Somewhere, a voice calls, in the depths of my heart

May I always be dreaming, the dreams that move my heart

So many tears of sadness, uncountable through and through

I know on the other side of them I'll find you

Every time we fall down to the ground we look up to the blue sky above

We wake to its blueness, as for the first time

Though the road is long and lonely and the end far away, out of sight

I can with these two arms embrace the light

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"The boy … I love?" Kairi whispered. "No… I don't love him. I never did."

"You say that out of love." Crive whispered. He stepped toward her and Kairi stepped back. Tidu stepped between them, eyes dark, and stance protective. Ceasing his steps, Crive stood silently, watching Kairi take it in.

"I can't do this" She whispered, slowly falling to her knees. Victoria knelt beside her, concerned. "I can't do this!"

Yes, you can.

Kairi's eyes snapped open. "Namine?"

You're strong, remember? You can do this!

"I can't kill him!" Kairi screeched, sobbing, resting her forehead on her knees. Somberly, Victoria stepped back, watching sadly. Tidu stared at Crive, his eyes sad, a feather in his outstretched hand. Crive backed up a bit, watching stoically the scene of silence, and sobbing.

A hand came onto Kairi's shoulder.

As I bid farewell my heart stops, in tenderness I feel

My silent empty body begins to listen to what is real

"You know" Yuna whispered, her hand covered in Sora's blood as it rested on Kairi's shoulder. "My home, Spira, was once in great danger."

Sniffling, Kairi rested her head on Yuna, her eyes dark. Sympathetic, Yuna hugged her, holding her gently, tightly. "To save it, we had to defeat a great monster. But it was more than defeating him. To make him leave, once and for all, a many great people had to die. There had to be a sacrifice. I… was to be the sacrifice."

Kairi looked up, listening quietly, intently. Everyone was, even Crive. Sora's ears strained to listen.

"I was so scared. But to save my people, I would die. My friends cried. But I accepted my fate. But… he didn't." Smiling through her tears, Yuna continued. "He wouldn't let me die. Everywhere we went, he looked for a different option, a better way, somehow to keep me from dying, but still save everyone."

"Who?" Kairi whispered.

Yuna smiled broadly and motherly. "Him. The boy I loved. Jecht Tidus. He finally found a way for me to live, but for it to work… he had to die. I didn't want to sacrifice him."

"What happened?" Victoria whispered.

"He told me… it was okay. That we'd see each other again. He didn't mind dying. He didn't want to, but he would… for me. He became the sacrifice, and … our world was saved."

"I haven't seen him… since." Yuna looked down to Kairi. "I think of him everyday. I know, someday, I will find him. And I don't regret saving everyone, and bringing smiles to their faces. Because I know, if I close my eyes, I can see him, and he's smiling, too."

Kairi bit her lip, clutching her chest tightly. She sobbed, but bit it back. Yuna's hands gently held her shoulders.

"It will be okay" Yuna whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Tidu listened intently to the conversation, intently to the story of the man that was his father. Jecht Tidus…

"Does that make me… Jecht Tidu?" He whispered over his shoulder. Yuna looked up at him, shocked. She didn't understand. Tidu simply smiled knowingly, innocently, sadly.

"Open the door by sacrificing him, go ahead. I will simply follow after, it will not stop me." Crive muttered.

Kairi stood her keyblade in hand. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she glared at him.

"Follow us. But you won't find what you seek. He'd never let you" Her voice wavered as she looked over her shoulder to the boy on the ground. To her surprise, he was grinning up at her weakly, the spear sliced in half so he could be removed.

"Sora…" Kairi whispered, slowly walking over to him. The gate was shaking, rattling.

The wonder of living, the wonder of dying

The wind, town, and flowers, we all dance one unity

"Kairi…" He whispered, smiling, his hand reaching up to pet her cheek. Kairi held it with her free hand, lovingly. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Why'd you have to save my life again?" She sighed into his skin, looking down. Gently, Sora lifted her head so he could look into her eyes.

"I would die again and again if I knew it would so much as make you smile." Kairi gasped.

"I would never smile if you died! Never! I would never smile!" Sora's smile wavered.

"But I want you to smile. Promise me. If I ever die, promise me you'll still smile, every day, and you'll sleep with a smile on your face." Sora whispered, his hand reaching back behind her neck into her hair.

"A fake smile." She whispered.

"No" Sora moaned, smiling a bit. "A smile that would darken the sun. Only that beautiful smile would do. I've seen you smile that way… at certain people." Sora grinned, chuckling a bit. Kairi laughed quietly, too.

"Only at you" She whispered, leaning down to place her head on his chest.

"Really?" he whispered, his hand caressing her shoulder. "I would be honored."

"You should be." She joked, laughing a bit, before the laughter broke, and tears streamed down her face.

