A/N: my gosh, I was so anxious to get this up that I didn't even wait the three days I had promised myself I was going to wait. And you know what's sad, thanks to this story, I got a wholenother idea to do for a fanfic. Unfortunately, my muses don't want me to focus on finishing the Passions Arc but I do have a one shot inbetween fic for it that will be coming up soon! You'll see it probably next week if not this week.


Chapter Eleven

Naminé's Secret


Friday came quickly and found me and my new gang on the beach again. School had let out early for some reason or other thank god, and so we had spending most of the day together. Soon I would be off to visit haunted caves with Naminé. I had never seen her so excited. You'd swear we were going on a date. Leon was talking to me with a warm welcoming smile on his face. Riku was splitting a pizza he claimed to have bought for himself between the five of us. Kairi was out using the bathroom and I expect primping. Riku had been distant but present at the same time. He laughed and talked with us but when the talking died, so did he. He got these awfully depressing fits that only showed in his eyes. I would look at Leon for help but he would just shake his head promising to explain later. For his sake, I hoped so. I was starting to believe it was m considering that those eyes only cam when I was actively involved with them.

"So, Sora, are you coming to class today?" Riku asked solemnly.

Naminé glomped me again, I almost fell over. "Nope, he's coming with me this time. He promised he'd take me to that abandoned cave on the island after we were done here!"

Surprisingly, he seemed disappointed. I felt guilty again, but also confused. I thought I was causing his moodiness so he would want me away right now. Don't think that I'm self-centered or anything. I would describe the few times he snapped at me but…well, I guess you would need a better understanding of my apprehension about him right now. Take a step back to yesterday and I'm only going to this once so I hope you understand how I felt the first time.

Yesterday, Leon had walked me to Trig with Riku who had been extremely quiet and judging by the back circles under his eyes, he hadn't been sleeping well. Even as he walked, he seemed to be in pain but he gritted his teeth and bared it. Leon had staved off my questions about it until we made I to class. Leon went his separate way, leaving me alone a pained Riku…with an attitude. M being dumb, I asked him if he was alright which he waved off. He reached the door of classroom but he froze. I back up a little when he cried out grasping for his back like something was there. He went to his knees and I was there at his side in an instant. I tied touching his back to comfort it but my fingers only brushed his shoulder blades. He grabbed my wrist nearly snapping it and glared at me beneath his dark bangs. His warm inviting jade eyes had filled to the brim with pitch black. My blood ran cold thinking of the first day I had seen those deathly dark eyes this way. I tried to pull away but he held fast to me and squeezed my wrist tight. A wave of pain hit him and he released me quickly. He doubled over and both hands were clawing at his back until eventually. He just collapsed right in front of me.

After I had gotten help for him, a few hours later he woke up. When he saw that I was caring for him, he shoved me away and shouted at me to go away. It hurt something horrible the way he glared at me how he spoke to me. He'd done something similar to this the day before too. I didn't know what make to make of it. Was it me or was it something else? Al I knew was that I was scared for him and that something was really wrong with my friend.

So to bring us back to our pizza, I was shocked to know he was disappointed in my decision not to come. I was a bother to him and we both knew it. Still, I never stopped hanging around. I think I was just worried that's all. Leon expressed his disappointment too, though he didn't pressure me about it.

"The class will be a bit less interesting now."

"I'm glad to know that's all I'm good for. Besides, Leon will be there."

"pfft! Leon's always there."

"And that's supposed to mean what?"

"Hey, guys!"

Ever got the feeling that the gates of hell just opened up for certain people and a demon choir starts singing Latin backwards? Yeah, that's the imagery I get when Kairi returned to our table and took a seat close to Riku. She smiled brightly at us and snatched a piece of pizza…my damn pizza! She was going down as soon as I got my damn equations right.

"So is everyone ready for occult class afternoon? I know I am."

