KAIRI

I couldn't believe that Riku actually came out and told her everything, first of all. Riku must really hold trust for her. Even now, Sora and Riku rarely talk about what has passed. Riku's faced showed complete confusion and his eyes glistened. Mel stepped back and peered into his eyes.

"Because… first of all… if you hadn't given you heart to darkness, Ansem wouldn't have taken Mom's heart and I wouldn't have met you all. Second of all, Kairi may not still be here if you hadn't done it. And last but not least…. You saved me…"

I never thought of it that way, but it's true. None of this would have happened. Sora may not have been able to give me my heart back had Riku not gotten his Keyblade. Mel can see very deep into situations. She can even read people really deep. Riku had told me about their conversation from last night. Riku's face grew solemn.

"Will… you forgive me?" he asked.

" Only if you forgive yourself because there is no point in it if you're going to dwell on it the entire trip." She said with a soft smile.

"….I …. I may be able to do that."

"Good… now that goes for everyone…" Mel began, "No more sad faces." She said cheerfully.

"Great…" Sora said sarcastically, "You sound like Donald and Goofy…"

"Actually she reminds me of you Sora…" I laughed.

"That's what everyone says…" Mel answered.

I couldn't help but giggled. Sora looked at me and made his cheesy grin. The one that I love. Axel had a huge grin on his face as well.

MEL

Everyone smiled, even Riku.

How can I keep everyone happy when I'm not happy? Is this my destiny now? To keep my friends in line until the very end? To put on a mask and pretend I'm cheerful so I can keep my friends in an upbeat attitude as well?

I have that feeling deep inside again. It just suddenly awoke within me. The feeling that something bad is going to happed. I hate that feeling because it is always right. I looked around at all the smiling faces. I smiled, too building the mask I wished I didn't have to create.

SORA

We all shared more stories and learned more about Mel. The entire time I saw something in her eyes that didn't agree with her smile. She seemed to hide herself. She showed fear in her eyes. I brushed it off though, I figured I would talk to either Axel or Riku about it later.

It finally got late and Kairi went to lie down, Mel stayed up with us, she was just really quiet. That seemed to be different. She had been standing uneasily for a while now. The storm was settling down now. It would be gone by morning, then we would have to leave. I really didn't want to leave Kairi behind, but I wanted her to stay safe. This is the only place that I trust. Mel finally grew uncomfortable and changed stances. It drove me crazy. I had to know what was eating her.

"Mel, is everything alright?" I finally asked.

Axel and Riku must have noticed her insecurity as they both waited for a response. She smiled and shook her head.

"Look…. The four of us are going to be together for a while on this little adventure. I want you to be honest with us. We all have to trust each other."

Axel and Riku nodded in agreement.

"Well… it's just that… I'm scared. I don't want to lose my heart. I don' want the heartless to steal it, but I would much rather have them do it then my very own friends. Also… that feeling I get when I sense something bad is going to happen? The sixth sense kicked in this morning…. Well technically last night because I had nightmares throughout the night."

"What is it about?" Axel asked.

"I don't know. I don't even know when. The feeling has gone on for as long as a month before something finally happened. It's just a warning. I don't know what it is or when it is going to happen…. I only know it will."

"Well…. As long as we stick together….we should be fine…" Riku said, "Here is something you will want to learn…"

He gave her a piece of paper Her eyes scanned over it.

"Curaga?" She asked.

"You can use the spell to heal other people." Riku explained.

Axel gave her another Spell Parchment.

"This is Firaga… it fire…. My specialty. It's pretty easy and very handy."

"We can practice all this tomorrow before we leave." I said, " And here… this is Thundaga. It's lightening and it can hit far targets. It's helped me many times."

She read over all three of the spells.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Now…. We have a big day ahead of us. I suggest we get some rest." Riku advised.

We all agreed and silently went from the kitchen into the huge bedroom of Kairi's and got into our sleeping spots. I fell asleep quickly.

RIKU

As soon as Sora hit the floor, he was out. Axel laughed and then laid down a few feet away from him and soon he was out, too. Kairi was already asleep and so it was just Mel and I once again.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" I asked.

"Nope," She replied. "I can't go to sleep with this feeling in the pet of my stomach…"

"Are you sure it's your stomach?"

She gave me a dumbfounded expression. I laughed.

"No… I'm just saying what if it's your heart. You have such a powerful one….I wouldn't be surprised."

She put her hand over her heart.

"Maybe you're right. How can something so small…. Be so important?"

"You know, Peaches, you're different…"

"Is that a good thing?"

"Well…. Yeah. I mean you're cooler than all the other girls I've met, except Kairi, of course. You're right up there with her though. Also… you can see really, really deep."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean you can see into people almost. It's like on instinct, you know about them…"

"Yeah… but that's because I played the game…"

"No. You know things about me that the game didn't portray… don't you?

