Hey everyone,
Well, this took long enough. The sequel to "Never They Cannot". And how fitting that this was started, the writing that is, in the week before the release of KH III. Now I'm not going to say that I know when this will be posted, but I just thought it quite iconic – and also a little bit ironic – that I got the inspiration for this so soon before such a momentous release date.
HOWEVER, I do want to let you all know one thing. The last chapter of Never They Cannot, which is called a preview to this, will be deleted before I post this. Why? Because that was just a bit of a way to describe everything that would happen in the first few chapters of this story. It's no longer valid now that this is being written, plus I changed my writing style, so it won't really fit.
Let's get this done,

Venquine1990
PS. Just like with Never They Cannot, I want to give a shout-out to Kiri Kaitou Clover, who helped me write the first story. Thanks for that, girl.

Leaving The Islands
Chapter 01
Telling Our Friends

Sora's POV

It's been a few weeks since we came back from the trap laid out before us by Master Xehanort and his need to use me as a Thirteenth vessel and every day has been as wonderful an experience as the last. This mostly because I am finally where I've been secretly dreamed of being for much longer than even I myself realized; I am now Riku's boyfriend and he proves this to me every day.
Whenever we're together, even if Kairi is with us, does the boy make sure I know that I have his heart just as much as he has mine and a week after we got together he even told me he was thinking of visiting other worlds with me, just so we could find a home to spend our lives together. Since then we have been pretty busy getting everything ready for our new journey.
We talked with Mickey and got him to lend us a Gummi ship, which Riku thought he could captain, but I told him off as he never flew one in all of our journeys. The boy had tried to convince me with a searing kiss, but while I enjoyed the experience, did I not feel like seeing him make the same mistake I did when I tried to convince Donald to have us lend in the Wild Jungle.
We also started gathering a few supplies, at least enough to get us through the first couple of days, and started storing them in the Secret Place, knowing that Tidus, Wakka and Selphie never came there. Riku had been a little hesitant to go there as it was the place where the Door to Darkness was, but he did agree it was the best place to keep evidence of our upcoming journey a secret.

Yet this is also a problem as I don't feel comfortable with the thought of leaving without telling anyone, especially our mothers, who had been relieved beyond words every time we came back, even if neither of them ever questioned where we had gone. Riku had been relieved with this, but I had wondered if Kairi ever got them up to speed after our first journey was over or something.
But those thoughts aren't really on my mind right now as Wakka, Selphie and Tidus asked us to meet them at the raised platform on the left side of the island. Riku and I both wonder what the three could want as they seemed to have had something big on their minds when they asked us. Yet after everything we've gone through, I'm sure we can handle a conversation with friends.
"Hey guys, you wanted to see us?" I ask as Tidus, Wakka and Selphie are already waiting for us at the platform and I subconsciously realize that they are in the same stands and positions as when I had my first dream and first acquired the Keyblade in the Dive Into the Heart. But this is information that I store away, not considering it very vital and only finding it a slight bit humorous.
The three share a look and Riku frowns as he asks: "What's going on?""We – kinda wanted to ask you guys the same thing." Tidus hesitates as he tells us and Riku and I share an uncomfortable glance as we have been trying to get things back to normal with them upon our last return, but our journeys make that really hard, especially fighting with toy swords and not using magic attacks.

"Yeah, you guys are together than ever before, but you hardly spar with each other anymore. And when you spar with us, it seems as if you're only giving about five maybe ten percent, maybe not even that. What's going on? What happened to you guys?" Selphie asks and it's the worried tone in her voice at the end that convinces me. I look at Riku and whisper:
"We can't do this. We can't keep lying to them. They deserve the truth. Maybe not all of it." I whisper, noticing how Riku tries to fight the way his face pales in fright and I make sure to grab a firm hold of his hand to comfort him as I say: "But they deserve to know what, as Selphie says, happened to us. Why we hold back. We should do that much at least before we – you know."

