Once Laguna took command of the kitchen dinner got underway swiftly, with the added guest list it took a little longer than had been planned and there was a call for more dishes which he spent no time in directing his kitchen staff consisting of Cloud, Tifa, Yuiffie, Rinoa, and Leon to prepare. Under Julia's direction the table was set just as swiftly and she made sure that it looked fit for a banquet that the King would have been jealous of, she might not have been much of a cook but Julia knew how to run a household.

Laguna stuck his head out of the kitchen and into the dining room. "Who wants to run to the market?"

"Oh Laguna don't have anyone run off right before dinner, it's almost ready. We'll have enough."

Laguna shook his head. "Dinner won't be ready for awhile. I want someone to run down and get some appetizers to tide everyone over."

Julia scowled at him but before she could further object Rikku volunteered.

"Roxas and I will go!"

Roxas looked up from silverware he was setting, "we will?"

"Yeah, come on I need help carrying the stuff." Rikku said dragging Roxas towards the front door.

Roxas looked helplessly at the rest of the party as Laguna returned to the kitchen; Julia sighed and shook her head returning to the table. Sora was grinning at him as Rikku tugged on Roxas in an effort to get him to hurry and everyone else was studiously ignoring his silent plea for help; all except for Namine who walked over to them, speaking quietly.

"You shouldn't go Roxas."

Rikku smiled at her, "you want to come with us?"

Namine shook her head. "It isn't that." She said, looking worriedly at them.

Kairi had looked up now, watching the trio, her eyes following Namine with a frown.

"It's just," Namine began anew, "I don't think you should go."

Rikku snorted. "What's that supposed to mean? Come on Roxas."

She pulled him towards the door and Roxas went along with her, casting a backwards glance at Namine who stood there watching them, she looked truly worried but he couldn't understand what she was so worried about. They went outside into the evening air, Big Red chirped at them lazily from his spot by the door where he'd curled up, he yawned and ducked his head back under his wing which made Rikku giggle.

"You know Dad would never let us have a pet, you and Sora are lucky you found him."

"He found us." Roxas said, eying the big bird as they walked past.

"Well still, you're lucky."

They walked in silence for a while after that, the sky growing dimmer as the sun set over the city and the street lamps came on, Rikku pressed closer to Roxas as it got colder, leaning on his shoulder.

"It's beautiful."

Roxas blinked and looked at her. "What?"

"The sky, it's beautiful."

Roxas looked up; the first of the three moons was crawling up over the city and in the reddish glow from the second moon was visible over the roof tops. The third moon was never visible except on special nights when light from the sun hit it properly. It was always dark otherwise.

"Yeah, it really is." He murmured as he stared up at the sky with her.

The market was in view now; its neon sign glimmered in the night air flickering cheerily.

Rikku stopped suddenly, "what is it?" Roxas asked.

She smiled at him mischievously, "it's just that with such a beautiful night it seems a shame to waste it."

"What do you mean?" Roxas asked nervously, feeling heat rising to his face.

Rikku continued to smile as she turned to him and put her hands on his chest, pushing him back playfully. Roxas flushed as she pressed him up against the wall, the lamplight flickering above them as she kissed him lightly on the lips. Smiling, she took his hands and placed them on her hips.

"Unzip me."

Roxas swallowed. "I--"

She put a finger on his lips. "You've never done this before." She said, and for a change she blushed. "Neither have I, but I want to, don't worry, I have clothes on underneath."

Desperately he looked over towards the market and realized why Rikku had chosen this particular spot to push him against the wall. They were in a small recess and out of sight of anyone on the street unless they were standing right next to them. Roxas felt his heart beat intensify as he realized how doomed he was. He reluctantly reached up behind the nape of her neck and found the zipper to her jumpsuit, sliding it down slowly, as he did so Rikku shrugged it off her shoulders and let it fall down around her hips to reveal her so called clothing to be an oragne bikini top that went around her neck and tied at her back Roxas flushed a deeper shade of red as she pressed against him, kissing him tenderly and running her hands through his hair. Despite his want to stop all this, Roxas didn't, he'd never been kissed like this, and in fact he'd never done anything that even approached this. He pushed back, holding Rikku against him, feeling her stomach rise and fall as she leaned into him.

They broke the kiss, and she smiled, her eyes closed for a moment before opening, the green orbs sparkling as she leaned against him. "Wow, let's do that again."

She pressed her lips to his again, and this time Roxas responded kissing back and putting a hand on the back of her head and another on her hip. She tasted nice, sweet if a person could taste sweet, and cool. His embarrassment was pushed aside for the moment by the simple fact that he was enjoying this. He was still flushed red and didn't even know if he liked Rikku really, but he liked this moment in time that they were sharing...and that was enough right? Somewhere in his mind Namine flashed into existence but he paid the thought no mind, kissing Rikku further as they leaned against the wall. Rikku took his head in her hands, lifting a leg up and wrapping it around his waist, pulling herself up against him, kissing him passionately as Roxas' hand found its way underneath her raised leg, pulling her closer.

His eyes were closed, but he could still see the light through his eyelids and when it began to flicker he frowned against Rikku's lips, breaking the kiss to look up. Frowning, he pushed he back and looked up as the street lamp above their heads flickered out of existence. He swallowed, pushing Rikku off of him and stepping back into the suddenly dark street and looked to see other lamps all along the street doing the same.

Rikku shivered, leaning her head against him and putting her arms around him. "Cold isn't it."

Yes Roxas thought with a frown, it was getting cold it had been a warm night a moment ago; terror sank into his stomach, no, not here, not right now please not with her. Even as he wished to be wrong more lights flickered out of existence, the market's cheery neon sign vanished within the encroaching shadows, even the light from the moons was gone now.

