ElvenPrincess01: Hello again, everyone! I hope everyone had a nice weekend because I did! I just started watching Dragonball Super and it is AWESOME. I can't believe I didn't start watching it earlier.

Ventus: I like it too. I was hooked from the first episode.

ElvenPrincess01: Ventus! So good to see you. Sorry I couldn't give you, Terra, and Aqua a bigger role in the story.

Ventus: Hey, it's fine. I'm just glad I got to be in the story. I heard about Hayner complaining to you about how he, Olette, and Pence weren't going to make a single appearance in the story.

ElvenPrincess01: Yeah, I almost forgot about that. I seriously don't understand what he was thinking. I can't just drop him, Pence, and Olette into the story for no reason. It would just be random.

Ventus: Can I do the honors?

ElvenPrincess01: Go right ahead!

Ventus: *clears throat* ElvenPrincess01 does not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or Disney. Thank you.

xxxxx

Previous Chapter

"But that was the deal we set up," Master Xehanort said. "Unswerving loyalty towards me, and in return, she could reign over any of the worlds she wanted to. I promised that to all my followers. After all, what's a king without subordinates? Maleficent said she would pledge herself to me if I helped her get her hands on your friends. I told her she was free to attack Hollow Bastion today with her Heartless army. The prophecy said you were be there today."

"It's like I told you before, Princess," Braig says. "We knew more about you than you knew about yourself."

I'm speechless. I played right into Master Xehanort's hands.

"Well I think that about covers it. I don't have to stick around any longer." He glances over at Braig. "Braig? If you will."

Braig pulls out his arrowgun and aims it down at me.

"Pleasant dreams, kiddo," he sings. He fires his weapon.

And everything turns black.

Chapter 35: Storm The Castle

"Kairi? Kairi, can you hear me?"

That's Cinderella's voice.

Oh right, I got knocked out by…

My eyes pop open and I sit up so fast, my forehead nearly collides with Cinderella's.

"Oh my goodness!" She gasps as she backs up a bit. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." All the Princesses are gathered around me, looking down at me with varying expressions of concern and worry.

Braig and Master Xehanort are nowhere to be seen. Of course.

"What happened?' Aurora asks.

I take a deep breath before I explain everything that happened after the Princesses got knocked out up to the point where I got knocked out.

"So, he knew we were going to be here? Today?" Belle asks.

"Yeah," I reply glumly. "He knew the entire time."

I slam my fist against the ground in frustration. "I don't believe this! I had the X-Blade in my hands and I let them take it from me." I sigh deeply. "And I led them right to it…" I add quietly.

"It's not your fault, Kairi," Snow White says in a soothing tone. "There was nothing that could have been done."

"It's all my fault…"

Kairi… Naminé says softly.

"Kairi, it's not your fault," Alice says. "It could have happened to anyone."

"Yeah, but it happened to me." I stare down at the ground. "Everyone was counting on me to fix things and I blew it."

I can still remember the hopeful faces of the Hollow Bastion residents when I told them I might be able to use the X-Blade to rebuild their town. They looked so optimistic.

Snow White frowns at me. "Kairi—"

"I led Master Xehanort right to the X-Blade. I might as well as just brought him along with the rest of us when we went through the portal because the outcome was exactly the same."

"Kairi—"

"I didn't even get to hold the X-Blade for five minutes! It was taken from me that quickly! It was right in my hands and I let it get away from me!"

"Kairi—"

"The minute I picked the X-Blade up in my hand, I thought that this was it. This would be the turning point in our battle against Master Xehanort. I thought that I would be able to save everyone, but—"

SLAP!

The sound echoes throughout the room.

I slowly raise a hand to my stinging cheek and stare up in shock at the person who just hit me.

"S-Snow?"

She stares down at me with fierce eyes.

The Princesses looked just as stunned as I do.

Snow White just slapped me. I don't believe it. Snow White, the pacifist who hates violence of any kind and gets scared very easily, just slapped me.

