hey, hello I like writing pinning childhood crushes.

As the trio landed back in Traverse town and enter the shop of the supposed great wizard, Kairi felt some familiarity from within. She looked around the darkened hall, her eyes catching attention to a small child on his knees in front of a wall, looking as though he was drawing something.

"Hm?" Kairi tried to get a better look at him, but was called by her friends. When she looked back to the child, he was already gone just as Donald and Goofy were catching up.

"Something wrong?" Donald questioned, noticing the curious expression she held.

But she shook her head, "No, it's nothing. I just thought that I saw something, this place just reminded me of something, that's all."

As soon as the three left, Kairi saw that same boy standing outside, he had his back turned towards her and was turning his head as though he were searching for something. Suddenly, he sprinted off in another direction.

"Hey- wait!"

"Kairi!" She heard her friends call out again, but paid them no attention as she ran after this familiar seeming child.

Kairi followed him towards the empty plaza nearby, the boy all of a sudden stopped in his tracks, giving her a chance to catch her breath and walk up to him. But as soon as she did that she heard the sound of destruction behind her, whipping her head back her heart raced to see a familiar boy easily cut through the heartless that were about to attack.

" Riku!"

A joy filled her heart seeing her friend, also immediately she ran up to give him a hug wrapping her arms around his waist, to which he returned the gesture, slightly surprised.

" So this is where you've been lazing around." Riku commented with a playful snarky tone as they both stepped back from the gesture.

" Nooot exactly." She giggled placing her hands behind her back holding a cheeky smile on her face before it dropped.

" Oh yeah, Sora! Is he with you?"

She saw Rikus smile falter, her hopes dropping alongside it. " He's not with you?"

She lowered her head sadly, a frown drawing on her face as she held her necklace for comfort. "We got separated on the island. I can't even remember what happened after that storm started. I thought he would've been with you...I thought I heard him when the Heartless started showing up on the island, him saying something about you." She shook her head trying to disperse the bad memories. "But I think it may have just been a dream or something."

"He was for a moment, I tried to save him from the heartless, but the next thing I knew I was alone and woke up here." Riku snapped her out of the thought, crossing his arms with discontent like when they were kids and something upset him.

" You too huh?"

" Hey, no worries. He's probably just taking a nap somewhere waiting for us to find him." Riku offered, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

" Yeah, I guess you're right." She chuckles again, "He's hopeless without us after all."

" Right, c'mon, wouldn't wanna get separated again."

" Huh?" Kairi looked at him surprised.

Riku turned his back, walking back towards where he came from, and altogether not seeing the heartless that spawns behind him.

" If we go together then we're sure to find Sora faster. Like I said, he probably waiting for us to find him on another-"

Kairi destroyed it reflexively in one swift motion.

" What's that?" He asked, in awe at what was in her hand.

"Had to protect myself somehow. It's called a Keyblade."

" Keyblade Huh?" In a second, they Keyblade is in Rikus hand as he looks at it curiously.

"Hey- give it back!" Kairi complained, and Riku obliges, the Keyblade appearing in her hand once again. She tightened her hand upon the grip as she allows it to disappear from her own hand.

"Riku you should come with us." Kairi insisted.

" Us?" He looked at her curiously.

" Yeah I meet these guys and they've been helping me look for you and for Sora. They have this really cool ship that can take us to other worlds."

" A ship?" Riku remarks, "is it better than ours?"

"Heh heh, just a little bit." Kairi smiles fondly. " But it'll be better if you come along with us."

" He can't."

Both of them turn towards the voice and they see Donald and Goofy standing nearby, the mage crossing his arms in discontent while Goody simply waves towards Riku's direction.

" What?! Why?" Kairi complains, walking over to her friends.

" Because the ship was built to hold three, anymore would be a hindrance."

" C'mon Donald I can't just leave- huh?" Kairi looked back for Riku but has disappeared without a trace.

" He's gone." Goody confirms.

" Where- Wha-" Kairi stumbles over her own words, disheartened. " Donald! You scared him off!"

" I did not!"

They glared at each other before breaking away as Kairi pouts with her arms crossed now agitated at her friend. " That jerk."

"He left awful fast there." Goofy points out.

