Chapter 8
Don't Stop Believing
With Fubuki's declaration to wipe out all living beings, along with Sephiroth and his children, the revelation shocked Yumi and the others to no end.
"My name is Rasetsu. And as Fubuki's blade, I swear to destroy everything for the sake of Jenova," the yoma said.
The sound of this yoma speaking shocked them even further, but it only served to steel Sora's resolve, even as he rushed back to Asuka's side.
"Asuka, listen to me. We're gonna save your friends. I promise. Everyone is here, by your side, and you won't ever have to do things alone. But, even after what Fubuki ordered Senkou and Gekkou to do, hearing her say that she wants to end this world only serves to motivate me into ensuring that doesn't happen," he explained to her.
Despite what was going on, Homura attempted to take down Rasetsu, but she was swatted away from the yoma, and crashed against the wall.
"Destroy everything for Jenova's justice!? You say that, like it'll be easy!' snapped the dark haired swordswoman.
"Know your place!" scoffed Sephiroth, and with a deadly octaslash, brought her down to her knees.
"As for the gates to Keikaido, it is now beginning to open fully. The world you love will die, and be reborn to serve Grandmother's will. But, seeing two different factions of ninja working together, it actually sickens the true Kurokage. You cannot hope to win. In time, when Fubuki and I are married, we will have a child, bearing Grandmother's will, the will of her grandfather's true ambition, and what we believe in, in order to claim our birthright, Kingdom Hearts. Our one true Promised Land. We deem you pathetic humans as a threat to our way of life. Your masters have deceived you into believing that yoma are indeed honorless monsters," said Nuno.
"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH, NUNO!" screamed Miyabi, and she lunged angrily at him.
"Fool," he murmured.
Time and Space seemed to slow down around him, as he placed his hand upon her stomach.
"STIGMA!" he shouted, and a burst of flames erupted from his hand, sending the white-haired kunoichi flying, and her garments severely burned.
"Still a stubborn fool, up until the end, just like your mother was. It's so laughable, Miyabi. Both humans and yoma have always been at war with each other. It's been said that one of them may have struck the first blow, thus starting that war, but to me that's nothing but complete nonsense. That's why the Yoma believed that fighting back to defend themselves was the only way. Unless of course, you believe that there's someone who chose to betray his kind, just like the great Sparda did, when he became Legendary Dark Knight. So what if a yoma could learn the meaning of true love? Would you be willing to let us test that theory?" smirked Nuno.
"Leave them alone!" cried Sora.
"Sora, please, don't do this!" called Asuka, despite being in her weakened state.
"Asuka, stop! Let him do this!" Yumi said fearfully.
"Your declaration of war against all shinobi… no, all the people in this world, it just makes me want to deem you a lost cause. I will not allow you to destroy everything that I love!" he explained to them.
"What a foolish boy. Does he honestly believe that he has the guts to try and stop us?" Rasetsu asked.
"It's of no concern to me. Our war against this world is only just beginning. Come, Rasetsu, let us leave them for now," replied Fubuki.
"No, don't! Sora, you shouldn't do this!" Asuka cried out again.
Both Senkou and Gekkou tried to go after her, but Rasetsu stopped them by creating a gap between them with her power. Fubuki turned and glared at them, even as Sora glared down at her.
"Okay, that's enough, Fubuki! There's no way I'm gonna let you go and slaughter a lot of innocent people, just so that you can sate your own personal lust for vengeance against every ninja, no matter what they are!" Sora snapped, now truly angry at what he heard.
Quickly, summoning his Keyblade, he jumped down and stood on the other side of the line that Fubuki had made, just as Rasetsu was about to turn and attack him.
"If you so much as harm Lady Fubuki, then I will personally rip and tear you to pieces!" growled the yoma.
"Rasetsu! Stay back. I will see if this boy's belief in justice is as strong as he believes it is. No one else shall interfere. For this battle will indeed decide if he is worthy of being the true sword and shield of justice," she said to the creature.
"Understood, Lady Fubuki," replied Rasetsu, and she stepped away from them, so that their battle would come under way.
Fubuki then turned and faced Sora, who despite having been trained in the art of ninjutsu, many different forms of martial arts, and the way of the samurai, gave him something of a curious glance, as if she were a newborn child.
"You seem to remind me of both Asuka and Yumi, Boy. Both my former subordinates told me that you are indeed Sora, the Chosen Keyblade Master, and inheritor of Master Xehanort's will to be Guardian of all worlds in the realm of light. But I sense a power that's unlike any other. A power that can counter any form of darkness that both Rasetsu and I carry within us, which frightens me a little," Fubuki said, as a wicked smile appeared on her face.
"Senkou, Gekkou, I may be angry at you guys for hurting both mine and Asuka's friends, as well as Asuka herself, but I need you two to stay back and tend to her wounds along with everyone else. I'll take on Fubuki myself," Sora said.
The twins were hesitant at first, but then they quickly raced off before any and all reason within Sora's mind would fade into nothingness. The two combatants stared into each other's eyes, while Kagura, Naraku, and the Mikagura Sisters all watched from the stands.
"After learning that you took all of Asuka's friends captive, and even broke her morality, causing her to believe in vengeance, you've gone too far, Fubuki. Good and Evil are two sides of the same coin, just like justice and vengeance. The only person that I want revenge on is Sephiroth, after he took Nehelenia from Sailor Moon, and it led to me giving her a funeral for all to attend, so that I'd cremate her deceased form. There's no forgiveness for what the One-Winged Angel did. So whatever you got planned, forget it. I'm Sora. I'm 16 years old. I'm from the Destiny Islands, just like my best friend Riku is. I'm known by a lot of titles, like the Oncoming Storm, the Warrior of Light, the Kind and Courteous, but there are times when I may become so wrapped up in vengeance that I may lose myself to it and be just like the Doctor's tenth self, before he nearly lost himself to the darkness, and made everything terrible for himself. I did the same thing, when I attacked Norman Osborn in a blind fury, after the Goblin took over his being, and it almost got him killed, which caused all three Spider-Men to think that I seriously wanted him dead. But although I killed Ursula, Scar, Shan-Yu, and even the whole of Organization XIII, there was one person I chose to spare, after teaching him the lesson that he didn't want to accept. His name was Xehanort. I wanted to kill him after he struck down Kairi in the Last Great Keyblade War, but I heard her voice saying, 'Do not compromise who you are for the sake of revenge, Sora. If you do, then you'll be no worse than Cody's father is now.' I was so sure of killing him, but although I despise Sephiroth, Cinder Fall, and now Maleficent, I realize now that I almost become a danger to myself, and that would have gained me the title of Butcherer of Innocence. That's why I was able to find true closure with Usagi's aunt, and another, Sailor Galaxia, the Legendary Sailor Guardian, whom Chaos, the God of Discord, groomed into becoming Omega's vessel, so that she would return all living things to Kingdom Hearts. That was after a panda named Po, a lover of Kung Fu, who taught me an important lesson that I won't forget. Justice will always be stronger than vengeance. Then there was Jack, a samurai warrior who told me to always follow the code of honor, no matter which enemies I face, thanks to the teachings of his own father. All these teachers I had, and the friends that are part of my heart, they're what made me the person I am, standing right in front of you, Fubuki. So believe me when I say this, because you will not destroy this world, for the sake of Kurokage's false belief in justice, which corrupted him and made him believe in vengeance!" Sora explained.
