angels in flight
A Kingdom Hearts One-Shot

Notes: This fic is set around the endpoint of Kingdom Hearts III, during the confrontation at the Keyblade Graveyard. This fic also takes place in the same continuity as one of my earlier fics, Another Side, Another Friend—namely, Sora's Heart Squad™, Strelitzia, and Kairi joining the adventure.

This fic, unsurprisingly, contains both headcanons and massive spoilers for Kingdom Hearts III and Kingdom Hearts Union X[cross], so it is recommended you be up-to-date on your Kingdom Hearts lore before reading this.

"Although my heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience, and it's found a home with all the friends I've made. I've become a part of their heart, just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then… if they don't forget me, then our hearts will be one. I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power!"

– Sora, Kingdom Hearts

The Keyblade Graveyard
The Badlands

Sora yelped as he was thrown back far, barely managing to stop his traction by stabbing his Keyblade into the ground and forcefully putting the brakes on. As quick as he could, he pulled it back out just in time to parry an attack from Xemnas. His two Ethereal Blades swung fiercely at the blocking Keybearer, Sora breaking free from the onslaught by counter-swinging at the former Organization leader.

The guardian of light took to the skies, gliding with the wind in an attempt to outpace his opponent. Sora, look out! Roxas' voice echoed in his mind, and he quickly became aware of several lasers—and he did mean several—blasting away at him. He swerved and spun about as he flew, batting away a few stray shots with his Keyblade—Is it me, or is he firing even more lasers than usual!?—and even transforming it into Double Arrowguns to trade a few shots back.

Oh god, oh crap, oh god, oh crap—! Xion was panicking; had she seen something he couldn't? Ansem's there; Ansem's coming—what do we do, what do we do!? Sora's head whipped to face frontward, and there was the Seeker of Darkness, his Guardian floating behind him with violet projectiles emanating from his hands. Shots of darkness fired away, Sora again halted in place as he summoned a barrier around him to defend against them. Darkness and plasma reflected and bounced off from his shield, increasing in intensity with every passing second—and then Young Xehanort warped in and bashed Sora in the cheek hard with his own Keyblade.

That wasn't the end of it, though: Young Xehanort followed up with a devastating multi-hit combo, flinging the boy up and down and all around and eventually sending him spiraling back toward the crossroads in the graveyard. And then he dashed in for another blow, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face.

Oh, you're not going to have your fuckin' way again! Vanitas growled.

If he thinks he can win, he's got another thing coming! Strelitzia added.

The two synced up with Sora, taking control of his hands – and with a swath of darkness and a flash of light respectively, his Double Arrowguns transformed again into Void Gear and Starlight. Faster than Sora's instincts could react, the unlikely pair of Keyblades clashed with Young Xehanort's, swishing and slashing and keeping pace with the demented time traveler's vicious assault as the two free fell back down. "Do you truly believe you can stop destiny?" he asked, a conceited edge to his voice. "You should know by now that I never leave it to chance!"

"That doesn't matter!" Sora retorted, Vanitas and Strelitzia's forms appearing behind him and giving equal-intensity glares with their Heart Squad™ leader. "You're not the one who gets to determine it for us!"

With his two friends giving him strength, he pushed Young Xehanort away, somersaulted through the air, and landed on his feet. And then Xemnas' Ethereal Blade sent him—and his crewmates, by proxy—spiraling and tumbling on the ground once didn't take him long before he was just laying on the ground, struggling to lift his head and get back up into the fray. Organization XIII's… really pulling out… all the stops… this time! he thought, wheezing a little. Hopefully… Hopefully, we'll be enough to…

Nearby, having been desynced from Sora's arms, Vanitas was grimacing and kneeling over, sitting on his legs and his palms holding himself up from the ground. "Shit," he cursed. "This isn't good. This definitely isn't good. U-Ugh…"

Strelitzia wasn't any better off, on that note, stumbling about widely with a dizzied look in her eyes. It was surprising that the two of them could be affected like this, but being linked to Sora's senses did come with its own side-effects. (At least they discovered those before they got here; it'd be even worse if they found out here and now, completely unprepared.)

"Guys! Are you okay!?" Roxas and Xion's transparent selves materialized right behind the disoriented duo; Roxas going to help out Vanitas, and Xion going off to stabilize Strelitzia. Concerned expressions were on both of their faces, and it was clear they even more anxious in their minds. "You're not—you're not hurt too badly, are you?" Xion worried, looking like her nerves didn't know how to stop fidgeting. "That looked really unpleasant to go through!"

Strelitzia shook her head to get rid of her confusion, soft groans coming from her lips as she got her senses back together. "I'm—I'm fine," she managed to reply, exhaustion clear from her tone. "That was just… a lot more intense than I expected. B-But—what about Sora!? He took the brunt of the damage!" Her eyes promptly shot toward the downed Keyblade wielder, as did the rest of the Heart Squad™, and they all promptly rushed over to him – pained senses or not – with equal concern.

I can't let them worry too much about me… Not while Riku and Kairi are still out there, trying their best, in bigger danger than me…! "I'm a-alright, guys, d-don't worry!" Sora insisted, lifting himself up with his Keyblade. He gave a shaky smile toward his crew, trying to reassure them, though it was marred by the fact that there were several bruises on his face and arms. "It'll take more than that… to keep me down!"

