Note from the author… Please enjoy the first chapter to my story, please read and review. Any opinions are welcomed; if you have advice to my writing… tell me! I own Ledah and this story, but all the other characters are owned by square.

Destiny Islands

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Ready or not, here I come! So hide if you're smart, or freeze if you're dumb!"

A girl ran across an island beach peeking around every corner. A rustle came from a bush over by the fountain as she picked up the sound and charged full speed ahead.

She threw out her hands into the bush and felt for someone. "Ah ha!"

She parted it open and saw a lizard jump out of the shrub and crawl towards the freshwater beauty that sat conveniently next to "the secret place" where group meetings were held. She glanced up at the cascading water and saw a reflection of a petite girl who stood at an average height. She had a shiny head of brown hair cut just above her shoulders and her unmistakable almond shaped deep purple eyes glistened in the sun's light. On her arm was a unique tattoo of an orange moon with a black swirl going to the middle and small black stars bordering the moon. She evidently looked like a tomboy, wearing camouflage pants with a small black tank top and black sneakers.

The bush shook again. Her gaze broke from the fountain and was redirected to the shrub. She parted it open one more time, and a family of lizards hopped out and scurried away. Something caught her eye; it looked like a bit of silver was shining powerfully. She dusted away the sand and saw a handle. Her persistence sped up as she dusted it away with her hand to reveal a hatch.

"What the..."

She pulled the latch up, opening the door. There were no stairs. She gnawed her lip, taking in a deep breath and jumping in. She landed with an "umph" on top of a crate that had seen better years. She scanned the room and saw mounds and mounds of crates identical to the one she landed on. She picked up a crowbar that was on the ground and cracked one of the crates open.

Her eyes widened immensely to reveal...

"Ledah! Wake up!" loud voice echoed in the girl's ear.

"AHHHH!" she shrieked as her eyes shot open. She saw one of her best friends, Sora.

Sora was a fourteen year old boy with brown hair which seemed to defy gravity. It was spiked up in every direction. He had sapphire blue eyes that sparkled with joy on his cute face.

"Sora! Don't do that again."

"I can't help myself Ledah." he said winking.

"Oh god! He's hitting on me! Gag! Gag!" Ledah said in a teasing voice.

"I am not! You know very well I'm straight." he said faking an offended voice.

She socked him in the arm. "You dumb dumb, you know I love you."

The two of them burst out into laughter and fell to the sandy ground.

"Hey you two!" a familiar voice yelled.

They looked up to see their best friends Kairi and Riku in the distance. Riku had shoulder length silver hair and gorgeous aqua eyes full of mischief. He had a very attractive face and his body was well toned, especially his arms.

Kairi was Ledah's best friend had short crimson hair that didn't go any farther than the bottom of her ears. Her eyes were lovely shade of dark blue on her pretty face.

Sora hopped to his feet and offered Ledah a hand up.

"Hey guys!" Ledah called over while waving like a maniac.

"Sora! I asked you to go get the cloth and some wood, remember?" Riku said in a voice you would talk to a two year old in.

"Uhh, you mean the ones you were talking about last week?" he asked with sarcasm in his voice.

The girls snorted at Sora's stupidity for about the millionth time in their life.

"No you idiot. I mean the ones I asked you to get half an hour ago. As for you..." Riku said turning towards Ledah. "Good job hunting those fish." he said approvingly.

Ledah giggled. "Thank you sir." she said a smirk rising on her lightly tanned face.

"Sora! Go get the damn cloth and wood." Riku said frustrated with his lazy friend.

Sora scampered away in search of the items. The other three roared with laughter as they watched their friend narrowly miss a coconut tree. He waved in assurance to them that he was okay. Kairi giggled and gave him the thumbs up. He blushed a sweet pink that was unnoticeable to anyone from their distances apart. He chuckled to himself and continued on his search for the requirements.

"I've got it all Riku!" Sora's voice said in exhaustion.

Riku nodded in acknowledgement. "Good job shorty. Have you seen the girls?"

Sora pouted. "Nope! Not since you sent me off looking for all the extra food."

"That's weird, normally they'd be down here helping with the raft." he pondered on this thought for a moment. "Let's go find them." he didn't even take two steps when Sora turned on his heel seeing a flash of crimson hair in one of the bushes.

"Hey! Kairi! Come out from there." Sora said with a teasing tone.

"Okay we surrender." came Ledah's voice as she popped out of the bush with her hands raised and started walking toward the boys.

Kairi came out too with her hands like Ledah's. "We are slaves to you now." Kairi said with fake obedient voice.

"Whoa." Sora said amused. "Well, where should we start?" he said rubbing his hands together.

"I don't know Sora, you start." Riku said with a wink.

"Too slow!" Ledah shrieked and dashed off towards the other side of the island.

"Toodles boys!" Kairi called over her shoulder.

Riku and Sora stood in a daze. "We lost our slaves."

"Yeah"

"Let's go run them down." Riku said eagerly.

"Let's go."

one hour later

"Where could they possibly be?" Riku said panting exhaustedly.

