Chapter Two: Destined Beginnings, Part 2

The next day came a lot quicker than Sora expected; it barely felt like two minutes had passed since he went home for the night and the sun was already starting to shine over the horizon. Oddly enough, he wasn't the least bit tired; these days were becoming really weird. So, finishing up a quick breakfast and grabbing a boat, Sora paddled his way to the play island for another day of working on the raft.

Sora floated gently into the docks and tied up his boat so that it wouldn't float away like last time; he could still hear Riku laughing in his head. Selphie was also hanging around the docks, staring out into the deep blue ocean. Sora waved his hand and started to greet her, but the girl puffed her cheeks and turned her head with a loud "Hmph!" Sora dropped his hand looking very confused. Was Selphie mad at him for something? He didn't remember doing anything that would upset her….

"Hey, Sora!" he heard Tidus shouted as he and Wakka walked down the docks toward them. "What took ya so long? Riku and Kairi have been looking for you. Probably has something to do with that raft of yours."

"Yeah, I supposed to meet them in the cove an hour ago," said Sora with a groan. "Man, Riku's never going to let me hear the end of this. By the way, do you know why Selphie looks so angry?" he added, gesturing over his shoulder at the girl.

"Eh, it's no big deal," said Tidus, waving him off. "She just got shot down by some guy she likes – "

A coconut flew over Sora's shoulder and smacked Tidus square in the face; Sora thought he heard bone snap. Tidus tumbled backward off the docks and landed on the beach on his back, his nose crooked with a purplish-blue color. Sora and Wakka slowly turned their heads around to Selphie, who was juggling another coconut in her hand threateningly, silently daring either one of them to say a word. Both boys wisely kept their mouths shut, slowly backing away.

"Man, girls can be scary sometimes," said Sora.

"You don't need to tell me," said Wakka. "Lulu freaks me out plenty."

"Well, I oughta get going and see what Kairi wants me to do today," said Sora. "I hope she doesn't have any coconuts lying around or I'm in big trouble."

"Relax, Kairi wouldn't hurt a fly," said Wakka, throwing his arm around Sora's shoulder and laughing. "Hey, after you're done playing errand boy and Tidus wakes up, maybe you'd like on join us on a little exploration trip?"

"But we pretty much explored the whole island," said Sora. "Where would we even go?"

"To the secret place," said Wakka, pointing to the narrow hole next to the waterfall. "Selphie said she saw someone go in there earlier and she definitely didn't recognize them. She says they were wearing a coat, so she couldn't see their face, but she knew they had to be an adult. And you know the adults don't hang around on this island. That must mean there's something special they want to keep hidden in there."

"Huh, that's a good point," said Sora, humming thoughtfully. "All right, I take a look at it later. But first I need to meet up with Riku and Kairi. Later."

Waving good bye to the taller boy, Sora rushed across the shoreline for the door where he had talked to Kairi the previous day. He walked through it and entered the cove that created the backside of the island. Just like the front of the island, the entire cove was littered with wooden construction – all of which were rumored to have been made by the same girl that built the lookout and the tree house. A couple of wooden bridges connected two pieces of land over a shallow pool of water and led to a tall tower that had been fashioned with a crude zip line. Whoever it was that made them, Sora had to give them a hand for their fine work. These wooden creations had been around long before Sora and the others were born and they were still standing. Very impressive.

Sora barely stepped through the door when he felt something knock against the side of his head. He rubbed the sore spot and glared at Riku, who was smirking jokingly.

"Late again, I see," said Riku tauntingly. "Can't say I'm surprised. I think it's a miracle you just got out of bed."

"Yeah, yeah, I get," said Sora, pouting. "I'm here now, so what do we do now?"

"Well, Kairi and I already did our share for the day," said Riku, "so that just leaves you to get the rest of the supplies. Once we have them, we'll be set to leave first thing tomorrow morning. Go see Kairi; she'll tell you what to look for."

"Okay," said Sora. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, we need a name for the ship," said Riku. "Now, since I'm the captain of the ship, I think the name should be Highwind."

"Why do you get to be captain," Sora complained. "I could be captain too, you know."

"All right, 'captain', what would you call it?" said Riku challengingly.

