Time for another chapter! Thankfully I still have a few already prewritten and ready to go for ya'll. So enjoy!

Chapter 7: Learn to Do It

If I can learn to do it,
You can learn to do it!
Pull yourself together
And you'll pull through it!
Tell yourself it's easy
And it's true,
You can learn to do it too!

Traverse Town was a charming little city. It shined brightly against the world's eternal night, with vibrant neon signs and lamp posts glowing at almost every turn. It was a suitable enough place for the group to recover after the Gummi Ship's crash; there were plenty of shops, restaurants, and even a hotel for them to take refuge in. As quaint and humble as it all might have been, as far as Skye and Riku were concerned, it might as well have been the lap of luxury compared to what they were used to back on the Destiny Islands.

"Oh my gosh, this is so good!" Skye eagerly took another sip of the drink he'd gotten at the cafe they'd just stopped at. They'd taken to spending the first part of the day resting after their harrowing escape from the islands in the hopes that it would re-energize them into figuring out the rest of their journey to Radiant Garden from here. "What did you say it was called again?"

"Hot chocolate," Riku raised an eyebrow. He quickly put his confusion aside when he remembered that Skye was raised in an orphanage. Of course, he wouldn't know what hot chocolate was. It was a miracle he even knew what food was based on what Riku had heard of that wretched place.

"It's amazing!" Skye sighed happily as he savored the beverage's sweet warmth. "Do they have hot chocolate in Radiant Garden too?"

"They sure do," Goofy grinned. "Shucks, ya know, if our meeting with Princess Naminé goes well, I bet she'll give ya all the hot chocolate you can drink!"

"Naminé?" Skye questioned. He didn't notice Donald and Riku stiffen as they both realized exactly what Goofy had innocently let slip. "Who's that?"

"She's Princess Kairi's younger sister," the captain informed, still completely oblivious.

"Goofy," Donald scolded in a warning whisper.

"Her younger sister…?" Skye frowned. "I thought we were going to see Princess Kairi herself. Why are we going to see her sister?" He glanced over at the boy beside him, who was desperately trying to avoid eye contact with him. "Riku…?"

Riku drew in a sharp breath as he rubbed his temple. This couldn't just go easily for him, could it? "Nobody gets near Kairi without convincing Naminé first."

"What?!" Skye balked, alarmed.

"Not just Naminé either," Donald added, knowing the jig was up. "The princesses' lady-in-waiting, Lady Aqua will be there too. We've gotta get through them both; and from what we've heard… it's not gonna be easy."

Skye scoffed, scarcely believing what he was hearing. If he'd known about all of this when they'd pitched their plan to him, he would have never agreed to it. Not with so many strings attached, not with so very much at stake. "No," he turned on his heel as he began pacing. "No, no, no, no." He continued taking disgruntled sips from his hot chocolate with almost every other step, as if that would bring his rising stress down somehow. "This is nuts! Nobody ever told me I had to prove I was the prince!"

"Look," Riku tried to explain. "I-"

"Show up? Yes. Look nice? Whatever. But lie?"

"You don't know it's a lie," Riku argued, even though he did. Not that he'd ever let Skye, or anyone else for that matter, know that.

"I am not going to Radiant Garden just to trick some poor girl I've never met into thinking I'm her best friend," Skye stomped his foot down, resolute.

"Er… well," Goofy spoke up, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Sora was… a little more than Kairi's best friend."

"Oh yeah?" Skye rolled his eyes, hardly caring at this point. At least until he heard what the captain said next.

"The two of them were… what was it called again, Donald?" He paused, just long enough for the magician to take in a breath to tell him to shut up before he continued anyway. "Oh yeah! They were 'be-trothed' from the time they were real little. Which means they're supposed'ta get married someday!"

"Married?" Skye's voice cracked on the word. His face flushed red hot, his eyes wide before they sharped in Riku's direction. "Are you serious?! That was your 'brilliant' plan this whole time? To drag me off to Radiant Garden, parade me around as a prince, and then just ditch me there to marry some girl I don't even know!?"

