Here it is. The final chapter. Time to wrap up everything for this story and set things up for the upcoming sequel. It has been a real treat working on this fic, even if it ended up a lot longer and required a lot more work than I expected originally. But people really seemed to enjoy the story. I just hope that the ending doesn't let anyone down.

Regaining consciousness after being recompleted felt better than the first time it happened. To start with, he seemed to be lying on an actual bed instead of sprawled limply on the ground. Even the worst mattress was more comfortable than paving stones or a metal floor. And the mattress wasn't bad. It was firm and yet soft, with warm blankets pulled over him and a thick pillow tucked under his head. In fact, if Even didn't know better, the bed felt familiar.

Ah.

He was in his own bed in the castle.

Furthermore, his battered body didn't hurt nearly as much as the last time. Even felt sore to the point that he suspected that he was a giant bruise and his muscles ached from recent exertion. And there was a slightly sharper pain across his chest from where they decided to carve the Recusant's Sigil into his flesh. But he wasn't in the overwhelming agony of serious burns across his body. Deep burns that made even breathing torture. He managed to skip out on that experience this time.

He might have too small of a sample size to draw any official conclusions, but Even had already decided that he greatly preferred being destroyed by a Keyblade over being burned alive.

Even slowly opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling as sunset painted the room. He'd been through this same experience during his first recompletion, waking up in his old room as if no time had passed since the days that he was Ansem's apprentice.

Only the heaviness in his chest and the aching of his guilt-stricken heart proved how much had changed. That hurt more than his battered body. Emotions could cause worse pain than anything physical. And even before everything happened, Even always considered himself more of a man of science and logic than one ruled by emotions. But he still preferred the arrival of emotional pain to the numbness from lacking a heart or the strange disconnect of experiencing someone else's feelings through the intruding heart of another. Compared to that, Even welcomed the pain.

It was a small price to pay for everything that he'd done. For every mistake and crime. For all the failures, lies, and betrayals.

"You're awake. How do you feel? Any symptoms that you've noticed? Any pain or weakness?"

The calm, clinical, and careful questions startled Even into blinking away the tears that he'd never noticed forming. He shakily pushed himself up, giving Ienzo a chance to slide another pillow behind Even to support him. It also gave Even the chance to notice the chair next to the bed.

"You… were waiting for me," said Even quietly.

Smiling slightly, Ienzo said, "I thought you disapproved of people stating the obvious. 'A waste of breath,' as you would call it." Leaning forward, he said, "I don't know if you've met them yet, but Leon and Yuffie found you in the alleyway. Which was likely where you were the last time that you lost your heart. When you left with them."

"It didn't seem wise to meet with someone from the Real Organization in the castle."

"And why did you need to meet them. We thought you were kidnapped at first, but you went willingly. You joined them of your own free will."

"You're clever, Ienzo. You can follow my logic. I could do more to help and repair the harm that I've caused by working within their ranks. Saïx offered me a chance at redemption and I accepted. There were dangers to the decision, yes." Even rubbed gingerly at his chest, noticing that someone had bandaged the injury there and dressed him in a set of cotton pajamas. "But it was a calculated risk and it turned out to be a productive investment for us. I was able to smuggle out a pair of replicas, rescue Master Ansem, and still managed to return after being destroyed as a Nobody a second time."

"But what if it didn't work?" snapped Ienzo.

Even stiffened in surprise, not expecting the sharp outburst. Then he took note of several visible signals of Ienzo's agitated emotional and mental state. His stiff posture, the way that he couldn't meet Even's gaze, his hands gripping the fabric of his clothes in tight fists, and the way that he was nearly vibrating with tense energy.

"What if you didn't return? What if they figured out what you were doing and somehow destroyed you permanently? No one knew if a Nobody could be recompleted a second time. It was a huge risk and you know it," he continued just as sharply. "And we didn't know what happened. We didn't know about your plan. You didn't tell us anything. You just disappeared without a word." Ienzo let go of his grip on the fabric of his lab coat and crossed his arms as he looked away. "You abandoned us."

The heavy guilt in Even's heart seemed to press down harder and cut deeper. He pressed his eyes shut, trying to prevent the tears that were doing their best to form. He wasn't the most emotional person in the past, but he was completely out of practice at dealing with them and they seemed a lot stronger than he remembered dealing with before. Even was out of practice properly enduring the pain that a heart could bring. Pain that he deserved, but it wasn't currently conducive to repairing what harm he'd inadvertently caused.

