Okay wonderful fans, the time has come! Prepare yourselves for whatever happens in this life-changing chapter of sadness and joy! ...Or just sadness. Tee hee, sorry. I love teasing people.

That, and I was going to submit it tomorrow, since it's 12:00 am where I live, but I have a boatload of crap to get done tomorrow so...count yourselves lucky.

Anyways, I recommend listening to some sad songs while reading this chapter. Helps with the mood. I suggest "Koe" by Tsukiko Amano, "Chou" by Tsukiko Amano, and "Kanashimi no Mukou e" from the game School Days. Or you can listen to "My Immortal" by Evanescene and a couple of other sad songs.

Well, enough with the chit-chat. On with the chapter!

Kyrie (c) Me

Kingdom hearts (c) Square Enix

Kingdom Hearts

Bonded Soul

Chapter 69

"No, Axel! Don't do it, you're-" Demyx exclaimed as the man started gathering fire around his body. With a cry, the fire consumed the nobodies, wrapping around the group as it did so. Kyrie felt her heart stop, the warmth of the fire was weak. Axel's fire has never felt as lukewarm as it did now, never. Instinct told her that something horrible has just happened. Once the fire had died out, the group looked around.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed as they looked around, not a dusk to be seen. But Kyrie was focused on something else as she turned, her eyes widening.

"Oh no…Axel!" her thoughts screamed as she ran to his side, realizing that her nightmare was coming true. Axel was beginning to fade away. The group turned and spotted the fading pyro, their eyes widening.

"Oh no…Ax!" Demyx exclaimed as he, Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran over, joining Kyrie as she knelt over the man. "You're…fading away…"

"Well, that's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack. You know what I mean?" the man spoke weakly as he looked over to Sora and Kyrie. The girl was on the verge of breaking down as she clasped his hand, holding it tightly.

"Not that nobodies actually HAVE beings…right? Anyway, I digress. Go, find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot. Sorry for what I did to her." Axel babbled weakly as he stared at Sora. The boy shook his head, as well as Kyrie.

"No, Axel! Please, don't fade!" she thought as her shoulders shook.

"When we find her, you can tell her that yourself." Sora protested. But Axel shook his head. "Think I'll pass. My heart just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one." he gave a soft chuckle. Sora looked at the man, one question lingering on his mind.

"Axel, what were you trying to do?"

"I wanted to see Roxas. He…was the only one I liked…he made me feel…like I had a heart. He, Kyrie, and I…we were like a trio. I wanted the gang together again… just like the good ol' times." he looked over at Kyrie, holding her hand as he stared at her tear-filled eyes.

"Kyrie, I'm sorry…that I couldn't keep my promise. It's kinda funny, you and Roxas were the only friends I had in the Org. You both…made me feel like I had a heart. He did in one way, and you did in another." he spoke morosely as he stared at her. She blinked as he reached up and cupped her cheek.

"I've been wanting to ask you something for a long time, and now…it's too late to do it. I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend, because…" he paused and gave a shaky breath before continuing. "Because…you make me feel… strange. When I'm with you… everything is brighter, happier. Like I can feel again. Roxas was my best friend, but you… were so much more." he explained, making her choke back a sob as the tears slipped down her cheeks. He looked over her shoulder.

"Demyx."

"Uh, yes?"

"Take care of her for me. Since I'm… not gonna be around anymore." Axel ordered. The melodious nocturne nodded somberly as he placed a hand on the crying girl's shoulder. Kyrie felt like her heart was shattering as she held his hand, Axel's confession affecting her greatly.

"Axel… all this time, you… cared about me? I… feel the same way. But how… can I tell you? I have to tell you…" she thought as she sobbed silently. Sora looked at her sadly, he hated seeing girls cry. But Kyrie was like a big sister to him, and after hearing Axel's words to her, he just now realized how strong the bond between them was. It was like with him and Kairi.

"Kyrie…" But a sudden sound made them all pause.

"A… Ax… Ax… el…" everyone gasped in surprise and turned to Kyrie as she held his hand tightly, crying as she did so. She had just spoke!

"K-Kyrie, you-"

"Ax… el… p-pl… ease… d-don't… l-leave… m… me." the girl spoke softly as she sobbed. Her voice was soft like a little bell, despite her broken speech pattern. Axel blinked in confusion as she stared down at him, tears falling from her eyes.

