Ok, this is the last chappy, so enjoy, and err, don't run with scissors, kids!!! Disclaimer: I do not own Riku, Sora, Kairi, or any of the other characters that don't belong to me. I also don't own Kingdom Hearts. What do I own?? Ahemm. on with the story!! That must be like the 100th time I've said that.

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Chapter 11

Sephiroth had escaped by the time Amy came out of her trance and managed to untie Leon, Yuffie, Cloud and Aerith. Then they remembered Riku. Amy rushed to the stone bed, and, taking him into her arms, gasped

"Riku," she could hardly speak through tears. She took him into her arms, hardly able to breath. "Riku" she shook him "wake up, Riku." She collapsed on the floor with him still in her arms. "Wake up." she whispered. Everyone stood, watching, not able to say anything. Suddenly, Amy reached over and took up the necklace in her hand. For a moment, she kept the locket held firmly in her hand, but after a while, she studied it. It was glowing. She put it around Rikus neck and sighed

"Here. This is yours."

"His heart must have disappeared into the atmosphere!" cried Aerith. Everyone stood still, as if trying to get the heart to float back to Riku's chest. After a while, Amy spoke, without taking her eyes off Riku, without even wiping the still freely flowing tears off her cheeks.

"No." Amy said, her cheeks now stained with tears as she sniffed loudly. "When the Heartless dies, the heart goes back. Well that's what happened to me, so." she looked at Leon, who nodded.

"It's true. But then, why isn't he. well, you know, alive?" he said

"Because for one moment, that one moment that counted, I didn't love Riku. I hated him. So the piece of my heart must have returned to the locket. But obviously he still loves me, or did, because my hearts still here..."

"That means." started Cloud, but Amy, and everyone else knew what he was going to say. They all looked at Amy, who was deep in thought now. She was completely submerged in her own thoughts now.
*Flashback*

They were building Amy's tree house

"Are you two gonna help us?" that was Riku

"We're doing our nails!" from Kairi. Sora and Riku sighed heavily,

"Let's get 'em!" shouted Sora.

****End Flashback****

Amy was brought back to earth suddenly, and Riku started gasping for breath.

"Amy, I'm so sorry." Then he collapsed back down and just lay there, still breathing heavily, not saying anything.

Back on the Gummi Ship, Amy watched her friends, saw everything about them. She didn't talk, just watched. She knew she was going to have to leave Leon, Aerith, Cloud and Yuffie again, but she wasn't sad this time. She knew that they would always remain a part of her heart, just like everyone else. Her memories of them would remind her of that.

They landed back on the Destiny Islands. Riku and Amy said brief good- byes to Cloud, Leon, Aerith and Yuffie, and Amy begged them to stay a while, but they had to go. Sora and Kairi came running up the beach and waved goodbye too, and they carried on until they disappeared into a warp hole. An awkward silence followed and it reminded Amy of her first day on the Destiny Islands.

"Well, it looks like you're stuck with us for good this time!" said Sora, cheerfully, not seeming to notice the excruciating tension, especially between Amy and Riku. They all looked at Amy, not knowing what Amy was going to say.

"I'm tired. I'm gonna get some sleep." She said, looking at her feet, then almost ran to her tree house. A pause followed, then Riku said, "yeah, me too." And he went, too.

Amy slept really badly that night. In fact, she didn't really sleep at all, just tossed and turned. That morning, Kairi burst into Amy's bedroom, beaming.

"I really need to get a lock" mumbled Amy, but Kairi didn't hear.

"Guess what, Amy, guess what?"

"I dunno, tell me when I care" Amy said, sleepily, and rolled over.

"I'm not even gonna ask what happened yesterday, to put you in such a bad mood"

"Not a morning person" Amy mumbled. Kairi shook Amy and whined

"Come on, guess! You know you want to" Amy swatted Kairi away with her hand. Amy sat up

"Gawwd, what are you, the devil on my shoulder?" Kairi pouted. "Ok, I don't know, what happened?"

