Author's Notes: Thank you for keeping up with the story! I know I let off with a cliffhanger, but the answer will be revealed soon... Expect to see more of the characters interact with each other and read stuff you won't find in the individual stories that I posted by themselves. I hope you'll like the next chapter!

Sibling Rivalry Meets The Runaways (Sora, Kairi, Riku, Namine, Xion and Roxas side of the story)

Chapter 39: Our Different Paths:

"Can't wait?" Sora grinned toward Roxas as they walked together along the dirt road.

Roxas's eyes lifted toward the sky as he had his hands in his pockets. "I can't believe how fast a few months have passed. I know you can't wait to see her again."

Sora nodded and placed his arms behind his head. After the trip Kairi and he took, she had to leave the island for a few months along with Xion and Namine. Even though Sora and Roxas had each other and their friends to keep them company, they still missed the girls they cared about most. It was quiet not to hear from them. They made it toward the edge of the island and gazed out over the ocean. They couldn't help but feel a sense of peace as they stared over it. "Have you heard anything from Xion?"

"Not really..." Curious, Roxas looked over at Sora. "Have you heard from Kairi?"

Sora's eyes traveled down, disappointed. "Not much, but I know that they should be here soon."

Roxas was still surprised to hear what they did at the beginning of the summer. "I still can't believe that the two of you just ran off together."

Sora grinned as he placed his hands behind his head. "Yeah! It was really fun!"

Roxas arched his eyebrow. "I'm sure it was..."

Sora blinked, surprised. He sounded as if he had some suspicions. "What?"

"So… nothing else happened on that trip?" Sora let a nervous laugh and scratched his cheek. He knew what Roxas wanted to know, but he still didn't answer him, even when he asked the first time. Roxas gave him a suspicious stare. He couldn't pinpoint it, but he knew there was something Sora wasn't telling him. "I'm going to find out eventually. You could just tell me now."

Sora rubbed the back of his head as he looked toward the side nervous. "I told you. Mainly it was just us hanging out."

"Hmm…" Roxas crossed his arms. No matter how many times Sora told him the story, he still didn't believe him completely. Then, his eyes traveled down and toward the side. "You… didn't have to come and wait with me you know."

Sora became surprised by his words. "What? Why wouldn't I?" When he noticed the serious look on Roxas's face, he became uneasy. Sometimes, he just didn't understand what he was thinking. Then, Sora smiled toward him. "I don't mind waiting here with you."

"What about Riku?" Inside, Roxas was surprised that Sora decided to come with him instead.

Sora put his fist toward his lips. It was an awkward situation to be in. Roxas is his brother, but Riku is his best friend and someone he considered like a brother. It didn't seem like the two were going to get along. He wished that wasn't the case, but maybe it would work out someday. Sora smiled toward him. "It's fine. He said that he had somewhere else to go and that he would see Kairi later. Really, I don't mind being here with you."

Another reason came to Roxas's mind as to why. "Or maybe he doesn't want to run into Xion..."

Sora sighed with his eyes closed. It really was a messy situation. Then, he shook his head. He decided to look on the bright side. "Either way, at least we get to spend time with each other." Roxas's eyes widened in realization. Surprisingly, Sora had spent more time with him, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe Sora really did try to get closer to him as his older brother. The two stood by the ocean and talked while they waited. Suddenly, Sora's eyes widened as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. He heard a giggle behind his back. Sora turned around surprised to see a red-haired girl with a grin. Happy, he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. "Kairi!"

Roxas turned around to Xion that was behind him. She tilted her head as she smiled toward him. "Roxas!"

A smile curved at his lips, happy to see her. "Xion." He tilted his head down and connected his forehead to hers.

Kairi parted from Sora a little as she kept her arms wrapped around him. "Did you miss me?"

Sora nodded. "Of course!"

The giggles slipped out one after another. She was happy to be with him again and she could tell that he was happy as well. "Finally we're back! We just got in. I couldn't wait to see you."

