Disclaimer: Here it is, the final chapter of this story. I started this fanfic about a year ago, and I was amazed at the excellent response it got. This fic is probably the best story I've written thus far. I want to thank all the readers, loyal reviewers, and everyone who bugged me to finish this story. I hope you enjoyed it; I put a lot of time an effort into it. But never fear; I plan to put a Blooper Reel up after this chapter. (I'll get around to it when I feel like it.) And there WILL be a sequel, but I'd like to get some work done on some of my others fics first. (Note to self: never try to work on so many stories at once again). Anyway, for now, enjoy the chapter.
(What can you expect in the sequel? More Carolyn, Katie, Sam, and Cronos for one. And will Cedric finally find true love? And the mystery of the keyblades revealed! But that's all I'm saying!) ;)
~Carolyn~
Cedric closed his eyes and felt his forehead. Everyone could see the eye on his forehead beginning to close. Finally it shut completely and vanished.
"It worked..." He whispered not opening his eyes, "I'm myself again." He weakly crawled over to Carolyn and flung his arms around her in a hug. "And I have you to thank for it! Thank you so much!"
Cedric didn't mean anything. The hug was just the best way he could think of to express his gratitude. However, Cronos took it the wrong way. He stormed up, grabbed Cedric by the back of the armor and pulled him away from Carolyn.
"TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF HER RIGHT NOW!"
"CRONOS!" Carolyn snapped angrily.
"DIDN'T YOU SEE WHAT THAT PERVERT WAS DOING?!" Cronos shouted back.
"DON'T CALL HIM A PERVERT!" Carolyn snapped.
"That's right," Cedric added, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just extremely grateful to her."
Cronos glared at him. "Alright, I accept your apology...this time..."
"Why were you so worked up about some stupid hug anyway?" Rikku asked. Cronos blushed.
"Uh...well..."
"Hey!" Sora added, "Come to think of it, he was looking at her really weird right after he got stabbed!"
Carolyn and Cronos both blushed furiously. They looked up at their group of friends who were looking at them expectantly. But they were both saved from an embarrassing explanation about their feelings for each other, by a rumbling feeling that shook the castle.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" Sam cried hugging Katie close protectively.
"The demon!" Carolyn cried, "It was the only thing keeping all the worlds connected, now that it's gone, the heartless are all dying, and the walls that divide the worlds are moving back into place!"
"Then we'll be trapped in this world forever!" Riku yelled.
"We can't be!" Tidus cried, "We all have to focus and go back to each of our worlds!"
Sora looked at his group of friends and sighed sadly. These people had traveled together, fought together, laughed together, argued together, and gotten drunk and sugar-high together. And now, they'd never be able to see each other again.
Yuna seemed to read his thoughts. "I know Sora, we're sorry, but Spira is our home and we miss it! We have to go back now!"
Sora blinked back tears and nodded. "Alright. Goodbye you guys! Take care of yourselves!"
Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, and Rikku joined hands and stood in a circle with their eyes shut. None of them spoke; they all knew they'd never see Sora or the others again. A red light surrounded them and they all vanished into it.
"Carolyn!" Cronos yelled to her. "We should be heading back home too! If we don't, we'll be locked out of our world forever!" Carolyn nodded in response. She tried to pull herself to her feet, but she winced in pain. She was obviously too weak to stand after using two Omega Arrows in a row. Cronos knelt down and picked her up in his arms.
Sam held out his right hand. A bright red vortex opened. Tom and Caitlin hastily bolted through it, calling out quick farewells to their friends.
"Take care guys!" Katie called cheerfully waving. Sora smiled. He was going to miss Katie and her wacky antics most of all. Kairi saw his sadness and gave her boyfriend's hand a gentle squeeze. Katie and Sam both jumped through the vortex and vanished.
"Carolyn?" Cronos said, "Let's go!" With that he ran towards the closing vortex. Carolyn just barely got out a faint, 'Goodbye.' before they both vanished through it. It closed behind them.
"Do you think we'll ever see her again?" Kairi asked.
