Gratitude

Xion was lost.

She hated the feeling. There was nothing to do except sit on the couch and watch TV, and that was only because Ms. Hikari suggested it. Roxas and Naminé had left earlier to visit her parents. Xion didn't want to tag along for obvious reasons. Instead, she was stuck in a stranger's house. Life was weird like that. She woke up one day, went to work, and expected everything to be normal, but before she knew it, she was riding on a plane with her boss, his girlfriend, and his cousin, arriving at an island paradise for the wedding of a person she apparently resembled. She wasn't used to this much excitement in a month, much less a day.

Not paying much attention to the cartoons, her eyes wandered around the living room. There was nothing particularly special about it, but it gave off a homely feeling. It was probably due to the trinkets, baubles, figurines, and china on display. They sat on various tables, shelves, and glass cupboards. It was funny how these objects came from different places, but when it was put together, it made home feel like home. There were many photos on display. Framed portraits hung on the walls and small picture stands sat on the shelves. She got up to take a closer look. One photo showed a child, Ms. Hikari, and a man she didn't recognize. He was a tall man with black spiky hair and blue eyes. He was standing next to Sora's mother and between them was a small toddler grinning widely.

"That was Sora's father," a voice quipped.

Xion jumped at the voice and turned around, seeing Ms. Hikari's smiling face. She still couldn't get over how amazingly young Ms. Hikari looked and wondered if there some kind of white magic involved. She was also a little embarrassed, not only for jumping, but for being caught looking at the photos—then again, if they were out here, surely it was for the purpose of showing off?

She was suddenly struck by the strangeness of Ms. Hikari's statement. "Was?"

"He's passed away."

"Oh…I didn't know." Death was an uncomfortable subject only because she had no experience with it. What could she say in such situations? It wasn't like she understood because she didn't—and she hoped she would never have to.

"He died in a car accident when Sora was young. There are only a few pictures of us together." Ms. Hikari looked over the row of photos until she found the one she was looking for. "Here's a good one." Xion leaned over to see a picture of Sora, an auburn girl, and a silver-haired boy posing together. They were young, barely teenagers from the look of it.

"Is that…?"

Ms. Hikari nodded. "That's the wedding couple. There's Kairi, and that's Riku."

Xion blinked. The girl in the photo, Kairi, had her hair cut short, just like hers. Not only was the style the same, but her eyes even shared the same color. She could see why Sora acted like he did, the resemblance was uncanny. With as many people as there were in the world, there was bound to be at least two people that looked alike with no relationship to each other—that was how you got celebrity look-alikes. But beyond her resemblance to Kairi, which she chalked up as coincidence, the thing that really caught her attention was Sora. Even though she knew him for only a day, she could tell that the expression on his face was something that he hadn't worn in a while. "He looks so…happy."

"Are you talking about Sora?"

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to..." She was saying some pretty weird things lately.

"Your name is Xion, correct? How long have you known my son?" she asked softly.

"Not long," she revealed. "We just kind of met today."

The mother smiled. "Is there a story?"

"It's nothing really. I work under Roxas and he sort of dragged me along."

Ms. Hikari nodded. "Good to see Roxas has the same idea. Please take good care of my son while you're here."

What puzzling words, was she trying to imply something? Her face turned red and she stuttered, "I-I…will."

The mother returned the photo to its place and began looking for another one. "Ah, I love this picture. Take a look." She handed Xion a frame. It was a photo of Kairi and Sora. Kairi was wearing some kind of fancy dress but Sora was dressed in regular clothes. They looked a little older than before; it must've been high school. His arm was in a sling. "It was taken before prom. It was the last time I saw Sora smile like this."

"Smile?"

"He got it from his father. Even if he doesn't know it, it's actually his secret weapon: a real lady-killer grin."

Xion examined the photo closer, focusing on his face. Something about it made her heart skip a few beats. She had to admit, it was a wonderful smile.

"Don't tell me you're showing off photos to the guests?" a voice rang out from above. The two women turned their heads to the staircase, where Sora was walking down.

"Glad to see you're up," Ms. Hikari replied. "And what's wrong with showing off photos?"

