"Sora! Riku! Come over here, you guys!" A pretty young woman called to her two best friends. She turned towards the school from where all three of them had just left. A boy walked slowly in her direction, wearing a uniform like all the other students.

The sun was shining straight overhead even though it was 3:25 p.m. and the heat was nearly unbearable. The young woman pushed her flaming red hair out of her face and look at the ocean. It had nearly been six months since she'd gotten back home with her best friends. Time seemed to have stood still the entire time, though, because nothing had changed.

"Kairi, did you call?" A brunette boy her age smiled serenely. "It's a great day today—warm and sunny. It feels so nice to be home." His bright blue eyes met hers and they both smiled knowingly. Over and over they'd thanked God for allowing each other to have made it home.

"You're too slow, Sora." She grinned, ruffling his naturally spiky hair with her hand. "So is Riku—I wanted to ask you a question. I have a request for both of you, but I need to ask because this isn't something that the both of you will just agree to happily. It may still be too early to ask you to do this…" Her voice made Sora wonder what she could possibly have wanted to ask, but he didn't say anything—he had to wait for Riku.

"You're no good, boy! No good! You show up late every day, you daydream nonstop-!" A voice of an older man told the two friends that Riku, the third part of their group, was nearby. "You ignore everything that I say, and now you walk out of class?! What are you thinking?" Mr. Carlisle, Riku's homeroom teacher, stood inside by a window with Riku standing in front of him.

Kairi and Sora couldn't help but chuckle at the bored look on Riku's face as he was being yelled at. Both of them knew very well that Riku didn't particularly care about school or that teacher and that he wasn't scared to show that. Getting a good talking-to was nothing compared to the things he had overcome in the past 2 years. Still, they wished he wouldn't do things that would draw more attention to themselves that what they had already gotten when the world was restored and they returned home.

Their welcome home had been the most shocking thing out of almost everything else they had learned. Some treated them like heroes, but the majority of the people blamed them for what happened or believed that the world was only restored by chance and they were taking the credit. Riku had the hardest time with it because he knew how hard Sora had worked and, even if he didn't get credit, he believed his best friend should.

"Are you listening to me even now?!"

Screaming at the top of his voice, Christopher Carlisle was losing it. This one student was the only person that he couldn't handle. Even after 7 years of teaching, he'd never had a student this difficult. He knew it didn't help that he was one that didn't believe his 'hero' story, but he didn't think it should matter as much as the boy made it. Every time the 'saving the world' theory was mentioned in the classroom, Riku would shut down and refuse to listen. The boy had a quiet rage burning in him and, in a way, Chris feared it. The story of him falling into the darkness and winning over it was completely possible.

"Will you never acknowledge me? How am I supposed to teach you if you act this way?" The teacher tried a different approach as he stared into the bored eyes of the student. "I'm TRYING to be reasonable! Why won't you do the same?" Silence was the only response. "Argh! FINE! Get out of here; go home." Riku slowly turned and walked out the door, heading for the exit of the school.

"Riku!" Kairi called to him when he came striding towards them. "What did you get into trouble for this time? Why can't you just go one day without making trouble?" His piercing blue eyes gave no clue that he was listening to the pretty young woman.

"What a day…" He sighed and shook his head. "Sora, why are you two here? I could have met up with you at home and you wouldn't have had to wait here for me." Running his hands through his hair he regarded his best friend.

"I was talking to you, Riku." Kairi huffed, putting her arms on her hips. "Are you mad at me too or something? It isn't fair if you are—I was just saying." Her voice was much softer and more apologetic.

"Kairi, you were yelling at me." Turning to her, he stated this with a flat tone. "Don't you think I've heard enough of that today? I'm going to forget that I ever had to listen to Mr. Carlisle speak so I don't want you to remind me or bother me about it, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded and looked toward Sora. "We waited for you because I have a question for you two." Suddenly she began to feel very nervous. It wouldn't be as hard for Sora as it would be for Riku…

"Okay, I'm listening." He said, glancing at Sora to see his nod before bringing his gaze back to Kairi.

