Kingdom Hearts 1. 01: The Light In The Darkness

**Yay! The rewrite is already so much better than the original version that I wrote like, almost five years ago *cough* 2009 *cough***

**Yeah, and the first chapter combines the first two chapters, since they were both so short. **  
**Also, Momo and Max will be a lot more developed than just "herp derp"**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I only own Momo and Max**.

* * *

Chapter 01: The Light In The Darkness

- Momo-

I trudged along the dirt path that led from the park to the beach. I just got out of school not too long ago, and I decided to go down the path that I used to walk down with Kairi, Sora and…Riku. I sighed and ran a hand through my short black, purple-streaked hair when I thought about Riku. How ironic, that when I finally tell him that I like him…our world is thrown into darkness. After that, I was found by Leon and the others in Traverse Town. I worried about Sora, Riku and Kairi the entire time, only seeing Sora when he would need help from Leon or Cid. I couldn't do much besides help Aerith decipher Ansem's reports, and so I convinced Yuffie to help me train some more. When we had gone to Hallow Bastion, I made Sora promise to give Riku a message. Whether he gave it to him or not, I won't know until I actually see him again. It's odd though. I can remember Sora, but Kairi and Selphie can't. Only recently, Kairi has started to remember him.

"Momo!"

I smiled at the familiar voice and turned to see Kairi and Selphie catching up to me. "Hey guys." I said. "Hey, so I was wondering if you wanted to go to the island with me. Tidus and Wakka are busy with their game, and Kairi doesn't want to go either." Selphie said as the three of us walked together. I thought for a few moments and shook my head. "Sorry, but I actually need to finish a paper for my English class." I said. "Aww!" Selphie said with a pout, making Kairi giggle. Kairi and Selphie started to talk, and my mind drifted off once again. I felt my face scrunch into a frown as I tried to think of a way to find Riku on my own. I know that he's out there, but if no one else will find him, I guess I'll just have to find him on my own.

"Kairi!"

I looked over to see Kairi on the ground and Selphie on her knees beside her. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I…I don't know!" Selphie said, the concern on her face obvious. Kairi slowly sat up and Selphie brushed her off. "Are you okay?" She asked. Kairi nodded. "Geez Kairi. Why'd you have to pass out like that?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips. Kairi just smiled softly at me as I helped her stand. Kairi looked toward the beach, and back at before she took off running towards the beach. I let out a groan as we started after her.

We found Kairi standing by the shore of the beach, staring at the ocean. Selphie called out to her and Kairi took a bottle and set it in the water. Kairi explained the purpose of the bottle to Selphie and I plopped down a couple of feet away from the shore, watching the bottle float away. I sighed, laying back onto the sand and closing my eyes. I don't really care about getting sand in my hair; that's what showers are for, right?

Memories flashed through my mind. I thought about seeing Sora in Traverse Town the first time after our world was destroyed. I thought about training with Yuffie and helping Aerith; I also remembered the final time I had seen Riku before everything was over. It was in a dream, or so I thought. I remember being surrounded by nothing but black, or darkness. Then, I saw a light, as cliché as it may sound, and Riku walked out of it. He told me that some things were going to happen, or as I remember, that he was going to be gone for a little while. He said not to forget that he loved me. Cheesy, right? I guess Riku didn't think so at the time. After that, I woke up in my own bed, in our home world, Kairi in my bedroom like the night before the storm. We were the only ones who remembered what had happened to our world, as sad as it is.

"Momo?"

I opened my eyes and looked at Kairi and Selphie. "I'm gonna head home. Are you coming, or are you going to stay here a little bit longer?" Kairi asked. I sat up and shook some sand out of my hair. "I'll go back with you." I said; standing and brushing myself off. "We'll see you tomorrow Selphie." Kairi said. Selphie smiled and waved to us as we walked away. "So do you think mom will make something odd for dinner again?" I asked. "Maybe, I think it depends on what her mood is." Kairi said with a smile. That's right; back when Kairi had come to the island, my father, the mayor, had adopted her. Since then, I guess that we've become sort of close. I guess we're similar to sisters now. I guess it's kind of nice; I mean, up until I was six, it was me and my two older brothers. Well, as Sora used to say, these things must happen for a reason, right?

* * *

I stared at my ceiling, unable to sleep. I let out a sigh and sat up. I felt a sudden chill go down my spine and I quickly looked around. I saw only darkness; similar to my dream that I had about a year ago. I shivered and spun around. I froze when I saw a figure in a black cloak, the person being about an inch or two taller than me. "Momo."

