The years that passed without Riku brought immense change to Sora and his family. Two years after the announcement of their betrothal, Sora and Naminé were married. The date was December 15, 1768; Sora was eighteen years old.

Their courtship prior to marriage was estranged, but Naminé often dismissed Sora's strange behavior for his own sake. The first time they kissed, Sora knew he felt nothing, and though Naminé's eyes had sparkled with admiration, Sora could not replicate the feeling.

All the while, Sora kept Riku a secret from Naminé, and vice versa. He wrote him letters every day, and while Riku had returned the letters at the start of their exchange, the replies thinned and soon disappeared completely. Several miserable months passed with Sora left in silence.

"I should have told him I was getting married," Sora wept to Kairi on the night before his wedding. "He hasn't sent a single letter since August..."

"Sora, perhaps it's for the best," Kairi had said. "Now get to sleep; you have a big day tomorrow."

The celebration itself was held at the inn, after the wedding party had moved from the chapel. Drinking and singing among other festivities commenced, but Sora felt as if he were a ghost watching the celebration around him. Even Naminé's gentle hand on his shoulder did not seem to wake him from his daze. Instead, he simply gave her a forced smile and offered her a dance. As a wedding gift, Cloud handed Sora the keys to his office. Inside the room Sora had been often forbidden to go, he found records of the travelers and the books where Cloud kept track of expenses. Sora and Naminé later built a bed in the room so they could live above the inn to take care of it.

On August 13, 1769, Axel and Roxas married in a secret ceremony at the Destiny Inn. Cloud was the master of the ceremony, uniting the two. On September 17, 1769, Zack and Kairi married. About a month later, Sora, Kairi, and their spouses attended the wedding of Hayner and Olette.

Meanwhile, the Sons and Daughters of Liberty's cries for freedom grew louder. There was greater talk of seceding from Great Britain. Sora finally stood among the Sons, often holding secret meetings in the tavern to the few members who would stop by for a meal. Information would pass between them. Since Riku had left, few soldiers remained in the city, and those that did came to fear the rebellious Sons.

In just a short amount of time, so much had changed for Sora. It wasn't long until he and Naminé were expecting their first child, a child Naminé had desperately wished for and Sora had obliged to give.

It seemed as if Sora really had forgotten Riku, but deep in his heart, he clung longingly to his memories of the silver-haired boy.

March 5th, 1770, was a day that changed the lives of Bostonian colonists forever.

It was a day in which the town was dusted in light snow; however, it was just enough snow to create snowballs.

And that was just what Axel, Reno, and several others did on that day. The snowballs they formed in their palms were thrown at a British soldier, the idea of consequence far beyond them.

The soldier called for reinforcements, and the reinforcements soon arrived.

No one knew who fired the first shot, but the street exploded with the sound of gunfire. An African-American man named Crispus Attucks was the first to die in the shooting, and four more died soon after.

Axel and Reno were lucky enough to stumble away from the scene unharmed by the bullets, but as they ushered themselves away from the clearing smoke, they caught a glimpse of a certain silver-haired soldier. Shocked, Axel tripped and twisted his ankle. Reno let him lean on his shoulder as they limped away.

Before they could stop to speak to him, the soldiers and their officer were arrested.

The brothers burst through the doors of the Destiny Inn, where Sora was cleaning up from the prévolus meal. Naminé, her belly swollen with pregnancy, sat at the bar speaking to her husband.

"Sora!" Axel shouted.

Sora knit his eyebrows, setting aside the dishes and rushing to the brothers. "What is it? Are you alright? I heard gunfire."

"Sora, you won't believe what happened," Reno said, "a bunch of British soldiers just started firing on us and some other colonists. At least three died on the spot, and two other were injured pretty badly. Axel only tripped and sprained his ankle..."

"Sit down, I'll soak a cloth to wrap around your ankle." Sora instructed.

"Sora, I can do that if you want." Naminé offered.

"Naminé, I can't make you - " he protested, but Naminé was already on he feet.

Axel glanced around to make sure Naminé had gone, then he leaned in close to Sora.