Vanitas, unsurprisingly, wasn't convinced. "This is looking like the 'more than that' right now!" the dark-suited boy replied, dearly wishing he was corporeal so he could assist his friend (yes, he was his friend, shut up about it). "Look at yourself, Sora! You can't even frikkin' stand! And your MP reserves are still recharging, too!"

"Please tell me you at least have a Hi-Potion or a Hi-Ether on you," Roxas pleaded. "You can't rely on Curaga all the time!"

Sora's increasingly sheepish smile didn't assuage his fears at all. "I, uhh… kind of ran out a while back?" he admitted. "B-But—" he backtracked as soon as he saw Roxas wince and everyone else gaining a more panicked expression, "it's not like I haven't been in worse situations! C'mon, I can still fight…! I'm—I'm doing fine…!" He got up on his feet, stumbling all the while—and it didn't take him long before he collapsed from a lack of energy.

Under better circumstances, such unwavering optimism and determination in the face of extreme danger would be welcomed. But here and now, when the renewed Keyblade War was not exactly going in the guardians of light's favor—and the fact that Sora had been in way too many close shaves at this point, several of which being in this very graveyard, both now and before… it only made the residents of Sora's heart more apprehensive about his well-being.

Strelitzia let out a whimper. (He was reminding her ever more of that one Keyblade wielder from so long ago… she didn't know whether that was good or bad.)

"Sora…" Xion whispered. Nervously, her eyes jumped to looking around the battlefield.

Beneath the darkened, slightly yellow-tinted sky, chaos was reigning supreme: weapon clashes and projectiles soared from every direction, faraway figures duking it out at a distance where she could barely make everyone out. King Mickey was flying and single-handedly fighting Luxord, Marluxia, and Larxene together; Riku and Kairi were dealing with Xigbar, his Replica's Replica (a long story wrapped in what was already a long one), and Xion's armored clone (Why does Xehanort have to be so… uncreative? she lamented. I'm feeling really unclean, and I'm not even actually fighting!); Lea, Aqua, and Ven were grouped together and handling Terra-Xehanort, Vanitas' Remnant, and Saïx…

…and then there was the big three. The silver-haired trinity of creeping corruption: Ansem, Xemnas, and Young Xehanort. The terrible trio that was, as she watched, floating right above them, not too far away, sinister smiles hanging off their faces.

"Everyone! Up there!" she pointed out. Sora, Roxas, Vanitas, and Strelitzia did as she said – and immediately, the current four members of Sora's Heart Squad™ formed a protective wall around their best boy as they glared intensely at the descending three. "Just what we needed," Roxas growled, "the three most annoying members of the new Organization."

"Here you are," Xemnas drawled, "the Keyblade's unchosen one and his pitiable associates: his doomed Nobody, his forgotten Replica, his lookalike failure of darkness—and his directionless, lost soul who never should've remained in this realm." The aforementioned squad mates bristled with anger, clenching their fists in a synchronized fashion. "All of whom at our very mercy, at the cusp of the formation of a new world order." He allowed his empty smile to become just a little wider. "This is what the fabled protector of the light has amounted to, in the end. How unfortunate."

"Don't talk about my friends like that!" Sora snapped, even as he struggled to stand. "They're worth seven times more than any of you are combined! They, and Riku, and Kairi, and Ven, and Aqua, and Lea… everyone deserves to have a happy ending without you, after all of the stunts you've pulled!" Finally, he managed to stay somewhat steady, and held his Keyblade in a battle-ready formation. "All the plans you've made, all the pain you've caused… we're gonna be the ones to put it all to an end!"

"Your light refuses to blink out, I see," Ansem said, folding his arms. "But no light can resist the dark for too long. Sooner or later, the darkness will consume your heart once more. It will be an unending, unenviable eternity when it happens—unless you learn to embrace it, right here, right now."

"Sora doesn't need any of your shitty darkness!" Vanitas retorted, Void Gear coming to his side. It may have been transparent and virtually useless currently – but damn if he wasn't going to pull it out anyway. "I'm all he'll need to have—and that's the way it should stay! I'll be his blackest shadow so that his light can forever shine bright! Him and our friends! And you can't convince me that's wrong, because they'll always fight to keep me here anyway—and I'll take it! Now fuck off and suffer already! We've long outgrown your childish endeavors!"

"In the time I've been here, resting in Sora's heart," Strelitzia began, a hand over her heart, "I've learned a lot about the nature of light and darkness, Lux and Guilt. And though your Organization claims to be restoring a balance… everything you do is anything but." She summoned her Starlight, and held it off to her side. "I refuse to let you trample over the legacy of all of my fellow Guildmates! Your Keyblade War won't ever happen! Sora helped give me a second chance—and it won't go to waste 'cause of you!"

"Hmph," Young Xehanort sneered. "You of all people should know how futile your efforts will end up being. No one can rewrite the events that are destined to occur, that are prophesized to come into being." He was the first of the triumvirate to land on the ground, his clock-esque, neon-blue Keyblade glowing ominously in his gloved hand. "My future self will forge the legendary χ-blade, and unlock the secrets to Kingdom Hearts. And from there, there will be no ramifications preventing us from finishing you off, just as fate foretold. After all: on this land shall darkness prevail and light expire."

