Ok! So sorry if this one felt like it took an eternity to come out, I recently moved and had to take a little time to settle into my new place before getting serious about writing this one. But for what it is as our final chapter before we dive into the climax, I think it definitely tugs on some heartstrings as our last 'calm before the storm'. So I hope you enjoy something a bit softer and a bit sweeter because what comes after it is... Oof. Anyway with that out of the way, enjoy!


Chapter 63: Before the Storm

Abunai, abunai, abuna -
Abunai abunai, abuna - abunai -

The bright morning skies above Radiant Garden stand in stark contrast to the gloomy news Naminé now has to carry as she departs from the castle. She'd traveled here alongside the Restoration Committee to act as something of a messenger, eager to help in any way she can even if she knows her place isn't in the heat of the fight alongside the rest of her friends. So she'd joined the committee in seeking out any sort of scientific advice Ienzo and his colleagues might have to offer on Sora's condition. And yet, though that inquiry had started out with some level of optimism, their allies had little intel they could offer that might be of any actual use. Even going back through Ansem the Wise's back catalog of research wielded little results. Really, the best conclusion Ienzo could come to was the very same Yen Sid had iterated to the lights a few days prior. That if they ever hope to set Sora's heart free, then Xehanort must be eliminated at all costs. A dangerous undertaking, to be sure, but one that they have to carry out, for Sora's sake and for so many others.

Naminé sighs as she walks alone back to Merlin's house, dejected over the news she knows she'll have to deliver to the rest of the lights. In the final few days before the decisive battle, the others have all split up into their respective groups to spend some much-needed time together. Which of course, leaves their only member who doesn't fall into any of the already-established trios without anywhere to really go or much to do in the meantime.

If she's being perfectly honest with herself, Naminé still doesn't quite feel like she's truly part of their number. Though they try to make her feel more welcome with the new outfit she's now wearing–crafted by the three good fairies just like the others–she knows it's not enough to make her fit in. She's the only one among them who can't really fight, the only one among them who can't contribute in any way that actually matters. In that way, she realizes she has something else in common with Sora: the feeling of being a complete and total stranger, an unknown and unwanted outlier even when surrounded by so many friends.

She's so lost in her fretful thoughts that she doesn't even notice a shadow looming in the alley she's passing by. At least until that shadow speaks up in a voice Naminé would recognize anywhere.

"So, you really are back after all…"

Naminé turns with a gasp, her eyes wide as she watches him step out of the alley. Aside from the black coat he now wears and the sharp gold filling his eyes, he hasn't changed at all. He looks exactly the same as he had in Castle Oblivion; exactly the same as he had the moment she'd had no other choice but to tear his forged memories apart. "You…" is all she can manage to say, frozen in awe as he slowly, carefully approaches her.

"Look at you," the other Riku smiles softly as he glances her up and down. "I almost didn't recognize you with that new look of yours. It's… nice."

"Thank you," Naminé gracefully accepts this compliment, running a hand through her hair, now tied up in a loose ponytail. She's quite fond of her new outfit herself, a simple light blue dress with elegant white accents, complete with a tan bag to hold her sketchbook in. It's definitely a change from her usual white gown, but a welcome one; a new look for a new beginning, for the new life that she's still trying to start.

And from the looks of it, she's not the only one who's had a new start either.

"I… I knew they'd brought you back, but… I didn't think you'd still…" she trails off, pulling her gaze away from him. "Why are you working with them? After what happened at the castle, I thought you'd know more than enough about what they stand for, what kind of people they are…"

"I do," the other Riku says, his smile swiftly fading. "I just… I'm…" He looks around, seemingly uneasy as he drops his voice down to a regretful whisper. "Let's just say Sora isn't the only vessel they've had to force onto their side…"

Naminé falls into silence at this, immediately horrified by what he's just implied. By the very idea that Xehanort would be cruel and twisted enough to drag not just one innocent heart into darkness, but two. The hearts of two people she just so happens to care so very much about. "They… but… how did they-"

"When they brought me back as a new replica, I didn't have any memories of what had happened at Castle Oblivion, at least not at first," the other Riku explains, leaning against a nearby wall. "But then… when I saw Sora, I… I don't know, it all just… started coming back to me. All of my memories of the castle… and all my memories about you…"

"And?" Naminé presses. "What did those memories do for you? Did they make you realize that you're on the wrong side? Did they encourage you to try and fight back against them?"

"...I can't," the other Riku sighs, ashamed. "Standing up to the master… it's not as easy as you might think. Just look at how much Sora's suffered for daring to try it."

"So?" Naminé asks, trying her best not to get angry and failing every step of the way. Because after what happened the last time she'd seen him, after everything he'd done and all of the guilt she still carries for being a part of any of it, she finds she can't be anything other than upset. Upset with him, with the Organization, with herself most of all for being far too powerless to stop any of it. "Are you too scared to do the right thing? Because even after all of the pain and heartache Sora has been through, I can tell you for a fact that he isn't. So what's your excuse then?"

The other Riku hesitates, wavering under her intense, piercing blue gaze. He backpedals, refusing to make eye contact with her as he ultimately turns away. "...Forget it," he mutters, sadly, not angrily. "I should have known better than to do this. I just… I wanted to see you, one last time…"

Naminé pulls her frustration back as concern and confusion take its place instead. "One last time?" she questions, walking after him. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asks, glancing over his shoulder at her. "There's only one of two ways all this will end; either you win and wipe all of us out along with the master, or we win and all of you will be…" he trails off, unable to bear finishing the thought. Naminé is easily able to glean what he meant to say however, a grim thought that she doesn't want to linger on for any longer than she has to. "You know, I'm probably in for a world of trouble once I get back and the master finds out that I came here to talk to you…" he says with a small, bitter laugh. "But it's worth it just so I could be near you again. I-I… I missed you, Naminé, probably way more than you've missed me…"

"What makes you think that?" Naminé frowns. He turns to face her again, clearly surprised by such a response.

"Why would you miss me?" he smiles, but there's no warmth or humor behind it. "I'm not even who I'm supposed to be. I've always just been a copy of somebody much better, a replica, a nobody-"

"Hey, same here," Naminé chuckles softly. He tries to hide the rush of sudden warmth that fills his face when she reaches for his hand and holds it gently in between hers. "I'm sorry for getting upset with you, it's just… there's so much about all of this that isn't fair. What's happening to Sora, what's happened to you… You both deserve so much better."

"Sora does," the other Riku shakes his head as he pulls his hand away. "But me? I'm not so sure about that…"

"You do," Naminé protests sternly. "You may think you're just the shadow of someone else, but you could be so much more than that. You could finally be your own person if you just had the chance. If you gave yourself that chance."

"...That's a nice thought," the other Riku sighs tiredly. "But as long as the master has any say, it's a chance I'll never get."

Naminé takes his hand once more, her smile warm as she takes his hand once again. As she offers him far more hope than he's ever felt before. Hope that he only wishes he could actually accept. "We're going to stop Xehanort and put an end to all of this. And when we do… you can be whoever you want to be, you can do whatever you want to do. You won't just be a vessel or replica anymore… you'll be free…"

He stays silent for a long time after hearing this, his expression distant, his mind somewhere far away. Naminé continues to hold onto his hand, and he squeezes it ever so softly, as if he's asking her–begging her to make such a promising future happen. As if he almost truly believes he'll live to see that future at all. "Free…" he finally says, his voice barely above a whisper as he smiles wistfully, waningly. "Yeah… I like the sound of that…"

He says nothing more as he leans forward, catching Naminé off guard when he gives her a sudden, gentle kiss on the cheek. She barely even has a chance to draw in a surprised gasp before he abruptly disappears before her very eyes, disappearing into the darkness without even so much as a proper goodbye. Leaving to face whatever fate he's been forced into, to stand on the side he has no choice but to be on, whether he wants to or not.

"...We'll save you too…" she whispers to him all the same, her hands resting lightly against her heart as it aches for him. As she longs to help him find his way to the kind of life he should get to have. A life that, if all goes according to plan, he might soon get to finally lead. "I promise…"


Terra notices more than his friends likely think he does. He notices the way Aqua's eyes seem to shine like stars when she laughs. He notices the way Ven's lower lip temples over so slightly when he pouts in faux disappointment. He used to notice the hint of fondness in their master's tone wherever he congratulated any of them on a job well done. He notices how the air is still slightly warm even after the sun sets in the Land of Departure. He notices how strangely silent that air is tonight when he knows conversation and laughter should be filling it instead.

And… he notices that his two best friends haven't said a single word to each other since they arrived.

Really, Aqua and Ventus haven't spoken much at all since the day the truth about Sora's distressing condition had been revealed. Since it had come to light that Ven had been concealing that truth from them all from the moment he'd awakened. Since Aqua had angrily scolded him for something he hadn't even wanted to do to begin with. And as a result, since only about a day or so after Terra had fully returned, the distance between the two people he cares about most has felt far too great. Distance that he's stranded squarely in the middle of.

At first, he isn't sure what to say as he sits in between them. The skies above are clear, the stars shining down on them just as they did the last time they sat here together over a decade ago. When the storm clouds had still only been on the distant horizon instead of hovering over them like they are right now.

