Kingdom Epilogue

[Takushi Rena]

ANOTHER KH FANFIC! YAY. This one's much shorter than that other one I was working on!

...It's coming back, just so you know. D: Mmkay? MMKAYYYY. Onto the story! [And I appreciate all comments and criticism, especially on my description and how I play the characters because, I probably don't do it as well as I think I do! Same goes with length; I seriously need to figure out how I can make each chapter shorter and more interesting. ;; Just don't pick on Wakka's accent. I do NOT know how to put that into written form. xD;]

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K I N G D O M - E P I L O G U E

chapter 001 - never forgotten

Nothing could describe how much I missed home. No words seemed to roll off of my tongue when I wanted to tell the world that I wanted to see home again, more than anything.

But, how do you prepare for the moment you return home, especially when you're fast asleep and flying through the sky?

It was overwhelming at first. Too much of one thing. I could see it, but I just couldn't force myself to believe it. But, they brought everything into view, out of a blurry sight. I could see that arm waving wildly, yet I couldn't force a smile onto my face for a moment. Was it real?

I let out a laugh. Yeah, it was real.

This wasn't some stupid dream about my island! This was the real thing! I could see everything: the secret place, the little island with the paopu tree, the shack, the dock, everything!

I couldn't help it. I just ran, laughing and smiling. She smiled, too.

"We're... we're back!"

"You're home."

-------

There it went. Gone, with a single spark like a star in the sky. The sight of it made his stomach turn, in a strange lonesome-sort of way. He could never manage to explain it.

He stared up at the afternoon sky, wondering. What will it be like after being gone for a year? At that moment, though he missed it so much, it felt strange to be back home again.

"...Riku?" Sora questioned, tilting his head up to sight the tall, silver-haired teen, "Will you miss them?"

Sora's tone sounded rather forlorn, which made Riku uneasy. He never sounded gloomy about anything, so this was rather odd; though, he knew that the keyblade master probably sounded like that lots of times when he wasn't around. But, how'd you fix that?

Riku immediately gave a scoff as silver bangs fell over his aqua eyes, "Why would I miss them? Only a wuss like you would be sad about that..."

"HEY!!"

Riku gave a grin. That definitely knocked him out of that gloomy state. Though, the brown-haired boy was probably going to plot against him for saying that now...

"I am NOT a wuss, Riku!" Sora angrily exclaimed as Riku let out a laugh, "I cried once, okay? ONCE!"

"Yeah... when I was around."

"Shut up!"

"Hey, guys!" a female voice came from behind the two teen boys. Just the sound of it made Sora's face turn pink, but when he turned around, he blushed even more.

Kairi, the person he missed the most while he was gone. While Sora and Riku were off fighting and saving worlds (Well, that was Sora's job, anyways.), Kairi was stuck here without them. The thought made Sora feel so guilty and terrible, but the grin on Kairi's peach-toned face made the guilt disappear from sight. Though, it also made his face turn red, which Riku was going to pick on him about eventually.

"Everyone on the island wants to see you!"

"...Whaaaa?"

Sora had to do a double take, and he only looked confused at the change of subject. He saw that Kairi gave a nod, which was NOT a good thing.

"Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, and..."

Sora could feel those anime-styled sweatdrops running down his face as she named all of the people on the island in a list. He didn't mind seeing Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, and everyone else again, but there was one person he was worried about...

"...Oh! And your mom wants to see you, Sora!"

"AHH!" Sora screamed unintentionally, feeling now lost in a swirl of anxiety, fear, and apprehension, "SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME!!"

"...I swear he wasn't this insane while you were gone," Riku said aloud to Kairi as he gave a sigh.

Kairi looked just as confused as Sora did five seconds ago. She merely blinked as she watched Sora try to hide himself in his vest.

Neither Riku nor Kairi knew why Sora was so upset, but he knew very, very well: he left his mom when she was calling him. He jumped right out the window, because of some weird thunderstorm that was about to destroy the island; though, he didn't necessarily know that at the time! He didn't know he wouldn't be coming back, but he knew that his mom was probably going to unleash a horrible wrath when he returned home. How he wished to be in that gummi ship right now, riding off with King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy back to Disney Castle.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Kairi boldly questioned, placing a hand on his shoulder in hopes of calming him down. He only jumped.

"N-Nothing!"

"You call that nothing!?" Riku scowled.

"YES! YES I DO CALL THAT NOTHING! I just... um... there was this crab, right? And it--"

"Yes, and it climbed up your leg and tried to--"

"I do NOT want to hear that, Riku!"

Riku gave a playful grin, his eyes hiding beneath his bangs as Kairi glared up at him.

"Let's just get going... It's almost dark."

And, at that, Kairi headed off towards that small dock that kept each of their boats there; funny, they were still there after a year, too.

"...Was she always this bossy?" Riku questioned in a whisper.

"Yeeeeah. Didn't you notice? She made me climb up a tree! For an egg!"

"I HEARD THAT!"

-------

It felt rather surreal. His deep blue eyes had to blink several times to take it all in. Was it actually real? He wasn't quite sure.

Memories seemed to come swarming in. Everything that happened on this island during that fourteen years. He could remember everything, even though it seemed so far away. Some good, some bad. Yet, all of them made reality set in.

"...Is this a dream?" Sora questioned, his eyes seeming to spark as he gazed forwards.

Suddenly, there came a point of pressure on his arm that just wouldn't stop burning. That is, until he moved out of the way.

"OW!" Riku had pinched him! That stupid silver haired... guy pinched him!

"Stop being so weird, Sora," he simply replied, giving a groan, "You're being weirder than I ever was..."

"No, I'm not! It's not my fault it's weird being back home!"

"SORA! RIKU!"

That high pitched voice only could belong to one person. And, no, it wasn't Kairi.

The two boys were immediately 'glomped' by a currently unknown figure that came flying their way. With twin gasps, they stood their ground as arms kept themselves wrapped around their shoulders.

"I missed you guyyyyyyys!"

"Uhhh... hi... Selphie...?" Sora sounded, and looked, rather confused as the brown haired girl begun to purr when she leaned closer to the boy; obviously, he was too naive to understand what exactly she was trying to do.

That short, brown hair with the twin ends that seemed to flip up from the ground and into the sky were a trademark. But, a pair of sea-green eyes and a cat-like smile could also be considered Selphie's marks.