"I don't know." Sora said while wandering over toward the docks. "They're still here somewhere. Their boats haven't moved an inch."

Riku let out a cry of frustration. "I'm going to the secret place. Wanna come along?"

"Sure. I have the urge to draw a little."

The boys walked towards the small waterfall then pushed aside a small branch to reveal a tunnel. The two walked down the short tunnel to arrive at a spacious cave. It looked the same it did 7 years ago except now it was decorated with cave drawings. Riku noticed something particularly odd about it though.

"Sora, where did that door come from?" he said pointing towards a door.

"I dunno..." They boys said trying to be alert of anything else suspicious.

A soft echo was heard, more like a couple of echoes.

"Footsteps." Sora whispered.

"It's them." Riku said slyly. "Scare 'em?"

Sora grinned mischievously. "Duh."

They took cover behind a large boulder. The girls came into focus as they started talking. Riku put a finger to his lips hoping Sora would catch on. He nodded as the boys sat in silence eavesdropping in on the girls' conversation.

"...I think we lost them a while ago." Kairi stated. "Where do you think they're at?"

"Beats me. Let's draw." Ledah said with 2 chalky rocks in her hands.

"Alright." Kairi said full of pep. Ledah tossed her a rock and sat down on the hard floor.

"Any idea where the door came from?" Ledah asked in a curious tone.

Kairi shook her head. "Not a clue." she started drawing a picture of the raft sailing over the ocean away from the island. Ledah was still drawing her picture.

"Whatcha making Lee-Lee?" Kairi asked looking up from her masterpiece. "Is that Riku?"

Riku had shivers go up his spine thinking their cover had been blown.

"Yeah. I've always wondered why he didn't draw a picture of himself with an ego that big there should be a whole gallery of him." Ledah said with a chuckle. Sora's shoulders shook as he tried containing his laughter. Riku just sat there glaring at him.

"I always thought he was thinking of other people besides himself..." Kairi said with a hinting tone. Ledah obviously didn't catch the hint though. " You know, us girls aren't the only ones with crushes."

"I don't like anyone." Ledah said.

"Yeah you do. Just admit it. I know you like somebody." Kairi persisted.

"How do you know?"

Kairi snickered. "Oh! So there is someone?"

Ledah snorted loudly. "I did not say that."

Kairi laughed harder. "You didn't have to say anything."

Ledah rolled her eyes and went back to drawing. "I have no idea what you're talking about… What's this?" Ledah's tone changed to one of wonder. Her attention turned towards a picture that looked like a five year old drew it. It was of Kairi and Sora. Their faces were turned towards each other, smiling. Silence filled the cave.

Kairi's voice broke it. "When I first arrived Sora and I did portraits of each other." She gave a tiny chuckle as she gently touched the picture as if reminiscing. "It was one of my first memories from here."

"That's really nice." Ledah said dreamily. "I wish I had memories when I was young."

"You do! You were here before I arrived."

"I know, but I don't remember anything from before then." she said downfallen. "All I have is this weird tattoo on my arm."

Kairi embraced her friend in a loving hug. "Me neither but you've got all of us." Kairi said warmly. "Ledah, we have a lot in common. We're both orphans, we arrived at this island not knowing anything about our lives before it, and we're both lost trying to find those blasted boys." Ledah couldn't help but give a giggle at the last part. "Now let's see a smile."

Ledah gave the biggest cheesiest smile she could put on which sent Kairi into a fit of laughter. "Gee thanks, Kairi."

Riku and Sora stayed hidden through the whole time they were there and wanted to jump out and surprise them really bad, but at the same time they wanted to sit still and keep listening… until now.

"Hello! Destiny Islands to Kairi and Ledah!" Sora said mockingly.

Riku and Sora hugged pretending to be really depressed. "You're like a sister to me Sora!" Riku faked a girly voice. The two broke apart laughing like total morons.

"You two! I swear one day you'll get a boot shoved up your butt!" Ledah said.

Kairi stuck her tongue out at them. "Meanie heads! See you later!" she said as the two stomped out of the cave.

The boys laughed for another minute. "I'm leaving. You coming?" Riku asked.

Sora shook his head. "Not yet. I'll meet you at the tree like always."

"Like always." Riku sighed as he left the cave.

Sora scanned the walls and saw the picture the girls admired earlier. It brought butterflies to the pit of his stomach thinking about it. He squatted down in front of it and began hacking at the wall adding onto the picture. After a couple minutes of working he stood up and brushed off his shorts.

"This world has been connected." said a ghostly voice.

"Who...who's there?" Sora said half frightened and half bravely.

"This world has been connected to the darkness." a dark hooded figure by the door stated hauntingly.

"What are you talking about? ...Wait. You're from another world aren't you?" Sora said curiously.

The dark figure started to disappear.

"Hey! Come back!" Sora pleaded.

He was gone. Sora looked at the door then back at his picture and left. All that was added on was a paopu fruit being given to Kairi from Sora.

Thank you for reading, please leave a review and I will lurve yooooo. :)

-December Sky