After a while, Terra lets out the weary sigh he's no longer able to hold back. Aqua and Ventus both hear it, their longstanding silence finally broken as they both look to him, concerned. "What's wrong?" Aqua asks, lightly skimming a hand upon his arm.

Terra smiles in spite of himself, not making eye contact with either of them. "I don't know, I… I'm just… worried, I guess."

"You? Worried?" Ventus raises an eyebrow, knowing it isn't like Terra to be worried about much of anything. "About what?"

"...About what's ahead of us," Terra amidst earnestly. "Or… what's ahead of the two of you. I keep thinking about how much I wish I could be there on the battlefield beside you both, but I-"

"Aw, we wish you could be there too, Terra!" Ventus interjects, though his eager smile soon shifts into a disappointed frown. "But… Riku's plan-"

"That's… not it," Terra shakes his head. He hesitates, knowing he has no reason to lie to the two people he trusts above anyone else. But bearing his heart, his fears, his weaknesses so openly and honestly… well, it's never exactly been a strong suit of his. "Even if it wasn't for the plan… I still don't think I'd be able to go with you. I… t-the thought of facing him again, after everything he took from me, after all of the time he forced me to lose, I just… I don't know if I'm strong enough to even try…"

Both Aqua and Ven fall into solemn silence at this. They exchange the briefest of glances before they force themselves to look away, instead focusing their attention on the one among them who clearly needs it most. "...Terra…" Aqua begins as she grips his arm just a bit tighter. She tries to think of what else she could possibly say to comfort him at a moment like this, though before she can, Ven suddenly beats her to the punch without much thought at all.

"W-well, that's ok!" he insists encouragingly. "You won't have to face him. Once we take him down, you'll never even have to think about him or what he did to you ever again!"

"Ven," Aqua shoots him a warning glare when she notices Terra tensing up.

"What?" Ventus counters, disgruntled. "I'm trying to make him feel better."

"Well, you could at least try to be a little more tactful about it," Aqua says, crossing her arms.

"Hey! I just want to help!"

"Oh, like how you 'helped' Sora by lying to us about what was happening to him?"

"Oh, come on!" Ventus groans, exasperated. "Not this again! I already told you and everyone else, I'm sorry. I made a mistake, ok? Why can't you just let it go already?!"

"How can I let it go after what's happened to Sora?!" Aqua practically yells as she abruptly rises to her feet. "You don't know what facing that kind of darkness is like, Ven, but I do! It's awful and it's agonizing. And it's made even worse when you have to deal with it all on your own like I did, like Sora has been doing for the longest time now. But all of that might have been avoided if you'd just told us the truth so we could have helped him from the start!"

"Do you really think I didn't want to tell you the truth?" Ven also stands, his hands curled into tight fists at his sides. "I did! And I tried to convince Sora to tell the truth too! But if I had known that he was gonna run away and that everything was only going to get so much worse, I would have said something. You know I would have!"

"Do I know that, Ventus?" Aqua hisses sternly, sending him a cold, piercing glare. "Do I know that I can trust you to do what's right after you failed to do that when it mattered so much? Do I know that I can trust you at all after this?"

Ventus backpedals, his own ferocity briefly fading only for it to come back in full force as he remembers a critical point that's largely been lost in the shuffle until now. "W-well at least I did something to help him!" he shouts, his face red and his voice furious. "What have you done for him outside of getting mad at me for keeping his secret?!"

"Alright, that's enough," Terra suddenly interjects as he finally stands, raising his hands to put some distance between the bickering pair. "...Look," he begins, sighing as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "I know you're both upset–and you have every reason to be. What's been happening these past few months is just about as bad as it can get. But… if you're going to be angry, then neither of you should be angry at each other."

"B-but Terra," Ventus protests adamantly. "She never listens to me when I try to tell her that I'm-"

"Ven," Terra turns to him, his expression and tone patient, yet resolved. "Aqua is right; you shouldn't have lied about what was going on with Sora. You might have only done it to try and help him, but… you need to understand that it did much more harm than good for everyone–Sora included."

"That's what I keep trying to tell him!" Aqua agrees, still clearly frustrated.

"But you don't have to tell him like that," Terra looks her way. "It's been months, Aqua. By now, I think Ven gets what he did wrong and regrets it. Don't you?"

"Yeah, of course I do!" Ventus immediately insists, hoping that Aqua can finally see what Terra already has. "The last thing I wanted was any of this! For Sora to run away and get so much worse while he was out on his own, for all of us to spend the past few months looking everywhere for him, for you to stay mad at me and not even try to hear me out when I keep telling you how sorry I am, Aqua!" His breath hitches as he starts to tear up, and despite his best efforts to hold them back and save face in front of his two closest friends, those tears still end up falling fast all the same. "I just… I want things to finally be ok for a change… We spent all this time apart, but even now that we're all back, it's like we aren't even together anymore… And I hate that… I hate that things are still just as bad as they were when we all lost each other years ago… I hate that I still have to miss you even when you're standing right in front of me…"

All at once, Aqua finds herself at an utter loss for words. Terra is in much of the same spot, glancing between his friends as he struggles to think of something to say, some way to comfort and console them both. But he soon finds he doesn't have to as Aqua takes the initiative instead, unable to simply stand by and watch as Ven all but breaks down before her.

"Ven, I-I… I didn't mean to…" she stops herself, retracting the hand that she reaches out toward him. She briefly glances up at Terra, hoping for some kind of advice, some kind of steadiness to guide her through this sudden storm. He offers that steadiness in the form of a small smile and an encouraging nod, urging her to make this right, to bridge the gap between them all, however unintentional that gap might be.

So Aqua steps forward, calming Ven's continuing sobs by gently folding him into her arms. "I should be the one who's sorry…" she whispers remorsefully, fighting back tears of her own. "I was so focused on how angry I was that I couldn't see how upset you were. I've gotten so used to being alone… I guess I've forgotten how to think of any feelings other than my own…"

Ven briefly stiffens in her embrace, though it doesn't take him long at all to return it in full. "I-I'll forgive you if you forgive me," he half-jokes with a tiny, wavering smile. "Sound like a fair trade?"

"More than fair," Aqua chuckles as she pulls back to fondly ruffle his hair. This touching exchange is made even more so as Terra joins in, pulling both of his best friends into a wide, hearty hug, one that they're more than happy to join in on as they all celebrate what's been mended here. As they all revel in their lasting bond, tested and tried, yet never truly broken, not by time, by distance, or by anything else.

Even as they slowly pull apart, Terra keeps his hands resting lightly on Ven and Aqua's shoulders, looking between them both with a bittersweet smile. "I know neither of you need to hear this, but… come back from that fight safe, ok?" he says, his smile soon falling into something much more solemn. "He stole my body and my heart, but I won't let him take anything else from me–especially not anything as important as either of you. If you need me when you're facing him, just call. I'll be there for you both. I promise."

"Terra…" Aqua frowns, lifting a hand to skim the side of his face. "You know you don't have to if you-"

"I know," Terra places his hand over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "But I'm willing to face every last fear I might have if it means protecting the people I care about most. Even Xehanort himself."

"Now that sounds like the Terra I remember," Ventus perks up as he finally wipes the last of his tears away. "You're still as tough and brave as they come!"

"Master Eraqus would be so proud of you…" Aqua warmly agrees as she lightly kisses his cheek.

"He'd be proud of all of us…" Terra assures as he pulls the pair in for yet another fond embrace. They stay like that for quite some time, standing together under the stars. The very same stars that had been there the last time they'd sat on this cliffside, the very same stars that now stand to welcome them back again even 13 years later. The same stars that will always be there to bring them back together again, no matter how far their hearts might roam.

And somewhere among those stars, each of them can't help but imagine one of them shining just a bit brighter than all of the others. A star where someone special is still watching them, where their master sends his blessing to them from somewhere far beyond. And under that watch, that blessing, these stars, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus know that after so much time and so many hardships, at long last, they've finally, truly found their way home.


For how long Axel has been waiting for this moment, he had expected it to feel far different than it does now. After so much time spent imagining himself and his two best friends back up on this clock tower, back to eating the very same ice cream they used to share, he knows he should be happy, elated even. There should be cheerful laughter, playful joking, and bright smiles all around as they watch the stunning sunset before them. But instead, there's none of that this evening. True, the sunset is still there, the sea salt ice cream bars in each of their hands, Roxas and Xion by his side. But this is nothing like how it used to be before; nothing like how he had hoped it would be now.

The three of them hadn't even planned on coming to Twilight Town together, they hadn't planned to spend the dying hours of the day atop the clock tower alongside each other. By all accounts, the three of them being here in the same place at the same time is really just a surprising coincidence. But what's even more surprising is that they all decide to stay put regardless, even if there's still so much strain and strife between them.

They haven't said a single word to each other since they settled in with their ice cream, barely even sparing a single glance at each other in favor of watching the falling sun. This was once their spot, their pastime, their escape from it all. It was where their friendship had been forged, where they learned to become more than mere Nobodies, where they discovered what it truly meant to have a heart. And even now, it's where they've all come back to, whether they meant to or not.

