The Road to Dawn
By Ariana Aislinn
Chapter 25: Kairi's Shadow

Again, thank you to Koorino Megumi for beta-reading! More backstory and minor plot twists await you...enjoy!

Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me.

Kairi shuffled her feet nervously as Roxas stood before the wooden door that led to Naminé's room. Roxas exchanged a glance with her, then took a deep breath and knocked.

"Who is it?" called a soft voice.

Roxas cleared his throat. "Um…a couple of friends…of Riku's. Can we talk to you for a minute?"

There was a soft patter of steps, and then the latch lifted and the door creaked open. Kairi found herself staring into a pair of intensely blue eyes very like her own. Though the girl had very pale blonde hair, her facial features were so similar that Kairi felt off balance, as if she were looking into a mirror.

Naminé drew in a breath very sharply and stared at Kairi for a moment, then turned to look at Roxas. She appeared panicked, as if she were about to bolt. Roxas himself seemed a little unsteady.

"Um, hi." He tried to smile, but it was decidedly off-kilter. "My name's Roxas, and this is-"

"Kairi," Naminé finished for him. She swallowed hard. "I know."

Kairi blinked at her. "You do?"

The girl slowly nodded. "Yes. I'm your…I'm your shadow." She stopped, then looked away, unable to meet Kairi's eyes.

My shadow? Like Roxas is Riku and Sora's shadow? Well…that would explain a lot. Kairi tried to smile encouragingly. "Can we come in and talk?"

Naminé shrugged, still not meeting her gaze. "I don't know what you'd want to talk to me about. I'm just…I'm just a shell, you see. A Nobody. And after the things I've done…no. It's better if you both just go, I think."

Roxas exchanged a glance with Kairi, then shook his head violently. "Look, I don't know what the Organization's told you, Naminé, but you're not a Nobody. You've got it all horribly wrong. Please, can we come in? It's really important that we talk with you."

"I…suppose it's all right." Naminé stepped back uncertainly and gestured for them to enter.

Her room was simple but pleasant. There was a narrow window that looked out onto the gardens, with a lacy white curtain over it. The window was open slightly, letting in a little breeze, and through it Kairi could see part of the orchards. A small circle of ground had apparently been cleared, and against the low wall at the edge of the orchard stood a rack that held what appeared to be swords.

The room's walls were painted a soft blue, and the bed was covered with a comforter of a somewhat darker shade. A vase of fresh, white flowers stood on a little desk, next to an open sketchpad. There were colored pencils scattered across the desk next to it. Naminé moved to close the sketchpad, but not before Kairi saw her latest, half-finished drawing - a fluid representation of a young man wearing a sleeveless, black shirt and somewhat baggy, blue pants, holding a rather unique and familiar-looking weapon as he moved through sword forms.

Naminé took a seat on the bed, folding her hands on her lap and crossing her sandaled feet at the ankles. She motioned for Kairi and Roxas to take the two extra chairs in the room. It was quite pleasant, with plenty of space, and it felt very homey. "I like your room," Kairi told her awkwardly, hoping to set her at ease.

Naminé nodded. "Thank you. Everyone at the castle has done their best to make me feel welcome since I arrived." She swung her feet nervously. "So…what brings you here, anyway?"

The blonde had asked her question of Kairi, but the other girl shrugged her shoulders, smoothing her pink skirt as she answered. "You'd better ask Roxas," she told her. "He's the one who brought me here, as well. He works for DiZ."

"You do?" Naminé asked, surprised. She turned to look at the boy. "I've never heard him mention you."

"Well, ah…yeah, he wouldn't have." Roxas scratched the back of his neck uneasily. "Time is short, but I'm just not sure how to start…okay, look. Naminé, what do you know about yourself? About your past?"

