Notes:

Song of the arc: Your Affection by Shihoko Hirata

Song of the chapter: Endlessly by The Cab

The next while was a blur for Riku, he had needed to stabilize Vanitas from bleeding out and check on his friends, and make sure everyone was safe. Thankfully the Queen had been just outside the room so when Riku rushed the naked and bleeding boy out a stretcher had already been prepared to take him to get the proper medical treatment done. Even if he was a former enemy and frankly, not very nice at all, no one wanted him to let him die.

Kairi with tears still in her eyes draped her arms around Naminé as they were both sitting on the floor facing each other. "I'm sorry I just blurted out my feelings, it was my first real battle since Xehenort and I was so scared!"

Naminé returned the hug but her face showed a mix of emotions about the whole ordeal. "It's okay, Kairi, we're safe now."

Sora, who usually held on to more optimistic thoughts, was still clenching his fist and radiated an air of anger. He only snapped out of it as Riku grabbed onto his shoulder. "You okay?" Riku asked.

Sora sighed, "I'm not hurt."

Riku put on a brave face, "I know what you mean."

From the doors a young Ventus came in with his Wayward Wind drawn and ready. "Are you all okay? I had to make sure Uncle Scrooge, Little Chef, and everyone else was okay first-" he saw all of them not worse physically hurt but mentally exhausted.

Sora looked around and stomped his foot on the ground and help his arms out flexing, "Hey if that Truth or whatever comes back I'll handle him! So no more sad faces!" He smiled then began to mock dance with himself, "I'll dance circles around him!" Everyone else seemed a little better after that and Kairi and Naminé wiped their faces.

"Geez, now my makeup is all ruined!" Kairi pouted. "Well, it was nice having fun while it lasted."

Riku, ever eager to get the full scope of the situation asked, "Do you know where Aqua and Terra are Ven? I'm sure they must have a good reason to be away?"

"Oh right! Actually, Donald and Goofy said Mickey wanted you to come to his study once the fighting was done." Everyone got ready to go when Ventus corrected himself, "Sorry, only Riku. Master stuff, I guess. He also said we should all stay here tonight to make sure whoever that was doesn't come back."

Riku scratched his head, "Alright I guess, well I hope you guys get ready for bed then. It's been… a day." He parted with his friends, his eyes and thoughts lingering on Naminé as she seemed the most downtrodden at the news. "Hey, be sure to tell them you're staying for a while. It'll be like a fancy sleepover." She gave a terse reply as he went on his way to see the other masters.

It will only get more complicated…

Riku did not expect to see Terra in the study leaning against a book shelve and he especially did not expect to see Aqua pacing back and forth trying to quell her anger. "Your Majesty? What's going on?"

"What's going on is this bastard is-" Aqua began.

"Aqua! Let Mickey speak first. Let Riku come to his own conclusion." Terra finished. Riku could see these two were obviously not okay with what was going on.

"Riku, before I say anything I need you to know. I really do have the best intentions in mind, for everyone." Mickey said as Aqua scoffed. "Master Yen Sid has been doing some research into the Age of Fairy Tales, back when the worlds were all connected and there were a countless number of keyblade wielders. Yen Sid found a prophecy that says a true king will be found that will mend the Light back into one."

Riku listened, it seemed nearly simple enough he supposed. He would save his questions until the end.

"Well, the prophecy said it would come from a natural keyblade wielder. Yen Sid and I thought that meant someone born from with a keyblade and so-"

"And so he wants all of us, even you and your friends to have as many kids as possible and get as many who can possibly get a keyblade and make them do the same." Aqua interjected again.

"Woah kids! Your Majesty, I don't think any of us are ready for that!" Riku shifted around embarrassingly. It was one thing to think about kissing someone else or going on dates with them but… sex. Kairi and Sora were at that level but…

"No one said anything about making them Aqua." Terra said to her.

"No, he was just going to tell all these kids who don't have a single selfish bone in their bodies to sacrifice even more of themselves, to what? A prophecy? That we don't even know if it'll come true? Sora displaced fate itself, it could have been rewritten!" Aqua looked exhausted as Terra put his arm around her to comfort her. "Mickey, please, tell me the truth. Did Master Eraqus know about this?"

The king looked down to avert his eyes from her gaze. "Unfortunately, you'll have to ask Yen Sid the details but… that's probably why he took you both as students."

Aqua resigned herself to knowing more about her former master. The man she thought of like a father, treating both of them like breeding stock. "Fine, it doesn't matter." She collected herself, or as much as she could. "None of this leaves this room. I'll march straight to Yen Sid if I have to but I won't let you take what's left of their childhood away from them." They each agreed Mickey now either seeing the error of his ways or the error of getting caught.