Riku nods and says: "Here, allow me to show you." And the two of us raise our hands, the ones not linked in a firm grasp, both of us summoning our Keyblades, something we haven't done in weeks in order to keep people from getting shocked or growing concerned. Our three friends gape at us, yet I sigh in delight as the tips of our blades touched and I felt our hearts connect once again.
And the strength of Riku's heart feels so welcome as it surrounds my own, making mine beat faster in delight and satisfaction. And the way that Riku smiles at me makes me know that he enjoyed the feeling of my heart connecting with his as well. "Wait – you two are – WELL, IT'S ABOUT BLOODY DAMN TIME!" Tidus suddenly shouts, shocking us both.
We turn to him and Selphie giggles as she says: "We've been wondering when you two would start dating. You two were so bloody obvious, it's not even funny. Especially you, Sora. You were an open book from day one, I swear." Yet to this I ask: "What are you talking about? You weren't there when I first fell for Riku." To which the girl looks at me as if I've suddenly turned into a Heartless.
"Are you crazy or something? You fell for Riku years ago. Or – I guess you just started crushing after him and didn't realize it until later. Tell me, Sora, when did you fall for Riku?" This makes me rub the back of my head, not really feeling sure if I should say it and then Riku makes it even a tad worse as he smirks and pulls me close, huskily whispering:

"Yes, Sora, tell us. When did you first realize that I had your heart?" I cringe, not really sure I should tell him as it might not be pleasant for him to hear and the boy snickers as he asks: "Should I make a guess?" I give a small nod and he says: "When you realized who I was after we reunited in the Stronghold of the Organization." And another cringe is his answer.
The boy looks at me and I think: "Why am I being secretive when I just told him that we shouldn't keep secrets from our friends?" And with a sigh, do I whisper: "When you said the darkness would destroy me – after you took the Keyblade from me." Riku gapes at me and asks: "Wait. You mean back in Hollow Bastion? Why? How could that have been what made you fall for me?" I groan and ask: "Did you ever even realize how bloody damned hot you looked after transforming?
For Kingdom Hearts' sake, Riku, that outfit was skin-tight, the lines showed off every muscle you had ever developed while training here and that skirt really didn't leave much to the imagination. Why the hell did you think I didn't try to dodge that damned move of yours? I was too mesmerized by your looks, which at the time were too amazing to be considered legal.

And then I'm not even talking about how incredibly heroic and strong you looked when you decided to stay on the other side of the door. Damnit Riku, to this day I kept trying to tell myself that there might have been a sense of love in your eyes when you looked at me.
It was the whole reason I couldn't keep my promise to you. I saw that look in your eyes, closed the door, saw Kairi, realized she was heading home and would be safe and all I could think of was how I couldn't do the same, not without you, not without finding out if I was right about that look." I shrug and sigh and say: "I – I may not remember what happened after that, but – I do know that."
"Sora." Riku whispers as we have moved to stand face to face with each other while I spoke and I have my hand on his cheek, softly running it up and down in my need to give him some physical reassurance as I worried for how he might react to these confessions. Yet as I look in his eyes, do I find evidence that proves my concerns have been for naught this entire time.
Amazement and a strong sense of love, that even seems to grow stronger as we lock gazes, seem to be the only emotions growing in his heart as he looks at me and I turn a little red as I ask: "And you? When did you realize it?" The boy turns red himself and says: "Quite a bit after you, apparently. I did it after I first saw you again, when Naminé was busy fixing your memory and you were sleeping."

This really intrigues me as neither Riku or the King ever actually told Donald, Goofy or me what happened that made us have to go to sleep for that long or what caused Jiminy's records of our first journey to completely vanish and be replaced with that one sentence. Even when the king told me of the hearts lying dormant in my heart, did he not elaborate on any of this.
"Riku, just – just tell me. What happened? Why did Donald, Goofy and I have to be asleep for that long? We were sleeping for a whole year and don't remember anything after we closed the door and decided to go looking for you guys." Riku sighs and whispers: "I promise. I'll tell you soon. Let's just – focus on the others for now."

