A/N: I realized http links don't settle well on this editor so please check my profile for the blog website. Thanks!

Kingdom Hearts III: The Revival
Act One: Scene One
- Thoughts of Zephyr -

"You three always do this!" an annoyed Tidus scowled.

"Do what?" Riku let out a small laugh as he continued his packing.

"Go on these random vacations! You were gone an entire year last time!"

Riku paused for a moment. That's right, he thought. They had been gone a year that time when the threat of Xemnas came into the picture. This time would be different, though. It was only Donald's wedding. They would be gone at most, a weekend.

"We're not going to be gone long this time, I promise," Riku assured his younger companion.

"You had better," Tidus grumbled. "These past two years with all of you here; I was starting to get used to it again."

Riku patted Tidus on the shoulder, not commenting on his last statement.

It had been two years since that time the three of them read King Mickey's invitation from the bottle Kairi found. Despite their anticipation, those two years had gone by quite slower than they had thought. It felt quite different, though, living two years that held no risks of danger, death, and beyond. The memories forged over that time had indeed felt different too. It was rather ironic, to say the least, that it was these days of perpetual serenity that felt unnatural to the three of them. They were used to the pain and anguish of missing one another, and the pressure of having the duty to fulfill a task to suffice the greater good. Riku laughed; it didn't feel right that his life or his friend's lives were in danger. Of course, he could see this was having an effect on his two closest friends as well. Riku could remember more than a handful of instances when he would catch Kairi sitting by the shore with her thalassa shells, simply holding them in her hands or holding them toward the sunshine. For hours she would do that, but Riku had assumed there was much more going on inside her than what one could determine from her observable actions.

Riku gave his last goodbye to Tidus before grabbing his suitcase of luggage and headed out toward the outdoors.

The wind had picked up as the afternoon sun began to descend over the ocean. Riku glanced up toward the sunset. He had seen this setting before, but with different eyes. It might've been a child's ignorance at the time that made it seem so vast and so mystifying to him, but that had all changed. The gleaming haze that slowly withered over the horizon now seemed small to the eye, so insignificant in his heart as he viewed it now. It was a sight of familiarity, yet it was not. That was what the blue-haired youth thought as he gazed aimlessly across the ocean, his eyes cold and resolute with stagnancy; eyes that had seen and experienced far more wonder than what any beautiful sunset could offer. His heart had exercised far more emotion than what any twilight moment could encompass.

The sunset, in other words, meant absolutely nothing to him in terms of how it looked, but even then, he still smiled at the nostalgia; the sunset did, however, embody the memories of a time when life was simpler for him; a time when the greatest worry was making it home in time for supper before the rain rushed in; a time when tears were only of laughter and words were always welcoming greetings and never goodbyes. Riku accepted these changes. He accepted that knowledge and forever forfeited the euphoria that called itself childhood into the shadows of bottomless oblivion.

"Riku, wait up!" Kairi called some distance behind.

Riku turned to face the seventeen-year-old girl who had called for his attention. He smiled at her as she stopped just beside him, leaning forward to rest her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

"You didn't wake me up this morning!" Kairi elbowed Riku in the hip, before going back into her previous position.

"I never said I was going to," Riku laughed at the exhausted female.

Kairi sighed. Riku still hadn't changed, despite the drastic changes he had gone through, both mentally and physically. She definitely couldn't fathom how he could've grown so much over the course or one year, not to mention how muscular he had become from heaven-knows-where. She quite personally enjoyed hugging Sora's smaller frame a lot more, although Sora too, had become quite lean, while his shoulders had broadened as well.

Sora had changed the most out of the three of them, she thought. She still remembered the very first time the two of them had met—after a year of separation. It was in that eerie realm, the World that Never Was, that castle plagued with never-ending white. Kairi had been fighting alongside Riku to defeat a few Heartless before Sora showed up to help quell the fighting. Donald was the first to address her, complimenting her fighting skill when she turned around to see Sora for the very first time in ages. She could only giggle and remain silent in order to hide her excitement. She was sure Sora felt the same, as he remained quiet for a short time as well before finally mustering the courage to walk toward her. They exchanged stares then, just eyeing one another silently, as if taking a mental picture of the other person was enough.