I felt my breath stop after hearing the familiar voice. "R-Riku?" I asked. He removed his hood to reveal his hair going to just under his shoulders, and a black blindfold over his eyes. "Riku!" I blurted out, running over to him. I crashed into him, wrapping my arms around him. "Riku…I-I can't believe that it's you…" I said quietly. "Momo…how have you been?" Riku asked. "Screw that! How are you? Are you alright? Just where are you?!" I asked quickly. Riku smiled. "I take it that you're doing just fine. I…can't tell you where I'm at, Momo. It's…really complicated." Riku said. I bit my lip and looked down. "Oh." I said simply, trying to not show my disappointment. "Hey Momo, look at me." Riku said softly. I did, only to see his blindfold gone, enabling me to see his turquoise eyes. Riku put his hand on my cheek. "You don't know how much I miss you Momo, but I can't come home yet. I have something that I need to fix before I can go back. Do you understand?" Riku asked. I nodded. "Thank you." Riku said, smiling. I kissed his cheek. "Hurry up then, you moron. You've missed some things, you know. I still remember our promise Riku…I won't give up on wanting to see you again." I said. Riku put his other hand on my other cheek and kissed me. When he pulled away, I looked at him, slightly flustered and confused. "W-What…?" I started. "I've waited a while to do that. When I can finally see you in person is when it'll be able to count, alright?" Riku said. I nodded, hugging Riku again. "Okay. Now go to sleep Momo."

* * *

Two days later, I found myself sitting on the dock facing toward the island that we used to play at. I'm wearing normal clothes now, nothing really notable; a pair of jeans, a sleeveless black hoodie, a long sleeve green shirt underneath the hoodie, two belts, fingerless gloves, and a pair of black lace up boots. The memory of seeing Riku last night was still fresh in my mind, and it only made my want to find Riku even stronger.

I heard footsteps and Kairi sat beside me. "Hey Momo; what are you doing?" She asked. "Just…thinking." I replied, smiling softly. "About Riku?" Kairi asked. "Yeah." I said, feeling my cheeks slightly heat up. "It's obvious. You really miss him, and I get it." Kairi said. I sighed. "Yeah."

* * *

Later that day, I went to the island. I couldn't help myself, despite part of me saying not to go. I stepped onto the dock and started walking toward the paopu tree, where I used to hang out with my friends. I went through the old shack, remembering when I used to tease Sora about various things, including his crush on Kairi. Then he would retort with using my feelings for Riku. We'd go on like that for a while, until either Riku or Kairi would stop us with one thing or another.

I put my hand on the base of the paopu fruit tree and sighed. I looked out at the ocean and remembered the resolve that the four of us had to explore other worlds together. Then the night of the storm happened, and changed everything for us. I climbed onto the paopu fruit tree and sighed once more, closing my eyes. Is it me, or am I starting to feel a little bit depressed?

I felt something move beside me and my eyes snapped open. I looked around me, and saw nothing. I was so sure that I had felt something beside me…

I jumped off of the tree and turned to start walking back to the docks, when I noticed a spot of dark smoke. I stared at it as I tried to go around it. I started to walk faster as the smoke started following me and that's when I started running. I jumped off of the wooden path and I felt something grab my ankle, making me trip. I looked back to see the same smoke starting to engulf my leg. I kicked at it and it absorbed my other leg. The dark smoke crawled its way up my body and I shivered. I remembered when Riku left the islands, because of darkness. The smoke engulfed my face and I started to feel suffocated. I squeezed my eyes shut. "Riku…"

* * *

-3rd person POV-

Sora walked off of the mysterious train after Donald and Goofy. When it disappeared, he laughed nervously. "Haha…there goes our ride…" He said. Sora turned to walk forward, but he bumped into Donald and Goofy. "H-Hey guys, why'd you stop?" He asked. Donald pointed ahead of then and Sora gasped when he saw someone laying on the ground. "A-Ah! We should help them!" Sora said, pushing past Donald and Goofy. "Sora, wait! We don't know if they're dangerous!" Donald said, running after Sora. Sora kneeled beside the person and he noticed that it was a girl, with familiar short black hair that has purple streaks in it…

"Momo!" Sora said in surprise, turning her over. He grabbed Momo's shoulders and started shaking her. "Momo! Momo, wake up!" Sora said quickly, the worry clear in his voice. He heard a gasp escape from Momo and her eyes fluttered open. They grew wide and she started coughing. "Momo, are you okay?" Sora blurted out. Momo looked at Sora, confusion on her face. "Sora…? Where am I? Why…are you wearing clothes that look too small for you?" Momo asked. "You're okay!" Sora said with a relived sigh as he tightly hugged her.

