Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix, or anything from that company. All characters used in this story belong to Square Enix and Disney.
Hello everyone, I am DarkAceKirby, and I am extremely new to writing fanfiction. Why, do you ask? Well, this is my first fanfic ever written. I was inspired by various other Kingdom Hearts fanfiction (Round of applause in particular for GengaJupite and Redeeming Endeavor, check them out), and decided it was time to stop being a spectator and participate! Please read and review, and let me know what you think so far. If you have any suggestions to things I can improve on in the story, advice for the future, or even your own creative ideas, please don't be shy! Also, criticism is fine, as long as you're being polite.
Chapter 1- Bustin' Up on the Beach
Riku stifled a laugh as he and Kairi tiptoed into Sora's room. Sora's parents had let them inside the house earlier, and Riku was certainly not going to let his brilliant plan go to waste. After setting up the trap, Riku and Kairi waited for Sora to wake up. Minutes later, the spiky-haired brunet slowly opened his eyes and yawned, only to see Riku and Kairi grinning at him.
"Ahhh! What the freak?!" Sora exclaimed in surprise, accidentally bonking his head on the bottom of his top bunk.
"You're such a dope, Sora," Kairi laughed.
"I used to think that he was dropped as a child, but maybe this is a more credible cause," Riku jeered as he smirked.
"Screw off, Riku. Last time I checked, I had more points than you. The score is 3,582 to 3,581, after your failure of a race. I guess you just can't hold on to that zipline," retorted Sora.
"You threw a coconut at me, you little bastard!" snapped Riku. "Learn to play fair."
"I wouldn't say little, exactly. You're just abnormally huge."
Riku flexed. "I guess you know a buff man when you see one, Sora. Not my fault the ladies flock to me."
"Really, now? I'd better be on my guard, because pretty boy Riku's gonna show me up," Sora said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
Kairi watched them. There honestly wasn't much to do but observe the two boys. They'd been rivals for as long as she could remember, and she could never put an end to their arguments. Even at the age of sixteen, the two of them hadn't matured very much, although she had to say that they were even more attractive than they were one year ago. What a short amount of time!
Of course, Sora and Riku were aware of this. Did they care? Nope. Rivalry was an element of life that became an early part of their "bromance". It only intensified when Kairi first came to the islands. They would always race to see who was more deserving of the redhead, although as one could see, their scores were always neck-and-neck. Both of them observed with surprise at how much Kairi had matured in comparison, not only in personality, but in looks as well! She was already pretty to begin with, but…in only a year or so, she had transformed into this gorgeous woman. Desperate guys would always ask her out, then get instantly turned down. It was pretty funny to watch, so Sora and Riku made a habit of saving popcorn just so that they could watch the boys make absolute fools of themselves.
"Come on, boys. Can't you stop squabbling for a minute?" giggled Kairi.
Riku glanced at her, then looked back at Sora. Both boys began laughing, while Kairi facepalmed dramatically.
"Anyway, Sora, the reason we woke you up this early is because it's the last day of our summer vacation. Get up, you lazy bum!" commanded Kairi.
Sora scratched his head. He had forgotten about that. To think, they would all be juniors tomorrow! Ever since the three of them had entered high school, the days seemed to fly by...and now they were juniors. How weird. Somebody needed to tell the clock to slow down, because Sora enjoyed being a teenager. He was convinced that being a teenager was the best point in someone's life. It gave them the opportunity to do so many things, because they actually had free time in high school. Sadly, this fun life couldn't last forever, and high school was already halfway over. Besides not having enough free time, being an adult also meant getting a job. The issue was, Sora hadn't the faintest idea of what he wanted to do in life. Then again, before even deciding on a job, everyone basically had to attend college, which cost a lot nowadays, and money was something that could only be gained by working a job. Sora snorted. REALLY funny, society. I love your humor.
Getting up, he immediately noticed something wrong.
"Huh? Why are my shorts so wet?" He then saw the bowl on his bed that his hand had been placed in while he slept. The bowl so happened to have warm water in it.
There was silence in the room. Upon realizing what had happened, Sora blushed in embarrassment. He then glared at Riku, who was covering his mouth with his hands, trying not to laugh.
"Looks like the score's now 3,582 to 3,582, little man."
"I'll kick your ass for that, after I get a change of clothes."
Sora then went into the bathroom to change. Riku burst out in laughter, along with Kairi.
"Hahaha, did you see the look on his face?" chortled Riku.
"I sure did! You really outdid him this time, Riku." Kairi smirked.
The two teenagers then high-fived each other, still grinning.
After a disgruntled Sora chased a hysterical Riku around the house, the three friends went on their way to their favorite island. The beautiful, almost deserted island, was the best place on Earth to hang out. It also happened to be the place where Sora and Riku competed in the majority of their competitions.
