Author's Note:

WARNING: There is no happy ending. That's it. That's the warning for this chapter.

"I still can't believe I'm here - that all of this is real."

"Yeah?"

Riku walked alongside Erin through the narrow side streets of the sprawling Twilight Town, with its steep main roads leading up and down the hill.

"You were right," Erin went on, turning to him with shining eyes. "These people we keep passing by - I know a few of them have noticed the Mark, they've gotten glimpses - but...nobody's reacting to it how they do...in my world. It's just... 'Oh, that's a nice-'"

"A nice tattoo?" Riku grinned.

"Exactly!" Erin cried. "No one around us even knows the meaning of it - like you didn't!" She paused, brushing at her hair and putting her hands in her jacket. "And...even now that you know, you still don't seem like it bothers you at all."

"Why should it?" Riku said casually.

Erin shook her head, giving a laugh of disbelief. "You honestly have no idea what my kind have done in the past...?"

Riku shrugged. "Nope. And I'm supposed to care...why? What have your 'kind' ever done to me? The way I see it, the past is the past. Isn't that how you're meant to see it, too? Now is now, and all...?"

"Well, yes, but...it's everyone else that can't seem to see past that."

"Maybe on your world. Not here. And not me." Riku caught her staring at him real intensely. He turned away, his face heating up. "Anyways, look, I'm just saying that I...that you...uh..."

"What? Go on."

"You're just a girl I met, that's all," Riku said finally. "That's how I see you. So all this- crap and baggage you have with you...how about you shrug it off and just be- a girl?"

Erin was staring at him again - he could see it out the corner of his eye. He could see the smile that came to her lips too. "And if I do, will you shrug off yours and just be a boy I met?"

"Huh?" Riku turned to her, mouth open.

"I was listening to you back there, as much as you were listening to me," Erin went on. "I caught what you said - about how, in my world, you were just a guy named Riku. That no one knew you. Knew what you...? What was the end of that sentence going to be?"

Riku flushed, threading a hand through his hair and gazing up into the sky. "I, uh...forget it, okay? Doesn't matter."

"I think it does. I think I'm not the only one of us who needs to drop the baggage and enjoy their time here, as much as he can."

Riku gave a sigh. "Only one of us actually deserves to enjoy themselves, Erin. And it's not me. Trust me..."

"Well, what if I want you to enjoy yourself? Would you try for me? I wouldn't want to be hanging around with some stick in the mud," Erin said casually, with a small grin now. "It wouldn't make my last days very fun, now would it?"

"Uh...ah..." Riku bowed his head, and he nodded. "Sure. Yeah. I...I could- try for you. Wouldn't want to ruin...things for you..."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Seriously..." Riku murmured. He forced a grin of his own, and met her gaze again. "So, what do you want to do first?"

"Right now I'm just enjoying this walking around," Erin said simply. "And you should always get the lay of the land first, right?"

"Yeah. Sure. Smart idea."

Erin pulled her hands from her jacket, taking a step to the side - closer to him. As they walked on, her carelessly swinging hand sometimes would bump and brush up against Riku's.

A part of Riku wanted to roll his eyes at her and tell her to knock it off, but...another part of him...didn't exactly think it was that big of a deal. And besides, if she wanted to act like a weirdo, so what? Let her be a weirdo. Honestly, it was kind of...

Riku didn't want to finish that thought, not even to himself. It wasn't about him, anyways. This wasn't for him. It was for her.

Anyways, walking around was what they did: through back alleys, down more side streets, beneath the train tracks overhead that curved all over and beyond the city's limits, and then they were somehow right back on the main street. At the bottom, they moved out into a huge, open space with its own little tram system, and plenty of different shops scattered around. Different kinds of buildings, and houses, too.

Tram Common, said the big sign over the archway entrance.

Made sense to Riku.

It was a crowded place, people milling all over, chatting and laughing and racing about.

A lot of them were enjoying ice cream.

It wasn't a big surprise to Riku that Erin immediately decided they needed to have some of it themselves.

"This isn't like anything I've tried before!" Erin exclaimed, after taking a huge bite out of a blue ice cream stick.

