AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Welcome back everybody!

So I have played Re:Mind, and whilst there is some post-DLC stuff that I haven't quite unlocked yet (certain parts of the game are currently kicking my a-hem), I really enjoyed it. I'm sure you can probably guess which part of the DLC was my favourite…

(Also as you probably know I write my chapters in advance, so I'm currently writing this a few days after the DLC dropped. By the time you read this, it might be a few weeks. Just in case you were wondering.)

As mentioned in previous chapters, the DLC will not be included in this story. There are certain things that might get included (there were a couple of attacks that just blew my mind and ripped out my heart and just gave me life that I can't not feature in combat!), but for the most part my story plan has not changed. It was definitely fun to spend more time with some of my favourite characters, though, and I'm looking forward to getting through the rest of the content (even if it looks like I'm gonna have to grind to level 99 in order to do it).

Without any further ado: on with the story!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN | THE VOTE

Getting Ven on board was just as easy as she'd expected, though she hadn't predicted just how betrayed he would feel at the revelation that Vanitas had been there during their conversation.

"First Sora and now Vanitas," he'd said with a smile that was so paper-thin it tore at Kairi's heart. "Are there any other secrets you're not telling us?" The jab was not entirely unwarranted and Kairi had nothing to say in her defence other than to promise that this was the last and that she truly was really, really sorry that she hadn't told him sooner.

And it seemed that a heartfelt apology was all that it took to clear the air between them, at least for the time being. As expected Ven set to work immediately, pacing his room and thinking aloud to try and plan their next steps. Naminé was helpful here, providing what little she knew about the process of creating a replica. They would need to speak to Even and Ienzo in Radiant Garden, which would most likely also involve speaking with Ansem the Wise.

"We could go together, the three of us," Kairi suggested. "Naminé can wear my cloak, I'll be fine without it for a short trip-"

"We should take a ship," Ven suggested. "It's not safe for any of us to be travelling the Lanes Between without any kind of protection." She shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"How will we get one without telling everyone what we're doing?" Ven had fixed her with a serious look that seemed somehow out of place on his usually playful features. "I just don't think they would understand. The last time everyone saw Vanitas, he wasn't exactly on our side."

"We're not going behind anyone's back," Ven said firmly. "Let's at least tell Aqua and Terra, I'm sure they'll understand."

So noble, Vanitas huffed.

They managed to pull the pair away during lunch, leaving Luxord alone in the dining room (who seemed more than a little put out at being excluded, even if he understood their hesitance to fill him in). They made their way to the summit where Kairi let Ven do the majority of the talking. She hung back with Naminé, watching Aqua and Terra carefully and trying not to feel too disheartened when they voice their objections.

"It's too great a risk," Terra said when Ven had finished explaining their plan. "Who says we can trust him? He could turn on us in a heartbeat."

"I don't think he would," Ven countered. Aqua placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"It's not just thinking about whether he would want to, but whether he could be turned against us some other way," she said softly. "Terra never wanted to join the darkness, but Xehanort still found a way to control him. We wouldn't want that to happen to Vanitas." Ven shook his head firmly.

"It won't. He's stronger than that." Aqua and Terra shared an uncertain glance and Ven sighed. "C'mon, guys, at least give him a chance. It's not his fault he ended up the way he did. It's not like he asked for it – neither of us did."

"But what if we give him a chance and it doesn't work out?" Terra asked. "He comes from darkness, Ven. It's not fair and it's not right, but we can't change that."

"We're not saying that he'll want to turn against us," Aqua added quickly, "but if he has no choice-"

"But that's the whole point," Ven pleaded. "We need to give him that choice. We can't keep him a prisoner! If we do that then we're no better than Luxu, and look what he was able to do to Sora." The others winced and Kairi didn't miss the way they quickly glanced to her. Naminé squeezed her hand gently.

"That's kind of our point, Ven," Terra argued carefully. "If Luxu can do that to Sora, of all people, then imagine the damage he could cause if he got his hands on Vanitas."

He won't, Vanitas growled.

You don't know that for certain, she answered. They're just being careful.

Luxu isn't interested in me, he said. He needs Sora for something. The whole reason he took Sora's heart was to keep it safe and make it harder for you to rescue him. If he was interested in getting me on his side, he wouldn't have let you leave with me. Her brow furrowed. Naminé tugged her hand, her head tilting curiously, but she shook her head slightly.

