"Riku, what the hell do you think you're doing?" I snapped.

"Mm… Nothing." I pinched his arm and twisted the skin I had ahold of. "—Ow! I bought you that ice cream, I should be allowed!"

"You had yours!" I held my ice cream as far away from him as possible, glaring at him. "Take one more bite of my ice cream, and I will have no mercy."

"Oh, yeah, I'm so afraid of you," he scoffed around the ice cream in his mouth.

"Just because you had an advantage in the dark corridor does not mean I can't cause you pain."

"Mhm." He swallowed and smirked at me. "Bring it on."

I took a bite. "Not now, I'm busy." We were walking up to the Station Plaza with our ice cream – well, I had ice cream, he just had a popsicle stick now. The hood of his jacket was flipped down, his hair falling around his face, bright teal eyes scanning the path ahead of us as the moon lit the town. It's so weird that I'm the only one who sees him this way… The gears in my head had been turning to a more serious note since I'd mentioned the dark corridor, and although I was really trying not to go there, I couldn't help but think about it.

I'm supposed to see through the darkness. My heart was compensating for the darkness. Why didn't I see a way out of the dark corridor? Why didn't I—

Riku met my gaze and smiled slightly. "Something on your mind?"

I wavered. "Yeah… The dark corridor." He looked back at the road, the smile disappearing. I tried to explain quickly. "Not that I'm mad – not at you, anyway – it's just… I thought my heart was making up for the light you don't show? I'm supposed to see through darkness – that's why I see you as you, not him…"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think there was any light to see."

I stared at him a minute, slowing to a stop at the edge of the Station Plaza, just inside the alley. He stopped a few feet ahead of me before turning his back on the plaza to face me.

"Does it make sense to you?" he asked.

"Yeah, but there had to be some light. Darkness couldn't have completely taken you over. I still see you as you."

He shrugged. "We were sitting in darkness. Maybe light was just too far away."

I twisted my lips to one side. "But I'm supposed to see it…"

"Says who?"

My eyebrows knit at him. "What?"

"It's no big deal if you can't see in darkness. You can't always be the 'special case'."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "'Special case'?"

He crossed his arms. "So you're allowed to be a fortune cookie any time, but one phrase from me and I get mocked?"

"No, you just hang out with DiZ too much." I snorted. "'Special case'. You make me sound mental."

"Wellll…" He waved his hand indecisively then shot me a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, you're funny," I said sarcastically, and shifted my gaze to the shadows in the corner of the alley. "It's just weird. I would think that dark corridor or not, I'd still…" I don't know. Is it just that the light my heart was putting out wasn't enough against the darkness? That's… kind of scary.

"Miyuki…"

He stepped towards me and something cold and thin wrapped around my wrist.

"Shit!"

Tears pooled in my eyes as I dropped my ice cream and shook my hand, trying to step away from the vine. No matter how much I swung my hand or backed up, it just snaked down my arm, his words ringing in my head, just as icy and disturbing as when he hissed them in my ear.

"You're submerged in darkness. What did you think moving it around was going to do?"

"Augh!" I screamed, coming out of my skin.

"…I've been alone… for so long…"

Riku grabbed my arm and tugged me into the darkened corner of the alley, covering my mouth with one hand. He's turning back into—? I turned to punch him in the jaw, but he gripped my arms, one in each hand, and pinned me against the wall. "Miyuki, stop," he said quietly, sternly.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"Trust me," he said, his hands sliding from my arms.

With a soft whoosh of air moving, he disappeared in the middle of the shadows, and I realized he'd reassembled at the turn in the alley, pulling his hood up and peeking around the wall. I rubbed my arm with my hand and touched something wet – ice cream. Humiliation washed over me. I'd flipped out, not because darkness had resurfaced and was trying to capture me. It was sugary frozen dairy product molesting me this time. My face burned bright red. I'm such a friggin' idiot…

Another soft, unnatural breeze and Riku was suddenly in front of me again, taking me gently by the arm and reassembling us to the rooftop. "Stay low." If we're supposed to stay low, why are we on a rooftop? "Ninth member's here."

I stiffened, my hands clenching into fists. All this time to think about Orlando and the Organization, and I haven't come up with any ideas of what I'd do if I had an opportunity like this again?

"Ahh. Now this is the kind of mission I could get used to," came a masculine voice from the alley as a black-clad figure strolled relaxedly through it. "No one around… Total silence… Nothing to do but look for some pipsqueak that we know isn't here…"

I took a half-step forward. What do we do? If that Organization member captures me, I can find Orlando and get him out of there… I don't know how, but I'd find a way…I just can't leave Orlando alone… He may not be alive, but if he is, I can't leave him… I took another step and Riku gripped my arm, leaning towards me.

