{Chapter 1}

Trust me

Kairi, I'll come back to you, I promise!
I know you will!
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I watched the sunrise and the sunset. I watched the children play on the beach and watched them going home.
I changed, while sitting there every day, while watching everything else change.
He promised to come back, and I would wait for him to return.
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Years had passed. My short, auburn hair had grown long. The longest part of my hair curled around my waist. My body had changed too. I wasn't a girl anymore. The girl Sora had known had disappeared.
And… how much I hated to say it to myself, the boy I fell in love with had disappeared too.
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I still sat on the beach, every single day I sat there, watching the sunrise and the sunset. The children who had played on the beach back then went to school. Everyone around me changed as well, and I became scared of people. I was afraid of making contact. I preferred being on my own, waiting for boy I had loved for so many years.
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This day would be the same as others, but some kind of feeling in my stomach made it different.
I took jeans this time and a top. I grabbed a belt and I brushed my hair, in a trance, like always.
When I walked to the beach, like always, I stared at my feet. Why did I keep waiting? I didn't promise him to wait, after all. But what if he would return today? But if he wouldn't, like always, my heart would break… like always.
How long can you ruin a heart before it stops beating?

I sat down on the beach, watching the sunrise. Those little kids weren't hanging around anymore, since they got school. I remembered going to school too, when I was their age. Together with Sora and Riku. But the boys got bored of school, so they didn't went to school anymore, and I… just did the same, because I wanted to be with Sora.
And now he was gone, and I… I was here. Alone.

When the sun was shining right above the ocean, I heard the sand crunching. Somebody was coming.
I held my breath, scared of that unknown person. The footsteps stopped right after me. I closed my eyes, didn't want to see or hear anything at all.
But the strangest feeling of all was that when that person came closer, it seemed that Sora's promise faded away more and more.
There they came, the tears. The knowledge Sora wouldn't come back… or at least, not for me.
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Sora… you didn't hold your promise, why would I wait for you to tell me what I already know?

Keep holding on…
Because somewhere… I still hope you'll come back… for me

"Hey"
I kept my eyes closed, but… but there was something wrong with that voice. It wasn't Sora's voice, it was softer, lower, more serious and… still… like Sora's.
But… I had grown… Sora must have done the same.
That was the only reason I looked behind me.
And disappointment ached in my heart.
It wasn't Sora. It was a person from my height, probably my age. It was a boy, he had bigger shoulders than a girl. I couldn't see his face, he wore a hood and a long, black coat.
"Hey" I responded, almost automatic. I could see two, sun blond strands fall beside the face of the stranger.
I realized I was still crying and I quickly wiped the tears away with my thumbs before turning back to the ocean.
The person didn't move for a while. I waited, silently hoping he would walk away. But then he sat down beside me, looking straight forward, just like me.
I hugged my knees and rested my chin on them.
The steady breathing of the stranger made me calm inside.
What would Sora say of a stranger sitting so close next to me? Probably nothing… and the tears flew again…

We remained quiet until twilight. The stranger looked in my direction and I tried to search for his eyes under his hood.
"What exactly are you waiting for?" The stranger asked me. It hurt me that his voice was so much like Sora, but on the other side so different…
I couldn't reply and just shook my head.
The stranger didn't move, but suddendly his gloved hand reached out for my cheek. His index finger wiped a tear away. "It can't be good if there's coming water from your eyes…"
That surprised me. His sudden closeness… his weird sentence…
Who was he?
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Kairi, Kairi! Open your eyes!

