A/N: Cover art by mar_is_art on Instagram.

Chapter 1

Waves lapped at the shore, calmer than they had been just earlier that day as they washed away the footprints excited children had tracked across the beach. With every wave that reached land, the footprints faded just a little bit more. A gentle breeze rustled the coconut trees. The sun had long since set and sent the children of Destiny Islands home — all except for three.

Tiny feet pounded across the sand as they ran, two little boys and a girl, caught up in their game of make-believe.

"Hey guys, wait up!"

The older two of the trio turned towards their brunet friend, watching as he doubled over with his hands on his knees.

"C'mon, Sora, keep up!"

Sora looked up at them with a petulant look on his face.

"You guys are going too fast!"

"Nuh uh, you're going too slow!"

"I'm going as fast as I can," Sora protested, straightening up and running to close the distance between them.

The little blonde girl turned and looked at their silver-haired friend.

"Do we hafta run so fast, Riku?"

One hand on his hip and the other holding his wooden sword, Riku looked his two friends up and down.

"I thought we were having a race. You can't call quits in the middle just 'cause you're losing!"

"Aw, c'mon, can't we just call it a tie?"

Riku took in the pouting look on Sora's face and then he smiled.

"Alright, Sora. Just this once it's a tie! But you won't get out of it so easy next time!"

This seemed to perk Sora right up. He put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest with a wide grin.

"Next time I'll win!"

"You guys can call it a tie, but this time I win!"

Both boys turned and looked at where their friend was now standing underneath the bridge of the paopu islet, grinning at them cheekily. She giggled at them, hands gripping the hem of her pale green sundress as she rocked back and forth on her feet.

"No fair, Natsumi! We weren't ready!"

"It's not my fault you guys weren't paying attention! Besides, I never win."

"That's 'cause you're the shortest."

Natsumi scrunched up her face, narrowing her eyes at the boys before sticking her tongue out at them.

"I am not! Sora is!"

"Hey!"

"What? It's true!"

"It's fine, Sora."

Sora turned to Riku in confusion.

"Natsu wins this time." Riku smiled as he made his way over to join them underneath the bridge. "And that just means next time we can't hold back."

"Alright!"

"What? You mean you weren't even trying?"

While Natsumi cheered, Sora kept asking Riku what he meant by "not holding back" and the three friends were almost too caught up in their argument to notice what was happening in the sky.

Suddenly Natsumi gasped loudly, letting go of her dress and darting forward to grip each of her friends by the arm.

"Look! A shooting star!"

Three pairs of eyes reflected the starry skies, watching in wonder as one of the stars broke off and fell down to the ocean below it.

"There's another one!"

Sora pointed up at the sky, finger following the star as it fell.

"Hey, Riku?"

The eldest of the three looked down at Natsumi. Her bright green eyes were still focused on the sky, shining with the starlight. Her lips were parted and she didn't look at him as she spoke again.

"What was that story you know? The one about other worlds?"

Riku turned his gaze back to the sky.

"Every world is connected by the same sky. Even our world shares the same sky. So any of the stars up there could be another world."

"Even the ones that are falling now?"

There was a long pause, stretching out between the three of them. Natsumi turned to look at Riku. Next to her Sora leaned forward to look around her at their friend.

"Riku?"

He seemed to come out of a trance, meeting her gaze.

"Yeah, I guess." He once again looked up at the sky. "Even the ones falling now."

The three friends lapsed into silence and returned to staring at the stars as they fell. As they stood there, arms interlocked and watching the sky, Natsumi felt a strange stirring within her heart — a pull from something invisible and unnameable.

She didn't understand this feeling. She was happy with her friends on her island, so why was it whenever she looked up at the sky or out over the ocean she felt… weird? Like there was something not quite right here, some puzzle piece missing and skewing the picture that was her life. And she felt like it had something to do with the castle all the adults told her was make-believe, but that she knew she remembered. The only ones who believed her about it were the two boys she was currently clinging to so fiercely.

