Chapter 35 – Liberation

The wind whistled past Sora's ears as he flew into the realm, no, the prison where his friends were being kept. Darkness surrounded him, but the light was a part of him now. It was radiating off of him and lighting up everything in his path.

He wasn't afraid anymore. He knew he would find his friends. He would find them and he would take them back. Xehanort had no claim on them anymore. They were his. He had won them back through every trial he'd endured, every battle he'd fought, every sacrifice he'd made.

And now it was time they returned to his side.

There, below him. A bunch of gold and silver bars stretched out in every direction, the first level of the prison created to keep his friends trapped inside the χ-blade. He summoned his Keyblade and pointed it right at the bars.

"Let them go!" he commanded, and the prison gate was destroyed before his very eyes, the metal bars snapping like they were toothpicks. He cast them away into the darkness.

Speaking of which... "Light!" he called. There. He could see down into the χ-blade now, but it was still cold. "Make it warm!" he shouted, and just like that he no longer felt like he was on Arandelle and about to freeze to death.

Maybe this whole connecting hearts thing wasn't overrated after all, he thought with a grin. All the hearts that had ever existed were connected to his right now. They were lending him their power and strength in a way that probably would have blown his mind if whatever he'd become didn't also have a brain that could handle all the knowledge running through it.

Other than the hurt in his heart from losing his friends, he still hadn't hit any sort of roadblock or limit to his new powers, either, and that was both scary and pretty awesome. And right now he knew just what he wanted to do with that power.

Heart pounding, he flew into the light side of the χ-blade and landed on the first level. The floor was circular like a Heart Station, and Aqua and Terra were trapped inside it, holding hands with their eyes closed. All around them were symbols of their Wayfinder charms and pictures of their childhood together. They were floating suspended in some kind of liquid, and light flowed out of their hearts and to the outer edge of the circle through vine-like wires. Those wires were connected to the gold and silver bars surrounding this level, and Sora knew just by looking that they were feeding off of Terra and Aqua's hearts.

Not anymore. Those bars were destroyed in seconds.

"Terra, Aqua! This was your fight long before it was mine! Help me finish it!"

Sora plunged his Keyblade into the center of their prison, and it shattered into thousands of pieces. The vines trapping them fell away and the liquid poured out till the dark glass floor beneath them had cleared. They coughed as their eyes blinked open and the liquid left their noses and mouths.

"Sora?" Terra said, his eyes filled with wonder as he looked up at him.

Sora grinned. It felt good to finally have the power to do this. To free his friends.

"Sora!" Aqua cried. She and Terra both tackled him in a hug that sent him sprawling, and he gathered them in his arms and refused to let go.

Yeah, this felt great. Two holes in his heart were getting mended right now, filled when Aqua kissed his cheek and Terra ruffled his hair. But then they exchanged looks with each other, and what should have been a happy moment was weighed down by their shame.

"Sora, we're sorry about what happened—"

Sora shushed them loudly and brought them back into his arms. "Xehanort lost the moment he thought it would be a good idea to kill me. Do you really think I'm upset about that right now?"

Yeah, dying had been pretty awful, but coming back to life? Feeling his heart beat again, the air rush through his lungs, the blood pump through his veins as countless people called his name and commanded him to live again?

Awesome. And it was why he could hold Terra and Aqua like this.

It was worth it. It was worth every moment.

"Help me," he said, finally letting go to look at their dear faces. "Help me save the rest of our friends."

Sure, he could do it all himself. But he wanted their help.

They agreed, and he took their hands in his. They were powerful on their own, but they were about to get a lot more powerful. Their eyes swirled with light, and together the three of them broke through this level and flew down to the one below it. The one where Naminé was trapped.

The platform was circular again, but instead of being suspended in water, Naminé was bound by silver chains. They were wrapped around her wrists and ankles and neck, and with a start Sora noticed they were coming out of her chest and binding her to the platform.

Her eyes were closed, and all around her were blue forget-me-nots and pieces of paopu fruit. Maybe it was because they were on a deeper level, but Sora sensed that freeing her would be more difficult than freeing Terra and Aqua had been.

Well, good thing they were here with him.

