Chapter 10

Xehanort smirked, "Oh really?"

"Yes," Kairi nodded. She glared at him, "Sora, Riku, come here."

The two boys walked to her side.

"Ventus," Kairi nodded to the boy floating on the wind.

"Very interesting but you don't have all of the lights," Saix smirked.

"No," Kairi nodded, "I don't."

"Then why do you remain confident?" Saix asked.

"That would be spoiling wouldn't it?" Kairi asked. She tipped her head back and smiled.

"That armor," Xehanort studied it carefully, "Terra?" He glanced quizzically at Ventus.

Ventus nodded.

"But he's not in it," Saix laughed.

"That doesn't matter," Ventus said. The armor stepped up to stand behind him. Its Keyblade rested on its shoulder and its cape blew in the wind that Ventus had conjured.

"You still don't have all the Lights," Xemnas laughed. He leaped forward to attack.

Sora readied his Keyblade.

Xemnas hit a wall that flashed brightly as he hit it. He stumbled backwards, "What the-?"

"Go ahead," Kairi nodded to Riku and Sora.

The two of them leaped forward. The armor followed them. As they passed through the wall it coalesced around them until they were lined in a bright light.

Ventus followed them. He clung to Saix's back and refused to let go until the much larger man dropped.

Kairi summoned her Keyblade and took on Xigbar.

"You are one sneaky little girl," Xigbar said respectfully. He smirked, "Such a shame that it has to go to waste."

"It's not wasted," Kairi smiled.

"You—" he never finished speaking as she took advantage of his distraction and smacked him in the head with the flat of her blade.

He dropped.

Kairi shook her head.

Sora took on Xemnas, "I don't care if all the lights aren't here. We've defeated you before and we can do it again and again however many times we need to."

"You poor fool," Xemnas smirked, "You won't win this time. In order to win you need all of the lights. As far as I can tell there are only five of you. You're missing two."

"We've beaten you before," Sora shrugged, "We can do it again." He ducked one of Xemnas' lasers.

"Of course you can," Xemnas laughed.

Riku approached Ansem.

"You cannot hope to win against me," Ansem laughed, "You are a part of me just as I am a part of you."

"Then we should be evenly matched," Riku nodded, "but I want to test that. I want to know if that is really the case."

"Very well," Ansem agreed.

Riku fought his hardest, harder than he knew he could and won. He was not unharmed but he came out on top.

Ventus struggled against Xehanort's iron grip around his neck. He couldn't breathe and he felt something snap within him. His eyes narrowed and as the iris got closer to the pupil they turned yellow. "Let go," he hissed dangerously.

"Imbalance," Xehanort tossed him aside, "You are not a true light. There is true darkness in your heart."

"I don't care," he snarled, "I'll fight with them whether I'm one of them or not."

"Oh, really, Vanitas?"

"You're wrong," Ventus said. He stood calmly. His eyes didn't change, "We're one now. We're working together now. We're working against you, both of us, this time."

"Very nicely played," Xehanort smiled, "but sadly you have run out of purpose." He summoned his Keyblade and leaped at Ventus.

In a burst of flames Lea appeared between them, "C'mon man. That's not cool."

"It's hot," Ventus chuckled.

Xehanort smirked, "And what chance do you think you have?"

"I think I have a good one, right Ven?" Lea smiled.

Xehanort knocked Lea back and took a few steps back.

Lea rolled before skidding and rising to his feet. He lowered his head and closed his fist over his heart.

He landed and leaped at her again.

Ventus intervened and knocked him back with a blast of wind strong enough to knock anyone else over.

Kairi summoned all of her energy, all the light stored within her heart. The light swirled around her.

Sora looked up and closed his fist over his heart. He lowered his head and closed his eyes.

Riku back flipped away from a hoard of nobodies and copied Sora.

Ventus wrapped Xehanort in a sphere-shaped prison of wind and darkness before copying.

The armor lowered its Keyblade and its head.

White flames connected them, forming a five pointed star with Kairi at the center.

A door formed and Aqua walked out. She was in her armor and had her Keyblade. She looked around, "How did I—I'm back in the realm of light."

"Aqua," Kairi spoke, "You are the final light. We need your help."

"You got it then."

The star did not fade. It burned itself into the ground before shooting up into the sky. The clouds that covered every part of the sky except the moon dissipated and the stars shone brightly.

They shot forward, fighting under the light of the stars. They fought hard and for longer than they knew they could. With their hearts combined they gave each other strength. The battle was hard but they knew they could win.

"You wouldn't destroy me would you?" Xehanort asked Kairi.

"No I wouldn't," Kairi nodded.

He smirked.

She sliced him, "I never said I couldn't. I will do it if it is necessary."

"Kairi—"

"Light cannot exist without the darkness," Kairi said. She nodded, "I learned that. But the darkness cannot exist without the light either. There is a reason no normal person has a heart of pure light. A Princess of Heart does but they aren't normal."

"So what are we going to do?" Sora asked.

"Give up," Kairi told Xehanort, "Kingdom Hearts is not darkness. It is the light in every heart. Why do you think you need the Princesses of Heart to unlock it?"

"I will not give up," Xehanort said.

"Fine," Kairi placed the edge of her Keyblade against his neck.

"Kairi—" Riku started.

Kairi did not kill him. She reached out and touched his forehead with her free hand, "Then sleep and think on what you're planning on doing. Think of what would happen."

Xehanort collapsed.

Light spread throughout the world and a bright flash caused them all to shut their eyes.

Sora opened his eyes. He sat up. a meadow surrounded him. All of his friends were there, Riku Kairi, Lea, Ventus, Aqua. Roxas was there too and Namine. The all started waking up slowly.

"Terra!" Ventus jumped up and hugged his friend.

"Hey," Terra laughed.

They were all reunited with their companions.

"Xion," Roxas smiled, "it's nice to see you again."

"Yep," Xion smiled.

Riku stared around him. The sun was bright and warm and the grass was green. The wind blew gently and the grass bent. "Wow," he looked up at the clear blue sky, "This place is beautiful."

"It is isn't it," Kairi smiled, "And we're all here. Everyone."

"Even Vanitas!" Ventus laughed as he dragged up his darker half.

Vanitas glared at him.

Ventus smiled, "This is Vanitas. He was my darker half but he's his own person now."

"Hi Vanitas," Kairi waved.

"Hey," he muttered. he shot Ven another glare.

Ventus smiled, "We should do something. We're all basically a great big family now!"

"Oh boy," Aqua sighed.

"Who's gonna look after us?" Roxas asked.

"Aqua and Terra and Lea," Ven shrugged.

"They are oldest," Riku nodded.

Sora nodded, "Okay."

"Race you!" Xion called.

All of them looked up.

"Alright," Aqua sighed, "Ready set, GO!"

They were away quickly.

Terra smiled at Aqua, "See you at the finish line." He jogged after them.

Aqua smiled before all out laughing, "I think I could get used to this."

Sorry about the rushed ending. I didn't realize I was out of ideas until I was all out of ideas.