Author's Note: At long last, I have reached the end of the Hollow Bastion story. After an incredibly long journey through the same world, it's great to finally be done with it.

But this also means we're nearly done with the fanfic. After this, it's just one last world to cover. I don't know if this will be over in the next chapter or two, but we're definitely near the end. Get ready for what comes next.

Enjoy the chapter. Any and all comments are welcome.

The Reds and Blues' portals lead everyone back to Traverse Town. There, they noticed a bunch more Heartless trying to haunt the streets. Thankfully, they managed to avoid them and regroup with Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie. After explaining everything to the three of them, they shared a look of understanding.

"So the darkness is flowing out of that Keyhole." Leon said.

"No wonder there are more and more Heartless everywhere." Aerith said.

"All, and with Maleficent out of the way, they got a new boss." Tucker said. "That stinking SOB, Ansem. Why didn't you tell us he went all supervillain?"

"Hey, cut us some slack." Yuffie said. "We didn't know either."

"Once the Heartless began to rise, Ansem disappeared." Leon said. "It is unknown what drove him into the darkness like that, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that we stop him."

"How?" Simmons asked. "He said he wanted to go to this dark realm place, and we pretty much opened the door for him. He's probably on his way right now to this power he's obsessed with."

"Well, first, you have to seal the Keyhole." Aerith said.

"Then it's a good thing I got this." Sora said holding up the Keyblade.

"But no one knows what will happen once it's sealed." Leon said.

"Well, we can't just stay here. We have to do something." Sora said. "I've got a friend back there."

"You mean Riku?" Grif asked. "Kid, that guy's been getting in our way for a while. You sure you want to save him?"

"It's not his fault, Grif." Donut said. "He was desperate and lost. Besides, he did help us get away from Ansem back in Hollow Bastion. Plus, I can't help but feel bad for him while also envying his possession."

"Envying his possession?" Sarge asked.

"Yeah. Come on, guys. Haven't you ever wanted another man inside you?"

"…Not dignifying that." Leon commented. "The point is, you have one more friend to worry about. Riku's Keyblade must have been born of the captive princesses' hearts, just like that Keyhole you saw. Of course, without Kairi's heart, it remained incomplete. Once that Keyblade was destroyed, the princesses' hearts should have been freed."

"So they're home?" Sister asked.

"No. I haven't received word that Princess Jasmine has returned to Agrabah. My guess is that they're still in Hollow Bastion."

"Then there's no time to waste." Tucker said. "We gotta go back there and save them."

"Um, you mean back into the place with more Heartless than anywhere else in the Multiverse?" Grif asked. "We barely escaped with our lives!"

"Then we'll be better prepared." Sarge said. "We'll need grenades, rocket launchers, nuclear missiles…"

"That's not going to do anything against the Heartless." Leon said. "Remember, they can only be affected by magic."

"Aw, man." Caboose said pulling out a medieval sword from behind his back. "I brought this here for nothing."

Tucker stared at Caboose blankly. "Um… Where do you keep that?"

"I'll never tell."

Kairi followed the Reds and Blues to an underground waterway where she stopped herself and her friend, Sora, so they could talk. They looked at the far end of the tunnel and admired a mural of a sun painted on it.

"A light at the end of the tunnel." Kairi said.

"Oh, your grandma's story, right?" Sora asked.

Kairi nodded. "That's right. We were together."

"You know what's funny?" Sora asked.

"Your new friends?" Kairi chuckled.

Sora laughed back. "Yes, them. But also, I looked everywhere for you, but you were with me all along. Finally, we're together, Kairi. Now, it's time to get Riku back."

"You think it'll ever be the same again between us?" Kairi asked. "Riku's lost his…"

"When I turned into a Heartless, you saved me, remember?" Sora answered. "I was lost in the darkness. I couldn't find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things; my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then I heard a voice, your voice. You brought me back."

"I didn't want to just forget about you, Sora." Kairi said. "I couldn't."

"That's it!" Sora realized. "Our hearts are connected. And the light from our hearts broke through the darkness. I saw that light. I think that's what saved me. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within. I guess it's more than just a fairy tale."

"Well, let's go." Kairi said feeling ready.

