Kingdom Hearts Is….
Destiny Island.
"Home." Sora muttered as he stepped through the light carefully, the others behind him as he felt the hot prickling grains of sand pressed up against his shoes.
The Island was just how Sora and Kairi remembered it, from it's tropical pine trees to the coconuts hanging from some of the branches of others. A large waterfall splashed fresh cold water, and all around sand and beach could be seen for miles on end. Everything was peaceful, pure and good. Even the sky was bright and sunny like always. Sora got on his knees to feel the grain against his skin to see if it's real rubbing the coarse sand against his fingers. Just feeling it gave him a sense of nostalgic euphoria, feeling the nostalgic smells and touch of home calmed him greatly. The first brief sense of calm the felt in a long time. All of that though quickly vanished as his mind tried to find out why.
"Are we really home?" Sora asked shaking his head. "We didn't defeat Xehanort did we?"
Kairi shook his head. "I don't think so, that seems to easy for me"
"So this is your home." Goofy said looking impressed. "It's nice."
Sora smiled "Thanks, but I have a feeling this isn't really destiny Island."
Despite his caution Sora really wanted to believe that it was his beloved home. That somewhere in the distance his mother waits for him, ready to embrace him with open arms. That he and his friends would be able to sit here on the beach once again. Not only that but now he would be able to join in with his new friends once again.
"We should look around and see if anything is amiss." Kairi said dampening the mood. "Maybe we should start with the secret place."
"That was the last place I saw -"
Kairi held his hand tighter. "I know, come on, let's get looking."
The Island didn't change at all it felt despite Sora being gone for so long. All the trees he could remember perfectly in the same location that they were. Not a single sign of damage or scuffle from the Islands original was a complete one eighty compared to the dark sky and the giant vortex of doom that Sora had to put up with the last time he stood upon these very familiar beaches. The quiet was something that made him feel taken aback, like something was about to come up and attack them. Everyone else must have noticed this as well for Sora noticed they began to walk slower, their eyes darting from side to side, looking for something to jump at them and strike.
"It's too quiet here." Donald said, holding his staff
"Spooky, is it always this quiet here?" Goofy asked.
Sora shook his head. "Maybe everyone on the main Island today?"
"There's always someone here though." Kairi interjected. "Wakka, Tidus...Selphie."
"I'm sure will see them." Sora said wrapping his hand around Kairi. "If this really is home."
"Look." Goofy pointed forward
Standing before the entrance to the secret place was a door, similar to one Sora had saw during the destruction of the Island.
Slowly Sora walked up to it, struggling as he tried to get it open yet to no avail. He stepped back and sighed, lowering his head in defeat.
"Well that was pointless." Kairi muttered.
Suddenly the atmosphere around them began to cool, the ground around them began to shake. The island flashes and the sky rips open, shattering the peaceful illusion. Beyond the gashing tears is a dark, mad world. The beach crumbles and lifts out of the water, revealing its rocky undergrowth as what once was a dock splits in two. A familiar figure that Sora recognizes instantly stands on the edge looking out into the distance.
"Riku!" Sora called out
"Sora wait!" Kairi cried. "Ugh, what is it with him and Riku."
To late Sora rushed up towards him yet stopped the moment he realized that his friend was wearing that same dark suit he had before when they fought. He didn't even turn to face him, instead facing the ocean beyond. Sora scowled down allowing Kairi and the others to catch up, he wanted to reach out to him but was pulled back. He saw Kairi holding his arm looking afraid. Something was definitely wrong.
"Take a look at this tiny place." The voice was not of Riku's but of Xehanort "To the heart seeking freedom this is a prison surrounded by water. And so this boy sought out to escape from his prison."
Sora eye narrowed, how dare he insult his home.
"He sought a way to cross over into other worlds and opens his heart to darkness."
A dark aura overtakes Riku as he turns around as he transforms into Xehanort, the symbol of the Heartless embolden on his chest.
"Riku!" Sora reaches out but steps back.
"What do we do now?" Donald asked nervously
Kairi looks up at him with defiance. "We take him on and get our friend back."
Xehanort laughs. "Don't bother. Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His
heart belongs again to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness, and all so
end. The heart is no different."
