Here's the revised version of this story, I've split it up into two chapters to hopefully draw in those readers who have a phobia of long oneshots...

You're It

You once returned all of the stars to their rightful place in the night sky. For a feat so extraordinary, its joy is somehow paled by the thought of one single star, still lost.

The late evening sun cast an appealing orange glow over the tiny village on Destiny Islands' main isle, giving its scenery a drowsy look and turning the sea a lovely red. There wasn't a single place more beautiful in all the worlds; Kairi felt proud that she knew personally in her heart that this was a fact. Hollow Bastion, in its glory days, had come close…but that had been a different kind of beauty, of course.

Kairi double-checked to make sure that her bag had everything she needed. Homework, spare clothes, candles, emergency flare, matches, cooking utensils, canteen, food, sleeping bag, a pillow, and her favorite stuffed Chocobo. It looked as if everything was in order. Satisfied, she zipped up her large duffel bag and put it in the boat.

"Kairi!"

Kairi looked up to see Selphie waving at her from across the beach. She waved back, and Selphie ran down to where she stood.

"Do you want me to help?"

"Sure." Kairi said, smiling. She was positively glowing with joy. This weekend she was taking a trip out to the island and camp there, just to relax, think, and piece all of her newly acquired memories together in some sort of logical order. Needless to say, she was excited about finally getting to keep that promise she had made to herself.

Together they dragged Kairi's boat into the water. Steadying the boat with one hand, Kairi lowered herself down beside her bag and took up the oars.

"Thanks Selphie!" she said cheerfully, "I'll see you at school on Monday, I guess."

"Wait!" Selphie grabbed the boat just as Kairi was about to push off. "Kairi- do you really think this is such a good idea?"

Kairi looked puzzled. "Why not? I told you I'd go back out to the island whenever I remembered all about Sora. You remember him now too, don't you?"

"Yeah…but…" Selphie bit her lip worriedly, "Spending the whole weekend on that island alone…are you sure you don't want me to come along?"

Kairi shook her head. "I have to do this alone." She said firmly. "Memories are one thing, but I want to be sure in my heart that it's all true. I have to think about some things, and I have to do it by myself."

"Okay…" Selphie said reluctantly. "Just be careful, alright? I know that you miss them, but don't get your hopes up too much. I know it's hard, but…"

"Oh, don't worry." Kairi smiled. "I'm not sad, because I know I'll see them again."

"Of course." Selphie said with a smile that was clearly disbelieving. "Well, be safe."

She braced her feet against the shore and helped push Kairi out into the crimson water.

"See ya!" Kairi called, giving one last wave before plying away on the oars.

Only the soft rhythm of the water and the distant cawing of seagulls could be heard in this space between one island and another- a solitude so complete it could almost have been considered another world. How many times had they pretended that they were setting sail for some new, uncharted land? Their extended game had turned the island into any number of worlds imaginable. From the highest tower of their spectacular castle (the treehouse) to the deepest caverns where the foulest of monsters resided (the Secret Place), the island had always been an exciting place to be…in Kairi's mind, anyway. One particularly memorable adventure was when Kairi and Selphie were princesses hiding in the castle tower from a vicious dragon that had emerged from its slumber deep in the mysterious cave. Riku had played his part as the dragon with much enthusiasm, roaring and making quick work of the Royal Guards (Sora, Tidus, and Wakka) that were sent after him. After all three were beaten to a pulp despite their number advantage, the guys had decided that they no longer wanted to play any more imaginary adventure games.

And so one more layer of their childhood had dried out and peeled away. They still hung out on the island, explored, and had a few far-fetched projects and ideas (like the coconut catapult they tried to build, or the raft to go to other worlds) but Sora had been the only one crazy enough to constantly continue challenging Riku in the hope that someday, he'd be able to beat him. Even more admirable, Sora had always tolerated his beatings as gracefully as Riku dealt them out, never letting their competition become real contempt.

Who would have imagined that things would turn out like they did?

Maybe Sora had been the light for all of us.

Kairi enjoyed the feeling of working her muscles with the repetitive motion of rowing- nevertheless, she had grown so unaccustomed to it that it was a good thing that the island was close by.

When Kairi felt the gentle bump of the boat on land, she jumped out and pulled it to the old spot at the dock where she had always tied it. Her lone boat looked forlorn as it bobbed up and down with each ripple that slapped its sides. Just that one thing made a lump rise up in Kairi's throat, and it was with a heavy heart that she hoisted her duffel bag out and waded onto the beach.

Kairi looked around. Everything here was so perfectly untouched, so achingly familiar. The redness of the rapidly sinking sun cast its deforming light on everything, making the usual landmarks look strange and dream-like. The sadness in her heart grew until she thought she could feel it swelling into an obstruction that blocked the air from her lungs. How could she have forgotten so much?

Even our most loved things, like our memories, can be crumpled and tossed aside like a piece of paper when something scribbled on it is too unpleasant to read.

There was the fresh, clean pool where they had all learned to swim until they were big enough to avoid being swept away by the smallest ebbs in the ocean. There was the bridge, and the spot where Riku liked to practice fighting. Once Tidus had tried climbing the paopu tree, but fell and nearly drowned as a result of hitting his head on a rock in the shallow water.

(He fervently denied afterward that he had been trying to get his hands on a paopu fruit.)

Kairi smiled a little and walked up the steps to the dock and the wooden bridge that wrapped around the great old tree, deciding to camp out in the treehouse. She took her time setting up her things. It was inevitable- she knew the first place that she had to visit, the one spot that drew her powerfully close as if with a taunting aroma. The Secret Place had always been the spot she connected the most strongly with her friends, but a sort of shyness at the thought had come over her, a strange hesitation that made her motions slow and distracted.

