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It was the day before the final battle, and Sora was oddly quiet.
On the seventh floor of the Mysterious Tower, Sora was sitting on the window seat staring out at the swirling cosmos of a sky with its bright stars and strange colors. His hands were tightly fisted in his lap, his lips drawn tight. There was so much on his mind and his shoulders were heavy with expectation. Sora could only hide for so long, could only silence his thoughts when there were distractions around.
Riku stood behind him, looking at the thoughtful look on Sora’s face. He stepped closer and placed a concerned hand on Sora’s shoulder in an attempt to get his attention. It wasn’t like Sora to be so seriously in thought. But Riku knew better than anyone what Sora was like.
“Sora…” Riku said, calling his name but unsure of what to say after that. What could he say when the final battle was a day away? When their entire lives - all the worlds - depended on the outcome of it? He gripped Sora’s shoulder tighter because if there was one thing Riku was certain of, it was that he wasn’t going to let Sora go. He wasn’t going to lose either of them. They had a home to return to, all three of them, together.
Sora didn’t look away from the window. “Riku, how long will this last? If we win, how long will it be until someone else tries to open Kingdom Hearts?”
Riku was quiet, thinking on that. It wasn’t like Sora to think so far ahead. He licked his lips and considered his words carefully. “Xehanort is the only one that’s done anything so far.”
“Someone else will take his place,” Sora told him, eyebrows furrowing.
Why did Sora seem so on edge? Fragile? One wrong word and he’d turn on Riku. He’d scream and shout or fall apart in his hands.
“We don’t know that,” Riku said, moving to sit on the window seat. He peered into Sora’s deep blue eyes, looking for answers.
Sora’s gaze was steady, unwavering. He always was the hero, but now he looked the part. He oozed determination and unwavering certainty. “I do,” Sora muttered, the words falling from his mouth like bricks and making Riku’s eyes widen. “It’s going to happen. I feel it.”
Riku trusted that. When Sora felt something in his heart or in the very core of his being, it was always right. It hadn’t led him astray so far. He looked out the window, a sense of foreboding making him anxious. If there was going to be someone else who sought out Kingdom Hearts, who tried to open it and remake the worlds into what they wanted…
“Then we’ll stop them,” Riku promised. Throughout their journey, Sora had done the impossible. He’d conquered foes, saved lives, sacrificed himself, made friends, forgiven and grown. They all had and they were stronger for it. There was no doubt in Riku’s mind that they’d win the final battle, and after that, if another threat arose, they’d meet it head on. They always had and they always would.
Wouldn’t they?
Riku felt the conviction in his heart, the steadfast determination as a keyblade master and as a guardian of light, but it dispersed when he saw the frown on Sora’s face.
“No, Riku,” Sora turned to him then, bright smile replaced with something more apprehensive and solemn. “We need… something different.”
Sora reached for his hand, calloused fingers gripping Riku’s so tightly that he felt the urgency. Riku looked down at their hands the same time Sora did and it was silent. An unspeakable promise? Or a reminder of what they’d gone through? Riku didn’t know, but he felt afraid. Something was going to change and he didn’t know if he was ready for it.
“Everyone keeps telling me that I’m so important. That I have to save everyone…” Sora whispered, his voice small.
Riku’s heart ached. “You are important, Sora.”
“Yeah,” Sora said, but Riku could tell those words hadn’t reached his heart. “I’m the key. I can make friends with anyone. I can brave the darkness with a smile. I can connect to people’s hearts.” He spoke as if he were listing off a grocery list instead of traits that made him special.
Sora paused then, furrowing his brow. He stared at their hands with a pensive expression. “I can connect to people’s hearts.”
Riku studied Sora’s face, that anxious feeling reaching an all-time high. “Yeah, you can…”
Sora moved his other hand to lie atop Riku’s. He grinned suddenly, like a brilliant idea had struck him. “That’s it!”
“What are you—?”
“If I’m the key to saving everyone, then that’s what I’ll do,” Sora said firmly. “If I can connect to hearts, then I’ll connect with the biggest one of all.”
Riku frowned. “Sora—”
“Riku!” Sora looked at him, his mind made up and his resolve clear. Sora, the courageous, persistent and loyal hero of the story, would do absolutely anything for the people he cared about. Which was why Riku was so terrified. “I know what to do. You’ll come with me, right?”
