A/N: Hey everyone. I decided I might try posting up a couple more chapters to get a feel for the story since we're still in the introductory arc. Still unsure whether I'll end up posting all of it up—I don't mind the editing, but it's just a little time consuming. If people enjoy it, I'll keep at it.

Thank you very much to Gry19 for the review! I'm glad the first chapter interested you. Hopefully this next chapter will continue to do the same.

Now, onto the story itself. We're getting into the swing of things. There'll be a lot of character interactions in the next few chapters. I'm quite happy with the way this arc turned out. But enough with the author's words; let's move on with the story.

Enjoy.


Re-sketch

Chapter 2: Destiny Islands

The raft was coming up nicely, Sora thought. They were supposed to be working on the floor today—making it waterproof—so that probably meant he had to look for more logs again. Ah, well. He took deep and steady breaths as he rowed out to the island. The waves lapped at the side of the wooden rowboat, the sunlight falling at an angle as the sun rose through the sky.

He had gotten up a little late this morning. He wondered if the others were there already.

It took ten minutes for Sora to make his way over the calm waters. As he approached the shore, he could see Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka climbing up the ladder to one of the treehouse platforms. Kairi jumped up from her seat at the edge of the dock and waved. Riku, who was looking over blueprints to the raft, nodded his head.

"You're late," Riku said as Sora's boat bumped against the dock.

"Sorry," Sora said, scratching the back of his head and giving a sheepish grin. He jumped onto the dock, kneeling down to tie his boat to the post. "I overslept."

"You really are a lazy bum," Kairi said, rolling her eyes. She giggled at his pout. "Anyway, we were just going over the schematics for the raft."

"What else do we have to do?" Sora asked.

"Well, we need to get more logs," Riku said. "It'll float, but there's no way a raft like that could fit all three of us on it."

"I'll go find some more, then," Sora said with a mock sigh. He dashed off, running along the dock before he jumped into the sand and kicked up the tiny grains with his yellow shoes.


It was hard work searching for supplies and lugging them off to the raft around the back of the island, but it was rewarding. They were trying to find as many materials on the island as they could before they had to pool their munny to buy things from the hardware store. Riku knew that he didn't have much saved up for their adventure, so the more he could save, the better.

He found a couple logs washed up on the shore under the bridge while Kairi gathered supplies for the mast. Sora combed the other side of the island to find more logs in the meantime. Riku wiped his forehead and placed the new logs in the pile by the dock. Maybe there was something up by the paopu tree… He made his way past Wakka and Tidus, who were having a game of Blitzball by the docks, and pushed open the door to the shack. But before he stepped inside, something caught his attention further up the beach—a blur of color that was out of place in the sand.

He stopped in the doorway, eyes widening. "What the…?"


The first thing Hikaru registered was the warmth of her bed—a sharp contrast to the chilly dampness her body recalled, even if her thoughts were jumbled and her memories hazy. Her fingers twitched before closing around the sheets, and she forced open her eyes.

"You're awake…!"

Hikaru jolted. She cringed at the pain that shot down her neck, spine, and shoulder. She was in a room—a hospital room, maybe? The walls were white and the air smelled of antiseptics. Three people were sitting in the chairs at the side of the room, around her age she guessed, and they were some of the strangest people she had seen—gravity-defying spiky hair on the younger boy, and shoulder-length silver hair on the older one. The girl seemed mostly normal, her short auburn hair falling straight and smooth past her ears.

"Where… am I?" Hikaru's voice grated against her throat.

"You're in a hospital," the girl said, standing up. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck…" Hikaru winced, a hand going for her chest as a sharp pang rocked her body. She noticed the bandages that covered her hands, the IV hooked up to her arm, and the hospital grown she was wearing instead of her own clothes. "What happened?"

"That's what we want to know," the silver-haired boy said, uncrossing his arms. "We found you on the beach and brought you here about an hour ago. You're… not from around here, are you?"

"I…" Hikaru paused, furrowing her eyebrows. "I don't…" Her heart faltered, and she buckled over, clutching at her chest. It took several seconds before everything calmed down again.

"Are you okay?" the spiky-haired boy asked.

"Y-yeah," Hikaru said. "I don't think… Where is 'here'?"

"Destiny Islands," he replied.

Destiny Islands… She didn't know of a place called that on any geography map. Not a place she'd to been before, and definitely not near Hart's Haven. "How did I get here?"

