Chapter 4: Stranger from the Shadows
Yesterday's pink sky was correct in its prediction – it was another beautiful, warm day. Children flocked towards the island on their boats as the sun made its pilgrimage over the horizon. Sora paddled over there at an expeditious rate. He couldn't afford a belated start in gathering the remaining necessities for their journey.
Overhead he heard seagulls squawking away to one another. Same old sounds, he thought. That will change soon. He was determined to finish the raft today, and set out into the wide, unbound ocean tomorrow. Excitement pumped more blood into his arms, making him row faster towards the island.
But that extra moment of adrenaline soon ceased – he started thinking about Riku tossing him the Paopu Fruit yesterday. Just what was Riku's intention? A light joke? Or an encouraging gesture towards Kairi? It couldn't be the latter. Riku had feelings for her, too. His muscle memory took command of the paddling as he continued mulling over this predicament.
It wasn't too long before the island grew closer to him; and he was paddling right for shore without a hint of realization. An abrupt blessing graced his focus when he felt something hard crash into the boat, startling him. Glancing down, he noticed one of the Blitz Ball's Tidus and Wakka used during practice. As expected, when he looked up towards the beach, there were the two in question; both greeted him with a wave.
"Sorry, man!" Tidus said. "Put too much power into that Ject Shot!"
"Wow, brudda!" Wakka said, chuckling. "You weren't kidding. He does beat that name into your head!"
Tidus glared at him. "What does that mean?"
Wakka gets him into a playful headlock. "It means you like to show off!"
Sora rowed up to the dock, pulled himself onto it, and tossed the ball to Tidus, who staggered back as he caught it.
"Whoa!" Tidus said. "Didn't realize how strong of an arm ya got there. You should sign up for our team."
Sora – who had finished tying his boat to a wooden pole situated on the dock – turned to Tidus with a modest smile. "No, thanks. Not interested."
"Suit yourself," Tidus said, shrugging. "Wakka, I'm gonna put the ball away. Be right back."
"Make it quick," Wakka said. "Gotta lot to cover today."
Tidus nodded and hurried over to the wooden shack.
Sora strolled over to Wakka, inquisitive. "Cover what?"
Wakka glanced towards a small cave located next to a small lake, with an entrance so small it required crawling just to reach its innards.
"Tidus and I were thinkin' of investigating the secret place at the base of that tree," Wakka said. "Always been a strange place, ya know? Especially with that weird door-looking thing inside. Gotta be something in there, ya?"
The secret place was a cave where children could go if they needed to escape from reality. To them, there was something comforting about being isolated for a short period of time. All the toxic noise life sometimes clamors into their ears was muffled by large walls of stone. Only the non-threatening hushes of the wind filled the cave.
But it also served as a canvas for artistic expression. Quite literally. Scattered below the rocky walls were pieces of chalk. Children scribbled their visions into the walls, and remained embedded to this day.
Sora would sometimes visit the cave out of nostalgia. He loved drawing on the rocks. It was a place to work in peace – no outside static. But there was one thing that fascinated him and everyone else: a brown wooden door – lacking a doorknob – situated at the end of the cave. Along the edge of its panel was an elegant gold outline that wrapped around from top to bottom.
No one knows who built it, or when it was built. Answers were often met with indifferent shrugs from their parents. It wasn't harming anyone – why make a big deal? To the children, this was a treasure trove for fun, outlandish theories; but given that Sora was leaving the island soon, formulating his own theories was rather moot.
"Hope you find something," Sora said. "Can't stick around. Looking for Riku and Kairi. Seen them?"
"Usually Riku would be on the small island looking out at the horizon all mysterious and cool-like. But he's actually at the Cove with Kairi."
Sora said good-bye and hurried over to a wooden door located at the far right of the island, past the bridge. He opened it to arrive at the cove.
Unlike the main area, the cove – located at the back of the island – was seldom visited, because it blocked off the sun's warm rays. Still, it was used as an obstacle course if they ever needed a heart pounding, adrenaline surging challenge.
