Okay, this is the last chapter before the epilouge, which will lead into the next segment "Sanctioned Souls".

Enjoy!

Kyrie (c) Me

Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix

Kingdom Hearts

Bonded Soul

Chapter 79

"Okay, so I'm going to go with Kyrie to get her some new clothes. Sora, Riku, you guys can go with Axel, Demyx, and Xigbar to help them get some clothes."

"Huh? Why do we have to go with them?"

"Because you're boys. Boys help boys get clothes, same with girls."

"Uh, I think we're old enough to pick out our new clothes, Kairi. Got it memorized?"

"Yes, but who's going to pay for them? I'm pretty sure you guys had spent all of your munny on buying that house."

Kyrie sighed as she listened to the group bicker back and forth. It had been a week since Xemnas' death, and after going to a few worlds and eliminating heartless for cash, they were finally able to buy a house on the Destiny Islands. Now they were in the middle of clothes and furniture shopping, something none of the guys were looking forward to.

"So wait, WE'RE buying their clothes? No fair!" Sora pouted as he crossed his arms. Kairi rolled her eyes at him before grabbing Kyrie's arm, leading the girl away for some much needed "girl time".

"Well, bye guys! We'll see you in a little bit!" she called as she led the girl away, leaving the boys to bicker amongst themselves about clothes and cash. Kyrie giggled at this, amused as Kairi began browsing through all of the clothing store choices they could go to.

"Hm…well, we need to get you some regular clothes, a bathing suit, some underwear, bras, a school uniform…" Kairi mumbled as she looked along the shops. "Ah! First, we'll get you some regular clothes and leave the underwear and bras for last. Alright, let's go!" with that, she grabbed Kyrie's hand and led her into the shopping district of the islands, ready to shop 'til they drop.

-A little while later-

"Hey, Kairi!" the girls look up from where they were sitting at a bench and watched as a brown-haired girl came over, smiling brightly at them as she did so. Kairi smiled back.

"Hey, Selphie!"

"Jeez, Kairi! What happened to you? One day you're on the islands, and the next you disappear. It's really- oh! Who's this?" she asked, noticing the white-haired girl sitting next to her.

"Oh, this is Kyrie. Kyrie, this is my friend, Selphie." she answered as she introduced the two. Kyrie looked up shyly at the girl as she held her hand out.

"Nice to meet you, Kyrie!" she exclaimed. Kyrie nodded and reached out, taking her hand and giving it a greeting shake before resting it back in her lap again. Selphie blinked curiously at the girl before leaning in.

"Hello…I just said 'Nice to meet you'! Aren't you going to say anything back?" she questioned. At this, Kairi stepped in.

"Um, Selphie, Kyrie's really shy and doesn't talk much to people she's just met." she explained. That was partly the truth, while Kyrie got shy with new people, she was also getting used to talking again. At times, she would pull out her notebook again and write something down, forgetting that she could talk again. Selphie nodded in understanding as she turned her attention back to Kairi again.

"So why're you guys here? Are you shopping?" she asked. Kairi nodded as she pointed to the bags at her feet.

"As a matter of fact, yes. See, we're getting new clothes for Kyrie and-"

"Oooh, why didn't you say so before? I love clothes shopping! Here, wait here, I'm going to ask my mom if I can come along."

"Wait, Selphie-" but already the girl was rushing over to her mother, who was just exiting from a convenience store with bags in hand. Kairi sighed and turned to Kyrie.

"Do you mind if she comes along?" she asked. Kyrie shook her head.

"N-no…it's f-fine. I…don't m-mind." she answered. After a few minutes, Selphie came back, stating that her mother had allowed her to come along with them. As they walked, Kairi and Selphie chatted about various things, from Riku and Sora's return to other things.

"So, where are you living, Kyrie? Did you just move here?" she asked as she looked over to the quiet girl. Kyrie nodded as she carried her bags, pondering whether or not to answer the girl. Thankfully, Kairi stepped in.

"Yeah, she just moved here. Me and her were friends way back, and I was glad when I found out she was moving here. Actually, she hasn't even seen her house yet. We're going to see it after we're done shopping. Would you like to come?" she explained. This made the girl gasp as she looked over.

