I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Heartbreak

Riku fought the urge to open his eyes despite the morning sun's lazy glare streaming through the window. Light illuminated every nook and cranny until he could no longer feign to be asleep. He leisurely stretched his arms out, seeking his lover's body out of habit. However, beside him were only cool, empty sheets wherever he reached. A moment of futile groping coerced him to open his eyes.

"Keiya?" he called into the silence.

He received no response.

Riku heaved himself up, still quite exhausted, and drowsily scanned the room for her presence. There was an almost unsettling stillness, even with all chirping and humming intruding from the background. The suitcases were still sitting by the door, awaiting the departure. A few last articles of clothing were thrown on the floor in messy piles, ready to be packed away. It was an organized chaos welcomed whole-heartedly, but with an oddly empty air.

When he looked over, he saw that her sheets had been hastily thrown back. He called her name again, a little louder, but to no avail. His hand reached up to push back messy strands of hair as he gathered his bearings.

She must have gotten up early. I didn't even hear her…

His mind began to reel with thoughts of the impending journey ahead of them, of taking her someplace safe and comfortable, where they might share a life. And of course, of showing her everything: all the shops, the locals, the beaches, and his childhood playground: the little island set apart from the rest. He'd even dreamt about it—they had discussed the trip the night before. He hadn't seen Keiya so excited in weeks. It was reassuring to hear her enthusiasm, to see her eyes light up and her smile beam in radiance.

When a strong gust of wind rushed into the room from the open window, Riku reluctantly tore himself out of bed and went to shut it.

Strange… I thought I closed this last night. Keiya opened it?

He shrugged off the question and glanced over at the clock, still rubbing his eyes into focus.

"We leave in two and a half hours," he said to himself. A smile crept onto his face. "Finally."

With a surge of excitement, he strolled to the bathroom. Before entering, he decided to give the door three soft knocks. He waited, staring at the stained wood, for an answer.

"Keiya? You in there?" he tried.

When no one called back, he let out a sigh of disappointment and proceeded into the bathroom, grabbing a dry towel from the rack.

She must have gone into town, he concluded. She said she wanted to, but we didn't get a chance yesterday. I wish she could've woken me up. I would have gone with her…

He turned the shower knobs and let the water fill the room with sound and steam. While it was heating up, he went back to the bedroom to retrieve a set of clothes he'd left on his desk. From the corner of his eye he noticed that Keiya's shoes and sweater were missing. He smiled to himself.

Well, I guess I can still meet her there. Our last few hours here…

~…~

It was while Sai was on his way back from Maleficent's office that he caught sight of her: a bolt of orange hair, a thin, dreary-eyed figure dragging her feet up the steps. In the instant of initial shock, he halted in his tracks and caught his breath. His heart lurched and his muscles went numb as he stood, elated, peering down at her from the top of the staircase.

"Keiya," he breathed incredulously.

His mind could hardly process the image: after months of waiting and wondering, the idea had become very abstract. Now that he was finally seeing her, his collected resolve was turned inside out. With a burst of energy, he darted down the stairs three at a time to meet her.

She looked up in alarm as he approached her, but made no effort to speed her pace. She instead tried to keep her gaze focused on the floor in front of her. A confrontation was inevitable, she realized, but she had yet to think her actions through. She'd left so suddenly that she had no explanation prepared for either of them. Despondently, she turned toward the railing and continued pulling herself up the stairs.

It doesn't matter anymore, as long as the trouble is over. As long as he's safe… I don't care.

When Sai neared her, he skidded to a halt and gasped for breath. His face shone with an irrepressible grin and a gleam of triumph. Keiya didn't stop to observe his expression: she could sense it already, and it made her sick inside to think of it.

"Keiya! Y-you're… you're back!"

She took a moment to answer.

"Uh-huh…"

"I knew you would come back!" he stated proudly. "Everyone said you wouldn't, but I never…" He saw her determinedly continue her climb. "H-hey, wait up!"

He jogged back up the stairs to catch up with her; she was walking more briskly now, in an attempt to postpone his interrogations.

