The swirling of the waves, moving backwards and forwards around the boy they support weightlessly. His mind feels as though it is floating in and endless sea, not quite settling and not knowing what is real and what is merely fantasy. Visions of light flit across his face as his eyes open slowly. He words his feelings, not really knowing or addressing anyone that can hear him.

"I've been having these weird thoughts lately, like is any of this for real or not?"

Soft music starts to filter to the boy's ears which rest beneath his short spiky hair which is an oak brown colour. It seems to him that someone is singing with the music, but he can't quite make out the words. Closing his eyes once more, drifting deeper beneath the waves, he suddenly finds himself standing on the shore in the shallows where the sea meets the sandy beach. Another boy, a good head and shoulders above him, is standing further out where it is slightly deeper. His hair is long, an unusual mixture of white with black roots. His eyes a cold and icy shade of blue, his height and manner indicate he is a few years older than the boy near the shore. It all feels so strange to him, seeing one of his dearest friends standing across from him, with a hand outstretched. None of this was making any sense, but the boy knew wherever his friend went, he was more than willing to follow. However, before he could take the hand presented to him, the boy found himself being engulfed as a huge tidal wave rose up behind his older friend and consumed them both. The light which had been shining over his head was swiftly vanishing, as the boy found himself falling down through the water. Suddenly, he is standing on the beach again. There are trees at either side of him, full palm trees rich with coconuts at the base of their leaves. A young girl now stands, with short brown hair which forms a circle around her head as it rests against her skull. Her deep blue eyes shone with mischief as she waved and beckoned the boy to follow her. However, as he steps forward to approach his dear friend, he once more finds himself falling. This time, the darkness continues to grow and he finds himself surrounded with blackness on all sides. A strong stirring of despair and fear began to take root within his heart, uncertainty closing in on all sides. His freefall through nothingness came to an abrupt halt when the boy felt his feet connect with solid ground. As he looked down to where he landed, nothing could prepare him for the sheer oddity he was standing on. A flock of pure white doves flew up as the darkness cleared below him and he cast his gaze downwards. It felt like solid ground, but looked more like a stained glass window. The picture in the centre which took up most of the space was of a beautiful woman. Her short hair was as black as ebony, her skin as white as snow while her lips were as red as a rose. Her eyes were closed, as though deep in thought or perhaps in slumber. Near the edge of the circular platform, seven globes surrounded the woman. In each of these circles there was a short man wearing a hat which tapered to a point, strange shoes which appeared to be made of cloth and their clothing in general was very odd. The boy tried to make sense of all of he was seeing, as nothing like it had ever crossed his path in life before. Suddenly, a strange yet wise voice spoke to him from the darkness:

So much to do, so little time... Take your time. Don't

be afraid. The door is still shut. Now, step forward. Can you do it?

Then, three pedestals suddenly shoot out of the stained floor, around the perimeter of the area. As the boy walks around casting an eye over each of the stone platforms, he sees that they each hold an item in their possession. On the first he comes to rests a shield with a crest upon it which looks almost like a mouse's head. Black and red, the aura of strength yet steadiness it exudes almost calls him over to seize it. However, his heart tells him to press on and see what else lies on offer. The next pedestal has a magical staff resting on top, a light blue colour with the same mouse's head but this time, the strange shape is at the tip of the object. This item gives off an air of power yet frailty at the same time. Within magical power, there surely is an element of weakness. The boy couldn't help but think this as he walked past the staff. Something inside was telling him to take one of these items, they were being presented to him for a reason. The third platform was perhaps the most tempting of the three for the boy. Upon this one there rested a sword. The blade was shining white, the hilt a deep gold in colour with the mouse's head as the end of the handle. As he pondered each of the items shown to him, the boy heard the mysterious voice once more talk to him out of nowhere.

Power sleeps within you. If you give it form... It will give you strength.

Choose well.

He thought about it long and hard, walking around the perimeter once more, surveying each of the weapons on show. His mind was made up within seconds, though, once he passed the third pedestal. As he reached up to grab the sword's hilt, he heard the voice speak into his mind again.

The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword

of terrible destruction. You accept this power?

