:::Kairi's POV:::



I ran along the seashore of our little island. Today the sun was shining and I had decided to have a race with Riku and Sora. My legs were getting a bit tired and I was lagging behind a bit and I had to stop at a nearby tree to catch my breath. Weird things have been happening to my body lately and I don't mean puberty either. Strange things like. I'm always so tired ,and I sleep later than I always have and sometimes I even lose my balance and fall. Sometimes I think its just that I'm always pushing myself to hard but sometimes I wonder if it could be more serious than just that. I sighed as bits of my red hair fell into my face. I had grown my hair out longer ever since they had come back and sometimes it could be a real nuisance. Maybe I would get it cut back to the childish length I had it before. I then felt myself grow very weak and tired all of a sudden and I arched my back a bit as I leaned further into the hollow base of the tree breathing heavily. This was a normal thing for me every day now... It was ok. I reassured myself. It was nothing I just had worked myself a little to hard that was all...



:::Rikus POV:::



I then noticed that Kairi wasn't behind us anymore. Had she not been able to keep up to our pace yet again? I did have to remember though that our legs had become stronger than hers through our years of fighting the heartless. But lately it had been very strange to me though... she seemed very weak and always lagging behind. This wasn't like the old Kairi I had knew at all... She seemed like she always would sleep through half the day to. She'd sleep from dawn until dusk at times and if she failed to wake up me or Sora were always the ones that would have to go and make sure she got up to eat something or take a shower. I then had stopped running and then when Sora finally knew that I had actually fallen behind he stopped in his tracks to make sure it wasn't one of my old tricks to sneak upon him.



"Hey Riku why did you stop for!?" he called out. I then replied.



"It's Kairi! I can't see her. I think she's fallen behind again and I think we better go check on her." I said to him as I walked in the direction of the sunset. The sky had been plastered in the most beautiful pinks, purples, yellows, reds, and the most brilliant oranges I had ever seen before. Sunsets were things that I had always treasured. That was something I had never taken for granted. I appreciated them even more after I had been eclipsed by darkness. They warmed my heart and most of all they reminded me of Kairi.



:::Sora's POV:::



I watched as the silver haired boy now man walked along the shore. His strong tanned legs and feet bearing into the sand. My heart began to worry for Kairi. She wasn't herself lately. She was always constantly tired and never had enough energy to do much of anything anymore. We had always thought that it could've been that she overworked herself but that wasn't the case this time. There truly was something wrong. Sometimes she would have these spells were she would fall. She even had random bruises all over her. As many times as we had told her she might should go see a doctor about all of this she always reassured us that it was nothing and that she was fine and nothing hadn't changed about her but she was just lying to herself trying to make it all better. I ran to catch up with Riku and I felt the cool foam of the sea wet between my toes and the damp sand beneath my feet as I ran to catch up with Riku.



:::Kairi's POV:::



I was still leaned against the tree still trying to regain my strength then when I opened my eyes after a short rest I seen Riku and Sora coming towards me. They probably came to check upon me when they noticed I wasn't behind them anymore. I just felt like I always slowed them down and that I was always in the way anymore and kept them from doing things I couldn't do. Riku was the first to approach me as he got down on my level.



"Hey Kai are you alright?" he asked with gentle aqua eyes. I blushed at his serious expression. He had always been very handsome to me. It was amazing what he had transformed into... His hair was still the same length but his appearance was a bit different now. His build was now more muscular and all the baby fat had been drained from his cheeks. He was about 6'5 in height were I was only about 5'6 and he still had those same beautiful aqua eyes he always had. Those eyes always seemed to see right through me. He knew I was lying.



"Hey come on we better get you home." he replied and without hesitation he had lifted me into his strong arms and I began to blush a bit. He held me gently against his chest.



"Hey Sora why don't you run on ahead and go get things ready for Kai."he replied.



Sora nodded in agreement and then ran out of sight leaving me and Riku alone.



Had he purposely meant to have done that? Did he want to be alone with me?



