FicWad

Disclaimer: See prologue for full details. I do not own the plot known as Kingdom Hearts. Full credit goes to the hard workers of Square Enix, Inc.


Chapter One - My Home, My Island

Thinking of you, wherever you are.
We pray for our sorrows to end,
And that our hearts will blend.
Now I step forward to realize this wish.
And who knows:
Starting a new journey may not be so hard
Or maybe it has already begun.
There are many worlds,
But they share the same sky -
One sky, one destiny...

"So, can you gather the rest of the supplies?" Kairi asked Sora, putting her hands behind her back and giving him her sweetest smile.

He blinked. What? Sora put one hand behind his head, looking up into the trees branches as he tried to remember what it was that Kairi had been talking about for the past five minutes.

Her eyes rolled slightly in annoyance as she realized he hadn't been paying attention. She leaned forward, a little angry, staring Sora straight in the face as her smile disappeared. "Sora, are you listening to me?"

Sora glanced back at her, blinking a few more times, and then smiled. A light, care-free laugh fell from his lips as he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, what was that again?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she shook her head sadly at her friend. "Geez. We can't build a raft without materials, right?" She then took a few steps backward and began to pace from side to side as though she were some kind of commander in the navy, dishing out orders to impudent marines. Sora raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms behind his head as he smiled at Kairi - hoping he wasn't about to be ordered to swab the poop deck.

"Here's what we need." She paused in her pacing to face Sora and began to list the supplies, using her fingers to number them. "Two logs. One cloth and one rope." Kairi smiled again, putting her hands behind her once more. "Bring everything back here. If you need help, just ask." She then proceeded to wink at him covertly, giving him the thumbs up sign. "I'm counting on you!"

Sora nodded in reply and hurried away before she could give out any more orders. She smiled as she called after him, one final yet friendly caution. After all, Riku had been made to do most of the earlier work; it was only fair they did their part in the project, too.

"No more slacking, okay?"

He could have laughed at how strict she sounded, not to mention the motherly call that had come as he left to start his search. But there was no time for laughter, he had to hurry up and find all those supplies for the raft before night fall. What had been first? His footsteps slowed as his eye caught the edge of something sticking out of the sand a ways down the beach. One log; Sora grinned and walked toward it, bending over to pry it from its buried position in the sand. His grin grew wider as he tucked it under his arm. "One down, one more to go," Sora joked aloud with a short laugh, marching off to find the rest of the requested materials.

The layout of the island was forever imprinted in his memory, making it that much easier to think of places to look for Kairi's demanded supplies. Right smack in the middle of the island was a large tree that was hollow in most places. A series of wooden platforms was built all around it, jutting out from the side of the tree. There were two levels of platforms, connected by a wooden ladder. The top level had a railing around it to prevent anyone from falling, though.

The cloth was doubtless in the hollow of the tree, which had been made into a hideout for when it rained and they didn't want to stay in the sea shack built on the beach. Sora climbed up the various ladders to reach the hollow with the linen. Nobody was inside, so obviously no one was going to need the cloth to dry off or anything. He pulled the white cloth down from the wall where it had been stationed on a thin wire spread from one side of the hollow to the other, wrapping it around the log so it didn't get in the way.

"Hmm..." Sora hummed softly as he turned the cloth into a simple bag to house the log and tote it around easier. "Why did we ever put a piece of cloth up here in the first place? It's not like anyone ever used it."

Sora shrugged nonchalantly, turning on his heel and heading back outside to the wooden platforms that spiraled downward. He jumped off from the top of the ladder when he reached it, forgoing the rungs as he bounded over the edge. But he misjudged the distance and ended up slipping on some moss located on the rock nearby the ladder, falling face first onto the beach. Spitting out chucks of sand, he pulled himself to his feet, dusting off his hair and clothes in aggravation.

"Wow, that looked like it hurt, ya?"

He swerved to look at the speaker, and there stood one of the boys from his dream. Red hair slicked upward, volleyball tucked under one arm, putting his weight on one leg and giving him an almost cocky stance as he smiled at Sora. It felt surreal to be seeing the boy after that peculiar dream he'd had just a few hours ago. Shaking his head to clear it, he grinned unsurely at him.

"Hey, Wakka," he replied, reaching for the log and cloth that had landed a distance away from him. He put the log back into the makeshift bag and threw it over one shoulder.

Grinning, Wakka pointed at the cloth and log. "What's that for?"

"It's for our raft," Sora responded, a sincere smile etched on his face now. "Kairi's orders," he added with a salute.

Wakka laughed heartily, throwing his head back. "I won't ask any more. Kairi has you two whipped, ya? But I know how the girls are; they think they own the island or somethin', you know?" He tossed his volleyball up into the air and deftly caught it on one finger. He then gave Sora a mischievous look, smile deepening. "So, you up for a round?" He motioned to the wooden sword lying innocently on the ground and winked.

Shaking his head with a laugh, Sora picked up the sword and dropped his bag on the ground near the rock he'd slipped on. He was in kind of a hurry, but ... how could he truly refuse a friend a simple challenge?

"Sure, let's play."

"Play is for kids," corrected Wakka, and Sora was reminded of just how old the other boy happened to be. He'd turned eighteen just last week. "This is serious!"

A smile appeared as he crossed the sand so that he and Wakka stood directly across from each other, dragging the sword slightly to make a vague line in the sand to set the boundaries. The older boy moved toward his position on the beach as well, laughing from where he stood. "Show me your stuff!"

With that, Wakka threw his ball toward Sora, who merely stepped out of the way and propped his wooden sword up on one shoulder. He bit back a laugh as Wakka ran to pick up his fallen ball before he could resume. Sora planted his feet firmly in the sand, ready to receive the next oncoming shot, having devised a way to "help" Wakka get his ball back faster.

The redheaded young man spun on his heel, ready to serve the ball again - Sora only grinned. "Gimme your best shot, now!"

"Oh, you're gonna eat those words, Sora!" Wakka yelled, rearing back and throwing the ball with all his strength. The force of the ball was worrying as well as its speed, but Sora did not budge from his spot in the sand. Instead, he struck the ball with just as much power back at its owner, causing Wakka to shout out in alarm as the ball approached at astonishing speed - no time for him to dodge. The ball flew right back into his hands, which he had stretched outward to take the burnt of the blow. A bit dazed and confused about what had happen, he began to throw the ball randomly in the air, hoping to hit one of the spinning Sora's around the beach. Sora ducked as one just missed his head, and then grinned once more. He picked up the ball, tossed it in the air, and used his sword as a baseball bat to smack the ball straight back at the disoriented Wakka. The ball hit home as it crashed into the older boy's chest and knocked him off his feet completely. Poor Wakka.

Running to check on his friend, throwing his sword back down on the way, he hurried to Wakka's side. "Aw, man, are you all right? Didn't mean to hit that one so hard."

Wakka smiled up at Sora, somewhat dizzy and trying to focus on the fuzzy outline of the youth. "That really hurt," he muttered with a good-natured grin, admitting defeat. "Been practicin', huh?" The redhead recovered quickly and shook off the remaining dizziness, getting back up onto his feet. He laughed lightly and held out his hand for Sora to shake. "That was a good match, ya?"

Sora quietly breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn't hurt the older boy too bad - just his pride, probably. "Yeah, great match!" He shook Wakka's hand briefly and then scanned the beach for his supplies.

"Still no match for Riku, though, ya?"

The care-free grin faded slightly at the words. "Yeah, I guess not." He pushed the thought away as he picked up the wooden sword once more and tucked it into his belt. He turned and attempted a smile at Wakka before walking to the cloth covered log to continue with his little mission to gather materials for the raft. "See ya later, Wakka!"

"Still not good enough to beat Riku, huh?"

