Um...hi? OK, I know that I haven't updated in a reeeeeeally long time...like, I really long time. three months or so. But here's the next chapter! And after that there's another chapter and then an epilogue. Enjoy!

Leon's POV

Wasn't this nice, a regular fairy tale with all of the required characters:

Captured, beautiful princess with undying love for the prince …check.

Awesome prince person with a big sword and undying love for the princess…check.

Talking animals...Check, oh hell, check!!!

Evil character, preferably evil magician/sorcerer…Check, I live next to his castle, and does that mean I'm neighbors with a sorcerer that wants to take over the world? Hmm, talk about being in enemy territory. But he doesn't know I exist, so does that mean…Great, now I'm ranting. Moving on…

Really strange hair styles/colors…I mean, seriously, WHAT IS IT WITH THESE PEOPLE?! They have pointy hair, silver hair, fiery hair, bangs that stick out in front of their faces…coughcoughLARXENEcoughcough… AHEM. Check.

And the genius bird that saves the day…Okay, I added that, your point? I do rock.

The absolutely wonderful, sappy, gooey, romance freak-y moment was interrupted (THANK YOU WHATEVER FORCE IS ABOVE US!!!) by the tread of (Guess who?) the sorcerer himself. What are the chances that he would look outside the window and see them? A large chance. VERY large. Honestly, does anyone have common sense anymore?!

I shook myself out of my mini-rant, and tuned in to Namine and Riku's discussion.

"…you have to get out of here, I wouldn't put it past him to turn you into…something, or smite you."

Riku glared in the direction of the sorcerer.

"I still say that I could damage him."

Namine grabbed his arm, and looked fearfully at him.

"Don't you DARE Riku. Don't you dare. It's enough being here to drive me insane, I don't want you to die over it."

Riku's glare softened.

"I'll see you later then." He whispered, and kissed her lightly on the lips before walking back the way he came. He paused when he was almost at the gate, and said quickly,

"Listen, there's going to be an important event at my place tomorrow night, will you come?"

Namine smiled like a little girl in love, which I suppose she was.

Blech.

"Yes." She said.

Namine's POV

I started as I heard Xemnas's heavy tread nearby. I quickly kicked Riku's forgotten Keyblade into a bush, and straightened my dress as the jerk himself came into view.

He glared at me, and stated blackly,

"I heard voices."

I nervously laughed, and replied uncomfortably,

"Voices? Are you joking, there's no one here but us."

Xemnas kicked at a nearby bush, and I winced when I heard an answering clang of metal.

"Ahh." He smirked, as he picked it up and languidly waved it in the air. "Aside from being a rotten liar, it was very brave of you to try and defy me. For that I commend, and condemn you. Tomorrow, there is no moon." I sank to my knees when I realized what the implications of that were. Oh crap. Oh SHIT!

NOW AT THE PLACE WHERE THE REALLY WEIRD (not including Cloud or Leon) TALKING ANIMALS (now including Cloud and Leon) HAVE A TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW

General POV

"We just wasted all of that effort to get Riku here, and then the stupid sorcerer finds out and ruins our plans? Hmph." Pence fumed.

"Well, this is life, and life has problems, big or small, no matter how hard we try to keep them out. Now the only question is how to fix them." Cloud commented dryly.

Leon snorted. "Wow Dr. Phil, that's deep."

"IT ISN'T FAIR!" Pence shrieked,

"Shut up." Cloud said, responding to both comments.

Leon cleared his throat, and inconspicuously smacked Pence over the head, therefore making him stop whining.

"Now that Pence has stopped acting like a toddler in a tantrum;" He glared at Pence, "We should make a plan."

Cloud snorted.

"And what exactly do you propose we do?" He asked snippily, "We're in a castle that no one…except Riku, and I doubt he'll remember…knows the location of, and there's a sorcerer determined to keep us in that's barely a half mile away!!!" He glared at the surrounding animals.

"You measured the distance?" Pence asked, interested.

Cloud glared at him.

"That isn't important."

Leon rubbed his head with his wing.

"Honestly, the real problem here is that there's no moon tomorrow, Namine can't see Riku."

"There isn't much we can do about the moon, mate." Pence commented.

"No…but…WAIT!" Cloud yelled

"WHAT?" the other two echoed.

"I have a plan."

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Namine glared at her reflection in the lake. It was just like her luck to be stuck here. It was worse than that stupid masquerade ball that she was forced to go to on her thirteenth birthday. Well, if not as bad, almost as bad. At least that stupid princess from…somewhere else that wasn't here, wasn't challenging her to a fistfight

A fistfight that the bitch didn't win, by the way.

Ahem.

