Chapter 14: A Little Spark

{Disney Castle: October 1st 2013, 6:01am}

A resounding crash went through the hallway that the Keyblade Wielders lived on. It was far too early in the morning and the noise would have startled most of the residence in the castle; however, the shouts coming from upstairs was enough of a give-away to inform the few who were up and listening that it was merely a typical day, with Sora handling one of his students who didn't seem quite keen on getting up.

"NO! I'M NOT DOING IT AGAIN!"

"Roxas, you're being stupid! We have to go," Sora stated as looked at the blonde boy who was holding onto his bedpost in refusal to leave, while Sora tried to find a way to placate the blonde.

"I'm not going to leave! That train can't happen again!" sky-blue eyes looked to cyan ones as Kairi and Namine watched in faint amusement as Sora went to Roxas and wrapped his arms around his waist as he began tugging on him to remove the impertinent blonde.

"Roxas, I am not amused by this, and if you don't let go of the fucking bedpost, I am going to drag you kicking and screaming! Now, LET GO!" Sora tugged on Roxas again, digging his heels into the hardwood floor as he narrowed his eyes at him and clenched his fingers into the boy's stomach.

"NO! I WON'T DO IT! I WON'T! I'M NOT GETTING ON THAT DAMN TRAIN AGAIN!

"It's not that bad! Would you just let go of the fucking bedpost?!" Roxas shook his head.

"No!" Sora sighed.

"Fine, I have no choice..." Roxas momentarily thought Sora would leave him alone, but that thought changed when he felt an electrical jolt race through him, and mere seconds later, he collapsed from the bedpost and into Sora's arms as he dragged him backwards towards the others.

"You shocked him, didn't you?" asked Riku.

"What the hell do you think?"

Roxas slumped to the ground, unconscious, as Sora shook his head and looked to see how they were going to move Roxas, now that the boy was unresponsive. Taking in a deep breath, Sora moved to slip his arms under the boy's and began to drag him out of the room and down the hallway. Kairi and Namine had known this morning was going to be interesting only because they knew that Roxas wasn't fond of the train that had delivered them to the Mysterious Tower, where they had first met Master Yen Sid and had been informed that Sora would be their teacher. Namine was fond of the memory because it was the day that they had confirmed their new path in life and began their training as Keyblade Wielders.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Namine.

"Yea, I just shocked him a bit to get him loose. Riku? Can you give me a hand? I need to get him to the staircase so we can wake him up."

The silver-haired Keyblade Master nodded, grabbing Roxas's legs and helping Sora walk down the rest of the hallway until they reached the staircase. Sora was quick to lay him down and summon an orb of water with the Aquara spell before he doused Roxas with it. Kairi and Namine would be quick to admit that Roxas's panic about the train that lead to the Mysterious Tower could be a potential problem; however, now that he had gotten a good shock to his system, they didn't worry nearly as much.

Taking in a deep breath, Sora crouched and looked down at his student, who groaned, holding a hand to his head as he looked around and found himself looking to the grand staircase that lead to the main floor of the castle. Huffing, Roxas looked to Sora, who smiled as he glowered, knowing very well that he wasn't escaping the ride on the train to the Mysterious Tower.

"I...guess I'm not getting out of this one, am I?" he asked.

"No, you never were. Come on, we're going to be late." Roxas stood and the group of five Keyblade Wielders made their way down the staircase before going down a hallway to the western area of the castle. From there, they went down another set of stairs before finally making it to an underground area beneath the castle that seemed to be a station of some kind. Awaiting them was a violet train embossed with golden rune-styled details accompanied by moons and stars.

"All aboard..."

{Mysterious Tower: 6:20am}

Master Yen Sid hummed as he looked out the window of his tower, awaiting Sora and the other's arrivals. The aged wizard currently had someone else visiting him until they arrived and was listening to the report that the boy was reading off with concern in his eyes. In their world, war was still raging with another entity that was on par with Xehanort, and due to that, they had long since gone to extreme measures in order to protect their world and the ones they cared for. However, the boy standing before him was a remarkable exception to the situation their world was in only because of the bloodlines which he carried within him, and his talent in bearing the weapons they used against the evil that was attempting to decimate their world.

"The Heartless have made a few breaks with the rest of the Darkness; however, the scale of them varies depending upon which region they appear in. China, Japan, and Great Britain as well as France and Germany are the most affected areas in our world. Other than that, our weapons seem to have quite the effect on them, despite the fact of it not being Keyblades," the boy finished.