Axel takes another bite of his ice cream as he looks over at the pair sitting alongside him. He keeps his other hand concealed, not wanting to let either of them see what's in it. It's a story that's far too long and painful to share with them, especially on top of everything else they're already facing. A story filled with far more remorse than he can really bear.

Speaking of remorse, he has plenty of that to spare as he settles his sights on Roxas. Despite the past several months they've spent apart, he still regrets how harshly he'd treated him and Xion alike after picking them up from Agrabah. True, he'd been justifiably frustrated with their dishonesty in how they'd so recklessly covered for Sora. But with how much guilt both of them harbored for how everything had turned out, that anger had been short-lived. If only he hadn't made that anger known at just about the worst time possible, with the least amount of tact he could have shown. No wonder Roxas is still upset with him; he's still quite upset with himself for even so much as implying that what's happening to Sora is his Nobody's fault. His Nobody, who's done everything he possibly could to save him from the very start.

With the impending battle in just a day or so, Axel figures now is as good a time as any to make amends. Especially since Roxas is the only one among them who will be going into that fight; if anything were to go wrong, the last thing Axel would want on his already guilty conscience would be to have this kind of strain still standing between them. But just as he takes in a steadying breath to smooth things over, Roxas abruptly stands from his spot on the edge of the tower.

"Where are you going?" Xion asks as he turns to leave.

"Gonna get more ice cream," Roxas looks back over his shoulder. His expression is unreadable, but Axel notices when his eyes don't even so much as shift over in his direction as he offers a hand out to Xion. "Do you want to come?"

"Sure," Xion manages a small smile as she takes his hand. That smile fades, however, when she looks back at the only one of them still sitting. "Um, Axel, do you want-"

"Nah, I'm good," he waves them off. He tries to think of something witty to ease the tension, but with his thoughts as clouded as they currently are, nothing comes to him. "See you two in a few."

Xion nods, smiling once more. Roxas, on the other hand, doesn't even acknowledge that he said anything at all as he leads the way down the tower, Xion only a few steps behind him. And with that, Axel is left alone to watch the golden rays of the sun continue slipping over the distant hills. He's left alone with his thoughts, however unpleasant they might be.

"Shouldn't you be saying goodbye to your real home?"

Axel tenses up the second he hears this voice, his focus snapping to his left. And… standing just a few feet in front of him, is just about one of the last people he could have expected, or wanted, to see. "Saïx…" he hisses between gritted teeth, narrowly avoiding the instinctual urge to call him by his former name.

"Relax," Saïx says, nonchalant as ever. "I'm not here to fight."

Even so, Axel eyes him warily as he takes a seat next to him. He's caught completely off guard, however, as Saïx reaches over to steal what's in his other hand, the extra sea salt ice cream bar he'd been hiding from Roxas and Xion. "Hey!" he protests, reaching for the treat.

"You can't eat all this," Saïx says curtly. "Why did you buy two of them? One for yourself… and two for good luck?"

Axel lets out an indignant huff as he glares away from his former friend. "I dunno, 'cause I felt like it…" he mutters crossly. "What are you even doing here? I thought you'd be busy running the old man's errands or something."

Saïx doesn't reply at first in favor of taking a bite of his stolen ice cream. "I think you owe me a bit of gratitude."

"Oh yeah?" Axel sneers. "For what? Being such a loyal friend? Pfft, maybe I would if you knew the first thing about loyalty or friendship."

"...I could say the same for you…" Saïx mutters, shooting him a dirty look.

"What's that supposed to-"

"You should be grateful," Saïx starkly interrupts before Axel presses any further. "For the hand I played in giving you back what clearly matters most to you."

"Huh?" Axel raises an eyebrow, though he follows Saïx's gaze down to the town sprawling below the clock tower all the same. There, amidst the sunset-painted streets, he manages to spot Roxas and Xion as they happen to run into Hayner, Pence, and Olette, taking the opportunity to catch up and chat. And as he watches his friends from afar, all at once, it all clicks right into place. "Wait… What are you saying?" Axel turns his focus back to Saïx, narrowing his eyes at him. "That you helped bring those two back? Do you really expect me to buy that after everything you've done?"

"I expect you to keep it in mind in conflict that's to come," Saïx says simply before taking another bite of his ice cream.

"S-so what?" Axel shoots back, his face suddenly hot as he grips the ice cream stick in his hand so tightly it nearly snaps. "Are you trying to get brownie points with me in the hopes that I'll go easy on you? 'Cause if so, you can forget it. We're taking every last one of you chumps down if that's what it takes to save Sora. And you're no exception."

"...Hm," Saïx muses, fixing Axel with a piercing, golden-eyed stare. "You're so committed to rescuing and protecting your new friends, Axel. But how easily you've forgotten your old ones…"

"Tch, with how you've been acting for the past few years, I'm starting to wonder if you and I ever really were friends," Axel remarks pointedly. And yet even then, he doubts himself the moment he says it.

Saïx seems to sense that doubt too as he largely ignores that cutting comment, choosing to go off on another tangent entirely. "Do you remember how we used to sneak into the castle back in Radiant Garden?"

"...Yeah?" Axel frowns, wondering where this sudden wave of nostalgia is coming from.

"And we made a friend there, a girl," Saïx continues, drudging up an old memory that Axel's tried his best to bury. Only to think of it now more than ever as of late. "We became apprentices to Ansem the Wise in the hopes of rescuing her."

"Yeah, and we failed," Axel scowls bitterly. "One day, she was just up and gone without any warning at all! Same with Ansem the Wise. And then the next thing we knew, you and I were Nobodies, and then the day after, we were stuck doing icky jobs for Xemnas."

"And as soon as that happened… you gave up on her," Saïx accuses coldly.

"I did not," Axel argues sharply. "Everything turned upside down in a matter of days. We lost our hearts, our freedom, everything! I was just trying to focus on surviving while you spent all your time brown-nosing the boss. I couldn't keep up with you!"

"Clearly," Saïx notes dryly. Even so, he sighs in what almost sounds like remorse as he stares at the sunset ahead. "Following Xehanort's Nobody was the only way to discover what happened to her. She was his lab rat. From what I heard, she was an early test to set the stage for the grand experiment he's close to completing now."

"...Experiment?" Axel asks, initially confused. "You mean… Sora?"

Saïx smiles, but there's not a trace of levity behind it. "That's always who it's all been about from the very beginning, hasn't it?"

For as unnerved as he is by this revelation, Axel can't help but ask the question that's still weighing so heavily on his mind. "W-well, what about the girl? I helped you rise through the ranks, so I hope it was all worth it to find her."

"I'm afraid not," Saïx shakes his head. "There hasn't been a trace of her. I started to wonder if we'd imagined her; maybe she never even existed at all."

"Like hell she didn't," Axel fixes him with a fierce glare. "Just admit that you blew it; all your bootlicking didn't amount to anything in the end. And while you're at it, wise up and quit already. Or else-"

"Or else you'll defeat me?" Saïx smirks as he finishes off the last of his ice cream. "Now that I'd like to see."

"Oh you'll see it alright," Axel challenges hotly. "'Cause when I'm through with you, I'm dragging you back home where you belong. No more Organization, no more Nobodies, none of it! I'm knocking some sense into you whether you like it or not!"

"...And our dear friend?" Saïx asks, rising to stand.

Axel hesitates, his tone softening as he stares at the empty stick in his hand. One of the lucky ones labeled 'winner'. "I'm getting her back too," he says wistfully, hopefully, unshakably. "Just like I got them back. Just like I'm getting you back…"

Saïx smiles, and this time, there's a hint of something genuine in it. Something that makes Axel feel angry and weak and excited all at once. Just like he always is whenever Saïx is around anymore. "The marks under your eyes," he notes smoothly. "They're gone."

"Yeah," Axel absently skims a hand on his cheek where the marks used to be. "Don't need 'em."

"I always told you they'd stop you from crying," Saïx says. Axel all but freezes when he reaches a hand down to trace a light finger on his other cheek. "Those upside down tears…"

For as much as some small, foolish part of him might want to relish his foe's careful touch, he's quick to harshly shove his hand away all the same. "Would you get lost!?" he snaps, his harsh tone not betraying how flustered he really is. "Or else I'll clobber you now instead of in a few days!"

Saïx's grin turns a touch more sardonic, even playful almost as he calls upon a dark corridor in the space behind him. "I'd expect nothing less, Lea…" is all he says as he disappears into that darkness. As he leaves Axel behind all over again.

In the moments that follow his departure, Axel tries his best to ease up a bit. Unfortunately, with his mind still reeling and his heart still aching from everything he'd just heard, that's a task far easier said than done. Especially when Roxas and Xion just so happen to return far sooner than he'd anticipated.

"Axel?" He turns to find Xion's concerned expression, and Roxas still apathetically averting his gaze as he looks over the edge of the tower instead. "Is everything ok?"

Of course, telling either of them about his "chat" with Saïx is out of the question. So instead, Axel lets out a deep breath, throwing on a more casual tone as he tries his best to smile. "Yeah, I'm…" he trails off almost immediately as his sights settle on Roxas once again. This time, he finally manages to catch his attention, though only for the briefest of moments before he bitterly looks away once again.

