Ok so first thing's first-I am so so so so so so so so so sorry for not updating all month! Life has gotten super hectic like it always does around the holidays. Unfortunately this will probably be my last update of the year…it seems so strange writing that. Anyways the chapter is extra long and I have a special note at the bottom so please check that out! Enjoy the much anticipated chapter!

*Selphie's Flashback*

When my eyes finally opened I found myself on the floor of a strange room. It didn't take me long to realize that either I had shrunk or everything else had grown.

Where am I? Is this some sort of weird dream? It definitely seemed to have that dream-like fog to it. But something told me it wasn't a dream…a little voice in the back of my head…

"The islands" I exclaimed, more out of realization than anything else. The last thing I had remembered was a big storm turning off the power in my house…then there was this huge black orb in the sky and these terrible looking creatures and then…darkness. Then I woke up here. A million thoughts flew through my head and amidst my hysteria I realized something-I was on the ceiling…or a floor that looked like a ceiling. When I looked 'up' there was a large table and two chairs and a door with a golden knob beneath me, the typical stuff you would find on the floor!

"What in the world is going on here?!"I cried, on the verge of tears. My island was gone, everything was gone. "Even my jump rope's gone!" I said to nobody.

I spun around to take in my surroundings and just so happened to see a yellow string with a wooden handle attached to the end.

"My jump rope" I cheered happily before running towards it. Just as I bent down to pick it up though two twin blobs of darkness appeared right in front of me. I grabbed my jump rope before leaping back, just in time to see the blobs take on forms of alien-like creatures. Both of them had a strange marking on their chest and their heads were covered in white helmets, only their yellow eyes being visible. They started to run toward me and despite all the fury towards these strange creatures for trying to attack me when I was already confused and upset enough as it is I turned around and ran as fast as I possibly could.

Since I had been standing in the middle of the room none of the exits seemed any closer then another. I just chose the direction that didn't lead towards those awful creatures. Once I reached the wall I ran a few steps to the right where a pile of four books lay, with an opening into a black tunnel on top of them. I climbed the books as fast as I could and ran into the tunnel, not stopping until I appeared in a garden.

I quickly checked behind me and sighed with relief when I saw that those monsters were no longer chasing me. I cautiously walked up to a table that stood in the center of the yard, worried that more of those things would appear. Chairs lined the big table and on it were tea cups and plates. At the head of the table, behind a pink comfy chair, was a picture of what looked like a man and a rabbit, both of them crying. My attention was diverted back to the pink chair when a ghost-like figure appeared in it.

"Well it was about time you showed up! I was beginning to think you would never come!" The figure said, and I realized that the figure looked like a girl! Maybe my age or a year older, she had blond hair that was tied back in a pony tail with bright blue eyes and a friendly smile. She was wearing a teal colored tank top and a pair of shorts, along with a pair of running shoes. Her over-all look was pretty average except for the fact that she had a gold halo around her like an angel and she was transparent.

"W-who are you?" My voice came out quietly and it was trembling. Her smile faded and gave way to a sympathetic frown.

"I'm sorry about your island, but for now its gone and this place…it isn't safe. I can take you somewhere for now, until your island comes back. If you stay here you will lose your heart." She said calmly, but her eyes showed the urgency her voice concealed.

"Lose my heart?! The islands-gone?! Trust you?! I don't even know who you are!" I yelled at her, on the verge of hysteria.

"Those creatures that chased after you were called the Heartless, and if you stay here they will come after you and steal your heart. Your islands were attacked by those same Heartless and for now your world is destroyed, but if the Keyblade Bearer can restore all the worlds then your islands will come back and you can return to them. And I can't tell you my name but I can tell you that I came here to help you. I can take you somewhere where you will be safe from the Heartless until your islands are restored." By then exhaustion had come crashing down on me and I was too tired to ask anymore questions.

