Chapter Text
When I wake in the morning, I miss the night sky… a billion little points of light floating in a dark sea. I’d like to go there someday.
I was falling, deep into the darkness.
It felt like I was dreaming, but I knew that this was different. It felt almost like I was sinking through water, cutting through calm, dim depths and into some forgotten trench. Part of me was calm. Another part of me was scared.
A blip of light swam into my view. I could feel its warmth enveloping me as I sank closer and closer, and the light became a round platform of stained glass. The glass featured an intricate design, a design which featured my sleeping form as the central subject. The edge of the glass was encircled by a ring of small circles, and each visible circle was decorated with a stylized heart design. A smaller ring, set behind my head, featured seven small circles, though only three were visible, and each bore the likeness of one of my friends: Kairi, Sora, and Riku. Behind me was a rendition of the horizon from the beach, a night sky dotted with sparkling stars, and two additional circles located just under my outstretched arms contained images of five-pointed stars. The entire image was encircled by two chains, with the left chain being black and the right chain being white. The two chains met at the top, where each chain wound around another heart symbol. The image spoke to something deep in my heart, though I could not name the exact feeling the design awoke in me.
The feeling of sinking through water faded as I gained some control over my descent. I righted myself and landed on the circle of glass. The warmth emanating from the glass enveloped me, and I drank in the feeling as I took a tentative step forward.
Don’t be afraid.
I felt the voice in my head, rather than hearing it. It was soundless, somehow, without tone or pitch, though it felt as warm and welcoming as the light heat rising from the glass. Beneath the warmth, however, the voice felt distant and unknowable, and almost a little sad.
The path lies ahead for you to take. It winds through the light and the darkness, and the final destination remains shrouded in mystery.
I looked around, trying to find the source of the mysterious silent voice.
Go forward. Take the first step.
I did as I was bid, stepping forward onto the image of myself that was printed on the glass below. Suddenly, from the place on the image where my heart would be, rose a white stone pedestal. The pedestal was decorated with a carved design, and atop it floated an orb of light.
Now, approach the pedestal and set your journey in motion.
I walked to the pedestal, and as I did, the orb of light glowed and shifted, taking the shape of a large, oddly shaped key. The teeth of the key looked somewhat simple, but looking closely at the negative space they created revealed the shape of a crown. The teeth and shaft were gold, and there was a red band at the point where it connected to the guard, which was silver and encircled a black handle. The chain was also gold, with a charm of three overlapping circles. I tentatively reached out and grabbed the leather-wrapped handle of the key, and the moment I did, the pedestal sank back into the ground.
The Keyblade. A mighty weapon. Use it well.
On the ground around me, circular shadows appeared, and up from the shadows rose impish creatures with claws, antennae, and glowing yellow circles for eyes. They swarmed around me, following me with their eyes as they twitched and jolted around me erratically. There were five of them, and they had me completely surrounded.
You’ll have to fight. Use the Keyblade.
I grasped the weapon, the Keyblade, tighter, and sunk into a battle stance. I stood, tense and waiting, until the first creature brandished its claws and leapt at me.
I threw myself into a spin and slashed at the creature in midair. The Keyblade slammed into the creature, sliding through its shadowy body, and the beast burst into inky darkness. I steadied myself and went for the next creature, catching it on the top of the head and dispatching it like the first. The third shadow came for me, and I swung at it, but at the last moment, it sank into the floor. As the shadow moved across the floor, I turned and thrusted at the fourth with the Keyblade, destroying it. Two left.
Suddenly, I felt long, sharp claws rake down my back, and I stumbled forward. The last of the creatures had come up behind me. I gritted my teeth and spun on my heel, throwing the momentum into another attack. I slashed through the shadow, and it burst, leaving its final compatriot to rise from the ground and lunge. I sidestepped into an upwards diagonal slash, and with that, the final creature was defeated.
Good job! You fought well.
A circle of light appeared on the floor before me.
Step just there.
I stepped onto the light, and I felt rejuvenated. The place on my back where the shadow had attacked me grew warm for a moment. Before me, an intricately designed door popped into existence.
Behind you!
I spun on my heels, and all I saw was my own shadow, stretched across the glass. Then I noticed that it was growing, and then it began to emerge. As the shadow grew, it began to shift, no longer resembling me, but rather a large, muscular beast. Though the creature’s body looked like the other monsters’, it was much bigger. Tendrils like strands of hair sprouted from the top of its head, and there was a massive heart-shaped hole in its stomach. Small, dark wings sprouted from the creature’s back, and it had long feet that curled upward. Like the smaller shadows, it had glowing yellow orbs for eyes.
You’ll have to fight!
