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[radiant-purity.livejournal.com]

Who: Sora
What: Sitting on the dock of the beach
When: A week or two after finding himself back home
Where: Destiny Islands
Interactions: Open
Warnings: None



With a dull thunk, the small boat met the dock piles holding up the pier connecting to the beach. Tying the rope from the boat onto the dock was so ingrained from his frequent trips to Destiny Islands that Sora was hardly aware that he was doing it until he was done. Even though the waves lapped at the small boat, he stood steady and balanced as he climbed out onto the pier. Dressed in his normal attire which of course included trunks since he had always been a beach kid, Sora looked back out to the ocean, not too far off in the distance he could barely see the shore that was within walking distance of his house. Shielding his eyes with his gloved hands he was able to freely observe the glittering golden sunlight that sparkled on the water, almost dancing with each movement made by the waves.

Giving a smile the brown haired youth reached down into the boat, taking the oar off the top off his back pack and hoisted it up onto the dock. After putting one strap on his shoulder he reached back down and grabbed the rolled up beach towel. It was soft and still warm from basking in the sun while he rowed his way over to the small island that had been his, Riku's, and Kairi's secret getaway for years. Both hands now full, his shoes made parts of the old pier creak every now and then. It didn't give way, instead just letting him know that it couldn't stay sturdy forever. When his shoes met the sand, briefly he wondered how his mother would rhetorically ask why he didn't just wear sandals instead of shoes and socks.

It was strange. He had been home for a while now, the house he grew up in with the parents who loved him and vice versa. But the journey that had been forced upon him and ripped him away from his home, that had forced him to see the darker side of his best friend and see his childhood crush practically comatose left it's scar upon him. Sure everything looked like it had always been, almost as if none of it had happened. But he still felt the same. Sora felt out of place, like he was living someone else's life. Was being a wielder of the keyblade supposed to feel like this? Constantly battling the heartless, stopping darkness at every turn. Was that all his life was supposed to be now?

Shaking his head to clear out his thoughts, the brown haired young man unrolled his beach towel in the air, setting it down onto the sand and sat down on it. Plotting his back pack next to him, he began to rummage through it.

Comments

[fullofheart.livejournal.com]

Today was one of those days where she could sit on the tree on her, Sora and Riku's island and wonder about all the 'what-if's she never had before. Like what if their adventures had never happened? What if Riku and Sora had never left? What if she had been with them, fighting the Heartless, saving the worlds?

The auburn-haired girl had sighed a bit and slipped on a swimsuit beneath her dress, being sure to grab a towel before walking down to the docks where the boats were placed...and that was when she noticed that Sora's wasn't there. Had he gone already? She, curious to know, got into her own boat, set up the oar and was now in the process of coming to the island's docks, spotting Sora's boat moored already. "...beat me to it..." She commented beneath her breath, hands lowering the oar enough to get the rope and knot it around her part of the pillar of wood that held up the pier. First went the towel, then the placement of the oar in the boat, and then finally Kairi helped herself onto the dock, picking up the towel in her arms as she looked around for her best friend.

Now...Oh, there. Kairi spotted him going through his backpack and she slowly made her way towards him without making a sound, not knowing if he already saw her or not..

[radiant-purity.livejournal.com]

After finally finding the sun block Sora shook it to see how much was still inside, which wasn't much. He scrunched his face at it, like it had failed him for the last time and tossed in onto the towel. Pushing a dry pair of shorts aside, he tried to get to the snacks which clanked against the sunglasses every now and then. When he finally just gave up and was just about to turn it upside down to empty the bag he looked up to see-

"Kairi!" he called and waved at her, leaving his backpack so he could stand up. "Hey, did you just get here? I didn't want to spend today at home, not when the sun's out like this." He actually felt a little nervous because it seemed to be shaping up to be a such a good day. And the last time that happened he Riku, and Kairi were attacked Xehanort and his heartless. But he couldn't live in a constant state of alertness, not when there was a chance that it could just be a normal day. For once.

[fullofheart.livejournal.com]

"Yea, I just got here a few seconds ago, actually. Do you mind the company?" She questioned him back with a smile and a wave back, making her way over and spreading out her own towel besides his stuff, setting herself down. Pulling her legs to her chest and resting her head on her arms on her knees, she looked over at him and gave him a giggle. "Someone's trying to relax today...and the sunscreen didn't want to help add to that?"

Kairi wasn't one to burn easily, but then again she lived on the island for so long that it was somewhat hard to anymore. If she like, fell asleep in the sun, maybe...but...other than that no. A good day like this...her gaze turned to the waves and the ocean before her as her mind flew backwards in time, to the past where she, Sora and Riku were but kids again and were building a raft to explore the worlds. It seemed...so long ago...