Gulping deeply, his heart suddenly resting precariously within his throat, the boy shouted his answer loud and clear:

"Yes"

The voice merely stated "Your path is set" and the boy was shocked when the sword suddenly vanished within his hands. It felt as though it had never been there in the first place, although the physical sensations which had come from holding the weapon remained in his memory and fingers. The voice suddenly spoke up once more to the boy, asking "Now, what will you give up in exchange?". The boy walked around once more, thinking long and hard about which of the remaining items he should forsake. His mind recalled stories read to him when he was younger by his mother, of brave heroes and knights who had a sword and shield with which to fight the monsters of their worlds. It had always been his dream, his ambition, to someday be as brave and powerful as those knights and heroes of his stories had been. However, he also recalled hearing of brave magicians and wizards whose powerful spells had come to the aid of many of the knights and heroes he had heard of. He knew what was the wise thing to do in these circumstances. Walking slowly towards the pedestal, he reached up and took the shield in his hands. The voice spoke again as soon as his fingers touched the weapon.

The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A

shield to repel all. You give up this power?

Taking a deep breath, once again wondering about if this was the right choice, the boy walked back and forth with the shield in his hands. He valued his friends above anything else in the world, they were the family he always wanted and was able to choose for himself. However, the power of the sword would provide him with invincible courage to remain loyal and true. Magic could prove useful, although he was not full sure how that could be. His voice slightly shaky, he spoke his answer into the open air once more:

"Yes."

The strange and eerie voice once more spoke, stating simply "You've chosen the power of the warrior, you've given up the power of the guardian. Is this the form you choose?". Once the boy nodded his agreement into the blackness which was addressing him, then as suddenly as the podiums appeared, they vanished back into the stained floor where they had sprung out of. The stained glass floor suddenly shattered into tiny fragments which dispersed and became consumed by the darkness. He was powerless to stop his descent into the unknown as he fell downwards. Suddenly, the boy was lying face down on another stained glass platform the same shape as the first one. In the middle of this one there was another very beautiful woman. Her gown was as silver as a full moon, her hair as shiny as the midday sun. The boy couldn't help but be awestruck as he noticed how this fair maiden was even more radiant than the previous one. Suddenly, his hands felt heavy and he turned his head to see the sword once more in his grasp. Gripping the golden hilt tightly so the whites of his knuckles were showing, the boy once more heard the strange voice speak to him again.

You gained the power to fight.

The boy lunged out with the sword, feeling the power of the weapon flow through his veins. This felt like it had always belonged to him, the inner strength which surged within his heart was not completely alien to him. He swung it, using the sword to slice the air with timed precision. Once more, he could hear the disembodied voice speak to him gently from the unknown.

All right! You've got it. Use this power to protect

yourself and others.

Suddenly, black monsters rose up from the platform, sliding from the stained platform as though they themselves had always been a part of it. His heart pounding with fear and adrenalin, the boy gripped his sword once more tightly with both hands. These strange and malevolent creatures would not claim him without a good fight on his part. The voice once more spoke to him, almost like a calming embrace with its words.

There will be times you have to fight. Keep your light

burning strong.

As one creature was defeated and disappeared into the ground, the rest of them vanished. This perplexed the boy, as he reasoned they would all attack him at once rather than retreat because one of their numbers had been depleted. He was not aware of the monster which had rose up once more and was approaching from behind. Once more, the warm voice spoke out to him and offered him warning.

Behind you!