Riku stared down at their hands, felt the warmth in Sora’s grip and the earnest squeeze that made Riku’s heart do flips. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he wondered just what kind of crazy idea Sora had now. But did it really matter? Riku would follow Sora anywhere, not only for protection but because Sora was his light. Bright and unwavering even in the deepest darkness.
Riku laid his other hand atop Sora’s, reaffirming whatever it was that was going on between them at the moment. It felt like a pact that neither of them were sure of at this point, but would understand in time. Riku looked up at Sora with the same exasperated expression he always had when Sora proposed some silly idea. “Right. Where are we going this time?”
Sora could feel her heart, but not just hers, all of them. All of the ones that came before and even those that would come after. He reached out and touched the string that was Kairi and followed it. He would save her. He had to.
The string pulled him through the bright lights of worlds hearts, through a room of darkness with bright shining stars and finally to an area filled with Stations of stained glass pillars. There were so many of them, some sleeping and some not. A few were fractured, others broken into shards and Kairi’s was there, but barely.
Sora reached out and landed on the pink Station that filled his heart with light. He stared down at Kairi’s face, her closed eyes and indifferent expression. Her heart was there. He just needed to put her back together again. He smiled as he realized that he was doing the same for her as she’d done for him.
With a tentative hand, Sora reached down into the glass and smiled as his hand was enveloped in light.
Above them, Kingdom Hearts burned bright in the night sky. Riku stared at it, transfixed but worried. It had the power to remake the universe and held the heart of all worlds within its depths.
He turned and looked at Sora as he held the χ—blade in his hands. His eyes wouldn’t leave the blade and from where Riku was standing, he could see the shivers racking Sora’s body. The fear of what he needed to do and the uncertainty of what came after was overwhelming him.
Riku took the steps needed to stand beside him and placed a careful hand on Sora’s shoulder. As blue eyes locked with sea-green, Riku smiled. “Having second thoughts?” He teased.
Sora laughed, gripping the blade harder. “Not a chance!”
It was their usual banter. Riku teasing and Sora rising to the challenge, but the finality of their situation hit Riku then. It could be the last time he saw Sora, alive, physical and whole. His smile faltered.
“Are you sure?” Riku asked, keeping his voice low. The others surrounded them in a semi-circle and he could see the curious glances of Mickey and Aqua in his peripheral vision.
Sora took a deep breath. “I should be asking you that question.”
There was a tremble in his voice. Riku placed his other hand to Sora’s cheek, leaning his head down so their foreheads touched. Despite their location and the nine pairs of eyes watching them, Riku’s only focus was Sora. “I want to be with you, Sora,” he whispered, thumb brushing Sora’s cheek. “If this is what you want to do, then I want to protect you.”
Sora sucked in another breath, his voice catching. “I have to do this, Riku but… I can't do it without you. I need you by my side!”
The two of them could do the impossible together. Sora was already a force to be reckoned with, his light shining persistently bright and his strength allowing him to overcome every obstacle. Sora was his light in the darkness, his way home, his everything. This was another adventure, one that he didn’t want to venture into without Sora.
Riku placed a soft kiss to Sora’s forehead, a fulfillment of their promise. His heartbeat quickened when he heard Sora breathlessly whisper his name. Riku looked into those blue eyes and wiped a tear from Sora’s cheek.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Sora opened his eyes and saw the sky.
It was odd to be back so soon. He looked around the expanse of sea and sky, looking for Kairi or Chirithy. All he saw were glistening stars floating just above the water, possible to miss before but definite now. He could hear their voices without touching them. He could feel their sorrow, pain, and confusion without knowing their stories. Sora stared at them somberly. Was there anything he could do now? Would it disrupt the order?
He shook his head. He’d have to think on that later. He only had so much time to save Kairi.
When Sora walked, no ripples were made in the water. There was no sound from his footsteps and he panicked for a moment, looking down at himself and seeing that yes, he was really there despite all the signs saying otherwise. He stared down at his hands, his shoes, and touched his necklace. He was as real as he could be.
“Sora?”
He turned quickly, seeing nothing at first but after focusing, he saw her. Kairi was translucent just as he had been, but she could talk and walk and she was here! Sora ran over to her. He laughed as he pulled her into a tight hug.
“Kairi, you’re okay!” He said into her hair. “I was so worried and Riku was freaking out but then Xion said—”
“Whoa, Sora, slow down,” Kairi said, giving Sora a squeeze before pulling away. “I’m really glad to see you but… Where are we?”
Sora looked at her, eyebrows furrowed as he focused on Kairi’s eyes. It seemed like Chirithy wasn’t around, which left the difficult part to him. “Uh, this is… a world.”
