Chapter 1
Change the World
It was a beautiful December morning, just a couple days before the start of Christmas. Sora was now back in Asuka's hometown of Asakusa, just several months after her previous adventures. The people in the city were already going too and fro about their various activities, but he did make sure that no Heartless were on the hunt, even when he was on patrol. All around him, he saw many different Christmas decorations, along with some good food to eat, while Christmas songs were playing around him. At a nearby store, Asuka was just stepping out of a shop with some bags in her hands.
"Okay then, the last thing that I need is the cat ears that Katsuragi wanted, but I have no idea what kind of store would sell something like that," she said to herself.
Suddenly, she heard a voice, and Asuka saw that it was Yumi, waving to her. She walked up to her side.
"That's a lot of bags. Are you doing your Christmas shopping?" asked the kunoichi of ice.
"Yeah, it looks like we both are. You have quite a few bags yourself," replied Asuka.
"You caught me," giggled Yumi.
"'Tis the season. That reminds me, I'm actually looking for a pair of kitty ears for a friend. Know where I might be able to find some?" she asked.
"Kitty ears, huh?" wondered her friend.
"Yeah. For whatever reason, Katsuragi really wants them for Christmas this year, which is kind of weird, because cat ears aren't usually her style. Knowing her she'll just make me or Ikaruga wear them to fulfill her gross fantasies," sighed the kunoichi of the frog.
"That definitely sounds like Katsu, alright. Still, she did say I was cute, and sometimes found a point to flirt with me," a voice from nearby said.
Asuka turned around, and there standing nearby was Sora. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she ran up to him.
"Oh, Sora! Welcome back. And Merry Christmas," she greeted him happily as she hugged him.
"Merry Christmas to you as well, Asuka," replied Sora, who hugged her back.
"Wait, are you really Sora? As in Sora the Keyblade Master?" Yumi asked curiously.
"Yep," he grinned, after he and Asuka pulled away from each other.
"Oh, right. Sora, this is Yumi. She's from Gessen Academy. Yumi, this is my boyfriend, Sora," Asuka explained briefly.
"Hey there!" greeted Sora.
"Tee hee hee hee… Hello, Sora. It's a pleasure to meet you," Yumi greeted back, as she waved at him.
Then she gently took hold of Asuka's jacket sleeve.
"Anyway, there's a store close to here that will probably have them. Why don't we go check it out together?" she suggested.
"For real?" asked Asuka.
"Yeah, but we'll have to hurry, because they close kind of early. C'mon, guys," replied Yumi.
"Right behind you, Yumi," Sora said, and they hurried off.
They soon stopped for a short while, as the snow slowly fell around them. The people noticed it just as they did.
"I hope it keeps up. Maybe we'll have a White Christmas," Yumi said to them.
"Yeah… Maybe," Asuka replied quietly.
"Well, even though I'm an islander, I was uneasy about the cold, but after spending some time with Queen Elsa and Princess Anna in Arendelle, I actually do like snow now. Also, back when I went to Christmas Town, where I first met Santa Claus, I was shocked to learn that he found I admitted to not believing in him, but now I do, and so do everyone else. It was to stop that big bag of bugs, Oogie Boogie, from taking revenge on Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, so that he'd be the King of all seven Holidays. After that, we saved the holidays, and put an end to that cheater for good. Not everything can be fun and games forever, or have beautiful things. Light and darkness, good and evil, justice and vengeance, they're like two sides of the same coin, but someone like us, the Warriors of Light, can fight for the people we cherish, and ensure that no greater evil wins, because there's always more to light, than meets the eye," Sora explained to them.
Asuka and Yumi nodded. Finally, after a while, they managed to reach a costume shop, where people were gathering costumes for their Christmas parties, until Yumi found the pair of cat ears Asuka was looking for. She tried them on, and meowed into the mirror. This made Sora laugh.
"Oh, come on, you're embarrassing me, Sora," Yumi said shyly.
"Sorry, but I can see that you're pretty cute with those cat ears on you, Yumi," Sora replied.
"Even still, we did find cat ears for Asuka. They're pretty adorable, aren't they?" she said.
