Chapter 59: The Sea and the Sky

A/N: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company. I do not own The Dresden Files, which is the property of Jim Butcher. This is a creative project that I do not profit off of in any way, whatsoever.

Hello my readers, hello! My gosh, did you guys respond to the previous chapter with gusto! I'm delighted!

I want to point something out from some of the comments I've read. There is a definitive reason why Roxas and Axel weren't quite as proactive in defending Xion last chapter. It was deliberate and I assure you that it will be explored.

We're on our way, my friends. It's time to start again. We're on the way to the Destiny Islands. This is something I've been planning for a very, very long time and I'm ecstatic that I get to share it all with you.

Let's roll!

oooo

Lea grimaced as he opened his eyes and saw himself staring face-to-face with two people he really wasn't in the mood to talk to. His adolescent self and his Nobody self, both of whom were looking ready to set the entire world on fire.

"I know what you're going to say," Lea muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's get this over with, so I can wake up."

"What the hell?!" Axel shouted. "Get this over with?! What the hell?!"

"I know."

"He took her Keyblade."

"I know."

"He hurt her!"

"I know!"

"She's our friend," Lea's younger self shouted. "And we didn't do anything!"

"I know!" Lea shouted. "You think I don't know?! I bungled everything up, worse than ever! I was supposed to keep them safe—Roxas and Xion, both! And what happens? They work themselves half to death! And then Xion is treated like a punching bag and they rip her heart out."

"It's our fault," Axel said, leaning against a wall, crossing his arms. "We're the ones who urged her to keep it a secret in the first place. If we hadn't argued with Jiminy, then he probably could have talked Xion into telling Yen Sid what happened with that damn mordite sword."

"She still would have gotten in trouble," Lea muttered. "She still would have been punished…and it probably would have been the same thing. Master Yen Sid and Aqua would have taken away her Keyblade."

"Why is he even our Master anyway?" Lea's younger self asked as he pulled out a frisbee and began tossing it around. "I don't remember signing anything that said he was our Master. And he doesn't even teach us stuff—he usually just bosses us around. He's not a teacher, he's the principal!"

"Like that's any different from before," Axel scowled. "Saix gave orders, orders, orders and good ol' Superior Xemnas took breaks from staring at his precious moon to yell at Xion and threaten to turn her into a Dusk. Screw him and screw Saix."

"Isa," Lea said. "Don't you forget that we did get him back."

"Yeah, 'cause Sora and Roxas and Xion took him out for us," Axel argued. "What did we do? Fight for a little while and then get our ass handed to us, while the half-pints did all the work. The half-pints always do all the work…"

"Hey, I did all the work on that science project for ol' Crabby Conroy," Lea's younger self piped up. "Remember? That was back when Isa was crushing on that girl Serah."

"So what are we gonna do about it?" Lea asked, not bothering to respond to his adolescent self's remark. "It seems that you two only ever show up when I've screwed up."

"What you're gonna do is set Master Yen Sid's beard on fire!" Lea's younger self shouted. "A hot foot on his chin! That'd be funny!"

"That'd get me killed," Lea scowled, crossing his arms. "The last time we talked, you were all about two halves make a whole."

"Yeah," Axel said, glancing at the fifteen-year-old Lea, who was trying to juggle a half dozen of his frisbees. "That's still true. But a matching set is only as strong as its weakest point. I got the same advice I gave you last time—talk to the kiddos alone. You know damn well they'll conceal their own feelings to try and support the other."

That was…well, actually, Lea wasn't sure that was true or not. It wouldn't be the first time Roxas and Xion had sacrificed their own well-being

xxxx

Lea opened his eyes. The walls surrounding him were still white, but the rocking motion told him he was on the Gummi Ship. Well, their Gummi Ship, since this wasn't the Highwind that King Mickey usually used. The ship was actually somewhat crowded—King Mickey had sent Hayner, Pence and Olette along for the ride.. The half-pints were all in various shades of miserable, and none of them seemed to enjoy the ice cream they had to eat. Of all the things they had to use to run the Gummi Ship…

"Hey kiddos," Lea said, lifting himself up. That was right, he had crashed on the couch just after they'd all gotten on board. "How long was I out?"

"A couple hours," Olette said, taking a tiny bite out of her ice cream. "Not much has happened, really. We called our parents to check in. Father Forthill says 'hi,' by the way."

Lea took a better look around the main area of the cockpit. Hayner was at a small table with a pile of sea salt ice creams—half of them eaten, a few of their sticks broken. Pence was sitting on the floor, near a window, looking out into the Lanes Between. Olette and Roxas were sitting next to each other on one of the smaller couches.

"Anyone seen Xion?"

"She's in the bedroom," Hayner said, taking a savage bite of ice cream and not even bothering to chew it. "We thought about checking on her, but…well…"

"None of us were sure what to say," Pence said. "I didn't want to say the wrong thing and make it worse, ya know?"

