Hi guys! DestinyCrusader here with another Fan Fiction! (Cheers all around)

Unlike my other FanFiction, this is based solely on the events after Kingdom Hearts II, somewhere around "Blank Points" of Birth by Sleep. I hope you enjoy it! This is my first time writing a FanFic in first person, so, while constructive criticism is highly appreciated, please don't flame, okay?

Point of view: You should be able to tell ;)

Note: (7/18/12) Edited. Thanks to: My beta, WishingDreamer5

Something to Fight For

Prologue: What I Deserve

I lean against the bark of the tree, crossing my arms across my chest as I look up at the stars. It has only been a few days since we arrived, back on Destiny Islands. I can still see Kairi's smiling face as she looked down at Sora, her blue eyes shining like they always do.

Sora and Kairi have long since left, but I decided to stay behind. I love the sunset, but I like the night sky as well, despite all my bad experiences with darkness. I usually stay here, looking at the forever clear skies that I love so much about this world, thinking.

And remembering.

"Gimme a break, Kairi."

"Sora you lazy bum, I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here!"

I sighed resignedly, grabbing a log and heaving it over my shoulder. Not too far away, where the waves rushed in to meet the sand and receded again, Sora was lying on the soft ground, Kairi smiling as she leaned over him. I could hear bits and pieces of their conversation, even when I tried my best to ignore them.

"Say Kairi, what was your hometown like? You know, where you grow up?" Sora was asking.

"I told you before, I don't remember!" Her voice was cheerful, despite her words.

"Nothing…at all?" I could tell the brunet was curious. He was always curious. I remember his voice in my head, from so many years ago, asking me about the strange man I'd met. That was way before we even knew Kairi. I wondered if Sora still remembered that.

"Why won't you tell me?" Sora was stamping his foot onto the sand, his sandal hitting the ground with quiet thuds. "Who was that guy? Somebody you know?"

"Maaaybe." I had answered vaguely, hands behind my head. I was beginning to enjoy this.

"Aw there you go again! Just tell me!" He was waving his fists in the air. Couldn't blame him—the kid probably felt left out.

I smiled at his frustration. I couldn't tell him, otherwise, much like the man had said, the magic would wear off.

"I really can't. I gotta keep it a secret." I tried to explain, knowing all too well Sora wouldn't let this go easily.

"Not with me you don't!" Sora answered, leaning forward and cupping his hands around his mouth, failing at keeping his voice down, "I'm the best secret-keeper in the world!" He grinned at me, as if that would win me over.

"Nice try," I replied, but I was grinning too. I started to run towards the water, where our boats were docked, the wooden planks creaking beneath my feet.

"Aw… Riku!" Sora whined, following after me.

I just laughed. "I'll tell you if you win against me!" I was just teasing, of course. Sora could never beat me. Though you had to admire his persistence. The kid never knew when to give up.

I started towards them, walking as slowly as if I could to save myself the pain of watching Kairi look at Sora like that. Sora was still sitting on the sand, but Kairi was facing away, staring at the vast ocean. I shifted the log so I was carrying it under my arm.

"…Any other worlds out there!" Sora was saying, nodding enthusiastically, his spikey hair blowing back and forth in the wind, "I wanna see 'em all!"

Kairi turned to look at him, and my breath stopped at the sight of her pretty, purple-blue eyes, forever disappearing and reappearing behind her short red hair.

"So what are we waiting for?" She beamed, the smile lighting up her whole face.

"Hey!" I yelled out before I could stop myself. I hadn't realized I was right behind them, but as they turned to look at me, I continued anyway, "Aren't you guys forgetting about me?"

Sora and Kairi turned to look at me with guilty expressions.

"So," I went on, "I guess I'm the only one working on the raft." We'd decided to make a raft together, so we could use it to get to another world.

(The idea had seemed so exciting then! When I think about it now, though, we probably wouldn't have made it too far.)

I shook my head at them, tossing the log at Sora – who let out a yell, trying to catch it – as I walked over to a giggling Kairi. I may not have looked like it, but I was a bit let down that Sora could make her laugh so effortlessly.

