It was another quiet afternoon at Destiny Islands, but Kairi knew the quiet would soon be over. She was sitting in the secret place, looking at the drawing Sora made for her. He drew it a year ago, it was a drawing of him giving her a paopu fruit, and her giving him her lucky charm. After a year that exchange had finally happened. Sora had returned her lucky charm, and on the night of their return from the other worlds, they had shared a paopu fruit together. Sora had told her all about his adventures, Kairi was glad to have him back, but she knew that things were different now. They hadn't seen each other for a year, and in that time, Sora saved the worlds twice, everything Kairi did was wait.

Kairi took out her keyblade, and gazed at it for two minutes. It was a mysterious and magical weapon, which she knew she should be honored to wield, but she felt she didn't deserve it. She remembered herself saying: "This time I'll fight" and yet, once again she was separated from her friends, unable to prove her worth.

That's why she sat in the cave now, thinking. Sora had just received a letter from Disney Castle, they needed him and Riku's help. Kairi didn't want to be separated from them again. She waited for them a whole year, patient, never knowing if they would get back, what kind of danger they were in, or if they were even alive. She didn't want to go through all that pain again. But could she come with them? Would they even want her? Did they still see her as a captured princess? She knew she didn't have the same experience as them, but Sora managed to save all the worlds with as little experience as her. And she was aware that Sora really never was the brigthest.

Kairi excited the cave, she could see Sora and Riku in the distance. Sora sat at their favourite palm tree, looking out at the horizon, clinging to the message from the castle. Riku stood beside the tree, looking at the horizon with him. Kairi had never seen them like that before. Their journey had changed them, aged them, stregnthened them. Kairi wanted the same.

The boys were talking without looking at each other.

"Your mind's made up?"

"Yeah."

Kairi always knew what the answer would be, she walked determined over to them.

"Sora."

"Kairi" Sora said and jumped down from the tree. "I..."

Kairi nodded, he didn't have to say anything, she already knew.

"It's just...they really need me...I have to go. I am, who I am, because of them."

Both Riku and Kairi chuckled. She couldn't argue with that. Maybe she didn't know these new friends of his as well as he did, but she could tell they meant something to him. But she knew she did too.

"Well, if you two are going I'm coming with you."

"Huh? But Kairi...it might be dange..."

"I don't care, I'm not going to wait any longer. Don't you remember our promise Sora. We said we'd be together every day."

She took out her keyblade, both of them looked surprised, despite the fact that they already knew she had it. She hadn't shown it them a while. Then they smiled, and took out their respective keyblades. They all looked at each other, they were a trio again.

"The three of us can never be apart again. Never."