Traverse Town – First District
"So, you found yourself a gummi piece, huh?" Cid said, inspecting the green gummi piece Sora and his party found in Wonderland. "Lookin' at a glance, this is no doubt a special thing."
"Think you can get it to work?" Sora asked.
"Could take a while" the engineer answered. "Need to study the thing, check for compatibility, all that techy stuff you won't really get."
"Hey!" the boy felt offended! He's not dumb!
"Well, you got me on that!" Neptune, on the other hand, has little to no shame in admitting her flaws.
"C'mon, Neptune" Sora deflated.
Cid laughed. "Alright, I'll get started on this thing, ASAP. I'll call your guild pal up once I'm done."
"You got it!" Neptune nodded as the engineer went off to work.
"We're back!"
The rest of the party came back. Donald and Compa, in particular carry bags of supplies with them.
"Welcome back" Sora greeted the party. "How'd it go?"
"We got all the supplies we need!" Compa said proudly. "We're good to go!"
"We just got back from Artisan" IF reported. "She handed me more of my old phones she modified in case we run into other Drifters"
"Findin' other Drifters, hmmm" Goofy wondered. "Was that the favor that Artisan asked from you?"
The guild agent nodded. "That's right. She only got one modified before we left last time, and it was a test run of sorts. Once we called up Broccoli, Artisan felt confident that the rest of the modified phones will work."
"You got more than one of them!?" Donald shouted.
IF snickered, turning back to show her belt filled with numerous phones of differing colors. "Behold! My innumerable companions who remained with me even as I Drifted here into the unknown!"
The boys looked in awe at the numerous devices kept nicely tucked around her belt.
"All of those..." Sora started.
"Are yours!?" Donald finished.
"That sure is a lot of 'em..." Goofy commented.
Compa, for her part, just giggled at the sight.
"Look at that!" Neptune guffawed. "Iffy's cellphone addiction is actually helping us big time!"
"Don't call it like that, Nep-Nep..." the nurse scolded the female Keyblade wielder.
"So, what about the gummi part?" the royal wizard asked the two.
"Oh, Cid said he'll examine it" the boy with the key informed them. "It'll take a while though"
"In that case, why don't we head off to another world in the meantime?" Neptune suggested. "It'll be better than waiting around all day."
"Making good use of our time, eh?" IF said, tucking herself into her coat. "Never thought a good idea came from your brain, Nep"
The girl looked proud though. "Hey, I can be smart and think of cool plans if I want to. It's just easier to just swing at things first, y'know?"
"That's an unhealthy line of thought..." Donald murmured as he shook his head.
"But, sure" the guild agent agreed. "Besides, Cid also knows my cell number, so he'll hit me up for updates."
"Yeah. That's what he said" Sora agreed.
"No more complaints?" Neptune pointed forward. "Then let's sally forth, my friends!"
Olympus Coliseum – Entrance
Upon entry, the party took a deep breath as they bore witness to the majestic arena entrance graced by the Greek Pantheon, greeted by the sounds of triumphant horns. The two giant golden statues of gladiators crossing swords gazed down upon the giant door, beheld by painted lightning from above.
"Wow!" Compa said in awe. "This looks like a place above the clouds!"
"It definitely feels like we're up in the clouds" Goofy thought aloud as he looked to the clouds forming just out of the windows.
"An arena constructed above the heavens..." Neptune suddenly started to narrate. "A battlefield where warriors across the land clash for the prestige and favor of the gods themselves! This is the truth of the Coliseum!"
Everyone around her sweatdropped.
"Well, that would be really cool" Sora said, scratching his cheek. "Why don't we go check it out then?"
"Not like there's anything else to do here..." Donald said as the party continued forward.
Olympus Coliseum – Foyer
As they enter the small lobby, they are greeted by the sight of a tiny man with small red horns and a small tail to boot, tidying up a board near the entrance to the arena.
"Um..." Sora attempted to approach the tiny man...
"Good timing" the man said without looking back. "Give me a hand, will ya?"
He pointed to the large square pedestal on the side. "Move that pedestal over there for me. I gotta spruce this place up for the gaaaaaames!"
"What's he on about?" Neptune wondered.
"Dunno, but we may as well help him out" Goofy suggested.
And so, the party tried to move the pedestal out...
"Hrkkkk..." Sora struggled.
And they tried...
"Grrrrr...Move!" Neptune complained.
And they tried...
"Hrrrrrr!" Goofy tried to push
"This thing won't budge..." Donald murmured.
And they kept trying...
"Ooooohhhh!" IF exclaimed.
"Move...please!" Compa whimpered.
But they could not even budge the pedestal!
"It's way too heavy!" Sora reported back to the tiny goat man.
"What!? Too heavy?" the goat man shouted. "Since when have you been such a little-"
But as he turned to speak to his requested, he deflated.
"Oh. Wrong guy. What're you doing here?" the tiny man demanded as he jumped down where he was standing on. "This here's the world-famous Olympus Coliseum-heroes only!"
He ends up power-walking straight up to Donald, scaring the duck back. "And I got my hands full preparing for the games. So run along, pip-squeaks."
His demands were not that well met, judging by Sora and Neptune's pouting faces.
The goatman placed his hands to his sides. "Look, it's like this."
"Heroes come from all over to fight ferocious monsters right here in the Coliseum" the tiny man began his pitch, walking around.
"You got heroes standing right in front of you!" Donald complained as he crossed his arms.
"Yup!" Goofy played along, putting each of his hands on Sora and Neptune's shoulders. "These two are real heroes chosen by the Keyblade!"
"And we're real heroes, too!" Compa chimed along.
"More like heroes in the making, but hey..." IF shrugged.
"Heroes?" said goatman pointed at the two Keyblade wielders. "Those runts!?"
He eventually started laughing out loud, as if he was told a cosmic level joke.
"What's so funny?" Sora boasted. "We've fought a bunch of monsters!"
"Yeah!" Neptune gasped in annoyance. "Besides, have you even seen our stats, goatman!? We're probably WAY stronger than you!"
But he kept on laughing. As he stopped, however, he tries to push the pedestal from before.
"Hey, if you can't even move this..."
And he tried...
"...you can't call yourself..."
And he kept trying, even as Sora and Neptune crossed their arms under the gaze of their companions...
"...a hero!"
Eventually, he got tuckered out from moving the pedestal.
"Okay, so it takes more than brawn." he relented as he got up. "Well, well, let's see what you can do."