The next item on Kairi's list had been a rope. He knew where he could find one of those. On the very edge of the island there was another large tree. It was partly on the island, while the other half hung precariously over the clear blue ocean. It wasn't nearly as big as the one in the center of the island, nor was it hollow like its brother. Due to this fact alone, a platform had been built in the large depression between the branches. It, too, had a small railing set up on the sides so no one ended up in the shallow water below. But to reach the main platform, one had to climb up the ladder and follow the wooden planks upward. It wasn't an extremely long ladder, rather it was pretty short considering, but it was still one of the tallest on the island.

Sora jumped back onto the gravel platform and headed toward that specific area. He knew for sure that he'd find some rope there. With the cloth wrapped log fastened around his shoulder, Sora grabbed hold of the ladder rungs and began his climb to the top with speed. Scrambling over onto the wooden platform above, he headed on toward the main platform as graceful as any teenage boy.

It was when he was standing in the center of the wide, flat platform that he realized this was exactly where he'd been at one part in his dream. This was where he had technically been interviewed. His eyes widened a little as he recalled seeing the three of them, and their strange, hard, unforgiving eyes...

Just a dream, he reminded himself and walked toward the pile of rope in the corner. After picking it up, he tied it securely around the log and then spun around sharply on one heel. He was surprised to find Tidus upon the platform as well, hidden slightly in the shadows. The other boy was practicing his swings with that red bo-stick he favored. Sora found it odd seeing the boy so soon after the dream, just as surreal as it had been with Wakka. Couldn't he forget it already? Why was it haunting his memories, dwelling in his thoughts so much?

He took a moment to study Tidus, noticing the same shorts that were longer on one leg than the other and his yellow and white jacket that always seemed to accompany the boy wherever he went, whatever he was wearing. Sora grinned somewhat.

"Hey!"

Tidus stopped his swinging for a short respite, turning gradually to observe the person who had dared to disturb him. He wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled, running a hand through his messy dirty blonde hair.

"Hey, Sora!" Tidus's smile spread as he clutched the red staff in his hands a bit tighter, a daring glimmer in his eyes. "You feel lucky today?"

Sora laughed, settling his gathered supplies on his shoulder effortlessly. "Not now, Tidus, maybe some other time."

The other boy made a sour face. "Come on, Sora, be a man!"

"Hey, I'm kinda busy right now," retorted Sora with a sigh. "I'm on a mission. Kairi's orders, Riku's fault, same old stuff."

Tidus chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. There was a mocking gleam in the boy's eyes now. "Oh, so it's like that, huh?"

Sora shot Tidus a death glare, which soon turned into a lopsided smile. "Tomorrow, okay? I promise." He then reversed on his heel as he made to resume his little quest.

Cupping his hand around his mouth, Tidus called after him, "Why would you want to cross the ocean, anyway? Sword fighting beats sailing any day!"

"You wouldn't understand," Sora whispered under his breath, casting one last fleeting glance in Tidus's direction before he slid down the ladder as quickly as possible. He was just about to head back to Kairi when he caught sight of Selphie sitting at the edge of the dock. Grinning mischievously to himself, he quietly snuck up on her, doing his best to make sure the flat timber of the docks didn't creak beneath his yellow sneakers. Just a bit more ... The devilish glint in his eyes sparkled even bright as he prepared to grab her by the shoulders.

"Don't even think about it."

His face fell as she turned her auburn head to look at him, a happy little grin on her face.

"Nice to see you're still alive, haven't seen you around lately."

Sora shrugged helplessly, adjusting the weight on his shoulder. "We've been busy."

Frowning a little, Selphie put on her best puppy dog eyes and pleaded for a real answer. "Come on, at least tell me what your planning," she pouted, and then her expression abruptly changed. "Wait, never mind." She looked at Sora and smiled at his blank stare. "I'll find out on my own, hm?"

A laugh escaped him. "All right then, Selphie, if you're sure. Catch you later!" Sora hopped down from the dock and fell onto the sandy beach. He turned around slightly and winked. "Off to do some 'top secret' business!"

Selphie's face twisted into a resentful look. "No fair, Sora!"

His laughter echoed down the beach as he headed back toward the place where Kairi was waiting for him, the bag of materials bouncing on his shoulder as he sprinted along the sandy ground. He jumped up toward Kairi, holding out the bag to her. She turned to look at his breathless figure from where she was leaning calmly against a wooden door and smiled. "Hey, that was quick! Thanks, Sora."

Taking the bag from him, she peered inside to make sure everything was there. "Let's see, what's still missing?" Her face brightened as she thought of the last thing they would need, her head brought upward as her gaze switched back to Sora. "One more log."

Sora couldn't help but sigh. "One more log?" he griped.

"That's right!" chirped Kairi. How was she always so infuriating happy? "Come on, Sora, I'm counting on you!"

"All right. I'll find it." He rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on; he knew he was a sucker for heroics, despite how little. And if it took a log to make her happy, a log he would find.

Veering back the way he'd come from, he walked toward the sea shack on the beach - the only place he hadn't visited yet. One more log? Where could he find one more log...? Well, he could always chop one down if it came down to that. But ... hadn't he seen one just the other day when he was chatting with Riku at their favorite tree? He smiled at the memory, pushing open the door to the shack and rushing up the stairs. After all, there was nothing of interest in the shack itself besides those steps. As he reach the top, he threw open the door that blocked his path and stumbled back outside. Here, though, was a bridge that led to the small isle cut-off from the rest of the island. The isle stuck out of the water, resembling a plateau. Most people on the island, however, called it Paopu Isle because of the type of fruit that grew on it. It wasn't too far from the main part of the island and could be reached just as easily by swimming as the bridge, but he'd rather not get wet. The sun was by now starting to sink along the horizon, taking with it the warmth it offered. Nope, he really didn't want to catch a chill when they were so close to obtaining their goal. The last thing he wanted was the flu, of all things.

Hurrying across the wooden bridge, he smiled brightly as he saw the much needed log sitting near the opposite edge of the isle. He ran toward it, thankful that he'd found it. But just as one gloved hand skimmed the bark to find a good grip, he heard a voice shouting his name.

"How's it going, Sora?"

He revolved on the spot, finally noticing Riku sitting on the trunk of a tree that bent outward over the ocean - their favorite tree, a perfect place to relax. They never knew why exactly it had swerved outward at such an angle, but they never complained - it was the prefect seat, the perfect lounge area for three teenagers.

And there sat Riku, one knee pulled close to him and his arms effortlessly propping him into his casual resting position. "Did you get everything we need for the raft? I already gave my stuff to Kairi."

Sora tossed his friend a grin and gestured to the log. "Well, I just need this last log and then I'm done for the day."

"That can wait a bit longer, then. How about a quick round? Grab your sword."

Recalling Wakka's earlier words, he decided to prove the redhead wrong. "I can defeat Riku," he thought foolishly as his blood raced and his smile turned a bit more vicious. "Okay, you're on!" said Sora, taking the hilt of his wooden in hand and yanking it out.

"This one decides the champion!" Riku shouted with sly grin.

Silver hair fell into Riku's face as he bounded off the bent tree trunk, shadowing his face with wispy blond strands. There was fire burning in each boy's eyes as they circled the other in the center of the plateau, swords held at the ready. Determined to win, Sora had quickly dropped into a battle stance before his opponent. Riku, on the other hand, stood with a deceptive calm, back straight and as cocky as ever. He mocked his friend as he tapped the blunt edge of his sword into the palm of his hand, the blonde's smile deepening as he watched Sora with his green eyes.

"Ready or not," he taunted, taking a step forward.

All Sora could concentrate on were the words Wakka had spoken, both a challenge and a curse. The sword shook slightly in his grasp, though he wasn't sure if it was from fear or anger. However, he was very certain of one thing: he was tired of always being second best when he wanted to be considered Riku's equal.

