Okay, so I'm looking through the handwritten story in my notebook and I realize something: THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER IN THE STORY. Amazing, isn't it? It's hard to believe I've come this far in the story already! It probably took nearly a year to finish this story! But I didn't keep track, so I don't know. This chapter is where it all comes out concerning Ame's parents and Ansem's resurrection, and there will be an epilogue at the end of the chapter. ;)

I just want to take a moment to thank you, my readers. You're what make me feel confident in my stories and my ability to write them. I have a couple of ideas that I want to make into real books someday, but I'm still workin' on that. I hope you enjoyed this story and hope you will enjoy all the other stories I am soon to write, again for Kingdom Hearts.

Dedicated to all my fellow authors, my readers/reviewers, and all who put me on your Favorite Lists as Author or Story or whatever! (Curtsey) I love you all!

"Humans, on the brink of death, look at us and call us 'shinigami.' So I realized that Mitsuki, the girl who called us 'angels,' was fated to live."—Jonathan Sheldan, Full Moon wo Sagashite, Vol. 7

Song of the Week: If We Hold On Together by Diana Ross

Chapter 36: After The Explosion
Ame turned back to her grandmother.

"Granda?" she asked expectantly, "Why didn't you tell me who my grandfather was?"

"Because I made her promise not to," Ansem answered for her, which didn't surprise Riku one bit. Or Ame, for that matter.

"Why?" she asked him.

"I was ashamed," confessed the old man, "My research on the human heart had caused so much chaos and destruction and fear that I didn't want you to go through your life burdened with my heritage. The infamy that stained the name Ansem would have brought you more trouble and persecution than it was worth for you to bear, especially when you had already suffered the loss of your beloved parents. I also wanted you to focus on your training as a warrior of your people. I wanted you to be proud of who you are."

"I am proud, Ansem," said Ame, "I couldn't be prouder of who I am. How could you think I'd be ashamed of you?"

"Children are often persecuted because of who their parents or grandparents are and what they did," he explained, "I wanted to protect you, Ame, from that instant label that would have followed you up to now."

"But Ansem," she said, "my mother was a spirit child and my father a born & bred waterbender; I don't even have your heritage."

"I married Ansem when your mother was three years old," Granda picked up, "I didn't want her to grow up without a father, and Ansem and I had already known each other for quite some time." She smiled at the man beside her.

"And grown quite fond of each other, I might add," he said, taking her hand.

"Okay," Ame continued, "but if you were married, how come I never saw you together?"

"Ten years ago, when you were six years old," Granda said, "we were forced to end our marriage and go our separate ways. I had to help my people who were facing The Heartless and countless other enemies and Ansem had to find a way to stop The Heartless. I wanted to go with him, but we were both needed in our own duties."

"We parted ways in Radiant Garden one night," Ansem recalled, "Your grandmother brought with her a thunderstorm to symbolize what had befallen our world. We stood on the Postern together and I swore that I would return to her no matter what it took or how long. It was then that I asked her not to ever tell you about me in relation to you. As there was little time for argument, she promised. We embraced one last time and separated for the next 10 years." The two adults shared a reminiscent, "I missed you so much" look while Ame tried to imagine the heart wrenching her precious sobo must have gone through to have to bid her true love farewell and not see him again for ten years.

She instinctively slipped her fingers into Riku's hand and was reassured by his warm presence. She blushed a bit too, especially when she saw the way Ansem looked at her grandmother.

"Ansem," Riku spoke up, "what happened that night in the castle? We saw the Encoder blow up and you were nowhere to be found."

"We all thought you were dead," agreed Kairi with soft, teary eyes as the sunlit rain came down again.

"Ah, yes," the man smiled and nodded, "I wondered when we would come to that. It's fairly simple…

"After the Encoder self-destructed and the light had gone, I found myself prostrate in what appeared to be a realm between those of light and dark (like the one where Axel fought his last battle). I dragged myself up on my hands and knees and looked about. I was alone and wondered if I had arrived in the afterlife. A beam of light broke over me and the spirits arrived. They spoke many things to me, most of which I am forbidden to repeat for sacred reasons. In short, I was granted a second chance for life. I was restored to my own body and endowed with powers of my own, including the white flame I sent for you and Ame. And I vowed I would make this life mean something; I began another quest against the Heartless—this time I fought, stamping them out wherever I went, until the time came for me to return to the one most important to me."

A soft blush crept up Granda's cheeks becomingly.

