To Soar

There was no doubt in Donald's mind that when his rather goofy companion had suggested a small vacation in between endless bouts of Heartless slaying, it was certainly an idea of merit. Glancing over to the other member of their trinity, the anger-prone duck noted the distant, jaded color of his once sea-blue eyes. And he could easily recall the increasing amount of small smiles that were nothing but a flimsy attempt to conceal a growing degree of sadness and weariness within the young Keyblade Master.

"Sounds like a good idea to me, Goofy! Where should we head off to?" The question was aimed more towards Sora than the overly large dog. It was, after all, for his sake that the idea had gone through. Though he seemed to be completely oblivious to the looks shared between the mage and the knight, Sora grinned widely, shocking them both, and proclaimed in that oh-so-definitive manner of his that they were going to visit Peter Pan in Neverland. There was no arguing with him now, not that his companions would.

Both were slightly shocked by the choice of destination, but they both nodded enthusiastically and proclaimed loudly, "(Ahyuck!) To Neverland!"

Standing there, with the warm sand invading between his toes and surrounding his feet, Sora had to admit that even he was surprised with the enthusiasm he had for the small island. Then again, he thought, is it really such a surprise? I did grow up on Destiny Islands and this place…

Everything about the place was completely comforting to the young teen. The brilliant mix between blue and green of the seawater reminded him of the time he, Riku, and Kairi had gone out swimming together at the tender age of five, only to be hauled in by their parents after a small – but massive at the time – had overwhelmed them. After coughing up saltwater for the next five minutes, the three looked at each other and collapsed in a fit of giggles. That was the single instant that marked them as life long friends.

And the infinite grains of sand, heated to perfect warmth by the tropical sun, caused him to reminisce of the many days spent on the beaches. Those joyous times, desperately racing with Riku in a streak of boyish pride to see who could impress Kairi more, fighting Wakka, Tidus, Selphie, and Riku with wooden swords, and gathering "materials" with Riku and Kairi to forge together their raft with which many excellent adventures would be had…those were the days.

Sora grinned widely again, beating back the saddening thoughts that were sure to follow as he continued to focus on the simple joy of his carefree days spent at home. And how could he not be constantly reminded of that with Peter Pan and his lost boys always celebrating jovially!?!

They reminded him of them in their familial squabbles and passionate forgiveness.

Not his parents – though they were kind, Sora rarely seemed to think of them – but his friends. He wondered if they'd remembered him yet; Kairi had made mention that nobody around Destiny Islands remembered him, not even his parents; he knew Kairi and Riku did, obviously, but he wondered. What of Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus? He hadn't been as close to them as he had to Riku and Kairi, but they were close friends. Friends he really, truly treasured. Friends that remained closest to his heart.

Of course, Sora had lots of friends. Peter was one; so were Donald and Goofy. And then there was Cloud, Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and all of them – of course they were friends. But…there was always that "but". He knew that he cared dearly for them, but they weren't the ones who he really needed. If the Keyblade Master had any choice in the matter, he would've been right there with them. Unfortunately, he didn't. He yearned for the simpler days when he really had just been "playing Hero" instead of being one. Stories never told of the loneliness that faced the great heroes and they certainly never mentioned the melancholy that built with time.

Feelings which only seem to be made far clearer with his arrival on Neverland.

So why was it that this place seemed to be his favorite vacation spot?

He jumped, kicking off the ground with as much force as his legs could muster, and he never came back down.

That was it, he realized, as the winds blew his wild hair back like streamers and wrapped around his body like a wet-suit. It was the single fact that here, he could soar. Here, he could fly. Here, the very rules of gravity became completely null and void. Here, there was a unique brand of freedom. The ground was a place where the weight of the Keyblade seemed to increase, day by day, and with it came a heaviness of the heart. But up here in the sky? There was nothing. He had no reason to be weary. There weren't Heartless and Nobody lurking around every corner, waiting for a single moment of weakness to show itself. There were no worlds to be saved, no damsels in distress, no heroes, no seventeen year old boy forced to grow up too quick. There were no responsibilities to the Keyblade.

There was simply freedom. In the sky, he wasn't Sora, the savior of worlds. He wasn't Sora, the Master of the Keyblade. He wasn't Sora, the warrior. Hell, he wasn't even Sora, the traveler. It was just Sora. Just him and the completely relaxing sensation that for a moment, just a moment, he could be anything but what he already was. Sure, in a few minutes, he would land again and those responsibilities would come crashing down on him again. And then in a few hours, he'd leave to go to another of a million world, trying to fight off his enemies and seal the damned Keyhole so they'd be safe for some unspecified period of time. And maybe, if he was really lucky, he'd finally find that mysterious 'Door to the Light'. He doubted that, of course, but it was always a possibility.

But when he left, he's spirits would be higher and his smile would be brighter. Things would be just a bit a cheerier and Goofy and Donald wouldn't worry about him for a while. And those though were important things, he couldn't help but think that what really made it worth it all, in the end, was just that momentary feeling that he was able to be normal and the utter joy found in that freedom.

"And maybe," he spoke softly to no one with a hint of glee, "It's this very feeling that'll make everything worth it. Being able to fly is a gift I couldn't have any other way."

And that, he knew, was why he loved Neverland so very much.

Owari

A/N: Not much to say about this. Another quick drabble done. First venture into Kingdom Hearts, but I like it. Sora's one of my favorite characters. Uhhh…basically, just a look at some weird post-KH2 world where Sora is still fighting and a small bit of joy that comes from it. Constructive Criticism is appreciated.