I cringe at this, having completely forgotten what started our little confessions and I nod as I turn to the trio, who are looking at the two of us with shocked smirks that would have made me worried if it weren't for the fact that they're our friends. "You guys went to other worlds. That's what you were doing all those times you were gone, wasn't it?"
Tidus asks and I rub the back of my mind as Riku sighs and says: "Yes, it was. I – I got sick of the size of this world, felt trapped and wanted to – to leave it behind. I wanted to learn about the outside world so badly, I was willing to do anything and everything to achieve it." But before he can actually bring himself down, like I know he is prone to do when thinking back on this, do I say:
"And a bastard who can even manipulate the strongest of hearts and who had several decades of experience doing so, even with the leader of an entire world, gave him the means to do it. But because the worlds had been closed for so long, did we not know of the many ways that you can actually travel between them. We hadn't made any connections with others yet, so there weren't any roads to travel."
"Still, I kept going back to him, to them. I kept listening and believing everything they told me." Riku mumbles and I angrily retort: "It was our very first adventure ever and you were given more than just the means to see your dreams come true. You were given the power you wanted to keep Kairi and me safe. Remember what I just said, years of experience.
Think about it, Riku. Maleficent even had the power to control someone through the darkness in their heart, like Master Terra and Xehanort had Ansem the Wise tricked into believing him to be on the side of Light until the very last minute. And that was when we were only kids!""But I believed them and you didn't." Riku argues back and I sigh as I say: "Because I saw what they were doing to you.
If the roles were reversed, I would have been the one to be tricked. You know how easily that can happen, it's what they were counted on just weeks ago.""You – you really think so?" Riku asks, doubt and concern sounding through his voice and I pull the poor young man that I love so much close as I whisper: "I know it. And it's about time you start believing the same thing."

"Wait, let me see if I get this straight. Some bastard who tricked entire nations when we were still only just old enough to be allowed to start playing here came to the Islands years later and gave Riku both the means to get off and the power to keep you and Kairi safe, but in return caused all that weird stuff to happen to our islands? And Riku blames himself instead of that creep?"
Wakka asks, sounding shocked and confused at the end and I say: "Exactly. See, even they get that it wasn't your fault. It was the only way. The walls between worlds would have kept our raft plan from working anyway, you know that." Riku smiles at me and mumbles: "Thank you, all of you. I – I guess I should have talked about this some time ago, huh?" I shrug and say:
"To be honest, I didn't bring it up myself because I know how you feel about it. But I just realized we had to get this out of the way or it might just impediment our plans.""Wait, what plans?" Selphie asks and Riku sighs as he says: "We – we're planning to leave. To head for other worlds and find a place of our own. We've even been stocking up supplies for the first few days and got a spaceship as well."

"Dang. Well, that does make sense. If you were feeling cramped up here before you started all those journeys, then I can only imagine how claustrophobic you must be feeling now that you're back. I mean, I bet every other world you've been to is much larger than just these few islands." Wakka says, his arms behind his head and a large grin of understanding on his face.
"Why did we ever think we had to keep these things secret from them?" I wonder to myself as I look at him and the others and I joke as I say: "Well, actually, I'm pretty sure I've been to a world or two that's smaller than this one. One was even inside a book." The three gape at me and I cross my heart as I say: "I'm not lying. A world in a book and one inside a huge computer system."
Riku laughs and says: "We've even seen the inside of a whale once. Mouth, stomach, throat and all." I smile at him, glad that he's getting better and that he's able to joke about the journey where we were on opposite sides like that. Riku then sighs and says: "Sorry, guys, but I have to go. My mum asked me to meet with her at home after seeing what you guys wanted to talk to us about."
We nod, me feeling curious as to what this new meeting could be about and Riku turns to me as he whispers: "I'll be back soon. Wait for me on the side Island?" I nod and happily accept the peck on the cheek before watching Riku leave, my heart fluttering and a sigh escaping me as I watch him leave, my eyes straying to how his lower body moves and my thoughts going down south fast.

