Danny, was indeed the missing 'someone else' who had to be present, but still Karen didn't answer him. She let them to one of the elevators, taking out a key and placing it in a keyhole below the normal controls. The panel of controls retracted, sliding aside to be replaced by a second, different set with only four options on them. Each had only a number, nothing more.
Sora and Danny shared a look, but he seemed to know no more than Sora did. Evidently whatever was happening, even he didn't understand.
At Karen's push of button three, the panels returned to normal, and she retrieved her key, the elevator humming into life.
"It won't be more than a few moments to arrival," she told them.
"Arrival where?" Danny's question echoed Sora's thoughts, but Karen gave no reply.
Nerves began to grow on him. Had he done something wrong? Was the offer of being a First just a snare?
He shook himself, pushing that thought from him. Of course it wasn't, it made no sense for anyone to do that. Except Sephiroth... unless Sephiroth didn't know, but that hardly seemed likely. If he really was the one at the top, then surely he'd know at least of him, if not Roxas' appearance, in the Arcology.
The elevator stopped, doors opening onto a massive vaulted hall. It reminded him of a church, but without the benches, and with a blank white tiled floor that seemed out of place among the darker coloured walls. Dark windows surrounded every wall, sparks playing over them occasionally with a faint accompaniment of thunder. In alcoves set along each wall stood Roman style pillars with statues atop them, in full colour, depicting various men and woman. Past Grandmasters, perhaps?
"Come with me, and don't stray over the blue lines on the floor," Karen told them, now striding confidently ahead.
"After you," Danny murmured to Sora, gesturing after her. He too seemed nervous, but hid it far better than Sora did.
As they walked, he noticed other coloured lines along the floor, always in pairs, and perpendicular to each other. A red set lead to a small, unimportant looking door off to their left behind them, while lime green ones led to a matching but otherwise normal door opposite it.
Following the blue lines, he saw they led to a junction ahead, where the left branch turned yellow and headed to some wooden doors marked with 'GMQ' one. It was anyone's guess what 'GMQ' meant.
The right branch was black, a stark contrast to the white tiles. It led to a bronze door, or at least one that looked bronzed, that was unmarked. Two men, clearly dressed as guards, stood watch over it, unmoving. There was no reaction to them passing by, they merely stood. It was somehow unsettling.
The center path continued blue, and lead to massive ornate double doors, with intricate patterns laid out on it in golden lines, with yet more patterns in a shimmering silver. Among the patterns he could clearly make out the outlines of a Lion and a Bear on the left door, and on the right, a Wolf and an Owl. The doors were fully four times their height, and wide enough to accommodate at least a small army. Every spark that showed over a window accented different parts of the door and it's designs, making it almost seem to move of it's own accord. It was an impressive sight, and it left them both speechless, stopped in their tracks.
Karen paid no attention, continuing to the door, then stopping and turning to face them.
"You know, everyone does that when they first come here?" she asked. "It took me a while before I could move again. You two, on the other hand, have an appointment to keep. They're waiting for us."
Almost reluctant to leave the view of the door, Danny tore his eyes off it, and tugged on Sora's arm to pull him away too. Nerves had been forgotten in the face of this wonder, but once he got past it, they returned in force, and with interest. He did his best to hide it.
"I thought you'd never get here," Karen grinned as they met her at the vast base of the door. "Come. Almost there."
The doors seemed to move easily at her touch, until he realised she wasn't touching them at all. Her power, probably. Beyond lay another hall, the same width and height, but it was considerably shorter from here to the only other door. Tables and chairs lay scattered around. Three people were seated at one of them.
"About time you showed up, Karen," one called. "They're getting impatient."
"Ah, don't be so hard on her," another told the first. "You know she likes to cover everything."
"Don't you old coots have anything better to do?" Karen asked them with an arch look.
"Nope, we're waiting to see what'll come of this."
She shook her head, but with an amused look as the strangers watched them pass to the other doors. Unlike the previous ones, they were unadorned of gold and silver, instead made of a plain dark wood with ornate carvings in. These too, she pushed aside, then stood aside for them to enter.