"Mizuki," he continued as he turned to her, "I know I took so long to come back to you, and I am sorry. But you must know that not a moment passed by that I didn't think of you. Your face danced before me in my dreams, your eyes in the stars." Granda looked back at him with longing in her eyes.

"You didn't need to hurry," she said, "I knew you'd come back someday." He touched her delicate face and she blushed more.

"Ansem, please," she mumbled flusteringly, "not in front of the children."

"On the contrary," he said back, "I want them to witness this." He took her hands up in his. Some eyebrows went up. Ame's face and neck flushed with slight alarm; she sensed what was about to happen.

"Mizuki Megami," Ansem asked softly, "The ordeals of long ago forced us to end our marriage, but our love held out. Would you ever consider retaking our vows and becoming my bride again?"

Granda smiled radiantly and her eyes sparkled with the light of the stars she had watched for as long as she could remember. She didn't look surprised to Ame; rather, she looked as if she'd been expecting this.

'For ten years?' she thought. Her girlfriends gasped.

"I thought you'd never ask," Granda answered happily. Ame's face exploded into excitement with her friends' voices.

"Granda, are you serious?" Ame squealed, "Are you really gonna marry Ansem? Again?"

"If that's all right with you, my love," Granda replied as she touched the girl's hair.

"All right with me? Of course it's all right with me!" she bubbled, "You've been without your true love too long, and I've been without my grandfather as long." Granda smiled and hugged her tightly while the boys congratulated Ansem.

"What about King Mickey?" asked Sora, "Have you gone to see him yet?"

"Yes, I have," Ansem nodded, "And now I get to send him a wedding invitation!"

While the happy babbling continued, Riku caught something out of the corner of his eye—something like a spark of sunshine. He followed it and Ame followed him.

"Riku, what's…?" She stopped dead when they both saw the translucent form of Nik shining with the light of the sun. Riku saw Ame as she came up to him.

"Can you see him?" he ventured. She nodded blankly.

"This is my dad," she almost whispered. His eyes flew wide and went from Ame to Nik and back several times while Nik smiled. Then Riku remembered what Kohor had called her: Nikkoo's daughter! (did I spell it right that time? Or does it matter?)

"Nik," he finally said, "your full name is Nikkoo, isn't it?"

"You betcha!" Nik brightened, "Give the man a prize!" Ame spun her head to Riku.

"How do you know my dad?" she asked.

"I've been acting as your boyfriend's guardian angel, pumpkin," Nik answered, "I told him not to tell anyone—not even you. I figured the less fuss, the better."

"But why?" she asked, wide-eyed as she realized she was speaking to her father for the first time in her life, "Were you guiding him to avenge you?"

"Well, that wasn't my primary function," the angel scratched his head, "But I guess you could look at it that way. But I'm not deserting him now that Kohor's gone. I'll still be around."

"Does that mean I can't talk to you again?" his daughter asked, her eyes clouding with sorrow. Riku just stood there staring at him; Ame's own father was his guardian angel!

"Not necessarily," said Nik as he touched her hair, "I'll be hanging out in Riku's heart, mostly…but that's where you are too, sweetie. (She blushed.) So whether we're talking like this or just in someone's heart, we're always together. Understand?"

Ame smiled, bit her quivering lip, and rushed into her father's warm arms—for real this time. It was the first hug she'd received from her father in her life and she knew this; why else would tears be pouring down her face harder than the golden rain?

Riku felt warm tears coming out of his own eyes as he watched Nikkoo brim over with the sunshine—his literal namesake—while he held his child lovingly.

Then the boy felt another presence sweep by him and saw long hair the color of a very pale sky blue with watery silver that disappeared at the ends and eyes like rain puddles—Ame's eyes when she was happy! The shape of her face was the same, too! Her feet, having seemed to come from nowhere, barely touched the grass and carried her as gracefully as Ame walked, even Granda! Riku was blown away as Ame's beautiful mother turned to smile at him before approaching her daughter.

Ame's face looked indescribably awestruck as her mother came to her.

"Ame," said Nikkoo affectionately with an arm around her, "this is your mother…Mizuko."

Ame's amazement was beyond words—beyond tears, even. The woman who had carried her and loved her unconditionally and died protecting her was with her again after so long (get ready for more bad Japanese grammar, with my apologies).

"Mama." Her breathing quickened, her nose and cheeks reddened, and fresh tears gushed forth as her mother took her into her own arms. "Mama, kangei. Kangei suru, Mama! Kon hi watashi no yume!"

