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Like the snap of a finger, Sora opened his eyes from a deep, empty blackness to a blindingly bright light. Wincing, he groaned and shaded his eyes, but his sight remained blurry, everything around him nothing but amorphous blobs of color. Where...? He heard voices, but they too sounded muffled. It was so hard to think, like his whole existence was underwater looking up to the surface.
“—ra.” A shape came closer, bending down to his level until it was all Sora could see. Dark blue. Light gray.
“Huh...?” Blinking rapidly, the shape became a silhouette haloed by the sun—then a person kneeling in front of him—and then, the person had a face. Brilliant aquamarine eyes under silver, furrowed brows. He would know those eyes anywhere.
“Sora?” The man placed a gentle but firm hand on Sora’s shoulder, and it surged through Sora’s nerves like lightning. The world obtained weight and clarity and Sora could finally focus on his best friend.
“Riku...?” Sora asked, and the man smiled in reply. It was all Sora could do to stare, awestruck. Sora’s heart chanted Riku, Riku, Riku, but he looked so different. His hair was long again, pulled back into a low-set tie that let the hair fall over his shoulder. And was that... a hint of stubble, on his chin? Otherwise his skin was clear and bright, face a little longer, jawline a little sharper.
He looked older.
Riku waved a hand in front of Sora’s eyes, still grinning. “Haha, you okay, Sora? She got you good.” Without waiting for a reply, he cupped Sora’s jaw and tipped his chin up before placing a quick kiss on Sora’s forehead.
“Wha...?” Sora touched the spot he’d been kissed daintily, staring at Riku with wide eyes. It tingled.
“I’m so sorry, Master Sora!” Dazed, he looked toward the sound. A girl who looked to be around Sora’s age ran up to him, panting. She bowed so deep her dark brown hair flipped forward. “I didn’t mean to!”
“Uh...” Sora looked between Riku and the girl, who stared back expectantly. He felt like a group of Yellow Opera had all struck him at once; shocked didn’t begin to cover it. He looked at Riku as if he held all the answers. Was this a dream?
Riku met his gaze. His expression shifted from amusement to concern immediately, eyes now roaming him in sincerity, but it only reminded Sora that he’d been kissed. He couldn’t speak and couldn’t look at Riku anymore, ears hot.
The next thing Sora heard, Riku said, “I’m gonna take him to the Grand Master. You keep practicing Thundara; don’t let me catch you slacking off when I come back.”
Grand Master? Sora looked up.
“Ye-yes, Master!” The girl stood up straight, bowed rigidly, and trotted off.
Sora didn’t watch her go because Riku had bent down and outstretched his hand. “C’mon, let’s get you checked out—again.”
He nodded without thinking, blinking up at him and took in his soft smile and his expectant hand. Had Riku always smiled like that...? It sent Sora’s heart into his throat and his head spinning. Ugh, what was going on, and what was this feeling? Who was the girl? Where were they? For a moment, the Riku he recognized—short hair, dark blue jacket, white shirt, and black-gloved hands—entered his mind, and without another thought Sora took his hand and let him pull Sora to his feet.
Riku began walking ahead, but didn’t let go of Sora’s hand. Sora’s feet followed of their own volition as his head was still out of service. Riku’s hand was warm and gentle, but calloused and firm. Was that really Riku’s hand? But the longer he looked at their hands together, Sora realized his own was different, too. Was that a scar on his thumb’s knuckle? When did he get that? Sure, he didn’t catalogue every scratch he got—couldn’t, with how many he acquired since obtaining the keyblade—but he was sure he would have noticed this one...
And looking down at their hands, beyond them was grass green and long, with small purple, white, and pink wildflowers peeking through the blades. This wasn’t Destiny Islands or the Mysterious Tower, so where were they?
It was then that Riku outstretched his free hand, and the sound of large, heavy doors opening caused Sora to look up. They approached a set of stairs heading straight up to two large, white doors heavily embellished with gold. They swung open untouched, and Riku put his hand down by his side again. Sora knew this place—had been here not too long ago, when Master Aqua had transformed a mysterious castle into this towering, cathedral-like structure.
