(Can you believe it? After several months of writing, eleven chapters, and 155,000 words, we're done. It's over. There's nothing left to write. When I started this story, I almost believed that it would never reach its conclusion. Thanks to everyone who motivated me to keep going and stuck it out to the end. I hope this has been a satisfying end to a saga.)

(You know, now that we're done, I have a confession to make. I'm so sorry. I've been misleading you this entire time.)

(I've never played Kindom Hearts 3 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )

For a race so profoundly afraid of death, humans sure had an obsessive fascination with it.

Every world Sora planted his feet on painted a different portrait of what lay beyond the gossamer veil. The Greeks believed those who fled the mortal coil came to rest their heads in the cold, stony wasteland of the Underworld. Hades and his gremlins would subjugate them with an iron fist until the end of time, the infinite maze that was the Land of the Dead acting as both their sanctuary and tomb. The residents of Halloween Town believed that both body and soul could exist in harmony, even after the Reaper's bony fingers strangled all life from their lungs. They would fill the streets with Halloween cheer and joyfully traumatise many small children together as ghost and ghoul. The pirates of the Caribbean believed that only the lonely expanse of crystal-white sand that was Davy Jones' Locker awaited those who perished at sea.

Sora's brain was a gold mine for any scholar lingering on the mysteries of mortality. How many people could say they had seen beyond the valley of death and come back to tell the tale?

Granted, Sora hadn't exactly planned on finding himself in such a perilous situation so soon after his last jaunt across the border of eternal sleep. The line between his tumultuous dreams and the world beyond was so blurry that Chirithy might as well install a revolving door. Whatever deity called itself master of death clearly had a soft spot for the brunette. The wind could no more move a mountain than the threads of fate could tie Sora down. After all, what lock could boast of imprisoning the key to everything?

Sora couldn't begin to imagine what vision would greet him when he opened his eyes. The afterlife was like a long-lost friend; one whose path rarely crossed his own, but whose presence never truly left his side. Was it finally time to complete his inevitable pilgrimage to Kingdom Hearts? The moon's unforgiving light once caressed the Keyblade wielder's cheeks after falling victim to his own hubris. It was only by Vanitas' hand that he was wrenched from the claws of fate before passing the event horizon. The heart of all hearts remained the one frontier Sora had never conquered.

Hell, perhaps he would find himself reduced to a lowly Heartless again! Sora tentatively straddled the razor-thin tightrope between light and dark that Riku walked with ease, but he was at peace with the shadows in his heart. His Rage Form was proof enough that darkness still lurked within his soul, soothed by the lullaby of light yet patiently waiting for a chance to escape. Some days it felt like a sharp nudge would be enough to let the ravenous beast loose, and Sora had died at the hands of a Keyblade after all…

Well, lying around feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to get him anywhere. The only way of knowing where the winding path of destiny would take him was to face it head-on. Sora gathered every ounce of courage in his exhausted and battered body and carefully opened his eyes.

All he saw was an endless azure sky.

Sora jerked upright, sapphire eyes scanning the horizon for a sign he was dreaming. The Final World? Again?! The salt flats were just as bland as ever, locked in an eternal equilibrium with a sun that never changed position in the sky. The brunette pinched his arm, wondering if he had merely sauntered out of his dreamscape for the umpteenth time. He hissed as his nails left an angry red welt on his skin like a branding iron. So, definitely not dreaming. Sora pulled himself to his feet and brushed off the droplets of saltwater before they could saturate his clothes and drenched his underwear. He expected Chirithy to pop out of thin air and berate him for invading its personal space again, but only the gentle murmuring of wind graced his ears. The frigid breeze tousling his chocolate hair was more unsettling than it had any right to be. The last time Sora disturbed the placid air of the Final World was after his body and soul were consumed by the rogue Demon Tide. Considering how many pieces had been callously torn away, it was no wonder his heart was so prone to fracturing. The brunette's spirit was haphazardly stitched together with only his unassailable willpower as the needle and thread. His previous excursion left his form so fragile that the blinding sunlight refracted through his body like a transparent spectre. Something was different about this time. Sora's body felt so unnaturally heavy by comparison that he feared he would be dragged down into the water below his feet. His arms and legs were like pillars of lead as if the ethereal atmosphere of the Final World was rejecting his presence. Was he somehow… not dead?

"You just can't get enough of this place, huh?"

