Epilogue
The happy reunion on the island didn't last long before it was moved to the main island where Sora, Riku, and Kairi lived. However, questions had to be answered before anything else. After Sora, Kairi, King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy had found the two lovebirds, they waited patiently for them to finish and they, ahem, loudly approached them.
They quickly discussed what had happened since they had been separated. For Sora and Riku, the felt they had only been gone for about five hours or so, depending on the length of the battle and how long they had been sitting on the beach. To their amazement, their friends astonished them by telling them they had been gone for nearly three days. The portal Naminé had opened led them straight to Twilight Town, in the basement of the old mansion. Pence, Olette, and Hayner were still sitting watch, and were delighted when they returned. However, with Sora and Riku still absent they had promised to keep an eye on the doorway lest they came back that way as well. They waited for two days there, nursing injuries and letting exhaustion claim them, until they realized that Sora and Riku might appear elsewhere. Leaving their friends in charge, they left in the gummi ship to search for the large amounts of energy that had been released due to the destruction of The World That Never Was. Their quest led them back to Destiny Islands, and they had landed on the little island that morning. They had waited and waited, until their hope was wearing thin. Miraculously, the two boys then appeared, falling out of the sky, and landing at their feet.
After being gone for nearly one and a half years, the three residents of Destiny Islands plus a newly found sister returned home. Geni used her magic to float them over the water in a magical bubble, considering there weren't any boats on the island and they thought that the gummi ship would be too conspicuous near the residential district. As it was, their group consisted not just of humans but of a talking mouse, dog, and duck as well. As they walked over the dock and onto the sidewalk, all of the houses were lit up and they could hear talk as they walked home.
Their first stop was the closest: Kairi's house. She only lived a few blocks from the seashore. Knocking on the door, they were greeted by a middle-aged woman who had dark circles under her eyes. The mug she had been carrying dropped out of her hand and crashed to the floor when she beheld the sight on her doorstep: her daughter, missing for weeks now, her two young friends whom had been missing for over a year, a strange girl who looked like one of the boys, a mouse, a dog, and a duck.
"Kairi!" she cried, smothering her daughter in a hug. She cried and cried, while Kairi mumbled something about her family being "overemotional." Moments later a man came running when he heard the shouting, and joined in the hug fest as they welcomed their daughter home.
Kairi struggled against their vice grips, finally managing to get a word or two in. "Can we come in?"
"Of course, of course!" Her mother quickly shooed them all inside. "Herald, call the Akeno's and the Tamohara's. Tell them to get over here now!" Once inside, Kairi's mother dotted over her, and quickly made snacks and drinks for everyone. In a few minutes, the door bell rang. Kairi's father quickly answered it, and Mr. and Mrs. Tamohara, Riku's parents, ran inside. Riku stood up, displaying his new height, as he walked over to them.
Riku's mother stood there with her mouth gaping open. "I'm home," Riku said with a smile. Bursting into tears, Mrs. Tamohara rushed forward and embraced her son, now several inches taller than her. His father gripped him on the shoulder, smiling brightly as his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Two reunions down, one to go. Riku and his parents sat on a sofa on the far side of Kairi's living room, while Kairi and her parents occupied the kitchen making more snacks. Crying was intermixed with laughter as they caught up with each other, parents wondering where their children had been all this time.
Sora and Geni sat on a loveseat, while King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy took up positions on random chairs that had been brought into the living room. Sora, hungry as usual, was pigging out on sandwiches. Geni was strangely silent, looking around the room with little interest. "What's on your mind?" Sora asked as he gulped down another bite. "Feeling a little odd being in Kairi's house for the first time?"
"A little," she admitted. "But...everything feels oddly home-like to me, even though I've never been on the islands before. When we were walking here, I felt like I had been here before, like I knew the path I had never once trod upon."
"Hmm..." Sora mumbled as he took another bite. "I guess –" his next sentence was cut off as the doorbell rang yet again that evening. Seeing as all of the adults in the house were busy, Sora jumped up to answer it. As he opened the door, he asked "Who is it?"
Standing on the front porch in the dim light of the porch light, were Mr. and Mrs. Akeno, Sora's parents. They, like the other two sets of parents, looked disheveled and exhausted from worry. They stood there in shock, like the other two as well, until Sora's dad spoke. "Sora?"
"Hey dad," Sora said, his words catching in his throat. He hadn't realized how much he had missed them during his adventures. He ran the few steps towards them and caught them both in a large bear hug. "I missed you guys so much," he said as they returned his embrace.
