- AUTHOR'S NOTE -

Ta-daa! Here you have the beginning of my long-awaited sequel to Sound of the Islands -- Recollections of White! Okay, you can cue the dramatic music now…lol.

This time I got a lot of inspiration for my story not just from Kingdom Hearts, but from reading other fanfictions as well. And of course, Kingdom Hearts 2. hehe Oh yeah, I also can't forget all you wonderful reviewers who spurred me onward!

Okay, first thing's first – I'm going to admit up front that my style of writing is a lot more laid back in this story. At least, for the first part of it anyways. It gets more intense and suspenseful in the second part. There's also a ton of new characters in this story…not just characters from KH/KH2, but others from Final Fantasy too (since I love Final Fantasy), including Aerith (or Aeris – whatever, I call her Aerith in this story), Cid, Yuffie, Cloud, and many others! I was really excited about bringing new characters into the story and figuring out how I wanted to convey their personalities to the reader. And of course, Sora, Kairi, and Riku are in this story too (how could they not be? hehe).

This story takes place just several months after the first story ended. Kairi, Sora and the gang (including me) just turned seventeen…except for Riku, who just turned eighteen. Sora and I are now boyfriend and girlfriend too (yeah, bet you didn't see that coming. haha). I also T rated this story because, well…there's…certain, uh…things that happen in the story, and they aren't especially meant for kids' eyes to read (nothing serious, but ya know…what kid would want to read a graphic description of two people kissing? lol)

Let's see, what else…ah yes. Almost forgot. I had more fun writing this story for some reason – I knew from the first KH fanfiction I made that the sky's the limit. Anything can happen in a fanfiction, and I love having all that freedom. You get more creative and see how the readers respond to it as well. That, my friend, is the coolest thing ever.

So I hope that you guys enjoy reading Recollections of White. It's a little different from Sound of the Islands, but hey…variety is the spice of life, right?

- BlueEyedMystery -

NOTICE: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FIRST STORY, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU READ SOUND OF THE ISLANDS BEFORE READING THIS ONE - THAT WAY, EVERYTHING WILL MAKE SENSE.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy - even though I wish I did!!! hehe

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Chapter One

- Phone Calls, Friends, & Flashbacks -

The backdrop of cars and buildings was all a blur as I absorbed the images from my window, a smile stealing my sleepy expression and replacing it with a warm glow. These surroundings were very familiar to me; I had lived here for as long as I could remember. Yet somehow it seemed as if I were seeing everything for the first time. Closing my eyes for a moment, I rested my head awkwardly against the glass, giving in to fatigue. I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night, I scolded myself, and as my thoughts merged together and my mind began to drift gradually into sleep, I smiled again.

- - -

I was in my room. The jasmine incense I had positioned on top of my dresser was quietly smoldering out, and my aquarium pump was humming softly. There was a short knock on my door, and my mother entered a heartbeat later with the phone in her hand. "It's for you," she told me with a grin, and left the room.

"Thanks Mom." I gladly stopped writing on the history worksheet I had been doing for school and picked up the phone, my heart racing as I held it to my ear. Could it be Sora? He promised to call me this week…and he hasn't yet. I took a deep breath and cleared my thoughts, embarrassed at myself. I didn't even know who was on the other end of the line, and I was acting like an idiot. Come on now, get it together..

"Hello?"

"Hey Jess!" It was Kairi. I felt a pang of disappointment shoot through me and mentally kicked myself for not wanting to talk to my best friend. I hadn't been to the Destiny Islands in almost a month, and since then had only talked to Sora on the phone twice (even though it was for almost three hours each time – Mom was pretty mad at the phone bill). I should have been pleased to hear Kairi's lively voice, but instead I was flooded with mixed feelings and wanted to go back to my homework.

"Hey Kai," I said as happily as I could. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" she responded, her voice rising an octave. "Just sitting here missin' you as always." She chuckled slightly, and I felt my spirits lift a little. There was a small pause over the receiver, then a sigh. "You were expecting Sora to call, weren't ya?"

I was unable to hold in a startled gasp, and stammered, "N-no! I wasn't at all," Oh great! You're more of an idiot now than you were before. Even over the phone Kairi didn't miss a thing. I heard her giggle, and looked down at the floor as if she were standing in front of me.

"Oh come on, Jess. I've known you four years now. You can't hide anything from me even if you wanted to!"

I rolled my eyes, knowing it was useless to defend myself. "Okay okay, you win. This time." Chuckling off the remaining humiliation, I layed back on my bed and smiled at the ceiling. "I was expecting to hear another voice when I said hello. No biggie…I'm happy you called, honest!"

