A/N: Hello, Lunar Abyss here, and welcome to the Take My Hand series! A quick note to start off: this entire story has been rewritten from its original run when it was previously known as An Extra Heart. I began writing the original story when I was a naive and cringeworthy 11 year old, and everything from the spelling to the very Mary-Sue OC reflected that. I had put this series on the back-burner until the release of KH3, which sparked my motivation to write once more. However, if I wanted to create a proper and engaging story I could be proud of, a rewrite was definitely in order. Thus, here we are.

This story is, at its core, the retelling of Kingdom Hearts with my original character, Akira, along with the additions and changes she brings to the overall KH universe. If you enjoy "retell KH with OC" stories, then I hope you enjoy this one as well. Happy reading!

"Sir, we are going to have to ask you to stay in the waiting room."

"No, I cannot possibly-"

"Please calm down, sir, we are doing everything we can."

"But, that's my daughter! She is all I have left... please..."

"I assure you, we have the best doctor and nurses on the Islands tending to her; she is in good hands. What did you say her name was, again?"

"...Akira."

"WHOA!"

"Wha-"

First came the crash, then came the pain. She didn't normally fall off the bark of the paopu tree where she took her afternoon naps, but if Sora would scream any louder, they'd hear him two worlds over.

"...ouch," she groaned as she rubbed her shoulder and shuffled herself into a sitting position. Thankfully, her shoulder had taken the blunt of the hit rather than her head, but it didn't make it any less painful. How loud did that crazy kid scream? She had never been startled awake to the point where she would actually fall off the tree; the only plausible solutions were that Sora's dreams were becoming more lucid, or he was beginning to lose his mind. The former made more sense, but the latter gave her fuel to tease him with.

The latter it is, then. He may give her the stink eye for a few hours, but he'd never take it to heart. None of them did. After all, that's just what best friends do, isn't it?

Akira smiled softly as she raised her eyes to the cloudless celeste sky, closing her lids as the sun warmed her face and the spray of salt water washed away what was left of sleep in her eyes. To the average person, the Destiny Islands were a tropical paradise of white sand, clear skies and blue waters. To her, they were the place she called home, where she spent countless hours laughing and playing with her closest friends as they navigated through school, extracurriculars, and daily teenage life. And to one boy in particular, the islands were a prison surrounded by water; although that wouldn't be the case for long...

"Sora, you lazy bum!"

Akira snapped out of her trance the moment a plucky, feminine voice rang through the air. She almost expected Kairi's fake annoyed voice after Sora's shriek; this scene had occurred so many times before, it was almost like déjà vu. "Well, I guess I'd better see what's going on," she thought to herself as she rose to her feet, dusting off whatever debris remained on her shorts.

The paopu fruit tree she loved to take her daily afternoon naps on was one of several tropical trees that littered the islet overlooking one of the two main islands that comprised Destiny Islands. The largest one held the town and its inhabitants, along with the schools, hospitals, shops, homes, and every other town essential one could imagine, although Akira was never fond of the poorly maintained basketball court at the community centre. In fact, she wasn't fond of much on the main island other than her house, or perhaps the corner pet store with that adorable Border Collie puppy in the window. And she wasn't alone in her indifference; the youngsters of Destiny Islands had their eyes on something more unusual...

On clear sunny days, after school, or on days when they needed a break from daily life, the kids of Destiny Islands made the trip to the smaller of the two islands, unused by the town but a veritable tropical pleasure ground. The coconut trees towered high, the waterfalls crashed with fresh, clear spring water, and the beach was large enough to host blitzball games and play-battle matches, where they would cheer and celebrate the young duelists and rallied for their victories. Over the years, the children and teens that visited this playground made it into the paradise it was today, building wooden ladders, bridges, shacks and ramps while giving the small island life and activity. Of course, nothing beat the paopu tree's large horizontal bark; some would disagree, but all it needed was a pillow and Akira would stay there forever.

Well, until Sora's screaming would wake her up. Although, it had started to be an increasingly common occurrence lately.

She rubbed her right eye with her finger as she paced down the wooden bridge that connected the islet to the seaside shack, grinning at the scene that unfolded before her. Oh boy, Sora was in trouble now...

"I knew I'd find you snoozing down here," Kairi said with a laugh as she hovered over the spiky-haired boy.

"Gimme a break, Kairi," Sora responded with a smile of his own.

"What have I said about eating candy before bed?" she asked with a sly pout, placing her hands on her hips.

"I really don't think that's the reason."

"Then what is?" Akira asked. She had finally caught up to them and casually sat herself on the sand beside Sora, grinning slyly at the auburn-haired girl that remained on her feet.

"I-I don't know!," Sore stuttered nervously as the two girls stared him down, "But it can't be that; it just doesn't make any sense."

"Sounds like you're looking for excuses to avoid cutting your junk food intake," Akira quipped, "You know, you screamed so loudly, I fell off my tree!"

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be sleeping on such unstable surfaces."

"At least I don't yell in my sleep."

"Guys, guys," Kairi managed to say amidst her giggling, making a soothing motion with her hands, "It's alright! I'm sure Sora's dream must have been absolutely terrifying to merit that kind of a reaction."

"Of course it was!" Sora said as he picked himself up into a kneel, "This huge, black thing swallowed me up! I couldn't breathe, I couldn't – Ow…"

Kairi had taken a good whack at Sora's head, interrupting his ramble as Akira chuckled at his misfortune. "Are you still dreaming?" she asked pointedly.

"It wasn't a dream!" he pressed, still unsure of himself, "Or was it? I don't know…"

Akira suddenly gasped. "Wait until Riku hears about this!"

