Day 255

Lightning Never Strikes The Same Place Twice

The sunset was the best part of any day. Including this one.

The girl in black sat on the edge of the clock tower, her legs swinging slightly as she watched it set.

She heard someone approach her from behind and looked over her shoulder to see one of her best friends, Larxene. "There you are! I was starting to get worried."

"Just had something to deal with." Larxene muttered, giving her the usual bar of sea salt ice cream.

Naminé took it happily but noticed Larxene's face, it looked tired and frustrated. She wondered if this was just a long day or something actually happened.

"Hey, how long have you been here again?" Larxene suddenly asked, looking straight ahead.

Naminé was surprised by the question. She never thought Larxene would ask. "Today makes… 255 days."

"You've been counting this whole time, huh?" Larxene was quiet for a moment, looking quite serious and then smirked, nudging her. "You're such a weirdo!"

"Hey! You asked!" Naminé reminded her with a giggle, pushing her hand away. She glanced down at her sketchbook and then opened it, looking at the many drawings. She paused on the blank one for the next day. "I made a drawing every day, you know…"

"Why'd you do that?" Larxene asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Didn't I tell you? It's so I don't forget anything!" Naminé told her. "I can't remember anything about my past before the Organization… The first few days I was just a vessel of nothingness…"

"You're telling me! You were as blank as that piece of paper, soo boring."

They sat in silence for a moment.

Naminé held on to her notebook tightly at a terrible thought: "… What if… I forget everything in this life too? Like I did with my last one?"

"Why are you so freaked out about that?" The girl felt Larxene narrow her eyes in confusion. "You're not gonna. Lightning never strikes the same place twice."

"Hm?"

"It means something crazy like you losing your memories, won't happen a second time." Larxene insisted, crossing her arms. "So you don't have to worry about it, alright?"

"I see." Naminé smiled faintly. It did make her feel a bit better.

"Of course, that doesn't apply to me seeing as I met not one, but two numbskulls I have to keep out of trouble!" Larxene sighed, but it didn't have her usual playfulness, placing a hand to her head before falling back onto the platform.

"Hey! We're the best things that ever happened to you!" The girl insisted. She then thought of him and turned, hoping to see him walk out to sit beside her like he always did. "… Where is he today, anyway?"

Larxene grimaced before sitting up, glaring away from the girl.

Every story has to begin somewhere,

This one began the day we met.

Day 007

Number XIV

Darkness, endless darkness, invaded her as a sharp something penetrated her chest. Everything fell away as she did, people were around her, screaming her name, pleading that she stopped…

Her heart left her body, and then-

Naminé's eyes shot open but she made no sound of shock or surprise, simply because she didn't feel it. She didn't feel… anything.

The girl sat up in her barebones white bedroom overlooking an endless black sky and waited silently for something to happen. She glanced over at her nightstand to see a white sketchbook and then remembered: Her name was Naminé. She was the 13th member of Organization XIII. She slowly got her sketchbook and flipped it to one of the few pages that weren't blank. It depicted where she needed to go, The Grey Area.

The Grey Area was just outside the Organization's rooms and served as a sort of lounge where the members could relax and unwind before and after missions with their coworkers. She couldn't remember who told her that.

It was white too, just like every other room in the castle, and had a few chairs and couches. White flowers were the only true decorations.

There seemed to only be a few people in the room.

Naminé wasn't sure if this was normal or not, she couldn't remember. In fact, she could barely remember anyone here, she had no idea who to go to, she just knew someone was supposed to watch over her. Eventually, she'd be able to remember more, wouldn't she?

"Hey, Naminé. What's my name?" A man suddenly asked. He had bright red hair and a cocky grin on his face. She stared at him blankly. He rolled his eyes with a smirk. "It's Axel, okay? A-X-E-L! Get it memorized."

Axel. She added on to her memories, even though she must've met him before.

The girl stiffly walked past him. He wasn't the one she had been looking for, she somehow knew… Who was she looking for again?

