Author's Note: This is where it begins! YAY! Trust me, it will get interesting after this. TRUST ME! No flaming if it's boring, though. I have to build suspense before I get to the good parts. I already know how this story is going to end, and man, it'll be such a twist, you'll get whiplash, for sure! But you'll have to review before I start writing any more chapters. Ha, TORTURE!

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It was about midnight as the three laid in slumber, and a strange breeze carried the King's solemn letter from Sora's hand across the silent shore. A young girl watched as the letter danced in the cold wind and finally brushed up against her sandaled feet. As Naminé bent to pick it up, she felt that Roxas was nearby. She was not surprised as she turned around to find Roxas had been standing right behind her.

"What are you doing?" he hushed.

Naminé eyed her sleeping friends before replying.

"I wanted to get a closer look of this letter. You know, the one from King –"

"King Mickey, I know," Roxas interrupted. "Do you know what this might mean? That everything might change and... I don't know."

"We do not know just yet, Roxas." Naminé reassured him. "His letter was so open, it was almost like he was writing in some sort of code."

Naminé lowered her head toward the letter, she was very surprised to have found something.

"Birth by sleep. So sudden and refined," Naminé read. "The haunt of the Keyblade War has returned and will end us all. Only the most delicate and pure of heart can..."

Roxas gave Naminé a confused look as she mouthed out some phrases that he could not hear. He waited for a moment as she squinted as the letter, hoping that she could tell him a bit more.

"I'm sorry, Roxas," she replied and she sighed heavily, "That's about as much as I can make out. The rest seems to be smudged by tears or something... Maybe we could find someone else who can read this."

"So this means.." Roxas breathed.

"You think?" Naminé winced.

"Just in case."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Okay then." Naminé nodded. She waved her hand and her old purple pencil appeared. She was reluctant as she handed it to Roxas. Roxas placed it in the front pocket of his dark-colored pants. Then, he slowly took off his checkered wristband and handed it to Naminé. She noticed that the wind was getting stronger and colder as she slipped the wristband on her left arm.

"Remember," Naminé shivered.

"Right, I won't lose it," Roxas replied with a false sort of calm. "It almost morning, we'd better go."

The two walked over to their Others and quietly disappeared as the soft sun began to peak over the calming ocean waves. The three sleeping friends still sound as they each took slow, steady breaths. As they were much unaware of what was yet to come.

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"Wake up you lazy bum."

Sora yawned and turned over on the hot sand only to realize that his letter from the King went missing. He hurredly sat up and frantically sifted through the salty sand.

"Looking for something?" Kairi giggled as she waved the letter just above Sora's head.

"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed as he made a grab for the letter, then jumped to his feet and started after Kairi, who was running for life with the letter in hand. "You'd better come back here! Kairi! Kai --"

Sora fell to the ground as he barely noticed Wakka was running in the opposite direction, and both crashed into each other. Sora slowly stood up to realize that Wakka hadn't moved an inch from that impact. Wakka seemed as though he was almost staring right through Sora.

"Birth by sleep," Wakka spoke, with a blank tone and a voice which was not his, "So sudden and refined. The haunt of the Keyblade War has returned and will end us all. Only the most delicate and pure of heart can unlock the Dusk of Time. The time at the dusk which will decide if those too weak shall live amongst those who suffer great pain from being the strongest..."

"Wakka?" Sora stammered. "What..."

"Ya, man? Aye, I'd better go find Selphie and Tidus. Make sure them don't get into any trouble, ya?" Wakka smirked.

"Trouble..." Sora repeated under his breath as he watched Wakka jump his way over to Selphie and Tidus, who were on the wooden deck staring out into the ocean. Sora shrugged it off, maybe Wakka had seen the letter from King Mickey. He sat down in the sand when he remembered Kairi. Kairi...

"Kairi... Kairi," Sora yelled as the hot sun beat down on him. "Kairi... Kairi... Kai --" Sora started coughing as he shook off sand that had gotten on his face.

"Man, what sort of crazy dream did you have?" said a voice.

"Riku!" Sora said surprised. "It was this dream.. And Wakka.. He said to me --"

"Whatever. Grab these logs and head over to Kairi's house. She says she's got something to show you." Riku interrupted. He pointed to a stack of three logs propped up against a palm tree. "Oh, and one other thing," Riku mentioned as he walked up the stairway toward the ocean cove, "If you find out anything interesting from that letter, be sure you tell me first!"

Sora thought about the dream he had, but for some reason, he could not remember anything Wakka told him. It was like someone took away that part of his memory.

xxx

"When did it get so windy?" Sora said to himself as he paddled his boat over to the island where Kairi lived. "And what are these logs for? They're just making this boat harder to row."

The waves caught the side of the boat, almost tipping it over. Sora clenched the small metal handles on the sides of the poor, dried-out rowboat.

"Maybe I'll just let the tide carry me in," Sora thought. "I'm already close enough to shore."

As Sora quickly tied his rowboat up to the iron stake next to the boathouse dock, he thought he felt a raindrop hit his forehead. He brushed it off as just a splash of water from the crashing waves further down.

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Hope you liked it! Wow, I am such a cliffhanger-er. Yeah. Ha ha! Well, review and I will add a second chapter! You probably want to know what Naminé and Roxas were talking about, right? REVIEW AND FIND OUT! YES! YOU MUST! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! Thankies.