Enamis09: Sorry she's getting on your nerves. The good news is there aren't too many chapters left in this book, so things will look up eventually.

Hcbnc: Yes, she will have a run-in with Kaj very soon!

DyingofFeels: Well, as I've said before, there won't be a lot of getting out of the downward spiral in this book. We will have some friendship moments coming up, though, and a little bit of positivity before the book ends.

A/N: A couple of new followers/favoriters this week...thanks, guys!

I continued to watch from the In Between for a few more minutes as the meeting began to break up. Riku, Sora, and Kairi spoke together loudly enough for me to gather that they were going back to the Islands for the rest of the day, while Axel disappeared with a simple, "See ya tomorrow." Aqua and Ven walked out the door deep in conversation with one another, and the three Disney Castle residents also exited on their heels.

Only Yen Sid was left in the office. I stood, ready to leave, hesitant only because I really wished I could have that phone that Jiminy had left on the desk. Maybe I can sneak back in later and get it...if he ever actually leaves this room. Surely he sleeps sometime.

"You may come out now."

Starting, I whipped around to stare back through the window at the mostly-empty room. Who was he talking to?

"I sensed you lurking there from the very beginning. You're still there for a reason. You may as well come out and make yourself known, so we can speak face to face."

He's talking to me. He knows I'm here. It didn't necessarily seem like he knew it was me, though. Maybe he thought I was an Organization member. I didn't have to go in, I could just leave. I had no desire whatsoever to talk to the man. I do really want that phone, though. Heaving a sigh, I stretched the window out into a corridor and plunged through, rounding the corner of the desk with a scowl on my face.

"Ah, Meli. I thought it might be you."

I didn't meet his piercing gaze, only reached forward and snatched up the phone off the desk. "I'm just here for this."

"Which you only know about because you were listening in on the entirety of the meeting." He clasped his hands together on top of the desk.

My scowl deepened. "Yeah, I was eavesdropping. So sue me. Didn't think anybody actually wanted me to be here, what with my new affinity for the darkness and all, so it seemed like the best way to stay caught up."

He remained silent for a moment, and I started to back away and take my leave. Before I could, though, he spoke up again. "Your friends still care for you very much. They would have more than welcomed your presence here."

I huffed. "Somehow I doubt that. They didn't welcome my presence anywhere else."

"Is that true? Or is it that they simply had things they needed to say to you that you didn't want to hear?"

I clenched my fists at my sides and glared. "Listen, I'm not in the mood for one of your lectures right now. Yes, they wanted to tell me things I didn't want to hear. They wanted to tell me how they're worried about me, and how horrified they are that I chose the darkness, and how dangerous it is, and how I need to stop. And it's all because they 'care about me' so much. Which maybe they do, I don't even know anymore." My brain was too much of a swirling mess of aching nonsense to figure out much of anything these days.

"At least I'm pretty sure that Riku does. But that doesn't change the fact that they don't understand. None of you do! None of you have been in my shoes, none of you have felt the things I've felt, none of you get how using the darkness makes me feel like an actual human being again. Like I'm finally the person I was always meant to be." I gritted my teeth. "But all of you seem to think you have the right to judge me for my decision that I made for myself."

Yen Sid hummed in thought. "It does not sound to me as if judging was anyone's intention, but merely expressing their concern for your well-being. This is a dangerous path you have chosen."

"I know that," I hissed. "I don't care."

"And therein lies the difference." He nodded as if discovering something. "You do not care about the danger. They do, because they do not want harm to come to their friend. You want them to understand your reasons for choosing this path, but perhaps you should start by trying to understand their reasons for being concerned."

"Again, because they care about me so much?" I rolled my eyes. "If that really is the case, then maybe they should have been just as concerned about where the path I was on before was leading. Because trust me, it was just as bad, or worse." Throwing my hand out to the side, I opened a corridor and prepared to exit.

"Should I assume that we will be seeing you tomorrow?"

I paused, not turning back from the corridor. "Of course. I may not be a guardian of light, and none of you may think I'm strong enough to be of any help. But those are my friends, and I'm going to use everything I have to make sure they all make it home safely."

He hummed again. "That feeling, there. That fierce protectiveness that burns within you...that is exactly what your friends are feeling for you."

