Warning: RikuXOC in this chapter. A/N: Axel has forgotten Haruka, because Phoenix has replaced her in his life.

KH 358/2 Days: Phoenix's Fate

Chapter 35

Haruka

Riku swung his Keyblade and Phoenix's Keyblade fell out of her hand. The silver haired teen's weapon fell to the ground as well but he did this intentionally. The imposter took off his blindfold and it dropped to the floor. Slowly, he was walking up to her like a predator about to kill its prey. For every step he took towards her, she stepped back with an emotionless face.

Roxas and Axel hid behind the bushes and stared at them. "What's that jerk planning?" Roxas whispered murderously.

"I don't know…" Axel replied as they watched on.

Her back hit the leaning tree. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them down gently but firmly. Roxas was about to storm at that imposter and beat the living hell out of him but Axel held him back. Phoenix stared at the silver haired boy straight in the eye and he leaned closer. Their noses were touching and she tried to pull her hands away from him but couldn't.

"Haruka…" He whispered ever so quietly and she gulped. Her cheeks were the colour of her hair and she didn't know why she was blushing. He closed his cyan eyes and what he did next made her eyes widen and Roxas' blood boil.

Riku pressed his lips against hers and kissed her. This time it wasn't an accident, it was real. Her legs felt like jelly and her entire body felt numb. Her eyes burned with tears but they didn't fall. Then suddenly her mind flashed.

"I Riku," She turned around and placed his hand on his heart. The red haired girl couldn't help but giggle at this. "I Riku will take on oath to always be your best friend no matter what. I will promise to never slap you and comfort you. I will always save you whenever you're in trouble. I will be there to wipe away those tears."

Haruka tiptoed and her forehead leaned against his. They stared into each other's eyes, cyan eyes into emerald orbs. The pair was so close that the tips of their noses were touching…

Riku leaned his chin against her collarbone and he kissed her cheek…

"Haru, I need to tell you something. Throughout this journey I…" Riku begun and she shook her head. The red haired heartless lifted her hand to cup his face and she smiled for the last time. Then she muttered those last three words which echoed into his heart and then she was finished. Those three words she always yearned to say to him. Those three words which filled his heart with happiness yet regret. Those three words; "I love you…"

Phoenix closed her eyes and started to kiss back. Riku let go of her wrists and she kept them there. The silver haired Keyblade wielder wrapped his arms around her waist and Roxas hissed with jealousy. She melted into the kiss and let everything go. The blonde haired nobody's eyes widened at this; he couldn't believe it.

But then she remembered Roxas and placed her hands onto Riku's chest. He pulled away from her but their lips were still touching. He breathed and she shook her head.

"Stop, this is wrong…" She whispered and he kissed her again. "Stop it." She whimpered against his lips but he didn't stop. Just as Axel was about to get up and kill the imposter, Phoenix finally reacted. She pushed him away, slapped him whilst yelling.

"I SAID STOP IT RIKU!" He stared at her with large eyes; she knew his name. Phoenix was panting as the tears fell down her cheeks. But then she realised something, she looked up at him and gulped.

"Your name, how did I know you're name when you didn't even tell me? Is Riku really you're name?" She asked.

"Yes, Riku is my name." Riku placed his hand on his heart. Her eyes widened and the tears kept on falling down her cheeks.

"It's time to face the truth, Phoenix." She placed her hands onto her chest and looked at the ground.

"So the memories that I keep on seeing, they're…Haruka's memories." She stated.

"Phoenix, you're Haruka's nobody. It's the truth." The warm tears kept on falling down her cheeks.

"Riku…please tell me about my persona." She mumbled depressingly and Riku sighed at this. She was really down about this. Her bottom lip quivered and her hands trembled. She was breathing heavily. Riku felt a pang in his heart he felt sympathy for this nobody.

"Phoenix…" He opened her arms for her and Roxas' eyes widened. He shook his head.

'Phoenix, no…' He said to himself.

She looked up at him and he smiled sadly at her.

