Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters. I also don't own any characters from the Transformers franchise.

"Hi, Nami," nine-year-old Pence greeted as he poked his head in what was formerly the guest room.

"Hi..." nine-year-old Naminé murmured, her small head tucked in between her legs.

"Do you want me to get you anything?" he asked, wanting her to be as comfortable as possible after the incident.

His blonde friend shook her head.

"Oh, okay..."

Long swaths of silence passed, causing the rotund boy to fidget as he stood in the doorway.

"...I'm sorry." He mentally slapped himself. He's supposed to help her move on from the ordeal, not make her remember!

"You don't have to be, it's not your fault."

'It's mine. If I hadn't existed, they'd still be alive and not dead!'

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry..." she heard him say. She let out a tiny, confused 'huh' just as she felt the crystal-clear tears that were trailing down her rosy-red cheeks.

"Ah, sorry, that wasn't 'cause of you, I was just thinking...about...something..."

"Oh, okay. Anyways, Mom told me to tell you that dinner's ready. She made spaghetti and meatballs, and you haven't lived until you've tried them."

"...Okay..." She uncurled herself from her fetal position on her new bed, which lately seemed to be her favorite spot in the whole house, and followed Pence down the red oak stairs into the dining room, where her legal guardians patiently awaited their arrival.

"Evening, Naminé," Pence's father welcomed, folding the newspaper he was reading on the table. He was a tall man, around 6' 4" (1.84m), and also very well-sculptured with a broad chest and mysterious steel-gray eyes. For a man in his mid-thirties, he had aged quite well, his ebony short boxed beard still as full as always.

As for his personality, he was a natural leader and outdoor enthusiast. He always stayed level-headed when situations go from bad to worse, and he was always up to a challenge, but ever since he became a father he's kept that more adventurous side of him under wraps. Family comes first after all.

"How you holding up, sweetie?" his mother asked, setting down the silverware for everyone. Much like her husband she too had also aged nicely. Similar to him she was an adventurer by nature, her cinnamon eyes still reflecting that fact along with her calloused hands. She had a slicked-back cherry brown bob that bounced every so often when she shrugged. Apart from being a risk taker, she had a more tender side to her when it came to children, so when she was told about what had happened from Pence, she had to take Naminé in. She was a sweet girl who, so far, hasn't caused any trouble, and besides, the two were inseparable.

"Fine, thank you," she answered both parents, sliding into the maple wood chair. The older woman smiled and set the still steaming pot of spaghetti and meatballs down in the center of the rectangular table. The blonde's mouth watered at the sight of the freshly made marinara sauce smothering the long pasta noodles like a glaze. A whiff of the meatballs sent a taste bud tingling sensation up and down her spine.

"All right, now that everyone's here, dig in!" Pence's father exclaimed.

After they all stuffed their stomachs to the brim with the delectable dish, the young ones washed their plates and forks and ran into the boy's room while the adults mellowed out on the couch with the good ol' TV.

Pence sat on the bed while Naminé played with his Megatron action figure on floor.

"Hey, Nami." She looked up at her friend expectantly.

"Promise me something..." fifteen-year-old Pence began with a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was seeing something that was bound to happen eventually. "No matter how unfair life seems, don't give up."

"Give up? Give up on what?" she asked, unaware of the change in his age.

"Like, when times get tough, and you're surrounded by all the terrible things life has to offer, don't quit. Even if it hurts, and the pain seems unbearable, keep going. Keep that light inside you burning, even if the flame is barely there. I know that it's going to be hard, but I believe- no, I know that you can do it! Promise me, Naminé."

"O-Okay...?"

"Thanks... Well, it's time for me to get going," he sighed, standing up from his racecar bed which was too small for him now.

"Get going? Get going where?" she asked trepidatiously, a small voice alarming her that if he left he would never be seen again. Her best friend remained quiet, which only further confirmed her already rapidly-growing fear.

