A/N: Part 2 of today's double post (featuring lots of sarcastic Meli) Enjoy!

I couldn't get in anybody's way anymore. They obviously didn't really need my help right now, so there was no reason for me to keep popping in and trying to offer it. Nobody liked me or my methods of helping, anyway. But I still wanted to keep up with what and how they were doing, and I wanted to be there when they went into the final battle, whether they wanted me there or not. Apparently I didn't really have anything better to do than spy on my friends, so why not figure out a good method to do it?

I knew there was a way of watching and listening without being seen, and I assumed it was accomplished using darkness, since the Organization had done it on more than one occasion. When they had first shown up to taunt Sora in Hollow Bastion, they had even spoken to us from somewhere unseen. I assumed that this was also the method that they had used to watch me without my knowledge, though the thought still caused an involuntary shudder.

Obviously I couldn't practice anywhere where I would be seen, so I started off trying to break through to the beach, attempting to open a window of sorts rather than a full corridor. It took multiple tries, and most of a night. For a while every attempt either ended in a full blown corridor, or some tiny hole that strained and fizzled and blinked out of existence.

Eventually, though, I got it to work. I would have been happy with just being able to hear, but what I ended up with was a small circle through which I could see the water and also hear the waves lapping on the shore. I needed to make sure that no one could see it from the other side, though, so I took my next attempt to the middle of the Agrabah bazaar. Very carefully, I used the new technique to open a window, and smiled to myself as I watched the usual early morning crowd bustle by. Everyone seemed to naturally veer around the window to avoid it, but not one person glanced up. Yes. Sucess.

It was tempting to use my new talent to give the Organization a taste of their own medicine. After all, they still had Kaj, and I really wanted to know what they were doing to him. Probably brainwashing him to their side even more...at best. At worst, they've already turned him into another Xehanort zombie.

But I couldn't take the risk that they'd be able to sense me lurking in the darkness, just like I had been able to with Aqua. Instead, I first checked in on Zephyr in Radiant Garden. I had promised him that I would come back, and I had every intention of doing so eventually, but I knew that as soon as I showed up in person he would just start begging me to take him along again. For now, I settled on being super awkward and morally ambiguous and spying on him.

I found him out at the Bailey, ironically enough, the same place where the Organization had used this technique to watch us fight Dusks. He seemed to be hanging out with Leon. It took me a moment to figure out what he was doing, since at first he looked to just be swinging a stick around randomly, but then it dawned on me that Leon was training him. I smiled fondly as I watched him. It was probably a good thing that they were working on staff fighting, rather than something sharp like a sword, since I wasn't too confident that Zeph wouldn't slice off a limb.

But regardless of the weapon, it was a relief to see that the Restoration Committee seemed to have taken him under their wing, and that they were smart enough to prep him for the likely dangers that he might face. While I was sure that they could protect him better than I would be able to, it would be good for him to have some knowledge of self-defense if and when the Organization came calling.

He finished the set of moves he was working on and turned back to Leon, saying something that I couldn't make out and laughing. The guilt for leaving him behind eased just a little bit. He was safe, and he had made new friends. Everything with Zeph was going to work out just fine.

Leaving them to their training, I next followed Riku's connection to Yen Sid's tower. To my surprise, when the window opened it looked into a bedroom that I had never seen before. Through the dim lighting, I could see Riku stretched out on a small bed, asleep. My heart skipped a beat. This was my first time seeing him really asleep, if you didn't count the nightmare at the mansion and the time right after the Mark of Mastery exam. Scanning the room quickly for any other signs of life, I opened the window up into a corridor and crossed through.

My sweet Grim. You're finally getting some well-deserved rest. He was lying on top of the covers, fully clothed other than his boots and jacket, with one arm draped across his stomach and the other thrown over his eyes as if to block out any stray light. His breath came steady and slow through his nose. I wanted nothing more than to curl up next to him with my head on his chest, but I couldn't risk him waking and finding me there.

