"Sora!"
The boy yawned and rolled over in the sand.
"Sora!"
Stretching, he continued to ignore the voice.
"SORA!" BAM!
"Ouch!" Sora complained, sitting up. Rubbing his head, he looked up to see Aisu.
"Good morning." She chimed annoyance in her tone. Sora chuckled sheepishly.
"What's with the wake up call?" He complained, standing up and brushing sand off his shoulders.
"Everyone's here." Aisu smiled, moving aside. It was then Sora saw them.
All of the younger kids and the teens his age, along with some of the older school kids, were all sitting along the island, watching Sora as if some sort of game was about to begin.
"Oh yeah!" Sora cried, remembering. Aisu shook her head, heading to the sidelines.
"Kick his butt, Riku!" Aisu commanded as the silver haired boy sauntered by. Riku laughed.
Once the kids had learned about all of their adventures and powers, of course they had begged to see them in action. And of course, Riku and Sora were all too eager to comply. Summoning his Keyblade (awes erupted from the crowd), Sora faced Riku.
"Ready?" Riku implored as he summoned the Way to Dawn.
"Oh yeah!" Sora laughed, and with that, he lunged.
Riku leapt up, flipping to dodge Sora's blatant fury, and in his flip he sent energy from the blade towards Sora's back. The brunette, flipping around in an instant, dispelled the energy and charged up for Explosion.
Rushing forward, Sora attacked horizontally, Riku flipping out of the way each time. Grinning, Sora rushed to the side, circling Riku and then coming in for Cyclone.
Riku flipped his blade around his body, clashing with the Keyblade. Flipping back, Sora landed on the dock, and Riku charged him.
Bringing the blade down, Sora leapt away, pushing himself off of Riku's head. The boy grimaced angrily, annoyed. Pulling on his blade, he removed it from the dock.
"Riku!" Kairi complained.
"Sorry!" He muttered sheepishly, rushing after the cackling Sora.
Sora leapt onto the side of the little house, using it to flip around and face Riku head on. With a smirk, Riku brought his blade down and used Dark Aura.
The crowd gasped at the show of energy.
"Step it up?" Sora asked as he pressed off the shield.
"Definitely!" Riku responded happily, and the two pressed away, leaping back. Sora flipped the blade around, stepping forward once, and concentrating.
Why not show off, just for fun? Sora grinned and lifted the blade above his head.
"Thundaga!" He cried, and lightning spiraled down from the sky, rushing down upon Riku. The boy laughed and used Dark Aura again, disappearing amongst the action.
"Where'd he go?" Wakka asked, searching the area frantically.
Riku reappeared behind Sora, slashing downward. Sora used a Reflect spell just in time, and then –
"Sora!"
Activating the summon gem, Genie, in valor form, flew down from the sky with a flash, dazzling the crowd, of course.
"Oh, a show! How about a little, 'one, two'!" Genie cackled being his usual crazy self.
Sora and Genie began assaulting Riku with all sorts of magic, and the crowd loved it. Riku, a bit bashed up, dodged, leapt against the shed, and flew towards Sora, blade flashing in the light.
As Genie disappeared, Sora and Riku clashed, and then Sora used Guard Break to send Riku flying. But, Riku flipped back, his blade crashing into Sora's back.
"Alright, isn't that enough for today?" Namine asked, her gentle voice commanding to the group.
The crowd broke into cheers, excited and awed, as Riku and Sora grinned brightly.
"That was a fun way to start the morning!" Sora grinned.
"You slept on the beach?" Riku implored with sarcasm. Sora nodded with a shrug. The silver haired boy shook his head.
"See you!" Sora grinned as everyone began heading off. Namine and Kairi came down to the two.
"Nice fight, guys." Kairi grinned.
"This place is so beautiful; I can't get over it." Namine smiled, looking around the island.
"Come on, let's go." Riku smiled, looking off to the smaller island connected by the bridge. The four began running to it.
