Disclaimer: I don't own Cloud, Riku, or anything in Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or anything else I might've missed!
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As I looked out the window in the morning I frowned. There were no clouds in sight. I wasn't happy to see the sun. Then I thought about beautiful dark clouds. How the rain poured out, and at the sight of it in my mind, I smiled. I didn't just want the rain. To be blunt, I needed it.

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I went to my sister's room. It was painted like the night sky. Just the opposite of mine. I opened the door to my sister's room and noticed my sister was awake. My sister gave me a tired glare that told me 'You're in my room. Get out'
"Hey Sis. What's up?" Dumb question to ask someone who just woke up. My sister humored me. "Well, I'm sleeping."
I walked out of the room laughing at my stupidity. "Oh my Gawd." I said before picking up a dog toy and squeaking it loudly. I wondered if my sister minded the noise. My sister didn't like the rain as much as I did. But what did she know? She grew up for nine years where rain didn't matter as much as it did here.
Suddenly, I saw the first robin (that I had seen) of spring. I was really happy to see it. I tried to open the door but it was locked. 'Darn' I thought, and undid the lock. I opened the door to see the robin had taken refuge from the sun by hiding behind the nearby roses in my mothers' garden. I sighed to feel the left over cold from the winter that had been gone for a month now. Maybe it was just the morning.
It could be that I was selfish. It seemed pointless to get upset over something that could never change. In this dump called a town I suffered from seclusion. I was eternally bored at home and afraid of people in public. Now that I thought about it, it seemed childish. 'Are we all just afraid of each other?'
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Not many things made me happy. What did make me happy usually wasn't real or disappeared. But, before I decided that my life sucked, I remembered that I had a good life. Parents who loved me, a brother, a sister, and a dog. I had it all in my opinion. But somehow I wanted more. I wanted things that couldn't be owned. Now I felt spoiled.
Then I remembered the smile my brother had given me before he left. That warm smile he owned. All of my family had it. I was the only one who didn't. I had more. The smile that I shone always disappeared fast. That's not saying it wasn't beautiful.
Suddenly I remembered the boy that he had walked off with. When we had first met he was fifteen, which made me twelve. When my brother brought him home he looked like a drowned rat that the cat coughed up at the last second. He had no expression. When my sister smiled at him he only seemed to look past her. I then noticed he was staring at me. Then he looked over to my right shoulder. My eyes followed his and then I noticed the most beautiful black wing in my life.
It was large and soft when it rubbed my face. He looked quizzically at me and I whispered to him as my mother and sister led him to a room where he would stay "Hello". He looked back and smiled a smile that almost brought me to tears.
I had fallen blindly in love. That day I took a walk around town and thought about how beautiful the day was. I even decided that maybe Traverse Town wasn't so bad either. That night I had a dream where my family left me behind. I chased after them but fell in the dust. The wing from before that I thought to be just a thought of blind love had returned.
I woke up and shot out of bed in the middle of the night. There was only one place I wanted to go. I rushed to the boy with the beautiful smile's room. He was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. I have to say, when I came to the door, he looked frightened before he knew who it was. I was crying tears that no one could understand but him. He beckoned me over to where he was sitting and when I sat down he put his hand near mine.
Finally after sitting in the dark for a minute or so he asked me, "What's wrong? Are you okay?" I smiled at him in a scared little way that I used to. I blushed when I looked into his eyes and heard his voice.
I told him about my dream and he told me about an island where life was beautiful. The people were beautiful. He called it Destiny Island. As he told me the story of how he had gotten to here from there he stroked the soft black wing that hung over my right shoulder. He told me that to him, it seemed more like a prison, surrounded by water.
"Why?" I asked him.
"I think it was just time for a change of scenery. I wanted to see life as someone free to travel from one world to another at my own free will. I didn't want to stay on that island forever." He explained.
I wanted to change the subject. He looked like he was regretting ever leaving. "So what's your name?" I asked him politely.
"My name is Riku. I don't really remember my last name. Nor do I really want to either." Riku shone a faint smile. "You know what I mean?"
"Yeah, I really do." I smiled back at him. "And by the way my name is Ryo Andreleen Fireheart. You can call me Rufus though. That's what everyone else calls me."
"No, I think I'll call you Ea for now. It fits you well." He told me. Then he looked gratefully at the window. "Ea, lets go outside and watch the sunrise!" He suggested brightly. He lifted me up, much to my blushing surprise, and carried me to the roof of our two story house. We sat down and watched the sunrise.
