Naminé didn't know when sleep took her during the night, but two sensations awoke her the next morning: a gentle knock at her door, and the strong scent of flowers. Whole daffodils lay on her pillow, still moist with tears, but it helped awaken her more quickly.

She was about to ask who knocked, but the voice that came in answered that question.

"Naminé? I don't know if you're in there. I just...I wanted to say goodbye before I left."

The entire previous night felt like a horrible dream, but one look at her hands brought back the vivid memory of what she'd done. The sorrow in Riku's voice only made her heart sink further.

He didn't wait for a response before continuing. "Things didn't end well yesterday, I think, and...if I said anything to upset you, please just tell me."

She couldn't bring herself to speak even if she wanted to. With the hurt in his voice, it was as if he still felt the pain of the true memory she'd replaced yesterday.

A soft thud came from the other side of her door, as if he'd leaned against it. "Listen, I...I don't want to leave with things like this between us. I can't abandon our search for Sora, but I also can't ignore what's going on with you. No matter how hard you try to hide it."

Naminé shot up in her bed, though still silent. Could he know, or actually remember? Did Aerith tell him? Naminé had never told the healer that her feelings were for Riku.

"I know you're more sick than you let on, and that it's getting worse. I don't want to leave and find out that you-" he stopped and sighed heavily.

So he'd seen past her attempts at a healthy exterior, but still didn't know everything. Naminé approached her door and placed her hand against the wood. None of this was his fault, yet he still blamed himself. For her distance, her pain, her sickness. She wished she could tell him all over again everything she had before, taking none of it back this time.

But she already knew how he'd respond.

"So you are in there," he said lowly, and Naminé realized she'd given up on breathing and moving slowly. "You don't have to respond, but know that I...I appreciate everything you've done for me. And I'm sorry." The warmth from the other side of her door retreated, and his voice came in farther away, louder, more confident, like he was speaking to a room of strangers instead of to her. "You know how to reach me if you want. Bye, Naminé."

Soon his footsteps fell away as well. Only when the silence of the morning returned did she respond. "Bye...Riku."

If anything could bring her out of her bed, it was Kairi and the promise Naminé had made to her. She had to prove to herself that she could atleast keep one of her promises, so she cleaned herself off, changed into new clothes, and made her way to her daily visit with the ever-slumbering Princess of Heart. During the walk there, she wondered if she'd be able to connect with Kairi so vulnerably after what she'd done to Riku, one of Kairi's closest friends.

She found her answer in each passing minute sitting with Kairi, no visions or memories. Even when Naminé reached out to touch Kairi's hand, she couldn't feel the same presence as before. The worst part was, Naminé didn't know whether Kairi's heart had retreated from hers, or the other way around. Kairi had always been in tune with the hearts of those around her, able to tell when someone was hurting. Maybe Naminé had done it all to herself.

Or maybe misusing her powers had caused her to lose touch with her own heart.

Naminé pulled her hand back. "Kairi, I have another confession to make. I did something horrible, to someone we both care about, and I don't know if I can ever go back."

Of course, the girl was quiet, but usually Naminé could atleast feel her presence, her heart, and although she wore a soft smile upon her face, Naminé felt none of the usual warmth. She leaned forward and rested her face within her hands.

"I've ruined everything. I don't know if I can even help find Sora anymore, so I suppose I've failed him too."

Atleast alone with Kairi, Naminé didn't have to try as hard to mask her emotions or affliction. What would Kairi say to Naminé at a time like this? She wasn't the type to be unnecessarily harsh, yet she wouldn't excuse her friends' actions either. She'd probably say something like:

Self-pity is unlike you, Naminé. You've made amends in the past, you can do it again.

It was different now. Naminé hadn't been forced to alter someone's memories. This time, she'd made the choice and could no longer claim to be a victim.

Knowing that continued attempts to reach Kairi and Sora would only yield more frustration, Naminé gave Kairi's hand one last gentle squeeze, promised to come back the next day, and departed.