"Well yeah, it is from another world," Riku said easily, waving his own in hand as they strolled toward a bench behind a shop (a nice spot in the shade).

"It definitely is!" she agreed, chomping down again. "It's salty - but sweet."

"Is it?" Riku laughed. He sat down on the bench, leaning back and putting his head to the cool brick wall of the shop.

"Try yours," she told him. "Go on!"

Riku shook his head, then took a small nibble of his own stick of ice cream. He froze, eyes wide. "Wow...that is, uh...huh..." He took another bite. Then another. Then a big one. It got better with every taste.

"It's great, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Riku smiled. "Great stuff..."

Erin leaned back with him, kicking her feet beneath her seat. She gazed up into the sky. "Well now I know what I want to do for the next six days here. Every day, I want another one of these things."

Riku turned to her, his smile fading. Then he forced a wide grin for her. "Alright - whatever you want. Every day, it'll be sea salt ice cream."

Erin gazed back at him with shining pink eyes, and a grin to match. Except hers was real. "Thanks."

"You don't need to do that-" Riku started.

"It's polite, or don't you know?"

"Y-yeah, but- I'm not the guy you should be-"

"Maybe I don't need to, but I want to - so will you just take it for me?" Erin cut him off lightly.

Riku frowned, clenching his teeth. Then he breathed, nodded. "Sure. If you want...that...whatever. That too."

"Great." Erin took a huge bite to finish off the last of her ice cream. She wiped and licked the stick clean, then stowed it in her jacket pocket. She jumped to her feet with a spring in her step. "Come on; I want to keep exploring this place."

"Okay." Riku stood too, and they started off again. He lingered behind her a moment, tossing his ice cream into a waste bin nearby.

Exploring the town further led them to a plethora of new discoveries.

Secret little areas, back alley tunnels, dead ends in the side streets that had writings and images on them.

They traveled further east, and that led them to a shopping center.

A modestly sized mall, crammed into its own area, ringed by all those houses and other buildings. It was only a few streets over from the east wall of the city, leading out into the forest and the hills.

"I still think it's so amazing that you can just - go to another world like this," Erin said, as they strode through the front entrance of the shopping mall together.

Riku considered her, putting his hands in his pockets. "If you're unhappy with this outcome, if you don't want this life, then leave this world for another," Riku remarked. "There are endless possibilities out there."

"Is that what you did?"

"Huh?"

"Were you unhappy with your life?"

"We're not here to talk about me," Riku said quickly, staring straight ahead.

"Well I don't have much to talk about regarding me," Erin laughed. "All I've done is lived a life of work and service. I'm not exactly a well-rounded person, chock full of rich experiences. But you? You're the guy who's been to all these other worlds - who was free to have an actual life! The kind I could only dream of having!"

Riku sighed. "Okay, it's...sort of what I did, yeah," he admitted slowly. "I was- pretty unhappy with my life. With my world. So I...I figured out a way to leave it."

Erin nodded, paying him close attention. Riku sort of hated how she did that - why couldn't she just be some oblivious airhead kind of girl...? "And your knight friend, how did you end up with him, then? He's not your...father, is he? Or, older brother...?"

Riku flushed hard. "N-no! Definitely nothing like that! He's just- just a...friend. Somebody I- met when I was real little, and then again recently. We...reconnected. And now we're sort of just...traveling together." There, he'd given her something - something he wasn't even entirely comfortable with giving her. It had to be enough to get her off his back about this.

"That's interesting."

"Not really," Riku said quickly.

She laughed. "Well, if you think so..."

Riku breathed a sigh of relief as she let the matter drop at last.

They found so many smaller shops in this place - different sections, and floors, too. Erin took him through pretty much all of them, wandering aisles and shelves, picking up this and that, examining everything with those critical eyes of hers. And that smile of hers...

Riku tried to act as invested in it as she was. Or at least moderately interested. But it was hard work. Until he actually found something that caught his interest as well as hers.

"Hey, no way! Arcades!"

"What?" Erin turned to look. She narrowed her eyes at the rows of big machines with their flashy screens. "What are those?"

"Uh - they're like- like games," Riku stammered, his face hot. "Sora and I used to play them whenever we went out to the mall with Kairi. Sometimes she joined in, but-"

"Sora and Kairi?"

