Chapter 40 – Sunrise

"Would you look at that. The world really does have an end."

Riku shoved against the invisible barrier surrounding the world with his oar, and the raft skittered backwards. Then the waves brought it bumping against the barrier again, which briefly flashed in shimmering blocks of light.

Just like that, their childhood dream was crushed. Good thing they'd found another way to visit other worlds.

"Guess we wouldn't have left without the Heartless attacking," Sora said, setting down his oar and reaching for their supplies. He found his water bottle and chugged a bunch of water before resting his head on Kairi's lap and sighing like he didn't have a care in the world.

When he looked at her, that far-off look he sometimes got in his eyes went away. For a moment Riku forgot what he'd become.

Which was what he wanted. A private moment together earlier had confirmed that. And really, there was nothing about him now that indicated his earlier power, nothing to remind them of his majesty or glory except the scar on his chest.

He was Sora again. Their friend. Human. And yet—

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Kairi asked, an amused grin on her face as she ran her fingers through his sweaty hair. She had adjusted quickly to Sora's return to humanity, settling back into her old habit of teasing him with ease.

All the touching though, well, that was new. Sora didn't seem to mind though, not at all. The only time Riku had seen him this happy before was when he'd gotten a message from Santa letting him know he was off the naughty list.

Sora opened one eye and looked up at her. "Napping."

"Uh-uh. It's still my turn to take a break." She grabbed his head and playfully shoved it off her lap. "Get back to work, lazy bum."

"Bet you're wishing you still had some of that divine power to smite us with right about now, huh?" Riku said with a grin. He was happy to back Kairi up. No way was he going to paddle this thing by himself. He grabbed the oar and stuck it in Sora's face, and Sora glared at it like it had personally offended him before he finally gave in and took it. Just not without giving Riku a classic Sora pout first.

"Yeah, well, it'd be nice if I didn't have to paddle this thing myself," he muttered, and Riku just laughed and shook his head.

Kairi's right. Even after all this time, he's still a lazy bum.

But after everything he's been through… he deserves to let loose a little.

"Well, Captain Sora, better get to it!" Kairi teased, and that did the trick. Sora's face lit up.

He cleared his throat and cupped one hand around his mouth. "Full speed ahead, Riku!" Then he tossed his oar back on the raft and summoned his Keyblade with one of his smiles that meant he was up to something.

"Brace yourselves!" he called. Riku and Kairi barely had time to grab onto the mast before the blast from an Aero spell sent them hurtling back towards Destiny Islands. Sora's laughter carried over the wind and the sea-salt spray whipped through Kairi's hair, and Riku couldn't help but smile.

He didn't want this moment to end. He didn't want them to end. But their friendship had changed. Their dynamic had changed. He knew it would, once Sora and Kairi started dating, and yet—

There was still a part of all this that was kind of sad. Their childhood had ended the moment the Heartless had arrived, and yet he found himself longing for those younger, more innocent days.

They would be friends the rest of their lives, of that he was sure, but what their friendship would look like, how it would change from year to year— that was bound to be different. Not good, not bad, just different.

And right now that meant he had to say goodbye. Maybe they thought he should stick around, but he'd caught them giving each other enough longing glances and noticed they'd slipped off enough times to be alone together to know.

They needed time to themselves.

He broke the news to them as they were securing the raft and unloading it, but their forlorn faces almost made him rethink his decision.

"You guys have a journey you need to go on together first. Don't worry, we'll see each other again soon. This is just so you have time to figure out all this dating stuff."

"Is that why you're leaving?" Kairi asked as she set the bottles of water down on the sand.

"Riku, we don't want you to feel like you have to go," Sora said, tying the last knot to secure the raft to the dock. "If you want us to tone down the couple stuff when you're around, we can."

Riku just shook his head. "That's not it at all. I don't want you to tone down the couple stuff, I want you to enjoy it. After everything we've been through, you deserve it. And besides, I have a journey of my own I want to go on."

Sora raised his eyebrow. "You do, huh? Who with?"

