Death Steps In

by Scififan33

Xehanort's plans caught the attention of Death himself. Not agreeing with them, he sent his Hand to interfere. He never realised how much that would change things for both of them, it was hardly the first time Death had sent him to be born into a dimension to deal with an issue after all. Several changing pairing, het and then slash, then threesome

1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: don't own them

There are glimpses of other crossovers here, see if you can guess them all. Answers will be at the end. Let me know if you got them all.

Death Steps In

He watched as the newest Keyblade war began. Xehanort dared! They'd hoped that his plans could be stopped sooner and yet somehow he had circumvented everything, he'd even time travelled which was very illegal. He watched as children were once again put on the front lines, expected to fight, save the universe, and even die if that was what it came down to. He hated it and wished he could personally drag the man into oblivion, but he was bound to the Nexus, it was why his love was out there, living a mortal life once again. Technically, he could leave, but only for brief periods on time and he had to be careful about it. He hated it every time they were separated but sometimes it was necessary. His eyes drifted to the beloved form, younger in appearance than how he looked when home, his appearance altered by his mortal parentage, but still so recognisable to him.

Once Xehanort had taken the boy Ventus as his apprentice, they had known they had to act…had he known the truth about the amnesiac teen? It seemed likely considering some of the others he had gathered for his Organisation. Until then, he hadn't been a big enough threat for him to personally get involved for. While he couldn't see the future, he did get...nudges, and he'd gotten one then, they'd begun preparing immediately to send his beloved into the mortal realms where he would be born and live with no memory of who or what he truly was. When you had eternity, time meant nothing, and yet the years they were apart always seemed to last an eternity themselves. By the time Xehanort had ripped Vanitas from Ventus' Heart, he'd been alone in the Nexus again, consigned to waiting on the sidelines.

One future job had come from his observations though, he needed to have serious words with Hades over his behaviour. Hades was one of his Avatars, he had a job to do, but he let petty concerns overtake that. His jealousy towards his brother and nephew was out of control and he needed a reminder of where he was in the pecking order.

Still, watching the fates of Ventus, Terra, and Aqua had been horrible. Not the worst he'd ever seen, but up there on the list. Even knowing there was a chance for all of them to be saved didn't make things better. He'd managed to do them one favour though, they had not aged in their lost time, they would get the chance to live their full lives after. He'd watched as more and more Worlds were plunged into Darkness, some of the inhabitants passing through, truly dead. He'd watched three children grow together, happy, until their World fell as well. He'd raged as Xehanort manipulated them into his games, until now the Seven Lights and Thirteen Darkness' were ready to face each other. When Xehanort had tried to implant his Heart within Sora, he hadn't known whether to laugh or rage, it wouldn't have worked, that was one of the few protections placed on him in every life.

As the mass of Heartless swept them all way, killing them, he snarled in rage. He reached out, tenderly drawing his lover home, wrapping his arms around the ghostly form, able to sense he wasn't truly 'dead', no, his part was not yet fully played. He pressed his lips to a transparent ear. "I miss you," he whispered before letting go, the form fading away.

As much as he wanted to focus only on them, he couldn't, he had to keep watching everywhere else too. He watched as a talking cat approached a blond pigtailed girl, in another world a blond boy was cloaked in red as he crouched over a fallen friend, and in another…an eleven-year-old Harry Potter said goodbye to his parents and younger siblings before boarding the Hogwarts Express.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"I miss you."

He stumbled, blinking, even as Kairi squeezed his hand, smiling at him. He smiled back automatically but for a second he saw someone else, someone he was sure he knew. Then it was gone and Sora forgot the image, forgot the whispered words, as he turned to the others, he even forgot about what had happened, they all did.

They ran through the towering rock canyon to find someone waiting for them and for a second Sora had a flash of déjà vou.

"Terra!" Ven yelled excitedly, rushing towards the man.

"Ven!" Aqua yelled in alarm, even as Ventus grabbed Terra's wrist.

"Terra! We found you!" Ven sounded so happy, even as Aqua caught up, but Sora couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

"Terra, please say you're in there," Aqua pleaded as the rest of them caught up, then she was yanking Ven back and away from their friend.

"What gives, Aqua?" the blond demanded, but Aqua didn't answer him, staring at Terra.

"I know that you're not him," she stated, summoning her Keyblade. "Now, let our friend go!"

Terra smiled, closing his eyes, and Sora felt sick. His hair turned white and then he opened yellow eyes.

"He IS their thirteenth," Mickey gasped.

"Today is the day you all lose," the possessed Terra told them, and Sora could almost swear he'd heard that before

"What?!" Aqua gasped.

"Before you even face the thirteen, every last one of you will be torn heart from body. But fear not." He summoned his Keyblade. "The χ-blade will still be forged."

"We're not gonna lose to you," Sora yelled even though something told him they would…or had?

Xehanort, brimming with Darkness, smirked before moving to strike. A large dust cloud erupted, blocking their view, and the feeling like he knew what was going to happen faded from Sora. The dust settled to reveal the possessed man locking Keyblades with golden armour. "Who are you?"

"Got you, Xehanort," the armoured form spoke flatly, making Aqua and Ven gasp. It pushed back against Xehanort's blade, igniting sparks from the grinding metal.

Xehanort leapt back and the group stared in shock.

"Terra?" Aqua called out, sounding confused and hopeful. Terra? But wasn't that Terra's possessed body, so how could the armour be him?

"This is impossible!" the possessed version snarled even as the armour walked towards him.

"How I've waited for this moment," it said, voice still flat, like…like it had no Heart. Could it be like a Nobody, part of Terra left behind when Xehanort took his body?

Sora grinned as the maybe-Terra's Keyblade transformed into a whip, nice to see someone else do something like that. It threw it forward, grabbing Xehanort's Keyblade and tightening its grip. Xehanort struggled against its pull before the armour swung him into the air. Xehanort released the Keyblade from his hand and, spiralling in the air, aimed his body toward the armour.

The armour reined in the whip and changed its Keyblade into a gigantic cannon, which was even cooler! It clicked into place and spun, gathering energy, blasting Xehanort back with a giant beam. Xehanort shouted in shock and pain, but survived, summoning his Keyblade again. The armour ran toward him, reverting its Keyblade again, and leapt up at Xehanort, attempting to strike, but it was knocked back at every turn. It lurched forward with a physical punch, but Xehanort leapt away in time. It pushed forth in the air, attacking again with its Keyblade as they all watched.

"Terra!" Ventus yelled, moving to help, but Aqua held him back.

"No, Ven!"

"But-"

She turned, directing his attention, and Sora looked over too. "Them first."

Sora grimaced as he saw what she had. Behind them, a multitude of flying Heartless approached from the sky, while even more stormed in through the crevice they had left behind. The group steeled themselves as the ground quaked, a great pool of Darkness opening up from the centre of the field, where a Demon Tide snaked its way through. Sora

summoned his Keyblade as Aqua and Ventus rushed ahead of him.

"We'll hold off the others," she yelled back.

"Okay. We've got this!" Sora agreed, even as the sight of the tower had a flash of utter terror rushing through him.

The Demon Tide whirled before them as the valley was quickly overrun by Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed. The swirling mass of Shadows used its ability to swim through the ground, rushing towards Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He watched as this time, they truly fought against what had killed them all in seconds last time. Good, much better. There were only so many times the universe would allow itself to be reset, so it was much better if they managed to defeat the Heartless without interference, well not too much. He glanced at the waiting Spirit who nodded before fading away.

Still, although they'd manage to knock a great number of Shadows from the snake of an

enemy, its size was not letting up. After a strong beating, it slammed into the centre of the field, Darkness pooling out in all directions, before the Demon Tide resurged as a glowing orange core from within equally orange tendrils. A large dark wind swirls around the orb, becoming a tornado of Heartless as the tendril retreated into the ground. Spinning faster, the tornado swept over the land, striking Sora, and the others.

There was something…oh, he got a closer look at Sora, seeing his eyes. Oops. Perhaps he shouldn't have brought him home even briefly…then again in the end it wouldn't matter, his fate was set from having used the power of waking in a manner it wasn't meant to be. If he was anyone else, the results would be bad, but since it was Sora, he would simply come home.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

The wind died down as the core emanated a black aura and the Heartless caught up in the wind fell to the ground.

"C'mon..." he whispered.

Seemingly from out of thin air, the core stretched into its snake-like form gathering even more Shadow Heartless and spinning at a faster, more enraged pace. Great.

"Something's wrong," Goofy called.

"Look out!" Donald yelled.

