P r o m i s e

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

He promised her he would never let go. But now as she's slipping away forever this time, somehow he still manages to hold on.. RoxasxNaminé

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..Ten Years Before..

"Roxas, did you hear that?" Naminé whispered in her tiny five year old voice, her words coming out scattered and charred.

Roxas looked over at the girl and smiled, "It's okay, Naminé", He assured her softly, giving her his best 'it's no problem' grin.

Naminé frowned, "But I heard thunder, Roxas." She said softly, looking down at her barefeet as they walked, crunching over dead leaves that were scattered all over the ground.

Roxas shrugged, "Just a thunder storm, Naminé". He told her, squinting his blue eyes ahead as raindrops began to land on his nose. And as Naminé gave him a 'look', he smiled sheepishly, "With rain, of course."

"Yeah", She replied distantly, before lightning lit the sky up in a golden glow, "Roxas! Did you see that? Lightning!" She cried frantically, pointing at the sky, her blonde hair falling over her shoulder, some strands hanging in her bleached chalcedony irises.

"It's alright, Naminé. Just lightning."

Naminé squealed as another bolt struck the sky, and she took off running in the oppisite direction, her footsteps quickly falling into place with sound as she ran.

"Wait - Naminé!" Roxas shouted, rubbing his face and flicking off a few raindrops from his forehead. "Slow down!" He cried, and ran after her. After coming to a conclusion that he couldn't find her, he sighed and sat against a tree, closing his eyes. Where'd she go? Why'd she run off? It was just lightning.. He questioned in his thoughts, before a small whimpering noise broke into them. He scrunched up his nose and turned, seeing a girl in a hole in the tree he was leaning against. His eyes adjusted to the dim light before he came to realization who the girl was.

"Naminé!" He said, exasperation throughout his voice, "I've been looking all over for you."

"Roxas?" The girl asked, voice hoarse and dry from crying. "Roxas!" She cried and threw her arms around him, giving him a huge hug.

"Alright, alright", Roxas grumbled, pushing her away, and then rubbed his cheek. "Why did you run off?"

Naminé smiled sheepishly, "I.. I.. I don't like lightning." She muttered, peicing her words together quickly.

Roxas quirked a brow, looking at her doubtfully. "Right". He said sarcastically. "I already knew that, Naminé."

"Okay, fine. I'm scared of it. Happy?" Naminé growled, and then her features softened as did her tone, "I'm scared, Roxas."

"It's okay, Naminé."

Naminé smiled at him, before a loud 'crack' broke her grin. Before she had a chance to cry out, let alone scream, another tree came tumbling down in front of the hole, covering it up and filling the gap they were in with even more darkness.

"Roxas!"

"Naminé!"

Out of impulse, Naminé had once again pulled Roxas into a hug, and Roxas, scared himself, had hugged her back.

"Roxas," Naminé whispered softly, her breath hitched and falling onto Roxas's shoulder, "What happened?"

"I.. don't know, Naminé", Roxas replied quietly, "I think a tree fell in front of the hole."

"Does that mean we're stuck?"

"I don't know, Naminé." Roxas repeated, but then made his voice louder and backed away from her, but Naminé quickly regained her clutch on his hand, and held it tight. He frowned at her, "We can't stay here forever."

"I know.."

Roxas sighed and started to pull away, but Naminé held on tight, "Who said you could let go? Don't leave me. I'm scared." She whimpered softly, her eyes searching his, and her lips quaivering.

Roxas frowned, "Stop it Naminé."

"Please?"

Roxas began to squirm out of her grip, but his eyes caught hold of her's and he merely frowned, "Alright, alright, I won't let go."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Naminé."

---

Naminé laid in an uncomforable position, her periwinkle eyes streaked with tears and red as she laid in a pool of red. Swirls twirled in and out of the crimson puddles as she struggled to sit up.

Roxas pressed both of his hands against her shoulders, "Don't move." He told her, "You'll make.. the process.. go faster."

Naminé winced as pain throbbed throughout her body, "I'll be alright, Roxas". She whispered softly, and despite the pain, her lips still twisted into a smile.

"Don't get your hopes high, Naminé. It's pretty bad."

Naminé laughed softly, "Oh, Roxas.. that's what life's about. Hope. Don't you have any faith?"

"Sure I do", Roxas replied quickly, and then stopped to ponder, "I believe that this wound is bad."

Naminé laughed, but a nervous laugh, "Yes, it's bad, Roxas. But.. there's always hope I won't die."

Roxas stiffened up, rubbing her wound with a rag, "I never said you wouldn't make it, Naminé". He said, almost coldly.

Naminé nodded, "I know. But your thinking it. It's etched all over your face, Roxas." She whispered softly, her pale lips tinged with pink growing paler and paler, as did her pale face.

Roxas didn't reply this time. His blue eyes traced over her wounds, until it came to the stomach wound. A large Nobody's weopon was deep inside her, blood paddling all the way from the very high tip, to the end of it that was sticking out of her clothed back. He knew he couldn't get any help.. too far of a distance. And he knew that her little light inside of her was beginning to go out. He knew he didn't know how to help her. That he couldn't help her.

Naminé laughed, her eyes distant and far away. She was in the middle of deep thought. "Roxas, do you remember that one time when we were five years old? When that tree collapsed in front of us when we were hidden inside that hole?"

Roxas nodded, "Yeah, I remember.. Why?"

"Well.." Naminé whispered and struggled to move foreward, just enough until she could grab his hand. Her nearly dead eyes searched his, a rush of melancholy flowing over her pale face. "I'm scared, Roxas."

Roxas nodded, his eyes averting to the ground, and before he could stop it, he just blurted out, "I'm scared too, Naminé."

Naminé smiled slightly, "It's pretty scary, isn't it?"

Roxas nodded, but started to pull away, only, Naminé held on tight. "Naminé, I have to go get help. I can't leave you here. If I don't get help immediatly, you'll--" He stopped, his eyes meeting Naminé's, before he lowered them again. "I just have to go, Naminé."

Naminé shook her head, "Who said you could let go? Don't leave me, Roxas. I'm scared." She whispered softly, crystal droplets trickling over her tender lips. It took Roxas a moment before he realized she was crying.

"Naminé, please.." He pleaded quietly, but didn't jerk away from her grip.

"Please?"

"Alright.. I won't leave."

"Promise?"

Roxas smiled wearily at her, "I promise."

"Promise me you won't let go."

"I promise, Naminé." He said quietly, watching her as her breaths grew slower and slower, and more deep, unclear. "Hey, now.." He said quietly, pressing a hand against her shoulder, "Don't leave me."

"I won't."

"Promise me, Naminé".

"I.." Her voice caught in her throat as her lashes began to flutter over her perriwinkle eyes, her head leaning back as she slowly began to breathe no more.

"Naminé!" Roxas shouted, shaking her shoulder, but she made no motion, until finally a gasp caught in her throat. "Somebody, help! Please!" He shouted, jumping to his feet and letting go of her hand, cupping his fingers around his mouth as he cried for help.

Naminés soft voice finally spoke in a whisper, "Roxas."

Roxas immediatly bent down, "What is it?"

"You can't let go, Roxas. You promised." She rasped softly, her head rolling back and her eyes closing.

Roxas tried his best to hold in his tears, but little drops still managed to escape from his eyes and splash onto Naminé's pale dead cheek. He reached for her hand and clutched it, "That's right, Naminé. I promised I wouldn't let go."