Somewhere a voice calls in the depths of my heart

keep dreaming your dreams, don't ever let them part

"I love you" She whispered, holding tight to his jacket.

Yuna walked over, followed by Tidu. Victoria stood behind, watching Crive's every move as he watched them silently, almost as if he were studying them.

Gently, Yuna and Victoria lifted Sora off of the spike, and he gasped a bit, but was okay. Kairi stood, following him, placing her hands under his back. He leaned against her as Yuna and Victoria stepped away respectfully.

Weakly, Sora lifted his necklace from his neck, and slung it around Kairi's neck. The girl watched him, eyes as red as her hair.

"Sora…"

"I have to do this" He whispered. "For you" He smiled.

"What about Roxas? And Axel? And everyone else who loves… loves you?" Kairi's voice shook, and she hugged him tightly even as his blood drenched her.

"Roxas will be fine. He's strong." Sora smirked. "And he has Axel. Everyone … they'll all be okay, I know. I'll watch over them, just to be sure."

"Sora…" Yuna whispered, taking gentle hold of his hand.

"Hey, Tidu, you'd… you take care… of Yuna, okay? She needs you." Tidu looked on, smiling, a tear slowly falling.

"I always will" He whispered, bowing in respect.

Sora weakly held Kairi tight to him, as he tried to stand next to her. "Don't" She whispered. "I can help you"

Sora looked down to her, the girl who was strong, yet sobbing and trembling. It almost made him cry. "I don't want to do this to you, but you have to let me go" He told her, his own voice shaking.

"So many memories" Yuna whispered, crying, standing next to Tidu. He took hold of her hand.

"He's closer than you think" He whispered.

Why speak of all your sadness or of life's painful woes

Instead let the same lips sing a gentle song for you

The whispering voice, we never want to forget,

in each passing memory always there to guide you

Slowly, the two began walking towards the gate, as everyone watched them, in fascination, in terribly sadness. As Sora stumbled, leaning on Kairi, and his blood left a trail behind him, he spoke.

"I wish I could see Riku… one last time" He whispered, blood on his cracked lips. "I'll miss him… and Leon… everyone… heh…" He wiped the blood from his lips.

"We'll never forget you" Kairi whispered.

The gate was getting close. It was shining a strange blue, and the chains on either side were pulling apart slightly as it swayed in the wind.

"You and Riku take care … okay? I won't be around to save you guys" Sora smirked.

Kairi gasped turning to look at him with a playful anger, dulled by her sadness. But as she did, something warm and soft pressed against her open lips, and blood fell into her mouth. The taste of copper, sweat, and skin met her tongue as Kairi slowly moved her lips against Sora's, her salty tears adding to the mix.

"I love you" She spoke between the kiss.

Sora pulled away as they came closer.

"Marry me" He whispered.

"What?" Kairi gasped, her heart leaping from her chest.

"I know I'm leaving you" Sora smiled, letting his face rest in her red hair. "But, we could run away, and get married, and leave everything behind. We'd take Riku, too, maybe even Axel, and Namine, and Roxas, and the six of us could be a family, no strings attached.

We could have kids. And they'd have kids. And we'd have all sorts of stories to tell them! It would be amazing."

"It's a wonderful dream" Kairi whispered against his neck, her tears hitting his skin.

"But I am serious about part of that dream. Will you marry me?"

Kairi gasped against his skin as he placed kisses along her neck, and a slow, moan of yes came from her lips.

"You will?" He whispered, leaning away. "I'm about to die, yet you're going to marry me?"

"You're the only one I would ever want, Sora!" Kairi grinned, wiping a tear away from his cheek. "Let's get married. So I'll still be connected to you when you're gone."

"You were always connected to me." Sora whispered, holding her hand. He looked back over his shoulder, as the gate began to swing violently behind them.

"Yuna!" He called. "Marry us!"

"What?" Yuna whispered.

"Marry us!" Kairi told her, leaning against Sora's chest as somehow, her heart was soaring in happiness, yet drowning in tears.

"Tidu! My best man, get over here!" Sora gasped a trickle of blood down his cheek.

Tidu smiled, and stood with Yuna. She sighed wistfully, looking up at the pair, one bleeding and standing weakly, the other drenched in tears and red eyed, yet both smiling like it was truly their wedding day.

"As High Summoner of Spira, you're the most qualified person here! Please, Yuna!" Kairi asked her, her voice almost desperate. Yuna nodded, summoning her staff. It was her symbol of religion. Standing it in front of her as she held it, Yuna spoke softly.

"Do you Kairi?"

"Yes!" The girl whispered against Sora's skin as he held her, her tongue licking him.

"Do you Sora?"

"Yeah" He whispered, caressing her hair.

