"What's it say?" Riku asked, leaning over Sora's shoulders. He smiled when Sora's hair tickled his face.

"I don't understand it," Sora muttered. "It says, expect the unexpected. Things that once were are no longer. Old love fade, but new love will soon grow."

Sora looked back at Riku. "It's like a warped fortune cookie."

Riku laughed. "That's the King for you. Maybe he sensed something?"

Kairi took the letter back from Sora and read it over. "Weird, it's addressed to you, Sora."

Sora looked at Kairi. He couldn't imagine not loving her and loving someone new, but that's what the letter was suggesting.

'Kairi's my girlfriend! I've loved her forever. How can my feelings for her ever change?'

"Oh well, don't worry about it," Riku smiled, draping his arms over Sora's shoulders.

Sora's face started to burn. 'I must be getting sick.'

"You're right," Sora pulled away from Riku, going over to Kairi, taking her hand. "I can't love anyone but you, Kairi. Even if we weren't together, I don't think I could love ever again!"

Kairi looked away from Sora, hiding the guilt that flashed in her eyes. "R-right."

Riku caught Kairi's look and raised an eyebrow, wondering why she looked so guilty and sad.

Riku walked over to Kairi, cornering the redhead. "What's up, Kairi?" Riku put his arms on either side of her, giving the girl a hard look.

Kairi tried to avoid his eyes.

"You haven't been hanging out with Sora much, and when you guys do, you're no longer sickeningly lovey-dovey around him. You flinch when he touches you, and when he says he loves you, you look guilty."

"Riku..." Kairi whispered. "Let me go, please," she said, trying to get away from him.

Riku frowned, feeling his heart clench in pain. Something was going on. He was sure of that. "No, not until I get some answers. Sora's my best friend, and I don't want to ever see him hurt, so if you're just leading him on..."

Kairi started to cry. "I-I'm sorry, it happened while Sora was away that year. I never stopped caring for Sora, but my feelings faded as I started to fall in love with someone else. I didn't mean for it to happen. Now that we're all back together on this island, I don't know how to tell him."

Riku stepped away from Kairi. "Don't cry," he said. He of all people knew you couldn't help who you had feelings for. He just felt sad. Sora was going to feel so hurt.

Kairi gulped, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"You have to tell Sora," Riku said. "The longer this goes on, the more hurt you'll both be. Living a lie is not healthy." It wasn't healthy for anyone. Riku looked away from Kairi, sighing.

"B-but, I don't want Sora to hate me..." Kairi frowned. "I want us to stay friends."

"I'd doubt he'd hate you, Kairi."

'Me, on the other hand… that's something I can't be sure about.' He watched Kairi walking away and felt like he wanted to be the one to cry now.

Sora, I hope you will be okay.

"I lov..."

Kairi put a finger up to Sora's lips, stopping him mid-word, "Stop, Sora, we have to talk." Her hand trembled.

"Okay..." Sora frowned. "A-are you breaking up with me? When a girl says we have to talk, it usually means she's breaking up with you..." Sora looked down at the ground, feeling like he was about to have his world shatter.

"Sora, I'm so sorry..."

"Now you're going to say it isn't me, it's you," Sora said, looking forlorn. Sora had thought everything was going perfectly.

"Sora... I-I am breaking up with you. I'm sorry, I should have done it a long time ago, but I didn't want to h-hurt you."

"How do you think I feel now?" Sora said, standing up. Tears came to his eyes, "I love you, and I thought you felt the same way."

"I-I did, but when you were gone for that year... and I couldn't remember you, I started to get feelings for someone else. And now that you're back, I still care for you, but my feelings aren't the same."

"I-I see," Sora said, wiping at his eyes. Sora understood what Kairi meant, but that didn't make him feel better.

"Sora..." Riku walked into Sora's bedroom, seeing the small teen curled up into a ball on his bed.

Sniffing, Sora glanced up at Riku, his blue eyes sparkling with tears.

Riku walked over to Sora, sitting down beside him. "I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling Sora into his arms.

