Nothing's Like Before
Sora's felt this before.
He was fifteen or sixteen years old, still carefree and wielding a weapon he hasn't touched in years. Merlin had asked for them to meet up in Twilight Town by the Bistro, and when Sora got there, he found himself meeting up with some old friends, one of them being a silly old bear.
He still remembers what Pooh Bear told him that day, word for word.
"You used to be right here. Why is it that you went away?"
He recalls trying to reassure Pooh that he never left, but he knew that was a lie. He knew in his heart that their connection had gotten weaker.
And now, the same thing is happening to him and his friends.
Kairi and Riku are still thankfully by his side, their friendship as strong as ever. But he hasn't heard from Roxas, Lea, and Xion in a while, and he wonders if they still eat sea salt ice cream at the top of the Clock Tower all together. He wonders if Isa, Hayner, Pence, and Olette still join them every now and then. He wonders if Naminé is doing well in Radiant Garden, and if Aqua, Terra, and Ventus are still making up for their lost time together. He wonders if King Mickey is still the faithful ruler at the Disney Castle, and if Donald and Goofy ever think of him as often as he does them.
Sora sighs heavily and falls back onto the sand to look up at the sunset sky, folding his arms behind his head. He's back at the play island, sitting in the exact same spot it all began—the exact same spot fourteen-year-old Sora awoke from his "dream" about Darkside and the Heartless.
Scary to think it's almost been a decade since that day.
Now, at twenty-three, he finds himself thinking about those days more often. Some days, when things go wrong, he automatically turns his head to the side and makes a goofy grin, only to find himself smiling at empty spaces a talking duck and dog used to occupy. Other days, he notices round items coincidentally glued together in the shape of the lucky emblems he used to take pictures of in different worlds. And almost every day, he holds out a hand and concentrates, hoping for the Kingdom Key to appear in his hand one last time, but it never does.
Five years ago, he brought an end to the darkness.
He managed to save the worlds with the help of his friends, who have shown time and time again that they were his power. He still remembers the way he swung his Keyblade for the last time before locking the darkness out from ever returning. The way the Kingdom Key crystallized into the sky, leaving nothing behind but its keychain as a thank you for everything, and showing him that despite him not officially having the title of Keyblade Master, he will always be the Keyblade's True Chosen One.
He closes his eyes, and sighs.
Back then, the challenges he had to face were enormous; heck, the fate of the worlds rested on his shoulders. But weirdly, he misses those days the most. No matter how hard it was for him, sometimes he wishes he could go back to when the touch of a Keyblade was so familiar, and back to when his friends always felt so close by. But now, it's been a little over two years since he's seen his friends, and he misses them with all his heart. When the darkness was first defeated, they promised to stay in touch and visit each other often, and the promise was kept. But as the days grew busier and new responsibilities piled up for everyone, the days also grew quieter. And before he knows it, two years have gone in a flash.
At the time, the days felt like they dragged on forever, but thinking about it now, he realizes that the days flew by too fast. Now, they were gone, reduced to nothing but memories.
When he opens his eyes again, a girl with long, red hair slides into his field of vision, startling him.
"Kairi!" Sora exclaims, sitting up and turning his head slightly to look at her. She giggles at his reaction before taking a seat next to him.
"I noticed your boat was gone while on my way home," Kairi says, folding her legs to her chest and hugging them. She adds softly, "I knew I'd find you snoozing down here."
"As always," Sora laughs sadly. He stays seated upwards, planting his arms by his sides, and leaning back comfortably.
"It's been five years now," Kairi says. "Does it still hurt?"
"Some days are harder than others. This one's particularly bad," Sora replies, looking down and digging his shoes into the sand. "Maybe the worst one yet."
"Did you see something that reminded you of those days?" Kairi asks, picking up a nearby seashell and thinking about the times she used to make charms out of Thalassa shells.
"Not really," Sora replies. "I just… suddenly remembered something an old friend of mine told me."
"Who?" she asks.
"Pooh Bear, from the Hundred Acre Wood," Sora answers. "It's… been a while since I've been there. I sure miss him a whole lot."
There's silence, and all that can be heard is the crashing of the waves and the sea salt breeze rushing past them.
Sora and Kairi watch as the sun slowly sets in the distance, painting the sky a blend of pink, purple, orange, and yellow. They've seen this view more times than they can count—and not just in Destiny Islands, but in the many worlds they've been to, as they all shared the same sky. Out there, their friends are all looking up at it right now, and that alone is reassurance to Sora that they're all still connected somehow.
"Do you remember that letter you wrote to me years ago?" Sora suddenly brings up, breaking the silence. "The one in a bottle you threw out to sea."
"I do," she nods. "What of it?"
"I always think about what you said about us sharing the same sky," Sora smiles. "There are many worlds out there, but they share the same sky—one sky, one destiny."
"You remember," Kairi says, touched.
"I also think about that one line when I miss everyone," he chuckles. "Which is every day."
"You know, we can always try planning something," Kairi suggests. "We have gummiphones and all. We can plan a trip to Twilight Town, Radiant Garden, and everywhere else to meet up with them again."
"I want to, but," Sora pauses. "Nothing's like before."
When Kairi looks at him and tilts her head in confusion, he continues, "Suddenly, we weren't Keyblade wielders anymore and normal life took over. We're all busy with our own lives. Seeing each other isn't as easy as it used to be."
The sun is barely in view anymore, and Sora and Kairi silently greet the night sky that's peeking around the corner.
