IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SOOO LONG TO GET OUT! .bows head deeply.

Kamio: So I really want to thank all the people who keep coming back for this. I LOVE YOU GUYS!

And I'd really like to thank Laxcia, black.maple.tree and Capt. Angel because they made me feel so good by leaving me a comment. You guys are fantastic! If I could make you guy's brownies I would because I make the best brownies ever! But yeah that's what I'd do. Sorry I really can't.

Riku: Why don't I ever get brownies?

Kamio: Because you have to keep your figure in check for Lehna.

Riku: Hmph.

Kamio: Moving on! This chapter definitely took me a while to write too. I hate that I can't update for you lovely people sooner but college keeps me busy. It's not fun let me tell you. But I do hope people like what I'm writing here. Either way I'm going to keep writing but encouragement is appreciated. So without further ado chapter 4!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Tetsuya Nomura's or Square Enix, or Kingdom Hearts, or anything that I could possibly get in trouble for that isn't mine. But I do own my OCs.

Note: All the italics in this story are Riku's thoughts unless I specify otherwise!

------------------Traverse Town---------------------

"We're getting nowhere."

Sora's shoulders drooped with defeat. They'd been in Traverse Town for three days now and they hadn't a single idea as to where or who they were looking for. Kairi looked at Sora with concern. He was so excited when they first got here. Expecting to find the information they were looking for like that.

"If we could just get in touch with Cid or Leon."

It was odd, but they couldn't find Leon, Cid, Aerith, or even Yuffie. You would think that Yuffie would be more than excited to see everyone but they couldn't find them anywhere in Traverse Town. It didn't feel right. Riku felt that something was out of place.

Where are they? They should be here. If not where did they go? And why wouldn't they be here? What caused them to not be here?

The trouble was, this was the trouble. Not one of them had any idea how to get into contact with Cid or Leon. They were stuck until the group decided to show up or even one of them did. They were wasting time really. Time Riku was sure they didn't have.

"Maybe we should just go to Cid's and wait there." Goofy had stopped walking and Donald had walked into him.

"Oof!" Sora then ran into Donald and all three crashed to the ground.

"I agree. We could miss them while we walk around aimlessly. Besides I'm tired of just walking around." Kairi suggested this while she helped Sora to his feet.

Sora's look of defeat was not encouraging. Riku felt it too though. He wanted to scream in fury because no one was here. He couldn't quite figure out why but he felt he was in a rush to find the girl. They made it back to Cid's shop and still no one was there. Riku was not one for waiting and he decided he wasn't going to. He made his way to the door after everyone had entered and made themselves comfortable.

"Where are you going?" He paused at the sound of Sora's concerned voice.

"Out." He didn't even turn around to see anyone's looks. He just continued out the door and made his way for the 2nd District. He heard loud feet and a door slam.

Sora.

"Hey Riku wait up!"

He stopped to wait for Sora to catch up to him. When he felt his presence close enough to him he proceeded on his way.

"You okay?"

Riku shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm just confused about this whole thing. Plus I feel like I'm anxious to see her. I don't really like the feeling."

"Yeah I kinda know what you mean. It's weird because I know we haven't met her. We don't even know what she looks like. Sigh…..I just wish we had a lead or something."

He felt the same way. They were making there way through the 2nd District now and Riku couldn't help but let his thoughts wander back to the darkness. Mickey had warned him about it. He would once again have to face what he wanted to be rid of for so long.

Sora stayed silent beside him, watching.

How can I get rid of it if it keeps coming back to haunt me? I hate this.

Sora noticed the way Riku's mood changed and how the darkness shimmered around his body. Riku was now oblivious to Sora and continued to walk in the direction of the Secret Waterway. He didn't know why he was walking towards the waterway but his body just guided him in that direction. Sora wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to stop Riku but he felt that Riku needed to think about whatever it was he was thinking about. Although he could probably guess by the darkness that was now starting to increase that his thoughts weren't good at all. They stepped into the water of the alley and Riku was still out of mind.

"Riku maybe we should…." Sora's voice trailed off as he felt something connect with his heart. He hadn't felt that since Kairi. He also noticed that Riku had stopped walking and that the darkness had dissipated.

What is this feeling? This…warmth.

Riku and Sora swam the way to the entrance to Merlin's House. Riku and Sora felt a tug at their hearts from the left. They both turned to see the dead end that awaited them. The wall with the crescent moon and stars looked strange. It looked as if it were the waves of the ocean and the picture wouldn't stay still. They both walked up to the painted wall, and put their hands upon the surface. Something immediately pulled at their beings and both of them disappeared from the waterway.

-------------------Accessory Shop----------------------

"Where are you going?"

