>>It's Kai, Not Kairi

:The Diary:

author's notes: This chapter will clear things up. And THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS! They really motivate me to write more. Hope you like this chapter.


Kairi was able to smell the sweet, salty air of the beach before she even got there. It was the smell Squall liked too. She let out a deep sigh and continued to walk along the sidewalk until she was able to clearly see the beautiful blue.

She settled in the sand and leaned back on her arms, staring up at the sky. The clouds were swirling around each other, as if they were dancing. Kairi giggled; as if they were dancing. How lame.

Not far away from her, Sora was looking at the little pendant he had recently found. He thought it was crudely made. The paint on it was chipping off too. He was about to throw it back in the ocean, but thought better of it and placed it in his pocket. He then got up and brushed the sand off his pants, ready to go back to school.

As the brunette walked back towards the entrance of the beach, he spotted the back of Kairi's auburn hair. He smiled and went up to her.

"Hey Kairi." Sora said as he plopped down next to the surprised girl.

"Oh, hey." She replied, blushing.

She hadn't forgotten last night's incident.

"You don't mind me calling you that, right? Kairi?" Sora grinned.

Kairi shook her head and looked up at the now-setting-sun.

The two sat there looking at the sun set together, silently. Only the screeches of the gulls were heard from a distance and the waves lapped at their feet.

"Come on, Kairi. You're so quiet. Talk! It's not like you to be quiet like this." Sora said, trying to make conversation.

Kairi didn't answer him quickly. As if trying to put the right words together, she stared at her feet. Finally, she looked at Sora.

"This is the real me. Kairi Narumi. The person you're looking foris Kai Narumi. I'm Kairi, not Kai." She replied.

Sora stared at her. What was she trying to say?

"What do you mean?"

"You say I'm talkative? Well, I'm not. I only get hyper at school to get attention. That's how it's always been. I never really had any friends. That's why I spent most of my time drawing and making things." Kairi explained sadly.

All this never really occurred to Sora before. It was as ifKairi and Kai were two complete separate people.

"Most people would try to comfort you if you lost a family member, but nobody ever did that to me." She went on. "People started to avoid me. They thought it would help me recover from the shock I've got. Plus, ever since the day I lost my mom and brother, I stopped talking for months. That's why I couldn't socialize with others. There was only Selphie. She was the only one who really understood because she was there with me." Kairi let out a sigh.

Sora saw from the corner of his eye that Kairi was crying again. He hesitantly wrapped his arm around her shoulder and patted her arm.

"Don't worry. It's all in the past. You have friends now don't you? But next time, don't change who you are just so you'll be accepted. Even if it's the only way, don't. Trust me, you don't want to do that." Sora scolded.

Kairi looked at Sora and rolled his eyes.

"That goes for you too! Riku told me you weren't like this. He said it use to be very hard to shut you up. Sora, I know you've changed. You're not sarcastic anymore." Kairi said.

Sora gave her an odd look.

"Riku?"

"Yes, Riku. He told me about you and your girlfriend. He said you were really a different type of person until you and her broke up." Kairi explained.

Sora's face darkened.

"How does Riku know what I was like before I broke up with her? I've only known him for a couple of months now." Sora said.

"What? But Riku talked about you as if you guys were friends since three or something."

Sora shook his head. "I hardly even know him. That nosy, pretty boy, trying to know everything, is he?"

"No. It can't be. I use to listen to a lot of people talk when I was little and I've learned a lot from it. The way Riku was talking was truly a way a friend would talk about a friend. Sora, I swear. You guys had to be friends." Kairi defended Riku.

"But I barely know him! It can't be possible, Kairi!" Sora said, exasperated.

"Well, I don't know about that but-" That's when it hit her.

Let me explain this way. It's like a candle in the dark. If it's lit, you know where it is and you cherish it and never want to let it go. But if somebody blows that lit candle out, you're swallowed in darkness again. The candle is still there, but nobody will know. I'm that candle in my friends' memories...

Was it possible? Could it actually be true? Riku's friends...

Kairi stared at Sora with wide eyes. Tears started to brim her eyes as she did so.

Yes, it had to be. There was no other better possible explanation.

"It can't be." She whispered.

"What?" Sora cocked his head.

"No!" Kairi jumped up and started to run out of the beach, crying.

It was so sad... the blank look in Sora's eyes as I told him about Riku knowing him as a close friend would.

And Riku, he lives right next door to one of his best friends and he doesn't even know it. How would it feel? To have your friend not know you're his friend?

"I have to know." Kairi said to herself as she ran.

She dodged through the great mob of people in the town center.

"Oof." Kairi fell back on the floor.

"I'm so sorry." Kairi exclaimed as she helped the blonde haired girl up.

"It's okay-" The girl's eyes widened.

"Get away from me!" She pushed Kairi and started run away from her.

"What?" Dazed, Kairi stood for awhile. The blonde's bag was lying on the floor.

"Oh my dog. HEY! WAIT!" Kairi picked it up and started to run after her.

Luckily, most of the people had beanies and the girl's long blonde hair was easy to spot.

"Wait! Your bag!"

The girl looked at Kairi with fright and only ran faster.

