AN: Hi everyone! Well I finally decided to upload this fic. Its changed a lot since I originally came up with the idea for this. Now, I'm finally happy with what I have for the plot, etc... I hope everyone else does too! This is a RikuxOC, but I'm trying my best to avoid my OC from being a MarySue, and keeping everyone else in character. Enjoy!
Chapter One: Destiny Islands
Chapter Summary: A girl appears on the islands. She wears a strange heart shaped necklace with three points and an X. Talks of other worlds lead Riku to make a deal, while strange dreams haunt Sora and leave him on edge.
It was the most beautiful world I had yet visited. And soon, it would be swallowed to the darkness.
-Riku-
Today, the islands were different. I could sense it. I knew something was up, with every part of my body. Yet, I was the only one.
Kairi was the first I tried explaining to what I sensed. Partly because Sora hadn't arrived from the main land yet, and partly because I thought if what I sensed was from another world, maybe she would sense it too. However, I was wrong. She did listen to me polity while I explained my feelings, but I could tell she was just being nice. When I was finished she simply shrugged and smiled. "Maybe its meant for only you to sense."
I stared at her, disappointed she couldn't tell what I know, and slightly hurt I knew she just didn't believe what I was saying.
Next was Sora. I confronted him as soon as he jumped off his boat. We walked along the shore, explaining to him exactly what I had just told Kairi.
"I don't know Riku, I mean I had a weird dream-"
"Was it about the island?" I asked, hopeful.
"No..." He said quietly. I stopped walking and sighed, scratching my head. Sora walked to steps more before turning to face me. "Maybe you're just getting excited, Riku."
Ok, yes I was excited for the raft trip coming up, I wasn't going to make things up though. And although I was upset that my friends didn't believe me, I suppose I shouldn't complain. I did leave a specific detail out.
I shook my head, realizing I had zoned out. Sora had already gone through the second floor of the shack and climbed one of the trees. His skinny arm reached for a coconut just out of his reach.
"You're getting to work fast today, Sora." I called, craning my neck to look up at him.
"I'm excited for the raft too." He said, retreating his arm to adjust himself. "Aren't you going to help?
"Yea," I began. "I'm still looking for things." I started making my way to the back of the island. "Don't fall." I added as I saw him slip a little from the corner of my eye.
At the time everyone else was near the front of the island. But I know something was back here. After all, that was the detail I left out. I saw something fall.
I don't know what made me leave that out. After all, telling them that I actually saw something, instead of only feeling it, would have made a big difference. But perhaps I wanted to see what it was for myself, before having to share whatever it was with everyone.
It wasn't even an hour earlier and the sun had just made it over the horizon. I was the first one making my way here. As I drew near a beam of unnatural light shown down to the island before blinking out of sight. I knew it wasn't the sun playing tricks on me. The sun didn't make lights like that.
I looked around the front of the island before anyone else got there. I expected to find at least someone to help me explore the back, but apparently I was crazy.
'We all believe in other worlds, how is seeing a beam of light crazier than that?'
It wasn't, because there were other worlds, and there was a beam of light. Something came down onto the island. Something, even a mark. Something was here.
I didn't one sweep of the back without any luck. Angry, I cursed before turning around and trying again, moving leaf, kicking every rock. I was half way back to the start when I paused to look at the remainder. What was I doing? Could I really just want it to be true, so much that I was fooling myself? Fooling myself to believe what?
That there was something more than this land? This world?
Bah, how childish of me The truth was there was no -
Breathing. There was the sound of heavy breathing. I was so distracted in looking before, I didn't stop and listen. But someone was breathing – and heavy too.
I slowly turned, searching for any potential hiding places. They had to know I was here, whoever they were. I hadn't been trying to hide myself.
"Who's there?" I said sharply. The breathing skipped and I knew I was heard. I stilled, waiting for a sign. It could be hostile, I thought, and I didn't have my sword – hell, it was wooden anyway.
But the bushes to my right were moving now, and a form emerged from it.
One thing about the islands was how peaceful they were. The most blood I had ever seen was in movies or dead animals as road kill. Not this.
A girl, older than myself but not by much, stumbled out of the bushes. Her left hand was above her hip, pressed hard against it, but blood was still seeping through, soaked into her black tank top and navy blue shorts. She had sandals tied around her ankles. Her long black hair had a tint of purple while her eyes were a deep green.
As I quickly examined her, I'll admit I was in shock, she narrowed her eyes at me.
"What are you looking at? She snapped, although weakly.
"You're bleeding-"
"It will heal." Her breathing continued to come out in gasps. "Now if you don't mind..."