"Wait here until I call you. You'll know when," she whispered to them, closing the doors behind them.
The room was dark, except for an area lowered down into the floor ahead, and specifically a curved table in that area. It looked a bit like an overlarge banana, Sora thought, then wondered why he'd thought that.
It was divided into two halves, three people seated on either side, their faces hidden in the shadows. Between the two groups sat a further three, two seated on chairs that were raised slightly above the others, then the center one practically a throne in it's own right, again raised up slightly more upon a small dais. The occupant was shielded from view in the darkness, making it impossible to tell who it was. Sora suspected he already knew.
In front of the table was a small stand, not unlike a witness stand in a courtroom, raised on the same level as the dais opposite. There was no seat, only three panels of wood, and a small area to place any notes in front.
Karen took the stand, and waited.
"Who are you, who stands before us?" one voice asked.
"I am Karen, duly appointed Authoritor of the Council," she intoned formally.
"Why do you stand before us?"
"I bring the two Council chose to meet at this time, as the Council required of me."
"Then proceed with your duty."
"As you command." She stepped out of the stand, and over to one side. "I call Danial May Time the First to the stand.
"That'd be me," Danny muttered "Don't tell anyone you know my real name."
"Good luck," Sora whispered back, growing more nervous. It was starting to look like a courtroom trial.
"Confirm your identity," Danny was told.
"I am the First, Danial May Time, also known as Danny. I came to the Dark Arcology by way of Merle, who is no longer a First, and was named her Second. When she was stepped down, I took her place on a temporary basis."
"The basis being that another was selected to take her place but was ineligible, correct?"
"That is correct."
"You do not wish to take this position permanently?"
"Only if there is no alternative available to me."
"You know who the selected is, do you not?"
"I was present at the time of his being chosen, yes."
"Do you believe he is capable of the tasks you currently undertake?"
"More than capable. I believe he could be a First that stands out among them all, a shining example of how a First should be, and what a First should do."
"You may step down."
He nodded, and took a place opposite Karen. Now on the left of it, she stood, and on the right, Danny.
"Call forth the other chosen to be here, Authoritor."
"As you command. I call the Keyblade Master, Sora, to the stand."
Keenly aware of how alone he felt, put in the spotlight as he walked the stand, trying to mask the nerves that almost erased clear thought, he tried to calm himself, and stood before the Council appearing, if not feeling, calm, composed and in complete control of himself.
"Confirm your identity," he was told.
He took his lead from Danny, swallowed, then speaking slow and clear so as not to stumble over words, stated, "I am the Second, Sora, under the First, Danial May Time, brought into the Dark Arcology by the same Merle that brought him here."
"You were selected to be First, but instead you are Second. Why is that?"
"I didn't qualify, having not been here the required week, that requirement now fulfilled."
The members on one side leaned together, holding a hushed conversation briefly. Then finally, one of them spoke again. "Your claim to that requirement is accepted and verified. You are confirmed to be eligible for the position. You are aware there is a great responsibility placed upon you if you are granted this position?"
"I am."
"You may step down."
Karen gestured for him to take her place, and returned to the stand herself.
"Authoritor, what is your judgement?"
"My judgement is that the Keyblade Master, Sora, is ready to take on the rights, responsibilities and priviledges of being a First, and that Danial Time should be returned to his prior rank, and serve Sora in the same capacity as he served Merle so well before."
"The council will recess to consider this judgement. Await in the antechamber."
Karen led them out again. The trio of strangers that had been there had now left, leaving them alone.
"I wasn't aware this happened when a new First came to power," Danny said in a hushed tone as they took a seat each.
"It doesn't happen often, and it's even rarer that the Advisors and Grandmaster are present as well. My guess is that it's something to do with Merle's rule breaking, and something special about you, Sora."
"Me?"
"You're a Keyblade Master, and there's rumours that someone is taking a personal interest in your actions here. Someone in there likes you."
