Oblivious Meeting (Complete)

[Kuu]

It was late in the day - if there was ever such a thing in a world where the sky maintained the same time no matter what was indicated on the clock's face. A tram moved about its last few rounds along the rail, the doors of the shops began to close and the streets became gradually less crowded. The fiery light of the setting sun spread undisturbed across the emptying pavement, covering the space with a dusty golden glow.

The bronze sunlight of the world's eternal twilight struck the black hood of the figure standing atop the roof of one of the buildings that flanked the back alley of the open area known as Tram Common. The shadow thrown over the figure's face by the dusky orange glow of the unmoving sun utterly obscured his features from view in complete darkness. Somewhere underneath the hood, a pair of eyes looked on as the citizens' footsteps took them away from the watcher's observant gaze, while the brazen remains of the sunlight crossed the emptiness the denizens left behind. The head turned away, as if betraying a hidden tension underneath the expressionless blank of the hood's darkness, but it was gone with a swift leap from his position to a higher vantage point overlooking the rest of Market Square.

This stay was only temporary - departure was imminent. But inevitably, the following thought was as to why that aforementioned departure was not immediate, why there was a need to continue to linger. Was there an expectation of some sort that an encounter would occur by some off-chance? An encounter with who? And what so important that it delayed the most important mission at hand?

A sigh escaped his lips. 'What am I doing...'

[Charme]

What am I doing?

Dim light filtered into the small, dusty room Namine had taken refuge in. Golden beams illuminated the dark iron cogs that creaked and spun around her, grinding lowly. The wooden floors beneath her creaked and she stood quietly, her small sandals making no noise on the timber. How long had it been since she had found warmth and relaxation in this wondrous structure? She couldn't say. It could have been hours, but felt like minutes. The blonde Nobody had hidden herself away from the light, finding a place hidden in Darkness, to think about the life she seemed to have lost in the time away.

Daichi, he had left with the Organization. She understood that his intentions were wholly deserved, for they had done vile things to him as he had served them in Castle Oblivion. This was his calling. Namine just didn't want to see the Replica hurt. Or Riku, for that matter, as she had a feeling Daichi still felt inferior to him. So she had wandered the world, finding refuge on the World that had once been her prison, in this dull room hidden away from life.

Sora and company were busy as well, wherever they may be. Namine was having trouble looking into his Heart now, even though the bond they shared allowed her to see him in all but the deepest Darkness. She wondered if it was because of his separation from Roxas. When neither were whole beings, whole Hearts, it was possible that the bond would weaken.

But that voice she had heard, she knew it all too well. She fumbled with the trapdoor's latch and climbed onto the roof of the Clock Tower. Turning around, her heart froze. A black cloak. Was it Roxas? Axel? Or... somebody worse? Namine couldn't be sure. But that voice- she couldn't take the chance of hiding, if she could even manage to hide her presence.

"Roxas?" Her voice was feeble, but her heart was ready. Her sketchbook was in-hand, and she could feel the presence of the Keyblade circling her, waiting for its time to protect her as it always had.

[Kuu]

((Roxas is in a black cloak no longer - I designed a new outfit for him Please check profile in sig for the picture ^^))

"Roxas?"

He heard that name only half-echoed in reality - after all, he had never heard that name spoken out loud since his rebirth. It took him a moment for him to realise that he was being addressed, and even before he turned around, he almost half-knew who he would see standing there, but his didn't prevent his eyes from widening and the breath dying in his throat as he saw her. Perhaps it was the simplicity of her unassuming presence, or the guilt-ridden remembrance of a failed promise, or maybe it was simply because he had wanted to see her. Whether he wanted to see her or not, this was nevertheless a really awful time to meet. He had to get out of here.

This is why I should've bailed earlier instead of hanging around, he berated himself inwardly. Man, I'm so stupid!