"So much has happened since you left," Sai continued, following her eagerly. He barely knew what to tell her first; so much, good and bad, was ready to burst from his mouth. It astonished him, in the back of his mind, how quickly his highly prized maturity had fled at the sight of her, but, thrown off-key, he was too overwhelmed to contain himself. Her reappearance made him feel almost like a child again. He suddenly realized how dull it had been, waiting for her all these weeks, how empty the space had felt.

He tagged along blindly for several more minutes, trying to bait her attention with news and figures. It took a sharp-edged silence on her part for him to discern her absence of enthusiasm in everything—even his presence. This bitterness brought on the memory of months of aggravation and jealousy. She wasn't how he had hoped she'd be when she returned: indeed, she hadn't changed one bit. The awareness that she hadn't forgiven him yet hit him hard: he had nearly forgotten, in his fantasy. She still refused to talk civilly to him. Crestfallen, and feeling almost provoked, he took her arm roughly and constrained her.

"Hey, what's your rush?" he reprimanded sourly. "We haven't seen each other in… months." His mind drifted to the numerous concerns, all his preoccupations. "Where…where were you, Keiya? I looked for you! What took you so long to come back?"

She bit her lip to withhold a hasty, hurtful reply. "I need to talk to Maleficent," she said evasively. "It's important."

His vivacity dispersed under her distance and he reluctantly reverted to his more mature demeanor.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"

"I do."

She trudged up the stairs without him, leaving him with no satisfaction or prompting to follow.

"I'll go with you," he decided sorely.

He stepped into pace with her, but he couldn't overcome a new rush: a feeling of absolute dejection. She was leaving him behind. It was like sinking. He was desperately groping for something to grasp on to, some memory, chord to strike, or just the right word, but she remained out of his reach while he struggled to catch up. His body was almost jittery. He was competing with something; he could sense he was no more than a figure in the background.

Keiya ignored the feel of his eyes on her. To think of what she'd left behind made her nearly tremble in agony: she was already missing him. His sweet voice, his smirks and smiles—the memories were taunting her, slipping through her fingers and dancing in front of her. She was sure they would eventually sap her will to survive. She could already feel them consuming her.

They made the rest of the walk in silence, Sai glancing at her often, she not focusing on anything but the steps. When they came to Maleficent's office, Sai pushed open the heavy stone doors and motioned for her to follow him. He tried to read her face as they walked into the room, tried to detect some hint of terror or grief, but nothing shone past her exhausted resolve.

Maleficent stood with her back to them, the scratching of her quill the only sound in the room. The silence was thick with expectation. For a drawn out moment, neither apprentice moved a muscle. When the witch's pen abruptly stopped moving, Sai took the cue to speak. Though his companion clearly didn't appreciate his help, she failed to take the initiative herself.

"Maleficent…" Sai started uncomfortably, trying to conceal any emotion.

"…Yes?"

He struggled for words. "Keiya is…"

There was a brief pause, pregnant with apprehension, before Maleficent turned around fast as a whip, frightening both youths back a small step. Sai noted that her lips tightened to a thin line, and her eyes turned a shade more menacing. When she came face to face with her contemptuous pupil, months of enmity unraveled into hostility.

Maleficent took long strides toward the girl, sparing Sai no regard whatsoever. He was forced to stagger aside to accommodate her approach. Her robe billowed out; her moves were deliberate and hasty. She came within range in a heartbeat, and as soon as she was able, snatched up her apprentice's wrist, her nails purposefully puncturing the fair skin. Keiya held her ground without flinching, but never raised her head.

After a cursory examination of the mark—now repulsively black—Maleficent released her wrist and eyed the downcast figure with unrestrained loathing. Keiya stood before her like a slave before a master, her legs wobbly and her nerves wrung high. Seeing the ungrateful child in the flesh brought out a ferocious malevolence. In one swift slap, she viciously knocked the pitiful creature off her balance, sending her stumbling to the floor. Sai restrained himself from lurching forward.

"Who do you think you are?" she bellowed. The outrage in her voice echoed all throughout the room, ringing in their ears until it drowned out their thoughts.