Nik hung back with Riku to translate.

"She says 'Welcome,'" he smiled, "'Welcome, Mama. This is the day of my dream.'"

Riku had to swallow a huge lump as Nik's hand slipped over his shoulder; they watched Ame and her mother crying and hugging in the rain. A sense of kinship was between the two men at the thought of watching the women they loved reunited after 16 years: Ame, who was rain, and Mizuko, the Water Child.

"Mom," she wept, "I missed you so much! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"

"Ame," said her mother, "my sweet child! How I've longed to hold you all these years!"

"So how did you come to me now?" Ame asked.

"The spirits have granted me the honor of coming to you at last," she chimed, "And to make sure your father is taking care of this young man. Speaking of whom…" She looked up. "…Would you care to introduce me?"

A bright shade of red flared up on Ame's face; not only was this her chance for Riku to meet her mother, but she'd forgotten he was there for a minute!

"Oh!" she said breathlessly and took her mother's hands, "Of course!" She brought her over to where Riku and Nik were. She took Riku's hand but still held onto her mom's.

"Mom," she smiled brightly, "this is Riku…Riku Hakari. Riku…" He looked in her eyes and saw them rippling not only like rain puddles, but with tears as well as she said, "This is my mother…Mizuko Megami-Yoake."

"Yoake was my last name," Nik explained, "It means dawn. Kind of appropriate for someone named after the sunshine, huh?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Mrs. Yoake," Riku smiled, "Ame's told me a lot about you two."

"And I've heard about you, Riku," Mizuko nodded, "Or should I say The Keyblade Knight?" She chuckled as Riku blushed profusely; so this is where Ame got her charming effect on him!

"Just Riku's fine," he mumbled as Ame giggled and joined him.

"You're a very fine young man, Riku," said Mizuko, "My superiors have told me all your story and when I heard you were courting Ame, I appealed for a visit immediately. I wanted to meet my daughter's true love as well as my avenger. I'm honored to meet you."

Riku was floored; she was honored to meet him?

"Thank you," he bowed humbly, "I'm honored to meet you, too."

"Actually, Ricky, we're the ones who should be thanking you," said Nik, "I can't tell you how worried we were about Ame; we were kind of afraid she'd grow up and go for Kohor herself and I doubt she would have come out on top alone—sorry, sweetie, but it's the truth. We want you to live for you, not revenge."

"I understand, Dad," she nodded respectfully, "I'm glad I didn't have to fight alone." She joined hands with Riku and blushed pink softly. Nik streamed her hair with his fingers and Mizuko kissed her on the forehead.

"You will never fight alone, my little love," she murmured with celestial mystery, "We will always be with you." Ame suddenly sensed her parents were about to leave! She'd seen enough soaps and movies to know that whenever someone dead told their loved ones "I'll always be with you," it was usually a farewell, and as you can imagine, Ame was totally not ready to say goodbye so soon! There was so much she wanted to ask!

"Mom, Dad," she cried, "don't go yet! You just got here!"

"Sorry, sweetie," Nik smiled and stroked her hair, "Our time's up. I've got to get back to my post and Mom's got to go back home."

"But why?" she asked loudly, her heart pounding, "When will I see you again?"

"We don't know, sweetie," Mizuko smiled sadly, "But I promise you, we will meet again."

Ame looked in her mother's eyes and could see a young Granda in the curve of her delicate face, the set of her jaw, and the divine radiance exuded by one from the other end of the veil. She looked at her father and his laughing eyes, like the sunlight breaking into the sea. It was enough; for now, her parents' promise was enough.

"I believe you, Mom," she finally said, "I believe you'll return to me someday. I promise I'll wait for you." Nik and Mizuko smiled and the mother embraced her daughter while the father stroked his child's hair fondly and close to her.

"That's my girl," Mizuko said lovingly, "Take care of your family and friends." She kissed Ame again and whispered "I love you" as she swept around her in a celestial gust of wind filled with love and protection. Shining with the light of the sun, Nik joined in the circle of divinity and brought Riku into it with Ame. His light combined with the glinting rain and the sun in the sky became too much for them and they had to shut their eyes, but they could still feel the warmth and presence of her parents as their wind blew around them gently but dramatically, twining their hair together as they held each other.

"Remember, kids," Nik's voice echoed gently, "We love you and will always be with you. And remember this, too—we're watching. Even though you can't see us, we're always watching."