"Uh…uh…," Sora stammered, having not anticipated the return. "How about…Crescent Rose?"

"Crescent Rose," said Riku, snickering. "Isn't that a little girly."

"Hey, it's a good name!" Sora defended.

Honestly, Sora didn't understand why he chose that name in the first place. There were plenty of other names that, in his opinion, would have been a whole lot better, like Excalibur. But where his brain chose the name, his mouth formed something completely different, almost as if he had no control over what he said. And if he was being truthful, Crescent Rose didn't like a good name for a ship. But since he suggested it, there was no way he could take it back, not without Riku taunting him for it.

"Well, there's only one way to settle this," said Riku.

"The usual?" said Sora.

"You got it," said Riku.

At the same time, Kairi appeared at the top of the bridge and noticed the de3termined looks her boys were sharing. It didn't take a genius to know what they were thinking. Kairi rolled her eyes at them, but laughed either way and called out:

"Are you guys at it again?" said Kairi playfully. "I thought I was supposed to be in charge of getting the raft done, not playing referee with you two."

"You've always been good at multitasking," said Riku.

"All right, let's get this over with," said Kairi. "The usual rules apply: take any route you want. First to touch the star-shaped tree on the opposite side of the cove and make it back here wins. Hang on, I'll be down in a second to start."

"Hey, Sora," Riku whispered to him. "Before we start, how about making a little wager."

"Sounds good to me!" said Sora eagerly. "If I win, I'm captain! And if you win…"

"I get to share a paopu with Kairi," Riku interrupted; Sora made gagging sound, staring at him wide-eyed. "Deal? The winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi."

"Wha…wait a minute…," Sora sputtered. This was a joke right? He wasn't being serious, was he?

"Okay, on my count," said Kairi, snapping Sora out of her stupor. She was standing off to the side with her arm outstretched as if ready to wave a checkered flag. Riku, still smirking, moved into a ready position while Sora was still dumbstruck. "Three…two…one…GO!"

Before her arm even reached the end of its arc, Riku had already taken off like a speeding bullet with Sora stumbling behind him. Riku's mind games had their effect on the spiky-haired boy – he was lagging way behind than he usually would in their races.

They crossed the bridges first. Fortune had smiled on Sora this once when a rotting piece of wood snapped under Riku's foot, causing him to stumble over himself briefly. It wasn't enough to really slow him down, but it did Sora the chance to catch up with him, putting them neck-and-neck. Once they crossed the bridge, they reached a split in the course. There were three ways to reach the star tree from here. The first was the safest route, dropping down to the shoreline and running across the sand to the rump. The second route was to take the tower and catch the zipline to the top of the ramp. It was a speedy route, but the time it took to climb the ladder tended to give the other person the lead. The speediest and riskiest route was to jump across the tree tops. It was a straight shot to the star tree, but one wrong move resulted in instant failure.

Thinking carefully over these options, Sora took a hard right and dropped down to the beach and started running as fast as his legs could carry him. By the time he reached the top of the ramp, however, he found that Riku was already at the star tree and starting to make his way back across the tree tops.

"There's no reward without taking risks, Sora!" Riku called back. "See you at the finish line!"

Sora could feel the panic starting to rise inside of him. He quickly touched the star tree and raced along the same path as Riku, who had already reached the end of the tree line and was rushing for the last stretch. By the time Sora reached the other end of the tree tops, Riku was already halfway across the bridge, only a few yards away from Kairi. Riku was too far ahead of him. There was no way he could catch up now. He was going to lose….

"C'mon, Sora, don't give up!" Kairi cheered from a distance.

Sora doesn't really remember much of what happened after that. When Kairi's words of encouragement reach his ears, his whole body suddenly felt light as a feather. He took a step forward and suddenly he was flying across the bridge; everything around him looked like they were moving in slow motion. He could barely make out the stunned look on Riku's face and he passed by. Before he could make sense of what happened, Sora slapped Kairi's hand to mark the end of the race and skidded to a stop behind her, sending sand flying everywhere. Sora stared open mouth at his feet, acting as if it was the first time he had seen them. He didn't need to look at Riku to know they shared the same expression. The only person who didn't seem bothered by this was Kairi, who grabbed Sora by the wrist and raised it in the air.

