"WHERE IS HE?!" Terra yelled angrily as he burst through the door of Tifa's Seventh Heaven, startling those present.
"Terra, what-?!" Tifa asked but was cut off as Terra stormed past and up the stairs, shoving Firion and Cecil to the sides as he ran upstairs. Tifa immediately turned back towards the door to see Riku and Ven walking in through the front door.
"Riku, what's happening?" Tifa asked, desperate to know why Terra was on a rampage.
"Another world was abducted…my world." Riku said as he sat down at the bar top, putting his head in his hands.
"And Aqua's been abducted too." Ven added with a heavy sigh.
"No." Aerith said with a saddened expression.
"How many worlds are left?" Leon asked but Riku shrugged.
"I don't know. But almost every world we know of has been taken. The only ones we know are left are this one and Disney Castle." Riku responded.
"So why come here?" Leon asked.
"We think it's only a matter of time until the Neo-Beings come for you guys as well. When they do, we'll be here to help defend you guys." Ven replied as they heard shouting upstairs.
"Uh, Vanitas isn't here is he?" Riku asked, looking up at the ceiling.
"He, Axel, Sora, and Kairi arrived moments before you did. Sora and Kairi were unconscious so we helped them upstairs." Tifa replied mere moments before Vanitas came tumbling down the stairs followed by an angry Terra who landed on his feet standing over him. Terra the reached down, grabbed Vanitas by the collar and proceeded to pick him up then throw him into the wall, pinning him with his armored left arm against Vanitas's throat.
"YOU! You're responsible for this!" Terra hissed as Vanitas struggled to breathe.
"Terra! Let him go!" Riku yelled as he leapt up and rammed into Terra, breaking his hold on Vanitas who dropped to the floor, coughing as air filled his lungs again.
"You can't be serious Riku! After all that's happened?! They hit your homeworld! They've got Aqua! And all this started after he showed up!" Terra yelled, pointing at Vanitas. By now Axel had joined them down stairs.
"Don't remind me about what's happened Terra! You think I like knowing that my homeworld is as lively as a graveyard right now?! I've lost my world twice before, I know the feeling! But taking it out on Vanitas is not going to solve anything! Besides, he was with Sora and Kairi when the islands were hit and when Aqua was abducted! We can't blame him for this!" Riku yelled.
"He's got a point. He was with Sora and Kairi in Mirage Arena when both the Islands and Aqua were hit. And besides, has he even been to your homeworld? Yeah, I don't think so." Axel added.
"Then why were Sora and Kairi unconscious just now?" Terra asked.
"Kairi was suffocated by one of the Neo-Beings and Sora…I don't know. He just seemed to collapse after fighting with all four of his Keyblades at once." Vanitas explained but Terra didn't believe it.
"Four Keyblades? Tsh! Yeah right." Terra said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"But it's the truth! You have to believe me!" Vanitas pleaded but to no avail.
"Vanitas, maybe it would be best if you didn't stick around for a while." Riku said, stunning Vanitas.
"What?" he asked softly.
"Look, for your own safety, I think it would be best if you left." Riku said as Vanitas looked around, seeing the looks of resignation from most of those around. He then finally lowered his head with a sigh and headed for the door.
"I thought you were one of my friends Riku. I guess I was wrong." Vanitas said before closing the door behind him.
"That was…harsh." Axel said after a moment of awkward silence.
"Honestly, it was for his own safety. I won't lie; part of me wanted to get him too. Now to break the news to Sora and Kairi when they wake up." Riku said as he headed for the stairs.
Meanwhile…
"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" N-Kairi exclaimed as she saw N-Namine's arm. N-Eraqus was examining the damage while the other Neo-Beings stood around, all of them shocked at what they were seeing.
"It was that other one! He just touched me and it did this!" N-Namine cried.
"But how?! What is he?!" N-Kairi asked.
"Does Ansem know about this?!" N-Terra asked.
"Oh I imagine he does. Braig is with him now. The fool's probably getting an earful." N-Aqua commented as N-Eraqus finished examining N-Namine's arm.
"This damage is substantial. Only Ansem can repair this." N-Eraqus said as he stood up.
"Who is this guy? How is he able to damage us beyond our ability to regenerate?" N-Riku asked.
"And is it me, or has our stock of Manikins gone down since that attack on the progenitors in the arena? Why aren't they regenerating?" N-Ven asked.
"Could…could he be…Alpha series?" N-Sora asked.
"Alpha? Don't be absurd, they never worked! The closest things to successful before us were the Manikins, and they were thirteenth series!" N-Xion commented.
"No I meant our Alpha. The Alpha for the fourteenth series." N-Sora said as his fellow Neo-Beings turned towards him in thought.
"I thought you were our Alpha." N-Roxas said but N-Sora shook his head.
"No, I was made later. I know I was. We never found out what happened to our Alpha. Is it possible that this is him?" N-Sora asked.
"That wouldn't account for his strange power to harm us." N-Aqua said as N-Sora shrugged.