"You aren't upset that I left everyone without explaining my intentions," said Even. "You're upset that I left you."

Ienzo stiffened at the accusation, but didn't deny it. He just turned back to look at Even. His eyes were a little shiny and wet now. It would seem that Even wasn't the only one struggling with emotions.

No one ever claimed that hearts were easy to handle.

"I didn't inform anyone of my decision for multiple reasons, Ienzo. To make my deception more believable, yes. But also to prevent anyone from trying to stop me," he said slowly. "Because you and the others would have tried. We both know that. And it was something that I had to do. It was the only way that I could properly atone for the past."

He fell silent for a moment. There were many mistakes that he had to atone for and he wasn't certain that his actions made up for even a fraction of them. But he tried. Even was trying his best.

"But that doesn't make my decision not to tell you anything right," said Even. "I'm sorry that I left without explaining what I planned. My intention was not to hurt you or make you feel abandoned." Even hesitated briefly before continuing, "And I am sorry that we lied to you about what happened to Master Ansem years ago. I am sorry that we involved you in those experiments. And I am very sorry that we did not protect you better. We should have shielded you from Xehanort's schemes and kept you from becoming a Nobody. You were a child in our care and you deserved better."

"He tricked you. He tricked all of us," said Ienzo.

Leaning forward towards him, Even said, "But I made it easy for him to trick me. I was frustrated with Master Ansem ordering us to stop the experiments. I wanted answers. I wanted results. I didn't want to stop until I had all the answers that I was searching for, regardless of the cost. And when Xehanort offered a chance to get what I wanted, I accepted without caring about the consequences. You were a child, but I should have known better. I had no excuse."

"You made mistakes," he said slowly. "We all did. But we got a second chance. We get to fix things." Ienzo reached over and briefly touched his shoulder. "But we don't have to do it alone. You don't have to do everything on your own."

Even gave Ienzo a small smile, remembering for a moment the quiet and serious child that he used to be. The boy might have been Master Ansem's ward, but they'd all helped raise him. And while they made mistakes, Even was proud of the person that he'd grown up to be. A bright, observant, and sensible young man. Hopefully one with a stronger moral compass and more common sense to avoid dangerous temptations than his former caretakers possessed.

"I promise that I will try to do better, Ienzo. And I promise that I will never abandon you," said Even. "Never again."

"No running off without warning and pretending to turn against us?" he asked gently.

Shaking his head slightly, Even said, "I promise. Never again. Not that opportunities for such things arise often."

Ienzo smiled, a warm expression that he never wore during his time as a Nobody. It was amazing the difference that a heart could make. Despite growing up without one, he was clearly adapting well to the change. And the look on Ienzo's face warmed something inside of Even. It felt right to see the young man with a full range of emotions. It felt good.

Even appreciated the reminder that his heart could do more than cause him pain.

Squeezing Even's shoulder gently, Ienzo asked, "Now, once again, how do you feel? Do you feel up to a quick check-up or do you need to rest a little longer? We need to make certain that there weren't any side effects to being recompleted a second time, but you've had a rough day and I don't want to exhaust you."

"We both know that I wouldn't let a little weariness get in the way of scientific inquiry," he said, giving Ienzo another smile. "As long as you share your research on the topic, I would like to proceed."

The journey back to the Mysterious Tower was a somber one. No one really knew what to say or do after Sora disappeared in front of them. They could barely drag themselves back to the Gummi Ships; physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted by everything that had happened. All the fights. Trying to hold back the darkness from engulfing Kingdom Hearts. The various reunions and separations. And Sora's sacrifice.

While there were a few tears before it truly happened, Kairi hadn't cried much after Sora vanished. She'd quickly moved into a state of cold numb shock that continued to engulf her during the trip back. She couldn't believe it. It didn't seem possible. He couldn't be gone. They'd won and everything had seemed fine. She refused to allow him to be gone. But Kairi couldn't feel him. Not like she should. Even when he turned into a Heartless, she could still sense him in a subtle way that she could never truly describe. Even when she couldn't remember him for almost a year, there had been something there at the very edge of her awareness. A feeling that lingered in her heart. This time was different. She'd felt Sora break something when he disappeared. And now it was like Sora didn't exist. He was gone in a way that he never had before. And she had no idea how they would get him back.

