Chapter 16: Through the Underworld
Although Sora and the others had gotten away, it didn't mean that Pete and Hades were done with their scheming. Or rather, Pete, who was still up at Hades's chamber. He was resting on top of the table, feeling rather confident. With a wave of his hand, he said, "I got Heartless all over the Underworld now. So, you can leave those pipsqueaks to me. Look, pal, you just keep working on turning Hercules into a Heartless. Then he'll be all mine."
This occurred while Hades was walking back in from his chase. And quite frankly, Pete's brazen show of confidence didn't bode well with Hades. First, those brats, a soul he summoned, and a missing one slipped from his grasp. Now, here Pete was, bossing HIM around? Not in his domain.
He went from his typical cool blue to a blazing red in an instant as he turned around, his hair and shoulders igniting in an angry blaze. "This is my underworld, you idiot!" The god screeched, causing Pete to jump back in alarm. "I'll handle this MYSELF!"
With some quick thinking, Hades cooled down and hatched another plot yet again. Looking to his window, he snapped his fingers. His loyal guard-dog appeared in an instant, beckoned by his master's command.
"Cerberus, go!" The god commanded. Cerberus obeyed, heading in the direction of those who had gotten away.
Cerberus had been an obstacle before. Perhaps the dog would prove to be one again for the heroes.
XxXxX
Although the air was still tense between Maria and Penelope following their heated argument, the now-group of 6 made their way back through the Cave of the Dead. Unfortunately, as they expected, there were still tons of Heartless running amok. Auron and Maria, despite their individual conditions, were more than capable of taking out Heartless.
Still, as this long hell of a day continued, they came to a larger cavern. Sora, Donald, and Goofy tried to push open a large door. Penelope and Maria observed it was locked, as did Donald quickly after. Auron looked to Sora's Keyblade, asking if he could unlock the door.
He did, though something BIG came after them. Auron managed to block it as Donald and Goofy got behind the door. Penelope and Maria hadn't had the chance to go through yet, only for Penelope to pause and summon Leviathan.
Cerberus was back, and the dog was just as angry as ever. Hades must have sent the Underworld's guard dog after them for another round. No one should have been surprised. Just as the wall was about to be put up, Sora came in to aid Auron.
Penelope and Maria were roped into the fight by association. Maria raised a brow, standing up straight and getting into her stance. "Oh! Well. I've tangoed with Cerberus a few times before. Perhaps we could do a square dance with the boys."
That joke did not fly over well.
The group split up. Auron and Sora took to one side, while Maria and Penelope took to the other. There were boulders falling from the ceiling that they had to look out for, besides the fact Cerberus was biting at them. And shooting fire cannons like his master Hades.
"Alright kiddo. How about we begin another lesson?" Maria asked.
Penelope frowned at her as they darted away from falling boulders. Auron and Sora had activated their limit attack to do some damage to Cerberus, though the larger space seemed to pose its own issues with navigating and catching up to Cerberus.
Maria took this into account, mainly seeing the boulder problem. Penelope furrowed her brow. "Really? Is now the time for a lesson when we were just in a screaming match up the hall?" She complained, seeming hesitant about the whole idea.
"Well, think of it as seeing, application. Let's try a group attack. Now! The boulders. Break them before they break us!" Maria began, running towards one of them. With a high jump and an additional strike from an aerial attack, she hit the boulder with a valiant blow and shattered the rock into much more harmless pebbles.
Penelope followed alongside Maria, working on breaking the boulders side by side. She noticed that they had an unsteady rhythm, but she was seeing what Maria was getting at. Penelope also went ahead and dropped a Cura spell onto Auron and Sora to help them with the damage they were getting.
Their efforts didn't stop all the boulders, but it did help. Penelope and Maria caught up to the boys from there as they were dodging fire attacks.
"Sora? Auron? Lend us a hand. Let's send this pup back to its master with its tail between its legs!" She exclaimed.
Sora nodded, looking to Penelope. He followed her lead to get a visual cue of how the group attack was supposed to work. Granted, Penelope was the one who was trying her best to follow.
Maria and Penelope dove in first, landing a few powerful aerial slashes. Sora and Auron followed, landing blows on their own. Then, the four of them landed a blow altogether. The three-headed guard dog growled and yelped, taken off guard by the attack.
Although they managed to fend Cerberus off rather… quickly, it felt strange. Cerberus felt significantly easier than the encounter they had a year ago. Was it because they had more manpower, because they had gotten stronger, or because Cerberus was there to scare them? Maybe the guard dog was worn out himself, or perhaps he was holding back? Megara did say earlier that Hercules was fighting a whole bunch of enemies in the Coliseum as of late. It wouldn't be surprising if Cerberus was a recent foe.
