Disclaimer: Not Mine

Yet again, another unbelievably long break between updates. Due to lack of time and lack of inspiration and lack of chocolate. Ah, chocolate…

I'm really trying to wrap this up, but I keep coming up with more and more shit to put in. Ah well. This is definitely not the last chapter. Maybe not even second to last. I guess

we'll see.

I wanted to get this up, but I might update again during Thanksgiving break…depending upon you guys and your reviews!

Chapter 16

You Raise Me Up

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains,

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.

I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up, to more than I can be.

"You Raise me Up"-Josh Groban

"Whoa," Reno breathed, stretching out in the warm light. "That's some pretty rough stuff." Several hours must have passed since he'd found himself in this desert oasis, but the sun hadn't seemed to have moved at all. They were still sitting in blinding daylight. And it was giving him a headache.

"You're telling me," Axel mused, idelly trailing his fingers through the water.

Reno was still having a bit of difficulty processing all of this. "Let me see if I'm understanding you. Basically, the entire universe is being taken over by these creepy little heartless things that wanna steal your heart?"

"Yeah. You're such a fast learner."

"Shut up. And there's this other group of people called the Organization who're trying to find this place with all the hearts in it?"

"Yep."

"Kingdom Hearts?"

"Totally."

"And the universe's only hope is some kid with spiky hair and a big key?"

Axel shrugged. "I know it doesn't sound like much of a hope, but you haven't met Sora. As much as it pains me to say it…I think he can actually do it. I mean, it—,"

"No," Reno interrupted. "I think I can get it. I've definitely meant some fucking unlikely heroes back at home."

"Like who?" Axel chuckled. "Maybe I've met them. We've been up to our asses in heroes lately."

"Yeah…how would they get here?" Reno inquired. "I mean, I'm here, but that's only 'cause you are, right?"

Axel nodded. "You'd need a really strong heart to survive nowadays."

Scooping up the crystal clear water, Reno dumped a handful over his head, letting it trail down his neck. He laughed. "Shit, I can't really think of any strong hearted people…" He looked up. "Hey, there was one son of a bitch…he was noble, anal retentive, delusional, sexy, and all that other crap heroes are supposed to be. I think."

Axel was trying very hard to keep a straight face. "Who?"

"Cloud. I know, right? Fucking odd name." Reno shook his head. "Holy, that fucker caused us some grief."

"So I'm guessing you were one of the bad guys?"

"Huh?"

Axel was now following Reno's example of dunking his head in the water. He came up dripping, hair smoothed into slick, fiery spikes. "You said that Cloud guy gave you trouble. He was a hero, right? So that means you must have been the villain."

Reno snorted. "Yeah right, the villain. I might have been on the losing side, but I was definitely not the…the villain. I just happen to kill people for a living. Villain….for fuck's sake!"

"Hey, calm down," Axel laughed. "I wasn't attacking you or anything. I happen to be a villain myself."

"Well, fabulous," Reno said. "We should form a club."

Axel laughed, as if reveling in the absurdity the two of them in close proximity seemed to create. Nobody and Somebody weren't ever truly meant to meet; it was like a clash of egos to the maximum degree. It was so odd to look into a pair of eyes and see yourself reflected back so perfectly.

"Yeah, we could call our club 'bad guys gone good'," suggested Axel with a stupid grin.

Reno rolled his eyes. "Or we could call it the 'let's stop making dumb jokes and get the fuck out of here' club."

Axel thought about it for a moment. "I don't think that would fit on the T-shirt."

Tiny silver fish darted out of the way, fleeing the submerged man who had been shoved off the rock by his exasperated counterpart.

Sai'x fought like a man possessed. Or a bull with something stuck up its ass.

It just depends on what kind of image you're going for.

Whatever the case, Kairi was hard pressed to keep herself from dying, even with the keyblade's magic. Without it, she would have been toast in a moment, burnt to a blackened crisp. It was amazing what gripping that intricate piece of metal was doing to her body. She felt a million times lighter, a million times faster, and a whole lifetime stronger. She'd actually just performed a back flip, something she couldn't do back at home if her life had depended on it.

Right now, in fact, it did.

Is this what Sora goes through everyday?

What a terrible life it must have been. Fighting to stay alive to the next moment, not knowing what's lurking in those shadows over there, or what's waiting behind the next corner.

Sai'x was panting slightly, standing back to regroup.

"Too bad old man," Kairi shot out. "If you weren't ancient maybe you'd be able to keep up with me…"

Sai'x flashed her a withering smile. It looked quite painful. "Don't get carried away, little girl. I'll see you bleeding on the ground yet."

Kairi just laughed at him. Her laugh quickly turned to a cry of pain, however, when she was hit in the gut with a water spell, effectively drenching her and sending her sprawling to the ground. She coughed, her body trying to force some oxygen into her pummeled lungs. Expecting death at any moment, she struggled to sit up, just in time to feel yet another spell wash over her, sending her spiraling into the darkness of unconsciousness.

