I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Sorry for the two week delay! There was a situation with the original story on the original site, but it's over now.

Yeah…I came up with the idea of Shiro when I was, like, 8. But it took me until I was almost 13 to actually come up with this story. That's because up until last January, I just thought of "Shiro" as "a character with absolutely no deep thought as to her creation and her story" instead of "Sora's fraternal twin sister who's in love with Riku and etc, etc, etc" (I'm leaving it at that so I don't ruin it).

Anyway…ON TO THE STORY!

"BEEP! BEEP!" my alarm screeches loudly and annoyingly, waking us up at 9:00. Sora and I don't want to have another weird dream at the beach, so we take our time getting ready.

By the time we get there, Riku and Kairi were on the other side of the island.

"Sora?"

"Yeah, Shiro?"

"Before we go meet Riku and Kairi, let's train here. It'll help you in today's match with Riku." My brother and my, um, best friend – as strange as it feels to describe him that way, there really isn't any other adjective to use that wouldn't feel even more uncomfortable – always have this random match that they come up with. After how stupid I acted yesturday, I want to put off seeing him for as long as possible.

We go to Selphie first, just as we did yesterday.

"Hey, guys, have you heard the legendary power of the paopu fruit? They say if you share it with someone you really care foe, it binds you together forever and ever through eternity! Oh, it's so romantic. I've got to try it sometime," she tells us, sighing. Riku flashes into my mind, as Kairi most likely flashes into Sora's. I shake the thought out of my head and force to think about Selphie's voice: from personal experience, I can tell you that she isn't as stuck up as she sounds. True, she has come to annoy me at times – a fact that I've kept to myself – but she's still a good friend to have when you've spent the majority of your life just around boys.

I give Sora a chance to beat her, and he does so as quickly as I had.

Next we walk to Wakka, who isn't that far away.

"Me and Tidus, we are gonna do a little exploring today. You know, to the secret place of that tree. There's gotta be something there, ya?"

I know what he's talking about. Sora, Kairi and I have this secret spot that was found by Sora, Riku and me years ago. It's the place where Sora and Kairi are being honest with each other, but not saying anything about what they're being honest about. Inside, the two of them draw with rocks on the stone walls that are illuminated by a natural skylight on the ceiling. I just watch, because I've never been able to think of what to draw.

I just think.

But I bet that neither Wakka nor Tidus would be able to figure that out just by exploring it. I don't even know if Riku would be able to either. He's never really gone to the secret place after we discovered it.

After we hit the beach ball back at him a bunch of times again, I lie, "By the way, Wakka, there isn't anything there. Trust me. I went in there, and it isn't that intresting." He buys it, and my brother walks with me to Tidus.

"I think you've gotten stronger. But, odds are you're still no match for Riku. We took him on three-to-one last time, and he whipped us all," Tidus recalls. Thank you so much for keeping him in my head, Tidus, when I'd much rather not get nervous over him until I see him.

Since Tidus is still whacking his rod around, I grab it from him and say, "Sora could do that easily. Right, Sora?" He nods. Yeah, I realize that I'm giving him all the glory today, but here's how I think of it: I don't plan on challenging Riku anytime soon.

In about five minutes, Tidus, Selphie and Wakka are all panting. Sora and I sprint over to where we are meeting Riku and Kairi.

I was talking to Kairi when we heard the two boys bickering over what the raft's name should be. Riku's idea is to name it Highwind. Sora's suggestion is Friend Ship. They decide to race on it.

Kairi, of course, is proclaimed judge. While we wait for them to be ready, Sora and Riku decide on the prize.

Sora's idea is: "If you win, I'm captain. And if you win –"

Riku interrupts with: "I get to share a paopu with Kairi."

"Huh?" Sora asks, absolutely bewildered. He looks as surprised as I feel – well, sort of. It astonishes me, but I calm quickly because I could see something like this coming. Plus, both Riku and I know how much saying that would make my brother freak out.

"Deal? Winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi!" Riku seems unfazed by Sora's reaction.

"Wha-Wait a minute..." Sora tries to protest against it, but he doesn't get a chance to finish.

Kairi interrupts just in time. "Okay. On my count: 1, 2, 3, GO!" And with that, the two take off running.

"Nice timing," I congratulate with a giggle.

"Why, thank you!" Kairi slaps the hand that I've held up and lets out a laugh.

The two of us girls wait in silence until Sora and Riku return. It is a tie, so Kairi decides on the name: Thalassa. She has been making some thalassa shells to promise us a safe journey.

After the race, she tells us to get three mushrooms, two cocunuts, one seagull egg and drinking water. We get most of those, and then go to get the last mushroom. It's in our secret place.

As soon as I pick it up, I noticed my brother drawing by a strange door. Beside it was where Sora and Kairi had drawn each other's heads when we were little kids.

I lean over his shoulder and saw that he was drawing his head giving her head a paopu fruit. When he finishes, some strange energy flows through my body, making me shudder. He does the same, which tells me he feels it as well. The energy is cold, yet it holds warmth. It has a sense of guardianship.

Suddenly, behind me, I hear the sound of rough wool rubbing together, signaling movement.

Sora stands up next to me, and we both saw someone behind some roots.

"Who's there?" I ask the person.

The stranger says monotonousely in a low voice, "I have come to see the door to this world." I look to my right, at the brown door that stands out against the gray stone. Well…I try to, anyway. I'd be able to see it if my brother's spiky hair wasn't blocking my sight in that direction!

In unison, my brother and I say, "Huh?"

"This world has been connected," the stranger begins. "Tied to the darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed."

"You didn't answer my first question," I mumble.

Sora pipes up. "Well, whoever you are, stop freaking us out like this." He realizes that we have no clue who he is or where he's from. "Wh-Where did you come from?"

From there, Sora and the stranger go back and forth.

"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door." We notice the brown door again.

"So you're from another world!" Sora shouts. That's kind of obvious, I think, feeling another energy attempt to enter my body as my annoyance grows. Even though I want to interrupt, the stranger speaks again.

"There is so very much to learn. You both understand so little." The sensation increases when I fight the urge to insult him back.

"Oh yeah? Well you'll see. We're going to get out and learn what's out there!" Sora counters.

"A meaningless effort. Those who know nothing can understand nothing." After that, he mysteriously disappears. Sora and I look at each other and ran out of the little cave with our provisions. As we sprint out at full, fearful speed, I am thankful that we never drop the items in our hurry.

It isn't until we have just about reached Kairi and the raft that I realize that the energy that was trying to get inside of me during our run-in with that weirdo isnt trying. Nothing's pushing itself inside my heart. I wonder if Sora felt it, too.

That power…

That enhanced anger…

That darkness.

Thanks for reading! …Yeah, I know that this kind of seems pretty rushed.

R/R/KR!

-Pamela