Summary: Sora, Riku and Kairi have waited for this day for three years! They meet up and race eachother to the Gates to their School, where they hope to receive their Acceptance Results into the Key Bearers Classes Transfer!

Aka: In which everyone is mean to Sora, and he probably has undiagnosed asthma.

Authors Notes

Chron: Hello! It would appear that I have not updated this fic since February! :-D Hahaa- *sweats profusely* I'm very sorry for that. 2019-2020 sucked because i lost my home and pretty much had to start over long story short... :'D *Ahem* So I have alot on my plate and i get sick often. I can't promise how consistent I'll be with uploading new chapters for this particular fic because I've spread myself thin with across very many different projects: fics, original stories, illustrations for creatures im designing… But I am very actively working on them all! I am working at every possible second I can manage, and i try to do it well, but i am not perfect. I just hope that this story can be fun and enjoyable! ;O; Thank you so much for waiting if you did! You rock!

**Etc:**

I am cross-posting on A03 if you would rather read there! My link is in my profile bio.

With all that out of the way, its time to wake Sora up!

_*. . . . . .*_

Sora could sleep through anything. Through the birds busy at work practicing their songs with one another outside, to his family downstairs beginning to wake, their feet pitter pattering across the creaking wooden boards, voices greeting one another for the morning. The smell of breakfast cooking was perhaps the only thing that drew Sora's attention forward enough to hear an antagonizing voice that had been calling his name for the past ten minutes.

"Sora!" the disembodied voice sounded very frustrated.

Sora sprung forward out of his bed sheets with a haggled, "Huh?" escaping him before he had quite awoken. "Wait, Riku? What's he doing here…?"

He squinted furiously through the sleep still attempting to glue his eyes shut and obstruct his vision, so he began to rub at them while he took stock of his room.

Well, he couldn't spot a single streak of silver. So where was he?

"Sora! Are you even getting ready yet?!"

What was he so mad about? Grumbling, Sora pulled at his bed sheets, but barely freed his torso. To his annoyance, he'd twisted in is sleep again. The blankets were twisted and tucked and tangled all around his legs, and he began to kick in sudden impatience. "Agh!"

Definitely Riku's voice called "up" at him from a distance. Was he outside? "Wake up! I bet you don't even know what day it is!"

Finally having his knees freed, Sora flipped around and leaned into the window-sill, lifting the window to poke his head out and peer down at Riku below.

"I knew it!" Riku crossed his arms and glared up at his friend. "By that dumb look on your face I'd say you really are clueless."

Disgruntled by his impatient attitude, Sora squinted down at him with a scrunched nose. But he sure was right. Sora was confused, and completely clueless. What else was new? This was why he had friends to remind him of these things. "So?" he slammed an elbow into the window frame and leaned on it. "What am i forgetting this time?" he called down with a sigh and a slight roll of his eyes.

Riku rolled _his_ eyes at him, leaning to one side. "Oh, I dunno, we've only had this day on our calendars for three whole years Sora, I kinda figured it would be _important_ to you."

"Well it's not like we have anything big going on at school, its a Saturday-"

"YESTERDAY was Saturday you bird brain!"

He was beginning to feel like an idiot while his rambling mouth continued. "-Long time- what are you talking abo-" he dead panned. There were moments, in which one could not see for the life of them what was sitting right in front of their eyes until someone else pointed it out. And it was suddenly at that moment, that Sora remembered what day it was. "OH. OH! OH _N O!_"

"YEAH. NOW you remember!"

Sora flung himself away from the window, falling out of the bed and slamming to his knees. "Ow!" he fumbled over the bed sheets still tangling his ankles, turned, glared at the offending material, and tore his feet free. In a fumbling haste he scrambled up through the piles of clothes and boxes strewn about the wood floor.

"I told you Friday! Friday! To be ready! Were you even listening?! Agh!"

He HAD been, but he'd forgot! There were so many things he couldn't keep track of! Sora was scrambling. He wasn't about to be the reason his friends were late to this. Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man!

"If you don't get down here in five minutes, Sora," Sora could feel Riku practically pointing at him in his own drill sergeant way, "I'm taking off without you and you better hope you can catch up!"

"I'll be down there!" In a mad dash, Sora slid drawer after drawer, gathering a fresh bundle of clothes into his arms. He didn't bother to close the drawers, rushing towards his door, stubbing his toe on the dresser in the process, causing him to crash into his door. He howled at the ceiling and opened the door, limping and hopping down the hallway towards the bathroom. "Ow, ow, owwwww!" he hissed as he slammed the door behind him.

His mom, startled by the noise called up the stairs: "Sora? You're up already? What's all that racket about?"

"Nothingg-" he didn't have time to explain as he wrestled with his clothes. "Moooom, where's my toothbrush!?" Sora exclaimed through a shirt half pulled over his head, in his exasperation he scoured the rainbow of brushes for his own.

"Don't tell me you forgot which one it was. It's the red one! Wait," her voice took a sudden sharp tone and Sora felt a lashing coming on, "how long has it been since you brushed your teeth!?"

Sora globed a strip of toothpaste onto his brush, "I don't know, today's a different day!"

