Beyond the Ocean
Namine watched the dark waves of the night ocean, as they played lazily with the gray sand by her white sandals. They moved the tiny grains with no effort at all, with the same calm persistence they used to wear down seemingly timeless mountains into this very sand. To think, that what was once a very tall and, unquestionably, solid mountain, now was but a collection of scattered soft pieces that fall as easily through your fingers as if they were water. Namine picked up a handful of sand, in step with that thought, and watched as it sparkled, reflecting the warm light of the fire nearby. She smiled a quiet, natural smile, and opened her fingers, letting the sand return to rest on the beach.
Repliku was busy tending to the fire, and he didn't look too happy with it. They were on a run, and there was always a chance someone could spot them. Fire didn't make hiding easier. They needed it, though, for the night was growing colder with each passing minute, and a rather dreary atmosphere clouded the beach without any light but that of the moon. Plus, fires made for some good s'mores and chased all the worries away, even if just for a little while.
Xion looked up briefly, thinking of how to phrase a sentence she was writing. A pale white of the Organization's sigil on her journal glistened coldly in the light of the fire. Namine frowned. Every member of Organization had to keep a journal and write in it each day, something Namine herself reluctantly did. She never could see a point in writing down what she will remember without fail years and years from now.
She still used the journal, away from the Castle, but only as a substitute for her drawing pad. Pictures, unlike words, held no prescribed meaning, but told a new story every time you re-visited them. Perhaps, the reason for this change was not only the drawing, but the viewers as well.
Memories were a treasure; they were, sometimes, a curse. They might, also, be part of our very being, or, as in Xion's and Roxas's case…part of someone else's. Even Repliku's memories…
Namine felt a sudden chill of the ocean breeze and tightened the blanket around her to keep the warmth from being carried away with the cold wind.
…Were as much a part of him as his own heart. If they hadn't left when they did…things would have been worse. Much worse. She heard what Larxene and Vexen were saying. She didn't plan to eavesdrop, they just paid little mind to her presence in the same room as them. Namine was to be the one to erase his memories, re-write who he was and plant in some false ones that better suited their taste. Memories are not everything, of course, but they are part of a person's heart…without them, the heart is not the same. What they were asking her to do…was unthinkable.
"Hey, Namine! You want to help us cook some s'mores?" asked Repliku with a carefree smile, waving to her from over where the fire was. He had some nice wooden sticks, a bag of marshmallows and bars of chocolate all set and ready. Xion was roasting her first marshmallow, giving her full attention to the task, trying not to burn it. They left the Organization, but Xion still wrote in her journal every day, to share tales of this adventure with her friend Roxas when they meet again.
"Sure…sounds fun," smiled Namine. She stood up, brushed off some sand from her white dress, and walked over to the fire.
Soon the s'more-making was well underway, and the bag of marshmallows was gradually growing emptier and emptier. They laughed when anyone's marshmallow switched jobs with the torch, though they still tasted just as good if not better when sandwiched with chocolate and crackers.
"It was Zexion today, wasn't it? Lexeaus and Luxord were after us a week ago. They must be tracking us somehow…" said Xion.
"Yes. They must have eyes and ears across most known worlds, with help from Dusks, perhaps. What we need…is to try something they did not think of. If we find a way to lose them, we won't have to run anymore, or risk our luck in a fight. We would be free," said Repliku. He tossed the s'more stick into the fire, which set off a small fountain of sparks that climbed up to the night sky.
"What do you mean?" asked Namine and looked over at him.
"We…go where no one had before. Open a portal to some world and go. They will look for us in the worlds we all know, and even without spies, they will eventually find us. Once we venture into unknown, however, their possibilities for finding us diminish significantly"
"But…we don't know what to expect. And whether or not we would be able to go back to known worlds If we needed to…"noted Xion.
"Yes. We do not. I promise you, however, that wherever we go, I will not let anything harm us. And if we do find ourselves stranded, I will do all in my power to find the way back. It may be our best chance, and I do not see any other way at the moment. Namine. Xion. What do you think, shall we try?"
The three agreed.
Black boots stopped next to the recent remnants of the campfire.
"Hrm. I…don't like this. All the Dusks are silent. Which means…damn. Xion. Why must you always make things difficult?...We'll find you. And we will bring you both back….That I promise"
Axel frowned and glanced at the ghostly Dusk nearby. It always takes them a little while to track their escapees down, but they always did, until now, that is. He waved the creature off and it dissolved into the daylight.
The fire-yielder looked past where Dusk just was, and out to the misty blue line of where the ocean met the sky. He wondered where they could be…then sighed and smiled.
"Guess now, the hunt begins for real."
