"Okay, Kairi," Sora says, looking at the redhead standing across from him, "just follow our lead here. Ready?"

"Ready," Riku says from his position on Sora's left.

"Ready," Mickey parrots, standing next to Riku with his golden Keyblade drawn.

Kairi takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and focusing for a short moment. "Yeah, okay. Let's do it."

Concentrating, the four wielders draw upon the power of their blades. Pointing them into the middle of the circle so all their tips connect, they begin summoning the weapons' unique powers of unlocking. Light gathers where the blades meet, and slowly the quartet raise them to the sky.

Every Keyblade takes a bit of the shared power, orbs of white Light surrounding the tip of each. Once pointed straight up, the powerful lights concentrate into beams, shooting into the night sky.

The massive door reacts to the presence and power of the four beams, slowly creaking open. What lies beyond is impossible to discern, covered in a shimmering curtain of energy.

"Well, it's open now," Azlyn says, stepping forward casually. "So, how are we supposed to get inside?"

As if in answer, a shining bridge of blue energy stretches out from the door's entrance to the edge of the tower. Sora puts a foot on it just to test, but its similarity to the bridge into the castle has him confident in its solidity.

"Now, everyone remember to be careful," Mickey cautions the group as they slowly make their way up the shimmering ramp. "Xemnas is gonna have power in there like you wouldn't believe."

"The power of Kingdom Hearts," Telary moans, eyes resolutely upward and not on the huge drop beneath his feet.

"True," Riku agrees. "But I've traveled pretty extensively between realms, and one thing I learned is that things aren't always the same from one to the next. Who knows what we'll be able to do once we're inside."

Passing through the bright curtain at the door's threshold is like walking through a Destiny Islands waterfall. One moment Sora is hundreds of feet above the city, a stiff breeze blowing his clothes and hair. The next, the sound and sensation of wind ceases, and he's in another world entirely.

At first glance it looks like a plaza in the Dark City, black asphalt surrounded by high buildings. But white lines glow everywhere, running through the ground and up and down the surrounding buildings. The sky has become a hazy curtain of red and purple smudges that instantly remind the Keybearer of Gummi space.

Sora feels different in this place too, like something is buzzing just beneath his skin. It's like the opposite of the Betwixt and Between's effect on him, empowering rather than corrupting.

There's one exit out of the plaza, black buildings bending down over it to form an archway. In front of the path out stands Xemnas. Seeing the group, a smile comes to his face. Unlike the Nobody's other attempts, this seems genuine.

Which only makes it all the more terrifying.

"So," he says, voice echoing like that of a god on high, "this is what you have chosen."

"We choose to stop you!" Sora retorts, Keyblade in hand. Behind him, he can hear the others draw their weapons as well.

Xemnas nods. "Your hearts have led you to oblivion." His smile becomes a cruel, arrogant smirk. "I suppose it doesn't pay to be too loyal to one's heart. I shall have to remember that."

Sora rushes the Nobody, the rest of his posse following behind him. Xemnas only smirks, leaping forward with a blade of red laser-light extending from his right hand. He somersaults midair, bringing the blade down on Sora.

The Keybearer raises his weapon to block, smoothly deflecting the blow. With a push, he sends Xemnas back a few feet. The Nobody hardly seems to mind, smoothly landing on his feet and raising his free left hand.

Cries ring out from behind Sora, and he turns to see his companions all skid to a stop before a huge rectangular barrier of crackling energy. Grunting, Riku and Kairi make swipes at it.

Sora doesn't' see what results from their efforts, as once again Xemnas is charging at him with all speed. Kingdom Key comes up to block the Superior's sword, turning it aside. A flash of red on his left side has Sora reversing, batting away another strike. The Keybearer skips back a foot, noting that Xemnas now wields two red laser-swords, one in each hand.

That barely has time to register before the Nobody is charging again, whipping both swords at his opponent. Sora quickly blocks each strike, but he's forced to give ground each time.

He takes another step back to avoid a swing, his flank coming into contact with something solid. Suddenly he feels energy coursing through him, seeming to burn him from the inside. Xemnas must have set up a barrier behind him.

Organization XIII's former Superior charges, right-handed blade raised to cut Sora in half. It doesn't reach the boy, Riku suddenly flying in with a shield raised. Xemnas's blade bounces off it, and the Nobody steps back in surprise.

Azlyn is there to meet him, flying in with a kick into his side that sends the deranged Nobody rolling along the ground. He rises again several yards away, lips twisted into a dark scowl.

