The Light In My Heart

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Chapter 7

Weeks have gone by since the two teen boys had their petty argument. During that time, they had gone back and forth gathering wood, rope, and other such materials to make their raft. And the best part was that no one else knew about their plan. Not even Tidus, Selphie, or Wakka.

Riku layed out on the paopu island platform, letting his pale skin earn a little coloring. Sora, holding a bucket of water to carry to Kairi, had been walking along the beach. Seeing his comrade soaking up the rays of the sun, he grinned evilly. He walked up to the silver-haired teen and raised the bucket high.

"Huh?" Riku slightly opened his eyes to see who the heck was blocking his light. His eyes widened when he saw who the figure was, only to have a surge of freezing cold water dumped over his head.

"S-S-S-SORAAAAAA!" He screamed.

Sora doubled over gripping his sides, laughing wildly. His laughter, however, attracted a group of gawkers and thrill-seekers.

"Hey Sora! What'cha doin!" Tidus bounded up to the the two teens, Wakka and Selphie trailing behind him.

"Nothin." The both of them replied in perfect symmetry.

Tidus cocked an eyebrow at them and just shrugged it off. "Ooookay...whatever."

Sora lightly giggled and layed beside his lover once Tidus, Selphie and Wakka were out of sight. He gazed at the silver-haired angel lovingly and stroked his hair sweetly. Riku smiled, despite the annoying chatter of his teeth.

"So...no red jumpsuit today?"

"Nope." Sora repiled. "These are my workclothes." He pointed down to his white T-shirt and loose red shorts.

"You think you would own something else than those." Sora pointed to Riku's clothes and grinned a normal grin when Riku was still chattering.

"Cold, angel?"

Riku slightly glared. "I wouldn't be making jokes around a small platform like this, Sora."

"Oh?" Sora giggled again.

"Yeah." Riku jumped up and picked the brunnett up.

"W-Wha? Riku!" Sora began to thrash around helplessly.

Riku held the brown-haired boy tightly and ran to the edge, tossing him over.

"RIKUUU!" He shouted as he splashed into the salty ocean water below.

Riku laughed loudly as his brunnett angel resurfaced and crawled up the ladder to the sandy platform. Sora slightly growled pulling off his shirt.

The silver-haired teen's eyes widened at the beautiful sight layed before him. A blush crept its way to Riku's face, while helplessly staring at the younger boy.

"S'matter Riku? You sick or something?" Sora blinked and leaned in closer to Riku.

Riku turned his head in the opposite direction. "No...I'm alright. Did you gather the logs yet?"

"What!" Sora collapsed on his knees.

Riku smirked, "You were supposed to get the logs for the raft."

"I can't do that!" Sora pouted.

"And why not?" Riku crossed his muscular arms.

"Because they're way too heavy! You know I can't lift them!"

Riku snorted. "Such a baby."

"I am not!" Sora shouted.

Riku sighed and ran a hand through his fine silver hair. "Fine, I guess I'll do it."

Sora threw his arms around Riku in a gesture of appreciation and affection. His eyes slowly fluttered down and he leaned foreward. Riku smiled and leaned foreward as well, capturing the younger boy's lips with his own. Sora moaned and opened his mouth. Riku also let out a moan and pushed his wet tongue between Sora's dry lips.

Sora let out a groan when Riku pulled away.

"Lovesick pup." Riku smirked.

"Riku!" Sora shoved Riku playfully.

Riku chuckled. "I'll go gather the logs now." He stood up and dusted the sand from his pant legs.

"See ya, Sora!" He grinned his 'Riku' grin.

Sora sighed appreciatively as he saw his 'prince' run off the platform and disappear around to the other side of the island.

He looked down at himself in slight annoyance. 'I guess I better go home and change.'

He leaped up from his spot on the platform and dashed off in the opposite direction than that of the silver-haired teen.

After a few hours, he came back to the beach side in his normal getup and settled himself down onto the sand.

"Man this is really tiring work!" He let out a yawn and layed back.

"And...I've been having these weird thoughts lately..." His eyes began to grow heavy.

"Like...is any of this for real? Or not?" Sora's eyes finally gave way and he slipped off, letting sleep consume him.

Sora slightly opened his eyes. 'W-Wha?'

He was under water! He was falling, falling, falling... He couldn't move his limbs either. He was paralyzed, unable to move.

Then in an instant, he was back on land on Destiny Islands. He looked out into the water, shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight.

Riku!

