Persona Hearts Chapter 25: Friends in My Heart, a Kingdom Hearts + Persona Series Crossover fanfic

Chapter 25: Friends in My Heart

March 20, 2016
Time of Day: Afternoon
Weather: Sunny
Place: Dojima Residence

"Aaaaand, done!" Yuffie caps the marker in her hand. "The going away party sign is now officially done!" The long sheet of paper in front of her reads, "The Legend of Sora Narukami, Fighter of the Ultimate Fist of Fury!"

"Like we're ever going to hang this wacky thing up!" Roxas says. "What is this, one of your cheeky vintage Kung Fu flicks? Just put something normal, not that stuff!"

Yuffie sticks her tongue out.

"Roxas, you're letting the title of Assistant Party Planner get to your head again," Kairi tuts. "To cool off, how about you and Donald prep more of the balloon?" Roxas groans and heads into the corner of the room where Donald is messing with a helium canister.

Why'd we put him on that job to begin with?

"Quite a group you have here," Zack chuckles as he walks through the front door. "Usagi and I could hear you from outside."

"Sorry about that, sir!" Kairi apologizes.

"Sure, you guys go have a good time." Zack set down his groceries, and heads upstairs into his room.

"Hey Yuffie, can you come over here and taste this quick?" Namine asks, holding a small spoon with a… Questionable liquid in it.

Yuffie swallows what's in the spoon, and makes a sour face. "Y'know, this is tasting too bland. How 'bout we put some of this!" Yuffie grabs from the grocery bags a bottle of Ghost Pepper Sriracha.

Why did we put Namine and Yuffie on that job?

"Hey, should I come over there and help?" I attempt to get out of my chair, but Kairi pulls me back into my seat

"Noo, this party is supposed to be for you. Just sit back, relax, and talk to me!" Kairi taps my nose.

"Hey, aren't you the person who's planning all of this?" Riku asks. "Why do you get to be lazy while everyone else does all the grunt work?" Ironically, he says this as he looks proudly at a colorful paper chain he hung onto the wall.

"These are impressive, Riku," Xion complements.

Riku smiles. "Thank you! It wasn't really too hard though."

To be honest, I feel like Riku decorating my house isn't actually grunt work to him.

"Hey Sora, do you want to try what Yuffie and I have been making?" Namine asks. She walks up to me with a bowl of mysterious red liquid. It smells like Mama June after hot yoga, and looks like red puke.

In other words, I'm staring right into hell. If there's anything I'm not going to miss about the Islands, it's Yuffie and Namine's cooking.

"Are you kidding me?" Roxas gets up from blowing up balloons. "There's no way I'm letting you feed that to him! What are you, trying to kill him before he leaves?"

Yuffie grits her teeth. "Fine then, you eat it!" Yuffie rams a spoon of the mystery food deep into Roxas' mouth. He Roxas yells out, tears streaming from his eyes. He runs into the kitchen, and puts his mouth directly under the faucet.

I chuckle. "Okay, if there's one thing I'm definitely going to miss, it's Yuffie torturing Roxas."

"Speaking of which, it's hard to imagine you leaving," Riku says.

"Aww, I'm going to miss you so much…" Donald says as a balloon deflates in his hands. Everyone lets out a sigh, including me. It really is hard to imagine me leaving. After spending so much time around these people, it feels like I've known them my entire life, rather than just a year.

"Hey big bro!" Usagi hands me an envelope. "This came for you in the mail. Anyway, Daddy and I forgot to buy something back at the store, so I'll be back!"

I stick the envelope in my back pocket. "How about I come with you? That way we can spend more time together? And plus, I kinda want to walk around here a bit more just to remember as much as I can."

Usagi's face brightens. "Sure!"

Place: Destiny Islands - Streets

I'm seriously going to miss this place so much.

All of the things I've gotten used to over this year, like the constant smell of the sea, sand somehow always getting into your shoes, and even way the sun always feels like it's trying to burn you to a crisp, even though it's only like 70 degrees outside.

