A/N: Hey everyone! So this is my new story! I love it and it is dedicated to all my lovely readers and followers who have made this and other stories possible. I love you all my cupcakes!!!!!!!!!!!! P.s. before I start this story the song at the top is an Avril Lavinge song I'll let you know when to hit play. Now on with the story!

"Sora you have to raise your grades in school before you can go play with your friends and that's final!" My mother screamed. Sora, my big brother, is a year older than me, and starting to fail. I was down stairs trying to read. Quickly giving up I get up to make lunch when the door bell rang. "Diana sweetie can you get that?" "Sure mommy." Running to the door I open it to be met by a complete stranger.

He was taller than me, but only by a little. the boy looked to be about 7 with silver hair and teal eyes. " H-he-hello, h-how can I help you?" I nervously asked. I've never been good at talking to people and having no friends doesn't really help either. He looked down with a curious expression. "My names Riku and I'm looking for my friend Sora, does he by chance live here?!" I nodded. That's when my mom slammed Sora's door shut and stomped down the stairs.

Once on the ground level she looked up and saw Riku. "Oh, hello Riku. I'm sorry Sora can't come out today. He has to raise his grades in school so until then he's stuck at home, but by all means stay for lunch." The boy, Riku, hesitated for a moment before coming in.

Feeling brave I grab Riku's hand and lead him to the dining room. Now it's nothing fancy just an assortment of chairs with a cherry oak table. The walls are white with many pictures mostly of Sora and me as we've grown up, but some of Mom and Dad, while others are of close friends and family. Letting go of Riku's hand I quickly clear the table and go grab silverware, placing spoons and bowls on the table while Mom makes lunch and talks to our guest. Once done I run upstairs to get Sora. Opening the door I poke my head in to see my brother passed out on his bed with a book over his face. Laughing silently I creep over to scare him awake when I hear a voice behind me, " what are you doing?" Whirling around I see Riku standing in the door way. Putting my finger to my lips I point to where Sora lay. Understanding he slaps a hand over his mouth so as not to make too much noise. Once next to him I crouch ever so slightly and scream in his ear. The passed out doofus jumps 10 ft in the air, the book flying off his face. During this Riku and I were on the floor laughing , but I quickly stood up and helped Riku.

I started counting under my breath. Sora's friend looks at me confused until I reach 1. Then I take off with Riku on my heels. You see when I wake Sora up he chases me all around the house, both of us laughing because it's like a game. Getting ahead I pull Riku behind the couch to catch a much needed breath.

Riku smiles and says, "wow who knew Sora could run that fast!" In between breaths I tell him about how we do this everyday. " Okay well that makes sense. By the way I never caught your name?" " Hee! Sorry I don't have any friends, besides maybe my big brother and talking to people isn't easy for me either. Sorry. Anyway my name is..." That's when Sora yells, "DIANA!" Arms wrap around me as he starts to tickle me. I laugh and try to escape but am to weak, tears fall from my face as it  becomes hard to breath. "Help! Riku help me, can't breath!"

I laugh as Riku fights to free me from my brothers grasp. Once free we all  start panting until Mom announced lunch. With bowls of macaroni and cheese in front of us we all dug in.

"So Sora hows that studying going?" Mommy knowingly asked. Riku and I look at each other and laugh while Sora glares at his food, "Great! Ya know writing words down over and over again."After lunch Mama went with Sora to make sure he actually was learning while I was stuck, alone ,again. That is until Riku asked, "Would you like to hangout?" Looking surprised, I smiled and nodded.

That was the beginning of our friendship. I have a few other friends now, but my close friends are Riku, Kairi, and Sora. But of them I'm closest to Riku, my very first friend.

"Diana come help me find Sora!" Kairi called, shaking me out of my trance and making me drop the piece of wood I was picking up for the mast on my foot. Cussing loudly Kairi looks at Riku, "Translation?" "I'd love to but I have to nurse my now throbbing foot so that I may carry more would in Sora's absence." Nodding she leaves to find my lazy ass brother. "Riku, I really hate you sometimes." "Yup." He nods and smiles. We do this often just to be funny.

Once my foots better I grab the wood and follow Riku down to the beach to continue building the raft. "Do you think we'll really get to other worlds on our raft?" I ask. Riku turns with a curious look on his face, "We'll never know if we don't try. Right?"  I nod as we come across Kairi trying to wake up Sora. Setting down my wood I walk over and do what I've always done, screamed in his ear. He jumps and I'm off, hurtling like a rocket around the island.