:::Riku's POV:::



Kairi looked so beautiful as the fading sunset glazed her crimson hair. I blushed a bit when I realized just how close I was holding her. She began to worry me though. She seemed so little and weak compared to me. Maybe in body but not in spirit. If truth be told she was the strongest person I'd ever known. She never gave up and even in her condition now she never worried about it and it probably never even crossed her mind that something was wrong with her ,but something was going on inside of her because I could feel it. It worried me to that she could just ignore things like this even if something really was wrong with her and that it might be fatal or serious at that. I loved her but I don't know if I could ever tell her or not and if anything ever happened to her I would never be able to forgive myself for it.



:::Sora's POV:::



The days are long and the nights are hot this time of year on the destiny islands. When Riku wanted me to leave I knew I better and when he meant get things ready what he really meant was " go get out of my away so I can have time with my princess." I mean it wasn't hard to notice Riku loved her to. Even though he was my best friend we would try every little thing to win the red haired beauties attention. Why when we were little we would have given up our precious wooden swords just to play tea party with the little red head for a few minuets. Sometimes I think Kairi done it just to spite us. Oh well this was no time to get jealous Kairi could be in a bad situation here not being herself and all. I welcomed myself into her cozy little beach house. It was a good size in spite of its appearance outside. I flipped on the light and walked through the house. I quickly turned back Kairi's bed because I was sure she was tired as always. I sat down on the bed and ran my dark tanned hand through my spiky brown hair as I waited for them.



:::Kairi's POV:::



Riku sure has been acting a bit strange today. He's been a little quiet today and right now he looks like he's in deep thought. Soon we had neared my house. The lights were already on and Riku walked up the steps and I could feel the clacking of his shoes on the steps then the swinging and creaking noise of the old door I always failed to oil. I knew Sora was already here and had probably gotten everything ready for me which I could've done myself but to them I wasn't "able" in my poor weak frail condition. Soon I seen Riku carry me to my room and lie me on my bed. Sora got up and then tucked the sheets over me and soon left the room.



"Night Kai."replied Sora with his sweet childish smile as he left the room. The one thing I loved most about Sora was his smile it would never change even if he did.



Riku sat down beside my bed and quickly took my hand in his.



He gave me this serious look and I blushed a bit as I rested my head on my pillow.



"I'll come check on you in the morning. So sleep well and take care of yourself Kai."he replied and he tenderly kissed my cheek and walked out of the room flipping off the light switch as if nothing had happened. I quickly placed my hand on my cheek that had become hot with embarrassment. I then thought of Riku and me a little bit and then before I knew it sleep had overtaken my body.



:::Riku's POV:::



I kissed her! I didn't mean to do that! Oh now she had to know what my feelings for her were! I had been such a fool to think that she couldn't ever see right through me! I sighed and began to blush. I knew what I was afraid of more than the heartless. It was the thought of being rejected by Kairi. I was a fool to ever think she could ever love someone who had given his heart to darkness... I sighed as I flopped down on my bed. She could never love a person like me... I was stupid to think that. No not stupid "Arrogant" was the word. I sighed putting my head into my pillow as silver locks of hair went every were I soon was overtaken by sleep...



:::Kairi's POV:::



I woke up early this morning earlier than I ever have woken up in a long time. I escaped the tangled and sheets and I arose and then that's when I got glimpse of myself in my mirror. I looked horrible! Pieces of red hair were sticking out every were. Dark circles had formed under my eyes and the color had been drained from my cheeks. I was a mess! I had even been to tired to change out of my street clothes. I sighed maybe a shower would make me feel better and I'm sure Riku would've taken off running if he were to ever see me like this. I walked into the bathroom and I stripped off my clothing. I turned on the hot water and I felt warm steam feel the bathroom. I got in letting the hot water run over me. After I had finished I got out and dried off. It felt good to feel actually clean for once. I then noticed that in the shower there were large clumps of red hair all around but I ignored this. I'm sure it was nothing... Then when I began to brush my hair a large clump came out and I threw it in the trash and became a bit pale. Was I ok? I wasn't going crazy was I? I mean was it normal for some ones hair to come out like this? I didn't know but I then stopped brushing my hair and walked out of the bathroom and then it hit me. I fell hard upon the old sturdy wood floor. My chest began to burn and I felt a bad pain begin to ache in it and then before I knew it everything was spinning in an endless motion. Then I felt a very light sensation come over me like I was floating then there was no more color and no more pain I had been disconnected from the world...