A/N: Sorry about the long delay. Got caught up in final projects, exams, Christmas holidays stuff, other generic lame excuses that you don't care about. :P But I'm back! So happy Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Winter Solstice/Whatever!

Timeless

Chapter 6: Moving On

(Sept. 24th, 2007 – CTL)

Sky made a loud, long noise, something of a sigh and a hiss combined. He was bored. As soon as he and Leon had returned to the castle with Lucrecia in custody, they had begun sifting through files trying to track down likely candidates for the Righteous Hearts headquarters that matched Lucrecia's description of the labs she was taken to. The whole Restoration Committee was on it and then some. But so far, the only matches they had managed to find were either demolished in recent restoration efforts or their purpose was accounted for and therefore stricken from the list.

"We've gotta be missing something…" Yuffie muttered as she loaded another warehouse description on her screen.

"Maybe they're based off-world," Tifa said with a yawn, stretching out her arms.

"No, they've been a thorn in our side since before the discovery of the Corridors of Light," Leon countered. "Besides, if they were using Doors, we'd have caught them by now."

"Maybe they have a gummi ship," said Tifa as she closed her eyes, resting her head on her keyboard and inadvertently typing a series of nonsensical gibberish on her screen.

"Again, we'd have noticed something like that earlier," Leon replied.

"Maybe…" Tifa shifted, getting comfortable. "M…" She began snoring, fast asleep.

Leon sighed. "It's pretty late. Maybe we should call it a day."

"Nonsense!" Cid exclaimed unexpectedly. "I haven't slept for days and I'm doing just fine!" Taking in Cid's unkempt appearance and the wild look in his eyes, it reinforced Leon opinion of needing sleep.

"At the very least, let's take a break," Sky agreed, already standing up. "I can't stand sitting in one place for a long time." He checked his watch. The numbers '3:35AM' glared back up at him. Late nights were not a problem for him, but they usually consisted of doing rounds around the castle or city. He never sat in a single room for more than a couple hours at a time. "I'm taking a walk."

"I'll come with," Leon offered, getting up from his chair. "I think a change of scenery is called for." Sky was a little surprised, expecting Leon to still be in a grumpy mood after the awkward moment from before. He shrugged it off, supposing that if Leon was willing to ignore it, then he should too. The two men left the security room, roaming down the halls of the castle in a neutral silence.

"How you holding up?" Sky asked quietly, breaking the silence. Leon shrugged.

"Well enough," he answered shortly. Sky huffed at the brief response and shoved his hands in his pocket. For some reason, it was even more awkward that Leon wasn't bringing up their argument or the tension between them. But then again, Sky didn't expect as much. They were men, and men didn't talk about their feelings. At least that's how Sky saw it. But a small part of him actually wanted to talk about it. He just wanted to clear the air between them so things could return to normal.

"What's the first thing you're gonna do once we round up the Hearts?" he asked, hoping a light joke would help. Leon raised an eyebrow.

"I hadn't really thought about it…" he muttered, the corner of his mouth resisting the urge to turn upwards.

Sky smirked. "I'm gonna sleep for a few days." He glanced at Leon's reaction out of the corner of his eye. The older man was doing a poor job of concealing his smile. Sky considered that a victory. Maybe Leon wasn't mad at him after all.

Sky slowed down as he approached a doorway that led out to a balcony area. A memory surfaced in his mind's eye. Once upon a time that never happened, he had shared a tender moment with Riku on that very balcony. It had been before the two of them had hooked up, moments before the castle had been attacked by a swarm of infected refugees. Feeling curious, he stepped through the doorway, breathing in fresh air. It was calm and dark outside, very few lights on in the city below. Sky stepped to the edge and gazed down, letting his arms rest on the balcony railing. Leon joined him, eyes on the stars above.

"Can I ask you something?" Sky asked, still looking out at the city. Leon made a noise of acknowledgement. "Did you ever lose anyone in the first Heartless attack?"

"You mean when I was 17?" Leon clarified. "Sure. Everyone lost someone." He seemed to avoid answering fully, as if hiding a truth.

"Yeah, I guess so…" Sky turned around and rested his back against the balcony railing, placing his elbows on the railing behind him. "I guess I was just curious to know if you ever had to deal with a close friend or a loved one dying… I was going to ask for advice on how to cope and move on." Closing his eyes, he said, "I still think about my Riku sometimes and I know I shouldn't." Leon stiffened at those words but said nothing. "Even after all this time, it still hurts to think about it. Little things remind me of him."

"I guess it wasn't easy seeing Sora with him?" Leon asked, propping his elbows on the railing and resting his chin on his hands.

"No, I was perfectly fine with that. It was nice to see one of us get a happy ending. But… I dunno, I just can't help wondering if things could have turned out differently…" Sky hummed to himself and went quiet. He had no idea why he was sharing these thoughts, but somehow, he figured if he talked it out, it'd help him move on.

"I lost someone like that…" Leon said, his voice cutting through the silence. Sky stirred, opening his eyes to look at Leon.

"Really…? Like, someone you loved?"

