Chapter 12

It had been a few minutes since Sora, Donald and Goofy had left to fight Xehanort and bring the Keyblade War to an end. The 10 of them had been standing there, using their keyblades to hold back the growing darkness from the Kingdom Hearts. Though new to the keyblade's power Alex was doing alright but she could also feel the darkness slowing taking over the Light Shard and herself. She was fighting to keep that in balance, so her attention was divided which Riku seemed to notice as he kept looking at her, the worry showing on his face.

"Everybody be strong." Mickey encouraged them all, braking the silance.

"So… if we can't stop him, what happens?" Lea asked the one question that was on all of their minds.

"I don't know." Aqua answered with great uncertainty. "But there is no question in my mind that that's the true Kingdom Hearts. I can't… imagine what'll happen if he succeeds."

"If we hold it back, it might vanish." Ven suggested hopeful.

"No it won't" Alex muttered, Riku and Mickey the only ones who heard her.

"No. Only the X-Blade has the power to stop it." Terra unknowingly agreeing with his daughter.

"But-"

"We all need to trust Sora." Riku said, the faith he had in his best friend never wavering, but he started to notice something odd happening to Alex. On her left arm black lines had started to appear, forming some intricate patterns all over the limb. Looking at her right arm, silver patterns were also appearing, similar to the ones appearing on her left but there was a distinct difference. The black ones were sharper, defined, like a barbs on a throne bush, well the ones on the right were much more curved and graceful. Curious Riku checked the Light Shard, noticing half of it was now black and then he saw her left eye, he couldn't help but stare. It was a black which made the blue of her eye stand out. "Um Alex-"

"I know Riku, don't worry I have it under control but I think it's about to get much harder." She said, her gaze never leaving Kingdom Hearts. Riku wondered what she was talking about till Xion's voice brought his attention back to the black heart in the sky over their heads.

"Look."

Never had one simple word held so much dread, then that did in that moment as they watched as their keyblade's lights were swallowed up by the darkness. They watched with baited breaths as trails of dark smoke came out and from them came 12 dark manifestations. Never before in all her years facing off against the most sinister and strangest looking monsters had Alex seen anyting like these. "Get ready!" Riku ordered as keyholes appeared in the sky above them, before a whirlwind came and swept them all up into the sky.

Riku was just able to grab in to Alex as they were all taken high into the air over the Keyblade Graveyard, but they were too far from any of the others. Shisui activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, summoning his Sussano, grabbing Aqua, Ven, and Terra as they were closet to him. Alex saw this as she heard Lea shout. "Whoa whoa, this is some serious trouble."

Alex and Riku were just grabbing Mickey when they saw Xion was nearly pushed into a nearby Keyhole, but was saved in time by Roxes. It was then that Alex had had enough of holding back as she her blue eyes changed to her Phoenix ones. "I need Phoenix Zord Power Now!" Everyone heard her and they were confused until a bird like shriek filled the air and a hug gold-bronze mass came flying towards them.

"What the hell is that?!" Roxes shouted.

Alex smiled as her zord came flying at her, Riku and Mickey, letting them on its back before she called on her animal spirit, infusing with it in her zord. This gave her control of it without actually having to sit in the cockpit. She was able to direct it to pick up Lea, Roxes, and Xion before heading over to Shisui's Susanoo and the others. "Get on!" Alex shouted to them, remembering that Shisui's special technic used up much of his chakra without his other eye. He deactivated it gratefully and the 4 of them landed next to the others, just as the 12 dark horned manifestations had surrounded them.

'We're trapped!" Ven shouted as they all but Alex summoned their Keyblades.

"Come on!" Terra said as they all formed up, Aqua, Mickey and Xion in the middle well the others were spread out around them. "We all have to work together!"

"Trust our bound!" Aqua said as she spared Alex a glance as the keeper put her hands together, Aqua watched in awe as Alex did hand signs too fast for her to fallow with her eyes, well her Phoenix Zord began to glow beneath their feet. It turned into energy and flew directly into Alex's back, it filling out the markings that had formed on her skin. It was then that they all noticed that the black and silver markings did not just cover her arms, they were on her shoulders and back of her neck as well. With the gold and bronze colors of her zord added into the markings it gave her skin a look of the phoenix its self was etched there. Only after this was done did Alex summon not only Starlight of the Rising Sun but the Sword of Darkness as well. By doing this Riku, who was still on her left saw the darkness in the Light Shard was pushed back to nearly a sliver.

"Alex, Riku, are you ready?" Mickey asked them as he had become very close to them both.

"I'm ready." Alex said as a grin crossed her face. "This is just another day on the job for me."

"Yeah… we can do this!" Riku answered as he half smiled at Alex for her remark, catching her eye for a moment. Despite it being phoenix gold on black in her left eye, he knew that she was still in control of the darkness that was threatening to try and take over the Light Shard and herself. Riku prayed that she could keep it up till it was all over. "Let's go!"

