Soon... Sora and Kairi managed to arrive at the Tower of Endings to meet up with Riku, King Mickey, Terra, Ventus and Aqua.

"Terra! Aqua! Ven! Riku! Your Majesty!" Sora shouted.

"Sora! Kairi!" King Mickey and Aqua smiled as they see the duo arriving.

"About time, you two," Riku said.

"Sorry!" Kairi pants.

Terra noticed Ansem, Xemnas and Young Xehanort appearing. "Guardians, we've got company!"

As Master Xehanort was watching on the plateau, Sora ran up to Xemnas with Kairi. "Xemnas! Where's Hikari?"

Ventus gasped as he looked at Sora and Kairi. "Wait! Is she in trouble?"

"Yeah, Xemnas took her," Kairi nodded.

Master Xehanort chuckled as he looked down at Kairi. "Settle down, my dear."

Kairi glared at Master Xehanort. "It's Kairi!"

Master Xehanort looked over at Hikari who's chain to the ground. "The princess of Kingdom Hearts... mine at last." He walked up to her and makes nine Xehanort Keyblades appear. "There, you see? The thirteen darknesses and seven lights have clashed nine times, yielding these nine keys."

Hikari's eyes widened. "Keys?"

Master Xehanort looked down at the Seven Guardians of Light. "We are four short... But those four keys will be produced here and now."

Ventus glared at Master Xehanort. "Yeah, sure. And what makes you think there'd ever be any way we'd help you with that?"

Master Xehanort smirked. "You forget I plan for every eventuality."

Ventus gasped. "Hikari!"

Riku looked up at Master Xehanort. "If you do summon Kingdom Hearts, we will defeat you, and we will close it again."

"Perhaps," Master Xehanort said. "That is... if all of you survive that long!"

And so, the final confrontation between the seven guardians of light and three remaining seekers of darkness has begun.

Riku and Mickey fights Ansem.

Sora and Kairi fights Xemnas.

Terra, Ventus and Aqua fights Young Xehanort.

Soon, Master Xehanort managed to make things challenging for the seven guardians by summoning flying old Keyblades but they formed a barrier to protect themselves.

Then the seven guardians continued to battle Ansem, Xemnas and Young Xehanort.

Later...Ansem was the first to be defeated as Riku walked up to his ex-possessor. "Ansem..."

Xehanort's Heartless looked at Riku. "What...a journey you and I have had..."

Riku frowned. "You know, it's strange. I think I'm gonna miss you."

"Your strength is vaster than darkness," Ansem explained. "I knew I never stood a chance. Part of me wanted to defy my fate...but when the others betrayed us, I found I did not care. And then, nothing else seemed to matter anymore."

Kairi exchanges looks with Sora and turns to Xehanort's Heartless. "Ansem..."

"What? It is time to move on, princess..." Ansem said to Kairi as he starts to fade away. "There is more to seek... so go forth now, and seek it..."

Riku looked at the other guardians of light and nods at them. The battle continues on as the seven battles Xemnas and Young Xehanort.

Xemnas is the next one to be defeated. "Bested...yet again..."

"We know that you have a heart," Sora said.

"Sora's right," Kairi said. "What do you feel? Was it worth it?"

"I feel...the emptiness where my companions once stood. I took them for granted. And now, I have...nothing. My first surge of emotions in years...for as long as I can remember...and it's...loneliness. Do you see? A heart is just pain."

"Pain is being human, Xemnas," Sora said.

Xemnas smiled as he starts to fade away. "Really? It must take...incredible strength..."

After Xemnas faded away, the seven guardians of light fights Young Xehanort and defeats him.

Aqua sees Young Xehanort laughing. "What's so funny?"

Young Xehanort smirked at Aqua, Ventus and Terra. "I told the princess that there's a high price to pay for all of this."

Ventus was confused. "And what price would that be?"

"I'll go back to my time and live out my life," Young Xehanort replied. "But Princess Hikari will be done soon. Her journey ends here."

Terra gasped. "What are you—?"

Young Xehanort starts to fade away. "Good-bye, guardians of light. Hikari's time... in this world is—"

Later, the Seven Guardians of Light looked up at Master Xehanort as 12 Keyblades circled around him on the plateau.

"Twelve keys we have now," Master Xehanort smirked as he summoned his Keyblade. "Leaving just one more!" He aims it up to the sky and a glimpse of light shined down on him. "Now, Ventus, Terra, Aqua. Darkness and light's final clash." Master Xehanort used the recompleted special crystal to levitate an unconscious Hikari to the air.

Ventus's eyes widened. "Hikari!"