However, Donald and Goofy had finally opened up the door. Donald called for them to skedaddle, and Sora, Maria, and Penelope got out. Auron, however, seemed to vanish after the doors were closed. Cerberus still had some fight in him as he ran towards the door, even while Sora, Donald, and Goofy decided to goof around and made fun of him.
It was meaningless, however. The door was closed, and Cerberus wasn't powerful enough to take it out.
XxXxX
(Olympus Coliseum- Foyer)
Hercules was resting in the foyer by a large torch up in the Coliseum. The normally bright and energized hero looked winded and exhausted, yet he couldn't seem to push himself to take a break. Megara was standing by him as he was sitting down to take a breather. She was trying her best to encourage him to be mindful of his limits.
"Come on, Wonderboy, play hooky for a day. For old times' sake?" The woman coolly suggested. Although she was trying her best to keep up her usual demeanor, it was hard for her to hide the worry in her eyes.
"They came to see me. They came to see a hero," Hercules replied without much thought. Still, his voice was weary, but his convictions were clear. "I can't let them down."
Meg sighed, looking at the floor. There was no way to get through his bullheadedness in this regard, was there? Noticing this, Hercules stood up, trying to get back to his usual, peppy self, even though they both knew he was close to breaking his physical limits.
"Don't worry, Meg. I'll be fine. What does a hero need rest for, huh?" He asked, flexing his muscles for emphasis. He turned around to walk out of the foyer and back into the coliseum to a cheering and screaming crowd, saying goodbye to Meg on his way out.
Meg sighed again. "Sora, don't let me down." She hoped to herself.
Little did she know, at least for now, that Sora and the others weren't exactly successful with getting through to Hades.
XxXxX
While the group was taking a breather at the door, Donald and Goofy were quick to observe that they were short one number. "What happened to Auron?" Goofy asked, realizing he wasn't around.
Sora wasn't too worried. Auron seemed more than capable of taking care of himself, and they had other priorities to worry about. "He can take care of himself. Let's go find Meg. Then we can try this again." He suggested.
Penelope had a moment to clear her head once they took a breather. She was still frustrated with Maria, but something felt off about that encounter and she couldn't exactly place why. "Is it me or did Cerberus just… feel way too easy? I know that there was the four of us, but something didn't feel right about that battle this time." She pointed out.
Sora stretched, putting his hands behind his head. "We've gotten a lot stronger than the last time we faced Cerberus. I know we had more power than usual, but I don't think it's something to worry about right now." He replied.
Penelope put her fist under her chin, pondering and shaking her head. "Sure, but… I don't know. Was that a test, or was Cerberus worn out? I know Hercules and I had a hard time with him last year, even when you guys came into the fray and got involved."
"Well, we have had to push against more enemies than usual," Goofy replied calmly. "Maybe you were more prepared because of that!"
It was hard for Penelope to not overthink it. She was startled when Sora suddenly patted a hand on her shoulder, with a reassuring smile on his face. "Let's not overthink it, okay? We should get back to Meg before something else happens."
Penelope opened her mouth for a second to say something, but changed her mind and closed it. Sora was right. Nobody needed to tell her twice about moving forward. Maria didn't need to say anything to chime in either.
Fortunately, they were back by the entrance to the Underworld. It was a long trek, but they were able to go up the heavenly stairs that led out of the godforsaken place. Unlike Auron, Maria was free to come along too. She wasn't going to let herself stay chained down by Hades, even if she was supposed to be in the Underworld to begin with.
XxXxX
(Underworld- Hades's Chamber)
So. That quick plan with Cerberus backfired quite spectacularly. Hades, who was sitting in his throne, was rather miffed by the outcome. Pete was in a similar boat as he was scrunched over the chamber, his arms close to his face. A scowl was on the cat's lips as he stared over, finishing explaining something.
Pain and Panic were watching anxiously. These discussions seemed worse and worse the longer the situation went.
"So, both of those brats' Keyblades work on any lock?" Hades asked, replying to what Pete told him. It was how they managed to escape from Cerberus, after all.
With a nod and his hands on his hips, Pete said, "That's right."
And so, Hades was back to his scheming. A smirk appeared on his lips as he recalled another trick up his sleeve that he had as trump card against Hercules. "Have I ever told you about the killer coliseum we have right here in the Underworld? It makes the one upstairs look like an Olympic kiddie pool."
Pete slammed his fist on the table at an idea, liking the sound of this next scheme. "Then that's the place we're gonna put an end to Herc the Jerk's winning streak!"