Kairi rolled her eyes. Or at least Sora thought she did. “I got that, but what world is it? And why am I—” Kairi gestured to herself, “—like this?”
Sora was not looking forward to this. “Well, you kinda got… Xehanort kinda… You…”
Sora made vague motions with his hands, hoping Kairi would get what he was saying so he wouldn’t have to actually say it.
“Wait…” Kairi touched her cheeks. She looked around at the vast, open world with its whites and blues and little else. “Am I? Did I… die?”
“It’s okay!” Sora said, grabbing Kairi’s hands with his own. “You’re not! I mean, you are, but I’m going to fix that! Just like you did for me!”
Kairi had started to breathe a lot quicker than Sora was comfortable with. She looked at him, holding onto his hands and focusing on his non-transparent face. “You mean… when I believed in you?”
“Yeah,” Sora nodded. “You saved me, Kairi and I was able to save everyone else.” He paused, knowing she wasn’t going to like this next part. “I’m going to save you now.”
“Please do,” Kairi said, inching closer to Sora and looking altogether terrified. “Before you got here, I was just wandering around! The stars told me things I didn’t understand and…” She sighed, relief flooding her face. “I’m so glad you’re here, Sora.”
Sora had just enough time to smile reassuringly before Kairi’s expression turned inquisitive. “But why are you here? Did you do something reckless again? And where’s Riku?”
Fear gripped Sora’s heart. “A-about that, well… Riku’s fine. He’s just fine.”
Kairi released his hands and crossed her arms. “Sora. The truth.”
How was he going to explain everything to her? How would she take it, when he’d already made the choice?
“Kairi, I…” Sora stared down at the ocean floor. He saw his reflection and the pain in his own eyes. “I had to do this. I had to save not only you but everyone.”
Kairi’s hands slowly fell to her sides. “Sora, what are you talking about? What did you have to do?”
Sora looked at her and remembered the three of them playing on their Island. He thought of the three of them running down the shore and laughing. He thought of promises and good luck charms. He focused on Kairi, on her light and her smile.
Slowly, Kairi’s form began to fill with color.
“Hey, why’s Riku all alone?”
From their view on the paopu tree, they could clearly see Riku staring out at the ocean. He was smiling, which was good, but he was alone, which wasn’t.
Kairi hummed. “He said he needed time to himself, but…” She turned to him, pulling a face. “I’m not about that.”
“Me either,” Sora said, snickering. He nudged her with his elbow. “You wanna get the drop on him?”
“Absolutely,” Kairi agreed.
They hopped off the tree and walked carefully over the bridge. Well, Kairi walked. Sora decided to do a few dodge rolls to add to the sneakiness of the whole operation. Kairi didn’t appreciate that, flicking his nose as soon as they got to the stairs.
Riku, somehow, hadn’t heard them at all. Either too lost in thought or feigning ignorance. Either way, Sora made a few motions to Kairi, detailing the plan of sneaking up on Riku. Kairi watched him with one red eyebrow raised.
“Got it?” Sora whispered, giving a thumbs up and waiting for one in return.
“No,” Kairi answered, laughing when she saw the shocked expression on Sora’s face. She took off down the beach and Sora followed. Their footsteps gave them away and just before Kairi tackled him, Riku turned and raised his hands.
“Wait Kairi, don’t—!” They both tumbled onto the sand, Kairi laughing hysterically and Riku groaning. Sora wasn’t far behind and he fell on top of Riku like a sack of potatoes. The groans grew worse, Kairi’s laughter hit an all-time high and Sora found that he was comfortable lying on Riku like a lazy dog.
“Why?” Riku groaned, his head resting in Kairi’s lap. “Why are you two like this?”
“This is your fault for wanting to be alone, Riku.” Kairi told him. “It’s the final battle tomorrow! We should all be together.”
“What Kairi said,” Sora mumbled into Riku’s jacket. “No being alone today.”
Riku turned on his side and Sora fell from his back. “Fine, you win.”
“Actually guys,” Kairi started, pulling something from her pocket. “There’s something I wanted to do before tomorrow.”
“Go swimming?” Sora guessed, his eyes drawn to the waves that were nearly touching their shoes. He’d never get over how crystal clear the water was on the Island.
“No, you goober,” Kairi laughed. “I wanted to share this with you two.”