I knew it would happen before it did and moved to catch her. She turned, but her knees gave away and she began falling to the ground. I reached farther out but was only able to catch her head in my hands. Well at least she didn't crack her skull open, not like if it mattered with all the blood.
Who was this girl?
-Ami-
"Its just one person?"
"The key will choose. And you will... take care of them."
"There are hundreds of worlds."
"And you will search each one. If the key is not there, move on."
"And the worlds?"
"I trust you know what to do."
And so I have been. For almost a year searching for this "Key." Where have I gotten? A broken gummi ship and my strength drained while on a small pathetic world with a bunch of kids. Sure, I'll admit it was beautiful, all things considered. But I had a job, still. This island was simply yet another stepping stone.
Unfortunately with a broken gummi ship I had a problem. It lead to another problem of course, which was me crashing and getting my side basically torn off upon landing. Weak and without transportation.. I was stuck. 'Use the realm of darkness.' I could already hear her say. Something I could never do.
I could control the heartless, but not enter the darkness at will. I wasn't about to try while this weak either. That was suicidal. Heartless just looked for power. You had power, you controlled them. And although the light had abandoned me, I didn't feel like being swallowed by the darkness anytime soon.
So all things considered, I was still stuck. In this... shack I believed I was in. Small, a door near by with stairs on another side. I could still hear the ocean with occasional voices outside. I laid on a small blanket, slightly spotted with what I knew was my blood. As I sat up I still felt the pain on my side, but something was on me. I lifted my black tanktop and revealed a much noticeable amateur job at bandages.
I pealed them away expecting to see a hardly heal wound, but there was hardly a scar. That shouldn't have been, not with me. My wounds would have still been open unless...
The shack was dark, but I looked around trying to find what would look like... my bag!
I turned over and stretched a hand just far enough to grab the strings of the brown sack. I pulled it quickly towards me and stuck my hand in. A potion was missing, that would explain my wound, my jacket was in it too. And... a picture. I didn't take it out, but pushed it more towards the bottom.
I had all my belongings. I was healed, but still weak. And unless I thought of something I would be stuck here.
The only way was... risky, to say the least. Less risky than trying to open a pathway through the darkness, but still risky. Yet, what choice did I have?
Deep in thought I didn't notice the door of the shack open and someone walk in.
"You're awake." A voice stated, The same silver haired boy I saw before passing out stood over me, pushing the door open, his brows close together in thought. After a minute pause I thought I would respond.
"Yes... thanks for the bandages."
"Kairi did that." He stated, leaning against the opposite wall from myself.
"You make it sound like I shouldn't be thanking you."
"Well when I found you bleeding, you made it clear you didn't want help." He pointed out, tilting his head to the side as if saying: 'Waiting for an apologize.'
"I was looking for my supplies. I would've been fine once I found my bag."
"It was washed up between some rocks. I figured you wouldn't mind if we gave you a potion."
"No, I don't. Thank you..."
"Riku."
"Thank you Riku." This was uncomfortable. Especially in my weakened state. I couldn't escape if I wanted to. "My name is Ami."
"Ami." He repeated. "This is blunt but.." He lowered his eyes. "I saw a beam of light come down earlier. It was where I found you. And you were really trying to stay hidden."
I didn't like where this was going. It was going to make my plan more complicated. "What makes you say that."
"You covered up any blood you were trailing, and was hiding from me, even in that condition."
"I didn't know if anything hostile lived here."
He looked up and I saw a sparkle in his eyes. "So, are you from another world?"
Oh boy this. Normally this situation would've been avoided with 'I was on a raft and I crashed!' But it was obvious he wasn't that ignorant.
"Riku." How could I treat this situation? "Why do you want to know that?"
"Because... I want to visit them. My friends and I."
"Oh, do you now?" I sighed. This was annoying. I didn't have the strength to leave this world and now I was being questioned by a boy about other worlds. Well, what didn't kill me.. "Yes I'm from another world. What would you want to know?"
"Anything. Everything." He paused, perhaps trying to stay calm. I was surprised at how excited he was to hear this. Yet, thinking back at how small that I saw this world was, maybe it wasn't that surprising. "Can you bring me-"
"Riku!" Shouted a shorter boy, coming into the doorway of this shack. He turned his spiky, brown haired head to me and stared with deep blue eyes. "You're awake." He paused to look at Riku before continuing. "I'm Sora." He reached out a hand.
I slowly reached my hand part ways up. "Ami..."
"Is it true then? You're from another world?"
This was beyond annoying that this point. Tell one person I could deal with, but I didn't have time to tell stories to kids. Last thing I wanted was to be the thing everyone was talking about. "Yes, but-"
"Awesome, I'm going to get Kairi to let her know you're awake."