He winced, trying to shield the sun. He began to walk out to meet him...but something was wrong. Something terribly wrong. He looked down in confusion, the water retreated away from the brown-haired boy. He looked up to see a tidal wave. Riku turned around to meet Sora's eyes. He smirked and held his hand out as if meaning for Sora to grasp it.

Sora perked up. If Riku didn't get out of the water, he'd drown! He dashed out to Riku, but just before he could reach the silver-haired teen, the huge ocean wave crashed over the both of them.

Sora felt the rushing, tingling sensation of the cool ocean water dousing him as he opened his eyes. His eyes stung from the water, but that didn't matter. Where was Riku!

Right in front of him, feet planted firmly on the ground, still holding his hand out waiting for Sora. The brunnett desperately reached out, trying to grasp the older boy's hand. The current was just too strong! The current washed him away from Riku.

He emerged from the water, soaked down to the bone. It was already in the evening.

'Huh?'

He turned around and saw Kairi smiling and waving at him. He smiled and waved back, running out of the water to shore to meet with Kairi. She giggled as she saw him dripping with water. Then an aweful expression washed over her smile, as she looked up to the sky. Sora, in confusion, mimicked her actions.

A fantastic display of a meteor shower was falling through the sky. And... something else as well...

Sora looked harder, that was him! He was in the sky! Falling and falling...

Then he tipped and fell backwards. Kairi, shocked, looked over at Sora. He fell back into the ocean, falling and falling, such as the beginning of his dream. He peered through his eyes lids to see the sad face of Kairi, slowly dissolving away as he fell closer and closer to the bottom of the sea floor.

He opened his eyes carefully. Then as his feet safely touched the bottom of the black sea floor, it shreaded to pieces as if birds were fluttering . Sora crossed his arms in front of his face to shield himself from the many numbers of birds. He watched the dark birds as they flew away with fascination. Their feathers dropping along the way.

Sora gazed down at the ground. A large bright green circle had been covered up by the birds. A picture of a woman had appeared on the green circle. Then a mysterious voice echoed in the dead silence...

'So much to do, so little time...Take your time. Don't be afraid. The door is still shut. Now...step forward. Can you do it?'

Sora looked around at his surroundings. He gazed up in the air with a suspicious mind, but stepped forward as the voice requested.

When he did, three small platforms arose from the bright green circle.

'Power sleeps within you. If you give it form...It will give you strength. Choose well.'

On these platforms were: a sword, a staff, and a shield. Sora carefully walked to the platform that held the sword. (A.N. It sounds better if you pick the sword, right?)

'The power of the warrior.

Invincible courage.

A sword of terrible destruction.

Is this the power you seek?'

Sora hesitated. ...He then decided. Yes. The sword dissolved, breaking into fragments of light.

'Your path is set.

Now, what will you give up in exchange?'

Sora looked around at the other two options. The shield and the staff. He walked to the platform that harbored the staff. He leaped up onto the platform and picked it up, analyzing it carefully.

'The power of the mystic.

Inner strength.

A staff of wonder and ruin.

You give up this power?'

Sora didn't really want to give up anything, but as the voice said, he had to. Sora nodded and the staff dissolved in his hands, just as the sword did earlier.

'You've chosen the power of the warrior.

You've given up the power of the mystic.

Is this the form you choose?'

Sora nodded. As soon as he decided the platforms shook and once again embedded themselves into the green circle. He looked around once again. What was going on! As soon as that thought rushed over his mind, a sound of shattering glass rang in his ears and the green circle began to break up into tiny pieces. He gasped as the entire circle disappeared altogether, and he began to fall once again into darkness.

As safely as he landed the first time, his feet came into contact with another circle...a blue circle with another woman on it...

'What is this?' He thought.

'You've gained the power to fight.' The voice echoed.

'The power? ...Ah yeah!' Sora stepped forward and pulled his sword out, swinging it with pride.

'All right! You've got it.

Use this power to protect yourself and others.'

Sora smiled, giving himself a pat on the back. He then saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to the abnormal sight and and squinched his eyes leaning forward trying to get a closer look at the sqiggling black creature forming in the middle of the circle.

'There will be times you have to fight.

Keep your light burning strong.'

The small black creature rose from the blue circle like a shadow...

Sora felt determined and not to mention his ego grew bigger. He raised the sword and slashed at the shadow, it dispatched into pieces and vanished completely. Then a ring echoed in his ears like a high screech. He looked around and a group of shadows formed on the ground and rose to attack!

