Enamis09: Thanks for your requests! There will def be some more Meliku in a couple of weeks, and of course we'll get a lot more of them in the sequel! Most of the rest of what you mentioned will have to wait until later on...everyone hanging out together in Destiny Islands, meeting new people, etc...some of that happens in the sequel, and some of it could maybe be oneshots to go along with the sequel. I do want to do the scene from Meli's childhood that you requested, though. I'll get that up in a few weeks after the rest have been posted.

Coolmegan123: You're the second or third person who has mentioned that these oneshots have made them realize how deep Meli and Riku's relationship really is. It made me stop and wonder if I had been doing something wrong in the actual story! But I realized the answer is, it has always been deeper from Riku's perspective than it was from Meli's. He fell in love with her first, and never stopped being in love with her, while her feelings for him were on a rollercoaster ride. It was only at the very end of the story that they started being on the same level with how they felt about each other.

Thanks for your reviews!

This oneshot is actually part one of two...the second part is from a different character's perspective, and will be posted next week. It was one of those scenes that I was lying in bed imagining how it would go, but couldn't include because Meli was absent or unconscious for most of it.

This takes place right after everyone arrived back at Destiny Islands and the boys disappeared into the Realm of Darkness, when Meli and friends are making their way to Kairi's house.

Chapter 51.5

(Falls in the middle of chapter 51)

Kairi's Perspective

Kairi was trying her best not to look as anxious as she felt, but it was only partially working. Bouncing up onto her toes slightly as she walked, she peered ahead down the road, even though she knew that her house was still way too far away to see. Then she glanced back at her friends, and immediately felt guilty for being so preoccupied with thoughts of her parents. Poor Meli's face was as white as a sheet and beaded with sweat as she shuffled slowly up the sandy path, leaning heavily on Goofy's arm. If only she wasn't so stubborn, Kairi sighed to herself, but shook the thought away. If it had been her in that position, she might have been too embarrassed to accept the help, too.

Of course Donald wasn't going to be quite as understanding. "Are you sure you don't want him to just carry you?" he asked impatiently.

Meli shook her head, but kept her lips pressed together and didn't say anything. It looked like it was taking all of her focus and energy just to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

King Mickey looked up at Kairi sympathetically. "Kairi, why don't ya go on ahead of us? You can let your parents know that we're comin', and we'll meet ya there."

Clasping her hands behind her back, Kairi cleared her throat, wondering if she had really been that obvious. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I want to stay with you guys."

Halting in her tracks, Meli made eye contact with Kairi for the first time since they had arrived on the beach. "You should go," she said hoarsely. "Go see your parents."

Kairi drew in a breath and held it, looking each friend in the face for assurance that it was really alright. "Okay," she finally responded, blowing the air out. "Just...to tell them you're coming. Maybe they can get some food started for us."

Full of nervous energy, Kairi turned and began to jog up the path, momentarily pushing her worry over Meli, Sora, and Riku to the back of her mind and letting her excitement and relief at being back home take the forefront. Before long, the familiar brick facade and white columns came into view, and she quickened her pace, a smile spreading across her face. Home. There had been times over the past weeks that it had been hard to believe she would make it back here. She couldn't imagine what her parents had been through, wondering where she had disappeared to. They were going to be completely ecstatic to see her.

The front door was unlocked, as always. Pushing it open, Kairi breathed in the scent of the potpourri that her mom always kept on a side table in the foyer. "Mom? Dad? I'm home!"

There was a thump from upstairs, like something had been dropped, followed by the sound of footsteps running down the hall. Her mother appeared at the top of the stairs, and Kairi grinned. "Mom!"

"Kairi!" Mrs. Yoshida cried. She flew down the steps and into her daughter's arms. "Kairi, oh my baby, you're home!" In a moment, Mr. Yoshida had joined them, too, wrapping his arms around both his wife and daughter. The trio stayed like that for a long time, alternating between laughing and crying, no one really wanting to let go. Finally Kairi stepped back, wiping her face with the heel of her hand, and looked into the faces of her parents. Besides just the tears still streaking her mother's cheeks, she could tell that the last several weeks had been hard on them both. Their faces looked weary from worry and probably lack of sleep.

"When I heard your voice down here, I thought I was imagining things again," Mrs. Yoshida murmured. "Oh, Kairi sweetie, where have you been?"

Kairi took a deep breath. "I was...kidnapped." She saw her mom's face pale, and hurried to continue. "But I'm okay. They didn't hurt me, and...they're gone now. Sora and Riku took care of them, so we don't have to worry about them anymore."

