AUTHOR'S NOTE: this chapter contains mature themes such as implied child abuse. DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT. i will not be held responsible for you reading something that you know you don't like. thank you.

Disclaimer: i don't own anything kingdom hearts related, unfortunately...

Chapter Two:

Memory's Playground

The gang was all there, and the sun had just risen as they made their way to their second day of high school. Selphie was her usual overly-perky self and discussing the same classes she had told everyone about yesterday. Sora and Riku held back a little and talked almost silently so Selphie wouldn't be disrupted and rant about how rude the two teens were.

"It's going to be like this until the day we graduate," Sora whispered to Riku.

"Yeah, well, when I get a car, we can drive everyday so we won't have to hear it."

"Then I'll just owe you more for saving me from Selphie."

"Nah, you'll keep me company, so it evens out," Riku clarified with a smile.

The day went by just like the first, and every time a class ended, Sora spotted Riku waiting outside to escort the cocoa-haired teen to his next class. Sora was beginning to enjoy school again, because his best friend was always there for him. It was like they were back in middle school when the two boys were nearly inseparable. Sora had despised his eighth grade year when Riku's absence brought about a small bout of depression. Sora's shining face lost its luster; the brilliant sapphire eyes forgot how to sparkle. Nothing was worse in Sora's mind than reliving that dreadful last year of middle school. The school day concluded without event and the boy with the silver hair didn't want to go home just yet.

"Hey, Sora, do you mind if I come over and hang out for a bit?" The oldest of the pair inquired.

"Well, my mom is out for the afternoon and I had been planning to practice while she isn't home. You can wait outside while I practice the piece I'm going to play for you though," Sora replied. The spiky-haired boy was already fretting about next week's piano lesson with Riku, and he wanted the piece he was preparing to be perfect for his older friend. "I should only be about ten minutes," the blue-eyed boy added feeling sorry for his friend.

"Sure, but you owe me," his best friend stated, comforting Sora with a smile.

"Okay, I'll give you a coke, and I need this practice, because I want this piece to be perfect for you."

"I'm sure you'll be amazing," Riku assured as they approached Sora's front door.

Sora pulled out his key, which took some time because the twenty different key chains attached to the lonely key all got caught on the various objects in the sky blue book bag. Finally unlocking the door, Sora led his friend through the house and into the kitchen, where the cinnamon-haired boy pulled out a soda for his friend.

"You can wait outside on the swing set, and I'll come get you when I'm done, okay?" Sora clarified.

"Sure, just don't forget about me," Riku teased back.

"Like I could ever forget you, Riku," Sora replied quickly and with a smile. The younger boy's comment made Riku blush just as the back door was shut and locked.

Riku walked over to the small swing set he and Sora had used as children, but had long since abandoned after finding a part of the beach no one ever ventured to for some reason. The silver-haired teen sat on one of the pair of swings and wondered what piece Sora was working on for him. Riku set his drink down and began to swing back and forth. With each swing forward, each creak under the teen's weight, each rush of air from the momentum Riku was building, memory after memory rushed back to him. The first one to come to mind was his favorite memory and concerned that very swing set.

Sora and Riku were five and six respectively, and Sora's mom had just gotten him the swing set. Sora was scared of the swings at first, but when Riku came over, the silver-haired boy convinced his friend that there was nothing to be scared of as long as he was there to help him. It was a gorgeous island day and after swinging, talking and giggling for about fifteen minutes, Riku let go of the chains and flew

through the air, his hair following him like silvery water attached to his scalp and landed gracefully a few feet from the swing.

"WOAH!" Sora exclaimed, wide-eyed at how cool his friend was. "How did you do that?"

"Just let go and you'll fly, that's all there is to it," Riku instructed with a sense of pride.

"Ok, here I go," and with that comment as small as the person making it, Sora let go of the chains, and was soon flying through the air. The pair of crystalline eyes soon came to the realization that something was wrong and that he was going to land and probably break something. Riku immediately noticed the concerned look on his friend's face. Not even thinking, the silver-haired boy leapt forward and with a giant crash, the blue-eyed boy was lying on top of his best friend, without a scratch on his body.

"Riku," Sora said after lying there for a minute or so.

"Yeah, Sora?"

"I hope you're always there to catch me."

"I would never let you fall, Sora."

Riku glided out of his favorite memory into a less desirable one, as if the swing set had its own agenda in mind for what Riku should remember.