"Oh, good morning, my angelface, sleep well?" A red-haired woman asked, gently grabbing her arm before she could walk past her. Naminé tried not to stare at her scarred face, looking down instead at her sketchbook. The woman smiled, sitting up a bit before turning to face the girl. "You like the little present I gave you on the first day, don't you? Drawing is such a wonderful distraction from everything! I used to do it alllll the time when I was left out around your age!"

Naminé wasn't sure. She'd just been told to draw whatever she liked. When she didn't know what she liked, she was then told to draw whatever she wanted to remember.

The girl then noticed another woman in black with sharp blonde hair and immediately felt herself walking to her, the person she'd been looking for. The woman turned and gagged in disgust. "You're awake?"

"…"

"Ugh…" Larxene muttered in slight discomfort. The girl was like a soulless doll, she didn't know why it didn't freak anyone else out. "Look, we have a meeting in the Round Room, okay?"

"… Round… Room?"

"Where we go for meetings?" Larxene reminded her as if she was a baby, which she technically was.

"Oh."

"Let's get going, you two."

They turned to see a pink-haired man with a false smile. He clearly had been waiting for them to go for a while already.

"Whatever." Larxene grunted, summoning a portal. A dark corridor, if Naminé remembered right. They used those to travel.

Marluxia walked past the two and then Larxene waited for her to go. When Naminé simply stood there, she grabbed her by the hand and gently pulled her in.

The Round Room held 13 thrones, one for each member, that surrounded a round stage.

In the highest throne sat a young man, who despite being one of the youngest there, was the leader of the group.

"My friends…" Xemnas smiled at them all. "Today shall be a great day in history… For today, another member has chosen to wear the coat."

He smirked as a small, hooded figure walked onto the center of the stage as according to plan.

"Number XIV."

Naminé leaned forward slightly to see the person, wondering if they were a kid like her.

"Let us welcome one of the keyblade's chosen…"

Xemnas had said the same thing when Naminé had been presented to them, she remembered that much. The whispers from the other members, the urge to curl up she had, the chilling smirk he wore as they'd met eyes…

Suddenly, it seemed Number XIV could feel her watching because they then turned their head to her. Despite the coat shadowing most of their face, she thought could make out a smile.

Marluxia told Naminé she had to keep a diary of anything that seemed of note. Naminé decided to also draw a picture every day in her sketchbook as well for enhanced memory.

Diary Entry

I've been here exactly 7 days, though I can barely remember any of them. Marluxia says I have to keep a diary… Is this another memory booster like drawing is?

Today, Lord Xemnas summoned us to the Round Room and presented our newest member, Number XIV. I think he noticed me staring at him, because he smiled at me. Someday, could I smile like that too?

Sketchbook

Day 7 was a picture of Number XIV, them being hooded. Naminé wanted to remember his smile forever.

Day 008

Larxene and Naminé

Naminé entered the Grey Area slowly and noticed seemingly no one was there but Marluxia and Larxene, the woman was lounging on the couch. Had she gotten up too late? Things like time were starting to concern her.

"Naminé, today is your very first mission." Marluxia announced. "Every day, you will receive a mission the Organization expects you to carry out. But, don't fret, we won't put you in much danger in these early tests."

Naminé didn't say anything. She assumed it meant she'd be in danger later then? At least she had a heads up.

"Larxene will accompany you as well. Naminé, you will not leave her side."

"What?! Why me?!" Larxene growled, standing up in indignation.

Marluxia and Naminé looked at her with matching unfeeling faces.

"I figured you should be more of a… team player, Larxene. And what better way to get you involved than training our new recruit?" Marluxia asked. Naminé flinched ever so slightly when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Larxene let out a long sigh before finally whispering: "Fine."

Naminé felt Marluxia give her a small shove to urge her over to Larxene but she was focused on the child that stood next to Marluxia, Number XIV.

"Hello?" Larxene asked, waving a hand in front of Naminé who didn't move a muscle. She sighed. "She's not gonna do anything unless you tell us the name."

"Ikrux." Marluxia answered, gesturing to the figure.

"Ikrux…" Naminé repeated softly, still staring at them. She wondered if he was staring back, if he knew her name too.

"Very good, Naminé, you have basic comprehension!" Larxene smiled in a condescending tone. "Let's see how good you are then. What's my name?"