"No!" Riku quickly countered. He didn't know why his own face suddenly felt so warm, why this argument as a whole left his stomach sinking in fear. It didn't take him long to figure out the reason, many reasons actually. But right now, he couldn't be bothered to let himself wallow in guilt for any of them, not when they'd already made it this far.

"Look," he grabbed Skye by the arm to keep him from outright walking away. "If… if you really are So…t-the prince," he struggled just to say it, just to pretend it could be true when he knew it wasn't. "Then trust me when I tell you you are meant to be with Kairi. The two of you loved each other so much… Everyone could see it."

Even me… Riku almost said. Because he had seen it, in those quiet, gentle moments. He'd seen how Sora and Kairi had smiled at each other, how they'd told each other secrets no one else was allowed to know. He'd seen how they hugged and laughed and played and sang and cried together. He'd seen exactly what they'd had first hand, something he'd never been able to even come close to, something he'd never truly been a part of, no matter how much he'd wanted to be.

And now… now that the real Sora was gone and he was preparing to try and deceive Kairi's broken heart with a fake… he knew he never would.

"Well, I don't remember any of that, if any of it was even me at all," Skye pulled away before storming away from the group. "I can't do this. I won't do this. It's wrong!"

"You know what else is wrong?" Donald spoke up, surprisingly calm and nonchalant. "Leaving a princess who's spent the past eight years searching for the love of her life all alone."

"That's right," Goofy added. His tone was more sincere than the magician's, just enough to compel Skye to turn around and hear them out. "Ya know, they say Princess Kairi's been awfully sad ever since Sora went missing. If you're the prince, then there's a good chance you could fix that."

"And if you're not," Riku said as he caught up to Skye once more. "Then she'll know it better than anyone else. But you'll still be in Radiant Garden just the same; you'll still be one step closer to finding out who you really are."

Skye let out a tired sigh, but he didn't pull away this time nor didn't he try to retreat. The look on his face alone was enough to tell Riku he was torn. He could relate; he'd been conflicted about the ethics of this plan too, at least at first. It hadn't taken him long to leave his misgivings about it behind when he weighed it against the thought of what he sought to gain, of who he hoped to finally see again. All he could do was try to convince Skye to do the same.

"Whether you're the prince or not," he looked the boy straight in the eye. Just like every other time before, he fought to maintain that eye contact, fought to look into the only face he'd wanted to see for the past eight years straight. "I still think this is something you should see through to the end."

"Easy for you to say," Skye pushed his way past him. He didn't spare another word on Riku as he walked on ahead to a short bridge overlooking the narrow river that ran through town. Riku started to follow him, only for Donald and Goofy to cut him off.

"Maybe… you oughta sit this one out, Riku," the captain advised.

"What? Why?" he asked, but got no answer from the pair. Instead, they simply continued on their way to join Skye on the bridge, leaving Riku to watch and impatiently wait from a distance.

Skye leaned against the bridge's railing, sullenly staring down at his reflection in the water. He didn't bother dignifying either Donald and Goofy when he watched their reflections slide in on either side of his. "Whatcha lookin' at?" the captain asked.

"What am I looking at?" Skye echoed as he glared at his reflection. "Just a skinny little nobody with no past and no future."

"...Well, that's not what we're looking at," Donald countered.

"Oh, it's not?" Skye asked dryly.

"Nope," Goofy shook his head. "We're lookin' at somebody who's brave and honest. Somebody who's real nice and real funny-"

"And really stubborn," Donald added, lightly elbowing the boy's knee.

"And," Goofy clapped a comforting hand onto Skye's shoulder. "Somebody who's got what it takes to be one of the best princes any world has ever seen."

"Trust us, we would know," Donald said with a proud grin. "We used to work for one of the best kings the worlds have ever seen. And before he was a king, he was a prince."

"Which means we know a thing or two about princes," Goofy assured. "And we know a thing or two about how to help you act like one. But only if you want to."

