ElvenPrincess01: I can't believe…After four long years…

Riku: Four very long years…

ElvenPrincess01: Ahem! As I was saying, after four long years, Forever Destiny…is finally coming…to an end! This is the last chapter! *bursts into tears*

Riku: Okay, there's no need to be that dramatic.

ElvenPrincess01: It's just…this story was my baby. I hate to see it go.

Riku: Yeah, a baby that you left unattended for several months.

ElvenPrincess01: Anyways, I just can't believe the story is coming to an end. This four-year journey shouldn't have taken longer than a year had I updated the story on a regular weekly basis, but we won't get into that. I remember when I went on long hiatuses while working on the story I thought I wouldn't be able to finish the story before Kingdom Hearts 3 was released, but how wrong I was! The game's not coming out until January of next year!

Riku: If you had left the story unattended for that long, I would be filing an official complaint.

ElvenPrincess01: I'm going back and editing all the chapters after I post the final chapter because I went back to look at the earlier chapters recently and, I don't know if it's all the YouTube videos I watched and articles I read on how to improve your writing, but they definitely could use some work. Just FYI.

ElvenPrincess01: Moving along, I also want to say—

Ventus: Wait, this is the last chapter?

ElvenPrincess01: Uh yeah, I…I thought I told you this, Ventus.

Ventus: No way! It's the last chapter already? I wanted more screen time!

ElvenPrincess01: Ventus, you should be glad with the screen time I gave you! I didn't have to add you into the story, you know.

Ventus: For your next story, can I be the main character?

ElvenPrincess01: What?

Sora: Hey, I'm going to be the main character for the next story, not you!

ElvenPrincess01: Actually, I—

Aqua: Will you two cut it out? ElvenPrincess01 didn't even say her next story was going to be a Kingdom Hearts story.

ElvenPrincess01: Well I mean it could be, but—

Terra: I think the next story should focus on me, Aqua, and Ventus.

Aqua: Not you too.

Kairi: You know you guys all can't be the main character. It doesn't work like that.

Ventus: Easy for you to say! You've been hogging the limelight the entire time!

Kairi: It's not my fault that ElvenPrincess01 made me the main character of the story.

Namine: I think you guys need to calm down.

Sora: You can't tell us what we can and can't do!

*everyone starts arguing*

ElvenPrincess01: ENOUGH!

*everyone stops arguing*

ElvenPrincess01: I haven't even started the last chapter of this story and you guys are already trying to stake a claim in the next story! We can discuss this later, okay?

Everyone: Okay…

ElvenPrincess01: Alrighty! Without further ado, let's—

Selphie: Hey, what are you guys doing? *gasps* You guys didn't tell me you were starting the last chapter. I want to see it too!

ElvenPrincess01: Selphie? What are you doing here?

Selphie: Hey everybody! We're starting the last chapter!

Flynn Rider: You guys are starting the last chapter?

Rapunzel: Oh, I'm so excited!

ElvenPrincess01: Flynn? Rapunzel?

Demyx: I brought popcorn for us to share!

Vanitas: Is it extra butter?

Demyx: You bet!

Roxas: I brought soda.

ElvenPrincess01: ?

ElvenPrincess01: Roxas?! You're not even in the story! What are you doing here?!

Roxas: What, I can't stay?

ElvenPrincess01: Well I guess you—

Jim Hawkins: I brought the chips!

Anna: And I brought the candy!

Stitch: Aloha!

*room fills with nearly every character that appeared in the story and then some*

ElvenPrincess01: Okay, is everyone comfortable?

*everyone nods or voices their assent*

ElvenPrincess01: Then let's get this show on the road! Since it's the last chapter, I'll do my own disclaimer. *clears throat* I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or Disney. But I do own this amazing story! Let's go!

Everyone: Woo!

Sora: Wait! I need to use the bathroom real quick—

xxxxx

Previous Chapter

"You and your friends have put on one heck of a show. I only saw glimpses of the war previously because I didn't want to spoil everything for myself. Even though I can see into the future, I still like to be surprised every once in a while. I don't even know how all this is going to end."

I stare at the Master of Masters blankly. "What am I supposed to do then?"

"Hey, I said I didn't know how this war was going to end. I didn't say I wasn't going to help you."

"You're going to help me?"

"That's right! You're in luck, kid. The Master of Masters…" He pauses to make a bold and sweeping gesture with his arms. "…is going to lend you some of his knowledge."

Chapter 39: Every Ending Is A New Beginning

Master clears his throat. "Ladies!"

A moment later, a line of women standing side-by-side appear in front of Master. I recognize each one of them from Namine's memories.

Nita.

Eilowny.

Moana.

Tiana.

Anya.