Tightening his grip, Sora watched the older boy's every move carefully, waiting. Riku made the opening move, just as he had predicted. He leapt high into the air and landed directly behind Sora, who took this as his chance to rush forward, turn and counter the sword aimed at the back of his head. It was a narrow evasion, he knew, but it was the best he could do at the moment.

"Attacking while your opponent's back is turned: smooth move, Riku," commented Sora dryly, stepping back away from the older boy.

A smirk was his only response as Riku charged at him, swinging the wooden sword with all his might. But, while the blond was stronger, Sora was quicker on his feet and dodged the blow neatly with a small smile of his own. He didn't expect his friend to follow up his assault with another quick strike with his sword, and he had no time to avoid this one. Instead, he swung his sword backhand, as though it were a tennis racket, contradicting the swipe with a sturdy counterattack. Sora gritted his teeth at the backlash of the countermove, refusing to give in as Riku applied pressure to their connected swords.

He was the first to break, compelled to try a different tactic. Flipping backward to elude a lower shot from his friend's wooden sword, he landed with his back flush against a stiff tree. But once again, Riku was upon him, giving him no chance to flee to safety.

"Going somewhere?" asked the older boy smugly, bringing his sword upright and then down.

Not one to give up easily, Sora brought his own sword up to clash against his friend's, pushing him back so he could slip away from the tree that cornered him. "Yeah, away from you," he retorted, glancing over his shoulder as he ran a safe distance from the other boy.

"Running away, Sora? How...unlike you."

Sora made a face of displeasure as he faced the blond again, taking a more offensive stance than before. He lunged forward, preparing to hit the boy's side in a harsh blow, to weaken his defense. But Riku could read him like an open book and darted to the left in the nick of time, letting Sora's swing hit thin air. Taking the opportunity in his favor, he brought the sword back into an overhead swing, aiming for the other boy's exposed back. Sora, nevertheless, threw a wrench in his plans as he moved to face him, the sword slamming into the spiky haired boy's shoulder instead. Hissing in pain, Sora stepped back slightly and swung his sword toward his friend, scratching the material of Riku's yellow and black muscle shirt as he jumped away. Riku, though, seemed a bit more disgruntled that his previous plan hadn't worked properly, ending the duel as it should.

The two faced each other after they'd both had a chance to regain their breath. The tips of their swords pointed at their opponent as they circled one another like a hawk would its prey, though it was hard to tell who was currently hunting who. Unexpectedly, Sora lashed out, surprising the other boy at the ferocity of the attack, but he simply side-stepped the attempt.

"You still don't got it," he said with a short chuckle as he met Sora's next wild swing with his wooden sword.

The spiky haired youth could hardly stand to hear those words. Narrowing his eyes at Riku, he broke the position of their clashing swords with brutal force and charged at the blond once more. The older boy just smiled at the feeble charge, already set to deliver another blow. But as Riku took his swing, Sora jumped up and over his adversary's head, turning slightly in mid-air and striking Riku in the back.

Riku stumbled forward, a bit stunned. He looked over at Sora, his eyes wide with surprise. Sora could hardly keep the smile off his face. His smiled almost appeared malicious. "Come on," he taunted, pleased with himself.

Smiling in return, Riku turned around slowly. "Now it's my turn."

The younger gritted his teeth and clutched his wooden sword rigidly. He hadn't liked the way Riku had said that at all; it almost seemed like the blond was toying with him, holding back until this very moment. It sounded derisive and scornful to his ears, but the words soon were replaced by Wakka's voice telling him he'd always be second best to Riku. Anger coursed through him, urging him to refute that claim. Sora dashed forward and leapt over Riku's head again, spinning in the air to strike out at him. In spite of this, the blond was ready for such an attack and turned so that he was out of the way of the sword, allowing his friend to fall with a dull thump. And as Sora planted both feet on the ground and spun to face Riku, he ended up with an unpleasant high kick to his gut, which ended up knocking him off the plateau and into the water below. Well, there went his hopes of not getting wet.

Sora surfaced a few seconds later with a loud gasp for air.

"Still not enough!" Riku called from above. "You still need a little more training!"

Face falling, he pulled himself out of the water and began to climb the ladder back up to the top of the plateau. Riku grabbed Sora's jacket and helped pull him back topside. They looked each other full in the face for a long, silent moment before they both burst out laughing. Pulling Sora into a headlock, Riku playfully ruffled his friend's hair before releasing him with a boastful grin and then they both continued to laugh out loud. As soon as they had calmed down, Sora tossed the wooden sword to one side and plopped down into a cross-legged sitting position. He then looked up into the sky and sighed.

"Man, now the score's zero to one," groaned Sora.

Riku grinned. "Better luck next time," he said, giving Sora a short pat on the back. He then reached over and picked up the log, holding it out for his friend. "Here. Why don't you get this back to Kairi, huh?"

Sora gazed at the log for a moment and then hesitantly took hold of it. He looked up at Riku and smiled to cover up his disappointment about the match. "Yeah, I should."

As he got to his feet and headed back to Kairi, Riku seated himself back on the trunk of the bent tree and watched Sora intently as he jumped from the bridge to the beach below and ran to where Kairi was still waiting. He then turned away and chuckled slightly to himself.


Sora handed over the log to Kairi and then proceeded to squeeze the water out of his shorts and jacket. The girl took the log from him swiftly and tilted her head to one side. "What happened to you?"

He looked over at her and smiled. "Nothing, don't worry that pretty little head of yours about it."

Kairi smiled knowingly, raising both her eyebrows. "You and Riku went at it again, huh?"

He froze and said nothing, merely grunting in response. That girl could be awfully shrewd sometimes.

"Well, anyway, thank you!" She then began to reach into her pocket and pull out a slim bottle full of a glittering orange liquid. "I found something today, too. Down on the beach. Here, it's yours." Grabbing one of Sora's hands, she placed the bottle labeled "Hi-Potion" into the palm of his hand gently. "Considering your little spat with Riku today, I guess you're gonna need it."

Sora smiled slightly and put it in one the pockets inside his jacket. "Thanks, Kairi."

Putting her hands behind her back, Kairi smiled as well. "Tired? Want to call it a day?"

"Yeah, let's go home," Sora said and stretched his sore muscles.

"Okay," replied Kairi with a giggle. "It is getting late. We'll finish up tomorrow."


The three sat together as they watched the sun set from Paopu Isle, a tradition they always followed before returning home for dinner on one of the central islets that made up the Destiny Islands. Sora and Kairi were seated on the trunk of the bent over tree, while Riku had chosen to lean against the base. They merely sat and gazed out at the horizon as the clouds and ocean turned orange and red as the sun began to descend beneath the waves, each of them lost in their own personal thoughts.

Sora was the first to speak.

"So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?" he asked, turning to look at his friends.

Kairi smiled to herself, continuing to look into the sunset, swinging her legs back and forth as they waited for Riku to answer. His eyes were set firmly on the vision of the setting sun, his arms folded over his chest. There wasn't even a hint of a smile on his face, and he didn't even look at his friends as he answered.

"Could be. We'll never know by staying here."

"But how far could a raft take us?" prompted Sora, leaning forward a bit more.

"Who knows?" Riku said with a slight gesture of his hand. He folded his arms again. "If we have to, we'll think of something else."

"So, suppose you get to another world," Kairi murmured softly, and then paused to giggle. She continued with just a hint of cynicism. "What would you do there?"

"I-I haven't really thought about it," he answered awkwardly, still refusing to look at either Kairi or Sora. "It's just ..."

Sora switched his attention back to the sunset, rocking back and forth as he sat on the tree trunk. The whole raft thing had been Riku's idea in the first place, and though Sora was curious to hear what Riku had to say he also wanted the boy to respect them enough to look them in the eye when he spoke. That's what friends did, right? Respected one another?