She let Riku guide her back off the Gummi Ship and up to Master Yen Sid's study. He'd been staying close to her, as if was worried that she would either disappear as well or shatter into a million pieces like fragile glass. Kairi had thought that she was past the point where she was vulnerable and in need of protection. She thought that she was past being helpless. But she couldn't get upset with herself for being so weak and useless, unable to protect one of her oldest friends from being lost. That kind of anger couldn't make it past the numb shock yet.

Besides, she couldn't leave Riku to pick up the broken pieces. Not when he was trying to come to terms with Sora's disappearance as well. If she blamed herself, then Riku would be burying himself in guilt and blame.

They made it back up to Master Yen Sid's study, the old man having returned there after he'd offered what assistance that he could at the Badlands. She listened in numb silence as a few members of the group relayed the sequence of events to him. Jiminy was able to offer a few more pieces to the puzzle, mentioning that the youngest version of Xehanort even warned Sora that there would be a cost to using the Power of Waking to retrieve his friends' hearts. She'd managed to anchor him to the world, but it wasn't enough to prevent the damage that Sora caused himself saving everyone. She stood there quietly as Master Yen Sid expressed his sympathy, stating that he had no idea that the Power of Waking could even be used in that manner and so had no ability to warn of such risks for an impossible stunt. And while he had no immediate solutions or suggestions, he reassured them that he would seek out possible ways to bring Sora back.

Then he offered them rooms in his tower, suggesting that they should get some rest for the night and then they could try figuring out how to proceed from there. The idea was that they would be able to think more clearly in the morning, when they weren't exhausted, heartbroken, and practically on the verge of collapse.

And they honestly did need rest. Terra was still carrying around Ventus in his arms, the boy's head lolling against his shoulder as he slept heavily. And Lea had recruited Riku's replica and Aqua to help him move the unconscious Roxas and Xion to one of the rooms. The three Keyblade wielders hadn't woken up since Sora's disappearance. Everyone was on their last legs. They needed a chance to rest and none of them would be able to achieve anything useful until they could sleep. They needed to recover their strength before they could start searching for Sora.

Kairi knew that she should sleep. She even said that she would when Riku walked her over to her room and asked if she would be all right, offering to talk with her or even stay in the room with her if she wanted. She told him that she would sleep.

Kairi couldn't say anything different, after all. It was the only way that she would be able to convince Riku to get some rest of his own and he certainly needed it more than she did. He was exhausted and blaming himself for what happened to Sora. And he was undoubtedly planning to search endlessly for their missing friend, not resting until they could bring Sora home. That's what they did when someone was lost. If he could sleep, he should.

It wasn't his fault that her mind refused to quiet. It wasn't his fault that she kept seeing Sora disappear every time that she closed her eyes, dissolving away before she could touch him. It wasn't his fault that the numb shock gave way to misery, frustration with herself, and a feeling of hopelessness that all three of them were trapped in a cycle of continuously losing and searching for one another.

At first, Kairi did try to sleep. She honestly gave it her best try. It was a nice room. Decorated plainly, but nice. There was a soft and comfortable bed with a lamp next to it that gave off a gentle glow. The furniture was natural wood and the walls were painted calm neutral colors. The entire space was designed to be comforting and soothing. A cozy room designed to make them feel safe. Kairi swore that she could smell sea salt and that the bedding was washed with the same detergent that her adopted family used at home. She was half-convinced that the room didn't even exist before and that Master Yen Sid's tower created it specifically for her the moment that she needed it.

But lying in bed didn't help. Doing nothing made her feel useless. And that sent her thoughts spiraling down uncomfortable twisting paths.

Useless. Powerless. Worthless.

Kairi eventually shoved herself back out of bed. She needed to do something. Anything. As long as it felt productive. As long as it kept her from feeling weak. She'd spent too long having no control.

She needed to move. She paced around the room, rubbing her arms and staring at the wooden shelves of spell books. She couldn't recognize the languages on the covers, so she didn't bother trying to read them. They wouldn't keep her thoughts occupied if she couldn't understand them. She vaguely considered summoning her Keyblade. Throwing herself into practice until there was no room to think as she went through the familiar motions of her combos might be a good distraction. But her muscles still ached and her nervous energy didn't translate into enough strength to practice properly. All she could do was pace anxiously around the room until the space felt too small and suffocating. Eventually she stepped out of the room and ended up wandering along in the strange spiral staircase that seemed to defy physics.

