Wasn't I the hero? Everything that had happened, saving the worlds and defeating the bad guys, wasn't it because of me?

And wasn't I supposed to be with Kairi? I thought that was the path that I had been given. She gave me the Oathkeeper and what about all those promises she made me keep?

Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you…

Remember what you said before? I'm always with you, too. I'll come back to you. I promise!

The sand felt warm and smooth. I leaned my head back so that the soft wind could flow through my hair. My hands pushed into the sand as I relished in the feeling of warmth it provided. The water touched the tips of my toes. It was around midday; Riku and Kairi were at the Papou Café in the market. They had asked me to come along, but I turned them down. I didn't go to the market much anymore.

:Flashback:

"We're going to the Papou Café," Riku said. His eyes didn't meet with mine though. I shifted from my seat on the Papou tree. I noticed that Kairi never sat on the tree; now she would stand with Riku, their backs resting on the tree and their shoulders grazing each other.

"They've got a new desert too!" Kairi added, pushing a loose portion of her long red hair behind her ear. Her hair had grown over her shoulders and cascaded down the middle of her back.

I laid my body on the tree and casually answered, "Have fun."

Kairi nodded and reassured me that she would bring me a treat from the markets. She then walked towards the bridge that led to the island itself.

I yawned and stretched. This was as good as any other time to take a nap. Suddenly, I felt a hand clasp my shoulder. The action had surprised me since I could see Kairi walking along the shore, stopping frequently. I guessed that she was probably collecting more thalassa shells.

I fell off the tree when the hand brushed through my hair. I landed on my butt and stayed on the floor wincing at the pain. I heard a chuckle behind me. I hadn't heard that laugh since the time in the World that Never Was. When he was the one who felt alone.

How am I going to face everyone?

"Are you okay, goof?" Riku said as his hands steadied me.

I quickly became conscious of myself. At the same time, Kairi popped into my mind. It was strange; it was the same image of her that had once been a precious memory of mine. It was of her before we had left the islands. She had short, bright red hair and a twinkling smile. It made me guilty. Even if the memories that I had of her were far away, I felt that I was betraying her.

There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!

But then I heard a voice—your voice.

...Kairi, thank you.

I shouldn't be alone with Riku. Kairi needed him, not me. She was a princess and, after all, a princess needs a prince.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You scared me though," I exclaimed, my hand behind my head. I needed to show him what he was supposed to do. That I wasn't apart of it. I turned my head towards the bridge and then I looked back at him. "Where's Kairi?"

Take care of her.

He shrugged. My heart tightened as I watched his hair flutter in the wind. "Probably at the café."

I looked at him skeptically. "And why aren't you there?"

"Well…" He teasingly said as his fingers slid from my hair to my face. "…I wanted to spend time with my best bud." His fingers pinched my cheek. "I thought lil' Sora might be lonely."

I glared at him before answering, "You wish." He smiled at that, but it soon turned into a serious frown.

"But really, if anything was wrong, you'd tell me right?" His voice sounded so sincere that I had to restrain myself from spilling out my feelings.

Instead, I smiled right back. "You're worrying too much, gramps."

It was his turn to glare. "What do you mean, gramps?" He angrily glanced at me and then at his hair. He gently picked up a strand of his hair. "It's silver, not gray."

"Could have fooled me," I retorted. I stuck my tongue out at him.

He took me by the collar and messed with my hair. I pushed him off and he retreated to the ladder at the edge of the mini-island.

"Okay, okay. I get it. I'll leave Mr. Cranky-pants alone." He began to slowly descend down the steps. Each step made me feel like this was more of a mistake. I didn't want him to leave. I wanted him here. With me.

"Riku…?" My heart began to rapidly beat. His head peeked over the ground, his eyes seemingly expectant. "Thanks." …But I couldn't stop him.

"For what?" I could hear the smile in his words. The darkness had left him. He was happy and I had to let him be so. I couldn't get in the way of that. Not now and not ever. "See you."

I resumed my position on the tree. I silently stared down at the shore. I saw Riku standing in the water. It reached up to his ankles. I watched in wonder as his hair swayed like the waves and the water trickled over his toes. He loved the water ever since we were kids. Almost in a trance, he would stare at the endless view of the sea. What would I had done if I knew the thoughts Riku had each time he stood in the water, hoping for the impossible?

When we grow up, let's get off this island. We'll go on real adventures, not this kid stuff!

...To the heart seeking freedom this island is a prison surrounded by water. And so this boy sought to escape from his prison…

And he opened his heart to darkness.