"How did you get here?" Sora asked, pulling away from Momo. "Well…I was on the island, our island, and some black smoke sucked me in and…I think I passed out." Momo said. Sora stood and held his hand out to Momo, helping her up. "Donald, Goofy; you guys remember Momo, right?" Sora asked. Donald and Goofy nodded, greeting Momo. Sora smiled. "Alright, let's check out this tower!"

* * *

-Momo-

After meeting Yen Sid, we went to see the fairies. They gave Sora some new clothes, and put a spell on mine. After getting the Gummi Ship back, we decided to leave.

* * *

A little while earlier…

-Roxas' POV-

I fought my way to the old mansion. The voice in my head told me to go there. Wow, I probably sound really crazy right now. As I climbed up the hill, I saw a familiar person in front of the gate to the mansion. Her shoulder-length purple, red-tipped hair was draped around her shoulders and she was sitting with her knees in her chest, crying into them. I rushed over to her and kneeled beside her, putting my hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me, and tears were on her face. "R-Roxas…?" She asked in a quiet voice. "Max, what's wrong?" I asked, still feeling a little surprised that she could see me. "H-Hayner, P-Pence, and O-Olette…I…I can't speak to them or touch them…Some girl, told me to come here, but when I got here…" Max's voice trailed off and I helped her stand up. I also noticed her blush. "S-Sorry…I know that you're not used to seeing me cry." Max mumbled.

Some of those white creatures that I had fought appeared and I stood in front of Max, making the keyblade appear. "Roxas, what's going on?" Max asked. Some of the creatures jumped towards us and I got ready to fight them, but someone appeared in front of us, stepping out of a black portal. "Go!" He said, summoning a keyblade. I nodded and unlocked the gate behind us. I grabbed Max's hand and started running toward the mansion doors. When we were inside, I let out a sigh of relief. "R-Roxas! Wh-what is going on?" Max asked, catching her breath. "I don't…I don't know." I replied. I realized that I was still holding onto Max's hand, and I was about to let go when I felt her squeeze my hand. "Max?" I asked, looking at her. "I…Roxas, I'm scared." She whispered. "Hey, don't be afraid. We'll find out what's going on." I said, tucking some of her hair behind her ear with my other hand. Max nodded and we started to explore the mansion.

We walked into a white room that I recognized as the room that Naminé and I had spoken in the other day. The drawings on the walls are the exact same as then. I looked on the table and saw two new drawings; one with Hayner, Pence, Olette, Max and me. Not too far away from it is another drawing, of Max and me holding hands. I looked around the room and Max was staring at a drawing on the wall. "Max?" I called, walking over to her. The drawing that she was staring at was what looked like me, running down a street. "It…it looks familiar…" Max mumbled, her stare looking blank. I looked closely at the drawing and heard a high-pitched sound in my mind.

"Roxas!"

"Why did the keyblade choose me? I need to know."

"Idiot! You're going to get both you and Max killed!"

I opened my eyes and looked around. Max was still staring blankly at the wall, and Naminé was now sitting at the table. "Organization XIII... they're a bad group." I said. "Bad or good, I don't know. They're a group of incomplete people who wish to be whole. To that end, they're desperately searching for something." Naminé said. "What?" I asked. "Kingdom Hearts." Naminé said. I chuckled. "Funny?" Naminé asked. "It's just, I think-I've been running away from the question I really wanna ask;" I walked up to the table and leaned against it. "What's gonna happen to me now? And when I'm gone…what's going to happen to Max? Just tell me, because nothing else really matters." I said, looking back towards Max who still hadn't moved. "Max…is a complex person. She…isn't a nobody, and yet…she believes that she is one. We hope that she will remember that, but right now, she has broken down." Naminé said. I felt something in my chest squeeze when Naminé said that and I looked to see Max on her knees, supporting herself with her hands. "Max!" I shouted, running over to her. "Mmnn…R-Roxas…?" She asked quietly. "Max, are you okay?" I asked, putting my hand on her shoulders and helping her sit back. Tears started streaming down her face. "R-Roxas…I-I remember…everything." She whispered. "Roxas."