Luxu knew about you? she asked.

It's the reason he let you go.

"Kairi, what do you think?"

She jumped at the sound of her name, looking up to find Aqua watching her carefully. Terra and Ven had likewise fixed her with a curious gaze, and she could feel Naminé squeezing her hand again.

"I think we should trust him," she said. "Vanitas saved my life because he wanted to, not because anyone told him to. I think he just wants to be free to make his own choices."

"And if those choices lead him towards the darkness?" Terra asked.

"Then we have to be there for him," she countered. "He's never felt the light before, so we need to show him the way."

Not interested, he scoffed.

"He needs our help, Terra," Ven pleaded. "It could just as easily have been him that Xehanort left with Master Eraqus instead of me. Do we have to punish him for that?" Terra frowned.

"But it wasn't," Aqua countered, "and if it had been then I'm sure we'd be having this conversation with Vanitas about you. We can't change the past, Ven-"

"No, but we can help change the future," Ven argued. "Please, Aqua. I trust him."

"I trust him too," Naminé said firmly. Aqua sighed heavily and turned to Terra who pursed his lips in response.

"This is too big for us to decide on our own," she said at last. "We should ask the others and see what they think."

"What do you suggest?" Naminé asked.

"We'll regroup with the others at Disney Castle," Terra suggested. "We tell them what we know and then we can decide as a group. It will impact all of us, so we should all have a hand in the decision."

"I'll get in contact with Mickey to make sure its okay before we ask everyone to join us," Aqua said, pulling her phone from the pocket of her skirt.

Great, more time wasting, Vanitas groaned.

They could have said no, Kairi pointed out.

They could have said yes.

Can you blame them? she sighed. If even half the stuff Ven told me you did was true then I shouldn't be trusting you either.

Then why are you? he retorted. She chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to figure it out. Why did she trust him? It was more than the debt she owed for her life, and certainly more than an agreement sealed with a mere handshake. She didn't doubt him; not one bit.

Because the sooner I get you out of my head, the sooner I can get some peace and quiet, she answered at last. He chuckled.

You are such a bad liar.

It didn't take long for everyone to arrive. Axel, Isa, Roxas and Xion would be the first to make it to the castle, and Axel swept Kairi in to a tight hug when he saw her. Riku arrived minutes later and Mickey was quick to lead them all to the library where he sealed the doors and left strict instructions with his staff (two enchanted mops who took up guard outside the door) that they were not to be disturbed.

"Well, Aqua, what's the big emergency?" Mickey asked.

"Does this have something to do with Luxord?" Axel asked. Aqua shook her head.

"No, I'm afraid this is another… complication," she said with a grimace. "Ven, can you explain it?"

He took to the floor without hesitation, bringing the others up to speed as best he could amid the anger and shock that followed whenever he said Vanitas' name. Kairi tensed every time; if trying to convince Terra and Aqua had been difficult, then trying to convince everyone else in the room was beginning to seem almost impossible.

Giving up already? Vanitas sneered.

No, she answered firmly. Just… reassessing. It wasn't looking good. Terra and Aqua both still seemed set against the idea, judging by their uncertain frowns and the way they kept glancing around the room. The others seemed similarly set against the idea, with Mickey's brow furrowed in concern and Roxas' arms folded tightly across his chest.

You don't think they'll agree, Vanitas observed.

I don't know if they'll understand, she replied.

Then you'll just have to make them understand, he countered.

"So you want us to make a vessel for Vanitas?" Isa asked. "You do realise that Xehanort trusted Vanitas like no other, even within the ranks of the Organisation. Why should we now grant him a position within our ranks?"

"For the same reason we let you in," Ven huffed. Aqua placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and he lowered his head with a murmured apology. Isa waved it away; no harm done.

"Vanitas isn't the same as Isa," Donald countered, folding his arms.

Agreed, Vanitas said with a sneer. Isa joined the darkness of his own volition. You should remind them of that.

Not now, she replied.

"Vanitas isn't the same as any of us," Ven countered. "Xehanort made him for the sole purpose of working for the darkness. He was just a… a…"

"A puppet," Xion supplied. "Xehanort used and manipulated him to try and get what he wanted." Ven's eyes lit up with understanding and he nodded.

"Exactly!"

