It's been four long, hellish years, but I'm finally coming home. I wonder if she'll be there at the dock when I get there. Maby Namine will be there with her. It would be good for her to get out and about. It would do her good. Being home with a baby during that time must have been hard.

I pull a picture out of my left pocket and gaze at it. Longing and happiness almost overwhelmed me. It's been so long. Four years, And now, the day has finally come. Not too much longer now, and the eyes that I gaze into will finally gaze back again not in a photograph or in a memory, but here and now. I can see those beautiful blue eyes, framed by beautiful auburn locks and set in beautiful ivory face. I let out a sigh. Kairi. Oh, how I've missed you.

I clamped my hand into a fist as waves rocked the boat again as I'm taken, once again, from my nostalgic state back to this hellish reality. This boat trip is different than the last one. We all knew we were, probably, going off to our deaths, then. Solem looks on our faces and breakfast coming back up to cruely say hello again, for some.

I put the picture back in my left chest pocket when i felt something small, hard, and round. It was small, cheaply made, and was showing its age. It was the toy ring I gave to Kairi when I was six and she was five. You see, that was when Mr. Floppy, her stuffed bunny, married us. Remebering the reception made me chuckle. We played tag, Kairi, Namine, Roxas and I. I went to tag Kairi when I tripped over my own feet, knocking her over, and sending us both down the hill and into the pond. I can still hear that musical laughter of hers as we layed at the edge of the pond. That started a splash war.

I can't believe she's stayed with me all these years. No, Mr. Floppy's presiding over our wedding didn't hold. She's been a best friend since childhood and into middle school. She was my first and only crush. And now, we've been dating since Junior year in highschool, despite my spikey bowl cut.

Yes, my hair defied the laws of physics then, too.

I placed the rinf back in the pocket and patted the pocket below it. The box was still there. I smiled slightly. It took me almost a year's salary, but I got it. A modest diamond ring. I was going to give it to her on our aniversary, but I was deployed the week before. I couldn't give it to her before I left. Why build up her hopes only to have me die. I couldn't do that to my Kairi.

I took the photgraph out and gazed at it again, reminiscing in the memories it conjurs.