"I guess."

" You knew that the darkness was what made me push away our friends. You also knew that Kairi and Sora were worried about me before you even talked to them. You also knew once you met Axel, that he was good-hearted. You know who to trust and not to trust. I think you can see into people's hearts, not even Sora can do that."

"I don't look into people's hearts on purpose…"

"I know you don't. I just think that is a special gift. It can help with many things. It doesn't matter what's on the outside, only what's in the heart."

"I wish I could see inside my heart."

I smiled at her, something that I am getting used to doing. She leaned against the wall, with her arms crossed and her right foot on the wall behind her.

"For you… you don't have to look deep inside you. You are the same on the outside as you are in the inside. That is very rare. Everyone wears a blindfold. I wore my for quite a long time…"

I pulled out my black, silk blindfold from my pocket. She gazed at it wonderly.

"Here…. You can have it. I won't need it anymore…."

"But… why not give it to Sora? He's the one who brought you out of darkness… or Kairi, she's the one who knew who you were…"

"No… I want to give it to you. You helped me realize what it means to have friends and to keep them close to you. That is more important then any kind of darkness because if you have friends, they will help you overcome it."

I stood up from my corner and placed the blindfold in her hands. She looked up at me as I smiled.

MEL

I couldn't believe he was giving me his symbol of darkness. He wore it to hide what he had become and now he is giving it to me. I wrapped my fingers around it, carefully. I'm not sure why, but I had a feeling this gift was going to be of some comfort for me in the future. I smiled as I covered my eyes and tucked the pushed the edges behind my ears. My shook my head to let my long hair fall around the blindfold. I smiled and lifted my head. I couldn't see anything.

"How could you see through this thing?" I asked.

I heard him laugh.

"I was in darkness. It didn't matter. I had to use the darkness to my advantage. I could sense where everything was. Just like I still have darkness left so if I wanted to close my eyes and walked around I could still do it. I could see everything with my mind."

I closed my eyes and focused. A light came and I looked around. I saw the bed and Riku leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Sora and Axel were zonked out on the floor and Kairi was silently sleeping in the bed.

"Well…. If you used darkness… then how am I seeing right now?"

I looked at him. His eyes opened and he looked up at me.

"I can't say for sure. It might just be the light within you."

"Well…. How do I look?" I asked.

He laughed.

"You look better in it than I did…"

There's no way I could look better in it than you. You topped off the hotness scale in this thing, Tiger.

I didn't dare say that aloud. I was too embarrassed and nervous to say that.

"Okay… yeah… whatever." I said as I took it off.

He sat down in his corner again and leaned his head against the wall, eyes closed.. Then a question came to my mind.

What did it mean to have a pure heart?

"Riku?"

He looked as though he was meditating.

"Hmm?" He answered softly.

"What does it mean to be pure-hearted?"

His aqua green eyes slowly opened and met mine.

"To be pure-hearted means absolutely no darkness, whatsoever. No darkness means… no impure thought, no impure actions, no impure subconscious, and no impure feelings. Nothing impure can take place."

"What about killing heartless… is that impure?"

"Killing is an impure action."

"Then if I do lose my life and get brought back… if I'm pure then how can I protect myself?"

"Friends. That is what they are there for. To guide you and protect you."

The Voice has said that same thing.
"So…. Will you protect me?"

A grin grew across his face as he closed is eyes again.

"Maybe…. Why?"

"Oh… just wondering."

"Well…. I think you might rest your eyes. You're learning you first magic spells and believe me… the first time they'll ware you out."

"No way! I'm staying up for as long as you do."

RIKU

She plopped herself on the floor and leaned against the foot of the bed.

This is going to be easy.

I smiled and leaned my head back against the wall. She smiled at me. I stretched out and yawned. Her eyes grew tired and she yawned as well. I slowly closed my eyes, flicked them back open, and then left them open just barely. Her eyelids grew heavy as her head nodded forward, then she woke back up. I closed my eyes full and played like I fell asleep. I heard a 'conk' and so I opened my eyes. She was lying on the ground, out cold. I smiled to myself.

Works every time on Sora, too.

She was asleep in fetal position, so it made it difficult to pick her up, but I managed. I leaned over Kairi and placed Mel on the other side of the bed. It would've been easier had the bed not been right next to the wall. I placed the blanket over both Kairi and Mel.

Kairi must have been lying here and accidentally fell asleep.

I watched over Mel for a few minutes. She had curled back into fetal position and held my blindfold, tightly against her chest. I smiled and then looked out the window and saw that the rain had reduced to sprinkles and the wind was no longer blowing. The storm had finally passed. I made sure that everyone was asleep and then I silently slipped out the front door.