Sora and Kairi sat on the dock, waiting for Riku. They talked about how he was acting different; beginning to think the change had to do with something else other than pining for Rachel. Both agreed to talk to him about what was bothering him, promising not to give up until he spilled and let them help. They discussed what the most effective way to talk to him about it. Direct? Subtle? Round about? If they were direct Riku might deny anything was wrong. And a roundabout way couldn't be planned without risking the conversation sounding rehearsed and disjointed.

After a while they wondered if he was even going to show up. Lately none of them really planned to meet on the island, they just did. After watching it destroyed and then getting tossed about among other worlds for so long it was the place they both felt most at home. The sun was high. It would be noon in a few hours but still no Riku.

"I think we should try a direct approach." Kairi said as she made a lei of flowers she had picked while they waited.

"Probably be best." Sora agreed. "Think he'll clam up or open up once he knows we've noticed?"

"Even if he does, it's not impossible to pry a clam open if you have the right tools."

"Does that mean you have an idea?"

"Uh…I'm still working on it."

"Sit!" Kairi commanded.

Not ten minutes after Riku arrived both Sora and Kairi walked him to the plateau by the Papou tree. Riku wasn't sure why he should be sitting but he took a seat on the tree anyway.

"Okay. Now spill. What's been bothering you?" Sora said.

"What makes you think anything's been bothering me?"

Kairi shook her head and exchanged a knowing glance with Sora.

"Denial." They agreed together.

"What? Is this supposed to be some kind of intervention?"

"That's exactly what it is." Sora said, completely oblivious that his best friend probably would have shared everything anyway if he hadn't been confronted about it.

"We're your best friends." Kairi said, sitting down next to Riku. "You've been acting more and more different since Rachel and Bryan left. And unless you fell for her harder than we thought there's more going on with you than just missing Rachel. Now! No holding back! What's the matter and how can we help?"

It was astonishing to see Kairi hit the nail so squarely on the head. Riku looked gratefully between his friends. There was no sense making them worry any longer. He told them about the reoccurring nightmares (not in detail) that had haunted him for years. He told them the dreams returned with varying degrees of force for unknown periods of time, they'd stop then begin again. Only this time felt like the worst. Over the last few weeks the nightmares had intensified, leaving him stressed, worn out and wary about going to sleep. The other half of his problem, as they already guessed and he hated to admit it but after Kairi said it out loud, agreed he had been pining for Rachel. Both his friends brushed off his worries Rachel may not felt the same when she returned as rubbish. They agreed, that two people, even from knowing each other just a short while don't have that certain light in their eyes or enchanted smile on their face if some kind of special connection hadn't been made. Their reassurances about Rachel's feelings and their support regarding the nightmares lifted an uncomfortable burden.

The trio walked closely together on the beach. Riku stopped next to the mound of crumbling sand that once resembled the Mysterious Tower. Weeks of wind and the tug of the tides caused the sculpture to fall on itself and loose virtually all its amazing details. The small cottage was nothing more than an indistinguishable mound of sand.

"Everything she left here is fading." Riku said sadly.

"That's not true." Sora said. "The fun and memories will never die."

Riku made a soft noise of agreement. Still…He couldn't help but think.

As they walked under the bridge Kairi said. "Hey! I can practically hear your gloom from here. We've gotta do something to cheer you up."

Riku tried to insist it wasn't necessarily but Sora and Kairi counter-insisted with fervor that they were duty-bound as friends to make a friend feel better. And they wouldn't accept that their offer was enough either. They discussed it among themselves like he wasn't there for a few minutes.

Kairi decided they should come back later that day and camp out somewhere on the island. They hadn't done that in years. They could make s'mores, bring drinks, cards, pillows and blankets and sleep under the stars. Riku smiled, glad he had such amazing friends.

A few hours later they returned with all the gear necessary for a camp out. They talked. Made a small fire on the beach followed by s'mores. Sora and Kairi tried to teach Riku Euchre, a card game Bryan had taught them. Only problem was the rules were kinda sorta complicated and they couldn't remember everything so the game was mostly a jumble of confusion. Sora and Riku sparred for a few minutes and they sat in silence as they watched the sunset. After night had fallen they played another hand of cards by firelight, had another s'more and munched on a few snacks Kairi had brought. Sora tried to tell a scary story but it's hard to be intimidating when you're all heart. After that, all that was left to do was finish the remaining marshmallows and talk.

They lay back on their bed rolls and looked up at the stars. Or, the other worlds as they knew now.

"So what's that you're humming?" Kairi asked. "Or are we playing name-that-tune?"

"What?"

"That pretty tune you were humming. What is it?"

Riku hadn't even realized he'd been humming the only part of One Little Candle he could remember. "Oh, just something Rachel sang to me. I just…wonder if she heard it."

"Hmm?"

Riku recounted Rachel's story about singing to the stars. He didn't see Sora and Kairi's uncomfortable glance. They'd heard that tale before when they'd been sneaking.

"There are times I think I hear her singing." Riku admitted. "But I don't know how to tell if it's really her. Am I hearing an old song I forgot I knew and am just putting her voice to it? Does it really work and I'm hearing her sing across the stars? I'm not unwilling to admit the possibility I might be going crazy."

"Lovesickness will do that to you." Sora agreed a little too quickly. "Hey!"

Riku bunched up the empty marshmallow bag and threw it at him. Sora and Kairi laughed. Shortly after they agreed it would be a good time to get some sleep. They let the fire burn down into glowing embers before saying goodnight.

That night Riku dreamt. In his dream the false-Kairi revealed herself to be the maiden of darkness, whispering temptations of all the power and control she could offer. He felt frightened and angry. He just wanted her to go away, both his real and dream self. He wanted all the tempters of darkness to fall into the void and never bother him again. But as always, the maiden was relentless. She dug her claws into him, smiling her knowing smile that he'd never truly be rid of her. Suddenly something changed. At first he wasn't sure what it was. Then dream-Riku realized he was hearing something new. At first the dark maiden looked angry and confused. He was supposed to be focused on her. Dream-Riku looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. When he did, dream-Riku discovered he was no longer in a featureless room but standing on the deck on The King. The dark maiden ceased to exist the second dream-Riku saw Rachel was on the ship too. She was walking casually on the ships railing, hands behind her back, looking up at the sky and singing.

All I have is a picture in my mind how it would be if we were together.

Let's pretend that you're far away. Let's say you write to me, and you promise in your letter

That you'll come home, come home to my heart. When you come home, we'll never be apart.

If I keep dreaming of you, start believing it's true.

Soon you'll come home, soon you'll come home, soon you'll come home to my heart.

Soon you'll come home, home to my heart. Soon you'll come home, home to my heart. If I believe.

About halfway through Riku was pretty sure he wasn't really dreaming. Could it be possible this wasn't a dream? Could this be what was happening at that moment? Was this Rachel singing to him across the stars? Riku shifted and slowly opened his eyes, allowing a happy tear to slip down the side of his face. It really worked. He was more than confident somewhere, some time she was singing with all her heart and he had heard it. Perhaps it worked that way because it was meant for him to hear.

Riku smiled the first genuine smile he had in over a week. Rachel was singing a song about them being reunited. Of hope. Of belief. Riku put two fingers to his lips then reached out to the stars. Maybe if he could hear her song, she could feel that too.

For the first time in a long time he felt completely at ease and not at all afraid to be embraced by dreams.