Well...This actually started out asan assignment for my English class, but I ended up liking it so much I decided to put it up here. And...I really want some feedback on it, too. When I turned it in during class, we were supposed to read each others stories and do a plot diagram for it, but...no one read this. I was so sad! -sobs- So, I put it up here for all of you to get to read! R&R!
Disclaimer: Everything Kingdom Hearts doesn't belong to me. Except for the plot in here. But, soon...soon...It shall all be mine! It, and the world! -insert evil laughter-
He couldn't believe summer was over already.
Sitting on the small round islet dubbed Paopu Island, the unusually quiet seventeen-year-old boy stared out at the sparking ocean with his deep sky blue eyes. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, turning the sky into a beautiful canvas. A myriad of colors, ranging from cerise to indigo, from lilac to mauve, from the lightest of pinks to the deepest of oranges, light azure to royal blue, painted the sky all around the fiery orb. A few small clouds lingered about the sky, the only remainders of the storm that had poured rain down upon the small islands only hours before.
Tomorrow...He would have to go back to school.
Under normal circumstances, he'd almost be happy to return to school. It would be something to do once the fun of the four-month summer break had worn off. Summer on the islands lasted almost half of the year, nearly seven months of warm, balmy sun-filled weather, while the rest of the year were the "winter" months, where the worst weather came in the form of thunderstorms and temperatures no lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. And, lately, he'd been dreading the end of summer, as school started the day after the last day of summer, rather than looking forward to being able to hang out with his friends without having to come up with something to do out of boredom.
He and his best friend, a boy one year his elder by the name of Riku, hadn't even been to school for nearly three years, much less even been on the islands. Instead, the two teens had been off fighting dark creatures known as the Heartless, trying to get back to the small islands they called home.
As it was, they had only recently managed to return to the Destiny Islands. Riku had hung up his trusted red and black Wingblade, taking up his guitar once again. He'd actually been scouted only a week ago by a producer for a large music company from the mainland; neither of them expected that one of the people from the city would be vacationing on their small, relativity unknown islands, and would be at the small open-air store where Riku would often sit at, playing his guitar for his friends. Riku was now moving to the mainland in a week with to stay with his aunt and uncle.
Of course, even though he was happy for his friend finally fulfilling his long time dream of becoming a rock star, he couldn't help but be sad. The older boy had been his closest and best friend for as long as he could remember, and now he was leaving the islands again. Riku promised to keep in touch and visit from time to time, because he too was mildly irked about having to leave his lifelong home.
Sighing quietly, he turned his attention to the object held in his hand. It resembled a large key, roughly four feet long, with a simple design; the handle was golden, and was shaped slightly like a square with a grip through the center for him to hold onto, with a shining silver shaft about three feet long. On the end opposite to the handle, there was a crown-shaped piece of metal with three rounded tips seamlessly attached to it; this piece took up only about a foot of the length of the shaft...The Keyblade. It was as much of a sword as it was a key.
It was his own weapon of choice for the past three years, one that had saved his life on countless occasions. It was also a reminder to him of just how much his life had changed since he had received it the dark night that the Destiny Islands had disappeared. When he was fourteen, the Heartless had invaded his home, and had destroyed it the same night they came. The Heartless were strange creatures; they would come and invade a world, find the "Keyhole", or the entrance to the literal heart of the world, and... destroy the world and all its inhabitants. There were several worlds, all separated from one another. They had been united at one point in time; wreathed in the purest of light, the people had lived in perfect harmony, before the people who so loved the light began to fight over it. The world eventually was overcome by darkness and destroyed. It had been the light in the hearts of children that had restored the world now plunged into darkness, but the world was no longer one, but rather many scattered throughout the cosmos.
It had been his job, with the Keyblade, to defeat the Heartless and restore the individual worlds. Whether or not the worlds would ever be reunited again was beyond him, but he could always hope. He simply wanted to go back to the days when he and his two best friends, Riku and Kairi, would do nothing but spend all day playing on the beach, racing, drawing pictures in the 'Secret Place', and, well...just being kids. That's how they had all thought their lives were going to be like, until the islands had been destroyed by the Heartless, Sora had been chosen by the Keyblade to be the Keyblade Master, the Hero of Light, Riku had become the Wielder of Darkness (for a short while, at least), and it had been discovered that Kairi was one of the seven Princesses of Heart, the seven maidens with the purest hearts.
He held the Keyblade up in front of him, letting the fading sunlight glint off the silver and gold, staring at the reflection of his own sky colored eyes on the blade. Sighing, he ran his free hand through his spiky chocolate brown locks, before pulling back him arm, hurling the Keyblade forward over the ocean. It spun neatly in the air, as if it had been made for this purpose, before it vanished from the air, reappearing back in his hand. Using the momentum still in the Keyblade, he threw it again, and kept repeating this over and over again. The Keyblade itself had mystical abilities only the Keyblade Master could fully use, so it did have its perks. What had Donald and Goofy called this one...Strike Raid. Another ability that had saved him on numerous occasions.
He jumped when he felt someone tug on his hair, chuckling lightly even as they caused him to lose concentration, and the Keyblade fell into the water, its brief flight run out. Cursing under his breath, he quickly called it back to his hand, muttering darkly when it reappeared in his hand, now wet. Scowling, he turned to tell whomever it was off...only to pout childishly when he saw the grinning face of his best friend.
"Bored much?" asked Riku, brushing a strand of his shoulder-length silver hair from his aquamarine eyes, still grinning. "I've been looking all over for you, Sora."
