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The skies were blue, with clouds lingering along the horizon, dashed with colors as the sun began to set. A warm breeze brought the sea air onto the shore, rattling the leaves of the tall palm trees that dotted the sandy beach. A bridge led to an outcropping of the island, where a large palm tree was bent nearly to the ground, its trunk curved neatly.
A boy of 15 sat up on the tree, his blue eyes towards the vast ocean before him. His spiky brown hair ruffled in the wind as he shifted slightly, moving one of his feet up onto the trunk as well.
“It all seems so long ago…like a dream…did it even happen?”
Sora asked himself as he kept his gaze on the ocean, the sun light glimmering off the waves as they hit the shore. His thoughts drifted endlessly, his eyes narrowing every now and then as he was lost in thought.
“Sora?”
Sora jumped, the voice ripping him from his thoughts. He almost fell face first off the tree as he turned and saw a girl around his age, her blue eyes showing concern as her red hair fell around her face and onto her shoulders.
“Kairi, what are you doing here?”
Sora asked quickly, a little embarrassed of his reaction as he straightened his posture.
Kairi gave him her perfect smile as she pulled herself up beside him on the palm trunk.
“I saw you sitting out here by yourself and decided to bug you. What’s wrong Sora? You’ve been really quiet of late...”
Sora let his attention drift back to the ocean,
“I…I don’t know. I just have been having this weird feeling of late, like something’s wrong. Things seem so quiet here, I’m starting to wonder if I ever did go on those journeys with Donald and Goofy.”
There was a moment of silence before Kairi looked at the ocean as well,
“Sora, you went through a lot, we all have.”
“Yeah, but sometimes if feels like none of it ever happened Kairi. Like things just paused here on the island when we left. It just seems to all be a dream…did it all really happen?”
Kairi turned back to Sora, a sympathetic glimmer in her eyes. She put her hand on his, causing him to look at her. She smiled,
“Sora, it was all real. What you and Riku did happened…but now its over. We can live together and be happy again, like we used to be.”
Sora gave her a faint smile,
“Yeah…”
His smile faded,
“I…I don’t think it’s over yet Kairi…that’s what’s been bothering me. Things are just too quiet, and ever since that final battle with Xemnas, I’ve had the feeling that I missed something. Maybe there’s more out there, you know?”
Kairi nodded slightly,
“But, what else could be out there Sora? Didn’t we win?”
She inquired. Sora narrowed his eyes in thought, trying to find a suitable answer for his friend.
Suddenly, the wind picked up, and both flinched against the leaves that were blown around them. Sora looked up to see dark clouds rolling through the sky, darkening the island. Kairi blinked,
“Rain? I was hoping to go for a walk tonight, but if it starts raining we’ll have to secure the boats.”
She said. The waves began to churn and toss themselves against the shore roughly, sending a spray of water into the air. Sora hopped down from the trunk,
“Let’s hurry and help the others then. My parents will be less than happy if our boat gets trashed again.”
He said. He ran for the bridge that connected the outcrop with the island, Kairi sliding down off the trunk and following him without question. She gave one look back at the oncoming storm before crossing the bridge.

Sora struggled to hold the wet ropes with one hand as he hung to the dock with his other. He mumbled under his breath as he finally got the small boat to come close enough to secure it. He double knotted the tie, then stood up and glared at the darkening sky, the clouds now draping menacingly over Destiny Island. He stepped back as a wave crashed up onto the dock, soaking him. He hurried off the dock, shaking himself in an attempt to get rid of some of the water that now dripped off him.
“Dang, this storm is insane.”
Sora muttered as he took off his hooded jacket. Another gust of wind howled, nearly knocking him over as it blasted up the shore. Amidst the roar of the wind and smashing of the waves, a voice spoke faintly.
“Keybearer…”
Sora whipped around, his eyes widening as he heard the voice. But no one was nearby, and a faint rain began to fall. Sora shivered, but whether it was from the rain or the creepy feeling the was crawling through him was unknown.
He turned, running up the beach and heading home as the rain began to fall.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the darkened island and projecting eerie shapes onto the bedroom wall through the window. Sora lay in bed, the covers tightly over him as he slept. Thunder rumbled, shaking the house, and the wind howled like an angry monster outside. Lightning streaked across the sky, and threw the shape of a hooded figure onto the wall.
With a jolt, Sora sat up, quickly looking at the wall. It was blank, except for poster and occasional shadow from outside. Sora narrowed his eyes, then shook his head, pushing away the thoughts that were in his mind.
