Destiny Islands was beautiful.

Even to a native such as herself, Xion thought it never got old. She admired the vibrant colors and lush greenery signature to the tropical locale. She closed her eyes, feeling the breeze tussle with her hair, took in the scent of the ocean, and listened to the seagulls squawk from above.

Despite getting her clothes wet the previous night, she and Roxas had fun splashing each other just like when they were children. When all was said and done, Roxas acted like a true gentleman; he gave her his spare jacket to keep her warm and walked her home safely. It almost felt like a date.

That said, she didn't expect to be waiting for him the next day, not to mention in the exact same spot, kicking her feet out as she sat on the paopu tree. She wasn't sure why Roxas called her so early but she wasn't complaining. As much as she loved Lea like an older brother, she cherished the moments she could spend alone time with Roxas without any interference.

"Did you wait long?"

His voice pulled her from her thoughts. He glistened in the sun as if he were a beam of hope, his gentle smile soothing her nerves. That V-Neck of his sure did bring out his lean, athletic physique.

"Not particularly," Xion answered, looking away before she caught herself ogling. "Although, this better make up for you waking me up before noon. You know that's considered a summer vacation felony, right?"

He chuckled nervously as he hopped up onto the tree and sat next to her. "I'll buy you some ice cream. I just needed to talk to you about something first."

"This seriously couldn't wait until later?"

Roxas rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "It's not exactly something I need Riku or Sora getting in on."

Xion was unsure what to make of that. "Sounds intense. Well, then. I'm all ears." Maybe it was her imagination but he looked more serious than usual—a side to him Xion wasn't used to seeing. She placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Roxas, you can tell me anything. It's okay."

Roxas took a deep breath and looked her right in the eyes. "Remember last night?"

"No, Roxas. I totally forgot within the last twelve hours," she said dryly.

Roxas grinned while rubbing the back of his head. Perhaps it was a dumb question, but he continued. "I invited you out to eat ice cream because I thought it would make you feel better," he said. "But that wasn't the only reason. I just couldn't bring myself to say it before."

"What are you talking about?"

Roxas looked at her for a moment before jumping down from the tree and standing near the edge of the round platform to gaze at the ocean. Xion raised an eyebrow but stood next to him regardless.

"Don't tell me you're in some kind of trouble," Xion said in a noticeably more serious tone.

"It's nothing like that," Roxas assured her. "But something has been bothering me. I think you've noticed."

"Well, yeah," Xion admitted. "You haven't been yourself these past few weeks."

"I've done a lot of thinking," Roxas continued, throwing his hands into his pockets. "About myself. Who I am. What the future holds in store for me. Trying to make sense out of my life."

"And it isn't even our senior year yet," Xion joked. She wasn't sure where he was going but she was just happy he was finally opening up to her after weeks of aloofness. She clung onto every word.

"But when I saw you last night... something clicked," he continued. "I think I finally figured it out, Xi."

Xion set her hands on her hips, beginning to lose her patience. "Figured what out?"

He turned to her with a hard expression, strong and focused. "My destiny. All this time, I've felt so much pressure to live up to these expectations. To live up to my father's legacy."

Xion frowned. "You can't worry about what others expect of you, Roxas. Cloud was a great man but he's not you. All you can do is find your own place in the world and follow wherever that leads."

"I know," he said, a hopeful smile on his face. "Whether you realized it or not, you made me realize that a while ago."

Xion was taken aback by that confession. "I did?"

"Yes," he affirmed with confidence. "You've always stuck by me, always kept me grounded, always encouraged me to follow my heart. And I'm gonna do just that." He looked towards the sky. "I want to see the stars. I'm gonna pilot a gummi ship across the galaxy. I want to see other worlds. Look for adventures and just go wherever life takes me."

"You almost sound like Sora," she said amusedly. Though, she couldn't help but feel like the conversation reeked of deja vu. She could have sworn she had this conversation with him before but she couldn't even comment on it because she could barely control what she was saying. "But still, I'm happy for you, Roxas. I'm glad you figured this out."

"Yeah," he said, returning his attention to her. "And I wouldn't have figured it out if it weren't for you. And when I saw you last night... I realized that's not the only thing I want." His eyes held a silent passion within them. "I want you, Xion."

Xion didn't remember that part. Suddenly, she had control of her own words again. "Uh, what?"

"I want you to come with me, Xion," Roxas confessed, taking her by the shoulders. "I want you travel with me."

And before she could even react, he crushed her lips with his own. Her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets as her knees threatened to buckle but she eventually gave in to the embrace and returned his kiss with equal force, wrapping her arms around the base of his neck. His strong hands claimed her waist, making her body fold into him as she pulled him in closer. She had been longing this forever. This was too good to be true. Was this real? Was it a dream? The tangible sensation on her lips and the very real feeling of her own euphoria begged to differ.

They parted and it took a moment for Xion to regain her consciousness, but he smiled at her confidently, almost mischievously.

"Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but what the actual hell was that?!" Xion asked, still skeptical. She began rolling up the sleeves of her black cardigan sweater. "Is this a prank? I swear, if Lea is behind a bush with a camera somewhere—"

"It's not a prank," he ensured. He connected his forehead against hers and her smile was beyond her own control.

"Then what are we doing?" she asked, still in disbelief.