Their design of the course wasn't too shabby. At the beginning was a wooden bridge with an upward slope. After reaching the top, you would be faced with a huge gap between you and another wooden bridge. The process would repeat one more time for those athletic enough to jump across. Ahead was a wooden lookout area; one would have to climb to the top using a ladder.
A zipline would be waiting right at the top of the lookout, which could be used to take a huge advantage over an opponent (and it was nice exhilarating ride, too). Beyond the zipline was a lone tree that held a golden star. It served as a checkpoint, not the finish. Those fortunate enough to touch the tree would have to make a long, exhausted run back towards the beginning.
Sora saw Riku nearby upon opening the door, and called out to him.
"Did you hit the snooze alarm in your sleep again?" Riku asked with a joking smirk.
"Nah," Sora said. "Got caught up in the middle of a ball game. Ject Shot included."
"Typical. Anyways our raft still needs a name. I've been thinking about it for a while, and I say Highwind would be perfect." The tone in his voice became sarcastic. "Yep. Sounds perfect. Noooo other names needed. It's not like someone is going to—"
"I was thinking Excalibur," Sora interjected with excitement. "It sounds cooler!"
Riku chuckled. "I knew 'someone' was going to have an objection."
"I like to make things difficult for you sometimes," Sora said, grinning.
"There's only one way to settle this."
"The usual?"
"You're on!" Riku said with confidence.
The two heard running footsteps make the bridge exclaim with a painful creak. Following the noise, they saw Kairi approaching them.
"Wow," she said, "you guys lasted five minutes before turning this day into a competition. That's impressive! Guess you'll need me to judge, huh?"
"Yep!" Sora said.
She giggled. "Alright. You guys know the drill: tag the tree and make it back here. Don't pull too many muscles. We have a raft to finish, after all."
Sora and Riku performed a warmup stretch in preparation for the race. Their excitement couldn't be contained; they loved a good race. Unlike dueling, Sora was able to run at Riku's pace, and he even won sometimes (that's why he always looked forward to it).
After a good stretch, the two turned to face the obstacle course. Every second their hearts beat faster.
"You may have beaten me yesterday," Sora said, "but there's no way you'll win now. Not with my speed."
"Okay, Mr. Essence of Speed," Riku said with a playful taunt. "You seem confident enough. How about we raise the stakes?"
"Sure," Sora said; he rotated his shoulders for one final stretch. "If I win, I get to be captain. If you win—"
"I get to share the Paopu with Kairi," Riku said
Sora stopped rotating his shoulders in an instant, almost like a machine that turned off from an abrupt pull of the plug. For a split second he thought his ears were playing a horrible prank.
"E-excuse me?" Sora asked, baffled.
Riku, sounding exuberant, said, "Deal? The winner gets to share a Paopu with Kairi."
Sora's heart pounded faster, and it wasn't from the excitement of racing anymore. Giving someone the Paopu was a special occasion, something Sora was hoping to do one day with Kairi.
He stammered, trying to back out of the deal.
"You were the one gung-ho over raising the stakes, dude," Riku said with a slight frown.
Before Sora could reply, Kairi shouted, "Okay, on my mark!"
Sora let out a long sigh; he needed to pull himself together. Whether or not Riku was joking, this only fueled his desire to win even further. He wasn't going to let anyone, especially Riku, pin his feelings for her onto the ground. Upon shouting 'go', Kairi saw two blurs speed right by her. She rolled her eyes with a smile; making every day a competition was par for the course with those two, she thought. It was a tradition, and if it brought them joy, she was perfectly content.
In this race, she didn't realize, a lot more was at stake At least that's what Sora assumed. He and Riku raced up the bridge and jumped right at the edge; they landed on the next one without failure. As Sora approached the bridge – his mind focused on winning – he jumped too soon, and was going to miss the landing. Pushing his arms out, he gained an extra bit of distance, and managed to ram his ribcage into the edge.
