Aura's new look:
www.fav.me/d6zt7ll

Aura's weapon; Harmonic Wave:
www.fav.me/d6crpql

Marie:
www.fav.me/d6ztad8

A/N:
I believe we will get this story done in 15 chapters, haha.

Chapter Fourteen

ȶ

Got it memorized?

"Axel!" Xigbar shouted. Riku and Marie both watched as Axel appeared from the fog, and he had Sora in one hand, while holding his chakram in the other. Aura took a closer look at him, and she shook her head—that was not Axel. The marks underneath his eyes disappeared, and something was different.

"Axel? Please. The name's Lea—got it memorized?" he replied. Marie and Aura both gasped, was it possible that Axel returned as Lea? They continued to watch as Xigbar told him he was not supposed to show up, but Lea had promises to keep. He had friends to protect, and he looked down towards Aura, and promised to himself that he had to come back to his best friend. He looked at Xehanort. "Bad timing? Sorry, you guys forgot to write a sequel to this script."

Xigbar looked at Xehanort, and asked what they needed to do, since they were running out of time. Xehanort just smirked, and watched as one of the members attacked Lea. He blocked the attack with his chakram, and a force of air pulled the hoodie off the person's head. Lea gasped when he came face-to-face with Isa, and even Marie gasped when she saw him. However, the man could not speak—he was a berserker, and Lea was able to escape along with Mickey and Riku. Aura tripped over the member holding her back, and Marie concentrated her powers to blind her capture. They all gathered back on to the platform, and Riku asked why he was back, calling him Axel.

"No, I told you my name's—Agh, whatever, Axel, fine. Now let's get outta here!" he replied. Mickey turned and agreed, but one of Ansem's heartless appeared and grabbed Riku and Mickey. Marie and Aura quickly brought out their weapons and prepared to fight, but stopped when they heard Donald and Goofy falling from the sky. They landed on the heartless' head, who let go of Riku and the king.

"Were we supposed to do that?" Donald groaned as he fell flat on his stomach. Goofy thought so, but he had a huge bump on his head. Marie gasped along with the king, and they were both excited to see them.

"Donald! Goofy! It's good to see you two!" Marie exclaimed. The members of Organization XIII started disappearing, and Xehanort told them that neither the union of light nor darkness could be achieved. However, he warned that when they were both united that they would finish at the fated place. He started disappearing with the rest, and once they were gone, it was just the crew. Marie took a huge sigh of relief, but Aura turned around to find her disappearing as well. She pointed it out, and Marie looked down at herself.

"Why are you disappearing?" Goofy asked, sad to have their meeting short-lived. Marie shook her head, and just giggled out lout. They did not understand why she was giggling, but she explained it to them.

"It's more than likely that since we're done here, I'll be going back to Radiant Garden," she said. Riku asked if she had been there the whole time, and she nodded, stating that she was trying to look for information on her parents and Trinity, but found a whole lot more by visiting the dream world. "Don't worry, I'll see you guys soon enough. Once I gather whatever I have at Radiant Garden, I'll be at…?"

"The Mysterious Tower, we're all located there I'm assuming?" Aura looked around and the rest nodded. She turned back to Marie, and smiled at the girl. "We'll be waiting for you."

Marie nodded and disappeared right after that. The rest of the team returned to reality, leaving behind the nightmare that Sora was dreaming.

-Back to reality-

Back at the tower, Yen Sid sat down and started thinking on the current events. Donald, Goofy and Mickey all stood around Riku and Aura as they bent down to check on Sora. Lea was leaning against the bookshelf across from the rest with his head hanging low. They watched as Sora slept, and Mickey wondered if his heart was sleeping, too. Yen Sid told them that this was not the same deal, and Riku asked if there was anything they could do.

"In your Mark of Mastery exam, you were to unlock seven sleeping keyholes. By doing so, you would awaken those worlds from their prison of slumber, and also acquire the power to free a heart from its sleep," Yen Sid explained. Aura got up from bending over and crossed her arms, wondering where the old coot was going with his speech. "Riku, you unlocked those keyholes within Sora's dreams. Therefore, it stands to reason that you now have the power to awaken Sora's heart."

Mickey asked if Riku had to dive back into Sora's sleep, stating that his heart was in the deepest, darkest abyss. If Riku were not careful, he would be trapped down there with him. Aura suggested sending in Marie, since she was also in training and could stand the darkness considering she was a being of light. Mickey still did not want to risk either of them, and wanted to go instead.

