AN: Wow... It's been a while huh? I am sorry this chapter took so long to come out, a hellish combination of KH 3 coming out, one of the hottest summers on Australian record, nearly having to evacuate because of bushfires (IKR?!) and just plain lack of time management kept this on the back burner.

But I'm back now. And the above excuses aside, I am happy to be back writing this.

Enjoy!

Chapter 4 – In this Class 1-A

Riku groaned as he rolled over, the dark room barren of all light bar the alarm clock beside the bed.

5:50, huh...?

Riku got up, running a hand through his silver hair as he stared ahead into the blackness, almost daring it to move, to speak, to do... anything.

"Stop it." He muttered, standing up and walking out of his room, finding the bathroom easily in the dark.

Ever since arriving, Riku had been worried. The dark was here, living and thriving in the hearts of villains and heroes alike, but it was... tame. Quiet.

Waiting.

Riku washed his face, looking up into the mirror and staring into his own aquamarine eyes.

"You're being paranoid." He tried to tell himself. "Not all darkness is waiting to consume everything. Just relax."

He cringed slightly.

"Dammit, I'm beginning to sound like Ansem..." He grumbled, stepping into the shower and trying to focus on more positive things.

They had been accepted. It wasn't really in doubt, from Riku's perspective, but Sora had been over the moon with happiness and relief. They were assigned to Class 1-A, and were given uniforms and expected to be there in the morning to begin.

And apparently, Aizawa was their teacher.

"He'll be a lot of fun..." Riku muttered, chuckling.

Honestly, Riku didn't know how he felt about going back to school. After he did so much, hurt so many, it felt almost... wrong, to go back to normal life.

But Sora... Sora would never stop until he did. Would never accept happiness unless they shared it.

Riku smiled, catching his friends snoring as he came out into the dark loungeroom. Sora hadn't even made it to bed, spending so much time thinking and fretting.

The older teen crouched beside the couch, watching his friend sleep without a care in the world.

"You've always slept like that..." He muttered. "In bed, on the beach, dead of night, middle of the day..."

Sora snorted in his sleep, shifting off to the side, small smile on his face.

Riku chuckled softly, his sorrowful mood fading away as he felt the light from his friend.

"As long as I have you, Kairi, Mickey..." He muttered, sliding down to lean against the couch, leaning his head back against the armrest and closing his eyes. "Then I won't get lost in the dark again."

Riku rolled his eyes as he watched his friend wring his hands for what seemed to be the thousandth time that morning.

"Sora, stop." He repeated. "It will be fine, they're just kids. How are you more scared of them than you were of Ansem, or Xemnas?"

Sora winced slightly, pacing a little as they waited in the hall outside their new classroom to be called inside.

"That's different." He whined. "Those two I could just... I dunno, beat them up. I don't think I can beat up my classmates..."

Riku chuckled, leaning against the wall beside the door.

"If the test is anything to go by, I wouldn't be too sure of that, Sor." He teased, drawing a chuckle out of his friend, but he didn't stop pacing.

Riku watched him for a little longer, before bringing up something that had been bugging him.

"Sora, you weren't this worried for high school before." He pointed out. "In fact, you were really excited."

Excited was an understatement. Even though he had never actually gone to high school, still in middle school when he had ruined any chance of graduating...

Still, he had been so excited to join Riku at high school, even though he tried to tell his friend several times it really wasn't anything different.

"It's... different." Sora said unhelpfully, sighing and joining Riku in leaning against the wall.

Riku looked him over, noting the tension in his friend that still refused to leave, the bags under his eyes that showed that Sora slept very little last night, even if he had managed it eventually, and the slight biting of his lip, constantly looking for someone who wasn't there.

"...you miss Kairi." Riku said softly, and Sora sighed.

"I just..." He muttered helplessly. "I can't help it. I feel like... Like I should be going to high school with her for the first time, y'know?"

Riku bit back the urge to tell him that Kairi had nearly completed a full year at high school before Axel had taken her, knowing that wouldn't help his friend with his dilemma.

The real problem was one that he was feeling himself... their group felt incomplete. Kairi had always been there, it was hard to even remember a time when she wasn't.

Riku closed his eyes, remembering a strange time. A time when Kairi wasn't there to show off to, to mess around with them before telling them off for it, when a stranger coming to the islands was such a strange event it...

