Kingdom Hearts: A World Beyond

by A New Pencil

Inspired by The OC Maniac's "May Your Heart Go Beyond". With the Keyblade War finished and the price of misusing the power of waking paid, Sora assumed he would fade away for good. But it seems destiny isn't done with him yet, as he is now stranded in a brand new world with a darkness that can't be fought alone. Can he find his way back to the world he knows?

24. Chapter 23: Regain Your Footing

Hi again! A New Pencil returns to the desk!

Underline is for English.

Italics is either thoughts, a flashback, or a song/poem.

I do not own Kingdom Hearts, My Hero Academia, OMORI, Final Fantasy, or any of its characters or music. They all belong to their respective companies and owners.

Chapter 23: Regain Your Footing

You are not alone. Never forget that.

(Play: KH BBS OST - Future Masters)

With Mic's declaration, the fourth match went underway.

Tenya immediately blitzed his opponent, almost catching him by surprise as he went for a roundhouse. Sora just had enough time to summon his weapon and block Iida's attack. With a grunt, Sora pushed Tenya's leg away before going in for a swing. Predicting such a counter, Iida was able to quickly back off so that Sora's strike hit nothing but air. The Keyblade wielder repositioned himself back into his fighting stance.

"Oh baby!" Mic commented, "One of them may be quick on their feet, but this fight isn't going to finish in a few seconds, it appears! Could the streak of instant matches finally be broken?!"

After backing off from Sora's attack, Tenya began to circle the arena and eyed Sora intensely. He had very few options to go for if he wanted to get an advantage over Sora. He had his Recipro Burst ready, but he needed to save it in case Sora decided to use a Special Move of his own.

Sora was observing Iida just the same, seeing how fast he was running and a plan gearing up in his mind. Seconds later, Sora made his move, using Flowmotion to intercept Tenya and getting the Kingdom Key out to knock him off balance. Tenya was barely able to react in time and dodge under the swing of the Keyblade. Getting behind Sora, he grabbed the back of the swordsman's shirt and used his current momentum to sprint towards the nearest edge of the arena.

Most of Class 1-A was impressed by how well their class representative was handling their strongest fighter. However, given how Sora was still holding back, this wasn't going to end as quickly as Iida hoped.

He was just about to reach the edge and fling Sora out of the ring, but his momentum was immediately halted. He turned to see what exactly had caused it, and found that Sora had slammed the Kingdom Key into the ground to halt the two of them, making a jagged cut in the arena itself as it skidded both of them to a stop. Tenya couldn't even react as Sora used his free hand to grab him and fling him around, sending him tumbling to the ground. Wincing from the pain, Iida turned his head to see Sora sprinting towards him, before somersaulting into the air and bringing his weapon downward to hit Tenya while he was grounded.

Reacting fast, 1-A's class rep kicked himself out of the way, and Sora's Keyblade merely slammed the ground, cracking it and grounding it. Taking advantage of Sora's moment of vulnerability, Tenya rushed in to plant a kick into Sora's back. He grunted, trying to place a firm foot to keep his balance, but he didn't account for Tenya using his Quirk to amplify the force behind the kick. In a burst of exhaust, Sora was flung to the ground by Tenya's kick, rolling to a stop back to where he started.

(Play: MHA OST - I Don't Need Pretend Friends)

Class 1-A was pretty much on the edge of their seats now as the crowd roared in excitement.

"I can't believe it!" Toru smiled, "He's doing much better than I did against him!"

"He's actually making progress against him, and pushing him back," Mashirao admitted, "I had a hard time doing that myself. He's definitely holding his own better than you and I."

"What speed. He's definitely been training like the rest of us." Shoji remarked.

"Not to mention he hasn't used his Special Move yet, either!" Denki added.

"Could he actually beat Sora?" Eijiro thought aloud, "Didn't think he had a chance at first, but now I'm starting to doubt my initial thoughts."

At that, Katsuki merely scoffed.

"We don't know yet," Izuku explained, "It's still too early to find out who has the upper hand. But if Iida-kun can catch Sora off-guard again, he may have a chance."

Tenya examined Sora as he got up and shook his head to shake the dust. He wasn't the slightest bit damaged as he seemed to shake the kick off. So it was true: Sora was too durable to knock out at the level Iida was right now. And Sora wasn't the type to surrender unless he knew he was outmatched. The only option of victory was by ringout.

But how?

He couldn't use his Special Move just yet. Tenya decided on one final attempt to send Sora out of the ring. It was that, or he would have no option but to use his Special Move.

Tenya then began his second attempt. He blitzed Sora, who was ready for it and prepared to counter the upcoming attack. Iida then suddenly slowed his momentum to lean back from the side swing, kicking Sora's weapon hand and knocking the Keyblade out of his hand.

Sora then turned to said weapon as it was kicked aside, while Tenya took advantage again of Sora's vulnerability, blasting his engines on full and tackling Sora, before he began to sprint towards the edge of the ring.

"Holy smokes, listeners!" Mic shouted, "Looks like Iida's managed to gain the upper hand! He's trying to throw Nakajima out of the ring!"

Tenya looked towards the edge, his gaze determined. This was it. A few more steps and Sora would be out. He wasn't planning to lose to him again. Even if Sora managed to escape, Tenya's Recipro would finish it. This was the moment! His chance to win!

