Chapter two: To Open Your Heart

"Whoa!" A silver haired boy bolted strait up in his bed. His blue eyes flickered left and right, searching. They scanned across the slightly fluttering curtains, over the clothes tossed everywhere and over the collection of shells. The boy slipped out of his bed and walked over to the open window. Again he looked at the beach that he had seen for fifteen years. The same ocean, the same trees. He would escape from this island; he would see other worlds. With a harsh snap! the window was closed, hiding the view from the boy's sight.

That morning, the silver haired teen strolled down the beach, waiting for the usual morning routine to begin. His wooden sword was held loosely in his right hand, and his muscles were tense. A shout alerted the teen, and he deftly deflected a blue ball back to the bushes of which it had sprung out. He heard a gruff hey and leapt forward, ramming into a red haired teenager. A blond haired boy was rolling quickly away from the silver haired teen. A clip of wood sounded behind the silver haired teen and a brown haired girl threw her nunchaku forward. A few moments later, the silver haired teen stood with the three others tied before him with the nunchaku rope.

"Riku!" The blond wined. "Let us go!" The silver haired teen laughed.

"Why should I? This is the third attempt this week!" Riku crossed his arms. "Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, you all should know by now… I'll always beat you three!" The three teens sighed.

"We should go after Sora." Wakka said. "He's much easer to sneak up on, ya?" Riku nodded in agreement.

"Say, have you seen him today?" Riku asked, freeing the three.

"No… He's probably off with Kairi somewhere…" Selphie said, her eyes glazed as she looked at Riku. "Maybe in the secret place. That's such a romantic spot." The three boys glanced at each other, forcing snickers down.

"You may be right." Riku managed to say. He turned from the others. "See you all later!" Giving a quick wave, he charged off for the secret place. "Sora? Kairi?" He stumbled down the path, ducking low as not to hit his head on any of the branches. He came out into the cave part, the wind blowing through the hole in the caves roof. The two were not there. But as Riku turned to leave, he heard something over by the strange brown door that had always been there.

This world is no different.

"What?" Riku spun around, looking for the person who owned the voice.

It can be tied to the darkness.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

Can be eclipsed like all the others…

"Eclipsed? By what?" Riku's voice rose.

You understand so little.

"Show yourself!" Riku ordered. A cloaked figure appeared near the door.

Open your heart. If you do so, you will open the path to another world…

"How.. how did..?" Riku sputtered. His blue eyes flashed with confusion and anger. How did this… Stranger!… know what Riku wanted?

Open your heart! Open the door! The figure faded as footsteps rang in the cave. Riku snapped around, his eyes catching the looks on his friend's faces.

"Who were you talking to Riku?" Kairi asked, smiling slightly.

"No one." Riku shrugged. Sora flailed around a wooden sword.

"How bout a spar? I'll beat you today for sure!" The burnet exclaimed. Riku crossed his arms and laughed.

"Seriously doubt that." Kairi laughed as Sora glared at Riku. "But I have a better idea." Riku's eyes flashed. "Would you like to see other worlds?"

"That would be awesome!" Sora smiled. Kairi looked curious.

"Then lets build a raft.." Riku nodded as he said this. "Get off this island." The other two cheered.

"Lets build it by the cove." Kairi said. Sora did thumbs up and smiled.

"We'll need rope, logs, a sheet and a lot of food." Riku stated.

"Right!" The other two said toughly, but the expression was ruined for Sora as he yawned. Kairi and Riku glanced at one another. He was doomed…

Later that day, Riku walked around the slightly forested area, slowly heading towards the two brown haired teens. He kept an ear open to their conversation.

"Whoa!" Sora had sat up on the sand, just woken up by Kairi. He laughed slightly. "Gimme a break, Kairi."

"Sora, you lazy bum. I knew I'd find you snoozing down here." Riku silently agreed.

"No! This huge black thing swallowed me up! I couldn't move, I couldn't… ouch!" Kairi had bonked Sora on the head. Riku scowled. That dream sounded familiar…

"Are you still dreaming?" Kairi laughed.

"It wasn't a dream! Or was it? I don't know." Sora looked out over the water. "What was that place? So bizarre.."

"Yeah , sure." Kairi laughed again. Well, she didn't know how realistic that dream was. Riku bent to grab a log and hefted it over his shoulder.

"Say, Kairi. What was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up." Sora asked. Kairi walked forward to look over the ocean.

"I told you before , I don't remember." Riku sighed. He had hoped that maybe this time…

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing."

"You ever want to go back?" Sora continued to prod.

"Uh… well, I'm happy here." Kairi said, attempting to avoid the question.

"Really?" Sora sounded put out at her non-answer.

"But you know… I wouldn't mind going to see it." That's what Sora was aiming for.

"I'd like to see it too. Along with any other worlds out there." He said very quickly. "I want to see them all!" Kairi turned back to Sora.

"Then what are we waiting for?" She said, jumping slightly. Riku strode forward, flipping the log off his shoulder.

"Hey," He queried. "Arent you guys forgetting about me?" He shifted. "So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft." He stepped forward, flipping the log onto Sora. He wagged his finger at Kairi. "And you are just as lazy as he is." Kairi laughed.

"So you noticed." Riku sighed down onto the sand next to Sora. "Okay, we'll finish it together." Sora pushed the log off himself. "I'll race you!" The two boys tensed up, but kept a cool cover.

"Huh?" Sora looked up at Kairi.

"What? Are you kidding?" Riku sighed.

"Ready?" She called. "GO!" The two teen boys leapt up and charged down the beach, neck and neck. Kairi laughed behind them, running as fast she could. The supplies for the raft were quickly gathered and the raft was soon put together.

The sunset found the three friends draped over the paopu tree. Riku was leaning against the trunk, where Sora and Kairi were sitting on the odd bend of the tree. Sora looked around Kairi at Riku.

"So, Kairi's homes out there somewhere, right?"

"Could be." Riku answered. "We'll never know by staying here."

"But how far could a raft take us?" Sora questioned again.

"Who knows?" Riku answered with his own question. "If we have to, we'll think of something else."

"So," Kairi piped up. "Suppose you get to another world, what would you do there?"

"Hmm… I hadn't really thought about that." Riku said slowly. "Its just… I've always wondered why we are here on this island. If there are other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there are other worlds. Then ours is just a part of something much greater. So, we could have just as easily have ended up somewhere else, right?" He glanced over at the other two. Sora fell back on the tree.

"I don't know." He said to the sky.

"Exactly." Riku said triumphantly. "That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here wont change a thing. It's the same old stuff." Deeply he said, "So lets go."

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Kairi asked quietly.

"Thanks to you." Riku said, standing and turning to Kairi. Sora shot Riku a nasty look. "If you hadn't come here, I probably wouldn't have thought of any of this. Kairi, thanks." Kairi giggled. Riku asked himself: Why do girls giggle so much?

"Your welcome." She said, leaping off the tree. She started down the bridge to the main island. Riku and Sora followed slowly.

"Sora!" Riku called. Sora paused and turned, caught by surprise by the fruit heading towards his face. He caught it. "You wanted one, didn't you?" Riku asked, tipping his head slightly to the side.

"A paopu fruit?" Sora queried.

"If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined." Riku said, walking past Sora. "They become a part of each others life, no matter what." He called back over his shoulder, waving. "C'mon, I know you want to try it." Sora blinked and flushed slightly pink.

"What are you t-talking --?" He sputtered. Riku laughed and ran off.