"I've always wondered why we're here, on this island," Riku went on. "If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And, suppose there are other worlds ... Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So, we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?"

The blond looked over at his friends for the first time, and Sora shifted slightly so he was looking at Riku through the corner of his eyes. He then shrugged and leaned back onto the bent tree trunk and put his arms behind his head, dangling his legs over both sides of the trunk and staring up into the sky where dark blue met orange.

"I don't know," he said nonchalantly.

Kairi glanced at Sora, an almost exasperated look upon her face. Riku smiled slightly at Sora's reaction and returned his attention to the horizon.

"Exactly. That's why we need to go out there and find out." Riku took a few steps forward, his hands dropping down to his sides. Green eyes seemed to glow as they remained fixated on the fiery sunset that had bathed the entire island in an orange light. "Just sitting here won't change a thing."

As Kairi listened to Riku, she looked up into the sky, smiling and shaking her head slowly from side to side as though she'd heard the story a thousand times. Sora let out a sigh and rolled his head so that he was looking out into the horizon. He had to admit that he still didn't understand Riku very well, after all these years. The older boy was always searching for something bigger, while Sora was fairly content with what they had at the moment. What difference did anything else make?

"It's the same old stuff," Sora heard him say. "So let's go."

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" questioned Kairi, her tone so solemn in the crisp evening air that he wasn't sure if it was really her or not.

Riku swerved on his heel to face her, catching her eyes with his. A slight smiled graced his lips as he watched her. "Thanks to you."

Sora's eyes widened a little more than necessary and his jaw dropped open. His head rolled slowly so that he was looking over at Kairi and Riku, trying to seem casual in his movements. For a moment, he thought he ought to say something, but couldn't think how to put his feelings into appropriate words. After all, Riku had thought of journeying to far-off places ever since they had been little. It was a blatant lie he was feeding Kairi, unless the older boy really felt that way - felt that Sora wasn't enough to inspire the ideas of their youth. When Kairi had come to their island, it seemed a rift had grown between the two friends; he wasn't sure where they stood nowadays. Were they really friends at all? He watched them warily for a moment, and then reluctantly returned his attention to the blazing sunset.

"If you hadn't come here," he could hear Riku telling her, "I probably would've never thought of any of this. Kairi, thanks."

Kairi smiled a little at Riku as she tried to find her voice, nodding politely. "You're welcome."

She dropped off the tree trunk and walked in front of the boys as they headed toward the boats tied up near the dock, ready to go home at last and join their families. Sora dragged his feet, kicking at some holes in the wooden planks of the bridge. He wasn't really ready to go home, but then again he was pretty hungry. Changing his gaze from the bridge to Kairi, he wondered about her home life. She had never invited any of her friends over, but he did know that she lived alone with her grandmother - that much she had told them. It was strange how she had just appeared one day out of the blue, but it wasn't uncommon. He sighed, drifting away into his own thoughts.

"Sora!"

The spiky haired youth turned at the sound of his name, looking back where Riku had trailed behind. The blond smiled as he tossed a star shaped fruit at him. Sora managed to clumsily catch it and cradled it in his hands, examining it carefully. It was a yellow star shaped piece of produce, clearly freshly picked since parts of the vine were still sticking out at the top.

"You wanted one, didn't you?" Riku asked innocently, pointing at it.

"A paopu fruit...?"

He looked up at Riku, confused. He had wanted one? He couldn't remember ever asking for one. What in the world was Riku thinking?

Riku only smiled and resumed walking. "If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what."

Gazing at the paopu fruit in bemusement, not understanding Riku's story or why he had told it in the first place, he flipped it over in his hands as he remained rooted to the spot. Did ... he really want one? Riku chuckled to himself as he reached the end of the bridge, glancing over his shoulder at his friend and drawing Sora from his musings.

"C'mon, I know you wanna try it!"

Now, maybe it was the light of the sunset playing across his face, but Sora's cheeks suddenly became a little red. "What're you talkin'-"

Riku laughed at Sora again, interrupting his sentence as he continued to head toward the docks. Sora looked first at Riku, and then down at the paopu fruit. Riku's story began to repeat itself in his head.

"If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined ..."

He stole a glance at his two best friends, wondering what would happen if he became connected to them both for the rest of his life, overcoming all obstacles together; and then immediately returned his gaze to the fruit.

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

Sora let out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. It was just a legend. There was no need to get so worked up over a legend about a simple fruit. Just because it was shaped like a star. It wasn't like that truly meant anything. He slowly shifted the fruit into his right hand, and then, taking one last look at it, he tentatively tossed it over the edge of the bridge so it fell into the shallow water below.

"H-How stupid," he thought to himself angrily. "First a dream, now a legend. What next?"

And with that, Sora took off at a run, never looking back.


Disney Castle

The castle's towers stretched up toward the sky as though they were reaching for the clouds. The entire castle seemed to glow with an unspoken power. The white stones that the castle was built from and the blue tiling on the cone shaped towers shimmered in the brilliant sunlight. The many orange flags that decorated the castles façade, jutting out from the peaks of the turrets, flapped in the gentle morning breeze. The day was just about as perfect as usual.

As was routine, the court wizard strolled down the long hallway toward the throne room, his footsteps falling evenly on the red carpet that stretched all the way to the end of the hall. To his left, the wall was lined with windows that almost reached as high as the arched ceiling above. Pouring in from the windows was the stunning light of the early morning sun. This was the court wizard's cue to greet the king.

The court wizard was, in fact, a short white duck. Atop his head was a purple hat, similar in shape to that of a stereotypical witch's. The point was teased into a crude curlicue, and along the rim of the hat was a thick yellow line. He wore a long sleeved rich plum shirt with two golden buttons in the middle of his chest, held securely to his body by a blue-violet belt that went around his waist. Over the long sleeved shirt was a blue cloak, which actually looked something like a short sleeved vest. It had two zippers on the front, leading from both sides of the neck.

He tipped his hat and nodded as he passed by the walking brooms, which scurried down the hall toward the next place that required cleaning. The duck chuckled to himself as heard them shuffle further and further down the hall. Then suddenly he stopped short, planting both his webbed feet on the ground before turning on his heel to the right, where he stood facing a set of giant purple double doors. On either door was a symbol engraved in stone, consisting of three circles - one big with two smaller ones linked above: the king's emblem. The door stretched up in its giant gold lined archway until it reached the ceiling. There was no way for such a small duck to open them by himself.

The court magician smiled, lifting one loosely clenched fist towards his beak as he cleared his throat. He then knocked on the base of the doors five times, rhythmically, as though to a song that no one else could hear but him. A slight clicking sound was made from the other side of the door as the duck dropped his hand to his side, and a small section of the giant door popped open for the court wizard to step through.

The throne room was huge, able to fit possibly hundreds of guests at a single time. But for now, it was empty. The tiled linoleum floors glimmered with their fresh polish, clean and appearing brand-new. The only thing laid out on top of the floor was another long red carpet that stretched all the way from the double doors to the throne itself. Above the throne was a lengthy dark red tapestry, outlined in yellow, and bearing the king's symbol of three circles - only this time larger than most of the etchings within the palace's stone walls. Intricate carvings in the wall directly behind the tapestry shadowed the throne, and on either side of the wall were statues. One of the court magician himself, while the other was in the likeness of the captain of the guards - the king's two most trusted friends in the world.

The court wizard walked triumphantly down the length of the carpet, as though he were some kind of soldier returning from war and visiting his esteemed king. He was barely halfway to the throne when he bowed toward it as he ambled along, greeting his royal highness formally.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," he called out in his rasping duck voice.

He continued his march down the long red carpet. After all, he had to reach the throne in order to properly greet the king as he always did every morning. And as he approached at an even pace, the duck smiled and bowed a little once more. "It's nice to see you this morn - What?"