"We're not sure," the silver-haired boy said. "You were unconscious. You might have washed up on shore."

Images flashed in Hikaru's mind, memories or her imagination, she couldn't tell. Waking up with the cold ocean soaking her body, the sun beaming down and burning her skin. Crawling through the sand. Seeking shelter in the shade. Did that actually happen, or was her mind playing tricks on her?

"My name's Kairi," the girl said, offering a small smile. "These are my friends, Sora and Riku." The spiky-haired boy and the silver-haired boy nodded respectively.

"I'm… Hikaru." Yes, that was right. Hikaru… Stonewall. Daughter of Luna Kannazuki and Liam Stonewall. Her brother was Akihiko. And she had a younger brother, Tatsuya. And an older sister, Yui… And they had their Uncle James…

She froze. What happened to her family?

"Where are you from?" Kairi asked. "Are you… from another world?"

"Another world?" Hikaru repeated, her voice hollow. "I… I don't know." The very idea was bizarre. Laughable. Crazy. And yet she couldn't bring herself to balk at it. She was still trying to sort out her thoughts. Mom, Dad, Akihiko, Tatsuya, Yui… Lightning strikes, the rumble of thunder in her chest. She couldn't remember what had happened, but something definitely had.

"This is kind of like what happened to you, Kairi," Sora said after a moment, crossing his arms, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Do you think you two might be from the same world?"

"Let's give her some time to rest, guys," Riku said, glancing over in Hikaru's direction. She was trying to stop herself from shaking.

"Oh, right!" Sora laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Well… Nice meeting you, Hikaru."

"We'll check in later," Kairi added as they shuffled out of the room. "Hope you feel better soon."


The doctor released Hikaru a few hours later on the pleasant note that there didn't seem to be anything wrong with her aside from some cuts and bruises. Her heart settled down, and aside from the occasional pains and palpitations, she was fine. Physically. For the most part.

Mentally and emotionally were completely different problems.

A police officer came by to take her to the mayor's house, and Hikaru sat in the back of the police car, staring out at the town and the buildings passing her by. She didn't recognize this town in the slightest, or the mountains in the distance, or the ocean that stretched out towards the horizon. This was definitely not anywhere near Hart's Haven.

She didn't realize that the car had come to a stop until the police officer opened her door and led her up the stone path to the front door of a large and neatly kept estate. The officer knocked and rang the doorbell, and the answer came a few moments later.

"Hello—oh, Hikaru," Kairi said. "You're out of the hospital already? That's great!"

Hikaru said nothing, too caught by surprise. The officer spoke instead. "We're here to speak with the mayor."

"Right, of course! Right this way." Kairi stepped aside to let them in. "Do you want anything? We have some lemonade in the fridge."

The officer declined. When Hikaru realized Kairi was watching her expectantly, she shook her head as well.

"Okay. I'll be out here in the living room if you need me."

"Thank you, Kairi," the officer said, and she guided Hikaru down the hallway to the home office.

The mayor was sitting behind his desk, everything clean and organized. He was an older man, his dark hair beginning to turn white. He shuffled through papers, nodding his head when Hikaru and the police officer stepped inside and gesturing for them to sit. "Hello," he said pleasantly, looking to Hikaru. "I'm Alecks Tealsea. I'm the mayor of Destiny Islands. Your name is Hikaru?"

"How did you…?"

"My daughter Kairi told me," Mr. Tealsea replied. "The young lady who visited you at the hospital? She says that she and her friends found you on the outer island. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I'm… not sure," Hikaru said, rubbing her arms where the cuts under the bandages were beginning to itch. "I think there was some kind of storm. I was with my family. Did you find anyone else?" she added, her stomach churning as she spoke. "My parents, or my brothers or sister?"

"I'm afraid we haven't found anyone else," Mr. Tealsea said. "We're not sure how you ended up here. There haven't been any storms lately. Well, while we figure everything out, I've made arrangements for you to stay here. Kairi will help you settle in, and if you need any help, just ask either of us."

"Thank you," Hikaru said slowly, nodding her head and looking down at the floor.


"Here it is," Kairi said, pushing open the door. It wasn't a large room and it was only sparsely decorated—a guest room of sorts. Hikaru looked around, taking it all in without really seeing. "My room is right next door," Kairi said. "If you need help, just knock."

"Thank you," Hikaru said, but she just stood in the doorway, her legs numb.