She closes her eyes for a few seconds, and when she opens them, I see the fiery look in her eyes has been replaced with a much softer expression.

"Kairi, none of this is your fault," she says slowly. "I understand how frustrated you must feel right now. But it isn't your fault. There was no way you, or any of us, could have prevented Master Xehanort from getting the X-Blade. You shouldn't beat yourself up over it. The Kairi I know wouldn't let something like this get her down. She's strong, she's stubborn, she's determined, and she wouldn't just sit around feeling sorry for herself. She would immediately get back on her feet and start planning out the best course of action to take. And I know you're not 100% like your old self because you lost your memories, but—"

"Actually, I…I got all my memories back."

Snow White gasps. "Really?!"

The Princesses gasp in shock as well.

"No way! Are you for real?" Jasmine asks, breathless.

I nod my head.

"YES!" Jasmine nearly pumps her fist into the air. Her face is alight with excitement. "It's about time! I thought you were never going to get your memories back!"

"When did it happen?" Alice asks.

"It…" I trail off. "I can explain later. We don't exactly have the time for me to tell the story right now."

"Of course," Snow White says. "You have to get that X-Blade back. I know you're probably thinking how, but I know you can do it." Snow White smiles softly at me. "Kairi, you're one of the most capable people I know. And while you may think you let a lot of people down, the battle isn't over yet. Master Xehanort may have the X-Blade, but he hasn't won yet. A lot of people are still counting on you to win: me, Aurora, Cinderella, Jasmine, Alice, Belle, Florian, everyone, including…"

Snow White trails off as she rests a hand on her belly.

"My unborn child."

If I thought everyone was stunned by Snow White slapping me, it's nothing compared to Snow White's pregnancy revelation.

"You're pregnant?!" Everyone exclaims at the same time.

"Yes, I just figured out the other day." Snow White smiles down at her stomach.

Jasmine snaps her fingers. "I knew it. I knew there was something different about Snow. Look at her, she's practically glowing!"

Snow White looks at me, still holding a hand to her stomach. "You can't give up now, Kairi. We're all depending on you to stop Master Xehanort and save everyone."

She's right, Naminé says. The battle isn't over yet. You have to get up and keep fighting.

"Could someone help me up then?"

Belle stretches out an arm towards me and helps me off the ground and onto my feet.

I face Snow White with a smile. "Thanks, Snow. I really needed that."

She smiles back at me.

"I have to get back to Hollow Bastion," I say. "Sora and the others have been captured by Maleficent and the rest of Master Xehanort's lackeys and I have to rescue them."

"The town's been destroyed. Reconstruction will begin shortly."

Master Xehanort's words ring clearly in my ears.

If the town's been destroyed…then what happened to the townspeople? Demyx? Leon? Yuffie?

"I'll take you guys back to your worlds and then I'll head back to Hollow Bastion, okay?"

The Princesses nod their heads. "Okay."

All except for Jasmine.

"I'm coming with you," she states.

"Jasmine, you can't—"

"I'm coming with you," she says again, firmly this time. "Kairi, you need some backup. There's a good chance some of Master Xeha-whatever's lackeys might be prowling around the town. And Aladdin has taught me a lot when it comes to the art of espionage."

"But—"

"Kairi, I'm coming with you and that's final." Jasmine crosses her arms over her chest as she stares determinedly at me. She's not going to budge an inch. Jasmine can be incredibly stubborn when she wants to be.

"Alright," I say, albeit a little reluctantly. "You can come with. But please, don't do anything reckless, okay?"

"No problem!"

I take out my Star Shard and transport the Princesses one by one back to their worlds until it's just Jasmine and me left.

"Good luck!" Belle calls out to Jasmine and me as she enters Adam's castle.

"Let's see, what would be the best spot in Hollow Bastion to warp to?" I mutter to myself.

What about the Restoration Site? Naminé suggests. There shouldn't be anyone there.

I hope you're right.

"Ready, Jasmine?"

She nods her head sharply.

