Chapter 9
Hebijo Clandestine Girls' Academy
While everyone was fast asleep in their rooms, Yagyu was still troubled by how she was still trying to keep Hibari safe from harm, due to how she reminded her of Nozomi, when she thought back to how she left her. Deciding to apologize for her behavior, she decided to come to her friend's room to talk with her, but found no response from within. This made her concerned, because the moment Yagyu entered, there was no sign of Hibari anywhere. What she didn't know was that she was being controlled by Haruka, even as the others slept. Quickly, she rushed to Sora and Asuka's room, but rather than wake him up by force, she tapped his face with her hand, causing his eyes to flutter open.
"Sora, I can't find Hibari anywhere. When I went to apologize to her for my behavior, she wasn't in her room. Please find her," she said.
Nodding slowly, Sora clambered out of bed, and raced to find Hibari about to enter a secure room. An alarm sounded throughout the academy, causing Kiriya to find out who was causing this trouble, while Sora watched from the shadows. He made doubly sure that the scroll was protected, when suddenly…
BOOM!
A huge plume of smoke appeared around him, and he fell unconscious. Kiriya had fallen victim to the knockout grenade, and the puppeteered Hibari took the scroll. Next day, Kiriya called his others to his side for an important meeting. The news about the stolen scroll shocked them all. Kiriya told them that there was a traitor in their midst, despite the tripled security measures.
"You don't think any of us took it, do you?" questioned Asuka.
"I know it's harsh. I don't like it as any of you do," replied her teacher.
"Kiriya Sensei, sir, please pardon me for speaking out of line, but I have a feeling that someone might be pulling the strings to make one of us be the traitor. Personally, any ninja on the side of good being branded as said traitor is just a huge pile of bullcrap, in my own personal opinion," Sora said.
"I appreciate your concern on the matter, Sora. But for now, I'd suggest that you all wait in your rooms until I call on you," Kiriya replied.
Nodding slowly, they all walked off. Sometime later, as Hibari sat in her room, she was confused as to what was going on and decided to do some reading, when her feet brushed against something under her bed, just as she heard a knock on her bedroom door. She picked it up, and saw that it was the very scroll that Asuka inherited from Daidoji, just as the door opened. In stepped Sora, who was surprised to see the scroll in his friend's hand.
"Hibari, is that the scroll Asuka inherited? What's it doing here?" he asked.
"I don't know, Sora. but I think we'd better tell Sensei about this," Hbari replied, only to see it ripped out of her hands by a whip.
"Most impressive. I must say, that was very impressive," a voice said.
"HARUKA! So you're the one that controlled Hibari!" Sora said angrily.
"Oh, come now, Sora. Don't you remember the promise I made to this cutie?" Haruka asked in response.
"What are you talking about!? Hibari would never make any promise to you!" Sora shot back at her.
"Oh, so you do have some darkness in you. But at the same time, that battle made me realize that you hate seeing the people you cherish being hurt, which somehow reminds me of Mirai's rival, whom the sweet girl has a strong bond of friendship with. She was without a doubt the best puppet I could ask for," she remarked.
"You're gonna pay for this, Haruka. Treating my friends as your own personal playthings is something I can't forgive at all. I know that Hibari's better than you, and for the record, I'm sure Yagyu would agree with me on that matter. I know that Hibari has a special power in her heart, but she's unsure about letting it show. I believe in her, just as the rest of her friends do. Her instincts may be sharper, and even if her strength is lacking, I know that she can prove to be better than what she is. That's why as her friend, I won't let you trick her into becoming a pawn of the darkness," Sora explained bravely.
"It's not your place to decide for her, Sora," sneered Haruka, and she tossed a small piece of paper towards her.
"Ta-ta for now," she added, and vanished in a flurry of petals.
"WAIT, HARUKA!" shouted Sora, as he charged after her.
But it was too late. Haruka was gone. Now truly enraged, Sora swung his Keyblade in a blind fury, startling Hibari immensely.
"Where are you!? Don't you dare hide from me! Show yourself!" he howled with unrelenting fury.
Poor Hibari couldn't bear to see Sora acting like this. She had to do something to calm him down, or Vanitas would break free.
"Sora! Please! You have to stop it! This isn't like you!" she cried.
Finally, Sora stopped, and lowered his weapon to his side.
"How could she? How could Haruka use you, in order to grab that scroll from us?" he asked, his voice filled with a dark cold venom.
"Listen to me. It's my fault the scroll's gone. So I'm going to Hebijo to get it back, even if it kills me," Hibari said as bravely as she could.
Horrified by what he heard, Sora wrapped her arms around her and hugged her.
"No, I won't let you do this alone. You, me, Asuka, Yagyu, Ikaruga, and Katsuragi aren't just your friends, Hibari. We're family. I don't want you to take full responsibility for what Haruka did," he protested.