Riku froze. "Uh - just - some friends of mine," he struggled on through it. "Well...we- used to be..."

Erin eyed him a long moment, causing him discomfort. Then she returned her gaze to the arcades. "Games, huh? Let's play them!"

Riku grinned. "If that's what you want to do."

Erin ran into the arcade section, reaching the machines first. She approached one machine, tilting her head at it, scrutinizing every detail. A small frown crossed her face. "I don't think I've ever seen a contraption quite like this. Is it magic?"

"Uh...you might think that, but, no," Riku laughed. "It's all- wires and- electricity. It's...clever stuff."

"That does sound clever," Erin agreed, her frown turning to a smile once more. She stepped in and reached out to touch the surface of the console. Her fingers brushed over the controls and buttons. "I can't even imagine how this would even work."

"I guess it just...it just works?" Riku said, shrugging.

"It just works, does it? Well since you're the big expert, how about you show me how it works?" Erin said back, playful.

"Sure thing! Uh, so this one looks like a fighting game - similar to this one we have back home, actually. Here, why don't I put some munny in and you...step up here - and we can just...figure it out together? I, uh, I've never played this before, either."

Riku startled as Erin moved up next to him, her shoulder touching his. Her arm brushing against his. Her left arm...with that timer hidden under her thick coat sleeve...

He busied himself with the munny pouch Erin handed over to him, grateful for a chance to breathe again - and avoid her curious eyes that glowed in the dim light of the arcade area.

He got his Heart calm again, got the game going. He did his best to patiently and calmly explain the way the controls worked to Erin. He spent several minutes going over with her, showing her example with his own controls - his own avatar. He pointed to the screen, did some moves for her. And then he spent another few minutes just...letting her beat the crap out of his guy.

"Right - so - you think you've got it?" he said finally, after several "defeats" at her hands. "Ready for a real challenge?"

Erin flashed him a grin. "Only if you mean that - I don't want you going easy on me. If I win against you for real, I want it to be on my own merits. Otherwise, where's the satisfaction?"

Riku eyed her. He nodded. And he grinned too. "Okay. You asked for it. No holding back here!"

He did as promised, and he didn't try and "let her" win or anything like that. The sort of thing...Kairi had always said she hated, come to think of it...was it just a girl thing, or what? Anyways, his past experience still let him beat Erin pretty handily - a few times in a row. But she got him back, once or twice. Riku suspected most of it was luck more than skills, but she did show some surprisingly fast improvement, all the same.

They spent a good hour or two at it, until she could actually beat him as many times as she lost. Then she pushed away from it and declared that she'd like to try another game.

So that was what they did.

Several games and hours later, in late evening, they finally left the place with sore arms and tired hands.

Riku blearily blinked around himself, rubbed his temples.

But he still had a smile on his face, same as her.

"Alright," he said heavily. "What else have you got on that list of yours?"

Erin hesitated, for once. "I don't want to waste all your money - 'munny,' sorry-"

"Don't ever be sorry - it's not wasted," Riku said firmly. "It's all for you. So use every last bit of it on yourself. Whatever strikes your Heart."

"Well now...there was this dress I saw in one of the clothing shops earlier..."

"Then buy it," Riku said carelessly. "Go for it - whatever?"

"Really?"

"Yeah - it's not like I'm going to be wearing it, and it's not even my munny..."

"So you promise not to steal it from me once you see how amazing it is."

"Sure," Riku said flatly, rolling his eyes.

"Alright." Erin took off across the mall, leaving Riku to throw up his hands and run after her.

They slowed at the entrance to a familiar shop. Riku brushed at his hair and tried to look a bit more respectable; Erin walked in as she was, with frazzled hair and maladjusted jacket.

She strode through the aisles like she did this every day, halting right in front of a big display window.

"That's the one," she announced, pointing unnecessarily.

Riku stood with her, hand on his hip. He gazed on the outfit, examining it. Blue, with thin straps, a loose top area, and a long, ruffled hem that went down nearly to the ankles. Soft, thin fabric. It was...a dress? But, as she caught his eye, hers shining, that grin on her face so big and... He gave a grin back. "Is it now? So go for it. Buy it, wear it - show it off to the world. Look- absolutely awesome in that thing," he blurted out. Then he flushed immediately, turning away and wincing to himself. Why the hell had he even said that...?!

