Hello beautiful readers, I hope you are having a wonderful day! As you may know, today is March 28th, and if you're deep in the Kingdom Hearts culture you may know that it's the 17th anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts series. Wow KH is a full-blown teenager, that's crazy... Also, it's our sunshine boy, Sora's, birthday! YAY!

So I decided to make this one-shot about Sora and the story behind his necklace, in honor of today. I'll explain most of things at the end of the chapter, so I hope you enjoy this little story I cooked up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts in any way.

Sora's Necklace

Sora, Donald, and Goofy were on board on the gummi ship. The ship was on AUTO mode so they were just cruising through space until the next world popped up on their monitor. Donald and Goofy were talking silently as Sora was in his own little world, fiddling with his necklace.

"I'm just saying we known him since he was a kid, and to this day we still don't know why he wears that thing," Donald whispered. Goofy looked towards Sora, who was paying them no mind.

He turned back to Donald. "I know but I feel like that's too personal to ask..."

"How is it too personal to ask about a necklace!?" Donald whispered loudly. Goofy placed one finger on his own mouth in a hushed motion, "Shhhh! You're beginning to get loud Donald."

Donald started to get impatient and crossed his arms, tapping his fingers rapidly. His grumpy expression masked his curious one. Goofy, the voice of reason of the group, decided to calm Donald down before Sora notices what they are talking about.

"Donald, I know you are curious. Heck, I am too. But it's a reason why he never talked about it and I think as his fellow pals we have to-"

"What are you guys talking about?" Sora interrupted.

"WAAAHH!" Donald screamed in surprise.

The duck almost fell out of his seat while Goofy stared at the boy in surprise. "Sora! I-I didn't know you were awake." Goofy lied while stretching his green turtle neck out. Sora squinted his eyes suspiciously, noticing how weird both of his teammates were acting.

"I noticed that you guys were whispering about something. I just wanted to know what the conversation was about," Sora said.

Goofy and Donald looked at each other, speaking with each other's eyes to try to come up with an excuse. Donald looked back at Sora who was still analyzing both of them intently. Donald lifted his hands in defeat, "Okay you got us Sora. Goofy and I was trying to see what we were going to get you for your birthday. Ahahahaha..."

Sora gave Donald a blank expression, seeing past all of his baloney. "Donald my birthday was four months ago." Goofy took his hand and pulled it down on his face, shaking his head at Donald's stupidity. Donald gulped, "It wouldn't hurt to start planning early..."

Sora had enough of this. He got off from the top of his seat and walked behind his chair to face them directly.

"Guys...we're a team and a team shouldn't hide things from each other. It's me, remember? Whatever it is I promise I won't get mad."

Donald and Goofy noticed Sora producing his famous optimistic smile.

"Besides you guys are like my second family. You can tell me anything!" Sora reassured.

The dog and the duck both took this as confirmation to drop the act and just tell Sora the truth. Goofy cleared his throat and gave him eyes of sympathy.

"Donald and I were wonderin' how did you get your necklace. We always seen you wear it but you never told us where you got it from." Goofy spoke.

Sora's bright expression quickly turned into a silent and surprising one. Goofy saw this and wave his hands in dismissal. "But remember you don't have to tell us if you don't want to. I know it's a personal question."

Sora stayed silent as he looked to the ground, his eyes were moving as he seemed to be in deep thought.

Donald began to get worried, "Sora..."

Sora lifted his face to show a small but weak smile. "My father gave me this necklace..."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other with worrisome eyes then focused back on Sora. Sora leaned his back on the back of his chair, his arms were crossed, and his right leg was slightly over his left leg.

The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "My father was a world traveler..."

ooo

Four-year-old Sora ran across the warm sand with his best friend Riku, who was slightly in front of him. The two boys ran towards the wooden ledge where a small boat resided. A man was squatted on one knee, unhooking the tight rope that was wrapped around one of the poles. Sora smiled, instantly knowing who it was.

"Dad!"

The man turned around to find extra weight flung upon his chest. Riku stood close by, catching his breath from all that running.

The older man smiled, patting his son on the back. "Hey, buddy."

Sora pulled away, causing his father's necklace to swing a little. It was a crown necklace.