"Winner and new champion: Sora!" Kairi cheered.

"Um…yay?" said Sora uncertainly.

"Sora…how did you do that?" said Riku stunned. "One second you were behind me and then…."

"I'm just that good, I guess," said Sora, suddenly breaking out in a goofy grin. "Either way, I won! I'm the champion!"

"Relax, it's just a name," said Riku, laughing. "Oh, and by the way, that bet we made before the race, I was totally pulling your leg. Now don't you look stupid?"

Sora just gapped at Riku as the silver-haired boy walked out through the wooden door to the main breach, leaving him only with Kairi and the shredded remains of his dignity. Curse that Riku. Even when he lost, he still managed to find a way to win.

"What bet was he talking about?" asked Kairi, leaning in curiously.

"Uh – uh – nothing! Nothing at all!" said Sora quickly. "Hey, look at the time, we should really get to work on that raft! Race you there, Kairi!"

"Sora, wait up! You know I can't run as fast as you!" shouted Kairi, chasing after the spiky-haired boy.

But as Sora and Kairi crossed the bridge and dropped down onto the beach on the opposite side of the cove, a person dressed in a long black coat stepped out from the shadows. It was the same person that had been watching them the previous day. The unknown kneeled into the sand and picked up something: a single red rose petal. Roses were not indigenous to this island; it had to have come from somewhere else. The unknown closed their fingers over the petal gently.

"I was right," said the unknown; their voice was clearly feminine. "It is him."


Sora looked over their handmade raft, overall very impressed with how it turned out. Thanks to Riku's contributions, the logs were securely fastened into a stable body for all three of them to stand on and the sail was tied so that a strong breeze wouldn't blow it away. Sora was a little concerned where they were going to put their things so that they don't get knocked off by the waves, but he figured they'd worry about that when the time came. Kairi was keeping herself busy checking over the boat's integrity to make sure nothing was loose when she turned on Sora.

"Sora, I need you to go out and collect some provisions for the trip," said Kairi. "Let's see…we're looking for…one seagull egg, three mushrooms, two coconuts, three fish, and some fresh water. Don't take any from the ocean; get it from the waterfall with this," she added, handing him a large glass bottle. "When you have everything, come back here so we can do inventory."

"Well, I got the coconut covered," said Sora, pulling the items out of his pockets. Kairi stared at him strangely. "Selphie uh…gave them to me."

"That was nice of her," said Kairi, taking the coconuts. "That's one less thing to look for. You should be able to find most of it around the cove. Tidus said he saw a seagull egg on top of a tree near the shack, and mushrooms like to grow in dark places. Best bet is you can find one hiding in the secret place. Get back soon with that stuff, all right. I want to get this done before sunset."

Finding the items were easy enough, especially since he grew up on the islands and knew where they would be beforehand. While most fish were out in deeper waters, there were a few strays that wandered in too close to the mainland. They usually gathered in the pool under the bridges since it was the deepest body of water on the island. Sora spied exactly three fish from his position on the bridge grouping up below him. He waited very patiently until the fish were calm enough to approach. Then, once it looked like they had settled, Sora jumped from his place and stomped the water, splashing water everywhere. The fish were flung into the air and Sora caught all of them at once.

"Oh yeah!" Sora whooped. "Sora three, fish zero!"

The mushrooms were even easier to find. Just as Kairi had said, they liked to grow in dark places, so it was a simple matter of search for areas where the light rarely touched. He dug his way through a brush of bushes to locate the first one, even managing to snag a couple of edible berries for the trip as a bonus. The second shroom was a little more difficult since it was hiding inside a small alcove blocked by a large rock. Sora actually had to call Riku for help since neither one of them could have pushed the boulder out of the way on their own.

Next came the Seagull egg, which Sora had been dreading. If Tidus's intel had been correct – and it had been thus far – the egg would be found at the top of one of the palm trees near the shack at the front of the island. Finding the tree, easy. Climbing the sides like a monkey to reach the top, a piece of cake. But when he was at the top and ready to take the egg, that was the difficult part. By the time he had reached the top, no kess that twenty seagulls were lying in wait, glaring their beady eyes at him in unison.

"Uh…nice birdies?" said Sora nervously.

Sora got the egg in the end, but not without a fight.

