Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I do own Sariah O. Silvestre and Danielle Willis.

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Prologue

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Dear Sora, Riku, and Kairi,

It has been brought to my attention that just after we had defeated one foe, another is already in the works but due to lack of information, I must put you on hold. I personally shall go and find out any information I can but for right now, you all must live normal lives. You cannot tell anybody of the adventures you have had because no one will believe you. With great help from my master Yen Sid, we have erased the last year in people's thoughts just like Ansem the Wise did with your memories of Sora. Your families and friends will not notice that you have aged or look different; they will only think in their minds that you have changed over a year that has been fabricated in their minds. A dream you could say. With that, I say fair well for now.

Yours truly,

The King Mickey

The paper suddenly felt like it was a feather in Sora's hands when it had felt like a ton of lead before. "No one knows we were gone…" He said in hopeful disbelief.

"We can start over." Sora heard Riku mutter quietly.

Looking to his right, Sora saw Kairi looking at him with a look he couldn't describe. "Well… it's going to be hard to try and be normal."

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… A Year Later

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Traverse Town, 1: 23 A.M.

It had taken a while to get here, but to Riku it was well worth the trip in the gummi ship. The flashing green and yellow lights opened his eyes and the pounding music brought a deep beat within his chest. He had never been to this club, but he had heard good things.

If Sora and Kairi knew about his secret, they would think he was ill. Riku in a club? That was strange. Riku in a club and finding that it brought a feeling he loved? Even stranger. He couldn't help himself though. The music, the lights, the love he got from all the girls that wanted to dance with him… it was an amazing feeling that his damaged heart felt it could get used to. Would it help him find the light that he was still so desperate to find even after a year of ridding himself from Ansem's shadow? Probably not, but to be surrounded by a certain darkness that didn't actually seem to taint their souls brought a sense of self. He could be himself here and not worry about being blinded by a light he had not found yet.

Taking in a deep breath, the smell of alcohol made bile rise in his throat but as he approached the bar on the far corner, he couldn't help himself from asking the bar tender for a shot.

"You twenty-one, kid?"

Riku took out his I.D. and showed it to the bar tender, it took a second, and it almost looked as if the guy was seeing through his bluff before the bar tender smiled and took out a shot glass. "The name's Wade. What'll it be?"

"Straight vodka."

Wade muttered a 'will do' before a bottle of Smirnoff vodka appeared in his right hand only to be drizzled into the glass that metaphorically had Riku's name on it. With a smile, Wade put the small taste of alcohol in front of a Riku before running his hand through his short dark brown hair. "Mr. Riku Altria, what brings you to the wonderful Kryptonite club? You get dumped or just looking for some ass, or both?"

With a wave of his hand and a shake of his head, Riku downed the drink. It burned on the way down and for a second, he thought he was going to vomit but after swallowing a second time and a clearing of his throat, he was fine. His eyes burned a little but he still had not become accustomed to the taste of alcohol and assumed in time, it wouldn't make him react the same.

"You look like everyone else in this building."

"How so?" Riku asked as he returned the shot glass to Wade's side of the bar.

"It's easy," the tanned man said. "You're running from something. See that girl over there that's dancing with the 'wanna be fraternity jock'?"

Riku turned and saw the girl immediately. Her hair was brown but turned a strange black in the multiple lights, her make up was starting to drip from all the sweat she was emitting and her attire clearly screamed that she wanted attention. It's almost like he could feel the depression radiating off of her. "What about her?" He asked as he took one last look before looking back at Wade, butterflies suddenly invading his stomach.

"She calls herself Tana and comes here every night. Last time I talked to her she claimed that it was because she wanted to meet new friends but we all know she had a kid at fourteen and is leaving him in the arms of her mother who her child calls 'momma'. She's here to escape from the life she lives in hopes of starting a new one. I know that if she had the chance, she would escape her old life to live this one. Even if it is a mask."

The oak wood bar seemed to glistening in the multitude of lights as Riku stared at it. He agreed with Wade. Even though he hadn't changed the way he looked or his name, he was living the same life as Tana. He had been for a year now.

His eyes glanced towards Wade, the taste of bile reentered his mouth and he shook his head. "I'll uh… see you later Wade."

"Did I scare you off, kid?"

"Nah," Riku lied as he held his head high and straightened his shoulders, his façade back from earlier. "I'm just going to find a dance partner is all." With a look of what he hoped was egotistical, Riku turned his back on Wade and forced himself through the crowd. Just as he was about to leave the club, a shimmer of red caught his eye. He looked to his left and just as he saw her, she was gone. Must've been my imagination.

The open night air felt good and he couldn't stop himself from coughing as he left the bar and entered an alley that was on the right side of the club. His back hit the wall rather roughly, the coughs becoming more agitated as he slid down the brick wall. Tears began to flow from his saddened eyes and he fought to breathe in the open air. What am I doing here? He thought solemnly.

