Just as Ikari had said, Kira and Roka were waiting for them on their island home. They were so relieved that Tsuki, Tristis and Laeta had made it back safely, and with a bit of persuasion, they were able to accept that Ikari was going to be living there too. Ikari promised to do everything she could to prove that she was a changed person.
With Tristis, Ikari, and Yori's 'dark hearts', Laeta's 'light heart', and Tsuki's now 'neutral heart' that had same amount of both forces, a balance was created on the Destiny Islands. Ikari and Yori eventually moved into a little house of their own where they went on to live normal lives, never finding a need to bring up events of the past. After a lot of explaining was done, Tsuki's parents welcomed Tristis and Laeta into their home, doing their best to treat them like a part of their family. The happiest moment of the two girl's lives was when Tsuki introduced them as her sisters to her classmates at school.
Roka often tried to get his Keyblade to materialise, but never had any luck. He eventually decided to give up on it, knowing that he probably wouldn't have any use for it anyway since their battles were over for now. And Kira never used her blade again, wanting her life to be as normal as possible after everything that had happened.
…
"I wonder what Kairi's doing right now," Roka found himself wondering aloud. He pressed his back up against the wooden wall inside the Secret Place as he slumped down slowly, running a hand over his fringe that had finally been cut so that it didn't cover his eye anymore.
"You think about, them too?" Kira tilted her head to look at Roka as he sat down beside her.
Roka breathed a laugh. "Well, it's kinda hard not to when they're only just behind that door," he gestured to the large handle-less door in the wall to their right.
Kira sighed and pouted as she leaned her head against Roka's shoulder. "It's not fair. I want to meet Kairi and actually see Sora in person. It'd be so cool to just… I don't know… hang out with them and get to know them. They'd make great friends."
Roka ruffled his friend's purple hair, smiling. "Yeah, it'd be interesting to see how much we have in common. Maybe someday."
"Someday," Kira agreed.
"Hey, do you think it was okay to let Tsuki go through the door? I mean, are you sure nothing bad will happen?"
Kira lifted her head from Roka's shoulder and looked over at the mysterious door. "I think it'll be alright. I mean, she has exactly half light and half darkness in her heart now. So leaving this side and going over there shouldn't make too much of a difference. Besides, it's not like she's staying there forever. One afternoon couldn't do that much damage, right?"
Roka gave a quiet 'hmm' in response, understanding Kira's reasoning. He put his arm around her and gently pulled her back onto his shoulder again. He liked having her close to him, often half-heartedly teasing her about making good on her promise to always stay by his side.
The peaceful silence between them only lasted for a couple of seconds before it was broken by someone opening the door, causing them to sit up straight as they were startled. Yori poked his head inside and looked at Kira.
"Um, sis says she wants you to come over? There's some people who want to see you, or something."
"Huh? Who?" Kira pushed herself to her feet.
Yori shrugged. "No idea. The girl has kind of weird-looking blonde hair and the guy looks sort of… I don't know… emo?"
Kira drew in a high-pitched gasp. "No. Way."
…
"Hey, 'Kari. Long time, no see, buddy."
The book Ikari had been reading flew off of her lap as she stood up from the couch. She covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped, staring at the blonde girl standing in front of her. She was wearing a black hoodie, light denim shorts and white sneakers.
"Larxene?"
"Arleen," her old friend corrected her as she ran forward to embrace her warmly.
Ikari hardly even knew how to react to the dreamlike situation she had found herself in and hesitated for a moment before hugging Arleen back, laughing and nearly crying at the same time.
"You got your heart back?" she pulled away a little and studied the blonde's face.
"Sure did!" Arleen nodded, grinning.
"But what… What are you doing here? I mean, last time I saw you, we weren't exactly on good terms with each other-"
"Forget it. I've missed the hell out of you," Arleen hugged Ikari again, rocking her from side to side playfully.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Arleen. I never wanted to-"
"Stop it. I forgive you, okay? Besides, I think the real truth that I've finally come to terms with is… what happened to me was mostly my fault. I was a bad friend, 'Kari. I hurt you and you had every right to hurt me back. Although, I know you didn't really mean to. But anyway, everything turned out alright in the end, so there's no hard feelings. Promise," Arleen insisted, looking at Ikari seriously.
A thankful smile crossed Ikari's lips and she nodded, wiping the tears of relief from her eyes before they got a chance to fall. She suddenly noticed the person standing in the doorway of her living room. A young man with steel-blue hair, his messy bangs covering half of the right side of his face. He was wearing a long white coat that reached down to his ankles and a purple ascot underneath. His boots were knee-high and black.
