Chapter 24: Suiheisen

When Sora and Riku opened their eyes, they each found very similar, yet entirely different sights before them.

One beheld golden sands and crystal clear water sparkling brightly in the light of the sun that shone warmly overhead.

The other saw ashen shores and dark water that shone eerily in the faint light of the moon that hung coldly above.

Both boys slowly stood and called out for the other, even though they each knew that the other would not be there.

Sora, although in the warm sun, felt miserable. What if Riku's dying? Xehanort's still troubling him and he's all alone now. He wore a small frown as he brought one hand up to his heart. He felt the familiar sensation of knowing that the worlds were safe, as were most of his friends, but one very important person was not.

Riku, although in the bitter darkness, felt relieved. At least Sora is safe. We finally trapped Xehanort for good. He wore a small smile as he brought one hand up to his heart. He felt the familiar weight and pain of an unwanted dark presence, but it was different now, he could master it, and he would survive.

Both of them lowered their hands, then turned to the waves and walked slowly, one weighed down by despair, the other weary from pain. They each stopped when the water reached halfway up their calves.

Sora raised his face to the sky and closed his eyes as the sun warmed his tanned skin and his dark spikes bobbed in the breeze.

Riku lowered his face to the earth and closed his eyes as the moon cooled his fair skin and his light tresses danced in the zephyr.

Neither was sure of what to do, but both knew that they would find a way to the other. That had been their biggest mistake the last time; they had allowed themselves to remain separated. Neither intended to repeat that error.

Sora felt something bump into his leg. He opened his eyes and glanced down. There, floating in the water was a corked bottle. He noticed the note inside, but it was the seal on it that surprised him. A V broke into two lines that gracefully curved and spiralled, never actually touching, yet creating an elegant heart just the same.

Sora knew that heart. He had seen it many times now throughout the course of their journey. Riku's seal…Riku's heart. Sora picked up the bottle.

Meanwhile, Riku's thoughts had drifted to the letter he had written the night before they left their islands. The night he planned to leave alone, hoping he could avoid putting his friends in danger again. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He had not understood why he phrased the letter the way that he did, but it had felt right, so he did not change it. Now, it made complete sense.

Sora removed the letter from the bottle and began to read…

Thinking of you wherever you are, as always.
If everything goes as planned, and it rarely ever does, then you have probably figured out that I haven't been completely honest with you. I'm sorry.
You don't have to search for me this time. You probably will anyway. And who knows? Maybe this time you will be the one who finds me.
We now know that each world, while small on its own, is part of something much bigger.
But remember, they share more then just the sky; they share their hearts. So even if they are divided again, they will still be a part of each other.
And you are the one who will open the door.
-Riku

Sora's eyes had tears in them while he read, but a grin tugged at his mouth as well. Then he felt an odd warmth that was not coming from the sun. Raising his head, Sora saw that a door had appeared over the shore. It looked as though it would open to the horizon it was set against, to that unreachable place where the earth met the sky.

Sora approached the door, and held out his hand to summon The Watcher. Nothing happened. Everything had gone back to the way it had begun. Sora looked at the door dejectedly. He could not open the door without the Keyblade.

Remember, you are the one who will open the door…

Sora reached out his hand, and a doorknob appeared with an overlapping heart and crown embossed on it. He turned the knob and stepped through.

The sight before him caused an odd stirring within him. Déjà vu. Sora was standing on a familiar dark shore, and he could see an even more familiar figure standing out in the water.

Riku turned his head to look over his shoulder and then turned to face Sora.

"I thought you agreed to let me go," said the silver-haired teen.

"I did, but I never said I wouldn't go with you," the brunette replied.

Both friends smiled, and then Sora broke into a run and tackled Riku in a fierce hug.

Afterwards, the two boys stood in the water.

"Why do I always get the strangest greetings from you?" asked Riku with a slight chuckle.

Sora's face was still bearing a brilliant smile, "What do you mean?"

"Everyone else gets a nod or a handshake, you know, something normal." Riku answered smoothly. "Kairi got an awkward hug that one time…of course, she practically left you with no other option. But me? You either grab at my face, cling to me and collapse in an emotional heap, or tackle me to ground."

"Well you're the only one who I ever have to worry about not coming back." Sora replied, pointing at his friend accusingly, "And this little stunt didn't help to lessen that worry."

Riku shrugged and smiled, "It worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but did it work out the way you expected it to?" answered Sora while placing his hands on his hips. "Or is this," he indicated them standing together, "just a lucky fluke?"

The smile faded, and Riku looked down before answering softly. "This was what I had hoped for, but not what I expected. I couldn't be sure of exactly how it would work out."

Sora nodded, "so you finally decided to try just following your heart." His usual smile returned.

A few minutes later found the two boys in another familiar position. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the shoreline, with the waves flowing over to them. Sora was thinking about the Keyblade. Over the time that he had wielded it, there were naturally moments when he wished he were not a chosen wielder. Now, however, he was thinking about how much the Keyblade and the events of the past couple years had shaped his life and the lives of his friends.

Riku had been glancing at the brunette, and now he held out one hand and summoned The Watcher. He looked at the new Keyblade and then gently fingered the key chain attached.

"It worked," he said quietly.

"Yeah," Sora answered, looking at the boy beside him.

Riku turned the Keyblade around and held it in front of Sora in an obvious offering. Sora looked at the weapon in front of him and then turned his attention back to the silver-haired boy.

"Riku…?"

"If you want it, then take it." Riku stated calmly, still looking at the waves ahead. "But you're the only one I'm sharing it with from now on." Aquamarine eyes finally met blue. "You don't have to. You can just…go home."

"Do you remember what you told me before?" asked Sora. "About the worlds keeping us in the other's element so that we'd feel at home when we met again, and how I've always felt like home to you? Well, I think you were right, because I feel the same when I'm with you."

Sora reached out and took the hilt of the offered Keyblade. "I named this one The Watcher," he said as Riku took his hand away. "Because you took, and I kept, this stone while you were watching over me…when I thought I was watching out for you."

Riku nodded his understanding, and then Sora released the Keyblade, knowing that he could call upon it whenever he needed, and that it would do the same with him and Riku.

Riku stood and Sora did the same. "Welcome home, then," Riku said as he turned to Sora and held out a hand. Sora smiled and took it. Doing so, Sora felt another strange, but peaceful warmth spread through him. Riku raised his other hand, the way he used to when opening a dark portal. Only this time, a strange light appeared instead of the darkness.

"Riku, what-?" Sora cut himself off when he noticed the small smile that touched Riku's lips.

"You up for another journey?" asked the aqua-eyed boy.

A smile spread across Sora's face as well. "Together this time?"

Riku offered a brief nod, "Mm-hm, just the way it should be."

They turned as one and entered the light side by side. There would always be new enemies, adventures, journeys, and challenges, but they would face them together. Sora knew he had been right, as long as he and Riku remained beside each other, they could face anything. For now, however, their friends were waiting, and the worlds were safe.

Fin