As the party went deeper through the cave, they gradually went higher. Soon enough, they reached the exit and stepped out to find themselves at the top of the mountain. Ray looked both ways and surveyed the area. To his left, he could see the pink sakura trees of the Kinomoto Empire, while to the right he saw a vast forest of trees that looked like really tall sticks.

"What are those?" He asked Lee.

"Bamboo trees," The younger boy said. "they're the Syaoran Empire's specialty plant."

"So that's your empire, huh?"

"Yep, but soon enough, it won't just be mine. My empire, and Sakura's empire…they'll become one. No longer will we be divided. I'll become a respectable emperor, not just for the people, but for Sakura as well."

Sakura blushed and giggled. "Lee…thank you."

"You really care about her, don't you?" Tails said with a smile.

Lee blushed, but nodded determinedly. "Y-yeah. I mean, we haven't known each other for long or anything, but…my heart is set. She'll be a great empress and wife, and I'm not gonna let her down. I'll protect her with everything I have!"

Ray blinked as he listened to that speech. The way Lee spoke…why did it seem familiar?

"He really does sound like you, Ray." King Arthur said with fondness.

He was right…how Lee wanted to do his best for Sakura and protect her…was just like how Ray wanted to protect Gwen. It made him chuckle a little, and he gave Lee a wry smile.

"I also have someone I'm fighting for." He said. "I'm on this journey for her sake. I don't care for this Royal Key or whatever…but if it means I can save Gwen, then I'll do my best to be its master."

Lee snickered. "Heh, I guess we are a bit alike. Maybe you can be the real deal. Just be sure you have your priorities straight."

"Yeah yeah, I know. Seal the Keyholes and defeat the darkness."

"Then let's keep going!" Tails said brightly. "That should be the shrine, right?"

He pointed forward, and up ahead there was a box-shaped stone building with a domed roof. Two statues of robed men stood on either side of the entrance, crossing their swords in an arc over it.

"Yep, Tsubasa Shrine!" Sakura confirmed with a nod. "We're almost there, come on!"

The party began walking towards the building, only to stop as a shadow passed over them. They all looked up, then screamed as they scattered to avoid a massive, robotic silver dragon. Its razor-sharp claws gleamed as it snatched up Sakura, who shrieked and squirmed in fright.

"LEE!" She cried.

"SAKURA!" Lee shouted in desperation.

He fired a lightning bolt from his sword, but the dragon rolled out of the way and turned tail. It wings audibly flapped as it started flying away, carrying the screaming Sakura with it. For a moment, everyone just stood there in shock, watching the princess get taken away.

"What the hell…" Ray muttered.

"This does not bode well…" The King said darkly.

Tails shook his head and put on a brave face, then tapped the buttons on his bracelet. In less than a minute, the Cyclone sped over and descended, and the cockpit opened.

"Okay, Knuckles get in!" He ordered, helicoptering into the pilot's seat. "Ray, Lee, on the wings!"

Knuckles punched his palm before hopping behind his friend. Ray and Lee followed, climbing onto the wings and holding tight. With everyone onboard, Tails kicked the Cyclone into high gear so it could take off like a rocket. Ray and Lee screamed as they held on for dear life, almost being thrown off by the sheer speed of the plane.

It didn't take long for the Cyclone to start closing in on the dragon, which turned its head and spat out a sizable ball of fire from its mouth. Tails slowed the plane and barreled over the fireball, then opened the cockpit and shouted to everyone.

"I'll get you guys close, and you can hit that hunk of junk with all you got! Are you ready?"

"Of course we are, hurry it up!" Lee urged.

"Then you better let go when I say!"

Tails picked the speed back up, and once again drew closer to the mechanical monster. When it shot out fireballs and lightning bolts in retaliation, he skillfully maneuvered the ship back and forth through the barrage. Upon getting mere feet away from the target, Tails gave the order.

"Do it now!"

He hit the brakes, and at the same time Ray and Lee let go of the wings. The sudden stop, combined with the previous momentum, threw them forward. Lee successfully drew his sword to hang on the dragon's side. Meanwhile, Ray coughed out in pain as he smacked onto the metal plating, and nearly fell off before managing to get his Keyblade into the armor.

"D-damn…" He groaned.

"Guys!" Sakura yelled frantically.