"Problem. Zeus locked it tight."
Pete groaned at this, thinking they had been foiled. But at this, the Lord of the Dead chuckled. He knew it was probably going to take a second.
And he was right. The cogs slowly turned in Pete's brain. Though he realized what Hades was getting at.
"Bingo. All we gotta do is swipe one of those keys… and then reopen the Underdrome!" Hades exclaimed, now that the big cat was filling in the picture.
If only it were that simple.
"Hate to tell ya, but that key is kinda particular. It won't work for just anybody. And those kids ain't no pushover."
Hades scoffed at this. Once again, he had another card in hand. "I think this calls for a woman's touch." With a snap of smoke, a figure of Megara appeared in his hand.
And so, the scheming seemed to dig a level deeper…
XxXxX
Megara was sitting quietly in the foyer of the Olympus Coliseum, worrying about Herc and waiting for Sora and his pals. She felt a chill in the air and twinge at her heart. Startled, she looked around, but pulled her arms close to her body in an attempt to maintain her cool. It felt like a ghost from the past was trying to pull at her again. That uneased her. Herc didn't need to go through that pain again. But she couldn't help but feel on guard.
It was like something or someone was trying to come for her again.
XxXxx
(Olympus Coliseum- Entrance)
The group finally made it to their proper destination. Sora, Donald, and Goofy stared at the entrance of the coliseum and the giant, golden warrior statues amidst nostalgia. Penelope was relieved to be out of the unsettling darkness and constant barrage of enemies from the Underworld.
While Goofy was reminiscing, the chains released from Maria's legs, and she appeared to go back to a more solid form again. "Ah. Sweet, sweet freedom. Sorry for not telling you the truth sooner, kiddo." She quickly apologized.
Penelope looked back at her with a pout, raising a brow. "Yeah? Well, I need full context later. It wasn't cool of you to not mention the walking dead person thing until you were stuck with us. How did you even manage to get out from Hades?"
A sheepish grin appeared on the woman's face, uncertain of how to approach it. "Hah! Well, that's quite a long story. I'm going to head back to Zia now and figure out a safer way to reappear. You keep up your training!"
"I'll try." she said sharply, as Maria poofed away. Sora motioned for her to come on as they headed to the doors.
In fact, right as they were coming up, they saw Hercules opening the large doors. At first, he seemed weary and exhausted. But he perked right up when he saw his old pals. "Sora! Donald! Goofy! When did you get here?" He asked with a big grin. He didn't immediately see Penelope at first as he walked over, while the boys made their hellos. She… was very used to this.
"You on another adventure?" Hercules asked with a smile. Megara quietly poked out from behind the doors, waiting for some news.
"Yeah, trackin' down some friends, wipin' out some Heartless." Sora nodded, along with Donald and Goofy.
"Junior heroes, always busy!" Herc exclaimed. From there, Sora and Hercules shared a handshake, and the group headed up to the foyer to catch up some more.
Sora talked about their progress on their adventure so far, almost slipping about the fact Megara asked them to help Herc, so he reworded it. He also mentioned their encounter with Hades and how that didn't go great. Especially with how the Underworld drained their strength. So, Sora asked for suggestions. Penelope, who hadn't said much of a word, was examining Hercules's body language and demeanor as well as Meg.
A thought came to Hercules's mind about how to approach the Underworld's "heroes are zeroes" condition. "Well, there is a stone that guards against the Underworld's curse. The gods on Mount Olympus use it whenever they have to go down there." He replied.
Sora seemed relieved at this. "Think we could use it?" He requested.
Hercules didn't seem to have any reservations. "Sure, why not? I'll go get it for you."
Donald and Goofy, with a smile, said their thanks in appreciation. Hercules wasn't Phil, so it didn't feel like there would be a catch. Though… Herc still seemed troubled by something, even with the idea of them having this stone.
"Hades is no pushover, even if you've got the Olympus Stone. And I have a match today, so I can't go with you…" He began to explain, finally noticing Penelope around this time. "And I know your friend in the back there has kept up with her training, but she wouldn't be ready for someone like Hades. Maybe you guys should train some more? Why don't you go talk to Phil?"
Yep, that seemed about what Penelope predicted. And she knew Hercules wasn't wrong considering the rough time they had simply running away from Hades. That Underworld Curse was not planning on letting up anytime soon.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy unfortunately seemed disappointed at the fact they didn't seem ready. But they also understood where Hercules was getting at. If they were going to surpass being junior heroes, it meant more training to face even a god!
So, they headed into the arena. Phil was wandering around, setting up some pots. But he didn't realize it was Sora, Donald, Goofy, or Penelope. In fact, the satyr was talking as if they were Hercules!