She tried to enjoy Radiant Garden, but even the array of flowers on every corner couldn't pull her mind from its despair. They only reminded her of the very ones growing within her lungs. Similarly, the flowers in the town square emphasized who was absent, for as resilient as they were, they'd been blown outward with each of the gummi ship's arrivals and departures.

If only she had the power to reverse time, she'd go back and never use her powers against the man she loved. She'd face him and his rejection head on, and accept it for what it was. Maybe then she could've forced the Hanahaki to die herself, convinced that a life of friendship with Riku was worth the sacrifice.

But now she knew she couldn't. Try as she might to get him off of her mind, the pain within her throat only grew.

So she continued her days as normal. The Hanahaki grew slower without Riku's presence, but the inevitable would still happen in time.

A knock came to her door one morning. Until then, her retreat from the others had gone unchallenged, so she tensed, anticipating prying questions or demands for her presence.

Ienzo spoke with suppressed concern. "Naminé, if you would please come to the courtyard, there's someone here for you."

Her heart both leapt and broke at the same time, and she froze indecisively between hiding further under her covers and jumping to her feet. Of course, Riku came to her mind first, along with the possibility that he'd completed his mission and returned to hear Naminé out, but she knew that was too good to be true.

So then, who else would come to see her?

The colorful group of four who greeted her outside the castle answered her question. This time, Xion was the first to bound towards Naminé, wrapping her in a hug.

"Naminé!" she beamed with her soft voice. "It's so good to see you again!"

A part of Naminé wanted to simply retreat back into her room. Already overwhelmed with emotions, she didn't feel worthy of being on the receiving end of their warm greeting smiles. Even Isa, who had previously averted from any emotional expression, stood with a half-smile behind Axel.

But she couldn't deny that, for a moment, the pain in both her heart and her throat subsided as Roxas and Axel joined the group hug again.

Her face scrunched, and she buried herself in the embrace of her friends. "You guys," she mumbled, "I was supposed to go to you. How did you…?"

"Ah-ah, that's our secret." Axel wagged his finger. "We're here to have fun with you. That's final."

"Yeah, Twilight Town or here, doesn't matter," Roxas said.

"Maybe one day, Isa will finally join in on the group hug." Xion nodded towards the man who still stood with his arms crossed.

"Maybe," he said, before turning his gaze away and taking in the town. "I admit, it is...nice to see our old home again."

Naminé smiled, but try as she might, guilt and despair still weighed heavily on her heart. Tears wanted to escape, but she kept them at bay. Her friends had been kind enough to travel, somehow, all this way to see her. The least she could do was show them kindness in return.

"How about this," Naminé began. "Axel and Isa show us all of their old favorite spots in town, then I show you all of mine."

Axel snapped his fingers. "Now we're talking! Then at the end of the day, Roxas and Xion can decide whose spots they like better!"

Naminé giggled. "Well...I doubt I'd stand a chance. I didn't grow up here."

Isa nodded to Axel. "With his taste, you're probably winning already."

Axel grumbled while the quiet man's remarks won a teasing giggle from the rest.

Radiant Garden had grown and changed since its restoration. Many shops stood in the same place as before, but now with new wares and owners. Axel led them to a climbable portion of the town's wall, which rewarded its explorers with a breathtaking canyon view. Naminé could sense a time in which the deep stone maws were clouded in Darkness, but now only blue stone crags and gullies greeted them.

Maybe one day she'd explore more outside the walls.

As cliche as it was, Naminé led them through her favorite stretch of the garden. However, the peace and sereneness of the area had become shrouded in what had occurred the night before. Even as Lea and Isa commented on how much had changed, and how they used to sneak into the castle through a nearby tunnel system, she couldn't get the ghost of Riku's form out of her mind. She swore she could still see him standing where they had, or half-expected him to emerge from around a corner again. A sudden spike of pain hit her throat.

Their stay in the garden didn't last long.

Next, Axel took them to an old alleyway where he'd practiced with his first "chakrams". There wasn't much to the place, but Axel said himself, the memories were what made it special. That seemed to be the theme around Axel and Isa's favorite spots - seemingly insignificant places with heavy memories attached to them. Naminé couldn't blame them at all, for she'd have done the same.