"Riku!" came a familiar voice. Riku smiled. His traveling companion had arrived at just the right time. Ignoring the looks Sora and Kairi were giving him, he went over to her to make sure she had everything she would need.

He had to admit, she looked pretty cute, the way her dark hair poked out from beneath the baseball cap perched on her head. The t-shirt and shorts she was wearing were good for traveling, too.

"Where's the other Riku?" he asked, tightening the straps on her navy blue backpack. The three of them were supposed to meet up here.

"He wanted to talk to Naminé first," Xion said. "He asked us to meet him in Twilight Town instead."

"So," Sora said, strolling up to the two of them, hands behind his neck. "It's just you and Riku going on a brand new adventure, huh?"

Riku shot him a glare. He knew that look. Sora was all innocent blue eyes, but that didn't stop Riku from rolling his.

"Well, me and Riku and… the other Riku." Xion giggled. "So yes, in a way I guess it is just me and Riku."

"We really should help him come up with a new name," Kairi said, offering Xion some of their leftover supplies. "You know, to help distinguish him from you, Riku."

Riku stuck his spare water bottle in his bag. "That would make things easier."

"What sort of journey are you going on, anyway?" Sora asked.

He just wasn't going to let this go, was he?

I guess I have it coming, after how much I teased him about Kairi.

"We want to find people like us," Xion said. "All the people who feel like they don't have a place in the worlds, whether they're former Nobodies or Replicas or social outcasts or loners."

Something flickered through Sora's eyes, but he was quick to mask it. Riku recognized the look in them though. The reminder that there were still people out there who were hurting was enough to make him hurt, too.

"Sora, don't beat yourself up about it," Riku said. "It's the whole reason we're going on this journey. We want to help because we understand what they've been through. You went above and beyond when you restored the worlds, and you've earned a vacation for the rest of your life, if that's what you want." He put his hand on Sora's shoulder. "Now trust us to carry out your legacy."

Sora sighed. "Right."

The last thing Riku wanted was for Sora to get sucked back into running everything. A life of politics didn't suit him at all. Even pouring himself into other people was pushing it at this point. He needed time to rest and recover and heal first.

He needed people to pour into him for once.

Because Xehanort might be gone, but Sora's scars remained. Both the visible and the invisible ones. And Riku couldn't think of a better way for Sora to heal than to just have fun. To spend his days with the one person he couldn't live without as they visited the worlds he'd sacrificed everything to save.

Kairi put her hand on Sora's arm. "You couldn't have fixed everything that's wrong with the worlds, you know. Not unless you changed people's hearts."

"I thought about doing that," Sora said softly. "It's like I told you before, Kairi. All that power was going to my head. It was corrupting me, making me want things I shouldn't want, making me want to change things I have no business changing. I couldn't… I couldn't hold onto that power. I would've become worse than Xehanort if I'd kept it."

Kairi stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "And it's because you realize that that Kingdom Hearts chose you."

"And it's also why you're going to take a very long vacation before you even think about helping again," Riku said, just to really drive the point home. "Let other people help you for once."

Sora looked to Xion. "What do you say, Xion? Think he's right?"

Xion tapped her cheek. "Hmmm, let's see… I say… you're not allowed to go on any world-saving missions for a year."

"Agreed," Kairi and Riku said in unison.

Sora pouted. "A whole year? Man, what am I even gonna do? I'll be seventeen before I can do anything interesting again."

Kairi raised her eyebrow. "Spending time with me isn't interesting?"

"Of course it's interesting," Sora said quickly, a heartfelt smile lighting up his face. "How could it not be?" His arm went around her waist as he pulled her close. "I could spend a thousand lifetimes with you and never get bored."

She giggled, her cheeks pink, and Riku couldn't help but smile. Yeah, Sora was going to be just fine. Spending time with Kairi would help him recover like nothing else. Help him remember what life was like before fate had swept him up in its unrelenting waves.

Well, they couldn't put this off forever. The other Riku was waiting for them. Still, saying goodbye was a lot harder than Riku had thought. He knew he'd see Sora and Kairi again soon, and yet…

A part of him wanted to stay with them forever.

