Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Helios emerged from the dark, oppressive atmosphere of the Underworld, feeling the curse of the place finally lift. The sunlight of Olympus warmed his skin as he made his way back to Thebes. The streets were eerily empty, with most of the city's population crowded into the Colosseum for the tournaments. The silence gave him a strange sense of calm, though he knew it wouldn't last long.

He reached the small room they had rented earlier and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of life outside. Helios pulled the glowing heart of Hoder from his pocket, its ethereal blue flames flickering as if alive. The sight of it was mesmerizing, a testament to the strength of the being it once belonged to.

Summoning his Keyblade, Helios aimed it at the heart. A beam of black energy shot from the weapon, piercing the blue flames that encased the heart. The flames dissipated with a faint hiss, leaving the heart exposed and shimmering faintly. Helios pressed it against his chest, the glowing orb sinking into him seamlessly.

The sensation was strange but not overwhelming. Unlike Cloud's heart, which carried a torrent of memories and emotions, this heart was eerily blank. Hoder's time in the River Styx had seemingly erased most, if not all, of her memories, leaving behind only a strong, untarnished heart. Helios felt a slight warmth settle within him but no invasive flood of foreign thoughts or emotions. It was a clean slate, and that suited his plans perfectly.

"This will do," he muttered to himself, flexing his fingers as he adjusted to the new presence within him. "No distractions, no side effects. Just strength and light. Seems like light is hard to erase even with no memories. Then, I wonder how Namine planned to seal Riku's darkness? Maybe to seal either powers requires her power of memories? I'll look into it later."

He took a deep breath, feeling a slight surge of power. The darkness within him didn't reject the new heart; instead, it seemed to embrace it, intertwining with the light it carried. The light the heart carried and his own seemed to resonate making the other stronger. Helios knew it wouldn't remain untainted for long, but that didn't matter. He had no intention of keeping it permanently.

With the task complete, Helios left the room and made his way to the Colosseum. The sound of the crowd grew louder as he approached, the roar of excitement filling the air. He slipped inside, finding the stands packed with eager spectators. Scanning the crowd, he spotted an open seat in the very back, where he could observe without drawing attention to himself.

Just as he settled in, Phil stepped onto the stage, his voice booming across the Colosseum. "All right, folks! It's time for the Beginner Finals! In this corner, we have the underdog who's taken the tournament by storm—Skuld!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as Skuld stepped onto the arena floor, her face a mixture of determination and nerves. Her Keyblade rested in her hand, the sunlight glinting off its intricate design.

"And in this corner," Phil continued, pointing to the opposite side of the arena, "we have the SOLDIER and future hero himself—Zack! Though maybe give him five years, eh?"

The audience laughed, and Zack, ever the showman, grinned and waved to the crowd. "You'll see, Phil! A year is all I need!"

The crowd's energy was electric as the two competitors faced each other. Zack's confident smile clashed with Skuld's focused expression, the contrast between them palpable even from the back of the stands.

Helios leaned forward slightly, watching intently. This match would be a true test of Skuld's growth. Not only that but she was facing off against Zack. With Cloud's damaged heart inside her, this might be enough of a spark to connect the two hearts and mend Cloud's heart.

Phil's voice rang out again. "Let the match begin!"

Zack drew his massive broadsword, twirling it with practiced ease before pointing it at Skuld. "Let's make this a match to remember, okay?"

Skuld nodded, tightening her grip on her Keyblade. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as the two began to circle each other. Zack was the first to move, dashing forward with surprising speed for someone wielding such a large weapon. His sword came down in a wide arc, and Skuld barely managed to sidestep in time.

She countered with a quick swing of her Keyblade, aiming for his side, but Zack deflected it with a fluid parry. "Not bad!" he said, grinning. "But you'll have to do better than that."

He pressed the attack, his movements swift and relentless. Skuld found herself on the defensive, blocking and dodging as Zack's strikes came from every angle. His strength was undeniable, each blow sending vibrations up her arms as their weapons clashed.

Skuld quickly realized she couldn't rely on strength alone—Zack's power was weaker than Hercules' but his skills were too much for her to match head-on. She began to focus on her speed and agility, weaving around his attacks and looking for openings.

As Zack swung his sword in a horizontal arc, Skuld ducked low and rolled behind him, delivering a quick strike to his back. Zack stumbled slightly but recovered almost instantly, spinning around to face her.

"Nice move!" he said, his grin never wavering. "You've got some fight in you! This is gonna be fun!"

The battle continued, the two exchanging blows in a dazzling display of skill. Skuld began incorporating magic into her attacks, casting Thunder to force Zack to back off and Fire to keep him at a distance. Zack countered with his own abilities, unleashing powerful slashes that sent shockwaves across the arena.

Despite her best efforts, Skuld found herself struggling to keep up. Zack's experience and raw strength were pushing her to her limits. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her arms trembling from the effort of deflecting his relentless strikes.

But then, a memory flashed through her mind again—a memory of training with her Keyblade, her movements guided by a white-haired boy. The memory was faint, fragmented, but it carried with it a sense of clarity. She mimicked the movements from the memory, her strikes becoming more precise, her footwork more fluid.

Zack noticed the change immediately. "Whoa! Where'd that come from?" he said, his grin widening.

Skuld didn't answer, her focus razor-sharp as she pressed the attack. She feinted to the left, then spun to the right, her Keyblade striking Zack's sword with enough force to knock it slightly off balance. She followed up with a quick strike to his shoulder, earning a gasp from the crowd.

Zack staggered back, his grin turning into a look of determination. "All right, you've got my attention now!" he said, charging forward once more.

The final moments of the match were a blur of motion and energy. Skuld used her magic to create openings, casting Blizzard to freeze Zack's movements momentarily and Aero to knock him off balance. With one final push, she channeled all her strength into a powerful swing, knocking Zack's sword from his hands and sending him sprawling to the ground.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Zack raised a hand in surrender, a good-natured smile on his face. "Okay, okay, you win!" he said, laughing as he sat up.

Skuld lowered her Keyblade, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. She looked up at the crowd, a mixture of disbelief and slight confusion washing over her as the reality of her victory sank in.

From his seat in the back, Helios allowed himself a small smile. It looked like Skuld was unlocking more of her abilities and instincts from before. Not only that but she was now strong enough to be of some use to him now.