Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters or storyline. This storyline is mine. For some reason I think this chapter turned out awkward, but oh well. Reviews are love. XD

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Chapter Four: Drifting Away

I didn't even think about the events preceding the ice fight, they didn't even cross my mind until two weeks later, and then it was only as a passing thought. Riku thought he had seen something and heard something. That happened sometimes to everybody. I should have paid better attention.

"Oh, oh! I think I got one!" Sora gripped the pole tightly.

"By one do you mean a fish or another clump of sea weed?" Riku chided.

I sat between them braiding thalassa shells into a bracelet. I had really developed a knack for it lately.

"Haha, you're hilarious." Sora muttered, reeling in his line and surveying his prize.

Riku looked at it, "Well, that's an improvement."

I looked up and saw a chunk of wood dangling from Sora's line. I stifled a laugh.

Riku tilted his head, "If you look at it sideways, it's kind of SHAPED like a fish."

Sora threw the chunk of wood at him, "I hate fishing."

"You're only saying that because you haven't caught anything."

"He'll catch something. I bet he catches a fish twice as big as you are." I commented.

Riku shook his head and Sora beamed, "Yeah, you said it, Kairi."

We'd been floating around between the islands for a few hours now. There weren't many fish; the unseasonably cool weather was keeping them too deep to catch. But, lucky for me, the people I hang out with have other ways of entertaining themselves.

"Gah!" The boat rocked and water splashed up over the lip of it.

I looked up in time to see Riku finish shoving Sora over into the water. He surfaced a few seconds later.

"You jerk! What was that for?" Sora spat out a mouthful of water.

"Maybe now you can find the fish better." Riku laughed.

I rolled my eyes. Boys were so immature.

"Yeah, well, we'll see how you like it." Sora threatened and dove under the water.

I looked at Riku as the boat rocked again. "He wouldn't." I gasped.

Riku leaned over one edge of the boat, "I think he would."

The boat jerked violently and started to capsize. I screamed as ocean water flooded over the side and Riku and I both toppled over into the water. I sunk a few feet before reorienting myself in the water and kicking for the surface.

"Oh, I'm going to kill him!" I cried out as Riku surfaced beside me.

A pair of hands grabbed my sides under water and I yelped. Sora came up beside me, laughing and shaking water from his eyes. I started laughing too.

"Nope sorry," Sora said, "This doesn't improve my fishing skills…Riku?"

Riku had disappeared under the water.

"Riku? Where'd you go?" I asked, treading water as Sora swam over to the boat to rock it right side up.

The water was cool, but warmer underneath. Sora managed to flop the boat back with its hull under water and I looked around. Riku didn't surface anywhere around us. Had something happened?

Sora swore loudly and took me off guard. I turned and he was sucked underwater. For a split second, my insides turned to ice, and then both boys bobbed back up, splashing water at each other like ten year olds.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Sora cried out, surrendering to Riku's onslaught of water.

I swam over and gripped the edge of the boat, "Aren't we getting a little old for this?"

Sora splashed me in reply as I climbed back into the boat. Riku splashed Sora again. Sora, of course, had to splash him in retaliation. Thus began the battle again. I sat back in the boat and let them go at it until they were exhausted, which was quite a while.

"Five and 12! Five and 12!" Sora managed to yell through the water.

I had sat back and was working on my bracelet again, letting boys be boys.

"Okay, okay! Hey, stop! Time out! Stop!" Riku stopped splashing.

"Not until you surrender!"

"No, seriously. Stop! Something's—"

"I'm not falling for that!"

I didn't look up, but finished threading the string through the last bead and tying it off in a knot.

"Riku!" Sora's voice had changed. He sounded panicked now.

I sat up and looked into the water. Riku had disappeared under the water again.

"What happened?" I asked.

Sora tread water, "I dunno. He's probably trying to sneak up on me again. Do you see him?"

I looked around the edges of the boat, but couldn't see anything besides blue ocean. "No."

Sora bobbed around for a bit, "Aw, c'mon, Riku. This isn't fun. Come up and face me like a man!"

Riku came to the surface, gasping for air. I could immediately tell that something was wrong. He wasn't moving right and couldn't stay afloat.

"Riku, that's not funny. Why are you—" Sora stopped, "Riku?"

"Something's—wrong—I can't—" Riku slipped under the surface again.

"Sora, get him!" I jumped up, nearly diving off the boat myself.

Sora quickly paddled around and dove under briefly before coming back up, holding Riku up.

"Here." I reached down and hooked my arms under his shoulders.