Lea scratched the back of his head and he saw Roxas grimace. And then the grimace turned into a glare.

"Whatever. I'll check on her."

Lea rose up to his feet, walked pass Roxas and Olette, paused briefly to run a hand through Roxas's blond locks. He could hear Roxas's teeth unclench. Lea sighed to himself and then opened the door to the bedroom.

The lights were turned off, but it didn't make that much difference—Lea could see the lump huddled under several covers.

"Hi Xion," Lea said. He reached a hand out and placed it on Xion's shoulder. He wasn't sure she could even feel it through the covers. "You doing alright?"

No response. Lea wasn't surprised. Xion hadn't said a word since they'd left Disney Castle. He sat down beside her, keeping his hand on top of her head. He scratched his fingers gently against her scalp. Still no response.

"Xion, I just want you to know that…what I'm trying to say is…you're worth more than just your Keyblade and your claymore…" Lea groaned. This wasn't as easy as he had hoped. Everything just sounded like platitudes from a lame greeting card. "Oh, forget it."

From underneath her covers, Xion tensed and Lea thought he heard her give a small cry. Forget it…nice one, Lea. Way to press the trauma buttons even more. Lea sighed and slowly scooped Xion up, still wrapped in her blankets. Gently, as if her appearance matched her age, Lea set her in his lap. Xion wrapped her arms around him. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to say anything.

Lea just wished that not saying anything would be enough for him.

oooo

It was as glorious a morning that Kairi could remember. The sun was shining, the air was warm, the breeze gentle. It was an absolutely perfect morning. Which fit the nature of the day just fine as far as she was concerned. The only thing that was upsetting was that her friends wouldn't be here to see it. Riku and especially Sora…he would have so loved to have been here, especially today.

We'll find you. We'll bring you home. We'll get to be together again.

Kairi looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was neatly brushed and adored with a simple green ribbon. Her blouse was pure white and starched. The knee-length skirt she was wearing was new, sea foam green. It matched her ribbon. Kairi hadn't worn much green growing up, but there was something nice about it. Green was the color of grass and leaves and life. It was in every way the opposite of that horrible, brown, dead wasteland, the Keyblade Graveyard.

Kairi winced. She still felt it. The sheering, stabbing pain of Xehanort putting his Keyblade through her spine. She'd been unconscious but the pain had woken her up. And then she'd shattered. She'd felt herself breaking…felt herself be broken…and the pain had been all consuming.

But Sora had saved her. Just as she had held onto him, so he had held onto her. And he had restored her. Brought her back. Brought everyone back and together, she and Sora had stared down Xehanort one last time. And then they had returned to Disney Castle and seen the firework; they'd gone to Twilight Town and watch the sunset; they had gone to Radiant Garden and they had finally restored Naminé.

Naminé. They'd brought her home. Brought everyone back to the Islands for one final evening of peace. And she and Sora had sat on the paopu tree to watch the sunset again and Sora had held her hand, squeezed her fingers as he faded away…

"Sora," Kairi said. "Wherever you are…we will be together again."

Things had been quiet on the Islands since that night. Riku had left home again, staying only the night. He had called a few times on the Gummiphone, but that wasn't the same thing as being with her friend. She had heard from Master Aqua a handful of times as well, but she'd only heard from Axel once. It was a shame, really—Axel had become such a good friend over the last few months. Considering how they'd met, Kairi wondered whether it was a miracle.

Silently, Kairi walked from her bedroom to Naminé's. It was across the hall from her own. She knocked three times and heard a gentle voice call "Come in."

The room had always been a bedroom, though up until ten weeks ago, it had just been a guest room instead of Naminé's room. There was a bed, with neatly made sheets the same shade of blue as Naminé's eyes. A dresser, which contained a handful of dresses and blouses of varying soft colors, but for Naminé, the sheer variety after a year of the same white dress was staggering. The carpet was perfectly soft for walking barefoot—something that Kairi had always enjoyed. Naminé smiled at Kairi as soon as Kairi walked through the threshold.

Naminé had always, always been her sister, even if she hadn't realized it. Kairi smiled as Naminé blushed. Naminé was dressed much like Kairi, only the color of her skirt was a pale blue. It complimented her eyes nicely.

"You ready?"

"Um, almost," Naminé grinned sheepishly. "I'm having a little trouble with the tie. And I think Mister Tanaka, gave me yours too."

Oh, that was right. They had to wear ties. Short neckties of a pale blue that went nicely with their skirts. But the bigger issue was Naminé calling her dad "Mister Tanaka."

"Dad," Kairi corrected, as she walked over to stand next to Naminé. "He's not Mister Tanaka. Not to you. He's Dad. Or Daddy. He's signing the adoption papers today, Naminé. He's gonna be your dad."

"I'm still getting used to the idea," Naminé said softly. She placed a hand on her chest. "For so long, I was alone…and then Marluxia and then DiZ…"

"That's all done and over with," Kairi said gently, taking Naminé's hand. "Just a few more hours and you'll be Naminé . You always were, really, now it's going to be official, little sister."