"Out." He didn't even look back at them. He continued to walk out the door.

Kairi had been worried when Riku wanted to go 'out.' After he had walked out through the door, she looked at Sora.

"I'll be right back."

He squeezed her hand and ran out the door.

Riku and Sora had seemed to get closer as friends since Sora brought Riku back to his own self. She knew that Riku hated the fact that he had once given his body to Ansem and then ended up taking the form permanently. (If this isn't right then someone please tell me what exactly happened. It's been a while since I've beaten KHII and I THINK this is how he was. It was that scene where Sora closes his eyes and sees Riku through the form of Ansem and he's all happy and shit. Right?)

Kairi was more than happy that Riku was back with them as his self. Things had changed drastically between them but they put that behind them. As long as they were back together they would move on, although Riku seemed to be having the most trouble with this. Not that she could blame him. After accepting the darkness and then not being able to come back on his own would be something you would not forget.

"Gwarsh ya think they'll come back soon?"

"Which ones?"

"Well I guess all of them. King Mickey sounded like this was really urgent. Shouldn't we being hurrying up with this?"

"Of course! But without any information how are we supposed to go looking?!"

Kairi listened in on Goofy and Donald's conversation and couldn't help but giggle to herself. They always managed to keep things light whether they were trying or not. And that's when she felt it. Like something had happened.

"Sora….."

Donald and Goody both stopped talking.

"What is it Kairi?"

"I…f-f-felt…." She couldn't even finish her sentence.

What she had felt was Sora's presence vanishing in an instant. She couldn't explain it, but her heart felt it. A quick tug and he was gone.

"Kairi? You alright?"

Kairi looked up at Goofy and a single tear escaped her sky blue eyes.

"He's gone."

--------------------Hollow Bastion-----------------------

Both boys were surrounded by darkness briefly before a light in the distance called out to them.

"Help me."

Sora and Riku looked at each other. They knew what the other was thinking and before they knew it they were steadily floating towards lighting. As it grew in brightness they had to shield their eyes. When it got so bright they had to close their eyes completely, they opened them again to find that they were in the library at Hollow Bastion.

And what they saw before them was not what either suspected. At the foot of the staircase was something similar to what Sora had been encased in when he was taken in by the Organization.

A flower not yet bloomed stood before them and floating in it was a girl. The girl they both assumed immediately they were looking for.

"What the hell?" Riku could not contain his surprise.

"Ummm…..this is awkward."

Riku looked over to see Sora shifting from foot to foot looking everywhere but the strange girl that was being held captive. He didn't understand at all.

Until he looked at the girl once more and realized why Sora was acting the way he was.

She's….naked.

He couldn't seem to pull his eyes away from her though. His rational mind was screaming at him to look away, but his heart saw something he had not thought he would.

Hope.

Incredible. Beautiful. Hope.

Riku was lost in a world he did not recognize.

"Riku? Earth to Riku! You're staring!"

He snapped out of his unusualness and looked over at Sora. Suddenly his long hair shifted due to a sudden movement in the air and Sora's Oblivion appeared immediately. Riku's own blade, Road to Dawn (right?), was in his hand and he crouched down into a fighting stance.

They were surrounded by heartless. A lot of heartless. Riku and Sora had both encountered alarming amounts of heartless in far worse situations, but the problem was the girl. They could protect themselves, but with this many, where they covered ceiling to floor except the area around the girl and the couple feet within Riku and Sora both knew they were going to have trouble with this one.

Before either of them had more time to think, the heartless made their move. Riku and Sora were attacked from all angles by more heartless than they could imagine. They were holding their own. Blades swinging, bodies moving in rhythm, they were incredible. Sora's straightforwardness was always tough for the heartless to destroy. And Riku's uncanny speed was more than they could handle. Heartless were disappearing one right after the other, but they could both feel the strain on their bodies and the closeness of the girl behind them.

It was strange. Both boys had the same feeling of protectiveness grip their hearts. But there was a major difference. Sora's was a brotherly protectiveness. Riku's was more than that.

Why do I feel the greatest need to protect her? This is impossible. I can't

He stressed the word 'can't' like it was physically impossible. He knew what he had to do, but his heart was pulling in a direction that he didn't like one bit. Something strange was happening to him and it was completely unnatural for Riku. He could honestly say he didn't understand it.

As their bodies were pushed closer to the floating girl, a light appeared behind them. The heartless ceased attacking almost immediately. Both boys turned around to see what was happening and neither could believe their eyes.

---------Lehna-----------

Lehna.