But... it wasn’t The Land of Departure—at least, not how Sora remembered it. For one, Sora remembered only a single arched row of rectangular structures that were held up by golden chains. Yet here, the pillars underneath had been restored, and many identical rows fanned out above the bottom one. It was breathtakingly beautiful and impossible.
Something tugged on his hand, and Riku asked, “Sora?” When Sora didn’t respond, he stepped off the stairs and stood in front of him.
Sora looked between The Land of Departure and Riku, both recognizable and yet so... changed, amazing, and otherworldly.
“Hey, uh, Riku...?”
“Yeah?” His voice, low and soft, made Sora aware of just how close he was. Sora inadvertently gasped as Riku took Sora’s other hand, bringing their hands together in between them. Sora struggled to settle on a thought, his stare darting between their linked hands and Riku’s eyes. Why was Riku acting this way? Why was Sora’s heart beating so hard and fast? Was this for real? If so, how?
Instead, the question that came out was, “...Is it really you, Riku?” His own voice, quiet, unsure, and yearning, surprised him. As soon as the words slipped out, his throat tightened and he inexplicably felt on the verge of tears. If Riku said no, Sora felt like something within him would shatter.
Riku’s eyebrows jumped up toward his hairline. He searched Sora’s face, and Sora wished he could turn away and hide it; it wasn’t that he didn’t want to be vulnerable around Riku—he was the one person Sora felt like he could be himself around—but that he felt like he’d opened his own Pandora’s Box, but couldn’t see what had been released.
Riku squeezed their hands then took a step back. “Of course it’s me, you goof,” he said, but there was a seriousness in his eyes that betrayed his teasing. “C’mon, Aqua will fix you up.”
Aqua. So she was here, too. Riku guided Sora inside the building and through a maze of halls. The interior looked the same as Sora remembered, the half-marble, half-golden walls still evoking such grandeur that Sora felt out of place. But Riku, clad in long, elegant robes, so tall and steps so sure, fit in perfectly.
Eventually, Riku stopped outside a room and rapped his knuckles against the door. A sweet, familiar feminine voice said, “Come in.”
The doors opened by themselves again, and Riku and Sora stepped into the room. It was strikingly similar to Yen Sid’s study in the Mysterious Tower, except most the walls were lined with shelves filled to the brim with books. The one wall without shelves instead held keyblades on display. Sora couldn’t help but stare. There were so many he hadn’t seen before, but some felt... familiar, like if he wanted he could summon them to his hand, like they were calling to him. But perhaps even more astounding were the keyblades he knew—the Kingdom Key, Oathkeeper, and Star Seeker rested on the walls like photos of old friends. And right next to Star Seeker rested Riku’s Way to Dawn, the tip still broken and jagged. Staring at it, Sora thought he would feel sad, but... the keyblade looked content there, exuding the proud light of a duty fulfilled.
Sora had to look away from it; it was overwhelming, and Sora didn’t like thinking about Riku in the Realm of Darkness, alone save Mickey— without Sora.
Instead, he turned his attention in the center of the room, where an ornate wooden desk sat, the top covered in papers and open books. Behind it, there was a chair that had to be Master Yen Sid’s, but Sora had no time to think about that as a woman with blue hair and kind, blue eyes stood from it.
“Grand Master,” Riku greeted, a friendly smile on his face.
Grand Master? Sora thought; it was the title Riku had said earlier, to the girl. The woman’s eyes lit up, an appreciative, if not a little amused, smile graced her lips. She held such elegance as she walked, her robes swaying gently as she leaned against the desk. “Master Riku,” she said, and Sora got the sense that she only said master to match Riku’s formality.
Then, her identity struck Sora like lightning. “Aqua, you’re Grand Master?” Sora blurted, letting go of Riku’s hand to approach her. “Wow, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!”
Yes, though her hair was longer and there were small smile lines around her eyes, it could be no one else. And, oh—had Sora grown? As he approached, he realized he was actually taller than her now by a couple inches. It was weird, but Sora figured stranger things had happened to him, so he pushed the feeling away. And anyway, whatever was going on, Sora didn’t need to worry now that both Riku and Aqua were here.