Yet, Sora still didn't understand why she was petting him. And purring. Still.

She giggled, jumping backwards rapidly away from the two boys. Yet, as she landed, two more boys were standing next to her.

"Why're you guys taller than us, still!?" That voice wasn't nearly as familiar as...

"Ya just short, Tidus..."

"I am not!"

Sora blinked for a moment, abruptly shifting his eyes over to the pair of boys who couldn't have been mistaken for brothers but definitely looked like best friends. He looked stunned for a moment. How tall did each of them actually get?

He really didn't know what to say. The trio had gotten taller, they all looked so much older, but he didn't know what to talk about next. No wonder he got a few weird looks from his friends when he said:

"Uhhh... your voice got deeper, Tidus?" It sounded more like a question, though it was meant to be a statement. The perplexed look upon Sora's face might've cued that questioning tone.

"...I think he knows that," a voice came leaning in, a whisper coming from a certain older boy standing nearby.

"I KNOW!" Sora sounded infuriated now. Everyone just gave a small snicker.

It was finally time for Riku to speak up. With hands in his pockets and a bored-out-of-his-mind expression on his face (That, or he was glaring), he looked like he had suddenly became the coolest guy on the islands without anyone's consent; though, he was already the coolest in the first place. Everyone failed to notice one thing: what happened on his journey.

He was afraid that everyone would treat him horribly if they found out the horrible things that happened to him. Someone like him, falling into darkness? Sure, he was an anti-hero, but that just seemed a little too villainous, or too stupid, for him.

Thankfully, though, not one person knew; except for Sora and Kairi, of course, and they already accepted what happened. Yet, with Sora acting all weird for the moment, Riku had to be the brave one and deal with his fears for the moment.

"How's the island been?" he finally perked up.

Tidus gave a grin, "Everything's fine! You guys just ran off... That was the weird thing..."

"...It wasn't destroyed?" Riku sounded puzzled now.

"Why would it be destroyed?" a small laugh escaped from Tidus' mouth, "That's just weird!"

Both Sora and Riku stood up straight at the same time. Destiny Islands wasn't destroyed? That's crazy! They saw it. They were in the middle of it. That was the reason they disappeared in the first place! That's how the keyblades, worlds, and Heartless showed up in their minds. That's how those things happened to all three of them. Were they joking?

Now rather baffled, the very first thing they could think to do was glance over at Kairi. She did what they didn't expect: put her index finger to her mouth, almost as if she was telling them to be quiet. But, when she whispered 'I'll tell you later', a sigh invisibly escaped from their mouths. They weren't going crazy! That's great!

"...But!" Wakka's voice filled the air immediately, "Summer's almost o'er! There's only three days left from tomorrow!"

"WHAT!?" Sora exclaimed, "I went running around, came back here, only to come back to school in three stupid days! THAT SUCKS!"

"Yaaaa. Tidus and I have been playing bliztball the whole time. Kinda sucks, though..."

"I think I'm starting to pwn you now, though!" Tidus randomly exclaimed.

"So that's what you were snoozing about last night, ya?"

"No, I wasn't!!"

Suddenly, the light grew dim. As if someone had blown out a candle that didn't exist.

"Wow! It got dark fast!" Selphie exclaimed.

The thought struck Sora quickly. What would happen if it was late coming to somewhere when it was dark? Curfew... that thing all of them hated?

His mom.

The boy froze up at the idea. His mom was going to be so angry with him for leaving! It made him feel pretty sick to his stomach, wishing he could jump back on his little makeshift boat and sleep in the Secret Place for tonight.

But, he had to face it sometime.

"I gotta go..." Sora said abruptly, his feet moving faster than his mouth.

"Oh! Okies! Bai, Soraaaaa!!" Selphie was the only one he could hear, and that trademark giggle only made the knot in his stomach grow tighter.

He wondered if she hated him for leaving. He wondered how lonely she was without him there. He wondered how angry she would be, or if she wouldn't be angry at all! So many thoughts came to mind that his feet tried to pull him to a stop.

No avail. He wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop. Not until he returned home...

And, just like that, there it was.

Right before his eyes was that little house he had lived in for fourteen years of his life. But, that one year wasn't spent in this house: it was spent on worlds, on a gummi ship, and with so many friends. He missed those friends, wishing they were here to help him when he was so afraid. There was nothing more terrifying than a parent's wrath... Not even the Heartless, the Nobodies, all of those bad guys, and all of Organization XIII put together into one huge brawl could be more terrifying than facing what awaited beyond that rectangular door.

Like many of the other houses, it was small. It looked like a cottage, only with two floors instead of one. It was simple in shape and design, yet it held so many memories in the wood inside and out. Those memories seemed to be his only comfort, especially when he realized...

No lights were on. No lamp lit by the window. No candles flickering. There was no source of light anywhere.

That scared him. That terrified him. It was more terrifying than the thoughts of facing his mom. What if there was nobody inside of this house?

His heart pounding, he rushed through the unlocked door and into the unlit house. He couldn't help but scream.

"Mom! MOM!!"

He sounded so scared. So terrified! He couldn't help but scream her name, desperately. He was desperate. He was so horrified...

"MOM! PLEASE!!"

The creaking of a wooden floor came into the darken room. Was that his feet or something else's? Was it even someone else's? Maybe it was some animal! A cat or a dog or something!

Nothing. There was nothing there. Just an empty room in an empty house.

"...Mom?" He sounded desperate again. The boy gave a sniffle. Was he crying? He honestly didn't know.

A light switch could be heard clicking as the light overhead came on. He couldn't tell if he turned on that light or not.

"Sora?"

A voice. A voice.

His face was buried in his hands a moment ago. But, now? His eyes were all red, as well as his cheeks. He had been crying, but he refused to show it. Sora's mouth open wide, his jaw almost dropping to the floor. He couldn't believe it...

Long red hair with a tint of brown. Deep blue eyes, just like his. Taller than him, but he was nearly as tall now...

He took no hesitation. The keyblade master ran straight forwards into his mother's arms, burying his face in her apron as if he were still five years old.

"You're alright..." he shook, his voice muffled, "I was really worried, mom..."

She looked confused. Perplexed. She didn't really understand why he was so upset. But, she went along with it.

She wrapped her arms around her son as he gave another sniff. She pet the back of his spiky hair and whispered only one thing:

"Not nearly as worried as I've been," she replied with a chuckle, "I missed you so much..."