Then without any form of hesitation, he and an enraged Fubuki charged furiously at each other, and the fight was on, as their weapons locked against each other.
(Time to play Taikatalvi and Storytime by Nightwish from the album Imaginarium for this epic clash between Sora and Fubuki, which starts with an instrumental Intro, the start of the battle between Sora and Fubuki, after he begins to believe that she'll kill Yumi and the others in cold blood, which in turn unleashes her forbidden ninja art, Yoma Empress, granting her a demonic looking blade of darkness, with everyone watching this battle in awe, as the battle begins, even though Rasetsu is told to not intervene in this battle)
Kurokage's Voice:
"Lapsistain rakkain tää näyttämö on
Mis kuutamo kujillaan kulkee
Taipunut havu, kesä hoivassa sen
Valkomeren niin aavan
Joka aavekuun siivin
Saapuu mut kotiin noutamaan"
King Regis' Voice:
"Päällä talvisen maan hetki kuin ikuisuus
Mi pienen kissan jaloin luokseni hiipii
Tääl tarinain lähteellä asua saan mis
Viulu valtavan kaihon
Ikisäveltään maalaa
Laulullaan herättää maan"
Fubuki slowly approached him, her fan held at her side, even though she still wanted to destroy all that she hated with her being, even though the memory of her grandfather singing her a lullaby echoed in her mind, but that same lullaby echoed in Sora's head too, making them be connected in some way they never expected before. However, they had now truly biome rivals as they got into a battle stance.
"Fubuki, there's no way I'm gonna let you get away with killing the people of this city and beyond. I won't allow that to happen at all, no matter what you say to me!" he spoke bravely.
"How admirable, Sora. But, you cannot fathom the power that I wield that will be your downfall. Nothing will stop the YOMA EMPRESS, FUBUKI!" Fubuki remarked arrogantly.
"Then you can consider us rivals, Fubuki, just like how I am the rival of Homura, and many more who are my friends, regardless of our differences," Sora said to her.
Finally, unable to hold back from attacking in a blind fury, Sora lunged at her, and Fubuki did the same, resulting in a fierce clash of Keyblade and a blade forged by the most expert smiths of the Yoma Realm. The battle had now begun, and soon everyone began to sense it as a storm began approaching from above the Shinovi Masters arena!
"Sora, please, you can't die," sobbed Asuka, fearing for his life.
Weiss' Voice:
"It was the night before
When all through the world
No words, no dreams
Then one day
A writer by a fire
Imagined all of Gaia
Took a journey into a child-man's heart...
Weiss and Minako's voices:
A painter on the shore
Imagined all the world
Within a snowflake on his palm
Unframed by poetry
A canvas of awe
Planet Earth falling back into the stars
I am the voice of Never, Never Land
The innocence, the dreams of every man
I am the empty crib of Peter Pan
A silent kite against the blue, blue sky
Every chimney, every moonlit sight
I am the story that will read you real
Every memory that you hold dear"
(Instrumental Break as they now continue their battle with no point of holding back against each other, causing the arena to tremble from their overwhelming power, with Senko and Gekkou watching in shock, along with all the other Kunoichi, but Asuka starts to grow even more worried about Sora, as her eyes fill with tears of pure anguish and concern for her boyfriend)
"Sora…" whimpered Asuka as she watched with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Even Minori was growing worried about him, but Shiki gently rested her hand on her shoulder, as her way of letting her know that he'd survive the battle, but also did the same with Asuka.
"SORA!" roared Fubuki.
"FUBUKI!" shouted Sora, as they lunged at each other, leading to their battle intensifying even further.
Weiss:
"I am the journey
I am the destination
I am the home
The tale that reads you
A way to taste the night
The elusive high
Follow the madness
Alice you know once did
Weiss and Minako:
Imaginarium, a dream emporium!
Caress the tales
And they will dream you real
A storyteller's game
Lips that intoxicate
The core of all life
Is a limitless chest of tales...
I am the voice of Never, Never Land
The innocence, the dreams of every man
I am the empty crib of Peter Pan
A silent kite against the blue, blue sky
Every chimney, every moonlit sight
I am the story that will read you real
Every memory that you hold dear
I am the voice of Never, Never Land
The innocence, the dreams of every man
Searching heavens for another earth…"
(Orchestral break as Sora and Fubuki share some biting words with each other about how justice and vengeance will corrupt a person's heart and lead to them making some irrational decisions as their battle continues, but this time they unleash their true strength, which causes the earth to tremble beneath them, as thick black clouds, with thunder rumbling like a great war drum, and lightning flashing above illuminating the sky like cymbals crashing against each other.)
Voices of the Warriors of Light:
"Neverland, innocence, dreams of every man. A-ah-a!
Neverland, innocence, every man, Peter Pan
Neverland, innocence, dreams of every man. A-ah-a!
Neverland, innocence, every man, Peter Pan"
(Instrumental Break as Asuka becomes truly afraid that Sora will be killed by Fubuki in cold blood, only for Yumi to assure her that Sora will be fine, because of her belief in him)
Weiss and Minako:
"I am the voice of Never, Never Land
The innocence, the dreams of every man
I am the empty crib of Peter Pan
A silent kite against the blue, blue sky
Every chimney, every moonlit sight
I am the story that will read you real
Every memory that you hold dear
I am the voice of Never, Never Land
The innocence, the dreams of every man
I am the empty crib of Peter Pan
A silent kite against the blue, blue sky
Every chimney, every moonlit sight
I am the story that will read you real
Every memory that you hold dear"
(Instrumental Outro as Sora and Fubuki fight each other to a stalemate with no outcome to their battle, leaving our heroic Keyblade Wielder exhausted, while the mysterious girl is barely phased by the battle)
"It appears you truly are strong, Sora. But once I've destroyed this world and all the people on it, I will hunt down the people you cherish, and destroy them, which in turn will free Vanitas from within, so that he can stand beside me as the empress of this world!" sneered Fubuki.
Sora was so shocked by what he heard, that even though he was at his limit, he felt a new wave of strength welling up inside of him, but it was actually Vanitas slowly taking control of him.
"Asuka, guys, please forgive me. I won't allow you to be killed by Fubuki and Rasetsu, because the only way that'll ever really happen is over my dead body," Sora said, as he slowly felt himself trembling all over.
But then his eyes suddenly turned bright yellow, and he stood up, holding his Keyblade in one hand, which suddenly transformed into Oblivion.
"I feel it!" he cried out.
But then his voice suddenly changed from his normal tone, into that of Vanitas, whom he warned the Hanzo students about.
"I have it!" Sora spoke with a dark sense of pride.
He lunged furiously at Fubuki, but soon many Heartless emerged before him.