Mrs. Yoshida embraced her daughter again. "We were so worried about you. I'm so glad you're okay."

"You said you saw Sora and Riku?" Mr. Yoshida asked.

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. They helped me escape, along with some other friends. But they..." Tears filled her eyes again. "They got left behind. There was one of the bad guys left, the leader. We thought he was gone, but...when we were trying to leave, the exit got cut off before they could make it through. We think they must be still fighting him now."

"I'm sorry, sugar," her dad responded, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "I know how much you miss them, and must be worried about them. But I know those boys, and they'll make it through somehow."

"Yeah, I know." Kairi gave him a wobbly smile. "That's what I kept telling Meli...oh! Meli!" Kairi looked over her shoulder at the front door suddenly, having momentarily forgotten about her mission.

"Who's Meli, sweetie?"

"She's a friend. She's on her way here now, with Donald and Goofy and the King," Kairi hurried to explain.

"The King?" Mr. Yoshida echoed, surprise evident in his voice.

"King Mickey. They're all friends of Sora and Riku, and helped with the fight. I'm sorry, normally you know I would have asked before inviting people over, but everyone's exhausted and hungry and needed somewhere to go..."

"Say no more," Kairi's dad replied with a smile. "We haven't had breakfast this morning, either. How do pancakes and eggs and bacon sound?" He was already turning to head into the kitchen.

"Heavenly," Kairi sighed. "Thanks, Dad."

"Don't you worry about inviting them over without asking," Mrs. Yoshida assured her. "It sounds like we owe them a debt of gratitude, anyway."

Kairi nodded in agreement. "They were all important to us getting out of there. But Meli has been taking care of me ever since she got there. She was a prisoner, too, and I would've been a lot worse off if it hadn't been for her." Another tear unexpectedly rolled down her cheek. "She's in bad shape, Mom. I'm really worried about her."

At that moment, the doorbell rang out through the foyer. "There they are now!" Kairi exclaimed, rushing over to the door. She swung it open eagerly, only to see Meli's limp body draped across Goofy's arms. Kairi gasped. "What happened?"

"She fainted right after you left," King Mickey explained. "I knew she was pushin' herself too hard."

Mrs. Yoshida walked up behind her daughter, placing one hand on her shoulder and gesturing inside with the other. "Come in, come in. Bring her in here and put her on the sofa." Kairi glanced up at her, admiring the woman for her ability to take any situation in stride. She gave no indication whatsoever that she had noticed the strange appearances of the visitors, just jumped in and began playing hostess and nurse without a second thought.

Kairi trailed after her friends into the room that her mom had indicated, the seldom-used living room. Goofy placed Meli gently on the couch, and the King fluffed a throw pillow underneath her head. A moment later, Mrs. Yoshida reappeared with a bottle in her hand, one that Kairi recognized as the electrolyte-filled drink that they kept on hand in case anyone got sick.

"My mom's a nurse," Kairi announced to the room. "You can help her, right Mom?"

King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy scattered to the side to let Mrs. Yoshida come in closer to the couch. Kneeling down on the rug, she reached out her free hand to place on Meli's sweaty forehead. "Do we know exactly what's wrong with her?"

The four friends shared a look. "Well, she had some pretty bad injuries..." Goofy began.

"Yeah, but Sora and I healed her," Donald interjected. "So those should be fine now."

"It's food," Kairi spoke up. "That's what she needs. Like I said, we've been together for several weeks now, and she's hardly eaten anything in that whole time. She gave most of her food to me. First, just because she knew I was having to share mine with Pluto. Then it was because she was too sick from...her injuries...to eat. She kept a little for herself, but it was mostly just small pieces of bread, and those would last her two or three days."

Mrs. Yoshida nodded, still focused on Meli, and began opening the drink bottle. "I'll try to get her to take some of this. If we can get enough sugar and calories in her from this, then maybe she'll feel up to eating some breakfast later."

"Speaking of which, breakfast is ready!" Mr. Yoshida announced, stepping into the room. He faltered momentarily when the duck, dog, and mouse turned their heads to look at him, but then smiled cheerily. "Anyone hungry?"

"Yes, sir!" Donald agreed heartily.

"I hate to leave Meli, though..." King Mickey hummed.

"You all are good friends, but you should just leave her to me," Mrs. Yoshida countered. "Go on and eat while it's hot."

"That goes for you, too, Kairi!" the King called back to her when he noticed that she had lingered in the room.

Kairi sighed, giving one last glance back at Meli's unconscious form. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Please let me know what you thought in a review, and if you have any special requests, shoot them my way! Ideas for scenes can be as vague or specific as you want. I'll try my best to do whatever I receive!