In honor of this new story, I've brought in some my friends to help with disclaimers.
First, please welcome, young Sora!
Sora: "Young? You were 8 when the first game was released, where I was already 14."
Yeah, but because Spaure takes so fucking long making the games, you're only 16 now, which makes me older!
Now Mickey, Donald and Goofy on other hand, are much older than me. Now, if you would?
Sora: "Absolutely! gamePsycho11 doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney or Square Enix or anything else he uses. If he did, the real Kingdom Hearts III would've been better, and me and Kairi would've finally gotten together!"
Thank you, Sora. Oh, and any OCs belong to my friend, XFangHeartX. Hugs and kisses to you, my good friend for life, for helping me with this! XXXOOO
Chapter 1: Brief Rest, Reunion and...a Mysterious Keyblade
Destiny Islands
The sound and smell of the ocean, nearly overwhelmed his senses.
It was so good to be home...even if it was only for a minute.
The teenaged boy walked along the beach of the island he and his friends always played on, heading for the entrance to the secret cave.
As he walked, he stopped as he saw something on the cave wall: a picture of a young boy and a girl, both giving each other a familiar star-shaped fruit.
Sora and Kairi had made these pictures of each other when they were kids. He had added on to it just before his first adventure when the Islands were lost to the darkness.
He was giving her a Paopu Fruit. After his return from his and Riku's fight against Xemnas, he discovered that Kairi had added onto it as well. He was really going to have to talk to her about it one day.
But right now, his priority was the door in the cave. No handle, no lock. This had always perplexed him and his friends.
But now they knew why: it was a Heartless highway to the world's heart.
Sora glared at the door...as the Kingdom Key Keyblade appeared in his right hand.
Gradually, the shape of a large keyhole formed on the door. It started as a glowing gold outline. Once it was complete, the inside flashed brightly, the glow softened and stayed. The cave was filled with an eerie silver light.
Sora pointed his Keyblade at the door, then it started glowing, outshining the newly revealed Keyhole. A narrow blue beam of light speared from the end of the blade and streaked at the center of the Keyhole. There was a blinding flash of white light, a strange high-pitched wail, and the sound of something being locked.
When the light faded, the spiky-haired teen stared at the door.
No Keyhole.
No darkness.
He sighed, feeling relief washing over him.
"Sora!"
Sora jumped a bit before he turned and saw Kairi walking in.
"What are you doing in here?" she asked. "The party's outside!"
"Party?" Sora questioned. "What party?!"
"Your mom is throwing you and Riku a welcome home party!" Kairi answered. "Come on, everyone's waiting!"
Instead of looking excited, Sora looked like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Oh crap! I didn't even tell her that I was leaving again!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A while later, everyone in town had gathered at the square and everything was decorated with streamers, Paopu Fruit balloons, and a big banner that said "Welcome Home, Sora and Riku!". Plus, on the table was all kinds of delicious-looking food: cake, salad, grilled fish, etc. And it was all set up by a woman with long, brown hair that was done up in a ponytail, blue eyes, and was dressed in a simple pink dress and a lavender shirt to go over it. Around her neck was a seashell necklace, too.
Her name was Hoshi, Sora's mother.
"There," she said. "Sora's gonna love this."
"Wow, this all looks delicious!"
Hoshi looked up to see Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka.
"Hi, you three!" she greeted. "Sora should be here soon."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Back with Sora and Kairi~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Would you relax?" Kairi told the spiky-haired teen as he kept fidgeting.
"How can I?" he asked incredulously. "I left again without saying a word, and I'm about to leave again!"
"Well, you can always beg," Riku's voice said from up ahead. He was standing with Donald and Goofy.
"Riku, I'm serious," said Sora. "Ever since I got back home, all she's done is pretty much watch my every move!" He then sighed. "And...I honestly don't blame her. I disappeared for a year, got erased from her memory, and when I saw her again, she started crying and she wouldn't stop hugging and kissing me! And...I missed her, too...but..."
"You gotta tell her eventually," said Donald.
"I'm sure she'll understand," Goofy encouraged him.
"...You guys don't my Mom," Sora muttered as they all headed toward town. When they got there, though, Sora saw all the decoration that had been set up...plus the food that had been laid out for him.
"Wow!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed.
"There they are!" Hoshi exclaimed. "The guests of honor! Welcome home, Sora and Riku."
"Welcome home, you guys!" exclaimed Selphie.
"Come on, let's party!" Wakka cheered.
"What are we waiting for?!" asked Tidus.
Sora chuckled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.
Kairi grabbed him by his hand, and led him over.
"Come on," she said. "Even a hero needs a break...right?"
Sora's cheeks flushed a deep red as Kairi gently squeezed his hand...and then he smiled.
"Yeah!" he said.