"You really think I would?" Erin's voice came, so- cheery and hopeful and-

"Y-yeah?" Riku stammered out, against his will.

"Well, now I'm definitely buying it."

"What?"

She grabbed his hand and dragged across the shop, right up to the counter with the tired clerk woman behind it.

"That dress - I want to buy it!" Erin declared, pointing far back across the shop.

The woman craned her head to look down the aisles. Her eyes widened. "That dress? Something like that isn't going to fit you - and a teenager couldn't afford-"

Riku stepped up, smacking his munny pouch down on the counter. "Look, she-"

"I didn't want to say anything," Erin cut across, with an exaggerated sigh. "But it's for my older sister, alright? She's ill, and dying, and she doesn't have long left. But she's had her eye on that thing for a long time now. So, please, can I buy it for her?"

The woman gazed at her a long moment. She sputtered, then sighed. "A-alright...of course...if you can really pay for it for her..." She gave Riku a suspect look, as if he was trying to con her or something.

Riku dumped the munny out, and started counting it all out with a wide grin.

A few minutes later and they were walking out with that dress in a fancy bag.

"Let's get back to the hotel - Terra probably knows some magic to make it fit perfectly," Riku said confidently. "It's about time we did anyways, right? Wouldn't want to be wandering the streets in the dark."

"You think he can?" Erin said, smiling.

"I- I hope," Riku admitted.

"Let's hope, then." Erin grinned. "Because if it doesn't, I'm not opposed to giving it a bit of a trim."

Once they crossed all of Twilight Town to reach the hotel, it was definitely dark out.

It didn't take much to find Terra - he was waiting for them in the big lobby area.

"Hey," Riku greeted.

"How did things go today?" Terra replied, gazing to Erin.

"Uh, great?" Riku shrugged.

"Really great!" Erin agreed with enthusiasm. "I never thought I could have such a good day - not having to worry about anything..."

"Good." Terra nodded. "I'm glad we could give you this."

"There is one little problem I need help with, though," Erin went on. She held up her bag to him.

"Ah...what's the problem?" Terra cocked his head at her.

"It's not exactly going to fit her," Riku sighed. "We thought you might know some magic to fix that?"

If the man had still had a body, Riku thought Terra would have been blinking listlessly at them in that moment.

"Well," Terra said, amused. "I'm not a tailor or anything - clothes magic was never something I delved too deep into, anyways, except for what was necessary to forge my armor - but I think I know a few spells to do what you want. More or less. But I can't promise anything."

"I'd be grateful if you just tried," Erin said with a smile.

"Then I'll try," Terra agreed. "Come on."

He led them all across the lobby. Up some stairs. Down a few hallways. Till they came to a door with a number on it. Terra opened it up and led them in. It was a nice...big...

"You- got us a full suite?!" Riku exclaimed, staring.

A sitting area, a little kitchen area, a big window overlooking the hills and forest out over the rooftops of nearby buildings, and three different bedrooms!

Terra strode over to fall back onto a sofa, sprawling carelessly. He looked downright ridiculous. "I collected a lot of munny ten years ago, remember?"

"Yeah, but..." Riku suddenly started laughing, shaking his head at the man. He got himself under control, turning to Erin. "So, uh, how about her dress?"

Terra nodded, sitting up straighter. "Restroom is through there - why don't you go put it on and come back in? We'll see what we can do."

Erin was hurrying off before Terra even finished his sentence.

Riku lingered awkwardly, then shuffled forward to sit down next to Terra.

"Uh...so, what'd you do all day?" he asked.

Terra turned his head slowly. "This."

"Seriously?"

"I spent ten years in the desert...doing just...this. When I wasn't training my Keyblade skills, anyways," said Terra casually. "It's not new to me."

"But- you seriously- how don't you go insane from boredom?!" Riku exclaimed.

"Training with my Keyblade - keeping my mind occupied," Terra said seriously. "And that was ten years, Riku; seven days is going to be nothing."

"But..."

