Kingdom Hearts: The Winter War
A/N: Fourth Chapter up! Please note that I don't own Bleach and Kingdom Hearts. Though I wish I did.
Cue Intro: (Sense of Wonder)
(0:00-0:12): In front of a glowing red background, Sora pops out from below, smirking toward the viewers. The background then changes to lime green, where Lilynette pops out, giving a toothy grin. The color then changes to blue and Starrk soon appears, looking like he had woken up from a nap.
(0:13-0:24): The trio are then seen standing in front of the entrance of Las Noches. Starrk and Lilynette are standing on either side of Sora. Sora materializes his Keyblade in his hand. He shoots out a beam of light. When the light fades away. The title "Kingdom Hearts: The Winter War" soon appears.
(0:25-0:35): Sora, with his hands in his pockets, is seen walking down the desert of Las Noches, looking down in deep thought. On the right side of the screen, various images of Sora fighting Heartless pass by. From Sora's appearance in Kingdom Hearts, to Kingdom Hearts II, and Kingdom Hearts III.
(0:36-0:46): Sora looks up to see Starrk, Lilynette, even Halibel and her Fracciónes up ahead, smiling (though Starrk's was smaller and Halibel's was covered). Various images pop up: one of Sora and Lilynette running away from an angry Starrk, whose face was drawn on. Sora and Mila Rose restraining an enraged Lilynette and Apacci while Sung-Sun and Halibel watch from the side. Sora and Ashido fighting against a giant group of Hollows. There's also Sora and Lilynette clashing with wooden swords, both laughing in joy.
(0:47-0:57): Images of a boy with silver hair and a girl with red hair appear in Sora's mind. Next to them are a group of anthropomorphic mouse, duck, and dog. The next scene shows the entire residences of Las Noches. The group include the Fracciónes, the Espada, and standing on top are Gin on the right, smiling mischievously. Tosen on the left, looking emotionless. On Aizen at the center, giving a smug and aloof demeanor.
(0:58-1:04): An entire colony of hollows appears, only for it to be destroyed in a huge explosion. Walking out of the flames is Nnoitra, carrying his axe. He stares at the screen, smirking sadistically.
(1:05-1:15): Nnoitra jumps in the air, swinging his large axe, which generates a ginormous sandstorm. Sora, having difficulty in seeing, barely dodges as Nnoitra threw his axe at him. Both fighters appear to be flying, with Sora knocking Nnoitra back with Ripple Drive. Nnoitra recovers and stops Sora's thrust by grabbing his Keyblade. He then throws in a few inches away.
(1:16-1:26): Lilynette and Halibel's Fracciónes are watching the fight on one side with concerned looks. with Starrk and Halibel watch from another side, remaining passive. Nnoitra charges forward, his whole body glowing while Sora proceeds to use Zantetsuken. Both attacks collide, causing an outburst of power to occur. The opening ends with Sora looking out into the sun, behind him are Starrk, Lilynette, Halibrl, Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun.
Ep. 4: "Training Begins! The Forest of Menos!"
Back at their room, Lilynette was lying down on the floor, with her arms spread out. She was currently reflecting on some of the things she learned from there apparent guest.
(Flashback)
"You remember?" Lilynette asked. "Remembered what?"
"Did you get your memories back?" Starrk asked curiously.
Sora thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, not completely. The only thing I remember are the first 14-years of my life."
"You can't remember anything after that?" Starrk inquired.
"Pretty much." Sora began reflecting on his earlier life. "I grew up in a world called the Destiny Islands. It was a chain of islands surrounded by a large body of ocean. It was small but there was this one island where my friends and I would play together."
"A small island huh." Lilynette walked up to the spiky-haired boy. "Sounds kinda boring."
"Lilynette, don't insult him." Starrk said, not wanting him to be offended.
"It's okay Starrk. She's not wrong." Sora reassured. "I'll admit that it was a little boring. In fact, my best friend Riku convinced me to leave the island so that we could go explore the outside worlds. We even convinced another friend named Kairi to come along with us."
"How were you guys planning to leave the island?" the little arrancar asked, growing interested.
"We built a raft." Sora replied plainly. This certainly caused the two Arrancars to gawk at him.
"You guys were planning to leave for space...on a raft." Starrk said, dumbfoundly.
"Did your friend even think this through!?" Lilynette snapped.
"Hey, cut us some slack!" Sora said raising his hands. "We were really desperate to leave to island. But we never got a chance to leave on the raft."
"Why is that?" the first Espada asked.
Sora wondered if he should answer them, but figured it wouldn't hurt anybody. "Well that night, I became a Keyblade wielder."
Now this really captured the attention of his semi-friends. Because Sora was so young, they had wondered at what point did he acquired his Keyblade. However, there was one thing Lilynette wanted to know. "Wait, how old were you when you got the Keyblade?"
Sora thought for a moment, "I guess I was around fourteen-years-old."
Fourteen. When they first heard of the Keyblade wielders, they had assumed that Sora must have been trained to use it as a child. At appearance, they figured Sora was roughly fifteen or maybe sixteen. Having been using such a powerful weapon for a nearly a year now and being able to fight on par with an Espada like Nnoitra. Now that, was impressive.
Sora chuckled at their reaction. "Yeah. You guys wouldn't believe just how many worlds I've traveled to."
"So, tell us." Lilynette said offhandedly.
Sora did a double-take. "Wait, what."
"Hey Lilynette." Starrk interjected. "Give it a rest already. He doesn't have to…"
"Oh c'mon Starrk. I know you're curious to!" Lilynette snapped back. She returned to look at Sora. "Besides, we told you a bit about what we can do. And who knows, maybe talking about your past will trigger some memories."
Sora thought about it. She did have a point. If he spoke about some of his memories, then perhaps more will return. That and they were willing to share some of their abilities, so it sounded fair to shares them some of his own stories.
"Alright, I'll tell you guys somethings." Sora replied. "Where should I start?"
"How about when you gained your Keyblade." Lilynette asked.
"Sounds alright. Let's head back to the room and I'll tell you along the way." The three soon headed back as Sora began his tale. "It all started when I had this dream…"
(Flashback end)
When they got back to the room, Sora sat down on the floor with Lilynette joining him. Starrk had of course laid down on his cot, but was listening nonetheless. Sora had explained that the night he gained his Keyblade was also the same night his world fell to darkness. While they felt sorry for him, he reassured them that he was alright.
