Of Promises and Paopu
By The Ambitious Blank

Disclaimer- And for the last and final time for a while.. Kingdom hearts isn't mine.
Comments- Yush! It is the last chapter of this fic, which I am extremely pleased to be closing up so I can begin working on my other planned projects. To answer my reviewer's questions, yes, there will most likely be a sequel to this when Kingdom Hearts 2 arrives (I heard it just got pushed back, too. .____.;), which won't be for a while. But, I will try to find a way to write one. ^^; And hopefully it'll be better than this..

Oh, and this chapter is half Sora's POV and half Riku's. Sora's is first, then Riku's.

~*~Epilogue - Sora

I don't know how long we've been walking. It feels like forever, even though Donald keeps telling me it's only been a few days. We've been camping out here and there as we keep looking for the door, King Mickey, and Riku.

Riku.

His name still tugs at my heartstrings, but somehow, I can still feel him there. I know he's alive, I know he's alright, because I can feel him. It's like there's some invisible string connecting our hearts together.

I've wondered if the magic of the Paopu fruit is all magical, or if it takes belief in love to get it to work, too. If you have to really, truly believe in the people you care about in order to be able to constantly feel them there, like I can now with Riku.

I keep remembering that day when he reminded me of the Paopu fruit and what it does. At sunset the day before my life changed forever.

"They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what."

Riku is one of the singlemost things on my mind. He's constantly there, as if he were physically with me, comforting me like he used to. Sometimes, I can almost hear his voice. It's a constant comfort, even despite all the turmoil that's still going on in the worlds.

So, each day I fight, each day coming one step closer to finally being able to stay with Riku. To finally being able to be held in his arms again, to hear his whispered promises of love and happiness.. that is the day that I keep looking forward to, the single thing that keeps me fighting day after day.

I dream of the island sometimes. Days of peaceful tranquility, with Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, and Kairi all relaxing the day away while Riku and I hid away, spending the day together in secret.

I know that being back at the island will be a great relief. I know that I'll be able to find happiness there. But.. what I do know the most, is that spending eternity with Riku will be my true heaven.

All I have to do is keep fighting, and that day will come.

~*~Riku

It's dark where I am.

Time is all but lost here. The constant rain, the constant shadows, all of it seems to pass by, never changing. It's as though time is standing still, which I hope it isn't. Sora's presence still remains with me, as though it were encouraging me to keep going, to never give up.

I keep hoping for a way out, keep hoping that my heart is leading me in the right direction, towards Sora and finally the peace I've desired for some time now. My memories of him are fading away into the shadows of this place, as though my very mind itself is being fed on by the Heartless as I slash them away.

Fight, run, fight, run. Search for a way out. I feel like a rat, drowning in rain, fighting for life, fighting for escape.

There are others with me, others who are the same. They say their memories are fading away slowly, and we struggle even harder to get out of this horrible place. There's constant rain, constant storms, as though the world had been created out of the gloom in people's hearts, the misery that darkens the very soul.

I follow that invisible chain that binds our hearts together, the thin line that keeps Sora and I from seperating completely again. I keep following, blindly.

Literally blind in the darkness. Not just because of the shadows, but because of a blindfold I've put over my eyes, to help me fight. To make me strong. I'm so sick of being a weakling, and I refuse to be so helpless ever again. But most of all, I wear this over my eyes, purposefully blinding myself, because I know that the first thing I'll want to see when I get out of this godawful hell..

..is his smiling face.

~*~Fin.

..dear god, it's really over? O.O; Like.. whoa.

Anyway, I know it was kinda lame, kinda cheesy, and kinda short, but I'm so happy this is over.. ^^; ::Bows.:: Thank you all so so SO much for being so patient with this. I love you all, my faithful readers! You all mean so much to me. ::Sniffle.:: And now, I take my leave to go begin my other projects. Thank you, and goodnight!

~TAB