Sora almost leapt out of his skin as a cheerful voice carved through the otherworldly silence. He whirled around on the spot, expecting to be greeted by the judgmental jibing of a grey-furred Dream Eater or the lamenting of a lost spirit. Instead, he found himself face to face with… another person? The only beings that persisted within the Final World were souls whose names had crumbled to dust after aeons of solitude, reduced to mere flickering sparks of light against an endless expanse of sand. Sora had never encountered another person who maintained their human form after death like he did, yet this boy stood before him beaming with delight as if there was nothing amiss. His crimson scarf fluttered in a breeze that only he could feel, and his explosion of silver curly hair was wild and untamed like cashmere wool. There was something that seemed so familiar about the boy, but Sora couldn't put his finger on it…

"Aww, c'mon Sora!" the boy guffawed in mock offence. "I know your memory is bad, but don't say you've forgotten me already! We kicked so much butt together that one time."

"You… know my name?" Sora probed incredulously. The stranger's face glowed with unrestrained mirth. The confidence in the way the silver-haired boy carried himself betrayed the irrefutable authority that lay beneath his playful grin. Sora could almost envision him as a triumphant leader of a clan or Union, if it weren't for the tiny, insignificant fact that he was dead.

"Doesn't everyone?" the boy shrugged with a coy smile. "There's hardly a world out there that doesn't know who you are, 'Mr. Key-to-Everything'. But enough about that. I wanna know what you're doing back here! Most folks would do anything to escape this place, but you keep coming back for seconds. Are you really so hellbent on dying?!"

Sora was taken aback by the blunt way the boy was interrogating him. The grey-haired boy was awfully lighthearted for a dead guy. He seemed determined to strip the brunette down to his core, but there was no hostility in his twinkling eyes. The stranger put his hands on his narrow hips, fingers brushing against a brown satchel dangling from his waist, and leant forward with an impatient stare. He clearly wasn't going to accept Sora's stunned silence as an answer. Sora had never met someone who could speak of the crushing impact of bereavement with such a jovial lilt in his voice. He was a little jealous.

Sora contemplated the dusty-haired stranger's question. How did he end up back in the Final World? His body was enveloped in a heavy coma back at the Mysterious Tower, buried so deep in slumber that every heartbeat threatened to push him over the edge. The Final World was the resting place of those whose bodies and hearts perished together. It may only be by a hair's breadth, but Sora's body was still clinging to life. His continued tenure in the barren wastelands was already an affront to nature, but his sun-kissed skin crawled as if the salt flats were rejecting him like he was a parasite.

Had Sora perhaps found himself in the Final World because his heart was still weighed down by regrets? The Keyblade wielder was certainly no stranger to rash decisions. His impish nature just as frequently got him into trouble as it got him out of it. His yearning for adventure left no room in his heart for unproductive anxiety. The brunette would sooner dive headfirst off a cliff before considering what lay at the bottom, and this was one of the very few traits Vanitas had inherited from his brother. The two had been at odds long before they learned of each other's existence, embroiled in a battle that neither knew they had been enlisted in. If anyone could've told Sora that he and his twin would eventually put their inconsolable differences aside to forge the χ-blade and cover the Keyblade Graveyard with blood, he would've laughed hard enough to be heard across the Realm of Darkness.

Who could've imagined the two mortal enemies, opposites in everything aside their appearance, would oppose the Guardians of Light with every spark of ferocity in their combined spirits? Sora did everything in his power to sustain the separation between their hearts, but the division became murkier and murkier with every step they took. He felt Vanitas' humiliation as Cloud berated him for clinging to his darkness like a child embracing its mother. He faced Vanitas' dread as Dr Finkelstein denounced the validity of an artificial heart, casting aside the raven boy's chance of freedom as nothing more than a fool's dream. He witnessed the surge of betrayal that drowned Vanitas' thoughts as those who had wormed their way into his heart left it in tatters.

Sora was ready to hand over the final shard of his heart, content to subsist off the streams of light pouring in from the souls he'd touched, but Vanitas refused. He was done with his perpetual reliance on Sora and Ventus. He needed a soul of his own, and it was only by subjugating the ultimate source of light that he would ever break free from the shadow of his brothers. Kingdom Hearts had never bowed to the demands of darkness, but perhaps it would listen to a plea for light. Sora considered himself to be the ground zero of Vanitas' plight; standing beside his cantankerous sibling was the least he could do. Their voices combined could pierce the Ocean Between and reach the crystalised conscience of the χ-blade, bending the emerald weapon to their will and tugging Kingdom Hearts along with it. Sora could survive his ordeal with his light intact, and Vanitas could finally fill the Ventus-shaped void that kept him tethered to his brothers.

If only it was that easy.

Their fusion was the only way to summon the χ-blade from its supernatural slumber, but it had also accelerated their demise. Sora and Vanitas had voluntarily fulfilled the very prophecy they once sought to subvert. All efforts to keep their unified hearts from coalescing together into a murky, inseparable soup were rendered meaningless. The demarcation line between where Sora ended and Vanitas began all but ceased to exist, and it was a fate they embraced with open arms. The Guardians of Light painted their muddled memories as the most imminent concern, but they couldn't have anticipated that the greatest threat would come from Vanitas and Sora themselves.

