The Perfect Computer

Chapter Twenty: Sakura Kiss

Sora checked his watch before he looked out the limousine window. Why Riku had insisted on him being picked up at the airport and riding in the limo, he did not know. Ever since Riku had become the vice president of his father's company, the man had this hobby of treating Sora to very expensive things. Even though his wife Namine kept telling him to stop, Riku would just kiss her and shrug off her nagging by saying that Sora enjoyed it, which was a total lie. He liked it—it was always nice to be treated once in a while—but truthfully, it unnerved him when Riku did it so openly and without his asking. And besides, Sora had his own money. He really could have just taken a cab.

Sora sighed and gazed at all the passing lighted buildings in the darkness. It had been two years since he had seen Japan. After graduating from college, Sora had moved to live in America with his cousin Terra. It was through a sheer stroke of luck that his cousin lived in Omaha, Nebraska, which was home to one of the greatest zoos in the U.S.—the Henry Doorly Zoo. Sora had applied and was accepted into the zoo's training course almost immediately. The downside was he had had to learn English, but his cousin had helped him out in that department. After Sora had finished the training period, he had gradually worked his way up from cleaning boy to animal handler. He was now in charge of the two red pandas, Yin and Yang. Also, after he had fully begun to work as an actual zoo handler, he had put a down payment on a house.

Sora smiled to himself. How distant everything in the past had become. His college days with Riku and his work at Tifa's café…yet his memories of Roxas were still vivid and clear in his mind.

After Roxas had passed away, life had nearly been meaningless for Sora. Only his studies and his dream of becoming a zoologist had managed to keep him going. Even to this day, Sora still missed Roxas, and thought about him always. Even after two whole years, his heart was still constant. Of course he had had offers both from girls and other guys, but he had always kindly turned them down. No one, no matter how beautiful or handsome, could possibly take the place of the blond. Sora found it kind of a comfort that even now that he was twenty years old, he still felt the same as when he was eighteen.

He leaned forwards and tapped the window. "Um…driver? How long will it be until we reach the festival?"

"Only a few minutes, sir," was the answer.

Sora sighed and leaned back, taking the letter out of his pocket. He had come to Japan because Riku had sent him a letter saying that he really wanted to see him and that the year's spring festival to welcome the cherry blossoms was coming up very soon. Sora had been looking for a chance to visit Riku and the others anyway, Riku's letter had just pushed him a little further. And now here he was, in a limo driving to the festival where he hoped he would find Riku or possibly someone else he knew in the crowds.

Sora looked down at the bottom of the letter. The last thing Riku had written was still very cryptic to him.

Be sure to see the oldest sakura tree. It's the biggest and blooms only white sakura. I've paid a lot of money to have it blocked off so you could see it all by yourself, so you better go there.

Why Riku had done that, Sora could not figure out. Why was it so urgent that he go there? Riku had always been mysterious, but if his friend was that huffed about it he would go.

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Sora was a little self-conscious that he seemed to be the only man walking around in jeans and a Mickey Mouse t-shirt, whereas everyone else was in yukatas. But all that vanished when he looked up ahead and saw Namine waving to him. He grinned and ran over to her.

"Namine!" Sora beamed as he wrapped the girl in a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm all right. I'm pregnant," Namine laughed happily. The woman was wearing a light pink kimono with a blue sash. Her shoulder-length blond hair had grown and now reached the small of her back. Her face had also matured and now she had the eyes and features of a beautiful woman.

"No way!"

"Yes, you just can't tell with this kimono on." Namine gestured to her only slightly protruding stomach.

"Well, congratulations!" Sora hugged the girl again. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Twins, actually." Namine giggled.

Sora was in awe. Two years was a really long time. If in only two years Namine and Riku were expecting a baby, then he wondered what had happened to some of the other people he knew.

In that moment, Riku ran up. "Sora!" The man's silver hair was still as long as ever, but now it was tied back in a ponytail and he was wearing a dark blue business suit. He had also matured, and now looked like a working class man.

Riku and Sora embraced each other, lightly patting each other's backs.

"It's been too long, Sora," Riku murmured.

"Yeah," Sora agreed and withdrew. "It obviously has been too long. You never told me you and Namine were expecting."

Riku shrugged, but his slight smirk and the way he looked at Namine was a proud indication of his happiness. Riku turned and gestured for Sora to follow. "Come, there are some other people who also want to meet you."

"Other people? Who?"

Sora didn't have to wait long, for he was soon led to the sakura forest where he saw Leon and Cloud sitting on a pink fold-out blanket under one of the trees, pink blossoms raining down on them. Both were dressed in kimonos—Leon in dark green and Cloud in pale blue. Cloud was staring up at the blossoms with a content expression on his face, whereas Leon, sitting next to him, was reading a book.

Cloud was the first to notice them and smiled cheerfully. "Why, Sora, it's been a while."

"Yeah, what are you guys doing here?" Sora asked.

"Completing my latest experiment," Leon said, without looking up from his book.

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"He means we're watching the blossoms of the new year." Cloud laughed, a twinkle in his eye.

Sora didn't know exactly what was going on, but he did notice the delighted smile that passed between Cloud and Namine.

"Sora, would you like to go see the old sakura tree now?" Riku asked.

Sora nodded, anything to get away from the weirdness of the situation at hand. He followed Riku down the path and passed by the security. When they were only one or two yards from the tree, Riku stopped.