"Yeah…" Leon made a 'tut' noise, looking away. "I've never told anyone about this. We were only together for a couple months before the Heartless struck. I was only just learning what love was, and I lost it." He turned back to Sky, looking him in the eye. "His name was Zell."

This new revelation hit Sky like a ton of bricks. He honestly wasn't expecting those words to leave Leon's lips. Not only was he admitting that he had fallen in love as a teenager, but he was also admitting that he was gay. That was just something Sky wasn't anticipating from 'straight-as-an-arrow' Leon.

"And… you've never told anyone about him?" he finally said after nearly a minute of silence. Leon shook his head. "All these years, you've been dealing with that alone? God, I can't imagine how that must've felt…"

"He's the reason I stopped going by the name 'Squall'. He had this… way of saying it that made me feel…" Trailing off, he merely chuckled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Clearly, articulating emotions was not Leon's strong point. There was so much he wanted to say, having never told a soul about his first love, and he was unsure where to start. Sky nodded insistently, suddenly curious to know all about the boy Leon once loved.

"Well go on, then! Tell me about him. Where'd you meet? What was he like?"

"Well…" Leon hesitated. It wasn't that he was afraid of Sky judging him negatively; it was just strange talking about something that had happened so long ago that he almost couldn't recall things clearly anymore. "He was really loud. Kind of obnoxious sometimes. But sweet. His heart was in the right place. Most of the time." Sky chuckled at that. "We met in gym class back in high school, grade 10, I think. He was on the karate team and I was on the fencing team. I don't remember how we met exactly, but somehow, we got into this habit of grabbing a slice of pizza after every practise and then, I guess… I dunno…"

"Oh c'mon!" Sky said, nudging Leon. "You can't tell me you don't remember how you and your first love got together! That shit stays in your mind forever!"

Again, Leon hesitated before quietly saying, "…It was a Friday night at his place. We were just settling in for an all-night movie marathon and… the first movie never made it to the player." He smiled wistfully at the memory. "It was one of the best nights of my life." His smile faded away, replaced by a forlorn frown. "When the Heartless attacked, we were at the front lines fighting. I was there when he was died, heart taken by the darkness. When I turned up in Traverse Town, I swore I'd find a way back to Hollow Bastion and avenge his death." Leon finished his story with a sad sigh. "I really miss him…"

Sky was staring at Leon with a mix of emotions, the ones surfacing above the rest being pity, astonishment, and maybe just a hint of jealousy. "He sounded like a wonderful guy."

"Yeah… But that was a lifetime ago. I've moved on since then."

"How? How does one get over the death of their first love?"

"I'm not sure. You just do. Maybe it starts with letting yourself fall in love again." Patting Sky's shoulder, Leon took his leave. "I'm heading home for the night. I'll see you tomorrow, Sora."

"That's Sk-" Sky stopped, his heart suddenly fluttering. He merely watched Leon leave, unable to control the rapid beating of his heart. Could it be that Leon wasn't just calling him by his original name to piss him off? Was there some other significant reason? It occurred to him that he didn't mind so much with Leon called him that, unlike Yuffie, who seemed to stretch out the syllables in an annoying way. When Leon said it, it was sincere, almost… cute.

That's when old memories began resurfacing, memories of when he was a teenager questioning his sexuality. He hadn't thought about these memories in so long, especially after he had confirmed in his heart that he was in love with Riku. No, there had been someone else before Riku, someone who had been a placeholder until Sky had his feelings sorted out. With startling clarity, Sky remembered that between his crush on Kairi and his love for Riku, he had had a brief crush on Leon, the mysterious, stoic, and somewhat handsome man whom Sky had known very little about back then.

The young Sora back then hadn't recognized those feelings for what they were, but the mature Sky knew what it was now. Those familiar emotions were rushing back at frightening speeds and they were ten times more powerful now.

"No…" Sky murmured to himself. "No way… Could I be…?"

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity?" said a sweet voice from the doorway. Sky glanced up to see Aeris joining him on the balcony.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked, slightly panicked.

"Long enough to hear the beginnings of a one-sided conversation." As she got closer to him, she noticed the worried look on his face. "You look white as a sheet! What's wrong?"

"I think… I'm falling for Leon…" Sky admitted. Aeris' eyebrows shot into her hairline.

"And you're figuring this out now?" she laughed.

"Wait, you knew?"

"Of course I knew! I'm observant. Plus, you drag him out on all your little missions, even though you could probably handle it yourself."

"Who else knows? Does he know?"

"I doubt it. Leon is very detached from everything. And I'm pretty sure no one else knows." Aeris watched as Sky nervously paced across the balcony, hands rummaging through his unruly spikes. "So? What's wrong with falling for him?" He was still sorting through his feelings, but despite all the obvious signs that he felt something beyond ordinary friendship with Leon, there was this undying remorse in the bottom of his heart that he could not dispel.

"If that's what it is… why does it hurt? Why do I feel this way?" Aeris eyebrows knitted together in worry.

"What way?"

"I dunno… I feel bad about liking him that way. Like I shouldn't. Like I'm not allowed."

"Is it… because you're still in love with Riku?" Sky stopped pacing abruptly.