"Sounds great…take me there please" I said with a yawn. She smiled and nodded as she got up from her chair and walked over to me. She held out her hand and I heard something familiar to the sound the Heartless made when they appeared behind me. I whirled around, ready to fight whatever this girl had summoned. Instead I was face to face with a black oval maybe a foot taller than I was.

"Through here please" The girl gently grabbed my hand, reassuringly guding it closer to the oval

"A-are you sure?" I asked nervously, leaning towards the black oval cautiously, as if to see whether or not some fearsome thing would jump out and attack me.

"I'm positive. Please go through-I'm sensing I'm needed somewhere else" I looked at her curiously and waved her hand at the blackness in front of me. After taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and stepped through the portal. On the other side I was greeted by warmth and light, along with the every day sounds of a town. I opened my eyes to see that I was standing in the center of a small area filled with stores that were selling various things. I looked up to see an amazing sunset that was probably visible from everywhere in this town.

Just then a small…thing in a big witch-like hat walked by me. I tapped his/her shoulder gently. The thing looked up at me and I smiled nervously.

"Do you think you could tell me where I am? I'm kind of lost and-

"You're in Twilight Town!" The little thing said before running off. Hmmm Twilight Town…?

*Tidus' Flashback*

The first thing I noticed when my eyes opened was that I was upside down. At first I just figured this was another prank that my older brother had played on me when I realized I was outside…hanging upside down because my foot was caught in a tree branch. Shaking off the last bits of my nightmare, which had included the worlds being attacked by these strange creatures, I turned my head as much as I could to catch a glimpse of how my foot was caught, and if I would be falling anytime soon.

"Hey Tidus!" Wakka called from beneath me. I knew it was him because he put emphasis on the 'I' in my name but made it sound like an 'E'. So according to him I was Teedus. I looked down to see Wakka standing in some small boat that was hanging by two thick ropes that were tied to two points in the tree I was hanging from.

"Why don't ya come on down Tidus?" Wakka yelled up to me

"How do you expect me to do that?!" I yelled back to him. He shrugged. I looked around and noticed a tree branch that was maybe three feet to the right of me and maybe a foot above my head. I swung myself carefully back and forth, trying to reach the branch. Just as I managed to grab onto the branch I heard a cracking sound and suddenly my foot was free. I looked down to the branch fall onto a large expanse of rope that was woven around a giant tree house.

"Now what" I yelled at Wakka.

"Let go! I'll meet ya down on da rope!" He called and with that he jumped out of the small boat before I could protest his awful idea. He seemed to land fairly easily though, and with no visible broken bones that I could notice. Aiming my drop carefully so that I would land in the small raft and then be able to jump down onto the rope I took a deep breath before letting go, my body falling perfectly towards the raft. Of course instead of landing in the raft I did a face plant on the side before falling down onto the rope.

"Wow dat was great Tidus! You a real acrobat" I couldn't tell if that was sarcasm or not. I groaned before getting to my feet

"Now where do we go?" I asked, not really expecting an answer

"We follow dat pretty girl ya?" Well that got my attention

I turned just in time to see a girl run up a giant tree branch that led up to an even more colossal tree house. I gestured towards the tree house before I started running, with Wakka right behind me. My pace was slowed a bit once the tree branch began to slant upwards but fortunately I didn't fall…unlike my friend.

He tripped over one of the small step-like things that probably weren't there to trip people. I had to wait impatiently for him to work his way back up to where I was before I could continue heading up.

Finally we made it up to the tree house and I couldn't help but stop and gaze. It was huge! Whoever had built this must've been planning to live there for, like, ever! After a moment I snapped out of my trance and Wakka and I both walked into the tree house. And there was the girl I had caught a glimpse of. Sitting calmly on a barrel twiddling her thumbs. When Wakka and I came in she jumped off the barrel, a huge smile lighting up her face.

"Well it was about time you showed up! I was beginning to think you would never come!" It was right then that I realized she was transparent and glowing.

"No wonder we haven't broken any bones yet! Wakka, buddy, we're dead!" I cried, turning to Wakka and putting my head on his shoulder out of grief.