They looked to see her struggling in the dragon's clutches…and its open mouth charged with lightning and aimed right for the boys. Then Knuckles came gliding in, knocking the dragon's jaw aside with a magically-charged punch. Sparks flew as the metal plating was ripped off, leaving an exoskeleton behind.

The mech's flight came to an abrupt stop, and it hovered momentarily before beginning a spiral downward. Its grip on Sakura loosened, and she screamed as she slipped out and tumbled through the air.

"No, Sakura!" Lee yelled in desperation.

He pulled off the dragon and made a dive for the princess. Ray quickly reached out and grabbed the prince by the collar, but struggled to hold him.

"What the hell are you thinking!?" Ray snapped.

Lee gave him a fierce glare. "I have to save her! Even if it costs me my life, I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep her safe!"

Ray looked at him surprise, feeling a similar sentiment. Lee really did sound like him. Ray knew that if Gwen was the one falling, he would be going after her. He and Lee had someone they wanted to protect…who they would risk everything for.

So with a more determined face, Ray nodded and let go of Lee's hand, while relinquishing his hold on the Keyblade. They both fell through the sky together, making a beeline for Sakura. By now, she had managed to get her bearings and pull out a spell card. However, the rush of air made it fly out of her hand.

"Quick, catch it!" She shouted.

Ray moved to swipe at the flailing card, but it just slipped between his fingers. Lee quickly followed and grasped with both hands, successfully catching it. The boys then moved to Sakura, who proceded to hug her fiance tight and sniffle into his shoulder.

"I was afraid you wouldn't save me!" She cried.

Lee hugged back. "I'll always be there for you. That's what I promised myself, and what I promised you."

Ray smiled at the moment, then blinked and looked down. The ground was coming awfully close…

"Uh, you two, nice to see and all, but WE ARE FALLING!"

The young couple blushed and pulled away from each other, then put on more serious looks. After a mutual nod, Lee held up the spell card while Sakura raised her staff.

"Flight, grant us wings!" She chanted before swinging.

The glowed bright upon being struck, enveloping the trio in light. When it faded, all three were now sporting white-feathered wings, which flapped by themselves and slowed their descent. They stopped just before hitting the ground, and Ray sighed in relief.

"That was close…" He muttered.

Lee pointed up. "It's not over yet."

In the sky, the mecha dragon was looping around and breathing fire and lightning, trying to hit Knuckles. He was hopping and gliding around the dragon, nimbly avoiding whatever it threw at him. Meanwhile, Tails was zooming the Cyclone around and firing bullets from its turrets, and sparks flew as they grazed the monster's metal plating.

Sakura took Lee's hand and gave him a confident smile.

"We can do this together, Lee." She assured with a handsqueeze.

He smiled back, squeezing back. "Of course we can. Our power together, can defeat anything."

As Ray watched the couple, he felt glad for them, and a sense of maloncholy for himself and Gwen. While Lee and Sakura were here together…Ray and Gwen were separated. Seeing how the prince and princess were…made him wonder if he and Gwen could ever be like that again.

He was then surprised by the young couple offering their other hands to him.

"You got someone you want to save, don't you?" Lee said seriously. "Are you just going to stand there, or do something useful?"

Sakura nodded, looking rather brave. "You're the one who holds the Royal Key. If anyone can save her, it's you. Ray, this is the first step towards saving her, I know it."

Ray hesitated, then chuckled with sheepishness while rubbing his neck. Here he was, being pepped up by a couple of kids.

"Remember, it's not bad to have help." The King said gently.

Ray nodded at that, then closed his eyes before putting on a more tough face and taking the hands offered to him.

"You're right." He told them firmly. "I want to save Gwen. I want to protect her with whatever strength I have. To be there with her…just like you two are with each other."

Suddenly, he felt a power surge through him. It was a familiar sensation, like when he was with Tails and Knuckles…

A pentagram appearead on the ground beneath Ray and the royals, glowing a brilliant pink. They looked down in surprise, then up as energy flowed from their bodies and converged.

"This magic…it's all of ours combining!?" Lee said incredulously.

"This has to be…Trinity, the King's combination spell!" Sakura exclaimed.

Ray blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "This is our power together! Let's make it count!"

The prince and princess nodded with determination, and focused on the dragon flying in the sky. The trio of magic began to take shape, something cylindrical with a triangular head. It was a giant arrow, formed through the combined power of Ray and the two who joined him.