Sora smiled as he nodded. Then, they looked over. "Hey-!" Before Sora could greet Xion as well, he noticed that Xion and Roxas seemed busy. Roxas's arms were wrapped around Xion's back as her arms were wrapped around his neck. Their eyes were closed as they kissed.

Nervously, Sora and Kairi watched as the two reconnected in front of them. "Um…guys?"

"Hello…?" Sora tapped Roxas on the shoulder, but he didn't respond.

Kairi placed her hands behind her back as she looked at Sora. "I think they should come up for air."

Xion tilted her head down as she giggled with her eyes closed. "I think she's right."

Roxas gave Sora a dull stare. "I'm surprised that you aren't doing the same thing..."

Sora looked away as he blushed. It's not as if the thought didn't cross his mind. Kairi took a deep breath in as she turned toward the ocean. Even though it was a short time away, she missed the ocean and the salty air. "I'm glad that we're back."

Sora was curious. "How was it?"

Kairi looked back toward the others. "Summer school kept us busy, but it wasn't all bad. We didn't have our noses in books the whole time."

Xion's eyes lowered toward the ground as a feeling of guilt came over her. "But we wouldn't had to go if it wasn't for me…"

Kairi smiled for comfort. "I didn't exactly help the situation either..." She glanced over at Sora. Their recent trip didn't make it any better…

Without words, Sora knew what she meant. Then, he smiled as he let the thought go. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you guys are here now. We should have fun on our last year of school."

Kairi nodded. "Right!" Their enthusiasm brought a smile to Xion's face. Maybe this year would be better. Kairi pointed back toward the road. "Now that we're here, do you guys want to grab something to eat?"

Sora looked over at Roxas. "I could eat! What do you say?"

Roxas shrugged. "Fine with me." Roxas and Xion turned and followed the road that headed toward town.

Before Sora could follow behind, he felt an arm grab his. As soon as he turned his head, he felt a pair of lips meet his. Kairi stood on one foot as the other lifted off of the ground. Surprised at first, his eyes lowered to a close. Soon, she parted from him with a smile that mirrored his. "Welcome back."

"About time!" Sora turned his head in time to see Roxas give him a dull stare.

Sora placed Kairi's hand in his and caught up with Roxas and Xion. "Yeah… yeah!"

On the other side of the island, near a ship port, Riku walked with his hands in his pockets toward the ocean. It seemed that a ship had already pulled in. A smile appeared on his face as he noticed a familiar face in the distance. "You finally made it."

He was greeted by a sweet smile. "You weren't waiting long, were you?" He shook his head. She reached her hand up and brushed his bangs aside. "I see you finally got a haircut."

He let out a smirk. "You've complained about it long enough," he said jokingly. Then, his lips curved into a gentle smile. "It's good to see you back…Namine."

The two began to walk beside each other. Namine turned her head toward him. "I'm surprised."

A curious look came on his face. "About what?"

Namine placed her hands together in front of her. "Kairi is supposed to return back today too. I'm surprised that you didn't go with Sora to see her."

"I always can later. Besides…" As he thought about the other reason, his eyes traveled away from her toward the ocean.

Even though he didn't say it, she already knew. "She and Xion were supposed to come back at the same time, which means…"

"Sora decided to go with Roxas instead," Riku finished. It seemed they were on the same page.

Namine's eyes traveled along the ground. She knew things had become different now with everything that happened. "Hmm…Maybe… it was for the best. It would be a little awkward if we all ran into each other."

"Maybe a little. Here. Let me help you." Riku reached over and grabbed her bags.

Namine let out a grateful smile. "Thank you Riku."

All four of them let out a laugh. Outside of a cafe, they sat at a table, underneath an umbrella. Sora turned his head to Kairi beside him. "Maybe we can see each other tomorrow. It can be the four of us again."

Kairi let out an apologetic smile. "I wish we could…, but mom wants us to spend time together before school starts. It doesn't seem like we can really get out of it."