"Why would you say that Tidus" Wakka asked me curiously. I gestured towards the girl who was looking at us with concern.

"She's transparent and glowing Wakka. She's obviously an angel" I said, shaking my head sadly. The girl looked at me for a moment before laughing.

"I'm not an angel! But I am flattered" she laughed before walking up to us, her footsteps making no noise as they crossed the wooden floor. "I'm here to help you two. There are creatures in this world called the Heartless. If they attacked you, well, you would most definitely end up in heaven." She looked at us with concern while I just laughed.

"You misunderstand us! You see, we are experts in the art of fighting. I'm sure whatever creatures you have here, the Heartless you called them, we could handle them no problem!" I said, resting a hand on her shoulder. She looked at my hand before flicking it off.

"Look-I came all this way from Wonder freaking land to get you two and you tell me that you don't need me?! If you want to get your hearts stolen fine! Stay here! I might as well go back and check on that Selphie girl…"

"Wait you know Selphie?" Wakka asked, I on the other hand, was still seething over how oblivious she was to my boyish charm. The girl nodded in reply to Wakka's question.

"I can take you to her if you would like. And maybe your friend can come too" She glimpsed at me for a moment before flicking her hand out from her side where a large black oval appeared. She glanced at it momentarily without concern before her gaze rested back on us.

"Are you coming?" She asked us. Wakka and I looked at each other for a moment before nodding. And, just to prove that I wasn't afraid of the black thing, I made a point of walking through it first. I just about peed my pants. I came out on top of a big green hill, right in the view of a magnificent sunset. I looked behind me to see the girl and Wakka come out of the portal, Wakka looking awestruck.

"Wow dat was cool ya?" He exclaimed, looking at me for support.

"It was alright" I said nonchalantly. I refused to be amazed by anything this girl did, now that she had gone and ticked me off.

"Well this place is called Sunset Terrace. If you go to the other side of town you'll find a train. Get on the train and go to Twilight Town. You'll find your friend there." The girl said before stepping back into the portal. Just as it closed she turned back to us.

"You're welcome by the way!" She called before the portal closed. Wakka and I stood there for a moment before Wakka broke the silence.

"She was pretty ya?"

"Shut up Wakka. Let's just go find Selphie. Now what direction was that train in?"

*Sora's Flashback*

Darkness…all around me…swallowing me. It was endless…as endless as the sky. What was the sky? Could I remember? What was my name? Who was I? Who am I? Who would I have been? There was someone I needed to help…who was it? I am falling

Falling

Into darkness?

It's endless

How will I ever get back?

Do I want to?

"Sora!" I felt arms wrap around me, pulling me out of the darkness. The light was flooding back into my vision and I was starting to remember…but the darkness was so heavy on my shoulders. I lifted an arm up in protest before I began to fall.

Then a hand gently wrapped around mine and pulled me back to the surface. And the lights exploded before my eyes.

I opened my eyes and gasped at the petite girl in my arms, her eyes squeezed tight.

"Kairi!" I exclaimed in wonder, my plan had worked. Her heart had been freed and now she was a person again! Instead of the ragdoll, the empty shell of a girl she had been.

"Well it's about time you showed up! I was beginning to think you would never come!" A transparent girl with a glowing halo around her stood a few feet back from where Kairi and I stood.

"You- I started to say, but she cut me off with a shake of her head. I lost my balance as a vibration shook the world.

"We have to go! The Heartless are coming…just like Riku said" The girl said sadly, glancing up at the hallway that lead to the Lift Stop. Riku? Could Riku be ok?! The girl shook her head again, as if she could read my thoughts. Another earthquake shook the earth.

"We have to go!" Donald exclaimed. The transparent girl pushed the huge entrance door open and beckoned us forward, of course, I had a feeling no one else could see her… I grabbed Kairi's hand

"Let's get out of here!" She nodded, and we ran out together, leaving our best friend behind.

