I tried to not go with mega-angst but… um… it didn't work. This is for my fanfic 100 challenge but I'm not saying what word... It'll be pretty obvious by the end!

I'm still not finished with KHII so NO SPOILERS in reviews. Thanks everyone!

Tomoyo is Sora's mother :)

Tragedy strikes and Sora's best-laid plans come tumbling down.

Daddy

"So, make sure you've got your fishing gear together when I get back okay kiddo? We'll head down to the cove and catch Mom a really big fish."

Sora smiled. "Okay Dad, I will."

"Good. Don't tell her, it'll be our secret." Sora's Dad, his blond hair falling across his grey eyes, smiled back at his son and ruffled his thick hair. "Be good for Mom while I'm gone."

"Promise!"

"Have a good day at school."

Here Sora made a face. "Can't I have the day off?" He asked every time his father went off on one of his fishing trips. "I never learn stuff anyway. School's boring and…"

"Nice try Sora." His Dad opened the door and stepped out. "See you later. Bye Tomoyo!"

"Goodbye love," Tomoyo called to her husband. "See you tonight!"

Off his father went, down to the docks where the big boat waited, bobbing up and down on the wavy sea. It belonged to one of the largest fishing companies on the island, and Sora's dad was the captain. It made Sora very proud – after all most the other kids at school didn't have dads who were captains.

"Come on honey, time we were getting you to school."

Sora's mother, Tomoyo, passed him his rucksack. Hand in hand, mother and son left their small home and headed for the islands' elementary school. The air outside was hot that morning, horribly muggy. The day was overcast, thick clouds swelling in the skies. Storms were a very real threat. The heat always felt more oppressive when the clouds were holding it all down, pinning it to the islands. The sun might have been hidden but its uncomfortable warmth could still be felt. Fog had swathed everything as well, the island's buildings and people disappearing into the hot haze. Sora was glad that his school allowed the boys to wear shorts and short-sleeved sailor-style shirts on days like today. Still, did they really have to make him wear a tie? It was all so unfair…

"Make sure you go straight home after school Sora. You know I've got to work late tonight. I want to come home and find you tucked up in bed, understood? Dad should be home before me to make you some dinner but if not I'll make you a snack when I get home. I'll be sure to read you a nice story before you go to sleep too."

"Okay Mom."

"Don't use the cooker."

"I won't."

"No playing with knives."

"I promised I'd never do that again Mom…"

"If Riku and Kairi come over, please don't make a mess."

"We won't. Kairi won't let us."

"I'm sorry you have to be home alone. I promise this will be my last late shift."

"It's okay Mom, I don't mind."

They reached the school gate. Tomoyo crouched down so she could give her small son a hug. "See you tonight. Have a nice day."

"You too Mom!" And off Sora went, across the playground and into the school, greeting friends and classmates as he went.

The school day passed like all the others – lessons, break time, more lessons, lunchtime, reading hour, art time and then home. Kairi and Riku accompanied Sora home, the three moaning about the canteen's disgusting choice of dinner that day.

"Why do they torture us with beans?" Kairi grumbled. "My tummy feels all swollen, like it'll explode!"

"That's 'cause beans give you wind," Riku answered knowledgably. "Everyone in my class kept farting and the teacher got mad 'cause Wakka made the room smell real bad."

"That's gross!" Kairi said, giggling anyway.

"Yeah, but Wakka's always like that isn't he Sora…? Sora?" Riku called. The boy's attention was elsewhere, gazing out to sea. "Something wrong?"

Sora pointed at the horizon. "Is that a storm?"

Kairi gasped. "I never saw one so big!"

Sora didn't worry when she said that. Kairi had only been on the islands for a year so she hadn't had enough time to experience the worst storms the islands could offer. Riku however…

"Me neither. I think it's gonna be a bad one."

