A short hello from your author.

Summary: Namine, slowly losing her sanity, decides she wants to become whole her own way. Namixel, slight Kaixel.

Haircuts and Playing Pretend

The slender redhead sitting across the room slowly directed his attention to the noise making its way from the petite blonde standing in front of a large, vanity mirror. Like everyday he was assigned to watch the prisoner for an allotted amount of time and enjoyed doing so. It was time for him to relax and enjoy the company of another like him. A friend, even. Everyday she would quietly draw and he would watch and wonder about the memories she saw, memories that weren't really hers but of somebody like her.

But today was different from those days.

Snip…

Alex was usually suave and collected, but the noise was slightly agitating his nonchalant attitude.

Snip…

He nervously scratched the back of his fiery, red hair and slowly approached the girl.

Snip…

He reached his hand out to grab her shoulder. "Hey, Namine...uh-"

Snip…

The sharp sound of metal scissors slicing through hair rang through Namine's eardrums. She noticed Axel's tall, slender figure approaching from the view of the mirror and turned just as his hand brushed against her skin.

"Don't I look beautiful? My hair should have been this short to begin with. Right to my chin, not an inch longer." She didn't turn to face him as she continued speaking softly. "I always liked to play pretend. Didn't you know that?"

Axel went to reach for the scissors, wondering how on Kingdom Hearts she even got them, but Namine had pulled away too quickly, retreating closer to the mirror with her eyes wide looking like a frightened, small child. "Namine," He smoothly cooed her name. "Why, oh why, are you cutting your hair?" He backed up slightly, in fear of her poking at him, even though he knew Namine was never the violent type. He crossed his arms and watched as she continued to hack away at her long locks of blonde hair.

"You know, playing pretend never ends up working out right." Axel stated, still trying to find a way to get those rusty scissors out of her hand before she did some actual damage all the while wondering what she was trying to accomplish by snipping away at her hair. Just as he was getting closer he stopped as he noticed something glistening against the reflection of the mirror and saw the small trickles of tears flow from her eyes to the cold, marble floor tiles. "I can't really be her. I'm just her...shadow." She sniffled and waved the scissors around, causing Axel to back up again. He realized the sad, twisted horror of where Namine's thoughts were taking her.

"Namine, how about you put those scissors down and let me dry those tears?" He tried to sound as calm as he possibly could, knowing this could turn sour at any moment. A hot-tempered pyro, an unhinged young girl, and a pair of old, rusty scissors was a mess just waiting to be cleaned up.

"Hmm," Namine stopped crying once she saw her reflection. She clenched her hands into fists and slanted her eyes angrily. "But something's missing! I look exactly like her except…"

Her voice quietly faded out as the realization dawned upon her. Hands shaking, she cut more hair as the redhead watched in horror.

Snip…

"Namine! Stop!" Axel yelled as he finally grabbed her arm and ripped the scissors from her small hands.

Rip...

Drip…

A crimson colored, slime-like, goo dripped onto the floor, as Namine unleashed a frightened shout.

She cringed slghtly staring at the blood as it dropped onto the locks of blonde hair onto ground circled around her. As it mixed with her hair as if it were dye, she noticed something. It came out as a reddish purple color.

"Just like hers." She gasped, slightly to herself.

Axel felt nauseated as she started to mesh the blood all around her scalp. When she was finished, she looked in the mirror triumphantly as if she had accomplished her goal.

"I've done it. I look just like h-her now." Namine seemed to have stuttered the last of her sentence and swayed back and forth on her heels. Feeling a little dizzy she looked for the nearest chair, slumping forward. As her body started to give out, she felt Axel's hands reach around her, catching her. She heard Axel calling to her, giving her a small shake to see if she could react. But his calls went unanswered. Namine's thoughts took over her mind.

"But what's going to happen when I can't pretend anymore? When imagination comes to a stop and reality breaks through?"

She tuned out her inside voice hearing Axel's calls. Finally answering to him. "A-Axel...I finally look like Somebody, instead of Nobody."

She looked over Axel's shoulder and at the mirror. It was true; she was the spitting image of her other.

His grip tightened on her as he lifted her and carried her out of the room, heading to clean her wound.

"Hey, A…Axel," She whispered, looking up at him.

He immediately shushed her. "Don't talk." He argued.

Namine's head pounded with dizziness and she felt it was difficult to stay awake as she asked the flurry of dancing flames a simple question.

But his voice was clouded by the darkness and she couldn't hear his answer.

"Hey Axel, do you like my new haircut?"

-Fin.

R&R.

Standard Disclaimer Applies.