AN: Okay...So it begins. Hold onto your butts. xD Say hi to solid chapter 60.

End of AN!

Kairi and Luxu emerged out of the Dive, into a new Sleeping World.

The last Sleeping World - the seventh one Kairi needed to unlock the Keyhole of, and free it from sleep...and get herself this Power of Waking. The power she needed to track down Ephemer, finally!

She landed on the ground, staring around her critically. There wasn't much to see: it was a field of rolling hills and tall grass, with distant mountains in the background, under a moonlit sky and a sea of stars. Except, in the distance, on a far, high hill, she thought she saw a...warmer, orange light? Like - a house...?

Kairi felt the thrum of her Heart - the pull - the instinct. The things she'd learned to listen to, on all these adventures now. In all these strange and mysterious situations. So she listened to it, and raised an arm to point, turning to Luxu. "I think we should go check that out, first."

Luxu looked where she was pointing. He nodded, shrugged. "Sure - why not? It's the only interesting thing about this place so far."

"Let's hope this one's easier than the one where we found Comet and Spectra," Kairi said, more to herself now, dropping her arm to her side. "If we can just get in, wipe out the Nightmares, and get out again, that'd be great..."

"Having trouble keeping up the optimism?" Luxu remarked. "I thought that stuff was eternal?"

"Only when I'm around you," Kairi replied, sticking out her tongue at the man.

"Ow - that one might have actually hurt me a little," the man said, holding a hand to his chest and flashing a grin.

Kairi eyed him. "Sorry."

"Hey, I was kidding - relax, p- Kairi," Luxu said quickly, dropping his hand and giving it an airy wave.

"Are you sure?"

Luxu frowned at her now, cocking his head. "Look, that's sweet of you or whatever, but I'm a tough dude. I'm gonna regret going and getting all emotional with you earlier - having that heartfelt moment - if you're going to start thinking I'm actually sensitive..."

"I think you are more sensitive than you let on - but it's not really about that," Kairi replied, putting hands behind her back.

"Yeah? Then what's it about?"

"I just want to make sure we're okay - that I'm staying in the fine line between teasing and...well, actually giving you a hard time still," Kairi stated quietly. She flipped her hair out of her eyes and looked at the man squarely now. "I'm really sorry for that, you know. I shouldn't have been going so hard at you these past few weeks. I just...haven't been able to stop being so wary of you. But...it's different now. I don't think you're someone I need to be wary of - are you?"

"Well, personally, I'd say keep being wary - that's healthy in a girl your age - because only idiots blindly trust, and..." Luxu trailed off at the look on her face. He shook his head and threw up his hands. "But, whatever, not going to look a gift horse, am I? Not that I need a teenage girl's trust or approval - but it might make things a little less mentally trying, yeah. One less person giving me constant side-eyes, and tossing shade. So: sure? I accept the apology, and you can chill out with the whole trying-to-burn-a-hole-through-me-with-your-eyes thing from here on out."

Kairi smiled at him in relief, and warmth. "Then we're okay?"

"Yeah...yeah, we're okay. Can we get going?" the man said, shaking his head at her.

"Yes."

Kairi turned, strode off, and burst into flight, soaring across the grassy fields and hills - toward the tall, high one in the distance, atop which sat what was definitely a house, she saw now. She zoomed over to it, rapidly approaching. She slowed and touched down right at the top of the hill - right in front of the steps to the front door.

It really was just a house - a small, one-story little cabin of a home. Made of wood and stone. A single, clean glass window next to the front door, allowing a look into the interior. Kairi saw a cozy little sofa, a rug before a fireplace and mantle...an old, large piano up against a wall...

Luxu appeared beside her in a flicker of air, startling her.

"Sorry," he said instantly, offering a small smile of apology.

Kairi just shrugged, flashing a smile of her own and striding up to the front door of the cabin. She grasped the metal, curved handle, and turned it, pushing the door wide open. Stepping through, she was hit with an immediate warmth. A warmth, a pleasant smell, and a sense of just...coziness. Homeliness. Luxu stepped in after her, immediately going off across the living room to explore the small kitchen. Kairi walked further in, herself, and went over to the fireplace.