As he was adjusting and setting up the field for training, he began to ramble on, as was expected.
"Hey champ, how ya feeling? Better rest up for tomorrow's match. Nobody's gonna pay to see a worn-out hero...capiche? Remember what I told you. Victory in the games comes down to two simple words: Eat, bathe, sleep!"
Phil always seemed to miscount with words. It was most likely an intentional thing considering how often it happened. Goofy was keeping track on his fingers with the last part, counting the three instead of the two. At this, the boys seemed to laugh, catching Phil off guard. Penelope cracked a slight smile at their laughter.
"Hey, if it isn't the junior heroes! And Penelope too!"
"Lookin' good, Phil." Sora commented.
"Never better! How have you guys been? Have you earned your "true hero" wings yet? I know you haven't come in to train for a while, especially since she's been in on her own." Phil replied.
The boys pondered on it, and Phil backtracked. "Nope, you ain't got what it takes."
That rejection hit fast. Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other in surprise and shock, and Sora went to scratch his head. Penelope giggled, covering her mouth. This was Phil. She figured he'd say something like that. It was a shame though, considering just how hard they had all worked to save the worlds from the Heartless the first time.
And so, Phil asked them what was going on this time. And… well.
"Hah! You guys are gonna take on Hades?" Phil asked incredulously at the notion.
Donald narrowed his eyes. "What's so funny!?"
"You got nerve. I like that," he replied. "Hey, you never know—stranger things have happened, right? Better get cracking, boys!"
"What about Penelope?" Donald asked, motioning to her.
"Eh, she's fine. You three probably won't stand a chance." Phil replied back, much to Donald's chagrin.
Penelope shrugged. "Now, now. I'm not perfect either. No train, no gain. I should get in shape too considering I tag along. I don't think I could take Hades on my own either." She replied, wondering if Phil had some bias towards her. It was possibly because she was a girl.
The quartet proceeded to spend time training together, though it involved a lot of smacking pots and barrels. This was par for the course with what they had to do. To be honest, participating in the Coliseum ranks felt like more of a workout than the course itself.
XxXxX
Some time later…
XxXxX
After the four (particularly Sora and Penelope) put in work smashing pots for their training course, Hercules came strolling back into the Coliseum. As Hercules came in, Phil remembered that he had something else he needed to do.
"Listen, I gotta take off for a bit." The satyr said suddenly.
With an eyebrow raise, Sora naturally asked, "Where to?"
Phil, being Phil, curtly replied, "None of your beeswax." From there, he promptly left. Hercules stood, trying to process something else that had happened. He was supposed to go grab the stone they needed, but…
"Sorry, guys… The Olympus Stone has been stolen." The hero apologized, looking concerned. That threw a wrench into things.
Sora and Donald were understandably appalled, as the team needed the stone to be at their proper strength against Hades.
Goofy and Penelope, however, wondered whodunit. "By who?" The knight captain asked.
Hercules furrowed a brow. "We don't know who did it yet. All we're sure of is that it was a guy in a black-hooded coat. And he had a bunch of accomplices—creatures in white."
That didn't surprise anyone. Especially not Donald or Goofy, who looked at each other and nodded. Penelope recalled the peculiar interaction from earlier when the person with the black coat was running away.
Hercules, if anything, was more curious from the fact that seemed familiar to them. "Someone you know?" He asked.
Sora nodded, looking over to Penelope and the other two. "I think so."
Penelope brought a hand to her lip as she began to ponder and process. "So, if Xaldin has been hatching a plan to manipulate and go after Beast and wreck his and Belle's relationship… Where does that leave the other guy? I know I've seen him and Roxas come here before. I just can't remember if I ever caught his name…"
Sora watched Penelope think for a moment, before considering the situation with the theft. "Hey, if we can get the Olympus Stone back, can we borrow it for a while?" He requested.
"Sure," Hercules said quickly. Still, his mind seemed to be adrift with worry when he brought up another topic. "By the way, you haven't seen Meg around, have you?"
Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other. They hadn't seen Meg since she was with Hercules earlier. And it was before they started their training, so they shook their heads no.
Penelope wasn't sure why, but it was an iffy sign to her. She then began to feel like she was picking up a choking, oppressive feeling. It was like smoke raging along with a fire. It felt like someone else was with them, and in that instant, she became more alert.
Sora picked up on her alertness, especially with Hercules's show of disappointment. "Oh, okay…"
And very suddenly, Penelope shifted her gaze to behind Hercules, as a blue hand suddenly touched his shoulder. "What's wrong, your heroness? Feeling under the weather?"