"Sora, where have you been?" his mother said, for once crying out of happiness that her little boy was home. "You've been gone for so long…"
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I…had a job to do before I could come back home. I'm sorry I made you worry."
His mother pushed him away, still holding onto his shoulders though, as she inspected him only as a mother could. "Still too skinny…but where did you get those new clothes?"
"Some new friends," Sora said nonchalantly. "There's so much that I want to tell you, but first there's someone I want you to meet."
"You've got a girlfriend? Atta boy, Sora; a chip off the old block," his dad said humorously as he tousled his hair.
Sora turned slightly pink. "Well, ah, no – not quite. Come inside, but wait here." Sora brought his parents into the small hallway so they could close the door, and then went into the living room. His parents gave each other a searching look, wondering what on earth Sora was going to show them. They heard a plethora of voices coming from the living room and kitchen area, but more specifically it sounded like Sora was talking to another girl.
"You'll be fine; I'll be right back." They heard Sora finish his conversation just before he walked back into the hallway. He had a smile on his face that banished all uncertainties from their thoughts. "Okay, she's in here." Sora grabbed his parent's hands and they walked into the living room. There was a mouse, a duck, and a dog sitting on some chairs near the front window, and Sora's friend Riku was sitting with his parents on a sofa next to them. However, Sora's mother and father gasped when they beheld who stood in front of them.
Sora had predicted their reaction, as had Riku, Kairi, and the others, so as if on a cue everyone in the living room quietly went and joined the others in the kitchen. Riku had to herd his parents in there, as they were curious why there was a girl with Sora who looked exactly like him.
Geni stood in the middle of the living room, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She smiled nervously, and then dropped it seeing the shocked expressions of the two adults. Sora came and stood next to Geni for support, placing his hand on her shoulder as the quiet stand off went on. After a moment or two, Geni whispered to Sora as quietly as she could. "Maybe this was a bad idea..."
"Give them a minute," Sora whispered encouragingly.
As if they could have possibly heard the exchange, Sora's father was the first to break out of his silent stupor. "Sora...?" he asked questioningly.
"Genevieve?" Three startled pairs of eyes turned towards Sora's mother. Tears were running down her face, and she was wringing her hands, looking guilty. "You are...Genevieve, right?"
"...Why?" Geni said as calmly as possible, although Sora knew otherwise feeling her tremble underneath his hand. "Why did you –?"
"I'm so sorry!" she finally cried, bursting into a fresh downpour of tears. She began weeping uncontrollably, apologizing over and over again. Sora's father gathered her into his arms, and looked at his son...and daughter.
"You see, we married just out of high school, and tried going to college. But when you two came along, we didn't have the finances to support both of you at the same time. So when you were born, we decided to give one of you up for adoption." He paused here, clearing his throat. "It's not that we didn't love you, or didn't want you; but we couldn't give both of you the best life that was possible. We assumed that you would be better off with people who could. That's why when we finished the papers, we asked that we didn't know who received you and the people receiving you didn't know us. Please, forgive us. It was the hardest decision we ever made, and have regretted it many times over already." At this, even Sora's father allowed a few salty tears to drip down his cheeks.
Geni trembled. Her quest to find her biological parents had finally come to an end, around where she thought it would. Many emotions ran through her: anger, hatred, sadness, loneliness, even happiness. Could she do as they asked? Could she forgive them for being young?
Sora never left his sister's side, knowing that this conversation was more between his parents and Geni than between the four of them. Of course, explanations would come later, and they would have some explaining to do to the both of them, but it could wait. Moments later, Sora felt Geni's hand on top of his. He looked into her eyes, and she nodded to him. He let her go, and watched her walk slowly towards her birth parents.
Geni placed a hand upon her mother's shoulder and one upon her father's arm. "I don't hate you," she said quietly. Her mother's crying quickly stopped and they both looked at her with confused expressions. She smiled at them, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "The only thing I've ever wanted...is to know why. You don't have to be ashamed of what you did. As for my adopted family – well, there couldn't be a better one anywhere. So please, don't cry anymore," she finished. Her parents looked at her, unbelieving. This child sounded wise beyond her years, and she wasn't even a woman yet.
Her mother straightened, looking at her. She brought her arms up, and then decided against it. "May I...?" she asked, shrugging.