"Time to wake up, my dear!"

Kairi groaned. Her head was throbbing and there was an insistent ringing in her ears. Someone was shaking her by the shoulders. "Fuck off," she growled.

The unfamiliar voice tutted. "Now really! Is that any way to treat someone who just saved your life?"

Kairi cracked an eye open. "Saved my life?" she repeated. A small, hazy form swam into focus. "Why'd you go and do that?"

The figure laughed. Actually, you could barely call him a figure. He was that small. Even from where Kairi lay flat on her back, she got the impression he would be barely half her size when she finally stood up. Strange…he didn't seem to be human. What she had at first taken to be a very odd hat…no…ears?

"A mouse..?" Kairi laughed. "This is insane."

The mouse made a face, putting his hands on his hips. As odd as that sounds.

"Not as insane as many things you're likely to come across, my dear." He bowed low, nose nearly brushing the marble floor of the tower. "It's a pleasure to find another keyblade wielder."

"Yeah, likewise," Kairi muttered, eyeing the golden weapon the mouse had in his left paw. "I'm Kairi."

The mouse nodded. "I know. We've met, though you've forgotten. I'm Mickey. Nice to meet'cha!" He offered Kairi a surprisingly adept looking paw, which she accepted after a moment's hesitation. With a cry of surprise, she found herself hoisted to her feet. The mouse was a lot stronger than he looked.

"Where's Sai'x?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

"Gone." Mickey grinned ever so slightly. "Won't be worrying about him anytime soon. Is there something wrong, dear?"

Kairi, who had frowned, shook her head slowly. "No. Not really, it's just…I kind of wanted to kill the bastard myself."

"Believe me, Kairi, there wasn't much left for me to do. You must have a very strong heart."

Kairi smiled. "Thanks. You probably know Sora, right?"

"Yep!" Mickey exclaimed. "And I'm gonna bring ya to him right now!"

"Sounds like a plan," Kairi said, smiling finally. "I've been waiting to see him."

To her slight surprise, Mickey's grin slipped a bit. Something that could have been interpreted as a glimmer of sadness seemed to enter his eyes. "Yes, my dear, I'm sure you have."

"What is it?" Kairi asked, dread filling the pit of her stomach like ice.

Mickey shrugged, as well as a mouse could. "It's probably nothing, Kairi. Come now." He made a familiar diagonal slashing motion through the air with his keyblade. A portal was called up, but instead of remaining a gluttonous pool of shifting darkness, it solidified into a gleaming door. "After you," the mouse said, bowing again.

Mickey waited until Kairi had walked through the door before following, shaking his head sadly, his great ears flapping. Sometimes the king wished he didn't possess the power to read hearts. It was a burden; foreseeing people's troubles before they themselves experienced them. If the girl from Destiny Islands thought everything would be sunshine and daisies when she finally found her friends, then she was very much mistaken. Too many thing had changed in the last few years for the three of them to continue on as they had once upon a time.

And deep down, Mickey was sure they knew it as well as he did.

Kairi could scarcely contain her excitement. It felt like the portal was taking its sweet time; devouring her into that familiar, though no longer quite as forbidding, darkness. She was nearly jumping out of her skin with impatience. What should she do when first when she saw Sora?

Should I launch myself at the boy, or should I make him come to me?

She laughed to herself, and finally the darkness began to clear, revealing yet another stretch of dark floating island of metal and piping that seemed to be the bulk of The World That Never Was. This one was different, however, as there were two boys standing on it, hand in hand, their backs turned to her. The silver-haired one leaned in close, muttering something in the brunette's ear, making him giggle.

Kairi froze.

Why did it feel like she'd just walked in on something she wasn't meant to see?

They're best friends, she told herself firmly. They haven't seen each other for two years. Of course they'd be all friendly and shit.

Regardless, Kairi found her desire to launch herself at her old friends had dripped away like dirty water being sucked down a drain.

"Hey guys," she called out hesitantly.

The boys turned as one, twin smiles lighting up their faces.

"Kairi!"

Sora cleared the platform in less than a moment, hugging Kairi with such force that she was reminded fleetingly of Pluto. She buried her face in his jacket, taking in the familiar, purely Sora smell. At least that had remained the same, even if other things hadn't. Just standing here and hugging him, Kairi could feel the changes hardship had wrought on her friend's body. He had filled out slightly, though he was still fairly skinny. No way he would ever have the perfect, androgynous physic Riku was known for, but there were definitely some new muscles here and there.

"Sora…" she said, looking up at him. "Why're you blonde?"

"I'm not blonde!" Sora cried defensively. "It's just a little lighter now, that's all!"