What should he do now? He could hardly pretend to be someone else. Even if he had not been wearing his jacket, there had always been something about the blonde girl that made him feel as if there was nothing to hide, like all the shadows on his face had been lit away. He knew that she had uttered the name out of uncertainty, but rather for confirmation. She was not as dim-witted as Sora, neither was she as uninformed as Kairi had been.

There was still a chance. She had only glanced at him, it was not long enough for her to be absolutely certain. He just had to make a break for it - he was sure she would be unable to keep up with him. He could run until he was out of sight, then open a door to the Corridors and begin that journey which he had so stupidly delayed. In any case, he had to move quickly.

Without hesitation, he leapt off the roof, a few steps lightly skimming against the wall to speed his descent, before kicking off it to throw himself towards the roof of yet another building. Perhaps it was his fear of being recognised, but he could feel a darkness approach the edges of his vision, like the feeling of a door to the Corridors of Darkness opening, the approach of a Heartless, or the subsequent chill of a weapon appearing in his hand...

And in a flash, there it was, shining in his hand. Why had the Keyblade appeared now? If Namine saw it, then she'd know for sure that it was him -

Namine...

[Charme]

Movement.

The figure cut across the horizon, leaving Namine's heart rushing. Her initial thought? Whoever it was, he was hiding something. The pale girl jumped forward, just in time to see the figure throw himself from the roof. Her feet left the edge without instruction, her mind no longer centering reasonable thoughts. She didn't care that she was no acrobat, that the steep roads of Twilight Town were getting farther away from her. She was free-falling towards the blonde-haired kid in the checkered jacket... The one who was now brandishing a Keyblade! Why was he running away from her? Did he not want to see her? The Nobody didn't know whether to be angry or hurt, and chose a center between the two as she attempted to keep up with the much more battle-worthy Keyblade wielder. No matter what, she wasn't going to let him go. She'd spent so much time trying to find him. And... Namine didn't want to admit it, but she wanted him to feel the same affection for her own company that she felt for his.

Emotions riddled her as the rooftops closed in. In a flash of focus, her own Keyblade materialized below her, and with a flowing wrist, she quickly drew an image on one of her more crowded pages. In an instant, Aero activated around her, and she was thrown forward towards the runaway, her Keyblade under her feet like the skateboard Roxas was familiar with. The winds rushed wildly around them, throwing her hair into a frenzy, and she balanced feebly on her Keyblade, which would protect her tiny frame from the potential fall damage.

She hit the roof behind him, a wild defiance in her eyes, and threw her hand forward in an attempt to slow him down with the hurtling winds. Nothing damaging, but enough to impede his getaway. Don't you run from me... Namine found herself thinking. She felt odd, not herself, the meek and feeble creature that had torn Sora's heart asunder, and forced Roxas into an illusion of a life. A selfless creature, right now she was attempting to find a place in the Worlds again, after being alone for so long.

Roxas!

[Kuu]

Roxas.

To counter the spell thrown at him, Roxas twisted about in the same direction as the magical gale, using its rotation to speed up his own movement. The maneouvre caused him to turn and look back at the face of the white-clad Nobody he was running from, and was astounded at the stormy glint shining in her blue eyes, hand outstretched towards him, against him - a sudden pang struck his core, just about where his heart would have been, as he realised that hand which had so often been there to guide him was now striking out at him.

How many times had she helped him? How much more would he have hate everything, everyone, if she had not promised to meet him again? How much purpose had she given him in the keeping of that promise? It was inexplicably painful seeing her eyes so wildly bent on impeding him. What had happened in the Worlds while he was gone? Was she part of some greater plot, like that of the Organisation all those year ago? Why would she ally herself with people like that - again?

Questions, questions.

The flurry of wind that blasted into his face ruffled the hood, betraying a flash of blonde hair from underneath the shadows. He hurriedly tightened it about his face, covering it in darkness again, without pausing in his escape. To catch her off guard he suddenly twisted around, almost running straight into her, but then vaulted over the pale-haired Nobody's frame. As soon as he touched the ground, he leapt up towards the wall of the building he had just left, creating a door to the Corridors in front of him as he sprinted up towards it.

