Prologue

Training and Reveille

Following what could have been a brutal bloodbath between Origami Tobiichi and Kotori Itsuka, Sora, Shido, and most of their friends and allies were now resting peacefully in their two separate places of residence, so that they would rest and recuperate. Thankfully, Tohka did get a new gummi phone, even though there were times when she'd ask how she could actually operate it, so it was mostly up to Chip and Dale to help her understand how the device worked, since it had a lot of ringtones that could fit them. Suddenly, Tohka's phone rang, and she quickly answered it.

(Author's note: Tohka's ringtone is the Final Fantasy Victory Fanfare, which is heard when someone has accomplished something.)

"Ah, good to see you've answered, Miss Yatogami," greeted Reeve.

"Oh, Mr. Tuesti. And here I thought it was Shido who'd be calling me," Tohka said disappointedly.

"My apologies, Tohka. After the damage that Origami caused, I was told that she had been placed under temporary probation and suspension for endangering a lot of people in Tengu City's amusement park. However, thanks to Sora subduing her, we've been sending medics to ensure that everyone's fully patched up. That's when we learned that Kurumi's still on the move. Most of Avalanche has been helping out with clean up operations, and the RGRO has been helping the Tengu City Police force. Sadly, we have been unable to locate Kurumi at this time, as I fear that she's still more elusive than anticipated. As for Yoshino and Kotori, we've made sure that they received the proper treatment, and have even asked Cody to help train them in gaining better control of their powers. We also intend to have him do the same for you, after they took this time to perform some odd jobs, as well as ensure that none of you would fall victim to the Heartless' attempts to ambush you so that they can take your hearts. The Sailor Guardians have also made sure that Sephiroth, Kurai, Azrael, and their allies would not cause any further trouble, but we did find something in the slums of Tengu. It appears that there's a new wall market that's run by a different kingpen. Also, be very careful not to become overly judgmental, or allow the shadow of envy to take hold of your heart," he explained.

Tohka slowly relaxed, then nodded slowly.

"I… I don't know if I can promise that, but I'll heed your warning, Reeve," said Tohka.

"Good. In the meantime, Zack and Aerith will be coming here for now, as they are also part of the RGRO. Considering that she's also been selling flowers throughout Radiant Garden, Tengu City will most certainly be a nice change of pace for her. Also, as Sora warned you before about…" Reeve was about to say.

"I know. Don't be overtaken by the shadow of envy, or someone will exploit my weakness and make me overreact so that I get Shido killed," she interjected.

"Very good, Tohka. I see you've been learning that lesson from Sora. Still, the shadow of envy is truly powerful, as the storm of hatred. Don't try to take it too lightly, or you most certainly will become Sephiroth's apprentice," warned Red XIII.

"Yeah. The murderer of Nehelenia. Usagi has told me a lot about it ever since I first met her. She said that not only affected her, but it also made Sora truly hate that monster immensely. But, everytime I try to sleep, or I wish to be alone for a while, so as to collect my thoughts, I hear Sephiroth's voice in my head. What if, I become overly confused, he actually succeeds in making me his apprentice?" Tohka asked worriedly.

"That ain't happenin' on our watch, girl! So you can thank yo' lucky stars that Shido'd never let that be thang! After all, we ain't lettin' that One-Winged Bastard have his way with you, so that he makes you think that he'll betray you, just as he betrayed Nehelenia!" Barret answered loudly.

"Yeah, I'm with Daddy on this one. Tohka, don't forsake the light," agreed Marlene.

Tohka smiled at the young girl, then nodded her understanding.

"My sweet little angel is growin' up, Tifa," said the gunner.

"Ugh, please, Barret, no crying on my ship!" quipped Kotori.

"Uh, take care, Tohka. Me and Kotori are about to have a bit of a long discussion," Barret said quickly, and he clicked the transmitter off.

Tohka felt at ease, knowing that she had other people to keep her at ease, as well as being super supportive of Shido in his mission to save any new spirit that would arrive in Tengu City by spatialquake. However, inside the AST command base, Heidegger was now ranting and raving in Origami's face, sending spit everywhere, but he was surprised to learn that she wasn't flinching.

"...This isn't exactly the first time that Sergeant Tobiichi's actions have nearly led to disaster! After that monster, Princess appeared, she has been unable to contain her vengeful thoughts, and has been acting on impulse. I would suggest that she be placed under constant surveillance and put under strict probation, due to the fact that she's disobeyed imperial regulations. Therefore, it stands to reason that she be suspended from active duty until further notice," he explained furiously.

"I agree, Heidegger. However, due to the fact that White Licorice was damaged in her battle with a Keyblade Wielder by the name of Sora, AST command has suggested that her hearing should be placed on temporary recess until then," replied the head of the organization.

"That would be a wise decision. Until then, this court martial is hereby adjourned," agreed one of the officials, and soon the command staff and all soldiers quietly left the conference room.

