Title – Home at last

Author – Brittany McLean

Summary – It's been two years since Sora has been gone. But now he's back. How do Kairi and everyone cope? Will it be the same? Or will there be more darkness to fight.

Rating – PG – 13 right now

Disclaimer – I own nothing, Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney and Sqauresoft.

Author's Note – Thank you to my reviewers! Also thank you for pointing out that Riku's name is Riku and not Rikku haha I should have known that Rikku is that weird blonde in final fantasy 9.

Sora and Kairi followed Tidus outside of his home to were Tidus claimed Riku is.

Sora stopped short causing Kairi to bump into his back.

"Ufh!" Kairi cried as she fell to the ground, "Sora, are you alright?"

Sora turned around and helped her to her feet.

"I, I don't know. Kairi it's been two years since I've seen him,"

"It's been two years since you've seen me too." She said suspiciously.

"I know…. But the last time I've seen Riku he was…. Well… not himself. And just moments before he disappeared he helped me."

"I know Sora. I know. But you know that he may be our friend again. Back to normal."

Sora nodded and bit his lip looking at the shore to where Riku was standing. Kairi smiled softly and took Sora's hand in hers pulling him towards where Riku stood.

"I think we got our adventure you guys." Riku said once he heard footsteps behind him.

"Hehe, and what a grand adventure it was. Oh Riku we've been so worried about you!" Kairi cried and threw her arms around him.

Riku laughed softly and turned around.

"How have you been Kairi? Sora?"

"Well I've been waiting patiently for you two to return! I was starting to think that…. None of you would return. But… here you both are!"

"I've been searching for a way home. I thought that… I would never find a way home. But here I am." Riku joked lightly, and punched Sora in the arm softly.

Sora smiled his goofy smile, "Welcome back Riku. Now we have so much more catching up to do!"

Sora smiled at that thought. Being back home, on the Island that they grew up on. Having so much more knowledge of the worlds then just a fantasy to travel through them all. Although it wasn't how they imagined it, it was still a life time experience. Something they could never forget.

"Alright, we'll go to my house tonight. My mom is never home anyways…."

"Oh Sora." Kairi apologized.

"No, it's okay. I mean I love my mom and all… but I think I prefer her gone with her … boyfriend… I just get time to myself, and I like that. So you guys go home and do whatever you need to do and come to my house tonight. I'll catch up with you guys later!" Sora instructed and left running the other way towards his house.

Sora was digging inside of his fridge looking for something to eat before Kairi and Riku came over. He was also looking for snacks they could eat while staying over. He sighed miserably from failing his mission.

He guessed they would just have to order some pizza or something. Hana Lulu's Pizza was open until ten tonight.

Sora felt butterflies in his stomach thinking about tonight. It's been so long since they've all been together again. He wondered if they would act the same. He had to admit they all have grown up.

Not only have they matured physically but mentally also.

Sora, always strong willed and will jump to conclusions. He will think before jumping now, understands a lot more then when he started out. He learnt about trust, and true friends. He also learned that there is a lot more then just meets the eye.

Kairi, always so sweet, bright, bubbly, smiling, and laughing. So innocent. Never had a clue to where she was from until just recently. Sora learned about her past from her being inside of him. The warmth he felt and the flashbacks was Kairi thinking inside of him. Kairi learned about true pain and suffering. And how to cope with it. She lost her best friends, but suddenly they are back to her. Has she lost control of herself? No… surprisingly she's coping quite nicely.

Riku… Riku had a bad trip. He let himself be consumed by the darkness. Sora thinks he was always good, just let himself fall deeper and deeper into the wrong hands. Letting himself be fooled and tricked. Once he opened his heart to the heartless, his mind was slowly being eaten away by trickery. But towards the End Riku started to realize what was going on. Sora still thinks towards the end when Riku started to attack him, that wasn't Riku, but Ansem. Riku knew this, but was helpless to stop it. Until finally his heart prevailed and won over Ansem with Sora's help.

Sora lay on the couch thinking all of this over. Yes, they have grown. So much has happened to them in just two years. And his mom has changed also. She was so distant. She's always been her own person, not always in his life, but you'd think that since he's back she'd be around more often. She was around every night, sometimes. But this time she was away. She left a note and some money on the kitchen counter.

Sora jumped lightly at the clap of thunder outside. He sat up and looked out the window. He sighed and started to worry about Kairi and Riku. It was pouring outside and still no sign of either Riku or Kairi.

A sound emitted from the back of Sora's kitchen. A bang and the sound of pouring rain, with clapping thunder. Sora ran to the sound thinking a window must have been blown open. He gasped when he saw a figure standing there.

"Brrr….. it's so cold out there!" Sora smiled when he heard Kairi's voice.

Sora ran over and shut the door. He grabbed a towel sitting on the kitchen table and wrapped it around Kairi taking her bag. He walked over to the living room setting it down next to the sofa. Sighing at Kairi as she dried off her hair he walked into the bathroom and grabbed another towel bringing it to the spot where the rain had flown in.