He looked very content as the light shone on his silver hair. "This reminds me of someone I felt strongly for. That is before she disappeared." He said sadly.
"What was she like?" I asked.
"Well she had beautiful short red hair, her eyes were violet like sunset, and she always understood what you were saying when you said something." He explained.
"She sounds like a beautiful person." I said without thinking.
"Believe me, she is." He replied. "Well I guess you should get to your room before anyone else wakes up!" He said quickly. He took me to my room in the same manner he had taken me up to the roof. Only this time it felt warmer. He sat me down on my bed and went back to his own room. The sleep was brief because about half an hour later my dog came in and pounced on my stomach. When I didn't wake up he barked with disgusting breath. I hit him on the nose and sat up.
He looked pleased when I looked at that dumb dog. I giggled at how stupid it was to get mad at a dog that just wanted to play and be friendly. The dog seemed to laugh with me. I guess that's another reason why everyone called me Rufus. That was the dog's name. I did a lot of things that seemed like Rufus would do.
That morning my father and mother had to leave early for work. My brother and sister went to the same school so he drove her there every morning. I was the only one who stayed home. My spring vacation had just started that day. So Riku and I were the only ones home. Rufus always stayed outside after waking me up. I let Riku sleep; he had looked really tired when he came home for the first time last night. I made breakfast that morning. My family always said I was the best cook in the house. Whenever my brother said it he would smile and pat me on the head. Now for some reason I am crying.
I guess the space that my brother, Cloud, had taken isn't going be filled for a long time. He's been gone for two years already. He sent me a letter the other day. It said that when I wake up to remember our parents for them. I guess I should also explain how our family died. The morning they left after breakfast a strange silver haired man named Sephiroth, or at least that's what Cloud called him, killed our parents. I sat in my room crying for a few hours. When the full moon shone the tears came like a waterfall.
My mother was well known as being like moonlight. Everything she touched became a bit brighter. She and father would dance in the moonlight when I was little. Mother even taught me how to dance when she found me sneaking around the house when I was ten.
I guess Riku heard me call for her in a raspy voice because a second after I called he walked in and hugged my tightly. We talked again. He even stroked my wing the same way. The next day felt like it could drag on forever. After my brother and sister left for school, Riku came into the room. He lazily helped himself to the food that I had made for him. 'He eats slowly' I thought. I giggled at his messy hair and his dazed expression.
He looked at me quizzically for the second time.
"I didn't think you would be laughing like that for a while, given your situation." He retorted to my laughter.
"Riku, I think you should take a walk through Traverse Town today. You should at least learn everyone's name." I said through giggles. "I think.........maybe you should..............meet my friends." I said. I couldn't help but get lost with my words. He had just smiled in that glowing way.
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As the girl looked away from her story she held a picture of a handsome young man around his teens. She sobbed. She looked at the other side of the computer desk where a picture of a spiky-haired man stood between the young man in the other picture and a younger form of her. She sobbed even harder.
Suddenly, a young man with spiky brown hair carrying a key followed by two idiotic looking buffoons barged into her small house.
"Excuse me sir, but would you mind telling me WHY YOU'RE IN MY HOUSE?!" She exclaimed. The young man looked shocked to see the young girl, holding a picture of his best friend in her hands.
"I'm sorry; I didn't know anyone lived here. It was really dark and- I'm sorry!" The young girl had just started to almost throw the picture of the handsome young man at him.
"Hold on a sec! How do you know Riku?!" He asked before barely dodging the picture frame. "Careful! That thing is sharp!" He called out.
"You're right! I'll remember to hit you next time!!!!" She screamed at him. Then she just suddenly stopped when she was about to throw the other picture. She seemed to be looking at the picture. "Tell me, do you come from Destiny Islands? Do you know Riku?" She had asked this question whenever someone came in.
He looked at her bravely and nodded. She fell to her knees so hard that they almost bled. He heard her mutter words to the picture.
"Riku.........will you ever come home? I want to talk to you about the one you felt strongly for. This friend of yours.........loves her too." The young man was shocked. 'How does she know about Kairi? Better yet, how does she know about my feelings?'
"Riku is still wandering in the dark for you and Kairi." The girl said hugging the picture tightly letting a weathered black wing become noticed. "'Sora!' He says. 'Find the door and let me out!' Find him!"