Xion looked over toward Roxas with the same smile. "Sorry…"

Sora was little disappointed, but kept his smile on. "I guess next time then…"

Kairi placed her hand on top of his to assure him. They only had to be separated for one more day. "Don't worry. We will soon."

The next day, Kairi and Xion grinned as they walked toward the edge of the huge, white yacht near the railing. The breeze off of the ocean felt nice as it blew passed them. The crystal-clear water looked beautiful underneath them. From the lower deck, Namine walked out with her notepad underneath her arm as she smiled. The cool weather really did feel nice today. Then, she spotted Kairi and Xion ahead. A nervous feeling came to her stomach. Kairi and her haven't seen each other for a while and barely spoke. Now they would be alone together. She put aside her concerns and walked forward. Whatever happens, she would be ready. Kairi pointed up toward the sky. "See it?!"

Xion nodded. "Yeah!"

Then, Kairi noticed someone out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see Namine sit near the edge of the boat as she started drawing on her notepad. At first, Kairi stared uneasy. They always had a rocky relationship, but they were still family nonetheless. Determined, she walked over. Namine blinked surprised once she noticed her approach. Kairi stood in front of her. "Hi."

Namine gave a nervous smile. "Hi…!" Namine stood up in front of her. Xion stepped in toward them curious.

Kairi smiled a little toward her. "So…? How was school?"

Namine grabbed onto the edges of her notepad. "It was great! I've learned so much! How was it for you?"

Kairi glanced at Xion since they went together. "It was fun." Since they had a chance alone, she wanted to break the tension between them. "Listen. I know that things have been…strange between us, but we're family, so I hope that we can stay that way."

Namine nodded. "Yes. I agree." Xion let out a smile. She was glad that the two had finally made up.

Nearby, Aqua's parents headed toward their parents on the deck. "Our guests should be arriving shortly!" the girls' mother exclaimed with an eager look.

As the girls talked, they noticed another familiar face head toward them. Their happy expressions changed to surprise. Kairi was the first to speak. "Riku? What are you doing here?"

Riku noticed their surprise and became a little surprised himself. "I got invited by your parents. They didn't say anything about it?"

The girls looked at each other. Neither one of them had a clue that he would join them today. Then, Kairi looked at him along with Namine and Xion. "No. I didn't know that we could invite anyone. I thought it was just going to be us."

Uneasy, Riku's and Xion's eyes met. The quieter it got, the more awkward it felt between them. Xion grabbed onto her hands in front of her. "Hey..."

"Hey," Riku greeted her.

Kairi glanced between them. She figured the two needed some time to work things out as well. She turned her head toward Namine. "Namine? Maybe we should see what's going on." Namine glanced at Riku, unsure if he wanted to be left alone. He answered her silent question with a nod. Afterwards, Namine walked away with Kairi and headed toward their parents to find out what was going on. She knew it was something Riku needed to face.

Xion placed her hair behind her ear uneasy. It was hard after everything that happened, but she knew it was the one thing she wanted to fix. Her eyes met his. "I'm sorry... I'm sure I'm the last person you wanted to see. I'm…I'm really sorry about what happened between us. I never meant to hurt anyone. It's just…"

"You really care about him?"

Xion was surprised by his question, but then looked a little uneasy. She wanted to answer him honestly. "Yes... At first, I couldn't remember much in my past, so I thought I could start anew, but then I started remembering before I ended up in the hospital. The two of us knew each other for a year. We were really close. When I had no one else, he watched over me. I owe him a lot for what he did for me. I really cared about him a lot back then too." There was a sincere look to her eyes. "But I still missed when we used to talk to each other. You were my best friend…" She was worried to ask, but she had to know. "Could we…start over… and be friends again?" Uneasy, Riku looked toward the ground. Xion noticed his reaction. "I know…we may never be like we were again, but…I still miss you as my friend."

After he thought about it, Riku lifted his head to her with his final decision in mind. "That's fine."

Xion smiled as she breathed out a sigh of relief. She was grateful that he didn't say no. "Thank you." A small smile appeared on his lips.

