It was once again the end of the day, the sun sinking behind the dunes in a hazy red, the water lapping the shore with a sound like whispering. It could be slightly creepy, if you really thought about it, but Sora's imagination didn't take that course. He loved this time of day, when everything was peaceful, quiet and still on the island, most either gone home, or taking late walks along the paths of the neighborhoods. The sun dancing across the water made him feel calm, the smell of the salty waves in his nose, a cool breeze ruffling his hair. He'd taken to wearing it longer, his iconic spikes shaggy and floppy. He liked it, but general feedback was mixed.

Here, on the play island they'd claimed so long ago as their own, though things had grown smaller as they grew older, it was still a haven for reflection when life got too hectic.

Which was all too often these days, he thought, sourly. With high school finishing up, Riku talking more and more about moving to the South end of the island, Kairi always working on her burdening Gummitube beauty and health channel, Sora often felt left in the dust, confused and annoyed at how simple life became after saving the whole world. Everyone was content to just move along, like it wasn't anything important anymore. Even though Ienzo did chat with him sometimes on the Gummi phone, King Mickey was too rushed to speak most days, which Sora understood, of course, despite the twinge in his heart at the dismissal.

Lately, even though he knew those bonds would never change, never die so long as he was alive, he felt distant from the others: Donald, Goofy, Mickey, and so many others. He couldn't keep track of them these days, beyond the few who had opened social media pages, posting about accomplishments and life goals. Weddings, births, and the odd sad passing crossed his feed, with only a like button and comment system between him and those he'd grown close to.

He shook his head, then, these thoughts growing too thick in his head: he'd been doing that a lot lately, having weird thoughts. Life sometimes didn't feel real. He supposed that was a part of growing up: he wasn't a 15 year old kid, happy assing across different worlds, swinging a big key like it was an action movie or something, taking out evil with youthful vigor.

He could still summon the Keyblade, if he rested, and really tried his hardest, but there was little call for it these days, beyond just to prove to himself he still could.

Sora swallowed thickly, and watched the waves, lost in his memories.

He'd been planning this trip for a long time: Sora had no idea, despite keeping it a secret being a royal pain. The last time they'd met properly, Sora had been 12, himself 19. The age gap was still a reach they had trouble crossing sometimes, but Sora had been on adventures he couldn't fathom, seeing things he couldn't imagine. It was a lot to process, honestly, with his own life being so stuffy and quiet.

There'd be a lot to discuss once he arrived.

He leaned on the rails of the ship, watching the sun bleed across the water, red drifting away on the waves. It really was beautiful.

Many worlds, one sky, Sora had said once. He didn't know what it meant then, but now, he was pretty sure he had an idea.

"People are starting to talk some," Isa said one afternoon, as he and Lea walked back from Tram Common, loaded grocery bags in their hands. It felt like every week they needed more food, just to keep Roxas and Xion full. Teenagers, after all, needed those calories.

"Talk, huh?" Axel drawled, eyeing a passing woman, as if she had been one of the talkers. She frowned, and walked a bit faster, less from being truly guilty of talking about them behind their backs, more from simply being weirded out by Axel's piercing stare.

"Talk, yes. About us." Isa frowned, looking at the concrete as they walked. "...some rather...different implications. I didn't tell you before because I didn't want you angry."

"Oh, what, they sayin' we're a couple again?" Axel chuckled, used to the accusation by now. Not that he had anything against couples of any sort, he liked seeing people be happy. It just wasn't what was going on right then.

"No..." Isa's tone was a bit icy, which Axel noted for later perusal. "...they wonder who Xion and Roxas are. They talk about failed marriages, and wedlock."

"Oh, is that all," Axel huffed. Inside, he was greatly annoyed by this: people couldn't ever stop, could they? Always had to gossip about things they didn't like or understand. Idiots.

Outwardly, he slapped Isa on the back, jokingly, offering a grin. "Honestly, who cares? Let 'em talk. We're good dads to 'em, and that's all that matters in the long run, right?"

"...dads?" Isa asked, eyebrow raised.

"Been a Nope too long, Isa, forgotten how to react to things," Axel quipped, smirking at Isa's frown.

