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(The Celestial Temple)
Shara arrives at the Celestial Temple and walks up the stairs leading to the front entrance. Just as she placed her hands to open the doors, Shara paused for a moment to reflect back on what happened at Radiant Gardens. She felt sad for losing Terra, Aqua, and her husband, Ducar to the darkness. She also felt bad knowing that Ventus was still back at Castle Oblivion, trapped in his eternal slumber. But she knew that feeling sad wouldn't help bring them back. All she could do now was take care of her son and keep him safe.
When she was ready, Shara opened the doors to the temple and made her way through the entrance hall. As she did, she remembered her conversation with her husband the night before their journey began.
(Flashback)
Ventus, Terra, and Aqua were walking back home while Shara and Ducar spent a few more seconds looking up toward the stars.
"No matter what the outcome. We will be together. Always." Ducar says
"That's right." Shara says
Shara and Ducar look toward each other and smile. Then, they motion close together and kiss each other on the lips underneath the stars.
(Present time)
Shara made her way up to the top of the cupola and walked through the central hallway, approaching the Celestial Archive. She came upon the tall doorway and headed on through. Inside, Shara saw that Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Master Yen Sid was still here with the Inheritor and Vervada. She also saw that her son was still resting peacefully against the white dragoness' belly.
"Shara! You're back!" Mickey exclaims
Shara looked up and gave her friends a weak smile, nodding her head slightly.
"How's my son?" Shara asks
"He's still asleep." Vervada says
Shara walked over to her son and kneeled down to him.
"Where... Where's Aqua?" Mickey asks
Shara looked over at Mickey for a brief moment, then looked away with a sad look on her face.
"She's gone... along with Terra and Ducar." Shara says
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other with sad looks on their faces.
"What happened?" Mickey asks
"Aqua and I brought Ventus to someplace safe. Then, we heard Terra and Ducar calling out to us. We found them at Radiant Garden, but they weren't the same. The darkness in their hearts overtook them and we were forced to fight them. Terra fell back into the darkness and Aqua dived in to save him. I tried to follow but Ducar stopped me. I fought my husband and I won. Terra and Aqua were already gone and so was my husband. I was all that was left. So, I made my way back here to check up on my son." Shara says
"So... Terra, Ducar, and Aqua... they're really gone?" Mickey asks
"I'm afraid so." Shara says
Everyone remained silent as they grieved for the loss of their friends. Then, the Inheritor broke the silence.
"Three lights may have been lost to the darkness, but there is still hope. For we still have one light that shines brightly." The Inheritor says
The Inheritor looks over at Devon as he laid comfortably against Vervada's side. Everyone else looked down at Devon, following the Inheritor's gaze. A smile began to form on Shara's face as she looked upon her son.
"Devon." Shara says
"Your son may not be old enough to wield a Keyblade just yet, Shara, but he must be cared for until he can. The Dark Lord will be looking for him, and he must be kept safe, away from his gaze. As of now, Devon is our only hope for the future. The light against the darkness." The Inheritor says
"I'll take Devon back to our home in the Celestial Realm and watch over him. And when he gets older, I'll train him to be a Keyblade Wielder just like me and his father. And maybe together, we'll find a way to bring Terra, Aqua, and Ducar back." Shara says
The Inheritor nods in agreement.
"Good luck, Shara." Mickey says
"Take care of yourself, Shara. Both you and your son." Vervada says
Shara looks at her friends and nods to them. She gently picks up Devon and held him in her arms, then turns around and leaves the Celestial Archive.
"May the graceful light of Kingdom Hearts protect you." The Inheritor says
(Moments later)
Shara walks out of the Celestial Temple, carrying Devon in her arms. When she was outside, Shara looked up at the stars. And out of all the stars in the night sky, she saw one of them shining brightly than all the others. Shara knew that star had to be their home. Suddenly, Shara's necklace began to glow, making her look down at it in surprise. Shara felt that the light was guiding both her and her son back home. Switching her gaze, she looked down at her son as he slept peacefully in her arms.
"Devon, let's go home." Shara says
Holding her son in one arm, Shara stretches her right-hand out and summons her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation in a flash of light. She then points it forward and a beam of light shoots out from the tip of her Keyblade, opening a blue portal of light. With a sense of determination filling her heart, Shara headed into the portal with her son, beginning their journey home.
(Destiny Islands)
Sora and Riku laid down on the beaches of the main island on their backs, looking up at the stars in the night sky. Riku soon sat up and looked at Sora.
