(Optional BGM: At Dusk I will think of You… - 358/2 Days OST)

"So, remind me again why you guys are all sleeping in my living room?" Sora asked as he lay on the pull-out sofa bed. He was in a white t-shirt and red boxers, although you couldn't see the boxers due to the sheets and blanket over him. Around him, Aqua, Riku, and Terra played rock-paper-scissors for the recliner, while Ven and Kairi rolled out four sleeping bags.

"You've just been through a long ordeal. Your heart and body's been through a lot lately so you need your rest. Besides, why miss an opportunity to stay in a world that's practically all beachfront for a few days?" Aqua asked as Riku rolled his eyes. Aqua was also wearing a white t-shirt with grey jogging pants.

"Ah there's the real reason." Riku groaned as he climbed into a yellow and white sleeping bag. He had on a white tank-top and black boxer shorts. Terra also wore a white tank-top but with black sweat pants with a white number one printed just over the left hip…he had won the recliner.

"It's not the only reason!" Aqua argued.

"We're all staying over so Sora isn't alone while his parents are on vacation." Kairi replied, making Terra raise an inquisitive finger.

"Wait, your parents have been on vacation this whole time so they don't even know about all that's happened?" He asked as Sora nervously tugged at the collar of his shirt.

"Well…that's kinda one of the reasons I'm not opposed to you guys staying here. It's so you can help me try and explain it to my parents." Sora said as Aqua chuckled.

"Don't worry, Sora. We'll back you up." She said but Terra raised the inquisitive finger again.

"So let me get this straight…you've been home alone for how long?" Terra asked.

"Not at all? My parents knew about the trip to the Land of Departure but they needed someone to watch the house…that's what Lightning was for." Sora said as he pointed towards the kitchen where Lightning sat with a mug of some unknown liquid substance that they were one hundred percent sure wasn't coffee. She simply had on a tan sweater with a neck that hung down off her left shoulder, revealing a black bra-strap. She also wore a pair of red flannel pajama pants.

"That…and to give me an excuse to escape from Snow and my sister's sickening lovey-dovey act for a while." Lightning replied, taking a sip from her mug.

"What is that stuff anyway?" Kairi asked as she peered over the table to look inside the mug. She wore a white nightgown that reminded everyone of Namine's dress, except it was floor length.

"That's classified." Lightning replied, taking another sip.

"Uh-huh. Speaking of classified, Sora what happened to the X-Blade fragments? Kairi said that they had been taken care of so what happened to them?" Aqua asked as Sora and Kairi exchanged knowing smiles.

"Put your hand on your chest. Ven, Riku, Terra, you guys too." Sora said as the four in question looked at each other and shrugged before putting their hands on their chests.

"Where your hands are right now, is where we hid the X-Blade fragments. We divided them up evenly between our hearts after making sure Vanitas didn't have any. The six of us hold the fragments in our hearts so if anyone tries to purge the fragments from us, they'll have a major fight on their hands." Sora explained.

"How did you keep the fragments away from Vanitas?" Ven asked. He wore almost the exact same thing as Sora except his boxers had a swirling wind pattern on them.

"For a while, Sora had control of the X-Blade and so he made sure that Vanitas was disconnected from it. He then chose to make it break up into six pieces and go to each of our hearts." Kairi explained.

"So that means…the whole fiasco with the Keyblades won't happen all over again?" Terra asked as Sora and Kairi nodded.

"Yep. Although a part of me does wish we could see them in human form again. At least one more time, perhaps." Kairi replied with a sigh. Sora silently managed to hide a knowing smile.

"Well you never know." Sora said, earning curious looks from the others.

"What does that mean?" Ven asked as Sora shrugged with an innocent smile.

"Good night." He replied before curling into the sofa-bed. The other five looked at one another wearily before shrugging and bedding down for the night. They were nearly all settled in when they heard Lightning cocking her gunblade's gun form. All eyes immediately turned towards her.