"You dare threaten my friends and family! VERMIN! I am SORA!" he howled with pure rage coursing through his being.
Fubuki began laughing with truly sadistic joy in her voice, and the sound began to echo everywhere as she watched Sora cut them all down in a blind fury.
"Do YOu HEar!? I! AM! SORA!" Sora cried out even louder than before, and his voice echoed across the Realm of Light as well, catching his friends and family from the other worlds by surprise.
"I… am…" Sora stated.
"I'm actually impressed, Sora. You've shown everyone traces of the demon, Vanitas, within your heart," Fubuki grinned, then she vanished along with Rasetsu.
"WAIT, FUBUKI!" he howled, but it was too late.
They had already gone. Without thinking straight, Sora swung his Keyblade furiously in all directions, as Vanitas grew stronger and stronger.
"Where are you? Don't you dare hide from me! Show yourselves!" Sora shouted, and continued to swing his Keyblade about in open air.
"Sora, please stop it! They're gone now!" cried Yumi, as she ran towards him and hugged him from behind.
This made Sora stop in his tracks, and he lowered his head in disgust, just as Gekkou rushed up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Sora?" she asked.
"How could she? How could Fubuki do those things, and declare that she'll wipe out all the people in this world?" questioned the spiky brunette.
"That may be, but both Fubuki and Rasetsu are gone for now," Yumi assured him, as she slowly backed away from him.
Sora slowly turned around, but even though he saw that her outfit was in tatters, he turned away with a somber look in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said sadly to her, only to feel her arms wrap around him.
"You don't need to apologize, Sora. I know that you're angry at both Senkou and Gekkou for how they took both yours and Asuka's friends captive. But still, you shouldn't blind yourself with anger and vengeance as Grandfather once did," she explained to him.
Ultimately giving in to her words, Sora nodded, then hugged Yumi back. After that, both he and Asuka began picking the locks to free their friends from their bonds. He succeeded in freeing Hibari and Yagyu who were grateful to him, and Ikaruga voiced her agreement on the matter as well. Katsuragi thanked them, but she was most happy to see Sora again, despite what had happened, and promised to give him a hug as her way of thanking him for coming to the rescue. Of course, Hibari did let Yagyu know that she was hungry rather than in pain, even as Sora slowly walked up to the others, but turned away from them out of shame for not being there for them sooner, his eyes stinging with tears. This immediately led to Asuka resting her hand on his shoulder, so that she could be there for him.
"Ikaruga, Katsuragi, Hibari, Yagyu, I'm so sorry. This isn't just Asuka's fault; it's mine as well. Therefore, I'll make this explanation brief, if it's okay with you. When I heard Fubuki say that she would go after my friends, I lost control of Vanitas, which unleashed a darker side to my powers, thanks to him. And now, because of that, you now know the truth about how he made me become far too wrapped up in the dark side of justice. That which you call vengeance. Also, I'm really, really sorry for not being able to help you when you most needed it, after Senkou, Gekkou, Sephiroth, and Nuno ambushed you, then attacked Asuka, breaking her moral belief in justice, and filling her heart with pure fear," Sora explained briefly.
"Don't apologize, Sora. We all know how you feel," Ikaruga replied kindly.
"Yeah, I'm with Ikaruga. Hearing you say that you don't want to lose the people you cherish, truly makes you just like Asuka and Yumi. Besides, what kind of Keyblade Master would you be without a pretty girlfriend like either of them?" agreed Katsuragi, who hugged him tightly.
Sora accepted it, and hugged her back. They soon parted away from each other, even as Homura, Yumi and Miyabi watched from a safe distance.
"It's great to see that Katsuragi's happy to see you again, Sora," smiled Yagyu.
"And we're happy too, because Yagyu said the same thing you told her about how we are family, and that's never going to change," chimed in Hibari.
"But more importantly, Sora. I don't ever want to see you lose your cool like that again. Don't you remember what you said to me about how you found closure with Sailor Galaxia, Nehelenia, and Homura?" added Asuka.
Sora staggered back, but Minori was quick to steady him.
"Whoa, careful, Sora. Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just felt a bit dizzy is all. After all, I'm actually happy to be back with everyone here, but now Fubuki's gone mad, and she intends to destroy this world, for the sake of a different form of justice. The Justice of Jenova," Sora explained to her and everyone else.
"The Justice of Jenova!?" gasped Katsuragi.
"I don't like Jenova!" wailed Hibari.
"I know that, Hibari. But still, if we even think of giving up and losing ourselves completely to despair, only then will darkness and vengeance win," he replied.
"There's no way we're letting that happen, Sora! Darkness and vengeance must never win, no matter what our enemies say. As for what happened before, it wasn't either yours or Asuka's fault. It was actually Fubuki who planned this, even as we overheard her telling Sephiroth that she and Nuno intend to give him a grandchild to carry out their legacy of destruction," interjected Katsuragi.
However, she did find time to make sure that everyone's uniforms were dusted off, both in front and behind.
"Thank you, Katsu, but make sure you keep your hands to yourself, unless you want to kiss them goodbye," sighed Yagyu.
"Easy now, squid buns. I'd actually prefer to keep my hands, thank you very much," she remarked.
"But still, Katsu's right, Sora. We mustn't let Fubuki win," added Hibari.
"Right," said Sora, cheering up a little, but he still felt sad about his failure to be there for his friends from Hanzo Academy.
Back in the locker room, Suzune explained everything that had transpired from before, but now things were getting worse than usual. The doorway to the yoma world was slowly opening, and the council of shinobi leaders sent their jonin to investigate the matter. But the news that all contact had been lost, Sora was afraid that they had been killed.
"Oh no," he gasped.
"Sora," murmured Yumi, gently resting her hand on his shoulder.
"Please calm yourself, Sora. Those three aren't dead just yet. They're a lot stronger than even you could imagine," assured Suzune.
"I agree with her on this one, Sora. It's important for us to believe," agreed Asuka.
Everyone else nodded with her in agreement as well.
"Anyway, back to our other problem. About Fubuki's proclamation," she said to the others.
"Right. Before she fled I had to fight her, even when she told Rasetsu to stand down and let this battle between us go without any interference. But now, she intends to destroy everything, for Jenova's sake, but if they fail…" replied Sora.
"They will not, Sora. As you said, the jonin's strength will be more than enough to hold the line at that island," interected Suzune.
"Then we have to make doubly sure that we'll be prepared in case they do fail," Sora said.
"You know I actually do like your style, Sora. If anything, I think it would be fun to go head to head with a yoma," smirked Homura.
"But if that's the case, doesn't that mean we'll have to go face off against Fubuki?" Yumi asked, causing Asuka to hang her head.
"Yes it is. What is she doing with a yoma though?" Miyabi asked as well.
The twin students of Gessen Middle School left, feeling ashamed of themselves for being cast aside by Fubuki, which made Yumi worried.
"What do you think? Will they be okay?" Homura asked her.
"Who knows. I should go check on them," replied Yumi.
"I'll go check on them too," added Sora.