Sora's father stood up and stared at the two boys. "You two ready to head back?"

The two boys nodded in confirmation. They all returned to the main island on the small boat. When they got back the sun has fully set and the nightly stars were making their appearance.

"And there was a pretty blue-haired lady, even though I didn't know what she was talking about. Then it was this other guy with big pants and-" A yawn interrupted Sora's rambling. Riku yawned soon after, like a domino effect.

Sora's father patted his son on his head. "Okay buddy, I hear ya, but it looks like you need some sleep."

Sora nodded as he began to rub his drowsy eyes. "Yeah, I'm really sleepy..."

They came across the side entrance that led to the main island. Sora's father turned to Sora with a small smile. "After we drop Riku off we will head straight home. So just hang tight, alright?"

ooo

Sora's mother was waiting for them on the front porch. She smiled brightly as she saw her child and husband come home safely.

"Welcome home you two!" she greeted.

Sora waved lazily as he yawned more and more. "Hey, mama..."

Sora's mother bent down to her son's level, caressing his little brown locks. "Looks like it's time for someone to go to bed." she smiled softly at him.

Sora nodded silently.

Sora's dad picked up the boy, carrying him to his room. Sora's mother turned to her husband, "Hey, can I speak to you when you put him to sleep?"

Sora's dad looked at her with his side eye and nodded in agreement. "Sure."

ooo

"Mika, I have to do this. I thought you knew this!"

"I know! God, I know! But you just came back three months ago. Now you're leaving again!?"

Sora woke up to the sound of his mother and father speaking downstairs. They must be yelling for him to hear them from all the way upstairs in his room. Sora rubbed the fatigue out of his left eye with his knuckles. But he stopped as soon as he heard his father spoke.

"Mika, as long as we have known each other you had no problem with this. Why now are you bothered by it?" Sora's father spoke in irritation.

"Because we have a kid now! Do you know how hard it is to tell Sora, "Oh, I don't know, sweetheart." every time he asks when you are coming back? Do you know how bad I feel when Sora gets disappointed or sad every time he comes home and you are not here!?"

Sora's father stayed silent, causing tension in the air.

"And lately...you've been going to dangerous places. Last time, you came home with a scar and didn't even tell me until I confronted you about it. I..." Mika began to break down crying. Sora's pure heart broke a little as he heard her muffled weeping.

No one wants to hear their mother, the strongest person they know, to cry. Sora wanted to go out of his room and rush downstairs to hug his mama. But he didn't want to make his parents think he was eavesdropping, so he stayed put under his baby blue covers.

Sora couldn't really make out exactly what they were saying. But he heard his father speak to his mother in a soft tone. Hearing words like "I'm sorry..." and "It's okay..." while his mom cried quietly.

"I don't want to lose you, Lucas..." His mother said.

"You won't Mika...you won't. I promise you." Sora's father reassured.

ooo

About an hour later Sora slid out his bed, seeing that the close was clear. The young boy opened his door slowly, making sure the creaks from the door didn't make too much noise. He tiptoed past his parents' room, where he heard his mother little snores.

He went downstairs towards the living room. It was almost pitch black if it wasn't for the kitchen light.

Sora crept around all the furniture and made his way to the kitchen. When he walked in, he saw his father at the kitchen table writing something down in some sort of journal.

"Dad..." Sora spoke, getting his attention. Lucus look at his son in surprise, but he put his pen down and turned towards his son. "Sora, why are you up so late? It's 11 o clock. That's way past your bedtime." Lucus scolded.

Sora fiddled with his fingers while looking down at the floor. "Well, I woke up to you and mama talking earlier and I can't go back to sleep."

Lucus furrowed his eyebrows with his blue eyes softening from concern. "So, you heard all of that huh?"

Sora moved his head up to him innocently. "I'm sorry."

Lucus smiled gently, "It's okay son, we didn't mean to wake you. Your mother and I just had a disagreement, that's all. We were pretty loud so it's not like you could of drown us out."

He opened his arms out to him. "C'mere."

Sora slowly walked towards his father and allowed him to pick him up and place him on his lap.

His father's crown necklace reflected off of the dim kitchen light. Sora stared at it as his little blue eyes saw it shining slightly.