Surprised, I looked over my shoulder and stared at him for a moment. Could that be possible? Could they really feel the same way about me that I do about them...even now, when so much has changed? My head pounded from the effort of trying to keep my thoughts in line.

Finally I pressed my lips together, shaking my head slightly, and dropped my gaze to the floor. Come on, Meli. This is you we're talking about. No one has ever felt that way about you before, so why would they start now? Nobody could ever love you the way that you love those guys.

"Thanks for the phone." I waved the device, then walked out of Yen Sid's office, and out into the tree house on the play island. While I waited for Riku, Sora, and Kairi to arrive, I plopped down onto the wooden floor and started exploring the phone's data.

There were files for each of the guardians, plus Donald, Goofy, Terra, Roxas, Naminé, and me. I tapped Riku's name first, and smiled involuntarily at the photo of his face that popped up. Scrolling down, I read through the brief text explaining his identity and role.

Newest Keyblade Master and childhood friend of Sora and Kairi. Currently dating Meli. Struggled with darkness in the past, but was able to find control over it. Worked with Ansem the Wise to help defeat the original Organization XIII.

I was sure that Riku would be embarrassed by Jiminy's inclusion of the part about his darkness, but at least he hadn't gone into any detail. Clicking back to the main list, I read quickly through Sora's and Kairi's bios before finally talking myself into clicking on my own. My first thought was to question when and where someone had taken the photo of me that came onto the screen. It wasn't too awful, I didn't suppose. I held my breath as I began to read.

Keyblade wielder for just under one year. Originally from a parallel universe; she is the doppelganger of Kairi. Currently dating Riku. Worked with both Riku and Sora to help defeat the original Organization XIII.

I read through the short paragraph once, then twice, then a third time. Huh. If I ever see Jiminy again, I guess I should thank him for making me sound more useful than I actually am. It was all true, I supposed, it just left out a crucial sentence at the end – "Then she was captured by the Organization, and became a totally different person, and now nobody likes or trusts her." Sighing and rolling my eyes, I backed out of the page and busied myself reading the other files.

It was nearing sunset when I finally heard voices out on the beach. Peeking out the door of the tree house, I watched as the trio docked their boats and crossed the white sand, Riku taking a seat on the lower part of the beach while Sora and Kairi made their way up to the crooked paopu tree. I stepped out onto the crude balcony and leaned my elbows onto the railing, just staring at the back of Riku's head for the longest time, not even sure what I was thinking about. Then I pulled the phone back out of my pocket, and touched his name on the list of contacts.

As the phone started to ring on my end, I saw him jolt slightly before reaching into his own pocket and bringing the device up to his ear. "Meli," he breathed into the speaker with what sounded like relief. "You, uh...you got your phone."

"Yeah. I..." I bit down on my lip, unsure of what my exact purpose had been in calling, other than just wanting to hear his voice again. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I hate fighting with you."

"Yeah...I hate it, too." There was a long pause. "I'm sorry, too, if I...said things I shouldn't have...made you upset. I really...I'm really just worried about what's going to happen to you. You know that, right?"

I didn't know what I knew, so I didn't answer. "Did you go see your mom today?"

"Mm-hm." He shifted positions, draping his arm over his knees. "We all spent the afternoon with our parents. Your uh...your mom and dad were asking about you, Kairi said."

"Oh." I had thought about them many times since I had been away, wondered if they were as worried about me as they claimed they'd be, especially since I hadn't bothered to contact them in any way. Kairi had probably been sending letters like the good, faithful daughter she was. If she had told them that I had disappeared they probably really were worried. "Yeah, I should...call them...I guess." Though I have no idea what I would say.

"I know they'd love to hear from you." Another pause, then, "How did you know I would go see my mom today?"

Cringing at my mistake, I fumbled for an excuse. "Oh, um...well, you know, I had to go to Yen Sid's to pick up the phone..."

"Oh. He mentioned where we were?"

"He said he was giving everyone the rest of the day off." To you. He said that to you, and I heard because I was eavesdropping. "I figured the rest out." By listening in on your conversation.

"You know, you could have come with us. Still could, since I know you can be here in two seconds flat."

I sighed, letting my eyes wander up to where Sora and Kairi were perched on the trunk of the tree for a minute before I resumed watching Riku. "You guys need some peace for once. My presence doesn't exactly promote that right now."