Merida.

I gasp loudly. "Namine!"

She grins at me from her place at the end of the line. "Hi Kairi!"

"Sorry, but I had to separate you two when you first arrived here," Master says. "I thought she might want to reunite with her friends first."

The seven Guardians walk towards me, forming a circle with me. Namine and Nita hold out their hands for me to grab, which I do.

One by one, the Guardians start glowing brightly, until I begin glowing as well.

I gape in wonder. "What's going on?"

"We're transferring some of our light to you," Merida says. "You already have plenty since you're a Princess of Heart, but we're giving you a little extra so you can use it to revive your fallen Keyblade wielder friends."

We continue holding hands for ten more seconds, then the light slowly fades from our bodies. We release each other's hands.

"Now I can take care of your Keyblade," the Master says.

I look at him in confusion. "But I don't have my Keyblade."

Master snorts. "You know your Keyblade didn't grow wings and fly away."

"But Master Xehanort destroyed my Keyblade and Namine's with the X-Blade…"

Namine giggles. "Kairi, the X-Blade is powerful, but it's not that powerful. A Keyblade can't be destroyed, not even after its owner has died and gone."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Namine looks over at Master. "Master of Masters?"

Master snaps his fingers and Destiny's Embrace and Lunar Eclipse appear in front of me, hovering midair.

"This is the final showdown, right? It only makes sense for your weapons to get upgraded."

Master snaps his fingers twice. An obscure light forms around Lunar Eclipse and Destiny's Embrace, shielding both blades from view. The sphere slowly fades away several moments later to reveal two new Keyblades.

Namine's Keyblade still has a long, pointed shaft and it still has three spikes, but the hilt and additional detailing no longer have a delicate appearance and the wispy curls all along the Keyblade have completely disappeared. Not only that, the overall scheme has changed from silver and metallic blue to silver and gray.

I shift my attention to Destiny's Embrace.

The hilt remains the same, one half formed in the shape of a breaking ocean wave and the other half formed as a beige vine of sand that wraps around the shaft, and there's still a red silken keychain that connects the hilt to a paopu fruit token, but nearly everything has changed.

The shaft is no longer colored in a shade that resembles a sunset but is now colored bright orange and a tiny orange sun sits atop the edge of the Keyblade. A different bouquet of flowers makes up the weapon's teeth which don't intertwine to form a heart like the previous bouquet did but instead form a miniature flower crown.

"I enhanced the stats for both Keyblades. You're welcome."

I reach out with both hands to grip the handles of the Keyblades.

"Okay!" Master says. "Moving along…Namine? Did they tell you the deal?"

I look up, frowning slightly. "What deal?"

Namine smiles softly at me. "I'm…I'm moving on."

I blink dumbly at her. "What do you mean?"

"My friends told me I could move on to the Forever Realm, a world where Guardians of Kingdom Hearts go after they die. They said it's a paradise, even better than Nova Dawn, and it's kind of like a reward for upholding our duties to protect the X-Blade at all costs. I was supposed to go there when I died, but I guess I was stuck in limbo for a while. I guess my soul still had unfinished business to take care of. I needed to be there with you to help you with the Treacherous Traitor."

"You're…leaving?" I say dumbly.

Namine grins. "Don't worry, Kairi, I'm not leaving right this second. I said I wanted to stay with you just a little longer, long enough to see the Keyblade War end and the Treacherous Traitor get his comeuppance. I said I wanted a front-row seat."

"Well, if that's the case, I can send the others on ahead and stick around here until you're ready to go," Master says. "There's no rush…Well, there is a little rush since it's kind of forbidden to transport six former Guardians living in the Forever Realm outside the world, but I don't want to ruin any touching moments."

Namine reaches out a hand to me and I grasp it in my own. A bright light engulfs her and I and she disappears moments later in a flash of light.

Alright! I'm back in action, she says.

"Okay!" Master claps his hands together. "Now you're ready."

I gawk. "What?!"

"Good luck, Kairi!" Eilowny says.

"Make sure to give Hano a good pounding!" Tiana says.

"You can do it!" Moana says.

"We'll be cheering you on!" Anya says.

"Believe in yourself!" Nita says.

"And don't give up!" Merida says.

"Wait, but I don't know what I'm doing! I'm not ready! How do I defeat Master Xehanort? You need to tell me!"

"Hey, like I said, I have no idea how this battle is going to end," Master says. "You'll have to figure out the way to victory yourself."

My Dive to the Heart slowly fills with light.

"Don't forget, Kairi. You're a Princess of Heart. Your heart is the mightiest weapon of them all. But since you're such a good student, I'll let you in on a few secrets…"

xxxxx

My eyes flash open.