He went on to explain that he had woken up in another world called Traverse Town. There, he met the inhabitants that explained to him about the Keyblade, Heartless, and the other worlds. It certainly surprised them to hear how many worlds were falling to darkness around that time. Since the Keyblade was the only weapon meant to save the worlds, and because Sora was the only known Keyblade wielder at the time, he agreed to help. Of course, it was also a chance to find his two friends: Riku and Kairi.
And so, Sora began his first journey, along with two others named Donald and Goofy. They were envoys from a world called Disney Castle, who were searching for their king and were given instructions to find the "Key" and stick with him. Sora then began to explain all the worlds he visited.
Lilynette listened with fascination while Starrk had gone to sleep. Or that's what they thought because despite his closed eyes, Starrk found himself listening to the Keybearer's tale. The young Arrancar never imagined just how many there were. They were filled with so many things she never considered real. Gods, mermaids, talking animals, monsters, pirates, etc. It made the two realize that their world was so small compared to the entire universe. All while, Sora had to put up with a group of villains who were controlling the Heartless so they could conquer their respective worlds.
However, they certainly were caught off guard to here that his friend Riku had joined forces with this evil witch named Maleficent, the leader of these villains. Another thing that caught them off guard was the fact that despite Riku having turned against Sora, not once did he ever give up on him. When Lilynette asked him why, Sora said that it was because he was his friend, and said "When a friend needs me to be there, I'll be there to help."
He was willing to go so far for his friend. The two Arrancar couldn't help but contemplate the meaning of that word. Of course, at that moment. Sora began to grow tired. Not his fault. After fighting Adjuchas and Nnoitra, it seems he earned a bit of sleep. So, they decided to call it a night (figuratively). The next day, Lilynette had woken up early. She was currently going over what she had learned from their guest. She had to admit, he was something. The Arrancar began growing a strong admiration towards him. Lilynette certainly wanted to hear more stories.
But she could wake him up, someone entered Starrk's chambers. Lilynette turned around while Sora and Starrk began to stir.
"Hello, Sora." Tōsen said casually.
"Huh," Sora rubbed his eye, sleepy but looked up to see Tōsen standing in front of the door. "Oh, Tōsen it's you." Sora said before getting up. "I'm guessing since you're here, that means it's time for my training."
Tōsen nodded. "Follow me outside. I will show where the training will take place."
Sora, now fully awake, got up and followed after Tōsen.
"Hey wait, can I come?" Lilynette called out, not wanting to miss out on this training.
Sora looked over to Tōsen. "Is that alright with you, Starrk?" the former captain asked.
Starrk thought about it, then closed his eye and rolled over. "Yeah sure. Just make sure to come back here afterwards."
"Very well then. Let's go Lilynette." With that, Lilynette followed Sora and Tōsen.
"If you don't mind." Sora said as they were walking down the corridor. "Are you sure it's okay to train outside? Won't that bother Runuganga." And given his earlier victory, Sora had a feeling that he was still sore about it.
Tōsen turned to Sora, "We won't be going outside." As if seeing Sora's confusion, Tōsen went on. "Behold." The three then reached a bright light.
When the light died down, Sora opened his eyes and was completely surprised. They were outside, only it was bright and sunny compared to the dark and desolate wasteland he had seen earlier. Looking around, he noticed several buildings up ahead.
"Woah!" Sora stared, wide-eyed. "How is it morning already. I thought this place was all night."
Lilynette chuckled. "It is all night. We're still inside Las Noches."
"We are?" Sora blinked.
"Lord Aizen created a fake sky and sun within Las Noches." Tōsen explained. "He wanted to bring light within Hueco Mundo's darkness."
The Keyblade wielder was certainly impressed. Aizen really did a convincing job.
"Now then, here is where your training will begin." He and Sora stood across from each other while Lilynette sat off to the side, waiting to see what happens.
"Before we begin, you should know about the basic fighting styles of Soul Reapers" Tōsen instructed. "First, there is Kidō; the art of combat based on spells which are fueled by one's spiritual energy." Tōsen explained, with Sora focusing his attention, getting interested. "The more powerful a Soul Reaper is, the more powerful the spell will be."
"Each spell is graded from numbers one to ninety-nine, the higher the number, the more powerful the spell becomes." Tōsen continued. "To use Kidō, a Soul Reaper must say a specific incantation. However, these incantations are often long and require a few seconds to speak.
"Is there more?" Sora asked curiously.
"Yes. There are three types of Kidō," Tōsen said. "First, there is Bakudō: Defensive spells that can block and repel attacks and also have the power to bind enemies in place; Next there is Hadō: more offensive spells that can cause great harm to enemies and destroy objects; Finally, there is Kaidō: which focuses on the art of healing."
"Wow." was all Sora said. Lilynette was also amazed, since she didn't know much about the Soul Reaper's powers.
"There is also another category known as Forbidden Kidō: a classification for Kidō spells that are considered illegal by the Soul Society's leaders." Tōsen explained, then continued, "Next, there is Hoho: which is centered around deploying high-speed maneuver techniques in battle. It is also known as Flash Step."
"So, is it like Sonido?" Sora asked. Instead of replaying, Tōsen disappeared and then reappeared behind Sora, causing him to fall back in surprise. "You are correct."
He then proceeded to step back. "Then, there is Hakuda: The Soul Reapers' hand-to-hand combat style. It mainly relies on unarmed techniques and employs high-speed techniques as well."
"Finally, we have Zanjutsu: the art of swordsmanship." Tōsen continued, "I believe it would best for you to learn more about a Soul Reaper's weapon." Tōsen unsheathed his own zanpakutō and held it horizontally. "A Soul Reaper's zanpakutō is much different from an Arrancar's."
"How so?" Sora wondered aloud, eyeing the sword.
"While the Zanpakutō of an Arrancar is the embodiment of their Hollow powers, a Soul Reaper's zanpakutō reflects on their soul and power." Tōsen continued. "Also, the Zanpakutō of the Soul Reapers are sentient. They have a mind, body, and personalities of their own that controls their power. When a Soul Reaper is in perfect harmony with their blade, then they will grow more powerful."
This was certainly interesting. So, these Soul Reapers zanpakutō were technically...alive. That would mean he would technically be fighting against two people.
"Now, I will tell you something important." Tōsen went on. "All zanpakutō have two levels of release: the first one is Shikai and a the second one is Bankai," Tōsen explained. "But we'll go over those later."
"Okay," Sora said. He'll admit, they sounded complicated. However, he made sure to commit these fighting styles to memory."
