AN: My second job is doing a soft reopen during our current pandemic quarantine. This doesn't affect posting at all since this story is fully written, but it's still kinda stressful, lol. Thank you for the reviews, thIrishWriter and SuperSaiyanFever on FFnet. Please R&R!

I really don't get what everyone else believes
So why do I say things I don't really mean, really mean
I'm only crying 'cause I never dreamed
It'd take this long, it'd take this long
-Hikaru Utada, Don't Think Twice
xxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx

Slowly, a new sense of equilibrium was found. Taking every day as its own individual challenge, Ava took every change with stride.

Mostly.

There were good days and bad. Days she felt foreign in her own body, days like nothing was any different.

Her forced wardrobe change, making use of Ruki's previous maternity wardrobe, was probably the one thing that caused Ava the most amount of grief. Her Foreteller robes were carefully stored, unable to be used as each passing week made it more and more obvious that she really was pregnant.

Ava kept to her house for the most part, continuing to make her various Potions and Teas, hiding away as Ruki was forced to become the face of any business transaction and order.

She couldn't bear to wear her mask of the Fox. It felt strange to do so when the rest of her accolades were stored away.

Master Yen Sid was of great help to her, both emotionally and in his sound advice. She was thankful for his support.

Aeros began to stay more and more with her in the house until he only stayed in the Library on the weekends. Living between the two buildings was odd, but he had his responsibility to uphold the functions of the Library and protect the Knowledge that was stored there.

Ava, after she finally resumed her daily morning training sessions as Aeros solely took on patroles, occasionally spent time in the hidden back room.

It was one of the days spent in that back room, during her twentieth week that she came upon a weathered scroll. She carefully pulled it from its preservative storage and carefully pushed some Magic into it to ensure the pages wouldn't crumble as she carefully unfurled it.

In your hand, take this Key

Ava gasped. The script clearly old, and yet…

Yet not one single Wielder, other than the five Foretellers and Luxu had heard these words. Her heart raced, the memory of her Inheritance Ceremony returning to her. Her Master's voice rang gently in her memory, his features distorted and forgotten-

So long as you have the Makings, then through this act of Taking

Its Wielder you will one day Be.

She set the scroll down in her lap, as she finished reading the rest of the passage. She leaned back in the plush red chair as she stared up at the ceiling in the small little room she had come to hide in.

Aeros had made his Vows, and though they had come to a tense truce on the subject, as the weeks went by and the behavior of the Islanders became more strange towards her…

She placed her hand on her rounded stomach as she frowned sadly. She had to do something, or it would possibly affect her child's future.

Ava couldn't promise Aeros her forever, and she didn't want to tie him down to her if there was even the slightest chance they would never meet again in his lifetime.

She wanted him to be free to fall in love with someone who wouldn't leave his side.

But the longer she stayed on the Islands, the more she realized just how true the name of this World, the Destiny Islands was to its namesake.

Every relationship seemed Destined… and Aeros had come to choose her as his Destiny.

Ava frowned, thinking of the few conversations they'd had, that Aeros had simply stated no one (other than possibly Ruki) had ever caught his interest. She looked down at the scroll of the Inheritance Ceremony, gently running her fingers over its yellowed paper.

Ava would give him this.

It was all she had (the will) to give.

It was sunset by the time Aeros returned home from the Docks, assisting the elderly and young children in their daily tasks at the wharf. Freshly showered after stopping by the Library, he noticed her sitting idly at the kitchen table, crafting something with materials he was unfamiliar with.

He took off his shoes and cautiously went to her side, only to realize she was synthesizing metals.

Ava finished her current synthesis and glanced up at him, "Welcome home."

He nodded, "I'm home." He tilted his head, "What are you making?"

Ava smiled, her eyes more ice blue than he could previously recall, "I'm making a special gift for the three of you."

Aeros was surprised as he looked over what she'd put together so far. It seemed each item would be unique to whoever it was gifted to, but they were still uniform in their own way. He nodded, "I see."

