Chapter 3

That night was full of nightmares. Riku couldn't remember much of the details of any one in particular, but when he woke up, sick with fear, he could vividly remember the despair he felt, and the helplessness. Sighing, he put his head in his gloved hands, finding little comfort in the rough texture of the material. The possibility of going back to sleep was now a million miles away. What had he dreamt of to make him feel the way he did now? It had been a long time since one that bad had come along. When he had been trapped in darkness after Ansem had taken over his body, his sleep was plagued by nightmares similar to the one he had just experienced. Maybe it was Ansem's way of reminding him that he was never going to leave. His presence was always there, even when he was most happy. Riku knew that his enemy was going to be a part of him for the rest of his life, and he could accept that. But it didn't mean he had to like it. Darkness, in the end, was still a harder burden to bear than light.

His mind wandered, and he wondered about what would have happened if he had allowed Naminé to seal his darkness away. What kind of person would he have become? Would he have remembered anything of his journey over the last year? He shuddered at the thought of losing those memories. Though some of them were painful at best, he didn't think he could have just chosen to forget about them. They were him; they made him who he was and he had developed as a person because they were carried on his conscience. Riku knew that if he had forgotten them he would probably still be the little boy that wanted desperately to sail away from home. It was ironic that now all he wanted to see was that secret island where they all once played together. But he didn't want to see it alone. It would be far worse if he saw the place without his friend by his side. And Kairi... he missed her like crazy but he knew she was safe. He didn't have to worry about her. As long as she didn't come to harm he could bear her absence. He would never wish his fate on her.

Riku's head rose from his hands to survey his surroundings. The fire had long been extinguished. No trace of its former existence was left, not even ashes. Of course, if it burnt nothing then it was obvious it wouldn't leave any.

Naminé was still asleep. She looked so...young, like that; like a child that does not yet fully comprehend the dangers the world has to offer. What did she dream of? Was her sleep ever as troubled as his own?

Riku shook his head furiously. They were not, nor were they ever going to be friends. The things she'd done, the mess she'd made...

She wasn't the only one who'd ever made a mess of things. He was the best example of that, and he'd gotten a second chance. Something deep inside him was insisting that she deserved one, that she was essentially a good person. And yet...Riku could feel a reluctance to accept that. Call it a first impression, a doubt, mistrust, anything. He wasn't going to shake it off just yet. It had, after all, been only two days. Trust wasn't gained in that short space of time.

"Your guard is down," Naminé said bluntly, tearing him back from his inner conflict. He spun around to look at her. She was still lying on the ground, but her head was propped up by her hand. She looked at him lazily. "If I was the enemy, you'd be dead. You shouldn't space out like that."

Riku's mouth flapped open and closed uselessly. It was good to see him uncomfortable for once.

"That was such a clichéd line," he managed eventually. "And I wasn't spacing out." Naminé yawned and turned on her side.

"Whatever. I know what I saw."

"I wasn't spacing out," he insisted.

"Yeah, yeah."

"I wasn't-"

"Spacing out," she finished. "Heard you the first time, Riku."

"But-"

"Go back to sleep or something."

"But I w-"

"Or shut up, either option is perfectly fine. Just stop bothering me." Naminé rummaged in her bag and threw him a packet of instant noodles, along with a bottle of water. They had raided Castle Oblivion for supplies before they left. The Organisation could prove useful sometimes when it came to food. Axel liked "instant" everything. She concentrated and got the fire going again, burning low, before resuming her original position on her side in an attempt to get a little more sleep.

"Have those," she told him. "You should have the pan in your own bag. Boil the water, tip them in, leave for five minutes, stir occasionally and voila! Food." Riku gave her an exasperated look, though afterwards he wondered why he did. She was turned away from him after all.

"These are easy to make. What do you take me for, a brain-dead idiot with hopeless culinary skills?"

"Hey, you were the one who said you were more brawn than brains."

There was a few seconds of precious silence before Naminé felt the thump of an empty plastic bottle connect with her head. She shot upright and glared at Riku. It had surprised her more than it hurt her, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

"Ow!" she complained. "What was that for!?"

"Hey, you were the one who said I was more brawn than brains," he repeated innocently. The noodles were tipped into the boiling water and stirred. He was surprised at how fast it boiled. Maybe it was because it was a fire borne of magic.

"But you didn't have to hit me!"

"Well, that is the only thing a person of my intellect can think of as a retort." His voice was laced with satire. She glared at him.

"I didn't mean it like that," she said.

Riku looked down. "I know." He stirred quietly while Naminé got herself up and ready. There was nothing to be said. Both were content enough, surprisingly, with the silence between them. Riku took the noodles off the fire when they were ready and put them into two bowls. He held one out to Naminé, who looked at him in genuine surprise.

