I do not own Kingdom Hearts

Keiya sat on the ledge of her window with her legs dangling outside over the edge. It was a bright and sunny morning since all the rain had cleared. She could tell it was going to be a great day in town—all the animals were out and the flowers were fully in bloom. She nibbled absent-mindedly on a sesame roll Aerith had given her. She had excitedly offered all other kinds of other breakfast foods, but Keiya wasn't really into complex things. She had always focused more on the principle of needing food being important to her rather than having favorite dishes. She had also gotten up early precisely to avoid meeting anyone along the way. She knew everyone was going to find out from Aerith when they met in the kitchen, but she didn't want to make a production over it.

Outside in the halls she could hear people running water, opening and closing doors, and already chattering obnoxiously. She heard what sounded like Sora banging loudly on Riku's door, then the sound of a door swinging open, a quick mutter, the sound of someone hitting the floor, shuffling feet, and then an angry slam. Keiya lazily looked over her shoulder at her door, not that she could see anything, and tried to imagine the scene that just played out.

Riku must be tired. We were talking pretty late last night… She thought, a slight blush surfacing. She was starting to become accustomed to the airy feel that occasionally swept over her. Her mind had been wandering all morning and all of last night. She couldn't stay focused on one topic for too long before she began drifting off into past skits she had unknowingly memorized. Right now, she was partially stuck on a cloud replaying the brief moment she had had with Riku the previous night, before she walked out the door. Her face burned every time she thought of it, and she would consistently reach for the spot on the side of her face where his lips had touched. She was anxious to see him that morning. She didn't know what he would say, or how he would act toward her, or if he would… kiss her again…

Deciding that she would rather not face everyone in the common rooms just yet, she hopped out of the window onto the still moist soil. She was wearing capris today for a change—all her dresses were being washed. She pushed her wet hair out of her face and quickly finished the rest of the roll, then started down the hill toward the outskirts of the town. She walked with her head downcast so to avoid the bright sunlight, and let the steepness of the hill carry her down briskly, not bothering to slow her pace or put on brakes as she neared the bottom of the hill.

She skidded to a stop and flicked her hair back out of her eyes. Coming toward her from the direction of the town was Leon—clad in the same clothes from yesterday, with dark circles under his eyes. He had his gun blade slug over his shoulder and a thin scrape on his face from a sharp tree branch. He looked startled to see her, and for a moment they just stared at each other awkwardly. He was about to walk past her and continue up the hill, but she was determined to get something out of him after yesterday.

"Were you… out the whole night?"

"Yeah." He said monotonously.

"O-oh…" She started, rapidly racking her brain for something to say. "Was everything alright?" Leon nodded his head simply, apparently too tired to talk. He looked like he was also a little uncomfortable talking to her. Keiya was aware that he was probably over-tired, but she was anxious to hear what he had to say, and finally had to ask the dreaded question.

"Do you still think I… sold you out?"

Leon sighed and ran a hand through his hair, obviously stressed. He finally shook his head, a little reluctant to admit he was wrong. He had spoken to some of the townspeople who checked out the scene as soon as they saw the destruction of the forest, and according to some of them, they had seen Keiya exit the forest looking terrified and sick, not smug with accomplishment. He had thought about it on his own, too, and came to the conclusion that if what Riku said about the attacks every night was true, she was more of a victim herself, and wouldn't be selling them out to her enemy. But he was still wary of her.

"According to what the civilians told me, as well as what I heard from Riku, it's more likely than not that what you said is true. Even though it is still suspicious."

Keiya took a moment to swallow his words. She could tell he didn't like to admit he was wrong, and therefore resorted to be awfully wordy. But that was enough for her. Leon turned around and began walking back up the hill, leaving her by herself. When he was out of earshot, she let out a sigh of relief. She didn't expect this mess to be resolved so quickly, even though Leon himself still didn't seem to trust her. He was relying on the villagers to testify on her behalf, and he didn't even know them. She decided instead to turn back and just forget going into town. She wasn't in the mood to interact with any of the friendly strangers that were sure to strike up conversation with her—something Riku usually spared her from.

