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Riku reaches the boy first, diving down to catch his sinking body. Sora quickly catches up and together they drag the other male to the surface. As they erupt back into the light they clutch each other kicking to stay afloat supporting the stranger between them. Gasping for breath they stay like that for some time, after first checking their unexplained visitor can breathe.
After sufficently recovering they kick towards the shore, towing the boy between them. Neither attempts to speak, both busy concentrating on the task at hand. When they reach the shore both collapse upon the soft, white sand, laying the stranger beside them.
Sora is the first to break the silence; "Who do you think he is Riku?"
Riku turns his head to look at Sora before replying. "And what makes you think that I have any more of an idea than you do?"
Sora looks away embarassed, rubbing the back of his head as best he can whilst laying down.
"I'm just curious!" He attempts to defends himself, before breaking into laughter and admitting "yeah, it was a dumb question really!"
Riku raises an eyebrow, "you think?"
Sora stares at the person they had just comitted an oh-so-heroic rescue for, taking first impressions.
The strangers hair is a silverish white, paler even than Riku's, forming untidy spikes and giving the boy a dishevelled appearance. Although, considering what had just happened Sora guessed he had an excuse, he himself probably looked none too tidy right now!
His skin was pale, and Sora wondered what colour eyes lay hidden under ivory lids. Maybe they were blue, like his own? Sora alligned himself with the other attempting to see who was the taller... Damn! Bested by what what, half an inch? Hmmm, Sora grew thoughtful and suddenly burst into a grin. He wriggled down so that the top of his hair was level with the top of the strangers head, now lets see who is... Aha! Sora knew it, he is taller!
Sora felt someone watching him and turned to see Riku looking with an extremely confused expression.
"I'm taller." Sora commented by way of explanation.
Riku looked as if he was deciding whether to laugh or not. "You do know hair doesn't count. Right?"
Sora wriggled uncomfortably. "I know that! I'm still taller..."
Now Riku laughed, a deep baritone chuckle.
Sora caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. "Hey Riku look! He's waking up!"
Sora and Riku crouched next to the unnkown youth as pale eyelids raised to reveal stunning green eyes.
"Where am I?" His voice sounded raw, probably all that screaming Sora thought. Only now did he remember the name the boy had been screaming, Danny...
It was Riku who replied to the others question, "Um, Destiny Islands. But that probably wont mean anything to you..."
The pale-haired boy looked thoughtful for a minute before shaking his head and admitting "Ahhh, no."
"Do you know how you came to be here?" Sora viced his question now, curiosity tempting his inquisitive nature.
"No, all I remember is entering the ghost-zone with Danny... Some strange black creatures attacked us and somehow we, we seperated, then it pushed us through the portal. But the portal had changed, it was sort of black and swirling. I was in the dark for a long time before I fell... Danny was not with me in the darkness, I was alone. I wonder what happened to him?"
The stranger looked sad as he finished.
"What is your name, and who is Danny?" Riku questioned.
"I am Phantom, and I suppose I am, or was, a part of Danny. An accident with one of his parents machines turned him part ghost, or rather, bonded his soul with ghostly energy creating me. But who are you?"
Phantom directed this question at both of them, looking at them out of those strange, glowing green eyes.
"I am Sora, and this is Riku!" Sora introduced the both of them.
Riku rose to his feet and and Sora bounced up too, offering his hand to Phantom. Phantom looked at them both confused even as he excepted Sora's help.
"I'm sure Sora is hungry by now," Riku explained, "we can go get ice-cream whilst we discuss this situation."
Sora bounced happily taking his new friend by the hand and practically dragging him up the beach. Riku stood for a moment looking out at the horizon. The winds of change were stirring, and he wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.