Ignoring the pain, he slammed his fingers in between a crease in the bridge, holding on with all his might. He watched as Riku passed by him, taking his fortuitous advantage. Sora gritted his teeth as he summoned every ounce of upper body strength to push himself onto the bridge. The pain in his ribcage still lingered, but he remained undeterred. Losing was not a foreseeable outcome.
Sora resumed the race. He needed to hustle, as if Riku snagged the zipline, his disadvantage would spiral further into a gigantic hole. Sora put forth every muscle in his legs to sprint across the bridge and reach the ladder just as Riku started climbing. Riku felt a hard shake coming from below his feet as he climbed, and looked down his shoulder to see Sora gaining on him.
"You're too late, ya know!" Riku shouted.
"Not yet!"
Riku scrambled upon reaching the top, ran over to grab the zipline, and prepared to push off the platform. At the last moment, Sora latched onto him, and the two zipped across the island. Riku tried shaking Sora off, but like a stubborn leech, his grip didn't loosen. All Sora could do was watch a blurry mess of colors speed by as he held on for dear life.
Upon reaching a wooden platform, Riku released his grip, and they fell right onto it. Both scrambled to their feet; they were nearly at the checkpoint. Ahead of them were a group of palm trees with yellow and purple leaves. They were huddled together, serving as perfect stepping grounds towards the checkpoint.
Sora and Riku leaped onto different trees to avoid running into each other. In a surprising turn of events, both managed to hit the star at the same time. But the race wasn't over. Neither was Sora's resolve; despite feeling like a printing press was squeezing his legs muscles together in pain.
They hurried down a nearby hill, ran past their completed raft, and climbed up a small rock formation. A familiar pink color appeared in their line of sight, shouting and cheering at them. Riku pushed ahead of him with one final burst of strength; his breathing was so loud that it drowned out the sounds of the ocean waves.
Sora wasn't going to accept defeat. He had this idea planted in his head for ages. Riku was not going to unroot it. Ignoring the intense pain in his legs, he caught up to Riku as he leaped across the last bridge. Kairi held her hand out for the winner to tag. This was the most exciting race she ever witnessed; it was never this close before. Her knees were bending up and down in anticipation. Sora lunged forward, tagged her hand, and fell onto the ground.
He rolled over to catch his breath, inhaling the cool air to quell the burning sensation in his chest. After recovering enough stamina, he stood up, and turned to Riku, who had a disappointed expression. Sora was relieved that he not only won, but prevented Riku from giving Kairi the Paopu fruit.
"Good job, Sora," Kairi said. "Nice come from behind history!"
Sora celebrated with a first pump in the air. "Oh, yeah, baby! I won! Uh-huh!"
Riku gave him a disapproving frown. "Man, lighten up. It's just a name, after all."
A scowl erased his cheerful expression. He felt hurt knowing his best friend tried to bet on something so important to him. Would he really stoop so low? It was hard to picture someone you've known your whole life do something contemptible.
Kairi felt the tension between them wrap around her hips. Why were they this upset with each other? Racing had become a mundane activity. She needed to defuse the situation before it escalated any further.
Without another thought, she slid in between them, with a nervous laugh. "Okay. Seems like we're a little edgy from all the running. You two had your fun. We should probably continue working on the raft. Right?"
There was an awkward moment of silence. Looking between the two, she noticed them thinking over her words. Soon, their expressions relaxed, as they agreed with her statement. Kairi felt her shoulder's lower in relief. Sora and Riku's had a strong relationship akin to brothers; she hated it when they fought over trivial matters. Sometimes she worried a quarrel would one day smash the chain of their relationship to pieces. The thought devastated her; she couldn't imagine a world without either one of them in her life.
Sora knew her intentions, too. He could see a despondent flicker in her eyes. His heart sank from causing her a little distress. But how could he not be upset? Riku overdid it with his joke – if it was one, anyway. Despite feeling aggravated, he knew Riku was understanding, and would never mean to hurt someone's feelings. Perhaps speaking to him in private would be ideal.