Sora reached the bottom and walked into the living room. His clothes were different and his hair was still wet, probably from a shower before coming down. "Because it's embarrassing."

"If I really wanted to embarrass you, I would pull out the baby photos," his mom teased.

A hand ran through his hair nervously, "Please don't." He recalled that Kairi and Naminé went through the same treatment with his mother before, and he didn't want the same thing happening to Xion, especially since she was here on temporary basis. "Where are the others?"

"Roxas and Naminé are visiting her parents. Now go keep this nice girl some company while I cook dinner." She walked off towards the kitchen.

The two left alone, Sora turned to Xion who was standing by the photo stands. "Sorry about that, my mom never misses a chance to chat up guests."

Xion smiled pleasantly and returned to her seat. "Its okay, all moms are like that."

He walked over the carpeted floor and made himself comfortable on the couch. He made sure to keep some distance; it would be weird if he sat next to her. "Do you have any family?"

"Just me and my parents."

"That's good." There was a pause. "Sorry that you got dragged into this and everything. My cousin gets weird ideas all the time."

"It's not your fault. I've always wanted to visit Destiny Islands but I never had the chance. If I knew it was because of a wedding, I would've bought a dress."

"I remember you barely had any time to pack. Your things should come in tomorrow. I'm sure Naminé won't mind taking you out to buy a dress too."

She didn't say anything. They sat there for awhile watching cartoons in an uncomfortable silence. He turned to her and saw that she sat nervously, with her knees buckled inward and hands deposited between her legs. He felt guilty; he couldn't imagine being stuck in a stranger's house thousands of miles away from home. She noticed his stare and gave off a weak smile, a lame attempt to assuage his guilt. This was a chance to make it up to her.

"You don't have to stay cooped up in this house, what do you say I'll show you around town tomorrow?"

She perked up. "Really?"

"Better than staying here, no?"

Before she could answer back, Ms. Hikari yelled from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"

Sora waited for an answer.

"I don't mind—er—I mean I'd be glad if you would." It wasn't the most elegant answer, but Sora understood.

"Great, let's go get some dinner then."

The two got up and went to the dining room. Sora passed through the door for the second time that day and was surprised by how different everything felt. Just a few hours ago, he was sweating bullets in this very spot, but everything was a lot brighter now, even though it was dark outside. Plates were laid out with steaming food; it looked like a scrumptious feast. He couldn't recall the last time he had home cooking, so he dug in.

Dinner finished without incident, though his mom was pretty intent on getting Xion to talk, assailing her with questions upon questions, but he mostly tuned out the exchange by relishing the taste of dinner. Living alone in Twilight Town meant that he had to fend for himself, subsisting on a diet of instant food and the occasional lunch that Naminé would make for him. Nothing could compare to the taste of home however.

After dinner finished, Naminé and Roxas returned. They had already ate, but decided to help out and clean the dishes anyway. Naminé found out about Xion's situation regarding the dress and quickly pulled her aside for some much-needed consultation for the best places to shop at on Destiny Islands. The girls left to their own devices, the men pulled away—or more like Sora went to his room and Roxas followed.

Sora was at his desk, wiping off dust with a tissue. He didn't know if he was going to get any writing done while he was here, but it never hurt to have the space clean in case he was struck by inspiration.

Roxas sat at the bed, lazing about as if he owned the place. "So I hear you're taking Xion out tomorrow," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Glad to see you're finally taking my advice to heart."

Sora scoffed. "I'm just covering for your impulsiveness. It's hardly fair to drag her into this mess of mine, the least I could do is show her around."

"Sora's going on a date! He's all grown up now!" It was a leap of logic to go from "showing her around" to "going on a date."

"It's not a date," he corrected.

"Show her around, show her a good time. Sounds like a date to me."

It was clear that despite any protest to the contrary, Roxas would just continue to sing the words "date" like a little kid. It was time to cut the song short. "Stop bothering me and go to sleep already."

"Fine. Just make sure you have lots of fun tomorrow," he winked. "Good night!" Roxas left, humming to himself on the way out. Sora sighed, spinning in his chair slowly.

