Chapter 5 - True to Your Heart
Luigi and Link stumbled out of the portal and into a city that was as lively as it was unfamiliar. They exchanged confused glances, taking in the towering columns, bustling market stalls, and the distant view of a colossal mountain, its peak hidden in clouds.
"Uh, where are we?" Luigi asked aloud, scratching his head. "This doesn't look like any kingdom I've seen."
A merchant passing by overheard and chuckled. "You're in Thebes, travelers! And that mountain you're staring at? That's Mount Olympus, home of the gods themselves."
Luigi's eyes widened. "The gods? Oh, this might be just what we need! Maybe they can help us with all these multiverse problems." He glanced at Link, who gave a nod of agreement. With no other plan, ascending to the realm of the gods seemed as good a strategy as any.
As they made their way through Thebes, the golden statue of Zeus towering above the city came into view. Following the cliff road past the statue, they started their climb toward Mount Olympus. The air grew colder and stormier as they ascended, the rocky path becoming more treacherous with each step.
"Watch your step, Luigi!" Link called, ducking as a piece of debris tumbled down the mountain. In response, Luigi skillfully dodged a falling rock, and the two continued their climb.
When they reached the top, they were greeted by a magnificent set of golden gates—the entrance to the Realm of the Gods. But their path was blocked by an enormous creature made entirely of rock, its eyes glowing red with malice. The Rock Titan loomed over them, roaring in defiance, and the mountain itself seemed to tremble.
"Looks like he's not letting us through," Luigi gulped, readying himself.
Link gripped his sword, his eyes focused on the towering foe. "There's only one option we have." With a nod, he and Luigi rushed forward to face the Titan.
Meanwhile, inside the Olympus Colosseum, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were in the middle of a tournament, dispatching waves of Heartless with ease.
"Piece of cake!" Sora cheered, swinging his Keyblade to finish off the last of the monsters in the round.
Behind the scenes, Hades watched their progress with an amused smirk, leaning back as he conversed with Cloud, who stood with his arms crossed, his gaze distant.
"Now, I know our contract didn't mention Sora, but trust me—if you want a shot at that big lug Hercules, you've gotta go through him," Hades said with a sly grin.
Cloud's eyes narrowed. "I thought this was about Hercules."
"Details, details," Hades replied, waving a dismissive hand. "Just take down Sora first, and Hercules will come running. Then you can do what you want with the guy. Sound like a plan?"
Cloud's mouth formed a thin line, but after a moment, he nodded and turned to leave. Before he could, a dark figure emerged from the shadows—Ganondorf.
Hades froze, his confident smirk replaced with a look of shock. "Who invited you here?"
Ganondorf regarded Hades with a contemptuous sneer, then waved his hand, releasing a burst of dark power that sent Hades sprawling to the ground. Cloud raised an eyebrow, glancing between Ganondorf and the unconscious god.
Ganondorf turned to him with a knowing smile. "You want power. And I can give you something even more enticing... the chance to face the one you're truly looking for." He let the implication hang in the air, knowing Cloud would understand.
Cloud's eyes glinted with renewed interest, and Ganondorf continued. "There are also two warriors on their way here. They could be... trouble for our plans." He gestured to the Colosseum. "But first, take care of Sora."
Cloud's gaze hardened, and he nodded before heading out onto the colosseum floor.
As Sora, Donald, and Goofy waited for the next round, Cloud stepped forward, his piercing gaze focused solely on Sora.
"Sora," he said in a low voice. "Fight me. Alone."
Sora blinked in surprise. "Wait, what? Cloud, are you sure—?"
"Sora, this doesn't sound like a good idea," Donald whispered, worry in his eyes. "You don't know what's gotten into him."
But Sora gave a thumbs up, smiling with his usual confidence. "Don't worry, guys. I've got this."
Reluctantly, Donald and Goofy stepped back, watching with concern as the match began.
Sora gripped his Keyblade tightly, determination in his eyes. He charged first, dashing forward with a quick flurry of strikes. Cloud stepped back, parrying the Keyblade with the flat of his sword. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed, the sound ringing out across the Colosseum.
"You're fast," Cloud muttered, deflecting another strike with ease. "But you lack focus."
Cloud swung his Buster Sword in a wide arc, forcing Sora to leap back. Not missing a beat, Cloud closed the gap, his blade cutting through the air with terrifying speed. Sora barely managed to block the incoming strike, the impact sending him sliding backward across the sandy ground.
Sora retaliated, launching himself at Cloud with a series of spinning strikes. His agility gave him an edge as he danced around Cloud, trying to find an opening. He landed a glancing hit on Cloud's arm, but Cloud barely flinched.
"Not enough," Cloud said coldly, bringing his sword down in a heavy, two-handed slash. Sora rolled to the side just in time, the blade carving into the ground where he had been moments before.
Before Sora could recover, Cloud was on him. He spun his Buster Sword in a tight motion, catching Sora off guard with the sheer speed of his attack. The flat of the blade slammed into Sora's chest, sending him tumbling backward. Sora groaned as he struggled to his feet, clutching his ribs.
"I told you," Cloud said, his voice low and unrelenting. "You're not ready."
Sora charged again, desperation fueling his movements. He aimed a high slash, but Cloud sidestepped smoothly, driving his shoulder into Sora and knocking him off balance. Cloud followed up with a powerful upward swing, the force of which sent Sora flying into the air. Sora crashed down hard, his Keyblade slipping from his grasp.
Breathing heavily, Sora reached for his weapon, but Cloud was already there. He kicked the Keyblade aside, his Buster Sword poised. "You've got heart," Cloud said, his tone almost regretful. "But that won't save you in a real fight."