Ava stood stiffly, stretching as she muttered to herself about sitting too long before looking him over, "Do you think it's too late to go to the Play Island?"

Aeros looked at her in confusion, "The Play Island?" It had been over a year since he'd even gone there. He ran a hand through his still damp hair, "It's a little late, but the sea's calm enough that we should still be alright after the sun sets. Why?"

Ava shuffled, absently minding her fingers before she looked at him, "There's something… I need to do there, and… I need you there too."

His face went blank as he tried to not get his hopes up. Ava was clearly trying to be cautious, and they'd had enough conversations and fights that he wasn't going to hurt his own feelings by overthinking things. Aeros nodded, "Alright. Are we leaving now?"

Ava nodded as she gently took his hand, an odd smile on her face before she went into the front room and picked up a long hooded rose colored robe she had made. She had made it after setting down her Fox mask, and cast an illusionary spell on it that simply made her face indistinguishable and covered in shadow to anyone other than himself and their friends.

Turning to him to signal she was ready, they left the house and made their way to the regular Island docks. Most of the Islanders were home at this time of evening for dinner except for a few teenagers and couples. Ava took his hand and squeezed it gently, looking up at him with a peaceful expression on her face.

He smiled in turn, the weird unease in his chest dissipating as he simply enjoyed her presence.

With practiced ease he helped her into his trusted old raft, still kept in working condition as he untied it from the pier and swiftly began rowing their way to the Play Island.

In what seemed like no time at all they arrived at the opposite dock and found themselves standing on the shoreline.

Aeros looked at Ava questioningly, "So what was it that you wanted to come here for? To check the Door?"

Ava lowered her hood as she allowed her braided hair free, looking at him baffled a moment before her expression went blank, "Not at all."

Aeros blinked as he looked around, running his hand through his hair as it finished drying out, "So then… why did you want to come?"

She stared at him, something of an odd expression on her face as she turned her attention slightly into the distance.

He tried to follow her gaze, his eyes automatically settling on the curved trunk of the Paopu tree. He stood there and stared at it, fully ripened fruits rustling with the gentle breeze as Ava gently took his hand, "Can you take me there?"

He looked down at her, trying to read and understand her expression as he nodded numbly.

Was he dreaming?

Carefully, he brought her through the darkened hut and up the familiar stairs that led to the bridge connecting the tiny little island that held the Island's most treasured fruit.

Walking across the bridge, her hand in his he still fought to not assume anything, to not get his hopes up.

Yet, he couldn't help but feel like a Groom walking with his Bride.

Nerves settled on him, causing him to clench his free hand into a fist to try and calm himself.

Ava tugged on his hand gently as they walked up to the curved trunk, "Can you help me up?"

He looked at the Paopu's trunk and nodded, gently lifting her onto it and ensuring she was safely secure before taking a small step back. Ava swung her feet in a lackadaisical manner before looking up at the fruits of the tree.

"When I first arrived here, Ruki said those fruits were special."

Aeros looked at the yellow star shaped fruit and nodded, his throat going dry as his heart beat with anticipation, "Yeah."

The two of them stared at them a moment before Ava turned her gaze to him, "Would you pick one for me, please?"

Aeros met her gaze for a moment, the sunset creating deep shadows around her, yet making it feel all the more surreal as the wind lightly ruffled her ink black hair. He swallowed with a nod, going over to the head of the tree and carefully selected one of its star shaped fruit. He then turned back and carefully held it towards her.

With great care, Ava took it and looked it over, examining just how large the strange fruit was, taking in its smell and texture before applying a swift blade of Aero between her thumb tips to split it perfectly in half.

Juices immediately spilled onto her black leggings, but she ignored it as she handed half of it to Aeros as he stood in front of her.

He looked at the half she was giving to him, almost as if he were in a daze before taking it with both hands to ensure he didn't drop it.

The young man looked up to her, an imploring question clearly on his mind.