"Terra, Aqua, now!"

Terra destroyed the barrier surrounding Naminé with one hit, and Aqua shattered the chains in one slash. They stared at their Keyblades and then at each other before looking at Sora.

He just grinned. "Might take some getting used to, huh?" Then he kneeled and healed the place in Naminé's heart where the chains had connected her to the platform. "Naminé, your powers can set Xehanort's Seekers free. Join us!"

He hadn't forgotten about Lea or the other Seekers. But saving the ones who wanted to be saved would take extra effort, and while he could do it himself, there was something very right about doing it through Naminé instead.

Naminé's eyes fluttered open. "Sora," she said, taking his outstretched hand. He brought her to her feet, and she took one look at him before wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm okay," he promised, putting his arms around her. "I'm okay."

"Sora, I'm so sorry—"

"It wasn't your fault."

Would all his friends blame themselves for what had happened? Surely they knew Sora never would.

"I can't even see all the connections to you anymore," Naminé said, when the hug had ended. "There are just too many."

"I can fix that," he said, and he wrapped his pinkie around hers and showed her. He showed her what he could see, the limitless possibilities inside his head, the true reality living inside his heart. Her eyes went wide with wonder. A light shone in them, and he wondered if that light was a reflection of the light inside him, because Terra and Aqua had that same light in their eyes now, too.

"See?" he said. "Everything's gonna be okay because we're gonna fix it. Together we'll mend everyone's hurt and put an end to their suffering."

"Right," she said, a radiant smile spreading across her face that matched the one on his. And with that another hole in his heart had just been filled.

The four of them flew to the next platform. Riku and the King were trapped here, one on each side. Their eyes were closed, and Riku was wrapped in branches of darkness and the King in tendrils of light. Their backs were attached to the edges of the platform, like it was feeding off them directly. Paopu fruit and crowns were spread all around them, and their arms and legs were at weird angles.

As soon as Sora and the others landed, the bars of the prison tried to entrap Terra, Aqua, and Naminé.

"Enough!" Sora commanded, and that was that. The bars were gone. But the χ-blade was resisting him more and more the deeper they went, making it harder and harder to free his friends.

"Together, everyone!" The barrier around Riku and the King shattered. Out of the darkness surrounding Riku popped a group of Neoshadow Heartless, their big yellow eyes staring up at Sora.

"Get out!" he commanded, and their hearts floated back up to Kingdom Hearts. The others cleared away the light and darkness keeping Riku and the King trapped, and then Sora took a deep breath. "Riku, I can't do this without you," he said, crouching by his friend's sleeping form. "You've gotta help me."

And then Riku was awake and the World was starting to feel whole again.

"Riku!" Terra, Aqua, and Naminé all cried at once. He had the biggest smile on his face as he saw them all there, and Sora threw his arms around him. He didn't even complain or act all awkward about it this time. He just hugged him back, his grip solid and real as it healed another hole in Sora's heart.

"I was getting worried," he finally said, giving Sora a half grin and punching him in the arm. "I told you not to give up, but there you were, sulking at the bottom of a pit somewhere. You're lucky you've got me for a Dream Eater, you know."

"I know," Sora said, checking Riku's arms and back for any damage and healing it as quickly as he could. "Thanks for sending them to get me out of there."

"Well, I suggested they pay you a visit, yeah," he said. "But I think Meow Wow would have found you on his own. You've got his loyalty for life."

Sora smiled. "Yeah." Then he glanced towards the King sleeping a little ways away. "Your Majesty, I need your help, too. Wake up!"

The King's eyes flew open. He sprung to his feet and sent himself hurtling towards Sora, who laughed and caught him.

"We're pals, Sora. Call me Mickey." He'd never looked at Sora with so much pride in his eyes, and knowing he'd made Mickey proud filled another hole in Sora's heart. "Besides, you're more of a king than I could ever be."

Sora shook his head. "Not yet. A king can't rule without his people. Help me get the rest of them back."

"Of course." Then Mickey went over to Riku to give him a hug, and Sora did the same thing to them that he'd done to the others. He lent them his power and boosted their natural abilities, and the light filled their eyes as a sign of his connection.