I stood and looked at Naminé. "Max will meet someone to guide her to another person who will take her to her homeworld after you go back to Sora. She will possibly forget you and the memories that she made here." She said. "W-What?!" I asked. "Wait, you're serious?!" Max asked. She stumbled as she stood and I caught her. "I…I can't forget everything from here! That's…that's just not fair!" Max shouted. I looked at Naminé. "Roxas, you are…" Naminé started before she started flickering. "N-Naminé!" I yelled. Naminé broke into pieces and then the pieces disappeared. A man appeared in front of us. "You two cannot change your fate. Max is destined to live in the light…while Roxas is destined to live in Sora's shadow." The man said. "Screw destiny! Roxas has a right, just as much as everybody else, to be his own person!" Max shouted, putting her hand on my shoulder for support. "A nobody cannot be their own person. They don't even have a right to exist." The man said. "That…that's just horrible!" Max snapped. "Wait, what IS a nobody?" I blurted out.

The man in a black coat that we saw earlier stepped out of a dark portal. "DiZ, we're out of time, there are too many nobodies." He said calmly. Another portal, this time behind DiZ, sprung up and Naminé stepped out. "Roxas, nobodies like us are only half a person. You won't disappear. You'll be whole!" Naminé said. Quickly. "Disappear?" I asked. "You won't disappear, you'll-"

"No further outbursts!" DiZ interrupted, grabbing Naminé and covering her mouth. "Wait!" I shouted. Max leaned back against the wall as I attempted to run to the portal. The hooded man stepped in front of me and cut me off. "Roxas, we will meet again. Someday soon; I promise!" Naminé said, just as the three of them disappeared into the portal. "Wait!" I tried, but I was too late. I sighed and looked at Max, before walking over to her. "Are you okay?" I asked. Tears started to fall from her face. "Roxas…I don't want to forget." She whispered. "I don't want to forget you, Hayner, Pence, Olette…heck, even Seifer, Fuu, Vivi and Rai. I don't want to forget any of you! These memories…are too precious to me." Max said, covering her face with her hands. I pulled Max close and hugged her. "Then…try to not forget. That's…that's all that I can really say." I said, pulling away from Max. She nodded and I smiled, removing the wristband on my left wrist. I took Max's right hand and slipped it onto her wrist. "R-Roxas…?" Max asked. "Hold on." I said, pulling the white ring off of my middle finger and placing it on the first finger of her right hand. I smiled and looked at Max. "Look…we don't know for sure that you'll forget me, but just in case, I want you to have those." I said, moving some hair out of Max's face. "Roxas…I…I…" She started, but she stopped before putting her hands on my cheeks and kissing me, straight on my lips.

At first, I didn't know how to respond. Then, my feelings reacted and I kissed her back, holding her close. When we separated, Max's face was lightly red and she had a tiny smile on her face. "Good to know…that you feel the same way." She said. I felt my cheeks warm and Max faced the door out of the white room and grabbed my hand. "You ready?" She asked. "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

-Max's POV-

Roxas and I found the library, and while on the way, Roxas defended me. I felt so…helpless. We walked inside of the library and Roxas drew a symbol on the table. The floor disappeared. "Okay, this place is really…interesting." I said. "Hey, they have to hide these things somewhere, right?" Roxas said. I chuckled and followed Roxas down the stairs and into the doorway. There were computer screens on the walls and in one corner, there was a chair and some monitors and a keyboard. "What…is this?" I whispered, touching one of the screens that had the silhouette of a boy with messy, spiky hair. "Urgh…" Roxas moaned. I spun and he was cringing, covering his face with his hand. "R-Roxas!" I shouted, starting toward him. After a few moments, he snapped out of it. "Roxas, are you…" I was cut off when the keyblade appeared in Roxas' hand and he started hacking at the computer, destroying any hope of getting the information off of it.