If Riku or Kairi said anything else, Sora didn't hear them. He was running down the hill to the dock, his legs carrying him faster than they ever had. He tripped over a loose wooden decking beam and crashing down, scraping his knees and hands. He looked between the beams of the pier, water splashing him in the face. The sea, its waters an ominous grey, was growing violent. Sora stood up on sore legs, noticing the sharp wind.

Dad's boat wasn't back yet.

"Sora?" It was Mr. Tomiko. He worked for another of the fishing companies. "You should be heading home kiddo. Got a nasty storm coming in."

"B-but my Dad's…"

The middle-aged man crouched down to the little boy's height. "Hey, don't worry. Your Dad knows how to handle a storm. He'll probably pull up on one of the other islands for the night and be home tomorrow." He ruffled Sora's hair. "Off you go, better get home before the rains come. You wouldn't want to catch a cold."

Sora turned to leave. Riku and Kairi stood at the far end of the dock, waiting to accompany him up the road home. Both put on brave faces, but they didn't need to. Sora was already putting the storm out of mind, trusting that his Dad, captain of his own ship, would definitely be all right. The rain began to pour, heavy and unrelenting. Riku and Kairi left Sora as each reached their own home, intent on getting out of the storm before it got any worse.

"See you tomorrow Sora," Riku called from his front door. "Don't forget you owe me your pudding at lunch tomorrow!"

At her front door, Kairi smiled at Sora. "Your Daddy will be fine, don't worry. See you tomorrow. Don't forget to do your homework."

"Kairi…"

"You know how angry Mrs. Dent will get if you don't get it done."

Promising Kairi he'd finish his homework (and fearing the wrath of his teacher Mrs. Dent if he failed to do so), Sora entered his quiet home. The rain splashed on the windows. It sounded like lots of little fingers were poking at Sora's house incessantly. The little boy toyed with the idea of having something to eat, but his appetite seemed to be gone. He pulled the book he had to read out of his backpack. He managed to read about two pages of Basil the Great Mouse Detective before giving up. He was too distracted. Sora soon found himself sitting at his bedroom window, watching the storm gather intensity. The sea was a churning, sickly sight. It was getting harder to tell what was water and what was cloud. Thunder was getting louder, the lightning stabbing the clouds faster and brighter than ever. A few people ran past Sora's house, hurrying to get home as the rain turned to heavy hail. Sora's parents were never among the rushed figures, so Sora remained alone.

"Dad will come home," Sora told the rain on his window. "Dad always comes home."

Wind was tearing at the house. Sora could hear the garden gate creaking and banging. He hugged his knees to his chest. The hail outside was huge, the rain accompanying it equally heavy. The thunder that exploded overhead made the house quake. Sora let out a surprised yelp, covering his head with his arms. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't scared!

Dad wouldn't be either, and he was out there somewhere.

The lights flickered before they died, the power cut off. Lightning must have struck the generator island. Sora pushed himself away from his window. He grabbed his quilt off his bed and tugged it downstairs. It was probably safer down there. If he had to run out the house, it'd be easier to do so through the front door rather than his bedroom window.

The stairs trembled underneath him as he went down them. Could thunder maybe tear a house apart? Sora held the blanket tightly around himself. He really was afraid. The house was making lots of noises it never normally made and he didn't want to be alone. What if the house fell down and he got stuck inside it all alone? What would happen to all his toys? How he wished his Mom wasn't still at work. How he wished his Dad wasn't out on the sea. Sora felt tears rising up, sobs threatening to push out of his chest. He refused to cry though. He swallowed the sobs back down, resolving to be brave despite the dark and the noise and the loneliness.

Sora curled up on the sofa in the lounge, the blanket pulled right up to his neck. The storm pounded on. Every time something seemed to relent, Sora would relax just a little, thinking that maybe the worst was over. But the wind or the rain or the thunder or the lightning would return, powerful as ever, and Sora's hope turned to fright. Was Dad out there in all this, trapped on a boat in the sea? If he was… if Dad hadn't found safety on another of the islands…

No, Sora couldn't think about that.

If Dad had fallen into the sea he wouldn't be able to…

Stop!