Kairi pulled some shells from her pouch and handed two to him and one to Xion. "They're Thalassa shells I collected earlier. They're meant to bring you back here, safe and sound. So don't you dare lose them. I'll be expecting these back the next time I see you." She closed Riku's hand over his shells. "The spare's for the other Riku, okay?"

"Got it."

"Thank you, Kairi," Xion said, tucking her shell into her bag. Riku gave her and Sora a hug, and Xion followed suit.

"Stay out of trouble, you two," Riku said. "See you soon."

And with that, it was time to begin his new journey. With Xion by his side, they left to go find his other self. The one who had inspired him to go on this journey in the first place. All those who were lost, lonely, without a purpose. No longer. Riku pictured Sora's face as he'd smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"See? You weren't alone. You were never alone."

If there was any part of Sora's legacy Riku wanted to carry on, it was that.

And as if to make good on that legacy, Xion reached for his hand, then hesitated right before their fingers could touch. So he met her the rest of the way, catching her hand in his. Her fingers were rough from training and battle, and yet they still managed to feel soft and smooth in his grip. There was a small bump from an old training scar on her palm, and the way the warmth from her hand spread up his arm—

That was all her. That was all Xion.

And it was a reminder that even in his darkest moments, he was never truly alone.

Kairi took a big bite out of her piece of apple pie. The warm apple combined with the cinnamon and ice cream was as delicious as she remembered, and she sat back in her chair and sighed in contentment.

What better way to spend a lazy afternoon than with her grandmother? The only thing that would make this better was if Sora was here, too. But he was talking to the Restoration Committee about some things and hadn't arrived yet.

"You know, Kairi, I think this is the best pie we've made together yet," her grandma remarked, patting her mouth with her napkin.

"Maybe it's the apples." She'd picked them up from the market this morning, and they were some of the ripest, most delicious looking apples she'd ever seen. They proved to taste just as good as they looked, too – crispy and sweet with just a hint of a tangy kick.

Her grandma shook her head and smiled. "It's not the apples, dear. It's all about the magic touch."

Kairi set her fork down. "The magic touch? What's that?"

"The heart behind the cooking is just as important as the methods you use. Even the most delicious recipe can taste terrible if it's made with coldness or hatred. And even the worst recipe can taste good if the one who made it really cares about you."

She shared a story about the time Kairi's grandfather had tried to make her cookies. It had ended disastrously, but it was the attempt that counted, and in the end they'd eaten the leftover cookie dough together and had had a good laugh about it.

"Find someone you can laugh with, and you'll lead a happy life," her grandma finished the story with.

"Yeah." Sora's laughter as he'd held her during their return to Destiny Islands echoed through her mind, and she couldn't help but smile.

Her grandma put her hand over Kairi's and gave her a knowing look. "Is there someone on your mind, dear?"

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. She excused herself from the table and raced to it, throwing it open and launching herself into Sora's arms.

He laughed as he caught her, the sound like music to her ears. His scent was as wonderful as ever, the same saltwater and sun mixed with his natural musk.

"Did you miss me?" he teased as she took a deep breath and sighed happily. She found his hand and looked up into his eyes. There was something older and wiser in them now, but he was still her Sora, just like he'd promised.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready."

She led him through the house to where her grandma was waiting. He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back.

Nervous?

A little. I just… I really want her to like me.

Don't worry. She will.

They went through the door of the dining room together, and her grandma was sitting there waiting for them, a freshly cut piece of apple pie set aside with a big dollop of ice cream on top.

Kairi cleared her throat and put her free hand on Sora's arm. "Grandma, this is Sora."

Sora bowed his head. "Nice to meet you, ma'am." His voice was higher than normal, but he managed a small smile all the same.

Her grandma looked up. Tears shimmered in her eyes and she wore a radiant smile. She reached for Sora's face, and he knelt so she could touch his cheek. His smile melted into something more sincere, more heartfelt as he put his hand over hers.

"So you're the one who's been my Kairi's light all this time," her grandma said. "It's so wonderful to finally meet you, Sora."