"Stupid person." Kairi muttered. She picked up her speed and finally grabbed the girl's arm.

"Why are you doing this! I'm only trying to give your bag and you just push me and run off? What kind of person are you! You're a big fat meanie! You cruel, heartless person!" Kairi's eyes filled with hatred.

The girl only looked back at her with her turquoise colored eyes. Some how, the girl seemed very familiar to Kairi.

"Do I know you?" Kairi asked.

The girl stared at Kairi with fright.

"It can't be. How! After all I did! How do you recognize me! How could you! After all that trouble! Tell me how you got your memory back!" tears were streaming down the blonde's face.

Kairi stared at her.

"My memory? What's wrong with my memory?" Kairi asked.

The girl's face went pale.

"You mean. You didn't. You don't know me?" The girl's voice quavered.

"Of course not. Why would I want to know a slug like you anyway? Here's your bag. You waste my time." Kairi threw the bag at her feet and turned around, only to bump into Sora.

"Sora? How did you-" Kairi stopped as she looked at Sora's face expression.

It was as if he's seen a dead person. Kairi looked back at the girl and saw that her expression was like that too; the look of recognization.

"Na-Naminé." Sora stammered.

Kairi stared at the two for a while. So, this girl was that person from Sora's sketches. The girl that changed Sora.

"Don't say my name." She snapped.

"So, you still have dreams of that girl? That girl with red hair? The girl you dumped me for?" Naminé asked in a mocking tone.

Sora didn't say anything.

"Heh, didn't think so. And how is it you two got together?" Naminé looked at Kairi now.

Sora only continued to stare at Naminé with shock.

The blonde started to walk up to him. She was about the same height as Kairi and inches shorter than Sora. She started to stroke his hair.

"Don't want to answer? Want to come back to me, Sky?" Naminé smiled.

Kairi stepped up and angrily pushed the blonde away from Sora.

"Get away from him. It's over between you and him." Kairi grabbed Sora's hand.

"Let's go, Sora. You don't need losers like her." Kairi gave Naminé one last evil look and pushed through the crowd.

Naminé only crossed her arms and the look of a plan spread in her eyes.

Sora silently opened the door to the dorm. Kairi looked at Sora with concern. What happened to the two? What could've been so bad that Sora couldn't even say a word?

"Kairi?" Sora called out.

"Yes, Sora?"

"About us...Naminé and me...don't worry about it. It's just something." Sora said barely over a whisper.

"The dream.." Kairi said.

"The dream. I don't know why it keeps entering my sleep. But ever since I've been with Naminé, I've had dreams of this girl. The dream is what interfered our relationship. Don't worry about." Sora rolled onto his bed without changing into his night clothes.

Kairi stood where she was standing for a while and then went out the door. She placed the door blocker on between the door and the door frame and went across the hall to Riku's door. She knocked on it with her knuckles.

"Who's there?"

"It's Kai."

The door opened and Riku stepped.

"Hey Kai! What's up?" He smiled.

"About Sora..." Kairi started.

"Yeah?" Riku continued to smile.

Kairi looked into his aquamarine eyes. She didn't know if she could ask him.

"Um...never mind. I just-just forget it. Sorry to bother you." Kairi mumbled.

Riku raised a brow and leaned against his door, crossing his arms.

"Come on Kai. I know you wanted to tell me something."

"I'm not sure if I'm ready to tell you. Maybe next time. Good night." Kairi waved and slowly walked towards her door.

She took out the door blocker and went inside. Sighing, she thrust herself on her bed. Sleep wasn't going to come easily tonight. She pulled out her duffle bag and dumped out all the books she had grabbed and threw in back at home. She never really read them.

Kairi rolled off of bed and sat on the floor, flipping through the pages. They were mostly books required for eighth grade, so she didn't really need them any more. Sighing again, she started to throw them in back in her bag. As she did so, there was one without a title. Curiously, she picked it up and looked at the cover.

"I've never seen this before." She said to herself.

She opened it up and looked at the first page.

Kairi's Diary

Keep out!

Kairi never kept diaries. She thought it was stupid to talk to a book. However, she did start to read the first entry.

6/9/02

Omg! School is out today! Sora, Riku, and I went swimming after. Naminé tagged along but she juz drew stuff. I wish she would talk more. She never does. I wonder how it feels to be so quiet and lonely like that. So glad the gang is there for me.

Knitting her brows, she quickly flipped through the diary and hastily read another one.

8/4/02

We're going to set sail soon...I can't wait. It's strange. These days, I can't get Sora off my mind. We were just friends at first, but now...I'm not sure. I told Naminé about it. She just sat there, not saying anything. But I think I upset her because she just walked away. Ah well, I better start packing. Tomorrow's the big day.

Kairi's hands were shaking as she flipped through other pages and read them.

2002, that was this year... During the summer, she went to summer camp. She couldn't have written this...

"NO!" Kairi threw the diary against the wall, tears streaming down her face.

The book fell on the floor with a plop. A piece of paper was sticking out of the pages. Hands still shaking, she slowly picked it up and turned it around. It was a photo. A picture of Sora, Riku, and her...