"I appreciate you coming out like this. I do hope I'm not taking you away from anything of great importance." Master Yen Sid looked to the boy with his fair skin, white hair, mismatched eyes, and black-and-red lined military-style uniform. The boy appeared as prepared for war as Yui had been when he'd first come through the portal during the events of the Dream Drop.

"No, I was asked to come here, Master Yen Sid. The chief is well aware of the situation and that Xehanort will more than likely work alongside the darkness within our world, seeing as it's quite strong," he stated.

"I see...and you...are you handling this well? I know it was quite a shock after everything you'd gone through." A small smile came to his features.

"I figured I would be in for hell when I chose to take this path. I can handle whatever's thrown at me and come out on top of it, no problem," he said as he placed the report back atop Master Yen Sid's desk.

"I assumed so. Regardless, I would like to ask if you would be willing to meet with the boy today?" he inquired as golden and crimson eyes looked to him in a slightly wide state.

"Oh, um...I suppose I could speak with him momentarily." the aged wizard looked at the boy standing before him.

"Are you concerned? I assure you, the boy is quite welcoming to others. Yui was welcomed with open arms, and you are well aware that he is not a human, either," he said as the boy glanced to the side.

"Sir, I've been outcast by a great deal of people. The people I work with haven't condemned me; however, I know there are many who would, if they had the chance. I'm not an alley or an enemy to so many people...only because I'm an outcast, a freak of nature..." Master Yen Sid came forward and placed his hands upon the boy's shoulders.

"Quite the opposite in my eyes. You, young man, have done many things both great and small because you had to, you've overcome all obstacles and odds in the name of those you love, and you've put your life on the line and overcome the chances of death multiple times because you knew, without question, that if you stopped moving forward, those you held dear to your heart would die. I see you as an inspiration and a remarkable person. I believe a certain lady in your world does as well, am I wrong?" Master Yen Sid inquired.

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid. If what you say is true, then yes, I would like to meet Sora and the others today, if that's acceptable...however, on the case of my name..." the wizard smiled.

"No need for covering up the truth. Soon enough I believe you and many others will be on the front lines with us, and trust me when I say this: knowing one another as family will create a bond greater than anything the darkness can cut through," he stated as the boy nodded.

"When will they be here?" the wizard looked to the clock on the wall.

"I believe soon. We are supposed to meet at seven o'clock; however, Sora has a particular student who may very well give him some grief about boarding the train to come here," he said as the boy looked out the window.

"I had no complications with the train...did he have a bad experience in the past with it?" Master Yen Sid laughed slightly.

"He...chose to engage a rather interesting side of Master Sora's personality and paid for it," he stated. The boy smiled a bit.

"Then I can't wait to see what he'll be like, I'm sure we'll get along well."

{Train: 6:45am}

"Not this stupid train again!" Roxas felt Sora kick the back of his leg, causing him to jolt in faint pain as sky-blue eyes narrowed at him.

"You'll live, I'm sure..." Sora stated as he leaned against the wall of the train, watching the scenery of particles of light and mist roll by them.

"So, um...what are we going to see Master Yen Sid for, exactly?" the chestnut-haired Keyblade Master glanced towards them.

"We're getting everyone fitted for battlefield attire," he said as Riku took in a deep breath, relaxing for the ride, and the others within the cabin tensed in panic, unsure of what was going to come of the statement they had just received.

"Does that mean we're going to be out in the field?" sky-blue eyes met aquamarine, light-blue, and ocean-blue eyes.

"Not exactly, but that means we need to be prepared for the worst," Sora told them.

"So you're expecting us to go to war?" he shook his head.

"No, I don't...but we can't let that be a ruled-out possibility..."

The boy went quiet and the others remained momentarily still, choosing to leave him be for the time being. Sora had been given an interesting letter from Master Yen Sid yesterday morning that had to some degree concerned him only because of what it had stated within. There were more reports coming in, and that resulted in more worlds needing additional attention.

Sora had theorized already alongside Riku that Xehanort was trying to thin out their forces; however, he was having a difficult time of it, only because of the allies they had within other worlds being able to fight the Heartless. He had also been informed in that letter that today, a person from a world that had allied with them would be coming by to give a full report and would remain at the tower to greet them personally and speak with them, while Roxas, Namine, and Kairi were getting their clothing from the Three Good Fairies.