I close my eyes and visualize the destination clearly in my mind.

"Restoration Site, Hollow Bastion." There's probably no need for me to say, "Restoration Site", but I want to be sure I get transported to the right location and not in the center of the enemy's stronghold.

Seconds later, to my extreme relief, Jasmine and I are standing in the Restoration Site.

And there's no one in sight. Perfect.

"I think we should go to Merlin's house first. I doubt there's anyone still there, but it might be best to start our search there and…" I trail off when I hear a slight commotion from behind me.

I turn around to see Jasmine sifting through heaps of junk on the ground.

"Uh, Jasmine?'" I frown. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for a weapon," she responds. "Hand-to-hand combat may not be the best option depending on the enemy we might have to face."

She continues sifting through the junk.

"Ah-ha!" She exclaims.

She stands up and turns around to show me a small wooden plank.

"I think this should do."

I don't doubt Jasmine's combat skills. She's proven on more than one occasion that she is capable of taking care of herself and standing her ground.

However, Master Xehanort's lackeys are no pushovers. Braig and Vanitas are formidable foes, and there's no telling what the others can do. If Vanitas was correct, Lea was the one behind those explosions from earlier. A wooden plank won't be much help against a guy who can start explosions.

"Let's…leave the serious fighting to me, okay? I don't want you getting hurt."

Jasmine sighs, rolling her eyes. "Will you quit worrying about me? Honestly, you're just as bad as Aladdin."

"I just don't want anything happening to you. Master Xehanort and his henchmen aren't to be taken lightly. And if something happens to you, anything at all, I'll never hear the end of it from your husband."

"Don't worry." Jasmine walks forward to rest a hand on my shoulder. She smiles fondly at me. "Nothing's going to happen. We're going to save Sora and the others, no matter what."

"Let's get going then."

Jasmine and I creep silently but quickly through the Restoration Site. Jasmine leads the way, keeping an eye out for bad guys.

She peeks around the corner to scope out the Borough.

"No one in sight," she whispers.

"Let's keep going then," I whisper back.

Jasmine and I continue to creep along till we reach the Borough.

And I stop in shock.

The town has virtually been reduced to rubble. A few buildings, though severely charred and broken-down, still stand erect, but the rest of the landscape has largely been flattened. Thin tendrils of smoke still hang in the air.

"Oh my," Jasmine exclaims quietly from next to me. "How could…How could someone do something like this?"

"Psst!"

What the…

"Did you hear that?" I ask, turning to Jasmine.

"Hear what?"

"Psst!"

"That. Did you hear that?"

"Kairi! Over here!"

I think it's coming from behind you, Naminé says.

I turn around to see Demyx's head poking out from a hatch in the ground.

I gasp in excitement. "Demyx! You're okay!"

"Shh!" He holds a finger in front of his lips, his eyes wide and frantic. "Keep your voice down!" He whisper-yells. "There's people in the town! Come over here quickly!"

Jasmine and I rush over to the hatch. Jasmine hands her wooden plank over to Demyx, who drops it down below, before she starts climbing down the latter. I quickly follow her.

"Whoa," I breathe when I reach the ground and turn to face the room.

I had no idea there was an underground bunker in Hollow Bastion, but it's a good thing it was built. It's massive, and it looks like all the citizens of Hollow Bastion are here.

"Hey, Leon, Yuffie!" Demyx calls out. "Kairi's here!"

Yuffie's the first to run over to me.

"Kairi! You're okay!" She exhales in relief. She glances over at Jasmine curiously.

"Oh? Who's this?"

"Yuffie, this is Princess Jasmine of Agrabah. She's one of the Princesses of Heart. Jasmine, this is Yuffie. She's a ninja."

"Pleasure to meet you!" Yuffie grins.

"Nice to meet you as well," Jasmine grins back.

"Did you get the X-Blade?" One of the nearby Hollow Bastion residents asks.

Everyone stares at me expectantly.

My shoulders deflate as I heave a sigh.

"You...You didn't get it?"