Instead, I found a thin blanket folded on a nearby chair, and gently threw it over him. Sweet dreams, Grim. Leaning down, I dropped the lightest of kisses onto his jaw, then backed away and took my exit.

So, if Grim is resting, then where is everyone else? A quick check of connections proved that King Mickey was also at the tower, while Sora, Donald, and Goofy were away on a world that I didn't recognize. Opening another window, I found myself looking over what appeared to be a huge throne room, with towering stained glass windows and golden archways, and many ornate carvings all over the walls. In the middle of the marble floor stood the trio I had been searching for, along with a kid who looked an awful lot like Roxas, but obviously couldn't possibly be, and a young woman...is that Aqua? There was certainly a resemblance, though this girl had blue hair and wore a smile on her face.

"Huh? You're...Sora?" the blond kid was saying.

"Yup. Hey, Ventus." Sora reached out to shake his hand.

Ventus...he was one of the Keyblade wielders we were looking for, right? Which means this must be Aqua, after all. She must have shown Sora where to find him. I chewed the inside of my lip thoughtfully as Ventus took the proffered hand. Guess that means they found their seven lights, after all. If they're counting Axel, that is. That thought made me want to gag, but it seemed likely at this point with all the training he had been doing.

"Call me Ven." Why does he look and sound so much like Roxas? It's so weird.

Aqua placed an affectionate hand on top of Ven's head. "Good morning, Ven." It's also weird seeing her all not-dark and happy.

"Good morning, Aqua."

Donald cleared his throat. "We'd better get you two back to Yen Sid's tower. Everybody's meeting there."

"They're all gonna be so excited to see you two!" Sora grinned.

Closing the window, I sighed and headed back to the mansion. It would take them some time to get back to Yen Sid's on the Gummi Ship, so I might as well try to get some rest. That meeting was definitely one I didn't want to miss, regardless of the fact that no one would know I was there. Not that they would miss me at all. I'm not a Guardian of Light, so who cares, right?

After a couple of hours of restless sleep, I woke bleary-eyed and hungry. When was the last time I actually ate a decent meal? For some reason eating had become even less of a priority lately. Since I was currently hungry instead of nauseous as usual, it was a good time to fix that with a quick trip into town to swing by the sushi place that Riku and I loved.

Then it was back to Yen Sid's, and it looked like I was just in time. Riku, King Mickey, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, and Ven were already gathered in the wizard's office. As I settled cross-legged on the non-existent ground of the In Between – which was a weird sensation – to eat my sushi and watch, the door opened and Kairi and Axel came in, too. Kairi was wearing what must have been her new clothes from the fairies – another pink mini dress, but this one with plaid accents like the other new outfits – and had also cut her hair to about the same length as mine, though her style included bangs. I smiled to myself as she threw her arms around Sora's neck, then gave Riku a warm side-hug. Axel, who I noticed was still wearing that ugly Organization coat, placed himself on the far end of the group, leaving space for Kairi to stand closer to Sora.

"At last, we are all assembled," Yen Sid began.

I tried not to let my brain immediately start in on the, "Yeah, all except me," comments. This meeting was probably going to be rough enough as it was.

"First: Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done. And you, Aqua and Ventus: we are fortunate to have you back."

"Thanks," Aqua replied. "I only wish we could have returned sooner." She turned to face the rest of the group. "We're grateful to all of you for rescuing us."

"Thank you," Ven piped in.

Seriously, why does he look so much like Roxas? This is freaking me out!

"I feel bad for letting you guys down," the King told her, his face sad. "We tried, but we still haven't found Terra."

"Don't. He studied with Master Eraqus, just like us. He's our responsibility." Aqua looked to Ven, and he gave a resolute nod.

"Mickey told me that you saved me in the Realm of Darkness," Riku spoke up. "I should have gone to help you right away. But I was too inexperienced. I'm sorry. I know that I let you down."

"No, just the opposite." Aqua smiled at him.