Aqua blinked and made a surprised noise. Sora looked at her expectantly (surely she’d tell him how she became Grand Master), but she glanced at Riku instead.
“He, uh... He got hit with Thundara and hit his head pretty hard, I guess,” Riku explained. I did? Sora thought. “You know how Kaze’s magic always seems to cause Confuse.”
Aqua snorted—actually snorted—and looked back to Sora. “You always take in the strange cases.”
“Um...” Sora replied, putting his hands behind his head. “I don’t really know what you guys are talking about, but this is so cool!”
For a fleeting moment, Aqua looked concerned. Riku joined Sora by his side, and Aqua and Riku had another silent conversation with their eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Sora asked.
Aqua turned back to him with a sharp, scrutinizing look. “Do you know your name?”
“Of course I do; it’s Sora.” Sora looked up to Riku, the start of a laugh on his tongue at the question, but Riku remained quiet, a serious expression on his face.
She exhaled in a huff of relief. “Okay, good. Do you know where we are?”
“Jeez, Aqua, what do you take me for?” Sora laughed, but it quickly trailed off when no one joined him. “It’s—it’s the Land of Departure, right? You guys really fixed up the place.”
Another concerned glance. Sora frowned in frustration. It’s not like he was wrong, so what was the problem?
“Sora...” Aqua started, carefully. Her brows were furrowed in thought. “Sora... How old are you?”
“Oh, that’s easy. Sixteen!” Sora reeled from their shocked expressions. “Err, I mean, I might be seventeen? I don’t really know how long I was in the abyss or anything, haha.” God, Riku’s eyes boring into him never failed to make Sora squirm; Sora looked around the room again, anywhere but back at his best friend.
Finally, Riku spoke, but it was to Aqua. “Is this... possible?”
Aqua replied, “Well, Young Master Xehanort once went forward in time, along with all the other vessels. Though, not quite like this.”
“Sora,” Riku called, and Sora immediately turned to him, drawn to the sound of his name on Riku’s lips. Riku reached out as if to touch his shoulder, but seemed to think better of it and pulled back. “Is that the last thing you remember, the abyss?”
Sora nodded slowly. “Um, sorta. I remember a huge city, and fighting Yozora, this guy from a video game. He—” Sora cut himself short; just the thought of the cold crystals that had encased him made him shiver involuntarily. This time, Riku did reach out. His firm but gentle hand on Sora’s shoulder drove the cold away, and Sora couldn’t help but close his eyes to let the warmth in his chest sink in.
When he opened his eyes, he felt strong again. “And then I woke up here! So you must have saved me, Riku!” Riku didn’t need to say anything; Sora knew. “Thank you!” Without another thought he put his hand over Riku’s, tilting his head to the side. Sora wasn’t sure what came over him—but it felt so nice, holding Riku’s hand, leaning into his touch.
Riku stared back, then sighed and smiled softly. “You don’t have to thank me. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Sora’s heart ached at the sincerity laced in Riku’s words, the little promises almost tangible in between the lines. Sora sucked in a breath, about to beg for the how and the why so much, for me?
But Aqua cleared her throat. “Sora, that... all that happened ten years ago.”
The joy he had felt popped like a bubble. Shivers ran through Sora again, settling in a heavy knot in his abdomen. “Ten... ten years ago?” He frantically looked to Riku, who nodded grimly. It was all Sora could do to just regulate his breathing, forcing it to remain steady. Flashes of waking from the big, white pod entered his mind, and he desperately tried to push away his fear. One year, Sora could handle... but a decade? No, no, he couldn’t have missed that much...
Aqua continued, “But, all this time, you’ve been with us normally. I believe this may have happened because in the abyss, you were outside of time and space.”
Riku nodded as if he understood, but Sora didn’t. He looked to Riku, not even trying to hide the panic in his expression. Riku explained gently, “We think your heart time traveled and found your older self.”
“My... older self.” He looked at his hands again, how they bore scars he didn’t remember and calluses he hadn’t earned. Swallowing, he looked back to Aqua, who was still shorter than him. He took a deep, steadying breath, and Riku gently squeezed his shoulder.