It was only the act of crossing that final threshold that the two realised they had taken things too far. Jolts of electricity darted up Vanitas-Sora's arms and into their chest as the χ-blade seem to fill them with the vitality of Kingdom Hearts itself. It was dizzyingly intoxicating, like the sweetest nectar or the softest silk, but it rang hollow. The heart of all hearts never reciprocated their exuberance, acknowledged their prayers, or recognised their presence. The χ-blade was a conduit for its power, but Vanitas-Sora was like an insect to the celestial entity. It wasn't that Kingdom Hearts refused to cede to the demands of those who wielded the key to its prison. It just… didn't care.

Ventus, Roxas and Xion couldn't hope to take out Vanitas-Sora under their own strength, and not just because of the χ-blade. Both Sora and Vanitas were their brothers, bound by blood and sustained by the beating of a shared heart. They had closed many chapters in their quest to exist as a family, instead of a fractured mockery of a complete being. Was fate so cruel to turn siblings against each other, dangling any hope of happiness before their noses like a carrot on a string? Ventus, Roxas and Xion only forced themselves to take up arms against their brothers because they refused to return home peacefully, but Sora and Vanitas's fusion had put themselves in a position where there was no get-out clause. The only person able to match the power of the χ-blade was Vanitas-Sora themself.

They may not have intended to end their crusade with their neck cleaved in twain, but there was no other solution where Ventus, Roxas and Xion walked away with their lives.

"T-This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out!" Sora insisted, feeling a solid lump of guilt rise in his throat. "I've never once regretted joining my heart with Ventus' all those years ago, but so much of Vanitas' pain has stemmed from that one moment. I helped get him into this mess, and I would do anything to help get him out. Kingdom Hearts has never followed the orders of those who tried to control it, but we had to try something. Our memories are so muddled together that we just couldn't wait any longer, and Vanitas was way too pissed off to listen to anything King Mickey had to say. It just… we let things go too far."

Sora's candid admission of his failures struck the silver-haired boy to his core, fracturing his ever-present grin like a crack in a porcelain mask. His seafoam eyes wandered across the horizon in deep thought, hazy and unfocused beneath a tidal wave of repressed memories. His radiant smile faltered, and the curtains parted to reveal a hidden labyrinth of heartache with no exit. In a realm where souls were crushed under their own weight until they were nothing more than dim, flickering stars, what terrifying strength must the stranger possess to maintain the form he held in life? What unbreakable bonds had he forged to keep him tethered to the Realm of Light, and what indescribable atrocities had he seen to be so fearful of moving on?

"You remind me a lot of someone I used to know," the ashen-haired boy remarked with a faraway gaze. "A very old friend of mine. He was so devoted to his Union, he would lay down his life if it guaranteed the safety of his Dandelions. Heh, you even have the same blue eyes."

"Oh?" Sora murmured gently, roused from his emotional self-flagellation by the stranger's sudden personality change. "Is he trapped here in the Final World too?"

"What? No!" the silver-haired boy chuckled. "He's still alive… somehow. He's probably an old geezer by now. I'm not 'trapped' here either. I'm just… visiting."

"Are you waiting for him?"

"Nah, he'll show up when the time is right," the boy grinned, his carefree attitude renewed by the thoughts of his friend and fellow Union leader. "Being dead teaches you not to worry about stuff like that. Any grudges you held, enemies you crossed, plans you left unfinished. Nothing matters in the end. We all meet the same fate; the only difference is how long it takes us to arrive."

The boy let out a heavy sigh and shook his head with a wistful smile. He almost allowed himself to sink beneath the surface of his memoirs, had it not been for the worried expression on Sora's face. He snorted in amusement and brushed his curly grey locks out of his face. Sora's gentle features really didn't suit such a melancholy expression.

"Sorry. Being dead also makes you a little melodramatic," the ashen-haired boy apologised, awkwardly adjusting his ruby-red scarf. "Still, you don't need to be such a martyr. Your passion for helping those in need is commendable, but it shouldn't be to your own detriment. That mindset is what got you into this mess."

Sora released a shaky sigh of defeat but bit his tongue. He knew the stranger's statement held only the bitter truth. Every word threatened to drag his limbs into the saltwater lake below as if the weight of his reckless actions had planted itself on his shoulders. The silver-haired boy wasn't the first to berate Sora for his self-sacrificial tendencies, and he wouldn't be the last. Xehanort warned of his misuse of the Power of Waking; how traversing worlds to save a single heart would require a sacrifice of equal measure. Mickey tried to talk him out of his decision to delve into the darkness and pull Kairi from the claws of death. Sora was at peace with the consequences of his choices and just barreled through life like he always had, but it seemed the repercussions were finally catching up to him.