Here goes nothing…and everything. I summoned up my Keyblade and pointed it at the Keyhole. Goofy, Donald, and I were standing in front of the Keyhole that was erupting darkness, panting from defeating the Behemoth we had just fought. White stars gathered at the end of my Keyblade as I prepared to seal the door to Hollow Bastion. Then I noticed a transparent girl, standing to my right. I looked at her in shock, and noticed the Keyblade in her hands. She pointed it at the Keyhole, stars gathering on the end. Blue beams shot from our blades in unison and she winked at me. As the sound of a lock clicking was heard, she vanished.

I bent over, exhaustion racking my body. Riku was kneeling on the ground, in pain and on the verge of passing out. I held Way to the Dawn in my hand and lowered it so it was about even with Riku's head. Floating above and in front of us was Xemnas, clad in a black and white cloak, his orange eyes blazing with fury that we hadn't died in his last brutal attempt at our murder.

Riku looked up at me weakly, before placing his hand over mine on the hilt of his blade. Another more petite hand placed itself on his and I saw that girl…from so long ago.

"Good luck" she breathed and a blue beam gathered at the end of the blade the three of us shared. As the beam hit Xemnas square in the chest I could've sworn I saw Riku looking right at the girl, and the girl looking right back at him. She smiled before vanishing, just like always.

*Kairi's Flashback*

"Sora" I exclaimed in wonder, leaping to my feet and sprinting to my fallen friend. Light was consuming his being and just as my hands reached his he vanished, a flurry of lights spiraling upwards. Despair slammed into my chest. "No! He can't be gone" I whimpered, fighting back tears.

"Well it's about time you showed up. I was beginning to think you would never come!" I looked to my right to see a girl about my age with a golden halo surrounding and her entire body transparent, like a ghost

"Where's Sora?!" I cried and she shook her head.

"He gave up his heart to save you" I was on the verge of screaming when I heard a voice from behind me.

"No! I won't let you use me for this!" I spun around to see Riku, only he was transparent and glowing like that other girl was. He was standing between me and a man with dark skin and flaming orange eyes. Riku's teeth were gritted and I could tell he was straining to do whatever was happening. He looked at me and I saw pain in my friend's eyes.

"You have to go! The Heartless are coming!" He yelled and I felt someone grab my hand from behind. I turned my head to see the girl. She pulled on my hand gently, urging me towards the exit. Her eyes looked past me and I watched a silent conversation pass between her and Riku. She nodded as his strength failed him and he was sucked back into the man's form. Then the man faded back into a dark portal and was gone.

"Come on! We have to go!" She pulled on my hand again but I resisted.

"Sora! I can't leave him!" I protested but I felt another hand grab mine. I looked down to see a duck attempting to pull towards the exit. He and the dog-like creature standing nearby seemed oblivious to the transparent girl at my side.

A huge rumble shook the world and I stumbled sideways.

"Waaaaah! We have to go!" the duck squawked, and I finally turned and ran. Once we had made it to the entrance room the girl vanished.

"Wait here and Sora will come" She whispered before fading.

I stood by the shore, watching the sunset and missing my lost friend. I still couldn't believe I had forgotten him.

"Sora" The name tasted funny on my lips, but it felt sweetly familiar. I heard the sound of a portal opening to my left and I turned quickly to see a man with a black cloak and fiery red hair that was matched with piercing green eyes emerge from it.(A/N I don't know this scene word for word so I sort of just made it up)

"There you are Kairi!" The man said, and as if a cue, a horde of slim white figures appeared out of thin air.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled warningly, this man gave off a bad vibe. He took a step closer and held out his hand. I turned to run.

"But don't you want to see Sora?" I turned back

"You know where Sora is?" He was the boy I had forgotten and was now longing to see. Everyday more memories of him returned to me and it made me all the more eager to get to see him again. But from what I could remember he was off searching for Riku.