Still, at least everything worked out…

"So, Commander. I hear the boss is planning another invasion on Radiant Garden. Is it true?" One of the council members asked sourly. Sai had just walked into the room, not expecting anyone to be there so early.

"Yes. She's planning it for a week from today—the next new moon." He recited.

"Why?! Why put off our plans to attack a small, insignificant world—it's not worth the effort!" The man yelled. The whole council was starting to get restless. The plans Maleficent had in store would help them to conquer their own worlds—the fact that all the pieces were in place save for one was starting to annoy the impatient henchmen. Sai watched as they all broke into angry conversation amongst themselves.

"Everyone, quiet! Maleficent knows what she's doing. If she says you have to help in a side-invasion, then you had better do it. It's key in our master plan—the same master plan you agreed on unanimously."

"Hmph. I know why we're going on this pitiful side-mission. That girl hasn't come back yet. Maleficent must be getting anxious." One of the men said smugly.

"As should you." Sai snapped. "Those worlds you covet so much won't be yours until all the pieces are in place."

Someone in the back of the room spoke up, his figure hidden by the other men around him. "This girl seems to be causing more trouble than she's worth. Do we really need her?"

"Yeah. Commander, can't you just do whatever it is Maleficent needs her for? Surely you're just as powerful as her."

Sai looked around the room at the different pairs of eyes all on him. He didn't know how Maleficent would want him to respond to that. But it made him sour. He desperately wanted the kind of dark strength that Keiya had; the fact the Maleficent always gave her better training and more power made him jealous beyond belief. He couldn't understand why he—the one who was more loyal, more willing, and a half a year older—would have to catch up to her. To him, it should have always been the other way around. And why did she let that old council watch me train? She never even let them see her. She was always hidden away as a kind of 'secret weapon'. They used to laugh at me!

"That girl is obviously not coming back. It's been how long—over a month? We need to move on and continue without her." Someone urged. The council often discussed their commander and his flaws—they knew he could be easily persuaded and gullible.

"He's right. There's no way she'll come back at this point. For her to have been gone for so long, she must have made friends."

"Or a lover…" A young, lanky man murmured boldly to the person next to him. Sai's eyes snapped up in a heartbeat, and he instinctively and almost involuntarily shot forward a dark blast of energy. The man was hit dead on fell back into the wall with a grunt, but the attack itself wasn't very powerful. Sai followed up by charging forward and picking up the man by the collar. Everyone else watched in silence.

"Don't you dare say that!" Sai bellowed, blind to the scene he was causing. He had the man lifted up a little bit off the ground, choking him. "What do you know?! You've never even met her!" He then proceeded to summon another dark energy blast in his free hand, preparing to uppercut the man. His eyes were illuminated with anger, fueling the darkness he was gathering. But when he heard someone give a fake cough behind him, he came out of his rage and saw that everyone was watching him awkwardly. He threw the man to the floor, finally letting him gasp for breath, and let the dark energy fade away.

"Does anyone else have anything to say?" He asked, eyeing each member individually. Some of them looked at him blankly, others condescendingly. But the few younger and newer to the business of darkness were intimidated, and that was enough for him. Sai opened a portal and escaped the tense atmosphere he had created with his outbursts.

"Hey!" Riku called, jogging over toward the window where Keiya was preparing to climb back in. She swallowed hard, the same symptoms from the previous night already taking over again. He skidded to a stop when he reached her, and she hopped down off the ledge and back onto the ground. "I was just going to go find you—I thought you were already in town."

"I changed my mind." She said, wondering if Leon had said anything to anyone yet. "Why? Did you want something?"

He smiled warmly at her, then reached up and closed the window that she was going to enter through. "Yeah—to hang out with you. C'mon, I want to show you something!" He said eagerly. He took her hand and led her down to the outskirts of the forest encircling the headquarters. Then, he brushed aside some large branches, revealing a narrow dirt path that was carved between trees. Keiya squinted to see where it led, but all there was were trees as far as the eyes could.

"What's down there?" She asked as they began the trek into the forest. She was curious about where he was taking her, but part of her was too preoccupied with their connected hands to care. She had come to accept that she couldn't resist the feeling of his hand around hers. It sent rushes of adrenaline throughout her body and clouded her mind from thinking straight.