The Heartless in the air, acting of their own accord, were gradually pulled into the swirling storm of the Demon Tide. The snake-like mass burst forth and snatched up more Heartless and Nobodies that were on the ground, including a Rock Troll that was facing down Riku and Mickey, so it was kind of good that it did. Multiple Demon Tides combined their efforts until the cyclone towered over the group, an endless cancerous Darkness.

"What now?" Goofy gulped.

"Sora?" Donald asked.

The sight, while it had been overwhelming and terrifying, now filled Sora with determination.

"You can do it," the wind seemed to whisper in a voice his Heart said he should know.

"I'll stop it!" he yelled, rushing forward. He wouldn't let any of them get hurt!

"Sora!" he heard everyone yelling as a Demon Tide burst from the cyclone toward him, but he knocked the core away with his Keyblade and continued his assault.

He leapt into the air just meters from more encroaching Demon Tides, almost reaching the cyclone, when a flash of light filled his vision as he raised his Keyblade. Sora shielded his eyes until they adjusted to the light, seeing a boy with curly silver hair and a red scarf.

The boy turned to face him, smiling kindly through his blue eyes. "He thought you might like some help."

"Huh?" He, who?

Sora was released from the light, landing back on the ground even as the ground seemed to shake, noise increasing. Keyblades, embedded in the ground for centuries, maybe even longer, were now pulling free, rising into the air to fly towards him. They flew along a guided path past Sora, who gathered speed, before jumping atop the wave of blades. It felt completely natural as he landed, he wasn't at all worried about falling. The wave wrapped around the cyclone, Sora riding past the rocky cliffs, until he sailed into the eye of the storm.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku watched in a mix of awe and terror as his best friend literally rode a wave of ancient Keyblades inside the massive Demon Tower. It seemed every time he saw Sora, he was managing something new and impossible…and Yen Sid hadn't named him a Master. He really didn't understand that. He glanced at Mickey, seeing his shock, but then they had to go back to fighting.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He smiled as Ephemer cheerfully called on the ancient Keyblade wielders to aide Sora, the spirit very happy to lend a hand. Maybe it was good the young Master had refused to move on, haunting Scala ad Caelum, the town he had built in the ruins of Daybreak Town, until it had been abandoned. Perhaps now that he had helped in the battle, he would agree to finally move on.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Inside the massive maelstrom two Demon Tides slammed toward him, but they were quickly dispelled by five more Keyblades that spun around Sora.

"What is THIS?" he called, hoping for an answer, but whoever that person had been, it seemed he was gone.

The wave of Keyblades glowed in unison, and the five surrounding Sora moved ahead, projecting the image of a five-pointed star. It shined brightly, dispersing into thousands of smaller stars, twinkling down on him. He held a hand over his Heart, hearing their call, blue eyes wide in awe.

Sora grinned and nodded. "All right. Let's go!" He could hear them! Everyone who had wielded the Keyblades around him, calling out their support, offering advice.

He sailed up to the pinnacle of the storm and let loose power a thousand-fold, knowing it wasn't really his, it was theirs. Shining golden Keyblades of all shapes, sizes, and colours belonging to the mysterious legion released into the maelstrom, fighting off the tide of Heartless in a seemingly endless wave.

"Now's our chance!" he called, sailing further into the dark whirling mass to the enormous orange core to continue their assault.

The core threw all it had toward them but was unable to fight against the torrent of incalculable Keyblades and the storm grew weaker until the sky returned to view. The outer layers of the core sparkled in a dazzling explosion and Sora laughed in exhilaration.

"We're almost finished!" He cartwheeled in the air, holding out his hands as the same five-pointed star appeared before him. "And...now!"

He brought his Keyblade back to release the final blow as stars and blades whirled around him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kairi pressed her hands over her Heart, eyes wide, as Sora became visible again. A swirling arrow of Light gathered energy and Sora thrust his Keyblade forward in a gleaming shot, striking cleanly through the orb of Darkness suspended above the ground. Electricity crackled around it as the core shrank into itself before bursting in a fantastic explosion of light. He'd done it! That was her Sora, always beating the odds. It gave her even more hope that they would win, that they would get to go home and live their lives in peace one day.

Sora landed back on the ground, looking up at the sky, where the immense multitude of Keyblades spun in the air. They closed in on themselves, forming a golden orb, before releasing their Light in a spherical shattering of sparkles. She saw Sora smile up at it, something strangely…wistful?...about his expression.

There was something…just out of reach, like she should remember something, but it slipped away.

,,,,,,,,,,,

"Sora!" Riku yelled in relief as Sora landed on the ground, seemingly uninjured.

Sora turned towards him, grinning, even as they all rushed over to him.

"Are you okay?" he demanded, surely he'd at least be tired, injured even mildly, but there seemed to be nothing.

"Yeah," Sora's grin softened to a smile.

"What WAS that?" Mickey asked, still in shock from what they'd seen.

"Keyblade wielders...from long ago," Aqua answered, awed.

"It's the Light of the past," Ventus' tone had Riku glancing at him, he sounded so sure, too sure, as if he really knew…recognised them, but how could he?

"Look!" Kairi suddenly called, pointing, and they turned to see someone approaching.

"Just send out the Big Bad," Axel grumbled.

Riku was surprised to see...himself walking toward them. He grit his teeth at the sight of Dark Riku, who chuckles evilly, no longer wearing the cloak. "You!" he felt the other Heart within him stir in anticipation, was this what he was waiting for? Why…a Replica! If they could defeat this version then the one he sheltered could take the body for himself.

"The Organization's been using Hearts. Ones Xehanort got to in the past and has influence over. So, that must be you from when Ansem had control of YOUR Heart," Mickey suggested.

"I…don't think so," he murmured. There was something about that idea that just didn't feel quite right. Did that mean…this was another version of the Replica of him?

The other Riku laughed." I'd say that was our finest hour," he taunted.

"Wrong. My hour of weakness," he snapped back.

"You sure?" He raised Soul Eater. "How about we find out?!"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He paced restlessly, still watching as the Guardians faced battle after battle, so far managing to win every one. Yen Sid had finally come down from his precious tower to actually do something which was surprising. He kept his eye on that old Wizard, somehow, Yen Sid had lived beyond a human lifespan but even he was unsure how. He watched as Xigbar faked his death, there was something about him…something not quite right. For the moment, he was of no concern so he would leave it.

He winced as in another world, Harry Potter confronted Voldemort and died, leaving his grieving friends to finish off the monster. In another world, a grieving man left his newborn twins behind to walk blind into the desert to die but instead he survived to become the Preacher. He saw war after war throughout the worlds, humans vs humans, humans vs other species….it never ended. It was a relief when he could turn his attention to a world at peace.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Changing sides again?"

The familiar voice helped pull him back to consciousness, feeling someone on top of him.

"We need him alive. You know that." That voice!

There was something…he knew it…no, Roxas knew it! And it hurt. Sorrow, pain, guilt, but also a desperate need to protect…her.

"We only need his heart in order to forge the key. We do not need his soul. Oh..." Xemnas paused, and Sora forced his eyes open to see him standing over a fallen Axel, ethereal blade in hand, but then he dispelled it, looking down at the hooded girl. Was it…the girl he'd seen in the dream world? "...but that's right. You were "friends." Then...YOU take his life," he ordered.

She moved to stand in front of Axel, who looked up at her.

"Who...ARE you...?" Axel asked as she aimed…a Keyblade!?...at him, the teeth of the blade just inches from his face, but she hesitated, and Sora managed to silently move from under Kairi, getting to his feet to approach.

She shook her head, regaining her composure for just a moment, as Sora walked up to her, pushing her Keyblade down with one hand.

"Don't do this," he told her, and she gasped as she looked up at him before turning her face away..

She suddenly knocked Sora's hand away and struck him with her Keyblade. He countered with his, blocking her continued strikes, able to feel how half-hearted the blows were.

"Wait..."

She shrieked with a final blow from her Keyblade, pushing against Sora's as he felt tears well up in his eyes.

"It's all right! You can stop now!" he promised and she paused. "It's all right... Xion." He called her name…except it wasn't him, it was Roxas.

She began to sob, dropping the Keyblade and grabbing her head. She turned away from him, distressed.

Xemnas appeared before her, peering down with disappointment. "Useless puppet." He kicked her into Sora, knocking the hood and the tears from Xion's face, revealing her black hair, it was her, the girl he'd seen during the exam.

Sora tried to brace as she hit him but couldn't, once again being knocked back off his feet with a girl on top of him.

He vaguely heard Axel gasp, "Xion!"