"Something that's been long overdue," Roxas answered. "I've felt this way for a long time. Last night, you were so beautiful in the moonlight. I couldn't bring myself to say it, but... I couldn't wait any longer. Something was burning inside me and I didn't want to ruin my chance. Xion, I want us to be together. I love you."

"Roxas, I..." Xion said, ready to tell him how long she waited for this moment, but she stopped mid-sentence. Roxas just confessed his feelings and he looked incredibly handsome in that button-down and tight-fitting v-neck shirt that exposed just the right amount of chest, displaying his very toned islander body. She could have sworn she heard violins in the background. Everything was perfect.

Too perfect.

"Wait a second," she said, withdrawing from Roxas. "You looked so beautiful in the moonlight? Something was burning inside me? I love you? The real Roxas is a sweetheart, but he wouldn't be caught dead saying that. Who are you?"

"Roxas" laughed. "What's with you? Of course I'm the real Roxas. Come on, Xion, isn't this what you always wanted?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I haven't even said whether or not I love you back, nor have I ever confessed my feelings. How would you know this is what I always wanted?"

Roxas was caught red handed. His eyes became jumpy. "So, what had happened was..."

Xion glared at him for a moment with the full intention of making the imposter uncomfortable. She noticed a bead of sweat drip down the side of his face and all she could do was bow her head in shame with a heavy sigh.

"Just skip to the part where I wake up already."

Xion opened her eyes and cursed to herself and groaned the morning headache away. She took in the sun that leaked through the blinds of her medium sized bedroom. Once reality settled and her memories returned, she plopped back into her pillow, covering her face with her sweaty palms.

"Kill me."

Now she was having dreams about him? Could it even get any more embarrassing than that? She needed someone to talk to. She needed some advice.

Xion had an idea who to call.

Riku woke to the sound of his ringtone. The shirtless boy groaned as he covered his eyes from the piercing sunlight that shot through the windows. He was in an unfamiliar room in an unfamiliar bed but it wasn't until he discovered the creamy porcelain back laying next to him that he remembered another night full of humid breaths against his skin and hungry kisses full of desire. The pleasurable memory subsided his morning grogginess.

Riku reached for his phone on the nightstand next to him and answered without bothering to check the I.D. "You've reached the business number of Riku Miyano, unofficial sex guru, ready and willing to satisfy your needs. How may I be of service?"

"Really?" He heard a familiar snicker on the other end. "You are such a dork."

"Xion?" Riku yawned, getting out of bed to get dressed. "You do realize it's seven in the morning, right?"

"I just wanted to see what the great albino sex guru himself was up to."

Riku smirked. "Let's just say he didn't get too much sleep last night."

"T.M.I." Riku chuckled. "So, who's the unlucky girl? Is she from our school?"

Riku stared at the half naked girl who began to stir in her sleep. Riku took note of her medium-length blonde hair with two high-braided pigtails. "You don't wanna know."

"You know I'm just going to keep pestering you about it until you cave."

Riku sighed defeatingly. "I know I'm gonna regret this, but... Rikku."

"...So, you masturbated?"

Riku slapped himself on the forehead, despite acknowledging he walked right into that one. "No, genius. Rikku Matsumodo. The one who always hangs around Yuna and Paine."

Xion failed to suppress her laughter. Riku rolled his eyes but expected no less. "That's too perfect. What were you saying during it, huh? 'Oh Rikku, I'm almost there. Oh Rikku, you're so tight,'" she said in a poor imitation of Riku's voice.

Riku could confirm that he indeed regretted it. "Ha ha," he mocked. "You're hilarious. Comical brilliance. I'm sure nobody could've come up with that one."

"Hey, don't get mad at me. You're the one who's into selfcest roleplaying."

"Is there any other reason you called besides taking hotshots at my ego?"

"Surprisingly, yes." She was silent for a moment but Riku waited for her to elaborate. "I wanted to talk to you about something. I could use some advice. But it's a little embarrassing."

"Let me guess—Roxas?"

"How did you know?" she asked incredulously.

"It's always about Roxas."

On the other end of the conversation, Xion's cheeks tinted with a light pink hue as she hugged her legs close to her chest. Lea wasn't the only one who knew about her not-so-secret crush.

"Not... always," she excused pathetically. He smirked, unconvinced. "Stop smirking," she then demanded, not even needing to see him to sense what he was doing with accuracy.

"You've got it bad, kid," he teased. "Lucky for you, the Master of Attraction and Seduction can squeeze you into his schedule. How about the mall in about half an hour?"

"Did you seriously just call yourself that? I repeat: dork."

"Look, do you want my help or not?"

She giggled. "Yes, I'll be there, Master."

He grinned. "Now that's more like it."

Xion rolled her eyes before hanging up.

A lovely smell resonated throughout the kitchen. Kairi hummed a tune, a radiant smile gracing her face, as she prepared breakfast for her family. The morning was shining and the birds were singing. Snow sat behind her preoccupied with crossword puzzles in the newspaper, his brows furrowed in concentration as he mindlessly tapped his fingernail against the table. Kairi watched the bacon sizzle and pop in the skillet, its fumes circulating the small space and forming a trail of smog out the cracked windows. Once it was nice and crisp, she took in a pleasant breath and set the strips on a plate while dancing over to the dining table.

"Just like her mother," the nostalgic father said quietly to himself. The buzzing from the pocket of her shorts brought Kairi out of her daydream.