Surprised by what she heard even as Sora was hugging her, Hibari suddenly began to hear him crying, and his face was streaked with tears of concern.
"Please, Hibari. I don't want you to die. If you do, we won't forgive ourselves. None of us could bear to lose you to the darkness, so that Haruka would have you sacrificed to those evil ninjas, or worse make you become a bloodthirsty killer. That's the Hibari we don't want to see in front of us, because it'd break Yagyu's heart to see you become a monster who has a taste for blood and death," sobbed Sora.
But Hibari gently wrapped her arms around Sora, and hugged him back.
"I'm not gonna die, Sora. And to be honest, I won't be seduced by the darkness in my heart. Yagyu told me time and time again, that I'm far stronger than you realize, so I'll prove it to her with my own two hands. Also, I finally understood why you came to my rescue in Yagyu's place. You share her belief in making sure that I'll be alright, and I'm grateful for that. Like you said, the decisions we make, and the actions that follow us, are a reflection of who we are, remember? So please don't cry, Sora. No matter what happens. No matter what kind of danger I face, I'll try my best to be brave, because you're always in my heart. And you don't believe in giving up because your friends won't always be by your side, because they'll always be with you in spirit, just as you'll be as well," she assured him.
"This young woman is right, Sora. Don't let yourself be overruled by fear for her safety. Every one of the people you've met will always be with you, no matter how apart they are. That's your greatest strength, even if your enemies view it as your greatest weakness," agreed Eraqus.
Sora nodded, then slowly unwrapped his arms around her, and stepped back, but his eyes were still streaked with tears. Suddenly, without knowing it, she felt Hibari's lips briefly touch his cheek, surprising him, then turned to face the spirit of someone who would offer him guidance as well as counsel him on what he'd need to do.
"Before I go, I want to know who you are," she said to the spirit.
"I am called Master Eraqus, young Hibari. A former Keyblade Master, and mentor to Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. But, you mustn't give into despair. That is one of your greatest weaknesses," Eraqus assured her.
"But it's my fault," Hibari stated sharply.
"What?" the former Keyblade Master asked in shock.
"Haruka used me to get that super secret ninja art scroll," she answered angrily.
"What do you mean?" questioned Eraqus.
"It's my fault that Haruka got that scroll in the first place, because she tricked me into becoming her friend," Hibari explained.
"I knew it. Dogen- that monster has gone too far. But Hibari, you are not to blame for this failure. And you are not alone. I know that all of your friends would always come to your rescue, when you most need them. They are your greatest strength, young one. It's the same feeling that Sora has about his own friends, when he asks them to lend him their strength. Even though he's one of many of the Keyblade's chosen standing before you, he fights not for oppression or supremacy over everything, he fights for the light, and the people in his heart. As long as he doesn't give up, neither will they. But I am sure that all of your other friends did not travel all this way to see you give up on becoming a great and powerful shinobi. I trust in your judgment. Failure doesn't mean giving up, so long as one must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. But after what Haruka did, is something that can't be condoned, as long as you don't quit. Through careful deliberation and decision, Hibari, if you feel you must go to this Hebijo Academy, then as my way of wishing you luck, may your heart be your guiding key," he explained to her.
"But Master-" Sora tried to protest.
"The decision is up to her, Sora. I'm sorry, but she must follow her heart and always let it be her guide. Go and let the others know what I've said to Hibari," interrupted Eraqus, and he vanished, just as Hibari left.
Moments later, after the others learned that Hibari was being controlled by Haruka thanks to a psych wave transmitter, Sora was still hurt and upset about what happened before. He tried to alert the others about what happened, only to find that they were gone, and he quickly traced his connection to them with his own heart, and managed to find them on a rooftop far from the academy, as they tried to convince Yagyu not to shoulder the burden of helping Hibari on her own. Without a moment's hesitation, he soon leaped out of the window, changed into his Keyblade Armor, and arrived at the location they were at. He soon jumped down and landed near them, after Yagyu surrendered to them.
"This whole mess is my fault," she told them.
"No it's not, Yagyu!" Sora called from above as he dropped down, landed near them, and reverted back to normal.
"Sora!" Asuka, Ikaruga and Katsuragi said in surprise.
"I know who's responsible for tricking Hibari into giving them the scroll. It was Haruka who used her to perform the dirty deed. So you listen to me, Yagyu. I told Asuka and Ikaruga this, and I'll tell you the same thing you've heard before. No more thinking negatively. I know that Hibari often reminds you of your late sister, Nozomi, but she's not your sister. Hibari is Hibari, and no one else. She has her own heart inside her. I promised all of you that I'd always protect you from the darkness. No one is to blame, but those Hebijo girls. They'll pay for everything they've done, by tricking her into giving them that scroll, and for making her walk the path of darkness. The six of us together are not just friends, we are a family. And as a family, we look out for each other, so that we know that we're never truly alone. I may be ashamed of being unable to stop her from going to that school of darkness, but as long as we're together, we can do anything to make a difference. Until we learn the location of Hebijo Academy, we have to wait until we're given the go ahead to strike when they least expect it." Sora explained.
