The Final Rest

Calm had returned to Hollow Bastion, or at least as much calm that can come to a ruined civilization. Most of the Heartless had vanished and this allowed for a time to rest and think about what to do next as well as heal their wounds with whatever potion or magic they had brought with them.

During this time of rest Kairi roamed around the Castle library during this time. When she first arrived she saw one of the fellow Princesses of Heart Belle, along with the Beast reuniting after what was probably a long time for them.

Kairi couldn't help but feel a little envious, not like her and Sora didn't have a proper reunion yet, it was just ...She could tell there was far more on his mind right now. Which she understood, the battle was far from over, however, she wished she could do more.

She went over many of the books finding various facts about the town and a bit of information on the Heart, something she wanted to share with Sora thinking it would help.

As she looked through various books and articles memories of a past that she had long since buried came flashing back. Her as a young girl, her grandmother by her side, and that story of a world long since passed repeating over and over again. Memories of beautiful gardens, and medieval looking homes all aligned together. Of festivals and celebrations that were a splender to behold, but also of a castle magnificent and fair, that radiated light from it and was a symbol of beauty and learning. It was such a strange thing that perhaps right now she stood upon the land of which she once grew up.

"All of this seems like such a strange dream." She said picking up a book to look inside. "But something I've known all my life."

For many years Kairi had not cared much about her life before she arrived on the Island. After all why should she. Her life was good, she had two loving parents who cared for her, raised her. She had Sora and Riku as best friends. Nothing really compelled her to come back here or look deep into her true history. Even now, even as she looked over the various books in the library, did nothing still compel to research anything about her history outside of sheer curiosity or even the fact she was this so called Princess of light everyone was muttering about.

Nothing made her eager, all that mattered was getting home and being with her family and friends once again.

Yet it was a strange thing that she now was thinking about it.

For the most part of the rest she kept to herself, no one wanted to keep her alone for a very long time and while she knew the people who Sora had joined forces with she didn't really have much of a relationship with them. Thus she kept during the brief time of rest.

However she did speak to the other princesses of heart, she was at least curious if that title came with any powers or abilities. Belle-who had taken role as ringleader of the other captives during her time as Maleficent captive had discovered some abilities. For example if they concentrated hard enough they could be able to unleash a wave of light, strong enough at least to deflect the Heartless from a attacker. They also had some unique healing abilities that they found out during that time, although activating that magic was harder to get right. Kairi had found the other princesses quiet nice and did feel a bond when she was near them.

Then there was Sora

Kairi realized just how much he changed since she's been asleep, although she had seen bits and pieces since her adventure. Sora had gotten much braver and sure about things. No longer as nervous from before. All those time pretending to be the brave hero now he was actually being one, and the stakes could not be higher. She had definitely become so proud of him, but wished she could help.

She hated the fact she had been asleep for so long, she wanted to be by his side, by her friends side, not stand on the sidelines and be a damsel in distress. She wanted to fight.

"Feeling okay?" Kairi looked up seeing Star mosing around the place.

"Oh-Star right?"

"Yep that's me-Super stoked that Sora finally managed to save you, I just had to say hello. Although you must already know me because you were experiencing stuff Sora was experiencing which is kinda weird, I mean what if you experienced going to the can-which would be we!"

"Um-I don't think I did." Kairi said, taking a back by Star's very hyper demeanor.

"Eh-That's cool-" Star grabbed a chair and placed her feet on the table. "But hey, you and I guess are princess buddies huh!"

"Princess buddies?"

"Yep-like you I TOO am a princess from another dimension. Though not a princess of heart, just a regular royal princess who's going to inherit a throne, rule a kingdom...Deal with deciding how much people pay in taxes. Boring, government stuff".

Star took out her wand and summoned a magical rainbow above her, only for it to burn into flames causing some of the animals inside it to flee running for their lives before it vanished. Kairi just kept quite trying to make out whether or not Star was just hyper or crazy.

"Okay-" She said slowly. "Well I'm not sure being a Princess of Heart make me a actual Princess."