"Of course, since you are merely learning how to defend yourself against such abilities and not how to use them." Tōsen shifted into a fighting stance, holding his sword out in front of them, "It would be best to demonstrate these abilities through a spar."
His first battle with a Soul Reaper, Sora summoned his Keyblade and got into his usual fighting style.
Lilynette leaned forward, anxious to see how this fight turns out.
"Now, come at me with everything you have." Tōsen said. "Though, it is a pity that I cannot see the way you use your Keyblade."
"Why can't you?" a confused Sora asked.
"He's blind," Lilynette retorted plainly.
Sora flinched. "Uh, really?" He had never noticed anything that even implied Tōsen was blind. Though now that he looked at it, his visor might have been a dead giveaway.
Tōsen chuckled at the Keybearer's shock, lowering his blade. "It's alright, Sora." He reassured, "Your reaction is understandable. However, my blindness has yet to be a hindrance to me."
The spiky-haired boy took his word for it. "Alright, then. Let's do this."
"Very well." Tōsen replied, raising his sword again. Lilynette's eyes widened as Sora charged forward, quickly closing the gap between him and Tōsen. However, Tōsen raised the blade and blocked Sora's Keyblade from striking him. "Interesting." Tōsen noted, locking blades with Sora. "It appears you prefer making the first move against your opponent. However, it is also a reckless tactic."
"Oh yeah." the Keyblade wielder grinned. "I'm just getting started!" He made another move to attack Tōsen from the side, only for Tōsen to disappear. Sora realized he must have used that Flash Step again. But he soon sensed Tōsen behind him and reacted in time to block a downward strike from Tōsen's blade.
"Most impressive," Tōsen noted. "While you lack in speed, you make up for it with an excellent reaction time."
"You almost got me with that one." Sora said. "But it's still not enough." Sora ducked out of the way as Tōsen swung at him from the side of his head. He spun around to strike the Soul Reaper, only for Tōsen to move jump backwards and go in for a set of repeated slashes. Sora held his Keyblade up front to blocked it, though he gritted his teeth, struggling. He decided to try his fire magic, only for Tōsen to tilt his head to left, allowing the fireball to pass by. He moved in for a forward thrust, but he ducked underneath the blade, and slashed at Tōsen repeatedly, knocking him away.
"Whoa." Lilynette stared at the spar before her. While both opponents were clearly holding back, it was still impressive to see Sora holding his own against a captain like Tosen. She could also tell that Tōsen was slightly struggling to block Sora's attacks.
"Despite there being no rhythm to your movements, I can tell that you are an experienced fighter." Tōsen noted, which was true as Sora strike were just a flurry of attacks, which made it a bit difficult to predict his movement. "It seems you prefer a freestyle form of swordsmanship instead of a trained style."
"What can I say," Sora said. "Untrained is my specialty."
Tōsen charged forward for another attack, Sora directed his Keyblade forward. Instead of fire or ice, this magic energy was more…electric. "Thunder!" He shot a bolt of lightning straight at Tōsen. Tosen, unable to dodge the speed of such attack, blocked it with his blade. His sword acted as a lightning rod, however the Soul Reaper gritted his teeth as he still felt the force of the electricity. Sora lowered his Keyblade, while Lilynette's visible eye became wider. This certainly was a new spell as she had never seen Sora use it before. Did it return to him with part of his memory?
"How was that?" he asked Tōsen, who managed to regain his composure, setting his zanpakutō down.
"You continue to impress me, Sora." Tōsen said with genuine praise. "I admit that if I had not blocked that technique, I would have felt the full force of that attack. Now it seems that I have to take things a little more seriously."
Not wanting to give the Soul Reaper time to retaliate, Sora charged to attack. Tōsen raised his forearm. Was he planning to block it with his hand?
"Bakudo #8: Seki!" Tōsen called out as an orb of light blue energy was generated from his hand. Sora didn't have enough time to stop as the moment his Keyblade made contact with the orb, he was repelled back.
"Hey!" Sora cried, sliding across the sand.
"This is Kidō," Tōsen explained. "More specifically, this was one of the Bakudō spells. Which repels all attacks."
"I get it." Sora grumbled, but couldn't help but be amazed. Lilynette just laugh. If it were her, there's no way she'd fall for an attack like that.
"Now then," Tōsen began. "Be prepared, as there are Soul Reapers who excel at advance Kidō spells." He lifted one of his arms. "Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
A red ball of energy appeared in front of Tōsen hand and fired directly at the Keybearer. He barely dodged that attack, as it created a large hole on the wall behind him. "Whoa, if that had been me-" Sora shook his head, not wanting to think about it. And according to Tōsen, this was spell number 31, he hated to see just how powerful the level 90 spells are.
"What the hell you bastard!" Lilynette shouted, seeing the damage of the Hado spell. "What if that attack had actually killed him!?"
"The opponents he'll be fighting will not show any mercy towards him." Tōsen said. "Besides, I also wanted him to learn that Soul Reapers are more versatile than the appear."
Sora took this to consideration. He certainly had to make sure he didn't get caught in one of those Bakudo spells, or any Kidō spell at all. While his magic skills were strong, they wouldn't be enough to counter a high level Hado spell. He wondered if the there was a way for his magic spells to become more powerful.
"Now that we have covered the basic fighting styles of the Soul Reapers," Tōsen said. "It's time we move on to the next step. First, let me elaborate more on Shikai." He raised his blade. "Now, in order for a Soul Reaper to activate their Shikai, they must first say the name of their weapon, follow by a release incantation. Allow me to demonstrate." He leaped high into the air. "Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō."
Tōsen's Zanpakutō began vibrating and then he waved his sword around him in a semi-circle. Sora was soon shocked to see the blade had begun to leave a trail of other blades as it went. Was he making afterimages or something? However, after Tōsen made a trail of blades, he slashed the air and those trails then became hundreds of blades that were sent flying straight at the Keyblade wielder. Thinking quickly, Sora launched several ice attacks that contact the blades, knocking almost dozens of them out of the sky. Seeing this, Sora then concluded something. Those blades weren't just afterimages, they were replicas?! However, the Keybearer noticed the remaining blades were still raining down. Not having enough time to cast another spell, Sora jumped from one direction to another, dodging the blade copies. The spiky-haired boy was nicked three times, one on his back, right arm, and left cheek. While not enough to deal a severe damage, it still hurt.