Riku gave a low whistle as he summoned his Keyblade and looked at it. "Wow. This is just… Wow."

"Gosh, this is a lot more power than I've ever had," Mickey said.

"Yeah, it's something else." Terra grinned. "Even your normal blows can destroy solid metal bars."

Sora could sense he and Aqua were getting impatient. They wanted to find Ven. Well, he should be on the next level.

"Ready, everyone?" Sora asked, taking Naminé's hand on one side and Aqua's on the other. They linked hands with everyone else, and with that, they broke through this level and flew down to the next one.

They couldn't even see the platform encasing Ven because a great blob-like shadow creature was covering it. Sora sent light surging through all of them and they slammed their Keyblades into it as they landed. It shrieked at the attack, its voice unearthly. Fixing its yellow eyes on Mickey, it snarled and snapped at him as he dodged around it.

"Stop!" Sora commanded, and it froze. "Go back to where you came from."

And with that it disappeared into orbs of light that floated away. But Ven's platform still remained shrouded in shadow.

"You know what they say about getting close to the light," came a voice from the platform. They watched in horror as the darkness rose up and formed a shadow Ven before their very eyes, its eyes yellow and its voice a twisted combination of his and Vanitas's voices.

"Ven!" Aqua cried, and Terra had to hold her back.

"It's not him, Aqua! Look!" Terra said.

The shadow had revealed Ven's platform below them. Gusts of wind traveled through it, tugging at Ven's hair and clothes. He was surrounded by swirls of dust and pinned to the ground by old rusty Keyblades. One was at an odd angle through his heart, feeding the χ-blade his heart's power like it had with the others before Sora had freed them.

"You have no idea what he went through before he met you," the shadow Ven said to Terra and Aqua. "He has reconciled with Vanitas, and his memory of what happened before will return once he awakens."

"Of the Keyblade War, you mean," Sora said. He could see those memories now. Ven had been there. He'd seen it all unfold. He'd been a part of things no kid should ever have to go through.

But those memories were a part of him. They'd been stolen from him, wrenched away when Xehanort had torn Vanitas away from him. It wouldn't be right to keep them from him any longer.

"Ven, I can't make the pain from those memories go away. But I can help you bear it," Sora said softly.

"We can, too," Aqua said.

Terra nodded. "Let us help."

The shadow Ven smiled. "That's all I needed to hear." And with that, it, too, was gone.

Riku, Mickey, and Naminé broke the barrier sealing Ven and dealt with the dust and wind and Keyblades trapping him. Then Terra lifted him into his arms and Aqua pulled the Keyblade out of his heart and healed it.

"Ven, wake up," Sora said, taking Ven's limp hand in his. With his other hand he took Aqua's hand and put it over his, and Ven's eyes fluttered open, vivid blue in his pale face.

"I remember," he whispered. "My friends…" Tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Sora took on his heart's pain, sharing it with Terra and Aqua as they had requested. They were all crying now, crying for Ven's lost friends, crying for all that Ven had been through.

"We're here," Sora promised, tightening his grip. "You're not alone."

The hole in Sora's heart was mended as he healed the pain in Ven's. When Ven was finally feeling better, he asked Terra to set him down. Sora only had a couple of seconds to prepare himself before Ven flung himself into his arms with such force that they both went skidding across the floor, their shoes squeaking against its glassy surface.

"I knew it would be you," Ven said as Sora hugged him back. "From the moment I met you, you were opening your heart up to other people. Looking back, it seems pretty obvious. Who else would it have even been?" He let go to give Sora a smile. "Not Xehanort, that's for sure."

Sora rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it could have been." He remembered the voice's command to leave nothing to fate. And until the door had opened and he'd finally understood the true nature of Kingdom Hearts, he thought he was going to die for good after what Xehanort had done to him.

"Nah. It was always gonna be you."

Sora put his hand on Ven's shoulder and smiled. "Thanks for always believing in me, Ven. And now I need your help again. Some of our friends are still missing."

There was someone else still trapped in the χ-blade, too. She was the first to be taken from him, and he wouldn't rest until she was free.

What kind of king would he be, anyway, without his queen by his side?