He felt groggy, head pounding, but he struggled to keep his eyes open as Xemnas stood over them, summoning his blade once again. For a second, he seemed to have double vision, seeing the canyon and a massive room of black stone….a throne at one end….someone…he blinked and the canyon was back.

"Your Keyblade is no more. And still you think you can play at being a guardian of light?" Xemnas had to be talking to Axel but Sora's vision was fading in and out. "You can wait your turn...also-ran."

Everything faded, Sora going limp, eyes closed. He tried to fight it, but he was so tired. he felt a warmth in his chest, a glow behind his eyes.

"I've got this," a familiar voice called, and he smiled, he could rest.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Xemnas raises the blade and pointed it at Xion. Axel reached toward her helplessly, knowing there was nothing he could do. Roxas was still in Sora's Heart and now Xion was going to die… neither of them noticed as Sora began to glow, a Heart floating out of his chest. There was a twinkle in the sky before a beam of light shot down toward Xemnas.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He smirked as Roxas was finally permanently separated from Sora. His creation was impossible and yet somehow it had happened. He'd developed into his own person from nothing, even more amazing than a Nobody beginning to grow a new Heart. Roxas was not part of the true Sora, only this version of him, so the separation would have no effect on him thankfully.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Xemnas leapt aside as something struck the ground, sending up a cloud of dirt. Axel strained to see what was going on through the dust, finally making out a shorter figure in the haze, facing Xemnas. Had Sora come too quick enough to intervene?

"Hands off my friends."

He heard Xemnas gasps at the sound of the voice and didn't blame him. He struggled to rise, to get closer and see for himself. But that voice…

"It cannot be!" Xemnas denied, even as Xion moved away from Sora who was beginning to stir as well.

All Axel could do was stare at the short figure in an Organisation coat, before a hand lifted to remove the hood, revealing familiar spikey blond hair.

Axel's eyes widened in shock and joy, a small smile forming. "Roxas..."

Roxas turned his head towards him, reciprocating the smile despite what had happened the last time they saw each other. Roxas' smile turned into that cocky smirk that had become common once the teen had begun functioning like a person rather than a zombie. "My turn."

"Roxas..." Xion murmured as she got to her feet.

"This is impossible. Where did you get a vessel?" their ex-boss demanded.

"Same as you," Roxas shifted his grip on the two Keyblades. Two! Axel could barely manage one! Then again, hadn't Sora been using two on and off since he'd woken…had that been because of Roxas…or Ventus even? Xion? Ugh, he'd had way too many people in his Heart!

"Same how...?"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora got to his feet, relieved to see Kairi had finally gotten up as well. He looked at her and she smiled at him, walking over, and then they joined Roxas and Xion.

"There was one last thing I needed in order for me to be whole again. A connection. Sora helped me find my way back here...to my friends," Roxas looked at him, and he was so much more at peace than the first time Sora had seen him, when they'd fought in that strange place before he'd faced the Organisation.

Everyone was out of his Heart now and he felt…different, not a bad different. No, he felt lighter, at peace. All of their pain was gone from him now, only his own remained. He felt stronger somehow too.

"Roxas," he grinned, and Roxas nodded.

"I don't need Hearts. I will scatter them all to the winds!" Xemnas yelled, vanishing.

Sora summoned his Keyblade, looking around wildly, but it was too late as he reappeared behind Kairi, grabbing her Keyblade arm and hauling her mostly off her feet. "Kairi!" No, not again!

"Sora!" she reached her free hand towards him and he rushed forward.

"What difference does one little light make? You have others." He pointed at Sora, holding Kairi's arm behind her head, her Keyblade still in her hand but useless at the current angle. "Just as we have more Darkness' to replenish our ranks."

Before Sora could reach them, they vanished into a Dark Corridor. He stared in horror, no, not Kairi, not again!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"So this is where my role ends..." The Darkness lifted off of Young Xehanort as he fell to his knees, laughing.

"What's so funny?" Sora asked warily.

"I told you. There's a high price to pay for all of this," was the answer.

"And what price would that be?" he demanded as the youngest version of Xehanort stood again.

"I'll go back to my time, and live out my life," he explained, "but Sora, you're done now."

Sora stared at him, stunned. What? And yet…something told him he was right.

"Your journey ends here."

"What?" he whispered, even as the other began to fade away.

"Good-bye, Sora. Your time...in this world is…" He vanished to the winds before he could finish, leaving an unsettling silence.

Riku and Mickey were quickly back at his side, all three of them sporting wounds of various seriousness so potions and healing spells were quickly passed around. Above them, three additional keys join the nine replicas encircling Master Xehanort.

"Twelve keys we have now. Leaving just one more!" he called, and Sora focused on him, feeling Riku and Mickey move up behind him. Xehanort summoned his Keyblade, raising it high. A blue orb appeared from its tip, which he then launched into the clouded sky. The world rippled and a light peeked through the clouds, shining down on him. "Now, Sora. Darkness and Light's final clash."

The clouds swirled and parted slowly. Sora gasped as Kairi floated up beside Master Xehanort, who laughed softly. She wasn't moving, wasn't trying to get away, unconscious?

"Kairi!" he yelled, running towards the rock pillar.

"You require motivation."

Sora leapt onto the side of the pillar as Kairi's comatose body hovered in front of Master Xehanort. He reached back with his blade and bludgeoned her full force in the back in one swift stroke. Sora froze, watching in horror as she glowed pink before her form shattered, disappearing in a fracture of light.

"Kairi!" someone was screaming…he was screaming!

Unable to think, Sora raced atop the pillar swinging his Keyblade at Xehanort, who blocked with his own.

"Why her?!" he demanded, fighting back the tears as he strained against the old man, only to be knocked back, tumbling back to the ground. Riku was instantly at his side, healing him, even as Sora looked back up at the man who had caused everything, unable to get off his knees. "Why?!" he choked out.

"I have done it."

"Xehanort!" Riku snarled, rushing up the pillar, but he was held back by the thirteenth replica Keyblade which materialised in front of Master Xehanort and proceeded to swat him away as well. Riku screamed, falling back down the pillar, and Sora sobbed.

"You'll pay!" Mickey went on the attack, leaping above Xehanort, aiming his Keyblade. "Ultima!"

"Stopza!" Xehanort held his hand out in front of him, conjuring a dark wind. With magical runes surrounding them, the two spells collided; Xehanort's sphere of stopped time growing to encompass Mickey and Riku. The blast of wind rippled through Sora's hair as he saw his friends frozen in place.

"Your Majesty! Riku!" they were still alive at least.

Xehanort smirked even as Sora moved to pursue him, but with only a few steps taken; he was surprised by the replica Keyblade appearing behind him. It knocked him down as Xehanort turned toward the others. "Now...the Keyblade War will finally reach its conclusion!"

Xehanort rose into the air with the thirteenth key re-joining the others. They floated around him as the great yellow moon of Kingdom Hearts shone in the sky. He seemed to bask in its glow, before raising his Keyblade, which glows and changed into a new weapon made of two crossed keys, the χ-blade. "The χ-blade is complete."

Sora watched from below, unable to stop him. it wasn't meant to be like this. Kairi…

"Kingdom Hearts! I call upon your true form. Open now and show me the World to come." He aimed the χ-blade at Kingdom Hearts and a violet beam erupted from the blade. It struck the moon and wreathed it in dark flame, eventually turning it a deep shade of purple. The horizon turned a shade of pink and rays of light peeked out from behind Kingdom Hearts.

Sora, still on his knees, stared up in despair. He'd done it…he'd won and they'd lost. Now everyone would pay the price.

,,,,,,,,,,

He hated seeing that look on Sora's face, hearing his grief and anger for another love taken too soon. It didn't bother him that Sora often fell in love when living life, they were fleeting things, though no less real. In the end, Sora always came back to him and he would not begrudge him the comfort during his time away; he couldn't feel jealous when they never knew the whole, true, Sora.

Xehanort could not be allowed to win, it was the whole reason Sora had been born onto the Destiny Islands, to ensure he was stopped. Had something gone wrong? He could step in but the risks…others would feel his interference and may move themselves. They could tear all of existence apart, not just this dimension. No, he had to trust Sora, to believe he would not fail, he had never failed him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku was relieved when they arrived to see Xehanort down, he'd trusted Sora but he had still been worried. They'd lost Kairi, permanently or temporarily he didn't know, and he couldn't have survived losing Sora as well. His Replica had sacrificed his chance for a life to give the vessel to Naminé and…he missed him as weird as that was. They had only been joined for a few months but it felt so much longer. How was Sora dealing with losing those he'd sheltered for a lot longer? He'd been worried all of those loses would affect Sora's ability to fight Xehanort, but thankfully he'd been wrong. Sora met his eyes, looking exhausted and obviously grieving, but at least he mostly uninjured…huh, had to be a trick of the light in this place but he could have sworn Sora's eyes had been a deeper, darker, blue for a second.

