Chapter 1: The Message

It has been a month after Sora and Riku returned to Destiny Island and were reunited with their best friend Kairi. Sora and Riku have found it hard to settle back in and get used to relaxing. The worst part would properly have to explain to their friends and family why they magically disappeared for the year since everyone else made it back safely after the Islands were attacked. After hearing the story, Sora and Riku's parents worried about their safety while the Major, Kairi adoptive father, questioned if Sora and Riku really avoided this darkness and warned Kairi to stay away from them. Of course, Kairi pretended to be round Selphie's when she was at the play Island with Sora and Riku. Tidus, Wakka and Selphie had different reactions to the story, Wakka asked if other worlds played Blitzball, Tidus fainted from the shock of the story and Selphie kept on asking about the princess of hearts and their sweethearts.

The Island was as beautiful as it was before the great storm came causing the world to disappear; the sea as clear as a glass and you could see the sand and creatures under the sea. The coconut tree waved along with the breeze as the seagulls hovered pass the small play island and the scent of the paupo fruit made the island even more unique and special. A boy with brown, spiky, gravity-defying hair ran across the wooden bridge to the Paopu Island where another boy with long, semi-spiked, silver hair was sitting on the bent paopu tree.

Sora, the boy with the brown spiky hair, had just turned 16 and was known as the Keyblade Master across the worlds. His outfit had a black, blue and yellow theme as well as being baggy. He wore a black hooded jacket with silver shoulder guards and a blue and red no sleeve shirt underneath. A silver crown was around his neck as well as wearing black gloves with a white pattern and huge black and yellow boots with a huge zip in the middle. He also wore black and blue baggy trousers with yellow straps that held his red pockets in place.

Riku, the boy with silver hair, was still 16 and was waiting for his birthday to come by in a couple of months. Riku was known as the Wielder of Dawn and had just managed to receive a Keyblade after returning to his true self in The World That Never Was. His true self considers him wearing a black zip-up tank-top and a white and yellow vest over it, his pants are a pair of baggy blue denim jeans, and has a simple pair of sneakers unlike his friend.

Sora jumped over the tree and leaned against it as he joined Riku looking out to the sea. "Nothing's changed, huh?" Riku asked after Sora settled in.

"Nope. Nothing will." replied Sora as both of them looked out to the sea.

"What a small world."

"But part of one that's much bigger."

"Yeah." There was a small silence before Sora turned his head and faced Riku.

"Hey Riku… what do you think it was, the door to the light?" asked Sora. Riku jumped off the tree, laughing a bit, before facing Sora and pointed at his chest, where his heart was.

"This."

"This?" said Sora as he looked down and put his hand on his chest before looking back at Riku.

"Yeah. It's always closer that you think." said Riku, after that Sora placed his hands back by his side and gave his friend a goofy grin.

"Sora! Riku!" A voice came from behind them, Sora turned around and saw a girl with auburn hair waving and coming to them with a bottle in her hand. When she reached them, she was out of breath.

Kairi, the girl with auburn hair, had just turned 16 like Sora and was known as one of the Princesses of Heart. She had recently received a Keyblade in The World That Never Was and has some sword fighting skills but is still being trained by Sora and Riku. Kairi's attire is a hooded pink strapless mini-dress made up with three zippers, two appear to be just decorative, as well as a white halter top underneath her mini-dress, a black belt reminicent of suspenders with a note book shaped bag attachment, and large lilac shoes.

"Hey, what's up? Sora asked Kairi but she was still catching her breath

"Look." she said finally as she looked at Sora and showed him the bottle. There was a letter inside it with King Mickey's mark.

"From the King?" said Sora, then he grab the bottle and got the letter out faster than lighting can hit the ground. Sora unrolled the letter and started to read the message, Riku and Kairi were reading at Sora's side. They all looked curious while reading the letter.

Dear Sora, Riku, & Kairi

I feel a great danger coming to Disney Castle and to other worlds as well. Everything that is light is beginning to die, flowers, the sky, even the cornerstone of light is fading away.

Please you must be here in three days.

Please hurry

King Mickey Mouse

Sora couldn't believe it. They had just managed ti get back home and now the King wants help with dealing with this new threat. Sora sighed at this, he knew it would come sooner or later but the bright side was that both of his friends will be with him this time. Sora reminded himself to ask Riku if Kairi could come. Sora quickly looked over the message again before seeing the seriousness of this letter. "Sounds really bad, guys" Sora said seriously as he looked at both Riku and Kairi before placing the message in one of his pockets.