"Yeah, well I was a puppet too," Roxas added curtly, "and I would never do the things he did. There's no way he deserves a vessel."

"He's a strong fighter," Kairi said, catching his eye. "We could really use his help against Luxu and the others-"

"And what if decides that he'd rather fight for them than for us?" Roxas demanded.

"Well there's no guaranteein' that he would or he wouldn't," Goofy interjected. Roxas turned sharply towards him and Goofy lifted his hands. "I'm just sayin', why not give him a chance?"

"Because he's done nothing to earn one," Donald argued. "Look at all the trouble he's caused – he's better off gone!"

"But he's not gone, is he?" Axel countered. "He's right there." He pointed to Kairi and several eyes flickered in her direction. Mickey sighed.

"That does make this a lot tougher," he murmured.

"Luxu's keeping Sora's heart in a jar, why don't we do the same?" Roxas suggested.

"Because that's awful!" Naminé gasped. "Roxas, you don't really mean it-"

"Why not?" he asked. "It would keep him out of our hair and out of Kairi's heart."

"That's not the point," said Kairi.

"I don't trust him," Roxas continued.

"I'm inclined to agree," Isa said solemnly. "He never showed any inclination to the light whilst working under Xehanort."

Well neither did you, Vanitas retorted curtly.

"He might say the same about you," Kairi ventured. Isa paused, surprised, before he nodded slowly.

"I suppose he would," he answered.

"You could say that about all of us," Axel grumbled. "The only way to survive the Organisation was to keep your plans close to your chest. I didn't even know that I would ever change sides, let alone the rest of you. Between us we've converted nearly half of the Organisation."

"You would trust him?" Isa asked. Axel frowned a little and pursed his lips as he folded his arms and shifted his weight.

"Not really," he said, "but he's inside Kairi's heart. If he was trying to pull a fast one she'd be able to tell, right? So if Kairi trusts him, then I trust Kairi." He shot her a small smile then and it sent such a rush of warmth through her that her eyes began to tingle.

Please do not cry, Vanitas groaned.

I'll cry if I want to, she retorted, though she blinked several times and clenched her jaw to fight the tears down. She practically felt him roll his eyes.

"I believe in him," Xion said firmly. "I know what it's like to be created and used for the darkness. Sora was my lifeline, he brought me back to the light. We can be Vanitas' lifeline."

"You'd already turned away from the darkness once," Aqua countered. "Vanitas has always fought for the darkness."

"Because he didn't have a choice!" said Ven.

"He's got a point," Goofy agreed with a solemn nod. "I don't imagine ol' Xehanort lettin' him off the leash long enough to figure out much beyond what he was told."

I wasn't on a leash, Vanitas hissed. Kairi nearly rolled her eyes.

If it helps your case, let them believe it, she said.

And have them thinking that I was some mindless minion?

Would you rather I tell them that you chose the darkness on your own? That'll really work in your favour right now, she argued. He huffed in response.

"He shouldn't have to be told," Donald spat. "Darkness is darkness and light is light. It's simple."

"Is it?" Riku asked. "A lot of us have walked the path between light and dark, and some of us have ended up on the wrong side of it."

"What are you saying, Riku?" Mickey asked.

"Just that's it's not as simple as we'd like it to be," he answered. "And we have to think about Kairi. If we don't give Vanitas a vessel, then we're forcing her to be responsible for him, which isn't fair to her."

"I agree," said Roxas, "so we need to come up with another solution."

"Like what?" Naminé asked. "If we trap his heart somewhere then we're no better than Luxu."

"I agree, we can't do something as cruel as that," Aqua said firmly.

"But what other options are there?" Terra asked. "He still has the unversed at his disposal. If we give him a vessel, who knows what he'll-"

He froze as a shadow leapt on to the table, its red eyes flickering from side to side as it settled back on its haunches, quivering from head to toe as though snaring at them.

Vanitas, you're not helping! Kairi scolded.

"He can use the unversed now," Ven said, gesturing towards the creature on the table. "Giving him a vessel won't change that."

I'm making a point, Vanitas replied.

Can you please make it disappear before- Too late. Roxas had summoned his keyblade and caught the unversed off guard. With his first swipe he batted the creature in to the air where he sliced clean through it, leaving it to dissipate like smoke. Kairi winced as a twinge shot through her heart.

