Chapter 4

A falling star.

" R-Riku?" Sora stuttered. Riku looked back at him with the same expression.

" Sora…"

" Where have you been? How did you get here?" Sora said taking a step back.

" I don't know." Riku stayed rooted in his spot. They stared for a few brief seconds. " I don't know…" Riku repeated, this time as if really thinking about how he had gotten back.

" Is Kairi…okay?" It stung Sora to hear that. He shook the feeling away. He didn't know why he didn't want Riku to think about her, nor did he want to figure out.

" She's okay. She's"- Sora broke off hearing footsteps. He turned to see Kairi rubbing the sleep from her eye.

" Sora? What's…" She trailed at seeing Sora standing there looking at Riku.

"Riku? Is it really you?" Riku looked at her slightly dazed, then smiled.

"Y-yeah. It's me." Kairi ran into Riku almost causing him to fall.

" I missed you so much!" Riku looked down at her.

" You've grown."

" Yeah." She said smiling.

" Has Sora treated you well?"

" Oh stop Riku!"

For a moment, Sora felt something in his chest. A strange warmth. It was familiar. He searched his mind for where he had felt it before, and it came so suddenly that he couldn't hold back the smile. Here. He had felt it right where he was. With them. With his friends all together. All laughing. It was almost like things were back to normal.

There was a moment where it seemed they all realized it. The warmth Sora had felt, and they held the feeling for a few moments after.

" We should get you inside…" Kairi said folding a strand of her hair behind her ear and helping Riku inside. Sora closed the door after them and fallowed. Kairi sat Riku down on a kitchen stool then went and got him some water.

" So what's going on? How are things on the other worlds?" Riku looked at Sora.

" I-I don't know. I mean I can't…" Riku looked off.

" I cant remember…"

" Anything?" Kairi said trying to help. He looked at her.

" No. Well yes, glimpses, but that's all. Besides Darkness, and, possibly floating. I don't know. And also…Emptiness…" He looked as though he were trying to recall something helpful, or some explanation to where he had been.

" Things have been good here. Well, not as good as they were since you weren't here, but…" She said this trying to get his mind off of where it had been. He smiled.

" Really? That's good. So everything…and everyone?" Sora and Kairi nodded. Riku let out a sigh.

" That's good. I always wondered if everything had turned out okay when I was gone. Looks like it did." Sora looked at Riku thoughtfully. His silver hair had grown. Riku had also aged he realized. He looked so much older. So much more mature. Then another familiar feeling came. Envy. Sora even had to smile at this feeling although it was tearing at him from the way Riku was smiling at Kairi, or maybe it was all just in his head?

" But things are okay now, right? With you?" Kairi said to Riku. He nodded.

" Things are fine." She plopped down onto the stool next to him.

" Things are going to be back to normal now right? Everything! The fun we had everyday. It will all be back to the way it was!" Sora smiled at Kairi. She was so free spirited. He caught Riku looking at him with a smirk.

" So Sora, do the poupu fruit still grow here?" Kairi glanced back to one then the other, oblivious to Riku's joke.

" Yeah Kairi, things are going to be back to normal…"

Dear Donald, Goofy, Menni, Daisy, and the rest of my court.

I am sorry to say that I had to leave you again so soon. More business to attend to. Seeing as this has happened before, I think you know what I am going to ask of you Donald and Goofy. Go find Sora, but this time you also have to look for another. I suggest starting in Crimson Town. There are also other things going on as well that I will need you to attend to. Only this time I think things are going to be a lot bigger. I cannot say how, but I must ask you to please be careful. I must depart you now, I will write soon.

Yours,

King Mickey.

P.S. Take care of Pluto.

" Oh What a hubaloo! I cant believe we are doing this again!" Donald said walking down the long steps to the gummi garage.

" Don't worry, Mickey knows what he's doin, Uh-huck!"

" Goofy is right Donald." Gimminy said on top of Donald's hat.

" Oh what do you know?" Donald said pressing a button that opened the sliding up door to the lower gummi garage where to old beast was left from their last mission. Donald sighed looking at the old thing.

" I sure hope he is alright though."

" Alrighty Donald! Hee hee hee! We are ready for lift off!" One of the little chick monks chirped. Donald waited for the door to lower down before he waddled onto the ship once more. The turning liftoff floor turned to face the opening to the vast sea of stars.

" Shall we take the warp speed master Donald?" Came the Chick monk's voices again. Donald slid into the leather seat where Goofy sat down next to him.

" No, We should take the long way." He ran a finger over the arm rest.

" To at least give him time to brace himself."

Crimson Town

Kimi slid down the slope to the edge of the cliff overlooking the town. The sun was setting deep into the distant in many shades of Crimson. The name seemed to suit the world didn't it? She sat down, letting her feet dangle. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She came here every day to watch the sunset. To wait for her story to begin. To wait for her fantasy…

The shadowed man stood in the corner of the room looking into the fireplace that crackled. The rain hadn't eased up for days since Thorp had left. He closed his eyes and Saw Sora, Riku, and Kairi on the island. Playing. Racing. Splashing each other. The flames crackled again.

" I wish you luck young Key Bearer…" He opened his deep violet eyes. " The Hardest of your tasks is yet to come…"

Sora Riku and Kairi stared out into the setting sun. Out of breath from running, they merely fell down to the sand.

" I never thought things would be like this ever again." Riku admitted.

" You and me both." Sora said.

" I did." They looked at Kairi.

" I just knew. That one day things would be the way they were."

" Yeah...I guess I had a hunch." Sora said smiling.

" Sure you did."

" I did." Sora said persistantly to Riku.

" I dont believe you." Sora playfully threw sand at Riku who threw it back. Soon they began fighting and Playing roughly. Sora drew hisd Keyblade and ran toward Riku who pulled out his.

" You all stop! Please, those aren't toys!" Riku and Sora ignored and continued to fight.

" So Sora, winner shares a poupu with Kairi as always?"

" I won't fall for that again!"

" Sora! Riku! Look!" Kairi said nervously.They both looked to where she was staring, and both stared in awe. A star was falling in the distant, and in it was the outline of a large, orange colored Gummi.

A/n: Wooooo! Chapter four! Things are finally picking up a little!

Sora: Took long enough.

Riku: Your just mad because I'm back and might get Kairi.

Kairi: Ummm...

Shadowed man: Mwhahaha. Cookies.

Me: Who put you in here?

Donald&Goofy: You are making our Gummi crash you Hubaloo!

Me: Heh heh.

Riku: PrettyChibi does not own any of the characters of Kingdom Hearts our Final Fantasy that are to come.

Me: Thanx Riku. Also, On March 28th Kingdom Hearts two comes out in the U.S. Wooooooooooooooooooo!

Kairi. : Yay.

Me: I finally have a purpose in life again. To beat that damn game! Mwahahahahaha!

Riku: Uh...

Sora: She's lost it again.

Kairi: Uhg.

Kimi: Dont worry she'll get better.

Shadowed man: Here have a cookie.

Me: Pleeze reveiew or die! eat my Keyblade! throws poupu fruit at you.