"Outside this tiny world... is a much bigger one."

Riku opened his eyes sharply as the door beside them opened, the tired looking Aizawa looking out at them.

"Come in and introduce yourselves." He muttered, stepping back in and letting them join him.

Riku easily moved off the wall, patting Sora on the arm as he went.

"I know it's not the same." Riku muttered softly to his downcast friend. "But we'll see her again. And you already have a friend in this class anyway."

Sora brightened a little at the mention of Izuku, and smiled at his friend.

"Yeah..." He said, bouncing away from the wall. "C'mon Riku, lets... lets go to class."

Izuku Midoryia sighed as he slumped forward in his desk, eyes trained on the window to his left.

He STILL hadn't heard anything on Sora and Riku... All Might was being vague, to the point where Izuku almost suspected him of being intentionally so to frustrate him.

"C'mon Deku, it'll be fine..." Uraraka muttered, looking over at her downcast friend. "They said they did well on the test, right?"

Izuku nodded, not feeling all that reassured of things. Really, he didn't think they HADN'T gotten in. He just wanted, maybe a little selfishly, for them to be in this class. He hadn't known them for long, but Sora and Riku were his friends... and honestly, Izuku didn't have many of them.

He smiled up at Uraraka, happy that he had found such good friends in UA already.

"Yeah, they're really strong. I'm not worried." He reassured her, trying to look a little more hopeful.

It'll be nice to just have them at the school, anyway.

"Class, quiet."

The din immediately died down, the hero trainees all focusing on the front of the room as Aizawa-sensei rubbed the back of his neck, looking annoyed.

As in, more annoyed than normal.

"As some of you may have already heard..." The tired-looking hero began. "There are two late entrants to this school. Circumstances lead to them being unable to take the normal test, and so an exception was made."

Izuku blinked, eyes going wide as a smile began to form. Aizawa talking about this must mean...

"So, after testing them, they have been placed in the Hero course." The teacher grumbled. "So, we have two new students."

Aizawa walked over to the door and muttered something out into the hallway, before leading two teens in, one with silver hair and one brunette.

Izuku's smile turned into a broad grin as he locked eyes with Sora, who offered his bright smile in return, tension seeming to bleed out of him as he saw Izuku.

"Introduce yourselves." Aizawa repeated, taking his place and waiting, obviously annoyed he even needed to do this.

Sora stepped forward, the uniform looking odd on the boy as he had rolled up the sleeves and wore his tie very loosely, he gave of a very messy appearance.

"Hey everyone!" He began, grinning. "I'm Sora, no last name. I know that sounds weird to you guys, but we just don't have them where we come from! Um, I like beaches... ice-cream, and making friends! Oh, and I like sparring with my friends!"

Riku rolled his eyes, noticing how his friend was struggling to think of ways to talk about his friends without giving away the world order.

"Uh..." Sora floundered, looking left and right. "...Riku, your turn!"

Riku sighed and stepped forward. He had gone without a tie entirely, and wore his shirt untucked, but aside from that he was clean cut and presentable.

"As you heard, I'm Riku, no last name." He said, tone quiet but strong. "I like my friends, and my job is to keep this one in line."

He pat Sora's head, smirking slightly as his friend quickly became flustered, swatting his hand away and muttered.

"I also like sparring, and I look forward to seeing everyone in action." Riku finished, bowing slightly as he did so.

Aizawa nodded, and pointed at the back, where two new desks had been placed.

"Those are your desks." He told them. "You already have your timetables, don't be late to anything."

"Okay, sensei!" Sora said, grinning brightly at him, and Aizawa sighed, muttering about migraines as the two new teens walked over to their desks.

Izuku grinned at Uraraka, who sent him a 'I told you' look, and the pair silently decided to make their new friends as welcome as possible.

The new additions to the class certainly caused a stir, many of the students confused and curious as to why the class was two larger than the norm.

"It may go against regulations..." Uraraka said, trying to placate an irate Iida. "But isn't it nice that they're here?"

Iida sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"That may be so, but it is the principle of the thing!" He insisted, as everyone began to pack their supplies away for the next class. "What rule will be bent next, or even broken?"

Sora gave an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his head.

"I mean, we didn't mean to cause any trouble, Iida..." He said, trying to defuse the older boy. "I didn't even know it was against the rules!"