There were pictures on the mantle. Pictures of what looked like a family: there were two women in the photos - maybe mid thirties - one with long, electric blue hair, and one with dark green. One pale skinned, the other, with a bit of a tan. In the most prominent of pictures, they were sitting on the same sofa to Kairi's right. And, sitting between them on the sofa, was a girl. A girl in a green dress, who shared the dark, shiny blue hair and pale skin of one of her mothers (she looked like a mini-clone of the woman, honestly). She looked about Kairi's own age, maybe a little older? But, the most striking thing about the girl was the fact that she had two differently colored eyes - one of dark blue, and the other a dark green...

"You find anything interesting?" Luxu's voice came, as his footsteps thudded softly on the wooden floor (the well polished, clean wooden floor, Kairi noted now).

Kairi carefully picked up the picture by its frame and held it out to Luxu. The man took it, staring down at it with furrowed eyebrows.

His expression changed, his face paling, his lips parting slightly...

"What is it?" Kairi asked.

Luxu shook his head, setting the photo back on the mantle and turning away. "Nothing."

"Clearly it's not," Kairi refuted.

"Just forget it."

"Hey - if you really want me to trust you more, you should open up a little here," Kairi insisted, firm but quiet. "Tell me what went through your head just now."

Luxu took in a deep breath, then let it go again. He reached up and ran a hand over his dark hair. Then he turned and looked back at her. For a long time, he was silent. Then, he spoke, in a murmuring voice. "Just sort of reminded me of my own parents, for a moment there. Like I said - it was nothing."

Well, that was really the last thing Kairi could have expected to hear for an answer - an explanation of his reaction. But it did make sense now... "Oh. Sorry I asked, then. We really can just forget it."

Luxu drew another breath. He brought a hand up to his face, rubbing at his jaw. He shook his head and shrugged, then went and sat down on the sofa. He fell into it, more like, sitting back and sprawling his limbs.

Kairi stared at him, then slowly went to sit down next to him, her knees together, her hands in her lap.

"Go ahead and just ask..." Luxu's voice came to her, as he gave her a side-eye. "I can see how badly you're just struggling to contain yourself here. So ask."

"I won't ask," Kairi replied softly. "Just...tell me anything you're comfortable with, okay?"

"Hah...way to put it right back on me..."

"Sorry..."

"Whatever. It's no big deal. They're millions of years and some change, loooong dead and gone," Luxu said. He swung himself up to sit properly, drawing his arms and legs in. He leaned forward, setting his hands on his knees. Gazing out at the fireplace, now, intently. "I didn't even really remember them, myself, until Namine went in there and showed them to me. I was never sure if what I even still had in my head were real memories, or just made up dreams to convince myself I actually had a past..."

Kairi turned, watching the man silently.

Luxu continued to look into the fireplace, shifting his hands around and clasping them together. "Their names were Taira and Suko - my moms. We lived in this cozy little village together...happy little family and all that. Till the Darknesses showed up. They destroyed the place, killed and consumed everyone in it. My moms...in front of me. They told me to run, to get away. And like the little coward I am, I listened to them. I ran, and ran, and...then the Master of Masters found me - and the rest is history. Literally."

"Well, they don't have to be forgotten anymore. Namine knows their names - and now I do, too," Kairi said softly.

Luxu gave a ghost of a laugh, his lips quirking into a half-smirk. "Yeah. Sure...thanks, princess. Kairi - sorry."

Kairi watched the man's face, hesitating, before speaking again. "Hey..."

"What?"

"What was done for Ven and his friends, and your friends, and Xehanort and his...and his mother...could you do the same for yours?"

Luxu turned slowly to look at her. His hands squeezed together in his lap. "Probably...but I'm not going to go twisting time into a pretzel, abusing the ever-loving shit out of it, just for me. Besides, I'm a little too old to need my mommies here again, aren't I? No, they're...they've been dead, and gone, and- I've long-since accepted the loss. Grieved, come to terms, and moved on. I don't need to go dragging it up again, dragging them millions of years across time, just to satisfy some...emotional catharsis or- whatever. So much shit there'd be to even explain to them - where would I even start? - and then there's me. The kind of guy I am, the shit I've done. Watched. Lived through. You think they'd have a good time of it? Xehanort's mother was damn near rocking herself in a corner when we first brought her here - imagine what my moms would go through? How they'd feel about it all? Could they even understand it, come to grips with it? And how the hell would I even be able to relate to them, or them, to me? I already see it with Xehanort, and his mother...the problems there...I don't need that for me and mine. I'm good."

