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"It was no problem, Belle. Those Heartless were easy to get rid of." You smiled, hooking your mattock back at your side.

"You make it that way, but I can't thank you two enough." Belle, one of the seven princesses of heart, smiled at you kindly. She became lost in thought for a moment. You looked to Riku, who disappeared his keyblade and looked to you. He gave a shrug, not really sure what the princess was up to. "I feel as if I owe you both."

"What? No. We get rid of Heartless to help people. We don't do it to get paid." Riku quickly put down her offer.

"Well, I insist on this one." She gestured to a pair of large floors on the next floor. "There's a huge library up there. Feel free to look and read the books, if you would like to borrow some that is alright, too. All I ask is you take care of them and bring them back."

"Really?!" You eyes sparkled, as you quickly began to thank her. "Thank you, Belle! There's no libraries back in our town! It would be great to have something to read when I'm bored."

"I know that feeling." Belle stifled a laugh and curtsied. "Have fun, you two."

She walked off down the hall, as you grabbed Riku's hand.

"What are we waiting for?! Let's go see that library!" You dragged Riku up the steps behind you, as you burst into the library's room. The walls were lined with books and each section labeled on what category it fell under. You gasped and released Riku's hand. "This is amazing! Do you see how many books there are?!"

"Enough to cause an avalanche, try not to run into any bookshelves, okay?" He joked, heading to a chair at one of the many tables. You mocked laughed, walking over to a shelf labeled fantasies.

"I'd have to be running at full sprint to make a force strong enough to make that happen." You scanned the books, before sliding over the ladder for the shelves and began to climb it to reach higher books. Riku watched you, making sure you didn't miss any steps.

"I didn't realize you were so passionate about books." He put his feet up on the table and watched you carefully, occasionally glancing over the rest of you.

"There isn't many back home to obsess over." You pushed some books to the side, scanning the spines. "I know Yen Sid has some I could borrow, but they're all history or spell books."

"And you like fiction? Make believe?" Riku asked, picking up the book sitting on his table. Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? No, thank you. He sets the book back down.

"Yeah, I've always loved it. Even as a kid." You grabbed a few books that perked your interest, before sliding down the ladder. You managed to land on your feet, books still in hand as you made your way over to Riku. "Heck, I wouldn't have thought up my weapon without them."

"What book inspired you to get a mattock? Riku raised an eyebrow.

"A dwarf in a long series of books inspired me." You grinned, setting your books down on the table. You plopped down on the chair next to Riku and opened up one of your books. Riku glanced over the cover, before looking to you.

"Are you really gonna coop me up in a library all day?" He teased.

"You can head back to the others if you want to, I won't mind." You stated, flipping to the next page of the book.

"And leave you by yourself with no way home? I can't leave without you." Riku leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. "So, whenever you're ready to go, I'm right here."

"Hm..." You closed the book, frowning a bit. "Maybe I'll just grab a couple to go."

You stood up from your chair and began to search the shelves for more books. Riku peeked an eye open and watched as you scrutinized each shelf. You were really looking for the right books.

"Why are you so interested in books, ___?" He asked, sitting up. "You always just seem at peace helping us fight."

"I do, but..." You frowned, thinking for a moment. "I like books so much, because they hold other worlds."

"You already go to other worlds." Riku pointed out.

"Worlds we can't reach." You held a book against your chest and sighed. "It's different... In books, you can go wherever you want and be whoever you want to be."

Riku didn't respond, as the talkative girl set down the book she was holding and hopped on one of the letters, causing it to roll down the rows of books.

"I can be a knight, fighting a war on a barren battleground. I can be a princess, searching for a hope in a magical forest. I can be a pirate, raiding other ships and making my name known." You paused, tracing your fingers over the spines of some books. "I'm can be someone else and not have to worry about... Being me. Surprisingly, being me is the hardest."

"___." Riku glanced at the books sprawled across the table, before standing up and walking over to you. "Why are you afraid of being yourself?"

"Because if I make a mistake, it will really effect me here." You looked away from his piercing gaze. "I'm afraid of losing the things I have... Like..."

"Your world." Riku finished, his frown deepening. You merely nodded. Riku sighed, before placing a hand against your cheek. You pressed your face into his hand and sighed as well. "___, you won't lose everything. You won't lose Sora or Kairi. You won't lose me. And we're here for you, if you're every afraid or upset you can come to us. We know how it feels to lose stuff."

"I know..." You raised your hand and pressed it against his chest. You felt the steady drumbeat of his heart and it calmed down your senses.

"So, you don't have to get lost in these other worlds, but if reality is the thing that's coming down on you, you don't have to hide and go somewhere else mentally." Riku brushed some hair behind your ear. "I don't want to lose you, like how I got lost..."

"I won't, I promise..." You met his gaze and smiled a little.

"Alright." Riku leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto the top of your head. "Point out some of your favorite books, maybe I'll grab a few to read in my spare time, too."

You smiled brightly, before intertwining your hands together and pulling him to another section of the library.