Olympus Coliseum – Arena
"The rules are simple, kiddos." the goatman, who introduced himself as Phil, trainer of heroes, stated. "Break all the barrels I placed over there. I'll decide if you've got what it takes based on how fast and how well you runts do!"
"Hoo boy!" Neptune cheered as she rubbed her hands. "This is going to be great!"
"What's gotten you so excited?" IF wondered.
"Don't you know, Iffy?" the girl said. "Training montages are one of the key to success for heroes!"
The guild agent shrugged. "If you say so..."
And so, the training trials began...
Phil's Assessment – Sora
First off, is that kid with the giant key. He seemed to perform well enough. Got the muscle and brains to be clever in a fight and has that competitive spirit, but he's clearly not been out enough to know real danger. And if he has, then he hasn't known enough. He could benefit a lot from my coaching, though.
Phil's Assessment – Neptune
Next up is the other kid in the parka. Unlike the last kid with the key, she's all about muscle and being a big show-off. Despite that, she's actually quite tough as nails. Makes me wonder if she's actually one of the goddesses who fell from Olympus and lost her memory...Nah, that'd be impossible.
Phil's Assessment – Donald
As for the duck, well, he's got the magic know-how for sure. But you'd expect mages to be disciplined and focused. Him? He's a hot-head, plain and simple. He keeps this up, he's gonna roast himself well-done before he regains control, but hey, I don't train wizards, so what do I know?
Phil's Assessment – Goofy
The walking dog...Hoo boy, where do I begin? He's pretty much the personification of clumsy luck. He sets up a plan to knock out six barrels with one, he ends up dealing with ten, along with the crates set on the side. Honestly, I wonder how his party lasted that long with him in their party...or how much shorter they would've lasted without him on it...
Phil's Assessment – IF
Now for the girl in blue. She's pretty much what you call the reliably average package. Decent magic. Good physical prowess. Decent head on her shoulders. You name it. She's got it. Although, those weird chants for her spells can be a bit of a turn off for some people, but if you've got the taste for them, more power to you.
Phil's Assessment – Compa
Last up is the nurse lady...Okay, why does the nurse have to get out to the field!? Shouldn't they normally be staying behind the lines so they can treat the wounded then? And what type of healer goes out there fighting with a large syringe!? Is her head okay? Did she suffer brain damage as a baby? I honestly worry about her state of mind more than her fighting capabilities...
Olympus Coliseum – Foyer
Eventually, the trials ended, and the results...
"Well, you runts ain't half bad..." Phil admitted.
"See!" Neptune boasted.
"Looks like we're headed for the games!" Sora said excitedly.
"Afraid not!"
But they were turned down!
"What!?" Donald said in shock.
"W-Why not!?" Compa demanded.
"We cleared through those training trials, didn't we!?" IF similarly demanded.
"Two words!" Phil even raised two fingers for that. "You guys ain't heroes!"
"Come on!" Sora complained as Donald deflated.
"Yeah!" Neptune also complained. "That wasn't even two words!"
"He said four" Goofy counted the words.
"Five, actually" IF corrected. "Ain't means are not"
"Do we really need to point that out?" Compa said playing the straight man this time.
"Wanna become a real hero?" Phil produced something from his pocket. "Start by mastering this spell."
He then handed it to Sora, the sight of which is familiar to the party.
It was another Spell Orb!
"A lightning bolt?" the nurse noticed.
"Looks like a Thunder spell this time" the guild agent said.
"Okay, enough gawking here!" Phil shooed the party away. "Now beat it! I got games to prepare!"
Olympus Coliseum – Entrance
"Stupid Phil and his stupid games and his stupid standards and his stupid-"
"Nep, complaining isn't going to change things, y'know." IF chided the complaining girl.
"But it one of my DREAMS to become a hero!" Neptune complained to Iffy. "To save people's lives and see their happy faces! To be rewarded with copious amounts of pudding and cheers! Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
"I totally agree!" Sora cheered. "Beating up tough monsters, helping folks out and seeing them happy in thanks! That's what heroes are all about, right!?"
"Those two are completely gung-ho about this, huh?" the guild agent sighed.
"It is good to have dreams and aspirations like that!" Compa said with a smile.
"That's great and all..." Donald started. "But we can't even sign up for the games thanks to that..."
"Stubborn old goat, I got that right?"
Everyone turned around to see a pale blue man in a black rob with a...blue flame for hair approaching them.
"Who are you?" Donald pointed a finger at him.
"What do you want with us?" IF crossed her arms, prepping her qatars silently.
"Whoa, hold your blue balls for a moment there." the strange man spoke rather quickly. "Wait, let me guess. You want to enter the games, right?"
Approaching the pair of Keyblade wielders...
"Well, I got a little something for you!"
...the man produced a ticket on his hand.
"A pass?" Sora skimmed through the ticket.
"Entry to the Pantheon Foundation Preliminary Tournament." Neptune read through the pass. "Up to Seven Entrants Allowed."
"Hey!" Donald jumped in joy. "We can sign up now!"
"Now we can show that goat who isn't hero material!" Compa cheered.
"Guys, I don't think we should just accept gifts from strangers..." IF tried to be the voice of reason. "That guy clearly screams 'suspicious'"
The man in question just shrugged at the remark.
"Aw, don't be such a debby downer, Iffy!" Neptune complained.
"I'm just saying..." IF tried to dissuade them...
"Not listening! Lalalalala!"
But Neptune was having none of it, blocking her own ears in protest.
"C'mon!" Sora rallied. "Let's go sign up for the games!"
"Yeah!" Donald and Compa followed along as the four of them ran back to the Foyer.
The guild agent groaned. "It's like handling a bunch of rowdy children..."
"I know how that feels..." Goofy patted IF on her shoulder. "Times like these, you gotta be patient with 'em and guide 'em through their mistakes."
IF raised an eyebrow. "Speaking from experience?"
"You could say that!" Goofy said cheerily. "Now let's go after them."
The guild agent could only sigh. "Dealing with that girl in particular is going to be grating on my nerves..."
He and IF followed along the rest of the group while the pale blue man watched.
"Sheesh. Couldn't believe I encountered more yutzes' with those keys" he complained. "Not to mention those Drifters too." he sighed. "Well, this would make for a good laugh at least..."
Olympus Coliseum – Foyer
"Hey, how'd you get this?" Phil asked, inspecting the pass.
"Well, you see..." Neptune started but IF slammed her mouth shut.
"Why are you shutting her mouth like that, Iffy?" Compa wondered.
"This deal is shady enough as it is" IF whispered. "If we don't want to leave with these two crying, we gotta play along."
"Can we enter the games now?" Donald asked impatiently.
