Chapter 7 – The Realm of Data

"Sora? Can you hear me?"

Sora's eyes fluttered open. The surf lapped at his feet, and he sat up, brushing grains of sand off his clothes. The tropical sun shone bright in the blue sky overhead, a stark contrast to the softer hues of Twilight Town. It was home, and yet not – a digital recreation from memory, or more accurately, from Jiminy's journal.

Seeing it again reminded him how little he'd been there lately. He looked towards the Secret Place, where he knew the paopu drawing waited. He and Kairi still hadn't talked about it. Now he wondered if they ever would.

"Sora?" Ansem the Wise asked again. His projection flickered, as much a part of the simulation as Sora's surroundings. He remained outside with Riku and Lea, monitoring what was happening on his computer. The three of them had also been tasked with protecting Sora and Kairi from any unwelcome visitors. They were the final layer of defense, and Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Aqua were stationed outside the lab as the primary layer.

"Can you hear me?" Ansem said.

"Uh, yeah."

"Is Kairi awake yet?"

Sora turned to the figure lying on the sand beside him. Her violet eyes opened. When she saw him, her expression softened, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. He gulped and tried to calm the pounding of his heart.

How could she smile at him like that, after how he'd been acting lately?

Sitting up, she flicked sand off her bare legs – had they always looked that nice? – before running her hand through her silky red hair—

Sora stifled a groan. He didn't have time for this. He had to focus on Roxas and Naminé and that other girl. That was the whole reason they were here.

But his body had other ideas. Now that Kairi was here beside him, it wanted him to pick up right where they'd left off, and he couldn't do that.

"Awake and reporting for duty," Kairi said. She caught him looking at her and raised her eyebrows, a mischievous grin tugging at her very inviting lips.

This wasn't going to be easy.

"Good," Ansem said. "Are you two ready?"

Kairi put her hand on Sora's shoulder. He tried to ignore how nice even a friendly touch from her felt.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she said. "You?"

He nodded and turned to Ansem. "I know I've said it before, Ansem, but thank you."

"It's the least I can do, after the role I played in their suffering. Xehanort will be searching for this place. We must be quick. Now, who will go first?"

"Me," Kairi said, sitting back and resting her hands on the ground. Her feet traced patterns in the sand, back and forth and back and forth. She was completely at ease, and it wasn't fair.

"But Kairi—"

She grinned. "It'll be fine. Besides, if something goes wrong with saving Roxas or that other girl, then we'd have no way of getting Naminé out of me."

That wasn't entirely true. "Riku can wake up hearts too, you know."

Riku's projection flickered into existence. His Keyblade was in his hand, but he was in his usual comfortable slouch. "Exactly. I'm the backup, but you guys'll get it right the first time. Have some faith in yourselves."

"Better hurry it up, I want to be the first thing Roxas sees," Lea's projection added.

Sora finally relented. Kairi had that look on her face, the one he knew was pointless arguing with.

"Ready?" he asked. He lay down next to her, feeling very small and vulnerable, and the way his chest heaved, up and down and up and down, caught her eye. She leaned over to kiss his cheek, and that was it. His brain stopped working. It became a broken repeat of the same thought, over and over again.

She kissed me. She really kissed me.

That was the first time she kissed me.

It wasn't on the lips, but—

Sora, you don't have time for this! But it had felt really good all the same. Her lips were soft and pink, and his cheek tingled in the spot where they had connected with his skin.

What would it feel like to actually—

Sora, no. You have to keep your distance from her, remember? You can't encourage her.

But he really wanted to. His eyes followed her every movement as she ran her fingers through his hair. Her touch was soothing, sending pleasurable little shivers through his scalp and down the nape of his neck. For a moment he forgot all about the task at hand, focusing instead on the tingling in his skin, the sun shining on her hair, the memory of her lips pressed against his cheek.

She could tell how nervous he was. Well, the last time two times he'd released someone from his heart had ended badly for him. He could try to hide it all he liked, but the simple fact of the matter was that he was scared to try again. Especially since her heart was on the line now, too.

"Ready," she said. Her hand found his, and she gave it a squeeze. "Don't worry, Sora. Riku's right. Together, we can do it, I know we can."

Sora nodded and closed his eyes. He whispered Naminé's name right before plunging into Kairi's heart.

