Epilogue

The sun was rising.

As the morning wore on, the light ascended, defeating obstacles such as the ocean, the ground, the grass, the trees, the mountains, and the buildings, rising high enough to shine on the entire island.

The light seeped through an open door on a second-story balcony. A room was slowly lit, the line of shadows receding until the sun hit the eyes of its occupant. A figure, wrapped in comforters and blankets, parted her eyes and was greeted by the radiant sun. Dark raven hair lay in disarray as she blinked off the morning spots.

Xion pulled the comforters off, revealing her night garments, an ensemble set of t-shirt and shorts. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. The sun was different from what she was used to—it was the sun of Destiny Islands. Unlike the orange tint of Twilight Town, the Destiny Island sun was full of white-hot brilliance, yellow and bright beyond belief. Her balcony faced eastwards, giving her a natural alarm clock. The brightness woke her up on time every morning without fail. She went to the washroom to get ready.

It had been two years and 6 months since she moved to Destiny Islands. A lot had changed since then, which wasn't too surprising, but it was amazing how much a simple change of scenery can do for a person. Life used to be such a daunting task. A gauntlet filled with obstacles and challenges that threatened to overtake her, but now, life was something to be enjoyed. It was funny how she used to worry about things that didn't even matter. She got wrapped up in the minutia of life.

How hard was it to approach a person? It was just talking—basic communication. Being self-conscious tends to make even the simplest task extremely difficult. What if she said the wrong thing? What would they think if she slipped up? Whether or not they were legitimate causes for concern didn't matter if they meant the world to the person who held them. So she approached the big bad scary world in timid fashion.

But that kind of thinking never goes anywhere. It's hard to get out once you're stuck. It's rare that we ever get out on our own. We always need a little extra help, just one small push to get the ball rolling.

Two and a half years.

He was such a liar.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. Her hair was still short. She left it that way on purpose since she wanted to separate herself from Kairi. Somehow, she and Kairi became good friends. It was probably because she was one of the few people she actually knew on the island, after her boss, Roxas, pretty much left her on her own.

"I trust you," was a phrase with too much pressure. Give some better directions Roxas! But it was fine, Kairi made sure she was welcomed and introduced her to some good people. Others would comment on how similar they looked and asked if they were sisters. It was one of the reasons she kept her hair short, to differentiate herself. The low maintenance was just a bonus.

There was also another reason why she wanted to look different and it was because of a stupid schoolyard crush. Despite its brevity, memories of that one week always filled her with giddiness. He was the one who gave her the strength to move on.

He was special.

Considering his history with Kairi, it wouldn't do to look like her. She just wanted to be herself, Xion.

Too bad he dropped off the face of the earth. Kairi and Mrs. Hikari haven't heard from him for six months. It was like he disappeared. Even Roxas and Naminé wouldn't say anything.

Maybe he found someone special, and why not? He held a curious quality—magnetic, mysterious, and attractive, like a single cool breeze on a hot summer day. His presence was sweeping and refreshing, and strong enough to knock you off your feet. She shook her head. She was getting nostalgic again.

Life was good. There was no reason to be hung up on a guy who disappeared long ago, even though he promised to be back at two years max. Just continue to live life instead, go to work with a smile, and have a good time with friends. But…something was missing. It was an annoying itch in the back of her mind. It wasn't like she was starving for attention.

Ever since she gained the confidence to head up the Destiny Islands branch of Twilight Delivery, she attacked her job with full force. Before she knew it, she accumulated a small cavalcade of admirers from work. She may have been aloof before, but she could tell when a delivery boy was trying to (unsuccessfully) hit on her. Kairi would remain stupefied as to why she turned down all the (hot) guys at work. Hopefully the auburn woman would never find out that she was waiting on him.

She exited the washroom and walked out to the balcony. The sight from above was breath-taking. It was the perfect view of town, rooftops and trees—an immaculate fusion of man and nature, stretched across the landscape. She leaned on the rail and let the wind caress her face.

She loved Destiny Islands.

Ding dong!

Xion turned around. Was that…the door bell?

Ding dong!

It was.

She quickly searched her room for sweatpants and put it on. She didn't want to be too exposed when she answered the door. She looked through the peephole and saw a deliveryman.

"Ah, Ms. Xion! Good morning!" he greeted jovially.

"Hi Wes, can I ask why you're on my doorstep today?"

"Black box delivery." He held up a black package.

Xion's eyes widened. Black box delivery was a special high priority in-company delivery method. It meant the package was signed by Roxas himself. She took the package. "Thank you."