The vapor lifted as her father's voice died away on the wind; the beautiful rain reduced itself to droplets on the tree leaves as if Midas himself had touched them. Ame forced herself to draw breath once again as the fact settled on her that her parents had come, gone, and would come again. Her heart was full. Riku felt the absence of his guardian angel but knew he'd be back with him by tonight.

He looked down at his girlfriend and slipped his wet hand up her arm.

"How do you feel?" he asked. She looked up at him and placed a hand over his, her eyes rippling with that rain color.

"I feel whole," she smiled, and she meant it. She felt healed at last and would never more think of her parents with sorrow and despair. She'd seen them, spoken to them, touched them, felt them around her. Most importantly, she knew they were happy and that they loved her; their family could rest easy at last, thanks to Riku, the prince of her dreams.

"Come on," he said quietly and took her hand, "Let's head back. We've got a wedding to plan!"

Ame grinned brightly, dried them off with her bending, and the happy young couple ran off together to rejoin the happy old couple. In her head, Ame was already listing off guests, bridesmaids, groomsmen, florists, and whether Granda would wear a dress or a kimono.

All was right with the world.

Epilogue!
The main hall of Megami Manor was bustling with excitement and happiness; the islands were safe again, and the house was put back in order. The servants assembled themselves in an orderly fashion as their mistresses stood on the stairs with the Keyblade warriors facing them at the bottom. Granda and Ame had changed into kimonos and wore their family crest necklaces; they were both smiling, but Ame was especially beaming with pride and Ansem stood beside Granda.

"As you all know," announced the old lady, "we have great reason to rejoice. The islands are made safe again by the efforts of the warriors you see before you. I wish to honor them now."

She nodded to Ame, who approached Ichi-san, who was holding a velvet board with two beautiful necklaces with the Megami crest. She removed one and undid the clasp; she then went to Kairi and closed the delicate gold chain around her neck. She did the same with Naminé and then picked up some blue wristbands with the crest monogrammed on them. Sharing smiles with each, she slipped the thin bands on whichever wrist was bare (Sora's was somewhat obscured by his gloves). She stacked hands with Riku with a red blush penciled across her face and he winked at her. She grinned and went back to Granda.

"Warriors of the Keyblade," Granda smiled brightly, "you have served your home well. These necklaces and wristbands signify that you are close friends of my family and entitle you to the protection of the house of Megami! I thank you for your help and for welcoming my Ame into your hearts."

Sora and the others turned to the applause of Granda's servants, all of whom were wearing the same kind of necklace or wristbands (except the servants' necklace chains were silver instead of gold). Ame rushed down to kiss Riku and hug everyone else; so did all their parents, who were also there!

"I have another announcement," Granda spoke up, "You all know that I once had a husband. Well, my husband (there was no way in heck she was going to call him her ex) has returned and we are going to retake our vows and remarry this autumn!"

The crowd broke into cheers and more applause as Granda held both hands with Ansem and they kissed, drawing another one of Kairi's adoring "Aw's" and a blush from Ame. She looked up at her grandma and saw her eyes dancing with happiness.

"Miss Ame." The servant lady named Millie approached her with an envelope in hand and said, "This just came for you."

Ame took it and looked at the seal on the flap with her friends looking on. It was a circle with a moon crescent on the left and water lines on the right: The symbol of the Water Tribe!

Ame gasped and ripped it open as the others crowded in curiously. For all they knew, another adventure was about to begin.

THE
END

Author's Review:
Please don't panic! Put down your torches and pitchforks and rocks and such! It's not like this is the last KH fic I'll ever do! I promise I'll be back with more!

Okay, final movie references: The part where Nik was translating what Ame said to her mother is from the movie "The Color Purple," which is one of my FAVORITE movies ever!

Nik's final statement, "even though you can't see us, we're always watching," is from Al the angel in "Angels in the Outfield."

And I guess the "all was right with the world" part is from "A Christmas Story," the one about the 9-year-old kid who wanted a BB gun for Christmas.

Once again, I humbly bow before you all; your reviews and comments and PMs and everything you did helped my confidence boost considerably. You guys make me believe in myself as a writer! (sniff) I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

And I certainly hope you all like Ame a lot, because I'm working on another AmexRiku story, and boy, it's a doozy! ;) I might not upload it for a little while, but I'll always be here! Don't be a stranger! I still wanna talk to you guys and all that. But rest assured: There will be another story!

I remain forever yours,
-samuraistar