"Little?" Naminé asked. "Kairi, I'm not any smaller than you. How am I the little sister?"

"Just because," Kairi said, as she stood on tiptoe, pressingher toes into the soft carpet. It was just enough of an effect to be taller than Naminé. "I'm the big sister and I said so."

Naminé smiled, happily, joyfully and began to try to to retie her tie. Her fingers fumbled, whether because she was nervous or excited, Kairi wasn't entirely sure. Gently, she took Naminé's tie. Around the tree and through the hole…

"Thank you," Naminé said, her fingers running slowly over the knot. "I'm not used to ties."

"You'll get the hang of it," Kairi said. "It's only going to be for a few hours. And then, we can go to the play island."

"You girls, ready?"

"Coming, Daddy!" Kairi called. "Be right down!"

She took Naminé's hand and led her out of the room and down the stairs. Her stomach was doing somersaults but she found that she didn't mind.

oooo

It had been a very, very long time since he had been to this world. But he remembered it as if it were only yesterday. He remembered every world he had ever visited and goodness knew, he had visited many over the years. Over the decades, if he were being honest. It tended to blend together after a while.

There were boats here. There were boats pretty much everywhere and anywhere provided you knew where to look, but that was especially true here. There were fishermen and lobstermen and sailors. There were rowboats and steamboats and rafts. He liked boats. There was something to be said about boats. They connected to the world in a way nothing else, the way they traveled along the open water. It had been years since he had been able to go out on a boat.

He couldn't stop to smell the roses though. He had a mission to fulfill. He needed to find her. The girl from another world who called this world "home." The girl from the Garden who chose the Islands. Finding her was his job. His mission, really. It was his duty to go forth and find her.

He walked purposefully, keenly aware that he was drawing attention from some of the locals. This was fair. He was quite a bit bigger than most of the native inhabitants of this world. It was only natural for people to be curious. Curiosity was hardly a sin. And if anyone stared too long, he would stare back. When he wanted to, he knew he could be quite intimidating.

Three teenagers, one girl and two boys, were huddled together near the side of the round. The tallest of the boys was playing with a blue and white ball. They looked to be of an age where they would have been friends with the girl.

"Pardon me, could any of you tell me where I might find the court house? I am trying to meet up with the mayor and his daughter. I'm a…distant cousin, you might say."

"Another cousin?" The shorter of the boys—a young man still growing into his body—asked. "It's like a reunion! Kairi will love this! Three blocks that way and then take a right and you're there. Big brick building, you can't miss it."

He nodded politely and noted to himself that the girl looked almost apprehensive. This was to be expected. A little prudence wasn't something to take for granted. If people were more careful, his own line of work would be very different indeed. As he walked, he noted that the houses were becoming increasingly smaller and more tightly packed together. It was confining in a way.

This world is too small…

Two small boys were smacking each other with wooden swords. Were they pretending to be pirates? Or maybe musketeers? Ah, that brought back some memories. Hadn't been that long ago that there had been two other small boys, the best of friends, playing in much the same way.

"Wow! A giant!"

Heh, it had been quite some time since he'd been called that. But it was amusing all the same.

He rounded a corner and saw it. The most prominent building in the tiny little town. His targets, his mission, it was all connected here. He just had to bide his time. The girl would come. The girl with the pure heart.

Kairi.

oooo

Sitting in an uncomfortable chair for—what was it now, four hours? Five? Whatever. It helped him maintain some measure of focus. Roxas could hardly take it. The way Xion had gone completely soundless. The way she'd held her arms, barely managing more than a nod or a shake of her head when King Mickey and Goofy had seen them off. The way she had gone straight into her room. The way she was hurting…

"Roxas."

He didn't answer. His mind was still swimming. They had taken away Xion's Keyblade…they had taken away her Keyblade. Roxas grit his teeth. He hated it. He hated it so much it made his head ache. His heart burned cold.

"Roxas?"

He wanted to hurt them. Master Yen Sid and Aqua—they had taken away Xion's Keyblade, for no good reason. She had used mordite, but so what?! Riku still used darkness and nobody yelled at him—he was a Master! And Terra used darkness too—and he'd been stupid enough to listen to Xehanort way back when and gotten a whole bunch of people hurt. But what did Master Yen Sid do to him? Absolutely nothing. Nothing at all! Had Terra done anything in the last two months?! No! Roxas grit his teeth.

Xion had been the one who had fought Sephiroth—and she survived. She was the one who had saved Axel's life in the Underworld. She was the one who had helped as many passerby as she could in Olympus. She was the one who had killed the mage who had been animating the undead Hun in the Land of Dragons. The one who had put herself in the line of fire from Maleficent's goons, saving King Mickey. Who had gotten beaten half to death by the Phantom Blot? Xion! Xion! Xion!

Did any of this even have to do with the divisions between life and death anymore? Roxas wasn't sure. They seemed to be doing a lot of good with each world they visited, but they really hadn't gotten many answers yet either.