But then suddenly, Sora did something unexpected: He brought himself to face level and headbutted Tenya on the forehead, stunning him and allowing Sora to plant his feet onto the ground, just centimeters away from the line. The crowd was shocked as Sora began to move away from the line, taking three steps before Tenya stopped him, keeping them in a stalemate as the two tried to overpower one another.

Sora grinned. He was very impressed. Tenya had managed to nearly take him out on two occasions. Looks like he had to get serious after all.

(Play: KH BBS Final Mix OST - Master, Tell Me The Truth)

The crowd watched speechless as the ground between the two fighters began to crack under the pressure. Sora put his hands onto Tenya's shoulders and faced him at eye level. "Come on, Tenya." he grinned, "I know that you're stronger than this!"

Iida responded by throwing a fist, which was caught by Sora, who then responded with a strike of his own, which was also caught by Tenya. The two were locked in a struggle of power, each trying to overwhelm the other, as the cracks underneath them grew larger and larger. Tenya watched as Sora's clothes began to change color and a golden aura flowed through him as they struggled.

Not good. Sora was powering up now, and he was getting stronger. Sora then pushed Iida off and transformed in a flash of light. He resummoned his Keyblade in hand, its blade also glowing with power. "Let's do this, Tenya! Final showdown!"

Now the class rep had only one last option. It was a huge risk, but it was the only shot he had of winning. Revving his engines to maximum output, he yelled, "RECIPRO BURST!"

In response, Sora activated Flowmotion, racing towards Tenya as he blitzed towards him. The two roared as they blitzed past each other, before stopping two feet behind one another and turning around to strike one another: Sora with Second Form and the empowered Kingdom Key, and Tenya with his Special Move powering his incoming roundhouse. A mighty slam was heard as the two attacked collided with one another, making the ground below them crater from the force of the collision.

Both sides were locked in a stalemate again, with neither one giving in to the other. Iida only had five seconds to make a decisive move, and he would use it. He grunted, letting his leg slide on Sora's blade before it hit the teeth of the Keyblade, forcing Sora off-balance. Using that, Tenya began to spin himself around for a roundhouse aimed at Sora's face, ignoring the pain from the newly created scrape on his shin. Sora reeled back from the pressure, the heat the engines were giving off actually burning his nose, while the kick from Iida actually managed to connect, sending him off-balance.

However, just as Iida was about to follow up with another kick to send Sora flying out of the ring, his engines gave out.

He was stunned. Sora had managed to survive through his last resort. He had no time to react as Sora regained his footing, shook his head to recover, and began to glow again, this time a brilliant orange. He raised his arms, energy crackling through his body as he swung them downwards to unleash a Special Move of his own.

"Stun Impact!" he shouted, releasing a dome of orange-red electricity that struck Class 1-A's representative hard and knocked him into the ground. He could barely find it in him to get back up, as his head was spinning and his body felt stiff as sparks of electricity stiffened his body. Sora wasn't giving him any chance to recover, as he then rushed in and slammed the Kingdom Key into Tenya's stomach, then used force to send him out of the ring, where he tumbled into the grass.

(Silence)

Tenya groaned slightly. That attack had hurt a bit more than he expected it to.

Once Iida was on the ground, Midnight raised her flag, "Tenya Iida is out of bounds! Sora Nakajima advances to the quarterfinal!"

(Play: KH 1.5 Remix OST - Olympus Coliseum)

"Nothing to it!" Sora grinned, swinging his Keyblade over his shoulder and placed his free hand on his hip. The crowd cheered for his victory, but he wasn't focused on that, as he dropped out of his pose and ran over to Tenya. He was very impressed, as the class rep did pretty well against him, and nearly knocked him out of the ring twice. Not to mention the exhaust from the Recipro Burst had forced him to reel back so he couldn't breathe it in. He might have been holding back much of his strength, but he was happy Tenya was able to push him this far.

As he made it to Iida, who managed to get into a sitting position, the Keyblade wielder offered his hand to the rep, "You did awesome, Tenya." he told him, "You actually got me with that Special Move of yours."

Iida looked to Sora's face, which was slightly blackened and there was a darker bruise on the boy's cheek. He smiled a bit to see that he actually did deal damage to Sora of all people, even though he lost, "You did marvelous, too, and I appreciate your praise. You have earned this victory, Sora-kun,"

"Thanks, Tenya."

Sora then helped Tenya up and supported him as they exited the amphitheater. As they walked towards the exit, they heard others, even Pro Heroes, muttering to one another.

"That overseas kid really turned the tides in the end,"

"It was very neck and neck to me." a girl replied, "It was hard to tell who had the upper hand most of the time."

"Smart of the engine kid to use his speed to try and overwhelm his opponent."

"The foreign kid was able to recover and push the other guy several times."

"But the clash was powerful! Did you see the crater?"

"They both had to have been using an equal amount to make that."

"Those two have great Quirks, and a greater mastery over them. I'll say they will go real far."

With the praise both of them were getting, Iida began to smile more and more, as he had shown to the world he could contend with the big leagues, and Sora felt the same, while also feeling pride for achieving his other goal: letting his classmates shine as well, and not just himself. The two walked to Recovery Girl's office to check up on their injuries, before they headed back to the bleachers. Their classmates were there to greet them.

