The Man with Fire

“I sent a message in a bottle…”

Kiera turned to Kairi.

“What?”

“To Sora. I wrote a letter yesterday, put it in a bottle and put it out to sea…” Kairi elaborated.

They were sitting once again on the beach, silently. The sun was setting over the horizon as they gazed out towards their island. 

“I don’t know if Sora will get it. It’s been a long time. For some reason, I didn’t even know his name. But I knew it was important to say something to him.”

Kiera blinked, and smiled sadly.

“Yeah, I know how that feels…” 

Kairi leaned forward to glance at Kiera, cocking her head and smiling, innocently.

“How’s your memory, Kiera?” 

Kiera put her hand to her head.

“Slowly, but surely.”

“You remember anything new?”

“Well, I remember I had more friends than just my Light Friend-er-Ventus…There were two others…” Kiera smiled a little. “Now that I think of it, one of them was a lot like Riku…”

“Really?”

“Yeah…and lost… like Riku too.”

Kairi frowned. Slowly, she stood, and stiffened.

“Maybe…Maybe waiting isn’t good enough…” 

.

Kiera looked up. She rose to her feet. 

Kairi suddenly turned around and grasped Kiera’s hands.

“Let’s go find them! Together!” She cried.

Kiera was surprised.

“Wh-What? Kairi I don’t know…”

“What if they need our help? What if they’re in trouble and it’s up to us to save them?”

Kiera was quiet as she thought for a moment.

“It wouldn’t be the first time…” she mumbled, “There’s just so many worlds out there, it could take a while…”

.

“My thoughts exactly!” 

Kiera and Kairi whirled around. A doorway opened, a black and purple portal composed of dark magic. Immediately Kiera sensed danger and summoned Dreamseeker. A figure stepped through, a man over six feet tall with wild red hair and blue-green eyes, upside-down triangle tattoos under his eyes, and a long, flowing black cloak.

“If you have a dream, don’t wait. Act. One of life’s little rules. Got it memorized?” He continued.

“That sounds sappy!” Kiera remarked, “Who are you!?”

The man clicked his tongue. 

“Now, now, Kiera, that is so rude!” He fakely pouted, “I can understand Kairi here to not remember, but you? You have no excuse…” 

“Trust me, I would remember if I knew someone like you!”

The man sighed, chuckling.

“The name’s Axel,” he introduced, “I happen to be an acquaintance of Sora.” 

He stretched out his hand. 

“Why don’t we go see him?”

“Sora?” Kairi echoed.

“No, Kairi, it’s a trap!” Kiera insisted, “Stay behind me!” 

.

Just then, monsters began to appear out of nowhere. Not heartless, but white, almost translucent figures with zippers for mouths. 

“I remember these. From Twilight Town!” Kiera recalled.

“We’ve got something in common, you two. We all miss someone we care about. Hey, I feel like we’re friends already.” 

“You take one step closer, and I won’t hesitate to smite you!” Kiera warned.

Suddenly, her head began to throb. 

Images flashing, flashes of a flowery courtyard, a boy with red hair and a boy with blue, sitting next to Ventus while he mourned. Laughing…Crying… 

.

“Kiera!”

Kiera was snapped back to reality when she heard Kairi’s cry. There was a whistle. Another portal opened. This time, a dog with a green collar bounded out of it. 

“What!?” Kiera gasped. 

The dog barked, and dashed around them. He rushed back to the portal and gestured them forward. Then, Kairi made a decision. She turned to Axel and shouted:

“You’re not acting very friendly!” 

She grabbed Kiera’s hand, and pulled her towards the portal.

“Kairi!?” Kiera cried in shock.

“Come on!” 

The two young ladies jumped into the portal, and it disappeared quickly behind them.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Kiera woke up to a bright light. She opened her eyes to find three faces staring down at her. Kiera exclaimed and threw herself up.

“Woah! Easy!” 

Kairi was already up, and placed a hand on Kiera’s.

“It’s okay. I think we’re safe.”

“Hey, I remember you…”

Kiera squinted at one of the faces and was surprised. It was Hayner, Pence, and Olette, from Twilight Town! She had met them when she, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were trying to get to the Mysterious Tower.

“I…do too!” Kiera breathed.

“What happened?” Pence inquired, “You and that dog came flying out of a hole in the wall. You nearly gave us heart attacks!”

Kiera glanced at Kairi, a little annoyed that her friend made such a brash decision. Who knows if this was a trap too? However, she chuckled.

“Eh, it’s a long story…”