In some ways, it was very different from his own. Instead of being shrouded in shadow, it was filled with a warm, soft light. There were no enemies to be fought, only a soothing sense of calm and tranquility.

As he dove deeper and deeper, her memories whirled past him. At first, they were of her grandmother on Radiant Garden and family on Destiny Islands. He bumped into one on accident, and they started to change. Images of his smile, his laughter, all filtered through her eyes, flickered by. They were followed by a succession of memories of him, a gentle warmth accompanying each one.

He closed his eyes, resting in the comfort she provided and letting it carry him along. It was the same feeling as when she healed him, and for once he was completely at peace. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing on a smooth, glasslike surface. He looked down, and with a start, he realized where he was. Other than Kairi herself, his picture was the biggest one on her Heart Station.

"Kairi…" He was overwhelmed by what he was seeing. He knew how she felt, but here was such clear proof, engraved into her very heart. His eyes watered, and a few tears trailed down his face and landed on the ground. Swirls of light and color emerged from where they'd fallen, wrapping their soothing tendrils around him in a comforting embrace. It was like Kairi herself was hugging him.

"I'm okay." He smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I promise. Just… taking it all in."

His gaze flickered to the rest of the platform. Riku was also there, as were some of the others she treasured in her heart, but he didn't see Naminé. He continued on.

The next platform was of her and her fellow Princesses of Heart. He climbed ever higher, searching for the person he was seeking. Finally. He reached a platform that was of Kairi and Naminé holding hands. Kairi's eyes were open, but Naminé's were closed. Other than that, they were mirror images of each other, down to the daisies and blue flowers surrounding them.

"Naminé!" he called. "Where are you?"

Silence. He wouldn't give up. He knew she was in here, somewhere.

"There's something I need to tell you," he added. Something he'd been meaning to say for a long time now.

A door appeared to his right, glowing with a soft light. He went through it, shielding his eyes from the light that shone through when he opened it.

He was in an enormous garden. There were flowers everywhere, every which way the eye could see. Kairi probably knew what all of them were called, but he could only guess at a few of them. They weren't the kind that grew naturally on Destiny Islands, which meant—

"Radiant Garden?" Kairi had mentioned something about such a garden existing on Radiant Garden in her diary. He'd wanted to see it someday; he just hadn't expected it to be this beautiful. In its current condition, Radiant Garden had its own… what was it Kairi had called it? Desolate beauty? but this was different. This must have been what the place used to be, before the Heartless invaded.

He continued his search for Naminé, calling her name. The scenery changed, the blossoms of Radiant Garden giving way to more familiar tropical plants. The crash of wave against shore reached him, and he knew where she must be. He raced to the water's edge, and there she stood, facing the ocean.

"The sea really is beautiful, isn't it?" She turned to look at him, her hair shining golden in the last lingering rays of sunlight. "I always wanted to see it for myself."

She was right, of course; the light reflected off the waves, making them sparkle as they hit the sand at her feet. Sora looked over her shoulder at her sketchpad before she closed it and sighed.

"You don't have to imagine it anymore," he said, offering his hand. "You can see it for yourself."

She looked back out at the sea. "Will Roxas be there?"

"Kairi insisted I come for you first. But he's next, I promise. Take him to the beach for me, will you?" She smiled and nodded, her violet eyes softening. She took his hand, and together they walked along the shore, going back to where Sora had come from.

"Oh, and Naminé?"

"Yes?"

He paused and hooked his pinkie finger around hers.

"Thank you." He looked at her and smiled. He'd finally said the words he'd longed to tell her. Her eyes shone, but just as he'd promised, she didn't cry. She smiled softly instead, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she tilted her head to the side.

"You're welcome."

"Friends forever?" he asked, putting his whole heart into the childlike promise.

"Friends forever," she replied, equally earnest.

Together they walked into the light, back to where Kairi was waiting.

See, Naminé? You aren't alone anymore. And you never will be again.

Guard duty wasn't so hard, really, until the enemy actually showed up. Then all bets were off. And there were a lot of enemies. The Heartless and Nobodies, of course, but also several hooded figures.

Aqua sighed and summoned her Keyblade. They weren't fighting to win, not really, just to buy time. She and Mickey had already sealed Ansem the Wise's lab with magic, but that seal wouldn't hold forever. She could only hope it would hold out long enough to save everyone who needed to be rescued.