"So what!? If the worlds want to kick us while we're down, then we'll them it every step of the way!" Roxas defiantly replied. "You think just because you know the rules of time travel and destiny that you've got everything figured out? Well, you're wrong! Our fates are ours—and nobody else's!" As usual, Oathkeeper and Oblivion faithfully arrived in his grip, and he spun it around and relished as they sparked against one another. "Fluff up your language all you like; that'll never change!"

"Just because you don't leave our destinies to chance doesn't mean we can't do the same," Xion stated, arm outstretched and summoning her Kingdom Key. "We made our choices not because of anything you specifically wanted… but because we stayed true to ourselves and never forget what was most important. Even if that meant being forgotten… that was a chance we were willing to take." She got herself into Sora's familiar battle stance. "If being here and helping out means the worlds have a chance of being safer… then we'll take it. Always."

"Is that so?" Xemnas raised an eyebrow. "Then let us test how strong your resolve truly is." Still armed with his deadly Ethereal Blades, he began to sail toward Sora, at a pace the weakened savior couldn't match, and he (and his heartmates) do nothing more except raise his Keyblade in an attempt to at least defend himself—

"Sora!"

Out of nowhere, Kairi stepped in and clashed Ever After against the hot red plasma, narrowed blue eyes focused directly at Xemnas' amber ones—and somehow, she was more actually winning against the ex-Organization leader, pushing back with a growl and forcing him to relent. Naminé joined her side right after, a copy of Destiny's Embrace in her grasp, the two of them pointing their blades directly at the three incarnations of Xehanort in resolute determination. "Don't think we're just gonna sit around and let you do whatever you want to my best fr—boyfriend!"

Sora and his Heart Squad™ was in total awe at the save. "Kairi, Naminé…" he breathed. "Wh-Wha…"

The Princess of Heart looked back at him with a soft smile. "Don't look so surprised, Sora," she said. "You're the sky above my sea, my light within the encroaching darkness – and so long as I have the power to do so, I'll never let anything happen to you. You've helped me all this time… and now, I'm going to return the favor. This time, I'll protect you—and that's a promise."

Naminé shared a similar expression. "The same goes for me. I've spent a lot of time together with you five in the time since I remerged with Kairi, and you've become the friends I've always wanted to have. I never had the chance to really live out my life, free of from the threat of fading away – but if I do, I want to be able to spend it with you all." She faced back toward their opponents. "So let's not hold anything back!"

Ansem scoffed. "You believe you have the power to take us down? You, Princess?" Darkness covered his entire form, and spirals of darkness sprung once more from his hands. "I'd love to see you try." Naminé visibly linked up with Kairi, the two of them now glowing with a brilliant light, and together, they batted away the sinister projectiles with little more than a moment's thought. She held up her Keyblade, and a beam of light exploded where Xemnas and Young Xehanort were standing, springing them back into action.

Sora watched, with equal parts amazement and dread, as his girlfriend went toe-to-toe with three of the greatest threats he'd ever faced, alone except for her Nobody. She'd definitely grown in strength since their adventure began, pulling out Shotlocks and airsteps and even light-powered fourth-tier magic spells – and afterimages produced by Mirage Staff helped keep her ahead of Xemnas and Young Xehanort's tendencies to teleport around. All things said, she was more than holding her own… but would it be enough?

C'mon, Kairi… he prayed. You can do it… You have to do it…!

"Damn," Vanitas whistled. "You never really appreciate how much better somebody gets until it's right in front of you. I think she may be more terrifying than Aqua now, and that's saying something."

"Give her another Keyblade," Roxas gave his own two cents, "and she'd really be a force to be reckoned with."

Xion made a sound of wonder. "If we make it out of this alive," the Replica said to Strelitzia, "we have got to convince her to teach us how to do that."

The time-displaced Keyblade wielder nodded slowly, unable to say anything in reply.

And for several glorious moments, it looked like everything was going to be okay; like Kairi would vanquish the twisted trinity and bring their dark legacies to a close.

But nothing ever went as it should.

"Enough." Without warning, a beam of electricity shot forth from Xemnas' hand and caught Kairi—and by extension, Naminé. High-voltage sparks coursed throughout her body as she was forcefully held up by the 'Superior of the In-Between'. Sora recognized this attack.

"No! K-Kairi—!" he cried. But his exclamations could do nothing. Helplessly, he watched as Xemnas pulled—and screams of pain erupted from her mouth and Naminé's, her health and magic reserves rapidly draining where she stood. It was absolutely terrifying, seeing her in an attack that Sora knew hurt—and hurt a lot.

"That's too much anguish," Vanitas grit his teeth. "Way too much…"

No response could be given. Everyone else was in agreement. (And wasn't that something they didn't want, for once.)

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, he stopped the process, and carelessly tossed her toward the haunted Sora. Despite his own battered state, he managed to reach out and catch her, though it visibly took a lot out of him to do so. "Kairi," he called out to her, "are—are you okay…!?"

She opened her eyes and weakly smiled. "Peachy," she wheezed. "J-Just peachy."

Naminé, disconnected from her Other, lay on the ground a couple of feet away. She pushed herself up using her palms, panting heavily with every second that passed. "I forgot—" she voiced, "I forgot how much electricity hurt. A-Agh…" Gradually, she returned to standing upright, silently assisted by the members of Sora's Heart Squad™—but it was clear she wouldn't be able to sync back up to Kairi for a while. And that didn't exactly bode well, for everyone.