Late one night, on the streets of Tengu City, a train suddenly whooshed past a signal, and was now racing down the tracks at high speed, as an RGRO dropship was hovering overhead.

"Attention. DEM troops have hijacked RGRO cargo train MK93 II. The train is currently headed to Tengu Sector 8. Our newest operative will be inserted to neutralize the situation. We are to proceed as scheduled. Commence mission in 3, 2, 1, mark. Begin Mission! Operative is ready for insertion," the announcement said.

"Listen carefully. The train has been overrun by DEM troops. Eliminate them and regain control of the train," Sora said to Cody Xehanort, who was with him.

"Oh yeah!" replied Cody, and he dropped down to the grain, still wearing his father's clothes.

"Get serious!" called his teacher and friend.

Cody landed with a crouch on the train, then slowly stood up, ready to begin.

"Cody!" Sora called again.

Cody turned and looked at Sora, the wind whistling through his hair, as well as his jacket, as he approached him.

"Cody, focus! There are no RGRO troops on this train. Understood?" he said.

"Yes sir," Cody replied, albeit a bit grumpily.

But he gained a smile, punched his fist into his open palm, and rushed ahead, jumping from train car to train car. Suddenly, he was set upon by gunfire, making him dance wildly and drop to his hands and knees, but still managed to not get shot.

"Hello to you, too!" he quipped towards whomever was shooting him.

He still continued to run as fast as he could, as more gunfire rained down at him, but he was ready, as he summoned forth his Keyblade. Just ahead of him were some more DEM soldiers that were dressed in RGRO uniforms, and a smirk spread on his face.

"Come and get it!" Cody cried out.

The soldiers fired at him, but he cut through them without breaking a sweat, until he was set upon by more gunfire. He blocked the shots as he ran, leaped past another batch, cut through several more, but saw another squad armed with rocket launchers. Cody grew annoyed, but then he noticed something that looked safe enough for him to travel through. He gave a great leap, and soon whooshed above the astonished soldiers, as if he looked more like a superhero, even in his father's clothes, as the lower part of this coat flared out behind him like a long flowing cape.

"Keyblade Apprentice Cody, on the job!" he said, and thrust his Keyblade onto the coupling mechanism.

It disconnected the cars, and Cody leaped up onto the other car, then looked back at the receding soldiers. He swung his Keyblade down to one side, turned around, then holstered his weapon, which vanished behind his back.

Train MK93 II re-routed to Sector 1 Station near Supply Base 1. Proceed to mission phase 2 and change surveillance rank…" the overseer said.

Once the train had reached the platform, Cody leaped off and landed on the platform, a confident smile on his face. As he walked forward, he soon received a call from Sora on his gummi phone, while also surveying his surroundings.

"Cody speaking," he said.

"Making progress, Cody?" Sora asked him.

"What's going on, Sora? Why are we fighting RGRO troops?" questioned Cody.

"They're DEM troops in disguise. Now, head to the open area above," replied his friend.

"Towards Sector 8," Cody said.

"Yes, but first you have to clear a path," explained Sora.

"Clear a path?" wondered the other Keyblade wielder, just as a squad of disguised soldiers came out.

"You'll see what I mean. Be careful," warned Sora.

Armed and ready, the soldiers charged at Cody, as he was still on the phone.

"So, I can cut loose, right?" he asked.

"Use some discretion," sighed Sora.

Cody nodded, then hung up his phone.

"It's showtime!" he cried out with excitement, and then began fighting the soldiers which fell around him.

As he fought, he deflected gunfire as well as evaded some strikes from their batons, until he began chain slashing them at a rather fast pace. Weapons flew everywhere, and the soldiers' territory barriers weakened, then collapsed under the strain of the Keyblade's many slashes, which rendered them all defeated. Normally, Cody would be upset at taking innocent lives which would fuel his dark side Berserker, but what he didn't know was that they were data simulations that he was having no problem fighting against. More gunfire rang out, but Cody was still fighting harder than ever before. Of course, he did sometimes forget to use healing magic, but he made up for it with some healing potions. At last, the enemies were defeated, and Cody breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not too bad," complimented Sora.

"PIece of cake! I'll be a Keyblade Master in no time!" remarked Cody.

"Go up the stairs at the end of the platform," said his instructor.

"You got it!" replied Cody, and he walked off towards the stairwell, and walked up them.

But of course, when he arrived, he heard several people screaming and panicking, which made him think that there was trouble above him. Fighting his way past the crowd, Cody soon reached what looked like a vicious creature that was more dangerous than most. It was a Heartless that Sora fought against called Behemoth. Instantly, Cody readied his Keyblade, then glared at the creature.

"Strike at the horn on its head, Cody. That's it's weak point," he told himself, remembering Sora's story of how he fought many different variants of Behemoth Heartless.