The next morning came and as promised, Sora took Xion out. The most obvious place to go on an island? The beach of course. They were eating lunch at the pier.

It was an amazing sight, the entire ocean could be seen from where they were—they practically sat over it. The restaurant hovered above the water, held together by strong planks of wood and giant log supports. Their table was under an umbrella that kept them shaded. It was an outdoor restaurant that overlooked the beach. With the noon sun high in the sky, crowds of people were in the sand, lazing, playing, and running around. In the water, they swam and splashed about, their sounds of glee providing cheerful background music. Tropical beats played from speakers mounted on wooden posts. It was an appropriately cool and breezy atmosphere.

"This place is really beautiful," Xion commentated, watching as the clear ocean waves rippled and folded in the glittering sunlight. In the distance, she saw small islands on the outskirts. At the restaurant were a bunch of people who had just come from the beach. She was feeling a little self-conscious seeing all these girls in skimpy bikinis, with figures that far outstripped her own, walk around without a care. Not only was the island beautiful, but the people here were beautiful too. She sighed, feeling dejected. She turned to her escort who looked almost…bored? "You don't have to show me around if you don't want to."

Sora snapped out of his daze. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"It's just—you don't look like you're having much fun."

He shook his head. "Sorry, I was just thinking." He grabbed his drink and sucked on the straw, it was a light-colored liquid with an umbrella and lemon wedge. "I was just…well, I don't know, I'm kind of out of it right now."

"You're telling me." She took a sip of her own glass.

He laughed. "You realize that Roxas has been trying to set us up from the start right?"

She almost spit out her drink. "Huh?"

"Roxas has this bad habit of trying to set me up with women, just thought you would like to know."

She took a gulp instead of a sip this time, trying to cover her red face with a natural alcoholic glow. She fiddled with the tablecloth absent-mindedly, not really sure how to react to this information. It didn't stack up. "Are you sure? He never told me about you."

"Really? He told me about you."

Another sip. "What did he say?"

"Nothing much, except that you're smart and a hard worker."

She didn't know if it was because of the drink or because her boss was complimenting her behind her back, but she was feeling pretty warm. She brought the glass to her lips again and got nothing but ice. "Waiter!"

A man in a colorful shirt approached, "What can I get you?"

"A refill please."

It was amusing to see this petite girl guzzle down drinks out of embarrassment but Sora was surprised to hear that Roxas didn't mention him to her. Usually it was part of his cousin's M.O. to talk up a storm and make him sound like the greatest guy in the world. Maybe the reason Xion was here had nothing to do with him at all? "What do you think of Roxas?"

She waited until the waiter finished refilling her glass before answering. "Roxas…he's a good leader. Everybody at the company really respects him."

"Are you serious?" She nodded in reply. "Huh. I wouldn't be able to tell, he's always bothering me, hanging around my place and everything, makes me wonder if he actually works at all."

Xion giggled. Things were coming a lot easier than before, no doubt thanks to the wonders of drink. Her mind flashed back to that photo of Sora. It stuck out in her brain like a sore thumb, especially since the man before her preferred neutral expressions more than anything else, but she remembered how that smile made her feel. It was stupid since it was just a photo but, she wondered if she could see that "lady-killer grin" in real life? "Sora, would you mind doing me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Smile for me."

He was thrown off guard. It was an odd request but he complied. He curved his mouth in an imitation of a smile.

It wasn't right. It was too half-hearted. Xion shook her head. "No, not like that, like," she put out a comical grin that was so exaggerated; he couldn't tell if she was being serious.

"I think someone's had a little too much." He looked for the waiter. "Check please!"

Even though he tried to make it clear to his cousin that this was not a date yesterday, he couldn't help but feel that it was—not that he intended it to be, it just so happened that most of the tourist locations on a tropical island ended up being really romantic places. He didn't think this through too well.

They were on a wooden plank bridge that was much lower than the restaurant pier. At the end of it were fishermen trying their luck to catch big game. They sat in the middle, over the edge, with their bare feet dangling in the water. A pair of shoes and sandals separated them. Xion seemed to be having a good time, despite his presence. Her pants were rolled up to her knees as she idly kicked the water back and forth.