"I did get it. And then Master Xehanort took it from me."

I explained everything that happened.

As soon as I finish the story, the room becomes filled with incessant murmuring and grumbling.

"It's not your fault, Kairi," Leon assures me. "Kairi is not to blame here," Leon says loudly so the entire room can hear. Everyone stops talking and stares at him.

Leon looks around the room as he speaks. "It's not Kairi's fault that she doesn't have the X-Blade. She's not the enemy here. The enemy here is Master Xehanort. He's the one behind the destruction of Hollow Bastion." Leon narrows his eyes dangerously. "And he's going to pay dearly for everything he's done to us."

"What happened to the town?" I can't help but ask. "How'd it get destroyed like that?"

Leon sighs heavily. "The attack was too much for us to handle. There were Heartless everywhere. Yuffie and I had our hands full fighting them all and trying to save as many townspeople as we could. We, everyone who was fighting, could have handled the Heartless, but they weren't the only enemies we had to worry about…"

"Of course. Master Xehanort's lackeys."

Leon nods his head. "There was a guy with bright red hair in spikes who could control flames and he could make explosions just like that. He's the reason why the town looks like ruins right now. He was like a one-man wrecking crew. We didn't stand a chance."

"When the town started getting really wrecked, Leon and I made the decision to evacuate the townspeople here," Yuffie says. "There were a lot of people to evacuate but we had to make sure everyone was moved to the shelter. Leon and I tried jumping back into the fray after we were done, but it was to late. Maleficent had called back her Heartless army and we saw her transporting Sora, Riku, the King, and three others in chains."

That must have been Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, Naminé comments.

"We're glad you're here now, Kairi," Leon says. "We were just about to set out on an infiltration of the castle to rescue Sora and the others."

"Is it just going to be the three of us?"

Jasmine coughs loudly from next to me.

"Sorry. The four of us then?"

"Not quite. Cloud and Tifa are coming with us."

"And we're right here!" Tifa's loud voice cuts through the air.

She strides over to join our group, her hands on her hips. Cloud strolls nonchalantly behind her.

"We're ready to leave when you are!"

"Hn." That's all Cloud says.

"I thought it would be best to keep the group small. Our mission here is not a full-frontal assault. We don't have the manpower for that. Our mission is simply to get in, find the others, and get out. A group of five is a good—"

Jasmine interrupts with a not-so-subtle cough.

"Sorry. A group of six is a good size in my opinion." Leon glances over at Jasmine, a slight frown on his face. "Uh, I'm not doubting you in any way, but how exactly do you plan on defending yourself?"

"Hel-lo? Do you not see the plank I have here?" Jasmine brandishes her makeshift weapon for Leon to see.

"Right…" Leon doesn't look like he's been convinced.

"Don't worry about her, Leon," I say. "Jasmine is more than capable of taking care of herself. She'll be fine."

"Well, if you say so…Anyways, here's the plan you two: We're going to enter the castle through the underground water system. It's our best chance of getting in undetected. From there, we'll make our way to the basement level and decide what to do from there. Okay?"

"Okay," Jasmine and I reply.

"Everyone, keep your guard up. We'll be on enemy territory, which means they'll have the upper hand. We may be at a slight disadvantage, but that doesn't mean anything. This mission has to be successful."

xxxxx

"I really wish I could have changed clothes before we came here," Jasmine says to me as our small group swims through the waterway.

"At least it's just water. We could have gone through the sewers."

Jasmine shudders involuntarily. "Don't even go there."

We keep swimming, Leon leading the way, until we reach a grate in the wall.

Leon uses his gunblade to slice through the iron wiring, then removes the grate from the wall, putting it off to the side.

"Alright, Yuffie, you first."

Yuffie effortlessly and silently slips through the wall, just like the ninja she is.

"Tifa, you're next."

Tifa goes next, followed by Jasmine, then Cloud, then Leon bringing up the rear.

Despite being in the basement level of the castle, the large room we're standing in is well-lit. Thick copper pipes line the walls and wires run everywhere.