"I asked Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie if they could hang out today, and they said yes, so they should be at the island," Sora explained to his friends.
"Great! This year's Blitzball game is going to be a piece of cake," Riku said. "We'll beat them easily, right, Sora?"
"Haha, yeah. Wakka and Tidus don't have anything on us, that's for sure," Sora chuckled.
Each year, at the Sunset Island (dubbed so for its radiant glow in the evening), Sora and Riku would compete with their close friends, Tidus and Wakka, in a game of Blitzball the day before school started; a tradition practiced since they were little kids. Blitzball was a favorite pastime of the citizens of the Destiny Islands. It had been around for a thousand years or so, and Sora, Riku, Tidus, and Wakka were all very skilled at it. Despite all the bragging that inevitably commenced, they were all just about evenly matched, with one team winning one game and another team winning the next. The competition level was intense, and no one could afford to lose. Sora loved that aspect of it. Who wouldn't?
Kairi rolled her eyes. "Boys."
Sora raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"OH, I don't know," said Kairi, dripping with sarcasm.
Sora looked at her strangely, then shrugged it off. Girls could be so weird sometimes. He could never understand what went on in their heads. And I'd like it to stay that way, he thought with a shudder.
The three friends walked to the pier, still conversing. The sun shone brightly in the sky, letting everyone know that the day was young, and that anything someone did outside would be absolutely worth it. So, no one was inside their houses. Many people could be heard laughing and conversing throughout the mainland, and the beaches were packed. After all, this was the last day of summer.
After making their way to the docks, Sora, Riku, and Kairi climbed into their canoes and began rowing to the Sunset Island. It was very close to the mainland, so close that Sora could see it from his window. Because of that, it was a second home to him. A place of solace, free from trouble and strife. A place of wonder and discovery. A place of romance and friendship. And Sora loved everything about it…
When the canoes arrived at the seashore of the Sunset Islands, Sora spotted Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie.
"Hey everyone! Glad you could all make it today," Sora said while smiling.
"What up, mon? You ready to lose to me an' Tidus here?" said Wakka.
"We've prepared BIG time for you two, and we're confident of your defeat. Feeling lucky today, Sora? You'll need it," bragged Tidus.
"You talk a lot for someone who has no bite," said Sora, smirking. "Who was the one who got his face smacked by the ball last time?"
"Let's just start the game," said Tidus. "We'll see who's laughing afterward."
Selphie volunteered to throw the ball up. "Now, don't kill each other, okay?"
Whether we'll kill or maim each other is debatable, Selphie, Sora thought with a smirk. This game could get violent at times.
She had to move really quickly, because at that very moment everyone was rushing to the center to catch the ball. "Show me your STUFF!" yelled Wakka.
Sora was already initiating the plan that he and Riku had strategized. All we have to do is bluff until the end of the game, he thought with a conniving smile. Everything had already been decided, and the finale awaiting Tidus and Wakka was sure to blow everything out of proportion. Riku immediately slammed into Wakka and Tidus, blocking them from Sora, who then jumped up and snatched the ball out of the air. Tidus used Wakka's and Riku's shoulders to launch himself into the air, tackling Sora and taking the ball. Tidus swiftly kicked the ball towards the goal, but Riku noticed immediately and dashed in front of it. He threw the ball to Sora, who was then blocked by Wakka.
You are SUCH a pain in the ass, Wakka. I want you to know that.
This went on for a while, with a few successful goals, until the points were 48 to 46 in Wakka and Tidus's favor.
"Not your day, I guess," said Tidus.
That was Tidus's way of being a douche.
"The game isn't over yet, and we can still beat you both!" shouted Riku.
Sora was guarding the goal this time around. His girth wasn't nearly as developed as Riku's, but his agility was sublime and more than made up for his lacking in the size department. Tidus managed to kick the ball to the far side of the goal. Sora dived for it, but wasn't fast enough this time around, leaving the game at a total of 49 to 46.
"You might as well quit, mon. The score belongs to us," pointed out Wakka.
Ignoring him, Riku kicked the ball violently, watching as it smacked Tidus in the face, dazing him and scoring a goal.
Sora was deeply amused by this, but decided not to say anything.
Sora managed to wrest the ball from Wakka and score yet another goal. After the ball was thrown up in the air again, Riku decided to grab it. However, Wakka anticipated this movement, slamming hard into Riku with surprising agility and pinning him to the ground, leaving Riku dazed. Sora shifted his eyes to look at this, knowing that he'd have to step it up.
"I'm surprised I haven't gotten my ass beat yet. Poor Riku!" muttered Sora with a goofy grin on his face. Wakka motioned to kick the ball, but at the last second passed it to Tidus, who kicked it towards the goal instead. Combinations were the most deadly things in Blitzball, and this was no exception.
