Chapter Text
It started with a door.
It was not just any ordinary door. This one was large with a dark oak texture and gold trimming. Not only was it a large, elegant door, it was in the most peculiar place. In a cave on the island that Sora, Riku, and Kairi frequented.
It hadn't been there before. Sora was sure of it. For the entire 7 plus years they had played on that island, no door had ever bothered to show its face.
Now, at fifteen, Sora stared at the mysterious object for what felt like an eternity. Smack dab in their 'secret place'.
"See??" Sora pointed a finger at the door, casting a look back at his equally confused best friend. "I wasn't lying, Riku. It's been here since yesterday, at least!"
"Well, it does look odd," Riku admitted, taking a step towards it. Sora grabbed his arm hurriedly.
"Don't go near it. What if it explodes??"
Riku rolled his eyes and laughed. "Explodes? Sora, you watch too much television." He shrugged the brunette off and reached out, grazing his fingers against the surprisingly smooth surface. "How do we know if it's even connected to something. Maybe it was something someone was tossing out."
"What 'cha doing?" a voice called out, making both boys jump. Quickly, Sora turned to the girl who had entered the cave and held his hands up to desperately block the door from view.
"N-nothing, Kairi! Just doing boy stuff. Classified," he sputtered out and Riku played along, also blocking the door, causing Kairi to raise an eyebrow.
"Boy stuff?" Kairi questioned suspiciously and instantly Sora gripped her shoulders, turning her around and leading them out of the cavern.
"Yeah, gross stuff. Don't worry about it," Riku piped up, following them.
"You guys are acting strange," she commented, but questioned it no further. Riku and Sora silently agreed to keep it from Kairi. For now.
Sora couldn't deny that the door was on his mind. He was extremely curious but the thought of it being something dangerous made him anxious. It only took two days before his curiosity got the best of him and he made his way to the island alone; not wanting to get Riku and Kairi involved.
Upon reaching the island on his small wooden row boat, Sora saw another boat already at the dock. He couldn't be sure if it was Riku or Kairi, as they all had matching boats.
His thoughts instantly went to the idea of Riku beating him to the mystery. He always had to be the one to beat him at everything and anything and it irritated Sora.
He groaned and got off the boat, docking it up with a lose rope, before running towards the cave. Something made him stop. Kairi was by the ocean, her feet in the water. She was wearing something unusual. A black coat?
"Kairi!" Sora called out and it took a moment before she turned in his direction. That wasn't Kairi. Though, she looked like she could be her twin. The same blue eyes, face shape, and haircut. The only difference was the color; pitch black, instead of Kairi's usual burgundy hue.
"Did you, uh, do something with your hair?" Sora asked, stepping closer to her.
Instantly, there was a shine of bright light near her hand, where what looked like a blade shaped as a key was now in her grasp. She readied up in a stance as if to attack him. Sora jumped back and held up his hands in defense.
"Woah, I don't mean any harm. I swear!"
"Sora!" Riku's voice called out and Sora glanced to see him running towards him. "There…you…are," he breathed between pants. "I was looking for you all over the place."
"What's going on?"
Sora brought his eyes back onto the Kairi look alike, who had just spoken for the first time and sounded nearly identical to their friend.
"I told you not to run off and to stay put," Riku responded. "Put your keyblade away. Sora's a good guy."
Her face instantly contorted into a look of pure anger.
"He is not good! This is the man I told you about!!"
"I'm…lost," Sora muttered, scratching his head in confusion.
"Sora?" Riku started to laugh. "He doesn't even know anything about you. It can't be him. He can't hurt a fly."
"Then why does he look JUST like him??"
"Probably the same way you look just like our friend, Kairi."
Sora had enough of being ignored. "Tell me what is going on!" he nearly shouted, causing her blade to disappear in another flash of light and both of them staring at him with wide eyes.
*
"Another world?" Sora repeated, absolutely dumbfounded as they sat on the large tree branch near the water.
"Yeah, she kind of, came out of the door," Riku said slowly with a small uncomfortable chuckle.
"Did you open the door?"
"No! I mean, I was about to, but as soon as I came towards it, she tumbled out."
The girl, who Sora was told she was named Xion, crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "I was desperate."
"Desperate for?"
"If you must know," she started, glaring at Sora, "I was on the run. I saw a door and I ran through it. Next thing I know, I see him, Yozora copycat."
"Who?" Riku and Sora questioned in unison.
"Yozora. I mean, you're not him, but you look like him. A lot."