Of course. I sunk low once more, grasping the Keyblade. The creature keeled forward, and dark motes of energy began to flow in toward its fist. I began to skirt around the creature as it reared its arm back and then slammed its clenched fist into the ground. As it stood, stock still, a portal of shadow appeared at the point of contact, and three more of the smaller shadows crept through. They began their jerky dance as they made their way toward me. I dispatched the nearest one with a slash, and the other two both sank into the floor. I took the chance to roll over them, springing up near the big guy’s fist. I got a few hits in before he stood up straight once again, and so I turned back to the small fry, who were emerging from the ground on either side of me. I braced myself, then spun my body into a wide slash that hit both creatures, causing them to dissipate and leaving me alone with the larger shadow.
The massive beast curled up, almost as if it were in pain, and then it dropped to its knees and revealed another orb of darkness that had sprouted in the heart-shaped hole. It tensed up, and the orb fired off several dark projectiles, which turned in the air and began to fly toward me. Instinctively, I batted them away with the Keyblade, and they flew back toward the monster, hitting it in the face. It fired off another volley, but I was ready this time, and I parried the projectiles, flinging them back into the shadow’s head. The shadow tensed suddenly, then twitched violently and fell backwards. It seemed to be melting, sinking back into the floor until there was nothing there, not even the shadow that it had sprouted from.
I turned, making my way toward the door tentatively. I didn’t want to be surprised by any more of those creatures. I reached the door and took a deep breath as I grabbed the handle and pulled. Nothing. I pushed instead, but still the door remained stuck fast.
The Keyblade is not only a powerful weapon, but also a useful tool.
I looked down at my hand, and the Keyblade appeared again in a flash of light. I stepped back and pointed the weapon at the door. A beam of light burst from the tip, connecting with the door and cloaking it in a bright light. With a clunk, the light faded, and the door swung open. A wave of bright light exploded out from the door and flooded my vision, forcing me to raise my arm up in front of my eyes, blocking out the bright light with total darkness.
Remember… there is no light without the dark…
<><><>
I became aware of something on the tip of my nose. I wiggled it, trying to shake the pesky hanger-on, but it didn’t go anywhere. With a grunt, I raised my hand and swatted in front of my face. To my surprise, my hand collided with something solid, smooth and warm. With a surprised exhale, I willed my eyes to open so I could look upon this naptime interloper.
Silver hair that was nearly shoulder-length, eyes that couldn’t seem to decide if they were exactly blue or green, and an only slightly infuriating smirk. It was Riku.
I practically jumped out of my skin, hurrying to straighten my clothes and check that my hair wasn’t a total disaster. I dusted off the front of my jacket and shot Riku a glare as he chuckled. He held out a hand to me, which I took, and as he pulled me up, I noted, not for the first time, how physically strong Riku was.
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, waving his hand in an apologetic gesture. “I came looking for you and I just couldn’t resist. I swear, you can sleep anywhere.” He looked around the old wooden tree house, which no one really used for anything anymore. It was a pretty good spot to catch a quick nap, though it wasn’t as comfy as lazing in the sand.
“I’m basically nocturnal, Riku,” I retorted, ambling over to the corner and retrieving my weapon of choice, a sturdy piece of driftwood sanded down into a near-perfect cylindrical shape. Sora and Riku had their wooden swords, but I preferred something a little more… elegant. I gave it an experimental twirl, my mind still vaguely on the weapon from my dream. The Keyblade…
“Yoru? You in there?” Riku called out, though I was sure I hadn’t been out of it for that long.
“Someone’s impatient,” I said, sliding my makeshift weapon through the belt loop on my shorts.
“And someone is slacking. Namely, you. We’re supposed to be working on the raft.” Ah, yes, the raft. Riku had come up with the idea, building a raft and setting off on it in search of a new world outside of our own. The four of us, not just me and Riku but Sora and Kairi as well, had been working on it for some time now. The raft itself was nearly done, as was most of our preparation for the voyage. It was entirely possible that, by that time the next day, we’d be on our way.
“Riku, it’s almost done. You know I’m not a morning person. I’d barely call myself a day person. I need to get a nap in.”
“I’m too easy on you. All of you. I bet Sora and Kairi are off somewhere slacking too.” Riku shook his head as he made his way to the door, picking up a log that he’d set to the side so he could more effectively interrupt my nap.
“Sora? No doubt.” I made to follow him. “Kairi, though? She’s probably grilling into him as we speak. She runs a tight ship.”
“Kairi, really? Are we talking about the same Kairi here? Because she’s just as much a handful as you and Sora.” His tone was light, playful.
“And what are you, the perfect angel?” I matched his teasing tone. He handed me the log wordlessly as he moved to climb down the ladder that led to the wood path below. Riku and I had that sort of unspoken camaraderie that made it easy for us to work in concert on simple tasks. We had it with Sora as well, though Kairi, being a relatively more recent addition to the group, was something of the odd one out. She just didn’t have that same level of familiarity that we did, though she seemed to take it in stride that she hadn’t entirely settled into the group dynamic yet.