And that moment is all it takes for Axel to realize just how much of a mess he's made. A mess that's almost identical to the one he'd made with Saïx not too long ago too. He's always been good at making friends, but keeping them is another matter entirely. From Isa, to Ven, to that girl now disappeared to the sands of time; he's even lost both Roxas and Xion before. And even now that he's gotten them back, he's been struggling to keep them together. He thought it'd all be perfect once they returned, that they could all pick up right where they left off, that they could finally have the carefree future they'd always wanted to have together. But he should have known that nothing is ever that simple for him, nothing ever goes as smoothly as he hopes it would. Friendships are indeed messy things; but perhaps trying to work on cleaning those messes is what makes those friendships so much stronger through it all.

"Actually…" Axel rubs the back of his neck. "I think the three of us need to talk…" He pats the space on the tower's edge beside him, prompting the pair to sit down so they can listen to what he has to say. "I just wanted to… ya know, apologize for how things have been between the three of us these past few months. I know we're all more than stressed right now, but I haven't been making things any better. I shouldn't have gotten as angry with either of you as I did when I dragged you back to the tower. I don't know if either of you have noticed, but… I can be sorta… hot-tempered sometimes…"

"Literally," Xion says with a small smirk.

Axel lets out a short chuckle, glad that his bond with Xion is still somewhat healthy. Ironic, given that until she'd returned, he hadn't even remembered she'd existed at all. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry for what I said, especially to you, Roxas," he pauses, just long enough to notice Roxas' eyes widen, his attention finally fully on him. "I never wanted you thinking any of this was your fault, because it's not. If anything, the two of you have done more than most of us to try and stop it all. And it's about time somebody gave you the credit you deserve for that."

"...Wow, Axel," Roxas says after a moment of stated silence. "I… t-that means a lot… thanks…"

"Well, well, look who's finally remembered how to talk," Axel jokes, slipping on a small smile. "Now, I know you and I know how you are about holding grudges, so if you don't wanna patch things up right away, I totally under-"

"No, I… I think we should," Roxas finally smiles himself, catching both Axel and Xion off guard. "The three of us have already spent so much time apart. What's the point of staying apart now that we're all finally together again?"

"...Roxas…" Xion says softly, noticing the hint of something else slipping into his tone. Something far sadder, almost more scared than what his steady manner betrays.

"Whoa now!" Axel exclaims, surprised. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Roxas?"

"I'm serious," Roxas laughs. That levity is short lived however as he sets his sights back onto the eternal sunset ahead of them. "There's no telling what'll happen in a few days from now. It'll change everything–for better… or for worse. And… just in case something happens, I want you to know that I… that you both matter to me so much… You always have, and you always will…"

Xion says nothing, though her shaken expression is enough to speak volumes. She places her free hand over Roxas' as it rests on the edge of the tower, squeezing it gently in a meager attempt at giving him some kind of reassurance. Of supplying him with the kind of courage he so desperately needs to face the difficult battle ahead.

Axel, on the other hand, scoffs, knowing that someone as young as Roxas shouldn't be talking like this. He shouldn't be thinking of how to express his final goodbyes when he isn't even gone yet. "Who said anything's gonna happen?" he asks, leaning back a bit. "Here's exactly how it's all gonna go down: you and the others are gonna go to that graveyard, tear your way through Org' XIII, and give that old man the wholloping of the century. Sounds like a regular day at the office for a Keyblade pro like you, Roxas."

"Axel's right," Xion agrees as she grips Roxas' hand just a bit tighter. "I believe in you and the others, Roxas. You can do it, we all know you can. And… once Xehanort is gone… just imagine what that'll mean for Sora. All of our hard work to try and save him won't be for nothing. Everything will finally be the way it's supposed to be…"

Despite all of the worries and fears still weighing heavily on his heart, Roxas still holds his smile all the same as he decides to share his friends' hopes. As he looks to the future they've wanted to have together for so long now, a future that's almost, almost in sight. "Yeah… maybe it will be…"

And suddenly, in a matter of mere seconds, they've gone from watching the sunset separately, to watching it together, just like they always used to do. Xion hands the spare ice cream bar she'd bought over to Axel, an extra treat to enjoy alongside his two best friends. And yet, there's a strange bittersweetness to it all, a twinge that's quite different from the usual hint of saltiness the ice cream carries. A taste that becomes far less sweet when Saïx's icy words continue echoing through his thoughts:

"You're so committed to rescuing and protecting your new friends, Axel. But how easily you've forgotten your old ones…"

His old friends… His mind initially drifts to that girl, to whoever she might have been and wherever she might have gone. The mystery of her whereabouts is one he's woefully ill-equipped to solve, at least right now with so much else going on. But if Roxas and Xion's return has taught him anything, it's that it's never too late to find what has been lost. It's never too late to save what once was gone.

It's never too late to fix what has been broken. From faded friendships… to lost loves. All things that, as Axel thinks of Saïx–of Isa once more, he only hopes he can find some way to salvage after all.


The stars are bright and the moon is full as it hangs over the Destiny Islands. Their gentle glow reflects upon the vast ocean, its waves quiet and calm, the air just a bit chilly for a late winter evening. She stands on her back porch, leaning against the railing as she stares out at the sea. The sea that had once taken her husband away from her. The sea that had once brought her son back to her side.

But the stars… the stars had been what had taken that son away again. The stars are where he's still drifting now, bounding between them, between worlds that she'll never get a chance to see. The stars she desperately hopes he hasn't been lost to altogether.

It's been over a year since he left. She's been counting every month, every week, every day, practically every hour since she'd seen him last. She'd celebrated his 16th birthday without him, she'd gone to each of the islands' yearly festivals by herself. She'd sat in lonely silence on Christmas, rang in the new year alone. She cooks small meals for one, spends the idle hours lost in memories, tries not to think about just how cold and empty her once warm and happy home truly feels.

"I'm thinking of you… wherever you are…" she whispers to the ocean breeze, wondering if it'll be enough to carry her thoughts and prayers to him. She knows it's silly, but sometimes she'll speak to him as if he's still there. She does the same for his father occasionally, a practice she'd picked up not long after he died. But while she knows her husband is far beyond her reach, she still holds onto whatever small shreds of hope that she can that her son isn't. That he will come home someday, that he'll return safe and sound, that their family will still stand strong, no matter how small it might be now.

She holds onto that hope that she'll see him again. And if she does, this time, she hopes she won't ever have to let him go again.

She's drawn out of her thoughts when she hears a sudden knock on the front door from inside. It's surprising, given how late it is, but she doesn't think much of it as she heads in to answer. It's likely a neighbor asking to borrow cooking ingredients, or a delivery she'd ordered from the market earlier that day. But what she doesn't expect to see when she opens the door is two familiar faces she hasn't seen in quite some time.

"Good evening, I-" she stops herself short with a sharp gasp the second she takes in the sight of them. They look quite different from how they had the last time she'd seen them–they're both a bit taller, their hair is a bit shorter, one of them now bears a deep scar across his face. But she'd recognize her son's two best friends anywhere. "G-goodness… Riku… Kairi, i-is… that really you?"

Kairi is the first to smile, though Riku remains apprehensive, his remaining eye averting her gaze. "Hi, Mrs. Himari," she greets politely. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see both of you too," Himari beams, catching the pair off guard as she pulls them both into a fond embrace. "How have you been? Riku! You've gotten so tall! I remember when you were just this big," she chuckles as she drops her hand down against her knee.

For his part, Riku tries to offer her a smile, though it doesn't quite meet his eyes. "...Yeah," is all he can think of to say. Largely because he knows he'll soon have to tell her so much he deeply wishes he didn't.

"Have either of you been to see your families yet?" Himari asks, using small talk to put off the question she really wants to ask them. "Kairi, I saw your father in town the other day–you know, he told me he's been missing you more than usual lately."

"Um… actually, we just got back," Kairi explains, rubbing her arm.

"Oh, I see," Himari sobers up somewhat, her smile fading as she peeks out of the house a bit. "Um… I… is…" she hesitates, knowing they both came here first for a reason. A reason she's not so sure she wants to find out. "Did… did Sora come with you?"

Riku and Kairi exchange a glance, their expressions awash in worry that fills Himari with rising dread. And yet, the answer they give her… isn't the one her worst thoughts had been expecting. "Yes," Riku replies as evenly as he can. "He did."

Himari can't help but smile, relief flooding through all of the places fear had once been. "W-well, where is he?" she asks with a slightly nervous chuckle. "Don't tell me he came all the way here and he doesn't even plan on coming to see me."

"He's, um… he's on his way," Kairi says, wringing her hands anxiously.

"Mrs. Himari," Riku speaks up, summoning the courage to tell her the truth, knowing that she deserves nothing less. "Before you see him, there's… something you should know. Sora looks… different than he did the last time you saw him."

