Epilogue: Fate of the Unknown

I went dashing into the Radiant Garden's castle. Everyone was waiting there for me...

"Everyone..." I gasped, "It's over. It's finally, truly over."

"So... let's rest," Jason sighed, plopping down in a plush chair. "That was way too much work..."

I turned to go out of the door.

"Where are you going?" Jake asked.

"Where else? To resume my wandering," I said.

"I thought you'd go home with us..." Jake said sadly. "You've been away for so long... you should rest, see the family."

"Jake..." I muttered, opening the door. "I don't have any skills that would be useful. Lance made me realize something... in a world that demands conformity and tedious jobs, I don't fit in. Here, though, where I can do well for myself by fighting, as I always have, I should be fine. This... these worlds need a guardian."

"Roy..." Jake muttered.

"Promise me one thing," I said.

"What?" Jake asked.

"Never give up hope. Whenever you need me the most, I'll be there. I promise," I called out, then muttered "Say hi to Mom and Dad for me!" as I walked out of the door.

-ROY-
I stared out at the seemingly endless road that lay ahead of me. The sun was setting, lighting the clouds a brilliant shade of orange, while the sun itself was red.

"So... the fate of every Keyblade Master ends in violence and bloodshed. As if it matters," I sighed. "Why worry about something beyond my control? For now, I'll just follow my path and enjoy the stops along the way."

I set about walking down the path at a leisurely pace.

-AMY-
"So, my light finally purges my darkness from me, and then runs off," I sighed to myself. "How ironc."

"He's my brother," Jake muttered. "You would think he misses his family, but NO..."

"What a slacker," we said in unison.

-JASON-
"Man... I can't believe Roy ran off like that," I muttered, sinking into my plush chair. "He saves the world, then shirks getting the glory."

"Ah, who needs glory?" Serenity asked. "We can go home now. Why sit around here?"

"Well, for starters, we're heroes," I said. "We don't have to work hard, we've got good friends, and everything's easy. Life is good here."

"This... isn't life," Amy retorted. "Now let's go."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, slowly rising.

-SERENITY-
"It's over now. Our battle's over," I said, walking down the hall. "We're going home."

"If you say so," Jason grumbled. "I like it here better."

"You'll like it when we get back home. It's boring here," I muttered.

"Naw. You see, here we can do what we want," Jason said. "We don't have rules or regulations. We're free."

"Nobody is free," I said quietly. "Not even one who wanders alone."

-SORA-
We slowly stepped our way home. Kairi was at my side, smiling, as everyone came out of their houses. They all whispered and stared as we closed the door to our home.

"What's up with them?" I asked her. "It's not like we've been away for a long time."

"They just missed us. It'll be back to normal soon enough," Kairi said.

"If you say so."

-KAIRI-
"So how's dinner?" I asked Sora.

"Not bad, not bad... after all, all we've had to eat for the past couple months is pretty much gruel," he said, smiling. We ate our dinner, then began washing the dishes.

"Do you think the battle will ever be over?" I asked him.

"Maybe," he replied, giving me a hug while we washed the dishes. "Maybe it'll never be over. Either way... I'll always be there for you."

-RIKU-
"Man... they still didn't fix my door," I grumbled. "Can't believe everyone kicked my door down and just left it!"

I fixed it the next day, when I finally got a call. I wiped out the Nobodies and was paid fairly well.

After all, I'm the Nobody hunter, the only one in the world!

-JAKE-
"Everyone... thanks for your support," I said, waving goodbye. "Sorry I don't have time to get to know you better, but I've got to get back to school."

"Take care!"

"Have a safe trip!"

"Don't get yourself killed again!"

I smiled as I sat down next to Aegle in our Gummi Ship, then drove home at last.

-ROY 2-
I continued wandering until nightfall, when I stopped to sleep on a log.

"I guess my fate's unknown, even though everyone's said I can control it," I muttered, staring into the starry ether. "I'm not alone... not any longer. My light will always be at my side in spirit."

THE END - FOR GOOD THIS TIME! SERIOUSLY! WELL, MAYBE SOME OMAKE LATER...