Ava glanced down at her half as she licked her lips in insecurity, "So… what happens next? What exactly happens when you share a Paopu fruit?"

Aeros looked at his half dumbly before looking back to her, his voice hoarse, "You say your Vows, and then take a bite of your partner's half, before finishing your own."

Ava nodded, mulling something over before she held his eyes, "You have already given me your Vows. I have no need to make you say them to me once again- I know you are true to your word and would never leave me.

Still... While I cannot return your Vow in equal measure, I will give you the most important thing that I can."

She breathed while holding her half of the Paopu fruit in her left, Vulpes appearing in her right hand as she then tossed it with practiced ease to hold it at its shaft, extending the grip down towards him. "Take this Key in your hand, for as long as you have the Makings, its Wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, Friend. No Ocean shall contain You. No Borders Around, Above, or Below, so long as you Champion the ones you Love."

She breathed, "I won't be able to share your life, not in its fullness… But no matter when I am taken away from this place, I will meet you again. I will return, no matter how many years pass… No matter how bitter your memory of me may become as the years go by.

I will return to your side again."

Tears fell down Aeros's face as he looked at Vulpes's grip and nodded, hesitantly moving his hand up to take hold of the grip of her Keyblade.

He knew the rote. He'd read it himself, and Granny had even said it to him as she'd firmly held his hand on that ancient Starlight's grip.

It was one of the strongest promises and gifts a Keyblade Wielder could pass on.

He released Vulpes after a moment as she sent it away, taking a deep breath as Ava placed her half of the Paopu fruit in front of him. Gingerly, he took a small step forward and bit into it, its unique flavour shocking him as he slowly stepped back, chewing it thoroughly before swallowing and carefully holding his half up to Ava.

She did the same, biting it and nearly choking on its rather unique flavor before sitting up and chewing it, a similarly odd expression on her face.

They looked at one another for a long moment before Aeros decided to simply hoist himself beside her on the tree trunk and start eating his half.

Ava watched him a moment before doing the same. By the end, both were sure they never wanted to taste its unique flavor again, as it left behind a thick honey-like residue in their throats.

Licking their lips Aeros cleared his throat and asked, "When did you change your mind..?"

Using a simple Water spell to rinse her hands, Ava glanced at him, "Hmm?"

He waved a hand, Ava snatching his wrist and dousing it in the same spell, seeming to want to get rid of its unusual scent as quickly as possible, "About… giving me a Vow.. or... any of this, really."

She sighed as she released his hand and arched her back slightly to look up at the sky as she laid her hands in her lap, the deep rainbows of sunset coloring the sky as the sun finally disappeared over the horizon, "This afternoon."

He stared at her dumbly, baffled at the abrupt turnaround of opinion, "Really?" Normally Islanders thought long and hard about these things. Or at least, it seemed that way to Aeros as he saw one couple after another get together.

She returned her gaze to him, "In battle, there's no time to waste to calculate the best outcome for survival. While this is certainly different, I've come to realize just how truly important this tradition is to these Islands, and how it can affect one's future." Ava sighed as she returned her eyes to the sky, "It also… felt wrong to ask so much of you without giving you anything in return."

Aeros stared at her profile for a long moment before looking up at the sky as the stars began to clear, "You're giving me a son. A piece of you and I that neither of us can ever take back… That, honestly, was more than I would have ever hoped or asked for."

Absently, she placed a hand on her rounded belly as she soothed herself and her child, as she thought over what she would say next. Yet, as the stars continued to shine ever brighter in the darkening sky, she couldn't help but focus on one very small one that shone brightly above them, "Sora."

Aeros hummed as he returned his gaze to her, "What?"

Ava bowed her head as she looked down at herself, nodding with a hum before looking Aeros in the eyes, a gentle smile crossing her features, "Our son's name. It'll be Sora.

For all Worlds are connected by one Great Sky. An undeniable Connection that they were once One."

Just as they had become.