Sora smirked and struck the shadows until none were left. In his moment of glory, Sora failed to realize that another came forth to attack from behind.

'Behind you!' The voice warned.

Sora turned around just in time to slay the black creature.

He grinned in pride of his accomplishment. Then black pools of darkness began to take over the blue circle. Soon the circle was drowned in darkness, swallowing Sora up whole. His were eyes tightly shut, trying to wrentch the shadows off of him. He opened his eyes quickly to find himself unharmed and no shadows were around.

He stood and found a door on the other side of the circle. He ran to it and grasped the handle.

Except he couldn't grasp the handle, he continued trying to pull the door open.

"..I can't open it." He murmured.

Sora looked around to see a box. 'Hmm...' Something in his thoughts told him that he should move it. So he dashed to it, and pressed all of his weight against it. He successfully moved the box around with ease. Then the lining on the door shined brightly.

'Eh? Oh, I get it now!'

After the box vanished, a barrel appeared in the middle of the circle. He dashed to it and picked it up over his head. He then readied himself and slung it on the ground, shattering it into pieces.

Then the door shined again. After he destroyed the barrel.

He turned and saw a treasure chest on the other side of the circle, opposite of the door. He ran to it and opened it carefully, for fear of an awaiting trap.

'What's this?' He pulled out a small vial. It was a potion. 'I guess I could use this this.'

As soon as he took the contents from the treasure chest, it disappeared into thin air before his very eyes.

He turned around and saw that the door was solid! He dashed to it and gripped the handle firmly. When it opened, a blinding light illuminated from inside. Sora looked down at the ground hesitantly, then walked through the door...

Sora opened his eyes and saw that he back on Destiny Islands!

'Hold on. The door won't open just yet.

First tell me more about yourself.'

He saw Tidus loitering in a small area and he ran up to him.

"What are you so afraid of?" Tidus grinned.

Sora glanced at the ground. Time seemed to be going by too fast lately. He loved being a kid! Every moment! But...getting older...

"Getting old." Sora replied solemly.

"Gettin' old? Is that really so scary?"

Sora then turned to see Selphie sitting on a ledge that overlooked a side of the islands.

"What's most important to you?" She smiled at Sora as he walked up to her.

'What is important to me? ...what is it that I value the most?' Then his thoughts traveled to Kairi, next Tidus, Wakka and Selphie, then finally Riku. He valued all of them. He valued their friendship...

"Friendship." Sora gave a smile.

Selphie giggled. "Is friendship such a big deal?"

'Yes...very much.' Sora confirmed himself.

He looked and saw Wakka blocking a small flight of stairs, spinning a blitzball on his index finger. He wandered up to Wakka to talk.

"What do you want outta life?" Wakka gave his infamous grin.

The brunnett's eyes traveled to one side in careful thought. What did he want? He knew that he wanted to leave Destiny Islands. He wanted to be with Riku. He wanted to spend eternity with the silver-haired boy. And he also wanted to prove himself. He was just as strong as Riku! He wanted to get out and learn what's out there!

"To see rare sights!" Sora proudly exclaimed with a grin.

"To see rare sights, huh?" Wakka grinned and continued spinning his blitzball.

'You're afraid of getting old.

You want friendship.

You want to see rare sights.

Your adventure begins at dawn. As long as the sun is shining then your journey should be a pleasant one.

"Sounds good." Sora repiled.

'The day you will open the door is both far off and very near.'

In another blinding light, Sora's surroundings vanished and was once again on a circle. A red circle. He stepped forward and saw another beautiful woman on it. Finally, another ring echoed in his ear. He looked around and a swarm of shadows circled Sora all around.

He took out his sword and swung at the shadows and destroyed every one of them completely. One side of the red circle, a small circle of light illuminated from above. Sora walked into it and he felt immediately renergized. Then the light traveled to the other side and lit a pathway to another platform.

Sora scrambled to the small pathway and ran to the next platform.

He dashed to the middle of the yellow circle and looked up at another light that rained down from the heavens.

'The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes.'

Sora in confusion turned around and saw that his shadow was streaked out along the circle. Then the shadow, like the others, rose from the ground and began to form something bigger. Sora gasped in fear and ran to the other side of the circle. He stopped himself short when there was no place to run to.

'But don't be afraid.

And don't forget...'

