I. Fifteen

Looking out at the ocean in front of him, his face shining in the soft glow of the sunset, Sora sighed. His hand gripped the neck of a clear bottle; inside of that same bottle was a message, news he did not want to hear. He was fifteen, and he was a hero, but he didn't want to be.

In his other hand was Kairi's good luck charm. Slowly he slid it into his pocket, sighing once again. He would have to leave her behind to fulfill his duties as the keyblade master. Riku, too, would likely stay behind. Yes, it would be him, and if he was lucky, Donald and Goofy would stay by his side as they had for the past two years.

Sora slid off of the crooked paopu tree, a grimace on his face. He had just returned home, and already he was preparing to leave again. Even something simple, like sleeping in his own bed, was now impossible. Again he would have to get used to sleeping when possible, living out of their gummi ship.

"You're just going to leave, then?"

Sora didn't have to turn around to know that Riku was behind him, but he turned around anyway, just to greet his childhood friend. The sixteen-year-old's muscular arms were folded across his broad, equally muscular chest. He turned up his nose at Sora, as if in disgust.

"What choice do I have?" Sora said, frowning. "You said it yourself: this is something that has to be done."

"And since when do you do things by yourself?" Riku asked, smirking as he shifted his weight to one foot. "I think I remember a punk kid like you telling me that I did too much by myself, and that I shouldn't be afraid to ask for help from my friends."

Sora couldn't help but smile, but he shook his head. Heading toward Riku, he started to walk back to the dock.

"This is different," he insisted, taking long strides. Riku caught his shoulder as he passed. "This is different. I don't know what's out there, but it could be the most dangerous thing I've encountered yet. And you expect me to drag you into it?"

"And you expect me to care?" Sora tried to move forward, but Riku held him in place. "Maybe you forgot-I lived in darkness for quite a while. I'm pretty sure I can handle whatever the universe throws at me."

Riku caught sight of the look on Sora's face; he seemed ready to crack.

"Riku…"

"Well, if you won't let me come, then what about her?"

"Aww, Riku, don't say stuff like that!"

Sora slipped out from under Riku's firm grasp at last, pouting. The other only smirked again, knowing he had Sora caught.

"…Urgh… Fine." Sora crossed his arms, straightening up as if to measure up to Riku (which was, of course, impossible). "I'll make a deal with you: you and Kairi can come with me to see the King tomorrow, but if he says you can't come any further, you have to go home. Both of you. You can handle that, right? Deal?"

"Deal," Riku said, and the two shook hands. Riku's smirk did not disappear, though, but broadened. Whether from the peer pressure or just a momentary slip of memory, Sora seemed to have forgotten one crucial fact: Riku, not Sora, was the one closest to King Mickey.

Seems like the three of us will be traveling together after all, Riku thought, laughing to himself as he watched Sora stroll across the sand.

A ten minute boat ride and five minute walk away, Kairi was finishing up the dishes at her home. Her adoptive parents asked no questions, and she planned to tell them nothing of what was going on in her head. Ironically, it wasn't as though her mind was distracted with multiple things; it was focused on only one thing.

Kairi was tired of being left out of the loop. She wanted to be able to help Sora if she could, and she knew she could. Sure, it was true that she was not as strong as Riku, nor did she know as much about the situation as perhaps the King did. But that certainly did not mean she was useless. Surely, surely there was something she could do to help. She did not want to be left behind again.

But tomorrow was the day: Sora was going to leave, and she would be stuck waiting on Destiny Islands once again. At least this time she would have Riku with her, but it wasn't enough. Kairi's patience had run out.

In the short moments it took for her to walk to her room and shut the door, Kairi began to form a plan. Whether Sora liked it or not, she was going with him.

Kairi spent the rest of the evening trying to formulate a plan, and as if to guide her thoughts in the right direction, she started to pack some of her clothes. Before she had even realized it, three hours had passed, and it was well into the night. Her parents had probably already retired for the night, and normally Kairi would be going to bed before long, too. But the quiet of the darkness was tempting, and it only encouraged her recklessness.

The sound of a little tap interrupted Kairi's raging packing. Her head turned toward the source of the noise-her window. Another tap, and then another; it took a moment for her to see the tiny pebbles clacking against the glass.

Kairi pulled back the curtains and slowly pushed her window open. Poking her head outside, she got a whiff of the dewy nighttime air. Her gaze, however, focused down below her, where someone was standing.

"About time," Sora muttered, barely audible from the distance between them. Kairi couldn't help but smile. Even if he had come to say goodbye early, the idea that he had thought to come to her house this late at night was admittedly romantic.

"What are you doing?" Kairi asked innocently.

"Look, can you come down here?" Sora said, putting his hands on his hips impatiently. Kairi giggled.

As she had done once before almost two years ago, Kairi carefully climbed through her window and hung onto the outer sill. Her left hand gripped the lattice decoration nearby, and she slowly lowered herself down.

"Geez, Kairi, could you not have used the back door?" Sora asked, his voice a mix of amusement and worry. Kairi landed on her feet, unfazed.

"That way's quieter," she replied, rubbing her slightly sore hands on her thighs. "What's going on? Will you tell me now?"

"Well…" Sora hesitated, putting his hands behind his head. Impatiently, playfully, Kairi poked his side, and he jumped, snapping back to reality.

"Okay, okay, fine. Kairi," he began, taking a deep breath, "you and Riku can come with me. But there's a catch, all right? If the King says it's not okay, then the two of you have to go home. Okay? Can you live with that?"

Kairi listened eagerly, not bothering to conceal her satisfied grin.

"I can live with that," she answered, nodding once.

"Well, you might as well go get ready," Sora said, smiling.

"I'm ready!" Kairi's grin grew broader as she watched Sora's flustered expression. "I mean, I packed some stuff, because I was going to come whether you wanted me to or not. But how much do I really need? If the three of us are together, isn't that all we need?"

Sora nodded without hesitation.

"If you agree with that, then why did Riku have to have a hand in making you take us with you?" Kairi then added. Once again, Sora grew flustered.

"B-Because! That's why!" the young hero stammered, his ears getting hot. "Because I care about you guys, and I don't want to have to make you go through the same things I might go through."

"Oh, Sora," Kairi laughed, shaking her head. "Well, it's over now. C'mon, shouldn't we pay a visit to Riku now?"