Riku reached the bottom of the ladder and held out his arms to receive the log, which I passed down to him slowly and carefully. “I am, actually. I keep you knuckleheads in line.” I followed him down the ladder, scoffing over my shoulder. I hopped off at the last step, stumbling a bit, but Riku caught me by the waist with his free arm. Even though it was a totally mundane action on his part, something that we’d all done for each other before, the gesture left me a little tingly. For his part, Riku had already turned away, scanning the beach with a hand over his eyes to block out the bright island sunlight. “See, just as I thought.” He gestured to the beach, where Kairi was standing over Sora, who was sprawled out over the sand at the water’s edge. Riku shook his head.
“That doesn’t prove anything. She’s probably just waking him up to help. Come on.” I led our way down to the shore, though Riku outpaced me before too long. We were able to catch the tail end of their conversation.
“I'd like to see it too. Along with any other worlds out there. I wanna see 'em all!” Sora exclaimed, his bright and cheery voice filling the beach.
Kairi turned to face him with bright eyes. “So what're we waiting for?”
“Hey!” Riku called, getting their attention. We strolled over to them, Riku hefting his log. “Aren't you guys forgetting about us? Pretty rude, especially considering that I'm apparently the only one working on the raft.” Riku tossed the log to Sora, who caught it with a yelp as the unexpected weight knocked him off balance and he collapsed onto the sand.
I scoffed again. “I told you already, I wouldn’t be much help without a nap.”
“Between you and Sora, I can’t tell who’s the biggest slacker.” This comment netted a playful giggle from Kairi, drawing Riku’s attention. “And you’re just as lazy as they are.”
“So you noticed.” Kairi’s eyes were filled with a mischievous glint as she giggled again. “We’re almost done; we’ll finish it together.” She hopped up and down on her toes as she spoke, full of energy. Riku, meanwhile, plopped down next to Sora on the sand.
“Hey!” I scoffed at Riku. “Now who’s being lazy?”
“Considering everyone else was already slacking, I figured it was my turn.”
“Nope,” said Kairi, grinning. “Let’s race!”
“Huh?” said Sora.
“What, are you kidding?” added Riku.
I felt my body tense. If it did come down to a race, I wanted to try my hardest to win. Kairi, meanwhile, was giggling like a madwoman.
“Ready? Go!” Kairi said, the two words nearly blending into one. I spared but a passing glance at the boys before I turned and bolted, not daring to look back. Riku could lug around logs like nothing, and Sora was a beast with a wooden sword, but speed was my specialty. Neither of them could hope to catch up when I ran flat-out. I could hear the sand crunch behind me as the others followed, but when we reached the gate to the far side of the island, I was the clear winner.
I felt something bump into the back of my head; Riku had given me an affectionate bump with his knuckle. “Don’t let your head get too big, Yoru. We’re building a raft, not a hot air balloon.”
“Ho-how are you so fast, Y-Yoru?” Sora asked between pants.
“I dunno.” I responded simply. “I just… am?”
“Alright, alright,” announced Kairi. She was the only one who hadn’t run seriously, so she was the only one with breath to spare. “You boys can whine about losing to a girl for the thousandth time later.” Kairi shot me an impish grin, which I returned. “We have a long list of tasks left before the raft is ready. Sora, you’re gonna have to gather some additional supplies for construction. Riku, as usual, will be on construction, while Yoru is gathering provisions.”
“And what will you be doing, princess?” I teased.
“Supervising and coordinating, if you must know. You people would all be lost without me.”
“Fair enough,” said Riku. “I’ll head to the construction site. Sora, Yoru, try not to take too long.”
“Hey!” Sora and I protested in unison, causing Riku to burst out laughing.
“I have the lists for you both.” Kairi held a piece of paper in each hand, one angled at Sora and the other at me. I took mine as Sora took his and read it over carefully. Two seagull eggs, four mushrooms, four coconuts, four fish, and two jugs of fresh drinking water. I silently went over in my head the things we’d already gathered from our respective homes, wondering how long everything would last us. Surely there was some other world close by. Riku seemed convinced of it, in any case.
The group split up, with Riku leaving first. Kairi stayed where she was, fidgeting with something I couldn’t see. I sidled over to Sora. “Hey, wanna tackle these together? Might be easier if we work together.”
“Good idea, Yoru!” Sora said, perking up. I silently hoped that Riku’s assessment of Sora’s work ethic was inaccurate as we made our way back to the beach. Slowly, we roamed around the front beach, gathering the necessary items. I forced Sora to climb a tree for the eggs, tossing rocks at the seagulls that swooped around his head. We had to carry the log we found back to Kairi together, since neither of us quite possessed Riku’s level of raw strength. After a while of intensive gathering, we took a break, piling our finds near a small natural pool and dipping some jugs in it to fill them.
“Sora? Can I ask you something?” I couldn’t say what prompted me to speak. Maybe it was the impending danger of heading into the unknown on a raft. It was just a question I had to ask. Out of the group, Sora and Riku were the closest, so it made sense for me to ask Sora any Riku-related questions.