"Okay," Kairi said, after a long minute, nodding.

Luxu looked at her in surprise. Then he gave a small smile. "Yeah, well...thanks for bringing it up. I appreciate the concern or whatever. You're a good kid. You really are."

"Thanks. I do try to be," Kairi replied, with a small grin in return.

"Welp..." Luxu said, getting to his feet. "think that's it for me - therapy session over. Let's get back to it, why don't we? I'm feeling much better now."

"Alright," Kairi agreed, getting up too.

She strode into the kitchen, then rounded the corner into a small hallway. There was a back door to the cabin - and a split in the hall that went off to the left. Kairi chose to take that left path, walking into a dark, narrow space. She found an open door on her right, which revealed a small, tidy bedroom. She checked the door on her left - and found another room. A girl's room, for sure; there were dresses and other outfits strewn about the room, over the bed. At a makeup table, there were a dozen bottles of nail polish, blush, eyeliner, etc...

"Messy kid," Luxu remarked, peering inside, over Kairi's head.

Kairi laughed, shaking her head and elbowing her way back out past the man. She continued down the hall - and stopped in front of a door at the end of it.

It was a thick, metal door. A thick metal door with a metal bar across it, and several different kinds of padlocks, and heavy chains.

"Well that's ominous," said Luxu.

"Thanks, captain obvious," Kairi said, rolling her eyes. "Can you get us through here without blowing up the house?"

Luxu laughed, setting his hands on his hips. "Yep - as easy as breathing. Here: watch." He stepped forward, raising an arm absently. His hand glowed with purple energy - the air warbled around the door, and a purple aura surrounded it - and then it suddenly began contorting and folding in on itself, like a crumpled up piece of paper! The door shrieked and sparked as it crushed itself down into a sphere the size of a baseball - then the purple energy faded, and it dropped to the floor with a heavy thunk.

Luxu lowered his hand, turning to Kairi and giving it a flourish. "After you?"

Kairi smiled, nodding and striding forward, through the doorway - and into a dark stairwell of stone. She raised a hand of golden light, lighting it up as she stepped down it. It was steep, long, and narrow; it led deep beneath the ground. But to where? Kairi continued on, until she finally reached the bottom, and got her answer.

The last steps brought her into a small, dirty, stone room - with another door on the other side of it.

Another heavy, metal, locked-up-tight door.

She turned to Luxu and pointed.

He gave a grin, stepping up and repeating the same feat as before with no effort whatsoever.

With the new door gone, Kairi peered into...more darkness.

Luxu raised a hand again, and sent out a large ball of light into the dark - arcing up high toward the unseen ceiling. It lit up the room for them as it glowed brighter and brighter, revealing...

A girl?

A girl on the far side of this new, dirty, old, stone room. A girl, herself, in heavy chains. Chains and actual manacles. Her wrists, her ankles - and her neck. A short little chain, keeping her to the wall!

But it wasn't just any girl.

Kairi recognized her as the girl from the photos upstairs!

The girl was wearing a tattered, dirty orange and red dress, of ruffles and lace, and she herself was dirtied and worn - injured - but it was her.

The long, messy tresses of dark blue hung down her shoulders - and those strange eyes of different colors squinted out at Kairi under the bright light.

In the light, Kairi saw a silver chain necklace around the girl's neck - where a large, diamond-shaped, ruby gemstone glistened, reflecting the light.

Kairi started forward-

Only to be stopped as Luxu seized her arm tightly, yanking her back.

Kairi stumbled, whirling. Glaring. "Let go-"

"Don't tell me you're just going to walk over there and free the girl," Luxu said lowly.

"WHAT? Why wouldn't I?" Kairi bit out.

"You saw the doors," Luxu responded. "You don't lock someone up this damn tight unless there's a reason for it."