Then, she took them to her favorite cafe, which apparently used to be a skate shop.

A visit to Kairi was in order as well. Though the air weighed heavily with the looming task of rescuing Sora, there was still a sense of ease. Naminé avoided mentioning how distant Kairi's heart had felt lately.

Everyone offered words of encouragement to Kairi, even if she couldn't respond. Roxas and Xion, already used to speaking to unresponsive sleeping friends, slipped comfortably into conversation, as if nothing had changed. Axel wished her safety, reiterating how far they'd come after their training. Even Isa offered a brief apology.

Her friends, unfortunately, could only stay for the day, so at their request, they capped the evening in the town center, sitting around the fountain.

"I know how to make this day even better," Axel said.

Naminé tilted her head, but it didn't take long for her to remember the tradition among them. "Radiant Garden sells sea-salt ice cream?"

Axel playfully scoffed. "Of course they do!" Swiftly, he stood and looked down each intersecting road, re-mapping the town out in his head.

Roxas stood with him. "Show us for next time."

"I'll come too!" Xion jumped. She turned to Naminé, but was only met with a small head shake.

"My feet need a break," Naminé giggled and kicked her feet out. "Walking in these sandals all day takes its toll."

Roxas pouted but gave no argument, and soon they departed down the darkening street.

For a moment, Naminé believed herself to be alone, forgetting about the new silent fourth member of their group until he spoke.

"Naminé."

Hearing Isa speak her name felt strange, but she still turned to meet him with a gentle smile. "Isa, I almost forgot you-"

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" he interrupted her. She fell silent, embarrassed that she'd failed to hide her despair from even him. "You're looking guilty," he continued.

She turned and placed her hands in her lap, folding them on top of one another several times. In her silence, the man sat on the fountain, far away enough to give her space while still being able to speak quietly.

"Am I that obvious?" she asked.

"It's easy to recognize a look you've worn yourself. It...surprised me to see it on you."

She smiled and ducked her head. Of course it made sense for him to notice emotions he himself had felt - or probably still felt. The way Roxas and Xion had been interacting with him lately had been a drastic improvement from her first encounter with them on the gummi ship. That, along with the fact that he'd voluntarily started a conversation with Naminé meant that he'd been making progress.

"I did something pretty horrible not too long ago," she said, "and I haven't been able to make amends."

"I see." His feet tapped the ground, still facing straight ahead instead of towards her. She couldn't tell what he was thinking.

His silence felt strange. He made no move to leave, yet offered no advice, encouragement, nor judgment. Finally, she turned to see his gaze fixed on the ground.

"Why do you bring it up?" she asked, scooting closer on the fountain.

"I don't quite know," he said. "Something seemed wrong. You were bottling it up and putting on a happy face for Roxas and Xion, so I figured...maybe talking with someone who's less important might help."

"Isa," she sighed, "you're not-"

"It's okay that I am, I understand." He raised his head and faced her. "But I know what it's like to let the guilt cripple you."

She recalled his expression when Axel had first re-introduced him as 'Isa' to her. He'd expected her to hate him, but while his reputation had been well known within the Organization, Naminé knew that it hadn't been her place to judge or forgive him.

"How do you do it?" she asked. "How do you even begin to make things right? The person I hurt doesn't even know that I hurt them."

"You may have just answered your own question. How can you ask for forgiveness if they don't know what they're forgiving?" His response silenced her once more. It felt strange opening up to someone she barely knew, yet so easy at the same time. He continued, "But there's only so much confessing can do. Forgiveness ultimately lies with the ones you hurt." He glanced down and relaxed his hands on his lap. "In my case, I was lucky. I was sure Roxas and Xion would reject me, and I planned to be alone if I regained my heart. But Lea brought me back. He took on the discomfort, the inevitable conflict. I'd hurt him too, and he made himself the bridge between his old and new life - between me and them. And they...forgave me too, in time."

Naminé didn't miss Isa's use of Axel's old name.