"Different?" Himari raises an eyebrow. "W-well I figured that. I mean, it's been more than a year, I'm sure he's grown just as much as the two of you-"

"That's… not what we mean," Kairi shakes her head. "Ever since he left, something's been… His heart is… He's-"

"He's losing his heart," Riku explains where Kairi isn't able to. "Our enemy, a man named Master Xehanort, has been using darkness to take control of it, to force him onto his side. He's still himself, but… all that darkness has… changed how he looks. We just wanted to let you know so you'd be ready for that."

"I-I… I don't understand," Himari frowns, her worry returning in full force. "Is… is he going to be ok?"

The pair looks to each other once more, and their initial silence alone is enough to speak more than enough to Himari. Still, she does her best to believe the answer Kairi gives her all the same. "We're going to do whatever it takes to make sure he will be," she says earnestly. "But… while we do… we wanted to ask if… you could keep an eye on him for a few days? He can't come with us to stop Xehanort–it isn't safe for him; and we figured, what better place to bring him… then home?"

"Are you kidding?" Himari laughs in spite of herself. "Of course, I can. After all, taking care of Sora is my job; it always has been ever since the day he was born."

"Thank you," Riku nods, grateful. "We really appreciate it. But… keep in mind, you might want to be… careful with him. He's been through a lot these past several months and not much of it has been good."

Himari draws in an unsteady breath, though she still forces on a reassuring smile. One that's meant more for the two children in front of her than for herself. "O-of course," she promises, pressing her hands against her heart to stop them from trembling. "So when can I see him? You said he was on his way?"

"Actually…" Kairi glances off to the side, gesturing with her hand to someone unseen. "He's already here."

Himari all but holds her breath as she watches a thin, hooded figure emerge from the nighttime shadows. Tears are already brimming in her eyes the second she sees him, his head bowed, his hands shoved as deep into his pockets as they can possibly go. His clothes are different from the last time she'd seen him, and he does appear to be a few inches taller, though not by much. But what shocks her right off the bat is how frail he seems to be, to the point that his jacket nearly hangs off his shoulders, his limbs much more wiry and bony than she knows they should be.

She can't make out his face, but she can already see tears streaking down the lower half of it as he draws in a shallow gasp when he glances up at her, something bright yellow gleaming from underneath the shadows of his hood. Riku and Kairi step back as Himari slowly approaches him, unsure of what to say, what to do, how to feel. The first thing that comes out of her mouth, however, is his name as she draws a shaking hand toward him. "Sora…"

He stumbles backward as her reach goes in for his hood. He abruptly brings a hand up to tighten it, only to allow her to see the crimson-tipped claws his fingers have become. Himari's eyes widen, but she stays her course, her voice trembling as she hovers her fingertips right over the side of his hood. "C-can I see you…? Please?"

He says nothing, instead glancing back at Riku and Kairi, as if he's silently asking them for help. For support at a moment he's been dreading ever since he stepped foot back on these shores. "It's ok," Kairi assures him gently. "Remember what we talked about."

Sora still doesn't speak as he turns back to Himari. And yet, he does nod as he brings his hands to his sides. As he lets her slowly trace the edges of his hood, as he lets her carefully pull it down to see just how much he's managed to change in the year he's been gone. To see just how much of a despicable demon he's become.

The boy who stands before Himari now barely resembles the Sora that left her a year ago. His hair has turned white, a set of gangly black antennae draping out from it. His eyes are now golden yellow, shining dully, ominously even against the heavy bags under them. He offers her a weak, weary smile, one that only barely lifts those bags and reveals a few of his now fang-like teeth. It takes every ounce of levelheadedness she has not to stare at him in abject fear, not to look at him like he's a monster, because he's not a monster, he's her son, and he's-

"S-Sora…" she stammers again, lifting her hands to cover her mouth, to hold the sob that's desperately trying to break out in.

"H-hey, Mom," he greets her. In the year that he's been gone, his voice is naturally a bit deeper than it had been before, but there's something in it that nearly breaks her heart to pieces. So much sadness should never have found a place into her sweet, cheerful son's voice.

He flinches away when she reaches a ginger hand out to touch his face. If not for how miserable and emaciated he looks, he would have been every bit as handsome as his father had been before him. The thought sends an all new wave of sorrow crashing through her heart.

But even in spite of that sorrow, much to Sora's surprise, his mother can't hold back a strained, tearful bout of laughter between her tears. Without warning, she throws her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Despite his best efforts to keep it together, Sora is powerless to stop himself from falling apart now that he's finally back here. Now that, after months of wandering and wanting and wishing with all of his breaking heart, he's finally in the one place he's longed to be all along. He's finally back in his mother's open arms, he's finally back within his mother's boundless, endless love.

She holds him a bit closer, her heart swelling with far too many emotions to count as she clings onto something she'd been so afraid she'd lost forever. The most precious treasure she's ever had the privilege of being gifted with almost 17 years ago. "Welcome home, my little sky…" she whispers, thinking nothing of his appearance, nothing of his fate, nothing of anything other than one simple fact. That he's alive, that he's here, that even after everything he's been through and everything that's changed, he still found his way back to her through it all. "Welcome home…"


It isn't long after the reunion between mother and son that Riku and Kairi make their exit to see their own families. As she bids the pair farewell for the night, Himari is quick to dry her face and regain her composure, forcing her initial shock back under the surface as she leads Sora inside. Though even in the initial seconds after she does, she's easily able to pick up on just how uneasy he seems, almost as if he doesn't feel like he's supposed to be standing in the house he grew up in. As if he doesn't even belong in his very own home.

With how late it is, she's not Sora really isn't up for conversation. She can tell from how naturally exhausted he seems to be that he likely hasn't been sleeping as well as he should, so she sends him off to bed. She practically has to resist the urge to tuck him in like she used to do when he was little, but she does kiss him on the head as says goodnight, lingering in the doorway for a moment or two to watch him slowly fall asleep. She smiles as she heads to her own room for the night, her heart full and warm in knowing that her son is peacefully slumbering only a few feet down the hall for the first time in months. And much like Sora himself does, for the first night in over a year, Himari sleeps soundly, dreaming of the past, of the husband she lost and still loves so deeply. And of the future, and of the son who's returned, of the kind of life she longs to give him, the kind of life she knows he deserves.

Himari is a chef by trade, often hailed as one of the most talented cooks on the Destiny Islands. So naturally, she makes Sora an impressive breakfast the next morning, spanning from pancakes to waffles to eggs to bacon and everything in between. She feels a welcome sense of nostalgia as she puts the final touches on the extravagant meal, fondly remembering how she used to do this every morning years ago. Far before her family had been fractured, far before her world turned completely upside down.

"Sora! Breakfast is ready!" is what Sora awakens to that morning. And as he opens his eyes to the sound of his mother's familiar call, as he finds himself lying in his familiar bed in his familiar room… he can't help but drowsily wonder if it had all been a dream. If everything, from the previous night, all the way back to the very moment he'd first summoned a Keyblade, had only been a mere figment of his wild imagination. If none of it had even happened at all.

But as he sits up and catches the first glimpse of his hand, still seeped in shadow, still bearing claws he can't even stand the sight of… he knows it's far from a dream. It's a nightmare he can't wake up from, not even here in the comfort and security of his childhood home. It's a reality he can't escape from, not even when feeling far safer than he has in quite some time.

Even so, he drags himself out of bed and down the stairs to find the wide spread his mother has prepared for him. The smell of it alone is intoxicating, to the point that Sora nearly dives right in without a second thought as soon as he takes his seat at the table. What holds him back, however, is his mother lightly tapping his hand with the back of a spoon, just like she used to do when he got a bit too eager at meals when he was little. "You could at least wait for me to sit down, you know," she chuckles, setting a fresh mug of hot chocolate down in front of him. Though as soon as she does sit down, he's already filled his plate and eating his fill as fast as he possibly can.

"Well, someone's certainly hungry," Himari laughs, well aware that Sora has never been the "tidiest" eater in the world. "Slow down, sweetie, or you'll make yourself sick."

"S-sorry," Sora glances down as he tries to restrain himself. "I'm still trying to get used to eating like this, I guess."

"...Like what?" Himari frowns after taking a sip of her coffee. But when Sora doesn't answer right away, and with how noticeably thin he is where he hadn't been before… it doesn't take her long to glean what he meant. "...Sora… have… you not been eating?"

"I have been," Sora reassures. "I just… didn't do much of it when I was on the run."

"On the run?" Himari raises an eyebrow. Riku and Kairi had only given her the broad details last night; so now is as good a time as any for her to get a few more specifics straight from her son. "From who?"

"F-from everyone, I guess," Sora shrugs, still not looking her in the eye. "I was scared of what was happening to me, so… I ran."

"...Oh, sweetie…" Himari swallows hard, holding back tears. She'd already resolved to not fall apart in front of him again, to be the sun to help guide him through the storm he's so clearly facing. "How long were you…?"

"A few months," he replies quietly. "I just went back a few days ago, a-actually. I got tired of being on my own, and when Kairi came to find me, I… decided to go with her."

Himari sighs, in many ways relieved that he'd had the good sense to make such a choice. And deeply worried in so many other ways at the same exact time. "Sora, honey, if you didn't want to be with your friends, why didn't you just come back here… to me?"