"You're not going to fall over are you?" he joked.

"Of course not," she said. She probably had a little too much to drink, but that was an hour ago! She was fine now. She closed her eyes feeling the sun on her face. She wasn't able to see his "lady-killer grin," but that was fine. Sora was an interesting person. On the surface level, yeah, he was pretty handsome. It was like a requirement that people born on this island had to be attractive or beautiful, but there was something much deeper to him that she couldn't put her finger on.

With the way he was acting, the confrontation at the doorstep, and the photos, there was definitely something going on between him and the wedding girl. Whatever it was, it would probably explain why he was always acting so weird. She wasn't the type to be nosy or anything but she might as well give it a shot. "I know it's not really my place to ask but…is there something between you and Kairi?"

He gave her a surprised look. "Roxas was right, you are sharp." She was put off; he didn't even answer the question! Sora tilted his head from side-to-side to iron out the kinks in his neck. "It's that obvious? Even a stranger can guess that there's something between us."

It was like stepping on eggshells. "You don't have to tell me anything, I was just curious is all."

He brushed it off, "No, it's fine. I might as well tell you. By next week, it won't even matter. You probably know by now that me, Kairi, and Riku were friends, just from the photos?" She nodded her head. "Between the three of us, they're the ones who are getting married and as for me…"

And as for you…?

"I'm in love with Kairi."

Xion's jaw dropped. And she looked like Kairi—so that explained it—but, wow, just wow. She remembered Riku coming out of the kitchen, gushing about how Sora was going to be the best man. She cringed at the irony.

"I'm sure you can piece together everything from there."

"I'm sorry." It was a weak reply, but she didn't know what else to say. "I can't imagine how you feel right now."

He was silent for a few moments, watching as a seagull above hover in circles until it dipped down to the pier and grabbed a stray bag of chips with its beak. He chuckled. "Have you ever been in love?"

She shook her head. "I've never really had a steady boyfriend or anything like that." Her love life was pretty much non-existent, save for a handful of (miserable) dates in high school and college. "I wouldn't know anything about it."

"From my experience, it feels like shit."

She giggled but stopped herself, kicking herself in the head for it. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

Sora laughed. "I don't mind. I was just joking." He kind of wasn't, but she didn't have to know that.

"I wish I knew what love feels like, but I've never had anything more than a simple crush," she admitted.

"Like Roxas?"

She made a bland face, "Don't remind me." Her silly crush on her boss would never amount to anything, but meeting his girlfriend only compounded the fact. Naminé was a good person and really nice, she even promised to take her out shopping for a dress tomorrow; she could see why they were together. As far as Xion was concerned, Roxas was out of the picture now. It was fine though, she would become a career-woman. Job first! Everything else later! Let's not worry about inconsequential things like boyfriends and relationships, but enough of her (lack of) love life, she was making herself depressed. In an attempt to change the subject, she asked Sora, "How did you and Kairi meet?"

"It's a long story, you sure you want me to tell you?"

"You don't have to tell me, but, it would be nice to know. I mean, the only reason I'm here is because of you, isn't it?" She had sprung the trap, using his guilt against him.

He laughed in defeat. "Clever. If that's the case, I guess I don't have choice." She nodded in agreement. "Well, I guess it all started with the story of a young boy…"

A young boy who spent his days alone. He used to be happy, laughing and having fun, but that boy disappeared and in his place was now a sullen little child who had lost everything. Having suffered inexplicable loss, he was left scrambling to make sense of it all. He clammed up, kept to himself, and stayed isolated. He hated seeing the other kids giggle like fools. It wasn't fair. They didn't understand.

During recess, he would sit on the swing until the bell rang, to the chagrin of the other children. The teachers, knowing of his situation, let him have his time alone despite complaints from the students. Eventually, it became known as his swing. He would glare at any passerby and they learned to leave him alone, just the way he liked it.

That was until one day, a girl stole his swing.

