Hmm, my first Kingdom Hearts fic . . . hopefully it isn't as horrid as I think it is. So please excuse an out-of-characterness, I think I messed up Wakka and Tidus . . . an who knows about Sora. Urg, I hate not having someone to edit my writings over the summer - curse everyone for going on vacation and just leaving me here! -_- Anyway, this is a bit of an experiment on my part, let's just say I was attempting to "paint a picture" as I wrote this, so please forgive me if it is a bit wordy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Really, I wish I did, but no. Disney and Squaresoft have the joy of calling that wonderful game theirs - not me. So don't sue, because I don't have any money to give you. In fact, I want some money so I can go buy a KH artbook . . . not to mention the Platinum Edition of Final Mix . . . *sobsob*

Story Key:
italics = emphasis
". . ." = speaking
* * * = scene switch

Anyway, onto the fic . . .



Open Up
Part I: Always On My Mind


He stood rigidly on the crest of the small island, chestnut hair blowing violently across his forehead, the icy torrent of the sea swooping up into his skin like a thousand burning needles, electric blue eyes flashing with the burst of lightning that spread across the dark sky. It was the peak before a storm - the warning before a rippling downpour of sleet flooded the islands.

Sora . . .

The name was an unspoken whisper and yet he who stood upon the island with the shifting sand beneath his feet heard every syllable drift from the lips of the speaker. The boy named for the sky turned lightly, absently from reflex and stared into unnaturally expressive sea-green pools framed by silver.

Sora stared at his friend, eyes widening as he truly realized that this was Riku standing here with him in this storm, not some illusion dancing in front of his eyes teasingly.

The older boy suddenly reached out, his pale fingers feeling for something as he held his palm out to Sora, almost as if he were going to touch the boy who stood a mere meter away from him. A look sheer desperation spread across Riku's normally passive face as he splayed his fingers into an orient fan.

Before he could stop himself, Sora rushed forward clumsily, pressing his own sun-kissed palm against the white skin of his friend's and his fingers curled tightly between Riku's. Bright blue locked with an equally sharp green as an instant cold raced through the entwined hands and underneath the skin into bone, a stinging sensation bursting forth as tendrils of darkness in shades of violet and ebony began to wind.

The chosen Keyblade master jerked his hand back at the black touch, gasping in shock as he looked down to see fingers of the dark stretching up and around him, pulling downwards. Looking back towards his companion, Sora's dry lips parted as Riku's eyes closed in utter exhaustion, his face lax as he fell forward into Sora, disappearing into nothingness just as the blue-eyed boy would have caught him with open arms.

The chocolate-haired boy's eyes widened considerably at the loss and he screamed silently, the name of his friend echoing in the quiet rush of the storm.

Riku!

The ground beneath Sora vanished into scatterings of dust as it was devoured by the growing darkness and he found himself falling, reaching up frantically with open fingers in an attempt to end his downward spiral into the dark. But nothing returned the grasp.

His fall was suddenly halted as he was plunged into the freezing, salt waters surrounding the small Destiny Islands - the harsh liquid exploding through his lungs viciously, a sharp burning sensation ringing through the base of his skull. Gasping, he pulled himself up, his arms aflame from the sudden exertion, breaking the surface of the glassy surf and into the heart of the raging storm.

Crisp air ringing with a metallic tang entered Sora's sodden lungs and he gagged, liquid dripping from his lips as he treaded the churning waters. He looked around wearily and once again his eyes locked with aquamarine, just as the next swell crashed over his bobbing head.

* * *

In a dusky cavern on an island in the middle of nowhere, a boy called Sora cried out, his voice echoing as he sat up rigidly, reaching forward for something that only he could see.

"Sora!" a girl by the name of Kairi cried, shaking his shoulder lightly and returning him to reality, sapphire eyes wide in apprehension at his sudden outburst. "Wake up - you're having a nightmare!"

The boy in question gasped for oxygen, his outstretched hand falling limply to his lap and the fingers of the other playing with the smooth skin at his throat as if the water from his dream was still burning through the tubes there.

He looked over at his close friend and inwardly smirked at her disheveled appearance - auburn hair messy falling across two wide eyes set in her pale face, tartan pajama top slipping down lazily and showing off the flawless skin of her right shoulder. She continued to stare at him and absently pulled the stubborn clothing up only to have it fall back down to its original position. At this Sora did smile weakly.