"You have been gone for three months!" Maleficent pulled her up roughly by the hair, yanking at the roots, forcing a brief eye contact. Stubborn passivity met enraged impatience. The witch delivered another, more powerful blow, sending her apprentice back to the floor into a forced submission. Keiya grasped her head in pain, but refused to release a whimper.

"You have ruined everything! All my plans, my reputation… Treacherous wretch!"

Maleficent struck her again, like a knife cutting through the air. Keiya kept still on the ground, trying her best not to tremble. The room spun around her and lights shone even behind closed lids. Her head felt heavy and her body uncoordinated. However, while she'd usually be boiling over, she felt strangely resigned. The pain was inconsequential. She wanted the hurt—it was her punishment, and she needed to be punished. She thought of Riku: how he would wake up and see her gone, how devastated he'd be that she'd broken her promise after all. But he'd move on. He would leave Radiant Garden in a few hours. Maybe they wouldn't find him. It was worth all the pain in the world.

Maleficent stared down at her apprentice vengefully, a grimace on her face, a calculating look in her eyes. She reached to strike her several more times in bursts of anger, between insults and accusations, then finally paced away to compose herself. Sai observed from the side, unable to leave or act. He watched his comrade, still as stone on the floor, not a hint of defiance or pain in her posture: only compliance. Her face and arm wore a redder hue, one that clearly burned from the sharp contact. Meanwhile, their mistress marched back and forth before them. He could sense the fumes of anger, the stinging glances she threw toward her obstinate ward. The heels of her shoes scraped and clanged against the old, ornate tile floor, until she came to a sudden stop and gathered herself authoritatively before the girl.

"Get up," she commanded, her voice now more fluid. "You will not get off so easy this time."

She pulled Keiya by the arm before she could move herself, her grip unrelenting. Keiya flinched uncontrollably and quickly searched to regain her balance. Sai stepped forward in an urge to help her, but a quick glare from his enraged mistress sent him back farther than before.

"You look disgusting," the witch berated, scoffing at the loose, torn nightgown.

Keiya glanced down at her clothing. She had run for miles through the fields and forests before finally opening a portal and stumbling into the dreary world. The nightdress she wore was spotted with stains of mud, and small tears adorned the fabric. Appearance meant nothing. She'd just needed to run.

"Well? Nothing to say?" she prompted.

Keiya could think of nothing.

Maleficent turned to Sai, who jumped when her cunning eyes met his, and strategically beseeched his opinion.

"There should be a punishment, don't you agree?"

He nodded numbly.

Keiya raised her head for the first time and looked as though she was about to speak, but Maleficent cut her off before she could take a breath.

"The usual isn't an option. Evidently, you failed to learn the lesson the first few dozen times. No, we'll try something different. Sai," she called. "Bring me my crystal ball."

He glanced between the two of them before obediently retrieving the ball from its place on her desk. All the while, Keiya stood under her mentor's silent, brutal gaze. The quietude made him feel nervous; his footsteps were the only sound. He was afraid to step out of beat.

When he handed Maleficent the familiar crystal ball, he noticed for the first time a pang of fear in his comrade's expression. She was eyeing the object cautiously, skeptically.

"I'm sure your new friends have suffered immensely, what with all the trouble you've caused them. It would be a shame for all that to continue, wouldn't it?"

Keiya jerked forward with a stifled gasp, her hands wringing close to her chest, and shook her head in protest. Her voice finally broke, "You can't—!"

"You thought you could just leave and make everything better?"

The girl was speechless.

They know. They know about everything… she concluded with dread. They know about Riku, they know where to find him…

Maleficent smirked to herself, knowing she had her apprentice by a thread.

"Sai, your heartless were tracking heartless, were they not?"

"They were," he replied carefully, catching her hint as she gave him a stern look.

"B-but… You can't do anything to him—I came back, like you wanted!"

Sai suddenly shrank from the conversation, his body now cold, rigid, and pale. Pieces of dialogue floated about his head in a whirlwind. Inside, he felt himself crack. He'd been introduced to the idea before, even influenced by it, but he had never completely absorbed it.

Him. She said 'him.'