"I… I thought about it," Sora answers honestly. "A bunch of times, as a matter of fact. You have no idea how much I missed you, Mom," he chokes up at this, and it takes every ounce of control Himari has not to do the same. "But… I-I didn't think you'd want to see me like… like this…"

"Sora," Himari's tone is stern, yet filled with such kindness and compassion that Sora can barely comprehend it. Just as he can barely comprehend how she seems so comfortable with how drastically different he is from how he'd been the last time they'd met. "I could care less about what you look like. I'm just so happy to be seeing you at all."

Sora finds himself largely bewildered upon hearing this, amazed by just how accepting his mother truly is. He'd expected her to revile him, to disown him based on his hideous appearance alone. But clearly, her love for him runs far more than skin deep. Still, he can't help but wonder if that love would still stand strong if she knew some of the more unsavory details of his time on the run. If she knew some of the more horrific acts he'd committed, some of the more disastrous decisions he'd made. If she knew that her son was a monster both inside and out.

Still, he forces a small chuckle all the same, unable to bear the thought of telling her any of that. Unable to burden her with the knowledge of just how far her only child has really fallen. "Heh, you know, it's funny," he says between bites of his stack of pancakes. "That's exactly what Riku and Kairi told me you would say."

"Well, they were right," Himari smirks, satisfied. "I always knew those two had good heads on their shoulders. Unlike you, 'Mister Runaway'," she huffs, playfully indignant as she proceeds to scold him. A scolding Sora readily takes, knowing he deserves far worse than that for all of the worry he'd likely put her through all this time. "What were you thinking, going around without food or shelter for months?! You're lucky that you didn't wind up sick or hurt or worse!"

"Yeah… lucky…" Sora's already weak smile falters, knowing that he'd indeed been through so much worse than sickness or injury. That he'd starved and bled and struggled in between captivity and sickness and grief and guilt and far too many other hardships to name. Far too many things he doesn't have the heart to tell his mother about, far too many awful stories he never hopes to share.

"Now, hurry and eat up," Himari says as she finishes her own breakfast. "We should get going soon."

"Going?" Sora asks, confused, until he realizes what her intention likely is. After all, there are plenty of friends and neighbors he hasn't seen in over a year; it only makes sense that his mother would want to take him around to catch up with them all. Even if he knows they'd barely recognize him now. "Oh, Mom, I-I don't really think I'm up to going into town-"

"We're not going into town," Himari corrects. "We're going somewhere special. Or I guess I should say, we're going to visit someone special…"

Sora's still at a loss, at least until he sees his mother pull a familiar bag out of one of the kitchen cabinets. A bag filled with countless seashells she collects each time she goes down to comb the beach. It's a pastime he used to take part in with her, long before he'd been pulled away from his island home. And each year, they'd take those seashells to a picturesque cliff overlooking the sea, to the final resting place of someone who they both lost far too soon. Someone who, even years later, they've still held within their hearts all the same.


The highest cliff on the main island is a beautiful, yet quiet place, not often visited by many of the locals for how out of the way it is. Himari had chosen it as the ideal place to lay her husband's remains, what little had been recovered from the depths of the sea in the days following his passing. The service had been short, yet heart shattering as she held onto Sora, only 8 at the time, tightly. As they both bid farewell to the one man they could have never been ready to say goodbye to, to the one man in both of their lives that could never be replaced.

They used to come up here a few times each year to pay their respects and reminisce of their all too brief time together. But over the past few years, for whatever reason, their trips have unfortunately become less frequent. Really, the last time they'd been up there together had been before Sora had even left the islands at all. Which is why Himari decided early that morning that there'd be no better way for the two of them to spend his first day back then by bringing their entire family together again. In whatever way she possibly can.

"Woo, it's always such a hike up here," Himari lets out a deep breath as she hands her bag over to Sora. "You hear me, Ki? You better appreciate just how far we have to go to come to see you."

Of course, she gets no answer, but she smiles all the same. It's strange, but being up here, so close to the sea and so close to the sky all at once has always made her feel like her husband is still with her in a way. And whenever her son is far from home, it serves the same exact purpose for him.

But her son is by her side today, another year older–looking like an entire different person than he had the last time he'd climbed this hill. Sora wonders if his father would even know who he is just by looking at him; he wonders if his father would be anywhere near as calm about the trouble he's in as his patient, perfect mother seems to be.

Despite Himari's bout of humor, Sora is much more solemn as he approaches his father's grave slowly. He takes a seat in front of his headstone, reading its faded engraving over again just as he does every time he visits. It's funny, and a bit depressing, that after just about everything else in his life has changed completely, this is the one thing that hasn't. His father is still dead and gone… and there's still not a single thing he can do about it.

"H-hi, Dad…" he whispers, reaching a hand out to touch the headstone. He pulls it back in, however, when he steals a glance at his claws. The last thing he'd ever want to do is defile his father's grave with his bloodstained touch.

Himari soon sits down next to him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder as she offers him a gentle smile. "Here," she reaches into her bag, pulling out a beautiful conch shell that she hands over to him. "You should do the honors."

Sora nods, setting the shell down alongside all of the others they've placed here over the years. They'd both like to think that he'd appreciate them more than flowers, knowing that while his heart belonged to his family first, it lied with the sea second. The very same sea that he'd ended up losing his life to in the end.

Between the two of them, they soon arrange the rest of the shells Himari had gathered in a simple, yet elegant fashion around the headstone. At first, neither of them say much as they do, wanting to pay their respects in silence. But as the last shell is settled, Himari sighs wistfully as she glances over at her son. "You know… you really are starting to look so much like him…"

"L-like Dad?" Sora asks, suddenly embarrassed as he tries to pin his antennas back a bit. "No, I… I really don't."

"You do," Himari assures. "Well, I-I mean… aside from…" She trails off, knowing she doesn't have to point out the antennas or the claws or the fangs or any of the other features that make him look less than human. "He'd be proud to see how much you've grown since he's been gone."

Sora can tell his mother is simply trying to make him feel better; unfortunately, her kindly effort does anything but. "No… he wouldn't be," he mutters, rubbing his arm as he glances away. "I haven't done anything for him to be proud of…"

"It doesn't matter what you've done," Himari counters easily, obliviously. "It's like I told you the last time you were here; he'd be proud of you for just being you. I should know because I already am."

"You shouldn't be," Sora argues with a tired, bitter sigh. "When I was on the run, I… I did a lot of bad things… I lied and stole and… h-hurt people," he shudders, struggling to tell her exactly how, unable to reveal just how many lives he's managed to destroy.

"... On purpose?" Himari asks, frowning worriedly.

"No, of course not," he shakes his head, though he's quick to recant when he remembers the one time he had been in control when he hurt someone. The one time he just so happened to hurt someone who matters to him so very much. "Except, um…. Y-you saw what happened to Riku's face, right?" He hesitates as his mother nods, not wanting to reveal any of this. But after how long he's been away and how much he's lied already, he at least owes her this small speck of terrible truth. "I… I did that…"

"What?" Himari blinks, surprised. "But… why? You and Riku have been best friends practically since you were born, why would you-"

"I didn't want to do that to him," Sora runs a hand through his hair, tears already welling up in his eyes. "I just… I was angry and scared and he was trying to drag me back a-and I thought that if I went back, they'd lock me up, so I…I just…" He chokes out a sob, one driven by guilt, by shame, by grief, by so much that all of it combined is very quickly crushing him completely. "I don't know why they let me back in after that… I shouldn't be with them, I shouldn't even be here!" He swiftly rises to his feet, a few glistening black spikes rising up with him. Himari starts when she sees them, but keeps her focus on her son all the same, on where she knows it needs to be most. "I keep trying to convince myself that things might turn out ok, that they actually want me back, that I deserve to have any of this, but I know I don't!"

"Sora…" Himari speaks up, her voice barely even a whisper. It's not enough to stop her son, however, as he tearfully continues, overwhelmed by just how heavy the burden he's facing truly has become.

"I know you're only being so nice to me because you don't know the full story," he accuses, wrapping his arms around him tightly. Even more spikes emerge from the grassy ground, strangely staying far away from his father's grave as they begin to dot the rest of the cliffside instead. "You don't know what's gonna happen to me, you don't know what I'll be forced to do! You don't know that I haven't just hurt people–I've killed people too! You don't know that if my master wins, he'll use me to destroy everything. Every world, every person living in each of them… e-even you…"

As Sora breaks down into yet another round of mournful weeping, Himari finds herself shocked into silence by everything she's hearing. By the revelations of what her son has done, by the implications of what he might do if his friends can't save him in time. By just how bad his situation truly is, by just how woefully little she can do to fix any of it at all.