The habit ingrained from repeated practice, the boy left the classroom and automatically went to his swing. Somebody was already in it. It was a girl, a little taller than him, with auburn red hair and night-ocean eyes. He recognized her from class. What was she doing?

"That's my swing," he declared.

She kicked the sand at his feet and stuck her tongue out. "Na-uh."

"Get off my swing," he ordered.

"I don't feel like it."

"That's my swing, you stupid!"

"You always hog this swing, didn't your parents ever tell you to share?"

He bristled. "Fine, you can keep your stupid swing. I was bored of it anyways." He stomped off to find a new spot at the playground to wallow in self-pity. When he found a suitable place, he sat down for his daily ritual of beating himself up, but he didn't get far when a finger poked him in the back.

"What's wrong with you?" a voice asked.

The boy turned around and narrowed his eyes. "Weren't you on the swing?"

The girl shrugged. "I got tired of it, so I let the other kids use it."

"Tch, whatever, leave me alone." He stomped off again, looked over his shoulder, and saw that she was following. "Stop following me!"

"No."

"Why?"

"No reason." What a weird girl. Definitely a weird girl.

"Whatever."

That was how the days followed. He'd try to find a nice and quiet place but she'd always be close behind. It didn't matter where he went or how fast he moved. He tried sneaking out of class early, he tried to sprint around corners to lose her, and even tried hiding but it never worked. Somehow or someway, she'd find him. To the other kids, it looked like they were just playing, but for Sora, it was an exercise in frustration. He gave up trying to lose her and decided to deal with it by ignoring her. She didn't let up. Sometimes, she'd make fun of him, and other times, she didn't say anything. It was irritating. He was finally fed up.

"Why don't you leave me alone already?"

"You're such a dummy. A really big dummy," she sang.

"Stop calling me that, I'm not a dummy, stupid!"

She giggled. "You're a dummy!"

He crossed his arms. "Why won't you leave me alone?"

She smiled. "You're not thinking about the bad stuff anymore?" He stopped. Was she trying…to help? "It's no fun being alone. It's better when there's someone with you."

He was so focused on this annoying girl that he stopped sulking. He felt something like gratitude but… "You're still annoying."

She giggled.

"You're name's Kairi," he stated plainly.

"And you're Sora,"—she grinned—"and we're friends!"

Friends? The word was foreign to him. Were they really friends? "But why?"

She thought about it, a finger on her lips. "I heard that you lost your daddy," she said. "I lost both my parents too."

His eyes widened. "You liar, who's that lady that picks you up then?"

"Those are my adopted parents. They're the mayor and his wife."

"O-oh. Don't you miss your parents?"

"I do. But it's okay, because I know they loved me and I have new parents that love me now." This girl was like him. No, even worse, since she lost both of her parents but—it still wasn't the same. "So you see, I know what its like."

"No! It's not the same!"

"Sora?" She took a few steps closer, confused by his sudden outburst.

"J-just leave me alone!" He ran.

She squeaked in surprise and started running after him.

He didn't know where he was going; he simply went where his feet took him. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was nowhere near the school. The sun had faded and the shadows disappeared. It was still in the afternoon. He looked up at the sky; it was heavy with dark clouds. Raindrops began to fall. He froze.

"Sora! Sora!" He could hear Kairi calling after him. "There you are! What are you doing? You're gonna get wet!" She tugged on his arm, but he didn't budge. He looked dead. "Sora, what's wrong?"

"…storm."

She could barely make out the words from underneath his breath. "What?"

"…thunderstorm." She looked up at the sky to see what he was talking about. A rumble coursed through the air; it sounded like freight trains crashing into each other. The little boy shrunk into himself. "NO!"

"Sora?" Drops turned into drizzle, and drizzle turned into sheets of water. They couldn't get back to school in this weather. She pulled him under a nearby awning. There was a bench. "Let's just stay here."

Another rumble resounded and the world flashed. He clenched her dress. "Don't leave me."

She was worried. That was the first time he said not to leave him alone. They sat there as the rain fell, the sky cracking every once in a while. They didn't know how long it was. The boy simply clamped onto the girl with his eyes closed.

