'They're gone' Yerrsef exclaimed hardly surprised at all. He walked over to the chest in the corner of the room and realised what had happened,

'They're heading towards the islands' he muttered,

'Islands? What Islands are you talking about old man?' Riku asked, and took his place beside the stranger's side,

'The islands I created you fool! This place and the islands were designed to heard Kairi towards me, and now they are serving their purpose'

'Well, why don't we just wait here then? You said yourself that they will bring her to you'

Yerrsef snarled and kicked the box hard,

'Dammit! Confound my inventions! They were not designed to lead her to me, boy! But to the place I was fourteen years ago and where I planned to still be. That was until I found an easier way to find her'

'Why exactly do you need to find her Yerrsef? What do you want her for?'

'She is a vital component in what is to come.'

'What is to come? What do you mean?'

Yerrsef smiled and turned on his heels, he headed out of the shack,

'I think its time you and I had a little talk Riku, about where I come from. Don't you?'

Sora and Kairi were sailing again, they were outside the waterfall of the soapy liquid that surrounded the little house on the island, and now they were in proper saltwater again. The late afternoon sun bathed the two teens in a yellow glow and the cooling waves lapped against the sides of the boat like a happy puppy.

Sora lay on his back, his legs pushed up so that he could not see over his knees. He was tired and hungry but that still didn't stop his inquisitive mind from racing around trying to put together the events that had transpired recently. Where were they? What had happened to Riku and the destiny Isles? Who were Kairi's parents? Finally he took a deep breath and asked Kairi the chief question on his mind,

'Kai, do we really want to find your parents?'

'What? Of course we do Sora! Why would you even ask something like that?' she looked at him absurdly,

'Well, I've been thinking… Maybe you're better off without them in your life. I mean they've been gone for as long as you can remember and,' he paused thinking for the appropriate way to word what he was about to say, '… Look, I just don't want you to get hurt, y'know? When Riku's dad came back after five years when his parents split up, Riku was dashed to pieces with disappointment at who his father actually was. He had spent years building up a mental image of the ultimate dad, and when he saw that the man was just as normal and as human as anyone else, he almost killed himself!'

Kairi laid a hand on Sora's thigh and looked straight into his eyes,

'I'm not going to kill myself Sora.'

Sora shifted uncomfortably at her hypnotic gaze,

'I know, I just… I'm worried that your dad's not gunna be what you think he is, It might be painful and I don't think I could bear seeing you like that Kai'