"I don't know what's happening, but I have a bad feeling about that door," Sora said, finally, staring out at the water in front of them. "Where are you from? What's it called?"
"Quadratum."
"Never heard of it."
"I mean," Xion groaned, jumping off of the branch and landing on her feet, "I don't know much about this place. I've never seen a…whatever that is before." She had gestured to the ocean, and then dug into the pocket of her coat, pulling out a small handful of seashells. "These are really neat, though. I got to take them back and show Roxas. I'm sure he'd love them."
Putting the shells back in her pocket, Xion turned to the boys who were still seated. "Another world seems likely. This is all brand new to me. And it's really bright here. Where I'm from, it's dark and rainy a lot."
"Were you in danger?" Riku got off of the branch, now looming over the short girl. "Did you do something bad?"
"No, it's not like that."
"Then what is it? Can you go back?"
"I…I guess I probably should." Xion seemed hesitant.
"Well, we'll see you out then. Let's go." Sora now got off the branch and started to walk down the pier. "Come on, you two."
There was the door. In the same spot. Closed and looked untouched.
"Nice meeting you, Xion. Now go back to where you came from." Sora was eager to keep the potential danger away from their home.
Xion stared at him anxiously, glancing occasionally back at the door.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"No."
Sora and Riku had spoken at the same time and Sora shot his silver haired friend a small glare.
"Riku, you know very well she can't stay here. Think of our home. Our island ."
"I'm going with her."
"Wh-what?" Sora was baffled that Riku would even think to go to that strange world.
"C'mon, Sora," he started, patting Sora on the shoulder, "we've always talked about getting off this island. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now."
"Riku…"
"You can stay here and be stuck in the same old, same old, but I'm going. Come if you want."
"What about Kairi?"
"Bring her too. It'll be an adventure."
"Riku, we can't go." The brunette reached out to stop Riku from leaving. "You can't go. Please?"
Riku's turquoise eyes studied Sora's blue ones for a moment, before completely turning away and going towards the door. "Sorry, Sora. Give Kairi my regards. See you."
That was it. Riku and Xion were gone. Through the blackness of the unknown gateway. Sora stared at where they had been; a mix of emotions flooding through him.
The only logical thing he could think of was to get his brother and hope to all that was holy that he would help him.
Ventus was always Sora's voice of reason. He was his personal therapist, someone he could go to for anything. He always seemed to have the right answer. So there was Sora, standing outside of his apartment door, pounding on it desperately.
"Hang on, hang on!" the familiar voice called out. There was some shuffling, before the door was opened a crack, blue eyes peering outside. After a second, the door was opened wide and Sora quickly shoved past him and into his home.
"Oh, come on in. Sure," he muttered sarcastically. Sora turned and looked at the disheveled appearance of his older brother; messy blonde hair, no shirt, and what appeared to be hastily thrown on sweatpants, crooked and inside out.
"You look like shit," he commented, eyes running up and down Ventus, who looked flushed. "Your pants are inside out."
"Well, I wasn't necessarily expecting company." Ventus crossed his arms over his chest uncomfortably.
"Anyway, I need your help." Sora had to keep his mind on the task at hand. "I'm worried about Riku."
"Riku? What'd he do now?"
"He…well, uh, it's a long story."
"Ven, who was at the door?" a voice called out, and Sora startled, not realizing there had been someone else in his home.
"Terra, not now," Ven hissed, quickly jolting to push the tall, muscular brunette back into the room, his face ten shades of red.
"Terra?" Sora questioned in disbelief. "That guy from your job?"
"Don't start, Sora," Ventus bit, glaring at his brother. "Go back to bed, Terra."
"Okay, okay. I'll be waiting." Terra placed a small peck on Ven's forehead, and disappeared back into the room.
"A-anyway, let's hear about that long story."
Sora went over as much detail as he could remember, talking about how the door had just shown up and it most likely leads to another world, and how Riku had gone through it and he was worried, wondering if he should go after him or call someone to go bring Riku back.
Venture just stared dumbfoundedly. He was silent for much longer than Sora cared for him to be.
"Say something."
"I don't know what to say," Ven admitted with a small shrug. "Honestly, it all sounds made up. You do tend to have an overactive imagination."
"I'm serious!" he shouted out in frustration. "I can show you. Come with me to the island."
"Fine," Ventus sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Let me get dressed."
"Bring Terra!" Sora hollered as his brother disappeared into his bedroom. He was eager to prove to Ventus that he wasn't making it up.
This was real.