"What's wrong with me, Riku?" Sora sobbed.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Sora," Riku said, running his fingers through Sora's hair.

"Then why doesn't Kairi love me anymore? Am I ugly, not good enough for anyone?"

"Sora, you're far from ugly, and anyone would be lucky to have you."

"Except Kairi," Sora mumbled. "I don't blame her, because she couldn't remember me. I just thought… I guess I assumed things would go back to…" Why had he assumed that? So much had happened to all of them. They were all changed.

"I guess, but you'll find a new love, someone you'll love more." Riku smiled, hugging his friend closer. His own heart felt almost as broken as Sora looked.

Sora gave a small smile. "You think so?"

Riku rolled his eyes, tapping Sora on the nose. Sora flushed, but Riku assumed it was because of crying. Though his tears were lessening, the longer they talked.

"I'm positive, Sora. Look at you. You're rather cute, for a guy, I mean, and you've got a kind heart." Riku looked away from Sora, feeling his cheeks start to burn. 'I'm overdoing it. I shouldn't have said he was cute.'

Though Sora didn't seem to mind if his smile meant anything. "Really? I'm cute?" Sora giggled through his tears, wiping at his eyes. He was starting to feel a lot better. Riku always made him feel really good. He looked at his friend, who was glancing away. Sora noticed how close they were and that Riku was still holding him.

"Thanks, Riku," Sora said softly.

"Yeah, you are. Now, will you please stop crying, Sora? I… it really hurts to see you so upset." Riku looked back at his friend, seeing that Sora was no longer crying. "Oh…" He smiled, glad for that.

"I'm still hurt, but I don't feel like crying anymore, Riku." Sora leaned toward Riku, returning the embrace. "You always make me feel so nice. How come you're so good to me?"

"Because you deserve it. I'm glad you're feeling better." Riku wanted to kiss him on the forehead, but he felt that would be going too far.

"Heh… if you say so. Riku?"

"Mm?"

"I'm glad you came back with me. I'd be lost without you."

'God, Sora, say things like that, and it sounds like a confession.' Riku squeezed his eyes shut and felt once again that his suppressed heartache would show on his face. He tried really hard to keep his control.

"I was lost until you found me," Riku murmured. "I'd be lost without you, too, Sora."

'I'm going to break. It's going… I've got to get out of here. I don't want to add to Sora's pain.'

Riku gently untangled himself from Sora and was mortified when, without thinking, he kissed the brunette on the cheek, before fleeing his room.

'Why the Hell did I do that?'

By the time he was outside, tears were already on his cheeks.

Sora looked down at the strange message from the King. It really was worded like a fortune cookie. The King did speak in riddles sometimes. Why did this message get to him so much? Was it only because part of it had come true? Kairi had left him. He still had feelings for her, but as time went on, he was feeling them fade little by little.

There was another problem now. It was Riku. After that day in the bedroom when Riku was comforting him, and then fled the room so suddenly…

'After kissing my cheek…' Sora touched his cheek, feeling that he was flushing again.

Riku had left Destiny Island. He said he wanted to visit a friend he met in another world. Sora couldn't fault Riku for wanting to visit his other friends.

'But he's been gone for weeks! And he didn't leave any clue as to where he went.'

Kairi approached Sora, who was sitting in his favorite tree. A tree that he and Riku had spent a lot of time climbing together.

They had tentatively started to hang out again. As friends. It was getting easier. Sora could look at her without his heart hurting so much. Now all his pain was directed toward his missing friend. Why had Riku left?

"Sora?" Kairi called up. "Are you okay?" She climbed up the tree and sat on the branch next to him. She had thought Sora was accepting their breakup and moving on, but he was silent and gloomy as ever these days.

"Oh… uh, hi Kairi." Sora glanced down at the ground below them. "I'm… fine."

"I-I don't want to bring back bad memories, but we can still talk if you need to?" Kairi wasn't sure if that would help, but she really wanted them to be friends like before.

Surprised, Sora looked back up. He saw the worry on Kairi's face and understood. "Oh, Kairi. No…" He pat her on the hand. "It's not that. I'm happy for you, really I am. You and Selphie seem really happy."