"Riku!" She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Axel and Roxas gasped at this.

"Phoenix, after everything I've done to you. I want you to know that I'm always with you. I'll be your shoulder to cry on, so cry." He stated and that's what she did. Her quiet crying turned into loud wailing. The silver haired boy wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug. He repeated everything he did to Haruka to Phoenix.

Riku just stroked her silky red hair and hushed, "It's gonna be okay."

"Thank you Riku." Phoenix muttered.

"Everything's going to be okay." He whispered soothingly next to her ear and she calmed down. Riku kissed the top of her head and he pulled away just by only a few centimetres.

She nodded at this and sniffed.

"You need to stay strong now, Phoenix. Stay strong for the people you care about the most." He held her hands and she looked up at him with a nod.

"Now, smile for me." She blinked at this and he sighed. Riku pinched her cheeks. "Smile, chubby face." He said with the name he used to tease with Haruka.

"Oh sod off Riku." Phoenix said sarcastically. She pushed his hands away from her face. Riku raised an eyebrow at this.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"It means get lost, grandpa." She said.

"Grandpa, do I look like a grandpa to you?" She giggled at this and Roxas frowned. He got up and opened a Corridor of Darkness. The blonde haired boy stormed into it and Axel followed. Her laughing died down and she sighed.

"Riku, I want to know everything about Haruka." Riku nodded at this and his face was serious. He took Phoenix's hand.

"Come on, let's sit down and we'll talk about it." She followed him and they sat on the leaning Paopu tree.

"Haruka arrived on the islands when we were only 5. She was washed up onto the coast with girl named Kairi. They both were from another world and they didn't have any memories of their home. Haruka was supposed to be adopted by the Mayor but he chose Kairi instead, stating that she was more adorable…"

"That's why Haruka hated Kairi." Riku's eyes widened at this.

"What?" He asked and she looked at him.

"Didn't you know? Haven't you realised yet? Haruka's been jealous of Kairi for many things. For one thing, Haruka was jealous because Kairi replaced her with you and Sora." Her eyes widened and she gulped. She knew his name too; Sora. Phoenix composed herself.

"It was always you, Sora and Haruka. But then it turned into you, Sora and Kairi with Phoenix on the side. She felt lonely and then loneliness turned into jealousy. Haruka was also jealous whenever Kairi spoke to you Riku. Didn't you ever notice?" Riku sighed sadly at this and looked at the ground.

"Seems like I didn't. I've been such a bad friend towards her…" He mumbled and she shook her head. She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't say that." He started to tell her more about Haruka. Even when he slapped her by accident. Then Riku told Phoenix about how jealous he was towards Sora about stealing his best friend.

"That's why you should be careful with the darkness, Phoenix." She shook her head at this.

"I'll always have my light to guide me through darkness. My light is the day to my night. My light will always be there for me no matter what. It's like how Haruka and Sora are your light, isn't it?" She asked with a soft smile, Haruka's smile.

"Yeah, you're right." Riku didn't tell her about when Haruka sacrificed herself.

"There's something you need to know about yourself, it's really important." He said and she looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" Phoenix asked.

"Haruka was a really special person…" She felt like rolling her eyes at this.

"Yes, she really was special to you. I kinda get the picture." He shook his head at this.

"No, not just like that. She was really special in every world out there. Not many people knew what Haruka really was. She's a Princess."

"A Princess, she had royal blood?"

"No, she was the Princess of Light and Darkness. So that makes you a…" Phoenix tilted her head to the side absolutely clueless.

"Phoenix, believe it or not, because you're the Princess of Light and Darkness' nobody you're…" She shook her head.

"Please don't tell me I'm a Princess!" Phoenix frowned.

"Better, you're an extremely powerful nobody. Phoenix, you have more authority and power than Xemnas. You really are a special nobody." Riku said and Phoenix gasped at this.

"What you're trying to say is…that…I'm stronger than Xemnas?" He nodded at this and held her hands.