"...Sure," Geni said hesitantly. Her mother slowly brought her arms up and around her, finally embracing her own daughter after fifteen years of separation. Well, Sora's mom was the emotional type, and so it only figures that she burst out into tears again while she held her daughter. Geni's hands were still at her sides; she wasn't quite ready for this just yet. This woman might be her biological mother, but she was still really a stranger to her. Sora's father put his arm around the both of them, grouping them into a large hug.
Sora smiled. He saw how uncomfortable Geni looked, and felt for her. His parents could be...well, physically emotional most of the time (examples? – bear hugs and noogies). Suddenly hearing a few sniffles behind him, he turned and saw a small crowd peering around the corner at the family reunion. Mostly it was Donald, Goofy, Kairi's parents, and Riku's parents. He couldn't see King Mickey, Riku, or Kairi but he heard their voices from farther in. Looking back, he saw Geni pull away from their parents.
"I would like you to meet someone," she said. "He's my adopted father, and I think you'll like him a lot." Geni turned and walked past everyone and into the kitchen where King Mickey was talking to Riku and Kairi. Everyone's eyes were on her, and the conversation stopped as she came up to stand next to them. "King Mickey?" she asked.
"What's the matter Geni?" he asked, sounding worried.
"Oh, no! Nothing's the matter! I...want you to meet my birth parents – Sora's parents."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Positive." Geni gently grabbed King Mickey's arm and pulled him out into the living room where Sora was standing with their mother and father talking. He turned towards them and smiled at the tiny king for encouragement. He could tell that King Mickey was a little nervous, meeting his adopted daughter's actual parents. They came and stood with them, the four humans towering above the mouse king.
"Mom? Dad?" Sora began. "This is King Mickey, ruler of Disney Castle. King Mickey, this is my mom and dad, Mr. and Mrs. Akeno."
"A pleasure to meet you," King Mickey said in his high voice. The two adults looked dumbfounded, looking from Geni to the king.
"King Mickey is my adopted father," she explained. "My home for the last fifteen years has been at his castle on another world." The adults still looked confused, and slightly doubtful. Oh, I knew this was a bad idea, she thought. Human adults are so narrow minded sometimes. However, her theory was about to be proved wrong when her biological father stooped down onto one knee, bringing him eye level with King Mickey.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty," he said as he stuck out his hand. "Thank you for taking such good care of our daughter for us. It looks like she couldn't have found a better home anywhere."
King Mickey grabbed his hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "Anytime, Mr. Akeno. Your son has been a great help in restoring the balance of darkness and light in the universe as well. You should be very proud of him." Sora's ears turned red at this statement, and Geni had a hard time not laughing out loud. His parents, on the other hand, didn't understand what he was talking about but were proud at the sentiments the little king offered about their son.
Geni sighed a huge sigh of relief. Her primary concern was of what her biological parents would have thought of King Mickey, considering what and who he was. They were now talking as if they had been friends all of their lives, swapping stories about their children and their accomplishments. They were sitting on the sofa nearest the door when Geni realized her appetite had come back to her. Excusing herself, she made her way to the kitchen and found a plate of peanut butter and jam sandwiches on a plate. Grabbing one, she sat down next to Kairi and Riku. Donald and Goofy were currently talking with the Tamohara's and Kairi's parents out on the other side of the living room about who knows what.
Slipping into a seat, she sighed as she took a bite of her sandwich. "What's up?" Riku asked as he took a sip of his glass of water.
"I'm not sure," Geni said, chewing slowly. "What's going to happen now?"
"What do you mean?" Sora questioned her as he came and joined them. "I think that went pretty well, considering."
"Well, your parents said they put me up for adoption. But according to the story that King Mickey has always told me, I just appeared one day floating in the central fountain in Hollow Bastion. So whoever was going to adopt me didn't, or couldn't. What happened in between there?" This silenced the friends, and only the occasional sounds of chewing and gulping disturbed the silence. Plenty of talk and laughter drifted in from the other room, banishing any doubt that there would be problems between the residents of the Destiny Islands and the residents of Disney Castle.
Geni was the first to stand up. "Well, I guess I'll know someday." She washed her hands at the sink, and then walked towards the back door. "I'm just going outside for some fresh air; I'll be back in a little bit." Sora watched his sister go, worry in his eyes.
"Even though her heart is full now, and we know what mom and dad did – why she never grew up here, her past is still a puzzle with missing pieces." Sora sighed. "Why isn't anything ever simple?"
"Because that's life," Riku said as he stood up. "I'll go check on her for you," he offered.
"Thanks Riku," Sora said gratefully.