"It appears the resolutions in your hearts have proven themselves a commendable threat against our combined strength," Xemnas mused. "Alas, it will only guide you to a painful obliteration in the end." Sora and Kairi, back on their feet, and spiritually joined by all their heart guests, looked up and saw as Ansem, Xemnas, and Young Xehanort gathered together and prepared to unleash one final attack, plumes of darkness emanating from every crevice of their forms. "Any last words before you finally perish?"

"…we may fall here," Kairi stated, "but you won't win. No matter what happens to us now… our friends will put a stop to you." She gave out one last glare. "That's something you'll never, ever be able to understand: the bonds of friendship we cherish so deeply."

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "You can take our world. You can take our hearts. Cut us loose from all we know. But if it's our fate… then every step forward will always be a step closer to home. And wherever we go next… I'm glad Kairi and I—and the friends inside our hearts—will be able to move on… together." Five transparent entities nodded their heads at that statement.

"Wise words," Young Xehanort sarcastically dismissed. It was evident that he didn't really care, one way or the other. "It doesn't matter whatever delusions you allow yourself to harbor. At long last… your abyss awaits. Now—begone."

Ansem's Guardian moved in front of his master and began to rocket forward at the duo, at the same time that Young Xehanort transformed his Keyblade into a deadly whip and arced vertically toward them as well. The area around them went black, Xemnas conjuring up a wall of lasers to fire at blistering speeds—and just when all three of them were halfway toward their destinations, time seemed to slow down for Sora and Kairi.

Kairi turned her head to Sora—and without saying a word, displayed another one of her loving smiles to her boyfriend.

I want you for a lifetime, so if you're gonna think twice, baby—

Sora, in return, showed her one of his own—and just as wordlessly, reached into his pocket and pulled out the Wayfinder he had kept all this time. The two took each other's hand, the lucky charm in-between and connecting their presences together.

I don't wanna know, baby; I don't wanna know

Fearlessly, the two stared back at the trinity of death about to close in on them, and defiantly glared, unyielding in their resolve to fight until the very end.

Everything is just right, but if you're gonna think twice, baby—

They closed their eyes… and waited for the impact.

I don't wanna know, baby,
I don't wanna know

…

…

…

…

…

"Sora! Kairi!"

The two opened their eyes.

THWACK!
CLANG!

In the nick of time, Donald and Goofy came down from the sky – and with staff and shield in hand, they deflected Ansem's Guardian, Xemnas' barrage of lasers, and Young Xehanort's whip all at once. Several things happened immediately afterward: the so-called 'Seeker of Darkness' got a face full of Guardian; Xemnas warped out of the way to avoid his own shots; and Young Xehanort summarily got smacked in the face hard and fast.

Donald looked absolutely pissed. "Don't you dare touch our babies, ya big palookas!"

And Goofy seemed just as livid, though much more reserved. "And if you try anyway, we'll put yer bodies out to pasture!"

It's them… Sora thought, the gears in his brain registering their appearance. It's really them…!

"Donald? Goofy…?" Kairi tentatively asked. "Weren't you two… supposed to be helping out Master Yen Sid?"

"He said he was fine, so we came back here as fast as we could to help you!" Goofy answered. "And good thing we made it, too! Any slower and you might've been pancakes!"

"You can't do anything without us, can you?" Donald remarked, almost teasingly. "Don't worry—as long as we're here, we won't ever let you two die on us! Not before I manage to take hundreds of photos of the two of you together, at least!"

(Vanitas chuckled. "Sounds like good blackmail material," he joked.

"Is that really all you can think about at a time like this?" Naminé lightheartedly asked.

"What can I say? I'm a man of darkness.")

Despite Donald's… rather embarrassing words, Sora was happy to see two of his best friends come in for the rescue, just like they always had before. "Donald… Goofy…" He grinned, for the first time in what felt like forever. "…thanks."

"Are these two the best reinforcements the guardians of light can muster?" Everyone's attention was turned back onto Ansem, who—despite looking noticeably slouched, alongside Young Xehanort—was as mocking and villainous as ever. "A sad excuse of a royal mage and a guard captain who can't protect anyone?" he mocked. "Your entrance into this conflict won't change anything. The shadows will still come and devour your hearts whole!"

"That's where you're wrong!" Goofy declared, somehow managing to wield Save the King+ in a threatening manner. "You and yer fellows may be goin' about, 'causin' darkness to come wherever you go, but if you're gonna threaten our very best buddies, then we'll have no choice but to fight you with all we've got!"

"You still choose to protect them, even now?" Young Xehanort sneered, a bit marred by the massive bruise on his face. "His heart is too weak; nothing more than a vessel for the darkness to take over. He's not worthy of being the savior of the light—and his mismanagement of the power of waking will only cost him whatever future he has left."

"You think I care about that!?" Donald retorted angrily, a wing holding Save the Queen+ even tighter. "It doesn't matter whether or not his heart is weak! We've all got a little bit of Sora inside of us—and we'll always be there lift him up however high he needs to be! You'd see it if you paid attention… but you're a Xehanort, so you wouldn't get it if it hit you on the head!" Young Xehanort snarled at this insult. "He's our best friend, him and Kairi, and that's something that will never change, not ever – because they're in our hearts just as much as we're in theirs! This started with us by their side, and it'll end the same way!"