Cody began casting some powerful thunder spells on the creature, which greatly staggered it, but also managed to roll out of the way when it was about to jump towards him. Finally, he jumped up and began hacking and slashing at the creature's horn, which was proving to be quite effective. Again and again he struck at it without even thinking of holding back, despite the fierce training program. Sometimes his magic would find its mark, and sometimes it would miss completely, but he still kept up the fight, while also being careful not to over exert himself. He struck at the creature with a few Assault Twisters, but did suffer some severe punishment from the creature. At last he took advantage of catching the Behemoth off guard, until he struck again and again at its horn, which made it lower its head to the ground. Quickly, he performed a few more combos, then rushed away, not wanting to get caught by the lightning blasts. Again and again, he attacked, and the Behemoth was now growing weaker and weaker. At last he unleashed several more Blizzaga blasts that managed to bring it down to the ground, and he stood looking rather weary, even in this training match. But suddenly, he was not out of the woods yet, because he soon caught sight of the familiar looking blade of Masamune, right near his left cheek, making him raise his hands up in surrender.

"Showing your back to the enemy… Overconfidence will destroy you," a cold voice said.

Cody sighed vehemently, then turned around to see Sephiroth standing before him.

"Wh-what is this?" he asked in shock.

Quickly readying his Keyblade once more, Cody began deflecting the strikes from Sephiroth's blade, until they entered a bladelock that he was barely able to stand up to.

"No way! Why are you here in this place!?" cried Cody.

"It's over," remarked Sephiroth.

With barely any effort, he broke Cody's Keyblade into two separate halves, very much like the Demon Tide Heartless that broke Riku's Way to the Dawn Keyblade, and damaged King Mickey's Kingdom Key D, forcing them to gain a few upgrades and replacements. Cody fell to the ground, crying out in pain as he landed hard on his back, while the handle of his Keyblade clattered to the ground away from him.

"Impossible!" gasped Sora, and he powered down his gummi phone.

He raced off to Cody's rescue, right as Sephiroth was about to land the killing blow on him. Cody watched helplessly, as the One-Winged Angel glared at him, then saw that his end had come. Before the blade could meet his chest, something stopped the Masamune from piercing through him. It was Sora, using the broken half of the Keyblade that he was using. He managed to save his friend just in time. Finally, Sephiroth relented, then turned and faced Sora, just as Cody got up.

"Thanks, Sora," he said, but he was still feeling sore about the harsh landing.

Sora slowly stood up, then glared at Sephiroth, but then pulled out his gummi phone. He punched in a series of commands, and linked it up to the training room's controls.

"Are you sure you wish to abort this mission?" a voice asked on the phone.

Sora tapped yes, and the environment they were in slowly began to fade away, like particles of data. He turned around to face Cody, as the image of Sephiroth flickered, then vanished, as if he had been the One-Winged Angel.

"Training's over," Sora said to Cody.

"What? Why?" questioned Cody.

His VR headset told him that the mission was aborted, until he saw his broken Keyblade pointed at him.

"Are you serious?" Cody asked.

He angrily removed his VR device.

"I was just getting warmed up!" he snapped.

"Cody Xehanort! That's enough," Sora replied firmly.

Then he turned the broken half of his friend's Keyblade away from Cody, and passed it to him. This made him sigh in disbelief.

"Cody," Sora said quietly, as he walked past.

Cody turned and looked at his friend.

"Embrace your dreams," he added.

Cody looked confused, and unsure of what he meant.

"If you want to be a hero you need to have dreams… and honor," Sora finished.

This made Cody start to become a bit doubtful of himself, just as Ikaruga and Yomi arrived just in time to see that he was now feeling a little bewildered.

"Is something wrong, Cody?" they asked, as Sora slowly but quietly walked out of the training room.

"No, it's nothing, girls. Sora and I got into a bit of a huge fight. It's nothing you need to concern yourselves with," Cody explained quietly.

But he was actually thinking about the lesson that he learned from the training simulator.

"Don't feel bad, Cody. Maybe you should take some time off and relax a bit. Besides, I was able to get the bath running for us, and both Yomi and I can make sure that you smell nice and fresh after we give you a good scrub down," assured Ikaruga.

"I agree as well, Cody. Girls like guys to smell like beautiful roses in a garden, much like the ones that Mamoru's caped crusading alter ego Tuxedo Mask has on his person, whenever he shows up and makes a grand speech, but also give Sailor Moon a bit of encouragement to bring down any bad guys that might come to harm any innocent people," added Yomi.

Cody nodded sheepishly, even though bathing with more than one girl would seem rather awkward to him, after his previous experiences with some of the girls in Issei's family. Particularly Xenovia Quarta, who'd sometimes ask if he was okay with being the father of her children, after joining forces with Team Gremory, headed by Rias herself. That night, Sora was now fast asleep in bed, just as VesVes came into his apartment, which he had to share with all of his friends, including Tohka and Yoshino who were living next door to Shido's home. It did have a training simulator and a rec room, so that everyone would train hard to ensure that no Heartless, Grimm, soldiers of the AST, or Imperial warlords would cause trouble for the people. After all, this adventure was growing even more troublesome by the minute. The beast taming Sailor Guardian of Vesta looked at him, then gently sat down on the bed he was laying on.

