Author's Notes: It's over! It's finally over!

::cries and waves a flag at the same time::

This is the first story I have ever finished. Seriously! It persevered long after I thought it would die, and for that I am so happy!

I also had so many wonderful reviewers, and every word you guys wrote made me smile and want to continue this story. I owe you for keeping me going long enough to finish this! I want to especially thank the few reviewers who found me and stuck with me from the beginning of this story. You guys rock so much!

I know that this story has a lot of mistakes, and there are a billion stories that are fifty-million times better than this, but I'm proud of it for what it is. Maybe someday, when I have more time, I'll come back and fix up this funky ending, and fill in all those plot holes. This story was almost completely made up as I went along, and the only thing that I really had planned was those first few chapters. So it's easy to understand why this story felt a bit rocky. (Well, to me, anyway)

I wish there was a way for me to send a box of chocolates to every person who read this story, but that would probably leave me broke! For now, all I can give you is this final chapter/epilogue, and the one-shots that I owe people.

Next, I will work on Abacus! Though that one will take a long, long time to work on.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter! It's full of joy and fluff, but I hope you like it! Me being a sap for happy endings… heehee…

And finally, the winner of the last one-shot/picture request is Riraku-san (In my profile is a link to my DeviantArt, if you want to look) They got review number one-hundred and fifty ( ::Faints at the number:: ), so you get to request either a drawing from me, or a one-shot! I'm currently working on the one-shots I owe people already. If all goes well, I should have them finished within the next week.

Well, farewell, until next we meet!

Epilogue

Always Know Where You Are

Sora leaned back against the wall of Riku's room in Zexion's apartment and watched Riku fret in amusement. The silver-haired boy had been frantic all week long, getting on everyone's nerves. Sora found it rather endearing however, and couldn't help but grin at him whenever he went into a rant.

They were moving into their new house today. Zexion had convinced Riku to stay until he turned seventeen, when he could legally live alone according to the new laws. That was almost a year ago, and their house had only been finished last month. Riku was excited, but nervous at the same time.

Today was Riku's birthday, but he seemed to have forgotten that in the maelstrom of thoughts speeding through his head now. All of his things had been packed in the last three days, along with Sora's, and were all loaded onto the airship that Zexion had taught Riku to fly in his free time.

"Alright, Sora did you check the bathrooms?" Riku asked, taking a moment to stop and look at his lover. Sora smiled at him and nodded.

"And yes, I've checked all of them. Four times Riku."

Riku nodded absently and looked around the room. His hair had gotten a little longer, so that it almost his eyes completely, but Sora thought it looked nice still. He took abnormally good care of his hair.

"I think we have everything," Sora told him, stepping up and linking his arm through Riku's. Riku nodded and ran a shaky hand through his hair.

"Alright… I guess it's time to say goodbye then."

Sora nodded and helped Riku walk out of the room. "Everything will be fine."

"I know, I know." Riku sighed as he allowed himself to be pulled. "I just want to make sure we have everything."

"Even if we don't we can always get new things." Sora rolled his eyes and turned down the stairs. Kadaj was there, talking with Yazoo and Loz. The three of them looked up as they descended, and Kadaj grew a smirk.

"Our little Riku is all grown up!" He cried in mock sadness. "Moving out of the house and away from his family…"

Riku sneered at him. "Better than you Kadaj."

Kadaj took the comment in stride, and saluted the two as they passed. Then the three brothers fell into step behind Riku and Sora, snickering the whole way. Sora grinned, used to their antics after spending so much time with them. Loz was around more than before, and Sora liked him just as much as the other two. He was the most sane, but still just as insane as Kadaj and Yazoo.

Zexion had always been busy though, and he hadn't had much time to talk to anyone. Sora saw him when he could, but he understood that rebuilding a government could take a lot of time.

He'd heard over the months about his old friends, but most of them were just rumors from Kadaj, who could never be trusted with anything important. Apparently Axel and Roxas had taken positions in the police force, King Xemnas's army, and were assigned together in a small, Oceanside town. They'd written a few times, telling Sora that they were all fine and dandy, and explaining their daily adventures. Sora had loved reading their letters.

Cid had agreed to take Leon and Cloud under his wing, and with a person like Cloud working in the old weapons shop, business was a lot better than it ever had been before. Since there really wasn't a war to fight anymore, Cid had turned his talents on vehicles and appliances. Leon had written him not too long ago, explaining a few things and saying that he was once again a clerk, but he seemed content by the sound of it.

