Author's Note: Okay, folks, I think it's time for another story! (I'm totally not slacking on NaNoWriMo or anything... Okay, well, maybe I am xD). So, these last few stories have been a bit, well, grim. So I thought I'd search my collection for one of my humor pieces to brighten up this little anthology. I've already posted one in a different thread--An Afternoon Tea Party, which I'll probably post in here sometime just for the sake of keeping all my stuff together--so my next option was this story: Down to Earth. If I remember right, it's one of my earlier works, but I wanted to poke some fun at Sora from Kingdom Hearts. It's not super long, definitely not one of my deepest, but I intended it to be goofy. So, yeah. Hope you find it at least a little bit amusing... xD




In which Sora learns a lesson about the forces of gravity...

*****


“And so I found myself surrounded… blood-thirsty pirates at my back, and a hungry gator eyeing me from the water,” the young boy held out his hands in emphasis, drawing out all drama. Yet the suspense was slaughtered by the crooked grin on his face as he turned to his sole audience. She walked beside him down the beach, smiling softly at him in good nature, sometimes pulling her wine-red hair behind her ear. Waves gently lapped up at the white sand beside them, its brilliant blue waters glistening in the humid afternoon sun.

The two of them were alone. Somehow, they had found a way to escape to their tropical playground and now spent the precious time catching up one with another. She was quiet most of the time, but she was quite content to just listen to his voice—the voice she had not heard for well over a year. It almost seemed surreal sauntering down the shoreline with him once again; the scenery was ever the same, but the two had drastically changed since the last time they had the chance to take it in.

But one thing never changed: their endearing friendship.

“They forced me down the plank,” eagerly the boy continued with his tale. “And I had no choice—they were holding Peter’s fairy captive. If I didn’t do what they wanted, they would hurt her, and I didn’t want that to happen.”

“So what did you do?” she asked, blue eyes bright with earnest curiosity.

“I walked the plank,” he said simply, putting his hands into his pockets. “I walked right to the edge of it, and stared straight down into the throat of the crocodile.”

Kairi glanced down, hiding an amused smile. She found Sora’s dramatic enthusiasm irresistible, even if his stories tended to be a little exaggerated. Nonetheless, she could tell when he was being honest. She already knew his adventure by heart… because her heart had literally belonged to his.

“And then?” she gave him a long side-glance, knowing that it was exactly what he wanted her to ask.

His characteristic smile turned sheepish as he answered, “And then I closed my eyes… and jumped.”

“You jumped?” she guffawed, eyebrows flying heavenward.

“Yep,” replied he with a pop. “Fell like a rock, right towards the jaws of the croc. But before the monster could snap them shut, I remembered what Peter told me. And then, next thing I knew, I was flying!”

Kairi stopped dead in her tracks.

“You flew?” she repeated with an expression full of doubt.

He stopped as well, turning around to face her. “Yeah, I did. I really did!”

The young woman laughed, much to his chagrin. “You’ve told me a lot of strange things, Sora, but that has to be the most unbelievable.”

“Come on,” Sora’s face furrowed in frustration. “I’m serious! I really did fly! Tinker Bell’s pixie dust worked after all. I just had to believe that it would.”

“Sora, I’ve been around you for a while now, and I’ve never seen you fly,” replied Kairi after her laughter died down.

“Well, yeah,” the boy awkwardly ran his hand through his spiky hair. “It seemed to work a little differently in Neverland, but… I could still glide outside of that world. I… I just don’t really think about it that often.”

“Yeah, sure,” she raised her chin, purposely marching ahead. She couldn’t deny that she enjoyed how much her apparent disbelief tormented the boy.

“No, really! Kairi, you got to believe me!”

She glanced over her shoulder with a look of amusement. “Why don’t you prove it then?” she asked slyly. “Right here, right now.”

“Now?” he blinked at her blankly.

“If you want me to believe you,” she turned to walk backwards, hands behind her back.

He searched the beach ponderously. They had been trekking around the backside of the island, where he and his best friend Riku had their infamous obstacle-course races. A zip-line ran from a tower just over their heads, ending at a cliff on the other side of the cove. More trees grew here, and closer to the edge of the water. A year or so ago, the three of them—Kairi, Riku, and himself—had crafted a raft in hopes of reaching other worlds. Before they could take off in it, however, destiny had its say. They were separated and scattered, but embarked on an adventure even wilder than they had imagined. Only now, after being through so many trials, had they returned home.

“Okay, then,” Sora breathed in, expanding his chest as his determination grew. “I will prove it!”

Abruptly he took off, aiming for the cabin that would lead to the other side of the island. Kairi, watching his rapid disappearance, rolled her eyes and giggled. That boy just didn’t know when to give up; once he had his simple mind set on something, he would stick to it like glue. Maybe she shouldn’t have challenged him, but… boys will be boys. She couldn’t only hope he wouldn’t hurt himself.

A frightful imaged flashed through her head. Immediately, concern overcame her. He wasn’t going to jump from a cliff, was he? Sora really would do something like that, if he thought it’d prove his point.

“Sora?” Kairi called after him, but the boy was already out of her sight. Worried, she trotted after him, praying that it wasn’t too late to talk him out of doing something undoubtedly stupid.

As she reached the west side of the island, she spotted him running overhead—on a bridge connecting to an outcropping within the shoreline.

“Up here!” he shouted to her before vanishing into their “usual spot”.

Kairi stared after him while wondering how he got up there so fast. She couldn’t decide whether he was a fantastic athlete, super acrobatic, or just… strange. Before their adventure, he had never been this quick or strong. Perhaps it was something that came naturally to Keyblade wielders. Would she end up the same way?

She cautiously walked beneath the bridge, really starting to fret now. Her eyes were glued to the outcrop where Sora was climbing onto pale trunk of the Paopu tree. The young woman didn’t even notice Riku walking down from the docks until he called out to them.

“What are you two doing?” the older boy asked, his voice mixed with suspicion and amusement.

Before Kairi could speak up, Sora boomed from atop the outcrop.

“I’m going to prove to you all—once and for all—that man can fly!”

“This can’t be good,” Riku stared up at him from behind his long, silvery hair.

“Sora, what are you going to do?” Kairi yelled up, her brows creased.

Undaunted, the spiky-haired boy walked further up the bent trunk of the tree with a confident smile. “I told you, I’m going to fly.”

“Get down before you hurt yourself!”

“No way! I’m perfectly fine. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

Exasperated, the redhead girl turned back to the more mature male on the island. “Riku, go stop him!”

“What am I suppose to do?” was her reply, added a shrug.

“Ready to be amazed?” Sora cleared his throat.

“Something!” his girl pleaded.

“One…,” Sora started, focusing out on the ocean before him.

“Sora,” Riku finally called back up, trying to be the voice of reason. “You should probably think this one through.”

“Two…,” the comment was ignored.

“Sora, will you please listen?” Kairi frowned, growing increasingly anxious by the second.

“Three!”

The boy threw all caution to the wind, leaping from the trunk towards the distant horizon. For a brief second, he sailed through the air…

Before plummeting into the sea water.


Like a rock.