Nearby, Kairi peeked to see the two smile at each other. It made her happy and relieved that they were getting along. At the same time, Namine became curious. She wondered if Riku had truly gotten over Xion… Then, Namine and Kairi looked over toward the other side of the boat as they noticed other people come on board. They blinked surprised. "Who…are those guys?" Kairi asked.

Their mother stood up from her chair as the other adults smiled. "We're hosting a party. These boys are on track to graduate this year and we're coming up with ideas to help them with school. I'm sure if you talk to them, they can help you decide on which school to pick. Make them feel welcome. Their mother held out her hands toward the girls. "These are my daughters Kairi, Namine, and Xion. Feel free to ask them any questions and thank you for stopping by." Soon, everyone started to greet each other.

Afterwards, their mother sat down beside Aqua's mother. They watched as the girls talked to the boys. Aqua's mother arched her eyebrow. "Any of them catch your eye?"

Their mother looked over toward Aqua's mother serious. "All of them seem smart and very charming. I'm sure they could find someone to get along with."

Aqua's mother frowned as she thought back. "Maybe you'll have better luck than I did. I tried to change Aqua's mind about that boy she liked, but she refused to listen to me. Hopefully, they'll be a chance now that she's away and Terra is nearby. Maybe it won't be too late them." As she closed her eyes, she let out a sigh. "I don't know what it is about that boy's family that has our girls so obsessed with them…" She looked over at the girls' mother. "I know you've experienced it as well. Those boys that hang around Kairi and Xion."

The girls' mother looked down uneasy. "Hmm…"

Then, the two mothers turned their attention to Xion as she talked to some of the guests. Aqua's mother frowned. "You don't want to end up with another accident, do you? Who knows what kind of controversy that would cause?"

The girls' mother breathed out. "No. I can't risk that happening again."

As one of the boys spoke to her, Kairi overheard most of what the women said to each other. She was already suspicious as to what was going on, but now, this confirmed what they were up to. "Does that sound okay?"

Kairi blinked surprised as she turned her attention back to the brunette boy in front of her. "What?"

He let out a gentle smile toward her. "Maybe we could spend a little time together and I can help you look for what you want to do."

"Umm…?" Kairi became uneasy with their conversation since she knew what this trip was really about. Then, she noticed Xion as she stood in front of three boy who spoke with her. Xion seemed uncomfortable being in front of a crowd. She had her hand on her arm as she occasionally glanced at the floor. Ahead, Namine sat next to Riku as she talked with him. At least, Namine was able to get away from the crowd. Sweetly, Kairi smiled toward the boy in front of her. "Excuse me for a minute." She slipped through the crowd. She went in beside Xion and placed her hands on her shoulders as she smiled toward the boys in front of her. "Sorry! I'm just going to take her for a little bit." She slipped her hand in hers and led her away inside of the boat.

Once they were alone, Kairi breathed out. It was a relief being out of that crowd. Xion looked a little surprised. "Thanks Kairi."

Kairi smiled toward her. "No problem. You seemed like you really needed to get away."

Uneasy, Xion rubbed against her arm. "Yeah."

Kairi glanced back toward the window. "I don't really want to stick around either. Now what should we do?" The two thought for a moment until Kairi spoke, "I have an idea." Xion gave Kairi a curious stare and followed her further in the ship. They went into one of the rooms. Kairi searched around. It was a small room with a window that had a view of the sea and bunkbeds on the side.

Xion realized what she was up to. They could hide until the party was over. "Good idea." Kairi locked the door behind her just in case anyone tried to look for them. Xion crawled up onto the top bunk and sat. Afterwards, she let out a sigh as her eyes traveled down. Kairi looked up at her curious. "What's wrong?"

Slightly, Xion shook her head. "It's nothing…"

Kairi became a little concerned. It seemed like something was on her mind. "What's is it?"

Xion's eyes traveled toward the side uneasy. "It was just crowded... that's all."