The wall in front of them suddenly collapsed and gave in to reveal a blinding, heavenly white light that rivaled that of the sun's.

Teenage Naminé grabbed hold of his wrist right as he approached the margin between the wooden floor and nothingness.

"Wait! Please, don't go! What-"

"Don't worry about what happens to me. Just remember that promise we made, okay?" He smiled a toothy grin at her as the light glowed brighter, making him seem like he was evaporating from the plane of existence.

Before she could call out his name one more time the light completely swallowed him whole, never to be seen or heard from again.

Naminé's eyes shot wide open as she heaved in a tremendous gulp of air, her white dress clinging to her body like it was an extra layer of skin.

"Calm down, you're safe," Roxas soothingly reassured, giving her time to recuperate her thoughts. "Was it a nightmare?"

"Uh, sorta. It's just a dream, nothing to worry about," she tried to play off.

"This has been happening for almost a whole week now, I don't think it's 'just a dream.'"

She huffed in slight annoyance. "Look, don't worry about it, okay? Let's just sleep for now. Tomorrow's our last day anyways," she yawned, closing her eyes and quickly falling back asleep. He worriedly glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before resuming his role as guard for the night.

"Hi, Naminé!"

"Hey, Jesse," she welcomed the boy she met on their first day on the job. Ever since their first encounter, he had come back everyday like a stray dog who she fed once and has not stopped following her ever since. They'd chat when she wasn't busy with customers, and when he found out that she had no way of knowing if she would get to eat on a daily basis, he took it upon himself to ensure that she ate at least once a day by bringing food.

She was extremely grateful towards the boy of course, and she tried to promise him that she'd repay his kindness somehow, but he insisted that no pay was necessary. Since then she had regained a bit of color on her face and she was less prone to dizziness spells during work hours. Overall, she was incredibly grateful to meet such a kind young lad.

"I got a couple sandwiches. I wish I could've gotten something more filling, but-"

"Four?! Wow, thank you so much!" she exclaimed, pulling the boy in for a hug.

"Uh, n-no problem..." he blushed. He looked down at his sneakers for a moment before he mustered the courage to look into her eyes. "Um, there's actually something I wanted t-to tell you..."

"Weird, I was actually gonna say the same thing," she said, breaking the hug.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, um... There's really no easy way to say this... I'm gonna leave tomorrow..."

His face visibly fell. "What?"

"Once I get my paycheck, I'm- we're gonna go. I got a relative in Radiant Garden who we're trying to get to, but we need some money to help us on our journey. You know the saying: money makes the world go 'round."

He was about to say something, but the sound of the door opening rudely interrupted him.

"'Scuse me," she murmured to him as she slid past him to greet the customer who was a bulky man in his mid-twenties with light-brown hair and hazel eyes. "Welcome, sir! Is there anything you're specifically looking for today?"

"Aaaand here it is, yer first paychecks," Cid congratulated, handing both employees their envelopes stuffed with money. "Since your circumstances are a little different, I threw in a little bonus, but don't tell ANYONE. People might spread rumors that I'm a big pushover, and I can't have my reputation being tarnished like that."

"We won't. Thank you very much," Naminé thanked, Roxas following suit. She pocketed the envelope in her hoodie's pocket which was still tied around her waist while Roxas stored his earnings in his back pocket.

"No problem." The older man began to turn away.

"Wait, Cid." He half-turned to Naminé. "Yeah?"

"Um, we're both resigning from our jobs..."

"WHAT?!" he roared, now completely facing them.

"It's not that we don't like it, it's just-"

"Ah, save yer excuses, just go," the shopkeeper tiredly interrupted. "I'll just find some people to replace ya."

"Thanks for understanding," she said, bowing to him in apology before they walked back to their usual spot.

'Shoulda had 'em sign a contract...' Cid thought as he walked back into his establishment.

"That went a lot better than I thought," she admitted when they turned the corner into the alleyway.

