Time to Remember
There are accounts from the gummyship pilots, Chip and Dale, that Axel spent most of the long flight in the cabin, slumped in a seat and looking out at the stars and the worlds that flew by. He sipped from a dark liquor bottle. He refused all offers of food or bed and just sat there, wordlessly watching the universe go by, occasionally sobbing into his sleeves or looking out the porthole with tears streaming down his cheeks.
Some time later, King Mickey sat down next to Axel on the edge of the balcony. The moonlight shone through the clouds that were scattered about the inky sky. Axel watched him pull down the hood of his dark cloak, which was shaped for his two round ears.
Mickey handed him a small, silver piece of jewelry. It shone in the moonlight.
Axel turned it over in his hands. The four silver points of the zipper pull were familiar. Very familiar. He felt something he hadn't known in a while. A little surge of excitement. 'Is this his?'
'Riku recovered it for you,' Mickey explained.
'Riku, huh?' Axel remarked.
They regarded what could be seen of the castle grounds in the darkness. The formal hedgerows snaked round square-shaped flower beds and the obnoxious number of fountains.
'You know there's plenty of opportunity for you to work with us,' Mickey said chirpily.
'I know,' Axel replied. 'Belle and Beast are letting me stay here while I sort my feelings out.'
'They're a great couple,' Mickey said. 'And how are you getting on with sorting them out?'
Axel looked down at the metal cross in his hands. He held it tight. 'It feels so unfair that he was taken away from me, you know. But I think I'm coming to terms with it, and you know what, I'm glad for the times we had. I got them all memorized in here.'
He had an urge to tap his temple. Instead held the cross tightly and brought it to the left side of his chest.
'I'm pleased to hear it,' said Mickey. 'Give my regards to Belle and Beast.'
'I will,' Axel replied. 'I'll let you know when I'm ready for that job.'
Mickey stood up from the balcony. 'You take your time. You know where I am.'
'Thanks for bringing this,' Axel replied as he regarded the glinting cross. 'I'll treasure it.'
Mickey nodded. 'It's the least I could do.'
They were in that dark place where the moonlight reflected off the ocean as it rolled over the shore. The gnarled and pointed silhouettes of huge, petrified forms towered all around them.
Sora helped Riku who was limping along the gloomy beach. Their last fight had taken its toll on him.
'End of the road,' Riku huffed.
'Yep,' said Sora, as he held up the weight of Riku against him. It had been a hard fight, but they had won. They had done it together.
'Put me down. I can walk.'
Sora set him down and walked up to the shoreline. He heard a thud as Riku fell to the sand.
'Riku!' Sora went to help him.
'If this is darkness,' said Riku. 'Then I think I can live with it.'
'Yeah,' said Sora as he sat next to him. 'The realm of light is safe now. Kairi, the King and the others are there.'
'Hey Sora. Could you help me? I wanna get down to the water.'
Sora rolled his eyes. 'Can't you just sit still?' He didn't expect an answer. He lifted Riku and hauled him down to the spot where the waves lapped at the sand. They sat side by side and watched the ocean together as it sparkled under the gloomy sky.
Riku leaned into him as Sora held him up. He was heavy, but it didn't matter. Sora ran his fingers through the long, silver hair. Riku nuzzled his cheek and they kissed under the moonlight. Neither of them knew how long they would be there, but it didn't matter because they were together.
Sora must have dozed off, because he found himself being woken gently by Riku a while later. Riku brandished a note from a bottle. 'I think it's for you,' he said.
Sora read from the note. 'Thinking of you wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows: starting a new journey may not be so hard. Or maybe it's already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky—one sky, one destiny.'
And it was signed off with that instantly-recognizable, girly handwriting: 'Kairi.'
A huge, shimmering door of light opened up in front of them. It was the door to the light. The one they had hoped would come. Sora offered his hand and helped Riku up. They went through the door together.
On an island far, far away, as the sun set pink over the ocean, two shining forms came diving out of the sky. They plunged into the ocean together.
The two boys surfaced. Sora shook his hair like a dog and secretly enjoyed the way Riku frowned at him disapprovingly.
'Sora! Riku!' a voice called out.
They looked to the shore and Kairi was there, waving them in from the beach. It was all very familiar: the sea-salt scent in the air, the warm, orange sands, the wooden beach huts and the rows of paopu fruit trees that towered along the shore. They were back at Destiny Islands. They were home.
They swam inland together. Sora kept a hand on Riku's back to help him along.
King Mickey, Donald and Goofy all emerged out the huts and rushed over to greet them. Donald and Goofy each jumped at Sora and pulled him into a big hug. He lost his balance and they fell clumsily to the wet sand, laughing at one another.
He looked over and saw Riku and Mickey sharing their own fond embrace.
Sora held his friends with warmth. Finally, he approached Kairi, who looked to him with laughter lines around her eyes.
And then I could feel it. I was inside Sora. And Naminé was inside Kairi.
It didn't matter what had gone before. Even if my time with Hayner, Pence and Olette hadn't been real for them, it had been real for me, and I would remember the good times we'd had together. It goes without saying that I would remember Axel too. I hoped he was well. I hoped he could go on without me. Because I had got through it and all the memories we shared were safe inside of me. I had it all memorized.
Naminé had promised that we would be reunited someday and I realised that I too, like Sora, had been finding my own way. I had been trying to find my way in the world, a way to be me and to be someplace safe. Someplace I could call home. And there on Destiny Islands, with Sora and his friends, I had found it. A place where I belonged. My home. My sanctuary.
[Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading my fic! I like to write in my lunch breaks at my boring job. This is my first stab at fan fiction and I wrote this one for a friend actually. It's not perfect, but I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any comments or criticism I would be happy to hear from you! ^_^ ~Glennchen255]