Roxas stood in front of the computer panting, his keyblade still in his hand. "Roxas…" I said, grabbing onto the keyblade. "What…happened?" I asked. Roxas squeezed his eyes shut. "It was all a lie." He whispered. "W-What was a lie?" I asked. The keyblade disappeared and I grasped onto some air. "Everything! This town…is just a creation to lie to me…none of it was real…" Roxas said, putting his hand on his forehead. "What?" I asked, feeling my heart sink. "It was all based on real people. They…they were going to return you to your homeworld anyway Max." Roxas said, looking at me. "So…they found me when I was helping you leave the organization, and they found out that…I was a complete being?" I asked. Roxas nodded. I looked down. "So I guess…that it was doomed from the start…" I muttered, running a hand through my bangs. "What…was?" Roxas asked. I looked at him, tears in my eyes. "I know this is a rotten time, but I think that a few minutes ago, thanks to me kissing you, you were able to tell that I like you Roxas." I said, watching Roxas nod. "Well, I guess I've liked you…for a while now. I just had this feeling, like maybe it wouldn't last, so I never told you. Now…" I laughed bitterly as a tear rolled down my cheek. "I might…not ever see you again." I said, my voice turning into a whisper. "Max…" Roxas said, apparently at a loss of words. I let myself cry as Roxas hugged me. "I…I don't want to say goodbye." I whispered, setting my chin on Roxas' shoulder as I stopped crying. "I don't either Max, but…I think I have to go back to Sora, or else…he won't wake up." Roxas said. "I know." I whispered, pulling away from Roxas. I wiped my face on my sleeve and turned towards the other door. "You…you ready?" I asked. "Yeah."

We stepped into the next room and a group of nobodies appeared, surrounding the both of us. "Max, stay behind me! I promise that I'll protect you, no matter what!" Roxas said. "I-I…" I stuttered. Roxas fought the nobodies and I clenched my fists. "Why…am I so useless…?" I thought. My hand started to tingle, and I heard Roxas shout something at me. I heard something behind me and I spun around, launching my fist toward it. I was shocked to see a keyblade in my hand as it struck the Nobody. I stared at the keyblade in shock. It's white, except for the hilt where I held onto it and the keychain. Two vines; a black vine and a pale grey vine wrapped themselves around the length of the keyblade, from the end of the hilt to the tip of the keyblade, and at the end, they held a blue rose. A blue vine wrapped itself around the hilt of the keyblade and at the end of the keychain was a blue rose. "What…?" I whispered. "Max, look out!" Roxas shouted. I looked up and the Nobody was lunging towards me and I blocked its attack. I shoved the Nobody back and hit it a couple of times with my keyblade. When it was gone, Roxas walked over to me. "Are you alright?" He asked. I nodded as the keyblade in my hand disappeared.

We heard clapping and looked to see a man with red hair, Axel. "Simply amazing, Roxas." He said. "Axel…" Roxas said. "You really do remember me this time…I'm SO FLATTERED!" Axel shouted, summoning flames in a big circle. "But you're too late!" He said. Roxas summoned a keyblade and a black one appeared in his other hand. "Two?!" Axel said in surprise. Roxas stood in a battle stance. "Be careful Roxas." I said, watching Roxas nod. "Come here. I'll make it all stop." Axel said as a cocky smile grew on his face. I watched as the two fought; Axel tried to keep Roxas at bay by using flames, but Roxas still managed to defeat him. "Roxas…"

The flames slowly disappeared and the keyblades in Roxas' hands disappeared. Axel stood across the room from us, panting. "Axel…" Roxas said softly. Axel looked up and smiled weakly at Roxas. "Let's meet again, in the next life." He said. "Yeah, I'll be waiting." Roxas replied. Axel chuckled dryly. "Silly. Just because you have a next life…" Axel's voice faded away as he was swallowed by darkness.

* * *

We walked into the next room and spotted some capsules in the corner. As we got closer I grabbed onto Roxas' arm. "Donald…and Goofy?" Roxas said in surprise. "Why…are they in capsules…?" I whispered. "I don't know, but this is really bizarre." Roxas said. I let go of his arm and Roxas grabbed my hand as we walked into the next room together. The room was entirely white, blindingly so, and in the middle was a capsule, bigger than the ones in the room behind us. Beside it was a computer and a chair, empty. In front of the pod…was the man DiZ. "Glad you could make it…wielder of the keyblade."