Skye's expression softened as the pair allowed him a moment to think. A moment that was ultimately interrupted when Riku arrived on the bridge. "So," he said, flashing the most convincing smile he could. "Are you ready to become the Prince of the Destiny Islands?"

A groan echoed across the bridge, from Skye, Donald, Goofy–even Pluto as he growled in annoyance. Skye stepped away, intent on leaving. Exactly where he planned on going, he had no idea, something that the others seemed to know just as much as he did. "There's nothing left for you back on the Islands," Donald said. For the first time since they met, Skye noted that the magician sounded sincerely sympathetic. "Everything is in Radiant Garden."

It was true; Skye didn't need any more proof of that beyond the charm hanging around his neck. All of the answers he longed for, the identity he was determined to unclaim, everything he'd ever wanted was waiting for him on the road ahead of him, not behind. He couldn't turn back now, he couldn't even stomach the thought of going back to those ruined islands, of spending the rest of his life never knowing who he was really supposed to be. He had to keep going, he had to find out the truth. Either he was the long lost prince, or he wasn't. It seemed so simple, so straightforward. Except… it wasn't. Nothing ever was.

If Princess Kairi didn't recognize him as Sora, then fine. He could live with that. He'd still be in Radiant Garden, he'd still be where he needed to be. But if she did… he didn't know what would happen. What he did know was that some small, outspoken part of his heart… wanted nothing more than to find out.

"...Ok," he said to himself first before turning back to the others. "Ok," he managed as much of a smile as he could. "You win. Start your teaching."

They all quickly perked up after that. Skye couldn't help but laugh as the three of them practically swarmed around him, eager to educate him on what being a proper prince really meant. "We'll start at the beginning," Donald cleared his throat. "You were born in a palace by the sea."

"That palace back on the islands, right?" Skye asked. He'd felt something familiar about the place when he walked through its ruined halls, but he could have never imagined actually living there.

"That's the one!" Goofy grinned. "And when you were only 3, they say you started riding horseback."

"No way," Skye gaped. As far as he remembered, he'd never even seen a horse in real life!

"Way," Riku nodded. "The horse was named Destiny, after the islands."

"You were also a little menace as a kid," Donald sneered. "You'd throw all sorts of tantrums and terrorize the staff-"

"I sounded wild," Skye chuckled.

"You practically wrote the book," Riku shook his head, remembering just how mischievous Sora could be. "But you'd behave whenever your mother was around. Not so much whenever Princess Kairi was around."

"You met her when the two of you were four," Goofy detailed. "And ya hit it off right away! She'd come to visit ya every summer and the two of you would spend your days havin' all sorts of fun together!"

"You'd go down to the beach," Riku recounted with a soft, fond smile. "Build sand castles, go swimming, have picnics. One summer, we-y-you built a raft and pretended to sail it off as far as the ocean would take you."

"How do you know that?" Donald asked him in a suspicious whisper.

"I don't," Riku quickly lied. "I, uh… I made it up."

"Don't tell him to tell the princess lies! She'll never buy it if he's-"

"What are you guys whispering about over there?" Skye suddenly asked.

"Nothing!" they both rushed to reply. Fortunately, Goofy was already a step ahead of them as far as their training regiment went.

"Show us your walk, Skye!" he encouraged as he straightened into some semblance of 'regal' poise. "Remember: shoulders back, stand up tall. Try to float!"

"Uh… Ok?" Skye mirrored what Goofy was doing. He couldn't deny he felt somewhat silly as he walked with his arms held out wide, his chin up and his back as stiff as a board. "Am I floating?"

"Like a sinking boat," Riku deadpanned.

"Go ahead and give a bow," Donald instructed. "And then you'll kiss the princess' hand."

"But we don't have a-oh!" Skye suddenly grabbed Riku's hand. "I guess you'll do."

Riku tried to suppress the blush rising to his cheeks when Skye kissed the back of his hand, winking playfully as he did. He rolled his eyes as he quickly pulled his hand back, making a show of wiping the back of it off on his pants. Skye was still smiling at him–a smile that was so, so close to one he'd lost so long ago. He wished he had it in him to hate him for that. "We'll… work on that one."