"If you look inside you, you'll find that power, Phoenix. There's something else you need to know, and this time it's about the Organisation you're in." She furrowed her eyebrows together.

"Is there anything wrong with Organisation XIII?" Riku nodded at this.

"What you guys are doing is really bad. You're fighting Heartless to form Kingdom Hearts so that you guys can become complete full beings. But it's wrong the way you're fighting Heartless, you're releasing their hearts. It won't make any difference. Heartless are just darkness from people's hearts. It's like releasing hearts of people for your own selfish pleasure."

Her eyes widened and she fully realised that what she was doing was so wrong and bad. The red haired nobody placed her hands onto her chest and breathed heavily.

"I've released so many hearts, but how can I stop?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

"You don't have to stop now, just stop soon." Phoenix looked at the ground and sighed.

"I feel so guilty…" He placed his hand onto her face and wiped a tear with his thumb.

"You shouldn't. It wasn't you're fault you ended up in the Organisation. It was bound to happen, Phoenix."

"There's one more thing I need to know. How was I born?" He paused at this and gulped. She placed her hands onto his shoulder. Riku looked up into her eyes.

"Sora and I were fighting. I was shot a blast of darkness and he shot a blast of light. But then Haruka sacrificed herself and ran in between. She lost her heart and that's how you were born…"

Phoenix's green eyes widened and filled with tears. Her hands started to tremble and she tried to gulp a lump in her throat but couldn't. She hopped off the leaning tree. She was born through sacrifice, through Haruka's death. Phoenix felt that if it she didn't exist, Haruka would still be alive.

"Phoenix…" Riku mumbled and she shook her head. The green eyed girl turned around and ran off. She raised her hand and opened a Corridor of Darkness. She walked through it.

Castle That Never Was…

Phoenix ended up at the Altar of Naught and stood right in the middle of it. She looked up at Kingdom Hearts and then at the ground. Roxas and Axel were nearby and they noticed her. She summoned her Keyblade and pierced it to the ground. She held onto the handle and closed her eyes…

As their attacks were ready to fire, Haruka's chest was rising up and falling, she was hyperventilating really badly. 'I won't let this happen, but I can't do anything.' The attacks were released and it was slow motion. The red haired Princess of light and darkness shook her head as the tears fell down her cheeks and onto the floor. 'I feel like all of this is happening…because of me!' She looked up and her eyes widened. 'Then if it's my fault...I'll have to pay the price…I'll have to be punished…I'll have to…' She touched her broken heart and made a run for it, the fastest she's ever run in her 15 years of living. Just as both hits were going to collide someone ran in between. '…I'll sacrifice myself!'

Thud, Haruka fell to the ground…

…"Goodbye Sora and goodbye…Riku…" Her hand left his cheek and fell to the ground. She laid there limp, cold and unresponsive; dead.

"Haruka…"Sora whispered.

"Haru!" Riku shouted out.

"Haruka!" Sora yelled and started crying. The silver haired boy stood up and his eyes didn't leave her. Her face and lips were pale. "Haruka!" Goofy and Donald cried. On the left side of her chest, it started to glow and her heart escaped her chest and floated up as it disappeared.

Phoenix started screaming, extremely loudly. It was as if she was being burned alive, as if she was dying an agonising death. It was as if she was suffering inside and out. The tears kept on falling down her cheeks like a waterfall which never ended. Her scream was like a loud bell.

Xigbar, Xaldin, Saix, Thomas and Xion rushed to where the red haired nobody was. Roxas and Axel ran up to her. Xemnas walked in casually and stared at her. Phoenix stopped screaming and placed her hand at where her non-existent heart was.

"Phoenix." Axel mumbled.

"Hey Haru.

"Phoenix!" Xion exclaimed.

"Haruka!" Sora yelled and started crying.

"Fee…" Roxas frowned.

"Thank you Haruka." He said and she blushed.

"You're welcome Riku."

She let go of her Keyblade and fell to the ground; unconscious…

Oh no! Phoenix found out the truth! Please review! It's going to finish very soon!

~Parisa01