"Wait, Sora, don't you think you should leave this to Yumi?" questioned Asuka.
"Maybe, Asuka. But still, even though they may have been helping Fubuki, until she cast them aside for their unwillingness to go with her plans of destroying every ninja in this world, good or bad, that doesn't mean that they are bad people. That's why both Yumi and I are still gonna talk to them, for three reasons. 1: Even after what they did, until they realized that their refusal to help Fubuki made her brand them as traitors to her own personal vendetta of vengeance, she and I need to make sure they'll be okay. We need to cheer them up. We need to let them know that we can still forgive them, rather than be blinded by vengeance after they attacked our friends and held them captive in that arena, even if they say that they don't deserve to be forgiven. 2: Well, as long as I'm with Yumi, even if they question me for being with her, I'll tell them that I'm her friend. And 3: I don't like seeing my friends feel sad all the time, as well as believe that they don't deserve to be forgiven, or are unwilling to forgive themselves for their failures, considering the fact that I once felt ashamed of myself for failing to save both Chibiusa and Hotaru during the final stages of the Death Buster Crisis, but I was able to forgive myself when I did some soul searching in my sleep, considering the fact that both her spirit along with Queen Serenity's told me that what happened wasn't my fault at all, and that I had to actually learn to live with the trauma, even though I have some issues with something called PTSD, Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder, which makes you react in a rather unexpected way, as well as make you try and become unwilling to face your fears. Right?" he explained.
Yumi was surprised, but she gave him a friendly smile.
"I… I suppose I can't argue with you on that one, Sora," she admitted.
Sora nodded, then turned towards the door.
"Let's go," he said, and they hurried after them.
They finally caught up to them, even as they called their names, and asked if they could talk to them.
"What is there to say?" questioned Gekkou.
"You know as well as we do that Fubuki saying you were dead weight to her, despite your unwillingness to go with her plan of slaughtering all ninja isn't your fault. Look, we may have started off on the wrong foot, or rather as enemies, but now you don't need to withhold all that regret from us. All Yumi and I are asking is if you can tell us everything you know about why she's going to destroy everything she hates, all so that she can please Master Kurokage's spirit, when in reality, she's actually going to make him ashamed of her for following the path of vengeance," explained Sora.
"Yes, Sora's right, you two. Can at least give us some information on what Fubuki plans to do?" Yumi asked them.
"Well, we researched everything we could about Master Kurokage. And that's when we found his records. Saying he had taken in another girl besides Yumi and her friends," she said to them.
"After that, we searched everywhere for her. We had hoped that she had inherited his beliefs and noble teachings," added Senkou.
"I see, and the girl was Fubuki," replied the snow kunoichi.
"So the Fubuki you found was the one who took you under her wing, and trained you to be the greatest of all ninja in Gessen, by having you try and follow her grandfather's former belief that darkness must be expunged from all worlds, including those he deemed to be nothing but pure evil, until his morals were shattered, just like General Ironwood's morals were, including his beliefs, his hopes, his dreams, and everything that made him so cynical and narcissistic that he actually became a monster, and doomed Atlas and Mantle to destruction. But still, there's more about her that you know," Sora said in agreement.
"That's all we know. Besides, there's no point in telling you about the Fubuki that we trained under," she remarked.
"Obviously, the Fubuki we knew is long gone," added Gekkou.
"That's something both Yumi and I refuse to believe. I know there's a part of Fubuki who loved both her grandfather and her foster sister. There's no way I'd even think of trying to have her killed, because that in turn would make everyone see that I have become a truly immoral monster, who only believes in killing without mercy, hesitation, and remorse. You wanna know something about me that you don't know? I refused to kill Adam Taurus for what he did to both Blake and Yang at Beacon Massacre. He was still adamant in his belief of vengeance, until it destroyed him. But in the end, when his belief died along with him, he asked me to take better care of her than he did, and I chose to honor his final request," argued Sora.
"Unfortunately, what you are asking for is a stupid miracle, Sora," she argued back, and both she and Senkou vanished from the corridor.
This made Yumi upset, but Sora still believed that the twins could be saved from their deluded belief that they had no place in the world, after being branded as traitors to Fubuki's mission of vengeance.
"Yumi, we still need to help them. Let's trace our connection to them with our hearts, then we'll be able to find them," he said to her, and they traced their connection to Senkou and Gekkou's hearts.
"Do you remember the last time we walked together like this?" Senkou asked her sister.
"I do, like it was yesterday," replied Gekkou.
The two of them thought back to the time when they first climbed a mountain, and made contact with Fubuki who was all by herself, dressed in the garments she wore, despite asking that they had come to their side, and when she was asked to tell them everything about Master Kurokage's beliefs as well as to carry them out. They soon came to a cliff near a waterfall.
"We learned what path we could follow because of Master Kurokage and Lady Fubuki," she said.
"But now, I guess we're not any different from this waterfall, racing towards an end with no future in sight," replied Senkou.
"What are we supposed to do?" her sister asked.
"We could always try going back to the life we had before. Back to those empty days," answered the other silverette.
"I can't handle that," admitted Gekkou.
"Neither can I," Senkou admitted as well.
However, unknown to them, Sora and Yumi were following their hearts to them, and managed to reach them.
"Gekkou! Senkou!" they called.
Both girls turned to face them.
"What in the name of Kingdom Hearts do you think you're doing? Do you honestly believe that killing yourselves can help you let go of your past?" Sora questioned them.
"We don't want to see you! Just go away!" Gekkou snapped at them.
"Kurokage's beliefs were all a lie, and Fubuki betrayed us. We've lost our only sense of purpose," added Senkou.
"Lost beliefs? Betrayal? Are those things really worth dying for?" questioned Yumi.
"You have no idea what we're going through," she protested.
"You're right, Gekkou. Yumi and I don't know what you're going through. But still, do you really believe that committing Sepuku, ritual suicide, is the only way to redeem yourselves of your failures? Well let me put what you've just said into words you may understand. Both mine and Yumi's experiences are very different from your own. You have no right to tell us to keep quiet about it, or that you deserve to be all by yourselves. All we wanna do is have something called a heart to heart talk," Sora said to them.
"What?" questioned Senkou.
"You heard what Sora said. Let's have a heart to heart talk. It's time I told you the real truth about my grandfather. Particularly his sense of justice," Yumi answered them.
"What else is there to say?" she asked.
"We already know we were wrong, so what else is there? It's obvious we didn't know Master Kurokage the way you did," added Gekkou.
"His true sense of justice is something we could never understand," Senkou said to them.
"And do you honestly believe that he'd want you to just cast your faith in it to the wayside, so that his spirit could feel true shame for letting you choose to kill yourselves for not being able to see the truth about him? Not a chance! Suicide is the coward's way of accepting failure. It's true Master Kurokage is gone, but after his outbursts from back then, he started to feel remorseful, even hateful of himself. He believed that all evil had to be expunged from not just this world, but all worlds. But after his meeting with Yumi, and later on, Fubuki, his eyes were opened to the truth. True justice is not to spill the blood of those you view as pure evil, like Sephiroth, but to ensure that the people you cherish are protected, and not killed off without a good reason. I almost made that mistake when I clashed with Xehanort for the last time in Scala Ad Caelum. I was so sure that killing him would make Kairi happy, but I was wrong. Kairi wouldn't want to see me become just like Xehanort was, and restart his plan to become a god. That's why I heard her voice telling me to let go of vengeance, or else history would repeat itself, making me an enemy to all things," remarked Sora.