Lilynette was also surprised seeing Tōsen' Shikai, as she had never seen it before. Come to think of it, none of the Arrancars had ever seen Tōsen or Gin's Shikai and Bankai. The only Shikai they had seen was Lord Aizen's. Of course, she was fuming at Tōsen for nearly endangering Sora's life again. Before she could lash out at him, the Keyblade wielder calmed her down.
"It's okay Lilynette." Sora assured her, "As strange as it is, I was kinda hoping for this. I can't have him going easy on me if I want to improve. I can see why Aizen chose him as my trainer."
Tōsen couldn't help but feel a bit of pride, "I'm proud to see that you are dedicated to your training. However, I feel I should inform you that what you had witnessed was one of my Shikai's abilities."
One of his abilities. Just how many does he have? "So, I guess now you're going to teach me about this Bankai, right?" Sora asked.
Tōsen shook his head. "Not until we get further in your training. Bankai is the most powerful ability a Soul Reaper can achieve. Be aware that the ones you will be facing are powerful enough that they will not resort to Bankai unless it is absolutely necessary."
Sora began wondering what Tōsen's Bankai was like. His Shikai alone was dangerous enough.
Then, the group heard the sound of clapping. They turned to see Aizen and Gin, who were both walking towards them. Gin was the one who had been clapping. "Bravo, Sora! Bravo! That was a fancy move you pulled off."
"Indeed." Aizen said and he sounded genuinely impressed. "You were able to find an opening in Kaname's blades and sense were the exact moment was to strike." He then looked over to Tōsen "Forgive us for interrupting the lesson Kaname." Aizen with a friendly smile. "I just couldn't resist seeing our guest in action."
"Though, looks like you guys are already underway," Gin said, looking at Sora, noticing some of the cuts on his body. Sora couldn't help but wonder how he could see with those narrow eyes of his. "You look like a wreck. Hope Kaname hasn't been going hard on you during the training?" He playfully asked.
"Sora does not mind the intensity of the training." Tōsen retorted, still holding on to his bruised chest. "He is aware of how much he has to improve if he is to fight the Soul Reapers. Besides, he's more than capable of handling himself. He was able to keep up with me during our spar."
"Whoa." Gin chuckled, thumb pointing at the spiky-haired boy. "This guy sure is full of surprises, right?"
"Indeed he is, Gin." Aizen said. "So tell me, based on the training, how do you think Sora measures up so far?"
"Sora has shown to be an experienced fighter, though he lacks a refined swordsmanship style." Tōsen said. "But I believe that is the main source of his peculiarity."
"Sora should be experienced," Lilynette spoke up. "He mentioned that he gained that Keyblade when he was only fourteen years old…"
This news certainly took the three Soul Reapers by surprise.
"Fourteen? A mere child?" Tōsen asked in amazement.
"By the way you look, you're no older than fifteen or sixteen." Gin observed, with an inquiring and playful tone in his voice. This caused the Keyblade wielder to take a step back. "So that means you've been using that key of yours for over a year or two. And considering how you lasted so far, gotta say, I'm impressed.
Sora chuckled sheepishly, uncertain if Gin was praising him or just joking around. Aizen however realized something. "If you remember when you learned to use the Keyblade, then am I to assume that your memories have returned."
"Not really." Sora said, "The only thing I remember are the first fourteen years of my life. I also remember the night I gained the Keyblade and the very first journey I ever took."
"When did you first begin to remember?" Tōsen asked.
Lilynette decided to fill them in on that. "It happened around yesterday. Sora began having a big headache. Starrk and I tried to see what was going on."
"After that it just went away." Sora continued. "Next thing I knew, I suddenly remember part of my life."
"I see." Aizen said, "Tell me Sora, did you come into contact with anything that might have triggered your sudden memory restoration?"
Sora got into a thinking posture. How did first part of his memories come back? The last thing he remembered was staring at this sea-shelled star charm and…
"That's it!" Sora reached for his pocket and pulled out the charm. "I was looking at this charm before my headache began."
"Yeah, that's right." Lilynette spoke up. "He was staring at that thing like he was in some sort of daze."
"It wasn't just that." Sora decided to tell them something else. "There were also other times, like my fight with Runuganga and Nnoitra were I experience small headaches. After they went away I learned more magic and sword techniques."
"Ah! That would explain it." Aizen understood. "For the most part, it appears that your memory resurfaces if you come in contact with a familiar object, or you are in a life or death situation."
Aizen went on, "I also came to another assumption, if you have been gaining more strength with each returning memory, then it's safe to believe that your recent memory loss has hindered your abilities."
"So, you think that the more I remember, the stronger I'll get?" Sora asked.
"Seems that way to me," Gin answered him. "And with the way you are now, it'd be surprising to see what you can do when you're at a hundred percent."
"And by continuing your training, there's a likely chance for your memories to return much faster." Aizen replied.
Well, Sora couldn't really argue with that logic. "I guess you're right."
Lilynette, who had just been watching the rest of the scene play out, couldn't help but wonder just how strong Sora really is. If he was powerful enough to fight against someone like the fifth Espada with dulled abilities, then there's no telling how powerful he'll become.
"Aside from your training, I'll continue sending you out on missions around Hueco Mundo. Hopefully, you'll become better acquainted with our world and remember somethings." Aizen stated.
"Lord Aizen." Gin said playfully. "I hear that there might be a few Hollows within the Forest of Menos that have been getting out of hand. Even the guardian's been having trouble controlling them."
Aizen looked over to the silver-haired Soul Reaper, "Just what are you suggesting Gin?"
"How about we send Sora over there to give them a hand." Gin suggested. "I'm sure he's tough enough to look after himself."
"You can't be serious Gin." Tōsen said, outright refusing. "The Forest of Menos is filled with abundance of Gillians and Adjuchas. You don't expect to Sora to fight against hundreds of…"
"I'll do it." Sora said, crossing his arms.
The four of them were very surprised to hear that from him.
"Are you sure?" Lilynette asked.
"Yeah. I'll admit those four were though," Sora said before smirking. "But I'm confident that I can handle them now."
Aizen couldn't help but smirk at Sora's bravado. "Wonderful. The kind of answer I'd expect from you."
"So, when do I start?" Sora asked, eager to go this forest.
"Before you go, you should finish your training first." Aizen said, "Let's continue to see how you fare well against Kaname." Aizen and Gin walked further away to observe Sora and Tōsen. Lilynette also joined the two at the sidelines.