"Really? You're so sad, though. I'm not trying to act like everything revolves around me…. I just…" Then she paused. She had been so stupid. Of course.

Sora just gave her a confused look.

"I'm so sorry! I've been so up in my head with our breakup and stuff with Selphie, that I didn't even… I'm a horrible friend." Kairi lowered her head. She missed Riku, too, but it was always true that Sora and Riku were best friends. Sora must be missing him so much.

"Is it about Riku?"

"I don't understand why he's been gone so long!" Sora couldn't help saying that so loudly, causing birds in the nearby trees to scream and fly away.

"What happened before he left, Sora?"

It was kind of odd telling Kairi the story, as it happened because of his heart breaking over the breakup, but he did, he told her everything, including the way Riku had been acting, and the kiss on his cheek, before he fled the room.

"Oh, Sora…" Kairi felt tears in her eyes. "Oh, Riku, you stupid boy."

Riku was the one telling her it wasn't healthy to live a lie and for her to be truthful with Sora, and he wasn't going to take his own advice?

"Huh?" Sora tilted his head.

"Sora, why would you think he'd be like that and kiss you of all things, and then flee the country, so to speak?" Kairi pat Sora on the knee. He looked at the hand and realized he felt no jolt of excitement at being touched by her. It was a friendly gesture, that was it.

"I-I don't know."

"Yes, you do, Sora." Kairi didn't want to take this moment from Sora. It was something he had to figure out. "I know you miss Riku, but… honestly…you're more broken at his leaving than our breakup."

She jumped out of the tree, landing easily. "I'll see you, Sora. Go find Riku."

Alone in his room, Sora looked at the letter again. At the second part of it.

'… new loves will soon grow…'

But it wasn't new. It had never been new. It was always there, wasn't it? So this fortune cookie type message wasn't a true prediction at all.

"How do I find him?" Sora sat on his bed and started to cry.

A little while later, Sora took a deep breath and then stood up. He dusted himself off and took a step toward his door. "Okay, I'm going to do this."

Sora sent out messages to everyone he knew in the other worlds. Someone would have had to seen Riku, right? After what felt like years, though it was only another week, Sora got back a letter from Leon.

Riku had passed through Twilight Town and Chip and Dale checked the flight records from there and said he traveled to Simba's world, Pride Lands.

"Wonder why there, of all places?" Sora looked at the letter from Leon and smiled. Leon was a lot more chatty in the letter than he usually was. Something must be helping him open up. Probably the fact that he's been dating Cloud.

"Time to go visit some lions!"

Sora looked down at himself upon entering Pride Lands, shocked that he still had his human form. He wondered why, but figured it was because everything was out in the open now. Most of the worlds knew about the other ones. In the back of his mind, he hoped that he'd still be able to breathe underwater in Ariel's world. He shook his head and looked around as he walked.

It wasn't long before he saw a familiar form of a lion.

"Simba! Hi," Sora leaned down to be level with the lion. "It's nice to see you."

Sora laughed when the lion jumped on him, and they had an awkward lion-human hug. Under normal circumstances, it would've been alarming to have a lion jump on you. "Is this how you normally look? I could still tell it was you, though!" Simba gave Sora a friendly nuzzle.

"Sora!" Nala joined in on the lion pile and then it was followed by a bunch of cubs. Sora was happy that he didn't have to explain who he was. Whether he looked like a human, a lion, or even a fish, his friends knew him.

"Ahaha, that tickles," Sora said, laughing as one of the cubs play-swatted his side. "Are these guys related to you?

Nala nudged the cubs, making them leave Sora alone. "Oh, ha ha meet the kids, Sora."

"Oh, how cute." Sora had to try really hard not to get down on the ground and play with the adorable lion cubs. He was on a mission.

Nala and Simba looked at their kids with pride.

"I have a big favor to ask! Chip and Dale's records show that my friend Riku came this way. Did you see anyone who looks...human? Do you know where he went when he left?"