"Do we really want them on our side?" Roxas asked. Kairi frowned.

"Why not?" she asked. "They've already saved my life once."

"They're darkness, Kairi," Roxas answered.

"No, they're not, they're-"

"We're getting off-topic," said Riku. "We need to focus on whether or not we trust Vanitas to fight for Sora."

"We can trust him!" Ven urged. Riku sighed.

Seriously, it's a miracle you Guardians get anything done with all of your politics. Kairi couldn't help but agree. She didn't know if she could sit back and listen to the same arguments over and over again.

"Ven-

"Please, Aqua, we have to give him a chance," Ven pleaded. "If we don't then we're just pushing him further away." Riku sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know you're coming from a good place, Ven," he said, "but if we can't all agree-"

"Sora told me to trust him."

All eyes turned to Kairi. She swallowed thickly, aware of the sound of her racing heartbeat in her ears. Her throat went dry. Her stomach churned. She placed a hand over her heart and took a deep, steeling breath.

"When I was Sleeping, after I… when my heart was healing, I talked to Sora. I think he was trying to warn me about Luxu and the others, about what they had planned, and he told me about Vanitas. He told me to trust him."

Silence followed, thick and heavy and tense. She could feel their eyes boring in to her, watching her closely, and it took all she had not to break under the pressure. Eventually she had to look away, turning to Naminé, only to find that she was staring back not with awe or wonder but with confusion.

"Kairi…" Axel breathed, breaking the silence at last. She turned to him in time to see a number of emotions playing across his face; sadness quickly turned to confusion and frustration. "Why didn't you tell us?" The betrayal was evident in his voice, and she saw it plastered on several faces (not least of all Ven's).

"I did say something," she said. "I told Ven about Vanitas because he knew him best, and then we told everyone else. It's why we're here."

"But why didn't you say something about talking to Sora?" Riku asked.

"Because Sora asked me not to," she said. "We agreed it would be better if you could all decide to trust Vanitas on your own, but now I don't think that's going to happen."

"And she told me about Sora," Naminé said firmly. Kairi forced herself not to turn and stare in surprise. Naminé's had found hers behind her back. "She wanted someone to know, in case something happened to her. I agreed that it would be better if everyone could support Vanitas because they wanted to, not because they felt like they should." She glanced at Kairi then, and it took everything in Kairi's power not to betray their lie. She offered Naminé a fleeting grateful smile. An awkward silence lingered in the air after that during which even Vanitas kept his thoughts to himself, for which Kairi was eternally grateful.

"Well it's clear that we all have our opinions on the matter, and I don't think we're going to all agree," Riku said at last. "Why don't we take a vote?" Mickey perked up instantly, his ears twitching.

"That's a great idea! Okay, fellas, who votes that we give Vanitas a vessel?" Kairi's hand shot up closely followed by Naminé and Ven. Goofy agreed with them, as did Xion, Axel and – after a moment's hesitation – Isa. Seven votes in favour.

"That's the majority," Mickey confirmed after counting them twice.

"Only by one vote," Roxas countered.

"Two, if you count Sora," Ven said with a grin.

"He's not here-"

"It's decided," Terra said firmly, placing a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "You may not like it, but it's fair." Roxas shrugged his hand away with a huff.

"Whatever," he grumbled. "For the record, I think you're all making a big mistake." And with that he quietly shouldered his way out of the room, startling the two brooms in the hall.

"Roxas!" Axel called after him. Xion grabbed his wrist lightly to stop him from following.

"Let me handle this," she said softly. Axel hesitated for a moment before finally relenting, and Xion quietly excused herself from the library to follow after Roxas.

"I don't understand," Ven murmured as Xion quietly slipped from the library. "Why does Vanitas make him so angry?" He turned to Axel who could only offer an uncertain shrug in return.

"Don't worry about Roxas," he said, placing a comforting hand on Ven's shoulder. "He'll be all right."

"Well, I guess we'd better get going," said Mickey, his voice oddly comber. "Riku and I will go and speak to Even and to Ansem the Wise about organising a vessel for Vanitas."

"Can I come with you?" Kairi asked. Mickey glanced to Riku who remained silent.

"It'll take some time to get the vessel ready," Mickey finally answered.