Goofy leaned around Riku to be seen by Aqua. "Did ya know Riku's a true Keyblade Master now?"

"That's wonderful."

I had to smile a little at the embarrassment on Riku's face. He hated being the center of attention as much as I did.

"The King, too," Donald pointed out.

"Good for you!" Aqua exclaimed.

Walking over to where Sora was watching the proceedings with his hands behind his head, Donald smirked mischievously. "But Sora needs work."

Sora dropped his hands to his hips with a scowl. "Yeah, rub it in."

As everyone chuckled, Aqua spoke up again. "I'm happy to see that you haven't changed one bit."

"Huh?" Sora looked even more surprised than I was sure I did.

"Sora, you probably don't remember..."

He placed a hand on his chin, deep in thought. "Ummm...uhh..." Scratching the back of his head, he smiled sheepishly.

"It's okay," Aqua smiled.

At that moment, Axel cleared his throat noisily, obviously tired of being ignored. I rolled my eyes, glad once more that I hadn't had to spend the last couple of weeks with him.

"Ah, yes," Yen Sid acknowledged. "Let us not forget our new Keyblade wielders. Lea, Kairi, you have made tremendous strides."

"Hey there. And that's 'future Keyblade Master'– " Axel started, pointing a thumb at himself.

"Kairi?" Aqua interrupted, surprised. Crossing to the younger girl, she bent down to look her in the face. "Incredible! It is you."

"You know her?" King Mickey asked.

Apparently she knows everybody.

"When you and I first met in Radiant Garden, the Unversed tried to attack a little girl. Do you remember?"

What's an Unversed?

"Oh gosh! That little girl was Kairi?" the King exclaimed.

Does that mean that Kairi is originally from Radiant Garden? She looked thoroughly thrown off by the whole conversation.

"I guess it must've worked – the spell that I cast on you," Aqua continued.

"I'm sorry. Those days are hazy for me," Kairi murmured. "But it sounds like I'd have been in trouble without you. So, thank you." She gave a slight bow.

Aqua waved a hand dismissively. "Please. You were really, very little. Anyone would forget, hazy memory or not."

Axel cleared his throat again, even louder than before. "This is all very touching, guys, but where do I fit in?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. Where do you fit in? I'm the one who should be fitting in somewhere, not you. You shouldn't be here at all.

"Ven looks just like Roxas," he continued. "Or is it Roxas looks just like Ven?"

At least he knows how to ask the right questions.

He leaned to the side and put a dramatic hand to his forehead. "And now I have to explain all of that to him – which is in itself a crazy long story – and apparently, everybody already knows everyone, and this is an insane amount to get memorized!" He threw his arms up over his head in exasperation.

If I didn't hate him so much, I might actually have found him humorous at times.

"Sorry, Lea," Ven replied with a smile.

Looking surprised, Axel tapped a finger to his temple. "You remember me?"

"Yeah, 'course! We're friends. I can't believe you became a Keyblade wielder just like me."

Now I was the one who was confused. Ven knew Axel? When had that happened? Hadn't he been asleep for like, ten years or something? Speaking of which, how come he still looked like he was my age? Was he a child prodigy, or had he not aged at all in ten years?

"Axel, you know Ven?" Sora asked.

"Axel? Who's Axel?" Ven returned.

"See, see, see? Major brain-ache," Axel moaned. For once I had to agree with him. Then he jumped and exclaimed, "Now who?" I had to squint to see Jiminy, perched on top of Sora's head.

"Not to worry, folks. To help us out, I've given each of you a Gummiphone. They've got summaries of everything that's happened so far. That way, you can read up, if you'd like. And if anyone has questions, we can call each other."

"That's our Jiminy," Donald proclaimed.

"He's always prepared," Goofy agreed.

The cricket turned to face Riku with a frown. "I do have one for Meli, too...have ya seen her lately?"

Hm. Someone actually did remember me. I wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that it was the one person I periodically forgot about.

Riku opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Yen Sid. "You may leave Meli's phone here with me. I will see that she receives it."