"Something on your mind?" Lucus spoke, breaking the silence. Sora looked up at him, "Dad, are you really leaving again?"

Lucus expression changed to him slightly frowning. He shifted Sora's weight on his leg to keep him from falling. "Yes. But it won't be for long. I promise I will be back before you know it."

Sora looked down, shielding his eyes from his father that shown disappointment. He felt a large hand patting on his disheveled hair, ruffling it softly.

"How does this sound? How about I take you out for ice cream before I depart. What do you say, huh?" his father proposed.

Sora's head perked up.

Lucus smirked, "We can get your favorite. You can't say no to Salted Caramel."

Sora gasped in excitement.

"Can I get it with sprinkles too!?" Sora asked.

Lucus chuckled, "Whatever you want buddy."

ooo

Mika and Sora were standing on the part of the beach where everyone went to travel to the side island. Lucus was finishing placing his things on the medium-sized boat.

When he was done, he turned to say his goodbyes to his family. He hugged his wife and kissed her on her lips then her forehead. "I love you. I'll be back soon."

Mika looked up at her husband, her eyes showing nothing but love and a hint of worry. "I love you too. Be safe."

Lucus bent down to Sora's level and patted his head. "I see you later little man."

Sora hugged his father, burying his face into his chest. After about a minute later Sora pulled back, causing his father's necklace to rock back and forth. The chains made a gentle noise as he stood up.

"You're officially the man of the house now. So, make sure you try to keep your mother safe. Understand?"

Sora nodded with a smile, "Yes sir."

Lucus smiled brightly as his soft brown hair flew from the heavy wind. His crystal blue eyes, that Sora took after, shined as the reflected from fallen sun rays.

"I love you son."

ooo

Twelve-year-old Sora was sweeping up all of the dirt that was on the floor. Having a summer job at the local flower shop had its perks. All Sora had to do was sell flowers, sweep the floor, and make sure the flowers were arranged nicely. Plus, if he worked hard enough, he gets to get off early to go hang with his friends.

As soon as Sora placed the dirt in the trash bin, he heard the store bell ring. Placing the broom on the wall, Sora turned to see someone who caught him by surprise. A girl with short red hair stepped in. She had on a rose-pink shirt and purple overall shorts with purple sandals. The young girl smiled sweetly, causing Sora's stomach to drop.

"Hi, Sora!" Kairi greeted.

Sora cleared his throat and sat up from the wall.

"H-Hey Kairi." his voiced cracked.

He mentally facepalmed, his voice tends to crack when he gets nervous.

Curse his puberty.

Kairi chuckled as she looked around at the row of flowers. The pink Azaleas and the yellow Daffodils caught her attention since she looked at them in awe. "Wow, these are so beautiful."

Sora smiled; he was trying to calm down his warm cheeks.

He began to daze at Kairi as she admired the flowers.

"That wasn't the only thing that was beautif-"

"So...will you be able to get off early today?"

Kairi broke Sora out of his deep thought. He leaned his back on the front desk. Every time he was with Kairi he would always get self-conscious. The pre-teen had dust lingering on his blue apron, so he brushed it off quickly before answering her.

"Uh...I don't know. Keiko isn't even here right now. Even though work is kinda slow today and I'm done with everything I'm supposed to do." Sora responded.

The store bell chimed again. The two pre-teens turned to see a woman, who looked like she was in her late 20's, walk inside.

Sora smirked, "There she is."

The young woman smiled while looking around at her flower shop.

"Looks like I can trust you with the shop while I'm gone. Nice job kid!" Keiko complimented.

Kairi waved, "Hey Keiko!"

Keiko waved back, "Well hello there Kairi. Oh! Did you get a haircut?"

Kairi chuckled, "Yeah my long hair was getting annoying, so I decided to just chop it really short."

"Wow, it looks really good. Not many girls can pull that look off." Keiko complimented.

Kairi face beamed, "Thank you!"

Keiko stared at Sora, knowing he had a major crush on Kairi. Twelve-year-old boys were so obvious when it comes to liking a girl.