Seeing another man exit Terra…who didn't have someone else hiding in their Heart?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

As the two men left, he grabbed them, yanking them into the Nexus. He stared at them as they scrambled to their feet, his arms crossed as he glared at them. "Did you think that was it? A few words and all would be forgiven and forgotten?" he asked.

"Who are you?" Eraqus asked, and he smirked.

"Death, and you owe me a debt Xehanort. Don't think your hands are clean either Eraqus," he warned them both. "Do you have even the slightest idea how much damage you've done over the years? Not just to those children who've been left to clean up after both of you, but to your whole dimension? If you were expecting a nice afterlife, be prepared to be disappointed."

The two now young-looking men just stared at him in shock.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"It's finally over," Mickey sighed from behind him, and Sora shook his head.

"...No."

"We'll find Kairi. Let's head back to Master Yen Sid. We can figure it out," Riku promised, and Sora turned to face them, hating that he would be leaving Riku behind, when would the three of them be together again? Honestly, he didn't think they ever would be, not in life anyway.

"No, I know what to do," he told them firmly.

"Sora..." Mickey started, but he cut him off.

"My whole journey began the day I lost her. And every time I find her...she slips away again. I thought we'd finally be together. But she's out there, alone. Not for one more second," he shook his head. He didn't dare look at Riku again, not wanting to cause them both more pain. He loved them both so much but at the moment, Kairi needed him more.

"We'll go too!" Donald stepped towards him, even as Goofy nodded.

"That's right!"

"Thank you, Donald, Goofy. But this time, I have to go it alone," he knew it had to just be him. He felt…tired, worn thin. All those warning from the younger Xehanort…he wanted to live his life with Kairi but he knew it wasn't going to happen. Still, he had to save her.

"Sora, listen. The power of waking isn't to go chase hearts around! Even if you do locate Kairi, you might never come home to us again."

"I will," he promised, even as he knew it was a lie. "And we'll both be back before you know it."

"Please..." Mickey pleading hurt, but thankfully Riku stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

Sora managed to meet Riku's eyes, hoping he wouldn't see the truth, would believe the lie instead. He hated doing this to him, but at least he'd have Kairi instead of losing both of them.

"Let him go, Mickey," Riku murmured.

"Riku..."

"His Heart and his mind are made up. Now, believe in him," Riku smiled at him, and Sora nearly choked on his return smile.

"Yeah... Safe journey, Sora."

"Thank you," he told them all, meeting Roxas' eye, then Xion's, Ven's…he would miss them all. He summoned the Keyblade and lifted it, a beam of Light flying into the air. A keyhole

appeared, shattered into the sky, taking Sora to his destination.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He shook his head, oh Sora. They would be reunited soon, but he would let this play out, the girl didn't deserve the fate she'd been dealt by Xehanort, and it wouldn't change anything to allow her restoration. He'd sent Eraqus and Xehanort off to their punishment, now he would just need to keep an eye on Sora and the friends he'd left behind to make sure nothing else went wrong.

Oh, that had to hurt. The man clung to life despite the cauterised wound through his chest, as his younger companion fought their opponent, holding on to whisper his last words to the grieving teen who agreed to everything he asked.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"This is..." Sora looked around; he'd been here before…hadn't he?

He looked up at the sudden light flying in from the sky, a mewling sound echoing from it. As it touched down to the water, the form of a cat with a cape and a coin purse appeared, almost losing its balance as it touched the floor. And suddenly, he remembered.

"Chirithy," he greeted.

"Back so soon?" It…he?...asked, and Sora looked down sadly. "What's wrong?"

"Well..." Sora sighed but explained everything that had happened.

Chirithy gave a grumpy sigh. "Even with the power of waking, you can't just bring someone back."

"But Kairi's heart hasn't been lost yet. She's still with us, right?" he asked in alarm, was he too late?

"Maybe, but this time, I'm afraid the situation is a lot worse."

"Hey, I've already restored six hearts. What's one more?" he bluffed, trying to sound confident.

"But that's not how it's supposed to work at all. The power of waking is meant to be used to wake and restore sleeping hearts, not to restore them after they've completely faded away from existence. You've done that six times before, and as a result, you've managed to greatly alter the course of history itself."

Sora's smile faltered, it was just like Xehanort had said, like he'd started suspecting. And yet….he didn't fear dying to save her.

"You've broken a nature taboo."

"Nature...?" he frowned in confusion.

"A forbidden act. Break a taboo of nature, and you'll end up paying an extraordinary price," Chirithy explained, and somehow…it sounded familiar, like something he should know.

Oh, right, Xehanort had said that before. "I've heard that before... So what's the price?"

"You'll lose your powers. You won't be able to use the power of waking."

Okay, that didn't sound too bad at all, making him relax. "That's all? No problem."

"But that's not all. You yourself...will vanish from this world. And without your powers, you can't return to the world you came from."

And there was the catch. He couldn't…return? He frowned, clenching his fists. He looked down at his reflection in the still water for a minute before raising his head. "I don't care."

Chirithy hopped back, eyes wide. "What?!"

"There's a lot I don't understand, but I know that this is all I can do right now. I have to do everything I can to get Kairi back. That's the whole reason behind my journey," he explained.

Chirithy sighed at his response, "...I can't stop you, can I?"

Sora gave a small laugh. "Nope, I have to follow my heart."

"Hmm... Well, then this really is good-bye, so listen carefully to me," he warned, and Sora nodded. "You'll return to the past again, but you won't be able to rewrite it this time. No matter what happens, you have to accept it and move on."

,,,,,,,,,,

He watched as Sora travelled back, seeing his friends Hearts, even facing the possessed Terra to save his armour….silly Sora. It was just animated armour; he'd already helped save the real Terra. With each fight, Sora moved further and further past the point of no return, either unaware or uncaring as he found the pieces of Kairi's scattered Heart. He felt sad for the girl, they were really in love, and soon Sora would be gone from her life forever.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

In the Final World, two Lights fell from the endless sky. They twirled around each other and flashed vividly. As the light settled, Sora and Kairi appeared in the air. He took her hand and they land on the reflective water.

She stared at the beauty around her in awe. "It's so pretty..."

He stared at her, smiling, before looking down at his hand, which flashed translucent. He closed his fingers and opened them again before looking back at her, relieved that she hadn't noticed. He felt strange, but he had to hold on, just long enough to get her home safe. "Kairi. Come on. Everyone's waiting."

She nodded and he grinned at her as they went to leave but he stopped suddenly, looking around. "What's wrong?"

"Well... My friend should be here, but..." he looked around, worried. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Heeey! Chirithy!" he shouted, only to jump as Chirithy blinked into existence at his feet. "Whoa! Hey, why didn't you say something?"

"I was just trying to give you some privacy," the small creature admitted, and Sora felt his face warm. Though, why? Was he letting them say goodbye in private? Kairi didn't know yet, how was he meant to tell her?

Kairi giggled, bending down to hold out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, likewise! I'm glad you're okay," they shook hands.

"Chirithy, we're heading home. You should come with us," Sora offered, feeling dizzy for a second.

Chirithy hopped back, wide-eyed again. "Whaaat...?"

"Take it from me, it's not enough to wait for someone you care about. It's true that hearts are connected wherever you are. If it's impossible to be together, then all you can do is wait," Sora explained, feeling Kairi watching him, able to feel her growing concern. "But, if it is possible to be together, then that's how it should be."

"Sora..."

"You know, this really is a beautiful place," Sora cut him off before he could say anything too revealing. "But you'd enjoy it so much more with someone you care about. Before, when I was looking around with Kairi, I remembered how important it is...to share moments with friends," Sora smiled. "That's why you're coming with us. I'm taking you to see your friend, Chirithy."

Chirithy started to cry and nodded. Kairi nodded in return and Sora's smile grew wide.

"Okay! Let's go!" One last good deed. He held out his hand and the other two moved closer.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku, Roxas, and Terra raced along the beach as Mickey and Aqua cheered them on. Nearby, Ventus, Axel, and Isa were playing frisbee while Naminé and Xion looked at seashells. Hayner, Pence, and Olette were completing their sand sculpture of the King's symbol while Donald proudly unveiled his and Goofy's sculpture of...himself. Donald hopped in front, mimicking the pose of the sculpture just as the frisbee crashed through it, dumping sand all over Donald. He balled up his fist and shook it off angrily. Ven quickly apologised, incurring Donald's wrath as Mickey greeted Riku as the winner of the race. Terra and Roxas caught their breath as Riku found himself looking out to shore, catching the attention of the group.

