(Characters aren't mine. "Angel of Music" belongs to Andrew dude from Phantom of the Opera.)

"The third task is a bit complex." Auron stated, sitting down cross legged on the floor before Sora. Vincent looked to Cloud, nodded, and then disappeared.

"What happens?" Sora asked. "Who participates?"

"Only two." Auron spoke. Sora blinked, a bit surprised.

"It is a race, a race unlike any other. You will race against many of other worlds, and to increase your chances, one other will participate in the race as well. You may choose him or her."

"What's the race like?" Sora implored, curious and eager. Auron chuckled.

"Deadly. You will participate in the Universel Voyage Circulaire, a race centering on the planet Monde Race. It has an invisible track, and that alone makes racing dangerous. The track is only seen under moonlight, and it travels through odd intervals. There are lights on the edges, but they are hard to spot. Not only that, but the track does not go around in a circle and just end."

"What's it do?" Sora implored.

"It circles the universe." Auron stated. Behind him, Cloud smirked at Sora's reaction.

"Whoa! Seriously!" Auron nodded.

"Seriously." He and Cloud chuckled. Sora calmed down, sticking his tongue out at them. "The track goes through many different worlds, some you've been to, most you haven't even heard of. Some of the worlds don't know about the World Order, and so you are invisible to them. Others, there are spectators watching."

"Fifty racers from all over participate, all of different backgrounds and races. While Tsuki will assure you're and your partner's places in the race, she will not be able to bend the game like she has in the past, such as when she stopped the storm. You are on your own this time." Sora nodded, grinning.

"I can handle it." Auron smiled.

"I'm sure you can. Now, this race has all sorts of vessels; some will be on flying ships, some in cars, some flying, some running at the speed of sound. We've arranged motorbikes for you, since your flight power is slightly limited. But if you need to use it, feel free to do so."

"The race has few rules. These are the only ones; there are to be no stimulants, other than those approved"

"I don't think that's a problem." Sora muttered already bored of rules. Auron ignored him.

"You cannot switch vehicles unless you steal a vehicle from someone else in the race; you must, when you sign up, state every weapon you will be using ahead of time. Lastly…"

"You cannot be seen. If anyone who doesn't know about the World Order learns about it because you fell off the track, you are not only disqualified, but you are in deep shit." Sora nodded, understanding.

"When does the race begin?" Cloud crossed his arms.

"Three days from now. But you, Auron, and your partner will be leaving today. You have to sign up and live in the Monde Race for at least a day beforehand, to learn about your opponents." Sora nodded.

"Now, the task is not to win the race. The task is to complete the race, alive, of course, and at the end, to find the door."

"Door?" Sora asked confused.

"There will be a door. You can only reach it on the between world platforms that the track has. You need not ruin your race to turn off and go in; simply find it during the race, and then go for it after. You see, those that participate in the race can use the track both a week before and after." Sora nodded.

"Once I'm in the door… then what?" Cloud smiled.

"Then you find your way out." He concurred.

So that left Sora with an important decision. Who would participate in the race with him? He had to make a decisive decision, one that made sense. If it was a race, speed, stamina, and strength were needed.

Yuffie wasn't someone Sora wanted to race against. She would be a good partner, since her ninja skill gave her an advantage at speed and stamina. But perhaps there was a better answer. Sora felt as if he knew who he should choose, but who?

He decided not to pick Riku. He wanted to also pick someone he could get to know better. He'd known Riku for his entire life… someone else…

Namine and Kairi weren't good decision for a race, no offense to them, Sora thought. His thoughts may be his own, but who could tell the extent of the princesses' powers, and what sort of curses they might put him through.

Tifa was a good choice. Were there any others?

Cloud, definitely.

All in all, it came down to who he wanted to be with, actually. For the most part, they would all be good in a race. But who did Sora want to race with?

Since it was a motorcycle race, he would need someone with that sort of knowledge. He felt as if he knew who he wanted to race with…

Then it hit him. Deep down, he wanted to race with Axel. But of course, he couldn't. With a sigh, Sora kept on pondering.