Sora turned to look and his heart nearly stopped. It was a paopu fruit. Bright yellow with two green leaves hanging off the points. Sora looked to Riku, then Kairi, and then back down to the fruit.
“Tomorrow is going to be our toughest fight yet,” Kairi told them, her words holding more weight than she knew. “I just… want us to always be a part of each other’s lives.”
Sora caught Riku’s eye and unspoken words passed between them. Kairi was important to both of them, to the point where they’d do anything to keep her safe. Sora gripped his pants with white knuckles. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t trust himself. He was so afraid of the wrong words slipping out.
“We will be,” Riku promised, taking Kairi’s left hand in his own. “The three of us will always be together.”
Those simple words stirred something within Sora. He looked up at Kairi, a sunny smile on his face. “Yeah!” He beamed, moving a hand to touch Kairi’s wrist since her hand was occupied. “No matter what!”
Kairi smiled, as bright as the light in her heart. She broke the paopu fruit into three pieces and passed one to him and Riku. “No matter what,” Kairi repeated. She ate her piece and Riku followed suit.
Sora starred at his piece, focusing on their bond, on his memories of them before he ate it.
It was a promise of a lifetime and one he was going to keep.
Sora placed the χ—blade in his hands. It was massive but Riku could feel the light and darkness inside it. Swirling around, intersecting, and intermingling to create something unlike anything else. There was power in it, but it was imbalanced. Riku felt how close it was to being perfect and his face twisted into a disappointed frown.
“Hey.” Riku tore his eyes from the blade and looked at Sora. He looked nervous, very nervous, but in his eyes Riku saw determination. “You ready?”
Riku tried to smile reassuringly. “I am if you are.”
“Riku.” King Mickey sounded impatient. “We need to seal Kingdom Hearts! We can’t leave it open any longer.”
Riku swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I know.”
“Good, then—”
“There’s something I need to do first, your Majesty,” Sora interrupted. He stared down at the King with a convincing smile. “It’ll only take a second.”
Donald moved beside King Mickey, his arms crossed impatiently. “What could you possibly have to do? This is important, Sora!”
Sora’s smile turned sad and Riku’s heart was on the cusp of breaking. “I know it is,” he whispered, hands shaking by his sides. He looked at Goofy, King Mickey, Donald, all of them. His blue eyes looked over the entire semi-circle, looking at the faces of friends he would never see in quite the same way again.
Riku’s grip on the χ—blade tightened when those eyes met his last. He tried to speak, words coming to mind but unable to express them. His throat was closed up tight and his mouth wouldn’t move. He hoped his feelings could be seen, felt, because Riku couldn’t say them.
Sora smiled fondly, a tear falling down his cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
The hero turned, running down the platform and standing directly below Kingdom Hearts. He summoned the Kingdom Key and held it tight, pointing it upward to the heart of all worlds, the eternal light that was wisdom and power and everything. A light radiated from the tip of the keyblade and up it went, connecting to the center of Kingdom Hearts.
There were whispers behind him, the sound of footsteps and shouting as a large pillar of pure light erupted from Kingdom Hearts and began its descent toward Sora.
“What’s he doing?” King Mickey asked, looking up at Riku. “Riku, what’s going on?”
Riku was silent. He watched as the person who mattered most to him was engulfed in an exquisite beam of light. But before Sora was overcome with the force of everything, he turned to look at Riku one last time. His expression was strained and his knees were seconds from buckling under the weight, but he smiled at Riku, truly smiled without fear, doubt or regret.
Take care of her!
Sora became one with the light, vanishing right in front of their eyes. Riku could still sense him despite that. He could feel him soaring through the sky with a smile, hear him laughing as he combined with a force that was so like him.
The two joined together and bathed the world in an immense flash of light. When it cleared, Kingdom Hearts shone a pure, mesmerizing blue.
It was unlike anything Riku had ever seen.
Kingdom Hearts had been transformed.
Kingdom Hearts... was new.
This was a low point in Sora’s life. Did he have a life anymore? … It was a low point in his existence. Kairi wouldn’t stop crying, no matter how hard he tried to assure her that everything would be fine. The tears that fell down her cheeks and pooled at her chin dropped into the ocean below and made ripple after ripple. Sora felt absolutely awful.
“Kairi, I’m sorry.” Sora held her hands tightly, happy to see that she looked like herself now but saddened that the truth had to come out now.
“I can’t believe… you and Riku would—would—!” Kairi sobbed and the sound nearly made Sora fall apart. “Y-you two promised! You said we’d always be together!”