"Now, elbows in, sit up straight. And don't slurp the chowder!" The lessons continued on into dinner that evening in the back corner of a small, not too busy restaurant. They still wanted to remain low-profile after all, just in case any members of Organization XIII were still trailing them here.

"I never cared for chowder," Skye proclaimed. It was true, but the pompous air he put on when he said it was exactly what the others were hoping for.

"He said that like a true royal!" Goofy grinned.

"After the first course, there will be several more," Riku detailed. "Each will have a palette cleanser between them, and you'll need to make sure you're using the right utensil for–are you even listening?"

"Uh huh," Skye muttered between bites of bread. He couldn't care less about learning table etiquette while on an empty stomach, after all. "Somethin' about plate cleaners? Right?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Donald slapped the bread out of his hand.

"Ugh, can we just move on to dessert and then head to bed already?" Skye let out a loud yawn as he stood. "I'm exhausted."

"Not until you get this right," Riku gently pushed him back down into his seat. "And don't yawn at the table either. It's rude."

"You telling me what to do is rude," Skye scowled as he slouched in his seat.

"We're just trying to help," Riku assured with a smile that quickly fell when he noticed Skye's poor posture. "Remember, sit up straight."

Skye groaned, but did as he said anyway. He couldn't imagine how somelike like Sora must have managed to remember all of these pointless rules, much less put them into practice. Still, there was something strangely… nostalgic about hearing someone advise him to sit up straight and mind his manners. As if he'd heard all of these rules before in someone else's voice entirely a long, long time ago…

"You ok over there, Skye?" Goofy broke him out of his train of thought.

"Huh?" he blinked, grounding himself back into the present. Even if a part of his mind was still trying to find its way through the endless fog of his forgotten past. "Yeah. Let's… let's keep going."

They spent the next morning at the hotel, ordering in for coffee (and hot chocolate for Skye) to keep them going through the next round of lessons. Unlike the prior day, their focus shifted from manners to memorization, something that Skye quickly found was somehow even more overwhelming. Especially since he had so few memories of his own to go off of to begin with.

"Your birthday is…?" Goofy began the first round of questions. They were essentially drilling him about the prince's past and preferences, just like Princess Naminé and Lady Aqua would. And if they ever hoped to get an audience before Princess Kairi, then his answers had to be at least somewhat believable.

"Uh… March 27th?" Skye guessed. He had no idea when his actual birthday was, of course, but he figured it was probably around the same time as the prince's. It was a compelling thought, but he didn't think much of it beyond that.

"March 28th," Donald corrected. "What's your favorite holiday?"

"Easy," Skye grinned, not even needing to refer to the notes he'd taken. "Christmas." That was something he and the prince had in common at least; it was the one day of the year when the orphanage hadn't felt completely and utterly miserable.

Riku asked the next question. "Your best friend is…?"

"My little brother Roxas," Skye said as sweetly as he could.

"Wrong," Riku countered flatly. "Your best friend-"

"I know who my best friend is!" Skye adamantly pointed down at his notes.

"Watch that temper," Riku warned.

"I don't like being contradicted."

"That makes two of us."

"Moving on!" Donald tried to cut in, but it was already far too late. By now, both Skye and Riku were on their feet, standing only about a foot apart as they glared each other down mercilessly.

"I've about had it with you acting like you know more than me," Skye hissed bitterly.

"Last time I checked, I do," Riku returned just as coldly.

"Do you really expect me to memorize all this in just a few days? I'm only human!"

"It's not like you have any other memories taking up space inside your head so I don't see why this is so hard for you."

"Oh, ok!" Skye reeled back from such a low blow. "Well, if you think I'm so stupid, Riku, why don't you go see the princess instead of me?"

"Why do you think I'm do-" Riku quickly cut himself off before he could say too much. He sharply turned away and Skye did the same, both of them stewing in furious silence that neither of them had any plans of breaking anytime soon.

