-The Light of a Feather-

Sora was living an almost perfect life. It seemed as if nothing could go wrong. What happens, however, when a new student comes to his school, and
into his life? Can he deal with his new mounting problems, and powers,
while keeping everything intact? (RxS)

Authors Note: Hello! Welcome to my precious fanfic. I hope that you enjoy it...I've kind of had this idea for a while and decided to finally put it in writing. Now, I wanna explain a few things first. One, the setting is
on Destiny Islands, but I've given it a more temperate climate...less
tropical, see. Two, the rating is there for a reason, though the first chapter could pass as PG. It will get better, or worse, depending on your
view. Evil grin.

Chapter One – Small Beginnings

The brunette boy smiled and stretched contentedly. He was lying in the grass, gazing up into the clear blue sky. It was beautiful outside he had to admit. But it seemed like it was always beautiful on the Destiny Islands. The white clouds floated gently over the spot where he lay, and he felt at peace with himself and the earth.

That was, until...

"SORA!"

A wave of red hair and glowing violet eyes overtook him. He looked up to see Kairi gazing down at him, the grin apparent on her face.

"Ouch...Kairi, I think you punctured my spleen," he said, rubbing his side fervently.

"Ohhhh, I couldn't help it Sora!" she smiled and then attempted to jump on him again.

This time he was ready though and grabbed her before she could begin her descent. He put his arms around her waist and sat down with her against the tree he had been laying near before. She sighed, content, and leaned back. He smiled down at her.

It seemed like he and Kairi had known each other forever. He remembered fondly the days that they spent, playing pirates and treasure hunters. The days of carefree play and laughter. He reminisced. Those were great days. But in a way, his life had even improved from those memorable days. He remembered well the times that he and Kairi had shared on the beaches, their first kiss under the moonlight, and he smiled. Yeah, his life did have its perks as he looked down at the smiling redhead.

Suddenly, though he had no idea why, Sora was visited by a strange thought. Sora only remembered one person who he had ever felt as close to. It had been his best friend, from a long time a go. He was a silver haired boy, whom Sora could only catch glimpses of in his mind, but he remembered well the friendship that the two had possessed. It sometimes bothered Sora that he couldn't remember the youth's name. It seems as if he was such a good friend, he should be able to recall his name. But then again, it was many years ago, about 11 years exactly. Was he even supposed to remember things from that long ago?

Sora leaned in and kissed Kairi on the cheek. She smiled at him and said, "Whatcha thinkin'?"

He leaned back and said, "Do you remember a silver haired boy? We used to play with him when we were little all the time...I can't think of his name..."

She frowned and furrowed her brow, trying to think back to the distant days of their childhood. Indeed, she saw a small boy, with flowing silver hair, laughing and running around with them. But she couldn't remember his name either.

"Nope, sorry. I don't know his name either."

Sora wondered why he had thought of the boy, then and there. Kairi, perhaps, brought to him memories of that youth. Oh well, he didn't want to think of it much more that day. He'd ask his parents when he got home, they'd know. He was never one to brood.

Jumping up, Sora said, "Well, I'm hungry." This was rather unnecessary for his stomach was already grumbling. He grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Lets go down to the ice cream shop!"

Kairi jumped up, saying, "I'll beat you there!" and with that she took off, Sora close on her heels.

---

Sora was laying back on his bed at home, flipping through one of his old comic books. No matter what, he thought that he would always keep those comics. Some people commented that Sora was almost like a child sometimes, but not in a bad sense...innocent, and carefree. He wouldn't argue with them. He just was, and he was fine with that. A knock came upon his door.

"Come in!" he shouted.

In walked Sora's mother. She was a pretty lady, with shining blue eyes like her sons. She had long blond hair, and walked with an elegance. She said. "Sora, your dinner is ready. Me and your father are gonna go out and see a movie. Will you be alright by yourself?"

Sora looked up and smiled, "Yeah Mom, thanks."

She smiled, nodded, and went to close the door but then Sora said, "Mom, wait!"

She leaned back in, her face curious.

"Yes dear?"

"Um...do you remember a boy I used to play with when I was little? He had silver hair?"

His mom quickly looked away, so he didn't see what had gone across her face: sorrow. She came back smiling and said, "No, sorry dear. I've just seen so many people come through here that it's difficult to keep track of them all. You should ask your father later."

"Oh...okay...thanks anyways Mom."

She smiled her almost perpetual smile, "Anytime dear." And closed his door.

Sora sighed and laid back down onto his bed. He couldn't understand why this was bothering him so much, so suddenly. Shaking his head, he got up and went to go get his dinner.

---

Sora lay in his bed, calmly sleeping under the covers. His dreams were undisturbed...until now.

He was running through a thick field of grass, the sky was clear and it was sunny. He was laughing...but he didn't know why. What was so funny? Something about the place he was in just made him laugh...

He stopped suddenly, and looked up. He was at the bottom of a hill and looking to the top was a great oak tree. It sat complacently, its branches waving to him, almost endearing him to come closer. Slowly, Sora walked up the hill to the tree.

It was ancient, and seemed almost mystic. Sora slowly placed his hand on the trunk of the great tree. And then...

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Sora gasped and turned around. He came face to face with a lady, beautiful beyond words. Her eyes were the lightest blue, her long golden hair reaching her waist. She wore a white gown and atop her head was a matching silver circlet.

Sora noted, also in her hand was a white scepter. It gleamed in the sunlight...but it was in the shade. How could that be?