Raising his head to look up at where the king should have been sitting, he realized with great shock and horror that he wasn't even there. The court wizard froze. What would he tell the others, especially the Queen? The servants, all the king's friends, what was he supposed to say to them? "Oh, well, you see the King decided to go outside to do a little exploring. No need to worry ... He's just unprotected and-" Yes, that would go over very well, he thought sarcastically. Just then, the king's faithful dog peeked around the corner of the throne, holding something delicately between his teeth. The court magician looked at the dog, shocked.

"What are you holding there, Pluto?" the duck quacked out as he bent over to take whatever it was from him.

It was an envelope, mint green in color with the king's emblem printed in a much darker shade on the right-hand corner near the bottom. Carefully, he opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside it. He slowly unraveled the folded paper and began to read, eyes hurriedly scanning each line and taking in the meaning behind the writing. The duck blink once, twice, and then lowered the letter bit by bit so it fell out of his line of vision.

Suddenly, all majestic reserve forsaken, the duck spun around and ran out of the throne room, squawking uncontrollably. He waved his arms around wildly as sprinted out into the hallway, as if the very world were coming to an end. He knew exactly where to go, even in his distraught state - he had to tell the captain of the guards what had happened immediately!

As it happened, the captain of the guards was resting on the lawn of the royal gardens in front of his own little castle. Of course, it wasn't the real castle; it was only a model of the entire Disney Castle that had been shaped out of the large bush growing in the garden. From the miniature castle grew many different kinds of flowers, positioned in such a way that they would create a multi-colored spiral with the castle placed at its center. The entire thing was separate from the other bush sculptures in the garden, all placed around in a large circle in front of the actual Disney Castle.

It was here in these gardens that the captain of the guards tended to catch up on his sleep. At the moment, he was napping with his hands propping his head up like a pillow. He was still dressed head to toe in his armor, expect for the helmet that sat atop his head like a hat since it wasn't about to fit over his dog-like face. He lay on the flowers with one leg perched on top of the other and his arms placed behind his head comfortably. His mouth opened wide every now and then, letting out loud snores as he slept on.

In any case, a certain duck chose that instant as his cue to disturb his slumbering friend. Zigzagging across the lawn in his crazed condition, he rushed toward the captain in earnest, still waving his arms like mad (though he had finally stopped screaming). He hopped onto the flowerbed and came to a halt next to the taller form on the ground, waving his arms to maintain his balance.

"Wake up, Goofy, wake up!" he shouted, jumping around hysterically. "This is serious!"

Goofy simply mumbled incoherently in his sleep and let out a long, slow breath. A carefree smile appeared on his face as he slept. The duck began to grow furious. With a demented scream, he pointed one finger toward the sky; his eyes were still fixated on Goofy's face as he released a jolt of lightning into the other man's body. The zap of electricity finally woke up the poor, unfortunate soul. He let out a cry of surprise and pain and almost jumped a mile in the air.

Instead, he dropped back down into the flowerbed with a loud thud and clank of metal. Goofy rubbed his sleep-filled eyes tiredly with one large, gloved hand as he stared at his surroundings, somewhat disoriented. His vision was still somewhat blurred, but it didn't take him long to recognize the angry face of one of his best friends in the world. He smiled at him drowsily.

"Hey there, Donald," he greeted with a wave. "G'morning."

"We've got a problem, Goofy!" announced Donald urgently, waving his arms around in the air frantically. Abruptly he stopped his movements and looked cautiously from left to right, searching. He then cupped one hand about his bill and whispered, "But don't tell anyone ..."

Goofy's eyes went wide. "Queen Minnie?"

Donlad crossed his arms defiantly and raised his beak almost snobbishly in the air. "Not even the Queen."

Expression changing slightly, he shifted his gaze. "Daisy?"

The court magician shook his head furiously. "NO! It's top secret!"

His gaze had completely shifted away from Donald's face now, and he had significantly bowed his head. "G'morning, ladies," he said cordially.

Donald froze. "Wh - What?"

The duck turned slowly, afraid to have his fears confirmed. And as he did so, his heart stopped beating for the longest minute of his life. For there, standing under one of the many bush archways of the garden, were both Queen Minnie and Daisy. Swallowing hard as they stared at him and Goofy expectantly, Donald tried to think of the best way out of this situation. He could just make a break for it ... But Daisy had put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him, as if reading his mind. She cleared her throat and raised one eyebrow at him, daring him to run, her gaze fixed steadfastly on Donald's face.

Goofy, in turn, switched his gaze to the court wizard, somewhat bewildered. A nervous laugh escaped from Donald's throat. He had a lot of explaining to do ...


Destiny Islands

Another perfect day in paradise.

Sora hopped up onto the dock from his boat and spread his arms wide, savoring the light breeze as he closed his eyes in contentment. He stretched for a moment and then spun around, staring up at the sky through the leaves from the nearby trees as his eyes opened once more. Someone shouted his name, then, disrupting his momentary peace.

"Hey, Sora!"

Turning to see the speaker, he saw Selphie standing on the edge of the dock. He grinned at her with genuine warmth.

"Hey, Selphie, how's it going?"

She smiled back and came a bit closer, looking both ways before she began to speak, as though she wished to share some big secret. Sora leaned forward slightly in acknowledgement, anticipating what she would say that could be some important.

"Have you heard about the legendary power of the paopu fruit?"

Humoring her, he nodded his head amiably. Riku had only just told him the story last night, of course he remembered.

"Well, they say if you share it with someone you really care for," she explained matter-of-factly, "it binds you together forever and ever, through eternity!" Selphie sighed dreamily, her eyes glazing over as she appeared to forget about Sora's presence altogether. "It's so romantic. I gotta try it sometime."

Sora smiled faintly, putting one hand on her shoulder. "You tell me how that works out, all right?" he jokingly replied, a short laugh falling from his lips as he turned to leave.

There was something mischievous in Selphie's smile as she retorted. "Why, are you thinking about trying it yourself?"

He began to quicken his pace when her words reached him, denying any comment whatsoever. It was embarrassing enough to admit that he might have a crush on Kairi, but everyone kept hinting that they already knew. Truthfully, it was getting rather old and annoying to him. Didn't they have anything better to gossip about?

"If you don't share a paopu with Kairi soon, Riku might beat you to it," Selphie called after him.

His heart skipped a beat as he realized that sooner or later winning Kairi's affection would have become just another competition between them. Riku was always ready to beat his friend to the punch, no matter the consequence. It was just how they worked. Sora would want something, and the blond would easily take it away - whether intentional or not. He had to wonder why he was still friends with such a person, but he couldn't deny that there was more to Riku than met the eye. Hurrying up the first level platform around the big hollow tree, he paused for a short breath, hands on his knees as he steadied his breathing.

They had agreed to meet up at the boat ruins today, which meant the other side of the island. He knew a shortcut, rather than having to go through the door all the way at the other end - the one Kairi had leaned against yesterday. There was a little cave that he could take to get there faster, though it was stationed up high instead of even with the ground. That's why he had climbed onto the platform, making it easier to pull his body into the cave and hurry forward. He had to bend over, though, so as not to hit his head or anything as he slid through the opening and proceeded toward the light at the end of the tunnel. When he finally stuck his head out to find warm sunshine, he was on the other side of the island, elevated so that he was level with the tops of the small "forest" of palm trees that grew in the shade. Directly next to where Sora stood was a small barren tree that had a large yellow star stuck onto its truck. He grinned at the tree, placing one hand absentmindedly on its surface.

Just beside the little forest was where they had started to build there raft. And that's exactly where it still was. Sora jumped onto the top of one of the palm trees and shimmied down its truck to land on the ground below. He then ran straight for Kairi, who stood expectantly on the raft, waiting for her friends to show up. Grinning like a mad man, he waved enthusiastically to her.