Donald and Goofy were obviously worried; they'd never even make it to Radiant Garden if these two kept arguing like this, much less get their audience with the princess. Still, even though both of them were at a loss over what to do, that didn't mean someone else couldn't intervene in their stead.

Pluto bumped into Skye's leg with a pleading whimper. Despite his frustration, he wasn't able to ignore the dog long before he reached down to pet him. He sighed, taking a moment to cool down before looking back at Riku. He almost said something, almost apologized, but in the end, all he did end up saying was: "Let's just keep going."

And so they did.

Riku eased into a chair on the far side of the room, simply watching from a distance as Donald and Goofy took over. He could tell Skye was still struggling, but something had definitely shifted since their argument. He was trying harder, taking this more seriously. He was trying to prove Riku wrong.

Despite everything, Riku couldn't help but find himself impressed by that. At least a little.

The questions continued well on into the morning, even spilling over until the afternoon. They covered almost every topic, from the prince's likes and dislikes, to specific experiences he had that were widely known, to Princess Kairi herself. Skye was doing his best to keep it all straight, but if there was one area he was having his fair share of trouble with, it was the royal family. Or more specifically, the royal siblings.

"Ok, let's go over it again," Donald sighed tiredly. "Your oldest brother's name is…?"

"Van…itas?" Skye ventured, scratching the back of his head.

"Nope, Vanitas is your twin brother," Goofy explained patiently. "Ventus is the oldest."

"Ugh," Skye flopped back onto his bed. "Why are their names so similar when they're not even twins?"

"Because the king and queen were only expecting to have one son when Vanitas came along," Donald said. "You were a surprise."

"Ya know," Goofy extended a hand to help the boy sit up. "The name Sora means sky. Isn't that a funny coinky-dink?"

"Sure. Yeah. Funny," Skye deadpanned. "Don't you guys have any pictures of the royal family? I feel like that'd make it a lot easier for me to remember them."

"Er… let's see here…" Goofy rooted through the few bags they were able to salvage from the Gummi Ship. "Oh! We found this old photo in the attic back at the palace. Does it help any?"

Skye took the photo, dog-eared and faded as it was. Just looking at it made his entire body feel oddly numb. It wasn't anything like the official portrait that he'd seen hanging in the ballroom. Here, the royal siblings all wore simple, casual clothing as they playfully posed together on the beach, smiling and squinting against the bright sun. If he didn't know any better, he'd think they were just a bunch of normal kids enjoying a day by the seashore, like any other family would.

That feeling crept through his heart again, a feeling of longing, of hope, of grief. Prince Sora was wedged comfortably in the middle of his siblings, and for a moment, Skye imagined himself in his place. He imagined a childhood where he hadn't grown up in a dingy, loveless orphanage, where he'd been surrounded by a family that adored him every bit as much as he adored them. He imagined himself playing and laughing alongside them, knowing them beyond just their names or their ages or their faces or any of the other useless facts he'd learned about them.

He imagined what it would be like if any of them were still alive today. Would they recognize him? Would he recognize them?

Or would they simply be the strangers he felt like they still were?

"Ventus," he said softly as he stared into the eyes of the eldest prince. Smart and dutiful, endlessly devoted to his family. Someone to look up to, to respect.

"Vanitas," his eyes drifted to his supposed 'twin' next. Stoic and temperamental, but caring and kind where it counted. Identical… yet so very different from his brother in almost every way

"Roxas…" his voice broke a little and he didn't know why. Earnest and excitable, so full of life and so eager to please. To follow his brave brothers wherever they might lead.

"Xion…" his chest tightened at the sight of the little princess. Sweet and innocent, such a precious treasure taken from the world far too soon. A life cut so tragically short before it could even truly begin.

"Ventus, Vanitas," he repeated again, committing their faces to memory. "Roxas, Xion."

"Ventus, Vanitas, Roxas, Xion," he gripped the photo tighter, its edges wavering under his fingertips.

"Ventus, Vanitas, Roxas, Xion." It was as though he was in a trance. He couldn't stop, couldn't hear the others speaking to him, shaking his shoulders in sudden concern.