"You had better not tell him!" he growled in response as she giggled at his expense.

"I wonder what he'd say..." Kairi said as she placed a finger on her cheek.

"Not you too!" Sora whined.

Kairi moved her hand to cover her mouth as she laughed, smiling at the now very desperate-looking boy. As the girls' laughter died down, she slowly paced towards the rolling tide, gazing at the horizon as she pressed her lips into a smile.

"Say Kairi," Sora asked, "What was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up."

"Is that how you're going to change the subject?" Akira snorted.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Am I not allowed to be curious?"

"Curiosity isn't the problem. You've asked her this question a million times, and she's told you a million times that she doesn't remember."

"What's your story, then?"

"I... uh..."

For as long as she could remember, she had always looked up to the skies of the Destiny Islands, but Sora and Riku had a different story; they distinctly remembered her arrival on the islands ten years prior, accompanied by her father on a bleak and rainy night. She had no reason to disbelieve them; her father had confirmed that very truth to her multiple times. Yet, no matter how much she pondered and racked her brain, she couldn't pull up even the haziest memory of her previous life. Asking her father was out of the question; the pain in his eyes and the sadness in is voice as he dismissed her questions was enough to discourage her from ever asking again. He was a very cheerful and positive man, and an excellent father. But the subject of their previous life always washed the smiles off his face and buried the joy in his voice. As for her mother... the phrase 'She died many years ago' was all she ever got out of him. She had so many questions when she was younger but as the years went by, rejected question after rejected question, she came to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to know any more than that. After all, what did it matter? She had three amazing friends, lived on beautiful islands, and had a loving and doting father; did she really need anything more?

Although, when they proposed building a raft to sail the seas and see the outside world, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of curiosity. What if they do find where she came from... what would she find? What would her father think?

Sora nervously looked to the ground as Akira remained silent beside him, pondering over the thoughts that ran through her mind. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up," he said.

Akira shook her head. "It's fine, really. I don't remember anything."

"Yup. We're in the same boat aren't we?" Kairi chirped as she walked over to her seated friend, "But, even though I'm happy here, I wouldn't mind seeing where I grew up... and I'm sure you feel the same way too."

Akira smiled softly and nodded towards Kairi as Sora adjusted himself in his spot, relaxing his arm on his bent knee. "I want to see them too!" he said, perking up, "Along with all the other worlds out there. I want to see them all."

"So, what are we waiting for?" Kairi asked with a smile.

"Aren't you guys forgetting about me?"

The three of them turned their heads and gazed at the silver-haired boy that had casually strolled in on their conversation, a log the size of his arm propped over his shoulder. Riku shook his head in disbelief at how his friends couldn't be bothered to do any work, while he slaved away in the hot sun. Then again, what else was new?

"So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft," he said nonchalantly as he dropped the log onto Sora and took a seat beside him, glaring playfully at Kairi in the process, "And you're just as lazy as he is!"

"So you noticed," Kairi said with an endearing smile, "Okay, we'll finish it together. I'll race you!"

Akira audibly yawned. "Let me know who wins, then. I'm getting back to my nap."

"And you're the laziest of all!" Riku goaded, narrowing his eyes in her direction.

"Hey!" she yelled as she wrinkled her nose.

"I'm counting!" Kairi threatened, raising her arm in the air as a warning.

Sora and Riku sighed with seeming disinterest as Kairi began counting backwards from ten. Yet, as she slowly approached one, they started to feel slightly tense. Were they really going to race each other like little kids?

Of course they were.

The two boys glanced at each other before quickly rising from their spots and sprinting down the beach, with Kairi following close behind. Akira couldn't help but laugh as they kicked up the sand around her and raced down the beach towards the cove, naught but an inch of distance between them as Kairi's laughter rang through the air. Adults would chastise them when they raced through the streets; 'Is this how fourteen year-olds act?' they would call, disappointed in their lack of maturity. She shook her head as she watched them laugh and scream without a care in the world; what was so wrong with enjoying their youths? What was so wrong with cherishing their time together? Sure, her friends could be goofballs at times... but she'd never trade them for anything. Not for all the money or the riches in this world or the next.

"Hey, Akira!"

She blinked before turning her head towards the docks where the voice had come from. "Huh- oh, hi Tidus!"

The boy named Tidus flashed her a smile and propped his red play-battle stick on his shoulder. "What'cha up to?"

"Trying to figure out how to get out of working today," she responded with a chuckle as she picked herself up off the ground, "What about you? Didn't you have a blitzball game today?"

"It was cancelled, so we decided to hang out here instead." He motioned towards the docks where his friends Wakka and Selphie were tying their wooden boats to the posts. "Got a few spare minutes? Let's spar!"

Akira crossed her arms. "I'd have to borrow Sora's weapon, and I have no idea where they ran off to."

"Geez, Akira, why don't you just make your own? It can't be that hard, and you won't have to chase Sora down every time you wanted to play fight!"

She sighed and shook her head. Of course, she always had fun sparring with her friends, but she never had enough interest in it to actually make a weapon of her own to use. She'd borrow Sora or Riku's wooden swords whenever they weren't using them, but she'd much rather watch them from afar and take bets on whom would lose their cool first.

"I'll pass."

"Aw, come on!"

"She'd smoke you, brudda," the boy named Wakka said as he approached them, spinning his blitzball on his index finger, "You're not that hard to beat; even Kairi could kick your behind."

"Whose side are you on?" Tidus fumed.

"The winning side!" Wakka said with a hearty laugh, dropping his blitzball as he grabbed Tidus into a headlock and gave him a noogie.