"Yeah, you're right," Riku said, sounding apologetic. "This journey is more important than anything right now."
Relieved, Kairi pulled out a list from her pocket, unfolded it, and held it up near her chest, beckoning Sora and Riku over. Their plan today was to obtain previsions for their trip – life essential objects such as food and water. She tasked Sora to find mushrooms. His eyes drifted towards the secret place; mushrooms needed a good, dark environment to thrive.
Kairi planned to go fishing, while also filling up a few canteens with fresh water. Riku would be obtaining coconuts from the nearby colorful palm trees. As well as one seagull egg.
Riku was dumbstruck upon hearing such an odd request. "A-Are you serious?"
"See for yourself." Kairi handed him the list.
His eyes scanned it until he saw the request. Indeed, there it was resting on the bottom of the paper, and knew something was off about the sentence.
"Hey, I recognize that handwriting!" Riku glared at Sora, who had a wide smile on his face.
"It's a special request," Kairi said.
"C'mon," Sora said. "They're a delicacy. Best darn eggs in the world."
"He said darn," Kairi said with a small giggle, "so you know they're the best."
"But what are the chances of finding one?" Riku asked, somewhat annoyed.
Sora's blue eyes widened, sparkling in the sunlight. He was giving Riku the biggest puppy dog eyes in the world.
"Would you try anyway, best buddy?" Sora asked.
Riku couldn't take the sparkle anymore; it was giving him a headache. He knew refusing would lead to a quivering lip next, and was in no mood to see that disgustingly cute image carry him off to sleep.
"Alright, alright," Riku said, feeling defeated. "I'll look. Just stop making that face before I vomit sugar."
"Thanks!" Sora then whispered in Kairi's ear. "Works every time."
"I heard that," Riku said, crossing his arms with a smirk.
Sora stepped back with a nervous expression on his face.
"Welp, got places to be," he said, pointing both thumbs over his shoulders, "mushrooms to pick. Same old stuff. Bye!"
He ran away before Riku could open his mouth. Kairi contained her laughter through shut lips.
She then turned to Riku: "You know it's true."
Riku chuckled. He could never stay mad at Sora. His upbeat, positive attitude was charming; it put anyone in a good mood.
Sora checked shaded areas of the beach, fruitful in his search for mushrooms, and scrutinized them for signs of anomalies. Most seemed to be edible. Placing them in his pockets, he prepared to head for the secret area, until he noticed Riku looking up one of the palm trees. His stomach still tensed from earlier. With Kairi nowhere to be seen, this would be the opportune time to speak his mind.
The sounds of footsteps trudging in the sand crawled into Riku's ears. Spinning around, he saw Sora approaching him, hands in pockets from nervousness. Riku knew why he was here; Sora's unsettling body language was noticeable from across the ocean.
Before Sora could open his mouth, Riku asked, "This is about earlier, isn't it? Listen, I just said that to get a rise out of you. I wanted you to be at your best."
"Well, there's a right way and wrong way to do that," Sora said.
"You're right, dude," he said, feeling regret swell in chest. "Should've thought that one through. Sorry. Besides, even if I did stay true to my word, what would I do? Go up to Kairi and be like, 'hey, I won the race, so now you HAVE to take this fruit without any objections.'"
Sora snorted in amusement. "True. She MIGHT get peeved. Oh, and I'm sorry for acting like a sore winner, too."
"Eh, no biggie," Riku said, shrugging. "Buds?"
"The best!" Sora said, smiling.
The grudge lodged in Sora's throat was scared away by the loud sound of their high five. Sora was glad everything was back to normal. Unnecessary drama would have ruined the whole mood of their trip. Still, this whole ordeal inspired him to consider whether he should share the Paopu with Kairi. There was no time to debate it now; working on their trip was imperative.
"What are doing anyway?" Sora asked.
Riku glanced up at the palm tree. "Well, I found a seagull egg on top of this tree. Can't believe your luck."