Then there's all of the places and paths I've memorized, like the residential district, the seaside road, and the Moogle Co. To be honest, you'd probably find the store in any other place around the country, but this one will always be special to me because I've had my best memories there. Especially the time we drew all over Roxas' face while discussing the motives of a psychopathic killer.

Ahh… Good times, great times.

It's like I said before, it feels like I've been here for my entire life. When I first came here, I thought my life would continue as it did before, boring and depressing. But now, the world just seems more colorful around my friends and family.

"Hey Big Bro, you're going to come back here during your vacation times, right?" Usagi asks.

"Of course! Anytime I'm able to, I'll definitely come back here whenever I can. Especially during Winter, Spring, and Summer break!"

"Goodie! Then it won't seem so bad!"

"Exactly!" I sigh. "I'd really like to stay here forever, though. But I can't, because your auntie and uncle will miss me."

Usagi looks up to me and hold up her pinky. "Promise you won't forget about me?"

"Promise me, I won't ever forget." I wrap my pinky around hers, and shake it.

March 20, 2016
Time of Day: Afternoon
Weather: Sunny
Place: Dojima Residence

Okay, what? I look around, and I'm back in my house. Wasn't I just in the street with Usagi?

"Hey Sora, do you want to try what Yuffie and I have been making?" Namine asks. She walks up to me with a bowl of mysterious red liquid… Again.

But how and- Why the- Since when-

"Geez, look at what you did to the guy!" Roxas says. "He's so disgusted by your food, he can't even think straight!"

Again.

"Hey big bro!" Usagi hands me an envelope. "This came for you in the mail. Anyway, Daddy and I forgot to buy something back at the store, so I'll be back!"

"Thanks…" I look at the letter, and it's from… Terra. "Hey Usagi, do you mind going to your room for a second? We all need to talk about some older kid things."

"Umm, okay!" Usagi runs up the stairs. I wait for the sound of a door closing to open the letter.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Kairi asks.

"Yeah, your face is deadly serious," Roxas says.

"I don't know, but let me read what's in this first," I tell everyone.

I imagine you're a little surprised to be getting this letter. I'm writing because I have something to tell you. It's true that my game is definitely over. Now don't get excited, I still hate the world and nothing is stopping me from doing so.

Speaking of this world, there's been something that's bothering me about the other one.

I can't stop thinking about how all of this started. The Midnight Reflection… I used to think that I heard about it back at the station. But now I believe someone else may have originally told me about it. I read the same thing back in Eraqus' report that struck me as odd. Why is it that either of us can't recall who was the person who gave us the powers?

Since both Eraqus and I gained our powers after coming to Destiny Islands, I figured there may be more to this. I know this isn't very much, but I know (sadly) that you're the only people who will know what to do with this information. Maybe you could make something out of it.

"Sincerely, Terra. P.S. Prison sucks, screw you guys." I sigh. "He really wants us to find the source of that crazy rumor?"

"It is an interesting question," Xion says. "One I'm surprised we never bothered to look into."

"What about you?" Donald asks. "Couldn't you use your Persona from the moment you got here? As well as go into my world through a mirror here?"

"Yeah, I could."

"So in that respect, it seems that you're just like Terra and Eraqus," Xion says. "You told me that you never had to face you Heartless at one point, correct?" I nod.

"There has to be something past what we're seeing," Roxas says. "The Midnight Reflection and the power to enter mirrors. If those two weren't related, then how would they line up like this?"

"Hey, maybe the first person who told Terra about the Midnight Reflection is the same person who gave Eraqus and Sora the power to enter the Mirror World!" Yuffie says.

"Hmm… Maybe, just maybe," Xion says. "If one person were to be responsible for both… Hey Sora, do you have any idea who this person could be? Think about when you first had the power to enter mirrors. If we figure that out, then we could possibly link that to the person who first started the rumors.

"I'm not sure about how it entirely came to be," I tell her. "I do remember having a really strange dream the night I came into town. I couldn't tell if any of it were real, or not."

"Do you think it was the dream that did it?" Riku asks.

"I don't know." I shrug. "Unless…"

"What? Did something cause the dream?" Riku asks.

"Let me think… When I first got here, I went straight to my uncle's house… No wait, that's not true!"