Riku started to worry about his good friend, King Mickey, as well as wondering what could be doing this. From the sound of the letter, it didn't sound like what darkness would do to the light. He knew that darkness has it limits so what could be causing this...Riku pushed the thought aside as he realised that no transportation will be sent for them. "Well. How are we going to get to Disney Castle without a Gummi Ship to get us there?" Riku asked, as the other two started to think where they could get a Gummi ship.

"Maybe there's a Gummi ship somewhere on the islands." replied Sora, "But where?"

"We could split up." said Kairi. Sora and Riku just looked at her with questioning looks, "We could split up to look for a gummi ship or parts that could build us one." Kairi explained, excited and worried about the adventure at the same time. "I'll go with Selphie to one side of the Islands and you guys can search the other side." Sora nodded in agreement but Riku had second troughs.

"I think we should have Wakka and Tidus help us out as well," suggested Riku, "since the Islands are so big. We need to build the Gummi, get the supplies and get there within three days."

"I'll ask Tidus to help me okay," said Kairi, she started to walk across the wooden bridge.

Sora shouted to her, "You will call us if you find anything. Won't you?" Kairi nodded and carried on walking, getting her phone out to call Selphie and Tidus. Sora was watching her go before turning back around to see Riku looking at him, laughing with his arms crossed. "What?" Sora asked but Riku just laughed as he passed Sora. "Riku, what's so funny?"

Riku stopped and looked at Sora. "You." he said. "Every time Kairi is around you; well....let's just say that YOU like her" Riku carried on walking as he saw a boy with long reddish-orange coif hair arrive on the island.

"ME and KAIRI" Sora said with a nervous laugh while blushing at the same time, "We're just friends that get along really well." Riku and Sora walked up to Wakka.

"Yeah. But sooner or later, you and Kairi will properly be sharing a paopu fruit on this very beach" said Riku. He could see that Sora had liked her ever since they first met 10 years ago, he could also tell that Kairi felt the same about Sora. Before Sora could think of a comeback, Wakka butted in.

"You guys are looking for gummi parts, ya?" asked Wakka. Wakka, the boy with the long reddish-orange coif hair, was 17 and is a resistance of Destiny Islands. He's always seen with a blitzball and wears a yellow tank-top, orange baggy trousers and green sandals. Riku and Sora looked at him strangly, how did he know what they were going to ask him. Wakka saw their confused faces and explained, "I saw Kairi on my way here. She explained everything." Riku and Sora nodded and Wakka started to tell Riku where to look for them. However, Sora was thinking about the week after coming back to the island.

Flashback…..

Sora and Kairi are sitting on the pier where they sat before their world disappeared and got separated from each other. Sora was thinking about telling Kairi how he truly felt about her but he wondered how he was going to do it. After a while of watching the sunset together and the stars came out, Sora broke the silence.

"Kairi? Sora asked.

"Yeah?" Kairi said.

"I've missed you being around while I was looking for Riku and the King."

"I missed you too Sora," Kairi then leaned back to look at the stars, Sora then joined her. Sora started showing Kairi which star was which world. Telling her what which world was like and the adventures he, Donald and Goofy had there. Then Sora pointed to the second star to the right.

"……and that one is Neverland, that's where I first found you after the island disappeared."

"What is it like there then?

"Nothing much, except you can fly." Kairi sat up and started at Sora.

"Ok. Your just pulling my leg now aren't you?" said Kairi with a questioning look as she stared at Sora, not believing he could fly. "The closest you got to flying was being flicked out of a tree by Riku."

"Okay. I'll show ya." Then Sora got up and ran to the end of the pier, Kairi stepped to the side of the pier so that she wouldn't get in Sora's way. Sora quickly put pixie dust over him and started to run. Kairi closed her eyes so that she couldn't see this disaster go wrong. Sora jumped but there was no sound of him banging into the ground. Kairi opened her eyes and saw Sora flying around her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sora then stretched out his hand to Kairi.

"Do you want to fly with me?" Sora asked. Kairi nodded and grabbed Sora hand, they both blushed. They started to fly around the island when they suddenly stopped and stared at each other. They both grinned sheepishly and started to lean closer to each other.

They were inches away now but then….

"OUCH!!" Sora looked down and saw that Riku had just throw a coconut at his head.

"I'm not disturbing you guys, am I?" Riku taunted as he laughed at Sora's annoyed face.