She blinked at him. "My past? I have none. I've…just always belonged to the Organization, ever since I was a little girl. I guess I always assumed there really wasn't anything before I joined the Nobodies. I have no memories, no family, no friends. I'm a shadow, nothing more. Kairi's shadow." She looked at the ground, wringing her hands. "Once, I - I tried to be something else. I tried to be a part of someone's memories, their past. I tried to create a past for myself. The Organization told me to do it, but I did it willingly. It was…very wrong of me." She sighed and looked up. "Kairi, I'm sorry."

Kairi tilted her head, her red-brown hair falling softly to her shoulder. "Sorry for what?"

A tear rolled down Naminé's cheek. "For what I did to Sora. I…tried to take your place in his memories." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'll understand if you hate me for it, but…"

Kairi was silent for a long moment. As she watched, Naminé covered her face with her hands. Kairi stared at her for a little while, then reached out and rested a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Why don't you tell us the whole story?"

It all spilled out then. Amid her tears, Naminé told them both how she had been a captive in Castle Oblivion for as long as she could remember. There had been another place, long ago, another Organization stronghold…but she could no longer remember the details. She simply knew that she'd been brought to Castle Oblivion as a child, when the Organization had first discovered the place, and had been confined there, seeing only the other members of the Organization, except when she was allowed to accompany one of them on a rare visit into the town of Gateway. Naminé insisted she had always been treated reasonably well - though Kairi had her doubts, looking at the girl's skinny frame. Her one complaint was the terrible solitude and boredom. She had gravitated toward drawing as an outlet, and the Organization had begun to allow her to buy art materials on her occasional visits to Gateway. For years she had used her artistic talents both as a hobby and as a focus for her powers. "I'm a witch with power over memories," she told them. "That's what I've always done for the Organization - manipulated memories, erased them, drawn over them, analyzed them. Sometimes they would take me from the castle and ask me to 'read' someone. I had just come back from a place called Hollow Bastion, where Axel wanted me to do just that, when DiZ arrived for me."

"Hollow Bastion?" Kairi blinked. "Who did he want you to read there?"

Naminé shrugged. "I think his name was…Leon?"

Kairi frowned, troubled, but motioned to Naminé. "Please, go on."

Her story continued. One day, a few months ago, someone new had arrived in Castle Oblivion. They never had visitors there - the Organization had always been able to keep the curious away, and most people in Gateway believed the castle to be haunted. At the time, there was a new rotation of Organization members keeping an eye on the castle, and Naminé had suspected them of plotting something that did not necessarily go along with the wishes of the rest of the Order. Still, she continued to do what she was told, not knowing what else she could do. The new arrival had been somehow drawn to the castle by Marluxia, head of the faction that currently held sway there.

"Marluxia told Sora that there was something he needed to find in Castle Oblivion - something important, and that in order to find it, he would have to lose something very dear." She sighed. "He was talking about memories. Castle Oblivion, among other things, is a focus for memories. My powers have always been greatly amplified there, and Marluxia's faction had made use of that, drawing on the castle's unique nature and instilling memories in magical cards that could be formed into reflections of reality. As Sora traveled upward through the castle, on every floor the Organization was able to draw memories from him, putting them into cards and causing him to relive visions of his experiences. Once he was distracted, he was easy prey for me. The Organization commanded me to gradually alter Sora's memories…to erase the old ones, taking them apart bit by bit, and reforming them carefully into something similar, yet entirely different." She shook her head as if wanting to deny what had happened. "I'm so sorry, Kairi. It wasn't right of me. I shouldn't have done what they said."

"What was it that you did?" Kairi asked gently.

"I…" Naminé swallowed. "I replaced you. Sora lost most of his memories, except of his island, and of the friends he had always played with as a child. Only this time…instead of you being there with him and Riku, the person he remembered was me. I took your place in Sora's memories, Kairi, and in his heart. He forgot everything else, and when he learned I was being held captive, he thought of nothing else but rescuing me…which was exactly what the Organization wanted."