Sora and Kairi couldn't have looked any happier by Donald and Goofy's declarations – and the latter two in return couldn't have been any prouder to stand where they were now.

("Sora, Donald, Goofy… it's no wonder they've been a trio all this time," Roxas observed.

"Hey, don't forget Kairi!" Strelitzia giggled. "After everything we've been through, she's definitely earned her place with them."

Xion smiled. "I wish Ven was here to see this…" she lamented. "He's still a part of our Heart Squad™, too. It's just… so beautiful…")

Xemnas drawled, "So you claim. But you are alone in your venture, and we are many. All you have done is merely delay the inevitable – and it is time for that inevitably to arrive at your doorstep." He summoned a Corridor of Darkness and warped behind the squad, Ethereal Blades held over his shoulder and ready to slice them to pieces – but as the nine whirled around to look at him, Donald and Goofy only smirked.

"Who says it's only us that's here?" the mage said.

Xemnas paused, momentarily confused by the duck's words. This was all the time that they needed.

CRASH!

A humongous boulder inexplicably crashed into Xemnas' back, and, with his eyes bulging in shock, he was sent flying over the heads of the guardians of light (plus two), and eventually landed on the floor, right in front of his two other companions. All those assembled stared at Xemnas for several moments in sheer incredulity, Roxas even muttering a "What the hell?", before – at a rather steady pace – the crew turned back around to see who was the source of the interruption.

And who they saw couldn't have been anything but a surprise.

"Hey, Sora! Kairi! Need a hand?"

Glowing radiantly with godly strength and completely disregarding the bewildered looks thrown his way, Hercules threw out one of his typical, heroic grins as he dusted off his armor. His very presence seemed to make the sky and the environment around him just a little less darker – and judging by the fact that Donald and Goofy weren't the slightest bit perturbed by him being here—here, of all the places—it was safe to say they were the ones who brought him along.

"No way…!" Sora breathed, eyes widening even more. "Herc!"

"We're not dreaming… are we?" Kairi asked, similarly in shock.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Ansem demanded, his face actually conveying a sense of true fury for the first time in the whole fight. "You cannot be here! This is a war unbefitting of your attendance!"

"A true hero knows that when his friends are in danger, he'll be there to help them out in any way he can," Hercules proudly proclaimed in response, almost nonchalant about breaking the world order like this. (Though to be fair, he – and plenty of others in Olympus – had known about other worlds for a long, long time.) "And if there so happens to be a world-ending crisis to stop in the process? That's all the more reason for me to be there with 'em. Oh yeah—" He flashed a knowing smile at the two. "I hear there are two new lovebirds around who recently confessed?"

Blushes sprouted on Sora and Kairi's faces, but that didn't stop them from mutually returning the smile.

Young Xehanort made a feral growl, and had almost begun dashing toward the son of Zeus with his own feet when he was blasted by several lasers striking his torso at once – and then a rocket exploding and knocking him back several feet. "G-Gurgh—! Wh-Who—!?"

"Now, now, it's not nice to treat our friends that way," Woody scolded the time traveler as he and Buzz landed on the hard ground, noticeably upsized and standing tall alongside their allies. In his hand was his pull string, stretched out and being held as if it were a lasso. "Didn't you learn your lesson from last time, Xehanort? Or did your lack of friends just make you even more empty inside? Because if that's the case… I think it's time we teach you how to play nice."

Slowly, Young Xehanort got up, grimacing at the sight before him. "Y-You…! H-How can you be—!?"

"We haven't let go of our friends yet, and we're definitely not going to now," Buzz announced, wings receding into his toy jet pack, laser cautiously trained on the young manipulator of hearts. "You can try to separate us from them all you'd like, but you'll never be able to break the connection that holds us together. This situation might seem like something out of a fairy tale… but if that fairy tale allows us to help save our friends, then I'll believe in it whole-heartedly. Now—" His eyes narrowed. "—step away, or face the consequences, you sad, strange little men."

"That's right," Woody said. "We can do this the easy way—or we can do it the hard way. It's your choice."

"Enough of this foolishness!" Ansem commanded. "Submit!" A large orb made up of Dark Firaga materialized in front of him, glistening a disturbingly bright violet and preparing to fire hordes of darkness forward—and, in a move that was becoming increasingly unsurprising to witness, yards upon yards of thick blond hair whipped out and wrapped around the sphere, flipping it around and unleashing its wrath upon its summoner. Once all the fireballs had been expelled, the improvised whip lifted the orb up and slammed it into the Seeker of Darkness, a purple explosion flinging him away, much like what happened to Young Xehanort. "Wh-Wha—"

"You're quite the dirty ruffians!" And there was Rapunzel, her crazy-long golden locks of hair inexplicably reattached to her head and looking just as versatile as Sora remembered (and was it just him, or did it seem a little… angry with her?). She snapped them forward, and the triad of Xehanorts actually took a step back from its range. "No… you're the most despicable human beings I've ever seen! Trying to hurt my friends like that… you've never had a dream to sing about in your life, have you? If that's the way it's gonna be, then I'm gonna have to be the one to show you the light!"

"Rapunzel…" Naminé gasped.

"Your hair!" Strelitzia pointed out. "H-How is it…?"