"This is it!" Ray declared.

"Trinity-" Lee began.

"Arrow!" Sakura finished.

"FIRE!" All three shouted.

With a sonic boom in its wake, the arrow was shot straight towards the mechanical dragon. Knuckles, who had been whopping the thing on its skull, stopped to see the magical projectile speeding towards the monster, then quickly jumped and glided away. A split second after, the arrow punched through the mecha from front to back. Its body jerked as electricity crackled erratically all over, then it exploded a cloud of fire and smoke.

The trio on the ground watched the fireworks in awe for a moment, then Sakura laughed and gave Lee a big hug. The prince sputtered and blushed, but returned the gesture after calming down a little. Ray chuckled as he watched them, bringing his hands behind his head.


Later, everyone was back at the entrance of Tsubasa Shrine and opening its doors. Inside, there was a white marble altar. Behind that was a gallery of paintings, depicting many brutal battles. The centerpiece was two regal men shaking hands, and a signed treaty between them.

"Our empires used to fight so much before peace was made." Sakura said solemnly. "If it weren't for our great-grandfathers, suffering would have continued for many more years."

Lee gently took her hands. "And that's why we'll make sure nobody will have to suffer again."

They blushed lightly as they smiled at each other, then walked over to stand between the altar and the paintings. They stood face-to-face and stared into each other's eyes, and a certain magic began to bubble up around them.

"You're so brave and kind, Prince Lee." Sakura said softly. "I'm glad that we'll be together, as Emperor and Empress, of the soon to be United Empire of Tomoeda. With you, I know I'll be happy, and the people will be safe."

Lee gulped. "I…I want to make you happy. As your Emperor, I will keep you and our empire safe. You're brilliant and kind, and I know you'll be an amazing Empress. So from now on…let's be united, forever."

They stared a little longer, then slowly embraced and kissed. The magic around them became more intense, and the paintings flashed bright. The dark shape of the Keyhole appeared, and the wayfaring trio looked at it in awe.

"A Keyhole that could only appear when true love between the empires was evident." The King mused. "This is their unity, and I sense that it will always be strong."

Ray cracked a grin and nodded. "Yeah, I think so too."

Knuckles hung his head and groaned. "Look, I know this is cute and all…but can you seal the Keyhole already?"

"Oh, uh, right! Here it goes."

Ray summomed the Royal Key and aimed it at the Keyhole. A beam of light was shot into the opening, and after a distinct click, the Keyhole faded away.

Before Ray could remark on the job well done, Excalibur was suddenly shrouded in light. Then just as quickly, it faded to reveal something new, a blue stripe along the blade.

"What just happened?" Tails said with wide eyes.

Ray looked up in thought. "King Arthur?"

"I will talk about this later." The King promised.

Ray sighed at that, then shrugged and focused on the newlyweds, who look lost in their own little world. The blonde raised his voice to get their attention.

"Uh, sorry to cut things short, but we should probably be leaving now."

They stepped away from each other, their faces bright red as they looked different ways in embarrassment. Sakura was the first to begin walking, hastily going past the boys.

"Y-yeah, you're right!" She said in a pitch. "We have to tell Father the good news!"

Ray shook his head as he followed her out the door. Then behind him, there was the sound of solid objects colliding, along with Knuckles grunting. Ray turned around to see a transparent blue wall in front of the doorway, which had trapped the other boys inside the shrine.

"Hey, what the heck is this!?" Knuckles complained, punching the barrier.

"It's advanced barrier tech!" Tails said, slightly impressed. "I've never seen anything so solid!"

"Please tell me you know how to deal with this! I can't dent it!"

Lee stepped forward, looking worried. "Sakura!"

Ray turned, and was surprised to see the princess backing away from a purple-haired woman, who had a smug look on her face.

"I admit, I underestimated how much this kind of lot could accomplish." She mused. "Destroying my dragon like that, I have to applaud you. But you will not be so lucky this time. The Pure Hearted shall be mine to take."

"Stay away from me!" Sakura said fiercely, taking out the Windy card.

She cast out a small twister at the woman, who dove away with surprising nimbleness and drew a cylindrical object. She clicked it, and a blade of red electrical energy sprang out.

Ray scowled and dashed in, then made a leaping strike on the mysterious enemy. She just rolled out of the way and stood up, then hopped back when he tried to slash her horizontally.