Her name. Finally she knew her name. But she didn't have time to think about that. She focused on what was becoming clearer to her. The Light and Shadow were now human shapes. She wasn't scared by their fast approach, more relieved. Maybe this is what Nera was talking about. Perhaps these were her saviors? Her body twitched with excitement. Either way it was something new and she wanted to meet it.

Help me.

She thought she said the words aloud but she couldn't be sure. But something worked. Before she knew it her body was starting to feel heavier and she had the oddest sensation ever. It was like her body was moving downwards and she couldn't stop it. It also felt as if she was getting colder and the cozy temperature she was at before was disappearing rapidly. Her body also decided to unravel from its cramped ball position and she felt that that should not happen for reasons she could not guess.

Unexpectedly her body went cold. Very, very cold.

She was lying on the ground, well what felt like the ground since it was very hard and unmoving. She couldn't move her body and she was fighting to open her eyes.

She couldn't register the shock of the cold until she felt warm long things taking her off the ground. She tried even harder now to open her eyes. She forced them open and looked up.

---------Riku----------

She was glowing. Her body was starting to unfold and she was glowing. Riku felt something in his heart shudder in fear and he knew the darkness was being subdued. He wanted to tear his eyes away from her glowing image but he just couldn't. Both he and Sora moved closer to the floating girl and each placed their hands upon the capsule containing her. A bright light flashed out and everything was blinded.

They both opened their eyes to see her lying on the ground, limp. Sora didn't move an inch. Actually he was perfectly still, barely breathing.

"Riku," he whispered.

Riku could only stare in wonder. But he couldn't stop his eyes from wandering over her body. Pale, slim body, perfect long fingers, long gorgeous orchid-colored hair sprawled out around her body like a protective cocoon. He saw her hand twitch and went over to her still form, quietly. He didn't think about what he was doing, just acting out of something he couldn't comprehend at the time.

He looked down upon her frail form held protectively in his arms.

And came in contact with the most stunning eyes he had ever seen. Deep, entrancing, loving violet eyes framed by lush, flowing shining orchid hair.

He didn't realize he was holding his breath until the air escaped his lips in a rush.

At exactly the same time hers did.

---------Lehna---------

She hadn't expected to be met with beautiful, harsh, quiet aqua eyes surrounded by long, gorgeous silver hair, a pale and taught face. She hadn't expected herself to be holding her breath until she felt it leave her lungs in a rush.

Only to be met by his rush of breath against her face.

"Ummm Riku I understand your quite possibly caught up in a moment but we have some serious problems."

Riku……how beautiful.

She looked over to the voice that had come from her left. A boy with spiky brown hair, and cerulean eyes, was looking around nervously. She too took this time to look around and let out a gasp.

She was surrounded by a mass of slithering darkness. Except it wasn't darkness, there were forms and shapes and at breaks there were shiny white orbs that could only be eyes.

Confusion settled over Lehna and she fidgeted in the arms of the boy named Riku. She then looked down at herself and just about screamed.

I'm naked! How could this have happened?!

"Will you please stop fidgeting?"

She looked up at the occupant with the clear crisp voice. She was about to speak but he looked at her with those majestic eyes and she forgot to think.

"I'm naked." It was a barely audible whisper. Her throat felt thick.

"Can you hold on till we get ourselves out of this predicament?"

Flashback

"Relax, you'll be in good hands I promise. One thing though. When you do awaken, don't give the person your with a hard time."

Why?

"You'll see."

End Flashback

Oh…this must be what she meant.

He was still looking at her and she couldn't get a response out the second time so she merely shook her head yes while trying to inconspicuously cover up what she could of her naked body. Her eyes were wide though with fear though. She was incapacitated and she could do nothing about that right now. It frustrated her to no end.

"I'll keep you safe, I promise."

Not realizing he had been watching her reaction, she looked up into those calm eyes after hearing those quiet words.

And saw the sincerity whether he felt it or not.

She huddled closer to his warm chest, hearing the steady beat of his heart and wondered how he was going to get them out of this.

Kamio: Ahhhhh……I feel much better. I have to say that this is my longest chapter yet and I'm kind of proud of it. I know it took FOREVER and I am absolutely sorry for that, but wasn't it good? I do hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I do.

Oh and sorry for Riku being a little out of character. I know that he and Lehna were having a 'moment' but he had to be altered a little. And who knows. He can't be that far different from the way I portrayed him.

Riku: Fiiiiiiinally. Could you have spent any more time on this?

Kamio: Well with the papers I've been having to write and my roommate driving me crazy I can't help but fall. Do you know that I have to teach my PoliSci class all next week with lesson plans, and homework!? That takes a lot of work. So I think you need to calm down mister.

Riku: Hmph.

Kamio: Well thanks again for reading my loyal fans. If there are any.

LOVE YOU ALL

Kamio