Sora.

Sora was brave and loyal and true and Xion was just as good as he was. Roxas bit the insides of his cheeks and then he tasted blood.

"Roxas!"

Roxas blinked. He looked up and found himself face to face with Olette. Her eyes were wide, frightened. Roxas felt a rush of shame.

"I'm sorry," Olette said quietly. "I wanted to say that before we landed. I didn't want to put Xion on the spot."

"What?" Roxas said. "You don't have to apologize for anything."

"It's not an apology," Olette said. "It's empathy. I…I haven't always been a very good friend to you Roxas."

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Xion, you're always helping others," Olette said. "But when I try to help you, it keeps backfiring. Remember the whole thing back in Twilight Town, how I kept trying to make things normal for you."

"That time at the arcade? Or the bookstore? That wasn't bad," Roxas argued. "You said yourself that you want us to have a normal life. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not like you got Seifer to want to fight us. And Xion loves the book she bought. She just hasn't had a chance to finish it."

"It's more that just that," Olette said. "I want to help you Roxas. I'm worried about you…what happened when Master Yen Sid took Xion's Keyblade…you've been tense, but you haven't really talked."

"I'm…angry," Roxas said. "I'm so angry that it scares me. I want to…I'm not sure what I want."

A sudden vision flashed through his mind. Of himself holding Oathkeeper and Oblivion, in full Keyblade Armor. Of shooting out dozens upon dozens of pillars of light, stretching miles into the sky. Summoning waves of fire the size of skyscrapers and calling forth waterspouts and gales. Directing it all onto Master Yen Sid and Aqua…taking away their magic. Smashing Aqua's Keyblade to bits. Taking away Master Yen Sid's stupid hat…and setting it on fire. And then setting Master Yen Sid on fire.

What?! No! I do not want that!

"Roxas?"

"I'm…I'm scared," Roxas choked. "I'm so angry I want to hurt others, but that wouldn't be right."

"Because they took her Keyblade away?"

Roxas nodded and bit his lip. Another vision lingered at the back of his mind. Of Xion, lying on the ground, holding her arm. Crying as her magic seeped out of her and the weapons she had replicated—Isa's claymore, Axel's chakrams, Goofy's shield, and so many more—stolen from her…and then turned against her. And all the while, Roxas saw himself. Standing there. Doing absolutely nothing.

"I think I might be angriest at myself," Roxas said quietly. "She's my best friend and I didn't do anything to stop her from getting hurt. Xion's saved my life, so many times."

"You've saved my life a whole bunch of times too…"

Olette's eyes bulged, almost out of her head and Roxas turned around very slowly. Xion was standing there, her face reddening.

"How long have you been—"

"Just now," Xion said. "Axel was…well, rocking me to sleep, but he wound up rocking himself to sleep instead. I didn't want to wake him, but I guess I'm tired of crying…"

Her voice caught and it sounded as if she were about to start crying all over again. Roxas leapt from his seat and flung his arms around her. Xion took a step back in surprise but then wrapped her arms around him. For a long time—maybe five minutes, maybe five hours, Roxas didn't really keep track—neither of them spoke. When they finally broke apart, Roxas took Xion by the hand.

"Thank you," Xion murmured. "It…I…thank you."

"I'm sorry," Roxas said. "I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you, to Master Yen Sid and Master Aqua. When they took your Keyblade, I should have defied them. I should have told them they were wrong. Done something to undo whatever they did to you."

"You were trying to keep Ven from hurting Riku," Xion said, biting her lip. "You were busy. And I'm glad you did do that, stopping Ven, I mean. Ven was lashing out and it would have been really bad if he had ended up hurting Riku."

"Riku's a Master," Roxas said. "He can take a hit. Looking back on it, I'm sure Terra could have handled it. He's bigger and stronger than Ven and Riku put together. But at the time…it was weird. Ven knew stuff. Stuff I know we haven't told him."

"Could he have gotten some of your memories?" Olette asked. "I know it's not really my business, but still. You were all in Sora's heart together…somehow."

"I dreamt one of Ven's memories," Xion said thoughtfully. "So I guess it makes sense for him to dream some of mine."

She ducked her head down. Whatever memories that belonged to Ven that she'd dreamed about, it was clear that Xion didn't want to keep talking about them. Roxas reached out a hand and patted her gently on the shoulder. Xion gave him a small smile. It didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Roxas apologized again. It was like a dam had burst and now he couldn't stop talking. "If I could go back and do this whole day over again, I would. I would stop Master Yen Sid and Master Aqua from taking away your Keyblade. I'm not sure how I'd do it, but I promise you I'd do it. I'm sorry, Xion. You're my best friend—you're so completely wonderful and amazing and trustworthy and kind and courageous and brave and heroic and nice and sweet…"

Xion had gone steadily redder and redder with each compliment. The blush spread from her cheeks to her forehead and ears and all the way down her neck. It was almost funny, with her dark black hair and her brilliant blue eyes.