"That's why you shouldn't be proud of me," he lets out a shaky breath as he wipes some of his tears away. Even so, his tone is still dejected, still defeated all the same. "You should be scared of me, you should hate me, you should-"

She cuts him off abruptly, hugging him almost as soon as she stands up. He doesn't have it in him to return it like he did last night's, he doesn't even have it in him to do anything but stand there engulfed in her arms. To listen to her tender, caring words as she whispers them gently into his ear. "I could never hate you…" she says, and her earnest, honest tone is enough to almost make him believe her. Almost. "You're my son. No matter what you might have done or what you might do, nothing in this world or any other could ever change just how much I love you, Sora…"

"But… b-but I-"

"Shh…" she calms him, rubbing a soothing hand down his back. "Not another word. Don't think about the past, don't even think about the future. Think about right now," she pulls back a bit, still holding onto his shoulders as she draws a hand in to brush a few stray white hairs out of his eyes. "Think about how you're here, how you're safe, how you're home… And about how glad I am that you are… Things just aren't the same around here without you, my little sky…"

He leans into the hand his mother places against his face, craving the comfort she's offering him while realizing just how selfish he's being for even taking it. How selfish he's being for even standing here in front of her at all. But after denying himself of this kind of care for so very long… he can't help but take it now, even when he knows he shouldn't. Even when he knows it's the last thing he should get.

"Things aren't the same without him around here either…" he mutters, his gaze drifting over to his father's grave. He loosely grips the crown on his necklace, one of the last things his father was able to pass onto him before he died, one of the only physical pieces of him he truly has left to hold onto.

"No, they're not…" Himari sighs just as sadly. "But you know what I like to think? I think he's still out there, watching us from somewhere beyond. And if he is… then I know he still loves you every bit as much as I do, Sora."

"E-even though I-"

"Even though you've made mistakes," Himari nods, smiling once more. "We all have. Even me, and even your dad. But the thing about those mistakes is that they don't define who you are. The fact that you regret them, that you want to do better–that's what defines who you want to be. So," she thumbs a few of his tears away, beaming even wider as she watches him take on a ghost of a smile himself. "Who do you want to be, Sora?"

"I… I don't know…" he admits softly. At this point, he only knows what his master wants him to be, another vessel, another slave. But what he wants, what he would choose if only here were able… that's something Sora hasn't thought about in quite some time. Mostly because he knows that none of it really matters anymore, that it's something he'll never be able to get no matter how much he might wish for it. No matter how hard he fights for a future he's destined to never see.

"That's ok," Himari catches him off guard with a good-natured laugh. "Do you really think me or your dad knew what we wanted when we were your age? In fact, the only thing we did know at that point… was that we loved each other. And that we wanted to be together, no matter what the future might bring."

"But… you didn't get to stay together…" Sora points out, his heart heavy as he reflects on his father's fate. As he reflects on his own. "Not long enough…"

"...Maybe we didn't," Himari says, turning to face her husband's grave. "But that's the thing about life. Sometimes it gives you the greatest things you could ever ask for… and sometimes… it takes those same things away. The time I had with your father was short, yes, but each and every second of it was so very precious to me… Those are the memories that I'll always hold onto for as long as I live…" She holds her hands close to her heart, a warm smile still on her face as her long, sandy hair blows gently along with the cool ocean breeze.

"It can be the hardest thing to realize that you can't hold onto something forever–sometimes, you have to let it go…" She steps forward to place a tender hand on her husband's headstone, opening her hand to reveal the final shell she'd been saving all this time. A shell that she releases, not onto the soil before the stone, but over the edge of the cliff, out into the vast sea beyond it. The sea that her husband had loved so very much, the sea that his final seconds of life had been spent upon. "But of the things you let go…" she turns back to Sora, her expression full of endless adoration as she skims the side of his face once more. As she reminds him once again just how much she really loves her murderous, monsterous wreck of a son. Her son, who still returned to her, even after everything that's had tried to keep him away. "You'd be surprised what makes its way back to you…"

He's let go of so much, he thinks, as he practically falls into his mother's open embrace. He's let go of his strength, his courage, his freedom, his very life itself. But despite all he's let go of, despite all he's lost… he's still managed to find so much. He found his way back to his friends, back to Donald and Goofy, back to Riku and Kairi. He found his way home, back to the islands, back to his mother, back to where it all began. He found hope where he'd lost it all, he'd found love that he thought was no longer his to claim. Over the past few days alone, so many things have managed to make their way back to him… so many things he can't bear the thought of ever losing again.

And yet… there's no guarantee that he'll be able to hold onto any of it in the days to come. A war is brewing on the horizon, a war he knows he can't fight in, a war he knows is centered solely around him. A war that could cost him so many people he loves, so many people who he's already missed for so long. Losing even one of them would be enough to shatter his already breaking heart completely. Losing all of them at once… he can't bear the thought. He has to stop this somehow, he thinks as he remains in his mother's warm embrace. He has to protect them in any way he still can, he has to ensure they survive, that they live, that the people who matter to him most can still find the happiness he knows he'll never truly get to see again.

He has to save them… even if it means he has to sacrifice every last thing he still has to give.


"Is Sora coming?" Riku asks from his place on the pier of the play island.

"He should be," Kairi replies as she accepts the hand he offers to help her out of her boat. "He's probably still finishing up dinner. You know how much Mrs. Himari can cook when it comes to 'special occasions'."

"...Yeah," Riku tries to share Kairi's playful smile, though it doesn't last long as they begin to make their way down the beach. "Actually, I'm glad he's running a bit late… I've… been meaning to talk to you–one on one."

"Ok," Kairi glances over at him curiously. "What's up?"

"I wanted to… apologize," he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "For how I acted about you going to look for Sora on your own."

"Oh, Riku, you don't have to-"

"I know, but I should," Riku counters evenly. "I never thought you weren't strong or smart enough to do it; I know just how capable you are, Kairi–you've shown me that more times than I can count. I guess I was… jealous, in a weird way."

"You, jealous?" Kairi smirks, elbowing him lightly. "That sounds familiar."

"I know," Riku doesn't share her humor as he glances down, ashamed. "Old habits die hard, I guess. I was so upset that I wasn't able to convince him to come back; but when you said you wanted to go look for him, I already knew you'd succeed. I knew he'd listen to you, I knew he'd come back with you. I knew you'd be able to reach him, even when I couldn't. You've always been better than me when it comes to Sora, Kairi. I can only wish I had what the two of you have."

"What are you talking about?" Kairi frowns, stopping short on the bridge leading to the paopu tree. "Whatever Sora and I have, we both have with you too. You know that."

"...Sometimes I'm not so sure I do…" Riku mutters, downcast. "This is gonna sound a bit silly, but… when we were at that ball a few months ago, I watched you and Sora kiss for the first time from a distance with all of the others. And… I… I almost cried…"

"Really?" Kairi asks, surprised to hear such a vulnerable, honest admission. "Why?"

"I don't know…" he says, his voice quiet as he stares out toward the sea. "I guess it hurt a little, knowing that I was losing any chance I could have had with the two people I care about most. Knowing I was losing both of you to each other… After everything I've done, I always figured being with either of you was a longshot, but still… I always hoped I could have-"

He's starkly cut off when Kairi rushes forward, gripping his arms and standing on her tip-toes to give him a long, sincere kiss. When they part, Riku's face is red, his expression awash in confusion, with a few hints of unspoken elation slipping through the cracks. "W-what-"

"Riku, you're so smart, but sometimes you can be such an idiot," Kairi chuckles, still holding both of his hands. "What did I just tell you? My feelings for you and Sora are exactly the same. And as for Sora, well, there's no question about how much he cares about you."

"But… w-we-"

"Don't you see?" Kairi smiles as she grips his hands just a bit tighter. "It doesn't need to be either/or when it comes to the three of us. The bonds we have with each other–they're all connected, always intertwined. After all we've been through, none of us should have any doubt; we belong together."

Riku finds himself speechless at this juncture, his heart practically soaring the second he hears her confirm what he's always wanted to be true. When she so easily gives him everything he's always wanted to have. His heart flies just a bit higher, however, when the only missing piece between the three of them finally arrives, hurrying to meet them from the far side of the shore.

"Sorry I'm late!" Sora calls, nearly tripping and falling into the sand as he runs to catch up with them. His clumsiness elicits a shared fond chuckle from Riku and Kairi, though as it fades, the latter can't help but spare a glance at the nearby tree ahead of them. Its iconic star-shaped fruit hangs ripe and ready for picking from its branches, fruit that none of them have ever had the chance to even try. But as Kairi stares up at them from afar, a sudden idea strikes her. An idea that she's been holding within the depths of her heart for as long as she can really remember.

"Uh… what's going on?" Sora asks as he finally reaches the pair.

"Not much," Kairi replies, letting go of one of Riku's hands so she can extend hers to Sora. "We were just waiting for you, you lazy bum."

"H-hey!" Sora protests, flustered. "It's not my fault Mom made so much for dessert!"

"Excuses, excuses," Riku teases with a light laugh as he leads the way toward the tree. "The least you could have done is brought us some of the leftovers."

"Well, there's plenty left, so maybe when we head back for the night," Sora smirks, hanging his arms behind his head. "If you guys are nice."

"How's this for 'nice'?" Kairi asks, catching him off guard as she kisses him directly on the lips.

And just like that, Sora's faux confidence is shattered as he blushes, letting out an awkward, yet contented laugh as he exchanges a glance with Riku. "It's… very nice…"

The three of them claim their usual spot upon the paopu tree, facing the ocean and the sun setting over it just as they always used to. It isn't lost on any of them that it's been a long time since they've sat here together, since they've been back to the shore they grew up together on, back to the island they'd once dreamed of leaving alongside each other on a simple raft. And sure enough, they'd left it, only to return to the very same spot. To return a little bit older, a little bit smarter… and much, much sadder.