March 20, 2016
Time of Day: Afternoon
Weather: Sunny
Place: Dojima Residence

And here we are again. Honestly, I'm fucking sick and tired of smelling Yuffie's food, even if it's only been the third time. But let me be real, three times is too many times.

"Hey big bro!" Usagi hands me an envelope. "This came for you-"

I grab my cousin by the shoulders. "Usagi on the first day I came to the Islands, did we stop somewhere before coming to the house? Please, I need you to think! Really hard!" She nods her head in response.

"Hey Sora, what has you so spazzed out?" Kairi asks.

"We stopped somewhere, but I can't remember! Please, you have to remember!"

Usagi's face is full of confusion and slight fear. "The gas station, I think. We talked to the person working there. And after that, you felt sick, remember?"

I move Usagi to the side, and run out the front door. I can hear my friends voices behind me, but they don't follow.

Time of Day: ?
Weather: Foggy
Place: Destiny Islands - Streets

I navigate through foggy streets, using only a faint gut feeling. As I run farther and farther, my head hurts more and more, which is normally a sign of me becoming closer and closer. By the time I get to the gas station, my vision is blurry and I can't walk straight. My legs buckle, and I fall onto my knees.

"Something wrong?" a voice says behind me. "You shouldn't be outside if you're not feeling well."

I look behind me, and the same gas station attendant is there. I try to look at his face, but my vision is so unfocused I can't make out any facial features. The fog is so think, I might as well only be looking a a silhouette.

"Tell me… Who are you?!"

"What? That's a pretty strange question to ask."

"Tell me who you really are!"

The gas station attendant starts laughing. "I never expected you to make it this far. You wielded your power so well, I should've seen it coming."

"You did… This to us! You gave these powers to Erauqs and Terra, didn't you?" My head aches even more, but this time flashbacks of me race through my mind. It was back when I gave this guy a handshake.

"So you're finally remembering now, huh?" he asks. "Just a few strangers was all it took in order to stimulate a small place like this. But apparently, that spark was much bigger than I intended it to be. It was enough to bury the entire town in fog something I didn't expect. And then you had to clear it away."

"No more games… Who are you?" I ask.

The fog forms a small cyclone around the gas station attendant. When it disappears, a dark skinned man with long silver hair. "I am Ansem. I should commend you for locking that door in the other world, for that let me unleash my true power."

"What?!"

"Ah yes… That was a seal indeed, and you unlocked it. It is why I can take this form here, not just in my Kingdom Hearts."

"Kingdom Hearts? What the hell is that?"

"Why, it's a place you're all too familiar with, your "Mirror World" and the collective darkness of all humans."

"So you really are the person who created that world, and spread the rumors about the Midnight Reflection?"

"Why yes! I also gave you the powers to enter that realm. But that is all I did."

"What do you mean?"

"I was merely an observer of that power. I was curious what type of world humans yearned for. It was your individual will that determined what you would see in a mirror. There was nothing else at play."

"Who ever was shown was someone the collective community had desired to see more of. There were those who were trying to hide aspects of who they truly are, and those who wanted nothing else but to see what they were hiding. Some wanted to be seen, some just wanted to see. So I created a window to link the two worlds.

"And that window is the Midnight Reflection?" I ask.

"Now you get it. All I did was give you humans exactly what you wanted to see. It was the curious nature of humans that drove everything. It's a reflection of their own heart's desires. Human beings are such a curious species. The truth seems to always be the last they want to learn or hear about. They only wish to see and believe what they want"

The pain in my head becomes stronger, and my vision darker. "I-I won't ever believe in such crap! Living in ignorance is never the answer! It doesn't bring happiness!"

"Are you really in a position to be telling me this?"

What? What does he… mean… No…

Flashes of my friends unconscious on the ground flash before my eyes.

Please god, no!

The gas station is starting to fade away, and darkness is consuming everything.

Time of Day: ?
Weather: Foggy
Place: Kingdom Hearts

"NOOOOOOO!" Yuffie yells. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

I look around me, and all of my friends are sinking into pools of darkness. Tendrils reach from them, grabbing their arms and pulling them in further.

