Dear Eddy,

I'll be quick as I know how much you hate long explanations.

I'm sorry to leave without saying 'goodbye', but I feel that there's injustice occurring. Stars are constantly blinking out of the sky; a definite sign of something being amiss. I had to go and check it out for myself.

Moving right along, there is someone with a 'Key'--which could be the Key to our survival. I need you and Ed to go find this person and keep with him or her. Despite your unique character and Ed's intellectual abilities, I trust you both very much and have absolute confidence.

I need you to also go to Traverse Town and talk with a man named 'Leon'. I think he's capable of pointing you in the right direction.

Yours sincerely,

Double D.

P.S.: I know it's useless asking, but will you apologise to the others for me? Thank you.

P.P.S: Although highly improbable, pardon me if any words are misspelled. Thanks again.

K-K-K-K-K-K

"Oh my!" Jimmy exclaimed. "What could this mean?"

The four kids where in Sarah's pink-themed bedroom. Ed and Jimmy had provided in helping Sarah to her bed and were by her side, just like when she was sick. Jimmy had read the letter out loud. Eddy was pacing in the middle of the room.

"It means…," Sarah said, still a bit weak from having fainted, "..we'll just have to trust Double D."

"Never knew Sockhead had it in him," Eddy mused with his pink arms crossed.

"We gotta go get him, Eddy!" Ed exclaimed. "He could be hungry and scared and lonely and unhappy and sad and smelly and--!"

"I get it, Ed," Eddy muttered. He sighed, "Guess we'll have to get this 'Key' thing if we wanna survive, eh?"

"I hope the cul-de-sac isn't in danger," Jimmy trembled.

"Hey, I'll go!" Eddy exclaimed. He smirked and jabbed a thumb at himself, "Have no fear, because--!"

"We're going to rescue Double D from the pits of Hades!" Ed interrupted with a stupid grin.

"Whatever…."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Sarah said. She uncovered herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Sarah!" Jimmy was ready to catch her if she fell. "Don't you--?"

"I'm fine, Jimmy," she cut him off. She approached Eddy's side and pointed towards a box of toys. "Eddy, to chronicle your travels, he'll accompany you."

"Who?" Eddy looked around.

"Him," Sarah kept pointing. "Over there."

"I don't see anything," Eddy said, squinting his eyes with his hand on his forehead.

"Is he invisible?" Ed asked. "Is it Jib?"

Eddy sighed, "Jib never exis--"

"OVER THERE, EDDY!" Sarah yelled.

They looked harder.

"Over here!" a boy with a round head jumped up and down for attention. His black hair was similar to Ed's and Eddy's at once; like Ed's they were simple, black lines, and like Eddy's, there were three of them. His eyes were simple and round. He had no nose; instead, just two nostrils. One tooth protruded from his mouth, giving him a childish look. His dark brown top and mustard-coloured pants were like everyone else's clothing: plain. His black shoes were covered in mud at their soles. "'Parsons' is the name. Tony Parsons at your service," he bowed.

"Wow, he's so tiny," Eddy commented.

"Show some respect!" Sarah screeched, giving him a little smack at the back of the head. "He's been through a lot!"

Eddy turned to speak with Tony, "Hey, shrimp, what did--?" he stopped.

"Look at this, Eddy! H-Ha ha ha ha ha…," Ed was poking Tony's second outline.

"Make him stop doing that," Tony muttered.

"ED!" Sarah yelled again.

"Sarah, please," Jimmy put a hand on her shoulder. "You've done enough yelling today."

She let loose a heavy breath. "You're right." She spoke to the other three boys. "Take the Gummi Ship to Traverse Town."

"'Gummi Ship'?" Eddy cocked an eyebrow.

Sarah was done for the day, "Just follow Tony."

"Hey, Eddy, come and touch his outline! It's so cool!"

Eddy groaned inwardly. "I had better get paid for this."

K-K-K-K-K-K

"Hey, Sora," Riku called his friend, "our raft still needs a name."

They where on a different part of the island. A cove. The waves were gentler here than at the defenceless beach.

Sora approached him. His hand grazed his chin in thought again.

"How about 'Highwind'?" Riku suggested.

"I say………'Excalibur'," Sora disagreed.

"Hmmm, the usual?" Riku asked with a slight upwards curve of his lips.

"You're on," Sora smirked.

"Are you two at it again?" Kairi asked with a cute smile as she moved towards them from a bridge. "I'll be the judge!"

"Sure," the two competitive boys said in unison.

"Race to the paopu fruit on the other side, and come back. Choose any path you want," she explained the one and only rule.

Sora and Riku got themselves ready. They stood at an invisible start/finish line.

"If I win….I'm captain," Sora announced. "And if you win--"

"I get to share the paopu with Kairi," Riku cut him off in a volume that only they could hear.

"Wh-What?" Sora's eyebrows rose.

"Deal?" Riku pressed the idea further. "The winner gets to share a paopu fruit with Kairi."

Before Sora could answer, Kairi yelled, "GO!"

And they were off.

The first thing they met was an old wooden bridge supported by eroding pillars underneath that stretched under the underwater sand. They ran across it with all the speed they could muster. They weren't trying to conserve energy this time. One part collapsed and fell down behind them, causing both boys--who were neck and neck at the time--to lose their balance and temporarily flail their arms back and fort. They regained their balance, and continued sprinting.

Once off the bridge, they kept to each other's way, expecting their opponent to cheat. They skirted the large headland, and ran through a small and sandy beach. The raft was there in all its glory, but wasn't taken any notice of.

A huge cliff stood in their way. Sora and Riku ran up a hill, and used the ledges to make it to the paopu fruit.