"What?" he said. "They're your noodles."

"Th-thanks," she replied, taking the bowl gratefully. Riku nodded and sat down opposite her.

"I-" Naminé started, finding sudden interest in her bowl of food. "I know this is a weird question, but what do you want to be when you're older? I mean, this isn't what you're going to be doing for the rest of your life, is it? You have to have something else in mind, you know?"

"Jeez, haven't been asked that question in a while." He paused, hesitant to answer. He didn't know if he should tell her or not. There was no way she could use it against him, was there? His mind couldn't think of an occasion where it could be so he decided to indulge her this once.

"When I'm older, I'd... like to be an athlete," he said quietly. "At home, my world has many islands, but five main ones. Once every four years all the islands gather together to host a huge contest. It's like the one in Olympus Coliseum, only with sports like sprinting, volleyball, basketball, martial arts and javelin."

"Wow," Naminé said. "I'd love to see that. Which one would you do? The martial arts?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head with a slight smile. "Everyone guesses that, but my fighting style has no discipline. I wouldn't be very good at it." His food forgotten, he brought his knees to his chest and embraced them. His sea-blue eyes had a shine to them that made his face look a whole lot brighter. To Naminé, it looked like he was back at home.

"My speciality would be sprints. I always liked running, I'd do it every day. When it came to the school sports days, I'd leave everyone for dead, even Sora. It's my dream to run the one hundred and four hundred metre sprint in those games. Competition is tough. Even if I qualified to just run in the final, that would be good enough for me. I wouldn't have to win to be satisfied."

"What age do you have to be to enter?"

"Sixteen."

"So you could enter now, couldn't you?"

"Well, the next one is still two years away. I don't know if I should train now or finish school first." He laughed, though it was obvious to Naminé that it was fake.

"Better get home before I decide anything though." He picked up his bowl and ate quickly. Naminé had long finished.

"You'll get home," she assured.

"What about you?" he asked, his mouth full of noodles. He had blatantly ignored what she had said.

"Me?" She felt the slightest twinge of discomfort. "I don't know..."

"Come on," Riku scorned. "I know you're just saying that out of modesty. Anything. Anything at all."

"Um..." Naminé had honestly no idea. People like her weren't supposed to exist, a future seemed unthinkable. It was the first time she'd ever been asked this question, and it had really surprised her, even though she was the one that had brought it up.

"Well, it's not an artist anyway," he offered. "Leave that as a hobby of sorts."

"A hobby," she echoed. "I guess you could call it that..." She paused to think. If she could spend the rest of her life doing anything, anything she wanted...

"I," she said slowly, trying to place her words just right. "I suppose I always liked helping people if they had problems or were in trouble. Can you put a career to that?"

"Oh, you mean a councillor. They talk to people who have problems and guide them into making practical solutions."

"Sounds like you've said that before," she noted. He shrugged.

"Our guidance councillor at school always said it. After a while it just seems to stick." He straightened his back and cleared his throat. "'I'm not here to dictate, but to facilitate.'"

"I can imagine that guy in a tweed jacket and all," she said with a chuckle.

"Got it in one," he replied. Riku didn't notice the smile that crept across his face.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind doing something like that." Her voice turned more serious. "It sounds like it could be fun."

"Hmm, something like that suits you down to a-" Riku stopped mid-sentence. He realised he was having a pleasant conversation with her. What the hell was he doing? He wasn't supposed to be talking to her like this. He wasn't her, her friend. Why would he-

His thoughts were interrupted as he got his comeuppance. It was in the shape of a bottle, and it hit him in the middle of his forehead with force, sending him reeling backwards.

"Your guard is down," Naminé repeated with a laugh. She made no attempt to hide her glee in getting him back. "And by the way, you can keep the bottle." Riku jumped up and mumbled something explicit, crushing the bottle in his right hand as she walked away. After a few minutes she turned back to face him.

"Well, what are you waiting for! Hurry up!"

Riku did the only thing he could do. He followed.

Authors' Note:

So there you have it, another chapter up! When you think about it, even after all that's happened, Riku is still a kid. And kids are worried about their future. It's a general ice-breaker topic amongst people his age, and that's why I put this there. I edited this about six times, no joke. It wasn't that I couldn't think of what to write, I had to add things, then take them away and I just wasn't happy with it. I think it's okay now though. Thanks to everyone for their reviews, alerts and favourites! If anyone ever has a question don't hesitate to send me an email either! Thanks for reading, reviews as always, are appreciated.

LastCetra.