Sora felt a tinge of righteous fury as he spoke, every word was like venom to his ears. This man had caused so much suffering and misery that to act like he was a expert on the heart was insulting. Yet Xehanort continued to speak, his voice now booming with malevolent glee.
"Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."
"That's not true." Sora snapped, he heard enough. "The heart may be weak. And sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out
Xehanort slowly rises into the air now, Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy step back, sensing a fight to come.
Xehanort sneers at them. "So, you have come this far and still you understand nothing. Every
light must fade, every heart return to darkness!"
Behind him, darkness bursts from his body, forming into a large black Beast with long antennae that dangle behind him. It's teeth are bared, seemingly covered in thick constraints, while its torso forms an empty heart. Xehanort laughs and the Heartless throws scythes of energy at them. Sora dodges them, rolling to the side as Ansem floats above them. Sora moves in, striking him but misses.
"Everyone run!" Sora shouted.
"Come guardian!" Xehanort commands summoning the beast power.
Sora again dodges the attacks of purple lighting as Xehanort continues to float above them almost as if he was more interested in observing there reaction than actually attacking them, letting his creature do the work. Donald casts Thundaga and Graviga at Xehanort but the man just laughs at him.
"Pathetic mage."
Donald screams and tries fire managing to get a hit in. "Take that!"
"Good one Donald." Goofy said blocking one of the guardians magical strikes.
Sora slid down managing to get next to Kairi who kept her distance trying to find a way to strike.
"You ok?" He asked.
Kairi nodded. "Yeah, just not use to this."
"Me neither."
"Sora-there's something odd about him." Kairi whispered trying to avoid Xehanort gaze. "I don't think he's human."
"What do you mean?" Sora asked.
"He smells."
"Huh…"
"He smells like one of the Heartless, you said darkness smells, well I've been smelling Heartless for the last-I don't know, how long we've been here?"
"A couple hours."
"Well that long, and he smells just like one of them."
Sora looked confused gazing up at Xehanort. "Are you saying he's a Heartless?"
"Maybe." Kairi shrugged. "But if he is, then he's probably affected by your Keyblade."
"I mean, he hasn't tried to use one since he had Riku's body."
"Maybe he can't anymore."
Sora looks at his Keyblade, it was really the only thing that can truly take down a Heartless. If Kairi was right, then he would be able to in theory destroy Xehanort just like he would any other Heartless. A Keyblade master after all was a guardian of light, making him nothing more than just another being of darkness to destroy. Sora looked up at Kairi and nodded a fire in his eyes.
"Distraction?" He asked.
"Distraction. Kairi rushed out shouting. "Hey over here!"
Xehanort sees her and snickers. "Princess? Amazed you aren't safe basking in your light."
"And leave my friends behind, not a chance, Sora now!"
Sora leaped forward and struck at Xehanort, knocking him back. He shrieked in pain falling back against one of the rocks. Sora could see the bit of energy he struck oozing from his Key.
"Ha!" Sora shouted. "So you really are Heartless aren't you."
"I told you as much." Xehanort sneered.
The fight continued as Sora and his allies managed to overwhelm Xehanort and his guardian. Sora kept a close eye on Kairi most of the time, making sure she wouldn't get hurt, but the more the fight went all the more he realized just how capable she was. Not only did she hold her own against his attacks but she even managed to get a few hits on him as well. Sora really now began to think he had a chance of beating him.
Xehanort was again thrown back looking tired but defiant. "You are very much like your predecessors. They too believed that friendship and unity would defeat me, well, if your friends are your power boy. Lets see how well you fight without them!"
With a wave of his hand Xehanort flew of, the ground around him began to shake and opens up the largest tree in the Island revealing a hellish landscape. He waits inside for Sora who chases after him. In his anger Sora rushed after him not even bothering to wait for his friends.
"Sora!" Kairi tries to reach out to him but too late
Sora turns around to see Kair, Goofy and Donald trapped behind a barrier.
"Not again!" Sora ground.
Xehanort floats near him. "You're defiance may have beaten me before back in Hollow Bastion, but I won't allow you to do that to me again."
"I've learned a lot since then, and I've learned a lot since we first met." Sora said holding his blade in attack position.
Xehanort laughs. "Yet like I said you understand little, even if you do defeat me, you cannot defeat the darkness boy. There is more than once face of it, you can never defeat us all."
