~Friendship~

With Xion on the Destiny Islands, he admitted, I don't feel too bad. In fact, It feels… nice.

He had been alone for so long, he didn't realize he had forgotten what it was like to have some company.

Of course, he knew he couldn't befriend her. She wasn't meant to exist. If she becomes his friend, it'll be harder for her… and for him too.

~0~

After a few days of staying on the Islands, Xion felt anxious. Ugh. She mentally slapped herself. She kept forgetting that she couldn't feel. She felt like she was feeling something… but that alone was illogical.

And then there was The Impost- Riku. The young man had saved her from a live of slavery, but only to turn her in as a… replica. An imperfect replica, at that. She sighed as she walked along the beach. This was the same beach, the one where she was sent to do recon. Where she found all those seashells she gave to Roxas…

Roxas.

She missed him to death. Axel, too. She felt like she should go see them, tell them what's going on…

Her 'heart' pounded at the idea. She wanted to, she really did.

But that would hurt them so much. And she hurt them, she might as well hurt herself.

She stopped walking when she heard another pair of feet. She turned to see Riku. She sat down on the sand, and signaled him to sit next to her, which he obliged. How did he even see with that blindfold on, anyway?

"Thinking about your friends, Xion?" he asked.

She was surprised. Was she that easy to read? "…Yeah. It's just… I don't want to hurt them. Who knows? They might not even miss me."

For the first time, he saw Xion for who she was. He saw the red hair she had fade into black, and her face changing a little bit. He finally saw her for Xion.

He stopped to look at the sunset, which looked like it was dipping into the ocean. "I did things… terrible things, in order to keep my friend safe. But in the end, she got hurt anyway. She lost her two best friends, one to the darkness, and the other went to search for him, for me. He forgot who he was, and forgot who she was, too. Now she doesn't have anybody." He said, and turned to look at Xion, her blue eyes paying close attention. "But she still forgave me. She still waits for me, and my other friend." He smiled. "True friendships can never be torn apart."

Inside of him, he felt Ansem gag. What a sap!

Riku snarled. Shut up, old man.

Old? I'm only thirty! He sound insulted.

Whatever.

"I see…" She responded, snapping him out of his mind. "Riku… Riku, are we friends?"

And like everything in life, his answer would have a consequence.

"Yeah. Yeah, we are."

~0~

~OmegaStarShooter14~