Sora shook his head and held his Keyblade forward.
"Second Form!" Sora shouted as his body began to glow. Once the light died down, everyone saw that Sora's clothes changed into a darker version of his previous attire that Lilynette had seen before.
"My, what a neat trick." Gin said, amused. "A nice way to change clothes."
"I remember this form." Lilynette recalled. "Sora used it in his fight with Nnoitra. Not only did his clothes change, he also got some good powers with it."
Aizen look intrigued. "Really. Then this shall be interesting."
Though he could not see, Tosen could feel the surge of power emanating from Sora.
"With this form, I should be able to keep up with Tosen better than I could before." Sora thought as he assumed his natural fighting stance.
"Ready?" He asked Tōsen.
The Soul Reaper only responded by taking up his fighting stance. Sora charged forward right towards Tōsen with a forward thrust once again, to which he instinctively blocked. However, using the momentum, Sora jumped over Tōsen's head and landed behind him. While Tōsen was still recovering from the shock of the Keybearer getting behind him, Sora took advantage of that and struck Tōsen with several blows. He then decided to use his Sonic blade attack, however, Tōsen used Flash Step to block those attacks. Tōsen's sword struck Sora's arm, causing a slash mark to appear. While it hurt, the spiky-haired boy was nowhere near out of the fight. Tōsen and Sora went blow for blow, and they began locking blades, Tōsen delivered a straight kick on Sora's stomach area.
As Sora was sent flying back, Tōsen quickly readjusted himself and used his Shikai again. Instead of jumping high in the area, he swung his blade directly at Sora.
As the barrage of blades were coming at him, Sora made no attempt to dodge, instead he closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, as if time slowed down, Sora managed to locate that path of blades. Knowing where to attack, Sora made sure to block all those blades storms with his Keyblade.
"Interesting," Aizen said as he observed Sora swing his Keyblade to deflect all of Tōsen's rapid attacks. "Sora's senses are indeed quite sharp. Not just anyone is able to keep up with the speed of Kaname's soraihikō."
"This guy continues to impress me." Gin commented. "And that transformation of his is no joke. Almost works like a shikai. What's next, his Keyblade can transform like a Bankai."
Aizen would have replied, but soon became aware that they were not the only ones watching Sora's training session, "You can come out now, Szayelaporro."
Lilynette turned around and gasped when she saw Szayelaporro stepping out of the shadows himself.
"I knew I could never sneak past you, Lord Aizen." The Eighth Espada said with an irritating superior smile on his face.
"What the! You're here!?" She was not really fond of the Eight Espada, much more than Sora was.
"Why of course I am." Szayelaporro said, with rolling eyes. "I didn't want to miss witnessing young Sora in action." He soon smiled mischievously when he realized he wasn't the only one interested. "I see you two couldn't help yourselves as well."
Lilynette turned and gaped when she saw Halibel and Ulquiorra stepped out as well. "You're…"
"Well, well," said another voice, interrupting Lilynette. "Looks like you three were having a party and didn't invite me."
The four Arrancars looked to see Nnoitra behind them.
"Nnoitra." Halibel said with narrowed eyes. She was still angry of the way he attacked her Fracciónes. "What are you doing here?"
"I can ask you the same thing Halibel." Nnoitra scoffed.
"Will you two be quiet." Ulquiorra ordered. "You're disturbing Lord Aizen."
The Espada's turned over to Aizen and Gin. The latter who just smiled at their scuffle while the former had long noticed their presence, but said nothing. Until now…
"It seems Sora's getting tired," he told her. That got the other's attention and they continued to watch the fight.
Indeed, Sora was starting to were down. The more he kept blocking, the more it was becoming harder. Sora knew that he had to do something fast. During the attack, he noticed some of the blades were starting to dwindle. Seeing an opening in Tōsen. With that in mind, Sora pointed his Keyblade toward the Soul Reaper and narrowed his eyes to lock on.
"Shotlock: King of Hearts!" He shouted as he fired a barrage of heart-shaped projectiles at his opponent. However, Tōsen used Flash Step to evade the attack. Sora, having a feeling of where he would turn up turned around and shot a lightning spell at where Tōsen had just been standing. Tōsen, while caught off guard, quickly recovered and tilted his head left as the attack passed him and used Flash Step again.
"Not bad, Sora." Tōsen said, appearing just a few feet away from him. "You realized frontal attacks wouldn't work and so you moved on to long ranged attacks."
Sora may not have been the smartest person in the world but has a firm grasp when it comes to fighting. Just needs of few minutes of fighting and he can adapt well to his opponents fighting style and attacks.
"There's more where that came from." Sora told him as he held his Keyblade like he was blocking something.
Tōsen fired a Hadō spell at Sora again. When suddenly, the Keyblade produced a barrier of light that surrounded Sora's body. It instantly blocked Tōsen's kidō and caused it to recede back, where Tōsen was pushed back from the recoil. Before he could react, the barrier soon dispersed, unleashing a spray of light that hit the blind Soul Reaper. He held his arms out to block the attack but it still damaged him a bit.
"What a unique attack," Aizen said, his interest growing the more the fight went on. "And it certainly seems that Kaname won't be playing around anymore.
"So that shield not only protects him from attacks but also redirect a more powerful one back at the opponent." Szayelaporro observed as a glanced over to Nnoitra. "Doesn't that sound familiar eh, Nnoitra?"
Lilynette, Halibel, and Ulquiorra looked over at the Fifth Espada. Instead of sneer or snide remark, he just looked on emotionless.
"It does." was all he said. The Eighth Espada just smiled smugly, having a feeling of who he was thinking of.
"Impressive work, I will admit," Tōsen said, getting back up. "An attack I did not see coming. Hopefully, you kept more in reserve?"
"Why don't you find out!" Sora said as he fired two fireballs at Tōsen. But it didn't end there as Sora performed a Strike Raid attack. Tōsen countered the two fireballs but didn't expect the Strike Raid and was struck to right side. Deciding to stop playing around, Tōsen used Flash Step to appear right beside the Keyblade wielder, who barely had time to dodge roll as Tōsen swung his sword at him. At first Sora thought he was safe, but then Tōsen spun around at the last second and delivered a powerful kick that Sora blocked with his Keyblade. Before the blade struck him, Sora managed to perform a Ripple Drive which was enough to blast the blind Soul Reaper away from the Keybearer. However, Tōsen quickly recovered and charged straight ahead to stab Sora. The spiky-haired boy raised his Keyblade and instead of casting a reflect spell, the magic energy around him was much more…windy.