"That is not the point-" Iida began, but was cut off.

"C'mon Class Prez, cool your engines." A red-haired teen with shark-like teeth said, grinning. "You're gonna make the new guys nervous!"

He turned to Sora and Riku, offering a hand to the closer brunette.

"Sup guys, I'm Eijiro Kirishima, and this is Denki Kaminari." He said, gesturing to himself and the blond beside him, who offered a grin as well.

"Nice to meet you!" Sora said, shaking his hand with a grin in return. "I'm Sora, and this is Riku, but I guess you already knew that..."

Kirishima laughed and shook his head.

"Naw its cool man." He dismissed. "So, you guys must be tough to get into this class, huh?"

Riku nodded, not really paying attention as he looked around at everyone in the room. Despite the fact that only these two had introduced themselves, everyone seemed to be interested in the new pair, enough to lag behind anyway.

But the two that caught Riku's attention the most where a spikey haired teen with red eyes, and a bird-like teen.

The first fit what he had heard of one Katsuki Bakugo, and that coupled with the side glares he shot Izuku every now and then, only confirmed Riku's suspicions. He would need to have a talk with the teen at some point.

His darkness... it isn't consuming, but it fuels him. Especially when it comes to Izuku...

The other teen was a different case altogether. The quiet, bird-esque student practically reeked of darkness, so much so that it was hard to even get a read on his heart apart from it.

But... he also didn't seem ill, or corrupt, or even unstable. It was a practiced, controlled use of darkness...

Riku hummed in curiosity and turned away, refocusing on the conversation. It looked as though Sora had already made two more friends, laughing away with Kaminari and Kirishima about some joke he hadn't heard.

"We need to get moving to class." Iida reminded them as he walked past the group. "We have combat training with All Might next."

Izuku seemed to almost glow when he heard the news.

"I got so distracted I forgot!" He said, grinning with glee. "I wonder what he'll be like as a formal teacher...?"

Riku shrugged, remembering the large, imposing figure that was the Symbol of Peace, and the blinding light he put out.

Hardly a natural light, but Riku had to admire the drive. The shadows that the man had were deep, but they didn't deter him from what was right.

I guess I can't help but be a little envious...

"Riku, you coming?" Sora asked, shaking the older teen out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah..." The silverette grumbled, following after his friend, who fell into step beside Izuku and Uraraka.

Riku watched as Sora effortlessly meshed with the heroes in training, almost as if he'd always been a part of their group.

"So, what do you think 'combat training' means, Izuku?" Sora asked, genuinely curious.

In his mind, he was picturing what Phil had put them through to train them, the closest thing he has experienced to 'Hero School'.

"I'm not sure..." Izuku admitted, rubbing his chin. "It'll probably have something to do with Quirk control... maybe in an environment where we can't go all out, or have to watch out for casualties or allies..."

Sora nodded, blue eyes gleaming.

"Sounds way cooler than hitting pots!" He said, laughing as he threw his hands behind his head.

Riku smiled at his friend, glad to see that the tension from before had almost entirely faded.

But... it was still there. In the way Sora almost asked the opinion of a girl who wasn't there, glanced around to see where she was on instinct, or simple looked sadly at the wall, or ceiling.

But Sora was strong. He'd pull through, and they would see her again, and the Islands, and everything else.

But for now...

Riku looked ahead at the corridor, the students mingling and racing around to get to class.

For now, this was fine.

AN: Sorry for the two long authors notes, but I have a question for you guys.

The story, as it is, has not romantic elements to it. They are not needed to the story I am crafting, but I am open to including it.

So, I thought I would ask you guys, after racking my brains to decide. Would you guys like romance in this story? And if so, who with?

I'm going to put up a poll on my page to vote on, and keep in mind that I probably won't just put pairings up on it, just vague ideas to get your opinion on the topic.

As an example, Cannon Ships (Sora X Kairi, Deku X Ochaco) Cross Ships (KH Characters X MHA Characters) Slash Ships (Male X Male, Female X Female) and combinations of those. Or just plain no ships.

For anyone worried about the story changing too much, don't be. I have left space open for this type of thing, I just hadn't decided what I wanted to do with it yet.

And now I have the opportunity to let you guys shape this story a bit. Either vote on the poll, or if you have a more detailed suggestion feel free to PM me with it.

Thanks guys, you're the best!