Out of nowhere Roxas grabbed her shoulder and moved in front of her, staring into the abyss ahead of them.

"What? What is-" she stopped mid-sentence as she caught sight of a Doberman Pinscher sniffing the ground.

"It's a puppy!" she gushed childishly. Its head snapped up at the sound of her voice and slowly trotted towards their direction. She saw its eyes had a gray tint to them like a translucent veil was put over them.

'It's blind...'

Suddenly the dog started growling at them, two rows of sharp, murderous teeth glistening as it snarled, not to mention the foam that began to fall from its lip onto the ground. Before Naminé could react, it emitted a high-pitched cry and began to whimper painfully like an unseen force was hurting it. The canine dashed out of the place at full speed, yipping as it went. Puzzled, she turned to her partner who seemed unfazed at the whole ordeal.

"What made it run away?"

"I hummed at a high frequency so it would run off somewhere else," he explained as they sat down in their reserved spots.

"That explains why I didn't hear anything," she said, leaning on his left shoulder. She quickly sat up she remembered something.

"Take out your check, let's see how much we got..."

"Seven hundred?!" she scream-whispered when they finished counting. He nodded to confirm her previous statement.

"That's more than three months pay at my old job!" she quietly stated in awe. "If we play our cards right we could live off this for two to three weeks."

She rested her head on him once more. "Seven hundred... Seven with two zeros behind it, with no decimal to be found whatsoever..."

"First thing in the morning we buy the things we need, and then we head off to the next world, which is...?"

"The Land of Departure."

"The Land of Departure," she repeated. "Sounds meaningful, doesn't it?" She yawned. "Wonder what it'll be like..."

She looked up at the dazzling sky above them, getting lost in the endless array of stars that never ceased to amaze her.

"You know, I heard someone in the shop talking about how all these stars are actually worlds. Really, really far away worlds; ones even bigger than ours, and even more far apart. Isn't that crazy to think about?"

She felt him shrug. "I guess so." She internally sighed. She honestly didn't know why she kept asking these types of questions even though she knew what his response would be every single time. It's not like one of these days he'd magically get a personality of his own.

'Well, he's not entirely devoid of emotion. He does smile from time to time, and he's shown that he worries about you. It's taking some time, but soon enough he'll be able to feel without that chip inside him telling him to.'

"Are you okay?" The random question caught her off guard.

"Am I okay? Uh, yeah, I'd say so... Why the sudden concern?"

"I've noticed that ever since we've arrived here, you don't smile as much as you used to. Granted, I've only known you for less than a month, but the change is noticeable; to me at least. Before you'd every sentence with a smile of some kind, and now... Is there anything I can do to make you happy, anything at all?"

She let his words sink in. She hadn't noticed any major differences with herself as of late, but from what she's understanding, she isn't acting much like her usual self. But could he blame her? It's not like she'd be perfectly normal after what she and hundreds of others had gone through. She just needed time to recover, that's all.

"I appreciate the concern, but you don't have to do anything. I'm aware now that I'm a bit different from before, but I'll be back to normal soon. I just need time to... find my bearings, you know? For now let's just get some sleep, we got a big day tomorrow, yeah?"

"...Okay. Good night."

"'Night."

"All right, so just to make sure, we have a backpack, four seventy-two ounce water bottles, three cans of tree nuts, two bags of dried fruit, a sleeping bag and a first-aid kit?"

"All accounted for."

"And the money's in the front pocket?"

"Yes."

"Good. All right, so if you think we should buy anything else, speak now or forever hold your peace."

"A few cans of soup might last a bit longer than the nuts."

"Good point," she noted, walking back inside the Moogle's shop.

"Will that be all, kupo?" the moogle asked, cocking its plump head to the side.

"Yup."

"Safe travels, kupo!" it waved as she exited the shop, its pompom mimicking the action. The girl waved back, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Ready?" she asked. Her companion nodded.