"King Mickey, you and Aqua go after the Seekers. Donald and I can handle the rest," Goofy said. It was a good plan, considering how badly they were outnumbered. And Aqua knew exactly who she would target first: the brat who had caused first Ven and herself, and then Sora and Kairi, so much grief.

"Vanitas!" she shouted, launching a round of Blizzagas at him. He dodged them, of course, and went for the seal. At least her miss had cleared out some of the Heartless and Nobodies along the way.

"Oh no you don't!" She slammed her Keyblade into his before he could use it to hack away at the barrier. He sprang backward. She charged, only for Saïx to swing at her with his Claymore. It crashed into her barrier and bounced off. Mickey cast Stopza, and everyone but their allies froze.

"There, that'll buy us some time." He and Aqua helped Donald and Goofy take out as many Heartless and Nobodies as they could before time ran out. They were making good progress when one of those dratted Corridors of Darkness appeared. Of course. As soon as things got easier, something just had to go wrong.

"Oh, this won't do. This won't do at all." A man with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail appeared, telltale golden eyes flashing beneath his bushy eyebrows.

"Xaldin?!" Donald and Goofy shouted.

He smiled, then summoned a whole new swarm of Heartless and Nobodies and elevated himself with his lances. "There, that's better."

Sora woke up to see Kairi's concerned face above him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He rubbed his eyes and smiled. "Yeah. Naminé's awake now. It went well. Really well. The whole time I was in there, it was like your heart knew it was me." He stopped. What was he doing? This was not the way to—

She grinned. "Of course it did. I didn't spend all that time in your heart for nothing, you know." Her gaze flickered to her feet, and she shifted her weight. "Sora, if it's not too much to ask, I want you to take Naminé's heart out for me."

Sora's chest tightened. "But Kairi—"

She put a hand over his. "You're the only one who's done this before. Riku or Lea could try, but I think you're the best choice." She stood and pulled him to his feet, leading him over to the paopu tree.

Sora wasn't convinced. He looked to Riku's projection for help.

"We'll be right here," Riku said.

"Don't hurt her now." Lea cracked a smile. "Or yourself, either. I'm still waiting to see Roxas."

Sora looked back to Kairi. "What if something goes wrong?"

"It won't." She twined their fingers together and gave him one of her radiant smiles. "I'll squeeze if it hurts, okay?" She leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes. Sora swallowed. Great. Not only was Namine's life in his hands. Kairi's was, too. He knew it was pointless trying to change her mind. And he couldn't blame her for not wanting to do it herself. The only reason he'd been able to was because he'd had no other choice.

He knelt and grabbed the Key to Return Hearts out of his pocket. The metal was cold against his skin, and the last place he wanted it to go was inside Kairi's chest. His hands trembled as he directed it towards her heart. He hesitated, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Um… call Naminé," he said. "She needs to be ready."

"She is. Sora, I know this is going to hurt. But I trust you."

He looked at her for a long moment, then hung his head. Her words brought a sting of guilt – telling him she trusted him, even though he'd been pushing her away, even though he'd created a distance between the two of them. All because he—

"I – I can't do this," he said at last.

It was funny how he didn't hesitate to put himself on the line, but the moment she was in danger, he couldn't bear it. He wished he were the one asking her to take Roxas's heart out right now. That at least he knew he could handle.

She untangled her fingers from his to cup his cheek. "Yes, you can. Do it for Naminé, okay? Remember your promise to her."

Sora sighed. She sure knew how to get him to cooperate. Her fingers trailed down to his shirt, clutching it tight as he plunged the Key into her chest. She didn't cry out, but she clamped down hard on her lip, and tears swam in her eyes.

He wanted to stop, to put an end to her pain and pull her into his arms instead and comfort her. But he forced himself to focus on what he was doing.

"Is her heart attached to the Key?" he asked, his voice strained and his hand shaking. She nodded, grimacing. "Okay, I'm gonna take it out." Her grip on him tightened. He pulled the Key out, and she screamed, her back arching. Naminé's heart floated out of her body, and Sora dropped the Key and cradled Kairi in his arms. She panted for breath and clung to him. Lea and Riku raced over, about to jump into the data realm themselves.