"That's right. And I can take you to him." I took a tentative step closer to him. "See we are friends right?" I reached my hand out nervously… and noticed the white creatures begin to close in on me. I quickly recoiled from his hand, looking for an escape route, but the creatures had completely surrounded me.

Then I heard a sound from behind me, like a high pitched whistle. I turned to see a dark portal floating on the edge of the beach, just a few feet behind me. I noticed a transparent girl that I remembered so well standing just behind the rim of the portal. She beckoned me urgently with her hand. I sprinted towards it, only to turn around halfway through my run.

"Well you're not acting very friendly!" I yelled at the fire-haired man, swiping my arm across my body, wishing I could've used that move against him with a blade. I turned back around and sprinted through the portal, letting darkness coat my vision.

I sprinted down the gray ramp that was leading me and this so-called Namine closer and closer to our freedom. After she had rescued me from my prison inside this giant castle in Who-Knows-Where, I had decided that I could trust her enough to let her lead.

Just as we were turning the corner a man in a black cloak like one my kidnapper wore (I had found out that his name was Axel) with long blue-gray hair and a red X-shaped scar across his face. His face held no emotion as he snapped his fingers, signaling three large creatures to appear out of thin air. They all possessed incredibly heavy looking hammer-like objects which they had all slung over their shoulders in an attempt to lessen the weight of the weapon.

"I believe your escape attempt ends here. Namine escort Kairi back to her cell" I gasped and waited for Namine to lead me back. If she didn't no doubt I would be taken back by force, and Namine would probably be thrown into prison along with me. To my surprise Namine clenched her hands into fists and raised them in front of her. I put the most fearsome expression I had onto my face before lifting my hands up too, balling them into fists.

I noticed the mysterious transparent girl had shown up beside me and had her fists up as well.

"I suppose this would be where I die of laughter" The man said emotionlessly. Namine stood up suddenly.

"You can take it from here, Riku" she said to a man who had just succeeded in destroying the last of the man's henchman. I looked at her then back at the mysterious figure.

"Riku?" The man pulled his blade out of the last remaining creature and it vanished from his hand. He was wearing the same cloak as Axel and X (my nickname for the man standing in front of me). Where does everyone get these cloaks anyways?

The man didn't pause a moment before charging X and slamming him into the wall of the castle. X smirked and pressed his hands flat against the wall. For a moment nothing happened…but then a black portal appeared on the wall and he fell back into it, a smirk on his lips and his eyes empty.

'Riku' made to follow him and I noticed that Namine had vanished. Riku took a step into the portal and I knew I had to act quickly.

"Wait Riku!" A yellow dog came out from nowhere and barked at him, forcing him to back up. I ran down to him and the ghost girl followed me. He looked past me and it seemed as if he was looking at her, even though I was almost positive I was the only one who could see her. He may have been able to though because she gave him a thumbs-up before vanishing. He looked back to me. I reached up and lowered his hood…

*Riku's Flashback*

The truth will bring you pain…The mysterious man's voice still echoed in my head. Pain was nothing I wasn't familiar to, and at that point, I was willing to suffer if it meant I could figure out where the hell I was.

I was standing in a grand white hallway, and at the end of the hallway were a few white marble steps that gave way to a large door. I looked down at the card in my hand. A picture of Hollow Bastion was on it. Something told me this card, along with others I had yet to find, would be my guide during this 'Quest for the Truth'. I started towards the door, stopping after only a few halfhearted steps due to noticing a transparent girl sitting daintily on the steps, like she had just been waiting for me. When she saw me she smiled sweetly and stood up.

"Well it's about time you showed up. I was beginning to think you would never come!" The girl said, clasping her hands together happily. "I'm glad you chose to go after the truth instead of sleeping." I shrugged at the pretty petite blond girl.

"I could do better on sleeping locations" She laughed and descended from the steps. Watching her was like poetry in motion. Her body moved easily, in a flowing manner, fluidly. But, just as she reached the bottom step, her body flickered on and off like a light, and then she was gone.