“Yeah, Yoru?” Sora was entirely focused on the bubbles bursting free from the opening of the jar. Sometimes I truly wondered if he had the brain of a goldfish.
“Do you know if- that is, do you think… do you think Riku likes anyone?”
“Oh yeah, Riku likes everyone. He’s just kinda grumpy.”
“No! I mean… does Riku like anyone?”
“Ohhhhh!” Sora said, getting the point. “I uh… I dunno, honestly. He’s a little mean to like, everyone. Except Kairi. Maybe he likes Kairi…” His face drooped into an expression I couldn't quite place.
“Kairi? Do… do you like Kairi?”
“What? No! No, no, no, no, no!” Sora’s face went bright red. I felt an overwhelming urge to tease him relentlessly. Said urge was quickly tempered when I remembered that I just pretty much confirmed to Sora that I liked Riku. He had the same ammunition as I did. For a moment, I let the conversation drop and we lapsed silently back into our work. Suddenly, Sora gasped loudly and nearly made me drop my now-full jug.
“Does that mean you like Riku?”
“I- we- “ I stumbled over my words for a moment, utterly baffled. “…you mean you just figured that out…?”
“Wow, I would never have guessed.” There it was; another enigmatic expression. It was weird not being able to instantly tell what Sora was thinking or feeling. I decided to break the tension with a joke.
“Of course you wouldn’t have, Sora. You’re oblivious.”
“Hey!” I couldn’t help but laugh at his antics, and it didn’t take him long to join in. Of the group, Sora and I always got along the best. It was probably because that was just how Sora was; he was an open book, and it made everyone else loosen up too. Riku was a smidge too intense, and Kairi was serene but guarded. For my own part, I could be incredibly bratty and stubborn. But Sora was wide and bright and open. He made it easy.
“I... I honestly don't know if I do like him,” I continued. “Sometimes it feels like... I dunno, like everything is a game to him.”
He perked up, giving me his attention. “What do you mean?”
I shrugged noncommittally. “He is always like that, being vague and wishy-washy. Sometimes it seems like you know exactly what he's thinking and the next, you have no clue. It's like he does it on purpose. Messing with people. Me and Kairi especially.”
Sora looked puzzled. “I never really noticed, I guess. Riku's always just been Riku to me.”
“Maybe I'm just overthinking,” I said. “Maybe I'm just... intrigued by him. Maybe I wish I understood him. Maybe I just want to be understood.”
“I understand you,” Sora said with surprising firmness. I looked at him, and he gave me a smile. "At least, I like to think so."
I took a deep breath, and let out a sound somewhere between a chuckle and a sigh. Maybe he did understand me. “C’mon,” I nudged him. “Let’s look for mushrooms in the secret place.”
“Okay,” he assented, gathering up his share of the supplies. The secret place was an odd cave in the back of the island, which was pretty much empty except for what were possibly decades of island kids’ chalk drawings, some sparse plants and fungi, and a mysterious door. No one knew what the door led to, because no one could open it. It didn’t have a lock, or a handle, or even hinges. It was just… there. We’d all tried it dozens of times, and none more so than Riku.
I walked over to one of the drawings on the walls, one I had done myself, the very first time I'd ever visited the secret place. Myself, Riku, Sora, and Kairi were the focus of the drawing. We stood, hand in hand, on a beach. The beach was a familiar fixture of my dreams, even back then. It wasn't a beach I'd ever seen on the islands, as it was backed by massive, intricate stone structures. Some stood tall and straight, and others curved and bent. It was always night when I visited the beach in my dreams, and I'd tried to reflect that with little dots of chalk as stars. For a moment, I got lost in the drawing, feeling nostalgic. But then the feeling passed, and I returned to the task at hand.
Sure enough, there was a good selection of mushrooms sprouting from the cavern’s dirt floor. I leaned over to pick the best ones as Sora wandered off in another direction. As I pondered the fungi, I could hear the sound of stone scraping against stone. Sora was drawing something.
Not bothering to turn my attention away from my task, I tried to ease back into conversation. “So… whatcha drawing?” A clattering sound echoed through the cave.
“I, ah… nothing much,” he replied squeakily, trying and failing to seem nonchalant. I considered a second round of teasing but dropped it quickly. I focused on carefully selecting the best mushrooms, adding them to the basket of provisions I had already gathered. It was then that I first felt it.
The feeling was like a tug in the back of my gut. It was an immediate recognition of something, even if I couldn’t say at that exact moment what it was. It was like the feeling of trying to remember something that seemed at once so clear in your mind but also lost to time. I stood quickly, spinning on my heel, and found myself staring at a hooded figure. They were clad in a brown robe, bound over the chest with a crisscross of leather straps dotted with metal studs.
My hand instantly jumped to the handle of my weapon. I had never seen anyone dressed like that on the islands before, and something about them made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. For his part, Sora also rose to face the figure. His eyes flicked over to me for a split second.