"Wow Sora, you've got it worse than I thought. How long have you two been dating now?" Selphie asks, having gotten off of the railing she was sitting on and coming to stand in front of me, observing my face closely apparently as it turns red and mumble: "A few weeks, maybe a month or two. But come on, give me a break, I've been longing for that incredible hunk for years. Can you blame me?"
The three laugh and Tidus says: "So I guess you have an extra reason for wanting to leave and find a place of your own, huh?" This confuses me and then the boy makes me feel like jumping and running off as he laughs: "You want that guy all to yourself, in bed even – perhaps?" And the others laugh as I shout: "YOU GUYS, COME ON!"

"What's going on here?" Another familiar voice asks and I turn to see Kairi coming up the pathway that leads to the platform. "Sora confessed to us that he's longing for Riku, in every way you can imagine." Tidus laughs and Kairi giggles before she says: "Well, he sure isn't the only one. Half the girls from various other islands do the same. I hear them talking all the time."
The others nod at that, but I sigh at it as it has always been one of the reasons I never wanted to believe that Riku might even so much as like me back, let alone be in love with me, at least not before we went on all of our adventures. "What's wrong, Sora?" Kairi asks and I ask: "You guys promise you'll keep this secret. I – I want to tell Riku this myself, not have him hear it from others."
The group nods, their amusement now replaced with concern and I ask: "You guys know Anton, Brian, Dwayne and Robert, right? And how, other than their hair or eye color, I am practically their twin brother?" Tidus, Wakka and Selphie look at each other before nodding and Kairi asks: "Why do you ask, Sora?""Because none of you are like that. None of you have a physical twin here.
Okay, Miranda does look like Selphie from time to time, but Tidus, Wakka and you are completely unique. And I know that Riku's not superficial like that, but it still always bothered me. And when I went to other worlds, yeah, I stood out, but I still didn't think my looks were anything special. That's why I – why I want to talk to Riku about it. You know, before we leave."

I know the group is looking at me as I say this, even though I have my back to them as I went to lean on the railing and look out over the fast ocean while talking and I look down as Kairi asks: "Sora, you – you're not telling me that you think?" I sigh and say: "No, not really. Just – a part of me does. You know, just like Riku kept believing that opening the door to the other worlds was his fault."
"But it wasn't." Wakka says and I say: "I know that. I guess there are just – some fears that even the strongest of hearts can't overcome. I know Riku loves me, he shows it to me in everything he does and now that I know he fell for me that long ago, do I recognize the signs even more in the time that transpired after that event. I now know that he is as protective of me as he is, because he loves me and I love him for it. I just – when it comes to my looks – I don't get what he sees in me.
And – well – when it comes to that time – the one Tidus and Wakka joked about – I – I'm scared. I'm scared that – that my mediocre looks might – might turn him off. That I might not be – be good enough." And this time even Kairi keeps quiet and I know that she and the others are looking at me, concerned but unable to give me any assurance, as only Riku will be able to do that.

Poor Sora.
I know that, in reality, he has pretty distinguishable looks that really set him apart from the rest – and I don't mean just his shoesize – and let's face it, he looks incredible in KH III, but every person has their self-doubts and I didn't want this to be a story where only Riku would be the one with the issues and the personal problems. I wanted Sora to have some too and then this came up. I like it, but tell me what you guys think.
Anyway, next chapter: Riku talks with his mother and comes clean about the last few years. But the reason his mother wanted to see him shocks him and gives him an even more shocking realization; mothers really do know best. How is this conversation going to affect his plans with Sora? Will they be for the better or not? And what about Sora and his concerns?
Let's find out,

Venquine1990
PS. Shout out to Kiri Kaitou Clover, who helped me write Never They Cannot. Check out both our versions, they are both worth a good read.