"I don't know. I found the trail yesterday, but I wanted us to explore it together." He explained, his childish curiosity surfacing. Keiya couldn't hide a smile. They continued walking in a peaceful silence, neither one uncomfortable. Riku was particularly calm—surprising even himself. He had been thinking about talking to her all morning, worrying that she might be uneasy around him after last night. They walked for a long time, enjoying each other's company but barely speaking a word. Keiya debated the whole walk. She didn't know how to tell Riku her newly won victory over the darkness. She knew that he would want to know—he had made that very clear—but she felt silly just bringing it up out of the blue. She wouldn't be able to hide it much longer, though. The sun was steadily rising in the sky, so they would both be hungry for lunch soon. Besides, I don't want to keep things like these secret from him anymore…

"Look!" He exclaimed, motioning toward a stream. It was located beneath a series of small trees of different size and shaped leaves. The stream was only a couple of yards wide, but it appeared to go down a good few feet deep. The leaves from the trees landed on the calm water, creating a beautiful pattern. Riku and Keiya wandered over to the edge of the stream and took in the scenery. It seemed to go on for a while, winding between trees. Riku led her over to a tree that was right up against the edge of the stream and sat down. Only a little bit of sunlight broke though the forest top, and they were so deep into the forest that they wouldn't be able to tell which direction to head home for, if it weren't for the trail.

"It's incredible…" She said softly, taking a seat next to Riku.

"Thanks." He answered, wearing a smirk. "I figured you'd like it." Keiya laughed and pushed him playfully.

"You didn't even know where we were going!"

"But I brought you here, didn't I? I think this was a good idea, on my part." He said smugly. Keiya rolled her eyes and leaned forward to feel the temperature of the water. It was freezing cold from the rain the other day, as expected. She took hold of a leaf and pulled it out as she leaned back to examine it. It was fan-shaped and yellow, and had a unique vein pattern through it. Riku watched her, memorized by the pattern the scarce sunlight was making on her skin and hair.

"How's the water?" He murmured, a little preoccupied.

"Pretty warm." She answered, tossing the leaf aside.

Riku looked at her curiously. "Really?" He asked, leaning forward to feel it himself. When he was bent over, Keiya gave him a light push—just enough for him to go falling headfirst into the water. He gasped upon feeling her push him, then landed with a splash into the ice cold water. The water that came up hit Keiya dead on, and she instinctively closed her eyes and tried to block herself. Riku, who had come up quickly, took advantage and reached up for her. She let out a shriek of laughter and tried to get away from him, but he had both of her arms locked. He gave her a smirk, and then with just a gentle, swift pull, she came tumbling down into his arms, and into the water. She fell into him, sending them both backward and under. Riku still kept his grip on her, sliding his arms around her waist when she fell in, and Keiya had landed with her arms on his chest. They both came up laughing and shivering with leaves in their hair and stuck to their skin.

"Great. Now we're wet." Riku commented as he gazed down at her. The water was just shallow enough for him to stand comfortably. Keiya, on the other hand, had to stand on her toes to keep her whole head above the water. Riku brought a hand up to her face and removed a few leaves from her hair, then pushed a few loose strands back behind her ear, bringing a blush to her face.

"Well, I didn't mean for both of us to get wet." She said, treading a little to keep above the surface. Riku stood perfectly still, as if to mock her. Then, after watching her tread for another minute, he suddenly scooped her up in his arms. Keiya gasped and instinctively flailed a little bit to be let down.

"R-riku! Put me down--!" she ordered, although laughing all the while.

"Relax—I've carried you dozens of times before," He said, holding her tightly so she couldn't push herself away. She wasn't really putting up much of a fight anymore, though. Her whole body was underwater except for her head and shoulders. He decided to walk down the stream a little bit around a nearby bend, just to see where it went. And for an excuse to hold her longer. Awkwardly, this route went upstream, and so he was beating against the mild current to get there.

"Why do you have to go upstream?" She asked, her head unconsciously resting in his shoulder. They were both freezing and their fingers numb, but she still found a secret comfort in his embrace. One of her hands was still resting on his chest from when he had first picked her up. She was too shy to remove it, and just decided to pretend she didn't notice.

