He opened his eyes, but saw nothing. His senses were gone.

He heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing.

Just when the speck of consciousness began to doubt that a Sora still existed, he saw a light enter his vision.

Riku, he remembered, his body reforming.

He reached out towards it, fingers curling in a futile attempt to beckon it towards him. The sliver of warmth retracted, racing away. Sora tried to move forward, but the world forced him back.

It hit him like waves, his body spinning in response.

He gasped for breath, but inhaled only a murky, vaguely-wet substance.

Is this water?, he wondered, pushing his hands forward. If he knew what it was like, he had a way to deal with it.

He dove forward, wading through the depths, managing, at last, to move forward.

His body twirled about, searching for the only sign of life he had seen thus far.

There, he thought resolutely, his line of sight setting once again on the light.

He moved forward towards it.

Waves began to push him back, and his world spun once again. Weakly, he tried to right his direction, searching for that telltale sign.

It was getting farther away, fading into the distance.

No, Sora panicked, unsure how he would find his way forward without it.

He reached out to propel himself forward, but was met with an even stronger wave.

Sora spun, not knowing which way was up or down when his motion subsided. If this place even has an up or down, he thought dryly.

Everything looks the same, he observed, swimming in place to find something of note.

The light was gone, the area around him dark and grey.

Riku, Sora thought, his lungs giving out. The last of his air escaped as bubbles through his lips, and he vaguely saw up from their shimmer.

Too late, he lamented, eyes closing while he floated backwards.

I couldn't find you.

Come on, slowpoke, the world echoed. Sora's eyes shot open, but there was nothing new to see.

He always believed in you, he heard again. Even now, he stupidly believes.

What?, Sora went to open his mouth, and suddenly he felt air. A bubble had found its way back, and he savored it, his vigor renewed.

His eyes focused on another floating towards him. These had to come from somewhere, he searched, diving up towards it.

It felt impossibly high, but whenever he felt as though all was hopeless, he found another bubble.

Until, finally, he broke through the surface.

Sora gasped deeply as his arms busily tried to keep him afloat.

He looked around, taking in the black, grey and vaguely-white world around him. Surrounding him was the black water with small pieces of land dotted in the distance.

Islands.

Looking up, he noted that the sky was embroiled in a bitter storm.

At least there are things to see, he comforted himself, thoughts stopping when he found a familiar figure on a nearby shore.

"Riku!", he called, swimming over. Panting from exhaustion, he stopped halfway onto land. The sound alerted the figure, turning to him.

"Been a while," they mused, reaching down to offer him a hand. Sora squinted up at him, his eyes widening. "You're," he breathed, too shocked to take their hand.

"Kinda," the figure scoffed. His hair was shoulder-length, framing a round and youthful face, while his body was covered in a veiny, black armor.

"You're," Sora continued, breathless.

"Yeah, yeah," they sighed. "I'm already tired of this interaction."

Sora pulled himself the rest of the way, taking an exhausted seat next to the vision of Riku's past.

"Are you my Riku?", Sora asked earnestly.

"Your, huh?", the boy smirked. "At least you're able to tell that much, this time."

"This time?", the confused boy asked.

"Nothing. You wouldn't remember," he muttered softly before increasing his volume. "Just so you know, I didn't want to help you."

Yep, definitely like Riku, Sora smiled in amusement, but knowing better than to voice such an observation.

"So the bubbles were your doing," he exclaimed happily. "I was almost a goner in there."

"I expected better," the other Riku huffed to himself.

"So that light was you, too?", Sora stared up at him.

"Light?", the other boy tilted his head. "Nah, wasn't me," he scoffed.

"Then, Riku," Sora breathed, moving to get up but his legs buckled beneath him.

"You're still exhausted," the other Riku sighed at Sora's sorry state. "You're not used to it in here."

"Is this," Sora breathed. "Riku's heart?", he remarked, exasperated, taking in the place.