Simba tilted his head. "Left?"

"Y-you mean… he's… he's still here?" Sora's face started to flush, and it was not because of the Savanna sun blaring down on him. He had thought he would end up on a wild goose chase, but had he truly already found Riku?

"Yes, that boy… human..." Nala shook her head. This world did not have humans, so they were still learning. "He's been living here for a couple of moons."

Sora did not know how Lions counted time, but it sounded like Riku had been here for a while.

"We could smell you on him, so we knew he was your friend," Simba said. "So we said he could stay as long as he needed."

"You could smell me?" Sora didn't know if it was possible to be more embarrassed. Animals had good noses, but still.

"Sure, come on, he's this way." Simba took off, and Sora had to run to catch up with him. Simba stopped and then tossed his head up in laughter. "I'm sorry. I forgot you weren't one of us." He slowed his pace. Sora continued to follow with a smile on his face.

"Just there, in that cave. We've tried to make it as comfortable as it can be for a human, though we don't even know what…" Simba shook his mane. "He doesn't complain, so I guess we made it right."

Sora hugged Simba around the neck. "Thank you, my friend." They said their goodbyes and then Sora was alone. His heart was in his throat.

Now what? He looked at his hands. They were shaking. Just go in. Just do it. Come on, I mean, it's Riku! Sora patted his pocket, where a small fruit was hidden.

He could only find a small one. He hoped Riku wouldn't mind.

'Oh my God, what if I've read into this all wrong? What if Kairi was wrong? Am I going to really confess to my best friend when I'm just coming to terms with my… my… feelings?'

Sora patted his pocket again. 'The fruit is probably gone bad by now. Ugh! It's just a stupid island legend. Maybe people don't really give these to anyone anymore….'

"I've just got to do it…" Sora whispered. "The first step is just seeing him… come on, Sora." He walked toward the cave and then hesitated. "Wait, do I knock? How the heck do you knock? It's a cave with no door."

'Ugh! I'm going insane. Breathe. Breathe! For crying out loud. This is Riku, remember? But… he did leave. Maybe he doesn't want to see me anymore? Maybe… he hates me?'

"No, no, impossible." Sora touched his cheek. 'He did kiss me. It could have been harmless, meant nothing.'

Sora groaned at his inner struggle. 'If it was nothing, why did he flee?'

Finally, after he had stalled for too long, Sora poked his head into the cave. It wasn't a huge cave. It didn't look very homely, but Sora didn't expect it to. What would the lions have to offer anyway that would make this feel like a home to a human?

There was what looked like a bed of grass and twigs, some boulders holding what looked like preserved food. Riku must have brought some supplies with him. Sora doubted he'd feel right eating any of the creatures in this world when most of them could talk. Another rock resembled the shape of a couch. That was where he saw Riku. The silver-haired teenager was lying on it, and he was asleep.

'Ouch, that does not look comfortable. Poor Riku. I wish he didn't think he had to leave.' Sora quietly walked over to the sleeping figure. He didn't want to scare Riku. He took this moment to study Riku's features. His silver hair was longer, and he looked leaner, more fit. Sora figured he probably did a lot of walking, maybe even ran around playing with the lion cubs.

That idea made Sora grin. It was such an adorable image.

"Riku?" Sora whispered softly, bending down so that he was on level with the other. "Riku, wake up." Sora's voice was wavering. He was near tears. 'Please, Riku. Wake up and love me, too.'

Slowly, Riku's eyes fluttered. He stared into Sora's eyes, his own going wide in shock.

"S-Sora?"

Sora reached out and touched Riku on the cheek. Maybe to make sure he was real.

"Riku, don't you remember I said I would be lost without you? Why did you leave me?" Sora felt tears fall down his cheeks.

"I-I…" Riku set up and hesitantly reached out and wiped a tear off Sora's face. "I made you cry?"

"Yes, you big dummy!" Sora pulled Riku off his makeshift couch and hugged him as if he would vanish again. "Please, don't leave like that again. Why, Riku? Why? I thought we were best friends? Didn't you say you'd be lost without me, too?"