A large pool of darkness appear in the center of the arena as the giant Heartless from Sora's dream appears. Darkside, that's was its name, rose from the pits surrounded by dozens of smaller Heartless that jumped out and attacked Sora, who struck them down one by one. He didn't care how large they were, he didn't care how powerful, at the end of the day all of these creatures were the same. Bits of darkness that he had to fight and protects others from. He had faced many demons, witches, wizards, snakes, had things thrown in on him. His light would illuminate the darkness.
"Submit!" Xehanort tried to strike him but Sora was faster.
"To slow!" Sora snickered.
Darkside raised his fist and tried to slam him down missing. Sora quickly stabbed him with the Keyblade causing the creature much pain. It stepped back, it time causing the ground to shake a bit knocking Xehanort and Sora down.
"For a big guy, it doesn't seem that scary now." Sora chuckled
Xehanort groaned. "I admit you have grown Keyblade Master, but you still barley know the power that your Key can wield."
"Well your a Keyblade Master, show me."
Xehanort sneered. "Why would degrade myself with such a simple weapon."
"Maye you can't wield it anymore...Because your nothing more than a Heartless"
"Insolence!"
The Guardian sinks into the ground and a pool of darkness appears underneath Sora causing everything to go dark and cold. Sora looks down as the Guardian flies up at him, knocking him over. Sora dodges to his feet and jumps in the air. He flies forward as the Guardian continues its assault. As soon as it returns to Xehanort's side, Sora whirls around and runs straight at the man, striking him with the Keyblade.
"You still can't win." Sora said getting back up
Xehanort staggered a bit becoming frustrated. "How? You are alone."
"Like i said, so long as my friends remain in my heart, they will never die."
"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean your friends themselves won't die..
"Huh?"
With a single snap, everything turned to darkness. Sora couldn't see anything, there was absolutely nothing. He tried to move yet couldn't feel his own body. He didn't even know if he was alive.
"Kairi!" Sora shouted hearing his own voice admits the abyss. "Donald! Goofy!"
Echoing around him, Xehanort laugh rang in Sora's ear. "Behold the endless abyss! Within it lies the heart of all worlds" Suddenly Sora could see, a tiny light of a large beautiful bright white door. "Kingdom Hearts!"
Kingdom Hearts. Sora gasped looking at it. The power that Maleficent had sought. The reason why all of this was happening. It was in the form of a giant white door. Even from here Sora could feel it's eminent power, thought of what he could not tell. But if Xehanort wanted it then he had to stop him from getting it no matter what.
"Look as hard as you are able. You'll not find even the smallest glimmer of light. From those dark depths are all hearts born. Even yours"
Looming over him now Sora could see one other thing, a massive beast or perhaps a ship. It was both, red and purple texture oozing of various orbs and objects the like of which one would image in the darkest of nightmares. At its center was a giant monstrous head and on the top he could see Xehanort connected to it by some sort of wire as he bore a double bladed staff and a large form of his guardian looming above him. Both of them had grown large and less human.
"Darkness conquers all worlds!"
"Sora!" Kairi screamed the guardian had her in his grasp.
"Kairi!"
Donald and Goofy now floated down entering dark portals as Kairi was put into a shield.
"You are alone now, your friends will soon be lost forever, even if you keep them in your heart, you will not be able to take them." Xehanort fired a bolt of energy against him knocking Sora back as he fell into the pit whatever kept him afloat no longer there.
Sora was falling again.
Falling
Falling
Into darkness.
"Giving up already, come on Sora, I thought you were better than that."
"Riku!" Sora eyes popped open as glittering dust came over him. "Pixie dust."
Sora calms himself, he believe in himself, Riku was out there, and so were the others. He wasn't going to let Xehanort take him down this easily. He had come to far now. With the ability to fly granted he flew back up and faced the giant beast that now stood before him. Again he had to remember, that Xehanort was not a man, he was just a Heartless. Nothing else, no more no less.
Up above Kairi tried to punch her way out of her shield prison but to no avail, Xehanort can only watch and laugh. "You're sick." Kairi sneered.
"I'm about to become a god, I don't think my methods should be questioned."
"It must be sad to see nothing but darkness, no light, no happiness, I'd hate to live that kind of life."