On the slanted Paopu tree of the miniature island, Kairi sat next to Sora, his hand in hers. Riku smiled at the sight, he'd done it, he'd brought her home and made it back too. He'd believed Sora could do it and he was right.

Riku couldn't see the tear rolling down Kairi's cheek as Sora's hand flickered in hers, or Sora's sad smile as he reached up to brush the drop from her face, his hand passing through her. As the sun set, his whole form blurred, fading away.

"SORA!" The scream went up from almost everyone on the beach as they rushed to where he'd last been, Kairi burying her head in her hands as she sobbed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He...he felt so strange…where was he…what was happening…who was he? He…he was scared.

"Shh, just relax, it'll pass in a few moments," a warm voice whispered, and he found himself relaxing.

Sora opened his eyes and he knew where he was, he was home. He turned to find the young man standing behind him, smiling softly. "Harry," he breathed, moving towards the green-eyed male who opened his arms in welcome. He fell into the embrace; he was home now.

"I've missed you so much," Harry murmured, before they were kissing, Sora clinging on tight.

He couldn't say he'd missed Harry; he'd spent the last sixteen years with no memory of him. "It was you I heard; did you bring me home briefly?" he asked when they parted who knew how much later. Not like they had to breath or anything.

"Well, you were technically mostly dead, and I missed you," Harry shrugged.

"Admit it, you were worried," Sora teased.

"I was," Harry admitted, surprising him. "When Xehanort seemed to have won, I thought I'd have to act. I'm glad I was wrong."

"Me too," Sora kissed him again just because he could.

He had loved Kairi, still did, but it was…already becoming dreamlike. In a few years, he wouldn't remember that life beyond a few vague snatches of memory, that was how death worked. He was sad to think he wouldn't remember his friends and their adventures but he probably always felt like that when he first returned home. "So, what did you do to a certain pair of idiots?"

"Let's just say their getting their just deserts," Harry smirked, and Sora decided to leave it there. "And you, for being so reckless, will not be leaving our bed for at least a century."

"Race you there," he smirked before vanishing.

He reappeared in their room, stopping in front of the mirror, already his appearance was shifting back to normal from Keyblade wielder Sora. His hair was becoming less wild, longer and darker, the blue of his eyes becoming darker, his face thinning out a little. In a few hours the changes would be done. He'd looked a lot more like his normal self than he often did at least in this life.

Warm arms wrapped around his waist and he leant back against Harry. "Love you," Harry whispered in his ear, and Sora smiled.

"Love you too," he answered.

He'd never once regrated the deal that had brought him to the Nexus, even if he didn't remember his first, mortal, life. Though Harry had told him he'd been human, otherwise he wouldn't look human after all. It was enough for him to know that he hadn't been a bad person or anything, that he'd been trying to save people when he'd been brought before Harry.

They tumbled down onto the bed, hands wandering everywhere as they kissed, Sora lying on his back on the massive bed. It had been far too long.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"But if we still remember him, then he must still be with us," Aerith pointed out as they gathered in Merlin's, and Riku so wanted to believe she was right.

"Yes, that would stand to reason," Leon agreed.

"But we've been searching everywhere for Sora, and we haven't found a single clue. If he's really out there, don't you think we would have found something by now?" He asked, it was killing Kairi, and him, not knowing where Sora was or if he was okay.

Yuffie put a finger to her head. "Hmm..."

"Cid's been looking into the data for a year now. Aren't the people at the castle doing the same thing? No one's found anything yet?" Leon asked, and Riku sighed.

"Well...it's outside their field of expertise," he shrugged. They studied Hearts, sure, but this was way beyond that. And he just had this strange feeling that wherever Sora was…they'd never see him again. He tried his best to ignore that though.

"Come on, Cid! Can you throw us a bone here, please?" Yuffie called, and Riku turned to where the man was working away on the computer, before he spun around on his stool angrily.

"Be quiet! I'm tryin'! I'm this close to somethin', I know it!" he shouted at her before turning back to the screen.

"Cid, you are a million times worse than a broken record!" she huffed, arms crossed, and Riku couldn't help the small smile while the others chuckled.

"By the way, how are the others?" Leon asked.

"Well, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are searching for clues in every past World that Sora's been to." And wow there were a lot, he'd never realised exactly how many Worlds Sora had been to in such a short time, it had barely been two years! "Terra, Ven, and Aqua went to the Realm of Darkness. And the Twilight Town gang are studying Roxas and Xion's memories," he explained.

He still couldn't believe they'd gone into that Realm, but it was for Sora and people did crazy things for him. He didn't have room to talk anyway, he'd become a Dream Eater! His reasons had been very different to most though, a secret he had held close to his Heart for years, even as he accepted nothing would ever come of it. That link had gone dead when Sora faded away, he'd checked his back, the mark was gone or too faded to see.

"And what about Kairi?" Aerith asked, obviously wondering why he'd left her out.

"Kairi..." he sighed, he understood why she'd done it but still, it felt like she was taking the easy way out, sleeping through the problem rather than acting to solve it. "She believes her Heart might hold a clue about Sora. For a year, she's been sound asleep while they search her heart."

"So there's been no progress..." Aerith's expression wasn't quite pity, thankfully.

The others chatted quietly, leaving Riku to his thoughts as Cid kept working. He didn't know why he was there, what he thought they could find, but he didn't really have anywhere else he needed to be and he didn't want to be alone at the moment.

"What in the- What in the world is this?!" Cid yelled, and they quickly moved closer to see.

"Huh?!" Yuffie stared.

"What is it?" Leon asked.

"This computer, the one in Twilight Town, and the one in the castle are all connected to the same network. They sent me all of their data and I merged it with the stuff I already had, and looky here," he pointed to the screen where there was a digital version of...

"Sora?!" Riku stared at the image, it was impossible, wasn't it? then again, hadn't Sora met Tron in a computer? Then there'd been the Grid in the Sleeping Worlds so maybe…

"Sora's inside the computer?!" Yuffie yelped.

"No, no. That's just the data I constructed based on Sora and his fightin' abilities," Cid explained and Riku's hope faded away.

"So you gave us a heart attack for nothing?!" Yuffie snapped, hands on her hips.

Cid sat back down and sighed, crossing his arms. "No, that group Sora was fightin'...you know..." He tapped his arm, thinking. "Battalion somethin'? Well, I recreated their data too."

The computer screen flickered, showing Sora standing in front of keyhole-shaped doors.

"The real Organization XIII... Maybe their data will lead us to where Sora is," Aerith smiled.

"Well, it crossed my mind, but I must be better at this than I thought 'cause their data, it's so powerful, I can't access any of it.?"

"Can you use Sora's data to gain access?" Leon suggested.

"Oh, good idea. Worth a shot!"

"Yeah...let's try." It wasn't going to work; he just knew it wouldn't.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry laughed as Sora pouted, shaking his head to get rid of some of the water.

"No fair," he mock grumbled, but then he smirked and pounced but Harry caught him, the two of them tumbling to the ground, rolling around in a play wrestling match. Harry pinned Sora in the end, smirking at him, and the pout returned. Harry kissed it away, very happy they didn't bother with the appearance of clothes all the time as he felt Sora's body react.

Hmm….that guy was dead again? Seriously, couldn't he stay alive for more than a year at a time? There wouldn't always be a handy piece of alien tech lying around, or a friendly 'Ascended' to help him. He kept going and he'd have Sora beat on number of deaths…and Sora's hand stroking him brought him back from that vision.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora watched Xehanort toil away, wondering if he should approach. Why bother? He turned to leave but heard the noise stop and sighed, too late. He turned back to find the young Xehanort staring at him in confusion before his eyes widened.

"Sora…"

He nodded, crossing his arms as he leant back against the wall.

"So, you paid the price for saving them all."

Sora shrugged. "It didn't matter, I was always going to end up here, it's my home after all."

"What?" huh, so that was what a confused Xehanort looked like.

"The Sora of Destiny Islands only existed because of you. I was born there specifically to stop you and now I've come home. A bit earlier than originally planned maybe, but to an immortal those years don't really add up to much."

Xehanort's eyes widened in shock. "Immortal…what are you?"

"Death's Hand," Sora smirked. "Enjoy your work." He left the man to it, peeking in on Eraqus who was getting major ethics lectures for how he'd treated his students and his belief in Light beyond anything else. He shuddered to think what would have happened to Riku if that man had still been around.