"We think Riku was there."

Sora's eyes widened and his stomach turned at the mention of the name.

"N-no..."

"Yeah, we barely saw, but as we were leaving we saw a glimpse of a silver-haired soldier." Reno added.

Sora shook his head in disbelief. "No, you're mistaken; Riku wouldn't hurt anyone. Maybe you saw Captain Sephiroth?"

"No, this guy wasn't nearly as old-looking, that I could tell." Axel said. "Besides, under certain orders, Riku could technically do anything."

Sora stared down at the floor as Naminé returned with a cloth to wrap around Axel's ankle.

"Thank you, Naminé." He said solemnly, binding Axel's ankle.

"Is something wrong, Sora?" She asked.

"No, just what they said was awful," Sora answered. "I can't believe soldiers would open fire on innocent civilians..."

"Well, we were harassing one..." Reno mentioned.

"But they did shoot first! It wasn't even an altercation!" Axel interrupted quickly.

"Whether you provoked them or not, I can't imagine why they would shoot." Sora said. "Why...he would shoot."

"Who is 'he'?" Naminé wondered.

Reno and Axel exchanged glances.

"Sora..." Reno began.

"I will explain later." Sora decided.

"You'd better." Axel muttered.

Later that night as Sora finished recording the day's inventory, Naminé placed her hand on his shoulder just as she always did when she knew Sora was upset.

"Will you tell me who 'he' is now?" Naminé asked.

Sora turned in his chair to face his wife. "Do you remember that boy Riku who attended my fifteenth birthday party?"

Naminé thought for a moment. "Maybe...describe him for me."

"Long silver hair, green eyes..." Sora offered.

"It's still kind of fuzzy to me," Naminé admitted, "of course, my memory isn't always this bad; I blame him." She giggled and smoothed her hand over her stomach.

Sora placed his hand on Naminé's belly, and the baby inside kicked. "I don't know if he likes me."

"Of course he likes you." Naminé assured "Sorry, please go on with your story."

"Well...He was a British soldier who lived with us, and we became good friends. Really good friends..." Sora's cheeks began to warm, and he hoped Naminé wouldn't notice in the dim candle light.

"I see," Naminé nodded. "I understand now."

"I haven't seen him in months, and I suppose I should have told you about him sooner, and I suppose I should've told him about you." Sora chuckled weakly. His eyes fell to the floor. "I miss him...he was like a brother to me..."

A sudden hiccup-sob racked his body, and he could barely hold back the tears.

Naminé dragged Sora to his feet and held him in her arms. "It's alright..."

"No, I shouldn't be crying, it isn't strong of me..." Sora protested, but unable to stop.

"Everyone deserves to show a little weakness." Naminé assured. "If we were strong all the time, we would seem empty."

Empty...Sora still felt nothing for Naminé, but for one of the first times he could remember, Sora held his wife lovingly as she comforted him.

Days later, Sora was buying supplies for the inn at the general store Zack's father owned. Now that Zack and Kairi were married, Kairi often helped behind the counter.

"There, that should be enough sugar for several days." Kairi said, crossing her arms and leaning on the counter. "So, how's Naminé doing?"

"She's doing fine. I...I told her about Riku." Sora answered.

Kairi furrowed her brows. "How did it go...?"

"Well, I still didn't tell her the full truth, but...I still got emotional and I cried about him. I haven't cried about him since the day before our wedding..." Sora explained.

"I'm sorry to hear..." Kairi offered.

"And a few days ago - remember that massacre that happened? - Axel and Reno were there, and they said they saw Riku..." Sora added.

"Did they?"

"I don't know, they said they couldn't get a clear view." Sora stared at the counter. "But...who knows..."

Tears began to well in his eyes, and he closed them. Even the sudden jingling of the bell in the doorway of the store didn't provoke him to open them.

But Kairi suddenly gripped his arm, shaking him.

He glanced up. "What?"

Kairi's eyes were wide, and she looked as if she had seen a ghost.

Sora turned in his direction, meeting eyes with the customer.

Riku stared back at him.