Rage turns into shock as King Mickey jumps behind him, slashing his golden Keyblade into Xemnas's back. The Nobody cries out in rage and pain, falling to his knees before fading out into thin air.

Everyone relaxes, smiling at their victory. Except Riku and Mickey, who both look dismayed and puzzled.

"There's no way that was it," Riku declares with a vigorous shake of his head. "Too easy."

Mickey nods in agreement.

"Perceptive as always, Riku," Xemnas says mockingly. Everyone turns towards the sound of the madman's voice. Once again he's standing calmly near the plaza's exit. "I'm afraid that such paltry attempts won't be enough to defeat me now. Not with the rage of thousands of hearts to fuel my power."

"Copies or not, you don't look so tough!" Azlyn yells, angrily stepping forward.

Xemnas only shrugs. "Perhaps. But, looks can be deceiving."

The Nobody raises his hand, and a shadow falls over the plaza. Looking up, everyone gasps to see the blocky black column of a skyscraper, falling quickly towards them. Naturally they all run, fleeing the descending concrete block. Xemnas watches it without moving from his vantage point, amusement in his cruel golden eyes.

Sora just manages to get clear as the skyscraper hits, cracking and bursting into dozens of huge chunks that all fall to the ground. After a moment, the stone fades as if it were never there.

"I guess he's getting used to those power fast," Azlyn remarks.

Kairi shakes her head. "I don't think so. Look!"

Everyone raises their eyes to the sky, watching with awe as the swirl of red and purple in the sky seems to flicker, patches twitching into black abyss. The scenery closer to the ground reacts to, the black buildings twisting like reeds in the wind. After a moment, they settle down.

"What was that about?" Telary asks.

"I think it means that Xemnas isn't used to controlling the power of Kingdom Hearts yet," Mickey explains. "I thought I saw somethin' funny going on when the copy put up that second barrier behind Sora."

The mouse king falls silent a moment, eyes darting back and forth in their sockets as he ponders something. With a nod of his head, he rushes forward into the small corridor beneath the archway. After a moment of hesitation, the rest of the group follows.

When they emerge on the other side of the black tunnel, a black asphalt street stretches two miles into the abyss of red and purple. Blocky black rectangles continue on either side of it for a few hundred feet, then fall away to leave nothing but the void beyond.

At the end of the street, a white tower with an uncanny resemblance to the Castle That Never Was juts into the sky. A black Nobody symbol proudly decorates its front.

"What's with that?" Sora asks.

"Xemnas is gonna need time to consolidate his new power," Mickey explains quickly. "And I'm betting that if he's doing that, he ain't gonna be good for much else."

"So you think he's in that tower?" Kairi asks. "Gathering up his energy so he can use it properly."

"Once he knows how to work with all this power…" Telary says, shaking his head as he thinks through the implications.

"So, we gotta get there," Azlyn states, nodding once. "Doesn't seem too hard. As long as we don't get any more buildings thrown at us."

"I wouldn't be too sure," Riku disagrees. "That Xemnas back there may have just been a copy, but he was almost as dangerous as the real thing. And there could be more."

"Not if we take Xemnas himself out," Sora declares, eyes hardening with determination. "C'mon, let's hurry!"

The six of them rush off down the massive street, laser-focused on the tower ahead. Perhaps too focused, as all of them ignore the ground's slight trembling.

Except for Telary, who's about to say something when the small tremors turn huge, and massive skyscraper springs from the ground a few hundred feet away. Then another one closer to the group, followed be a third, a fourth emerging in short order.

"Uh…" Kairi tries to point out, unsure of the exact words to use at the moment.

"I see it!" Sora confidently declares, his words almost lost beneath a fifth rising building only about a dozen feet from him. Gripping the Kingdom Key tight and hoping he's right about this, the boy leaps forward with his blade drawn back.

Encountering the first building, he slashes out and through, leaving a gaping hole in the skyscraper. Everyone else stops in their tracks, watching through the hole as Sora cuts through the second building, then the third.

Finally Sora breaks through the last building, landing on his feet and skidding into a crouch. Behind him, the buildings fall into chunks that disappear before reaching the ground. Grinning like a loon, he turns to face his oncoming friends.

"What in the holy flying shit was that about?" Azlyn boisterously exclaims, gesturing emptily to where five skyscrapers used to be. Mickey and Telary don't even admonish her for the harsh language, merely staring at Sora in disbelief.

