"I've been having these weird thoughts lately… Like, is any of this for real…? Or not…?"

"Sora, Get up you lazy bum! Come on get up!"

Groaning "What?"

"Get up!"

"I don't want to"

"Sora!"

Eyes close again

"Sora!"

"Sora!"

"Sora!"

"Sora!"

His eyes fluttered open and he took in the fact that everything was dark. It was still night, the moon high in the sky. The sea was quiet and calm and the waves lapped up on the wet shoreline as he stared out at the horizon. It felt so empty, though what else would he expect?

Sora pushed himself up on his elbows "Did I really fall asleep on the shore?" He asked himself as he rubbed an eye and then stood up to stretch. He then made his way towards a shack and climbed the stairs inside and came out at a higher peak on the island. He made his way over a long wooden bridge and then over to a lone little island that came up from the main one. There was a large tree that leaned over the ocean off to one side and Sora made his way over to it. He sat on a branch that came out of the tree and hanged over the edge of the tall little 'island' and out over the ocean. He stared out at the glistening sea as the moon reflected off the water.

It had been a long time since Sora really got to just enjoy a moment of serenity, Kairi and Riku had saw to that. Always keeping him busy, Kairi with her chores around Destiny Island and Riku with his challenged of rivalry—which Sora had been winning a lot lately.

The sound of a leaf crunched underfoot and Sora immediately turned around and saw Ariss, one of his best friends. He smiled at her and gestured for her to come and sit next to him. She smiled back and complied, making her way over to the tree and climbing it carefully before sitting down next to her best friend.

"Hey Sora," She said.

"Hey Ariss," He replied not really looking at her but out at the sea.

The two had been friends forever, ever since Ariss washed up on shore Sora has always been one of her best friends, Riku too, Kairi not so much, but especially Sora. They were as close as friends could get, always doing pretty much everything together. Ariss washed up on Destiny Island when she was a little girl, probably around five, and she couldn't remember anything—still she can't remember anything before coming here. Sora was the first one to find her, having been playing with Tidus and Wakka only moments before, he had been on the beach walking around.

They were all little kids back then, playing and having fun together, life was enjoyable. Now… well, everyone had grown up a lot. Riku had fallen into darkness and come back a changed person, but he was still the sweet guy Ariss knew on the inside. Kairi didn't live on Destiny Island anymore, she was somewhere else but she came to visit a lot. And Sora… well he had been through an adventure. He had learned so many things, seen so many things, and heard so many things. He had grown up the most was what Ariss thought.

The sounds of the waves falling and hugging at the shoreline were heard and it was oddly soothing. Like a quiet melody that was symphonized by nature.

"Ariss," Sora said after a long moment. She looked to her side at him and tilted her head with a questioning look.

"Hm?" Then she felt something warm on her hand and looked between her and Sora to see his hand on hers.

"I'll never leave you again." He said as he looked away from the ocean and over to her. There was a light of regret in his eyes and Ariss gave him a soft smiled.

"You never left me in the first place, Sora." She said.

"But I did…" His gaze then fell from hers as he looked down to his dangling feet. "I left you all those years ago, and then suddenly disappeared for a whole year and apparently everyone forgot me—"

"I didn't." She interrupted and he snapped his gaze back to hers "I wrote down all those times when we were kids, having fun and playing together. I guess Naminé wasn't able to touch those memories because I always had them, so… I never forgot you." It was his turn to smile this time.

"I barely even managed to save you when the island fell apart and disappeared when the Heartless attacked it that first time. And I left you in Traverse Town… even though with Leon, Yufi, and Aerith. I'm so sorry…"

A warm hand was placed on his cheek and he looked at his best friend with glossy eyes. She scooted closer to him and gave him a hug "Sora, you did what you had to do, and I'll never hold that against you. You mean too much to me for me to hold something so silly against my best friend." He then pulled away.

And kissed her

Ariss's eyes widened a little in shock but instead of protesting she closed her eyes and kissed him back. Her emotions flooded with new feelings and her heart pounded in her chest as it rapidly beat faster. She was sure he could hear it by now but all Sora did was wrapped his arms protectively around her as he deepened the kiss.

Then they slipped

The two fell from the tree branch and went straight into the deep water, but that didn't stop their moment. Sora just held onto Ariss tighter as she wrapped her arms around his neck and they floated in an endless blue. A minute later they swam back up to the surface for air and then back to shore were they sat on the shoreline together—both soaked.

Sora held Ariss between his legs with his arms wrapped around her as they both stared out at the ocean. They sat there for a while two, until the sun started to peak over the horizon and explode the sky with color. The explosion lit up the sky and the flames turned into clouds as the couple watched, mesmerized.

"I'll never leave you again Ariss." Sora whispered in her ear with his chin on her shoulder. She reached a hand back and touched his cheek as she lightly kissed him again.

"I know you won't Sora."