The rain was hard. It was like the clouds were carrying an ocean and it finally broke, pouring everything down on them. As suddenly as the storm came, it passed, and the sky clear again.

"Hey, it's over now. See?" Sora opened an eye, peeking upwards. The once thick clouds had dispersed, stray wisps floating away. The sun shined nonchalantly, as if it was there all along.

He felt tired. "You probably think I'm stupid. Being afraid of thunder…"

"I don't think so…"

They sat in silence. They should return to school soon. She went out from underneath the awning and turned around. He hadn't moved.

"It was my fault," he whispered.

"What was?"

"It was my fault that dad died." His voice was shaky.

She remembered hearing from the teachers that his father died in a car accident. Everybody in class knew about it. "What do you mean?"

"Mommy was sick so she couldn't pick me up. There was a storm. So I called my dad. He said he would pick me up in no time but… He never came."

He was blaming himself this entire time. She softened. "It's not your fault."

"If it wasn't for me, then he never would've died!"

"That's not true," she said, stronger this time. "Your dad came because he loved you. It's not your fault he died Sora." She could hear him sniffling. "Hey, look at me! It's not your fault! Don't be sad, okay? You're making me sad!"

He wiped a few stray tears. "…I miss him."

"You still have your mommy, don't you?" The boy nodded. "Then let's go see her!"

"What about school?"

"This is more important!" She offered her hand. He stared at it and looked at her face, seeing her determined expression. He grabbed the hand. "Just lead the way!" Hand-in-hand, the pair tentatively made their way towards his house. Ever since he lost his father, he made it a point to walk home on his own. They finally arrived. Kairi rapped the door with her tiny knuckles. It opened.

"Sora!" Ms. Hikari crouched down, her face level with his. "Are you okay? What are you doing here so early? And who's your friend?"

"Hi," the auburn girl awkwardly greeted, "um, Sora has something to tell you." The boy looked at the girl with confusion. "Just tell her what you told me," she mouthed.

"You have something to say, Sora?" The death of her husband had taken a toll on the mother. She was haggard, with dark circles under her eyes and mussed hair.

"It was my fault," he confessed. "It's my fault that dad died!"

Ms. Hikari's eyes widened. She enveloped him in a hug. "No, it's not your fault Sora! It's mine, if I wasn't sick to begin with—"

"It's nobody's faults!" the little girl screamed.

The mother and son both stared at her in shock. Ms. Hikari turned to her son, whose face was wracked with guilt and worry, and stroked his hair. She wasn't the only one suffering; he blamed himself too. But what use was there in assigning blame? They still had each other. She laughed lightly, holding her son tighter. "I suppose you're right…you're…?"

"Oh! Kairi Uchida!" she chirped.

Ms. Hikari offered a grateful smile. "Kairi, huh? Thank you for bringing my son home. Why don't you come in? I'll take you home later."

It was an exhausting day, and Sora was put to bed early. Ms. Hikari invited Kairi into the kitchen and laid out a plate of cookies for the girl, who happily munched on them.

"Ever since the accident, Sora's been afraid of thunderstorms. It always brings up…bad memories," Ms. Hikari explained.

"I understand."

"Oh, now that I think about it, you're the mayor's daughter, aren't you?"

"Yup!"

"Thank you for your kind words back there."

"It's no problem Mrs. Hikari!"

The mother smiled. The girl was like an angel—a messenger from heaven perhaps? She had come and forced the realization that life, inevitably, continues. She had lost her parents but learned to move on. They should follow her lead and do the same. Ms. Hikari hadn't been the best mother since the accident, the loss weighed heavily on her mind, but this girl, Kairi, could help Sora and be there for him when she couldn't. "I have a favor to ask of you. Do you think you can do it for me?"

"What is it?"

"Take good care of Sora for me, okay?"

Kairi grinned widely. "I promise!"

Sora stopped.

Xion was visibly hanging on to his every word.

"So what happened next?" she asked curiously.

"Do you want to go get some ice cream?"

"Hah?"

He picked up his sandals and stood up. "Come on, I'll show you a good place." He started walking away.

"W-wait up!"