They had to be right. After all, Riku would never lie to him. “How do we get Sora back to his own time?” Riku asked.
Aqua tilted her head side to side in thought before replying, “Young Master Xehanort had a time limit when he traveled forward, so... it follows that Sora would naturally return to his time on his own. I also believe he will forget everything that happens while he’s here.”
Riku exhaled, relieved. Sora grinned up at him. “You hear that Riku? Everything’s just fine!”
“You would say that,” Riku said with a sigh, shaking his head, though he didn’t look displeased.
But Sora was hardly paying attention as an idea struck him. He jumped in place, forcing Riku to let him go, but Sora took his hand back in his excitement. “That means you can tell me everything, and it won’t affect the future or anything! Right?”
Riku glanced at their hands (Sora almost pulled away, because for some reason he felt embarrassed) and smiled again. “Your heart will remember, goof.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” It was true that Sora really didn’t know what he was talking about, but now that he could learn about the future, he wasn’t going to back down! He already knew that he, Aqua, and Riku were safe, and now that the fact had settled, he was so relieved. He needed to know about everyone else! “C’mon, Riku, tell me!”
Aqua chuckled, and Sora and Riku looked at her. “You two never change,” she said. Then, she stood, fingers trailing some of the papers on her desk. “Seems like things will run its course, so I really must get back to this.”
“Of course,” Riku said, ever respectful. “Sorry to have bothered you; I know you’re busy right now.”
She waved her hand. “I am, but you know I never mind a visit.” She smiled fondly at Riku. “Good luck with... that.”
“Thanks,” Riku replied, wryly.
“Thanks, Grand Master Aqua!” Sora said. “See you later!” When she waved, he turned back to Riku. “C’mon, show me around!”
Riku didn’t resist at all when Sora grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room.
“So, Xion went to live—?”
“Hi, Masters!” A pair of students waved to Sora and Riku in the hall, then turned to each other to not-whisper, “There they go again. Think we’ll get another night with no homework?”
Sora didn’t miss the way Riku glared at the wall or how his cheeks turned pink. Again, huh? Now that Sora understood the situation, he felt like he could roll with the punches like he normally did—and he’d be a liar if he said he wasn’t immensely curious what older Riku was like.
Grinning wide, Sora clinged to Riku’s arm. “Oh, do we do this often?”
Riku muttered, “Too often, that’s for sure.” Then he sighed, but didn’t look particularly upset.
“We’re both teachers?”
Riku stared down at him, glancing to where Sora held Riku’s upper arm. Sora lessened his grip, feeling a rush of blood to his face, but was too reluctant to let go, especially when Riku didn’t shrug him away. The contact made Sora’s stomach feel like he’d caged fireflies in there, and yet it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, Sora felt... happy. Sora had missed Riku so much; he couldn’t help but soak up his presence however he could.
“Yeah—we teach new Keyblade wielders. We created a course for graduation, and afterward, if they so desire, they can take advanced courses to become Masters.”
“Wo~ow,” Sora replied, amazed. They made all this? “So, do we, like, live here?”
Riku nodded. “Yep, we have a house over—” And then, he stopped.
We have a house? Sora thought he’d be more surprised, given that here was not Destiny Islands, and yet... Well, Sora hadn’t thought about the future much, since it was always uncertain and constantly derailed, but thinking about going back home permanently didn’t sit right. He wondered what his future self thought about it all, but he had to be happy—him and Riku were here, together, so Sora didn’t know what else he’d need.
He wondered what their house was like, but Riku kept going. “B-but we often go world-hopping on missions, much like... before,” he finished simply. Riku had slowed to a halt, and Sora followed suit. Sora felt like he was missing something, but with so much noise in his head—new facts and new sights and Riku—he couldn’t hold onto the feeling, instead stuck on a new thought.
When he looked up, Riku was eying him apprehensively, but for some reason that gave Sora the courage to ask, “Do we go... together? Or, are they solo missions?”