"This is the unpleasant truth of your reality," Ansem's voice echos. Above us, a gargantuan version of him towers over us.

I extend my hand, and my arcana appear before me. No way am I giving up without a fight! Izanagi appears in a blue light, and rushes after the dark entity. It barrage of slashes are reflected by magic, and Izanagi is knocked backwards.

"Is that the best you can do?" Ansem asks. "This is certainly a disappointment."

A high pitched scream comes from my left, and I see Xion being dragged into the darkness. Next to her, Donald is struggling to get out, but is suffering the same fate. I try to run to them, but my feet are stuck in a pool of darkness.

"This is the voice of the whole human race! They're saying it's happy in the darkness, where they see only what they choose. You're disrupting their peace and tranquility."

Before I know it, my head and arms are the only things above the ground. Right before my head sinks in, Roxas grabs my arm and pulls me out!

"Hey bro, you okay?" He asks.

"I'm fine, but-" I'm cut off by multiple tentacles grabbing Roxas and pulling him into the ground. He yells out as I try to pull him out. "C'mon man, you have to fight it!"

"I'm sorry Sora, but… It's too strong!" Roxas' head sinks into the darkness, and his hand suddenly feels cold as it follows him.

"ROXAS, NO!"

More screams come from another direction. "YUFFIE, HELP ME!" Namine calls out, right before her voice is silenced.

"SORA, SAVE ME!" Kairi's scream echos.

I grab my head and try to block out the noise. 'Please stop! I don't want to see this anymore!" As the last of my friends sink into the ground, tear run down my face.

"Now do you understand?" Ansem asks. "All that awaits if you seek the truth is anguish and agony. Wouldn't you rather spend you life in a world fashioned by your own desires? Wouldn't that be greater happiness?"

I start laughing. Would it be good?

mARCh 20, 2016
tIMe of dAY: aFTERnOOn
WEAThEr: FOgGy
pLacE: DojImA REsIdENce

How many times have I gone through this? I think… I lost count…

"Hey guys… We'll be friends foreeeeever, right?"

"Duh, man! Of course we will!" Roxas tells me again.

"Why even ask the question?" Yuffie asks again.

Kairi hugs me, again. "But of course, only one of us will ever be as close as we are, right?"

"Totally…"

maRcH 20, 2016
TiME Of DAy: afterNOon
wEAThER: foGGy
PLAcE: doJiMA REsIdEnCE

"Hey Sora, do you want to try what Yuffie and I have been making?" Namine asks. She walks up to me with a bowl of pretty red liquid… Again.

"Are you kidding me?" Roxas asks again. "Don't feed that-" I take the spoon in Yuffie hand, and ram the food into his mouth, again. Roxas Runs into the kitchen, putting his mouth under the faucet, again.

We all start to laugh. Again.

MARcH 20, 2016
Time oF day: aftErNoon
WEaTher: FogGy
plAcE: doJiMA rEsiDENce

Yuffie and Namine are cooking in the kitchen again. Yuffie is humming happily while stirring and Namine is adding watermelon to the pot, again.

"We should put thiiiis!" I take some Jello packs, and hand them to Namine, again.

"Hmm, I'm so sure about that!" Yuffie says again.

I open the jello and dump it into the pot again. "It'll be fine… perfectly fine."

"Forgive me for this."

Time of Day: ?
Weather: ?
Place: ?

A slap travels across my face. I look around, and I'm not in my house anymore. Under my feet is a large stained glass circle with a design of a sleeping version me on it. My friends also appear in the glass, albeit only in small circles. In front of me is Margaret, but she suddenly fades away, and I'm face to face with…

A copy of me.

Darkness overtakes the copy, and I'm sent flying to the edge of the platform we're on. I look down, and it's nothing but an endless expanse of darkness. In front of me, my copy turns into a large Heartless. It's completely black, and has dark tentacles wrapped around its head, and only its two yellow eyes are a source of color. In its chest is a heart shaped hole.

"I am a Heartless, the true inner self!" it cries out. "I am the darkness that resides in your sequestered heart! The shallow darkness that wishes for lies and false pretenses!" Energy forms in the heart shaped hole in its chest, and a large orb launches out of it.

