Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters or storyline. This storyline is mine. We're beginning the descent here, so off we go! Positive reviewers are beautiful people. XD

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Chapter Three: Burning Cold

May rolled into June, but the temperature didn't. I found it nearly impossible to wear shorts and almost always wore a jacket when I went with the others to the island. Around midday it would warm up, but the mornings and evenings were always just cool enough to be uncomfortable.

Two weeks after school had gotten out, I sat beside a bonfire with Selphie and a guy from my Biology class named Trent. It was Selphie's birthday and it was too cool to have a pool party, so she'd thrown a big bonfire party instead. I was clinging to my jacket and trying to keep my teeth from chattering. Selphie and Trent were…keeping each other warm.

"Well, this is cozy." Sora sat down beside me and looked over at Selphie and Trent, "When was the last time they came up for air?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. Have you seen Riku?"

"Yeah, he was wandering around, looking for Wakka I think."

I paused, lost in my thoughts while Sora jammed some marshmallows on sticks and propped them over the fire. "Do you think he's okay?" I blurted.

"Who?" Sora threw some dry leaves into the flames.

"Riku. He's been acting strange." I watched the leaves shrivel up in the fire.

"Riku's a strange boy." Sora shrugged.

"I'm serious."

Sora propped his elbows on his knees, "Well, he has been a little paranoid lately. Every time I see him he's looking around all suspicious and twitchy. You think Kelly from third hour is stalking him again?"

He wasn't taking this seriously. I punched him in the arm, "I'm really serious, Sora. Do you think maybe his parents are fighting or something?"

Sora grew quiet, "No. They get along. You haven't known them as long as I have."

"Then why is he so—" I trailed off, spotting Riku walking over, car keys chiming on his belt.

"Show off." Sora grumbled, eying the keys.

Riku smirked as he approached and fingered the keys, "Hey, Sora, Kairi." He looked at Selphie and Trent, "Get a room, you two."

Not missing a beat, Trent flipped a finger at Riku, who shrugged and sat next to me.

"You didn't even drive here, did you?" Sora spat.

Riku leaned back against a tree trunk, "You caught me. I walked five miles with my keys in the middle of the night just to carry my keys and taunt you, Sora."

Sora made a face and took the marshmallows off the fire, handing one to me. The wood was hot and I held onto it, teeth freely chattering now.

"It's not supposed to be this cold in June. What is it, forty degrees?" I stammered irritably.

Sora mumbled something, but his mouth was full of marshmallow. Riku exhaled, "I'm not cold. I'm actually kind of warm out here."

I blinked, incredulous, "What are you, part snow beast?"

He chuckled, "Maybe. Here." He pulled off his jacket and handed it to me. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt under it.

"No, Riku. It's freezing out here. You'll get sick." I argued.

"Nah. Take it. I'm not cold, really."

Half reluctantly and half desperately I took the coat and pulled it on over my own. It was still warm and deceptively thick. Slowly my teeth stopped chattering. Sora glowered.

"Trying to make me look bad?" He said.

Riku shifted, "And you called me paranoid yesterday?"

"You were talking to trees, man!"

Riku looked at him sharply, "Someone was sneaking around in there. I had to check it out and make sure it wasn't that Kelly girl again."

He was making light of the situation, I could tell. Something was really bothering him. When he shifted, I glanced at him and saw that he was slightly red in the face and sweat was beading his forehead.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He rubbed his forehead and winced, "I just have a headache. And it's hot." He stood up.

Sora finally swallowed the marshmallow, "There's no way you can be hot out here."

"Well, I am and—Okay, I KNOW you heard that." Riku jumped, pointing at the woods.

Sora and I both turned, looked behind us and looked back at Riku.

"Heard what?" Sora tilted his head, sticking another marshmallow.

Riku was looking panicked again, sweaty, but trembling now. He rubbed his temples, looking confused now too.

I stood up, "Riku, what are you hearing?"

"It's—you seriously don't hear that?" He kept holding one hand to his head.

"Riku, you look like you have a fever. Sit down and I'll get you some water or something."

"No, no, I'm fine, really. Thanks, but I'm all right, Kairi." He looked at us.

I tried not to look too concerned. Sora had stuck some more marshmallows over the fire, watching Riku warily.

"Riku, sit down, have a marshmallow." Sora offered. "Once the—"

"Did you see that?" Riku cut him off, pointing again at the trees.

Sora automatically reached for his belt to summon the Keyblade, a crime of habit, and I spun around. There was nothing there. Before either of us could comment, Riku had bolted from my side and into the woods.