"I hate to change the subject," Riku said, "but whatever we just fought, Truth, had Vanitas within it." The three others tried to give their full attention. "He's hurt, bad, but maybe since he's back he can tell us something about this threat once he's healed up."

"Well, I don't like it but I think it's our only clue we've got right now." Terra kept his arm around Aqua as he spoke. "So what happens when he wakes up? After all, he did try to kill us."

"I think we'll have to take a page from Sora on this." Riku replied. "Perhaps we just need to give him another chance to live in the Light."

Mickey gave his characteristic smile having thought about his past adventures with Riku. "Gosh, well, my home is open to him as long as he needs. I think it would be better to have you all here for a while as well, to smooth out everything and to make sure Truth doesn't come back. Aqua, Terra, is that okay?"

"I'm still mad at you, but we can't very well just move Vanitas in his condition." Aqua truly was fit to be a master with how she put aside her own feelings. "But, I'm definitely not staying here. Terra, do you wanna see if we can find a hotel in town?"

"Of course, I can't just leave you alone now. You'd never eat properly if I did."

They ironed out their plans, keep everyone on this world for a while and wait to see what happens with Vanitas and definitely do not tell the others about this prophecy, if it even comes to pass in their lifetime, and just try to live in the moment. A haphazard strategy but one that's worked so far for them.

Riku was walking towards the room he was going to share with Sora and Ventus, (Aqua forbade Mickey from letting the couple do any funny business even though Mikey thought the same while they were under his roof) and found Naminé in white pajamas wondering the halls. "Can't sleep?" Riku asked.

"Can't or won't, I don't know what's worse." Naminé replied. "Riku, can we talk?"

Riku felt his heart beat faster and slow to a crawl, it was crazy how she could do that to him with just one sentence. "Yeah, let's get some air too. That should help calm the nerves." The two went to the courtyard overlooking the garden to get some much needed air. Riku thought she was going to speak but she seemed even more reserved than usual and Riku never was one for small talk so they leaned on the railing letting the chill of the night air breeze past them until Naminé was ready to talk. He put his suit jacket on her shoulders, it had holes in it from the fight but he would rather her look unfashionable than catch a chill.

"Riku… do you think Kairi was saying that because I'm her Nobody?" Naminé looked out to the moon and it's soft glow in the darkness.

"You were in her heart you should know." He replied but it seemed she did not understand as she tilted her head at him. "Kairi was all alone on the Islands before the mayor took her in and she only had a grandmother before that. I think that's why she took to Sora and I so quickly. We are family to her."

"But, we haven't spent that much time together. I've only had this body for two months…"

"I guess she already made up her mind and her heart to love you so time is superficial to her." Riku saw her working her brain to its fullest trying to convince herself of something. "Hey, if you don't accept it she'll just keep coming at you until you do. Those two, Sora and Kairi, they've always been pretty stubborn and very scrapy. Remember when we all met back in the Castle That Never Was? She was ready to fight me, no weapon, no magic, just her hands and a dream to get her man back."

Naminé gave a chuckle then returned to her soft smile as she took his hand in hers. "I guess compared to her I must seem pretty weak willed huh?"

Riku shook his head, "You're strong too, Naminé. Not because you're Kairi's Nobody but because you're you. You stood against Marluxia at Castle Oblivion, helped Sora regain his memory for a year, saved Kairi from captivity, and during the fight against Xehanort you brought the Lingering Will to fight with us." He gave her hand a squeeze and looked her in the eyes.

Be steady, Little Heart

Had he ever truly looked at her? Seen her? He was trying so desperately to fulfill his promise that maybe, just maybe, in this moment as her hand intertwined with his with her hair swept back from the light breeze, and her cerulean eyes bright in the darkness he forgot all about his other self and truly appreciated who Naminé was.

And it scared him. It truly, truly, scared him.

She was the one who told him he could be more than what he was. The one who said he could use his darkness for the light. Someone who faltered as much as he did was still able to protect those who he loved.

"Riku? You've been staring." She pursed her lips causing Riku to look away.

"Sorry." He could not give an explanation. What would he say? He got caught up in his own thoughts about her? That he wanted to see her smile one last time before bed? That trying to utter even a single word took his breath away.

So he did not say anything. He let it be until she was the one to first yawn and say she needed to sleep. Was he the first to let go or was she? Either way the lingering touch of her hand pierced him straight through to his very soul.

That night he had a restless sleep.