"Are you sure you wanna know?" Kairi teased

"No!" Amy cried, smiling, diving under the covers again

"Come out, this is important, you lazy bum"

"Well why didn't you say, I'm all ears. So what happened, did you break a nail or something?" Amy asked, earnestly

"No, Sora kissed me, silly!" Kairi said, flashing Amy a toothy grin.

"Really? Wow. We- I mean I - always knew there was something going on between you two. So, you've told me what happened, can I go back to sleep now?"

"No. you have to ask *exactly* what happened now." Amy groaned.

"So what *exactly* happened?" she said, in a voice which was as bored as she could get it, but in reality, she was quite interested.

"Well," Kairi said, not noticing "after you had gone in, and Riku just suddenly got tired as well, Sora sat next to me. It was sooo romantic. All the stars were out, and it was like they were smiling down on us. It seemed like it was just him and me, alone on the pier. We talked for ages, and then, just as we were about to go in, he told me that he might as well say he really likes me, that I probably knew anyway, and then, I said I liked him too, and we just err. kinda kissed! Are you happy for us?"

"Yeah, course, can I be bridesmaid at your wedding?" Amy got up, got dressed, and sat and had breakfast with Kairi.

"So what're you going to do about Riku?" Kairi asked, eventually.

"Well, I'm gonna have to face him, aren't I? I mean, he was like, one of my best friends, so." Amy replied. Kairi looked at Amy, surprised at this answer. "I never said *when* I was gonna face him, did I? I think a spot of good old fashioned avoiding is in order." And with that, she finished her last pancake, and drank the last drop of orange juice, and sprang up from the table. "wanna go see Selphie and Tidus and Wakka?" she said, outstretching her arm as if she was a mother taking her daughter by the hand.

"Whatever" Kairi replied, and took Amy's hand. "So, what're you gonna do when you do bump into Riku?" Kairi asked

"Dunno," Amy said, but Kairi wasn't listening to Amy, because she had just thought of a plan.

That evening, Amy and Kairi found each other after Kairi had rushed off to find Sora, and Kairi said she 'just needed to nip inside to get something', and would meet up in 5 minutes at the Paopu Tree. Amy said OK, and in 5 minutes time, was headed across the warm, golden sand, headed towards a figure which she must be Kairi, she thought, sitting on the Paopu Tree. She crossed the bridge, and decided it definitely wasn't Kairi, because of the fact that it was Riku. She muttered something about Kairi and Sora and a big axe to herself, and walked on. She leaned on a tall, thin coconut tree-trunk, gazing out to the horizon, and took a deep breath.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" "It is" Riku replied, not seeming to notice that Amy was talking to him again. "Can I sit with you?" asked Amy

"Course" said Riku, simply, moving along. They sat, their hair gently blown back by the breeze, getting lost in their own thoughts.

"I meant it, you know. When I said I was sorry." Riku said, finally.

"I know you did." Amy replied "but what gets me is why you went along with dear old Sephy in the first place" Riku sighed heavily.

"He told me everything I was dreading. That there was more than a little bit of darkness in my heart, and that I would be of better use to the dark side than with you lot. I always felt as if I was just there, you know, Kairi's like your girly friend, and Sora's your protector, but what was I? just some guy that was there. But mostly what got me was he said that-" Riku looked at Amy, but she didn't look back "that you didn't love me." Amy was surprised at this, and turned to look him straight in the eye. And she saw one thing. His soul.

"You are completely clueless" she giggled, and flung her arms around him.

They held each other in their arms, staring into the now starry sky, not saying a word, until morning. And every time they looked into each other's eyes, they remembered love, hate, pain and just plain weird stuff, but they always saw into each others hearts and souls. And every night when they sat on the Paopu Tree, they just knew they would never have to share one, they didn't need to.

THE ENDDDDDDDDDDDD

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YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAAYYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAAYAYAYAYYYY!!!!!!!!! Tis the end of an era.. Aaanyway, please review and tell me wot u thought, come one ppls!!!! Lots of love, and thankyous to evry1 who has taken time to read my fanfiction. And thanks again, Granola, for ur help and suggestions, u best join 2 u know!! Oooooh, yeah, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY Amy (another Amy) and Beki, 4 Wednesday and Friday!!! I love u guys, you're my best m8sss *goes off to eat cake*