My name is Naminé Shiro. And this, I suppose, is the story of how my name became known throughout the world.

My father loves science and knowledge. Vexen Shiro is his name. My mother… she had been having an affair with my father (though he hadn't known she was married.) While her husband was overseas in the military, she became pregnant with me, and when I was born, left me at Father's doorstep. I've never known her. Not that I'd want to know the woman who left me wrapped in a thin cloth and left in a cardboard box on a doorstep in the middle of January. If my dad had been any later in returning home, I'd be dead.

I had a big brother, too. Mr. and Mrs. Murasaki, Father's friends, were killed in a car crash. As the godfather of their son, Father took him in. I was told that on that wintry day, Zexion ran out of the car as if he knew something was wrong, Father running after him. And Zexion saw the box and me and pulled off his coat and covered me with it before going to my father. I call it his big brother instinct. Even at eighteen months old, he knew I needed him.

But enough about me. This is about that day. Zexion drove us to the band room. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and the crisp fall air promised a lovely day for a band rehearsal. So, hair tied back, water jug in one hand, flute in the other, I walked inside.

"Don't forget," I called back to Zexy, "I'm going over to the Kiiro's place for lunch."

"Again," Zexion grumbled. I ignored him and went to my locker to get out my dot bag, when a pair of arms wrapped around me. "Hello there, beautiful."

I turned to see Roxas Kiiro. Blond, handsome, one heck of an oboe player, and my boyfriend. "Hello, sweetie," I greeted.

"Would the lovely lady like an escort to the band room?"

"Ugh. Gross. Go get a room, Roxy." And who could it be but Axel Aka: Roxas's best friend, one of my good friends, and a pain in the rear.

"Shut up," Roxas said. At that moment, Demyx started walking through the hall. "Meeting in the band room! Hurry up!" Demyx is our band director. My eighth-grade year, we were told that "Mr. Mizurio" would be coming to form a band class. First day of band camp, our rag-tag bunch met up for the first time. The first thing said as we stared at the (fairly young) band director was, "Call me Demyx." And a legacy began. We went to competitions. We won small ones, made fourth in state, third the next year, got ones at contest, did exceptional. My junior year, we were set to do even better, maybe even win state. But then the unexpected happened.

Just as Demyx walked into the band room, I heard a scream. It was from Kairi, one of Demyx's daughters. At once, all us band kids ran towards the band room, where she, her sister, Xion, and Demyx were. And that's when we saw a guy dressed in all black with a heart with an x through it on his shirt. He had a knife. And it was against Xion's throat.

"Xion!" Axel yelled from beside me. Xion glanced our way, terror in her eyes.

The guy in black yelled, "Get 'em!" and suddenly there were many guys in black all running at us, knives and swords and guns in hand. Demyx ran for the one holding Xion. He let her go and stabbed our band director through. I heard a scream.

"Naminé!" It had been me. Axel was yelling at me. "We've got to get out of here!" And then he was gone. But I looked behind me. Kairi and Xion were trying—and failing—to lift their father up and carry him to safety. I ran that way, towards them.

And then I was knocked off my feet. "You…" It was one of the guys with the heart on their chest. "You are of the Ror ret Foxis."

"The what?" I gasped.

A knife was placed on my throat. "Shut up. You are one of them. And the Heartless shall have our revenge against you!" He pulled the knife back.

"I didn't do anything!" I screeched, and then he was off me. And I saw my savior. "Roxas?" I got a better look. "Ven!" It was Roxas's twin brother, Ventus.

"Run, Naminé!" Ven yelled. "Go help Kairi and Xion and get out of here! I'll hold him back!"

So I got up and went to my friends. Together we were able to lift Demyx enough to get him out. As soon as we were out of the band room, safe enough, we set him down. Zexion pushed through. "I know first aid," He told the girls. "I'll do what I can."

"Where's Roxas?" I asked him.

"I thought he was with you."

Which meant he was still… "Roxas!" And I ran back inside.

"Naminé, no!" Someone yelled from behind me. I understood I was going into a battlefield. But I wouldn't let Roxas die. Never.

"Roxas!" I yelled for him. "Where are you? Roxas!" Some "Heartless" guys ran at me as I called for my boyfriend. I did the only thing I could: run away. "Roxas!" I kept calling. Finally, back in the band room, in a practice room, I found him. He was leaning against a wall, sweating, panting. His leg was bleeding and twisted at an angle. But he was alive. "Roxas!" And I threw myself in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"V-Ven brought me here… One of those guys… they got me… broke my leg, I think… Ven told me stay here. He said that I'd be safe. I asked where you were. He said he'd find you."

And he had, but… "Has he returned? I haven't seen him."

"No." He started moving as if to get up. "Where's Ven? Ven! Ven!"

He was getting hysterical. "Shh. Roxas, listen to me. He must be outside. Listen to me. We're going to get out of here. Quick and quiet. Okay?"

He took a few deep breaths. "Okay."

I got on the side of his good leg. "Okay. Up we go… lean against me…" He put his arm around my shoulders and I put mine around his waist. "Let's go. Stay quiet."

We ran through the halls. Sort of. Whatever you call a guy with a broken leg and a person for support moving as quickly as possible through the halls of an abandoned band room, looking out for any threats.

We got outside without a hitch. Police and paramedics were already there. A group of them ran to us. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, but his leg…" Then they swooped in on my poor boyfriend.

Then Zexion ran to me. "Oh, thank God. You're okay." He hugged me. "I've called Father. He'll be here soon."

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I wrestled out of his grasp. "Where's Ven? Roxas needs to know he's okay."

"Ven?" Zexion paled. "Oh God. He wasn't with you?"

"What?"

"We did roll call. Only three were missing. You, Roxas, and Ven."

"Ven wasn't with us! We thought he was out here." The world began to spin. "This can't be happening. This can't be."

"Naminé? Naminé, are you okay?" Then I collapsed into my brother's arms.