Ange Navigant au Coulisse de Trepas; "Angel that Flies on the Wings of Death". That was the name of the beautiful work of art that Cid was admiring. It was a motorcycle, large enough to sit five Sora sized people, with one on the handlebars, one on the end, two on the sides and one in the middle. It was intricate in design and gothic in style. The footrests had metal extensions at the end that rose up into angelic wing designs that were black, and at the top the wing was clipped, with red tips on the feathers.

Moving around it, Cid admired the second bike; Éclaira Perdis Ame; "Enlightened Lost Soul". This one had the same look and size, but the footrests had decorations of what looked like steam frozen in time and colored a beautiful mahogany. The front of the bike had a skull.

"Now these", Cid began, grinning. "Are racing bikes."

Demyx sat in Kaiba mansion bored. The others had all made off; Ariel went with that girl Mai to go shopping, Vexen had stuck himself in his room still not speaking to anyone, and the others had likewise gone on their way.

"Whatcha doin?" Demyx jumped. Turning around, he saw that not all the residents had run for the hills.

Mokuba was standing behind him, smiling brightly. Demyx sighed.

"Man, how'd you sneak up on me?" Mokuba laughed.

"It wasn't that hard." He joked. Demyx playfully glowered at him, ruffling his hair.

"Demyx! Number nine! Dork! Idiot! Mullet Boy!" Someone was calling repeatedly and rushed for Demyx, who was a bit annoyed at the insults. Frowning playfully, Demyx looked over the railing to see Marluxia, surprisingly.

"Didn't you go back to the castle, Flower boy?" Marluxia pretended he didn't hear.

"Yes, I did. Now, I've returned, with news!" He grinned, flashing a wade of papers in his hands. "There's to be a race-"

"And we've front row seats!"

"Sora's gonna be in a race?" The entire team that was on vacation was sitting around the table in the Kaiba's dining room. The boy Yugi, along with his blonde friend, Mai, and the creepy Egyptian Isis were with them. Yuffie was excited at the idea of a race.

"Yeah – and he's got to pick someone to race with him." Marluxia stated. Demyx shivered involuntarily.

"Please don't choose me, please don't choose me…" Demyx begged, almost to tears. Marluxia rolled his eyes and pretended to gag. Mokuba, at the end of the table, snickered. Demyx proceeded to hit Marluxia on the back of his pink hair.

"It's on now, Flower boy!" Demyx challenged, grinning.

"What was that, little fish?" Marluxia stood tall.

Demyx deflated. "It's… on now! The lights are on, so we can all see, and look at things and torture people by looking at your face…" He whispered the last part, but Marluxia heard it; the man shook his head and sat down.

"Children." Xigbar shrugged his voice full of amusement and sarcasm.

"Sora?" Cid asked, walking into the room. Sora was in the library, sitting at one of the large windows.

"Kid!" Cid called. Sora looked up. "Time to go!" With a nod and a grin, Sora leapt up and ran over to the older blonde.

"I've got my partner!" Sora cried. Cid grinned.

"Took ya long enough."

The gummi ship was in the dock, loaded and ready for takeoff. Sora looked at it, sighed contently, and strode up to Cloud and Auron.

"Have you picked?" Auron implored. Sora nodded.

"Who?" Cid asked, curious. He was looking over his shoulder to Sora as he strode up to the controls. Sora took a deep breath, smiled, and answered.

"Roxas."

Most everyone on the team is strong, so that wasn't really a factor.

Some are more inclined to stuff like racing, but it didn't really narrow it down much.

I want to race with someone I don't know well, so I can learn more. And – I wanted to race with Axel.

Who better to learn about than myself? And who better to race for Axel than Roxas?

Auron nodded. "I'll send him a message to meet us there. Let's go." Auron strode into the ship coolly, and Cloud followed. Surprisingly, Cid followed as well, holding a long metal rod in hand. Seeing Sora confused look, Cid chuckled.

"Race, kid. What kind of racer don't have no mechanic?" With that, he disappeared into the ship.

