With every fiber of her body Kairi knew something was wrong almost immediately. Something instinctual, that surely she couldn't pin down with a name screamed at her that it wasn't right. The smiles were not real. The hugs were cold. The mood fell to unease, where there had never been any before.

Initially Kairi had suspected nothing. Those first few days were the best she'd ever had in her life. She could remember everything, even the smallest detail concerning her two closest friends. And suddenly she remembered things she hadn't before their grand adventures. She remembered moments from her childhood, both dark and light, and people from her past, long since dead and gone. So caught up in herself, Kairi noticed nothing wrong with either boy.

She was certainly not to blame for not noticing sooner, considering just moments after Sora and Riku returned chaos befell them. After only a short celebration for finally being reunited, King Mickey, Donald and Goofy were hard pressed to leave. They had their own homes to return to, and their own loved ones. Heartfelt goodbyes were given, and as Sora stood on the beach next to his two favorite people, the King and his loyal subjects disappeared off in the horizon aboard their ship.

Sora wanted to see home as soon as possible, nearly dragging his companions to the Island's small dock that housed the boats. He hadn't a firm grasp on how much time had passed, between setting out on his first journey, falling asleep, and the long battle that had ensured to save all worlds from the Heartless and Nobodies. He was looking forward to seeing his dad, and hugging his mother, and getting back to a normal life. Kairi saw nothing out of place with his wants. Riku wanted the same thing, she could tell, even if he wasn't nearly so vocal about his desires.

So they went, all three locking their hands in embrace. The little boats took them to the edge of the town, where they made berth and returned to the buildings and people they had grown up with. Only once or twice did Kairi have to pull them along, usually after one of both of them were caught up admiring something they had not seen since their departure.

Kairi might have noticed that the return to the town marked the beginning of the trouble. She was just as surprised as Sora and Riku to discover they hadn't been missed. Of course neither Riku nor Sora had been missed because they hadn't been remembered. Their parents greeted them like they'd merely been out playing, and noticed no change in their appearances, despite Sora having grown a good six inches, and Riku a foot. This trend continued with their friends, especially Tidu who gently swatted Sora on the back of the head, informing him they'd only dueled the other day. It wasn't that the town had simply forgotten them, but it seemed as if no time had passed.

Sora, usually loud and lovable, fell quiet. With Riku plastered to his side he walked the old roads, waving at people who had no idea of the ordeal they had endured and the darkness they had faced. Riku's face, now completely unreadable, told Kairi nothing of what she wanted to know. She was not aware of half of the things they had underwent, even though she believed if she did, she might better understand the two males. Not, she reminded herself, not that you needed to understand someone's plight to recognize how deflating it was not to be remembered.

School was now different than before, much more than Kairi could have imagined. Where once she and Sora and Riku and all their other friends had been a tight knit group, now they were fractured remnants. Kairi tried to balance herself equally between Wakka and Tidus and a mixture of their friends, and Sora and Riku, who ate lunch together in a corner of the courtyard with guarded eyes.

"Do you want to get together after school to work on homework?" she asked them, certainly not for the first time. Then she watched as Sora looked to Riku for subtle confirmation.

"No, thanks," came the standard reply, and Kairi tried to nod and smile as normally as possible. At first she'd been jealous. She felt as if she was being left out. While irrational, she imagined Sora and Riku feeding her lies, and then running off to study science together on the Island. Yet after only a mild investigation she determined they were doing nothing of the sort. Sora, the usually average student, was suddenly lucky to pass a test, and Riku, the ever-vigilant scholar, was absent from most of his classes during the day.

She watched them, trying to understand how they could be so radically different from the people she remembered. Where once they'd go to the Island and play, now Kairi watched as the males sat on the beach. She observed their easy silence, but most noticeably their familiarity. The two spent hours, sometimes half a day or more on the beach, never saying a word, just watching the waves and the horizon.

"Why do you guys sit out there?" she asked Sora one day, on the rare occasion she found him parted from Riku.

He responded simply, "It's where we feel most alive."