The lady smiled at Sora, and said, "Hello, and welcome Tobias."

Sora quirked an eyebrow at this. Had the lady just called him Tobias? His name was Sora...

The lady looked amused and said, "Sora, then, if you will."

Sora gasped and said, "How do you know my name? You can read my mind? Where are we? Who are you?"

She took her eyes off of him, still smiling, and started to walk around the tree. "Sora... so many questions, as always." She laughed a melodious laugh that Sora thought seemed very familiar. She began, "there are many things I know about you. About who you are, who you have been, and who you will soon come to be."

Turning back to him she began, "I am Lorithras. I am the goddess of all mercy, of hope, peace, and purity."

Sora stared wide-eyed as she continued, "You may think that this is just a silly dream. But it is not. It is far far more than that, Sora."

She walked up to him, kneeled down and stared him straight in the eyes.

"Sora, you do not know it now, but you have been destined. Destined since the day of your birth to be given trials un-comprehendable to any mere mortal. You will face challenges that no other has ever faced before, and yet, you will overcome each of those challenges. Many of them will be fought on the physical plane, against the upcoming darkness. But many will face you, in your mind. Even with your friends...and those soon to come." Her eyes glinted with knowing.

"Sora, when you awaken you will be bestowed with my gift. You will not remember this dream, until the time is to come again when we must meet. So I say this to you, and farewell."

She hadn't answered barely anything, and Sora suddenly had hundreds of questions in his mind. However, the light suddenly dimmed, and Sora found himself falling, falling yet again into another dream.

---

Waking up the next day, Sora felt oddly refreshed. This was odd, as usually it took the combined effort of his entire family to get him out of bed.

He slowly placed his feet on the floor. He stood up, and looked at himself in the mirror. His image stared back at him, looking quizzical. Shaking his head, Sora proceeded to dress himself, even though he felt something was not right.

---

Running down the stairs, Sora was strangely early. He was wearing his favorite cargo pants with a tee shirt and hoody on his top.

His mother looked up from where she stood in her bathrobe, making coffee and sputtered.

"S-Sora...is that you? Dear, are you running a fever?" She hurried over to him and placed a hand on his forehead.

"I'm fine Mom," he said, wrenching her hand from his head, "I'm just up...early." It sounded strange even to him.

Still staring at Sora as if he was about to vanish right in front of her she breathed, "Well...would you like some...breakfast?"

Sora never ate breakfast, due to the fact that he was always late for catching the bus.

"Sure!" he grinned and took a seat at the kitchen table.

---

After finishing his breakfast, Sora ran outside and down the street his hands on the straps of his backpack. He reached the corner where the bus picked him up, and met some surprised people there.

Kairi had been talking animatedly to her best friend Selphie, a crazy-hyper girl who had an affinity with sugar. Wakka and Tidus, two of his best friends, and Leon, a senior at Sora's school, had been talking about Blitzball when they suddenly saw Sora approach. Five sets of mouths dropped at the sight of him.

"Uh...hey guys?" Sora smiled weakly.

"Oh my gosh...Sora...are you feeling okay?!" Kairi said as she rushed up to him and placed a hand on his forehead.

"Gah! Will people stop doing that already?!" Sora said irritably. It was as if people thought that he'd never catch the bus on time, which, mind you, he never did. However, that thought didn't come to the irritated Sora's mind.

"Hey Sora, you ready for the big game tonight, ya?" asked Wakka. Wakka and Tidus also happened to be on the school Blitzball team, along with Sora.

"Yeah Sora, we're gonna beat those punks like there's no tomorrow!" said Tidus, his fist in the air.

"You bet!" Sora grinned. If there was anything that Sora loved in this world, it was Blitzball. He loved every aspect of the game, and it showed. He was captain of the team, and he was only a junior. Usually it was only reserved for seniors, but in Sora's case, he was so good they couldn't find anyone better for the position.

Everyone soon resumed their talking, waiting for the bus to arrive. Sora only caught snitches of it as he looked at his surroundings. It was late autumn and the trees were almost all deprived of their leaves. He sighed; reminiscing on his summer, and wishing it were coming soon again.

Sora chanced to glance at the ground when it happened. A lone bird lay nearby on the sidewalk, looking almost dead...but he could see that it was still moving futilely. It looked as if another bird had attacked it, for it had beak marks all over it. Immediately, Sora felt almost...possessed. He slowly walked towards the bird, unnoticed by his friends. He kneeled down and looked closely at the bird, into its' eyes. It gazed back, almost as if asking him, begging him, to help it. Sora couldn't explain it, but he gradually placed a hand on the bird, over the scars, and concentrated. Concentrated on what, he didn't know. He closed his eyes, and it was as if he could see a great, glowing, golden light in his minds eye. He opened his eyes and pulled his hand away to reveal the bird...and it was, miraculously, healed. The bird jumped onto its tiny legs, gazed up at Sora, and bizarrely, and nodded its beak at him. It then took flight, leaving a confounded Sora behind.

What had just happened?

----------------------------------

There's the first chapter! I hope I got some readers and reviewers with this...just in case, here's a preview of chapter two.

Chapter Two- Long Since Departed

"You can take a seat next to Sora, in the back." Mr. Auron said, monotonously.

Sora gulped, eyes wide, as the silver-haired wonder slowly walked down the isle towards his seat. Their eyes met briefly. And what Sora saw in it made him happier then anything else...

-------

Well, that's all that I think my mind can tolerate right now. Review and make me happy!