Sora was happy for all of them. They seemed to have carved themselves new niches in the world together, and he couldn't have been gladder. He and Riku had spent a while looking for the perfect location to build their house, and they had found it, on a mountain range a few miles away from a major city. The building of the house had taken a long time, and during the waiting period Riku had decided to stay with Zexion. Sora figured that that was the reason Zexion had been so lenient. He probably suspected that Riku would have to stay with him, at least for a little while.

Sora had to bite down on his irritation when Riku spun around and looked back up the stairs they'd just climbed down. "Wait, I think I forgot—"

"Riku we have everything!" Sora said, gripped Riku's shoulders, turned him around, and marched him towards the door. "I had Kadaj and Yazoo check everything twice, and then I checked, and they you checked. Even if we do forget something, we could come back whenever we want!"

Riku mumbled to himself, but he allowed Sora to march him. Sora could only shake his head. The only other time Riku had been this antsy was Sora's first birthday with him in two years. He'd been determined to make everything perfectly, and though Kadaj destroyed the kitchen in an attempt to make birthday breakfast eggs, it was one of the best birthdays Sora could ever remember.

Sora let go of Riku's shoulders once he was sure they were far enough from Zexion's apartment that he wouldn't turn back (meaning the airship walkway) and sat next to him as Loz positioned himself in the pilots seat. Riku fidgeted as the ships engines started, and Sora could only smile and grip his hand.

"Don't be so anxious Riku. If anyone should be, it would be me!"

Riku mumbled something, and then gave Sora an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I just want to make sure everything goes right."

Sora rolled his eyes and leaned over to kiss Riku on the cheek. "No matter how badly you think things will go, they usually turn out all right, don't they?"

Sora smirked as Riku was forced to nod. "So don't worry about it. Everything will be fine."

Heaving a great sigh, Riku finally managed to flop back in his seat and relax a bit as the airship lifted off and started in the direction of their new home. By airship, it would only take them an hour to fly from here to their new home. Zexion had added an airship hanger to Riku's house so that he could visit, and added the airship with it, without consulting Riku beforehand. Sora had enjoyed the ensuing fight, and could only smile when later Riku was grateful for the thoughtfulness.

Riku sighed and tried not to fidget as their airship landed outside their new home. He looked out the window and studied it. He and Sora had helped to design it together, and it was everything that he would have wished for. It wasn't large—about the normal size of a family house, and it was a single story. There was a wrap-around porch, and right next to it the airship landing pad. Behind them was the small single-ship hangar Zexion had forced on them, hidden in a copse of trees.

This was the place Riku had wanted to start his life over in. In truth he'd already started at Zexion's, putting his past behind him. Here he knew he could finish it.

As they got off the ship, Riku followed Sora and looked around. They had already finished bringing their things inside a few hours ago, and then they'd gone back to Zexion's tower to make sure that they had everything, on his assistance. He knew he was being a bit of a nag, but he couldn't help it really. He was going to finally live alone with Sora!

As he approached the house, Riku got a strange feeling, as if he was being watched. He looked at Sora, who was in front of him, but he wasn't looking at him. He turned to look back at his cousins, but they were looking at the scenery and snickering to each other, like they always were. He shrugged it off as being paranoid.

When Sora opened the door to the house, he stepped aside and smiled at Riku so that he could pass. "Welcome home, Riku."

He smiled at Sora and stepped passed him, over the threshold, and into the entrance hall of his new home.

It was dark, and he could see the boxes they'd moved in earlier as little squares in the gloom. He took another step inside, looking around at the walls and taking everything in, probably for the hundredth time.

Light suddenly flooded the house, and he was grabbed up into a headlock, a very familiar voice laughing into his ear. He gasped as a hand ruffled his hair.

"Hey, my silver-haired friend!" Axel crowed, grinning down at him when Riku managed to crane his head back to look at him. "Welcome home! And happy seventeenth birthday!"

Laughter came out from the walls, and people Riku hadn't seen in almost a year walked out, from behind boxes and walls, all grinning (except for Leon, who smirked). Roxas smiled and waved, coming to stand next to Sora, while Leon, Cloud, Cid, and even Tifa clapped for him. Kadaj Yazoo and Loz slipped through the door, all grinning like the smug idiots Riku knew they were. Axel let him go with one more hair tussle, so Riku could look around at everyone in surprise.