"Because… it's more fun this way," He confessed.

"At least let me swim, then. It can't be easy to walk upstream and carry me at the same time…" She pleaded weakly. She admittedly liked her position, even though it made her blush profusely and sped up her heart rate significantly.

"You'll drown if you try to swim upstream. Besides, we're in the water. You weigh barely anything on land to begin with—I think I could keep this up all day." He said cockily, keeping his hold on her. Keiya just sighed and continued to fake-mope. Her shoulders had goose bumps from the light breeze that blew with the stream. She didn't even want to imagine how cold it would be when they finally went back on land. After a while, Riku made it around the sharp curve in the stream, getting both of them re-drenched in the process, since the water flowed faster around the bend. Keiya was sent briefly underwater as they rounded the corner.

"Sorry," He laughed, watching her rub the water out of her eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" She murmured, huddling closer to him now that her upper body was wet again. Riku looked around the new area, which was a wide lake—a pit stop between the stream and the brook at the end of the lake where it started. He immediately noticed a shallow part of the lake near them that seemed to ramp back up to the shore. He began heading toward it, rising at slow but steady intervals.

"What happened? I thought you were going to 'keep this up all day'," She asked weakly, her voice a little shaky from the cold. Riku gripped her tighter to carry her without the water's support, as they were now starting to approach the shore.

"I can, but you're shivering," He explained, "You need to get dried off."

When they were finally out of the lake completely, Riku placed Keiya down beneath a tall, wide oak tree that could block the breeze a little bit, which was coming from the opposite direction. He shed his white over-jacket, which was drenched, and left it in the sunlight to dry. Keiya watched him and took note that he wasn't even mildly shivering anymore. She wrung out her hair, creating a decent sized puddle on the already saturated ground next to her.

"Aren't you cold?" She asked as she watched him poke around some bushes.

"No. Like I told you—I could have stayed in there all day." He reiterated, flashing her a confident smile. She huddled into a ball and shielded her eyes from the sunlight that was drying her off (it was only a little past noon, so there were no shadows beneath the trees). It's a good thing I didn't wear a dress today… that could have only ended in disaster, She thought, blushing. Her clothes stuck to her body uncomfortably, and prevented her skin from drying off. She could feel the humidity in the air—just not the heat. She tugged at her shirt in annoyance; the material had started to become scratchy. I wish I could change… that was fun though, she admitted. I wouldn't mind doing something like that again… on a warmer day…

After a while, Riku wandered back over to her carrying a few large, ripe peaches that were growing on some of the trees around them. He plopped down next to her with a sigh and held a peach out to her with a lazy smile. His bright aqua eyes shone through his wet messy hair, making her feel as though he was penetrating into her heart. She could swear he was able to see straight into how she was feeling, which, at the moment, was very self-conscience.

"Peach?" He offered.

"U-uh, sure…" She murmured, taking it from him shyly and unenthusiastically. Riku, who was taken by complete surprise, suddenly burst into a grin, but didn't say anything more to her. Keiya let her hair fall over her shoulders to shield her face from view. She held the peach in her hand, turning it and pretending to examine it. She really was hungry, but could feel Riku's eyes on her. He was still grinning—she could sense it. Finally, she heard him lean back and take a bite out of his peach. She relaxed her shoulders a little bit, which she just realized were tense, and took a small bite out of the fruit. She was shocked at how sweet it tasted—she knew it wasn't her first time eating a peach, but couldn't remember the last time she had eaten something so sugary. By the time she was a quarter of the way done with hers (nibbling all the way), Riku had finished his. He then wandered over to a small space without any trees and began making a small hole in the ground, digging into the dirt with his heel. When it was about a few inches in depth, he dropped his peach pit inside and began covering it up carefully, so no rain would wash it away. Keiya smiled, watching him take his wet jacket and wring it out over the spot where the pit was planted. He strolled back toward her nonchalantly, hands in his pockets, and extended a hand out to her.

