Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters in it. I just own Reiki in this part.
"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived...in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open. And the true light will return. So, listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away. Do you understand, Kairi?"
I awoke to darkness as thick as oil. It terrified me, this inability to see or hear, and I had to take my breaths in gulps. All I knew was that I was lying somewhere with no memory of who I was or how I'd gotten there and that it was cold. Very cold. It seemed as if time didn't even effect this place as I lay there, shivering uncontrollably. The good thing about all this was, that it gave me plenty of time to think. It didn't rush me, or demand something from me. It just gave me time, and time is precious to me, although I don't know why exactly. So I just lay there and thought about my forgotten memory.
Why didn't I seem to really care about it? It was as if it never existed or something...or maybe it did.. I'm not sure. I wondered who I was before and what led me to this point, where I was wondering if I were going to die. It's not like I could've gotten up or anything. My body was too numb with cold to even consider moving. There was also to be considered, that since it was as cold as it was, that something on me might break off if I even tried to get up. I then began to cry out of helplessness and of the morbidity of the thought of some part of my body breaking off. It went on like this for what seemed like forever, when suddenly, something brushed against me. I tensed as more of that somethings' touched me.
Fear would have paralyzed me, but I was already practically paralyzed. My breath came in even more gulps as I felt one of those somethings' slash into my side. I tried to scream, but the darkness drowned out my voice. Then, they all started to slash and touch me! Please, no! Don't let me die here alone! Not like this! I screamed silently inside my mind as they continued their slashing and touching. It seemed like they'd never stop... that is, until a bright light zapped through the air, electricuting the creatures dead. They disappeared with the light and I cried, terrified of what was lurking in the darkness. A fire suddenly lit up the darkness and I could see a young man with a blindfold over his eyes and silver-white hair that reached a little past his shoulderblades, in a black cloak standing beside me.
I reached out my arm to him, a thrill of pain coursing throughout my body as I did. My eyes pleaded with him and he brought the fire lower towards me. I began to feel my body thaw out and I grew tired, both from pain and from warmth. "Curaga.",he said as a white light encircled me, healing my wounds and then bending over closer to me, he continued,"Can you stand?". I tried to sit up, but I was still too numb to move and it was still cold, although obviously not as cold as before. He sighed and picked me up bridal style. I blushed lightly and was glad that he had the blindfold on or he'd have noticed. I looked at him for a moment and wondered how he had known where I was but I soon brushed that thought aside when I noticed how warm he was. I buried my head in his chest and as he walked us towards a destination unknown to me, I fell asleep in total bliss.
When I awoke, we were in a more lighted area, although we were still in the strange, dark place and I was on a rock barely big enough to lay on with the young man's cloak blanketing me. I sat up and stretched, looking around with my eyes. We were at a beach and the water seemed vast and endless to me. I couln't tell if I had ever been to one, but that didn't matter as I noticed the young man a few feet away from me looking in my direction. I looked at his outfit and noticed that it consisted of a pair of baggy blue denim jeans, a black zip-up tank-top and a white and yellow vest over it which showed off his slightly pale, scrawny, yet toned framed; black and grey shoes; and not surprisingly, the blindfold over his eyes. As I stared at him, the cloak slid off of the rock and I could faintly hear a sharp intake of breath as he quickly turned around. What's up with him? I thought to myself as I looked down at myself. My eyes widened as I realized that I had no clothes on over my milky-white skin and for a moment, I tried to remember if I'd had any on to begin with. My mouth formed an "o" and I blushed beet red as I immediately threw on the cloak, zipping it up all the way as I did.
"You covered?", he asked -embarrassed- clearing his throat, still not looking at me. "Yes.",I said in a quiet voice, not used to sound coming out of my mouth after the choking silence of the darker part of the place. He turned back around and an awkward silence ensued. He sat down on the rock that had acted as my bed, and then he mumbled something. "Hm?",I ask. He spoke up louder,"How'd you get here?" "I don't know.",I answered, feeling a little exasperated at my stubborn memory. I wipe a tear away and he looked at me with a frown on his face,"Why are you crying?"