They tagged it at once and ran back the way they came. Not once did they share eye-contact or even look at one another, for fear that they might bump into something. Sora managed to cut the corner of the headland they passed before, earning him first place and a view of the finish line.

Riku gasped. He had to run faster.

They panted like hot dogs as they crossed the bridge, taking care to jump the newly made gap.

Kairi was waiting with an eager and excited look on her face.

Much to Riku's dismay, Sora made it first.

"WOOHOO!" Sora went down on his knees with his fists outstretched.

"Winner: Sora!" Kairi announced. "Good job," she gave a thumb's up. "When you're done with your ego, I'll be at the raft." She left the two boys alone.

"Excalibur it is then," Sora grinned at Riku.

Riku nodded, a bit of his ego bruised.

"And about that paopu fruit….."

"Oh, that? I was making it up," Riku said with a casual wave of his gloved hand.

"WHAT?.!" Sora's jaw dropped.

"Relax. You beat me, didn't you?" the silver-haired boy went in the raft's direction. "That's what counts."

Sora frowned, but let it go. Riku, like him, had to make himself feel better after a loss somehow. He followed him.

K-K-K-K-K-K

Kairi had requested that Sora and Riku, since they were 'so strong', get the necessary provisions for the trip. Riku had to get three coconuts, and a seagull's egg. Sora had the tougher job, catching three fish, and finding three mushrooms. Kairi just had to fill a bottle with water fresh water.

They set off to do their work.

Sora had decided to find the mushrooms first. He already found two by the headland, and set off to find the third. He met Wakka spinning his sphere.

"Hey, Sora," Wakka greeted. "How's the raft coming along, ya?"

"We're done building it," Sora explained. "Now, we need to find some provisions for the trip."

"Oh, what would those be?"

"One more mushroom and three fish."

"I think Selphie and I can catch three fish for you, ya?"

Sora was baffled, "No, you shouldn't waste your time."

"It's no problem," Wakka said with a shrug. "Really."

"Uhhhh, thanks."

"Cya," he waved and ran towards the docks.

Sora smiled. He noticed a cave at the base of a tree that led inside the cliff. He crawled in and made his way down the narrow cavern. Soon, he discovered a larger 'room' full of chalk drawings on the walls. Opposite the entrance was a door-shaped, wooden structure that owned no doorknob or handle. Memories came back to him as he remembered the silly shapes he made with Riku, Kairi, and several other kids. He admired his work.

Suddenly, a mushroom caught his eye. He bent over to pick it up, but lingered when he saw another drawing.

It was his and Kairi's heads drawn at a side view angle in a cartoonish way. The images 'faced' one another with happy expressions, amateur-like. Childhood memories came back to him as he remembered Kairi and himself drawing them when they were younger. They'd only known each other for a day, and yet it felt like forever. They had drawn each other's picture. Kairi's version of Sora came out great, including the spiky hair. However, Sora's version of Kairi came out horribly.

Sora then got an idea. Since no one was going to share a paopu fruit with Kairi, he might as well draw it. He picked up a piece of nearby chalk and went to work.

It only took a minute for him to finish. Now, an arm was stretching from Sora's drawn head, holding a star to Kairi's face. The real Sora smiled and admired his work.

Snap!

The sound of a twig snapping.

"Whu…?" Sora gasped, hurriedly got to his feet, and turned around.

A brown-hooded figure stood at average height on the other side of the 'room'. "I have come to see the door to this world," it said in a deep, male voice with no hint of emotion.

"Huh?" Sora looked at it weirdly.

"This world has been connected….," it droned.

"I have no idea what you're--" Sora was cut off by the stranger.

"Tied to the darkness….. Soon to be completely eclipsed…"

"Listen, you…," Sora clenched a gloved fist, trying to look threatening, "…..whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this! Tell me where you came from!"

"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door," the hooded one answered.

"The heck?"

"There is so very much to learn….. You understand so little….," the dark one spoke. A mocking tone would have been appropriate, but the man didn't even budge.

"Yeah…well, I'm gonna go and learn what's out there!" Sora's voice rose. "You'll see!"

"A meaningless effort," the mysterious one said. "One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

Sora's gaze shifted towards the handle-less door for but a second. When he looked in the figure's direction, the unknown person was gone. Sora wondered who that man was and why he was here. Was 'the door to this world' the piece of wood that never moved? He didn't ponder it for long, because he was becoming rather uncomfortable in the room. So, he ran out.

K-K-K-K-K-K

Sunset again on the island. The required provisions had been collected and the raft was due to set sail tomorrow. Everyone had returned home except Sora and Kairi. The two sat at the edge of the small docks, their legs dangling over the water.

"Hey, Sora," Kairi said in a hushed tone. "Have you noticed something different about Riku? He's changed a lot."

Sora looked at her with curiosity, "What do you mean?"

"Well……," her voice lingered. She had a serious look of concern on her face. Her blue orbs were squinted in thought as she tongued her check.

"You okay?"

"Sora!" she exclaimed with excitement. "Let's take the raft and go--just to two of us!"

Sora's eyebrows rose.

"Hehe!" Kairi giggled. "Just kidding!" she said quickly. Her read head turned back to the setting sun.

"What's gotten into you?" Sora still looked at her. "You're the one who's changed, Kairi."

"Maybe…..," she said sombrely. "You know, I was a little scared at first… but now, I'm ready. No matter where I go and what I see, I know I can always come back here…and I know that you'll be with me the entire time… right?"

"Yeah, of course," Sora answered with a little chuckle.

"That's good." She smiled yet again, "I just can't wait…once we set sail. It'll be great."

"I couldn't agree more, Kairi," Sora laid down on his back his hands under his spiky-haired head.

"Sora….don't ever change."

"….I won't."