"Kairi…. Why didn't you just use the front door?"

"Because the ocean is around that way. I took the back way so I wouldn't get sprayed with more water! I failed miserably…. But at least I didn't drown. Wooo! That storm just suddenly hit. No warning at all."

Suddenly Sora's eyes opened wide from a flash back.

"Sora Dinner's ready!"

"The raft!"

"Sora?"

"Now's are chance Sora! We can't be afraid!"

"Kairi!"

"Sora….."

So many voices floated through his brain from that small flashback. It was a sudden storm that changed everything. Their home was destroyed. And their lives were changed. What if it was happening again?

"Sora, are you alright?" Kairi asked softly coming up to him.

"I'm fine…. Just a little worried about Riku being out in the storm."

"Yeah, I know. I barely made it hehe."

'RIIIIIIIIING' Sora jumped from the sound of the phone. He ran to go answer it.

"Hello?"

"Sora it's Riku. I was about to go outside thinking it was just a regular storm but it's really bad… mom's having a fit right now so I think I'm just going to stay home tonight. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, that's better. I was starting to get worried. Thanks for calling. Bye Riku."

"See ya Sora."

Sora turned around to face Kairi, "Riku isn't coming, it's too dangerous now."

"Hehe where is his sense of adventure!" She joked lightly pulling out some clothes to get comfortable in. "Oh Sora! Can I throw everything in your dryer? My clothes are all wet!"

"Sure." Sora took her clothes and took them to the laundry room placing them inside of the machine. He turned it on and went to his room to grab a shirt and some boxers for Kairi.

"Here you can wear these if you want, just until your clothes dry."

"Oh thank you Sora!" She exclaimed taking the clothes from him to quickly change in the bathroom.

Sora went to turn on some lights but they wouldn't turn on. He sighed in frustration. The storm made the power go out. He went to the kitchen to grab a few matches and brought them back to the living room. Sora lit a fire in the fire place causing some light and warmth in the house.

Kairi walked out once he was done lighting the fire. She threw her clothes in with the rest of her clothes and came over to sit next to Sora.

"Is that power out? There was no light in the bathroom."

"Yeah the power's out. It's why I don't have any lights on hehe."

Kairi was silent for a moment.

"Kairi….. are you alright?"

"Sora… remember when you asked me if I remembered where I was from? And I said I didn't remember?"

"Yeah…."

"Well….. I keep having memories now. Ever since they brought me back to Hollow Bastion I keep remembering more and more. Things I forgot because I wanted to. Things that have changed my life."

"What is it Kairi?" Sora asked getting closer to her in curiosity.

"I'm standing in a room with a window viewing the front of the castle. My home is under attack. These monsters are killing and terrorizing my people. I see smoke rising up from underground. You know where the waterway is and the crystals. That's where the smoke is coming from."

"You are a princess in Hollow Bastion….. and it was under attack…." Sore interrupted.

"Yes, that's what I am starting to remember. I was standing in my room watching this happen. The monsters that I spoke of, they were heartless. I didn't know that of course. I was what…. Nine? I heard screaming and when I turned around my hand maiden came through the door looking frazzled. She told me my parents said take care of me for right now. I nodded and followed her. She pulled me through the corridors, we were dodging the heartless as they came. It was strange, but now I realize. Nobody could attack them, they'd try everything and nothing would phase them. Now I know it's because you need a keyblade to do this.

Finally we made it into a basement and she hid me in some baseboards telling me it'll be alright. I nodded to afraid to answer her. She put a carpet down covering the floorboards and started to walk out. I heard the door open and a muffled scream emitted into the room, followed by a thump. It was so hard not to scream from the feel of blood falling onto my skin. The heartless killed her. Taking her heart. I know this now. I couldn't understand any of this. Until now. I woke up right after I felt her blood on me. That's all I can remember right now. But as each night goes on my dreams go further into detail."

"Kairi….." Sora whispered. He stroked her cheek softly, wiping the tear off and hugged her tightly.

"That's all I can remember with detail, but everything else is just flashes of memory. Things coming back, but I have to wait until I sleep. But even then I won't know if I will dream it or not. During the day sometimes I'll have flashbacks. It's strange. Remembering something that happened….. but you can't remember a single thing that's happened. Until now." She sat back against the couch and finally said, "Sometimes I wish I could go back to Hollow Bastion…. Look around, see what I remember, but I know it couldn't happen."

"I wish I could bring you back, but… I'd be lying if I said I could. Truth is… I would need a gummi ship for that and I don't have one. I'm sorry."

"It's alright…. I felt home when you reached there. It was so strange. We were connected in someway. We felt the same things for awhile. It was an interesting experience…."

"It was. It really was." Sora said smiling and hugging Kairi again. They both laughed lightly and just sat by the fire, keeping warm.