"Well… Let's go back to the island! We haven't been there in forever!" Her fake excitement didn't do anything to help either of the boys. Sora's eyes widened and he refused to look away from Riku, who was suddenly very pale. "Riku…?"

"Yeah… It's been… too long." The silver-haired boy murmured absently. He couldn't refuse Kairi anything—he'd do anything for her. Could he take going back there, though? After all of what happened? After the worlds had closed them out and trapped them there again? Could he do it?

"Really-?!" Sora and Kairi both said in unison, surprised.

"I was almost sure that you'd say 'no way!' You haven't been the same since the adventure…" Kairi murmured, looking in his eyes and trying to figure out what he was thinking. "Are you sure it's okay? Maybe we should wait…?"

"No, that's alright, let's go." He sounded almost angry as he walked past her. The aggravation of realizing weakness was taking its toll on him. Why couldn't he hide the way he changed during the trip away from home? Was it really that obvious how different he was from when he had started the journey?

"Are you really sure, Riku?" Sora started to walk after him, smiling and looking towards the island. "I'm glad, though. I think it'll be good for us to go back to where it all began." His grin made both of his friends smile slightly.

"I still can't believe we were going to try using a raft!" With a giggle, Kairi ran to catch up with the two. "Can you imagine where we would be if we'd actually done that? There's no way that we'd leave this world if we did that!"

"We would have been together when the world was swallowed up, though. The darkness wouldn't have got to us because we all would have used the keyblade to get us out of here safely!" The conversation that was going on didn't interest Riku as they walked to the small boats on the beach. His thoughts were on the small island and the exact place where he chose the darkness—the place where his heart lost to Sora's.

If Riku had chosen the light, the keyblade would have been his. Everyone knew that his heart was stronger than Sora's but, as Riku found out, choices determine a leader. Unfortunately, he made the wrong choice when faced with leaving the world and his family.

"Speaking of family…" Riku murmured, gaining the attention of Sora and Kairi. "I need to call Daryl in a little bit and tell him where I am. He'll be worried if I show up really late and don't say anything."

"Daryl is just like a dad to you, isn't he Riku?" Kairi laughed while running over to a little boat that belonged to her. "It's so cute to see you guys worrying about each other! I mean, I'm just glad you finally got over your family's disappearance. It was tragic, but…" She jumped into the boat and tried to balance herself before looking over to see if she had offended her friend.

"He isn't anything like my father. He's still here." Climbing into his own little vessel, he scowled at the comparison. "It's not like it really matters anyway. I mean, I'm seventeen now. Even if my real parents were still here, I'd be leaving the house soon to live on my own. This is a time when I need my parents the least."

"Riku, you're real parents disappeared when you were nine. You still needed them then." Sora said something that made both Kairi and Riku stop—Kairi stopped in worry and Riku in shock. "I mean, maybe you don't need them now, but it's still a wound that won't heal easily. Is replacing your dad the right way to do it?" The innocent look on the boy's face was killing Riku as he fought against anger that he couldn't actually feel towards his best friend.

"I'm not replacing anyone. Who would need to replace those people? They didn't just disappear, Sora, they left!" Even though he tried not to get angry, he still ended up yelling. "Sorry… Just… Let's not talk about that, okay?" Suddenly, he felt very tired—talking about certain things always left him that way. The topic of is real parents was a touchy subject for him.

The trio kicked off into the water and sailed to the island in silence. Kairi and Sora were afraid to say anything else because they didn't know if they would make Riku even madder. Riku, on the other hand, was just lost in thought. He hadn't been to the island in a very long time—years, it seemed like—and he didn't know what to expect. What was he supposed to feel when he looked back out over the waves like he had before he left? Would the ocean still hold the same intrigue it had when he was younger? Had everything changed for him because it stayed the same? His outlook on everything—the fascination he used to feel and his old feelings of curiosity and happiness—was gone.

"We're here!" Sora cried happily, jumping out of his boat and running towards the beach. When he reached the center of it he turned towards the water and took a deep breath. "It's so amazing!" He yelled out to the sea, grinning so wide that his face hurt. "It's been way too long since we've been here! I used to sleep right here!" With that being said, he plopped onto the ground and laid down, putting his hands behind his head to act as a pillow.