Charon would only accept so many IOU's for his ferry across the river Styx, and the price of his toll was steep.

"Well, now that you're here, you need to decide what's next for you," the stranger stated bluntly, utterly unfazed by Sora's plummeting morale. "Are you ready to move on? Or will you be crawling out of here on your hands and knees again?"

Sora's downtrodden moping screeched to a sudden halt, and he threw the silver-haired stranger a look of bewilderment. An innumerable measure of advancements in science and magic were fueled by a desire for freedom from deaths limitless reach. Wizards and scientists alike gifted their blood, sweat and tears as offerings to the pursuit of immortality. It was both a blessing and a curse, a lock and its key, a prison and its jailer. Death was less of a malevolent entity and more of an unfeeling fact of nature. Sora would have more luck asking the forces of gravity to take a day off so he could fly into the sunset. Surely, what he wanted meant nothing in the face of eternal sleep?

"Decide? Aren't you here to take me to the afterlife?"

"Hah! I'm flattered!" the stranger guffawed, bouncing energetically on the balls of his feet. The satchel around his waist clattered as the keychains nestled inside became tangled together with the motion. "I don't wear enough black to be the Grim Reaper. If you're here in the Final World, you must have some unfinished business. So, is that unfinished business worth sacrificing yourself yet again? Do you think your heart could even survive another trip across the Ocean Between? You'll never find peace in the afterlife if your heart is in tatters."

Sora's voice was ready to explode from his chest in defence of his divisive actions, but the magnitude of the ashen-haired boy's words gave his heart pause. He forbade his mind from dwelling on the monumental strain his heart endured every time he pushed himself past his limits. The comforting light that bathed his soul from those he had become entwined with was enough to alleviate the worst of the pressure, but it was no better than slapping a Band-Aid on a bullet hole. The brunette left pieces of himself scattered across everyone he touched like a graffiti artist tagging his territory, and he was no longer confident that the rations he left for himself would be enough. Had Sora finally reached the upper limit of his abilities? Was it time to join the spirits of everyone he had saved within the paradise of Kingdom Hearts?

"You know, I'm pretty lucky to have lived the life I was given," Sora admitted to himself. He looked down at his palms as if expecting his form to disintegrate into dust at any moment. "I've seen so many worlds that I never knew existed. I've flown beyond the stars, swam in the deepest oceans, climbed the tallest mountains. Almost every moment has been spent surrounded by friends from every corner of the universe. When Kairi, Riku, and I built that raft all those years ago, we could've only imagined the wonders waiting beyond the horizon. It's funny... now that I've done everything my younger self dreamed of, the universe seems so much smaller."

Sora was so deeply entrenched in the mire of his memories that he failed to notice how the wind that once ran its fingers through his chocolate-brown hair had become eerily still. Candy floss clouds no longer lazily strolled across the vibrant blue sky, and the rushing of blood in his ears became muffled and hazy. Even the gently rippling waves stood still as if the flow of time had ground to a halt. The distant horizon became speckled with faint pinpricks of light that steadily grew in intensity as if stalking closer to the two boys. Seafoam-green eyes flickered out over the approaching stars as the silver-haired boy caught wind of their sudden appearance. The corners of his eyes crinkled upwards as a knowing smile crept across his face, but he held his silence.

"At the same time, I can't count how many battles I've been caught up in," Sora continued unperturbed, balling his hands into fists until his knuckles turned white. "How many have gone to war in my name? How many were lost to Xehanort's rampage before I could do something? I miss my home. I miss my Mom. I wanted to see the world, but I don't know if the cost was worth it anymore."

The sparks of pale light rapidly increased in number until they cluttered the skyline like a tidal wave of paper lanterns. It was as if a galaxy of stars had plummeted from the sky to the salt flats of the Final World, surrounding the two boys and enveloping them in their warm sunbeams. The freezing chill creeping up Sora's legs from the frigid water was immediately banished as uplifting heat rushed through his veins and empowered his resolve. The brunette unclenched his fists and met the eyes of the silver-haired stranger. The radiance of his heart was blinding, even outshining the myriad of stars that covered every inch of the Final World.

"Despite everything, I just can't bring myself to let things end this way," Sora insisted firmly, his sapphire eyes ablaze with determination. "There are so many people who still need me. Vanitas still needs me. I promised that I would help set him free, and I didn't mean by beheading ourselves. It's true that I may never find peace if I push my heart any further, but I'll never find peace either way if I don't keep my word. If even one person needs my help, then I'll come back again and again until I'm no longer needed!"