"Aha!" Sora yelled as he caught it and hit the ball over Tidus's head and into the goal. "What were you all saying earlier, eh?" Foolish fools are fooled by their own foolery! Sora alliterated smoothly.
"This ain't over yet!" yelled Wakka, thrusting the ball with all his might towards the goal. Sora took the full brunt of the shot, gasping for breath as it hit him in the stomach. Damn! I've forgotten how hard Wakka can hit! Urrrgh…Just one more…! I refuse to quit! Sora urged himself to continue, dodging Wakka's lunges. Tidus was the last obstacle, and he had a look of deep concentration on his face, making him seem rather constipated. At that moment, Riku stepped back into the game. Sora and Riku exchanged nods, and then prepared to move. Here comes the big one! Watch and enjoy, guys! Sora thought savagely. Wakka saw this flicker of movement and immediately ran towards the team, aiming to tackle Sora down so that he could grab it again and inevitably win this fierce game. Otherwise, he would have to deal with the agony of having lost their official Blitzball game for the whole year, along with their pride!
But Sora and Riku had practiced a technique for months, mastering the brutal combination and saving it all for this glorious day. Sora passed the ball to Riku, who passed it back to Sora. They continued to pass it back and forth until it appeared a blue line was approaching the goal. Tidus launched himself instinctively as Riku started kicking the ball to the left side of the goal. The ball was too fast to catch, forcing Tidus to watch as the ball again was passed to Sora. Dodging Wakka's attempt at pushing him out of the way, Sora hit the ball to the right side of the goal. These kicks and passes increased in speed and power, until both Sora and Riku yelled, "Ars Arcanum!" kicking the ball with all of their might and using teamwork to propel it straight to the goal, whacking Tidus's groin as it did so.
Kairi and Selphie stared with awestruck eyes at the technique performed by Sora and Riku.
"I never thought that THIS was what they did when I was gone…Wow!" Kairi exclaimed, as Tidus groaned, clutching his crotch in agony. No one paid him any attention.
"They're amazing!" gawked Selphie.
Sora and Riku roared with victory, tackling each other to the ground. They fist bumped a bewildered Wakka and a groggy Tidus, declaring a good game well fought.
"After you four are done with your male bonding, how about we get a bite to eat? I'm starving…" Selphie moped.
"You wouldn't know the first thing about bromance, Selphie," Riku said with an overly serious face.
Selphie pointed her finger at Riku, as if accusing him of a crime. "That's because I don't want to!"
Sora shook his head. Selphie was so ignorant. How could she not see the amount of affection displayed among fellow men? But, oh well. None of this mattered when his stomach was this hungry.
"Alright, Selphie. Let's eat," said Sora in agreement.
Everyone spread out picnic blankets and gathered their food into one spot. A little later, everyone was eating lunch and talking about life. Sora closed his eyes and smiled, with his hands resting behind his neck, as he listened. He enjoyed company; he was content to simply bask in the wonderful atmosphere that his friends created around them.
"So, Sora. What do you hope happens this year?" Selphie asked in an excited tone.
"Honestly, there's only one thing I look forward to about school: mainly, making new friends. It'd be so cool to have this giant group of friends that I can hang out with and go to parties with. We'd be all over the place, haha!" Sora answered thoughtfully.
Sora was right on the money. There was nothing he liked better in life than his amazing friends. Some people might have scoffed at the word "friendship", calling it childish, stupid, and pointless. But to Sora, friends were priceless, and should never be taken for granted. He couldn't get through life without his buddies, and there was nothing wrong with that.
Riku rolled his eyes. "Typical Sora for you. As for me, well, you should all know how much I despise work, work, and what was that other one? Oh yeah. Work. No, I'm not looking forward to anything. If I see any pretty girls, however, I may change my mind."
"Man, I hear you loud and clear," agreed Tidus, biting into a sandwich.
"Tidus, you know we're on the Blitzball team, right? That's something to look forward to, brah," pointed out Wakka.
"Right now, please do not mention the word Blitzball to me. It would be doing me a favor."
Sora looked over at Kairi. She was definitely not in the same world as everyone else. "What about you, Kairi?"
Kairi was startled out of her daze. "Huh? O-Oh…well…I think making new friends. It's a habit of mine to help show new people around the school and get on friendly terms with them."
Sora wasn't sure what was wrong, but he nodded his head.
"And then…if one of those people is a handsome hunk, then you can be on good terms with them from the get-go!" squealed Selphie. "Oh, I am SO going to help you out."
"The more, the merrier!" laughed Kairi.
Wakka stood up. "Me and Tidus, we're gonna do a little exploring today. You know, to the secret place at the base of that tree. There's gotta be something there, ya?" He pointed to a cave next to the seaside shack.