"Well...I guess so" Phil said. "Nep Team Epic, right?"
"That's right!" Neptune affirmed with gusto.
"Wait!" IF complained. "Are we really going in with that name!?"
"Alright!" Phil ignored her. "We start with the preliminaries!"
"Sweet!"
"Awesome!"
Neptune and Sora high-fived each other.
"Welp" Donald sighed. "That's that"
Goofy just chuckled.
"But first!" Phil suddenly said. "We gotta clean up after the exhibition match coming up. After that, we can proceed with the preliminary tournament!"
"Exhibition match?" Compa asked.
"It was shown on the board outside" IF answered, pointing her thumb behind her. "Rena Bright vs. Cloud Strife, right?"
"Yeah." Phil said. "One of the gods in Olympus organized that match for some reason. Now come on."
Olympus Coliseum – Arena (Exhibition Match)
"This is Nep Commentaries, coming to you live from Olympus Coliseum!" Neptune announced on the open cone she's holding on, sitting with a table draped in white cloth in front of her. "Today, a fierce exhibition match will be held, requested by the gods of Olympus themselves. I, Neptune, will be commentating on the match today."
She then introduced her fellow commentator. "Right beside me is our super nurse, Compa. Be a dear and say hi to our audience!"
"Hello, everyone!" Compa waved. "I am Compa. I'm training to be a nurse, but please try not to get hurt too bad. I'm not a full-fledged nurse after all."
Elsewhere, on the podium, the rest of the party simply sat as they waited for the match to begin.
"What are those two doing?" Donald asked.
"Nep-Nep did mention she wanted to 'liven up' the match today..." Goofy asnwered.
"Makes you wonder where she got all that stuff..." Sora commented.
IF just sighed. "I just hope those two still have enough energy for our match later today..."
"Now, let's get to our contestants..."
To the left of the arena, a girl with red hair tied to a ponytail by a white ribbon, bright brown eyes, wearing a white tank top draped by a short red jacket and a cyan scarf, and matching short pants and boots as well. On one of her fingerless gloves, she holds a simple longsword.
"On the left, we have a girl ready for her next adventure, a young soul who shines as brightly as the sun. She and her sword are here to deliver some de-licious ul-tra-vio-lence! Give it up for Renaaaaaa BRIGHT!"
The female contestant felt sweat dropping from her head. "I'm not that violent a person, but I will do my best for this match!"
To the right of the arena, a man with spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a red cape draped all over his person, with black boots and pants as well. Hanging on his back is a bandaged broadsword, larger than the usual variant.
"On the right, we have a man draped in mystery, a soldier who doesn't seem interested in many things. With a Buster Sword that was passed down and an outfit that looks better fit for a coffin-sleeping vampire, he is ready to show his stuff! Say hello to Clooouuuuuuud STRIFE!"
The man looked around the area with general disinterest, bringing out his giant sword. "Let's just get this over with..."
"Let's have a fair match!" the girl bowed in courtesy.
"Alright! Our contestants have exchanged words!" Neptune announced.
"It is almost time for the match to begin!" Compa turned to the goatman on the scene. "Phil, if you would?"
The trainer stepped up inbetween the contestants. "Alright. Remember, this may be an exhibition match, but the winner of this round will participate in the finals of the preliminaries coming up in a while, so do your best out there, ya hear!?"
"Wak!" Donald yelled. "We're fighting the winner after this!?"
"I didn't hear anything about this!" Sora complained. "Did that board say anything about that, IF?"
"It did" the guild agent nodded. "It was a small print there, but it said so."
"Then that means we gotta watch 'em closely, huh?" Goofy wondered.
IF nodded. "If nothing else, we can study who our potential opponent will be and how they will fare against us. Depending on how strong they are, even the six of us could get overwhelmed."
Sora then stared at the arena with great interest. "Then we gotta watch closely, right?"
Donald and Goofy nodded.
"Okay! Ready your weapons, contestants..."
The two contestants readied their weapons as Phil raised his hand...
"...FIGHT!"
The two then charged in, sword clashing against sword.
"And they're off! The match is starting to heat up, folks! Don't walk away from your seats because this may shape up to be the match of the eons!" Neptune said.
After their clash, the two combatants backed off. Rena used the chance to light her longsword with flames.
"Try this on for size! CRIMSON GALE!"
"And Rena unleashes her blazing hot attack!" Neptune commentated as the female combatant spun around and unleashed a wave of fire against Cloud.
Bracing himself, he blocks the incoming attack and his sword thrums with energy.
"Here I go..."
Making a short leap, he spun vertically and launched a Braver attack against his defenseless opponent!
"Urk!"
"Oof! And she is Staggered!" Neptune felt that one. "Cloud took the brunt of her attack and countered with one of his own! How is she feeling, Compa?"
"She's feeling that one, but she ain't out of the fight yet!"
Just as the nurse said, Rena got up, keeping a tight grip on her weapon.
"Not bad..." the girl praised her opponent. "You are quite tough."
"Hmph" Cloud deflected.
"But I'm not done!"
Rena charged and launched a barrage of slashes, forcing Cloud to parry her attacks.
"And now, this!"
With swift movements, Rena unleashes attacks so swift that Cloud could barely see her!
"SHADOW STRIKE!"
"Rena with the comeback!" Neptune yelled. "She's striking her foe with such ferocious speed out there! This must be her fabled sword style!"
"That's right" Compa brought out a piece of paper. "It is her Eight Leaves, One Blade Style, a swordstyle that was being taught here since a decade ago."
Finishing her attack, Rena then launched four rapid strikes at her foe.
"Feel my AXLE RUSH!"
"That the best you can do?"
Charging up his sword, Cloud slams it down, unleashing three blue beams in front of him, forcing the female contestant to immediately guard the attack.
"Oh! That's his Blade Beam attack!" Neptune shouted as the two contestants continued their fight. "Cloud is giving her no chances to recover!"
"This match is heating up!" Compa commentated. "Will our victor be decided soon!?"
After a series of sword clashes, Cloud looked at his opponent, who is started to feel out of breath.
"..."
"I...still...got one more ace up my sleeve..."
Standing up, Rena took a deep breath, and then, an aura of flame erupted around her.
"BURNING HEART!"
"Oh!? Rena is unleashing a powerful aura!" Neptune said. "Could she be prepping her ultimate move!?"
"This is all I could muster now..." the longsword user then wreathes her sword in flames. "This may not compare to my predecessor, but I won't throw in the towel here!"
Cloud readies himself for her last attack.
