Alright. I should be doing that English paper right now, but oh, well. I don't want to do it anyway. Since you now belong to me, Axel, why don't you do the disclaimer?

Axel: She doesn't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters. She just owns Hari and Arihx. Got it memorized?

Aradia: And you, Axel! Thank you, Igor Lollipop!

Axel: grumble

XIV: Arihx, The Crystal Archer

She curled into a ball, panting for air. Long brown covered part of her face and shoulder. Her blue eyes were wide and unfocused, barely making out the black… something… just a foot away from her blurry surroundings. He smiled faintly.

"Good. That makes one less Heartless," he said with a sigh. "But that still leaves your nobody. You've got a strong heart; they'll probably try to recruit her."

The girl took in a difficult breath, forcing herself to look up at him.

"Wh-who… are you?" she choked out.

"Roxas," he answered, smiling down at her as he stood. She protested weakly, crying out with a strangled noise and reaching for his leg. He shook his head. "I can't stay, Hari. They'll find her soon and I want to help her adjust to it. It'll be okay; we'll see each other again. I promise."

She watched him leave, unable to prevent it from happening. She was alone again. But he had saved her.

"…Roxas…" she whispered before losing consciousness.

"I'm Roxas, the Key of Destiny," the blond boy offered.

"…Roxas?" the nobody echoed.

"Yeah. I knew your original from Twilight Town. She used to sell those sea-salt ice cream bars."

"…O-oh," she said, confused.

"Yeah. She was bad with names. She'd always forget mine and end up asking 'what's your name again' with a completely confused look on her face," he said, laughing. "But she's not there anymore. She had to leave."

"But, wouldn't she be one of those… Heartless… Xemnas told me about, since I'm a nobody?" she asked curiously.

"She should be, but she's not anymore. Your original self is one of the few that return to normal after becoming a Heartless, Arihx," Roxas said, smiling. "I brought her back."

Arihx stared at him, blue eyes wide. He simply stared back, never losing that smile.

"Wh-where is she?" the girl asked, tucking her silver curls behind her shoulders to get it out of the way. He hesitated, smile fading as he averted his eyes.

"I… can't tell you that…" he said finally.

"Why not?!" she demanded. Roxas turned back to her.

"You have to find her on your own, just like I'll have to find my original on my own. We can both do it. Just be patient, and you'll find her. And I'll be there, too. Just wait a bit, and we'll both be with our others again. I know it." His smile resurfaced brightly.

Arihx crossed her arms over her chest, unsatisfied with his answer. But, if he was so determined that that was what would happen, then she would believe him.

After all, he was the Key of Destiny.

...So. There you have it. My first fanfic to be posted here. Anyway, I sort of suck at titles and summaries, if you haven't noticed. But go ahead and review, if you want. It's nice to know how people feel about my writing, y'know? Oh, and just so it's known, the chapters in this one are fairly short. Sorry. Can't be helped. 'Til next chapter, then!