“Wh-who are you?” I asked.
“I’ve come to see the door to this world.”
“Huh?” Sora and I responded with similar confused grunts.
“This world has been connected. Tied to the darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, my tone uneven. “I asked you who you are.”
“Wh-where did you come from?” Sora added. He was clearly every bit as unsettled as I was.
“You do not yet know what lies beyond the door.”
“What, you mean that door?” I asked, gesturing.
“Are you from another world?” Sora’s tone was cautious but lighter, almost as if he was intrigued. I couldn’t exactly blame him. We’d been trying all this time to get to another world, and here was a potential world traveler. That said, the feeling I got from the man made me hesitate.
“There is so very much to learn. You understand so little.”
“Oh, yeah?” asked Sora, glaring. “Well, you’ll see. I’m gonna get out and learn what’s out there.” I glanced at him, trying to get him to quiet down with my gaze.
“A meaningless effort.” The man was mocking now. “One who knows nothing can understand nothing.”
“And what does that mean?” I suddenly felt irritable. My grip on the handle of my stick tightened. My eyes suddenly felt hot, and I felt myself blink in slow motion. When I opened my eyes again, the figure was gone.
“Sora! Where did he go?”
“I dunno!” Sora held up his hands. “I didn’t see him go, he just… vanished!”
“Hey!” a third voice shouted. Sora and I both jumped out of our skins, turning toward the entrance of the cave. Riku was standing there, glaring with his arms crossed. “Already slacking again?”
“We are not!” I argued indignantly, grabbing my basket of provisions and shoving it forward for him to inspect. “We’re almost done.”
“I see. Great. Sora, Kairi is looking for you. You can bring all this to her.”
“Wait, just me? What about you two?”
“I think Kairi wanted to talk to you about something. In private. Seemed important, you better hurry.” Grumbling slightly, Sora reached over to take my basket. I took the opportunity to sneak a peek at his drawing. It looked like he’d added onto an old drawing he and I had done, when we first became close. We'd drawn each other, and Sora had drawn an arm reaching from himself to me. Held in that hand was a star. I did like stars. Maybe he'd wanted to cheer me up, but Riku had interrupted him before he'd had the chance. A wave of tepid irritation washed over me.
“Uh, Yoru?” Sora was looking at me, trying not to blush. “You have to let go of the basket.”
“Ah, right!” I yelped, my hold on the basket loosening. Sora spared me a small “you owe me” glance before making his way past Riku.
“What did Kairi want?” I asked once he was out of earshot.
“Huh? Oh, nothing.” Riku busied himself by adjusting his gloves. “I just wanted to talk to you, so I needed him out of our hair,”
“Oh. Well, talk about what?” I tried to tame my racing heartbeat as he strolled closer. My feelings were all crossed and jammed up. Instead of approaching me, however, he moved past me and went over to the door. I turned toward him, but didn’t follow.
“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve tried to open this door?”
“I- huh?” I knew it was a lot, but I had no numerical guess. “Uh… a lot?”
“I stopped counting after a hundred.” He closed his eyes and leaned closer. “So I guess you’re technically right. But...” He trailed off. For a second, it seemed like he had gone to another world, or his brain had at least.
“Riku?” He blinked slowly, his eyes regaining their usual sharpness.
“I always wanted to know what was behind this door. I tried everything I could think of to get it open. But I never could. It’s the reason I even showed this place to Sora, and to you. I thought that, no matter how much it would tick me off, maybe one of you could open it. But you couldn’t. And I realized… I was relieved.” He removed his hand from the door and stared into his palm. “I want to- no, I need to be the one to open it. I began to think that I’m just not strong enough yet. I’m not strong enough to leave this world, this island… this prison . I know there’s more out there. So I need to get out there, to gain the strength to open it. I need to be stronger .” He balled his hand into a tight, shaking fist, then let it drop back to his side. I’d never seen him so intense.
“Riku, what is this about? Why are you telling me this? Why now?”
“I- It isn’t important.” He turned away from the door before I could speak again, his eyes sliding over the drawings on the walls. When he glanced at Sora’s recent addition, he scoffed, but didn't speak. I couldn’t suppress my nervousness, shuffling my feet. Riku’s face seemed to darken as he pulled his glance away. His eyes slid over toward a particular drawing, which I recognized as one of mine. It was the four of us, holding hands by the shore under the starry night sky. I’d drawn it not long after Kairi’s arrival.
“You know, you’re not very good at drawing.”
I scoffed. “I drew that forever ago! I’m not like that anymore!”
“Prove it then,” he said, tossing me a rock. The surprise throw caught me off guard, and while I fumbled a bit, I managed to catch it in the end. Riku still laughed, though. “Draw me. And I’ll draw you. I wanna leave our marks too.”