"While you and Marie may very well succeed, there is no denying that Riku stands the better chance, having dived into Sora's heart as long as he has," he told them. Aura furrowed her eyebrows together and asked how she was able to meet Sora in the dream world, but Yen Sid was able to explain. "You said that you met an emotion of Marie's while there, which to me, explains that emotion had strong ties to Sora. While she could not send Riku to see him, as he was unlocking keyholes within the boy, she was able to send you to him. Perhaps a goal of hers was to have you help Sora through his ordeal."

"In the hopes that Marie might be able to link with him through both of us," Aura replied. Yen Sid nodded and Aura just chuckled as she placed her hands on her hips. "Even when they're apart, Marie is always looking for a way to be with Sora and help him."

Riku chuckled and agreed, knowing that Marie would do almost anything for Sora, but for her friends as well. He looked over to Mickey and then to Donald and Goofy, and while they all were depressed about Sora's condition, Riku appreciated the effort Mickey gave. He would go and wake Sora up, and Mickey protested, but the silver-head just chuckled as he looked at Sora, and spoke.

"Look at his face. Sleeping like nothing's wrong—like there's nothing to even worry about. He's always been like that," he explained. He smiled and looked at Mickey, Donald and Goofy as he continued. "Whenever I wanted him to meet Marie, he was always taking a nap or chasing butterflies. On the other hand, when he, Kairi and I wanted to build the raft this guy would go take a nap on the beach. You see, it's my job to keep him on his toes."

"Besides, what sort of Keyblade Master sleeps through his test? I'm doing this for me, too," he continued. He looked back at Sora and had a soft expression on his face. "Sora saved me once. And… I heard him call my name."

Mickey hummed, and told them that there was something strong that brought them all to each other. Even in the darkness, Riku could reach Sora; all he had to do was follow that connection. Donald and Goofy agreed they were connected to Sora, even Lea bumped in saying that if he were lost in the darkness he would bail him out. Aura closed her eyes for a moment, and Riku walked up to her. When she opened them, she smiled at him.

"Please be safe, Riku," she said. He smiled at her, and still wondered where her heart was at this point. Roxas was still gone, but now that Lea was in the picture he really wondered. She tilted her head to the side in a quizzing way, and asked if he was all right. He shook his head—he needed to be upfront about this.

"I just want to know where your heart has been lately, it seemed to be everywhere." He looked away, embarrassed, and Aura just giggled. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and simply told him that if he came back safe, she would let him know. He smiled, and happily nodded.

"Go in there and save Sora, or… you might not hear the end of it from Marie." He laughed when she said this, and nodded at everyone. He walked a bit from them and brought out his Keyblade as he pointed it at Sora. A portal appeared and he looked over to everyone again, who all nodded and gave him a smile. He disappeared into the heart of Sora, and they all hoped he would be able to wake Sora from his sleep. Aura crossed her arms and turned around, and came into eye contact with Lea. She motioned her head at the door, and slowly made her way out of the room. Donald and Goofy watched her as she did, and they looked over to Lea.

"We'll… be right back," Lea said as he watched Aura leave the room. He scratched the back of his head, noting that Aura still had not changed all that much. Donald and Goofy smiled, because they knew of the bond Aura had with Lea, and were glad that she had him back. They returned their looks towards Sora after, and let them hash out their dealings. Once outside the room, Lea stopped walking when he saw Aura's back facing him, and he sighed. "Back to square one?" he asked, laughing awkwardly.

He stopped laughing when he heard sniffles, and when he looked at Aura her shoulders were jerking a bit. His expression softened, and he slowly walked up to the brunette girl. He was not sure how she would react, but his instincts acted up, and he opened up his arms and turned Aura around as he wrapped them around the girl's shoulder. Her arms were still crossed, but she did not attempt to pull him off, so he hugged her tighter. He really missed her—down to her angry episodes, all the way up to her happy, cheery moments. She sighed, and quickly found herself hugging him in return.

"I missed you so much," she whispered. She closed her eyes and hugged him tighter—almost as if she were afraid that he would leave again. "I didn't think you'd ever come back. I was sure that was it… but I couldn't get you out of my mind."

"I kind of have that effect," he said, but received a light punch from the girl. She chuckled and he rubbed his chest where she punched him and spoke, "But I missed you, too."

She let go of the hug, and she gave one of those smiles that she showed way from back in the day when they were all still in Organization XIII, and he could not help but smile. Always and forever best friends, they thought. She started laughing and roughly punched his arm—to which he winced and grabbed it. "What the heck?" he questioned.

"Remember the letter I wrote you? Well, I just owe it the beating I said I was going to give you," she winked. He chuckled and rubbed his arm, this Aura was a mixture of both the old and new one, and it was a perfect combination. Her cheery personality, added with that fiery attitude of hers—and he knew a lot about fire. He returned to the room, and was glad to be with his best friend.