But they noticed Asuka wearing a pair of bunny ears.
"Oh boy. I see you found something cute too, Asuka," he said to her.
"Uh, yeah. Of course I did, Sora. But I was thinking of buying myself a christmas present. What do you think, you guys, should I wear these bunny ears whenever I fight the darkness with you?" Asuka replied.
"Hmm… I guess. Sometimes cuteness can be considered justice, but oftentimes I feel like that being ourselves is a better idea. Also, about one of our rivals, Homura, who's leading her own group called the Crimson Squad. She'd actually find it pretty weird seeing you in both your transformed gear, as well as wearing bunny ears. All she'd do is rat you out for turning some of your missions into a gigantic joke," Sora explained to her.
However, in another part of town, Homura and her friends, the Crimson Squad, were outside in the city streets, wearing Santa outfits, as well as holding flyers.
"I suppose you're right, Sora. You and Asuka are the good guys, like I am. But hearing you say that Homura's your rival, it did surprise me that rivalries can be as powerful as friendship," said Yumi.
"Yeah, well, Sora did save both me and Homura from destroying ourselves, as well as each other, when we heard him saying that he refused to let either of us die, which in turn allowed him to summon his X-blade to save us both from Dogen's fury. After that, he was finally vanquished by him, but Sephiroth absorbed his soul and vanished into the darkness, after he was sent flying off the roof of Hebijo Academy, right onto Kurai's blade, after we heard a squelching sound. He died on that day, after I beat him, but I challenged Homura to a duel of truths, rather than to death. I won, even though she and I were in our ultimate forms, Ultra Divine Harmony, and Crimson, but the happy part was that she and her friends didn't die after she admitted defeat. We left on much more amiable terms, but promised to face each other in battle again, after she trained to get stronger and stronger. Also, despite this, both she, Asuka, and I are all proud to be friendly rivals, rather than enemies," he explained.
"Of course. That's exactly what I believe too, Sora," added Asuka.
"I've been sneezing all day and that could mean, Sora and Asuka are talking about me again. Hey, we don't have time for this stupid part time job. If anything we should focus on training so that we take down all of our rivals the next time we see them. C'mon, don't you guys think we should be off training?" sneezed Homura.
"No, we love wearing sexy Santa suits in snowy weather," remarked Mirai.
"You're the one who said you wanted a big turkey for Christmas. That stuff costs money," added Haruka.
"Being a renegade shinobi doesn't pay well, so we have to work if we want fresh meat," smirked Hikage, despite her snake-like personality.
"That's true, and I was thinking it would be kind of nice to bake a delicious frog cake for Christmas," finished Yomi.
This made Homura annoyed.
"It's either training or turkey. This is truly the ultimate decision," she said.
"Could be, girls. But, both at the same time would just make you queasy, and that's probably something you wouldn't want to do. Also, don't draw too much attention to yourself, or you won't get exactly what you want," came the voice of Cody Xehanort who arrived in that world as well.
The minute Yomi turned and looked at him, she was surprised, but almost slipped and fell onto the icy ground, making her catch him in his arms.
"Aw, I see you've found your Prince Charming, Yomi," smirked the puppet making kunoichi.
But the five girls then decided to run in place, while Cody just quietly walked off, while also telling them to be cautious with what they'd do. Meanwhile, Sora, Asuka, and Yumi came to another costume store, which both girls began looking through.
"Well, Yumi, you done?" she asked.
"Just a minute. I'm almost done," her friend replied from behind the curtain of the changing room.
She pulled back the curtain.
"Uh, so does this look okay?" Yumi asked them.
"Yumi… of course it does. Trust me. Whatever you wear is fine with you, no matter who or what you are. Also, you wanna know something I noticed when I first saw you, even before Asuka introduced me to you? You really are pretty. And that dress you're wearing, it'd actually be perfect for that Christmas party Asuka's talking about," Sora replied.
"Wait, pretty? W-why are you flattering me, Sora?" questioned the snow kunoichi.
"Ah, you know, I just kind of wanted to say something nice about you. That way you'd feel comfortable around me while wearing that dress, as well as replace that uneasy look on your face with a smile. But I guess I kind of failed to make you feel at ease around me," he explained.
