A/N: HEY! So, yeah, um...I'm not dead (although that's surprising with all the fangirls who want my head on a cold silver platter O/O) However, my computer is. :'( Tragic, really. It died in Florida, away from its friends and family! (a.k.a.-me) So that's why fans of my other story, We'll be Together, are probably upset right now. Good news and bad news. Good news is I have time to post a short teaser chapter of my new story here! The bad news is I don't have the time to sit down and write a good chapter of We'll be Together since this isn't my computer. :( Don't worry; I'm not saying it's over! I am getting a new computer soon (I hope) and it will continues as quickly as it can! So until then, enjoy! :)

Disclaimer:

KHFreakOZoid: *tied up in corner*
Zexion: *reading* Huh? Oh, hello. KHFreakOZoid is a bit tied up at the moment.
Axel: *snickers*
Zexion: Oh, shut up. It's an expression. *ahem* Anyways, she owns nothing. Thank God. Enjoy the following story.

Message in a Bottle

Sora & Riku

Friendship/Adventure

Rated: K+

Summary: After receiving a message with King Mickey's seal, Sora prepares to go on yet another journey. But what is he leaving behind? 'Riku..." Slight romantic implications including shonen-ai and slight suggestive thems. (SoKai, RiSo (or possibly SoRiku), AkuRoku, AkuSora, SoraLea, and other pairings.)

WARNING. The story below be un beta'd *_*' Beware...

Sora sat on the curved trunk of his island's paopu tree and stared out towards the sea. The sun was setting and Sora sighed, enjoying the beauty and silence.

Silence that was broken a few moments later by a familiar, smooth voice.

"Sora," Riku's voice caused Sora to jump, his wandering thoughts interrupted. Riku walked slowly mkaing his way over to his best friend as Sora hopped off the tree trunk.

"Riku...," Sora started to greet his friend, but the smile that had crept its way onto his face slowly disappeared as he saw Riku's hard expression.

"Have you decided?" The silverette asked him in a slightly curious tone.

Sora paused before he answered and looked away from Riku. "Yeah." Riku took Sora's reluctant reply as a confirmation of what he had decided. Sora was going on another journey. King Mickey needed him and...Sora was going to leave the islands again.

Part of Riku wanted to ask Sora to stay, or even ask to go with him. But Riku had more pride than that. He'd already caused enough trouble these past few years. The worlds would probably benefit more if he just stayed out of the action for once... "Things haven't changed...," Riku said, staring out over the ocean with Sora at the beautiful sunset Destiny Islands was famous for.

"Yeah," Sora said a little sadly. "I don't think they ever will." Sora knew what Riku had meant. He emant the worlds would always be in danger and would always need the aid of the Keyblade Master. That much would never change; Riku was right.

Sora sighed. That hadn't been what he was referring to...

"Sora. Riku," a soft voice said, coming from the shack behind them. A slim girl with auburn hair just past her shoulders walked up to the boys.

"Kairi, I...," Sora said, turning to her. He didn't know how to tell her that he'd decided to leave. Again.

"Mmm," she nodded. Sora looked at her, smiling gently. He was glad she understood.

"It's just...it's who I am. It always will be. They need me. The other worlds," said Sora, a silent apology in his mindless rambling.

Kairi smiled a little sadly and took Sora's hand within her own. When she pulled away Sora looked at his hand to see her good luck charm. The same one she'd given him almost two years ago.

"Come home soon," she said sweetly.

Sora smiled brightly and nodded at her. Kairi said her goodbyes to Sora and Riku and went on her way back to her boat, leaving the island that filled so many memories of the trio playing together.

Sora smiled at the keychain once more and put it in one of his many pockets. Riku cleared his throat awkwardly, suddenly feeling like he was interrupting a 'moment' between his two younger friends.

But Sora didn't seem to find any awkwardness around the two and the keychain in his pocket was soon all but forgotten. He took his seat back on the trunk of the paopu tree staring out over the ocean once more. Riku walked over next to his best friend and leaned his back against the lower part of the trunk, sighing.

