Authors Note: I'm still here, still writing this! I have finished KH3 but don't worry! No Spoilers! this story was already planned out ages ago so it's fine! Comments are so very VERY appreciated!

Aqua and Xion were gathering everything they need when they came across an unusual sign in the market.

'Friends of Sora, Kairi, Axel and Roxas, please enquire after Cid at Merlin's house.'

"Huh," Aqua remarked. "Do you think we should?"

Xion touched the sign then nodded her head.

"It seems fine. Most of the darkness has been banished from this world. And the name is familiar."

Aqua no longer questioned where Xion's knowledge came from, but she trusted that she only shared it with those she knew wouldn't use it against her.

So they asked the stall owner for directions and walked across the town to Merlin's house.

They were greeted by a young woman called Areith, who brought them inside and offered them tea.

"Cid is just finishing something and he'll be here soon. It's lovely to meet you, Aqua, Xion. Sora and Kairi said we might meet some friends of theirs in the future."

"We know Axel and Roxas," Aqua explained. "I did know Kairi and Sora when they were much younger, but I haven't seen them in years."

"Axel and Roxas? They worked with Tron and Yori to help restore the town, didn't they."

"Yes. They left shortly afterward, they were going to meet up with Kairi and Sora."

Areith smiled. "Good. And you're going after them."

Xion tipped her head to the side and smiled. "Yes."

"Well, that's good to hear!" Cid announced as he came in from the back door. "Because I have a ship for you."

They were on their way in the gummi ship Cid gave to them, even after they explained that they had their own mode of transport, when something drew Aqua's attention.

"What it is?" Xion asked, leaning over to see the screen.

"There's a world there."

"You want to go."

Aqua nodded. "I feel like I have to."

"Alright."

The world was silent, not even the rustle of wind through the trees. They walked from a jungle temple, through a river maze of flowers and paths along a mountain side.

Eventually they came to a stream, a bridge and a village.

"It's like it's been frozen in time," she said. "On the brink of devastation." The buildings were had reduced to rubble, broken vases and furniture visible in the ruins. But it was not over grown.

Aqua closed her eyes and felt for the heart of the world.

It was there, faint and sad; resigned. Betrayed.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I did everything I could."

There was no change; no stirring.

Only a warm hand on her arm.

"Aqua, it wasn't your fault."

She opened her eyes and looked at Xion.

"This world is frozen on the brink of darkness. We should have prevented it."

Xion nodded. "And Xehanort shouldn't have been able to bring about so much darkness. But he did. We're putting it right now, aren't we?"

"Sora, Kairi and their friends are."

Xion bit her lip and squeezed Aqua's arm.

"We should go. If we succeed, this world might come back. Others have. I've seen them."

"I'm sorry, Xion. I forgot that there might be answers for you where we're going."

"Maybe. Either way, we're going to go."

Aqua smiled at her. "We are."

With one final look around they headed back to the ship in silence, honouring the peace of a world that was, for all intent and purposes, a graveyard.

"Kairi, I can't."

"You can. You absolutely can," she told him, feeling like a younger version of herself - hands on her hips glaring at him on a beach.

"I don't…"

She shook her head and stood back from him to glare him down. It was strange to see his true form flicker with that of the dark imposter still within his heart.

"You've spent all this time fighting, working to help us - to save us. So come with me." She turned to Naminé. "Both of you. I am not above dragging you kicking and or screaming." She shrugged. "Your choice."

Riku sighed. The fight going out of him, at least for now.

"Fine. if Naminé will go then so will I."

"Excellent." Kairi took his hand and then Namine's and started to drag them forwards. She didn't know where she was going and she didn't care. They wouldn't let her lead them anywhere dangerous.

And from in front neither of them could see the tears brimming in her eyes or the way her lip was quivering. Riku's self doubt was almost crippling to her; that he couldn't see how much she and Sora love him and needed him in their lives. He seemed to think he should give everything for everyone else yet nothing for himself.

