The Kingdom of My Heart

by reichirudesu.

NOTICE I do not own any of the characters for Kingdom Hearts. They belong to the Square-Enix corporation. I decided to re-write and change this story. I am a perfectionist and this fan fiction is very dear to me-- I must present it to you properly! Thanks to all the people who are reading this one now.

PROLOGUE

The sun was setting through the window above my head, causing long vibrant streaks of red and orange light to stretch across my face. I was laying on my stomach, my face squished against the mattress, trying to sleep. Instead, it seemed I was just floating in a state between being awake and dreaming. I lazily kept trying to flatten the wrinkles on my sheet, trying to forget how uncomfortable I was.

Lately, there had been an intense heat wave, and the small prefecture I lived in was almost facing drought. The air hung hot and heavy, causing everything to be so difficult-- making people so irritated. It was even more irritating to see low grey rain clouds hanging right outside the border of our town, never moving. These clouds had been hanging around for quite some time, almost mocking us. The weather had been the worst for my sister and I in our house. Just being the two of us, we couldn't afford air conditioning. We had to leave all the windows open, dress lightly, and pray that it would be enough. Our house had become so warm it was too unbearable to even use the stove in our kitchen.

I was tired, but I knew I couldn't sleep. I bounced my bare foot that was hanging off the bed off my wooden floor. My toenail made clicking noises. I listened to the cicada chirping, calling on nightfall. Randomly I'd hear a bicycle or some kids yelling. My stomach growled with hunger.

The phone rang loudly, and I wanted to ignore it. It might have been my sister. It's non-stop ringing forced me to slowly crawl out of bed. Half stumbling into my slippers I trudged down the hall to answer it. I cupped our large telephone receiver.

"Moshi-moshi?" I mumbled.

"Rei-chan? It's me, Jiyo."

He didn't need to say who it was, I knew his voice. He was just so... formal that way.

"What do you want? I got out of bed thinking you were my sister."

"Were you sleeping, at this hour?"

"Trying to," I yawned, "anyway..."

"You're still as lazy as you were in grade school, Rei-chan."

"Did you just call just to say that?"

"Well... no. I was just thinking that we should get a early start tomorrow morning, I think it might rain..."

"Its never going to rain," I pouted.

"But this time I was looking at the forecast and the barometer shows..."His voice trailed off as I stared into our hallway mirror. I blew messy bangs out of my eyes, looking at myself in the dim light. My hair was rough and spiky, hanging at all lengths and angles. No matter what I tried to do to it, it was always that way. My looks always bothered me, between my unruly hair and my boyish figure. My strange large eyes always moved embarrassedly away from my reflection. A picture of my parents, sister, and I sat on the table next to the phone. Why couldn't I look like Mother and Sis?

"Rei-chan?" Jiyo called me back to reality. "Did you catch that?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I lied.

"Alright, meet you bright and early at 6 in the park! Have a good night!" He hung up the phone.

I set down the receiver with a clang, as I heard a key turn in the door. I bounded to open it for dinner. There my sister stood with some bags.

"Okaeri!" I greeted.

"Is that for me or the food? At least let me set it down before you start chomping it down!"

She headed inside, and I could hear her moving through cabinets, gathering plates. Something compelled me to stare out the door for a moment. In the early evening the stars were just beginning to speckling the sky, right above those ominous gray storm clouds.

I sighed, rubbing sweat off my forehead... when would it really rain?

Now, when I'm staring at the stars, I remember that day... so very long ago.