"But I have faith in you. I believe you'll come to understand it just fine," interjected Yumi.
Then she gently took hold of Senkou's hand, making her react in shock.
"I'm sorry. It's freezing. My hand must be cold," she said.
"Well, it's not. I'm actually surprised. Your hand is warm," replied Senkou, who turned away from her.
"I see. Then I'm glad. This is something I learned from Grandfather Kurokage. That was his justice. Warmth is important. It's precious. Justice exists to protect those you love," Yumi explained.
"That's right. Master Kurokage found Yumi, lost and alone, and he raised her like his own granddaughter. He even did the same with Fubuki, a girl of two worlds. The only reason he took them under his wing is because he hated seeing them like that. I was lost and alone once, after my home, Destiny Islands, was destroyed by Xehanort, the Father of Cody, who was descended from Ephemer, the first Keyblade Master who built Scala Ad Caelum on the ruins of Daybreak Town. Also, you wanna know what happens if I choose to give up, stop believing in hope, have no faith in myself, as well as forsake justice for vengeance? Everyone and everything I cherish will die. And that's something I can never let happen at all, even after Sailor Galaxia, the Legendary Sailor Guardian, whom Chaos wanted to have Omega awaken within her, attacked and took the star seeds of the other Sailor Guardians, those that Sailor Moon and I cherish, including Minako Aino, Sailor Venus herself. Also, you know why Madoka started blaming herself after Kurai attacked someone who's name is Homura Akemi, hence why the Homura of this world is named after her? It's because she believed that after what Kurai had done to her was all her fault, and that she began thinking that if she was karmically destined to save her world from being destroyed by Walpurgisnacht, she asked why she wasn't able to make the right decisions. Madoka even apologized to Homura, fully accepting that she was trying to find a way to help her survive the entire time, and that after all this time it caused her nothing but unending pain. That's when she declared, no more, and that she would be the one to end the suffering, by ensuring that every magical girl could finally rest in peace, and so she asked Kyubey to grant her the one wish that was always in her heart. She wished to have the power to protect the people she cherished, just like I would, and she even accepted me as the perfect boyfriend, who'd always help her find a way to ensure that darkness can never truly win. At first, Homura believed that she had failed to stop her very best friend from becoming something that would lead to her destruction, but I told her that she was wrong. She didn't fail at all, because she helped Madoka discover a new kind of strength she'd never had in her life, and that was to help her defy all false destinies that alien cat had foretold, until Sephiroth absorbed him and his ilk, as well as gaining full control over the darkness of entropy, and he even absorbed all the grief seeds and witches that would hatch out of them after they fully awakened to the ever growing darkness that was absorbed from every magical girl's soul gem. But then, I realized that Madoka had become another of the New Seven Princesses of Heart that we had to protect from those who would use them for evil schemes, but with the X-blade in my possession, I'm not just a Guardian of Light, I'm also a Guardian of Kingdom Hearts itself, and all seven princesses. Last of all, there's something else you need to know about destiny. It can always change, just as easily as the love and justice in each person's heart. Nothing is set in stone. You may think that no help can ever come to you, but you're wrong about that. Help will always come to those who are in need of it, even in places you don't expect," Sora explained to them.
Gekkou was surprised, and even Senkou too.
"Don't you understand? Sometimes there are those who can be massive jerks to us, but now both Homura and her Crimson Squad are cool now, just like Weiss' brother, Whitley Schnee. Also, you know what they did to ensure that Asuka wouldn't lose faith in herself? They chose to try and help save her friends, even though she was afraid that after Yumi and Fubuki met, everything she'd done was for nothing, and that this world would be doomed to destruction, but I refused to let that happen at all, by telling her to always believe in the fire of hope. Even Miyabi and her friends agreed to help, despite being from an evil ninja school. They may be walking their own paths, but they did help us in the best way they knew how. Do you know what that meant to Yumi? It meant that there were some traces of justice in their hearts. So believe me when I tell you, by paraphrasing what Sailor Moon said to Galaxia, back when she was Chaos' vessel, and after she'd taken everyone's star seeds away. Nobody is ever truly gone. Both the Sailor Starlights, as well as Master Eraqus, told us that. So as long as you don't think of giving up, then Master Kurokage's spirit will always be in both yours and Senkou's hearts, just like he is in Yumi and Fubuki's hearts. If you gave up now, lost hope, stopped trying, only then would everything drown in the deepest darkest depths of pandemonium, and you'd lose yourselves to oblivion. Also, even though I never got a chance to meet him, his spirit also lives in my heart, just like those who have passed away. Eraqus, Xehanort, Saphir, Demande, The Sailor Animamates who were once pawns of Chaos when he was still using Galaxia as his vessel, but was actually plotting the awakening of Omega, the real Sailor Galaxia, Nehelenia, and now Homura Akemi. Also, even though Yumi and I are sorry that Fubuki chose to brand you as traitors, that doesn't mean that you should just give up on yourselves. You see, even though Ruby said that we should've told Ironwood the truth about Salem being immortal, as well as sealed away Jinn's lamp, then we really would've been prepared for her attack on Atlas. That's why I was with her on the night she sent a message across the entire world, to let everyone know that Salem was a dangerous threat that had to be stopped, even though she couldn't die. I'm not afraid of saying what's really on my heart and mind. I wanted to tell him the truth myself, but I chose to hold my tongue, and not breathe a word. And the three reasons for that are as follows. 1: I was also afraid as Ruby and Ozpin were, because we didn't want Ironwood to give up hope like Lionheart, and everyone else. 2: I wanted him to ensure that Amity would be fully set up, which is exactly what we'd been fighting for the entire time, so that the world would become a much better place. And last of all, 3: My heart was telling me to be silent as a tomb, and it's never actually let me down before. And it's not gonna let me down any time at this very moment we're in. It may not have changed the fact that Mantle and Atlas would be a frozen wasteland, but so what if it did? I prefer to do something that none of you may ever expect. Transform every crisis into a golden opportunity. In other words, even if everything may turn out bad from time to time, that doesn't mean it will always become like this forever, unless you decide to let it be. But you guys need to stop with this senseless 'failure is death' bologna, because there will always be a brighter side to it, like a silver lining. We need to accept that silver lining, rather than reject it. Everybody makes mistakes from time to time. Heck, even I made a lot of mistakes myself. So I'm gonna tell you the many mistakes that I made. My first mistake was saving all the worlds from destruction. You both know how you saw how I used my Keyblade to free the hearts that were taken by the Heartless after I defeated them. In the years I've traveled from world to world, as well as protecting the people and freeing their hearts, I believed that I'd done a good thing, and that the hearts were going back to those who lost them, but I was wrong. Instead, they had been taken away by Organization XIII, my most hated enemies. On that day, I began to question myself, as well as began thinking of quitting this journey. They had used me to do that deed. At first I began thinking that after everything I did, it was well and truly for nothing at all. I wasn't sure what to do next, and that I didn't deserve to use the Keyblade any longer. However, I realized that all of my friends, the