AN: TT I miss the days of Christmas break when everyone had time to update. But I know how time can get away from people. I, myself, have been very busy this semester. If only the evilness of school didn't get in the way of my beloved Even though I kinda have a lot of work to do, I'm taking the time to bring you a one-shot, in honor of one of my best friends on this site. Tomorrow (March 7th) is her birthday, and I know that I have to give her a gift. I wish it could be more, but hopefully it's good enough. Without further ado…Happy 15th Birthday Zanisha!

Mr. Moogle: aliasfan doesn't own Kingdom Hearts. :gasp: But she will buy Kingdom Hearts 2 when it comes out on March 28th (which isn't coming fast enough).

.oOo.Playing Games.oOo.

Sora's POV (mid-KH thoughts)

Ya know Riku…it's funny. Funny how when we were younger, you always tried to act tough. You thought that you were so cool just because you were a year older than me. One year isn't that big of a deal, but you always made it one. You'd always call me a little kid, but because I was nine years old and you were ten years old, you were old enough not to be called one. I guess it's funny how you used to put up this bad boy persona, yet you never stopped playing childish games.

It didn't matter that you were ten years old. To you, you were too old to sleep with a blankie or hold your mother's hand while crossing the street, yet you weren't too old to play games with me and Kairi. You'd play on the swings, race, play tag, you name it. You were fine with playing games.

The only problem with that is…you still think you can. Even though we're older now, you still think you can play games with me.

I remember those days when we'd race down at the docks. You'd win most of the time, but I still had fun just running the race no matter if I won or lost. Sometimes we'd race with Kairi too, and I know you'd let her win every once in a while. It was fun to run through the sand, letting the sun beat down on us as our adrenaline pumped. Racing was fun…

But that was then…this is now…

Now, you seem to be racing for Kairi's heart…literally. Since when was saving Kairi a race between us? We were supposed to find her together. It still doesn't matter to me if I "win" or "lose" this race. As long as Kairi is back with us safe and sound, that's all that matters. I don't understand why you're trying to "beat" me. It was okay to race me when we were ten and when it was just for kicks, but not like this…

Remember those days when we'd play hide and seek? You, Kairi, and I would row our boats to the island and stay there until dark…or at least till our moms came and made us go home for dinner. You always made me the seeker while you and Kairi had fun finding cool places to hide. I didn't really like having to search the whole island for you, especially with all the weird hiding places you came up with! I could never forget that time you hid in that secret cave. After I had found Kairi, it took us forever to finally find you! You had forgotten to tell us that you had found it, so we had nearly given up when I spotted the small opening. You were in there, with a big grin on your face. I never understood why you made things so hard for me and were so happy about it.

I still don't understand. You still play hide and seek with me. One minute I find you in Agrabah, and then you're gone, and I'm off again to try to find you and Kairi. I search many worlds, finding you in Neverland, Monstro, Hollow Bastion, anywhere! It takes me forever to find you, and whenever I do, you always have that same big grin on your face. Then you take off and hide again. I guess I will always be your seeker.

Why, Riku? Why do we have to go through this again…

I could hear the water of rising falls crashing upward. "But that's impossible. How did this happen?" I asked, confusion in my voice. "I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!"

"You were just the delivery boy. Sorry, your part's over now. Here, go play hero with this." You said coldly, throwing down a wooden sword for me.

Oh, so I guess we're still playing dress up. Kairi would be the damsel in distress. You'd be the evil man keeping her locked up in the dungeon. And I'd be the hero, always there to save the day. But unlike you, Riku, I'm not playing that game now. I'm not just risking my life in all these worlds just to "play hero." You could never understand that I'm not just doing everything to "show off my keyblade". I'm not dressing up and pretending to save Kairi. I really am trying to save her! I can't say for sure what you're doing…

But back on the main island, remember I had that see-saw in my backyard? It was old and small but we had some good times there. While we were playing on the see-saw, we'd tell stories or jokes, or just laugh whenever Kairi started to get motion sickness. This small plaything never ceased to entertain us somehow.

There's one thing about the see-saw that I never realized until now. It reflects our lives now. Whenever I was high up on the see-saw, you were always down low, and vice versa. It seems just like that now. We can never both be satisfied. If you're high and happy, I'm low and sad. Why can't we both be equal? If you just let us get off this see-saw, we could both stand on the same level. But you can't get off, and you only want me to sit there, below you.

I don't understand why you haven't learned yet…

I ran in the bowels of Monstro to find Pinnochio had run off. "What are you doing? Come on, let's go back."

"You know, Geppetto's awfully worried about you." Goofy said in a concerned tone.

"Pinocchio, stop fooling around! This is no time for games!" I yelled. Before Goofy, Donald, and I could leave, who of all people was there but you…

"But, Sora, I thought you liked games. Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?" you said snidely.

I was so shocked to see you. "Riku! Wh-What are you doing here?"

"Just playing with Pinocchio." You even said it yourself. Just playing…

"You know what I mean! What about Kairi? Did you find her?"

"Maybe. Catch us and maybe I'll tell you what I know." You said before running off with Pinnochio.

Tag, yet another game we used to play as kids. Again somehow I'd always be the one chasing you and Kairi around, trying to tag one of you so I could relieve the pressures of being "it". Just like with Pinnochio, you ran off and expected me to chase after you two. But you know, everyone gets tired of running…

So, maybe you're not as tough and old as you think Riku. Sure you still don't sleep with your blankie. It's stashed away in the attic. And you surely still don't hold hands with your mom while crossing the street. You just blindly walk across it. But that one thing still hasn't changed, even since you were ten years old. You still play games…

C'mon, Riku, you're fifteen. You're not a little kid anymore. So grow up and stop playing games. You're too old for it.