"What? You haven't even seen your own house yet? Well then, we better hurry and get the stuff we need so you can see it ASAP!" she exclaimed. Kyrie giggled at this, before Selphie reached out and grabbed both of their wrists, dragging them behind her as she hurried to the nearest shop.

-Later, Outside a Café-

"Jeez, where are they? They said they'd be here…" Kairi muttered as she, Kyrie, and Selphie sat at a table, food already in front of them. Numerous bags littered their feet and under the table, each labeled with various shop logos, from clothes to accessories. Kyrie had tried numerous times to stop, but they weren't having her go home with a few small bags. Oh no, they were on a mission.

"Still, I think they might've went overboard. Well…Selphie did, anyways." she thought with a sigh as she took a sip of her soda.

"So, who're we waiting for?" Selphie asked as she took a sip of her lemonade. Kairi looked up at her and sighed.

"Well, we're waiting for Sora, Riku, and a few relatives of Kyrie's, as well as her boyfriend." she answered. Selphie nodded, before spotting something over Kyrie's shoulder. The white-haired girl blinked owlishly at her, confused on her expression, before an arm wrapped itself around her neck, causing her to squeak in alarm.

"Ah!" she cried, waving her arms as her chair tipped back. But a foot pushed it forward, keeping her from falling as a familiar mess of red hair entered her vision.

"Whoops, sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya, Kyrie." Axel apologized as he ruffled her hair, giving her a peck on the cheek as he did so. She smiled and shook her head, pecking his cheek in return and scooting over so he could sit down. They were soon joined by the rest of the gang as Sora and Riku sat next to Kairi and Selphie, while Demyx and Xigbar sat on the other side of Kyrie. Selphie looked at the new additions to their group, blinking at the three older men with a confused look on her face.

"I was wondering when you'd show up. What took you guys so long?" Kairi scolded as she looked at Riku and Sora. Sora scratched the back of his head and gave her a sheepish grin.

"Well…we kinda….had a few fights while shopping." Kairi and Kyrie rolled their eyes at this.

"Why am I not surprised…" she sighed, shaking her head. Axel snorted before looking down at their feet, seeing numerous bags surrounding the legs of the table.

"Damn, we didn't even come as close to THAT many bags. What did you do, buy the whole store?" he asked as he pointed at the bags. Kyrie giggled and blushed, looking away coyly. Axel noticed this and smirked, his arm tightening around her shoulders and bringing her closer to him. Kairi, watching the two for a moment, pouted and crossed her arms.

"We did not buy the whole store! Kyrie's a girl, girls need things." she retorted. Demyx looked over from where he was sitting, menu propped up on the table, as he blinked at her in confusion.

"Things? Didn't you just buy clothes?" he asked. At this, Kyrie's face exploded with color as she ducked her head, looking at her feet. Before anyone could say anything, Xigbar conked him on the head.

"Ow! Hey!"

"Watch the questions. You're gettin' Angel all embarrassed." he answered, smirking a little. The two glared daggers at each other before Sora and Kairi stood, grabbing some of the bags as they did so.

"How about we head to your new house? I think we've got enough." Demyx, Xigbar, Axel, and Kyrie looked at each other before nodding.

"Okay, then let's go!"

-A little while later-

"Wow…" Kyrie thought as she, Axel, Demyx, Xigbar, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Selphie stood in front of their new home. It was a simple two-story, the outside painted a soft cream color and the window frames painted a pale blue, while the roof was covered with black shingles. A small balcony could be seen on the second floor, and various flowers and foliage littered the small, fenced-in yard. Down the path from the house was the beach and the pier the children used to get to the other island.

"Hey, didn't old Mrs. Tanaka live here?" Selphie asked as she glanced over at Sora, Riku, and Kairi. The trio nodded.

"Yeah, but she died, remember? Her son's been trying to sell this house for years…I'm surprised it's not covered in vines or whatever." Riku answered. Xigbar smirked as he looked over at Axel and Kyrie, the only two who had not seen the house yet.