"So that's it then," Riku said, barely above a whisper. Sora looked at him, slightly confused. "You're really leaving tomorrow..." It wasn't a question. Riku didn't look at the brunette as he spoke.

Sora's ocean blue eyes dell, realizing what Riku meant.

"Sora, I...," Riku started, looking down. He knitted his eyebrows together in frustration. He usually wasn't so tongue-tied.

"What is it, Riku?" Said said, a concerned look on his face as he eyed the silverette.

"Nothing. Nevermind," Riku said, effectively ending the conversation.

Sora sighed. Riku never did like talking about his feelings. But Sora had a good idea what was on his mind.

Riku didn't want him to leave. A slight smile made its way onto Sora's face, but disappeared a moment later and Sora sighed sadly again. It wasn't like Sora was all too thrilled about leaving the older boy either. But...he had to. Who knew what would happen to the worlds if Sora didn't go and fight? The worlds could only be protected by the power of the Keyblade.

And that's when Sora had an idea. "Riku! Why don't you come with me?" Sora's face lit up again, brighter than before.

Riku looked up, a little surprised. "W-what? Sora, I don't think I...," Riku trailed off. It's not that Riku didn't want to go with him, but could he just pick up and go just like that? When he'd just gotten back? Both his parents and Sora's had just gotten used to the what had happened while they were gone. It was especially hard for them to accept that Sora was leaving again tomorrow. But at least they'd had a week to prepare and be convinced. What would Riku tell his parents?

And what would he tell Selphie? And Wakka and Tidus? And Kairi?

"Come on, Riku...please?" Riku looked into the pleading eyes of the boy beside him, biting his lip. After a moment he sighed again, looking away. He chuckled and looked at his best friend again, smiling. "Okay, okay."

Sora jumped off the tree trunk and beamed. "Really? You mean it?" he asked, wanting a final confirmation.

"You don't expect me to let you have all the fun, do you?" Riku smirked. "Besides, someone's gotta be there to step in and save you when you screw up." He started laughing.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Sora whined, his hands on his hips. Riku laughed again at his defensive response and Sora joined in not long after. "So let's meet back in front of the secret place tomorrow morning around, say...8am? The King said he'd find a way to get here to bring me back to Disney Castle with him then." Sora simled at the thought of seeing his old friends again.

"Alright," Riku nodded. The two boys went back to the pier, boarding their paddle boats, and headed back to the mainland. Their competitive nature soon took over and they began to race. Riku, effectively using one of his paddles to tip Sora's boat over, evenutally won the race.

"Hey, no fair!" Sora said, ringing his dripping hair out when they reached the shore. "You cheated!" Riku just grinned.

"Technically no rules were ever verbally established. So I couldn't have cheated if I wanted to." Sora opened his mouth to argue and closed it with a pout lingering on his lips as he couldn't find a counter to the remark.

Riku laughed again as Sora mentally made note to write down an official list of rules for future races. "You spending the night?" Riku asked. It was a semi-usual routine the two boys had on Friday nights.

But Sora shook his head. "I would, but I think my mom would like it if I spent my last night on the islands at home," Sora said, a little sad remembering all the people he was still leaving behind. He sighed, but attempted to smile again. "Besides, traveling the worlds together will be like a sleepover every night."

Riku chuckled. "Fair enough," he said. "See you in the morning." He nudged Sora's arm as a goodbye; "Men don't hug," he'd said one day, with a laugh.

"'Night," Sora smiled, and the two boys parted ways towards their own houses.

Riku was up early the next morning. Truth be told, he hadn't slept much the night before. His parents hadn't been happy about him wanting to leave again but reluctantly agreed to let him go after some persuasion. Riku was up most of the night, his thoughts swirling around the battles he would endure. The people he was leaving.

The time he would have with Sora. He'd been forced to be apart from his best friend for over a year while he slept and while Riku was working with the King. He was happy to finally have some time to have Sora to himself for a while. This kept him up most of the night.

He ended up getting up at about 6:30am, finishing up some last minute packing and grabbing some breakfast. He gave his parents one last warm goodbye and left for the island just before 7:30am.