ones who were always part of my heart, made me realize something, when I heard their voices asking me if I had truly forgotten. That's when I decided, no more, despite the risk that came with it. So I chose to take that risk, along with everyone else. After that, we managed to storm their stronghold and put an end to their plans, but that led to the return of Master Xehanort, following the deaths of both Ansem and Xemnas. That's when we realized that war was inevitable. We all stuck together, not just as friends, as a family. We defeated both Xehanort and his Warriors of Darkness, but after I saw him strike down Kairi, I got rageful, bitter, and I began to hate him. I really wanted him dead, so that he'd rot in hell for believing that he murdered her in cold blood, but I didn't. Kairi's voice was saying, 'Sora, don't lose yourself to vengeance. Do you honestly believe I'd want you to remember me like that? With acts of anger and vengeance in your heart, even though the Vanitas that used to be in Ven's heart has now fully become part of your heart?' That's when I realized that vengeance couldn't solve anything. It would only bring sorrow, shame, and even disgrace the memories of those who died by the hands of those that are pure evil. Then I did even more worse things, such as killing Cinder Fall, by going for her head. I felt like I was doing something to help both Pyrrha Nikos and Penny Polendina rest in peace, but I was wrong. They said that I dishonored their memories for revenge, just as I almost did with Kairi, and since then I've lived with that regret, along with the regret of helping the Death Busters bring dark silence to all the worlds after Vanitas broke out, followed by allowing Nehelenia to kill her niece, Usagi, after Chibiusa vanished before our eyes, and Vassago and killing Mamoru, as well as ensuring that everyone we cherished would forever be trapped in the dark side of the looking glass, which was destroyed, but Master Yen Sid refused to let that come to pass, thanks to his connection to the Keepers of Fate. That was the moment Nehelenia died, after we tried to help her accept redemption, thanks to Vassago killing her in cold blood. But then, I did even worse than before. I unwillingly allowed Chaos, now freed from Galaxia by Sailor Moon's hand to merge with me, and that resulted in the birth of Chaos Vanitas, the true darkness that awoke Omega from within Galaxia. But she too died, after I vanquished her dark half, thus giving her light half the chance to merge with her to reform the true Sailor Galaxia, before she absorbed Chaos within herself, following her desire to have all living things returned to Kingdom Hearts. My reputation spiraled into the negative zone, but after performing some mercenary work, I hoped to have my faith restored, until one fateful mission, where I would have to guard a university dormitory in another world alongside Cody. That's when I fully admitted to Atena that I had failed to save both Nehelenia and Galaxia on those fateful days they died, because of my weakness. However, I was able to find closure with them, but still have yet to find closure with Homura Akemi, who said that Madoka and I would be her living legacy, just like how Zack said that Cloud would be his living legacy. So understand this, Senkou and Gekkou. You mustn't forsake justice. Not now, because we won't let you do that," he said to them.
Both Senkou and Gekkou were surprised, but also touched by how Sora spoke of how he had lost so much, and that his many teachers, and the losses he suffered made him who he really was.
"And there's more. When I heard Fubuki say she'd wipe out all shinobi in the world, it made me start to think of Dante's brother, Vergil, a Son of Sparda, the Legendary Dark Knight who chose justice over senseless slaughter. Long ago… A single demon challenged the emperor of the underworld for the sake of mankind. The demon would prove victorious, and seal off the underworld. That demon was the Dark Knight Sparda. Sparda's legend spread, and the Legendary Dark Knight was revered by mankind. But as the years slipped by, the memory of his deeds and the existence of demons faded from memory. After 2000 years, the seal on the underworld began to weaken. The Demon Emperor Mundus sent his minions after Sparda's wife and twin sons in an act of revenge. Sparda's human wife, Eva, stood no chance against the demons and lost her life. One of Sparda's sons, Vergil, went missing. The only survivor was Dante, Vergil's twin brother. Decades later… Dante was reunited with his lost brother, Vergil. Vergil survived the years with the help of his father's sword, the demon blade Yamato, and longed to obtain even greater might by unlocking the power of Sparda. Arkham, a man bent on obtaining demon power, knew that unlocking Sparda's power would weaken the seal on the underworld. To this end, Arkham manipulated Vergil from the shadows to fulfill his deluded ambitions. Conflicted over his feelings for his lost brother, Dante set out to stop Vergil and Arkham. Along the way, Dante met a demon hunter named Lady. Her lust for revenge against Arhkam, the man who killed her mother, served to steel Dante's resolve. After learning that Arkham was the real threat all along, Dante and Vergil teamed up to fight the mad scholar. However, this comradery did not last long, as the two could not overcome their differences. The battle between brothers was fierce, but Vergil met his match. In the end, he refused Dante's help as he fell alone into the underworld. Soon after, Dante opened his shop for business: Devil May Cry. Fronting as a local handyman, he used his business to hunt down demons and collect information on Mundus. Some time later… A mysterious and beautiful woman appeared at Dante's door. The woman's name was Trish and she bore a striking resemblance to Dante's deceased mother. She led Dante to Mallet Island, where Mundus had been sealed away. There Dante faced a gauntlet of Mundus' minions, all of whom fell to the Devil Hunter's inordinate strength. One such adversary was revealed to be Vergil, warped into the demon known as Nelo Angelo. In the face of Mundus' cruelty, Dante's anger erupted like never before. The true power Dante inherited from his father Sparda was unleashed, which he used to seal Mundus away once again. Dante then returned to hunting demons with Trish and Lady at his side. Many demons continued to invade the human world…but not even demonic rulers rivaling the power of Mundus could match Dante's strength. All was at peace in the human world…but not for long. A Sparda worshiping cult known as the Order of the Sword aimed to take control of the human world through demonic forces. Thus Dante traveled to their base in Fortuna to assassinate the Order leader Sanctus. Incensed by this affront, the Order dispatched young Holy Knight Nero to kill Dante. Nero learned of the Order's true goals during his pursuit of Dante, and was killed for it by the scientist Agnus. Unbeknownst to all, Vergil's sword Yamato had been in the Order's possession. The blade resonated with Nero, reviving him with new demonic powers. This was proof enough that the blood of Sparda coursed through Nero's veins as well. Having learned of the Order's sinister plans, Nero confronted fellow Holy Knight and mentor Credo about his involvement. But alas, his former mentor had been working towards the Order's goals all along. On top of everything, Sanctus was revived with the aid of nefarious powers. Nero's beloved Kyrie was then taken hostage…and the lovers were absorbed into the core of the Order's ultimate weapon: the Savior. Enraged over his sister Kyrie's treatment, Credo tried to save Nero, only to be dealt a fatal blow at the hands of Sanctus. Just when all seemed lost, the legendary Dante arrived to battle the Savior and rescue Nero. Nero was then able to defeat Sanctus, and put an end to the Order's evil machinations. Dante sensed in Nero the same connection to Sparda's power, and so entrusted Yamato to the youth before leaving Fortuna. The two parted ways, and continued their fight against demons in defense of the human world. The two descendants of Sparda kept the world safe and at peace for many years. But nothing lasts forever…and a crisis looms on the horizon, the likes of which their world has never seen, but that's gonna wait until Dante decides to call me from his shop, if the job's gonna be too much for him to handle," Sora explained even further.