"I guess… Maybe… I dunno! I mean, I'll always love him, but… shouldn't I have moved on by now?"

"Everyone's different. I'm not entirely surprised to hear you feel bad about loving someone else besides your first love. Just give it time." Sky was unconvinced. It had been more than enough time, in his opinion. There had to be more to it, like a resolution, something to force his brain to move on. But every time he thought about doing that, the guilt and shame grew worse. There was a wisp of a feeling that he was betraying Riku's memory.

"I'll try…" He suppressed a yawn and stretched out his arms. Aeris clicked her tongue.

"I think it's your bedtime." She turned to Sky, forcibly turning him around and gently pushing him towards the doorway. "C'mon on, now. Healer's orders."

"But Aeris, we have so much work to do!"

"Healer's orders," Aeris insisted, still pushing. Sky grinned, allowing himself to be pushed along. Good ol' reliable Aeris, always looking out for him, acting as a secondary mother of sorts. That was one thing he missed about her. It was something he'd never forget.

(Feb. 2nd, 2010 – ATL)

Aeris tiredly rubbed her eyes, trying to focus on the screen in front of her and having difficulty, even with the glasses on the bridge of her nose. The words on the screen blurred together in a nonsensical mess of text. It was past midnight and she was exhausted, but sleep was a rare commodity these days. The Versa-stigma disease was still running rampant among the soldiers of Light, and she was one of the advanced healers assigned to the task of finding a cure. For days on end, she sifted through ancient scrolls and texts trying to find a spell or a concoction that could counteract the illness or, at the very least, reduce the symptoms to make it more bearable.

Sighing, she set down the scroll she was currently checking against the information on her computer screen and stood up to stretch out her back muscles. She had a shift in the gummi shipyard in less than 6 hours, but she couldn't stop her research. So much was riding on the cure. For now, though, a change in scenery was called for. She left her office and walked down the empty dark corridors of Disney Castle, aimlessly heading in the direction of the Memorial Chamber.

In the Memorial Chamber, there were small 1 inch by 3 inch plaques on the walls for every soldier killed in combat or lost to the Versa-stigma. Large rectangular pillars spread throughout the large room were covered in plagues. The chamber was faintly lit by orange-hued lamps hanging from the ceiling. Aeris found herself visiting this room almost everyday to remind herself why she was fighting and why it was so important to find that elusive cure. She wanted the number of plaques to stop increasing. There were far too many to count.

Pausing as she rounded a corner, Aeris spotted another figure standing in front of a wall of names. Marlene, the 13-year-old adopted daughter of Barret, was staring at the plaques, a sort of glazed-over appearance on her face. Aeris opened her mouth to speak but paused when she noticed which name Marlene was staring at.

Denzel…

"Denzel was your friend, wasn't he?" Aeris asked quietly, standing next to Marlene. The little girl didn't reply. Aeris sighed. She knew the story of Denzel. He was an orphan who had lived with Cloud and Tifa before Maleficent's attacks, and when the war broke out, he signed up to be part of the war effort in Radiant Garden. He was assigned to Sora's gummi ship crew and only six months into his service, he was killed by a Heartless. Aeris had been the healer on site who had tried to save his life when he was brought to Disney Castle, but she had been unable to do so. She still got choked up when she remembered him in his last moments of life. He had been so young, only 14-years-old, but then again, that's how old Sora was when he had been dragged into this whole Heartless mess.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Aeris asked Marlene, rubbing her shoulders in a motherly way. Marlene said nothing. She continued to stare blankly at the list of names. "It's very late. Maybe we should get you back into bed." Aeris went to steer Marlene towards the door but the girl would not budge. Frowning, Aeris knelt low so she could see Marlene's face. The little girl's eyes were vacant of life, devoid of emotion. It was enough to make Aeris worried. "Marlene, honey?"

Then, without warning, Marlene's hands latched onto Aeris' neck, squeezing tightly. Aeris cried out in alarm, quickly pushing the girl off and backing away. "What's gotten into you?" she demanded. Marlene did not reply. She lunged at the healer again. Her attacks were vicious and without remorse, fist flying and trying to grab at Aeris. Aeris blocked and defended, casting a prototype magical shield she was developing known as Protega. A blue bubble formed around her body.

Marlene repeatedly struck the shield. The whole bubble flickered with effort. Aeris was breathing heavily, unable to understand why the girl was attacking her. She must've slipping into a psychotic state because of the strains of the war. Or maybe it was sleepwalking. Or maybe it wasn't Marlene at all, just a Mimic. As all these possibilities went through Aeris' mind, her mana slowly depleted and her makeshift Protega barrier failed. Marlene dove at the healer, using her fingernails to scratch Aeris' face. Despite the attacks, Aeris couldn't bring herself to attack back. Whatever the reason, she knew in her heart that this fierce girl was still sweet little Marlene deep down inside. Beyond those vacant eyes was an ominous presence suppressing Marlene's normal features. Maybe, just maybe, she was under some kind of hypnosis. Someone was controlling her actions.