"Riku said things might work differently in here," Sora explains, trying his hardest not to shrug. He taps his chest with a finger. "In this place, the power's in here. Tell me you guys feel it too?"

Everyone pauses, examining themselves from within. Sure enough, they each feel something there, now that they're looking with their hearts.

"But what about Xemnas's power?" Kairi asks, looking around with the unspoken question of whether or not anyone bothered to check the sky.

"Flickers, definitely," Mickey reports, Telary nodding along to confirm. "But not as many, and smaller ones. Time's runnin' out fellas."

"Next skyscraper's on me!" Azlyn cheerfully exclaims, rushing ahead.

The white tower's entrance, a massive set of double doors with a black Nobody symbol emblazoned on it, lies across a sunken circular plaza. A few feet in front of the stairs leading down, small Creeper Nobodies seem to ooze up from the floor like Shadows. The extremely lesser Nobodies are a minor nuisance, but potentially a costly one.

Sora cuts through the pair that first leap at him, kicking another one away before making a single jump down the half-dozen stairs into the pit. Dusks spring up to meet him there, but those he decapitates.

The others make their way down the stairs after him, Riku leading the charge as they fight off the silver and white creatures surrounding them on all sides. Azlyn brings up the rear, her shield and kicks making sure no Creepers have a chance to dive at anyone's back.

Sora dodges a Samurai's sword, runs it through, then ducks around an Assassin to reach the tower's door. There's no handle, and for a moment he isn't sure what to do next.

The others maintain their tight formation, driving away the Nobodies to clear a path. Seeing Sora's momentary pause, Riku breaks from the group to help him, Kairi easily rotating into his spot at the front.

Grunting fiercely, Riku brings Way to Dawn down on the doors, shattering a thin layer of energy barrier with the blow. He pushes at the metal entryway, only to get a shock for his trouble.

"Still strong," he mutters, shaking his hand. Behind him, the others have caught up, reformatting from a wedge to a wall. "Must be more layers."

"One thing to do, then," Sora says with his trademark grin, demonstratively raising Kingdom Key. Yelling, he bashes the blade into the barrier. More protective layers shatter with the strike's force.

While the boys bash away, Kairi, Mickey, Azlyn, and Telary hold the line. Luckily for the quartet, it only seems to be small fry Nobodies, Creepers and Dusks with the occasional Assassin or Samurai mixed in.

Kairi knocks a Samurai far back with a two-handed swing, quickly pivoting and relocating her Keyblade to block another Samurai's thin blade. Grunting, she pushes that blade off hers, then runs the creature through.

Telary, empowered by the surge of energy in his heart, isn't pulling any punches with spells. Orbs of fire as big as Mickey rocket forward from his staff's tip, and massive Blizzaga spells freeze three Nobodies at a time.

Mickey struggles a bit, his style better suited to mobility than acting as a protective wall. But he still does his best, golden Keyblade swinging so fast through the air it leaves afterimages in its wake.

Azlyn's shield blocks strike after strike, mostly just holding enemies until Mickey can get to them. When one Gambler comes diving in, she kicks its shin to send the creature to the ground. Batting away a Sniper's crystal bullet, she stomps down on the fallen Gambler's head hard enough to crush it into the pavement.

A blow from Riku shatters the doorway's last layer of protection, and the silver-haired young man smiles in triumph. He looks to see if Sora's wearing a similar expression, and is caught off guard as the right door suddenly bursts open with enough force to send him flying back.

Xemnas bursts through the door, light-blades swinging for Sora. The Keybearer blocks both on his Keyblade's shaft, pushing the hooded copy away. With the Nobody off-balance, he pursues.

Two strikes go for Xemnas's torso, easily blocked. The third goes low, but it's a feint and his next hits high, smashing into the counterfeit Superior's nose with enough force to make it fade out.

There's no visible reaction from the sky above. Xemnas, the real Xemnas, is close to fully consolidating himself.

"We have to get inside!" the boy calls to his companions, still holding against the Nobody tide.

"Can't now," Riku grunts, rising and absentmindedly bisecting an Assassin. "Bottleneck."

"Go!" Mickey calls out, shooting out a Pearl spell that knocks away three Dusks and a Creeper. "I can hold them here!"

"Your Majesty!" Azlyn yelps, not sounding pleased with that notion at all.

"I'll stay with him," Kairi resolutely declares, cutting through a charging Dusk.

"Kairi…!" Sora, Riku, and Telary all protest at once.

"He needs it!" the Princess of Heart argues. "Besides, it's even more dangerous for everybody if Xemnas gets his act together!"