With a sigh, he dragged a hand through his hair and glanced outside at the storm. It reminded him of the night when the islands had been lost, and he, Kairi, and Riku had been separated. That’s when it all started, and he had learned that he was able to wield a powerful weapon known as the keyblade. But that too seemed long ago, and the memories were faintly blurred. Sora tossed the covers off of him as he hung his feet over the bed, slipping on his shoes and jacket as he stood. He grabbed the crown shaped necklace that hung around his bedpost and headed out of the room.

Outside, the storm was relentless and unforgiving, battering and pulling the islands as it sent lightning and thunder down. Sora held onto a palm tree, gritting his teeth together as the wind pulled at him, threatening to blow him away. Lightning lit up the sky, and Sora could see a figure struggling to walk up ahead. He squinted his eyes, trying to see who it was. Then it hit him,
“Riku!”
Sora called out. Riku looked up, his silver hair whipping around his face as his piercing blue eyes met with Sora’s.
“Sora, what are you doing out here?!”
Riku asked as he pressed against the wind.
“I could ask you the same thing! This storms getting way out of hand!”
Sora replied, having to shout to make himself audible over the storm. Riku stepped forward, grabbing onto the palm tree and standing beside Sora.
“Sora, I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t think this storm is natural – it reminds me to much of that night.”
Sora tensed. That was exactly what he had been thinking. He knew something was wrong, and maybe this storm was what he had been dreading.
Riku and Sora drew back as the wind wailed angrily, then Riku spoke.
“Sora, find Kairi. I’m going to make sure everyone’s safe indoors. If this has anything to do with the heartless, then we’ll have a fight on our hands.”
Sora nodded, and with that the two set off. Sora ran along the path that lined the beach, the waves colliding against the shore again and again. Sora stopped, fighting against the strength of the wind as he resisted it. Suddenly, the wind stopped all together, and Sora gave a shout as he fell forward from the release. He laid on the sandy ground for only a moment until leaping to his feet, the shock plain to see on his face. It was as if a bubble had been placed around him, for the storm still shrieked around him, but he couldn’t hear or feel it.
“I see your surprised keybearer.”
Sora whipped around, his hand coming down as a flash of light erupted in his palm. In a dazzling glow, the gold handled and silver bladed keyblade appeared in his hand, his grip tightening around it. A hooded figure stood a few feet in front of him, an all to familiar cloak hiding his features.
“Who are you? Are you a nobody?”
Sora demanded. The figure stood still for a moment, his attention on the keyblade before he spoke.
“My identity is something you shall learn soon enough young keybearer. For you see, I have a journey for you.”
Sora raised a brow,
“Journey? What are you talking about? Are you the one causing this storm?”
“This isn’t a game of questions Sora. And this journey shall decide the outcome of your precious home. All you have to do is accept it, and I’ll be glad to explain the rules.”
Sora narrowed his eyes, stepping back. He didn’t like this at all, and just who was this guy? He held his keyblade, gave it a moments thought, then rushed towards the cloaked figure to attack. In a flicker of movement, the figure was gone, and Sora whipped around only to feel the blow of the massive weapon that had appeared in the hooded figure’s hand. The breath was knocked out of him, and Sora went crashing backwards across the sand. He sat up, glaring at the concealed face of the man. The weapon he held resembled that of a massive spike, with several curved spikes branching off of the main spike towards the top. It was a dark black, with dark energy surging off of it.
“Now, lets now try that again Sora. You have no choice but to take this journey, and it starts now.”
The figure stabbed his weapon into the ground, and darkness seeped out. It spread quickly, stretching out across the ground. Sora stood franticly, clenching the keyblade in his hand as the darkness surrounded him. He gave a shout as it came up around him, encircling him and pulling him down. The hooded figure vanished, leaving Sora alone.
“Sora!”
With a rush of life, the storm came back, the wind and rain coming down on him as a voice broke the silence. Sora turned to see Riku running towards him, the Road to the Dawn gripped in his right hand.
“Riku!”
Sora cried, feeling the darkness crushing him as it continued to bring him down. Riku dove, grabbing Sora’s hand and pulling.
“Hang on Sora!”
Riku bellowed, dropping his weapon and grabbing Sora’s gloved hand with both hands. Sora winced, the darkness encasing him as it continued to drag him down into the ground.
“Riku!”
Sora called out. Lighting exploded across the sky one last time before Sora felt Riku’s grip slip, and he was wrenched into the dark.