Warnings: This story is yaoi and a Sora/Riku pairing. I don't mind constructive criticism, but do not Flame about the sexuality of this story because I am plainly warning you now. (BTW, I can always tell who DOESN'T read the warnings, LoL)

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is owned by... well, it ain't owned by me, so don't try to think I'm taking the credit, 'cause I'm not.

Without further ado, onto the story...

Chapter One: Upon Awakening

I've been having these weird thoughts lately ...

Sora was drifting in limbo. He closed his eyes and felt his body slowly recede into numbness.

...Like is any of this for real, or not?

His stomach lurched and suddenly he was no longer drifting; he was falling. His eyelids felt heavy and he struggled to open his eyes. Was that water rushing past his ears? With monumental effort, he opened his eyes...

He stood on the seashore, not far from his home on Destiny Islands. The sun seemed to focus its glare on him, but he shielded his eyes with his left hand and squinted.

A wave splashed around his feet but there was no feeling of cold wetness. Nor could he smell the normal salt tang on the air. Even if he could sense these missing things, they probably would have passed him unnoticed. He stared fixatedly at the boy standing not-too-far-away in the sea, water eddying around his legs. The older boy had silver hair and, as he turned around, aqua-colored eyes. He wore a tight yellow sleeveless with two black straps that crossed in the front. The shirt did little to hide the curves of his muscular torso and arms. Sora's breath hitched at the sight of the boy.

Without warning, the sea rose into a wave. The height of it eclipsed both boys. The silver-haired boy reached out a single black-gloved hand and whispered, "Sora," imploringly. His eyes withheld any pleading and his lips didn't move as Sora heard his name called, but he had no doubt the older boy spoke. Sora rushed forward, hand outstretched to meet him, but the deluge caught him and launched him from his feet, throwing him backward as he fought against the current to reach his destination.

Through the murky haze of the sea, he saw the other boy smile – smirk? – and ascend to the surface.

Sora swam after, determined to catch him. But when he broke the surface, the noonday sun had aged into sunset and stained the sky a rosy color.

Turning toward shore Sora saw a girl his own age waving to him and smiling. Sora raced through shallow water that did not impede him to her side. But as he approached her, a troubled expression clouded her cheery one. He followed her gaze to the sky, where something was falling...

And then he was too.

No longer solid, he slid through the sand beneath him and tumbled through the air, the petite girl becoming smaller as he fell further from her.

And then he landed amidst a flock of doves, a glowing stain-glass image below him.

A voice without substance called out to him, "Power sleeps within you, Sora. If you give it form, it will give you strength."

An unfamiliar voice came to him. He thought it might belong to the girl he just saw. "Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin."

Another voice, and Sora didn't need to see the silver-haired boy to know it belonged to him. "Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction."

Finally, Sora's own voice spoke. "Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all."

And so a very confused Sora awoke...

"Sleeping won't improve your skills, Sora! Only practice!" Sora groaned and sat up on the sandy seashore. He felt the warmth of the sun's kiss and smelled the salty air. It was refreshing.

"I don't need to practice to beat you!" Sora shot back at his friend, Tidus. "Maybe you should try out my strategy."

Tidus wrinkled his nose. "Sleep the day away? No thanks. I'll take swinging around my sword anytime!"

Sora shook his head, sending a small shower of sand. "You call that overgrown branch a sword?"

The blond-haired youth prepared a counter but was interrupted by Selphie's excited cry. "Sora! Tidus! Come quick, Wakka has found something you will want to see." She came bounding into view with her ever-present jump rope and yellow dress.

"What's this about, Selphie?" Tidus asked her.

She shrugged and said lightly, "I don't know, but if Wakka says you'll want to see, I'm not about to be left out!"

She raced ahead of them, disappearing behind the wall of rocks as quickly as she had come. Tidus turned to Sora and said, "It better not be another Blitzball scheme like last time."

Sora nodded but his mind wandered, paying little attention to his friend's words. Who was the girl he had seen, clad in white with her purple belted skirt? And the boy, who wanted Sora to meet his touch?

"Sora, look!" Tidus said, pointing ahead and quickening to join Wakka and Selphie. Looking up, Sora saw Wakka kneeling in the sand, gently holding someone in his arms.

Alarm spread through Sora. Was someone from Destiny Islands hurt? He rushed over to the scene, watching over Wakka's back.

For one long moment, his heart halted.

Lying in Wakka's caring arms wearing waterlogged clothes that dripped onto the dry sand was a girl about Sora's age.

He needed to force himself to breathe again, for only he – in all of Destiny Islands – had ever seen this girl before. The girl from his dream...

A/N: I know the story began somewhat similar to the storyline of Kingdom Hearts, but don't fear that this is simply a re-write (if the rest of the chapter didn't give that away). I hope you enjoyed the beginning to my first fanfic and please review. I don't mind constructive criticism at all!

And don't worry about the Sora/Riku pairing, I promise it will come!

Preview of Chapter 2:

.........Looking up, his eyes locked onto aqua ones framed with silver hair. His hand tightened, not wanting to let go as the older boy leaned closer with that same smile/smirk as before. His head lowered, his mouth came to rest by Sora's ear.........