"Are you all right? You were having a horrible nightmare," she questioned sincerely, reaching up to rest a hand on his shoulder. She frowned slightly at a thought, and continued, musing to herself. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have a camping trip here in the Secret Place after all - I know you don't really like it here at night. I should probably just have let you go home and sleep in your own bed while you're here. I mean, you haven't slept in your own room for ages and-"

"It's all right," the boy interrupted, catching her attention as a full-blown smile flashed across his features. Kairi returned the smile lightly and her eyes softened as Sora shrugged off her sympathetic hand from his shoulder. "This place doesn't bother me much at all and you have every right to want to spend some time together since I haven't been around much, searching for the door to Kingdom Hearts and all."

At this thought Sora's eyes seemed to darken to a deep shade of royal blue and he fluidly pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them tightly as he hunched over, fingers tracing invisible patterns across the fabric of his pajamas.

"Sora," the Kairi started tentatively, catching his attention. She unconsciously pulled her hands into her large pajama sleeves, fiddling with them as he looked up and made eye contact, chilling her slightly. "Are you all right? What was your dream about? Did . . . did it have to do with Kingdom Hearts?"

The boy looked down for a second and then forward at where the glowing keyhole of his home resided. He silently contemplated her question, his thoughts running wild at the odd dream, before he turned back to his red-headed companion.

"You know, Kairi, I never seem to remember my dreams - in fact the last one I can remember having was right before that whole mess with the Heartless. But I remember this one too . . . and it was about Riku," he said, confusion quite evident in his tone as he watched the reaction from his friend. Kairi's brow knitted as she tilted her head to the side, a curtain of hair hiding her left eye from view.

"Riku?" she questioned with a sigh, the mere mention of his name casting a veil of sadness over her clear features.

She missed Riku terribly - he had been her friend and now he was lost in Kingdom Hearts, the world of the Heartless. Kairi had felt a trace of Riku the one time she had seen the door to Kingdom Hearts, but it was only afterwards that she had learned what had happened to her friend and she was truly sorry that everything had to end the way it did.

"Yeah," Sora replied, looking at the spidery lines lacing his palms. He frowned at them as he absently tried to remember which line was the one that was supposed to represent life, wondering if his was short or long. "And I think that maybe, this is a sign. Maybe we'll finally find Riku and King Mickey!"

"You really think that we'll finally find Riku?" Kairi asked earnestly, grasping Sora's hand, diverting his attention towards her sparkling eyes. For a second her strong features were full of hope before her sweet voice dropped an octave into despair. "Do you really think that after all this time we'll get him back?"

"Yeah, Kairi. I do."

At Sora's brief, yet filling, response, a small smile slowly spread across Kairi's face, like the breaking of dawn, lightening her features immensely and sending a warm glow across them. It was obvious that the conversation had ended, neither of the teens wanting to break their moment of hope with petty words. But before they would snuggle back into the bedding that was spread haggardly across the ground in the Secret Place and drift into a dreamless slumber, Kairi had one last thing to say.

"I'm so glad."

* * *

"It's so good to have you back Sora! If only for a few days!" Selphie cried happily as she clamped her arms around the said boy's waist, hugging him fiercely before pulling back and eyeing him. Tilting her head to the side and placing a finger to her chin in a sign of intense thought she suddenly grinned brightly as a brilliant idea came to mind. "Want to have a duel? I'm sure I'll be able to beat you this time - you haven't had a proper fight with me in three years and I've been practicing! Plus, I finally got a real pair of nunchaku!"

Sora laughed, blue eyes sparkling with refrained joy at his old friend, inwardly admiring her unabashed cheerfulness and the fact that the only thing that had changed over the years was her appearance. She was no longer a little girl, but a pretty young woman with glowing, emerald eyes and a bright yellow jumper that could be spotted halfway across an island.

"Sora finally comes to visit and the first thing you do is ask him to fight you?" a voice interrupted dryly and Sora could easily picture the speaker standing with a single eyebrow cocked, staring at the two with an air of poorly hidden amusement. "Really, how hospitable Selphie."