"Hey," she greeted. "Is everything okay?" Snow discreetly observed her from behind his newspaper. "Of course! I'll be there."

"Who was that at this hour?" Snow inquired, taking a sip from his coffee.

"Just this cute guy who asked me out," she answered while hanging up.

Snow spit out his coffee. "Who is this guy? Does he have a name? What's his address? I'd just like to have a chat," he said, despite his clenched teeth.

"Relax, you goober." Kairi giggled. "It was just Xion. She asked me to meet her at the mall down on Mako Street. You wouldn't mind giving me a ride before you go to work, would you?"

"Hmph." Snow growled as he took another drink from his mug. "As long as you promise you won't talk to some musclehead jackass while you're there. It's like these Destiny Island natives don't know the definition of wearing a damn shirt."

Kairi conceded. The women seemed to all wear bikini tops and the guys were always exposing their tan physiques, usually embellished with six packs—not that she minded whatsoever. "There are no boys in my current schedule and I promise I won't be betrothed until I'm forty. Toast?" She innocently presented a plate of two crisp slices of buttered toast in hopes of remedying his mood.

Snow snatched one of the slices and took a violent bite out of it. "Let's make it forty-five and we'll have a deal."

"You can at least chew your food." She rolled her eyes but kissed him on the cheek regardless. She pointed to the mess he made when he spit out his coffee from earlier. "You're cleaning that up, by the way."

Snow mumbled under his breath but felt that it was fair enough.

Kairi made the finishing touches on the pancakes with maple syrup and whip cream shaped as smiley faces. She noticed that a certain artist hadn't come downstairs yet. She huffed at the loose strings of her hair framing her face but decided to remain upbeat regardless.

"Breakfast," Kairi sang sweetly near the stairs, beckoning her sister. When there was no Naminé within the next sixty seconds, she cleared her throat. "I said... breakfast!"

When Kairi tapped her foot and set her hands on her hips, Snow knew she was getting fed up.

"Naminé," Kairi called out. "I'm trying to ask nicely here. But I need you to cooperate with me. You don't want to miss out on scrambled eggs and toast, do you?"

Still no response. She hoped to get Naminé into better sleeping and eating habits, meaning that sleeping until 2PM in the afternoon was unacceptable.

After five minutes of waiting, Kairi lost it. "Young lady! You have approximately two point five seconds to get your butt down here this instant and eat breakfast with your wonderful, supportive, and loving family before I march up these stairs and shove it down your throat!"

Snow winced from the volume inflation but attempted to remain calm for her sake. "Naminé isn't used to waking up this early, Kairi," Snow said in a calming voice. "Maybe you should just—"

"Just what, Dad?" She shot him a look with a twitching eyebrow. "Just. What?"

"N-Nothing, sweetheart." Her yell made even him jump in his seat a little. Nonetheless, it was enough to get Naminé to finally come trudging downstairs. She looked like a zombie, her loose-fitting sleep attire hanging from her body.

"Oh, there you are," Kairi said, feigning innocence as if she weren't making harsh threats just moments prior. "Did I wake you?"

The half-awake Naminé stared at her sister, whose grin reeked of an oddly oxymoronic mixture of both guilt and satisfaction. "Nope."

"Well, you look great!"

Naminé rubbed her droopy eyes. "You're an awful liar."

"Just sit down, will you?" Kairi asked. "Your plate is just about done and I'm almost finished making your beloved homemade orange juice."

"I don't see how you can do this morning thing, Kairi," Naminé said with a yawn. "Can't I just go back to bed?"

"Sit. Down."

The threat put enough of a fright in Naminé to turn her obedient and she quickly, but timidly, sat at the table across from their father. The dark cloud looming over Kairi's head vanished immediately and she skipped over to finish preparing breakfast as if nothing happened. Naminé gave her father a look, to which he only responded with a shrug. Naminé's confusion was replaced with pleasure once she took in a waft of the scrambled eggs.

"Make sure that if either of you leave, you're back by seven-thirty," Snow demanded. "I'm looking at you in particular, Kairi."

"Whaaaat?" Kairi asked, fluttering her eyelashes while setting their plates on the table. "Innocent little me? I'd never!"

"Nice try." Snow started cutting his pancakes into triangles. "How about you, Naminé? Any plans for today?"

"Well, um, not much," Naminé muttered, taking a modest bite out of her eggs. "I'll probably just watch some cartoons or something."

"Oh," Snow said, uncertain what to make of that. "I see."

Kairi beamed at the opportunity. "If you're not doing anything, you should come to the mall with me and Xion in about an hour. After that, we might head over to Avalanche Fitness to watch Riku train for the struggle tournament."

"Who's this Riku? Where exactly is the entertainment value of watching him train?" Snow asked, narrowing his eyes. Kairi ignored him.

"I don't think I'm up for it today," Naminé snapped, already exasperated. Kairi never learned.

"But it's not a party this time!" Kairi defended. "Just a friendly get-together between us and a few friendly faces. They're all close to Xion, so we should be able to trust them. You can do that, can't you?"

"Kairi." Naminé said her name as if it were a warning. "The more you beg, the more you make me not want to go. I would very much appreciate it if you stopped right now."

"But—"

"No, Kairi."

Kairi wanted to protest but the look in Naminé's eye made her hold her tongue for once.

"I think I'm gonna eat upstairs." Naminé rose from her seat and picked up her plate. "Thank you for the food."