Whatever Namine's allegiance was now, he didn't want to meet, especially not like this. He shouldn't have to fight. They were supposed to be with each other every day, laughing, smiling, with Sora, with Kairi... how had it come to this? All the more reason for him to finish whatever he was reborn for. Take care of everything, then get everything back the way it was. The way it should be. As he felt the darkness of the door envelop him, he almost looked back to see her one last time -

Namine...!

[Charme]

As Namine flew towards her old friend a small smile flickered across her face. How odd... She'd always wondered if they could be like normal people. If they could run along the beach like Sora, Riku, and Kairi could. It was strikingly nostalgic as he vaulted over her in a race for wherever, and she forgot all of her anxiety for one moment. This was a race. They were racing, and while the situation might seem drastic, for one moment she could attempt to beat the person she'd spent so much time with in a game. The anger and confusion was replaced by humor as she grinned, that small smile she wore in times of light. This was being human, right? All of these odd feelings and conflicting emotions. That, or she was letting the stress get to her.

Then she saw the look on Roxas' face and a new feeling was added- regret, one she was all too familiar with. The Nobody realized that she had to stop him in a different way. The teen jumped towards the wall and Namine threw a spell out in front of her. A sheet of ice materialized in a curved fashion and she let the Keyblade guide her. Was this what Sora felt like when he was in his Drive form? Using magic to propel himself? Gravity shifted and Namine did her best to trust her magical weapon, and the wall she had made did well to turn her around.

The portal! A corridor of Darkness was forming fast. No! Determination took form amidst the feelings of humor and sadness, and Namine let go of the Keyblade, jumping onto the rooftop as it dissipated in a shower of sparks. She landed gingerly, going much too fast, and fumbled- Wait, did I mention I'm not an acrobatic?. The Witch of Memories threw her arms out as Roxas turned around to look at her. For the second time in the past minute, gravity shifted and she felt herself falling. Absolutely perfect, in the most acerbic way possible. Time slowed, and Namine's last thought was simply, This is embarrassing.

The ground was coming in fast. She'd lost the race.

[Kuu]

Namine...!

Even as he fell into the Corridors, Roxas threw out a hand, summoning another dark door below the figure of the falling girl. He just glimpsed her falling into it as he entered the shifting, transitory ambience of the Corridors of Darkness. The portal he had opened for Namine appeared above him and a white-clad girl dropped out of it and safely into his arms.

As he let her down onto her own two feet, he realised how awkward this situation was. He had been all out to keep himself anonymous to everyone, sort out whatever the problem was and get back to Sora with his usual efficiency, but it seemed that it had been not one hour before his cover had been blown already. Come to think of it, why was she was here, and not with Kairi? What had happened? Was she somehow separated from her as well? Was there a larger scheme in the making other than mere providence at work?

But of course, these questions came after the one most foremost in his mind -

'Are you out of your mind?' he blazed. 'What made you think you could go running up walls, now of all times?! Don't you know how worried I was?'

He had half a mind to shake her, but the thought inevitably went as quickly as it arrived - Namine didn't have a particularly strong body, and he guessed she was shaken up pretty good from the close call she had just now.

All of a sudden, it hit him that Namine was here, standing there, in front of him, and that he was not running. There was a rushing feeling, like air blowing throughout his whole body, as if it was remembering how much he'd missed talking to someone. Then of course, was the inevitable realisation that followed -

Ah. Caught.

[Charme]

Namine found that the ground was rather lenient. As she fell towards the earth, her sketchbook wrapped firmly in her arms as the earthy red rooftops disappeared in black oil. The Corridor of Darkness wrapped her in icy water and in the midst of the darkness and confusion, she found warmth. Darkness consumed her vision but as she opened her eyes she was let go. Roxas stood before her, fuming.