"Hey, what's that?" Kairi asked, looking over the bridge to the water. Sora and Riku slowed down, looking over the bridge to it, as Namine came behind.
It was some sort of gem, floating in the water.
"Go get it." Riku smirked, pushing Sora into the water. His yelp was drowned out by a splash.
"Ha, ha!" Sora complained, swimming below as his friends laughed. Going down to the bottom, Sora swept the gem up, and came back up to the surface.
"So, what is it?" Aisu came up behind the group.
"It looks like… a summon gem!" Sora told his sister with enthusiasm.
"A what?" Aisu asked, chuckling at Sora's giddiness.
Riku explained what the item was to Aisu, as Sora looked it over with a keen eye.
"I can't tell who it will summon; we might as well try it out!" Sora cried, throwing it into the air and aiming at it with the keyblade.
"Sora, think things through!" Riku commanded, but it was too late. With a flash of light, and splash of water, a scream broke through as someone fell out of nowhere.
Someone, angry, rose out of the water.
Liquid streaming down his back and his wing, Sephiroth, in all his glory, however soaked, rose into the air.
"Who DARES bother me?!?!" The man growled, spinning around and releasing his blade before anyone could protest.
"Sora, think things through!" Riku commanded.
Sora opened his eyes, dropping his daydream with a groan and a shake of his head.
"Okay, we'd better wait with this one…" Sora stuttered, hoping that the gem didn't REALLY summon Sephiroth.
"Sora! Did you sleep on the beach again?" Sora's mother accused as the group ran up the dirt road past Sora's house. Chuckling sheepishly, Sora waved to his mom.
"Hey, mom! We're going to the arcade! See you!" He grinned, continuing to run.
"Good morning, Mrs. Yuuchou!" Kairi and Namine spoke at the same time. Said mother beamed and waved cheerfully.
"What's this?" Namine asked, looking her lunch over. Sora laughed.
Kairi kicked him under the table. "It's pizza. It's really good!" Looking it over, Namine took a careful bite. With a giggle, she nodded.
"Not bad!" The group laughed as she dove in politely.
"So, what will we do today?" Riku asked, attempting conversation.
Sora leaned back, already having devoured his meal. "Well…"
Namine looked out the window as the group talked. She saw Aisu walk by with a few friends, and waved to the girl. Aisu smiled and nodded back.
"Why don't we… go swimming?" Namine offered gently, turning back to them. The group looked to each other.
"Sure!" Kairi smiled, standing up. "Let's get ready." Namine nodded, taking Kairi's hand. The two began heading back as Sora called back.
"We'll meet you on the beach!" He cried happily.
"Hey!" With a splash Riku fell into the water. Flailing, he came up, glaring at the boy who'd pushed him in.
"Revenge!" Sora cackled in his swim trunks, jumping in with a laugh. Kairi ran up behind him, coming into the water from the beach instead of leaping off the dock.
Namine laughed at the scene, sitting far off on the ledge, drawing the ocean waves. Her two piece had a skirt on the bottom, and was a beige color. Kairi had the same in a bright red.
"Come on, Namine!" Kairi called, waving before leaping in. With a content sigh, Namine looked up and out into the sunlight from her shade.
"You don't have to sit in the dark corner, you know." He smiled. She smiled as well.
"Perhaps I prefer it. As much as I like company… the shadows make good company." She sighed contently. Roxas grinned.
"Perhaps I can accompany you in these shadows." Namine giggled, looking up to him.
"I'd like that."
"Roxas would want me to." Namine told herself, setting her sketch book aside. "I'm coming!" She yelled to Kairi.
And with one step, she came out of the shadows and into the Light.
Later on, Sora and the gang floated up to the beach, looking at the shells and cursing out crabs (yes, Riku cursed out a crab when it latched onto his finger.) until the four of them were stretched out on the sand, just looking at the fading sunset.
"Beautiful". Riku muttered.
"Yeah." Sora agreed.