Personally, he liked meeting new allies, and this one Master Yen Sid had promised was most interesting and had proven to be quite effective as a combatant alongside his teammates against the Heartless and Nobodies. Sora had gotten the feeling from that statement that this person Master Yen Sid wanted him and Riku to speak with could be a candidate for a Keyblade – which, considering how close some of the people were working with them, it wasn't too far-fetched – and wanted their opinions upon it.

"Is there a new Keyblade Wielder from another world? If so, what does that mean?"

The train stopped and Sora looked towards doors as they opened to the green walk way that lead towards the Mysterious Tower. Taking in a deep breath, Sora stepped off the train, and the others followed, allowing the train to leave from its stop and return to wherever it went when it wasn't in use. Roxas, Namine, and Kairi followed Sora and Riku quietly, not knowing what to expect as they started down the path, looking at the glowing flowers and the simplistic trees alongside the gleaming stars in the sky.

Sora kept walking until they reached the doors, and then he glanced behind him once to make sure everyone was with them - only because the Heartless could appear on the grounds of the Mysterious Tower – before opening the door up and letting the others go in before entering himself and closing it behind him.

"Time to climb some stairs," said Riku as he started up the stairwell, and Sora followed with Kairi while Roxas and Namine began to as well.

"Why does he have so many stairs? And portals and doors? And rooms? And more of portals, doors, stairs, and rooms?" the two Keyblade Masters looked to Roxas, who sighed.

"It's probably a defense mechanism to protect against unwanted visitors," Riku explained.

"So, it would do you well to not become an unwanted visitor, Roxas. We may have to start coming here more often..." the blonde frowned.

"These staircases are like your training sessions – cruel and unforgiving," Roxas stated.

"Good, it'll build up your leg muscles." Sora kept walking up, and the others followed through the first portal and then the first stairwell was crossed as they continued up, knowing that Master Yen Sid was well aware that they were already present, and while they remained silent for the most part, Sora did continue to think over the letter he had received yesterday, piecing the information together as slow as possible.

Dear Master Sora,

I am aware that you plan to bring yourself, Master Riku, Princess Kairi, and your students Roxas Lyster and Namine Olamayne to my tower soon, and I would prefer it if you would please come on October 1st at seven o'clock in the morning. I have a guest coming from another world, and he has spoken to the leader of the society he works with, and they have elected to join us after we spoke with them while you were away in Twilight Town. Knowing this, I have the intention of requesting him to remain at the Tower long enough for you and Master Riku to meet him and have a conversation while Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather handle Roxas, Namine, and Princess Kairi.

He will tell you of the situation taking place in their world, and I believe you will do well to meet him – the two of you share much in common, and I feel having a comrade of such high caliber will aid you in a great degree.

However, there is a problem of many of our allied worlds seeing an increase of Heartless, and recently, a series of new monsters have been appearing. Xehanort may have begun preparation for his next phase of operation, and I need you and Master Riku to take as many allies as you can in assisting you such as this world will. I suggest you and Master Riku decide whether or not to speak to King Mickey about such issues and then make the judgment of whether or not you should seek to divulge these details to Princess Kairi, Roxas, and Namine. I look forward to seeing you, Master Riku, Princess Kairi, Roxas, and Namine soon.

Sincerely,

Master Yen Sid.

Knowing those details, Sora was both excited and anxious to meet the new person who had joined their list of allied worlds. Momentarily he recalled meeting Yui Amane and Jack Frost for the first time and could only smile. Both were energetic and wonderful fighters, but they were also good friends that, even though he hadn't seen them in quite some time, he sincerely missed and looked forward to seeing soon. Putting those thoughts aside, Sora prepared to meet the new person Master Yen Sid wanted to introduce them to as they slowly climbed the staircases, passed through the gleaming portals, and went between the chamber-like rooms from one door and out the other as they finally reached the last flight of stairs before taking in a deep breath as Sora glanced back to see Roxas taking in a deep breath as he tried to reason out what to make of the final flight of stairs before huffing as he started up them with the others.

"Once we arrive, Riku and myself have to meet a new ally of ours; however, the three of you need to go on to the set of double doors in the study to speak with the Three Good Fairies, okay?" Sora stated.

"Alright...um...but won't we have to wait for them to get us?" the chestnut-haired Keyblade Wielder looked towards them out of the corner of his eyes.

"They'll be waiting for us, I'm sure...we've put this off...admittedly..." the boy turned back towards the last few stairs and made it to the portal with the others when a sudden loud crash went off.

"What was that?" asked Namine.