Sora wasn’t sure why the thought of going alone again was so... heavy. He’d had lonely nights, long missions, and longer searches, but he was fine, now, right? Still, he remembered being in the Final World with nothing but clouds and endless blue and shivered.
“I guess most of them are solo,” Riku bluntly answered, though he put a hand on his hip like he always did when he was thinking.
“Oh.” Shoot, Sora hadn’t meant to sound so disappointed. After all, this was the future, right? Future Sora probably didn’t mind. It was their normal, so it had to be right. Still he couldn’t help but look away, feeling a blush come on again.
Riku elbowed him, shaking him since Sora was still attached to his arm. “I want more missions with you, too,” he said—then took a step away like an afterthought.
Sora looked up so fast his neck threatened to cramp, but he didn’t care. “You...” The words died on Sora’s lips. As he stared up at Riku, he searched his face as if it held the key to whatever revelation Sora was so close to unlocking. Then, Riku snorted at Sora’s expression, and Sora got it. The difference between his Riku and this one was plain as day: this Riku was happy.
Sora cleared his throat this time, suddenly feeling like he’d seen something he shouldn’t—no, not shouldn’t. Something his heart wouldn’t forget. “You should tell me that—I mean, future me.”
Breath hitching in surprise, Riku paused before exhaling in a small chuckle. “You know what? I will. It’s a promise.”
Ugh, Sora felt relief like the promise was made to him, and his throat tightened. Elbowing Riku this time to hide that he was blinking back sappy tears, he said, “Don’t forget it.”
“That’s my line.”
“Yeah, so you have to remember for both of us.” Sora smiled up at him. It earned him a smile back. Their eyes met and Sora felt like time had stopped. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, fast and light. He blinked and took a step away.
“H-hey, you still haven’t shown me everything! Let’s get out of these hallways, they’re making me dizzy.”
Riku rolled his eyes in amusement, but did as he was asked. A couple twists and turns and snickering students later, they were outside again. Sora saw the Land of Departure with new eyes: the grass, the flowers, the sun, the marble columns—all seemed so much more brilliant now, knowing that it’d been revived by his friends’ efforts and was a home for light and magic and joy.
“C’mon, I wanna show you something,” Riku said.
Sora hardly heard it, he was so wrapped up in their surroundings, but he replied, “Yeah!”
The path to this mystery location required flight, but Sora found that he remembered and Riku had learned. Riku made Sora let go of his arm, but let Sora hold on to his hand as they lifted off the main island to smaller, floating ones all around. A better description for the islands would be floating boulders, but they had obviously been sculpted to be navigable. Some they passed already had students sitting on stone benches, chatting, writing, or simply sky-gazing.
They were quiet as they climbed and flew higher and higher, the islands becoming rougher and less traversed as they went. That suited Sora just fine, for once. Even though he wanted to take in this awe-inspiring future, he couldn’t stop his thoughts churning over and over and his heart from hammering curiously just from looking to Riku ahead of him. He’d never imagine that the most confusing part of the future would be himself.
“And we’re here,” Riku said.
They landed on a flat-topped boulder in the center of a cluster of smaller ones; this one had definitely been terraformed for visitors. But the flowers and vines were overgrown and allowed to be wild, and the stone bench Riku took them to was rougher than the perfectly formed seats before.
But Sora instantly understood why Riku had brought him here. It had a perfect view of a large waterfall, the water cascading down like a silk curtain to pool into a crystal clear rock pond. It looked exactly like the small waterfall on their Play Island. And just like the Play Island had a full view of the Main Island, so too did this spot have a perfect overhead view of the Land of Departure. This had to be Sora and Riku’s new Secret Place. Sora was so in awe, he hadn’t noticed when Riku let go of his hand and approached the bench. As Riku sat, a harsh glint of light caught in Sora’s eye.
“Wha—” Sora turned to Riku and searched, but found it quite easily. The sun caught and shone against Riku’s hand—his left ring finger, specifically, because he wore a ring.
A ring. As in a wedding ring.
If anyone had asked Sora what he felt in that moment, he couldn’t tell you. In one moment, Sora was standing, and in the next, Sora was sitting on the bench next to Riku, eyes wide open but unseeing.