"Isn't that right Sora?" Keiko smirked mischievously. Sora shot daggers towards his boss, knowing exactly what she was doing. Those daggers soon became soft when Kairi turned towards him for his response.

"Y-Yeah it lo-looks nice..." his voice cracked again.

Curse his puberty.

Keiko chuckled as Kairi blushed in appreciation. Kairi turned to Keiko while clasping her hands behind her back. "Um...Keiko, is it okay for Sora to get off work early? I would like to hang out with him before the summer festival begins." Kairi made sure to say it in the sweetest voice possible.

Keiko looked around and noticed that it was a slow day. She sighed then smiled towards the kids. "Ah what the heck. You seem to have done everything for today. I guess I can let you go."

Sora jaw dropped at how Kairi easily did that with one simple request.

"What! I have to practically get on my knees and beg for you to let me off early. But she does it in one try." Sora whined. Keiko chuckled, "Probably because Kairi asks nicely and doesn't annoy me about it, unlike someone I know."

"Hey!" Sora said.

"Kid, just go and have fun. I would leave as soon as possible because I'm known to quickly change my mind with things." Keiko warned.

With that, Sora was out of there with Kairi in less than a minute.

ooo

Sora and Riku were walking together after dropping Kairi home. They all went to the annual summer festival that Destiny Islands has every June 14th. The two boys were walking on the dusty trails; the bright street lights illuminated the dark night.

"Wow, that festival was so fun!" Sora gleamed. Riku finished his ice cream, throwing the paper cup in the nearby trash can. "Sora, you say that every year..."

Sora stretched his arms out with a contented smile on his face. "Yeah, I know, but it's true!"

A comfortable silence fell between them until Riku look over at his cheerful best friend. Sora was quietly humming a song as he placed his hands behind his head.

"Say Sora..."

Sora turned his head to Riku with a curious look. "Hmm?"

"Is your dad coming back soon?" Riku asked.

Sora stopped in his tracks as he stared at the night sky. "Hopefully. He usually comes back home around the summertime."

Riku hummed in response. "He's been gone for four months. I haven't seen him since Paopu day last February."

Sora nodded with a small frown, "Yeah..."

The comfortable silence soon became awkward for Riku since he didn't mean to dim the bright mood Sora was in. He was trying to find other things to talk about to change the conversation until Sora turned to him.

"Hey, Riku..."

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sora you tell me everything. Of course, you can."

Sora was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "I want to travel the world like my dad."

Riku eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really?"

Sora nodded, "But, you are the only one I told so don't tell anyone."

"Your secret is safe with me. So, you want to be a world traveler or something?"

"I don't know yet, I just want to go to different places and come back with stories to tell as he does with me."

Riku smirked, "Hey, you want to know a secret."

Sora faced him, "What?"

"I want to travel to different worlds too. This island is boring, it's nothing to do here. I always admired your dad when he comes back with cool stories about his adventures."

Sora smiled; he can always depend on Riku to have a great conversation with.

"Sora...one day let's leave this island and see the world together. You, me, and Kairi."

Sora chuckled and patted his best friend's back.

"You know it."

ooo

Sora opened the door of his home, walking in the bright living room. His mother stood up from the couch, happy that her son was home safe.

"Hey, honey! How was the festival?" she asked with a sweet smile.

Sora closed the door behind him. "It was cool."

Mika chuckled and shook her head. She assumes Sora is at that age where he doesn't really want to talk about things in detail. Sora sat down on the couch next to her. The local news was playing on the TV.

"Are you still hungry? I ordered pizza and there's some in the fridge." His mother said.

Sora shook his head, "Nah. Me, Kairi, and Riku ate burgers so I'm good."

His mother nodded her head and began surfing through channels.

After about half an hour of them chatting and watching TV, Sora began to yawn. His eyes kept closing and opening quickly, trying his hardest not to fall asleep.

His mother noticed this and decide to turn off the TV. "Okay buddy, it looks like that festival has you all worn out. How about we head to bed?"

Sora agreed sleepily, lifting his body, that felt heavy with exhaustion, from the couch.

Sora and his mother went upstairs, walking in each of their rooms after telling each other goodnight. As soon as the tired boy got close enough to his bed, he allowed his body to fall on the soft blue comforter.