"Shhhh, there, it's okay. It's over now. We did it, Kairi." Sora brushed a sticky strand of hair out of her eyes. She smiled weakly, and together they watched as the simulation created Namine's body before their very eyes. Zeroes and ones came together to make arms and legs and a body and clothes. Golden hair and eyelashes, lips and nose and ears and eyes and neck and shoulders, all the things that made Naminé Naminé, came into being. Her heart provided the blueprint, and the data everything else.

Her eyes fluttered open, and the look of joy and relief on Kairi's face was mirrored on Sora's own. He couldn't help but laugh as he and Kairi exchanged happy glances. He never could have imagined what saving her that fateful day in Hollow Bastion would lead to, but he was glad Roxas and Naminé had come into being. He couldn't imagine his life without them now.

"Kairi!" Naminé staggered to her newly created feet, only to wobble and lose her balance. Riku swept in and caught her. She smiled sweetly at him as he set her back down on the sand, and Sora raised an eyebrow.

Smooth, Riku, real smooth. When did you pop in here? I thought you were still watching from outside.

"Thank you," Naminé said. "Sorry, I guess I'm not used to having a body of my own again." She wiggled her fingers and toes, staring at them in wonder. Well, if Riku was here, they might as well give her her welcome back gift. Sora nodded at him, and he pulled something out of his jacket.

"Hey, Naminé, we thought you might want to have this." He offered her a sketchbook and a set of colored pencils. Naminé took them from him and examined them.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"It was Kairi's idea. Welcome back."

Kairi was feeling better now. She nodded at Sora, and he carried her over to where Naminé was waiting. She settled in next to Naminé and took her hands.

"How are you feeling? Did your heart accept that body okay?"

Naminé threw her arms around her, arms that were solid and real and firm. For the first time in her life, she was no longer teetering on the edge of existence. Kairi was taken aback, but soon returned the hug.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. Thank you, Kairi." Her grip tightened.

"You too. Thank you, Naminé. For everything."

Aqua barely had time to fight. She had her hands full recasting the barrier, because Xaldin was absolutely determined to make it come down.

Unfortunately, that meant she was wide open to attack. Donald and Goofy were trying to guard her, they really were, but there was only so much they could do against the swarm in the room. Mickey's magic slowed Xaldin down, but the simple fact of the matter was that they were losing ground. The barrier wouldn't hold much longer, not against Xaldin's stupid lances and wind attacks.

We could really use some good luck right about now, she thought as she narrowly avoided getting impaled. Why was it that Xehanort's side always had all the luck? Surely they were overdue for some cruel twist of fate. No, the world wasn't fair, as Master Eraqus had gently reminded her over and over again, but it would be nice if it was for once.

Vanitas charged, and she didn't notice until it was too late, divided as her attention was. She braced herself for his attack. But it never came. A powerful gust of wind swept him and a good half of the Heartless and Nobodies off their feet, throwing them into the air in a swirling vortex.

"Keep your hands off Aqua!"

"Ven!"

It was really him. He was really here. Oh thank goodness. There was the luck they needed. And he was standing again, not just standing, no – whirling around the room in a flurry of movement so rapid she could barely keep track of where he was. Just like his namesake. His body had recovered from his long sleep at last. Well, more than recovered, from the looks of it. He was clad in his armor, so she couldn't see for sure, but the magic he was casting, the blows he was landing – he'd obviously grown stronger, just like he'd promised he would.

"Aqua! The barrier!" he shouted.

"Right!" His entrance had given them the element of surprise. She recast the barrier, then gave it an extra layer of protection with her golden chains.

There. That should hold for now. She teleported to his side.

"You're late," she said. But her lips twitched all the same.

"Yeah, but that was one heck of an entrance, don't you think?" She could practically hear the grin in his voice. Well, it had been. She couldn't scold him for that. So she smiled instead, and together, they charged at their enemies.

Lea's projection reappeared in the data realm. "I hate to rain on everyone's parade, but we're on a bit of a time crunch here, and Roxas still needs rescuing." He glanced at some unseen force. "I don't know how much longer our guards can hold them."

Naminé needed to rest, but the others warned her they might have to leave at any moment. Kairi was about to go outside to help defend the place, but before she could, Sora stopped her.