Leon climbs out through the grate. "Okay, let's—"

"Look out!" Yuffie shouts as a man with long, frayed blue hair with spikes at the top charges at us with a large Claymore.

Everyone moves out of the way of his wide swing.

"Everyone, split up!" Leon shouts as he takes out his gunblade. "Cloud and I can take care of him!"

Obeying Leon's words, I turn towards the left, running towards the closest corridor to me. "Jasmine, come with me!"

The sultan's daughter catches up with me and runs at my side as we exit the room.

She turns her head slightly towards me, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You're not making me go along with you because you think I need protection, are you?"

"Of course not," I say, chuckling nervously.

Jasmine and I turn left, then right, and then we make another left.

"Do you have any idea where we're going, or are we just running around aimlessly?" Jasmine asks as we get make our way through the twisting maze of corridors.

"No idea. I've never been inside the castle before."

"Well I guess we just keep going until…Hey look! There's a room up ahead!"

Seconds later, Jasmine and I leave the corridor to stand inside a large room, much like the room we left Leon to fight that blue-haired man in.

I look to both my left and right. There's an entryway on both sides that, presumably, lead to other parts of the castle. "What do we do now?"

"Ooh, I have an idea!" I look in front of myself to see a woman with blonde hair standing atop the staircase outside the room that leads to another corridor. She starts descending the staircase. "How about we play around for a bit? I mean, destroying that pitiful town was fun and all, but I could always use a little more…excitement." The woman cackles maliciously in a high-pitched manner.

Jasmine readies the wooden plank in her hands and I summon my Keyblade.

"Oh my! It looks like someone doesn't want to wait around. You wanna jump right into it?"

Now that the woman is standing in the same room as Jasmine and I, I can get a better look at her. Her jaw-length blond hair is slicked back except for two long strands styled into a distinctive antennae-like appearance. There's a playful, yet wicked look in her vivid green eyes and in her grin.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"The name's Larxene. And don't worry; you don't need to introduce yourself. I already know who you are, Kairi."

Larxene glances over at Jasmine. "And I already know who you are too, Jasmine." She snorts when she takes notice of Jasmine's weapon. "I seriously hope you're not planning on fighting me with that thing."

"Maybe not. But I certainly can fight you," I say as I drop down into a battle stance.

Larxene grins wickedly at me. "You know, Vanitas has told me a lot about you. He says you're a pretty good fighter. Though if I'm being honest…" Larxene trails off as she gives me a not-so-subtle once-over. "You don't really look like much."

"Appearances can be deceiving."

Larxene snorts again. "I doubt it, but we'll see how you do."

The air around me starts to sizzle. I know exactly what's about to come.

Lightning!

I roll out of the way as a bolt of lightning strikes the spot where I just stood.

"Kairi!" Jasmine shouts.

"Jasmine, stay back!"

The air around me sizzles once more and I roll out of the way of another lightning bolt.

So, she can control lightning, Naminé comments. That's not good.

No kidding.

"Kairi, look out!"

I only have enough time to turn my head as Larxene rushes at me faster than what should be possible to deliver a powerful kick to my stomach.

I gasp as the air gets knocked out of me in an instant. I'm sent flying to the ground, my stomach stinging in pain.

Kairi, are you okay?! Naminé asks.

I groan in response.

Larxene cackles wickedly. "Just like I said. You don't look like much. First rule of battle: Never turn your back on an enemy."

Larxene just kicked me solidly in my stomach, and it hurts a lot. I don't know how I get back to my feet, but I do.

"Oh, so you wanna keep going?" Larxene asks. "Let's keep playing then."

Larxene charges at me once more, pulling back her arm to punch me.

I duck underneath her fist, but she counters with a punch with her other hand to my stomach. I stumble back a few steps.

Larxene laughs again. "I see hand-to-hand combat isn't your forte. But I'm not surprised since you're a Keyblade wielder. You spend so much time fighting with your sword that you don't know how to handle yourself without it."