"Tidus!" the girl shrieked as she rounded about and viciously whacked the speaker on head with her fist, looking all the mightier as she glared down at him. "You loser! This is our one day to hang out with Sora before he leaves again! Can't you see all the possibilities that are just begging for me to take advantage of them?"

Sora laughed brightly at the interaction between the two, possible events of upcoming hours of the day playing through his mind. He was planning to spend a careless day full of fun with three friends he hadn't seen in years, namely Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka. Kairi would have joined them, but had to take care of some things and probably wouldn't be showing up until later in the afternoon, that is, if she showed up at all.

However, despite his outward appearance, a tinge of worry was sparked in the back of Sora's mind as he absently eyed the dark clouds that were spreading with an unnatural swiftness across the horizon like some disease. It was a sign that told of a violent storm rearing its ugly head long before the day ended.

"You just want to show off your nunchaku since Sora hasn't gotten his head beaten in with them yet," Tidus told Selphie smartly, jerking Sora from his reverie. He rolled his eyes playfully at the fuming girl as he tenderly fingered the area where she had whacked him, before turning to his other friend and blinking multiple times as he took in the sight.

"Hey Sora. Whoa, you look different . . . go figure since three years have gone by, but whatever. Wakka will show up sometime later, he probably went to say hi to his girlfriend before coming here, so meanwhile, what do you think we should do?"

"His girlfriend?" Sora all but coughed out in shock, disbelief painted across his face as he stared at the blonde in shock, mouth hanging open comically. He didn't have anything against Wakka, but in all his years he had never expected the guy to get a girlfriend. Wakka was just too, well, Wakka-ish. "Wakka has a girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Tidus responded, rolling his eyes as he folded his arms, looking as if he didn't believe this fact either. "We've only seen her once, but her name's Lulu and she moved here about a year ago. You know how the Destiny Islands are a chain? Well apparently there's some small island that no one here really knows about named Kismet that's on the east side of those twin islands - Unmei and Shukumei. That's where she's supposed to be from."

"Tidus won't admit it because he's a mighty sixteen-year-old now, but he's afraid of her," Selphie whispered over Sora's shoulder none too softly, silently reveling in the glower that was bestowed upon her. She shrugged lightly before stepping around Sora, placing herself in front of him, clasping her hands together behind her back, and leaning forward as if she had some big secret, before continuing. "We've only seen her once, but she was creepy - she's really pale and wears all black. It's kinda weird because she's like the exact opposite of Wakka. But you know, love conquers all!"

Sora's brow furrowed at this comment as he was thrown into a loop of thought. Love conquers all? What a Selphie-like thing to say. But what kind of love could conquer all; romantic, paternal, or the kind between friends? Because it sure didn't seem to be working for any of his problems. At that moment the brunette came to a solid conclusion: love doesn't conquer all - it can't conquer all, and whoever could think that it could, would have to be ignorant of the world.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Selphie asked innocently, jerking Sora from his thoughts and back into reality.

"Yeah, Sora, we have to do something while we wait for Wakka to stop swooning over Lulu," Tidus said, continuing where Selphie had left off. "And since you're the guest of honor, you can pick something!"

"I think that," Sora started, dragging the last word out as he considered the many things he could do with his friends, the serious thoughts drifting from his mind. He looked to the sky for a moment before continuing heartily. "I think that despite what Tidus says, I'll take you up on that challenge Selphie. I haven't had a proper duel for a long time and I guess I should see these grand nunchaku of yours."

"All right!" his opponent cried, punching a fist into the air before she stuck her tongue out at Tidus in a childish display of triumph. "Let's go - and don't hold back because I'm sure not going to!"

To say the battle was uneventful would not have been much of an understatement. Yes, Selphie's fighting abilities had improved dramatically over the years and yes her bright red nunchaku were rather dangerous as Sora would soon have bruises. But overall the battle was rather dull and an easy win for the boy because of his experiences gained due to the fact that he wielded a giant key. To put it lightly, Slephie was beaten in a mere seventeen point four seconds and not happy with it at all.

"Erg!" she grunted angrily, stomping her left foot to the ground and causing a spurt of sand to jump upward from the impact. She then directed a piercing green glare towards her opponent who laughed gaily in response.