Leon made a noncommittal sound while continuing to eat. Naminé shook her head and clung to me again saying that she wasn't going to be there. She looked super happy about that. She didn't have to be so obvious about it. Riku had shrugged a bit and rubbed his back. Kairi noticed this and scooted closer to Riku. Now, one thing about a guy, whether they're effeminate or not, is that you never point out in front of everyone that their experiencing a moment of weakness.

"Riku, is your back hurting again?"

Riku stared at her and moved away from her. Even I knew he didn't want to be touched; I still had the bruises to remind me. I hoped she'd get her wrist snapped. I know it was mean but if she got to touch him without being hurt I was going to kill someone I wanted to jump for joy when he swatted her off each time she tried to touch him. Now we were no longer very relaxed d friendly. We were closed within ourselves and the uncomfortable tension satisfied me because it meant that Kairi had no real meaning in this little circle of ours. Thank god for small favors.

She glowered, feeling the thick tension herself and she did something I didn't see coming.

"So, Sora, right? I heard you weren't coming to class later. Going somewhere with Naminé, right?"

Did I say that with a megaphone to my mouth or was she just an eavesdropping conniving little…okay, breathe Sora. You can handle this, she's a girl! "Yes, I won't be there. Naminé wants me to go take pictures of some creepy cave."

"Oh really," She tilted her head. "And what have you been up to on those days where you skip out on us early? Mommy won't let you stay out late?"

"Kairi!" Namine scolded. "I think if Sora wanted us to know he would've told us."

"It's no secret that we've all been wondering, Sora. Just tell us; it can't be that bad."

"No it isn't. If you al most know I'm posing for a friend of my mother's. He's making a doll of me and I have to finish posing for it tomorrow afternoon."

Kairi glared suddenly while everyone looked interested. Riku's brow arched.

"A channeling doll?" he asked

"Like the ones from our books?" Naminé asked excitedly.

"Well yeah, he's into doll making and he's very good at it. My mom brought me in one day and he asked could he create a doll of me."

"You never said that's what you've been up to, Sora," Leon said suddenly. "Can we see it when its finished."

Leon was waiting for my answer. He seemed interested but he didn't look like he was pleased at all. What did he know?

"I don't know. He might let you see it if it isn't sold already but I'm sure it is." I was lying through my teeth. You understand. There was no way in hell I would bring any of them to Ansem's shop. Not even Leon. He may have been like me but the situation was just way too weird.

"So is this doll maker famous?" Riku asked.

"Let's just say he's good at what he does," I said with a wink.

Kairi's face was practically green with that envious grimace there. We continued to laugh and talk with me outshining and outsmarting Kairi at every turn But even through all our laughter and banter, Leon still seemed very displeased with me and I didn't know why.

--

After we separated, Naminé led me to the docks where a few wooden boats were tied up. She got into one of them making sure her tote bag didn't get wet. She smiled beckoning me to come along. I climbed in, cautious of the wobbly boat, while she untied it. She handed me a paddle and after a crash course in rowing we managed to get the darn thing moving across the water. The air was cool over the water and I couldn't help but brush my hand over the side. The water rushed between my fingertips cooling my hand as Naminé and I talked a little before making a b-line for our destination. It was nice if anything. Naminé was a lot calmer when it was just me and her. I think more than one person around made her hyper.

We touched down on the island and I'm proud to say I tied the boat up all by myself. The island was nice, beautiful palms and all with a lot of fun wood work but it was so empty. You'd think that more people would be here on a Friday. She smiled and lead me by the hand across the beach to a tiny waterfall spewing freshly from the rocks into a small pool. She pointed to a barely noticeable hole that was covered in leaves and vines.

"That's our cave! We call it the secret the place cause we were always too scared to go in there." She tied a white bandana around her hair and tied a black one around my head. I think I twitched.

"What's with the bandanas?"

"Theses are our good luck charms. I scribbled protective spells on them myself and they haven't let me down yet."

