"Ansem, the machine!" Mickey cried to his friend.
"All the more proof that hearts cannot be contained by data. Run, my friend! It's going to self-destruct, and anything could happen."
Mickey stood where he was, unwilling to abandon his friend.
"But..."
"Your Majesty!" came Sora's voice.
Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, and Riku, who carried a little girl in his arms, came running.
"Sora, the rest is up to you," Ansem said before turning back to his machine.
The girl in Riku's arms stirred and turned big, brown eyes to the man who had spoken.
"Daddy?"
Ansem's breath caught in his throat and he slowly turned back to the group.
"Aria?"
"Daddy!" the girl cried happily.
Riku put Aria down, and she ran into Ansem's arms.
"Daddy."
"Oh, Aria. I thought I'd lost you."
Ansem kissed his daughter's forehead and held her close.
"I managed to rescue her from Xehanort," Riku said.
The former ruler stood up, Aria still in his arms, and looked at the boy.
"Thank you, Riku."
"Kairi's the one who's been taking care of her."
Ansem's amber-orange eyes turned to Kairi.
"Thank you for taking care of her, Kairi."
"You're welcome."
Aria kissed her father's cheek and lay her head in the hollow of his neck as she always had while they lived in Radiant Garden.
"I love you, Daddy."
"I love you, too, princess."
Xehanort then appeared.
"I wondered who would dare interfeer with my kingdom heart, and look, here you all are. How convenient for me."
He paused, then noticing his former teacher.
"Ansem the Wise. You look pathetic."
Ansem scowled at the young man.
"I see you have Aria with you. Good. I've been looking for her."
"You took her once, Xehanort. What makes you think I'll let you take her from me again?"
Aria clung to Ansem, staring fearfully at the man who had kidnapped her and then banished her father to the Realm of Nothingness.
"How do you plan to stop me?"
"Riku, the machine!"
Riku hurlted the machine at Xehanort.
"Everybody, run!" Ansem cried.
The group ran back the way they came, and machine exploding behind them.
"Corridors of Darkness!" Ansem and Riku shouted together.
The door opened, and everyone ran through, ending up Hollow Bastin.
"So,... this is what's left of Radiant Garden?"
"I'm sorry, Ansem," Mickey said.
Ansem carefully shifted Aria in his arms to hold her better.
"It's not your fault, my friend, it's mine."
Aria tucked her head under her father's chin and snuggled against his chest, bringing the first genuine smile to his face in months.
"Sora. Donald. Goofy. Kairi. King Mickey."
The group turned to see Cloud and Leon approaching, though the pair stopped at the sight of Ansem.
"DiZ?" Cloud said, recognizing his clothes.
Ansem nodded.
"I am Ansem. Ansem the Wise."
"So you're the real Ansem?" Leon asked.
Again, the man nodded.
"I'm Leon, and this is Cloud."
"A pleasure."
*********
Ansem was awakened in the middle of the night to his door being opened. He looked over to see Aria standing in his door.
"Aria, what's wrong?"
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed outside, and Aria yelped in fear, racing to the side of his bed. Ansem reached down and lifted her up beside him, cradling her close to him.
"It's okay, sweetheart. I won't let it hurt you."
Aria snuggled against her father's warm chest and fell asleep.
*********
"Cloud."
Cloud looked up from his breakfast. Like him, Kairi was an early riser.
"What's up, Kairi?"
"Have you see Aria? I woke up, and she wasn't next to me."
Cloud shook his head and wiped his mouth.
"No, but I'll help you find her."
"Thanks, Cloud."
The two began searching the castle for the AWOL girl.
"This is Ansem's room."
Kairi quetly opened the door, looked in, and smiled.
"Aww. Cloud, look," she whispered.
Cloud peered in and smiled.
Aria lay sleeping peacefully snuggled against Ansem. Ansem, in turn, was sleep peacefully for the first time in months, his arms wrapped protectively around his daughter.