It was a clear autumn day and Riku was sauntering home from Sora's house where he had been all afternoon. Riku never liked going home after being with Sora, especially since the home he was going to was the absolute worst place on Earth to the eleven-year-old boy. A frozen tundra looked like paradise compared to Riku's household. Riku pulled out his house-key, which only had one simple keychain on it, a metal wing Sora had bought for him the previous summer on the perky boy's trip to the mainland. Opening and closing the door as softly as he could and then removing his bulky shoes, Riku just wanted

to make it to his room unnoticed. He walked through the living room where he saw his father passed out on the couch with several beer cans around him. The silver-haired teen shot a look of disgust as he quietly made it to the other side of the room. Riku looked back and sneered at his father whose long, silver tendrils were thrown off the end of the couch in disregard and his muscular form visible through his open black shirt. Riku was just glad that he didn't have to face the arctic azure eyes while his father slept. Riku hated his father's eyes. They were neither the warm, brilliant blue that Sora possessed nor the mysterious, dark cobalt that his own mother had owned. His father's eyes were a horribly bright teal, not quite blue but not quite green. The aquamarine-eyed boy loathed his father for the indecision in his eyes. Riku was repulsed that his father's eyes were more spectacular than his own, and his father never let Riku forget that.

"You're finally home."

Riku was in the doorway and wheeled around to see his father barely conscious, knocking beer cans around the path to clear a path to his son.

"You took enough time getting home," Sephiroth slurred together, barely able to keep his balance. Riku was pleased to find that his father couldn't open his eyes all the way due to the afternoon light.

"I went over to Sora's house after school, like I always do, Dad," Riku replied coldly, but still containing control over his emotions. The adolescent hated the smell of beer on his father's breath. Ever since Riku's mom had died two years ago, Sephiroth's breath seemed to permanently stink of cheap beer.

"That little queer? You shouldn't hang out with him, he'll turn you into a faggot too," Sephiroth declared, not entirely comprehending the pointed look he was receiving from his son.

"Sora is my best friend, it will stay that way even if he is gay," Riku replied, anger rising in him. This topic was not new to Riku, but the silver-haired boy never let anyone degrade his best friend and get away with it.

"You'll be friends with who I tell you to be friends with, dammit!" Sephiroth was about to explode, which was exactly what Riku wanted. "And no son of mine will be friends with a faggot."

Sephiroth could degrade Riku to his heart's content, as far as the boy was concerned, but he never let anyone insult Sora. Sora was too innocent, too pure to be talked about the way Sephiroth did. Riku knew his father had to be pushed over the edge and that this was the optimal time to do it.

"I will always love Sora more than I love you!" Riku screamed.

"You will regret that, boy!" Sephiroth declared in return.

Riku's father towered over the boy and the man was in surprisingly good shape too. Luckily, it was the aquamarine-eyed boy's size and agility that helped him escape most of the time and Sephiroth was drunk which only played in Riku's favor. The small boy slipped under his father's thrusting arm and slammed his foot on Sephiroth's before proceeding to run to the front door. The boy grabbed his shoes and backpack on the way out, reminding himself to thank his teachers in class tomorrow for the small amount of homework he had that night. Rushing out of the door, he heard crashes and bangs all the way down the street. Riku smirked as he pictured Sephiroth falling over furniture and crashing into walls, his silver hair tangling more and more as he tried to make it to the door. Riku made it to Sora's house and rang the doorbell almost twenty times in quick succession. His younger companion answered the door out of breath from running to get it and with a confused look that Riku often saw.

"Did you forget some…?" Sora started but never finished as he looked deep into his best friend's eyes. Lily came to the door to see what the commotion was about and her previous annoyed look ran off her face after she saw Riku standing with fear in his eyes.

"Get in the house now, Riku," Sora's mom commanded calmly, though her crystalline eyes blazing. "Sora, take Riku into the living room, and I'll make you guys some food for dinner."

Sora never exactly knew why Riku had been coming over like this for the past two years, but it was just more time to spend with his best friend so he never thought much of unexpected visits. The cinnamon-haired boy deserved more credit than people gave him, though. The boy had known from the first time Riku had shown up on his doorstep like this that something was not right. Sora had always wanted to know what happened, in case the boy could save his friend from some unknown danger, but Lily had constantly warned her son not to bring the matter up, no matter how much he wanted to help.

"Here you guys go!" Lily exclaimed as she entered the living room with a tray of food. Riku beamed when he saw the platter. Sora's mother knew the way to Riku's heart and it was through PB and J's and chocolate milk as dark as Sora's hair. The two boys ate while they watched television and chatted the whole time. Lily stood in the door frame watching the inseparable pair, pleased by the fact that Sora was the first person Riku came to when he was in trouble.

Riku slept at Sora's house that night, though Lily noticed that neither of them actually slept much because she could hear bursts of laughter well into the morning.

"Did you two forget that you have school and I have work tomorrow?" Lily question standing in Sora's doorway watching the two boys play-fight on Sora's floor.

"But Mom…" Sora started, but never finished seeing the sapphire fire in his mother's eyes.

"You both need sleep, now go to bed," Lily said firmly, but smiling.

Sora's mother turned off the light, and walked back to her own room.

"Hey, Sora," Riku said after he was certain Sora's mom couldn't hear.

"Yeah, Riku?" Sora whispered to his best friend.

"Thanks for catching me today," Riku simply replied.

"Anything for you, Riku," Sora said, smiling even though he knew his best friend couldn't see it.