Master Xehanort takes a step backwards in shock, gaping down at me.

"What…What's going on? Why are you glowing like that?"

It's true. My skin is glowing, like literally glowing. A haze of brilliant white light surrounds my figure.

Namine?

I think it might be an effect of the light me and the other Guardians transferred to you.

I rise to my feet and stare Master Xehanort down. "Scared yet?"

"Scared?" He snorts, but I can detect a hint of fear hidden in his eyes. He takes a few more steps backwards. "What can you hope to do against me now? What can you hope to do against the darkness that's going to overwhelm the worlds? What can one mere Princess do? Especially one who doesn't have a Keyblade anymore."

"That's where you wrong. I'm not just one Princess." I place a hand over my heart. "I have the powers of seven Princesses of Hearts inside me. Along with these."

I hold out both of my hands, summoning Lunar Eclipse and Destiny's Embrace to either hand.

"What?!" Master Xehanort exclaims, staggering back a step in utter disbelief. "That's…That's impossible! I used the X-Blade to destroy those blades! Why do you have them?!"

"The X-Blade's powerful, but it's not powerful enough to destroy a Keyblade." I give each Keyblade a flourish. "Especially not the Keyblades of two Princesses of Heart. And I'm not alone. I still have my friends."

"Your friends are unconscious."

"Not for long."

I de-materialize the Keyblades and fly into the air, hovering over the battlefield as I gather light in my fingertips, causing Master Xehanort's eyes to widen.

A few moments later, I fly over the area sprinkling healing light onto the others down below. They come to almost immediately.

"Whoa, what happened?" Sora asks as he sits up.

"Kairi?" Terra asks in confusion when he sees me.

Master Xehanort stares at me like he's watching a horror movie. "How did you do that?! You shouldn't have been able to heal them all at once like that!"

I drop down to rest my feet on the ground. "Like I said, I have the power of seven Princesses of Heart inside of me."

"Did she just say seven Princesses of Heart?" I hear Ventus ask Terra.

"Wait a minute. If you were able to perform such a high-level Cure on them, then that means you should have used up all of your magic power temporarily." Master Xehanort smirks. "Which means I can—"

"Blinding Light," I murmur as I point Destiny's Embrace at Master Xehanort.

A beam of light exits the tip of the Keyblade and splits into two before striking each one of his eyeballs.

He instantly falls to his knees, crying out in pain and clutching at his eyes.

"I can't see!" He hollers. "I can't see! What did you do to me?!"

"Blinding Light. It's a magic spell a friend taught me." Thank goodness for the Master of Masters…

No kidding, Namine replies.

Turning my attention away from Master Xehanort, I look over at the others. "Quick, get over here, guys! We don't have much time before the spell wears off! I have a plan."

"What do you need us to do?" Aqua asks as she runs over with the others.

"I need you guys to stand in a line with me and gather light energy in the tips of your Keyblades. We're going to form a massive ball of energy together."

The King nods his head once. "Right!"

The seven of us stand closely in a line and point our Keyblades towards each other's. Eight beams of light (two from me thanks to having two Keyblades) stream out of our Keyblades and form a sphere of light that grows bigger with each second.

It's not just the power of Namine's former teammates that's flowing through me.

It's also the power of every single person that's here in Nova Dawn fighting and every single person who couldn't be here but is still supporting us nonetheless.

They're the ones who are supplying my true power.

The true power of my heart.

My friends are my power! Sora once said.

"Everybody, take cover!" I shout.

Everyone dives to the side as I lift the massive ball of light energy into the air high above our heads, which continues to grow to an incredible size.

"Whoa," I hear Sora and Ventus breathe.

Master Xehanort suddenly stops shrieking in pain and rolling around on the ground. Growling, he gets to his feet, his furious expression instantly transforming into a face of fear when he sees what I'm doing.

"This, Master Xehanort, is what a mere Princess can do."

And I lob the swirling ball of energy right at him.

xxxxx

"Namine!" Tiana shouted, her eyes filled with worry. "Namine, can you hear me?!"

Namine coughed once, her eyes still closed. "Yeah, I can hear you," she said weakly.

"Quick!" Tiana looked around at her fellow Guardians in distress. "We need to cast Cure on her!"

"Merida and I already tried!" Moana cried. "The damage from the blow Hano dealt her with the X-Blade was too great! Potions aren't helping either!"

"Well there has to be something we can do! I'm not going to just stand by and watch our friend die!"

Namine coughed again. This time her eyelids fluttered open.

The Guardians gasped, crowding around her. "Namine!"

"It's…okay, guys." Namine coughed again. "We stopped…Hano and closed…Kingdom Hearts up." She coughed again. "That's all that matters…"

Eilowny shook her head, tears spilling out of her eyes. "No…No, this can't be happening. You can't die. You just can't."