Are you out of your mind? What made you think-"

Namine listened to Roxas' short lecture, but the words were soon a part of the background. His voice was what she heard most, the thing she'd been looking for so long now. His eyes shone brightly in the Darkness around them, his hair framing them lightly. Months had passed since they'd last seen each other and he did look a little older, just as she did. Namine smiled gently as Roxas stopped speaking, and as his awkward silence followed. His eyes widened a little bit and she metaphorically glomped him with a hug.

Caught indeed.

She wrapped her slim arms around his torso and quickly realized how tall he was compared to her. Aww... she thought. I'm a shortie. She'd never realized it before but now that she thought about it she realized that her petite frame was indeed small. That knowledge didn't stop her from grinning wildly as the scent she'd become so familiar with returned to her.

She let go and scooted away from him, putting her fingertips together in a very Namine-like way. Laughing gently, she waved a finger at him. "There's no need to run, Roxas. You can never outrace me," she joked. "And my prize for winning? You have to go on a date with me, and tell me everything that's happened since we somehow got back." She crossed her arms. "Deal?" She was very interested in any knowledge he had. Even though she felt she belonged with Kairi, this was both of their chances to explore the Worlds together instead of living in memories. Plus, Namine felt that if Roxas was with her she wouldn't have to worry about him getting involved with the Organization again.

There were too many bad memories that tied to Xemnas. Namine wouldn't let him hurt Roxas any more without suffering imminent consequences.

[Kuu]

One surprise after the other. Roxas didn't quite know what to do when he felt those pale arms wrap around him and something inside his chest seemed to tense up reflexively at the unfamiliar sensation. He'd felt it when Kairi hugged Sora, but now it was his chest, his body, and her arms, her body... and it was warm, and very, very awkward. Especially since he'd just been shouting at her.

Then why couldn't he stop this ridiculous urge to grin stupidly building up in his cheeks?

He covered it up as best as he could with a frown. 'T-That's not the issue here!' he spluttered. 'And anyway, look who was winning before somebody decided to jump off buildings! This isn't the time for games, this isn't the time for anything like that...'

Pausing in mid-rant, Roxas took one look at her expectant face and slapped one hand over his forehead, decidedly turning away from her. 'It wasn't supposed to be like this, I wasn't supposed to meet anybody, it was meant to be just me...'

Why didn't things ever go the way he meant them to? Was there some kind of twisted fate forcibly stretched out in a tangled chain before him that made sure that he was unable to do good by anything? He just wanted to make everything okay, with nobody else getting hurt. The Keyblade was bad news, it was nothing more than a shiny Heartless magnet, and the only three good features it had to its name was a fancy lockpick, an anti-Heartless weapon and a proof of his connection to Sora. Danger was bound to follow wherever he went (heck, he was all set to dive headfirst into it) and the last thing he wanted was somebody he cared about following him and getting hurt, least of all Namine.

The reluctant Wielder gave a deep sigh. 'I just... I just wanted to get it right this time... that's all...'

Why was doing the right thing always so hard?

[Charme]

Namine nodded. Was Roxas afraid for her? Was that the problem here? She realized that he was a valiant figure shrouded in darkness. Like Riku, in a way. He held the Keyblade like a master, at times wielding two of them, and wasn't afraid of anything. Namine wasn't as powerful, she had to admit...

As the Darkness swirled around them, she had an idea.

"Roxas, you don't gotta worry. I can handle myself," she said, that small grin still on her face. "I want to spar with you."

She would do her best to avoid hurting him. Her magics could be weakened by command, and as she pulled the sketchbook open, the looked through it, the scribbled spells creating a mosaic of colors that formed into a not-yet complete picture. Fortunately, she didn't need to draw a spell more than once: once drawn, she could trace its image to replicate it. And while she wasn't physically strong, her magicks and Keyblade could easily protect her in times of need.

You might be a warrior, but I'm a witch. Namine smiled at the thought.

[Kuu]

Roxas turned back to her, an incredulous smile half-formed on his face at the absurdity of her words. Sure, he'd never considered Namine to be a frail girl by any means, but was still, to him, fragile, and he'd always thought that she was someone he ought to protect. In any case, she wouldn't stand a chance against him, the whole idea of fighting her was completely nonsensical. She had to be joking.

