Any non-original Characters/Powers/Settings/Weapons will be tagged with '*' and will recieve proper detail and sourcing.

This is based after the timeline of "Kingdom Hearts II", made by Square-Enix and Disney.

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Kingdom Hearts IV – Dawn of Dusk

Chapter 9: Farewell

Hannah sighed as she sat on a park bench. She held her knees close to her chin and nervously went over her thoughts. Maddy and Zeke sat together on what was left of a stall and quietly waited.

"I wonder if he's alright…" breathed Hannah.

Maddy scoffed, "Of course, it's Long we're talking about…"

"That's right, we should have confidence in him," added Zeke.

"Why thank you, everyone…"

They all sprung up from their seat and turned. Smiles of relief beamed across their faces as they watch Longinus and Miu approach them.

"You're back!" they exclaimed. Longinus sheepishly grinned and rubbed the back of his head. Miu happily grinned.

"Sorry to make you all worry…"

"Miu!"

Slowly, Aegis appeared from behind Longinus. Maddy's face went as white as a sheet. Without saying anything, he swiped up a nearby broken pipe and madly charged at Aegis. The young man merely stared calmly at the screaming attacker.

"EAT THIS!" cried Maddy.

"WAIT!"

A figure leapt in between Maddy and Aegis, just as Maddy swung the pipe down. The pipe had hit its mark, but it was not against Aegis.

He passively blinked at the stricken figure as Maddy stared with horror.

"S-sorry Long…"

Longinus held his posture as the pipe was planted across his forehead. He felt relieved that Maddy had refrain from using full force at the last minute. Still, his head throbbed from the knock on his skull.

"It's okay…" he whispered. Maddy nervously tossed the pipe to one side. Longinus gently rubbed his forehead and shook it off. He stood back up straight with a cheerful smile, "Don't worry everyone…Aegis promises not to destroy me…yet…"

Silence answered the boy's calmly spoken words. Aegis merely turned his gaze to one side.

"Don't get the wrong idea Longinus, when this is all over I'll be sure to come back for you…" uttered Aegis. He turned to leave.

"W-wait! Where are you going?!" asked Longinus.

"I've got a job to do and my work here on this World is done. I'm heading off to the next to stop Recon1-XI…"

"I'll come with you!"

Aegis spun around and threw a dark glare at Longinus, "Don't even think about it! I can handle this on my own!"

Longinus stepped forward with a determined look, "We are both Keybladers! We are both the guardians of Kingdom Hearts! If you're going off to save the other Worlds, then I should be doing the same as well!"

"Leave me be," grumbled Aegis.

"Look Artemis!" called Longinus.

"Aegis!" growled the irritated young man. He mumbled to himself, "Why can't he ever remember my name?"

"Sorry! Still I have to come!" persisted Longinus, "I want to find out who I am! I want to find out where I came from! I wanted to fulfill my promise to Nalziel!"

Aegis froze in his tracks. He turned to look over his shoulder at Longinus. His blue eyes silently watched the boy's emerald eyes.

"What promise?" he asked.

Longinus straightened, "I promised that I will save her sisters…and protect Miu…" Aegis merely returned his passive gaze.

Gently, a hand slipped into Longinus'. The boy turned to see Miu smile as she tenderly held onto his hand. He returned a grin and held her hand close to him as well.

Suddenly, a radiance of light shone brightly between them. They both looked down at Miu's crystal heart. It was brightly aglow with shining blue light. As if held by an invisible force, the crystal slowly levitated upward. It rose into the air as it carefully lifted off from around Miu's neck and suspended itself above everyone's head.

Trans-Metal glowed as well and itself pulled up to Longinus' shoulder height. The boy then raised his Keyblade higher in the air and pointed at the floating crystal. The two resonated with one another. A grin stretched around Longinus as he took one step forward.

He twirled Trans-Metal around and thrust the Keyblade back into the air. He pointed directly at the crystal and it fired off a beam of light. The beam struck the glowing aura of the crystal and it let loose another beam behind itself. The beam struck an invisible wall that was close to where Aegis stood.

A key shaped portal instantly opened up, a vortex of light swirled behind its doorway.

Hannah, Maddy, and Zeke blinked with astonishment. They stared at the portal that had just appeared before their very eyes.

"Uh…" uttered Maddy, "what…just…happen…"

"I…don't…know…" breathed Hannah.

Soon, Trans-Metal disappeared into a flash of light from Longinus' hand. He looked at his empty hand and curled his fingers with a grin. The same thing went for Aegis, as Guardian's Soul vanished into a flash of light. He raised his head and turned to look at Longinus.

"Well…you've done a good job in opening a portal," he said in a quiet tone, "I guess I can spare a chance to have a portal-opener come with me…"

Longinus sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "Thank you. I'll try not to get in your way…"

"Miu!"