Namine smiled softly at her teammate. At 12 years old, Eilowny was the youngest Guardian, not only in the current generation of Guardians but in all of history. She was a prodigy with the Keyblade, and she shone with wisdom beyond her years, primary reasons for why she was named a Guardian. Sometimes Namine forgot she was merely a child compared to the rest of them—Merida, Moana, and Nita being 16, Namine being 17, Anya being 18, and Tiana the oldest at 19.

But now she was clutching onto Anya's shirt and crying like a child who had lost sight of their mother.

"You guys…will be fine…without me. You…" Namine coughed. "You have the...X-Blade now…And you need…to continue…protecting it…I need you…to bury it…in my grave…in the cave in the world of Cocoon…where we found that…treasure chest full of treasure…"

Namine coughed wildly this time.

"Namine!"

"I know…you guys won't…let me down…Don't let what…happened to our world…happen to any others…Okay?"

The Guardians nodded their heads, tears streaming down their faces. "Okay."

Namine closed her eyes, a small smile on her face. "One day…I shall see you all again…"

xxxxx

An explosion of light blankets the entire area in white, forcing me to shield my eyes with my arm.

Master Xehanort is shouting at the top of his lungs.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

His shouting fades away several seconds later, but the light enveloping everything doesn't start fading until nearly half a minute later.

Once it finally disappears almost a full minute later, I remove my arm and slowly open my eyes.

The X-Blade is lying on the ground.

Master Xehanort is nowhere to be seen.

Wait, where's Master Xehanort?

I…I think you incinerated him, Namine says in disbelief.

Really?

That ball of light must have been so powerful it destroyed him on the spot.

So…

We've won. For real this time.

I never heaved a greater sigh of relief in my entire life.

Oh wait, the X-Blade!

I run over to the X-Blade and pick up the legendary weapon in my hands.

Time to fix this mess.

I point the X-Blade up at the sky, towards the dark version of Kingdom Hearts.

The tip of the blade emits a single beam of light that strikes the center of Kingdom Hearts. It takes several moments, but eventually the pitch-black darkness emanating from Kingdom Hearts steadily turns into brilliant light. The Heartless that had just come out of the giant heart are obliterated immediately.

It may be nighttime, but thanks to Kingdom Hearts, things couldn't be any brighter than they are now.

I hear cheering from down below on the other battlefield. Which can only mean one thing.

All the Heartless in Nova Dawn have been vanquished.

"We did it!" The King grins, nearly jumping up in the air. "We beat Master Xehanort!"

Terra lets out a deep sigh as he puts away his Keyblade Armor. Aqua and Ventus follow his stead. "Man, that was one tough battle."

"Tell me about it," Ventus agrees.

"Master Xehanort was destroyed?" Riku asks.

"It seems that way," Aqua replies.

"Hey, Kairi, what happened to your Keyblade?" Sora asks.

"Huh?" I glance downwards at Destiny's Embrace. "Oh, you're talking about the upgrade."

"Upgrade? When did you get an upgrade?"

"The Master of Masters upgraded my Keyblade."

The question marks are almost visible over Sora's head. "Who's the Master of Masters?"

I chuckle. "I'll explain later."

"What are you going to name it?"

"Name it?"

"Yeah, name it. It's practically a brand-new Keyblade." Sora places his hands behind his head. "What are you going to call it?"

"Huh. I never thought about that…Let's see…What to call it…" I stare down at my new Keyblade, turning it over a few times. The answer comes to me several seconds later. "Oh!"

"You got something?"

"Yeah, I got the perfect name," I grin.

I hold up my new Keyblade.

"Forever Destiny."

xxxxx

"Kairi!"

Yuna and Rikku waste no time in enveloping me in a tight embrace.

I giggle, already used to their near bone-crunching hugs by now. Paine stands back, a small smile on her face.

Everyone is whooping and hollering for joy, hugs and smiles abound. Genie is flying around, shooting off fireworks.

"Yes!" Demyx pumps a fist into the air. "I didn't die or get hurt!"

"Celebration at the palace!" Jasmine calls out. "Everyone is invited!"

"Call out for some egg rolls!" Mushu says.

I frown when I notice something off.

"Wait, where are Master Xehanort's lackeys?"

"They escaped," Paine says.

"Escaped? How?"

"When you used the X-Blade to make that giant floating heart in the sky shine down light and destroy the Heartless, they escaped through swirling portals of darkness."

"Sorry we couldn't stop them," Rikku frowns apologetically.

"It's fine," I smile at her. "I don't think they'll be much of a threat now. We have the X-Blade now…Speaking of which, there's something I need to take care of."