Kairi realized she was gritting her teeth. She forced herself to relax, unclenching her fingers and laying them flat on her knees.

Naminé looked earnestly at Kairi, her blue eyes intense. "But you know, he never truly forgot you. No matter what I did, no matter what the Organization did, it wasn't really me he was trying to rescue. The face and the name had changed, but it was your heart he still remembered. That's why it worked, because I'm your shadow…without a real heart of my own. All along, he was still looking for you, and he still remembered his promise. Even when he thought it was his promise to me - that the charm you gave him was a promise to keep me safe - it was really you all along that he wanted. Eventually I realized that, and I saw that I could never take your place. So…I told Sora the truth." She took a deep breath. "I told him how I'd lied to him all along, how I'd invaded his heart and destroyed his memories. And…do you know what he did, Kairi?" Fresh tears rolled down her face. "He forgave me! He forgave me, and he told me he would keep his promise to protect me, even if it wasn't real. Once he knew the truth, he was free of the Organization's control, of the chains they had slowly been placing on him with every floor he climbed. He defeated them, and he freed me from the rebel faction's control."

"What did you do then?" Kairi asked slowly.

Naminé wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "The only thing I could do, of course. I told him that if it was what he wanted, I would restore his memories. I told him that even if he didn't remember it, he'd made an important promise to a very special person, someone who wasn't me, and I would help him remember that promise. I warned him that to do so I would have to dismantle all his memories of Castle Oblivion - of everything that had happened there, and of me, as well. I wasn't surprised when he made his choice."

"He chose to remember the truth." Kairi's heart was in her throat.

Naminé nodded. "Yes. He chose to remember you, Kairi. In fact, I think he remembered your face and your promise even before I began to restore the rest of his memories." She sighed. "We parted as friends. I had to place Sora inside a crystal pod in Castle Oblivion. The damage to his memories was so vast, I had to have complete control over his mind for several weeks to reverse what I had done."

Kairi looked at Roxas. "The pod room," she whispered. Roxas nodded.

"Sora promised we'd remain friends, even after he had forgotten who I was. And…when he woke, he kept that promise. He didn't remember me, but he said of course we could be friends…as if it were the easiest thing in the world." Naminé smiled sadly.

"That's always been Sora's way." Kairi couldn't help but smile. "He's very quick to make friends, and quick to forgive, too."

Naminé nodded. "So, despite everything, it's all been set right again. Sora left Castle Oblivion to continue his journey, and his memories have all been restored. I'm no longer a part of those memories. The rebel faction that controlled Castle Oblivion is gone, although for a while other members of the Organization would come to see me…mostly Axel, of course." Naminé shivered.

"You're…afraid of him?"

"I don't exactly know. He's…strange. He is kind one moment, and cruel the next."

"So…what happened next?" asked Roxas, speaking for the first time during this conversation.

Naminé shrugged. "Axel came to get me one day, taking me to Hollow Bastion. When we returned, he left the castle, and I found DiZ waiting for me. I knew him from before. He appeared in Castle Oblivion just after I put Sora into a deep sleep in the pod room, introducing himself as a friend, but one with no ties to the Organization. He asked me to help Riku…but that's another story."

"One we don't really have time for. Sorry, Naminé." Roxas shook his head. "But thank you. We needed to know all this."

Kairi wet her lips slowly. "Naminé, I…well, it's difficult to take in everything you've said, and I guess I can't help but be a little angry. But when I hear everything you've been through, the way you've had to live, I guess I can't blame you for being so lonely. Besides, you've worked so hard to put it all right again." Kairi met Naminé's eyes with a steady gaze. "I forgive you, Naminé. Now, can you try to forgive yourself?"

Naminé gave her a wavering smile.