The deliveryman tipped his hat, "Ma'am," and left.

She closed the door and began unwrapping the package. If it was black box delivery, it had to be extremely important. As she shed layers of cardboard from the package, its true form soon emerged as a book. It wasn't just any book however, it was—

"The Keyblade Chronicles 3!" she exclaimed excitedly. That had to mean that he was finished! Her hand brushed against the cover, recognizing the artwork on it. The illustrations were done by Naminé of course. Most eye-catching was the name of the author.

Sora Hikari. No longer was it Tetsuya Nomura. She smiled. She opened the book and flipped through the pages until reaching the acknowledgements.

"To all my friends and family who supported me; to my mom Aerith, who never stopped believing in me; to my cousin Roxas, whose profound power of precognition bailed me out many times; to Naminé, whose unwavering support urged me to move on; to my friends Kairi and Riku, who showed that even in the worst of times, friendship prevails; and to Xion, for reminding me of the meaning of the word 'special.'"

She was shocked to find herself in the acknowledgements. He remembered her. Did that mean…? Shake your mind off it! Try not to get too excited.

She sat down, waiting for her heart to calm. The book seemed like it was hot off the press. She wasn't even aware it was going to be released yet. An advance copy…the perks of knowing an author.

She began skimming through the pages until a note fell out. It was a yellow piece of paper with a sentence scrawled on it.

"At the airport, 9:00AM. –Roxas."

Did that mean what she really thought it meant? She looked at the clock sitting on her coffee table.

8:10AM.

Curse you Roxas! Black Box delivery was always exactly on time. The delivery was specifically timed to give her only one hour to make it to the airport!

She went into her bedroom to get dressed as fast as possible whilst making sure she was presentable.

She checked herself in the mirror one last time. She wore a professional ensemble, a white collar shirt and long skirt, eerily similar to the clothes she wore the first time she met him.

Alright, let's go!

8 o'clock traffic was horrible, especially towards the airport.

Fortunately, she was able to make it just in time. She looked up at the timetables until she found the gate for the 9:00 incoming flight from Twilight Town. It was Gate 22, on the other side of the airport. Did fate conspire against her? This was ridiculous! She hoofed it in her high heels until she reached the waiting area.

"Xion, over here!" a voice hollered. She caught sight of Mrs. Hikari and Kairi waving at her. She hobbled over to the two. "What took you so long?"

It was all Roxas' fault! "Heavy traffic on the way. How long have you guys been here?"

"About thirty minutes," Kairi answered. "I can't believe it, he's finally coming back!"

Xion smiled. "Me too."

"Oh, I know you're especially anxious," the auburn woman winked.

Did she…? No way, she doesn't know, she can't know!

"Now now, it's almost time. He should be coming soon," Mrs. Hikari interrupted.

Streams of people were already walking out of the flight. Minutes passed with no sight of him. The crowd was beginning to thin out.

"Is he really coming?" Just as Xion asked the question, a lone man was standing by the plane's exit. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and a luggage cart on wheels by his side. He scanned the place until his eyes settled on the welcoming party.

"There he is!" Kairi exclaimed. The three jogged towards him as he grinned his way over.

Kairi immediately crushed him in a hug.

"Welcome back Sora!" his mom greeted.

Kairi let go and pinched his arm.

"Ow!"

"That's for taking so long to come back you dummy, and why didn't you say anything for the past six months?"

He gave disarming smile. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "Things got a little crazy towards the end. I needed total concentration to finish up everything in a satisfactory manner."

"That's not really a satisfactory answer!" she admonished. He shrugged his shoulders.

"We're just glad you're back son."

Sora turned to Xion and grinned. "How's it going?"

She grinned in response. "Welcome back."

"Yeah…I'm finally home again."

Mrs. Hikari nudged Kairi slightly. "Why don't I and Kairi get your luggage? We'll lead you towards the car." Sora nodded as he handed off the luggage to the two women. "Don't lag behind now!"

Sora and Xion trailed behind slightly. It was an easy silence. She was just happy to be with him again.

"You know…" she said, interrupting the peace.

"Yes?"

"You were right."

"I always am." He chuckled. "...about what?"

She giggled. "It's true what you said. You don't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes…"

"You get what you need."

She nodded.

She'd been trying for two years and half now, to live life to the fullest, with full confidence and determination.

Even though Sora was finally here, she wasn't going to stop.

Not until she got what she needed, and what she needed was right beside her.