them.

Running still feeling freezing cold and miserable Nozomi spoke up aggravated, "this is endless! We've gotta do something to whoa!" She cried as she quickly jumped out if the way of another barrage, but unfortunately she also had to look out for the water twisters that were still spinning around on the arena floor.

King Mickey also in the same mood spoke out too, "I know! This ain't gonna get us anywhere at this rate!"

Riku meanwhile ran around too as he tried to find some kind of weakness to the creatures as he tried to pinpoint where they would come out, standing over a position he'd chosen he then spoke out, "we just have to find a way to stop them from disappearing into the water! If we can do that then-" however suddenly another creature emerged and it was then he tried his best to attack as he jumped into the air chasing after it.

Hearing him across the field Nozomi dodged once again as she struck a few arrows back with her keyblade that sizzled into the water, then running she spoke out, "what can we do to hold them still long enough! I mean we haven't-"

But suddenly a thought struck her as she remembered Phil's face in her head saying, 'rule number ninety five kid concentrate!' Remembering this she realised running around like this rushing wasn't giving her or the others proper time to think… so though cold and wet she quickly came to a standstill as she then began to try and do just that as she calmed her raced breath and heart. 'Concentrate,' she thought quietly to herself.

Running around still the king once again dodge rolled out of the way of one of the water twisters as he looked around for any signs of the dusks, then suddenly he saw Nozomi on her own as she stood still on the battlefield her eyes closed.

Looking at her oddly as she did this Mickey then suddenly saw with a jerk one of the dusk nobodies was heading in her direction! Quickly he went to intervene as he cried out, "Nozomi look out behind ya!"

At this she opened her eyes with a jolt as she saw the creature coming fast and ready at her, seeing it she quickly pulled her keyblade out and as she did the creature fired.

Nozomi then proceeded to smash away as many of the arrows as she could jumping from the attack back and forth, but then suddenly without warning a few of them struck her sending her flying backwards.

She cried out in pain as the creature once again did it's vanishing act as it disappeared into the water with a loud splash, quickly Mickey ran to her and then quickly caught her as she landed against him.

Looking down at her worried he asked, "Nozomi are ya all right?"

Cringing slightly in pain she looked up at him as she smiled as best she could, "I could be better…"

At this the king was relieved to hear this but then suddenly before he could say another word Nozomi quickly spoke to him, "listen! I've got a plan that might work… but I need you for it kay?"

Hearing this the king was surprised to hear that for usually it was others who cooked up something but then remembering how she dealt with Nessus he quickly said, "all right then what is it?"

With that Nozomi smiled and then whispered quietly into one of his big black mousey ears her thought up plan.

Out on the arena audience seats Meg and Hercules watched the battle with concerned eyes as they saw seemingly that Nozomi had got badly hurt as king Mickey held her close.

Meg looking at her whispered to herself, "c'mon kid! You've gotta get up and do something!"

Hercules watching just equally feeling the same though sensed something in the air… something that didn't feel right, but why though?

However as he asked this question he suddenly saw that Nozomi had now been pulled up and was now running along with Mickey, seeing this he then asked, "what're those two doing?"

Riku turning as he landed on the wet floor having only been able to put one shot through against the dusk asked the same question in his mind as he saw the king and her running together.

Staring at them for a moment he then suddenly heard the king call out to him, "Riku!"

At this he quickly ran forwards himself towards them to see what was going on, as he did the dusks once again tried their underwater assault which he quickly dodged as he ran hearing him them splash once again into the water.

Finally in a good enough hearing distance he ran a short distance beside them as he then quickly shouted out, "your majesty! What is it you've-"

However once again the king interrupted him as he spoke out, "listen! Nozomi's cooked up somethin' and it's a pretty good one! We haven't got time to tell ya the details! But when we get goin ya gotta jump high and fast! Okay!"

His curiosity though still biting away at him Riku had to force his questions back and instead only nodded quick as he replied pulling away from Nozomi and him as he felt the dusks coming once again, "all right! But you both better know what you're doing!"

With that the king nodded and then Riku slipped away as the dusks came flying once more, looking at Nozomi as she had her eyes closed asked her, "Nozomi are ya ready?"

Hearing him she nodded as she replied opening them, "Whenever you are your majesty!" Which the king smiled at in return.

Ori beginning to get bored of this little game of cat and mouse had now sat cross legged upon his dusk surfboard as he yawned saying, "man these guys are totally useless…"

Then opening a bored tired eye he then suddenly saw the mouse pip squeak and soot girl together, wondering what it was that was going on asked, "what the heck are those two-"

Suddenly then without warning the two of them brought out their keyblades together and as they did so around them both emerged a glittering shining female green spirit of some kind as she smiled and entwined around the two of them as they both began to glow.