"Can't you guys do anything other than think about fighting or blitzball for more than five minutes?" the girl named Selphie said with an accusatory tone as she approached them from behind, pointing her finger menacingly at them.

"You're one to talk," Tidus quipped as he freed himself from Wakka's clutches, "You can't go more than five minutes without talking about paopu fruits!"

Selphie blew a raspberry at the blonde-haired boy before tightening her grip on her skipping rope and stomping off towards the docks. "Hey, Akira," she greeted as she walked away, though it seemed more of an afterthought.

"Yikes, did something happen?" Akira asked.

Wakka nodded. "She blames him for what happened yesterday, and I gotta say, I kinda agree."

"Hey!" Tidus huffed, "It's not like that! Listen, we challenged Riku to a three-on-one yesterday, and he whipped us all. But she thinks it's my fault!"

"You need some more... pizzazz in your strategy," Wakka suggested, "You always run headfirst towards your target. Direct attack, I know, and I see how it can be effective, but after awhile, it gets predictable, ya? Riku knew exactly what you were going to do before the match even started."

Tidus slumped his shoulders and gave Akira a pleading look, searching for some amount of sympathy from her. Yet, she merely pressed her lips in a line and nodded. She had used his predictable movements to defeat him in their previous spars countless times, as had all the other teens on the island, though no one had the heart to tell him.

"Aw, man," he sighed in defeat, taking her silence as confirmation.

"It's okay, Tidus, you and me can practice your form today, ya?" Wakka said with a smile as he picked up his blitzball from the ground, "What about you, Akira? What're you and the others up to today?"

"We're still working on the raft," she said as she dug her hands into her pockets.

Wakka let out a hearty laugh. "Riku's working you to the bone?"

"He's a total slave-driver."

"Ha, well don't let him hear you say that."

"Maybe I should challenge Sora instead," Tidus thought out loud as he straightened his posture.

"Well, Sora has gotten stronger; he might run circles around you," Wakka warned.

Tidus waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, but he's still no match for Riku. I guess Kairi can always count on him, huh?"

He nudged his elbow into Akira's arm, earning himself an eyeroll. "You've been hanging around Selphie way too much," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Ah, come on, it was funny!" he said as he began to skip back towards the docks, "If you see Sora, tell him I challenge him to a duel!" He put an extra amount of effort to make his challenge sound threatening. Whether it actually worked was another story.

"Yeah, I'm just itching to find him and tell him," she yelled in response as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Ha, crazy kids," Wakka said with a bright grin, "Anyways, see you around, plum head."

"Yeah, see you-"

P...p...Plum head?

"Hey!" she cried.

She stood wide-eyed and mouth agape as she searched for the words that wouldn't come, watching Wakka and Tidus sprint off towards the verdant mainland as the islands echoed with their booming laughter. Plum head? Plum head? Really? No one has called her that infernal nickname since they were eight. Sure, they were just playing around and didn't mean anything rude by it but...

"This sucks," she thought to herself as she ran her index finger through her hair, "He didn't have to say it... like that..."

A screeching whistle startled her thoughts. She whirled around, releasing the tiny strand of hair that still remained wrapped around her finger. Riku smirked at the startled look on her face as he waited beside the wooden door leading to the cove. "You know, even Sora has gone back to work by now," he said as he cocked his head to the side.

She sighed heavily as she began to pace towards him, crossing her arms. "I didn't get to finish my break because of him, you know," she said with a fake smile.

"You've been on break since this morning," he answered slyly as she passed by him.

"I'm calling the labour board!" she threatened, raising a finger in the air.

"You'll have to actually do some work to be able to call the labour board," he replied as he shoved a length of rope in her hands.

She opened the door leading to the cove where they kept their raft safe from vandals and the rolling tide, giving Riku one last shifted look as she clutched the rope in her hands. "You don't pay me enough for this," she mumbled as he burst into laughter behind her.

"Who does he think he is, calling me that damn name?"

Akira angrily pulled at the rope, tugging at her shoddily done bowline knot. She was the designated knot-maker for the raft, in no part due to her father sending her to a children's sailing camp on the summer of her ninth birthday. She hated every minute of it; she counted the seconds until she was allowed to leave and come to the island to play with her friends. Well, at least it didn't completely go to waste. After all, who would've thought she'd make use of what she learned to build a raft with her friends one day?

The raft...

Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Akira had the brilliant and completely reckless idea to explore the worlds beyond their tiny island by building a raft and sailing the seas. They knew better than to tell any parents or adults about their plans; after all, they would only discourage them or forbid them from going through with it. Yet, they felt no fear or dread for the unknown. They felt only excitement and wonder. Sailing the high seas with their best friends, seeing beautiful and enchanting new worlds; it was almost impossible to contain their excitement long enough to actually build their vessel. Well, most days were filled with excitement anyways... today was not one of those days for Akira.

Normally she could tie an exquisite knot; but it wasn't such an easy task anymore when her mind was elsewhere. She yanked and pulled at the rope, twisting it every which way as she gritted her teeth in anger. How old were they anyways? Wasn't Wakka fifteen, just like Riku? You'd think they'd give up the stupid name-calling by now. Damn it!

RIP

She blinked at the sight before her, drawing in a large intake of breath before sighing heavily. Great. Just great. Excellent. "Riku!" she called.

The silver-haired boy diverted his attention from the wooden log he was painting with varnish. "What?"

With an annoyed smile, she raised both ends of the knot she was tying, ripped cleanly in half down the middle. Riku let out a laugh at the sight. "Sheesh, how did you manage that?"

"Er..." Did she really want to tell him why?

"Well, I'm sure Kairi's got a spare for you."