"You two, over there!" Hoshi said as she looked to Donald and Goofy. "If you're Sora's friends, you're invited, too!"
"A-hyuck~! Why thank you!" Goofy cheered before running over.
"Aw phooey," Donald sighed before running after him.
Soon, everyone began to sit down and enjoy the delicious food that Hoshi made.
"Wow!" Sora exclaimed. "Look at all this! They're all my favorite foods!"
"Mm, yummy!" Selphie said as she ate some fruit kebabs.
"Not bad," Riku said as he ate some grilled fish that was squirted with lemon juice.
"WACK!" Donald squawked as he pointed at Tidus, who was stuffing something in his mouth. "Hey! You snatched my food!"
"You snooze, you lose!" Tidus said.
Wakka then did the same to his blond-haired friend, snatching away his food.
"Hey!" Tidus yelled. "Wakka, no fair!"
"You snooze, you lose, bruddah!" Wakka laughed.
"Now, now, let's not fight!" Hoshi said. "There's plenty for everyone!"
"I have missed the Island food!" Sora said.
"A-hyuck!" Goofy chuckled. "I can tell, judging by how much you're eating!"
"You big glutton!" Kairi added, causing Sora to laugh as he scratched the back of his head.
"I guess I was hungrier than I thought I was," he said. "Especially for my Mom's cooking."
Hoshi laughed at that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A while later, the party was over and the sun was starting to go down.
"Phew!" Sora sighed as he rubbed his stomach.
"Seems your time away has improved your manners," Hoshi said.
"Sorry, Mom," said Sora. "I didn't mean to eat so much...but it was so good."
Kairi giggled before she looked up at Hoshi.
"Thank you for the food," she said.
"Of course, dear," Hoshi smiled at the red-headed girl.
"Well, it's getting late," Selphie said. "We better get home."
"Yeah, last time I was late, I was stuck with chores for a month," said Tidus as he got up and left with Wakka. "Great to have you back home, Sora!"
"Thanks guys!" He responded and waved farewell.
Riku subtly cleared his throat, getting Sora's attention, gesturing in his mother's direction.
"...Oh, boy..." Sora muttered. "Um...Mom? There's something I gotta tell you...and...I know you probably don't wanna hear it-"
"You're leaving again, aren't you, Sora?" Hoshi asked, causing him to gape at her.
"Y...you knew?!" he asked.
"Sora, I'm your mom," Hoshi said. "You think I don't know these things, but I do."
Sora sighed as he scratched his head.
"...I will admit," Hoshi began, "I don't want you to leave...not after you just got back home...but I know how you are. I have a feeling that even if I said no, it wouldn't stop you from going...now would it?"
"Well, I promise to do everything in my power to come back," Sora said. "And, I'll have a full explanation on why I have to go once I get back."
Riku pulled him into a headlock, "We'll make sure he comes back."
Hoshi chuckled...before she went up to her son and gave him a hug, which he returned.
"You really are just like your father," she said. "Just a get-up-and-go kind of guy."
"I know, Mom," Sora smiled...as a tear formed in his eye.
"Aww," Donald cooed while Goofy sobbed, comically. Kairi giggled before she looked up at Riku...who was wiping his eye.
"Riku?" she asked. "Are you crying?!"
"Huh?" Riku asked. "N-no! I...I got sand in my eye."
"I love you so much, Sora," said Hoshi.
"I love you, too, Mom," Sora said as he kissed her cheek. "Always."
"Now, get some sleep before you head out," Hoshi told him.
"Mind if we stay over?" Kairi asked.
"Of course not," Hoshi answered.
"We can come, too, right?" Goofy asked.
"Of course!" Hoshi said. "You and Donald are welcome to stay."
"Thank you very much!" said Donald.
That night, Sora had fallen asleep in his old bedroom while Kairi and Riku slept on the floor with sleeping bags. Goofy and Donald were also there, sleeping on Sora's bed since there was no room anywhere else. Sora didn't mind, it though. In fact, Sora was so out of it, he didn't even notice.
While Sora was sleeping...Hoshi sat in her bedroom, alone. She had a sad smile on her face...but it was also a mixture of pride. That's when she looked up at a frame above the bed: a Keyblade that looked like it had flaming "teeth" and a Meteor keychain.
"...Sora's really growing up...isn't he, Raiden?" Hoshi asked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The next morning~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun was just starting to rise and Sora yawned as he sat up in his bed, stretching his arms.
To his surprise, Kairi was cuddling next to him!
(AN: During the night, she switched with Donald and Goofy~!)
Sora let out a surprised squeak, his face flushing a deep red before he looked around. Riku was still sleeping and Donald and Goofy were both on the floor, the former kicking the latter's face in his sleep.
