Disclaimer- I do not own anything in this story that I do not own. XD

Well, this chapter sucks… Just warning you.

Bittersweet Dreams

Chapter 4- Are You Suffering?

"So, what are you guys doing tonight?" Sora asks, walking between Kairi and I. He puts one arm around Kairi's shoulders, and one around mine.

"Oh, I don't know. I thought I'd, you know, go home and sleep." I say in a tone that suggests I've been thinking about it for a long time. (I haven't.)

Kairi laughs. "Yeah, me too. I'm soooo tired."

"Aw, come on. How boring." Sora teases, pushing ahead of us and walking backwards so he can talk to us. "It's not even late."

"Yeah, well, I worked all morning, unlike someone I could mention." I shoot back.

We reach Kairi's house, and then Sora's, and soon I'm walking along the road alone. 'Thank god for street lights…' I think, glancing over my shoulder. I hate walking alone.

Finally, I reach the hotel. I don't know why, but suddenly, I feel like something bad is about to happen. I shake my head, telling myself it's just paranoia. Everything is fine…

When I reach my room, I turn on every light, still trying to shake off this bad feeling I have. I turn on the stereo, and pop in my favorite CD. Then, I flop down on my bed with my sketch pad and a pencil.

I want to hold you to the sun; I want to be your faithful one. I want to show you all the beauty you don't even know you hold.

I'm hurting you for your own good; I'd die for you, you know I would. I'd give away all my wealth to buy you back the soul you never sold.

I want to mix our blood and put it in the ground so you can never leave. I want to earn your trust, your faith, your heart. You'll never be deceived.

Liar, liar liar, liar. Liar, liar, liar, liar.

As the music plays, I begin to doze off. My pencil travels subconsciously over the paper.

Suddenly, my eyes snap open. I look down at what I was drawing without even knowing it.

Fifteen seconds later, I'm sprinting as fast as I possibly can back through the town towards Riku's house.

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It's Xemnas…

The room tips sideways and I have to lean against the wall to keep from falling. This isn't fair… This isn't right. He shouldn't be here. Everything was perfect. Why did he have to come here?

Before I even realize he had moved, Riku slams Xemnas against a wall with his hands closed around his throat.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Riku hisses.

Xemnas laughs as if Riku had just said something extremely funny. I wonder if I've missed something.

"I thought it was quite obvious."

"Stop dicking around."

Xemnas smirks and swiftly pushes Riku away, then kicks him hard in the stomach, sending him flying back. He hits the wall hard and sinks onto the ground, gasping for air.

Then Xemnas walks towards me.

"Stay the hell away from me." I warn him, though I doubt I sound the least threatening. I'm still leaning against the wall fighting off the pain running through my entire body.

"You act as if you think I'm going to hurt you."

"And I'm supposed to believe you won't?"

"Why would I save your life twice just to kill you later?"

He has a point.

On the other side of the room, I see Riku struggling to stand up. I want to go and help him, but Xemnas is blocking me. I silently curse at myself for backing up into the damn corner.

"Ok, then why are you here?"

"I came to see you."

"Why?"

"We like asking obvious questions, don't we?"

"Shut up!"

The next second, three things happen all at once.

The door bursts open, Riku runs at Xemnas with his keyblade in his hand, and blood splatters on the wall, and all over me.

Then, an awful, death-like silence hits the room.

Xemnas is gone. Yuka is standing in the doorway, so pale that she almost glows in the darkness, and I am covered with blood.

Riku's blood.

He's lying on the floor five feet away from me with a large –and growing- crimson stain in his shirt. A small pool of blood has already gathered on the floor where he is.

I don't remember moving, but next thing I know, I'm kneeling on the floor with Riku's limp body in my arms. I hold him to me tightly, crying so hard that I have to gasp for breath. I barely realize Yuka talking to me urgently, and running out of the room and back with bandages and things like that.

"R-Riku…" I don't recognize my own voice. It sounds tight and strangled.

"Lexan, calm down. Please, I need your help!" Yuka begs me.

Suddenly, it's like all the emotion is gone from my body. I move mechanically, helping Yuka dress Riku's wounds. I don't speak, and I'm almost startled when I realize I'm still breathing. Together, Yuka and I carry him upstairs and lay him on his bed. Then, Yuka goes downstairs after saying something about getting me cleaned up.

I kneel next to Riku's bed, my eyes fixed on his face. I might have believed he was just asleep, if he wasn't so deathly pale.

'What the hell happened? Where did that bastard Xemnas disappear to? I swear, I'll hunt him down and rip his fucking face off.'

Thoughts of hideous and bloody revenge run through my mind as I unconsciously run my hand through Riku's hair, and my vision becomes blurry. My eyelids suddenly seem unbearably heavy, and I lay my head down on the bed next to Riku's shoulder.

The next thing I know, Yuka is talking to me. She sounds concerned, but slightly amused.

"Hey sleepy-head, you alright?"

"Eh? Wh-what's going on?"

"Nothing, you fell asleep, that's all. Here, come over here so we can wash this blood off you."

I follow my friend blindly to the bathroom, almost afraid to look in the mirror. When I do, memories flash in my mind. I remember a long time ago; it must have been at least two years… I was in Integra, with Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Blood soaking my clothes, just like now…

I shake my head violently, trying to focus on now, and forget the past. Yuka presses a warm wet cloth to my forehead, and hands me another to wash my arms off with. I keep an eye on Riku in the mirror, so that if he were to wake up, or move at all, I could be there in a second.

When all the blood had been cleaned off, Yuka went to my room to get me clothes to change into. I feel bad, making her take care of me like a mother, but I can't leave Riku. Anyway, It's my fault he's hurt so badly… It's all my fault; everything.

"Here, Lexan, go change. It'll take you but one minute. And if Riku so much as twitches, I'll make sure you know." Yuka says, smiling. I nod, and go into the bathroom to change.

I look at myself in the mirror, feeling something like disgust. I've never thought I was pretty, but suddenly I feel incredibly revolted at myself. My long black hair is knotty; I have dark circles under my eyes, and, worst of all, my eyes are dull and empty. I remember my bright purple eyes that always held a mischievous sparkle. Now, they've turned black, and I stare at my somber face, hating how much I've changed. I long to be just a kid again, I want everything to be simple and care-free. But, then again, I never had a simple, care-free life, even when I was a child, living in Hollow bastion with Maleficent and Haru.

'Haru? Where did that come from? Wait… I know that name. Who is that? I can't remember…'

I dismiss the thought, finish dressing, and return to the bedroom to watch over Riku.

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Meh…

This week has been bad.

I'm sorry this chapter sucks.

Xoxoxoxoxo Saphyra