"Iida-kun! Man, that was so awesome!" Denki congratulated him, "You actually made Sora get serious!"

"You both had each other on the ropes!" Toru added.

"Most impressive, Iida-san," Fumikage praised, "I thought that Nakajima would be untouchable, but now you have made me reconsider my thoughts."

"You kidding? He landed a good hit on him with that Special Move!"

Said person was surprised by all the praise he was given, but happy nonetheless. "I appreciate your praise, everyone. But I would also think you'd be congratulating Sora-kun on his victory too."

"Well, we expected you to lo- OW!" Mineta began, before Tsuyu slapped him with her tongue.

"He means that we predicted Sora would win." Jiro finished Mineta's statement in a nicer way.

"But I've got to say, you proved us wrong several times." Mezo replied.

"And to be able to push someone like Sora that far, that is something very praiseworthy," Mashirao told Iida.

"And don't forget that last part!" Kirishima grinned, "Both of you went all out and clashed at the center! The shockwave! The crater! It was all so manly!"

Sora and Tenya grinned at one another, before they looked around, trying to find Ochaco. Surprisingly, the zero gravity girl wasn't present. After being praised by their friends, Tenya went out to find her, while Sora stayed back to watch the next match.

(Play: MHA OST - U.A. Reporting for Duty!)

"Now let's get started with the fifth match, listeners!" Mic shouted, "On the right corner, I hope that shiny silver belt serves some kind of purpose! It's Yuga Aoyama of the Hero Course!" Yuga struck a pose like Sora did with his victory to the crowd, "And on the left corner! Is there a purpose that those things on her head serve? Also from the Hero Course, Mina Ashido!"

Said student looked at her opponent confidently, stretching her arms before exchanging a taunt to Aoyama.

"Good luck Mina-chan!" Tsuyu called out, "You can do it!"

"SHOW NO MERCY, AOYAMA!" Mineta shouted, "FIGHT LIKE YOU'RE IN ONE OF THOSE VIDEO GAMES WHERE EVERYONE'S CLOTHES GET BEATEN OFF!

Sora raised a brow as Kyoka muttered, "You pervert…"

Seriously, what was with Minoru and his odd obsession with girls? He had no idea how deep this perverted well went down, but if it got to a very deep point, he would make sure to deal with it personally, so that the others wouldn't have to worry.

Sora noticed Izuku mumbling again. "A match between Ashido-san and Aoyama-kun." he hummed, "Considering both of their powers, Aoyama-kun will most likely try and keep his distance and fire his laser at Ashido-san."

If that was the case, Sora thought, then the only chance Mina had of winning was if she could dodge Yuga's laser and get in close before he could fire again. He wondered how this match would turn out.

"Alright, let's get started!" Mic shouted, "Fifth match, BEGIN!"

(Play: MHA OST - Combat Training)

Yuga immediately fired a blast from his navel, and Ashido jumped over it to dodge it, landing down on the ground quickly to duck under another. She then began producing acid from her shoes, and to Sora's surprise, she began to skate around the arena, gracefully dodging Aoyama's lasers. She called out, "We were partners during the combat training, Aoyama-kun! So I know about your Quirk."

"I can say the same about you, mon amie." Aoyama retorted as he launched laser after laser in rapid succession.

"Sure thing, but there's one big difference here," Mina grinned as she slid under one attack, twirled over another laser, then spun past a third, "I remember something that you said: I know your Quirk's weakness."

Oh, man. If that was the case, Yuga was as good as finished. Though Sora hadn't gotten close to Ashido, he knew that anybody in her shoes would take advantage of the knowledge she had and turn the tables almost immediately. Aoyama wasn't going down without swinging and dealing a blow, as he began to lean his shots in closer, forcing Ashido to dodge and approach him more carefully as the lasers danced around her too close for comfort. Sora noticed Aoyama stumbling a bit in pain, and realized his drawback was kicking in.

"H-H-Here's a b-big one!" the glamourous boy declared, gambling it all into one large blast. Mina was prepared, however, and managed to dodge it just in time. Once Yuga slouched from the stomach ache that followed, she immediately blitzed towards her opponent.

"And here's my shot, Aoyama-kun!" Ashido responded, flinging acid she had made from her hands towards him. It hit his belt, making it slightly melt.

"Ah non non non non, not my precious belt!" the boy yelped, as the acid began to spread to his pants, where the belt seemingly held it up for a time. Until it didn't, and they began to fall. Yuga yelped and kept them up when the belt failed to do so.

His moment of distractedness, however, would prove to be his undoing, as Mina suddenly came up close, fist clenched. "And now for my finishing move…" she reared her fist back, before swinging it upward, "An uppercut!"

Her attack nailed Yuga right on the chin, knocking him out and making him lose his grip on his damaged pants, making them fall as he collapsed with his undergarments exposed.

Poor Yuga, Sora thought, That's not a pretty sight.

(Silence)

"Aoyama has fainted!" Midnight called out, "Ashido takes the win!"

As the crowd cheered in celebration, Mic commented, "Wow! Aoyama went down real hard! This was a very indisputable win for Ashido, sports fans!"

"Wow… Mina-chan's amazing!" Tsuyu commented, before everyone heard a slam. They looked back, only to see Minoru acting… odd.