I could almost see Kairi's face on the other line – she was probably rolling her eyes and smirking, her hand on a hip. "You're such a bad liar, you know that?"

"Um – well, I know now, don't I? I'll have to work on lying better."

Kairi giggled again, knowing the petty argument taking place between us was just for fun. "Next time I call I want you to lie like you mean it," she told me. "And now, for my little lie…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" she trailed off, but I could already hear the mischievous tone in her voice. "What if I told you there's a group going to Kingdom Crest resort after New Year's?"

"I'd say you're crazy!" I laughed into the phone. "That place is, like – for celebrities! There's no way anyone you or I know could afford going in there for two seconds."

"Think aga-in!" Kairi sang.

I felt frustrated. Why is Kairi doing this? "You said this was a lie, right? So...there's no way I believe you."

There were a few seconds of silence, and I heard Kairi sigh again. "Jessica, Jessica. You are so gullible. I'm just playing around with you…sorta."

"What?"

"Well, the part I said about me lying…isn't true. I'm telling the truth."

I was confused. "Kairi, you know I'm blonde," I told her in a playful voice. "Why do you torture me like this?"

"Silly! This is for real! I'm serious…there's a group going up to Kingdom Crest for three days!"

My mind began to spin out of control. "How…?!"

"You know Leon, Tidus's friend that comes and visits every few weeks? Well, he knows the guy who owns the resort, and apparently they're good pals. A few days ago the owner invited Leon to come stay for a visit, and told him he could bring as many people as he wanted along for the ride. All of us are going…including Sora. And the best part is, it's free! Can you believe it?"

"No," I whispered, still taking in the news. Since my family wasn't wealthy by any means, there was no chance I'd ever be able to go to the resort…except for now. Too bad I hadn't been invited. "That's…that's great, Kairi. I'm really happy you're going…I bet you guys will have a great time." Even though my words were true, I was turning greener by the second with envy.

I heard Kairi snicker. "You just don't get it, do you?" she laughed. "Why do you think I'd call to tell you all of this? Hmmm?"

A flicker of hope burned inside of me. "I dunno," I lied, this time sounding honest.

"You're invited, Jess! I talked to Leon myself to make sure it was oka – "

"Whoohoo!" I exploded from my room into the kitchen like a rocket, almost smothering my mom and little brother with a tight squeeze around their waists. "I'm invited to Kingdom Crest!" I shrieked, dancing goofily across the linoleum. I could hear Kairi laughing again through the receiver, and darted back to my room before I had a chance to see the reaction of my family. My heart thumped hard against my ribs as I grabbed my calendar and a pen. "When is it?" I asked breathlessly.

"I think about a month from now, on the 20th of January," Kairi told me. "I wanted to let you know in advance so you'd have plenty of time to talk it over with your mom and ask off from work."

"Mom has to let me go," I breathed. "I couldn't imagine her telling me I can't. I'm not missing this – it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing!"

Kairi let out a naughty giggle. "Sora's gonna be pretty happy you're coming," she teased. "I'll have to tell him tonight at the bonfire – "

"Tell that boy he needs to call me! He said he would last week, and I have yet to hear from him…" I trailed off. Someone was beeping in on the other line. "Hold on Kai," I said, and pushed a button on the receiver. It's probably that dumb telemarketer that called yesterday. "Hello?"

"Guess who?" I heard the voice and let out a joyous squeal.

"Sora!"

- - -

"Ouch!" I snapped to my senses and rubbed my forehead, glaring at Wakka. "Why'd you hit me?!"

"I didn't!" he laughed, amusement dancing in his eyes. "It was Roxas."

I redirected my scowl at the blonde-haired boy sitting in the front seat, not able to hold back from laughing inside at the expression on his face. "No way, man!" he said, pointing back at Wakka. "How could I get her from up here?"

"Keep it down back there!" Cid yelled, looking at us all through the rearview mirror. "And leave the poor lady alone." He winked at me and uttered a gruff chuckle, adding before he focused his attention back to driving: "It was Wakka."

"I knew it!" I said, smacking Wakka on the arm. "You can't get away with anything even if you tried!"

"Hey, I will next time," he told me with an embarrassed grin, and buried his face in a magazine. I rolled my eyes and touched my forehead again, even though it no longer hurt.

Rikku, a pretty blonde teen whom I had only known a few hours, had been sitting next to Wakka and talking with Kairi. She had seen the whole thing from her seat, and laughed at the sight of us arguing. "I could have told you who it was even before it happened," she said with a smile, her emerald eyes shining. Kairi nodded her head in agreement, and glanced at the boy sleeping next to me, his cheek resting comfortably against my shoulder. "I'm surprised it didn't wake Sora up," she snickered. "He must be high off all that Advil he took before we left."