"The sky is starting to look cloudy. Want to start heading back?" He offered, observing the heavy clouds overhead. She nodded and let him help her up, then opened her palm revealing her almost-clean pit. It still had some meat from the fruit around it.

"Can I plant mine, or is it not clean enough?" She asked. Riku smiled and started walking over to where he had planted his, Keiya following.

"I don't see why not. Pick a spot."

Keiya stood by another clear spot a few feet away from Riku's and started indenting the saturated dirt with her heel, the same way Riku had. Only, Riku had been much more efficient at it. He stood next to her, smirking at her attempt to make the hole.

"Do you need some help?" He said amusedly.

"No…" Keiya continued kicking at the dirt, not really making much progress. After a few more minutes, Riku finally butted in and gently pushed her aside. She would have complained, but the sky was darkening, and she didn't want them to get caught in a thunder storm in the forest. Riku quickly completed the hole and motioned for her to place the pit inside.

"Is this an island thing?" She asked as they both covered it up.

"Not really—not much grows in the sand. I just wanted to see what would happen." After planting and watering the second peach pit, Riku and Keiya began the long trek back to the path, then to the house, hand-in-hand.

Sai's face was flushed with anger and embarrassment. He had really made a fool out of himself back in the meeting room; getting so worked up over something so trivial was not good if he wanted to keep his authority. He knew Maleficent would be on his case about it later. He was preparing himself for the worst. But he didn't think it was fair for only him to get chewed out—he hoped that whoever had made that disrespectful comment was punished tenfold.

Ugh... I wanted to kill that guy! What right does he have to say something like that! That she has a… lover… Sai burned with resentment just thinking about it. They don't know what they're talking about—she's going to come back, just like she always did! So what if she's been away for a while? That doesn't mean anything! He thought to himself, justifying his opinion. He had obviously realized that she was missing for far longer than usual. Even Maleficent was getting frustrated. But the thought had never crossed his mind that she might not return. In fact, he had never really bothered to wonder what she did when she left. He had always assumed she stayed on the streets (which she did), but as everyone was trying to point out to him, it was highly unlikely that she was still wandering from town to town by herself after a month. But that doesn't mean she's with anyone! And who knows-- she could still be living on the streets! She's always been determined, after all. Maybe she's trying to see how long she can hold out or something. There's just no way she has a…a lover!

"Sai…" Maleficent started, coming up behind him. She was calm and elegant, but there was a hint of stress in her voice. "How did the meeting go?"

Sai turned around and pushed the angry thoughts out of his mind temporarily. "They're getting impatient. They think it's a waste to invade Radiant Garden."

Maleficent waved the complaint away gracefully. "It doesn't matter. They know that it is imperative to do so if they want to get to work on conquering the worlds."

"They also think you should just give up on Keiya and continue without her." He said, a tinge of anger in his voice. Maleficent waved this away too, paying more attention to the view off the balcony than the problems Sai was presenting to her. She had a whole army of heartless lined up in front of the castle for the upcoming invasion, currently being accounted for by some of the henchmen.

When she didn't say anything, he continued, "They said that I should—"

"What? Take her place? They don't know what they're talking about—don't let them feed you such ridiculous ideas." She said sternly.

Sai felt as though she had just stabbed him with a sharp knife. She didn't hesitate to tell him to his face that he wasn't good enough. He clenched a fist, knowing that, to top it all off, she would confront him about the council member he had attacked.

"They think she's not coming back." He added. "That she's made friends."

Maleficent laughed pitifully at him, bringing a flush of embarrassment to Sai's face. "And that angers you," She commented, then summoned a wyvern to her side and gave it an envelope to deliver to a henchman. "I'm surprised you would let your emotions interfere with your work like this—you had been doing so well these past couple of weeks. Better than usual, anyway. Of course she isn't by herself anymore—she'd have broken and come back by now. To be in denial is just naïve."

Sai couldn't be any more disturbed by the thought. And the fact that he was the only one who hadn't thought of it bothered him even more. He felt like a child, the way Maleficent spoke to him. Her words were as clear as crystal, and there was no more clinging to denial or some false sense of hope that she was still sitting alone in a damp alleyway, contemplating returning.

"Then exactly what is this invasion going to accomplish?"