"Aero!" He unleashed a large gust of wind that blow Tosen away. When the wind died down, a windy barrier surrounded him.
"Another barrier, huh." Gin said, intrigued.
"This one feels different than his previous one." Ulquiorra noted. Lilynette was confused but looked on as the fight continued.
Tōsen's blade was repelled. Regaining his composure, he heard Sora scream as he began expanding his wind barrier, causing it to spin with more pressure as powerful winds began emanating from Sora's body. As Sora stood tall and firm, the winds powerful pressure began blowing up a lot of the sand, effectively creating a sandstorm.
Sora charged and began locking blades with Tōsen. Said opponent raised his free hand to try and shield himself from the wind and sand. Since this shield protected him from physical attacks, the next option would be Kidō.
With their swords still connected, Tōsen shouted, "Hadō #11: Tsuzuri Raiden"
Tōsen generated an electric current through his blade, which had been touching Sora's as well. Soon, the Keyblade wielder was filled with an intense amount of electrical pressure. He realized that this must be what that Kidō spell does; anything or anyone which it comes into contact gets damaged by the current that runs through them.
Sora had to admit, if it wasn't for his Aero spell, then he would've felt the full force of that attack. Seeing this, the spectators realized that this wind shield's power is to reduce the damage the user takes by half while it remains active. But Tōsen had little time to ponder as he had come to a decision. He looked over at Aizen, who immediately knew what he had in mind.
"Lord Aizen, is something wrong?" Halibel asked, noticing their silent exchange.
Aizen just chuckled, "Let's just say, we're taking precautions." Waving his hand, he ignited the at a single point. "Bakudō #73. Tozanshō!"
Soon, the spell formed a blue energy that extended upward to four points and formed an inverted pyramid. They realized that their leader had created a form of barrier around them. But why? What was about to happen that he needed to create a barrier. Lilynette looked over to Gin, who had that irritating smile, as if he knew what was about to happen.
"You did well to last this far, Sora." Tōsen commented. "However, now it is time I show you my true Shikai." Sora narrowed his eye and resumed his fighting stance, anticipating Tōsen next attack.
Meanwhile, even though this was a spar, Lilynette still couldn't help but feel concerned for her new friend. Friend. She felt confused as to why she suddenly cared for this Human who had just came into their midst. Maybe it was that story about how he went so far for a friend that turned against him. If it had been her then she would have considered him a lost cause. But not Sora. Sora was willing to go so far for his best friend and just the other day when he protected Halibel's Fracciónes from Nnoitra. No matter what, Sora would be there to help people in need. To be honest, that was the kind of person she and Starrk had longed for before Lord Aizen came along. While she still didn't know what a friend was, she considered Sora someone fun to be around. The young Arrancar returned her gaze to the match, hoping that what Tōsen was planning, Sora would have a trick up his sleeve.
Tōsen had pull his sword halfway off his sheath before saying the words. "Cry, Suzumushi!" Soon the alarms in Sora's had soon rang as he heard a loud high-pitched tone that seemed to have taken over a wide area. The Keyblade wielder soon began to see the entire world become black and white as he felt his hearing being overloaded. This must be Tōsen real Shikai; his Zanpakutō produces a high-pitched tone so loud it would render anyone in the range unconscious.
Sora soon began to feel his consciousness slip away. He needed to do something fast. Suddenly, he noticed the slash on his leg from his earlier battle. Taking a chance, he punched it with full force. The punch caused it to gush out some blood while Sora screamed in pain. His body being filled with nothing but that sensation. This certainly did the trick as soon his vision became clear and the sound soon stopped.
Needless to say, the spectators were impressed.
"I don't believe it," Gin said with a mocked surprised tone. "He actually stopped Kaname's Shikai."
"He attacked his own injury which caused the sensation to nullify the sound." Ulquiorra said. Though he didn't show it, the Fourth Espada was impressed. "A pragmatic solution if I must say."
"Sora certainly is an interesting person." Halibel commented. "Even I may have had difficulty in dealing with that kind of power."
"And with those magic spells at his disposal, it only makes him more formidable." Szayelaporro said in glee, "If Sora continues to tease me like this, I don't know if he can control myself."
Nnoitra just scoffed. "Yeah. Yeah. The kid's great." He said sarcastically. "But he won't be for long."
Lilynette was unable to hide her smile. So, he did have a trick up his sleeve after all. She may have doubted him at first but after this, she felt that Sora could take on just about anything.
Aizen had just looked on. He had to admit that it was a gamble to see if Sora could withstand the intense vibration from Tōsen Suzumushi. But it seems that it paid off. "Sora, you never cease to amaze me. Just as I expected."
Much like the others, Tōsen was both impressed and surprised that someone had managed to nullify his Shikai. However, noticing that Tōsen had his guard down, Sora decided it was time to strike. He produced a green light from his Keyblade and placed it on his wound. This caused the bruise to go down and the cut to close. So, Sora had an ability similar to Kaido as well. Regaining his senses, Tōsen switched to soraihikō. However, Sora was ready for it this time. He first knocked a few of the blades out of the way with a swing, then he swung horizontally and knocked away several of them, finally he did a back flip and landed in time to deflect the remaining ones away. He then got in reach of Tōsen, who had been caught off guard. Sora took the initiative and utilized his Zantetsuken attack. Before the Soul Reaper could react, Sora struck pass Tōsen with immense speed, striking him in the mid-section.
"Not as effective as your Shikai but it's one way of beating enemies." Sora said as his Second Form deactivated.
"I think that's enough for now." Aizen said, looking rather amused by the whole thing. The two stopped and looked towards him. "That was a splendid first day of training. But I don't want you two getting carried away."
"It's okay." Sora spoke up. "I'm still able to fight."
"Of that I have no doubt." Aizen said. "But remember you have a mission to do. And besides, with the guests we have here, this presents us with an excellent opportunity."
"Huh?" Sora then noticed that a few of the Espada had gathered nearby, no doubt watching the spar between him and Tōsen. Among them were, Szayelaporro, Nnoitra, Ulquiorra and Halibel.
"It seems they could not resist seeing you in action," Aizen said to the Keybearer before looking back at some of his Espada with a smile. "Well, what do you think of our guest now that you've seen what he can do?"