Sora gave Ven his power. Sure enough, the same light within him swirled within Ven's eyes now, too.

"Woah, cool," Ven said, and everyone laughed.

"It won't take you long to get used to it, trust me," Riku said.

Sora looked around at all their smiling faces. This was what he wanted. This was what he was fighting for.

"We're almost there," he said. "Kairi was the first piece of the χ-blade, and she's going to be the hardest to save. Be prepared for anything."

Everyone joined hands, and they broke through this level and descended to the last level. Or at least they tried to, but it was covered in vines with enormous thorns. The brambles were so thick it soon became impossible to go any further, and this layer was encased in glass, so they couldn't just go around the thorns.

"Together, everyone!" Sora called.

They burned away the thorns, but that was just the first of their worries. The χ-blade had a mind of its own, determined not to let Sora free its final light. Water poured from above, submerging them all beneath it. Sora commanded it to go away, and soon they were all coughing and gasping for air on the slick wet floor, their noses and mouths dripping water. They couldn't see Kairi, either, because beneath the glass floor was a deep, dark pit.

And almost as soon as that onslaught had ended, a new form of torment preyed on Sora's mind.

Kairi's screams as a little girl, begging for her grandma. Her voice pleading with him to overcome Xehanort's possession. Her cries as she was ripped away from him.

"Enough!"

The walls shattered, and a hole opened up in the floor. The pit sprawled out beneath them, opening its gaping mouth in a way that was downright mocking.

You're her hero, aren't you? it seemed to whisper. Prove it. Come and get her, if you can.

"Wait here," Sora told the others. This was one rescue he was supposed to do alone. He took a deep breath and dove into the pit, and the darkness assaulted him on every side.

"Get off me!"

He fought his way deeper and deeper. This new darkness tried to claw at him, tried to find a place in his heart, but there was no place for it. The darkness inside him had already been balanced with the light and was at peace with it. This darkness wasn't supposed to be here. He cast it away till little by little it gave way to the light.

There. It was finally gone. He fell, fell, fell, until at last his feet touched solid ground. Kairi's platform. He cried out when he saw how she'd been trapped, confirming what he'd felt after she'd been taken from him. Those awful thorns from before were twisted around her arms and legs and chest. They pierced her skin and went straight through her heart, leeching off of all the light inside and using it to power the χ-blade, to form its base.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Her face was contorted in pain, and there were tears streaking her cheeks. Even in sleep she was suffering.

Not anymore. Sora destroyed the barrier himself and ripped the thorns away with his bare hands. Yeah, it hurt, but the satisfaction of doing it like that made it completely worth it. Plus he healed the damage to himself easily after healing all the places where the thorns had hurt her.

They were all gone now, and in their place was a bunch of red roses. He waded through them and knelt next to her, their soft petals brushing against his legs and their nice scent reaching his nose.

"Kairi, you've waited long enough. Come take your place by my side."

He waited for an agonizing moment.

Nothing. She didn't wake up.

He reached for her hand, but some invisible barrier kept him from touching her.

"Kairi," he said again, more gently this time. "What happened isn't your fault. I don't care about any of that. I just want you here with me."

He knew what this final barrier was for. The χ-blade hadn't made it. She had. And while he could destroy it, he wanted her to take it down instead.

"I know you're ashamed. I know you think this is all your fault. But I can't reach my full powers without you. My heart can't be fully restored until you're here by my side."

All this time, first one thing and then another and then another had kept them apart. He couldn't bear the thought that now, when all those obstacles were finally gone, she was the one keeping him away.

"Please." He reached for her hand again and felt a cold wall instead. "I thought – I thought I'd never feel your warmth again. I thought I wouldn't see your smile or hear your laughter anymore."

He thought of the moments leading up to his death, the regret and sorrow he'd felt over his impending separation from her.

That was the worst part about dying. Not the physical pain or the uncertainty of what would happen to him, but the heartbreak that came with believing he was leaving the people he loved behind.

Except that he hadn't. He'd come back for them. In the end, there was something much stronger than death. Death wasn't something to be feared.

He brushed his fingers across the barrier covering her face. It weakened under his touch, under his relentless gentleness. Right now, more than anything, he just wanted to hold her in his arms and cover her face and neck and hair with kisses. Then maybe she'd finally understand how much she meant to him.