Said brunette shrugged, the Keyblade vanishing from his hand as he dismissed it. "I've...just been thinking," replied Sora, as the eighteen-year-old sat down next to him.
"About what?"
"Just...about how much things have changed...since we were kids," the brunette said after a pause, staring out again at the ocean. Sighing, he shook his head, turning to look at his friend again. "Do you really have to move, Riku? We just got back to the islands, too..."
Riku sighed as he nodded, tossing an arm around Sora's shoulders, leaning on his smaller friend. "'Fraid so. The mainland's the only place where I can get a record deal and put together a band. But, I already told you; I'd keep in touch and visit. This is my home too, dork. Why does it bug you so much?"
Sora shrugged again, leaning back into Riku, who made a small noise of protest, while staring down at the water. "It just won't be the same with you gone. We were away for so long that...the islands just don't seen the same. Everyone's changed so much since we were gone, even Kairi."
Riku chuckled, resting his head on top of Sora's head, looking out at the waves as well. "Well, that's to be expected, Sora. No one stays the same forever. No matter how much you hate change, it happens anyways. You should know that."
"I really hate change."
"I've known that since you were three, freak," said a chuckling Riku, even as the brunette pouted again. "I've also known that you've liked Kairi since she first showed up here on the islands, and have had the hugest crush on her..."
Sora's cheeks suddenly flushed with a deep crimson blush, as he tried to elbow Riku. "H-hey! You used to like her too!"
The platinum blonde laughed as he easily evaded the playful jab, before he leaned back onto the bent Paopu Tree on the islet, even as Sora set loose his infamous pouting-glare on him. "Keywords being 'used to'. Don't like her as anything more than a friend now. All yours now."
"But..." Riku raised one thin brow as Sora trailed off, nodding to prompt the other to continue.
"Huh?"
"But I don't like Kai as anything more than a friend anymore," said the boy after a moment, tracing his finger through the sand. Riku gave an exasperated laugh, shaking his head as he put one hand over his eyes.
"Oh, jeez...After all of that crap you went through for her, you end up not liking her anymore. That's great Sora."
"Shut up, Riku!" whined Sora in reply, leaning back as well, purposely landing on Riku in the process; the older teen jerked, before grumbling at him. "Anyway, she doesn't like me like that anymore either. She told me the other day when I gave her back her lucky charm."
Riku laughed softly at the absurdity of the whole thing, as Sora and Kairi had liked each other since they were six, but had never had the courage to admit it to one another until three years ago...And now they didn't like each other anymore.
"That is so messed up..." he finally muttered, shaking his head. He chuckled, as Sora laughed lightly as well, still refusing to move and using Riku as a pillow.
"I know. Me and Kai laughed so hard about it when we realized it, and were like, 'all that waiting and spazzing and then this!' It's just so ironic..."
"No kidding..."
The two just continued to sit there as a comfortable silence settled around them, as the sun finally disappeared beneath the horizon as the stars began to show their faces. The waves lapped up quietly onto the golden sand of the beach all around them, the only sound other then their breathing. Riku blinked when Sora shifted; he thought for a moment the brunette was finally going to get off him, only to roll his eyes when he realized he was just trying to get into a more comfortable position.
Silently, Sora held his arm up perfectly straight, one slender finger pointing at one of the many stars in the sky. "There's Disney Castle," he said quietly. "Where Donald, Goofy and King Mickey should be right now. And..." He moved his arm, pointing at another. "There's Neverland...Traverse Town...Pride Rock...the Olympus Coliseum...and Hollow Bastion..." Riku sat silently as the Keyblade Master continued to name off the stars, which were actually the distant worlds, most of which Sora had been to.
"How do you remember all of those," asked Riku after a moment of silence, "but you could never remember to do your homework when we were kids?" Sora laughed at the question, grinning, while letting his arm fall to rest at his side.
"Because homework stinks and it all deserves to be thrown in the ocean. I have to remember the names of the worlds anyways. I am the Keyblade Master after all," he replied, getting a nod from Riku.
"True..."
"Ri...ku?" asked Sora hesitantly. Riku gave a small noise indicating for him to continue. "We're gonna be best friends forever...right?"
Riku was taken aback by this question, looking down at the smaller brunette. "Of couse! Even if I am moving, it's nothing to worry about. Hey, how about this; once I get my first album out, I'll come and get you personally and take you back to the mainland to celebrate? Neither of us have ever been there. You can take a vacation from school. Sound good?"
"Yeah, since I've got three more years of school to go..." Sora grumbled out. "Bleh. I still can't believe they're making me make up the time I missed while we were off saving their sorry butts..."
Riku laughed, ruffling Sora's hair. "I take that as a yes."
Silence fell again, enveloping the two boys as the moon slowly climbed higher into the dark night sky. It lasted for a short while, before a soft snore broke through Riku's silent musings. Shifting slightly, he chuckled at the sight of a now sleeping Sora, who was snoring softly. Gently, he tried to shift the younger boy off of him, knowing full well nothing short of the apocalypse would be able to wake Sora now, but the boy refused to be moved, as the brunette's arms clamped around his waist, muttering in his sleep. Sighing in defeat, he leaned back against the tree once more, staring up at the sky.
Well, it wouldn't be the first time he'd slept out on Paopu Island. Yawning widely, he folded his arms behind his head, closing his eyes. He had wanted to tell Sora something, but, it could always wait until morning; not that he had much choice, now that the other was already asleep. 'Might as well get some sleep,' thought Riku, finally allowing the dark of sleep to wash over him. He didn't get to spend much time with his best friend anymore, anyways...
-Owari-
By: -Teh Great Cerise Kaitou Phoenix-sama-