I wanted to question him, but I didn’t exactly hate the idea, so I simply gave a single resolute nod. Then I set stone to stone and got to it. I was finding it very hard to capture Riku’s likeness. The image of him in my mind kept morphing back into the intense glare he wore when he talked about the door. Ultimately, my drawing came out looking a bit iffy. It made me feel a little better that Riku’s wasn’t much better. I wonder what he had been thinking about when he drew me.
“Yeah, you still stink.” He announced flatly. “Looks like we both do.”
“Well, we have other things we’re good at.” I added cheerily.
“Yeah…” Riku trailed off for a moment, staring at his palm again.
“Riku.” He started, looking at me as though he had forgotten I was there. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, Yoru. I just… thank you.”
“For what?”
“For this. For everything.” He looked at me with an expression that I couldn’t quite place, and I had to fight the urge to squeak. “Now, come on. Let’s get back. I’m sure Sora has figured out that Kairi wasn’t looking for him by now.” I didn’t quite want to end the conversation there, but as Riku turned and began to exit the cavern, I had no choice but to follow.
<><><>
Riku and I made our way to the cove around the back side of the island in silence. Sora and Kairi were waiting there for us, Sora looking grumpy again. Before anyone could say anything, however, Riku trotted over to Sora with a smirk.
“Hey Sora, the raft is almost done. It’s gonna need a name, don’t you think?” This seemed to perk Sora right up, and Riku’s prior transgression was forgotten.
“Oh, yeah! Uhmm, how about… Excalibur?” Sora exclaimed, whipping out his wooden sword and waving it about.
“Nah, sounds kinda lame to me. I think Highwind is cooler. Kairi, what do you think?” Sora’s mood turned sour once again, and this time, I could see why. Riku was trying to rile him up. Once again, I felt a knot of worry in my stomach.
“Uh…” Kairi was clearly uncomfortable being put on the spot like that. I stepped forward quickly.
“I think you two should race for it. The usual.”
“Good idea,” Riku said. “Looks like you’re Team Highwind then, Yoru?” I fixed him with a deadpan stare. I was annoyed with his arrogant front.
“Good luck, Sora.” I said flatly. Riku fixed me with a brief stare.
“Okay, a race it is. I’ll be the judge, and Yoru is sitting out because she’d whoop both your tails.” Kairi giggled and offered me a hive five, which I returned. “Usual rules. First to the star-shaped tree and back wins, take whatever route you want.”
Sora and Riku both nodded in assent as Kairi began looking around for something to serve as a flag.
“How about we up the stakes a bit, Riku? If I win, I’m captain. And if you win- “
“I get to share a paopu with Kairi,” Riku countered flatly. No one seemed very pleased with the prospect, not even him. Luckily, Kairi was out of earshot.
“Huh?” Sora responded.
“Deal? The winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi.”
I marched over angrily, but before I could speak, I was cut off by Kairi’s shout.
“Okay, found a flag! Get ready!” Riku and the still-nonplused Sora took their places as I plopped down onto a nearby rock, seething. Riku’s constant need to get under people’s skin had never been so apparent or so infuriating. I highly doubted Kairi would have liked what Riku had proposed, had she known. And after the cave, it just confused things further for me. I didn’t know how to feel toward him, or how he felt toward me.
“Three! Two! One! Go!” Kairi shouted, and the boys shot off. Kairi came over to the rock and settled in next to me. I debated for a moment whether or not to say anything, but in the end I gave in.
“Uh, Kairi… I need to tell you something…”
“Is it the paopu thing with Riku? Because you don’t have to worry. I already heard.”
“And you didn’t say anything? Doesn’t it bother you how casually he brought it up, like it didn’t even matter what you wanted?”
“Riku doesn’t mean it when he gets like that, Yoru. I know it, and you’ve known him longer than me, so you know it too. Riku’s favorite pastime is making Sora go red.” She puffed out her cheeks in a humorous imitation of Sora’s grumpy face. “Besides, I don’t wanna share a paopu with him. He knows that too. If he tried to make me, I’d handle him. Just because I can’t swing a wooden sword around doesn’t mean I can’t handle these boys.” She flexed her arm and giggled, and it was infectious enough that I joined in.
“Did you ever think about trying it? We’d all be glad to teach you a thing or two.”
“No. I mean, maybe. I mostly just kind of… envy you?”
“You? Envy me? What for? You’re the pretty one, the girly one, the one with the mysterious past. They used to bully me for being weird. Heck, they kinda still do.”
“Maybe so, but you just click with them in a way that I don’t. You fight with them and beat them in races. You’re part of the group. And I know that I’m not, not really.”
“But you are! The raft plan, it wouldn’t be anything without you. You’re smart, and handy. And those little things you make are so cool.”
“I appreciate you saying so, Yoru. I… I love being friends with you all. But I’ll always be different, the outsider, the girl. Not that you’re not a girl, I didn’t mean-“
“It’s fine.” I said. “I get it. But my offer still stands. And I meant everything else I said too. I’m glad we’re friends.”