'Nope' was a slang Axel had invented all on his own, to refer to the Nobodies as a whole. He considered it a good idea to not mention the Organization aloud, or mention any of it where listening ears could catch it. For their own safety.

"Anyways," Isa went on, as if this hadn't happened at all, "their break is ending soon. They'll be back to classes."

"That's a relief," Axel replied, as they turned into Market Heights, the shops along the gentle slop closing down as afternoon came to an end. The skies slowly deepened red, the sun slipping behind the distant hills, the low orange glow of night coming on. After so much time spent in a world of permanent darkness and rain, the never fully dark town was odd for Axel to adjust to at first, but slowly he grew used to it. Twilight Town never truly got dark, with the nights resembling deep dusk, before the twilight of a new day began again.

"I suppose," Isa said, mildly, as the sound of the tram's horn echoed from above. They only had a few minutes to get on the late afternoon tram before it left for the day.

That night there was a small party on board, with wine, food and dancing all across the top deck. He attended, out of politeness to the ship captain, but declined to drink or mingle too much. He sat at a small table by the deck railing, watching the waves roll by under the bow of the ship, thinking. There was a lot to figure out, a lot of responsibilities coming he wasn't ready for just yet.

His friends would stand by him, of course, like that always did, no matter what he decided, but he felt that wasn't going to be enough this time. Something felt very strange, like the future wasn't exactly the shining one he had always imagined.

He shook his head at this, frowning: what was the matter with him? Why the doom and gloom out of nowhere, huh? He was fine, the guys were fine, and he was going to be married in less than a month. That in and of itself was a lot to take in, but he'd always felt before it was under control. Now?

A waitress offered him a glass of wine, and this time, shocking himself, he accepted it.

The pleasant buzz filled his head, as he watched the waves cresting, the horizon in the distance faintly glowing from the cities there. He'd been at the islands soon enough, he thought. It had been far too long since his last visit.

In the morning, Sora all but walked through his classes, earning a detention. He'd been at the islands late into the night, watching the horizon for any incoming ships. All for nothing. Not even a passing fish school.

And now, yawning, Sora slumped through the hall, bookbag dragging behind him, dangling from his hand by one strap. His feet shuffled, and he was pretty sure his shoes were scuffed, but he didn't care. He thumbed open his school blazer, leaving the building in a haze, blinking at the late afternoon sun.

He waved tiredly to a few friends, but declined any actual conversation: Tidus had run over with something, shirtless as usual, sports bang flinging around on his shoulder, but Sora had cut and run, citing a doctor's appointment.

Tidus was an okay guy, but after he joined the sports team, started dating, and had that thing with Wakka (Which might've dealt with dating, no one was really sure, and neither of them would say), Tidus was almost completely insufferable, only wanting to discuss his time in runs and football games. Sora wasn't interested right now.

Riku and Kairi were nowhere to be seen, which wasn't at all surprising anymore: Sora only saw Kairi on weekends, and Riku...

Riku was at the point he was in some denial of the past, refusing to talk about the adventures they'd been on, the battles. He'd lost the powers of the Keyblade, despite keeping in touch with Mickey and Yen Sid on social medias, and had honestly changed as a person. After all that had happened, to just let the past go not even a year later was very odd, but Sora understood in someway.

They were just kids, after all, kids with far too much power at their disposal, fighting battles no one could even dream of. Riku just wanted to live his life as normally as possible now, and that was understandable.

Kairi didn't refuse to talk about things, and had kept in close contact with several princesses, but Sora had felt a shift in her, too. She was so focused on her online persona, and keeping close track of the munny she made from it. She'd been absent twice this week already.

He shook his head, and trudged to the tram stop, ticket in hand. He'd go home and change, do what ever homework was desperately pressing, then go back to the island to watch the seas until night fell.

He wished everything would move faster.

He woke early, and did some stretches in his room, hitting his knees on the dresser. The place really wasn't set up for working out, but he needed to keep in some shape. Looking himself over in the mirror, he was shocked to see how much he'd bulked since the last time he'd bothered to really check: his stomach had tightened, his skin tanned from running. His hips were slender, chest more prominent. It was progress, without looking too buff. He didn't want to look like one of the guards back home, all rippling muscle and thick neck, but he needed to keep himself in good condition.