"It will scare her. She wouldn't want her new friends hurt, right? Think of it as a stepping stone in convincing her to return."

"So there's no guarantee that we'll have her back that night?" He asked sourly. The whole idea seemed to be too much effort if it was just a 'stepping stone'. If Maleficent gave the order, he would go into the town himself, find her, and force her to come back with him. That way, all their plans could get under way.

"She's much too tenacious to come back right away. It will take a little bit of convincing. In the mean time, you can tell the council that they should focus all their efforts on the invasion. The better it turns out, the less time we'll have to put off our plans."

Keiya sat on her bed, just thinking. She had the lights off so as to appreciate the moonlight coming in through the window, and was sitting up under the covers to keep warm. Her head was buzzing with bits of dialogue, and she was finding it hard to get to sleep. Spending the day with Riku had taken its toll on her; she couldn't settle down. Just thinking about him made her heart race. Rushes of adrenaline pulsed through her body, making her feel lighter than air. It was all overwhelming, and beginning to annoy her. It was three-thirty in the morning and she still couldn't get back to sleep. This isn't fair… she thought, yawning, I see him in my dreams now, too… Her drowsiness made her actually consider, for a split second, going up to Riku and actually asking him to get out of her head. But luckily she snapped out of that daze shortly. She had woken around one o'clock from a dream involving her and Riku's exploration of the forest earlier that day. Everything was basically the same; they were at the lake, and they were both in the water, but this time it was warm and comfortable. Instead of Riku carrying her, they were both in the middle of the lake—shallow enough for both of them to stand—and they were just talking. What about, she couldn't remember. Because the important part happened next.

Riku had been standing a few feet away from her—they were looking at something, she couldn't remember—and then in an instant, he was suddenly right behind her. She didn't even notice him until he spun her around gently, both hands on her waist. She turned in surprise, coming, literally, face to face with him. He was right in front of her, and was holding her body close to his. When she asked what he was doing, he didn't answer, and instead continued to gaze at her intently, a dazed but serious expression on his face. He slid one hand from her waist to across her back, sending shivers down her spine and bringing her right up against him. She couldn't remember what she had said to him, or if she had said anything, but she did remember Riku asking her, by name, to place her arms around his neck. She had looked at him funny, then complied and slipped her arms over his shoulders shyly. The sincerity on his face had remained constant, and he let his face fall closer to hers. Even in her dream she could feel her breath escape her. His eyes had shut, and his lips touched her face softly and lingeringly, on her forehead, her eyes, (which had fluttered shut), then her cheekbone, and finally the corner of her mouth. He paused after this last kiss, brushing his ever-so-slightly parted lips against hers. She felt herself melt in his arms, waiting eagerly for him to continue. Her arms had tightened around his neck unknowingly, and he had lifted a hand up to her face, caressing it lightly. He murmured something against her lips—something she couldn't remember—and brushed her hair back around her ear very gently. Finally, she felt him take a soft breath, tilt his head, and close the miniscule gap between them, letting their lips come together in full. His hand gripped the back of her head, pulling her deeper in the kiss, and then…

She woke up. Naturally, the dream ended short with her jumping up out of bed, still in a mind-sweeping state of bliss. She was quickly brought back to reality, though, and had been up since then, flushing over the content of her dream. The dream itself wasn't what bothered her; everyone has strange dreams sometimes, and something like this could certainly happen to anyone. What was keeping her awake and making her mind reel was how much she had wanted it, and how much she still wanted it. Everything seemed so realistic—the warmth from his body, the deep blue of his eyes, even the way he smelled was overly realistic. She had longed for him to kiss her so badly; once he had started, she completely lost herself, and didn't want to stop. And what really killed her was that she had no recollection of the actual kiss when it came. She had woken up so quickly—she couldn't remember what his lips felt like or how they tasted. The only thing she felt when she woke up was overheated from blushing so much and so fast.

