::13:: Xion::Fighting Arrows::

"What are you looking at?" Axel broke into my thoughts.

After an hour of sparring with Keyblades, we decided to call the night off and sat down on stone bench. I had been watching the gold lights from the Destiny dorm for a while, engrossed with my conflicting feelings. I guess I couldn't always hide everything from Axel, after all.

"Nothing." I lied.

The red-head's eyes trailed over toward the Destiny dormitory, which stood at the far distance, and back at my bowing head. He shook his head and sighed. "Saying 'nothing' means 'something.'" Axel continued. "If you have a problem, you should just tell me. Roxas is already closing himself up to me—I don't need for you to do the same." He smiled. "Just remember that."

I sighed. "I know Roxas has his own problems, and I have my own too. I know you have problems also, Axel."

The older boy blinked with confusion. "And?"

"…What should a girl do when a guy likes another girl?" I blurted it out from frustration. "He can't forget about other girl, and yet, the girl can't forget him."

"Oh…" Axel's eyes softened, and he smiled. "Love." He paused. "A love triangle with unrequited feelings pointing everywhere…like fighting arrows." Seeing that I wasn't any happier than before, the red-head stopped again. "Do you like this guy?"

"…Like?"

"Oh, geez…" Axel sighed heavily. "Well…did you tell him about…your…you know…feelings?"

I shook my head.

"Then, you should."

"But…what if he laughs at me?" I asked.

"He won't." the older boy chuckled. "Because you won't let him do that."

"What?!" The eyeballs of my sockets widened. "What do you mean?"

"Look, just tell the guy and show him how much he means to you." Axel continued, shrugging. "After that, he'll have to give a damn about you, and if he doesn't, slap him in the face with a Keyblade."

"…That's a violation of the Keyblade wielding codes of honor."

"…That's not what we're talking about right now, Xion."

I sighed. Axel's right…and to be honest, I had clue about how I really felt toward Riku himself. He's important to me, but thinking over it—it's different from the significance Roxas and Axel hold to me. He actually makes me feel good about myself, makes the World seem a lot smaller than it really is… Riku says all the right things I had always needed to hear, not the things I want to hear—but stuffs that really helped me understand the World better.

I got onto my feet. "I'm going to pay Him a visit then."

"Go ahead." Axel shrugged.

"Thanks, Axel." I flashed a smile back at the red-head, and with that settled, I instantly broke out into a clean sprint.

When She appears, it hurts me—my heart—and all of a sudden, it makes me afraid of losing Riku to her. I slowed when going over the grassy hill. It makes me realize…that Riku means a lot more to me than I had thought. When Namine appears, I know Roxas will be all right. Nothing hurts. But this…

"This is different." I whispered beneath my breath.

I was now standing in front of the grand Destiny dorm which glowed proudly upon me.

To my surprise, Riku was sitting down in the front lawn—stargazing, it seemed. By his side, a brown-haired boy sat—puzzled by my sudden turn-up. His bright sapphire eyes trailed over to me from the satin sky, and he quickly turned to Riku.

"I think she's here for you." He grinned. "I'll go inside and—"

One of the towering double doors opened, and to my dismay, a lean teenage girl emerged from the dormitory. She was wearing a pink one-piece outfit—with a sleeveless hoodie and mid-thigh skirt, zipped from the bottom tip to the breasts. With her red hair flying back, Kairi slowly came down the stairs and joined us three.

"Hi there!" she exclaimed, waving at me.

My heart sank down—rock bottom.

"Hi…" My voice faded into an awkward silence.

"Who's your friend, Riku?" the brown-haired boy asked.

"Xion." Riku replied, coolly. "Kairi, this is Xion. Sora, Xion." When he was motioning his hand from and to us individually, my eyes never wavered from Kairi at all.

Is it just me…or does she seem…so familiar to me? I quietly examined her blue eyes. I feel…so close to her—like there's a connection or something…

"Hey!" Sora, being the hyperactive one, suddenly flew up close to my face curiously. "You…look familiar! Have we met before, Xion?"

"N-no!" I shook my head and backed away. "Not that I remember."

"Maybe we did." Kairi chimed in, cheerily. Her sapphire eyes softened upon me—kicking the guilty gear inside my chest. "In a crowd—the streets—something like that, most likely."

"You know what?" Sora said to me. "You and Kairi sure look alike."

"What?!" Kairi's eyes nearly bulged out in bewilderment. "No way!"

The two of us turned to each other, speechless.

He's right… My throat was cut dry, stunned by the sudden epiphany. Her blue eyes—the hair…

"The blue eyes!" Sora pointed out. "The hair! Even the way you two smile!"

! I swallowed. Hard.

"Sora," It was Riku speaking this time—with solemnity. "You're scaring her."

"No, he's not." Instantly, a fake plastered smile spread into my lips. "I was just about to go, anyway, Riku."

"W-wait, I thought you were here to see Riku!" Kairi protested. "Please, don't go yet…"

"Something came up." I lied, with a light laugh. "I completely forgot about a sparring I was supposed to have."

"Ah, then, in that case…" Sora then began to wave his hand in the air. "…good luck then! Be safe, Xion!"

Riku bit his bottom lip—his green eyes never wavering from my retreating back. "Xion—"

"Good night, Riku." I stammered with force.

I had my back facing Riku and the others, trying to hide the embarrassment and hurt that were swelling up to the surface.

Silence.

"You were wrong, and for a moment, you had me there. Gift-ties and Nobodies?" A hot tear gently rolled from the corner of my eye down to the cheek. "Being friends—no care for statuses or anything of that matter at night? One World, one sky, and one destiny?" I laughed. "Then, look at the place you're staying at—and mine! Even in Darkness, yours will always glow more radiantly than ours!"

And I ran. From behind, I heard him calling out my name—along with Sora and Kairi.

I was such a fool.

I actually thought you liked me for me.

Not because I looked like Her.

Not because I reminded you of Her.

Now, I really know…where We stand.