Staring out at strange stairs, each one disconnected and leading to various floors with no logic on how they all fit inside the tower, Kairi tried climbing down them for a bit before eventually giving up. She sank down, sitting on the edge while letting her legs dangle over the stunning height. And when she gave up, the thoughts started bubbling forth.

Why couldn't she do anything? She was a Keyblade wielder and a Princess of Heart. She was supposed to be stronger now. She was supposed to protect her friends instead of always needing to be saved. She was supposed to be useful and capable. And yet she couldn't do anything to save Sora in the end. She thought that she did help him for a moment, anchoring him when they were scattered and nearly lost to something that none of them could remember properly. She'd thought that she kept him safe. But in the end, it wasn't enough and Sora was gone.

He was gone just like before. Like when Sora released his heart from his body, becoming a Heartless in the process. When he was forced to disappear for over a year to bring Riku home, leaving her behind to wait and hope. But in the past, she knew that he would come back. She knew that he would make it home to them. Kairi could feel him, a warm connection to her heart that she could sense if she concentrated. A feeling that always reassured her that everything would work out. But this time she couldn't even feel that much. For the first time, Kairi didn't know if he would make it back. She didn't know if she would ever see Sora again.

He could be gone forever.

The tears returned. Slow and silent tears that slipped out as she stared blankly into the gaping space below her. The remaining pieces of cold numbness in her chest was melting away to expose the sharp pain of loss and grief. It hurt. Her arms curled around herself, trying to hold herself together. Everything seemed to finally sink in properly. The full implications of what happened and that he was truly gone.

She didn't really notice the approaching footsteps until someone sat down next to her on the steps and an arm reached around to pull her over, hugging Kairi carefully against his thick black coat. She let herself sink into the embrace.

"I really don't know what to do with crying girls," said Lea quietly. "Not much experience with them, I guess. Didn't have any sisters when I was growing up. And you've met Larxene. I'm pretty sure that she's incapable of tears." He paused briefly. "I mean, she can make other people cry. Mostly out of terror. Though that might just be Demyx."

That startled a laugh out of her. A watery and shaky laugh, but it was a laugh. Lea responded by squeezing her a little tighter.

"There you go," he said. "And don't tell me that you're giving up on Sora just yet. Take it from someone who tried fighting against him. Sora always finds a way through things, no matter what you throw at him. He'll be fine. You'll see."

"You can't know that."

"We've got over half a dozen Keyblade wielders here, including multiple masters. Both Yen Sid and Ven's friends know more about hearts, Keyblades, light, and darkness than we can probably imagine. They've got formal Keyblade educations. There's also a castle full of scientists in Radiant Garden," said Lea. "Someone is bound to have a few ideas. Just give us a little time. No one does their best work while sleep deprived."

She nodded before wiping away her tears. But Kairi didn't move away from the embrace. Not yet.

"Of course, this is Sora that we're talking about," he continued. "I fully expect him to show up eventually on his own. Probably swooping in to save all of us from something dangerous and dragging along several new friends with him."

That mental image brought a smile to her face. Lea's description was perfectly accurate. That was exactly the sort of thing that Sora would do. No matter what situation that he found himself in, Sora tended to find new friends who would help him. He could adapt to any situation and come through with a smile. She needed that reminder. She needed that reassuring thought.

Looking up at him, Kairi said, "Thank you, Axel."

"Roxas and Xion made it back and I didn't even know that she was missing. If I can find them, then we can get Sora back from what happened to him. Maybe he'll be a Heartless or a Nobody or something else when we find him. Or maybe he'll be missing his memories. Or maybe he'll be perfectly fine. But you'll see him again." He grinned at her. "After all, I know you three shared that magic friendship fruit."

"What?"

"You know. That yellow fruit from Destiny Islands that's shaped like a star?"

"The paopu fruit?"

"Yep. That's the one. I saw you three sharing it. And according to the rules of the story, you three are stuck with each other now. So Sora will be back eventually."