"The pleasure is mine, ma'am. Kairi talks about you a lot. All those stories you told her when she was a kid, about the light. When I was having a hard time, they cheered me up, too."

Her grandma gestured for them to sit down. "I'm glad to hear that. The light is always deeper than the darkness, and my Kairi's light is the brightest of them all."

"Yeah," Sora said as he settled in one of the chairs and Kairi took the one next to him. He found her hand and held it under the table, and she gave it another gentle squeeze.

"And do you know why that is?" her grandma continued. "It's true that she has a heart of pure light, but there is a reason it shines so brightly."

Sora tilted his head to the side. "Why's that?" But he glanced at Kairi because they both already knew the answer.

"Because she is so dearly loved." Her grandma's eyes softened. "I'm not wrong, am I? You do love my granddaughter, don't you?"

"Yes," he said, simple and heartfelt and without any hesitation. "More than anything."

Kairi leaned against his shoulder and sighed. Hearing him confess his love for her still made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe the light inside her heart really did grow brighter with his affection.

Her grandma smiled that radiant smile again that made her eyes crinkle.

"That's all I ask. Take care of each other, or should I say, keep taking care of each other. Always find something to laugh about together, and you will know happiness." She looked from Kairi back to Sora with all the affection only a grandmother can provide. "You have my blessing. Go and start your new journey together." Then she paused, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she pushed the plate of apple pie closer to Sora. "But not before you've had your pie."

"Yes ma'am," Sora said, finding a nearby fork and digging in. "Don't mind if I do."

As they all laughed about that, Kairi just took a moment to bask in it all. The two people that meant the world to her, finally meeting after all this time.

She couldn't have asked for a better way to begin her new journey with Sora.

"There, that should do it," Sora said, pulling the oars back into the boat and setting them to the side, being careful not to splash any water on Kairi. "The view's gonna be great from here."

Kairi glanced back towards the castle and town. The sun was setting over the horizon, and brilliant colors streaked the sky like something out of a painting. Gentle waves lapped at their boat, and if Sora closed his eyes, he could imagine they were back home on Destiny Islands.

"Looks like we still have some time before things get started," Kairi noted. The last rays of sun made her hair look even prettier than normal. Sora wanted to run his fingers through it and catch some of the liquid gold mixing with her natural red.

"I thought it'd be nice to watch the sunset together too," he said. But really, he just wanted as much time alone together as he could get away with.

She turned and gave him a teasing look. "Or we could, you know—"

Sora didn't have to be told twice. Sunsets were nice and all, but making out was a million times better. Especially when Kairi did that thing where she tugged on his lower lip. He let out a soft moan, and she giggled and slipped her tongue inside his mouth. He forgot all about the lanterns and the festival and even the fact that they were on a boat after that.

It wasn't like he had anyone to compare her to (nor did he ever want that), but she'd gotten really good at this whole kissing business. It probably helped that they'd had a lot of practice lately. All she had to do was give him a look and he'd find some excuse for them to sneak off and spend a private moment or two together.

Afterwards, when he was feeling very satisfied and yet very much wanting more, mouth and tongue tired but body buzzing with energy, he rested his hand on his cheek and sighed as he watched her straighten her hair and clothes.

"What?" she asked, her face flushing. She'd caught him staring at her a lot lately. Not too surprising, really. If she was around, he couldn't help but look at her.

"Nothing. Just… enjoying the moment." He raised his eyebrow. "What, do you want me to stop looking at you?" He put his hand over his eyes and grinned. "Your wish is my command, Princess."

She was quick to pry his hand off his face. A little too quick. The sudden movement rocked the boat, and he laughed and grabbed onto her as she went tumbling into his arms with a surprised yelp.

"Careful there, Captain, we don't want to capsize," he said. Her hand rested on the thin layer of fabric covering his scar, and she looked up into his eyes.

"It's not going anywhere," he said, knowing why she was looking at him like that.

Her head drooped, her lips forming a tight line. "I know. I just thought that maybe… after you'd given up your power, it would be healed."

