Kingdom Hearts; The Light's Keeper

Chapter XXIX; One Sky

Y had a bad feeling that she couldn't shake. Her chest felt tight and a thought kept creeping into the back of her mind telling her something was about to go very wrong. What that something was Y had absolutely no clue. But things were about to go wrong. And she and her friends would be in the center of it.

Y was trailing behind Aqua in the lanes between. She didn't know where they were going. She assumed Aqua was taking her home. She hadn't said anything about it to Y. She hadn't really said much since the encounter with Vanitas. But Y could only think that made Aqua all the more determined to get Y and Ven home before they could get hurt. Well, even more hurt.

Y looked up suddenly. In front of them was a bright light. Warmth radiated from the light chasing the nagging thoughts from Y's mind. Y smiled softly glancing over at Aqua.

"What's that light?" Aqua asked softly. Y shrugged even though she knew Aqua couldn't see her. She looked back to the light and her smile grew. She felt like everything was going to be alright somehow. She just had to trust this strange light.

"I dunno, but its so, warm." Y said slowly.

The light turned out to be a world. A beautiful island with crystal clear waters. The sun was setting, casting a red glow to the sky. A soft breeze gently blew past moving the many palm trees around them. It brought with it the scent of salt water. Y took a deep breath and looked around. They were on a bridge. Not far away was a palm tree with a strange star-shaped fruit. Y gasped and reached to her pocket. She pulled out her wayfinder, running her hand over the cool pink glass. She felt she hadn't looked at the charm for a long time. It surprised her to see she had missed a detail everytime she had looked at it. Around the heart in the center was a soft yellow that faded into the pink.

Y looked beside her to Aqua who had also taken out her wayfinder. Y smiled at her. She had done so much for them. Y had never really thought of it before, but Aqua always did so much. It was one of the greatest things about her.

"Found it." Y said softly looking back to the star-shaped fruit. She wondered if it really worked. If all four of them were here Y would try it. But it wouldn't be the same without the boys. Aqua smiled beside Y and looked down at her wayfinder.

"Terra, Ven, I hope we're ready for the storm that's coming." Aqua said so softly Y almost didn't hear her. Y felt her smile drop. The storm was coming. Much too quickly. Y couldn't say for certain any of them were ready. It had happened much too quickly to be prepared for.

Y was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of a young boy's voice.

"Hey, wait up!"

"Too slow, Sora! See ya at the finish line!" Another boys voice called back to the first. Looking down Y saw two boys racing on the beach. They stopped not too far from the bridge Y and Aqua stood on. One boy had brown hair while the other had silver hair.

"One more time! You just got lucky." The brown-haired boy said. The silver-haired boy didn't answer his friend. Instead, he looked up at Aqua and Y. Y smiled at him softly. Aqua smiled and jumped down from the bridge and landing in front of the boys. Y tilted her head to the side before following Aqua down to the sandy beach. Y landed in a crouch and decided to stay in that position so she was closer to the boy's height. She looked up and found herself eye to eye with the brown-haired boy. His bright blue eyes were wide with shock. Y smiled at him. He returned the smile after a second and began to laugh just as Y did.

Y stopped laughing and looked at the brunette with a smile. His eyes were very familiar. But she couldn't place it right away. Her smile grew when she realized. Ven.

He looks like Vanitas, different coloring, but when's he's older no doubt. Y thought to herself looking over the boy. His hair was even spiked the same way. She was glad his heart seemed to be filled with light. But, his heart. It's so light. Just like Ven.

Y shifted her gaze to the other boy. His eyes were an aqua green color. He looked at them curiously. She didn't know how she knew, but there was something special about this boy. He's already chosen. Y thought. He was going to be a wielder one day. Must have been Terra. I can practically see the similarities.

Y and Aqua looked at each other and laughed softly. Y didn't have to ask. Aqua saw it too. Or at least some of it. The boy's both made a sound of confusion.

"One of you might be special enough. Hey, you two mind telling us your names?" Aqua asked. The brown-haired boy jumped to answer her, grinning broadly.

"I'm Sora!" He said happily. Y chuckled a little and looked to the other boy. He was still looking at them with curiosity. It almost reminded Y of years ago. When she and X had been young. X had been a lot like this boy.

"And what about you?" Y asked.

"Riku." The boy replied. Y chuckled and leaned over to Aqua.

"Terra must have been here. He already has it." Y whispered. Aqua nodded in agreement looking at the two boys in thought.

"Sora do you like Riku?" Aqua asked. Sora jumped again in excitement for being asked a question.

"Of course I like him, he's my best friend!" Sora said. Y smiled at his insistence. They were going to be friends for a long time. Y had a feeling Sora wouldn't just let Riku leave.

"Good. So then, if something happens, and Riku is about to get lost- or say he starts wandering down a dark path alone- you make sure to stay with him and keep him safe. That's your job, Sora, and I'm counting on you to do it, okay?" Aqua asked. Sora tipped his head to the side in confusion. Y chuckled at his confusion.

"She makes it sound kinda scary. But it's super easy. Just stay his friend no matter what." Y explained. Sora smiled and nodded in reply. Aqua gently patted the boys on the head and sent them away.

Aqua and Y went back up the bridge to a smaller island off the coast of the one they were on. In the distance, Y saw what was probably an even larger island. Y and Aqua sat beside each other on a tree that was bent out over the water. They watched the sunset in silence. Before long Y found herself humming. She used to sing all the time for her friends. She hadn't in a long time. And now seemed like a time they would have needed it. For Ven to avoid his nightmares. For Terra to relax a little. And for Aqua soothe her overactive mind.

My Dearly Beloved
Be strong, I shall be there
Always here beside you
So, keep your head held high,
The shadows of this world
Will try to steal you away into their arms
But you belong in mine

Y couldn't bring herself to sing anymore. But Aqua seemed to have calmed down a little. She didn't seem so tense anymore.

"One keyblade is enough for any friendship. I learned it the hard way. I wouldn't wish our lives on those children." Aqua said suddenly. Y blinked and turned to look at Aqua in confusion.

"I'm sure everything will work out." Y said hopefully. She frowned and looked down at the water. "But, you're right. We all get so convinced we're the ones walking the right path we forget there is more than one right way." Aqua nodded and looked down at her wayfinder.

"What's to become of us?" Aqua asked.

What indeed, Y thought.