His body was drenched, I could see his soaked outline pick up his shoes. With one hand he gathered his hair and squeezed it to get rid of the excess water.

I swung down from the tree. Riku was going to the Secret Place. I hadn't been there since I first returned home. When I found the papou that Kairi had etched in the cave that corresponded to the one I had drawn for her. It had reassured me. I had a place in the world. I might not have been the hero anymore, but I had my place. I hadn't even cared to notice how Riku had been excluded from this. Had he ever come here and painfully observed the drawing that had he had never been added to?

While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend, he quite simply replaced you with some new companions.

…You're better off without that wretched boy.

I raced down to the shore and didn't stop until I reached the entrance of the Secret Place. I cautiously entered and looked around the corner. The place was still the same as ever with the same childish drawings across the walls. I remained hidden as I saw Riku walk along the edge of the walls. His hand slid over various pictures. I wasn't sure, but it looked like his hand finally rested on the illustration that had been made in his absence. He gently traced the papou that led from my picture face to Kairi's.

I wanted to go to him and convince him that it was all a mistake. That the drawing was because of my fear to face the truth. I was afraid that no one would want me since I was no longer the hero. Kairi was the easy route. If I could make myself believe she was my destiny, then I wouldn't need to worry about my insecurities. If I was with Kairi, then I could ignore them.

I heard him kneel on the dusty ground. He sat in front of the door of our home. The heart of Destiny Islands. When his fingers touched the door, a symbol of the keyhole dimly shined. He turned away and fear gripped me. I automatically ran outside. I hid behind the bushes near the opening of the cave and waited. I knew that I should have left, but I couldn't. Even though I had to let Riku go.

Soon he disappeared down the pebbled road that led to the markets. I had to let Riku go, but…

Before I knew what I was doing, I appeared in front of the drawing in the Secret Place. I sat in front of it and thought of the promises that we had broken and forgotten.

Thinking of you, wherever you are…

I grabbed a nearby rock. I began to scrape into the wall. At first, I thought I was going to destroy the picture, but instead, I drew over the face identical to mine on the wall. I added long hair and made it into the person who it was truly meant to be. I drew Riku.

By that time, I felt my eyes moisten. I wiped my eyes with my sleeves and berated myself for being such a weakling.

I pushed myself back up and headed towards the exit, but I remembered something. The door. I was curious. Would the door…

I touched the wood. The keyhole reappeared, but shone as dimly as before. I crumpled down to the floor. Disappointment coursed through my body. I wasn't needed by anything anymore. Not Kairi, not Riku, not even the worlds that I had once saved.

You were just the delivery boy. Sorry, your part's over now. Here, go play hero with this.

I ran away. Once again, I ran away from everything that I couldn't face. I reached outside and was going to –

"Sora?"

I abruptly stopped. My body tipped over and I shakily tried to balance myself out. A finger pushed me back in place. I looked up and saw a happy face giggling a few mere inches from mine. Over the years she had lost some of her childlike features. However, her hair had the same flipped out consistency. I also saw a familiar jump rope twisted around her ankle. Her toes shimmered with pale yellow nail polish. "Whatcha doing?"

I felt my muscles pull as I smiled. "Nothing."

"Sure doesn't look like nothing to me," said Selphie. She grabbed at the collar of her school uniform. "It's hot." Unexpectedly, she lunged into the pond outside the cave. There was a graceful waterfall pouring from the corner of it, fresh water flowing out. She skipped in circles and the water splashed around her bare legs. I hadn't noticed it before, but Selphie had this certain kind of beauty. It wasn't like the maiden appearance that Kairi possessed. She had this sort of free and light beauty. Like a fresh breath of air. Warmth spread through my heart as I genuinely smiled. After a few minutes, she plopped to the floor in front of me.

"Do you feel better now," I asked.

She grinned at me and said, "I thought that would make you feel better."

My mouth gaped like a fish as I searched for something to say. It seemed that she wasn't expecting an answer because she got back up and twirled around until she reached the same road that Riku had been on. She fixed her sandals back on and waved. "Don't get too down, Sora!" Her sandals clanked as she ran down the road.

Had I been so obvious? First Riku and now Selphie. From now on, I decided, I needed to be more inconspicuous. That, and I needed to give Selphie a little more credit. She was surprisingly perceptive.

End flashback

I closed my eyes and rested under the shining sun. I let the sun soak into my every pore. My breathing became very still and my body remained motionless. All I could hear was the motion of the waves going in and out. It felt as if any moment I could disappear. And for the first time in my life, that thought didn't scare me.