Authors Note: I'm sooooooooooooo sorry it's taken this long to update. I've been on spring break and I've been at my dads. But I promise I'm not dropping the story, so don't freak. Thanks sooooooooooooo much for all the reviews! They really help! Oh, and Jaden18 It's fine with me if you put my story on your website, I would have visited it but the link didnt show up in the e-mail. :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Kingdom Hearts.
"Hi." Sora said, just as lamely as Riku. "What're you doing out here?"
Riku hesitated for a second. "Just walking." He said. "What are you doing out here?"
Sora paused. "Just walking."
There was silence for a moment.
"Well now that we're all out here lets go watch the sunrise together!" Kairi said, breaking the awkwardness.
"That sounds great." Riku said, mentally sighing.
Together as a group the four walked toward their little island, Amarantha falling behind a bit, she didn't know Kairi or Sora; it was hard for her to be comfortable around them. As she walked alone she let her mind fall back on the dream she had had. Was it just a dream, or had she really killed all those people? For some reason Amarantha had the sickening feeling she really had killed all those people, that would explain why she hadn't been able to find any family that one time she looked.
"Hey Aran, come on and join us." Riku said.
They had already reached the island and Sora and Kairi were already sitting on the tree, Riku standing, waiting for Amarantha. He smiled at her and jumped up to sit at the end of the tree, his back leaning against the branch that pointed up toward the sky.
Amarantha walked to the tree but stayed on the ground, leaning her back against the trunk and crossing her arms over her chest. They all sat in silence for a while until finally Kairi broke the silence; it seemed that was what she was good at.
"Where's your home world, Aran?" She asked, using the name she had heard Riku and Axel use.
Amarantha was silent for a moment, but just as Riku was about to say something to Kairi she answered.
"The World that Never Was."
Kairi blinked. "Really?" She asked.
"It's as good as any; I can't really remember anything before I joined the Organization." As she said that Amarantha's minds eye took her to that scene, her, killing her family.
Kairi nodded in sympathy. "It was the same for me; I didn't remember anything about my home world until I went there."
Amarantha didn't say anything.
"Oh look! The sun's coming up!" Kairi said, pointing out to the horizon.
Sure enough the orange fire ball of light was rising over the sea, casting everything into a bright orange light. Amarantha looked directly into the sun while everyone else squinted and looked away, it was something she had always been able to do, maybe it was because of her eyes… the eyes that weren't hers...
Sensing someone watching her Amarantha turned her head slowly to the right. Riku was looking directly at her, there was something in his eyes that made Amarantha's stomach do back flips, but at the same time it made her heart die, a mixture of feelings that Amarantha had never experienced before.
"I'm going to go to the café for some breakfast." Kairi said, sliding down off of the tree, Sora right behind her, as always. "You guys wanna come?"
Amarantha shook her head and turned back to the sun, breaking her eye contact with Riku.
"Suit yourself." Kairi said with a shrug, she was getting just a bit tired of Amarantha's nonsocial nature.
Amarantha looked out onto the water, thinking she was alone. With a sigh she slumped against the tree trunk, letting her hair fall over her face. When someone pushed her hair back behind her ears Amarantha flinched, she had no idea that anyone was still there.
"What's wrong?" Riku asked, standing in front of Amarantha, a concerned and loving look on his face.
"Nothing." Amarantha said, pulling away from his hands.
Riku frowned. "Why don't you trust me?" He asked, putting his hands down to his side.
"Why should I?" Amarantha asked in return, walking past Riku toward the edge of the island.
"Why not?" Riku walked up behind Amarantha, looking at her rippling reflection in the water.
"I've neither seen nor heard anything that tells me 'Oh, I can trust Riku, he's such a great guy.'" Amarantha said sarcastically, but the last word came out a bit shaky.
"Aran…" Riku started.
Amarantha whipped around, anger flaring in her eyes. "Stop calling me that! I'm tired of being called my Organization name! I'm not Aran!" Amarantha seemed to be on the verge of hysteria.
Riku blinked in surprise, he hadn't been expecting Amarantha to blow up like she just did. "I'm sorry, what do you want me to call you?"
Amarantha was silent for a moment. "I don't know." She said sadly. "I don't know who I am anymore."
Riku put a hand on Amarantha's shoulder. "You're you, and that's all that matters. You're the person I want to give my heart to."
It took a moment for what Riku said to register in Amarantha's mind, but when it did it took all of her will power to stop from crying.
Riku took the hand that he had on Amarantha's shoulder and put it on her cheek, moving a bit closer to her. "I want to be here for you, I want you to trust me, and I want you to lean on me when you need help, I want you to love me, love me as I love you."
Amarantha took a step back away from Riku, moving her head so that his hand on her cheek fell back to his side. Looking directly into Riku's eyes Amarantha spoke to him.
"I don't need anyone."
With that Amarantha walked past Riku and off of the island, moving to quickly to see the severe amount of emotional pain that crossed onto Riku's face, moving to quickly to see his tears fall to the ground, his tears for her.