"Would you like me to carry the backpack?"

"Nah, it's fine, I got it," she answered, hoisting the bag higher up her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she began to push open the iron doors that separated them from the next world.

"WAIT!"

"Huh?"

Naminé turned around to see Jesse frantically running to catch up to them. Roxas stood on edge in case the boy tried anything.

After catching his breath, he looked the girl confidently in the eyes, determined to let her know his true feelings for her, even if she didn't feel the same way.

"Namine, I've been meaning to tell you something for some time. Ever since I first saw you I thought you were an angel sent down by God Himself. I've never seen such a beautiful girl in my entire life... I really like you, and even though you probably don't share those feelings, I just needed to tell you that." By the end of his confession his confidence had withered away like a wilted flower in the sun.

He anxiously awaited her reaction, sweating nervously where he stood. It really didn't make him feel better when her slightly shocked expression grew into a smile and then fits of almost jeering chuckles.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," she explained after she had gained control over her laugher. "I know how hard it was to do that, and I admire your courage, but... I sort of already knew that you liked me..."

His bright pink cheeks flared a deep scarlet, his eyes concentrating on his shoes.

"O-Oh."

He jumped a bit when he felt her ruffle his hair.

"Listen, I'm flattered and all, but... Well, you're ten and I'm fifteen. I'm too old for a guy like you," she winked. "Trust me, there are plenty more fish in the sea."

Though a bit embarrassed, he managed to crack a tiny smile.

"Okay."

"Good. Now, we've really gotta get going, but I'll come back and visit soon."

"Promise?" He held out his pinky to her, wordlessly asking her to form the most sacred, universally acknowledged oath known to mankind.

"Promise," she swore, wrapping her pinky around his, thus sealing the deal.

They retracted and he wished them the best as they moved forward to the next world.

A beige dirt road about five meters across led to them to the Land of Departure. However, instead of the sun's relentless, unforgiving heat, a cool breeze whispered through their hair. On both sides of the path were long blades of grass that barely brushed past Naminé's knees.

The quiet nighttime atmosphere immediately relaxed her. She looked at the grass, the way it rippled like ocean waves when the wind strolled by. The gentle breeze somehow soothed her troubles and worries to oblivion.

The moon spilled its soft, pale blue light on the land, illuminating the road with a peaceful glow. Just looking at the scene made her want nap in the soft grass and never wake up.

However, she knew that they had to keep going. If the news about Twilight Town had reached Radiant Garden, her uncle must be worried to death about her. She's his only living relative after all. Sure, they've never really interacted ever since the incident, but family is family. He wouldn't turn them down after how long it took them to travel all the way to Radiant Garden, right?

'Of course not. Why would I even think of that? I highly doubt he's that heartless...'

Her attention was brought back to the lush grass that encompassed both sides of the road. She bent down slightly as they walked, touching the tips of the harmless blades. She just couldn't get enough of how serene the place was. Even though they had just begun their trip she felt like she wanted to call it a day and rest.

'Focus. You can sleep when you get there, but for now just keep walking.'

She glanced over at the taciturn blond beside her, observing his captivating facial features. She couldn't help but stare at him, her eyes wandering from his soft lips to his electric blue eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, noticing her lingering gaze.

She shook her head and turned towards the path. "Nah, nothing."

"Oh."

"Soooo... What are some of your favorite things?"

"Favorite things?"

"Yeah, like, what's your favorite color, or your favorite animal, anything like that."

"I don't have any favorites."

"Well, maybe you should pick some favorites."

"What would be the point?"

"There doesn't have to be a point, but why not have one?"

"What are some of your favorite things, then?"

"Mm, well, I really like the color white if that isn't already obvious, and my favorite animal is a jellyfish, specifically the moon jelly. Ah... I used to draw a lot when I was younger, but not much anymore, and my favorite season is fall. Now stop evading the question."