"So, whaddya think? Nice, right? Me and Dem thought real hard about this one." he asked as he looked over. Axel gave a shrug, not really caring what the house looked like. But Kyrie stared in awe and wonder as she took a few steps forward, examining the flowers that grew on the fence, the scent of jasmine hitting her nose as she inhaled deeply. She turned to them, a smile clear on her face as she stared at them. Xigbar chuckled.

"Well, from the look on her face, I'd say she likes it." Demyx nodded as he ran to the door, keys in hand.

"Well, enough gawking! Let's show them the inside!" he exclaimed as he unlocked the door, allowing them inside. Sora and Kyrie were the first in, both excited on the new house. The others followed behind at a slower face, trying to keep themselves from laughing silly. Sora and Kyrie looked like kids on Christmas day, and Sora wasn't even living here!

"Wow…this place is so big!" Sora exclaimed as the two looked around. There wasn't much furniture yet, but the walls were painted an off-white and the carpet a soft beige, giving the house a warm feeling. The living room and the dining room were connected, with the dining room leading into the kitchen and breakfast bar. A set of stairs led to the second floor, which the two immediately ran up after they finished examining the ground floor. Axel looked around, a bemused expression on his face.

"Pretty big place, at least, without the furniture. You could fit a family of five in this place." he commented as he followed his girlfriend to the second floor. Demyx grinned as he followed after the three, with the others close behind. But once they got to the floor, they came upon an embarrassing situation.

"Wait…this place only has THREE bedrooms?"

"Uh…oops? I guess we forgot that." Demyx laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. Xigbar face-palmed at this, before looking at the rooms.

"Hey, at least there's already beds in them." but when Axel looked into the master bedroom, he groaned.

"Yeah, two regular beds and a double! Xigbar, what were you thinking?" he groaned, exasperated. The Free shooter chuckled at this, seeing the bright blush on his face. Sora looked into the three bedrooms, before looking back at them.

"Well, it looks like two people have to share the double bed. It'd kinda be a waste if only one person used it." he pointed out. Kairi quickly grabbed Kyrie, pushing her towards one of the bedrooms.

"Well, she's going to take one of the bedrooms. It looks like one of you guys has to share." she said adamantly, scowling at the thought of them making her share a bed or bedroom. The three men looked at each other, before looking back to the master bedroom.

"Hell. No. I am NOT sharing a bed, let alone a room, with either of you! Got it memorized?" Axel exclaimed. Xigbar nodded in agreement, also not wanting to share a bed. Kyrie looked over Kairi's shoulder, before stepping around her and grasping Axel's hand.

"I…d-don't m-mind…sharing…" she explained, not wanting to cause trouble. Xigbar and Demyx went into protective brother/father/uncle mode immediately, pulling her away from Axel.

"No way, Angel. We are NOT having you two sleep in the same bed together. Especially now that you're boyfriend-girlfriend." Xigbar said sternly, glaring daggers at Axel. Sora blinked innocently, not really seeing a problem.

"Huh? Why can't they sleep in the same bed?" he asked. Kairi blushed at this and covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her blush while Riku rolled his eyes, typical Sora. Selphie gaped at this, Demyx blushed and scratched the back of his head, Xigbar blinked, and Axel gawked at him. The group was silent for a few minutes, before Axel spoke up.

"Sora…did anyone ever give you the talk about the birds and the bees?"

"Huh? The birds and the bees? What does that have anything to do with sharing the same bed?" he asked, confused. Kyrie nodded, not understanding why she and Axel couldn't share the same bed. Heck, for most of the week, she had spent every night curled up against his chest, snuggling against him. Axel sighed, waving him off.

"Never mind, we'll explain to you sometime. Anyways," he turned his attention to Demyx and Xigbar. "Look, there's no way I would ever put my hands on her without her consent. Got it memorized?" he growled as he pointed to his temple. The two nobodies were silent for a moment, before sighing in defeat.

"All right, fine. But I better not hear or catch you two doing anything inappropriate, capiche?" Xigbar warned, crossing his arms. Axel nodded as he held Kyrie to his side. With that, Demyx turned to the younger teens and smiled.