"Kairi! Over here!"

She turned at the sound of his voice, giving him her best smile. "Look!" she exclaimed, gesturing to the raft.

It was close to being finished. All the logs had been tied securely together to make the bottom of the raft, and the mast jutted out from the center to stretch skyward. The cloth that he had gotten the previous day was drawn out across the mast to make the sail, which fluttered in the wind. He beamed proudly at their combined efforts, causing Kairi's smile to grow.

"The raft's almost ready! All we have to do now is stock up on provisions."

"Sounds good!" Sora said in return, gaze lingering on the raft. "Riku must've gotten here early and worked on it, huh?" He tried not to sound too bitter.

At that, Kairi's smile faded a bit. "Hey ... have you seen Riku?"

"Come to think of it, I haven't," murmured Sora quietly, feeling prompted to look around in hope of seeing the other boy. He grinned. "Don't worry. I'll find him."

He then took off at a run for the other end of the island, jumping up onto a rock and then clambering onto the raised stone land. This side of the island had more rocks than the other, but it was the perfect race course with its hints of danger combined with the overwhelming obstacles around. Directly to the right of Sora was a large wooden tower. There was a long ladder that led to the top where there was a rope tied to one of the planks that was linked to smaller wooden tower at the other end of the island. Attached to that rope was a wooden slider that they could hold onto and glide across with speed, if they didn't fall off.

In front of the tower was a rickety old bridge, leading in the opposite direction over a small section of water toward the doorway that led to the other side of the island. Some of the planks of the bridge had rotted through and fallen off, making large gaps in different places. Sora looked across the water and squinted. There, standing near the edge and looking out into the horizon, was his friend. Smiling, he wondered what exactly Riku found so fascinating about the sky since he had been caught more than once looking up to the clouds for answers these last couple of days. He cut off his musing quickly and began to make his way across the insecure bridge, focusing solely on the task at hand.

Racing along the bridge, hopping over the gaps, he tried to remember where the newest weak point had popped up in the planks. One set was surely about ready to fall off ... But when Sora finally remembered which one it was, it was already too late. The platform broke off as he placed his full weight onto it, taking him down with it and into the water beneath the bridge. Sora tumbled into the salty water as the planks broke on the stones. Shaking off the clinging wet sand, he lifted himself out of his sitting position in the water, musing up his light brown hair to dispel the water in it. With a defeated sigh, Sora waded through the water and pulled himself up onto the stone platform where Riku stood.

His soaked body landed with a thud on the ground and he grinned up at his friend, who was still staring off into the distance. "What're you doing all the way over here?"

Riku gave a start, as if coming out of a deep trance, and then turned to look at Sora. "I was just thinking that our raft still needs a name," he said offhandedly. He put one hand thoughtfully under his chin for a prolonged moment. "Let's see ... How about Highwind?"

Raising himself up into a kneeling stance, he fell back onto his bottom and stretched out his legs in front of him casually. He grinned at Riku as he shook his head in amusement. For some reason that name sounded familiar, but he wasn't able to place it - he was sure he had heard it somewhere else before. "Naw, not Highwind."

"What would you call it?" Riku wanted to know, folding his arms over his chest defensively.

"Me? Umm..." Sora fidgeted with some moss growing on the surface of the stone, feeling the rough yet silky texture of the stuff. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, until Sora's face lit up with a grin as he thought up a name. "Morning Star!" he shouted cheerfully.

A challenging gleam entered Riku's green eyes. "Hey, how 'bout..."

"The usual?" Sora finished for him, the same competitive spark in his own cerulean eyes.

"Let's do it!'

Kairi stepped onto the gravel platform with a smile. She put her arms behind her back, leaned forward, and gave them a knowing look. "You guys at it again? All right. I'll be the judge!" The girl turned slightly with a giggle and pointed in the direction from which she had taken to meet them. "The usual rules apply: Take any route you want. First one to tag the tree with the star and make it back here wins."

Sora glanced at Riku as they took their places. "If I win, I'm captain!" he announced with a small smile. "And if you win..."

"I get to share the paopu with Kairi," said Riku somberly, without even looking at his friend.

"Huh?"

Riku smiled mischievously at Sora, turning his face to the side so he could see the other boy's expression. "Deal? The winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi."

Blue eyes widened, panicked. He looked away, mind racing. Share a paopu with Kairi? But ... that would make things final and irreversible. That also meant ... So then Riku wanted to ... But what if Sora lost ... Lost not only this race, but his two best friends. "W-Wait a minute ..."

Kairi, having taken her position as referee from a safe vantage point, turned to look at the boys. "Okay, on my count!"

The older boy leaned into the stance that any professional racer would use for a competition, but Sora's mind was still a whirlwind of thought. What was he going to do? It was too late to back out now!

"Three!"

The countdown had already begun!

"Two!"

He had no choice.

"One!"

He just had to win!

"Go!"

Kairi dropped her hand as though it were the starting flag.

Both boys sprung into action at the signal, leaping forward at once. They were evenly matched - for now. Sora glanced at Riku as they turned the corner onto the bridge. He considered nudging him slightly out of the way ... He shook his head to clear it of such traitorous thoughts, pushing away the idea as soon as it popped into his mind. Sora turned his attention to the old wooden planks of the bridge. A frown formed on his face; it was too bad that he'd already broken off the rotted planks. He could have used it to his advantage, slowing Riku down.

Together, they leaped over every gap in the bridge, perfectly coordinated with the other. Sora clenched his hands into fists, determined to win as he ran faster. He looked forward and stared up at the watchtower ahead, the best place to overlook the beach. It would probably be faster to use the slider; he decided quickly and extended one hand to grab onto one of the rungs that made up the ladder before Riku could. He swung himself onto the ladder fully, climbing as quickly as possible. The blond slowed for a moment, glancing up at Sora. The older boy would no doubt be delayed due to his pause, but that most certainly wouldn't make him stop.

Sora hurried up the ladder. It was definitely a very long ladder to have to climb at such a critical moment, but Sora couldn't stop now. He scrambled up to the top, pulling himself up onto the platform. He grabbed onto the wooden slider with both hands and pushed off the tower with his feet. He tucked his legs inward as he slid down the rope so he could go faster. Below him he could see Riku running toward the incline, his arms pumping at his sides determinedly. Sora made a face and began to swing his legs in an attempt to speed up.

As he began to approach the second wooden tower, Sora swung forward and released the slider, sending him flying through the air. He rolled as he hit the ground, and then scrambled back up to his feet as Riku prepared to pass him. The spiky haired boy groaned. No fair. They ran up the slope, jumping from one stone to the next. Both of them extended one hand to touch the star on the tree ahead. Their hands touched it at the exact same moment, and both boys looked at each other. Sora grinned before taking off, hopping down into the palm tree forest. As he landed in the sand, Sora pushed outward so he sprung back to his feet and then took off at a sprint, heading toward where Kairi was waiting for the boys to arrive.

He jumped back up to the stone platform, nearly slipping on a patch of moss near the edge, and then leapt into the water with a loud splash. He struggled through the watery depths as quickly as he could. Sora could see Kairi at last. He was practically there already! He could hear her cheering him on, and he smiled as he reached forward to grab onto the edge of the platform, pulling himself up so he was standing right next to the girl. His smile widen as he realized he had won. Kairi was screaming excitedly, pulling Sora into a hug as she started to jump up and down.

"Congrats, Sora!"

Sora grinned, his face slightly pink. Turning to face Riku as he arrived, he looked at the blond smugly. "Now the score's one to one!"

The older boy just panted, waving him off as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Sora's childish antics. "Lighten up, it's only a name."

Sora stared at him, disbelieving what he had heard. He narrowed his eyes, his face darkening in a frown. How could he have done that to him...?

