This is the last chapter before the epilogue!

Hope you enjoy!

Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!

Sasuke and Hinata © to YamiChaos27!

Chapter 26

One Week Later

"Everyone!" Sasuke grinned as he stood before the guard recruits. "As you may already know, my daughter is back, and she has some eidolons in her arsenal now, so watch out."

Hinata grinned at Auriel, who stood next to her. "You won't beat me in a fight this time, Auri."

"Wanna bet, short stuff?" The red head ruffled Hinata's hair.

"And," the captain cleared his throat, "we have a new recruit. Let's make her feel welcome. Everyone, meet Briana."

Briana, now wearing a recruit uniform approached, bowing slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm excited to be training with you."

"Hinata, Auriel, you two are her buddies this week. Make sure she knows her way around."

"Yes, sir!"

Not long after, the three girls left the castle. "So, on patrol, we just check for any issues, big or small. A guard's job is to keep peace, no matter if it's a Heartless attack or Merlin and Cid arguing over whether technology or magic is better… which happens a lot."

Briana giggled. "Sounds like it."

"You're staying with Uncle Isa, right?" Auriel grinned. "Dad mentioned you."

"That means your dad is Lea, right?"

"Yep."

"He came by last night to give something to Isa. I think it was school paperwork. I'm starting Monday. I think I'm in the same class as your brother."

The red head rolled her eyes. "Eldar will be happy. He's a bit of a flirt, but hopefully that'll tone down now that he and Rose are a thing He's also a musician, so just be warned, he'll be inviting you to his concerts all the time."

"Is he any good?"

"Yeah." Hinata nodded. "He's th-"

"The lead singer and guitarist." A brown-haired boy slipped around a corner, flashing them a sly grin. "And we're always looking for more members." His hand shot out, grabbing Briana's "I'm Eldar, this stiff's big brother."

"I'm not a stiff!"

"Yeah, ya are." Whipping out a flyer, he grinned. "This is our band, Sunset Melody. I lead. This gorgeous chick on the drums is my girlfriend, Rose." He pointed to a girl with pink hair(1). "The dude in glasses is Doug(2). He plays the trombone, which doesn't sound like it would fit in a rock band, but man he can play! And the blonde girl on piano is Ally(3); she's the daughter of a friend of my dad's. We're having a concert this weekend! Wanna come?"

The girl blinked, stepping back a little. "Um, maybe. I'm still settling in here."

"It's a great place to have fun and make frien-"

"Eldar!" Hinata snapped. "You've already invited her. Calm down. If she wants to come, she'll come."

"Fine. Fine." Putting the flyer into Briana's hand, he winked. "See ya!" Humming to himself, Eldar bounced around the corner and vanished.

"Is he always like that?"

"Yep…"

"Always."

"I think it's because Uncle Myde babysat him all the time."

"Who?"

Hinata ran a hand through her hair. "Your dad may have mentioned him. A guy named Demyx."

"Oh yeah!" Briana giggled. "Dad would always compare lazy people to a man named Demyx. That's the guy who babysat your brother?"

"And the guy who got him into music. So, it's no wonder he turned out as such a lazy human being who only puts effort into his music." Auriel sighed. "But he is my brother. I love him, laziness and all."

The rest of their patrol passed with little incident. Briana met Cid and Merlin, who were in fact in the middle of an argument at the time. She met Aerith, who ran a flower shop with Captain Sasuke's wife and older daughter, Cuore. She met Aerith's husband, Zack, and their son, Angeal. She met the owners of the Seventh Heaven bar, Cloud and Tifa, as well as their son, Denzel, and daughter, Claudia. And she met Yuffie, who would apparently be her school gym teacher, as well as many others…

But as the sun sank low, their patrol ended and the three parted ways.

Rather than go back to Isa's place, Briana went to the castle.

The guard, Dilan stood by the doorway, waiting for her. "How was patrol?"

"Nice. I got to meet a lot of people today."

"Good." He turned toward the door. "According to your parent's testimony, and the video footage, it does seem like they didn't come here intending to kill Per- I mean, Yurisa. They came to turn themselves in."

Just as she'd asked…

But then, to still attack Perdita… Yurisa (she really needed to get used to the new name), did that break the ultimatum?

"Lord Ansem thinks you should see them."