"Whatever he is, we need to make sure he gets taken care of…and soon." N-Sora said with a dark scowl as he looked at N-Namine's wound.
"That's on the to do list actually." They heard Braig say as he entered the room.
"Did we get anything from that Keyblade Master or Sora's parents?" N-Eraqus asked but Braig shrugged.
"Dunno. Ansem's examining their hearts right now. But something interesting has come of this. Namine here might've lost an arm but that fight gave us some new information about Sora." Braid said as N-Roxas and N-Xion both nodded.
"Yeah, he doesn't have just two Keyblades. He has four!" N-Roxas explained.
"Four?! Is that even possible?!" N-Sora asked in disbelief.
"It doesn't really matter. If the kid's got four then that puts him on the top of our list." Braig said with a grin as the Neo-Beings all turned towards him with curious looks on their faces.
"You mean-…" N-Terra said as Braig grinned and nodded before responding…
"Saddle up gang, we're going to catch us a Keyblade Master."
Back in Radiant Garden…
"Yuffie, don't you dare!"
"Oh come on Tina. It's just some harmless fun."
"Yuffie, now isn't the time for this. You did hear what happened to his world right?"
Sora's eyes flew open at this. He quickly sat up and looked around, startling Yuffie and Tina. Yuffie had a black marker in her hand. He was in one of the upstairs rooms at Tifa's Seventh Heaven.
"Wha-?! Where am I? How did I get here?" Sora asked.
"According to Vanitas you just kinda passed out. Apparently you were using some scary power and it was just too much for you. He and Axel brought you and Kairi here to recover." Aerith said as she entered the room.
"Oh. So where's Vanitas?" Sora asked but the three women exchanged hesitant looks.
"Um well…" Yuffie stammered. Sora's eyes widened and he quickly bounded out of the bed he was in and out the door. He hurried downstairs to find Kairi having just arrived there as well.
"Where is he?! What did you do to him?!" Sora asked Terra.
"He's gone." Terra replied calmly. Kairi immediately caught on to what they were talking about.
"You mean you-…" Kairi asked in horror.
"He's not dead. He's just not here. We told him to leave." Riku said, earning incredulous looks from the two.
"Riku? You too?" Sora asked in disbelief.
"Sora, our homeworld is empty. Everyone is gone. Your parents, mine, even Kairi's." Riku said as Sora scowled at him.
"I thought you didn't believe he was responsible!" Sora asked angrily.
"I don't but Terra was seconds away from attacking him. I sent him away for his own safety!" Riku said as Sora sat down in one of the booths, his arms crossed over his chest in frustration.
"I can't believe this is happening." Sora mumbled to himself. Kairi sat down next to him, also displeased with the turn of events.
"Look, I'm sorry. I only did what I thought was the best course of action for all of us." Riku said as he sat down at the bar top with Ven. Terra quietly sat down in one of the corner booths, out of the way from everyone else. Axel, who had been quietly standing against one of the walls, finally let out a grunt.
"Wow. So this is what a sullen Sora looks like. It's not like you to get this way." Axel said as he approached Sora. Virtually the entire Restoration Committee was present in the room and they quietly watched as the ex-Nobody crossed the room.
"I always thought you were the most optimistic of all of us. Things are dark now but you always buck up. Sometimes you just need that extra push." Axel said as Sora looked up slightly at him but said nothing.
"Look, if there's one thing that having this heart of mine has taught me, it's that I like seeing my friends in a good mood. You especially Sora. When you frown, it's like the world dims a little. You're the only one I know who could hold a smile even in the worst of times. But now I guess I know what it finally takes to make Sora frown." Axel commented.
"Axel, let it go." Riku said but Axel shook his head.
"No I don't think so. Yeah things look grim right now but you'll find a way through. You always do after all. After all, you're Sora! The Keyblade Master! You're known in virtually every world I know of and they all say that you're one of the best people they know!" Axel said but Sora didn't respond.
"It's true. He helped all of us return to our homes." Leon said as Yuffie and Aerith both nodded.
"And he's saved our home on several occasions." Cid added.
"He helped Cloud find his light and that matters to me." Tifa commented.
"He helped me overcome my fear of the Darkness." Bartz added.
"And I admire his luck with the ladies." Zidane tossed in although this earned him a few blank stares from the others.
"What we're trying to say Sora, is that you're pretty much the guy we all admire." Aerith said as Axel grinned.
"Yeah and seeing you like this…it just gnaws at us all, and at a time like this, you've got to pull yourself together!" Axel said as he put his arm around Sora. (Music Cue: Gaston – Beauty and the Beast).
"Gosh it disturbs me to see you, this way.
Looking so down in the dumps.
Every guy here'd love to be you, Sora,
even if taking your lumps."
Axel sang as he stood up and motioned around to the crowd who all nodded in agreement.
"There's no one around as admired as you!
You're everyone's favorite guy!
Everyone's awed and inspired by you
and it's not very hard to see why!"
Sora just silently scowled up with his arms crossed at Axel as the latter sang.
