Enjoy!

Destiny Islands: Alshata

April 6th, 2021

Sora sat on the trunk of the lean Paopu Tree, in his hands a bottle and a scrolled message with the King's Seal on it. He looked off into the sunset. Ever since he had gotten the letter, he had been contemplating about whether or not he should go. But there was a few words lingering in his head from the message:

And now the door to your next journey is ready to be opened.

"I wonder what it'll be like, my next journey." Sora said to himself, looking down at the letter once more, then back at the sunset.

"Sora." Riku called, walking down the wooden bridge with his hand in his pocket.

"Riku." Sora said, looking at the silver haired teen stop to look at the sunset.

"Have you decided yet?" Riku asked, thinking about the letter as well.

Sora paused for a moment. I won't ever have a chance like this come by again. Might as well make the best of it. "Yeah."

A girl in a pink skirt and pink mini jacket walked down the wooden bridge to the two boys. "Sora."

Sora looked at the girl, his expression fell a bit. "Kairi." He leaped down from the trunk of the tree and walked over to her, looking for the right words to say. "I..."

Kairi looked up at his deep blue eyes, hers showing affection. She nodded in understanding.

"There are still sad people. And everyone's waiting. I have to put back everything that's connected to me." Sora was trying not to pick the wrong words to say to the girl of his dreams.

Riku chuckled a bit at Sora's situation. He understood what the boy had to go through.

Kairi understood also, for she smiled at Sora, causing him to smile back. She reached for his hand and pulled it from his side. She placed something in his hand and Sora looked down at what it was.

"Hurry back." she said, almost crying.

Sora looked at it in disbelief. He wrapped his fingers around the star-shaped charm, but then released his grip and handed it back to Kairi. "I can't take this."

Kairi stopped crying and looked up at him in surprise and sadness. "What?" It took me hours to work on this for him, and he just says no?

Maybe there's a reason?

Naminé 's voice startled Kairi as it echoed in her head.

Kairi gave Sora no time to respond before running off, tears trailing behind her.

"No, Kairi, wait! I can explain!" Sora called out to her. She either didn't hear him or ignored him as she ran through the Seaside Shack.

"Real smooth, spiky." Riku said, sighing. A faint blue glow outlined Sora as a transparent image of a spiky blonde haired Nobody came into existence.

"Yeah, way to go, Sora! Now there's two people mad at us!" the blonde said.

"Two?" Sora asked, raising two fingers and cocking his head to the side.

"Yeah, two! Naminé spent all the time Kairi did making that thing for us! And you just say no! What the hell is wrong with you?" he said, smacking Sora on the back of his head.

"Geez, Roxas! Cut it out! I'll go apologize, but you have to come to." Roxas haltered his movement and looked at his Somebody.

"Why do I have to go?" he asked, whining. Roxas' shoulders dropped and his face grew long.

"Because, you're half of me, and Naminé is half of Kairi. So, you're practically me. Now let's go." Sora grabbed Roxas' wrist and dragged him along the wooden bridge.

"No wait! I'll apologize later! Wait a minute, how the hell are you holding me? Riku! Help me!" Roxas called out tot he silver-haired teen for help, but shrugged in response, laughing at the two.

Sora and Roxas entered the wooden door that had belong to the Seaside Shack.

"Do ya think she'll forgive you?" Roxas asked, looking at his counterpart.

"I hope so. If I give enough reason, then maybe she will. I'm just worried about you, man." Sora put an arm around his Nobody and poked his transparent forehead.

Roxas swatted his finger away and looked at Sora with confused eyes. "How the hell are you able to touch me?"

Sora put a finger to his chin and tapped his left foot rapidly on the sand. "I think it's because you are a projection of your former body. And your former body had part of me in you. So what I'm trying to say is- Hey! Are you even listening?"

Roxas was leaning against the wooden wall, snoring while his head bobbed slightly with his body. Sora walked up to him and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Roxas, Kairi's making pancakes." at that instant, Roxas awoke from his slumber and fell backwards, phasing through the wooden room and onto the sand outside.