A battle in the air as you hover together in a tight group well being attacked by enemies continually over and over again, is not an easy one. As the strongest of magic users, Aqua, Xion and Mickey were on guard and ready to throw up a protective barrier around them all when the need arose. The rest of them mostly worked together or on their own to attack and defend from the manifestations. Every so often they were able to do joint attack, like when Terra and Riku were back to back, holding back attacks from two of the dark manifestations. Then they were able to push them back and then attack simultaneously, landing power hits them before rejoining the others. Aqua was able to create a wind typhoon above them or a short period of time that Lea used to amplify his fire attack that Shisui then threw one of his Fire Ball Justus into the mix. Roxes did his special attack hitting several of them at once, after backing up Xion, and Ven, dealing a critical blow.

The battle grew to it zenith as they were pushed to their limits as the dark beings increased the attacks, trying to drive them all apart. Then Alex saw something rather odd as Riku broke away from the group for a moment drawing some of the manifestatins away. For just a moment after Riku was able to send them flying, a light came out of his chest, and she saw Sora.

Alex blinked in confusion, losing focus on both the fight and keeping that darkness that was trying to take over the Light Shard. There was a strange glow about Sora and he almost had the appearance and feel of either a fragment of a soul or someone made of light. She did not know it at the time but Alex was the only one who saw this Sora before he faded back into Riku. This only lasted a moment but it was all the darkness needed to get a foot hold on the Light Shard and fill it completely. Her eyes turned completely black as her body went limp and she began to fall. Riku seeing this was able to grab her and pull her to his side, fear filling him as he saw all color slowly began to leave her skin. "No, Alex!"

Hearing his shout, Terra turned and his eyes fell on her limp form at Riku's side, his eyes wide in fear of losing her too. It was then that Mickey saw all 12 of the dark manifestations draw back, red energy surrounded them before they all stuck the shield at the same time. "What? Oh no!" They could only stand there and watch as the shield around them began to crake under the attack and then it shattered. They were all sent flying in different direction, into different keyholes that were scattered all around them.

Mickey, Riku and an unctuous Alex who was now on RIku's back (her head resting on his shoulder, arms around his neck) were the only ones left. Riku saw that one of the manifestations was heading right for Mickey and he charged in, pushing the mouse out of the way and blocking the attack just in time. Unfortunately he lost the battle and Alex as he was also sent flying into a keyhole. Before he went through he saw that one of the manifestations had grabbed Alex and had her limp form under its arm.

Being the last guardian of light in the area, Mickey fell onto a road made of light, as a grouping of smaller keyholes formed a bigger one right in front of him. Somehow he found the strength to get to his feet, summon his keyblade and slow push forward. Slowly he pushed forward, deflecting the manifestations attacks with light attacks. He fell a few times as but he refused to stay down, as he pushed himself back to his feet and kept pushing forward. A few times when the one holding Alex came to attack and he tried desperately to grab her but each time he missed and was left open to be attacked in return. Then they gathered their energy for one hug combined attack and let it lose on him.

Mickey pushed against this attack with everything he had, unaware that he was not in fact really alone. As you see Sora had found a way to tread the hearts of his fellow guardians, getting a better understanding of each of them, and one by one he gathered the pieces of Kairi's heart. This was the Sora that Alex had seen and he was with Mickey now as he had left Riku when his best friend was sent flying. "No matter how far… the light will connect out hearts!"

Sora stood unseen behind the mouse king, his keyblade ready as Mickey stopped the attack and said. "We are- all of us- together!" Mickey and Sora gathered a lot of light energy and like a giant blade made of the purest light, cut down the dark manifestations, save three. This released Alex, and she began to fall until Mickey created a bubble around her, keeping her safe and keep her from falling to her death. He then gathered the last of his magic and strength and went to seal the giant keyhole. "Let the light connect us"

Mickey succeeded not only in sealing the keyhole but he destroyed the last three manifestations in the processes. With the last of his energy gone, Mickey began to fall much as Alex had started to just a moment ago. Sora came out of the king's heart and stopped his decent as he took his friend's hand as Mickey looked up at him tiredly. "Sora… what are you doing here..? Is it… really you?"

"I traced the connection- from me to Riku, then Riku to you." Sora explained as he smiled at him, then noticed Alex's floating bubble nearby. Using his keyblade, Sora was able to bring her over to them and placed Mickey in the bubble next to her. "That's seven- all the lights I needed, including yours. I'll handle the rest."

Mickey watched tiredly as Sora floated away from them and into the giant keyhole before it closed. Mickey wasn't all too sure about how Sora had come to be there when he was supposed to be fighting Xehanort inside Kingdom Hearts. But as he grabbed Alex's hand tiredly he knew that everything would be alright.