Sora then spoke for the first time since their reunion, and it was a voice that harboured such a familiarity, yet such a refreshing—and matured—tone. His voice had gotten lower! It suited him perfectly, she thought. He was no longer the rowdy, impulsive Sora she had remembered in her dreams and pastimes. He chose and spoke words that held much more depth and meaning to them, and his tone was much more reserved. Sora had grown into a passionate young man. The next two years that he and Kairi had spent together had only further developed this side of him as she began to rediscover his personality. He wasn't entirely different; no, that wasn't the case. He still had his childish ramblings and his outlandish ideas, but Kairi had now viewed those actions in a very different manner than she did before. It was the child in Sora that still lived, deep within. It was the boy in Sora that was never allowed to be expressed. It was only now during these years of tranquility that Sora could finally allow himself to turn a blind eye to discretion and simply have fun, not having a care in the world. Kairi knew this, and welcomed it whole-heartedly.

Kairi had also noticed the changes within herself since the end of Xemnas' threat. Since the beginning, she had always been the one being saved. At first, she wanted to blame it on her title of 'Princess of Heart', and cursed herself for being the principle cause of her friends' suffering, Sora, most of all. He had fulfilled his job by bringing her back to the island that she knew and loved, but she felt failure for not being able to do the same for him. Instead, she entrusted Sora with her favourite charm in hopes of it granting him the strength to come back to her. She tried to hide behind that simple fact, hoping it would save her from her own negative judgment.

It was easier the first few days after she had first returned to the Islands, but after seeing that picture Sora had drawn for her in their Secret Place, all her defenses she had placed up had come crashing down. She could only accept that undermining truth within herself, and patiently wait for Sora's return. She promised that the next time, she would be helpful, and that she wouldn't allow herself to be useless. That was her mantra for the next twelve months as she mindlessly attended classes with Selphie, Wakka and Tidus. Time stood still for her that year. Who could continue to live on when her two best friends who had risked everything to keep her safe were out somewhere without a promised chance of return? Kairi definitely couldn't; she felt responsible, after all.

Her disappointments increased after she had found herself a captive of Saϊx, one of the bosses of Organization XIII. She was furious at first as to why she was being held a prisoner in such a vile prison. Sora and Riku might've returned and she wouldn't have been there to tell them how sorry she was for being such a burden on their efforts! Her fury would soon be defeated by shame and resentment when she heard Saϊx's explanation of her capture: she was merely a catalyst to brew Sora's anger. They were using her to fuel Sora's rage, pushing him to defeat more Heartless for a cause she had no knowledge about. But the final outcome meant absolutely nothing to her.

She was there because they knew Sora would do anything to get her back. She was doing it again! She was once again captured to play Sora into his enemy's hands! It was her fault again, she thought. She could no longer hide behind her 'Princess of Heart' title either. This quarrel between good and evil had nothing to do with her position as a denizen of light. She was a prisoner because she was Kairi, nothing more, nothing less. Riku wasn't spared from any of this suffering either. He had given into darkness for both her sake and Sora's. These sacrifices ate away at Kairi's heart, and what pained her the most was the fact that neither Sora nor Riku would blame her for it. They never brought up their sorrows, but instead greeted her with their hugs and smiles, and always tried to make her feel better whenever she was feeling down about it. She wished they would yell at her and tell her how much trouble it was for them to come to her rescue; she felt she could lift some of the burden off of them if they had done so. Such lectures never came. Only love-filled smiles.

Riku and Kairi had walked in silence as they approached the Secret Place; the place where it all started. They both knew Sora was most likely already there, waiting for the two of them to arrive. Sora had always been the one with the biggest connection to the Secret Place. He was the Key Bearer, after all. As many trials and tribulations that Riku and Kairi felt they had, they knew that Sora was undeniably the one who had it the worst. They both knew there were things about Sora that he probably hadn't told them yet regarding how he felt and about the things he experienced. But they wouldn't burden him with such inquiries. Sora would open up about such troubles when he was good and ready; they would not intrude on his privacy.

"Sora, we're here!" Kairi gave a small wave to the brunette who was sitting comfortably against the portside wall of the Door.

The Key Bearer raised his head to greet the two visitors, smiling earnestly. "So we're all here."

"Tidus was a little angry after dinner. He and I had a talk," Riku chuckled.

"Tidus'll get over it," Sora joined in the chuckle. "He's like that."

"So how do we get to Disney Castle from here? I don't remember the invitation saying someone was picking us up," Riku questioned.

Kairi dug into her pocket, holding up three Prussian blue coloured pearls. "I found these in the bottle as well; although I had removed them before I ran over to show you guys the invitation."