"I know," she said, "but I've been thinking a lot recently about how I still don't know where I really come from. I don't know when I might get another chance to go to Radiant Garden." It was mostly true, at least; if nothing else it gave her an excuse to get away from the Land of Departure for a while. She still wasn't quite ready to go home yet, but a change of scenery certainly wouldn't go amiss (plus she imagined it would be easier for Aqua, Terra and Ven if she could keep them from feeling like Vanitas was watching their every move).

You're so thoughtful, Vanitas sneered.

You know what I mean, she shot back.

"I think that sounds like a great idea," Axel said brightly. "Maybe I'll come too. I can give you the guided tour." Kairi gave him a grateful smile, though it tightened when she caught Isa's hard glance to the back of Axel's head. She swallowed over the knot in her throat.

"Isa, you're from Radiant Garden too, right? Would you like to join us?" Axel's face lit up with a grin and he turned to Isa who was staring at her curiously. She offered her warmest smile, though she could feel that it was stretched too thin to be believable. The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Thank you for the invitation," he answered, "but I'm afraid I have other business to attend to. Perhaps next time." She couldn't ignore the cool relief that rushed through her. Axel frowned.

"Isa…" Axel breathed.

"It's all right, Lea," he said. "It's better this way. You would only attract unwanted attention." Axel scowled and folded his arms, muttering curses under his breath that made Isa smile with satisfaction. Kairi turned to Naminé who was staring at the doors, lost in thought.

"Naminé, are you coming with us?" Kairi asked. Naminé jumped slightly, and her eyes quickly darted between Kairi and the door.

"Actually…" she began quietly. "I think Roxas needs me, if that's all right?" Kairi smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Of course," she said. "Go, I'll be fine." Naminé nodded and gave Kairi's hand one last squeeze before she too slipped out in to the hall.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Axel said, stepping away from Isa to throw an arm around her shoulders. He glanced down at her with a wink. "We can stay with Merlin, he normally has a spare room or two in that magic house of his. It'll be just like old times."

"Would you like a lift?" Riku asked. Kairi glanced over in time to catch the flash of uncertainty that was quickly smothered under his calm, collected mask. "Or do you want to make your own way there?" Kairi glanced to Axel who was watching her expectantly. It would be crowded with the four of them in the ship, and it would be no trouble at all for Kairi and Axel to travel by glider instead, but the offer wasn't being made out of comfort or convenience.

You shouldn't be so hard on Riku… Sora's words rang through her mind and her heart ached. She turned back to Riku with a smile.

"We'll take that lift."

The ship was made for three, but they were easily able to make it work for four. Riku took the pilot's seat at the front while Mickey settled in to the co-pilot seat behind Riku's left shoulder. Axel insisted that Kairi took the third seat, and when she tried to convince him to change his mind he folded his arms and refused to move from where he had taken to leaning against the back wall of the cockpit. Once Kairi was settled Riku sent a message through to the control room, and after receiving the all clear from Chip and Dale he had them away from Disney Castle with practiced ease.

They lapsed in to silence once the ship was in motion, and Kairi's insides twisted tighter and tighter with every second that nobody spoke. It wasn't far to Radiant Garden – less than half the distance from Disney Castle to Destiny Islands – so it would only take them a few hours to make the journey, but the rising tension left Kairi wondering if it might be possible to throw herself out of the ship and finish the journey by glider.

Running away? Vanitas taunted, catching wind of a particularly exuberant thought. Kairi bit the inside of her cheek.

Of course not, she answered.

Just thinking about it. Very loudly, he countered. He added a scoff for good measure. Not that I blame you; if I could get out of here right now, I would. Kairi pursed her lips and turned her gaze out towards the stars to try and keep her mind from wandering. Some stars were so close that they whizzed past the cockpit in a blur, whilst others were so far away that they barely seemed to move. She wondered how many of those distant stars were worlds; how many Sora had visited. He'd promised to take her to see them all one day.

"Mickey, can you take over for a minute?" Kairi jumped at the sound of Riku's voice. Mickey seemed equally surprised, though he was quick to cover it with a smile as he slid from his seat.

"Well sure," he said, coming to pause by Riku's knee. "Is everything all right?" Kairi couldn't see Riku's face but she could see Mickey's, and whatever Riku expressed during their silent exchange turned Mickey's concern to sympathy. He patted Riku's knee and stepped aside as Riku stood. Kairi sat taller to watch him go, trying to catch a glimpse of his face as he skirted around the chair, but he kept his head turned away and only looked up when he came toe to toe with Axel who was standing on the access hatch to the lower level. Axel's curiosity gave way to surprise and concern, and he silently stepped aside to allow Riku to open the hatch.