Sora was just finishing up collecting water from the island falls. It was big enough to hold an entire gallon, but Sora doubted that it would last them for their entire voyage. Maybe if they rationed it properly. Replacing the bottle in his pocket, all that was left on his to-do list was find the last remaining mushroom. Kairi suspected it would be in the secret place, which just happened to be right next to the waterfall under the shadow of the giant tree. The hole into the place was very small; Sora remembered a time when they were younger when they could just crouch inside. Now they had to get on their hands and feet.

He crawled through the tiny entrance that opened into a narrow cavern where the roots of the tree were digging through the stone walls. Walking further inside, the path opened into a wide circular area where nearly every part of the walls were covered in crude chalk drawings. Sora, Riku and the others had been coming into to this place for years since they were kids; it was like their own special hang out away from everyone else. But the oddest part of the cavern was the tall piece of wood on the end of the wall that no one could ever move. Riku said it looked like a door, but there was no handle. They tried for over a year to get it open, but none of them succeeded. And eventually, like all kids, they lost interest and left it alone. Except Sora. He couldn't stop wondering why it was here in the first place.

But this was not the time to be thinking about the door; he had a job to do. Looking around the cavern, he spotted the last mushroom sticking up from the floor, plucking it out of the dirt.

"That's the last one," said Sora. "Now to get these back to…Kairi…."

His voice trailed off, noticing the small drawing just above where the mushroom was. It was very simple compared to the rest of the cave drawings: a pair of faces, one of them with a spiky head and the other with messy lines. These were supposed to be pictures of Sora and Kairi. He remembered a long time ago when they were both young. They had decided to have fun and draw each other on the wall. Sora's drawing of Kairi was beyond terrible – it didn't even look like a face and more like a seaweed monster. But it was special to him. It was the first time Kairi ever talked to him, the first time she ever smiled at him.

Sora grabbed a rock off the ground and started scratching at the wall. His drawing skills weren't much better than they were back then, but he hoped the message was clear: a hand starting from his own head was offer a paopu fruit to Kairi. Sora just sat there in silence, staring at the picture as its meaning started to sink in his brain. However, he was ripped from his daydream when he heard footsteps coming into the cave. For one moment, he was afraid it was Riku and the silver-haired boy would see the picture, beginning a never ending cycle of teasing. However, the person that walked inside wasn't Riku.

The unknown visitor in the black coat looked around the cavern for a moment, taking in the drawings, before focusing on Sora.

"Wh – Who's there?" Sora questioned.

"I've come to see the door to this world," said the Unknown, her voice both dark and mysterious.

"Huh?" Sora stammered.

"This world has been connected," said the Unknown.

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Sora asked nervously.

"This world has been tied by the growing darkness," said the Unknown. "Soon it will be completely eclipsed. The Grimm will ravage it all. And there is nothing that can be done to save it."

"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this," said Sora. Then, he realized he had never met this person before. And he knew almost everyone on the islands. "Wait, where did you come from? Who are you?"

"I could be a friend, but I could also be an enemy," said the Unknown. "I do not know. Just as you do not know what await beyond that door."

"…you from another world!" said Sora, eyes wide in realization. "Riku was right! They do exist!"

"There is so very much for you to learn," said the Unknown. "Yet you understand so little. I suppose I should not be too surprised. You are both similar in that regard."

"Oh, yeah?" said Sora, glaring at the woman. "Well, you'll see. I'm gonna get out and learn what's out there!"

"Learning is not the same as understanding," said the Unknown. "If you understand nothing, then you truly know nothing. I fear you will not be ready in time, but there will be no choice left. The time is fast approaching."

Sora wanted to ask her what she was talking about, to ask what was coming, but something distracted her. It sounded like something scratching against wood. Sora instinctively looked over at the door, but found nothing different about it. And when he looked back at the Unknown, she was nowhere to be seen either.

"What was that all about," said Sora, soon remembering the mushroom and other items jiggling around in his pocket. "Ah, it's probably just some crazy lady. I need to get back to Kairi with the stuff."

And Sora felt the place, but not without feeling a chill running down his spine. The Unknown's words were echoing in his brain. She had been warning him about something; something that was coming soon. And she said they were both similar. But the question was, who was he similar to?