"We need to get you some clothes too," Kairi said. "Maybe we could go shopping tomorrow—whenever you're feeling up to it."

It took a moment for Hikaru to register what Kairi was saying. She blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, um, clothes? Yeah, tomorrow sounds good."

Kairi still seemed concerned. "Are you feeling hungry? Or do you want to rest?"

"A little hungry, actually," Hikaru said softly, her voice almost a squeak as her throat tightened. She wasn't really hungry, but she could feel the empty pit of her stomach and figured that she had to eat something eventually.

"Okay, I'll go get something. I'll bring it up here if you like, or you could come down to the living room to eat."

Hikaru ended up accompanying Kairi downstairs. She sat down on the couch in the living room, doing her best to pay attention to her surroundings this time. It was a large house—not extravagant, but large. The floor was wooden, covered with soft carpet in some places, with neat couches and a coffee table that was covered in newspapers—the Destiny Islands Bulletin.

Strange, she noted as she let her eyes wander the room and windows. Outside, the air was warm and humid. It felt like a tropical summer, not the cold and wet continental winter that she remembered last. Maybe… Maybe Kairi was onto something when she asked if Hikaru was from another world—it was the only explanation Hikaru could think of.

But how had she gotten here in the first place? Hikaru could only remember flashes here and there. The thing that she really remembered was a sense of rising panic, her heart pounding and her breaths coming in short gasps. And darkness.

Kairi came back with a couple plates of chicken salad sandwiches and a pitcher. "Here," she said, handing one of the plates over and pouring a glass of lemonade. "So, how are you feeling?"

"A little better," Hikaru said. She didn't recognize this town in the slightest, and the only belongings she had were her wallet, her charm, and the clothes she'd been wearing when she washed ashore—clothes that were hardly fit for summer island weather. Having a place to sleep and a roof over her head was one small reassuring thing in a sea of uncertainty. Kairi was really nice too, letting her borrow her clothes and being so patient.

"It's good to keep your energy up," Kairi said, sitting down next to her. "I know how exhausting waking up alone in an unfamiliar place can be."

"You do?" Hikaru asked. But then she remembered something Sora had said earlier: "This is kind of like what happened to you, Kairi."

"Yeah, it's kind of weird…" Kairi chewed her sandwich slowly. "They found me on the beach too, when I was five. But I don't remember anything about what happened or where I came from."

"I'm sorry."

Kairi shook her head. "It's not that big of a deal. Everyone here has been really nice, and if there's anyone you want backing you up, it's Sora and Riku. Even if they can get kind of competitive sometimes." She giggled. "So, you remember things, right?"

"For the most part," Hikaru said. "Not really what happened right before I wound up here, but…"

"You could talk about it if you want," Kairi suggested. "Maybe it could help jog your memory—"

A loud pounding at the front door made Hikaru jolt. "Kairi! Kairi, are you home?" the muffled voice came.

"Hold on!" Kairi called back before she looked to Hikaru apologetically. "Sorry, that's Sora. I should have expected he and Riku would come by. I can tell them to come back later, if you prefer."

"It's alright," Hikaru said. She didn't want to keep Kairi from her friends, and she supposed that if she was going to be staying a while, she'd might as well get to know the people around here. She watched as Kairi got up and answered the door to let in the two boys. Riku was holding a box of pizza.

"Hey Hikaru," Sora said, waving cheerfully. "You feeling okay?"

"Better, thanks," Hikaru said.

"We brought dinner," Riku said, setting the pizza onto the coffee table.

"Ugh, you should have called," Kairi said. "I already made something."

"We can eat both." Sora grinned as he plopped down onto the floor.

They all moved to sit on the floor, and Hikaru felt a little awkward sitting in a square with the other three, Kairi at her right, Riku at her left, and Sora across from her. Speaking with one person was alright, but being a stranger among friends made her a little uneasy. Maybe she should have just gone to bed.

"We should bring her to see the raft tomorrow," Sora said. "That'd be pretty cool."

"We were going to go shopping, actually," Kairi replied. "You boys are free to join us—if Hikaru doesn't mind, that is."

Hikaru shrugged. "I'm fine with it," she said, not wanting to be impolite.

"So, Hikaru," Riku started, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms. "Do you remember anything about your world?"

"Mostly," she said. "It's a little fuzzy… But I think I got the gist of it."