"Hey, be nice!" I retorted, patting Sora's head. "It wasn't his fault he got a migrain before we left. I'm glad he's getting his sleep so that he won't be grouchy when we get there."

"True," Kairi said, and added with a grin: "Besides, I don't think you can get high off Advil anyways."

A snicker escaped from me and I turned my attention to the window again, realizing the scenery had changed and we were now almost an hour into our journey. For a moment I still couldn't believe I was going to Kingdom Crest, and felt my heart skip with excitement at the thought of having a good time with the people I knew and loved. I was also looking forward to getting to know a few better, like Rikku and her older cousin Yuna, who was in the van behind us with the second part of the group. Wow. Two vans full of people…let's see now, who are they? In this van there's Cid the driver, Roxas, Wakka, Rikku, me, Sora, and Kairi…and in the second van I think Aerith is driving with Namine, Tidus, Riku, Selphie, Cloud, and Yuna…

"I hope the resort has enough room for us all," I said quietly, almost to myself. Nobody seemed to hear except for Roxas, who turned and looked back at me with a raised eyebrow. "Why wouldn't they?" he asked. "I know the place is always booked and all, but Leon's buddy already made the arrangements. You know that."

"Yeah, I know…" I said with a sigh. "I guess I'm just paranoid, that's all. I wanna to be able to room with…the people I want."

"Don't worry Jess," Kairi told me, looking over and smiling with her eyes. "We'll be rooming together no matter what. Leon said we could pick up to four people a room, if we wanted."

"That's so cool," Rikku broke in. "Hey, if it's all right with you and Jess, can Yuna and I room with you guys?"

"Uh, sure…" Kairi responded hesitantly, glancing at me. "That is, if it's okay with you."

I shrugged. "Why not?" I told them, smiling at Rikku. "It'll be fun."

Cid's voice suddenly entered the conversation. "Soon we're gonna take our exit off Heartless Highway and get on the interstate!" he announced to us, looking at the back seats through the rearview mirror. "You all know what that means."

"Only six more hours to go!" Wakka shouted, rolling his eyes afterwards. "Oh, whoohoo."

Kairi groaned. "Gosh, it's only been an hour?" she whined, flashing me a helpless look. I returned it with a sympathetic smile, nodding slowly. I didn't mind traveling long distances in the car, but I was getting slightly bored. I watched Kairi lean forward and pull her large violet bag out from under the seat, looking through it until she found her pillow, iPod, and the latest issue of Seventeen. Placing the pillow carefully behind her head, she grinned to herself as her favorite song came on her iPod. I could hear the faint melody from the earphones, and almost immediately recognized Simple and Clean by Utada Hikaru. The catchy song had come out several years ago, but it still never failed to bring a smile to our faces when we heard it.

I felt my eyelids drooping once again; I hadn't gotten much rest last night because of being excited about the trip. Sleep sounded like a good idea, so after eyeballing Wakka to make sure he wouldn't wake me up again and shifting my position so that I could lay my head against Sora's (the window was too uncomfortable), I relaxed and closed my eyes. For a few minutes I took in the words exchanged between everyone in the van, and let my thoughts drift. Hopefully I can sleep a few hours and wake up when we're almost there... Before I knew it I had fallen into a warm, peaceful sleep.

- - -

The sand beneath my feet felt warmer than usual as I studied my surroundings, realizing that I was once again at my favorite place in the whole world. The boat taking me home was gently bobbing up and down in the waves nearby as several people on the dock packed my things. It was nice not carrying all my suitcases on board – instead I could spend more time with my friends before leaving. Turning my attention back to the ocean, I casually noticed the small waves that lapped at my feet. Gosh, seems like I just got here. I don't wanna leave…

I turned at the faint sound of footsteps to see Sora walking in my direction, a sad glint in his eyes. Before he said a word I shook my head and smiled, putting hands on hips. "What did I tell you about making that face?"

"I know, I know," he said, the corners of his mouth slowly turning upward. I beamed, realizing I could always make him smile no matter how he felt.

"That's better," I murmured to him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

He blushed a little and the expression on his face transformed completely. "I don't want you to leave!" he whined, taking my hands in his and squeezing them tightly. "Saying goodbye is…not one of my best skills, ya know?"

"Then don't say it," I told him simply, locking my gaze with his. "I'm not the best at goodbyes either."