"Me too."

[Ban Mido]

Me likey! It's cool! and I never expected someone to work in Sora's mom!


And thanks again for the help a while back. Name's ASG. Or Matt. Author of Beginning of Destiny. Nice to meet you.

[Lectori Salutem]

It's really good! Can't wait for more!

[princess namine]

Nice start here.

BTW, love the Lilo and Stitch avy and sig. It's so adorable.

[OneNineNineFour]

Nice one Rena.

I am amped for moar. MOAR MOAR MOOOOOOAR.

I wonder if Sora's mommy is EVIL?! *gasp*

[Takushi Rena]

Thankies so much for the comments! <3 I really, REALLY apperciate them all! x3 [Thankies for the comment on my sig, too, PN. ; Sorry I took it down, though. ^^;]

...NO SORA'S MOMMY IS NOT EVIL. SHE LOVES HIM VERY MUCH. >:[ AND SHE MIGHT NOT GET ANOTHER APPEARANCE. ...Wahhhh? D8

Anywho, NEW CHAPTER TIME! I'm sorry if the action seems a bit rushed, because one idea was VERY rushed. But, if it's not, that's gewddddd. This chapter's shorter, too. I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or not, though... [Also, if I didn't play Riku right... I'M SO SORRY. I CANNOT PLAY HIM RIGHT. >__<] *shuts up* I hope you like it! ^_^

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chapter 002 - island days ahead

I remember when we were little. When we would go into the Secret Place and try to find out what that noise was. Eventually, Riku helped me realize that it was just the wind blowing from inside the cave, not a monster's growl! We always wished to go on adventures after that, and we got our wish.

Yet, after that wish came true, going back to this place was rather nostalgic. From the sketches from rocks on the memories hidden within these walls. It was a mysterious place, and we were the curious ones to run inside to see what awaited us inside.

I was one of those curious ones again today. I stepped into this cave, being that same curious kid I was so many years ago.

It looked just like it had when I was last inside: dark, foreboding outside and in. It grew darker as I stepped forwards through the compact, arcane passage. It was pitch-black inside! My black shoes disappeared from sight as I escaped the outside world, the two zippers glimmering only slightly as I pressed on.

Light flooded into the main recess, revealing hundreds of white drawings on rock and a mysterious sight: a door without a handle or a keyhole. The thing that interested me the most in this irregular room was one of the many drawings. It was nestled in the back corner, alone and insignificant like many others. Yet, to me, it meant so many things. I had to wonder something, though...

Did she reply back?

As strange as that sounds, that's what I meant. Last year, I found the same drawing that we drew when we were little. It was of Kairi and I. She drew me and I drew her. Sure, mine wasn't nearly as good as her's, but that picture was still precious to me. I couldn't find words at the time when we were building the raft, so I made a note of sorts. Or maybe it could've been a letter. A letter to Kairi.

It was a wordless letter; it just had ideas attached to it. To one person, it was meaningless and incomprehensible. To me, it said that I cared about Kairi so much...

Apprehension and excitement built up inside me as I stepped closer and closer to the drawing. Did she see it? Did she even know it existed? Did she even care?

I was speechless when I sat on my knees and leaned close to the wall, my hand pressed against the rocky surface.

Yes. She replied. With that same star and hand to her drawing of me.

I only smiled at the sight.

-------

The sun beamed down on the small, sand-covered isle below it. The sky reflected off of the boy's deep blue eyes as he glanced upwards into the clouds.

Well, they would've if he were actually outside.

"SORA!!" a feminine voice screamed, belonging to a red-headed teen girl named Kairi. Her indigo orbs glared as she thrust the side of her fist against the door repeatedly, resulting in a loud bang that would've scared the crap out of anyone who was standing by innocently.

"Get out here, NOW!! It's not that bad!"

"Yes it is!" a muffled voice growled outside, the sound of some sort of cloth rustling as a boy's voice growled continuously, "They're too...!"

"They look fine, Sora! Just get out here!"

"You'll have to break down the door first!"

Another groan, this time from Kairi. "RIKU! CAN YOU BREAK DOWN A DOOR FOR ME?"

"NO!!" Sora screamed, launching for the handle to the door, "I'M COMING!"

The wooden shack door burst open as the teenaged boy stepped out of the seaside shack. His face was red. Bright, blushing red. He looked beyond embarrassed, perhaps mortified. It only grew worse as Kairi let out a giggle.

He knew exactly why she was laughing: his shorts, the same colour as his face, were way too short. It was one thing having his outfit shrink from a year inside some pod, but this was a bit shorter than that and much more embarrassing.

"Cute!" the girl giggled.

Sora shot a glare at the red head, "Is not!! They don't even look like swim trunks anymore..."

"Well, if you actually got out of bed..."

"Well, if you actually gave me a notice before I got here, I would've gotten a new pair! But, noooooo!"

Kairi's face begun to turn red as well, though it was the most fuming, angry red. Sora instantly froze up when he saw Kairi that angry. It was a rule of thumb to not anger Kairi; she might've been shorter before, but her anger could be fierce even then.

The brown haired boy instantly let out a small yelp, becoming motionless and rigid. Kairi perked up, giving a radiant smile.

"Alright, today we're swimming..." Kairi begun, soon going onto a list, or schedule, of things to do on the first day of their summer vacation. The fifteen-year-old boy merely blinked as Kairi dragged on into her schedule, making him realize that, even though he never saw any of that, she was definitely acting like Olette...

Yet, as she spoke and Sora watched the red head, his palms seemed to get sweaty... His heart raced along with the motion of her purple-hued eyes. He held his breath, trying to keep the phrase in. It was like a bunch of really obnoxious hiccups: he could keep them quiet, until he opened his mouth.

If she realized how nervous he looked, she would've known exactly why: Sora had never, ever seen her in a bikini.

And, after waiting to pop out as Kairi continued on, Sora finally blurted it out.

"Kairi, you look hot!!" he screamed, right in her face.

There was no reply, at all. The only thing he got was the screech of a seagull flying over by that stupid palm tree.

Kairi blankly stared at the boy, at loss of what to say. She said nothing, but her nervous stare explained her shock.

"...Oh... kay..."

Nothing else was said. Yet, Riku heard everything.