Some of the pain and heartache eased under his confident reassurance. It felt so long ago that she was the one telling him that it would be all right and that he would see his friends again. And now he was returning the favor. But he was right. Sora always found his way back to his friends eventually. Kairi just needed to have faith in him.

After a moment, Lea asked, "Can… can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything," she said, eager to have a way no banish the feeling of being useless.

Lea climbed stiffly back to his feet. Kairi took his offered gloved hand as he pulled her up. He wasn't moving as quickly as he probably wanted, but he didn't seem to be straining himself either. He was one of the people who most needed to rest. She didn't know how much the fighting could have set back his recovery. Though she did remember King Mickey approaching him on the way to the Gummi Ship, so she hoped that he used one of the more powerful healing spells on Lea earlier.

They walked back up the staircase until the stepped through one of the strange magic doors that opened into a room decorated in stars with multiple other doors that would lead to some of the bedrooms. Lea pulled her to one of the doors that was open a crack. He peered inside, quietly checking on the two unconscious figures carefully tucked into the oversized bed. His expression briefly mirrored the look that he had when Roxas and Xion first collapsed without warning after the Keyblade War. The same way that he'd looked when the ice wall separated him from the pair. As if he was absolutely terrified that he was about to lose them yet again.

"I can't leave them alone. I can't let them wake up alone somewhere strange," he said, still watching through the doorway. "But… I called earlier on the Gummiphone. Ienzo said that they found Even back in Radiant Garden. They're checking him over, but he's been recompleted. But they haven't seen anyone else. Which means that Isa… When he lost his heart a second time, it happened somewhere else. And I think I know where. I have to get to Isa, but I can't leave Roxas and Xion alone in case something…"

He trailed off, still watching the pair as if they were the most precious things ever and they could disappear at any moment. Kairi could fill in the blanks. He didn't want to leave in case something went wrong or something happened to them. He just got them back and he was scared that he would lose his friends again. But he had at least one other friend to bring back. And Lea could only leave if someone stayed to take care of them. Someone that he could trust to protect Roxas and Xion while he was gone. Someone that he could trust to make certain that they would still be there when he came back.

And he was trusting Kairi to keep them safe.

Kairi smiled slightly and nodded. Having a solid goal helped. It gave her something to focus on. It made her feel productive, useful, and like she could do something right. She could make a difference. Maybe it wasn't anything huge, but it meant something to him. He was entrusting her with his best friends because he knew that nothing would happen to them if she was with them. If it would give him some peace of mind, then she wouldn't let him down.

"I'll stay with them," she said quietly. "Nothing will happen to them while you're gone. I promise."

He gave her a smile before ruffling her hair slightly. Kairi tried to duck out of the way, but she didn't mind the gesture. Not really.

"Go find your friend," she continued firmly. "And tomorrow we'll work on getting Sora back. Then I'm going to hit him in the head with his own Keyblade because he is never doing anything like this again."

He woke up slowly, stiff and sore. That was a surprise. He never expected to wake up ever again. Regaining consciousness with a heavy weight in his chest that ached should have been the biggest shock. But it was the powerful emotions washing over him in waves that startled him more. Emotions that tried to choke him and made his eyes burn. Emotions that belonged solely to him. The guilt, sorrow, regret, relief, confusion, and loneliness that filled him until he was almost drowning in them.

Isa slowly opened his eyes and saw only white. He was perched on his chair in the Round Room, slumped in the stone throne high above the floor. As if nothing had ever changed and he was waiting for another meeting called by the Superior. He hated the idea of it. Though it was an interesting change to properly hate something, to admit that it was actual hate, and for that hatred to belong to him and not something cultivated by a foreign heart jammed in his chest.

It was only his own heart inside him now. He had his heart back, complete and hurting as he remembered all his mistakes. And he'd made plenty of mistakes. He'd hurt so many people and that guilt was hitting him at full force. Isa thought that he'd felt awful about what he did to Roxas, Xion, and even Lea before, but it was nothing compared to how he felt now.

Maybe it would have been easier if he never woke up.

He pressed his eyes closed and clenched his teeth tightly, trying to push down some of the overwhelming emotions. What was he supposed to do now? He never expected to survive past the Keyblade War. He never planned for what might come after. How was he supposed to make up for what he did? He'd caused so much pain during his time in the Organization. Some of it indirectly by giving assignments that caused horrible things to various worlds and people, but there as plenty that was more direct.