"Weird," Kairi says after a brief moment of silence.
"What?" Sora asks.
"You're usually so optimistic when it comes to friendship."
"There are just some things optimism can't beat," Sora laughs sadly. "Eventually, I'd have to accept the fact that we each have our own lives, our own responsibilities, our own worries. I can't expect everyone to drop their plans to meet with me just because I'm having a nostalgia trip."
"There's nothing wrong with trying," Kairi encourages.
With a sigh, he gets up on his feet and holds his hand out for her to take. "We should go, it's getting late. I'll walk you home."
Kairi takes his hand and stands up, dusting the sand off of her pink summer dress. Hand in hand, they walk over to the docks, and even though they each had their respective boats, Sora and Kairi decide to just take one back. They'll row the other one back the next time they visit the Play Island, they reason.
Sora grabs the two paddles and pushes the water once Kairi's untied the rope from the dock. The sky above them has gone from a dreamy sunset to a sleepy night sky. Sora can't take his eyes off of the stars—too many things have happened under these kinds of nights.
He, Donald, and Goofy often watched the stars together before going to sleep after a tiring day of fighting Heartless. They used to connect the dots, making up wild shapes like Moogles wielding Struggle bats, and Chocobos eating sea salt ice cream. Night skies tend to remind him of Traverse Town too, as it was always nighttime there. And yet, despite the darkness, it never felt scary—it felt peaceful even for a city that never sleeps. But nights most of all, especially stormy ones have him jolt awake in the middle of the night, since they always remind him of that one night that launched him into adventure. He can vividly remember seeing Riku holding his hand out to him, an emotionless Kairi with dead eyes phasing right through him, the Heartless crawling across the sand—
"Sora!"
Sora jumps when Kairi calls out his name.
"H-huh? What?" he stutters, snapping out of his thoughts.
The boat gently collides with the docks on Destiny Islands, startling him.
"We're here," Kairi says with a hand to her chest.
"Oh, I didn't even…" Sora begins, scratching his head as he looks around.
"I'm more surprised you managed to get us here. I thought we'd be going around in circles," Kairi says, climbing onto the docks. Sora follows right behind her, tying the boat to the docks with rope.
"How bad was I out of it?" he asks despite knowing the answer already.
"Really bad. I called your name seven times," she says, grabbing his hand. "Come on; you're still walking me home, right?"
Sora nods, holding her hand a little tighter.
The couple walk through the streets of Destiny Islands, reminiscing about their childhood with Riku. From running around grass fields, attending annual festivals, watching clouds go by, to simply being together—they were moments neither of them would trade for the world.
Sora and Kairi eventually make it to Kairi and Selphie's shared apartment, and by the looks of it, her roommate is most likely doing overtime.
"Thanks for walking me," Kairi says, giving Sora a peck on the cheek.
"Anything for you," Sora grins, giving her a tight hug before watching her walk to the building's entrance.
"Good night, Sora," Kairi says before disappearing behind the door.
When the door closes, Sora turns around and starts walking home, his paces slow. He passes through the Shopping District, saying hello to shop owners, petting puppies, and kicking a blitzball around with the local kids.
He leaves a little less than thirty minutes later, when the shops start closing. He says goodbye to the kids before turning the corner to head back to his and Riku's shared home.
Sora keeps his eyes glued to the ground as he walks, and soon enough, he reaches the familiar gates of his apartment building. He soon reaches the door, punching in a three-digit code that comes together to form the shape of a Lucky Emblem, which eventually lets him inside. He takes the elevator up to the seventh floor and walks through the halls, letting himself inside Apartment #13 where he kicks off his shoes. He doesn't even realize that the lights are already on, flinching in surprise when a voice speaks up.
"There you are. I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to show up."
Sora looks up to find his best friend by the balcony doors, still in his work attire.
"Riku?" Sora asks, approaching him. "What are you doing here? Don't you have work?"
"I asked if I could leave early," Riku says, urging for Sora to follow him out the balcony. "Thought you could use some company."
"What makes you think that?" Sora asks.
While Riku opts for the railings, Sora plops onto the couch. The night air is warm, the breeze a little cold, and the view absolutely breath-taking—but Sora argues that he's seen sights more grand, be it the never-ending sky in The Final World, the golden light at the top of Mount Olympus, or the kingdom under the sea in Atlantica.
"Kairi said you were having one of those days," Riku says.
"Ah," Sora says, making his way over to his best friend's side. It's no surprise to him that Kairi would tell the third pea in their pod about what's going on—they were a trio, and there weren't any secrets between them, ever.
"I don't know what to tell you," Sora says. "I know that all we can do now is move on. But I can't seem to let go of the past."
"What's holding you back from moving on?" Riku asks.
"I miss the feeling of knowing that my friends are nearby and that I can go see them when I want," Sora says, eyes cast downward. "It's been years since I've seen Pooh Bear, Neku, Hercules, Aladdin, Jack Sparrow—and the others from the vast worlds I've been to."
"It may be a little harder to see them now, but something tells me that's not the only thing you miss," Riku says, turning away from Destiny Islands' night view to look at his best friend. "I think it goes much deeper than that. You're Sora—not even distance can erase your connection with others. One step back into their world, and you'd be welcomed with joy."
Sora hesitates.
"Seems to be something pretty big if you're hesitating to tell even me," Riku says. "Does Kairi know?"
"No one does," Sora answers. "I've been keeping it to myself for a while."