"So…" Sora speaks up first, his claws digging into the lap of his pants a bit. "T-tomorrow's the big day, huh?"

"It is," Riku nods, wishing that their time home hadn't gone by so quickly. He'd been the one to decide on their three day respite, but now that they're on the final night of it, he can't help but regret not giving them more time to breathe, more time to rest. More time to say goodbye.

"I… really wish I could be there with you both…" Sora admits, still not looking up at either of them.

"Sora… you know you can't," Kairi skims a gentle hand over his arm. They'd told him as much about their plan as they safely good without potentially queuing Xehanort in on any of the final details. Even so, Sora wasn't exactly happy with the idea of being left behind while his friends fight for his freedom. An intense argument had nearly ensued over the matter, at least until Himari got involved to put an end to it. Her firm instruction alone was enough to get Sora to comply, to agree to stay with her until the storm completely passes, until the war is finally over. At least… if they manage to actually win that war.

"I do know I just…" Sora sighs, knowing he's essentially repeating one of the many points against their plan with what he says next. "You guys shouldn't have to do this for me. None of you should…"

"None of this should even be happening in the first place," Riku adds as he takes one of Sora's hands. "But it is. So we'll go. And we'll win–I promise."

"And just think," Kairi continues as she grips his other hand. "When we get back in a few days, all of this will finally be over… You won't have to be afraid anymore, you can finally just focus on healing from everything that's happened. You'll be free, Sora. And the three of us will be together-"

"And this time," Riku finishes, finally smiling. "Nothing will be able to split us apart."

It's a beautiful thought, one that Sora only wishes he could truly believe in. He only wishes it were that simple, that easy. He only wishes that any of what they just told him was actually what will happen after all. But ultimately… he knows it won't go anything like that. He knows he's never been that lucky to have things just go right. He knows just how ruthless his master can really be, how quickly it can all fall apart.

And… he knows what he has to do to keep his very worst fears from coming true.

He's torn out of such despondent thoughts, however, when he notices Kairi handing him something out of the corner of his eye. "Here," she says, smiling as she holds a pair of paopu fruit, one in each hand. One meant for Riku and the other… meant for him.

Suffice to say, both Sora and Riku are caught off guard as they exchange a surprised look with one another. "Kairi, what-"

"Tomorrow will be our toughest battle yet," Kairi cuts Riku off, her smile slipping somewhat. Even so, her tone stays steady, despite all of the countless fears rushing through her in light of what she's attempting to do. "No matter how that battle ends… I always want the three of us to be a part of each others' lives. After all this time we've spent away and alone, I want us to be together, no matter how far apart we might be…"

Riku can't help but smile when he hears this, realizing that their conversation earlier likely inspired this seemingly spur of the moment decision. On the Destiny Islands, sharing a paopu fruit is a serious commitment, a tradition each of them have grown up hearing stories about from their parents who did so themselves years ago. It's a right of passage, in many ways, for young couples, one that usually leads to marriage down the line. But for not just two, but three people to share the special fruit all at once… it's practically unheard of. "All three of us?" he asks intently. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life," Kairi nods, passing his fruit over to him.

"...Neither have I," Riku easily relents, any lingering shreds of doubt finally fading from his heart. Because to make this momentous move, to share this vow, this promise, this bond, this simple piece of fruit… it's more than enough to convince him that his feelings are reciprocated. It's more than enough to let him know that they always have been all along. That he doesn't just have to have none or one or the other… he's blessed enough to get to have both.

"Sora?" Kairi tries to hand the other paopu over to him, but he doesn't move to take it. Instead, he stares at the star-shaped fruit for a moment or two, regret filling his expression as he ultimately glances away.

"I can't…" he says softly, hating that he has to turn down what he's always wanted, what he's been dreaming of ever since he was a little kid.

"Why not?" Riku asks with a concerned frown.

There are just about a million answers to that question, but Sora goes with the most pressing one, the one that weighs the heaviest upon his yearning, aching heart. "You both know what I've done, you know what I am, a-and… if the master wins… you know what I'll be…" he says, his voice morose, melancholy. And yet to his credit, he doesn't cry. Not this time, not since most of his tears have already been completely tapped out by now. "Why would you want to be connected to an Organization member or a Heartless or whatever I am now? No matter what happens tomorrow, I feel like I'll always have these… chains weighing me down from it all. And those chains are something neither of you should have to carry with me…"

Riku and Kairi stay silent for a moment or two, both of them struggling to think of something to say to prove him wrong. To help him finally realize what he should already know by now; something that Kairi figures out how to sum up in only a few words. "Sora…" she begins tenderly. "What connects us isn't chains… it's the bond between us."

"And that bond is a lot stronger than you might think," Riku adds, smiling. "The Organization has tried their best to strain it, but for everything they've done, they've never been able to break it. Because it can't be broken."

"No matter what they do," Kairi takes his hand and holds it tight. "No matter what anyone does, they can't tear us apart. They can't destroy the love between us–nothing can…"

Love… that word alone strikes such a cord with Sora that it leaves him speechless. Kairi had told him that she loves him before, and as he looks to Riku for confirmation, he nods in utmost agreement. It's something he still struggles to fully understand, despite his immense, undying feelings for them both. Because if he can't fathom loving himself anymore, how is he supposed to fathom anyone else loving him in turn?

"I… I love both of you so much…" he admits quietly, his eyes growing wet as he focuses on the radiant sunset sinking over the sea ahead of them. "You have no idea how much I just want to be with you, but…"

"But nothing," Kairi finally places the paopu fruit into his hands. "Whatever's happened before and whatever might happen next… you'll always have a place by our side, Sora. You'll always have a place in our hearts."

"We aren't just meant to be together," Riku says as he holds his own fruit up a bit. "We're destined for each other. And that destiny, our love? That's what's going to see us through this, and everything that might come after it…"

Kairi nods her agreement as she lifts her paopu, both of them gently encouraging Sora to do the same. He still hesitates, still doubting if he truly deserves this, if he's truly worthy of forging such a special, unbreakable vow with either of them. But as he looks between them once more, at the smiles they have to offer him, the absolute, unquestionable adoration shining in their eyes, adoration meant solely for him… he finally brings his own paopu up to meet theirs. And as he does, he can't help but think that, for as awful and agonizing as his life has become… he's still so incredibly lucky all the same. So lucky to know them, to be here with them, to be sharing such a precious promise with them both.

To love them and be loved by them in return.

The sun has nearly sunk over the sea as they solidify that promise, as they each take a single bite of their paopu fruits at the exact same time. It's a simple ritual, but a sweet one for far more reasons than one. The fruit itself is delicious, a heavenly flavor that they've only ever heard rumors of growing up. But tasting it for themselves now… it's something entirely unique altogether. Experiencing this special moment firsthand, for however different it might be from how they all had imagined it… it's still so magical all the same. It's enough to bring tears to each of their eyes as they finish their fruits off, letting their leafy remains drift down into the sea below them. And in the moments that follow, they sit in silence, their hands intertwined as the sun disappears, as the shadows of nighttime begin to settle in across the sea. Shadows that seem to echo the much more dangerous ones they'll have to face tomorrow.

But for tonight, none of those shadows seem to matter. Because for tonight, here they are, their hearts full of love, their minds filled with peace. Here they are… together in truly every way they can be. Here they are, and despite the shadows closing in around them from almost every angle, their world is as bright as it could possibly be.

With the stars appearing high above them, Sora finally breaks the comforting silence between them. Riku and Kairi glance over at him in worried confusion as his breathing hitches, as he briefly pulls his hands away from them, as struggles to say what he truly wants to. As he struggles to voice how he really feels.

"T-the… m-master…" he chokes, stopping himself as he shakes his head. Breaking away from his master's power, from the control and conditioning he's been subjugated under, is an almost impossible feat for him now. But he forces himself to all the same, wanting to be nothing less than completely sincere with what he has to say next. "...X-Xehanort…" he winces, his heart pierced with pain as he refers to his master by name. As he drops any kind of respect he's been so wrongly made to harbor toward him. "H-he can't have my heart…" he mutters, agony searing through his veins as punishment for such a rebellious statement. But he pushes through that pain as he manages a faint smile, as he takes Riku and Kairi's hands once more and holds them tight. As he reaffirms how much he adores them both, as he contemplates what he knows he has to do tomorrow.

The stars reflect in his tears as he leans contentedly against them both, deciding to cherish whatever time he might have left with them for all it's worth. All the while knowing just how short that time truly is, how little of it he still has to spend with two of the people he loves most. The two people he knows he'll have to lose in making sure they both live.

"He can't have it…" he repeats again quietly, happily. Mournfully. "Because my heart already belongs to both of you…"


So raise your hand if you're an emotional wreck after all this. :3 Seriously though, knowing what's to come after writing all this... oh god none of you are ready. The next chapter is going to be... a LOT and that's all I'm going to say about it. So if you're looking forward to that, let me know what you thought of this one by leaving me a REVIEW! Until next time!