A/N: Hey guysss. I haven't written fanfiction in a while, but ever since I've been playing CoM I've had the urge to do a KH fanfic. So here it isss! Present Sora is reminiscing, so the narration does sound more grown up. Also I realized that Sora and Riku were both born on the island but…if it really bothers you that much I guess you don't have to read this. Besides, it really becomes a minor detail in the story. Well, you'll see. Haha. Anywho, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or anything related to it. Yada yada yada, I'm sure you know the rest.

Chapter One: For Reasons I Don't Understand

It's funny how you never know what's coming to you. It's funny how when it finally smacks you in the face, a flash of lightning surges through your body and your mind becomes a blur. It's funny how you should've known all along. Hey, Riku. It's not something I really talk about. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten. I couldn't erase it if I tried.

Swallowing what little sticky saliva I had in my dry mouth, my 6-year-old body slowly approached the silvery-haired boy who was sitting on the edge of the shore of Destiny Islands, legs pulled up to his chest and arms wrapped around them.

I felt stupid. I knew the guy just moved here and all, but why did it have to be me to say hello? Me, of all people? Well, it was obvious. None of the other kids wanted to, and for the same reasons that were plastered all over my face. He obviously didn't want to talk to anyone. So why was I heading towards him? And I still didn't get it.

But at the same time I could feel my friends' eyes burning the back of my head, watching my every move. I'd gotten myself into this and now there was no way out. I didn't know it, but I was always having to be the bigger person out of all of the kids on the island. Maybe it was because even back then, I wanted to do what was right. Or maybe it was because I was easily persuaded. Well, whatever it was, I remember slowly making my way to the shore, and even though the sun was beating down on me, the scorching sand setting my feet on fire, I dragged them slowly across the ground, dreading the moment when I'd finally be two inches from behind that kid and I'd just have to say it.

My feet sang silently with relief as the hot, dry sand was replaced with the damp and darkened dirt and the cool ocean waters splashed up against my ankles. I, however, was still screaming inside my mind to turn back right then and there. I still have time! I still have time! Maybe he won't notice if I just walk away! But as much as I wanted to, I knew I couldn't. Which was why this came out of my mouth.

"Hi," I squeaked, staring at the back of the boy's head and watching the gentle breeze play with his hair. How easy it was for the wind.

I waited for the boy to say something back to me. Hello, scram, get out of here. Something like that. But no, he didn't say those things. In fact, he didn't say anything.

I frowned to myself. I knew it. He didn't want anything to do with me. Still, for some reason I didn't leave. I plopped myself next to him on the wet sand and, not even looking at his face, stared out into the distance, letting my eyes follow the ocean until it stopped at the little line where I couldn't see it go on anymore. I knew next to me, he was watching the same thing, his head not moving one bit and looking straight ahead of himself. But then, watching the great body of water, I began to forget about the fact that I felt really awkward around this guy and my mind wandered. Where did this ocean end? And where did it go to? How long would it take to get there? I brought my own legs to my chest and set my chin against my sandy knees.

And that's when the first words surfaced. He didn't move an inch. In a smooth, quiet voice, he mumbled, "It's pretty, isn't it." On the contrary, it wasn't a question.

For a few moments I fumbled for words, but, pulling my hands away from my legs and clutching at the sand, not caring that it got under my fingernails, I finally managed to say, "Yeah." I didn't look away either. Hey, this guy wasn't that bad… Why was everyone acting so afraid of him? "Ever wonder what's on the other side?" I pressed my luck, still not meeting his eyes and still staring at the line where the ocean stopped. Water rushed up to my hands and quickly filled the small holes I had dug.

"Sure," the silver-haired boy answered softly. "But…" He suddenly jerked his head to look at mine, and I uniformly did the same.

Our eyes met. His were a piercing aqua color, cold, yet the deepest I'd ever seen. But I didn't have much time to think about that. I raised an eyebrow at him, as if telling him to go on.

"Ever wonder how far you could swim out?"

"I, uh…" Swim? I couldn't. "All the time!" It wasn't a lie.

"Me too." And with that, he quickly jerked his head away and got to his feet, running into the water. He sloshed around only moments before he got far enough in to plunge under a small wave. His head suddenly popped out of the water and the boy looked back at me. Waving an arm, he called, "Come on!"

My mouth suddenly became just as dry as it had been in the journey to the shore. I gulped and nodded, getting to my feet and rushing after him. What was I doing?! I couldn't swim! But my legs were carrying me deeper and deeper into the water, and soon enough I was up to my waist in the cold, salty ocean, the waves splashing up into my face. I yelped out in pain as the water hit my eyes and the salt began to furiously burn them. "Urghh!" My vision blurred, I couldn't see a thing now. I couldn't see the shore or the boy or anything at all. Automatically while still moving forward, I brought my hands to my face and covered my defenseless eyes that were still on fire. It was raging, relentless.

And then I was slapped hard across the face. But it wasn't the boy, no, it wasn't even a person. A mighty wave had picked a fight with me and I lost my balance, falling backwards and completely submerging myself under the saltwater. I felt the ocean tug on my entire body, pulling me in farther with all of its strength, all the while my eyes still shut, still burning, the flames engulfing them. Where was that silver boy? Didn't he see that I was gone? Had he abandoned me?! Maybe the other kids had been right all along. Maybe I really had been stupid to even utter a hello to this guy. Because there I was, a Sora out of sand.