"Well, I can tell you from experience that it's never a good idea to bottle things up all the time," Riku says with a slight smile. "You can tell me when you're ready. It doesn't have to be now."
"No, it's about time I get it off my chest," Sora sighs. "What I miss most about those days… is really just knowing that I had a purpose."
"What do you mean?" Riku asks, clearly taken aback. He wasn't expecting to hear this kind of turmoil from Sora.
"Back then, I woke up every day to fight with my Keyblade, and then went to sleep at night feeling fulfilled. I travelled all the time and saw the worlds, made new friends wherever I went, and got rid of the darkness with each swing of my Keyblade. I knew what I was meant to do, and being a Chosen One may have felt like I getting crushed by the expectations, but it also left me with a feeling of importance and purpose. I wanted to help people, build friendships, and save the worlds from darkness."
Riku listens intently, opting to stay silent for now until Sora is done opening his heart to him. The thing about Sora is that he's unpredictable—no one knows what he's thinking, so as a result, people tend to create their own assumptions about him. They say he can't be sad, angry, envious—only happy. But Sora is complex just like any other person, and he, too, has his insecurities and doubts. Sora just tends to keep things to himself.
"But now… five years later… I feel empty. Bringing an end to the darkness forced me to face a reset. I reached my goal, and never found a new one," Sora sighs, eyes blankly staring at his shoes, bitter laughter escaping his lips as he remembers a time he used to wear shoes a size too big. "And now, I'm living just to get older. You and Kairi immediately adjusted to normal life when we got back. I feel like I got left behind. While you two were paying attention in class, I was daydreaming and clutching my Kingdom Key keychain, waiting for it to come back to me. Well, it's been five years, and that's more than enough time for me to understand that I have to move on. That I have to stop living in the past."
Sora sighs, shooting his best friend a wide grin to hide his sadness.
"I guess I still have some growing up to do," he says.
"It isn't a matter of growing up," Riku says. "After everything we've been through during those times, we can never go back to being our innocent, carefree selves. The moment we left the island, it was guaranteed that we'd never come back the same. We just learn to live with it."
Riku laughs sadly.
"As much as I'd like to relive those happier days too and make up for some of my regrets, I came to accept that they're good memories. That's all they are now. As long you don't forget them, they'll live on. You know this more than anyone," Riku says.
"What regrets?" Sora asks.
"I wish I'd spent more time with the King. With Naminé," Riku lists, closing this eyes. "Atoned for what I did for just a little longer after what I put you through. Became someone as worthy of the Keyblade as you."
"But you were a Keyblade Master, a title I never officially earned," Sora says.
"Titles mean nothing. You've proven that the moment you learned the Power of Waking to bring Kairi back. It was just bad timing that your powers were taken away before Master Yen Sid can give you the title, but we all believed you were more than a Master even before that."
Riku pushes himself off the railings and heads towards the balcony door.
"I invited Kairi to sleep over tomorrow," Riku says before walking inside.
"What's the occasion?"
"They say there's going to be a storm tomorrow."
Sora flinches.
"A storm…"
The following evening, the sound of the front door unlocking catches Sora's attention, and it isn't long before the door swings open to reveal Riku and Kairi, the former holding a folded-up black umbrella. Sora's stomach does a twist at the sight of the water dripping from the umbrella. He really hoped the weather report was wrong.
"Riku! Kairi!" Sora exclaims from the kitchen.
"Hey, Sora! What're you cooking?" Kairi asks as she slips off her shoes and hops into pink house slippers, a gift from Riku because she comes over so often.
"Beef sauté, scallop poêle, and a fruit tart for dessert," Sora answers, slipping out of view to prepare the table.
Riku and Kairi give each other a look, aware that tonight's dinner is inspired by Little Chef's Bistro in Twilight Town. They decide not to say anything about it, and wordlessly make their way into the dining room to find the table all set. Sora sets down the fruit tart in the middle of the table, waving his best friends over to sit and eat.
The night goes on just like any other sleepover of theirs—Sora prepares a feast, Kairi plans out the activities, and Riku takes care of the couch bed, pillows, and blankets. Once dinner has been devoured, they all hurry over to the spacious living room and boot up their old gaming consoles, playing timeless games that take them back to their childhood days. After some chatting, they decide to watch an old animated movie they all loved as kids, only to have the power die out halfway through.
Riku gets up from his seat on the couch and walks over to the window to look outside to find a summer storm. The palm trees are curving from the strength of the high winds, and heavy rain hits the ground as thunder resounds in the distance.
"It's the storm," Riku states, and Sora is visibly shaken.
Kairi places a comforting hand over Sora's trembling one. He's quick to intertwine his fingers with her, a silent thank you in the air.
Riku makes his way back to the couch and lies down, placing his hands behind his head.
"Guess it's our cue to sleep," Riku yawns. "I didn't realize we already hit the morning hours. It's a little past one, meaning I've been awake for twenty hours now."
"He stayed up because he loves us," Kairi nudges Sora in hopes of bringing up his mood.
"No, because you'll both be jumping on my bed like kids bugging me to stay up with you two like you did the past four sleepovers," Riku chuckles. "So, where's your part of the rent, Kairi? With how often you crash here and eat all our food with that black hole of a stomach you have."
"Well, giving me a third key will do that," Kairi says while sticking her tongue out.
Thunder suddenly rumbles from outside, the pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the window growing louder. Riku and Kairi are quick to notice Sora's silence, and so the latter wraps a warm blanket around him.
