Chapter 1

Training

"Just a little break?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Come on! I've been training for a long time now! Just an itsy-bitsy teeny-tiny little break?"

"…"

"…"

"Break's over. Get back to training."

"WHAT? That's not fair, sensei!"

"I'm not sure I care."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, sensei, nothing."The spikey haired teen muttered clutching his uniquely shaped sword tightly. He slammed the giant key into the nearest heartless's side with much vigor and sent it hurdling into a wall. He sighed and stood up straight. "Come on, sensei! I've been training since dawn!"

"Its only noon."

"Ok. How about I keep training for another half an hour and then you let me have a break?"

"How about you keep training until I say so, then you get a break."

"So I can have a break?"

"No."

The boy's face fell. He turned to scan the area for the next enemy. Sensei's idea of training is slaying heartless until your body could no longer function, he thought bitterly. To his surprise, there were no new heartless to face. He looked around, picking up his feet to make sure there was no Shadow, and turned back to his teacher. "Umm…" He said with a fair amount of 'I'm not sure what to do' in his voice. His teacher stood up. "Well then. I guess we're done." The teacher said, noting the lack of enemies. The boy shot a victory fist in the air. "YES!"

"With this area." His teacher continued.

He boy fell to the ground with a groan. He should've known better. Whenever the heartless stopped coming in one area, they simply went to another.

"Hey! Are you guys still training?" A girl with short black hair and grey clothing stood in front of them. The boy nodded with his face buried in the dirt. "Aw, Leon… You've worked this kid into the ground." The woman said sympathically while glancing at his teacher. The boy lifted his head and scrambled over and latched onto the girl's legs. "Please… save me…." He moaned. The girl giggled. "Oh, come on, Sora! Take it like a man!" She got a very thoughtful look on her face as Sora slid off her legs onto the ground. "Speaking of men…" She began and Sora groaned. He knew what was coming. "Sir Riku asked when you were coming! He's been waiting!"

"Good for Riku." Sora said.

"Sir Riku, Sora! Show a little respect, would ya?" The girl scolded. Sora looked up at her a look of annoyance written on his face.

"Well then, you can tell Sir Riku, that I can't come. Unlike him, I have to work my butt off! Because unlike him, I am not a full-fledged Knight!" Sora pouted, sitting cross-legged.

"Yuffie! If you will, stop distracting my apprentice. Sora, lets go." Leon said without even sparing a second glance. Sora stood up. "Yes, Sensei." He said, running after him. Yuffie put a finger on her chin, "Oh yeah… King Ansem wants to see you." She said, pointing at Leon who stopped in his tracks. Sora's eyes lit up and he turned around with two fists balled up underneath his chin. "Really? He wants to see Sensei? Does that mean I get a break? Huh? Huh? Huuuhhhhh?" He asked edging close to Yuffie with every 'Huh?' Yuffie smiled. "Yup!"

"I'm sorry, but last time I checked… I was in charge." Leon said putting a hand on Sora's shoulder and jerking him backwards. Sora looked up at Leon with his best puppy eyes, let a tiny moan escape his throat, put his hands together and let a few tears well up in eyes to get the maximum amount of pathetic-ness possible. Leon groaned. "Fine."

"YAHOO!" Sora said leaping up into the air. He bowed respectfully to both his superiors. "Thank-you-very-much-sensei! Thank-you-Yuffie! I'll-be-back-later-I-promise-BYE!!!!!" Sora said a little too quickly, running off towards the edge of town. "Hey wait!" Leon yelled after the overexited boy. Yuffie giggled. "Aw, let him go have fun!" She said elbowing him in the ribs. Leon looked at her scornfully. "The King… doesn't really need to see me… does he?" he asked. Yuffie shook her head. "Nope!"

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"Sora, there you are! Where were you?" Asked the silver haired boy perched on top of the tower roof. Sora stood beside the window they had used to climb out onto the roof, panting with his hands on his knees. He made his way over to his friend and collapsed beside him. "Shut up, 'mister I'm-much-better-than-you-because-I'm-a-knight-and-you're-not!'" He said with large wheezes in between every other word in his insult. Riku sniggered. "You look pathetic." He mocked, laying down beside his panting friend. Sora, with great difficulty, lifted his leg and nearly kicked Riku off the roof. "Heh. And you look any better?" Sora asked putting his hands behind his head as Riku climbed back up to sit beside him.

"Never said that." He said. Sora closed his eyes, he smiled as the warm sun's rays went deep into his skin, warming him all the way down to his bones. He felt his tired muscles relax as he took in the sun on his face. He didn't notice how long he sat there, days maybe, or maybe only seconds.

"Are you thinking about her again?" Riku's crude voice shattered the silence. Sora cracked an eye at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Her! You know… The girl who lives in the castle!" Riku said. Sora blushed.

"Who are you?"

"Huh? Me? I'm Sora! Who are you?"

"I'm "

". That's a nice name!"

"Thanks… yours is too."

