Disclaimer: Characters and locations are property of Square-Enix. Please hurry up with KHII for Europe. No one likes it when I’m angry…

Author’s Rant: I tried so hard to write a happy story involving rain but after all the cuteness lately I decided a little bit of angst was needed ;) But seeing as this story is for word 80 “Why” rather than word 66 “Rain” I’ve still got a shot at writing a story that involves rain and happiness!

If I was Sora I don’t think I’d ever stop asking why.

When your best friend turns to the darkness the whys seem endless...

Better Than Why

That wasn’t supposed to have happened. It should never have been that way. None of it should have happened. When they had left Destiny Islands it was supposed to have been a fun, exciting trip and they should have all been together. But they were further apart than he could properly understand and Sora was secretly worried that they would never be together again.

Stop it. Of course they would. There had been fights before. They’d always made up. Everything would be…

But there had never a fight like this.

So what? It didn’t mean…

And they’d never had worlds rather than streets between them.

We’ll be friends again!

Don’t be stupid. You don’t even understand how it happened.

Yes I do I…

Think it’s just his fault?

Silence from the optimism.

Yeah, I thought so.

…We should probably be going soon you know. I think…

Why did it happen? Why was he acting like that?

Sora had been trying not to think about it but every time his thoughts slipped onto something new his mind dragged itself back to his most recent pain. It wasn’t fair that he hurt so much when he hadn’t been the one doing the wrong thing. He’d been doing what he was supposed to do, what the Keyblade was supposed to do. And he’d been looking for his friends all along, right? It hadn’t been his fault at all!

Had it?

He curled up a little more on the bed. He didn’t have an answer to his question. Sora was facing the wall with his hood pulled over his head. Inside his head was a maelstrom but outside it was dark, quiet and more than a little cold. Outside there was nothing but rain falling and he listened to it fervently, hoping it would silence the argument he was having with himself. He almost laughed but it came out as a silly little sigh instead. It was the first noise he made since arriving. He hadn’t said much since the ship had escaped Monstro’s enormous body. Sora had agreed with Donald’s decision to go back to Traverse Town and pretended not to notice his or Goofy’s amazement that he’d agreed with the wizard so easily. After that he’d kept quiet. They’d arrived in Traverse Town and Sora had followed Donald and Goofy as they went to buy some supplies from the triplets’ shop. Then they had headed off to see the others in the Small House. He hadn’t even said hello, giving a limp wave instead. Sora had claimed the bed and tried to go to sleep, mind too full of its own concerns to pay much heed to the whispered conversations going on behind him. But sleep hadn’t worked. There was too much keeping his mind active. So he just lay there, back to the others and listening to the tumbling rain.

No one had commented on his silence but Sora knew they were all thinking the same thing: ‘how can we cheer him up?’ He was glad all his friends were staying quiet. They knew as well as he did that they didn’t understand how he felt. His hand curled on the bed, tugging at the sheets. Right now he really needed someone to talk to. But they didn’t understand and he didn’t know how to explain it. So everyone opted to remain silent.

Nevertheless the atmosphere in the room was growing stifling. His lips twitched into the smallest of smiles, gone an instant later. He could sense Donald and Yuffie’s impatience. It was making his back tingle hotly, their eyes apparently capable of blasting out heat waves. The duck and the girl were the ones making the most noise (especially seeing as no one was talking). He couldn’t be bothered to tell them to stop shuffling around. His concern lay elsewhere.

The rain though, that sounded nice. It hit the window dully but gushed when it was free to hit the ground. It was taking his mind off…

Without any kind of announcement Sora pushed himself off the bed, ignored the looks the others were giving him and headed outside into the downpour. Sora vaguely noted he’d never known it to rain in Traverse Town before tonight. Perfect. It suited him just fine. People were less likely to follow him. Sora opened the door to the First District and slipped through. No one was around and he’d chosen the district to avoid confrontations with the Heartless. Tonight he was content to just sit and brood. He almost laughed at the thought. Him, brooding? That was what Riku…

He jumped onto the roof of the Moogle’s Synthesis shop and sat on the chimney’s edge. His feet swung occasionally but mostly he stayed still, letting the rain soak over his body. It was colder than the rain back home, he thought absently as he lifted his face and washed it in the heavy shower.

He knew Donald and Goofy didn’t like it when he wasn’t happy but this time there was no helping it.

Riku wasn’t his friend any more.

Sora winced at the mere thought of it, his heart clenching and his breath catching. He bit his lip to stop it from trembling. He didn’t like to think about it (and not because his head was still aching a little from when he’d bashed it in Monstro). Every time he revisited those memories he inevitably started unpacking every spoken word and every action in the hopes he’d be able to fix the mess.

