No one could describe the happiness felt across the entire Destiny Islands on that one day. One year (give or take about a week) after that freak hurricane that ruined the paradise, and a few days after Kairi becoming lost, those two boys were back.

Sora and Riku finally were able to add their voices to that steady Island lull.

Sure, they arrived a little torn and bloodied; sure, they were so drastically changed it was as if an age had passed; but no one felt that it wasn't a joyous occasion. It wasn't until they had been back for a short time did people really begin noticing odd tics in behavior.

Riku was now almost perpetually frowning, his gaze vacant with an unnamed burden. If he did smile, it was only around Sora or Kairi. He gave every other resident a cold shoulder. He even ended up moving out of his parent's house, saying cryptically "I've already outgrown so much here." He didn't sound mad, just regretful, somber, frustrated with himself more than anything.

And then people began suspecting where he got the money to afford a house of his own at sixteen with no job. Some came to the conclusion he was involved in drug dealing while he was gone. Someone was bold enough to suggest this to him directly, and he merely shrugged "Believe whatever you want to believe." Sora and Kairi vehemently denied it though, Sora saying "He made a few bad choices, yes, but nothing THAT bad!"

Speaking of Sora, he was changed too, just more subtly.

He was a lot more confident now, maturely- yet very informally -handling things whether it be with teachers or fellow students. Girls all over the school marveled at how well toned and muscled he now was, but only ended up lamenting his obliviousness to their feelings. He still had his eyes only on Kairi, to their eternal grief.

But then again, they also noticed how strangely he was acting now. He never gave much thought to lessons, often doodling strange creatures and scenes in notebooks for notes. A few times he adamantly contradicted the teacher, often sparking debates involving "outside worlds" and "people [he]'d met". Most brushed him off as delusional, except for Kairi and Riku, who would only sigh and bury their face in a hand.

Then there was his insomnia. He would wake up in the middle of the night and pace in his bedroom, muttering about "Heartless" and "keeping an eye out for danger". It was clockwork, how he would wake at exactly the same time and stay awake until dawn. If he didn't (a rare occasion) he would writhe and scream with nightmares about things he was reluctant to describe when he awoke.

His mother had a heart attack over the scars she hadn't seen when he returned, screaming loud enough for the whole island to rush over and gawk at the sight of Sora standing there awkwardly in only a set of baggy shorts, his chest furrowed and bumpy with all sorts of pale lines. He wouldn't explain where he had gotten them, saying simply "Nothing fun." It was clear that, while Riku had maintained some semblance of sanity, Sora had snapped somewhere.

It was an ordinary day after school, the last bell had rang, and Sora was getting his things to take home from his locker.

"So, weirdo, whatcha lookin for? pixie dust?"

Sora paused, letting the bullies pass. No one could see it, but his eyes were teary. He then rummaged some more and grabbed what he was looking for: his Oathkeeper and Oblivion keychains. He always carried them back and forth for an extra resurgence of confidence, and a confirmation that his year away wasn't just some dream.

"No, my pixie dust is at home, losers." he mumbled, even though they were long gone. He closed it solemnly, and began making his way to his meeting spot with Kairi and Riku, soon putting on the best poker face smile he had.

Which is to say, you couldn't tell he was bothered by anything. Plain old Sora, smiling as always.

He waved to Riku and Kairi "Sorry! I had some trouble looking for some things!"

Kairi smiled back, Riku only waved in response. Sora paused, sensing something was about to happen-

"Yo Sora!"

Sora turned, and received a blitzball smack at his jaw

"HEADS UP!"

When Sora lowered his aching head, rubbing it gingerly and feeling a bruise starting up, he laughed a little at the thrower- some nameless kid on the blitzball team "Ha, very funny." The coward ran away, laughing, while Riku and Kairi rushed up to Sora's aid:

"Oh my god are you okay?!" Kairi couldn't stop shifting her weight from one foot to the other, anxiously biting a nail.

"That punk wouldn't know humor if it hit his funny bone." Riku was glaring at the kid who'd done the deed in his subtle, "I will kill you without you even knowing" manner.

Sora only continued smiling "Hey, no big deal, I've had worse." He cured his jaw without anyone noticing "I'll be fine."