Did she want to?

…

"Alright."

She didn't really want to… but she probably should speak to them… or at least to Braig.

The guard nodded before walking her through the he castle and down to the dungeon. In a cell, far back in the prison, far from any easy exits, she found her father, staring blankly at a wall.

"Father?"

His head picked up at her voice. "Briana… my little sharpshooter…"

"Lord Ansem told me last night that you and Mother would have your trial soon. He says Mother will be in prison for a number of years, and you will probably spend the rest of your life here."

"I thought as much." The one-eyed man sighed, turning his gaze on her. "Briana, I'm sorry things ended up this way. I hope you know that I still love you…"

Despite herself, she responded.

"I love you too… Father."

"You fought a vampire!?"

"Well, more like shoved a gas canister into his mouth and ticked him off." Hideaki took a bite out of his apple as he sat in the garden, eating a picnic lunch with his friends and family.

Leena leaned back against a hedge shaped like Mickey. "You've got guts, Prince Gearhead."

"I'll say," Max Goof looked over at Gosalyn Mallard, "his adventures sound way more fun than ours."

"All we did was stop a few robberies and stuff." Gosalyn groaned.

Riku rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I'm just happy we have a peaceful world. And that Hideaki wasn't hurt."

Hara pulled her son close. "So am I. I'm still a little annoyed that you made an arch enemy of not only a vampire, but the god of death too."

"Well, Hades was the one who kidnapped me, so he had it coming."

Donald sighed. "You kids are going to give all of us heart attacks one day, ya know that?"

"Of course, Teach." Leena smirked. "Why else would we be such pains?"

Goofy and Mickey let out a light chuckle as Donald's face started turning a deep shade of red. "I'll show you pain!" The duck began chasing his student around the garden, Leena easily dodged every swipe with his staff.

"Honestly," Riku placed a hand on his son's head, "I'm glad you took this journey. I know it wasn't easy, but you did find something out there, didn't you?"

"My courage. I had to stand there, protecting my friends with my magic, as they fought. And sometimes I had to fight. I saw what I could really do. That I wasn't just some kid that does nothing but tinker. My inventions can be of use. I think that's what I'll do from now on. I'll make things that you, Uncle Sora, and everyone else can use."

Hara smiled. "You're growing up…"

"Yeah. He is." Minnie smiled.

Riku closed his eyes with a smile.

His son had found his place.

He'd found what he wanted to do.

And all it took, was a journey.

"Sora said you might be able to help out with the new pest problem." Neku groaned as he lifted a couch into a doorway with Vanitas.

Rolling his eyes, Vanitas nodded. "Yeah. I need a job apparently. What kind of pests do you mean?"

"After the Coco incident, Noise have been popping up all over the place. They're seeping in from the Underground. I guess Coco's influence weakened the walls of this world, not that the walls were thick in this place anyways. It's an in-between world."

"So, monsters?" Vanitas set his end of the couch down.

"Yep." Neku set his down.

"Shouldn't be a problem. Are you helping clear them out?"

The man nodded. "My friend, Beat, and I were the main ones cleaning up. The mayor actually hired us after a while, so we'll ask him to hire you too."

"Thanks."

"Papa!" Vanette flew down the stairwell, her eyes alight. "Ms. Shiki gave us some new clothes! And we have a balcony too!"

Alya, with Akame perched on her shoulder, took her husband's hand. "Moving here was an amazing idea. It's so different from Hazy Hamlet. Everyone is so friendly."

"They're used to new people around here." Explained Kōki. "This place is full of former refugees, so they're pretty welcoming to anyone who wants to come." He looked over at Vanette. "You'll like school here too. The teachers are pretty great… I can show you around. Be your first friend here."

"That would be awesome!"

As the two kids ran upstairs, still chattering on about how much fun they'd have as friends, Alya leaned against Vanitas. "Darling, finally we will have a life without fear… our family is safe."

A soft smile crossing his lips, Vanitas put his hand on Alya's cheek. "Yes. Our family is safe…"

"Are you two coming tonight?"

"Of course!" Angel adjusted her grip on her school bag. "We wouldn't miss it. Right, Engel?"

"Right." The white-haired boy adjusted his glasses with a warm smile. "And I'll probably be over a lot. Your parents asked me to tutor your sister since she's never had a formal education before."