Kairi sat up, water dripping off her body. Looking up the beach, she saw it; Sora's pack. Running up, she opened it, against Sora's protests.
"What is she doing?" Namine asked, sitting up to watch.
"If she's looking for feminine products, she's looking in the right place." Riku accused with a smug grin. Sora punched him.
With a smile, Kairi took something out and ran back to the ocean. The other three looked to her hand.
"Oh." Namine smiled.
In her hands, Kairi held the Hinode keychain.
"We never really found out what that was for, did we?" Sora asked.
"We never really found out a lot." Riku mumbled.
"I think we should… let it go." Kairi stated, setting her hands in the water and gently releasing the keychain to the ocean waves.
"I wonder what it means." Namine pondered.
"What do you mean, Namine?" Sora asked.
"Well, it had to of had some importance, right?" Sora nodded.
"Guess it doesn't matter anymore, huh?" Riku told them, lying back down in the sand.
"Guess not." The others followed his example, lying back down.
As the wind caressed the plants, the waves caressed the sands, and they both surrounded the children, another sun set on the Destiny Islands.
"Man, am I bored." Axel muttered, walking out onto the beach. Even though the sun had been rising on the Castle nowadays, its light still didn't reach the dark beach shores. Axel preferred relaxing here, if only because it was quiet.
Sitting down by the waves, Axel leaned back, watching the dark sky. His spiky hair was mashed down in the sand, and would take hours of bathing and many bottles of gel to fix.
"Beautiful", Axel muttered, talking of the sky. "In an eerie way." He chuckled.
Something hit his boot lightly; so lightly, he didn't notice it. Then, the waves pushed it up higher, and it came to his waist.
"What the…?" Axel sat up, taking whatever it was into his hand.
"A keychain?" Axel asked, looking it over. He'd never seen it before. "What's it supposed to do?" He muttered annoyed, shaking it as if that would somehow do something.
"Huh?" All of a sudden, light erupted from the chain, and without a sound, Axel disappeared.
"Yuffie?" Ariel called down the hall. "Yuffie?"
"Shush!" Yuffie's voice spoke from nowhere. Suddenly, she appeared down the hall, walking towards Ariel. "I'm here."
"Alright. The lab is this way." Ariel told her, as they stalked off silently.
"Sure you want to do this? Vexen will be more than pissed." Ariel scoffed.
"I don't care. I'm tired of him keeping secrets from me." Ariel told her. "Here it is."
They stood before a tall metal door, thick and strong. Yuffie cracked her knuckles. "Leave it to me!"
The ninja strode up to the doorway, taking out her kunai and preparing herself. Sticking the blade in the door, she began messing with it.
"You know, that's what keys are for."
Yuffie jumped, though not as much as Ariel did, and the two turned to see Xigbar, fingering the keys with a smirk.
"Hey Xigbar." Ariel greeted kindly.
"What do you want?" Yuffie snapped. Xigbar smiled.
"To help you, of course."
"Help us?" Ariel and Yuffie shared a glance. Then Yuffie continued. "Why?"
"Because I know why Demyx and Vexen are being weird." Xigbar told them. "And because I'm in the same boat they're in."
"What do you mean?" Ariel questioned gently, a bit scared of the answer. Xigbar looked around.
"Come on." He summoned up a dark portal. "Let's go."
The three disappeared through the portal, as they were watched.
Once the portal went away and the three were gone, Orpheus leapt down from the ceiling's rafters. Examining the hallway, and then the door, he swiftly kicked it down.
The room inside was huge, with a wide berth and high ceiling. It had been used quite recently, and information and formulas were on many boards in the room.
After reading and walking around, Orpheus came to the central computer in the room.
"What are you hiding?" He asked, before booting it up and hacking in.
Now, we shall leap away to Twilight Town…
"General", a soldier proclaimed, sauntering into the room. General Vanguard looked up from his paperwork.
The general was old, with slick gray hair and stubble along his cheeks. His rough exterior was no softer than his interior; eyes that could pierce rock glared at the intruder.