"Who's your friend?" Ikari vaguely recognised him from her visits to The World That Never Was, but had no further knowledge of him.
Arleen laughed to herself as she turned away from Ikari. "'Friend'. Sure, if that's what you wanna call him. That's Ienzo. Formerly, Zexion."
Ienzo gave a small wave and a chuckle as he leaned casually against the door frame. "I thought I'd stop by and see how our little Callow Adversary is doing."
"He means Kira," Arleen explained quickly when Ikari tilted her head in confusion. "Is she around?"
"Yeah, she'll probably be hanging out on The Island, or something…"
Ikari called Yori out of his bedroom and asked him to go and look for Kira and bring her there. She sat Arleen and Ienzo down on her sofa and talked with them while they waited. She and Arleen had a lot of stories to share. The subject of Tai came up. Arleen suggested that the two of them go on their own adventure to find him some time. Ikari liked the sound of that.
It didn't take too long for Kira and Roka to arrive with Yori. Kira burst through the door and skidded to a stop in the middle of the living room. Roka and Yori jogged in after her, panting loudly. Yori flopped down on the sofa next to his sister. Staring wide-eyed at her two old friends as they stood up to greet her, a wide grin spread across her face and Kira ran forward.
"Larxene?!"
"Arleen," the blonde insisted with a childish giggle, pulling Kira into a hug.
"I thought I'd never see you again! I can't believe you're here!" Holding onto Arleen's arms, Kira beamed up at her.
Ienzo cleared his throat from behind Arleen and closed his eyes. "Well, don't I feel left out…"
Kira smirked as she let go of Arleen and stood in front of the young man. "It's good to see you, Ienzo."
She paused for a second, her face shifting into a serious expression as she stood there deep in thought. "Wow, it feels really weird to call you that."
"I know, right?" Arleen laughed. "Zexion was a way easier name to make fun of."
"Let's not go there," Ienzo shook his head and sighed. But the smile returned to his face when his eyes met Kira's again.
"I'm glad you made it back from your journey safe and sound," he spoke in a soft voice as he raised a hand to her hair, twisting a lock of it around his finger.
Roka suddenly felt a strange feeling inside his heart as he watched them. There was something he didn't like about the way Ienzo looked at Kira or how close the two of them were standing together. What was her relationship with him, anyway? His shyness caused his mouth to stay glued shut and he tried to ignore his feelings, whatever they were.
"I'm just so glad you're not…" Kira couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Well, we're here now," Ienzo reassured her.
"Not for long, though. We only came for a quick visit," Arleen smiled sadly.
"Aw, you're leaving?" Kira looked back at her over her shoulder.
"We'll be back before you know it. Or maybe you could come and see us in Radiant Garden sometime. You wouldn't mind if I steal Kira every now and then, would you?" Ienzo glanced over at Roka.
"Yes, I might, actually… Uh, I mean-!" Roka froze in place as he realised that he had mumbled his thoughts just loud enough to be heard by everyone.
"Ooh, someone sounds jealous~!" Arleen chuckled, a mischievous glint in her turquoise eyes.
Roka stuttered a little. Kira tilted her head in confusion, blinking at him curiously.
"I just… I mean… I want to visit Radiant Garden as well," Roka smiled as he regained his composure. "DiZ told me that Kairi used to live there, so it only makes sense that I was born in the dark part of that world and somehow came to the Destiny Islands just like she did, right?"
Kira tapped her lower lip with a finger as she thought. "Huh. Well, whaddya know! We'll definitely have to pay Radiant Garden a visit, then!"
"Alright, we'll be going then," Ienzo tapped Kira's nose lightly, making her giggle.
Arleen summoned a Corridor of Darkness and walked towards it. "Later. It was great to see you, Kira." She looked back over her shoulder and grinned at Kira, then at Ikari. "You too, 'Kari."
Ikari smiled warmly at her friend and nodded. "See you soon."
Arleen gave her a cute wink before turning on her heels and walking into the portal. Ienzo walked forward, passing Roka on his way to the Dark Corridor.
"Take good care of Kira."
"Huh?" Roka wasn't quite sure what Ienzo meant.
"She has a habit of getting herself in trouble. Don't let her out of your sight," Ienzo smirked at Roka, then looked back at Kira and smiled. "See you."
…
Kira waved at Tristis and Laeta as she and Roka passed them on their way home. Tristis was wearing a plain black long-sleeved shirt and jeans, and Laeta was wearing a white shirt with thin straps and her usual long white skirt. They smiled and greeted them cheerfully. Kira guessed that they were on their way to the centre of town to get lunch or something. That's what most people did on the weekend. Either that, or they just stayed at home. As a result, the suburban areas were empty and quiet.