"Rikku," he murmured, finding his voice, his mouth dry. "Stay close to me."

She looked at him, frowning. "What's the matter? It's just a power outage, they happen."

He shook his head. "It's just like the time Sora and I first were attacked back home."

He felt Rikku's grip on him tighten, her voice trembled. "Heartless here but they never come into Hollow Bastion!"

Roxas shook his head, his arms around Rikku protectively. "I don't think they care."

"What are we going to do?"

Roxas let go of her and held out his hands, his keyblades snapping into being and casting a soft light around them, illuminating a small circle in which they stood.

"Stay close, don't get separated."

Rikku nodded, then reached for him and pulled him in for a fierce, desperate kiss. Roxas' arms wrapped around her waist automatically, his keyblades crossing behind her back; as she broke the kiss she pressed her face against his cheek.

"Kick their butts."

Roxas nodded, his heart chilled, could he really protect her? He wasn't sure, he and Sora had only barely managed to stay alive during the three attacks they'd been through together, and now he was alone with a defenseless girl. No, he shook his head, he had to protect her.

There was a sudden hissing, a ghostly whisper in the dark and Roxas saw the first pair of glowing eyes appear. The hissing was joined by chattering and scraping against the cobblestones as more eyes appeared. The Heartless danced in and out of the light cast by his keyblades, as if unsure of how safe it was to step within their glow.

Rikku stood behind him, between Roxas and the wall leaning against his back as she gazed at the ever growing number of eyes watching them.

"Roxas, I'm scared."

He reached behind himself and pressed his clenched left hand against hers, she gripped his hand tightly squeezing.

"It'll be okay Rikku, we'll be alright." Roxas said, though he didn't believe a word of what he was saying, already there were more than two dozen pairs of eyes and he had already seen several Heartless in the shadows that he didn't recognize which only served to further frighten him. Roxas' mind raced as he tried to think of anything he could do to really protect Rikku, he didn't want her hurt.

"Rikku, I want you to stay by the wall and when I move run for Laguna's and don't stop."

Rikku looked at him. "Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you here by yourself!"

Roxas took a deep breath, trying to sound braver than he felt. "They only come after bearers, they won't bother with you. The second time Sora and I were attacked they only attacked other people if they got in the way. You'll be safe, trust me."

She swallowed, taking a deep breath before nodding. "Okay, Roxas?"

"Yes?"

She turned him around and kissed him, there were tears in her eyes as she smiled, he noticed for the first time just how vibrantly colored her eyes really were as she looked at him.

"Don't die okay? I'll never forgive you."

He managed a smile, laughing a little even as the Heartless hissed in the shadows around them shifting from side to side and gnashing their teeth.

"Go."

He turned and rushed at the nearest pair of eyes, screaming as much to intimidate the Heartless as to let out his own ill ease. The nearest Heartless reared up, hissing and slashing as he ducked under its wild swings and severed both arms before cutting it in two. Another Heartless leapt at him and he caught it with both his blades across the face, taking its head clean off in a shower of black mist. The other Heartless rushed him then, and he swung at anything that moved he could hear the screeching of the Heartless as he killed them but his mind was numbed to the horrible noise. He never saw Rikku run, but when he had a moment to look where she'd been standing she was gone and that was all that mattered to him.

He began backing off, now that Rikku was safely away he didn't have to fight so hard, he could relax and wait for them to come to him. The Heartless kept their distance, though they were slowly closing a noose around him, chattering like thousands of insects as they bobbed around him. There was a scream, at first Roxas thought it was his own, then he realized it wasn't him and his heart froze. He turned towards the sound and ran, hacking his way through any Heartless that were in his way.

Roxas came to a stop, the light from his keyblades illuminating the scene in front of him. There was a massive Heartless standing before him, it looked like someone had mated the worst parts of dogs, bears, and cats into one animal. Its long whip-like tail ended in a vicious spike that it thrashed back and forth and its head was massive, lined with teeth that had to be the size of his little finger. That wasn't what he was staring at though; he was staring at Rikku, lying prone beneath a massive clawed foot on the cobblestones in a pool of blood.

The Heartless stepped off of her body and turned towards him, its teeth bared as it snarled, it was more aggressive than the Heartless he'd just fought but he didn't think of that, rage welled up inside of him, he'd told her she'd be safe, that she could run and they wouldn't follow. He'd been wrong. Roxas ran at the Heartless swinging wildly, its tail lashed around and whipped one of his blades out of his hand but he swung with the other blade, driving it into the creature's belly. It howled in agony and sank its teeth into his shoulder as he dug the blade deeper. Tense moments passed as they remained locked like that, then its grip slackened and it melted away with a mournful howl.

Roxas dropped his blades, ignoring the blood and pain from his shoulder and went to Rikku, rolling her over and holding her in his arms.

"Rikku?"

When she didn't answer, he licked his lips, leaned down and kissed her, tasting blood in her mouth. At first there was no reaction, but then she responded, kissing back weakly. He broke the kiss and tried smiling at her as she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

She smiled her eyes vibrant even as blood trickled from her mouth. "Rox….as?"

"I'm here Rikku, you're safe."

There was no response; her eyes were vacant as she stared at him, her mouth frozen in a smile. Roxas shook her, tears falling down his cheeks as he sobbed and pressed his head against her, blood smearing his face as the lights along the street flickered on above his head. He screamed then, and this time he knew it was his voice crying out. When the others found him, he was still clutching Rikku's lifeless corpse to himself and rocking back and forth sobbing. Cloud had to pry him away from her, kicking and screaming all the while as they took Rikku away before blood loss caught up with him and Roxas lost consciousness.