A/N: Well, here it finally is after all this time! Let's just cut right to it… Enjoy!

Chapter #1- Can't Forget

People say change is a good thing, but I don't believe it, and I never will. Change is a terrible thing. People should never change. They should always be the same….But I know that's not true. It happens. I guess it has to, otherwise I'd still have him; …Sora. The Sora I knew. The Sora I….loved….

He's changed. He's changed so much that it's not even believable. Sure his appearance is the same, but where's his heart? Where's that sweet, caring, strong, selfless, happy-go-lucky, naïve boy I fell in love with ten years ago? There's a boy that looks just like him, but – when our eyes meet – something is amiss, and then I start to think it's not him. That affectionate look in his crystal clear blue eyes is gone, replaced forever by one of triumph and power.

And where's that feeling come from? Who's the source? Them.

His fan club, his posse,his…his…followers. …His everything. Nothing matters to him anymore. All that he cares about now are those stupid cheers they give him every time he does that...that…stupid pose of his. The stance he does with his keyblade. The keyblade that helped saved the worlds, but now… Now, it's just a source of entertainment. Disgusting. Come on, Sora. Is this giant key actually a tool to you? Is it really a possession given to the truest of hearts? Or is it just a prop, a gimmick, used to show off to a lousy group of people who have nothing better to do? Which one is it? I believe you can still make the right decision.

If only you were still the same…

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I shook my head, forcing myself out of my reverie and averting my attention from the daily crowd that gathered around Sora in high praise. I fidgeted with the combination dial on my locker, trying to block out the cheers and whistles that paraded down the hallway, following his every step. I swung my locker open, mindlessly throwing a few books into my bag, completely unaware as I found myself being continuously drawn to the commotion.

Sighing, I ran a shaky hand over my plaid skirt, struggling to maintain my composure. It hurt me every morning to see that nothing had changed since Sora became this hero, this celebrity. I longed for things to go back to the way they were before. For him to go back to the way he was before all of this. But, I seemed to be one of the few people who were not pleased by this "new and improved" version of the spiky haired kid we all grew up with. How was it that this new Sora received so much more love and support than the old Sora ever did?

I swallowed hard, willing myself to force image of him from my mind. Thinking of him these days was just too unbearable. But then again, what wasn't too unbearable to think about these days? Everything would always remind me of him, ever since I first fell for him when we were kids…

A tall, silver-haired boy announced his arrival by slamming my locker shut. I jumped, letting the strap of my bookbag slip from my grasp and hit the ground with an impressive thud. I looked up at him, scowling as I recovered from the scare.

"Riku, how many times do I have to tell you that that is not funny?"

Riku just laughed at my reaction and bent down to pick my backpack up for me. "Oh, c'mon, Kairi! Loosen up, will you?" He straightened up and handed me my bag, his expression softening as he noticed my not-so-playful mood displayed on my face. "Hey, what's up? Something bugging you?"

I shrugged, swinging my bookbag onto my shoulder. "Only the same thing that's bugging me every morning." Riku looked in the direction I gestured toward and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, that. You'd think they would have gotten over the same tricks of his by now." There was a burst of ice crystals that exploded upwards from the center of the crowd, followed by an eruption of applause. Riku and I both groaned in unison.

"You know, if the others were to see him now, they'd be so disappointed," I pointed out, thinking of how they would react when they saw what had become of the Keyblade Master. Riku shook his head.

"I can assure you that they're not nearly as disappointed as you and I are." I nodded in agreement, watching the crowd begin to disperse as the warning bell rang overhead. A familiar head of spiky hair became visible and, through the gaps between the spectators, I could see that stupid keyblade he was holding disappear as he threw his hands behind his head and then, he flashed a brilliant smile – the one that I remember from the good old days. Our eyes met and, for a split second, Sora almost looked like the old him. My heart skipped a beat and went into overdrive as I returned my best smile to him but, almost immediately, his smile turned into a smug, egotistical grin. My pulse slowed back to a normal, dull pace and my smile gradually faded as I watched the boy I loved turn back into the stranger that everyone else loved for all the wrong reasons. My eyes followed his path to the classroom, trying to somehow bring that short-lived moment back and freeze it in time for just a minute or two, hopelessly failing all the while.

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A/N: I know this chapter was short, but that's what I was aiming for. I wanted to hurry and get this on the site, considering everyone has been waiting for it since 2008. Lol.

Well, let me know what you think! All criticism is welcome and appreciated.

Kiersten (Pikachu35)