Riku buried his face into Sora's chest. "I-I did say that."

"So why?"

"We are best friends," Riku continued. "I don't know if I can say why I left…"

Sora pushed Riku away and saw the pain, fear, and relief at seeing each other again.

'He's terrified. He won't admit it! He still thinks I'm hung up on Kairi and that he made a mistake when he kissed me. He probably thinks I didn't even notice the kiss. But… if he thought that, why flee?'

"Riku, best friends can't have secrets that hurt them so much, and I can tell something is hurting you. Please, Riku."

"I-I can't…" Riku looked away from Sora.

"You can tell me anything. I love you, Riku." Riku looked at him, but Sora could see the pain in his eyes was worse than before, if possible.

'He doesn't think I mean it in…'

Sora took out the King's letter and gave it to Riku. Riku looked down in confusion.

"It wasn't an exact prediction, Riku, but…" Sora trembled as he reached into his other pocket and clutched the small fruit in his fist. He really wished it had been a bigger one.

"What do you mean, Sora?" Riku asked.

"Um… well, I… maybe I'm reading into everything wrong." Now, Sora was the one who felt like he couldn't go on with the confession. It was scary. "Oh God, just here!" Sora took his hand out of his pocket and shoved the fruit into Riku's hands.

Riku looked between his hands at the letter and at the fruit. He looked up at Sora and saw the brunette blushing and avoiding his gaze.

"Sora…?"

"I'm sorry, Riku. I looked everywhere and could only find the small one. It's not the season…" Sora glanced at Riku. He was giving Sora a look that was hard to read.

'Was I wrong?'

The silence seemed to drag on forever, causing Sora to feel distressed. Now he got why Riku fled, because he felt like doing the same thing, fearing Riku hated him now or something.

"Riku… It's okay if I read this wrong. I am kind of dense sometimes. B-but… it might not be good anymore, but if you wanted… I mean. W-we could eat it together?" Sora put his hands over his face, feeling his every fiber start to shake. It had been easier with Kairi. Was it easier because it hadn't mattered much? It had just felt like something that was bound to happen, so they let it happen.

Was it harder with Riku, because… the feelings were more true than anything else in the world? All the worlds?

Arms were suddenly around Sora, and he nearly lost his balance at how fast Riku came at him. He was hugged tightly than he had ever been before. Sora shrieked when Riku lifted him off the ground and spun him around.

"Riiiku…" Sora clung to Riku. "You'll make me dizzy."

He was gently set down. Riku gave him a sheepish look, his face covered in a pink flush. "Sorry. I got carried away."

"I'm pretty sure it was me who got carried away," Sora said, smiling.

Riku held out the fruit. Sora almost thought he was giving it back. A rejection?

"It doesn't matter if it's small, Sora. I'll eat it with you."

"Y-you will?" Sora took hold of the fruit, and they broke it apart. It didn't smell bad. They didn't take their eyes off each other as both put the small sticky paopu fruit in their mouths.

"Destiny says we're tied together now?" Sora grinned. "It pretty much means we're married, Riku."

"Oh, Sora," Riku said, laughing. "We're only seventeen, but yeah, it does kind of mean that." He hugged Sora again. "But I thought… I mean, you said you'd never love anyone ever again."

"That's what made the message not a true prediction. Not all of it, at least."

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't loved ever again… what I mean is…" Sora blushed. "Do you wonder why I was able to get over Kairi so quickly?"

"I wasn't there," Riku said softly.

"Oh, yeah, well, I got over her too fast, Riku. But… but…" Sora felt tears in his eyes again. "W-when you left, I wanted to die, Riku. I could not get over that. I could not get over being without you, Riku!" Sora buried his face against Riku.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Riku… even if I didn't feel this way…we'd still be friends, you know?"

"I was just so scared. I lost my senses. I'm so sorry!" Riku pushed Sora back from him and looked into his eyes. "I was an idiot. I really was. I should have… I should have talked to you about this a long time ago. At least before you and Kairi got together. But once you did, I just felt so hopeless. I also wanted you to be happy."

