"Come on kid, get the lead out!"

A short, stubby satyr with a five-o'clock shadow clapped his tiny hands together as he clopped back and forth along the dirt road, beady eyes focused on a tall, muscular youth, who was lifting weights not too far away.  The huge barbells were made of solid stone, and looked to be at least five paces in diameter. 

"Come on, Phil, I've already done enough reps for today! Can't we just keep on training tomorrow?"

As he spoke the youth was hefting a barbell that seemed so large mere men would be unable to lift—yet here he was, raising it up and down as if it were made of air. 

"What kinda hero are you gonna be if you get beaten by a kid, Herc? Ever since Sora clobbered you in the Hercules cup your popularity's been slipping!"

"Oh, fine…"

Hercules cast the stone weight to one side casually with one hand, causing it to land on the ground next to him.  The impact was such that the ground shook, and several birds were startled from their nests in nearby trees.  He was hardly even sweating.

It was nearly noon, and Hercules had been training along with his coach, Philoctetes, since dawn.  Phil, who looked to his protégé not only as a student but as a son, worried that his recent loss to the Keyblade master would prove critical, if not fatal, to Hercules' career as a hero.  It was only natural that he'd push him twice as hard.

Phil was just about to give Herc a breather when he heard the heavy footsteps of someone approaching the training grounds from behind.  He whirled to see a tall, dark man with spiky blond hair and a purple cape.  The metal gauntlet that covered his right hand gripped the billowing cape, while the other rested at his side.

"It's you…" Phil took a step back and looked into the man's piercing blue eyes as they looked down at him blankly.  Quickly he whirled to the training demigod behind him and called out to him. "Hey Herc, come here! It's that guy from before!"

Hercules stopped sparring with the wooden training dummy before him and walked over to his coach, while giving him a look that read both curiosity as to what he would want and relief that he wouldn't have to train anymore, at least for the moment.

"What's up, Phil?" the demigod had already noticed the presence of the stranger, but he didn't pay much attention to him until Phil pointed him out.

"Cloud, right? I haven't seen you around in a while. Have you been going to the Coliseum?"

The man known as Cloud lifted up his right hand and ran it through his spiky, gravity-defying bangs.  His glowing blue eyes showed no emotion whatsoever, and instead looked at Hercules with an intensity that contradicted the hazy, unfocused look in his gaze.

"I want to challenge you to a fight…" Cloud's voice was soft, calm, and devoid of all emotion.  Yet his words spoke volumes.

Hercules' eyes lit up—he loved to fight and spar whenever he could, even though he detested his training.  However, just before he was to accept, Phil's voice called out to him from his knees:

"Hey kid, come here for a second."

Phil dragged Hercules away from Cloud and pulled him downwards, then whispered in his ear. "Listen, Herc…I don't like this guy. He used to work for Hades, you know? I don't got a good feeling 'bout him."

Hercules straitened and waved Phil off. "Relax, Phil! That was a long time ago! Besides, I can take him, easy."

"Yeah, that's what you said about that kid, and look how that ended up."

Hercules didn't respond to that comment; instead he walked up to Cloud and gave him a thumbs-up. "You're on!"

The fight took place on that very clearing.  Hercules was armed only with his dagger, while Cloud brandished his huge, grey Buster Sword.  The two stood a few paces from each other, ready to fight.  It was Cloud who attacked first, by lunging forward with his blade, ready to stab.  Hercules sidestepped the attack easily, and then jumped over the sword swipe that followed it.  He had decided to play defensively for the moment, if only to read his opponent's movements while he devised a suitable plan of attack.  Surprisingly, it didn't look like Cloud was trying very hard to win this fight.

Soon enough Hercules saw an opening and went for it—he parried Cloud's swipe with his blade, breaking the warrior's momentum and causing him to lose his balance.  Like a flash Hercules lashed out and punched Cloud in the gut, sending him sprawling to the ground.  Before he could recover the demigod heaved him several paces away, and followed up the attack by jumping in the air—he was planning to land forcefully on his target.  Amazingly, the blonde warrior rolled to the side moments before the final attack connected and leapt to his feet. 

Hercules' shock was all the opening Cloud needed.  His Buster Sword soon connected with Herc's side, and he was on the ground before he could even tell what was happening.  Cloud raised his blade and prepared to deal the finishing strike—the Buster Sword came down hard and true.  Then, oddly, Herc noticed something…

Cloud paused and his eyes became wide, the tip of the blade mere hairs from his opponent's body.  Seizing the chance, Hercules kicked up from the floor and hit Cloud in the gut.  The warrior dropped his sword and was thrown to the ground a short distance away, where he skidded to a halt.

Herc walked over to Cloud slowly and offered him a hand getting up.  While Cloud went to pick up his sword, Hercules shot him a concerned look.

"Why did you hold back?"

Cloud sighed and ran his hand through his hair while he sheathed the sword.  His right hand was clutched into a fist.

"Because I didn't feel the light."

"The light? What do you mean?"

"I challenged you because I wanted to feel the light. Just like when I fought him…"

"Him? You mean…Sora?"

Cloud didn't answer.  He merely walked away, sword in hand.  His expression was unchanged.

Phil clopped up to Hercules and stood beside him. "You okay, kid?"

Hercules nodded. "Yeah…I just don't get it…"

Philoctetes shrugged Hercules' confusion off as a triviality and turned to focus on what was more important at the moment: training.  He grabbed a wooden dummy and propped it up next to a nearby tree, and then grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows, which he shoved into Hercules' relaxed arms. "Okay, kid, break time's over! Back to work!"

The hero sighed complacently and prepared to resume his training.  However, before he began he took one last look at Cloud's now distant figure, and at the blue sky above.  As much as he didn't want it to, his mind could only think of one person.

"Sora…"