"And I'm no expert in matters of the heart, but I know that there's little you could do that would make Riku turn away from you forever."

Naminé's attention snapped to him, for she was sure that she hadn't mentioned Riku once that day. Atleast, she thought she hadn't. "How did you…?"

"It's not hard to see."

She hummed in understanding, somewhat grateful that someone had pieced it together without her. He was right. No matter how much time she had left, the least she could do was make things right.

"I have to find him before it's too late," she said, "but I don't know where to begin. I don't have a way to get to him."

Isa glanced up to the large, decorated gates just ahead. "There are many magical items within that castle. I'm sure the master is aware that he owes you a great debt."

Naminé's heart sank. She'd lived in Radiant Garden for months now, yet she hadn't come face to face with the man who resided within its castle since awakening. Surely it was too late, or he'd completely forgotten that she lived there too. He had his duties, his own catching up and amending to do, after all.

Then again, perhaps he considered her one of those whom he needed to make amends with. How ironic that they both were now avoiding those whom they'd hurt.

She looked to Isa and nodded. "Thank you, Isa. I needed someone to pull me out of...whatever this is."

"I'm merely pointing it out. It's up to you what you do from here."

The scene that Axel, Roxas, and Xion returned to differed greatly from the one they'd left, and it became obvious to them quickly.

"Naminé, what's wrong?" Xion asked.

Roxas gave Isa a narrow stare. "Did he say something to upset you?"

Naminé saw the panic cross Axel's face, and quickly intervened. "No, no! He actually gave me some really good advice." Isa remained silent, despite every other eye turning to him with surprise. She continued, "I need to confront Ansem the Wise."

"About what?" Xion asked innocently. Roxas and Axel's shoulders fell.

"You mean you haven't…?" Roxas began to ask, and she merely nodded.

"Well, no wonder you seemed so down," Axel said and, without warning, plopped a stick of ice cream into her hands. "You're living in the man's castle with all that pent-up emotion stirring inside you."

Xion sat beside her and took her free hand. "And Riku left too. That had to be hard, I imagine."

Naminé wanted to cry - needed to - but though they were right, they were missing the crucial piece that Isa had begun to solve. She'd pushed Riku away, and likely wouldn't see him again. She didn't deserve the comfort they offered, and as she thought more of the Keyblade master, it took all of her strength to keep her sickness at bay.

Roxas sat on her other side. "We can come with you if you want."

She smiled at the gesture. "That's alright. This is something I have to do on my own. Tonight, I'd rather just enjoy your company."

He returned a gentle smile of his own, and Xion gave her hand a squeeze.

Axel raised his ice cream in the air as a toast. "Then enjoy each other's company we shall!"

They never did vote on whose "favorite spots" were the best.

The next day, the hallway leading to Ansem's study deep within the castle felt endless. When she finally turned the right corner, it was as if every step forward also stretched the walls and carpet that were unique to this corridor while the door remained fixed to a singular unreachable pinpoint.

Naminé wished she'd done this earlier for many reasons. Firstly, she wouldn't have felt as cowardly for facing him so late. Secondly, she wouldn't have to ask him for help at the same time. Lastly, Riku would've been here with her, providing her with both emotional support and a shield to hide behind. Now, she was alone, carrying a guilty burden of her own.

Eventually the hallway ended, and Naminé came face to face with the large door. Light flowed onto her feet from the space beneath it, yet no sound came through. If he was inside, he was still, perhaps enraptured with a book or lost in thought. Her shaking hand felt tethered to her body, so reaching for the handle took more strength than normal. When her fingers grazed the it, cold and unused for some time, she inhaled and repeated the words that had brought her comfort from the beginning.

You're safe.

He won't hurt you.

Without further hesitation, she turned the knob and pushed the door open. Her prior hesitation made up for itself in how swiftly it all happened, and the man sitting at his desk snapped up with a startle. When recognition crossed his face, however, he did not relax back into his chair, but froze with his mouth open.

It was then she realized something.

I forgot to knock.

"Naminé," his voice pitched upward in surprise.