Sora opened the door that lead tot he main beach, laughing hysterically. Roxas sat down on the sand, rubbing his head. He looked up at the the blue-eyed teen, anger in his eyes.

"YOU LIED! THERE'S NO PANCAKES HERE!" he yelled, chasing after Sora up the ramp near the waterfall and to the giant tree trunk that served as a tunnel to the Secret Place. Sora stopped laughing and had a serious expression on. He turned to Roxas, who nodded in return.

Sora ducked first, having not gone into the small tunnel in over a year. Roxas followed suit, staying quiet. Sora was quiet also, listening to the two female voices that he knew all too well.

"...sure... reason." That was all Sora could make as the distance between the him and the voices slowly decreased.

"I know there is, but don't you think he would've told me before?" the voice of Kairi asked.

Sora was about the near the clearing in the cave when Roxas grabbed his arm, holding him back. Sora whipped around to see a hand around his forearm.

"What are you doing?" he whispered angrily.

"Hm?" Roxas asked innocently.

Sora's brows furrowed and pointed to the transparent hand attached to his.

"Hey, buddy. I'm savin' your life here." Roxas said, his expression become serious once more. Sora tilted his head on confusion.

Roxas hit his forehead with his palm silently, staring at his Somebody hard. "Just wait for the opportune moment. Trust me, you'll know when to talk to her, man."

Sora nodded and leaned against the edge of the stone tunnel, listening in for the opportune moment.

"Roxas was probably in on it too!" the second female said.

"Naminé!" Roxas yelled silently. His eyes widened at her voice. He looked at Sora again. "See what you do!"

"C'mon Roxas, calm down. I got this." Sora said, reassuring his Nobody.

"All I want from him is an apology." Kairi said, wiping tears from her eyes. Namine wrapped her arms around her in an effort to comfort her.

"Dude, now's your chance." Roxas said, helping up Sora up and shoving him playfully. Sora stumbled into the clearing, seeing Kairi in the arms of Naminé. Naminé looked up first to see the boy who had caused Kairi to cry.

"You!" Naminé released Kairi and stomped over to Sora, slapping him across his face.

"Ow, damn it Naminé!" Roxas shouted, rubbing his cheek immensely.

Naminé stomped over to the other blonde, still furious. She slapped him on both sides of his cheek, the second slap being the hardest. "The first one was for being Sora's Nobody! The second was for cursing at me! Never curse at your girlfriend." Naminé's expression softened as she saw Roxas' sincere blue eyes. She kissed Roxas on both sides of his cheeks, making him feel slightly better.

"Kairi..." Sora choked up on his words as he staggered towards the red head.

She looked at him abhorrently as she wiped away her tears. Her eyes went from beautiful blue, to irritated red. "What do you want?"

"I came to say... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like the way I said it." Kairi looked up at the teen in confusion.

"Well how did you mean it?" she still had regret and sadness in her system, and Sora was trying his best to release them.

"What I meant by what I said was, I can't accept that charm because there's no need for it. Because you're my lucky charm, I don't want to lose you." Sora exhaled deeply, feeling relieved.

The tears forming from Kairi's eyes stopped and she slowly started to smile. She got up from the cold cave floor and walked over to Sora.

"Kairi, I'm so-" Sora couldn't finish his sentence for Kairi locked him in her embrace. Sora looked down at the red head girl.

Strawberry Vanilla. She still smells heavenly.

Sora returned the favor and completed the embrace that was given to him. A smile crept on his face as he felt Roxas merging back into him, a faint blue glow encased the boy.

"Sora?" Kairi asked, her blue orbs staring into Sora's.

"Yes, Kai?" He couldn't resist inhaling her scent one last time.

"Did you really mean what you said? About me being your good luck charm?"

"Of course. I'd give anything to gave you by my side at all times." Sora did the unexpected and planted a kiss on the girl's cheek, causing Kairi to blush. Real smooth, dude.

Kairi smiled warmly at him, hugging him once more. Though her hug wasn't that powerful, it caught Sora off guard and he fell on his back with Kairi laying on top of him, both of them blushing madly.

