Sora and Kairi stood solemnly in front of the small beaten door leading into the shack. It felt as if the two were both afraid of what lay inside.
It was true that inside could be the answers to their problem, but then what if it was the exact opposite, what if the building contained nothing but old crumbling furniture? Or worse what if it led to more questions?
Sora put a reassuring hand on Kairi's shoulder. She turned and looked up into his tear-dried yet stubborn strong face,
'Come on,' he said,' Let's find our way home'
She nodded and took one deep breath. Sora reached forward and gripped the rusty doorknob, twisted and pulled,
'It won't open!' he said and tugged harder,' It must be locked or stuck or something' he pushed his foot against it but only achieved in jumping off the door and collapsing in a clumsy heap on the steps behind them,
'Let me try' she stuck out her hand to open the door,
'It's stuck Kairi you won't be able to…'
The door opened with ease at her touch and a flurry of dust particles exploded into the air causing Kairi to squint and cough a little as the dirt hit her face,
'…oh' Sora muttered and jumped, up and joined her as she stepped inside.
They walked in and waited for their eyes to adjust to the gloom. When the dust settled the two teens surveyed the one roomed shack in dismay.
It was empty.
To Riku's amazement he was now zooming over a desert of shallow water towards a bottle in the sky. He was about ask his guide about it but then decided not to, he had a feeling that not even this character knew for sure what the hell was going on.
Meanwhile in the huge limestone city of Twighlight town a train was arriving. Steam rose from its engine as it screeched to a halt in front of the station. The doors slid open and a mass of strange looking passengers stepped out. As the flow of people decreased a mysterious man stepped out. He had dark red hair messily spiked over his scalp, he was well-built and wore a dark black robe. He stepped out of the train and onto the station like a man with a purpose, looking left and right as if he feared he was being followed, he then glanced at his watch. Satisfied that he was on his own and raised his hood over his head and walked surely away,
'Who was that?' a station guard asked his co-worker,
'Dunno' replied the second man,' didn't look very happy did he?'
The room was empty. Sora and Kairi searched the place desperately at first trying to find something, a piece of paper, anything! But soon the hopelessness of their situation became apparent and the two sat down on the dusty floorboards against the wall,
'That's it then isn't it?' Kairi said,' we're stuck here'
Sora said nothing; his face said it all as it held a grim frown of utter depression,
'I suppose this is were we will be living from now on' Kairi continued,' we can probably build a bed or two from those trees outside, catch some kind of fish from the water, who knows we might even have kids here one day Sora'
'Aye?' Sora gasped going red in the cheeks,
'Well you don't think I want to die alone do you?' she smiled trying to make the best of the situation they were in. She huddled up against Sora's chest and placed his arm around her. Sora, unsure of what to do moved away suddenly and stuck his foot through a rotting section of the floor. Kairi looked up half in irritation half in amusement,
'We're gunna have to do something about those floorboards though,' she got up and helped Sora pull his leg out of the floor. When she had tugged it free she tore away the rest of the weak boards, and revealed a dark hole,
'Hang on' she said,' I think I can see something down there,' she dropped down into the pit and stood up, her head was all that stuck out of the hole,
'There's a chest down here, give me a hand with it will you?'
Sora clambered down and helped Kairi tug the heavy box up and into the room above. The followed it back up there and sat in front of it. The box was delicately carved out of a red wood and the frame was made out of a curly gold metal. Sora suddenly spied a huge black padlock on the box. He gave a huff of disappointment,
'It's locked' he said,
'What? Let me see' Kairi peered around and spied the lock. She held it in her hands and stared at it for a minute or two,
'Hang on a minute' she reached down her top and pulled out a tiny gold key on a chain. She lifted it over her head and placed it in the lock, it was a perfect fit,
'Where did you get that from?' Sora asked,
'I don't know, I've had it for as long as I can remember, I think my parents might have given it to me before…' she broke off,
'Oh' Sora replied understanding the abnormality of the situation,
'You mean they knew we would find this?'
'It seems like it' Kairi replied and turned the key. The lock glowed and exploded in a shattering of sparks,
'Wow' Sora commented
They lifted the lid and looked inside. Sitting in the bare chest was a large parcel wrapped in old brown paper. Kairi lifted it out and looked at it,
'…to Kairi' she looked up at Sora,' It's addressed to me'
She tore it open, and pulled out an envelope, a Gold pocket watch and a thin ring of white gold. Kairi picked up the envelope and opened it, inside was a letter,
'This watch is running backwards' Sora said as he held it in his hands. Kairi gave an amazed sob,
'What?' Sora asked,' Kairi, are you alright?' he put his hand on her shoulder in concern,
'What's wrong?'
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears,
'It's from my father'