Her swift unannounced entrance may have come across as aggressive, but she resisted the habit to drop her shoulders and make herself smaller. "May I come in?"

For a moment, he just stared at her before stepping in front of his desk. "Of course." To see the man she remembered as so stoic and hard-set be taken aback by her in surprise was strange, to say the least. Maybe he really had experienced a significant change of heart, or maybe it had just been the Realm of Darkness that had changed him.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

"I must admit...I never expected you to visit me here," he spoke before she could offer a polite 'thank you'.

She managed a smile through her panic and nodded. "Me too. I worried I'd waited too long."

Likewise, a nervous smile finally appeared on his face. "Ah, it is never too late. I suppose I am the cowardly one here, hiding away."

You're not the only one, she thought before hesitating on the door. "Open or closed?"

"Whatever you like."

Whatever she liked? On one side, a part of her really didn't want to be alone with the man in the small room. On the other side, the thought of someone walking in on a vulnerable moment sounded just as terrifying. Slowly, she swung the door shut.

His study was surprisingly warm and welcoming, with pastel colors lining the walls, trim, and carpet. A modestly-sized desk for a master was tucked into one side of the circular room, leaving more space for bookshelves, chalkboards, and what Naminé could only describe as knick-knacks. Her mind told her that there should've been cylindrical containers with floating hearts inside, yet those were absent.

"You've done the hard part." His voice pulled her attention back to him. "May I start?"

Naminé leaned against the door with her hands behind her back, and nodded.

"I'm sorry I've hurt you, Naminé," he said. "I know I've spoken of you and Roxas together at once, but I've hurt you both differently, thus you deserve different apologies."

She nodded again, knowing that he'd already had a conversation with Roxas. Many people had hurt them both, but Ansem was right that they'd each been used differently.

He continued. "I let my hatred and drive for revenge blind me. Blind me to your existence, to your humanity. I used you like an instrument in my quest for revenge, but I was wrong about everything. I was wrong about my apprentices, about Nobodies, about you."

"Sora's memories needed restoring," she said.

"And they still would've been without my interference. If Roxas had been acknowledged as a person from the beginning by someone like you, perhaps he would have agreed to help sooner. Instead I...no, no this is about you." He shook his head and stood taller, if that had even been possible. "I misused you the entire time you worked with me. You deserved none of it, and I'm grateful everyday that Riku disobeyed me and spared you."

"Me too," she said. "I felt horrible repeating what had been said to me, to Roxas. I thought I'd escaped my prison in the Organization, but in a way, that white room felt like just another cell."

Ansem stood silently as Naminé went on, though from his gaze she knew he was still paying attention. She figured she should cease reliving her pain.

"But despite all of that, Ansem," she folded her hands and lifted her head to face him fully. "I forgive you."

A pained look crossed his face, though his shoulders relaxed as he let out a breath. "You do?"

"Yes. The pain and the memories may never leave, but I've learned that hearts aren't good for holding resentment for very long." She allowed herself to truly, fully relax for the first time in the room. "You've apologized, and you've shown your capacity to change. I suppose I can see why they call you 'The Wise.'"

He chuckled lightly. "I have seldom lived up to that name, even in my prime."

He had changed. The tone of his voice had calmed, and the tension in his face had softened. His gaze was much more present, no longer focussed on some unreachable objective.

"There's one more thing," she added. "I now know what it is like to take your pain and your fear, and use it to hurt others." She did her best to fight away the tears prickling at her eyes. "I used to think I was immune to that, that only truly evil people could succumb to that temptation, yet I gave into it so easily."

His head tilted to the side, confused at her sudden shift in conversation. "You speak of the distance you've put between yourself and everyone else recently."

She startled but kept her gaze low, wondering how he could possibly have noticed her change in demeanor. He hadn't worked directly with her at all, and if he knew, then that meant that everyone else probably did as well. "Is it that obvious?"

He leaned back against his desk, seemingly much more comfortable speaking with her now. "One of my apprentices came to me a few days ago and expressed worry over your loneliness. He requested that I use my star shard to bring your friends here to visit."