"Oh, that?" a cocky, lovably rogue voice fluttered in. "Let's just say some black rocks did it and it's a long story. But enough about that!" Riding in on Maximus and armed with a trusty frying pan was Eugene (formerly Flynn), still plastered with that same old smirk and looking ready to cause some havoc. "I've got some sidekicks to rescue – and even though I'm not quite a thief anymore, I can't say I won't mind stealing them back from the likes of you!"

The recluse-slash-princess and thief-turned-hero shared a grin and—with Eugene hopping to the ground—readied their respective non-standard weapons ahead to their foes. For his part, Maximus was snorting and looking prepared to bring a good beatdown himself—and, not wanting to miss out, Pascal had even emerged from Rapunzel's shoulder and was sticking his tongue out. Ha ha, you go, everyone!

"You could say it was fate, or maybe it was destiny," Rapunzel continued. ("Or a horse!" Eugene jokingly chimed in.) "It doesn't really matter to me. So long as Sora and Kairi—and all their ghostly friends, too—haven't gotten their 'happily ever after' yet, I promise I'll do everything in my power to make it happen!"

And the parade wasn't ceasing yet. "You and your cronies have really caused a mess of things 'round these parts," Sulley remarked, he and Mike walking up and pounding a fist into their palm. (Sulley made it look intimidating; Mike… at least he was trying.) "Even Randall and Waternoose never sunk this low. And Sora and Kairi, they're just children; they don't deserve to be put down by you." His features softened for a moment, as if he were thinking about Boo—and then they were right back to being scary. "I think it's time you got a big wake-up call."

"Yeah! We've had enough of being bullied by all you black-cloaked freaks!" Mike shouted. "We're gonna put all of you back where you got those cloaks from: the trash bin! See how much you can scare others when you smell as much as you look!"

("Damn, that's a good one," Vanitas muttered. "I need to remember that…"

"I could've used that when talking to Saïx," Xion said. "Maybe I still can use it…")

"You conceal so much of yourself behind that darkness, you've forgotten how to feel anything." The ice queen of Arendelle, Elsa, trekked forth, her posture stronger than Sora and Kairi had ever seen it. "I once thought that I had to hide myself away from the world… but I've learned that the power of love and friendship can break through any storm. Sora's Heart Squad™ is proof of that." Her hands emanated clouds of ice – and this time, she seemed ready to freeze the Xehanorts' nonexistent hearts cold. "So, you can try all you might – but we're not gonna be letting Sora and Kairi go." She smiled. "I hope you're not bothered by the cold, because I'm sure not."

"You tell 'em, Elsa!" A humongous crash signaled the entrance of Marshmallow – and hanging on from his back couldn't have been anyone else but Anna. "You're gonna be having love at first sight with the ground—'cuz that's where you're gonna be when we're through with you! S-Stomping you on it! Hee hee—get it?"

Marshmallow's grumpy face told everyone that yes, he indeed got it. Luckily, he was more inclined to turn his annoyance toward the members of Organization XIII instead of anyone else.

"Impossible…" Ansem said. "Three of the new Princesses of Heart, all here by their own free will…!?"

"That's right," Roxas replied, an epic-looking grin hitting his face with confidence, "and they're gonna kick. Your. Ass."

"I dunno what a 'Princess of Heart' is," drawled the half-drunken Jack Sparrow, "but then again, I've never been one to care about princesses." He looked just as extravagant(?) as always, his pirate hat perched perfectly on top of his head, and there was something of an edge to his gait this time around. "But! I do, however, care for the crew that sails with me. Sora, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy are my crew, and a pirate—especially a Pirate Lord—protects his crewmates with everythin' he's got." His cutlass shined with sharpness. "Lemme tell you: you will remember this as the day you were… mightily defeated by Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?"

"And don't forget us, too!" The two Baymaxes of San Fransyoko hovered down and touched the ground, Hiro noticeably attached to one of them using magnetic plates. Hiro was cheerful, despite the oppressive atmosphere. "All the core members of Big Hero 6 are coming and ready to assist Keyblade Hero 10 in their time of need!"

"Your heartbeat readings appear to be irregular," the Baymaxes noted simultaneously, black, beady eyes blinking as if they were analyzing the three incarnations of Xehanort. "An irregular heartbeat can lead to chest pains and severe health issues with your body. Are you in need of any medical assistance?"

"Uh, Baymax…es, those guys… are bad guys. Like, big bad guys. You can't really… care for them."

"Oh." The Baymaxes blinked again, taking in the information. "In that case, the most efficient medical procedure to perform at this time will be shock therapy. My programming normally prevents me from harming human beings, but I sense that you are not human any longer." Electricity promptly began to course through their armored fists. "On a scale of one to ten, how much would you rate the pain you are likely to experience?"

At this point, even Xemnas was looking perturbed – and for a not-person with no heart to speak of, that was an impressive feat. "How… How is it that all your hearts have led you to this way?" he queried, truly perplexed. Do you truly seek obliteration to such an unparalleled degree? Why do you persist in rebelling against the fates that have been chosen?"

"That's simple," Hercules answered—"because there's no way we're gonna let our friends down, ever. And no one can tell us otherwise."