Her two dearest friends in the whole world and yet… standing there watching the meteor shower, she couldn't shake the hungry feeling in her heart, the one that compelled her to reach her arms heavenward and want… more.

"What would you do if one of them fell right to us?"

Sora gave a little jump and clenched his fists in front of him.

"I'd smack it back up! Like "bam"! And make it stay!"

"I'd hold onto it." Natsumi clapped her hands together, imitating catching one of the stars and watching as it fell past her hands and into the ocean. Her eyes danced feverishly. "Like this, and keep it forever."

Saying the words helped alleviate some of the longing that was building up inside of her.

"You guys can't do either of those things."

"Can so!"

"Nuh-uh. It's a whole world, it's way too big."

"So what would you do?"

Riku paused, staring up at the stars thoughtfully.

"They're all falling into the ocean anyways."

"Yeah, but if one did fall to us. What would you do?"

"I'd go exploring and have a real adventure." He looked down at the wooden sword he was still gripping tightly in his hand.

"But you'd take us with you, right?"

"Yeah, you can't go all by yourself, Riku! You need friends to go with you," Sora insisted.

A smile spread across Riku's face as he looked at his friends, Natsumi giving him a gentle smile and Sora staring at him with determination.

"Yeah, I guess you guys are right. We can go together!"

"Yay!"

Sora and Natsumi wore identical grins, taking each other's hands and jumping up and down.

"We're gonna go exploring!"

They broke apart from each other and Natsumi grabbed Riku's hands, giggling uncontrollably. Sora was still grinning at both of them, reaching up and interlocking his fingers at the back of his head.

"Sora, Riku, Natsumi!"

All three kids stopped and turned towards the dock where an older woman was waving to get their attention.

"It's time to head back!"

"Coming, Mom!"

Sora immediately began running across the sand, leaving Riku and Natsumi to follow behind him.

"Aww, I don't wanna go back yet."

Natsumi pouted, but even so began following Sora towards his mom, still holding on to Riku's hand.

"We can come back tomorrow. Sora says he saw a monster in the Secret Place, but I don't think I believe him."

"A monster?" The little girl's fingers tightened around Riku's hand. "A scary monster?"

Riku shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe. Sora doesn't seem scared."

"But Sora likes scary things."

There was a small pause before Riku answered.

"Would you be scared if there was a monster, Natsu?"

Natsumi scrunched up her face.

"Nuh-uh, no way!"

"It's okay if you are."

"But I—" She huffed before continuing. "Okay, maybe I'm a little scared."

Her gaze found the sand, kicking some of it up as they walked along.

"Hey."

Riku squeezed her hand, and waited for her bright green eyes to look up at him.

"You don't gotta be scared, Natsu. Sora and I, we'll protect you!"

He smiled at her, lifting up his wooden sword to emphasize his statement. Natsumi felt her cheeks warm despite the soft breeze coming in off the ocean and her lips stretched into a smile.

"Really? You promise?"

"Promise."

"Hehe, thanks Riku!" She looked back down the beach, seeing that Sora had already reached the dock and was hugging his mom's leg and that she and Riku were almost there too. "But…"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"I wanna protect you guys too."

Riku reached up, clumsily rubbing the back of his head.

"Well… I guess that's alright. We can all protect each other."

Natsumi's smile widened and Riku couldn't help but return it.

"Forever and ever, right?"

"Yeah. Forever and ever."

"You guys are such slowpokes!"

Sora had let go of his mom's leg and was now watching as Riku and Natsumi finally stepped onto the dock.

"We weren't racing this time, Sora."

"You're just saying that 'cause I won."

"Alright, come on now, Sora. Riku, Natsumi, it's time to get you home before your parents start to worry. It's already late."

"Can we come back tomorrow?" Sora asked as he clambered down into the boat that would take them across the short stretch of ocean that separated the main island from the island the children played on.

"I don't see why not."

"Awesome!" The brunet turned to look back at where Riku had climbed into the boat and was now helping Natsumi down from the dock. "I can show you guys where the monster lives!"

Riku didn't answer right away, instead turning to Sora's mom after he finished helping Natsumi into the boat.