God knows he'd heard enough about it.

Pulling on a light sweater, he went above deck, nodding to the few people out this early: the sweater was soon discarded, leaving him in his undershirt, as the heat washed over him. They were definitely reaching the islands, the tropical heat already thick even this far out at sea.

He asked several of the crewmen, and got the same vague answer of being there in a few hours, but positively reaching them before the night fell. It would have to do.

Sora rubbed his temples, a headache hovering on the fringes of his mind: trig was not his friend, even after three years. He sighed, throwing down his pencil, and looking out the window: he could just see the islands if he craned his neck, and the sea around it. Nothing...

Wait... there, on the very distant horizon... a boat.

Sora was on his feet almost at once, grabbing his shoes and running down the stairs, tripping and falling as he pulled them on. The familiar yellow sneakers were torn and faded now, once lace snapped off a long time ago, but he couldn't bring himself to get rid of them. He wore them around the house, and to the island.

"Sora?" His mother called, as Sora ran by. "Dinner's almost-"

"I'll be back, ma! He's here!" Sora called back, slamming the door on his way out. His mother sighed, rubbing her temple. "Of course he is... only been eight years."

She checked the oven timer, making sure the meatloaf wasn't going to burn, and thought back to when she'd met Sora's father... and her other son's father. It was decided he would live with his father, while she took Sora and moved to the islands of her childhood, raising him as best she could alone.

She sometimes wondered if she'd done a good job, when she remembered the year Sora had been away, but that was often fuzzy in her mind. Sora had tried to explain it all, but she couldn't understand, and he couldn't tell her some things due to a "World Order" rule. It was decided they both forget it, and Sora been on deep restrictions until high school ended. He was only allowed to go the play island alone.

The timer dinged: Sora was late for dinner again.

Sora's arms ached from rowing, and he deeply regretted not going with Riku's long ago idea to add a bridge to the island: he had to hurry, or he'd miss him.

He tripped on the beach, eating sand with a grunt: the sole of his shoe had torn through finally.

"Still as careless as ever, huh?" A voice asked, laughing. "You don't ever change, Sora."

He looked up, wiping sand out of his eyes irritatedly: there he stood, a smirk on his lips, bag gripped in his hand. No one else was with him, the boat slowly trailing away in the distance.

His older brother... Noctis.

Noctis shook his head, offering his free hand to Sora. "You gonna make it home, or fall into the ocean first?" He teased.

"Hey, I'm here at least!" Sora griped, letting Noctis haul him back up. "My shoe split, it wasn't my fault."

"Sure, sure," Noctis chuckled. "Anyway...it's great to-"

He was cut off, a gasp involuntarily coming from his throat: Sora was latched on in a hug, his head only hitting Noctis' chest. He sometimes forgot how long it had been, seeing how tall Sora was now; the last time he'd been here, Sora only reached his hip.

"...I missed you, idiot," Sora murmured, sniffing. "You never call or email."

Noctis gently hugged Sora, guilt washing over him. "I know... I don't have an excuse. Dad keeps me busy these days..."

"Why?" Sora looked up, suspicion on his face. "...wait...is it..?"

"Yeah...in a few weeks. Luna and I are gonna be married."

Sora's whole face lit up, and he bounded away, fist pumping into the air. "That's great! That's amazing news, No-"

Down he went again, the sole of his shoe flapping like a bird wing. Noctis stifled a laugh. "Alright, alright... calm down before you break something. Let's head home, okay? Mom's probably mad at you for missing dinner."

"I didn't!" Sora protested, coughing.

"You always do," Noctis shot back, hands on his hips, a smirk on his face.

The two rowed back to the islands as the stars came out, a full moon rising over the waves. As Sora watched, a star fell across the skies, trailing slowly. He thought back to the last time he'd seen shooting stars, and frowned.

"Somethin' bothering you?" Noctis asked, wiping a runner of sweat off his face.

"Uh...no, just thinking about mom's meat loaf," Sora lied, chuckling. Noctis' stomach growled then, and they both laughed, as the street lights came on up and down the island, trails of smoke curling from chimney's. It would be Summer soon, a time for journeys and adventures, destinies unfolding.

All was well... for now.