"Hey, how'd it go?" she asked.

"Cody and I had to go through some intensive training in the VR simulator, but something went wrong when Sephroth showed up in the data stream. I had to make sure that he didn't die during the exercise. But, on the way back here, I overheard Ikaruga and Yomi talking about us having a brief fight, but we weren't. Also, I've noticed how Minako's been taken over by the shadow of envy a few times before, even after I taught Tohka the lesson about how she shouldn't let that same feeling blind her, until I snapped at her about how she was being blinded by it. It's a bit of a huge struggle, but at the same time, he's slowly improving thanks to the intensive training I'm putting him through, just like how Gohan was being trained to fight for his loved ones by both Piccolo, Goku, and several others, even though Chi-Chi would say otherwise. But she knows that Gohan will always fight for family regardless of what he chooses to be," Sora explained.

"I hear you, Sora. Still, with the way things are going, Tohka's unsure of why Sephiroth's become interested in making her his apprentice, just like how he wants to make Vanitas serve you, even though we're all aware of that dark secret inside your heart," VesVes replied.

Sora knew that she was referring to Vanitas, the darkness that once resided in Ventus' heart, but was now bonded to him, even after he returned that Keyblade Wielder's heart to him. Despite what happened, on many different worlds, and adventures, Vanitas would sometimes crop up to attack and kill the people he cared about, even as he stood up and looked away. By the next day, things were still somewhat better, but of course, Sora was now watching from the table as Makoto Kino and Shido Itsuka were now making breakfast for this estranged family, just as Kotori arrived with her white ribbons in her hair.

"Morning, guys," she said with a chirpy tone.

"Oh, hey Kotori," Cody greeted her, but he was still feeling mildly disgruntled, just as Ikaruga showed up.

"When Yomi and I saw Sora walking out of the training room, we thought that they had gotten into a fight, which made us worried," explained Ikaruga.

"We weren't fighting, guys. We were training to ensure that our skills didn't rust in the slightest. Unfortunately, someone had managed to sneak Sephiroth into the training program, and I nearly got killed for it. I swear, if this program was set to the same level as Yang, I wouldn't last long at all," sighed Cody.

"Oh dear," shuddered Yomi.

"I agree with Yomi. We don't want to lose you to someone who's truly evil, or worse, make you become their apprentice so that you can fulfill your father's destiny in his place, by leading the new thirteen Warriors of Darkness, against Seven Warriors of Light. That just wouldn't do, and for the record, Sora would be truly heartbroken if you did forsake the name of Cody for the name of your other self from that alternate reality, Ydoc," agreed Frey.

Everyone else had to agree, even Tohka, whom Shido saw that she hated to see someone who was lost in darkness. Sometimes she had to be told not to let the shadow of envy not take hold of her, or else it would cause her powers to return, much stronger than before, and even make her be unable to discern friend from foe.

"Cody, Sora once told me, that despite what has happened, the darkness will always take many different forms, like the Heartless, and yes, it can manifest itself in the most negative of emotions like anger, hatred, envy, despair, fear, bloodlust, and vengeance. As for what Reine told me, when a spirit's power is sealed by a kiss, there's a risk that I might eventually become so lost in such negativity that I'll end up getting them back, or when someone states that we'll always come to Shido's side, whenever he starts to think that the situation may become helpless for him," Tohka explained, despite her naivety.

As the conversation and talks continued, things seemed to go pretty smoothly for the Warriors of Light, Yoshino did find time to be with Sora, who would sometimes borrow Yoshinon so that she'd be amused by what he was doing, even when the Heartless would show up to cause some trouble, courtesy of one of their enemies. Meanwhile in the depths of space, the Ark was now racing across the stars at breakneck speed, after emerging from hyperspace. Aboard, Team KRYYSSTAAL had arrived, now that they had gained a new member called Silica, the dragon tamer, and her companion, Pina.

"Um… Are you sure about this?" Silica asked.

"Don't worry, Silica. Remember what Kirito said about how we'll always make sure to keep Pina alive. Besides, I was able to plant some extra numa flowers in the botanical quarters. But, We've just managed to get ourselves ready for the imperial forces that are holding up over this world, which could be them right there," Kenton replied.

He motioned for Yohko to activate the cloaking device of the ARK, which in turn vanished from the sensors of the imperial fleet's scanners.

"Good, now set us down somewhere safe so that they can't detect us, Koan," he said.

"Roger that," replied Koan.

The Ark slowly descended a safe distance away from Shido's home and the living space of the many spirits that would be living next door to him, so that he could see what was up.

"Alright, Team KYRRSSTAAL, saddle up! Now that we've entered this world, we'll be on high alert for imperial soldiers, Heartless, Grimm, as well as some old yet familiar faces, the likes of which our newbie, Silica, hasn't seen yet. I want all of you to make sure that we stay on high alert. Don't worry, Sora will explain everything about us to Shido and the others as best he can," their leader said.