Description
"It was no problem, Belle. Those Heartless were easy to get rid of." You smiled, hooking your mattock back at your side.

"You make it that way, but I can't thank you two enough." Belle, one of the seven princesses of heart, smiled at you kindly. She became lost in thought for a moment. You looked to Riku, who disappeared his keyblade and looked to you. He gave a shrug, not really sure what the princess was up to. "I feel as if I owe you both."

"What? No. We get rid of Heartless to help people. We don't do it to get paid." Riku quickly put down her offer.

"Well, I insist on this one." She gestured to a pair of large floors on the next floor. "There's a huge library up there. Feel free to look and read the books, if you would like to borrow some that is alright, too. All I ask is you take care of them and bring them back."

"Really?!" You eyes sparkled, as you quickly began to thank her. "Thank you, Belle! There's no libraries back in our town! It would be great to have something to read when I'm bored."

"I know that feeling." Belle stifled a laugh and curtsied. "Have fun, you two."

She walked off down the hall, as you grabbed Riku's hand.

"What are we waiting for?! Let's go see that library!" You dragged Riku up the steps behind you, as you burst into the library's room. The walls were lined with books and each section labeled on what category it fell under. You gasped and released Riku's hand. "This is amazing! Do you see how many books there are?!"

"Enough to cause an avalanche, try not to run into any bookshelves, okay?" He joked, heading to a chair at one of the many tables. You mocked laughed, walking over to a shelf labeled fantasies.

"I'd have to be running at full sprint to make a force strong enough to make that happen." You scanned the books, before sliding over the ladder for the shelves and began to climb it to reach higher books. Riku watched you, making sure you didn't miss any steps.

"I didn't realize you were so passionate about books." He put his feet up on the table and watched you carefully, occasionally glancing over the rest of you.

"There isn't many back home to obsess over." You pushed some books to the side, scanning the spines. "I know Yen Sid has some I could borrow, but they're all history or spell books."

"And you like fiction? Make believe?" Riku asked, picking up the book sitting on his table. Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? No, thank you. He sets the book back down.

"Yeah, I've always loved it. Even as a kid." You grabbed a few books that perked your interest, before sliding down the ladder. You managed to land on your feet, books still in hand as you made your way over to Riku. "Heck, I wouldn't have thought up my weapon without them."

"What book inspired you to get a mattock? Riku raised an eyebrow.

"A dwarf in a long series of books inspired me." You grinned, setting your books down on the table. You plopped down on the chair next to Riku and opened up one of your books. Riku glanced over the cover, before looking to you.

"Are you really gonna coop me up in a library all day?" He teased.

"You can head back to the others if you want to, I won't mind." You stated, flipping to the next page of the book.

"And leave you by yourself with no way home? I can't leave without you." Riku leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. "So, whenever you're ready to go, I'm right here."

"Hm..." You closed the book, frowning a bit. "Maybe I'll just grab a couple to go."

You stood up from your chair and began to search the shelves for more books. Riku peeked an eye open and watched as you scrutinized each shelf. You were really looking for the right books.

"Why are you so interested in books, ___?" He asked, sitting up. "You always just seem at peace helping us fight."

"I do, but..." You frowned, thinking for a moment. "I like books so much, because they hold other worlds."

"You already go to other worlds." Riku pointed out.

"Worlds we can't reach." You held a book against your chest and sighed. "It's different... In books, you can go wherever you want and be whoever you want to be."

Riku didn't respond, as the talkative girl set down the book she was holding and hopped on one of the letters, causing it to roll down the rows of books.

"I can be a knight, fighting a war on a barren battleground. I can be a princess, searching for a hope in a magical forest. I can be a pirate, raiding other ships and making my name known." You paused, tracing your fingers over the spines of some books. "I'm can be someone else and not have to worry about... Being me. Surprisingly, being me is the hardest."

"___." Riku glanced at the books sprawled across the table, before standing up and walking over to you. "Why are you afraid of being yourself?"

"Because if I make a mistake, it will really effect me here." You looked away from his piercing gaze. "I'm afraid of losing the things I have... Like..."

"Your world." Riku finished, his frown deepening. You merely nodded. Riku sighed, before placing a hand against your cheek. You pressed your face into his hand and sighed as well. "___, you won't lose everything. You won't lose Sora or Kairi. You won't lose me. And we're here for you, if you're every afraid or upset you can come to us. We know how it feels to lose stuff."

"I know..." You raised your hand and pressed it against his chest. You felt the steady drumbeat of his heart and it calmed down your senses.

"So, you don't have to get lost in these other worlds, but if reality is the thing that's coming down on you, you don't have to hide and go somewhere else mentally." Riku brushed some hair behind your ear. "I don't want to lose you, like how I got lost..."

"I won't, I promise..." You met his gaze and smiled a little.

"Alright." Riku leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto the top of your head. "Point out some of your favorite books, maybe I'll grab a few to read in my spare time, too."

You smiled brightly, before intertwining your hands together and pulling him to another section of the library.