Riku was hiding from his friends for the umpteenth time since he came home. Hiding from his friends has been normal after everything that happened. Now for the umpteenth time Sora and Kairi were looking for him. Calling and texting him are not working, so they went to the play island like usual to find him. Also like usual they can never find him. But today was different and they went to a spot that they never went to before. They went to their secret spot that Kairi and Sora used to go to when they wanted to draw on the walls.

Riku was sitting in their secret spot because it was like his mood, depressing and dark. He didn't want to be depressed but he couldn't help himself. After everything that he went through he didn't want to be around people, he wanted to be by himself. Even though he knew his friends looked for him every day and he loved them for that but he wouldn't, no couldn't be around them. He was scared that he would hurt them, or get the desire to turn into Ansem again at the slightest tease at him. So he hid himself away at every moment. At school and at home, but especially from his friends. He didn't think that he could control himself around them. He could feel Ansem tugging at his heart and mind telling him to go to the darkness again. But he wouldn't, he couldn't go to the darkness. Bad things, no horrible things happened when he went to the darkness last time. But then he heard something that snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Hey Kairi, do you hear someone in here," asked Sora. "Yeah, yeah I do," replied Kairi. They turned the corner to see their best friend sitting there, alone. "What are you guys doing in here, I never thought that you guys thought of this place anymore," Riku asked them. "Well, yeah but this was the only place that we didn't look," Kairi replied. "But me and Kai were not going to stop looking for you that easily," Sora said while looking straight at his best friend, concern lacing his eyes. "But I need to ask you a question Riku, why are you hiding from us Riku," asked Sora. "Well, I didn't want to hurt you guys any more than I already did" Riku whispered that Kairi and Sora could barely hear him. When they finally comprehended what he said, they laughed, they laughed harder than they ever did in their entire lives. Once they calmed down they explained why they were laughing. "Why would you ever hurt us, that makes zero sense," Kairi tells him straight up. "Yeah, we are your best friends, Riku we destroyed Ansem, he's gone there is no reason why you should hurt us," Sora said while looking straight at him with an anger that unmatched any anger that he ever had before. Riku flinched at Sora's anger. "I wish that I could, I feel Ansem impression on me, every day of my life, sometimes I wish I could've forgiven myself like you have forgiven me," Riku whispered to himself. "But I can't you guys, I can't forgive myself, I can't believe that you guys forgave me and I can't shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen soon," Riku basically yelled at Sora and Kairi. Sora and Kairi left him to be alone but now they knew where to find him and they were going to keep talking to him until they could get him out of that cave and forgive himself for everything that he did.

Now every day, they go to the secret place and every day they talk to Riku. But every day they get told out and they leave. They have been doing this for a month. But every time they think they might get a little more process and with each visit they when get told out, the screams get softer and softer. Until when they get told out it's not complaints it is just a simple get out.

This is the thirty-second day that they have come out here to try and get Riku to come out of the cave. "Hey Riku, how are you today," Sora asks like he does every time he comes out here. "Like usual," Riku replies. "Well I know that you don't pay attention in class so I brought you notes, like I do every day," Kairi tells him then hands him the notes. "Thanks Kai," Riku replies. Wait he never says thanks or Kai at all lately, maybe he might come out today, Sora thinks. "Well you know what, over this past month I've been thinking maybe I do deserve to forgive me and myself," Riku says to Sora and Kairi. "Wait, what did you say," Sora and Kairi ask at the same time. "Well I think it is time to forgive myself, and to also stop hiding away from people and face things head on," Riku says but with little confidence. "Well then let's get out of this cave and go home," Kairi states, then she out stretches her hand and for Riku to take. "Yeah lets go home" Riku takes the outstretched hand and gets out of that cold and depressing cave.

But the minute they get outside that cave, they receive a message from Yen Sid and King Mickey themselves to come to the mysterious tower for something but they don't specify what. The letter says that they have three days to respond to this message. Well now they have another problem on their hands.