"Good. I can't wait to get off this ship and stretch my legs a bit, after all this sitting around and watching our appearances get all flabby," sighed Berthier.

"I agree," added Petz.

"Same here, you guys," agreed Calaveras.

"Alright then, I'm sure that you can provide some interesting new ideas for these beings called spirits. If they like the way they look, that's good, but if not, then don't force it," replied Kiba.

"Yeah, and Akeno, try not to do anything too over the top, I'd rather not have my mind become contaminated with dark thoughts," sighed Silica.

"Now don't you worry, Silica. I'm sure that we'll be alright," assured Saya.

"Yeah, this is a pretty rare opportunity for us. Still, we've been giving you some pretty intense training, and it's thanks to gaining the power to use a Keyblade. But, make sure you are cautious, Silica. You don't want to be ambushed by a Heartless that'd lead to one of your friends having to rescue you," agreed Yohko.

Sometime later, Team KRYYSSTAAL had now arrived at the Itsuka Residence, right as Kiba knocked on the door. Shido answered it, and was surprised to see more people outside of his door.

"Hey, what brings you here?" he asked.

"Funny you should ask that, because we got a call from Sora about you, Shido," smirked Lizbeth.

"Yeah, what she said. I'm Kenton, this is Rem, Yohko Mano, Yuto Kiba, Silica, Saya Kisaragi, Trish, Atsuko Karagi, Akeno Himejima, and Lizbeth. We're called Team KRYYSSTAAL, a group of dark hunters that mostly do mercenary work for the RGRO. The other four women with me are the Specter Sisters, Koan, Berthier, Petz, and Calaveras. Once upon a time they used to be part of the Black Moon Clan, but from what Sora told me, most of their members had a great deal of conflict inside of their hearts, after the second youngest member of the group met him in secret, despite following the orders of Rubeus. Still, this meeting was what enabled Sora to realize that even some enemies can have good intentions, despite their internal conflict," Kenton explained.

"That's right. They're also friends of mine," added Sora.

"I see. Well, Feel free to make yourselves at home, if Tohka doesn't mind meeting new people that is," sighed Shido, even though Kotori would change ribbons and start berating her brother.

So the strange group did, by choosing some apartment rooms that would fit their needs, but they did find time to learn about the three spirits that Shido had saved after he sealed their powers with a kiss.

"Um, Big Brother Sora, what did Kenton mean by Dark Hunter?" Yoshino asked curiously.

"According to his past, he used to be Sephiroth's apprentice, but after I told him about how Nehelenia was killed, he too has begun to hate him, now that he knows that he's pure evil, just like Frieza from Goku's universe. Just like how I hate him, after I saw Usagi's aunt die. But I've also learned that the hatred I bore him, but our bond of hatred has also created something of a mental link between us. It's almost like being a clone of him, after Sephiroth was killed some time ago. The blood of Jenova, harvested life-stream energy of Gaia, Hojo's knowledge and skills, combined with his twisted scientific views and disbelief in nature gave life to him. Sure he may not have been happy about the part of Cloud being a failure, but his Jenova Reunion Theory was actually one of his many successful tests, just like how Cinder wanted to test Jaune's theory of fighting to protect his companions, following Pyrrha's demise, when I took the blow meant for Weiss, which in turn resulted in my extremely close shave with death, but also triggered her strong feelings for me. I've also learned from Cloud, that if ever a part of Jenova was dismembered, it would eventually be united with Sephiroth. That's what was meant by Jenova's Reunion. Hojo had been waiting for the Reunion to start. In seven years that passed since that fateful day, all the clones he crafted with his own hands, thanks to the samples of Sephiroth's blood, which contained traces of Jenova within them, every clone slowly began to return to the very place that he was residing in, the Northern Crater, where Jenova landed many years ago. At first, Hojo believed that those clones would begin to gather in Midgar where his science team had moved Jenova to, but he was actually proven wrong. Sephiroth, after taking control of Jenova, and shapeshifting her into an image of himself, began to leave Shinra Headquarters. Of course, being the self-proclaimed scientific genius that he actually wasn't, he soon discovered the truth. Sephiroth had been planning this action from the very beginning. Not only is he content with diffusing his will into Gaia's life force, he also wanted to control the clones of himself. That was how it all began, after he experimented on both Cloud and Zack. Sadly, Zack resisted the effects of Jenova, while Cloud suffered from severe Mako poisoning, which in turn made him become comatose. Hojo was unsure about where the clones would go, and he wasn't able to piece it together fully. But then he learned that Sephiroth was at their ultimate destination. Cloud also learned that he was actually being summoned by Sephiroth, not pursuing him. Every ounce of anger, hate, and vengeance he bore against him, made it impossible for him to forget that madman. That and what he gave Cloud. That's when he gave the Black Materia to him, the true Sephiroth who was residing in the heart of Gaia. Jenova's Reunion and Sephiroth's will weren't going to diffuse into the afterlife, they would actually be gathered at the Northern Cave. When that happened, he summoned Meteor, which in turn meant that the people who were living on that world would be reduced to dust and ashes, while their hearts would diffuse into the afterlife. After that, the Weapons, ancient creatures that were created to defend their world from destruction, awoke from their slumber, but they began attacking everybody in their sight, believing that destruction was imminent. After that, they were defeated, one by one, save for the last, Omega, who's essence was placed inside of Galaxia, and awoke thanks to Chaos manipulating Sailor Moon, which nearly broke her fighting spirit, where she was at the point of truly giving up. But she didn't after the encouragement Queen Serenity gave her, along with Master Eraqus, who sensed her grief and was the final push she needed to bring back from the darkness of Chaos Vanitas, the fused form of my dark side, and the God of Discord, who was responsible for everything, which have a handful of those spawned from his dark power summoned forth from his twisted will, Metallia, the dark spirit that corrupted the hearts of Endymion's Kingdom, Wiseman, when he turned those who were exiled from Crystal Tokyo into the Black Moon Clan, but was actually the true dark lord, Death Phantom. Pharaoh 90, mastermind of the interdimensional beings called Death Busters, And finally, Nehelenia, the now deceased queen of the Dead Moon Kingdom, thanks to Sephroth, who agreed to Vassago's idea after I learned that he was the one responsible for the death of his own mother, and the prevention of his own birth. But even still, I don't blame Vassago for that at all. Instead, I blame Sephiroth for that action, which hurt not just Sailor Moon, but me as well. I can't ever forgive him for what he's done to Usagi's aunt," Sora explained quietly.

