AN: This is a one-shot that is kind of long. Sora finally comes back but something has changed. This is not what most people will think...(meaning it is not cliché.) At least I hope not. Please R&R! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts! No!!!

I'll Never Say Goodbye

Sora stepped onto the warm sand on Destiny Islands for the first time in three years. He had been trying to return there ever since that fateful day when he was 14. And now he had finally made it home.

The sun glared down harshly, but Sora welcomed it willingly. He missed everything about this place. The waves of the blue ocean, the cool breeze, the sun that always gave him his wonderful tan, everything he had longed for while he had been fighting, battling the Heartless.

But it was all over now. And Sora had only one thought in his mind. Kairi. He had been determined all that time to fulfill his promise to her. He said that he'd come back to her. So here he was.

Sora looked around. It was odd. No one was outside. It was well into the afternoon, and he had expected kids to be out in the water, or playing in the sand. But there was no one there. Nevertheless, his heart was still in high hopes.

"I gotta see Kairi." He quickly made his way across the beach, striding towards Kairi's home. What he hadn't expected was to see Riku there. The silver haired teen was just about to enter the house when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Sora? You're back? You're back!" He gave Sora a brotherly hug.

Sora smiled one of his famous smiles that had never changed since he was smaller. "Yeah. You came back too, huh? When?"

"A year ago. Man, it's been so long. How have you been?"

"Alright. The Heartless are gone forever. I...I just want to see Kairi now. I've missed her so much." Sora said, still smiling.

Riku seemed to stiffen. He didn't say anything.

Sora's smile broke. "W-what?"

Riku looked down. "Look, Sora. I know you wanted to keep your promise to her. And she waited for you for a long time. And...and I know you love her. She told me you did. She even told me she still loved you. But..." He swallowed hard, looking up at Sora.

Sora's heart quickened a pace. What? What's going on? "I don't understand?"

Suddenly, an older Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka walked out of Kairi's home. They stopped when they saw Sora and Riku. No one said a word.

"Hey, guys. What's going on?" Sora was really getting scared. What was up with these guys?

Riku gave the three friends a certain look. Selphie and the two guys gave weak smiles to Sora, then quickly walked away.

Sora took a step forward. In a harder tone, he spoke again, wanting answers. "Man, Riku. Tell me what in the world is going on?!"

Riku sighed. He put a hand on Sora's shoulder. Was that...tears welling up in Riku's eyes? Sora thought. Finally Riku spoke.

"Sora...I don't know how to tell you this so I'm just going to go out and say it....."

"Kairi....."

"Well...she..."

"She's passed away..."

Sora felt something inside of him explode. He knew what was bursting. It was his heart. "WHAT?! NO! NO, IT CAN'T BE!" Sora grabbed Riku, shaking him. "She's not...she's not..."

Riku pulled away. "She died, Sora. This...this morning."

"This morning?" And it was the afternoon. If only he could have been a little earlier he could have seen he again, told her he loved her...but now he couldn't. "H-how?"

Riku sighed. "The doctors don't know why. She was found in her bed, perfectly fine. No heart attack, poison, or anything. It's baffling everyone. Man, she was only 17. She was healthy. Only 17..."

Sora felt the tears coming now. He didn't want to cry...but he couldn't help it. He kicked the sand angrily. "Now I'll never get to see her again! I was so close! And now...and now..."

"You'll still see her Sora- the funeral is tomorrow morning."

"NO! I wanted to see her walking down the beach, her hair flowing in the wind, smiling at me and laughing at my jokes...not laying down lifeless and emotionless in a stinkin' casket!!!!"

"Sora..."

Sora pulled away. "Just. Just leave me alone." He ran through the door, into Kairi's home and upstairs into her room.

"Kairi..." He cried. "Why did you have to go? Did you just give up? I...I'm so confused..." He looked around her room. Everything was neat...so unlike himself and his messy habits. Sora continued to breath heavily. "Why? Why?" Sora slumped down to the floor.

This wasn't how things were supposed to be. Sure...he was glad that she had waited for him. But he felt that both of them deserved more than this...more than just a wait. Sora stayed there the rest of the day and night...thinking...about everything. He couldn't sleep a wink on her floor.

He had looked at her belongings. She had so many pictures of them together. She had her clothes laid out neatly for that day. But she didn't know she'd never have a chance to wear them again.

Maybe...maybe she died because she missed me so much and the grief was too much, Sora thought. He felt the same way. "Kairi...I can't live without you. I need you...now...here with me..." They both had stayed faithful. "So why did it end this way?"

Having slept little, Sora greeted the next morning somber and sad. He trudged out of Kairi's home and was greeted by many people from the island. But they were a while off. They were having Kairi's funeral. It looked to be almost over, but Sora felt more comfortable paying his respects alone. He didn't want to see Kairi's face before being closed into the coffin and lowered in the ground. It would be too painful. Sora looked to his left. There...was the secret place.

The drawing wasn't like it was before. Sora cried again when he saw what Kairi had drawn. "We'll never get to share that paopu..."

Then he noticed something else in that little cave. It was a rose bush. It got its light from the hole in the ceiling. All of them were red, and full in bloom. Except...except one. It was still a bud. Sora grabbed that one, taking in his other hand the good luck charm he promised to give back to Kairi. And he still was.

When he left the secret place there were only a few more people on the beach. It was...Riku near her grave. Sora solemnly walked up beside his old friend.

"I'm sorry for yesterday, Riku."

"I understand." He kept his eyes on the grave. The headstone read... 'For a girl too young to die...Forever a light in our hearts...Greatly loved by all...Kairi'

Riku sighed. "Kairi, you were one of my two best friends. The other is Sora. You were the one who was always so kind...and helped out everyone. Thank you for always being there for me. And for loving us all. Goodbye, Kairi."

Sora turned to Riku. "Goodbye?"

"Yeah...we won't see her or hear her ever again." Riku said.

Sora shook his head. "I did a lot of thinking last night, Riku. And I realized something. Even now I know it even more. I'll never say goodbye. Not to Kairi. Because she's still alive- in my heart. And I still love her...and will always forever." He tossed down the rose bud and the good luck charm.

"I kept my promise, Kairi. I know now that you will always live inside of me...and I am never alone. I will still miss you really being here, though. And I love you..."

Riku put a hand on his shoulder. "She planted that for you. The rose bush. It grew over the years, and she told me that it symbolized your love. That over the years your love grew in size and beauty, even though you two weren't physically together."

Sora looked down at the rose that lay on Kairi's grave. It was still a bud. Out of all the ones he had picked, he somehow chose that one. Sora walked closer to her grave, a single tear fell from his eyes, landing on a petal of the rose bud. Then he turned, walking away. Riku nodded, then, in silence, he too joined Sora.

Neither of them realized that while they were walking away, something was happening. The rose was...blossoming. And the good luck charm gleamed. And something else was now etched into the tombstone, which wasn't there before:

Thank you Sora. I love you too. And I'll never say goodbye.

AN: Sad? Yes, I know. But it came into my mind and I had to do it. Thanks so much for reading. I'll take any reviews...good or bad. But I don't think this is bad, even though she did die, so I'm hoping for no flames. Thank you! I also have another one-shot that will become a full story but I'm writing it out first. Check it out if you want to! Thanks!