The Nobodies are hanging back now, gathering strength for another push. The moment's rest won't last long, but it is a relief.

"I'll stay with you too," Telary offers.

Kairi shakes her head. "Sora's gonna need you, Azlyn, and Riku in there with him. Mickey and I can make sure you have the chance."

"Kairi…" Sora says, stepping towards the girl with an outstretched hand. He almost reaches her when Telary's hand clamps around his wrist.

"She's right, Sora," the wizard says, surety and finality in his voice. Turning away, he quickly releases Sora's hand and summons a coconut-sized blue fireball, hurling it into the gathering Nobody line. It explodes, decimating several creatures and breaking up the whole group's cohesion. "Okay, let's hurry!"

The quartet race into the tower, Sora sparing one last glance toward Kairi. She looks back at him, grinning. With that last look burned in Sora's mind, the doors slam shut.

The interior of the white tower is deceptively huge, reminding Telary of Yen Sid's mysterious haven. Also like that place, staircases seem to float midair at random, an entrance and exit portal at each end.

Sora barely wastes any time observing the spectacle, rushing up the first set of stairs and into the portal waiting there. Charging out, he looks down to see that the ground is easily a hundred feet below him. That second is all he spares, reaching the portal at the stairs' end just as Riku, Azlyn, and Telary come running through the entrance.

The Keybearer runs on and on, moving from one floating staircase to the next. He doesn't bother stopping to check, to get his bearings. He just keeps going, mindful of Kairi and Mickey facing the Nobody's outside.

Then, after running up what must be the hundredth disembodied stairway, he's right back at the tower's bottom. He skids to a stop, looking around incredulously.

The others emerge behind him, all equally bewildered.

"Great, a maze," Azlyn groans. "How are we supposed to get to Xemnas?"

"Maybe another route?" Telary suggests feebly. "We could try to, um, jump from one staircase to another, not use the portals…"

"What if there is no way to Xemnas?" Sora posits, his voice full of quiet horror. He turns to his friends with a disturbed look. "Maybe he's already gotten too powerful to beat. He could've already…"

"Sora," Riku says firmly, clamping one hand on his young friend's shoulder. "You can't give up now. There's gotta be a way."

"Besides," Azlyn chimes in, "if Xemnas had gone all 'phenomenal cosmic powers, a whole lotta livin' space', for sure he'd have already wasted us by now."

"There has to be a solution," Telary adds, nodding his encouragement. "If we just think about it a second, that could be the key to…"

"Yes!" Sora exclaims, smacking himself on the forehead. "Genius, Telary!"

Before the wizard can even ask why he's a genius, Sora has Kingdom Key pointing at the portal at the top of the first floor stairs. A beam of light shoots from the blade to the doorway, breaking up and covering the square entrance in white. Still grinning, Sora rushes in.

For a second, he thinks he was wrong, and he's back in the entryway. The room is similar, just a circular floor surrounded by walls of white. But there's one, obvious difference.

At the other end of the room, seated on a white marble throne, is a huge suit of armor. It gleams silver in the eerie light shining from above, a massive suit of iron armor covered in Nobody sigils. Three gold spikes, a kind of deadly makeshift crown, top the helmeted head, Xemnas's true form completely covered in metal.

"That must be where he's getting himself ready," Sora says, stepping forward. The Keyblade is gripped in both hands, raised to block a torso attack.

"Looks pretty safe in there," Azlyn notes, something like mirth sneaking into her voice. "Not for long though…"

The knight is cut off by a sudden sound, the sharp click of guns being cocked. Looking up, the group barely have time to register Xigbar's crossbow pistols hovering in midair on either side of Xemnas's throne. By the time everyone does, they're already firing.

Azlyn raises her shield to block, while Riku and Sora dive left to avoid the line of sharp crystals. The right gun swivels to face them, firing again. Sora bats away three bullets, but one gets past him and shatters on his sleeve.

Riku fires off a dark fireball, but one of Xemnas's trademark barriers flashes into existence in front of the seated armor. The silver-haired Keybearer's spell shatters against the wall.

Telary has a fireball of his own ready, but instead of aiming for Xemnas, he goes for the lefthand pistol. The spell lands, scorching the gun into melted metal. Picking up on the wizard's strategy, Riku cooks the righthand gun before it can get off any more shots.

But the Superior isn't done defending himself. Claymores fly forward like saws, cutting through the air with a shrieking whir.