Aeris tried again to restrain Marlene, grabbing her arms and holding her to the ground. Marlene thrashed about and kicked Aeris in the chest until she was free once more. She ripped a few of the plaques off the wall and whipped them at Aeris with frightening precision, like throwing daggers. Unprepared, Aeris gasped when several of the plaques sliced through her skin like blades and lodged into her chest and abdomen. Brandishing a plaque like a weapon, Marlene approached Aeris and went to slit the healer's throat, but Aeris, in a burst of adrenaline, grappled Marlene's hands. Her eyes searched desperately for some kind of humanity in Marlene's face, but there was nothing there, just a blank slate being controlled from something afar. Whatever it was, it didn't show signs of slipping up. With a hint of fear, Aeris knew she only had moments to subdue Marlene and heal herself or else she would be killed.

Feeling her strength leaving her, Aeris pressed the palm of her hand against the girl's forehead and fired a powerful blast of electricity straight into Marlene's skull. Marlene screamed out in pain as the energy coursed through her. For the briefest of moments, there was a transference of thoughts and Aeris caught a glimpse of some dark presence in Marlene's mind. Pulling away sharply, Aeris realized with startling clarity that somewhere deep inside, Marlene was being controlled by the dark queen of the Heartless, Maleficent, herself.

Marlene stumbled backwards, her brain essentially fried, and she collapsed on her back, blood trickling from all orifices in her head. Aeris lay on her side, too weak to summon the magic necessary to heal herself. Her breaths came in sharp, shallow intakes, and the wounds on her chest and stomach bled through her clothes, forming a small pool beneath her. She numbly gripped one of the plaques still buried in her chest close to her heart and pulled it out, gasping in pain. Staring at the name, her eyes filled with tears. The name on the plaque was Cloud Strife.

Down the hall, Sora was just leaving the training room, wiping his face with a towel. Whenever he had restless nights like these, he found that working out helped relieve tension and put him to sleep. He passed by the Memorial Chamber, deciding to stop by to pay his respects to Riku's memory, a habit he had picked up a few months after Riku's funeral.

As soon as he walked into the chamber, his senses were immediately on high alert. He could smell the distinct coppery scent of blood and felt the tingle of discharged magic coming from somewhere in the room. All the tension he had just released from his workout session was back as he crept into the room, ready to summon his Keyblade at a moment's notice. He noted a few red droplets here and there as he edged deeper into the room until he saw blood splatters all over the floor. Rounding a corner, he saw two figures lying on the floor, little Marlene and Aeris, one looking dead and the other dying.

"Aeris!" Sora cried, dropping down beside her. His eyes darted over to Marlene's prone body, seeming to be the victim of a violent electrocution. Seeing there was nothing he could do for her, he focused his full attention on the dying woman in his arms. "What happened?" He quickly set to pulling the plaques from Aeris' chest and stomach, trying to heal her but the wounds would not seal.

Aeris' eyes zoned in on the person in front of her. "Sora…?" Her voice was faint. "Where'd you come from…?"

"Who did this to you?" Sora asked quietly, using the towel around his neck to staunch her bleeding.

"Marlene…" Aeris' hand twitched as she pointed in Marlene's vague direction. "She attacked me…" Her hand dropped as she struggled to breathe. Sora was using his Scan technique to see why his healing spell wasn't working. Aeris' left lung was punctured and several other organs were lacerated. Simply put, she was internally bleeding and her lungs were filling with blood. She was going to drown. These wounds were too severe for him to deal with on his own, but there wasn't enough time for someone else to reach them. Still clinging to hope, Sora pulled his mobile device from his pocket, calling the night shift healers.

"Code 6, code 6!" he said into the mouth piece. "Memorial Chamber! Hurry!" Putting the phone down, Sora held Aeris' hand and smoothed out her hair, wiping the blood from her cheeks. "It's going to be okay, Aeris. You're going to be fine." His eyes shifted back to Marlene's body. "Why would she…?"

"She wasn't herself…" Aeris whispered, her lips getting blue. "Maleficent can control minds…"

"What? H-How?" Sora's brief surprise was interrupted by Aeris' abrupt coughing, blood trickling from the corners of her mouth.

"Is she okay?" Her eyes went wide. "Did I hurt her…?" Her voice trailed off as her breathing stopped and her eyes went unfocused.

"No! Just hang on a little longer!" Sora pulled a tuft of phoenix down from his supplies pocket and placed it above her body. It glowed briefly for a moment and then stopped. Sora let out a frustrated growl. "Dammit, no! Why won't it work?" He cast Heal over and over again, refusing to give up, long after the spark of life had left Aeris' eyes.

By the time the night shift healers had arrived, Sora was completely out of magic and had resorted to CPR. He refused to let her go. It was only when one of the healers put a hand on his shoulder that he finally snapped out of it and stopped everything, simply staring at the body in his arms. Numbly, he passed her off to the healer beside him and stood. He watched for a moment as they went through the same steps he had just went through, trying to revive her, but when it became apparent that she was beyond help, they called the time of death. They then proceeded to check on Marlene's body to determine her cause of death.