She nodded. "Be right back."

She rose to her feet and walked towards the door leading to the beach, destroyed rope in hand. Boy, Kairi was going to like this one...

As expected, Kairi stood on the other side of the door, clipboard and notes in hand as she directed Sora and inspected the goods he brought back. She had everything planned for their journey in that little pile of papers and kept it in close proximity at all times. She worked too long and hard on it to let it all go to waste. Akira slammed the wooden door behind her to signal her presence as Kairi inspected the cloth Sora had found to use as a sail.

"What's up, Akira?" she asked without tearing her gaze away from the cloth in her hands.

Without taking a moment to consider how she even correctly assumed who had walked through that door, Akira held up both ends of her now ripped knot. "This."

Kairi lifted her majorelle blue eyes and gazed at the rope before bursting into a fit of laughter. "What in the world happened?"

Akira sighed. "I may have kind of uh... ripped it."

Kairi's eyes grew suddenly wide. "Ripped it?" she gasped, "How?"

"I don't know! I was just tying the bowline Riku asked for and I ripped it."

"With your bare hands?"

Akira sighed deeply and leaned her back against the wooden door, gently sliding to the ground until her butt reached the floor. "Wakka called me a plum head," she mumbled.

Kairi pressed her index finger to her lip in concern. That's something she hadn't heard in a while. "Oh, Akira..." she said softly, her words failing her.

"I know he didn't mean it in a bad way, of course he wouldn't, he doesn't have a single malicious bone in his body!" Akira said quickly, hoping to make her point clear, "But..."

"It still hurts."

She looked towards the endless ocean and ran her finger through her hair once more, clutching the same strand from before between her index finger and her thumb. It's not like she chose any of this...

Akira's strange hair colour compared to those of the Destiny Islands locals was a topic of discussion since the moment she arrived on the islands ten years prior. The rest of her features were similar to any other girl her age; even her azure blue eyes matched the locals' hues of blue and green. But all they ever seemed to fixate on was her damn hair. She'd heard all speculation on its actual colour, from basic purple to Hollywood cerise pink, whatever pretentious shade that might be. She insisted on fuchsia many times, but her words tended to fall on deaf ears. People are usually... afraid of what they don't understand. When she was a child, the others would keep a steady pace away from her; as a teenager, they assumed she was a rebel who dyed her hair to stick it to the law... whatever that meant. She almost liked that they assumed she dyed it; usually, when people found out it was her natural colour, well... they didn't hang around too long.

Except for those three.

Sora was the first to approach her on their first day of kindergarten, eager to explain the community and the going-ons of her new home. Riku met her with a stern gaze at first, but showed his warm personality underneath his serious demeanor. There was a stark contrast between the welcomes she received; the other children would stare and fixate on her hair, but these two boys never paid it any attention. They made the transition into her new home so simple and seamless; it was so easy to forget the vacant stares of the locals and the confusion of having lost any previous memory prior to her arrival. She owed them so much, yet they asked for nothing in return...

And when Kairi arrived at the mayor's house two years later, she swore she wouldn't let the same happen to her.

Thankfully, Kairi's arrival was much better received than her own. Her radiant beauty was an immediate attention-grabber, while her smile and demeanor melted the locals' hearts. Although Akira was one of the first to introduce herself to the new arrival, she was quickly overcome by the swarm of people desiring an audience with the auburn-haired girl; the children crowded her during recess and after school, begging her to play with them or inviting her to their homes for dinner with their families. She could have had any pick of friends she desired, and yet...

"Hi! You said your name was Akira, right?"

To think she would pick the oddity from the crowd... then again, Kairi did always follow the beat of her own drum. She was impossible to dislike; even Sora and Riku were immediately captivated when Akira introduced them. As the years went by, their bond grew stronger. And although the nervous stares from the locals became few and far between as Akira slowly became just another resident of the islands, she never felt happier with anyone other than her three best friends. Sometimes she entertained the idea that perhaps the reason why the other residents, such as Tidus and Wakka, came to eventually accept her was because Sora, Kairi and Riku so easily can. Then again, as long as she had those three, she didn't need the world.

"You know," Kairi began after Akira's brief silence, "I didn't even notice your hair when I first met you. I noticed how friendly you were; genuinely friendly, unlike everyone else who wanted to stick to me because I was new."

"I know," Akira said with a soft smile.

"And I'm sure everyone will love you regardless of your hair colour, if you would just show them who you really are inside."

"You sound like an after-school special."

Kairi laughed as she placed her hands on her hips. "Even so, that doesn't make it any less true!"

"Yeah, but... I have you. And Sora, and Riku too. What else do I need?" Akira asked, rolling her eyes.

Her friend sighed in response. "It's true, you can always count on us to be there for you. But that doesn't mean you should shield yourself from the rest of the world. When we finally arrive in another world, who knows what we'll find! Don't you want to meet new people?"

"I suppose, but-"

"And what if we find your world? Wouldn't you want to at least get to know the locals?"

Akira blinked, pursing her lips. "I...hadn't thought of that."

Kairi sighed and sat herself on the floor as well, pulling her knees into a tight hug and resting her chin on top of them. What in the world did she need to do to convince her? At this rate, she was certain Akira would simply sit in the raft and wait for Sora, Riku and herself to finish whatever grand adventure they find in the other worlds.

Unless... yeah, that could work.

"Hey, why don't you come over for dinner tonight?" Kairi suggested all of a sudden, "We're having your favourite: pasta with clams! And then afterwards, maybe we can go through my closet and pick some nice clothes or accessories for you. What do you say?"