"Shut up, Riku!" Sora snapped when the silver haired boy said a single word to him.

Great, this day already turned awkward!

-------

The water felt much calmer than it had been just a day before. It wasn't just some random slash into the cold depths, but steps taken there. Though, Sora was instantly running into the water at a moments notice.

He seemed pretty excited to be back in his home's ocean. The cool, refreshing sea water splashing onto his face. Yesterday was too abrupt to enjoy it. This, however, could last all day...

Well, on Kairi's 'schedule', it only lasted an hour. Why, oh why, did she have to meet Olette in the first place? It was just fun! Fun needs no schedule! Besides, she was just going to sit on the beach anyways! Why butt into their business?

"Stop splashing everywhere, Sora!" a voice snapped. Sora expected it to be Kairi, yet it was nowhere near that.

Riku. He forgot how much he disliked water sometimes. He seemed like the complete opposite of them: normally, both Sora and Kairi loved the ocean, like they were exactly the same on that matter. Riku, on the other hand, was like land. Land doesn't really get along with the sea. Sea and sky are freeflowing, right? Land isn't; it's stationary. That must've been why he didn't like it so much...

"Why're we doing this again?" Riku growled, already shivering from the supposedly 'icy cold' water as he had a really ticked off look on his face.

"C'mon, Riku!" the fifteen-year-old boy rushed through the water and latched onto the silver-haired teen's hand. He gave a bright smile, "It's fine!"

Riku's teal eyes gave a twitch, "...Stop smiling."

Curiosity. Sora blinked, "Why?"

"...Bishie... sparkles..."

"OH!" the carefree teen gave a laugh, flashing that same grin for only a moment, "Just come on! It's fine!"

"Well, coming from you, I doubt it..." the sixteen-year-old gave a snicker, receiving a quick glare from Sora, as he was dragged out into the ocean tenaciously.

The water continued to grow deeper and deeper. It had reached the level of his abdomen now, his feet sinking further and further down into the sand. Sora, though, already had water up to his chest; it made sense, with him being shorter.

Being dragged out into the ocean by a friend nearly terrified Riku. He knew very well Sora would never hurt the silver-haired boy, but this was just an anxiety that spawned up. Fear of the ocean wasn't strange for an islander, right?

Then, Sora vanished.

No longer was his hand grasped in the boy's own. No longer was his spiked brown hair present. There was nothing but sea.

"Sora!?" Riku protectively cried. His search for the vanishing boy begun. He became so worried so quickly. Anxiety, fear, guilt... They all came rumbling in as an earthquake.

"SORA?!"

No sound. Nothing! What happened to the boy?

"Ah!!"

Face first, into the water. A pair of hands had pushed against the teen's back. He met apprehension in a moment's notice. Yet, when he turned about in the water and sat upon the sea.

Sora was laughing his head off. Riku's face was bright red.

"What was that for!?"

"You're scared of the water!" Sora chuckled in between laughs.

"I AM NOT!!"

Sora's head soon was thrown into the water, as Riku tried to do the same to Sora as he had done to him; not very nice payback, huh?

When Sora wriggled his head out of the water to gasp for air, he instantly went off screaming:

"KAIRI! HE'S GONNA DROWN ME--!!" His voice was muffled as a gurgle.

"RIKUUUU!!" a powerful, female voice screamed into the void.

"What!? HE DESERVES IT!"

"Stop being so childish!"

Sora managed to make it to the surface once again, sitting upon the water with his legs crossed. Several shakes of his head, bits of water flying everywhere, and he gave a sigh. And a pout.

"That wasn't very nice, Rikuuuu."

"Shut up."

Riku was horribly mad at him. Sora could tell by his folded arms and his sour scowl. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea...

"...Sorry," Sora said, his arms aimlessly floating on the surface.

"I guess I have more than one fear," Riku gave a slightly less stressed frown. He almost looked... forlorn. Riku never looked forlorn. But, after all, he never acted so scared. What was he scared of the most, though?

"Let's go back."

"Kairi!!"

Riku gave a roll of his eyes. He was energetic once again...

"Sora, she's not--"

The boy was in his own world now. As soon as he spot Kairi making her way into the water, he instantly perked up with a buoyant glow.

"You're not scared of the water, right?" the boy questioned as he latched onto the girl's hand.

She gave him a simplistic smile, "Of course not! You were just screaming about Riku drowning you and stuff--"

"NO I WASN'T!" the adolescent's face was bright red now. Kairi just giggled.

"...Sora," Riku's voice chimed in. It didn't seem to reach the boy's ears as he fumed and ranted about his weak cries to his friend.

"Sora."

Again, no connection.

"SORA!"

The silver-haired boy instantly latched onto the boy's shoulders, jerking him away from red-haired girl.

"What are you doing?"

"Talking to Kairi! What else does it look lik--"

"Funny, Sora. There's just one little problem..."

That problem, though, didn't have a thing to do with Sora's anxiety, though.

It came with a flash. It came from nowhere. No one saw it grew into the monster it became. It was only seen when it came crashing onto their heads.

It was a tidal wave. A gigantic one. It was several stories high, at least.

Sora was captured into the wave, helpless. He gasped for air beneath the water, feeling a small bit of air to breathe. Everlasting sea foam from the crash made it seemingly impossible to draw a breath, even if you broke the surface.

It was true: Sora was trapped. He was going to drown. Yet, it wasn't some payback by Riku. No, this was a far worse torment.

He felt helpless. Adrift. Confound. Isolated. What was he to do now?

A spark lit the boy's fire. Once feeling helpless, was now determined.

Kairi. Kairi was lost in this ocean as well.

He would've scream her name if he could speak underwater; how he wished Donald was there to at least give him a fin or some sort of gills! Despite the fact he was hanging onto his last available breath, unable to breath another at that moment, he was more than determined to swim far to save the person he cared about the most...

She was unconscious. She was laying in the midst of the sea, her eyes closed as chunks of red hair swayed aimlessly in front of her face. He couldn't bare to see her powerless...

One stroke. Another. He kicked his feet, using his arms to make long strides towards the girl. Almost there...

Sora jolted to a stop as a small laser pointed right as his forehead. A small crystal-like blast came flying straight at the boy and smashed into his stomach, rather than hitting his forehead. Another blast... And another!