"Of course I'm not thinking about her!" Sora exclaimed nearly falling off the roof in doing so. Riku sniggered. "You were blushing."

"I WAS NOT!"

"You like her."

"What?" Sora said, caught off guard. Riku laughed and poked his finger into his friend's ribs. "I bet you don't even know her name."

"I do so! Its… Its…"

"You don't know! Oh, this is rich! He's in love with a girl and he doesn't even know her name!"

Sora threw a punch at his best friend. "I'm not in love!" He said to his Riku who was rolling on the roof clutching his ribs in hysterical laughter.

"Well, out sympathy for your sheer pathetic-ness, her name is Kairi." Riku said wiping a tear from his eye.

"Kairi… oh yeah!"

"Who are you?"

"Huh? Me? I'm Sora? Who are you?"

"I'm Kairi."

"Kairi. That's a nice name."

"Thanks yours is too."

"Thanks! So… What are you doing here?"

"I live here. And you?"

"I'm here with my Sensei! I'm training to be a Knight!"

"Well do your best!"

"Huh?"

"It was nice to meet you Sora."

"Huh? Oh! You too!"

"HA! Kairi and Sora, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love then comes marriage…" Riku sang. Sora tackled him strangling him. Riku only kept laughing. "You know? This wouldn't be bothering you so much if it weren't true!" Sora stopped and turned away to pout. "I am NOT in love." He snarled. Riku laughed more. "Yeah yeah whatever." Sora stood up and walked over to the window and began to climb through. "Hey, where you going?" Riku stopped laughing.

"Home."

"Home? Your not mad are you?"

"Not really." Sora said starring out to the sunset. He hadn't realized how late it was. "Leon-sensei will get mad if I'm not back. I hadn't realized an hour passed by."

"Well it took you long enough to find your way up here." Riku scoffed. Sora sighed and waved to his friend.

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"I'm home." Sora called,­ pushing the old wizards door open. Merlin turned around. "Oh, there you are my boy!" The old eccentric wizard said waving his wand around carelessly.

"Leon's pretty steamed." Cid said from his computer. "Huh? Sensei's back?"

"Back? Where'd he go?" Cid asked turning around in his chair. He was immediatly hit in the face by Yuffie's elbow. "To a very important meeting with the King!" She said hurriedly. "Oh? That's funny. I was in a meeting with the King all day and I didn't see him once." Aerith said walking into the room with a tray of tea. She set it down and handed a cup to Sora who thanked her. Yuffie's eyes darted around the room. "Really? Well that is funny, cause he was definitely there! Most definatly!" She then proceeded to laugh very loudly. Aerith narrowed her eyes and Sora waved his hands. "Well, where is he now?"

"In the back room." Cid answered pointing to the door in the back of the house. "But I wouldn't go in there if I were you. He's with a 'client'"

"Clients." Aerith corrected picking up some of the scattered books and arranging them neatly on a shelf.

"Yeah, yeah, strange looking people if you ask me." Cid replied.

"No one did ask you." Said a new arrival. A man with spikey blond hair walked in the door. Aerith smiled warmly at him. "Hello, Cloud!" She exclaimed, she strode over to the man with her tea tray. "Tea?" He shook his head and walked past with the same emotionless face he always had. Sora had grown used to it by now, but it was still unnerving. Sora sat down on the bed as Cloud crossed the room and assumed his regular position, leaning against the book shelf with his arms crossed. Otherwise known as the 'I'm way cooler than all of you, but I showed up any way' look.

"So, why is Leon-sensei with the 'clients'?" Sora asked. Yuffie shrugged. "Wouldn't know. He didn't tell us."

Sora frowned and looked down at his tea cup. "Are knights allowed in the castle?" He asked. Everyone looked at him. "I think so… Yes. Why do you ask?" Yuffie answered.

"I wanted to see someone."

Yuffie and Aerith exchanged glances. Yuffie strode up to the boy and leaned down so she was eye level with him. He looked up at her with innocent eyes. "Is it a girl?" She asked him skeptically. Innocence gone. "W-what? No! ITS NOT!"

"Then who?" Yuffie asked leaning forward causing the boy to lean back.

"N-no one in particular." He said glancing away. Yuffie narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."

"I'm not!" Sora exclaimed.

"Then tell me!"

"No!"

"Tell me!"

"Never!"

Yuffie growled and pinned Sora to the bed in frustration. "Tell me!"

"NO!" Sora said struggling to remove the ninja from his arms.

"Ahem." A rough voice came from the door way and Sora and Yuffie turned to look at the back door. Leon stood there with a look on his face, that clearly read, 'Not amused.'

"Oh… Leon-sensei." Sora said blankly.

"Is something going on that I should know about?" Leon asked noting that Sora was pinned under Yuffie's arms. Sora's face went blank, realizing the position he was in. He gimaced and pushed Yuffie off of him, who scrambled to stand up. "Well, Leon," Yuffie explained. "Sora likes a girl and he wont tell who!"