Getting to the other side I stop to catch my breath and look out at the ocean when suddenly I get tackled from behind. "Gotcha!" Sora exclaimed, having FINALLY caught me. I laugh as I shove him off and go down to the raft.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Time skip to an hour later)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the main part built all that was left to do was gather supplies and sow the sail. I was helping Kairi with the sail when suddenly she asks "Do you like Riku?" I looked up at her in shock. I mean she just asked if I liked my best friend! For Christ sake give a girl a little warning. I didn't understand where that came from, but there's the fact that questions like that infect your mind and make you question every little thing. Keeping you up at night and filling your days when no other thoughts are available. "I don't know. I never thought about it. Why, how did this come about?" She looks up and smiles, "Well you guys are best friends, you do everything together, he was your first friend so I was wondering if you had a crush."

I shook my head, even with all that he's 2 years older than me. How could a 16 year old ever like a 14 year old. I'm happy but surprised that we've maintained a friendship for almost 10 years. It's silent after that, until the boys get back from gathering coconuts and other things. " Come on Sora a race, that will decide it." Kairi looks at them and asks what we're both thinking, "Decide what?" They look at her then Riku looks at me and I blush slightly. 'Whats wrong with me? I've never done that before!' Closing my eyes I end the thought and wait for the blood to leave my cheeks before opening them. By then everyone's by the starting line. Running over  get there just as the race starts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Time skip to end of the race because we all know Riku kicks Sora's ass.)~~~~~~~~~

The 2 boys raced. It was a good race but Riku was just a little faster. Well he'd have to be for all the trouble we cause together, and running from Sora. Walking over to the finish line I notice Sora getting into an argument with Riku about something. Possibly the reason for the race? I don't know and as long as it doesn't involve me I don't care. "Hey if your going to fight, by all means go ahead but 1 Sora I need the house key and 2 don't injure each other too much. We have a long day tomorrow." That seemed to grab their attention. They looked at me then Sora glared at Riku, "Don't go yet we all agreed to watch the sunset together remember?" Riku reminded me. "Okay, then stop fighting and get your asses to the other side before I kick 'em!" With a laugh from Kairi we all marched to our favorite spot, the Paopu tree. The tree is bent low toward the ground making it an ideal bench. Kairi and Sora sit on the tree while Riku leans next to them and I sit on the edge of the cliff watching the sun go down making my hair an almost gold color. 

My 3 friends chatter behind me while my full attention was on the scene before me. 'I should have brought my sketch book.' It was beautiful the way the water glistened with the last rays of light before darkness took the world for the time being.  The endless cycle always amazed me, how one never overtook the other, how they even seemed to keep each other balanced. I was vaguely aware of voices leaving but it wasn't until a hand touched my shoulder that I realized how much time had passed. Looking behind me I saw Riku, he smiled and helped me to my feet. Then produced a Paopu fruit from behind him. Again in a moment I realize we're alone. Blushing slightly I look away, back toward the fading sun. "It's said that if 2 people share a Paopu fruit their forever connected, that they'll always find each other." I nodded, it was the reason I was blushing,'Right?' A thought entered my mind, but I put it down when I unwillingly ask, "Who do you want to share it with?" The stupid boy says something under his breath then laughs. "Well I'd hoped to share it with you. If that's okay?"

I nod, not trusting my voice, and look at him again. He pulls out a pocket knife (typical boy! Always carries knife.) and cuts it in half. Giving one to me we take a bite at the same time and its during that moment that I notice little things, like how the fast fading light glistens in his hair and how his teal eyes ripple with shades of gold, like the ocean early in the morning. 'What the hell!!' I look down quickly and start to walk away. Understanding that I was leaving he walks next to me in silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Time skip)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Once home I go to the Kitchen and grab a glass of water, some water melon and a few cookies before running to my room and closing the door. The room is of medium size, the walls are green with a black forest design that I did myself. The furniture is mostly black with a little gray thrown in for the hell of it. 

I put my cup down on the table and grab my sketch book and mp3 player. Sitting down I Begin to eat while I search for a song, settling for a song called tomorrow.(Play song now!) Not long after I finished eating and began to draw the sunset I saw earlier. Then I began to cry, the song I had picked had made me an emotional mess. Mostly because it was about a girl wishing she could say goodbye today but knowing she had tomorrow only for that chance to be ripped away from her. for some reason I thought of Mom and cried harder.