Azlyn pivots and throws, her shield neatly intercepting the closest claymore and pushing it into the other. Both blades, and the shield, uselessly fly into the room's wall and bounce off.

Sora moves on the resting Xemnas, noting that his posture is improving, sitting up straighter in his throne. Consolidating his power.

Water clones shaped like quarter notes whip out at the Keybearer, but he beats them into puddles with a contemptuous swing. Razor sharp playing cards fly as fast as Xigbar's bullets, but fire spells from Riku and Telary deflect them. One of Xaldin's lances stabs out, but Sora ducks it, then moves quickly way from the follow-up. Xemnas is only steps away now.

Close enough, Sora strikes. But a sparking wall intercepts the blow. Grunting, the boy tries again, minute cracks spreading out from the impact point. With a yell he attacks, more cracks spidering out while the extant ones widen and elongate. With one last blow, he shatters the barrier.

Xemnas sits before him, out of weapons and tactics. Sora chops downward, but the armor is thicker than the energy shield. It holds against Kingdom Key, showing no signs of weakness. And if the hair rising on the back of Sora's neck is any indication, the Nobody has almost reached full power. But he can't break through, Xemnas safely locked inside…

Ah, that's just it.

Smirking, Sora leaps back, powering gathering at the tip of his blade. All out of witty banter and frustration, the boy is silent as a thin white beam slams into the Nobody symbol displayed prominently on Xemnas's breastplate.

The segments of armor begin to separate, tiny cracks sounding as the each piece unlocks from the next. Light, pure and white, radiates from every opening.

"No!" Xemnas cries out in anguish and alarm. "No, I… This can't be… I… GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The Light continues to shine out, and Sora's vision is taken by it. For a moment all is white. Then, it fades out to black.

KH-KH-KH

"Sora?"

That voice is the first thing Sora hears, although his vision remains blacked out. He nearly freaks out, before realizing that he merely has his eyes closed.

"C'mon, you can't stay like that forever!"

And suddenly, Sora's eyes shoot open. He recognizes that voice. He'd know it from anywhere.

Kairi stands above him, Azlyn and Telary huddled behind her. All three look down at the boy, smiling widely.

"Huh?" Sora says dumbly, slowly sitting himself up. At first he feels too stiff, his limbs locked up. But then a warm hand presses on his back, and he can rise.

They're back at the Altar of Naught. Riku and Mickey stand off to the side, both happy to see him awake.

But before Sora can get any more reaction than that, there are arms around his neck. Strands of red hair drift into his vision, and since he can see Telary standing a few feet away, this must be…

"Kairi," Sora breathes, reaching out to hold the girl back. They stay locked in an embrace for several long minutes, the Keybearer just closing his eyes and taking this all in. "This is real…"

"Okay, c'mon," Azlyn grumbles.

Sora and Kairi separate, each blushing.

"You know, Sora," the knight continues haughtily, "if I were a petty, insecure person, I'd make you pay for rubbing your new happy relationship in my face."

"Good thing you're so understanding then," the Keybearer laughs, allowing Telary to help him to his feet.

"Gosh," Mickey says, stepping towards the teens (and Telary) with a smile on his face. "You all did great!"

Everyone is smiling, exchanging congratulations and kudos. There's a lot of hugging, but Sora only notices Riku. The silver-haired young man turns away from the celebration, stepping to the altar's edge.

"A lot of what just happened was thanks to you," Sora says, approaching his best friend with caution. "I probably won't forget that, but if I do I guess you can remind me."

Riku says nothing, only staring out into the emptiness.

Sora frowns. "You are coming back with us, right?"

"I gave into the Darkness," Riku replies, finally turning around. His expression is a strange mixture of downcast and panicked. "I probably drew the Heartless to the island when they destroyed our world. How can I face everybody after that?"

Sora thinks on it a moment.

"Like this," the Keybearer declares, contorting his face into a hideous expression. His eyes bug out, his jaw partially dislocates, one ear wiggles, the works.

For the first time in a long while, Riku lets out a hearty, genuine laugh.

Azlyn notices, looking over at the Destiny Island boys with concern. "Well, if that ain't sign of the apocalypse…"

Suddenly the entire platform rumbles and shakes, throwing everyone off balance. They manage to stay upright, but Kairi has to lean on Telary. The king falls a bit to the side, luckily intercepted by the wizard's leg.

"I was kidding!" Azlyn yells up at the sky.

"We've gotta get outta here, quick!" Mickey exclaims, righting himself.

Riku nods, stepping forward. "Okay, I'll open a portal." The silver-haired young man extends his right hand, palm out.