Sora smiled faintly, "I don't know. But I have good feeling we might."
Mia turned to Cedric. "So what will you do?"
Cedric smiled at her. "I plan on going with you back to your home on Destiny Islands of course."
"WHAT?!" Riku yelled. He looked less than pleased at the thought of his only romantic rival having 24-hour access to his girlfriend.
Cedric seemed to read his thoughts and smiled again. "Don't worry Riku. I still love her of course, but it feels like the end and I've lost. She's not interested in anyone but you, consider yourself the luckiest boy on the planet."
Riku and Mia both smiled at each other. "Alright," Riku sighed, "I guess you can come with us."
Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mia, and Cedric all joined hands. They closed their eyes and thought of Destiny Islands. Earlier on, everyone had wanted to save all the worlds, but now all they wanted to do was go home. Before all this had happened, Sora had always wanted to be a hero, always wanted to do something great, always wanted to go on adventures, always wanted to do what no one else had done, but now all he wanted to do was go back his island, live a normal life surrounded by the people he loved. All he wanted now was what everyone wants.
He felt his body being enveloped in a red light. He gripped his friend's hands tightly. He felt his stomach drop out as he was pulled down through a vortex. He felt his body seem to turn weightless as he floated downwards through anti-gravity.
After what seemed like an eternity of floating in nothing, Sora felt something under him. He opened his eyes. He could see a sunny cloudless sky overhead. He recognized the texture of the material he was laying on. Sand.
He sat up and looked around. The landscape seemed unfamiliar at first, but then the answer hit him like a bag of bricks. Destiny Islands.
He looked over to his side. He could see his friends all lying on the ground with their eyes squeezed shut. Mia was still clutching Riku's hand tightly as if it were the only thing keeping her alive.
"Guys look!" Sora cried happily, "We're all back!"
Everyone sat up and looked around. Cedric stretched out his hand and felt the sunlight warm his pale white skin.
"Sunlight," He murmured, "Real sunlight." He smiled. "I could definitely get used to this."
Kairi gave a cry of happiness and flung her arms around Sora in a tight hug. Riku smiled at Mia, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. Cedric looked on smiling. He looked a little sad, but at the same time he looked happy.
Sora felt joy, true joy, fill his heart for the first time in his life. He grinned stupidly and kissed his girlfriend lightly on the lips.
He was home.
The End.
(What can you expect in the sequel? More Carolyn, Katie, Sam, and Cronos for one. And will Cedric finally find true love? And the mystery of the keyblades revealed! But that's all I'm saying!) ;)
~Carolyn~
Cedric closed his eyes and felt his forehead. Everyone could see the eye on his forehead beginning to close. Finally it shut completely and vanished.
"It worked..." He whispered not opening his eyes, "I'm myself again." He weakly crawled over to Carolyn and flung his arms around her in a hug. "And I have you to thank for it! Thank you so much!"
Cedric didn't mean anything. The hug was just the best way he could think of to express his gratitude. However, Cronos took it the wrong way. He stormed up, grabbed Cedric by the back of the armor and pulled him away from Carolyn.
"TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF HER RIGHT NOW!"
"CRONOS!" Carolyn snapped angrily.
"DIDN'T YOU SEE WHAT THAT PERVERT WAS DOING?!" Cronos shouted back.
"DON'T CALL HIM A PERVERT!" Carolyn snapped.
"That's right," Cedric added, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just extremely grateful to her."
Cronos glared at him. "Alright, I accept your apology...this time..."
"Why were you so worked up about some stupid hug anyway?" Rikku asked. Cronos blushed.
"Uh...well..."
"Hey!" Sora added, "Come to think of it, he was looking at her really weird right after he got stabbed!"
Carolyn and Cronos both blushed furiously. They looked up at their group of friends who were looking at them expectantly. But they were both saved from an embarrassing explanation about their feelings for each other, by a rumbling feeling that shook the castle.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" Sam cried hugging Katie close protectively.
"The demon!" Carolyn cried, "It was the only thing keeping all the worlds connected, now that it's gone, the heartless are all dying, and the walls that divide the worlds are moving back into place!"