"I appreciate all those buts," Terra spoke, a grin heard in his voice. "But, a but of my own: focus on what matters. I'll be fine. Don't start worrying about me like that."

Riku opened his mouth to further argue with the man, but Erin came striding in just then.

With that dress on her.

It definitely looked...comically oversized, in some areas.

Riku could flat out see the tattoo on her torso - and, of course, with her arms bare, he could see the green numbers on her left arm...

Erin crossed her arms tightly, gazing at him directly. "So - what can we do to fix this?"

Terra stood, giving her a quick once-over. "Some shrinking magic should do the trick," he said lightly.

He raised a hand, and gave it a flourish; particles of blue swirled around Erin, and then parts of the dress began to shift and, well...shrink. It kept going for a good few seconds, until it all seemed to fit just...perfectly on Erin. Or at least, a lot better than it had before!

Riku wasn't exactly some dress expert. But he thought it looked good. Real good on her.

Erin thanked Terra profusely, tried to even invite him out with them for tomorrow - but Terra refused her. He told her to focus on enjoying herself, without making it a "three's a crowd" situation.

Riku smiled at Erin, then he yawned.

She gave a small laugh. "Sorry if I tired you out."

"No- well-" Riku stopped. He laughed too. "Yeah, you did kind of...tire me out. But it was- worth it. To- spend time with you. Help you, is what I'm...saying."

Erin raised an eyebrow. "Worth it to help me, was it?"

"Yeah."

She grinned. "Have a good night's sleep, then, because we're back at it tomorrow."

Next day, they were, as she had said, back at it.

Erin left with Riku, striding all the streets of Twilight Town, twirling and leaping about in her new dress. She did cartwheels and flips, too, uncaring! Laughing the whole time - especially at the looks she got.

From Riku most of all.

He didn't mind it.

They made their way down the streets, stopping at a small eatery for lunch. Then they made their way back down the main street, toward the Tram Common area. But they took a right, there, and headed off into a whole new part of the town.

A big sandlot, crowded. Surrounded by high buildings of all sorts.

There were two people in the middle of the big arena, battling with these blue bats.

"Well this looks fun!" Erin remarked, grinning wide and hurrying closer. They found an open spot, squeezing in to watch the game's progress.

And just like that, somehow, they were part of the scene. Erin was getting into it, cheering on one person, and booing the other - and then swapping to the other person!

"Who are you even rooting for, kid?" a woman nearby shouted to her, exasperated.

Erin flashed a smile, brushing at her hair. "Whoever I feel like at any given moment, of course!"

Riku found himself laughing. And then he found himself joining in with her in her Struggle-neutral, team-swapping kind of cheering (and heckling).

And he didn't care about the looks it got him, either.

After that was over, they went to get their ice cream again - as well as some other snacks this time.

Then, after that, it was back to the mall.

Erin said she had some serious shopping to do "if munny was no object."

Then it was back to the hotel - back to a night of rest.

Day three, they went out early to watch another match in the sandlot (Struggle tournaments, they were called) from the beginning, then went walking around town again. Enjoying their day in Tram Common with another round of ice cream.

Until they weren't.

"Oh - sorry!"

Erin, in middle of a twirl of her dress, had stumbled right into some boy.

Blonde, tall - accompanied by a brown haired girl in an orange top, and a large guy with a headband.

"Try watching where you're going next time!" the blonde guy groaned out, holding his head and wincing.

"Hey-" Riku said, stepping in.

Erin stepped in further, eyeing the guy. "I already apologized - you still want a fight?"

"Wha- fight? Nah, I don't fight girls," the guy said, blinking at her.

"I do." Erin's fist flew out, striking the guy in the face and sending him sprawling. "Now if that wasn't embarrassing enough for you, I'll let you in on something else: that punch was from a dying girl!"

"W-what?" the brown haired girl gasped, staring.

"I'm...let's say terminally ill, and I only have a few days left to me," Erin spoke on, casual and factual.

"That's why we came here," RIku said quickly. "We want to see all the best sights, all the most interesting places you have here. Sorry about the punch, okay? Look, my name's Riku - hers is Erin. What are yours?" he insisted.