"Good fight, ya?" a voice questioned Tidus at the sidelines, the sandy haired blonde looked up to his taller companion for a second skeptically, not at all phased by the sudden appearance as it had become normal ever since Lulu had appeared, before looking back towards the pouting Selphie.

"If you consider Selphie getting pounded unmercifully by our long-lost Sora, then I guess so."

Sora meanwhile was grinning brightly as he tucked a chunk of chocolate colored hair behind his right ear, feeling much happier then he had felt in quite a long time. So happy in fact that for just a moment, he forgot everything that was plaguing him, everything that was burrowed deep inside of him. In fact, when it came back, it took him quite a while for him to recognize the stinging feeling that bit through his soul unmercifully like a hot knife cutting through golden yellow butter.

And as he glanced around, seeing the smiling, tan faces and the crisp, green plant life he was sad.

* * *

They stood together on the small island adorned with the paopu tree, rough sand slipping through their toes, coating their bare feet. A slight wind blew, not enough to cause the course grains to lift, but strong enough that Kairi frowned as she eyed the grey clouds that hung heavily over the island.

"I have such fond memories of this place," the red-head murmured, suddenly stepping forward and twirling lightly on the balls of her feet in a simple, yet pretty dance amidst the gossamer curtains of sand that flew through the air from her footfalls.

Sora had watched his friend with care, his lips curved in a small, sad smile, a delicate pain spread across his features as she spun in the sand, memories of this place, this small island flooding his mind. When she caught a glimpse of the look on his face, Kairi stopped her dance, clasping her hands in front of her in a graceful sweeping motion as she turned towards the brunette.

She titled her head to the side for a slight second, absently tucking loose stands of hair behind her ear as they fell forward to block her vision. She gazed at him judgingly, her deep blue eyes not at all hiding the concern that bubbled from within.

"It's hard for you to be here, on these islands, isn't it? You've been preoccupied all day, so you haven't noticed it that much, but it's been weighing heavily on your heart, hasn't it?" she asked tentatively, eyeing him, her face somber. She turned to the sea, hair blowing lightly across her pale skin in the tainted breeze. "The last time you were here, we were making a raft in hope of visiting other worlds, all three of us, together. But now, you haven't been here in years and it's not the same because there're only two of us now and you can't help but see him here too, can you?"

"Yeah, Kairi," Sora replied, eyes soft and wet with contained sorrow. He turned his sight to the crashing waves as if looking for something and his fine profile frowned slightly as whatever he was looking for was nowhere to been seen. "I'm sorry, that I'm acting like this on a reunion when I haven't seen you for years. But, even though I know that without a doubt that I'm gonna find Riku, wherever he is, I can't help but be sad here. This place - everything here holds a memory for me."

"I understand what you mean," the girl murmured as she turned back towards him. "I try not to be, but I can't help but be sad sometimes too."

It was with those words that the two friends finally acknowledged the swirling, dark clouds that circled over the small islands with a threatening air. A salt tinted wind blew lightly through the waxy plant leaves of some of the trees, scattering sand and loose pieces of bark through the sky.

"We haven't had a storm like this in ages," Kairi murmured to herself in slight confusion, looking up at the now churning mass, her brow furrowing and her lips parting slightly. "It's weird - how we've managed to have such good weather for the three years you've been gone. But once you're back, look what happens."

The red-head glanced at her companion, who stared outwards at nothingness - seeming to take no note the clouds that blocked out the sky of perfect blue and hovered over the island in a thick blanket of contempt.

"You know what Kairi?" Sora started, his voice deep as he stared out into the ocean, not at all caring that this storm had manifested out of thin air just for him. He paused for a moment as a crack of light burst across the sky, shooting a metallic taste through the air that was followed by a deep reverberating that shook the sands. "The last storm I can recall being caught in, was quick and not normal - just like this one. And I stood on this island, next to the paopu tree with Riku, right before that whole mess started."

"Then maybe this too is a sign!" Kairi exclaimed, wheeling around and grasping Sora's shoulders, jerking his attention towards her. It took but a second for the words to set in, but when they did, the wielder of the Keyblade stared at his friend, his two cerulean eyes wide with the prospect.

"A sign of what?" he whispered, the words falling to deaf ears, as neither he nor Kairi heard the sound. Conflicting voices took sides in that back of his mind, one screaming danger while another cried out in joy. In a split second he prayed with all his might that the second voice was right.