"I honestly don't have a favorite anything. There's no point to it."

"Suit yourself," she sighed.

After miles and miles of walking they were finally met with the view of a giant castle atop a mountain connected to two smaller sections by thick golden chains.

"Whoa..." she breathed, partially out of exhaustion but mainly out of amazement. Night had fell over the land when they arrived, silhouetting the mountains far off in the distance.

'You can check that out later, right now you need to find a place to sleep,' she reminded herself. Hiking up the verdant trail they soon came across a small wooden inn tucked away from view by all the conifer trees that plagued the foot of the mountain.

It seemed shady to her, but her body demanded some downtime, so they cautiously entered the one-story hotel.

At first no one seemed to be inside until Naminé rang the service bell that was on the wooden counter in front of them. The door behind the counter creaked open and out came -what seemed like to Naminé- the basic sterotype of a grandmother: short and a little plump along with a round face, and a green shawl on her shoulders that matched the color of her amiable almond-shaped eyes.

"Ah, welcome, welcome," she warmly greeted, the corners of her lips curving upwards to form a smile that instantly relieved Naminé of her doubts of the seemingly suspicious inn. "You two would like a room, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," they answered in unison.

Her peridot eyes stayed on Roxas for a bit before she caught herself staring and faced both of them with jolly smile that made her eyes crinkle up.

"Of course, now will you be staying in separate rooms or will you be staying together?"

"Together."

"That'll be seventy, please."

After handing her the money the snow-haired woman excused herself to the room she had just come out of. With their key in hand she escorted them to the second door along the left side of the hall. Stopping at their door she dropped the keys into the blonde's hands.

"You two sleep well, now. These walls are paper-thin, so I don't wanna hear any funny business, you hear?" she warned.

"Yes, ma'am," Naminé murmured unenthusiastically.

The older woman softly chuckled as she left them to their newly acquired room. With that over and done with Naminé unlocked the door and breathed in that renowned hotel room smell.

Shrugging the backpack off she suddenly sprinted towards the bed nearest to her, belly-flopping into it with such force that she nearly knocked it over. She relished the feeling of being in a bed again, sighing in content as the cool sheets made contact with her pale skin. She quickly burrowed under the white covers and was out like a light in almost an instant.

Unlike the restless blonde, Roxas calmly began his usual routine of taking off his cloak, but instead of laying down next to her as he normally did he layed down on the other bed next to the window.

The next day would bring about the exploration of new territory, and to him that meant an inclusive range of new potential threats to her. He'd have to be extra cautious from now own. If he overlooked even the smallest detail she'd pay for his mistakes dearly. He mustn't ever let that happen. The guilt of just lying to her was enough to put him off, but bearing the weight of knowing that if he had just been a bit more careful she would still be alive? The thought of it made him... scared? Sad? Uneasy? Maybe all three? He found it difficult to identify exactly what he was feeling.

Nonetheless, he had to make sure that he kept an extra careful eye on her, not to mention cheer her up. Emotional health was just as important as physical health, after all. Perhaps he could buy her a sketchbook to draw in, or maybe he could buy her a moon jelly somewhere down the road. Either way he just wanted her to be happy. As long as she was content that was all he could ever ask for.

A/N: I actually made the deadline! Weird since I usually procrastinate a lot, but hey, the new chapter's here, and it's actually somewhat long! Jesus, I made past-Naminé so fucking self-deprecating...

In any news, we made it to a new world! The Land of Departure, and just in time for that new 2.8 trailer we got a couple days ago! Well, not a couple, but still! I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but OH MY FUCKING GOD. Please, for the love of KH3, watch it! I can't wait to see playthroughs of it, since I don't have a PS4, unfortunately.

All right, let me stop shoving my KH passion down your throats. Let me get back to the story. As always, thank you very much for reading, and if you've enjoyed it, please review! It always cheers me up when you do, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story as we progress forward!