Right before it comes into contact with me, a blue light shines below. In front of me appears a woman, clothed in completely white. White Queen? But I don't remember summoning-

"Big bro!" Usagi's voice rings. "You'll be okay, won't you? I know you'll come back!" White Queen summons an uncountable amount of chess pieces, and blocks the large orb of energy.

"Usagi?"

The Persona in front of me disappears, and a Samurai in silver armor appears in its place. "You really had my back, Sora," Hayner's voice says. "Now, I got yours!" Samurai, readies its swords and charges into the legs of my Heartless. Using one precise strike, it's able to cut both of its legs, making the Heartless fall onto its knees.

"If I were to be honest, I'm surprised you decided to even be friends with me," Selphie's voice echos. "I pushed my problems onto to you, but you still decided to help me, even if you were only my fake boyfriend." Samurai disappears, and a Hydra takes its place. It screams out a mighty roar, and thunder strikes the Heartless in front of us. In retaliation, it slams its fist into the ground, summoning smaller Heartless to attack us.

"We may have only known each other for a short time, but I have to thank you," Seifer's voice says. "If you go down here, you'll be nothing but the chicken wuss I called you before." In blue light, Hades takes the place of the Hydra. He launches multiple balls of fire at the ground near the Heartless, exploding on contact and destroying the surrounding Heartless.

"Even after having to move around so much," my dad's voice echoes. "Even though you were never able to make friends and live a normal life, you still didn't hate us."

"We love you, Sora," my mom's voice rings. "And I feel so wonderful knowing that there are other people around you that feel the same." A pillar of flames erupts in front of me. Out of it flies Sephiroth, brandishing his large katana. He enters an attack stance, and in the blink of an eye, lands multiple hits on the large Heartless.

My Heartless raises its hands, and a mass of dark energy the size of the platform appears. In front of me, Jabberwocky replaces Sephiroth.

"You helped me in more ways than one, haven't you?" Zack's voice asks. "I was supposed to be the one taking care of you, but you took care of me and Usagi. Maybe that's how we were able to pull it off in the end. It's how we were truly able to become a family." Jabberwocky spreads its wings, and absorbs the attack. A dark aura veils the dragon, points itself at the Heartless, and flies directly into it.

At impact, a large explosion occurs, one that nearly sent me flying off the edge of the platform. Once the smoke and dark fumes fade away, in the center of the floor is my Heartless, back in human form.

"I… I was afraid of a future without my friends. Afraid of leaving. Afraid of leaving everyone behind and moving forward on my own. I don't want to be alone again!" Tears stream down his eyes. "I've been alone, and I won't go back!"

"Yeah… It was so depressing, not being around anyone," I tell him.

"I wanted to stay with everyone forever. I didn't care if it was an illusion created by the darkness and fog. Life without a connection to people is miserable! It's not the life I want! I just need them next to me… No matter what the cost!"

Tears run down my face as well. "I really had no need for what was real, didn't I? As long as I had them, I didn't care if it was an illusion. It didn't matter… I know this, because you're me, right?"

My Heartless nods its head. "We are… I am, no longer alone." It's engulfed by a warm blue light, so blinding that the void of darkness around us seems to be replaced with an endless expanse of light. When it fades away, Izanagi takes his place, standing proudly with Keyblade in hand.

When Izanagi fades away into light, Margaret appears in behind him. "Even if you were to lose everything, you will never again feel as if you were abandoned." She extends her hand, and I give it a firm shake. "Do yourself a favor, and do not ever forget that.

As she takes away her hand, she leaves an item in mine. In my hand, she leaves a small crystal heart. It's colored blue, and I feel a mysterious and powerful aura from it.

"This is a crystal of the power you have nurtured and sustained through this long odyssey," Igor's voice echos. "This orb dispels lies and false pretenses as it illuminates the truth with its powerful light."

"Thank you," I tell them. As Margaret fades away, I raise the crystal to the sky. A powerful light shines from it, and engulfs the entire platform.