"We should get some sleep," Kairi suggests. "Especially you, Riku. And best to sleep now before the thunder rolls louder."
"We should," Riku agrees, rustling in his spot on the couch. "Good night, you two."
"Good night," Kairi says, giving Sora's hand one last squeeze before snuggling into her blankets.
"Good night, Kairi," Sora says, staring up blankly at the ceiling as he listens to the rain. "Good night, Riku."
Sora closes his eyes.
A pair of blue eyes open.
It's a stormy night.
Sora finds himself in his childhood home's old room, a storm raging outside.
"The raft!" he exclaims, slipping out the open window.
However, instead of his feet meeting soft grass, he instead realizes that he jumped onto a glass surface. The view of Destiny Islands fades away to reveal a pitch black sky. Sora shields his face when a group of white doves fly from beneath him, revealing a floor made of stained glass, shining to create light within the darkness.
All of a sudden, the glass breaks, and he screams when a pair of yellow eyes appear at the bottom amidst the darkness. He can only continue to fall towards the being, heart pounding in his chest as he fears the worst.
Sora closes his eyes, bracing himself for the impact—but he never comes crashing. He opens his eyes, shocked to find himself on the play island once more, with Riku standing in the ocean, his back turned to him.
"Riku?" Sora asks.
Riku turns around to greet him, holding out a hand for him to take. Sora approaches him warily, stretching out his hand to grab Riku's, only for Ansem to appear from behind him.
Sora quickly grabs Riku's hand and pulls him towards him, gasping when Riku falls into the water head-first. Sora tries to dive in, panicking when the water acts as a wall, preventing him from chasing after his best friend.
While he's distracted by the water, Sora fails to notice Ansem creeping up to him until the last second. He casts dark magic at Sora, who tries to call the Keyblade to shield hi, but the weapon never comes to him, making the black orb hit his chest. Agonizing pain courses through his body as he's thrown back, until he, too, finds himself falling head-first into the ocean's depths.
Sora watches the water fade into clouds before he realizes he's falling from the sky. He looks to his sides to find Riku and Kairi falling alongside him, and before he knows it, they're holding hands in a circle, laughing as they fall.
The sky is an endless blue with milky white clouds, but in a blink of an eye, the sky and its clouds turn a menacing gray. A cloud envelops Riku, pulling him away from Sora and Kairi, and a strike of lightning blinds them for a split second before revealing Ansem, who only smirks as he watches the two fall further.
Sora and Kairi intertwine their fingers so as to not lose each other, but their link is broken when the X-blade—a weapon that still haunts Sora in the back of his mind—comes twirling at them and hitting their hands, separating them.
"Sora!" Kairi screams, reaching out to him.
"Kairi!" Sora screams, reaching out to her.
Sora's world comes crashing down when she's suddenly yanked by the wrist by Xehanort—an old enemy he thought he'd seen the last of. While Sora lands on the sandy grounds of the Keyblade Graveyard, a large sandy hill elevates Kairi and Xehanort.
Knowing what comes next, Sora rushes up the hill, his heart twisting painfully in his chest as he watches Xehanort slash Kairi, making her body crystallize. Sora screams in despair as he continues to sprint to the top, but Kairi is already gone by the time he gets there.
However, instead of finding Xehanort at the top, he finds the Door to Darkness, and a familiar figure standing in front of it, his back turned to him.
"Riku!" Sora screams.
Riku turns around and smiles at him, holding out a hand for him to take once more. As Sora makes his way over to this best friend, the Door to Darkness opens up, revealing a tornado of Shadow Heartless. Sora gasps when the tornado engulfs Riku, dragging him into the door with them. Sora forces his legs to go faster, stretching his arm out as far as he can to try to reach his best friend, only to have the door slammed right in his face.
Sora sinks to the ground defeated, tears streaming down his face from failing to save his best friends so many times. He doesn't notice the shadow growing closer and closer, but as he turns around, he can only see a pair of golden eyes before a Keyblade stabs his heart.
Sora jolts awake in a cold sweat and panicked breathing. Thunder roars outside and raindrops hit the windows in an erratic rhythm, only making the drumming in his head louder. He closes his eyes and throws his hands over his ears, trying so hard to block out the noise.
He jumps back when something warm touches his hand, and when he opens his eyes, his breathing steadies when he sees Kairi in front of him with a worried expression on her face. Riku makes his way over to them from the couch, placing a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder.
"Sora, are you okay?" Kairi asks with worry.
"You've been tossing and turning all night," Riku says, sitting next to Kairi.
Tears instantly trickle down Sora's face at the realization it was all just a dream. He pulls them close, hugging them tightly, shaking at the memories of the past he saw in his sleep.
"You're both safe," Sora trembles. "You're here."
"Sora…" Kairi says, tearing up. She hugs him tighter, reassuring him, "We're here."
The following day, Sora wakes up by himself on the couch bed and the smell of pancakes in the air. He sits upright, looking towards the kitchen to find Kairi placing two plates of fluffy pancakes on the dining table. A plate of cut-up strawberries sits in the middle of the table, along with syrup and chocolate sauce.
"Good morning, Sora," Kairi greets. "Riku was called in to work earlier. You just missed him."
"No way, he barely had any sleep at all," Sora says worriedly, getting up to join her at the table.
"Trust me, I tried to stop him," she sighs. "I want to meet up with him later, but I think it's best we let him get some sleep."