"I'd rather die than lose you again," he told her. And that was the truth. He of all people could say that and really mean it.

A crack appeared beneath his hand. It was small, barely there, but he could see the barrier keeping them apart now. He caressed the part of it covering her cheek, remembering the moment she'd rested her cheek against his heart. The moment her magic had turned him human again.

What he wouldn't give to hold her in his arms again like that.

"Don't you see?" he said softly. "Whatever it takes to be with you again, I'm willing to pay the price." He smiled, something warm and tender lighting in his heart. "You mean more to me than anything."

In the end, strength and force and power weren't the answer. They never had been. This wasn't about light or darkness, either, though light was often an expression of it, and even darkness could be used to show it.

No, there was something much greater than all of those things, and it burned bright inside his heart and inside Kairi's heart.

And once Kairi decided she wanted the barrier gone, it didn't stand a chance. It shattered into pieces, disappearing into specs of shimmering light that gave way to her soft warmth. Tears filled his eyes as he choked out her name, his hand shaking as he cupped her cheek and tried to caress her face.

But the moment she opened her eyes and said his name, the χ-blade was gone, finished. It exploded into pieces all around them, and he had to grab onto her for dear life as chunks of bars and walls and floors fell away.

"I've got you," he promised, wrapping his arms around her and shielding her from the debris. He wasn't about to lose her now, not after everything he'd done to get her back.

Her arms went around him and she clung to him like she never wanted to let go. When she said his name again, just hearing her voice was enough to heal the places her loss had torn open inside him.

He wished he could show her. Turn his heart inside out and let her see what was inside it. Then maybe she would see how precious she was to him, how she was more than enough to overwhelm his heart even now. She was filling him up till he couldn't contain himself anymore, his love for her spilling over and sweeping them both under wave after wave of its warmth and light.

"You're alive," she said, as if she had to say it out loud to really believe it.

"Yeah." Every beat of his heart was proof enough of that.

"But you were dead," she said, her voice breaking. "I felt you die."

"I know. I'm sorry."

He hadn't wanted any of his friends to feel that. Especially not Kairi. But he'd needed their help to keep his body going long enough to do what had to be done. On his own he would have died before he could have opened the door.

She made a disbelieving noise. "Why are you apologizing when it's my fault you—"

"It is not your fault," he said, his grip around her tightening. "It's Xehanort's. I don't care what lies he's told you."

This wasn't how he'd wanted their reunion to go, robbed of joy when it should have been completely happy.

"Kairi, look at me," he urged.

She leaned back but didn't meet his gaze. Enough of that. He wasn't letting anything come between them anymore. Especially not whatever guilt and shame she might be feeling over what had happened.

Words weren't necessary. His body was proof enough that he was alive. He found her hand and guided it to his heart so she could feel his heartbeat for herself, then lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes.

"Tell me what you see," he said, cupping her cheek with his hand. His eyes always gave him away, and he knew this time wouldn't be any different.

"Light. Your eyes are filled with light."

That was true, but it wasn't at all what he'd been asking. It bothered him, that she was focusing on how he'd changed instead of seeing that he was still her Sora.

She continued her survey of him, her eyes traveling to his chest and taking in the places where his shirt was torn and his clothes were covered in his own blood. Not really his best look, but she'd seen worse.

Then her fingers found the scar where the light had knit his chest back together, its discolored bumpy ridge standing out against the rest of his skin. Xehanort had no claim on his friends anymore, and the proof of that was carved right there onto his body.

It was a small price to pay for what he'd gotten in return, really. But after Kairi's remark about his eyes, he knew he had to make one thing clear.

"I may look different, Kairi, but I'm still me. I promise."

No matter what happened, he was still the Sora she had grown up with. Still the Sora who had searched everywhere for her. Still the Sora who loved her with all his heart. And because he did, he had to defeat Xehanort once and for all. He was determined now more than ever to free her and the rest of his friends from Xehanort's influence for good.