I frowned. When is he planning on seeing me? I certainly have no plans of visiting him.

"Welp, we've got our seven guardians," King Mickey pronounced.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. But...I do wish that Roxas, and Naminé, and Terra could be here with us, too."

"Since when do you mope, Sora?" Riku asked teasingly. "Come on. Terra's gotta be with the Organization. Which means we'll have a chance to save him."

And Kaj. We need to save Kaj. I could have kicked myself for getting too wrapped up in my own problems to tell them about him yet.

"Leave it to Ven and I," Aqua offered. "We'll bring him home."

"Yeah, I made Terra a promise," Ven remarked. "I said I'd be there for him when he needs me."

"And I'll figure Roxas out," Axel put in. "Don't know how, but...I'll get him back."

Kairi placed a hand on her heart. "Naminé is right here, safe with me. I know that we'll find a way to help her. Trust me – I'm not giving up."

"Kairi's right. We're all in this together, Sora," said the King. I just barely resisted the urge to break out in the song from that stupid teenage musical I had seen on tv.

"And Donald and I are no Keyblade wielders, but we'll always be right there to help keep ya steady," Goofy added. "We've got your back, not just now, but always."

Donald knocked Sora's hip with his fist to get his attention. "Three half-pints make a whole!"

"That again?" Sora laughed, everyone else joining in. When the room quieted, a shadow crossed his face again. "But...what about Meli?"

My heart lurched in my chest. Kairi frowned, too, and clasped her hands in front of her. "Yeah...where is she? I thought she would be with one of you two. I've been worried about her."

Ducking his head, Riku took a small step forward and cleared his throat. "I, uh...I've got some bad news about Meli. I think...I believe she's given in to the darkness."

A wave of gasps and murmurs rolled across the group. Having discarded my empty food container to the side, I hugged my knees up under my chin, brow furrowed, not liking at all the drama and tension that my private business was creating among my so-called friends.

"I was afraid of that, when we saw her on the ship," Sora said glumly.

"Oh no," Kairi breathed, hands over her heart. "Why would she...? I mean, I know she was struggling...but that just doesn't seem like her."

"I don't know, you didn't see some of the things I did," Axel muttered under his breath.

Riku stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Well, there's been a lot more going on with her than we initially realized..."

Is he actually going to defend me?

"She told us about the PTSD," Axel blurted. It took everything in me not to fly into the room and throttle him right then and there.

"PTSD?" Sora echoed, confused.

"She told you?" Riku asked at the same time, staring at Axel in shock.

"I don't think she really meant to," Kairi mumbled.

Riku looked down again. "Yeah, well...I knew about it, and I knew her darkness had been growing. I should have seen this coming, I guess."

Aqua looked back and forth between Kairi and Riku. "This Meli...is this the young lady that I fought in the Realm of Darkness?" Riku merely nodded in reply, still focused on the floor, and Aqua placed a hand on the side of her face and sighed. "Yes...she was certainly strong with the darkness."

Why is that such a terrible thing?

"To tell ya the truth, I've been a bit worried about something like this happening for a while now," King Mickey admitted.

"As have I," Yen Sid agreed. "Though I cannot foresee the future, this development does not come as a complete surprise to me. It is unfortunate, of course. But also unfortunate is the fact that we cannot dwell on it now. It is a shame that all of our friends could not be here. But our seven guardians of light have united. Perhaps you might say that we have nine guardians, with Donald and Goofy."

If it wasn't for the fact that he didn't know I was there, I would have thought he said that just to spite me. Ooh, if I hadn't let the darkness in I could have been an "honorary guardian". How freakin' special. Joke's on you, I'm gonna fight the Organization whether I'm a "guardian" or not.

"Given time, I know the others will soon stand with us." I was unconvinced that he was actually including me in that grouping.

"Yeah." Sora nodded enthusiastically.

"Today, you recuperate. On the morrow, you journey to the fated place."

A/N: Again, Merry Christmas everyone!