He was half-laughing when he said, 'Come on, now you're just being ridicu-'

He stopped as he saw her open sketchbook, and the rush of magic being summoned. Where had she learnt to do that? From what he knew of her powers, she was a nimimancer, and therefore had control only over memories, and only those of Sora and those connected to him - had she somehow managed to add magic to her arsenal in the time he'd been away?

A twinge of a sensation so familiar yet filled him with such self-loathing began to coil itself around his chest. He hated himself for feeling it, and yet that feeling only fuelled its strength until it made his hands curl. An emotion that he wanted to deny more than any of the others that contradicted his empty existence, but arose in him more frequently than any other.

Roxas was angry.

He bowed his head, afraid she would see it in his eyes, but couldn't entirely keep it out of his voice as he spoke.

'Why... why won't you get it? It's not meant to be like this... it was never meant to be any of this!'

The Keyblade shimmered into his hand and he moved like lightning, closing the distance between them in a moment, his weapon flashing upwards to knock away her sketchbook. Not a single pause in his attack, he warped behind her and struck at the back of her knees to bring her to the ground, before flipping his Keyblade around into a reverse hold in order to bring the edge to her throat.

It was never meant to be you. Even back then, two years ago, I was meant to be the one saving you. Not the other way round.

[Charme]

Roxas still seemed conflicted. The witch of memories didn't undertand... Was she doing something wrong? Did Roxas really not want her around? She sighed as he looked away from her, trying to hide his emotions. But she knew him too well now. She'd looked over him when he was sick, she'd protected him when he was oblivious. She knew who he was in his paradoxical Heart, and that confused her even moreso.

Why... why won't you get it? It's not meant to be like this... it was never meant to be any of this!

What did that mean? Namine didn't get time to think about it. Roxas moved too fast. True to the legends within the Organization, Roxas disappeared. Her sketchbook fluttered away in the air and Namine was knocked off her feet. She felt the rough cobblestone against her pale skin and grimaced, then Roxas was before her-

A Keyblade of blue and gold, similar to Namine's eyes and hair, exploded into existence in front of her. Replicating the sun's rising rays, the key bore resemblance to that of a katana, its emblem reminiscent of the Nobody spires at The World That Never Was. It floated before Namine, fending off his own weapon. Namine just stared at Roxas behind the two blades, her blue eyes full of confliction.

"I want to be with you."

[Kuu]

So, we can be together again!

Right. Whenever Sora and Kairi are together.

Sora and Kairi. Roxas looked into those unflinching, inexpressibly clear blue eyes, as he remembered their promise, that they'd be together every day. Of course, that never took off. A part of him wanted to berate Sora for having gone gallivanting off on his own (again might he add), leaving behind a promise that he'd made not only to his most precious person, but to him and Namine as well, and the only thing holding it back was the knowledge that despite how willingly he rushed to help complete strangers, it wasn't entirely his choice. He was the Keyblade Master, and as long as that title held, he wasn't going to be sticking around in one place any time soon.

At the thoughts of the Keyblade, Roxas' fingers gripped tighter around his own. Every time something went wrong in his life, it was almost always down to this Key. The Organisation, DiZ, the fake Twilight Town, Xemnas and his stupid Heartless, they all happened to him because he could wield the Keyblade. While Sora bore it with admirable ease (and that was only because it was Sora), it wasn't a burden that he'd wish on anybody else.

And yet, there it was, standing resolutely in his way again, a symbol of opposition between him and a girl who he didn't want to hurt in any way, ever.

Slowly but firmly, his free hand closed around the handle of Namine's Keyblade and forced it from the air, lowering both blades to his sides. His hood had been completely thrown back during his advance on Namine, and so his sorrowful, yet tearless features were in plain view.

When he spoke, it was not only to Namine, but partly as if to himself -

'This isn't the way it's meant to be,' he said again. 'Don't you remember? We promised to be together, with each other, with Sora and Kairi. It was meant to stay that way, just like that, forever.'