"How long do we have to wait?"
"Patience, Sora. There's only ever been once when it took more than a few minutes. The debate that time took four days. Fortunately, that was some time ago, with a different Council, Advisors and Grandmaster. That was under the rather oddly named Grandmaster Toad."
They sat in silence, waiting. There were no clocks here, making it impossible to tell how long.
Their waiting was disturbed by what looked like a giant yellow fish swimming through the upper part of the hall.
Karen sighed. "Ignore it, it's not really there. Someone's playing games again."
"What kind of game does this?"
"The kind where you have too many Authoritors with too much time on their hands, so everyone from below who comes up here is a target for any and all kinds of strange humour. I don't take part in it myself, but there's some oddballs up here that are never going to grow up."
The door creaked open, and a head poked around. "The council is in session again. You're all required to be present."
"We'll be there in just a moment," she told the head, which disappeared again. "Stay right behind me, one of you on either side."
There didn't seem to be any apparent change in the room when they returned, taking up places behind her as she'd told them, right behind the stand.
The figure on the throne stood. Sora recognised the silhouette. He already knew who it was, but this confirmed it.
It stepped forward into the light, proving him right.
"The Council's decision has been reached, the Advisors agree," Sephiroth said, his usual smirk over his face. "So now, it's put into effect. Authoritor Karen's judgement stands. Mister Time is granted the position he has done so well in before, and young master Sora... you will take his place among the ranks of the Firsts in my Arcology. I expect you'll have no trouble at all with it... I'll be watching you with interest, Sora."
"The decision is made," the Council all said at once. "Clear the room."

Sora sat outside again, letting relief wash over him. Karen had given her congratulations to him, and then gone back to work, leaving him alone with Danny.
"You alright there?"
"Yeah... fine."
"Big step up for you. You know if you need a hand, I'm here."
"I know."
"What's on you mind?"
"Just letting it sink in." Something nagged at his mind. "No one sorted the markings."
"Check again," Danny told him, showing his wrist. It once again sported the '2' marking him as a Second. Sora glanced as his own wrist, noting he had no rank marking there. Of course not, Firsts had the eyes. His eyes didn't feel any different though, and his vision didn't seem affected. The only difference was in the store of power he had access to. As with the jump from a third rank to being a Second, he could feel the massive difference.
"I wonder if I could get in to see him," he mused.
"Who?"
"Seph- I mean, the Grandmaster."
"What for?"
"I think he has something to do with the Heartless."
"That's a bold statement to make about your new boss, considering what just happened."
Sora made sure there was no one around, then told him about Seifer's report.
"If he's the one doing it, I've got to talk to him about it, and get him to stop it."
"He may have a good reason for it."
"Whatever it is, I don't like it. Kairi's there. Roxas is there, Jamie too. I've fought these things for ages, normally that just works, but there's something odd about his Heartless, he's up to something, I'm sure of it."
"I think it'd be better if you left it a while. Knowing you though, you probably won't."
"Your recommending I leave it, aren't you?"
"Just give it a bit of time."
"I don't really want to, I want to get it sorted."
"That's up to you, of course. You're the First."
Sora thought about it carefully for a few minutes, staring out of one of the dark windows.
"Find someone up here who can help us, and see if you can get me in to see him," he said finally, giving his first order as a First.
"I'll do what I can for you. No promises, but I'll try."
"Thanks Danny."
"Don't mention it. I won't let you down."
He got up and left Sora, glancing back once before leaving the room, leaving Sora by himself.
It seemed more and more often, he was by himself here. He'd taken Roxas out of the Arcology, his friends couldn't get in, and his new friends here didn't press their company on him unless they needed his advice. It left him wondering if all the Firsts were this lonely.
He too got to his feet now, and went to one of the windows lower down, looking out. Views of various places faded in and out, few, if any, he recognised. Once he thought he saw Twilight Town with it's wall of Heartless in the centre, but it faded again before he could be sure.