"I agree," Sora says, blaming himself for his best friend's lack of sleep. If he hadn't woken him up last night because of his nightmare, Riku could've had a few more hours of rest.
"It isn't your fault," Kairi says like she read his mind. "We were worried about you. A few minutes of extra rest is worth giving up to comfort your best friend. He said that himself."
Sora gives her a weak smile.
"So, is there anything you had in mind for today?" Sora asks as he takes a large bite of a pancake.
"I was thinking of just hanging around the play island," Kairi says as she makes a thinking pose. "The daily things that keep us all busy are really so draining. I think I just want to sit back and take it easy for once. No bustling streets, no packed schedules, no big plans. Just a simple day in the play island like when we were kids."
"That sounds good to me," Sora nods.
After cleaning up a little and getting ready, the pair walks through the afternoon streets of Destiny Islands, greeting people they know on their way to the docks. Sora jumps into the boat and keeps steady before holding a hand out to Kairi to help her get in safely. Sora unties the boat from a wooden post, then pushes against the wood lightly with his paddle to get them sailing. He rows as Kairi dips her fingers in the water, creating a trail as they make their way over to the play island.
It isn't long until they make it to the island, and Sora makes sure that the boat is tied up and steady before helping Kairi onto the docks. Usually, they head straight for the curved Paopu tree, but today, Kairi has something else in mind.
"To the tree top?" Sora asks with raised eyebrows. "Why there?"
"I thought a change of view would be nice," Kairi smiles, grabbing his hand. "Come on!"
Sora and Kairi make their way up to the tree top. To Riku and Kairi, it's a place of fond childhood memories. To Sora, it's a place he'd seen in his dreams when Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka once asked him about his fears, his ambitions, and his values. A place where he was told his journey started at midday.
"Come on, Sora!" Kairi exclaims, running ahead and disappearing to the top.
Laughing, Sora hurries to catch up to her, having not expected to see what waited for him at the top.
Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Naminé, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Isa, Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Hayner, Pence, and Olette all stand there with wide grins on their faces.
"Surprise!" they all exclaim at the same time.
"Wh-what are you all doing here?" Sora asks with surprise written all over his face.
"You can ask Riku and Kairi," Mickey answers.
Sora looks over at his best friends, who only smile back at him warmly.
As the rest of the group approach him, Sora realizes he never noticed how much older they all look now. The years have been kind to Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, of course—they haven't changed at all, but he can feel how much older and wiser they are.
Hayner's a lot taller now, but his crooked smile's the same, as is his questionable fashion. Pence lost some weight throughout the years, but his cheeks still have some chub when he flashes a smile. Olette keeps her hair down as she always did, but her hair is much longer now, reaching past her mid-back. The trio isn't as rowdy as they used to be, but they're still the same friendly bunch Sora remembers.
Terra, Aqua, Ventus are quite a sight to see, with Ventus now towering over Aqua, but still a few inches shy from beating Terra's height. Terra's hairstyle is now much longer and similar to Xemnas', making Sora's stomach churn just slightly. Aqua, on the other hand, still sports her signature short hair, and still holds herself with elegance and strength.
Lea and Isa still look very much the same, but the bags underneath their eyes is very telling of their responsibilities and quite possibly, their trauma. Roxas is a lot taller now, but shorter than Ventus, making it a little easier to tell the two apart compared to when they were much younger and around the same height. His hair has also gotten darker throughout the years, another stark contrast to Ventus' light blond. Xion's hair is just slightly past her shoulders now, making Sora grin at how similar she looks to Kairi when they reunited after getting his memories back. Back then, Xion was a little mousy, but right now, she radiates confidence and cheerfulness.
Naminé is the only one who hasn't changed her hairstyle, having kept it just below her shoulders, with some hair draped over one shoulder. She carries herself with grace and confidence now, although she does still look a little shy.
They've all changed in their own ways, but being all together again like this, Sora's sees their younger selves again for a split second.
"We heard you've been feeling down lately," Goofy says. "So, we thought we'd cheer you up. You've always been the one to cheer others up and make them smile. We wanted to be the ones to make you smile this time!"
At that, Donald and Goofy tackle Sora to the ground, who laughs as he hugs them tightly. It isn't long before everyone joins in to hug him or ruffle his hair, making him tear up upon realizing just how much he's missed them all.
"Hey! No frowns, no sad faces," Donald scolds when tears roll down Sora's cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I just really missed you all," Sora grins, wiping away his tears.
"So did we," Aqua smiles.
"Now, come on! We've got a whole day ahead," Lea grins, pointing behind him. "And we brought some ice cream from the shop."
Sora looks past Lea to find Roxas, Xion, and Isa by a red cooler, to which the latter opens it up to reveal dozens of sea salt ice cream bars.
"So, you finally opened your shop," Sora says. "That's great! I'm happy for you guys."
"We had some strings to pull," Isa smirks. "It would have been a little too suspicious to send Roxas and Xion to school given they have no past records at all. At least Ienzo was able to dig up my and Lea's old documents."
"We had to find a way to adapt to normal life again. When the sea salt ice cream clerk told us she was going to close shop, so we bought it from her. Our glory days sure left us a hefty amount of munny," Lea grins. "And now, we have The Usual Spot—a humble little ice cream parlor in the heart of town. You can thank Hayner, Pence, and Olette for the name."
"Can you believe they wanted to call it Icing on the Cake? Maybe for a bakery, yes, but for an ice cream shop? Not very fitting," Hayner chuckles.