Wait a minute. Yuffie taught me some hand-to-hand combat moves before. I should be able to do something.

I cut off Larxene's laugh with a solid punch to her jaw. She staggers backwards, clutching her jaw.

When she recovers, she stares at me with a fierce and hard look in her eyes. The playfulness has all but disappeared.

"Fine," she spits, glaring at me. "If that's how you want to play, then so be it. I'm not going to hold back anymore."

She charges at me with another punch, which I successfully dodge. I try punching her again, but she blocks it.

She nails me with a knee to my stomach and an uppercut to my chin. I stumble backwards and Larxene grabs me by my throat before pushing me roughly against the wall.

She squeezes her fingers around my neck.

"You know, since Master Xehanort has the X-Blade now, he doesn't have a use for you anymore." Larxene grins. "Which means I can do whatever I want to you. And no one's going to stop me." She chuckles. "You shouldn't have let your guard down."

"I…could say the same to you," I cough.

Larxene frowns. "What are you talking about?"

I smile weakly at her. "First rule of battle…Never turn your back on an enemy."

Larxene realizes her mistake a second too late. She doesn't even get a chance to fully turn her head before Jasmine whacks her in the back of her head with the wooden plank. Larxene drops to the floor with a thud, her fingers slipping from around my neck.

She doesn't move. She's out cold.

Jasmine smiles at me. "Aren't you glad I came along?"

"Yeah." I cough a couple times. "Very glad."

A Corridor of Darkness appears in the center of the room, drawing me and Jasmine's attention.

A few seconds later, Vanitas steps out from the portal.

I groan deeply. "You have got to be kidding me…You have got to be kidding me…"

Vanitas does a little wave at me. "What's up there, Red?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Hey, that's no way to greet an old friend."

"We're not friends, Vanitas. We're not even close to being friends. We're enemies, plain and simple."

"Ah, but there's a fine line between friend and mortal enemy. There's also a fine line between friend and lover."

I stare hard at Vanitas. "Are you implying that we're lovers?"

"I like to think we are." He cannot be serious.

"Yeah? Well I'd like to find my friends, so please don't—"

"How about a fight?"

"…challenge me to a fight…" I sigh. "Why do I even bother?" I mutter to myself.

"Oh, come on, Red. We didn't get to finish our fight back at the Restoration Site. Technically, I could have stopped you from leaving. I just didn't because I knew I would have to let you go sometime so you could go get the X-Blade for us. I need closure."

"So you think you and I are lovers, but you keep challenging me to fights? What sense does that make?!"

Vanitas shrugs. "What can I say? I like a girl who knows how to fight and looks good while doing it."

I shake my head at him. "You're something else…"

"How about this? If I win, you have to tell me the secret behind that battle form of yours you showed me earlier."

I quirk an eyebrow. "And if I win?"

"If you win, then I'll take you to where your friends are being held."

I cross my arms over my chest as I give Vanitas the most skeptical look I can muster. "You really think I'm going to fall for that?"

"What? You don't believe me?"

"Of course I don't believe you. Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth? You're working for Master Xehanort."

"You know, he's not a bad guy once you get to know him."

"Even if I do win, there's no guarantee that you'll lead us to where my friends are. You might just lead us into another room and trap us in there. Then you'll probably challenge me to another fight because clearly, you can't help yourself."

"Wow. Beauty and brains. You're the perfect package."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

"If you weren't a Princess of Heart, I would ask you to join the dark side."

"Please. Even if I wasn't a Princess of Heart, I still wouldn't join the dark side."

Vanitas makes a small noise of amusement. "Well…I'll guess we'll never know…"

He takes out his Keyblade.

"Jasmine?"

"Yeah?"

I keep my eyes locked on Vanitas, just in case he tries attacking me with a cheap shot. "Do you think you can handle yourself from here?"

"Of course! You don't even need to ask."

"Then I need you to try and regroup with the rest of our group so you guys can rescue Sora and the others."