"Well, I'm Olette," the girl said swiftly, smartly. Trying to maintain peace too. "This dummy is Hayner, and this is Pence!"

"I- I'm sorry, all right?" Hayner stammered out, glancing at Erin as he climbed to his feet again. Holding his face in hand. "I- didn't know. And- even if I did, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that...just for bumping into me."

Erin smiled. "I accept the apology."

"Well, if you want the best view, there's one you can't beat over in Sunset Terrace. Right up at the top of Sunset Hill!" Pence spoke excitedly. "It's another district - you take the train out that way. Tickets aren't too expensive." he pointed across the rooftops.

"Thank you," Erin said earnestly. She turned to Hayner. "Is your nose broken?"

"Ahhh...don't think so?" Hayner replied, looking relieved.

"Good. I wouldn't want one of my last acts in this world to be another violent one," Erin said quietly.

"So you're not...pulling our leg with this?" Hayner quavered out. "You- uh- you're really...sick- like that?"

Erin held his gaze. "I am. And I'm just trying now to do everything I want to do before I go. I didn't think I'd get the chance, but Riku here...he's giving me that."

"Hey, if you want a town guide, we could give you a grand tour!" Pence spoke up. "We know all the best places around! All the mysteries and wonders!"

"We'd love to make it up to you - but we also wouldn't want to intrude!" Olette said earnestly.

Erin considered them. She grinned. "Thank you. I'd appreciate that. But not just yet."

Day four, Erin spent it getting stuffed - she made a grand tour around all the restaurants and little food shops. Meals and desserts and breakfasts. Snacks too. She ended up puking a lot of it all back up...and then sleeping it off with Riku, out in the grassy fields outside town.

And the day after that, day five, Olette and the others took them through a hole in the wall, through the forest, up a path to a big, old mansion.

They explained it was rumored to be haunted.

Erin proudly declared she feared nothing, and then she started to climb the gate.

Riku told the other kids to clear off, then opened it up with his Keyblade.

"My way would have been so much funner," Erin told him.

"Yeah, but you would have torn your dress to pieces," Riku pointed out, flushing. "And we wouldn't want that, right?"

Erin gave him the strangest of looks then, along with a grin, as she replied, "Of course not."

They explored the old mansion together. Broken furniture, bits and bobs...a nice garden with statues behind it. They went to the top floor, checking the rooms there. Nothing really interesting in them. Then they went to another room and found books. A vast, private library collection. Floor to ceiling, shelves, full of dusty volumes! They spent the next few hours sitting around going through them all. Erin lay herself across the lone table in the room, getting engrossed in one thick old book. She shared some passages with Riku with supreme delight - to his total mortification. It was some really explicit...material. Some story about a romance between a woman, and this man and another woman, who she couldn't seem to pick between...and had ultimately ended up just being in a relationship with both of them.

Not really Riku's thing, but with how hard Erin laughed while reading that stuff to him...

After that, they headed back to town. Back to the hotel.

Went to sleep for another night.

Day six was a day Erin spent watching yet another Struggle match, almost a tradition now. Then she spent a few hours in the mall, buying a plethora of new clothing items and jewelry in some kind of...third wind of a spree or something. Or maybe it was just how girls were? Riku had no clue. But he didn't even question it at this point.

And then, well...she had a bit of a weird request. But it was hers.

She had them take a train out to one of the residential districts. And she took Riku around to all the houses that were on sale. She examined them all, looked through the windows. She asked him about his home, too. He did his best to describe it to her. Sora's too. And Kairi's. The...islands in general. He couldn't avoid talking about them to her.

That had raised the subject of swimming, naturally, and Erin had voiced a desire to do that. To swim.

So they had.

They'd left the district, gone out across the hills, through the trees, until they found water - rivers and lakes.

Erin then pulled off her dress and dove into the waters without a care.

Riku stood watching her - trying not to look at her, really. But she insisted he join her...so he screwed up all his courage and threw away all his pride, and he joined her.

On the seventh day, they went to Sunset Terrace.

They spent the whole day over there, exploring that new district. All its shops, its curiosities - a nice area with a waterfall fountain, among others. Restaurants, an actual curiosity shop of old trinkets and furniture. Things important to this place's history, apparently. Like that old mansion they'd explored before.