"Don't," he whispered vehemently.

I pushed his hand off, glaring at him. "I can't leave him there alone."

"Miyu—"

I jumped off the edge of the roof, landing behind the Organization member. "Hey!" I shouted at him, dusting myself off. "I had no idea you'd be here." I heard that unnatural breeze and ran forward to avoid Riku and tap the ninth member on the shoulder.

He turned, sized me up a moment, then flipped down his hood. "Hel-lo." He had blonde hair that was sticking straight up at the top and laying flat on his neck in the back, with two strands hanging down in his face.

I feigned surprise. "Y-You're not… him…"

"Oh? So you know who he is, then?"

Another unnatural breeze – I stepped back quickly. Riku was materializing and immaterializing quickly enough that we couldn't see him, so he had to have been tired from all the reassembling by now.

"I-I don't know anything," I stammered, hoping I wasn't laying it on too thick.

"You hang out with a guy in this kinda coat a lot, huh?" the blonde said, stepping forward.

"N-No, never," I said, vigorously shaking my head. Just steal me away already, idiot.

"Uh-huh. Look, kid, I think you'd better come with me." He took a step towards me.

"Well…" I knit my eyebrows. Either this guy is easily duped, ignores the little warning that goes off in his head, or I should've gone for acting school.

"Just for a little—" His hand stretched out towards mine and I felt that telling breeze – Riku now stood in front of the blonde.

"No!" I gripped his arm and tried to tug him back towards me, but to no avail. He slammed his left elbow into the blonde's nose and threw his fist into his gut.

"What—?" The blonde stumbled backwards and Riku opened a dark corridor behind him, snapping it shut the minute the ninth member fell into it.

"Damn it, Riku!" I shouted.

"You want everyone to hear you? We're not talking here," he said, opening a second corridor and walking towards it. He stopped at the edge of it and looked over his shoulder expectantly at me.

"I'm not going in that hell hole," I spat.

He wavered, looking back at the corridor ahead of him. It dissipated and he turned to stomp down the alley, back towards the mansion. I followed about ten feet behind, arms crossed. The only noise outside as we stormed along was the occasional natural breeze, and the buzzing of a neon light flickering on and off in the window of the pizza parlor. The only noise in my head was the fizzle of anger building up.

Riku stepped into the library and I followed wordlessly as he flipped his hood down and turned to look at me.

"Do you want to be tortured?" he asked, crossing his arms, teal eyes livid.

"Yes," I said sarcastically. "I have a paper cut on my eyelid, wanna get some lemon juice?"

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"It'd be really fun to piss you off, obviously!" I scoffed, gesturing to him.

"Tell me what you were going to do! I'd really like to hear that!"

"I was trying to help Orlando! Remember? The scared, defenseless kid who you almost mauled with a heartless last night?"

"Stop being sarcastic! How was getting captured the Organization going to do anything for Orlando?" He pointed in the direction the rest of the town was in with his right hand, his left hand clenched into a fist.

"I could find him, I could get him out of there!"

"No, Miyuki! You couldn't!" he said, his voice cracking. "You would just be put in your own little cell and probed for information like Orlando has been! You would have no idea how to find him in their castle, and no idea how to get out of there!"

"I would figure it out!"

"No, you wouldn't!"

"Stop saying that!"

"It's true!"

"For the love of god! Do I need some savior to do everything for me, or do I have some worth other than playing psychiatrist?"

His eyebrows knit at me, his voice lowering a notch. "What?"

I started counting on my fingers, my voice's volume the same, if not louder. "I can't fight off your dark side. I can't help Orlando. I can't encourage Naminé without her going all extremist. Is there something I can do? Because the list must be pretty fucking short!"

We stared at each other for a long moment, Riku looking somewhat taken aback, my face hot and throat sore from all the screaming.

"And I dropped my fucking ice cream!" I muttered, walking into the foyer and slamming the door behind me.

I stomped up the steps of the foyer and shot a look at the other hall – DiZ's bedroom door being the first on that side. I wavered for a minute, then thought I heard the library door beginning to open again. Not in the mood to talk to Riku at the moment, I hurried to DiZ's door and slid inside, shutting it as quickly and quietly as I could.

I took a deep breath and looked over to see DiZ sprawled across his bed, his arm and head hanging off the side, near a small trash can (which was empty, thankfully). I turned and leaned my back against his door, surprised at seeing him without every single article of clothing secured in place.

His cape, scarf, and belts were all draped over his chair. The red scarf always wound so tightly around his head was now a little loose, hanging down over his one eye that was usually left uncovered. Little strands of silver hair were spilling out, the tan skin on the back of his neck showing through.