"Say, Axel," Mickey began, "we never did show ya how to fly a Gummi ship. Would you like to see how it all works?" Kairi glanced to the King who was studiously working at the control panel. After a moment's hesitation Axel started to make his way to Mickey's now-empty chair. He squeezed Kairi's shoulder as he passed, and when he caught her eye he glanced pointedly towards the hatch as it clicked shut. As soon as Axel was settled Mickey began talking him through the controls and Kairi quietly slipped out of her seat; the knot in her stomach tightened as she made her way towards the hatch and slowly climbed down the metal rung ladder.

The lower level of the ship was made of three small rooms branching off a short corridor. To the left was a small storage closet containing a moderate amount of supplies, on the right was a modest bathroom, and at the end of the hall was a cozy bedroom with three small cot beds set against the back wall. The door to the bedroom stood ajar, spilling a sliver of light and the sound of stifled sobs in to the small corridor as Kairi tip-toed closer.

Riku was sitting on the edge of the centre bed with his head in his hands. His whole body shuddered with every shaking breath, and his fingers trembled as they clutched at tufts of his hair. Kairi opened her mouth but his name caught on the lump in her throat and stuck fast, and after a moment's deliberation she chose to enter in silence. He gave no indication that he had heard her, nor did he move to stop her, and after pausing in the doorway to give him a chance to change his mind she closed the distance between them and set herself down on the bed beside him. She rested her hand on his knee, her thumb tracing small circles over the coarse fabric. Slowly the sobs began to subside, and once Riku seemed able to catch his breath again he placed a hand atop hers.

"Riku?" she whispered. He stayed silent a moment longer, his face still hidden behind limp silver spikes. His hand trembled, and she twisted hers until their palms were facing and she could knit their fingers together.

"I failed, Kairi."

She'd never heard him sound so quiet; so unsure of himself. She felt him trying to pull away but she squeezed his hand tightly, keeping him firmly at her side.

"At what?" she asked.

"With you… with Sora… I wanted to keep you both safe so badly and I… I couldn't."

"It was never your job to keep us safe," she said. He shook his head and she caught a glimpse of his face; his eyes were screwed shut, tears leaking down his pale cheeks.

"But I should have," he countered. "You were right, Kairi. I should have gone with Sora to get you back." His voice hitched. He tried to pull away again but she held fast, wrapping her other hand around his and holding it tight.

"His mind was made up." He finally looked at her then, and his eyes were filled with a tempest of warring emotions that made the corners of her eyes sting. "I'm sorry for what I said on the beach. It wasn't fair. Sora had already turned Donald and Goofy away; he probably would have refused your help too. You couldn't have changed his mind any more than I could have stopped him handing himself over to Luxu." Riku winced at the name and lowered his gaze back to the carpet. A tremble ran from his shoulders and into his fingers and she leant her arm against his.

"I used to imagine what it would be like when we saw you both again," he said quietly. "I used to dream that one day you'd just show up, that Sora would just be standing there with that smile of his and you'd be right there beside him. When you came back to us I knew it was never going to happen, but I still had hope. He's always come out on the other side of every danger, always managed to pull through somehow, and I kept hoping… just one more… one last time… but seeing him at the Graveyard like… like that…" He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw and swallowed thickly. Kairi's heart skipped a painful beat.

"I know," she murmured. He glanced up at her, green eyes ringed with red as he studied her closely, searching for something.

"Did you know what Luxu had done to him?" he asked. "Is that why you tried so hard to stop us from going after him?" She shook her head.

"After you and I… When I was sitting on the tree, Sora was able to talk to me through the shard of his heart," she said. "When I felt our connection I knew that something was wrong, but I never imagined…" The lump in her throat threatened to choke her.

"What about now?" Riku asked. "Can you tell if he's… Can you still sense him?" She lifted her other hand to her heart and closed her eyes, reaching out on the slim hope that something might have changed. It hadn't. As before, she found the shard of Sora's heart nestled safely where she had left it (near a disgruntled but thankfully-silent Vanitas), and when she reached out to their connection she was met with that same hollow emptiness.