"No." Sora lied. "What do you want?"

"Kairi's mum sent me to tell her that she has to go home for some reason." Sora and Kairi flew back to the ground to get Kairi home.

"See ya later Sora," said Kairi and she gave Sora a kiss on a cheek and started to go home. Sora was speechless and just smiled.

"Hey, what was that all about?" asked Riku but no replied, "Hello? Hello? Anyone in there?" Riku started to click his fingers in front of Sora. Riku was too late, he had lost Sora for the next three hours.

End of Flashback

"Hey Sora." said Riku, waving his hand in front of Sora, Wakka was already on his boat to find the others. Sora was still daydreaming, "Oh. That's it." Riku just grabbed a coconut and smacked it on Sora's head.

"OOOOWWWWWW!!" moaned Sora as he finally got out of the daydream, "What was that for?"

"BECAUSE Kairi called and she, Selphie and Tidus has found something on the other island. But since you were too BUSY thinking about Kairi, you didn't hear me tell you something that you would like to know" Riku got on his boat to get to the other island.

"What did you say Riku? RIKU!" Sora jumped on his boat following Riku to the other island and quickly trying to catch up to Riku to ask what he meant.

BOWBOWBOW

Kairi, Selphie and Tidus were in front of what seemed to be a Gummi ship. The ship was old and rusty; it looked about 50 years old. Before they went to different worlds, everyone thought that it was a car that got bombed. But now that they had seen a Gummi, they could see the details of what a Gummi ship would have.

Tidus climbed into the old Gummi to check if it still worked. Meanwhile, Selphie asked Kairi, "So... What does it feel like to be in love with someone?" looking at Kairi trying to get a leak of information about Kairi and Sora.

"I don't know what you're talking about" said Kairi as she turned to Selphie, "There is nothing but true friendship between me and Sora."

"Ha. So it is Sora" Selphie said proudly.

"Like I said, just friendship" Kairi tried hard to hide her feelings about Sora, considering that Selphie had the biggest mouth on the whole island. Heck, the whole universe could properly hear her.

"Come on. We all know that's a bunch of phooey." Selphie started, and Tidus turned around to listen. "We know that you could barely remember Sora went the rest of us had forgotten him completely. We know that you had your heart saved by him turning himself into a heartless, whereas most guys would just cry and give up. And we know that a week after Sora and Riku came back, you guys nearly kissed, ON THE LIPS. Heck, we could mistake you for a Tomato the number of times you blush every time Sora does that goofy smile of his." Selphie had a point, a good point. But Kairi wasn't gonna give up that easily.

"Just because we had a moment while flying, doesn't mean I'm in love with him." Kairi commented

"Yes it does."

"No it doesn't."

"It does when you have known that person for at least 10 years, waited for him to return for a year and every time we have a sleepover, you end up muttering his name in your sleep." Kairi started to blush out of embarrassment which Selphie caught easily.

"AH! You're blushing."

"Okay, Okay" Kairi gave in, "I love Sora, I love everything about him. His smile, his laugh, the way he is with everyone, and the way he sleeps on the beach like the lazy bum he is." Tidus couldn't help but join in.

"So when are you going to tell him how you feel?" asked Tidus

"I don't know." Kairi said sadly, "I mean... what if he doesn't feel the same way? It could ruin our friendship or worse." At that moment, Selphie tapped Kairi on the shoulder and pointed to three boys coming there direction. It was Sora, Riku and Wakka, Sora was moaning at Riku about something. Riku was just laughing.

"Hey guys, what are you talking about ya?" asked Wakka

"Well..." said Tidus with a smirk on his face. Selphie saw his face and knew what he was trying to do. "Kairi was just saying how much she…hmm...hmm." A hand went over his mouth stopping him from saying Kairi's feelings.

"How much she...eh…is gonna enjoy being on a adventure with Sora and Riku." Selphie finished, dragging Tidus away from saying anything else.

"What! Kairi isn't coming with us." implied Riku.

"WHAT!?!" Sora and Kairi looked at him in a shocking look.

"Why not?!" demanded Kairi

"Because, you are not ready!" shouted Riku.

"Yes I am." Kairi and Riku started to argue and Sora was trapped in the middle. Then Sora summoned his Keyblade, put it in the middle of the noisy two and shouted,

"ENOUGH!!" Sora dragged Riku away to talk to him about this problem while Kairi went to help the other with the Gummi ship and moan at Tidus for nearly telling Sora her feelings for him. Sora stopped and stared at Riku. "Why can't Kairi come? Her name was on that letter as well." Sora got the letter out of his pocket and showed Riku her name on the letter.