"Sora… I could never think of faulting you. In fact, I'm actually happy that you're a kind and caring guy that any girl would want to be with, regardless of what I am," she replied.
"Yeah, Yumi's right, Sora. You did make her feel comfortable around you, just as you were comfortable around me when we first met. Oh, and she should totally try on some of the other outfits they have on here, and I'll do it too," agreed Asuka.
Yumi was a bit hesitant, but she did so nonetheless, and Asuka did the same. Sora stood quietly outside, keeping his mind free of perversion, despite his prior experiences with Issei Hyoudo and his companions, when he was with Team SKYYLARC. Some of the outfits that Asuka and Yumi tried on made him say that he liked them, but there were times when he'd have to use his better judgment, and not say that they were terrible for them to wear. That is until they stepped out wearing Santa themed bikinis, or lingerie, whatever you'd call it, but he chose to maintain his silence.
"I think this might be a bit too much," she said to him.
"Yeah, or in this case it's not enough. Am I right?" replied Asuka.
"Even still, who am I to judge either of you guys on what you'd wear for the Christmas party. Besides, I'd like to go there as well, and we'll all share an awesome Christmas dinner together," added Sora.
They soon came to a cake store, where the three of them sat at a table.
"That was fun," giggled the frog kunoichi.
"Honestly, I'm actually surprised that Sora'd never judge us poorly," replied Yumi.
"Yeah, well, sometimes I can be pretty judgmental about almost anything, when I'm in a really foul mood. The worst time was when I told three of my Sailor Guardian friends, Ami Mizuno, Makoto Kino, and Usagi Tsukino that I'd want Berthier dead, because I grew spiteful of her for no good reason. But they told me not to say such horrible things about what I'd do to the Black Moon Clan's Specter Sister of Dark Water, even after she and I met each other in secret. I felt remorseful, but in the end, I saved her from destroying herself, along with Ami and everyone else, and she fully embraced the light, as well as redeemed herself of her previous actions. Koan was actually surprised by how I was letting my words speak louder than my own actions, and the other Sailor Guardians were truly happy to see that I'd let go of that cruelty, so that I'd never let it beget even more cruelty," Sora explained.
Their order soon arrived. It was hotcakes and strawberries. Asuka wanted to take a snapshot, but Yumi said that she had no cell phone on her person.
"Wait, you don't have a phone?" Sora and Asuka asked together.
"Yes, my friends are always bugging me about how I should always have one. But to be honest, I've never seen the point of having one," she replied.
"Hmm… You know, Yumi, I didn't actually have a phone either. But thanks to two of my friends, Chip and Dale, the rescue rangers of Disney Town, as well as gummi ship mechanics, I was able to have one made available for me to use. Also, a certain cricket called Jiminy, Pinocchio's conscience. Still, sometimes I like sending emails to my friends, even if I'm in a hurry to do another mission," Sora said to her.
"Oh, wow. I didn't know someone like you could always plan ahead, Sora," said Asuka as she started munching down her hotcakes.
"Do you really think it's okay if I also get a gummi phone, Sora?" Yumi asked him.
"I guess it would be a good idea. And if you did actually get a gummi phone, then we'd most certainly call each other as well as send messages to each other, you know," interjected Asuka.
"That sounds like it could be fun," she replied.
They shared their meal quietly with each other, until Asuka decided to break the silence.
"I've been thinking about it for a while now. About how some shinobi are told that relationships with commoners was strictly forbidden, since ancient times," Asuka said.
"Yeah, well, those times have changed since then, and yet you and your friends have been working really hard to get stronger and better, so that one day, you'd be able to stand above those who have darkness in their hearts," replied Sora.
"But sometimes the light of justice can prove to be stronger than darkness of vengeance, however, Asuka told me that you really dislike seeing someone you know be destroyed by that same darkness. That's why it's our duty to battle the yoma," said Yumi.
"Yoma?" Sora asked.
"They're creatures who are sort of like the heartless, but they are much more demonic looking and bloodthirsty, like the demons you told me about from Dante's world, Sora," explained the ponytailed kunoichi.