The storm had not relented, its thunderous bounding resounding through the space as flashes of muted white danced through the sky.

"It's not always like this, but, yeah," the silver boy sighed. "Lately."

"How come?", Sora asked him.

"Oh, come on," the silver boy snarled. "You came in here and don't even know?", he snapped, glaring.

"Wait, wait, wait," Sora defended, flailing his arms in a mock defense. "I mean, I have an idea, but I don't really know-"

"If you're here, you definitely know," he sighed, cutting him off. "Stop acting like it's not possible."

Sora's breath caught, his arms falling.

"I never meant to," he began, giving up when he saw the glare those words had cost him. "But you're right, I never realized," he sighed, looking down.

"Why do I feel like you're going to try and talk about it-", the annoyed boy stated, and Sora, as if on cue, began his tirade.

"I always said I was their best friend, but I didn't notice anything."

"They?", the other Riku asked, apathetic tone betraying his mock interest.

"Kairi and Riku," Sora exhaled.

The silver boy peered down, taking a seat nearby but keeping his gaze elsewhere. Sora was nonetheless thankful and turned in his direction. "I didn't notice how either of them felt."

"Can't comment on Kairi. I never met her. But, you managed to figure it out?"

Sora shook his head. "She told me."

"Figures," the other Riku scoffed. "You've always been bad at that".

Sora blinked, gazing at the youthful silver boy. "Did I," he mumbled. "Did I do something to hurt you in the past, too?"

"Yeah," the other Riku replied hollowly, not turning to face him. "All you thought about was someone else, even when I was right in front of you." He chuckled dryly. "Just like now."

Sora was silent, contemplating his words. "I'm sorry," he breathed.

"I moved on," the other Riku replied flatly. "Someone else was there when I needed them, so you don't need to make anything up to me," he emphasized. "Riku, on the other hand."

"What should I do, for Riku, I mean," Sora wondered aloud.

"Think about it yourself," the other boy snarled. "You owe him that much."

Sora nodded resolutely. "You're right," he agreed, his tone melancholic.

"Does that mean you know how you feel?", the silver boy asked.

"I, I'm not really sure," Sora stuttered, feeling put on the spot. "I haven't really had the time to think about it-"

"You have time now," the other Riku interrupted. "While you rest."

"I," Sora breathed, looking down. It suddenly felt difficult to keep his head up. "I…" He inhaled deeply, feeling his eyelids fall. Vaguely, he felt his body falling backwards. Upon contact with the ground, what little breath he held was lost.

"Hey," he heard faintly, barely registering its utterance. His shoulder shook with someone's touch.

"Wake up," Sora heard, causing him to force his eyes open in a squint. Someone was over him.

He couldn't make them out, but nonetheless, he was comforted by their presence. "Who?", he asked quietly.

Their laugh rung out like a bell. "It's me, silly," they clarified, and he recognized their soft yet terse way of speaking.

"Kairi?", Sora asked, shooting up and nearly colliding with her.

"Whoa," she chuckled, moving her feet backwards, leaving a space between them. "Good morning," she smiled.

"What are you doing here?", Sora asked, tone frantic.

The redhead tilted her head in response. "Is it weird that I'd be here?"

"Yes!", Sora said with more force than he'd intended, before stopping and calming his tone. "Are you in Riku's heart too?"

"Riku's…", she echoed flatly, soon replacing her grimace with a grin. "Riku's not here, ya know?"

"Not here?", Sora asked, taking in his surroundings. They were on a familiar beach, the water a radiant blue and not a cloud in the sky. His skin jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at her, unsure.

"Calm down, Sora," she cooed, eyelids lowered. "You were probably just dreaming."

The panicked boy's movements slowed as he took in her words. "I'm," he breathed, putting a hand over his heart. "Dreaming?"

Kairi nodded enthusiastically. "You're always falling asleep here, ya know. Is it so hard to believe?"

He couldn't deny it. There was a chance that everything he thought he saw was another one of his panicked worries.