The boy once again sliced the black creature with his sword until it dispersed. He found himself facing a pack of them, all wanting to inflict great harm upon the boy. Time and time again, his weapon found its mark, crushing all it was aimed at. Suddenly, a dark void began to open and consume the stained platform within its dark depths. The boy was powerless to stop this from happening or escape its widening path. He struggled instinctively as the void sucked him in, but he could not understand what he was fighting against. Then, the darkness once more faded away swiftly. The boy immediately climbed to his feet, looking around and saw he was standing on yet another stained platform. This one was not like the others before it, as it did not have an enchanting maiden within its design. Instead, it was made up of love hearts within the centre and each of these contained a sunshine design with a pale blue to complement the yellow glow. A door was present here as well, pink like the platform. The boy approached, but noticed once he was standing in front of it, the lower section was faded out so he could see right through it. He reached out to touch the handle to open the door, but he could not get a grip on it. " I can't open it..." his thoughts were both full of curiosity and frustration, wanting to see what was on the other side and yet irritated because it felt like a failing for him to get this far and not be able to advance further. Suddenly, a treasure chest appeared from nowhere to rest on the platform directly across from the door. A deep pink in colour with intricate yellow patterns, the boy was finding it hard to recall when he had last seen anything so beautiful before in all of his life. Tapping it with his sword, the boy saw that the chest sprang open immediately and a chime went out into the still air. He looked and saw that a large crate had mysteriously appeared. He walked over and pushed it, not knowing really what else to do with it. After a short time, he had the strong desire to once more strike out with his sword. Focusing on the crate, he hit into it repeatedly, feeling satisfied when it finally splintered into thousands of pieces. A strange shimmer drew his attention to the door and he noticed that part of it had become more solid. Suddenly, a barrel appeared and he struck that with his weapon as well. Once this had been destroyed, a chime sounded and the boy once more looked at the door. It shone with a purple light as the final section at the bottom became solid Racing over, the boy took the handle and felt its solid touch within his palm. He pulled and the door swung open inwards. His entire vision was clouded with a bright light which was painful to look at. However, he was irresistibly drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Once inside, he was surprised to find himself somewhere strangely familiar again. He was standing on a wooden walkway, with a beautiful blue sky overhead and a girl with brown hair which was curled upwards and wearing a yellow dress across from him, leaning against a barrier which ran the length of that side of the walkway. The same strange voice once more addressed him.

Hold on. The door won't open just yet. First, tell me

more about yourself.

The boy approached the girl, not really knowing where else to turn at this point. She turned and smiled warmly at him before asking a simple question.

"What's most important to you?" Such a seemingly simple question which could be answered in a thousand different ways. The boy thought long and hard, a million different thoughts of things which were important to him at some time or another. Being seen as the best kid back home by everyone, every material item which he owned or simply having the good friends he had. All of these things did register in some degree with the boy as important in some way or another. After running over which of these meant the most, he gave his answer to the inquisitive girl who was patiently waiting for his response.

"Friendship," he declared proudly. The girl's reply caught him off guard when she said in an almost mocking manner "Is friendship such a big deal?". Not knowing what to make of her attitude, the boy turned around and took in the view which greeted him. An endless expanse of open ocean with varying shades of cerulean only broken by the soft and sandy tones of the gently sloping beach which met the waters so eagerly. Everything about this place seemed familiar to him, it was a joy to be back here although he was not fully sure why. Turning to his right, he saw another person waiting for him. A boy with unruly hair which was a sandy shade of brown, wearing a top which was yellow with white short sleeves and blue shorts was looking cheekily back at him. As he approached, he was once more surprised to be asked a question by this boy.

"What are you so afraid of?" Yet another seemingly simple question which could have a thousand different answers. There were many things the boy was scared of in the world, so much which chilled his very heart and made him fearful to venture very far. One thing which stood out in his mind was being seen as different. Many children back near his home had made him feel inferior and pathetic simply because his outlook on life and wishes were very different from theirs. He had tried so hard many times to be seen as normal by them, but each attempt had only seen the boy incredibly miserable and feel very subdued. This was perhaps his greatest fear and he responded so to the other lad.

"Being different," his reply this time was not full of pride nor said loudly, but in a shameful whisper as he gave his greatest fear a voice. The reaction to this gave him a sense of hope, of relief that perhaps it wasn't too bad to be seen as different after all. The boy with the sandy hair merely stated "Being different? Is that really so scary?" as if being different was a great thing to be. Feeling emboldened, the lad turned and walked over to where he saw a third person waiting for him. A young man with a quaff of orange hair and a blue band around his forehead was holding a blue and white beach ball in his hands. His outfit was all yellow in colour, with very long shorts which went below his knees and almost to his feet. Again, he asked the boy a question when the boy approached him.

"What do you want outta life?" A third question which was again very simplistic to the observer, but very complicated to the recipient. A number of things passed through the boy's head once more, ambitions which he had been harbouring for a long time flitting through like photographs in his mind. However, like before, there was indeed one of these which stood out from the others and his answer was perhaps not as hard to present as he had thought.

"To see rare sights," he responded eagerly. His lust for adventure and strong desire to explore beyond his home surged restlessly through his heart and soul. The man merely replied "To see rare sights, huh?" as if he had suspected this all along. Then, the disembodied voice spoke out once again to the boy.