As the days passed Kairi felt herself growing dangerously away from Sora. She loved him, as much as anyone could love someone, even if deep in her heart she knew it was not to be. They spent time together for their Nobodies' sakes, and most likely nothing else. Despite Sora not needing to remain close to Kairi, he recognized Roxas' needs, and did his part as the dutiful Other.

There were times when Kairi wondered if she'd even gotten her friends back at all. She could touch them, see them, and occasionally feel their hearts, but nothing was the same.

What atrocities had they witnessed during their long road home, and the final battle before returning to the Island? Kairi believed not even her darkest thoughts could measure up. And in her quest to find out the truth, she'd discovered that inquiry caused Riku to become angry, or even violent, and Sora seemed to recede completely from her. Only once had she probed a real answer from Sora, in which he'd told her, "We were resolved, Kairi, to spend the rest of our lives neither here nor there." Afterward he quieted, and Kairi felt more confused than ever before. His statement told her nothing of the actual battle, and only left her heart aching for companionship.

With the passage of time her fears were not quelled, though nor did they really grow. They had all reached what seemed to be a stalemate, in which Kairi could bring herself no closer to them, and they could pull apart no further. Kairi soon grew accustomed to the idea that they would never be the old Riku and Sora. They would always have their dark deeds and memories, and she would probably never know either. The distance between them would not grow any further, and it was more than she could hope for.

One day, many months after Kairi saw the return of her friends, she traveled to the Island, looking for them. Both had been absent from classes that day, and their parents had sent Kairi to track them down. She searched the open beach, expecting to have found them sitting out on the warm sand, like usual. Finding them nowhere, she continued along to the old shack, and each and every place they'd ever played as children. She stopped to consider her thoughts. She and Sora were sixteen, and Riku would be turning seventeen soon. They weren't children anymore. They should have been able to hold on to the precious few years they had left, but instead they'd been viciously taken away. They'd all been forced to grow up much too soon.

The last place she checked was the secret passageway and room underneath the great tree. Part of her had purposely avoided the place, knowing if Sora and Riku were not on the beach, surely they'd be there. She didn't like the place, feeling cold merely thinking about the door that remained. It was locked and shut firmly, Sora told her, never to be opened again by anyone for any reason, but the idea of what was beyond it scared her. She didn't quite understand how they could spend their time near it, especially with the pain it, and all the other doors had caused.

She had to stop just before the long tunnel connected to the small room. Her hands flew to her mouth and her back pressed against he wall. As she fought for air she tried to imagine her eyes were deceiving her. It simply wasn't possible to see what she was.

Their return to the Island marked the end of their journey. Having fought and won there was simply no need for weapons any longer, at least King Mickey assured them. The worlds were at peace. Defeating Organization Thirteen had created a ripple effect of sorts, spreading out to all things dark, and suppressing them. Riku would always be the intended Keyblade Master, and Sora the wielder, but the time for Keyblades had passed. King Mickey said, and Kairi remembered his voice clear as day, that if they should call for the blade, it would not answer.

Yet here were her friends, and in Sora's hand was the Keyblade. It looked just as she remembered, as beautiful and terrifying as ever.

She almost stepped forward to demand to know why Sora had it. But their voices stopped her. She stood silently and still as Sora used the blade as a sort of crutch, pressing the tip into the ground and leaning on the handle. Riku stood near, admiring the blade but making no attempt to touch it, and together they were speaking of things she didn't understand.

The words were clear enough. They were discussing Ansem, Organization Thirteen, the Heartless and the Nobodies. Sora was remarking on their interconnectivity, to which Riku nodded ever so often, only occasionally offering a word or two. Yet as easily as Kairi understood the words, she had that much difficulty comprehending their meaning. She did not understand the relevance of what Sora spoke of, considering they were gone, defeated, locked away to allow the light to prevail and worlds to return to their natural states.

Sora spoke to Riku of the lands they had visited, individually of course, and the impact they'd had on the people there. They spoke of their friends, acquaintances, and those they felt required a visit. Riku wished to pay a dept he felt he owed to the King and his world, and Sora hoped to check in on selective worlds that the Heartless and Nobodies had all but destroyed.