I stared in the black shadow of his hood. "They usually don't call it water… they call it tears"
After I said it, I felt stupid. Of course he knew, right?
He pulled his finger away. "Tears… are those that water coming from your eyes?" he asked.
I felt my eyes narrow. Who just was he? A guy who didn't know what tears are… a guy who appeared on a island with a long, black cloak with a hood to hide his face and black gloves and black boots… a guy in black… usually that didn't mean anything good… but he… sounded so much like… Sora….
"Yeah… tears… and when they appear, they call it crying…" I said, feeling a bit awkward.
"Hmm…" he said, looking back to the ocean. "So… why were you crying?"
I sighed and twiddled with my thumbs. "Don't you think I may ask a question fi- I mean… Can I ask you something?"
I heard him chuckle. "Of course"
He looked at me again. I still tried to look under his hood, but it was all for nothing. Nothing but black.
"Who are you?"
He sighed. "You're not quite original, are you?" He looked up an I saw his lips form a smile. "And I am not allowed to tell everyone around who I am"
I looked away, hugging my knees again. "But," he started and I looked up again. "I think… it won't cause much trouble if I tell you"
He turned his whole body to me and I stared in the depths of his hood.
"Only… if you tell your name first" he said, smiling a little smile.
"I'm Kairi" I said, a bit eager. I was so curious… just like I was before…
His smile disappeared and he bowed his head. "Hmmm"
He looked up. "I'm Roxas"
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We, me and Roxas, sat there 'till the sun was gone. I stood up. "Bye…"
I turned and almost walked away, when he suddendly spoke. "Bye Kairi"
Roxas saying my name was… strange… it sent shivers through my spine, making me want to turn and run into his arms…- stop!
What made my mind run over to that kind of things? It must be the fact he looked so much like Sora and I missed Sora a lot… yeah… that was the reason…
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The moon was gone and made the whole island change. Dark shadows stretched out everywhere.
But the strangest thing in the small town were the two dark creatures in the beach.
One of them was small and he looked down to his feet. The other one was tall and he looked at the smaller one. They were both dressed in black; black shoes, gloves, trousers and both wore a black coat. They wore their hood as well.
"You know why I'm here, don't you?" the tall man asked his smaller companion.
"I do"
"So, tell me, Roxas, how does it go with your mission?" the tall man demanded.
Roxas shrugged. "I met the target"
The tall man laughed. "I'll tell Saïx for you. So, how does it go with things as your best buddy?"
Roxas snorted. "Axel… the target… isn't just a Heartless!"
Axel laughed again. "I know… so?"
Roxas sighed. "I saw somebody on the beach, all alone… that didn't seem usual to me… everybody else was all together, except that girl. I walked toward her when suddendly some kind of… feeling came over me…"
Axel bowed his head. "Sora…" he murmured.
Roxas kicked a shell into the ocean. "Yup" he said.
There fell a silence between them.
"Roxas, so you felt Sora's love for Kairi, when you went to that girl?"
"Guess what? That girl just happened to be Kairi"
Axel gasped. "Talk about luck, dude!"
Another shell was kicked into the sea. "Yeah…"
Axel cocked his head to the side. "What happened?"
Roxas didn't answer for a while. "Well… after a while… Sora's feelings disappeared… and… it was suddendly me … falling for… her"
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I sat up in bed and I clothed myself light today. It was going to be hot today, so I took my skirt and top. I walked to the beach and… my heart stood still.
Roxas stood there, looking to his feet, just before the ocean. I walked toward him and touched his shoulder. I regretted that the very next moment… it was like lightning pulsed through my veins. Roxas felt it too. He froze and turned to me. "Oh, hi" he said. I felt his eyes burn on my hand, which had touched him.
I smiled at him. "Hi, Roxas"
To act usual, I sat down beside him. He sat down too.
We looked both to the sunrise and I would be stupid if I said I didn't like his closeness…
And that was exactly what worried me the most…
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It was the hottest part of the day and I was melting.
I looked at Roxas and he looked at me. "What?"
"Nothing… just wondering… aren't you… melting in that coat?"
"A lot" he chuckled.
"Take it off then! God, it's like thirty-five degrees!"
Roxas suddendly laughed. It was like the sun broke through the clouds and my heart started to race when it heard Roxas' laughter. "Fine then"
He stood up and slid out of his coat. Roxas had sun blond hair. It spiked a bit and it had two longer strands beside his face. His eyes looked a lot like Sora, but they were lighter. Like frozen water or the sky on a hot day like this. His face was pale, like mine.
He pulled off his gloves and he wore two rings, a black one and a white one.
I realized I was staring at him, and I quickly looked away.
Roxas sat down again and I felt his cool touch against my arm while he sat down.
"Kairi?"
I tried to ignore the shivers and his arm against mine. "Yeah?"
"You didn't cry today… yet?"
While that being said… I realized it was true…
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S o r r y S o r a