"I got to see panties… but why were they his?" he sobbed.

"Oh, for crying out loud…" Jiro grumbled.

Okay… the well does get deeper. Sora thought, annoyed. He noticed Izuku muttering again, though he couldn't really follow along, he could assume he was assessing how the fight went out, considering how interested he was in Heroes and their Quirks. Meanwhile, Mina realized she might have humiliated Aoyama a lot more than she should have, seeing him being hauled away like that. She started to feel sorry for him.

After the ten minute interval of removing the acid Mina produced off the field, the next two contestants began to walk up to the stage.

"Let's keep this hot streak going!" Mic called out, "Time for our sixth match!"

(Play: MHA OST - Runaway Battle)

"Offense and defense in one," The DJ began, "The dark samurai and his darker shadow. Ladies and gentlemen, from the Hero Course, it's Fumikage Tokoyami!". The boy wasn't moving an inch and not showing any sign of weakness, only focusing on his opponent in front of him.

"Verses, the great creator! She was admitted into U.A. because of recommendations, and I think we all can see why. Also from Class 1-A, it's Momo Yaoyorozu!" The person in question had a hand on her arm, looking the slightest bit nervous, but kept up a determined face.

Out of the entire crowd, it seemed that only a sharp few could see that small spark of nervousness Momo was expressing.

"How do you think this battle will turn out?" Ojiro asked Izuku, "Any clues?"

"Timing is key here," Izuku answered.

"You think?" Mashirao looked to him, "How so?"

"It's just like Iida-kun and Sora-kun's battle," Midoriya explained, "The key to winning a battle against an opponent who can make objects out of thin air, is to overwhelm them before they get a chance to do anything."

Sora understood. If Tokoyami could catch Yaoyorozu off-guard immediately, he can take the win in a matter of seconds. But if Momo manages to be prepared for such a move, and counters accordingly like Hanabi did against Denki in their match, she has a chance to turn the tables by tiring out her opponent. Knowing how smart Momo was, Sora was sure she knew this as well.

Izuku was right about timing, but another question came up in Sora's mind: who was the more experienced of the two when it came to actual combat?

"Sixth match, BEGIN!"

Just as Izuku predicted, Tokoyami went on the offensive almost immediately, with Dark Shadow rushing in. In response, Momo created a shield on her arm to block the strike. She tried to create a weapon to counterattack, but only found that Dark Shadow was circling around for another attack, forcing her to block yet again and pushing her back.

She tried again to counter, but Dark Shadow proved too quick, as he rammed into her shield again, this time knocking it off her arm and pushing her back further. She created another shield immediately to block a third attack from Dark Shadow, which only pushed her yet again.

(Silence)

At that moment, Fumikage stopped attacking, which left Momo confused. Said confusion disappeared as she created a rod, ready to fight back. Until…

"Yaoyorozu!" Midnight's voice caught the girl's attention, "You're out!"

Momo immediately looked to her feet, finding that one of her own feet had gone past the white line.

"The match goes to Tokoyami!" With that announcement, Fumikage retracted Dark Shadow, bowed to Momo, and took his leave.

"Yikes!" Mic shouted, "Another fast overwhelming victory!"

Yaoyorozu stood there, frozen in shock as she muttered, "I… I lost?" Ignoring the cheers crowd, she looked down, "I didn't even… do anything…"

Sora raised a brow. The way Momo's expression looked. It was a multitude of emotions. Frustration, shame, sadness, and doubt.

Strange. Had he seen it somewhere before?

Then his eyes widened.

For a second, he didn't see Momo there as she walked away looking down at the ground. For a moment, her hair became red, and lacked the ponytail Yaoyorozu had, replacing it with bangs. Her face also became slightly rounder, and her gym clothes changed to a pink and black outfit that matched the plaid of Sora's own clothes from his third journey.

Wait…

Kairi?

Sora shook his head, seeing that both contestants had already disappeared. Looking at Izuku, he told him that he needed some walking to do, before heading out to clear his head.

"Wait." Izuku called out, "I'll come with you. I want to go and see if Uraraka-san is okay."

"That's a good idea, actually." Sora nodded, "I'll see you off to find Ochaco, then I'll go back to the bleachers."

Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu was walking through the hallways of the stadium. She was still in shock about her loss. She knew what she had to do in that fight, and how to execute it, but… she wasn't fast enough, and it cost her the match.

Were Tokoyami's attacks brutal? No, but they were efficient.

Did the loss sting? Most certainly.

But what stung the most, was that that match was her chance to show the world what she had to offer as a Hero.

And instead of doing that, she got overwhelmed and was quickly dispatched without even retaliating.

She sighed dejectedly.

"Hey."

A voice caused her to look up, and she found that a familiar face with long black hair was there in front of her. "Are you alright?"

"O-Oh!" Momo recomposed herself, "Y-Yes, I'm fine, Tifa-san."

Tifa frowned, "Are you sure?"

Yaoyorozu nodded, smiling. Tifa looked at her, the frown remaining on her face, which slightly unnerved the younger girl. What was going on through her mind right now?

(Play: FF7 Remake OST - The Star of Seventh Heaven)

After a small staredown, Tifa stated, "It's your loss against Tokoyami-kun that's troubling you… right?"