"Um…thank you," Xion said. "You're all of those things too, Roxas and um…um…er…um…you're remarkable? Roxas the Remarkable?"

She didn't say anything else, but at the same time, she hadn't let go of his hand either. Roxas have a small grin. He still felt guilty. Making Xion feel good about herself didn't give her back her Keyblade. Xion took a seat and tugged Roxas's hand to sit beside her.

I just wish there was a way for me to show the Masters just how wonderful you are.

oooo

After the stuffiness of the Gummi Ship, the humid air of the Destiny Islands still hit like a punch in the stomach. Xion took a few uneasy steps. She'd never been on the largest of the islands before. Every time she'd visited this world, it had been to the little play island, where Sora and Riku and Kairi had spent so many summer days. This was their home and in some ways, it was her home too, though she had never lived here.

"That's the new teacher…"

"The parade starts in an hour…"

"The library is closed today—the air conditioner is broken."

Learning how to swim…learning how to read…learning how to row a boat…days in school and afternoons on the beach. So many of Sora's memories….she'd had them all, for a time. Months, actually. It had been what had kept Sora from waking up in the first place. She didn't have Sora's memories anymore. Not consciously, at least. But here, in this world, where so much of Sora's life had been…the memories were a little clearer. It wasn't like a half-remembered dream. It was something else. A dream of a dream? That didn't sound quite right either…

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Roxas asked as he walked beside her. "But I feel like I know this place better than anywhere else we've visited. I didn't think about it much in Pinocchio's world or Tarzan's jungle, but here, it feels different. It feels familiar. Like this could be somewhere we belong."

"Roxas," Xion said. "Can you feel him? Can you feel Sora?"

She wasn't sure if she felt Sora or if she thought she should be able to feel Sora. Whether or not that really made a difference wasn't something she was sure of either. But this was Sora's home. But Sora wasn't here. The knot in Xion's stomach tightened and turned into steel. The Islands, without Sora…it was wrong.

"Okay," Axel said, strolling up to them. "We have our mission—find Kairi and fill her in on everything she missed. Why King Mickey couldn't just call her on her Gummiphone, I have no idea."

"They don't have Gummiphones here," Xion said, frowning. "Besides, I thought you missed Kairi."

"Heck yeah, I miss the little half-pint," Axel laughed. "I just figured why not send Riku to pick her up. This is his home too."

That was actually a pretty good question, Xion had to admit. But at the same time, she wasn't sure what it was that Riku was doing. He'd looked so tired back in Disney Castle…he'd been searching for Sora, but she hadn't actually asked him how he'd been progressing. Come to think of it, Xion wasn't even sure that she'd gotten the chance to tell Riku that she and Roxas had been able to talk to Sora. Sure, they'd needed Mushu's help to do it and Sora hadn't been able to do more than nod or shake his head, but still…it'd been nice. To talk to her big brother.

"Okay," Axel said. "So…where does Kairi live? Uh…um…"

"Axel, you've been here before!" Roxas said. "Didn't you get it memorized?"

"Ha ha, ha ha," Axel scowled as Hayner, Pence and Olette grinned at Roxas from behind Axel's back. "I was a bit pre-occupied then. Kairi's dad is the mayor right? So let's go find the mayor's house."

"Axel, I don't think this town's big enough for the mayor to have his own house—er, at least a house that's specifically for the mayor," Olette said. "Come to think of it, I'm not even sure Kairi's dad is still the mayor."

"Hmm, that's a good point…" Axel said, as they came to a fork in the road. "Alright, we'll let's split up. Me and Roxas and Xion will go this way and you three can go that way."

"Sounds good," Hayner said. "There's only so many places around here. It can't take that long."

Hayner and Roxas slapped each other on the shoulders and then the two groups set off in different directions. Xion trailed a few steps behind Axel and Roxas, her shoes scraping against the road.

"I think I recognize this place," Roxas said. "Yes, this is it! Kairi and her dad live in that big townhouse at the end of the street."

"Axel…" Xion said. "I thought I could do this. I really thought I could do this but…my stomach hurts."

Hurts was an understatement. They were almost at Kairi's house. Kairi. The girl Sora liked—the girl he loved. The girl that Xion had helped kill.

That day…that evening in the Keyblade Graveyard. They'd fought and Xion had hurt Kairi. And then Xemnas had taken her away, to Xehanort...and then...and then...

I can't do this…I can't do this…it's my fault Kairi got hurt. My fault Kairi got taken. My fault Kairi got shattered. My fault Sora went after her…I should have gone with him. It should have been me disappearing instead of Sora…

"Kiddo?" Axel asked. "It's alright…tell you what, you still look a little tired. Why don't you go and—oh, that bench. Sit on the bench and rest and we'll be back with Kairi in a little while, okay? We can all do something together."