"Hey, own the title girl, if your a princess you're a princess, you just don't have to deal with the horrors of running a Kingdom and one day being Queen and dealing with a overbearing mother-SIGH-who you still miss because your world was destroyed by the forces of darkness."

Kairi frowned as she sat down. "Your world was destroyed too huh."

"Yeah-" Star let out a groan as she too took a seat next to Kairi. "That's why me and Marco have been helping out the resistance, though we would have been fighting the bad guys anyway even if it wasn't. That's kinda our thing."

"Wish I could go on those types of adventures." Kairi chuckled bitterly running a hand through her bright red hair. "Course I was asleep during Sora's adventure so I kinda missed out-like-a lot. And by a lot I mean, almost all of it."

"Well change it then?"

"What?"

Star nodded and gave Kairi a mischievous smirk. "Sora's had a lot of companion besides Donald and Goofy during his trip, I should know me and Marco were one of them, one of them my arch enemy-Long story-but my point if he can have those guys and gals on, then there's no way he wouldn't want you to join in on the team."

"But I don't know how to fight." Kairi sighed twiddling her fingers a bit. "I mean I know how to swing a wooden sword and knock sense into my friends but-never been really into it."

"Fightin's easy, just hold out your hand clench into a first and throw it has hard as you can at the enemy. Have a magic wand BLAST THEM INTO SUBMISSION, or even use a giant sword to cut of their heads. Whatever is the most effective way to use good old fashioned violence."

Kairi chuckled nervously, unsure about her very violent nature. "That's great and all, but uh-I'm not a muscle bound beast like Riku was."

"Come on, embrace it girl!" Star started summoning various weapons of shapes and sizes now. "What do you like, sword, mallet, axe? Mace? What about a mace, it's got spikes so you give them a good stabbin."

"Um…" Kairi grimace. "I think I would like something that better fits well, me."

Star sighed causing the mace to vanish. "Eh- got any talents, come on girl work with me! Your not gonna let the guys have all the fun during the final mission!"

"Well-" Kairi tried to think of some of her talens.

Kairi was smart, doing several extra curricular activities after school mostly achemic. Although she was quite the star on her soccer team. So she was good with her legs and could give a mean kick. She also had a good eye for things and could definitely do a lot of research in her time, hence why she loved being in a library like this. Yet despite that she was mostly into the sciences and mathematics, something that came in handy whenever Sora asked, or more like begged for his homework. Then finally one ability of hers came to her that she had completely forgotten.

"Archery!" She bursted. "I'm pretty good with archery!"

"Really?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah I took lessons back at the Island, seemed like a fun idea at the time."

"Okay." Star shrugged. "At least we're getting somewhere, now lets see how we can work with it."

Star got up and took out her wand once again, this time she blasted into the air conjuring up a bow, arrow holster filled with arrows catching both and handing them to Kairi. She took them, seeming hesitant at first, they were slightly heavy but slowly Kairi was able to hold them with ease."

"What are these?" Kairi asked.

Star rolled her eyes. "What do you think, a bow and arrow with unlimited regenerating arrows duh, gotta give you something otherwise what are you just gonna use your fists. I mean they can come in handy when fighting baddies but still, weapons help too."

Kairi looked at the bow and arrow holster unsure, sure she wanted to fight and was good at basic archery but this felt like a step up. Without any training or something she was probably a sitting duck. Still she wanted to help out Sora during this final adventure of his, tired of being on the sidelines all the time.

"Come on Kairi-go out there, I mean if we are all gonna die anyway, might as well be with those we care about."

"Care about what?" Marco poked his head from behind one of the bookshelf and walked over to them before realizing he might have been interrupting, his cheeks turning red from embarrassment.. "Am I interrupting some girl talk-if not I can come back later."

Star seemed confused. "What? Nah! I'm just convincing Kairi here to go along with Sora in the final battle?"

"Doesn't that seem a bit dangerous." Marco asked with a concerned look. "I mean you haven't really seen any combat or have been trained or…"

"Wouldn't you come with me if I had to go in the final battle against the forces of evil?"