And then the conversation turned to a darker nature. Kairi couldn't help herself as she leaned forward, captivated by the words that seemed to be gibberish. She understood nothing now, not a syllable or name or reference. Their body language seemed to be the only indicator that the subject had shifted. Kairi believed they were speaking of the place they'd been after the battle, and before the Island. The place they never spoke of, until now.

She did not interrupt them, or give her location away. Tears welling in her eyes she pivoted and left as quickly as she had entered. She spoke nothing of what she'd seen, knowing it would only jeopardize the time she had left with them.

"So," she finally said, after what seemed like an eternity since she'd witnessed Sora wielding the blade again. "Where do we go from here?"

It was the three of them, on their Island, on the beach, almost feeling like old times. Kairi looked towards the horizon and for a moment she believed she felt what Sora and Riku did.

"I was thinking," Riku said, feet stretched out in front of him and arms bracing his body up. "I'd like to see the worlds again. This time, as just me."

Sora gave a nod, smile pulling at his lips. "But not alone," he amended.

"No," Riku confirmed. "Never alone again."

"I want you meet all my friends," Sora remarked, looking happier than Kairi had seen since his return. "All of them, on all the different worlds. Then we can all be friends."

"I'm sure the King would have something to say about that. Now that things are set back to the way they were before the Heartless and Nobodies, the words are disconnected, and I bet they're supposed to stay that way."

Sora sighed deeply. "I think we should ask the King. I mean we did kind of save all the worlds, and if we don't go anywhere new I don't see what the problem would be. What kind of harm could we cause if everyone already knows who we are? I want to go."

Riku said neutrally, "You're serious?"

Kairi understood Riku that much. Their entire journey, and every battle they'd fought had been to get home to the Islands. Now it sounded like Sora wanted nothing more than to get away from the Island, but Riku didn't exactly sound resistant to the idea.

"Yeah. Don't you, Riku?"

Riku gave only minimal pause, then nodded. "Then it's a plan."

Kairi climbed to her feet, knowing almost instantly that she was not part of that plan. Years ago she would have been, and indeed they had planned to set out of other worlds together. They had been a trio before, but they most certainly were not now. She would never understand them; at least not in the way they understood each other. Their plans were theirs, and not hers.

"Kairi, where're you going?"

Kairi turned back at Sora's call. "No where you can go," she told them softly. "Not anymore."

Sora climbed to his feet and chased after her.

"Kairi," he called, catching her by the shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"You're leaving," she told him shortly, unable to help her gaze drift to the horizon. "You and Riku just got back here, and now you're leaving again. You're leaving home."

Sora paused, turned to look over at Riku, and then he settled on Kairi. "You know," he said gently, seeming older and wiser than Kairi ever imagined possible. "We don't belong here. You feel it in your heart, even if you fight not to recognizing it."

"We're tainted," Riku said from behind her, joining the two. "At one point we might have returned here and been content. We could have forgotten the things we've done, and seen. There might have been a chance before the Organization. Now we stick out. You see it, even if you don't know what you're seeing."

Sora tightened his grip on Kairi's shoulders. "Please, understand that we wanted nothing more than to come home to you and everyone else. But that was when we were light."

"We fought the darkness, and became it," Riku said. "We defeated it, but not before both of us were too exposed to it. Kairi, we fight for the light, but that doesn't mean we are light. This place here is for all those touched by the light. The people here deserve to be free of everything dark, and that includes us. We feel out of place because we are out of place, and no amount arguing will change anything."

"What about Namine?" Kairi asked.

Hand pressed to his chest, Sora replied, "Search your heart for the answer to your question. She knows just as you do that it's not enough to be here, existing on a different level. Roxas needs to leave as much as I do."

Kairi sniffed, feeling the wetness in her eyes. She bowed her head, hands resting down on her knees. "As much as Roxas needs Namine, he needs Axel, too."