Riku nodded, and then walked out the back door. Kairi's backyard was small, with a little hill heading down into the alley behind it. Geni stood at the top of the hill, watching the stars in the night sky twinkle, her hands clasped behind her. It was quite dark behind the house; the lights from the street didn't reach all the way back here. Riku walked up slowly behind her and placed his arms around her, earning him a surprised squeak.
"Riku!" she admonished, turning her head to face him. He knew she wasn't annoyed or angry, judging from the smile on her face. "What's up?" she asked quietly as she leaned into him.
"You," he said just as quietly. "Sora was worried, and I offered to go check up on you." He paused, as they stared out into the universe. "Are you okay?"
She breathed in deeply. "Yes, I suppose so," she answered indifferently. They stayed like that for several minutes; Riku towering over Geni as he gently protected her from the elements around them. The noises coming from the house were greatly muffled, and the windows were covered for the night to keep the bugs out. Completely alone and completely concealed, the two of them shared a wonderful view of the heavens.
A shooting star shot across the sky, leaving a glittering trail behind it. "Riku?"
"Yes?"
She loosened herself from his grip, and turned to face him, staring up at him while her eyes reflected the stars in the distance. "I never really thanked you for all that you've done for me; if it wasn't for you, I doubt I would be here right now, with you, Sora, and everyone else. Your light kept me from falling further into the darkness. So…thank you, for everything."
Riku smiled down at her. "I should be the one thanking you. Without your help, I would have never survived living in that transformed state. I think the darkness in my heart would have taken over long ago if you hadn't been right there alongside me pushing it back." Strong emotions suddenly took over Riku, and he quickly looked away, trying to hide them from her. "I thought…that the darkness would always control me, that I would never be able to repent to those I care about the most. But then you came along, and I knew I could fight it – the darkness within and around me. Because of you…I was able to free myself from it, and now it no longer troubles my heart. So really you saved me; no matter how many times I say it, it wouldn't be enough. But...thank you anyway."
Geni felt her face growing warmer with each word. Thank goodness Riku was looking away from her. However, when he turned back to look at her, she saw the sadness in his eyes; a dull ache that throbbed at his heart. She knew that look, because she also had it – although most of the time both of them kept it hidden from those around them. The look of a past that haunted them; things they had done and said, things that they couldn't go back and fix no matter what. "Oh Riku," she said quietly as she placed a cool hand onto his cheek.
The two souls that had been lost in the darkness had found their way back to the light, but even surrounded by the brilliance of their friends and family they could not shake out every last drop of it. Riku allowed his head to droop slightly, leaning into her touch, until she looked as if she were cradling him. They stood in silence, her arms wrapped around him this time, to protect both of them from destiny's cruel joke.
Unbeknownst to them, two blue pairs of eyes peaked at them through a gap in the curtain. "You think they'll be okay?" Kairi asked Sora. They had been watching through the kitchen window the entire time Riku had joined Geni in her backyard.
"I don't really know," Sora said with a shrug. "Only time will tell if their hearts will heal. But if I know anything about either of them, just being together will do wonders for them both. Also, I think that a change to a normal life will do them both good. I think we've all been submersed in the darkness for too long lately." He smiled at Kairi. "But we're home now, and that's all that matters."
Kairi smiled back, and laid her hand over his on the table. Squeezing it slightly, she said, "You're right. We'll be here if they need us, which they probably will at some point. I remember how much it hurt to go to the island after I came back without you two. It took me a long time to even get up the courage to go near the shore, but by that time I had forgotten about you for some reason. Only when my memories returned did I realize that waiting wasn't going to be enough for either of you. It was my turn to bring you two home."
"And we thank you for that." Sora leaned over to her, and even though he was blushing profusely, landed a quick peck on Kairi's check. As he stood up, even his ears were red by this point. "Ready?"
"Exhausted," Kairi replied with a stretch as she joined him.
"Are you sure you have everything?" Queen Minnie asked anxiously. "Your books, clothes, crystal ball, toothbrush?"
"Yes, yes, I've got them all," Geni answered for the hundredth time as they stood in the guest room of the Akeno's home. Clean sheets and a comforter were on the bed, along with a scrubbed wooden floor and just painted light purple walls. "It's only for a few weeks, and then I'll be back. Remember the custody arrangement? The longest I'll be gone is when school starts."
"I know, I know," Queen Minnie sighed. "It's just…you've never been away from the castle for this long, and…" she shrugged in defeat. "You'll call everyday, right?"