Xehanort snickered as he watched Sora avoid his defenses. "What about you Princess? You have no darkness, you have only light. Do you wonder what it's like to have darkness."
"Not really?"
"You should, have one and not the other, in a strange way, makes you just as inhuman as me."
Kairi sneered. "At least I have people I care about...Speaking of..."
"It doesn't matter, my World of Chaos will destroy your pathetic little Keybearer, and I'll be free ot unleash my darkness." Xehanort turned to see Sora come and try it strike him.
Quickly Xehanort used his blades to defend himself as he clashed with Sora's Keyblade. The two of them went back and forth, Xehanort using sheer brute strength while Sora was swift and kept mostly on the defensive. When pushed back Sora pointed his Keyblade right Kairi ushering a beam of light releasing her from shield but accidentally causing her to fall.
Sora quickly flew down and grabbed her the magic dust covering her now allowing her to fly.
"Thanks." Kairi turned to look up at Xehanort and stick out his tongue.
Sora looked down at the center of the beastial ship.
Xehanort screams. "All shall be esquinshed."
Large malevolent orbs of darkness appear around Sora and Kairi. Before he has a chance to duck, Sora is hit by a cluster of lasers. Kairi takes flies downward away from them, but also away from Xehanort.
"Thanks." Sora sighed.
He looked around for a opening, trying to see if those same dark vorteks would open that entrapped Donald and Goofy. Xehanort dispels his sword and crosses his arms over his body. A large Heartless insignia appears over him, blocking him from all attack.
"Coward!" Kairi shouts.
Sora took her hand and points to the center of ship. "Look!"
A portal over the cage reappears, the same one that entrapped Donald and Goofy at the start of the battle.
"Come on!" Sora flies into it, Kairi right behind him, both find themselves in pitch black room the only light coming from the ground in the shape of the Heartless emblem. He is confronted by a horde of Shadow Heartless, the only light coming from the Heartless emblem on the floor and their eerie glowing eyes. As he destroys the Shadows, a long thread appears in the middle of the room, glowing with dark energy. Sora strikes at the Room Core, which explodes, sending Sora back to the World of Chaos. He could hear Xehanort's groan echoing in the distance.
"Did you're hurt him?" Kairi asked.
Sora nodded. "He's connected to this Heartless ship, destroy it and we might destroy him."
"Sora!" A bright light and Goofy shows up falling towards Sora and landing on top of him.
"Goofy!" Sora got up and hugged him. "Your okay."
Goofy rubbed his head adjusting his hat. "Yeah, that darkness is real scary."
"Well I'm glad your back, now come on, let's get back and find Donald, hold on." Sora outstretched his Keyblade and Goofy took it engulfing him in Pixy dust as well. All three flew of out of the portal.
All of them zoom back towards the World of Chaos, where the hugely-fanged Face at the front of the battleship opens its gaping maw, staring at them through horrid yellow eyes opening it's wide showing off all it's horrid teeth.
"Ew yuck." Kairi scoffs.
Sora snickers. "What you don't think we can take it."
"Pfft hardly."
They strike at the Face, which clenches its teeth, sending bolts of lightning at them. It rears its head back as they attack and opens its mouth, sending an explosion of energy around them while its eyes glow. Opening its mouth, it blasts a giant beam of dark energy Sora manages to avoid it's attacks while Goofy blocks it with his shield.
"I could use some help fella's." Goofy cried out.
Kairi takes out a bow and shoots it right in the tongue causing it to shriek in pain.
"Great shot!" Goofy smiled.
Taking the final blow, it roars and its head falls limp, the mouth opening. Another portal of darkness appears inside its jaw as more artillery appear on the front armaments of the battleship. Sora, Kairi and Goofy fly into the portal, reaching another dark room filled with Invisible Heartless.
"Sora!" Donald shrieks as he appears using his magic to strike them down with bolts of lighting.
A few of the Invisibles vanish in orbs of darkness to retreat.
"Donald!" Sora beams happy to be reunited with his friend wrapping him and Goofy. "We're all together again."
"All for one and one for all right!" Goofy smiles.
"Yeah!"
Seeing the core of the room appear Sora destroys the final Room Core and they escape the room through the portal. Again another cry of pain, Xehanort was getting wounded now even more so. The weaker he became, the more Sora knew that his chances to defeat him increased.