And within moments, she was gone. Normally, Kairi would have demanded that her sister remain at the table, but she decided to let Naminé have this one, if only just for the sake of keeping the morning peaceful and drama free. Kairi huffed and crossed her arms with an immature pout.

Why did it always have to end up like this? Kairi meant no harm. She was just worried sick. Naminé lost so much strength and her fatigue was becoming more evident every day. Kairi just wanted to break her out of her shell and be comfortable in her own skin. She wished she knew how to help.

Snow eventually broke the silence. "So, who's this Riku?"

Snow pulled up to the mall, right across the street from Avalanche Fitness. After wishing her father a good day at the office and bidding him a temporary farewell, Kairi exited the SUV and stepped through the automated doors of the fairly large building.

She observed the rather clean, and somewhat high-tech, main lobby and was impressed by its scale. After being searched and scanned for practical weapons by the security guards, she was forced to wear a protective bracelet that would restrict her from summoning mystical weapons like chakrams or, most notably, Keyblades. Kairi found it a hassle since she didn't wield a Keyblade (though she totally could if she wanted to), not to mention the bland grey clashed with her colorful white and pink ensemble, but she understood the necessity of it. It would be a disaster if some jerk attacked the entire facility using an oversized key capable of producing powerful magic.

The mall was intimidating in its proportions. Futuristic walls with LED lights shifted through intricate patterns, the marble floor was polished to the point of being capable of reflection, sunlight provided the main source of illumination thanks to the large windows covering the majority of the ceiling, and islanders, carefree and jovial, walked amongst their friendship circles. Xion texted her their location but it didn't make the place feel like any less of a maze. Even the directory wasn't much of a help. She turned the corner and—

"Oof!"

—unexpectedly crashed into somebody running at full speed.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry," said the voice of the speed demon.

"It's okay," she insisted, rubbing her head. When she opened her eyes, she instantly recognized the unruly hair of the perpetrator. "Hey, I remember you. It's... Sora, right?"

His eyes opened at the sound of his name. "Kairi?" He was quick to help her to her feet, but he seemed distracted by something behind him.

"What are you—"

"Sorry, no time to explain!" Sora said, cutting off her question. Without warning, he grabbed the befuddled redhead by the hand and rushed down the hallway. She presumed he was running away from something, but was left puzzled when she saw nothing behind them. He led her into a closet located by the bathrooms. They were blanketed by darkness until Sora turned on the light.

The closet was extremely tight, forcing them into a position that required a great amount of proximity. Kairi struggled to make eye contact without sacrificing her level of comfort. Instead, she stared blankly at the wall behind him while her cheeks flared from the borderline intimate position they found themselves in. She didn't even notice that Sora was blushing as well.

"Hey," were the first words Sora said in hopes of dispelling some of the awkward tension. He gave an embarrassed, toothy smile.

"Hi," Kairi squeaked out. Their eyes wandered the tight space amidst the silence until Kairi spoke again. "Can I just say that I... really adore the way your hair sticks up like that?"

Sora grinned at the compliment while using his index finger and thumb to touch the tips of one of his spikes. "Thanks. To tell you the truth, I don't know why it's like this." Kairi gave a polite smile but neither could maintain eye contact. "Your hair is pretty great, too. Natural?"

"Yup, totally natural. I get that a lot."

"Cool." Suddenly, Sora found the dents etched into the ceiling very interesting while Kairi attempted to keep her eyes trained on the amount of cleaning supplies surrounding them.

Behind Kairi, Sora spotted slivers of light from the hallway beneath the door. It looked like someone was approaching. The shadows of their feet clumped against the marble floor and the doorknob rattled.

The pair gulped and Sora in particular became restless at the thought of who it might be. He instinctively held Kairi close and kept their heads low. When the door opened, Sora and Kairi winced from the piercing light and prepared for the worst.

"Oh, god fucking damn it," came a gruff, irritable voice. Sora opened his eyes with a dumbfounded expression. It certainly wasn't the voice he was expecting.

Instead, it was a chunky man wearing a beige uniform with the mall's logo on the chest and a matching cap who was gripping the rod of a mop. He gawked at the two teens with a combined look of disgust and anger.

"You gotta be kiddin' me. This is the fourth time this week I've had to deal with you goddamn kids. How come my closet has to be the rendezvous point for daily seven minutes in heaven sessions?"

Sora and Kairi released each other immediately and nearly fell on their way out of the cramped closet, both unable to conceal the intense crimson rising to their cheeks. "It's not what it looks like!" they urged gracelessly while flailing their arms.

"Sure, kid. It's never what it looks like." The two tried explaining the situation to the grumpy janitor but he just shook his head. "Look, I get it. Once upon a time, I was a teenager myself, but that don't mean I gotta stand for this kinda crap on my nine to five. Luckily I caught you sickos before you defiled my closet. Go find somewhere else to deal with your... needs."

Sora tried to defend themselves once again. "I'm telling you, that's not—"

He cut himself off when Kairi hugged his arm. "We're so sorry about that, sir. We'll get out of your way now. Let's go, uh... babe."

"Babe?!" Sora reluctantly allowed Kairi to drag him away from the janitor. "Why'd you say that?" he asked once they were around the corner.

"There was no point talking him out of the wrong idea, so why not just let him have the wrong idea and move on?"

"As long as it doesn't bite us in the butt later on."