A huge shadow emerged and stared Sora down with its glowing menacing yellow eyes. A hole was carved into it's chest where a heart was meant to reside. It slammed it hand onto the ground to crush Sora, he leaped out of the way. He grabbed his sword in a tight grip and slashed the shadow's hand. It howled and wiped Sora out of the way. He let out a scream as the powerful hand came into contact with his body. He gritted his teeth in anger and slammed the sword into the shadow's flesh. The battle seemed to go on for a while. Finally he plunged his sword into the hand deeply until it let out what sounded like a cry.

It's hand slammed down again, Sora leaped back, then his sword vanished from his grasp. He gasped and looked at his hand, then looked back up at the enormous shadow just as it was about to attack again. Sora ran to the edge, there was no where to go! Then pools of total darkness engulfed the battlefield. Sora's feet were caught in the black pools. He began to sink fast with no hope of being released! Tentacles of blackness wrapped around his legs and limbs.

'-But don't be afraid.'

'You hold the mightiest weapon of all.'

Sora gazed up and saw the fearsome eyes of the large shadow, the tentacles binded around the brown-haired boy's body and pulled him down. Before his body was buried in darkness, he looked out from one sapphire blue eye in horror, until the darkness engulfed him completely.

'So don't forget: You are the one who will open the door.'

Sora opened his eyes wearily, loking around cluelessly. He then let out a yawn, laying his head back, closing his eyes. He opened his eyes again deciding that he had better get up. When he did, he saw Kairi looming over him.

"Woah!" He jumped away in shock.

She giggled and grinned.

"Gimme a break, Kairi." Sora lightly chuckled.

"Sora, you lazy bum. I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here." She crossed her arms behind her back, still grinning at Sora.

"No! This huge, black THING swallowed me up! I couldn't breathe, I couldn't--Ow!" Sora was stopped in midsentence when Kairi doubled up her fist and brought it down on Sora's spiky head.

"Are you still dreaming?" She leaned forward.

"It wasn't a dream!" Sora hesitated, then looked down at the sand. "Or was it? I don't know. What was that place? So bizarre..."

"Yeah sure." Kairi shrugged and began to walk closer to the edge of the ocean.

Something clicked in Sora's mind. He felt almost empelled to say it. "Say, Kairi, what was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up."

Kairi's back was turned to Sora as she looked out over the sea. Sora had asked many times and he always received the same answer.

"I told you before, I don't remember." She giggled.

"Nothing at all?" Sora brought out slowly.

"Nothing." She slightly smiled.

Sora lightly frowned. "You ever want to go back?"

Kairi rocked back and forth on her heels. "Mmm, well, I'm happy here."

"Really..." Sora replied.

"But you know..." Kairi's words startled Sora and he sat up. "I wouldn't mind going to see it."

Sora crossed his legs and he smiled brightly. "I'd like to see it, too. Along with any other worlds out there! I wanna see 'em all!"

Kairi turned around and gave Sora a cheerful smile. "So what are we waiting for?"

"Hey, aren't you guys forgetting about me?"

Sora and Kairi looked over at the source of the deep voice. The person who owned it made Sora's heart melt.

"So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft." Riku grinned and shook his head disapprovingly at the two younger friends. Then hoisted the log up in his arms and tossed it at Sora.

"Woah!" Sora fell backwards pinned to the ground by the heavy log.

Kairi giggled when she saw the sight.

"And you're just as lazy as he is!" Riku joked and sat down next to Sora's struggling body.

"Hee, so you noticed. Okay, we'll finish it together. I'll race you!" Kairi challenged.

About that time, Sora had wrestled the huge log off of his frame and sat up. "Huh?"

"What, are you kidding?" Riku sighed exasperatively.

"Hee. Ready? Go!" Riku and Sora looked at each other for a small moment and jumped up immediately. The both of them were ahead of the giggling Kairi, but neither passed the other.

They were friends. The boys were two of a kind and unseperable. Neither would leave the other behind. Perhaps that is the reason that they remained running right by the other's side.

A.N. I am so so sorry that it took so long to get this one out! For some of you, reading this was just like playing the game, ne? Was it boring?; I intend to finish LIMH by following the story. Then you'll find out what Riku was doing in between Sora's battle with the Heartless, and what Sora was doing when Maleficent and the other villians were planning his demise. And soon I'll create Riku and Ansem parts in there somewhere. And maybe there was a little something that happened before Riku was possessed by the evil sage. As always, thank you for reading my stories! I love you all!

Hikari-Sora1

(p.s. I'm looking for the reviewer called 'Oceanbunny.' If you see this Oceanbunny, please e-mail me. Or give me your e-mail in a review.)