"Nothing," she answered softly. "He's still at the other end of the connection, I can feel it, but when I try to trace the connection to reach him it's like it just fades away." Riku nodded solemnly, his eyes glancing to the hand over her chest. Her fingers had snared the collar of her dress, pulling it to one side and revealing the tips of the three jagged scars that ran across her skin. She felt the darkness flare as Riku stared at them, and eventually his tore his gaze away to focus instead on their intertwined fingers.

"I'm sorry that I didn't come to see you after we got back from the Graveyard, or that I haven't been to see you since," he murmured. "It was hard enough to see Sora like that, but to see him actually attack you-"

"It wasn't him," she said firmly. "We can't believe it was, even for a moment. When we get Sora back, he has to know that we know it wasn't him." He would find a way to blame himself of course, he was good at that, but she would deal with that guilt when they got to it. They all would, especially as Sora was likely to hurt more of them before they would be able to rescue him.

"You're right," Riku said with a solemn nod. "Still, seeing him… or even a shadow that looked like him hurting you… I couldn't handle it, and I left you alone again when you needed me."

"I wasn't alone," she countered. "Axel came to make sure I was okay, and Naminé didn't leave my side for a minute. And there was Vanitas, of course." Riku huffed a dry laugh. Vanitas snorted.

"Vanitas…" Riku murmured. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Did Sora really tell you that we should trust him?" Kairi bit her lip and turned away, her free hand fiddling with the hem of her dress. Part of her wanted to lie – it would be easier that way – but she'd had enough lying in the last few months to last her a lifetime.

"Not exactly," she answered, "but I know that he would have. He'd been carrying Vanitas' heart for months while he was searching for me, and Ven told me that he tried to get Vanitas to join us during the fight with Xehanort." Riku considered it for a moment before huffing a quiet laugh through a half-smile.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Sora probably would've fought for Vanitas even harder than you did."

"He would have flown to Radiant Garden and made a vessel himself if he could," she said with a laugh. Riku's eyebrow arched with a slight smirk.

"I'm not so sure about that," he countered. "Sora can barely handle a Gummi phone; creating a vessel would be far beyond what he could do with a computer. How he ever learned to fly a ship is beyond me…"

"Well you know Sora when he's set his mind on something," she laughed. "Not even a super computer could get in his way." Riku laughed at that, and it struck Kairi just how much she'd missed the sound. When had they last had a chance to just sit and talk? Certainly it had been before all of this had begun, back when their biggest worry was making it through another week of school and freedom meant sitting atop the crooked tree to watch the sun set.

Riku sat up taller and took his hand back, rubbing at his face and running his fingers through his hair. She tucked her knees up to her chest, resting her heels on the bed frame and wrapping her arms around her legs. He turned to her, studying her closely, and when his gaze met hers his smile saddened and his shoulders fell slightly.

"I'm sorry, Kairi," he said. "Not just for the last few days or weeks… I haven't been the friend that you needed. I let my doubts and my fears get in the way of our friendship." The corners of her eyes stung again and her throat burned. She tightened her grip on her elbows.

"Don't apologise, Riku," she said softly. "I'm just as much to blame as you are." He frowned, confused.

"I don't understand," he said. She felt her stomach twist. She lowered her gaze to her lap and gnawed on her lip. She'd had a similar conversation with Sora, which had been hard enough even as he sat next to her by the fire holding her hand and telling her she didn't have to explain herself to him.

She did, however, have to explain herself to Riku – especially after how she had confronted him on the beach. He deserved a chance at understanding.

"I used to think that I was always going to be the damsel in distress," she began. "Even when I tried to look out for myself I ended up a prisoner. But then I got a keyblade, and for the first time I thought that I wouldn't have to be left behind anymore. I did everything I could so that I could fight by your side, and when Merlin said I was ready… I was too scared to tell anyone how terrified I was. Axel knew, I think, but I couldn't face the thought of you all going off to fight without me, and I didn't want to be the one to hold anyone back. It was like I had something to prove and I was too… too proud to ask for help. If I had, maybe things would have been different." She fiddled absently with the hem of her skirt, picking at a speck of lint until it became a ball. She could feel Riku watching her closely.