"Whoa, then I guess I may have to be a Yoma Hunter, when I start using something called my Nephilim Soul Drive," replied the spiky brunette.
"Nephilim Soul Drive?" wondered the silver-haired kunoichi.
"Oh yeah, I saw how Sora used both his Shinobi Soul, which made him transform into what appeared to be his friend, Naruto, and his Saiyan Soul made him look very much like Son Goku," Asuka explained.
"As for my Nephilim Soul, when I transform into it, I start to look and act like Dante, the Son of Sparda. See, I may have to split my time between work and play, such as going off on dates with any of my girlfriends, like Kairi, Twily, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Minako, Momo, Madoka, another version of Kyrie, who's different from the Kyrie that loves Nero, Son of Vergil, Compa, Leafa, who was finally able to let go of her past after the complications she endured when she was with Kirito, back when they went off on their rescue mission to save Asuna from the terrible grip of Sugou Nobuyuki, who was eventually reborn as the dreaded Gouxas. Still, even though you and Asuka are highschoolers, you guys became friends after you settled your differences with each other. But, even though the two of you had neither the time nor the energy to do something fun together, that wouldn't stop you from wanting to take some time off to spend a day at someplace fun," added Sora.
It turned out that he was right, because five other girls, whom Yumi explained were the new Hebijo Elite Five, who were walking the streets of Asakusa, in just their street clothes, began walking up and down buying something. Of course, there were others like Yumi's group, Team Gessen, who were doing the same thing.
"The words, work and play are kind of funny, you know. They could be complete opposites, or similar. It depends, right? So in a way, it reminds me of something else. A sword and a shield," Yumi said to them.
"Oh yeah, like my grandpa always says," replied Asuka, as they set off down the street.
"Swords by themselves are only capable of causing harm to other people, but shields are meant for protecting others. Neither one is complete without the other. Only with both a sword and shield can one truly have the power to do what's right in the world. But, constantly working, as well as letting something like being the best of the best cloud your judgment, could end up making you truly an immoral person, just as General James Ironwood did, when he lost himself to his own cynical belief of wanting to keep both Atlas and the relics out of Salem's grip. Unfortunately, his beliefs ended up being his destruction, and he died with the kingdom he loved, along with Mantle, submerged in dark ice, thanks to both her and Cinder Fall," Sora said to them.
But suddenly, Yumi noticed that Asuka didn't have cat ears, which made her worried.
"Asuka, breathe. Breathe, Asuka. Breathe. Let's see if we can find them together," he said to her.
"Good idea, Sora," agreed Yumi, and the three of them raced out of the subway.
They soon came to an alleyway.
"Nobody can see us back here, right?" Asuka said to them.
"Yep. Now, let's get to higher ground," replied Sora, and they soon set off to find the cat ears.
They clambered onto a rooftop.
"Okay, guys. Let's go and find those cat ears," Yumi said to them.
"Right. Asuka, I think I'd better go with Yumi for now. Remember, if there's trouble, make sure you contact me on my gummi phone," added Sora.
"Roger," replied Asuka.
They soon split up, with Asuka going in one direction, and Sora and Yumi going in the other. However, when she landed near some of the people, the wind blew at their garments, including two girls who had silver hair and silver eyes, but wore another type of school uniform that was different from the Gessen uniforms Yumi and her friends wore. Unfortunately, Homura sensed Asuka coming, and as she was about to stop her to challenge her to a battle, the other ponytailed kunoichi told her that she didn't have the time, as Cody came by and stopped them from trying to one up each other.
"Wha-? Cody!? What the hell are you doing!? Don't try to butt in on my battle with Asuka!" she snapped.
"Enough! Let her go for now, Homura. She has neither the time nor the patience to deal with you," Cody said.
"Cody's right, Homura. Please forgive me, but I have a personal emergency," added Asuka.
She soon hurried away, but of course, Cody began to think that something was wrong.
"Be very careful, Asuka," he said quietly to himself.
"Geez, I can never get a good read on you, Cody," sighed Homura.