Back into the dark void, they saw the chore of World of Chaos was now free.
"We need to take that down." Sora shouted. "Xehanort connected to this ship, if we destroy the ship, we might destroy him!"
It was all in now, beams of energie fire from organic turrets trying to knock Sora and the others down. With quickness and ease they head to the center core and begin to pash it as hard as possible as the artillery strikes back.
"Defense!" Donald conjures a shield over them defending them from attack.
Sora raises his Keyblade summoning a beam of light. "Give me strength!" Three orbs center around the tip and begin to meat.
Sora jumps upside down, thrusting the Keyblade into the flesh of the cage. He spins around, holding the grip of the blade as a bright symbol appears around him. Beams erupt from the circles in the symbol and the orb above and the world is enveloped in light. The Main Core crackles with energy as the light fades. Energy catches its grip and it explodes. The Heartless Emblem above Ansem's body shatters and Ansem slides forward, his silver hair trailing behind him. Straightening up, he crosses his hands and his pole sword reappears as he glares at Sora, Kairi Donald, and Goofy
"Let me at him I'll collber him!" Donald shouted Sora trying to hold him back.
"No, no, we have to be careful...He's wounded but he's still powerful"
"Together we can stop him!" Kairi said.
Sora turned to look at his friends, in his mind eye he could have sword he saw Riku along with them as well. No, he was there, at least in his heart. He was going to take down Xehanort and be rid of him once and for all today.
Glaring at him Sora took Kairi's hand, and then Donald's and then Goofys. He could feel there combine light growing inside him.
Sora closed his eyes and concentrated with all his might aiming his Keyblade right at Xehanort, straight were his heart would be. Feeling the Keyblades power channeling through him, thinking of his friends, his family, everyone he ever met on this quest, there lights combine and emanating into a beam pointing right at the massive Heartless blasting him with a gold beam of light.
"It's working." Kairi said, gripping his hand tight.
"Stay together" Sora called.
Goofy nodded. "Staying together."
Sora tried to hold her own, yet he turned to see Kairi glowing radiant almost as her own powers of light began to manifest inside her. The power of the princess of light were strange and mysterious to him, yet right now they were doing exactly what they were meant to and that was preventing the darkness from manifesting.
Xehanort unleashed every spell and attack he could as Sora's power continued to charge up. Orbs of darkness, swinging his sword, everything he possibly could think of but to no avail. The power of light was to much for him to endure.
Suddenly his Guardian roars as it implodes, the veins connecting Ansem to the battleship shake violently and he hangs forward, dropping his sword. Xehanort convulses as the World of Chaos is enveloped by a glowing light. Forming a gigantic orb, it explodes, its energy scattering through the abyss. Sora, Kairi Donald, and Goofy stare down at Xehanort who floats before them, twitching. The door to Kingdom Hearts waits behind him.
"It's over Xehanort." Sora shouted ready to strike one more time. "You've lost."
Xehanort shook his head. "No-no...It's only just begun." He whirls around and looks at the door stretching his arm, his eyes gazing on it like a mad possessed man lusting for it.
Sora wanted to attack but he couldn't. Something in his heart told him to stay still and wait, a greater work was about to play out now. He could see the door slowly begin to open now, a horrid stench began emanate from it, it was the stench of darkness.
With a maddening gaze Xehanort stretched out towards the darkness. "Kingdom Hearts! Fill me with the power of darkness...Supreme Darkness."
Sora shook his head. "You're wrong. I know now, without a doubt, Kingdom Hearts... is light"
Without warning, a blinding light bursts from beyond the door, causing Xehanort to cover his eyes. It penetrates his being, sending his mind reeling. Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy all covered there eyes, the light was blinding yet it was also warm and beautiful. Such pure and joyful light.
Xehanort though looked to be in pain. "Light…..But why?"
The light began to engulf the evil Heartless Keyblade Master, until his body slowly began to fade, and then vanish in a speck of dust. He was gone, Xehanort's Heartless was defeated, the day was saved. Yet the door still remained open and it needed to be closed. Sora and his friends didn't hesitate to rush towards it and begin to push up against its white painted wood. It's massive size though making it difficult to close.