Sora remained silent, letting Riku go on.

"Then all that stuff happened, and I did so much to hurt you."

"Y-you weren't yourself, Riku! I found you back then, and I found you this time." Sora leaned up and shyly kissed Riku, shocking the taller boy. "I'll keep finding you, Riku."

"You kissed me…" Riku didn't think it was possible to blush so much. He hadn't really been this easily flustered before.

"You kissed me first, Riku."

"But that was on the cheek…"

"Are you shy, Riku?" Sora giggled and kissed Riku, this time on the nose. The answering flush delighted the brunette. Riku was shy!

"I-I'm not…"

"You seem shy, Riku."

'Who knew I could be such a flir,t and who knew Riku would be so shy!'

"It's really hot in the Savanna."

"Mm, oh, is that it?" Sora did not know what was coming over him, but he liked how Riku was acting.

"Yes, of course."

"You're shy, and it's cute, Riku."

"Sora, are you getting heat exhaustion?" Riku put a hand on Sora's forehead. "You're acting all…"

"All what? And no, I feel fine."

"I've just never seen you act so…" He didn't get to finish what he was going to say because Sora had closed the distance for another kiss, this time not a small chaste kiss like the first one. Riku stumbled back with the sudden weight of Sora in his arms.

"I love you, Riku. I said it before, but I don't think you realized how I meant it." Sora pulled back from the kiss, looking at the panting man in front of him.

"I-I kind of got your meaning when you gave me the fruit," Riku said. "I love you, too, Sora."

"Will you come home with me?" Sora blinked up at Riku. "Please? Everyone else misses you, too."

"Dumb question, of course I'm coming home with you!" Riku leaned forward, initiating the next kiss.

"Yay, we've got to start the wedding plans." Sora giggled when Riku's eyes widened. "We ate the fruit, so it's like, in the rule book, ya know. You're stuck with me."

"I'd rather be nowhere else, Sora."

Back on Destiny Island, Riku and Sora walked hand in hand. They saw Selphie and Kairi waiting for them on the dock.

"Kairi, Selphie! We've got a lot to do! There's a wedding to plan!" Sora yelled. Riku blushed as Sora dragged him toward their two friends. "It can be a double wedding!"

"Oh…" Riku looked at the two girls, understanding. "Wait a minute, Sora… you know I love you, but we have all the time in the world for weddings."

"And babies…"

"Babies!" Riku looked at Sora, terrified, as if he'd turned into a fire-breathing dragon.

"Just three or four."

"Three or four!"

The girls caught up to them, and they were having a hard time keeping their laughter in.

"Who's carrying the babies?" Selphie joked.

"Riku's hair is longer, so..." Sora looked at Riku, tilting his head.

"That is a stereotype, Sora." Riku crossed his arms, though he was smiling. It was nice to be back.
"Listen," Kairi said, getting serious. "If it came to it..."

Selphie picked up on what she was going to say. "Yeah, if it came to it..."

The two boys looked at them, confused.

"Well, we'd obviously be your surrogates," Kairi said. She meant it, too. Selphie nodded.

"Oh," Sora whispered. "Aw." He threw his arms around the girls. Riku soon joined in on the hug.

"You guys are the best thing that could ever happen to me," Riku said with a laugh.

"Ditto!" Sora squeezed his three friends.

"Double wedding time!" Selphie yelled. "Party planning, yay! I've got to go invite everyone!"

The brunette ran away before anyone could say anything.

"Wow... she wastes no time for a party." Riku watched as Selphie ran faster than he had ever seen her run before.

"Um... Kairi, you better go catch her, or we really will be getting married, like tomorrow." Sora couldn't help but double over in laughter.

"Oh!" Kairi ran off. "Selphie! Selphie, wait! We're too young!"

"Maybe we are too young for a wedding," Riku mused. "But I do want to marry you one day, Sora."

"Babies?"

"Oh, Sora." Riku pulled Sora to him and kissed him. "Maybe we can adopt a puppy first."

"Okay!"

Fin