As Sora tried to sleep, he tossed and turned a little bit due to his heart feeling suddenly anxious. His heart has been acting like this since he walked home with Riku and Kairi. He dismissed it earlier but now the feeling was getting stronger and stronger. Sora groaned when he failed to make it go away, he hates when he feels something and can't do anything to stop it.

He deeply sighed, "Why am I feeling like this...?"

Thankfully, the cool air and distant sounds of the ocean waves forced his eyes to close, making him surrender to slumber.

ooo

Sora woke up, the rising sun blurred his vision.

"Hmmmh." Sora groaned.

He rubbed the fatigue from his eyes and sat on the edge of his bed. The house was silent, but it was a weird feeling in the air, and the anxiousness from his heart still didn't go away.

Sora decided that he probably just needs to freshen up and take a long hot shower to shake this feeling off. After he did so, he felt better physically but the feeling still didn't leave his heart. He dried off his body and threw on some khaki pants. He slid on a large red shirt that was kind of too big for his body frame. He began to smooth out the small wrinkles in his shirt until he heard a loud scream.

"NOOO!" his mother screamed.

The sound of glass breaking was heard right after.

His mother's loud cries robbed the silence in the house. The feeling in Sora's heart took over his whole body as his hands began to shake. He rushed downstairs to see what was going on.

And at that moment his life changed forever.

The front door was opened. His mother was on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Her broken coffee cup was shattered near her on the ground. There was a man standing before her had a pained and deeply apologetic look on his face. Sora recognized him to be one of his father's close friends. His hat sat upon his chest, muttering nothing but "I'm sorry..." over and over.

Sora felt stuck.

Stuck in time.

A wave of emotions washed over him. Sadness, anger, fear, confusion all swirling within his heart. His cheeks began to feel wet and he couldn't feel his legs.

"Is this a bad dream? A nightmare? This wasn't real. No way. Get real... Dad was in an awesome far away land right now, having adventures that he will tell him when he comes back home. He was sleeping and this is a bad dream." All of these thoughts of denial swam through Sora's mind.

He was sleeping

He was sleeping.

This is just a bad dream.

He was sleeping

He was dreaming.

He was sleeping.

Dreaming...

Bad Dream.

Bad...

Dream.

Reality.

This was reality...

This was...

Dad.

Dad was dead.

Dad.

Dad is gone.

Dad is gone.

ooo

After the funeral, Sora needed time away from everyone with their pity and condolences. Practically the whole town and all of Dad's side of the family came to the funeral. A bunch of the people who came was now with his mother at their house. He was thankful for them for looking after his mother. Since all the pain she felt this past week drove her to the point of feeling numb and mentally detached.

Sora had to look after her ever since they received the news. She would speak when spoken to but only in short sentences. She would often stare into space as her mind begin to wander off. And sometimes Sora would hear her burst into tears and weep in the middle of the night. Sora gave her space, all the while cooking for both her and himself, and comforted her when she cried at night. It was a rough time for the young boy, as would any twelve-year-old in this situation.

But this was his mother; she just loss the love of her life, her best friend, and the father of her child. She has every right to grieve and someone needs to look after her. After all, she's all the family he has now.

As for Sora, he has not truly grieved at all really. Mainly because he doesn't have time to. He is the man of the house now and he's too busy watching over his mother. Keiko told him to take all the time he needed and to not come back to work for at least three weeks. So, he just sits at home and makes sure his mother and the house are okay.

He'll grieve later.

Kairi and Riku decided to take Sora to the play island since no adults were over there. Also, it was a quiet getaway from the main island. They all were near the big slanted tree, still wearing their black funeral attire.

Riku laid his back on the bottom of the tree, taking off his tie from his tux and throwing it on the sand. Kairi was comforting Sora by hugging him, rubbing her hand across his back. She had a simple black dress with small black heels.

Sora slightly laid slumped in her arms, too mentally weak to hug her back. He left his black jacket from his tux at his house so he was just in his white dress shirt. He wanted to cry in Kairi's shoulder but surprisingly enough the tears couldn't come.