“Sora, what’s wrong?”
Sora hardly heard him, the information coming to him like the faint echoes in caves, but as soon as it hit him, Sora felt like he’d been hit square in the chest with Blizzaga. “No-nothing!”
He glanced at Riku’s hand laid casually on his knee. It was still there. How had Sora missed this, until now? Sora looked away. “I just, uh, just noticed you have a... ring.”
Riku stiffened, hand curling into a fist.
“So I guess you’re... married, huh?” Riku didn’t reply. That was confirmation enough for Sora but, why did Sora feel so... sad? Why did his chest hurt? He cleared his throat as if that would push away the dread sinking in his stomach. “I-I’m happy for you.”
Riku sucked in a breath, shifting slowly to face Sora more.
Sora was nodding, but was unsure who he was convincing. “Yeah... That’s really great.”
He chanced to look up from his lap, but Riku was grimacing, rubbing the back of his neck. Why wouldn’t Riku say anything? And why wasn’t Sora happy for him? Of all the people in the universe, Sora wanted Riku to be happy the most—and Riku was happy, in this time. Despite that, Sora’s mind instantly supplied a roster of candidates—all their friends, acquaintances, even—and each person he imagined with Riku made Sora’s gut twist more than the last.
He hated it.
“Riku, who is it? Is it someone we know?”
A moment of silence passed, Sora’s hands curled into fists into his lap as he burned a hole in the ground with his tense stare. But then, Riku scoffed softly and Sora saw him relax out of the corner of his eye.
Sora glared up, inexplicably mad that Riku was choosing now of all times to mess with him, but—Riku was smiling at him, and it held none of the smirk he used when he was teasing. This smile was new. It practically radiated light, and his eyes were so pretty and bright and aquamarine. He was so gorgeous it stole Sora’s anger away, but left a unique despondency in its place. Sora bet Riku’s partner saw Riku smile like that every day. Sora wished... He wanted...
“Sora, look at your hands.”
Sora blinked, jolted from his spiralling thoughts. “My—my hands?” He outstretched them straight in front of himself, fanning out his fingers. They were the same as before—familiar and unfamiliar, scarred and calloused and strong—but then he saw it. A ring on his left hand. A gold band, encrusted with a dark but shimmering gem or stone of some kind.
“I—I don’t understand...”
Riku held out his own hand. “We match,” was all he said, but it told Sora everything.
Sora couldn’t believe it. In an instant, it was like the world was washed in color again. His heart fluttered in his chest so frantically it left him breathless. Snatching Riku’s hand, cupping it in between his own tightly, Sora felt words bubble out of him in a frenzy. “We-we’re married? We can do that?”
Of course, Riku laughed—another new yet familiar sound. It was his laugh for Sora. Still, Sora couldn’t help but pout and flush up to his ears, because hey, how was he supposed to know they could marry—
“Yeah,” Riku finally said, and it was music to Sora’s ears. “We did.”
Hearing the words from him made it settle, and the reality hit him hard and fast. They were married. And married people were couples. They were in love. And Sora wanted that.
It all made sense too fast, and Sora was crying before he could stop himself.
“Sora...?” Riku said, a note of panic in his tone, but all Sora could do was laugh thickly because of how wonderful this was, how obvious, how cruel that he’d have to eventually go back to his own time instead of staying here, and how wildly happy he was—didn’t know he could be.
He roughly sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand before chastising, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Riku. I was so scared, I thought you—!” He couldn’t even get the words out—it was too much at once.
Luckily, Riku seemed to understand, because he chuckled gently. “Oh?
And who did you think it was?”
“I don’t know!” Sora replied petulantly. “Every person I thought of didn’t feel right. No one knows you like I do.”
“You’re right.” Riku said it so simply, so matter-of-fact, Sora felt like he’d burst.
Married, Sora thought. Did that mean they’ve... kissed? He remembered the kiss Riku gave him earlier, on his forehead, and felt his face heat up. He’d completely forgotten about it in the chaos. Just the thought of kissing made Sora want to melt into the floor, but... well, it was a nice thought, too. Maybe Riku was Sora’s first kiss and—that thought was even nicer. Sora could kiss Riku when he returned to his own time— well, as long as it came to pass.