Akira offered her a reserved smile in response. She loved Kairi's family cooking, but was it really worth spending an evening as a mannequin? Kairi did have beautiful clothes, and was always more than willing to share them with her, but it just never felt right taking them from her, no matter how much she offered. And to be completely honest, Akira wondered if Kairi was simply looking for any opportunity to play dress up with a human-sized doll.

"That's a very nice offer, but I really can't," she responded, "What's wrong with my clothes, anyways?"

Kairi grimaced as she narrowed her eyes. "Seriously?"

She very rarely approved of Akira's fashion choices. When it came to clothing, the girls were on opposite sides of the spectrum; Kairi was always stylish and functional, while Akira was happy enough to just be functional. If she could run around the islands, climb ladders, swim, and partake in any other activity they usually passed the time with, then she never usually gave them much thought. She wore a summer yellow halter top over her purple shorts, which were somewhat hidden under a wrap of the same colour and held up with a thin belt at her waist. She also donned a functional pair of white running shoes with a pair of fingerless, red working gloves. The clothes themselves were usually fine, but the colours tended to be mismatched since she usually pulled the first clean thing she could find from her drawer; what made people take a second glance at her were her strange choice of accessories. She tied two ends of a small chain together on the left hip side of her belt, for no other reason than just to let something dangle. She also wore a black ribbon in a crisscross around her right leg, a remnant of the time she and Kairi had taken dance lessons together when they were younger. The lessons didn't last more than a year, and their dance shoes were in the town's donation box immediately after they quit; yet Akira surprisingly pulled the silky black fabric from the back of her drawer last year, and decided to give it new life. Waste not, want not, though Kairi wasn't the biggest fan of that fashion choice in particular.

"M-maybe next time?" Akira said with a nervous smile as Kairi eyed her with a pout.

"Suit yourself," Kairi responded, "But know that my closet is always open to you!"

"You're not going to give up unless I let you dress me head-to-toe, are you?"

Kairi giggled. "You know it!"

Even when she proposed the worst of pastimes, it was so hard to say 'no' to Kairi. Her sweet smile and infectious laugh charmed even the coldest of hearts; it was no surprise that everyone had such a high opinion of her. Akira softly bumped her head against the wood panel. Maybe she should take her up on her offer...

"Kairi! I brought all the stuff you asked for - oh, hey Akira."

The sound of footsteps digging into the sand interrupted their conversation as Sora came to a screeching halt before the two seated girls. "Do you need anything?" he asked the fuschia-haired teen, knowing full well Riku wouldn't let her take a break unless they needed more supplies.

Akira wordlessly lifted both ends of her ripped knot. Sora smiled nervously at the sight, scratching the back of his head. "I see... Well, luckily, I brought some more rope today. See? No harm done!"

"We were going to use this rope to tie the sail to the mast!" Kairi said pointedly, "Besides, what took you so long?"

"I... ran into Tidus."

Akira sighed heavily, understanding exactly what had happened. "Did you win?"

"Uh, well, you see..."

"You play-battled before finishing the work you had to do today?" Kairi asked in surprise.

Sora shrugged his shoulders with another nervous laugh, earning himself a long sigh from Kairi. "What am I going to do with you?" She picked up the new rope from the pile and handed it to Akira before picking up her clipboard. "Alright, Sora, go find us another rope while I inspect these things. And don't bring back another weak one! If it snaps while we're in the middle of the ocean, we're toast!"

"I know, I know," he said with a smile.

Akira wrapped the rope into loops and flung it over her shoulder. "I'll see you two later," she said as she rose from the ground.

"Alright, see you later!" Kairi said with a small wave before turning to face Sora again, "And just you wait. I've got a huge list for you tomorrow!"

"Haha, I'll get it done, Kairi."

Akira laughed under her breath as she pushed the wooden door to the cove. Their banter always filled the summer air with joy and laughter. And, no matter what world they ended up in, she was certain it would have the same effect.

The four of them worked tirelessly on their raft for the rest of the afternoon. The new rope Sora had brought was sturdier than the last, and Akira was able to finish her bowline as well as prearrange the ones she would need when she tied the sail in place tomorrow. Even Sora got a head start on his list of materials for tomorrow once Kairi had given her seal of approval on the ones he had brought that afternoon. Riku had finished applying the last coat of varnish on the mast, allowing it to dry in the afternoon sun as he swept over the raft with a final inspection. Things seemed to be falling into place as the day of their departure steadily grew closer.

That evening, they gathered together on the tiny islet overlooking the ocean, three of them sitting on the limp branch of the massive paopu fruit tree Akira had fallen off of earlier, while Riku leaned on the trunk.

"So, your homes are out there somewhere, right? Along with a bunch of other worlds," Sora began after a long silence.

"Could be. We'll never know by staying here," Riku responded.

"But how far could a raft take us?"

"Who knows. But if we have to, we'll think of something else."

"That doesn't sound dangerous at all," Akira said sarcastically.

"Got any better ideas then?" Riku asked.

She remained silent, at a loss for ideas.

Kairi sensed the tension and changed the subject. "So, suppose you get to another world. What would you do there?"

Riku snorted. He ironically didn't have any better ideas either. "You know, I haven't really thought about it. It's just… I've always wondered why we're here on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one?" The thoughts he had bottled up inside as he wordlessly worked throughout the day had finally been given form, and it felt good to finally be able to express them. "And suppose there are other worlds, then ours is just a little piece of something greater. So, we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right? That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's the same old stuff… so let's go."

Sora had shifted himself to lay down on the trunk while Akira gazed at the ocean. Both were still deciphering the word salad he had just uttered; but, his resolve was clear.

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Kairi said softly.