Whenever he treated Xion as an object instead of a person. Every cruel remark or action towards Roxas born out of unrecognized jealousy. They were children. They didn't deserve that. Isa even hurt Lea, letting him do all the dirty work as Axel in order for him to climb the ranks. And when his best friend turned on the Organization, wanting to reclaim Roxas and then trying to steal Kairi back from where they locked her in the dungeon, Saïx attacked Axel. He couldn't remember much because his Berserk Form didn't leave behind clear memories, but he knew that he must have hit Axel hard enough to drive him off. Then there was what happened during the fight at the Keyblade Graveyard. Isa knew that he didn't kill Lea, but he didn't know how much damage that he did first before he managed to banish his weapon.

Did he deserve to come back? Did he deserve to have his heart back?

His regrets and guilt were spiraling around his head, interrupted only when the chair abruptly shuddered. Slowly lowering towards the ground. Isa blinked his heavy eyes open.

"There we go. Almost forgot how to make these things go down."

He raised his head at the unexpected voice as the throne reached the ground. A familiar and welcomed red-head crouched down in front of Isa, smiling with relief. Lea reached for his face, tilting his chin up until Isa was forced to look him in the eyes. Then he brushed back Isa's hair enough to check his ears.

"Guess the last pieces of the old man are officially gone," said Lea. "Welcome back to being a Somebody again."

"Lea?"

Still smiling, he said, "Told you that I wouldn't forget you. Got it memorized?"

Something cracked and gave way. Tears spilled over despite Isa's best efforts and Lea immediately pulled him into a hug. All the choking emotions pulled him down, a powerful undertow intent on drowning him. He wasn't even that emotional before he lost his heart; he wasn't prepared for this. Isa's more stoic nature was swept away by the strength of his unleashed feelings. The only thing anchoring him in place was his best friend. He couldn't seem to catch his breath through it. And he couldn't stop what was happening. All he could do was try to hold on.

At some point, Isa became aware of Lea still talking. A steady and quiet stream of words.

"It gets easier. I promise that it gets easier. But you'll have to ride it out for now. You're not used to having an intact heart anymore and it's going to be rough for a while. Same thing happened to me. Your emotions are just too strong and hard to control right now. But it will get easier. You just have to endure these emotions until they pass. Just let it happen."

The tears eventually stopped after a while and his breathing evened out. And the tension melted out of him. Only then did Lea break off the hug. If his friend's eyes looked a little shinier than before, Isa didn't want to mention it.

"I'm sorry," said Isa, his voice rough.

Hands still resting on his shoulders, Lea said, "Hey, you've apologized enough today. And don't apologize for feeling. Hearts aren't easy."

After a moment, Lea moved stiffly until he sat down on the floor next to the throne. Isa didn't miss the quiet grunt of pain or the wince as Lea settled next to him. He knew that they hurt Lea a few days ago. Badly enough that Larxene and Marluxia believed that they'd killed him. And the battles wouldn't have helped.

"Are you all right?" asked Isa.

Giving a small shrug, he said, "I'll live. I mean, Master Ansem wanted me to take it easy for longer than I did and I might have re-cracked one of my ribs earlier. But I got the king to cast another Healing Light spell on me after everything was over. I'll be fine. What about you? How are you feeling?"

He hadn't really considered that yet. He'd been too busy trying to endure the emotions that were just now trying to settle. Isa shifted slightly in his chair and immediately winced. No getting around it. Even recompleted, he was pretty battered.

"Tired," he said. "I feel very tired. And sore. Not unexpected, all things considered."

Chuckling quietly, "Yeah, Kairi got in some good hits on you, didn't she? You expect that kind of thing from Sora, but she'll catch you by surprise and knock you to the ground if you aren't careful." Shifting until he could perch his arm on his knee, he said, "We'll let the nerds look you over and make sure there's nothing seriously wrong."

"And then what?"

"Hmm?"

"I… didn't expect to make it through the Keyblade War. I didn't expect to be recompleted a second time. I don't know where to go from here," admitted Isa.

"That depends. You could always help Ansem the Wise and the others. Technically, he did take us on as apprentices a long time ago and they could probably use someone with organization and management skills. You were practically running the Organization most days. And that would give you access to his old files. Apparently a lot of them were corrupted to the point that you can't read them on the computer anymore, but they're working on recovering that data. And you can also finally ask him directly."