"No, one's, slick as Sora.
No one's quick as Sora."
Axel then leaned in and whispered into Zidane's ear…
"No one's head's as incredibly thick as Sora's."
This caused Zidane to snicker as Axel sang…
"For there's no one around half as friendly,
Perfect, a pure paragon!
You can ask any Cid, Mog, or Mickey,
and they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on."
At this, most of the men in the room sans the Keyblade Wielders, Leon, and Cloud started singing…
"No one's been like Sora.
A king pin like Sora."
Then Tifa chimed in singing…
"No one's scored a perfect ten like Sora."
Then Yuffie added…
"As a specimen, yes, he's intimidating!"
Then the men joined again…
"My what a guy, that Sora!
Give five hurrahs!
Give twelve hip-hips!"
Then Axel joined back in again singing…
"Sora is the best
And the rest is all drips."
The entire bar then joined in singing…
"No one fights like Sora,
Douses lights like Sora."
Then Firion sang…
"If a world is at stake nobody smites like Sora!"
Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, Rosa and Tina then giggled and sang…
"For there's no one as burly and brawny."
Axel then slapped Sora on the back, somehow causing Oathkeeper and Oblivion to spawn in the air and clatter to the floor as he sang…
"As you see he's got Keyblades to spare."
Cid then chuckled as he sang…
"Not a bit of him's scraggly or scrawny."
"That right?" Yuffie asked, giving the gummy ship mechanic a suspicious smirk, earning a scowl in return as Axel sang, ruffling Sora's hair…
"And have you taken a look at his hair!"
Then the guys joined in…
"No one hits like Sora,
Matches wits like Sora."
Finally Leon joined in after having been prodded by Aerith and Tina for several minutes…
"In a sparring match nobody spars like Sora."
Cloud then noticed Tifa pulling on her fighting gloves while giving him a look that read "Sing or else" causing him to belt out with…
"He's especially good for underestimating!"
As the men finished…
"Ten points for Sora!"
Axel then leapt up on the counter singing…
"When he was in training he went one thousand miles
on one morning to save worlds, small and large.
And now that he's Master he'd go ten thousand miles!
So his heart is the size of a barge!"
Then they all joined in singing…
"No one shoots like Sora,
Makes those beauts like Sora."
Cid then leaned over and pointed at Sora's shoes singing…
"Then goes tromping around wearing boots like Sora."
By now they were looking for anything positive as evidenced when Cecil then pointed at Sora's necklace and sang with a sheepish smile and shrug…
"He uses crowns, on all of his stationary!"
Axel, Cid, and Firion quickly joined together singing…
"Say it again!"
Aerith, Tifa and Yuffie then sang…
"He's a man among men."
Cecil, Firion and Bartz then sang…
"And then say it once more."
Then they all sang together…
"Who's that hero next door?
Who's a super success?
Don't you know?
Can't you guess?
Ask his friends,
and his five hangers on!
There's just one guy around,
who's got all of it down!"
Axel then started to sing…
"And his name's S-O-R-A…"
He suddenly froze with a startled expression before leaning down to Sora and whispering…
"…hey-Sora-what's-your-last-name-bud?"
Sora said nothing, just staring at Axel with an annoyed expression.
"Come-on-don't-let-me-hang-here!"
Axel pleaded, starting to sweat a little before finally giving up.
"Doh, forget it." Axel grumbled as Sora and Kairi both stood up and headed for the door as the entire crowd sang…
"Sora-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a!"
Sora's response was slamming the door behind him and Kairi, startling everyone, including Ven and Terra. There was an awkward silence for a while before Axel ran a hand over his face.
"Wow that was a spectacular disaster." Axel grumbled.
"We tried. That's the best ya can do sometimes." Cid said with a shrug.
"Crowns on the stationary? Really Cecil?" Zidane asked as the Paladin shrugged helplessly.
"I was desperate." Cecil replied as they all went their own ways, leaving only Axel and Riku behind.
"I knew it wouldn't work." Riku said, taking a sip of water.
"Riku, you're his best friend. How do you bring Sora out of a serious funk?" Axel asked as Riku shrugged.
"I dunno. I've never really needed to. If anything, he's been the one to bring me out of my funks." Riku replied as Axel arched a curious eyebrow.
"You mean you've never seen him like this before in your entire life?" Axel asked. Riku turned towards him slightly in thought, a somber look on his face.
"Only once. At the end of one…one terrible day that, for his sake, I hope he doesn't end up reliving with his parents being abducted." Riku said as Axel seemed curious.
"Why? What happened?" Axel asked. Riku took another sip of water and sighed.
"Let's just say that he lost someone very dear to him once and although he doesn't know it, he's never gotten over it." Riku said as he turned back towards the counter. Axel looked towards the door curiously, trying to figure out what Riku meant.
End Chapter 25.
The song above was a modified version of "Gaston" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. This version is, appropriately called "Sora."
Fear not folks, the end of the story is getting closer. Just be patient.