"Just like your dream!" Kairi continued in a hushed voice, her excitement bubbling up, threatening to burst out in a colorful explosion. "It can't be a coincidence that just like the last time something big happened you had a dream followed by a storm!"

Suddenly, a searing burst of something, something brilliant and unexplainable and altogether horrible, shot through their minds, like a thin line of metal wire piercing through their skulls, screaming for attention with its sharp bite. Unconsciously they each swung around, their twin sets of blue eyes locking upon a dark hole in the foliage, a passage that seemed so out of place, yet would always belong.

Without any regard to what they were doing, Sora and Kairi ran forward in a desperate dash, the sand flying out from beneath their bare feet, spraying in the air like a thousand sparkling crystals. Something pulled at them as they each crawled through the dark opening and ran down the deep tunnel until they reached the open cave, littered with white drawings splayed across the stone.

But the source of their attention, the thing that had called them to this spot, was the wooden door that stood in the back of the cave. Sora's hands unconsciously tightened until they turned a sickly shade of white and Kairi's face had lost all that resembled color, her lips a thin, white line.

They watched in a horrified awe as the wood transformed in a brilliant flash of light, intricate marble replacing the once plain door and Sora's electric blue eyes widened at the sight, instantly recognizing the door for what it was - the path to the light.

Kairi stepped forward fluidly, her curiosity overpowering her fear as she edged towards the door, Sora joining her in mere seconds. They watched silently, their vocal cords no longer working correctly as the door opened soundlessly, a pure light bursting forth with blinding intensity, causing their pupils to recoil into small dots of ebony as the light seared their eyes.

And all froze as a shaded figure stepped from within.

As soon as the silhouette was free of the entrance, the door slammed shut with a deep, resounding thud, the mysterious person swinging around towards the door in surprise at the sudden noise. The rich marble disappeared into nothingness once again, leaving a dull mahogany and as the figure turned to face them, Sora felt all the air leave his lungs.

"Riku," Kairi gasped suddenly, clasping her hands to her suddenly dry mouth as she stared at the figure before her. Clad in a long black coat and thick treaded boots, his pale coloring contrasting sharply against the dark clothing, and silver hair growing several inches past his shoulders - the only thing she couldn't see were the aquamarine eyes hidden behind an inky black blindfold. "Oh God - Riku!"

In a flourish of shock she rushed forward, water springing from her eyes in streams of crystal and threw her arms around the stoic man in a tight embrace, burying her face into the fabric of his coat.

"Riku?" Sora questioned, repeating what his other friend had cried only moments before, a combination of sadness and joy lacing his cracking voice as he stared, unmoving and in shock. Impossible thoughts ran through his head quickly, exiting as soon as they entered and he stood speechless, unbelieving, watching as his former crush hugged his best friend as if this were all some cruel dream and he was going to disappear into a cloud of fine dust.

However, the red-headed girl soon relinquished her hold on Riku and stepped back, staring up at him inquisitively. She reached out shyly, fingertips barely touching the black that hid his eyes from view as her face contorted into a deep shade of concern.

"What happened?" she asked tentatively, tilting her head to the side, shading the soft azure eyes with an auburn veil as she brought her hand back, holding it to her chest as if she wanted to keep the faint touch in case this was all a dream. "Why are you wearing this blindfold?"

At this moment, Sora's half-lidded eyes snapped open, dashing all thought from his mind as he rushed forward in a burst of unnatural speed to catch the limp body that fell forward to Kairi with a tragic grace.

This time Riku did not disappear.

To be continued . . .



Mmmm, I just ate a big sandwich bag full of cherrios and now my stomach is all gurgly. Yes, isn't that nice? Anyway, Colors by Hikaru Utada is a beautiful song! Go download it! *sobs at the prettiness* Seems those cherrios made me hyper. Moving on to something with a point . . . so, how did everyone like the first part of Open Up? Sorry to say this, but if any of you have read any of my other stuff, you'll know that I am an extremely slow updater because I'm so picky about my writing . . . don't hurt me or anything please! Anyway, please be a good, happy person and click on the link below to write me a review because a) You know that you want to, and b) I'll love you forever!