"You go on ahead. I've already seen the tree today," the silver-haired man explained as he began walking in the other direction.

"Wait, Riku! Jeez, why is everyone acting so weird?"

"You'll see!" Riku called back.

Sora groaned. Looking around him now, no one was there. He tapped his foot on the ground and looked up at the night sky, squinting to see the stars. He then looked behind him and walked to the sakura tree. Indeed it was blooming. Its white blossoms drifted on the wind and seemed to dance to some unknown melody. The air was crisp and cool around him. Just off in the distance, Sora could hear music playing and he could smell the roasting food. Sora inhaled and laughed as a blossom fell on his nose.

This place, though quiet as it was at the moment, was truly magical. Perhaps this was why Riku had reserved it for only him. He closed his eyes and turned his ears into the music as he began to hum along with it.

"I can see you haven't changed much," came a voice from the darkness.

Sora snapped awake and gazed around him. No one. "Who said that?" Sora called out, a little angry at whomever had interrupted his happy moment. But from behind the tree came a very familiar face.

He was a little older, probably the same age as Sora was now, and his hair was a little longer in back, but Roxas looked pretty much the same as before. He wore a dark blue kimono with white clouds as a border around the neck, and a black sash. White metal ears were on either side of his head.

Sora gazed at him as if he were a ghost.

Neither of them said a thing for the longest time, both just staring at each other.

Roxas coughed. "You're probably wondering how I'm alive. Well, I didn't plan it, but after our last moment together, Leon uploaded all my memory data into his computers and…to make a long story short, he created another me."

Sora gulped, not really knowing what to say or do. "Did he? How?"

"Well…" Roxas fingered his ears. "As you can see, I'm technically a persocom. But I can feel and age just like a human. I'm like Cloud, but I'm not like Cloud because he's more human than machine and I'm the opposite."

"Do you…remember everything?"

Roxas' face became solemn. "Yes…even my memories before Diamond Wing."

"And…after?" Sora choked out.

Roxas lifted his head, his eyes full of hurt. "Are you honestly thinking I could forget those memories?"

"No…I just…wanted to make sure," Sora coughed.

Another long silence followed. Each one seemed in be deep in his own mind, running through the situation in different ways.

"Sora." Roxas finally spoke.

"Yes?"

"You…how are you?"

"….is that seriously all you have to say? Come on, Roxas, I know you better then that, so don't play with me."

Roxas seemed to flinch at his words and grow angry. "Play? You think this is a game to me? Sora, I don't know what to do! First I die and we part ways, and now we're back together after two long years!"

"I know, so why don't you say what's really on your mind?" Sora stated flatly.

Roxas gasped and looked down at the ground "…did you miss me?"

"Every goddamn day," Sora answered, completely earnestly.

Roxas' face rose from the ground slowly. His blue eyes were gazing at Sora with growing joy. "Did you…ever think of me?"

"Every day," Sora answered simply.

Tears began rolling down Roxas' cheeks. "Do you….still like me?"

"…no." Sora shook his head as he walked forward, cupping Roxas' face in his hands. "I love you. I adore you. I am still yours and will forever be yours, whole heart and soul."

Tears fell freely down Roxas' face, his cheeks turning bright red as Sora embraced him and their lips touched after what seem like an eternity apart. When they parted for air, Sora kissed the top of Roxas' forehead.

Now I see why Riku reserved this spot, he thought to himself as he tilted Roxas' face up so they were staring into each other's eyes. "Hey Roxas, guess what."

"Huh…what?"

"I still have my nipple fetish."

"Sora!"

If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?
If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?
If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call
If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all

I'll never know what the future brings
But I know you're here with me now
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with

I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

If I don't need you then why am I crying on my bed?
If I don't need you then why does your name resound in my head?
If you're not for me then why does this distance maim my life?
If you're not for me then why do I dream of you as my wife?

I don't know why you're so far away
But I know that this much is true
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with
And I wish that you could be the one I die with
And I pray in you're the one I build my home with
I hope I love you all my life

I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

'Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away
And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today
'Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right
And though I can't be with you tonight
You know my heart is by your side

I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am
Is there any way that I could stay in your arms.

The End

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~This Chapter was beta corrected by Airen

A/N: The final chapter of The Perfect Computer! Hopefully you readers like the ending. You see, I couldn't have Roxas stay in his original body, for all the previous chapters focused on the fact that a creature can not be a perfect mix of both without consequences. In Cloud's case, he was more human than machine, and now in Roxas' case he is more machine then human. I wanted this fic to have a happy ending, mostly because I hate sad endings.

As for the song at the end of the chapter, I originally had it planned out that "One in a Million" would be the ending song for the fanfic. But after hearing "If You're Not the One", which I thought described the whole fanfic as well as Sora and Roxas' relationship impeccably, I decided to switch the songs and put 'One in a Million' in Chapter 19.

As always thank you, the readers, for your dedication and reviews. They made me so happy and truly without you this fic would be nothing. Also thank you to by main beta Airen, for her hard work on fixing all my mistakes. And as I said in chapter 17, if you readers wish either a Namine/Riku or Leon/Cloud lemon, just review and I will be more than happy to add some bonus chapters. And again, please review and have a nice day! Thank you!

:Additional Notes:

Sakura - The Japanese word for cherry blossom

Yukata - A light cotton kimono used usually in the summer

Kimono - A loose, floor-length, Japanese garment for both men and women

If You're Not the One - a song by Daniel Bedingfield