Elsewhere, the Hanzo students, Katsuragi, Ikaruga, Yagyu, and Hibari were now walking off to find something for their party. Of course, there were times when they'd have to talk about some of the things, even though the silver-haired twintail still told her friend that surprises should remain a surprise, otherwise they'd be completely ruined. Yagyu knew that she had to play it smart, otherwise, Hibari's quirky demeanor would start to overtake her.
"Oh, by the way, guys. I hope nobody gets mad at me for saying this, but I actually did form a crush on Sora's brother, Roxas, when he came to my aid during your attack on Hebijo," she said to them.
"Why would we be mad at you for saying that, Hibari? We all know that the true spirit of Christmas doesn't come in a box wrapped in paper, it comes from all of our hearts, and the people we spend it with. Sometimes most Christmas presents are so impossible to wrap up, that they'd actually be where we least expect them to be," replied Ikaruga.
"Yeah, Ikaruga's right, Hibari. Having a boyfriend isn't actually a bad thing at all. I mean, sure I may be a major annoyance when I play with any of your belongings, but still, I'd want a boyfriend too, if they had more girlfriends by their side, due to what Sora said about family," added Katsuragi.
Suddenly, they all felt a dark presence with an intention to kill without mercy. Suddenly, the wind blew fiercely. Ikaruga saw the two girls wearing the uniforms Asuka had run past, but the gust caught the other people off guard. Luckily, Sora and Yumi had found the box containing the cat ears.
"Yay, I'm so glad we found them," she said with relief.
"Great work, Yumi. But, I'm starting to get worried about Asuka. I'll see if I can reach her phone with mine," replied Sora.
Yumi nodded, although she was slowly starting to consider getting herself a phone, so that she could talk to either her friends or family. However, the four remaining kunoichi of Hanzo Academy wanted to know if these two girls were also kunoichi like them. They're answer came in the form of a Kekkai barrier, just as Nuno appeared before them through the dark corridor. They could see that they were wearing the Gessen Middleschool uniform, which meant that they did go to the school that Yumi was part of.
"Well, well, well. So nice to meet you again, Ikaruga, Katsuragi, Yagyuu, and Hibari. It's been so long since our previous encounters ever since Dogen fell at the hands of Sora, may his spirit reside within Father's being. Although, these two very lovely ladies, Senkou and Gekkou, want to know what the true meaning of power really is, as well as the meaning of true justice," he said to them.
"No fair. Nobody said anything about a pop quiz," remarked Hibari.
"She's not here, but if I may, I'd like to quote the words of a good friend of mine. Power is a sword and a shield. We take the strength of a sword, and use it as a shield to protect people. That's what it means to have power, and how I define justice, added Ikaruga, who bravely stepped up.
"Wow, how cliche. Did you read that in a greeting card somewhere?" questioned Gekkou.
"Unfortunately, what you call justice is not needed in this world or anywhere else. It dulls the resolve that should be pure," added Senkou.
"What do you want from us?" demanded the raven haired swordswoman.
"Oh, it's really quite simple, my dear Ikaruga. What we desire is to spill your blood! That is what's known as Vengeance," remarked Nuno, drawing Essence Shard.
This marked the beginning of their battle, as the six kunoichi transformed and charged at each other. Somewhere far away, Asuka soon heard her phone ring, and she quickly answered it.
"Uh, hello. Wait, Sora? Is something wrong? Where are you calling from?" she asked in confusion.
"Listen, The only reason I was able to reach you is thanks to my gummi phone, Asuka. I have some good news. We found your cat ears you were planning to wear to the Christmas party," Sora replied through his phone.
Asuka was very happy. However, something made her start to feel off, as she asked if they could rendezvous at a place that was most appropriate, such as the cafe. After hanging up, she turned and looked around, wondering what was going on. She couldn't sense her other friends. She soon walked cautiously around, and saw the yoma, beasts from another world, much like the demons of Dante's world that Sora mentioned to her and Yumi. She soon transformed into her shinobi garments, and prepared to battle them. But as she did, both Sora and Yumi accidentally bumped into someone, until she saw something that dropped to the ground. It looked like a mini sword and shield. It did seem strange to them, but at the same time, Asuka managed to take care of all the yoma that tried to bring her down.
