"Riku, come on! You have to get up NOW!" Roxas shook Riku's limp body, fearfully glancing back every now and then. "RIKU!"

Riku bolted awake, gasping. "Kairi? Where's Kairi-"

"I can't get our cage open!" Riku looked at Roxas incredulously. Then he yelled "YOU HAVE A KEYBLADE YOU IDIOT!" Riku pushed Roxas aside as he got up and aimed his Keyblade at the lock on their cage's door. The beam entered the lock, but there was no click. It faded away moments later.

"Roxas, where's Kairi?" Riku harshly yelled at him. Roxas looked away, then pointed behind Riku. Riku blinked, then followed Roxas's hand.

"KAIRI!" he screamed, throwing himself against the cold metal. Kairi was bound to a stake next to Esmeralda. "Riku, help!"

Riku frustratedly tried opening the lock again, which he now noted was a light lavender-ish silver. "Open you stupid lock!" he hissed.

"Riku, I don't think the Keyblade can open it-"

"It's the stinking KEYBLADE! It can and it will!" again and again the Keyblade's beam entered the lock and flickered away. "Come on! Come on!"

After several attempts, Riku unsummoned his Keyblade and slumped to the floor. "It's not working..." he then brought it back and slammed it against the metal. It bent, but not enough for it to be an effective means of getting out.

Riku leaned against his prison, doing his best to hide his shame. "First Sora... Now Kairi..." He sat there, numb to the world. "...Death!..." rang around in his ears and lingered like poison. "Sora... Kairi..." he repeated sorrowfully. Kairi started screaming for help, and that's when Roxas dashed beside Riku.

"Kairi! Don't worry we'll help you!" He banged against the cage, doing little more than slightly bending it. "Riku come on! I can't do this alone!" Roxas suddenly stopped. "That's..." he whispered, awestruck "Riku it's...!" Riku raised his head and gasped

"SORA?"

Swinging down from the highest bells of Notre Dame was the familiar bell ringer, along with the spiky-haired hero that all had thought to be lost. They both landed on the platform, undid Kairi and Esmeralda's bonds, and fended off the guards that came to stop them.

Sora was wielding his Keyblade one handed, the other keeping Kairi on his shoulder. He was fighting hard, but eventually became surrounded.

"Hey Quasi where's that- OH COME ON!" Sora briefly stopped when he realized that Quasimodo had continued to get Esmeralda to safety without him. He shook his head, and began backing away from the guards. He stopped at the edge, spears aimed at him and Kairi from every angle.

Frollo, glaring at the sudden hero, approached.

"I do hope you know you're interfering with justice." the elderly man spat.

Sora laughed

"Justice? Justice? Is that what you call this?" he held his Keyblade at him "This isn't justice. Justice is when everyone gets a fair trial-"

Quasimodo called from the top of the cathedral "SANCTUARY!"

"-Justice is when no one gets hurt unless they deserve it-"

"SANTCUARY!"

"-Justice doesn't involve your twisted prejudices and desires!"

"SANCTUARY!"

Sora then back-flipped off the stage, adding "By the way: you DO NOT hurt my girlfriend and get away with it!" he swiped away a few guards as he ran over to Riku and Roxas.

"Riku were you CRAZY?" Riku didn't notice Sora's scolding and breathlessly whispered "Sora I thought-"

"Yes, yes, yes! I was pretty much dead, I get that, but you've gotten yourself in a bigger pickle!" Sora then peered at the lock "Hmm, never figured I'd see one of these again."

"What is it?" Roxas asked. Sora pulled out a small key-shaped device and inserted it. "I call it a sleeping keyhole. These things are one of the sparse items that can't be opened by the Keyblade, and are only found in the Realm of Sleep." the device then sprouted a panel with sliding tiles, which Sora began to rearrange "I guess this carried over because this place used to be sleeping, and someone mistook it for an ordinary lock. Now... move that to the left...up then right... do some stuff here... got it!" The lock vanished, its prisoners released.

"Now, to the battle-" Roxas was cut short by Sora "They can handle it. Let me just do one thing." he unlocked Pheobus's cage. Pheobus climbed on top of it and began a rousing speech

"For years Frollo has ransacked our towns,"

Sora dryly added "Yep,"

"persecuted our people,"

"Pretty much,"

"and now he has declared war on Notre Dame herself! WILL WE ALLOW IT?"

"NO!" The crowd roared, and soon the imprisoned gypsies were being freed left and right.

"And that should do it. We can get going now." Sora said. Riku spluttered "B-but they won't-"

"'Course they can. Their hearts will show them the right way."

"How do you know things will turn out right?"

Sora wasn't listening, now looking at the molten metal the poured out of Notre Dame "That's new."

"SORA! We have a full-blown war going on here!" Riku shook Sora's free shoulder. Sora took Riku's hand off of him and held Kairi in a bridal carry, her head resting limply against him. Sora leaned his head close to hers, looking worried. "I hope Kairi's okay..."

"SORA!" Riku and Roxas groaned. Sora gave them an annoyed glare "Guys, it'll work out, trust me." He then looked at Notre Dame expectantly "...3...2...1!"

There was a falling figure along with a scream that was unmistakably Frollo's. Sora then triumphantly smiled back at Riku and Roxas "Now we can leave." and he began making his way to the Highwind.

Sora placed Kairi in one of the Gummiship's chairs, still limp and unconscious. He knelt by her, holding her hand.

"Come on Kairi... You can't give up now." he pleaded. Riku put in the coordinates for autopilot to follow, then joined Sora.

"I'm sorry... I..."

"It's okay Riku... you... you couldn't have seen this coming..." and that's when Riku realized Sora was crying.

Sora stood, and wrapped his arms around Kairi, holding her close and running his hand through her hair. "Kairi, please. Don't give up now, not when we're so close..."

Roxas suddenly got up from his seat and went below, tugging his already high collar higher. Riku reluctantly followed, giving Sora a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Sora sat in the chair, cradling Kairi and softly mourning for her passing. "Kairi, I am so sorry..."

But then Sora stopped.

He listened closely, and found that Kairi was shallowly breathing. His sorrow melted into joy, and he began gently shaking Kairi "Kairi. Kairi, you're safe now..."

Kairi's eyes flickered open

"...Sora...?"

Sora then held on to her even tighter "Yes, it's me Kairi." Kairi closed her eyes again, whispering

"I knew you'd come back..."

"I always do..."

and the two ended up falling asleep in each others arms.

Daaaw for the SoKai. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this!