She had forgotten them. Would going there now be nothing more than a token gesture?

By the time she was done, the sun had already set.

Maybe I should just go tomorrow. She thought, looking out apprehensively into the star-laden sky.

But she had promised herself a long time ago, and there were so many things that she wanted to say.

What are you so afraid of?

The darkness.

The Secret Place was where it had all started…where she had lost her heart. It was the last place that she could go knowing she'd never stepped foot in there while Sora was gone from her memory.

That thought bolstered her resolve.

That's right. She thought. I have never been there without knowing him.

For some reason that made her feel infinitely better; it made her feel hope that maybe thinks weren't so irreversible after all. The urge to go there now tugged at her heart like an insistent child. She couldn't sit still. So much to say.

Don't be afraid. Don't stop walking…

Decided, Kairi dug a candle and some matches out of her bag. She lit the candle, then tucked a couple of matches into her pocket, just in case. She stepped out into the balmy night air cautiously, relieved to see that most of the surroundings were at least dimly visible thanks to the light of the moon. Kairi made sure to mind the edge of the planks as she walked down.

The Secret Place was cast completely in shadow. Kairi felt a chill and her pulse quickened with nerves-induced paranoia. What if this place had become something horrible- touched with an evil that could not be erased after a year of abandonment?

And yet, to find it exactly as she remembered it was a prospect that was equally terrifying.

Kairi trembled, but she managed to duck down into the dry, earthy tunnel. When the space opened up and she could stand properly again, she stopped.

The candle cast its flickering light over the graffitied walls, familiar and yet strangely distorted by the meager flame, as the sun had done with the rest of the island.

The result of dark and light thrown together is often distorted.

There was another trait it shared with the rest of the island- the Secret Place looked seemingly untouched by time. The childish scribbles adorning the walls were snapshots of something long ago gone.

She slowly ran her hand over a doodle that depicted her and Sora exchanging a paopu. She felt warm, and her hope flared with new light. Yes, it was a good idea to come here. Here there was no fear.

This is where his voice echoes the loudest.

"The last day I came here and left is the day you started to fade from my mind, Sora," she said, her hand resting on the drawing of Sora's face. "Are you mad? I probably would be."

She shifted her weight to sit more comfortably and held the candle in both hands so that it cast a steady light on the wall. "Sorry I can't camp in here. I wanted to, but Mom made me promise that I'd sleep in a place with a real roof on it. But, on the bright side, I know that I'll be able to come over here more since summer vacation starts pretty soon. I'm glad for it too," she continued happily, uncaring of how stupid it was to talk to a chalk drawing. "You're lucky, Sora. You don't have to do homework or sit through any boring classes. Ooh, when you get back, I bet you and Riku will be so far behind that you'll have to be held back a grade! Then I'll get to tutor you. I know you've probably forgot half the stuff you learned in school already, Sora, you lazy bum."

How was it possible to feel so happy and so sad all at the same time?

"No one thinks that you and Riku will ever come back, but I know that you will." Kairi said softly.

Our hearts are connected.

But even if they did return, could things ever be the same? Probably not. They had clung to their childhood for too long, and it had been stripped away from them all at once. They were too old for this place now. Too experienced to dream the same dreams. They wouldn't just hang out here again, scribbling on the walls and playing hide-and-seek. No more pretend battles fighting pretend danger.

But why does that have to be? The child in her implored desperately. Why can't we do the things we used to do?

Just once. Just once, she wanted to run and laugh with them for no reason, to be silly and not care who saw. Even Riku had his moments when he seemed to forget about maintaining his "cool" façade and carried on with them when Sora came up with some harebrained scheme or Kairi wanted to play pretend.

Of course, feelings like this are completely normal for people when they realize that they are growing up.

Normal. It was all normal. Things hadn't been normal for a long time! Why did this have to be the one exception?

"Maybe…if we were together…I could bear it." Kairi's voice wavered. "Maybe I could see the fun and excitement of turning into a grown-up." She gave a small laugh. "I wonder what Riku would say if he knew how sentimental I'm turning out to be."

Where were they? What were they doing? The burning questions drove her crazy.

"But you'll both be back someday, I know. The two of you are pretty amazing. How many people can say they have friends like mine?"

She fell silent for a long moment, turning things over and over in her mind. She decided right then and there that if she ever got the chance to leave here again and find them, she'd do it and never look back. It didn't matter what world they were on or how hopeless the situation seemed; as long as they were together, she could find happiness- and hope.

"Well, I'd better be getting to bed." Kairi stood up, brushing sand off of her. "I'm staying the weekend, so I'll come here to do my homework after I do some exploring tomorrow." She walked away, but stopped and turned at the entrance of the tunnel.

"I'll be thinking of you, wherever you are." She whispered. Her eyes drifted over to the wooden door and that chill came over her again.

Forcing her feet to move, Kairi left.

Can they hear my voice still? I can only hope.

Coming back to the treehouse, Kairi blew the candle out and settled down into her sleeping bag, holding on tight to her stuffed Chocobo and looking out the door into the starry sky. How infinite it seemed, how cold and untouchable. And yet, for a moment, she had touched it. She had traveled the worlds and scaled the distance, had seen all of those points of light dancing joyfully around her as they rose to return to the places where they belonged- just as she had returned here. But something was still missing…her friends. Two friends, and a star. Their faces had faded away- one shut behind a door, and one lost behind a blinding barrier of light. Gone.

I'll come back to you…I promise!

"'Night Charlie." Kairi said sleepily to her chocobo.

She sank into a pool of warm, comforting light in her dreams.