Time of Day: ?
Weather: Foggy
Place: Kingdom Hearts

When the light disappears, I'm back to where I was before the illusion, right in front of Ansem. He's gargantuan in size, and dark tentacles are wrapped around his body. His eyes are completely yellow, and on his chest is a Heartless symbol.

"Hmm? How interesting. Why have you come back?"

"So is what I'm seeing now your true form?"

"That changes nothing. The collective will of humanity will pull you into the abyss, over and over again." Dark hands extend from the ground, but they don't latch onto me. "Oh? What is this? How is this possible? The will of one human cannot turn the whole of the masses."

Ansem extends his hands, and dark orbs appear around me. I summon Izanagi, and he uses reflect magic to block the attack. We both attempt to walk forward as more orbs attack us in barrages.

"Why do you keep moving forward? You will be happier with the illusion. Embrace the darkness and you can imagine a world to your own design."

"What makes me happy… is not your decision to make!"

"Your friends no longer exist in this world. Is it your wish to live an eternal life of solitude?"

"You're wrong! I am far from alone!"

"Human beings do not have the potential fight the darkness, only succumb to it. Stop fighting and learn to embrace it."

"I think it's about time to show you, what true potential is!" Izanagi fades away. I extend my hand, and a large magic circle of white light appears below me. In my hand appears the World Arcana engulfed in a blue flame. I shatter it, and an even larger version of Izanagi appears.

His black clothing is now completely white. His armor, previously different colors, is now completely colored gold. He's floating in the air, and two wisps of light. In his hand isn't the original Keyblade, but is a more powerful version. It's made up of two crossed Keyblades, and has one large and golden blade extruding from between the two original blades.

Izanagi's red eyes flash through its dark visor, and raises its weapon. With only two slashes, the tentacles on Ansem's body are severed.

"Impossible!"

"Anyone can overpower the darkness. As long as people open their eyes and look around they'll see it. They'll see the truth!" I point at Ansem, and Izanagi does the same with his Keyblade. Light gathers at the tip of the blade, forming an orb. "There will alway be darkness, but people just need to embrace the truth to dispel it! Kingdom Hearts isn't the collective darkness of human being! Kingdom Hearts is light!"

A powerful beam of light comes from the Keyblade, aiming directly at Ansem's chest. He then starts to fade away into darkness, his body slowly crumbling away. "Heh. If that is what you wish…" Ansem says. "In doing this, you have cleared the fog in this world and yours. I shall observe on high, now. We'll see whether or not this path of your does lead to happiness."

"Fine, see for yourself how we humans don't wish for despair and darkness."

"Child of light… You have done an interesting job…" With his finals words, Ansem fades away completely. Behind him is the same door that Izanagi and I locked back in December.

My hands have the same feeling of holding the Keyblade in them from three months ago. I lift my arms, and Izanagi points the Keyblade at the door. Time to lock this for real.

A beam of light extends to the top of the door, where a keyhole rests. When the light hits it, the door itself fades away, into a flawless light...

Time of Day: ?
Weather: Sunny
Place: The Velvet Room

When the light fades away, I'm met with a smiling Margaret and Igor. Outside of the limousine's windows, isn't an endless expanse of fog, but rather grassy hills and a bright blue sky.

Igor chuckles. "Magnificent, isn't it? For someone of your age, I must admit that you have had a truly inspiring and meaningful journey."

"Now that all the fog is clear, there is nothing left to lead you astray," Margaret tells me. "Please, follow your heart down your own path."

"It saddens me to tell you this, but I'm afraid that this is the last time we will be invite you here to speak like this," Igor says. "For at long last, the contract has been fulfilled. My job is now done. You were truly a superb guest."

"Now it is time for you to leave this place," Margaret continues. "Time for you to go back and see what you have accomplished. Behold how wondrous the world you have fought so hard for is to become."

I smile back at them. "Thank you."

A door on the side of the Velvet Room opens, letting in a powerful light.

March 22, 2016
Time of Day: Afternoon
Weather: Sunny
Place: Destiny Islands Train Station

Before I walk onto the empty train, I turn back and see all of my friends smiling at me.

"We'll really miss you," Roxas says.

"If you ever need a bro, I got your back!" Yuffie grins.

"I hope you'll do well back in Traverse Town," Namine says.