Master Xehanort sees Ventus charging up the plateau. "You require motivation, young Ventus." He slashes Hikari and shatters her into pieces.

"Hikari!!!" Ventus screamed as he attacks Master Xehanort who blocked it. "Why her?!" He was knocked back to the ground, crying. "Why?"

"I have done it," Master Xehanort said.

"Xehanort!!!" Terra shouted as he attacks Master Xehanort but he gets knocked back.

"You'll pay!" Aqua jumped up and tries to use Ultima with Master Eraqus's Keyblade. "Ultima!"

"Stopza!" Master Xehanort shouted as he freezes Aqua and Terra with his time magic.

Ventus looked up and gasped. "Aqua! Terra!"

King Mickey sees Master Xehanort's Keyblade appear behind Ventus. "Behind you!"

As Ventus gets knocked away and Kingdom Hearts already in the sky, all 13 Keyblades circle around Master Xehanort. "And now...the Keyblade War will finally reach its conclusion!" He lifts his Keyblade up which changes into the χ-blade. "The χ-blade is complete. Kingdom Hearts! I call upon your true form. Open now and show me the World to come."

With Xehanort using the χ-blade, Kingdom Hearts turned completely, much to Sora, Riku, Kairi, King Mickey and Ventus's shock.

Donald arrived with Goofy to cheer up the five guardians. "Hey, don't give up."

"We thought ya might be able to use a couple a' more half-pints," Goofy agreed.

Sora smiled a bit. "Donald... Goofy..."

Donald smiled back. "Typical. You and Kairi can't do anything without us, Sora."

Terra's voice spoke. "...Hikari. ...Hikari."

Future Hikari gasped. "Terra?"

"It's me," Terra sighed in relief. "I'm glad my voice is reaching you."

"Terra, was that...?" Future Hikari asked.

"Yes, it's the crystal," Terra said, "But you can still retrieve them."

"What happened to me?" Future Hikari frowned.

"Master Xehanort's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve," Terra explained. "You're the princess of Kingdom Hearts, which is why he has the special crystal—so he can use you as insurance until Kingdom Hearts is opened. You're his last resort."

"Then how do we get the crystal?" Future Hikari frowned.

Aqua ran up to everyone with Terra. "We've still got one hope."

Ventus smiled at his two friends. "Aqua, Terra, are you okay?"

Terra nodded. "Yeah. We are, Ven."

"What hope?" Haya asked Aqua.

Aqua looked at Riku who remembered something. "Riku?"

Riku looked up at everyone. "It's Xehanort. During the Mark of Mastery exam, we learned that he can transcend space and time. He's a portal. And we can use that to trap him."

Terra shook his head. "But, it won't be easy. Aqua, Ven, I'll need both your help if we're gonna push Xehanort out of this world."

Aqua nodded with Ventus. "Understood."

"Wait," Sora interrupted. "We'll do it."

"What?" Ventus was speechless.

"I agree with Sora," Riku said. "Kingdom Hearts is a much bigger threat."

"So let us handle Xehanort... while you guys keep it shut," Kairi smiled.

Terra sighs as he looks at Sora, Riku and Kairi. "Okay, you three."

Sora smiled at everyone. "We got this." He started walking with Riku and Kairi but they saw Mickey, Donald and Goofy following them.

"You three can't forget about us," Donald smiled at the trio.

"Without Keyblades or help from the King, it's not like we'll be much help here," Goofy said.

"Shhhhh!" King Mickey and Donald said to Goofy.

Sora smiled as he placed his hand on Donald and Goofy's hands and then looked at the King, Riku and Kairi. "Three half-pints plus three more together again."

Nobu sighed as he spoke to everyone. "Let's move. The darkness is spreading."

As Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy prepares to put an end to Xehanort, Kirihax and Xion walked up to them. "Sora. Riku. Kairi."

Sora turned around with Riku and Kairi to look at Kirihax and Xion. "Oh, hey."

"Hikari will be all right," Xion smiled. "We can feel it."

Sora exchanges looks with Riku and Kairi and smiled back at Xion and Kirihax. "Thank you." Then he and everyone else aimed their Keyblades at Master Xehanort and Kingdom Hearts. "Do it!"

Future Hikari looked down. "And so, the final battle ended but my mother didn't return. Even if I continue the search all alone, I won't find her. What should I do...? Mom, where are you?" She remembered the last place where she was. "Master Xehanort's portal..."

As beams of light hit Kingdom Hearts, Master Xehanort gets hit by one and saw a portal appear in front of him. "What?!"

"That's it!" Future Hikari said as she emerged out of Sora's heart and flew into the spiked portal.

Next chapter coming soon...