"Thank you for coming to get us, Emiko," Riku said, always aware of his manners.

Once all three of the kids were settled into the boat and huddled up together talking about the adventures they would have and what they would do if they actually did find a monster in the Secret Place, Emiko began rowing the boat back to the main island. The trip was short. It was only a matter of minutes later that they reached the main island and the kids waited patiently while Emiko tied the boat to the dock. She helped each of them out, lifting them up one at a time by their hands, swinging Sora and Natsumi a bit as she did so because it caused them to giggle uncontrollably.

Sora, Riku, and Natsumi rushed a little ways ahead of her, racing down the dock and onto the beach, heading back in the direction of town. Suddenly, while Riku and Natsumi continued forward, Sora stopped.

"Sora? What's wrong?"

He looked over his shoulder at his mother.

"There's something down by the water," he said, pointing off down the shore.

A dark shape was laid on the normally empty beach and Emiko looked towards it with a frown. Things didn't often wash up on the beach, and the sight of it was off-putting.

"I wonder what it is!"

"Hey, Sora!"

Before she could stop him, Sora was running down the beach towards the object, and then it was only a matter of time before Riku and Natsumi were following, curiosity getting the best of them.

"Don't run off!"

None of the kids listened. The only thing she could do was run down the beach after them, catching up just as the trio leaned down to look at it. Sora knelt down into the sand, tilting his head and looking at the object. It only took a moment of inspection for his deep blue eyes to widen and then look up at his mother.

"Mom, it's a girl!"

Her eyes widened as well before she darted forward, pulling all of the kids away and pushing them behind her. She knelt down into the sand, turning the girl so that she was lying on her back. The girl's eyes were closed, her red hair clumped together with salt from the ocean and sticking to her face. She couldn't have been more than five years old. Emiko immediately reached out two fingers to feel for the girl's pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when she felt it there.

Suddenly she was gathering the girl into her arms and standing up before turning to face Sora, Riku, and Natsumi.

"Let's go. You kids are going to Sumie's to stay the night."

Emiko started quickly walking back up the beach and towards the path that would lead them into town.

"Mom?" Sora asked.

"Yes, Sora?"

"...Is she okay?"

Emiko's face softened as she looked down at her son. For a moment, her eyes also found Riku and Natsumi who were once more hand in hand. At Sora's question, Natsumi reached out and grabbed his hand as well. Each of their faces wore varying levels of concern and Sora looked to be near tears.

"I think so."

"Can we come with you...?"

"No, sweetie. You'll stay at Natsumi's tonight. Everything's gonna be okay."

They fell into silence, following Emiko as she walked quickly back into town. She stopped briefly to drop the kids off with Natsumi's mom and explain the situation, and then she was gone, leaving three children confused and slightly frightened. Sumie readied space for them to sleep, not saying anything when the three of them grabbed their pillows and blankets and instead huddled together on the living room floor.

The petite woman stood in the doorway, brown eyes watching them for a moment as Riku and Natsumi settled in on either side of Sora, both of them wrapping their arms around the youngest.

"It'll be okay, Sora."

"Yeah, your mom said that girl will be fine."

Sora sniffled and nodded but didn't say anything.

"I betcha we can go see her when she wakes up."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, we'll all go see her!"

"...okay. That sounds good."

Eyes growing heavy, Sora, Riku, and Natsumi cuddled closer together. Right before they fell asleep, Riku whispered a few final words of comfort.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Sora. Promise."

A/N: Hello everybody! If you've read this far, thank you for joining me in this new version of Soul Eater — a completely rewritten and reimagined version from the first one. It's gonna be quite a bit different than last time and I hope you'll be able to put what you know from the past iteration of the story and enjoy this one all the same. Natsumi is still the childhood friend of Riku and Sora, but since posting the original Soul Eater in 2014 there were maaaaaaany tweaks and complete overhauls I wanted to make and let's face it, my writing is drastically different and much improved. This chapter, revisiting their childhood, is just the first of those overhauls! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you have time, please leave a review!