Marco paused to tap his chin and think it over, people didn't call him the safe kid for nothing after all. Yet his closeness with Star did mean he would definitely get over many of his instinctual tendencies just for her.

Star grunted and punched his shoulder.

"Ouch-Okay, okay yes I'd go with you."

"See-" Star looked at Kairi smirking. "I rest my case."

Kairi looked at the bow and arrow thinking. "Well, I guess I really do want to go with Sora, and I am tired of just sitting on the sidelines."

"Well you can't really help that when you're asleep." Marco chuckled only to get another punch in the shoulder from Star

"What am I sure Marco means is, we get it, he's your friend and you wanna be there by his side. So I say go for it girl."

"Thanks-I just might."

Star punched her first in the air. "Who knows, maybe one day you'll have your own adventures and uh in case you need some companions you got me and Marco right here!"

"Uh Star-" To late Star pulled him into tight "Ok! Nevermind yeah I'm in if you need us."

Kairi nodded and took a deep sigh. She wanted to be with Sora now more than ever. Yet the one thing she worried about was how he was going to take it. This was something was definitely going to take a lot of thoughts if she had any chance of persuading him otherwise.

"Hey Kairi-"

"Yeah St-oh, Sora…" She smiled seeing him standing right by her side.

Sora sat down next to her he seemed a bit nervous.

"Is something wrong?"

Sora bit his lip, he looked like he was struggling to say something, "Oh nothing um, well actually, yeah something-uh, you see ...ugh, I don't know"

"Just spit it out"

"Kairi I don't want you to come with me when I find Xehanort," He blurted out.

Complete silence.

Kairi had a wave of emotions come over him as Sora's cheeks turn extremely red from sheer embarrassment of what he had just said. Not go, what did he mean he couldn't go. She would do what she liked. She didn't spend her whole time asleep on the sidelines just to now no longer do anything.

"Outch!" Sora whined the minute she hit his head.

"What do you mean I can't go!"

Sora rubbed his forehead, his words continue to stumble, "Well, it's not like I don't want you to not don't go...I just...I just ...Look, I lost Riku, I don't want to lose you too"

It was then that Kairi realize what Sora was talking about, her anger subsided, though she was still annoyed.

"I can take care of myself you know"

"Yeah, but…." Sora looked down, "I mean, I've seen things, alot of bad stuff and well...I don't want you to get distracted and I don't know how you are gonna fight and…...

"So, I can help in other ways"

Sora sighed, "I know that but ...Kairi come on, I've already fought so much and…

"And you need help, I can help you, I've been reading a bunch of these books since we got here" Kairi said pointing to the wide collection in the library, "There's a lot of stuff on various Heartless types here, and the history...Come on Sora, let people help you"

"I have Donald and Goofy"

"What about the others"

"Someone needs to stay in case Xehanort strikes and I lose, find a new Keyblade Master, if there was one before me, they'll be one after me, but someone has to keep this place and every other place safe"

Kairi looked at Sora now and realized that he wasn't the same kid she knew back from Destiny Island. Oh sure he was still the kindly goofball that he always ways, but now, now there was a seriouness to him that she had never seen before. Actual thought was being put into what he was saying. Not always perhaps thes smartest thought, but still thought. She could tell that he was scared, terrified, however he was going to go up this darkness that was about to consume them all.

"Okay-" Kairi nodded, "I understand, I'll stay"

"Really?"

"Yes ...Really"

"Oh Kairi I-"

"Hey kids," Yuffie walked up to them now interrupting whatever moment they were going to have, "Leon's calling a bit of a meeting, need to decide what we were going to do ...Stat"

-000-

Kairi met them at the giant Keyhole of Hollow Bastion. Though now locked thanks to Sora of course. Everyone was here. And by everyone, it was really everyone. Leon and his gang, The Pines Family, Star and Marco, Phineas and Ferb and friends, The Princesses of Heart, Beast and his friends Donald and Goofy plus relatives. Everyone who had helped Sora through this journey had gathered. It just reminded her how much she had missed out, and how little she did contribute to all of this.