Why do I feel so… frustrated? I… I feel like I was gypped, or something. But it's not like something like that would ever happen in real life, anyway, so…

She subconsciously brought a hand up to her own lips, trying to imagine what Riku's would have felt like. She hated to admit it, but she was disappointed that she had spent a whole day with him, and he hadn't kissed her again. On the cheek, she meant, of course. Now, she was fantasizing about him kissing her for real—on the lips, for more than just a brief second. She longed to be close to him. The attraction scared her, because she knew that, if placed in that position, she would go along with it, the way she had done in her dream.

This just isn't normal. We're friends—I shouldn't be attracted to him or anything… I mean, obviously he is attractive, but… it's not my place to think about him like that… She thought, slightly embarrassed. Besides—it's not like I do think of him that way. He's obnoxious, a sore loser, and he's always turning everything into a competition! She listed, and began brushing her hair back as if she were going to tie it up as a distraction. Anyway, how could I help if I'm dreaming about him? He insists on spending every waking minute with me—it's his own fault that I've fallen in love with hi—

…

She felt a wave of nausea wash over her, and she dropped her arms as deadweight. Her world spun as she tried to grasp what had just popped into her mind. It had come so naturally that she couldn't even deny it. Even the justification that she was exhausted didn't work, because it was so simple. She lied down again and curled up in her bed. To say that she was overwhelmed was an understatement. So much so, that rather then being in bliss, she was in tears. Tears ran down her face silently, and seeped into the material on her pillow.

I-I'm in love with him…She thought miserably. Staying here was a mistake… Someone like me… and someone like him… We're too different—he's so much better than I am… What am I going to do when I see him tomorrow…?

Sai was, as always, angry. Maleficent had said to his face that he wasn't strong enough to take over the operation on his own—something he thought he could definitely manage. But Maleficent was dead-set on waiting for Keiya to come back and fill that post. To be honest, he didn't see why she should be prized so much more highly than he. If she showed him what to do, why wouldn't he be able to take on a bigger role? Even the title of 'commander' and the task of running meetings in Maleficent's name didn't please him as much as the glory of being the center of the master plan—the very factor that the whole scheme depended on. But he knew that when Keiya came back, even his new title and position wouldn't seem as mighty.

It wasn't that he didn't want her to return. On the contrary, he was very eager for her to come back—and stay back this time. But if he could have everything his way, he would want to be the powerful one. He was always envious of her power, and of Maleficent's excessive training and overseeing of her. But he didn't hate her. Since the day he met her seven years ago, he had admired her spirit. It was only later that he realized he mistook 'spirit' for sheer obstinacy. Her denial of the darkness continued to baffle him, and watching how she refused to give in when Maleficent punished her only contributed to his fascination with her. Even as an eleven-year old girl, she was constantly going off on her own—at least once every three months. Sai didn't dare try to do something like that. The consequences for a mediocre like him would be dire. And the assignments she accomplished were astounding. While he was just starting to learn the basics in combat, she was sent on assassination missions—sometimes for Maleficent's own henchmen (whom Sai felt no remorse for. These were the same people who would mock him and watch him train when they needed a good laugh). Unfortunately, every time he tried to talk to her, she never seemed interested. They did have conversations—sometimes for a solid half hour. But they were never pleasant or lighthearted. They usually involved discussions of Maleficent's council, and took place on the scene while they were waiting to perform a kidnapping or oversee the destruction of a world by the heartless. Every time he tried to bring up some of the more classified missions she had gone on by herself, she didn't hesitate to put him in his place, saying that she couldn't tell him.

Because of her constant isolation, he felt somewhat possessive over her in the sense that he was one of the only people she was allowed to associate with. So when all this talk about her having a 'lover', (an inference, of course), started rising, he became defensive. He didn't want her talking to outsiders—he was uneasy enough when she had taken short excursions. They definitely weren't friends—that wouldn't be the right word. But they weren't 'siblings', either. They were more forced to get along due to circumstances, and so they were familiar with each other's backgrounds and strengths and weaknesses. Maleficent would say, with her sly and convincing voice, that they were a family.

I swear, when I find the person she was staying with, I'll personally take him out. I don't care what Maleficent says—about appeasing her or bribing her or whatever—I can't even stand to think about it!

AN: It's February 8th, 2010, and I just finished cleaning up some typos here and there. Hope I didn't miss anything.