"Right." Roxas slapped his knees decisively and stood, his hands on his hips. "It's time. Look, Naminé, Kairi needed to hear the truth from you…but now you need to hear the truth from me." He met her gaze with an uncharacteristically serious expression. "You are not a Nobody. Organization Thirteen is made up of thirteen Nobodies, but you are not one of them. You are as real as anyone else, just as human, and your heart is whole, not dead or damaged. Do you understand? A Nobody is someone taken by the darkness while in the Twilight World. That never happened to you. When the Organization was formed, they kidnapped you and had your memories erased, but your heart remained intact."

Naminé shook her head. "But…they said…"

"It doesn't matter what they said! The Organization lied to you to achieve their own ends, Naminé. The Organization was formed not long after the attack that took their hearts from them…the attack that left all of us with scars we still carry to this day."

"All of us?"

"All of us. You, me, and Kairi. It's part of the memories that both of you have lost, and that have to be restored."

"But…what do you mean? I know about memories, Roxas, and they're not easy to restore. You said time is short, but you intend to restore my memories? It can't be done, not that easily…even if you are telling the truth."

Roxas held up his forefinger and waggled it at her. "Not necessarily. Look, you have the power to erase and rearrange memories. You were born with it, and that's where your talent lies. You were able to restore Sora's memories because you're the one who took them apart, but even so, it took a very long time and a great deal of work. But me, now…" Roxas grinned. "Restoring and unlocking memories is my specialty. Your powers aren't unique, Naminé, and they don't make you a witch. They may not be extremely common, and you're right, restoring memories still takes a good deal of preparation, no matter who does it - but we've already begun." He held out a hand, palm forward, and a speck of light formed in the air before him. As they watched, it slowly grew to form what appeared to be a keyhole, made of pure light and floating in the air in front of Roxas. Rifling through his pocket, he produced what appeared to be a set of lockpicks, and then he got to work. As he fiddled with the keyhole before him, both Kairi and Naminé became aware of a combination of feelings and senses: a soft breeze, children's laughter, fresh-baked bread…a chain clinking against a pole, a muted but amiable conversation, a strain of music…and a lovely, golden-red sunset over soft green hills.

"Wait, this is…" Kairi's eyes widened.

Roxas nodded. "Twilight Town." He turned to Naminé. "Your home."

"My home? But…I don't have a home."

"You did once." Roxas slipped the lockpicks back into his pocket. "I've done what I can to widen the cracks. The memories are there, Naminé…if you want them back. I could restore them now, but as you gave Sora a choice before, I give you a choice now. Do you want to remember your past? Do you want to know who you really are?"

Kairi watched the realization slowly spread across Naminé's face. She wondered what it would have been like, to spend your whole life believing you were just half a person, knowing that somewhere out there was another you, this one real and human and blessed with everything you thought you'd never have…and now, to suddenly realize that it had all been a lie, that what you'd always wanted might possibly be yours as well…

More tears flowed down Naminé's face, along the dried tracks of the others she had shed earlier, but this time she was smiling. "Yes. Yes. I want to know who I am."

Roxas folded his arms and smiled. "Okay then. Let's get to work." He sighed, looking thoughtful. "Even with the work I've already done, and even though you know the truth now, this isn't going to be easy."

"Roxas…you said that only the person who took away someone's memories can restore them." Kairi frowned. "So how…?"

"You're right." Roxas nodded. "I'm the one who erased Naminé's memory."

Naminé blinked. "But…why?"

Roxas sighed. "Same reason you took Sora's memories…because the Organization made you do it." He turned to Kairi. "Remember what I said before, that I suffered some ill effects in that attack long ago? Darkside, the Organization's Superior, took control over me and over my actions, my powers. He's the one who erased Naminé's memory, using me. That's why I have to restore those memories." He took a step forward, reaching out his hands, palm up, to Naminé. "Here, Naminé. Take my hands. Let's see if this works…"

She stepped forward to take his hands, and they both closed their eyes for a moment. Again, Kairi could sense the soft harmonics of whispered memories, jumbled together in a tangle of sights, sounds, and feelings. There was a long silence, lasting several minutes, before they finally broke away from each other.