He knew he couldn’t. Despite all the things he could do now travelling back through time wasn’t in his power. The rain grew heavier still, making his hood obsolete. His soggy hair began to droop over his face. He didn’t touch it and he also lacked the power to will it to not block his vision. He gave a half-hearted pout. What use was it being the Keyblade Master if he couldn’t do things as simple as that?

Shivering from the growing cold, he lifted his knees up and rested his head on them. He felt like crying. That was embarrassing. Riku would’ve laughed at him and told him he was acting like a girl. And then Kairi would’ve started yelling about being insulted and probably attempted to hit Riku and make him take it back.

His hands grabbed his hood and he yanked it until it touched his nose. It was no good. He’d set himself off. Thinking about Kairi was bad enough. He still didn’t know where she was but that was also something that gave him hope. With Riku everything felt like it had ended.

Why?

Sora clenched his teeth and unleashed a torrent.

Why weren’t they friends any more? Why was Sora sitting here feeling like he wanted to be sick? Why was Sora crying? Why did Riku help him one minute and turn against him the next? Why did Riku think Sora only cared about the Keyblade? Why hadn’t everything gone the way they planned? Why had they been separated? Why hadn’t Sora been able to reach Riku back then or that other time either? Why couldn’t Sora find him and say sorry? Why was it his fault? Why was Riku acting like that? Why was Riku thinking he was the only one who cared about Kairi? Why hadn’t Riku stayed with them after the first time they’d been reunited? Why had he changed? Why couldn’t he get rid of his guilt? Why was he hurting others? Why did he have to act like he knew what was best? Why was Riku gone? Why was Kairi gone? Why was home gone? Why had everything changed? Why us? Why her? Why him? Why me? Why did… Why had… Why was… Why is… Why…

Why. Did. He. Have. To. Be. So. Stupid?

“Huh Riku?” Sora yelled at the rain. His hood fell back as he stood, fists clenched at his sides. “Why did you have to do any of that? Why did I say the wrong things? Why am I like this? It wasn’t my fault!”

Breathless, Sora sat back down. The rain fell and he tried to make it hide his tears.

“This isn’t like you. It isn’t like me.”

“You’re right. This ain’t like you at all Sora.”

Sora gasped and turned. Donald and Goofy stood behind him, Donald’s magic keeping the rain off the disproportionate pair. Donald soon cast the same spell around Sora and a clever adaptation of Fire created a warm breeze to dry him off.

“It won’t do for you to get a cold,” Donald advised, standing with his arm-like wings crossed over his chest.

Goofy stepped forwards and before the boy could stop him, the knight pulled Sora into a hug. Sora clung to Goofy as if doing so would solve all his troubles.

“Why Goofy?” His voice was small, childlike. “Why isn’t Riku my friend any more?”

“You don’t know that he ain’t Sora. So you got in’ta one fight. That don’t mean he hates you.”

“I think he hates me,” Sora muttered.

“Oh no he doesn’t!” Donald shot back, startling Sora. The wizard didn’t continue until Sora’s gaze demanded he continue. “Riku’s just being childish. You teenagers have fights all the time! I know I did. You’ve been friends for years and one upset isn’t gonna change all that and make it mean nothing.”

“You’re sorta like brothers huh?” Goofy said, letting Sora take a step back but keeping his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “He’s the eldest and you’re the youngest. That must mean you guys compete for all kindsa stuff.”

“Yeah but not Kairi…”

Donald and Goofy shared a look Sora didn’t understand.

Chuckling in his merry way Goofy went on. “I guess maybe Riku’s just tryin’ to find his place in all these worlds sorta like you are. Maybe we gotta go find him and show him his place is with you, the best friend he’ll ever have.”

“He’s a good fighter. He’d make it a lot easier for us to find the King and Kairi,” Donald added. “So, how about a few less whys and a few more what ifs?”

“What if?” Sora repeated.

“Yeah! What if,” Donald said. “What if Riku came with us? What if everything works out for the best? What if together you and Riku can work together and find Kairi that much quicker?”

Sora pondered for a moment. “I like that more. What if… what if Riku needs my help too? Then that way I can make everything better. I can fix it!” His face lit up, his still teary eyes finally holding a smile again. “That’s it! What if!” He laughed and jumped off the roof, Donald and Goofy following behind. “Thanks guys! What if huh? It’s the best!”

A triumphant Sora headed back to the ship, eager to get going. Goofy leaned over to Donald. “Uh, d’ya think we should tell ‘im that what ifs aren’t always the thing that happens?”

“What? And have him mope again? Not on your life Goofy!” Donald looked at his lifelong friend with a wise smile. “Sora should be as happy and as carefree as we can make him. Let him have his what ifs.”

And with that the pair hurried after their young friend, ready to wipe out the whys and make the what ifs real.

Oooh wow. That’s a lot of whys! There are over forty in there I reckon… And the more I wrote it the weirder the word looked…