"Well...it's been a while since we actually had a day like this..." she murmured softly to herself, still reflecting on the past as the natural sounds of the waters and the waves made her begin drifting off into her memories...

[radiant-purity.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, it's kinda crazy isn't it?" said Sora as he adopted a similar position with just one knee to put his arm on, his other leg outstretched on his towel. "I think I can use it a couple more times before I have to buy more." he said referring to the bottle of discarded sun block, which was actually pretty old since he hadn't used it since before the heartless invaded Destiny Islands. "It's weird, you know." he said as he put his chin on his elbow. "Stuff has been happening here at home, I mean I know time goes on and stuff, but it just feels like I got robbed of it. And I'm just supposed to catch up and act normal again."

His foot moved left to right as he looked over at Kairi. "So even though I'm supposed to be here at home, I feel like I know more about keyblades and heartless." his eyes widened in surprise. "And school, I haven't even thought about school. Do I just go back to that? I think I'm supposed to be graduated by now?" Before he hurt himself trying to do the math on the, he reached over and turned his backpack upside down so everything could fall out. Sunglasses, pair of shorts, sunglasses, and quite a few snacks. "Hungry?" he asked with a smile.

[serious-siren.livejournal.com]

Warm sunlight, and sand. Aqua couldn't remember the last time she'd experienced it. But she was enjoying it even though the light hurt her eyes, which were weakened from straining to see in the dark for so long. She was sitting there, her feet dangling off the edge of the tiny islet, her metal boots sitting next to her as she let her toes feel the brisk sea breeze on them, watching the two friends with interest. It really had been as long as Ansem has said. She barely recognized them now, but their eyes were just the same as they'd been all those years ago.

And as for her, it seemed she hadn't aged at all. She felt like she should be older, but she wasn't. It made her sigh, but also chuckle just a little. Since the first time she'd seen Sora and Riku, she'd always wanted to come back to this place. It seemed so relaxing, like nothing bad ever happened there. She knew by now that that wasn't true, but still.

Finally she tore her eyes away from the beach to look down at the wayfinder in her hand.

I'll only stay here for a little while, okay? Just...be patient.

Looking up again, she waved her hand at last. No sense it seeming like some creepy stranger right?

"Hello over there!" She called with a smile.

[fullofheart.livejournal.com]

"I agree...that one time, so long ago...when I woke up as you disappeared into the light...I can't remember anything in that time from the darkness in the Secret Place and then. But...whatever happened then, I'm okay now. And I could teach you what we learned so far if you want...but the teachers' pretty much said that whenever you two came back you would work at your own pace to get back into the system or something....

"...and really, Sora? Snacks?" She giggled behind a hand at the sight of the assortment of foods, and before she could answer another voice interjected the conversation. She tensed in surprise, the voice vaguely familiar...when was...?

Who was it? Kairi slowly got up and looked around her, glancing from Sora to the ocean and then spotting...blue hair? What? Who...It was almost like the necklace around her neck grew warmer, making her put a hand to it as she finally managed to focus on the woman (or who she thought was a woman; the sun wasn't nice to her eyes today) waving her hand.

"Hello there!" She called back politely, looking down to Sora and questioning, "She...seems familiar. Do you...recognize her?"

[radiant-purity.livejournal.com]

School was almost a foreign concept to him. How could he worry about school when there was such a big threat that could be lurking in any world. But there was little he could do at 17 years of age. When he was about to defend his snacks, especially the crunchy chocolate one, his attention was grabbed by another voice. And it wasn't Riku. As Kairi stood up Sora looked over to where the voice came from the little island that connected to the sea shack by a wooden bridge. The island where he fought a Dark Side heartless before being thrown out into a different world.

Sora squinted his eyes as he looked over to young woman. Right off the top of his head, he was sure he had never seen this person before. Yet there was a small tug at the back of his memories, one that was encouraged by Kairi's question. She did seem familiar somehow, but he couldn't place her anywhere. He hadn't met her during his travels out among the worlds. "No, i don't...recognize her." he said as he kept trying to place her face in his head. "Hi!" he called out after he realized he had just been looking at her with a confused look for quite a few long moments now.

[serious-siren.livejournal.com]

Grabbing her shoes, Aqua hopped off the Island and into the water, holding the shoes over her shoulder as she waded toward the beach. She could feel the sand between her toes and sometimes littls fish would brush against her legs. And as she finally began to make her way onto the shore she realized that she couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled so much. It made her want to cry, but she managed to at least keep a little composure.

Up close, their differences were even more surprising, and she couldn't help but muttered a somewhat awe-struck comment.

"Oh, look how you've grown..." She looked between the two of them. "And to see you in the same place. I can only imagine what must have taken you away from your home Kairi. Still though," She said and nodded to Sora. "I feel like I have to apologize. I just...couldn't sit by and do nothing while you're out here fighting for all of us." She squeezed the wayfinder in her hand a little as she spoke and adopted a serious look. "And...and I'm sorry I didn't act sooner."