"Anyone tries anything resembling a practical joke on each other during the night. Be advised that I shoot to kill. If the joke is on me, then I'll make you all wish you had never been born." Lightning said coldly as she stood battle ready making all six of them pause in fear. After a while, all six of them were asleep. As she watched them sleep, Lightning swore she could sense a strange bond form between the six. She couldn't explain it but she figured it was something good.

In their dreams…

"Hey, how did we get here?" Ven asked as they looked around. They found themselves standing outside the castle of the Land of Departure at night albeit surrounded by a thick white mist. There appeared to be lights coming from within the castle too.

"And what's with these outfits?" Aqua asked confused. Their clothes had changed from their bedclothes, to eloquent and sophisticated outfits. Sora wore a black tuxedo suit with matching pants and a red carnation in his lapel. His tie had the emblem of his silver crown necklace stitched into it. Riku had a white silk shirt with black pants. His shirt had a ruffle at the collar and puffy sleeves. Terra wore a pinstriped jacket and pants with a tie shaped like his Keyblade. Ven wore an outfit similar to Sora only without the jacket. Kairi wore a pink ball gown and a small silver tiara with a heart shaped ruby in the center. Aqua wore a navy blue strapless dress with a split up the right side that stopped at the knees. She also wore white gloves that ran past the elbows and a beautiful necklace with three star shaped charms, blue in the center, yellow to the right, and brown to the left. She also had a pair of black knee-length heeled boots.

"No telling. So we might as well see what's going on in here." Sora said with a smile as he marched towards the front doors of the castle, earning curious looks from the others.

"Sora, do you have something to do with this?" Terra asked, causing Sora to pause.

"May-be." He replied before continuing on. As he reached the doors, they suddenly opened on their own, revealing two familiar figures.

"Welcome, Master Sora."

"Wait, Kingdom Key? Is that you?" Aqua asked surprised. The armored warrior smiled and nodded. He was in full uniform but his helmet was absent. Standing next to him was Des.

"Why yes Master Aqua. It really is us." Des replied as the others approached curiously.

"I-I don't understand. What's going on?" Kairi asked, confused.

"It was all, Master Sora's idea. While he possessed the X-Blade, he allowed us to regain our human forms for tonight so that we might be able to thank you." Light explained.

"Thank us for what?" Riku asked before Dawn landed behind him. His scars were gone and his eye patch and clawed gloves were gone too.

"To thank you for restoring us to our rightful forms. We never belonged apart from you, our chosen wielders. So please, enjoy tonight." Dawn replied as they looked at each other with smiles before shrugging and walking on inside. As they entered, they saw the entire main hall of the castle shimmered and sparkled in the light. The thrones were missing, replaced with a DJ in Organization XIII robes playing a slow dance. (Optional BGM: Eyes on Me "Instrumental" – Faye Wong, Final Fantasy VIII) Sora and Kairi spotted Roxas and Namine dancing in the center of the room. Roxas was in a white tuxedo suit and pants with a black and white checkered tie while Namine's usual white dress was long enough so it reached her ankles and she wore sky blue heels. Sora and Kairi looked at each other and shrugged before moving out onto the dance floor. Aqua and Ven watched as Light and Des joined Sora, Kairi, Roxas, and Namine on the dance floor. The two looked at each other before they shrugged and joined them as well. Riku and Terra looked at each other and walked over to the buffet where Wind stood stuffing his face. He wore a white shirt like Riku's but his pants were baggier. Ion lacked his hood and blindfold and was in a tuxedo like Sora's while Keep remained unchanged albeit sitting on his shoulders. They were still chained together. Xion was in a black reproduction of Namine's dress. Rain remained unchanged except with a glass of what appeared to be either champagne or ginger ale in hand while she stood next to Xion, watching the dancers. Terra was glancing around the room when he noticed something was missing.

"Hey, what happened to Earth Shaker?" Terra asked as Dawn swallowed a cheese cube.

"He wasn't invited. Neither was Beco or Mark." Dawn replied.

"Mark of Mastery? Why would he even be here in the first place?" Riku asked. Dawn smirked and pointed towards the DJ who pulled back his hood, revealing himself to be none other than…

"Master Eraqus?" Terra asked in awe as Riku blinked.