With that the younger boy dashed out of the shack before I could blink. I turned to Riku while crossing my arms. "Not to be rude but, I really don't have time for this."
"You plan on leaving already?"
"Well, no but-"
"Then whats the harm of just talking?"
Nothing. Right?
Kairi, the one who bandaged me up, was just as happy going as Sora was. Both of them had very different attitudes than Riku. All three of them were interested in me unfortunately, but Riku didn't bombard me with questions.
Riku had brought me out of the shack and down to the water, where we sat and waited. I was getting more irritated by the second but considering I couldn't do anything until my strength returned I thought it would be nice to have a relaxing chat.
However, when we entered the sunlight it brought up a conversation I did NOT want to have.
"Your eye." Riku stated.
I gripped my hand unintentionally into the sand. "What about it?"
"Well, I didn't notice it in the shack or when I first found you, but you keep it close."
That was right. And even though my hair was styled to come over that part of my face it didn't hid it completely.
"I'm blind in that eye. Its just a habit I picked up to keep it close."
"Oh."
An awkward silence came over us and I was happy when Sora and Kairi arrived, sitting down on the opposite side of me than Riku.
"So!" Sora said at my right side. "Whats your world like?"
I sighed as Kairi took her place next to Sora. Well, here goes nothing. "I don't have a world that I'm from." I paused as they all looked at me. How much of the truth should I say? "At least not any more. Its... gone. Now I simply travel them."
"Why is yours gone?"
"What are some of them like?"
"How do you travel them?"
"My world is gone for a reason only I need to know." I stated, noticing Riku hadn't asked any questions. For a moment I thought he might have been able to tell I was lying. "I travel in a small ship... and to remember and describe each world..." A question that actually made me think. I never bothered to pay attention to them. "Well the last one... people were at war... they had different clothing and styled buildings."
"That's it?" Sora said, disappointed.
"I don't stay long."
They sighed, hanging their heads low.
"Can we come with you?" Riku finally spoke. I looked at him in shock, my back now to the others. He couldn't be serious. He had no idea what I did. "Well?" He pressed, raising an eyebrow.
"No..." I could hear the others sigh. "My ship can't hold more than myself."
Riku drew his brows together in thought. I wanted to slap him for trying to read between the lines.
"Then..." Sora started," We just have to finish the raft."
"Raft?" I repeated, remembering the excuse I originally planned to give Riku.
"We're building a raft to explore different worlds." Kairi explained. I blinked at her while she continued to smile. She was serious.
"We should go work on it then." Riku said standing up. The others followed as well, Sora mumbling to himself. I smiled to myself as they walked away, chatting among themselves. There, I had a nice chat, now a moment to myself. Stretching, I laid back and closed my eyes. Perhaps some rest would help my recovery.
"You lied."
Damn him.
"About what?" I asked, laying with my eyes closed. I heard him shuffle his feet, perhaps standing a few feet away.
"Your ship. It can hold more."
"Nope, wrong answer."
"I could tell you were ly-"
"I lied about the ship, yes." I opened my eyes. He sure was persistent. "But not on how many it could hold. My ship is gone." I said, truthfully. "See, I'm not so great with those things. There was something wrong with it for a while now. Didn't fix it. So when I got here it malfunctioned. There was a small explosion and it screwed my landing. You saw the result of that when I landed in the trees. Man... she's gonna be pissed-"
"So you're stuck here?"
"For now."
"We could get more supplies-"
I laughed and tilted my head to the side to look at him better. "You think that raft will work? You're delusional."
For an instant, anger filled his face and he flexed his hands into a fist. It was gone the next instant and he spoke calmly. "Then you have another way?"
"Yes, but its not for you. And sure as hell not for your friends."
He paused. "Then just me."
"I said-"
"Let me come. I want to find a way to get Sora and Kairi with me, but first it seems I need to leave this world before them."
"So you can find a ship for all of you?"
"Yes."
I looked at him closely. He was serious. He also had potential. Ok then, this just might get interesting.
"Fine. I'll make you a deal." I said, his face lighting up. I stopped myself from laughing in response. Careful, Riku. "If you can survive, up to the time its time to leave, then you can come. But I warn you, the trip itself is even more dangerous. You might...lose yourself."
"Deal." He immediately said. "How-"
"You can't know how until its time." I said, sternly.
Surprisingly he didn't argue. "Alright, when then?"
This time, I was actually saying something that made me smile. "Tomorrow night."
Riku left me alone after that. I didn't really care if he told the others what I said. Nothing they could do would change what I had coming. They all seemed special, but that wasn't going to do them any good.