After Roka had been walking down their street alone with Kira for a little while, he finally spoke up about the things that had been on his mind.
"So what's the deal with you and that Ienzo guy?"
"What do you mean?" Kira was genuinely confused.
"He sure seems to like you," Roka murmured.
"Huh? Oh, he was just teasing. That's just how he is," there was a hint of suspicion behind Kira's voice as she turned Roka's question over in her mind.
"Hey… Can I ask you something?"
"Hm?" Roka glanced over at Kira for a second, then looked away when her eyes locked onto his, feeling a burning in his cheeks.
"I was just wondering… Why'd you act so weird when Ienzo suggested taking me to visit his home?"
The blush plastered over Roka's face persisted and he swallowed hard. "I already explained why, remember?"
"But you were acting so defensive. You weren't really jealous, were you?"
Roka stopped in the middle of the dirt road, staring down at his feet. Kira stopped with him and stared at him inquisitively.
"Yeah… Maybe that's it," Roka said, almost to himself.
Kira gasped silently. "So you were jealous? But… why?"
Roka took Kira's hand without thinking. It just happened before he could do anything to stop himself. Kira's amber eyes grew wide as she was taken by surprise. She looked down at their hands, then back up at Roka. As soon as she tilted her head up, her lips met Roka's as he slipped his hand behind the back of her head and pulled her into a soft kiss. The shock Kira felt melted away after a mere second before she found herself closing her eyes and kissing him back. Roka pulled his lips away slowly, completely dazed by the new feelings he was experiencing. But as he watched Kira's eyes slide open, his shyness returned and he let go of her hand quickly.
"That's… That's why," he said under his breath.
Kira stood there staring at him, trying to process what had just happened. Her first real kiss. With Roka. The thought of being that close with him had crossed her mind before, but the fact that it had actually happened was unreal. But it felt right, all the same. She covered her mouth with her fingertips as she breathed a few quiet laughs before wrapping her hands around Roka's arm.
"I told you, I'm not leaving you. I'll stay with you forever. That's a promise," she said as she started walking again.
Roka found it hard to move on his shaking legs as he walked alongside her. She walked close to him, holding his arm tightly. He didn't know what to do or say. He didn't know what that meant for the two of them. He wasn't sure if Kira really understood how he felt or not.
"I've… wanted to do that for a while, you know," Roka tried to bring the subject up again in the least awkward way possible.
Kira laughed through pursed lips as she stopped walking again. She let go of his arm and took both of his hands in hers, staring up at him.
"Well… I wouldn't mind if you did it again."
Roka's blush returned, but his want… his need to be close to Kira fought back and his shyness faded away. He took it slowly this time, placing a hand on her cheek as he tilted her face up a little, the other hand on her waist as he pulled her closer. Kira draped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, moving her face closer to his. Roka brushed his lips over hers lightly and hesitantly, barely touching them at all. The sensation created wave of electricity that made Kira tingle all over and she placed her hand behind Roka's head as she pulled him closer into a proper kiss. With Roka's gentle hand on her face and his lips moving tenderly over hers, Kira felt like there was nowhere else she wanted to be in the whole world, and no one else she wanted to be with. Each kiss he gave her was like a whisper of his feelings for her and only for her to hear. Roka slowly ended the kiss to catch his breath, but he held his lips only an inch away from hers.
"Kira…" he breathed her name as he gazed into her half-closed amber eyes. "I… I love you."
"I love you too."
She didn't hesitate when she said it. As soon as she whispered those words, Kira couldn't believe that she had never said them before. And it made Roka so happy to hear it. Kira rested her cheek on his chest and closed her eyes, holding him close to her.
"So, so much," she whispered into a smile.
…
Having left the dark side of the Destiny Islands in the morning, Tsuki found that it was evening on the light side as she entered it. She had opened the door in the Secret Place with her Keyblade and went through it to the other side, rather than travelling by Corridor to avoid exposing the light side to too much darkness.
The first thing that hit her was warm air as she stepped out of the Secret Place on the light side; a light breeze brushing against her face almost in an affectionate way. As she slowly panned her vision across her surroundings, smiling widely as she took it all in, her eyes lit up when she spotted a person sitting on the sand a few metres from the water's edge. Tsuki grinned as she jumped down the stone steps and onto the golden sand, jogging across the beach towards him. It wasn't until she got half way that she remembered: the last time she saw Riku, he had turned into Ansem. But now, Tsuki could very clearly recognise the back of his usual long silver hair and clothes as she approached him. She shook her head and smiled to herself. It didn't matter. She was with her Riku again.