Sora nodded. "Axel is out there somewhere, reborn, and Roxas needs to find him. Axel is very special to Roxas, just as special as Namine is. Only recently we've realize that he's out there. Roxas and Axel were supposed to meet in their next lives, but Axel has been given a second chance of sorts, and for Roxas' sake, we have to find him."

"And what if I don't ever see you two again?" Kairi asked. "What if you go away and never come back again? What if I forget you again, or what if you forget me?"

Riku snorted very uncharacteristically. "Like that could ever happen," he said with a smile.

"And," Sora added in, "If you did forget us, we'd just have to remind you, because we're friends, and that's what friends do for each other."

Kairi questioned, "So you really have to go, right? No sticking around, even for old time's sake?"

"I'm afraid," Riku said, "That if we stay here, we'll start to change the people here. We can't afford to make them hard. Now that the worlds are at peace, there's no problem with being a little naive."

"And we can't change back," Sora said quietly. "We can't erase what we've done, and I know I don't want to. My heart is stronger for what I've endured, as are my bonds of friendship. Please understand, just because I'm going away doesn't make you any less important in my heart, Kairi."

At his words she threw herself forward, arms flying around his neck. She felt Riku's strong body press up against her and for one split second she felt complete.

"How are you going to going get off the Islands?" She asked, voice muffled by Sora's shirt. "The King left in the only Gummi Ship."

"Oh," Sora remarked, "We've got our ways."

"The Keyblade?"

Sora stiffened, and in return Riku backed away. "How'd you know?"

"I saw you," she defended. "I saw you two with it and knew right away you were going to go away again."

"I don't know why it's back," Sora said, throwing his arms up. "There are no more battles to fight, no more Nobodies or Heartless to take care of."

Riku answered, "I think it's because of your heart, Sora. The Keyblade went to you over me because your heart was untouched, unlike mine. It follows your command because of your heart, and does its will according to your deepest desires and whishes and hopes. I doubt King Mickey realized how deep the bond runs. He probably didn't think your heart was capable of finding the Keyblade again."

"Are you really so unhappy here?" Kairi questioned.

"Not unhappy," Sora sighed, "Just restless. After doing so much for so long, and having so much pressure on my shoulders, sitting around and going to class seems pointless." He winced, ready for a lecture on the importance of an education, but when none came he continued, "It almost hurts to be so still. I need to be out there." He gestured up into the sky.

In defeat Kairi gave a curt nod. "I don't understand at all," she said, the shyly added, "but I sort of do. Well, if that makes any sense to you."

Sora laughed and Riku smiled, which was all Kairi could have ever asked for.

"When are you two going?"

Sora shrugged. "Soon."

"But not too soon," Riku added.

"Good." Kairi nodded. "'Cause don't think for one second if you leave without saying goodbye to me and everyone, that I won't hunt you down myself."

Sora squeezed her hand, and Riku pulled them both into a hug.

"Your parents are going to be so mad," Kairi laughed, though it was without true happiness.

"Oh, yeah," Sora said. "I'm betting that when I do get back here, I'll be grounded for the rest of my life.

"Hey," Riku said, "Mine might just kill me on the spot."

The days passed afterwards and while neither Sora nor Riku seemed to have any idea as to the day that they would leave, Kairi could feel it drawing close. Each morning she rose from her bed, wondering if it would be the last day she walked to school with her two best friends. And then suddenly it was. The winds shifted, the day was unusually cold for spring, and Riku and Sora stood on the beach, Kairi off to the side by the docks.

Sora gave a simple wave, Riku nodded towards her, and Kairi blew them both kisses, before the Keyblade was visible. Kairi raised her hand to shield her eyes as a bright, white light engulfed the beach. By the time the light faded the gentle waves were washing away all evidence of Sora and Riku, and despite being separated from them, Kairi did not feel in the least bit alone.

So Kairi's life continued after Sora and Riku. She attended her classes, took up dance, and spent every Saturday morning on the beach, just sitting and watching the horizon. With her toes touched by water, she leaned back on her hands and breathed a sigh of relief, knowing in her heart that both Sora and Riku were safe, off doing what they needed to.