"Stay with me." His hand latched onto hers and held tight. It was selfish, he knew, but the thought of plunging that Key back into his chest was terrifying him. All he could think of was the agonizing pain and the attack that had shattered his heart when he'd done it to save Ven. He was determined to save Roxas, but his heart was shrinking away from the task his mind and will had set for it. He needed Kairi's comfort and strength, now more than ever before.

Her expression softened. "Okay." She sat on the ground and patted her lap. "I have an idea. Rest your head here." He did as she requested, then looked up at her.

She ran her fingers through his hair as she spoke. "I think… I think I can ease the pain when you take Roxas's heart out. Just connect your heart to mine, like you did last time."

The time she'd healed his heart with her own memories, after he'd saved Ven. That had been amazing. He'd ridden the wave of pure joy and bliss she'd tenderly given him for days afterwards.

Maybe… maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all. But then another thought struck him.

"Then why didn't you do it for yourself?" he asked her. She could have avoided all that pain, but she hadn't. Why not?

She chewed her lip. He had the feeling she didn't want to tell him the real reason, and it only made him even more curious. Was it something she thought he wouldn't approve of?

"Kairi?"

"I..."

"Hurry it up!" Lea's projection warned.

"I'll tell you later."

Sora nodded and closed his eyes, diving into his heart once more. They didn't have any time to waste.

He returned to the place he'd seen Roxas last time, but he was nowhere in sight. The beach was empty. He hadn't even stumbled across the girl with dark hair, and every moment spent here meant his friends had to guard him that much longer.

"Roxas, we gotta hurry!"

If he wasn't here, there was one other place he might be. Sora searched for a way to access his memories of Twilight Town, and slowly, the beaches of home turned into its lazy afternoon streets. Still he continued, till at last he reached the clock tower just as it began to chime, the bells ringing out over the whole town.

"Roxas, where are you?" he called. He was about to start climbing the clock tower itself. Anything that might help him find—

"You really came for me."

Sora whirled around. Roxas was standing there, his mouth slightly open, and Sora took Roxas's hands in his, relieved to see him. "Of course I did. I promised."

Roxas's eyes narrowed. "And you promise this isn't gonna turn you into a Heartless?"

Sora couldn't deny that he'd considered turning himself into a Heartless again, if it meant saving Roxas. But thankfully they'd found a way to save him that didn't require that. Probably.

"Well, I can't guarantee that," Sora said. "But so far, so good. I mean, Kairi's okay."

Roxas swallowed. "Kairi? Then does that mean Naminé—"

"Yup." Roxas breathed a sigh of relief, and Sora smiled. He couldn't wait till Roxas was reunited with her. He wanted to see the looks on both of their faces. "She's resting, like you'll have to," he continued, "but she can't wait to see you. And there's someone else who really wants to see you, too."

Comprehension dawned on Roxas's face. He inhaled sharply, and Sora offered his hand.

"C'mon. Everybody's waiting for you."

There it was. Roxas was finally smiling. He smiled so rarely, and Sora was determined to change that.

"Okay, but first there's something I wanna show you." Sora was about to protest, about to remind him that they were running low on time, but he stopped himself. This was important to Roxas, and it wouldn't be right to interrupt him. Roxas took his hand and led him to a set of stairs, and together they climbed to the top of the clock tower.

"Wow, the view from up here is fantastic. You can see the whole town," Sora remarked. The colorful trains, the place where the Struggle Tournament was held, the sleepy houses and stores, even the rolling green hills far beyond. The scenery was incredible.

"Yeah." Roxas handed him a stick of blue ice cream and started eating one of his own. "Axel and I used to come here after work."

"I remember that. From your memories, I mean."

"You do?"

"Yeah." Sora took a bite of his ice cream. It was good, its rich sweet and salty flavor dissolving in his mouth. They sat there in silence for a while, eating their ice cream and enjoying the view. When Sora had finished his, he spoke again.

"You know something Roxas?"

"What?"

"I know the circumstances weren't the best, but I'm glad I met you."

"I – I'm glad I met you too. You make a good other."

Sora shook his head. "Nah, I'm not your other anymore. You're your own person now, Roxas, remember?"

"Y-yeah."

"And you know what else?"

"What?"

"You're my friend."

Roxas was crying, and Sora realized he was, too.

Some things really don't change. Roxas might be leaving his heart, but that wouldn't stop them from sharing each other's joys and sorrows. Sora was lucky, really, to have such a wonderful friend.