-Riku-

Riku dived into Sora's sleep and made his way through various memories the boy held deep inside his heart. There were memories he had with Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, his parents and himself. There were memories of when he first met Marie, and memories if their friendship before it developed into a relationship. There were memories of bad times they all had, and memories of just being Sora and meeting all of the people he met during his past adventures. He eventually found himself down towards the abyss, and wondered if he was in Sora's dream. He turned around and encountered an armored person, and he quickly took out his keyblade and prepared for battle.

It was not a very long fight; instead, it was mostly having a series of duels and blocking attacks. For some reason, the armor was holding back some, but Riku persisted and fought the armor. When it showed signs of fatigue, he quickly attacked it a couple of times, until it stopped moving. The helmet started to crack, and from the armor appeared Sora. Riku gasped and called out to his friend, he ran over to his side, but Sora kept falling into the darkness. Soon enough, he was out of sight, and Riku lowered his head. However, the Keyblade that belonged to the armor changed into the Kingdom Key, and Riku was determined to find his best friend. He grabbed the Keyblade and pointed towards the floor, where stood the station of awakening. A keyhole appeared, and Riku used the Keyblade and opened up the lock. A bright light appeared, and transformed the whole area into something similar to both Riku and Sora. He found himself on Destiny Islands, and took in the fresh air that his home had to offer. When he turned around, he saw Roxas standing there, and was surprised to see him.

"What is it that you're so afraid of?" he asked. Riku took a moment to think, but eventually told him that he was afraid of losing something that was important. Roxas vanished, but Riku kept going. He walked along the sand, and eventually met someone who looked like Roxas, but dressed slightly different from the kid. He knew who he was, but could not put his finger on it.

"What is the one thing you care about more than anything else?" he asked. Riku quickly replied that he cared about his closest friends—that included Marie, Kairi, Aura, the three musketeers and even Ryan. The kid disappeared, and again, Riku questioned what was going on. He looked towards the Paopu tree, and thought he saw Sora. He quickly ran towards the tree, and met a girl with black hair who sported the black coat.

"Riku, what do you wish?" she asked him, which annoyed Riku. He sighed and wondered what was going on with the questions, but decided to answer nonetheless. He stood where he normally stands when he was at the Paopu tree, and crossed his arms. He stared out into the ocean, and told her that he wished to recover something important that he lost. A bright light blinded him for a moment, and he found himself standing by the shore. He looked out into the water, and found a bottle drifting ashore. It stopped by his feet and he picked it up, and eventually heard a voice.

"You were not the visitor I expected." Riku turned around and gasped when he saw DiZ—Ansem the wise, walking towards him. He asked what he was doing in Sora's heart, and he told him that he wanted to atone for events of the past, even if no apology could undo the harm he brought. He felt that he ought to leave something behind, and told Riku that he digitized himself and left it inside Sora. Riku asked if the content inside the bottle was data, and Ansem agreed. "A clue, I hope, to finding yourselves or your lost friends in your hour of need."

He continued by saying how the heart was quick to grow, saying that Nobodies were not different from those like Sora or Riku. He explained how Sora was able to return to his human form without having to destroy his Nobody, and was a statement to the love in his heart for other people and the bonds that tied them together. "Perhaps… he has the power to bring back the hearts and existences of those connected to him—to recreate people we thought were lost to us forever," he said.

He further explained how Sora had a child's heart—seeing the good before the bad, and made a small joke about how Marie was the same. However, Sora was the one who touched countless hearts, and whenever a connection was broken, he was able to mend it. Whether these hearts were in the depths of his heart, or basked in the warmth of it, all Sora had to do was be himself, and go wherever his heart would take him. Moreover, the best way, was inside the bottle. Riku thanked him, and Ansem nodded, asking why he was inside Sora's heart. Riku told him that he needed to wake the boy, and Ansem was baffled that he fell asleep again.

"Never fear. Sora is safe," he told Riku. The boy was confused, but Ansem told him that by defeating the nightmare imprisoning Sora, Riku freed him. Riku was shocked, but Ansem told him that when he came to the islands, was asked three questions by three young people—which was the final key to awakening him. He was awake, and Riku could go home. He thanked Ansem, and brought out the kingdom key and used it to unlock his way.

-Reality-

Aura, Lea, Mickey and Yen Sid watched over Riku as he twitched in his sleep. He fluttered his eyes opened, and quickly rose and yelled out Sora's name. Aura jumped, as she was closest to him, but quickly laughed as Riku looked over to his right.