This was a lot for Yoshino to process, but she soon began to feel somber about Nehelenia's demise, but Yoshinon popped up.

"You know, Sephiroth is without a doubt the worst person you've ever met, Sora. And believe me, I'm also beginning to hate him too," she said.

"Sephiroth," Silica murmured quietly.

"Yeah, Kirito told me about him. A soldier who was regarded as a hero, but has now become a truly demented monster, with no hope of true redemption in his heart," replied Lisbeth.

"But hearing Sora talk about his actions really sickens me to my core," agreed Yohko.

Everyone else had to agree, including Shido, who expressed his disdain for the One-Winged Angel. Luckily, he explained about the devastation that occurred in Eurasia three decades ago, when a massive spacialquake decimated the cities and 150 million people upon it, leading to even more drastic measures being taken. But the after effects proved to be very consequential, until he told Team KRYYSSTAAL his story about his estranged adventures and the encounters he had with many spirits, such as Tokha, Yoshino, and Kurumi, but also spoke of how Origami, who being blinded by vengeance, ultimately came to a brief understanding following her battle with Sora, after he saved Kotori from death. Kotori was also willing to switch between both black and white ribbons at well, such as when she'd choose to hang out with any of Sora's friends, if Shido was okay with it, but there were times when she'd have to get to working on other things, such as the stress of commanding the Ratatoskr fleet, which was being supplied by the Radiant Garden Regenesis Organization, or RGRO for short, which was headed by Reeve Tuesti, former head of Urban Development at Shinra, and had now become commissioner of that organization. Her comlink soon buzzed, and she soon punched it in.

"Commissioner Tuesti," she said.

"Commander Itsuka, I have some good news. Very shortly, I'll be taking temporary command of Fraxinus. I believe this may also be a perfect opportunity to take some time off of work, after your little episode of going completely ballistic against Origami, who nearly lost herself to vengeance, but was quickly subdued by Sora. However, what I'm about to tell you may not be the prettiest of pictures. The Empire has already begun searching for new spirits, and has now begun setting different outposts upon this world. The Weapon manufacturing organization, Hydra, has now been supplying them with new weapons, which both DEM, and the AST fully appreciate. As for Origami, she's now begun dealing with a serious court martial, and if from my companion, Cait Sith, it looks as though she will be placed under temporary suspension from her duties," Reeve explained.

"Well, I can't think of anything better, now that our two organizations are working side by side. Hopefully, Shido will make sure that everything's okay, and I have a strong feeling that both Sora and his friends will make sure that they do their best to provide a reasonable explanation," sighed Kotori.

"Good. In the meantime, I've received word from Ansem the Wise. Team KRYYSSTAAL has just arrived, and they'll be joining forces with us. Oh and if possible, I feel that Cody may teach Shido and his friends about Duel Monsters, thanks to the instructions from his mentor Yugi Muto. Tuesti out," he replied.

Moments later, Kurumi stood alone on top of a skyscraper, just as Aiden approached her.

"Oh, Aiden. I had a feeling you'd arrive," she said.