Together, Sora and I pulled Riku back into the boat. He was shaking and pale.

"Riku, what was that?" Sora climbed up into the boat.

"Are you okay?" I asked, feeling my heart slowly return to normal pace.

"I—I don't know. I just—I can't feel my left leg or anything from the elbow down on my right arm."

"What, they just went numb?" Sora asked.

I gripped Riku's arm and shook it, "Anything?"

"Nothing." Riku sounded panicky and slapped his leg, "It's like it's not there."

I looked at Sora, "We need to get back to the island. You need to see a doctor, Riku."

He sat up, "No, it's okay."

"You can't feel your leg or your arm. That's not okay." I said firmly.

Riku looked to Sora, who looked indecisive. I glared at him. Sora snatched up the oars, "I agree with Kairi. You—you should see a doctor."

Riku groaned, "It usually goes away in a few minutes. I just—"

"This has happened before? How often?" My voice cracked a little because I'm so shocked.

He looked up at me, "Kairi, it's no big deal. Sora, help me out here."

Sora took one look at my face and shrugged to Riku, "Hell hath no fury, bud, sorry."

Riku rolled his eyes, "Seriously, Kairi, I'm fine. It's not—" He stopped mid sentence and closed his eyes.

"Riku?" I asked, leaning forward.

"It's okay. Just a headache." He bent over, holding his head.

"Looks more like a serious migraine." Sora said, positioning the oars and aiming for the main island.

Riku groaned and made a strained gagging noise.

"Riku? Riku, say something." I urged.

Riku looked up sharply and over my shoulder. "What?"

"Riku?" I tried to move into his line of sight, but he seemed to be staring through me.

"N-No, I…You can't…don't—" He scrambled backwards, towards the bow.

"Riku, what the—" Sora said, still rowing, "Snap out of it, man."

I reached forward to calm him, but he slapped my arm away. He stared forward again, looking terrified. Then he winced and lifted his hands to his head again. Before either me or Sora could do anything, he'd slumped back against the side.

"Hey!" Sora sat up.

"Sora, keep rowing. I'll check on him." I crawled forward and gripped Riku's shoulder, "Riku?"

He jerked and sat bolt upright, "What? What happened?"

I rubbed his shoulder gently, "It's okay. You passed out."

He looked around wildly and out of breath, "H-How long have we been out here?"

"A-A few hours."

"But—we were in the caves."

"The caves? No, Riku. We've been fishing." I looked at Sora. He looked as scared as I felt.

Half an hour later we sat in the living room of Sora's house while his mom stood in front of Riku. He kept saying he couldn't remember ever going out fishing with us and couldn't explain his wild behavior before passing out either.

Sora's mom pulled the thermometer out of his mouth and looked at it, "Honey, you're completely healthy. No fever, nothing unusual."

"Mom, he was freaking out and yelling at thin air." Sora argued.

"And he can hear you." Riku mumbled, pulling his shirt back on.

Sora's mom nibbled her fingernail, "Well, I'd try to blame the loss of consciousness on the heat, but there isn't any. How do you feel right now?"

Riku shrugged, "Stupid."

He'd regained full use of his limbs just as we'd reached the shore. The headache had persisted, but Sora's mom had loaded him with aspirin, and he was back to normal.

"I don't have to go to the hospital, do I?" Riku groaned.

"Well, you're fine now, so I don't think so. Take it easy for a while. You three stay here while I go call Riku's parents." She left.

Riku fumbled with his shoe laces and flexed his fingers a few times, "What is wrong with me?"

I reached over and took his hand, "Nothing's wrong with you. Right, Sora?"

Sora folded his arms, "Of course not. Maybe it's the weird weather messing with your head. I mean, I've been kind of twitchy lately too."

"Do you see things, hear things, pass out, and have migraines?" Riku muttered.

Sora frowned, "No, that's just you."

His mom walked back in, "I couldn't get a hold of them, but I don't want you driving home. I'll take you and Kairi home and your dad can get your car later, okay?"

Riku looked a little sour at the idea, but Sora just smirked, "Not so hot without your wheels, eh?"

"Oh shut up." Riku snarled.

I sat beside Riku in the back seat while Sora sat in the front with his mom as she drove us home.

"Riku, what exactly are you seeing and hearing?" I asked quietly.

Riku looked away from the window at me, "Hm? Oh…it—it doesn't matter."

"Riku, please, just tell me."

"You'll think I'm crazy."

"Too late." Sora jeered from the front seat.

Riku bit his lip and whispered to me, "Xehanort. He's here. On the island."