Ori now getting back on his surfboard then asked, "what the heck-"

Suddenly then as he spoke it was then Saria opened her eyes finally as she heard an odd tone in Ori's voice and then looking she saw the spirit too and it's magical energy as it caused her to nearly stop playing her music.

Then all at once Mickey and her leaped into the air together in perfect synchronisation as they lifted their blades together with a magic spell growing brighter and stronger at their ends, Riku upon the ground saw this as well with widened eyes.

Mickey then shouted out to him, "now Riku!"

At this he then knew it was time as he quickly nodded and then jumped high into the air as Nozomi and Mickey performed their technique.

Nozomi feeling her power level up then shouted out loudly along with the king, "Double Cast Blizzara!"

With that suddenly the two of them drove their keyblades into the arena floor and as they did suddenly the water all around froze in a matter of moments as it glistened white.

It spread faster than the eye could see and in a matter of moments stopped Saria's violin playing and halted her singing as she looked on in utter disbelief, "what is this?!" She cried out alarmed.

Riku then in the air seeing what the two of them did looked on with the same expression as he became speechless, but then looking further he saw now the dusks too had been frozen in the water mere moments before they'd broken the surface!

Seeing this suddenly he heard Nozomi called out, "Riku get them now!"

Hearing her as he turned his head to see her concentrated gaze he then replied quickly himself, "right!"

With that moving in fast and furiously he used the 'Way To Dawn' quickly as he slashed through the lot of them in moments as they faded into nothing, then quickly he proceeded onto the last of his targets.

Ori getting up and off his now frozen ride looked completely annoyed as he complained feeling cold, "darn it all! How the heck could they have-"

Suddenly then he was caught off guard as there coming running fast and furiously was Riku right from behind him. His eyes widening Ori quickly called on his bow as he tried to shoot some arrows out.

However Riku moved in faster then he could shoot as he smashed his keyblade into his bow making it fly away as he then drove Ori into the icy ground hard as he grasped his neckline.

Saria in the distance now standing on the ground looked across at what was happening with worried eyes as she cried out, "Ori!!"

Riku over him had his keyblade over him as he then spoke to him angered gripping him tightly down, "your dusks are history! And your water's frozen! It's over for you!"

At this though Ori said something that Riku didn't expect at all, "oh ya think so do yah?"

Confused Riku asked, "what?"

Then looking up at him Ori's face was blank and serious for a moment but then suddenly it turned into a menacing and crazed grin shocking Riku in moments. Then suddenly making Riku gasp Ori had called on his free left arm and hand as he smashed it into his chest making him weightless as he got up spun and then threw him away like a rag doll.

Riku shouted out, "Aggghhhhh!"

Nozomi and Mickey watching this as it occurred looked on with shocked eyes as Riku smashed into one of the pillars making a huge dented hole. Seeing this the two of them shouted out alarmed, "Riku!"

Then all at once the two of them turned back as Ori suddenly rushed and leaped into the ground making the two of them back away as white dust was sent flying everywhere.

Looking at him the two saw he had now a crazed manic face as he laughed like a lunatic as he shouted, "WOW! You sure flew didn't ya!" As he then smiled insanely laughing loudly.

Saria walking up then looked on horribly worried as she then spoke, "oh no! I don't like it when he becomes like this!"

However Ori now shouted at her harshly, "Shut ya trap Saria!" Making her silent in moments then looking at the two still conscious keybladers he then spoke smiling sinisterly, "now why don't ya play me my favourite tune…"

Nozomi and Mickey silent didn't know what the heck had gotten into Ori at all as they watched the two interact but then suddenly Saria looked on really worried as she spoke, "what?... That one? But Ori that one is-"

She was interrupted again as he said harshly, "just play!"

Saria then flinched again at this tone as she looked worried, but then looking at Nozomi who looked at her with a puzzled expression became sorrowful… but remembering her orders she then reluctantly once again put her violin into place as she began to play away.

Nozomi wondering what was wrong with the tune that was about to be played was more concerned for Riku and his well being but before she could move suddenly Saria began to sing the music which had now become dark and sinister as a horrible atmosphere filled the air, "come and play along and come and play along, in the darkness with me now in the black howling."

As the music began to play Ori then began to glow darkly as his face became shadowed and menacing with his eyes glowing luminous yellow as he then said sending shivers up everyone's back as he drew his bow once more smiling, "I'm gonna enjoy smashin' the air right out of your lungs…"