"It's all thanks to you," he responded, "If you haven't come here, I probably wouldn't have thought of any of this. Kairi… thanks."

She giggled in response. "You're welcome."

"I didn't make you curious about the outside world when I got here?" Akira teased.

Riku wrinkled his nose. "We were four years old. The only thing on my mind back then was playing ball."

Akira closed her eyes as the breeze picked up, blowing some leaves off the trees. Riku was the first one to propose leaving the island; for years he had been talking about some kid who left ages before they were born, though he had no concrete evidence other than the rumour mill. When Kairi arrived, his ideas grew wilder, as did his desire to leave the islands and go on an adventure; so, when he proposed the idea of taking a raft and sailing the ocean to find new worlds, they weren't surprised in the slightest. Although, they never would have guessed he had so many thoughts and feelings about it until he poured his heart out to them that evening.

They chatted about their upcoming adventures for a little while longer, making small talk as the minutes ticked by; as their curfews drew near, they began to make their way to their boats, the girls walking ahead as the boys trailed behind.

"Hey, Sora!" Riku called from behind him.

Sora turned to face his friend but was instantly met with a star-shaped fruit in his hands. "A paopu fruit?" he asked, confused by Riku's sudden gift.

"You wanted one, didn't you?" Riku teased, "If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what."

Sora was at a loss for words. He knew full well about the legendary power of the paopu fruit; it was the hottest piece of gossip on the island. But why would Riku assume he wanted one?

"Come on, I know you want to try it!" Riku laughed as he sprinted off.

Sora groaned, running to catch up with his friends. Riku always poked fun at him, but sometimes he took his teasing too far. Sora felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he blushed; luckily, nobody was there to witness the embarrassing interaction. "What a waste," he thought to himself as he tossed the fruit aside.

The group of friends worked all through the next morning and early afternoon putting the final touches on their raft. It was the day before they were scheduled to set sail, and they couldn't afford any mishaps this late in the game. The raft was mostly complete, and they spent the day gathering provisions and making final security checks on the raft.

Akira lay sprawled on the sand beside the raft, impressed with her work. She had fastened every single knot on her list. Of course, she would need to double check each one again but how could she waste such a gorgeous afternoon? She'd have more than enough time to do it before they set sail. Besides, when would be the next time she'd see this sight again...

"Taking a break?"

She hesitated for a moment, shaking the somber thought from her mind. "I deserve it," she said proudly.

"I'm sure you do," Riku said sarcastically. He lay down on the sand beside her, placing his hands behind his head and resting his leg on his bent knee.

"Since when do you take a break?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Unlike you and Sora, I do enough work to deserve one," he said with a laugh as he eyed the raft, "Well, looks like you did a good enough job."

"Thanks," she replied.

"By the way, we're naming the raft Highwind."

Akira wrinkled her nose. "Who decided that?"

"Sora and I did. We had a race this morning before you got here, and I won."

"And you didn't get on his nerves before the race at all, did you?" she emphasized. Riku had a track record of teasing Sora, who had a more sensitive heart. It was mostly light-hearted fun, but Riku sometimes carefully timed his jokes to be right before an important match or race.

"Maybe a little," he said with a grin, "I told him the winner would share a paopu fruit with Kairi."

Akira grimaced. "Ugh. That's low, even for you."

"Aw, come on, lighten up."

She rolled her eyes and raised her knees, remaining silent in an attempt to end the conversation. She couldn't care less what they named the raft, but talk of the paopu fruit and its legendary powers was abuzz on the islands, and she wanted no part in it.

Riku sensed her discomfort. "It was just a joke!"

"A paopu fruit sounds serious enough to me. Besides, wasn't the winner supposed to share it with Kairi? Are you seriously going to just march over to her and ask her to be a part of your life forever, just like that? 'Hey, Kairi! Please share this paopu fruit with me so we can be together forever!'," she said in a deep voice in an attempt to mimic his, "Are you for real?"

"Sounds like you're jealous."

"I couldn't care less."

"Of course you don't. You don't care about ANYTHING," he snarled.

Akira scowled at him before averting her gaze in a huff. As kind as he was, he could sometimes be insufferable. Absolutely, completely, positively insufferable. They sat in silence as the breeze picked up and the rolling tide splashed along the shore, filling the air with a spray of salt water. She slumped her shoulders in defeat. Damn this nice weather; she wanted to stay mad at him forever, but how could she do so when everything surrounding her was so... happy? Not to mention the sweltering sun that hung overhead; if she stayed lying on the sand any longer, she'd get a sunburn.

"What a stupid thing to argue about," he muttered under his breath as he adjusted himself into a sitting position, resting his arm on his bent knee. Seems like he also realized how trivial their argument was...

She took a deep breath as she also sat herself up, pulling her knees into a tight hug. "Yeah. This is dumb," she said softly.

"I'm sorry I yelled," he said, still keeping his aquamarine green eyes fixated on the ocean.

"I'm sorry I mimicked you... and yelled at you."

Riku laughed. "It wasn't a bad attempt..."

Akira smirked but kept her eyes to the ground, not daring to meet his yet. She may have apologized but she was still a little irritated...

"You know, Kairi's worried about you. And, I suppose, I am too."

Her reservations immediately melted away. She lay her eyes on him, blinking in confusion. Worried? What was there to be worried about?

"She thinks you're going to sit and wait on the raft while the three of us go and explore whatever world we land in," he continued with a laugh, "Can't say I disagree. You haven't seemed very into the idea, to be honest."

She remained silent, digging her chin into her knees as she let her gaze drop once more. Into it? What does 'into it' even mean? Should she be jumping from the ceiling over the idea of leaving her home and jetting off into the unknown?