"Can you tell us anything about it?" Kairi asked. "We've always wanted to see other worlds…"

"Kairi came from another world," Sora added. "She doesn't remember anything about it, though. So maybe the two of you are from the same world?"

Hikaru shrugged. "Maybe." She tried to tell them of her old homes—rented apartments and leased houses—always on the move, always seeking something new, but with a constant remaining in their visits to Uncle James's house. The specifics were a little blurry; places floated to mind, but some of them had been so long ago that they blurred together in a string of faded colors, sounds, and smells. She tried to piece together the fractured memories of her old homes.

But she had less hesitation as she went over her family. Akihiko was a laidback goof who loved to joke around. Tatsuya was a sweetheart when he wasn't on his mischievous streak. Yui was strong-willed, defiant, and kind of a grump, and Hikaru tended to butt heads with her, leaving a sort of distance between them. Her father was level-headed, always gentle. And her mother… well, Hikaru realized she didn't know too much about her, not when Mom was always focused on them, on the present, on pushing them to do their hardest. She was strict, and at times a little scary, but she seldom spoke about herself.

What happened to them? She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember what she had been doing before waking up in the hospital—only flashes entered her head, flashes of a pair of steel practice swords clashing by firelight, and the savory smell of burgers and fries… She grimaced, rubbing her head. She didn't remember what happened… But she had the intense feeling in her gut that it was something bad.

"Don't let go!"

She flinched when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Riku staring at her. "Are you okay?" he asked. "You were zoning out a little there."

"I'm fine," she said. "Just a little tired."

"You know, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to," Kairi said. "In the meantime, we can figure out how to get you back home to your family. Maybe we can even use the raft to get there."

"Yeah!" Sora said, nodding. "And if you ever need help with anything, just ask us."

Hikaru stared at Sora, Kairi, and Riku. They all had little smiles on their faces, kind bright eyes that conjured a feeling in her chest that resonated with her somehow. For a moment, she wondered if she was dreaming. "Thank you," she said, straightening up and brushing her hair out of her face. "So. What can you tell me about Destiny Islands?"


That Hikaru girl was a strange one—a little quiet, a little jumpy, and a little out of it, and she had outrageously colorful hair—but she was alright. Riku liked her well enough, though her arrival to the islands excited him for another reason. Hikaru came from another world, just like Kairi. There was more to be seen out there—countless worlds, as many worlds as there were stars. What were the chances that someone from another world would appear just as they were putting their plans to get out of there into action? It had to be a sign, it had to.

Kairi invited Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka over that evening to introduce them to Hikaru. They spent a few hours sitting in the living room while they ate, chatted, and watched television. Hikaru spoke more about her world, growing more comfortable as the night went on, but the others weren't as interested in other worlds as Riku, Sora, and Kairi were.

When Tidus and the others left, Riku and Sora remained behind to help clean up. They tossed the cardboard pizza boxes into the recycle bin outside and offered to take out the trash. It was a cool night tonight, the stars shining down from a sky that was obscured here and there by wispy clouds. Riku placed the lid back onto the trash can after tossing the garbage bag inside and looked up.

"Do you think we'll make it out there?"

Riku blinked, looking to Sora. The guy had his hands behind his head while he stargazed. "What, Sora—you having second thoughts?" Riku asked.

"No!" Sora pouted like a kid. Then he shook his head and allowed himself a laugh. "Just wondering what's waiting for us. I'm always up for an adventure!"

Riku rolled his eyes, playfully punching Sora in the shoulder as he turned and headed back into the house. The living room was empty, and the backyard door was open. He spotted Kairi tending to the sweet-smelling night flowers that grew outside. He was about to join her in the garden, but he paused when he caught Hikaru sitting at the piano in the parlor out of the corner of his eye. He approached, a little curious. "What are you doing in here?"

Hikaru had a notepad in front of her, a pen in hand. There were half a dozen pages ripped from the notebook with scribbles scattered in front of her. She glanced up when he stopped at her side. "Trying to write everything I remember down. Head's still a little jumbled." She tapped the side of her head. "It was… nice meeting everyone tonight. And thank you for helping me out earlier."

"It was nothing." Riku crossed his arms. "Couldn't just leave you lying around unconscious, could we?"

Hikaru seemed to almost smile. But it was gone in a flash. "Well, I'm glad you didn't," she said, looking down.