"It is healed," he said, putting his hand on her cheek. "It was healed the moment I got you back."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she tilted her head to one side in that really cute way that made her hair brush against her cheeks.

"But I thought the scar formed before that."

"I'm not talking about the scar," he said softly.

She made a choking noise and her face scrunched up. "You're the worst. Do you want me to cry on our date?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry." All this romance stuff was still pretty new. He was trying his best, but there were still gonna be a lot of fumbles.

She rested her head against his chest and sighed, and he moved his hand up and down her back in a soothing gesture. The material of her blue dress was nice and smooth, but he found himself wishing he could—

"I'm happy to report you still have a heartbeat," she murmured.

"Good to know."

She paused, waiting, listening. "It sped up just now."

He kissed her hair. "I'm holding you in my arms, so… yeah. Of course it did."

They rested like that for a while as the boat gently rocked them, and Sora was beginning to wonder if she'd fallen asleep when her voice rumbled pleasantly against his chest.

"You've gotten quieter since we've gotten back."

"You think so?"

She nodded. "M-hmm. You get this far-off look in your eyes and you stare into the distance sometimes."

So she'd noticed. Well, it was hard not to, when he'd had the entire universe inside his head before. He couldn't help but feel a little strange, a little empty, without it all in there anymore.

"What can I say? I have a lot on my mind," was all he said.

Because that was all that needed to be said. He wouldn't rethink his decision to give it all up for her for even a second. It was more than worth it. She was more than worth it. He'd do it again in a heartbeat if he were given the choice, and he didn't want her to wonder and worry if she was worth the sacrifice.

Besides, any emptiness he felt was offset by how full she made him feel. Just being with her was reward enough. It was better than all the power and glory in all the worlds.

"What's on your mind right now?" she asked, lifting her eyes and resting her chin on his chest. She played with his shirt, tugging at it and touching him through it with her soft hands.

Man that felt good. He didn't want her to ever stop.

"You," he said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "What else would I even be thinking about?"

She gave him a teasing smile. "The lanterns, maybe?"

He started. "Shoot, sorry!"

It was completely dark outside now and the ceremony would be starting soon. He fumbled around in his pockets trying to find their lantern.

Kairi just shook her head and grinned. "I still have it, silly," she said, pulling it out to show him. "Geez, you really are hopeless without me."

"I never said I wasn't."

That got her to blush. Sincerity really was the way to go with her. She always got tongue-tied when he said something really sappy so long as it was from his heart.

She carefully unfolded the lantern and he pulled out the lighter. Probably not tech that existed on this world, but hey, who was watching? Besides, a booming trade network was flourishing between the worlds now. It was only a matter of time before Corona had things like lighters and even computers.

And modern weapons. Sora's head hurt again and his heart did a little too, thinking about all the talks he'd had with the other leaders about how to handle that.

He really hoped people would be responsible with the power he'd entrusted them with.

But now wasn't the time to be thinking of all that. Kairi held out the lantern, and the small flame from his lighter lit it up. It illuminated the flower design and cast a warm glow over her face.

Sora put his hands over hers. "Let's make a wish."

She nodded and closed her eyes, and he did, too. There was only wish he could think of at a time like this, so that was what he wished for.

When he opened his eyes again, Kairi was looking at him with that soft look in her eyes again. The light from the flame flickered and danced across her face, and she gave him a gentle smile that melted his heart.

"What did you wish for?" she asked, and he almost told her. But he couldn't, because that would spoil the magic.

"Can't tell you," he finally said. "It won't come true if I do. And I really want it to come true."

She giggled. "Okay, okay. But let's make another wish, together this time."

"Sure. What's something you wish for with all your heart?"

Without missing a beat, she gave him her answer. "You."

He chuckled softly. "You already have me. It has to be something you don't have yet."

She took the lantern from his hands and set it to the side, then gave him a look that made his heart skip a few beats.

"Just to make sure." She leaned forward and kissed the spot over his heart. "Do I have your heart—"

"Yes."