"Ventus, Vanitas, Roxas, Xion."

"Ventus, Vanitas, Roxas, Xion."

Ventus, Vanitas, Roxas, Xion.

"Sora!"

He gasped and the world went black.

When he woke up a moment or two later, his head was pounding. He was lying on the bed; Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and even Riku all hovered over him, equally worried. "W-what… happened?" he asked slowly, rubbing his aching forehead.

"You fainted," Riku held a hand out to help him up. Skye hesitantly took it, only to sway forward, still unsteady. He didn't know what to think when Riku raced to catch him before he could slip off the bed altogether. "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick-"

"N-no," Skye winced. Why was it so bright in here all of the sudden? "I'm fine, I'm just… tired, I guess."

"Hm," Riku nodded, easing him back onto the bed. "Then we should take a break. We have some errands to run in town anyway, so you can rest up while we're gone."

"Yeah," Skye surprisingly agreed. He laid back and smiled when Pluto plopped down onto the bed beside him to keep him company. "S-sounds good."

It didn't take long for Donald and Goofy to file out first. Riku wasn't far behind, but he did stop at the door, turning back to look at Skye. The boy's eyes were wide, uncertain, as if he still wasn't sure where he was or what was going on. He looked so small, so frightened, so vulnerable.

So much like Sora than he ever had before.

"Hey, uh… for what it's worth," Riku began, not wanting to show too much regret. Even though he was practically drowning in it. "You're doing well."

"Really?" Skye asked, surprised.

"Really."

The younger boy settled in a bit more, finally smiling, finally relaxing. "Thanks."

Riku nodded, returning his smile as he left. As soon as the door was closed, Skye saw it, the photograph of the royal children lying on the floor where he dropped it. Pluto was already half asleep, his paws perched on the boy's chest, but Skye still managed to reach over to retrieve it. He skimmed it carefully this time, as if the creased paper was hot to the touch. For whatever it had done to him just a few moments ago, it might as well have been.

"You were born in a palace by the sea…" he echoed softly to himself. He kept his smile as he focused only on the lost prince this time, only on Sora. On the boy he was slowly starting to believe… might just have been him.

He laughed, if only to hide just how much he was beginning to hope it was true. "...Could it be?"

After the scare Skye had given them earlier, Riku had convinced Donald and Goofy to give him all the time and space he needed to recover. The magician had ribbed him for it, of course, accusing him of "going soft" on their prospective prince. Riku took in stride though as they went about town, gathering the supplies they'd need for the last leg of their journey.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized he'd been in Skye's shoes before; a lonely orphan, without anyone else to lean on, lost and looking for a place to call home? It was as if they'd both lived the same story at different times. But at the very least, Riku had his memories, however distant they might be, of his father to hold onto. Skye didn't even have that much. For as aggravating as he might be… Riku couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

It was early evening by the time they made it back to the hotel. Skye was up and energized, well-rested and eager to wolf down the food they'd brought back for dinner. He acted like nothing had happened, and Riku, despite his lingering worries, decided to do the same. It took some doing to calm Donald and Goofy down and get them to stop fretting over Skye, but they did. Eventually.

When the two of them finally settled down to eat, Riku took the opportunity to present Skye with something else they'd brought back from their errands. "Here," he handed a pair of black slacks and a dark crimson dress shirt over to Skye. "I got you some clothes."

Skye wasn't able to suppress a laugh as he inspected the vastly oversized outfit. "You bought me two tents," he joked, baffled by the pants' generous waistline.

"What are you looking for?" Riku peered at him from one of the legs.

"The circus!" Skye exclaimed. "I think it's still in here!"

"Come on," Riku rolled his eyes as he shoved the clothes into his arms. "Just try them on. You'll need something better to wear to see the princess than those old rags of yours."

Skye couldn't argue with him there. He took the clothes and made a beeline for the restroom, already plotting out a way to keep himself from swimming in them. Back at the orphanage, everyone had to repair their own clothes, so he'd picked up sewing from watching a few of the older kids. He wasn't the greatest at it, but with a bit of thread and some creativity, he could make this new outfit work. Probably. Hopefully.