He checked on a few others who were serving their sentences before being admitted to the afterlife…or erased from existence completely. Then he headed back to their part of the Nexus, sitting on the arm rest of Death's Throne. It was for show, even Harry didn't like it, but it had been magicked like crazy so it was super comfortable at least. Harry looked up from the paperwork he was going through, smiling even as Sora leant down to kiss him.

"Alright?"

"I'm fine," Sora rolled his eyes. He'd been back long enough now that things didn't seem out of place anymore. He knew his memories were slipping away too, he didn't remember his life before the Islands fell, the friends he'd had there outside of Kairi and Riku. He kissed Harry again just because he could and then stood and stretched, shirt riding up.

Harry laughed but let his eyes wander across the exposed skin. "Minx," he mock grumbled, and this time it was Sora who laughed.

"Well you did say I wasn't leaving our room for a century and it's been nowhere near that…"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry lazily traced patterns on Sora's bare hip, enjoying feeling his body pressed against his own.

"I knew I was going to die," Sora murmured, dragging him from far more pleasant thoughts.

"Sora?"

"When we returned to the Keyblade Graveyard. I forgot all about the first time, everyone dying, and what I did to save them, but…I could feel it. I felt tired, worn thin, some things felt like I'd done them before…I think it was because you brought me here even briefly. The exposure started the process of returning me to normal, but I was still mortal, still that Sora."

"Ah, lesson learnt." He would never do that again; it must have been a terrible feeling.

Sora kissed him tenderly, hand stroking his side now. "No regrets, ever," he swore like he always did.

Sometimes Harry wondered if he'd still say that if he remembered every life he lived, if he remembered his original life. He hadn't been a Keyblade wielder then, hadn't even been from that dimension. He'd been from a world of science and magic ….until his people had been attacked, his Father killed and his brother hunted. As a different kind of darkness had spread over the World, Sora had done everything he could to save them, including delving deep into their history until he found someone he thought could help. That being no longer existed and instead he'd ended up in the Nexus. Harry had never regretted keeping Sora, teaching him, naming him his Hand…eternity wasn't as bad when they were together. And as soon as Sora had agreed, his mortal life had been erased, not just from his memory but his birth World as well.

"Stop it Harry. Even if you gave me the choice, I'd still stay with you. I love you, idiot," Sora teased. He then rolled, shifting so he was propped up over Harry, letting his eyes wander and Harry let him. Sora leant in, kissing him, and Harry wrapped his arms around him, drawing him flush against himself.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku looked around in awe even as Kairi's eyes widened.

"This place..." she whispered.

"You know it?" Riku asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah... I came here with Sora, and also in my dreams while I slept. This is...the Final World. But there's no one here." Chirithy had left with them, so why were they there?

The Fairy Godmother tapped lightly on her shoulder. "That's not true. Why don't you look closer?" she suggested.

Kairi stared deeper into the horizon in front of her, Riku following her lead, until dozens of shimmering stars appeared in their vision. "The stars. I never noticed."

"Yes, strong Hearts gather here after death until they are ready to move on. I'm sure she's around here somewhere."

"She?" Riku sounded disappointed, but Kairi had known Sora wasn't there, he was truly gone, not just waiting in the Final World.

"The final key," was the answer, the Fairy Godmother winking at him before walking forward.

Riku looked at her and she shrugged before following the fairy. Soon, they approached a glittering star on its own.

"We found you! We've been searching all over for you, my dear."

The star backed away slightly. "Do I know you?"

Kairi and Riku waled closer slowly, not wanting to crowd her. "I'm Kairi. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You're all able to retain your appearance in this world. I met someone else who could do that." The star answered, Sora, she had to mean Sora!

"Um, so she's the final key?" Riku asked.

"That's right, dear. Now we finally have all three."

"But how exactly can she help?" he pressed. She felt bad for leaving him alone for so long while she slept, he obviously hadn't handled it too well.

"It's simple. She came from the world on the other side."

They both reeled back in shock at the answer.

"What?" Kairi stared at the star.

"You see, she's very special. Her form was taken from her, but she managed to find her way here. If she goes back to her world, her Heart will certainly be stolen. Right, dear?"

"Oh...yes. It seems you know a lot about me."

The Fairy Godmother chuckled. "A little, and I would use my magic to change you back if I could. But I'm afraid that's impossible while you're in this form. Don't fret, though. I believe that we'll find a way to make your dream come true very soon."

"My dream...come true?"

Riku stepped closer. "I want to help make that happen. Will it lead us to Sora?"

"Oh, I'm afraid it's not that simple. First, we must get to her world. She can open a path for us, and you can use the power of waking to go there."

"The power of waking..." Riku whispered, and Kairi shivered, that was the whole reason Sora was gone! And now Riku had to risk using it?

"Sorry, but did I hear you say "Sora"?" the star asked.

"Wait. Do you know him?" It really had been him the star knew?

"Yes. He was here. He encouraged me not to give up. Did something happen to him?" She sounded worried for someone she'd met once, that was Sora, everyone who met him cared.

"Yeah. Sora disappeared. He's a good friend of ours, so we've been looking for him," Riku explained, and Kairi nodded. "Right now, we think he's in a big city full of tall buildings. Ring any bells?"

"A city full of tall buildings... Insomnia? It has more skyscrapers than any other city I know, although Gralea is supposed to be catching up. That must be it."

"Insomnia… is that where Sora is?" Riku pushed.

"There's no way of knowing, but I believe it is possible," the Fairy Godmother smiled at them. It was more than they'd had before.

"All right..." Riku looked at her and she nodded, whatever it took, she was ready. He turned back to the star. "Think you can help us?"

"I'm not sure exactly what's happening. But if Sora is in trouble, I want to help. Please, let me know what you need from me."

"Thanks." He summoned his Keyblade and aimed it toward the star. The tip glowed and the star shone a bright pink as a portal emerged between them.

"I'm afraid this is as much as I can do. It's up to you, Riku, to take care of the rest."

Riku nodded and stepped forward.

"I'm coming too," Kairi told him, and he turned back to her.

"Kairi, that's not…" he struggled, and she looked away, she'd thought…

"Yeah, I know," she sighed, letting him off the hook. "I want to go with you. But...I know that I can't. I need to finish training. I need to become stronger. And when I do, I'll be right there next to you and Sora."

"Good," Riku nodded, managing a small smile for her.

"But first I'll go explain everything to Donald and Goofy and to Mickey and Master Yen Sid. Just…be careful."

"I'll try," he smirked.

"Be careful out there, dear. And try not to do anything too reckless. Come straight back if you encounter any trouble," the Fairy Godmother added her own warning.

"I will." He stood firm, facing the portal. He aimed his Keyblade at it and the clouds above gathered as the portal burst into a brilliant light. The wind around them picked up as Riku was enveloped in a beam of light that shot into the sky.

"Good luck," she whispered.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry straightened as he sensed something…someone had breached the barrier between dimensions! He waved his hand, an image forming, and he blinked, well…that was unexpected. Where was he…oh, now that was interesting. How had they linked Sora to the World of his original birth? Anyway, he couldn't allow Riku to make the journey, the barriers existed for a reason.

He reached out, snagging him mid journey and then in the centre of the room, Riku appeared. He floated on his back; eyes closed in sleep, body limp. As Chirithy had told Sora, the realms of sleep and death were very close to each other, so long as Riku slept he would remain alive and able to return home. If he woke then he would die.

Sora appeared and blinked. "You called?" he stared at Riku, brow furrowing, would he recognise him?

It may only have been a year or two for the silver haired teen, but time passed very differently in the Nexus. Sora had shown no sign of remembering that life for quite a while, but seeing him might jog something.

"I…I know…" Sora moved closer, reaching out to touch silver hair. "Riku?" he blinked rapidly, eyes going wide. "Is he?" he whispered.

"He's alive," Harry assured him.

"Then how is he here, why?" Sora looked up at him, confused and conflicted.

Harry reached out to wrap an arm around his waist, kissing behind his ear, feeling Sora relax. "It seems they're still trying to find you. Somehow…the tracked your birth world, must have mistaken it for where you are now. Except the dimensional barriers are not to be breached by mortals."

Sora sucked in a breath, understanding immediately. "They need to stop looking."

"Agreed."

"He needs to stop sacrificing himself for me, silly Riku," he shook his head.

"He loves you Sora, of course he would do whatever it took to 'save' you."

"What?" Sora turned to look at him, eyes wide.

"You didn't even suspect?" Harry asked, and Sora shook his head.

"I…I thought he liked Kairi." He looked back to Riku, eyes soft.

"How much do you remember?" Harry asked, Sora had seen people he'd known in the living realm before but had never reacted. So what had caused the memories to return?