"Hey, I'm gonna head back." Riku says
Sora also sat up and looked back at Riku.
"Yeah, me too." Sora says
The two young boys began making their way toward home. As they walked home, Riku noticed that something with Sora.
"Sora, what's wrong?" Riku asks
Sora turns and looks at Riku confused.
"Huh?" Sora says
"You're..." Riku says pointing to Sora's face
Sora puts his right-hand to his face and felt a tear sliding down his right-cheek.
"That's wierd. It's like something's squeezing me inside." Sora says
"Somebody up there must be sad." Riku says
"Up where?" Sora asks
Riku turns and looks up at the stars.
"They say every world is connected by one great big sky. So maybe there's somebody up there in all those worlds who's really hurting and they're waiting for you to help them." Riku says
"Well gee, do you think there's something I could do?" Sora asks
Riku crosses his arms.
"Hmm... Maybe they just need you to open your heart and listen." Riku says
"Hmm... I dunno, Riku. You say some weird stuff sometimes, but I'll try it." Sora says
"Okay." Riku says
Sora looks up at the stars and closes his eyes.
(Castle Oblivion)
Ventus still sat in the chair sleeping in eternal slumber when he heard a young voice call out to him.
"Hey? Can you hear me?"
(Radiant Garden)
In Radiant Garden, Braig walked into the courtyard, leading Dilan and Ansem the Wise to the town square.
"Right this way." Braig says
As they walked into the town square, the three men saw Terranort who laid unconscious on the ground. Ansem the Wise kneels down to Terranort and holds him up in his arms.
"Young man, what ails you?" Ansem the Wise asks
Terranort grunts and slowly regains consciousness.
"Can you speak? Tell me your name." Ansem the Wise says
"Xeha... nort."
"Xehanort." Ansem the Wise says
Braig smiles secretly while Xehanort loses consciousness.
"Quickly, get him to the castle!" Ansem the Wise commands
Braig nods in acknowledgement.
"You can count on me." Braig says
Braig grabs hold of Xehanort in his arms and looks over at Dilan.
"Dilan, get those for me." Braig says
Dilan looks toward the pieces of Aqua's Keyblade Armor and her Keyblade as they laid on the ground.
(The Realm of Darkness)
Now trapped in the Realm of Darkness, Aqua travels down the dark pathways.
"Seems like I've been traveling for ages. How long have I been down here?" Aqua says
Suddenly, Aqua was attacked by five Darkside Heartless. Aqua summoned Master Eraqus' Keyblade and got into battle stance. Her grip on her master's Keyblade loosened up a little as she felt there was no point in fighting. She dismissed her Keyblade as she prepared to accept her fate.
"Maybe... I should fade into darkness here." Aqua says
One of the Heartless raised up it's fist, preparing to attack. But before it could strike, four lights shined through the darkness and soared straight for the Heartless. The lights materialized into four different Keyblades. One was Ventus' Keyblade: Wayward Wind. The second was Terra's Keyblade: Earthshaker. The third was Shara's Keyblade: Faithful Salvation. And the fourth was Ducar's Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor. The four Keyblades struck down four of the Heartless, sending them back into oblivion. With just one Heartless left, a fifth light shined through the darkness and flew straight toward the remaining Darkside. The light materialized into a fifth Keyblade unknown to Aqua. This Keyblade was none other than Soul Calibur, Devon's Keyblade which shined brighter than all the other Keyblades combined. The Keyblade struck the last Heartless down into oblivion, slicing straight through it's body, saving Aqua from her fate. Aqua looks up in amazement as the Keyblades disappear into the darkness. In that moment, Aqua smiles.
"I guess it's been so long, I almost forgot how to smile." Aqua says
Aqua takes out her Wayfinder and looks down at it, remembering of all the people she's connected to, all of the friends she's made on her journey.
First, she's reminded of her closest friends: Ventus, Terra, Master Eraqus, Shara, Ducar, and Devon.
Then, she remembers Cinderella, Jaq, the Fairy God Mother, and Prince Charming from the Castle of Dreams.
Snow White, the Prince, the Seven Dwarves from the Dwarf Woodlands.
Princess Aurora, Prince Phillip, and the three fairies, Fauna, Merryweather, and Flora from the Enchanted Dominion.
Scrooge McDuck from Radiant Garden.
Queen Minnie, Queen Daisy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Horace from Disney Town.
Hercules, Zack, and Phil from the Olympus Coliseum.
Experiment 626 from Deep Space.
Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys from Neverland.