"That's Master Eraqus?" Riku asked as Terra nodded with a smile.

"Yeah. I keep forgetting his heart is with me now. I guess it's good to have a reminder like this now and again." Terra replied as Rain approached him.

"Um…I know this might seem a bit straight forward but…would you…like to…um…dance?" She asked nervously. Terra chuckled before setting down his plate and taking her by the hand, leading her out onto the dance floor.

"Ugh, love." Riku grumbled.

"-ach sho ba aba 'ove?" Wind asked with his mouth full.

"Say again, with your mouth empty this time." Dawn said in minor annoyance before Wind swallowed.

"I said, what's so bad about love?" Wind asked.

"Eh it just gets kinda lonely at times. No one likes being the third wheel." Riku replied, not noticing Xion spin her head around in his direction at the comment with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Mmm, sounds like you have it rough. I guess it must be hard watching your friends fall in love yet remain alone." Dawn said as Riku shrugged.

"I dunno. Sure I'll be lonely at times but hey…the right girl just hasn't come along yet. And until then…eh I guess I can put up with those two." Riku said with a smirk. Xion was now inching closer towards him.

"By the way, I know what you did." Dawn said, earning a confused look from Riku and a panicked look from Wind.

"It wasn't me I swear!" Wind said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper with his name written on it and handing it to Dawn.

"I wasn't talking about you and…what is this?" Dawn asked, looking at the paper.

"It's my autograph. That should make things right." Wind said before Dawn scowled and pulled out a pistol, holding it like a hammer before bashing him in the head and knocking him out cold before holstering the gun.

"Where was I? Oh. I meant I know what you did for Aqua and Ven. And I know what you did for Sora and Kairi before that. It was very kind of you." Dawn replied as Riku sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well…I believe in letting nature take its course and all but sometimes people just need a helping nudge…or in Sora's case, a shove, in the right direction." Riku said as Xion snuck under the buffet table so she could pounce on him from behind. Dawn then sighed.

"It seems some of your frustration has spread to me. This is starting to get old." Dawn said as he started walking around towards the DJ's stand.

"Where're you going?" Riku asked as he started following after him.

"To liven up this party." Dawn replied with a smile. Riku grinned as he followed after him, not noticing Xion pounce at where he was standing a moment ago but scowl in defeat.

"Rats." She grumbled…then she noticed the still unconscious Wind and devious smirk appeared on her face. Dawn in the meantime walked up to Eraqus and whispered something in his ear. Eraqus smiled and nodded before pressing a button, causing the music to quickly go from Faye Wong to Stevie Wonder causing the dancers to stop and direct their attention towards them. (Music Cue: True to your Heart – Disney's Mulan).

"Ladies and Gentlemen…and anything in between…" Dawn said as he looked squarely at Xion who scowled while dragging an unconscious Wind onto the dance floor.

"…this song goes to all of those with love in their hearts and is a friendly reminder from myself and Riku to always remain true to your hearts." Dawn said as he and Riku put on a pair of shades and grabbed a pair of microphones. The dancers started dancing to the music as Dawn and Riku stood shoulder to shoulder with their arms crossed as if they were the blues brothers before Dawn started singing…

"Baby, I knew at once that you were meant for me.
Deep in my soul I know that I'm your destiny.
Though you're unsure why fight the tide?
Don't think so much, let your heart decide."

Then Riku sang…

"Baby, I see your future and it's tied to mine,
I look in your eyes and see you searching for a sign.
But you'll never fall till you let go.
Don't be so scared of what you don't know."

Then they both started singing…

"True to your heart!
You must be true to your heart!
That's when the heavens will part,
and baby, shower you with my love!
Open your eyes,
your heart can tell you no lies!
And when you're true to your heart,
I know it's gonna lead you straight to me!"

"Come on, Ion, let's dance!" Keep said excitedly as she hopped up and down on Ion's shoulders.

"Alright, alright, here we go." Ion said with a brotherly smile as he set her down and they hurried to the dance floor. Sora and Kairi were dancing together along with Aqua and Ven, Light and Des, Terra and Rain, and Roxas and Namine. Xion was sort of dancing with the still unconscious Wind as Riku sang…

"Someone ya know is on your side, can set you free.
I can do that for you if you believe in me.
Why second-guess what feels so right?
Just trust your heart,
and you'll see the light."