And Naminé, it was like seeing her worst fear mirrored on a face so similar to her own… both she and Riku had born the brunt of the pain and the suffering since this all began for them, and it wasn't fair that they continue to do so.

Kairi wouldn't stand for it. She was sure Sora wouldn't either.

The further they got through the castle, the better Sora seemed to be. But he still tired easily and even though he could fight; he collapsed almost immediately afterwards.

"This is not good," Axel mumbled to Roxas at his side as they walked further into the large chamber; there wasn't another route they could take… or had been permitted to take.

Roxas saw who it was they were facing before Axel.

"Trust me," he whispered, and summoned one keyblade - Serendipitous Duo - the blade facing backwards.

"Donald, Goofy, keep Sora safe; we'll handle this," Axel told their friends summoning his weapons and standing at Roxas' side.

Xigbar opened his arms wide in a dramatic gesture.

"Roxas, Roxas, Roxas. I can't help thinking it would have been better if you really were gone. But judging by the look of Sora, you didn't go back to him after all." He finally noticed his keyblade. "Ventus? Really? never thought you'd put two and two together. Does that mean Aqua is going to show up? Or maybe Terra will come for my other eye… not that that's possible. Terra is dead. And. Gone."

Roxas glowered at him but Xigbar laughed.

"Can't say I'm surprised to see you, Axel. Where Roxas goes you do tend to follow."

"You've stood with Xehanort from the start, Braig," Axel shouted, using the name they knew used to be his.

"So?"

"What do you get out of this?"

"Everything I want." His weapons materialised in his hands and the fight started.

Roxas summoned his other keyblade and righten them, jumping up and dodging the shots thrown his way. He scaled the wall just as Xigbar jumped down.

"Shit."

Axel threw chakrams drenched in fire that hit their target and Roxas slammed his blades down on Xigbar's arm.

He recovered quickly and got off a lucky shot at Roxas' leg. He rolled and healed whilst Axel dodged Xigbar's relentless attacks.

He spared a glance at their other friends but Goofy was stood with Sora, and Donald kept reinforcing his protection spells.

Their opponent seemed to be enjoying this far too much, but at the same time Roxas could see the effort he was exerting. When he tired he launched his next melee of attacks, Axel right along with him and it was enough, finally, to wear him down.

"So this is how it ends, huh?" Xigbar panted on the floor, blank tendrils already snaking out from him. "I lasted longer that your friend, so that's something," he said to Roxas, before he finally faded to nothing.

Roxas let the silence ring out, felt the part of his heart that missed Terra like a brother ache.

"Guys!" Donald called out, pointing upwards.

They looked up to see Kairi jumping down from the balcony and landing gracefully. A hooded figure and Naminé hand-in-hand following her.

She waved at them but ran straight to Sora.

"I saw the end of the fight, what happened?" She asked, placing one hand over Sora's heart and the other on the side of his face.

"Your heart," Sora told her. "Was keeping mine whole. Too much distance." He was starting to look better but she couldn't help but wince in sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Sora."

"It's okay. Did you find him?"

Kairi turned. "Riku! Come here. I need you to help me," her tone brokered no argument.

She watched Sora's eyes go wide as they took in the sight before him; an enemy they'd defeated a long time ago. She'd stopped seeing him like that since the moment she'd realised who was underneath that mask. But she had to actively look and didn't think it was something she could share with Sora.

Instead she met Sora's troubled gaze and held it.

"Riku, can you kneel down here and place your hand under mine?"

He did as she asked, placing his hand when Kairi lifted hers.

"Sora? Close your eyes." She hoped this would work as she felt Riku tense at her side. "It's Riku."

Then, in the space in-between, or rather, in the space their hearts were all most firmly connected, she watched realisation dawn on Sora's face.

"Riku?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"It's me, Sora. I promise."

Tears pooled in his eyes and fell in streams down his face as Sora cried, his arm reaching out to his long-lost-friend.

Kairi moved her hand away and sat back whilst Riku gathered Sora to him and held him tightly.

Naminé offered her a hand and helped her to her feet.

