Author's Note: I do not own Code Lyoko nor Kingdom Hearts, etc.

Epilogue – Shadows Fade

Andurith walks into his personal chambers, he sat in his chair and leaned back. Once relaxed, he placed his elbows on the desk and put his hands together, entering a state of contemplation. Picking his words carefully, he pressed a few buttons on the desk's panel and a projection sphere emitted above it.

"Cultists' Log entry number 3613. My plan to forge the perfect Dark Crystal has failed. The plan involving two torn lovers: One filled with anger and the other filled with fear, the two darkest emotions was be the means to forge such a powerful energy source. If I had the crystal, the Darklings would be no match for us, but sadly that won't be the case at the moment."

He sighed before continuing, "The battle between us and the Darklings was a victory for our cause, but they did not die. Darklings can only be slain in the Dark World where their native energies lay. We await a time when we are ready to battle the Darkling General at their full might. Unfortunately that day is nowhere near."

In the Dark Palace, Undying Soldier sat on the bed in the place that was Ulrich's room. He held Hertamer in his hands and stroke the blade softly. He was trying to hold back tears, which was proving to be a losing battle.

He thought, "How long has it been since I became a Darkling General? Decades? Centuries? Millennia? I truly cannot remember."

Pausing to sigh, then he continued to stroke his blade, "They told me of the battle that led to my creations. For the countless years since the Darkling Generals gained Darkmancer as our leader, we have wrecked havoc on the innumerable worlds of the universe. Humans were by far the strongest for they were the first race to take arms against us."

The door swayed and Undying Soldier looked to see Darkmancer creaking it open, "Everything all right, Undying?"

"Yes, it is. Why have you come?"

"The Memory Binding Ritual, remember? I can perform it for you since your 'past' memories have appeared again."

He looked to his blade and back to his master, "There is no need, master, the memories have subsided, the ritual is not necessary."

"Well if you say so, dinner will be served shortly."

"Understood, Darkmancer."

With a small smile, the leader of the Darklings closed the door and walked away.

Undying Soldier breathed a sigh of relief and resumed his thought, "Once the hundred knights were slaughtered, the Generals decided that Humans were too much of a menace and so used their magics to fuse the bodies and spirit remnants to form me. Still…"

He closed his eyes, flashes of small memories came to him. These memories showed him beautiful women and young children reaching out for him. Those people were the wives and children of those who were used as components in the ritual to make him.

Opening his eyes, the memories stopped coming, his tears began to shed, "These memories I once hated, then feared, but after meeting Ulrich, I understood a very small fragment of what it meant to be a father. I can't ever see him again for his darkness is gone and Darkmancer has forbidden us from interfering with their world. Good luck with your life, Ulrich Stern."

His tears fell from his cheeks and tinged off his blade.

"Master…Master, are you there?" He heard a female voice inside his head.

"Hertamer…I can hear you." He thought, then he remembered.

Dracmatu laughed, "It is quite simple, really…all blades can speak, you just need to open your heart and let her voice flow in."

"My heart…I feel it…beating." Undying Soldier smiled as he was finally at peace.

"Sora, the downfall of my plan, is a defender of the light and wields one of the strongest weapons I've ever seen. This…Keyblade destroyed an object of pure darkness for it is a weapon of pure light. My Cultists and I shall be keeping an eye on him, but for the time being, he is not our highest priority."

"The Darkling Generals remain our greatest foe, but should that Sora interfere with my plans again, there will be much to pay. But for now, we will let him be and enjoy this small victory in the name of the light. However, there will soon be a day where we will get our revenge."

Sora walked in the breeze as sunlight bathed him. This was the same path he took to the small hut on the island where their adventures began a few years ago.

"Nothing has changed. For as long as I remember, the trees swayed in the wind and the waves crash to the shore. There has only been one thing that has changed."

"Sora!" Kairi shouted and waved to him.

Sora smiled and walked over, "I'm glad to see you again, Sora. Twice in a single year is breaking the record. To think I used to see you everyday."

He laughed, "Yeah, but the Keyblade changed all that."

"Well, yes and no."

Sora raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"

Kairi giggled and brushed her hair, "Yes, your responsibilities of being the wielder of the Keyblade means you will be fighting a lot, but it was you that chose to stay away from here…and from me."

"Kairi…I…" He held one of her hands, "…I want us…to be together. But the darkness is strong and everywhere in the universe, if I don't fight them, then who will?"