"Don't jinx it," she said playfully. She dragged him to a quiet corner for them to talk a bit more privately. "So, what was that all about?"

"What?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, a gesture Kairi found adorable.

She scoffed amusedly. "You know, the whole running away and forcing me into a closet thing? Is that your way of hitting on girls?"

"No, not at all," he said with a lousy chuckle. "I was just, uh... playing hide and seek," he explained lamely and inwardly hit himself in the head for vocalizing that terrible cover up.

"Playing hide and seek," she echoed, tapping her chin and raising an eyebrow. "With who?"

"N-No one!" Sora stammered. "I-I mean, you know, just some friends of mine." He chuckled nervously and opted for a more casual appearance, painfully contrived, as he leaned against a nearby cart full of cleaning equipment. Just his luck, he ended up unintentionally pushing the cart forward and fell flat on his face.

The failed attempt made Kairi laugh. "Smooth."

Sora recovered from the blunder a bit embarrassed but maintained a humored smile. "So, what brings you out here?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Actually, I came to see your sister," Kairi answered. "You wouldn't happen to know where she might be, would you?"

The boy put a finger to his chin. "Well, as a matter of fact..."

"Okay, I'm just gonna come out with it, whether you like it or not," Xion said. There was a sharp fixation in her eyes. "I'm tired of not being able to be open with my feelings. I'm tired of hiding myself from you. And I'm tired of you always being oblivious about everything. You're one of the most important people in my life and I wouldn't be who I am without you. So, just—stop being an idiot and try to understand how I feel, Roxas."

"Nope," Riku deadpanned. "That won't cut it."

Her shoulders shrunk.

They sat at one of the booths in the spacious food court. Xion sat across from Riku, who sipped on his paopu juice nonchalantly. She often confided in Riku for advice, though his suggestion to practice her confession on him wasn't proving to be much of a success.

"I thought you said to go for something sincere and to true to myself," Xion pointed out. "That's how I always talk to Roxas."

"Yes, as his friend. But the goal is to become more than friends and that sounded more like you were nagging at him about unfinished homework. I hope I don't have to explain how unflattering that is as a confession." Riku took a loud sip from his straw.

Xion rested her chin against the table. "Why does this stuff have to be so complicated?"

Riku wore an amused but sympathetic smile. "For what it's worth, you being terrible at this is kind of cute."

His grin deflated the instant he received her unflattered scowl as a response.

"Or not," he mumbled with a pellet of sweat inching down the side of his forehead. He composed himself before speaking again. "Okay, try again." He waved his styrofoam cup around lazily. "This time, with a little bit more... femininity, if you will."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" she asked, taking offense at the implication.

"Be a bit more, eh... seductive. Don't be desperate, but make it clear that you're interested in more than just eating sea-salt ice cream bars on clock towers. Let him know you want to eat sea-salt ice cream bars on clock towers while making out."

Xion blushed at the thought. She took a deep breath before flipping back what little hair she had considering her pixie haircut to reveal a sultry look in her eyes. "Roxas," she said in a husky voice. "I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time, but—I want you. I need you. You're everything to me."

He stared at her blankly before discreetly shifting in his seat and clearing his throat. "That works—"

Xion beamed.

"—if you want him to think you're a prostitute," he finished.

Xion groaned.

"That would probably get you a one night stand resulting in a very awkward conversation with him in the morning, at best." With a playful smirk, he added, "Which, after that performance, I am personally down for if you are."

"Zip it," she snapped. She then bulged out her bottom lip. "Can we just stop already? This is embarrassing."

Riku shrugged. "You might want to get used to it. Confessions aren't ever really a smooth sail. It comes with a lot of feelings, and that includes awkwardness."

"But this is impossible," she whined.

"No kidding. This is the friendzone, after all," Riku explained. "Not to mention, the childhood friendzone, which automatically makes it about twenty times harder."

"I know, right?" She buried her face into her hands. "But can't you help me get out of it, self-proclaimed Master of Attraction?"

"A master is only as good as his student, young grasshopper," Riku said in a dramatic voice. "Like a chocobo attempting to teach a moogle how to fly, he cannot teach she who does not wish to be taught."

"That made absolutely no sense and yet, I think I'm still offended." She looked at the ceiling and mindlessly watched the fans spin in rapid succession. "I'm just so confused. I don't even know if confessing is the right thing to do. Maybe I'll just make a mess of everything."

Riku pitied her wistful appearance. He placed a hand onto hers affectionately. "Listen, I get that it seems intimidating and it's not an easy thing to risk. But if you're waiting for the right opportunity, you'll be waiting forever. Worst case scenario, you'll miss your chance. My advice: just tell him how you feel. If you want to take things to the next level, you might have to be a bit bolder than you're used to. If it's worth the risk, I say it's worth taking. The worst thing in life is to be full of regrets."

Xion blinked. "Huh. That was surprisingly deep. For you, anyway."

"I'll take that as a compliment. But you know I'm right."

"Ugh." She leaned her face with her palms. "Now you sound like Lea."

"I'll take that as an insult." Xion giggled in agreement. "Honestly, I think it would be better if he was the one to ask you out. Roxas is my guy but you shouldn't have to embarrass yourself for him. You don't deserve that."

"I suppose." Xion furrowed her eyebrows. "But how would I even get him to notice me?"

Riku grinned. "Well, that's the challenge, isn't it?"

