Unwritten: Hello, everyone, and welcome to my first multi-chapter story. I am determined to complete this story, so if I fail to update, please spam me and I will do everything I can to complete it. If I get a writer's block, I will…try and get over it :D This is a fictional piece of work, but holds facts of a true event, the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Yes, I just saw the release of the movie in 3D, but I have had this idea for quite a while.
Plot: Namine Strife (17), a fair teenager, is on her way from Southampton to New York aboard the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, along with her sister, Kairi (18) and her close friend, and servant, Xion (16) Anderson. As she holds her character of being the perfect daughter, Namine can't help but wander the ship, finding herself on the lower decks and doing what she loves, drawing people. One passenger of the third class, whom Namine ran into when boarding, catches her eye and she can't resist drawing him in secrecy. When she loses her precious sketchbook during one of her visits, fate ties her favorite model and Namine together as he finds her sketchbook, desperate to find the one who draws his likeness. Aboard the RMS Titanic, many people of all classes find themselves becoming intertwined.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.
April 5th, 1912
Dear Father,
The years you have been gone has caused a rift in all of our hearts. We miss you dearly, and wish that you were still here with us, on our way to New York, America. You always spoke of how you wished to visit the land that holds so many hopes. Mother, Kairi and I will live out your dream and travel to America with you in our hearts. We even got tickets to board the RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage. Think of all the people who will be aboard with us. My fingers are already itching to sketch them all. Of course, they will not know. I fear I am still too shy to show and ever tell people that I am drawing them. What if they do not like their reflection I drew upon paper? I would hate to disappoint. I make do with only drawing my pictures for me, they carry a story with them that I only know, and may never share. Kairi and Xion are the only ones who get to see my drawings, even if it is just one. Of course, they praise, but I think nothing of their words, hiding behind quiet modesty…Father, I miss your wise words. You always made me feel like my drawings were worth something, even as a small child and I draw a horse that ended up looking like a barrel with sticks sprouting out at odd angles. The sticks weren't even straight…I can't help but feel nervous. Moving to a new house was a shock in itself, and now moving to a whole other country sends shivers down my spine. Please, lend me strength so that I may get through this intact. In turn, I will send you all my love.
Your Daughter,
Namine
Namine stared at the letter, a small smile gracing her lips as she closed her eyes, imagining her father whooping in his study, hugging his dear wife in excitement to go to America. Opening her eyes, she saw her reflection in the mirror of her vanity. Crystalline blue eyes and pale blonde hair. Namine was almost the perfect copy of her father, causing the thought to bring a sad smile to her face. Turning away from her reflection, Namine stood up, sealing the letter in an envelope and putting it inside a small box that was already filled with sealed letters to her father.
"I finally get to bring these to you, father.", Namine whispered, closing the lid delicately. Taking a deep breath, the young teenager walked over to her bed, running her hand along the covers before sliding off her silk robe, revealing her pale, lacey nightgown. Climbing in to her bed, Namine shut her eyes, falling into a deep slumber, dreaming about the grand ship.
Kairi, not Xion, was the one who woke Namine up the next morning. Groaning, Namine rolled, practically kicking Kairi off her bed in the process. Burying herself in the blankets, the blonde sibling heard Kairi grumble and stalk around her bed. With one fluid tug, the older sister ripped off all of Namine's bed coverings, leaving the girl to be exposed to the cooler air of her room.
Gasping, Namine sat up straight, hissing as her sister. "Kairi! You did not need to do that! Xion has to problems waking me up normal, why can't you?", she growled, angrily jumping out of bed and snatching her robe.
Kairi let out a scoff, shaking her head. "Mother told me to get you out of bed. We are leaving to visit father one last time and you of all people should have been up first.", With that said, Kairi turned on her heal and walked out of Namine's room, closing the double doors behind her.
Namine glared at the door, willing for Kairi to run into a wall and bruise her nose. Letting out an angry sigh, Namine walked over to her bathroom, finding the maids already prepared a hot bath for her. Eagerly stripping, Namine sank into the tub, sighing at the warm water soothed her tense muscles.
Looking out the window, Namine watched buildings fade to trees as she and her family rode their way to the cemetery where her father was laid. He wanted to be close to the water while still being close to home, so this cemetery was ideal. It was just a few miles away from Southampton, the town where they would be going to quickly after their visit to the cemetery.
Namine's hand unconsciously gripped the box of letters. Looking over at Kairi, Namine saw her sister's eye glazed over. Kairi was more quiet about her missing their father, wanting to be strong for Namine. Smiling, Namine reached over and poked her sister, causing the older of the two to jump slightly.
"Namine, you scared me…", Kairi muttered, not feeling up to par. This was noticed by her sister.
"Kairi, do not be so down. Father is still with us.", Namine comforted, sending her sister a small smile. For the rest of the ride they remained quiet, listening to their mother's quiet humming.
Once they arrived at the cemetery, the girls eagerly pushed their way out of the car, ignoring their mother's call for them to slow down. Taking the hand of their driver, Aerith shook her head. "Those two girls. It's a mystery where they get their energy…Xion, make sure to follow them closely. I need to breath a little.", Aerith turned to the car that was following behind them, looking at their young servant who was riding with some of the luggage.