For all the two had only crossed paths once, rising against the Demon Tide that threatened to consume the Keyblade Graveyard and all those unfortunate enough to witness its conception, the silver-haired boy already had an inkling of what Sora would say. The passage of time was a foreign concept in the Final World, and he had no idea how many aeons had flown past since the end of the Age of Fairy Tales. It could've been years, centuries even, or perhaps only a few months. Regardless, every dynasty had its Xehanort, and every dynasty had its Sora. There was something about the brunette's carefree attitude, his childlike innocence, and his unbreakable fortitude that reminded him of the Master of Masters. Any Dandelion would've tossed their own Chirithy off a bridge for a glimpse at the face that hid beneath that black leather trench coat. Somehow, he wouldn't have been surprised to see that wild burst of brown hair and kind sapphire eyes peering out from underneath that hood.

"Man, I would've loved to have you in my Union," the silver-haired boy remarked with an illustrious grin. "I can't say no to a speech like that! If you truly believe that your work isn't over and the repercussions aren't enough to hold you back, then I guess I'll sign up to your crazy scheme. It wouldn't be the first time!"

The tanned leather glove on his right hand found itself flung over his shoulder, dissolving into the saline lake below his feet. He thrust his palm out at Sora, offering a friendly yet firm handshake. The brunette's determination was infectious.

"You can't go back the way you are now," the ashen-haired boy insisted as Sora suspiciously eyed up his outstretched hand. "If you want to be of any use, you'll need some of your missing light back. I'm only gonna do this once, mind! You better take proper care of your light this time!"

Sora's vision wandered across the lines of the boy's exposed palm. A valley of callouses ran from the crevasse between his thumb and index finger, down his heart line, and terminated by his pinky. It was a gnarly battle scar inflicted by the metal grip of a weapon grinding against his skin through the padding of his glove, perhaps from a sword or even a Keyblade. It was the hand a of battle-weary warrior, yet his teal eyes showed no signs of the hardships of war that so frequently decimated the spirits of those caught in the crossfire. The multitude of stars that had gathered around like a clergy awaiting the sermon of a priest dimmed in apprehension, preparing themselves for Sora's decision. The brunette's heart skipped a beat in his chest as his faith faltered for a moment, but he refused to allow his mind to linger on uncertainties. Sora met the stranger's gaze with a conviction that could've illuminated the midnight sky and accepted his handshake with the force of an ox.

"You got it!"

The smouldering embers of courage in Sora's eyes were abruptly extinguished as a third hand came to rest upon his own. A girl with honey eyes and starry pink earrings beamed back, straight black hair cascading across her shoulders like a waterfall of silk. A fourth hand gripped the interlocked fists like an eagle's talons, belonging to a man hidden beneath the brim of a wide fedora. A single red-tipped feather fluttered atop his head like a pillar of flame, and his face was almost completely obscured in shadow. A fifth hand joined the embrace; a girl with emerald eyes and strawberry hair tied back in twin tails. More and more hands overlaid their palms with Sora's as the stars cluttering the Final World took on their human forms for the first time in centuries. Those who couldn't reach placed their hands on each other's shoulders until every spirit in the afterlife was connected in a single surge of light.

"Don't forget, Sora," Ephemer stated as the corners of his seafoam-green eyes grew damp. "The brightest light shines in the deepest darkness. We'll see you later."

Somewhere in the infinite cosmos, within a crooked tower on a lonely island surrounded by fog, a girl with ruby-red hair and an exhausted heart guarded the slumbering body of her best friend. She forced her eyes to remain open, terrified of what may occur if she allowed herself to drift into the sleep that clouded the edges of her vision. She had no idea of the fate her fallen friend had suffered by his own hand and continued to watch over his body like a stone gargoyle. It didn't matter how long she had to sit in place, eyes glued to his chest that continued to rise and fall. She would remain his loyal protector until the day he no longer needed her.

As her weariness finally overpowered her determination, and she began to sink into the gentle embrace of sleep…

After three months of fruitless searching for a glimpse of life in the void of darkness…

After all those years since they were innocent children building a raft to explore the universe…

Sora opened his eyes.

"So, have you decided where you're off to?"

Vanitas' ears pricked up at the question, but his acquaintances were left without an answer. The crystal clear ocean reflected the midday sun like liquid silver, gently rippling under a breeze that was soft and tender like a baby's breath. The salt in the air refreshed his mind and shooed away the grimy shadows in his heart like a stick of sage banishing unholy spirits. The relentless cawing of seagulls in the distance and the creaking wooden dock beneath his feet were a soothing lullaby. Vanitas could even hear the dull, rubbery bouncing of a Blitzball as two islanders punted it off each other and laughed rambunctiously across the open water. Destiny Islands had far too much sunshine for his liking, but he understood why it was paradise for so many.