A star shard. So that's how they'd travelled to Radiant Garden. Ansem didn't even have to specify which apprentice, for there was only one who'd worked closely with her since Riku's departure. How very in-character for Ienzo to seek out solutions to her problem before speaking with her about it first. The thought made her giggle lightly.

Ansem chuckled in response. "I hope you're not angry with Ienzo for his actions. He means well."

"No, I-I'm not angry with him at all. Riku did take the only means of other-worldly travel when he-" her voice caught in her throat, suddenly blocked by those cursed flowers,"...when he left."

"Ah," Ansem nodded his head, as if an epiphany had suddenly come over him. "So the Keyblade Master is the cause of your pain?"

"No!" she exclaimed, then backtracked. What Ansem had said was partially true, but Riku hadn't hurt her. "Well, yes and no."

"I see," the man said. "For all my studying of the heart, I'm afraid that matters of...affection are a bit beyond me."

For the second time, Naminé found herself pouring herself out in front of someone she'd least expected to. She'd approached Ansem's office shaking and unable to find any words, and now here she was, speaking freely about her predicament. Should she tell him everything, or just what she'd done?

"I did...something bad." The moment the words spilled from her lips, so did tears from her eyes.

Now, the man's relaxed demeanor shifted. He stepped forward and reached his hands out before hesitating. "Oh..."

"I changed his memories, and he doesn't even know," she choked and knew that flowers would demand to spring forth and join her tears. Riku didn't even have to be present anymore, just speaking about him summoned her affliction.

Understanding crossed Ansem's face, as he was well familiar with her powers. "I see…"

Would he hate her too, reverting his treatment of her to apathetic once again? She closed her eyes and gripped her arms. Then the coughing started, and she had to cover her mouth. If Ansem would be the first to learn everything, she'd feel like a hypocrite for facing his earnest apology only minutes ago.

She startled when she felt hands touch her shoulders. Ansem had knelt in front of her, regarding her with a sorrow she hadn't seen in him since his confrontation in the Organization's stronghold. Being caught off guard caused her to drop her focus on hiding her sickness, and a flower fell from her hand. Where his office carpet was once spotless, there was now a daffodil and a red stain of blood.

"Oh my," he gasped, but didn't recoil in disgust. "I haven't seen this in a very long time." His grip on her shoulders tightened, and he shook her to get her attention. "Naminé, you must tell me now. Is Riku your…?"

He didn't need to finish the question, for she simply nodded.

"And you told no one?"

"I...I came to Aerith when I first started seeing these." She held up a single petal. "She knows but thinks her medicine is still keeping it at bay until I...act on it."

"And now Riku is gone for the foreseeable future!" The man raised his voice with worry for the first time, which caused Naminé to flinch. He took a deep breath and hung his head. "I apologize, but for your own life, you need to-"

"I did," she interrupted. "I did, and he didn't respond like I'd expected. He looked...confused and lost. That's why I panicked and..."

"My dear, after spending an entire year with the man, I thought you'd have known how stilted he can be when expressing himself."

"I want to find him." She shook as she spoke. "To tell him what I did and ask for his forgiveness, but it's too late anyways. He's far away, and he's not coming back anytime soon."

"I told you in the beginning that It's never too late." He stood abruptly and made his way to a tall shelf behind his desk. "And if you still believe that, you shouldn't wait a moment longer."

Various books, bottles, and certifications flew carelessly from the shelf before Ansem retrieved a box. A bright light filled the already-illuminated room when he opened it. "I'll remind you how I got your friends here so quickly."

A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing! The last chapter was pretty heavy, so I tried to give our girl some of the love she deserves in this one. There's one more chapter left, so I hope you all are enjoying :)

reflera on Twitter made some lovely art based on this fic that made me explode with happiness into a pile of glitter! Her Rikunami art is so tender and so them, so please go and show her art some love if you can :)

Alternative chapter title: Dusky's Agenda to Make Naminé Befriend Every Kingdom Hearts Character Ever