Longinus turned to Miu as she came up to him. She smiled widely and turned to the others. Longinus turned as well. There stood before him were his three best friends: Maddy, Zeke, and Hannah. The boy smiled and walked up to them.

"Thank you everyone…for holding out for me."

Maddy waved off the remark with a smirk, "Ah, no sweat! Besides we're your best pals!"

Hannah nodded, "That's right! We always look out for one another, especially you and Miu!" Miu could not help a shy smile.

Zeke chuckled, "It seems you have finally found what is necessary to find yourself…am I right?"

Hannah and Maddy turned to Zeke with a confused look. He calmly smiled.

"It's time for Longinus to go…"

Maddy slowly turned to Longinus and stared right into his emerald eyes. To Maddy's pain, truth lingered in them. Hannah turned as well and walked up to him. She was hesitant as she gazed deeply into Longinus' emerald eyes.

"You've…got to go now…don't you?" she asked. Longinus' smile was hinted with sorrow as he nodded. Hannah tried to smile, "it was something you've always talked about…about figuring out where you came from…"

"Yes…there is something I have to do…but in order for that to happen…I'll be leaving Oceana City for some time…"

Maddy had a dark and hostile look on his face.

"I can't believe you'll leave us behind just like that…you make me sick, you know that?"

Longinus lightly chuckled, "And I'll miss you too, Maddy…"

Maddy felt as if a knife stabbed his heart and he lurched away. He dared not show his face as a single drop of tear rolled down his cheek. Longinus watched him in understanding.

Hannah choked on approaching tears, "That means…we won't be together anymore…" Longinus turned to her as she fought back her sadness, "We…won't see you anymore…we won't talk with one another anymore…we…we…"

A pair of hands rested on Hannah's shoulder and she jumped with surprise. She looked up to stared directly into Longinus' eyes.

"I'm sorry to leave everyone with such short notice. I've made a promise to someone and I plan to keep it…And I promise to you…I'll come back and see you all again…"

Hannah breath was unsteady as she fought back her pain. Unable to withstand it, she let her tears out and tightly embraced Longinus with all her might. She bawled out her tears as she held onto him, not wanting to let him go.

That was when another pair of arms wrapped around both of them. Longinus turned and gazed at Miu. She solemnly smiled and she held both him and Hannah tighter with her arms.

Suddenly, two more people embraced the small huddle. Longinus blankly stared at Maddy and Zeke as they hugged him, Hannah, and Miu together. A drop of tear broke out of Longinus' eye as he could not help but wish to stay with them.

"I'm going to miss you, Longinus…" uttered Hannah.

"Best of luck to you, our friend…" smiled Zeke.

"Don't get yourself killed…a man has to keep to his promises…" muttered Maddy.

Longinus nodded as tears fell, "Thank you…"

Aegis turned away from the sight and merely stared at the ground. Without a word, a single bead of water fell onto the floor, right next to his shoes. He silently wiped away a patch of soot from under his right eye.

"If he is what King Mickey* said he'll be…then I hope I will see her free again very soon…"

Soon, Hannah, Maddy, and Zeke broke away from Longinus and Miu. They all stared at one another with both sad and cheerful faces. After a long and silent moment, Longinus slowly turned with Miu and strode off towards Aegis.

The three friends stood their ground, but their hearts urged them to chase after the fleeing image of Longinus. They wanted to call out his name, but their conscious knew it was better to not. Despite all the wishes they want to come true, they only wanted Longinus and Miu to stay.

"Longinus!" Maddy and Zeke turned to Hannah, who stood in between them. She ignored her conscious as she took one step forward, "we'll always be together, right?!"

Longinus came to a halt when he stood right behind Aegis. He and Miu turned to look at Hannah with quiet gazes. Maddy and Zeke turned to them as Hannah leaned forward for a hopeful answer.

Longinus smiled as his emerald green eyes and dawn-golden hair glimmered under the setting sun's rays.

"We'll always be together…by the power of our hearts."

Miu grinned and waved back, "Together! Always!"

A wide smile appeared on Hannah's face. Maddy and Zeke exchanged hopeful glances and hung their arms around one another.

After a smile, Longinus and Miu turned. Aegis merely glimpsed at them from off his shoulder. He then turned and stepped into the key-holed portal. He soon vanished in a flash of green light.

Longinus and Miu exchanged gazes at one another. They both smiled at one another and held each other's hands.

Together they leapt into the portal, where the world disappeared in a burst of light.

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Author's Notes

King Mickey: Disney's greatest mascot, Mickey Mouse. From the "Kingdom Hearts" series, he appears as a King who fights with Sora and his friends to save Kingdom Hearts.