"Fifth Form...FLAME SLASH!"
Unleashing two powerful strikes, Rena steps back and...
"STRIKE!"
...slashes through her opponent, leaving a burst of flame in her wake.
"That was one hot attack!" Compa shouted. "But will Cloud be able to answer back!?"
Rena looked back to see the flames receding, and her opponent's clothes looking a little singed. Even his spiky hair has some ash spots on it!
"That all?"
She looked at him with bewilderment! Even though he took very noticeable damage, Cloud is still able to stand unflinching.
"All right then."
Spinning his sword, he readies his last attack.
"Let's dance!"
Cloud then charges at the defenseless Rena, striking with several slashes, and then ending it with an upward slash towards the sky, throwing his opponent back!
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
After a few seconds of not getting up, the match has ended.
"Aaaaaaaandddd that's game!" Neptune announced as the crowd's cheering intensified. "With a powerful Ascension, he has taken the title of Exhibition Match Winner! Three cheers for Clouuuuuuuuuuudddddd STRIFE!"
Compa, on the other hand, has left the table and proceeded to lift the defeated Rena out of the arena to get her wounds treated.
Neptune took the chance to approach Cloud. "So, Mr. Strife. Any comments from our winner today?"
"Not interested."
Flipping his spiky hair, he turned around and left without another word.
"Dude, that was just rude!" Neptune complained. "Oh well, that'll be it from Nep Commentaries, but stay tuned, because the Olympic Preliminary Tournament is about to begin later today, and yours truly will be there with her cool friends to dominate the competition. Toodles!"
Olympus Coliseum – Foyer
"Here you go" Compa finished bandaging the injured Rena. "Try not to move too much or you'll open your wounds again."
"Sorry about that." the bandaged girl scratched her head with her bandaged left hand. "I was so caught up in the fight that I ended up exerting myself a bit too much."
She sighed. "Guess I'm not signing up for those Prelims like this..."
"Hey there!" Neptune chimed in as she and the rest of the party enters. "You doin' alright?"
"You're the commentator from earlier, right?" the injured girl asked.
"Oh, that was just a side gig" Neptune deflected. "It just sprung up to me in a sec."
"Why does her mind have to be so..." Donald facepalmed. "...random?"
IF sighed. "I've been trying to figure that out myself..."
"Why are you all here?" Rena's eyes bugged out from all the sudden visitors.
"We're here to prepare for the tournament!" Donald answered.
"There is no other place left to prepare but here" Goofy remarked.
"Well, they didn't think to put an infirmary here..." Compa said. "So, I brought her to this room instead."
"Well, all that aside" Neptune turned to the Eight Leaves user. "You were really awesome out there! You didn't give an inch even when your back was to the wall!"
"Haha" Rena chuckled. "I mean, I haven't even finished my training before I got the invitation for the exhibition match, so that wasn't my full strength, I assure you."
"Really!?" Sora asked, surprised. "But you were quite tough out there..."
She chuckled again. "You think so? That other guy's attacks were quite painful..."
"Hey!"
Phil stepped into the room.
"You rookies got five minutes before the prelims start!" he announced in the room. "Better make it hasty. Those weird entrants ain't gonna wait forever."
And then he left to finish arena cleanup.
"Looks like we're up" IF beckoned the party. "Let's not mess this up."
"Uh, we gotta fight that Cloud feller at the finals, right?" Goofy asked.
Neptune nodded. "If what the goat said is true, then yep."
"He's gonna be real tough..." Compa said with worry.
"Aw, phooey!" Donald said. "We're heroes, guys. We can do this!"
Sora pumped his fist. "Yeah! We got this!"
"I'll cheer you guys on from the stands!" Rena said. "You all can do it!"
Olympus Coliseum – Arena
"Okay, what the heck!?"
As the group rested near the stands, IF was raising her voice in complaints.
"No kidding!" Neptune was mad too! "The author skipped our preliminary mob fights! C'mon!"
"I mean..." Compa said. "Those are just mob fights. Unless it's a boss fight, I don't think Mr. Author's gonna write a lot of those..."
"Not that!" IF screamed. "The Heartless! Why are Heartless signed up for this tournament!?"
"Don't look at me!" Phil shook his head. "I check the lists, sure, but the gods above got the final say, and what they say goes."
The guild agent facepalmed. "So, what? They're just gonna let these freaks run amok around here? People could end up getting their hearts consumed by them, for crying out loud!"
"Hey, we get weird monsters like them all the time here in Olympus, like the ogres, the mighty Cerberus, even the bloodthirsty Hydra!" Phil reassured her. "Why, ten years ago, we got a bunch of weird creatures like them signed up for tournaments too. They vanished afterwards, though..."
The guild agent sighed. "That's still way too careless of you..."
"It's how things have been here in Ancient Greece" Phil shrugged. "Sure, people still panic when monsters like those show up, but we're under the protection of the Pantheon led by the almighty Zeus and the gods of Olympus. Not to mention there's other folks who protect us like Hercules, the up and coming hero!"
"There's other heroes like him around here too!" Rena chirped. "Like the legendary adventurer Falcom!"
"Legendary?" Goofy started.
"Adventurer?" Donald continued.
"Falcom?" Compa finished.
"That chick?" Phil's eyes bugged out. "I heard she's been making rounds all throughout Greece before she left beyond the sea. Practically nobody around HASN'T heard about her!"
"That's right!" Rena said proudly. "A proud adventurer who aided those who needed help and has defeated several foes, from monsters to evil warlocks and the like with her own unique sword style! She was a real legend in the making!"
"Wow!" Sora said in amazement. "She sounds so cool!"
"And I'm guessing that the sword style she uses is the one you're practicing right now, right?" IF guessed.
"Haha. Yup!" the girl in the ponytail chuckled. "I heard that the style was taught from a once-impoverished training ground that was about to be closed down. But then she came and offered aid to them. Next she knew, she was teaching aspiring pupils the Eight Leaves One Blade Style. Or so I heard."
"So, she must still be teachin' there, right?" Goofy asked.
Rena shook her head. "She only stayed for a while before she left again. From what I heard, she said that she can't stay in one place for too long. Said she was more comfortable walking around the world as she goes."
"Man" Neptune said. "This Falcom lady's got quite the wanderlust, huh?"
Rena nodded. "That's why I want to get stronger, so I can go around the world like she does!"
"Woah!" Neptune gasped. "The wanderlust sure is strong in this lady too..."
She scratched her cheek. "I sure hope so. Maybe, one day, I'll bump into her and we can tell each other all the adventures we've been through!"