"And you're just as lazy as he is," I commented, looking at her sternly, though it was strictly speaking, untrue. She had planned out and made a list of everything we'd needed.

She blushed as she let out another giggle — I was ecstatic that Sora wasn't the only one who could make her smile — "So you noticed!"

I wondered whether she'd wanted me to notice, but as usual, I was overthinking her actions. She was innocent, and I wasn't.

She spread out her arms excitedly. "Okay, let's finish it together!" she exclaimed cheerfully as I sat down beside Sora (he seemed to have discarded my log. Hmph.), my annoying silver hair falling over my eyes.

"I'll race you," Kairi added, when she felt like she didn't have our attention.

"What?" I answered skeptically, "You kidding?"

She obviously wasn't, because she laughed again, and then shouted, unexpectedly, "Ready… GO!"

Sora and I exchanged a single, challenging look, and suddenly we were both on our feet, running, with Kairi trailing far behind us.

I remember that one day, when the two of them sat watching the sunset by themselves. I'd left early for a reason my dad didn't like disclosing, but I'd returned just in time to watch the sunset together like we always did. But when I saw them sitting together, looking more than comfortable without me, I hadn't bothered.

"Sora, let's take the raft and go, just the two of us!" she said suddenly, and my heart stopped. Did she really mean that?

"Huh?" I was relieved to hear Sora sound confused, and surprised.

Kairi chuckled. "Just kidding."

But ever since that day I've always wondered, had she really been kidding? Maybe, since Kairi was too nice for her own good. But if they'd gotten the chance, would they have gone together?

I sigh again. Everything had been so confusing then. Kairi was as much mine as she was Sora's, even though I'd failed to accept it. But now…

"Take care of her," I'd told Sora.

Because at that moment I had realized that he deserved her far more than I did. While he'd travelled all across the world, fighting Heartless, looking for me and Kairi, what had I done? Wreaked havoc over everyone. I'd let the darkness control me, even if I'd vowed that I wouldn't let it. I had almost killed Kairi, and…Sora.

We've been best friends for as long as I can remember, and I cherish that friendship still, loving his impulsive decisions, his simplicity. Everything is so clear to him. He always knows what's right.

I know Sora is still my best friend, and he still cares about me as much as he did when we were eight-year-olds pretending to be pirates, but Kairi is most of his world now. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I don't deserve Kairi. They deserve each other.

The light wind that's unique to Destiny Islands blows through my hair, which has grown long. I feel surer of everything than ever before, and yet I feel empty inside.

I don't deserve a wonderful friend like Sora. I've betrayed everyone I know, caused nothing but trouble. I don't deserve anyone like Kairi.

I'm better off the way I am now: alone.

As I push myself away from the tree, I decide to go back to the Mainland. Mom is probably worried, and Dad is probably angry. I've been away for a long time, and now, whenever I come home late my mother rushes over to embrace me, as if she feared she would never see me again. My father just glares at me and walks away. Mom reassures me that he still hasn't gotten over my disappearance; that it will pass.

I don't think he'll ever forgive me. But I'm fine with that. I'm unworthy of forgiveness.

"Mom, I won't leave again without telling you," I always say when she finally pulls away. I hate to see her cry. She's grown weak over the years, and she fusses over me every day as if I'm still four. It's understandable, I guess, seeing as she misses pampering me and answering all my questions. She goes on and on about how I'm so quiet now, afraid to speak my mind.

I'm not afraid to speak my mind, I just think more than I used to.

As I climb onto my bed, not tired at all, I stare out the window again. I'm hoping for some kind of change, but at the same time, I'm not expecting a miracle. Whatever happens know, I don't think I'll be able to accept that nothing has changed. Some things have changed, and there's nothing I can do to stop the flow of time, no matter how much I want to. I guess what's left is to just keep my eyes wide open in case I spot something valuable to hold onto.

Maybe then, I'll deserve more.

Well, that's it for now. I've decided I'll update this every Friday, unless there are circumstances that prevent me from doing so (although whoever causes those circumstances should expect a broken limb… NO ONE stops ME from writing!) Erm, anyway, please review! :)