I pull out the X-Blade.

Ready, Namine?

Ready!

I point the X-Blade up towards the sky before reciting the words the Master of Masters taught me earlier.

"Reverse the time. Reverse the past. Restore this world and make it fast."

Almost immediately, trees start growing out of the barren ground, along with towering mountains, as far as the eye can see. In just a matter of a seconds Nova Dawn is transformed from a desolate site into a picturesque landscape, complete with lush greenery, sparkling waterfalls, and breathtaking mountains, just like Namine described.

Slowly, the curtain of the night sky is pulled back to reveal a bright, sunny sky with puffy, white clouds.

Everyone buzzes excitedly at the world's transformation.

Nova Dawn is back to its former glory.

"Whoa!" Rikku exclaims, her eyes lighting up elatedly. "This place is awesome!"

She runs off with Yuna to explore, Paine shaking her head behind them as she follows them leisurely.

What do you think, Namine?

It…Her voice cracks. It looks beautiful...Thank you, Kairi. Thank you so much for this.

It was nothing. Radiant Garden is next.

Even though I know I can't stay here, it feels good to see Nova Dawn like I remembered just once. Now I'll have no regrets when I go back.

Namine switches places with me.

"Sora, Riku, Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Mickey, Namine speaking, if you couldn't already tell. I'm afraid this is where I must part with you."

Everyone looks shocked to say the least. "You're leaving?" Sora asks.

Namine nods her head. "I'm moving on to the Forever Realm, the world where former Guardians of Kingdom Hearts go to after they die. The Treacherous Traitor has been defeated. The X-Blade is safe. I think it's about time that I rejoin my former teammates."

Namine gives them a deep bow. "Thank you so much for your help. I will never forget you or what've you done to defeat the Treacherous Traitor and ensure the worlds were kept safe."

"Well, gosh," the King smiles, "we should be the ones thanking you, Namine. We wouldn't have been able to do any of this if you hadn't been helpin' Kairi out. The worlds are safe thanks to you."

Namine smiles back. "You're too kind. I just need to say something to Kairi in private and then I'll be off."

Everyone says goodbye to Namine and wishes her a safe journey to the Forever Realm. Leaving the group behind, she walks over to stand beneath a shimmering waterfall. She takes a seat on the ground and switches places with me.

I close my eyes and promptly sink into my Dive to the Heart.

"You're back!" The Master of Masters says when he sees Namine and me. "Are you ready to go, Namine?"

"Just a second." Namine turns towards me.

"Kairi, I just want to say that I—"

I don't give her a chance to finish. I lunge forward and engulf her in a hug.

"Thanks," I say quietly. I fight back tears that are threatening to escape my eyes. My throat feels hot, which usually happens before I start crying. "I couldn't have done it without you…"

Namine reciprocates the hug, embracing me tightly in her arms. The action only makes more tears spring into my eyes.

"Don't cry," she says, her voice sounding sorrowful. "You're going to make me cry."

She stands back to look at me. Her eyes shine with unshed tears.

"I have a gift for you," she says.

"A gift?"

Namine holds out a hand in front of her and summons her Keyblade.

I gasp a little, staring down at the Keyblade for a second before looking up to meet Namine's eyes.

"You're giving me your Keyblade?"

"You earned it. Here, take it."

I tenderly take the Keyblade from Namine's possession.

"Since it's a new Keyblade, I think it deserves a new name, wouldn't you say?" Namine says. "What are you going to call it?"

"Hmm…" I turn the Keyblade over once. "If the original name was Lunar Eclipse…how about Total Eclipse?"

Namine grins widely. "That's a great name! Total Eclipse. I like that. Since you're officially a wielder of my Keyblade and not acting through my spirit, going into Divine Mode shouldn't be a problem for you."

My mouth falls open. "You're also giving me Divine Mode?"

"I won't have any need for it where I'm going," Namine chuckles. "Think of Total Eclipse and Divine Mode as tokens of my gratitude for everything you've done and as parting gifts, so you won't ever forget me."

I de-materialize Total Eclipse and stare deeply into Namine's eyes. "I don't think I could ever forget you."

A lone tear escapes Namine's eye. "And I you," she says softly. She wipes away the tear from her cheek with the back of the hand.

"I know I haven't known for you very long, but I don't need to to know you're an excellent Keyblade wielder. I am very proud to have you as my reincarnation. The student has surpassed the teacher."

"What?! Are you crazy? There's no way that I—"

"You did what I couldn't: You beat the Treacherous Traitor. And for that, I am eternally gratefully." Tears spill out of both of Namine's eyes. "There's no one else that I would rather have as my reincarnation."