"What is it?" He groaned at the soldier.
Said soldier, a bit frightened and also seemingly freaked, looked around, and then to his superior officer.
"I think you should see this for yourself." The soldier muttered.
The General and Private Gates, who was the soldier, got off the Tram at Sunset Station, and said general followed the Private down the stairs and towards the problem.
"It's quite odd; nothing like this has occurred before, in our records, but many rumors have circulated about the place for years." Private Gates rambled nervously.
The two came up upon the waterfall.
Black mist was swirling around the waterfall's base, and the water was going everywhere. Someone had destroyed the basin that had been at the base of the waterfall, and now the water was spread all over the spot, falling over the side and drowning the plants. The black mist wasn't spreading; simply centering on the waterfall.
The General wasn't at all disturbed, but growled in anger.
At the base of the waterfall, unseen by the Private or General, read this:
midnight is coming
Roxas was quaking.
Should he go? Should he not go?
The events of the past day replaying in his mind, Roxas cursed his foolish actions and wished that he'd done something to keep this from happening. But the past is the past, and he needed a plan for the future.
Should he or should he not go to the Usual Spot?
It would be rude not to, but it would be best. Sighing heavily, Roxas knew he had to go.
"Here's your money, sir." Roxas nodded, taking his earnings from delivering mail.
Sighing again, Roxas headed down to the sandlot.
Collapsing onto a bench, Roxas stretched out, leaning his head back. "What am I gonna do?"
"You're gonna fight me, that's what." Roxas looked up.
Seifer was there, standing before him, struggle bat in hand. He tossed a second bat to our blonde hero, who caught it clumsily.
"What?" Roxas stuttered, a bit confused. Seifer laughed, smirking.
"Come on! Tell me you know what a fight is?" Roxas looked down to the bat and stood.
"All right! That's more like it!" Seifer cheered when Roxas stood in a battle stance. A crowd began growing around the two, as Seifer's followers joined them.
Looking around, Roxas saw Hayner and the others in the crowd. Hayner actually – he couldn't have, but he did – cheered and grinned at Roxas, giving him a thumbs up.
A bit shaken, but a bit stronger as well, Roxas prepared for whatever Seifer had waiting for him.
"Ah, seems a fight's begun, sir." Private Gates spoke as he and the General walked back to headquarters. The sandlot was buzzing with activity as Seifer challenged yet another newcomer.
"Wait, Private." The General commanded, looking to the fight.
Who was that blonde boy?
"Research that one." Vanguard demanded strongly, pointing to Roxas. "Date of birth, name, age, home world, race, and abilities, if any. Do not leave anything out, and report to me as soon as you have the information."
The Private, a bit surprised at the sudden mission from the superior, shakily saluted him. "I will not fail, General!"
Vanguard, with a sneer, passed by the fight, glancing at Roxas one last time.
Back at the Destiny Islands…
"Sora!" Aisu complained trying to take back the gem. "Riku said to wait!"
"Come on! We won't know what the gem summons till we try!" Sora told her, eager and impatient to summon the being.
"Sora?" Mr. Yuuchou appeared in the doorway, watching his two children chase each other around the playroom. "Someone's here for you."
Sora ignored him, running from his sister as he turned back and stuck his tongue out at her. In doing so, he couldn't see ahead and ran straight into his father.
"Come on, kid." Mr. Yuuchou smirked, taking Sora by the hood and dragging him towards the doorway. Aisu ran up and snatched the gem back, running past both her father and brother against Sora's complaints.
Riku was sitting at the kitchen table when the three came down. Mr. Yuuchou let Sora go, pushing him towards the door. Sora sighed and trudged to it, swinging it open.
Standing in the doorway was a woman, hooded, and a young girl standing next to her, nervously and yet excitedly looking around the room.
"Are you Sora?" The woman asked. Sora nodded. Beneath her hood, the woman smiled, and extended her hand.
"My name is Rinoa."