A/N:I worked on this awhile back, around the end of summer. Not too bad for my first Megaman fanfic.-

Basic Sum-Up:Megaman is 'killed' after a hard battle, and Lan can't get over it. Then one day, he reappears. No more spoliers.

Enjoy! Reviews are appreciated.

Forbidden Memories

He wished he could forget.

No longer did he want to remember.

After all the things they went through, even down to his final moments… he still wished he could forget.

Then, one night, in what seemed to be an ordinary dream, he came to him.

"Lan…"

Lan shook his head, pushing him away.

"N-No…No…"

He reached over and gently touched his face.

"Lan…it's me. Wake up now."

Squinting, he opened his eyes. And he couldn't believe who was standing over him.

"M-Mega…man?" Whispered in the voice of the scared twelve year old he was.

Megaman nodded.

"Am I dead, or dreaming?" he asked, confused.

Megaman laughed.

"Still as hopeless as ever, I see. No. Actually… you called me here."

Lan cocked his head. "What do you mean? I didn't…"

He shushed him. "Yes you did. You don't know it, but ever since… the incident… your heart never forgot about me, Lan. I'm glad that you were able to move on. But in order for either one of us to heal… your mind and heart… have to be in the same place."

Megaman sat down on the edge of the bed. Taking Lan's hands in his, he looked up into the chocolate- brown orbs he knew for so long.

Lan was trembling. Understanding now what Megaman was talking about, he couldn't just…

"Lan. Don't be afraid to let go. I know you don't want to forget about me, and believe me, I can't do the same."

Lan interrupted. Tears had begun to spill down his face. "Lan?"

"Then, why?! Why do I… I have to forget the one person… I can never seem to protect…?" he cried.

Megaman sighed, and then hugged him. "Lan, I'm sorry about that. It's supposed to be the other way around. I don't want you to completely forget everything we've been through. But…I don't want you to linger on the past, also. Especially if all it does is hurt you more,Lan. You understand?"

Lan sighed, holding Megaman tighter, not saying anything. Megaman waited.

Finally, he spoke. "…I guess…"

Pulling away, he looked at his PET. "Megaman… there was so much I wanted to tell you. About what had happened after…you know. And now that I can actually tell you, I…I don't know… it just feels like…"

Tears were filling in Lan's eyes again. "Lan…are you okay?"

Lan's voice lowered. "…it just feels like…after all this time… I can't really say what's on my mind anymore…because… because…"

"Because what?"

"…..I'm afraid. Megaman, I'm really scared of something, but I don't know what…or why."

Lan took a deep breath. Then he blew it out, and said, " Maybe… I'm afraid of myself. Me not wanting to face the music, you know?" "Yeah, Lan."

Megaman smiled. 'Still the same old Lan…' he thought. Then he looked up at something.

Lan followed his gaze, a bright light, apparently the location from which Megaman had came from.

Realizing that Megaman would soon have to go, he felt like clinging to him like a baby, not ever letting go.

"Do you have to go, Megaman?" Lan asked sadly. Megaman nodded, getting up.

"Come on, Lan. You have school tomorrow. Get some sleep now, okay?"

Lan went back under the covers, and Megaman fixed his sheets. As sleep began to have a war with Lan, he mumbled, "Megaman, will…will I ever see you again?"

Megaman was silent as he stroked Lan's head. What was he going to say to him?

"Megaman…?"

"Lan… your heart will never forget me. You can always call me whenever you feel down. Here."

Megaman gave Lan a red pendant, the design very similar to the half of Lan's trademark.

Looking up at a twinkling object in his hand, Lan saw that Megaman was holding up the other half.

"Before you go to bed, hold this to your heart, then go to bed as usual. I'll do the same. While you're asleep, I'll come to you in your dreams. You'll still be physically asleep, but emotionally and mentally, you'll be talking to me."

Lan nodded, half-dozed. Sleep was winning the war, so Megaman whispered one last thing in Lan's ear:

"Good night. And Sweet Dreams."

When Lan awoke the next morning, he looked at his alarm he was reaching for it, something dropped on the floor. When he picked it up, he realized… that it really wasn't a dream.

Holding the pendant, he said in a low voice, to himself, "Megaman, thank you. You're not here with me… but this is good enough."

"Lan, don't worry. I'm always in your dreams."

Lan could count on a good night's sleep from now on. And for a long time to come.