"That doesn't tell me how long its been, young man!"

"Uh- I uh- two- days ago?" he suggested with a pitch to his voice.

"Ooooh! Sora-!" whatever tirade she had in store for him she dismissed for more important things. Like why he was rushing, "... What's so special about today anyway?"

"I told you, mom!"

"You did not, or I would have remembered for you!"

"Ugggghhh," Sora despaired at his irreparable memory while he brushed his teeth as fast as he could. "When i actually remember to do something i only think i did it, why meeee?"

Rushing downstairs barefoot, Sora was greeted by his little sister and his dad at the table in the kitchen. Mayli paid him no mind, munching on a jelly biscuit and ignoring her egg and bacon.

"Hey Sora," his dad twisted around a bit to see him over his shoulder, "You're up early. Ready for some breakfast?"

"I'll take something fast," Sora swiped a piece of bread and sausage from the platter on the table, "I gotta get going."

"What's the hurry again?" Mom asked from the sink where she was scrubbing away at a skillet.

"The- uh," he wondered if he should even tell her. He was embarrassed enough for forgetting. He prolonged answering her question with extravagated munching expressions over his rushed breakfast. "Food. Good. Thanks." he said between mouthfuls and shot his mom a thumbs up. He wheeled around the table for the door.

"You're not leaving till you tell me where you're going!"

Sora sighed, drooping his shoulders, "We're going to the Schools Auditorium to get our results."

"Wait-?" his mom said surprised, "I thought that was the 17th!"

"Uh... they uh… sent out a letter last month moving it to the 13th instead."

Dad looked up across the table at him, "That's today?!" he clipped in surprise. "How come we didn't see that letter?"

Sora shrugged apologetically, "Between school and training, I just forgot. You know we stay out late training, and I guess I just didn't find the time to tell you guys." he was a bit breathless at it himself for the excuse.

His mother rested her knuckles on her hips, a brow arched at him, telling him she wasn't done with him and would save a lecture for him later. "When do you have to be there?"

"Uh- I actually don't know, but…" he shied under his mother's stern look, "Riku's waiting outside now and he said if I'm not out in five minutes-"

"What? Why didn't he say hello?"

"He probably just didn't want to bother anyone," Sora shrugged, and turned away, "Thanks for the breakfast! I'll be back in a few hours!"

Dad called after him, "You'll just be out with Kairi and Riku?"

Sora got to the door, "Yeah!"

"You be safe then, Sora," Mom said with a worried expression. "I know how much this means to you."

Sora grinned back at her, "It means alot. We'll be fine! We're good kids."

Mom smiled, "I know you are. Now shoo-" her eyes shot down and she flung out a hand, "WAIT Sora! What do you think you're doing?"

"What'd I do now?!" he jumped at her tone and shot a confused searching look at her.

Mom pointed down at his feet, drawing his eyes down. "Your shoes!" she exclaimed.

Out the door, they could hear Riku groan, "Again?!"

Mom leaned to the side to see a glimpse of Riku's silver hair hiding just out of the visible frame of the door. "Riku! Why didn't you say you were here? Come in while Sora gets his shoes!"

Riku reeled back, "Uhhh, I'm sorry!" Riku hurriedly let himself in, feeling abashed at himself for hiding.

"Hi Riku!" Sora's little sister Mayli waved, her chin smeared with purple jelly, her feet kicking under her chair.

"Uh... hi." he waved to the little girl, whose face brightened at the attention.

Their dad, Reun gave a nod to him, and for the moment seemed to dismiss the book in his hands. Riku tensed, really not wanting much conversation. "So today's the big day, hm?"

Riku shrugged a little humbly, "The first of many, really… assuming we get in."

Elua's voice approaching beside him drew his attention, and he looked up sharply to her. "Grab yourself something to eat! I'm sure you'll both be out for a while. Here, take a sausage-biscuit."

He raised his palms defensively, "I'm really not that hung- ooh- wait, are these the one's with cheese?"

"Yes they are!" she said with a knowingly victorious grin.

"Oh..." his eyes shifted between her and the hand offering the gracious breakfast. "...just one, then, i guess..." he said as he shyly accepted the food.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, "Oh, whatever," she grabbed a few more biscuits and piled them into a small basket, which she then stuffed into Riku's fumbling hands. "Here's some more, to split between all of you. Knowing Kairi, she's taken care of herself. But that boy of mine, he'll forget to eat and have the brains to wonder why he's hungry!"

Riku chuckled, "Yeah. He would. Thanks, ma'am."

Sora had finally found his shoes, buried beneath a pile of clothes by his bed. He swiped them up, left his room and practically fell down the stairs, hopping from one foot to the other to slip them on.

"I can't believe you forgot your shoes again," Riku laughed, a half munched biscuit on hand.

"It happens!" Sora countered, poorly, in defense of his terrible habit. He stumbled over himself towards the door.

Riku shook his head at his hopeless friend and followed him outside onto the porch.

Sora turned mid-waist to wave to his mother, "Bye mom!"

She'd followed them to the door to wave and smile encouragingly. "Bye Sora, bye Riku! Good luck!"