I was crying louder than I thought because suddenly Sora appeared in my door way. He was smiling till he saw the tears running down my face. "Sis whats wrong?!" He moved through my room grabbing my cup off the table and handing it to me. I took a sip and through my tears explained to him my fear, that something was going to happen and I wasn't going to be able to say bye to Mom. Sora held me  and I relaxed. We talked for hours, during which I was drawing but not seeing what I was drawing. After a few hours I leaned back and fell asleep against my big brother, the best big bro ever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*Dream*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"RIKU! Where are you?" I was running, running. The island was dark and I was alone. I knew Riku was here, how I didn't know nor cared. I felt like if I didn't find him I would die, he would die, everything would be totally and utterly destroyed! That's when I saw him standing therein the moons light, a slight darkness swirling around him.

"Diana, you came." Starting to cry I nod my head. Stepping forward slightly I fall to my knees sobbing, "I was scared, scared you were gone. That you left me." His face softened, his voice like a whisper, "Never, I could never leave you." Looking up at him he puts his hand out "Come with me. that way we're never apart." That was all I wanted, just to be by Riku's side, forever. To hold his hand and be held in his arms. 'I love him. I always have.' Reaching for his hand a voice behind me shouts. "Stop! Don't go." Looking over my shoulder I see Sora standing there, a terrified look on his face. "Sora it's just Riku." "Please, Diana its not, that's not Riku. Look!" I turn once again to Riku but find a strange man in his place.

 He had long silver hair and golden yellow eyes. the man, yes man, was much taller. His gloved hand still out stretched to me." Diana." His voice much deeper than Riku's. "Who are you?" I couldn't help but ask. "It's me, Riku." Suddenly it was like I was seeing double. The man was still their but so was Riku. "Please sis don't go." Sora pleaded. I had to choose, but I couldn't. The choice should have been easy, but it wasn't. It shouldn't have even been a choice, but it was. "I...I choose...I choose," That's when everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*End Dream*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"AHHHH!" I silently screamed, bolting up right. Panting I look for Sora but it seems he left at some point. 'Good that makes this easier.' I  run over the dream in my head but one thing sticks out above the rest,'I...I love Riku.' Even if the thought had been  in a dream I knew myself well enough to know it was true. Looking out my window I suddenly had the urge to go to the island. 'To secure the raft that is.' Getting up I run around grabbing clothes and water bottles. Sneaking down stairs i grab some food and a first aid kit. Throwing those in my duffel I also grab some pencils,  my sketch book, and mp3 player (with charger). Zipping it shut I look around to make sure I have everything when my eyes land on a book from when we were younger. The scrap book with all our pictures from until a little while ago.  

Grabbing it I shove it into my bag as well grab my hat and jacket before going to my window. Along time ago I had convinced Mom to plant a vine plant. It had been a good idea at the time and countless times before when I needed to get out for a little while and clear my head but didn't for whatever reason want to go down stairs. And just like all those times it would prove as my get away today. 

I kick a leg over the side, then the other one. Just as I'm about to start my climb down I take one last look in my room, a place I might not be seeing for a long time. A single tear slips down my check as I look down and begin my descent.

Once on the ground I run to a boat and look up at the sky, noticing the storm marching in. I get into the boat and begin to row away praying I get their before the storm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Time skip)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once on the island I go to the raft only to find it destroyed by the storm that blew in faster than I could row. After a cussing fit I wander the island when I notice a figure by the Paopu tree. Running over I see the figure is none other than Riku. 'The dream.' The moon cast a beautiful glow on his hair and an eerie feeling that would be amazing to draw. "Diana, you came." Nodding I start to walk forward but Sora's voice reaches me all to soon. "Stop, Please stay!" 

Turning I smile. 'Everything is almost exactly the same.' Regardless I look at Riku, hand extended and see  the man as well, then he starts to fade. 'I have to choose!' This time the choice is obvious. The answer the only one, go with Sora, but that wouldn't be right. So turning I run, duffel in tow toward my future, toward the darkness, toward the only real, possible answer for me.

 Toward Riku, the boy I love.He grabs my hand and pulls me close as the darkness envelopes us and everything goes black.

                                                                      [End of chapter 1] 

 A/N: Hey guys so I had the feels just writing this chapter what about you guys? Anyway this chapter is a total of 3102 words and it took me about 4 hours to get down so please forgive me if there are grammar mistakes and just let me know. Anyway this is just the first book of a 4 book series and I'm super excited because I've wanted to do this for awhile but never got the chance for one reason or another. So anywho I hope you like the story. Vote, comment, follow and I will see you in the next chapter of Loving Hearts the first book in  the Hearts saga. Please don't be afraid to ask questions. Love all you cupcakes! Peace out!;)