"About what?"

"Her. You can finally ask him about the girl in the cell. If he knows what happened to her. You can access his files and try to get some answers. And maybe we can find her."

Isa stiffened at his words. The girl in the hidden cell under the castle. The one who couldn't remember her name or past, but who would still smile at them when he and Lea snuck down to find her. The girl that he'd been trying to find for over a decade.

And Lea was right. That would give him all the access to information that he could possibly want. He might finally find some clues on what happened to her. And that could lead him to the girl in the present.

"We'll find her. And Sora." Noticing Isa's confused frown, Lea clarified, "The kid disappeared after the fight. Pushed himself past his limits and paid the price. But no one is giving up on bring him back either. We're getting pretty successful at finding people who are supposed to be gone for good."

"Like Roxas and Xion," he said quietly.

Rubbing the back of his head, Lea said, "Look, you're one of my oldest friends. I spent more time at your house growing up than I did at home. I can't even remember a time before we were friends. And I want to have that friendship back. That's not going to change." He paused a moment, taking a slow breath to steady himself. "But I can't abandon Roxas and Xion either. They don't have anyone else. They don't have any family or homes. And they've never had real lives outside the Organization. They need someone… and…"

After wrestling quietly with the complicated knot of emotions weighing heavily in his chest, Isa said, "I understand. Besides, I put you in charge of watching over the Keybearer. It would be a shame for you to shirk your responsibilities now."

His response startled a small, relieved laugh out of Lea. Isa still felt jealous, but it wasn't as intense and all-consuming as before. There was no foreign heart feeding into the negative emotions, making them grow and pushing away anything that wasn't useful to Xehanort. Now there was only a mild feeling of jealousy that he could easily recognize for what it was and could set it aside to do the right thing.

Slowly climbing to his feet while smothering a groan, Lea said, "Let's get out of here. The place didn't get more inviting after being abandoned and we need to get you to the nerds. They still need to check you over."

"Eager to turn me over to them as a science experiment?" asked Isa as he was carefully pulled upright.

Isa didn't miss the tiny flinch that he'd inadvertently caused, though Lea tried to smother it. Guilt blossomed in his chest. He shouldn't have made that joke. Both of them had experienced being science experiments for the other apprentices. Forced into the black coats to see how much darkness they could resist before their hearts were lost to it. His memories surrounding the event itself were a bit blurry and jumbled mess, which Isa was thankful for. But he knew that he lost his heart first and Lea was left behind to suffer longer. He knew from previous discussions over the years that Lea didn't remember much about what happened beyond fragmented memories, but there was enough that the subject should remain off limits as a joke.

Lea wrapped one arm around Isa to support him. Isa appreciated it because he felt unsteady on his feet. He was too tired, weak, and aching. Then Lea gestured with his other hand, creating a dark corridor in front of them.

Isa's hand immediately went to his chest as he felt an intense flash of fear. An unexpected reaction to something familiar that he'd traveled through more times than he could count. But now he had his heart back. A heart vulnerable to darkness. A heart that could easily succumb and be lost to the darkness once more. And the irrational fear clawed at him, trying to swallow him whole. After trying for so long to regain his heart, it turned out that he was terrified of anything happening to it. Trying to ignore the pounding in his chest and the way his hand shook, Isa pulled the hood up and tugged his black coat tighter around him. His only defense against that danger.

"Let's get you to Radiant Garden," said Lea, still supporting him. "They've got a bed with your name on it and you look like you could use the rest."

Lea was practically dragging himself up the stairs of the Mysterious Tower. Finding Isa and getting him back to Radiant Garden took longer than he expected. But it was worth it. The sheer relief when he saw Isa, alive and intact, had hit him harder than expected. He hadn't realized how scared he was that Isa wouldn't make it back until that moment.

And leaving Isa with Master Ansem, Ienzo, and the others made him feel guilty. But it was the best course of action. Isa needed a chance to rest and recover from all the stress of the battle, his destruction, and his recompletion. Preferably under the supervision of someone who knew what to expect. And it wasn't like Lea could bring Isa back to where the others were. Roxas and Xion might be willing to give him a chance, but Lea was smart enough not to toss them all together immediately. He couldn't be in two places at once and right now he was more useful to the half-pints.

