kh_drabble | The First Secret [230] (Reply)

Challenge: 230 - Whisper
Title: The First Secret
Word Count: 449
Spoilers: None

Here is the first secret of Kingdom Hearts: The worlds are many.

There are the worlds through space, yes, the worlds of this princess and that, worlds of deep oceans and high mountains. Worlds that they that go up to the stars in ships may travel between.

And then there are the worlds through time. Forward and backward and even across time, across to the worlds of "might have been," worlds of "what if" and "if only." And to these worlds no one may go.

But Kingdom Hearts touches all worlds, and all hearts touch Kingdom Hearts...

w--O

"It's not going to work, Sora," Kairi said. "You need pavement."

"It does so work!" Sora insisted. He pushed again, but his skateboard quickly came to a stop on the dirt road. "Sort of..."

"I think some worlds just aren't skateboarding worlds," Kairi said.

"Maybe." Sora picked up the skateboard and put it under his arm.

"Where'd you learn it, anyway?"

"Nowhere, I just knew..." Sora heard what he was saying and stopped. "I mean..." He rubbed his neck, and tried to think of something to say that didn't sound crazy. "I mean, Twilight Town. I just, um, picked it up really fast."

"It's okay, Sora." Kairi put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. I've been drawing pictures since we got back, my room's full of them."

Sora shook his head. "No, but..." He sighed, and whispered. "I just wish it could have been different..."

w--O

Hayner was usually a good sport.

Or maybe, the other Hayner had been a good sport, just personality data in a computer file.

Or maybe Roxas had just been programmed to think he was.

Whatever. He was grouchy now. "Why didn't you tell me you could swim like that? Geez."

"I didn't know I could either," Roxas said. "I..." How could he explain it? "I think I lived on an island in a past life."

"Yeah, right. You could have warned me."

"Chill out, Hayner," Pence said. "We're at the beach! It's supposed to be fun. And it's not like he asked you to race."

That was true, but Roxas said, "I'm sorry," anyway. He wasn't sure why.

Making friends was different when you had a heart. Things felt so strange. And Roxas wondered, sometimes, if they'd have really been his friends or if Riku had just programmed them that way.

But where else could he go? Xion was gone. Axel was dead. Riku was dead. Should he and Namine have gone to Destiny Islands? To tell people they only half-remembered that their friends weren't coming back?

No way. This was better.

But he always flinched when that voice whispered in his head, "I just wish it could have been different..."