"I- what?" Yaoyorozu looked surprised.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I know when someone's got a mask on to hide their real emotions." Tifa said softly, and not unkindly, "Especially when somebody is taking a loss hard."

Momo stared at her.

"Do… Do you want to talk about it?" Tifa asked.

She looked down, before sighing, "I… I don't think so, Tifa-san. I'm sorry, but I… I just can't right now."

The older woman looked at her for a few seconds, but Momo saw genuine concern on Tifa's face. She clearly wanted to help her, despite Momo rejecting that offer. After a few minutes, she looked away, her eyes and mouth drooping.

"I see…" she said, "But… If you do change your mind, I'd be happy to listen."

Yaoyorozu stared at Starshower, before smiling, "Thank you, Tifa-san."

"No problem." Tifa said, before looking away, slightly uneasy, "Do you… want to head back together?"

"Huh?" Momo looked quite surprised. Not at Tifa's offer, but the way she announced it. She sounded… doubtful. Almost like this was a bit new for her.

Tifa cleared her throat, "Sorry about that. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"O-Oh! Yes, of course." she nodded, "I'd really like that."

Tifa nodded, and the two began to walk in silence back to the bleachers. To be honest, it was… slightly awkward between them. Even so, Tifa kept up a small smile to reassure Momo that things would be okay.

Soon, they heard another pair of footsteps, and found that Sora was right in front of them. Yaoyorozu stiffened. What was he doing here?

"Oh! Hey, guys," Sora smiled, "You both okay?"

Tifa glanced to Momo, before saying, "That's… up in the air for the moment."

"Oh…" Sora got the memo, and looked to Momo, noticing that something was off.

She, on the other hand, was a bit embarrassed and worried to see him here. Though she was perhaps the smartest in the class, Sora was definitely the strongest. Arguably, next to people like Todoroki, Iida, and (questionably) Bakugo, he was perhaps the closest out of all of 1-A to being a hero, not just in strength, but also in spirit.

His lifetime of experience, along with his reasoning to be a Hero, also backed her belief up. She had seen him fight against monsters that she never knew existed, and managed to beat them with near-perfect ease. That couldn't be done by seeing them just once. Not to mention at the U.S.J., he had managed to rescue them from the monsters yet again along with Tifa, where alone they almost lost their lives.

Todoroki, too, had shown that he was just as capable as Sora, though his experience may be lacking than Sora's own. She had heard that he managed to hold his own at U.S.J. pretty well. And even here at the Sports Festival, despite it being too much, his ability to overwhelm opponents so quickly was impressive.

It was expected, as someone from recommendations.

Sora's match with Tenya, though long, also proved that both could hold their own. But even when faced with odds against him, Sora managed to adapt against Tenya and take the win. But Yaoyororu wasn't able to do the same against Tokoyami.

Both Sora and Todoroki. Two forces to be reckoned with, and yet appeared to be much more capable than she was in terms of practical situations. It was almost shameful, especially since Todoroki was also a recommended student like her, and Sora had a similar Quirk. Her accomplishments now seemed to pale in comparison to theirs.

It was so… frustrating.

"Momo?" Sora's voice reached her ears and made her look at him. He too expressed concern. "Are you… are you alright?"

She looked away, fists clenched so hard it hurt.

"It's… it's about the match, isn't it?"

"..."

"I get it," Sora told her, "Losing in front of people… I know exactly how it feels."

She shut her eyes tight.

"It might not seem like it, but I get it. I've lost more than onc-"

"It's not about you!" she suddenly shouted.

(Silence)

"Huh?" Sora and Tifa asked, the former stepping back.

"I just… I just wanted to show the world what I could do as a Hero. That I could stand my ground with people like you! And I… I messed up! I failed!"

Sora could only watch as she calmed down, now looking just as defeated as she did when she left the arena, "I couldn't even do anything… in a real situation… I wouldn't have stood a chance…" she looked up to Sora, "You would know, wouldn't you?"

The boy couldn't deny that. Had the match been a fight to the death, she probably would've been killed before she had an opportunity to strike back.

"I just… I just wish I could've done more. But…" she closed her eyes again as tears began to fall, "Am I really that helpless?"

Immediately, another voice echoed in Sora's mind.

"I don't want to be helpless anymore. I want to fight by your side this time."

That's when it hit him.

Why Momo was reminding him of Kairi.

Both wanted to prove their worth to other people and to themselves, and they both trained very hard to get to that point. But in the moment where their power was needed the most, it backfired in ways they never would've expected. In Momo's case, she lost in a moment where she could have shown more, despite whatever she did to train herself, and in Kairi's case, she was captured again despite her newfound talent as a Keyblade wielder.

They had a shared weakness: lack of fighting experience. In Kairi's case, she had very little on-the-field training, which left her easy prey to fighters who specialized in prolonged battles and dirty tricks, and ultimately led up to her temporary death. In Momo's, it was similar, but her movements were, admittingly, way too predictable when it came to physical combat.

Sora didn't want to watch his friend continue to cry. He had to do something.

(Play: KH 2.5 Remix OST - Friends in My Heart)

So he did. He walked over to Momo and did what Izuku did to him when he was feeling down: he gave her a hug. Though it kind of felt weird, considering she was taller than he was, but at least he managed to avoid covering part of his face onto her chest when hugging her.