Sora stared down at his bloody hands, blocking out the outside world. What if what Aeris said was true? What if Maleficent really could control people's minds? She could make anyone an enemy. She could have spies throughout all chains of command. She could even control him! Or King Mickey!

Sora bolted from the room to go pass along the news of this potential danger to the other commanders. They needed to know what happened here. They needed to know what happened to poor Marlene and Aeris.

(Sept 25th, 2007 – CTL)

The day was spent searching through the archives for all the buildings built anywhere near the lakes or caves system in Radiant Garden. Sky was starting to lose hope fast as the hours went by. How was it possible for a terrorist group as large as the Righteous Hearts exist in a world as small as Radiant Garden without anyone catching them sooner? By the time the sun was setting on the fourth day of their investigation, Sky was in hysterics about their lack of pursuit.

"Hmm… What about the shipyard?" Tifa offered, tapping her screen.

"We already went over that one last night," Aeris groaned, holding the bridge of her nose. "It's not it."

"What about the seaside shops?"

"Nope."

"We're fucked!" Sky suddenly declared with an angry certainty, knocking over a stack of files. "Undeniably, certifiably FUCKED! There's no way we're going to be able to catch those Righteous assholes before tomorrow! We got no leads, no clues, and no fucking idea where they'll strike or how! We're SO fucked!"

"Calm down," Leon sighed, rubbing his forehead, fending off a headache. "We still have time and we got one lead."

"What lead?" Sky snapped.

"You." That answer momentarily stunned Sky into silence, for he was not expecting such a reply.

"What d'you mean?"

"You were in their custody, even if it was an alternate timeline. You've gotta know something!"

"I've been trying to remember, believe me! But I can't!" Sky choked on his own breath, catching himself saying the two words he hated hearing together. There was a strong pang of guilt for going against his own philosophy, or rather, the philosophy he had adopted from Kairi. "I've already told you all I know, and most of it isn't even relevant anymore. We've diverged so much from my timeline that there isn't even any point discussing this!"

"They held you captive somewhere. It's possible that location is still their headquarters. You've got to remember!"

"Trust me when I say I've been trying. There's just no way to bring the memories back. They're just…" He trailed off, realising that what he was about to say wasn't entirely true. "…gone…" That last word came out as a faint whisper as he suddenly turned to leave.

"Sky!" Leon called after the younger man.

"I know how to get them back!" With that, Sky created a Door to Light to take him back to the island he thought he'd never visit again.

oOoOo

Kairi giggled pleasantly at a joke that her friend Selphie made, covering her mouth in a polite way. School was over for another day, so they were making the walk back to their homes where they could get dressed into more comfortable clothes and head out to the ice cream shop for a quick snack.

"I can't believe she said that!" Kairi exclaimed with a wide smile on her face. She was about to say more but paused when she saw a figure standing across the street leaning against a tree. She stopped walking, prompting Selphie to stop as well.

"What's wrong?" the younger girl asked curiously. Kairi quickly covered up her shock with a light smile.

"Oh, I just remembered I left a book in my locker at school. You go on ahead of me. I'll catch up later!" Not entirely convinced but not bothering to argue, Selphie resumed walking towards her home. When she was out of sight, Kairi quickly crossed the road and approached the dark-clad Sora-look-a-like. "Well hello, Sky."

Sky smirked, unfolding his arms. "Hello, Princess. And how are we today?" Kairi grinned, embracing Sky warmly.

"I'm great! It's so good to see you again!" She pulled back, suddenly worried. "Oh no, something bad hasn't happened, has it?" Sky chuckled, patting Kairi's arms.

"No, not yet anyway. I need your help." She unconsciously straightened up a little as Sky assumed a somewhat serious face, launching right into an explanation for his visit. "I hate to ask, but you're the only person who can do this. I need you to use Naminé's powers to unlock a memory. It's important because it could lead to discovering where the Righteous Hearts are hiding out." Kairi looked properly stunned.

"Me? I don't really know how to access Naminé's powers! I barely know how to communicate with her."

"I'm sure it's somewhere inside you. That kind of power doesn't just vanish into thin air." Kairi began worrying her bottom lip, thinking over Sky's request.

"Do the others know you're here?"

"No, not yet. And don't change the subject. Will you help me or not?"

She sighed. "I suppose I'll try. No guarantees, though."

"If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. Simple as that." She brightened considerably upon hearing that. As much as she liked being of use to her friends, she hated having that much responsibilities on her shoulders. "I suggest we reconvene at your place."

"Actually, it might be better to go to Sora's place. Out of all our parents, Sora's mother is handling him being a Keyblade Master better than the rest of them, so I doubt she'll have a conniption if she sees you."

"Fair enough." They began walking in the direction of Sora's home. Sky couldn't help but let his eyes wander over the familiar surroundings, the houses he used to pass by all the time when he was a kid, the shops where he used to get sweets, the streets and sidewalks he knew like the back of his hand. The last time he was here, it was right after falling from the sky and nearly drowning in the ocean. His visit then had been very short, simply there to deliver a warning and take the trio to Disney Castle so they could begin preparing for a war. He couldn't help but reminisce about the days when he still lived here, enjoying a carefree life like any other child of Destiny Island.