"You can't go." Sora told her.

"Why not?"

"Because it's way too dangerous."

"Come on, Sora. We made it this far by sticking together. You can't go alone."

"I'm not alone. I have the Reds and Blues. And besides, even if we're apart, we're not alone anymore. Right?"

"I can't help?"

"You'd kind of be in my way." Sora admitted.

Kairi giggled. "Okay. You win. Take this." She took Sora's hand and placed something in it. It was a star-shaped keychain. "It's my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me."

"Don't worry. I will." Sora said accepting the charm.

"You promise?"

"Promise."

Kairi gave Sora one last heartfelt smile before he walked to meet back with the Reds and Blues. "Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you."

The Reds and Blues left a place among their circle open for Sora to get through.

"You done, kid?" Sarge asked.

"Yeah. Kairi actually helped me come up with an idea for how to save Riku." Sora said.

"That's nice," Donut said, "But I doubt Ansem's going to make it easy."

"So listen up." Tucker said standing before everyone. "Here's the plan. Now that we're stocked up on supplies, all we have to do is take these portals back to Hollow Bastion. We're going to have to set our guns to take us to where we saw the princesses and make sure they're safe. Once they're exit's secure, it's off to the Keyhole we go."

"And that's when Sora seals it, right?" Goofy asked.

"Not yet!" Donald answered. "If we seal it up from one side with Ansem on the other, we'll never reach him!"

"The duck's right." Tucker said. "Our only chance is to get through the Keyhole and seal it up behind us. After that, we go after Ansem."

"Uh, Tucker, I hate to be that guy," Simmons said.

"Oh, that's accidental?" Grif asked.

"But won't we be cutting off our only means of escape? I checked the GPS on our guns, and they don't have any access to the Realm of Darkness. Once we're inside, they might not be able to get us out."

"We'll figure it out." Tucker said. "Look, I'm not saying I have a perfect plan. Once we cross the Keyhole, we're basically in uncharted territory. But one thing's for certain, Ansem needs to be stopped. The guy's obsessed with darkness. He wants as much as he can, and he's willing to destroy all the worlds to get it. And dang it, I didn't go through wild jungle cats, playing cards with spears, pirates, a million Heartless, and a freakin' dragon just to let him win! We've got only one chance, and we have to take it. So who wants to open the portal to Ansem's butt so we can kick it?"

"I would've made a better monologue," Sarge said, "But count me in."

"We're probably going to die, but probably not." Simmons said.

"I know I say this all the time, but please, let this be our last adventure." Grif said.

"So it's agreed." Sora said. "We go, save Riku, and stop Ansem."

Everyone nodded as they aimed their portal guns and pulled the triggers.

A swarm of Heartless gathered in front of the gigantic doors that were sealed shut. They fought hard to push them open when suddenly, a portal opened up behind them drawing their attention to it. They all stared hard, and one of them slowly stepped closer toward it. It was then surprised when Caboose stepped out first.

"Hello." Caboose greeted to every Heartless surrounding him. "Um, you're probably wondering what I'm doing here. See, the guys told me I was sent to lure you to a false sense of security, whatever that means."

"It means… ATTACK!" Sarge shouted as he and the rest of the Reds and Blues jumped out of the portal behind Caboose and started blasting at the Heartless that were all around them. While they shot their guns, Sora swung his Keyblade, Donald cast his spells, and Goofy bashed his shield.

Tucker ran to a newly-made path to the door and knocked hard on it.

"Who's there?" asked a soft woman's voice from the other side.

"Someone who's looking for a model or a famous actress." Tucker said. "Bow chicka bow…"

"Tucker, cut it out!" Simmons shouted. "Look, princesses, it's us, the Reds and Blues! Jasmine, Alice, and the Beast know us! We're here to save you!"

After a moment without an answer, the doors finally opened. The Reds and Blues continued to disintegrate Heartless behind them as they ran inside. They shut the door behind them once they were all safe. They then turned to find all the Princesses of Heart and Beast safe and out of their hibernation.

"The Beast said you helped him save me." Belle said.

"It wasn't easy." Simmons said.

"I can vouch for that." Jasmine said. "They tried to help me back in Agrabah."