Kairi had fully prepared to bear the brunt of the sure to come parental rage. After all, Sora and Riku were still far too young to be off on their own, at least from a parent's perspective. And Kairi couldn't rightfully tell them that their sons had been off saving the worlds, defeating Heartless and Nobodies. She couldn't reassure them that they would take care of each other.

She felt icy fear when a day passed and neither Sora nor Riku were asked about. Kairi stopped by their respective houses and neither sets of parents seemed to have any memories of their children. She found this was the same case with all of their friends. It seemed she was the only one who remembered them. She feared she would forget as well.

Days passed into weeks, and weeks into months, and Kairi's hope of ever seeing her friends began to falter. She was beginning to have trouble recalling Sora's favorite food, or what she'd gotten Riku for his fourteenth birthday. She was losing pieces of the puzzle, and she realized it would be only a short while before she couldn't remember the color of Sora's hair.

She was hunched over her desk, working on a paper for school when her mother called up to her. From her mother she received a piece of mail. "It's a postcard," her mother said, handing it over easily enough. "No return address."

Kairi held the postcard delicately, fingers ghosting over the glossy picture on the front. "It's Sora," she breathed out, "It's really him." Her vision blurred against the tears as she took in the happy face of the male, standing in front of a shop. Riku stood next to him, arm around Sora's shoulders. And next to them she observed not only the King's aids, but also several people she had never met before.

"Who's Sora?" her mother asked, laundry basket balanced on one hip.

"Oh, he's a friend. I haven't seen him in a very long time."

"That's nice, dear. What's it say?"

Kairi flipped it over, soaking in Sora's choppy handwriting. "Thinking of you, wherever you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kairi couldn't contain the giggle that escaped her. "It means he's alright. He and Riku are just fine."

Over the next year several postcards came. Kairi stored them in a box under her bed, and took them out frequently. Each gave her a glimpse of Sora and Riku, always looking happy. The postcards showed her worlds she could only dream of, and new people she feared she would never meet. Each postcard contained one line of text, always cryptic to anyone other than Kairi, who recognized the words from the message she'd written to Sora so long ago. It was comforting in a way, to know he was still keeping her in mind, even as he went off to far more interesting places and met intriguing people.

Then suddenly a postcard didn't come. There were no new worlds, or friends, or even the slightest hint that Sora and Riku were fine. There was simply nothing.

"These friends of yours," Selphie said as she and Kairi walked the familiar streets to their homes. "What were their names again?"

"Sora and Riku," Kairi told her patiently.

"Maybe they just got really busy. You said they're off, traveling around. Just because they forgot to send you a postcard doesn't mean anything is wrong. Just give them time."

Time, Kairi feared, none of them had. "Maybe, Selphie. Thanks for trying to cheer me up." She waved to her friend, and they parted ways. Kairi headed home to look the postcards over once more.

"Hey, Kairi?"

Kairi turned back, eyebrows furrowing at the voice.

"Who's there?" Her eyes searched the alleyway she'd turned down, finding no body to the voice. "Hello?"

"Hey, up here."

Her eyes turned upward, body tight with anticipation when a figure dropped down in front of her, cocky smile plastered on his face. "Did you miss me?"

Barely aware of her surroundings, she threw herself at Riku, realizing quickly he'd grown more since the last time they'd been together.

"I didn't think you'd be back!"

"You got our postcards, didn't you?" He managed to gently pry himself away from the girl. "And we promised we'd come back, right?"

Kairi nodded, glancing around. "Where's Sora? Is he alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," Riku assured her. "He's back at Radiant Garden. It's one of the places that was hit the hardest with the Heartless and Nobodies. It's been years and they're just now finishing up putting things back the way they were. He wanted to come, but he really had to be there for a friend who was having some problems with a computer system."

Kairi pushed back on the balls of her feet. "What brings you back here? Just stopped by for a visit?"

"Actually," Riku said, as he crossed his arms. "I hear you've got a summer vacation that starts tomorrow. And what do you know, I happen to have a Gummi ship in orbit. So, Princess, what do you say?"