Roxas glared at DiZ. "What do you want?" He asked. "The 'true' wielder of the keyblade will awaken soon. You must return your existence to him. When he wakes, you will disappear." DiZ said. I felt my throat go dry at the word 'disappear' and I bit my lip, releasing Roxas' hand. "…why…?" Roxas asked. "Because you hold half of his 'power'; and…because you are a Nobody." DiZ said, still eerily calm. "So…SO WHAT?!" Roxas shouted, running toward DiZ with the keyblade. He slashed at him, the keyblade just phasing through him. "My apologies. This is only a data-based projection." DiZ said. Roxas let out a scream of frustration. "I…I hate you so much!" He shouted. "Then make sure you pass on your hate to Sora as well. He's too kind for his own good." DiZ said, fading away. "No! My heart belongs to me!"

"Roxas…" I said, walking over to him. I gently touched his cheek and we heard a mechanical noise coming from the pod. "Max…you're…" Roxas started, but I stopped him. "I know." I whispered, looking at my hand on his cheek. It was flickering. I felt tears on my face and I saw Roxas' eyes were watering. "Max…" He whispered. I leaned forward and kissed Roxas, for possibly the last time. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close before kissing me back. "I love you." He whispered. I let out a sob. "I…I love you too Roxas…"

Then everything went dark.

* * *

-Roxas' ROV-

"I…I love you too Roxas…"

Max faded out of my arms and I felt tears streaming down my face. "If I'm not supposed to feel…If I'm not even supposed to exist, then why do I feel like this?" I whispered. My fists clenched as the mechanical whirring behind me stopped. I turned to see the boy from my dreams, Sora, floating inside of the pod. I looked at my hands and noticed that I was fading. "Sora." I mumbled. I wiped my face, despite the tears still running down it. "Do me a favor. When you find Max, keep my promise. Protect her for me." I said. "I know that you are going to meet her someday."

* * *

-Max's POV-

I groaned as I opened my eyes. I sat up and looked around, seeing nothing but darkness. I felt shivers running up and down my spine. "Roxas?" I called. Then I remembered that he wasn't here and that I was alone. I stood up and heard footsteps. "W-Who's there?!" I shouted, spinning around. A person in a black cloak stood in front of me. I recognized him from the old mansion. "I'll take you to him." The man said, holding his hand towards me. "T-Take me to who?" I asked. "Roxas."

I felt myself stop breathing for a moment. I reached forward and grabbed the man's hand. "A-Alright. Take me to Roxas."

* * *

**Dun dun duuuuunnnnnn!**  
**I hope you guys like the rewrite so far!**


	2. 02: Running From Nightfall

**Asdfgjkl CHAPTER 2! c:**

**I'm so happy with how this is coming together. It…I think it might go the way I was hoping!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.**

* * *

Chapter 02: Running From Nightfall

* * *

-Max's POV-

My lips formed into a pout as I messed with one of the tassels hanging off of the black coat that the man had given me. He had introduced himself as Riku; and he said that the coat would protect me from getting swallowed up by the darkness.

I slowly bit my lip and Riku looked at me. "Are you alright?" He asked. I nodded slowly. "I'm…just thinking. About…well, if Roxas went back to Sora, are you taking me to Sora?" I asked. Riku nodded. "Sora will take care of you, even though he may not consciously remember you. It's…in his nature to care for others." Riku said, a smile in his voice. I smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah...I hope that we get along." I said. Riku put his hand on my head. "I have a feeling that you will."

* * *

-Momo's POV-

I yawned as I watched Sora train with Phil. We had stopped by the coliseum and when we first got here, we landed in the underworld and ran into Meg. She asked us to try to talk some sense into Hercules, but he was busy, making it hard for us to talk to him.

I laid back onto the bench and stretched out my arms and legs. "Uwah~ I'm so tired!" I said as I stretched. "If you're tired, you should go ahead and get some sleep Momo. We might be here for a little while." Donald said. "Okay. If anything happens, wake me up." I said. Donald nodded and I yawned as I laid back onto the bench. I let my eyes close and felt my body relax as I slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Darkness.

That's all I see. Just…darkness. It was like a mask without eye holes was slipped over my face. I also got the suffocating feeling that I had gotten before, when I was transported away from the islands. "Momo…?"

I spun around to see nothing but darkness. "R-Riku…? Was that you?"

No answer.

I gulped and started walking in the direction that I heard the voice come from. I heard footsteps other than my own and I started toward them.

"Riku?" I called.

The footsteps stopped and I soon felt myself run into someone. They turned to face me and I sat that they're wearing a long black cloak, similar to the one that Riku was wearing, and their hood was up. They held their hand out to me and I tilted my head.

"Are you...?"

