Goodbye for now

I buckled my belt with a satisfying click. The rush of blood was subsiding, replaced by a cool, focused clarity. The "gravity" Yen Sid spoke of felt settled now, anchored deep within the earth of this garden.

I looked down. Megara was still lying in the grass, staring up at the sky. Her chest rose and fell in a slow, deep rhythm. She looked utterly boneless, my cum still dripping out of her pussy onto the grass beneath.

"Up you get," I said, extending a hand.

She looked at my hand, my bare hand, and then up at my face. She smirked, a tired, lazy expression.

"You really expect me to walk after that?" she drawled. "I'm pretty sure you just rearranged my internal organs, Master."

"You're tougher than you look, Meg."

She sighed, dramatic as ever, and took my hand. I pulled her up. As soon as she was vertical, her knees buckled. She stumbled forward, colliding with my chest. I caught her easily, my arm wrapping around her waist to steady her.

"Woah," she laughed breathlessly, clutching my lapels. "Okay. Maybe not that tough."

She rested her forehead against my chest for a moment, regaining her equilibrium. I could feel the heat radiating off her. She smoothed down her violet dress, trying to brush off the grass and dirt, but the wrinkles were there to stay. She looked like exactly what she was: a woman who had been taken in a garden.

"Hercules is going to ask why I have grass stains on my back," she murmured, though she didn't sound worried.

"Tell him you were communing with nature," I suggested dryly.

"Nature," she snorted. "Is that what we're calling it?"

I reached into my bag and pulled out my black glove. I pulled it back onto my hand, snapping the leather tight. The barrier was back. The lover was receding; the Master was returning.

Megara watched the action, her eyes tracking the glove.

"Going back to work?" she asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"The shadows don't sleep, Meg," I said. "And I have other worlds to inspect."

She stepped back, standing on her own now, though she swayed slightly. She crossed her arms, trying to regain some of her usual composure, but her flushed cheeks and swollen lips gave her away.

"Well," she said, tilting her head. "I suppose I shouldn't keep the universe waiting. It clearly needs your... specific set of skills."

I stepped closer, one last time. I didn't touch her with the glove. I used my free hand to tuck a loose strand of red hair behind her ear.

"You're safe here now," I told her. "The Heartless in the square were the last of the pack. I sensed them fading while we were... occupied."

"Is that so?" She raised an eyebrow. "Multitasking. I'm impressed."

"And Meg?"

"Hmm?"

"If the shadows come back," I said, my voice low and serious. "Or if the light gets too bright and you need some shade... you know how to call."

She smiled. It was a genuine, soft smile that reached her eyes.

"I think I can manage that," she whispered. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to my jaw. "Go on, Master Ray. Before I drag you back down into the dirt."

I smirked. "You couldn't handle round two yet."

She laughed, a throaty sound. "Try me next time."

I turned and walked toward the rusted gate. I didn't look back. I didn't need to. I could feel her eyes on me, watching my retreating figure. I could feel the connection we had forged. It was a tether.

I stepped out of the garden and back onto the cobblestones of Thebes. The sun was setting now, casting long shadows across the city.

Thebes was clean. The Heartless were gone. And the woman who ruled the heart of the city's hero was now secretly mine.

My Keyblade materialized in my hand: The Solar Zenith. I looked at it. It seemed to shine a little brighter in the twilight.

I tapped a button on my wrist communicator.

"Highwind," I commanded. "Prep for departure."

The engines of my ship roared to life in the distance.

I walked toward the landing zone, my stride long and heavy. The universe was vast. And I was still hungry.