It irritated Sora because this was a chance to finally let out all of his grief. Everyone else was looking after his mother so he can finally cry to his heart's content if he wanted to. But his eyes couldn't bring the tears to fall down his cheeks. Even when he felt a huge lump in his throat. Even when his heart felt chained with unbearable sadness. The tears couldn't come.

Something within him still holds this obligation to "stay strong" and hold it all in. Even when he wasn't taking care of his mother he can't seem to let his emotions spill out. Riku and Kairi understood this and knew Sora just needed time to process this whole situation. They both know he'll let out all of his bottled emotions when the time is right.

The kids heard footsteps coming from the small wooden bridge. They all turn around to see a man walk towards them, with his eyes leaning on Sora. Sora pulled away from Kairi and instantly recognized him. "Mr. Nakamura..."

Mr. Nakamura greeted a small smile to the kids. "Some really great friends you got here."

He turned to both Kairi and Riku, "Thank you for watching over him. He's really going to need you guy's comfort and support more than ever from now on."

"Yes, sir." Riku simply said.

Kairi shook her head up and down, understanding.

"Do you guys mind me borrowing Sora for just a few minutes? I would like to speak to him about something important."

Both of them nodded and left the area, leaving just Sora and Mr. Nakamura near the slanted tree. Sora looked at the sand that was gently moving due to the wind.

"So, what's up?" Sora asked. His tone was polite but a hint of gloominess was heard in his voice. Mr. Nakamura sighed and walked closer towards him.

"Look son...I'm not going to rush you and say you need to cry or grieve right away. Especially when you have your mother and everything else to worry about. But I do want you to at least take one day out of each week just to have time for yourself. Whatever day it is, just spend it alone and worry for yourself and grieve if you need to. That is my best approach to dealing with losing a loved one."

Sora stayed silent but he nodded, understanding.

"I know you are taking care of your mother but you have to remember you are only twelve years old. So don't try to overstress yourself about her. I'll be here to help you with that until you guys can get back on your feet."

The muscle tension in Sora's throat grew bigger as his face got warm.

"Thank you, sir."

The kind man nodded. "Oh yeah, and I want you to have this." He pulled out a silver necklace that had a crown pendant. The chains made little noises due to the heavy wind.

Sora was surprised when he saw it, instantly recognizing it as his father's famous necklace. "This is the last remnant of him, and I feel like as his son you should have it. Whether you decide to wear it or not, at least keep it with you. So, he can be near you in spirit."

Sora walked up, eyeing the crown necklace that was flowing gently in the wind. He grabbed the chains and took it from Mr. Nakamura's grasp.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Sora said with gratitude. Mr. Nakamura smiled as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"Your welcome, son."

ooo

Eleven months have passed. Sora, 13-years-old, just finished studying for his end of the year exams. The boy was only in the 8th grade and he already wanted to drop out of school for good.

Sure, he should have studied beforehand and not procrastinated until the night before exams. And yes, he shouldn't have goofed around the whole time when Kairi had a study session with him, her, and Riku. But it was 8 in the evening and all of this information was beginning to look like random words swimming in tomato soup.

After about five more minutes of trying to comprehend his various study guides, he closed his textbooks and called it quits for today. The brunette walked to his bed and fell face forward on his comforter. He turned his head on his left side, where his window was.

His father's necklace was laying on the ledge. The crown pendant shined from the falling moonlight. Sora shifted his weight so he can analyze it. Ever since Mr. Nakamura gave him it to him about a year ago, it just sat idly on the edge of his window. His hand reached over and held it by the chain, making the crown pendant do a 180 degree turn back and forth.

Using both of his hands he took it and place it over his head. It rested on his neck and the cold metal gave his skin small goosebumps. The boy walked over to his mirror and took a deep breath. He made a little smile as he noticed it looked good on him.

"Sora the pizza is here!" he heard his mother call from downstairs.

"Coming, mom!" Sora replied.

Sora felt a sense of warmth forming within his chest.

He placed his hand on the warm spot and looked up to the ceiling. "I hope you are watching over us."

Soon after he went downstairs and had dinner with his mother. They enjoyed each other's company as they watched and laughed at movies together.

ooo

The next morning Sora waited outside in front of Kairi's house. She came out with a textbook in her hand. After she closed her door, Kairi rushed over to Sora, who greeted her with his flashing smile.