I checked a section of the fabric and, sure enough, runes of defense were scribbled there. I smiled at how they were done so well. Naminé was changing the batteries on her camera when curiosity got me. I scooted closer to her and bumped her with my shoulder. She swayed and giggled.

"What?"

"I was wondering, Naminé, what made you take me with you instead of Kairi?"

"hehe, that's easy," she said dipping her feet in the pool. "I didn't take Kairi because I wanted it to be you and me. Riku doesn't believe, neither does Kairi. Leon believes but he said I shouldn't mess with things like that. But you, well you looked like you believed and that you would go anywhere with me. You looked like you would protect me."

"Of course I would, I wouldn't let anything happen to you while you're on these wild goose chases! Besides, these spirits wouldn't want to tangle with ole Sora Lancier. They'd go home with an ectoplasmic beat down!" I said teasingly.

She laughed. "See! That's why I like you!" Her laugh turned into a soft smile. "You always know what to say just like him."

"Him?"

She shook her head and got up putting her shoes back on. "Come on, Sora. Let's go check out the Secret Place."

There was something about the way she looked at me that made me feel so sad. She was associating me with someone else. Who did I remind her of? Riku maybe? No, Riku's bad with words anyway. Who then? I followed her to the cave and helped her push away the vines. It was a tight fit, I'm not even sure it how we were supposed to get in.

"It's so small, are you sure this is a cave."

Naminé took out a small book with images of caves on it. Wow, what else is in that tote bag? "I'm positive. It says here in my cave almanac that caves like these usually only have one small opening. You can tell that it's a cave by feeling the air current that's passing through it. I'm sure this is it."

I hummed. "Wait here, okay?"

She put her book back in her bag. "Um, just makes sure you tell me when its safe. And be careful Sora."

I got down on my hands and knees and squeezed through the hole. "I think the only thing I have to worry about is my butt getting stuck!"

It was small and very uncomfortable but I managed to get through. It was just like Naminé said. The hole opened out into a very large empty stone cave. I walked a few steps blinking in awe and I looked up to see a hole in the ceiling that provided light to the cave. The natural limestone glimmered in the dim lighting making a nice magical effect. I called out for Naminé, letting her know that there was nothing there.

"Hey, it's safe! It's just an empty cave."

She slid through the hole much easier than I had. She was so skinny! I helped her stand up and she smiled looking around at the cave. Her smile was brighter than the limestone!

"It's so pretty," she said softly. "Just like I thought it would be."

"Yeah, it is," I said distractedly. This place…it was charged. I could feel the hairs standing up on my skin from the natural magical charge that was coming from this plce. But where was it all coming from.

"It's perfect too! Can't you feel that?"

"Huh?"

She rubbed her arms excitedly. "My skin, it's tingling and look at my hair. It's all fuzzy now!"

She was right. Her angel blond hair was teased and stood up a little like she had stuck her hand in a light socket. That should've been impossible. A normal human couldn't feel a magic charge and even if they did the most they would get is a small nearly unnoticeable tingle. She giggled and spun around playing with her puffy hair. I was grabbed and pulled into the frolicking. Heh, I didn't mind. She was happy and it made me happy. We got dizzy and fell down on the dirt floor.

"Awe, my skirt," she whined. "Serves me right for wearing white in a cave."

I laughed and leaned back against the cave wall. She took out her camera and started snapping pictures of the walls. She even took a picture of the hole in the roof. After that she relaxed against the wall with me and looked through her captures.

"No ghosts here," she said with disappointment. What was that melancholy look?

"I'm sorry it's not haunted," I said earnestly.

She shook her head at me putting her camera away. She drew her knees up and we sat silently enjoying the quiet of the cave. It was so quiet with only the wind whistling and the sound of the ocean waves outside. I felt myself dozing when I felt Naminé fall against my shoulder. It surprised me and I looked at her in question but her eyes stopped the words on my tongue. Her pretty lavender eyes were clouded with a seriousness I had never seen.

