Those born of a far-off world
Burdened with knowledge of what lies beyond

"It still doesn't quite seem real, does it?" Alphonse remarked.

He and Edward sat together on the porch. The afternoon sun sat high in the sky, and the tall grass rustled in the wind. It was as peaceful a day as one could imagine. "Yes and no," Edward answered. "What happened feels real enough. It's just the implications that I'm trying to wrap my head around."

"It's a lot to take in," Alphonse continued. "There are whole other worlds out there – more than we can imagine. All those places, and all those people…all living their lives without knowing any of it."

"Well, now we know," Edward reminded him. "Not that it really matters. This last week is probably the only contact we'll ever get with the outside."

"Yeah, I know."

Alphonse paused. "We really won't see them again, will we?"

"They said it themselves – now that the Heartless are gone, there's no reason for them to come back. It's probably for the best."

"Yeah, I know. But it was kind of fun, having them around."

Edward shrugged. "They were interesting, that's for sure."

"Oh, come on! You're going to miss them too!"

Edward chuckled. "Maybe a little."

The door opened, and Winry walked onto the porch. "Lunch is ready," she said. "Grandma isn't going to be happy if you don't eat it while it's hot."

Edward stood up. "She's right. C'mon, Al – you can keep contemplating the universe after lunch."

Monarch of a quiet kingdom
The next step lies close at hand

Mickey reached into the drawer and pulled out a large crystal ball. It hadn't been that long since he'd used it, but even so, a thin layer of dust coated its surface. He brushed it off and placed it on top of the desk. He whispered a few words – hopefully, he remembered the spell right – and waited.

Slowly, the crystal's surface began to cloud, until it was impossible to see through to what was behind it. A face began to appear in the center. At first, it was too fuzzy to be recognizable, but it soon became unmistakable. It was a man's face, framed by a long gray beard and topped with a pointed hat. He was not a young man by any means, but his gaze carried an intensity that had not dimmed with time. "Master Yen Sid?" said Mickey.

"It is good to see you well," the man answered. "Tell me – what of the mission? Is the outer world safe?"

"It sure is. Sora and the others made sure of that."

Yen Sid nodded. "I assumed as much. The pathways to the world seem to be closing. If the Keyhole has been sealed, then it will soon be nigh unreachable. It should be safe from the Heartless."

Mickey was quiet for a moment. "Y'know, these outer worlds are kinda funny, aren't they? They're way off in the distance, witihout any ties to the worlds we know best. Sora said they couldn't even use magic in this one! I've never heard of anything like that before."

Yen Sid was silent for a while, deep in thought. "You know the tale of how these worlds were formed, do you not?" he said.

"Of course. There used to be just one world, but then the Keyblade War split them apart," answered Mickey.

"Precisely. But I wonder…were these outer worlds ever a part of the original world? Perhaps they have always existed alone."

"Is that possible?"

"Perhaps. But if that is the case, then it may be best for them to remain untouched. The fact that we could access them at all may have been an anomaly.

"But then why would they have Keyholes?"

"That, I cannot say. But for the time being, it will have to remain a mystery. I fear we have more pressing matters on our hands."

"Xehanort," murmured Mickey.

"As you know by now, he will have found his way back into existence through the destruction of both his Heartless and Nobody. Have you considered my proposal?"

"The Mark of Mastery?"

"Yes. Sora and Riku hold great power as is, but they will need more than that if Xehanort is to be stopped. They have succeeded in the task you have given them. Do you believe they are ready?"

"I do."

"And the Princess of Heart? She, too, wields a Keyblade."

Mickey shook his head. "She's not ready yet. But we shouldn't ignore her, either. She's not the type to sit and wait around forever."

"If training is what she requires, that could be arranged. But the Mark of Mastery is of the highest importance. I will begin preparations at once."

"Wait!" cried Mickey.

Yen Sid frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"You wanna get started right now? They just got home! Don't ya think they deserve some peace and quiet first?"

"Xehanort will not wait for us," Yen Sid reminded him.

"Of course, but can't we wait just a little bit?"

The old man sighed. "If you insist. I will give them as much time as the situation will allow."

Fragments of land upon an endless ocean
Rest, now, in the place you call home

Sora stayed on the beach a little longer than Riku and Kairi. Wanting time alone was unusual for him, but at that moment, he needed a bit of time to process things. These last several days had been more exhausting than he realized.

He kept coming back to what Winry had said, on that last train ride home. How long would he be needed, anyway? Would he really have to spend his whole life fighting the Heartless? It wasn't something he'd overlooked, but it wasn't something he'd really sat down and thought about, either. All he knew for sure was that things would never really be the same for him.

After thinking it over for a while, he walked down to the dock and climbed into his rowboat. For now, at least, he could relax. Worrying about the future could wait.

When he reached his house, he didn't even have to knock. His mother answered the door and hugged him tightly, and seconds later, his father joined them. "I'm so glad you're alright," said his mother, almost in tears.

The three of them pulled apart. "How long has it been?" asked Sora.

"It's been four days," his father answered.

That was less time than Sora remembered. Time wasn't the same between worlds, so this meant that Amestris moved faster than the islands.

Suddenly, someone came in from the next room over. She was a young woman, a little short, with a bit of a tan. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, framing a childlike face. "Sora?" she asked.

She ran up to him, beaming. "Out being a hero again, huh? Glad you're back in one piece."

Sora grinned. "That's all you have to say, Akemi?" he asked, crossing his arms in mock frustration. "It's been more than two years since I've seen you!"

Akemi's expression became a bit more serious. "It has been a while, huh?" she said, quietly. "I mean, I know you filled me in on everything, but it's still…"

She trailed off. "You don't look like a kid anymore. My little brother grew up, and I wasn't even there to see it."

At this point, their parents had left, leaving the two alone. Sora wasn't sure what to say, so it was Akemi who spoke next. "Hey, tell me what you were up to this time," she insisted. "All the juicy details. C'mon!"

"It's kind of a long story," said Sora.

"No big deal – I've got time."

It had been a while, but Akemi had hardly changed at all. It was comforting, somehow. No matter how long he'd been gone, no matter what he and his friends had to go through, they would always have a place here. This was home.

Sora smiled. "Alright. Where should I start?"

End

Well, that's it. I'm finally done.

It's been a long process, and it's taken a lot of work, but this story has been a lot of fun to write. Thank you so much to all of you who kept reading this story. Your support means a lot to me. I definitely didn't expect to get as much attention as I did - it was a nice surprise.

I've got another project in the planning stages, but don't expect to see it right away. It's for an entirely different fandom, so I'm not sure how many of you will be interested. Still, keep an eye out for it.

I'm so glad you liked Distant Hearts. Again, thanks for everything.