"Even if I promise not to fight with you?" It was his turn to sigh. "I really just want you sitting next to me right now. Everything else can wait until another time."

The request was tempting. Oh, it was so tempting. I could see the very spot that I would sit in, nestled in next to him with my head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around my waist. Everything would be right again, if only for a moment. We could watch the sunset together, at least one more time, because after tomorrow I didn't know what was going to happen to me, whether or not this darkness would last or if I'd have the strength to keep controlling it or if anyone would ever want me back in their lives for real. All that mattered right now, though, was getting through this final battle and keeping all of my friends safe.

"I'm sorry." They really did need the rest and the peace. I mean, just look at Kairi and Sora. They're finally actually spending some alone time together, and if I showed up it would totally interrupt that. "I can't right now. Tell the others I said hi, though, okay?"

I could see him rub his free hand across his forehead, and felt terrible for disappointing him, even though it was for his own good. "Yeah, okay." He glanced up at the two lovebirds, then sat up straight and gave a surprised grunt. "Are they...? Meli, I think they just shared a paopu."

Eyebrows flying upwards, I followed his gaze and could just make out the silhouette of their arms crossing each other, a large, star-shaped fruit in each hand. Kairi had made sure that I knew the legend of the paopu fruit not long after I moved to Destiny Islands – some tradition that no one remembered who had started where couples would share a fruit and ensure that their destinies would be forever intertwined. Apparently Riku used to tease Sora about sharing one with Kairi all the time, but neither of us were sure we'd ever see the day when it actually happened. A smile broke out on my face. "Those two...they actually did it. I can't believe it."

"It's about time."

We watched in comfortable silence for a moment, until a thought occurred to me and I couldn't stop myself from blurting it out. "How come we've never shared a paopu?"

Riku breathed a laugh. "I don't know. I guess because we're not hopeless romantics like the two of them? I figured you thought it was stupid."

I shrugged, despite the fact that he couldn't see me, and stared down at my fingers that were picking at splinters on the wood railing. "Yeah, I mean...I do, I guess." It had never even crossed my mind before that we would share one. But for some reason now it was bugging me, giving me just one more reason to doubt my importance. "You're right, it's pretty silly. Good for them, though."

"Do you–?"

"I, um...I should go," I interrupted. "I just wanted to let you know that...I'll be there tomorrow. At the final battle. I'm very ready to kick some Organization butt, so...I'll see you there."

I almost expected him to protest, to tell me I should stay away, but to my relief, he didn't. "Okay. I...I'll see you there." He scratched the back of his head. "Um, Meli...?"

"Yeah?"

"Just..." His hand dropped back down to his side. "Just be careful. That's all."

I gave a nod. "I will." Movement at the edge of my vision caught my attention, and I looked up to see Sora falling sideways off the tree trunk and landing in the sand with much flailing of arms and legs. I laughed without thinking. "Can't promise anything for that dork, though."

Riku laughed, too, also watching, but then his breath caught. "Wait, are you...?" He twisted around backwards, eyes searching the trees and walkways.

Realizing I'd given myself away, I straightened up quickly. "Love you, Grim." I ended the call and opened a corridor, watching his head swing in my direction a second before the smoke completely enveloped me.

Coward. All you ever do is run away from people to avoid conflict. I retreated to the safety of the mansion bedroom, dropping down onto the bed while staring at the phone in my hand. If you weren't a coward, you'd go see the Yoshidas tonight. Or you'd at least call them and let them know you're still alive. They deserve that much. But this was Mrs. Yoshida we were talking about. Somehow, she'd know. She'd figure out that something was off with me. It was amazing that it had taken Riku telling my secrets for her to find out about the PTSD, because she could always tell when I had had a bad day no matter how hard I tried to hide it.

Inhaling deeply, I fell over onto my back and let out the air in a sigh. What was it that Grim told me about his mom right after he got back? Something along the lines of...even though he felt bad for making her wait that long, he was glad that she was seeing that version of him. Turning off the phone, I tossed it toward the pillow. I had no plans of letting go of the darkness once this fight was over, but I was hoping that maybe I could figure a few more things out about where my life was headed. Yeah. When I'm more confident in myself...when I know whether or not I'm going back home to the Islands...that's the me she'll see.