“And we will be!” Sora stressed. He squeezed her hands, trying to get her to look at him, but she refused. “Kairi, we’ll be closer than ever before. We already are, can’t you feel it?”
Kairi snatched her hands away, taking a few steps back and glaring at Sora. “The only thing I feel is—is betrayed! And lied to! And—!” She summoned her keyblade and threw it just so she’d have some way to vent her frustrations. It landed a good ways away, a large ripple forming in the water from the contact.
Sora put his hands on his hips. “I know this isn’t the time or place, but you’ve got a good arm, Kairi.”
Kairi turned to him in disbelief. “How can you be so calm about this?”
It was a good question, but Sora didn’t have the time to go into detail about his thought process or the feeling he had deep in his heart about the incoming threat. He only had minutes with Kairi in the Final World to convey his thoughts and feelings in a few sentences.
“You remember that letter you wrote me?” Sora asked. He waited for Kairi’s hesitant nod before continuing. “I’ll never forget it. You saved us, Kairi. You’ve always been there for us.”
“I had to be,” Kairi said, wiping her eyes. “You two are such idiots sometimes.”
Sora laughed genuinely. “Yeah, we are. But you remember what it said, right?”
“Of course I remember!” Kairi grumbled, sounding hurt that Sora would think that she wouldn’t.
Sora smiled sheepishly, taking a look around the Final World. The water reminded him of the realm of darkness, the finality that he and Riku had felt and the acceptance that they'd both fade into the darkness together. “My favorite part was the end, and that’s the part you have to focus on.”
“The end…?” Kairi whispered, her eyes looking this way and that as she recited the letter in her head.
“Yeah,” Sora nodded. With a quick step, he moved closer to Kairi, brushing her bangs to the side so he could see her eyes clearly. “Remember? There are so many worlds out there, but they share the same sky. One sky…”
Kairi smiled, soft and wounded. It matched the pain in her heart. “One destiny.”
He didn’t have time.
As the pillar of light faded and the smoke cleared the platform, Riku ran.
He ran to the same exact spot Sora had stood and raised the χ—blade over his heart. It was heavy and Riku’s arms shook from the weight of it.
“Where’s Sora?” He heard behind him. It was Goofy. Always the smartest out of their little trio.
Light and Darkness. Light and Darkness. Balance. Control.
“Kingdom Hearts… it’s changed!” That voice was Aqua’s.
Riku had gone through hell and back. He’d fallen into the darkness and came out on the other side, changed, grounded and alive. He’d been possessed, taken advantage of, beaten, and he’d overcome it.
“Riku!” King Mickey shouted, loud enough that Riku flinched, nearly dropping the χ—blade. He steadied his grip, closed his eyes and focused on the two energies that swirled in his heart. He thought of Kairi and her sweet smile, of Sora and his warm light.
“I’m right behind you,” Riku whispered to himself, the tip of the blade touching his skin. There was nothing to fear, no worries in the back of his mind. Sora had flown to Kingdom Hearts, and Riku would fly into his arms.
King Mickey’s footsteps were behind him. The jingling of keychains and the sound of his name were the last things he heard before the χ—blade pierced his skin.
The light was too bright. It engulfed him, washed over him, and permeated him. Sora was shattered and reconstructed, once, twice and then a third time. Tears fell down his cheeks as he wondered where the warm, all-encompassing light he’d felt just moments ago had gone.
He closed his eyes, wishing for darkness but all he saw were the distant stars of the worlds. One after the other they came to the forefront of his mind as if introducing themselves. They were going too fast and Sora had only a moment to touch their hearts before they were gone.
Keyblades. How were keyblades made? Light of the heart? Strength of heart? Somebodies and nobodies. Heartless and people. Light and Darkness. Opposites. Was that the heart of it all?
The very beginning, then fairytales, and then… the present. Sora absorbed it. He clutched his head in pain and screamed until his voice was raw, but he took all of the wisdom and knowledge he could.
A Station. That’s what it was called? A Station of Awakening. Dreams and nightmares. Awake or sleeping. Sora clenched his teeth as mysteries were solved and questions were answered. The light wasn’t as bright now. Or… maybe he’d gotten used to it. He opened his eyes and was entranced by the beauty of it.
This was Kingdom Hearts. Beautifully dangerous and oh, so powerful. Connections ran through it by little strings of light that tied everything together. At the center, the heart of all worlds rested.