"There are two reasons why she can't come." answered Riku.

"What's reason number one then?" demanded Sora

"Her skills with her Keyblade and magic."

Sora groaned at this, "You better not be still mad about that ONE training session."

"Not one, all the training sessions"

"She's not THAT bad." Sora said to him.

"You weren't the one that got caught on fire when she was trying to do thunder. I still finch every time she gets her Keyblade out." Riku reminded him as he rushed his arm from the memory.

"That's not a reason. When I got the Keyblade for the first time, I was knocking Goofy out all the time, so give her time after all. Practice makes perfect." Sora told him.

"You like using the word 'time' don't you?" Riku joked.

"Riku!"

"I guess so." Riku gave in, through the other reason was full proof.

"Ok, what the other reason Kairi can't come?" Sora asked.

"You." Sora just gave Riku a questioning look.

"What about me?" he asked.

"Your emotions will get in the way of what is really important," explained Riku, "You will be signing your deathbed."

"If that's the only reason then I don't see why Kairi can't come." Sora honestly said.

"She can't come because she'll get in the way. Why are you agreeing with Kairi anyway?"

"Because she always misses out and it's unfair to her. Please let her come Riku." Sora had Riku trapped. He couldn't think of any other reasons. Just to make Riku feel even worse, Sora pulled out one of Riku's favourite cookies, "Agree and you can have as many Oreos as you like." Sora said, sweetening the deal.

Riku eyed the Oreo cookie before sighing in defeat and taking the cookie. "Fine. She can come." Riku said before munching on the cookie.

"YIPEE!!" Sora and Riku went over to the others to help them get the old Gummi out of the shop.

BOWBOWBOW

Two days have passed and Sora, Kairi and Riku had said their goodbyes to everyone. It was harder for Kairi to say goodbye as she was told by her father that she was not allowed to hang out with Sora and Riku so she left a note for her parents, hoping that they would understand

The Gummi ship was all fixed up and ready to go. It was painted blue and white to represent Destiny Island with some flames which Riku added to make it look faster. They had gathered all of the supplies they would need for the adventure and said their goodbyes to friends and families. When the trio got into the Gummi ship, it had eight rooms, a kitchen, three bathrooms, a chill zone and lots of weapons posts. Sora and Riku then started to fight over who was go be driving the gummi.

"I should be captain because I have driven a Gummi across the galaxy with Donald and Goofy when I was looking for you" Sora pointed out. He did after all have the most experience flying and fighting with a Gummi.

"Well you can't shoot if you're captain now can you" explained Riku. He had a point. Sora was also the best shot.

They both turned to Kairi for an answer, she should have know it would come to this. Just like old times. "Kairi. Who should be captain? Me or Riku?" asked Sora. Kairi thought about it before remembering the race Sora and Riku had to decide who would be the captain of the raft they had built the night before the storm hit Destiny Island.

"I pick Riku as captain." answered Kairi

"YES!!!" Riku cheered, old habits die hard.

"Why Riku?" Asked Sora

"It simple." said Kairi. "Riku is captain because he never got to be captain on the raft we made."

"But Sora's better as a pilot" said Riku. Kairi glared at Riku for making it even more difficult to explain.

"Sora is a much better pilot and shot so he needs to be able to switch posts without any of the moaning." Kairi explained

"But who's going drive when I shooting?" asked Sora. Kairi now looked like she was going to kill the both of them for the questions that is making it harder to explain.

"Riku will drive, and I will help you shoot" replied Kairi, "Any more questions?" Riku was about to speak when Kairi told him, "One word and you be outside."

Riku gulped in fear before facing Sora to glare at him, "I hope you happy." Riku whispered to him as he narrowed his eyes to glare at him. Sora just ignored Riku's negative comments and started the gummi were soon in space and flying away from Destiny Island. Kairi was crying as it was the first time she had properly left the Island without getting chased after. Sora asked Riku to do the first half of the journey; he then sat next to Kairi and gave her a hug. She turned around and returned the hug. Riku could only smile. The Gummi then went into light speed.

Next stop Disney Castle!!!

A/N: This is my first story and will be working on it for most of the time. Tune in for more Kingdom Hearts: Balance of Worlds.

Kingdommad.