Yagyu was surprised to hear that from Sora, then she ran towards him and hugged him tightly.
"It's gonna be okay, Yagyu. There's no need to hold back your true feelings from us. You're free to let it all out, just like the rest of us would. Crying doesn't mean you're weak, it shows that you're still human. You're free to cry for as long as possible," he assured her, as he hugged her back.
So Yagyu did just that. She allowed the tears to flow freely from her eyes, and even the others hugged her as well, and Nozomi's spirit nodded in agreement.
"No one is truly alone, Yagyu. We'll always have each other, no matter what," Ikaruga whispered to her friend.
When Yagyu stopped crying, she slowly stepped back, and looked at Sora. For the first time in her life, she could sense that there was a tiny trace of Nozomi and Hibari somewhere in his heart which made her feel at ease around him.
"Y-you're right, Sora. I'm really sorry for being so stubborn, and pushing you all away. I've been so wrapped up in thinking I could do everything on my own, but I realize now that's not what my sister would want me to do. Maybe I haven't truly been able to let her go, as well as never accepted that she's no longer with me, because of my failure to be by her side when she passed away after that car crash. But, I get it now. Nozomi's never truly gone. She'll always be in my heart, no matter what. I promise to make sure you all stay by my side for all of eternity. I swear to always honor her memory, and ensure that she rests peacefully in this Kingdom Hearts you told me about. I know now that I'm not alone after all," she said.
"Well done, Yagyu. You have now taken your first step on the path of acceptance. And as you said, Nozomi will always be with you in your heart, even as she rests peacefully in Kingdom Hearts, and she will always cheer for you. As long as you believe in that, you are truly strong," assured Eraqus.
"Yes, some people have made mistakes in the past when they succumbed to darkness, but sometimes the darkness can always show us the way to the people we love so dearly," agreed Nehelenia.
"Even though I'd taken away Usagi's friends when I was Chaos' vessel, I realize now that she and Sora still had each other, until the God of Discord forced me to transform into Omega, then fused with that extraoirdinary boy, drew out Vanitas, and became the feared entity, Chaos Vanitas," added Galaxia.
"And when Sora was given the Silver Crystal by my daughter, he defeated Omega Galaxia, and was able to have their two halves join together, thus restoring the true Galaxia to her former glory, before she sealed the now erased God of Discord. It's because Chaos manipulated every one of their friends and enemies into that great and final battle with the ultimate weapon, until he was destroyed by my daughter's true power. Everyone you've met has become your friend, and they will always be by your side.," Queen Serenity said to her.
Even still, when Ikaruga asked who these specters were, Sora assured all the Hanzo students that they were his friends, and his own form of guidance and counseling, when things seemed to be at their most bleak. Even with the matter settled between most of her friends, which Hibari sensed from far away, she continued walking through the dark forest, until she came to a cliff where she saw the dreaded Hebijo Clandestine Girls' Academy. Suddenly, she was caught by two kunoichi who demanded to know why she was here. Quickly, Hibari told them that she had been invited by Haruka, just as Sephiroth appeared. The One-Winged Angel chuckled darkly at her.
"Oh, so you must be the foolish child, Hibari," he said, as he walked towards her, and held Masamune dangerously close to her chest, making her squirm and squeal.
He motioned for the two kunoichi to contact Haruka, who was taking a shower. She ordered them to have her be brought to her room, despite their protests, until she heard Sephiroth's voice telling the two students they should have known their place, and the sound of metal swooshing and slashing was heard, followed by the sound of wind rustling, which meant that their souls had been absorbed.
"I'll have her be delivered to you, as you ordered these insolent fools, Haruka," The One-Winged Angel assured her.
"Thank you for clearing up the misunderstanding, Sephiroth," Haruka replied, and clicked the transmitter off.
Moments later, after being brought to her room, Haruka greeted Hibari who was bound in chains of darkness.
"She's all yours, Haruka. Feel free to do what you will till your heart's content," Sephiroth said, and freed the poor pinkett from her bonds.
"Please forgive Sephiroth, he tends to be a bit overzealous in his belief about his mother, Jenova, and his own children that are her inheritors," Haruka assured Hibari in a somewhat friendly tone.
They soon bathed with each other, and decided to talk of why Hibari would come to the school home, and Haruka would become part of her own family, consisting of Homura, Yomi, Hikage, and Mirai. What she didn't know was that Hibari had come to that school to recover the scroll and return it to Hanzo Academy, thanks to Master Eraqus' conveyance. Haruka soon showed Hibari the training grounds, where she and her friends would go, to hone their skills as powerful warriors, when her friends arrived to see Hibari with her, along with Nuno Harime.