With four people and a dog sharing a hotel room meant for two, it didn't take long for it to get claustrophobic for everyone. So they'd taken to enjoying the pleasant summer evening out in one of Traverse Town's quieter districts. A lovely fountain flowed at one of the open square's corners, glowing gold as the statue of two dogs stood staring lovingly at each other. They set up a table not too far away from it and struck up a game of cards to pass the time, just like they used to back at the abandoned castle. How dumb luck always seemed to be on Goofy's side, Riku and Donald had no idea. He had just laid down yet another winning hand when Skye finally joined them.

"So," he grinned as he stepped into the square. "What do you think?"

"Whoa!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed in stunned unison. Riku, on the other hand, found himself speechless when he caught his first glimpse of Skye. His old, ragged clothes were gone, replaced with the ones Riku had bought for him. He must have worked some kind of magic on them, surely, because they fit him much better than they should have. Upon a closer look, Riku realized what Skye had done to them; he'd stitched the hems of his pants to keep them from dragging and pulled a belt to its tightest notch to keep them on. The dress shirt had been neatly tucked in and he'd rolled the sleeves halfway up his forearms. His charm still hung around his neck to add a splash of extra color to the outfit, and his messy hair hung free from its usual cap. While he didn't look exactly like royalty yet, it certainly was a strong start, something that wasn't lost on any of his companions.

"Well, at least you don't look like you've spent half your life in a run-down orphanage anymore," Donald remarked, pretending not to be too impressed.

"I think ya look great!" Goofy beamed as he got up from the table. "Now that you're lookin' more like a prince, I think it's time you learn how to dance like one."

"Dance?" Skye chuckled as he watched Goofy step into a lively jig.

"The prince loved to dance," Riku warmly recalled. He tried to ignore the ache in his chest when he thought about that last night, about that dance he never got to share with him.

"Let's just hope you don't have two left feet like he did," Donald said with a wry grin.

"Aw, don't listen to Donald," Goofy waved the magician off. "Dancin's real easy–and fun! Why don't ya show him, Riku?"

"Me?" Riku crossed his arms. "No. Not happening."

"Why not?" Skye challenged, smirking. "Scared I'll step on your toes or something?"

"Yes, actually," Riku teased back. Still, he stood and made his way over. It took another gentle nudge from Goofy to get him to actually take Skye's hand. "Just try not to embarrass the both of us, ok?"

"No promises," Skye winked as he rested a hand on Riku's shoulder.

Donald kept time as they took the starting steps of a waltz. "One, two, thee, one, two, three–no, Skye, you have to lead, not Riku–one, two three, one, two, three…"

He slowly trailed off when the pair found their footing and began to keep the rhythm on their own, even without any music to accompany them. It felt strange at first, especially to Skye as he was tasked with leading when, as far as he could remember, he'd never even danced before. But much like everything else he'd been learning lately, he picked it up quickly. As if it was something he'd always known.

"You, uh, really did wonders for those clothes," Riku told him between their slow steps.

"Do you think so?" Skye asked, surprised.

"Yeah." They spun a bit wider as their dance became more sweeping, more elegant. "I mean, it was nice on the hanger, but… it looks even better on you. You… you should wear it."

"I am wearing it," Skye laughed as he practiced dipping Riku.

"R-right, of course," Riku swallowed hard when he was gently pulled back up. "I was just trying to give you a, um…"

"A compliment?"

"Yes. That."

They continued twirling around the square, engulfed in the gentle golden glow of the fountain behind them. It made for quite a sight; two boys who once couldn't stand each other, now teaching each other how to waltz. Donald and Goofy shared a smile as they settled back into their seats to watch them.

"I'd say Skye's turning into a pretty good prince, doncha think?" Goofy asked.

Donald nodded, keeping his voice down so Skye wouldn't hear. The last thing that kid needed was an ego boost, after all. "He's getting better. With a little more practice, he might just be able to pull this off. There's only one problem…"

"What's that?"