She smiled warmly at me. “Ooh, you wanna see what I’ve been working on?”
“Sure.” She reached into her skirt pocket and produced a small charm made of seashells. It was almost shaped like a star, but it was missing the final shell that would complete the shape. “It’s a Wayfinder charm, made of Thalassa shells. Sailors would make them to bring them safety on their voyages. It’s a charm to help us find each other if we get separated. I hope the four of us can always be together.”
I admired the charm in silence. It really was impressive, simple materials combined in an intricate way to make something beautiful. It reminded me of the four of us, in a way.
“I love it, Kairi.”
“Thanks.” As she returned the charm to her pocket, Sora rounded the cliffside, Riku not far behind him. Sora crossed the finish line with a triumphant leap, just barely in the lead. Thinking back to my conversation with Kairi, I couldn’t help but wonder if Riku had let Sora win.
“Man, lighten up. It’s just a game,” Riku said coolly. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, and he spotted me, his expression softening.
The group lapsed into silence after that, each of us getting to work on assembling part of the raft. We all busied ourselves with our work until the light of the sun began to dim.
“C’mon,” Riku said. “We almost finished, let’s call it a day and relax a bit before we head home. Tomorrow might be the big day.” We all sounded off our assent, and as a group we made our way to the usual hang-out spot, the solid old paopu tree with its bent trunk. We’d been hanging out on that tree since before Kairi had even arrived. We took our usual places, just like every day: I reclined against the upward curve of the tree, with Kairi sitting primly next to me. Sora laid across most of the flatter segment of the trunk, while Riku leaned against the part of the trunk that curved down toward the ground.
My curiosity perked, I offered the topic of conversation. “Kairi, are you sure you can’t remember anything about the world you came from?”
“Nope. You and Sora can ask as much as you want, but I just don’t remember anything. I wish I did.” She looked down at her fists, clenching the fabric of her skirt. “But truth is, I am probably the least invested in leaving this island. I like it here.”
“But we could find your home. It has to be out there somewhere, right?” Sora looked over, his expression bight with curiosity.
“Could be.” Riku interjected. “We’ll never know by staying here.”
“Seems like your mind is fully made up,” I responded. “But… I mean, realistically… how far could a raft take us, anyway?”
“Who knows?” Riku put his arms up behind his head and leaned back. It made him seem a bit more relaxed, like Sora. “If we have to, we’ll think of something else.”
“So, suppose you do get to another world.” It was Kairi’s turn to jump in. “What would you do there?”
“Well,” Riku began, “I haven’t really thought about it. It's just... I've always wondered why we're here on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there are other worlds... Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So we could've just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?”
“I don’t know,” said Sora.
“Exactly. That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's the same old stuff. So let's go.” I couldn’t look away from Riku as he spoke. He wore the same intense look as he had back in the secret place.
“You’ve been thinking a lot lately, haven’t you?” I asked him. He shot me a quizzical look. “What’s brought this on?”
He extended his hand out in front of him, as if reaching for something. The light of the setting sun cast shadows across his face. Then he shook his head lightly and let his arm fall. “Kairi. If she hadn’t come here, I probably would’ve never thought of any of this” He turned to face her. “Kairi, thanks.”
Kairi’s face was a mask of neutrality. “You’re welcome.” For just a while longer, we sat in silence, bathing in the sunset.
As we crossed the bridge back to the shoreline, Riku trailed behind. When I looked back, he gestured at me to stay behind, so I slowed my pace and allowed him to catch up.
“Here.” He held out his hand, which was grasping a paopu fruit.
“If this is your idea of a joke, Riku, it isn’t very funny.”
“What, isn’t this why you were mad earlier? Because you wanted me to share a paopu with you instead of Kairi? You know, if two people share one their destinies become intertwined. They’ll remain a part of each other’s lives, no matter what.”
I cast my eyes over to the dock, where Kairi and Sora seemed to be engaged in their own conversation. “For the record, you’re wrong. I was mad because you did that behind her back, without even telling her.” I batted his hand away, and the paopu flew from his grasp and spiraled toward the water below. “I just don’t get you, Riku. Lately, you’ve been so… much. If your head swells any more, it might pop.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’re being a jerk. To Kairi, to Sora, and to me.”
“I didn’t think-“
“Yes, that’s abundantly clear. Just… please. Tomorrow could be the day. Just be you. Be Riku. Promise me.” I stepped closer to him, holding up my outstretched pinky.
“Y-Yoru, I…” He trailed off, seemingly caught off guard by my intensity. For a moment, he stood perplexed, but then he wrapped him pinky around mine. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I promise.”
I nodded once. “Good. Now, let’s go. We need to rest for the big day tomorrow.” I realized with a start that I was still holding onto his pinky, and I released it quickly as my face flushed. “C-come on.” He gave me a funny look, but didn’t say anything. Together, we turned and made our way to the dock.