"I don't like her!"

"So it is a girl!" Yuffie deducted loudly.

"I didn't say that!"

"SHUT UP!" Leon snapped. Sora and Yuffie ran to hide behind Aerith. "He's scary." Yuffie said to Sora.

"I know…"

Leon cleared his throat. "Sora." It wasn't a request. Sora scurried to stand in front of Leon. "Its not what you think! She… we… were just fooling around! No wait… we were joking! I mean… its not like that!" Sora said depreatly grasping at straws. Leon shook his head. " I don't care about that."

"We're friends! I mean… We weren't… wait what?" Sora asked.

"I don't care."

"Oh."

"Any way, Sora meet Donald and Goofy, they're going to help with your training." Leon said stepping aside. Sora leaned over to see… the weirdest people he had ever seen. A large duck in blue clothing stood there, with no pants one might add. Beside him was dog wearing normal clothing and a knight's helmet. "Hiya! I'm Goofy!" The dog said extending his hand to Sora's. Sora stood in shock and didn't lift a finger. "And I'm Donald." The duck said raising his own hand. Again, not a finger on Sora's part. Both Donald and Goofy looked at each other and lowered their hands. Leon slapped his forehead. "Do you always have to be this rude?" He asked under his breath. Sora raised a finger slowly with the same look of shock on his face. "Th-th-th…"

Cid leaned over to Yuffie. "Told you they were weird."

"Th-they're… ANIMALS!" Sora exclaimed extending his finger as far as it would go. Leon groaned he seized Sora's ear and yanked. "No, they're our guests, ("Ow, ow, ow) And they are to be treated with respect. ("Ow, ow, ow, ow,) Is that understood?" Big yank. "AHHH! Yes sir!" Leon released the boy's ear.

Aerith walked over and extended her hand to the two newcomers. "Donald? Goofy? I'm so sorry about Sora! I'm Aerith." She said. They took her hand and shook it politely. Yuffie came up next to Sora and slapped a hand down on his head. "Yeah. Sorry 'bout our boy. I'm Yuffie."

"Its not a problem." Donald said. "Its really no big deal. We get that all the time."

"Cause its true." Sora mumbled under his breath holding his throbbing ear. "So why are they here?"

"They're here because their king sent them to slay heartless." Leon explained.

"King Ansem?"

"No, King Mickey."

"King who?" Sora asked blankly. Yuffie's hand tightened around his head and he winced. "Show some respect." She scolded.

"So, I arranged for them to be a part of your training."

"YOU WHAT?"

Sora was silenced under Leons gaze. "Its nothing different than what you've been doing. Just go around killing heartless."

"Is that it?" Sora asked. But Leon didn't answer, and simply turned and walked away. Sora watched him go sadly. He looked down at his feet. "So… goodnight, I guess." He said walking past Donald and Goofy and slamming the door behind him. Donald and Goofy winced. "Oh… Sorry about him. He just…" Aerith started.

"He's just Sora. There's nothing more to it." Yuffie added picking up a few books and handing them to Cid, to put them away. "If you would, help us clean." Yuffie said afterwards. They both nodded and went to work. Aerith looked at the back door where Sora's room was located. "Some one should go and check on him.

"Like who?" Yuffie asked.

"I don't know… Maybe Cloud would…" Aerith trailed off as she noticed Cloud was no longer there. "Or maybe Cid could…"

"Pass!"

"Yuffie, you and him are friends…"

"NAH UH! Have you seen him when he's in this mood? Scarier than Leon."

"Well then Merlin?"

"Oh, please like that would help." Yuffie scoffed. "Why don't you go?" Aerith sighed and walked over to the back room door. "Sora?" She said cautiously.

"Go away." Only it didn't come out that way. It sounded more like…. "Moe agay." Aerith slowly cracked open the door. "Sora? Are you alright?" She asked, edging the door open farther. Sora was lying face down on his bed in a dark corner of the room. "What's wrong?" She asked sitting down beside him.

"He thinks I need chaperones." Came the muffled reply.

"Who? Leon?" She asked in that sweet motherly voice.

"Yes."

"Oh, he does not."

"Then why are they here?" He asked his voice at a breaking point. Aerith smiled. "Maybe he's scared you'll get hurt."

"So, he doesn't think I can handle my self." Aerith's smile faded.

"That's not what I said." She said, frowning. "He does too! He thinks I'm just a kid." Aerith sighed and stood up. "I'll be back with some tea." She said.

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"How is he?"

Aerith closed the door softly behind her. Yuffie came stood beside her. "He's upset. He thinks Leon doesn't trust him." Aerith replied.

Yuffie nodded. "I can see why. I mean, I don't think Leon trusts him either."

"YUFFIE!" Aerith snapped. Yuffie put her hands up defensivly and ran out of the room.

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First chapter of a story I've been writing, I wasn't sure if I should post it or not since most people don't really like AU's, so if people like it I will post the next chapter and so on and so forth.