The Inheritor, Vervada, Master Yen Sid, Mickey, Donald, Goofy. And finally, she remembers Kairi, Riku, and Sora.
Aqua had a feeling that Devon and those three were very special. She smiled and looked down at her Wayfinder.
"There is always a way." Aqua says
With renewed trust in her friends, Aqua continues on through the Realm of Darkness.
(The Dragon Realms)
At the Dragon Temple, it was night time and Ignitus was standing outside on the balcony, looking out at the surrounding environment, wondering about Spyro and Cynder. He was soon joined by Terrador, Volteer, and Cyril who stood alongside him. Ignitus looked at each of his friendly guardians and smiled. The four dragons then looked back out into their world which Shara and Ducar helped saved. They knew that Spyro and Cynder would return and they held true to their faith.
(Camelot)
Bowen stood on the walls of the castle which he had taken from Einon since his defeat, looking up at the stars in the night sky. He was soon joined by Kara and Brother Gilbert who looked at him and smiled. Bowen looked at his friends and smiled. Then, the trio looked back up at the stars as the constellation: Draco appeared in the night sky, filling their hearts with comfort.
(Disney Town)
Huey, Dewey, and Louie were racing on the Rumble Race ground, piloting small air planes decorated with their own individual colors close to the ground. Dewey and Louie were up ahead while Huey was lagging behind. The duck trio soon came close to the finish line. Huey manages to catch up and take the lead, winning the race. Queen Minnie, Pluto, Chip, Dale, and Horace cheered for the trio on the sidelines.
(Enchanted Dominion)
Maleficent stood on the stone bridge outside King Stefan's castle, looking out toward the building. She soon took her leave as she went on to continue her dark plan.
Inside the castle, Merryweather stood on a balcony in the looked down and saw Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora dancing together. She beckoned Flora and Fauna to come over and the three fairies watched as the couple danced. Flora saw the blue color on Aurora's dress and she waved her wand, changing it to pink. Merryweather wasn't very pleased with this and she used her wand to change it back to blue. The two fairies continued this for quite sometime while Fauna simply watched.
(Castle of Dreams)
Cinderella and Prince Charming dance in the ballroom while the Grand Duke watches with a happy face. Jaq watches from the balcony and the Fairy Godmother appears behind him. With a wave of her wand, she creates a series of small fireworks above the lovely pair, making the moment even more happier.
(Dwarf Woodlands)
The Seven Dwarves walk out from the forest and make their way over to Snow White and Prince Charming who were standing in the meadows in a clearing together. They gather around the couple and throw beautiful flower petals over them to make a beautiful scene for the lovers.
(Olympus Coliseum)
Hercules continues his training with Phil at the coliseum gates, doing a couple of push-ups. Zack crosses his arms and leans back against the gates, watching them. He looks up when a black feather floats past him, and he disappears.
(Deep Space)
Experiment 626 was flying through space in his red cruiser. He looks at his make-shift Wayfinder which he had fixed and places it on the steering wheel as he flies his ship towards a blue star.
(Neverland)
Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys managed to get their treasure chest back from Captain Hook and brought it back to their place in the clearing. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell flew around the tree and discovered that Captain Hook and Smee were watching them. Very quietly, he flies over and steals Captain Hook's hat who realized it was missing. Captain Hook looked up and saw Peter Pan wearing his hat, laughing.
(The Celestial Temple)
In the Celestial Archive, Donald and Goofy watched in sorrow with their hats off as Mickey walked up to the Inheritor with a sad look on his face. He places his Star Seeker Keyblade onto the Inheritor's desk black marble desk, thinking he had failed his Mark of Mastery Exam and disgraced his masters. Mickey turns around to depart while the Inheritor sat in his seat. The ancient being took hold of the Keyblade and looked down at it, then looks up at Mickey. Just as he was about to leave, Mickey stops, turns around, and watched as the Inheritor got up from his seat and approach him with the Keyblade in his hands. The heavenly being kneels down to the small mouse and gives him back the Keyblade. Mickey looks up at the Inheritor with a surprised expression on his face. The Inheritor simply smiled at Mickey, showing he deserved to be a Keyblade Master. The mouse king smiled and took hold of his Keyblade. He then raises it up with pride. Mickey had passed his test. Now, he was a full-fledged Keyblade Master.
(Radiant Garden)
Dilan and Aeleus both walk out of the castle with Lea who was struggling and Isa who felt resigned. The two men throw them out and head back inside the castle. Afterward, Lea and Isa head down to the Castle Town and buy two Sea Salt Ice Cream from Scrooge McDuck. The two boys look up at the sky and enjoy their ice cream.