Looking at both boys in turn, Kairi gave them her most winning smile in attempts to lift the desolate mood that had settled between them. "Anyway, today we collect food for our trip!" She turned to Sora, putting her arms behind her back. "Let's see. Sora, I need you to find one seagull egg, three mushrooms, two coconuts, three fish, and..." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a clear plastic bottle and pushed it into Sora's hands, curling his fingers around it for him. "And fill this up with drinking water. But not from the ocean!"

Sora put the bottle away, glancing over at Riku one last time. The silver-haired boy, however, had his back turned and he thought better of disturbing him. "All right, I got it."

"Bring everything over to the boat ruins," Kairi said as she began to walk away. "I'll be over there, okay? If you need help, just ask."

The coconuts were probably the easiest thing to find on the list. All Sora had to do was whack the trunks of the coconuts trees a few times until a ripe one fell to the ground. And since the trees were so close to the raft's building site, Sora simply dropped them down near the base of the mast. As for the mushrooms, Sora knew that there were a few growing on this side of the island. He managed to scrape up two mushrooms, in the end; one had been growing in a small shady cave near the boat ruins, but Sora had to move the boulder in front of it first to get inside. The other grew among the plants near the base of the watchtower. Those were also quickly returned to the raft, and Sora set them down near the fallen coconuts.

Getting the fish was a bit trickier, though. He had to get into the water in order to catch them, but for some reason he couldn't find any in the cove; so he had to return to the other side of the island to continue his search. And since Sora didn't have any fishing gear on him, he had to seize the fish free-handed (no easy task). Selphie sure had a lot of fun watching him swim around, yelling at the slippery little fishes for not cooperating with him. When she tired of him loping around in circles, she threw him a small net and a tattered satchel to lug the fish in. Three stubborn fishes later, he stumbled out of the ocean and obtained the drinking water asked for in a nearby spring. It was a small, clear spring filled with cool water from the waterfall above that replenished the pond-deep hole. Unscrewing the cap on the bottle, he submersed it in the water and filled it to the brim. Then, the bottle was carefully placed into the bag with the fish, making sure the cap was on tight before stowing it safely away.

Possibly, it was hardest for Sora to retrieve a seagull egg. He didn't even know where to begin looking for one, as he had no idea where the seagulls on the island preferred to build their nests. He probably climbed every tree there in search of an egg. And when he did find one, he was surprised at just how big it was. Unfortunately, there was only one; surely the mother bird would notice the disappearance of her yet to be hatched child - he almost felt guilty. Sighing, Sora stashed the egg away in the bag along with the water and fish.

The return trip to the boat ruins seemed to last forever. When he finally arrived, he noticed that Kairi was merely leaning against the mast, fiddling with something he couldn't see in her hands. He smiled.

"Kairi!" She didn't look up, but he saw the hint of a smile playing on her lips. Sora tilted his head, curious, to one side like a puppy and moved closer. "What'cha doin'?"

"This?" answered the girl with a question of her own, raising a long piece of thread into the air with a series of white and yellow shells attached to it. "I'm making a necklace of thalassa shells. In the old days, sailors always wore thalassa shells. They were supposed to ensure a safe voyage."

Sora shook his head, brash as always. "Don't worry, Kairi," he said confidently. "With or without them, we'll be just fine."

"You don't believe in fairy tales, Sora?"

He shrugged, not knowing what to really say. "It's my choice to believe," he mused, "and I don't." Then, remembering why he was there, he held out his bag for Kairi's inspection. "Here's the rest of the stuff you asked for."

"Wow, you're fast! Thanks, Sora. Let's see, what did you forget this time?" She smiled at the face he made before taking the bag for a closer look at its contents. "Ah, yes," she announced sagely, and then completely changed her tone of voice. "One more mushroom!"

Sora groaned. "Another mushroom? But you don't even like them! Can't we just let it slide, for once?"

Giggling, Kairi insisted on him finding the only remaining item on the list. "You know how much Riku loves them."

"Yeah, yeah, but -"

"Don't 'but' me, mister," she cut him off, narrowing her eyes a bit with her hands on her hips. "You have this habit of forgetting just one last thing, whatever you're doing. This is my way of reinforcing completion of a set task."

"Little Miss Perfect," he muttered under his breath, but she heard him.

"What was that?" asked Kairi sweetly.

"Nothing, mommy dearest."

They glared at each other for a moment, and then they both cracked up laughing. Sora waved a good-bye after their laughter died down, turning to set out on his quest to find the missing mushroom. As he started to walk away, however, he heard Kairi shouting, "I know you can find it, Captain! Good luck!" He twisted back around just in time to catch her mock salute.

Bemused, he looked at her with a scowl. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't you remember, Sora? You won the race and named the raft! And since you named the raft, doesn't that technically make you captain?"

"Oh yeah," murmured the boy. That had been his condition. If he won the race, then he'd be captain, and they'd call the raft Morning Star.

"Then from now on," Kairi continued with a laugh, "I'll say 'Aye, aye, Captain Sora!'"

Sora chuckled warmly. "Okay, Kairi. I'll go find that last mushroom now, so you just stay put. Don't move an inch."

"Aye, aye, Captain Sora!"

It proved easier said than done, though. He had no clue where he could find that mushroom, no clue where to even begin. Instead, he turned to Selphie for help, but all she could talk about was the paopu fruit, and who she should share it with. Sora shrugged and left her to the important decision. Jumping down from the dock, he looked around for someone else to ask. His eyes caught onto a familiar form practicing where he had fought Riku just the other day. Quickly, he made his way up to the top of the plateau and grinned at the messy haired blond swinging his red staff about. "Hey, Tidus!"

The boy turned around and looked over at Sora, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He smiled and waved, and then continued with his practice.

"Hey, Sora," he called back with good cheer. "I heard you're getting stronger, but odds are you're still no match for Riku." Sora twitched at the words. "We took him on three-to-one last time, and he whipped us all. Well, I guess Kairi can always count on him."

Ignoring Tidus's taunts, Sora decided a change of subject was in order. "Yeah, well, listen. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find some mushrooms. Would you?"

"Say, are you and Riku really pals?" It seemed Tidus was doing his own fair share of ignoring. "It's kinda hard to tell sometimes, you know?" Whatever the other boy was getting at, it was honestly starting to bug Sora; but he had a vague notion that Tidus might be intentionally annoying him for some reason. "Anyway, want to go a round?"

"Ah, there it was," he thought in bittersweet humor. He sighed. "One-on-one?" Sora prompted. "After all, I did promise you."

Tidus nodded eagerly with a full-blown grin. "That's right!"

Walking over to where he had dropped his sword yesterday, he picked it up in both hands and stationed himself in the middle of the isle. "And I always keep my promises. Let's see what you've got, Tidus!"

"Hey, no problem, I can take you down by myself!"

The two fourteen-year old boys faced off, watching to see who would make the first move. This match was going to be tricky, he knew, mostly because both he and Tidus favored defense against offense in mock battles. It appeared Tidus was feeling bold today as he opened up the match by lunging for his contender.

Catching the blow from the bo-stick with his sword, Sora gave strong push outward, kicking the other boy off balance momentarily. He took advantage of it, landing in a good few hits on the boy's side and shoulder before Tidus used a back flip to avoid the assaults. Then, he spun around and swung his staff at Sora, who just jumped out of the way hastily and lashed out with his wooden sword. The blunt weapon connected with Tidus's shoulder, but the boy only winced and followed up with his own attack, striking Sora harshly in the abdomen. Clutching his bruised ribs, Sora slid to the left to evade the second blow. He didn't know how much his body could take; it was already sore from his beat down with Riku the day before.

"Th - That all you got?" he said, seemingly arrogant if his voice hadn't cracked with pain.

