Chapter 9: Friends Forever Reunited

Kairi made it to Sora and fell to her knees crying. More people made it to the door, and some were taken by the heartless. Kairi stayed there the entire time the warriors were fighting and the people were running. Kairi opened Sora's hand to see what he was holding when his heart was taken, it was her good luck charm. She smiled as she touched the side of his face he was so peaceful. Finally all the people were gone and it was time for them to go. Goofy was the one who came over to Kairi and get her back to the ship.

"Come on Kairi, we need to get out of here. Sora saved people he didn't know, he wouldn't want the ones he loved to be taken," said Goofy.

Kairi leaned forward and kissed Sora and sobbed as she stood up. Goofy put his arm on her opposite shoulder as the walked out side by side. Donald was behind them, killing the heartless that came for them, and Mickey was in front using his normal keyblade, he left warriors spirit by Sora, next to his keyblade.

Leon and Riku were by the door, making sure everyone made it. But Raz was still far into the heartless land. Kairi and the others got through the door and Riku called out, "Raz, its time to get outta here! Lets go."

"You go, this is my place, I am the final dark hunter, and I must terminate all heartless," said Raz.

"Raz, catch!" yelled Leon and he threw his gunblade; it cut down a Darkside and two NEOshadows before Raz caught it. "I'll come back to get it, be sure you're alive when I do," said Leon and he and Riku left.

They all got on the gummi ship and went to Hollow Bastion. They told Aerith, Yuffie and Cid the story, then Cid took Mickey Donald and Goofy back to Disney castle and Kairi and Riku back to Destiny Islands.

When the door closed behind Riku the wings shot out of Raz's back and he took to the air. The heartless hordes came at him like they did all those years ago beyond the great doors. But unlike last time, no more heartless would come, when the big ones were gone the shadows wouldn't reappear, this was the last of the heartless, and Raz would kill them all, even if it meant death for himself.

Two days after they left Chaos, Leon Cid and Auron returned. Leon opened the door on the right, and when it closed it was still empty, Raz had succeeded, all the heartless were gone. They left and opened the other door and found Raz's body, he was with his friends in the place of the dead. But no one could ever tell the story of what happened here. No one except for the person who's heart was taken by the World of Chaos, and now walked to Leon, Cid and Auron with a big grin on his face.

"How, what happened?" asked Auron.

"Raz was killing the heartless when both of us woke up. I looked around and everyone was gone; I figured it worked cause you all left. I picked up my keyblade and say the warrior's spirit next to it, no doubt a gift from Mickey, and attached it. I started helping Raz, but Ansem started attacking Raz.

"Raz couldn't fight the heartless off while Ansem was attacking him, so I cut Ansem across his back, he turned to look at me and Raz stabbed him and pulled the trigger. No doubt that killed Ansem. After that we both killed the heartless. As we fought he told me what happened after my heart was taken, but we got overwhelmed at one point. I got sent back, and watched as Raz was stabbed by three Invisibles.

"I ran over to him as fast as I could, killing heartless on my way, but he was dead when I got there, he's with his friends now. I managed the rest of the heartless on my own, and now, there's no need for a dark hunter," said Sora.

"I think he wanted to die here, his friends died when they were overwhelmed by the heartless, and this was the last stand for them, he would have nothing else to do," said Auron as Leon picked up his gunblade.

"Do we leave his body here?" asked Sora.

"No, we leave Ansems, but we'll burry his body on Hollow Bastion, with the other dark hunters," said Cid.

"No, he was forced to leave his friends, they're not there, I don't think he would want to be," said Auron.

"I'm taking his gunblade then, as something to remember him by," said Sora picking up Raz's gunblade.

The four got on the gummi ship and went to Hollow Bastion, where Sora told his story to Cloud, Aerith and Yuffie. Cid then took him to Disney Castle to tell Mickey, Donald and Goofy. Sora also returned the warrior's spirit to Mickey. Cid then dropped Sora off on the larger island of Destiny Islands.

Sora ran to his boat and went off to the smaller island. He got there and found Tidus Wakka and Selphie.

"But, Riku said you died," said Selphie.

"Yah, don't be too loud, I want to surprise them," said Sora.

"How'd you do it?" asked Wakka.

"Do what?" asked Sora.

"Riku said your heart was taken, how'd you live through something like that, ya?" asked Wakka.

"I don't know, one minute my heart's taken, then all of the sudden, I wake up, perfectly fine," said Sora.

"What's that?" asked Selphie pointing to something on Sora's back.

"Raz's weapon, he died in the last fight so I took it to remember him," said Sora as he took it off his back and showed it to them.

"Whoa, a real sword," said Tidus.

"Yah, I'm thinking about letting Kairi have it," said Sora putting it back on his back.

"She's with Riku by the paopu tree," said Selphie.

Sora nodded and ran off. He came up to the bridge behind the tree and set the gunblade down. Then he quickly and silently walked up to be behind the tree.

"Do you think Raz made it?" asked Kairi.

"I don't know if he wanted to," said Riku.

"Do you think Sora will come back?" asked Kairi.

"I want him to, but I hope he doesn't," said Riku.

Kairi looked at him, anger in her eyes. Riku kept looking out at the sea, not even noticing Kairi's look.

"If Sora comes back, if he survived, then so did Ansem, and then me and Sora'll have to leave and fight him again," said Riku.

Sora hopped up onto the tree next to Kairi, "Raz killed him already."

"Sora! You survived, how?" asked Kairi and she hugged him.

"I don't know, I just woke up. But Ansem did come back, and Raz killed him, with DiZ's body Ansem is just another human," said Sora with a grin.

"Where is Raz?" asked Riku.

"You were right, I don't think he wanted to make it either, I finished up after he fell. I have his gunblade, as a reminder of him, and I was wondering if you wanted it Kairi," said Sora as he walked back to get the gunblade.

"Me, what would I do with a gunblade?" asked Kairi.

"If trouble comes up again me and Riku have to go and help, if you could use it, you could come with," said Sora with a grin.

"What kind of trouble could come up that needs us, the heartless are gone," said Riku.

"You know how they were formed, Auron said that more could follow along that path," said Sora.

"You were joking about Kairi and the gunblade weren't you," said Riku.

"Yah, Leon told me it's really hard, and Raz's is pretty heavy," said Sora.

"I don't think the gunblade is for me Sora," said Kairi.

"I don't either," said Sora.

The three of them laughed and talked the night away, it was as if the heartless never came to the islands, as if Riku and Sora were never gone for three years, for the three of them, nothing changed, they were together again, and would be forever.