Guh, hate the amount of homework that my professors are giving me. Oh well, at least I have time for this. Hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 2 – Mission in Dark

"What are my targets this time?" I asked, ready for today's lesson.

I have been training for a couple of weeks now. So far, I've learned how to use the Keyblade to be far more agile than I was, and how to use light as a weapon against darkness. What came as a surprise to me, though, was that I retained all my abilities as an Arrancar and as an Espada. I even retained my ability to use my second release form.

That last one came with a warning from the Caretaker. If you use your Resurrección Segunda Etapa, she said, you'll never be able to gain a heart, even if you consult with beings more powerful than I.

That's… annoying. I'll just have to hope that my Keyblade makes up for that shortcoming.

Hope? Well… it seems as if I am already getting traces of a heart. Or maybe it's just the Caretaker rubbing off on me.

"So far, you've been using dummies stuffed with straw as targets," the Caretaker replied. "Today, you'll finally get to fight some Heartless."

With those words, pools of darkness colored black and dark purple appeared on the ground. They reminded me of the shape of galaxies. From those portals, five creatures the likes of which I have never seen crawled towards me. They seemed like black four-legged ants with yellow dots for eyes.

Am I supposed to be impressed? I conveyed these thoughts to the Caretaker.

"Don't be fooled," the Caretaker warned. "The Heartless are more powerful than you thi-"

The Heartless knocked me to the ground before she could finish her sentence. They didn't pierce my skin thanks to my hierro, but it was only a matter of time before they drew blood… and worse.

I used Sonido to appear five feet behind them. Summoning my Keyblade to my hand, I leapt towards the nearest Heartless. They seemed quite surprised at my speed. Good. Let's keep it that way.

I swung the Keyblade at the nearest Heartless's head. It connected, and it disappeared in a poof of shadowy smoke. The other Heartless leaped at me, their claws outstretched. Drawing my sword with my free hand, I used it to block the remaining four Heartless. Pushing them off, I charged a Cero in my sword hand, firing it at two of the Heartless. Once they were smoke, I ran at the Heartless. This isn't proving to be much of a fight. I'll try something new.

Instead of hitting the Heartless, I jumped over them, flipping over in the air as I did so. The moment I landed, I pointed the Keyblade at them and started gathering light. Once I had gathered enough, I released a beam of pure light, slicing through the Heartless like I went through Ichigo's Hollow mask.

It hadn't even taken me five minutes to take care of these Heartless. Turning towards the Caretaker, I asked, "Is that all?"

The Caretaker had a look of surprise on her face. "You summoned a beam of light," she whispered. "Only a Keyblade Master can do something that complicated."

"No wonder this Xehanort was able to destroy the Keyblade Order," I replied. "All of them were weaklings… they were trash."

The Caretaker went from surprise to fury in an instant. "Never speak ill of the Keyblade Masters again," she ordered. "They may not have been as strong as you, but they were better beings than you are."

I hate when someone thinks that they're better than me. Especially if it's a human. I was about to use Resurrección when I caught myself. Remember what you're here for, I told myself in my head.

"May I get started now?" I asked. "I'm tired of all this training."

The Caretaker placed a hand on her chin. I learned after a while that this is what she does when she's in thought. "I think you are ready. I'll open a portal."

Snapping her fingers, an oval-shaped, white portal appeared. "What should I know about this world?" I asked.

"The people of this world are tasked with taking care of and embodying holidays. You're going to end up in the town that's in charge of Halloween."

Ulquiorra in Halloween Town! I can't wait for you guys to see what I have planned. Until next time!