But Dad was…

Lightning blazed down, forks breaking down from the sky and striking the land. Horrific noise followed as the trees that had been struck began to groan, their trunks breaking. Lightning burst out again. Sora was blinded for a moment, seeing nothing but white. The next thing he knew, Sora was watching a tree crash down in the street outside. The noise never seemed to stop, the wind tearing sound apart and throwing it all over the place. Sora hurried over to the window, watching as other trees succumbed to the wind and lightning. Thankfully the rain stopped anything from catching fire. Hail lined the street and gardens outside like snow, melting quickly but always replaced with more.

Curling up in his blanket, Sora kept his face pressed to the glass. He was shivering now, from nerves rather than cold. He did his best not to cry, even as the uncertainty and fear jabbed him. There was nothing he could do, nothing at all.

"Dad will come home tomorrow. I'm sure he will!" Sora told his reflection in the glass. "Dad always comes home."

Sora stayed by the window for the rest of the night, his worried mother coming home and finding him there.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't come home sooner!" she said, pulling him off the windowsill and into a hug that he returned just as tightly, despite how wet she was. "This storm… it's unbelievable."

"Mom…"

"Were you scared?"

Sora shuffled a foot. "Well… I… maybe a little but…"

"The electricity's gone here too? Don't worry. I'll go get some candles. Then I probably should get out of these wet clothes and…"

"Mom what about…"

"Have you eaten? I bet you haven't. I can hear your stomach rumbling Sora. It's not good to skip…"

"Mom what about Dad!"

His mother's buzz of activity didn't stop. Everything was in her voice. "He'll be fine Sora." Each word shook a little more than the one before it. If she said anything else, the storm outside covered her voice.

Sora watched as his mother lit candles. He clenched his fists at his side. "Why can't we do something?"

"Because we're just people, normal people."

"Why should that stop us?" Sora demanded. "Why can't I go out there and find my Dad?" He ran to the door, his hand hovering over the handle. The wind was making the letterbox cover rattle. "Why not?"

"Don't open the door Sora! Don't you dare!"

"I want my Dad!" And Sora opened the door, rain and wind slamming into him.

"Sora!" Tomoyo ran to him, grabbed him and slammed the door. She held him tight, enfolding him in arms that shook. "Please don't go out there. Sora, you're Dad will be fine! He's going to come home. But please," he realised Mom was crying, "don't leave me here alone."

"But what if I can find Dad?"

"Sora…"

"What if I can? What if I go down to the beach and…"

"No!"

Mother and son's blue eyes locked onto one another, both blazing but full of tears. Wills clashed and Sora tried to pull free of Tomoyo's arms.

"Dad's out there and I know I can find him!"

"He's going to come home Sora! Dad always comes home, doesn't he?"

"Yeah." Sora fell still, his hands clutching his mother's arms. "Dad always comes home." Thunder rolled around, lightning blasting everything into a negative image. The wind and the rain soon finally seemed to be weakening. That was a good sign, wasn't it? Sora bit his lip and blinked the tears away. Mom could cry but he had to be brave. "Tomorrow we can go down to the harbour and wait for him, right?"

"Yes, that's what we'll do." Hand in hand, mother and son went and sat on the sofa. "Tomorrow Dad will come home."

The storm continued to howl like some vengeful beast, but Sora felt safer with his Mom home. He laid down, resting his head on her lap. She pulled the blanket over them both, her other hand rhythmically brushing his hair. Despite the noise and the worry, Sora soon began to drowse. Realising with a jerk that his eyes were shut, Sora was shocked to open them and find daylight splashing through the window. The storm was dead, a thing of the night chased off by the sun. Sora carefully sat up, not wanting to disturb his Mom who was still asleep. He went to the front door and opened it carefully. The road outside was littered with trees and assorted garden furniture but it was passable. Sora's mind was made up. He was going to the harbour without his Mom. She said they could wait there, so why shouldn't he go now? She'd know where to find him. Still in his school uniform, Sora opted to pull his school shoes on before running out the house.

