An echo of Merlin's shuffling feet accentuated the vastness of the long, white-washed hallway leading to the eastern wing of the castle. A lavender carpet runner covered the middle, marbled floor, but Danari kept close to the wall to minimize the hollow feeling the echo left in her chest. Large paintings of the city streets were framed between each set of arched windows on the opposite wall, and a row of candelabras lighted the hallway from above Danari's head.

The inhabited streets of Radiant Garden looked uniform, but the garden areas close to the castle were decorated with elegant fountains, statues of mighty men with swords, and tranquil waterfalls that gently pool into little streams that line the pathways.

Danari and Merlin were coming up to a left corner in the hallway, and two windows before the turn there was a slightly smaller painting in a plain, golden frame. The speckling of red poppies caught Danari's eye, and she noticed that these houses didn't fit into the same uniform design as the other houses. The roofs were blue, and every house stood alone, not sharing any sides with its neighbors. It looked familiar to Danari, and she stopped to take a closer look. Perhaps Scrooge had led her through this area on the way to Merlin's house, but she remembered thinking every house looked the same. If she had been on the street in the picture, she knew she would've remembered it. Danari shook her head, and told herself she was just confused by the area's uniqueness. She turned away and took several steps toward Merlin. Still, though… she thought, taking one last look at the painting. Maybe-

"Danari!"

Danari's attention snapped to the source of her name. Sora was sprinting around the corner, and when he saw her he threw his arms in the air and said, "What are you doing here? How did you get off the island?"

"I- Uh…" Danari glanced over her shoulder once more, then took a couple steps toward him. She looked at her boots and said, "I needed to know where you keep running off too. I mean, you just came home and then you were leaving again, and you won't talk to anyone about it, and everyone is worried about..."

Heat rushed to Danari's cheeks when she remembered the look on Mrs. Elly's face as she talked about her son's disappearances. A fire exploded in Danari's gut that melted any shame she felt for sneaking after her friends behind their backs. She lifted her hardened eyes to meet his easy gaze.

"How could you have so little regard for your mother's feelings?" Danari said, trying to keep her voice level. "Every time you disappear it practically kills her, and you don't even have the decency to say goodbye."

Sora's eyes widened and the smile slipped off his face.

"And you!" Danari pointed her finger at Riku who had sauntered around the corner. His face matched the surprised look on Sora's when Danari's anger abruptly shifted to him. "I don't know your parents very well, but I can't expect they're any less worried than Mrs. Elly! And don't think for a second that Selphie and Tidus aren't hurt either. You think the rest of us just sit around sipping lemonade on the beach while you go off galavanting in other worlds like we don't even matter to you? The whole island gets turned upside down when you run off and you think it's just fine and dandy to pop in and out whenever you please!"

A light burst sensation flickered in Danari's chest, like a bubble popping after floating too high, and her anger spiked. She wanted to strike them, show them the pain they caused their friends and family, but moments later it fizzled like it was blown out by a whisper of breath. It was like her emotions were beyond her control, but yet she knew they were hers, unlike the voice who told her to protect her friends.

Riku and Sora looked at each other, too stunned to say anything. Several moments of silence passed before Merlin cleared his throat and said, "Master Riku and Master Sora, Scrooge McDuck found Danari in the town square. She said she followed you through the corridor. I thought it best to bring her to you."

"I- Uh… Yeah…" Sora said with a quivering voice as he blinked away the well of tears that dared to spill over his lower eyelids. Danari didn't mean to hurt Sora's feelings, or use his ailing mother as a weapon against him, but her guilt was slow to rise.

"Thank you, Merlin," Riku said. "We'll take care of her now."

"Don't be too harsh on her. She's here because she cares," Merlin said, as if his words could erase the scowl setting on Riku's face. "Danari, you can, of course, come by my house and I'll give you that tour of the city if you get a chance."

Merlin hobbled off, back down the long hallway they came from, and Riku held out his arm to direct Danari towards the second door on her left. Danari walked past him like a puppy about to be scolded for chewing on the furniture. She knew she hadn't committed any crime, and that she had just as much right to use the corridor as they did, but she still felt shame for tailing them, and a little for not trusting they had good reason to be so secretive.

She pushed open the heavy, chestnut door and stepped into what looked like a lavish waiting room. Mint-green camelback sofas lined the walls and an ornate, pink and white rug lay skewed on the marble floor. A thick bookshelf stood next to the door frame filled with light reading books, and every chair had either an end table or coffee table to accompany it.

The richness of the room made Danari forget about her impending lecture, but one look at Riku's face reminded her that she was not on a pleasure visit. She sat on the edge of the sofa closest to her, folded her hands on her lap, and started rehearsing her defense.

Riku paced in front of the couch, but Sora took a seat beside Danari and touched her shoulder.

"I would've told her, Mom I mean, but I think it would've done her more harm than good. Really," he said, more like he was trying to convince himself than Danari.

"Why did you have to leave so soon, though?" Danari said, a little more accusatory than she meant.

"We… well…" Sora said.

"That isn't any of your concern," Riku snapped.

"It is if it's my fault you left." Danari glared at him. "How could you two possibly think I would hurt your families?"

"What are you talking about?" Sora said.

"I heard you! You said I was dangerous, and I couldn't be trusted if I was left on the island." Danari felt another bubble of anger burst in her chest. "I'm not some monster!" She stood and bumped her knee into the coffee table, and the rattle echoed in the room.

"Danari!" Sora said, catching her hand. "I didn't mean it like that! I just meant-"

"What? How could you have possibly meant that in any other way! First you treat me like you don't even know me, then you accuse me of trying to hurt people."

"We don't know you," Riku said, and he stepped in front of Danari. "We've never seen you before in our lives, but we come home and everyone who is close to us seems to think you've been on the island forever. Something about you isn't right. You must've done something to brainwash them or maybe you're just a really good liar, but you're definitely not from Destiny Islands."

"Riku!" Sora said, but Danari didn't care to hear any more. She shoved Riku out of her way and headed for the door. She didn't need to protect them, because they could clearly take care of themselves. They thought she was an imposter, maliciously trying to weasel her way into their lives. If that's what they thought, she'd prove them wrong by staying as far away as possible. Another light bubble popped in her chest, and her legs filled with strength to run as fast as her new boots would carry her.