Xion recoiled slightly, not sure how she felt about the mischievous curl of his lips. "What's with you? Do you have an idea?"

"Maybe," he answered in a singsong voice.

"Hey, guys!"

The pair turned their attention towards the source of the familiar voice. Across the room, Sora waved at them with his usual boundless energy and bright smile. Peering from behind his shoulder was a familiar-looking redhead.

"I'm glad you could make it, Kairi," Xion called, waving her over.

Riku nearly choked on his straw at the mention of her name and the confirmation of her appearance. "You didn't tell me she was coming," he whispered to Xion.

"Should I have?"

"It would've been nice to know." He immediately began straightening out his shirt. "How do I look?"

Xion looked him up and down. "Hot," she shamelessly admitted. Their relationship was completely platonic but even she couldn't deny a certain physical attraction. Not many could.

He made a boyish grin. "Perfect."

Sora and Kairi, both in their usual high spirits, approached the pair with Sora being the first to break the ice. "Hey, Riku. You remember Kairi, right?"

"How could I forget?" Riku said confidently. When he stood before her, Kairi noticed that, unlike Sora, Riku was noticeably taller than her. "I can't say I cross paths with beautiful redheads often."

He reached for her hand, preparing to give it another kiss like the other day, but Kairi retracted. "Nuh uh, big guy," she said teasingly. "I thought I made it clear? Don't confuse me for one of your fangirls."

Again, Riku was left wide-eyed. Girls never just sidestepped him like that. Not to mention, twice.

Xion couldn't contain her amusement at his dumbstruck expression. "Tell us, Mr. Master of Attraction and Seduction, how does it feel to have finally come to grips with your own mortality?"

"Shut up," he stammered. "I never said that." But his attempt was futile, as Kairi was already laughing at the redness of his cheeks. Sora merely patted him on the shoulder with a smile that said, Sorry, buddy. Better luck next time. Riku shirked his shoulder away.

"Anyway, it's about time you got here, Sora," Riku said, eager to change the topic. "How about I meet you in the ring for a little one-on-one at Avalanche? I've been wanting to whip you into shape all day."

Sora made a motion with his fist. "You're on!"

Feeling her presence gradually undermined under the competitive shift in the conversation, Kairi decided to make herself scarce and sat next to Xion; not that either of the two noticed with their bickerings of who was better. Xion and Kairi looked at each other knowingly.

"Boys," they agreed in unison.

"Don't mind them," Xion said. "They're always like this."

"Aren't they all?"

Xion looked at the table and gave an admirable smile. "You'd be surprised. Roxas isn't really like that. He has his moments, but unlike these idiots, he doesn't have the constant need to justify his testosterone."

Kairi noticed the look in Xion's eyes. Before Kairi could question her, the four were distracted by a sudden entry in the mostly empty food court from across the room. Sora froze at the sight of the three individuals, two of them garbed in very lavish-looking robes that hid their faces. The one in the middle, a woman with short blue hair clad in attire that looked like a cross between professional business attire and battle armor, had her arms crossed and a deadeye vision on Sora.

"Hey, Aqua," Sora said awkwardly as she approached.

"You look stunning today," Riku complimented.

"Hello, Riku," Aqua quickly said without sparing him a glance, all-too familiar with his antics. "Let's go, Sora. We have things to do."

Sora was about to make a break for it before Riku foresaw his predictable actions and merely held him in place by grabbing the back of his shirt. Sora soon gave up.

"Do I have to?" Sora whined. Her impatient stare and foot tapping was enough of an answer. Sora begrudgingly trudged over to her after saying goodbye to his friends.

Kairi was confused by the exchange. "Who's that supposed to be?"

"Aqua is Sora's assigned Master. She trains him pretty often," Xion answered. "She's really sweet, just a little uptight."

"And the bodyguards wearing fancy cloaks?"

Xion gave an apologetic smile as she chuckled. "Maybe you better ask Sora about it later."

Kairi didn't understand why Xion seemed evasive but she couldn't deny that her curiosity had been aroused. She looked over and noticed something bitter about Riku. She felt out of the loop.

As Sora approached his Master, he gave a sheepish smile in hopes of forgiveness. Aqua, despite being angry with him, couldn't help but sigh her frustration away momentarily.

"Come on," Aqua said. "Let's get you back to the dojo."

Sora slumped his shoulders in defeat. He turned back and waved at Kairi one last time, trying to put on a smile for her, but Kairi thought it was plain to see that he was dejected. She waved back, her eyes sympathetic.

Out in the hallway, they walked in silence. Aqua glanced at the miserable boy every so often before finally breaking the sour air. "You shouldn't run off like that without telling anyone, Sora. That's so unlike you."

"I know," Sora said in a low voice. "I'm sorry."

"I understand that this isn't an easy burden to bear. I can't say I fully agree putting such a huge responsibility on someone so young. If it were up to me, you'd be spending everyday living a normal life, like you should be. And I try to give you as much leeway as I possibly can but there are times when I must put my foot down. This is just the way things are right now."

"Yeah, but... why me?"

She smiled at him. "Because it has to be you."

The encouragement didn't seem to elevate his mood much, as he just continued to look confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe you'll understand when you're a bit older," she said, somewhat distant. "Until then, we'll need to get back to the dojo and begin your sets of Blizzara before we move on to the more advanced sets of Blizzaga."