'Even if I find him and kill him, the key could just choose another.'
'Then make it so no others are there for it to pick.'
That was a never ending journey. I knew that. I just didn't have a choice. How many worlds had it been now? Over a year by now. The longest world it took to... 'fully search' took a month. The shortest perhaps hours, but that world was already down the drain.
'How will I know?'
'You could always look into their hearts. Hearts will tell you everything you need to know.'
An ability that annoyed me to no end. The last thing I wanted to do was look at someones heart and feel like I was probing them. Luckily I learned what to look for. The fact that I felt I had to use this was a positive. Well, for me.
I sat on the shore pushing my fingers in and drawing lines. I paused looking at what I had made, without really thinking about it. A heart with three pointed ends on the bottom and an 'X' in the middle of it. The same shape I made my necklace I now wore. Some could say it stated what side I was on. Although most ignorant fools out there had no idea what that 'side' was. For me it reminded me what I had to work for to get what I wanted.
I looked around to see if the others were nearby. Sora and Kairi was a ways down the shore, sitting and talking. I continued my search and found Riku sitting on the edge of a wooden bridge, looking down at them.
Well. I was bored and couldn't sleep anymore. But which one should I go talk to first?
Something about Sora... it didn't set me on edge, but it did make me much more aware of him. But he was just a scrawny boy. With a heart of gold I might add.
Hearts can tell you everything you need to know.
Why? Why was I born being able to so easily see into others and what they hid? Maybe that's why I was picked out...
I sighed, pushing myself to my feet. What about Riku? Well he was older, tougher...
And currently looking like he was pouting.
Funny thing. I hadn't had human contact in four months. Well, contact that didn't include... lets not go there.
So the point is, I was a bit more lonely than I'd like to admit. Truthfully I should be discarding any feelings of the sorts. But part of me just... wanted a break from all that.
"Riku."
He jumped, spinning his head around to look at me. "How did you get up here so fast? And quietly?"
"Its what I'm good at." I shrugged, taking a seat next to him. "No, I just went around the island as a little tour and came up here without you noticing."
"Ah." He said, turning his attention to something yellow on his lap.
"Whats that." I asked, noticing how it was shaped like a star.
"A papou fruit."
"Does it taste good?"
"Never had it."
Silence crept over us again, annoying me. I looked between him and the two on the ground and sighed loudly. "You've got to be kidding me."
"What?"
"Nothing. You know what I think I'm going to rest up."
"Wait, Ami."
"What?" I asked, irritated. In all seriousness, a love triangle? That obvious? I was lonely for company but not lonely enough to get involved in that.
However he surprised me by sounding much more lively when he spoke next. "What world will you be going to next? The world I'll be coming with you too?"
"I haven't given it much thought, actually." I said truthfully. After all I didn't really have any intention to bring him with me. Although he looked like he could be useful, I didn't have a plan for that yet. So for now, what lie could I feed him? "See, I've got a job to find someone. I have to search every world."
"I just want a ship."
"That can be done." I tilted my head at him and thought. Strong heart, strong willed, but something was off. "I should rest up." I found myself saying. He wasn't the one and there was no reason to keep wasting my time talking... forming bonds. I was being foolish.
Riku watched me stand and begin to walk away. "Tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow night, Riku."
-Sora-
"Riku seems very interested in this girl. Do you agree, Sora?"
"She's from another world, Kairi." I said, sitting cross legged at the edge of the water next to her. "That's really the only reason he's insisting on talking with her." I craned my head around. The two were sitting on the bridge now.
"That's a shame." Kairi said softly.
"Oh whys that?"
She giggled, "Hehe, no reason."
I sighed. Ami had stood up now and was walking away. "Well, I don't think she's interested in us or Riku anyway."
"I don't think its that." I turned and looked at her questioningly. "She doesn't like being here. Its like... its like she's got something to do. She has to do something and sitting on an island talking isn't going to get it done."
"How do you know all that?"
"She's restless, and doesn't drag conversations out, even though shes trying to be friendly and talk."
I frowned. "You and Riku figured out so much about her. I still don't understand."
"Talk to her. See how she moves and acts."
"Right!"
I didn't get my chance. Riku cam down to tell us she walked off to relax and he couldn't find her. We guessed she was in the trees and her bag was gone too, so Riku couldn't lure her out like he wanted to. Then when we would find her, mostly sitting on the shore on the back of the island, she would run off and disappear before we could catch her. Riku would keep up for a while until she jumped on top of things. That was one thing I knew Riku didn't like. This girl was more agile than him.
"Jumping around like that isn't relaxing." Riku growled when he lost track of her again.
"Maybe she doesn't want to talk."