Tidus smirked - a promise of pain sure to come. The boy rushed forward, but Sora pulled the same trick he'd used on Riku. He leapt into the air and over Tidus's head, smacking his opponent sharply in the back with his weapon and sending him over the edge of the isle. The move hadn't been nearly as successful yesterday.

"You all right?" he called down to the fallen boy, a bit of fatigue showing through in his voice

Tidus shook the water out of his hair and looked up. He waved at Sora, smiling widely despite his predicament, and then smartly hit himself on the head. "Aw, man ... what's up?'

A slight smile curved his lips before Sora wordlessly took off. He still had a task to complete. An important task that happened to involve a certain stupid mushroom. Racing across the bridge leading from the plateau, he hopped onto the roof of the small wooden shack and glanced around. Mushrooms liked to grow in shady areas ... Sora jumped from the roof to the ground beside fresh water spring, where Wakka was standing with his volleyball tucked under one arm. The older boy looked over at Sora as he landed and grinned.

"Hey, Sora! You seen Tidus?"

"Yeah, he's back there." The youth made a vague gesture to the isle behind him. "Why?"

Wakka's grin turned a little more mysterious, as if he were about to reveal the ultimate adventure. The redhead pointed toward a crack in the rock at the base of the large hollow tree. The rock surrounding it was overgrown with moss and other kinds of leafy vegetation. It certainly was dark and musty looking; his eyes widened abruptly as he followed Wakka's gaze.

"Me and Tidus," Wakka started, "we're gonna do a little explorin' today. You know, to the secret place at the base of that tree. There's gotta be somethin' there, ya?"

Sora nodded his agreement avidly. "You're right," he acknowledged, and beamed at the redhead. He patted his friend on the arm before taking off toward the cave. "Thanks, Wakka!"

Wakka was left behind, confused at the other boy's reaction. He shrugged it off and turned back around to face where Sora had indicated Tidus could be found, deciding to go retrieve the kid. Meanwhile, Sora bent over as he passed through the narrow crack in the wall, shifting his body to fit properly. It was a good thing he was lean, he refused to use the term "skinny" as Kairi had dubbed him. He then carefully rose to his full height when he reached the other side, following the tunnel wall with one hand as he continued to walk. He stared up at the gnarled roots that could be seen from the inside, tracing their curves with distant eyes. The tunnel led to one very special place.

Sora, Riku, and Kairi had never told the other kids about their secret spot. When he was younger, Sora had discovered the place with Riku, and when Kairi had arrived they had shared it with her as a sort of welcoming gift. They had been around eight when they had claimed the place, but it was still their very own little secret. Right below the large tree was a fairly big cavern. The walls were all rocks that had been piled on top of each other, held together by the long and twisted roots of the tree above. The three friends had scratched many drawings into those rocks. They had drawn castles and imaginary underwater places with mermaids and fish. There were even strange pictures of ducks and dogs that wore clothes and walked upright. Drawings were etched of odd smiling faces, hearts, diamonds, spades, and clovers. There was also a picture of a ghost-like shadow creature looming over a small group of people; he remembered Riku had personally done that one.

They were never able to explain fully why they had drawn those pictures; it had just been a feeling of some sort that compelled them to do it. There was nothing to connect the etching, however, but they were all over the cavern walls. Every rock had a drawing craved into its surface. It made the place feel even more special, when he thought about how they had contributed. But the most mysterious and wondrous thing that could be found there was the strange door.

Or at least it looked like a door. There was no real handle or keyhole, though, anywhere on the door. All they knew was that the seemingly wooden door never rotted or decayed, nonetheless having seen a good many years. The gold embroidery on the door's surface as well never seemed to fade. It always looked brad new, even though it had been there for as long as Riku and Sora could remember.

His eyes lit up with happiness as he spotted a small mushroom nestled between the roots of the tree near the enigmatic door. He walked over and uprooted the plant, inspecting it, and then tucking it into his belt with a grin. As Sora was about to rise to his feet, he noticed another one of the drawings. It was a particularly special picture, to him anyway. It was an impression of him and Kairi; they had gotten the idea in their head to try drawing each other as a way to always remember - to recall the times they spent together as kids, enjoying their play island alongside Riku. They weren't the best artists in the world, so the drawings weren't very good, but Sora still loved it.

He put one hand affectionately near the image he had engraved of Kairi, her hair so wild and untamable in the portrait - very unlike her actual short locks done in angles around her face. He smiled as he dredged up the memory of the day they had craved the pictures, and then took a sharp rock into his hands. Seating himself completely on the ground, he began to etch something new into the rock, just below the image of Kairi's face. The rock whitened with every scratch he made, and small dusty pieces of rock chipped away, slowly raining on the ground from the stone's surface.

Pulling away, he gazed at what he had hacked into the stone, blushing a little with a goofy half grin on his face. For there, near the sketch of one of his best friends, was something that looked like a shooting star. But if one looked close enough, they would realize that it was actually an arm, leading from the image of Sora's face and holding out a star-shaped object for the girl to take. Gently, he touched the star and he felt a wave of contentment. What would it be like to forever be connected to the most important people in his life?

As he stared at the image, lost in thought, he suddenly heard a noise from behind him. He turned around, rising to his feet. "Wh - Who's there?" Sora hazarded a question.

He glanced at different areas of the cave, looking for the source of the sound.

"I've come to see the door to this world."

"Huh?" was his eloquent reply, wondering where the person was hiding as he skimmed the cave for the speaker.

"This world has been connected."

"Wha - What are you talking about?"

"Tied to the darkness ... soon to be completely eclipsed."

Sora narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists at his sides. "Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this!" He checked again, looking about the cave cautiously for the owner of the voice. It was then that he noticed the cloaked person masked in the shadows, swathed in a dark crimson overcoat. The hood was deep enough to conceal the face of the intruder, so Sora wasn't sure who the man truly was - he only had that rough voice to go by. "Huh? Where - Where did you come from?"

"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door," the man persisted, never stopping in his soft spoken speech.

Glancing to the side where the wooden door was located, his heart started to race uncontrollably. "So, you're from another world!"

"There is so very much to learn. You understand so little."

"Oh, yeah?" Sora growled, challenging the man with a glare. "Well, you'll see. I'm gonna get out and learn what's out there!"

"A meaningless effort," rebutted the mysterious cloaked man. "One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

The youth thought to say something biting, but nothing came out. He merely glared at the hooded figure for a while, waiting for him to say something. After a moment of silence, Sora slowly turned his head to look at the door, his eyes steadfast upon its surface as he pondered the meaning behind the man's words. He had seen the doorway hundreds of times before, and this time was no different. He scrutinized it for a brief moment and then twisted back quickly to demand some answers from the shrouded individual.

However, he found he was alone.


Author notes: Well, if Tidus looks like he's Sora's age, I decided to reduce Wakka's own age as well to suit the story. I mean, they really don't look that old in the game, do they?

And can you imagine how graceful a "teenage boy" can be? snorts and tries not to outright laugh

I can see Sora having a crush on Kairi, but they're friends first and foremost. Plus, she annoys me a bit in the game, but I tried to write her as best I could without making her seem too horrid. Therefore, the thing between the two will only be a crush, and nothing more. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm going to remain indifferent concerning the romantic relationships of the main characters. That way I don't change too much or screw anything up - basically because I'm not sure how good I am with romance, and I don't want to destroy the story with it.

No where in the myth of the paopu fruit does it say only lovers can intertwine their destinies, so what if best friends wanted to always be there for each other? In other words, what would happen if Riku, Sora, and Kairi had all shared a fruit? Has it ever been done?

I found it interesting when I discovered that the three friends were named after different elements of nature. Riku was land, Sora was sky, and Kairi's name could either mean ocean or light (if you think about where her name originated from -Hikari, I think it was ...) Anyway, I hope you will continue to enjoy the adaptation of the game to novel. ^^