"Yes ma'am!", Xion called happily, already hurriedly following after the sisters. When she caught up, she found that they were already standing in front of their father's grave, both silent as they stared at his face that was pictured on the stone. Xion looked at the sisters, seeing their eyes dull a little, glassing over slightly. Bowing, she muttered a few words and walked away about twenty feet, giving the siblings some room.
Namine was the first to drop down. She didn't care if she got her dress dirty, her father was more important. Lifting a finger to his picture, Namine followed the curves of his jaw before leading up to his lips, where a small smile rested eternally. Biting her bottom lip, she suppressed her weeping.
"At least they did the picture of him partially smiling. It took mother a lot of energy to get him to do that for the photographers. She said he only smiled when he was in the comfort of his own home, with us.", Kairi spoke, resting her hand on Namine's shoulder as she joined her sister on the ground.
Namine didn't answer, she simply nodded, placing the box of letters down, along with a small object, handing it to her sister. "We need to hurry…the boat is leaving in a few hours…", muttered Namine, who stared at her father's grave intently.
Turning her head, Kairi called over Xion, who quickly bounced over, taking the small shovel from Kairi's hands, digging a hole for the small box. While Xion was digging, Aerith walked up behind her daughters, kneeling down a hugging their shoulders. She gave them both a kiss on the temple, rocking them lightly while humming. Namine and Kairi closed their eyes tightly, fighting back tears as they remembered the song as their father's favorite song. Xion smiled sadly, having the pleasure of meeting the late Cloud Strife, but never getting to know him like most of the servants back at the Strife Manor outside of London.
"I am done, Miss Aerith.", Xion said, bowing low and walking off, knowing they would want a few moments of privacy.
Turning to her daughters, Aerith smiled sweetly at them. "Well now, let's being.", she said, standing up and urging her daughters to do the same thing. They all straightened their dresses out, wanting a moment to look decent in front of the man who brought them so much happiness, even if it was just his grave.
"Hello, dear. We came here to visit you. In Namine's letters you wi…", Aeriths voice drifted off as the girls hung close to their mother. Xion watched from a distance, eye holding sadness and envy, wishing that she had a father who meant so much to her. Blinking away the thought, Xion watched as Namine put the box in the small hole, using her hands to put dirt on top. Kairi bent down and helped her sister, both having small smiles on their lips and silent tears streaming down their face.
Kairi was eagerly looking out the window, smiling as she turned to Namine, shaking the blonde's shoulder to wake her from her nap. "Namine, look! It's the Titanic!", Kairi shouted with excitement, looking over at her smiling mother. At her side, Namine woke and looked out the same window as Kairi, blinking a few times to get used to the bright light of the sun. The sisters looked so much alike at moments like this. Their facial features being similar.
"Girls, remember to stay close to Xion and myself. It is quite crowded out there and we do not want to get lost. It looks like we are in the rush…we might not and see our luggage until late this evening.", Aerith looked at her daughters sternly, knowing that they were not fully listening to her.
Glancing at Xion, the two shared unspoken words. Xion put her hands on the sisters' arms, urging them to move. "Come now, Miss Kairi, Miss Namine. We need to hurry to the entry."
Still in their daze, Kairi and Namine were forced to move by Xion's pushing hands. Aerith was walking swiftly behind them, fishing out their traveling papers. While Kairi was staring at the ship, Namine's eyes were elsewhere. Her crystal blue eyes looked at the faces of people they were passing by. Rugged beards, hard faces and neutral colored clothing swarmed around her. She could tell that these people were the lower class passengers. Even so, they had bright smiles on their faces, excited for the adventure that was right in front of them. Smiling, Namine continued to look around until her eyes caught another pair of eyes.
The eyes staring back at her were a deep blue, reflecting the clear blue sky. They caught her like a sand trap, slowing her movements. Namine felt Xion's hand fall from her back, but she paid no mind to it. The eyes held her, not letting her go Looking past the eyes, Namine say a crown of golden hair and slightly tanned skin. Blinking, she looked at the male wholly, blushing slightly as his good looks. He looked about a year older than her, yet his eyes held many years of knowledge. Namine's mouth opened slightly, taking a sharp intake of breath when she felt a shove, sending her tumbling down. Landing on her hands and knees, Namine felt people rustle around her before two hands gripped at her arms, pulling her up.
"Oh Xion, than-…Oh!", Namine's eyes widened, finding not her maid but the male she was staring at. Up close, her looked even more attractive. At the thought, Namine blushed brightly, tilting her head downwards. "I, uh, thank you…"
A chuckle reached her eyes, causing her to look up shyly under her bangs. A smile graced the male's face, his eyes soft with amusement. "No worries. Are you okay?", he asked, tilting his head downward to meet Namine's eyes.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine….", Namine spoke softly, her eyes darting around, looking for her family and Xion. Panic ran through her. Namine gripped at the male's arms unconsciously. He winced slightly, feeling her nails dig into his skin.