Nothing happens. Riku stares at his hand.

"You don't belong in the dark realm anymore, Riku," Mickey says with a small smile at his old traveling companion.

"You would lose your freaky Darkness powers right when it's inconvenient for me!" Azlyn indignantly declares. Telary gives her an admonishing look.

"So, how are we supposed to get out of here, Your Majesty?" the wizard inquires of his king. The small Keybearer just shrugs, out of answers.

Faintly, Sora hears the sound of shoes on metal. Turning his head, he sees that Kairi is facing the platform's other end. Curious, he turns too.

A girl in a white dress stands there, blonde hair falling to her shoulders. Sora's heart leaps at the sight of her, but he's at a loss as to why. From the corner of his eye, he can see that Kairi is beaming.

The blonde girl says nothing, merely extends her hand. In a wink, the familiar black egg of a dark portal appears.

The others turn at the sound, hands on weapons. But when nothing emerges from the darkness, they relax just the slightest bit.

"Where'd that come from?" Azlyn asks, walking closer to the portal. Her eyes sweep it suspiciously. Sora swears her gaze passes the mysterious blonde, but the knight gives no sign of it.

"Dunno," Mickey admits. "But it sure is convenient, eh?"

"Too convenient," Azlyn declares, frowning at the dark energy. "How do we know if this thing is even…?"

Three loud barks sound into the night, and before anyone can react beyond a twitch, Pluto leaps from the dark portal. The retriever barrels into Azlyn's chest, knocking the knight down to the altar's floor.

"Pluto!" Mickey exclaims.

"Do you think he opened it?" Telary asks, his voice taking on a nervous edge.

"You just live to make me suffer, don't you?" Azlyn accuses the royal pooch, glaring at him intensely. Some of that intensity owes itself to affection, and there are tears in her eyes, but of course she'd never admit that.

"I say we go for it," Mickey says, his voice sturdy and resolute. "I'll even go first!"

"C'mon, Pluto, get off her," Telary orders the retriever. "That's my future wife you're pouncing, ya know."

Azlyn holds her hand out for Telary to help her up, but the wizard does her one better. Grinning, he takes her into his arms in a full-on bridal carry.

"Tel!" the girl protests, her cheeks flaming red.

"What?" he responds, shrugging. "Just getting in some practice! C'mon, guys!"

As Azlyn and Telary fade into the portal's depths, Sora and Kairi step towards the strangely unnoted blonde.

"Thanks, Naminé," Kairi says. Sora gasps, taken aback. This girl is the person Jiminy's journal said to thank.

"Why couldn't the others see you?" the Keybearer asks. "Were you invisible?"

Naminé shakes her head. "No, I just removed myself from their memories as they were making them. Wasn't easy." For a moment, she just stares at Sora with soft eyes. "Well, I told you we'd meet again."

Sora is puzzled. Obviously they'd met before if he was supposed to thank her, but…

"You said we might not recognize each other," answers a familiar male voice. Suddenly, Roxas simply steps out of Sora. The boy gasps, staring dumbly at his nearly translucent Nobody. "But I knew you right away."

"Me too," Naminé agrees with a giggle. "I always thought Nobodies were doomed to fade back into Darkness, but I guess that's not true."

"We found ourselves," Roxas jokes with a thumb poked at Sora. "Now, we can be together again."

"As long as Sora and Kairi are."

Kairi turns to Sora with a smile. "We'll be together every day. Right?"

"Uh," Sora replies awkwardly, caught off guard in a big way. "Sure we will."

"Good enough for me," Naminé declares. She holds out her hand, and Kairi takes it. Light surrounds the Nobody as her form fades out. A second later, an answering light covers Kairi.

Sora is dumbfounded by this until Roxas interrupts with a hearty, "Look sharp!"

The Keybearer gazes at his Nobody. Roxas closes his eyes, fading out in an aura of light. Warmth fills Sora's body as the same aura surrounds him. Once Roxas is gone, the Destiny Islands boy quickly checks himself over.

"Don't worry," Riku says by his friend's side. He's giving his best reassuring smile. "You're all still you."

"Best way to be," Kairi states with a smile. She walks into the portal. "Now c'mon, boys. We're long overdue for a homecoming."

Sora and Riku take steps forward, but before they can go further the platform shakes again. Both boys pause in alarm, and Kairi turns back in the portal.

"Sora!" she yells, stepping forward even as the portal collapses. "Riku!"