Sora responded with a smile, and placed his hands behind his head.
"Don't get too excited," Riku said. "Who knows when the mother will come back. I'll climb up and grab it. Will you keep watch for her?"
"Sure thing."
Riku placed his hand on the tree's scars and climbed up, being careful with each step taken. Sora scanned the surrounding area for signs of the mother, then glanced up at Riku, who reached the top. A giant egg was resting there; it was perfect for cooking a delicious breakfast. Even Riku was becoming open to the prospect. He grabbed the egg with slow, careful hands. Sora was alerted to a giant seagull flying in from the ocean. Her screeches of rage intensified with each flap of a wing.
Sora shouted to Riku in panic, who was made aware to the livid screeching. Bracing himself, he hugged the egg as the bird attacked, pecking at his silver hair. He waved his arm in attempt to shoo the bird away. A mother's love for her child was unwavering; none of his weak swings fazed her. With one strong push, Riku teetered; his right foot was in the air. He then found himself falling off the tree, landing on top of Sora. Thankfully he kept the egg safe from cracking open, which would have poured its viscous remains all over their clothes.
Ignoring the immediate pain, the two scurried away, knowing full well they've incurred her wrath. Nearby was a small cave – a perfect hiding spot. They dove inside, huddled into a corner, and waited for the seagull's unstoppable rage to cease. Her voice grew quieter over time, and soon they no longer heard it. With careful steps, they peeked out from the cave, made a thorough scan of the area, and then exited, sighing in relief.
"Ugh," Riku groaned; he rubbed his ribcage, "I hope the shattered rib was all worth it."
"Trust me, man," Sora said. "Once you've had gull, you'll never go back."
With a shake of his head, Riku headed back to the raft to deliver the egg. Meanwhile, Sora continued his search for more mushrooms. Next stop was the Secret Place.
To his surprise, he didn't hear Tidus or Wakka's voices echo from the entrance. Probably left. Maybe they got bored, Sora thought. Other than the inaccessible door, what more was there to see? Their old drawings? At this point they were nothing more than hieroglyphics. He crawled into the cave, followed a short, winding path, and arrived in the main area. Old, withered tree were scattered throughout the room; their lifeless branches limped towards the ground.
Scribbled upon the walls were the children's drawings. Some were of his friend's faces (how Wakka managed to perfectly draw his hair remained a mystery). Others involved fantastical buildings such as castles and huge skyscrapers. Two drawings caught his attention: they were of him and Kairi smiling at each other. Nostalgia overtook his senses, and his thoughts wandered back to the day drew each other.
As young children, there was a strong bond between the two. Drawing pictures of each other solidified their bond. Now as a teenager, those feelings of friendship were blooming into affection. At least for Sora. Does she feel the same way?
The only comfort he had was his imagination. Grabbing a piece of chalk, he sat down facing the picture, and drew a hand giving her a star. Regardless of what he asked her, the picture of him would be happy for all eternity.
But, then, a sudden chill crawled onto the back of his skin. And it wasn't a breeze of any kind. How could it be? He was secluded deep within the cave. No, he felt as though long, bony fingers were sliding down his back, preparing to tear his skin wide open. Spinning around – hoping it was one of his friends – he was met with a most unsettling sight.
A strange cloaked figure wearing a brown robe stood before him. Two dark brown straps crossed over his chest. Sora wasted no time rising to his feet, standing ready to defend himself from this intruder. Obvious questions spun through his head like a vortex. But the most chilling one managed to escape:
Why didn't he hear footsteps?
Fear enveloped Sora's heart, making it pound harder. What was he to do? Run and tell somebody? His eyes darted left to see the winding trail. Would he make it, or would this person (if it was a person) capture him? But then an irrational spark of curiosity pushed through the vortex.
"Who are you?" Sora asked, still on the defense.
Speaking in a deep male voice, the person said, "I've come to see the door to this world."
Now confused, he made a brief glance towards the door, and then returned focus to the hooded man.
"Huh?" was his only response.