More guilt would have continued to pour out if Leon hadn't started speaking first.

"We can feel the growing darkness." Jasmine indicated. "That's why need to be together to hold it back I don't know how...And Id on't know why, but when we are together, our powers are amplified ten told."

"Sounds like magic to me" Cid muttered, "Doesn't make sense but man can it be convenient"

"Loose magic systems, got it" Soos commented.

The other princesses nodded in agreement. Though none of them knew much about the powers that came with being a Princesses of Heart, let alone why they were selected to be Princesses of Heart. Yet they could feel their instincts kick in and they knew what they had to do. Like a deeper power influencing them. Even Kairi could feel it, yet she didn't have the same urge to stay unlike the others. Her heart was telling her something different.

"Ok so we know that darkness is coming but we don't know where." Yuffie spoke up. "We can't really stop a Villain if we don't know where he is."

Leon nodded. "Even if we do find him, it's going to be hard to stop him."

"Hey we got Sora, he's our ace in the whole." Mabel beamed shaking Sora excitedly. "As long we have him and the Keyblade we are a shuin to win."

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Not necessarily Mabel. No offense to Sora but you didn't really stop the Villains through force and more through sheer luck."

Sora scratched his cheek in embarrassment. Dipper was right, he didn't really defeat Maleficent with skill and more through a simple wish. Even when he defeated Riku it was more through the fact the Keyblade had helped him out and less than his own skills. Luck and chance had helped him quite a bit during this journey. If he was about to go up against a fully fledged Keyblade Master then he would need to be at his very best. Even with the help of Donald and Goofy it was going to be difficult.

Turning to Kairi she gave him a slight smile, yet he could tell she was nervous about what was about to transpire.

"Hey I got an idea how about we pay him off." Stan suggested. "Nothing to much mind yuh, but I know crazy people like a little something something if you know what I mean."

"I don't think this Xehanort guy is interested in getting paid Grunkle Stan." Dipper said. "He seems like a fanatic."

"He is." Sora sighed. "He's obsessed with darkness."

"What is so great about darkness anyway." Yuffie asked angrily. "Ansem was fascinated by it, Xehanort is ...Maleficent was ...I don't get it, I really don't. Seriosuly reading some of those reports we found, it's like ...Why? Just...Just why?"

"I should know I try to make a Darknessinator once, didn't work out well" Doofenshmirtzs sighed.

Marco nodded. "Yeah, plus it gives you evil looking eyes and your face creepy and ugh ...Definitely not something pleasant to look at. Probably isn't that healthy for you either."

"Point is" Leon interjected, "We have to find Xehanort before he unleashes whatever it is he's planning to unleash".

"Maybe that's where we can come in" Belle interjected, Beast standing beside her, "I've been doing some research since I was able to get some information regarding the Keyblade that might be able to assist"

"How so?" Sora asked.

Belle cleared her thought, "Xehanort used the Keyhole to go to whatever world he wanted to, all you have to do Sora is use your Keyblade to open that portal"

"So unlock the Keyblade I locked" Sora asked

"No, just use it to open whatever portal Xehanort unleashed and walk through it, seems simple as that".

Leon rolled his eyes. "That's great and all... But unless you have a good idea to defeat Xehanort I'd suggest you stay quite."

"I say we raise a army and go full on against him!" Mabel declared.

Webby nodded. "I like that idea sister."

"Problem we can't find him." Yuffie added. "Personally I say we wait for him to show up against and then get him."

"He might have a mega weapon or something before we can even attack." Dipper argued.

Debate went on and on, Sora just listening to one suggestion after another. Attack, defend, Inators galore. It was a million different ideas with no sort of cohesion or logic in some cases. He turned to Kairi pleadingly who merely shrugged unsure what to do. Looking into her eyes though everything he needed to know finally came clicking to him. He had had enough, it was time to finally speak up.

She could his tension rising, he didn't like being in these sorts of situations. Soon though that tension burst and Sora spoke out once more.

"ENOUGH!" Sora shouted, his voice echoing across the chapel.