"Dammit, she's fast." He growled, taking a stance.

"I sense a dark power within her, be careful." The King warned.

"We have to work together, Ray!" Sakura suggested.

The blonde nodded at her, then focused his attention on the mystery woman, who stood straight and composed. The King was right, Ray could see the dark aura coming from her. It made him step back slightly, which made her smirk.

"I am far above your levels, even when put together, foolish children." She boasted. "You stand before Croix Meridies, the greatest mind among witches."

Sakura drew another card, this one depicting a girl holding a bow and arrow, and hit it with her staff while chanting.

"Archer, let your aim be true!"

A lithe female spirit holding a bow appeared, exactly like the one on the card. She drew back the bowstring, charging a pink bolt of magic.

Croix swifty dashed in, flourishing her energy blade. Ray stepped in to intercept with a downward strike, only to falter as it was parried by an uppercut. Before he could recover, he was stabbed dead center in the chest. He cried out as he knocked back, his body suffering from a painful electrical shock. It took him a moment to try getting back up, only to cough as Croix stomped on his stomach.

"RAY!" Tails and Knuckles shouted in a panic.

They punched and blasted the barrier in their way, but couldn't even crack it. Lee fired a bolt of lightning from his sword, but it couldn't pierce the wall either. Croix spared them a glance and smirked, then raised her blade and aimed it over Ray's face.

"Get away from him!" Sakura yelled furiously.

With its magic fully charged, the Archer let it loose as a volley of a dozen arrows, all honing in on Croix. The witch just chuckled and flourished her free hand. From her sleeve, small black cubes flew out and expanded, meeting the arrows in midair. Instead of being destroyed, the cubes absorbed the projectiles and became tinged with red light.

Sakura stepped back in shock. "What just happened!?"

The cubes flew back to Croix, who examined them with an amused smirk.

"I see anger fueled that attack." She remarked. "Yes, very powerful. Now let's see what I can do with it…"

She made a series of complex gestures with her blade and hand, and the cubes moved to take a circular formation. The magic they absorbed came out, meeting in the center of the circle. A scarlet sphere began to grow, crackling with power.

Sakura clenched her teeth and pulled out the Mirror card, summoning a barrier to protect herself. After handful of seconds, Croix's attack was fully charged. With a decisive point, she fired a huge lazer at the princess. There was a sound like cracking glass as it collided with the Mirror, which only held for a few seconds before giving in to the sheer power.

Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs as she was enveloped by the resulting explosion. At the same time, Lee stabbed the barrier and yelled out in anguish.

"SAKURAAAAA!"

It took a few moments for the dust to clear, revealing Sakura laying in a fetal position, dirty and unconscious. Croix laughed with a slight triumph as she switched her sword off, and recalled the now dim cubes into her sleeve. She walked towards the princess, stepping off of Ray.

"Things do go right, when you do it yourself." She mused. "The Pure Hearted is now mine."

Now that he was not pinned anymore, Ray was able to crawl onto his feet. He limped forward and drew his Keyblade back to strike from behind. However, Croix rounded on him while activating her laser sword, skillfully deflecting his attack and making him stumble back. She then moved for a finishing blow to his head.

"Ray, use my strength!" The King commanded.

Ray felt a surge of power in his body, which reinvigorated him slightly. He managed to sidestep the witch's blade, and he retaliated by jabbing at her chest. She huffed as she hopped back, narrowly avoiding the Keyblade. Before he could follow-up, she brought out a capsule and threw it at his feet. It exploded in a small cloud of crystals, which faded to show his legs were now encased in ice.

While Ray grit hit teeth and hacked at the ice, Croix hurried to Sakura and picked her up. A portal of darkness appeared, and the witch gave the keybearer a cool smile as she stepped into it.

"I could kill you, but the Queen wants you alive." She said smugly. "Besides, I got what I came for. I shall see you another time."

With a wave of her hand, the barrier in front of Tsubasa Shrine collapsed into a few white cubes. Once they were recalled, she and Sakura disappeared into the portal. Ray managed to free himself, and he rushed to follow them. However, the portal faded before he reached it.

He could only stand there now, completely in shock. The others ran up from behind him, and stared at where Princess Sakura once was. Lee fell to his knees and hung his head, and spoke with dejection.

"Sakura…I'm sorry."