Then Dawn sang…

"True to your heart!
You must be true to your heart!
That's when the heavens will part,
and baby, shower you with my love."

And Riku continued…

"Open your eyes!
Your heart can tell you no lies!
And when you're true to your heart,
I know it's gonna lead you straight to me!"

Then they both sang together…

"You know it's true!
Your heart knows what's good for you!
Let your heart show you the way!
You know it's true!
It'll see you through!"

"You know, Sora. This the first time we've ever danced together." Kairi said as Sora grinned with an innocent shrug.

"Well I thought we could all use a night where the whole Master and Apprentice thing didn't apply. I figured tonight would be as good as any." Sora replied as Kairi smiled and kissed him on the lips before they continued dancing while Riku sang…

"Girl, my heart is driving me to where you are.
Well you can take both hands off the wheel and still get far.
Be swept away!"

Then Dawn jumped in…

"Enjoy the ride!
You won't get lost…"

Then they both sang, pumping their fists into the air on each word…

"With your heart to guide you!"

Then Riku pulled Xion onto the stage and Dawn pulled up Rain, dancing with them as they sang …

"True to your heart!
You must be true to your heart!
That's when the heavens will part,
and baby, shower you with my love!
Open your eyes,
your heart can tell you no lies!
And when you're true to your heart,
I know it's gonna lead you straight to me!"

Eraqus put on a pair of shades as he joined in with Riku and Dawn while Terra took over the DJ role as they sang again…

"True to your heart!
You must be true to your heart!
That's when the heavens will part,
and baby, shower you with my love!
Open your eyes,
your heart can tell you no lies!
And when you're true to your heart,
I know it's gonna lead you straight to me!"

Then Riku and Dawn sang in unison as Eraqus echoed… (Note: Eraqus is in Parenthesis)

"When things are gettin' crazy, (Crazy)
and you don't know where to start. (To Start)
Keep on believin', baby! (Baby)
Just be true to your heart!
When all the worlds around you, ('round You)
seem to fall apart! (Fall Apart)
Keep on believin', baby, (Baby)
just be true to your heart!"

Then Riku and Dawn leapt down with Xion and Rain, repectively, into the group as Eraqus and Terra double teamed the DJ booth. Wind was now lying unconscious in a random corner of the room with a moustache and glasses drawn on his face in permanent marker, courtesy of Xion. In reality, the six were still snug in their beds; Riku occasionally mumbling odd statements that Lightning figured was just sleep talking.

"At least he's quieter than Snow." Lightning mumbled before she heard a thumping sound come from the roof. She looked up suspiciously as she cocked her gunblade's gun form. She ran upstairs and crawled out onto the covering over the front porch to look on the roof but saw nothing there.

"Probably just an animal." She mumbled before disappearing back into the house. As soon as she had gone back inside, a figure in a solid white version of the Organization XIII robes arose from behind the bushes in the yard across the street. The figure turned towards Sora's house where the Keyblade wielders slumbered peacefully.

"At long last, I've found you. You needn't worry, sister, your salvation is nigh." The figure said with a woman's voice towards the house before it turned away from the house with a lone yellow eye peering out from the shadows on the left side of the figure's hooded head. The figure then disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness, the peacefulness of the full moon above belying the dark clouds that were gathering beyond the horizon.

The End…

…For now.

The song above was "True to your Heart" from Disney's Mulan.

Well folks, that's it. The end of yet another Kingdom Hearts adventure and with another one in the near future. I would like to go ahead and thank you for reading this far and putting up with my occasionally infrequent updates. Hopefully you will enjoy the next story just as much, if not more than this one.

The next story will be, "Kingdom Hearts: The Forgotten Worlds." And it will be the last story in the Reconnect Kingdom Hearts trilogy.

So until next time, Keep R&Ring…

…and in the immortal words of Mickey Mouse…

"See ya real soon!"

Star Tours Traveler.