"Y-you… w-were al… always t-there… for me. Y-you… made me… hap… py. E-every… day t-that w-we… w-were t-together… I c-cherished them. T-the happy t-times… t-the s-sad times…" she paused, coughing as she tried to force the words out. Everyone was speechless as they stared at her, surprised and in awe as she spoke for the first time.

"A… as l-long as w-we were… t-together, I d-didn't… c-care w-what…happened." she stammered as she continued. He looked at her sadly.

"Kyrie…"

"Axel… y-you're… t-the most im… important p-person in…my life. I…I l-love you." she cried. Everyone was silent as she cried, not daring to say a word. Axel stared at the white-haired girl in shock, she loved him? She felt the same way?

"She loves me… she felt the same way all along. Man, I'm so stupid…" he thought as he watched her try to wipe away her tears with one hand, the other still holding his hand tightly.

"How can I save him? I don't want him to disappear." she thought as she wiped away her tears. Looking down at him, she realized she didn't have time left, for he was fading away rapidly. Axel stared back at her, moving his hand so that it was in her hair, and pulled her closer. Slowly closing her eyes, she gently pressed her lips against his. Immediately, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Demyx blushed, looking away to give them privacy.

"Axel…I love you. I'll always love you." she thought as she kissed him, her cheeks burning from the massive blush that dusted her cheeks. But a voice echoed in her thoughts. It was the genderless, disembodied voice.

"You care much for him… very well. I understand. In order to save him, you must promise to fulfill your destiny when the time is right. Are you willing to do this?"

"Yes…please. Anything. Just don't let the darkness take him away from me." Suddenly, the two were engulfed in a flash of light, blinding everyone as they took a few steps back. Kyrie felt an overwhelming feeling take over her body, like someone else's feelings were breaking through. They were sweet, but so full of melancholy as they wrapped around her, like a blanket. It was more bittersweet than anything else.

"I lost my dearest once upon a time, and it broke my heart. Now, I'll give you the power to save yours, so what happened to me doesn't happen to you." another voice spoke. Kyrie opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by white light. Standing a few feet away from her, was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. The woman had long, trailing white hair that framed her face and was dressed in elegant robes, a silver yukata with white vine-like designs trailing up and down it. Her eyes were a bright silver as she stared at her.

"Who…are you?" she thought as she stared at the woman. But the woman smiled at her tenderly, almost motherly. For a split second, it reminded her of the smile her mother smiled in her dreams.

"You know me, and I know you. You are a part of me, and I am a part of you. We are one in the same, yet different. Try to remember, remember who you are. And fulfill our destiny." and with that, the woman disappeared, the light fading away as she did so. Kyrie closed her eyes tightly, feeling a throb inside her head. After a few moments, she heard gasps from behind her.

"No way…"

"Axel!" opening her eyes, she looked down and was surprised to see that the pyro was no longer fading away, but remained in a physical form as he lay there. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, tears beginning to form at the corner of her eyes. But they weren't tears of sorrow, they were tears of joy.

He looked up at her, blinking in confusion before looking down at his chest. Placing a hand where his heart should be, he jumped and sat up quickly, startling them. "No way…"

"Axel?" Demyx asked as they stared at him. He looked at them, his eyes wide.

"You're not gonna believe this…but I… have a heart." he choked. So many feelings were welling inside of him, and struck him like a wave. Happiness, anger, sorrow, all of those feelings were coming back to him, like a tsunami. Or better yet, a firestorm. But when he looked at Kyrie, a feeling stood out among the others. A feeling that he had felt as a shadow, a fragment, whenever he looked at her. Back when he had no heart, that is.

"WHAT?" everyone exclaimed as they stared at him in shock. Axel turned to Kyrie and grasped her hand, moving it so that it was placed on his chest. "Kyrie, keep your hand still for a minute." he ordered. The girl nodded, her face bright red as she held her hand over his chest. An urgent thrumming beneath her hand startled her, and she gasped, looking at him. He nodded, smirking at her as he watched her eyes widen.

"Whatever you did… gave me a heart!" he exclaimed. But he was quickly cut off when she tackled him, the two falling onto the ground as she hugged him tightly. He was about to scold her for being reckless, but he stopped, seeing her burying her face against his chest as she smiled; tears falling down her cheeks. The feeling he, to an extent, felt as a nobody began to well up inside his chest even more, and he found himself wrapping his arms around her as he held her close.