"Hey, Donald! Come on, you're hogging it all!"

"Aw, calm down, Sora, and drink your tea," Donald replied to the boy. Goofy laughed and commented on how yummy the food was, and when Riku called out to him, he turned around and took off the hat and novelty glasses. He smiled and was extremely happy that Riku was safe. He jumped down to give Riku a hug and almost suffocated the poor silver-head.

"Wait, haven't we got this backwards? And why are you having a tea party?" Riku asked. Sora just jumped his friend and shouted that he was safe, and when Riku looked at Aura, she just shrugged her shoulders. "Ah, never mind," he said as he slapped his forehead. He asked Sora if he was all right, and the boy told him that he heard his voice as he slept, and thanked him from the bottom of his heart—he thanked everyone, actually.

"Oh yeah! Did we pass the test?" Sora asked. Yen Sid told them that they both performed admirably, and the two of them quickly jumped off from the floor and returned to the front of Yen Sid's desk. Lea returned to leaning against the bookshelf, with Aura standing a few steps in front of him as they watched. Donald, Goofy and Mickey stood at their regular spot beside Yen Sid.

"More than anything, I am grateful to have you both back from Xehanort's deception unharmed. And I am grateful to Lea, who had turned the tides, and to Aura, who has kept a watchful eye on both of you," Yen Sid said as he looked to them both. They smiled and Aura gave a small wave as she nodded. Yen Sid apologized for not being able to sense the danger, and told them that the experience has revealed many hidden truths and that they needed to prepare themselves for the clash against darkness. "I believe we need a new Keyblade Master, one with a new kind of power."

"Sora and Riku, you both deserve the honor. However, only one of you braved the realm of sleep again, to unlock the final keyhole and save a friend," Yen Sid looked over to the boys, and turned his head to only one of them. "Riku, I name you our new true Keyblade Master."

Sora jumped his friend after a moment of silence, and Riku was surprised that he was glad. The brunette always knew that Riku would pass with flying colours, and Goofy commented on how he sounded like he passed. Donald said that he still needed some practice, and Sora yelled at him. "Really? I'm a Keyblade Master?" Riku said in disbelief.

"Congratulations, Riku," Mickey said as he walked up to him. He stuck out his hand for Riku to shake, and he hesitated for a bit before doing so, still in disbelief that it was he who passed. He owed it to his friends, looking at every one of them, and Lea smirked.

"Ah, I'll catch up with ya in no time flat," he said. Both Sora and Aura were in shock, and Sora asked if he wanted to become a Keyblade master. Lea stood from his post, and waved his hand around. "Yeah, I mean I came here to learn how to wield one."

"You!?" Sora and Riku shouted in unison. Lea thanked them for the vote of confidence, saying how he was going to come in with Keyblade in hand, but could not get the blade to materialize.

"Must be in the snap of the wrist or something," he said. He looked over to Aura, and she imitated the motion she used to call out her old Keyblade. She did it again, but this time Lea followed her instructions, and surprisingly, a Keyblade appeared.

"WHOA!" the whole lot, minus Aura, shouted. She scratched the back of her head and sighed. Men were so easily entertained, she thought, but she was glad that Lea was on their side for once, and glad that he could wield his own Keyblade.

-x-

"Do you really have to leave?" Goofy asked Sora as they whole lot, minus Lea and Yen Sid, stood outside the tower. Sora told them that he did doze off, and that he just had some things to take care of. Donald asked if he was going to be okay, and Sora nodded, saying he would not be long.

"Sora, are you sure you don't wanna wait until Marie gets here? I'm sure she'd be happy to see you," Aura asked, hoping he would stay. In truth, she really admired Sora, and she now knew that he was capable of almost anything, and she really did not give him enough credit.

"I know, and I'd be thrilled if I could see her, but she did come to see me," he replied. He gave a big smile, and was actually thankful to have a girl like Marie in his life. In the midst of her own training, she stopped to help Riku and Aura out… and to help Sora. "But I wanna come back when I've taken care of things, and I can't wait to come back when she's a Keyblade Master herself. For now, that letter will do."

Aura held onto the letter that he wrote for Marie, and she nodded as he smiled at her. Mickey told him to be careful, with Riku adding to be very careful. Sora smiled and told them that he would see them soon. He turned from them and brought out his Keyblade as he pointed it towards the sky. A keyhole was created, and a bright light appeared from Sora's blade. It beamed through the hole, and another light surrounded him.

He smiled, knowing that he would be okay, knowing that when he came back everyone would welcome him warmly.

Chapter fourteen, done! Time for the epilogue!