"I thought you guys said you were busy," He blinked. He'd invited them over to let them see his new house a few weeks ago, but everyone had written back and told him they had other plans.

"Well, we decided we weren't so busy after all." Cloud grinned. "Sora got to us first."

"And how could we give up the chance to see you're face like that?" Axel grinned, pointing at him. Riku shook the surprise off his face, and couldn't help but grin at everyone. Sora laughed as he closed the door and came up by his side, taking his hand.

"And since you seemed to have forgotten that you're turning seventeen, we took the liberty of making you a cake!"

"And dinner!" Cloud quipped.

"Oh, we made sure Kadaj didn't go anywhere near the appliances."

Everyone laughed at that, and led Riku into the kitchen, talking and smiling. Riku could only smile and listen and talk. There was no way to express his gratitude to them, except to have fun. He truly had missed his friends, and even though they all led different lives now, it made him happy to know that they wouldn't forget him, as he'd forgotten so much in his life.

Leon, Cloud, Cid, and Tifa had to leave before the sun set. They had a shop to take care of, after all, and they'd left in the middle of working to come visit. Cid had hidden the Sierra in the airship hangar, and after a long list of farewells, left to their sandy village.

Roxas, Axel, and Riku's cousins stayed longer, since they had the time. They talked and joked together until midnight, when Kadaj said that Zexion had wanted them home. They gave Axel and Roxas a ride back to the city they'd been stationed at, using the airship they'd flown here.

It was abruptly quiet in the house when they were gone. During the day their friends had helped them set up some of the furniture, including the bed and things for their bedroom, but a lot of things had yet to be unpacked (or unwrapped, as Zexion had sent them new furniture to furnish their house with) and the house felt a little empty without the screams and laughs.

As Riku stood and looked around the living room, he found himself thinking about everything he'd gone through, from loosing his parents, to the testing, and then to finding Sora and fighting in a battle that became a war for reconstruction.

He probably wouldn't have been able to get through all of that if he had never met Sora. The thought of Sora had kept him alive in the labs, and burned hope into him when he'd forgotten everything. Sora was the reason he'd hung on to his life for so long.

A hand slipped into his and he turned to smile down at Sora as his lover leaned against him. He looked up at Riku and smiled, his blue eyes almost glowing in the darkness.

"What'cha thinkin' about?" He asked lightly, swinging their clasped hands.

Riku smiled at him and unlinked their fingers to pull him against his side. "Everything."

"Mm." Sora mumbled with a small smile. "Me too."

Riku opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a huge yawn. Sora grinned at him. "Sleepy?"

"A little." Riku smirked. Sora smiled at him, then turned him so that he could grip both of his hands.

"Everyone gave you gifts, right?" He said, drawing circles onto the palms of Riku's hands with his fingers.

"Just little things." He said, following the movements of Sora's fingers.

"I haven't yet," Sora looked up at him and smiled, but was a different kind a smile than the ones he usually showed. A slow smirk spread on Riku's face as he recognized it.

"I think I'll like yours best," He purred, turning Sora's hands over and gently massaging them. Sora giggled.

"Mm, maybe."

Riku let Sora pull him down the dark hallway toward their new bedroom, where he'd put his old bed from Zexion's place. They were considering a new one, but Riku had always like that bed. It was special to him, in a way.

But he didn't think about that as he closed the door to their room and kissed his lover gently, pulling him close. For now, he didn't have to think about anything.

End.

It's good to see the sun and feel this place
This place I never thought would feel like home
And I ran forever, far away and I
I always thought I'd end up here alone
Somehow the world has changed and I've come home
To give you back the things they took from you
And I feel you now I'm not alone I'll always know where you are
When I see myself I'll always know where you are, where you are
And I found something that was always there
Sometimes it's got to hurt before you feel
But now I'm strong and I won't kneel
Except to thank who's watching over me
Somehow I feel so strong and I've begun to be the one I never thought I'd be
And I feel you now I'm not alone I'll always know where you are
When I see myself I'll always know where you are, where you are
Now, it's all so clear and I believe that everything's been opened up to me
And I feel you now I'm not alone
I always know, I always know where you are
When I see myself I'll always know where you are
When I feel the sun I'll always know where you are
When I see myself I'll always know where you are
Where you are

Always Know Where You Are – BB Mak