"You okay?" Kairi asked quietly, disturbing his inner contemplation. She had noted the faraway look in his eyes and the distracted way he was walking.

"Hmm?" He clued back into reality and focused in on what Kairi just said. "Oh, I'm fine. I'm just…homesick, I guess. I never realised how much I missed these crummy islands until I was cut off for 6 years." He sighed quietly, thinking about what Kairi had said about Sora's mother handling the news of him being a Keyblade Master very well. "I guess I miss my home and my mother." Kairi eyed him with trepidation, debating if she should ask a question that had been burning in her mind ever since they had first met.

"What ever happened to Destiny Island in your time?" she asked finally. Sky went quiet, suddenly finding the concrete sidewalk more interesting than answering Kairi's question. She quickly regretted asking, seeing that it was making Sky uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories-"

"It was destroyed," Sky interrupted, forlorn and still avoiding eye-contract. Kairi covered her mouth in shock. "Within an hour of the last Princess of Heart dropping dead, it was gone. I guess Maleficent figured it was about time. No need to keep it around." He looked up towards the horizon past the houses and trees, in the distance where the ocean was visible and the sky seemed to go on forever. "There was no trace of it left…" He never had thought too deeply about it when he had received the news the day it had happened, but only now did he feel the tremendous weight of loss on his heart.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Kairi, taking Sky's hand. "But you're here now. And that's all that really matters." Sky looked down at their linked hands, smiling faintly. It always seemed like Kairi knew what to say or do to make him feel a little better.

"Yeah. It was over two years ago by my perspective. It never happened." He gestured to the land around them. "It's still here, right?" Kairi smiled and nodded.

"Thanks to you."

They arrived at Sora's house and knocked. The door opened wide and Sora's mother was standing in the doorway, grinning.

"Oh hi Kairi, I-" She stopped when she noticed the older version of her son standing before her and she gasped, covering her mouth in shock. "Sora, is that you?" She threw a glance over her shoulder. "But you were just in the backyard!" She looked at his face again. "What happened to you? You're so much older-looking!" Sky smiled sheepishly, suddenly feeling shy and awkward, like this was his first time meeting his own mother.

"Yeah, about that…" he said, scratching the back of his head. "Didn't anyone tell you there are two of us?" Understanding flooded Mrs. Kaikatsu's face as she remembered the whole explanation she had received six months ago from Kairi and Sora.

"You're Sky? The one from the future?" Sky nodded. He was startled when Mrs. Kaikatsu gave him a crushing hug. "Oh, they told me how horrible things were for you! I'm so sorry you had to go through that!" Sky couldn't help feeling light-headed, almost overwhelmed with emotion. It had been so long since he had seen his mother and he just getting used to the idea of never seeing her again, but this unexpected visit left him somewhat breathless. She pulled back and frowned in a disappointed-parent sort of way. "And just why did you wait until now to visit? Why not six months ago when the war ended and everyone went home? Or a year ago when you first arrived here?"

"It… it was complicated!" He hadn't been expecting a lecture but considering the kind of person his mother was, he wasn't entirely surprised, just caught off-guard. "I guess I wasn't thinking-"

"You never think, you big goof!" She had to stand on the tips of her toes to reach his hair when she ruffled it. Kairi laughed heartily at the gesture while Sky could only stand there, feeling embarrassed and amused. "Oh god, look how tall you've gotten! Should I expect my Sora to go through a growth spurt too?"

"If he keeps drinking his milk…" Sky said with a smirk.

"Well come inside before the neighbours think they've gone crazy." She side-stepped, allowing Kairi and Sky to walk in. "Sora and Riku are out back." Kairi and Sky smiled their gratitude and made their way through the house and out the patio doors attached to the kitchen. They found Sora and Riku sprawled out on the grass, making out.

"Hey, get a fuckin' room, you two!" Sky jokingly snapped. Sora and Riku sprang apart, as if jolted by an electric shock, and stood up, their eyes full of surprise.

"Sky!" Sora cried, throwing his arms around his older counterpart. "Oh wow, I missed you!" When he moved off, Riku extended his hand, but Sky would have none of that. He pulled Riku into a hug, patting the silver-haired teen on the back.

"Welcome back. I hope this is just a casual visit," Riku said with a smirk. "No warnings or messages of danger, right?"

"Why does everyone think I'm the bearer of bad news all the time?" Sky laughed. "Can't I ever just come by for a casual visit?" He paused, sweeping a gaze amongst his friends and observing their sarcastic and sceptical smiles. "Ok, fine, it's not quite a casual visit," he finally admitted with a shrug. "But it's not horrible. I need Kairi's help to find the organization responsible for a string of terrorist attacks in Radiant Garden."

"You mean the Righteous Hearts?" asked Sora. Sky nodded.

"As you know, I was taken by them a year and a half before I travelled back in time. But the problem is I can't remember any of it, just faint wisps of memories. So I don't know who was responsible or where they were holed up. No one ever disclosed that information to me because I was in the hospital for months recovering." He jutted a finger in Kairi's direction. "That's why I need Kairi to use Naminé's power to retrieve those memories."