"And you had those all this time?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Well someone had to keep track of them. Knowing you two, I would've sooner found them floating in the ocean than in safe-keeping," Kairi placed her hands on her waist.

Riku and Sora both looked away in embarrassment. It was very likely that Kairi was right. Both boys had a bad habit of losing track of small objects. By the size of the pearls, they only became more convinced.

"So? How do we use them?" Riku asked.

"I think you just have to hold them," Kairi thought.

"You think?" Sora seemed suspicious.

"I don't remember…"

"Kairi!" both boys exclaimed.

"I'll go first if you want!" Kairi growled. She wasn't going to be lectured by the likes of Riku and Sora.

"I don't think so," Riku expertly grabbed a pearl from Kairi before heading toward the Door.

"Riku, the door isn't—" Sora stopped in mid-sentence as he saw Riku pull the door open.

"What was that?" Riku smirked.

"…Nevermind, just go," Sora leaned back against the wall.

Riku gave a thumbs-up with his free hand before hopping into the sparkled abyss. The door closed silently and the cave returned back to its original lighting.

Kairi gently placed a pearl into Sora's hand as she turned toward the door. "See you on the other side, okay?"

Sora nodded, his face forcing a smile. "I'll be there in a minute."

Kairi smiled. She knew that look. Sora would put on one of those fake smiles of his when he was thinking about something that he didn't want Riku or her to know about. He was probably deep in thought again, most likely. She wouldn't press the issue though as she waved once more to her friend before exiting through the Door.

Sora closed his eyes for a moment as he held out his hand in front of him. Light flashed for an instant before the Kingdom Key materialized in his grasp. Sora immediately de-summoned the blade before leaning his head against the stone wall behind him.

Kingdom Key; it was what started him down this road, down the path that changed his life forever. He lived on an island, in a place where he lived the life of an ordinary boy who only dreamed of adventure. By day he'd carry on with his reality, where the only things that mattered were whether or not he got his chores completed on time, or pondering what he might have for dinner that evening. Then by night, fantasy and make-believe took over when he'd imagine he had wings and he was soaring over the ocean, looking for the end of the skies and reaching for the stars. Dreams were dreams and reality was reality. But now as he stood with the Kingdom Key still in his possession—a representation of what seemed like a lifetime gone by, where memories of heroic battles and unimaginable worlds engraved themselves into his brain—the border of truth and wonder suddenly shattered.

What was reality and what was fantasy? The fantasies that filled his mind in years past had indeed become a reality; his reality; a reality where the right to such an inheritance was accompanied by obligation and the power to change the future. Was such a responsibility fair? At first, realizing that what he was doing had meaning and purpose was enough to make him shiver with anticipation to take that next step down the road of change. But as that road became longer, and his simple realization turned into enlightenment of just how important his role was in the eyes of millions of people, his excitement turned to doubt; could he do it? Was it possible for a mere seventeen-year-old boy who only had to worry about getting his laundry done every week for the first fourteen years of his life?

These were the thoughts that went through the mind of the young protagonist during those times of chance. He remembered the time when these questions were fresh and held much more meaning during his days of never-ending battles. Now that the battles had been fought, and the wars had been won, what would be left for the young hero to do? He had told himself once in the Pride Lands that as long as the Keyblade remained with him, his only option would have been to fight. He always thought the Keyblade was the symbol of his responsibility to the world—no, worlds. Yet, here he was, Keyblade still at his side, with no enemy to fight.

Had everything simply been a dream? No, the lustrous Keyblade he held before him just a moment ago always helped to veto that idea. What was his next step as the Keyblade's Chosen One? He was just an ordinary boy given the power to change the fate of worlds, and with that he felt he owed them his life. His very existence would be governed by the needs of the worlds, as it was what his power owed. What more did the Keyblade expect of him down this road of un-foretold history? He didn't know.

"But I guess that will come all in good time," Sora said out loud has he lifted himself off his feet. Baggage in hand, thoughts in mind, Sora tightly gripped the pearl he held in his left hand as he approached the Door. Through it lay millions of paths that he had not yet trekked, and whether or not he would eventually walk them was something he had not yet known. He would not know until it happened, and he would not know the outcomes until they arrived. But to Sora, the Key Bearer, that was enough. It was more than enough.

A/N: I hope you all could bear through the narration. It was unavoidable at this point, since I had to lay down some foundations for the three characters; it has been some time since the three of them have had any chance to really give thought to their journey. I promise you though that the next chapter will be far less serious. Be sure to check the official story blog for updates!