"Do you even want to come with us?" he asked.

"Of course I do!" she yelled suddenly, startling him, "Why wouldn't I? I worked so hard on this raft! I've been part of the planning process since the day you brought it up! How could I not go after all the work I've done?"

"Okay, okay, consider me convinced," he said, softly waving his hand in a calming motion, "It's just that... when we were kids, you used to always talk about going to other worlds with us, going on adventures with us, seeing new places with us. And now, it just seems like that spark has faded... that's all."

Did he really have to bring this up? "I'm just... happy here," she said reservedly.

"You don't want to know where you come from?" he asked.

She hesitated a moment before responding. Why do things have to be one extreme or the other? Couldn't she want to see where she came from and stay here? Was that really so bad?

Of course it was. She knew it was impossible; she knew she was being childish.

"I do..." was all she could say.

Riku sensed the tension in the air and elected to not push the conversation further. He watched the tide roll back out into the ocean in silence, making circles in the sand with his index finger. Until...

"I've always wanted to."

He perked his head up at the sound of her voice, fixing his gaze upon her as he waited for her to finish her thought. She merely kept her gaze on the ocean.

"I always wanted to see the worlds in those books my dad used to read to me at night; to go on adventures, to fight some dragons, to find a forest filled with fairies... and I always dreamed the world I came from would be a beautiful place." She clutched at the silver necklace she wore. "But every time I bring it up, dad would just... get really sad. You know, I kind of don't want to see it," she said with a chuckle, "If it makes him that sad, it must be awful."

"I really don't think that's why," Riku said, narrowing his gaze.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I remember the day you came to the islands. You were in the hospital."

Oh, that's right. She vaguely remembered waking up in a hospital bed. But she could barely remember anything related to her stay in the hospital, let alone anything that came before it.

"Sora and I... we were pretty scared," he said, "We'd never seen a kid our age in a hospital before, let alone one that was as badly beat up as you were. The adults were running around in a panic, saying things like 'she's not going to make it'... It put things into perspective, I guess. I remember Sora cried a lot."

Akira pursed her lips, contemplating his words. That hospital stay was a huge blur of sickly white walls and nervous adults running around in a panic. She never realized the impact she had on her friends before she even had a chance to meet them. "I never knew that," she said softly.

"Maybe your dad doesn't like thinking about that time... I don't think any dad would." He reached a hand out and playfully messed up her hair. "So don't go thinking your world isn't anything special. We're going to see them all, aren't we? We'll eventually have to stop in yours, and I'm sure it'll be great."

She ran her fingers through her hair, fixing the mess Riku had made. He did this to all of his friends, and it did little more than annoy her. "You're starting to sound like Sora," she said with a laugh.

"Well, maybe that's not such a bad thing."

Akira snorted in response. Since when did Riku start wanting to be like Sora? For all the years she'd known them, it had always been the other way around.

"That doesn't mean I'm not going to kick his butt when we fight or race together," he warned.

"I'm certainly not getting involved in that." She stretched her legs out and propped herself up with her hands. "So, what do you think we'll find out there?"

Riku smirked. "Who knows. Monsters, witches, wolves... nothing I can't handle."

"Pfft, you're confident," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I might draw the line at zombies."

"Then, I hope we find zombies."

"Wow," Riku said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm leaving you and Sora to fend for yourselves, just wait."

She laughed as she let herself fall back into the sand. Even if it was for a small moment, he really did make the sound of leaving home appealing. As terrifying as they were, the excitement of actually seeing zombies overshadowed the fear. Maybe they'd meet mummies too, though she felt those would be much friendlier than zombies.

And, as she let her thoughts of the outside world run wild, she finally began to feel the emotions in her heart form themselves into words; words she never thought she'd be able to express. For once, she spoke from the heart.

"I want to go where the wind will take me," she said as she gazed at the vast sky hanging above.

Riku smiled in response as he gazed out towards the infinite ocean that held every hope and dream he held dear to his heart. "Now that... that's an idea I can get behind," he answered.

While Riku and Akira conversed in the cove, Sora happened upon the secret cavern in the back of the island as he was searching for mushrooms, the final item on Kairi's list of provisions. No one thought much of the little cave; it was filled with rocks and dirt, but it was an excellent place for children to practice their art. The walls were covered with drawings of monsters, plants, and self-portraits, albeit most of them looked awful. There was also a curious looking door propped among the stones; the children of the island did try to open it on several occasions but to no avail. Yet, nothing of real importance came of it and, with time, their curiosity dwindled until the door became nothing more than part of the scenery.

Sora usually thought nothing of the door when he entered the cave, though today he felt a nasty chill run down his spine as he turned over a rock to access a cluster of mushrooms. An ominous stranger stood behind him, towering over the teen with an air of dread and fear. He certainly wasn't in the cave when Sora entered, nor did he come in from the tunnel or the hole in the ceiling. Which can only mean...

"I've come to see the door to this world," the stranger spoke softly.

"Huh?" Sora was at a loss for words. The stranger wore tattered robes and a hood above his head to completely cover his face; it was enough to creep out even the most courageous of people. The fact that he spoke in cryptic words did nothing but stress Sora out that much more. "Who are you?"

"This world has been connected. Tied to the darkness… soon to be completely eclipsed."

Sora glared at the stranger. "Well whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this!"

"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door."

"So, you're from another world!" Sora cried, suddenly understanding.

"There is so very much to learn. You understand so little."

Sora gritted his teeth at the blatant insult. "Oh yeah? Well, you'll see. I'm going to get out and learn what's out there!"