"This isn't a fair game, child. You ran away. There are consequences."

"Punish me, not him!" she implored desperately. "Please! I came here because…"

"If you were so serious about protecting him, you should have come back much sooner," Maleficent chastised, knowing full well the tremendous guilt she was inducing, the shameless cruelty of the trick she was playing.

"I came back now," Keiya argued, unable to control the crack in her voice.

"Much too late! Do you know how much trouble you've been? I should have you eliminated for all the setbacks you've caused."

She barely noticed her hands fidgeting with the fabric of her nightgown. "I'm sorry—it won't happen ever—"

"Too late!" she repeated.

In the midst of the conversation, Sai remained hopelessly preoccupied. He barely noticed his pounding heartbeat, the drain of blood from his face. His eyes fixated on Keiya in denial and longing. He had lost. It was decided, finally and completely: she didn't care about him, and he had lost.

"It's time you learned your place," Maleficent dictated, displaying the crystal ball, which was glowing with vivid hues. "I have tolerated all your trouble for years, and you still continue to defy me—"

"I won't, I promise!" she cut in. Maleficent held a hand out to silence her, and she fell back immediately.

"You're not trustworthy enough to make promises."

Keiya lost her tongue and watched in horror as the ball grew in its vivacity. Colors swirled inside it, forming slithering shapes and hauntingly familiar forms. Inside, she felt a stab pierce her heart: all she could think of was her broken promise to him.

"Would it take a tragedy to finally teach you?"

She shook her head mutely.

"What do you think, Sai?"

Sai snapped back to attention at his name, his eyes full of sheer loathing for his unknown victor. Keiya watched him earnestly; however, he knew her mind was elsewhere—not on him, never on him.

"I think… we should take action," he said vehemently, not even needing his mistress's hint to steer him to a reply. Keiya was terror-stricken by his words. He felt the thrill of revenge rush through his blood.

"I can trust you to take care of it, then?" she prompted him, inducing more magic to flow in the glass orb.

Keiya's eyes darted between them anxiously. "No, Sai!"

"Yes," he said icily. "Would you like me to send the heartless now?"

"I swear I'll listen from now on, just leave him alone!" she shrieked.

"Make sure he doesn't see it coming. We don't have enough time for a struggle," Maleficent stated with sickening neutrality.

Keiya's stomach turned with each word exchanged, each mention of her unsuspecting lover still at Radiant Garden, probably by now aware of her disappearance. She thought of the heartless creeping into his home at night, vicious and numerous, just like before. She thought of him fighting every night, coming away with injuries, regretting their time together and its consequences.

In a fit of desperation, Keiya dropped to her knees. Her fingers entwined nervously in her lap and her head lowered significantly in deference.

"I'm begging you… I'll do anything!" she pleaded shakily. The discussion above her ceased. She could feel their eyes and scowls on her. Her heart ached in her chest with each word that spilled from her mouth.

She repeated, "Anything. You have my word. Just… please don't hurt him. I would do anything…"

Sai watched her in fascination and misery. Jealousy was ready to boil over into a stream of threats and insults; his fists were at his sides, trembling in rage. He had never seen her abandon her pride and succumb to begging—begging like a miserable, paltry peasant. It enraged him beyond comprehension that it was for the sake of some other man.

"Please," she repeated, as if in solemn prayer. She swallowed back the urge to cry and bowed lower, until her hair fell to shield her features and her face nearly touched the ground.

Sai looked over just in time to see Maleficent's lips twist into a smirk. Putting on a gracious air, she dismissed the magic from the glass ball, leaving it lifeless, and approached her despairing apprentice.

"Have you really become so desperate?" she asked somewhat mockingly. Keiya nodded her head with vigor, holding her breath for one final chance, her only chance to keep him safe.

"Very well," Maleficent conceded wickedly, and all too eagerly. "Perhaps we can postpone this business for as long as you remain stable and obedient."

Keiya's heart jumped and she lifted her head from the ground in astonishment. She cautiously, tentatively relaxed her muscles. Her skin was frigid and her hands trembling in her lap, but her mind, when it got ahold of her mistress's words, began to clear.