Everyone looked taken aback, shocked by seeing this as Sora stood in the center of the chapel now. His face was stern before he took a deep sigh trying to calm himself down before speaking again. This time his tone was far lighter yet still stern.

"Look, I know you all want to help, and you guys have been the best really. You took me into your world when I was lost. Helped me train and lead my on the right path, even coming here to help me take on Maleficent and the others. But this-This is something I need to do on my own. You guys need to stay here and make sure the worlds are safe in case I um...Um…." Sora couldn't finish the sentence but everyone know what he was talking about.

Leon turned to the others and then to Sora and nodded. "I think I understand."

"Really?" Sora seemed taken aback, that was easier than he thought.

"I do, maybe you're right, we have this world to protect and others too, you are the Keyblade Master, I think this is something you need to do."

"Well he ain't doing it alone." Goofy walked up to Sora standing by his side. "Me and Donald will be joining him all the way, right Donald."

Donald looked at Huey, Duey and Louie, they nodded back at him and he at them. Donald turned to Scrooge who nodded as well giving him a reassuring expression.

"Don't worry las." Scrooge responded. "Your boys will never be alone."

Donald smiled. "Thank you." He walked over to Sora standing by his side now.

Kairi smiled at both of those two. They had definitely been true loyal friends to Sora through thick and thin. He was lucky to have both of them by his side. That happiness turned sour however when she realized just how little she actually had done. How much she could have done even if it was just a little bit.

"Thanks guys." Sora smiled. "This means a lot."

"WAIT A MINUTE WAIT A MINUTE!" Dipper shouted, erupting into a manic state. "Are we seriously just going to let this-this-this kid save us. We need armies, weapons, something. I mean again what was the point."

"Dipper!" Mabel scolded. "He's saved us before, I think you should have a bit more faith."

"Faith! Faith! No seriously I wanna know what was the point of all this, coming here, helping him, what are we just gonna let him save the day, that's it, nothing, we just gonna stand here, why did we even do all this if we are just gonna-"

Suddenly Dipper eyes widened until his body became loose, sliding back and forth before falling face front onto the ground. Behind him his sister Mabel stood her arm raised and hand put into a fist. Everyone gasped and looked at her shocked. She had knocked her brother out before her brother could go even further.

"What?" She shrugged looking quite nonchalant. "I got tired of his ranting okay."

"Nice move pumpkin." Stan said patting her head. "But uh he's going to wake up right?"

Mabel shrugged.

"Go one Sora," Mable gave him a kindly look, "I believe in you, we all do...Even my dorky brother, despite not admitting it".

Sora nodded and then turned to the final keyhole and pointed his Keyblade at it. With all his might he directed his energies and fired a bright light at it. Kairi look at awe, watching as the Keyhole emerged and opened up a portal.

Taking a moment now Sora looked back at the others now saddened. "So...This is goodbye."

"No matter what happens our hearts will bring us together again." Aerith added.

Sora looked up at Leon

Leon noticed this and smirked. "We may never meet again, but will never forget each other."

Yuffie snickered. "Besides I couldn't forget you even if I wanted too."

"What's that supposed to mean." Sora grunted shaking it off before looking to Kairi now smiling. "Kairi, I'll be back soon...I promise."

Kairi nodded. "I know you will."

She watched as Sora Donald and Goofy were about to go off for one final adventure. One final journey to face off against Xehanort. The final battle. It could be the last time she saw him, the last time she saw anyone. If he lost then all would fall to darkness. Even if he had one, it would be at what cost. Something inside her began to tick. Something perkling up, uncontrollable.

Then as if by instinct she started to run up towards him just before he stepped towards the portal and pushed him.

"Kairi what are you-"

"To late!"

Kairi was going with them now she fell into the portal along with Sora, Donald and Goofy as they all cried out. The portal lit up even brighter blinding everyone in the room. For a brief moment no one could see what was happening, the power of the portal reaching its peak and just as it was at the height of its power, it disappeared altogether leaving the room in silence.

They had gone and Kairi had gone with them.

"We may never meet again, but will never forget each other."