"Let's meet with each other again in the future, okay?" Xion asks.

"Come back and see us, we'll be waiting for you!" Riku smiles.

Kairi kisses me on the cheek. "We're going to make this long distance relationship work, okay?"

Donald sniffs. "I can't wait to see you again."

"We'll all going to miss you," Zack tells me.

"S-See you later, big bro." Usagi hugs me. "Bye bye."

"Alright… I guess that this is it. Good bye for now!" I head into the train, and the door close behind me. As the train starts to move, my friends start to follow it.

"I'm so glad I met you!" Donald yells.

"Thank you for all that you've done!" Riku says.

"You'll always be our friend no matter where you are!" Namine follows.

"Whatever you do, please don't forget about any of us!" Xion says.

"Love you so much Sora!" Kairi says. "I really, really do!"

"I'll do my best to make sure you don't have to run away from anything ever again!" Yuffie yells.

"Distance doesn't matter!" Roxas yells. "No matter where you go, we'll always be bros!"

My friends continue to follow the train until the end of the platform. They say so many more things, but I'm too far away to make out any of them.

"I-I'll never forget any of you either!" I say out loud. "None of you… Ever!"

March 29, 2016
Time of Day: Morning
Weather: Sunny
Place: Narukami Residence

I yawn. "Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad… Mom, why are you cooking?"

"Well, I thought that maybe I should start cooking again!" she says. "Trust me, my bacon will turn out great this time around!"

I look towards my dad. His face is telling me, I tried to stop her.

"Anyways, any mail for me?" I ask my dad. "Uncle Zack said he'd send the picture he took of us once he had the time to get it developed."

"As a matter of fact, you did." Dad hands me an envelope. "Psst. Take your time reading it. I'll try to make sure your mom doesn't burn down the house."

"Yeah, sure..." I walk out of the kitchen and tear open the envelope. Inside is the photo my friends and I took in front of Zack's house. But it's not alone. Inside is a piece of paper.

Thinking of you, wherever you are.

We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend.

Now I will step forward to realize this wish.

And who knows:

starting a new journey may not be so hard,

or maybe it has already begun.

Our hearts are linked to the people we trust,

And that trust gives us the strength to find our true selves

There are many worlds, but they share the same sky

None of us will ever be alone.

One sky, one destiny

And so with that, Persona Hearts has ended!

This story took nearly two years to write. That's quite the commitment, especially for someone like me! I'm a horrible procrastinator, so doing something like this is a great milestone.

Damn, I remember when I first started my story. I changed the name of my story not once, but twice! I feel like I may have lost a couple readers because of that. For those of you who haven't been here since the beginning, the story's first name was, Persona 4 Kingdom Hearts. Now that I think about it, it was a crappy and lackluster name. The second name, which came from Palette, was Paralleled Between Reflections. Slightly catchier, but it didn't convey the fact that this was a Persona story using KH characters. Then the second and final change was to Persona Hearts! It's simple, it's clean (lol), and it shows that this takes elements from Persona and Kingdom Hearts. I'm surprised it wasn't the name I originally used

You can blame it on my shit planning skills. I even wrote most of my first couple chapters on a whim. And don't get me started on the Summer Vacation Arc! The fact that I didn't plan ahead, made it so hard for me to think of ideas! It was the first time I'd ever experience Writer's Block, so I had to learn the hard way about not planning ahead.

I don't know whether or not I'll continue to post stuff on this site. I have some ideas, who knows if I'm ever going to take them into effect. Only time will tell, I guess.

Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who followed my story, who put the story on their favorite stories list, and for people that actually reviewed this story!

Even if you didn't do any of those three, I'm still happy you took the time to read it. And if you did any of these three after reading this final chapter, you have my thanks as well! I hope you all enjoyed my story and my evolution as a writer.

Last, but not least, I want to thank my beta reader and editor, Painted With a Palette. She's my mentor and my BFF on this site, and she's taught me so much. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. If you don't know who she is, check her profile out! You'll love her stories even more than this one. (Seriously)

Tl;dr Thank you for reading Persona Hearts. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing it!

- The Fool's Arcana