"They do if her parents were abusive psychos!" Kairi retorted fiercely. "People do terrible things like that for no reason, every day - you'd think someone who lived so long, saw so much would know that from history! Now let go, or I'll make you! What are you even afraid of? I thought you were all powerful and old? Are you that scared of a locked up, hurt teenage girl?"

Luxu twisted his lips - then he let her go and stepped away. "Fine - good points. Just be smart. Keep your head on straight here, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt. That's all."

Kairi kept glaring at him, meeting his gaze. She spun away and strode into the room without a word more. She walked up to the girl, stopping in front of her and dropping to her knees. Just a few feet away. "Hey," she said softly. "I'm Kairi - what's your name?"

The girl blinked at Kairi, turning her head left and right against the chain - rolling her neck strangely. She raised shaking, thin arms...then let them fall with a heavy jangling of chains.

"Right - let's get you out of those first," Kairi whispered, crawling forward and raising a hand of ice magic. She carefully grasped the girl's wrist - finding it so bony and frail - and pressed her hand to the binds. Her ice magic spread across it, enveloping it in blue magical ice crystals. She focused her mind and power, and then, with a burst of golden light, the binds fell apart in a scatter of icy metal fragments on the floor. Kairi repeated the process for the other arm, then moved down to do the same for both of the girl's ankles. Then, Kairi scooted forward and reached out to gently touch the one around the girl's neck.

The girl stared at her, into her eyes, face to face. Her eyes jittered in their sockets, her lips letting out a quivering breath - she was clearly terrified.

"It's okay," Kairi whispered out. "Last one."

She exerted her power once more, and pulled with hands of golden light, breaking the binds apart. She fell back onto her rear, catching herself with her hands.

The girl fell straight forward after her - falling right onto her.

Kairi reaffirmed her position and brought up one arm quickly, enveloping the girl - holding her to her body. She stared down at the girl's messy blue hair in surprise. In sympathy and in worry. Then she turned her head and did her best to look back at Luxu, who had come into the room as well at some point. "Heal her," she said, meeting his gaze. "Help her."

Luxu's gaze flickered to the broken pieces of ice and metal, the chains still hanging from the wall...then he nodded and strode forward, raising a hand of swirling green magicks.

The girl stirred in Kairi's arms, a high gasp emerging from her. She turned her body around and raised her head a few inches...a bruised, dirty green eye alone squinting at Kairi's face from behind a messy of dirty hair strands.

Kairi smiled down at the girl, shifting her grasp on her - and her awkward place on the floor. "Hey. You're okay now - alright? You're free. You're safe. Could you tell me your name now, do you think?"

The girl's eye slowly closed, quivering. Stained tears escaped the edges, falling down her cheek. Kairi felt the girl starting to tremble against her - as the girl shook her head.

"Okay..." Kairi said. "We can get to that later."

"Kairi..." Luxu's voice came, surprisingly soft. Gentle, even.

Kairi looked up at the man.

"I know you said not to bring it up - but you know this is pointless. This isn't real. She's not...real," Luxu went on, slow and hesitant. "As soon as we unlock the Keyhole-"

"The world wakes up, I know," Kairi cut across, quiet. "But the world's Heart dreams of what it last experienced before it fell to darkness, right? Then that means...when this world does wake up - after - there is going to be a real girl out there suffering like this."

"Yeah...smart girl...but - that still doesn't mean-"

"I know," Kairi repeated. "But I told you: real or not, if it feels real, if they act real...then what even is real anyways?! Who gets to even decide what 'real' is or not? A real world, or a real PERSON? And how can I act any differently than I would out there, in the 'real world?' How could I live with myself if I just threw up my hands and went, 'Okay, well, it's all just a dream, so I'm going to go kick puppies into shark-infested waters, and taunt orphans for losing their parents?'" It's not a game! And it's not a test. Or an excuse. I wouldn't treat it as one, anyways. Maybe you would...but I'm going to be who I am, no matter where I am. And that means helping this girl too, the version of her that is right in front of me - the one I'm holding in my own arms as we speak!"

Luxu stared at her, his eyes widening. His mouth opening. Then he closed it, turning away - looking away.

Silent.