"Do you understand?" Maleficent prompted sharply. "Only for that long. One mishap, and you'll send your lover straight to his grave."

She nodded fervently. "Y-yes, I understand."

"Good. Now go change out of that distasteful clothing. We begin work immediately."

Sai hesitantly stepped forward when Keiya rose from the ground. She took several breaths and smoothed out her dress restlessly while Maleficent turned to go back to her desk. The tension in the air slowly dispersed, but thoughts of betrayal and envy accumulated tenfold in the depths of his mind.

Keiya glanced at him before she walked out, her eyes full of relief. He gave her a cold stare. He could hardly look at her without falling victim to a new rush of rage; all he could think of was her with someone else. He would give all the power in the world just to learn that someone's name. The suspense was agonizing. It was even more torturous a position than the weeks he'd spent just wondering.

When the doors closed, Maleficent said to him from over her paperwork, "What has you so agitated, Sai?"

He stood rigid like a soldier, tension in every joint. "His name," he said coolly. "We haven't got his name."

"Useless," she dismissed, tearing a page from a file and letting it fall to the floor. "So long as she thinks we know who he is, such information is not worth searching for."

"But we need to know his name!" His voice was thick with repugnance. "There has to be a way to get it out of her!"

Maleficent could sense the distress all the way from the other side of the room. He was livid. "Watch yourself. You forget who you're talking to," she said dryly.

He paused in frustration, trying to abide by her rules, but after a moment he added, "What if she tries to—"

"She won't do anything of the sort," she assured him. "We have her trapped in her own presumptions."

A scowl settled on his face. He had no further material with which to argue.

Maleficent emphasized, "You need to be alert from now on. We're starting over with what we have. I need both of you commanding the men downstairs. That entails cooperation."

"I know," he replied flatly.

When she didn't say anything more, Sai made his way to the door. He needed time to cool down—even he could admit that. His mind was running wild with envy, terrible fantasies, plots to pry his name from her lips. He had just pushed open the great stone doors when Maleficent halted him with another comment.

"I trust you understand that you are not to spoil our advantage? If you talk too much about it, she'll figure out our little secret." He could hear the frown in her voice. "I don't want to hear anything more about our mystery hostage's name."

He clenched his fists. The words didn't want to fall from his mouth. "I understand."

He started walking again, two more steps, before she stopped him one last time.

"And Sai?"

"Yes?" His patience was being tested.

Her voice was smooth yet stern, and as always planted a sense of fear in him:

"You're not invincible either."

"I know," he scoffed, and closed the door.

~…~

"Has anyone seen Keiya?" Riku asked as he entered the kitchen.

There was a brief pause in the morning chatter, and several heads apologetically shook their negative replies. Riku sighed and leaned heavily against the counter, trying to think of a spot he'd missed.

He'd been out all morning walking the streets of the town and hitting all their favorite spots in the forest—he even went part-way to Hollow Bastion, to see if she had gone to visit before they left. However, she hadn't turned up anywhere. He was starting to get anxious; it was only an hour and a half until their scheduled departure time. He knew she knew when they were leaving; they had even counted hours the previous day, since the days had finally come to a finish. She was so excited—he couldn't understand why she would stay out so late.

"What's wrong, Riku?" Aerith asked. She, Leon, and Cid were relaxing for a change, ignoring the extensive amount of paperwork piled up in the office to enjoy the last couple hours they had with their friends.

He looked up in surprise, pulled out of thought. "I can't find her," he explained. "I thought she might have gone out into town, but I've been looking all morning and she's not there."

The trio briefly considered his dilemma, shrugging to each other at a loss. Riku meanwhile glanced around the room, seeing nothing but blithe enthusiasm. It was extraordinarily bright outside, though the wind blew by with great force, brushing the sides of the house with a low, almost ominous howling. Everyone was too cheery to notice, however. Riku could feel the fervor growing inside him, too. But he would wait until he found Keiya before he completely indulged in the excitement.

Aerith suggested, "Maybe she went back to her room. It's almost time for you guys to get going, right? She must be packing a few last things."