Yaoyorozu clearly didn't expect this kind of contact from Sora, especially since she lost so shamefully. But despite that, it felt… comforting. She returned the hug, still trying to hold back her tears, as Sora merely held that position with eyes closed and a gentle smile.

Tifa watched the two of them, a small smile of her own forming. It was like a trip down memory lane for her, as she and Cloud were in this exact same position after that dreadful day their second home crumbled to rubble.

"Momo," Sora said, letting go and looking at her, "You're not helpless. Not by a longshot. I… I know all too well what it means to be helpless… and you're not in that category. The fact that you made it to U.A. and held your own at U.S.J. is more than proof that you're a capable person."

Yaoyorozu wiped a tear away, "B-But Sora…"

"I mean it. Everyone in our class gave it their all today," Sora told her, "Mashirao… Toru… Hanta… even Hitoshi… and you did, too. Sure, you lost, but that doesn't make you any less than what you are."

"He's right," Tifa added, "One swift defeat doesn't show people everything about you. Just as one single test doesn't showcase a person's true potential. Combat experience isn't the only factor when it comes to helping out in the field."

Momo shook her head, "I don't get it, Sora… if you were so helpless, then why do you seem to fight with such… ease?"

"The scars didn't appear by themselves, you know." Sora smiled, "I wouldn't have gotten them if I had been the way I am now when I started out."

Sora gestured to his own body, and then to his left arm, where the jagged scar was slightly visible. Momo couldn't help but shudder upon seeing it again, and even Tifa winced, "Each one is a reminder of a failure, or a screw-up, or a missed chance. Even when my Quirk was unlocked, I couldn't save my home from being destroyed by the Heartless. I couldn't prevent my best friend from being possessed by Ansem. I couldn't…" he looked down, lip slightly trembling, "I couldn't keep my mom safe from the one who attacked her…"

Momo felt a slight pinch in her chest at the tone Sora had now, before he took a deep breath and looked up, "Nobody's perfect, Momo. Not you. Not me. I'm sure Tifa isn't perfect either."

"It's true." she nodded, "There's still a lot I need to learn, and I've got my fair share of failures as well. The same goes for both of you. All of us need improvement in one thing or another."

"But that's the thing," Sora said, "We don't need to be perfect. No matter what we do, we're probably going to experience failure like that again and again. But… there's nothing wrong with falling flat every now and then, and experiencing the hurt and shame." Sora's eyes softened as he recalled the words Roxas himself had told Xemnas in his final moments.

"I think I can feel what you're feeling as well… that pain… and loneliness. But I think that having the hurt stick with you… allows you to understand how others feel when they're hurt in the same way. To be able to experience, learn, and understand pain… maybe… maybe that's what it means to be human."

Roxas… Sora thought as he recalled that moment. He hoped his former Nobody was doing okay with his new life as he gave Momo a reassuring smile.

"You messed up back there. You fell flat, but you shouldn't wallow on it so much, Yaoyorozu," Tifa said, "The big question is, what do you do after you've fallen down?"

"I…" Momo answered slowly, suddenly remembering how hard it was to control her Quirk, the many times she had messed up, before she got to this point. "I get back up."

"Exactly. And that, I think, matters more than the fall." Tifa reassured her.

"Yeah," Sora nodded, "And sure, failing like that hurts a lot. But that makes getting back up from the fall all the more satisfying. And it's because of the hurt you're feeling now that me and Tifa want to help make you feel better, because we've been hurt in similar ways as well. You're not alone in this Momo." Sora looked to his hand, before clenching it, "If somehow… if sharing my experiences with that hurt brings me closer to people like you in that kind of way…" He looked up with a cheeky grin, "Then carrying it around like that can't be all that bad."

Momo just stared at the two in awe. Even after she lost so badly, they were still willing to help her… just like that? It was almost unreal for her.

"I…" she started, looking between Sora's cheerful smile and Tifa's soft, reassuring one, before sighing and smiling slightly, "I see… Thank you. Both of you."

"It's no problem, Momo." Sora smiled, "Just doing what we can to help, even if it is just through words."

He then turned back to where he came from, "I was going to go and clear my head after helping Izuku find Ochaco, but I think this talk kind of helped me." he turned back to Momo and Tifa, "I'm gonna head back now. I don't want to miss Eijiro's matchup."

"We'll come too." Tifa told him, "But go on ahead. We'll catch up in a bit."

"Got it." Sora smiled, before looking at Yaoyorozu and giving her a thumbs up, before heading back to the bleachers.

(Play: FF7 Remake OST - Tifa's Theme - Seventh Heaven)

When he was gone, Tifa turned to Momo. "So… are you feeling a little better?" she asked her.

Momo sighed, wiping away a tear, "Surprisingly, I am. It's so funny." she laughed, "How does he do that? Simply talking to him makes you feel better, even when you're not feeling down."

"I guess that's part of who he is. There's a lot more to him behind that childlike smile," Tifa admitted, "I think that's why my friend warmed up to him over time. Despite the power and experience Sora has, he still finds it in him to smile and make others happy."

"Your friend? You mean Mr. Strife?"

"Cloud." Tifa corrected, before whispering to Momo, "He hates being called 'Mr. Strife.' Makes him feel old."

"Oh, um… okay." Momo nodded, remembering that both Cloud and Tifa came from America, where first names were preferably said unless it was for formal reasons. In Cloud's case, he seemed to prefer the former.