Meanwhile, Kairi was picking flowers in a large garden when she stopped and looked up at the bright sky as if she had sensed something. As she does, her necklace emits a faint, weak glow.
(Dive into the Heart)
Sora opened his eyes and found himself standing in the Station of Awakening. Sora's station displayed the landscape of Destiny Islands on the bottom, with Paopu Fruits and different elements found on the island and encircled separately on the top. The circles making up the inner ring had crowns in them. Sora looked up and saw Ventus' heart floating down toward him.
"Hey, can you hear me?" Sora says
"I heard your voice. It cut through the darkness around me." Ventus says
Ventus' heart floated down into Sora's hands.
"All alone I followed the sound, into a sea of light, and found myself here, with you. You gave something back when I needed it most. A second chance." Ventus says
"I did?" Sora asks feeling confused
"But... now I have to go back to sleep again." Ventus says
"Are you sad?" Sora asks feeling concerned
"Would you mind if I stayed here, with you?" Ventus asks
"Sure, if it'll make you feel better." Sora says
"Thank you." Ventus says
Sora pulls Ventus' heart close to his chest and it made it's way into his body. Ventus was now a part of Sora's heart. Sora smiled and closed his eyes with his hands over his heart.
(Destiny Islands)
Sora opened his eyes and saw that he was back on Destiny Islands, standing next to Riku who looked at him.
"Well?" Riku asks
"Ya know... I think it worked." Sora says
The two boys smiled and looked back up at the night sky, gazing up at the stars.
(The Celestial Realm)
A blue portal of light opens up near the beaches of the Celestial Realm and out stepped the female Keyblade Master, Shara with her son, Devon safely in her arms. Shara looked around, taking in the familiar environment. Then, she looked upon her beachfront home which awaited her return. Shara let out a sigh and she walked up to her home, carrying her son in her arms. The caring mother walked up the porch and came up to the front door. She was about to grab hold of the doorknob when she paused for a moment. Shara couldn't believe it. After all those years of being away, she and her son were finally back home.
Breaking out of her thoughts, Shara turned the doorknob and opened the front door. She walked inside and took in the sight of her glorious home. The living room was set on the right while the kitchen was nearby on the left.
"Home sweet home." Shara says
Shara looked down at her son, then looked down the hallway which led to their rooms. Devon's room was on the right. The family bedroom was on the left. And the bathroom was down at the end of the hall. Shara walked down the hall and brought her son into his room. Once she came into her son's room, she took in the sights of the room.
Devon's room was set up just like it was back in the Land of Departure. His bed was laid out across from the door next to the window which looked over the beach. A small side table stood alongside the right-side of the bed. A black, star decorated lamp stood on the side table. There was also a clear, blue crystal shard set up on the small table. The dresser stood next to the side table, close to the door. Across from the bed was a wide, narrow table that held a collection of colorful glowing crystals. Next to that was a mirrored closet set up alongside it on the opposite side of the room. This closet had two mirrors which slides open and closed. Devon's room also had three paintings. One depicted a beautiful beach on a bright, sunny day with palm trees both tall and short. Another painting displayed an islet on the sea housing palm trees during the sunset. And the third painting showed a beach at night time with a full moon nestled in the night sky which was filled with stars.
"Well, Devon, we're back. And here's your room." Shara says
Shara walked over to the bed and gently placed Devon down, laying him comfortably on his bed. The loving mother looked down at her son as he slept peacefully on his soft bed. She sat down alongside him and rubbed his head gently with her right-hand.
"Sleep well, Devon." Shara says
After saying that, Shara rose up and left the room, leaving door open. As soon as Shara left the room, a faint light emitted from Devon's chest. It turned out that a piece of Ventus' heart had made it's way into Devon's heart as well. The rest of the night was quiet as the stars glittered in the skies above.
In time, the worlds would be saved by these four heroes who stood beneath the same blaze of stars.
Author's Note: After the intense battle at Radiant Garden, Shara returns to the Celestial Temple and picks up her son as she prepares to bring him back home, promising to take care of her son and keep him safe from the darkness. Sora meets Ventus' heart and shelters him in his heart. Xehanort is found by Ansem the Wise and is taken in as his apprentice. Aqua wanders alone in the Realm of Darkness. And now, Shara and Devon are back home in the Celestial Realm. Next chapter, we will explore more of the Celestial Realm and meet some of it's inhabitants. Bet you all can't wait. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!