"Hey! I'll have you know that Roxas, Xion and I always called our sea salt ice cream runs the icing on the cake after a long day. It's nostalgic," Lea crosses his arms.
"Oh! Whatever happened to the actual Usual Spot?" Kairi asks, memories of her being welcomed into the little hangout coming to mind.
"Sadly, no longer there," Olette answers with a sad sigh. "Since it was in the back alleys of two buildings, the Usual Spot was affected when those buildings went into renovation. They expanded the size of the buildings to fill out the space the Usual Spot occupied."
"Oh no, I'm sorry to hear," Kairi falters. "Were you able to get all your things before construction started?"
"Everything except my Struggle bat," Hayner grumbles. "It was my lucky bat, too! It was the one I used when I finally beat Roxas at the 13th Struggle Tournament!"
"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," Roxas huffs. He then smiles, "But you did well that tournament. I was glad to lose to you seeing how hard you worked for it."
"Hah, he moped about it all day when he lost," Xion laughs, making Roxas turn to her with his jaw-dropped. "Found him all curled up at the top of the Clock Tower—"
"Xion!"
Everyone laughs at his reaction, but Roxas finds the laughter too contagious, and soon joins in.
"You know, you sound a lot like Sora. Not too far-fetched since you are his Nobody, but you know," Kairi laughs in to her palm. "Back in high school, during our Sports Festivals, he'd act all proud and cheery when losing second place to Riku, only to be all pouty and broody at the play island—"
"Kairi!"
After another wave of laughter, Riku suggests they all head back down to the sandy area and sea salt waters. With a nod, they all start making their way down the tree, and Sora squeezes himself between Riku and Kairi.
"Kairi, Riku, I…" Sora begins, unable to suppress the wide smile on his face. "I just… thank you. So much."
"We love you, Sora," Kairi says. "It was hard seeing you go through another one of those days. We thought this could help you get back on your feet."
"The day's just started, but I already feel so much lighter and happier," Sora sighs in relief.
"Oh, so spending the weekend with us was really that boring, huh?" Riku teases.
"You know I didn't mean it like that!" Sora huffs as his best friends laugh at him.
Once they all reach the beachy area, the friend group grabs a bar of sea salt ice cream from the cooler before scattering all over the island. Sora takes a bite out of his, sighing in content when the saltiness fades into a sweet vanilla kind of flavor.
"Is the shop doing well?" Sora asks Lea, who snaps the cooler shut after grabbing one for himself.
"When you're the only ice cream parlor in town, you get all the customers. Business is booming," Lea grins, ripping off the pastel pink and yellow packaging. "It can get pretty hectic, but not a day passes that I don't have fun. And to be with those two again," Lea nods his head in Roxas and Xion's direction, "is more than I could have ever asked for."
"Oh, and the one who's suffered through your terrible ideas since our days in Radiant Garden is left out?" Isa suddenly chimes in, ice cream all finished, the leftover stick in his hand.
"The ice cream shop turned out to be a fantastic idea and you know that," Lea scoffs, making Isa roll his eyes.
"The horrors I've seen as you try to organize things in the office. Had I not stepped in, you'd be goofing off with Roxas and Xion like in the old days," Isa says, walking past him, not forgetting to pass his ice cream stick to him.
Lea grabs the ice cream stick, grumbling when he finds the word Winner on it.
"Lucky you," Lea shoots as Isa walks off with a smirk.
Ventus makes his way over to Lea, scratching his head as he holds up his ice cream stick.
"I might've eaten it a little too fast," Ventus laughs.
"Hey, no worries! That just means our sea salt ice cream's recipe is addicting, right?" Lea laughs, opening up the cooler to hand Ventus a new bar. "Geez, did you get taller again? I might just cry if you surpass me. I thought you'd be a pipsqueak like Roxas forever."
"I heard that," Roxas shouts from afar, holding a bucketful of seashells Xion picked up.
Deciding to leave Lea and Ventus alone to catch up, Sora jogs over to Roxas and Xion, his eyes catching them wearing matching seashell bracelets. Roxas follows Sora's stare, and upon realizing what he's staring at, he quickly turns the other way to hide his wrist. The red on his cheeks never leave, however, making way for a good teasing.
"Not a word," Roxas says flatly.
"To you, maybe not, but to Xion…" Sora says, sliding next to her, while Roxas' left eye twitches. "I see you two have matching bracelets."
"I made them," Xion smiles, shaking her wrist as the mini seashells dangle from a black string. "Roxas told me he remembers seeing Kairi give you a good luck charm made of Thalassa shells. I wanted to do something similar, just a little something so that Roxas and I don't forget each other again."
"I see," Sora grins, picking up a seashell peeking out from the sand. He walks back to Roxas, placing the seashell into the bucket as he gives him a wide smile.
"That's cute, Roxas," Sora grins.
"Yeah, yeah," Roxas says with a smile and a roll of his eyes.
"Hey! Let's have a mini Struggle tournament!" Hayner calls out from his spot by the curved Paopu fruit tree. "No orbs! You lose when you fall off this islet and into the water instead, who's up for it?"
He waves two blue bats in the air, gesturing for people to come and join him. It isn't long before Ventus, Roxas, and Riku are up on the little island to join in on the tournament. Kairi, Xion, and Olette sit on the Paopu tree's trunk to spectate, to choose who goes up against who, and to keep track of the wins and losses. Meanwhile, Pence sets up his camera, ready to snap pictures and take videos of the event.