"Thanks Mrs. Elua!" Riku called, skipping down the steps and breaking into a run along the dirt road.

"When's Kairi joining?"

"We're picking her up at the train station in a few minutes."

Sora nodded, "Gotchya... when does it arrive?"

"About ten minutes."

"But- but that's like 30 minutes walk away!" he exclaimed.

"Yup," Riku said as he began to run faster.

Riku noticed he was tired, but kept his pace a few steps ahead.

"Hey, slow down," Sora struggled to keep up, "I just woke up you know!"

"I know you did! But we'll be late if we don't run! This is your fault by the way. Besides, there's nothing like a good run to wake you up! "

"Uhuh. Blame me for everything."

"You're the one that slept in! Sorry i didn't need to wait up, you jerk."

"Don't be like that!"

Riku smirked, "I'm messing with you." Riku shot ahead several paces. "But seriously. We've both got to get better at this."

Sora paled at his speed. How could he have so much energy so early?

"Buuuut, I still might try to leave you in my dust. Betchu can't beat me to the Gates!"

"We have to meet Kairi first!"

"So? We'll put it on pause."

"Agh! Even if you did get there before me," he took a breath, "it wouldn't change a thing about our results! There'll be too many people!" He struggle to keep pace with his friend.

"Think positive! They might call our names first!"

"Oh no."

"Come on, let's go! Time to step into gear!"

"I'm going I'm going!"

%: Kairi lives very far across the island and does not get to visit Riku and Sora as much as she used to because of her other school activities.%%

Riku glanced at the watch on his wrist, "Ten minutes left."

"We're not even at the old tractor yet! We're not gonna make it!" Sora exclaimed through burning lungs.

"Then we've just gotta run faster!"

A few minutes later Riku and Sora's shoes were stomping to a halt across the concrete of the Train Station. They were huffing and puffing, Sora collapsing over his knees as Riku watched the blue train rolling to a stop, everything except the front cab of the train erased by the mist from the near river. It blanketed the entire station, roiling between benches, and casting waiting people in ghostly transparency.

Riku grumbled at the sight, "It'll be hard to find her through all this!"

Sora sighed, "Aagh. I'm sure we'll find her… just… give me a sec…"

Riku looked down at him in some concern, "Really, are you okay, dude?"

Sora nodded, another gasp of air escaping him. Riku was unconvinced, but raised his head to keep watch.

The doors of the train opened with a clunk and the passengers began to pour out in droves. Dark or in rainbows of indiscernible colors and blurring faces, with voices suddenly humming with conversation.

Riku and Sora scoured the passengers for Kairi, squinting through the mists.

Finally, Kairi's soft pink hair flashed through the white mist as she hopped off the train, a small backpack and its keychains clinking. She was by herself, with her favorite pink head-set over her ears. Her expression was neutral but expected as her feet shuffled to a stop and she surveyed the crowds.

"Kairi!" Riku called, waving.

Her face lit up when she saw them rushing towards her, Sora straightening to compose himself but clearly exhausted. She rushed over to meet them, "Did you guys really run all the way here?! Why didn't you just get your dad to drive you?"

Sora shook his head. "I gave up asking a long time ago."

"Come on!" Riku argued light heartedly, waving his hands, "It's our thing!"

Kairi reached them but did not stop. Riku reeled, recognizing one of her signature hugs, but acted too late to evade the sudden hook of her arm that pulled them both into a firm hug.

"I missed you guys! Thanks for waiting up for me!"

"Well, we didn't wait long- actually- I mean- Of course we did!" Sora guffawed, patting her back as she popped his shoulder. "I mean, we couldn't just take off without you, after its been so long!"

Riku despaired at Sora's unhelpful bumbling, and that Kairi could hug just as fiercely as her grandmother.

She released them and took a step back, ignoring the deep breath Sora took afterwards. "Courses have been keeping me so busy, but i wouldn't miss this for the world!" she grinned ear to ear as she made fists, and Sora's exhaustion (and pain) lifted a little at her enthusiasm. "I am so excited!" she looked between her two closest friends with a bounce in her step, "We've been waiting for this for years! We're so close to showing them what we're made of!"

Sora, "Yeah! We really are!" for a brief moment, he was bewildered by the passage of time behind them, and the day they had decided to look forward to this day. It was so long ago now, it was surprising. He remembered wondering a long time ago if they would actually see this day. Really, it was thanks to Riku for keeping them both on track with their united goal.

Sora caught sight of Riku already starting to walk away. "Its a shame that train doesn't go straight to the Gates, it really is exhausting running all the way. But, I guess its just one way to make us stronger."

Kairi skipped forward, "Meh, Train's stuffy anyways after four hours. It's nice to stretch my legs!"

Riku's eyes flashed with challenge at Kairi's enthusiasm, and then glanced back at Sora. "Alright. Lets do this!"

She careened forward on her toes with a playful look to Riku, "Race ya!" she spun on her heel to shoot a teasing grin to Sora before falling into a light footed step beside Riku, easily keeping pace with him.

Sora laughed at his friends, remembering fondly of how they'd always been like this. He started to chase them again, hoping that things would never change. "Don't worry about me, I'll catch up!"