"Yeah..." Kairi sighs, "Well, it's not Riku if he doesn't make things difficult. At least I know he'll be safe in Traverse town."

Her friends walk ahead of her as the they all agree to visit Leon, but a sound catches her sole attention. She turns to find the source, but only sees what appears to be that same child looking towards where Riku was standing previously.

He had his back turned to her, looking up towards the skyline of the town.

" Huh?" Kairi lifts her hand to call out to him.

" Kairi! C'mon!"

Kairi tuns back for a second when her name is called.

But the child is already gone.

She shakes off her mixed feelings, running after her friends who make their way back to Leon's house.

" I told you."

Maleficent says as Riku stands infront of her near the edge of the building. The both spy into the house below them, Riku felting irked as he sees Kairi laughing so easily among these strangers to him.

" She so easily pushed you aside, when it came to searching for your dear friend. I may even say that she's no longer attached to either of you."

Riku scoffed at this. " I've known Kairi long enough to know she's not the type to leave people behind. I can see what you're trying to do, witch."

"And yet, why is it that you stand here with me and not your friend?" Maleficent questions with a smile on her face.

Riku doesn't answer for a moment only glancing at his friend, now laughing at something said.

Why does she have the Keyblade?

He narrows his eyes, recalling the memory of Sora and he surrounded by the darkness. He remembered his best friend reaching out to take his hand, a hairs length away but that touch is replaced with the weapon promised to him years past. Repelling the darkness and he along with it, leaving Sora behind. He clawed his heart at the memory, still hearing his cries echo in his ear.

"It's because there are some things I can do that Kairi won't, and taking your help is one of them." He walks away from the warm scene placed in front of him, now only looking back towards Maleficent. "But if I find out you or one of your goons hurts her, then you're going to have me to deal with."

Maleficent chuckles at his, humbly agreeing. "Very well my dear boy, but do remember to keep up your side of the bargain as well."

That wouldn't be a problem, after all, both of their goals aligned with each other. Riku looked up towards the starless sky, his heart filled with grief as he recalled his lost friends smile.

Sora, wait for me.

Omake:

Riku looked down at the newly carved illustrations in the wall, a pair that was all too familiar. He gripped his fist tightly, aggravated. For a moment he eyed the chalk sitting near by, wanting to mess it up. But he sighed, instead stomping on a mushroom before leaving.

He winced slightly at the bright light seeping through the clouds as his vision focused on the person standing in front of him, renewing his agitation. She stood there with the blank expression that was saved for everyone except for the friend they both shared. With him, she was never not smiling, not like he could blame her for that, everything else however, was fair game.

He shot her a dirty look as he passed by, no longer trying to form any conversation with her if any of the dozens of previous attempts was any indication; she probably wasn't interested in someone like him.

"Riku, do you like Sora?"

Riku glanced back towards Kairi's direction in shock, her first words spoken to him, and they may as well have been a slap to the face as he scowled.

"Why do you care?"

She hummed to herself for a moment thoughtfully. " 'Cuz I like Sora too."

Riku just stared at her dumbfounded for a moment as he tried to collect his emotions together. "So? Of course we both like Sora, he's our best friend."

"Then why aren't we best friends too?"

Riku now furrowed his brow at her. "Because you're a friend stealer, now Sora likes you more than me."

Kairi pouted at this. "No he doesn't, he's just mad because you're being mean."

"I'm not being mean, it's not my fault that you can't play swords!"

"I don't even like swords, I just like being with you and him!"

The two glared at each other as the tense atmosphere reached it's peak. As neither wanted to lose any footing, they reminded like that for a good long while.

Eventually however, they both sighed.

"I don't like it when Sora's sad. Can we just at least pretend to be friends?" Kairi proposed, holding her hand out.

Riku eyed her suspiciously, he didn't like this girl one bit, but he caught a glance of Sora arguing about something with Titus and Wakka along the shoreline. The two were seemingly getting into a skirmish, one where Sora stomped his foot and then ran off in frustration, no doubt now making a beeline towards their secret place to cry in frustration.

So he sighed, swallowing his pride and shaking Kairi's hand. "Fine. But it's just for Sora."

To this they both reached an understanding, the two kids now pretending as their only common interest ran up to them with now reddening eyes and a pout on his face.