"So, anyone wanna stay for pizza to celebrate?"

-That Night-

After staying and having pizza, the teens went home, leaving the two nobodies and two somebodies to set things up in their new home. Axel gave a loud sigh, falling back onto the bed as he stared at the ceiling. Kyrie sat down beside him, staring down at him curiously as her hair fell into his face. He smirked, reaching up and cupping her cheek as they stared at each other.

"I don't know about you, but I'm beat. All that shopping today has worn me out, as well as all the fighting between Sora, Riku, Demyx, and Xigbar. Got it memorized?" he chuckled. She giggled before leaning down, capturing her lips with his. He returned the kiss eagerly, tangling his fingers in her hair as he brought her closer. After a few moments, they pulled apart. She quickly got to her feet and walked over to their new dresser, pulling out her nightgown as she walked into the bathroom that was in the master bedroom. After a few minutes, she emerged in a white nightdress that had lace at the neckline as well as the bottom and sleeves of the dress.

"Today has been…eventful. We have a house to live in, we got new clothes and furniture, and for once…we don't have to watch for danger. Everything is…peaceful. And tomorrow…I'm starting as a Junior at Kairi's school." she thought as she walked out of the bathroom. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she could relax and not have to worry about heartless and the organization. Sure, losing her grandfather had been painful, but she had her friends, Axel, Demyx, and Xigbar with her. Everything would be okay, now.

She was surprised to see Axel already in his sleepwear, a grey tank top and red sweatpants, with his hands behind his head as he lay in bed. She padded over quietly and got in, trying not to disturb the pyro. He looked over at her before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling so that her head rested on his chest. She could hear the even pounding of his heart, and smiled at the bubbly feelings she felt at every beat.

"His heart…it sounds so…wonderful." she thought as she listened. Without warning, he got up and out of the bed, leaving the girl confused as he walked over to the dresser. On top of it lay Kyrie's sketchbook, notebook, photographs, Wayfinder, and the star plush she always carried around. He gazed at the other items for a moment, before grabbing the plush. With that, he walked back over to the bed and got in, handing it to her. She blinked at it in confusion before he spoke.

"I know that it's important to you, so…" he explained, scratching the back of his head. The days after Xemnas and Ansem's deaths had been hard for her, and she had cradled the toy tightly in her arms every night, trying to find some solace in it. She nodded and smiled, before wrapping her arms around him. He blinked at her in confusion, before doing the same.

"I…I wanted…" he looked down at her, eyebrow raised.

"To…r-remember…everything. Who I…was. Grandfather…he k-knew. He…w-was t-the…o-only family…that I had…left. Maybe…I'm not meant…t-to remember." she whispered, her head resting against his chest. He nodded in understanding, before laying back and pulling the covers over them. After getting a heart of his own, all of his memories of his previous somebodies' life disappeared. He knew he was a Nobody, and could remember his entire life as a Nobody. But as for his previous life…he couldn't even remember their name. He traced circles on her shoulders as they lay there, before he spoke.

"I dunno about you, but I'm pretty content the way that things are. Even if you can't remember all those things, it doesn't change who you are. And if I do say so myself, I like you as you are." he stated. She was silent for a few minutes, before giggling softly. She nuzzled under his chin, feeling the exhaustion wash over her.

"…Yeah. I'm happy…too. I got to meet…many wonderful…friends. Even…fell in love…with you…" she whispered as she drifted off to sleep. Axel stared down at her for a few seconds, before smiling and holding her close. He gazed out the window, watching the full moon bask its light on the houses and scenery.

"See ya tomorrow." he thought, and with that, he fell asleep.

Yup, Kyrie, Axel, Demyx, and Xigbar are now permenant residents on the Destiny Islands. And what's this, Axel's forgotten about his past as Lea? What's the deal?

Axel: Well, ya see-

Me: No spoiling! I'll reveal it all in part 3. That'll give them something to look forward to.

Kyrie: *nods in agreement* Y-yes...until t-the next...chapter...p-please read and r-review!