Wanting to surprise him without giving him too much of a scare, Tsuki gave Riku a few light taps on his shoulder when she finally reached him.
"Guess who," she laughed in a gentle voice.
Riku drew in a short gasp as he jerked his head back, staring up at Tsuki with wide eyes.
"You… you're here?" he finally managed to stutter after a few clumsy attempts of trying to speak without tripping up on his own words.
Tsuki smiled and nodded, sitting herself down next to him on the sand. "I wanted to make sure you kept your promise. Remember? 'This won't be the last time we'll see each other'?"
Riku laughed quietly. "Right. But, what about your heart? Is it safe for you to be here?"
"Well, some things happened and I've got a full heart made up of an equal amount of light and darkness now. Or, y'know, something like that. So now I can travel to any side of any of any world I want!"
"That's… convenient," Riku closed his eyes and shook his head with a smile.
The two of them searched their thoughts as they tried to think of what to say to each other. Riku's silence made Tsuki feel worried that any feelings he might have had for her had faded since they had last been together. And the fact that Tsuki was sitting so still and quietly next to him made him wonder the same thing.
"I really missed you."
Tsuki lifted her gaze from the ground suddenly as she was pleasantly surprised that Riku had finally spoken up and, more importantly, by the words that he had spoken. She turned her head and smiled at him warmly.
"I…" she paused as she laughed into a grin. "I missed you too."
Riku returned her smile, sliding himself across the sand so that he could sit closer to Tsuki. He reached his hand out and placed it around her waist and lightly rested his head against hers.
"It's been quite an adventure, huh," he said.
"I loved every bit of it, though," Tsuki leaned against Riku.
"Well, every bit if you take away the destruction, the torture, the monsters and the moments of sheer terror. Not to mention losing each other. A number of times," Riku forced a smirk, recalling each memory. He knew there was no use in feeling sad about them now.
"But finding each other again was definitely the best part," Tsuki closed her eyes, enjoying the comfort of having Riku with her after being away from him for what had seemed like an age.
"How's things with you and your Dad?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.
Looking over at Riku to study his reaction to her question, Tsuki saw a tiny hint of a smile on his face.
"When… when I got back, I expected him to not even look at me, like I'd never been gone at all. I thought I'd walk right by him and just go up to my room without saying a word like I'd always done. But… as soon he saw me walk through the door, he got up from the kitchen table, came over to me and… gave me a hug. It was the first hug he'd given me in years and the longest one I'd ever received in my life. I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to do, but… I don't know, it made me happy, I guess. Anyway, I think things are going to get better between my old man and me. He's even started talking about Mom again."
"Oh Riku, I'm so glad," the grin on Tsuki's face slowly spread as she felt happy and relieved for him. "That's wonderful."
He nodded slowly in agreement with an absent-minded smile. He took a moment think about everything that had happened in the past year; the people he had hurt and the people he had befriended. The things he didn't realise were more important than others until they had vanished from his life. And Tsuki who had always been with him whether it had been in his heart or right by his side. Whether he had known it or not, Tsuki had been there through his whole journey, trying her hardest to protect him. He deeply regretted not making an effort to try and get to know her better back when they had first met. Although as he thought about it now, he knew that his younger self was too wrapped up in his own goals to care about most of the people around him, but the idea was still nice. Maybe if he had spent more time with her, she could have convinced him to change his way of thinking and he wouldn't have given in to the darkness. An impossible dream, but a nice one all the same.
"You know… I'm scared."
"Of what?" Tsuki tilted her head up to look at Riku, blinking a couple of times.
"You've taken good care of me, Tsu. You gave your light to me, giving me protection when I had to face the Organization alone in Castle Oblivion. And you gave me a reason to keep smiling all throughout our journey together. With you, I've been able to keep my darkness at bay. But… you won't always be at my side anymore. What's to stop me from going and doing something stupid again? I mean… you know all too well what I'm capable of."
"Hey, come on. You're being way too hard on yourself," Tsuki put on a firm, but reassuring tone.
"You think so?" Riku still wasn't convinced.
"Silly… You don't need my protection anymore. I mean, you took down the Organization during the final battles after the two of us parted ways, right?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"And you made it back home safe and sound."
"But I still-"
"And if you had to dive right into another perilous journey any time soon, you could do it, no problem. Without me. Because now, you have something that you didn't have back when you still needed me to be there for you. Sora and Kairi. Two great friends who care about you and would come running if you ever needed help. With them by your side, I know you'll be just fine. Besides, you're a stronger person now in more ways than one. You really don't have anything to worry about," Tsuki put a comforting hand on Riku's shoulder.