"Well that was exciting, just as I was starting to get excited about this journey" I said with a sigh before heading up to the door. It was probably just my imagination, but it seemed like I passed through a small wave of heat as I stepped where the mysterious girl had moments before.

Curious, I came into another room that was entirely white, big surprise. In the center of them room was a blond girl in a small white dress and, for an insane moment, I thought she was the Ghost Girl I had seen at the beginning of my expedition through Castle Oblivion, but, once she turned to face me, I realized I had the wrong petite blond girl. There seemed to be a lot of those running around lately…

Of course my teen hormone-related thoughts ceased when I noticed a large white…pod…thing standing behind her. Inside of it, floating peacefully, as if asleep, was my best friend, the one, the only, everyone's favorite lazy Key bearer: Sora.

"Sora!" I exclaimed, before running up to him and this girl. (A/N again, I made this scene up to fit the story.) I stopped in front of the pod, surprised that my yelling hadn't aroused him. I turned on the girl.

"What did you do to him?!" I near-yelled, jabbing an accusing finger at her tiny frame.

"I was forced to re-write his memories, and now, while he sleeps in this chamber, I'll be able to put them back the right way. It will take some time, but I'll be able to do it." The girl said sadly. Her voice seemed so familiar…

"It was you. When I was lost in Zexion's illusion…it was your voice that brought me back!" I smiled, already beginning to feel trust wrap its limbs around me. She smiled

"Yes." Was all she said

"What's your name?"

"I'm Namine. There is something I can offer you though…" she trailed off

"What do you mean?"

"You are going to have to face the darkness in your heart very soon, and there's a chance you may lose to him. If you lose, Xehanort's Heartless will be able to control you again. If you want, I can lock him up in your heart, to be sure that he can never escape"

"Let me guess, along with my memories?" She gave a small smile and nodded

"Yes. You won't remember anything, but you'll never need to worry about him controlling you again." I sighed and turned to face Sora's sleeping figure.

"Sora was always the slacker, when I left to journey with the King I gave Sora one simple request: Take care of Kairi. And here he is taking a nap!" I chuckled "Unlike him, I can't afford to slack off. Keep your lock, I'll handle Xehanort's Heartless myself" Namine smiled again

"I was hoping you would say that…oh. There's someone waiting outside. I'll bet you're pretty eager to see her after her mysterious appearance on the ground floor. Go and find Xehanort's Heartless, she'll accompany you." With one fleeting glace at her and Sora, I turned and headed out.

As I was walking down a seemingly endless hallway, with my ultimate rival waiting at the end, the mysterious girl finally reappeared.

"Sorry about vanishing, I ran into some obstacles" She said mysteriously and I just shrugged.

"Lovely" was all I said

"You nervous?"

"Just a little"

"That much huh?" Damn this girl could read me like a book. A moment of silence stretched into minutes until, finally, I could sense who was up ahead. My step faltered for only a fraction of a second, but she noticed. She squeezed my hand comfortingly.

"I'll leave you to kick some ass then…good luck" She looked me in the eyes briefly before, who could very well have been the last person I ever saw, disappeared into thin air.

I walked down the pathway, an elated sense growing in my chest. The black cloak I had been given swished in rhythm to my steps as the King and I walked into the sunrise. Only one thing was nagging at my thoughts.

Then, of course, the girl appeared. She was, ironically, also wearing a black cloak that matched mine.

"Boy they just hand these out huh?" She asked, rubbing a piece of the material off my sleeve between her fingers.

"Pretty much" I agreed with a small nod, realizing the King couldn't see her and not wanting him to think I had gone crazy.

"So where are we going?"

"To help Sora wake up." I replied without thinking

"Well thanks for narrowing it down" She said sarcastically, rolling her blue eyes while I suppressed a laugh. As the sun's light crept over the hills she squinted and her step faltered.

"You may be able to walk into the light with ease but I'm still working on it" She said before vanishing again.