"Hey, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something? Would you keep it to yourself and never tell anyone?"

"Of course I would," I affirmed. "Who would I tell?"

"That's true," she sat up and looked at the walls. "You know, I was always different. Ever since I was little, I could see funny stuff like ghosts and weird visions. I could go into any place and see who had once been there. The doctors told me I was hallucinating, Kairi never believed me either. I gave up eventually and pretended that I had stopped seeing them. After a while, I did stop seeing them and I could only see them through the lens of a camera."

"You were a psychic?"

"Yeah, according to the books, I was a psychic. I found that out when I met him." She laid her head against me and I couldn't help but put my arm around her. "He was strange like you, Sora. He was strange with his rose colored hair and odd sense of style. He's the one who got me into the look I have now because he would call me a tattered angel. He was always so kind to me and you know what?"

"He believed you," I whispered.

"Yeah, he believed me. He showed me magic, Sora. He showed me that I wasn't crazy, that I was just as human as anyone else. That's what I've been trying to show Riku. But, I'm not close enough to him to do that. I can't use words like most people can. I can't say hey, I'm right here you're not alone. I can't use actions like most people can. I can't put my arms around him like I wish to and let him know that I will always be his friend."

I watched her pull away from me and hug herself. I turned my eyes to the floor. "You…really like Riku, don't you?"

"I do, but I'm not disillusioned about my relationship with him. Everything that's happening to him, has happened to me in a sense. And I was thinking that maybe I'm not what he needs. That's why I backed off when I met you. You could be to him what my Marluxia was to me. You could be the one who gives him the comfort and understanding that he needs."

"…How do you know that I could even try to do that, Naminé?"

She giggled lightheartedly. "Because, Sora, you're the only one he's looking at."

I made a confused sound. "Don't follow."

She stood up and opened her arms wide. "The world around us is beautiful, because we make it so."

She put her hands to her eyes. "We see it through eyes clouded by rose colored glasses. But when we look at each other, we're blinder than he who has had his eyes cut out."

She jumped and turned to me with a grin on her face like she was amazed by something and I couldn't help but smile with her. "Then suddenly, we see it. The world pales in comparison to this vision. The flowers that bloom are dull compared to what I see in the innocence of your eyes! The birds that sing are nothing but screeches compared to what I hear that spills from the chastity of your lips."

She then looked at me and gave me an enigmatic smile. "Truth is in your voice, valiance in your eyes. Victorious and strong, you lend comfort to those whose hearts are clouded by darkness. Contradiction knows you not, hate has never touched you. The tattered angel whose wings are the glory of my own hopes and dreams stands be for me. That is what I see."

She closed her eyes and beamed at me. "I have my eyes on you, valiant angel. Do you have yours on me?"

I smiled and clapped. "Where did hear that?"

"Marluxia," she said with a grim smile. "That was his last gift to me before he disappeared. I memorized it by heart after he left and I never forgot it. I wanted to tell to you because I wished for you to remember it."

"I won't forget it."

She nodded and looked at her watch. "We've been here a while. No ghost yet. Come on, let's snap a couple of pictures before head out."

"Uh why?" I asked confused.

"Cause most of the ghostly happening are only caught after picture development. Come on."

She tossed me a spare camera. I blew a raspberry and started snapping pictures of the cave walls. She did the same and out the corner of my eyes I saw her looking at her watch. It formed a question in my head that had nothing to do with the time. This Marluxia person…

"Say, Naminé?"

"Hmm?" she said lowering her camera.

"What happened to Marluxia?"

She paused for a moment before turning with her mouth poise to say something.

"He…" Then her eyes widened and she screamed. "SORA!"

"Ah," the back of my head was hit hard and I fell to the ground dazed.