I feel a strange wetness on my cheeks and it takes me a second to realize that I'm crying as well. My vision clouds with tears, forcing me to wipe them away.

"Will I ever see you again?"

Namine looks over at the Master.

"I'm afraid not," he says. "I said before that transporting six former Guardians out of the Forever Realm is forbidden. Kingdom Hearts wasn't very happy when I did it to bring back Namine's former teammates."

My jaw drops in shock. "Wait a minute, Kingdom Hearts is sentient? It can get angry?"

"Of course it can get angry! It has feelings too you know!"

"But…" My head is spinning at the revelation. "What is Kingdom Hearts? How did it get here? What is the X-Blade? And how did it get here? Who are you really?"

Master laughs. "More good questions! But I'm afraid we would be here for a very long time if I were to answer all of them, and we don't have the time for that. Namine has to go home to the Forever Realm, and once she crosses to the other side, she won't be able to come back."

"Oh…" I say softly, staring dejectedly down at the ground.

Master sighs a few seconds later. "But I suppose once you and the friends you fought with against Xehanort die, I could ensure all seven of you safe passage to the Forever Realm."

My head snaps up in an instant. "Really?"

"Guardians of Kingdom Hearts come in sets of seven and it was seven people who combined their light energy in that final attack, so I guess I could consider you guys Guardians of Kingdom Hearts."

Namine turns to look at me with a bright smile on her face. She takes her hands in mine. "So it's not a goodbye."

I grin back. "It's a see you later."

Namine's face drops ever so slightly. "I'm still going to miss you though."

"I'm going to miss you as well."

The Master of Masters snaps his fingers, summoning a large, ornate door next to him decorated with all kinds of fancy symbols. The double doors swing open, letting in a blinding light.

"I'm ready to go when you are, Namine," he says. "Farewell, Kairi," he adds with a wave of his hand. He crosses over the threshold, disappearing into the brilliant light.

Slowly, very slowly, Namine and I walk hand in hand over to the double doors, which beckon her home.

Once we reach the exit, she engulfs me in another hug.

After several long moments, we pull apart. Namine takes a deep breath before she steps towards the doors. She turns around to look at me.

"Thank you again, Kairi. I wish you all the happiness in the world from here on out. I bid you farewell until we see each other again."

She turns back around and crosses over the threshold into the Forever Realm, disappearing into the light.

The doors swing close and vanish.

xxxxx

Two Weeks Later

Clank! "Good!" "Clank! "Good!" Clank!" Awesome!"

I swing my Keyblade at Xion, and she uses her own to block my attack.

I grin at her. "Nice!"

She grins back.

"Kairi, when are you going to teach me how to use magic?"

"Soon," I say. "You'll have to be patient. We have to get your swordplay skills up before I can start teaching you magic spells."

"Okay…" Xion blocks another one of my attacks. "Ooh, can I get one of those special forms you, Sora, and Riku have?"

I give her a look. "Nice try, but no. You'll have to pass your Mark of Mastery exam first. And that won't be happening for a very long time from now."

"Okay…" Xion parries another attack. "Ooh, can I get that armor Terra, Aqua, and Ventus wear?"

"I'm…not even sure where they got their Keyblade Armor. Maybe it was a gift from their Master? I need to ask them about it…But still, no."

"Okay…" Xion counters another attack. "Ooh, can I fly a Gummi ship?"

"You're way too young to fly a Gummi ship!"

"Oh, come on!" Xion nearly stamps her foot. "I'm already twelve years old!"

"You're still too young."

Xion sighs, her bottom lip jutting out. "Okay…"

The front door to the Mysterious Tower opens and Sora steps out.

"Hey Xion!" He sends her a wave.

"Hi Sora!" She waves back.

He bounces down the steps and strides over to me with a grin.

"Hi Kairi."

I grin back at him. "Hi Sora."

I lean over to give him a kiss.

"Ew!" I look over at Xion, whose face is scrunched in disgust. "Gross!" Sora and I both laugh.

"I was wondering if the two of us could go into Twilight Town for some ice cream," Sora says.

I cross my arms over my chest and raise an eyebrow. "Do you not see me in the middle of a lesson?"

"It's fine, Kairi," Xion says, dematerializing her Keyblade. "You guys can go on your date. I don't mind."

I uncross my arms. "You sure?"

Xion nods her head.

"Hmm…Alright. While I'm gone, I want you to continue reading chapter two in the Complete Keyblade Wielder's Guide, okay?"

Xion gives me a salute. "Yes ma'am!"

Seconds later, thanks to Sora's Star Shard, he and I are standing in the middle of Twilight Town.

"You sure you don't want anything other than sea-salt ice cream?" I ask him as we get in line at the ice cream shop. Several people are ahead of us. "There are other things to eat here besides sea-salt ice cream."