Sora made it to the harbour in record time, surprised to find a crowd of anxious people already there. He noticed a few children, some his age and some a little older. All of them clung to the hands of their mothers, worried looks on their faces. Sora swallowed hard. Something bad had happened.

"We know how awful this is for all of you but please wait," a man, Dad's boss Sora noted, was announcing. "Search parties are looking up the beaches and have been sent out to the other islands…"

Sora stopped listening. The beach… he had to get to the beach. What if… No, he had to go to the beach to make sure Dad wasn't there. Then… then he could go home, leave a note for Mom and tell her he was going out on his boat to search for Dad. Sora hurried to the beach, taking care to avoid detection. He knew that the fussy adults would stop him if they saw him. Yeah, he'd get in his boat and find Dad and then together they'd go down to the cove and fish like they always did when Dad came home…

The beach was a strange sight. There were several people lying down but it was too early for anyone to be sunbathing. No one else seemed to be around. Sora's misunderstanding eyes travelled across each person, wondering why the beach was so popular that morning when last night's storm had made it so messy.

He strolled past the people, a little confused as to why they'd be lying there in overalls. The first few were face down so Sora couldn't tell who they were. Sora walked on to those lying on their sides or face up, noticing one man's bloated, ashen face and thinking he looked kind of sick. Sora thought the man should be asleep in a bed, not on a beach…

Wait.

There were a few more people splayed across the beach, but one Sora definitely knew.

And that was when his heart seemed to stop.

Why was his Dad lying on the beach?

"Dad!" Sora thought he yelled, but the word trembled and choked as it came out of him.

On his knees, Sora grabbed his father. The man's body was so cold to touch, colder than Sora thought possible in the morning sun. The little boy was crying now, some part of his brain a few steps ahead. It hadn't fully registered yet, but it was coming.

"Dad, Dad it's me! You can wake up now! The storm's over and you're back on the island. Dad!"

Nothing.

"We've gotta go fishing Dad!" Sora said, his breath catching. "There's nothing for Mom to cook if we don't…"

It wasn't working.

"Dad? D-Dad?" He couldn't shake his father anymore. His small arms were shaking too much. Sora laid over his dad's chest… it wasn't moving. Why? Why wasn't he breathing? "Daddy!"

The arms wrapping around him made Sora cry out with shock.

"Come away," a calm voice said. It was Mr. Tomiko again. "You shouldn't be here Sora."

"No!" Sora clutched his father's damp clothes. "I don't want to leave until…until…"

"Sora lad, he's not going to wake up again."

Tearful blue eyes, wide with incomprehension, landed on tired grey ones. Mr. Tomiko tried to smile but the expression never quite made it. Sora attempted to free himself from the man's arms he didn't seem to have the strength.

"I'm so sorry Sora."

The boy shook his head. "B-but… But my Dad is… he's always… he said… He said we'd go fishing at the cove…" His face crumpled, the quiet sobs turning to wails. "He's my Daddy!"

"I know, and I'm sorry. Come on, let's go find your Mommy."

"We can't leave him here!"

"Don't worry, there are people coming to take him awa- to take your Dad somewhere else, somewhere better."

Sora let Mr. Tomiko lead him away by the hand, the little boy numbly walking away from his father's body. Every time he tried to look back, Mr. Tomiko quietly told him not to. Sora and Mr. Tomiko had just reached the road by the beach when Tomoyo came running, calling out to her son. When she saw her little boy, she knew what had happened.

"I'm so sorry Tomoyo," Mr. Tomiko said, gently nudging Sora into his mother's arms. He walked away, leaving the pair alone.

"Mom…"

She was crying again as she held him, her tears soaking into his school uniform. She tried to say something comforting but there weren't any words.

Sora just stood there, arms limp at his sides and tears splashing unimpeded down his suddenly pale face. "Mom, I'm sorry. Dad and I won't be going fishing today."