"Tied to the darkness," the main said. "Soon to be completely eclipsed."
Sora continued staring, growing more baffled by the second.
"Uh, that didn't answer my question," Sora said, in an uneased tone. "Look, I don't know what your deal is, but stop freaking me out like this."
"You do not yet know what lies behind the door," the man said.
No matter what Sora said, this person seemed to be ignoring every single sentence. All he seemed interested in was the door. For what purpose? Judging from this man's ominous appearance, it was safe to assume his intentions weren't virtuous. Sora tried to see into the man's hood. Only darkness stared right back at him.
Sora continued to speak; it was all he had to keep himself composed. "You're not from around here, huh?" A thought occurred to him. "Are you…from another world, maybe?"
"There is so very much to learn," the man said. "You understand so little."
Feeling insulted, Sora tossed his fear away for the moment. Not only were his vague remarks grating, but this man was straight out disrespecting his intelligence.
"Oh yeah?" Sora said; his voice found strength. "Well, you'll see. I'm going to get out and learn what's out there!"
The man gave his head a slight tilt, almost as if he was in disbelief. "A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understanding nothing."
Sora narrowed his eyes at the man, growing more annoyed by his constant babbling. The competitive part of Sora's brain wanted to prove him wrong; but his rational part was trying to hold it back from doing something senseless.
"Tell me, child." The man glanced at the door. "if you truly are knowledgeable, then what do you know about this door?"
Sora turned to face the door again. Well, it was brown. To be honest, he never knew how or why it existed. Over the years, he lost interest in its mystique. But that all changed in an instant upon encountering this man; clearly, he knew a secret, and his plan was to keep it concealed inside the dark abyss of his hood.
Sora turned back to the man…..and was met with the childish drawings again. He scanned the area: gone. Not a trace. Again, no footsteps. Staying in the cave at this point would be injudicious. Who knows what else would emerge from the shadows. He found a mushroom in the corner, stuffed it into his pocket, and hurried out of the cave, not once looking behind him.
After crawling out, he was greeted by Tidus and Wakka.
"Well, well," Wakka said with a smirk, "thought you didn't want to go exploring."
Sora was relieved to see familiar faces. It was what he needed after that strange, frightening encounter.
"Nah," Sora said. "Was just grabbing something for the trip."
His tongue hit a wall as he prepared to speak again. Should he tell them what just happened? Would they believe him? Probably not. Something so strange seemed impossible. And given the relentless heat, they would assume that it played a trick on his eyes. Tidus noticed Sora swaying back and forth in anxiety.
"You okay?" Tidus asked. "You seem antsy."
"What?" Sora realized what he was doing, stopped, and then said, "Oh, just in a hurry. Never like to keep Kairi waiting."
Tidus and Wakka glanced at each other in suspicion. Kairi never made him feel nervous. Something didn't feel right about his behavior. Then again, he was preparing to sail into an unknown world. Who knows what emotions were dancing around in his head?
Dismissing it as trivial, Tidus said, "Right. I understand. She can get upset when you keep her waiting."
"Yeah, man," Wakka said, laughing. "Her face becomes as red as her hair."
After having an awkward chuckle at the joke, Sora returned to the Cove. He had a million questions about his encounter with the man. Was he having another strange dream? A pinch on the cheek disproved that theory. What was the man's fascination with the door? Is that why he traveled from another world?
What was the point, Sora asked. It wasn't like he'd ever get a proper answer. There would never be one, not even if he found some way to dismantle the door with a chainsaw. Whoever that person was had vanished. And he hoped it was forever. Sora didn't feel the need to tell Riku and Kairi. Especially since they were leaving tomorrow. Knowing Kairi, she would dismiss it as another one of his crazy dreams.
Before he knew it, Sora was on the shore of the Cove. Kairi was leaning against the mast of their raft, still working on her special charm. His jaw dropped from the fine craftsmanship. Everything came together without issue. The wood was a light brown, and some panels rested in the opposite direction, nailed down to keep the raft together.
