Well this is a the last chapter in the sub-chapter series, but a big question on everyone's mind... is Irvine and Quitis dead? Heh, read and find out!

--

Quistis sat in her bed just staring out the small window. The sky was clear and the sun was shining bright on the Kingdom of Alexandria. The citizens were still suffering from the tragedy that struck the kingdom several days ago. Many people had died and several knights were killed in the line of duty. Garnet had addressed her people about the issue, and about what had happened. The kingdom was grieving, but Quistis was grieving along with them. She couldn't come to face the fact that Irvine was dead. If it hadn't been for Garnet and Eiko, she would have died herself. Her wound was still there and once healed, a scar would replace it. She didn't care though, Irvine was gone and she had just lost apart of her family. It was unlike her to act this way too, immature and emotional. She had to face reality, but she just never knew it would be this hard.

Garnet walked in, Eiko beside her, as they approached Quistis at her bedside. She couldn't understand why they both had smiles on their faces, especially after what had happened. Even though it was beyond her understanding, she kept up the attitude and smiled slightly. She should be glad at the fact that neither them nor Beatrix were severely hurt in the attack that took place.

"I've got some good news, folk outside of town that were traveling here from Dali reported a large airship slowly making its way to Alexandria. We haven't heard word since they left, but it could very well be the Hilda Grande X." Garnet explained.

"It is the Hilda Grande!" Eiko remarked, proud of that statement.

"That's good to hear, I hope they are all ok." Quistis said.

"Quistis, Irvine may not be..." Garnet stopped, trying not to use that word, "...he may still be alive. Don't give up hope just yet."

"Of course." she replied with a nod.

A knock then came at the door, as Garnet gave permission and Beatrix entered bowing slightly to the three. She looked over joyed as if something good had happened, and didn't have to say anything before Garnet and Eiko smiles lit up the entire room. The Hilda Grande had finally arrived in Alexandria, and Zidane and the group were finally home. Garnet stood up and extended her hand to Quistis. She sighed and hesitated for a moment before taking her hand and getting out of the bed. The excited young woman than rushed out the door and towards the hanger dragging Quistis along. As they ran through the halls and down the stairs, Quistis could still see the smile on her face. The smile that was certain that Zidane and everyone else returned safely, the smile that also assured her that Irvine was on that ship alive and well. She began to curse herself out in her own mind, doubting what she had been thinking all along.

"Irvine is on that ship." She thought to herself, as the finally reached the doors to the hanger.

As the four of them, Garnet, Eiko, Quistis and Beatrix, entered the hanger the ship had finished docking and the locks had been set in place to hold the Hilda Grande X . The hatch door to the Hilda Grande opened slowly and the first to step out was Zidane, walking with a limb. Garnet spotted him quickly running and jumping into him and nearly knocking the already injured man to the ground.

"I'm alright, I'm alright." he shouted, as he tried to escape her grip.

"I was worried." she said, releasing her hold and kissing him gently on the lips.

"C'mon now, you think I'd go down that easily." he asked, as if it were a sly joke.

"Of course not, I'd think my man would be as strong as steal." she replied, with a giggle happy to see him.

Behind them Freya and Steiner exited the ship and the crew members made their way out as well. It seemed everyone was ok, yet one person was still missing. Quistis waited with a smile on her face, reassuring herself Irvine would be on the ship and would walk out any second. A tear slowly started to fall but she still kept up her smile. Zidane caught her tear and sighed heavily as he walked up to her slowly, rubbing the back of his head as if he was unsure of what to say. He went to speak but Quistis held her hand up and stopped him, right then and there her original thoughts had been confirmed. Irvine was not getting off that ship. Her smile quickly faded as she turned to leave but was stopped by Zidane's hand on her shoulder.

"We did the best we could." he told her, "He died for his cause."

"Yeah and it hurt a hell of a lot too."

Quistis recognized the voice and turned to see Irvine standing behind Zidane, Zidane with a wide grin on his face. She smiled and walked up to Irvine who looked up to her and smiled opening his arms for a hug from her. Instead he found himself on the floor, being smacked upside the head.

"You damn asshole, do you realize how much you had me worried?" she asked.

"You were worried about me, how sweet." he answered, looking up at her.

Quistis smiled to herself, glad inside that he was ok and that the fear of him gone forever had finally vanished. She wasn't sure what she would do without him, he was the only friend she had in this large and lonely universe. As she helped him back up, she spotted the bandages around his waist, apparently where the supposed fatal wound had struck him. Irvine noticed that she was looking at his bandages and laughed.

"Weren't as tough as they said they were." he laughed.

"Yeah, guy was a freaking pain in the ass though." Zidane added, "Couldn't keep still, had to be jumping everywhere and shooting everything."

"Though I would have died, and should have died." Irvine said, now sounding serious, "Quistis, someone saved me and it wasn't one of us. Just before I blanked out I heard a whisper saying, don't worry you'll see her again just like I'll see my friends again. Then I saw a man in that same cloak as those Organization guys. Quistis, he had a keyblade."

She fell in shock at that moment not able to make clear of the situation. So Irvine did die as she was told and he should have been dead now. Who though? That question lingered in her mind, maybe answering it as the Keyblade master. Though out their travels they had also learned about the keyblade, the one weapon the heartless feared the most. Along the keyblade was a chosen wielder, a boy by the name of Sora. They had yet to met this Sora, but if he had a keyblade like Irvine said then maybe he was the keyblade wielder. Why was he dressed in the same cloths as Organization XIII, surely he wasn't working with them too?

"No it couldn't have been him." Irvine answered, reading her mind, "It wasn't Sora but I believe he has a connection to him somehow. Maybe Sora is one of those friends he mentioned he was looking for, I came too and he was already gone."