The two Keyblades in his hand disappeared in a flash of light, and suddenly, he didn't feel like the powerful member of the Organisation he'd been two years ago, and looking about the swirling dark infinity of the Corridors, thoughts of his own vulnerability and weakness rose with greater force in his mind. 'Now this... this is all wrong. All the pieces are scattered everywhere, everything's a mess....'

Roxas looked back up at her. 'That's why. That's why this isn't right. Not until I've sorted out everything. Not until Sora and Kairi are back together again. And then... then everything will be the way it was meant to be. You, me, Sora, Kairi - until everybody can be together... we can't.'

[Charme]

Namine stared at her white sandals dishearteningly. Ever since her birth she was reminded of what she was not. While she didn't hate being a Nobody, she hated the fact that it seemed to shape her fate without thinking of what she wanted. It wasn't bad, joining with Kairi, that wasn't the problem. The problem was here and now. Roxas believed that they could only be whole with their Others. Namine believed that they were people enough. She had shed tears. Whether they were real or not, she had no idea, but they felt real enough. Roxas had shed tears. And Namine felt that those couldn't be fake.

"I just wish that we could be real again."

Real. She didn't know what that meant anymore. Did she mean the feelings she had for Roxas? Or perhaps the fact that he was able to hug him again with her own body? Namine understood that Roxas might not feel the same; she didn't expect that from him. But the last thing she wanted to hear was that she belonged inside of Kairi, that she was of more use not existing than being real. For once, she wished that she could be more than just a memory. That she could have friend, like Onette or Daichi. Hayner and Pence. Donald and Goofy. Axel. Sora had promised her that they'd be friends, but how could he be her friend if she as only a reflection?

Maybe this was the way it was meant to be. Free from torment, just like the journal had said.

She found a smile amidst the darkness and shivered as the Corridor whipped around them. "I am just glad you're okay. If you want to go back to fix things then I'll do what I can to help..." She tried to keep her lip from quivering, doing her best to blame it on the cold. "But I can't go back yet. I have some things I have to finish." Daichi was still in the Organization. Sora and Riku were finding each other. Kairi... Namine wanted to talk to her as well. Maybe someday she could prove to Roxas that they were perfect right here, right now. She didn't need anybody else, just her sketchbook and the only other person she'd ever related to.

Did Roxas fear being apart from his Other? Was he afraid of anything happening to Sora? Or was it the Keyblade he was worried about? Maybe in time, things would become clearer to her.

[Kuu]

At Namine's words, he wondered when things had become this way - since when had she turned from being the one telling him that he had to return to Sora to him telling her that she had to return to Kairi? From which point had his wish been to be one with his other and from when had Namine begun to wish for a reality separate from that of hers? Roxas was confused - maybe somewhere in his mind, he had thought that Namine would agreed with him. But obviously, things had changed since they had last been with each other - it took him a while for him to work out what, but he grasped a little of it as he looked back at her.

Namine was wishful. And that made it all the more painful.

In a few strides, he stepped close to her and, tentatively, he placed his hands on her shoulders. He wondered if he should have embraced her - if that would have made any difference. 'This... this is real. Right now, even if it's only for a moment, you're here the way I remember you, and I'm here the way you remember me. And no matter what happens, that'll never change.'

He moved his hands back down to his sides. 'There's things that need finishing, you and I both,' he said. 'But in the end... because we're here - neither Sora nor Kairi can be complete. I don't want a reality where I'm always afraid of disappearing. I don't want an end where all four of us can't be together.'

Roxas' stormy blue eyes dropped once more, staring off to the side. 'I don't want a reason... to hate myself. I don't wanna be angry anymore. Nobody or not, whether I'm meant to exist or to just disappear... I just want to make good on my promise to Sora - and my promise to you.'

I don't want to have to watch you disappear. Cos that would almost make it seem like you weren't ever here. And that scares me, more than anything.