The silver-haired young man stared out at the horizon with a sad look in his eyes.
"But… even if that's true, I just… the thought of you not being with me anymore is too hard to bear. I need more time with you. To make up for everything I've done."
"You're talking like we're never going to see each other again," Tsuki laughed quietly. "Don't worry, I'll visit you all the time."
"It's not enough."
Tsuki slowly took her hand away from Riku's shoulder as she tried to work out what he was trying to say.
"What do you mean?"
"I want to be with you more than just 'sometimes'. I want your smile to always be right there to cheer me up if I'm sad. I want your hand to be there if I need to hold it when I'm afraid. I just…" Riku's voice cracked and he clenched his teeth as he looked away.
"Riku…" Tsuki kept her mouth open a little as she tried to push words out of it, but it was too hard. She gave up with a sigh of defeat.
"But… I know that's not possible," Riku's voice faltered in the middle of his sentence and he had to take a deep, shaky breath before continuing. "You have a home and a life on the other side of this world. You have friends and family who care about you. And I'm glad you do. But having to settle for just 'visits' is just… a little hard for me to feel completely satisfied about."
Riku looked back at Tsuki and pursed his lips before lifting them into a sad smile. "But I guess there's not much we can do about it, huh."
"Riku, I'm so sorry," Tsuki whispered, putting a hand on his arm. "I wish things could be different, I really do."
They sighed quietly to themselves as they stared into space, Riku still firmly holding onto Tsuki's side.
"I didn't…" Tsuki smiled shyly, forcing herself to look up at Riku's aquamarine eyes. "I didn't know you cared about me that much."
"I know I haven't been good at showing you, but yeah. My feelings for you have grown a lot as I've spent more time with you. It feels nice to finally let those kinds of emotions into my heart," Riku said, putting his free hand on his chest.
"And… what would you call those feelings?" Tsuki regretted asking that question a little as soon as she had murmured it. She wasn't even sure if Riku was capable of saying that word.
He stared down at Tsuki with affection in his eyes and touched her cheek lightly in a downwards stroke with the back of his fingers.
"Love," he said with all the honesty he had in his heart. "The deepest and truest kind of love I could possibly feel."
Tsuki didn't know how to process the emotions that were welling up inside her, suddenly overwhelming her. She could feel herself tearing up as they overflowed her heart, but she was smiling at the same time. The only thing she could do was let the tears run down her cheeks. One for every emotion she felt and every thought in her head. A tear for her happiness: Riku had just confessed his love to her. A tear for her sadness: There were too many things preventing them from being at each other's side forever, even though they both desperately wished that they could. A tear for her worry: Would their feelings for each other even last if they were to be apart?
"Hey," Riku brushed his thumb over her cheek and attempted to dry it. "It'll be okay."
Having Tsuki's feelings to worry about, he had completed forgotten how sad he had been just a moment ago.
Tsuki nodded and wiped the rest of her tears away. "I know. Even if we can't always be together… at least we still get to make memories of the times when we are. The thoughts and the feelings we have for each other are what really matter, right?"
"Right," Riku agreed. "And we should cherish each moment as it comes. We shouldn't be afraid of the future."
Happiness finally won the battle over all her other emotions and Tsuki's smile grew wider until she gave a quiet laugh, slowly reaching her hand up to hold Riku's shoulder. She pushed herself up onto her knees, using his shoulder for support, and pressed her cheek against Riku's as she hugged him. He held the back of her head and stroked her soft ginger hair.
"I used to think that my feelings were my weakness. So I tried to supress them," he whispered, his lips close to her ear. "But from now on, I'm going to spend every second I share with you doing everything I can to show you how I feel. That's a promise."
"I love you, Riku."
"I love you, too."
He held the side of her face tenderly and dragged his lips across her cheek before stopping on hers. He moved his other hand to the back of her head and pulled her in for a deep kiss. With a hand on his chest, Tsuki could feel Riku's heart pounding hard under his vest. She pressed herself closer, wanting to feel it beating against her own. Riku's hand skimmed down her back as he pulled her in, the same thoughts on his mind.
The air around them was cooling slightly as twilight fell into night, but they hardly felt it, both heated by the warmth of each other's bodies. They kissed deeply and desperately, like this moment was their only compensation for all the times that they could have been together. It was different in comparison to their first kiss. There weren't any confused thoughts or feelings between them, no second guessing themselves. It was just him and her; very much in love.