"Sora, the worlds were getting by just fine before you wielded the Keyblade and they'll be fine if you were to come back here even for a day."

He smiled, "Kairi, you always know what to say."

"It's a gift, like I know what to say to you right now." She moved closer and put her arms on his shoulders.

"I think I have a really good idea." Sora's smile widened as he drew himself closer.

They kissed and the world seemed to spin around them as for this brief moment, they shared something truly special, more special than the light. When they pulled away, they looked at each other in a new way.

"Wow, Sora, that was amazing."

"Yes, it was, Kairi."

"Sora?"

"Yes, Kairi?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

They brought themselves in for another kiss as the world seemed to spin once more.

"Yumi and Ulrich were taken by Sora into the mysterious dome of light. I don't know what happened to them or the hero, but the one thing I am sure of is that dome was their escape and since my plan has failed, the need for the two teenagers has been cancelled and no pursuit will be authorized."

"As for my own men, Hereo remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the infirmary and is being tended to by Domkien who says he'll make a full recovery. I am truly proud of him, but I am disappointed in another. Dissector has been going on a tangent since Yumi escaped. I ordered Domkien to wipe all memory from him of Yumi and Ulrich, which has been done and Dissector is put back on the Active Roster. Entry Concluded."

Andurith stood up and walked to his bed. After all the events that had transpired over the past couple of days, this Head Cultist needed his rest.

Jeremy was walking through the park as he had just returned from the lab, there was no activity around the two active towers and no new attacks as of yet…which was very strange for XANA has been too quiet lately.

As he approached the gate of the school, Aelita and Odd ran over to him.

Aelita hugged Jeremy, "Jeremy, you're not going to believe this!"

"What? What's going on?"

"Einstein, prepare for your mind to explode."

Aelita grabbed Jeremy's hand and the three ran toward the school. Jeremy was confused at the happiness that his two friends were showing, that was until he saw what they wanted him to. Yumi and Ulrich were asleep, sitting up on the bench as they leaned on each other.

"How did they? I mean…did you talk to them?"

"They were conscious for a little while and told us they had no idea what happened to them. All they could remember was going through a return trip and nothing for the past couple of days."

"Then they fell asleep, they must've been exhausted."

"They were, but we shouldn't wake them."

"What do you mean not? Students will be waking up soon."

"Jeremy, It's Sunday, everyone will be sleeping in and besides, we have to deactivate that one tower for the Yumi clone and a certain Mister Stern needs to place another call, don't you think?" She gestured her hand as if it were a phone and winked at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, you're right, Aelita…as always. We'll wake them up after we are finished at the lab."

They walked away, but Aelita turned her head back to the sleeping couple, "Glad to have you back, you two."

"What did you say, Aelita?"

"Oh, nothing, Jeremy. But shouldn't we fill them in on what has happened while they were gone?"

"Maybe, it's better that they not know. After all, they have enough to deal with already."

As they pulled out of sight, Yumi leaned her head in the crook of her boyfriend's neck, "Ulrich…" She strained to speak.

"Yes, Yumi?" So, did he.

"It's good to be home."

"Indeed, but don't you think we should tell them the truth?"

"Maybe, it's better that they not know. After all, they have enough to deal with already."

"Yeah, besides they'd never believe it anyway. Darklings, Cultists, and being on other worlds. It is too much for them."

"Perhaps…" Yumi yawned, "…but all I care about is sleeping…with you at my side."

"I agree with you on that, hands down. Sleep is good."

She smiled and gave him a small peck on the cheek, "My samurai…"

He returned the favor, "My geisha…"

They both slept on the bench, having experienced an adventure that was beyond their world, but they were still part of another adventure, one they will deal with together…when they awake from their wonderful dreams, that is.

In another place, somewhere deep inside Ulrich, a place that is completely immaterial and untouchable by human hands. In the depths of his soul, there stands a vigilant guardian, one who will be on a protective watch for all eternity.

"Free! At last, I'm free!" Dracmatu elated as she wondered through his soul.

Her prison had become as wide as soul can be, but she could never journey passed it's borders. Though she didn't care for it was infinitely better than her last prison had been.

"You can't touch me, my master, for your darkness is no more. It doesn't matter to me, I will forever be here to protect you to the end of time itself and perhaps beyond it."

She heard the soothing sound of him sleeping and it was heavenly music when compared to the dripping water she heard for countless years.

"Thank you…my master."