Yumi was shocked to learn about the legend of Sparda, but Senkou and Gekkou were also surprised as she was. Finally, the kunoichi with the golden barrette in her hair slowly stepped up, then looked into his sky blue eyes.
"Hearing your speech and your story just now, it made me realize something about you. It's almost like you're a reincarnation of Master Kurokage, Sora. And seeing that smile on your face actually made me realize something else about you. I can see in your eyes, the same kind of fire that would truly give the people hope. It's something that we'd actually forgotten, and we do feel a little better after what you've told us. You carry within your heart the fire of hope. Oh, and, I just hope Senkou doesn't get too mad at me, but I actually did start to have a crush on you, when I saw you for the first time," she admitted.
"Hoo boy. This is like deja vu all over again, when Mimete, VesVes, and Sailor Aluminum Siren started to crush on me for some strange reason, which did make Minako nearly succumb to the shadow of envy," Sora admitted to Yumi.
The snow kunoichi couldn't help but giggle, despite what she heard, and Gekkou did the same.
"Oh, Sora, you really are funny," she said, trying to contain her giggles.
"Well, I guess being funny isn't such a bad thing," replied Sora.
However, behind them, Asuka and Homura saw everything that transpired, as well as heard what Sora had told them. It did make her feel a little better at most, just as Sora decided to leave them with Yumi for a little while.
"Homura, I've got a favor to ask you, from one warrior to another. Look, I know you're aware of the friendship between Asuka and Ikaruga, but can you at least let her know that she's gonna be away for a bit? I have to stay behind and make sure that Katsu doesn't go overboard with her perverted antics. Also, the main reason that you want Asuka to face you in battle once more, is so you could agree to accept her feelings about what she believes in," Sora explained to her.
"Yeah, I know," replied Homura.
"Sora, this is something I must do alone. I need to follow the path of the shinobi to its end," Asuka said to her rival.
"Just be careful, Asuka. And for your sake, don't even think trying to do something stupid like getting yourself killed. Because if you did, then I'd never be able to forgive myself at all," he replied.
"Why would you even say that?" she asked in surprise.
"You know what happens if I see someone I cherish die in front of me, or when someone says that they killed them in cold blood. Well, when I get sad and angry, that's when Vanitas suddenly breaks out, and decides to rip and tear, until it is done. I won't let you just do this on your own, because you have more friends than you know, just like I do," Sora explained to her.
"Tell my friends that what I'm doing will be considered my one true destiny. Tell them not to bother me. Tell them I don't need them. Tell them Asuka is the lone wolf," she remarked coldly, and walked off into the distance.
"Sora, I think you should tell Ikaruga. Tell what Asuka said to you. She's letting herself be ruled by something worse than what she believes in, and it could ultimately lead to her doing something stupid," Homura said to Sora.
In the classroom where Sora first met Asuka and her friends, the spiky brunette was feeling more nostalgic about being back in this familiar area again, despite the fact that the threat of Fubuki was a greater issue.
"So, what do you guys want to do for lunch?" Hibari asked them.
"We have to stay put until Suzune-Sensei gives us orders. We're not allowed to go out," replied Ikaruga.
"Maybe, but how about this? Are any of you guys okay with pizza?" Sora asked.
"Wait, pizza?" questioned Katsuragi.
"Yeah," he replied.
"I was actually thinking about having instant ramen in a cup with you guys," she said, pulling out several flavors of ramen and setting them on the table.
"Hmm…sounds fair. Okay, sure. In fact, this may actually give us a good opportunity to learn more about Senkou and Gekkou, even though they've apologized to you for how they took you captive after they ambushed you on Fubuki's orders," agreed Sora.
"I guess that's fine," admitted Senkou.
"Also, thank you, Sora," added Gekkou.
Katsuragi, despite her excitement, began naming the many flavors of instant ramen she had before them.
"And for dessert…" she was about to say.
"We'll have strawberry sundaes to go with it," interjected Sora.
"Aw, man!" groaned Katsuragi, slamming her head against the table.
"Careful!" cried Ikaruga.
"Yeah, what she said!" added Yagyu.
Luckily, Hibari was quick to stop an argument from breaking out, as well as warning them that Sora was with them. The white haired kunoichi then came to the both of them, and passed them some squid flavored ramen. A while later, they all sat on the rooftop eating together.
"Hey, so, uh…" Gekkou tried to say.
"Yes, did you need something, Gekkou?" Ikaruga asked.
"Aren't you still mad at us?" she asked.
"You know, for all the things we did to you?" added Senkou.
"You mean when you kidnapped us and tied us up?" replied Hibari.
"Yeah, that," admitted Gekkou.
"Yeah, of course I'm mad. I'm mad at myself for losing to you. You caught us by surprise, but that's no excuse. We should've been prepared, so no hard feelings," replied Katsuragi.
But of course, she did tell them to eat the Ramen before it went soggy.
"We'll practice more, and get even stronger. And then, maybe we can fight again someday," assured Ikaruga.
"If we ever have a rematch with them, I'll definitely win. If you want me to prove it, I'd be willing to fight right now," quipped Yagyu, who was still feeling bitter.
"Hold on! You shouldn't say things like that, Yagyu! If you act mean, I won't want to be friends with you anymore!' snipped Hibari.
"Seriously!? If you're joking Hibari, it's not very funny. You didn't really mean any of those things, did you? Be honest," she gasped in shock.
"I did! Unless you say to Gekkou and Senkou, 'let's be friends and do our best together'," the pinkette said firmly.
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Hibari on this one, Yagyu. And believe me, when you hold a grudge against someone like I do, it'll continue to grow stronger and stronger, until it makes you become your own worst enemy. I may have held a grudge against Cinder after all the horrible things she did before. But after killing her, I became remorseful of my actions. Going for her head was one of the worst things I did, and now her blood still stains my hands, even though it's faded away, but the unthinkably horrible thing I did only made it worse, because I desecrated both Penny and Pyrrha's memory. Now I have Sephiroth and Maleficent to deal with, and they've done some really horrible things too. Therefore, if you don't let go of all that hatred over what Senkou and Gekkou had done, then what Hibari said to you will most certainly come true, and your friendship will end on an extremely sour note," added Sora.
But to prove his point even further, he made his eyes suddenly turn yellow.
"And when it does, you will most certainly be alone for the rest of your life," he said ominously.
