"So, this is it, huh?" Sora said. His words bounced and stopped in awkward places. This was more than "it". More than goodbye. This was death. But it held a bittersweet rebirth to it... What had Aqua called it? A birth by sleep, but that poetic rendering of the situation didn't make him feel any better.
Donald and Goofy seemed just as wavering as Sora, "Yeah, I guess it sure is time for us to split up."
Sora felt a new burst of tears to hold back. He knew they'd leave him, just not like this.
They had found only one solution for Xehanort, and that was going back and undoing everything he did and swaying him away from his dark path. The deed had been done, and so as this universe and timeline slowly collapsed and decayed, a door to the new one glowed to the heroes with welcome. It was everything they wanted in their lives; no hurting, no broken friendships, no huge existential duties breathing down their necks. Normal people, living their lives as they were meant to.
But no one would remember this one. They would be unable to appreciate the peace they brought to themselves.
Sora looked at his shoes and kicked the ground, "Two years, you know? And it all comes down to this..." He curled in his lips and chewed on them, trying to get rid of the bubbled feeling of his eyes. He wasn't going to cry, this was a new adventure! A new beginning!
But there was no Keyblade.
No Donald.
No Goofy.
No other worlds.
No Kairi.
Donald waddled up into his view, "Sora, you can cry, you know." The duck was teary himself, not quite bawling but clearly upset.
Sora dove at him like a bird of prey, clutching him up in a vice-like hug, "Don't go!" With that gate open, the dam burst and he bawled, "Don't leave me! Please!" He cried and cried into Donald's shoulder, and felt Goofy wrap himself around them both. "Don't leave me... We still have so many adventures to look forward to..." Sora's laughter was buried in shaking hiccups, "W-we still gotta see all the worlds together! We still gotta... We still got things to do!"
Donald and Goofy patted his back, unsure of what to say. They'd go through that door, and then they would forget everything about this precious boy of theirs. They wouldn't remember him crashing the Gummi Ship or being oblivious about things, nor the valiant bravery he showed in the face of danger and his unwillingness to leave anyone behind.
Sora seemed to be finally drained of tears, but still hiccuped and sniffled, "I-I don't w-want you t-to go." But duty overran his heart for once, and he let go of the embrace. Yet he clung to their hands, "I don't... I'd suffer every day if we could stay together."
Goofy patted his hands, "That's mighty nice of you, Sora, but you know we can't now."
Sora blurted out, "Find me at the islands, okay? Then we can go on new adventures! See every single world and star together without fear of the Heartless or Nobodies or anything!" He smiled through his tears with desperate hope, "You know what Namine said: memories can't be really forgotten, we'll always remember even if we don't. So I-if I ask you guys to come find me at the Destiny Islands..."
Donald shrugged, "Maybe." He then looked beyond Sora's shin and said, "I think you got someone who wants to say goodbye."
Sora quickly wiped up his tears and turned around, seeing Ventus with big blue puffy puppy dog eyes. He held out his hand, "It was a real adventure, Sora. Thank you for saving me and giving me not one, but two second chances."
Sora shook his hand, "I guess, but why two?"
Ventus pointed to Terra and Aqua, "We won't split up. We'll still have Master Eraqus." He turned back to Sora as tears of joy spilled over, "We didn't screw it up."
"Hey, dry those eyes." Sora chuckled, and he began wiping them up, "You're one of the only happy people here quit crying!"
"I can cry if I want to." Ventus replied. His voice dipped somberly, "Not like you'll remember it." He then left Sora with a shoulder pat as his smile continued fading, "I'll see you around in some other life." Sora watched him go with a frown.
His gaze drifted over to the despondent trio of Roxas, Xion, and Namine. They wouldn't exist at all anymore. No chance, with Sora not giving up his heart for Kairi. Xion seemed to try and console her two companions- "hey non-existence isn't so bad!" -but even she seemed to be in mourning. Lea was bent down and telling Roxas all kinds of things, and Isa was having a bitter staring contest with Namine.
After a moment Lea clapped his hands and yelled, "Hey!" With attention turned to him, he began addressing the sea of tears in front of him, "I get it, we're all caught up in saying goodbye, but we have chances- however slim -of meeting each other again." He then stepped aside and gestured to Roxas, Xion, and Namine, "They don't."
Namine held up her hands, "Lea-"
"You sush. I know what you're gonna say, Namine." Lea cut her off, then proceeded to imitate her, "Oh, it's better this way. Don't worry about us we don't have a right to exist-"
"Axel, that's enough." Roxas hissed.
Lea acknowledged such and quieted. He then resumed, "I mean, come on, they're... They're dying and no one will remember them."
Donald and Goofy respectfully removed their hats. Others did similar honoring gestures, realizing that with the reset the three would never, ever exist again. They would only be broken off and forgotten links in their memories.
But Roxas spoke up, "Hey, I guess we get to lose all the sadness." He hesitated a moment, "We get to lose all our pain..."
Roxas seemed unsure of want to say next, but Namine filled in the blanks, "We won't be truly forgotten. The case with this- that is to say the memories of us, of all of this -is that they'll be separated and buried deep within your hearts, but not destroyed." She looked at Lea, giving him her hands along with words of comfort, "You may not understand why your ice cream with Isa is so salty, nor the lingering sadness of a sunset, or why you keep getting a sense of déjà vu when you see girls and boys who look like us, but deep in your heart you will remember, and so you will never really forget."