In response, Hercules pulled and ducked away from the Lord of the Underworld's grip. He was on the defensive now, not knowing where Hades came from. And yet, the god continued to comment on the state the hero was in. "You know, I thought staying in perfect shape was part of the hero job description…you know what I'm saying?" He commented, somewhat mockingly.
It was then Sora realized this was a great time to revive the conversation from earlier in the day. Hades WAS right there. And he wasn't chasing after them aggressively. So maybe now was a slightly better time.
Penelope figured it was all for naught, but she figured she probably couldn't stop Sora now.
"Oh, right… Hades, we gotta talk!" He exclaimed. The god rolled his eyes and proceeded to knock Sora on his back with a flick on his nose.
"Hey! No need to be immature!" Penelope snarked back, going to help Sora up. Hades ignored her as well, continuing to address Hercules.
"I came to share a bit of mildly-interesting news: seems your dear, sweet little Nutmeg…" Hades began, as Hercules was coming up behind him to throw a punch. It didn't work, as the god teleported away from Hercules in a puff of smoke mid-sentence. "…went and got herself lost in the Underworld."
Hercules came to an understandable conclusion. This was Hades after all. He was not a beacon of trust. "You mean you kidnapped her!"
"Well, maybe… But why get caught up in the details?"
Penelope raised a brow, staying in a defensive position nearby Sora. "Hate to break it to you, but your little Underworld isn't as confusing as you think! I don't think Meg would get lose that easily."
Hades gave the young guardian some side-eye, about to snark back. However, Hercules whistled and a beautiful white, winged horse flied over the walls of the Coliseum and landed next to the hero in response.
The god saw exactly what Hercules was doing, especially as he brushed the neck of his horse with his hands. Sharply, he spoke, "Uh-uh-uh! You can't leave now, okay? You got a very important match today, against, um… the bloodthirsty Hydra! I mean, if you don't stick around, who know what kind of "accidents" would happen."
Hercules slowly looked back at Hades, giving him quite the glare.
"Yeah, accidents you cause." Sora replied.
"Did you have to pull that match straight out your ass, Hades? Really?" Penelope added back, shaking her head.
Hades waved his hand dismissively. "Like I said: details, who needs 'em?"
Penelope and Sora shook their heads. This was Hades, so they weren't exactly surprised by the nonsense he was pulling out of thin air. But he also had the power to back it up.
Hercules, on the other hand, along with his Pegasus, were quite angry. Fairly angry. He knew exactly why he was doing this, and it forced Hercules's hand. Bitterly, the hero growled, "You're just a coward."
Hades took this with stride. "Ah well. Can't all be heroes."
Hercules crossed his arms, trying to figure out what to do. Sora and Penelope approached. "Can you two handle this?" He asked.
"You got it! We're heroes!" Donald accepted, only for Goofy to butt in.
"Junior heroes, Donald." The duck gave Goofy some side-eye for the whisper of honesty.
"You take care of the Hydra. We'll handle the rest." Sora replied, stepping forward. Hercules put his hands on Sora's shoulders, looking down at him.
"I'm counting on you." Herc spoke seriously. From there, he ordered Pegasus to go help look for Meg.
Good ol' Hades. Ruining days and making things more difficult than they needed to be.
So now, they had two problems. Maybe they could knock it out in one go.
-o-o-o-o-
Arika (Guest) and Roxas 2024 (Guest): Penelope is still going through growing pains from her past behavior, besides grief. She's still getting used to Maria as a mentor, as Zia was around for her in Re:KH and Re:CoM. There's a lot she doesn't know about Maria yet, though Penelope is still working through learning how to manage her attitude and behavior. There is a degree of a mental health aspect there, though that struggle will be explored more as the story progresses. I'm not excusing her, as she still has a lot more self improvement to do. I wouldn't specifically blame it on mental illness or anger management issues. I'd like to hope she's not as ornery as she used to be though.
I recently got a new desktop in December. I think it's generally easier for me to stay focused on writing if I don't have to worry on battery. Granted, this also may depend on the environment I'm in. This year, I'm hoping to start going to the library too to see if the quiet space will help me be able to focus. I do need to get my library card renewed. In other news, I got my masters application submitted and I'm hoping I make it to the interview process of the program.
The holidays and work, besides this month, have been quite busy for me. I am hoping to get this story done before the end of the year. I know Kingdom Hearts 2 is longer than Kingdom Hearts 1, but I remember back in the day when I got my butt going on Re: Kingdom Hearts, I was able to eventually finish it. Let's hope I make better progress as we go forward.
I'll see you all in the next chapter!
Ciao!