About a week or so later, he did everything but flee his home when he noticed his parents had hired a psychiatrist. Shortly after that, he began waiting at the island he had played on at the same time everyday. He was waiting for something. Everyone also began noticing a strange, key-like object on his person. His mother found a note posted on his wall in a script she didn't recognize. Something about people needing his help...

Again?

She wouldn't even begin to accept that word.

So there he was, smiling and eating away his dinner like any ordinary boy. She stared at him, he didn't look like he noticed that. She was about to bring up the odd letter when he went off to hang around with Kairi and Riku. Maybe tomorrow...

At least, if she wasn't so furious.

Some more students had approached Sora after school, shoving him into his locker. Big mistake for them, because something completely snapped inside of him. While he sat there in his office chair, looking like a disobedient and confused puppy, his mother and the principal review what someone had caught on a cellphone.

Sora was shoved against his locker for only a moment before he quickly swept out the boy's feet while elbowing him remorselessly in his solar plexus. While the assailant gasped for air, Sora pushed him to the ground via a handspring over him, and then twisted his arm behind him. Everyone- phone video and real life -shuddered and gasped at the sickening crack of an arm breaking.

Sora's mother stared at her child. He looked so remorseful and lost. She then turned to the principal "I-I swear he doesn't normally act like this-"

"The proof is right there, you know how teenagers behave differently when their parents aren't around-"

"THAT IS NOT MY SON!" She snapped at him. She then turned to Sora "Please, that wasn't you, right?"

Sora sank back some more, bowing his head and clinging at his arms "I... I'm sorry, mom..." he then leaned forward, desperate "Please! I swear I don't remember anything except... except darkness...!" he sounded almost completely truthful. His hesitation at the end told of some kind of lie.

"Well, I'm sorry, but Sora will have to be suspended from school a few days... maybe even..."

Sora was vacant- a shattered, broken, stunned gaze his only expression -the trip home.

He was lucky, only three days of house arrest. He stared outside of his window every day, though, letter clutched in his hand. He barely moved, and seemed to be immensely troubled. Except when Kairi and Riku talked with him through his window. A few times he'd send down paper airplanes of "Important info", but most of it was talking and such.

Sora's parents tried the psychiatrist again, but he refused to breathe even a word. He said "No one would really get it anyways." shortly afterwards he muttered to himself "No, they wouldn't, Roxas. You know how preposterous the whole thing is to them..."

The psychiatrist suggested reaching him through his friends, so they invited over Riku and Kairi.

"So, Sora-"

"He's fine, you shouldn't worry about it." Kairi answered immediately. Riku glanced at her, then said simply "He isn't, really, but it's grander things than you'd understand-"

"We're his parents! What WOULDN'T we understand?!"

Riku and Kairi looked at each other. Kairi bit her lip "We told Sora we wouldn't say it for him..."

Riku brushed her off and began explaining things. Lots of things. Complicated things. Apparently the bullies WERE getting to him. Cutting deeply into his emotions with irreversible scars. He was tired of such a pedestrian life anyways. He wanted to see Donald, and Goofy, and the countless others he had met in his travels. He wanted to feel alive, like he did then.

When he was finished, he stood "Now, I think I'll go check up on him." As he vanished, Kairi held Sora's Mother's hand "Hey, I know it's hard to think of what he's gone through, but he'll be fine. We're not sure how long he'll be like this, but we are sure he'll pull through, okay?" she smiled reassuringly.

She nodded, holding back tears. Oh her precious baby boy... Speak of the devil, there he was, Riku right by his side. Riku elbowed him after awhile "Well?"

Sora shuffled "S-sorry about lying to you mom, dad..." he mumbled "I wasn't sure what you'd think..." He then looked up "And, I'm also sorry about being ready to leave you in a rush, it's just... The King needs me to help him out again, I can't be held back by school, ya know?" he smiled and laughed a little at his own joke. Sora's parents hugged him

"We don't think of you any differently. Now go out there and be our darling hero."

Kingdom Hearts, here I go again XD You guys must be so tired of things like this by now... Sorry, writing is really slow at the mo (lol)