These things were more than familiar. They were Snipers. Silver, swift, sleek. They carried archer-like weapons, but had much more skill than any archer could ever hold. But, what were they doing on Destiny Island? All of them had been destroyed, right?

He knew why they were there at that moment: to stop him. To keep Kairi helpless. He tried to scream, opening his mouth wide, but realized his horrid mistake. Water came rushing into the boy's lungs. He let out a non-existant choke.

That's when they came swarming. They knew they hit his weak point.

Thousands and thousands of them. All different kinds! Sora stared, wide-eyed, at the mass before him. Dusks, Snipers, Creepers... They all eclipsed the boy, before their stretchy appendages wrapped themselves around him like rope. One by one, they all came. The sleek creatures were swimming in and wrapping themselves around the boy like a twisted, stomach-churning, sliver cocoon. It only became more sickening when he realized their task: they were dragging him straight towards the bottom! They were trying to drown him!

He was truly hopeless now. He gave a final jerk, tempting to break free from his bonds, as everything begun to draw dark...

-------

"He awake yet?" a concerned voice queried.

A loud cough escaped from this mouth, more sea water jumping to the sand beside him.

"...Sora?" a hand placed itself behind the boy's head. It was soft and smooth, caring and worried. His head tilted back slightly as the hand slid behind his neck.

When those blue orbs opened, they didn't flinch. After all, he wanted to see the girl's face. She had so much concern plastered onto it...

He could say nothing. She wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder as she gave a sniffle.

That's when the guilt became rising up again. Now he had frightened her so much; that seemed to go hand-in-hand with leaving her on the island alone for a whole year. But, she always forgave him easily.

It was timorous of him at first. He was cautious about returning her hug. Yet, finally, he wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't help but ask a question, though...

He whispered in her ear, "Why did you go out there?"

"...What?" Kairi lifted her head, her eyes rather red now, "I never left the beach..."

Sora's blue eyes became wide.

"You... didn't?"

"No..."

He had to wonder. Kairi wasn't in the water...

Were all of those Nobodies an illusion, too?

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P.S. Remember the part where Riku was scared? It's not because of the ocean. It's because a certain brown haired boy!

[Xuan]

Ok... cliffhangers, cliffhangers, cliffhangers... If I ever get to know you I'll swear to be the one drowning you in sea water...

[Takushi Rena]

Thanks for the comment! ...I think. o.o; *hides in box* What's wrong with cliffhangers? :<

Erm... here's the next chapter! ; I hope I didn't screw up with anything, like personalities and such. If you see anything wrong with it, PLEASE say something. Because screwed up stuff is icky, especially when you can't find it. D:

The next chapter should be up either on the 21st or the 22nd. Depending on when I actually start working on it...

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chapter 003: la ritournelle

It didn't make any sense...

I was drowning! A thousand of those stupid Nobodies were drowning me! They were dragging me to the bottom, I was scared beyond belief, but they don't believe it?

"You were walking through the water, then you... well... dropped."

That's what Kairi told me. There was so much concern in her violet eyes when she spoke.

Riku never seemed to say a word. He looked like he was thinking too much...

Was it an illusion? I guess I got the same thoughtful expression as Riku when I thought about it. If Riku and Kairi said that never happened, then it had to be an illusion! But, what if they just didn't see it? Or, if it was an illusion, then who created it?

I glanced backwards into the ocean and up on the nearby isle. I couldn't sworn I saw some sort of stringy blackness disappearing into the air, but that was just my eyes playing tricks on me. Still, it made me wonder...

I frowned. Then stood to my feet.

"I gotta get home..."

The sun was already beginning to set on our home. How long was I out of it?

-------

The day quickly came and past. The sun had set on the island. And it was now the second day of Sora and Riku's summer vacation. Two more days until school begun once more...

The boy grumbled at the thought. He always hated school. What was the point? Can't they just do that at home? Sora knew his mom said something about homeschooling when he was little, but it never happened. But, if it had, would he still see Riku and Kairi everyday like this?

A frown. It curled inward.

His eyes gleamed and sparkled with the reflection of the ocean water. The oversized palm leaves swayed silently in the wind as the boy sat atop the tree on the small isle. The sound of waves seemed to calm the boy's nerves as he went through the reasons why he hated school. Not only that, but he was also the first to the island. He was normally the last.

Yesterday still plagued him, as he thought of his friends. He still couldn't figure out if what happened was real or not. But, if it was fake, why did it feel so terrible? So dreadful, gruesome, and horrifying. Drowning was now a very scary thought in his mind, much worse than before.

He stared down at his round, black shoes as he lightly kicked them back and forth. He was contemplating on so many things; no wonder his brow was furrowed so much!

"Sora!"

That sweet voice rung into his ears, his eyes gazing around to meet a pair of familiar violet eyes.

"...Hi," he spoke, a flat frown formed on his peach-toned face as his eyes seemed to grow wide, his tone sounding rather dumbfounded. Kairi was right up in his face...

She giggled, leaning backwards, "You okay?"

His dumbfounded tone turned into a gloomy one, "Yeah..." His eyes glanced away from his shoes and out into the blue.

"I don't get why that didn't 'seem' to happen... It was just so--"

"Where'd Sora go?"

"Huh?"

Kairi frowned, as Sora saw when he turned around to see her, "You're not you anymore, are you? I guess you grew up while you were gone..."

Her frown seemed to go inward. She gave a small laugh, "But, I think I know how to fix it..."

The boy couldn't decide if she was joking or actually being truthful. But, whichever it was, it was a shocking sight.

The red haired girl whirled around and what laid in the palms of her hands was a startling sight.

"A... paopu... fruit...?"

She nodded, "Selphie told me that she heard people change when they take it. You're not you anymore, Sora! You worry too much, you think about every single little thing, you--"

"...That's not really why, is it?"

Her head begun to hang glumly in the air, her eyes downcast as well as her spirit for a moment.

"No. It's not..."

She gave a sniff. Why did she feel like that? Why could she have stopped it?

"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed as he jumped from this spot to stand in front of the girl, "Don't cry! Please don't cry..."

She buried her head in her hands, wondering why she was acting like that. She wasn't able to see Sora standing there, his expression showing he was so helpless. Yet, finally, the girl felt a pair of arms wrapped around her, assuring.

"I missed you so much... I really wish I just jumped..."

Kairi gave another sniffle, "I want to stay with you, Sora! I don't want to lose you again!"