"Speaking of," Tifa sighed, "I should check on him soon. He's been acting a bit off since the second match."

"The match with Todoroki and Sero?" Yaoyorozu questioned.

"Yes. That one." Tifa said, "But I'll come and watch your classmate's match with you before I leave." She smiled at Momo and put a hand on her shoulder, "Ready?"

Yaoyorozu looked down for a second, before returning her smile, "Yes."

Meanwhile, Sora was walking away, thinking back on how Momo was reminding him of Kairi. He never said it out loud, and he thought it was for the best right now. Just the thought of his dearest friend made his own heart flutter again, but it wasn't fluttering as much as it did when she kissed him back at U.S.J..

Then his mind began to wander. Was she training harder now to become a Keyblade Master? How much time had passed over there compared to this world? How was she doing anyways? Given how she was trying so hard not to cry when he faded away, she must miss him a lot.

His heart began to weigh on him.

This was probably one of the more longer times he stayed in a world if you counted out his home in Destiny Islands, perhaps matching the Caribbean. Several months have passed in this world, and still that aching void where his friends from his world used to be still remains.

It wasn't that the friends he made here weren't great, but they couldn't really replace the others he had met before.

It was Traverse Town all over again. Nothing seemed familiar, other than the equipment on his back, and no words on his friends.

Once again, he sighed.. Riku… King Mickey… Donald… Goofy… Roxas… Lea. All the friends he met in the world he came from weren't here to talk to him, and that made the void where they once were even more prominent.

He hoped that either he would find a way to return soon, or they would.

I could really use a chat with them now… Sora smiled softly, pulling out the Gummiphone and staring at it longingly, before sighing, But I guess… that can wait just a little longer.

Yes… a talk would wait. For now, he wanted to focus on seeing Eijiro and Tetsutetsu's match. He looked up with a smile, before walking forward.

Not noticing a tear run down his face as he walked.

As Sora left for the bleachers, a man with a trenchcoat looked from a corner, before sighing. "I guess it isn't the right time yet." he thought, "Alright… I'll let you off for now, Sora."

With that, the man simply walked away.

Sora eventually returned, seeing that Izuku wasn't back yet, and took his seat, looking back down to the stadium below. Momo returned several seconds after, looking slightly better than she did before. The girls all comforted her, telling her that if was anybody else, she would have likely won. She nodded, but focused on the fight ahead, while Tifa walked over to the edge of the railing to watch the match, waving to Sora and Class A in the process.

"Okay, folks!" Mic began, "Let's see who we've got next in line!"

(Play: MHA OST - Calvary Battle)

"The seventh match will be against two completely redundant Quirks!" Present Mic declared, "In one corner, we have a passionate, manly fighter of steel. From the Hero Course of Class 1-B, it's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"

Said steel student roared with passion to hype himself for the fight.

"In the other, we have a passionate, manly fighter of rock. From the Hero Course of Class 1-A, it's Eijiro Kirishima!"

Eijiro looked less than pleased that his intro was almost a carbon copy of his opponent's.

"Make us proud, Tetsutetsu!" Kendo called out, "Win just like Hanabi did!"

Mineta was sound asleep, but Kyoka woke him up with her jacks, "Look alive, shorty."

"Can't wait to see how this one ends!" Mic shouted, "Now, BEGIN!"

immediately, the two fighters roared and charged at one another, Quirks activated, as their fists slammed into one another. Neither of them backed down as they struggled to overpower one another. Seeing no benefit in winning the power struggle, Kirishima reared back another fist to throw another punch. Tetsutetsu did the same thing, and they eventually clashed again with their fists.

This pattern happened several times more, until Eijiro changed tactics and grabbed Tetsutetsu's fist, pulling his opponent in and scoring the first hit with a punch to the gut. The strike was true, but its effectiveness was short, as Tetsutetsu retaliated, using his free hand to land a blow of his own, forcing Kirishima to let go and push him back.

The steel student wasn't going to let this slip by, and rushed in for another strike, only for his punch to be blocked by Kirishima. Class-A's hardened fighter tried another punch, which was blocked.

There was no doubt about it as they continued to strike and block, that these two, despite being a mirror match, were even as a balanced seesaw.

Tetsutetsu then ducked under a punch and slammed his own fist into Eijiro's cheek. To his surprise, the redhead wasn't backing down, and he slid his face past his opponent's outstretched arm to punch him in the forehead, only for the steel-clad boy to shrug it off.

The two were going at it. Countering, blocking, striking; it was anybody's game. Neither of them were backing down from this fight. Sora had to admit, despite it being a simple slugfest of attacks, this match was really worthwhile due to how even the two of them were.

(Play: MHA OST - My Hero Academia)

"Come on, Eijiro!" Sora called out, "Don't throw in the towel! Keep him on his toes! Gooo!"

Sora's words reached the spiky redhead, and with that morale boost, he managed to land an effective punch on Tetsutetsu's face, forcing him back, but he caught himself, planting his back foot down to recover as he snarled at Kirishima.

"I thought you were supposed to be STRONG!" he roared, throwing a punch at Kirishima's face and knocking him back, but he too caught himself and said, "Funny. I heard the same lie about YOU!"

