A/N: Wow. I'm onna roll here…Finished the last chapter about three hours ago and now here I sit cranking out another…Read Read Read and tell your friends. We like it when you read…

So, You Do Know Where We're Going, Right?

Kairi was stunned. The worlds are connected again? Wait, what does that mean? Does it mean I can find Sora?

Does it mean more worlds are dying?

Shera made an attempt to steady herself. Tifa was doing no such thing. "My god," she murmured, "It's happening. It's happening again!"

Rufus put his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, Teef," he said. "We knew this had to happen. We knew something had to happen to open up the doors so we could accomplish our mission."

"Don't make it any easier," grumbled Barrett. "Now what?"

The team looked at each other in confusion. All at once everyone started talking. The din was awful. Kairi couldn't even think with all the noise. The chatter escalated into arguments, and soon Barrett and Puck were spatting, the latter floating several inches over the large man's head. Rufus was trying in vain to calm the emotional Tifa, and Marlene was yelling at all of them to just shut up. Rude and Phoebus just stood there. The blond man's face was frozen in stony anger. Rude's expression was impossible to read.

Suddenly there was a loud crash. Shera was standing up, clutching at the remains of a busted teacup. Her face was set.

"If you all are completely finished," she said, voice quiet and taut, "I will tell you what we will do. We're going to leave here. Wait," she said, holding up a hand to silence Phoebus, "I know this world needs protecting. Believe me, I would rather die than see another one of my homes lost to the Darkness. But if we stay here and defend this world, none of it will matter. If we don't succeed in our mission, nothing anyone, even the Keyblade Master, does will make any difference in the outcome of this war. And yes, gentlemen.

We are at war."

Kairi looked at Shera, seeing the quiet steel underneath the soft exterior, understanding why everyone in AVALANCHE respected Shera and deferred to her. She may not want to be a hero, but she's doing a great job of it.

Phoebus straightened, looking Shera in the eye. "And what about this? What about all of these people, the townspeople, those gypsies you are so fond of? What about Quasimodo?"

Shera stared him down. "I am expecting you to protect them to the best of your abilities. Train them, make an army out of them. These people are willing to fight for their lives, for their children, if only you will teach them how."

Her voice turned into a pleading whisper, and it was obvious how much Shera hated having to take command, how much she hated this war. "Please, Phoebus," she murmured. "I will try my hardest to bring her back to you. Please believe me when I say that I have been through what you are going through now. But you can't let the pain paralyze you. I did, and my fear cost me the only friend I had in the wilderness. Please, Phoebus. Take care of these people."

Phoebus gripped his friend's shoulder. Shera looked close to tears. Kairi felt the urge to go up and hug her, but she hung back.

"I will do all I can," the armored man said.

"Good," said Shera, businesslike again. "We leave at nightfall. That gives us, what, two or three hours to pack, do some last-minute checks on the system, and say our good-byes."

"I'll start the system checks. Jest gonna need Lex ta okay 'em when he wakes up," Barrett said, stomping out. Marlene trotted behind him. "I'll help, dad!"

"We'll start packing," Rufus said, steering Tifa out of the room by her shoulders. Rude followed them wordlessly. Puck floated over to where Kairi stood behind Shera and Phoebus. He looked at the girl.

"I figure I'd best find out all I can about her Highness, no?"

Kairi eyed the elf suspiciously. Shera smiled. "It's alright," she said. "He just wants to see if you have any magical aura connected to your role as Princess of Pure Heart. Won't hurt a bit."

"Where will you be?" Kairi asked.

"I suppose I'll go down to the town with Phoebus and start organizing the people. You're welcome to come down after you finish with Puck."

"All right."

Shera and Phoebus turned to go, but not until Shera took Puck by the collar. "No funny business, Robin Goodfellow," Shera said, gently but steadily. Puck grinned. "Not so much as a single hex, babe."

"Good." Shera and Phoebus walked out into the sunshine. The gypsy man who had come to warn them and had subsequently collapsed- is his name Chopin? No, Clopin- came over to Kairi. He looked at her. "You are one of us, no?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kairi said. Is this guy crazy?

He just grinned. "You have rom eyes. Gypsy eyes. You are one of us, milady. A child of the wind. Clopin can see these things."

With that, he cartwheeled out of the room. Puck watched him go. "Lord, what fools these mortals be," the fae mumbled, "Seeing signs everywhere." But he looked thoughtful, more thoughtful than Kairi had seem him be in the past day.

"Now," Puck said, playful nature restored with the blink of an eye, "Shall we begin?"

An hour later, Kairi was walking down the street towards a crowd of people, no doubt thronging around Phoebus and Shera as they gave orders. Puck had cast a number of spells intended to measure magical potential, and he was puzzled. "Frankly, kid, it doesn't make sense," the frustrated fairy had said. "You got something here, no missing it, but what it is- now that, I'm not sure."

He had finally given up and gone to hassle Barrett, who was still checking over their ship, the Interceptor. Kairi had gone to find Shera, as well as to see a bit of this world, Paris, before they left.