Abruptly, the portal, and Kairi, are gone.

"Where'd it go?" Sora demands of an answerless Riku. "Where's Kairi?"

"I don't know," the silver-haired young man admits. "I don't know how…"

"Allow me to provide an answer."

Both Keybearer freeze, looking at each other in shock. Slowly, they turn to the voice's origin.

Xemnas stands before them, glaring at the pair with pure, burning hatred. No longer the composed killer he once was, half of the Nobody's face is covered in ugly black burns. His coat has changed too, now white with swirling black patterns.

Without another word, the Organization's last survivor raises his hands. In front of him, right in the exact center of the platform, it seems reality begins to melt. The altar's white glass liquidates, running into a hole in the ground that has white light glowing from it.

The heroes rush for Xemnas, but he only stares them down. Sora brings his foot down on melting floor, and suddenly he feels stuck, pulled into the deranged funnel.

Riku stops and grabs his friend's arm, trying desperately to pull him out of the pit. But all that manages is to trap him too. Together, they fall into the light.

KH-KH-KH

The silver-white abyss surrounds them, strange vortexes swirling all about on the "walls" and "floor". Nothingness twists even below them, but the Keybearers seem to stand on a transparent disc. Xemnas is floating across from them, once again cold and calculating.

"Heroes from the Realm of Light," the Superior of a defunct Organization says in a pleasant tone, as if he's run into the boys on a walk around town. "Welcome to my realm. I may not have achieved the power of Kingdom Hearts, but here I rule!"

"What a nice place for a kingdom," Sora quips, looking around with contempt.

"A final question," Xemnas continues as if the boy hadn't spoken. "Light and Darkness are eternal, yes? Then surely a Nothing such as I, must be eternal as well?"

"You're right," Riku answers confidently. "Light and darkness are eternal. And hey, Nothing probably goes on forever too."

"But that doesn't mean you're eternal!" Sora declares, Kingdom Key springing into his hand. He and Riku both drop into fighting stances.

Xemnas laughs, just as disturbing now as it had been before. "No more eternal than that radiance of yours."

The Nobody moves impossibly fast, flashing into Sora's space before the boy can blink. He grabs the Keybearer by his jacket, tossing him high into the air.

The acceleration robs Sora of anything that could be called his bearings, his stomach sickening as gravity takes hold. From the corner of his eye he can see a round white portal opening, black Nobody wisps flying out of it. Xemnas follows, red blades in hand.

Twisting his body, the Keybearer manages to block his opponent's attack. He pushes Xemnas away, flips over, and lands neatly on the ground. Xemnas still floats above, thrusting his hands forward. Suddenly, the blades he holds shoot out.

Sora gasps as they spear towards him, but Riku dives in to intercept. Xemnas doesn't seem to mind, fading out and reappearing closer to the ground a few feet away.

Sora and Riku rush forward, separating as more shafts of red energy fly at them. Sora deflects one, dodges another, and jumps at his opponent.

Xemnas is ready, reaching out a hand covered in an orb of crackling blue energy. With a monstrous roar, the Nobody shoots the orb forward, still tethered to his hand.

The energy hits Sora, and suddenly he can't think, can't focus on anything but the intense pain surrounding his body. Within seconds, the boy is already beginning to believe it will never end.

But Riku will have none of that. The silver-haired boy leaps at Xemnas, his own hand reaching for the Nobody's. The energy holding Sora is cut off, all of it instead blasting into Riku. But still he holds on, his other arm bringing Way to Dawn up for a cut.

He slashes downward, right into Xemnas's chest. The Superior screams, breaking the lock and flinging his opponent away.

With a neat backflip, Riku lands at Sora's side.

Screaming again, Xemnas raises his hand. Portals open all around him, each shooting dozens of black tendrils towards the heroic pair.

They both dodge, then dodge again as the strands sweep back around for a second chance. Now within striking distance, the Keybearers swing simultaneously at their insane enemy.

Xemnas flies back, rising into the air with a cruel sneer on his face. Darkness gathers in both gloved hands, and with an enraged growl he thrusts them upwards.

All around Riku and Sora, grey and silver and white are replaced with black, a void like a starless sky. And when the stars appear, they're not the small white, twinkling things stars should be. A hundred thousand angry red points of deadly energy surround the heroes. Sora swears he hears another grunt from Xemnas, but there's no time to process it.

The stars are falling down.