Cloud stood over him, ready to deliver the finishing strike, but before he could, a massive shadow loomed over the arena. The ground shook as a giant blue Hinox stomped into view, roaring as it zeroed in on Cloud and Sora.
The Hinox lifted its foot to stomp down on the both of them. Suddenly, Hercules leaped in, catching the giant foot with his immense strength. "Sora! Goofy! Donald! Get out of here!" he shouted, straining under the weight of the Hinox.
Recovering, Sora scrambled to his feet, gathering his Keyblade. "We're not leaving you, Hercules!" he called, rushing to help, while Goofy and Donald flanked the beast.
But just as they were gaining the upper hand, dark energy surged around the Hinox, and Ganondorf appeared, his hand extended as he poured power into the creature.
Ganondorf smirked. "Let's see how you fare now, heroes." With the added strength, the Hinox went berserk, swinging wildly as it forced Sora and his friends back. They were struggling, despite their best efforts.
At that moment, Luigi and Link entered the Colosseum, eyes widening at the sight of the chaos. Sora glanced over, a look of surprise on his face. "Who... who are they?" he muttered, confused but relieved to see potential allies.
"Hey you guys, let's take this thing down together!" Sora called, gripping his Keyblade.
The Hinox charged, each step shaking the arena. Hercules rushed in first, his godly strength on full display as he slammed his fists into the Hinox's leg. The beast barely flinched, swatting Hercules aside with a massive sweep of its arm. Hercules tumbled, rolling to a stop, but quickly got back to his feet.
"That thing's strong!" Goofy exclaimed, raising his shield.
Cloud dashed forward, his Buster Sword glowing faintly in the dark energy surrounding the battlefield. With a powerful leap, he brought the massive blade down on the Hinox's shoulder.
The blow struck true, causing the giant to roar in pain, but it retaliated with a backhand swing. Cloud was knocked out of the air, landing hard but immediately springing back to his feet.
"Time to slow this thing down!" Donald shouted, casting Blizzaga. The spell struck the Hinox's feet, freezing them momentarily.
Taking advantage of the opening, Link dashed in, his Ancient Short Sword glowing blue as he struck the Hinox's knee. Sparks flew as the blade connected, making the beast roar and stumble slightly.
Luigi, trembling but determined, hurled a fireball at the Hinox's eye. The bright flame hit its mark, briefly stunning the beast.
"Nice shot, buddy!" Sora said, rushing past Luigi. With a swift jump, he aimed for the stunned Hinox's face, delivering a spinning strike with his Keyblade. The attack knocked the Hinox back a step, but the dark energy around it surged, shaking off its momentary daze.
The Hinox slammed its fist into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked everyone off balance. It then lunged forward, grabbing Goofy and hurling him into the air. Hercules leaped to catch his friend, managing to save him from a hard landing.
"Keep it distracted!" Cloud barked, readying another powerful strike.
The Hinox roared again, its dark energy intensifying. It began hurling massive boulders torn from the Colosseum walls. Donald cast Reflect to protect himself, while Luigi narrowly dodged a chunk of debris, yelping as it crashed beside him.
Link sprinted to higher ground, nocking an arrow onto his Ancient Bow. "Sora! Cloud! Let's finish this together!" He called, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Cloud nodded, his sword glowing brighter as he charged in once more. Sora leaped into the air, readying a powerful Strike Raid. The two coordinated their attacks as Link loosed his arrow.
The glowing projectile soared through the air, striking the Hinox's cursed eye at the same moment Cloud's sword and Sora's Keyblade hit its chest.
The combined force of the three attacks created a blinding explosion of light and energy. The dark aura around the Hinox shattered, and the giant let out a final, earth-shaking roar before collapsing to the ground. Its enormous body dissolved into black smoke, leaving the Colosseum eerily silent.
Panting, Sora, Cloud, and Link stood amidst the rubble, their weapons lowered. Donald and Goofy regrouped, with Hercules helping Luigi to his feet.
Sora grinned, holding out his hand for a high-five. "Thanks! That thing was tougher than any Heartless I've ever seen."
"Heartless?" Link repeated, looking confused. "That was a Hinox! Where I'm from, they're regular old monsters."
Sora looked at him, still trying to make sense of it. "Hinox… Heartless… Guess it doesn't matter what it's called. Thanks again for the help! I'm Sora. And these are my friends, Donald and Goofy."
Before Luigi or Link could respond, they noticed a familiar figure sitting on the colosseum steps: Cloud. Sora walked over, looking concerned. "Hey, Cloud… Are you all right?"
Cloud scoffed, turning away slightly. "I didn't ask for your help."
Sora shook his head, undeterred. "Why did you side with Hades? He's bad news."
Cloud hesitated, his gaze distant. "I'm looking for someone." His voice was low, barely audible. "Hades promised he could help me find them. But it looks like darkness always backfires in the end..."
Sora nodded, understanding. "I know what it's like to search for the light, even when things seem dark. I'll help you, Cloud, if you'll let me."
Luigi and Link walked up to join them. "If we're all looking for answers, maybe we should work together," Luigi suggested.
Cloud's eyes fell on Link, his expression softening slightly. "You... you were at the Smash Tournament."
Link nodded. "We need your help. There's a bigger threat here than we realized. If you join us, we might be able to help you too."
Sora's face lit up. "Of course! We'll help however we can." He looked to Donald and Goofy, who both gave eager nods. "The more, the merrier!"
Cloud still looked skeptical, his eyes distant as he thought about his search. But Luigi spoke up, sensing his hesitation. "You know... the multiverse has been all jumbled up. Maybe this is your best chance to find who you're looking for."
Cloud's expression shifted, and finally, he nodded. "Fine. I'll help. For now."
With new allies by their side, the group set out, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them on their journey.