"Nothing has changed at all, has it?" Kairi laughed, joining the kid-ish little boy that she loved. "Be careful or you're going to have sand all in your clothes." Sitting down, she giggled to him. Both of them forgot Riku for one second as they looked at each other. Then, almost like snapping out of a trance, they both look away with a blush—Sora towards Riku and Kairi towards the little shack to their left.

Riku didn't say a word; he just walked to the shack and opened the door, ignoring the calls from Sora. He climbed the stairs slowly, much more slowly than he would have before he had left the island. Looking at nothing in particular but taking in all the sights, he felt as if he were walking in a dream—a wonderful dream that used to be happy but now only made his heart ache. It used to be so joyful—he was so young and unknowing back then—but now the joy was over and only left behind the memory to haunt him.

When Riku opened the door and walked outside the sun shone right in his eyes. Too bright, he thought as he covered them with his arm. He walked over to the Paopu Tree that he used to sit on when he was younger and looked at the ocean. So vast and so open; the ocean would never hide secrets or ignore pains. When angry or upset, the sea could be deadly.

"At least it doesn't have to hide behind lies or put up a facade, though." Riku murmured, climbing up onto the tree and sitting down. He watched the waves crash up against the side of the little peninsula and thought of what he could do.

Nothing had worked out for him. Even when he had finally gotten his adventure—the one he would dream about since he was just a child—Sora was the one who got to go free. Sora was the one who got the keyblade and traveled from world to world. Riku gave his everything to save Kairi, yet Sora was the one dubbed 'hero' in the end. He was still the one that Kairi chose even though Riku had given up his dream—his dream to leave the world and find his meaning—for her heart. The only thing he had gotten for all of it was the emptiness of finding the last 2 years of his life wasted.

"Hey, Riku, it's getting dark!" Finally one of Sora's yells got to him and he turned around. Much to his surprise the sun was nearly gone behind the ocean's vast body and the stars were almost visible. "Kairi and I are going home. Do you want to wait here or come with us?" Kairi fidgeted a little and refused to look at either of the boys, telling Riku to stay without saying a word.

"I think I'll stay here for just a little bit longer, if you don't mind." Smiling softly, he wondered if Sora would even figure out why Kairi wanted to go with him.

Even though Sora was braver than anyone else Riku knew and incredibly strong, he feared he would never understand women. It wasn't like he knew a whole lot about them either, but Kairi was being obvious in hopes of getting Sora's full attention, a task that was nearly impossible seeing as he would probably be considered ADHD if he ever had a check-up with the doctor. Still, Riku decided that he'd give them a chance even though he knew he would regret it later. Hopefully Sora would miraculously catch on.

"Um… See you later, Riku!" Both of jumped onto their designated boats and rode away, Kairi smiling and laughing as Sora attempted to tell her a (probably horribly lame) joke. In a matter of minutes they were both so far away that Riku could no longer see them. With a deep sigh, he laid down on the curved tree, looking over at the sea again. Before he knew it, the sun was gone and the stars were all over the sky.

The island felt lonely when everyone else was gone. When he was younger—had he ever actually been that young?—he would have ran off on an adventure by himself in a heartbeat. He would refer to it as 'having some peace' even though he didn't need any more alone time than he already had. Now that he had witnessed what it was like to be alone, he was afraid of it.

As Riku laid there looking over the sea he had an epiphany. He realized that, when all said and done, he wasn't needed. His best friends didn't need him because they had each other—when they finally got together they'd stop talking to him anyway. Especially since Kairi knew that he used to love her—still did, really. His father figure, Daryl, was so busy with his fiancé that he would barely have time to miss someone that wasn't even his son. If he disappeared, most people wouldn't even realize he was gone. Would anyone come after him or try to stop him if they knew?

The fact that he could be replaced was something that made him go cold; he felt sick. His head was blank as he slowly rose, standing and looking at the small dot of an island where he lived. For a few moments, he wondered if there was an earthquake as his whole world shook. Then, he finally realized that he was trembling. He cried out and grabbed at his chest, where he felt his heart aching. After a minute, he looked up at the sky with tear-filled eyes and yelled again in anger.

