Hello beautiful people! It is I, back from the dead, as ponctual as Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé, to celebrate Christmas for a whole month!

I'm not going to lie, this year I am more unprepared than before and I haven't written them all yet, so I hope I'll be able to complete this on time.

For anyone who's new to the concept, SaphirActar and I exchange 24 themes each year to write 24 stories, posting once a day until Christmas. Please enjoy this year's work!

"Stay."

One word, a whisper, a prayer. Kairi was staring at Sora, her eyes begging. He lifted a hand to her face, cupping her cheek.

"I can't, Kairi. They need me. The worlds… They need protection, I'm sure you understand."

And she did understand. Long gone was their childhood when they played pirates using sticks on the beach of their homeworld. Long gone was the peace and quiet of youth, robbed by darkness when they were children still.

Sora was a fighter now. And so was Kairi. She had trained for years, mastered the skills of a wonderful swordswoman as well as the capabilities of an undefeated mage. She had trained under Master Yen Sid, Merlin, Aqua, until she reached the point where they had nothing left to teach her, where she could fight to their sides as an equal and not an apprentice.

Sora had trained even harder. He had done so much in such a short life, saved more worlds than any other Keyblade Master ever had, proved times and times again that no matter how many times Darkness would try to take over, he would be there to bring Light back.

The only difference between them was that Kairi had grown tired of being a hero, tired of fearing for her life, tired of fighting to see yet another sunrise. Her Keyblade was nothing more than a pretty trinket on the wall of their house, now, ready to be called upon were trouble to arise, but content to have been collecting dust for more than a year.

"The worlds aren't yours only to save," she said, shaking her head slowly, covering his hand with hers. "It's not just you anymore. There are the other Masters. The students you all have trained for all this time. Capable people who can fight just as well as you do."

"Kairi…"

"I know you think they need you. But things are different now. Maybe they do need you. But so do I." She took a moment to look at his eyes, the colour of a clear sky, of an open sea, the colour of freedom and adventure and everything she loved. "So do we."

Clear sky and open sea became clouded with confusion for a second, before his eyes opened up wide.

"You mean…"

She smiled gently, taking his hand, so big in hers, placing it on her stomach.

"Please, Sora. I can't do this on my own."

And he looked at his wife, the woman he had loved for decades, at this house they made themselves that might become a little small, at their table that would need an extra seat, at his hand placed right above a brand new adventure, the biggest, scariest, and yet most exciting he'd ever live, and as a tear of joy rolled down his cheek, he nodded.

"Fine," he said. "I'll stay."

And he stayed.

Next theme will be Money! (something we could all use)