Panicking, I twisted and flailed my arms and legs beneath the surface, desperately struggling to get my head above the water. But I felt another wave crash over me and I was forced into a somersault, hitting my head against the bottom of the sand in the process. I tried not to let out any noise now, knowing I had to preserve what little oxygen my lungs were carrying inside of me. But I couldn't hold onto it much longer. Slowly, in intervals I let the air escape me, sending unnoticeable bubbles to the surface. I pushed against the sand with my hands in a last attempt to pull myself back above the water, still keeping my burning eyes tight shut as well as my mouth. Yes, yes. I could do this. I felt the warm air caress my face as it met the surface and I gulped in lungfuls of the salty ocean air.

"HELP!" I yelled as loud as I could, sure that I was going to break my voice box. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but staying alive. I splashed my arms in the water vigorously, knowing that making a scene was the only hope of making it out. Where was he? Where was that boy?

But that was when yet another wave challenged my own strength and it tossed me back into the pool of no return, and I felt my skin scrape against jagged shells and rocks. I uncontrollably screamed out in pain, now letting my fresh air escape from me, rendering my one need unobtainable. The cool water filled my mouth. I let some of it spill down my throat, that same eye-burning feeling rushing down it. And I automatically tried coughing it back up, but only more of the salty stuff flooded in, forcing me to taste the overpowering sea salt. This was the end, surely. This was it for me. I helplessly struggled for air. Warm, clean, dry, air. But I struggled against the mighty waters and choked on it. I flailed my body, felt the tips of my fingers reach the air, but it wasn't enough. No. This was it. This was—

A wet and slippery hand wrapped around a few of my fingers and began to pull me up. Somewhere inside, my heart leapt and I saw a light reaching out to me. I hurriedly found my other arm clamping onto the one hand that had somehow spotted my floating fingers. Pull me up, pull me up! I wanted nothing more than to be sitting on the shore again, merely watching the waves go by instead of swimming for my life in them. I wanted all of this to be magically over. I needed air. I needed air. My head plopped up from the ocean and I heard his voice. "Don't let go!"

I wouldn't.

Though his hand was hard to hold onto, I made sure my grip was tight. He tugged on mine with such force that my head jerked forward to the surface without warning and my neck cracked. But I didn't think. I didn't think about anything and once again I let inviting air fill my neglected lungs as our two bodies fought against Mother Nature. I ignored the now dulling burn of my eyes and throat but still only saw a world of black surrounding me, my only sense of direction my skin. I felt the waves crashing against us, but my rescuer knew how to keep both of us afloat. Powerful arms and legs weathered every one of the ocean's blows as we grew nearer and nearer to the water's edge. If I had time to think, I would have been amazed. But before I knew it I felt my belly collide with sand, then my legs, feet, and toes.

I was in too much shock to do anything.

That was when I heard my rescuer get completely out of the water, seize both of my hands and drag me until we reached the dry portion of the beach. Immediately I made a gruesome expression and pulled myself up from the ground. After all that he was pulling jokes? Sand sticking to my wet face, I finally sat up, sticking my tongue out and spitting out as much of the crunchy covering as I could. "Urghh!" And I opened my eyes.

The silvery-haired boy laughed at me, a wide grin spread across his face. "Betcha didn't see that one coming, huh?" He plopped down in front of me and crossed his legs.

"N…"I spit out a little bit more, wiped it from my eyes and shook it out of my spiky brown hair. "Not really, no." I tried to return the smile but it seemed to fail.

The boy cocked his head at me and raised an eyebrow. "You know," he started, his voice much more serious now, "you could've told me you can't swim."

I put my hands to my hips. "That would've sounded stupid!" My face got hot all over

Silver half smiled, his brow still raised. "Better than dying."

Boy, was this guy making me mad. I'd about had it. He saves me, then ridicules me? "Well, you—you! You just started swimming out of no where! I didn't know what to do!" I waved my arms in the air, hoping that my argument might convince him that I was right.

"You said you wondered how far you could go."

"But I never said I was going to swim!"

"Heh." The boy blew a piece of hair out of his face coolly. What the heck? "You live on an island and…can't swim?" He raised an eyebrow.

I was humiliated. "Well…I…" I couldn't meet his eyes any longer. Looking away, I suddenly found it much more interesting to stare at the ground. He was right. Why was I like that?

The boy licked his lips and sighed. "Look. All I'm saying is, only accept my challenges if you're willing to put up a fight."

"Challenge?..." I didn't get it.

"Maybe we can race again once you learn how to swim without water wings." He laughed at his own words.

That's when my humiliation turned to anger.

"I don't have to show you anything!" I pointed a finger right at him, narrowing my eyes. And then he surprised me.

"Suit yourself." With a shrug, he got up and began to walk away.

Infuriated, I started muttering things under my breath as I continued to brush the sand off of my body. But then his voice came again.

"Oh."

I turned my head. He'd stopped in his tracks but wasn't even looking at me.

"You should say thank you when someone saves your life."

But before I could say anything, he turned and began to walk away from me once again.

"Thanks," I muttered so quietly that not even the silver boy could hear.