Panting, she ran as fast as her thin, flimsy legs would carry her. She breathed hard, but would not stop. She had to see this. It was happening—she was sure—or had she been seeing things? If she was, she was sure her heart would only brake again... so many times over the past year she had put all hope into one little arc of light, one beacon of likeliness, and had all hope shatter. Every thing she had come to see hadn't been real. But this... she had seen it. It had to be...

She stopped. Looking up towards the sky, Kairi forced her eyes to remain open. A cool breeze fluttered her hair and sent prickles across her tanned skin. She shivered, but ignored it. She pulled her sweatshirt tighter to her body, chanced her eyes with a single blink to stop them from watering, and stared into the sky.

Was it a sign? Was it pure luck? Had he tried to tell her... had he woken her up so she could see the event (no, the miracle, it was a miracle!) happening above her? Glassy eyes reflected the miracle that happened in the sky, the final beacon of light that could be the answer to her dreams.

"Sora..." She whispered. "Riku..." Was it possible? Dare she believe it? So many times she had dreamt of her two friends, so many times she had found herself praying that what she was true. But now, could she bring herself to believe it?

She had seen him in a dream. He had visited her, tried to send her a sign... she had understood it, vaguely. But it was just a dream, wasn't it? Kairi had been let down too many times by foolish things she took as signs, but now, she wasn't sure what to think. This time, he had been right. The barrier was broken, and he could come back...

But would he fulfill his promise?

'I'll come back to you, I promise!'

His voice had been leaving her memories for so long... she had wondered if he had forgotten her. Was he still battling to hold onto his heart—onto his memories? She shuddered. What if he returned and didn't remember who she was? Would he never know how much she cared, or if he did, would he ever get to appreciate her feelings? She had been waiting for him for so long, and every day that she went without him—without both of them—she felt her heart crumble a little more every day. She wanted to see him. She wanted to see them both. She wanted to hear their voices, to feel their touches... Kairi needed them both.

'Sora, take care of her.'

Kairi had seen Sora in her dream. It had been so clear, so weird, but she had actually seen him. She was so sure that the voice she heard had been his, and it had felt so real... as though he had visited her and it hadn't been a dream, but an occurrence that came from reality. He had held onto her for what could have been from hours to minutes, and she felt his skin and saw his eyes and...

She had felt his heart. Beating alongside her own, as though they were both one. As though they would stop beating if separated, and as though one could no coexist without the other. It had been much like the feeling she had experienced in the last moments Sora and her had spent together, before... Kairi stopped her thoughts. Thinking about it was too painful. It hurt. She didn't like to focus on negative things, and that memory was one of the more painful ones she had stored away in her heart.

In the dream, Kairi could remember embracing Sora, not wanting to let go. She didn't want the feeling to go away. She wanted to remain with him as long as possible, to not let the moment go to waste, as she had let the years previous by not cherishing every moment she spent with him. But he had forced her to let him go. He had to tell her...

'Be ready, Kairi.' He had said. 'Be prepared. I'll return to you—my promise won't be broken. Wait for me. '

'Sora...' She whispered, raising a hand to touch his face. 'You look so real...'

'Be ready.' He repeated, his hand cupping around her own hand. 'Soon, we'll be able to really see each other again. But be prepared, not everything is safe.'

She smiled. She wanted to tell him how she felt... she wanted to hold him again, to stay with him, even if they were only in a dreamland. If only for just one more moment... she wanted to make him understand.

'Be careful.' Sora whispered.

'Sora...' She whispered, leaning in closer. Kairi felt her heart beating in perfect rhythm with Sora's. She could see him standing before her, and how realistic he looked. His unique scent was familiar to her, yet a memory that had been fading away, as was his voice and face. He looked older, his hair was longer, and he looked wiser. As though he had seen so many things, had felt so many feelings, and was now at a ripe, old, experienced age, instead of only being a teenager.

In that instant, Kairi knew what she wanted—needed—to say.

'Sora, I love you.'

In reply, she got a goofy smile. Her heart threatened to burst from happiness, just by seeing the familiar sight. Sora leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Even if just for a moment, Kairi could feel his lips, could feel his care and love, and knew that he loved her too. He didn't say anything, though. But then again, he didn't need to. Sora had protected her before, had fought to find her when she had been lost—he had done so much for her.

'This time, I'll fight.'

"Look at the stars!" Came the familiar voice of Selphie. She was smiling; her cerulean eyes were wide and shining as they examined everything. "Look at how many falling stars there are, Kairi! Have you ever seen that many? How beautiful..."

Kairi closed her eyes. She breathed in the scent of ocean mixed with salt; she shivered as the wind nipped at her face and whipped at her bare legs; she felt the waves of the amazingly clear water wash over her feet, sending wet sand over her feet and hiding them from the surface. "It is beautiful, isn't it?" Kairi whispered, opening her eyes once more to look at the sky.

It was possible, wasn't it? Anything could be possible. A smile crossed her lips as a sudden thought jerked into her head at the mention of possibility. Sora had accomplished so much, so much which had seemed so impossible. Wasn't that good enough proof that this sign could be possible truth?

"Sora..." She whispered, her hands folding over her heart. That feeling... it was as though he were with her right now.

"Kairi?" Selphie asked, looking at her oddly. "What's up with you? Aren't you watching? Wow! That one just blinked out! Look!"

Kairi watched. She smiled. Sora was up there. Where, she didn't know, but she did know he was up there, coming back to her, like he had promised a year ago... he was coming. Keeping his promise would be the one thing that could possibly prove his love to her—she had seen enough of how wonderful he was. She didn't need a fantastic stunt, only to know that he would come back to her.

'Wish I could prove I love you

But does that mean I have to walk on water?

When we are older you'll understand

It's enough when I say so

And maybe some things are that simple...'

"D'you think it's a yearly thing or something? It looks just like what happened a year ago. Remember that Kairi?" Selphie murmured, her eyes entranced by the stars.

"It never did this before last year, though." Kairi replied, not giving her friend a full reply despite the fact that she knew full well what was going on.

"Well, everything has been changing, hasn't it?" Selphie said.

'Hold me,

Whatever lies beyond this morning

Is a little later on.

Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all.

Nothing's like before.'

"Well, nothing is like what it was before, is it?" Kairi whispered. Selphie did not hear—not that that mattered.

Sora. Riku. Goofy. Donald. Were they coming back? Kairi could only pray, hope, believe. There was nothing she could completely place all faith in anymore. So many of her beliefs had been disproved a year ago—about other worlds, about her assuredness that her and her friends would always be together, and so much more. But Kairi did know one thing. Sora and Riku had fought to protect her. They had fought to save her.

This time... this time, she would fight.

'You're giving me too many things,

Lately you're all I need.

You smiled at me and said,

Don't get me wrong I love you

But does that mean I have to meet your father?

When we are older you'll understand

What I meant when I said 'no',

I don't think life is quite that simple.'