"I… I'm so… hap…py. Y-you're… okay." he heard her whimper as she clung to him. He smiled a little as he looked down at her.

"I'm happy too, Kyrie. I'm happy too…" he whispered. Pulling away, he gave her a soft peck on the lips, making her blush brightly as the two got to their feet. Sora smiled as he, Donald, Goofy, and Demyx stared at her.

"Kyrie, you spoke! You can talk now!" Sora rejoiced. She smiled.

"Y-yes-" she started, but stopped as she began to cough, realizing now just how sore her throat was. Axel looked at her in concern.

"Kyrie, you okay?" he asked worriedly as the coughing continued. After a few moments, her coughs died down as she turned to them, giving them a small smile. Demyx looked at Axel.

"Maybe her throat's sore. I mean, she's never spoke in who-knows how long. Let's give her voice a break for awhile. At least, until she's used to using it." he suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement as Axel turned to them, smirking.

"Well, now that the drama is over, let's go and find Kairi. Shall we?" he joked as he opened a portal. The gang nodded and ran through, but before Kyrie could follow, Axel grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. Turning to him, she raised an eyebrow. He looked down at her with a unreadable expression on his face, before he raised his hand and cupped her cheek.

"Kyrie… everything that you said back there… was it all true?" he asked softly. She stared at him tenderly, a small smile on her face. Reaching up, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, the highest point where she could reach.

"Y-yes… Axel. E-everything I s-said… was t-true. I… I love y-you." she repeated. He smirked down at her and scooped her into his arms, slamming his lips against hers as he did so. She blushed brightly at the contact, but slowly closed her eyes as she relaxed against him. Axel smirked into the kiss.

"This feeling… it feels like my whole body is on fire. I want her, but I also want to protect her. I want to see her happy and be with her all the time, and it hurts when she's far away. I don't want this feeling to end, it makes me feel so…alive. I think… this is what love feels like." his eyes slowly closed shut as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He cared about this girl more than anything, even when he didn't have a heart. But now that he does have a heart, his feelings were more true and sincere, as well as definite.

"I love her. I love her so much." he thought as he tightened his hold on her. This time, instead of just pressing their lips together, Axel decided to take it a step further as his tongue slid against her lower lip, making her gasp. She had no idea what to do, this was her first real kiss, and she had never kissed anyone before. At least, not that she could remember.

Poking her in the side, she gasped as his tongue darted into her mouth, making the kiss more passionate as he memorized every inch of her mouth. He smirked at her innocence as she shyly kissed him back. "Mm…sugar."

After a minute or two, he pulled away, the two panting heavily as he held her in his arms, her feet dangling a few inches from the ground because of the significant height differences between them. He pressed his forehead against hers, staring at her flushed cheeks as she panted. He grinned at her, twirling a lock or her hair around his finger playfully as he stared at her.

"I…love you, too." staring back at him, she felt her heart flutter as he moved one of his arms, cupping her cheek with his hand. She smiled at him and held him close, her heart beating wildly in joy. "He feels the same way…I'm…so happy."

After a few minutes, he lowered her to the ground, taking her hand as he did so. "Shall we?" he asked, smirking. She smiled and nodded, the two holding hands as they exited the realm together.

And there you have it. Axel lives and Kyrie can finally talk. So you guys can all stuff the questions about when she was going to talk. NEVER DOUBT THE AUTHOR! *grabs a rolled-up newspaper and starts hitting fans with it* Bad!

I WAS going to kill off Axel in the beginning, but I hesitated. During this hesitation period, the trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3D came out. That changed my mind quickly. I mean, really? LEA LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE AXEL NOW! WHAT THE HELL?

Lea: So? What's the problem with that?

Me: The problem is that now I can't tell the two of you apart unless I look under your eyes. THAT'S the problem, buster! Why couldn't they change your hair a little, like keep it the way you had it in BBS? Are they TRYING to piss us off by having you look exactly like Axel? (I don't know about you guys, but it annoys me imensely)

Axel: ...Well, whatever. I finally got to kiss Kyrie, WHOO! And a make-out session was a bonus!

Kyrie: *blushes* A-Axel...

Lea: Nice job, man. Got it memorized?

Axel: Thanks. Got it memorized?

Kyrie: 0.0;; Um... *looks between them in confusion*

Me: Holy crap! Breaking of the 4th wall!

Roxas: ...Um...just review. Ignore these guys.