He moved slowly out of the bed, careful not to wake her, then tiptoed over Riku, Donald and Goofy, and got out of his room.
He breathed in a sigh of relief once he was out, trying to calm down his racing heart.
Maybe a nice walk on the beach would help him feel better.
He headed downstairs, immediately smelling breakfast.
"Morning Sora," Hoshi greeted, not turning away from the stove.
"Hey, Mom," Sora said. "I'm just gonna take a little walk on the beach, okay?"
"Don't be gone long," said Hoshi. "I'm making Pancakes."
Though he tried to hide it, Sora's stomach did grumble a little.
"Also, don't wait too long to tell Kairi," she added.
Sora blushed a little at that.
"Mom~!" he said in a whiny tone, causing Hoshi to laugh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sora walked along the beach, taking a deep breath, knowing it would be a long time before we was back again.
As he kept walking, he spotted something...something he did not expect find on the beach...a keyblade.
One he'd never seen before.
It had a smooth, cylindrical, grey shaft that tapered outward at both ends. It had a boxy guard, made up of two small, light grey boxes and copper rod. The base of the guard connected to the grip, and both sported several small indentations lining them. The grip itself was somewhat unique in that, while most Keyblade grips were cylindrical, this one was squared. The teeth were in the shape of an "E".
Sora looked around but found no one there.
"Where did this come from?" he asked.
He picked it up to take a closer look at it.
As he did...he felt something...a pulse of some sort, followed by a strange echoing voice.
"Help me...!"
"...Aqua...?" Sora whispered...but it wasn't just his voice that spoke, but someone else's.
"Sora~! Breakfast~!"
Sora gasped before he took his feet out of the water, grabbed his shoes, and put them back on before he raced back to the house to eat.
He made sure to make the keyblade vanish before he got to the front door.
"Since when'd you become such an early riser?" Kairi questioned.
"Yeah, you were always the lazy one," Riku inquired.
"Oh, haha," Sora laughed, sarcastically as he walked inside. "I just needed to take a little walk, okay."
"Well, hope you kids have your appetites," said Hoshi as she put down some pancakes with slices of pineapples, peaches, and whipped cream. "I think I outdid myself with this one."
"Wow!" Goofy exclaimed.
"Yum-yum-yum!" Donald chanted with a chuckle, while Sora gulped at the sight of the fluffy, golden-brown pancakes, dripping with syrup.
"You remembered how we all like them," Kairi observed.
"But of course, dear," Hoshi said. "With as much time you and Riku spent the night here, it'd be pretty hard to forget."
"Well, let's not let 'em go to waste," said Riku as he sat at the table, and Sora joined not long after.
"So, you're gonna be leaving today, right, Sora?" asked Hoshi, causing Sora to nod his head as he looked up, his cheeks puffed up like a squirrel's.
"Well, I'll help you pack your things, okay?" asked Hoshi. "I wanna make sure you're prepared for a trip like this."
"Doesn't it kinda bother you that your Mom knew you'd be leaving?" Riku whispered.
"Kinda," Sora answered, "But she's my Mom and Moms know everything."
"Yeah," Riku began, "But I can't help thinking there's more to it than that...like she knows something that you don't."
"Well, as long as she's okay with me leaving," Sora dismissed it.
"...I guess," Riku muttered.
"Did you say something, Riku?" Hoshi asked.
"Uh...nothing," Riku answered. "Just that these pancakes are really good!"
Hoshi chuckled. "You're sweet."
Once everyone was finished eating...
"Is everything okay, Sora?" Donald asked.
"You've been acting strange since you got back," said Goofy.
"...Did you find something out there?" asked Kairi, worriedly.
"...Yeah," Sora answered. "A Keyblade...one I've never seen before."
"An unknown Keyblade?" Riku questioned.
"I'll show it once we get back to Master Yen Sid's Tower," Sora said.
"Maybe His Majesty knows about it, too," said Donald.
Hoshi came back downstairs,
"You about to leave?"
"Uh...yeah," Sora answered.
"I see," said Hoshi as she walked up to Sora and handed him a backpack. "Here, take this with you. I packed it with anything you might need: spare clothes, a coat in case it gets cold, your toothbrush, extra changes of under-"
"Mom!" Sora cried. "Not in front of Kairi!"
Kairi giggled, Riku chuckled, Donald had a mischievous glint in his eyes, and Goofy just laughed.
Sora sighed as he slapped his forehead. Leave it to his mother to embarrass him.
"Be careful out there," she told him.
"I will," he assured her.
With that, he gave her one last hug.
"Love you, Mom," he said.
"I love you, too, Sora," Hoshi whispered.
With that, the group went to the beach, boarded the Gummi Ship, and left Destiny Islands.
Hope this is good so far!
Read and review, please!