"Well, in all respect, Kurumi, the greatest, most powerful, but dangerous spirit, who hunts her prey, Shido Itsuka, I've come with good news. Boadicea, my sister, is now in talks with Miku Izayoi, who has a deep-seated hatred for every man in every world, and has told her that they are nothing more than insufferably evil creatures, who are ruled by their dark yet selfish motivation to gain what they want most. Still, with the way things are now, I've allowed her to be by her side for now, but have also left her with a note saying that one day, the person she'll meet will come to destroy her, just as my father nearly did, thanks to a lie that he has fabricated about a producer attempting to seduce her, and kill her. As for some interesting news, let's just say that things have now gone rather swimmingly, now that the feminazi will most certainly be appeased in knowing that almost every man in this world's city will be killed off, and none shall attempt to dissuade her from fully accepting the fact that anyone who dares disguise themselves as a girl will try to help her see the error of her ways. But as compensation, I give to you the soul of Ultimecia, the sorceress of time, who unfortunately met her end at the hands of someone called Squall Leonhart, which in turn will not only give you her powers, but also her knowledge of all conceptions of time and space, hence why you have Zafkiel," Aiden grinned proudly.

Kurumi, ecstatic at the prospect of devouring Ultimecia's soul, wasted no time and effort on that matter. Once she was finished, she soon began to feel more powerful than ever, almost as if her time had now been fully restored, thanks to Ultimecia's soul now becoming part of her.

"And I have more where that came from. Before Vassago vanished after I slew Nehelenia, I took the souls of the Amazon Trio he absorbed, then grafted them as a part of myself. Now, I give them to you, so that they will serve your power," Sephiroth said, passing her the souls of the former three amazons, Tiger's Eye, Hawk's Eye, and Fish's Eye.

This made Kurumi become much stronger than before, as she now felt even more invigorated.

"Fear not, Kurumi. You will have Shido's soul wrapped around your finger, hopefully for good. All we need is to do is be patient. However, we may find the one who has some information about your most hated enemy, the first spirit who came to this world by spatial quake. It's not wise to rush things after all," grinned Nuno.

"I share in their sentiment, because of an old friend of Maleficent's who's agreed to help the Empire. Only he can help Kurai and Azrael's father create the perfect utopia, once I see the dark side of Tohka's powers for myself," added Sephiroth, who stood off to one side with his arms over his chest.

Although after the incident with Origami three months prior, and Shido being told that Sora and all of his friends and family would be there to help him save any new spirits that would show up, Cody was now performing squats to help him stay in shape. It's never easy to try and stay fit, even in times of peace, but things seemed a bit different for him.

"Hey, Cody, you seem a little on edge," a voice said from nearby.

It was Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames. He had come to check on him.

"Can you blame me? All this training and no assignments. Like they're hanging me out to dry. You must be pretty busy, with everyone off-base," replied Cody.

"Off-base? Wait, haven't you heard? There's been a mass rebellion in the AST," remarked Axel.

Cody was surprised. He stopped and looked at Axel.

"It appears Origami's on probation. She's about to have a hearing as well be warned to not participate in any missions, too. None of the people know why she went on a rampage, or why she wanted Kotori dead, although the reason being is that's why your training's on hold," he explained.

His thoughts were interrupted when Sora arrived, looking deathly serious.

"Uh oh, the boss is here!" hissed Axel.

"Heads up, Cody. We have a new assignment. RGRO command has requested your presence," Sora said to Cody.

"Phew, good thing too. Now for some action!" smirked Cody.

"Hold up! This will be your show. We should report this to one of our deployment officers, someone by the name of Ienzo, who served as a spy in the RGRO during the Death Buster Crisis. He'll give you the details. In the meantime, I'll alert Tohka and the other spirits, let them know that this is a delicate assignment. They need some time away from the action, with some very explicit apologies. They need to rest before Shido can continue with his mission of finding and saving any new spirits that do show up by spatial quake," he explained.

Cody nodded, then headed to the briefing room. There, standing in his lab coat, was none other than Ienzo, one of the RGRO's top spies.

"Ah, Cody. It's good to finally meet face to face. Ienzo, Chief of Operations in the RGRO," he said, extending his hand to him.

"Heya!" greeted Cody, and shook his hand as well.

"Good. Now, on to business," Ienzo spoke firmly.

He punched in a series of commands on the keyboard, and saw an officer of the AST on the screen, with the words, Missing In Action on the image.

This is the work of a new adversary. Commander Aya Megumi. A month ago, she went missing during a mission on Arubi Island, where we received word of a massive hurricane displaced her squad, scattering them to the four winds. Know anything about this?" he asked.

"Not a clue!" replied Cody.

Everyone was a little surprised, but Ienzo had his doubts.

"This mission has been sanctioned by Ansem the Wise. That's why we've decided to send a task force," he said.

"Wait, a task force?" questioned Cody.

"Yes. Our war with the Empire's not going well," said Ienzo.