"Yeah." Kyo ran a hand through his hair. It felt strange to be back in his school uniform. But also normal. A good normal. A rest from all the craziness that traveling the worlds brought.

He waved as the white-haired twins went their own way. The quiet walk back to his home felt peaceful. He could now understand why his parents, after going through amazing adventures and seeing fantastic things, kept coming back to this small island.

It was calm.

Peaceful.

It was home.

As he approached the house, he could see Sora waiting on the front porch. "Waiting long?"

"Nah, just got back from work. Get changed and you can show me all you learned out there."

Leaping inside, Kyo ran upstairs, quickly changing out of his uniform. He glanced across the hall.

Koh- no… Per-… NO… Yurisa's door stood partially open.

Gently knocking, he pushed the door open. The first thing his parents did when she got back was let her decorate her room. She'd painted the walls a mint green. A soft dark brown rug covered the floor at the foot of her bed. Yurisa herself sat atop the baby-blue bedsheets, surrounded by sage pillows.

"Looks like Mom took you shopping."

"And got my hair a little tidied up." The girl fingered the short spikes that hung down around her face.

She now wore a white jumper with black accents under a forest green dress; the hood and accents of the dress were a soft sea-foam green. Brown gloves with silver clasps covered her hands. By the bed lay a pair of black and silver boots with a loose white fabric top(4).

"I'm about to go train with Dad, but I have something for you." He walked over, sitting beside her on the bed. "I guess it's kinda an unspoken thing, but each of us in the family has a necklace. Mom has one from her family that has a magic spell on it. Dad has his crown necklace that he's had for years. I've got this one-" he placed his hand on his shield necklace. "So, I figured you should have one too." Yurisa's eyes followed his hand as he reached for his pocket. "There's a type of seashell here called the thalassa shell. Sailors use it to make good luck charms. Charms that bind people together, making sure they're never apart… and they work too. Mom and Dad can tell you. So, I found a thalassa shell this morning and… well… here."

Holding out his hand, a small shell, the top a gentle sandy color that faded into a soft blue, hung from a delicate silver cord.

"This is for you, sister."

"Thank you, Kyo." A warm smile blossomed on Yurisa's face as she took the necklace, looping it over her head and under her hood.

It looked perfect.

"Well," her brother gave her a gentle hug, "I better get going. See you at dinner." Hopping off the bed he rushed outside.

Yurisa stood up, going to her window that looked out over the sunset-kissed ocean.

She'd been here a week now, and things still felt so strange. This was her home. For the first time, the people she lived with let her have things.

She'd gotten to decorate her room, which she did in her favorite color. Literally, anything she wanted at the store for decoration, or food she was curious about, her parents would buy it. They said they had enough money, and that this was all for her.

It felt strange.

Even today when she got to choose her own clothes…

"Yurisa?" Kairi stepped up beside her, with Kokoa at her heels, the kitten mewing softly as she hopped up on the girl's bed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure how to feel, Kairi… Mom… ugh. All these new names are so weird."

The girl's shoulders loosened as Kairi laid a hand on them. "Yurisa, I know this is all new, but we're all here for you."

Looking out the window, they watched as Sora and Kyo sparred on the beach. "Mom, So- Dad asked me if maybe I'd want a Keyblade one day, like the rest of you."

"I'm not surprised by that."

"Would he be angry if I said no?"

"Not even a little." Kairi smiled. "He was just asking because Kyo was so obsessed about being one when he was little. He and I have actually talked about this already. If you want to have a Keyblade, we'll pass the power to you. If not, that's alright. It's not an easy life, and you're in battle a lot. I mostly gave it up, but I still go out and fight when needed."

Yurisa gripped her windowsill. "I don't want that. I've spent my entire life fighting, just to live. I want peace. If I had to fight a little, like on another adventure, that would be fine. But, I don't want to spend the rest of my life doing that."

"I understand." Kairi sat on the bed, allowing Kokoa to jump into her lap. "That's part of why I decided not to become a Keyblade Master, like your father. Adventure, getting into messes, and discovering the unknown have always been his dreams. I've always dreamed of a peaceful life with my family. Not that I don't fight. I have a very important job that does involve fighting."

"What job is that?"