The person pulled their hood off and I saw the familiar silver hair spill out of the hood. I jumped on Riku, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Riku! I'm so happy to see you!" I said, feeling tears in my eyes. "Momo."

I looked at Riku, just as he planted a firm kiss on my lips. "R-Riku..."

Riku held onto me tightly. "It's hard...not being around you right now. It's taking every single fiber of my being to resist going to you right now." he said, his voice shaky. "Why can't you?" I asked, resting my chin on Riku's shoulder. "I...can't let you see me the way that I am now." he said.

I pulled away, looking at Riku's face. "Are you kidding me? That's what's stopping you?" I asked. Riku slightly winced and nodded. I pulled out of Riku's grasp and slammed my fist into his chest. He coughed and looked at me. "W-What was..."

"You idiot!"

My yell made Riku snap his mouth shut. "Do you know what I have been stuck doing this past year?!" I shouted. Riku shook his head. "Of course you don't! You weren't there!"

Riku winced, and I continued. "Riku, do you know how hard it was, just waiting on the islands for you and Sora? Do you know how hard it was, living every single day not knowing if you were alright? There were nights when I was so worried that I couldn't even sleep!" I shouted. Riku watched me as I shouted, deciding to let me finish.

"So I did the only thing that I could do. I trained. I worked on my fighting skills that my brothers had taught me. That was what I did every single day, just to keep myself from crying my eyes out! You have no idea how hard it was for me Riku! Kairi tried, she tried her best to help me, but she wasn't enough. I needed you Riku. I needed to know if you were alright! Instead, I was stuck worrying about you for every single day during the past year!"

As I felt tears dribble down my cheeks, I let out a sob. "Riku...I missed you. I don't care what you might look like. All that matters is that you're alive." I said.

My knees went weak and I collapsed to the ground. I covered my face with my hands and sobbed. I felt arms around me and didn't look at Riku. I couldn't.

"Momo?"

* * *

I opened my eyes to see Sora looking at me, worry clear on his face. "What's up?" I asked with a yawn. "You were crying in your sleep." Sora said softly. I shot up to a sitting position and touched my cheek to find it moist. Sora sat next to me as I quickly wiped my eyes. "What were you dreaming about?" Sora asked softly. I sighed and turned so that I was sitting facing forward. "I...had a dream about Riku."

Sora softly put a hand on my shoulder and I looked at him. "You miss him, don't you?" he asked. I nodded. "That's okay. I miss him too." Sora said. "Sora..."

"I know that the reasons why we miss him are slightly different, but that doesn't mean that I can't miss my friend, right?" Sora asked. I sniffled and nodded, feeling myself smile. "You're right Sora. Thanks." I said. Sora grinned. "No problem."

I hugged Sora tightly. "Really...thanks." I whispered. I felt Sora hug me back. "Your welcome."

* * *

-Sora's POV-

* * *

After I comforted Momo, she said something about asking Donald a question, then left me sitting alone on the bench.

_"Roxas?"_

I looked around after hearing that voice. I sighed and placed a hand on my forehead. "I must be tired from training..." I mumbled. I stood and walked to where we were spending the night. "I just need some sleep. That's all."

* * *

_A girl with shoulder length, red-tipped purple hair and blue eyes smiled. She grabbed onto my hand. "Come on Roxas! We're almost there!"_

_"What are you taking me to go see?" I asked. The girl just smiled at me. "Something! Just wait a few minutes, alright?" She asked. I sighed and let her pull me to the top of the clock tower._

_The girl let go of my hand and sat on the edge of the balcony. I sat beside her and she shrugged off her backpack. She opened it and pulled out two ice creams. "Here." she said, handing me one. I thanked her and started eating it._

_"So why did you drag me up here?" I asked, looking at her. The girl slightly blushed and laid back onto the walkway. "Well...you know how they say the clock tower has the best view in Traverse Town?" she asked, staring at the sky. "Yeah...?" I said, confused._

_The girl looked at me and smiled. "Lay down, and you'll see what I mean in the next five minutes." she said. I sighed and mirrored the actions. I stared at the sky and finished my ice cream, just as there was a loud crack above our heads._

_A splash of color filled the sky and was followed by more. "Wow!" I said, grinning. The girl next to me giggled and I looked at her. "Happy fourth of July, Roxas." she said, smiling._

Why does she keep calling me Roxas?