-o0o-

Alex's Pov

"Alexandria."

I groaned at hearing my name but that was all I could do as my body felt too heavy to do anything else, I couldn't even open my eyes. I didn't know the voice that was talking to me, save it was male as he called my name again. I didn't know where I was, all I could tell was that I was falling or was it floating as a presence surrounded me. I assumed that it was the man that was trying to get a response from me. I felt a large hand wrap around the Light Shard and suddenly its light and dark energy with in me came into perfect balance and I could finally open my eyes. Quill smiled as he looked down at me and I realized then I was in his arms. "Good you're awake. Now we can talk, though we don't have much time."

I stared up at him in awe as he put me down on my feet which caused me to look around at my surroundings. We were in a stone building of some kind that in some way look familiar but I wasn't given much time to look around as Quill began talking. "You have come a long way in such a short time my dear Alexandria but you still have much that you need to learn and master. Well you are learning to use the keyblade and the new powers you have unlocked you must teach the other Ninjetti Guardians."

"Wait, what?" I stared at him in disbelief. "How can I be expected to teach the others if I don't know who they are or realized that they are guardians?"

Quill smiled at me as he placed a hand on my head. "You do know who they all are and as for them realizing who they are and their importance you will have to explain it to them."

I frowned at him as I thought over his words. "Well there's me and in a few years Zara Rodgers will be awakened, I do know who the dragon is but that leaves the tortoise. It was there when I called but who is it." I thought back to my fight with Drakkon and it didn't take me long to realize who it was. "You have to be joking, Terra?"

"Yes your biological father is the Tortoise, though I don't see why you're so surprised. You are a child of two who are both keyblade wielders and ninjetti and that is what makes you worthy to unlock the full power of the Light Shard. You have a long road ahead of you my dear and the first step is to tell the dragon who he is and fully awaken him."

"You do realize that he may not like this and I'm worried what Jason and the others will think when they realise what the dragon and phoenix are to each other." I blushed fiercely as I looked away from him and out one of the open archways. It was then I saw the jungle and a hug mountain in the distance and I realised where we were. "Wait, this building its-"

"So you figured it out." Quill said as he took my hand, giving it a squeeze before he leaned forward and places a kiss on my fore head. I jumped as I felt a jolt of energy pass through him and settle there. "Now I imagine that you are wondering why you were overcome by the darkness that filled Kingdom Heart."

"I figured that it had to be because the Light Shard was make from the original X-Blade from the first Keyblade War." I said as I recalled what Zordon had said.

"That is part of it but the other is that you forgot the most basic part of being the Keeper of Light. You keep the balance of the light and darkness. Though it is not only of the power of the morphing grid but Kingdom Hearts as well. As you were unaware if this you were not prepared for its power to influence your own heart. You must learn to always keep your own heart in balance along with the energy that lays in the Light Shard and the Morphing Gride." He said as he began to fade, as did the Ninjetti temple around us.

A moment later my eyes opened and I found Mickey looking over me a relived smile on his face but I did see surprise in his eyes. I returned his smile as grab Mickey and teleported us up to where I saw Riku and the others were just appearing. Riku saw us and came flying over we grabbed him and all three of us flew down back to the base of the mountain.

"Alex, I'm glad you're alright." Riku said before he gave me a quick kiss but then we all summoned our keyblades, and for me Sword of Darkness as well. We all then together sent gathered our lights and sent it directly at the last manifestation of Xehanort. How I knew it was the old master I don't know but I was relieved that he was defeated for good. It was well this attack faded that I noticed Kairi and Sora were standing before us, smiling at each other as they started to glow. I watched them fade but not before Sora caught my eye and I saw sadness with in the depths before they both were gone.

"Where are Sora and Kairi?" Lea suddenly asked, finally noticing that the two of them were gone. "They were here."

Riku turned to him. "They were. As long as their together-"

"They'll be alright." I finished, sharing a smile with Riku before looking up at Kingdom Hearts as it disappeared in the clouds.

"Now, let's fallow Sora's heart." Mickey said as a gate opened and we fallowed Sora's heart to his location. The city that had been Sora's and Xehanort's battle field must have once been beautiful, now lay in ruin. The 10 of us flew in and landed in front of the three half pints. "You made it!" Donald shouted.

"Are you ok?" Mickey asked the three of them, and they said they were fine.

"Kingdom Hearts is closing on the other side but we managed to fallow our hearts to you." Riku told Sora, which over joyed his best friend. I smiled as well but I noticed Terra as he approached Xehanort, the two of them staring at each other for a moment not saying a word. Then Terra smiled and said. "There's more to light then meets the eye. As I told you."