Riku nodded in thanks and gave Sora and the others a brief smile and wave before he strolled down the hall to their room. When he stepped inside, it looked exactly the same as before. Some shoes and last articles of clothing remained on the floor, and their toothbrushes and miscellaneous belongings were still on the dresser, where Riku had laid them out that morning.

"Keiya?" he called disappointedly, knowing there would be no answer.

With a sigh, he set to work putting the last of their things in a large duffle bag that would be stored in the cockpit with them. One by one, he folded the clothes into messy lumps of fabric and stuffed them into the bag. All the while, he went through a mental checklist, thinking of every place in the town that held some significance to them, someplace she would want to see again before their departure.

She wouldn't have gone to the shops… or the square… And I already checked the lake and the clearing. Unless I missed her, but why would she stay out this late? She even said she wanted to finish packing in the morning, so we could go out together in the afternoon.

Worry was starting to displace his zeal; he was led to wonder with dread if she'd gotten herself lost or hurt somewhere in the forest.

No, we've been there too many times for her to get lost, he dismissed, trying to erase the paranoia. Just relax… She should be back any minute now. Almost only an hour…

He thought of her words the night before.

"I just can't wait to leave," she'd exclaimed softly, burying her head in his chest. "I doubt I'll even get any sleep tonight—don't make fun of me if I fall asleep on the ship tomorrow."

He'd cocked an eyebrow and his lips slipped into a smirk. "You think that lowly of me?"

"I know you, that's all."

He had kissed her, playfully but reassuringly. He'd asked, "Are you nervous?"

"I am," she'd admitted. "But… I trust you."

He'd heard the delight in her voice: gentle, timid, but genuine. "I trust you"—those words ran through his head like a breeze over a field or water through a brook. It was music to his ears; it eliminated his worries and sent his heart soaring. Simply thinking of her laughter calmed his nerves. Releasing the tension in his muscles, he placed a last shirt in the duffle bag, zipped it shut, and went to retrieve their toothbrushes from the dresser. A small, inerasable smile took over his face.

I love her…

As he approached the bureau, something caught his eye: a bright gleam reflecting the sun's rays. He squinted at first, unsure what he had left out, and curiously went to investigate the phenomenon.

He was met with a terrible shock.

On the edge of the dresser, in a neat pile, lay his necklace—the one he'd given her—glimmering, beaming. All the feeling in his body abandoned him. His thoughts scattered. His mind shut down. Everything else in the universe faded far, far away.

"I trust you."

He carefully reached for the necklace with numb fingers and let it gather listlessly in his palm. She hadn't taken it off since he'd given it to her—not once. His eyes were hopelessly transfixed on it. Slowly, he began to trace its crystalline shape, to feel the imperfect edges. It felt cold. It hadn't touched flesh in hours.

"I just can't wait…"

"No…" he breathed incredulously.

His senses slowly came back to him. His arms suddenly felt heavy, and his head began to whirl with realizations. Overcome with urgency, he darted to the window and flung it open, searching the horizon fruitlessly. Not a soul was in sight, not a thing seemed out of place.

"Keiya…!" he exclaimed to himself. He hurried around the room and scoured for a sign, a note—some hint as to where she had gone. But he knew where; he just couldn't bring himself to acknowledge it. He slammed desk drawers back into place and turned over the sheets and hunted through the closets. He left the room in disarray. Her shoes and jacket had gone missing, but everything else was hauntingly constant.

In his hand he still clutched the necklace. It left a heart-shaped indent on his palm.

I need to find her.

Riku bound out of the room, shoving the suitcases out of his way and letting the door slam against the wall. When he reached the kitchen, he was panting not from exhaustion, but from exasperation. His heart was racing wildly with fear.

He received questioning stares and worried remarks.

"Keiya… Keiya is missing," he announced, solidifying the reality and succumbing to a terrible pain in his chest. The air around him was so thick he could barely breathe.

Everyone, clueless to the severity, awaited an explanation. Leon and Aerith seemed to grasp the concept before anyone else, but they only looked at each other, not saying anything.