The magician was quiet for a moment, his smile fading as Skye and Riku spun by them. The way they were looking at each other spoke volumes enough on its own. They wore matching smiles, their eyes locked as they reflected the warm light all around them. And the way they danced, as if they'd danced together many times before…

It was more than enough to make Donald and Goofy worry.

"Oh…" the captain rubbed the back of his head. "How are we supposed to get through this now…?"

Donald shook his head, clueless, hopeless. Just like Riku–he supposed. "We never should have let them dance…"

It was already too late to stop them now. Their dance slowly moved closer to the fountain; its trickling water kept time for them in place of any music. Not that time, or anything for that matter, really mattered to either of them right now.

"I feel a little… dizzy…" Skye mumbled. He drew in a silent breath when he felt Riku's hand, calloused and strong, gently tighten around his.

"Kind of lightheaded?" Riku asked. He could feel the smile tugging on the corners of his lips but he couldn't do a single thing to chase it away. Not that he even wanted to.

"Yeah…" Skye nodded. He caught himself staring into Riku's eyes again, so bright and clear as they shined like beacons in the night. Beacons meant to guide him home.

"Me too," Riku admitted, his voice soft like a fading storm. "Probably from spinning. Maybe we should stop."

"We have stopped."

Riku started, not even realizing they'd moved to a standstill before the fountain. And yet… his hands were still holding onto Skye's all the same. He had no plans of letting go any time soon. "Skye, I…" he trailed off, unsure of what he even wanted to say.

"Yes?" Skye asked expectedly.

At that moment, they both felt it. Something like gravity, pulling them closer together. Something like a spark igniting inside of both of their hearts. Skye closed his eyes first and Riku followed, almost bridged the gap between them, but then–

"I wanted to see if you'd dance with me later!"

The memory suddenly rang through his head like a bell, the lasting echo of a dance that never happened. Sora's voice, his smile, his eyes, all still just as vivid as they'd been the day he lost him. All haunting him even eight years later, keeping his heart under lock and key.

He pulled back, slowly slipping his hands out of Skye's. Guilt sunk its claws into him when he saw a wave of disappointment wash over the other boy's face. He made a feeble effort of consoling him with an impersonal pat on the shoulder. "Uh… T-the princess will be getting herself a pretty good dancing partner."

He felt Skye staring at him as he walked away, Donald and Goofy too. He didn't have it in him to even glance back.

Pluto was the only one to follow after him as he wandered back to Twilight Town's main thoroughfare. It was starting to get late, so there weren't many still out and about. Riku was grateful for that; he needed some space, some time to think. Even more than that, he needed something to knock some sense into him.

He slumped against a wall, feeling like a fool in every sense of the word. He reached down to scratch Pluto behind the ear, but even his longtime friend could offer him little comfort now. "I know, boy," he offered the dog a bittersweet smile when he caught Pluto staring up at him. "That was stupid of me."

Pluto simply cocked his head, but listened nonetheless as Riku continued speaking, both to him and to himself. "I don't know what's wrong with me. He's not Sora. I know he's not. But every time I look at him, it's just… it's like I'm…"

He sighed, pulling his gaze up to the starry night sky above. "I guess I set myself up for this by just coming up with this plan in the first place. But I didn't think I'd… that he'd be so much like…"

Riku shook his head as he trailed off. He could have sworn his heart was sabotaging him, cursing him to fall for someone who was just an echo of the boy he lost, a boy who had already been promised to another to begin with. Condemning him to watch as everything he'd ever wanted, everything he'd ever dreamed of… always stayed just out of reach.

"It doesn't matter," he said, forcing himself to believe it. "None of this will in a few days. Just get to Radiant Garden, see Kairi, and get the reward. And then, after that…"

He'll be gone, his thoughts, cruel and traitorous, whispered to him. They'll have each other; and you'll be left alone.

He hated that what they were telling him was nothing less than the truth.

Next time... Nightmares leak over into reality... Please don't forget to leave a REVIEW! Until next time!