Sora and Kairi's faces glanced all about the battlefield where they stood; each and every one of the friends they had made along the way were standing right beside them, prepared to do battle with Organization XIII—and all to protect the two they had come to know so deeply. Sora began counting, "Herc, Woody, Buzz, Rapunzel, Eugene, Sulley…!"

"Mike, Anna, Elsa, Marshmallow, Jack, Hiro, Baymax…!" Kairi finished for him.

"You're all—you're all here! You're all really here!" Tears began to bubble up in the corner of Sora's eyes out of sheer happiness. "All the friends we've made on our journey… you really came to save us."

"But… how?" Kairi asked, turning to Donald and Goofy. "I thought that there was a world order to keep. Heck, you're the one who constantly pesters us about it, Donald…"

Surprisingly, the two's smiles didn't diminish in size in the slightest. "Gwarsh—that's a really good question! We knew that us alone wouldn't be enough to keep up," Goofy explained, "and I thought: our friends wouldn't want to see you two gone, 'cause you've become everyone's very best buddies since we've began this journey."

"Besides—I don't wanna be the one to tell everyone you two aren't here anymore, ya big palookas! If having a world order means that I won't be able to see you laugh and kiss and be happy—then confound the world order entirely!" Donald declared, healing the two Keyblade wielders with a good old-fashioned Curaga. "So put away all those frowny faces – because when we've all got our happy faces on, we're absolutely unstoppable, half-pints or not!"

Loud clanking noises suddenly entered Sora and Kairi's hearing range – and when they looked beside them, a familiar armored entity – who had guarded the graveyard for so long – stood tall and opposing, cape trailing behind him and a powerful, heavy Keyblade by his side. Sora's Heart Squad™ immediately recognized the figure. How could they not?

"Terra…" Vanitas breathed.

"No…!" Young Xehanort couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You… You were supposed to have been dealt with! How…!? How are you still standing…!?"

The helmet of Terra's Lingering Will seemed to glare into the Organization member's eyes, and this got the young teen to back away in absolute fright, for once in his life. Terra then faced Sora and Kairi and their requisite ghost squad—and nodded at them, in silent determination.

And this prompted a fleet of Gummi Ships to fly in overhead, every single person on the Keyblade Graveyard stopping their fight to watch the incoming intruders to the Keyblade War. Sora, Kairi, and all of their heartmates watched in awe – Sora's friends, more in satisfaction – as dozens of people, whose hearts had been touched by Sora and his fellow guardians at one point or another, jumped out and touched down almost perfectly in sync, ready to join the ultimate clash of light and darkness. From Aladdin to Jack Skellington; from Simba to Ariel (somehow); from Tarzan to the rest of Big Hero 6 to even the Gullwings – and, of course, every single combat-capable member of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee was here and accounted for, whether they be ex-Organization members or ex-refugees of Traverse Town. The thirteen seekers of darkness were well and truly outnumbered in this battle, for once – and Sora would be lying if he said it didn't at least feel amazing.

"W-Wow…" Sora whispered.

"It's—It's everyone…" Kairi commented.

"Leon, Yuffie, Cloud, Ienzo, Dilan, Aeleus…" Xion counted off.

"Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Beast, Mulan, Mushu, Tron…" Roxas continued listing.

"…and there's still so many more," Strelitzia was gawking. "This is bigger than any raid I've ever participated in…"

"I can feel their bonds from here," Naminé mentioned. "All of them, tied so closely to Sora and Kairi…"

"…and us," Vanitas realized. "Even us." He put a hand to his chest. "…it feels warm. Really warm. I… I like it."

"You see?" Goofy said. "Everybody's here to help you guys. And when we're teamed up like this, there's nothing we can't accomplish."

"That's why you guys make the greatest heroes," Hercules told them. "And I know you won't let us down."

"You've got friends in all of us," Woody stated—

"And our hearts will always be connected," Buzz affirmed.

"Our time together's only just beginning," Rapunzel chirped—

"And there's no way it'll end before we say so!" Flynn exclaimed.

"Now let's show them we mean business," Sulley said.

"Yeah! No more scaring – only laughing!" Mike chimed in.

"And when everything's done," Anna dared to dream, "we'll play out in the snow, and even build a snowman—"

"So keep your love in your hearts, so we can let that day happen," Elsa advised.

"Alrighty, me hearties—we've spent enough time here, being all jolly and whatnot," Jack said—

"Now let's go kick some bad guy butt – you, me, and everyone!" Hiro declared.

The two Baymaxes fist bumped as a motivation booster, wiggling their fingers and singing, "Balalalalalalala."

And Donald concluded by reminding Sora and Kairi, "It's like we always say: all for one, and one for all!"

Everyone… you're willing to do so much… for us…? I—I really don't know what to say…

Donald… Goofy… You two really are some of the greatest friends I've ever met. And everyone else, too. All of you have given us a chance to set things right… and there's no way we're gonna waste it now.

No more moping around—it's time to save our universe!

Sora and Kairi dusted themselves off, resummoned their Keyblades into their hands—and nodded in unison. "All for one," they repeated, alongside their Heart Squad™, "and one for all!"

"…why is it that you refuse to give in?" Ansem demanded to know, as he scrutinized the party of over twenty-five standing united as one. "Have you truly learned nothing, even after you have come so far? Darkness is the heart's true essence! No power can be gained from lining up to fall into oblivion!"