Vanitas tore his mind away from the allure of the sparkling waves and faced the others that had joined him on the pier. He had nearly given up all hope to returning Sora to his own body; witnessing his brother standing before him instead of existing as a nagging voice in the back of his head was almost surreal. His unsightly explosion of chocolate hair and ocean-blue eyes had become near interchangeable with his own tangled raven locks as their memories steadily blended into an incomprehensible soup. Vanitas' brain hardly recognised the face of his brother, but his heart was not so easily deceived. He still battled with the undeniable urge to punch his brother in the face, but it was more out of brotherly competition than pure malice. Even had shoved his soul in a Replica body after Sora somehow dragged his way back from death - it took the unfathomable power of the χ-blade to unlock their hearts and rip their souls apart, but it was a means to an end.

"Nah, I'm just gonna see how far I can get before I run out of juice," Vanitas retorted with his usual smirk. "Hopefully somewhere you've never been. I've had enough of your voice to last me a lifetime."

Has Vanitas spoken such callous words a mere three months ago, Sora's expression would've twisted into a simmering rage in vehement opposition to his naturally gentle features. Instead, the brunette let out an unsightly snort and broke into a wide grin, habitually rubbing the back of his head in bashful agreement. Roxas slugged one arm over Sora's shoulders and forcefully pulled him into a noogie.

"Think about how we feel!" Roxas chuckled in pretence dismay. "We have to live with the guy!"

"Hey, c'mon! You should be extra nice to me after everything that's happened!" Sora protested loudly as Roxas playfully ground his knuckles into the brunette's scalp. Xion clasped one hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to restrain her laughter. Ventus looked genuinely horrified as Sora and Roxas tousled, worried they were one stray elbow away from knocking each other out. Vanitas suspected he was too far gone to ever see them as his family, but it was a damn lot better than calling them his enemies.

"You know, this isn't how I thought things would work out," Ventus mused as Roxas jabbed his knees into the back of Sora's legs, sending the pair tumbling to the ground in a cloud of sand. "N-Not that I'm complaining or anything! It's just… I always saw the two of us fighting to the death every time we crossed paths. I never once thought we could coexist like this, not as enemies but as brothers. I wish we could've done it without the struggle of rescuing Sora's heart, but I'm glad things turned out the way they did."

Vanitas nodded and mumbled in agreement as Sora and Roxas almost threw themselves into the ocean. It was only after his brain disengaged from the brawl that he realised what he had agreed with.

"Oi, don't get too comfortable," he spat at Ventus in an attempt to denounce his own admission. "I don't care if we're all just clones of Sora. I'm a lone wolf, baby."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Roxas huffed, holding Sora back at arms' length with his palm against the brunette's forehead. "Family isn't limited to those you share blood with. I still think you're an insufferable asshole, but you're our insufferable asshole. For what it's worth, I at least 'tolerate' you."

Xion rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as Roxas exuded an aura of self-confidence. To him, the act of accepting Vanitas' presence was the highest compliment he could offer, despite his tactless delivery. She hooked one arm around the blond's bicep and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"What I'm sure Roxas meant to say," Xion said while staring intently at Roxas. "Is that we're happy you gave us another chance after we assumed the worst from you. From now on, we'll be ready to jump to action if you ever find yourself in trouble, and we hope you can trust us enough to ask. Right, guys?"

Xion's glower could've disintegrated solid concrete. Roxas shuffled on his feet and cast his eyes to the ground in shame.

"Yeah, something like that," he admitted with a meek glance. "Xion is better at words than I am. Uhh, thanks, you know. For all of that."

Xion's firm glare melted into a comforting smile as Roxas grumbled under his breath. Sora threw him a thumbs up. Vanitas felt the corners of his mouth curling up even as he fought against the surge of emotion in his chest. It was almost comical to see such a clash of personalities in one friendship group, but it was their differences that bonded them together. Xehanort had regaled him countless times about how he was nothing without Ventus and Sora. How he was little more than a mindless clone, a shadow of their hearts that could never be whole without consuming everything they held dear. Sora, Roxas, Ventus and Xion were so similar in appearance and yet so unique in their characteristics; it was the first time that Vanitas truly believed he could be more than a reflection.

"Well, for what it's worth, I 'tolerate' you too."

Vanitas barely finished his sentence before his entire vision was obscured by that familiar brown bird's nest as Sora swept him up into a bear hug. He instinctively pulled away, only to find a second pair of arms constricting his chest as Ventus joined him, resting his head on his shoulder and squeezing as if he was afraid of letting go. Xion was too short to reach the Keyblade wielder's chest, but that didn't stop her from gently laying her hand on Vanitas' back and rubbing it in solidarity. Roxas ruffled the crown of the raven's boy's head affectionately, tangling his black locks even worse than before.