"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

Sora angrily shifted his gaze to the door. It was near impossible for this stranger to get through that door; it was practically immovable! And who exactly did this guy think he was? But, before Sora could come up with a witty comeback, the stranger had vanished. He sighed deeply as he picked up the mushroom he had come for to begin with.

"Who was that guy?" he asked himself as he exited the secret cave, "And how did he get here?"

"So, if he didn't follow you into the cave but didn't come through the door… how did he get there, again?" Akira asked, completely confused.

Sora was sitting on the now almost completed raft as he retold his story to her while she made some last minute fastenings on the cloth sail. Kairi was inspecting Sora's items not too far away but didn't seem to be paying attention.

"I told you, that's the weird part!" he said.

Akira wiped her brow. "Look, all I'm saying is that everybody's going to find this hard to believe if you didn't even see where he came from."

"But he came from another world," he emphasized as he lay down onto the raft, defeated.

"Then… maybe we'll run into him when we set sail tomorrow!"

Sora glared at her. "Really?"

She laughed heartily as she secured the final knot. "So, did he leave?" she continued, changing the subject, "How did he get out of there?"

"I... don't know," Sora answered, "I was distracted by the door, and when I turned around again, he was gone."

"So he's on the island!?"

Sora quickly shook his head. "No, no, I think he actually left. I think he went back home."

"That's... very strange."

She gazed out towards the horizon. Kairi had meticulously prepared for every problem they might run into. Where will they end up? Is there even any land beyond this vast ocean? Will they have to fight? What will they do when their food supply runs out? What if they get separated? All of it, accounted for. The four of them studied extensively on safe sailing, emergency situations, etc. They worked and worked for days on end; she secured every piece of the mast three-times over, Riku built the sturdiest raft she had ever seen, Kairi checked her list of essentials daily and Sora gathered everything they needed, and even some spares. They planned for everything; every storm, every drought, every danger. Nothing could go wrong. But no matter how much they prepared for this trip, a nasty thought wormed its way into her mind; one that no amount of preparation could help with.

What if they can never come back?

"What if we're never able to come back?" she asked out loud.

"Huh?"

She didn't repeat herself. She was too afraid to. They had come so far and done so much to look back now. And if she repeated herself, if she let this thought grow any larger... she wouldn't find the courage to leave anymore.

That evening, Akira and her father ate their dinner in silence. She picked at her leftover rice, Riku's words from that afternoon echoing in her skull. This may as well be her last chance to ask her father about her past... although the thought of doing so terrified her so much, it almost seemed easier to just hop on a raft and pray the ocean would simply take her there. She hadn't brought the subject up in years, and the mere thought of what the next few minutes held made the palms of her hands clammy and sweaty.

Mustering up what little courage she had left with a deep breath, she placed her fork down and raised her gaze to him. "D-dad...?" she asked cautiously.

Her father tore his gaze away from his newspaper, adjusting his small, black-rimmed glasses in the process. "Yes?" he answered.

"I just wanted to know... W-where..." This was so, so hard. "Where do we come from?"

"Where do we come from?" he repeated, "What do you mean?"

She buried her shaking hands in her lap, hoping to conceal her nervousness. "As in... what world are we from?"

Her father took a moment to consider her words before placing his newspaper on the table, shaking his head. "Are you all right, Akira? Is someone at school bothering you?" he asked.

She sighed in frustration. Of course he'd ask that; whenever she had asked him this question in the past, it was usually due to some kid bullying her for her hair colour. As grateful as she was that he was looking out for her, she fervently wished he'd take her seriously for once.

"You don't want to know where you come from?" Riku's words rang clear in her mind.

No. This may be her last night on the islands. She had to get answers. She had to try.

"It's not that," she said, shaking her head, "I just want to know."

He sighed. "Really now, sweetheart. What does it matter? Aren't you happy here?"

"Of course I am, but -"

"Then there is nothing else to say on the matter," he concluded, folding his newspaper shut.

No. She wasn't finished.

"Why did we come here?" she pressed.

"Akira, please."

"Why did we leave to begin with?"

"Akira," he warned sternly.

"What happened to mom?"

"That's enough."

He banged his open hand on the table, making Akira jump. Her breath hitched as she clenched her teeth together, trying her hardest not to lose her temper and start a yelling match with him. "Why?" she hissed, "Why won't you tell me anything? Don't I have a right to know?"

"This isn't about -"

"What's wrong with wanting these answers?"

In her increasing discouragement, her words of anger had become desperate pleas. He propped his shoulder on the table, placing his hand on his forehead in annoyance. "There is nothing wrong," he answered, "But there is no use speaking about it. There's no use dwelling on the past."

"Dad, just listen to me for once -"

"Akira, this conversation is over. Is that clear?"

He gave Akira an austere glare as she looked away, pursing her lips in frustration. That's it. She gave up. There was no getting answers from him. At this point, the raft really was her only option. She hated it; she wanted her father to be open to her. But the raft was all she had left, and she had to accept it.

She angrily stood from her chair and stormed upstairs to her room, ignoring her father's calls as she slammed her bedroom door behind her. She let herself fall face first into her bed, still fuming from their interaction. What was so awful that he refused to talk to her about it? She adjusted herself to lay on her side, clutching her silver necklace; her father had given it to her when she was very young, saying it was her mother's, though he never said any more on the subject. It was a nice gesture, but what was she supposed to do with that information? Never ask about her mother? Never ask about her past life? She silently damned Riku for putting these thoughts into her head; she was much happier when she didn't ask any questions.

She sighed heavily as she settled into her bed, the sound of her father cleaning their plates downstairs overshadowed by the increasing noise of rain droplets pitter-pattering against her window.