"Is something wrong…?", he felt silly, asking her a question when he just saw her get separated from her family. He watched her eyes dart from side to side and heard her breaths start to come out quickly.
"M-my family…I don't see them.", Namine mumbled, feeling panic sweep into her blood system. The male watched her closely, making his decision to help her before he even realized it.
"C'mon, we'll find them. Just stay close to me.", he smiled gently at her, taking Namine's hands from his arms and gripping her hand, leading her through the crowd before she could object. Namine stumbled after the male, watching the faces that they passed. It wasn't until the male slowed down that she moved her eyes to him.
"Do you know where you're going?", Namine asked, slightly apprehensive. She saw his back stiffen slightly, slowing down with him to a stop. He turned his head to her, his cheeks flushed slightly.
"Of course I do! I've lived here for a while now and watched other ships depart.", he said, nodding his head confidently. Namine couldn't help but giggle slightly, moving forward to continue their search in comfortable silence.
Kairi stopped walking, looking around as she noticed the silence. Xion had stopped her hold on the girl a while ago. She looked around, trying to find her blonde sister and her yellow dress. "Xion, where is Namine?"
"Hmm? She should be right he-…re…", Xion turned, looking around as well for Namine. Her face paled slightly, nervous of being punished for loosing the younger Strife.
Aerith sighed, hearing that the two stopped and faced them, about to scold them when she noticed her missing daughter. Green eyes widening, Aerith looked around, finding the nearest dock hand and running towards him. "Sir! My daughter has gone missing. I implore you, please help."
The man was slightly shocked by her outburst but nodded his head, pulling Aerith away to get a description of Namine. Kairi and Xion watched, both clinging slightly to their dresses as they waited. Suddenly, the man called out loudly, bursting away from Aerith to rush through the crowd, pulling a male by the arm. It wasn't until a small circle was formed around the group that the two females saw that the male had a grip on Namine, who looked utterly confused.
"Namine!", Kairi called out, rushing to grad her sister from the male. Namine blinked rapidly, looking from her sister to the male who was being held down by the dock hand. She frowned, turning to Aerith.
"Mother, what's going on?", Namine asked, folding her arms across her chest. Aerith rushed to her daughter and hugged her tightly, smoothing her daughter's silken hair.
"We were so worried about you! I asked this dock hand o help us find you, and suddenly he sees you being taken by that man!", Aerith cried, looking close to tears. Namine raised her eyebrows before puffing her cheeks out.
"He was not taking me away! He was helping me! I…I fell behind and almost got trampled, but he caught me before any harm could be done and volunteered to help me find you all.", Namine explained, looking at the blonde male who was struggling against the dock hand.
Aerith blinked, knowing that her daughter would not tell a lie, especially not to defend someone that was trying to take her. Nodding to the dock hand, the older man let go of the younger male. Stepping close to him, Aerith looked him over. "Is what Namine said true?"
The male looked from Aerith to Namine, finally learning the name of the clumsy girl. "Yes, ma'am. She got pushed in the rush, almost got her pretty dress all dirty. I caught her before that could happen, ma'am.", the male said formally, knowing nobility when he saw it. Aerith held and air of confidence around her, and he could practically see the power radiating from her.
Aerith smiled gently, suprising him slightly. "Thank you so much. If my youngest daughter was lost…I don't know what I would do.", Aerith offered a small bow, and received a deep bow in return.
"It…was my pleasure.", he said, slightly confused. His eye drifted to Namine, watching her face and she smiled at him, giving her own small bow. He returned it, keeping his eyes on the females before him. A red head, who he assumed was her sister, clung to Namine tightly, obviously not wanting to loose her sister again. Behind them stood a smaller girl in a maid's outfit, keeping her eyes on the ground.
A loud toot alerted them all, making them jump slightly. Aerith put a hand to her cheek, flushing from the rush. "Oh my, we better get going, don't want to miss it! Let's go girls.", Aerith guided her daughters, nodding once again at the male.
"Wait!", Namine yelled, turning to the male again. She smiled warmly at him. "My name is Namine Strife. May I have your name?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Roxas, Roxas Fair.", the male said, finally being revealed. Roxas watched Namine intently as she walked over to him briskly, handing him a silken cloth.
"Here, a parting gift. Thank you very much, Roxas.", Namine spoke quietly, so only Roxas could hear. He looked into her crystal blue eyes, smiling genuinely. Lifting her hand, he placed a small kiss onto her knuckle, chuckling in amusement at her blush.
"No, thank you, Miss Namine. I hope to see you again.", with that said, Roxas turned and left, mixing into the crowd. When he saw sure he blending in, he looked down at the light blue cloth, running his fingers along the stitched 'N.S', smiling to himself.
Namine watched as he left, only slightly feeling Xion tug at her arm before walking with her family, her mind still wound up on the boy with golden hair and oceanic blue eyes.
First chapter - DONE! I wish I had gotten it done on time for the anniversary, but sadly I couldn't. However, that wont stop me from continuing! I hope all who read enjoyed this and I hope you all continue to read as I write.
Please review~ I love to read feedback, it makes me feel good :3
Stay tuned!