A spark lazily traveled down the window in front of him, the accompanying rumble making the floor nearby shake just enough to be noticed, then it faded. The view came into sharp focus. There was a hill with a town on, and it looked like the base of the Arcology, far below, was on a neighbouring hill.
Just like when he'd been taken, he mused. He searched the far hill, watching, and saw a figure leaving it, headed toward the Arcology. Evidently they were being taken in.
"Don't put up too much of a fight," he murmured, more to himself than the newcomer making his way down the path.
"Odd sentiment, coming from you," someone behind him said. "You almost ended up fighting right up until Merle had broken you."
"I gave in because there was no choice. That doesn't mean I think I made the right choice."
"Interesting all the same." The stranger joined him at the window. He was fairly sure she was one of the Council, but couldn't be certain, as he'd not seen any of their faces.
She had blonde hair, yellow-green eyes, and was dressed rather unremarkably. She had a skater kind of look about her. "I've been watching you since you first got here. You've made an impression on people you haven't even met yet, do you know that?"
"I know I was getting a reputation early on."
"The demoting of Merle you carried out has spread through the rumours like wildfire. Some people think you're someone to be afraid of, a harsh person who acts only in the interests of his own advancement. You've made a meteoric rise in the ranks in a short time. Not the quickest rise, but one of the quickest."
"What do others think of me?"
"Oh, there's various different ones. Some others think you're a maverick, out to change the way things are for us. A few up here think you're likely to find the way out you've been after, others think you'll run afoul of the Grandmaster, and of that, some think you'll fall to him, others think he'll fall to you."
"If I do end up against him again, I won't lose. I've never lost to him yet, I'm not going to start now."
"That's if you end up against him. Tread lightly around him, Sora. There are people he's consigned to being a first rank, and forbidden them from ever leaving that position unless he decides, and if he does that to you, you won't be able to fight it. Remember the power and authority here are linked, and those of the first rank can't challenge a ruling of anyone above them."
"I don't plan to let him do it."
"Like I said, tread lightly. You might hear from me from time to time. You've got my attention, so I'll know if you need me. Don't count on me though."
Sora didn't reply, knowing she'd already left.
A few minutes later, Danny returned.
"You won't believe this."
"Try me."
"He already knows you want to see him, and he's waiting for you."
Sora grinned to himself. "I guess I'd better go see him then. Where do I go?"
"The Grandmaster's Quarters, of course. It's the door marked 'GMQ' in that huge hall."
"I should have guessed. You go on back down below, Danny, I'll stop by and let you know what happens."
"You don't have to you know."
"You're my Second, and I'm new to this. I'd feel more comfortable knowing I can at least talk with you over it."
"I understand. I hope your meeting with him goes well."
"So do I."

Unlike the rest of these upper floors, the Grandmaster's Quarters were brightly furnished, no hint of darkness about them except for Sephiroth himself. Even the windows weren't darkened, though this was because he'd forced them to show wherever he wanted to see outside, which at the moment was giving him a panoramic view of Twilight Town and surrounds, allowing streaming bright sunlight in.
"I was wondering when you'd finally get here," he said, not turning around.
"What are you up to now?"
"Is that any way to say hello? I thought you better than that."
"You already know me, I already know you. I'm just cutting to the chase."
"Ah, I see. Come here, Sora, and have a look."
Sora kept to the side without the wing, glancing down.
"That's what I want to know about."
"My Heartless. I understand your Nobody is there."
"And someone I've an interest in, who said you told him you were testing me."
"Did I say that? Oh dear. I must have slipped up. I'm doing nothing, Sora. Merely observing."
"You can do it without them there."
"Hmm, no, I think not. They're serving their purpose there quite well."
"What'd that be then?"
