Chapter 12: End Credits – Conqueror's Respite:
The Isle of Draco – Dragon Council Palace
And just like that, it's over. The Earth and Coalition soldiers tend to their wounded and count their dead. The Alliance Keyblade Wielders escort their prisoners of war towards the shore as Coalition dropships descend from orbit to deliver their foes to the Stormfall for incarceration. They'll all be prosecuted for their various crimes over the years once the more pressing task of integrating the Daybreak Coalition into Earth's international community. Once the last Gummi Ship takes off, victorious cheers rise up all over the island. Even more so once Sora and company emerge from the catacombs beneath the Isle of Draco's lone volcano and plant Aurilam's scythe into the ground blade-first to signal the outcome of that last portion of the battle.
Aboard the Ulysses, the Peleka'i family morns the loss of "Uncle Jumba" and "Aunt Pleakley", alongside every S.A.C.K. member who knew them. Soliders of both Earth and the Coalition mourned the loss of comrades and friends as campfires sprang up across the now deserted fields where armies had waged a long and bloody battle less than an hour before. The Dragon Council, restored to its seat of power, declares an island-wide celebration in honor of the alliance's victory over the Unchained Legion. As fireworks launch themselves up into the night sky, Mickey, Coulson, and Thor step away from the newborn festivities to handle political matters that need to be addressed immediately to avoid confusion.
Since the worlds of Coalition space have now been transplanted onto Earth as a single landmass in the north Pacific, the Coalition would be recognized by the U.N. as a sovereign nation and treated as such by the international community. Since Asgard and most of the Nine Realms were included in the new landmass, Thor and Mickey arrange for the territory under Asgard's rule to be granted a seat on the leading council of what will now be referred to as the Daybreak Confederation. With the seismic activity caused by the sudden reunification of the original world, the Coalition Council was holding an emergency session to reorganize the Coalition charter to provide for a stronger central government.
Out on the beach, bridges were being built. American soldiers discussed combat training alongside Royal Guards from Radiant Garden, while Chinese navy officers discussed the concept of Tethered Worlds with Mulan and her unit. Coalition and Earth soldiers were mixing and mingling as the party spread from one end of Draco to the other. People from every fragment of the original world were coming together, bonding over the shared experience of battle. While seemingly innocuous, these small conversations would play a large role in accelerating the Coalition's integration onto Earth. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were talking with C.I.N. operatives about sharing resources and knowledge, while Vanitas had surprisingly ended up flirting with Joey.
But while many of the commanders of the battle walked among their subordinates and joined in the celebration, some were simply too exhausted to stay more than necessary. After an hour of partying and rubbing elbows, Terra and Aqua flew their Keyblade Gliders back up to the Stormfall to spend time with their son. Rose and Black Widow withdrew alongside their respective spouses to recuperate from the loss of their immortality. Ant-Man returned home to let his daughter know he was all right. Thor joined Loki and their mother back in the royal palace of Asgard to mourn their father's untimely demise.
And as for the newlyweds, they could barely get any peace. As the wielders of the X – Blade and Infinity Gauntlet, they were being heralded as the heroes of the day. Consequently, they were constantly being approached by young soldiers from various armies who congratulated them on their heroism. The sympathy of friends who weren't blinded by their celebrity status in Coalition territory helped make it bearable, but fame could be a burden of its own sometimes. They finally managed to slip away a little before midnight, returning to Radiant Garden via Corridor of Darkness.
"Are you sure you're ready for this Kairi?" Sora asked her cautiously as they emerged from the corridor into her private quarters in the palace. He didn't regret saying his vows in the middle of the battle, but it still felt strange realizing that they were married now. Kairi smiled playfully as she dug a necktie from her Destiny Islands High School uniform out of her closet before carefully draping it over the doorknob and closing the door so that the tie was facing outward as a silent signal not to disturb them.
"We said our vows and everything, Sora," she replied. "We promised to save this until after we got married, and now, we're married." Her husband could not fault her with that logic, and with a loving smirk, he dismissed the dark suit he'd been wearing. Kairi removed her jacket while Sora started taking off the armor he'd been forced into, and by the time they climbed underneath the sheets of her bed, both were completely undressed. While it wasn't quite the wedding experience they'd been planning on, they both agreed that they wouldn't have it any other way.
The Realm Eternal – Palace Throne Room
As the celebrations continued long past midnight, Asgard and the nine realms of Ygdrassil were in mourning. With the chaos of the Unchained Legion's offensive, there had not been time to properly prepare Odin's funeral. But now that pressing concerns were out of the way, the Asgardian royal family could finally grieve. Thor, Loki, and Frigga knelt beside the funerary altar as people from all over Asgard and its vassals came to pay their respects to the fallen king. Thor had put off his coronation until after Odin's funeral, and now, he could no longer put it off. While he was willing to forgive Algrim's rebels, Malekith and his loyalists were still at large. And Asgard would need a strong, wise, and humble leader to strike back against the elf that had murdered his father.
Radiant Garden – Hollow Bastion; North Tower
The morning after the battle, Ansem the Wise quietly walked through the corridors of Radiant Garden's castle so as not to disturb the guards as they recovered from their post-party hangovers. While the Royal Guard slept until well past noon, Ansem made his way towards the bedroom of the one person that he knew would be awake. Even as a child, Kairi had never been able to sleep in, and that habit had followed her to adulthood. He was surprised to find her door locked, and was about to knock when he noticed the tie draped over the doorknob. The scientist-king's eyebrows shot up towards his hair as his mind put together the pieces of what was going on.
The king of Radiant Garden chuckled softly to himself. He should have known this would happen as soon as he heard that his niece and her fiancé had said their wedding vows on the battlefield last night. The fact that she had nearly died troubled him greatly, although since Sora had managed to save the day, Ansem was just greatful that Kairi was safe and happy. That didn't mean he wasn't going to resist the urge for some gentle, familial teasing about how eager she and Sora were to get married when the opportunity arose. He would, however, let them enjoy themselves for a few more hours before they had to deal with anything else. After everything they'd gone through in the last several days, both of them needed all the sleep they could before they were swamped with interview requests and hounded by the paparazzi.
City of Heroes – Nomanisan Island
The afternoon after the battle ended, Vanitas and Cassim surveyed the subterranean base used by both Syndrome and the Legion at various points over the last several years. The Coalition Intelligence Network was still recovering from the massacre at San Fransokyo two months ago, and with the Legion defeated, both men agreed that it would be foolish to let an already existing military complex go to waste. With some minor modifications, the base would soon be converted into a base for the United Coalition Army. Neither man would dream of denying the fact that danger was non-existent now that the world was whole again. With Malekith and Hades still at large, everyone would need to be ready for action.
So yeah, if I ever get around to writing the Invaders From Beyond Saga, Malekith and Hades will play prominent roles. I'm still in the airport waiting for my next flight, so I'll try and get started on the epilogue, but I probably won't have it up for at least five hours. This is it, everyone. Only one more chapter to go and then it's over.