"Riku!" I called after him.

Sora jumped to his feet and chased after him. I had no choice but to follow, leaving the fire behind. The trees seemed to swallow the light, causing everything to fall to pitch blackness as soon as we'd left the circle around the fire. I couldn't see Riku, and I could barely see Sora ahead of me.

"Riku, slow down, man!" Sora called after him.

We burst out into another bonfire area. A group of teens were gathered around it. Tidus was standing with his arms up in the middle, apparently in the middle of a terrifying ghost story. Everyone screamed when we ran out of the trees behind them.

"Then, he lifted the axe and—What's wrong with you guys?" Tidus asked, seeing our breathless faces.

"Where did Riku go?" Sora panted.

"Huh?"

"He came running through here. Where'd he go?"

"Oh, he's over there." Tidus pointed and turned back to his audience, "He was covered in blood and carrying an axe…"

I heard the girls in the group scream as Tidus continued, but I tromped through the leaves with Sora to where Riku was sitting alone next to the cooler. He'd pulled out a bottle of water, and it looked like he'd splashed half of it on himself before drinking the other half.

"What was that about? You nearly gave us heart attacks!" Sora scolded.

Riku was pressing the heels of his hands over his eyes, "I don't know."

"What was it?" I asked gently. "In the woods?"

"It—It was nothing."

"Must have been a lot of nothing to make you chase it like that." Sora said, still catching his breath.

Riku sat up and finished the bottle of water, "Just forget it."

"But we—"

"I said forget it." Riku said sternly.

Sora clamped his mouth shut, looked at me, and dug a soda out of the cooler, "Whatever."

There were two other bonfires besides Tidus's, and they were jammed full of people who were huddling together to stay warm. Tidus was gesticulating wildly by the fire and all the girls looked trepid, wide eyed. As if on cue, Tidus seemed to reach a high point, and Wakka came flying out of the woods with a hairy mask on. The girls shrieked and scrambled to their feet, running away.

Once they were gone, Wakka pulled the mask off and gave Tidus a high five. Their laughter and imitations of screaming girls carried over to my group.

"Well, this is awkward level three." Sora muttered, kicking at some dirt on the ground.

Riku stood up and ruffled his hair, "I think I'm going nuts."

"No argument here." Sora added with a wry smile.

I tilted my head. How did boys do that? How could something be so obviously wrong here, and they joke it off? I still don't completely understand it.

Riku pulled a bottle of Tylenol from his pocket and threw back two pills without water before pocketing the bottle again.

"How many of those have you taken?" I asked, seeing the bottle was only half full.

"I started having some bad headaches a few days ago. It's nothing." He waved me off.

"Hey, Riku." Sora asked, a mischievous grin splitting his face.

Riku had reached into the cooler and pulled out another bottle of water, "What now?"

"Those girls are gonna be really mad once they realize that was Wakka."

"Yeah."

"So how much do you think they'll love us if we get him and Tidus back for them?"

I snorted loudly, standing up, "What are you gonna do? Put on a mask and scare them back?"

Riku was grinning now too, "No, I got it. Sora, grab the other side of this cooler."

Sora clapped his hands, "Nice."

They both gripped either end of the cooler, which was sloshing with freezing water and ice. I scrambled out of the way, 'What are you doing?"

"Having some fun." Sora said, lifting a finger to his lips.

I settled for giving them both highly disapproving looks as they snuck up behind Tidus and Wakka, who were still laughing at their little prank on the girls. I should have stopped them, but part of me wanted to see what happened. I wasn't sure if they'd really go through with it. Who was I kidding? It was Sora and Riku.

The boys hefted the cooler up to their shoulders as they reached Tidus and Wakka. Wakka managed to turn in time to see the ice tumble out of the cooler. Tidus was caught completely off guard. The water crashed out and splashed up over the fire, extinguishing half of it. Tidus and Wakka howled from the pain of the cold and rolled over on the ground.

Sora and Riku almost fell over laughing, holding onto each other for support. Sora flashed a smile in my direction. I couldn't help it. I was laughing too.

"I'm gonna kill you, ya!" Wakka grabbed Sora's ankle and dragged him down.

Tidus was still thrashing around, trying to rid himself of the icy water.

"Riku, he's got me!" Sora cried out tragically.

Riku backed up, "Every man for himself, sorry."

Sora and Wakka started up an ice fight and Tidus, soaked anyway, joined in. Soon ice was flying in all directions and laughter echoed through the empty woods. I didn't hear or see anything else.