Sora frowned. "Not much? Riku…the redhead girl…Kairi."

Harry nodded, it seemed like something about Riku had been the trigger. Curious, he caused Riku's sleeping form to roll over so that his back was revealed and there was the Dream Eater mark. Could that be the cause?

"You love him too, don't you?" Harry asked gently.

Sora hesitated, struggling, but then he nodded. "I didn't think he did, I loved them both." As Riku turned back onto his back, Sora traced his cheek, and Riku's eyelashes fluttered, lips parting slightly.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora froze, was he waking up? No, he had his whole life ahead of him, he couldn't wake up. "It's alright Riku, you're safe, just sleep," he whispered.

"Sssso…ra…" Riku slurred dreamily, head lolling into his hand.

"He won't wake," Harry assured him.

He remembered Riku, growing up with him, Riku being swallowed by Darkness…right up to when he'd gone after her, Kairi. He'd hoped that Riku would let him go, move on, but he'd risked his existence to try and find him. "Maybe he didn't know he was trying to cross dimensions?" he suggested.

"I don't think he did," Harry agreed. "But someone led him towards Eos."

"Eos?" Sora asked, finding himself curious, was that where he'd come from?

"Do you want to know?" Harry asked without censure.

"I…I don't know." He'd never asked after understanding what he'd become and after Harry assured him he'd been a good person. It wouldn't be the same as remembering his life, it would be just some facts. "Even if Riku had made it there, it's been millennia at least."

"Actually, on Eos, it's only been eleven years. He wouldn't have found anything though since your existence was erased."

He nodded, considering… "Was my name Sora?"

"Sora Lucis Caelum," Harry answered with a soft smile. "Second born Prince of Lucis, younger half-brother of Noctis Lucis Caelum, the King of Light."

Oh…he'd been…a Prince? He couldn't imagine that.

"You gave yourself to save your World from a Darkness different to the kind you fought beside Riku and to save your brother from his prophesised fate."

"Did it work?" he asked, yes, that would be a good reason to die.

"In that reality," Harry smiled at him. "Noctis still spent ten years encased within a crystal but he won and survived. He now rules as King of the whole World and he is a good King. Despite being erased, he named his son Sora."

That didn't surprise Sora, not after seeing how Hearts could be linked. For this Noctis, he may never have existed, but some part of his Heart had held onto him. He was an Uncle…then again he could be a Father and Uncle many hundreds of times over considering how many lives he'd lived.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku floated in darkness, dimly aware he was sleeping.

"It's alright Riku, you're safe, just sleep."

Someone…that voice…he had to wake up. He tried to call out to him, to let him know he could hear him…everything faded as he slipped deeper into sleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kairi froze, staring out the window. Riku? No…not Riku too. She collapsed on her bed, Riku was gone, she could feel it. He never should have gone alone! If only she hadn't spent the year sleeping, if she'd been training instead, she could have insisted she was ready.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry watched as Sora watched Riku's sleeping form. There was something…oh! Well, that explained everything and someone was getting his boot somewhere uncomfortable! Then again, maybe it was done with good intentions? They'd been separated so many times, maybe one of the local deities had tried to ensure they could never be separated permanently. It just caused a lot of issues now.

Sora looked up, obviously sensing his turmoil. "Harry?"

"You're soulmates. That's why he's so driven to find you, why you remember him now he's here. Someone bound your souls while you were alive."

Sora blanched, eyes wide in horror. They both knew what happened to soulmates if one died before the other. "No," he shook his head in denial.

"I'm sorry Sora, even if I severed the link…he'd spend the rest of his life in agony unless a new bond was made."

Without a new soul bond, Riku would be driven mad, and the last thing that dimension needed was another insane Keyblade Master running around. Breaking the bond wouldn't affect Sora at all, so he could do it and kill Riku or bond him to someone new, Kairi perhaps? They already felt deeply for each other, the bond would deepen that and they could live a happy life together. But both were Keyblade wielders and they very rarely got to live to an old age which would then land them back in this situation again; one dead and one alive to be driven mad.

"He could stay here," Harry murmured, and Sora jumped.

"What?" he whispered, eyes wide, and Harry understood.

He had never offered a place to any other soul. Sora had been a very special case and in a way…Riku was too. He couldn't let Riku return to the living, so it was either move on to the afterlife or remain with them.

"Riku," Harry called gently, placing his hand over closed eyes, reaching out to his soul.

Riku sighed softly, Harry could feel his eyes fluttering, trying to open again. "Mmm."

In the Nexus, no soul could lie or conceal anything from him. He was Death, souls were his domain after all. Riku was glowing slightly, his soul drawn to the surface, barely held within his body so that Harry could question him. "Are you in love with Sora?"

"Harry!" Sora hissed, shaking his head. Did he realise he was holding Riku's limp hand in his?

"Yes," Riku answered dreamily, he was still deeply asleep, unaware of anything.

"Did you ask someone to create a soul bond between you?" it was possible he had during his time with Maleficent, he had been rather fixated on Sora at the time.

"No."

That was good.

"Did you really think…" Sora stared at him in confusion, and Harry shook his head.

"No, but it had to be asked. With how obsessed he was with you back then he might have without realising."

Sora grimaced. "Do you think Hades did this to mess with us?"

"Maybe, still need to have a chat to him," Harry shrugged.

"Riku, would you like to stay with Sora forever? Even if it meant leaving everyone else behind, even forgetting them? You would lose the Keyblade and everything with it as well."

Riku whimpered softly, head tossing slightly, before he relaxed again. "Sora…stay with…Sora…"

"Oh Riku," Sora choked, tightening his hold on Riku's hand. "Does he mean it or is it just the bond?"

"The bond is literally part of his soul, Sora. There is no answer separate to it. Unless given a new one, he'll never know love again, you know what will happen in time."

"He'll go mad," Sora whispered sadly.

"Do you want him to stay Sora? If you don't, I'll send him on and he will know only peace."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora was torn, keeping Riku was selfish, in the afterlife he'd be at peace, forever happy and content. Eventually he'd be reunited with everyone…except him, if he was sent on then Sora would never see him again, he'd probably forget all about him again too. Wasn't that fairer on everyone?

"Sora, I'm not jealous," Harry murmured, and Sora looked at him, seeing him smiling.

"I'm used to sharing your love with others, even though you never remember. I know that loving him doesn't mean you love me any less. If he stays, you'll be drawn together very quickly and eventually to me as well through you."

Sora swallowed, unable to deny the thrill that idea sent through him. "Won't this make the searching worse? If they think we're both missing…"

"This time I'll make sure they know not to. Been a long time since I've talked with Merlin," he promised, the wizards name getting nothing from Sora. "Riku's made his choice, it's up to you now." Harry removed his hand and Riku stopped glowing, his soul settling firmly back in his body.

Sora watched Riku sleep peacefully. He really was very attractive, and Sora could admit that now, no longer constrained by the beliefs of the World they had lived in. Another reason Riku had never spoken about his feelings. He felt…drawn to him, but why? He wasn't alive, it shouldn't be affecting him, but it seemed it was. He hated that because of him, Riku had to die. No, it wasn't his fault, it was whoever had created the soul bond between them. He reached out and stroked soft silver hair before trailing his fingers down Riku's cheek, Riku leaning into his touch even in his sleep.

"You're sure?" he never wanted to do anything to jeopardise his relationship with Harry. He had loved him for millennia.

"Positive." Harry cupped his face in his hands and kissed him, Sora leaning into him and kissing back.

"How do we do this?"

"It will be painless," Harry promised. "Do you want to hold him?"

Sora nodded and Riku sank into his arms, lying limp, breathing soft and steady. Harry placed a hand to his heart and Riku's body jerked slightly before going boneless, his chest still. He was dead. Sora watched as his body glowed before disintegrating into little shards of light that scattered. He tightened his hold on Riku's soul, watching it become solid, looking a little different to how he had before. His hair was longer, like he used to wear it, his body naked but unmarked when Sora knew there should be scars from all the fighting. Souls were always naked, Harry and Sora only appeared clothed because of Harry and how he interacted with others. Not like Sora cared about clothing.

He watched as Riku began to stir, his eyes slowly blinking open.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He felt strange...scared…where…what was happening…who…who was he? The darkness slowly faded and he opened his eyes, blinking dazedly up into dark blue eyes. A warm hand gently touched his cheek and he felt calmer. He…knew him?

"It's alright Riku."

Riku…yes, he was Riku. He blinked up at the mostly familiar person. Sora? But…Sora didn't have black hair and dark blue eyes…Vanitas? No, his eyes were gold.