Sora walked back to the cove where as the sun was starting to set over the horizon – had he really taken that long? Kairi had not been too angry with him; she had apparently kept herself busy building charms out of seashells, saying that if they were ever separated, the charm would bring them back together again. Sora didn't know whether to believe it or not, but he liked the concept of the charm. He didn't want to lose his friends any time soon. With the supplies settled away and the ship reported in top shape, they were all set for tomorrow.

Riku and the other kids had already gone home for the night, leaving Sora and Kairi as the last people on the island. Kairi didn't want to leave too soon and asked if they could stay and watch the sunset together. Sora couldn't help but comply with her request. The setting was perfect: just the two of them, alone, the ocean breeze blowing against their faces, the waves lapping beneath them, and the glistening light of the sun spreading over the cloud lines. Sora could not think of a more perfect moment.

And then, Kairi said something that really caught him off guard.

"You know, Riku has changed."

"What do you mean?" asked Sora.

"Well…" Kairi hummed hesitantly.

"You okay?" Sora asked worried.

"Sora, let's take the raft and go – just the two of us!" Kairi said suddenly, turning on him.

"Huh?" said Sora, both shocked and slack jawed.

"Just kidding," Kairi answered with a loud laugh.

"What's gotten into you lately?" asked Sora. "You're the one that's changed, Kairi."

"Maybe…" said Kairi sadly, only mournfully so. Now Sora felt bad. "You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?"

"Yeah, of course!" Sora all but shouted with encouragement.

"That's good," said Kairi. "Sora, don't ever change."

"Huh?" muttered Sora. She was acting really weird now.

As she stood up, watching the sunset with a glimmer in her eye, Sora couldn't resist this feeling in his chest that made him want to stay here forever, just the two of them.

"I just can't wait," said Kairi softly. "Once we set sail, it'll be great."

The two of them returned in comfortably silence, staring out into the horizon lost in their own worlds. It would be half an hour before they would paddle their way back to the mainland, filled with hope for tomorrow and dreams of the worlds that they would see. But the Unknown that had been watching them under the cover of the trees did not share their feelings. She stared at the fleeting dot that was the children, her voice soft and mournful.

"I'm sorry…. I am so sorry…."


Meanwhile, on the world of Atlas, an assembly had been called in the military war room. All the important members had been called into this meeting by General Schnee including Ciel Soleil, Penny Polendina, and Sun Wukong. They were joined by a balding old man whose sparse hairs were wild and unkempt, his eyes behind a pair of old bifocals. The last man to join them was a tall and well-built man with a full head of shocking white hair and a thin strip of metal over his left brow. The man carried himself using a sturdy cane with his left hand while his right arm was missing completely; the sleeve of his uniform was stapled to his shoulder.

The six that had gathered stared at the message on the table with scrutiny. They had read it many times over and every time it felt harder to believe:

I send this message to the General of Atlas in dire warning.

I don't have much time to explain myself as I believe I am being followed, but I will
explain myself as best I can. In regards to the calamity that took place ten years ago,
I fear that the same event is repeating itself on other worlds. Stars have been dying out,
one by one, and can only mean that the worlds are in terrible danger. I am doing
everything I can to resolve this matter, but I fear my power may not be enough.

I have come across someone in my recent travels – a boy – who may have the
power to help us resolve this crisis. I cannot seek him out myself for fear of
endangering him. I ask that you send two of your best men to safeguard him
until he is strong enough to fight this.

I believe he will arrive in a world called Traverse Town in a matter of days.
Once there, a mutual acquaintance of ours will point you in the right
direction. Your people will know him when they see him.

The letter ends there, providing no further details of what they are supposed to look for or even a signature from the sender. General Schnee hummed in thought.

"General, what does this mean?" asked Ciel. "Do you think we should we trust these people?"

"I don't know," General Schnee admitted, leaning back in her chair. "What do you make of all this, General Ironwood?"

"I told you before, Winter," said the one-armed man, Ironwood. "I am no longer general of the Atlesian Military. It is your decision to make. Whatever it is do decide to do, we shall follow."

"Hmm…," Winter hummed again. "I don't want to believe that what they are saying is true, but we can't afford to overlook it. After the tragedy that took place ten years ago, we need to be ready to assume that a similar occurrence will take place soon."