Naminé's eyes fluttered open. "Was that it? I sensed…something, but…"

Roxas shook his head. "No. Some of the memories were restored, but they're fuzzy, confused. It looks as if we can't do it completely until we return to the place where your memory was taken away." He sighed. "We're going to have to go back to Twilight Town to finish this."

Kairi nodded. "Right. We've spent too long here, anyway. DiZ is waiting for us, and he needs to send us back before he can go to the Destiny Islands with Riku."

"Wait, what's wrong?" Naminé's voice was concerned. "Why does Riku have to leave?"

Kairi paused, eyeing her carefully. "He's returning to our home," she said slowly. "The Organization has taken over Destiny Islands, and Riku's going back there with DiZ to save the islanders from them."

Naminé nodded, quickly pouring her colored pencils into a blue, brocade cloth bag. She gathered up her sketchbook and the bag, then turned to the other two, nodding. "I'm ready."

The three of them walked silently back to the library, mulling over their thoughts. As they approached, they saw Riku pacing impatiently in front of the door. He looked up when they arrived and hurried to meet them. "Where have you been? We've been waiting for ages! Who knows what could have happened to the islands by now?"

Naminé smiled, placing a hand on Riku's forearm. To Kairi's surprise, he relaxed visibly, the agitation draining from his face. "It's all right, Riku," Naminé told him calmly. "I'm sorry we took so long, but…there were things that needed to be said. We're ready to go now."

Riku nodded, opening the door to the library. Inside, King Mickey was still intently reading the book Riku had found for him, and DiZ was leaning over his shoulder and pointing to the current page, commenting on select passages. As the others entered, he straightened. "Ah, here you all are." He gave Roxas a sidelong glance.

Roxas shook his head. "We're not done yet, DiZ. We're going to have to return to Twilight Town to finish the job."

DiZ nodded. "Very well, I shall open a portal for you. I can only stay long enough to send you home, however, for Riku and I must be off." He smiled. "At least you will be safe there, for now. Riku and I will return to Twilight Town as soon as our business is finished."

Roxas nodded. "Sounds great." He turned to Mickey and casually saluted. "Right, well, thanks for your hospitality, your majesty! Sorry the visit was so short."

The mouse grinned. "Of course. Come back soon, you hear?"

Roxas nodded, and Kairi went to shake the mouse's hand. "I'm glad to have had the chance to meet you, even if it wasn't for very long."

Naminé stepped forward and leaned down to give Mickey a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she said shyly. "I've never felt more at home anywhere else than I have here. You've all been so kind to me."

Mickey blushed. "Aw, shucks…anything for a friend of Riku's."

Naminé went over to join the others, waving to him. "I'll try to come back very soon!" As she passed Riku, she smiled and clasped his hand briefly before walking over to stand next to Roxas.

DiZ stretched out a hand and formed a familiar portal of swirling purple and blue in the wall. "Right then," he said, "you'd better be off. Good luck to you, children." He smiled, even as Roxas rolled his eyes.

Kairi stepped forward and gave Riku a hug, which he returned tightly. "Be careful, will you? And take care of everyone back home."

Riku nodded, smiling softly. "You can count on it. You take care too, Kairi. I expect to see you again very soon." He grinned. "Besides, if anything happened to you, Sora would kill me."

Kairi laughed, waving to him as she joined the others. Exchanging a glance, she, Naminé, and Roxas all nodded and clasped hands. Roxas waved a hand, and a soft, lavender-gray mist settled over them, cloaking them in the power of twilight for their journey through the portal. They stepped through and were gone. A moment later, the portal vanished behind them.

"And now," said DiZ, "let's see what we can do to help this homeland of yours, Riku."

(grins) I hope you liked this one, as well. Oh, the possibilities! Get ready for tons of new information in the next chapter, which will surely include some major plot twists.