<><><>
Later that evening, I was restless. I was in bed, trying to read a book to calm my nerves, but I couldn’t stop thinking. Thinking about the day’s odd events, thinking about the shadowy man in the robe, and thinking about Riku. Every time I tried to read a sentence, my vision would blur and my brow would furrow. Frustrated, I threw the book down on the bed. That was when the lightning bolt struck.
“Is that…?” I made my way over to the window, looking out. Dark clouds blotted out the stars, and winds whipped the palm trees. A storm! The raft!
I stumbled around my room, shrugging on my jacket and boots. I couldn’t let the raft get ruined by the storm, not when we were so close. I threw open my window and clambered down the side of the house, which was no easy task with the wind trying to throw me down the street.
Something was very wrong. I felt the tugging in my gut again, stronger. After everything that had happened today, I couldn’t help but feel like it was all connected somehow. As I clambered into my rowboat and fought my way across the tempestuous waters, I was gripped by a cold fear. This was very bad.
I arrived at the dock to find two other boats, which I recognized as belonging to Riku and Kairi. They were already here, but where? My gut instinct was to check the secret place, but a cursory glance around revealed a figure with a shock of silver-gray hair. Riku . I took off at a run but was stopped in my tracks by the sight of moving shadows. They surged along the ground, surrounding me, and each shadow melted in reverse, forming a small, pure black creature with antennae and glowing yellow orbs for eyes. My hand flew to my belt, but I swore quietly as I realized that I had left my stick at home.
I tried to keep my eyes moving, tracking the movements of each creature. Though they tumbled around me in a jerky dance, they didn’t move any closer. Their heads tilted from side to side, almost as if they were studying me. I waited for my chance, and when an opening appeared, I dashed forward, dodging between two of them. I didn’t waste time looking back. I ran flat-out, skirting around more creatures that popped up in my path. I made my way toward Riku, who was standing near the paopu tree as if things were normal.
When I reached him, he turned to face me. He seemed different than before, almost as if he was looking through me. His eyes were dull.
“Riku! I saw your boats! Where is Kairi? I thought she’d be with you!”
“The door has opened…”
“I- what? You opened the door? Is that what caused all of… this?”
“Yoru! The door has opened! Now we can go to the world outside!”
“What does that mean? Riku, this is bad! We need to find Kairi!” I shifted my weight, backing away slightly. “We need to go back!”
“No! I can’t go back! I won’t go back! Kairi is coming with us, and Sora too!”
“Riku, this isn’t you! You promised me!”
“This is the real me, Yoru! I have to leave the place, with all of you! Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents or the others again. This is our chance to be stronger!”
“Riku, this is wrong! This is very wrong! Please, not like this!”
“We can’t let fear stop us! I’m not afraid of the darkness!” He held out his hand to me, and I felt the urge to take it. Maybe I could calm him down, pull him back, and we could find the others and get to safety. With a moment’s hesitance, I reached out and placed my hand in his.
Beneath our feet, an inky blackness pooled. Tendrils of the stuff formed, snaking their way up our bodies. “R-Riku! What's happening?”
“This is the strength I need! I can free us all!” I tried to step away, but Riku gripped my hand tighter. The tendrils locked my feet and legs in place. I couldn’t get out now. I was scared, but another part of me was… exhilarated. What if Riku was right? What if this was the way off the island? Something about the caress of the darkness felt soothing, and familiar.
“Riku! Yoru!” My head snapped up, and I located the source of the cry. It was Sora. Suddenly, the fear took over again, and I reached out my free hand.
“Sora! Help us!” I cried out. I felt Sora’s palm collide with mine, and I gripped him tightly. I could feel him pulling, but the darkness was too strong.
“Yoru…” As Riku murmured my name, I screwed my eyes shut, too afraid to look. I felt Sora’s hand slip away from mine, then Riku’s. Slowly, I opened my eyes and beheld the black void that surrounded me. There was no Sora, no Riku, no Kairi, no islands, no raft. Just me alone in a dark infinity.
Don’t be afraid .
“You! You’re the voice from my dreams! I know you!”
The path lies ahead for you to take. It winds through the light and the darkness, and the final destination remains shrouded in mystery.
“Please! Can you help me?”
Suddenly, there was a flash, and my arm felt heavy. There was something in my hand. I glanced down, beholding a familiar weapon.
“The Keyblade…”
The Keyblade is not only a powerful weapon, but also a useful tool.
With a gasp, I remembered my dream. I raised the Keyblade in my hand, and thought about a door that led somewhere, anywhere. Anywhere but this abyss. The tip of the Keyblade began to glow and then erupted in a ray of light. Before me, a swirling vortex appeared.
“I-is that a way out?”
Go forward. Take the first step.
Blinking, I pushed myself through the dark to the portal, and as it enveloped me, I felt a rush of feeling. My senses were overwhelmed, and with a final whisper, everything went black.
Remember… there is no light without the dark…