Her hand slid to his stomach and she tugged his shirt up, exposing his chest to the chilly evening air. She found his scar and stroked its bumpy, uneven skin.

"—body—" she murmured, then gently pressed her lips against it, soft and warm and full.

"Y-yes."

Geez, did she have any idea what effect she had on him? His heart was pounding now, his chest heaving as he struggled to get enough oxygen to his brain. If he thought her touching him had felt nice, well, her lips on his bare skin, kissing, caressing, adoring—

Gulp.

She pulled his shirt back down, then brought her hand to his face and finished with a kiss right next to his eye.

"—and soul?"

She was being pretty bold, but all the things she was asking for were already hers.

"Yes," he said softly, and she gave him a beautiful smile.

"Then I don't have a wish so much as I have an offer."

"What?" he said so quietly he could barely even hear himself.

"I want to give myself to you, too."

"Kairi—"

"I love you, Sora."

His hands shook. That was the first time she'd said it without him saying it first.

She put her hand over his. "Now who's going to cry on our date?"

"Sorry, I can't help it." She knew what she'd gotten herself into with him. He had enough emotions for about three people, and being around her doubled that number. He cried at the drop of a hat. His laughter was deeper, too, his smiles bigger, his heart so full it couldn't help but spill over and sweep her up in his moments of joy and sorrow, too.

She brought her hand to his face. "It's okay. I'm here," she said softly, and that just made it worse. Maybe a part of her deep down still remembered what he'd said to her as a child. Or maybe she was just trying to comfort him the way he'd comforted her throughout their struggle against Xehanort.

"I have a different idea for our wish," he finally said, when he'd pulled himself together enough to talk again.

"Yeah? Is mine not good enough?" she said with a teasing grin.

He took a deep breath. "I… I'm selfish. I want more. I want you, but not just for today. Not just for tomorrow. I want you for a lifetime, Kairi."

Her eyes went wide, and her lips parted slightly in the flickering light of the lantern. But she didn't say anything, so he soldiered on.

"Death couldn't keep us apart before," he pointed out. "Who's to say we can't give ourselves to each other for eternity? Because I've made up my mind. I want you for forever."

"I want you for forever, too," she said, the words he'd longed to hear, the words he'd only dreamed of hearing before. He very nearly lost it all over again at the sound of them.

"Then I swear," he said when he'd managed to compose himself again, his voice low and filled with conviction. "I swear to you that we'll always be together, from now into eternity."

"From now into eternity," she echoed. "I swear, too."

It was time. They released the lantern and sealed their oath with a kiss before relaxing in each other's arms and watching the rest of the lanterns light up the sky. It was their own private show, specially arranged for them by Rapunzel and Eugene as a thank you for all their help.

When they got back to Destiny Islands, Sora knew there was one more thing they had to do. Their vow wouldn't be complete without it.

It was still dark outside and a little cold, but the first rays of dawn were already streaking the sky as the sun peeked out over the horizon. His jacket was draped over Kairi's shoulders, and a bright blue handkerchief was tied around her eyes.

"Sora, where are we going?" she asked, feeling around the air for any clue as to where he was taking her.

"It's a surprise."

He carefully led her through the Seaside Shack, then across the bridge to the spot where they'd spent so many lazy hours watching the sea together. The breeze blowing off it filled the air with its delicious salt scent, and it was a little lighter outside now.

"There," he said, after he'd told her to sit down on one of the blankets he'd prepared beforehand. "You can take it off now."

She tugged it off her eyes as he knelt beside her. When she saw what was in his hands, she gasped.

He grinned, his hands shaking in anticipation. "Don't you think it's about time we shared one?"

She couldn't get her hands on the star-shaped fruit fast enough. She tore off a huge chunk of it, and the sticky juice dripped down her fingers and onto the blanket.

"Open wide," she said, giggling, then crammed it in his mouth all at once in her eagerness. Sora would have laughed if he wasn't having trouble breathing. Juice dripped down his face as he tried to chew the enormous lump of citrus without choking.

When he'd finally managed to swallow, he wiped his mouth and grinned. "Were you trying to make me suffocate, or was that a challenge to see how much I could take?"