"I don't remember anything.",I answered, crying a little more. "Do you at least remember you're name?", he asked gently. I thought about it for a while and a faint memory of my name fluttered in my head. "Reiki Kokoro Oukoku..", I replied slowly, noticing a faint smile form on his face. "Nice to meet you, Reiki.", he replied, shaking my hand. I blushed lightly and as I was about to ask for his name, a small, strange black creature with zigzag antennae and yellow orbed eyes appeared. I looked at the creature in confusion and just as I was about to mention it to the young man, a few more appeared and it leapt at us. As my mouth formed the words of warning, a blade appeared in his hand and he blurriedly killed all of the creatures. He grinned in triumph and I sighed in relief, glad no one was hurt, well, except the creatures of course.
"Reiki, we can't stay here. More of them will be coming.", he said, his grin disappearing.
"What are those things?"
"Heartless.",he replied matter-of-factly.
"Heartless?",I asked, still as confused as when I didn't know their name. He didn't answer and a girl that was at least a bit shorter than me with dark red shoulder-length hair, violet-blue eyes, a hooded pink strapless mini-dress made up with three zippers (two appear to be just decorative), a white halter top underneath her mini-dress, a black belt reminicent of suspenders with a note book shaped bag attachment, and large lilac shoes. She was altogether a very pretty girl.
"Riku!", the girl exclaimed happily, running up to him and hugging him. He grunted a little and said,"Kairi... You're crushing me.". She let go of him, smiling happily as she did. "I knew I'd find you here.", her smile disappeared and a frown crossed her lovely features as she continued," You really shouldn't be here, Riku. If Sora found out that you've been coming back here, he'd probably worry that you'll go back to....". She stopped talking as she noticed me and looked at Riku questioningly and me suspiciously.
"Oh, this is Reiki. Kairi, Reiki. Reiki, Kairi."
"Oh. Hello."
"H-hi.", I replied, suddenly feeling a little out of place. Kairi looked at Riku again and sighed.
"What?"
"Why are you wearing a blindfold? You're not Xehanort anymore.", she asked him, concern written in her voice.
"Helps me concentrate.", he replied, leaving it at that and then asking,"Now can you open the door? This place is getting a little overcrowded." At this, I noticed that a few more heartless were trying to surround us. A pink, flowery blade appeared in Kairi's hand and Riku and Kairi quickly defeated them. I felt weak as they did this, but I didn't say anything. Kairi held out her hand to the water and a bright light burst through and she motioned for us to step through. My bare feet and a little of the coat got wet as I stepped through, but when I did, I found myself at a bright, sunshiney beach near an island. The island was small, but beautiful with its lush green trees and bright multicolored flowers. The sand was soft and squishy beneath my feet and I smiled noticing a shack, an even smaller island with a bridge connecting it to the bigger one that had four trees on it, two shacks, a treehouse, a treehouse deck, a cave beside a small waterfall, a pier with a few row boats docked there, and another shack that was hidden from view.
We walked to the shore -we were in shallow water-, the water slowing us down a little. Riku pulled off his blindfold, to reveal a pair of green eyes that seemed like they were once bright, but now they were a little dulled. I found myself blushing as I noticed that he looked, well, hot. He looked in my direction, but I turned my head the other way so that he wouldn't notice me blushing. A young man a little less muscular and shorter than Riku with medium brown spiky hair, blue eyes, happy-go-lucky grin on his face, and wearing a black, yellow and silver outfit that is baggy and uses many zippers and extra leggings, a crown necklace, and a pair of oversized shoes that has the same color scheme as the rest of the outfit, came racing out of the shack nearest the shore.
"Looks like Sora's in a good mood.", Kairi commented as the young man ran towards them. Sora tackled Kairi and Riku and they fell on the sandy shore in a heap, laughter erupting from the trio as they did.
"I've been looking everywhere for you guys.", Sora said as they untangled themselves from each other.
"Why?", Kairi and Riku asked in unison.
"Because, I wanted to race you guys to see who'd be making the meals for our campout tomorrow.", he replied mischieviously, his grin becoming bigger than I thought was possible.
"Sounds like fun. Especially since I know that me and Riku are faster than you.", Kairi teased, earning a small chuckle from Riku.