"No way! You can never have enough sea-salt ice cream! I'll never get tired of it."

I chuckle at him. "If you say so."

"You can go on ahead and wait for me on the clock tower."

"Okay."

I leave Sora at the ice-cream shop and continue down the long, winding, steeply-sloped road that is Market Street.

Once I reach Station Heights, I stop when I see a very familiar person leaning against the side of a building.

He turns his head towards me and pushes himself off the wall.

"Hey there, Red."

I blink once. "Vanitas?" I snap myself out of my daze and summon my Keyblade.

"Relax, Red," Vanitas says as he puts up a hand. "I don't want to fight you."

I look at him skeptically. "You don't want to fight me?"

"Nah, I'm just here sightseeing. What, is that a crime?"

He doesn't look like he's lying. Do I really have a reason to trust him?

I put away my Keyblade and slowly relax my guard.

"What have you been up to?" He asks.

"Uh…" I pause, thrown off a little by that super-casual question. Weren't we just fighting on opposite sides of the Keyblade War two weeks ago? "Nothing much…" I'm not sure how to answer that question. I tilt my head in confusion. "You're being very nonchalant."

"Am I?"

"What have you been up to?"

"Since Master Xehanort is no more, I've just been aimlessly traveling around the worlds, taking in the sights. You won't have to worry about me causing too much trouble. I can't say the same for the others though. I haven't been in contact with them since Master Xehanort kicked the bucket. I wasn't particularly close with any of them so it's not like I need to keep in touch."

I eye him skeptically again. "Sightseeing is a pretty big jump from world domination."

"World domination was never my thing. That was Master Xehanort's thing. I just followed him because he gave me a purpose in life, something to do. For too long I spent my life with no motive or goal in life. Master Xehanort gave me a motive. And while I didn't care too much about world domination, I liked getting to do something that felt…purposeful." He gives a little sigh. "Now that he's gone, I don't know what I want to do with my life anymore."

"You could always try being a good guy," I suggest.

"Are you kidding me? Me? A good guy?" Vanitas laughs. "Sorry, Red, but you're the one with the heart of pure light, not me."

"Have you ever tried being a good guy?"

"Once. Didn't like it. The dark side is much more fun to be on."

"So I do need to keep an eye on you…"

"Seriously, Red. You won't have to worry about me. I'm not after the X-Blade, wherever you guys hid it. I'm done with all that."

I stare at him, not sure if I can believe what I'm hearing.

"What? What is it?" He asks.

"I didn't realize it until now, but…you're not half as bad as you make yourself out to be." I smile at him. "Are you sure you don't want to join the good side? You could always try again."

"No chance, Red. That's not my thing. Thanks for the offer though. I appreciate it."

He summons a Corridor of Darkness behind him.

"I may have let you go this time, Red, but next time we meet, you won't be so lucky. I got a good look at that special all-white form of yours you were in when you fought the old man. And I'm itching to have a crack at it soon."

"Yeah? Well you're going to have to wait a while. My boyfriend and I are—"

"Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend?" Vanitas clutches his chest. "You're…You're cheating on me, Red?"

I roll my eyes. "Will you give it a rest already? You and I aren't going out!"

"Not yet we aren't. Sooner or later, you'll grow tired of this loser you're dating, and you'll come back to me. And you'll realize that the dark side is where all the cool guys hang."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes again. "You should go now. Before my boyfriend sees you."

"Boyfriend." Vanitas makes a noise of disgust. "…Is it anyone I know?"

"Goodbye, Vanitas."

"Hmph. Well, I guess I'll see you around…Kairi."

Well that's surprising. "You called me by my real name."

"It's a one-time thing. I'm going back to calling you Red the next time we meet. I'll look forward to fighting you in the near future."

He steps backwards into the Corridor.

"Later," he says with a two-fingered salute, and he disappears into the darkness.

xxxxx

"You think it was a good idea to hide the X-Blade in the Mysterious Tower?" I ask Sora.

"Where else could we hide it? The Mysterious Tower isn't an easy place to get to, plus it'll be under our constant vigilance. The vault is impenetrable, and it was designed so that only you, me, the King, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus could open it." He licks at his ice cream. "Trust me, we won't have to worry about anyone getting their hands on it."

"You're right." I lick at my ice cream. "I wonder what the rest of Master Xehanort's lackeys are doing now."

Sora shrugs his shoulders. "Who knows? But if they ever start wreaking havoc again, I'll take care of them."

I place my hand over his. "We both will."

He turns his head to look at me. I look back at him.

He closes his eyes and slowly leans closer towards me. I close my eyes.