She giggled into her hand. "I admit I went a little overboard, but I was only trying to show you how much I care."

"Message received." He tore off a much smaller piece of fruit and held it up to her mouth. "Your turn, Kairi."

She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, and he gently put the piece of paopu inside, pausing for a moment afterwards to cup her cheek.

"There. Now your destiny's intertwined with mine," he said as she chewed and swallowed.

"As if it wasn't already."

The breeze tickled her cheek and played with her hair, and a few strands of it got stuck on the juice on her chin. She brushed it behind her ear before reaching for the paopu and tearing off another chunk. But instead of giving it to him, she put it behind her back.

Sora stared at her, confused. She just giggled again. "We're supposed to share it, aren't we?" she said, a mischievous look in her eyes. "This is your piece, now come and get it."

Oh. Oh. When he finally did, he gave her a very pleased grin. He popped it into his mouth and swallowed, keeping her neatly pinned beneath him. The way she was looking up at him, cheeks flushed and chest heaving and a cute smile on her face, he knew she was enjoying this game as much as he was. Maybe even more.

Well, it was a game they could have a lot of fun with. He tore another piece of the fruit off and she was happy to continue playing. To his surprise, it wasn't long before she'd managed to reverse their positions and pin him down instead.

Thanks a lot, whoever taught her that move. Oh well. He still had the strength advantage; it would be easy enough to—

She was one step ahead of him. She gave him a wicked grin as his breath hitched, because she'd just straddled his hips knowing darn well what kind of an effect that would have on him. Was it any surprise she got the piece of paopu after that? Geez, talk about a cheap shot.

Then, as if to make up for it, she leaned down, her lips forming a perfect little pout as she brought her face closer to his. The sudden movement shifted her weight, and his brain stopped working for a few moments, it felt so good. All he could do was melt into a happy puddle of goo beneath her as he closed his eyes and waited for her to—

Grab another chunk of the paopu and take off, giggling like crazy as he chased after her, half laughing, half shouting. She was determined to tease him to the end, that was for sure.

Right before she made it to the door of the Seaside Shack, his arms circled around her waist, stopping her from reaching safety. "And just where do you think you're going?" he asked, trying not to laugh.

He'd gotten faster. And stronger. That used to be enough time for her to run away, but not anymore. She wiggled and tried to escape, but he wasn't about to let go anytime soon. He brought her flush against him, tightening his grip around her waist and earning a surprised squeak from her.

"You thought you could tease me like that and get away with it, huh?" he murmured in her ear, his lips brushing against her earlobe. She shuddered, and he knew he had her. She was putty in his hands, and he was going to enjoy teasing her just as much as she'd enjoyed teasing him.

"I-I used to be able to." Her voice was breathy, and she was still panting from her sudden run.

He grinned. "But not anymore. Let's see, what should I do with you?"

His lips brushed against her ear again, and her whole body tensed with anticipation. He nuzzled her cheek, enjoying the way her breath caught as he did. His hands inched higher, higher, stopping just short of cheap shot territory before trailing back down to her waist and resting on her hips.

"It was here, I think," he murmured as his fingers found one particular spot on each side. He started tickling her, and she squealed and squirmed and thrashed but refused to let go of the piece of paopu.

"Sora, stop!" she said in between giggles.

She was really ticklish in just that spot, a piece of knowledge he was having way too much fun using against her. Her legs turned to mush, and she collapsed to the ground, taking him with her. They ended up in a tangled pile of limbs, giggling like a couple of maniacs as they tickled each other. Sora finally managed to pin her down, and he grabbed the piece of paopu from her hand and ate it with a satisfied grin.

"No fair," she said with a pout that wasn't doing a very good job of hiding her twitching lips.

He raised his eyebrow. "And what you did earlier was fair?"

She grinned. "I call it knowing my enemy."

"Your enemy? Your enemy? Not your friend, or your boyfriend, or your—"

"Husband?"

His heart about stopped. He sat back and stared at her, mouth open, not really sure if he could believe his ears.