"But I did that already," Sora whined. "Can't we do something else today?"

She gave him the dreaded puppy dog face. "Please? For me?"

Sora sighed. He hated when she played that card. She may have been his Master, but she was also his friend and he didn't want to make things difficult for her. Training just felt like such a chore as of late. He didn't blame Aqua. In fact, he was grateful to her—she made sure he had more of a normal life than most Masters might have allowed. He was lucky to have her.

"Okay," he answered.

"Thank you, Sora," Aqua said. "Tell you what, how about we go to the Mirage Arena tomorrow and go rumble racing together, just you and me?"

That suggestion certainly brightened the fun-loving boy. "Yeah!"

She smiled at her pupil. "It's a deal."

Naminé stared at her tablet.

It was blank; devoid of life and color. Just a big, blank, white, and empty canvas that begged to be filled with beautiful imagery from the source of the most vibrant of imaginations. Yet Naminé couldn't bring herself to draw a line. She hoped that her lack of glasses was the result of her artist's block, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Her brain was the problem.

Sighing, she decided to put the tablet away and spend a few hours on her laptop. She got onto the floor and under her desk to plug in her charger before hitting her head against the bottom when trying to get up. "Ow!"

As she rubbed her head irritably, she noticed a flyer flutter to the carpet. She recognized the flyer that read "The Castle of Dreams." Most people were aware of the royal ball that happened there almost every year. Naminé used to fantasize about it often. In fact, there was a time when she fantasized about journeying to multiple other worlds. It would have been an excellent form of inspiration for her artwork. Those days were long gone. Travelling seemed like too much of a hassle and scary.

When her stomach groaned for nourishment, Naminé trudged downstairs in the lonely house with Mocchi following close behind. Her tired eyes examined the living room. The couch, the TV, the flower vase with abstract designs, the sectional sofa, and the glass coffee table—they were all frozen in time. But she was used to it. Kairi was always out having a social life and her father was always at work. At least Mocchi kept her company.

She opened the fridge and, to her utter dismay, they were all out of mint and chocolate chip ice cream. Blasphemy! How could she dare watch cartoons without ice cream? She surmised with great remorse that she would just have to call and ask Kairi to bring some back for her. After closing the fridge, she saw a plate wrapped in aluminum foil with a sticky note attached to it.

For Naminé. Fixed some lunch for you. Just heat it up in the microwave and it should be good to go. Call me if you need me to bring you anything back while I'm out. I'll be home to make dinner later. Love you lots xoxo

P.S. Don't forget to brush your teeth!

There was no name attached but Naminé took a wild guess at who the culprit was.

As naggy and nosey as her sister could be, Naminé still loved and appreciated her with all her heart. In fact, she regretted getting snippy at her that morning. After everything Kairi had done, all the unappreciative Naminé could do was yell at her for trying to help. She was almost like a second mother to her.

Naminé paused when she realized she used the "M" word.

It was hard to believe it had already been almost six years. She could still feel her soothing touch that seemed to have a knack for healing emotional scars. She still heard her gentle voice that eased her anxiety. She still saw the warmth of her smile. She still remembered when she was five-years-old, sitting at the top of a loopy waterslide in the secure embrace of her mother, tears streaming down her cheeks. It looked fun, but it also looked scary. Kairi had already slid down fearlessly, but Naminé was never as brave as her sister. But it was her mother who wiped her tears away and scolded her for comparing herself to anyone else but herself. It was enough to give Naminé the courage to go down the slide, not because Kairi did it, but because it looked fun.

She wondered what her mother would say to her if she were alive to see what became of her.

"Stop that," Serah said in a chastising voice in response to the young Naminé berating herself. "I don't ever want to hear you comparing yourself to anyone, little one. Not to me. Not to your father. And certainly not your sister. Kairi is Kairi. You are you. Never forget who you are. Fear is just our minds playing tricks on us. Always remember that when you're in my arms, with every bone in my body, I will keep you safe. Am I understood?"

Even if she was gone, it still felt like she was there. She would be supportive but disappointed to see what a cowardly mess the artist had become. This was something simple. It was a mere walk to the store. It might have taken time for her to be truly confident in herself but Kairi was right. She had to at least try.

Her mother would give her strength.

After twenty-five minutes of internal conflict and contemplating her actions, Naminé finally decided to muster up the courage to walk to the convenience store down the street and pick up some ice cream. She stood at the front door of her house dressed in an oversized baby pink sweater and baggy sweatpants. Her body was stiff from head to toes.

"O-Okay, Mocchi," she said, turning to the kitten that watched her a few feet away with curious eyes. "Here I go."

Naminé reached for the doorknob with a shaky hand, feeling the inside of her body become hotter the further she reached, before withdrawing her arm instantly.

"You know what? Who needs ice cream, anyway?" Naminé began to undress. "I can just call Dad and he can stop by the convenience store on his way back from work and—"

She froze when she caught what she interpreted as an intense stare from Mocchi and bit her lip. "You're never going to overcome your fears if you don't take the first step," Mocchi said. Her voice happened to be high-pitched and nasally but Naminé found there was something endearing about it that kept it from being annoying.

Naminé sighed, putting her sweater back on. "Yes, I know," she muttered. "I should get this over with, shouldn't I?"