Sora chuckled. "Hmmm…yet another thing we have in common." He let go of my hands and pulled me close to him, his hair brushing slightly against my face. "I'm gonna really miss you Jess," he whispered, and I held him tighter, closing my eyes. This moment felt the same as when we had been reunited on the beach after a year of separation. A small tear forced its way through my eye to roll down my cheek, making me sniff. "I told myself I wasn't going to cry!" I whimpered, pulling away a little to wipe my eyes.

I heard Sora chuckle again. "And I suppose that's all my fault, huh?"

"You better believe it," I joked, sniffling again. I was embarrassed to cry in front of him because I knew how stupid I looked, but he didn't seem to mind.

Suddenly I heard Riku. "Hey lovebirds!" he called to us, looking at Sora. "Jess's boat is leavin' in five minutes!"

I felt my heart begin to thump. Wish I didn't have to head for home so soon. Why can't I stay here for just a few more hours? Without even asking him, I knew Sora felt the same way by the look in his eyes. "Um…" he started, letting go of me and putting his hands in his pockets. "…I have something for you." Before I could open my mouth to say anything he pulled out a small package, barely the size of his hand. It was covered with dark blue tissue paper, a thin yellow ribbon encircling it. I gasped a little, blue eyes widening with surprise. "I know it's not professionally wrapped or anything, but I didn't have much time," Sora went on, blushing again. "It's not that big a deal."

I took the small bundle from his hand and slowly unwrapped it, not wanting to tear the paper. Inside lay a small hemp choker with tiny blue iridescent beads woven in with the material. A large yellow star-shaped bead hung daintily in the middle, finishing the piece perfectly. Tears once again filled my eyes as I lightly ran my fingers over the necklace. "It's…it's beautiful," I said almost silently, lips quivering.

"I made it myself," Sora declared, taking the choker and carefully fitting it around my neck. "Sure hope it's not too tight – "

Before Sora could finish connecting the clasp, I closed my eyes without thinking and kissed him quickly on the mouth for the first time. Stunned at my confidence and hoping I hadn't taken things too far, I backed away slightly to see his reaction.

Sora's eyes seemed as wide as coconuts, his cheeks a bright crimson. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. I felt humiliation begin to take hold, and cleared my throat uncomfortably. What's wrong with me? I shouldn't have done that…this is so awkward! I looked down at the sand, searching for a way to apologize. "Sora, I'm – "

He put a finger to my lips. "Shhh!" I'd never seen him stare so intensely at my mouth. I listened and didn't say another word, holding my breath as he placed a hand on my cheek and leaned in towards me. A split second later, he was kissing me back without hesitation. Pulsing warmth jolted through every bone in my body like an electric shock and I exhaled heavily, feeling my heart burst into rapid beating within my chest. I willingly responded to his advances and wrapped my arms around his neck, forgetting that Riku, Kairi, and the others were nearby. Sora's hand slid to the back of my head and the other hand to my spine, pressing his body against me. I could feel him trembling all over, squeezing me so tightly that my ribs constricted. But it somehow didn't hurt, so I ignored it.

Suddenly our lips separated, and it was all over almost as soon as it had begun. I had forgotten to breath afterwards, and felt dizzy as I inhaled the sweet island air. Sora did the same. I glanced down at my hands to see them shaking slightly, and tried ignoring the warm throb in my cheeks. Sora wiped the beads of sweat that had formed across his forehead. My brain buzzed with overwhelming feelings, almost unable to take in what had just happened. Curse these dumb hormones…I should have been able to control myself! Hmmm…wonder how I did for my first kiss…? I felt a soft hand on my cheek and looked up into Sora's cerulean eyes, getting lost in the endless blue. I was both pleased and amazed by his expression. He didn't look the least bit embarrassed; in fact, never in my entire life had I seen a boy with such a wide grin on his face.

"Wow. I totally wasn't expecting such an awesome thank-you," he said quietly, holding eye contact.

I felt myself relax and giggled off the rest of my discomfort, relief overtaking me. "Yeah…I didn't either!" I breathed, shaking my head. I couldn't take the silly smile off my face, so I rested my head against Sora's chest and closed my eyes once more. I felt good all over, because I now knew there was no other person on earth that could ever make me feel so happy.

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So there ya go! The first chapter. Yes, I know the ending was really really REALLY sappy. lol And don't ask me how I wrote the whole kissing scene part...I've never kissed a guy in my life. HA! Bet you didn't know that before did ya? Well, now you know. Not that it matters...ANYWAYS!!! Reviews make me happy, so click that little button thing below! The next chapter's coming soon, thanks for reading!