"Aren't you a bit too old to—" Isa begins when Lea walks past him.
"You're never too old to have some fun. Lighten up, you downer," Lea says as he continues on his way.
With a shake of his head and a laugh, Isa follows after his best friend, picking the spot next to Kairi on the tree to watch the fight. Sora turns around, ready to walk off, jumping in surprise to find his path blocked by Mickey, Donald, and Goofy.
"Where are you going, Sora?" Mickey asks, hands on his hips.
"Aren't you going to join the tournament, too?" Goofy asks, pointing at the little island.
"No, I… I'd rather not wield anything for a little longer," Sora says, rubbing the nape of his neck.
"Wrong answer!" Donald exclaims.
Donald and Goofy dive forward to grab Sora, dragging him over to the islet despite his protests. It isn't long before the spectators and candidates of the Struggle tournament have their eyes on the three half-pints.
"Let Sora go first!" Donald exclaims, snatching one of the two Struggle bat from Hayner. "He'll go up against you!"
"Good with me!" Hayner exclaims, striking a fighting pose. "You're looking at the Struggle champion who beat even Roxas—"
"Why do you still bring that up—" Roxas groans.
"—get ready!" Hayner finishes.
Donald places the Struggle bat in Sora's hands gently, while Goofy gives him a supportive smile.
"It will help, Sora," Mickey says, looking down at his palm.
With a deep intake of breath, Sora strikes his signature fighting pose, gripping the handles of his Struggle bat tightly. Once everyone is at a safe distance, the tournament begins, and immediately, Hayner dives forward to land a blow on Sora, who instinctively dodge rolls out of the way.
"Not bad," Hayner comments before charging forward once more.
As the tournament goes on, Sora finds himself automatically relying on muscle memory. Familiarity runs through his body, making him deliver blows and combos without thinking. He does flips in the air and easily blocks attacks, hacking and slashing when his opponent gets too close.
A grin begins to play on his lips the more he fights, and before he knows it, he's a kid again, wielding the Kingdom Key he so missed.
Splash!
A large splash of water suddenly snaps him out of his reverie, and the sound of cheers and laughs fill his ears. Sora looks down to find the Struggle bat in his hands, clutching it tightly upon realizing the Kingdom Key was all just his mind playing tricks on him.
Shoulder slightly heavier, Sora passes the Struggle bat to Riku before making his way over to Pence and Olette, who are both reviewing the footage of the fight. When a soaking wet Hayner makes it back to the islet, he's grumbling incoherently about his loss, curling up by the Paopu tree as he prepares himself to watch Riku and Ventus fight.
"Sorry Hayner, I got a little carried away," Sora apologizes.
"You won fair and square, never say sorry to your opponent," Hayner says, holding up a thumbs up. "I need more practice."
"So… anything new happening back at home?" Sora asks when Pence and Olette are done setting up the camera.
"Same as most of us—we went ahead and got jobs, and now we're living the adult life," Olette sighs. "It makes me miss school and summer vacations."
"We still help around town, doing some volunteering here and there, but work life does get in the way sometimes," Pence says. "But we're still the same batch of rowdy kids you knew back then."
"You're more into cameras now, I see," Sora notes.
"It's good to keep memories," Pence grins. "I want to remember everyone the way they are now."
While watching the tournament, Sora sees Naminé sitting all by herself at the edge of the docks. Sora hops off the islet to get there faster, taking a seat right next to her once he reaches her.
"Drawing?" Sora asks once his eyes land on the sketchbook she's holding.
"You, Riku, and Kairi live on such a beautiful island," Naminé says as she continues to make strokes along the paper. "Radiant Garden has its charms, don't get me wrong. But the open air, the large, uninterrupted views of the sky… you can't find that there. The buildings are always in the way."
Sora watches as Naminé completes her sketch, nodding in satisfaction when she makes some final touches.
"What else have you drawn?" Sora asks, noticing that she's halfway through the sketchbook already.
"Just some views from Radiant Garden and other worlds Riku took me to a few years ago," she answers, flipping through the pages to show him landscapes of familiar worlds, such as the bright-lit buildings in Traverse Town and the ice forest in Arendelle.
"How have you been in Radiant Garden?" Sora asks.
"I'm doing well. I help Ienzo from time to time. I also made friends with Aerith, Yuffie, Leon, Cid, Cloud, Tifa… they ask about you a lot."
"They do?"
Naminé nods. "They can't seem to forget you," she smiles.
"Neither can Hercules, Aladdin, Rapunzel, Hiro, Mulan… you sure left an impression on a lot of people."
Sora and Naminé turn to the sound of the voice to find Terra and Aqua standing behind them.
"When Terra, Ven, and I were reunited, we thought we'd visit past worlds to see how our old friends are doing," Aqua says, taking a seat next to Sora, while Terra takes the seat next to Naminé. "In nearly every world we visited… they always mentioned you, Sora."
"I thought they'd forgotten about me," Sora says.
Terra shakes his head. "In most of the worlds we've visited, there was always someone asking if we knew you," he chuckles. "You've touched so many hearts. They never forgot you."
Sora looks down at his hands as tears well up in his eyes. All this time he spent worrying about being forgotten by those he befriended during his adventures… it was all for nothing. They remembered him as much as he did, and that's all he needed to hear to heal some of his scars.
"If you do see them anytime soon… can you please tell them that I haven't forgotten about them? That despite the time apart and the distance, we're still friends?" Sora asks.