Sora wiped the tears from his face and concentrated. He placed both of his hands on his chest and readied his heart. It was such a small thing. A ball of light that held so much in it. As his eyes unfocused and his body grew lethargic, he let the light pull him toward the center. The strings of lights pulsated with life and Sora held out his hands, holding the most important part of himself. Unsteadily, he pushed his heart forward to connect with the center.
As the two hearts touched, Sora’s world was bathed in a bright blue light.
Riku wasn’t surprised to see that the glass had changed again.
It was better this time. Much more him than before. He could close his eyes and see the previous stained glass Station’s as clear as day. When he was a child, before he opened the door, afterward and when… When he’d accepted himself.
He stared at his own sleeping face, the glass as beautiful as it was fragile. Sora, Kairi and King Mickey’s pictures formed a semi-circle around his head. His arms were outstretched and his head bowed. The coloring of the glass was new, and Riku chuckled as he looked at it.
One half was a pristine, perfect white, the other, a deep and thoughtful black.
Scattered about the Station were pieces of something. Riku could only guess what. With slow and careful steps, he walked to where two pieces were relatively close to one another. He picked them up delicately, holding them in the palm of his hand. Two pieces of shattered glass. One scorched with darkness and the other thrumming with light.
Riku stood and began collecting the other pieces. Some were larger than others and some were so small he nearly missed them. He gathered them in his hands and stared. There were twenty pieces exactly. Seven of light, thirteen of darkness.
Riku felt a little silly for not figuring it out sooner.
It had always bothered him, how uneven it was. Would it make a difference if it were more equal? He looked to the line that divided his Station into light and dark. He thought of the new Kingdom Hearts that shined the same unique shade of blue as Sora’s eyes. If Sora could remake the heart of all worlds, then Riku could change the composition of the χ—blade.
With three pieces of dark glass in his hands, Riku focused. It was a technique he’d done time and time again. He focused on the meaning of light and darkness, their purpose and their presence. Riku closed his hands around the pieces and focused. With a calm mind and an open heart, he returned the darkness to light.
Riku opened his palm and three glistening pieces of glass light were there waiting for him. He felt a sense of pride at his accomplishment, placing the three new pieces of light to join the others.
The pieces needed to be united again, but Riku wasn’t sure what shape it had originally. There weren’t enough pieces for it to form a keyblade, so what was it? Riku bit his lip, looking around his Station for some kind of clue. The χ—blade, now made of ten pieces of light and ten pieces of darkness. The only way to unlock…
Riku quickly kneeled and lowered the pieces right above his own stained glass picture. He arranged the pieces in a general shape, but found that some pieces were drawn to others. They’d move on their own, white to white, black to white, or black to black. Once all of the pieces were in place, Riku sat back and examined his work.
How fitting. A heart.
It was split precisely down the middle. Light on one side, darkness on the other. The cracks filled and a light shined to signify its completion. Riku held it gently in his hands, wondering just what to do to make it… official, he supposed. He was already at the Station, what more did he need to do?
The glass heart pulsated and at the same time, the glass of the Station shifted. Riku stood quickly, looking down at his own face and those of the people he cared about. Nothing had changed that he noticed, but another pulse drew him to the center of the Station.
With trembling hands, he placed the glass heart in the exact center of the platform. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but then the glass heart was swallowed by a pool of both light and darkness. It was absorbed into his Station, into his heart and immediately Riku felt a change.
Riku gasped in surprise, hands clutching his chest. He stumbled as if he’d gotten the wind knocked out of him. His feet tripped over themselves and he nearly fell off the edge of the platform. He kept his balance and took several calming breaths. He felt so different. Was it the power of the χ—blade? Or something else?
No… It was something more. A missing part of him had returned. Riku closed his eyes and saw the blue light of Kingdom Hearts. Saw the nine heroes who were shouting, running, asking questions and not getting any answers. He heard Sora’s laughter, louder and closer than ever.
Riku felt whole in a way he’d never felt before. Kingdom Hearts was there. Sora was there, right in his reach. He smiled and raised a trembling hand upward to the small spark of light he saw in the surrounding darkness of the dive.
“Sora,” he breathed, and the spark grabbed him and pulled him in.
A severe impact nearly had Sora colliding headfirst with Kairi. He stumbled forward, Kairi taking a few steps back as Sora doubled over.
“Sora?” She asked, touching his shoulder.
He couldn’t think. He couldn’t speak. It took everything just to breathe.