Right when I feel Sora's breath on my lips, someone claps me on my back.

My eyes flash open and I turn my head to gaze up at a grinning Terra.

"Hey guys, what's up? Was I interrupting something?"

I force a smile. "No, of course not." Yes, yes you were.

Sora does nothing to hide the displeasure etched on his face.

"Ew, were they making out?" I look over to see Ventus striding over, followed by Aqua and Riku.

Did everyone decide to come here? I ask myself glumly. Can't Sora and I get a little alone time?

"Nah, they weren't," Terra replies as he stands up. There's a wicked grin on his face. "They were about to though."

I can feel my face heat up at Terra's accusation. I cough once. "What are you guys doing here?"

"The four of us just got back from San Fransoyko," Aqua says. "It's a new world we discovered."

"New world?" Sora looks around the group with a mask of betrayal on his face. "You guys didn't tell me you were exploring for new worlds!"

"We figured the two of you might want some alone time," Riku says.

Sora huffs. "Well you certainly aren't giving us any now."

Everyone (besides Sora) laughs, and Riku, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus move to sit next to Sora and me atop the clock tower.

"Seriously, who invited you guys?!"

xxxxx

"It feels great to be back home," Sora says.

"Uh-huh," I say.

"You said it," Riku says.

We sit in silence as we stare out at the beautiful afternoon sky of Destiny Islands. Seagulls caw in the distance.

"I was thinking about retaking the Mark of Mastery exam," I declare.

Sora and Riku's eyes flash towards me

"You're what?" Riku asks, frowning in confusion.

I look down at the ground, kicking my legs out from where we're sitting on the palm tree branch, our usual spot.

"You guys don't know this, but I kind of cheated in the exam. Namine helped me defeat Clone-Me. And while it's possible I may have been able to pass the exam by myself, I just want to be sure. I want to do this for myself. For my own personal achievement. I have all my memories back so I think I can do it."

"Then I say go for it!" Sora grins at me.

"Really?"

"You said it yourself, you want to do it for your own personal achievement. I know you're going to pass it. You defeated Master Xehanort. Passing that Mark of Mastery exam will be a piece of cake for you!"

"Thanks, Sora." I smile at him before turning my attention back to the horizon.

"I'm really glad I have you guys by my side," I say. "I'm not afraid of anything as long as you two are with me."

Riku smiles at me and Sora holds my hand, interlocking our fingers.

"We're glad we have you by our side."

"Sora! Riku! Kairi!"

The three of us turn around to see Selphie waving at us from across the beach.

"You guys want to go the island?"

The three of us share a look that says why not?

"Yeah, we're in!" I call back.

"Awesome! Let's go!"

The three of us hop off the palm tree branch and walk towards Selphie, Sora keeping his hand in mine.

As we walk up the beach, I look up towards the sky.

Namine…Whatever you're doing, I hope you're happy…I'll see you soon. I smile to myself.

"Tidus and Wakka would probably want to come too so we should probably go to their houses and get them," Selphie says when we reach her. "Since you guys are coming, we can play Blitzball. 3 on 3? The three of you versus the three of us?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Sora exclaims. "Bring it on!"

The four of us talk happily among ourselves as we head into the village.

Everything is as it should be.

Everything is wonderful.

xxxxx

ElvenPrincess01: And cut! That's a wrap! Thanks everyone! Thank you to everyone who left a review, who subscribed to my story, who favorited my story, and everyone who even bothered clicking on this story! I cannot thank you enough for your support!

ElvenPrincess01: I want to give a special shout-out to the person who left me a review on chapter 23 asking if I was dead because they wanted to the story to be continued lol. It was because of you that I got this far because I literally was this close to just abandoning the story all together.

Riku: Yes, thank you to that reader…

ElvenPrincess01: It's the last chapter, Riku, can't you at least say something nice to me?

Riku: Okay, fine. I really enjoyed reading your story ElvenPrincess01 and I look forward to reading future stories from you regardless of the genre.

ElvenPrincess01: Thank you, Riku.

Riku: As long as you update them on a regular schedule.

ElvenPrincess01: …

ElvenPrincess01: Moving along, I'm…I'm…I'm not sure how to end this little author's note…Uh…May your heart be your guiding key!

Sora: Support me as the next MC for ElvenPrincess01's next story!

ElvenPrincess01: Sora—

Ventus: No, it's going to be me!

Roxas: Hey, I didn't even appear in the story at all! I think it should be me next.

ElvenPrincess01: THANKS FOR READING, EVERYONE! I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT, TRULY! SAY THANK YOU, EVERYONE

Every character that appeared in the story: Thank you!

ElvenPrincess01: This is ElvenPrincess01 signing off! Goodbye!

xxxx