Her violet eyes now penetrated his deep blue orbs. He froze, seeing all of the sorrow that filled her sight.

She had been alone for a year, without her friends, and she couldn't do a thing about it! It was all waiting, no doing, and it must have been nerve-wreaking. What if neither Sora nor Riku came back? That must've been the hard part...

His eyes became downcast, "I'm sorry I left you here for so long... I didn't mean to take so long to come back..."

"But, that's in the past now, isn't it?" Kairi continued to glance up at the boy, the sadness seeming to loosen from her tone.

"Still."

"I think now is more important right now. It's better to stay together, than risk all of that over again, right?"

Sora merely blinked. She was right. That alone was a perfectly good reason to share the fruit, but the thought made his anxiety rise.

He lowered his arms to his side, "...What'll it be like?"

"Let's try it and find out."

That yellow star-shaped fruit returned into her hands. Its green leaves seemed to fall over the side of her delicate hands.

"But, how'd... um... how's it work exactly?"

"Selphie said you share it. We both take bites at the same time until... ya know..."

Sora blushed, "You mean..."

Kairi's face turned red, too, "Yeah..."

The boy gulped. That only meant one thing.

His eyes gazed down at the object in her hand. As his mind glanced down at it, he thought of her instructions.

"...How'd Selphie know all of that? Has she ever tried it?"

Kairi gave a giggle, "She probably chases Tidus or Wakka around with it... Probably Tidus..."

"They don't really like her, though, do they?"

"Not at all," Kairi gave another giggle as Sora gave a warm smile.

The boy glanced back down at the fruit. His mind was racing...

She knew it. She knew it all long. As he thought of how much he liked Kairi, his face became redder and redder. Destinies tied together? That was perfect, because... well...

"Alright," he stated with a smile.

Kairi held up the fruit. Her eyes seemed to gleam.

"...Ready?"

Sora curled his hand around the spongy fruit.

"...Yeah."

At that same moment, their mouths both curled onto the strange fruit, both not knowing what to expect.

As it begun to slither down his throat, Sora realized how odd it was. So many things at once... Yet, it wasn't any sort of 'flavor'. It was feelings: anxiety, doubt, embarrassment, concern... They were all negative feelings... They seemed to come onto him as waves, the boy feeling one thing one moment than another the next.

The fruit was spongy to him, like it sucked up so many things with each bite then pushed them down his throat.

Yet, as it drew onwards, these negative feelings turned into positive ones:

Happiness, delight, excitement, kindness... His chest only felt warmer as each second came by.

Then, finally, he felt it. It was the warmest of all.

They met. The last bits slithered down their throats, and they no longer felt that spongy fruit. Now, they just felt one thing.

Their eyes lightly closed, they seemed to just wrap through arms around each other at the same moment.

They were kissing. They were finally, finally, kissing. Yet, no one was there to spot the act. No one saw them sharing the paopu fruit. No one saw anything.

Not even Sora drawing back.

The boy jumped backwards, giving a painful cringe. Why did it hurt so much?

"Sora?" Kairi questioned, her tone very concerned as her eyes grew wide.

He put his hand over her chest. He put his hand over his heart. His eyes seemed to grow wide.

"What's wrong?"

"...Nothing."

Kairi gave a scoff, "That's nothing?"

"I dunno what it is!!" the boy snapped, his heart seeming to throb hard in his chest as he exclaimed. He looked over at Kairi, noticing that her eyes seemed to shut slightly for a moment. Was she in pain too?

"...Do you feel it too?"

"Yeah," she said with a cringe.

The pain finally disappeared only after a moment. There was nothing to say at that moment, except...

"I think... there's something bad out there..."

-------

He gave a smile. He hadn't felt happier all day. But, nothing compared to what happened earlier...

The fifteen-year-old boy's smile seemed to disappear as he reached the isle. There, sitting on the palm tree, was Riku. He was gazing out into the ocean, just like he was earlier...

He placed his hands on the palmetto, before using his weight to hoist him up and over. Now, his hands were behind his head.

"...Nothing's changed, huh?" Riku queried.

"Nope. Nothing will." A warm smile formed on Sora's face.

The sun seemed to shine brighter as it disappeared from the sky, moving closer and closer into the water like it did everyday.

"What a small world..."

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

They hadn't really spoke about the final battle or anything related to things outside of this world until they saw Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie back on the main island. Were they supposed to only concentrate on what home was like for yesterday and today? Riku couldn't keep his mind off of it.

As he gazed out into the world beyond, he couldn't help but pose that question. That query, though, lead into a conversation. That conversation wondered about the outside worlds and the door to the light. It ended, however, with a smile from Sora.

He hadn't thought about it since they returned. The door to the light... could it be inside him? Could it be inside everyone who searches for it? A light to guide you back home when you need it the most...

"Sora! Riku!"

Kairi came rushing in, coming to a stop in front of the two boys as she became out of breath.

"Look," she said, holding up a message in a bottle.

"From the King?!"

Sora instantly took it, unplugging its contents, and drawing out a letter with a mouse-head-emblem printed on it in ink.

A letter... A simple letter... What could it mean?

The boy opened it, and the trio glanced over his shoulders to spy at its contents.

Sora's eyes grew wide.

No... it couldn't be...

"Sora -

I'm sorry that your return home is short-lived, but you must leave Destiny Islands immediately.

Organization XIII has returned, yet they aren't exactly the same 'Organization XIII' that we knew. The only way to defeat these new organization is with your keyblade. Only that weapon can permanently destroy the Nobodies, not even allowing them to fade into darkness. Neither Riku's keyblade or my own can take on this task. This is left up to you. If you don't leave, this could mean terror across the worlds.

A train to Twilight Town will be on your island. Whenever you leave, it will take you there. I will meet you in Twilight Town on the day of your new journey.

I'm sorry that you must leave so soon.

Signed -
King Mickey"

"...No... I can't..."

Sora glanced up to Riku and Kairi for something. What that something was, he didn't know, but he hoped they could just help him. They could tell him that this was a lie! That this wasn't real. Just another dream...

"Why... me?"

He gave a growl, "Why is it always me?"

[NazoFire]

Nice dude! I really like. Keep it up!:thumbup:

[TheLastKnight]

very nice, I like it

I wish my fic was as good as that

[Takushi Rena]

Thank you guys so much for the comments on here. I seriously appreciate you guys taking the time to post just a comment about each of the chapters. x3; Even if it's just a 'good job!' sort of comment, I really, really appreciate it!