Sora slowly shook his head, facing her with an attempt of a smile shaping his features. "I guess not."

He buried his reservations, but couldn't stifle the chill which ran down his spine.

The redheaded girl took a seat beside him, casually reaching for his nearest hand, entangling their fingers.

Sora didn't move to resist her, blankly observing her actions. "Kairi," he ventured.

"Mm?", she hummed, happily looking out over the horizon.

"Where is Riku?"

Her cheerful tune ceased. She turned to him, the smile never leaving her lips. "Come on, there's something I want to show you."

Before he had to a chance to speak, she got up, pulling him with her with surprising force. She ran down the beach, dragging an out-of-breath Sora behind her.

"Kairi," he panted, his legs nearly stumbling.

"We're almost there," she hushed him, approaching a hill with a tree.

"This is-" he gasped, breath catching.

"Our special spot," she stopped, spinning around with a flourish and breaking their linked hands.

"Yeah," Sora agreed, his mouth bearing no semblance of happiness. "The three of us," he clarified.

"But I was always beside you," she grinned.

"So was Riku," Sora reminded her. When she didn't respond, he carried on. "Kairi, where's,"

He paused when the girl in front of him reached out just before his face. Sora stumbled back, finally noticing there was something in her hand. It was yellow and pointed, bearing a stray leaf.

The boy stared at the girl, unable to move. She shrugged his reaction off, chuckling. "It's a paopu fruit," she told him. "You've always wanted to share one with me, right?"

Sora's mouth fumbled for words as he stared at the gift.

"Come on, share it with me," she smiled.

"I," Sora tried, mulling over his words. "Kairi," his eyes raised to lock onto hers.

"What's with that look?", she laughed. "Aren't you happy?"

"Do I like you?", he asked, words shaking like his stance.

She paused, taken aback. "Why are you asking? Isn't that obvious?", she cooed.

Sora released the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "I do," he uttered, quickly doubting himself. "I mean, I do?", his eyebrows furrowed. He looked at her, eyes pleading. "I-I don't, know," he whimpered.

Kairi retracted the hand holding the golden star, the other reaching forward to link their hands.

The shiver down Sora's spine spread to his limbs, his fingers shaking slightly.

"Sora," she called, hushed yet stern. "I like you and you like me," she declared, her smile faltering. "That's the way it's always been."

She renewed her smile, gripping his hand tighter to stifle his tremors.

Something about this is wrong, his thoughts screamed.

His trembling only grew in severity as his eyes drifted down to their linked hands.

"That's not what you said before," he uttered, eyes hollow and exhausted.

"Before?", she huffed, slowing her tempo.

Kairi looked at his expression, not liking what she saw there. Her eyes widened in alarm as she looked back to their hands, feeling him slip away. She swiftly let go before he could, moving to once again offer him her feelings given tangible form.

His hand fell slack at his side as he glanced down at the fruit.

"I found your drawing in the cave," she asserted through a forced smile.

"I," Sora struggled, looking down. "I drew that when we were little," he sighed.

His heart squeezed as he glanced at her, seeing the twitch in her smile. I'm hurting her, he panicked.

"I," he stuttered. "I want to share it with both you and Riku," he offered.

Kairi didn't move or shift her features.

"You have to choose," she smiled painfully.

Sora bit his lip, frowning. "Choose?", he echoed.

"That's how destiny works," she stated simply. "Only two can share one."

"That's not true!" Sora yelled, defiance arming a snarled sneer. His ferocity quickly melted away, replaced with melancholy. "Can't we be together like we always have been?", he pleaded.

"Sora," she said sternly, all false smiles forgotten. "Do you realize how selfish you're being?", she admonished, like a mother to a child.

"Selfish?" he wondered, the confusion unfurling his brows.

The red-haired girl's pain wore her expression down. "It hurts," she stated bitterly, carrying on. "You've either been close to one of us at a time. When you were here, it was with me. When you both left, you were always after him," she looked down.