“Sora, what’s happening?” Kairi helped lower him to the ground. He felt her light, as radiant as she was but there was something else there. Something that’d gone missing and had so suddenly returned. A magnificent energy that Sora felt in his soul. It was right and amazing and Sora loved it.
“Riku,” he whispered quietly. He looked up at Kairi with tears in his eyes. “It’s Riku. Riku’s here.”
“Really?” Kairi smiled. She gripped his shoulders. “Wait, isn’t that bad? Is he…?”
Sora shook his head, laughing as he felt Riku’s presence grow stronger and stronger. “No, no, he’s not. He’s... hold on.” Sora stood up, invigorated by the thought of seeing Riku, his other half, his light in the darkness. “I’ll bring him here.”
He took a few steps forward, stretched out his hands and pulled on Riku’s string. It was the closest to him, but Kairi’s was right behind. Sora laughed and cried hysterically because he could feel it. The darkness and light that had been broken and pieced back together in a brilliantly brand-new way. It was completely balanced, just like Riku himself.
Sora pulled, each tug bringing Riku closer to him. Riku was a shooting star. He sped across rooms of light and darkness, keyholes, and sleeping dreamers. Sora saw it all and once Riku breached the sky of the Final World, Sora held his arms open, wide and waiting.
Riku flew into his embrace, wrapping his arms around Sora’s shoulders. Sora spun them around with the momentum from the fall. They were crying and laughing and with a tilt of his head, they were kissing. Sora kissed him with everything he had. With all the words and feelings he should’ve told him before.
Sora could feel Riku in a way he’d never been able to. Their hearts were connected. Their beings were connected. He could feel every beat of Riku’s heart, every inhale and exhale. Sora kissed him again, earnest and loving. The two of them fit together so well. It was meant to be.
Riku pulled back, standing on the sea with a lovely smile. “Sora,” he said breathlessly.
“Riku,” Sora whispered, grinning from ear to ear. “We did it, Riku!”
Riku kissed him again, simple and sweet. “Yeah, we did.”
“Riku!” Kairi came running toward them, pushing Sora out of the way and jumping into Riku’s arms.
Riku spun her around, cradling her head in his hand and smiling. “Kairi!” He gasped, his laughter soothingly beautiful. “I should’ve known you’d be alright. You’re the strongest out of all of us.”
“Damn straight,” Kairi bragged. Riku set her down and her relieved smile turned to one of anger. “Which is why I’m pissed you two didn’t talk to me about your big plan!”
Riku took a step back. He glanced at Sora and then back to Kairi. “That’s on Sora.”
Sora gawked at him. “Riku, seriously?!”
Riku stared wide-eyed back. “It was your idea!”
“I don’t care whose idea it was!” Kairi yelled, her arms crossed. “You could’ve at least told me. I could’ve done something to help!”
“You’ve already done more than enough,” Sora spoke up. He placed a reassuring hand on Kairi’s shoulder. “‘Sides, since you’re the toughest one of us, I need you out there protecting the worlds.”
Kairi looked at Sora curiously. “Protect the worlds?”
Sora nodded. “Yeah. Riku can help, but he’s gotta be more careful, now.”
Riku raised an eyebrow. “I do?”
“Yup!” Sora smiled and crossed his arms. “No reckless stunts!”
Kairi furrowed her brows in thought, weighing Sora’s words as she placed a hand over her heart. “That’s funny, I’ve never… I’ve never traveled the worlds freely before.”
“You haven’t,” Sora agreed. He leaned forward and rested his forearm on Kairi’s shoulder. “I think its way past time for you to have your own adventure, right Riku?”
“Way past time,” Riku replied.
Kairi smiled and it meant everything to Sora. “I wanted you two to come with me…”
“We’ll be right beside you,” Riku said, wrapping an arm around her. “Every step of the way, we’ll be there.”
“We’re closer than ever,” Sora told her. Kairi’s eyes met his and his determination and certainty was matched. Kairi could feel it, too. Their bond was stronger than ever, but there was something he could do to remind Kairi of that so she would never doubt it.
“Lemme see your keyblade!” Sora said, holding his hands out and making a ‘gimme’ motion with his fingers. Kairi rolled her eyes but obliged him, summoning Destiny’s Embrace and giving it to him.
It was pure light, a manifestation of fond memories, seashells, sandcastles and first meetings. Sora closed his eyes and poured himself and Riku into it. Sky, land and sea. One side of the hilt was as blue as the sky above them, the other side as calming as the ocean they stood on. The sky and sea swirled and looped around the shaft, which was grounded and strong. The teeth of the keyblade were the stars they’d gazed at every night on the Islands. The keychain was the same. Sora didn’t see a reason to change it.
