Kingdom Hearts {Reader Insert}

1. The Beginning

"We're really doing this," you stated in awe as you sat with your friends, staring out at the sunset over the waves.

"Tomorrow, we see it all," Riku grinned.  His arms were folded across his chest as he leaned back against the ramshackle-yet-sturdy raft the four of you had pieced together.

"I can't wait!" Sora bounced on the balls of his feet and Kairi giggled at his excitement.

You watched as Riku's grin quirked up a little higher at the light sound of her small laughs and Sora beamed at her.  Silly boys.  You rolled your eyes.

They were both almost twenty and neither of them could bring it upon themselves to talk to her about their crush on her.  You had watched them watch her since you were all old enough to play together without adult supervision, some seven or eight years ago.  That's not the only thing that had lasted that long.  The four of you had promised to see what was out there besides Destiny Island one day.  Turns out that day is tomorrow.

"If we're going to head out early tomorrow we should probably get some sleep," you added thoughtfully.

Sora's head fell with a groan and you fought another eye roll. 

Riku sighed before nodding.  "C'mon, Sora.  I'll race you back."

"I don't want to go back."

"So you think you'll lose..." Riku prodded Sora while glancing up at you with a smirk.

"What!?  No way, you're on!"

They both ran back to find their beds first and you were left with Kairi.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" she asked you, head tilted at you curiously.

"I think so," you answered slowly. "I mean it's not that I don't like Destiny Islands, this place will always feel like home, but I want to know what's out there."

"Yeah," Kairi smiled at you.  "Me, too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You found yourself awake in the middle of the night.  Sometime before that you had fallen into a shallow, dreamless sleep, still excited for the next day.  Now, though, you were staring up at a very dark corner of your ceiling.

"Ah!"

You jumped.  That had sounded like Sora, but it had come from your open window.  He hadn't sounded scared so much as panicked and labored, like he was trying to hit something really hard.  You sat up and looked toward the window, eyebrows knitted together in worry.

Where was the moonlight?

You stood and looked out at the beach.  Sora was out there, surrounded by darkness and strange creatures with large, unblinking yellow eyes.

They were trying to hurt him.

"Sora!" you called out to him, but he couldn't hear you.

You needed help.  Should you get Riku?  Or Wakka and Tidus?  You didn't think you had time.  You grabbed the old wooden sword you used to spar with Sora and Riku with from deep under your bed before turning and running down the stairs and outside.

"Sora!"  You almost couldn't see him from ground level, but his spiky brown hair bobbed here and there above the darkness.  Your shout alerted a pair of creatures near you and they turned to scurry over in you direction.  You clenched your jaw and widened you stance.  Hopefully you could fight them off. 

Hopefully.

Your grip on the wooden sword tightened and you swung.  Their yellow eyes vanished and your breath caught in surprise.  A moment later they sprung up on either side of you, attacking simultaneously.  You hissed as a claw caught your left arm, but you managed to block the other one.  You swung at the stunned creature you blocked, the movement taking you away out of the reach of the other small monster.  Your sword hit the abdomen of the creature but bounced off with a short ringing sound.  You grunted and swung again, but the outcome was the same.