"The last time they saw each other properly was when Riku was on the other side of the Door To Darkness," Kairi explained to Axel and Roxas, who'd joined them.

She was a little teary herself, still. Even though relief was fast over taking the terror she's felt a short while before.

Naminé put her arm around her waist and curled herself into Kairi.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

"Are you ready?" Aqua asked. The view screen in front of her showed what stood in the way between them and The World That Never Was.

She'd used the Wayfinder connection to lead her to Roxas and the others but a hoard of heartless ships stood in their way.

"Yes."

Cid had prepared them for this possibility but Aqua preferred to fight in a more direct way. Xion, on the other hand, looked eager to get started.

"I still have to do it, this doesn't change that," Riku said.

They were in a place Axel and Roxas called 'Proof of Existence.' A place with direct access to the work rooms of the organisation members.

None of them were certain that their friends area's weren't set up as traps but this place seemed quiet enough, for the time being.

Both Kairi and Sora had been careful not to let him slip from their sight since their reunions but having Naminé with him meant they'd given them some space. They were sat with Donald and Goofy, whilst Axel and Roxas had their heads bent over a book on the other side of the room.

"No, you don't. Not yet and not alone."

Riku bowed his head and stared at his lap.

"Naminé."

"No. If you're so insistent about doing this then we will do it together. And if we survive, we live."

"Live?"

Naminé nodded. "I won't go back to Kairi, and you won't hide away from those who love you."

He looked up at her and she held his gaze. Beautiful Naminé, brave and determined.

Riku wondered if that was something he could really do. If he could face the light of the worlds.

"Together?" he asked her.

Naminé put her hand lightly on top of his between them.

"Yes."

Xion lead Aqua to a docking bay half way up the castle.

"I think I know where we're going," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Alright. Lead the way."

Aqua had given Xion the best protection accessories and magic that she could because neither were sure how well she could fight.

She took them through corridors of white and blue, her fingers occasionally grazed the walls. Xion didn't speak, not even when they entered the laboratory at the end of the corridor. The space was still, quiet, frozen in time without it's occupier. She walked over to a console and her eyes scanned the screen as lines and lines of text filled it.

Aqua moved towards the frosted containers lining the other wall and flinched at what she saw within them.

Blank, lifeless faces, smooth blank skin where eyes should be and bodies without anatomy.

"Day 120," Xion said, reading from the screen above her. "Subject has collapsed and will not waken. Nothing we do seems to be able to keep her with us. Her 'friends', VIII and XIII, are distraught. Have used Marluxia's pet, the memory witch, to wipe No.1 from their minds. It is for the best. Such a shame, if the experiment had worked this could have lead us somewhere incredible," Xion's voice was toneless. "But, it has cast doubt on Nobodies not having hearts. I have become very aware of VIII and XIII's activities together, their play at romance, but their genuine response to the one they called Xion has proven they are capable of something. Xemnas has forbid me look into Roxas any further and so I must return to Castle Oblivion knowing Axel cannot be trusted as we once had thought."

Aqua stood behind her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"You don't have to read anymore, Xion. It's alright."

She turned, tears streaming down her face. "No, it isn't. I'm not even a person or a nobody. I'm nothing. A failed nothing, Aqua." Her blue eyes were pleading.

"You saved my life, you are not nothing. You're Xion. You were loved by your friends, and I care about you. You're my friend too, the first I've had in a long time. There has to be a way to make this right, okay?"

Xion shook her head. "But even you can't remember me."

"Maybe that's because of whatever the memory witch did, which means there might be a way to undo it. I'll write as many notes as I have to, I'll draw you as well as I can to help keep you alive."

Xion nodded but fell forwards into Aqua's arms. She held her close, cradling her head the way she used to with Ven when he was younger. That's what she felt when she was with this girl; a family connection, another sibling to love and protect, to fight for and with.

The world Aqua and Xion visit is based on the left over code found burried in the data of KH:BBS first PSP Japanese release and can be found online from videos of people who managed to hack(?) into it. It can be found on youtube or google.