*NAMINÉ*

I walked along, holding Riku's hand. It was a bit uncomfortable for us, but everyone had grown used to us being considered siblings, so we did sibling-like things such holding hands, piggyback rides, etc.

I liked the beach. Riku took me here a lot because he knew how much I loved it. I walked barefoot, feeling the sand between my toes. It was cold, but I liked how it felt. There were no beaches where I had been before.

"Thank you, Riku," I said.

"For what?" he asked, staring at me in surprise.

"For taking care of me, and keeping my secret. You didn't have to, you know," I replied, flashing him a smile. He smiled nervously back at me. I could imagine how hard it would be for him to explain to everyone why all of a sudden, a little girl lived with his family, and how they knew her.

But the secret Riku harbored was much deeper than that.

Riku still looked uneasy, so I decided to change the subject.

"Can we go play in the waves?" I asked sweetly. Riku nodded, and we raced for the water.

Watching Riku run, I felt bad for him. He was still a little kid at heart, but something had made him grow up too soon. What had?

"Riku, wait for me!" I called.

He laughed in response.

"Ri-ku!" I called again. He didn't stop, but he slowed down noticeably.

I caught up to him, and pushed him into the water. He tripped, and got saltwater all over his pants.

"I'm sorry, Riku!" I apologized.

"Stop it," he muttered. We both sat on his bedroom floor, talking.

"What? Why? I am sorry, and I feel really bad about it," I tried to explain.

"Sorry for what? Pushing me in an ocean? That's what friends do, Nami," Riku smiled, lightly punching my head.

"Maybe next time, I'll push your head in and keep it there," I muttered to myself, crossing my little arms across my chest.

"What's that?" Riku asked, rubbing a towel over his pant leg.

"Nothing!" I chirped, smiling.

"No, seriously. What did you say?"

I laughed, not wanting to tell him. Riku got up to put his towel away. As he passed me, he dropped the towel over my head, and momentarily, I couldn't see.

"Ri-ku!"

"Ye-es?" he mimicked me. I puffed out my cheeks and forced tears to my eyes. That always worked in Riku's family. A few tears, and they were immediately sorry.

"Ah, you know I'm only joking, Nami!" Riku said, and sat on his knees, at my level. He pulled me into a hug.

"Hey! You got me wet!" I cried, but giggling at the same time.

"Yes, I did, Nami. I'm sorry for making you cry. You know I wouldn't be mean like that," he replied, setting me back on the ground.

"Okay," I replied, all smiles again.

"So, how do we get you from seven to fifteen?" he asked.

My smile disappeared, and I stared at the ground.

"Nami, you can tell me, you know," he said, now whispering.

"It's dangerous, Riku," I whispered back.

"Well, can I at least know what it is?"

"Okay, but Riku, you won't do this will you?" I begged.

"Well, I can't answer until you give me an answer," he responded, his voice as even as mine wasn't.

"Okay, you have to go to that parallel universe, the one I came from, and steal a mirror."

"That's it?" Riku asked in amazement. I bit my lip.

"No. It has to be a certain, guarded, crystal mirror. If it shatters, your life ends. If you look into it, you'll end up like me. You have to make it back here and bring me that mirror," I said slowly.

"That doesn't sound too hard."

"Are you kidding? You'd have to find a way in and out of there, and grab that crystal mirror without guards slaughtering you. It's nearly impossible."

"But it's not completely impossible, right?" Riku asked, a mischievous smile sliding onto his face.

"Riku, no! You can't do this; you'll die!" I whispered loudly. I was really concerned, and I didn't want him to go through with this.

"Oh, Nami, it looks like it's your bedtime. Come along now," Riku said, standing up and walking to my bedroom. I slowly, but eventually, followed.

Riku can't be insane to follow through with this, right? I mean, I've explained that it's dangerous, and he could die. But he still seems like he wants to go through with it. Wait, is he willing to…die for…me?

"Riku, tell me a bedtime story," I begged once I was tucked in.

"No, I'm bad at making stories," he said.

"Oh, come on, Riku! Just try it, okay?" I pleaded.

"Fine," he reluctantly gave in. I clapped.

Riku told me a beautiful story. It was a fantasy, about a girl who stumbles upon a kingdom of cats. I faintly remembered a movie I'd seen similar to that.

I stumbled into the kitchen, tired, rubbing my eyes and yawning.

"Oh, Nami, dear, have you seen Riku?" Riku's mother asked as she packed my school lunch.

"No, why? Is he gone?" I asked, sitting at the table.

"Yes. I went to wake him up this morning and he wasn't there."

"Oh. Maybe he went to school early to work on something," I yawned.

"Oh, maybe he did! I won't get worried until after school, then."

But he didn't go to school early. I knew that. It had been a few weeks since I had told Riku about the mirror, but I knew he had found a way in, and decided to test fate.

Riku, why are you so stupid? You're going to risk your life for me? I mean, I'm flattered, but I'd rather be seven than see you die.

"Oh, my goodness, where could he be?" Riku's mother asked to no one in particular. She was really worked up. I was too, I just didn't show it.

Riku's dad, as soon as he had been told that Riku was missing, plopped himself in front of the TV to watch football. He cared; I knew that, he just didn't want to face the truth.

"Nami, Riku will be fine, right?" Riku's mom asked, embracing me tightly.

"Right," I whispered in her ear, to soothe her.

I was lying. Riku wasn't safe. Riku was probably dead already.

I was the only one that knew that.