"You know how we both feel," she smiled sadly as her eyes rose to meet his gaze. "And yet, you still want us to be around the other, knowing only one can truly win?"

"Win?" Sora echoed hollowly. "I thought we were friends."

Kairi laughed. "Have you ever seen Riku and I interact much without you around?" Her smile faded. "You're the link."

"That's not true. Riku, he," Sora panted. "He tried so hard to save you. Just as hard as I did."

"And his feelings for you were the catalyst in making him turn to darkness. Is it so odd to think he'd save me, so you wouldn't be sad?", she balked back.

"No," Sora defied her. "Riku is better than that. He genuinely cares about others," he stated, timbre stained with resolve. "Even with his rough exterior," he sighed, a playful smile forming on his lips. "He cares about you."

Kairi's pout grew more strained. "Sora," she sighed. "That doesn't matter. I love you. I know you feel the same, so," she forced her lips to an upturned position and held out the fruit of destiny.

"Kairi," Sora began.

Her expression softened.

"I think, before, I would have listened to you," he stated, smile faltering. "But I've been talking about that with people who mean the world to me, and," he breathed. "They told me to think about it myself. That only I can know how I feel, and I owe it to them to figure it out," he declared. "So I can't just take your word for it."

Kairi's smile froze, but she didn't move.

"And I think that I," Sora began, pausing to breathe for confidence.

The fruit in her hands began to rot.

Sora gasped and she threw it down. "What's-", he started, before the world beneath began to rumble and crack.

Falling backwards, his hand was quickly gripped by hers. Sora held onto her arm, balancing precariously over a seemingly-bottomless pit. He looked up at her, eyes pleading.

"Sora," she cooed sweetly. "I'm home to you, remember?"

He stared at her, helpless and without the right words.

"We promised, didn't we?", she asked, hopefulness warming her tone.

"Kairi," Sora said sadly. "Why are you being like this?"

"Because I just want to be with you, like we always said we would," she smiled.

"Kairi, I think that I-", he tried again.

"He wants you this much, too," she whispered, her grip loosening as Sora's fingers attempted to cling and claw around her, slipping farther and farther back.

"Kairi!", he begged.

"You wanted to know where Riku was," she smiled bitterly. "He's not here."

"Where," he gasped, reaching forward. "Is he?"

"Sora," Kairi called softly. "We can still be together. You can still choose me."

The alarm in her voice bred doubt in his mind. Am I really sure?, he wondered.

He focused on his heartbeat. It was slow: resigned and surprisingly calm. No flurries or skips to be found.

Then his mind drifted again to that fragile boy, and his heart clenched.

Worry? Or...

Sora opened his eyes, sadness momentarily obscuring their twinkle.

He donned a mock attempt at his usual grin as his eyes found her again.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. "You're so strong. You were even able to tell me your feelings," he grinned, betrayed by his furrowed brows.

Her smile became hollow and motionless, willing him not to say more.

"You're always going to be so special to me," he declared. "Riku's strong, but, he's still trying to bear too much alone," his eyebrows wrinkled further. "I can't leave him behind anymore."

"What are you saying?", she cried, alarm fraying her words.

"I'm saying, I don't think I feel that way about you," he declared.

"No, this is wrong," she breathed, denying his sentiment. "He's a boy," Kairi stated, apathy cutting like a knife.

"Yeah, he is," Sora agreed. "But boys can need help, too," he smiled.

"That's not what I mean," she sneered. "It's disgusting."

Sora's eyes lit with surprise, soon replaced with a solemn realization. He did his best to offer her his sweetest smile.

"You don't mean that, Riku," he breathed.

Kairi's face shifted to horror.

"See you soon," he reassured her, letting go. She reached out towards him, but it was too late.

"Sora!", she cried to the depths and he swore that he saw her just as he did then, lit by promises and the sunless sky.

Before he could say anything, the darkness below consumed both his being and the fleeting memories.