"I like to call it… being a housewife(5)." Kairi laughed. "And no, not the 'I do all the cooking and cleaning at home' kind of housewife." Yurisa sat beside her mother as the woman stared out at the orange sky. "Home is more than just a place or a building. For me, home is my family. I could live anywhere, but my home is with your father, brother, and you. As a 'housewife' I take care of my home."

"Us."

"That's right. And that means I follow Sora on his adventures and help him dig out of messes he makes. I protect Kyo at school and wherever he is. And I will do the same for you. I didn't get to do my job the same way this time because this was a test for Kyo, and he had to do it alone. And I needed to wait here for you, in case you came home. And you did. My job is to protect my family." She smiled as the kitty in her lap began to purr loudly. "And I will. Don't think for a second that I won't find that man who cursed your brother. And I won't let anyone else hurt you again."

Reaching over to pet the kitten, Yurisa smiled. "You protect your family. That sounds like something I could do. I just got you back, and I don't want to lose you again."

"Then while the boys go out on adventures and get into messes, you and I can go to get them out and keep them safe." Holding up her hand, Kairi held out her pinkie. "Sound like a plan?"

"Yes!"

Thankfully, Kyo taught his sister about the pinkie-promise. She held out her hand, wrapping her pinkie around her mother's.

"Now, let's get going. The party may be at night, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't get there before it gets dark."

"Ok."

In the soft glow of the setting sun, three boats pulled up to the play island.

Yurisa stared across at her father, fiddling with her fingers as Sora smiled at her. "Nervous?"

"Yeah…"

"There's nothing to be scared of. All these people have tried to find you over the years. They want to meet you. And they're practically family anyways." He stepped out of the boat, holding out a hand to her. "And we'll be right here beside you."

Taking his hand, the girl stood up out of the boat.

A bonfire blazed in the middle of the beach, and people gathered around it, talking. She could see Angel, Areth, Engel, Isa, Sasuke, Hinata, Ansem the Wise, Ienzo, Briana, Hideaki, Aqua, and Vita. No sign of Vanitas and his family, but her father said that they probably wouldn't be coming.

Around them stood many unknown people.

As she stepped off the pier, all eyes turned on her.

Silence.

Nothing but the crackling of fire.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Everyone began to clap and cheer as she and her family approached. One man, with spiked red hair began to whistle.

A soft redness blossomed across her cheeks.

Sora held up a hand and the clapping stopped. "Thank you all for coming. And thank you all for everything you've done these last fourteen years to try and find our daughter. Now, she's home. Kairi and I especially have to thank Briana and Hideaki for their help in that. You may have heard, but she has chosen a new name. Yurisa. So, officially, welcome home, Yurisa."

"WELCOME HOME!"

As the night dragged on, the girl met more and more people.

Her father's best friends: Donald and Goofy.

Riku's friends and family: Mickey, Minnie, and his wife Hara.

Aqua's husband and youngest child: Terra and Marius.

A couple by the name of Roxas and Xion who apparently ran an orphanage somewhere on another world, and their son Kazuya

Isa's best friend, Lea and his family: Sera, Auriel, and Eldar.

Sasuke's wife Rydia and other daughters, Cuore.

A king of another world, Ventus, his wife, Naminé, and son, Anan.

All these people… friends, family. Some of them introduced themselves as her "uncle" or "aunt". Actually, most of them did.

Her family… not just four people.

This, all these people, they were her family.

This was her home.

And she'd protect it forever…

…

Staring out at the ocean, for a moment, she thought she saw a woman in white out on the water, waving at her.

But then she was gone.

"Yurisa. It's getting late. Let's go home."

Home…

"Yeah. Let's go."

Hope you enjoyed this story!

Footnotes:

(1) Just like in the old story, Rose is the daughter of Marluxia and Larxene's somebodies.

(2) Doug is the son of Dopey in Descendants.

(3) Ally is based on the character by the same name from Descendants. In that series, she is the daughter of Alice, but I'm changing it to that she is the daughter of Demyx's somebody.

(4) This will be Yurisa's outfit in my KH5 story.

(5) Think FMA Izumi Curtis "housewife". ;)

VAs:

Eldar Fahrenheit- Eric Vale (Yuki Soma, Sanji, Tomura Shigaraki, Future Trunks)