"Well then, what do we have here? Sorry for interrupting but we got yet another message from The King." Riku's voice echoed in the cave. He tossed Sora yet another bottle with the King's Seal on it. "Oh, and Sora, sorry for cock-blocking." He left with an evil grin planted on his face.

Sora caught the bottle easily on his right hand and uncorked the bottle, pulling out the message. He scanned the letter itself before reading it aloud, Roxas and Naminé phasing into existence once more.

"I will be giving you three, including Kairi, two weeks to get anything you need to bring ready.

I will send two assistants as transport from Destiny Islands to my Castle.

When the two assistants come, do not be alarmed.

They are good friends of mine and you should know them.

Since the distance between their home world and yours is great, it takes them about three days of flying.

So I will depart them next week. Relax and enjoy the time you have.

- Mickey"

Sora put the letter in his pocket with the other letter.

"Kairi." Sora looked down at the girl.

"Yes, Sora?" she asked, worry in her eyes again. Roxas and Naminé smirked and leaned against each other.

"We're probably gonna be spending a lot of time together. And I don't want it to be in vein. So, what I'm trying to say is-" Sora stumbled again with his words but couldn't finish for Roxas did the honors for him.

"What he's saying is 'would you be his girlfriend'?" Roxas said, smiling cheekily.

Kairi's expression lightened greatly as she heard the words coming out of his mouth. "I thought you'd never ask!" Kairi tackled Sora back to the ground, smothering him.

The four of them laughed loudly and left the cave, Roxas and Naminé phasing back into Sora and Kairi respectively. Meanwhile, Sora and Kairi were hand-in-hand walking towards the beach.

KHKHKH

Riku sat on the trunk of the Paopu Tree, thinking of every memory that happened to him over the past two years. They whizzed by, only leaving the voices that lived in them.

"Sora." his Past Self saying to the Past Sora. He tossed Sora a paopu fruit from the curved tree. "You wanted one, didn't you?"

The memory went by, leaving Riku chuckling to himself as another one played itself out.

Past Riku stood in a pool of Darkness in front of Sora back when the Islands were about to be destroyed. "Once we set through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

Riku's expression faded into one of pain and guilt as he remember his dive into the Darkness. It was a horrible experience that he wished he never tried. But then again, it wouldn't have made him the person he is today.

Another memory floated by, leaving Riku more sad.

"Do you need some help?" his Past self asked, outstretching a hand to the wicked witch Maleficent. Then, Past Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Beast enter from where they once were.

"Riku!" Sora called out, the silver-haired teen looking up at his friend. Donald pointed to the object in Riku's hand.

"Is that-?"

"Yes, a keyblade. But unlike yours, mine holds the power to unlock peoples' hearts. Allow me to demonstrate... behold!" Past Riku thrust his dark keyblade into Maleficent's chest, releasing the Darkness from the depths of her heart.

Riku shuddered at the memory, discarding it. He continued to go through his memory banks nonetheless.

"So, do you hate me for taking your friend away from you?" Xion asked as she pushed off of the Pineapple Tree in the islet.

Past Riku looked at her in surprise, but then relaxed. "Nah, I guess... I'm just sad."

Riku felt a pang in his chest, almost as if his heart was lurching towards the memory.

I wasn't mad at all. Nor was I sad. I guess I was really just neutral because I knew she wasn't... real.

"But still. Why do I feel-" Riku's thought were cut short as his nest friends, Sora and Kairi strolled towards him.

"Riku!" Sora called, running with Kairi in tow.

Riku turned around on the tree trunk, a smile on his face. "What is it?"

"Well, if you want to stay here on this island, be my guest. But, me and Kairi are going to leave. You comin?" Sora jabbed his thumb towards the stationary boats in the water near the docks.

"Yeah, just give me a sec." Riku waved the two away, turning back around to watch the setting sun. Realization hit Riku hard. "Wait, was Sora and Kairi holding hands!"

Well, that's all folks! Hope you enjoy it!

The Cloaked Nocturne

- Got it memorized?