But now that he'd made certain that Isa was safe, Lea could finally get some rest. It had been a long day. A long few days. He could get some sleep and then work on what came next.

There was a lot ahead of them. Even if Lea left most of the work of finding whatever was left of Sora and bringing him back to the others, that didn't mean that he would get off easy. He still had a pair of teenaged toddler Keybearers depending on him. They'd never had a real existence outside of the Organization or fighting. They'd never had a chance to be actual kids. They deserved a normal life and Lea intended to make it happen.

He found Kairi sitting outside the room. Asleep, but still keeping guard like he asked. He knew it was silly. Even completely exhausted to the point of unconsciousness, Roxas and Xion were capable and dangerous individuals. And they were in the middle of Master Yen Sid's tower, safe from anything that might happen. But Lea hadn't been able to leave. Not without some kind of reassurance, as irrational as his worries might have been. And asking Kairi to keep an eye on them had loosened the tight knot in his chest that had threatened to suffocate him.

"Hey," he said softly, reaching down to shake her shoulder. "Thanks for the help, Kairi. Why don't you head back and get some sleep in a real bed?"

She climbed groggily to her feet, rubbing at her eyes before wandering towards her room. Lea hoped that she could get some actual rest. He knew that Kairi was taking Sora's disappearance hard. He doubted that she would be sleeping much in the near future. He certainly didn't after Roxas vanished into Sora.

He slipped into the room with the stealth that only a former assassin could match. Roxas and Xion were still in the king-sized bed where he left them, the pair curled up close. Lea felt that tight knot loosen further, the pressure easing at the sight of them.

Safe, real, and alive.

He could have found them rooms of their own. He was certain that there would always be exactly the right number of bedrooms in the tower. Aqua and Riku's replica even pointed out as they helped carry the pair that they didn't have to toss them in the same oversized bed. But right now, he wanted to keep them close. He wanted the reassurance that nothing had happened to them. Especially after they collapsed with no warning, terrifying Lea with the idea that he was about to lose them both again.

Lea sat on the edge of the large bed and slowly tugged his boots off. Then he crawled into the remaining space on the bed. He sank into the mattress with a quiet moan.

That was it. No more fighting for at least a week. Give the healing stab wounds, battered ribs, and countless bruises a chance to heal.

He heard something shift and Lea found a couple of pairs of drowsy eyes staring back at him. They were all right. Whatever happened to make Sora disappear hadn't hurt them.

"Axel?" mumbled Roxas. "What…?"

"Sora? Is he…?" asked Xion.

"Gone," he said. "But we'll get him back somehow."

Shifting, Xion murmured, "Sorry."

"Don't be. You two were just trying to help." Pausing a moment, Lea added, "But next time, could you two let me know when something's wrong?"

Roxas nodded groggily and said, "No more secrets."

Remembering how much damage he caused with the lies and secrets of his own, even if he had good intentions, Lea gave a small nod. The drowsy pair seemed to accept his wordless promise since their eyes started sliding shut again. Weariness was winning out. All three of them were completely exhausted: Lea from fighting when he shouldn't have and the younger pair from doing whatever they did to keep Sora from disappearing sooner. But he had an important question that he wanted to ask before they drifted off.

"Roxas? Xion? If you two could live anywhere, on any world that you liked, where would you want to be? Where would you want us to call home?"

"Anywhere?" she asked.

"If you pick the Realm of Darkness, I reserve the right to complain about it, but anywhere you want."

Roxas murmured sleepily, "Twilight Town?"

"Mm-hm," mumbled Xion. "'s our place. At sunset. Always been ours."

Smiling drowsily, Lea said, "Then Twilight Town it is. We'll find a place there. We'll make it work." He reached over to ruffle the hair on both of their heads. "An actual home for all of us."

And so ends this story. I want to thank everyone who has stuck by me through this tale. I've appreciated every comment and question. I've had a lot of fun working on this fic and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Of course, as promised, there is a sequel in the works. And the first chapter should be ready soon. Keep an eye out for "Parental Instinct." In which we get some domestic fluff combined with all the accumulated trauma! Fun times!

Once again, thank you guys so much for reading this story and leaving all your supportive comments. I deeply appreciate them.