"Okay. You sure you can handle him by yourself?"

"Of course. You don't even need to ask." I summon my Keyblade.

Jasmine runs down the corridor to the right. Vanitas doesn't try to stop her. He must be so serious about fighting me that he doesn't care if Jasmine and the others jeopardize everything. Shouldn't he be hunting everyone else down instead of fooling around with me?

"Okay," Vanitas starts, "so if I win, you show me the secret to your special form, but if you win then…What do you want?"

"I don't know," I respond. "There's nothing else I want, or from you for that matter."

"Aww," Vanitas says in mock-disappointment. "Don't you want to see the secret behind my special form?"

"Not really."

"You want to see what my face looks like behind my helmet?"

"Tempting, but no."

"Hmm…" Vanitas snaps his fingers. "I got it! You want a kiss."

My jaw drops. "What?! No! I don't want a kiss from you!"

"Are we not lovers?"

I groan. "We are not lovers."

"Okay, so if I win, you show me the secret to your special form, and if you win, you get to kiss me...Wow, I'm almost tempted to throw the fight in your favor."

I fight back a grimace. "Please don't."

"I say we start off our fight in our special forms, if that's okay with you," Vanitas says.

"Sure. But I should probably say there's a time limit on this form of mine, so this can't be a long battle."

"Fine by me. There's a time limit on the special form I use as well. Give me all you got cause I'm not going to hold back. This one is for all the marbles. There will be a victor today."

Vanitas lowers himself to the ground as wisps of darkness envelop his body.

I reach into my pouch and pull out the keychain for Sonic Form before slipping it onto my Keyblade.

A transparent sphere of light surrounds me and explodes outwards a few seconds later, revealing me in my Sonic Form transformation.

Vanitas finishes his transformation at roughly the same time.

"Ready?" He asks.

"Give me a second."

Naminé?

Yeah?

I don't want you to help at all during this battle. I'm doing this on my own.

Are you sure?

I fought him twice before I met you and I could handle him both times. Besides, he wants to fight me. Not me plus you. I'm going to give him just what he wants. So no advice, no comments, nothing. And don't switch places with me even if it looks like I'm about to lose. Alright? Can you promise me that?

Okay, Naminé relents with a small sigh. I'll do my best to keep quiet.

Thanks.

"Alright, I'm ready," I say aloud.

"You sure?"

"I was born ready."

Vanitas chuckles. "That's what I like to hear."

He charges at me.

This one is for all the marbles.

xxxxx

ElvenPrincess01: I was supposed to say something here, but I forgot what I was going to say…

Sora: Wasn't it something about Snow White?

ElvenPrincess01: Oh right! When Snow White said, "A lot of people are still counting on you to win: me, Aurora, Cinderella, Jasmine, Alice, Belle, Florian, everyone, including…" You may have wondered, who the heck is Florian? Florian is the name of Snow White's husband, the Prince from the movie. Now this isn't his name in canon since he's never addressed by name in the movie, only as the Prince. Many Disney fans refer to him as "Ferdinand" because Shirley Temple mentioned the name "Ferdinand" among others while presenting Walt Disney his awards at the 1938 Oscars, but this name has never been used by the company once. And then there's a story that says artwork and documents in the Walt Disney Studio Archives address him as Prince "Frederick." However, Disney markets the Prince as Prince "Florian" for their Disney on Ice shows, so I just decided to go with that…Sorry if that was a long explanation for something some of you guys probably didn't care about. I tend to give excess information sometimes.

Sora: Tell me about it. You tend to go on and on about random subjects sometimes? Remember the female mosquito story?

ElvenPrincess01: Anyways, thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of Forever Destiny. It was shorter than what I wanted it to be, but I realized if I included everything I wanted to put in this chapter, the following chapter would most likely be too short. We're almost at the finish line and I want everything to be perfect.

Sora: If you really want everything to be perfect, you could kill Vanitas off and—

ElvenPrincess01: Please leave a review and subscribe! See you next week! Ciao!

xxxxx