"Aww, get over here you big lug."

"I swear to God, I am not above murdering every one of you."

"I'm proud of how far you've come, Vanitas."

"Become the dirt beneath my boots!"

"I knew there was a heart in that black hole somewhere!"

"Touch me again, and I'll bite your fingers off!"

Vanitas' fervent wriggling slowed to a halt as he realised his siblings had no intention of letting him escape their affections. He let out a long, gravelly sigh of frustration and closed his eyes. He never understood humans and their cravings for physical contact. His personal bubble was close to popping, but the warmth enveloping him on all sides from the bodies of his friends was oddly soothing. There was something nice about being surrounding by people who liked him for who he was, instead of for who he came from.

Vanitas cleared his throat with a barking cough, reminding his siblings that he could only endure so much before his patience ran dry. His assailants relented and reluctantly released the raven Keyblade wielder from their embrace. Xion kept one hand lightly clasped around Vanitas' wrist, wanting to hold hands with her brother but hesitant to push him out of his comfort zone.

"Will you at least stay in touch?" she asked gently, her deep ocean-blue eyes shimmering like sapphires under the midday sun.

"Absolutely not!" Vanitas snorted, pulling his hand away and crossing his arms in disdain. "I promise no such thing. The only time I'll ever consider speaking to any of you lot again is if I have something to brag about."

"So you will be in touch, then?" Roxas probed, raising a single eyebrow. His knowing expression only intensified as Vanitas realised the blond was using his words against him and scrambled to defend himself. Roxas' smile widened as the tips of Vanitas' ears flushed beet-red in anger. He was ready to explode into a raging ball of anger until Sora cut him off by presenting him with the Gummiphone they had shared.

"Here, I want you to keep this," the brunette offered with a sunny smile. "This is just as much your Gummiphone as it is mine. If you don't plan on staying connected, then you might enjoy documenting your travels with it. I'd love to see all the worlds you've visited if you ever decide to come back to us. Cid's gonna make me another one anyway – hopefully one that's a little more idiot-proof."

Vanitas hesitated but eventually accepted the Gummiphone. He ran his gloved thumb over the screen, feeling the cracks and dents in the device's exoskeleton that had become so familiar to him. The Gummiphone awoke at his touch and blinked to life, revealing a brand new image set as the background. Vanitas's own face smiled back at him, standing before the Mysterious Tower with the full moon hanging in the sky. His face wore a cocky smirk, tongue protruding between his teeth as if mocking the boy on the other side of the screen. It was the photo he took of himself in front of Yen Sid's tower, back when his memories belonged only to himself and the world seemed so much simpler.

Vanitas was pulled from his reverie by a pale hand cautiously resting on his own, adorned with a familiar black and white checkerboard sweatband. He looked up to find Ventus standing before him, his turquoise eyes awash with happiness.

"I want you to promise me something," Ventus began, the joy in his smile replaced by a firm assurance. "If you ever find yourself in trouble, if you get into a situation that you can't get out of… I want you to promise that you'll call us. I wasn't able to be there for you during the ten years I was asleep. I wasn't there for you when you decided to summon the χ-blade with Sora. So please, let me be here for you now."

"Mm-hmm!" Sora wholeheartedly agreed, pumping his fist in the air. "I still have to bring the Enchanted Dominion and the Castle of Dreams back from the Realm of Darkness, but I'll drop everything if you need my help! Besides, that Replica body is expensive and Even will kill us if anything happens to it."

"Yeah, same," Roxas asserted, digging his hands into his pockets and relaxing his shoulders. "If you're anything like Sora, trouble will find you wherever you go. I guess that's one thing we all share in common."

"You were very patient with the way we treated you," Xion agreed, tucking a strand of ebony hair behind her ear. "I think we all want to make it up to you."

Vanitas stared silently at his siblings. Sora, with his nutmeg hair and round face, smiling from ear to ear that outshone the midday sun. Ventus, with his kind blue eyes and modest disposition, his bottom lip quivering slightly as if he was watching his baby brother grow up. Roxas, with his dirty blond hair and stalwart gaze, exuding the confidence of a man who had found his place in life. Xion, with her dark sapphire eyes and pale skin, who had faced a world of hurt and never once faltered in her spirit. All of them, ready to overthrow their lives and travel across the Multiverse for a boy who had crushed their hearts and battered their bodies.

Vanitas realised just how lucky he was to call them his siblings.

"Alright. I promise."