Riku noticed a soft squeaking noise in the air, and glancing down he saw her leg moving ever so slightly. She was stepping on the pedals of the piano, her fingers tapping against the cover. "Do you play?" he asked.

She blinked. "A little," she said, closing the notepad and gathering the loose pages. She stood up.

"Come on… No demonstration?" Riku asked.

Hikaru glanced away, cheeks flushing. "Maybe some other time," she mumbled before escaping into the living room and out the backdoor to the garden.


Kairi stifled a yawn as she stepped out of the bathroom in her pajamas, the edges of her polka-dotted pants dragging across the carpet. Boy, today had been eventful. It was already past midnight, and the past few hours had really flown by. The living room was clean, Sora and Riku had gone home, she'd just finished a nice relaxing shower… Now she was ready for a good night's sleep.

Toweling off her hair, she paused outside of Hikaru's room. The door was slightly ajar, so she gave a light knock and peered inside. "Bathroom's open."

"Okay." Hikaru was sitting in the lamplight on the bed, her legs pulled up and her chin resting on her knees. She didn't look up at Kairi's intrusion.

Kairi frowned. "You okay?" She walked over, sitting down next to her.

Hikaru fiddled with something—some kind of charm or toy—and kept her eyes low to the ground. "Yeah, I'm… I'm fine. Tonight was fun. I hope I wasn't butting in on anything."

"Of course not," Kairi said. "It's nice having a new face around. I'm just glad you enjoyed yourself." She smiled. "I hope I'm not bothering you, though. I can go if you'd prefer."

"No, it's alright." Hikaru managed a small smile herself, but it was strained at the edges. "I guess it's just too quiet. Thinking too much about…" She trailed off.

"I can find the radio if you like," Kairi said. "I think we mostly have classical music, though. But it's better than nothing, right?"

Hikaru blinked. "I… No, that's fine," she said, the surprise splayed across her face. "You don't have to go through the trouble. But thank… th-thank you, Kairi…" Her voice cracked. She turned away quickly and coughed, wiping her eyes and sniffling.

Kairi hesitated. She reached out, placing a hand on Hikaru's back to gauge her reaction before pulling her in for a hug. The next thing she knew, Hikaru was crying, struggling to hold back her sobs. For a moment, Kairi was caught off guard. She patted her on the back, struggling to think of something to say. "It's… okay," she finally settled on, even though it didn't feel adequate. Because what could she say in a situation like this, to a person who was still basically a stranger? Faced with uncertainty… The only thing she could offer was a little bit of reassurance and support.

The sort that Dad and Riku and Sora had given her when she'd first arrived.

"It's okay, Kairi," the mayor—the man she considered her father—had said, placing a hand on her shoulder when she'd begun to cry all those years ago. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out together." It had been too overwhelming for a five-year-old girl to handle, too overwhelming for anyone. Where she was from, why she was here, even who she was… Questions that she didn't have the answers to.

Eventually Hikaru calmed down, her sobs turning into quiet breaths. Kairi pulled away, her eyes widening when Hikaru tipped over and sprawled out across the bed. She'd fallen asleep. "Sleep is good, at least," Kairi said softly, a faint and somewhat melancholic smile crossing her face. She stood up carefully, turning off the lamp and letting the night take its hold. Then she slipped back to her room for some shut-eye with the memories of her first night in Destiny Islands swimming in her head.


A/N: So we've met Sora, Kairi, and Riku. They're a pretty nice group, aren't they? Probably the best people to fall in with after everything that's happened so far. But this is just the beginning. Next chapter, Hikaru will get to know the Destiny Islands trio a little bit better.

If you liked this chapter, I'd love it if you left a review. If you didn't like it, I'd appreciate the feedback anyway.

Thank you for reading!

Bonus Content: Character Journal (part 1)

Hikaru Stonewall (15)

A thoughtful girl and the second-youngest of four siblings. She has traveled the world with her family for her entire life, but part of her desires something more.

Yui Stonewall (19)

A young woman and the eldest of four siblings. She has a reserved and hostile demeanor that keeps people away, despite her younger sister Hikaru's attempts to break down those walls.

Akihiko Stonewall (17)

A playful and laid-back boy and the second-oldest of four siblings. A skilled swordfighter, he has been trained by his parents since he was a child.

Tatsuya Stonewall (10)

A mischievous young boy and the youngest of four siblings. He is a talented archer for his age, but he would rather spend his time goofing around with Hikaru and Akihiko given the chance.