A/N-- Hey, thank you for reading my fanfiction! Just a few things to say before we start here. P First off, I do not own Kingdom Hearts (well, I own the actual game, but not the rights or nothing) and I write this based totally off of the first one only. I have beaten the second game, but it was way to confusing. Also, because that summary thing you read before you click on the story doesn't let you write a lot, I must add that this story is a love triangle, between Riku, Sora and Kairi. Yes, there is yaoi, so leave now if you don't like that sort of thing. I rate this T for language and suggestive content. I'm not one to get into a lot of detail. Also, I hope you don't just stop reading cause you're sick of people putting Riku and Sora together. I'm working hard on this, and I want it to show how you can feel two kinds of love towards your friends. All right, I'm all done now. Oh, and if you're wondering about the name, the next chapter explains it. P

Jacqueline Out.

The day you will open the door is both far off and very near.

The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes.

But don't be afraid. And don't forget...

You hold the mightiest weapon of all.

So don't forget: You are the one who will open the door…

Sora became aware of the red color of the inside of his eyelids quite too suddenly. He'd been having a dream again, one of the strange dreams that made him feel so many mixed feelings. He let his mind wander for a moment, considering all that had occurred. He remembered Riku, standing in the shallows with his hand outstretched. He felt a pang in his heart as he thought of how he couldn't reach him before the waters swept him away.

Finally, he opened his bright blue eyes to stare up at the sky. It was unbearably bright at first, then slowly his vision adjusted and he yelped in surprise at the girl standing over him. "Whoa!"

Kairi giggled and wrinkled her nose at the groggy-looking boy in the sand of Destiny Island's beach. He sat up and muttered, "Gimme a break, Kairi."

The petite red head placed her hands on her hips and teased, "Sora, you lazy bum. I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here."

Sora was quick to protest. He wasn't trying to be lazy. He'd been getting next to no sleep for weeks. If only Kairi would understand all the strange things he'd been thinking. "No! This huge black THING swallowed me up! I couldn't breath, I couldn't—ow!" Sora placed a gloved hand on the back of his head, rubbing it tenderly from soreness. It must have either been the sand, or whatever had happened in his dreams involved him getting a nice hit in the head.

"Are you still dreaming?" Kairi giggled once more, but stifled it at the sight of red growing around the edge of Sora's ears and cheeks. She placed a delicate hand over her lips for a moment.

Sora sat up and let his elbows rest on his knees. He glared up at Kairi and insisted, "It wasn't a dream!" He paused, his eyes flickering down to the grains of sand that he rested upon. "Or was it? I don't know. What was that place? So bizarre…"

Kairi had enough of Sora's games by now and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure," she muttered. Her eyes gazed out towards the clam, open sea. The breeze rippled her clothing and hair slightly as she let out a long sigh.

After a few minutes of the friends' comfortable silence, Sora leaned forward and placed his chin on his knees and asked curiously, "Say, Kairi, what was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up."

Kairi was quiet before she answered in a sweet voice, "I've told you before, I don't remember."

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing."

A few more moments of silence passed between the friends before Sora finally blurted, "You ever want to go back?"

Kairi smiled softly, her hair whipping at her face in time with the breeze. "Well," she said thoughtfully, "I'm happy here."

"Really…" Sora sighed with a bit of disappointment. He wanted to see the place where Kairi grew up, to get off the island and see the worlds around it.

"But you know…" she added carefully, a grin spreading across her face as she turned back to Sora. "I wouldn't mind going to see it."

Sora jumped up, excited by the idea of going out to see the worlds. "I'd like to see it too. Along with any other worlds out there! I want to see 'em all!"

Laughing, Kairi nudged Sora and cried, "Then what're we waiting for?"

"Hey, aren't you guys forgetting about me?"

Both Kairi and Sora looked down the beach to see who'd spoken. Sora felt his heart flutter. The boy stood with a smirk on his face and a gleam in the two eyes that matched the sea. He crossed his arms over his chest, one hand holding a log, and walked forward. There was still that playful and sly smirk on his face. Sora tired to forget how he'd dreamed of Riku, but hadn't he also dreamed of Kairi? It wasn't uncommon for Sora to dream of his friends, but this had been so much different. Usually dreams with Kairi meant he'd wake up with a goofy smile on his face and a very awkward feeling bellow the belt. The last dream hadn't made him feel that way. He'd been falling through the sky, and she'd tried to catch him… but she couldn't. Riku hadn't been able to save him from the current either. Was it all just a symbol that he was going to be swept away with no one to save him?

"So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft," Riku said smoothly. His cocky, but always smooth voice snapped Sora from his thoughts. The three of them had been working hard on the small raft that was going to get them off the island. It wasn't going to get them very far, but they guessed it could probably get them to the closest world. With a quick flick of his hand he tossed the log at Sora. Caught off guard, he fell hard on the sand, the log landing heavily in his arms. Riku glanced at Kairi and accused good-naturedly, "And you're just as lazy as he is!"

"So you noticed," Kairi giggled sweetly. "Okay, we'll finish it together. I'll race you!"

From his place on the ground, Sora squinted up at Kairi. He tilted his head to the side, confused. "Huh?"

"What, are you kidding?" Riku said skeptically. Despite his hardest efforts, Riku had a hard time holding back how highly he could think of himself. The look in his face told Sora that he expected to win. Suddenly, Sora very much wanted to race.

"Ready? Go!" Kairi shouted before he'd even had time to stand up. She began to race down the sand, Riku not far behind. Sora jumped up, tossed the log aside and ran after them, momentarily forgetting his worries as he raced with his two closest friends. Some how, deep in his heart, Sora knew that times like this would be scarce soon.