That sounded good. Together. With Roxas and Axel—nothing bad could happen to Kairi then. Roxas was amazing and Axel was always there to get his friends back. Nothing bad was going to happen. Nothing, nothing, nothing…

Xion gave Roxas a hug and let Axel ruffle her hair before she walked over to the bench and sat down. It was a large bench, big enough that six or seven grown-ups could have sat next to each other. Sturdy too—thick beams of a tree trunk, weathered from countless rainy days. From here, she had the perfect field of vision of a small dock and in the distance, Xion could see the little play island. That dock must be where Sora and Kairi and Riku had always set off from, in their little rowboats.

Xion inhaled deeply and turned her head. She could the house Kairi lived in off the horizon, but Roxas and Axel were far enough away that she couldn't really see or hear them. She took another deep breath. She could smell flowers. Beautiful blue flowers that clung together like a tower and red flowers that looked almost like hearts. White and yellow daisies and orchids and lilacs.

Thump!

Xion broke out of her trance and looked around. A large book had fallen on the ground in front of her. And just a little bit more to the front of her and to the left was someone struggling with several boxes, stacked so high, Xion couldn't see the woman's face. The boxes all looked like they were filled with books. They looked very heavy.

"Oh my goodness," Xion gasped. "Please, do you need any help?"

"That would be wonderful," The woman said. Xion grabbed two of the boxes and lifted them up. Her view was mostly obstructed, but now the burden could be shared. They were heavy, but not nearly as heavy as some of the barrels she had set up in the Coliseum for Phil had been. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Xion said. And it was her pleasure. This was something she could do. Something she couldn't screw up. "Would you like me to carry these."

"That would be wonderful," The woman said. "Please, follow me."

Xion bit the inside of her cheek. She really shouldn't leave. Roxas and Axel would wonder where she went. But then again, this couldn't take long. And besides, the Island wasn't that big. In all likelihood, she could help the lady with these packages and then be back on the bench before they even realized she'd gone. And more to the point, this was helping somebody.

"Lead the way."

oooo

"I am never complaining about how easy it is to get lost in Twilight Town again!" Hayner grit his teeth. "Everything here looks the same!"

"We wouldn't have this problem," Pence said. "If you would swallow your pride and ask for directions!"

"Well, where am I suppose to ask directions for in the first place?!" Hayner asked, throwing his hands into the air. "We've never been here before!"

Pence grimaced. Hayner had him there. It had seemed like such a simple idea at the time. Split up to cover more ground so they could meet up with Kairi. But even a teeny town like the one on the main island—Pence couldn't remember what it was actually called—had a lot of twists and turns and alternate routes.

"I got this," Olette said. She pointed to where a trio of teenagers were eating out of a bag. "We can ask them for help. Excuse me!"

The tallest of the teenagers, a tanned boy with red hair done up in a spiral, grinned as Olette walked up to him.

"Hello there, strangers!" The boy said. "Welcome!"

"Good morning, Wakka," Olette said. "Nice to meet you. Can you please tell us where we can find Kairi?"

"Wait a sec, how do you know my name?" Wakka asked. "I ain't never seen you before. None of yah. What island are you from?"

"We're from the mainland, Wakka," Olette said. "We're friends of Kairi's—I'm her pen-pal, she's told me a bit about you, and we've come for a surprise visit."

"Ah man, this would be the day for it!" The second boy, short and broad-shouldered, exclaimed. "Kairi and Naminé are with their dad over at the courthouse."

"Great," Hayner said. "But where is the courthouse? Telling us where they are, but not where they are doesn't solve our problem."

"Hayner, manners," Olette said. "Thank you, that's very helpful. Tidus and Selphie, right? Nice to meet all of you."

Leave it to Olette to figure out the easy way to find Kairi—and credit to her memory. When Kairi had told them her story, back when they'd first met, most of her attention had been on Sora and Riku. Pence clapped

"Yeah, the courthouse is two blocks that way and then a left," Tidus said. "You know, you're not the only strangers in town today. It's kind of weird."

"Strangers?" Pence asked. It didn't seem likely that Axel and Roxas and Xion could have gotten so turned around that they ended up here. "What sort of strangers?"

"This big, huge guy!" The girl—Selphie—piped up. "He was the biggest person I've ever seen before in my life. Dressed all in black!"

A big person? Dressed in black? Pence felt a chill go down his spine and then his back felt hot and itchy in a way that had nothing to do with the humidity or mosquitos. Somebody wearing a black coat was here—the Phantom Blot? He was the one who had gotten Xion to shatter the Cornerstone…and then helped beat Xion half to death.

And now he was here…he had to be after Kairi.

"Thanks!" Pence said. "We better go now, we're in a hurry!"

He turned around and Hayner and Olette were already halfway down the block. Pence groaned. He was terrible at running, but he took off after them. He wasn't much of a runner, but he pushed himself as hard as he could and then pushed harder. There were people in danger. Someone had to help.

xxxx

The courthouse was easy to find, now that they knew where to look. It was the largest building on the street by a sizable margin. The steps looked like they could be made of marble. Hayner was the first to begin climbing up the steps, Olette pausing to take Pence's hand.