"Me too." Alice said. "These people defended me when I was tried for a crime I didn't commit."

"So ladies, you ready to go home?" Sister asked. "Well, not technically home since they were likely taken over by Heartless, but there are a few good B&B's in Traverse Town where you can hole up."

"That's nice of you to offer." Snow White said.

"Lady, if you knew us, you wouldn't call us nice." Grif said.

"What the heck have you women been doing anyway?" Sarge asked.

"There's a powerful darkness coming from the Keyhole." Cinderella explained. "The seven of us have been trying to keep it at bay, but…"

"There's only so much we can do on our own." Aurora said. "We don't know how much longer we can keep our worlds safe."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore." Sora said as he held up his Keyblade. "We're here to seal the Keyhole."

Belle gasped. "A Keyblade. I only read about those in books."

"Just leave it to us, ladies." Tucker said. He pointed his gun to a wall and shot open a portal in front of them. "Just relax in Traverse Town and wait for us to save the day. Then, maybe after, we could have some special dinner or…"

"We're good, thank you." Cinderella said stepping through the portal first.

"Good luck, brave knights." Aurora said stepping in next. All the other princesses went through afterwards.

The Beast was about to enter last, but before he did, he looked at the Reds and Blues and gave a toothy smile. "Thank you." Once the Beast left, the portal closed.

"Did you hear that?" Tucker asked. "The tall, blonde one called me a knight."

"She called all of us knights, you dingus." Sister said.

"C'mon!" Goofy exclaimed running up the stairs. "We got a Keyhole to seal!"

The Reds and Blues continued their trek up the stairs while fighting off a few Heartless. They eventually found themselves at the Keyhole machine and jumped right in.

The Reds and Blues found themselves in a dark void with red, green, and blue colors swimming around them. They all stopped to examine their surroundings.

"This is the Realm of Darkness?" Tucker asked. "It kinda looks like a college dormitory just threw up a gloomy rainbow."

"Perhaps this is somehow one phase of the Realm of Darkness, and the rest of it is beyond our imagining." Simmons said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Grif asked.

"I have no idea. I'm working with the same information you all have."

Just then, the group heard a series of monstrous stomps. They turned and found a large, purple Heartless facing them. It stood on all four of its legs with its blank, yellow eyes fixed on the Reds and Blues. It wore a pair of horns that stuck out of its lower jaw and one black horn out of its forehead.

"See that, Sarge?" Grif asked. "That's what a warthog really looks like."

"Really? You're picking now to bring up an old argument where I'm obviously right?" Sarge asked.

The tusked Heartless roared before jumping toward the Reds and Blues. Thankfully, they jumped out of the way. Sora kept it at bay with his Keyblade while the rest of them grouped up.

"So clearly we have to beat that thing in order to seal the Keyblade." Tucker surmised.

"Why does every place we go to have to involve fighting a big Heartless before we can finish?" Sister asked.

"I know. It's like everything is part of some crazy video game and we have to fight bosses." Caboose said.

"Caboose, it always feels like we're from a video game." Grif said.

"Guys, focus!" Simmons yelled out. "We gotta take that thing down!"

"How about we shoot it in the eyes?" Sarge asked.

"Easier said than done." Lopez said.

"Hmm. You're right, Lopez." Sarge said. "Those eyes have no pupils, so it probably can't see anyway."

"That's not what I said at all."

"Wait. I think I have an idea," Simmons said, "But we all have to work together!"

The tusked Heartless managed to push Sora away from it. It dragged its foot on the ground ready to attack once more, but before it could, the Reds and Blues made their move. They all jumped on the Heartless and all grabbed onto one of its tusks. The Heartless was taken off-balance with the Reds and Blues holding on tight and pulling down until it fell to its side.

"SORA, GET HIM NOW!" Tucker shouted.

"Right." Sora nodded before charging at the Heartless. He waved his Keyblade over across its stomach until he reached the other end. The Heartless quickly disappeared into nothingness right in the Reds and Blues' grasps.

"Aww. We broke it." Caboose said glumly.

"Caboose, it was trying to kill us." Tucker reminded.