"That's a fantabulous idea!" Neptune cheered. "We're rooting for ya, Falcom Jr.!"
His party nodded.
"Falcom Jr.?" Rena laughed. "Haha! C'mon, I haven't finished my training yet. Still, thanks for the vote of confidence! For that, I'll give you all mine as well! You can win this tournament! I know it!"
Goofy laughed. "With support like that, we can't let her down now, huh?"
Donald nodded. "You bet! We'll be heroes for sure!"
Sora chuckled. "Yeah! Let's win this, guys!"
"YEAH!"
Meanwhile, Cloud looked at his competition as they prepared for the next round.
"They've got quite big hopes, huh..." he muttered to himself. "I'd hate for those to be dashed down..."
He turned around and left the space he was in...
Olympus Coliseum – Arena (Preliminary Finals)
"And now, the final round!"
The party braced themselves as their opponent enters the arena.
"It's all come to this, huh?" IF said, her qatars at the ready.
"We've combed through all the Mr. Heartless' like butter!" Compa boasted, her syringe primed.
"We win this, and we'll become heroes!" Donald cheered, his grip on his staff unloosened.
"One step closer, anyway!" Goofy a-hyucked, his shield still in good condition.
"With everything riding on this, we can't afford to lose now!" Neptune boasted, her Keyblade firm in her hands. "You ready, Sora?"
Sora nodded, his Keyblade at the ready. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Their opponent, the enigmatic Cloud, stopped to stare at his competition for a bit.
"The last round of the prelims is about to begin!" Phil announced as he raised his hand...
...
"On your marks..."
...
"Get set..."
...
"...FIGHT!"
As soon as the match began, Cloud opted to launch dash attacks against the party's two backline members!
"He's aiming for us, Donald!" Compa warned with whitened eyes.
"Just keep running!" Donald yelled as he casts Fira spells against Cloud. "Cover us, guys!"
"I gotcha!"
Goofy attempted to charge straight at the caped warrior, but he deftly dodged to the side, causing the dog to stumble and fall.
"Not one more step!" Neptune took the chance to charge. "CROSS COMBI-"
But Cloud raised his stance, and deflected her incoming attack with a heavy swing of his own, countering Neptune out of her combo before she could land a hit!
"Hey!" the girl complained. "You can't just block me out of my combos!"
"Then go get help"
Not listening to her complaining, Cloud launches a Braver straight at the female Keyblade wielder.
"Aw, crud!"
"Neptune!" Rena cried. "Watch out!"
Before Cloud could land his blow, something shot him from behind. Neptune rolled out of the way as the caped man tried to get up.
"...What the...?"
Cloud could barely try to move.
"I got him Paralyzed!" Compa cried out with some yellow liquid leaking out of her syringe. "Hit him now!"
"I got this!"
Sora charged in, unleashing combo after combo as Cloud could barely parry the boy's attacks.
"Now eat this!" the boy then charged his Keyblade with Fire magic. "FLAMES!"
"Ghhhh!"
"INCOMING!"
Cloud looked to his right and suddenly found himself heavily pushed by a charging dog with a shield!
As he is backed into a corner, he finds himself surrounded by Sora, Neptune and IF, all attempting to attack him.
"I'm not done!"
He then charged up with an aura of red electricity, sending his attackers back!
"Uh-oh!"
"Not good!"
"Everyone, brace yourselves!"
Cloud's assault was relentless. Thanks to the power boost, he floated around like a bat searching for prey, striking against anyone unlucky to be in his path.
"This is not good..." Rena commented gravely, as she saw the party being mowed down one by one by the empowered warrior.
Phil's own nervous nail-biting isn't really helping either...
"This is bad..." IF muttered, keeping her guard up as she sees Compa being chased around, and Donald is already KO'ed. Sora and Neptune are already running out of breath from all the running and dodging as well. "He's going to pick us off at this rate..."
As she was busy contemplating, her opponent flew to her back, ready to strike.
"Shoot!"
"Time to go"
However, someone came in and blocked the hit, sending the both of them back.
"You okay?" It was Goofy, his shield looking all scratched up.
"Barely..." IF said, looking all beat up. "Sorry about that..."
Eventually, the caped man landed, seeing his competition on varying states of duress. This fight is just about over...
"Is that all?" Cloud charges up his Buster Sword, determined to end this fight. "Then allow me to put the Finishing Touch..."
"Not yet..."
Sora, using his Keyblade as an improvised stand, slowly gets up. "A hero...never gives up...not even 'till the end..."
Hearing this struck a small chord within the lost soldier.
"Embrace your dreams!"
"He's...right." Neptune, following his lead, stood up, tumbling a bit. "Heroes...ain't quitters. So...I'm not quitting now..."
"You better not cry again, got it?"
Eventually, one by one, the rest of the party gets up, ready to fight him again.
"Why...?" Cloud asked vainly. "Why do you keep standing? You're beat!"
"That's...because..." Compa started.
"...We're gonna be..." Goofy continued.
"...True Heroes!" Donald finished.
"...And heroes..." IF declared. "Would never...leave others alone..."
"You'll come and save me, right?"
Cloud shook his head, putting his all into his attack...
"Grrrrr..."
...But his moment was interrupted when a giant black paw stomped him into the ground.
"What the...!?" Rena shouted, noticing the giant monster on the arena.
The beast, with three heads, large teeth and menacing red eyes, let out a loud roar, ready to feast on it's prey.
"The Cerberus!?" Phil cried. "What's it doing all the way out here?"
Elsewhere, the man with blue flame snickered. "Well, them's the brakes, kiddos. Enjoy the little slaughter show, cuz I know I will!"
The three-headed beast attempted to lunge straight at the exhausted party...
"N-Nice Mr. Doggy..." Compa panicked.
...but their assault was stopped when a large, muscular man arrived at the scene, holding it back with sheer muscular strength.
"Herc!"
It was Hercules, the reigning champion, himself!
"Phil, get them out of here!"
"You heard him, kiddos!" the trainer urged the exhausted party.
"Let's go!" Rena shouted at them.
The party turned around and ran away, but as Sora neared the foyer...
"Where's Neptune?"
He then turned around and saw her running back for the unconscious Cloud!
"What are you doing?" Hercules asked the girl, still holding back the giant dog.
"Getting this guy out, duh!" Neptune attempted to lift the downed soldier on her shoulder. "Urk! If only he wasn't so big..."
However, she felt her shoulder lighten a bit. She turned to her left to notice Sora coming back to help her by lifting the unconscious Cloud on the other end.
"Need some help?" Sora grinned.