"Good to see you, Asuka," a voice from nearby said.
"I find it laughable, struggling to fight such yoma," Senkou added.
"Who are you guys?" Asuka asked the two kunoichi.
"My name is Gekkou," replied Gekkou.
"And my name is Senkou," said her sister.
"The child who claims that power is both a sword and a shield, shall fall to my blade. I find it laughable, just as they do. You are a threat to true justice. The Justice of Jenova, my mother. You are a virus that must be expunged, so that a new order may rise, with my son being the husband of the one these two revere as the chosen one. In time, both Nuno and the chosen one shall bear a child, that is part-human, part-life fiber, part-yoma, and carries Mother's blood in their veins. After that, they will refer to Mother as their great-grandmother, just like how she is called Grandmother by Nuno," explained the One-Winged Angel.
"Unfortunately for you, your pathetic feeble mind can never truly understand what shall be written in the Book of the Stone. We intend to save this world from those who are so blind to false justice, and pave the way for those who are willing to embrace Grandmother's Justice. Oh, and if you see Sora, tell him that you have chosen to place your faith in Grandmother's belief of true justice," added Nuno.
At his signal, they all attacked her, but Asuka wasn't willing to back down, even as she fought with all her heart. Without warning, she was brutally beaten down by them, until Sephiroth sent her flying back with a swipe of Masamune.
"You're friends are gone. Sora has abandoned you for another. You are alone. Submit to despair, and embrace the lesson we have taught you through all forms of pain. They couldn't understand the true meaning of Jenova's Justice," grinned Sephiroth.
He grabbed hold of her as she tried to attack them, then was sent flying back with a slash across her chest, sending her crashing to the ground, battered, beaten, and broken.
"All too easy," sighed Senkou as she walked off.
"Wait a moment, everyone," Gekkou said to them.
"Stubborn till the end, I see. Just like Yang Xiao Long, when she admitted it to Sora, before she along with Team RWBYS, Jaune Arc, and Neopolitan fell into the Ever After, only to escape and return to a ravaged Remnant, populated by Grimm. It appears you're unwilling to admit defeat, no matter how many beatdowns you endure," smirked Nuno.
"Bring it on. I won't stop until I master the path of the shinobi!" Asuka replied wearily, but still charged at them again.
"Your destiny is to fail!" he barked, and struck her down with a flurry of slashes.
Asuka knew that this was indeed the Octaslash, used by Sephiroth when he first clashed with Zack, then Cloud, and finally Sora. At the same time that happened, Yumi passed the emblem to the girl in the coat, who thanked her and walked away. But Sora looked suspiciously at her.
"I see. So those two are Sora and Yumi," the girl said quietly to herself.
Finally, Asuka fell to her side, now truly beaten, and even began falling deep into despair, after Sephiroth, Nuno, Senkou, and Gekkou had managed to beat her to the ground, leaving her covered in bruises, and scars.
"No way. So, you were defeated by Senkou, Gekkou, Sephiroth, and Nuno?" gasped Tohka.
"Yeah, I was, Tohka. They said that all of my friends were dead, and I was all alone. That made me start to go down a very dark road," replied Asuka.
Everyone was shocked by what they heard.
"Um, I hope you don't make it sound too scary, Sora, because Usagi and I really hate scary stuff, like thunderstorms, ghost stories, as well as all other things that you'd tell us on Halloween," shuddered Chibiusa.
"Don't worry, Chibiusa. I promise, I'll always make sure to hold both your hand as well as Usako's, so that the two of you know that you're safe with me. Besides, I'd never dream of dressing up like the big bad of Halloween, Micheal Myres, the boy who became a monster after disposing of his sister, only to be taken to a maximum security asylum, until he finally met his match at the hands of Doctor Loomis and Laurie Strobe," assured Mamoru.
"Thanks, Mamo," the future mother and daughter duo replied happily, knowing that they would always be in safe hands with him.
Sora, Asuka, and Yumi decided to continue the story, about their clash with those who wanted to cleanse the world of false justice.