"Oh. Well… I'm still going to miss Sir Tuskany." Caboose said.

Sora chuckled. "You guys sure are crazy."

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure we already established that since day one." Sister said.

Sarge looked over at the far side of the dark field. "Uh, I take it that's the Keyhole?"

The rest of the Reds and Blues followed Sarge's lead and stared at the symbol that floated in the air. It looked like a Heartless symbol, but with lit flames around it and a keyhole-shaped opening near its bottom.

"I'm thinking maybe." Simmons said.

"Now, all we gotta do it seal it up." Goofy said.

"Sora, Reds and Blues, you did it."

Everyone turned their attention at the familiar voice coming from the portal they just came from. Curious, they returned to Hollow Bastion for one last conversation with bunch of friendly faces.

Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie waited for the Reds and Blues in front of the Keyhole machine.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sora asked.

"We came in Cid's ship." Yuffie explained.

"And you came all this way just to send us off?" Grif asked. "Aww, that's so heartwarming."

"Don't flatter yourself, you big lug." Yuffie said. "We're just here to get our home back."

"Your home?" Simmons asked.

"Yes. This is our childhood home." Aerith said. "We wanted to see it again."

"Hold on." Tucker said. "You mean you used to live in this fixer-upper?"

"It didn't used to be like this." Leon said. "It used to be a peaceful land called Radiant Gardens. But after the Heartless attacked, this castle is all that remains."

"Don't worry." Aerith said. "Once Ansem is defeated, all should be restored, including your island."

"Really?" Sora asked hopefully.

"What about our home, and our friends?" Tucker asked. "Wash? Carolina? Dylan and her idiot cameraman? The guys on Chorus?"

"Yes. They'll be brought back." Leon said. "It'll be like they never left."

"But," Yuffie said sullenly, "This might also mean goodbye."

"What do you mean?" Simmons asked.

"Once the worlds are restored, they'll be separate again. Everyone will go back to where they came from." Aerith said. "Every world was isolated. Impassable walls divided them."

"The Heartless destroyed those walls." Yuffie said. "But if the worlds return, so will the walls."

"Does that count for us?" Donut asked. "I mean, we have these guns that open donut holes to other worlds."

"First of all, please stop saying it like that." Leon said. "And secondly, we don't know about those guns. None of us have even heard of a gun that can allow travel to other worlds."

"That's why we're unsure whether this is goodbye or not." Aerith said. "We don't know what to say."

"Well, if you want my advice," Caboose said, "I would prefer if you didn't say goodbye anyway."

"What do you mean?" Leon asked.

"Well, back in our world, we knew this scary lady named Tex. The thing is, she didn't like goodbyes. She always preferred to leave without saying it. Because, according to her, if you don't say goodbye, then you're not really gone. You're just not here right now."

Leon let up a small smile. "Wow. That's actually deep."

"Yeah. We can't figure him out either." Tucker said.

"We don't know if we'll ever meet again, but we'll never forget each other." Leon said.

"No matter where we are, our hearts will bring us together again." Aerith said.

"Besides, I couldn't forget you nimrods even if I wanted to." Yuffie said.

"Why, I oughta…" Sarge growled.

"Guys!" Donald yelled out.

"Hurry! We have to close the Keyhole!" Goofy yelled out.

"You heard them, guys." Tucker said. "It's now or never."

"Sora, Reds, Blues, good luck." Leon said before the heroes returned to the portal.

Returning to the void, Sora lead the Reds and Blues back to the Keyhole where he pointed his Keyblade at it. It was now glowing bright purple with a strong wave of shadows creeping out of it. Thankfully, Sora's Keyblade shot its beam of light and eradicated the darkness that escaped from it and sealed the Keyhole shut. It glowed brightly before disappearing into thin air.

"Well, that's one more keyhole sealed." Simmons said.

"Yeah, but we're not out of the woods yet." Tucker said looking out into the void. "There's still one bad guy we have to beat. Just to warn you, we may be in for the battle of our lives."

"Right, because we were guaranteed survival in literally every other situation we've been in." Grif complained.

"Tucker's right, guys." Sora said. "We're going to stop Ansem, save Riku, and restore the worlds. Let's go finish it."