They rode the tram back and forth across the district a few times, just because Erin thought it was fun.

Riku thought it was sort of pointless, personally, but...that was him. Not her. He kept it to himself.

And then, as the sun truly began to fall now, they walked up the rounding path, past the houses, up onto a big, flat open plateau of dirt and grass that overlooked the entirety of Twilight Town. An old train railway ran right beneath the plateau, through a carved out tunnel that led to a split in the tracks.

Up on that plateau, Erin unexpectedly said she wanted to spar with him. A play fight, as she put it. Or a struggle match of their own.

Riku hesitated, but she pushed him, and so he drew into the dark of his Heart...and summoned up two bat-wing blades. He handed one to her, and she looked pretty taken with it. And they fought. She was good. Real good. Better than Riku might have thought, actually. But Riku still beat her, more times than he lost to her. But that wasn't even the point.

When they were exhausted and worn down, they relinquished their weapons and strode for the edge, sitting in the dirt behind the safety fencing. Next to that big imitation statue of the clock tower, ringed by green at its base. The two lamps glowing on its sides. Riku kind of...blasted some of the fence away to clear out the view for them. To make it...perfect for Erin. And that...right there, with that view...was how they stayed, as the hours passed them by. As they talked more.

Erin asked so many more questions about the islands. About his life before. And he answered them all for her, as best he could.

And when she asked him about the worlds he'd been to, the things he'd seen and done...

He told her all of that, too. The truth, despite the tightness in his Heart.

He didn't want to, he told her, he didn't want to ruin her...last...

But she insisted; and so he did.

Everything.

She just sat there with him, doing nothing but listening to him. The way she was always so uncomfortably good at. And...when Riku had run out of words, out of breath, out of shame and tears and fears...what she said in the end was...

"I'm not a stranger to living with your own horrible actions. I've done them, too, just to survive another day. Another week. Another year. Selfish, clawing for every next moment. Disgusting, awful things...and not just to myself - but to other people."

Riku shook his head at her. "Erin...that's different. You did it to survive. I always had the choice not to. Like you keep telling me. I've had...all the time in the world...to make my choices in my life. I've had that- luxury- and I still...did the most awful things. You never had a choice. I always did. And I made the wrong ones, at every turn."

Erin gazed at him, right in the eyes. There was an agony, a haunted pain to her eyes in that moment. Written into every line of her face. "Didn't I?" she said quietly.

Riku frowned, dropping his head. "It's not the same," he insisted.

"Well from where I'm sitting, it looks about the same."

"Then sit somewhere else."

Erin, somehow, she laughed. "Sorry, but I'm married to this spot."

"Then- go on a honeymoon or whatever you do..."

"I thought I was?"

"W-what?!" Riku's jaw dropped.

She laughed harder now. "You're such a weirdo!"

"You're the one who said-" Riku couldn't finish his sentence, because he was laughing too.

"Maybe it is different," Erin said seriously, after their laughter had faded. "Maybe you're right. But I can see you're making the choice now to be different. To make up for it all. And that's what matters. That we focus on the now, and...a little on the future. We take each day, and we make our choices."

"Look, I don't- want to...argue with you now. Not..." Riku sighed.

"A little arguing can't ruin all of this." Erin shook her head, giving a wry grin. She raised her left arm, brushing back her hair - her eyes flickering, so briefly, to her own exposed skin. Then she dropped her arm sharply. She sat there a moment. Then- "I...I could never have dreamed of a more perfect, last week, Riku. Or a more beautiful place to be...when I finally go. All those years of a real, good life I've been wanting...you gave me a wonderful example of what a week of that life could have been like for me..."

Erin trailed off. She looked down at her arm in her lap, then quickly turned it over, hiding it from Riku before he could even glance over at her. Then, she was scooting in closer to him, and she raised her right arm, her right hand to touch his face. Her eyes flickered down from his, to his...his mouth, his parted mouth, and she...was she getting closer now? Was she- hang on, was she trying to- nooo way, not with him...?