Namine's POV

So to sum it all up:

Riku finally found me: GOOD

Xemnas found out that Riku finally found me: BAD

Riku's having some sort of party that I can't go to tomorrow: IRRITATING

Dark of the Moon tomorrow: SUCKY

I'm going to be a swan for the whole day and night: AWFUL BAD AWFUL HORRIBLE AWFFFFFFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sat on the shore of the lake and looked sadly into the water as I reflected on my predicament.

For someone that was supposed to have a fairy tale life, I had no luck.

It was kind of sad…but I could feel myself fading away.

Cloud's POV

"Guys! Guys!" Pence shouted urgently, racing towards Leon and me.

"I forgot the Brat." I muttered.

Leon snickered. Pence came up to us, his breaths coming out in short bursts.

Leon took one look at his scared face and stopped laughing.

"What is it?" He asked fiercely. Pence shivered under his steely gaze.

"Namine's got this…escape plan. It might work, but…" He trailed off,

"But…?" I asked impatiently,

"Let's just say that the odds are against her." Pence said quietly.

Leon smirked, and said,

"Then we better go help her. Usually Nami doesn't have mad ideas, but if this is her first, I wanna see it through."

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Namine's POV

Okay, so my depression has sparked a mad idea—my second one, actually, no need to go into the events of Riku's sixteenth birthday or anything, but that bitch that was stalking him deserved it…anyway, the plan was to show myself as a swan at the fun little party that Riku's mum was throwing. It was typical that I would fall in love with a guy whose mother is a notorious matchmaker…she better not be setting him up with anyone!

"Namine!" I turned and saw the guys running, (or in Cloud's case, walking as fast as possible) towards me.

"What?" I asked, putting a fake smile on my face—I wasn't sure if they were going to try and stop me, and I didn't want them to find out…

"What's your secret plan?" Cloud asked keenly,

I felt like banging my head against something hard. They found out.

"Well…"

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Okay, the plans was simple, get out, storm into the castle extremely dramatically, and then reveal that I was…me, to Riku. Problem was…well, let's just say the Heartless are way to good at eavesdropping.

A secret plan isn't so secret when the maniac you're trying to hide the plan from finds it out. I need a t-shirt that says 'I Hate Xemnas'.

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Riku's POV

I shifted uncomfortably in the glare of the party lights.

If it were for anyone but Namine, I thought in irritation.

I was—for lack of a better word—hiding in a dark corner, trying to avoid all of the gushing, irritating, downright stupid airheads that called themselves girls. They kept flirting with me…god, what the hell did Ido to deserve this?!

Wait…I approved it. Damn.

I tried to melt into the shadows as my mom walked over.

"I'm so glad you're moving on, Riku!" She gushed, her black dress clinging to her frame. Honestly, with the way she dresses, you'd think she was a seventeen year old girl trying to impress someone, not a widowed woman with a teenage son.

I saw Axel walk up, and thought maybe I had found the one she wanted to impress.

"Er…right." I said awkwardly, edging away.

"After all, there are more fish in the sea." She remarked dismissively. I clenched my fists.

"Namine was special—" I started, but then the general babble in the room faded into a shocked silence. I smiled as I saw a slim blonde girl enter the room.

I took a step forward.

Namine had arrived.

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I beat my wings furiously against the stone walls of the half-flooded tower in a hysterical frenzy.

"No use, girl." Xemnas's voice wafted down to me, the sound slamming against me in a series of echoes. "You think your so-called prince even cares about you? Right now he's probably dancing with my apprentice, who happens to be dressed up like you. He can't even tell the difference."

I slumped against the wall.

I will not cry!!!

I turned and gave him the best glare I could give him in this form.

He sighed dramatically.

"Don't look like that, missy. If you hadn't been too damned stubborn, it might not have come to this." He smiled, his teeth shining white in the moonless night. "Who knows, you might have even seen the prince once in a while. Shame, isn't it?" He slammed the window he was speaking out of, and left me to my thoughts.

I dove into the water, letting the chill wash the muck Xemnas's words had left on m heart.

As I saw the murky surroundings, I noticed a brick shifting and moving. Suddenly the brick was pushed away, and a small green head popped through.

Pence!

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Riku's POV

I walked through the path the people had cleared for me.

"Namine." I said warmly, holding out my hand. My brow furrowed as I realized that she was wearing black. "Since when do you wear black?"

She shrugged, and smiled slightly.

I felt a small suspicion.

Something was not right.

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Namine's POV

I helped dig out further, and wriggled through the small hole. I managed to get to the surface (on the other side of the wall!) just before I ran out of air.

"Thank you, Pence!" I said softly, as not to alert the Heartless residing in the moat.

He nodded.

"We have to get to land! Cloud's got a plan…"

We swam to land, and I shook the clinging water from my feathers.

"What's the plan?" I asked Cloud.

"It's simple, follow your plan, but get back before light." He said, yawning.

"It's extremely unoriginal." Leon volunteered.

I glared at them.