"What… do you mean?" Sora finally asked, concern growing at his friend's outburst.

"She's gone," Riku explained frantically, overwrought and out of breath. "She… she left."

The questioning stares turned startled, and discussions started abruptly. Hands covered mouths, forks clattered onto plates.

"I need to go find her!" he continued. He shakily began pacing the room, unsure of where to go, what to do first. "She's in trouble…"

Leon's voice came warily, above the others, "Riku, do you even know where she is?"

"She went back to Maleficent," he stated assuredly. "I need to hurry. If I don't get there soon, they'll hurt her—"

"Riku," Leon interrupted firmly, yanking him from his horrible reverie. When he looked around the room, he noticed everyone's eyes were on him.

"Calm down and think," he urged. "Your friends are prepared to go home in an hour."

"They can go without me. I just need to find her, then we can catch up—"

"What if it's a trap?" he said coolly.

Riku stared at him for a moment disbelievingly, then vehemently shook his head.

"You don't understand anything," he spat in uncontrollable anger. "It's nothing like that. She said she would leave… She kept saying it over and over, but I didn't believe her… I need to go find her now, before anything happens to her!"

Leon turned to Aerith, giving her a look of warning, but she dismissed it all the same.

"Wait a minute, Riku, we're coming too!" Sora called.

Riku declined the offer, still pacing and trying to get his bearings. "You don't have to. I can do this on my own—"

"We're going to help you. We can't let you go off into space blindly. Besides, I think you could use our help," Sora added smugly. His friend's mood didn't lighten, but his frenzied state began to lessen to a severe hopelessness as he remembered how big the sky was, how many worlds she could be on.

"Alright…" he said in defeat, unable to manage a smile of any sort. He grasped the back of a chair and struggled to collect his thoughts. "Thanks…"

"And you'll need a good ship, right?" Cid's voice came. "I think I can take care o' that."

Riku only nodded in appreciation.

The others joined in one by one, each offering to help, some volunteering to come along. Inside, Riku didn't feel any lighter. It didn't matter how many people came with him; she was being hurt—he was sure of it. Time was of the essence, yet he had no idea where to begin.

"I just can't wait to leave…"

Was she lying? Was it planned, or was it spontaneous? His heart swelled with self-loathing. Why didn't I wake up? I could have stopped her…

"Riku, are you in a hurry or what? Get your stuff!" Sora called, trying to be optimistic. He stood near the garage entrance, a backpack in hand, holding the door open for Kairi.

Riku nodded. "I'm coming now."

Walking up the entrance ramp alone, he felt empty.

She ran away…

He replayed the thought a million times, hoping it would suddenly vanish into nonsense. It seemed surreal that perfect weeks of counting and planning could ever fail. She had even promised. Yet they boarded a ship headed not to home, but to many destinations.

He wasn't sure if his legs were shaking due to the takeoff or his irrepressible anxiety.

I will find you… he promised, gazing down at her necklace one last time before placing it into his pocket. He took a deep breath.

I won't let you get away that easily…

"Riku, do you know where she might be? Any idea at all?" Sora asked from the navigation system.

"No idea," Riku said solemnly.

Sora turned back to the system and began punching coordinates. The journey would be long and disappointing, Riku knew, but he had another plan. In his heart, he could still feel it lurking: the darkness. It would be painful, taxing, a step backward, but he could give in. If they didn't find her this way, he wouldn't hesitate to try himself. He made it a promise.

I won't let you get away at all.

~…~

Author's Note: Sorry that this chapter falls a little short of the usual length. The next one might be short too, but after that they should get long again.

Please let me know how this all came out! The middle section especially—I worked really hard at trying to get everything juuust right, so I'd really like some opinions!

Lastly, next chapter's the thirtieth one. Anyone interested in some kind of bonus-thing? Just a thought I had. If I don't get enough feedback, I won't consider it; it takes me long enough to write chapters as it is. And I'm not sure if anyone's realized this yet, but I update my profile regularly with update information and the like. I feel kind of guilty that it takes a month to write a chapter ^_^ Sorry!

Well, please review! I love and need feedback, guys. Thanks for reading!