Sorry for repost--Format took out the last part of it. :c

[fullofheart.livejournal.com]

The memory itself was now tugging at her mind, especially since her name was the one spoken by the approaching woman...whose actual name she could not recall. Her very person...something in her minds' eye sent her back to grey stone and this woman being much taller than her and defending her and flowers...

The item in her hand was the thing that Kairi's mind recognized and snapped two and two together. She seemed to tremble a bit, breath she hadn't known she was holding once again being let out in a shaky sigh as she turned her gaze again from the woman's face to the object that looked like her shell charms...

Shells...the sea...

"Aqua.." she breathed in a whisper, her eyes seeming to glitter with tears unshed. There were things she remembered, and things she did not. She remembered Aqua now, remembered...Kairi's hand tightened around her necklace as bits and pieces kept falling back but that nagging question came back, entered her thoughts again from Aqua's words.

'Was there a purpose to me arriving here? Was there? How can I...maybe this woman knows...' her mental self argued as the Princess of Heart took in a minute to try and relax before looking to Sora and back. "It's...been so long since I've seen you."

What else could she say? She didn't remember much else, but...now at least there were bits and pieces filling in little gaps of her memory and giving her more of a sense of ease than before...

Oh. Aqua said something about her...not being able to act... "It's alright, though--we're all okay, and...well...sometimes things like that happen, but there's always a good side to everything, right?"

[radiant-purity.livejournal.com]

There wasn't a feeling weirder than what Sora felt when someone he felt he should know but didn't was talking to him candidly. With his mouth slightly slack as he reeled from trying to figure out what she was talking about and how he should answer her. As his eyes desperately searched every angle, as if the answer was in plain sight and if he just looked frantically enough, his deep blue eyes would find it. The Kairi said something, but he didn't catch it. Whatever it was, Kairi remembered this lady. Which only boggled Sora more, he just had a faint tickle in his memory when he looked at her, but every time he tried to place her only Rikku or Kairi would spring up. After giving Kairi a half-pleading look he gave the blue haired woman the kindest of confused smiles.

"Yeah...we're all okay." he said haphazardly agreeing with Kairi. He doubted he was fooling anyone, but he had to try.

[serious-siren.livejournal.com]

"So you are." She said with a smile. It seemed the magic she'd infused into that necklace had served Kairi well. Though she could never have imagined that of all the safe destinations in the worlds, she'd end up in this place. She looked about for a moment. The place looked almost exactly like it had when she'd come there all those years ago. It was eerie, like it had been suspended in time.

"There's so much I want to know! How did you come to be here Kairi, how did you two meet? Would you like me to strengthen the magic on your pendant? It must be getting tired after so long... And Sora, you're so tall now! Can you please tell me what's been happening in the world of light-" She cut herself off suddenly, placing a hand on her cheek and shaking her head. Finally noticing his expression. "I'm sorry, you look terribly confused. My name is Aqua. We met once, when you were very small." She made a motion with her hand to show him about how tall he was the last time she'd seen him. She didn't remind him of what she'd said back then though. She was sure he would remember on his own.

"Oh...Isn't someone missing here?" She asked, moving her hand over slightly, as if she were patting the head of a child who was slightly taller than phantom-toddler Sora.

She didn't bring up her keyblade. It wasn't as though she wanted to keep it a secret, since Kairi had seen her wield it back in Radiant Garden, but she felt like it wasn't important just yet. There were more pressing things on her mind, like whether there were still unversed menacing the world, or was there something new that she'd never encountered? The man in black had mentioned 'clothes for the being of nothing'. Making it sound like there was something else going on than just what she'd seen when Xehanort had attempted to create the X-Blade.

[fullofheart.livejournal.com]

The Princess shifted on her feet, just a bit, the smile fading to something of thought as she moved towards Sora's side and gently placed her hand on his arm, as if sensing his nervousness. And she was too, a bit. Though her mind now pulled up images of past experiences, it wasn't...she couldn't clearly make up her mind about everything.

"Well...I don't really remember how I got here, to be honest with you...I guess I just washed up here. That's really all I remember, waking up on the beach and Sora looking over me. And..." She had always wondered why the necklace, by holding it sometimes as she was now with her free hand, it would be warm and comforting... "And...if you want to do that, I'm okay with it."

Because a bit of memory appeared in her head, one of flowers and then a little light and a smile from the blue-haired woman. And then she was referencing height, and...she tilted her head, confused.

Another? Who would...?

...Oh. Right.

"Riku?" She tentatively questioned, trying to think. Well...aside from the others...something told her it was Riku that Aqua was referencing, because she had mentioned Sora before that.