"How's the situation inside?" Mickey asked, speaking into the headset he wore.

There was a pause, then Ansem the Wise's voice crackled on the other end. "Sora's waking Roxas up now."

"Tell him to hurry!" Donald zapped a group of Heartless nearby, the sweat trickling down his face. "We can't keep this up!"

Xaldin had doubled his efforts. Ven's arrival had turned the tide in their favor, until Xaldin had brought even more enemies along to fight. Of course. They'd have to evacuate soon for their own safety.

BAM. Aqua didn't have to turn around to know the barrier had been destroyed.

"Begin the evacuation!" Ansem shouted.

Goofy whirled around. "But Sora—"

"I've given the orders to Riku and Lea. They'll get Sora out. Get to your places, everyone!"

Donald and Goofy raced off to the Gummi Ship, but Aqua continued fighting. She wouldn't stop until she knew Sora and Kairi were safe.

"Aqua, c'mon! We've gotta go!" Ven tugged on her hand.

"Ven, wait!" She drew on his power to create the more powerful version of the chains that she'd made before with Kairi. It worked beautifully, as Ven had the same kind of heart that Kairi did. She gave her handiwork a satisfied nod. That would buy a little more time. She turned to go, but this time Ven was the one who stopped her.

"Vanitas— I need to talk to him—"

Aqua understood. In a way, Ven probably felt responsible for him. But there wasn't time.

"We have to go. I'm sure you'll see him again," she added, giving Vanitas a pointed look. He said nothing. Come to think of it, he'd been oddly quiet this whole fight. No taunting, no bragging. Just simple fighting. He was different. Maybe he really had changed.

"Vanitas," Ven said, "I—"

She cut him off, grabbing his arm and teleporting around their enemies and out of the room. He protested, but she didn't care. His safety came first. They had to get to Mickey's Gummi Ship. If they stayed any longer, they'd be captured. She could only hope everyone else would make it out, too.

"Kairi, use the Key on him! Hurry!"

Sora woke up to see the Key to Return Hearts poised right above his heart. Memories of what had happened when he'd saved Ven flooded his mind. Something clouded his vision, and his breath came in panicked gasps. Kairi was kneeling beside him, one hand wrapped around the Key and the other on his chest.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "There isn't time."

There was a loud beeping signaling a breach in the data realm. Riku was supporting Naminé with one arm and fighting off Berserker Nobodies with the other. Saïx was locked in combat with Lea. They really were out of time.

Sora had to do it. He put a trembling hand over Kairi's, and together they plunged the Key into his chest.

"Roxas, now!" All Sora could think of was getting the Key out so he could free Roxas. He tried to sit up, but his face went pale, a pained cry escaping his lips. Kairi panicked, her eyes filled with fear as she caught him and lowered him back to the ground.

"Connect our hearts. Now."

Sora did as she instructed. He felt better almost instantly, her magic repairing the damage and easing the pain. He sat up and put his hand over hers again. Together, they pulled the Key out. It didn't hurt nearly as badly as removing Ven's heart had.

He put the Key in his pocket and staggered to his feet. Kairi caught him before he fell, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and putting her arm around his waist to steady him. He leaned on her for support and summoned his Keyblade.

"Get away from Roxas!"

Saïx ignored him. He hoisted Roxas's newly formed body off the ground like he was a sack of potatoes. "We have need of him."

Roxas's eyes sprang open. "Ungh, where am I?" His eyes darted around and landed on Naminé. His expression softened when he saw her, and there was something unmistakably tender about the way he said her name.

"Roxas!" A look of sheer joy spread across her face before it turned into a cold glare directed at Saïx. "Let him go!"

"Or what, you'll cry?"

Naminé smiled sweetly. "You're connected to Sora now. You'll be the one who's crying as I take the memories in your heart apart, one by one. Now, let him go!"

Naminé could be terrifying, really, when she wanted to be. Saïx looked at her, considered the prospect of being undone, and fled.

"NO!" A Keyblade whizzed through the air and nailed Saïx in the face.

"Axel!" Roxas shouted.

Lea didn't even bother correcting him. He caught his Keyblade and jumped in after them just as the Corridor of Darkness Saïx had summoned closed. They all stared at it in horror.

"Oh no… Roxas…" Sora whispered.