"Ah, Hibari. Welcome to Hebijo Academy. I see you've chosen to cast aside your past life as a failed ninja of light, and will accept your destiny as a ninja of darkness. Good, then you will become a truly powerful warrior after you accept your place as Suzune's new apprentice. Also, I've heard a saying that goes like this: The enemy of my enemy will ultimately become my friend. Your heart now truly belongs to the darkness. All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it. It grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end every heart returns to the darkness whence it came. For you see, darkness is the heart's true essence, not light. After all, anything goes in this school, and accidents can happen. But, should you try and do something, like going back to your friends… Well, to give you an idea," the son of Nui and Sephiroth said.
As if to prove his point, he clicked his fingers. Instantly a small group of Heartless appeared at his side, and they stalked towards Hibari. Without warning, they were all struck down and disappeared, and their hearts whooshed away.
"Let that be a perfect example to you. Defiance, hesitation, and failure mean death," Nuno added ominously.
Poor Hibari quivered with fear. She could see that Nuno's aura was just as dark as Sephiroth. Soon they began asking her many questions about what she liked most of all, as Nuno walked away, and they soon began training and participating in many different classes, as Haruka taught her many things about what went on at Hebijo, and about her other friends previous lives when they were on the side of good, before they turned to a life of evil for their own reasons, and that they had become the elite five of that school thanks to hard work and a lot of intense training. Even though Hibari listened to her, her decision to right the biggest wrong she committed was still fresh in her mind, even though she missed her friends, Yagyu, but most of all, Sora, whom she felt was in deep pain. At last, Haruka introduced Suzune to her, and they soon got straight to business, despite her doubts, but she assured the dirty blonde that Hibari would be in capable hands. She left after teaching Hibari a lesson, as Haruka explained that she was once on the side of good, but told her that the information was withheld from all others. Something clicked in Hibari's mind, as she remembered the Super Ninja message she discovered back at the old house. It was slowly beginning to make sense to her. At the same time, Dogen was surprised to learn that Hibari had chosen to come to Hebijo of her own accord, then ordered Suzune to deal with her as she saw fit, but asked if she was upset about the scroll's capture. But Suzune didn't bother to care about it, because they still needed someone who would accept their destiny as the one that would be chosen by that scroll, until she was reminded of the time she had been saved from death and turned to the side of darkness. But Suzune still had her doubts, and soon embarked on her own personal agenda. Back at Hanzo Academy, Ikaruga explained everything she knew about Hebijo to the others, and that it was more secluded, unlike their school. The others had to agree, but Asuka had her doubts about it being easy, even after Yagyu's emotional walls had finally crumbled around her. The white haired kunoichi apologized to Kiriya for her poor reaction, but her teacher told her that he was happy to know that her friends stopped her, and assured her that she had finally begun to be more accepting of them. Deep down, she sensed that Asuka had become better than before through all the hard work and training she endured, and even noted that Sora was truly right in his judgment about how Nozomi would always live on in her heart. It made Kiriya remember what Daidoji said to him about how Asuka had even greater power than she realized, and about how Sora was truly strong thanks to his connection to his friends. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a bell, and set off to investigate where it came from, telling the others that he'd be back after settling with his own personal business. This made the others confused. The bell rang again when he was searching outside. He turned and saw someone in what looked like samurai armor.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Hebijo Girl's Academy Shinobi' Instructor Suzune," the woman said.
Kiriya had never heard that name before, until he heard Suzune recognize him, and challenged him to a duel. Both combatants drew their swords, and clashed against each other. But as they landed on opposite sides, Suzune's armor broke despite the nick to his shoulder. To his great surprise, it was his old student, Rin.
"It's been a while. I had to see if you were rusty or not. I would say the answer is definitely not. I'm surprised that you didn't know that it was me earlier," she said with a light chuckle.
"I had many great students. It's hard to remember each one's techniques," Kiriya replied.
Rin smirked, despite his biting remark.
"I guess so. Speaking of students, one of yours just arrived at Hebijo Academy. Does the name Hibari ring a bell?" she asked.
"Please tell me you haven't done anything to her!" gasped her former teacher.
"She's fine, but we both have responsibilities, don't we? I think you know what you have to do," replied Rin.
"Why did you do it? Why did you choose to be an evil ninja?" Kiriya asked.
"The answer to that question…" Rin said.
She threw a dagger towards him, and Kiriya caught it in his fingers.
"...is in that paper you hold," she finished.
Kiriya opened the paper, and saw that it was a map to Hebijo. Rin hoped to see him again, and she vanished in a cloud of smoke. Kiriya was shaken by the fact that his student had truly survived.