"Why Riku," Kairi giggled, I'd be delighted." She paused, giving a gesture to her house that was just visible in the distance. "But what about my parents? What do I tell them?"

Riku held his hand out to her. "Did you notice that no one missed Sora or I? It'll be the same for you, don't worry."

"Magic?"

Riku nodded. "The best kind, Kairi."

In the end Kairi had her first pleasurable trip off the Islands. She flew in a Gummi ship with Riku and Goofy, and had a breathtaking view Hollow Bastion, even if it wasn't called that anymore. In her memories it would always been Hollow Bastion, and never Radiant Garden.

She met all of Sora's friends, and in return became their friends. She went on picnics with Yuffie and Aerith, and made sure to remind Leon to eat when he became completely caught up in a training session. She helped Cid out with the computers, and Sora introduced her to Tron. She even took a trip into a storybook and spent a full day helping Pooh gather honey.

She enjoyed all the activities Radiant Garden had to offer her, and barely managed to breath when they visited other nearby worlds. But for all that she did and experienced, merely spending quality time with Sora and Riku was the best. Here at Radiant Garden they could do incredible things, and on other worlds they could express themselves in ways Destiny Islands could have never allowed for. So as much as she missed them, and longed for them to come home, it was better that they didn't. Sora and Riku were her best friends, and their happiness was what matter the most to her.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Sora asked Kairi, fidgeting next to her slightly. He tried not to fuss too much; only too aware of how long it had taken to get him into the binding traditional Chinese outfit.

"Nothing, really," she responded, eyes focused ahead where Mulan and Shang were being married. "Say, Sora, are you really happy here?"

Sora almost buckled forward as Riku nudged him in the ribs sharply. "Pay attention," he hissed, smile betraying him. "They're not going to do it over if you miss it the first time."

Sora ignored Riku and turned to Kairi. "With this bum breathing down my neck?"

At Riku's outraged face Kairi suppressed her giggle.

"Yeah, Kairi. I'm really happy."

"Good, now ask Riku if he's happy." Kairi raised an eyebrow, making it clear she wasn't going to lean across Sora to ask the question.

Sora brushed shoulders with Riku. "Kairi wants to know if you like her." Sora tried not to jump when Kairi pinched him. "I mean she wants to know if you're happy."

Riku smiled, observing the final marriage vows. "More than I've ever been before."

"Riku likes you too, Kairi," Sora whispered back, climbing to his feet at the ceremony ended and the party began.

"Are you happy?" Sora asked her. He found his balance precariously on the provided sandals that elevated him off the ground.

"Generally, yes." She took the tea offered to her and grinned at the two males. " I get lonely sometimes, but then I think of your guys and I feel better. And I must say, this is the best vacation I've ever been to. The wedding was lovely."

Sora's nose wrinkled up. "This is my third."

Riku clapped him on the back. "Seems everywhere he visited he played matchmaker. Our little Sora is quite the cupid. Belle's wedding was last year, and Hercules' was only a few months ago. And we've got Aladdin's next week." Sora scowled. "Really," Riku continued. "The only reason he attends is because of the food. Guess who gets stuck doing the present shopping?"

Sora pulled himself up to his full height. "I'll have you know I don't just come for the food! They're my friends, too. The food just happens to be really good."

Riku hunched over laughing while Kairi remarked, "Maybe the two of you should get married."

Sora turned bright red and Riku raised an eyebrow. "That happiness? I'm taking it back."

"Nope!" Kairi countered. "You already said you were. You can't take it back."

"We'll see about that!"

Kairi handed off her teacup to Sora and took off running, Riku chasing after her. After sparing a moment to set the cup down Sora followed after them.

When Kairi did return to Destiny Islands, and still no one remembered whom Sora and Riku were, she found her peace. She sat in her room, light on and textbook open in front of her. It would be a good month or so before she received a postcard (Sora said he'd make sure this one wasn't lost along the way, like the last that was meant to inform her of Riku's coming visit.), but she'd be waiting.

Now, finally, everything was right.

Disclaimer: Obviouly I own nothing, nor do I claim to.