In a blur of their emotions, they found themselves lying on the sand on their sides, still holding each other close. Riku pulled his lips away briefly before placing them softly on Tsuki's cheek, listening to each quiet breath that she caught by his ear. He placed a trail of kisses across her jawline, then down her neck, sending a wave of energy over her, its power taking her by surprise. He lingered by her shoulder for a while, taking in her intoxicating scent and loving how close he could be to her.
"It's getting late," Tsuki could feel Riku's soft words as he breathed them against her skin.
She opened her eyes and tilted her gaze up to the sky to see how dark it had become, covered in dark greys and oranges. Looking out at the horizon from her lying position, she saw the last few rays of the sun before it finally disappeared behind the wide strip of glittering sea.
"Yeah, I guess it is," she looked back down at Riku who was resting his forehead on her shoulder.
"Do you have to go now?"
"You don't mind if I stay a little longer, do you?" Tsuki smiled, running her hand down Riku's silver hair.
"Stay as long as you want." Riku pushed himself up to look into her eyes, returning her smile.
He turned so that he was lying on his back, staring up at the darkened sky and the few stars that were starting to peek out from it. Tsuki pulled herself closer to Riku and took his hand in hers, smiling affectionately at him as they locked fingers. She nuzzled into his arm and closed her eyes. Riku pulled his free hand up and rested it under his head, finding the position to be comfortable enough to make him feel a little tired. He blinked slowly as the sky above him stared to become blurry. Tsuki's song played in his head and he started to hum along to it, turning it into a lullaby that put both him and Tsuki to sleep in hardly any time at all, lying side by side on the sand.
…
The warmth and light of the morning rays of the Destiny Island's golden sun eventually woke Tsuki up. She forced her green eyes to slide open even though the happy dreams playing out behind her eyelids protested, not yet wanting to be replaced by reality. Letting a yawn out with a sigh, Tsuki propped herself up on her arm and looked around. She furrowed her brow in concern as she realised that Riku was no longer lying beside her and sat up straight, her gaze darting about her as she turned her head left and right. Finally, when she looked back over her shoulder, she saw Riku crouching by the fresh water spring near the Secret Place. Smiling to herself, she got to her feet and started to make her way over to him, stretching the tiredness out of her arms as she went.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty's finally awake," Riku laughed as he heard her approach.
"Good morning to you, too," Tsuki giggled and ruffled his hair, already slightly messed up from spending a night on the sand. She knelt down beside him and stared down into the water, noticing how unkempt her own hair looked as she saw her reflection. Her eyes widened with embarrassment and her hands flew to her head as she made a desperate attempt to fix her long ginger locks.
"Oh stop that, you look fine," Riku smirked and shook his head.
Tsuki just pouted and continued to brush out her bangs with her fingers. Riku cupped his hands into the fresh water and pulled them back up quickly to splash it over his face. He sighed into a smile before drying his cheeks and forehead with the back of his hand, immediately feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. Tsuki leaned over the spring and dipped her cupped hands into it as well, raising them to her lips as she took a sip of water from them.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep," Tsuki laughed absent-mindedly. "Explaining this to the others is going to be… interesting."
"I guess you better get back, then," Riku tried and failed to hide his disappointment.
Tsuki nodded slowly before she suddenly remembered something.
"Oh yeah, that's right!"
She opened the small pouch she was wearing around her waist and pulled out a photograph printed on white, glossy paper.
"I was going to give you this."
Riku took the photo as Tsuki handed it to him and looked at it, immediately recognising it as the one Tsuki had taken of them back in Ohana Islands where she had bought the camera. In the picture, Tsuki was beaming happily and Riku looked like he had been taken by surprise.
"You look so funny in that photo," Tsuki covered her mouth as she giggled.
"Hey," Riku gave her a small nudge with his elbow. "Thanks, though. I'll take good care of it. But what about you? You won't have a photo, we didn't take any others together."
"Oh, well that's no problem," Tsuki grinned, sliding herself closer to him.
As she swung her arm over him, Riku quickly raised a hand to stop her from taking a picture.
"Wait, at least tell me when you're going to do it so I won't look so stupid this time!"
"Okay, okay," Tsuki shook her head and smirked.
The two of them looked up at the camera as she held it up in front of them and beamed their happiest smiles.
"Three… two… one…!"
Tsuki pressed her finger down on the button and the camera made a click and a quiet whirring noise. She pulled it down as a small, square photograph slid out from a slot in the bottom of it.
"There. Perfect," she declared, pleased with the picture she had taken.
Opening her pouch again, she carefully put the camera and the photograph inside.
Riku stared contently into space for a few seconds before quickly snapping himself back to reality, pushing himself to his feet.