"But I don't know how to access that part of my heart," Kairi explained, waving his hands a little with distress. "I was hoping I could get some help. Sora, you've been working on communicating with Roxas, right?"

"Well sorta…" Sora said, folding his hands together behind his head. "I've only been experimenting with meditation for the last little while. But I've managed to have a few conversations with Roxas. It's kinda neat!" Sky was a little surprised Sora was continuing with his own personal training. It had been such a struggle to get him to cooperate back when they were training for the war against Maleficent, so it was nice to hear that it was paying off, all the lessons about meditation and self-discipline. "Let's go up to my room where it's a little quieter."

"Keep the door open, kiddies," Sky joked as he found a comfortable spot on the ground to sit. Sora stuck his tongue out at Sky before going back into the house with Kairi close behind. With them gone, it left Sky and Riku alone. An awkward silence descended upon them. Sky cleared his throat. "So how have you been since I left you guys?"

"Pretty good," Riku answered truthfully. "You?"

"Not too bad, other than the run-ins with the Righteous Hearts cowards." Sky unfolded his arms and stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, looking around. "So what about things between you and Sora? You treating him right?" Riku held a hand up, as if he were swearing on a holy book.

"Promise." He smiled. Sky nodded his approval.

"And your parents? They're okay with everything?"

"Sora's mom is totally cool with it. My parents… are a little reluctant, but we got a deal. Sora and I don't talk about our relationship at my house and we don't make out in front of them. In return, they don't harp on us for being together." Sky smiled wistfully.

"It's weird, my Riku and I never had to go through that drama." He felt himself sinking into familiar memories and emotions, so he pulled himself out back into reality. He began thinking about his new feelings for Leon. It was strange how seven months ago, he had told Sora that he'd never be able to love again, but Leon was changing that and it almost scared him. "Can I ask you something?" Riku nodded, sitting on the grass next to Sky. "If… something ever happened to Sora, would you ever be able to move on?" Riku's eyebrows shot into his hairline at that question. He quietly mulled it over before coming up with an answer.

"I don't honestly know. I want to say 'no' but I can't predict if I'd ever meet someone just as wonderful as Sora." He put on a sly grin, nudging Sky in the ribs. "Why, thinking about murdering him and taking his place?"

"Pfft, you wish," Sky laughed, pushing Riku back. He sobered up, trying to get to the point of his question. "I guess what I mean to ask is, would you want Sora to move on if anything ever happened to you?" Riku sighed, leaning back to think. He sat up straight after nearly a minute of silence and stared Sky in the eyes. Sky stared back, waiting with bated breath for Riku to answer.

"Of course I'd want you to move on," the silver-hair teen said very seriously. He wasn't speaking hypothetically. He knew exactly what Sky was referring to, so he made sure that his words would not be misinterpreted. "I would never want you to spend the rest of your life holding a torch for me if I was dead. I wouldn't want you to be miserable. I would want you to find love again." Sky's eyes shone with something deep and penetrating that Riku almost lost himself in those eyes. It was a cross between gratitude and remorse.

"It's not that easy, I guess," Sky finally said, looking away. "I'll always feel a heavy guilt about falling for someone else. I know it's been over six years since I lost my Riku, but it still hurts, and every time I look at another guy, I can't help but feel like I'm betraying him somehow." Riku took Sky's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"You're not betraying me, er, him. You know what I mean." Sometimes it was difficult to talk about himself but referring to a dead version of himself from an alternate timeline. "If it means anything, I'm giving you my blessing. If there's someone else who makes you happy, then go get them!" Sky's lips twitched into a brief smile as the wind blew through, ruffling his hair and clothes. "Is there someone else? Is that why you're asking, because you feel guilty about falling for them?" Sky laughed sharply.

"Am I that transparent?" Riku cocked an eyebrow and smirked, folding his arms. Sky sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah… there's someone." This had Riku's interest now.

"Who?"

"I'm not telling. If it doesn't work out, then at least I don't feel so stupid because someone else knows." Well, someone else besides Aeris, but he didn't have to tell her. She just knew.

"C'mon, when am I ever going to meet the guy?"

"You'd be surprised." Sky stuck his tongue at Riku exactly the same way that Sora had just done a few minutes ago. Riku grinned again. Every time they saw each other, Sky was becoming more like his old self. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, waiting for the other two to return. Sky sighed, still feeling a heavy burden in his heart. Even though Riku had just given his blessing, Sky still felt an ache he couldn't describe, like a longing or a regret.

"Can I ask one last favour? If you're not comfortable with it, that's fine, just say so." He pursed his lips and turned to look at Riku again. "Could I… could I just…kiss you? One last time?" He chuckled quietly, feeling nervous for asking but feeling the need to ask anyway. "I just feel like I could get some closure out of it. I never said goodbye to my Riku the day he left and was killed. Maybe if I do this, I can finally move on." Riku looked quite shocked but not entirely put off. He glanced towards the house where Sora and Kairi were meditating in solitude to reach their Nobodies. His gaze landed on Sky once more, the older brunet waiting patiently for an answer to his request.

