CHAPTER FIFTY THREE

She sat there on the shore, gazing at the moon that hung low in the grey sky. She had blue hair and pale blue eyes. She wore a black and blue, high collared halter top with two pink intersecting belts over her chest, and black shorts. She wore white bell-sleeves and tan, fingerless gloves. She wore black stockings and silver armored boots. A small piece of segmented armor rested on each of her upper arms.

As I stepped closer, she looked up at me in shock.

"Wha... what are you doing here?" she said.

"I... know you." I said, my head throbbing with each beat of my heart. "Have we met before?"

The woman stood up and studied me very closely. As she stared into my eyes, hers lit up and her expression melted into overwhelming joy.

"Hallie!" she cried. She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly.

"Uh..." I said. "Is that a yes?"

The woman let go and placed her hands on my arms.

"I guess it was so long ago, you probably don't remember." she said.

"Uh, sure..." I said. "So, what's your name?"

The woman reached into her pocket. She pulled out a golden ribbon and held it up between us.

"My name is Aqua." the woman said.

I stared at the golden ribbon as it fluttered in front of my face like a hypnotist's watch. I gasped and grabbed her hands, feeling the soft texture of her gloves.

An old friend...

"Aqua!" I cried. "You... you were there, when I was wandering around in darkness! It was you who led me to the Realm of Light! You were the one who saved me!"

Aqua smiled warmly.

"I can't believe you're here." she said. "How is Sora?"

I looked at her in surprise. "You know Sora?" I said.

"Well, in a way, yes. I met him and Riku when they were little kids. While I was here, I dreamed about you. I dreamed that you would save us."

"Us?"

Aqua's eyes trailed to the pauldron on my arm. She touched it gingerly and gasped.

"He heard you." she whispered. "He's still out there..."

I looked at her curiously, but I decided not to push that subject. I sighed and looked to the shore.

"My friends..." I whispered. "Will I ever be able to go back home?"

Aqua lowered her head. "I don't know. I've been here for so long."

I dropped my hands to my sides and brushed my fingers against something. Warmth coursed through my veins and sent shivers up my spine. I looked down and saw the doll dangling from my belt. I unclipped it and held it in my hands. His face flooded into my mind: the starry sky, our storybook friends waving in the background, and the gentle touch of his hands holding mine. I remembered the sparkle in his eye and the tenderness in his smile as he gazed at me. I choked back a sob.

"Sora..." I whispered.

A tear escaped down my cheek and hit the ground. I hugged the doll tightly and squeezed my eyes shut.

I heard Aqua gasp beside me. I looked up and gasped as well. Light appeared before us, growing into a large, door-shaped blob.

"Light..." Aqua said.

"The Door to Light." I said. "But how?"

Aqua looked at me and smiled. "He heard you."

I looked to the light and walked to the edge of the shore. I turned back, but Aqua was gone. I sighed.

"See you later... Aqua." I said.

I clutched my doll to my heart and turned back around. The door grew larger, and the light filled me with comfort. I stepped through the door.


Hallie... a voice caressed my mind. Wake up, Hallie...

"Who's... there...?" I answer groggily.

Hallie... welcome home...

My eyes slowly opened. I was in darkness again. The blood-chilling thought that I was still in the Realm of Darkness knocked some adrenaline into me. I thrashed around.

No... I was... underwater?

I looked up to the surface, where I could see the reflected colors of the sunset sky shimmering on the water. I swam upward. I broke the surface and gasped for breath. I looked around me and realized I floated in an ocean. I turned around and I saw a large island in the distance. I swam towards it.

"Hello?" I tried to say, but it came out as weak as a kitten's mew.

I dragged myself onto the shore and slowly stood up.

"HALLIE!" multiple voices cried.

"Huh?"

I looked up as a massive force tackled me back into the sand. Arms surrounded me, squeezing me to near breathing problems. As I absorbed what was going on, I grinned when I saw a flash of white feathers and black floppy ears.

"Donald! Goofy!" I cried.

I sat up and laughed in relief as they nestled their faces against mine. Mickey ran and tackled me with a hug.

"It's nice to see you, too, Your Majesty." I laughed, hugging the mouse king.

I looked up to see Riku and Kairi running over to us with big smiles.

"Hallie, you're okay!" Kairi said.

That voice... Realization hit me. I remember that voice from when I wandered around in the darkness. Not only was Aqua there, Kairi was there too. She was one of the voices calling out to me.

Kairi and Riku held their hands out to me and helped me up. I looked at everyone, and my face slowly fell.

"Where's...?" I said.

Kairi and Riku looked at each other and smiled. They stepped to the side like curtains separating on a stage.

There he was, slowly walking down a wooden plank onto the sandy shore. His lips were curled up into a big smile, matching the brightness of his ocean blue eyes, putting the sun, the moon, and all of the stars to shame. The smile on my face didn't even come close to the happiness swirling inside me.

"Sora!" I cried.

I ran to him. Sora opened his arms and I barreled right into them. I buried my face into his shoulder and laughed in relief. I could hear the teasing giggles of Donald and Goofy, but I didn't care.

"What, no fireworks display? Not even a simple hello?" I teased. I pulled my head back to meet his eyes. Our faces were inches away. "Well?"

"I'm... really glad to see you." Sora said.

I giggled and hugged him again. "I'm glad to see you, too. You have no idea."

I pulled myself away, and I gasped quietly when I saw Roxas standing in Sora's place. I turned to my friends, and I saw Naminé where Kairi stood. I slowly reached up and ran my fingers through my hair, which was suddenly extremely short. I looked back at Roxas, and staring into his deep blue eyes, I saw someone else in the spot where I stood.

Callum.

Roxas and Naminé smiled at me before turning back into Kairi and Sora. I saw myself once again in the reflection of Sora's eyes. I let out the deep breath that built in my lungs and I smiled.


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

If you thought Aqua, you guessed right! While at the Dark Margin, Hallie meets Aqua, one of the legendary trio from many years before that you're all very familiar with. Hallie remembers Aqua from the very beginning of her journey, while she was in the Realm of Darkness. It was Aqua who guided Hallie to the Realm of Light. However, Aqua remembers Hallie from when they apparently met when Hallie was young. As Hallie calls out to Sora, the Door to Light appears. She steps through and ends up on the shore of Destiny Islands, where her friends eagerly welcome her home. Hallie realizes that she recognized Kairi's voice from the beginning of her journey as one of the voices that called to her, ultimately leading her to Aqua and the Realm of Light. In a brief moment, Hallie sees Roxas, Naminé, and Callum, and closure is found knowing that they are happy.

In the next chapter, the moment for Hallie and Sora that you've all been anxiously waiting for finally arrives!

Stay tuned, and thanks for reading! Remember to review!