The following days were the same and different as well. I realized I didn't wait anymore. I didn't want to be alone anymore. I wasn't over my weird fear of humans, but I wasn't scared of Roxas. And that was the one I wanted to spend my days with.
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Today was getting late; the sun had sunk behind the horizon, like it always did.
But both me and Roxas didn't move.
"Kairi, don't you have to go home?"
"I don't want to… here… here is someone… at home… I'll be alone…" my voice broke at the right moment and Roxas wrapped his arm hesitantly around my shoulder. "But isn't there someone waiting for you?"
He put his finger on the wrong place… and the tears flew… again.
When I was calmed down, I replied: "Wait for me?! Who would wait for me? It's always me, waiting for them, or me being damn captured! And now they let me know in a very subtle way I am worthless by not returning while he promised!"
He pulled his arm back and he frowned. I winced. "Sorry… I didn't want to-"
Roxas cut me off by placing his finger on my lips. "Shht… let me think…"
I remained quiet. "It's first… 'them' and 'they'… than it changes into 'him'…"
A shiver ran through my spine. He had noticed.
"Is the 'him' the one who makes you cry… or is the 'they' the one who makes you cry?"
I looked down. "The 'him'"
"Does the 'him' has a name?"
I swallowed. I wiped the tears away, but when I said 'his' name, they fell down again. "Sora"
Roxas jumped up, staggered, and hissed between his gritted teeth.
What made him react like this?
I tried to stop the tears, but I couldn't do a thing about it.
Roxas sat down again, and stretched his hand out to my face. He cupped my face in his hand, while wiping the tears away with his thumb. "I'm sorry… did I… did I scare you?"
I shook my head, staring in his eyes. "No… I… it's such… it's…"
Roxas' eyes narrowed. He waited for my reply, but it didn't come. I sighed and closed my eyes. I rested my head in his hands. He froze. I felt it and I regretted my sudden action immediately. I opened my eyes and lifted my head from his hands. I saw confusion in his eyes and that confused me.
Roxas kept looking in my eyes. "If you don't want to talk… I understand… but what is Sora to you?"
I shivered at the way he said Sora's name. It sounded angry, like Roxas was mad at Sora or something.
I sighed again. "Sora… was… my best friend… I…" I hesitated. "Well… I… was… in love with him…"
Roxas' eyes narrowed again. "So it's the past?"
I shook my head. "I don't know… Sora… promised… to come back, but he never came in all those years… I waited all those days… and" I swallowed, trying to get the lump in my throat away.
We were silent, but I wanted to know something…
"Roxas? Where do you know Sora from?"
Roxas' jaw locked. "I… met him… a while ago…"
"Oh"
I suddendly realized something. "Wait! You said- I- How was he? Is he going home soon?!"
Roxas' finger suddendly brushed my cheek. "Relax… I met him a while ago… and he was doing… very, very well… He never told me about you… but-"
His finger now followed the shape of my lips. "Don't get me wrong… but I don't like him much… especially… when he is the reason why you cry everyday…"
I couldn't move, not when he touched my face, not when his eyes were staring into mine.
"Roxas" I murmured. Roxas pulled away and stood up. "No!" I was practically begging. "Don't go"
He froze and turned around. "Kairi…" he said softly, almost whispering. I stood up and took a step in his direction. We stood there, both looking at each other, both calculating… And I was suddendly so desperately…
I took the two steps who separated us and hugged him. Roxas froze again, but I felt him shiver. And then his cool arms were around me. He buried his face in my hair and I rested my head against his shoulder.
"Kairi… it's so wrong in a way you don't understand… but… don't-"
I shook my head. "Roxas. I don't care what's right anymore. Not since… since…"
He felt me swallow and his jaw locked. "If there was only a way to tell him he's the one being wrong" hissed Roxas.
We stood there for a while and then I felt Roxas' voice in my ear.
"I'm taking you home"
I wanted to protest. "Roxas-"
"I won't go away"
I looked him in his eyes. "Promise?" I asked him with a shaky voice.
His eyes turned angry and his jaw tightened more. "Promise. And I will keep it"
I laid my head in his neck again.
"Because I do wait for you" He whispered.
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