"Of course! Queen Minnie, I'm not leaving permanently; just for a little while. You and King Mickey both agreed it would be better for me to spend a lot of time with Sora, and Mr. and Mrs. Akeno said it would be okay for Sora to come with me on visits to the Disney Castle as well. This isn't goodbye…" but at this Geni choked on her words. "I mean, it's only temporary…"
"And you're quite right," Queen Minnie replied with an encouraging smile. "You can call anytime, and come home anytime you want to. You'll always have a home at the castle," she said quietly, wistfully. At those words, Geni let loose a few tears she had been holding back. Queen Minnie whisked into action and drew out an embroidered handkerchief from her pocket. Jumping onto a chair so she was at eye level, she quickly dabbed at her adopted daughter's eyes. "Shh, don't cry," she said as she stroked her head, like she used to do when Geni was little.
"'kay," Geni said with a slight hitch in her voice.
"There," Queen Minnie added as she dried the last of her tears. "Hang onto this for me, alright? So you can give it back to me when I see you again?" She handed her favorite handkerchief over to Geni, who clutched it tightly in her palm. "Now, no more crying. You know how excited everyone is that you're staying here. Especially a certain silver-haired person I know…"
"Queen Minnie!" Geni started, blushing furiously.
"What, you didn't think anyone else noticed? My dear, I'm not as old as you think."
They both laughed, soothing the already homesick atmosphere. "Well, it's time for me to go. We have the entourage from Provincial France coming this afternoon, and I believe this will be the prince's first time outside of his world in his new – or should I say his original – human form." And with that, Queen Minnie delicately hopped off of the chair and began to head for the door. Geni followed quickly behind her, passing the strange doors and going down the unfamiliar stairs. At the bottom in Sora's living room everyone was saying their final goodbyes. Donald and Goofy were giving Sora some last minute noogies, while Riku and the King were discussing inter-world politics. Mr. and Mrs. Akeno, along with Kairi and Riku's parents, had come to see the strange visitors off. Word had quickly gotten around the little island of the trio's return, along with their strange visitors. So, of course, friends had lined up around the block to come and say hello as well as – well, as politely as they could, stare.
"All set?" King Mickey asked as he saw his wife and adopted daughter heading down the stairs.
"Yes," Geni replied.
"Good, then we had better get going if we want to be back at the castle before that entourage arrives." King Mickey waved to Donald and Goofy, who then promptly joined him as they walked out the front door. To make it easier, they had moved the gummi ship into the street for unpacking purposes for Geni since she was going to be here for a while. At the bottom of the gangplank, King Mickey turned around and surveyed the scene before him.
Kairi was with her parents, Riku with his, and Sora and Geni standing next to each other with theirs. "Before we leave, know that you four have our gratitude for saving all of the worlds, and especially Kingdom Hearts. Without you, darkness would have reigned and the realm of light would have suffered. Now, everyone can finally be at peace. However, you are still the guardians of that peace so you may be called upon again in the distant future. So until that time, thank you: Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Geni." At this, he bowed to them. Standing up, he quickly walked over to Geni. She bent down, and they shared one last hug between father and daughter before his duties required him home.
"Know that there will always be a place for you at the castle, and in our hearts," he whispered into her ear.
"Thank you, for persuading me to leave all those years ago," she whispered back. Squeezing him gently, she let him go to join Queen Minnie. Waving one last time, they walked up the gangplank and into the ship as Donald lit the primary boosters. Farewells, shouts of thanks, and energetic waves were traded back and forth as the gummi ship slowly rose off the ground. The noise grew louder and louder, until sand was beginning to blow all around them. As soon as they were over the roofs' of the houses, Donald fired the rockets and the gummi ship took off one last time for its home at the Disney Castle.
Geni ran out into the street, waving until she could no longer see the speck that was her family of twelve years. Her arm slowly stopped waving, and set itself down on her side. She stared into the blue sky, hoping for one last glimpse of the tiny ship. Sora left his parents side, and joined her as they inspected the expanse above them.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked her seriously, knowing how nervous she had been for leaving the castle for so long. She brought her head down, and stared out across the island: the palm trees waving in the wind, the quaint houses lining the street, people still staring out after the strange ship, and the presence of her friends and family behind her. She took a deep breath, and looked at Sora with a smile.
"After losing my heart, overcoming strenuous physical obstacles for twelve years, battling the darkness, almost dying, coming back to life, and finding my heart whole again?" Her smile widened into a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "I think I can handle this."
The End…?
To Be Continued In "Songs of the Heart"