Sora understood and left the small house with the buffoons following him. She pulled the picture of Riku out of the wall. It got stuck worse than she had wanted it to. She finally pulled it out by putting one foot on the wall and pushing and pulling at the same time.

But back to the story
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I remember when I actually told Riku how I felt. It was right before he and Cloud left. He gave me a kind smile.
"Are you absolutely sure?" He asked for some strange reason. I gave a little confused grin. I nodded to the silver haired boy and giggled.
"Then I shall return to you Miss Ryo Andreleen Fireheart. Don't Change while I am away." He smiled and Cloud patted me on the head. My sister stood right behind me the whole time. As we both watched them walk away she hugged me and we cried together. Eileen promised they'd be back and I still believe my beloved sisters words. She sits with me whenever I tell this story. She stands beside me and helps me remember whatever happened that I can't remember myself.
I ask her sometimes what it's like outside. She tells me that a beautiful day comes in many forms. If it rains, I usually stay outside the whole day and my sister has to come find me. I remember when Riku went out in the rain. We searched the whole day for him. After what had happened to our parents we didn't want to lose him too. Finally, we found him lying on the top of the Gizmo Shop in the second district. He was very pale, he had a very high temperature, and he told us his whole body was numb.
At first I was the only one to find him. I peeled of my big brown jacket and lay it on top of him. He looked horrible just lying there on the ground. I finally got him to sit up, though. I used my wing to shield his head from getting any wetter. I smiled at him, the hair sticking to his face, his body limp from exhaustion. My brother and sister finally found us when they noticed I was missing. Cloud had to carry Riku home on his back. I held my sister's hand like I used to when I was little.
The bond that I have with my sister goes almost beyond that of our parents and us. We prey to them each day and write letters to each other because we have nothing better to do except write this story. We don't talk unless we're out in public where it would seem strange to write a letter to someone who stood right beside you.
When we brought Riku home, the house was trashed. We had forgotten to lock the door to the house. Someone or something had broken into the house. You really can't trust Traverse Town unless you have someone at home to protect the house. Rufus had been tied up to the front gate. I felt ashamed. That night, I saw something crawl beneath my bed.
I grabbed it by the antennae, or whatever those things were, and pulled it to where I could see it better. It was small and hunched over. Its eyes glowed a bright yellow. As I stared into them I felt like I could hear it talk to me. 'Please don't hurt me!' It begged and pleaded. I gasped and then glared at it.
"Why shouldn't I you little monster?!" I whispered to it so as not to disturb anyone sleeping in the house. "Because of you, my house is a mess! Riku is sick and he's probably going to be sick for about a week! We don't have any real bed anymore because you and your dumb friends had to come in and destroy our house!"
'Wait! I can help you! You care for him right?'
"What's it to you?"
'If you become my partner, I will help you with anything!'
"Why should I trust you? You're just a little insect! What can you do to help Riku?" I said more hopefully than expected.
'Just let me down and touch my hand' it said. I did just as it told me and suddenly the little shadow became as my sister and was granted armor for some reason. 'Now say 'Soul Release!'' It told me.
"Soul Release!" I shouted louder than expected. The creature glowed a bright white and disappeared. "Simply beautiful!" I whispered to myself. Suddenly I remembered Riku. I dashed to his room. Once again, he was sitting on the ground. His hair was still really wet. It stuck to his face, but he was still sleeping. As I gently pulled the hair off of his face he woke up.
He was shocked, but than happy to see me. I didn't blame him though. He had been walking around Traverse Town all day.
"Riku, how do you feel?" I asked sweetly.
"Better than I did, but still kind of sick." Riku simply explained.
"Did you have any other friends on Destiny Island?"
"I actually had quite a few. Their names were Sora, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. Sora was like a real leader. He was really strong too. I offered to bring him with me but he seemed like he was too afraid." He told me.
"He liked Kairi too. Didn't he?" I asked him. I sweetly smiled. He nodded to me. I smiled back. I guess he was still tired from the fever. He fell asleep with his head in my lap. We stayed that way all night. I fell asleep leaning on the wall. My wing covered my face.
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End of chapter one! I'm sorry for anyone who likes Riku! I'm sorry but you know it's hard to resist him!!!! I'm sorry! Please Review! I'll take requests!