She caught a glimpse of garish fabric, and turned to see Clopin, who was standing with a group of people dressed like him. All with bright green or blue eyes. Kairi supposed that these were the gypsies Phoebus was talking about. They looked like the sort of people who lived every moment like it was their last, who really knew how to live, singing and dancing the whole time. Clopin saw her and waved comically. Kairi giggled. She walked over to where Shera and Phoebus were trying to explain something to a passel of angry bakers. Kairi stopped close to Shera, noticing that the oddly dressed gypsy had followed her.

"Shera," she said, tugging on the woman's blue jacket sleeve. Shera turned around, motioning for Phoebus to pacify the bakers, who were now waving their rolling pins around rather menacingly.

"Yes, Kairi. What is it?"

"Puck says I have some kind of magic."

Shera smiled, and said, "I thought as much. What kind of magic?"

"He doesn't know what kind. Says it's really bugging him."

Clopin swerved around Kairi to bow to Shera. "But of course the little elf doesn't know! He is looking for that spark of the fae, that tiny bit of divinity that magic gorgios possess. This one, she is not of your kind, noble leader. Her magic is of the wind, of the gypsy, of course!"

"Hmmm," Shera said, turning her soft brown gaze on Kairi's eyes. "Yes, I see what you mean, Clopin…"

"What? But I'm- I'm not gypsy! I'm from the Hollow Bastion!" Kairi blurted out, without thinking. Shera froze, and looked at her. Kairi was confused. She knows who I am…why is she surprised?

"Shera!"

They all turned to see Phoebus. He was pointing at the sky. There was a beautiful sunset, if one could ignore the gigantic tear in the sky and the stars falling. Shera nodded.

"Say good-bye, Kairi."

Kairi turned to Clopin, turned to the gypsies, and said, "I don't know you, but it seems like I should. I'll try and come back after all this is over so we can sort this whole magic deal out. Good-bye then."

All the gypsies saluted her in some fashion, kissing their fingertips and placing them first on their foreheads, then on their hearts. Clopin winked at her.

"You will come back someday, ma petite," he said. "You are rom at heart, and so you will. Au revoir."

Kairi waved at Phoebus and gave him a huge smile. She saw Shera give the man a friendly hug, and kiss Clopin on the cheek. He leered at her, and engaged her in a dramatic liplock. When the gypsy released her, Shera smiled and smacked his arm. She ran up to join Kairi.

"Let's go. Lex and Rinoa should wake up in a few minutes." They ran up the steps to the cathedral and quickly made their way up to the loft. Quasi was still there with his three companions. The rest of AVALANCHE had also assembled there.

"I never get tired of seeing this," Shera told Kairi.

As soon as the last ray of sun had disappeared, the sleeping forms of Rinoa and Lex began to crack. With matching roars and glowing eyes, the gargoyles burst out of their stone skin. Kairi was shocked and amazed. Lex and Rinoa hopped down from their perches. "Hey, Kairi," Lex said. He turned to Shera. "What's up?"

"Sky's open. Worlds are reconnected. We're leaving in five."

Kairi turned her neck so quickly it cracked. Wait…did Rude actually speak?

Lex was surprised as well, it seemed. "Uh…okay."

Quasimodo and his friends lumbered forward. "We're going to miss you guys," he said, trying not to cry. "All of us."

Kairi suddenly flung her arms around Quasi's neck in a hug and kissed his cheek. "Take care of yourself, Quasimodo," she said. Then she sat down to hug Hugo, Laverne, and Victor, who looked like he was trying not to cry as well. "Take care."

"You too, hun," grinned Laverne. Kairi looked around at the confused faces of her new teammates. I must look awfully silly, talking to people that less than half of us can see.

"It's time," boomed Barrett, moving for the ladder that was suspended from the ceiling.

They all climbed up the ladder. Kairi found herself on the roof of the highest building she had ever seen. The wind blew hard, whipping her skirt around her legs, as she surveyed the Interceptor.

It wasn't a gummi ship; in fact, it looked like a pirate ship, with sails and everything. "But wait, how can you?"

"Magic, m'dear," said Puck, floating beside her. "It's not hard. Before they met me, they were using a gummi ship, but it was a piece of crap so, let's just say, it's an improvement."

"All aboard!" hollered Barrett. Kairi looked back at the city of Paris one last time before walking the gangplank up to the ship. She settled on a bench on deck.

Everyone was rushing around, save Puck, making ready to launch. The ship lurched, then rose up. Kairi looked down, seeing all the people, gypsies, and her strange friends watching them go. She waved to all of them. The Interceptor flew smoothly out the tear in the sky, towards the diminishing field of stars. Kairi wondered which star was the one she had wished on yesterday. Was it only a day ago? It felt like months since she had seen her island. And now she was voyaging out of the great beyond.

Okay…where next?

A/N: Wow. Two chapters in one day. Up next: The plot thickens. Kairi learns more about her traveling companions than she really wanted to, and I've sprinkled some RuTi(Rufus/Tifa) ness in there to meet the demands of my sister, who is my harshest critic, and adores Rufus.