And now for the fun part! ;

P.S. Here's a Christmas card 'from' the PoH cast. (AKA the other story after this) I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

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chapter 004 - it's strange, isn't it?

He laid in his bed, his eyes wide in thought. Nothing could break the thoughts away. Nothing could pull him out of his trance. He simply laid there, staring up at the ceiling.

'Why me?', he questioned silently, the words ringing through his mind like an echo, 'Why is it ALWAYS me?'

It was upsetting him greatly.

The letter. Why did it have to come...

He just returned home! And now he had to leave again? It never said a thing about seeing Donald or Goofy, so what was the point? Yes, he missed his friends, but this didn't seem to involve them like he forced himself to believe.

Eyelids half over his eyes now. Thought was still ensuing.

Yeah... he missed Donald and Goofy. A lot. Spending over a year with them, expecting to see them everyday, was weird now. But, they were gone. Back home they went. A peaceful thought.

Peaceful. Calm.

Nearly there now. His eyes were almost closed.

He turned onto his side, staring down at his sheets. As he gazed, his drowsiness continued. Until...

-------

I hate you!!

A voice screamed right in his face, yet it was nowhere to be found. Sora gazed wildly around in the darkness, surprised he could actually see himself without one single speck of light.

That voice seemed to intrigue him, though. You couldn't tell if it was male or female, but it sounded young. That was the only clue...

A cloaked figure appeared before his eyes, the boy taken aback when it seemed to appear out of thin air. You couldn't tell if they were short or tall neither. You couldn't see their face beneath the hood, but you could tell they were angry. After all, they hadn't stopped running yet.

"Hey!!" Sora exclaimed, dodging out of the way of the figure, "What's wrong with you--"

He felt something stab through his shoulder. His eyes seemed to grow wider. Yet, it wasn't because of the stab.

"...GIVE THAT BACK!!" he screamed, pulling the weapon out of his shoulder. A squish sound came with the dribble of blood onto his black vest. That wasn't imporant as he tempted to tackle the enigma. No avail. It just kept on running.

I hate you so much!!

The weapon was, in fact, Sora's own weapon: the Kingdom Key. And they had it! They were set in a battle position, and poised to attack.

As Sora came running closer, they pounced. A slash cut across the boy's chest, resulting in blood clashing to the ground. It was a good bit of blood...

"Cut it out!"

You don't deserve it!

Another slash, an 'X' forming over his chest now.

"Please!"

You're terrible! You don't deserve anything!

Sora's eyes grew wide as they unleashed another attack. Yet, this time, it wasn't a simple slash...

They stabbed him. Right through the heart.

He was disintegrating. He was disappearing. Specks of him disappearing into nothing. Yet, the figure who had hurt him looked rather... glum.

...Why?

-------

Sora awoke with a jolt. One that sent him flying forwards in a cold sweat. It took every ounce of him to keep from screaming. He wanted to scream so badly... but...

You okay?

"AHH!!"

...I don't think you're glad to see me...

That voice didn't belong to an adolescent or teenager; well, in a way, it did. This voice belonged to a boy, who was exactly the same age as Sora. A boy who looked almost exactly like Sora. A boy who's name was...

"ROXAS!!"

Hey, genius.

The voice came from a transparent 'image' of the boy as he sat next to Sora's bed. He looked bored. Very, very bored. He simply waved to Sora, his eyes half open.

"What're you... how're you...!? WHERE'S KAIRI!?!"

Stop screaming. You wanna wake up the whole island?

"TELL ME ALREADY!!"

Kairi's not here. And I seriously dunno how I got here, if that's what you're screaming about...

Sora merely blinked, "You're not supposed to be here?"

No...

When Sora and Kairi were together, Roxas and Naminé would be able to appear. He remembered that from his trip to the World that Never Was. The boy's mouth curved downwards. If Kairi wasn't here...

"...Then, how're you here?"

"Sora!! Is everything alright!?" a concerned voice exclaimed from down the stairs. Sora had a sort of 'mini freak-out' when he heard his mom's voice, nearly falling off of the bed and onto his head.

"It's nothing, mommmm!!"

"You sure?"

"YEAH! I'M COMPLETELY SURE!"

"Do I have to come up there and check--!?"

"NO! I AM COMPLETELY WITHOUT HARM OR ANY SORT OF HARMFUL THINGS!"

Sora gave a sigh. His mom liked to take care of him way too much, especially since the past two days. He felt like a baby now...

Sheesh. Your mom's overprotective...

Sora gave a steady nod.

But, I dunno...

Roxas' voice continued on in Sora's thoughts, the Nobody have a querying expression on his face as he 'sat' beside the boy's bed.

If you can see me without Kairi here, then you guys are connected, so I can show up.

"The paopu fruit!" Sora exclaimed in a whisper, nearly falling off the bed again; Roxas rolled his eyes at the sight.

"Our destinies are tied together, but we are, too! We're connected now!"

...He's a genius. I knew it.

"Shut up!!" his voice was reduced to a whisper again.

Care to explain a little bit better?, Roxas queried as a strange, smug grin appeared on his transparent face.

Sora frowned, "Well...

"We shared the paopu fruit so that me and Kairi could always be together, not like before. No matter where I go, she'll be with me now. Even if it's just a metaphor or somethin'..."

Roxas' transparent self raised a brow. Sora didn't really seem to notice, though; he was already deep in thought. Lost at sea again...

...What about that dream?

After a minute or so, Roxas chose to break the silence Sora had created as he became pensive. Giving several blinks, Sora was finally coaxed back into reality by Roxas' queries.

"Huh?"

That nightmare. Remember?

"...It's not important." a small smile forming on the boy's face.

If you're worried about who attacked you--

"No, it's in the past now. Nightmares don't matter, right? It's not as important as what I do next..."

And that would be...?

"Go to Twilight Town, of course!"

-------

Sora's mood was only shown in his deep blue eyes. Not the frown on his face. Not his stance. Just the sparkle of his eyes that told you one thing: he was sad.

After Roxas disappeared from sight, Sora immediately went along with his plan to head off to Twilight Town without telling a single person; he didn't know how he got to that idea, but Roxas didn't ask about it, thankfully.

