[DISCLAIMERS!]: I may own a Kingdom Hearts throw-blanket, but I don't own the franchise.

A/N: yay! New chapter! This chapter may or may not be a flashback *cough* just keep that in mind because like hell I'm writing this whole thing in italics. You don't want that, I don't want that, so we won't do it. We have reached about the middle of the story, hehe, yay.

~Roxy~

Chapter 10: Fond Memories

"Roxas, dear, don't get too close to the water."

It was that voice again. Who was that woman? It was just the voice still; no face, name, nothing…

Wait.

Though it was vague, there was something there. It started cloudy and dark, barely visible were the indefinite shapes of a human form. The image slowly cleared, so slowly it felt as if it would never become anything but shapeless blobs of unsaturated color, but nonetheless, the object focused.

It was a person—female—and she was gorgeous. Feathered honey-blonde tresses fell gracefully about a thin, sun kissed face with kind features. Her eyes were round deep-sea blue and as warm and welcoming as the white sand she sat on. She glowed under the comfortably bright sun, the chiffon celeste shawl draped over her dainty shoulders fluttered slightly in the gentle breeze. She motioned for Roxas to come closer.

"Roxas, sweetie, come back over to mama."

Roxas found himself toddling toward the woman—toddling… on legs. He reached his small hands out when he got close enough to grab at her long flaxen hair. A light giggle bubbled from her throat and she took Roxas in her arms, cradling him lovingly.

"Oh!" The woman turned her attention to something across the beach. "Ventus don't chew on that, honey." She stood with Roxas still in her arms, rushing to a small child who sat contentedly under the huge leaf of a tropical bush that sat low to the ground. Ventus—who, Roxas noted, looked exactly like him—had his short legs splayed out and he was currently gnawing determinedly on the side of a small coconut. When the toddler looked up with innocent baby blue eyes, they instantly brightened and he quickly discarded the makeshift chew toy to free his hands so he could raise them up over his head.

"Mama! Up, up!" Ventus groped at the air until his request was met. When the woman holding Roxas bent down to pick the other small child up, something silver slipped out from under her collar. Roxas extended his arm and took it; it was his necklace, but it was soon pulled from his tiny hand.

"No, no, Roxas. This is very sharp, you don't want to play with mommy's necklace." She tsked, wagging her finger at the young blonde. His mother slipped the pendant down the front of her dress again before scooping up the expectant toddler on the sand. Once she righted herself, a male voice called from behind the trio of blondes.

"I'm back!"

Their mother whipped around and chuckled quietly, fondness softening her initial expression of surprise.

"Ven, Roxie, look, it's daddy." She gasped, drawing both the children's attention to the man who'd joined them on the shore. "And he's brought lunch." She smiled, throwing a glance at the wicker basket at their father's side.

"Yup, but we're not eating it with the hot sun beating down on us. Let's go enjoy our lunch in the shade." He beckoned for them to follow him as he walked, basket in hand, up the beach to a shady nook nestled into the squat mountains that hugged the shore. They all sat on the ground by a crystal blue freshwater pond that was fed by a stout waterfall; the soothing sound of rushing water surrounded the family as they unpacked their food, dividing it among the four of them. Roxas and Ventus sat beside one another, each holding a brightly colored juice-box and sipping happily as their parents cut their sandwiches into bite-sized pieces. Everything seemed perfect.

But this is an imperfect world.

The loud crash of a wave thundered across the beach, startling the small family. The first to move was Ventus—he jumped to his feet. Determined to investigate the noise, he darted away from his lunch and down to the shoreline.

"Ventus!" Their father shouted as he proceeded to chase after the tiny blonde, disappearing around a corner. Roxas leapt to his mother's arms, burying his face into her stomach; she met his distress by calmly stroking his head, whispering pacifying words to quiet him. A few minutes and some unnerving shrill screams later, his father came flying back around that same corner, cradling Ventus—who had become a trembling bundle of hysteria—in his arms.

The anxious look on his father's face did nothing to comfort Roxas.

"Giselle, we're in trouble."

"Why, what happened?" their mother asked in a hushed tone.

"It was her. She found us and she's still a little sore about us ducking out on the deal."

"How did she find us? It's been three years."

"I don't know, but we should just give her the necklace, okay?"

"No. You remember what Aqua said, don't you? There's always a catch, even if you pay. I may not know what that 'catch' is, but I'm not taking a risk to find out." The finality in their mother's voice made her husband skip a beat.

"So you'd rather risk our children's lives?"

"Of course not, but that doesn't have anything to do with our payment. If anything, staying put is the best option for them."

"Giselle." Their father locked eyes with the blonde woman. "She almost took Ventus."

"What—"

"When I got there, she was holding our son. If I hadn't promised we'd pay her soon, she'd have taken him without a second thought."

"How much time do we have?"

"Not much."

~oOo~

Then, as if his dream was unplugged, everything went black and Roxas was left in a dark, silent void. He stayed there for the rest of the night.

A/N: woohoo! Yes… I gave his parents names! :D well… his mom anyway. His dad has a name too, but there was no need to use it. Anyhow, did I give away too much? :C I might have… pftsh OH WELL! More to come, more to come.

Reviews are my fuel and are always loved—oh, and you get a free cookie if you do it C:

However, flames will be dealt with accordingly—with hours and hours of "Swim this Way" played on a loop. Don't push me, I will do it! I'M CRAZY!

Until next time, valued readers!

~Roxy~