The courthouse was staffed by a half dozen people. But it didn't look like anybody was in danger. It looked just like any other regular government building. There were potted plants and some simple paintings. And the employees all looked rather bored.

"Where's Kairi?" Hayner shouted. "We need to see her! Kairi…crap, what's her last name?"

"Young man, unless you have an appointment, you really shouldn't be here," One of the clerks said, without even looking up from her computer—a big, blocky boxy computer. Pence managed not to shudder.

"A friend of mine could be in terrible danger!" Hayner snapped. "So don't you talk to me about some stupid appointment! You're playing Solitaire!"

"Naminé, since the first time we met…"

"Naminé? That's Kairi's voice! That's Kairi's voice! It's coming from in there!"

A big heavy set of oak doors were shut tight. Pence grabbed the door handle and began to pull. The doors didn't give. He pulled harder and the doors creaked.

"You goof!" Hayner shouted. "It's a push-door. Dang it, it's heavy…you think the Blot blocked it from the other side?"

"I don't think that'd make a difference! Not for Kairi," Pence groaned. "Okay, on three! One…two…three!"

BANG!

Ah, it worked! Pence grinned as the doors gave way…only for him to fall to the floor. Ooof. Oh well! There was Kairi and Naminé, too! Dressed up in really fancy blouses and skirts. They looked more surprised than anything else. Awesome, they beat the bad guy here!

"Kairi!" Olette shouted, running up to hug her. "You're alright! Thank God!"

"Olette? Pence? What are you doing here?" Kairi asked. "Why wouldn't I be alright?"

"We saw your friends," Pence answered, lifting himself up slowly from exhaustion. Augg…running and then beating in a door. Not easy… "Wakka and them, they said a big guy dressed all in black was looking for you. We thought it was the Phantom Blot!"

"Who?"

"Oh, right. You're out of the loop," Pence said. "Umm…how should I put this?"

There were other people in the room—a man with tanned skin and brown hair and mustache, a little old man with thinning white hair and a very tall, very broad-shouldered man with dark skin. Three people who might or might not know that there were other worlds…Pence had never been that fond of the idea of a World Order, but he didn't want to get Kairi in trouble by accident either.

"It's kind of a long story," Olette said. "But if you're busy and not in trouble, we can wait outside for you if that's alright?"

"Um…well, I am happy to see you all," Kairi said. "And…er…Hayner, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You!" Hayner shouted, jabbing a finger at the tall, dark-skinned man. "I recognize you! It wasn't enough to investigate whether Axel could take care of Roxas and Xion?! What, are you trying to take Naminé away from Kairi?"

"I intend to do no such thing," Cobra Bubbles cracked his neck and yanked off his sunglasses, glowering. "But since we're on the subject that we are familiar with one another, you might try answering some questions yourself. Why are you three, of all people, here?"

"None of your stinking business, you bastard!" Hayner snapped. He turned back to Kairi and Naminé. "This creep is—"

"The social worker who helped Daddy adopt me! Hayner!" Kairi said sharply. "Apologize to Cobra!"

"What?" Hayner asked. "No way!"

"Right now!"

"Before you do that young man, and make no mistake, you are going to apologize to Mister Bubbles," The tanned, brown-haired man held up a hand. "I would like to finish the matter at hand. You three are friends of my daughter and you are welcome to stay behind the bar. The formalities are nearly finished."

"What formalities?"

"These," The man said, holding up a batch of papers. "I am doing what I would like to have done many weeks ago. I am formally adopting Naminé as my daughter. Now, if you three would take your seats quietly, we can proceed."

oooo

Kairi bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing. Or screaming. She wasn't sure which. Hayner, Pence and Olette were three of the last people she expected to be here today. And she was delighted to see them. Mostly. She was definitely angry at Hayner for cursing in front of Cobra Bubbles. She still remembered how kind he'd been, that first day, when she had first been brought to Tyson Tanaka, the then-mayor of Unmei, the largest town of the Destiny Islands…which was still very, very small.

Cobra had helped Tyson fill out complicated paperwork that recognized her as his daughter. It had been difficult—it wasn't like Kairi had been born anywhere in this world—but the way Cobra handled it, it was as if he'd done it a dozen times before. She hadn't realized at the time, but Cobra Bubbles wasn't a native of the Destiny Islands either.

Still, Cobra had been there for so many things those first three years…from when Kairi was five until she was eight, Cobra had checked in about twice a month. After that, it had been usually a phone call every few months. They'd been in touch a lot more frequently in the last few weeks. Kairi smiled at him as she stood and Cobra smiled back. For such an imposing man, he had one of the softest smiles Kairi had ever seen.

Everyone in the courtroom knew her. Her best friends weren't here. But her father was. And her Other. And three friends from Twilight Town who had risked their lives for her. Finally, there was the judge and social worker, both of whom knew there were other worlds. She wouldn't have to edit her words at all. She could speak truly from the heart.