He realized he still held Riku’s hands in his own and slowly laid them to rest on his knee, biting his lip in thought.
“Hey, um, Riku?”
“Hmm?” Riku said, calm but interested.
Sora scooted a little closer on the bench, knowing his face was likely the color of a ripe tomato, but he was too far in to back out now. “C-can I, um...?” He inched closer until he was pressed up against Riku’s side. Riku stayed still, but open—waiting to see what Sora wanted. Sora cleared his throat when he laid his head on Riku’s shoulder.
“Of course.” Sora felt Riku place a kiss into his hair. It made him feel warm and fuzzy. Sora wondered if he was half in love already, or maybe this was what love felt like?
Riku’s side was warm, and Riku didn’t voice a single word of protest as Sora unfurled their hands and played with Riku’s fingers. It was calm in a way Sora hadn’t felt before. Serene. He felt like he could spend the rest of eternity right here, by Riku’s side. “Riku?”
“Hmm?”
Sora knew his questions were becoming a pattern, but this one was the most important. “Can you... tell me how to get this future?”
Riku didn’t respond right away. He shifted slightly, and when Sora glanced up at him, Riku was looking up at the sky thoughtfully.
Sora put his head back down, but tilted so he could look at the sky, too. It was cloudy, but picturesque and perfect, just like everything else in this future.
“Just keep being you,” Riku finally said, the certainty in his tone striking. “But—what about you; how do I know when I can be with you?” He felt strangely vulnerable asking, even knowing they were married, but
Riku’s constant, steady breaths calmed his nerves.
“Sora, you already carried my heart—even back then.” Eyes widening, Sora gasped quietly. “You mean...”
“Don’t tell past-me I said this,” Riku continued, joking, “but... I’ve been in love with you a long time—my whole life, really.”
And there went Sora’s heart again, fluttering like a hummingbird. But Riku continued, “So, keep following your heart. It will lead you here, if you want it to.”
If I want it to... Sora thought. His mind and heart were already made up; he did want this, wanted to protect this precious future and the Riku who was happy and married to Sora.
Sora found himself nodding again, more determined than he’d ever been in his life.
“Tell me more, about our lives—and stuff.”
And Riku did. He talked so much and so long that Sora drifted off to the deep timbre of his voice, his heart filled to bursting with the all-new yet profoundly familiar feeling he labeled love.
When Sora awoke, he opened his eyes from a warm, hazy dream to a blindingly bright light shining into his eyes.
“Sora!”
The light was Riku, kneeled in front of him. His hair had grown a little and his eyes shone so green against his pale skin, but it was Riku.
“Riku!” Sora cried, and started forward with his arms wide. Without a second thought he hugged Riku tight, overwhelmed with bliss that he’d never have to let go. “You’re safe, Riku!”
Riku scoffed in disbelief. “Isn’t that my line?” But Sora only hugged tighter, laughing in delight as Riku slowly hugged him back. It was only then, face turned into Riku’s neck, that he recalled his memories: Shibuya, the faceless man in the black coat, Yozora, and—Riku pulled away, but only enough to dig into his pocket. He brought out a silver chain with a crown on it. “Here.”
“Oh, my necklace!” Sora said, adjusting so that he could hold his hand out. Riku dropped it into his palm, but, looking at Riku’s hand, Sora felt something was missing.
Something—a memory? Hallucination? On Riku’s ring finger he saw a gold band. Sora’s breath hitched, but then he blinked, and it was gone. Huh, weird.
Wide-eyed, he looked up at Riku’s face, but Riku only looked apprehensive, not surprised. It must have been Sora’s imagination, but, whatever. He took the chain from his hand and hooked it around his neck, clipping it on effortlessly. The crown settled between his collarbones and Sora felt a little more right.
“Thanks for carrying it, Riku.” Sora beamed at him, ear to ear.
Shaking his head, Riku exhaled in relief. Sora could have sworn Riku’s cheeks were just a little more pink as he gently smiled. “D-don’t mention it.”