"WHY AM I HERE?!" He grabbed at his hair and fell to his knees, shaking his head. "I did everything to figure that out and SORA was the one who did everything! All I could do- nothing! I couldn't do anything. My entire journey was figuring out about the darkness and light and saving Kairi. What good will all that do me HERE?" He shook his head again in frustration.

"RIKU!" A familiar voice made him turn around, still angry and quivering, to see who was there. "Riku, you're here… I was so worried about you! Come to find out, I should have been. What are you doing?" Daryl's face made a part of Riku—the part that was threatening his life—calm down a little. "Are you okay?"

"Daryl…" He murmured, rising to his feet, a dead look on his face. "Daryl, I want to go home…"

"Riku, you look like hell. Are you really okay?" He put his hands on Riku's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I can't help but feel worried about you—especially when I see you like this. You look like you're about to throw yourself into the sea or something." Riku stared up at his "father" in wonder. The fact that he had guessed right on what he had been planning was just surprising to him.

"No, I'm fine." He smiled softly, glancing at Daryl before looking around. "Where's Renee? I thought she'd be with you."

"My fiancée can take care of herself, you know. She's looking for you, though, if you really must know." He smiled softly at the guilty look on Riku's face. "You should have warned us that you were going somewhere."

"I was going to, really!" The more time Riku spent with his "father", the more he felt as if everything would be okay. He was beginning to calm down and think more clearly. "I shouldn't have made you worry, though. Especially Renee—she's got to stay calm for-"

"She'll be fine." Daryl grinned realizing what Riku was thinking. "The little one shouldn't be hurt by something like that."

"Still, ever since she got pregnant it seems as if she's trying to overexert herself. I get worried." He muttered, facing away. Something in the sky got his attention and he looked up to see something falling. "Hey… What's that?"

Just then, the object fell into the ocean, causing a huge splash. Even though the waves should have pulled the thing out towards sea it floated—it almost looked above the water—towards them. Riku jumped off the peninsula into the water, a familiar feeling of curiosity burning in him. When he got to the shore where the object was resting, though, he stopped.

Frail-looking and very pale was the girl in the water. Her long blond hair spread out in the inch of water that she was laying in and her tattered white dress rode up to a little above her knees. She looked as if she were a few years younger than Riku, but he wondered if she was younger than he thought—there was no way someone near his age could be so small.

"Who is it, Riku?" Daryl asked, bending down beside Riku to look at the young miss that fell before them.

"I'm not sure." Riku replied, lifting the little girl's head out of the water. Light as a feather, he thought with a shake of his head. "She just… fell. You saw that too, right? I'm not going crazy am I?"

"No, I saw it too. She floated over the water to here—the waves should have pulled her out." Just then, the little girl's eyes fluttered and she turned her head, coughing from the impact of hitting the water.

"Are you okay?" Riku found himself whispering, feeling ridiculously shy around the unknown girl. "Can you tell me your name? Are you hurt? Is there anything wrong—other than you hitting the water?"

Two beautiful, cerulean blue eyes looked up at Riku in a frightened realization. The little woman shot up and turned around to face him, suddenly gasping for air. Although her panic was expected, it still irritated him since he hadn't done anything wrong. With a little bit of effort, he kept his voice calm and quiet.

"Can you tell me your name? We'll try and find your parents." Riku asked, looking up at Daryl for support. Much to his irritation, his guardian's eyes were towards the water where a small boat was headed their way. "I won't hurt you."

"Alena," She croaked, swaying from sitting up too quickly. Riku caught her before she fell and held her as she concentrated on clearing her throat.

"Do you know where you came from?" His attempt at a serious question seemed to be blown down as she pointed towards the sky. Fighting against the anger he felt towards the young woman before him, he tried a different route. "What happened to you? Why did you fall?" Once again he got a response that he wasn't looking for—a shrug. Her eyes were so wide and innocent; it was so hard to be mad at her. What an incredibly dangerous woman…