"We'll be sure to tell them," Aqua smiles.
The day goes on, with everyone making more and more memories. Before they even know it, the sun is already setting, painting a sky of various colors.
"The sky is so pretty here!" Olette gushes, clasping her hands together. "Twilight Town is an eternal orange sunset. We never get pink ones like this."
"Mind if we all take a group picture for memories' sake?" Pence asks, holding up his camera. "A picture with this kind of sky is definitely worth it, too."
"Let's do it!" Hayner exclaims, gesturing for everyone to come close. "And let's have Sora in the middle!"
Sora laughs as he's pushed to the front by his friends, and soon after, everyone gathers around and squeezes themselves into the frame while Pence sets up the camera with his tripod. After pressing a button on his camera, Pence hurries over to the group, stopping next to Olette and posing for the photo.
"Everybody, say cheese!" Pence says.
Sora grins widely, his eyes shaping into crescent moons from all his joy. Kairi stands next to him, casting him a glance and smiling to herself when she sees the genuine happiness on his face.
"Cheese!" they all exclaim in unison.
Snap!
When the flash goes off, Pence rushes back to the camera, grinning widely as he exclaims that the picture turned out so well. Everyone crowds around the camera, making their comments over the perfect shot.
When the flash goes off, Pence rushes back to the camera, grinning widely as he exclaims that the picture turned out so well. Everyone crowds around the camera, making their comments over the perfect shot.
Hayner makes his signature pose of having one hand at the hip and the other pointing at his face, Olette has her arms behind her back, and Pence has his hands behind his head. Next to them, Isa stands with his arms crossed, while Lea traps Roxas and Xion in a headlock-hug, the camera catching them both laughing. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus stand in order of height difference, with Aqua now being the shortest of the trio. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy crowd around near the front excitedly. Riku and Naminé stand side by side, the former boldly placing an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. Kairi is smiling, crouched down next to Sora, whose smile far outshines even the setting sun in the distance.
"I'll send it to everyone once I export all the photos," Pence assures.
"Don't forget!" Xion smiles.
"There's some red in the sunset now," Lea states as he looks ahead. "Have you guys ever wondered why the sun sets red?"
"Here we go," Roxas says with a roll of the eyes and a smile. Xion laughs into her palm as they make their way over to the curved Paopu tree.
"You see, light is made up of lots of colors…" Lea starts as Ventus rushes to his side to listen in, both a few steps behind Roxas and Xion.
Sora doesn't take a step forward just yet; instead, he watches as the rest leave his side to join the others. Everyone picks a spot by the curved Paopu tree, whether it's on the trunk or the ground, each one making a comment or laughing as the sun sets in the distance.
It's been a while since they've all been together, but upon reuniting, it's like nothing's changed at all, even when everything has.
Sora stands a few feet away, his heart swelling with joy at the sight.
Despite all the worlds he's been to, there's one view that will always beat even the never-ending sky in The Final World, the golden light at the top of Mount Olympus, or the kingdom under the sea in Atlantica.
And it's the view right here—seeing his friends happy and so close by.
It'll take more than just a day to be able to let go of the past, the trauma, the fears, the regrets. Sora knows that one can't heal so fast. He might be feeling happy today, but there's no guarantee he'll be happy tomorrow.
And that's okay.
As long as he knows that his friends are with him, that his friends are nearby… that gives him the strength to keep going. It always has, and always will.
He may find himself frowning some days, but Mickey, Donald and Goofy have taught him that he can always find a reason to smile. He may feel as though his connection with others is slowly fading, but Hayner, Pence, and Olette have taught him to never give up on friendship, like how they never gave up on Roxas, who they barely even remembered. He may lose hope sometimes, but Terra, Ventus, and especially Aqua have taught him that there is always light within the darkness. He may fear being forgotten by people who are precious to him, but Roxas, Lea, Xion, and Isa have taught him that you never truly leave someone's mind once you've formed a great bond. He may feel trapped at times, forced to live a new life and leave behind what once was, but Naminé has taught him that with new beginnings come new experiences, and with time, he will find his freedom. He may make mistakes, but Riku has taught him to always forgive himself and work hard not to repeat his errors. He may have his doubts and insecurities, but Kairi has taught him to always, always believe in himself, to never give up, and no matter what, always have a good heart.
But most of all… they've all taught him the same lesson—to live in the now; not in the regrets of the past, and certainly not in the fears of the future.
Kairi turns around and smiles at Sora, waving him over. With a laugh, Sora finally takes a step forward and runs over to the curved tree, hoisting himself onto the trunk next to her, and finding himself right at the very center of his group of friends.
The sky blends blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow—a wildly breath-taking and unique combination that you'd only be able to find on Destiny Islands. Soon, the talking and the laughing die down, and a comfortable silence takes over as they all turn to watch the sunset.
"We're back," everyone but Sora says.
Sora looks over at his friends, his heart bursting with happiness.
He smiles.
"You're home."
A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SORA! HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY, KINGDOM HEARTS!
I can't even begin to explain how much this series means to me. I've loved it for years, and I don't think my love for it will ever fade away. But because it's been with me for so long, it always reminds me of my childhood, making me wish I can go back to a simpler time. It's a series that feels both nostalgic and bittersweet to me.
I've always wondered what would happen to our favorite trios once the events of Kingdom Hearts are completely over. This is my little version of how things would go.
Thank you for reading!