"Alright, we'd better get you back home," he held out his hand and pulled Tsuki up as well when she took it.
She stood in front of Riku, staring up at him silently. "Yeah… I guess so."
"Hey, don't look so sad," he touched her cheek lightly and smiled. "Like you said, we'll see each other soon."
Tsuki nodded and lifted the corner of her mouth into a distant smile.
The short walk they took into the Secret Place seemed like a journey and a half as they shuffled slowly into the small cave, dreading the moments to follow. They stopped in front of the door and Riku took Tsuki's hand. He lifted it up to give it a sweet kiss.
"Say hi to everyone for me when you get back."
Tsuki giggled softly at the gesture and stepped forward, pressing her cheek against Riku's chest.
"I will. Make sure you keep Sora and Kairi out of trouble," she tilted her head up slightly as she spoke.
"Yeah." Riku let his hand slip from hers and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace.
Tsuki wanted to remember every tiny detail about him. Everything from the sound of his gentle voice to his sweet scent. Not knowing how long it would be until they saw each other again made it hard for her to know how long or meaningful she was supposed to make her goodbye. After holding onto him tightly for a little while longer with her face buried in his vest, she finally decided that they should part ways with a smile on their faces.
"Hey, Riku…?" her voice was slightly lost in his clothing.
"Mm?" Riku pulled away slightly so that he could hear what she was going to say better.
Tsuki looked up at him with a mischievous smirk on her face. "Get a haircut."
Riku laughed. Very genuinely. It surprised him a little, but he had found what Tsuki had said so funny that he didn't dwell on it for long or even show his surprise.
"Actually, you still got those scissors?"
"What, are you serious? I was only-!"
"No really, I was actually considering getting rid of most of it," Riku tugged at a lock of his silver hair. "One, it's really annoying. And two… I don't know, I guess a new look to go with my fresh start sounds like a good idea to me."
Tsuki blinked, staring wide-eyed before letting her shock go with a laugh of her own. "Well sure, if that's what you really want..."
She pulled the pair of scissors out of her belt pouch and handed them to Riku who put them in his jeans pocket.
"Thank you so much, Tsu."
"For… the scissors?" Tsuki was confused as to why he would be so grateful for such a small gesture.
Riku smiled and shook his head. "No, no, I mean… Thanks for helping me to become a better person. And for just… being the amazing girl that you are."
The compliment was enough to finally bring the tears to Tsuki's eyes that had been threatening to rise up for a while now. With a sad kind of laugh, she let one of them slide down her cheek.
"And… thank you for… just everything. For caring about me. And for loving me." She fell into another tight hug.
"I do. I love you so much," Riku whispered, feeling his own tears prick the corners of his eyes as he held her.
Tsuki lifted her head and gazed into the eyes of the boy she felt she had loved all her life. Riku. Connected to her in so many ways. She was going to miss him terribly.
Riku placed a hand under her chin and tilted her face up slightly to give her a long goodbye kiss.
Then the two of them parted ways, saying their quiet farewells before Tsuki summoned her Keyblade to open the door and stepped through it, trying her best to ignore the invisible force that tried to pull her back to Riku as she smiled at him over her shoulder one last time.
Yeah, whatever. If it'll make you happy.
Tell me something about yourself, Tsu. I can call you that, right?
I need to thank you for something.
She knew she couldn't regret any of the time she spent with him. Or all the times that they could have been together, but weren't.
Thank you, Tsuki. Thanks for being my guardian angel.
I just… I've never been cared about like that by anyone before. It's… nice
We don't have to say goodbye.
Because the memories she shared with him were perfect, no matter what they were or weren't. The fact that she shared a special connection with such a wonderful person was more than enough to make her happy.
You know where to find me.
We'll see each other again soon.
I love you so much.
And she was so grateful to have a place in Riku's heart.
…
They're so close, I could just open up a door and they'd be right on the other side of it. But they're so far, they're literally half a world away. And after everything that's happened, we're still right back where we started. They're on their half and we're stuck on ours. What'll it take to bring about change? This world… it's so strange. I wonder what other secrets it holds. Shouldn't take too long to uncover them, right? After all, this world isn't too big.
Riku looked out at the rising sun, perched on the trunk of the Paopu tree. He felt warm, not only from the glowing rays that shone on him, but also from the knowledge that somewhere on the other side of the world, Tsuki and her friends had watched it set.
He was so lost in thought, that he didn't even hear Sora approach until he had jumped over the trunk of the tree and was standing right next to him, leaning his back against it.
"Nothing's changed, huh," Riku finally spoke in a soft voice after a short moment of silence between the two boys.