Riku was the first to recover. "We've gotta get out of here. They're after you, too, Naminé." He readjusted his weight to get a better grip around her waist.

"But Roxas—" Naminé stared at the place where he'd disappeared.

"Lea's with him. He's in good hands."

Naminé finally relented, allowing Riku to lead her out of data realm and into the real world. Thankfully, her body was just as solid in real life as it had been inside of the simulation. Ansem the Wise should be happy, really. The experiment was a smashing success.

Riku led Naminé through a series of passages designed to keep out intruders, and Sora and Kairi followed close behind. They reached the Gummi Ship hangar and stumbled onto the ship where Donald and Goofy were waiting.

"Hang on everyone, we're taking off." Donald started up the ship, its engines stuttering as it lifted off the ground.

"Well hey there, Naminé," Goofy said, waving at her as if her miraculous return was nothing out of the ordinary. She smiled and waved back.

"Hi, Goofy. Long time no see."

"Where's everyone else? Are they okay?" Kairi asked.

"They're with King Mickey. He's getting them out on his Gummi Ship," Donald said. "The fighting was pretty bad. We held them off as long as we could, but they got through in the end. Sorry about that."

"What about Roxas?" Goofy asked.

Sora shifted uncomfortably. "Um…"

Riku sighed and put his face in his hands. "Saïx got him, but Lea chased after them. There was nothing we could do. They disappeared before we could stop them."

"Now don't beat yourself up about it, Riku," Goofy said. "I'm sure he'll be okay. Lea's not gonna let Saïx take him without a fight."

Kairi sighed. "You're right. I wouldn't want to be Saïx in that situation." She muttered something to herself, an instruction to Lea not to let Saïx take Roxas from them.

"We didn't even save the other girl yet," Sora said.

Everyone was silent. It was bad enough that they'd lost Roxas, but they hadn't even had time to rescue everyone. He hadn't forgotten about the other girl in all the chaos. And now they were going away from the very place she could be saved. He looked at Naminé. At least she was safe, for now. Truth be told, it would probably be worse if she fell into enemy hands than Roxas, considering her powers.

Her powers. Her powers over memory. Her powers to rewrite memories and reconnect ones that had been taken apart.

"Naminé?" he asked, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.

She turned towards him. "Yes, Sora?"

"There's something we need your help with," Sora said. "There's this girl I saw in my heart. But no one knows who she is. Maybe… maybe we have memories of her, but we've just forgotten. Could you use your connection to me to check?"

Naminé nodded. "Of course. It's the least I can do." She closed her eyes and concentrated. They all waited with bated breath. "Yes, I can see the memories of her there inside your heart, Sora. But they need to be relinked. They're all scattered, like someone, or something, took them apart. And…" Her head turned to Riku beside her. "Riku has memories of her as well."

Riku sat up straighter. "I do?" His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to dredge up anything he could think of about the mysterious girl.

Naminé continued unperturbed. "And I think… I do, too." Her eyes flew open. "I can do it, Sora. It'll take far less time than it took to put you back together," she added with a wry smile, "especially if I hurry, but I'll still need time."

"We'll be safe once we reach Twilight Town," Donald said. "Take all the time you need when we get there."

"Twilight Town?" Kairi asked.

"Ansem the Wise's digital Twilight Town is there," Riku said. "It's the backup plan. We can access it from the real Twilight Town."

Hope surged through Sora. There was still a chance to save the other girl. He could only pray Lea would find Roxas and bring him back, too. He wouldn't rest until they were all safe. But for now he could only wait as Naminé reconnected the scattered memories in his heart of the other girl, one by one. It wouldn't be long now, before he could enact the final stage of his plan.

A/N: I was really looking forward to posting this chapter, so I'm glad the time has finally come to share it with you all! Rescuing Roxas and Naminé has been a part of this story since its earliest stages. I hope you enjoyed the way their rescue unfolded as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The scene with Roxas and Sora was inspired by the Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix art where they eat ice cream together. And Sora finally got to thank Naminé, just like he promised he would.

I'm curious though - those were some of my favorite moments from this chapter, but what were yours?

And just a quick note. One of the additional pairings I mentioned in the notes for the first chapter is going to receive some focus soon. Again, if you want to know what pairing it is ahead of time, feel free to send me a PM and I will be happy to tell you.

As always, thank you for reading!