She rushed to my side but I saw her knocked off her feet and back against the stone walls. I struggled to get up but a hard foot in my spine kept me at bay. I was left struggling to get up as a ghostly shadow passed over me and pinned Naminé to the wall. The camera she had held fell to the ground and flashed at the creature that held her. I saw a strange light blond hair. Was it a person? Her screams gave me the drive to painfully pull myself up and try to tackle the shadow. I tried to grab it but it was suddenly gone from my sight and Naminé's screams were now coming from a different direction. I fought against my magic stream's need to burst through violently and I gained a calm control. My eyes glowing dangerous gold, I turned whispering an incantation and shot binding spell through a complicated glyph. Its tendrils wrapped tightly around the assailant and pulled him off of Naminé. It cringes and hisses at me as I make my way to the terror-stricken girl. I took her in my arms and slapped away the hand that was reaching for her.

"STUN!" I shouted and watched with no small amount of satisfaction as it was shocked with high voltage electricity. That smelled like…burning wood?

"Sora…" Naminé breathlessly sobbed and buried her face in my chest.

"It's okay, I'm here," I said hugging her. I brought her to her feet to get her out of there. There was no need to stick around just to see just what the hell that thing was. I began leading her out but she was suddenly pulled from my arms in a frightened yelp. Her hair had be snagged and turned ready to toss another spell but what I saw stunned me. There baby blue eyes stared back at me with a remorse that nearly broke my heart. Naminé's screams fell upon suddenly deaf ears and there was a hurt in my heart that rivaled no other. It was strange that even though he was just a doll, I had never felt so betrayed.

"…number 13…Roxas…why?"

Roxas's glass eyes almost seemed real for this one moment in time. He held Naminé to him tightly nearly crushing her arms. He painfully averted his fake eyes from me. I growled as another spell spilled from my lips making Roxas's head snapped to attention. I turned my hand to him ready to destroy him with a careful shot. His eyes darting behind made me hesitate.

"You promised!" That was the first time I heard his voice. It was soft and near emotionless but I could hear the anger there. Promised what?

"Sora?"

I gasped as a shocking pain hit my shoulder at the sound of my name. I cringed and my magic suddenly halted, the comforting tingle had stopped dead. I could only stand there as I felt hands at my throat in a light caress and having no control over my own body, I moaned. My eyes feel half shut and all I could see was Naminé's wide eyes that held fear and regret. That fear was not for herself, but for me. She was scared for me and as those hands slide down to my waist I was scared for myself. She shook her head trying to get to me and she screamed apologies over and over again. Apologies? Why? I felt lips brush my ear and my body trembled in what I had hoped was fear but not. I was so tired and my eyes were sliding shut. I saw Naminé reached out for me with a tear stained face before I slipped off into a strange half conscious state…

I was being dragged….

I could suddenly feel the sea air against my skin…

The grip on my wrist was tight not that I could break away…

I was trapped inside my own body and I couldn't break free.

Naminé, where did you go?

Why can't I hear you anymore?

I was gently laid to rest on what I assumed was the beach. Something was shoved into the pocket of my hoody and a gentle yet hard hand passed through my hair.

"I'm sorry." Was all I heard before I felt a striking pain against my head. I saw and heard nothing anymore. No…that's right. I could still see Naminé's eyes wide with fear. Her big, pretty, lavender eyes…oh god, I know what happened to her!

--

A/N: oh my gosh, this took forever to edit. I had been editing this way before I even posted the eighth chapter! I'm sorry to have killed Naminé…again! My god she's just so killable! I mean she loves to die! I could strangle her with a cordless phone! Anyway, I hoped you liked her random bout of poetry stuff. That was mine by the way. It's called "The Angel". I made it up myself specifically for this story. Anyway, thank you to all you peeps who reviewed so far and don't worry. This story is faaaaar from over. Just bare with me because of the slow storyline. I kinda like the building suspense and apparently you all like it to! Don't forget to drop a line to see how I'm doing and I apologize about all the typos.