Disclaimer: If I really did own Kingdom hearts 2, Kairi and Sora would be together, as would Namine and Roxas, and Riku would be with my OC, Jade. Do me a favor, people, and read my other stories.

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You don't know how it feels

To be outside the crowd

You don't know what it's like

To be left out

You don't know how it feels

To be your own best friend,

On the outside looking in…

-Jordan Pruitt, "Outside Looking In."

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Chapter Two: Roxas and Prince Sora

Namine took a deep breath. She had to be dreaming. Then she felt the cold seawater on her hand. No, it was real. She had made friends with the strange Kairi. She wished she could tell Roxas and her brother Sora, but she had promised her new friend she wouldn't tell.

She walked to her home, a huge castle. She found her brother Sora and her best friend Roxas talking on a bench.

"Hey, Namine," greeted Roxas with a smile. "What took you so long?"

Namine sat down between the two boys. She showed them a sketch of the mermaid she had seen before.

"All that time for a mermaid?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, swear to secrecy." They both did, and Namine told her story. They believed her.

"What's her name," asked Sora with interest. Namine looked at her brother.

"Her name is Kairi. I'll meet her tomorrow at sunset. Want to come?"

They both nodded in agreement, promising not to tell anyone.

"Namine, can I see the sketch?" Namine gave the sketchpad to Sora and started chatting with Roxas.

Sora looked at the auburn haired blue- eyed face that looked right back at him. She was very pretty, and had a certain glow about her. Namine had a talent for giving life to a sketch.

Sora looked once more at the young mermaid. Somehow he felt as if they would become good friends.

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Kairi could hardly contain her excitement. She made a new friend! A human!

Kairi made a series of cartwheels and found herself in the arms of her father, who was the king of all the seven seas.

"Whoa, slow down, Kairi. You were going faster than Silvering a few days ago at the race. You're glowing!"

"I just feel happy for once." She smile done of those grins you miss so much. Her father laughed as she ruffled her hair.

"You look so much like your mother, Kairi. It's a striking resemblance." Indeed, Kairi's mother had the same auburn hair and the blue- violet eyes. She was the only one in her family who had both of her mother's traits. As her father swam away, Kairi swam to the surface and leaped until the sun fell down.

The next day, Kairi was bored, so she swam close to the little dock and stayed there until the sunset came.

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Namine, Roxas and Sora walked across the shore to the port to hang out and wait till the mysterious Kairi showed up. They saw a figure sitting on the port and Namine smiled.

"That, my good brother and best friend, is Kairi."

Sora liked her at first sight. Roxas raised his eyebrow.

"Stay here, guys. She has to know you guys are here." With that she walked off. They watched as Namine greeted Kairi and Kairi fell into the water again. Namine signalled for the two boys to come and Namine introduced them.

Kairi looked at Roxas, a young man of eighteen with spiky blond hair, blue eyes and black and white clothes. Then she saw him.

He was also at least eighteen. He had spiky light brown hair and deep, dreamy blue eyes. He wore black, red, yellow and blue clothes with large shoes. She caught sight of a crown necklace. Perhaps he, like her, was royalty.

"This is my brother, Sora."

Sora smiled at her; Kairi returned the smile.

"Let me take a guess. You two are royalty?"

Namine blushed. "I didn't want to be called 'your highness' or anything like that."

"Don't be afraid," said Kairi. "I won't call you that if you don't want me to. Besides, I'm something of royalty myself."

The three of them sat down, their legs dangling over the pier.

"What do you mean?" asked Roxas. Kairi explained that her father was King of the Seven Seas, so she was a princess. Namine was full of glee.

"Yay! I finally found another girl like me!"

Kairi's smile was erased as she looked down. Namine was worried.

"What's wrong," asked Sora. The mermaid sighed, raising her tail above the water.

"I just wish I could live on land, you know? I love the sea, but I want to walk on land."

"I think of it as a strange wish," said Roxas. "Why would you want to be on land? It's boring, anyways."

"Boring? There are unexplored worlds out there, Roxas. In the ocean all you see is fish, plants, rocks, animals and lots of water. It's amazing, but not as much as land."

Roxas nodded. Now he understood. Sora just kept staring at Kairi.

"Oh, Kairi, I never knew that. No wonder you're so curious."

"Oh well." She looked up at her new friends. "That's what makes me different from the others- my wish."

Namine nodded. "I wish I could pick my own husband, and when I could marry him." She sighed. Kairi saw Roxas look at Namine with a look she knew well. As Roxas comforted Namine, Sora inched closer to Kairi.

"Well, Namine's supposed to be a queen, and… well, let's just say she isn't very happy about it. Before our dad told us the news, she was so happy. I've never seen her so glad before."

Kairi looked at Sora. He was very good looking.

"I'll try to keep it that way." Sora laughed.

"I've just met you, Kairi, but we're talking as if we'd known each other forever."

"I know. It's a weird feeling, but yet I don't have to feel nervous about you."

Sora nodded. Kairi's eyes rested on the crown pendant. Sora followed her faze.

"That's my crown necklace, to show that I'm the prince."

Kairi pointed to her own necklace. "Each mermaid had their own. Legend says that one day it will give you the two things you most want in your life."

"Cool."

Kairi looked in the distance. It was getting late.

"I should head back, or my father will get worried."

"Alright. Nice meeting you, Kairi."

"Nice meeting you too, Sora. Bye Roxas, bye Namine!"

As Kairi swam away, Sora stood and stared at the swimming figure becoming smaller and smaller. He put his hands in his pockets as the wind ruffled his hair.

Namine grinned at Sora.

"What do you think of her, Sora?"

Sora sighed dreamily. "I think she's the nicest, most beautiful creature I've ever met."