"You ready for exams?" Kairi greeted. Sora scratched the back of his head, chuckling nervously. Kairi sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Sora..." she groaned.

She soon noticed the accessory that he was around his neck. It was the crown necklace that his father used to wear. Kairi stared at it closely, making Sora blush a little.

"You're wearing his necklace." Kairi gave a small smile. Sora touched it as he looked down to examine it. "Yeah, I figure he'd want me to wear it."

"Well, it looks good on you." Kairi complemented. Red colored Sora's cheeks as he processed what she just said. He turned his head towards the ground, trying to avoid her soft blue eyes.

"T-Thanks..."

"Sora are you sick? Your face is all red."

"No, just spring allergies." he lied.

ooo

Sora, 15-years-old, came back home a week ago after defeating Xemnas. Once again, he restored peace in the worlds, saving them from falling prisoner to the darkness. Throughout the week he rekindled with his mother and old friends from the island. Also with him catching up everything that happened on the island while he was gone.

Since it was Sunday and things have calmed down, he decided to take today for himself. He took Mr. Nakamura's words to heart, after all these years, and he decided to spend his Sunday alone.

He took a shortcut in the small woods so he wouldn't have to walk through town. He had a bouquet of yellow and orange Marigolds in his hand that he bought from Keiko's flower shop.

Soon he stumbled upon a sign that was carved in stone.

Destiny Islands Graveyard

He took a deep breath and proceeded on forward through the entrance. His eyes searched through all of the names on the various tombstones until his father's tombstone caught his eye.

Lucus Hikari.

A lover, a father, a friend, an adventurer.

A man who always faced his fears.

May his soul rest in peace.

This was carved on his tombstone.

Sora could tell his mother visited recently because there were fresh red roses sitting in a tall glass vase filled with water.

"Hey, Dad..." Sora spoke.

He placed the marigolds right next to the roses and sat down on the green grass, right next to his tomb. Sora looked up at the passing clouds as they moved slowly in the blue sky.

He smiled.

"I went on all of these adventures for the past year. I been to all kinds of different worlds and met all kinds of people."

The wind blew, gently whistling within the quiet atmosphere.

"I always wondered why did you become a traveler. Why you went on these crazy adventures just to tell me stories about it. Why you went out of your way to bring back souvenirs every time you came home. Why you'd constantly put your life at risk just to live out your dream."

The trees shook its branches back and forth, causing the summer green leaves to twirl to the ground.

"Ever since I got separated from Riku and Kairi, I was able to wield the Keyblade and on this crazy adventure just to bring them back home. And you know what? I feel like I finally understand what you felt. The rush, the thrill, the anxiousness, the fear, the satisfaction. Everything. I finally understand why you did it."

Sora touched his necklace as the metal shined brightly.

"And I always have you with me. So, your dreams will never die because I'm continuing them for you. Your dreams have become a part of mine and I feel you here with me, every step of the way. On every adventure. Even right here I sense you here with me."

The sun peaked from the shielding clouds, sprinkling its light upon Sora and his father's tomb.

"I love and miss you, dad. Thank you for everything."

ooo

Sora smiled gently as he caressed the crown necklace. The gentle sound of its chains swinging was the only thing breaking the heavy silence. Soon Sora's cheeks began to feel wet, causing him to gasp in surprise. Taking his hand, he caressed his cheek, feeling liquid on his fingertips.

He's crying.

The tears coming from Sora's eyes became like a tiny river as flowed down his face. Even though he couldn't stop the tears coming from his eyes he still gave a small smile to Donald and Goofy. Both of his teammates gave him the most sympathetic expressions after hearing his story.

Sora's blurred vision saw this and chuckled a little. He tried to stop the mini river of tears running across his cheeks. "Guys don't look so sad, that was a long time ago and I accepted the fact that-"

He was interrupted as he felt Donald's embrace him, hugged his bottom half. Sora mouth began to quiver a little, "Donald..."

Jiminy jumped on his shoulder and hugged the right side of his neck. The heat on Sora's face became stronger as he looked at the cricket, "Jiminy..."