His team, Auron; the strategist. Cid, the mechanic. Cloud, motorcycle expert (see Final Fantasy Seven: Advent Children). And Roxas, his partner.

"We're in for one hell of a ride." Sora sighed as he walked into the ship.

"I've been chosen!" Roxas quietly gasped out. The others looked to him, all with a bit of pride, Xigbar with fatherly love ("Oh!" He cried out in a sarcastic motherly voice. "My little baby's off to race the universe and kill people!") and Demyx with relief.

"Who else, kid? I mean, you haven't known Sora for long, but… you are Sora." The blonde (Jounouchi, was it?) looked perplexed, Mokuba and Yugi puzzled, and Isis was the same as usual; freaky and cold.

"What?" The blonde implored rudely.

"Long story. But, short ways… I was born of Sora, so I am Sora; a piece of him in a different body, now with my own life. Weird, sure but true." Roxas stood.

"And it seems my Other needs me about now."

(I'm not sure why I put this song in here. Perhaps it's because I adore it and have been listening to it all day. It also reminds me of a character that will appear in a chapter soon. All in all, I love it and the beat. It is "Angel of Music!")

"Whoa." Sora gasped as they neared Monde Race, the racing planet.

(Insolent boy! This slave of fashion


basking in your glory!

"Amazing, huh?" Cloud muttered, star struck literally.


Ignorant fool! This brave young suitor,


sharing in my triumph!)

"An amazing place." Sora wasn't shocked to find he heard Vincent's voice. It seemed that wherever Cloud went, the vampiric human followed.

"Monde Race is one of a kind." Auron stated, seemingly knowing this from experience.

Angel! I hear you! Speak,


I listen . . .


stay by my side, guide me!

"Tell me, what's it like?" Sora asked quietly to Auron.

"As if all the worlds and races have collided into a visage of color and texture indescribable. Amazingly, perfectly imperfect, in such a beautiful way." The old warrior mused.


Angel, my soul was weak –


forgive me . . .

"Sounds… confusing." Sora joked. Auron laughed heavily, which was an odd sight.


enter at last, Master!

"Monde Race, fifty feet and closing! Anybody wanna give up and out, speak up, chickens!" Cid laughed drunkenly.

"Is he acting drunk to scare us?" Sora implored. Cloud snorted.

"I believe the question is, is he drunk and will he kill us?"

(Flattering child, you shall know me,


see why in shadow I hide!


Look at your face in the mirror –


I am there inside!)

"Whoa." Sora repeated. Now he could really see Monde Race.

It was a gigantic, man made planet of metal, with ports bursting out its seams. Ships circled it constantly, and lights flickered here and there. It was flat, not round, but thousands of miles long, with a gigantic castle like building in the center. It was majestic, awe inspiring, and intimidating.

"Monde Race…" Sora whispered.


Angel of Music!


Guide and guardian!


Grant to me your glory!

"Good luck, kid." A woman whispered from her cage in The World that Never Was. Beside her was a slumbering red head. While their sleeping spell no longer existed, Axel still needed sleep. The woman Tsuki found she couldn't sleep.

Wasn't the spell supposed to last until the Nothings crowned their Princess?

Or had something happened she did not know about?


Angel of Music! Hide no longer!


Come to me, strange angel...

Even further below the woman's prison, another woman awaited coolly and coldly, malice filled.

"I am your Angel –"


(I am your Angel ...

"Hinode. Come to me, Angel…"


Come to me: Angel of Music ...)

"Die for me, Angel Hinode." This was puzzling. Wasn't she telling herself to die for herself? Was she suicidal?

Whose is that voice . . .?

"Whose voice is there?" Hinode cried out, face masked by the thick veil she wore. "That voice which calls to me in dreams!"


Who is that in there . . .?

"Die for me, Angel Hinode."


(I am your Angel of Music . . .

"Die for me, Angel Hinode…"


Come to me: Angel of Music . . .)

Christine!


Christine!

Sora and the others parked the ship. Immediately a tenant rushed forward.

"Welcome to Monde Race!"