You want friendship. You're afraid of being different. You want to see rare sights. Your adventure begins at midday. Keep a steady pace and you'll come through fine.

The boy smiled happily and said "Sounds good!" to the open air. The voice once more spoke to him and stated "The day you will open the door is both far off and very near." Suddenly, the island and all of the inhabitants vanished in a dazzling and blinding white light. The boy found himself once more standing on a stained glass platform with yet another beautiful woman within its design. This maiden had long flowing hair of sunshine gold, was wearing a dress of the deepest purple and her lips were as red as the rose she held between her hands. Above her head were three circles with strange shapes within them. It looked as though small creatures or people had been sealed within these containers, to guard and protect the sleeping beauty. On either side of the woman there were ferocious looking green thorns, turning to black as they went behind her form. The boy walked forwards uncertainly, not really sure what to make of it all as the voice which had been his companion was remaining silent. There was a light in front of him which he walked over to and as he approached, he was aware of no longer being alone. In every direction, closing in on him with sinister intent, were more of the shadow monsters he had encountered before. Drawing his sword and keeping a tight grip of it, he struck out at his attackers, slicing into several at once and feeling great gratification as they dispersed one by one into the ground from whence they came. Then, from the light a beautiful staircase formed, leading up into the darkness. They were of a stained glass design similar to the platform, but instead of having a set pattern in them, they were instead a myriad of different colours. As the boy ran up the staircase, he noted as it wound round and up there were several large stained glass windows in the distance looming back at him. The further he ran up the stairs, the closer he became to the enchanting windows. On top of the windows he encountered a wide stained platform again. This once more had an alluring woman within its design. Her gown was of the brightest yellow while her hair was the darkest brown and it made the gown stand out in contrast. The boy reasoned there had to be a reason for all of these women being part of the design of these platforms. Again, from nowhere, the voice spoke to him calmly.

The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow

becomes.

The boy turned and looked at his shadow, noting it was growing more elongated and it suddenly rose from the ground and looked him straight in the eye. His heart was pounding with fear and he stumbled backwards as the shadow continued to grow and its features became more distorted and hideous.

But don't be afraid.

The voice spoke out once more, but this time it could not soothe the boy's nerves. As the piercing yellow eyes of the beast his shadow had became bore into him, the boy turned and ran to flee the monster. "And don't forget…" the boy could barely hear what was being said to him as his sole thought was to escape the danger. He stopped barely before falling off the platform, his foot balancing precariously as he struggled to throw his weight and balance backwards. There was no choice, he would have to fight the malevolent being behind him. It was now at least twenty feet tall, with long and unruly black hair and a heart shaped hole in its abdomen. He was terrified, more scared than he could recall ever feeling. However, he would not let this monster claim him without a fight. He zoned in on its hands, leaping and striking repeatedly with his sword. When the beast caused more of the tiny shadow creatures to appear, the boy brought his blade mercilessly down upon them in turn as well. His body was being pushed to its limits as the monster struck him with magical blasts from the hole in its abdomen. Exhaustion and pain wracked every muscle, but he was determined not to give in. He would not submit. Suddenly, the sword vanished from the boy's hand and he found himself completely defenceless. A large void began to open beneath him, the large monster looming over and leaning in. The voice spoke shakily yet still in its calm tone "But don't be afraid." The boy couldn't help but feel fear as the void began to engulf him. "You hold the mightiest weapon of all." He struggled in vain as the black wisps from the void smothered and claimed each part of his body. "So don't forget." Nothing registered in his mind now, as the black void covered and swallowed up the boy's face. Only one more thing entered his ears in these final moments. "You are the one who will open the door."

Opening his eyes, the boy found himself back on the island he had lived on his whole life. Sitting up, he couldn't help but wonder whether everything he had just seen and experienced was really just a dream. Taking a deep yawn, he lay back down to contemplate it some more when a girl's face suddenly appeared above him. Her brown hair was short and clung to her head in a fashionable style. Her dark blue eyes were full of mischief and fun.