Naminé stared at the door. Why was she making this so much more difficult than it had to be? A trip for a tub of ice cream should not have been that hard. She was just outside a few days before. She could do it again, couldn't she? But she also had Kairi with her at the time. This time, it was just Naminé. It felt like the door stood ten feet over her, belittling her for her cowardice.

But this was the first step. She would never be able to recover if she kept closing herself out from the real world. She just had to do it and get it over with. And maybe cry into her pillow for a few hours after the fact.

She took in a deep breath and gently let it out to alleviate her anxiety. She gave Mocchi a final, almost dramatic look. "Wish me luck!" she said before muttering, "And get started on writing my will."

Reluctantly, she opened the door to the outside world.

It was a sunny day in Destiny Islands. The air was fresh. The clouds were a little grey, but the temperature was warmer than she expected. The sweater began to feel like overkill. But she didn't care. It was better than showing off her pale arms.

She walked briskly. She paid no mind to the decently populated area and made sure to keep all eye contact to a minimum. There was only the goal: ice cream. It would be a quick, easy, and painless journey for her sweet, sugary goodness.

Then she heard a rumble. And then another rumble. Then something wet splashed against her forehead and trailed down the ends of her chin before splashing against the sandy pavement.

Soon enough, Naminé braced herself for the incoming downpour from the clouds. In a matter of seconds, the introverted recluse was drenched beneath the tears of the sky. She realized that the oversized sweater went from being overkill to laughably underwhelming. She noticed others that were outside on their joyous strolls around town scurried back to whatever hole they came from, but Naminé was already halfway to the store. She wasn't going to give up, despite the fact she was disgusted by the areas in which she felt water infiltrating her body at the moment.

She contracted her upper half as she pressed forward, wincing at the sudden rush of wind blowing at her with a mighty howl. How could such a warm, sunny day turn into one full of rage and ferocity in such a short amount of time? Naminé wondered if getting out of the house upset the balance of the universe and caused a rift in the timeline.

The longer she walked, the harder it became, and the more she felt her fatigue kicking in. She considered turning around multiple times but ultimately pushed forward. She was not going to allow fear to decide her future any longer and the rain wasn't going to stop her.

At long last, after what just felt like a hike up Mount Olympus, she reached the convenience store. With long-winded steps, she inched closer and closer to the store and was ready to go inside. She had come this far. Nothing was going to weaken her resolve now.

That's what she thought, at least, until she saw Roxas standing by the counter talking to an unfamiliar face.

If there was anything worse than being susceptible to the public scrutiny of strangers, it was running into somebody she already knew and started to feel the conflict of whether she should approach them or avoid all unnecessary contact. Of course he would be there. Why did she expect any less? Naminé quickly pushed herself against the wall next to the door before he could see her. It just wasn't her day.

For a split-second, she considered running away and forgetting the day ever happened. But she knew she couldn't go out like that. This wasn't about ice cream or the fact that she was shivering like a wet dog. This was about proving to herself that she could overcome obstacles.

She shut her eyes tight, preparing herself mentally, before quickly pushing the door open. She made a quick glance over at Roxas and he almost seemed upset. The guy he was talking to wore a beanie and had a scar trailing down the bridge of his nose. She quickly covered the side of her eyes as she made her way to the freezers in the back before Roxas could notice her. The store was rather small, so she could overhear some of their ongoing conversation.

"Snap out of it, Roxas," the scarred stranger said. "I'm sick of hearing about this gummi ship bullshit. Ain't that a bit beneath you? We got more important things to worry about. We need you on the team."

Roxas didn't spare him a glance as he leaned against the counter while the clerk scanned the few items he had. "Sorry, Seifer. Hate to disappoint you, but it's not my calling. It's not my destiny."

"It ain't about destiny anymore," Seifer snapped. "This is about the greater good. Look man, I hate to admit it, but you're one of the most talented guys in Destiny Islands. Maybe the galaxy. You can't squander your gifts for some cheap seventh-grade fantasy. What do you think your father would say?"

Roxas chuckled, though it sounded humorless. He thanked the clerk and took his small plastic bag from the counter. "Well, you know what they say. Better safe than losing your soul trying to live up to the legacy of someone who had a thing for crossdressing. They do say that, right?"

Seifer grabbed him by the arm. "This isn't a joke. It's time to face the real world and grow up."

Roxas, beginning to lose his patience, shirked his arm away. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you."

While the two boys were locked in a glaring contest, Naminé placed two tubs of mint and chocolate chip ice cream on the counter. Thankfully, Roxas' back was turned to her. But he wasn't leaving. It seemed like he was going to wait out on the rain, which made Naminé internally groan even more. She placed ten munny on the counter, not even aware of the concerned look of the girl operating the register. She asked if Naminé was okay and she, not wanting her voice to be heard by a certain someone, nodded.

However, she wasn't okay. In fact, she could feel her head getting heavier and her skin getting clammier. Suddenly, things started to get fuzzier... and darker... and hazier... until she collapsed on the floor with a very noticeable thud.

The few stragglers in the store waiting for the rain to simmer down, Seifer, Roxas, and the clerk included, noticed the sporadic turn of events with the utmost amount of concern and immediately rushed to Naminé's side.

Roxas kneeled down to his knees and lifted the upper half of her limp body. The good news was that the girl was breathing, but she was out cold. It only took him a second longer to recognize the familiar face and become horrified.

"Naminé?"

Memories of Turmoil

I think I got about one more chapter after this. Let me know what you think in a review! :)