Oops guys, sorry for the serious lack of update! I've been so busy with school and during my free time, I was writing "The Sinner and the Angel" so yeah, I'm guilty! So here'sthe long-awaitedchappie for you guys! X,X

Chapter Three: A journey to find dawn

"Didn't Riku tell you?" Kairi asked, as she glanced at Riku quietly.

"Tell me what, you guys!" Sora asked, frowning now. What was it that Riku and Kairi were sharing that he didn't tell Sora about? He couldn't help but felt a little upset.

"Uh…Riku?" Kairi glanced at Riku again, but the silver-haired boy was quiet as his green eyes stay still on the ocean waves.

"Riku?" Sora whispered now, a little upset.

Finally, Riku turned around and faced him. Sora didn't like the look on his face one bit. It felt as if something was terribly wrong. The next sentence that came out of Riku's mouth proved it.

"I'm sailing away."

"WHAT!" Sora exclaimed. He threw a quick glance at Kairi, who was quietly nodding. "And you agree to this!"

"It's not Kairi's fault." Riku added quickly. "This was solely my decision only."

"You didn't even tell me!" Sora said angrily and boy, was he pissed right now.

"I planned to tell you if you came this afternoon…"Riku said, his words trailing off. "…but you didn't."

"But I…" Sora started to speak when Kairi added hastily,

"Sora, don't be upset. It's not like he's never ever coming back again." Kairi said with a smile.

Riku nodded, his eyes returning to the ocean. At that very moment, Sora realized that there was so much about his best friend that he didn't exactly understand yet. Perhaps, they were never really close to begin with.

"Riku…" Sora muttered, lowering his head. He suddenly felt ashamed of himself. He hadn't taken the time to understand his friend better. But now, by the faraway look in Riku's beautiful green eyes, Sora understood finally.

Riku was just like an eagle. Never settling down in one place. He would travel to the ends of the world and back again. Such was his destiny.

"Sora…" Riku said finally, turning to him. "This island never really belonged to me. I just found myself here one day and I didn't even know how that happens. I have no family…"

"But you have me!" Sora said impulsively and then realized his words. "Uh… I mean, us! You have us, Riku! Me and Kairi will always be your friends."

It was rare that Riku would smile, especially ever since they came back to Destiny Island after the long journey and battle with Ansem. However, the words of Sora did bring a faint smile to Riku's handsome face and Sora felt even more depressed that he was leaving them.

"Don't go, Riku…" Sora muttered. He was tempted to add, I don't know what I'll do without you… but he didn't. Instead, he just stared at Riku, feeling tears welling up his clear blue eyes.

"I knew you'll be like this." Riku said with a small chuckle. But there was not that usual carefree tone to it. Instead, his laugh was replaced by something similar to sorrow. "You're such a crybaby, Sora. How would Kairi depend on you?" he teased.

Sora was in no mood for another of Riku's Kairi X Sora joke. He was upset. Plain and simple. And worst of all, he knew he was in love with Riku. That fact didn't help cheer him up. In fact, it just made him all the more depressed.

Meanwhile, Kairi, noticing the tension building up between the boys, got up to her feet. "I'll leave you two to chat for a bit. See ya in the morning and don't stay up too late!" she said and then glanced at Sora concernedly before leaving the beach.

As soon as Kairi was gone, Sora turned to Riku. He wouldn't hold back on his feelings now. He was angry at Riku. Angry at him for leaving just like that. Didn't he had feelings for him too?

"Riku, how could you do this?" Sora asked, hurt.

"What do you mean?" Riku replied casually, turning to look at the smaller boy beside him. If he had intended to fake ignorance, he was doing a pretty good job because Sora couldn't read his expressions.

"I mean, how could you think to leave us, just like that! It's such…such a selfish act!"

Riku nodded but did not reply. He sighed softly and closed his eyes briefly. Sora stared at his friend for a second, mesmerized by his thick black lashes that gently touched his lower eyelids, the sharp contour of his nose and then Sora's eyes started to wander and rest on Riku's sensual lips.

"I'm sorry." Riku suddenly said, reopening his eyes. Sora quickly looked away.

"Don't apologize. It doesn't work anymore."

"Sora, remember our promise?" Riku asked, looking at him.