Neptune returned the grin. "Right back at ya!"
Walking fast, the two fled the scene with their competitor in tow.
"Those two..." Herc shook his head. "That was reckless of them...but still..."
The resident hero readied his stance, determined to defeat the terror in front of him.
"Least I don't have to hold back!"
Olympus Coliseum – Foyer
"Who was that?" Goofy asked Phil
"That was Hercules" the trainer managed to answer.
"The legendary hero himself?" Rena muttered. "What brings him here?"
"He wanted to go watch the matches, but he got called by his father Zeus over at Mount Olympus..." Phil answered.
"So, guy went over to see his pops, huh?" Neptune barely said, gasping for air.
"Wait, but Zeus is supposed to be the ruling god of this world, right?" Compa asked, treating Cloud's wounds.
"That's right" Donald answered.
"Which means that Herc over there's a..." IF thought aloud.
The boys bugged their eyes out over this revelation. "A GOD!?"
"Wouldn't you all believe it? Guy was as tough as a twig when I first met him..." Phil reminisced. "But now, he's gone the distance and became a local celebrity by beating up monsters like that on the regular."
"Wow!" Sora's eyes bugged out in amazement. "Now that's awesome-sauce!"
"Right!?" Neptune's own eyes were starry.
The guild agent sighed. "Nep's influence on Sora is starting to show now..."
Neptune did a couple of stretches before heading for the arena. Sora followed suit.
"Hey!" Phil shouted. "Where are you two twerps going?"
"Helping the hero out, obviously!" Sora said with a pumped fist.
"If we're gonna be heroes, we better learn from the best in the field, right?" Neptune grinned.
"So, let's go!"
And thus, the two ran off to the arena.
Donald sighed. "One of these days, those two will be the end of us..."
Goofy chuckled, getting his shield ready while the court wizard has his staff primed.
"Still, we can't let them any more injured than they already are!" Compa declared, her syringe ready for action.
"Agreed" IF sighed again, readying her qatars. "Besides, our match was interrupted. I don't think those two appreciate that little fact."
Phil could only feel a migraine coming as the rest of the party nonchalantly left for the arena.
"Why are they going out there like that!?"
Rena, however, chuckled as she thought back to the words they said. "A hero never gives up, no matter the odds, huh?"
She looked to the unconscious soldier. "I wonder if those words sparked something in you too..."
Olympus Coliseum – Arena
"Geez, is it me or this boy a lot tougher than last time?"
Hercules gazed upon the mighty Cerberus, readying a mighty dark breath attack, when...
"Stop right there!"
"We're taking you down!"
Sora and Neptune returned to the arena, their friends in tow.
"You guys!?" Hercules' eyes bugged out in surprise. "What are you all doing here?"
"What?" Neptune tilted her head. "We thought we could help you out a bit."
"A hero always extends a helping hand, right?" Sora said.
Hercules could only smile at the aid. "Appreciate it!"
Phil joined from the stands. "Alright, kiddos! I got only two words for ya! ATTACK!"
The Cerberus roared, advancing at the group slowly as it's three heads unleashed fireballs.
"He's shooting fire at us!" Compa shouted.
"Start bouncing them back at him!" IF instructed.
"You got it!" Neptune answered, wielding her Keyblade like a baseball player. "Time to batter up!"
One of the fireballs made it's way to the female Keyblade wielder, but she was primed and ready...
"FORE!"
...to deflect it back at the right head.
Sora and Goofy followed suit, deflecting it's fireballs back at the right and middle heads respectively.
"It's working!" Compa cheered.
But the celebrations stopped short as the Cerberus opted to bite in a frenzy.
"Eeeep!" the nurse screamed. "Mr. Doggy is getting angry!"
"Tch!" IF muttered. "Compa, get a shot ready! Goof, Nep, Herc, keep us safe. Donald, Sora, with me!"
The party got into formation, with three of them at the vanguard, and the rest of them at the rear. The rear guard readied their combined attack.
"Ready?"
With two nods, the rear guard unleashed a powerful lightning attack.
"O great gods, unleash thine anger from above...!"
"THUNDER!"
"FURIOUS LIGHTNING!"
The continuous roars of both thunder and beast rang throughout the arena. In the chaos, Cerberus stopped its biting frenzy as their mouths were filled with darkness.
"Oh no!" Hercules panicked. "It's going for a dark breath attack!"
He then charged forward to the beast!
"Herc!"
The legendary hero then jumped and grabbed the middle head, jamming it's mouth shut.
This, however, gave the beast an opening, as the other two heads stopped channeling darkness and attempted to attack Herc!
"No, you don't!"
Just as their bites are about to hit the hero, the Cerberus' attack was stopped by two swords-wielding fighters!
"Rena!"
"Cloud!"
"What are you waiting for!?" the caped soldier shouted.
"We got them! Attack now!" the young adventurer-to-be urged.
"You heard them!" Sora called his party. "Let's get him!"
"RIGHT!"
Compa leads the charge this time, firing off a powerful shot from her syringe.
"Mr. Hercules, please move!"
Hearing the nurse's request, he complied, but not without leaving a bruise on the giant dog's middle head.
"You should cool off, Mr. Doggy!"
The middle head is hit by the nurse's Frozen Treats, reeling from the coldness dealt to it.
"Time to get serious!" IF charged at the right head, held back by Cloud.
"Go for it!"
The blonde soldier hopped away, letting the guild agent unleash her fury right at the dog's right head!
"HEAVEN DEMON!"
A fury of ten quick slashes performed mid-air was unleashed by IF, bringing the right head reeling back as well.
"Let's get him, Goofy!" Donald shouted, mounted on the royal knight's shoulders.
"Full speed ahead!" Goofy charged forward with his shield, aiming for the left head.
"All yours!"
Seeing the incoming assault, Rena moved away, allowing the royal knight to bash the left head hard!
So hard, that he ended up knocking off Donald off of him...
"Gotcha!"
...But this was all according to their improvised plan, as the court wizard unleashed another Thundara spell straight against all three heads!
"It's down!" Cloud called as the beast fell down from the combined assault.
"Finish it, guys!" Rena cheered on.
Hercules looked to the two Keyblade wielders beside him. A young boy to his right and a young girl to his left.
It almost felt nostalgic for him, when he trained alongside a Keyblade Wielder and a once-fledgling adventurer a decade ago.
If only they could see him now...
"You guys ready?" Herc asked the two on his flanks.
"Ready!" Sora nodded.
"Whenever you are!" Neptune cheered.