Erin stopped, holding her position with her face right in his. Their noses almost touching now. "I know this is probably the worst, most embarrassing final mistake I could ever possibly make in my life," she whispered, her voice trembling. But somehow she still smiled, she gave a little laugh. "but...you make me want to take the risk, Riku. So I'll risk it: right now, I really, really want to kiss you. Do you think I could?"

Riku sort of froze. At hearing it said outright like that. At her just...confirming she really...with him?

Then, he nodded. "Sure? Yeah. If that's...what you want... Yeah...it's your week, Erin." He didn't care - but not in any bad way. He didn't give a...about his own part in this, about his own...he just cared, in that moment, only to give something to Erin that she wanted. That she'd never...get the chance for otherwise...s-soon...

"Are you sure?" she breathed.

"Don't waste your time..." Riku murmured.

"Right..." Erin leaned in, and pressed her lips to his.

He kissed her back, raising his hand to cover hers. To grasp her fingers gently. And he held that, and he held her...until she was pulling away, her hand sliding from his face. "U-uh..." he strangled out. He took a breath. "How- was I- for you? Did you...I don't want to be horrible for you..." he tried to joke. But it wasn't a joke, either.

Erin laughed, hand going to her mouth. Fingers touching her own lips. "You weren't...horrible for me, no..."

"Good. I'm glad." Riku nodded, smiling at her.

Erin sighed, facing forward again. And somehow getting even closer - touching shoulders, hip, legs, with him. Then she leaned over onto him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Goddesses..." she breathed out, gazing out at the horizon. "I know I've seen this sunset six times by now, but this seventh one...I think it's the most beautiful of them all."

"Y-yeah...yeah it is...beautiful..." Riku agreed softly, gazing out at the sunset with her. "And- and you know- you are, too. Beautiful, I mean. And- what I'm trying to say is...I'm- a-amazed, and- g-glad...that I got to know you. Even f-for a week. Because you're...a really special person."

"Yeah...?" Erin whispered, a smile in her voice. She nuzzled her head into his shoulder, making him laugh. "Thank you for saying that."

"I meant it."

"Good to know...as long as you're not saying it because you think you're not."

"I'm not-"

"You are."

"I'm not!"

"Yeah you are - say it!"

"I'm not going to-"

"Say it, or I'll die with regrets."

"Okay, now that's just manipulation..."

"Sorry. I won't make you say it, then."

"Fine - I'm- special...sure..." Riku mumbled out.

"Doesn't that feel amazing?"

"Not really...?"

"Oh. Well, at least you got it out there."

They sat in silence for...who knew? A minute more? Two? Three? Five? Ten?

Every second that ticked by was like forever. It had no meaning. They were just...them, and there, and that sunset. The breeze, the scent of flowers, the dirt under their feet...

After some time, or perhaps no time, Erin moved again. She stirred, and then she raised her head to look at him. "Hey..."

"Yeah?"

She raised herself fully off of him, and then she began to pull off her silver jacket. She held it out before herself with a grin, and then she turned and tossed it into his lap. "Keep it for me."

"What...? Erin-"

She put her face in his, leaning in so close again. Those pink eyes of hers were intense, and glowing in the fading light now. "Keep it, please. I just want to be remembered... If you can do that for me, I'll be fine..."

Riku nodded. "Okay. I'll- I promise to...remember you."

Erin sat back, smiling. "Thank you, Riku."

"No...problem..."

Erin pressed herself to him again, placing her head back on his shoulder, like before. She drew her legs in, resting her right arm over her outer thigh. Her left arm, trapped between them, was smooshed to her side. Concealing any hint of those numbers she had on her. She gave a yawn, then she reached across herself for him with right hand. Riku grasped it tight. And with his other arm, he reached behind her, wrapped it around her and pulled her in closer, his fingers on her bare shoulder now.

After a minute or two, Riku glanced down at her form, as he saw a green light flaring from beneath the fabric of her top. It grew brighter, more intense still...and then it dimmed. Erin's hand slipped out from his grasp.

Riku's breath caught in his throat.

"E-Erin...? Erin?"

Riku trembled as he turned to her, moving his hands across her body to adjust his grip - and she fell limp right into his arms.

He was just...holding her.

Holding her at the top of that hill, as the sun finally fell.