Shocked and horrified, Yagyu did what Hibari told her, and the matter was settled. It did make Gekkou happy, but Sora was quick to fire a warning shot at Katsuragi with his mastery over fire, making her jump back in shock, just as she was about to grab hold of Senkou's chest.
"Watch it!" she snapped.
"Do you honestly want Ikaruga to go into Vergil mode, Katsu?" Sora asked her.
"Point proven," sighed the blonde kickboxer.
"Sora, please, I know that Katsu's antics may get on my nerves, but still, I wouldn't dream of cutting off her hands with Hien. That'd also make me very cruel, and I too would feel remorse for my actions in wanting her dead," interjected Ikaruga.
"Anyway, I can tell that now isn't the right time to come together so that we can take it easy for a while, but I'm still worried about Asuka, just like everyone else is. I also know that you and Gekkou are still missing someone who's the link to all, just like I am. I just hope she doesn't do anything reckless, like get herself killed for no good reason," Sora said to the middle schoolers of Gessen.
"We haven't heard anything from her yet, have we?" Gekkou asked the others.
She didn't receive a reply, but right as Katsuragi, who was greatly disturbed by Sora's warning of Ikaruga pulling a Vergil on her, stepped away from everyone else.
"Note to self, Katsuragi. Don't ever give Sora an excuse to contact Master Hanzo, Kiriya Sensei, or worse, Master Yen Sid himself. Either one of them would definitely reprimand us for starting a scuffle amongst each other, and I'd end up being put on temporary probation," Katsuragi told herself.
"Actually, the smart thing I'll say to them is this: Mom, Dad, please stop fighting," Hibari said kindly to Sora.
"Then in that case, maybe I'll head down and take some time to myself for a bit," she replied, and walked away.
This made Gekkou start to giggle at them, just like before at the waterfall, during the heart to heart talk between herself, Senko, Sora and Yumi.
"Seeing you all together like this, it's almost as if you guys are like family," she said to them.
"Yeah, well, there are times when two of my friends, Usagi Tsukino and Rei Hino, would often get into heated arguments, but their bond still continues to grow stronger, no matter how many times they fought with each other. But, saying that I'd contact Master Yen Sid, and ask him to make sure that they know their place, it'd most certainly leave them having the turkey stuffing scared out of them," replied Sora.
"Sweet merciful mother of Sayuri," murmured Ikaruga.
"Yeah, you said it, Ikaruga. I'd rather not get in trouble with this Master Yen Sid guy. No way, Jose. I'm definitely gonna head back to the classroom and have a bit of time to myself," replied Katsuragi, and she scuttled away.
"Geez, who are you and what have you done with Katsu?" Yagyu asked.
"Look, just… Pfft. I'm just gonna eat my strawberry sundae. Like I said, I need to be alone for a bit," she quipped, and left them all behind.
"Well, that was unexpected," said Senkou.
"Yeah, I guess. Still, that was very unexpected of Katsuragi, hearing her say that she wants to be alone for a while, rather than take hold of you in a perverted manner," replied Sora, even as Gekkou continued to cuddle up to him.
"Anyway, if it's alright I was thinking of showing you my transformed state to you, and you can actually give me your own personal opinions on it," she said, after stepping back.
Everyone nodded, and so Gekkou transformed before them in a brilliant flash of golden light. It soon cleared away to reveal her in that same gold and black suit with a sleeveless white vest, yellow jacket, a black apron over them in front and behind, yellow detached sleeves, black osange plates, yellow pants like leggings on her boots, and a crescent shaped symbol on the many parts of her garments.
"I will say this, Gekkou. It's actually a really good outfit," Sora said.
"Really?" she asked happily.
"Yep," he replied.
This made her glomp at him, making him fall onto his back, but was also careful not to smack his head against the roof.
"Oh, you are so sweet, Sora. You know that? But, when you and Fubuki fought I could actually hear the sounds of thunder above us while we were in the arena. It was almost as if a storm really was approaching," Gekkou explained to him, while rubbing her cheek against his face.
"Sweet mother of Bugs Bunny," murmured Hibari.
"Um, I really hate to interrupt this touching moment, Sora, but we got some bigger fish to fry here," Yagyu said.
"Oh, right. Asuka. I just hope she's doing okay for now." he replied quietly, after he slowly got up from below Gekkou.
"I should probably go and check on her right now," he added, and jumped off the roof.
He landed in a crouch, and came to the Mikagura shrine, after tracing his connection to her heart with his own.
"Hello, Asuka," he heard Naraku say.
"Is Kagura here?" Asuka asked.
"She's busy. Kagura is storing her power for the upcoming battle. I can't allow anyone to see her now," she replied.
"I'm afraid I have to agree with her on this one, Asuka. Patience is a virtue after all," added Sora, when he stepped out.
"I know that, Sora. But I wanna talk to her," Asuka replied.
"Stop being stubborn for just a few minutes and listen to me. Nothing revolves around you, and it never has. We're all involved in this whether you like it or not. Asuka, your grandfather, Master Hanzo, would actually tell you not to do anything that he'd consider as rash," he tried to tell her.
"Don't be ridiculous, Sora, this isn't rash. I know what I have to do. I have to follow my destiny until the very end. Even if it means dying before I reach that very goal," she argued.
Before it could continue any further, Kagura soon appeared before them.
"And what would this senseless arguing do if you were to let a yoma ambush and kill you on the spot?" she asked them.
But then Asuka told her that she would be the one to deal with the yoma, only for Sora to rest her hand on her shoulder.
"Kagura, please, try to understand. I don't want Asuka to lose herself fully to darkness, or else her death would shame not just her grandfather, but everyone else as well," Sora said.
"Hold your tongue, Sora!" barked Naraku.
But of course, she understood Asuka's plans of sealing the yoma without the need of bloodshed, which the ponytailed kunoichi believed immensely. The training was indeed intense, but at last Asuka had been taught the technique of sealing the yoma. It's name was the Fumakourin. To prove her theory, Kagura opened up a portal to the yoma realm, prompting Sora to ready his Keyblade. But of course, Asuka used the technique to seal it away. However, Kagura had a warning, if she abused it the same way that Sora used the power of waking, she would perish, and her heart would be forced to travel to Quadratum after death, but she soon began to accept it with every fiber of her being.
"Kagura, Naraku, I want you to know that I really hate seeing the people I cherish die for no good reason. Luna and Artemis, two of Usagi's friends, told me about that terrible battle between the Sailor Guardians and the Dark Kingdom, which led to a pyrrhic victory for them, resulting in them being reborn with no memory of that terrible clash. I refuse to let Asuka die, just like she wouldn't. That's why I have to make sure she'll be okay," Sora told them, and he ran after her.
By the next day, Fubuki watched from an alley, then disappeared onto the rooftop.
"The islands of Japan and Keikai are connected by a wayline. Which means one thing," she said to Nuno.
"Yes, it is time for the carnage to begin," replied Nuno.
Several black portals opened, and a huge swarm of yoma came pouring out of them, sending the people running for their lives. Yumi sensed it, when she heard the bad news from Minori. Fubuki's war was just beginning.