"Naminé," Kairi began. "First, let me say thank you. From the first time we met, in a world so different from this one…you've always been protecting me. You've always been watching over me. And now I want to be the one who protects you.

"You were named for the waves, Naminé," Kairi continued. "Just as I was named for the ocean. The waves go forth from the ocean to the shore and then they return. I want you to be a part of my family, Naminé. I want you to know that you can always, always return to me. Wherever I go, you'll be welcome, Naminé."

Naminé's eyes were glistening with tears and Kairi felt a lump in her throat form. But it was a good sort of lump.

"Life is something sacred, something precious. The sun shines on us all. The stars twinkle for us all. But for each of us, the experience is ours," Kairi said. She inhaled slowly and took Naminé's hands. "But just because the experience is ours alone, that does not mean it cannot be shared. And I want to be able to share each sunrise, each sunset, every rain storm and meteor shower, with you, as my sister."

Kairi thought she heard someone begin to cry. It sounded like it might be Olette. She took Naminé's hands and led her to stand next to her father. Their father. Daddy. Kairi leaned her head against his chest.

"I couldn't agree more. And with this pen, I hereby sign these forms. Let it be known, from now on and forevermore that you are Naminé Tanaka."

"If I may speak," Cobra raised a finger. "It is not often that my line of work allows me to witness such joy. From my own family, there is a saying: Ohana means family, family means that nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten."

"Or forgotten," Kairi repeated. "I'm never going to leave you behind, Naminé. Not now, not ever. You are my sister."

Okay, now Kairi was certain she could hear Olette crying. And Pence too, from the sounds of it. She turned her head—Olette was wiping her eyes, Pence was smiling as widely as she had ever seen. Hayner…was sobbing into a small, civilians' copy of the state constitution. Kairi smiled as Naminé took her hand.

Though the thought did cross her mind—if Hayner, Pence and Olette were here, then that meant someone had to have brought them here. That someone was probably Axel, and Roxas and Xion too. But if Hayner and Pence and Olette were here, then where were the others?

oooo

It was only about a ten minute walk from the bench near Kairi's house before they got to their destination. Xion wasn't sure how much longer it would have taken the nice lady if she had had to carry all the books and boxes by herself. And it made her feel good to help someone, even if it was just as simple as moving some heavy things.

"Almost there!" The lady called out. "This is my home. Watch your step—there's a stone there."

"Right, thank you," Xion said. There was something very familiar about this. Something tickled at the back of her mind. Had Sora helped ladies with their packages before? That would be just like Sora to do so. He'd always been so kind and helpful.

"Alright, you can set your boxes down there, dear."

Gently, Xion set the box on the ground, though the lady she'd helped still held her packages in her arms. They were standing in front of a small house, with a well-kept garden, filled with some of the most beautiful flowers Xion had ever seen. She could see golden sunflowers and light purple aster…shion.

It looked cozy, like something out of a postcard. There was a white fence surrounding the house and at the edge of the gate, there was a single post with a large brass bell fixed on top of it.

"I recognize this…"

Xion stepped forward cautiously, almost as if the bell might bite her, Xion reached out a hand and pressed it against the bell. She rapped her knuckles against it as gently as she could and a chime filled the air.

Ding…dong…ding…

"That chime…" The woman said. "It's been so long since I've heard it. But you know, I'm not surprised. I thought that might be you. Thank you, you've been a terrific help, Xion."

"I…I…how do you know my name?" Xion asked jerking her hand back. She couldn't help the quiver of fear in her voice. "I don't think I introduced myself. How do you know my name?"

It wasn't possible. Nobody other than Kairi and Naminé knew her in this world. She knew this world but this world didn't know her.

"How couldn't I know your name?" The woman smiled. "I know you couldn't be Kairi or Naminé—they're at the courthouse—but you still have their beautiful voice. And my son would make the exact same chime with the bell whenever he left for school."

Slowly, the woman lowered her boxes to the ground and Xion actually saw her properly for the first time. She wore a simple blue blouse and a long skirt, red with a white sash. A necklace of seashells and two pencils in her hair and brown sandals. The woman was taller than Xion, but still way shorter than Axel. She had a round face and striking blue eyes and black, black hair. Xion's stomach leapt into her throat and she forgot how to talk. And then the woman smiled an all-too familiar smile.

"I'm afraid Sora didn't know very much about you," The woman said. "But he did tell me you existed. Sora always was one to tell stories to his mom."

"Sora's…mom?!"

Xion fainted.

A/N: And there we go, my dearest readers! I'm beyond delighted I was able to write this one so quickly for you.

I hope you enjoy reading this. I loved writing this. And I hope to get the next chapter out to you as soon as possible.

We're getting into material I wanted to write for two years now. Thank you for staying with me this long.

Thank you for reading, my dearest readers. Please, if you're so inclined, leave a comment. I do love reading them.

I appreciate each and every one of you!