Without another word, the three charged against the downed beast and unleashed their mightiest hits against it, defeating it once and for all.
"..."
The beast's three pairs of eyes closed as it fell into unconscious, signalling the heroes' victory!
"We did it!"
"Shalalala-lalala!"
"Now that's how it's done!"
Elsewhere, the man with blue flame is seen holding in his anger.
"I can't believe those louts could still stand up and beat that mutt!" he shouted. "Okay, Hades, calm down. You just need another plan. A better plan. One that will tip Zeus' little boy down his high pegasus for good. You just need to think better. Yeah, that's it."
His voice reverbed around the dark passageway as he retreated to the Underworld.
Olympus Coliseum – Foyer
"And thus, by the royal decree of Zeus, The God of Olympus, I dub thee junior heroes and confer upon thee full rights and privileges to participate in the games. Further-"
"Woahwoahwoah!" Neptune suddenly shouted, interrupting Phil's declaration. "What's the meaning of this!?"
"Yeah, what do you mean 'junior heroes'!?" Donald followed, similarly upset.
"You rookies still don't understand what it takes to be a true hero" the trainer snapped back.
"Even though we nearly won the prelims AND took down Mr. Doggy?" Compa asked sadly.
"Well, we are still exhausted from all that" Sora answered sheepishly.
"Not to mention, the prelim finals was technically interrupted" IF followed.
"Still, I don't get why Cloud decided to throw the match like that" Rena wondered. "He went to them, told Phil the match was theirs and when I asked the reason why, he just up and left."
"So, uhhhh" Goofy started. "What does it take to be a hero?"
"Well" Herc answered. "That's just something you'll have to find for yourselves. Just the way that I did"
"So, do we have to take journeys of self-discovery to find the answer or what?" Neptune wondered.
"No problems!" Sora exclaimed with a pumped fist. "We'll just start by proving ourselves in the games! We'll worry about that afterwards!"
"'Cept there ain't gonna be any games for a while" Phil rained on their parade. "Gotta clean up the mess that Underworld Hound left behind first."
"Well, poo!" the girl in the parka complained.
"That's alright" the boy, on the other hand, didn't mind. "We need to take a break anyway. We'll just come back once the mess is all cleaned up"
The party all left as the hero waved them goodbye.
"So, Herc" Phil asked his ward. "Think those runts will make hero material?"
He chuckled. "I'm sure. They just gotta go the distance and not lose their way."
"It ain't gonna be that easy, that's for sure" the trainer shook his head.
"Hey, it wasn't for me either" Herc boasted. "And look where I am now"
"Yeah, yeah, I know"
Olympus Coliseum - Entrance
"So, you sure that you'll stay behind, Rena?" IF asked the young adventurer, to which she nodded.
"Yeah. I told myself that I'm not going anywhere until I'm strong enough to leave and face the outside world" Rena answered. "Sorry about that."
The guild agent sighed. "No worries. We kinda expected you'd say that."
She then lent her a phone, an orange one.
"What's this?" Rena wondered, staring at the phone on her hands.
"It's a communication device" IF answered. "You can use that to keep in touch with us, even off-world."
"Really!?" Rena exclaimed. "That's really convenient."
"We're only to give these to fellow Drifters" Compa said. "Since we're trying to establish a communication network."
"So don't show that thing off to everyone else, got it!?" Donald said in a scolding tone. "Or else, the World Order will be compromised!"
The adventurer-to-be sweatdropped. World Order? "Um, sure. Whatever you say."
"He's serious about that." the guild agent rubbed her forehead. "Not to mention, we can't have other people steal or study our way of communication, so take extra care of that thing, got it?"
"Of course!" Rena raised her right hand. "I swear, on my pride as an adventurer-to-be!"
"Awwwwww, you can trust her, Iffy!" Neptune elbowed IF lightly. "She won't break your precious phone by accident!"
"Hey, accidents happen and it is REALLY hard to part with my babies, you know!?" IF complained.
"C-Calm down, Iffy" Compa tried to calm her guild friend down.
As the two began their usual tirade and the poor nurse stuck playing mediator, Sora noticed someone sitting near the entrance.
"Hey, Cloud" the boy called out to the brooding soldier. "Are you doing all right?"
"You don't look too good..." Rena said. "Should I call Compa?"
Cloud raised a hand. "It's fine. I'm just..."
The two tilted their heads in confusion.
"Say, I've been wondering" Sora asked. "Why did you go along with that weird fella anyway?"
"The one with blue flaming head you guys mentioned?" Rena asked, to which Sora nodded. "That guy seems like bad news though..."
"You don't have to remind us..." Sora deflated. "IF's been on our case about that ever since..."
Rena could only manage a laugh at that.
"I'm looking for someone" Cloud answered Sora's question. "Hades promised to help"
"Hades?" Goofy wondered.
"Must be the weirdo who gave us the pass" Donald answered.
"I tried to exploit the power of darkness" Cloud continued as he stood up. "But it backfired."
He looked up to the Olympian skies.
"I fell into darkness and I couldn't find the light."
"Let him go!"
"I can't believe it..."
"We looked up to you, man!"
"What happened to your honor!?"
"You'll...be fine...Cloud...Tell Aerith and Tifa...I'm sorry..."
"You'll find it"
Sora's words snapped Cloud out of his reverie.
"I'm searching too"
"For your light?" Cloud asked. Sora nodded.
"And not just me" the boy turned to Neptune, who is currently being chased around by IF after teasing her one too many times.
"You too, huh?" Rena mumbled.
The caped soldier then tossed an orb to the young Keyblade wielder, one with a red sword symbol on it.
"Don't lose sight of it"
He then made for the door and opened it...
"Hey, how about a rematch sometime?" Sora asked as he waved Cloud goodbye. "Fair and square, no dark powers involved!"
"I want one too!" Rena declared. "I'll get stronger and beat you too! To reach for my light! So please get stronger so you don't lose your way too!"
"Hmph" Cloud flipped his hair. "I'll think about it."
He then left the premises, continuing on his path.
"Hey! What's up over there?" Neptune approached the group, seeing the orb Sora has on his hands. "Woah, is that a free gift? Do I get one too!?"
"C'mon on, Nep" IF sighed. "Besides, that orb looks like a Skill Orb. I think only Sora can use that one though."
"No fair!" the female Keyblade wielder whined. "I want one too!"
"There, there, Nep-Nep" Compa patted Neptune's head.
As the party continued to talk among themselves, Rena could only smile as she looked up to the sky.
"Everyone's heading out on their own adventure..."
She then closed her eyes as she recalled something. Something someone once said to her when she was young.