She didn't say anything in response, just traced a path down the scar and back up again. Her touch was slow, gentle, and he closed his eyes and sighed, enjoying how good it felt. He was alive and she was alive, and never had that simple fact felt more real than it did right now.

Was it obvious how much he wanted her to touch him? Probably. Maybe dying had something to do with it, but as nice as it had been to hold her safe in his arms and as good as her tender caresses felt right now, it still wasn't enough to satisfy him.

He wondered what would be enough.

Well, he'd have to settle for this for now. They still had a war to win.

"It's not over yet," he said softly, opening his eyes. "Join me, will you? Take your place at my side and help me fight."

She pulled her hand away from his chest and fiddled with her necklace. "Do you really want me to?"

Her gaze was fixed on her shoes and he had to resist the urge to lift her chin to get her to look him in the eye again. Why couldn't she see that she had no reason to be ashamed? He couldn't get enough of her, but she kept shying away from him.

Was this… was this how she'd felt when he'd avoided her? Must've been. She wasn't the one keeping them apart before. That was all him. She was nothing but patient and understanding with him. It was only fair that he be patient with her, too.

Forcing her to be with him was no way to handle things. She had to come to him on her terms, and he had to reassure her however many times it took.

And he would. No way was he giving up on them now. Not after everything they'd been through. No, this would bring them together instead of driving them apart. He was sure of that. He just had to be patient.

Kairi spoke again. "What I mean is, after how things went last time—"

"Are you kidding? I want you here by my side always."

Her face flushed the way it always did when his honesty took her off guard. "Well, you are kinda hopeless without me," she said after a moment, defaulting to her usual teasing.

Good. If she could tease him, then everything would be okay.

"Yeah. I mean, I did die when you weren't there."

She made a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "You are not allowed to joke about that," she said sternly.

"No?" He grinned and held his arms wide. "Sorry, but I can't help it. I'm alive again, Kairi, and it feels pretty great."

"Don't stop, then," she said, the intensity of her voice taking him by surprise. "I… I thought I'd never see your smile again, and…"

"You'll get to see it a lot more from now on," he promised, his voice soft.

She looked up into his eyes. "Then that's what I'll be fighting for."

She finally smiled, and he smiled back. His hand found hers, and he really liked this whole no glove thing. It was nice to feel her hand in his without anything getting in the way.

Her eyes glowed with his light, and the deepest parts of his heart were restored as her light worked its magic on him.

Their friends flew down to them after that and cheered when they saw the two of them holding hands. Riku called her name, and she threw her arms around him as he laughed and hugged her. Then Naminé was there and the two girls were laughing and hugging and crying, and the rest of their friends joined in or cheered Sora on.

"You did it! You finally did it!" Ven crowed, flying over to give Sora a high five.

"I know! The χ-blade's gone!"

Ven shook his head and laughed. "Not that, silly! You finally told Kairi how much she means to you!"

Sora felt his face flush. Had they all been listening? Sheesh, the next time he said such tender things to Kairi he was going to make sure they were alone with no chance of interruptions. No way was he gonna tell her all the things he wanted to say or show her how much she meant to him with all their friends watching.

Besides, he was still missing parts of his heart, and he needed those parts, too. He cleared his throat and addressed the others.

"We still have other people we need to save. Roxas and Xion, wherever you are – Lea needs you!"

He waited a moment, and then their lights came flying to him through the darkness. He wrapped his arms around them, relieved that they were both safe and sound.

Thanks again, Lea, he thought. We're coming for you soon, I promise.

Saving Lea wouldn't have felt right without Roxas and Xion by his side. Now they were here, and he could work his power through them. That was how power like this should be used, after all.

Roxas was the first to let go, floating back a little to look at Sora. "Sora, you—"

"Died?" Sora said. Might as well cut to the chase, even if it made everyone uncomfortable. "Yeah. But I'm better now. Sorry you had to feel all that."

Xion let go, too, her eyes filled with concern, but he just grinned and ruffled her hair. He wondered if the light was radiating off his face now, as full as he was feeling right now.

He had to share it. He had to share his joy at getting them all back.

"You got to feel all the good stuff too though, right?" he asked.

She nodded. "We did. Roxas was so happy when you came back to life he started crying."