Szayelaporro was looking at the spiky-haired boy with a wide smile and half-closed eyes. The look made a shiver go down said boy's spine. "I already saw Sora as a fascinating person and my opinion only strengthens with every fight I see him endure. Would you mind if I studied you and your weapon some time, Sora? I'd love to learn more about it."
After hearing of what he does to his Fracciónes, he had a nasty feeling that told him not to get involved with Szayelaporro's experiments.
Nnoitra just said nothing, shooting Sora a nasty sneer that clearly meant he was determined to finish the fight between them.
"I see," Aizen said. "And what is your opinion of him Ulquiorra?" At his words, Sora looked over at the Fourth Espada.
Ulquiorra stared at the Keyblade wielder with void eyes, causing Sora to start feeling a little bit unsettled. Ulquiorra stared at him for a few more seconds before looking back at Aizen.
"He is interesting," Ulquiorra surmised. "While the powers of his Keyblade are noteworthy, his true strength lies in how well he uses it. Along with his ability to adapt to his opponent's style of fighting. It shows that, despite his brash nature, he also possesses tactical prowess."
Sora could see that Ulquiorra was one of the most analytical member of the Espada. And judging by some of the surprise looks, it meant that he rarely ever acknowledges a person's power.
"I would have to agree with Ulquiorra," was all Halibel had to say.
Nnoitra shot her a look. "How do we know you're not just saying that because he protected your Fracciónes?"
Halibel narrowed her eyes at him, obviously not forgiving him for harming Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun.
"That's enough." Aizen told them. The two Espada looked away from each other as Aizen turned his attention back to sora. "I too can see Ulquiorra's point. His tenacity, combined with Sora's own resourcefulness, puts him on a league of his own."
"Thanks." Sora said, "I gotta admit though that the Keyblade has helped a lot ever since I began my journey."
"Hmm," Aizen scratched his chin, something coming to mind. "Tell me, have you been in a situation where you were without a Keyblade?"
Sora rubbed his arm, he didn't want to say this, especially with Nnoitra around. However, he didn't want to leave him without an answer. "Only once." He muttered, recalling one point where he lost his Keyblade and was left powerless against the Heartless for a time. "However, I can still cast spells without it. Besides, the Keyblade comes back to my hand when I recall it." Or if someone tries to take it from him.
"Hmm," Aizen said again as he took this in. "Care to demonstrate."
Sora was confused by this, but decided to follow him. He threw his Keyblade a few inches away from him. Before he could re-summon it, Aizen appeared in front of him and suddenly knock him flat on his back.
This certainly surprised the others, except Nnoitra, who grinned at the sight. "L-lord Aizen" Lilynette barely spoke.
"It appears to also be a risk, Sora." Aizen said. "If our enemies were to discover this, then like what I just did, they would not hesitate to strike you down before you have a chance to summon your Keyblade again. Perhaps I can have Kaname teach you Hakuda. A little self-defense that can help you fend off Soul Reapers long enough for you to recall your Keyblade."
Sora, having gotten up from being knocked down, had mixed feelings about this. He wasn't really much of a fist fighter but Aizen made a decent point.
"However," Aizen turned towards Tōsen's direction, "I would like for you to teach Sora only the exercise methods of Hakuda. As you said before, Sora lack of a refined style is his peculiarity."
"What do you have in mind, sir?" Tōsen asked.
"The exercise method is meant to sharpen oneself without the use of forms or techniques." Aizen explained. "Hopefully, through this, he can develop his own personal style."
This certainly interested Sora. He didn't know what to expect from this kind of training. "All the same, you continue to impress me, sora," Aizen said warmly.
Sora couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "Yeah well, I should be thanking Tōsen for the training."
"Your quite welcome." Tōsen said, "I'm too am impressed with your resourcefulness and strategic skills. This was certainly the first time anyone has ever used pain to counter Suzumushi. Of course, this means I can afford to hold back less during our training."
Aizen then looked over at Gin. "And what do you think of him, Gin?"
"I'd say he meets my expectations." Gin said before looking at Sora. "Though if this were a real fight, he'd stand no chance against me with my Bankai."
This certainly got Sora's attention. He couldn't help but wondered what their Bankais were like.
Aizen looked over to Sora "Now that your training is over for today, you should get started for your mission. However, if you wish to rest…"
"No, I'm good." Sora reassured as he started to stretch his legs. "That match was intense but like I said, I still have a lot left in me. This should be a good way to release it."
Some of them were a bit dumbfounded at Sora's remark, "Hmm. You seem to be filled with boundless energy." Halibel said what was one her mind.
"Gotta admit, this kid's a riot." Gin laughed, "I am so glad he came here."
Szayelaporro nodded. "He's certainly has livened things up around here."
Aizen just chuckled, "Well then, you better get started. Before you do." he handed Sora a rolled-up paper, "Take this map. It has direction that will surly guide you to the Forest of Menos."
The spiky-haired boy took the map and placed it on his back pocket. With that Sora left. Not before hearing Lilynette call out to him. "Hey Sora."
Sora turned over to see the young Arrancar look at him with a neutral expression. "What is it Lilynette? You wanna come along?"
Lilynette shook her head. "No not really. Besides, I think Lord Aizen just recommended you." She looked away for a few moments before turning to face him, where she smiled. "Just watch your back okay."
Sora returned the smile. "You got it." With that, Sora moved on to the Forest of Menos.
As Sora grew farther and farther, Aizen turned over to the other Espada. "Now that you are all here," Aizen said to some of his Espada, changing the subject. "I would like for all of the Espada to report to the meeting room. There are somethings I wish to discuss."
The four Espadas looked at their leader curiously. What could Aizen want to talk to them about? Aizen simply smiled at the curiosity and confusion.
"All will be made clear." he told them cryptically.
Seeing that was all their leader was going to tell them, the rest of the Espada dispersed. As they left, Aizen turned towards Lilynette.
"I will make sure the others are notified about the meeting. Would it be alright if you went to get Starrk?"
"Of course, Lord Aizen!" Lilynette said. She looked on over to where Sora was before heading back to get her partner.
Starrk was busy laying down on his cot, catching up on some well-deserved sleep. Things have been a little quite with Lilynette and Sora gone. While he was satisfied to be undisturbed, he couldn't help but miss those two. Though he wouldn't have to wait long.
"HEY Starrrrrk!" Lilynette had slammed her hand into Starrk's mouth.
"Gaaaaaahhh!" Starrk immediately got up and pulled Lilynette off of him. Lilynette landed safely and laughed as Starrk massaged his throat and breathed heavily. He scowled as he looked on to the grinning girl.