But he could. She had the sweetest smile on her face as she sat up and continued. "I've been thinking about what you said at the castle. We are really young, but… what I said last night at the lantern festival won't ever change. I want you for forever. I don't want to rush into things, and we should finish school first and travel some more and make sure we're ready for that kind of commitment… But maybe in a few years?"

He couldn't answer her. His heart was too overwhelmed.

She smiled softly and caressed his cheek. "You're crying again."

He wiped his eyes and laughed. "Sheesh, Kairi, how could I not? You're telling me all the things I only dreamed about hearing before."

Then he kissed her, showing her with his body what she meant to him because his words weren't good enough anymore.

They went back to the paopu fruit after that, and there were two pieces of it left. Taking a moment to recover from their antics, they sat down on the blanket next to each other and caught their breaths. As Sora looked into her eyes, the gravity of what they were doing, the future they had agreed on sharing, hit him all at once, and he almost lost it all over again.

"Together," Kairi said, picking up one piece as he picked up the other. The sun had fully risen, its glorious rays bathing the whole world in its warm glow and making the waves sparkle in its brilliance. The birds of the Play Island sang and the cicadas buzzed to celebrate the coming of morning, but Sora hardly noticed.

Because in that moment, he and Kairi weren't just reenacting the cave painting, with her hand reaching towards him and his hand reaching towards her.

They weren't just playing out one of his fantasies, either, though this was one of his deepest desires, his greatest wishes. And he knew it was one of hers, too, going by the size of the paopu fruit she'd drawn in the cave for him and the size of the piece she'd shoved into his very willing mouth today.

No, it wasn't just any of that. It was something else entirely.

It was their dream. It was their dream that had, at long last, become reality.

Night was over, and a new day had dawned.

A/N: It feels so surreal to say this, but wow. Those Who Dreamed is finished. The idea I had for Dear Sora almost two years ago, which was originally supposed to be just a oneshot (haha, funny how that works), combined with this idea that wormed its way inside my head and refused to leave, this image of Sora becoming the ruler of Kingdom Hearts and then giving up his power to be with Kairi.

And that, everyone, is how you wind up with a series of over 250,000+ words.

Can you believe KH3 is almost upon us? When I first started posting, it felt so far away, and now it's so close. At the end of the day Those Who Dreamed was always meant to be a celebration of KH3, a way to make the wait a little more bearable, and now it's almost here.

A big thank you to FandomChanger, P-Artsypants, Mr. Spinner, readingchameleon, Haxorus night, fanficlove2014, ThreeDegrees, Ima Nonyme, Nightwing2013, wingedcatgirl, The Keeper of Worlds, FlightfootKeyseeker, Boogum, KaisakiTokura, SV, PsychopathicAngel2, Yurosoku, highhello, CharizardFreak, sjsreader, Sorrapotter716, KnightLawn, HardestMistakes25, gdg3417, and all the lovely guest reviewers for reviewing! It's been great hearing your feedback and interacting with each of you, and in times when writing motivation was low, you all encouraged me to keep going.

Thank you to everyone who followed and favorited Those Who Dreamed. And thank you to all of my readers. I appreciate the time you took to read this story and hope you enjoyed it. Even if you're reading this years after it was originally posted and we're all waiting for the release of KH7, don't let that stop you from leaving a review if you'd like - I'd be happy to read them!

Thank you to Boogum and Advocaat for letting me bounce ideas off of you and for all of your suggestions. You've both helped me grow as a writer and I really appreciate it.

But most of all, a HUGE thank you to my beta FlowerLady-Aerith. She is the best, seriously. She read all of Dear Sora and then read every single chapter of Those Who Dreamed and gave me feedback over every last part of it. The story wouldn't be what it is today without all her support. She helped me get out of a few ruts and iron out some wrinkles and turn this story into something I'm proud of.

Now that I'm done with this story, where will I go from here? Well, I do have some other KH projects in mind, but we'll see what happens, especially once KH3 comes out. Who knows what fresh inspiration it will provide!

As always, thank you for reading!