No doubt about it now. He looks just like Xehanort, too. I crossed my arms. That guy… that heartless… is like an airborne cancer or something.

I shuddered at the thought of that icy voice inside my ear – freezing vines winding around me, binding me – fingernails drawing blood from my cheek. I raised my hand to feel where he'd cut into me and felt two small lumps.

It's healed over that quickly? I leaned my head against the door, shutting my eyes. Riku must've taken care of it… I could get myself to not talk to him, but not thinking about him was a bit more difficult. If he hadn't stopped that guy – if I'd have gone to take Orlando back – I'd be wondering what to do and say, how to get out of something I really couldn't get out of. But I'd be doing something. That's what pisses me off. I can't do anything to help anyone anymore. The most I did was bring back one guy from being a heartless, and now… he's probably dead.

My hands curled into fists.

And I had two chances to change that, and I blew both of them. That is, if I could really change anything. I slammed my head hard against the door.

"I've worked… hard…" DiZ mumbled.

I carefully opened the door and snuck back into the hallway, holding my breath, trying hard not to make any noise. I walked towards my bedroom and hesitated at the door, casting a glance at Riku's.

He was right. But it doesn't change the fact that I feel useless.

I stepped inside and flipped on the light, going to sit on my bed.

No… useless isn't quite it. I don't think I'm doing much, but I don't feel completely useless. I'm pretty sure I make Riku feel better now and then, and that's something…

I started to untie my shoe when I caught sight of something beneath my bed. I leaned over the side and tugged it out – my towel that I'd lost earlier.

"But I checked here," I muttered, pulling it up onto my lap, a little piece of paper tumbling onto the floor as I did. It was a receipt from the general store, and when I flipped it over, my eyes fell on tiny chicken-scratch scribbles that I mumbled to myself as I read. "I talked 2these guys cuz they dress like Riku &I wanted to help u out, but Im guessin he's not pals with 'em, huh? Dont worry tho, 1 guy here's cool, he's makin sure Im ok. Have an awesome day!"

I shook my head. You write with hardly any grammar to save space, but you can squeeze in "have an awesome day"? I re-read the note a few times before putting it in my pocket, setting the towel on my bed. I left my room and after checking his bedroom and the kitchen, I found Riku in the library. His coat hung over the back of the chair as he sat at the desk, his arms folded on it, his head laying on them.

I walked towards him, stopping about six feet from his chair. "I'm sorry I was a bitch," I said quietly.

He jumped a little at my voice and turned around. "It's okay. I wasn't exactly Prince Charming."

I snorted, hooking my thumbs on my pockets. "Thank god."

He stood up. "I get that you want to save Orlando – believe me, I do – I just don't think there's anything we can do for him. Not now, anyway."

I nodded, my eyes trained on the floor. "I know."

"So when I saw you go down and try to get yourself captured, it just—"

"I'm sorry. It was stupid."

He nodded. "Yeah."

I swallowed and brought my eyes up to his. He was smiling a little and I tried to smile back but it wasn't quite as sincere. "I… I don't feel useless. I mean, I can't do anything for Orlando and it's killing me, but it's not just useless…" I swallowed again, my voice lowering with the confession. "I'm worried. And that's… sort of new for me." Riku stepped towards me – I could tell he didn't know how exactly to react. "I'm scared for him. I'm scared for us."

He opened his mouth and shut it again. There was a pause.

"So, uh, Orlando left me a note last night," I said, pulling the receipt out and handing it to him.

"What?" He snatched the paper from me and read it quickly, his face turning from surprise to an expression I couldn't decipher. "…Oh."

"'Oh' what? Why don't you sound surprised? I had no idea anyone in the Organization had sympathy for whole-hearted people."

He handed the note back to me, looking a little relieved. "I wouldn't worry about Orlando so much anymore."

"What? Why?" My eyebrows knit at him as I stuffed the note into my pocket.

"When I was in Castle Oblivion, this guy Axel ended up helping me out. He actually gave me this jacket." He thumbed to the coat on the back of the chair.

"He helped you impersonate an Organization member?"

"Yeah. Don't tell DiZ – he thinks I stole it, and I don't want him knowing I'm grateful to a Nobody."

"Why did Axel help you?"

He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "The only thing he wants is his best friend back. We have that in common."

I nodded slowly. "And… If DiZ tells you to off him?"

"If I have to kill him to bring Sora back, I will. But if he's not doing any harm to Sora or Kairi – or you – I haven't got a problem."

There was a pause. "So we're good now, right?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah." He smiled a little.

"Good, because… I don't know, I really just…" I looked down as I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. I need a damn hug.