He threw a punch, which was caught by Tetsutetsu, "You calling my friends liars?!" he snarled again, before he threw another punch with his other hand, only for it to be caught by Eijiro's. "Tough talk, but you haven't impressed me yet, Tin Skin!" Kirishima grinned.

The two were locked in a power struggle once again, each one trying to overpower the other, before they threw that strategy out and away, deciding to slam their foreheads into one another with a growl on each of their faces.

Both Class A and Class B were cheering for their respective classmates, both on their toes to see who would win. Eventually, the struggle broke, and Eijiro rushed in. Tetsutetsu tried to block his next attack, but the redhead went under his guard and nailed his chin with an uppercut. The steel-skinned student retaliated by throwing a hook, which Kirishima tried and failed to block as the strike nailed his right cheek.

The hardened student forced his head back and slammed his fist downward on the outstretched arm, making Tetsutetsu flinch, but he recovered and nailed another blow to Eijiro's cheek. Immediately after, the two threw any plans of defense out the window as they roared and charged at one another for one final blow.

The two threw a sucker punch at one another, and each blow struck true at their jaws. It forced both of them back, and surprisingly, both Kirishima and Tetsutetsu were down, their Quirks deactivating and their bodies looking rather battered.

"Yeow! That hurt me and all I'm doing is just watching these guys!" Mic commented, "Is it over? Both of these hard-heads look K.O'ed, but who won?"

Midnight walked over and inspected the two contestants, before calling out, "They're both down! It's a draw!"

(Silence)

Sora was surprised, as she continued, "When the contestants recover from this battle, the winner will be determined in a simple contest. Perhaps arm-wrestling."

The crowd was quiet, but they were super excited about what transpired. This was a true test of mettle for both of them, as they were equal in power and spirit. Sora smiled widely and shouted, "Good job, you two! You're awesome!", despite both of the hard heads being out for the count. After the fighters were wheeled away to recover, cleaning staff came in to fix the damage done from the battle.

"While we wait for Tetsutetsu and Kirishima to recover, we'll move on to our final first round battle!" Mic announced. The screen then showed the two contestants, and Sora couldn't help but gulp.

"Kero… this might be the most disturbing matchup." Asui commented.

"I know…" Kyoka agreed with her, "I almost don't want to watch it."

Sora couldn't help but agree. He had no idea how Ochaco was going to handle Katsuki's fighting prowess, and he had no idea how well-versed she was in hand-to-hand. Unless she had a plan for dealing with him, she was completely outmatched, whether the class liked it or not.

"The eighth and final battle in the first round of matches!" Present Mic began, "He was kind of a hot shot in middle school, and just look at that determined face. From the Hero Course, it's Katsuki Bakugo!" The crowd cheered, but the explosive kid looked rather annoyed.

"Verses, who I'm personally rooting for. Also from Class A, Ochaco Uraraka!" The cheer was louder, as Ochaco herself took a deep breath to prepare for the fight of her life.

"Okay, listeners, keep your eyes peeled!" Sora got up from his seat as Mic said this. This match would not be pretty.

"Let's hope this match will be the best of them all!"

(Play: FF7 Remake OST - Just Another Job)

And bam! Chapter 23 is done!

2nd set of First Round matches are already underway, with Ochaco's and Katsuki's coming immediately after! We also got a warm heart-to-heart between Momo, Sora, and Tifa. And no, this is not the beginnings of a Sora x Momo relationship. I've said it several times, that this story doesn't have Sora shipped with any of the MHA girls. This is just Sora and Tifa trying to comfort a friend after their loss.

And that aching void Sora's feeling? It's not going away anytime soon. After months of being stranded in one world, he's bound to start getting homesick eventually.

And yet again, we have another change in this alternate version of KH3. With Roxas revived earlier than expected as evidenced in 3, he seems to have a bigger role in fighting against Xemnas and speaking in Sora's place upon the Superior's demise. What else changes in this new version of KH3?

Onto Reviews!

Jaded671: Thank you. Took you by surprise with Hanabi, eh? And in regards for Sora's vent to Izuku, I'd say it's made him better.

Gamelover41592: Thank you!

Xerayn: Thanks for the reassurance, Xerayn! And honestly, I think you might be close if you're thinking what I think you're thinking.

PUBLISH: Thank you, Publish. And as for dark auras, they sure will be prominent if they are visible enough, but the small wisps are only discernable to those who have experience with it. And thanks for appreciating my adding a layer to Sora. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye, in my opinion.

Guest: Keep your eyes peeled. You'll be getting answers very soon!

keybladelight: Um... okay. Either way, you'll have to wait and see if your prediction comes true. And don't worry about Hanabi. She's nobody important :)

blueassassin996: Questions that will be answered very soon, blueassassin.

The OC Maniac: Darn... that really happened? I'm sorry to hear that, OC. Thank goodness you got security, and I hope the teenager wasn't hurt. I'm glad you're liking these changes to the story. Hope you'll enjoy the next set of them soon!

Shadow Tiger24: Oooh... someone's perceptive. You'll have to find out if things go well for Sora and Class A after the Sports Festival.

What are your thoughts for this chapter? I'm glad if you enjoyed it, but if not, I'm sorry for not meeting expectations.

Okay, pencil down. I'm out.

Thanks for reading my story, and until our paths cross again!

(Silence)