"When I came back, I was so determined that my plan to rescue Sora was going to work. My plan. My powers. It felt like I was finally taking control of my own destiny for the first time, and when I found out that it had all been a trick…" She stopped and closed her eyes with a sigh and a shiver that ran the full length of her spine. "I felt like I had lost everything and I couldn't bear it. It was easier to be angry than it was to really deal with it all, and then you were there… I'm sorry that I took it out on you."

Silence closed in around them. She bit the inside of her cheek and forced her eyes open to glance at Riku. He was staring at his hands, an unreadable expression on his face.

"That's exactly how I felt," he said, "the first time I saw Sora after we were cast away from the islands. I saw him with Donald and Goofy, and with Cloud and the others, and he seemed so happy… I felt like I had lost him, you, our home, and I was so angry. It was easy to give in to that anger." After a pause he looked up, meeting her gaze. "I used to think that you wouldn't want to be friends with me again because you could never understand the darkness, that you wouldn't be able to understand me, but I was wrong. You understand better than I could have imagined. I'm sorry I never gave you a chance to show me." She smiled and scrubbed a tear away from her cheek.

"How about we agree to stop apologising to each other?" she suggested. He was quick to accept the offer with a nod, and he didn't try to hide the relief that washed over his face. Neither did she. The lingering tension between them seemed to dissolve almost instantly, leaving only the faintest trace behind that anything had ever been amiss. She smiled at him, and was relieved when he smiled back.

The ship jostled suddenly. Kairi's feet slipped from the edge of the bed frame and only Riku's quick reflexes kept her from spilling on to the carpet. They shared an awkward laugh as the ship quickly righted itself again.

"Looks like Axel's taken control of the ship," she laughed.

"He'll get the hang of it, I'm sure," Riku replied, though it was followed by a nervous chuckle as the ship rolled again. "We'll be fine. The Highwind's been through more battles than I can count; I'm sure it'll survive a few minutes of Axel at the helm."

"The Highwind… Why does that sound familiar?"

"It's what Sora wanted to name the raft we made," he answered. A flush rose up his neck and he lifted a hand to rub at it. "It's what we were racing for, that day on the beach. The last race we ever did… If Sora had won, he was going to name the raft Highwind."

"What if you had won?" she asked. "What would you have called it?" He stared at her for a moment, a sad sort of smile playing over his lips. After a moment it was gone and he shrugged.

"I don't really remember," he finally answered.

He's lying, Vanitas observed.

So what? He doesn't want to tell me if he doesn't have to, she answered. And why do you care?

I don't, he sniffed.

"Kairi?" Riku asked. "Are you okay?" She smiled and nodded.

"Just Vanitas," she answered.

"What's he saying?"

"Nothing interesting," she answered. Vanitas huffed. The ship pitched sideways again and Kairi slowly (carefully) got to her feet. "We should probably head back up. I think we'd all be happier if you were back in the pilot's seat again." Riku smiled and nodded and led the way back to the ladder (with one hand on the wall in case the ship decided to roll again). At the bottom of the ladder he stepped aside and waited, motioning for Kairi to go first. She hesitated, waiting to see if he would realise the problem.

"After you," he said when she made no attempt to climb. She caught his eye and glanced down, arching an eyebrow and tilting her head. He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I'm wearing a dress, Riku," she answered. "I didn't really expect to be doing any climbing today." His ears flushed crimson and he cleared his throat tightly.

"Right, o-of course," he murmured, making his way towards the ladder. He reached for the first rung.

"Riku?" He paused, turning back to her. She met his gaze, unsure of what she'd been planning to say. Perhaps she hadn't been planning to say anything at all. When nothing came she launched herself forwards, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him in a tight hug. She felt him freeze and she laughed in to his chest.

"You can hug me back anytime," she teased. Slowly he lowered his hand from the railing to wrap his arms around her, and she squeezed him until he finally squeezed back. "I missed you, Riku," she murmured. A gentle hum rumbled through his chest.

"I missed you too, Kairi."

I couldn't have them stay mad forever!

Poor Riku. He's been trying to be strong for so long, and it's just not working out for him. He was going to break sooner or later. Poor boy's been through a lot.

Let me know what you think! I honestly love reviews. Also tell me, if you've played Re:Mind – What did you think? Love it? Hate it? I wanna know.

Huge thank you to XtraXP, Aqua664 and Scarlett-95 for your kind reviews. You have no idea how happy they make me! (Check your DMs for my reply!)

See you in the next chapter!