Behind them, the gate rattled and roared, shrieking, and the chains broke as it screeched, and began to slide open.

Yuna was crying at the beautiful sight before her as the gate bathed them in blue light. "By – by the power vested in me by the Rite of Yevon, I –"

"I love you" Sora whispered, his lips caressing her cheek.

"I know" Kairi's voice broke.

"You have to go" Sora told her, standing a bit away from her, his hands on her shoulders.

"I know" Kairi sobbed, nodding.

Yuna watched them, and they listened desperately, both ready to break.

"I pronounce you husband and wife!"

Sora pulled Kairi in for a deep, breath taking kiss as Yuna fell to her knees and cried. Wrapping her arms around him, Kairi pulled herself up to him, no longer crying, but letting go, holding him tight, and then… letting him go.

When a mirror has been broken, shattered pieces scattered on the ground

Glimpses of new life, reflected all around

Window of beginning, stillness, new light of the dawn

Let my silent, empty body be filled and reborn

"Kairi, hurry!" Tidu yelled over the roar of the wind and the rage of the metal that was screeching loudly.

Sora pulled away as Kairi did as well, their hands still connected.

"I'll always be with you" Sora whispered.

No need to search outside, nor sail across the sea

Cause here shining inside me, it's right here inside me

As the wind pulled them apart, Kairi fell deep into his eyes. Everything he'd done for her… and he was dying for her. For everyone. Why did he love her so much? The oceans of blue in his eyes were so happy, but he was breathing his last? What could make him so strong? She was weak, how could he love her like he did? As they drifted farther apart, still holding tightly with their hands, Kairi remembered… remembered the first door from which they'd parted.

"I'm always with you!" Kairi yelled over the wind.

I've found a brightness, it's always with me

A smile came over Sora's pained face as the light began fading from his eyes. The smile twitched, growing into a small grin, as he looked down and then back up to her bright eyes. Kairi was desperately holding to his hand, but with a nod of his head, he let go.

She was swept as she shouted his name, and in an instant, the gate opened wide, and the boy who was Sora turned into gold, fluttering in the wind, a bright cloud of stars, before the wind swept him away as well, into the Gate of Midnight.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The universe immediately felt it. Everything seemed to fade a little bit. The stars weren't as bright as they had been. The ocean waves didn't seem to come up as far on the shore, and the sun just didn't shine like it use to. The wind was colder, and harsher.

They all felt it, everyone who'd ever been touched by him.

Somewhere, a voice calls, in the depths of my heart

May I always be dreaming, the dreams that move my heart

So many tears of sadness, uncountable through and through

I know on the other side of them I'll find you

The king fell to his knees, a hand over his eyes, as Donald and Goofy cried on each others shoulders.

Cloud was dumbfounded, in shock. Trembling, unable to believe.

Riku's heart seemed to fall, fall far into a dark abyss as he curled up and cried.

Yuffie could only fall to the floor, head in her hands, and whisper, "You broke your promise"

Ariel, the mermaid beneath the sea, found she did not find singing as beautiful as it had been or the sky as bright as it had been. She cried.

Beast, enraged, began to destroy his room. But Belle was with him, ran up to him, taking a gentle hold of his arm. He thought of Sora. The two stayed together through the night.

Far across the stars, Hayner felt it, like a shockwave. In his coffin, beneath the earth in the basement, Alucard the Vampire felt it too.

The flowers were whispering it to one another somberly. The stars told one another, and fell from the sky.

Everyone was crying, everyone was sad, everyone was shocked.

Except for them.

The first, he knew. For months, he'd felt it, Sora slipping away from them. Even when Sora didn't know it, he knew that it couldn't last forever. He'd tried to stop it. But he wasn't strong enough. Leon looked to the dark sky, and cursed the birds for singing.

And he knew, too. He always knew whatever happened. They were always together, even when they were alone. He knew had to be afraid, because Sora was always by his side. Even as he ran for his life by Demyx's side, Roxas cried, sobbing quietly, too quiet for anyone to hear.

Every time we fall down to the ground we look up to the blue sky above

We wake to its blueness, as for the first time

Though the road is long and lonely and the end far away, out of sight

I can with these two arms embrace the light

Kairi stood, shakily, weakly, looking back and forth, holding tight to the crown necklace around her neck. The tears were gone, her voice gone too, so only her eyes searched for any sign of him; maybe he was still here.

Her eyes fell on the cliff where the gate had been. Now, there was a bright light, leading somewhere far away.

And sitting before it was a key, embedded in the ground, lost, awaiting its master, who would never return.

Every time we fall down to the ground we look up to the blue sky above

We wake to its blueness, as for the first time

Though the road is long and lonely and the end far away, out of sight

I can with these two arms embrace the light