"Then we'll be trapped in this world forever!" Riku yelled.
"We can't be!" Tidus cried, "We all have to focus and go back to each of our worlds!"
Sora looked at his group of friends and sighed sadly. These people had traveled together, fought together, laughed together, argued together, and gotten drunk and sugar-high together. And now, they'd never be able to see each other again.
Yuna seemed to read his thoughts. "I know Sora, we're sorry, but Spira is our home and we miss it! We have to go back now!"
Sora blinked back tears and nodded. "Alright. Goodbye you guys! Take care of yourselves!"
Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, and Rikku joined hands and stood in a circle with their eyes shut. None of them spoke; they all knew they'd never see Sora or the others again. A red light surrounded them and they all vanished into it.
"Carolyn!" Cronos yelled to her. "We should be heading back home too! If we don't, we'll be locked out of our world forever!" Carolyn nodded in response. She tried to pull herself to her feet, but she winced in pain. She was obviously too weak to stand after using two Omega Arrows in a row. Cronos knelt down and picked her up in his arms.
Sam held out his right hand. A bright red vortex opened. Tom and Caitlin hastily bolted through it, calling out quick farewells to their friends.
"Take care guys!" Katie called cheerfully waving. Sora smiled. He was going to miss Katie and her wacky antics most of all. Kairi saw his sadness and gave her boyfriend's hand a gentle squeeze. Katie and Sam both jumped through the vortex and vanished.
"Carolyn?" Cronos said, "Let's go!" With that he ran towards the closing vortex. Carolyn just barely got out a faint, 'Goodbye.' before they both vanished through it. It closed behind them.
"Do you think we'll ever see her again?" Kairi asked.
Sora smiled faintly, "I don't know. But I have good feeling we might."
Mia turned to Cedric. "So what will you do?"
Cedric smiled at her. "I plan on going with you back to your home on Destiny Islands of course."
"WHAT?!" Riku yelled. He looked less than pleased at the thought of his only romantic rival having 24-hour access to his girlfriend.
Cedric seemed to read his thoughts and smiled again. "Don't worry Riku. I still love her of course, but it feels like the end and I've lost. She's not interested in anyone but you, consider yourself the luckiest boy on the planet."
Riku and Mia both smiled at each other. "Alright," Riku sighed, "I guess you can come with us."
Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mia, and Cedric all joined hands. They closed their eyes and thought of Destiny Islands. Earlier on, everyone had wanted to save all the worlds, but now all they wanted to do was go home. Before all this had happened, Sora had always wanted to be a hero, always wanted to do something great, always wanted to go on adventures, always wanted to do what no one else had done, but now all he wanted to do was go back his island, live a normal life surrounded by the people he loved. All he wanted now was what everyone wants.
He felt his body being enveloped in a red light. He gripped his friend's hands tightly. He felt his stomach drop out as he was pulled down through a vortex. He felt his body seem to turn weightless as he floated downwards through anti-gravity.
After what seemed like an eternity of floating in nothing, Sora felt something under him. He opened his eyes. He could see a sunny cloudless sky overhead. He recognized the texture of the material he was laying on. Sand.
He sat up and looked around. The landscape seemed unfamiliar at first, but then the answer hit him like a bag of bricks. Destiny Islands.
He looked over to his side. He could see his friends all lying on the ground with their eyes squeezed shut. Mia was still clutching Riku's hand tightly as if it were the only thing keeping her alive.
"Guys look!" Sora cried happily, "We're all back!"
Everyone sat up and looked around. Cedric stretched out his hand and felt the sunlight warm his pale white skin.
"Sunlight," He murmured, "Real sunlight." He smiled. "I could definitely get used to this."
Kairi gave a cry of happiness and flung her arms around Sora in a tight hug. Riku smiled at Mia, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. Cedric looked on smiling. He looked a little sad, but at the same time he looked happy.
Sora felt joy, true joy, fill his heart for the first time in his life. He grinned stupidly and kissed his girlfriend lightly on the lips.
He was home.
The End.