Goofy peers through the door and gasp. In it was a chaos of darkness, platforms of rocks edging out onto the horizon as well as dozens and dozens of Heartless as far as the eye could see. It was a horror to behold.
"Stop staring at start pushing!" Donald shouted.
Kairi pushed with all her might. "Yeesh this is heavy."
"Heartless!" Goofy shouted! "Hurry fellas!"
Sora pushed even harder now yet the door seemed to not wanna budge. It was starting to look hopefulness until to his shock a second pair of hands appeared and began to pull along with him from the inside. He looked aside and gasped in shocked.
"Riku!"
Kairi gasped. "Riku?"
"Come on, together we can stop it!"
Kairi and Sora freeze for a few moments. Riku was there standing right in front of them. Kairi didn't know what to do and and Sora was just in complete shock. He was okay, behind a giant door but okay. However right now he couldn't allow himself be distracted
"Sora!" Kairi pointed to the Heartless.
Sora looked at Riku who nodded. "Right!"
With all the strength they could muster they went back to closing the door, more and more Heartless started to gather. It seemed as if they were about to be overwhelmed. Suddenly a dash of light and a small figure bouncing around the darkness began to strike down the Heartless one by one. Donald and Goofy take a peek to see who this new found ally is.
"What?" Donald's eyes widen in shock.
Goofy hands begin to shack. "Gawrsh!"
Suddenly the mysterious figure stands tall despite his small stature, his round head and large round ears illuminate as he too holds a Keyblade.
"Now Sora, let's close this door for good." He says, his voice high pitched and squeaky.
"Wait what about-"
The figure turned around and smiled. "Don't worry. There will always be a door to light."
Sora looks to Donald and Goofy noticing there shocked expression.
"Don't worry Sora you can trust King Mickey." Goofy gives him a thumbs up.
King Mickey turns to face his friends looking at them one more time. "Donald, Goofy, thank you."
Riku whirled around and got to pulling harder. "Now! There coming!"
Now or never they pushed with all their might as Heartless gathered on mass. Kairi and Sora though looked at their friend one more time, who looked at them back and smiled. To Kairi he gave a light wave and to Sora he said these last few words.
"Take care of her."
Sora nodded those were the last words Sora heard before the door final shut once and for all.
Once shut Sora leaps back and holds the Keyblade into the air, light forming at its tip gathering energy. Mickey swings his Keyblade around, releasing magical dust, and raises it into the air. The door begins to glow brightly and soon disappears, revealing a long winding pathway behind it.
A brief moment of silence, Sora closed hide eyes and took a deep breath. Finally, it was all over. Xehanort was defeated, the door was shut and the darkness had been contained. Now all that was left was to follow this path and return back home.
"So what now?" Kairi asked once everything was gone.
Sora just looks ahead. "We move forward."
"Together?" Kairi asks.
Sora nods "Together."
Together all of them, Sora, Donald and Goofy took the first few steps ahead Kairi right behind them. All of a sudden however, the ground began to to shake and the rock separating Kairi and Sora began to part. Quickly Sora turned around to grab Kairi by the hand but the gap was starting to become too wide. Something was keeping them from going any further as the ground began to turn into sandy beach once again.
Destiny Island, it was forming. Not some illusion of darkness, but the real Destiny Island. The light was coming back, the universe being restored. But Kairi could not go any further, she was back home. Yet Sora wasn't.
For a brief moment both stare into each other's eyes as they understood now what was going to happen. She couldn't come along, not yet anyway. Why, they didn't know, fate perhaps. But at that moment Sora knew what he needed to say.
"Kairi remember what you said before? I'll always be with you too." He puts his hands over hers and says almost in tears. "I'll come back for you I promise."
She almost about to cry herself. "I know you will."
Finally he lets go and the two separate, as Sora drifts off he can see that Kairi has a bright light form around her. To him it was just a ball of energy but to her it was the Island home beginning to reform around her. All the beautiful trees and rocks, and the homes in the distance start to come back, and in the sky, stars began to form one by one. Any hope of her wanting to stay with Sora was gone at the moment. Looking down into her hands though she felt something heavy prickle up against her, she opened her palm to reveal the lucky charm from before. It would be a symbol, a symbol of his promise and the hope of him returning one day. She knew that she had to continue to hold out hope no matter what.
Hope, that he'd come back home.