"Hmm…" Then, Kairi noticed the way Xion rubbed her hand up and down her arm where a few of her faded scars were. She climbed up the ladder and sat beside Xion. "I think mom was up to something bringing all of those boys on board."

Xion became curious. "What do you mean?"

Kairi frowned, upset. "I think that this was more of a setup to see if we would be interested in someone else rather than school."

A surprised look came on Xion's face. "You're saying that they rather us be with someone else?"

"I overheard Aqua's mom talking to our mom about how she didn't really approve of the person Aqua was with." Kairi glanced toward the floor as she thought back. "Aqua talked about it before, but I didn't think that mom would try…"

Xion was curious as to what she thought. "What?"

"Vanitas has a bad reputation, which explains why her mom doesn't want him around and what happened between you and Roxas…" her voice trailed off. "I knew that she was worried, but because of what happened, I think now… she's worried about me being with Sora."

Xion looked down concerned. She didn't mean to cause trouble for her. "I'm sorry…"

Kairi smiled as best as she could, but inside, she was upset by what her mother was doing. "There's no need to be." She placed her hand to her chest. "Nothing will change the way I feel about him."

Xion smiled at her words. Tired, she lied down on the bed. "I guess we'll hide out here for a while."

Kairi lied down beside her, face to face. "That's fine with me." She placed her hand on Xion's arm, which Xion looked surprised. "And so are your scars so don't be ashamed of them."

Xion's eyes widened toward her. "How did you know…?"

"I've been around you long enough. You kept rubbing your arm. At first, I thought you were nervous, but then I noticed that you were trying to cover your arm." Uneasy, Xion's eyes traveled down. She didn't think her habits were that noticeable. Kairi smiled to assure her. "They're barely noticeable and they're mostly faded. Even if they weren't, it doesn't matter. You're pretty just the way you are. I'm sure that's the way Roxas sees you too. He doesn't see the scars, only you."

Xion placed her head down as she wondered. Then, her eyes met with Kairi's. "Thanks Kairi." Kairi flashed her a smile. Xion leaned her head against her arm. "You and Sora are pretty close."

Kairi nodded as she relaxed. "Yeah."

"I'm sure that trip brought you guys closer," she sounded curious.

Kairi's eyes traveled over toward the side as she thought back. It really was a fun time for them. "Yeah... It really has."

Xion became nervous to ask her next question. "So… did anything else happen between them two?"

Kairi's cheeks filled with a little red. "What do you mean?"

Xion shook her head as she closed her eyes. "Never mind. It's nothing."

Kairi was curious about what she wanted to know. "What is it?"

Xion glanced between her and the bed. "It's just… Roxas thinks something happened between you two, but Sora won't tell him. Did something else happen?"

The blush on Kairi's face increased. Nervously, her eyes traveled toward the side. "I-It's like I said before. We mainly spend time together going to new places."

Xion let out a yawn and closed her eyes as she rested. "Right." Silently, Kairi breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't ask much more than that. Once thing quieted down, Kairi relaxed her head against the top of Xion's head. Feeling tired as well, she closed her eyes. Both of them fell asleep.

"Have you seen Kairi and Xion?" Their mother stepped over toward Namine and Riku who gave her a surprised look.

"No. We haven't," Riku answered.

Their mother sighed frustrated. She didn't understand how they could've disappeared. Nearby, the boys searched around, but saw no sign of them. "Would you see if you can find them?"

Namine and Riku glanced at each other. They stood up and started to search along with the others. Then, they searched the inside of the ship again through the hall. "Kairi! Xion!" Riku called.

Namine looked up at him. "They would have to be in one of the rooms." She came across a room that was locked. None of the other doors were. She glanced at Riku and then knocked on the door. "Kairi? Xion?" When no one asked, an idea came to mind. "Wait." She went further toward the front of the ship and grabbed a pair of keys that she saw earlier. She came back and unlocked the door. Inside, they saw a blanket piled on the top bunk. Both of them looked confused and curious. "Kairi? Xion?"