"Nuh-uhhhh. Ya'll cheated last time.", he said a little miffed,"And yes, tying my shoe laces together when I'm not looking is still cheating." They laughed at that, and I laughed lightly, feeling even more out of place with them. Were my friends ever like that? So happy and carefree? So together? Did I even have any friends?, I wondered as they prepared to race and I was momentarily forgotten. I frowned as a voice in my head whispered,"No. No, you didn't." A short girl with light brown hair that curved out oddly, green eyes, and light complection wearing a bright, sunflower colored overall dress and brown sandles passed by and noticed the race that was about to begin.
"You guys at it again?", the girl asked, giggling as she hopped down from the pier.
"Mmhmm", Sora said and the other two nodded. The girl giggled again and asked if she could be referee. They told her yes and the girl made a line in the sand for a starting point.
"Alright. First one to the papou tree and back after 2 laps is the winner. I will determine what is cheating when I see it and no swimming to the ladder or jumping to get the the tree. Got that?", she announced in her girly-girl voice.
"Yeppers"
"Uh-huh"
"Yep."
"Hey, you gonna race with them?", the girl asked me, breaking me out of my depressing reverie. I shook my head, "No" and she left it at that.
"On your mark". They got into position, the trio putting on playful, yet serious looks on their faces as they did.
"Get set,". Sora looked down at his shoes, causing the others to chuckle a little.
"GO!!". And they were off: Sora in the lead, then Kairi, then Riku, then Sora, then Riku, then Kairi. They ran into the shack at the bottom nearest the shore and Sora came out first, a triumphant grin on his face as the others followed behind him. Sora touched a tree that looked like a palm tree with star-shaped fruit scattered amidst its leaves and headed back to the shack. Riku touched what I was guessing to be the papou tree and Kairi touched it a few seconds afterwards. Sora made it back first on the first lap and quickly headed back to the tree, the others still a little behind him. He got to the shack and papou tree first again, but as he was heading back to the shack, he turned his head around and blew a raspberry which in turn, caused him to trip.
"Oof!", he said as he landed face first into the sand. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sand out of them.
"Better luck next time, Sora.", Riku and Kairi teased playfully as they passed him, beating him to the shack. He spit out a mouthful of sand and got back up, hoping to catch up to them. Riku and Kairi once they were close enough to the finish line walked the rest of the way, making it a tie between the two.
"Riku and Kairi win!", the girl announced. Sora knowing that he'd lost, tackleglomped them and they play fought each other for a moment. The girl and I laughed at the trio and the "fight" ended with Kairi being the winner, only because the guys didn't want to hit a girl. Once disentangled from one another, Sora stood up and stretched, then turned to look at me.
"Sorry. We haven't been properly introduced, now have we? I'm Sora", he said, holding out his hand for me to shake. I smiled lightly and shook his hand,"Reiki."
"Nice ta meet cha, Reiki. Oh, and this is Selphie.", he said cheerily as he pointed to the girl in the yellow dress. Selphie shook my other hand and bounced up and down happily as she did. She'd make a great monkey, I thought to myself, which made me laugh a little. The four of them looked at me funny and Selphie stopped bouncing, a confused expression written in her brow.
"Whatta ya laughin' at?", she asked, as Sora let go of my hand. I blushed and looked down, trying to stifle my laughter.
"You remind me of a monkey.",I answered, finally looking at her, embarrassed. Suddenly Sora, Kairi, and Riku burst out laughing, which made Selphie look at them a bit peeved.
"Stop laughing at me!", she yelled in a mock, hurt way as she stomped her foot, which made us laugh harder.
"So thats what she reminds me of!", Riku said joking sarcasticly and snapping his fingers as he grins hugely,"Selphie. Our little monkey."
"Oooh!", she says frustratedly as Riku musses up her hair,"You.. You!!"
"Care to do a trick, little monkey?", he asked teasingly as me, Sora, and Kairi doubled up laughing. She hmmphed, stomped her foot, turning on her heel as she did, and left. Me, Sora, and Kairi are now on the ground still laughing. Riku's eyes soften and he grins and chuckles lightly, making him look younger and more carefree. He'd been so serious when I met him before, now that he was among people he knew and in a less stressful place. I had noticed only a moment after he'd done this, that I'd stopped laughing and was staring at him in awe. He hadn' t noticed yet, and when he did, he looked momentarily puzzled. The puzzled look quickly disappeared and we all continued our merrymaking until the sun began to set.