"Easy Riku, just breath, I know it's disorientating but it'll pass." It was Sora's voice so was it really him?

"Sora?"

That got a soft smile. "Hey, welcome back."

It took him a few more moments to realise Sora was holding him, carrying him as if he weighted nothing. Sora was strong, but that strong? he shifted, and Sora carefully set him on his on feet. Riku blinked and looked down. "Why am I naked? What's going on? Where are we?"

"Easy," Sora's hands rested on his shoulders and Riku couldn't help moving even closer, needing to be as close as possible to him. Everything felt…foggy.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry watched from the background, not wanting to crowd Riku. He was obviously very disorientated, not an uncommon reaction to being dead. Without a body in the way, he could clearly see the bond between them and it was obviously affecting Riku as he shifted closer to Sora, calming at his words.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora kept a firm but gentle grip on Riku's shoulders, looking up into wide eyes, seeing his confusion. He'd never had to tell someone they were dead before, how was he meant to do it? his hand moved up from Riku's shoulder, caressing his face, moving back to stroke through his hair, and Riku relaxed.

"It's okay Riku, we're safe," he promised. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Riku frowned, obviously struggling. "Kairi…she woke up. The Fairy Godmother, she said…we needed three keys to…to find you. We went to a strange world of water and sky and…and there was a girl, she'd met you before. She thought you were somewhere called…Insomnia? I…I can't remember. Why can't I?"

Sora looked up at Harry for help, and he nodded. "Come on, let's get comfortable, there's a really long story involved. I'm here Riku and we'll never be separated again, okay?"

Riku nodded and Sora moved back, taking his hand, and leading him from the room, figuring he wasn't ready for just vanishing yet. He led him to the bedroom, sitting on the bed with him, Riku looking around curiously. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around Riku's shoulders before taking his hand again. Riku…looked younger, the cares and pain from the war already fading away. Sora was glad, it would be better for Riku once he forgot all the horrible things he'd been through.

Riku tensed, but then relaxed, seeming confused, as Harry entered the room, sitting at a reasonable distance. "Who are you?"

"My name's Harry, Riku. How do you feel?"

"Confused," Riku didn't even hesitate to answer. He was a soul now; he couldn't lie or hide anything from Harry. "What's happening to me?"

"I know it's unsettling, but it will pass. I brought you here when you attempted to pass not between Worlds, but dimensions. It is forbidden for mortals to do so, if I hadn't stepped in, you would have been erased from existence," Harry explained gently, but that didn't stop Riku's eyes going wide in shock and horror. "You were trying to track Sora, heading for a city called Insomnia on the World of Eos. But you never would have found him there."

"Because he was here?" Riku asked, and Harry nodded.

"This is Sora's home, and yours too now."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku shifted closer to Sora, relaxing as Sora hugged him, listening to the stranger…Harry explain what had happened. He was dead? Sora was dead? He should be upset about that, shouldn't he? But he wasn't, it felt…right. He'd been feeling so strange since Sora disappeared but now that was gone, he was where he belonged, with Sora. And that was because they were soulmates…what about Kairi? He looked at Sora who smiled at him.

"I loved you, Riku. But you never gave any sign…I thought you liked Kairi but then you were pushing us together," Sora shrugged.

"it's not a natural soul bond, someone created it," Harry told him, and that made Riku feel bad. Sora shouldn't have to be bound to him, not when he'd made so many mistakes.

"Hey, don't do that Riku. It wasn't your fault," Sora chided.

"He's right, there were a lot of outside influences determined to make you fall into the Darkness.

"What happens now?" Riku asked to change the subject.

"You acclimatise to being dead. The Nexus is your home now, nothing here can or will harm you. Over time, you will forget your life, you'll know you were alive once but that's about it. Sora can help you; he goes through it every time he goes back to the living world. And I guess I'm like everyone else now, I have two hands," Harry grinned, and Sora groaned.

"Millions of years old and his sense of humour still sucks," Sora complained, and Riku laughed.

"You're one to talk."

"Hey!" Sora crossed his arms, pouting.

"What will happen to everyone? Won't they look for me?" Riku asked, what if they sent Kairi next?

"I'll be contacting Merlin to inform them that you've both passed, that it was painless and peaceful and that there is no way back."

Riku nodded, that was good, he didn't want anyone else to die.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry watched them sleep, Sora curled around Riku protectively. He bent down and kissed Sora's forehead before leaving the room. They'd dumped a lot of information on Riku and with how stressful it had all been, they both deserved the rest. He had a wizard and then a certain god of the underworld to contact. He didn't think it would take long at all for Riku to forget his old life. He seemed to almost subconsciously be helping the process along which was interesting.

Harry paused, watching as a madman snapped his fingers and half of a dimension turned to dust in seconds. Well, that was going to be messy to clean up. He wouldn't send them, it was too soon, so he would need to see what avatars existed in that dimension and get them moving.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was a surprise to find Merlin standing beside Yen Sid's desk but they were soon all there and waiting. It had to be an update on Riku's search, hopefully good news. Their own search of the Realm of Darkness had come up empty, and he was kind of glade, Sora didn't deserve to be stuck there. No one did. He shifted restlessly, and Terra's hand touched his shoulder briefly, Chirithy pressing against his leg.

"I was contacted with news about Sora and Riku," Merlin began, and Ven had a sick feeling at his expression. "I am so sorry, but they have both passed into death. I am assured it was painless and even peaceful but they are now beyond anyone's reach."

"No," Kairi whispered, shaking her head, and Lea put a hand on her shoulder. She wrenched away. "There has to be something! Maybe whoever it was lied!"

"He has never lied; he has no need to."

"Perhaps if you told us who he is?" Master Yen Sid pressed.

Merlin looked right at the old Master, more serious than Ventus had ever seen. "Death himself told me. Sora…is his Hand and has been for longer than any of you have been alive. He was sent to this dimension because of Xehanort's actions. While here, Sora had no memory of his past; he was born and grew up as part of this dimension. When he died from abusing the power of waking, he was simply returned home," Merlin paused.

Ventus didn't know what to think, Sora…wasn't real? He was dead? Or had he always been dead? No…Merlin said he'd been born on the Destiny Islands. It was very confusing. He'd slept in Sora's Heart for over a decade, how had he never felt anything?

"In his attempt to find Sora, Riku began crossing the barriers between dimensions, something that is forbidden. Death stopped him and brought him to his home, Riku still lived at that point. However, it was discovered that Riku and Sora were soulmates and so the only choice was to kill Riku before he was driven mad by the broken bond. Riku chose to remain with Sora rather than be sent to the afterlife. They will be together for eternity and they will be happy. I am sorry, this is not the news anyone wished." He bowed and vanished.

Kairi sobbed and Lea caught her as her legs buckled.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Hades stared at the two teens sitting together. Oh boy. He was so busted. They might look a little different but he recognised them. It's not like he'd known! Sure, he knew the boss had a Hand but he'd never have guessed there were two or that they were the annoying brats.

"Oh, they're not why I called you here," a familiar voice called, and he turned to see the one being he would ever bow to. "And it was only Sora at that point, Riku is a new addition. I don't suppose you know who created a soul bond between them?"

Hades choked, a soul bond?! "Wasn't me!" he yelped.

Death laughed. "Good to know. Now, we need to have words about your little club with Maleficent and your attempt to take over Olympus."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku watched as Sora leant against Harry's side, smiling as Harry ran his fingers through dark hair. He was so happy; he'd never been as happy when alive…had he? He…didn't think so. It was hard to try and remember but Harry said that was normal. There'd been a lot of fighting and a girl…what was her name? He'd been separated from Sora a lot which he definitely didn't like. It was easier to not try and remember. He wasn't that person anymore. He was one of Death's Hands now, a soul bound to Death, to Harry.

He looked up again and met bright green eyes, finding himself walking over to them. He loved Sora and he was…drawn to Harry too. Sora grinned and kissed him and then Harry leant closer and Riku let his eyes close as their lips met. He was home.

The End

Worlds Harry was watching: Sailor Moon, Naruto, two alternate HP worlds, Dune, Star Wars, FFXV is this Sora's birth world, Stargate SG-1 (one of Daniel's many deaths), and Marvel for the snap. Yes, I made him Noctis' younger half-brother. 2yrs after the Crystal swallowed Noctis, Sora vanished while trying to circumvent the prophecy, wanting to save his people from the ever-lengthening night and his brother. No one on Eos remembers he ever existed, though Noctis has some sense of him since he named his son after him.

I could do a second part if people want, let me know. That would be it though, not a chaptered fic.