"I kinda feel like it'd be cheating…" Riku answered, wincing. Sky looked like he was deflating. "But… you are Sora. So… technically, it's not cheating. I'm sure my Sora would understand." He shrugged, leaning forward. "If it'll give you the closure you need to move on, then I'll do it." Relief filled Sky's heart.

"Thank you." He moved closer to Riku, gingerly placed his fingers on Riku's cheek. It had been so long since he had kissed another person, he was almost afraid he wouldn't remember how. His heart was thumping so loudly in his chest, he was certain it would burst. He was full of emotions that were threatening to spill over. The distance between their lips disappeared and a mere fraction of an inch away, Sky paused, whispering the words he had longed for so long to say. "Goodbye, love." And then he kissed Riku.

Never had Sky ever savoured a kiss the way he was doing right at that moment with Riku. He felt Riku's timid fingers lace through his unruly brown locks, deepening the kiss, moving his lips over Sky's. The brunet let out a near silent moan, pushing his lips against Riku's a little harder. He felt a brush of a tongue against his lips and gasped slightly, not expecting this level of passion from Riku. While it was not entirely unwelcome, it was certainly bordering on dangerous. Before things progressed too far, Sky pulled away, his eyes still half-lidded. Both were breathing heavily. Riku watched him with a hint of trepidation, eyes dilated and tiny beads of sweat prickling his skin, wondering vaguely if this was such a good idea after all.

"You okay?" he whispered, placing his hands on the brunet's shoulder. Sky stirred, looking up at Riku.

"I guess you're not him after all," he whispered, smiling slightly. "Your kiss is just a little different." Riku shrugged, unsure how to answer that. Sky smiled warmly, looking a little more like his younger self. "But thank you. I think I'm ready to move on." Riku returned his smile.

"I'm glad to hear it." At that moment, the screen door opened and Kairi and Sora walked out. The two men did their best to pretend like nothing was out of the ordinary. Sora looked back and forth between the two, a ghost of a frown grazing his face.

"What's up with you two…?" he said slowly.

"I'll tell you later, babe," Riku said. Sora gave him a sardonic smile at the nickname accompanied by a look that said 'You better.'

"We think we got it!" Kairi exclaimed happily. "Sky, if you want to lie down on the grass, I'll trying my best to unblock your memory." Sky did as he was instructed, lying out on the grass while Kairi sat down behind his head. She placed her hands on either side of his head while Sora and Riku took up seats a little bit away. "I warn you, it's going to feel weird, maybe even a little painful. Naminé warned me that recovering a memory isn't the same as breaking a memory chain or rewriting one."

"I'm prepared to do anything to protect Radiant Garden," Sky said firmly. Kairi released a deep breath and began putting herself into a trance to utilize Naminé's witch-like powers. Sora and Riku watched on in amazement. Her hands began glowing as she delved into Sky's memories. They played out before her like a movie. From a distance, she could make out the distinct chains of specific memories. It was difficult to tell which memories were from what point in his life.

"I need a reference point. Can you bring up the last memory you had just before you blanked out?"

Sky struggled a moment to remember. "It was the night of the winter festival." As he spoke, in Kairi's mind's eye, she could see a memory flash to life in Sky's brain. "The King thought it would be a good idea to lift people's spirits." Sky winced as he started to recall that night with clarity. "There… was a little girl…" His memory chain started with the winter festival and turned black several links in, looking deliberately tarnished.

"I found the block," Kairi murmured. "I'm going to try clean it up a bit." She worked her magic carefully, trying her best to use a power that was still new to her to link a shattered memory back into place. She grimaced, having a difficult time getting things to line up. Sky flinched, feeling a stinging pain in the base of his skull and the front of his forehead. It faded after a moment and he thought he was okay, but the pain returned another minute later in full swing. Despite the pain, he refused to back down. Retrieving this memory could be crucial to ending the terrorist cell's activity.

"I can't do this…" Kairi muttered, taking a second to catch her breath and sensing Sky's discomfort. "I don't think it's possible." Sky opened his eyes, frowning.

"Remember what I said about never wanting to hear 'I can't'?" He sat up and gently put his hands on Kairi's shoulders. "You were the one who told me that." Kairi blinked as this new revelation sunk in. "You are a goddess. You had the universe's unlimited knowledge in your head for short time. You're capable of anything if you put your mind to it." Kairi fidgeted with her fingers, wringing them together in a nervous fashion.

"Maybe this is beyond me…" she whispered. "Maybe…" She trailed off when Sky put one finger on her lips to silence her. He smiled encouragingly.

"Just try one more time." Kairi blinked a few times before nodding. Sky laid himself back on the grass with his head by her knees. She flexed her fingers and placed her hands on either side of his head again, concentrating deeply. It was easier reaching the blocked memory this time around. Summoning all the strength and light inside, she forced herself behind the block and delved into the memory itself.

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light as Kairi finally managed to lock the chain of memories back together. She gasped as images flooded both her mind and Sky's.

oOoOo

A/n: Cliffhanger! XD Sorry, couldn't resist. Just hang on, all will be revealed in due time!