"We didn't see anything either, Irvine just dropped from the sky behind us and there was no one else in sight." Zidane mentioned, "We couldn't figure it out, so we headed to the closest town to get him patched up before making our way back home."

Strange, indeed. So if it wasn't the Keyblade wielder and it wasn't a member of the Organization, then who was it. All they needed was another mystery popping up and itching at them to figure it out. With their world gone, their friends missing, dealing with the heartless and Organization XIII, Quistis and Irvine had their hands tied already. Trying to figure out who this person was or why he saved Irvine in the first place was beyond what they were already on. Then Quistis remembered what Irvine said that the man had told him, something about seeing her again.

"Who's her?" she asked.

"Well out of all of this I managed to get some good news, Destiny Islands." he said, "That is where we will find Selphie."

"Selphie?" Quistis's eyes lit up, as she heard the name.

"Just before he left, the Organization guy mentioned that Selphie was on Destiny Islands." Irvine responded.

"Can we trust what he said though?" she asked

"He probably thought I was going to die, so its hard to say. It's worth a shot though, if there is a chance that Selphie might be there then I'm going." he replied.

It was a lead, even though it couldn't be entirely proven. This was the first and only lead they had actually gotten, as past experiences in other worlds did not go so well. They had found nothing until now, a slip-up from the Organization themselves. Besides, if Irvine believed Selphie to be there then Quistis would not be able to stop him. He was hard determined on finding that girl no matter what. He loved her and she loved him, not even the heartless or the Organization could break that. Quistis smiled at the thought and looked up at Irvine patting him on the shoulder.

"Well then I guess it's time we say our goodbyes." Quistis laughed.

"Wait, you two are still injured." Garnet said, trying to stop them, "You can't leave just yet."

"Sorry, if Irvine says so I can't stop him." Quistis laughed, as she turned to find Irvine unconscious on the floor, "That idiot, says one thing and then faints from his wound."

She shook her head as Garnet called in the medics who quickly gathered Irvine and took him into the castle. Perhaps they would be staying a little longer then anticipated. She was glad though, as this was the chance they had been waiting for. They would get to see their friends again and hope was once restored in her mind. She looked up and into the blue sky, smiling and then turning to follow everyone back into the castle.

--

The day had quickly passed into night and now the large group of newly made friends sat in the same room where they had first met. Both Quistis and Irvine were well rested and had recovered from their wounds, as had Zidane and Beatrix. Things were once again peaceful, but Garnet worried whether it would stay that why. Upon hearing what happened in the castle while they were in Madain Sari, Zidane placed his tea down on the table and stood up.

"From this day on, no threat whether it be those cloakers or the heartless will ever set foot in my world without having to go through me first, that is a pledge that I make this night." Zidane stated.

"I pledge as well that no harm will ever come to Alexandria or our Queen, as long as I serve as Royal Captain." Steiner also stood and shouted.

"I too make the same pledge." Beatrix said as she stood.

"Same here." Freya muttered.

"I'll beat anyones ass who dare challenge me or the great world of Gaia." Eiko also shouted as she stood.

"And as Queen of Alexandria and ruler of this world, I shall see to the same pledge. I will give my life to protect this world, that I pledge this night." Garnet yelled, pride in her tone as she stood as well.

Quistis looked around as beside her Irvine sat and everyone else stood in honor and pride of what they had just pledged to do. Over time these people had not only become friends, but family to the two of them. They had fought along side each other with dignity and protected each other with love. These people of Gaia reminded her a lot of the people of her world. In that she stood and raised her drink in the air.

"A toast then to our new found pledge, for I and Irvine pledge from this day that we will find our friends no matter what obstacle stands in our way. A toast to our new found friends and family, which we so dearly love no matter what world we may come from. A toast to us all." she spoke, as she took the sip from her tea finishing the cup.

Irvine nodded and stood doing the same, as the others followed. They had now toasted to their pledge and in words promised to fulfill that pledge. It was now time for them to say they're final good-byes and leave this world, a world that both of them could call their second home. Garnet nodded as they escorted the two down to the hanger where their own gummi ship awaited them. The hanger was empty and the night sky was lit with the many stars and the moon casting shadows on the ground. The two approached their ship as they turned to the large group in back of them.

"We wish you luck on finding your friends and safe travels." Garnet said, "We will all miss you."

"So we'll we, thank you." Quistis respond, as the two shared a final hug before Quistis departed to her ship.

Irvine flashed a grin and turned towards the ship waving his hand as a goodbye. The group did the same as the Gummi ship slowly took lift once the two were on board. The ship then began to make it's way out of the hanger and up into the sky before disappearing into the stars. It was then that a man came running up the stairs and as soon as he saw Garnet and Zidane ran up to them as quick as he could. The group quickly identified him as Amarant, but the man was out of breath as if he had been running for days straight.

"Amarant, you look so tired and we haven't seen you for so long." Garnet said, walking up to him.

"Dagger listen, two men are on their way to destroy Alexandria. You must prepare quickly, I think they mean Alexandria harm." he spoke, taking heavy and deep breaths in between words.

Garnet just stood there wide-eyed and sighed as Eiko approached the two of them. Then as hard she could, she punched Amarant in back of the head knocking the red-head man to the ground.

"You moron, that would have been a little helpful a few days ago." Eiko shouted at the top of her lungs, steam pouring from her ears.

As Amarant lay on the floor in pain from the sucker punch he received and as Eiko continued to curse him out, the group stood there and laughed. Garnet rejoined Zidane as the two walked away from the group and stood looking up into the night sky. In just a week they had learned so much and had gained a new family.

"I hope we see them again, maybe someday we can travel out their ourselves and visit them in another world." Garnet said, Zidane laughing by her side.

"Yeah someday." Zidane replied, as they looked up and into a new world.