Sora looked at him strangely. "Dude, there's not much in there. It's pretty vacant. And you're telling me that this whole time you've been here, you have never gone in there even once?"
"You never know what might jump out at you. C'mon, guys!" encouraged Tidus.
Sora shrugged. "Alright, but I'm telling you, there is nothing in there." Everyone got up and followed Tidus and Wakka. The tunnel leading to the Secret Place was dark and disturbing. Narrow and twisting, this wasn't a place meant for third parties. It was also debatable whether or not anyone would be brave enough to venture into there. When they reached the Secret Place, a circular cave decorated with jagged rocks and its walls adorned with drawings, Sora began explaining the significance of this particular area.
"Me, Riku, and Kairi have always gone into this cave and doodled on the cave walls. There's this door, too, although we don't know why it's there. But, as you can see, there isn't anything out of the ordinary."
Sora's eyes looked fondly at all of their childhood memories. Most of the drawings were nonsensical, but he spotted one that was good. It was a drawing of him and Kairi, their respective heads facing each other. Just for fun, Kairi had drawn him and he had drawn her. Neither of them were what you'd call art, but to him those drawings were important memories. Riku hadn't even been in there that day. It was just Sora and Kairi...not that it meant anything.
As Sora was explaining, everyone else was staring, wide-eyed, at what Sora did not see. A man with long gray hair was crouched in the corner of the cave.
Upon seeing the teenagers, he began to rise up. His eyes were bright amber, and while he had gray hair, his face was young and masculine. The man was dressed in a cape-like uniform, with black pants, black shoes, white gloves, and there was an opening in his chest area, revealing his muscular chest with a strange, heart-like symbol on it.
Sora continued speaking. "And that's why I said that no one is…huh?"
The man glared at everyone, evil eyes brimming with hate.
Sora's jaw dropped.
"HOLY CRAP!" screamed Wakka. "We gotta RUN, mon!"
No one disagreed with him. They all ran like the devil himself was after them, not stopping until they escaped outside, ran some more, and then finally, opened the wooden door leading to the cove.
Tidus was cursing, and Wakka was panting, out of breath.
"Can someone explain to me why that CREEP was in there?!" screamed Selphie.
Even Riku was looking surprised. "I'd like to know that, too."
Sora, who had stood the closest to the gray-haired man, was the most disturbed. What in the WORLD was that guy doing in the Secret Place? How bizarre…
"I'm…at a loss for words," Sora gaped.
Everyone else who had experienced the traumatic encounter with the gray-haired creep began walking, conversing on what had just occurred. Kairi, on the other hand, was frowning, standing in one place. She seemed like she was in deep thought.
"What's up, Kairi? You seem different right now."
"Hmm…it just felt like, I've seen that man before. I'm not making anything up, I really could have sworn I saw him before…" she mused, tapping her head.
"Eh, I don't think you need to worry about that, Kairi. I've never seen him around. But if he comes for us, I'll use you as a shield, alright?"
Kairi's mouth went open. "You are such a douche, Sora!" Kairi said as she slapped him, smiling.
One of the things Sora loved best about Kairi was her smile. It was mischievous at times, but when she was serious, it was a kind and sincere smile. No one else had that quality, and that's what made her special.
"Hahaha, hey that hurts! I was just kidding. Riku'd be my first choice," laughed Sora.
"Omg, I was thinking along the same lines," Kairi laughed.
"Talking about me already? I guess no one can live 10 minutes with me gone," joked Riku, walking back to Sora and Kairi. "And for the record, neither of you would use me as a shield. I'd take your boats and leave. You can have fun being sexually assaulted by Mister Grayhead over there." He jerked his thumb in the direction of the cave.
Kairi and Sora both made disgusted faces.
"There is no way in hell that I will ever let that happen to me," Sora said with a grimace.
"Umm, yeah. I'm agreeing with Sora on this one," Kairi remarked with an awkward expression on her face.
The three friends laughed together as they sat down on their favorite palm tree, basking in the evening radiance that Destiny Islands was famous for.
"Tomorrow's a new day," sighed Sora. It was a day to see what new challenges would approach…a day in which moved him one step closer to adulthood. And most of all, a day to make lots and lots of friends. Sora had a fresh start, and he would make his dream a reality.
"Yep," agreed Riku. He also seemed intrigued about the next day, despite his claim from earlier.
"Let's do our best to make this year amazing," said Kairi. Excitement flashed in her cobalt eyes.
Everyone smiled, even Riku. That is, until a coconut fell from the top of the tree and smacked his head.
Meanwhile, back in the Secret Place, a certain gray-haired man was chuckling.
"So, I'm guessing those kids are from the high school I was recently assigned to. It'll be interesting to be their principal."
