F R A G M E N T S. chapter three: kairi's first choice

You were my first choice, you know. You were bigger, taller, stronger... and you were full of this fierce devotion, this over-protection, but you still fumbled your words around me, and that was cute.

But then you grew confident. The playful rivalry between you two... it had always been harmless. You competed like equals. But then you grew confident, and you started winning, until it grew to the point that you beat him every single time. The trio could take you on, and they couldn't win. That summer was the first time I saw Sora cry.

You boys... you were always so silly, so misguided. You thought strength was everything, that it was all that mattered. Sora lost, and he cried, because he thought it was the end of the world. You won, and you... lost your charm. You still joked around and it was still fun, of course, but... There were too many boasts, too much gloating. Sora would sit in the dust and, after fighting you, he would fight back tears.

And your blush went away. Your awkward words, the hesitant smile I loved so much. They went away. It used to be a battle, dragging affectionate words out of you, and it was always so rewarding in the end. But now the words tumbled from your mouth, and they were flippant, arrogant. They weren't always affectionate.

I think you realized something was wrong. You spent more time alone, ruminating in your paopu tree, trying to see what the problem was. But even as you did that, you grew distant from the rest of us. You started dreaming big dreams, and you faded away. Riku was no longer our best friend -- he was something else, something larger and something intimidating.

I wish it could have gone differently... I'm sorry, Riku. I'm sorry for everything you went through, and I'm sorry I didn't stop it in the beginning, didn't walk up to your tree and talk to you and try, maybe, to fix it somehow. Before the competition grew too strong, before you went out of control.

And even now, as it is now, with everything changed and nothing quite the same... All I can say, is that I miss those times. I remember one warm summer night, sitting with the two of you, and for once, you weren't fighting. You weren't worrying about who was winning my heart.

It was just you and me and him, alone, with the stars above and the horizon ahead.

I miss that day.