(A/N this would probably be set sometime while Sora's asleep. I haven't played 358/2 Days yet so I don't know if this scene could happen or not…oh well in this story it can. Just telling you the general time frame)

The islands were back, but I still couldn't go home. I was just here tonight, for a few hours, to contemplate everything. My eyes were hidden by a midnight black blindfold, causing the sound of the crashing waves to become all consuming. I didn't even jump in surprise when I sensed a figure near me. Of course, it took her speaking for me to be able to recognize her.

"So this is your home?" The nameless blonde girl asked. I nodded. "It's a nice place…I like it."

"I wish I could stay…but there are just too many problems at the moment" I said with a heavy sigh. She sat down on the crooked tree trunk beside me, and a moment later I felt a light pressure in my hair.

"So this is your new look? A blindfold?" She gently twisted one end of the cloth around her fingers and for a moment I thought she was going to pull it off. Her grip relaxed and I spoke.

"Its necessary" Was the only explanation I offered.

"Of course it is" She replied calmly, letting the end of the blindfold slip through her fingers. After a clam moment of silence she repeated her earlier phrase

"It's a nice place"

"You should come and visit some time."

"Hmmm maybe I will"

*Lauren*

It seemed like everyone opened their eyes at once, and as a combined figure their eyes found mine, and the gasps of astonishment rang out in the same second.

What are they some freaking hybrids of synchronized swimmers or something?!

Normally I would defend them but really what the hell was that? It's as if they just remembered some big dramatic piece of their lives.

Crazy. I know just as well as you do that it's a little dramatic piece of their lives. Not a big piece.

Wow, thanks.

Everyone had already engaged in detailed descriptions of what they had remembered with their neighbor and, not being too fond of all the noise, I slipped off to my room. Naturally I wasn't allowed a moment of peace because when I was about five feet from my room I sensed someone else's presence behind me.

I stepped into my room and was closely followed by none other than my tall, handsome, and arrogant, boyfriend whom I cared so deeply for. Yeeeah that's how I would describe it. I was in for a surprise though from this certain boyfriend of mine.

As soon as the door shut Riku wrapped his arms around my waist, picked me up, and spun me around, smiling like an overjoyed maniac.

"It was you! All those times it was you!" I quickly decided that I had never seen him so happy. He hugged me close to him tightly. "I knew you were special. You helped me more than you could imagine." He whispered to me softly, his arms making it so I couldn't possibly hope to escape, not that I wanted to.

"It was nothing. I helped out everyone remember?" I pointed out, not quite sure if this joyful Riku was cute, adorable, or just plain scary. Riku chuckled to himself, parting the space between us enough so he could brush a strand of blond hair from my face. I knew immediately he had something planned, I just hadn't found out what yet.

"How's your night been?" He asked me conversationally, one hand still wrapped around my waist, the other stroking my hair with a hypnotizing softness.

"Alright" I said hesitantly, wondering if I should plan on stabbing him through with my blade or just wing it if things went downhill. Riku stopped stroking my hair and he got this look like he was pondering my response very deeply. As he 'pondered' the hand that had been pleasing my hair slipping down to the middle of my back. After a moment Riku's eyes returned to mine and it took me a moment to notice his face getting closer. As our lips gently crashed against one another's I realized something-my day had just gotten one hell of a lot better.

Awe I must admit I'm a sucker for endings like that! Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter's lengthiness and if I can I'll try to get the next chapter out before the year is over. Now for the special note I promised!

I just want to thank everyone for being there and reading this story. This started out as a small story with less than ten chapters and even fewer reviews but its slowly grown to something that makes me smile whenever I get online, because almost always there's someone who saw this story and favorited, or reviewed, or whatever. Every time the sheer number of people who simply LOOKED at this story made me want to scream thank you one million times. It's been a great year and I just want to thank everyone who took a moment to check out some girl's first story. Thank you all and have a Great Holiday and a Very Happy New Years!