Sora closed his eyes. Of course he remembered their promise. Did Riku think he would have forgotten it? Nothing Riku ever said was forgotten by Sora. He could remember every word spoken that night. That night when they made the promise.

"Riku! Where are you! Kairi? Rikuuu!" Sora shouted, frightened now. "I don't wanna play hide-and-seek anymore! Riku! Where are you!"

"Hey Sora! I'm over here!" a small silver-haired boy waved happily at the top of a small hill.

"Riku!" Sora screamed and started to run up towards the hill. When he finally reached it, he collapsed beside Riku and panted heavily. "I'm so tired. I never want to play this game again. Don't ever disappear on me again, promise?"

Riku laughed. "Sora, you're such a crybaby!"

"Heeey!" Sora protested and started to toss sand at Riku.

Laughing, Riku quickly leaped away from Sora and grinned. "Okay, I promise I'll never disappear from you again."

"Okay! That's a promise." Sora muttered, rubbing his eyes away of tears.

Riku suddenly walked over to him and squatted down beside Sora. Gently, he pulled away a few strands of Sora's unkempt hair and touched his face. "Don't cry, Sora. If we ever lost each other again, I'll meet you right here. On this hill. That way, we'll see each other again. Maybe not right away, but soon."

Sora nodded finally. "Yeah…I remembered…"

Riku smiled and reached over to Sora. Just when Sora felt Riku's lean body getting closer to him, and his heartbeat quickened, Riku suddenly ruffled Sora's chestnut brown hair.

"That's good." Riku laughed. "So you know, we'll find each other soon."

"No. That was just our childhood silly promise. You know the real world don't work like that. If you sail away, you'll never come back. And even if you did, it'll take you like, twenty years, maybe even more, before you returned." Sora said simply, lowering his gaze to the ocean, dejectedly.

"Sora…"

"Don't say another word." Sora interrupted. "Riku, do you have a reason for leaving?"

Riku quiet down. There was yet that faraway distant look in his eyes. "Sora, I'm not pure, remember?"

"None of us are, Riku. Why are you so affected by this?" Sora asked, and on impulse, he laid his hand over Riku, feeling the warmness of his palm.

Riku didn't seem to have notice this because he continued to speak, unfazed. "Sometimes, in the silent of the night, I think I hear voices speaking to me."

Sora sat up straighter. "What? You mean…like the voice of Ansem?"

Riku shrugged and looked at Sora. "I don't know."

"But he's dead!" Sora protested, frowning.

Riku nodded. "Yes he is, Sora. You killed him."

"So…how can he be…?" Sora started to say, but Riku spoke again, and this time, his words were heavy and full of grave seriousness.

"I am a part of Ansem. Or at least, a part of me belongs to him. If I'm alive, is it so ludicrous to say, a part of Ansem lives as well?"

Sora didn't like what he was hearing. "No, Riku…"

But Riku nodded firmly. "I tried to forget it, Sora. Believe me, I did try to go back to the past. But it is time I come to my senses and agree that nothing can ever be forgotten. None of us can ever forget what happened. We could pretend to be, but in our hearts, we never forget."

"Riku, listen…"

"No, Sora, you listen." Riku said. There was once again, that faraway look in his oceanic green eyes. Yes, now Sora remembered what was so captivating about Riku's eyes. In his eyes, Sora saw the ocean, and possibly, a world unknown and unexplored to mankind.

"Sora," Riku continued, "There was a time when I was once engulfed into darkness. I believe a part of me still belongs there. Or at least, is still trapped in that darkness. I'm sailing away because I'm searching for my dawn. Still searching for it." Riku said with a sad smile. "I don't know when I'll find it. Or if I'll ever find it. But I need to at least try to search for it, don't you think?"

"Riku…" Sora whispered, his blue eyes welling up with tears again. How could he ever bring himself to tell Riku that he loved him? How could he bring himself to tell Riku that he would travel with him to the ends of the world, even if it meant a journey towards a certain death?

But all those feelings and all those words didn't come out. And all that time, Sora just sat there quietly beside Riku as the silver-haired boy looked out towards the ocean with hope and awe, while Sora's heart weep silently.

Okiez, that's all from me now. I didn't expect this chappie to end so sadly but yeah, it kinda did. /sniff/
Thanks for the reviews, guys. I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Hope I'll get to update it soon!