"Why exactly do I have to be back before first light?" I growled. "I'm gonna be a swan all day anyway—"

"You need to be back before first light, Namine." Cloud said seriously, "Elsewise, we'll be carving out you're grave before sunrise."

My mouth felt dry.

"I'm going to die if I'm not back here by sunrise?" I breathed.

"Yes."

Cloud's POV

I watched in admiration as the princess disguised as a swan shook off the news of a possible demise for herself in a moment.

"I'll be careful." She promised, and took to the air.

"Godspeed Namine," I whispered to myself, "You're going to need it."

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Namine's POV

I flew swiftly towards the castle on the island, its torch lights bright. I quickly checked the horizon. Enough time had elapsed since my departure from my lake that I knew that I had to mind the time. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw that no twilight was showing—now.

I banked towards the tall, bright windows, and swooped to see Riku holding the hand of a girl that looked a lot like the human version of me.

Brilliant.

Watch out, bitch. A girlfriend is out to kick your butt.

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Olette's POV

I had followed Master's orders perfectly, tricking Riku into thinking I was Namine.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched Roxas. I had been using my Master's scrying crystal to watch him for a while. Not that I was a stalker, or anything, I just thought he was nice.

To my horror, I saw a pure white swan pecking at the window. I steered Riku slightly away from the window so he couldn't see her, and smiled sweetly at the bird at the window.

Oh, yes. I am sooo good.

Riku's POV

When Namine…

Well, I don't think she's Namine.

There are the little things, the black dress, the failure to speak much, the chill in her face—it wasn't Namine.

Anyhow, when the girl pretending to be Namine steered me away from the window, I knew something was wrong.

I raised my head to get Axel's attention, and nodded.

Axel nodded back, acknowledging my unease.

And then it all fell apart.

Namine's POV

I pecked at the glass, trying to get Riku's attention. When I noticed the brightening of the sky, I forgot to flap my wings, and fell a little distance. When I regained my balance, I noticed a black cloaked figure.

When I recognized him, I nearly fell again.

Xemnas was here.

Xemnas's POV

I walked confidently up the walk to the big doors to the castle.

My life was looking up. Or in the case of dark sorcery, I should say down.

I chuckled, who says sorcerers can't have a sense of humor?

I kept smiling as I blew open the doors, causing them to splinter when they came in contact with the wall.

Riku's POV

Everyone froze when the doors blew open.

Ansem's killer, Xemnas stood in the doorway. He waved almost lazily.

"Hello there, little prince." He craned over to see the girl at my shoulder. "Ah, wonderful to see you, princess." He laughed, and the girl that pretended to be mine laughed with him, and with a flick of his hand, Xemnas removed the disguise from her, revealing his brown-haired apprentice.

I should have known.

Namine's POV

As the sky brightened, I felt a searing pain go through my chest. I started to flap my wings, aiming towards the lake as I realized what was happening to me.

I had failed, and I was dying.

Leon's POV

I paced the shore of the lake as I looked at the lightening of the lake.

Come on, Namine!

Riku's POV

"Where's the real Namine?" I yelled, brandishing my Keyblade.

Xemnas smiled, and jerked his thumb towards the wide east window. I turned, and saw a swan flap clumsily away.

"Who knows," he drawled, "You might even reach her before she dies at sunrise."

I yelled in fury, and sprinted after the bird in the sky.

Namine's POV

I can't die, not this close!

I reached the lake shore, and was a few feet away from the water when the sun rose.

I screamed in agony as I felt my heart begin to rip itself into shreds.

"NO!" Leon, Pence and Cloud surrounded me. Pence began to cry.

Riku sprang through the tall grass just as my vision began to flicker.

I dimly noticed Cloud, Leon, and Pence walk away to give us space.

"Namine…" Riku whispered, cradling my head in his arms. I smiled faintly at him, memorizing every feature of his face.

"Hey Riku."

"I'm sorry I was too late." He said, his voice cracked with pain. I touched his face.

"No, don't be sorry." My hand trembled. I was so tired. "Riku, kiss me please." I begged.

He touched his lips to mine, and I smiled. "Thank you." I whispered.

My hand fell from his face, and I closed my eyes, exhaling.

I let the dark wash over me.

Riku's POV

I watched in horror as the girl I loved lost any energy she had left.

"NO! NAMINE!" I sobbed, "Don't go…"

There was no response from the lifeless girl.

Suddenly I heard a low laugh from behind me.

I turned to see Xemnas standing behind me.

"So sad. If she had stayed in her prison tonight, she would be alive. But I would have killed her the following day after taking over." He shook his head. "Oh well, less work to do, I suppose."

Fury welled up inside of me. I laid Namine down on the ground carefully, and then summoned my Keyblade.

This would end here.

Ooh, cliffhanger! I must have a death wish XP. Review please, and tell me what you thought!