Vanitas feared he would find himself at the mercy of another impromptu group hug. Instead, Sora dug around in his seemingly-bottomless pockets and produced a metallic item. It was a rounded piece of metal armour, affixed by several straps of black-stained leather. Horns of melded iron decorated the rims of the plate, lined by bright reflective silver strands like the roots of a wisened tree. The divets converged at the highest points of the spaulder, weaving around each other until they formed the symbol of the Unversed.

"It's a pauldron," Sora explained as Vanitas rotated the armour in his hands, the sun refracting off its surface like a polished mirror. "Mickey still lets me use the Gummi Ship, and Donald promised not to freak out when I drive it any more. If you want to explore the cosmos, you'll need a ship of your own. Cid made it in a hurry, so it's probably pretty useless as armour, but you can still summon a Glider from it."

Vanitas whistled in appreciation of the craftsmanship needed to weld such an intricate design. He slipped the metal plate over his left shoulder and fixed it in place with the leather straps. The horns would've looked gaudy on anyone else, but the brutalist architecture matched the vein-like contours of his bodysuit. He would need to be careful not to take an eye out if he looked to the left too quickly, but it matched his aesthetic perfectly as if the pauldron was an extension of his arm. Vanitas glazed the surface of the tempered iron with his fingers as he had seen Ventus do many times before, unleashing a supernova that blinded everyone in the area. As he blinked the spots away, the light coalesced to reveal a Keyblade Glider in all its glory, hovering several inches above the rippling ocean waves. Vanitas broke into an enthusiastic grin and leapt aboard his new vehicle, revving the engine and shaking the foundation of the wooden pier with the soundwaves.

"Well," he said, turning his head back to the others who were watching him get ready to leave. "I guess this is goodbye?"

"For now," Sora nodded, his smile never leaving his face. "But not forever."

Vanitas snorted at his brother's cheesy farewell but nodded in accord. He gripped the handlebars of his Keyblade Glider and squeezed his thighs as the machine gathered a colossal surge of thrust in its engines. With an almighty burst of flame and power, he jetted out across the water leaving roaring waves in his wake. Sora was almost swept backwards off his feet as the speck of light that was Vanitas shot upwards into the sky, cleaving a hole through the cloud layer like a sonic boom. The fire in the engine left a trail in the air like a shooting star until Vanitas finally breached the world's edge and escaped into the Ocean Between.

"How long do you think it'll take him to get in touch?" Xion mused, her eyes glued to the diminishing streak of light as Vanitas sailed further and further out of sight. Sora could feel a pit of sorrow sitting in his stomach as the brother he had only just reconnected with left his side, but there was another emotion brewing in his heart that drowned out the sadness. He placed his hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating beneath his skin for the first time in three months. His stomach churned and his pulse raced, but not out of fear or apprehension.

The feeling in his chest, the one that threatened to swallow his soul, was hope.

"As long as he needs."

It wasn't until many nights later that they would find out just how far Vanitas' stubbornness could go. Sora stood on the deck of his beachfront home, clad only in plaid pyjamas and slippers with fluffy Moogle heads on the toes. He crossed his arms on the bannister that lined the border of his property, masterfully crafted from beams of wood woven together like plaits of hair. The nighttime chill dancing on the breeze sent goosebumps down his arms, but he refused to dent his pride as an islander by donning long sleeves. The brunette's eyes were glued to the skies, searching for a falling star that could possibly indicate the return of his black-haired brother. When he wasn't scouring the heavens, he was glued to his Gummiphone, checking for a notification that had yet to arrive.

He knew Vanitas could handle any crisis he came across, but he couldn't quell the worry in his heart at the thought of his brother struggling in silence. His Keyblade hand itched every time he considered throwing himself headfirst into the Gummiship and charging across the galaxy to pluck his twin out of danger, fighting alongside each other instead of against each other. As much as he longed to leave everything behind in search of adventure, he forced his feet to remain still. Sora had years of his life to come to terms with his place in the universe. Vanitas was only just beginning his adventure. When Sora's story was over and the last page was written, Vanitas would be at the start of a new chapter. When he ran out of words to write and his tale was shelved for the final time, Vanitas would be adding to his ever-growing novel.

Sora had found his home. Now it was time for Vanitas to find his.

His pensive retrospection was disturbed by the percussive vibrations of his Gummiphone as a message arrived through the group chat. He absentmindedly unlocked the device with his thumbprint and flicked over to the message, wondering if Riku was challenging him to a Ninja Warrior beatdown again. His breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a beat as the name of the sender revealed itself, but it was soon washed away by a flood of relief. Sora threw his head back and let out a laugh that echoed across the tranquil paradise of Destiny Islands, and he just couldn't stop.

Perhaps, after all the hardships they had lived through, everything was going to be OK.

[aoSora has changed their name to: Vanitas]
[Vanitas has joined the chat]