This seemed to register something important to Xehanort as he looked very surprised. "You sly fox…"

Terra then began to glow and a heart came out of his chest, which then took on the form of an older man. His cloths were white robes, well his brown hair was kept up in a pony tail that caused his hair to spike behind his head. "Now hand over the X-Blade, Xehanort."

I noted the looks of surprise on Aqua's and Ventus's faces and it was then I realised who he must be from the stories my mother used to tell me and my brother. "Master Eraqus." I muttered in awe.

"It is too late." Xehanort snapped.

"For us perhaps but not for them." Eraqus said as he turned and looked at all of us, his eyes locking with mine for a second. In those gray eyes I saw a storm of emotions as he looked at me but then he turned back to Xehanort who was pointing the X-Blade at him.

"No… I can do this." Xehanort was determined but we could all see that he was defeated.

Eraqus looked at him sadly as he walked forward forcing him to lower the blade and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Enough. Checkmate." Xehanort seemed to realise that his old friend was right and walking forward he offered the blade to Sora, who took it with a bit uncertainty.

We then watched as Aqua and Ven ran and embraced their old master, tears in their eyes as he held them both as they cried. As he talked to the both of them I noticed that Terra soon joined in the hug throwing his arms around his old master and his two friends. Master Eraqus spoke to each of them in turn, asking Aqua and Ven to forgive him for his actions and putting so much on them. After he asked Terra to look after them both he turned and looked at me again, a smile crossing his face as my face became hot with a blush. Though he said nothing to me I saw his smile grow as released his former students and then went to Xehanort. Supporting his old friend we all watched as the two became young before they left for go, passing on.

Soon after we stood around Sora and together we used our hearts and the power of the X-Blasé to close Kingdom Hearts for good. We soon found ourselves back in the Keyblade graveyard, the war finally over but as Sora turned I knew that his journey wasn't.

"We'll find Kairi. Let's head back to Master Yin Sid's. We can figure it out." Riku said, trying to comfort Sora. In that moment I reached out and took Riku's hand causing him to look at me and it seemed that he saw what I had realized in my eyes. He gripped my hand tightly and nodded in understanding.

"No. I know what to do." Sora told us.

"Sora…" Mickey said.

"My whole journey began the day I lost her and every time I find her… she slips away again." Sora told us, as I felt a shift in the air and in the corner of my eye three figures in red, blue and yellow walked towards us. "I thought we'd finally be together, but she's out there alone."

"She does not have to be alone young one."

Everyone gasped and turned in surprise as the red Emissary said this, everyone but me and Riku suddenly on guard. Not saying anything both Riku and I bowed to the three, who in turn bowed back. "For those who do not know who we are we are the Emissaries of the Morphing Masters." Blue informed the weary guardians.

"O-k." Lea said confused. "A bit late to the party."

"Or right on time." I said as I walked forward, pulling the two power coins that had once belonged to Drakkon out of my pocket and with one in each hand, I held them out. "Here is what you seek. The Dragonzord and Tigerzord power coins that once were forced to merge and used for ill intent by Drakkon."

Saying nothing, blue and yellow took the coins from me and they did something I did not expect. The three of them stood together, the power of the Morphing Grid surrounding them and going into the two coins. I watched in awe as the two coins were placed in a morpher and taking the morpher, red approached Sora offered it to him. "Let this help you when all else fails. So long as you stay true to yourself and let your heart be your guiding key." He said as Sora took the power morpher and stared at it, not saying anything. After a few moments of him simply staring at it, red placed a firm hand on Sora's shoulder, causing him to look up at him. "Are you going to keep her waiting?"

Sora looked up at him in determination as he clenched the morpher. "Not for one more second."

"We'll go too." Donald offered as he and Goofy stepped forward.

"That's right." Added Goofy.

"Thank you Donald, Goofy but this time I have to go it alone." Sora told his long time traveling companions. Mickey tried to talk him down but in Riku was able to convince Mickey that Sora had made up his mind. "Now, you have to believe in him."

We all watched as Sora summoned his Keyblade and left us for who knows how long but I had other things on my mind as the Emissaries turned to me once more. "Remember what Quill said young keeper and be ready for what the future holds in store for those who are chosen." Yellow told me.

"I will remember and thank you for everything. May the power protect you." I said as I bowed to them once more.

"May the power protect you as well Alexandria Maria Smith- Scott." The three of them said before they left though a small gate of light. I was smiling as I turned seeing Riku, who was smiling at me with a raised eyebrow in a question. He wanted me to explain but knew it could wait. It was then I saw the looks of shock and confusion on everyone else's faces and I couldn't help but laugh as I scratched the back of my head. "It's a bit of long story."

A/N: I admit that I had that whole fight planned out in so many different ways before I even retched it, so I am very happy with how it turned out. But as always I want to hear what you the readers think.