"I've also recommended you for a promotion. That's why I've asked Sailor Moon if she was okay with you agreeing to be another of her knights, like the rest of us. As for Mamoru, he was also in agreement, seeing as he also knows what it's like to see someone be misguided by the darkness, like Chibiusa, Riku, Hotaru, Xion, and several others. Weiss' sister, Captain Winter Schnee will also be joining us on this mission, aboard the light carrier Ixion. There she will guide us as liaison, and warn us of any traps that may guide us. Oh, and Ken's given us some elixirs from Mineru Wachi," explained Sora.

"Sora! I love you, man! Sor–" cried Cody as he glomped on him, but he was gently pushed back.

"Just don't make me regret it, Cody," he said.

"Uh, Sir, yes sir!" replied the other Keyblade wielder.

"Once you and everyone else are packed, we'll be heading out to Arubi Island in just a few days. In the meantime, get some rest. We got a lot of training to catch up on tomorrow. Our operations will begin the minute we set down on Arubi Island. If you have any further questions about the assignment, or the situation at hand, you should talk with the rest of our compatriots who are also RGRO operatives," Sora told him.

"Roger that, Sora," Cody replied.

He turned to face Axel.

"Listen, I'll tell you everything you need to know about the Arubi mission. First thing's first, you need to be vigilant in case of any Heartless causing trouble. You had your first experience with them back in Agrabah when you first learned that Aladdin fought and defeated a mad wizard named Jafar, who tried to have Jasmine become his puppet, but eventually Dice had a change of heart after you managed to beat him, by sending his lamp down into the lava, thus ending his malice for good. Here's a list of instructions you'll need after you arrive on Arubi Island," he said to him.

He passed him a manual, and Cody read it as carefully as he could, but made sure not to gloss over it too much. When he finished, he passed it back to Axel.

"Okay, I've just managed to read through it," he said.

"Well, knowing you, you probably won't remember everything after just one readthrough," smirked Axel.

"Actually, Axel, that's not entirely true, from a certain point of view," Cody remarked.

"Hey, here's an idea. Reread it when you need to have your memory refreshed. It'll always come in handy, I can assure you of that," he grinned, and passed the manual back to him.

But he gained a serious look.

"Listen, about that materia you were using in the training simulator, it was confiscated. I'm sorry. Still, Keyblade Wielders like us don't need Materia, but there are times when our friends from Avalanche need it more than we do. Still, powerful materia has to be earned on your own terms. Those may be very unfair rules, but that's the way it is. Oh, and the next thing you need to know about are the special tasks classified as 'missions.' In short, these are errands that the RGRO assigns to us Keyblade Wielders. In order to participate in any missions, you must first register your personal information onto this mission board outside your room, next to the training room. When that's done, after you complete registration, you can check for any missions available on your gummi phone. Come on with me, I'll show you how to register on the mission board," Axel explained.

So Cody did, and he punched in his name, information, and what he was at the moment into the mission board.

"Good, now you're all registered. Go ahead and perform any mission that's on your phone," he grinned.

"That's actually a good idea, Axel. I'll go ahead and perform my mission right now," replied Cody.

And so he did. He was now face to face with several AST soldiers, along with some Wizards from DEM, but none of them seemed recognizable, seeing as they were actually made up of data. Without any hesitation, he quickly dispatched them, one by one, until he was the only one standing.

"You've completed your first mission, Cody. Nice work," said Axel.

"It was almost too easy, I could've done that blindfolded!" grinned Cody.

"Hey, you da man, Cody. I'll also be joining this mission as well, and then we'll be talking about the success of the Arubi Operation," he remarked.

"By the way, Sora somehow let slip that he never told you about the supply pods that are in this apartment complex, did he? You see, in these supply pods are the items that you can use during battle. The RGRO still sends them to us periodically, but we can still buy some healing items from the shops," Ami said.

"Oh, okay, I get it. They're sort of like provisions for us, and the members of the RGRO," replied Cody.

"Well, it'd be really shameful to squander the organization's good will. Be sure to check on'em before you go off on your mission. Still, I'm kinda wonderin' what they'd give us this time," smirked Axel, and he scuttled off.

But before he could go any further, Cody picked up something that would help him. It looked to be a bronze armguard, and he placed it on his arm.

"Okay, looks like you're all ready to head out to Arubi Island. I think it's fair if I tell you about the mail system," the bluette said.

A beep sounded on Cody's gummi phone.

"What you heard just now, I sent you an email, and your phone has alerted you. That way, we can all exchange information with each other. Last of all, Director Ienzo and the RGRO can send messages to you via email. Be sure to check it out from time to time. Also, who knows– maybe you might get mail from all the other friends you have along the way, including some new ones. Also, be sure to check the mail you have from your family, not just any of your girlfriends. Anyway, that's about it, Cody. Now you're ready to head out in just a few more days, so go get some rest, and make sure to keep on training as well. For now though, stay on high alert, in case any of our enemies do decide to cause trouble. We'll all be joining Shido on this mission, but I've also explained to Tohka that he may need someone to help him out with his shopping plans," she explained.

"Yeah, thanks for the extra info, Ami. I appreciate it," replied Cody, and they parted ways with each other.