Suddenly, they heard a groan. Slowly, Kairi opened her eyes at the call of her name. Below her, she saw Xion asleep with her head against her chest. She shook her a little. "Xion…" The two took the blanket off of them and sat up. Below them, they saw Namine and Riku. Kairi rubbed her eyes. "How did you find us?"

Riku looked over at Namine. "Namine had the idea to use a key."

Namine smiled, a little proud. She placed her hands behind her back. "I see you two decided to skip out on the party."

Xion looked a little concerned. "Is it over?"

Riku nodded. "Yeah. We already docked."

Kairi smiled a little. At least they were able to avoid most of the party. "I'm sure mom isn't going to be happy..."

"I can't believe that she tried that." Kairi leaned back against Sora's chest. The thought of yesterday still made her upset. His knees were up on both sides of her as his arms were wrapped around her. Water brushed back and forth against the sand on the island. Hearing the ocean and only the two of them being there was nice.

Sora tilted his head toward her curious. "I'm surprised that Riku was there."

Kairi stared serious toward the water. "They all had something in common. They all came from good families that have either money or connections." Uneasy, Sora's eyes traveled down. He didn't like that her family tried to find someone else for her. "But it doesn't matter because I'm happy when I'm here with you. Remember our destines are intertwined no matter what." Then, she lifted her head curious toward him. He seemed unusually quiet. "Sora?"

Sora snapped out of his thoughts and blinked surprised. "Huh?"

She looked back at him curious. "What were you thinking about?"

Sora shook his head as he closed his eyes. "It's nothing."

Kairi turned toward him, confused. "Tell me what's on your mind." His eyes traveled toward the side as doubt began to fill him. What if she did want to find someone else? What if he was holding her back? When he lifted his eyes to her again, he noticed her stare deep into his eyes. Usually, he was carefree, but now, he seemed worried. It started to worry her. Unable to speak, his head lowered again. At first, she was unsure about how to cheer him up, but then, she did the only idea that came to mind. She flicked his forehead, which made him flinch. "Smile." A little surprised, he lifted his head to her. She let out a grin in hopes that he would smile too. "I'm with you no matter what, especially…" She pressed her hand against his chest. "…in here."

Sora stared at her. The smile on her face made his heart beat faster. He pushed away the doubt in his mind and smiled determined. He leaned his forehead against her as he closed his eyes. At that moment, he felt their love was strong. Now, all there was left to do was to prove it. "Thanks Kairi." Kairi was glad that he was no longer sad. Afterwards, they parted. "So? What are you doing this summer?"

Kairi blinked at him, surprised. "Spending it with you of course. Why?"

Sora grinned as he had a plan in mind. "Don't make any other plans yet. I have an idea."

Kairi was amazed. They were nowhere close to next summer, but he was already setting plans for them. "What is it?"

Sora winked. "It's a surprise!"

Roxas and Xion walked along the road beside each other. Xion brushed her hair aside as she stared forward. "If it wasn't for Kairi, I wouldn't have gotten away from that party." She let out a grateful smile. "She really has done a lot for me." When she glanced over, she noticed Roxas stare toward the ground with a serious look on his face. She became curious as to why. "What is it?" When he didn't answer, she stepped in front of him concerned, which made both of them stop. "What's wrong?"

Roxas baled his fist beside his leg. "Would it be better if we didn't…? What if there is someone better?"

Xion's eyes widened in surprised. More, she could see doubt start to fill him. "Don't say that. That doesn't matter." Xion smiled toward him. At that moment, she was ready to prove how much she cared for him. "I love you Roxas." Uneasy, his eyes traveled down. Instead of giving him hope in their relationship, it only filled him with more doubt. What if there was another reason she decided to be with him? What if she had only convinced herself that she loved him after everything they've been through? Maybe she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Xion leaned down a little to meet his gaze. "You heard me, right? I love you."

Unable to listen, he walked forward with his hands in his pockets, but he still held her words inside of him. "I'll walk you home." Xion stood worried. She didn't understand why he was so closed off...

Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!