Sora nodded, getting the gist of what she was saying. They would be ghosts. Little pieces within the rest that would stir wistful and bitter grieving that was sated, but not resolved. Pieces that would rise in small pocket of depression and hurt for the rest of their lives. Not really alive, not really remembered, but felt as a sore ache in the hearts that remained.
Wile Sora mulled over that Namine, Roxas, and Xion had huddled around Lea in a final goodbye, hugging him from every angle. Lea's lips trembled and his eyes became wet. He wiped at his face, "I-I'm not crying that's all you guys." He let Isa join in the group cuddle soon after, probably to hide the fact that he was letting this get to him just as much as everyone else.
"Sora?"
Sora turned around at the gentle plead of his attention. Kairi as standing next to him, her eyes oddly devoid of tears. No, no wait they were there; her eyes were shining like the night sky now. She chewed on her cheek a bit, then held Sora's hand, "I'll see you later, okay?" Sora pulled back to see the charm she'd made for him what seemed like forever ago resting in his hand. A tear spilled onto it, "Come find me in Radiant Garden, you dork." A demand, not a request, Sora noted.
He couldn't bear to look at her, and only wrapped her up in his arms. He heard her struggle for a breath on his shoulder, and only hugged her tighter. "I'm sorry, Kai..." Sora whispered, "but I can't. I won't remember you, I won't have a Keyblade."
"You'll find a way." Kairi replied, "You're my silly friend who doesn't know when to quit."
Sora rocked them back and forth on his heels, "Yeah, I guess." He then felt his pocket shift around, and he remembered the paopu he'd been saving to share with Kairi. For all this time he'd been planning to ask her out with it and a flourish, maybe a sheepish smile or two. Well, that wouldn't happen now. He'd even made up a melody for a song...
Sora decided not to waste it, and began taking it out, "Do you wanna share a paopu?" Kairi sniffled and watched him as he continued, smiling but teary, "I know the timing's really bad... 'Cause I won't remember you, and everyone else too, everything will go away..." He paused, trying not to let his voice crack like it did. He brushed aside Kairi's hair and a tear, "We only have each other, before our memories fade, do you want to give it a try?" He had figured out some more of the song, but now he was bawling again and unable to continue. Even with this foolish effort their chances of transcending the boundaries of worlds was almost nothing.
Kairi accepted the fruit and kissed his cheek, "Okay." She bit off some and let Sora do the same. Sora wondered if the fruit was supposed to taste so bitter. He was surprised when Kairi kissed him not long after, only able to stare at her in confusion when she backed up.
She shrugged, "You won't remember it. My last chance to do that." Sora giggled. He couldn't help it, the laugh rose from his throat and shoved back against the constricting tears. Kairi giggled back, "There you go again. Making everything light."
"Hey Sora, you ready to go?" Riku walked up to the two. He looked dead, "I'm done saying goodbye to His Majesty." He'd been talking with Mickey this entire time, and his eyes- puffy and swollen -reflected that.
Sora didn't comment on the sudden usage of the mouse's true title, "Yeah, I guess I am."
Riku nodded to Kairi. His voice was stiff, "You were a great friend."
Kairi gave him the same treatment as Sora, leaving both of the boys confused. "You're both my best friends." She explained, "The best I could ever ask for." She ran for the door, pausing as a shilouette to yell, "Find me in Radiant Garden, okay? Promise!"
"We promise!" They yelled back, but Kairi was gone. Everyone was gone. Sora and Riku looked at each other.
Sora held out his hand, "We'll go... Together."
Riku accepted it, "Yeah."
...
A young man was walking the streets of Radiant Garden, arm in arm with a blue haired companion, eating sea salt ice cream. It was their favorite, but they could never explain why it was so salty. So instead of investigating they always blamed it on the manufacturer. They put too much salt in it all the time they just happened to get the worst.
They nodded in respect to Radiant Garden's most well respected young lady as she passed, her hair magenta red hair highlighting the deep- yet inexplicably sad -blue of her eyes. She waltzed through the streets with a delightful hop, as if she was as light and unnoticeable and light itself, but again something seemed missing and incomplete.
She seemed lonely, even if she was adored by all.
...
A young man with starry blue eyes and blond hair helped his aged companion to his throne. Among them was a blue haired woman and a brown haired man, and both nodded in respect to the elder. All of them had armor of dazzling and somber hues, and held a certain pride and ancestral weight on their shoulders. The boy sat down at their feet, and they began talking, mulling over events they had observed or bringing up new philosophies to dwell on.
The worlds were still at peace. Their duty as Keyblade Master was merely to observe, for now.
It felt like waiting for the world to end.
...
A duck and dog explored the realms between on the odd contraption their king had made. None could exactly place why he made it, but it was very much for the better since his court magician and captain of the guard loved to travel. It filled a hole in their hearts, they always claimed. It was like they searched for something they lost as they bounced between worlds, gave them peace in their cloudy, gray lives.
But what did they lose? As far as they could tell they were whole, and not missing a single thing.
...
A boy with his brown hair spiked up like a crown swayed to the breeze of his island home. His silver haired companion sat next to him. They watched the sunset together in silence for the first time in years of amicable chatter of their pedestrian life.
"This place..." The brunette said wistfully, "Did you ever notice how empty it is?"
"Yeah. It's paradise, but there's something missing."
EHHHHHHHH DON'T TOUCH ME I'M CRYING LIKE KH3 IS GONNA BE PUSHING THE RESET BUTTON ON XEHANORT'S ACTIONS BUT WE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS AND GOD TEARS ARE EVERYWHERE