"Simple. Letting no one not of the Arcology leave. Oh, and there's the small matter that in two days, they're going to descend on everyone trapped there, and do what Heartless do best, except to the Nobodies, who will probably be all that's left. I'd say they'd be destroyed, but I specifically told them to leave Roxas and Jamie alone."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I want to know how far you'll go, Sora. How far will you go to save your friends there? Will you side with me, and leave them to their fate, or will you try to fight? If you plan to save them, you'll need to call on every drop of the power granted to you, and use it in ways you've not even thought of yet."
"Are you insane? You'd let them consume every heart they can find, just to test me?"
"That's what I'm planning, yes. Really, Sora, I thought you'd have caught on a lot quicker than that. I don't care a bit for any of them, I just needed a target that would motivate you enough to either save them, or leave them as a lost cause."
"What are you going to do if I save them."
"That depends on what you do afterwards. You'll have come into your own right then, you'll have used the power to the point where you can use it in ways no one else can. What you do might make you a threat to me, and if you were, I'd act accordingly."
"And if I leave them?"
"Nothing. I'll know I'll have gained another First that's loyal to my Arcology, not his life before it."
"Has anyone ever told you you're cruel?"
"Oh, probably. But if they did, they only ever did it once. Present company excepted, of course. Go and figure out your little dialemma here, Sora. I want to see what you're going to do."
Sora didn't reply, storming out furiously.

Danny leaned on the counter, looking at the mostly empty tables. The café was quiet for this time of day. It was unusual to see it this quiet, even when there was something big going on. He didn't like it. Neither did Dog.
"Keep things going for me?" he asked Dog. "There's something I want to find out."
"Of course, Mas... Danny. I still haven't gotten used to that," he admitted ruefully. "I've had to do it for so long it's become a habit."
"I'm sure no one minds much. I'll be back soon. In theory."
"You expect trouble?"
"Something's up. It's too quiet."
"Have a look then, I'll handle things here."
"Thanks Dog."
"No trouble."
The corridors outside were dead. There was something very wrong here. Sora hadn't come back yet, but he had no idea when he would be.
He made his way out to the central area. It was exactly as it always was, bustling with activity. There was one activity that was distinctly different to normal, however. On the far side, people seemed to be scrambling clear out of someone's way. It was hard to tell who it was through the various trees and other natural life that was in the way, but whoever it was, was getting a wide berth.
Worried it might be someone gone rogue again, he headed closer, taking a route around the edge that'd put him right in the other's path.
Part way round, he realised who it was. It was Sora, who'd found himself a robe like his friend Roxas had been wearing, and he looked in a bad mood. He had to admit, the robe definitely added to the dramatic effect he was having. It made people clear out of his way before he even got close, and drag anyone else who was nearby clear whether they realised it or not. Sora looked uncharacteristically furious, you could practically feel an inexorable resolve behind it that no one would stand in the way of.
Danny met him and kept pace.
"I take it your meeting didn't go well."
"To say the least."
"Is that why you're terrorising everone in his part of the Arcology?"
"No, that just happens to be a side effect. I want to you to have the details of everyone I own with me as soon as possible, I need to know how many I have, what they're capable of, what they specialise in, if at all, everything. And I need you to find me someone who knows as much as possible about the power, and the link between me and everyone I own. I also want someone down at the registry to make sure all markings for everyone of mine are fully up to date, and if anyone is on a job right now, find someone who isn't mine to handle it, go to the job board, order some people around if you have to, so long as they're all free."
"You're planning something big then?"
"Probably bigger than everything we have, but until all that's seen to, I won't know for sure. You'll be able to find me, I assume?"
"Of course. I know how to find my First wherever he is, whether I'm summoned to him or not."
"Good. I won't need to figure out where I'll be at the time for you then."
They turned into the orange corridors of what was now Sora's part of the Arcology.
"I don't suppose you'd care to tell me about it?"
"Not yet. I'm still working on it, and I still need those details."
"I'll see to it."
"Get it done. Sooner the better."
Danny stopped outside the door to his café, watching Sora continue on. Something had really annoyed him, and it looked like it was something else starting to change him. Hopefully he wouldn't be too different when he calmed down. This side of Sora was fairly intimidating to see.