"Nope. Nothing will," Sora sounded content with that fact, oblivious to the true meaning behind Riku's words.
The still water shimmered and there was a sound of seagulls cawing peacefully around them.
"What a small world," Riku mused with the same distant tone.
"But… part of one that's much bigger," Sora reminded him.
"Yeah." Riku was smiling now.
That's right. There's a whole world out there and I haven't even seen half of it. Maybe the secret lies out there somewhere. I'll just have to keep looking.
Kira, Roka… Tsuki… don't worry.
I'll see you guys again soon.
…
Kira and Roka were sitting on their handmade swing, rocking back and forth slowly, leaning against each other with content smiles on their faces. They had been waiting on The Island for most of the day, wondering if they should be worried about Tsuki who had been gone for so long. Looking out at the horizon that was lit up by the setting sun, they held hands with intertwined fingers, taking in the romantic backdrop.
"Hey, I had I feeling I'd find you two here."
Tsuki made a grand entrance as she jumped over the edge of the platform, grabbed the rope and placed herself down on the swing.
"You stayed the night?" Kira looked over at her as she sat down, getting straight to the point.
Tsuki laughed, slightly breathless from running all the way there. "Yeah, well- Wait…"
She gasped into as she looked down at Kira and Roka's hands, still locked together, then looked back up at their blushing faces with a grin.
"I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I-!"
"Okay, okay! If I don't hassle you about your little sleepover, will you promise not to ask any questions?!" Kira frantically stuttered, trying to shut Tsuki up. She still didn't let go of Roka's hand, though.
"Fine, fine. Whatever, you lovebirds," the ginger-haired girl lifted the corner of her mouth up into an impressed smirk.
Tsuki held the rope that connected the swing to the platform with two hands and rested her head on it.
"So… is it over for us?" Roka finally spoke up.
"Over?" Kira rested her head on his shoulder again.
"Mmm. I mean… No more adventures? No more danger and fighting and all that? Do we just… move on and be happy, now?"
"I guess we can relax for now," Tsuki said in a soft voice without taking her eyes off of the sea.
"We're all together again. Let's just… try and live happy lives and look back on our memories with a smile."
"It's kinda sad…" Kira's voice trailed off for a second before she reeled it back in. "Sora, Riku and Kairi. They're so close to us and yet they're so far away."
"Don't worry. We'll see them again someday," Roka decided confidently.
"You think so? How do you know?"
"Hmm… I'm not really sure. But I'm sure one day we'll be smart enough to think of a way," Roka tilted his head down to smile at Kira, then at Tsuki.
Holding the swing's rope even tighter as anticipation brought a happy glow to her face, Tsuki grinned excitedly as she looked out at the horizon. That's right. There has to be a way. There has to!
Kira gripped the wood of the swing tightly as she leaned out over the water, closing her eyes as she drew in a deep breath.
"Sora! Riku! Kairi! We're waiting for you!" she called out as loud as she could, her amber eyes lighting up as she beamed.
As the sun set on the dark side of the Destiny Islands, so did this chapter of Kira, Tsuki and Roka's journey. Tsuki knew that while the sun was going down on their story, it was rising on the light side for Sora, Riku and Kairi, where she knew they would soon embark on their own journey to bring about peace to so many more worlds that were yet to be saved. And while she knew that she could not be with them, she felt sure that her and her friends could aid them in their battles and give them strength with the powerful bond that tied their hearts together.
…
…
The End.
Oh my gosh, I can't believe I just… I've had that ending planned out for years. Waaaaay before I even finished the first story. This is unreal! Well, here it is! Thank you so much for reading my stories, I hope you've enjoyed them! I can't say for sure whether or not this is going to be the last story of the Dark Hearts series… I'm kinda playing around with the idea of having Roka as the main character for a third story. Maybe he could go on his own journey, learning how to use his Keyblade (when he actually gets it, of course) and he could uncover the secrets of his past or something like that? And meanwhile, Ikari and Arleen get to go on their own adventure to find Tai? I dunno, just a thought. Maybe I'll wait till Kingdom Hearts 3 comes out so I can get some more inspiration.
But wait, don't leave yet! I'm going to put up a Deleted Scenes chapter with a list of all the changes I made to the plot/characters as I went along over the years! Since I've been planning the stories for so long, there's been a lot of time to make some pretty big changes, so you'll be able to see how the story might have played out if I'd kept them! And there's also a whole short chapter that I wrote out fully, but ended up scrapping in the end, but I'm still quite fond of it, so I hope you'll enjoy reading that too.
Well, thank you so much for all your support! I love you guys so much! J