"Whoa!" the boy exclaimed in surprise before sitting up again quickly. He turned around and hastily got to his knees, turning to face his friend. She wore a light blue top which left her shoulders bare and a lilac skirt which stopped mid-thigh. She laughed in his face and he couldn't help but grumble at her obvious amusement.

"Gimme a break, Kairi," he groaned at her. She didn't look the slightest bit repentant for disturbing her friend and continued to tease him relentlessly.

"Sora, you lazy bum. I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here," she replied airily. Sora was shaken still from what he had seen. It all seemed very real and there was no way he could call what he had seen a mere dream.

"No! This huge black THING swallowed me up! I couldn't breathe, I couldn't…..Ow!" He was broken from his story when Kairi hit him on the head. The look on her face showed that she really didn't believe what her friend was saying. It seemed to her that he had been caught up in a very vivid dream of some sort.

"Are you still dreaming?" she teased him lightly. Sora shook his head emphatically; there was no way that what he had seen and been through had been a mere dream. It was simply too real and felt too true to be a dream.

"It wasn't a dream! Or was it? I don't know. What was that place? So bizarre..." He dipped his head and lowered his eyes as he tried to work it all out in his mind. He gazed out to the horizon, trying in vain to find some reason behind it all. Kairi's voice brought his attention back to her.

"Yeah, sure," she said softly. Her nature was not to hurt anyone, and even if he was a bit of a dreamer for her, Kairi was very fond of Sora. She walked away from him over to the water's edge while gazing up at the sky.

"Say, Kairi, what was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up," Sora couldn't help asking her, although he had done so a million times. There was something about her which he really liked and he couldn't help but feel for her, being so far away from her home and not remembering where she came from.

"I've told you before, I don't remember," she never took her eyes off the horizon as she spoke, simply maintaining a vigil on the place where the sea appeared to meet with the sky.

"Nothing at all?" Sora was now sitting on the sand, looking at Kairi's prone back. She seemed distracted and a long way away from him all of a sudden. It was like she was in another place altogether, her heart longing to be somewhere else desperately.

"Nothing," she said shortly.

"You ever want to go back?" Sora pressed gently, wanting to understand what was apparently bothering his friend so much.

"Well, I'm happy here," she replied more softly, not wanting him to think that he was the reason she was thinking of elsewhere.

"Really..." he decided to pursue it slightly further, see if she was willing to elaborate a bit more with him.

"But you know... I wouldn't mind going to see it," she said finally, casting her gaze briefly up to the sky before looking back towards the horizon.

"I'd like to see it too. Along with any other worlds out there! I want to see 'em all!" Sora agreed enthusiastically. His heart and soul were crying out for adventure, to go where the wind would take him and see what amazing things were beyond what he had known before.

"So what're we waiting for?" Kairi turned and smiled warmly at Sora. She loved his attitude and desire for exploring, it was something she could relate to very much. However, with her it was more acute as she longed to see her hometown again more than anything else at that point.

"Hey, aren't you guys forgetting about me?" they were interrupted when a slightly older boy appeared on the beach. He was at least a head above Sora in height with shoulder length hair that was white in colour with darker roots. His icy blue gaze cast an amused gaze over his friends as he held the large log in his hands slightly above his shoulder height. He was wearing long shorts which came to just below his knees and were blue in colour while his top was sleeveless and a mixture of yellow and black in colour. His hands were encased in black gloves which only covered his fingers and not the whole hand.

"So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft," he said slightly irritated. Walking, he tossed the large piece of wood over to Sora who reached up to catch it and fell backwards beneath its weight. Kairi couldn't suppress the giggle at the sight.

"And you're just as lazy as he is!" the boy said pointedly, with his hands now resting sternly on his hips. Kairi merely shrugged, not dropping her grin for a second.

"So you noticed. Okay, we'll finish it together. I'll race you!" The boys were now sitting on the beach, caught off guard by Kairi's suggestion. Running seemed like too much of an effort for them in the suppressing heat of the sun.

"Huh?"

"What, are you kidding?"

Kairi ignored their reactions and instead pressed on with starting the race. She loved the natural competitive spirit which the boys shared; they were rivals in every way.

"Ready? Go!" she shouted. Looking at one another briefly, smiling in understanding, the boys got to their feet and dashed over the sand together. Kairi was at their heels, but they barely noticed. All that mattered was at least keeping pace with each other and winning if it was possible.