"Come on!"

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, and Namine bolted through the portal and towards the door where the study was, only to find nothing present except a faint scent of burning straw, which led Sora to believe that a broom had been involved with the incident pertaining to the explosion. Sighing, the Keyblade Master slightly relaxed and started forward to the study door before knocking as the door slightly opened and they were allowed in. Seated at his usual spot was Master Yen Sid, waiting patiently with the Three Good Fairies nearby their door, while standing off to the corner was a person in black and red clothing. Sora stepped forward, smiling to the aged Wizard and then turned his attention to the Three Good Fairies.

"Well, hello, dearies! Sora, how are you?" asked Flora as she stepped forward.

"I'm good, Miss Flora. It's nice to see the three of you again..." the two other fairies came to Sora, who smiled slightly.

"As it is you; now, I heard we have three dears to help prepare for a few upcoming missions? Your students, I believe?" Fauna inquired.

"Yes, Miss Fauna; this is Kairi, Namine, and Roxas..." the three of them stepped forward, and the three fairies nodded.

"Come with us, dearies; we'll get some clothes made for your journey ahead while the Masters speak with our guest," stated Merriweather as the three Keyblade Wielders followed the fairies behind the double doors, which shut with a snap as Master Yen Sid stood.

"Master Sora and Master Riku, it is quite pleasant to see you here," Master Yen Sid stated as the two younger Masters bowed while the wizard returned it with a faint tilt of his head.

"It's good to see you as well, Master Yen Sid..." the wizard settled down, and the person in dark clothing remained in the corner, out of the way.

"Thank you for coming, now, I'd like to introduce our newest addition to our allies, and my guest for the day," he said as he waved his hand forward and the person in question stepped towards them, allowing Sora and Riku to get a full look at them.

The boy had white, messy hair that was slightly mused and spiked in specific areas - which reminded Riku slightly of Sora's own messy hair – his skin was pale and clear, his features small but distinct in an almost pixie or elvish sort of fashion that was seconded only by the faint point of his ears. However, his clothing was a sharp statement of him belonging to a society which had people in war, which was evident due to the military style of the jacket, which was black, red-lined, bore the symbol – a multi-point silver cross with runes – of the society of which he worked for. His gloves were black, his pants matching, a black and red lined belt with a pouch at the back, and an attach piece was present and added to a series of patches that seemed to be almost like a rank of some kind.

There were seven red crosses on the silver-white bar above the cross-symbol, and next to the two was a circle that had a red E on a black background. Lastly was a red button of some kind with golden chains that went across the chest to the boy's right shoulder.

That allowed them to look at the last few details of him, which was the sharp red scar on his face that went over his left eye in an almost cross shape but veered slightly across his cheek and went to his forehead in the shape of an inverted star. His left eye was a sharp but beautifully rich crimson, while his right eye was a brilliant harvest gold with a mercury tone around the pupil. The boy stepped forward, black and red cuff-boots clacking slightly on the stone floor as he paused beside the desk.

"This is Allen Walker, he's the representative for his world known as Rosecross," Master Yen Sid stated clearly. Sora and Riku looked him over once more, and the boy smiled, showing off sharp fangs.

"It's nice to meet you both, I've been told good things about you..." Sora smiled, slightly nervous as he reached out his hand, and the boy returned with a firm but non-threatening grip.

"You, too, Allen? Right?" he asked.

"Yes, and what are your names?" Riku shook his hand and then looked to the boy once more.

"I'm Riku Hirigaya, good to meet you, Allen," he said.

"Nice to meet you as well, Riku, and I suppose this means that you're Sora Seiren? It's nice to meet you." another small smile which showed off his teeth, and Sora jolted as he put the pieces together.

"You're not a human, are you?" he inquired slightly spooked. Allen sighed before looking into sky-blue eyes.

"I'm a hybrid, actually. You see, in my world, we've been at war for the better half of a century with a person known as the Millennium Earl, he's killed thousands of us...in an attempt to destroy our world and whichever one he can get his clutches upon. I'm one of the front-line fighters for the Black Order, I'm a wielder of a specialized weapon that was designed to help us combat the monsters the Earl creates known as Akuma, which are creatures created from the sorrow of the human heart..." Sora and Riku glanced to one another.

"That sounds a great deal like the Heartless and the Nobodies," Riku stated.