The essentials – such as the egg, the fish, and water – were prepared in a neat row.
"Dang!" Sora said, impressed. "Riku did a great job." He looked around the vicinity. "Where is he?"
"Oh, he went home," Kairi said. "Said he has a headache."
Sora grinned. "Maye that angry seagull caught up with him and screeched in his ear."
His grin faded when he noticed a look of concern on her face. "No. He looked kind of tired."
"Really?" Sora asked. "Well, I hope he's okay."
"It came on so sudden," Kairi said, worried.
"I'll give him a call when I get home," Sora said with reassurance. "It's been a long day. We're all beat."
Feeling better, Kairi smiled. He always knew how to enliven her mood when she was disheartened.
Sora's eye became fixed on her charm. "What's that?"
"I was wondering when you'd notice."
She held it up for him. An incomplete star shaped pendent hung from 'X' shaped stitches. The tip of the points had three spiked edges, which were colored a light yellow, with the bottom half a light blue. Only four points were on the star.
"I'm making a necklace of Thalassa shells," she explained. "In the old days, sailors always wore them. They were supposed to ensure a safe voyage. I'm making this one into a charm. It'll help us find each other if we ever get separated. The three of us will always be together."
Hearing that made Sora smile. Thoughtful gestures such as that reminded him of why he had the greatest friends in the world. Their support for one another was inextirpable; nothing would ever break them apart, no matter how far away they were from each other.
"Heh. Like we'll ever be separated," Sora said. "We're so close that someone would mistake us for a three-headed monster."
"If that's the case," Kairi said, smirking, "I don't want to be next to your splits."
She gave a gentle tug of his hair.
"Your loss. My splits are the best kind of splits."
Upon reaching the dock, the two sat down on the edge to gaze at the sunset. Again, the pink sky foresaw the usual outcome: another wonderful day. By the time it was morning, however, they would be sailing towards the horizon, in search of new exciting places. Sora and Kairi said nothing for a long time. They were taking in the weight of their massive undertaking. Soon they would be far away from their loved ones, surrounded by nothing but the bright blue sea.
"Can't wait for tomorrow," he said.
He noticed Kairi seemed to be in deep thought. She was staring at her feet as they rocked back and forth over the edge.
"You okay?" Sora asked.
The air was filled with awkward silence for a few moments.
"You know," she said, "Riku's changed."
"Whatdaya mean?" Sora asked.
There was another uncomfortable few seconds of silence. Then, a sudden burst of energy escaped her mouth. "Sora, let's take the raft and go – just the two of us!"
"What!?" Sora asked in surprise. He thought he was going to fall off the dock from her startling statement.
"Ha! Just kidding!"
Sora chuckled in relief. "What's gotten into you? You're the one that's changed, Kairi."
"Maybe," she said with a shrug. "You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here."
Her eyes met with Sora's.
"Right?" she asked.
Sora made his famous goofy grin. "Of course! What's it gonna do, get up and walk away?"
Kairi rolled her eyes at his lame joke. But it was nice to hear his usual reassurance. Nothing else mattered when she had both him and Riku by her side. Any obstacle that proved to be a hinderance would be conquered by their immeasurable bond. Whenever she felt afraid or somber, Kairi knew Sora's sanguine demeanor would raise her spirits in the intimidating, unknown world.
"Right," she said. "That's good. Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"Never change."
Sora patted her shoulder. "No worries. Wouldn't know how to act differently anyhow."
She stood up for a better view of the horizon.
"I just can't wait," she said. "Once we set sail, it'll be great."
Sora smiled, as he shared the same sentiment. Everything was coming together, and he hoped nothing would ruin their long-awaited adventure. He closed his eyes to picture the incredible places they'd visit, the eccentric characters they would meet, and the incredible views their eyes would feast upon. It seemed perfect. Opening his eyes, he stared at the horizon for what felt like an eternity; this would be the last time he'd gaze at it from the docks.
And this would be the last time the sun graced his island.
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