Operating on nothing but instinct, Sora and Riku swing their blades around to deflect the lasers. It seems an impossible task, dozens if not hundreds if not thousands of deadly spears diving at them. But the boys press on, whirling and twirling. They strain to intercept each one, covering not only themselves, but each other. The black still surrounds them, but it hardly even seems dark now. Nothing but light, bright and red and deadly. Nothing but…

It stops, though whether that takes a minute or years Sora cannot say. He's completely out of breath, pushed to his limits and then past them. But Xemnas is still there, and he's got to…

A cry from Riku draws Sora's attention to his right, but all he sees when his head swivels there is more red light. The blade rests just above his shoulder, perfectly positioned to decapitate him. Swallowing his fear, Sora turns to face Xemnas.

The Nobody's face is perfectly still, but a horribly ugly madness shines in his golden eyes. It seems that the Superior has finally found emotion after all. Just not a good one. Not a good one at all.

Xemnas raises his arm, ready to strike Sora down for all time. But Riku will not allow it, diving in to save his best friend. He puts himself between the blade and Sora, Way to Dawn barely saving both their lives. With his free hand, the silver-haired young man pushes Sora back, out of range.

He's mentally congratulating himself for keeping Sora safe when the blade in Xemnas's left hand slams into his side.

Surprisingly, the shaft of light doesn't cut through his flesh, only strikes him like a steel baton. Electric pain spreads from the impact point, engulfing Riku's entire world in nothing but sheer white hurt.

Hearing Riku's cries engulf the entirety of Sora's own world. Not in pain, but rage. Righteous anger, fueled by the love he has for his best friend, fills the Keybearer's whole being, so full he fears he could overflow. Without a rational thought in his head, Sora charges.

Riku finally pushes through the intense pain, just in time to catch Sora leaping for Xemnas. Gritting his teeth, the silver-haired young man puts a plan into action.

"Sora!" he calls, letting go of his Keyblade as Sora passes by.

The brunette grabs Way to Dawn in his free hand, Kingdom Key reared back in the other. Yelling in rage, frustration, defiance, and even a little guilt, Sora strikes.

The first hit is Kingdom Key, a blow that would shatter ribs on any normal man. The next sweeps in from Way to Dawn, cutting through the Superior's black and white coat.

Not anchored by gravity, Xemnas flies up into the air. His only indication of any feeling is a small grunt, and somehow that enrages Sora all the more. With another roar, the dual-wielding Keybearer leaps up and slams both Keyblades into his opponent's back.

Finally a real reaction is elicited, the Nobody crying out in pain and rage like Sora has never heard.

The boy lands, watching as Xemnas hurtles even high into the empty space of the gray void. He's not getting away that easy.

"Riku," Sora says simply, holding out his blade towards the silver-haired young man and trusting his best friend to know what to do. Riku does know, placing his hand atop Sora's at the hilt.

Reaching inside, both young men summon their power. Light runs along Kingdom Key's shaft, shooting up in a beam easily twice as large as any they may have conjured alone.

It seems as if time has slowed, events moving at one-third speed. The beam of Light approaches Xemnas, and Sora can see as the Nobody's face contorts. The Superior of nothing opens his mouth as if to ask for something. But before any request can be made, the beam slams into his chest, burns through the torso, and flies out the other side.

Xemnas doesn't scream or cry, nothing but a choked off croak escaping his lips. The pain must be extreme. The beam of energy seems to hit a wall a few feet behind the Nobody, a swirling portal of Light opening where it stops. A powerful rush of air, a hungry vacuum, pulls what remains of Xemnas towards it.

He reaches out, as if there's someone waiting to grab at his hand. But there's no one there, nothing for him. His body, all that he has left to his name, disintegrates into black particles that are quickly sucked away. After a moment, the swirling portal disappears, leaving behind nothing.

Not so eternal after all, then.

Well, we're truly on a precipice here, ladies and gents. This was it, the final battle. Xemnas is defeated, the Organization is gone. Boom bam, that's how ya do it!

This was truly an interesting sequence to devise, as while the final boss(es) sequence of KH2 is awesome to the extreme, it ain't what you'd call "narrative friendly". So, I tweaked it a bit. I figure that hey, as long as some buildings get cut through and a bajillion lasers are deflected, who's gonna complain?

So, next up is the final chapter and the epilogue, two chapters to be posted at once. And then it's the end of Keys to the Kingdom II. After over a year of writing, that's really gonna be it. I can't wait, how about you guys?

Anyway, shoutouts to Bezerker21 and Guest for their reviews of last chapter.

See ya next time, when I'll probably be crying as I write it. Yippee!