It was mid-morning, around 9:30 or 10 o'clock, and it was slightly warm and very sunny, a typical spring day in this world of the Destiny Islands. Sora was reading a message he had received in a bottle earlier that week and he was reading it for the fourth straight time in the last ten minutes.

'I need to let you know that the forces of darkness are on the move again. We still need you, Sora. Please, help us. Signed, the King.'

The boy read the lines over and over again in his mind.

'We need you Sora…'

"Those words, I've been hearing them a lot lately," said Sora aloud. He folded the paper and put it in his jacket pocket. He was sitting on the beach of Destiny Islands, getting some peace in a familiar place for once. He wasn't too sure anyone else was on the island; he hadn't seen anyone else's boat at the dock when he arrived. But it really didn't matter in the end.

The Keyblade master had received the message in a bottle the day before, sent by King Mickey Mouse to him. Sora had just returned home from the battle of his life when that message was received. He wasn't all too happy about it. It made the fifteen year old feel really depressed. After two major journeys to battle the forces of darkness, he wanted to spend time with his friends and family, and hopefully have a normal life again.

But, as fate always seems to do, he again has to go save the world or worlds…

"That means leaving everyone again…" Images of all those who he cared for popped into his head. Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus, the three friends who he hung out with on the islands. Since they were little, the four kids had played together, fought together, and had the time of their lives together. To see that go away again made Sora's heart sink.

Then, there was Riku, Sora's best friend. The two had fought together both against each other and the forces of darkness over the past year, and the ties they had were stronger than ever. Sora and Riku never did compare themselves to each other, because they felt there was no competition between themselves any more, not after the fall of Organization XIII and the Nobodies. Since they defeated Xemnas, things had been rather peaceful between them. That is, until the message came to them…

Sora had not spoken to Riku since then. Riku said that it was for space for Sora so he'd decide what he was going to do, but the silver haired boy knew Sora pretty well, and there was no doubt of what the young hero would do. That much everyone knew.

Especially Kairi. She knew Sora more than anyone, even more than Riku, to know that he was leaving as soon as he got the word. Everyone knew that Kairi and Sora had something going on between them; Selphie had even gone around saying that the two were dating (when she had little proof other than the fact that they were often seen together most of the time).

As soon as Kairi's face came into his mind, Sora immediately stood up, shook the sand off his clothes, and started to walk to the dock. "The note seemed to hit Kairi the most. From the look on her face, she looked as if she was going to cry…"

That fact made him feel worse about leaving than it already was.

As Sora walked to the dock and got his boat ready to head home, he couldn't get Kairi off his mind. Her smile, which was always a good thing, disappearing at the thought of him going off to fight again made him feel heavy in the legs. A precious person like that should never be sad; at least that is what Sora thought. But, as a defender of the light, he had a duty that he had to fulfill. Even if he had never wanted it in the first place, he still had to do it no matter what…

In order to keep his girl safe, he'd do it.

As he crossed the large span of water to the main land, the girl of which he was determined to protect was just as determined to see him stay home.

Kairi herself was on her way to see Sora, in order to try and persuade him to stay. And although that mission was fated to lose, she was more than willing to try it.

She was halfway to the island already, another ten minutes and she would be there. She was rowing with fierce strokes and going in curves, driven on by the single purpose to see him. She was going as fast as her arms could take her. She stopped to rest for a second, and while she regained her breath, she looked out at the bright blue water on the horizon. The water reminded her of the day things went from normal to bizarre.

Sora, Kairi, and Riku had been working on a raft to, ironically, go off to distant worlds when Heartless attacked the islands. Some point after that, Kairi had lost her heart. And when she woke up, she saw Sora disappear before her eyes, sacrificing himself to revive her from her slumber. She returned the favor by restoring him to normal after he had changed into a Heartless. She then made him promise to return the lucky charm she had always had since she was a child. And she never forgot what she told him, 'no matter where you are, don't ever forget, I'm always with you.' That little phrase made the girl smile now, and she put her right hand over her heart.

He did return. But now, he was going to be leaving again. And many things popped into Kairi's head at the thought. 'What if he gets hurt? What if he needs us? And…what if he can never come back…?'

She shook her head, not wanting to let negative thoughts enter her mind, began to row again. She was going so fast she almost missed someone saying her name.

"Kairi?"

The girl stopped, looking over to her left side to see Sora in his boat.

Sora stood up, disregarding the rule of not to stand in the boat, and was soon knocked down by Kairi, who had jumped from her boat to his. This caused the boat to capsize, sending the two into the water.

Fifteen minutes later, the two teens managed to bring themselves back to the mainland. Soaking wet from the little stunt Kairi pulled, Sora had somewhat shrugged it off. To prove this he constantly tried to laugh it off, making jokes but Kairi didn't seem to take them. She was silent as a ghost, which in turn worried Sora.

As he tied their boats to the dock, Sora looked at Kairi, "You alright? You're awfully quiet, Kairi."

The girl was halfway down the dock, her fists clenched, shaking in the pain she was holding in. She didn't look at Sora, even as he walked up behind her. "Kairi?"

Holding in rage she wanted to get out, holding in the urge to yell at him, holding in the tears she wanted to let go, holding in it all, Kairi could no longer keep it in. She turned around, looking Sora directly in the eyes, and threw herself at him. Sora didn't react at all as she buried herself in his chest, pounding on his chest with her right hand.

She was crying and yelling, "Why! Why do you have to leave! Why can't you just stay, let someone else handle it? Why, why, why!"

The sobbing that followed every word made Sora forget her physical message, her words were more than enough. He put his left hand to the back off her head, gently rubbing her soaking wet red hair, "It's alright, Kairi."

Kairi laid her head on his chest, feeling more than secure, but hardly able to keep herself together after that, "how…can you say that…"

Kairi pulled herself away, looking at him in the eyes. Sora looked away, "Its not a decision I can ignore, Kairi. But…if I can keep you and the others safe, then I'll do anything for that."

He wiped a tear away from the girl's cheek, and Kairi grabbed his hand, "But I want to keep you here. With me…"

Sora then put his hand over her heart, "I'm always with you, remember?" He took her hand and put it over his own heart, "in here, I'm always in your heart. And even if I leave this world, its never for good, a farewell but not good-bye, as long as you keep me close."

Deeply touched by this gesture, and finally realizing that he was right, Kairi kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Sora."

Sora nodded, then took the girl in his arms, words no longer needed.