Roxas didn't protest, and Sora was glad. There was no shame in tears like that. There was no time for shame at all right now, just celebration.

Sora took Roxas's hands in his. "I guess that's okay, so long as they were happy tears."

"They were," Roxas said, giving his hands a squeeze. "You heard all our voices calling out to you, right?"

"Of course I did. I couldn't have stayed dead even if I'd wanted to."

Each and every one of their voices was precious, and the way everyone had said his name was unique, too. More memories he treasured in his heart now.

But his work still wasn't finished. "I meant what I said earlier," he said, looking first to Roxas and then to Xion. "Lea needs you. Help me rescue him."

They exchanged looks. "That's what we've wanted to do all along," Roxas said.

Xion nodded. "This time, we'll be the ones to bring him back."

Roxas found Naminé after that and, without a single word, brought her into his arms and held her tight. The look on his face warmed Sora's heart, especially when Naminé reassured him she was okay.

Xion hugged Riku, too, and Sora grinned as Riku fumbled around a bit before returning the hug.

Shut up, came Riku's warning as he shot Sora a look.

I didn't say anything.

You don't have to. The stupid grin on your face says it all.

Sora laughed and turned his attention to the rest of his friends that weren't here yet. He wanted all of them back, and he wasn't going to stop till they were all here.

"Donald, Goofy, come out of the darkness," he called. "Your king is waiting for you."

If he thought the others had hugged him for a long time, nothing beat the hugs Donald and Goofy gave him when they arrived. And he in turn just let the overflow from his heart spill over as he reassured them that he was okay.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again!" Donald scolded.

"Hey, you're the ones who got separated from me," Sora shot back. But he smiled all the same, and Goofy blubbered on and on about how proud he was, and Sora was going to lose it too if they kept this up. He told them to go talk to Mickey, because there was one last person he still had to call up.

"Master Eraqus. You're Xehanort's oldest friend. We need you to defeat him."

And then he was there and stuck in a group hug courtesy of Terra, Aqua, and Ven. But he didn't seem to mind all the carrying on, not at all. He even had a pleased smile on his face when he looked at Sora.

"I knew it would be you, Sora," he called. "It was always meant to be you. You are the true heir of Kingdom Hearts. You are its rightful ruler."

Everyone nodded, and Sora couldn't help but grin. Maybe they were right.

"Well, better put all these sweet new powers to use, then." He looked up to where he knew Xehanort was waiting, to where his Seekers had gathered.

"It's time. Let's go and make things right!"

When Sora reappeared before the door, he wasn't alone. He was surrounded by his friends, and the same light that was in his eyes was also in theirs. The χ-blade was no more, and he held the Kingdom Key in his hand. His splendid new clothes were bright red and gold and blue, and they showed off his scar like a trophy, a badge of honor, something he was proud of.

As if dying was something to celebrate. Xehanort shuddered at the thought. But what drew his attention was not Sora's Keyblade or his clothes but the golden crown adorning his head.

In that moment, it all made sense. Xehanort wasn't just facing the person who had opened the door. Sora had made so many connections with other hearts that he'd come to resemble Kingdom Hearts itself. He was an image, a reflection of a deeper reality. The door must have realized that when he opened it, and Kingdom Hearts had chosen him as its vessel to manifest itself.

He was more than human, indeed. Xehanort's Seekers had returned to his side, and he knew this was it.

This was his final chance to take Kingdom Hearts for himself.

A/N: Thank you for the feedback as always! This is one of my favorite chapters of the story and I was really excited to finally share it with you all. In the first draft, this part was just Sora breaking the χ-blade and calling his friends out of it, but having him actually go and rescue them himself was so much more satisfying to write. Wouldn't it be cool to play through something like this? was what I kept thinking as I tweaked it and tweaked it to get it just right.

Anyway, we don't know all the details of Ven's past yet, but I figured whatever happened to him in the Keyblade War was probably pretty traumatic. I wonder if canon will ever deal with his memories from that time, but I thought it would be interesting for his reconciliation with Vanitas to lead to them getting their memories back (though yes, I kept the details of those memories vague to the reader on purpose).

Anyway, thank you for reading and have a wonderful weekend!