It was a symbol of the three of them and Kairi would carry it with her always. In her heart and in her hands.
Sora sighed, sounding tired and he was after everything he’d gone through. “There. I know I didn’t change much, but it’s literally the strongest—”
“I love it,” Kairi said, taking the blade in her hands. She cradled it against her chest, her eyes closing as she searched for their connection. It was there, strong and true. “Sora, it’s perfect. Thank you.”
Sora smiled. “Thank you, Kairi.”
Their time together was running short. It was dangerous for Kingdom Hearts to be open for so long. A glance at Riku and Sora knew he was thinking the same thing. He moved between them, taking Riku’s hand in his left and Kairi’s hand in his right. “You guys… are everything to me.”
Riku brought Sora’s hand up to his mouth to kiss and Kairi laughed, but it was shaky and sad. “We feel the same,” Kairi sniffed.
Sora couldn’t take anymore tears. “Hey, no crying, Kairi!” He said as tears fell down his cheeks. “I’m not sending you two back until I see some smiles!”
Riku chuckled, but his voice broke and Sora nearly fell to his knees at the sight of a tear falling from Riku’s eye. “Easier said than done.”
It was Sora’s fault. His fault that the tears wouldn’t stop and everything was changing, so Sora did the only thing he could think to do. He started to laugh. He pulled on Riku’s hand and began to spin them in a circle. Kairi followed along, nearly tripping over her own feet before she caught herself.
They spun around and around, and as Sora’s laughter grew louder it became contagious. Riku followed him, his chuckles melting Sora’s heart and Kairi’s giggles sending him over the moon. They kept spinning, laughter filling the Final World as their footsteps created ripple after ripple in the ocean below.
Their circle kept spinning and spinning as one of them disappeared
Then two kept spinning, laughing and smiling until another one followed.
The laughter died down to silence as one was left behind.
Riku carded his fingers through Sora’s hair. It felt slightly different. He didn’t care. It was the thought that counted and Sora leaned into his touch as if nothing had changed. “I love you,” Riku murmured against his cheek.
Sora opened his eyes, cerulean blue filled with stars and galaxies. “I love you more.”
Riku shook his head. “Impossible.”
“Very possible!” Sora argued. He was pouting and Riku pinched his cheek. “It’s possible and I would know because I know everything now.”
“Do you?” Riku pressed, kissing the thumb Sora held against his lips. “Do you know everything?”
Sora winced. “Well… I’m workin’ on it.”
Riku laughed under his breath. He took Sora’s hand in his own and intertwined their fingers. “It’s not like you’re pressed for time.”
“I know,” Sora said, looking sheepish. “It’s the same for you, though.”
Riku hummed, pulling on Sora’s hand until they were close together. “I don’t mind living forever if I’m with you.”
Sora snickered, leaning upward and moving even closer until their noses touched. “I feel the same way about you, Riku!”
Their lips pressed together and the darkness they’d been floating in transformed into light. Sora cupped Riku’s cheeks. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora and held him tight. Their kiss was more than just them and yet at the same time that was all it was. They were in tune, perfectly synced together as the door finally closed.
Riku sealed Kingdom Hearts with a kiss.
They floated down to the surface with their hands joined and their smiles true. The Keyblade Graveyard was as dusty and depressing as ever but the sight of their friends was welcome. Kairi touched ground first and Riku was right behind her. Instinctively, they both turned to look behind them toward the sky. The massive amount of clouds blocked out the sun. The heart-shaped moon they were looking for was nowhere to be seen. Riku could hear King Mickey’s voice as well as Aqua’s and the distinct quacking of Donald. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining everything to them.
“He’s still here,” Kairi spoke suddenly. She turned and looked up at Riku, swinging their hands back and forth. “We just can’t see him.”
Riku smiled. “Out of sight but not out of mind.”
Some would argue that not being able to see Sora was just as bad. That his smile and his bright blue eyes were what set him apart. They were right, but there was more to Sora than just that. He was a warm summer day, the sweet tangy taste of a paopu fruit, the feeling of wet, warm sand. He was a kind hand brushing Kairi’s bangs out of her eyes. He was a sweet kiss that swept Riku off his feet.
Sora was so much to so many people, and now he was everything to everyone. He was the heart of all hearts, the world of all worlds. He was Kingdom Hearts.
And Riku would protect him.