Of course, he was planning to go in the middle of the night! No one would be out now, so no one would be able to stop him. Not even himself...

But, he couldn't help but leave his mom a note. He was leaving her again, but the world wasn't disappearing like last time. There was no storm, no peril, no... well... anything. It was only the King's letter that was coaxing him to leave his dear island home.

He still didn't want to leave.

"I'm sorry, mom," he said aloud as his shoes scratched against the main island's ground. His face was lowered. His eyes staring down at the ground. His pace seemed to quicken every second. He was running faster and faster in the wrong direction. He wanted to run back so terribly...

"Sora!"

The brown haired boy suddenly slammed face first into a familiar tall figure. Well, it was more like he slammed into the teen's chest.

"Ah!! Riku!!" Sora screamed, falling backwards in alarm; his face was bright red for several reasons.

"Where're you going?" the silver haired boy questioned.

Sora jumped to his feet, rubbing his nose vigorously in a childish sort of way, "Somewhere..."

"You better not be going off alone," another voice chimed in, as a smaller figure slid out from behind Riku. Sora immediately started blushing more at the sight of...

"You guys aren't coming!!" Sora screamed in a juvenile manner, his face now bright red, "He said that I have to go. I'll be back soon, so it's pointles--"

A finger managed to put itself over Sora's mouth, forcing him to shut up. That index finger belonged to none other than Kairi.

"Really?" she queried, raising a brow, "Then why did it take both of you a year to get back?"

"...YOU'RE STILL NOT COMING!"

"C'mon, Sora! We're coming whether the King says so or not. Even if you pitch a fit the whole time, we're coming and we're staying with you..."

"It's pointless and stupid! You wanna get the crap knocked out of you just because you don't listen?"

"I'd rather do that than stay here, waiting for nothing!"

"She does have a point, Sora..."

"SHUT UP! NEITHER OF YOU ARE COMING AND THAT'S THAT!"

"Then why'd we share it?"

Sora had already stomped off in the direction he was headed before, trying not to pay any attention to Riku or Kairi. But, he couldn't help but stop and look over at the red haired girl when she questioned the question...

"The paopu fruit," she stated bluntly, "If you're not going to let me come along, then why'd we share it in the first place?"

Sora merely frowned.

"If we shared it, I'm coming along. I didn't do that for nothing. I did that so I could stay with you. Why'd you even agree to it if you weren't going to let me stay by your side."

"Well... I..." Sora's frown grew tighter, "Because I..."

He knew exactly why he agreed to it: he wanted to stay with her, too, but that wasn't the only thing. He's always liked her. He's always had a crush on her. It was the kind of stay together: that one that had to do with that word that started with a 'L'. He believed that was Kairi's reason for it, too!

As Sora's face begun to grow pink once again, he finally gave a nod.

"I guess... you can come... But, if you get hurt..."

Kairi gave a grin, "I won't! I'm weak and worthless, you know..."

"Please tell me were going to cut the talking and get moving..." Riku finally chimed in with a rather monotone accent. Sora glanced up to his tall, silver-haired friend and begun to wonder...

He guessed that Kairi explained what happened to them on the way. Riku didn't look weird out or surprised at all! He didn't exactly look like he expected it, but he did look like he knew what was going on.

"...Yeah. We're going." Sora said with a smile, "You guys better not slow me down, though!"

"You're the slow one, idiot!" Riku said with a smirk.

"SHUT UP!! I AM NOT SLOW!"

-------

The thought was... vicious. Every single time I remembered it, it bit me in the face.

I watched them disappear. I wanted them disappear from my eyes. I wanted their agony. Their pain. I saw it all...

But, I couldn't move to save them. I was frozen. I was scared. I was horrified. I couldn't bare to see them in that sort of pain, but I couldn't move either.

Now, I was in that swell of pain. I was standing alone. I was standing alone in the darkness...

Why do I feel so empty? I lost my friends... They're gone now! They're all gone. I try to hold back tears, but they come anyways. Because I couldn't move my feet fast enough.

I can still hear their laugh. That horrible, sadistic laugh. It's still echoing in my ears...

I'm all alone now. I have nothing. Because...

The darkness is going to eat me alive. Yet, it will never hear my screams, because I have none.

Until now.

-------

HELP ME!!

The sky was grey. Like it always seemed to be... No one cared, though. No one cared about the grey sky.

Except one spectator. One pointless spectator. Huddled up in a corner in an alley. Random boxes surrounded them, containing nothing whatsoever.

A plain, oversized t-shirt covered over their knees, seeming to be the only thing that kept the poor girl warm in this stormy weather of rain. Yet, her tennis shoes weren't the only thing getting wet.

She heard a voice. And looked up at that grey, wet sky. That voice could be in the air. But, of course, it could also be the thoughts of her imagination.

One deep blue eye shimmered as she looked up at the sky. The long bangs over her other eye never seemed to move an inch.

But, if she could ask one thing, she couldn't help but ask...

"...Who are you?" the child-like voice chimed in.

There would never be no answer. After all, that voice was no longer 'there'.



When you return to the place you call home
Nothing there exists in stone
Memories forever scattered
Thoughts in mine will now be shattered
After all, not one exists
No matter how much you insist

_TRANSMISSION TERMINATED.

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I hope everyone's enjoyed KE, because that is indeed the last chapter. Short, huh? But, you definitely will find out what happened to Sora and the gang, because I'm not done with this thing yet. The next part is called 'Pieces of Heart' and I'll be posted that up in a few days. I'll link it on here, too, and that'll be the last post of this thread. [I was kinda stupid and didn't make a whole thread for my fan project, so I'm stuck with making different threads with different names. ^^;]

Otherwise, I hope everyone's enjoyed Kingdom Epilogue! :] This story's not over just yet...

[Lectori Salutem]

Very good!!! I can't wait for Pieces of Heart

[kitax]

I love your story Takashi Rena.I hope you can post the first chapter to your Pieces of Heart fanfic!

[Hybrid~Fusion]

Wow, good fic you've got there. can't wait for the other chapters.

[Takushi Rena]

Mmkay, I GREATLY apologize for taking forever, but the next story is about to start... You can read the first chapter over here!

Otherwise, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOUUUU FOR THE COMMENTS! >w< Everyone gets cookies now. Or chocolate cornets! 83;

And now I'm just going to close this. <.<;