Goofy was the last to walk up to Sora and hugged him, patting his back softly.

"G-Goofy..." Sora's voice cracked out.

Sora couldn't hold it in any longer as the tears on his face slid down non-stop. He took off the protective cap on his bottled emotions and wept uncontrollably. His body felt weak so he leaned on Donald and Goofy for support.

The boy cried his heart out as Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy all gave him emotional support, silently embracing him.

After all these years all the emotions Sora felt after his father's death was released as each tear fell to the ground.

The sadness he locked away for the sake for his loved ones, his mother and his friends, finally came out. Breaking out of his eyes and mouth as he grieved.

All of the hurt his heart felt since he was twelve-year-old came loose, untangling the strain it had on the young boy's heart.

Soon Sora's cries calmed down into small sniffles. Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy continued to hug him until he had no tears left to shed.

ooo

The next morning, they landed in a new world, called the Kingdom of Corona. Sora walked along with Donald and Goofy in the beautiful forest, examining the new environment. The forest had this charm to it due to the gorgeous flowers, pleasant weather, and the melodic sounds of the chirping birds.

Sora stopped in his tracks and stared down at his necklace. Touching it lightly he smiled as his heart finally felt free from his caged grief. He clasped it in his palm and look upwards at the blue, cloudy sky.

"Dad, watch over me," Sora spoke.

"Sora!"

The brunette looked over to see Donald and Goofy waiting for him in the distance.

"C'mon slowpoke, let's go!" Donald called out.

Sora flashed an apologetic smile. "Coming!"

Sora joined up with his teammates as they explored the vibrant forest. His father was on the back of his mind as Sora's eyes took in this new world.

"Your dreams are mine. As long as I have this necklace, you will always be right here with me." he thought to himself.

Sora smirked when he felt a comforting presence near him as he began his next adventure.

Whew! That was a tear jerker. Thank you if you made it to the end, I knew this was a long one. Please review and favorite if you want to show your support!

The time period of this story is in between when Sora, Donald, and Goofy are coming from the last world (could be from Twilight Town or Toy Box, however you played it) to the Tangled World (Kingdom of Corona). So if you played KH3 you should have an idea of the time period that this story happened between.

Author's Notes

This might be long so you can skip if you want to.

As I was writing this I felt a little sad that I was doing my baby boy Sora like this. But I feel as though it needed to be done, I felt like Sora needed some anime-level backstory sorrow so I did what I had to do.

I just feel like he's so happy and cheerful 90% of the time so I wanted him to feel true depression and the pressures of "staying strong" as a young boy. I actually applauded KH3 when they made (SPOILERS) Sora broke down during the Keyblade War and what Xehanort did to Kairi. I commended them because I feel like he needs to feel true sadness and negative emotions.

Don't get me wrong I love Sora with all my heart and soul, but I want him to have more character development in future games. KH3 was cool and all with shaping his character but I think Square can really go further in shaping his character for the better. And also explain some things about him like his backstory before KH1, things like the origin of his necklace, who his parents are and his upbringing. I guess I just have to wait and see what they do with my sunshine boy lol. I just hope Nomura and Square do something like this if they explain anything of Sora's necklace.

This story started off as a random headcanon I thought of while playing KH3 and it was stuck in my head so I decided to write it out. Ever since KH2 I always wondered the story behind Sora's Necklace. Like how did he get it? Where did it come from? He didn't have it on when he was a kid in BBS. So what happened in his life to make him have it? Like I said before I'm curious about a lot of things about Sora.

Fun little fact the I got the idea of Sora working at a flower shop from playing Persona 5. I absolutely love that game, even though I was really late to the P5 hype party but yeah I made Joker work at the flower shop during my 1st playthrough. There's something attractive to me about guys working at a flower shop idk. But yeah a little author's insight.

If some of ya'll don't know, I am the author of the stories, "Key Brothers" and "KH3: A Better Conclusion", and I would really appreciate it if you check those out! They are both KH stories so it would be awesome if you showed it some love!

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Thank you so much for reading and I wish you a beautiful day or night, wherever you may live.

"Carrying around a little hurt can't be all that bad. Hurting is part of caring." -Sora, Kingdom Hearts 3

-NinjaQueen33