"Embrace your dreams. No matter what happens, protect your honor as a hero. That's something a fellow once said."
"Embrace your dreams...and never lose sight of yourself in pursuit of that dream, right Adele?"
NEPSTATION
Neptune: You're watching Nepstation, the one stop shop for all your tournament needs! That's right! We, at Neptstation, was there, LIVE, as we witnessed the Preliminary Rounds for the Pantheon Foundation Tournament, and for today, we have an aspiring contestant as our guest!
Rena: H-Hi there! My name is Rena Bright! I'm honored to be here today!
Neptune: *chuckles* At least you handled your nervousness better than my co-host from two shows ago!
Sora: Hey! I'm improving!
Neptune: Shush! You're not onscreen! Anyway, let's get the load down on the upcoming tournament, shall we?
Rena: Oh! Okay!
*a logo saying Pantheon Foundation Tournament appeared onscreen*
Neptune: See, this here tournament's made in celebration of the Greek Pantheon, said to have freed the world of the grip of the tyrannical Titans who once ruled with an iron fist
Rena: Indeed. It's said that the humans who lived in that time have suffered much under the reign of the Titans. However, the gods, led by Zeus, rebelled with many of his fellow gods and goddesses and brought down the Titans, leading an era of relative peace and prosperity.
Neptune: And what a time it is! The world's been relatively peaceful as I've heard from several witnesses!
Rena: True, but the threat of giant monsters and such continue to plague the commonfolk. The gods, unfortunately, cannot do much themselves in the world, lest they destroy it unintentionally or end up becoming the next Titans.
Neptune: Which is where we go to our next topic. Heroes!
*an image of a certain hero flexing his muscles appears onscreen, although it is blurred*
Rena: That's right. Recently, there has been a surge of potential humans who have gone out of their way to improve the livelihoods of their fellows, but none more so than the likes of monster-slaying heroes!
Neptune: That's right. One in particular, said to be the son of Zeus himself, shocker, has been making lots of headlights. His trainer P the Goat, has this to say.
P the Goat: What can I say? The champ's made the distance and is now a bona-fide hero now! Zeus even made the stars shape like him to prove it! Though, of course, I'm not gonna slack off and let him rest on his laurels. So long as the monsters continue to roam across Greece, the champ's gonna keep fighting.
Rena: Striking words from the goat himself! I gotta keep up if I wanna be as good!
Neptune: And we at Nepstation will be rooting for you, dear guest!
Rena: Haha! Thanks a lot!
Neptune: And now, a word from our sponsors!
*an image of several products, from sneakers to cup holders with the image of Greece's hero, is then shown onscreen*
Neptune: Have you ever unsafe? Ever wished to have your hero watch your back as you roam the streets? Well now, you can! With these Air Hercs, you will feel as if you are the hero himself! In addition, we are throwing in Herc Holders to hold your drinks and these Herc Action Figures so you too can flex your muscular might! Get this package deal for 7777 Munny today!
Rena: Limited offers are only available until the end of the Pantheon Foundation Tournament, so purchase now or you will be smite down by Zeus himself!
Neptune: Woah! Laying it thick on the threats there!
Rena: Sorry! That is what the prompt says!
Neptune: *sighs* Anyway, that's all for the news today! Now for our closing segment!
Sora: Okay, for today's reviews, we've got...Oh hey, it's from keybladelight again!
Neptune: *nabs letter* Gimme that! Here, have these instead!
Sora: Uh, okay? We've got two from Bia1230. They said, 'Awesome' and 'Cool'. Well, we're happy you like these!
Neptune: Even small words are pretty encouraging. Thanks for speaking out and all that! *continues reading*
Sora: Next, we have one from Fezzih. Well, for one, this is just our first World. We've got more Worlds and Adventures to go, so expect more conversations between our party.
Neptune: Perks of having a long-running franchise, right?
Sora: Sure. Whatever you say. As for Broccoli, well, the author's heard you, and hopefully, he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it.
Neptune: You have a good suggestion there, though, so he'll keep it in mind!
Sora: Right. And...who's Black Heart?
Neptune: Oh, that's the Newtype who showed up last chapter. We...won't be referring to her as such for this story. There's a whole reason behind it, but that would be dipping a bit into spoiler territory which we can't say here, just so you know.
Sora: Okay, but that lady's really tough. If it weren't for the fact that we were more focused on the lanterns, I don't think we stand a chance, even with Broccoli's help.
Neptune: To put it into perspective, we're reaching around our Level 10's by this point. The Newtype? She's definitely around Level 60-70. She'll definitely trounce us even if we all ganged up on her. Once we get a few more levels and maybe put her in a bad place to fight, THEN we MIGHT stand a chance. MIGHT being the operative term here, capiche?
Sora: Uh...huh. As for Neptune's moveset, well, she said she's more of a physical fighter than a magic one. Still...
Neptune: Oh-hoh, don't worry about that! I got an idea for that!
Sora: Really? But you said you had difficulty using magic?
Neptune: The reviewer left a pretty good idea there, and I'll be working on it after this broadcast! When will the results show? Just wait and see!
Sora: Right, and as for me...well, I'll be working on improving that myself...
Neptune: Takes a while for you to get used to new stuff, huh?
Sora: Excuse me! I didn't know we could shoot fireballs before! The only thing that I know that's being thrown around are Wakka's blitzballs, and those could hurt!
Neptune: Sure, sure!
Sora: And they give this chapter a 7/10! Is that good?
Neptune: I'd say that's pretty good, unless you're an unreasonable reviewer...
Sora: Those exist!?
Neptune: All kinds of people exist on the Internet, kiddo. All kinds of people. Best be careful around there. You'll never know who you'll run into next!
Sora: Right. Thanks for the warning...
Neptune: Right! Now, back to keybladelight's review, first off, the answer's spoiler territory, so you may want to wait on that. Same for the second one. Third, there will be tears, I won't say where or when or even how many times. Fourth, the appearances of most of the characters of our side of the franchise is pretty locked-in, as are which ones who will they be seem more with, so the author said, so just keep reading and you'll find out. That goes for the fifth and sixth paragraphs, too. And for your last sentence, well, they'll show up, don't worry.
Sora: That's a pretty long answer, huh?
Neptune: They gave a pretty long review, so I responded in kind. Hopefully, my answer is...succinct enough, to say the least.
Sora: I hope so too. Anyway, this is all we got for you today!
Neptune: Thank you all for the reviews! This has been Nepstation, and from all of us here...
Neptune and Sora: See you next time!