_I smiled back and looked up at the sky. As we watched the fireworks go off, our hands found each other and tangled together. Neither of us said anything, just laid there content in silence._

_"There you guys are! Hayner, Olette! I found them!"_

_We both shot up so that were were sitting, and yanked our hands apart. Our friends joined us, loudly. "Geez, you could have told us that you were going to be watching the fireworks from the best spot in the town!" Hayner said with a pout._

_The girl next to me shrugged. "I didn't think about it." she said, kicking her legs against the building. "You jerk!" Hayner said with a pout. "Chill out Hayner, she doesn't need to tell you everything." Olette said, nudging Hayner with her elbow._

_As Hayner complained loudly, I leaned toward the girl next to me. "Thanks for this Max." I whispered. Max smiled. "No problem Roxas."_

* * *

"Sora!"

"Ah!"

I shot up, bumping foreheads with Momo. She let out a squeak of surprise and fell backwards onto the ground. "Ah! What the hell Sora?!" she asked. "Why the heck were you above me?!" I snapped, rubbing the spot on my forehead that had hit hers.

"I tried waking you up a couple of times already." Momo said with a sigh. She stood up and brushed herself off and sent a pout my way. "Anyway...Herc needs to talk to you." she added.

I nodded and Momo's pout faded. "You know...you said a girls' name in your sleep." she said. "Whose?" I asked. "I dunno. Some girl named Max." Momo said, turning around. "I'm going to go ask Phil to train me some more. You should see what Herc needs." she said, pointing toward the Vestibule.

Momo walked off and I sighed, standing up.

"I guess it was just a dream."

* * *

-Momo's POV-

* * *

I panted as I stopped to catch my break. "You done yet?" Phil asked. "N-No. I need to go a couple of more times." I replied, fixing my gloves. "Momo, you're going to wear yourself out if you keep going like this." Phil said with a sigh. "I'm not good enough."

Phil looked at me curiously. "What?"

"I'm not good enough." I repeated. "For what?"

"I need to be able to protect those I love. I'm not good enough for that yet." I said. Phil sighed. "Momo, protecting those you care about isn't all about strength." he said. I ran a hand through my hair. "It's about what's inside of you. How strong your heart is." I said softly. "Yes." Phil said, nodding his head.

"Still, I'm not strong enough. I need to do this Phil. You don't understand. If I'm not strong...then I might as well be stuck back at our island, waiting. I don't want to be that person who waits all the time. I want to be able to protect those around me." I said. Phil sighed again, shaking his head. "So that's it, huh?" he mumbled.

I ran towards the barrels and started smashing them. As I did so, I thought I felt something shoot through my body. I ignored it and continued with my training.

* * *

After I finished a couple more rounds, Sora, Donald and Goofy returned from the Underworld. "So what now?" I asked, a smile on my face as I worked on catching my breath. "Hallow Bastion. We need to get some potions and check in with Merlin." Donald replied. "Okay, let's go." I said.

As we left, I waved to Phil. He waved back, an uneasy smile on his face.

* * *

When we stepped into Hallow Bastion, I stretched. I heard my arm pop and sighed happily. Sora chuckled. "What?" I asked, looking at him. "Oh, nothing. You just seem really happy, that's all." Sora said, a smirk on his face.

I punched his arm, a smile on my face. "Well you seem a little..."

My voice faded and suddenly everything was blurry. I felt like the ground was suddenly getting closer, but I was stopped when a pair of arms caught me. I looked up to see Sora's concerned face.

"Momo, are you alright?" Sora asked worriedly. "I...I'm fine." I mumbled, trying to stand up. When I did so, I stumbled and Sora caught me again. "Momo...we need to get you to Merlin's." he said. "I can walk, I swear." I muttered. "Sora's carrying you there." Donald said sternly.

I sighed and Sora lifted me onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck. As he walked, he chuckled. "What's so funny?" I asked quietly. "This reminds me of when you and Kairi used to make me and Riku give you guys piggyback rides around the island." Sora said, the smile in his voice obvious.

I smiled and rested my forehead on the back of Sora's head. "Yeah, that sounds about right." I said quietly. I felt my eyes droop and I started to fade in and out of conciousness.

"Momo?" Sora asked. "I'm still here." I mumbled. "Okay. If you're tired, go ahead and fall asleep. We're almost there." Sora said. I nodded into his neck just before I fell asleep.

* * *

**Yay for chapter 2!**


End file.

Kingdom Hearts, Adventure, Romance