Riku was early, he knew. But he wanted to take in his final moments on Destiny Islands. He sighed peacefully, knowing he would miss his home. Sora arrived a few minutes after Riku had and ran up to the older teen.

"Hey," Sora greeted, panting. "What are you doing here so early? I said 8am; it's only after 7:30am."

Riku gave his friend a crooked smile. "You're one to talk. You're here too, aren't you?"

Sora looked out toward the sea. "I wanted to say goodbye to the island."

"Me too," Riku murmured, closing his eyes as the light sea breeze blew his long silver hair behind him. The silence between the two was a comfortable one. They both pleasantly listened to the wind. The waves crashing to the shore. The seagulls squawking.

"Wanna check out the secret place?" Sora asked, a few minutes later. Riku smiled and followed him to the small cave. It'd been a long time since the two boys had gone in there together. Sora crawled in firsy, noticing it was a bit of a tight squeeze. Riku carefully followed, knowing he was taller and therefore more magnetic to head-bumping in small places.

Carefully, the two boys made it into the cave, the space much roomier once completely inside. The friends looked in awe at all the drawings they'd done on the stone walls as kids; many of them had been forgotten.

One picture in particular caught Riku's attention. The drawings Sora and Kairi had done of each other years ago. Only now something was different. It looked like they were holding something out to each other. Something star-shaped. It looked like...

It looked like a paopu fruit. Oddly, Riku felt a pang of hurt in his chest. He didn't understand. He didn't like Kairi in that way...did he? No, no he didn't. So why should he care if she and Sora liked each other? Somehow he couldn't deny a slight feeling of pure jealousy. It was irrational, but still... Riku looked at Sora, who was looking around the cave, completely content. Riku sighed, trying to push the thought aside.

"The King should be here soon," Riku said suddenly, snapping Sora out of his childlike daze. "We should go." Riku turned to exit the cave, not looking at the younger boy.

"Oh...o-okay," Sora replied, ever-so-slightly alarmed by Riku's abrupt change in mood, but followed him out without a word regardless.

Just as the pair exited the cave, a bright ball of light appeared in front of them. It grew, suddenly blinding them, and when their eyes adjusted, King Mickey stood before them.

"Your Majesty!" Sora beamed, excited for his newest adventure to begin.

The King chuckled. "Hey there, fellas!"

"Mickey," Riku smiled and nodded, greeting his friend.

"Did ya come to see Sora off?" the King asked Riku.

"Actually, Your Majesty, we were wondering if Riku could come help me save the worlds, too," Sora said, suddenly the slightest bit worried that maybe it wasn't as open invitation.

"Hmm...," King Mickey thought it over, crossing his arms.

"Please?" Sora said with pleading eyes. He didn't want to leave Riku. And the journey would definetly be more enjoyable with Riku by his side. He wouldn't have to worry about his friend's safety at home.

Finally the King smiled. "Of course he can. Two Keyblades are better than one," he chuckled.

Sora beamed again, relieved. Riku let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Come on," the King said. "Let's get back to the castle. We have some things to discuss." With that, another blinding light engulfed the three Keyblade wielders and they were teleported to Disney Castle

TBC

A/N: Wow! That was a lot longer than I thought it was! :D It only looked like a couple hundred words in my notebook but it was actually over 2,000! Well, at this rate, future chapters will probably be much longer. And yes, the beginning is adapted from the secret ending in BbS, although I know I butchered it. I don't have the dialogue memorized and anything between Sora and Kairi I tend to block out anyway. -.-' lol So I apologize. I hope you enjoy this story and thank you guys so much for being patient with me regarding We'll be Together. It means a lot. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to review or PM me! Flames are welcome...I'll take them like a man. xD I'm also taking requests so don't be shy. ;) And just as a side note, this story will not be 100% written by me. When it comes to the battle scenes, my friend will be writing those. My co-author's name will be added when she contributes. Man, I feel like there was something else I wanted to say...oh, well. :D Maybe I'll remember later. ^_~ Ta-ta for now!