"To a degree it is; however, Akuma are creatures that are created when someone calls back a dead person and then are killed for the machine to wear their skin like a coat. They evolve by killing and are in major numbers...they have levels ranging from one to four...and we've heard a few rare rumors about a singular level five Akuma, yet there have been no visual reports of it." Allen stopped talking, and Sora looked to him.

"Seems like neither of us have it easy. But all the same, it's good to have you on our side, Allen...by the way...what's your job, exactly?" the white-haired youth smirked.

"I'm an Exorcist, I have a weapon known as Innocence, which allows me to destroy the Akuma and even fight the Noah, who are humans of supernatural talent that have sided with the Millennium Earl," Allen explained as the two Keyblade Masters glanced down.

"Could you give us a description of the Noah? If they've sided with the Earl, then we need to keep an eye out for them." the Exorcist looked down.

"Gray-skinned, golden-eyed, and they have black crosses on their forehead almost like a circlet," Allen stated.

"Good, we'll keep an eye out. Undoubtedly, the Earl will seek a partnership with Xehanort, considering they're basically out for the same agenda..." the white-haired Exorcist smiled before looking down.

"I suppose I should also inform you of my abilities and my heritage, so there aren't any misunderstandings or surprises...well...as best as I can do..." Allen looked to his left hand before removing the glove, exposing a black hand with long, glossy black nails, and a green, glowing cross atop it.

"What is that?!" the Exorcist smiled.

"The weapon known as Innocence. There are a few types, and mine is known as a parasite-type and lives within my body...each type of Innocence also possess a name. My own is known as Crowned Clown; however, I'll show you what it's capable of another time so not to draw any Akuma here; if you're shot by their bullets, you'll die in seconds," he stated.

"Good to know..." Allen replaced his glove and then looked to the wizard, who nodded.

"I have elected to inform you of Allen's heritage so that you aren't distrusting of his words, and I wish for you to listen first and then, please, understand where he is coming from," Master Yen Sid said calmly.

"That's perfectly fine..." the wizard glanced to Allen, who remained silent and calm as the Grand Master of Keyblades looked at the two young Masters.

"Allen is half-Noah and half-Vampire. He was born this way roughly a hundred and ninety-eight years prior. His mother and father are both deceased, and he is a General within the Black Order now because of his abilities and his heritage being of great use to them," the wizard finished while Sora and Riku looked at the white-haired youth.

"He's...a vampire?" sky-blue eyes looked Allen over, and the boy merely smiled.

"This is going to be interesting, but...I think we'll be fine. Thank you, Allen, for choosing to side with us, and I promise, if there's anything we can do, let us know and we'll help you out," he said. Allen smiled in return.

"Thank you, Sora, Riku...well...I suppose I should be going, thank you." The boy bowed and excused himself silently.

"I hope you found him interesting," stated Master Yen Sid. Sora smiled.

"Definitely, I like him – I can't wait to work with him." Riku rolled his eyes.

"Of course you are...but, Master Yen Sid...is he really..." the wizard nodded.

"Yes, Riku, he is a vampire, and quite powerful. But no fear, he is quite capable of handling himself," he stated.

"Oh, good, otherwise, I'd be worried about him."

{Train: 7:40am}

Allen boarded the train, smiling as he felt a small golden golemn slip out of his jacket sleeve before flying in front of him as a projection of the black-haired, dark-eyed chief of the Black Order's Head Quarters, Komui Li, appeared before him. He took no time in explaining that the meeting had gone well; however, he was quite curious about the chestnut-haired boy he had met.

"Allen? Is something the matter?" the boy shook his head.

"No, I like Sora, I think we'll get along good, and Riku could probably keep Kanda on his toes, no problem. But...I just..." he looked down, and Komui frowned.

"I trust your instincts, Allen; if something is awry, then you need to tell me so that I can help you," he said.

"I can't quite place it, but..."

"What?" crimson and gold eyes looked to Komui.

"I've got a feeling something's coming, don't you?" the chief of the Black Order hummed and then nodded.

"Then we'll be on the lookout for whatever is lying in wait. I believe the Ark Unit can be relied upon for this mission?" Allen smirked.

"Naturally, Chief Komui...we can handle it, no problem."

{….}

When the rain falls I won't let go...

{…...}

Author's Note: There will not be a preview because the next chapter is the final one in this story. However, allow me to explain the above interaction. Yes, that is Allen Walker from -Man, and yes, he is inspired to be a bit different than the one portrayed in the anime; however, I hope you find him interesting, and no worries, he'll reappear again in other stories, as will many other characters.

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you think.