"Oh great, your back." He mumbled. "What do you want?"
"Get movin'," Lilynette said. "Lord Aizen wants you and the other Espada at the meeting room."
Starrk raised an eyebrow, "The meeting room. What does he want to go over?"
"You'll find out when you get there." She said firmly. "Now get goin'!"
Starrk sighed, deciding to go see what their leaders wants. However, as he started exiting the room, he noticed that a certain someone wasn't here.
"Where's Sora?" he asked.
"Oh, Lord Aizen sent him on a mission to the Forest of Menos." Lilynette informed.
"By himself." Starrk said dumbfounded.
"Sora can handled himself." She replied smiling as she recalled his training.
Starrk noticed that. "I guess the training went well, uh?"
"Hell yeah!" Lilynette said raising her arms as emphasis. "You should have seen it, Sora was all over the place. The way he handled Tōsen was awesome. Hell, Lord Aizen and even the other Espadas were impressed."
"Well, considering that he traveled a lot when going through so many worlds, you think he probably be used to this." Starrk also decided to say something else, "By the way, I noticed that you've been getting close to him. Never thought that would happen, especially since he's Human."
The First Espada expected Lilynette to lash out on him, but strangely she didn't. She leaned against the wall, with her hands behind her head.
"Hmm, well, at first I didn't have any opinion on him." She admitted. "But after seeing him fight Nnoitra, I started getting curious. Hearing all his adventures just made it grow more. But, I gotta admit that he's really nice and for some reason, it feels fun being around him." She looked over at him. "Don't you think?"
Starrk had recalled a similar feeling he had after their first mission. Sora was something else, though he decided not to say anything on that. "Arrancars like us aren't really used to things like fun or kindness. Maybe that what you see in him." He guessed as her stepped out.
Lilynette just laid down and stared up at the ceiling. Contemplating Starrk's words, "Maybe I do."
An hour had past and Sora was becoming greatly annoyed. He had following the map that Aizen gave him with directions to the Forest of Menos. Surprisingly, there was a passage from within the dorm that lead him to a long corridor. This was obviously the passage-way to the forest. For the most part, Sora had been following this corridor for a long time and has made little progress in getting close to the exit.
"Man. Just how long is this hallway anyways? You think by now I'd at least come across an exit or something."
However, Sora would have to wait no longer. He came across a dead end.
"Is this the exit?" Sora looked over to see if there were any handles, switch, keyhole, anything to see if there was an opening. While looking, the boy noticed that the dead end was a little ragged. As if someone placed a large object to block this opening. Deciding to find out, Sora grabbed on to the end, and, with all his might, moved to see that it was a bolder that was blocking the entrance.
Stepping out, Sora gaped at what he saw. True to Aizen's word, the was a forest but not like a regular forest. The trees here were much larger than the ones back on the islands and they were colored silver. The extended so high that he couldn't even see the end.
While impressed, Sora shock his head, remembering his mission.
"Right, I got to look for those unruly Hollows." Sora looked around, not seeing anything. He sighed. "Well, better start looking."
With that, Sora kept on moving. Unknown to him, there was someone hiding behind one of the large silver trees, watching Sora closely before running off.
As Sora continued wandering around, a large group of Menos suddenly came down from the trees and began surrounding Sora.
Sora looked to see that they were a dozen or so surrounding him. He summoned his Keyblade and said, "Well...this made finding you a lot easier." Sora took his fighting stance, with an excited smile on his face. After his fight with Nnoitra and Tōsen, he was confident that he could take on these hollows. He just had to remember his training.
Seeing two that were near him, he ran at the pair, slicing them in half. The Menos next to him tried to fire a Cero while the other leapt towards him. Sora counter the first one with a reflect, causing the Cero to repel back at the Menos, destroying it. The other one, Sora effortlessly side-stepped and then used a Strike Raid to kill it.
He then used a combination of three fire spells that he fired at three other Menos, reducing them to ash, and he destroyed the other Menos by incasing it an ice, where it shattered.
Two more Menos managed to jump high in the air, rearing their claws back. Sora however, used his wind shield Aero, to protect himself. While at the same time, causing the sharpness of the wind to attack the Menos, destroying them.
Finally, the last two Menos attempted to fire two ceros at the same time but Sora used one of his strongest sword technique, Zantetsuken, to finish them both.
With all of them gone, Sora took a deep breath of air, as he called off his Keyblade. "Will I guess that takes care of them. But still, I thought these hollows would at least put up a decent fight like those other four. Oh well."
However, the was another Menos hiding behind one of the trees. Seeing all the others were dead and the Human had his guard down, it decided to take the initiative. The Menos jumped out and managed to get behind the spiky-haired boy without giving away its presence. However, Sora quickly sensed it and turned around.
The Menos prepared to fire a big red cero. However, before it could even finish, a man jumped off the tree and slice the Menos in half. Sora watched in surprise. He had been ready to attack the Menos but the man already took care of that.
After the Menos disappeared, Sora got a good look at the man. He was carrying a Zanpakutō. He was wearing a Hollow mask that resembled a gazelle. He also had a fur coat, consisting of other Hollow masks, that draped over himself. Underneath it, he had a black Shihakushō with no footwear.
Looking over at the mysterious masked person, Sora smiled and said, "Thanks for saving me. My name is Sora. What's yours?"
The mysterious figure turned to face Sora. He stared at him, wondering if he should answer or not. After waiting a few more seconds, he decided to remove his mask. When it was off, Sora could see that this mysterious person was a man with red unkempt hair that was even spikier than his. He also had a very serious expression on his face.
The new man replied. "My name… is Ashido Kanō."
To Be Continued…
A/N: Nothing much changes, however as you saw in my previous chapter, I decided to include Sora's abilities from Kingdom Hearts III, such as Shotlock. He currently has access to Second Form only, which let's him use his past abilities. His magic is still Fire, Water, Cure, Blizzard, Thunder, and Aero, though Aero works as it did in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (deals offensive damage but then forms a defensive barrier). Reflect works more like a blocking barrier similar to Riku and Aqua. However, Stop will make it's return. As for the Formchange power, that will return, though you'll have to see how. I still plan for Ashido to join the battle, so that part hasn't changed.
Next Time: Sora meets Ashido Kanō and learns of his past. Meanwhile, Sora can't help but wonder if Aizen truly plans to bring good change or if he has a more alternative motive. Please review, but don't flame.