A sudden sound to his right brought his attention to a rat that was jumping from a trash can. It looked at him and Riku felt as if he was being hit in the gut. Orange eyes stared at him before the rat turned his back and skittered off with a piece of rotting food in its mouth.

I've got to get out of here.

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Destiny Island, 1:23 A.M.

Kairi couldn't sleep.

Her mother was out again with her boyfriend of three months. From what Kairi could tell, he was a jerk that was only into her mother in hopes of getting the "rich life". While Kairi was not necessarily rich, her house was two stories high and was built by her father when she was extremely young, almost looking like a house out of a fairytale. While she didn't know what world she was from, she knew she must've been from some sort of royalty after she was declared a "Princess".

With a sigh, Kairi turned over on her back and stared at the old glow in the dark stars that still glittered her ceiling. Now that she thought about it, she felt way too old for those stars. She had admired them before her adventures but now she was more mature, more aware of the dangers outside of Destiny Island.

A sudden click from her window brought her attention to the moon lit sky. She waited two seconds to see if it was only a one-time random occurrence but the sight of a pebble hitting her window only to be followed by another had her lifting her comforter. Once she reached the window, a smile lit up her face like the moon lit up the sky.

There was Sora, a pebble in his hand and his normal smirk on his face, his white shirt and grey shorts making her think he had just slipped them on.

Kairi opened her window and relished in the feel of the ocean breeze. "What are you doing?" she giggled.

"I had a sixth sense that you were in trouble."

"In trouble?"

"I knew you'd be worried about your mom since she went out with that 'Charles' guy so I thought what would be the best thing to do to cheer you up? I came up with taking you to the island." He said as he lifted his arms and gave her a smile.

With a smile of promise in return, she held her finger up as if to say "one-second" before closing her window.

Five minutes later, Kairi emerged in a tank top and shorts and to Sora she never looked more beautiful.

"Shall we go, milady?" Sora joked as he lifted his elbow.

Putting a piece of hair she hadn't got in her bun behind her ear, Kairi took his arm; "You think going to the island can fix anything."

"Has it ever failed us?"

"Not yet."

The two began to walk down the dirt road and continued to chat and by the time they reached the beach, Kairi was no longer worried about her mother who was probably still out with Charles. She was more entranced by the man before her who had walked away in order to start untying the boat.

At some point over the years, he had changed from the wide-eyed boy that fought for her affections. Now, he was the matured man that was beginning to look like how he acted. His face was beginning to become chiseled as was his muscles, and he was starting to become rather tall. She actually had to look up in order to see his eyes and she loved it.

"Hey Sora?" He turned to her and stood at full height, reminding her once again of how tall he was becoming. Muttering a 'huh', he watched her as she said, "Why don't we just sit right here? We're at the beach and this way if my mom does happen to get home early, I can easily just get back to my house."

"Oh, okay." Sora quickly retied the boat back on the dock before he returned to her side and sat down.

They were right on the shore where the ocean met the land right at their feet, the coldness of the water running shivers down their spines. Sora saw Kairi visibly shiver and he put his arm around her in hopes in would give her the warmth she needed. Little did he know, it also brought warmth to her cheeks and made her heart flutter.

After they had saved Kingdom Hearts from Xemnas, Sora had shown Kairi how he felt. Sure it had taken him two weeks to finally gather the courage but the two were seemingly the perfect couple. He had brought her to the island and the Paopu tree, gathering one of the rare fruits before cutting it to look like her good luck charm and sharing it with her underneath the same sky they were under now.

Kairi was beautiful, charming, caring… he could think of all kinds of words that could describe her but still not give her enough credit. She was his princess and he cherished her. Lately though, his thoughts had begun turning lustful and they almost scared him. The mornings were becoming numerous where he would find his sixteen going on seventeen year old body heated and thinking of Kairi.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Kairi put her head on his shoulder and he couldn't help himself, the last few months driving him crazy. Sora lifted his hand to tilt her head up; her big blue eyes making him catch his breath as he slowly leaned down. Their lips met and neither of them could breathe. It was like fireworks were going off in each of their minds and something snapped in Sora. The feeling of her lips on him drove him wild and he couldn't help himself from leaning forward, forcing her on her back. Just as he was hoping for something more, his hand leaving the sand in hopes of burying them in her hair, she put her own hands on his chest, pushing him off of her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Nervously, Kairi sat back up and looked at the ocean; "I just… can't go any further right now."

It grew quiet as the wind slowly played with their hair. They both began to think the same thing: Cause if we did… I wouldn't be able to stop.

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AN: What do you think? I'm just dabblin' with the idea.

- Trembling Rose