"Permission to speak, General," asked Penny. Winter nodded in acknowledgement. "I think Sun and I should be the ones to go out and look for the boy this letter speaks of."

"Yeah, we've have the most experience of everyone in Atlas," said Sun in agreement. "If anyone can find this boy, we can."

"Yes, that would be the most logical course of action," said Winter.

Sun turned to Ciel, who turned to him with an apparent look of worry in her eyes.

"Ciel, I – " Sun began.

"No, I understand," said Ceil softly, reaching her hand out to cover his. "Just…promise me you'll come back safely. Both of you."

"It will be a long and perilous journey," said Winter, standing attention; everyone at the table repeated the action. "Our thoughts go with you, and we pray for your safe return. Go, hunt down and protect this boy at all costs, or else we face the threat of another tragedy."

"Sir, yes, sir!" shouted Penny and Sun in unison.

"Professor Polendina, please show them to the hanger," said Winter.

"At once, general," said the baldly old man. "Right this way, kids."

Professor Polendina lead the two across the military base down a spiraling staircase that lead to the lowest part of the world.

"There's something you two should know before you leave," said Professor Polendina. "While you two are on other worlds, you cannot let anyone know where you are from."

"Why is that, father?" asked Penny.

"Because, Penny, not many people know of the existence of other worlds," said Professor Polendina. "If that type of sensitive information were to get out, there would be chaos. The world were kept separated for a reason, you know. To preserve the world order, you must be discreet."

"I'm a man with a monkey tail sticking out of his butt," said Sun. "Discreet isn't exactly my thing."

Professor Polendina groaned, shaking his head in his hands.

When the trio reached the bottom of the staircase, they walked through a pair of sliding doors that opened into a massive workshop, which also doubled as a hanger. Everywhere one looked, the walls were lined with spinning cogs and smoking pipes; mechanical arms were flying in every direction, grabbing parts from the hundred rows of shelves or carrying welding tools to piece them together. In the middle of the workshop on top of a raised platform was their ship. It definitely wasn't something Atlas would have designed on their own; the material was made from a squishy, block substance and the overall appearance was very…cartoonish. Penny and Sun stared at the ship for a moment, tilting their heads.

"What is that thing made of, chewing gum?" said Sun with his brow raised.

"No, but something close to it," said Professor Polendina, moving behind a computer panel. "After the incident ten years ago, I made a discovery. These unusually materials – aptly called Gummi – are able to withstand the harsh pressures of space using only a limited amount of fuel. As you already know, Dust is useless once it moves away from the world's atmosphere, so we had to resort to crude methods of obtaining power. Nonetheless, this ship can achieve space travel without any difficulties, which means you are free to move between worlds as you see fit."

"Sweet!" said Sun excitedly, jumping into the space ship. "What are we waiting for? Let's light this bird already!"

"I'll see you soon, father!" Penny called out before following her partner.

Professor Polendina waved a final good bye to his daughter before initiating the sequence for launch. As the platform was lowered and the hanger door was opened ahead of them, Sun and Penny stared out the window to see General Schnee, Ironwood, and Ciel standing on the sidelines waiting for them to depart. Ceil looked very sad, which Sun was quick to notice and rest a hand against the glass. But Ciel still managed to smile through and waved good bye to the Faunus.

Professor Polendina activated the engines to the ship; Sun and Penny felt their seat vibrate underneath them as the engines roared to life. This was it – they were heading to the new worlds…. Sharing one last look to one another, the duo pointed forward and shouted together in unison:

"BLAST OFF!"

And the ship took off…straight through a hole in the floor.

"WHOSE STUPID IDEA WAS THIS?!" Sun screamed.

The exit was unexpected, but nonetheless the Gummi Ship popped out at the bottom of the world of Atlas. Taking a moment to collect their bearings, Sun and Penny hit the accelerators of the ship and took off into the distance, blinking into the stars.


And this about concludes the final chapter of the prologue sequence, so to speak. Next come the moment I hope (really hope) everyone had been looking forward to. The destruction of the Destiny Islands is imminent and Sora learns a new skill that may end up saving his life. Please read and review and especially critique it if you can. I don't feel I am improving unless told otherwise.