Sora walked out of the backdoor of his house to find the silver-haired teen on the long-forgotten swing set. Riku jolted slightly as he was brought out of his memories by the sight of the spiky-haired brunette, and with one fluid motion, Riku released the chains he was gripping and gracefully landed inches away from his companion.

"I'm done, but you don't have to stop swinging if you don't want to," Sora started, his sapphire eyes contrasting against the spectacular sunset, yet again.

"I'd rather spend time with you. And I was just thinking anyways. I wasn't really aware I was swinging so high," Riku replied, not sure if he had caused the blush on Sora's cheeks or if it was just the lighting. The two friends walked inside and raided the refrigerator before settling down on the couch ready to watch television. Lily pulled into the driveway during the end of the blitzball match and was concerned when she heard screams coming from the house. Her worries dissipated, however, when she burst into the house to see the two teens bouncing around over the apparent winning point. Nothing made her happier than seeing the two boys together.

x x x

Sora jumped out of bed.

"IT'S FRIDAY!" Sora exclaimed and heard an audible groan from Lily down the hallway.

Sora loved Fridays. It was the one day of school he could truly appreciate, because although he went to school, everyone was always buzzing with excitement for the weekend. The buzzing in the hallways filled the cocoa-haired teen with delight, but the fact that Riku almost always spent the night over was the source of the majority of the blue-eyed teen's happiness. Never knowing why his best friend spent the night every Friday, Sora only remembered that Lily had suggested it after Riku appeared on the doorstep with bruises and cuts covering his body. Sora's innocent mind had never wished pain on anyone, except for the person who put Riku in that condition. Not questioning Riku was the only statement Lily ever divulged to her son, while she reminded the cinnamon-haired boy that his friend would open up when he felt the need to do so. Sora wasn't fond of this answer, but he didn't want to upset Riku in his fragile state, so the crystalline eyes showed agreement with his mother's wishes.

"Don't worry, Sora," the teen heard vividly in his mind's ear, while walking to the Secret Spot to meet his friends. "Riku will open up and when he does, you'll be the first to know." The patented smile filled Sora's face at the memory.

"What's that silly grin for?" Sora heard the familiar voice calling to him. Spinning around, Sora spotted his best friend walking towards him and the smile only grew.

"I'm smiling because it's Friday, Riku! And you're coming over tonight!" The spiky-haired teen was bouncing at the thought. The two walked to school together, joking and teasing even when Selphie and Kairi joined the pair.

The four arrived at the school and split into their respective directions. Riku and Sora chatted on the way to their first period class, managing to bob and weave their way through the hordes of students.

"Hey, Riku, I never asked what your fist period class is," Sora brought up after the two had been silent for a while.

"It's band, and always will be," Riku replied carelessly, not noticing Sora's wince at the fact that two could never have first period together.

"Why is it always first period?" The younger boy continued.

"Because when we start marching next week, we show up to the field an hour earlier. The football team uses the field after school, meaning the only extended time for us to practice is early in the morning or late at night when the team is done practicing," the silver-haired boy explained. Sora instantly remembered that Riku had missed an entire week of summer for band camp but the blue-eyed boy had never questioned his friend about the subject.

"Wait, so you have to get up even earlier?" Sora yelled with sudden realization.

Riku chuckled at his friend and stated, "You don't have to wake up to walk to school with me, you know."

"But I want to be with you," Sora replied without thinking. This simple comment made Riku blush fervently and the aquamarine-eyed boy was grateful when the bell rang.

"Don't worry, Sora, I'll always be here for you," Riku affirmed calmly as his companion walked into the classroom.

"Thanks, Riku," Sora replied with a smile.

"Anything for you, Sora," Riku stated, returning the smile.

x x x

"OKAY!"

Sora awoke with a jerk, along with the rest of the class, wondering who had made the loud declaration.

"Since all of you decided to fall asleep, I'm going to assign a project for you to do, due on Monday. You will work with one other person, and you will have the rest of the class to work on it," Sister History stated in an authoritative tone that the class didn't know she could muster up. The elderly nun then let everyone break up into pairs. Sora panicked. He didn't know anyone in the class and

everyone was finding their groups fast. He looked around and felt a tap on his shoulder, making him yelp in the middle of class. Turning around slowly to see who had frightened him, Sora saw before him a blonde-haired boy with sharp facial features and eyes that made the spiky-haired boy uneasy.

"Hi, I'm Seifer," the boy stated with a grin.

x x x

woah, there's a lot that happens here! well, i like to give little snippets of a person's past here and there, so expect the flash backs a lot. i think i've figured out the most effective way for me to transfer everything that's done so far, so expect a few more updates this weekend maybe? idk, it's easter and i'm busy so who knows. oh, and fun fact: i posted this because i was mad about getting kicked out of my chem lab today, so you should all thank Purdue's Chemistry department and their crappy rules. that's all! REVIEW PLEASE! ok, that's my plea for the chapter. aloha oe!