"The closer your heart comes to pursuing this false dream, the greater the loss will be when you reach the end of your road," Xemnas boomed. As if his words still hold any meaning! "Refusing to leave these chains behind will only destroy you, once you realize it was all for naught."

"There can be no salvation for any of your futures!" Young Xehanort snarled. "Give up and accept what destiny has in store!"

"You're wrong, Ansem, Xemnas, Xehanort!" Sora retorted, all his confidence from before being battered completely restored. "It's you guys who've learned nothing after all this time! You keep trying to search out the darkness – but as our shadows become blacker and wider, our lights shine ever brighter!"

Roxas and Xion gripped their Keyblades tighter; Hercules took out a sword and let his knees bend.

"That's right!" Kairi agreed. "The heart may be weak, sure, and it can sometimes falter in the worst of times—"

Woody tipped his hat up to clear his vision; Buzz was ready to rocket and bash right into Young Xehanort.

"—but there's always a light to pull it out of the misery, a shining star to illuminate the night sky: our friends!"

Rapunzel kicked up dust with her feet in giddy anticipation; Eugene swung his frying pan around as a clear threat; Maximus huffed and snorted smoke from his nostrils.

"That's the heart's true nature, Xehanort," Sora declared—"making friends wherever we go, and hanging onto them as hard as we can! Because even when we're apart—"

Vanitas let a feral grin loose on his face; Sulley looked ready to assert his old reputation as 'top scarer'; Mike was jumping up and down and performing vague kung-fu motions.

"—even when we don't see each other for a long while—"

Elsa had one leg held out in front of her, getting ready to stomp her feet; Anna stood up and started riding Marshmallow like a skateboard; Marshmallow himself had sharp icicles protrude from his body (and away from Anna).

"—our hearts tie us all together—and so long as it stays that way, we'll never, ever forget each other!"

Naminé and Strelitzia held onto their Keyblades with all of their might; Jack's expression was utterly serious and lacked his usual drunken nature; Terra stood still and strong, an unstoppable force ready to meet an immovable object.

"They say 'home is where the heart is'—and for me and Sora, our home is wherever our friends are," Kairi stated. "We may not have been the primary candidates for the task of saving the worlds from darkness… but we're glad to have been a part of something bigger, in spite of that!"

The Baymaxes started hovering off the ground, Hiro allowing a confident smirk to arise. And at the forefront of them all, Donald and Goofy stood triumphantly beside Sora and Kairi, staff and shield ready to strike their foes with extreme prejudice.

"We hoped for our hearts to blend," Sora and Kairi said in harmony, "and prayed for our sorrows to end. And now, we'll step forward to realize our wish. We don't need a weapon to show you what we're made of!" The two guardians of light raised their Keyblades to the sky, everyone else doing the same with either their fists or their preferred weapon, and they shouted: "Our friends are our power—and we're theirs!"

The two Keyblades began to glow with a brilliant bright light, particles of varying sizes materializing and coalescing into one whole. As the light engulfed the forms of their weapons whole, it was all promptly expelled at once in one big explosion of power, creating gusts of winds that left capes and cloaks fluttering incessantly in the breeze – and when it died down, Sora and Kairi were noticeably different in appearance.

Their red-and-black and pink outfits had changed in color: they took on a decidedly more Final Form-esque palette, decorated in blacks and whites and a zebra-like pattern close to their legs to top things off. But it was their Keyblades that were most striking. Made up of reds and silvers and dark greys, they were adorned with sharp, wing-like designs that could be seen from the handle to the tip of the weapon itself. A heart-shaped symbol with three prongs atop of it—and four similar spikes on beside it—made up its 'teeth', and the blade itself was split in such a way that it resembled the Roman numeral 'III'. Rainbow swords rose from the ground and flew into the sky, helping to give the Keyblades a greater sense of having ultimate power.

The two swung their identical Ultima Weapons down, holding it out toward the silver-haired trio of darkness. "Now—let's finish this, everyone! Chargeeeeeee!" With their morale at its peak and accompanied by a loud rallying cry and, the combined party of Sora and Kairi and their friends raced forward together, empowered by their bonds of friendship—and the Second Keyblade War continued in earnest.

2018 was the year of 'Everyone Is Here!' in my eyes, and although Kingdom Hearts III came out in 2019, most of its hype comes from the year prior. So this is kind of appropriate, in a way.

I wish something like this happened in-game, if I'm being honest. Can you imagine how fist-pumpingly awesome it would be if all of Sora's partners—the ones in KHIII, bare minimum—jumped in for the final showdown in the Keyblade Graveyard? Sure, it'd make no real sense, what with the world order suddenly becoming relevant again and all… but damn if I wouldn't have a gigantic smile on my face while it happened.

…if they timed it well, anyway. The fight choreography at the Keyblade Graveyard was shit, lemme tell you (they barely even moved half the time!), so I'm not really sure how well they could pull it off. A man can dream, though.

Originally, I wanted to add scenes for every past partner and Summon Sora's befriended, from his very first adventure all the way to his latest – but I realized that would be beyond my ability to write in a feasible time, so I had them vaguely alluded to instead. You'll have to get your imagination at work for that, I'm afraid – but hey, I think I did my best with what I had!

also pretend that Sora and Kairi shared a kiss sometime earlier in the journey because goddamn it let me see them happy together already—

Well, that's all for now – see you guys around!