"Well I've got more questions."
Around dinner time was when we normally started to head back to the main land. At first Riku refused, but I reminded him how we would all be in trouble, even Kairi. Reluctantly he agreed.
"We can stay tomorrow night. " I suggested.
He paused rowing before responding. "Yea. Lets."
The next morning, I was late. First, I couldn't get comfortable enough to actually sleep. Then I woke up multiple times, the same dream happening each time.
It began in pitch black, and I was laying down. I wanted to stay laying down and just sleep, but something told me I needed to move. As I stood, the islands appeared around me, with other images in the distance. I never focused on them because at that moment Ami and Kairi would appear in front of me. I shouted their names but Kairi just sat on her knees with her head bowed, while Ami glared at me, lips forming words but no sound came out. I shouted again, but Kairi disappeared. Now Riku was there, his back facing me. Before I could say anything Ami moved, forward. She was fast, and two swords followed her as she jumped-
- And I would see Riku turn -
Before I woke up in a sweat.
I had gone over this dream about ten times in my head by the time I reached the island. Kairi was by the shore making jewelry, smiling and waving as I jumped onto our dock area. Over across the bridge I could see Riku leaning against the tree we all liked to sit on.
"Is he pouting?" I asked, walking towards Kairi.
"Maybe." She giggled. "He was looking for Ami again. When he found her atop a tree..." She paused barely able to contain her laughter. "She yelled that she needed more time to rest. When he wouldn't leave her alone, she threw a coconut at him."
I started laughing as well. "Did she hit him?"
"Near his feet, which caused him to fall off the tree he was climbing up."
I pictured how embarrassed Riku must have been and smiled. I wished I had been there, but...
"Well, my turn. I'm going to see if I can talk to her."
"Good luck!"
As I made my way to the back of the island I paused to look back at Riku. He was watching me, but other than that he didn't move. I thought he would start following me, but I wanted a few minutes to talk to Ami alone. Maybe ask about the dream. And... check something.
I made my way across the shore, looking for the dark haired girl. I paused to wonder if she had managed to get into the thick trees that made up the middle of the island. However, as soon as that thought entered my mind I heard rustling of leaves nearby.
"A-Ami?" I called, embarrassed my voice shook. I didn't hear anything so I began walking again. "Ami," I said, a little quietly. "I just want to talk."
"Why?"
I jumped while turning as she landed on the sand behind me. She obviously had been atop a tree again. She stood straight up making me realized she was actually more my height but for some reason had a much more mature aura about her. Or maybe it was because of the stern expression she wore.
"Er, nice jacket." I said, noticing the grey jacket with black trim along the bottom and middle layers.
"It was in my bag." She said shortly. My attempts at trying to lighten the mode apparently failed.
"Oh so... hows... the tree climbing." I said, glancing upwards.
She blinked at me before shaking her head. "I'm not ignoring you guys. I just have a lot of thinking to do. I have a job to do and I need to rest up so I can get off the island and do it." Her expression softened as she took a step closer. "Was there something else?"
"Yea I …. er..." Actually putting my questions into words was harder than I thought. "I had this dream. Over and over last night."
"Oh?" She took another step.
"Yea... you were in it. We... you weren't my friend."
She took another step. "Sora, I have special trick, actually anyone can do it, but I've had years of practice."
"What is it?"
"I can see into people's hearts. I could, if you wanted, see into yours. It would tell me if we could become enemies or friends."
I frowned. Was that possible? Well, it couldn't hurt. "Ok," I said. "Can you look?"
She nodded and reached out to touch my shoulder while closing her eyes. I watched, wondering if closing my eyes would help. Five seconds later, however, she pulled away quickly. Her eyes darted to mine, wide, before returning to normal.
She smiled weakly. "I didn't get anything."
"Nothing? What does that mean?"
"It means, Sora, we're never going to meet again after I leave this world."
I frowned. She began turning away but I spoke up. "You looked really shock. Are you sure you didn't see anything?"
"Just shocked that there was... nothing."
She turned and began walking away. I blinked, then she was gone.
I stared at the spot she disappeared from and something dawned on me. Kairi told me to watch her closely, and I did while unable to stop myself from comparing her to my dream. I learned two things.
Ami just lied to me.
And I knew what she said in my dreams.
'You will die. By my hands.'
AN: Well there it is. I hope you like it! Second chapter is just about done. Review and let me know what you think, what I could improve on, or any questions. I'm also working on a picture of my OC, Ami, to give a better understanding of what she looks like. Well, until the next chapter!
Next Chapter Summary:
Ami and Sora discover the truth about each other, while Riku's is left with more questions than answers.