"Your name's Larxene."

"And the name of our 'Superior'?"

"Xemnas."

"Don't forget that one. You'd be in big trouble otherwise, understand?"

"I understand."

Larxene summoned a dark corridor then to get going.

Naminé walked to her and suddenly held up her hand to the woman's expectantly.

"Ew, get that away, the hand thing was only because you wouldn't follow, I may be your babysitter but I'm not going to coddle you."

Naminé's hand dropped wordlessly.

The two arrived at the underground concourse of Twilight Town. For being below the cheerful town, it was still quite sunny looking with its yellow walls and orange pillars.

"Your mission today is super easy, even for a newbie like you." Larxene told the girl. "Come on."

Naminé watched Larxene sprint off and after a few moments, followed her.

The older was surprised to see that the girl was actually quite swift, able to catch up to her easily and agily scale ledges and stairs without a single misstep. It seemed she wasn't new to the world of fighting, it must've been residue from her someone, who was the newest keyblade wielder in a decade. Started with a K, Larxene thought. She hadn't been even half as good when she was first been a Nobody

"You're faster in body than mind. " Larxene muttered. Naminé stared up at her with no expression, not understanding the comment. "There should be a treasure chest somewhere around here, so get to it."

Naminé nodded slightly before running off.

A while later, Larxene was starting to get sort of worried about the girl, or rather, she remembered what it was like to be worried? That's how Marluxia had explained it after Xemnas explained it to him. She walked through the tunnels to eventually find Naminé sitting next to a treasure chest, silent besides staring intently at a blank page in her sketchbook, as if staring at it would somehow make a drawing appear on its own.

"Uh, were you going to call me or what?" Larxene snapped, getting her attention. "Why'd you keep me waiting like that?! I've got better things to do than babysit you, you know!"

"I wasn't sure… if this was a treasure chest…"

"Well it is."

Larxene waited, watching Naminé stare at the chest.

"… Am I… done…?"

The woman groaned, pinching her nose in annoyance. "You have to get the stuff from inside!"

Naminé opened it and saw a few elemental charms and munny. She didn't need the charms seeing as she already knew magic, but the munny was nice. She muttered something to Larxene then.

"I couldn't hear you, what was that?"

"I said… thank you… for being such a good… teacher…" Naminé said clearly this time, and for once, Larxene thought she saw a spark of light behind her eyes as she stared up.

"…" Larxene narrowed her eyes in confusion before turning away, crossing her arms. "Yeah, sure, whatever! RTC, I'll be back later."

Naminé watched in confusion when Larxene walked past her. "RTC?"

"Return To the Castle."

Larxene sat on the top of the clock tower as she usually did after missions, having a sea-salt ice cream in her hand. She took a vicious bite before narrowing her eyes. She could feel eyes on her. "Who's there?! You got some death wish?!"

Naminé struggled slightly when Larxene suddenly yanked her out of hiding and held her near the edge of the tower. Realizing it was only her, the older woman looked suprised for only a moment before going to her default of anger. She put her down before brushing her off with slight concern. "You're lucky I didn't throw you off entirely! I didn't hurt you, right?"

"No." Naminé whispered.

Larxene realized at once that what she said might imply she had been worried about hurting her, and therefore somewhat cared, so she quickly changed the subject. "Why were you creeping in the shadows?"

"Marluxia said not to leave your side." Naminé repeated his words obediently.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Uggh, fine. Sit down."

The girl plopped down beside her and was surprised when she was offered a bar of ice cream.

"Don't think too hard about it, just eat." Larxene ordered, making her fist clasp around the stick.

Naminé nodded and took a teeny bite. Her lips puckered and her eyes widened at the taste.

Larxene laughed a bit at her face. "Just give it a second, you big baby."

Her face fell when the sweet overtook the saltiness, creating an amazing, bittersweet feeling. "Mm… It's sweet… yet salty too…!"

"Yeah, one of the few good things in this 'life' I have, aside from hanging out here to get away from the others." Larxene muttered. She watched the girl savor the treat as if she'd never have it again before suddenly going into it. "H-Hey! Slow down, you're gonna get a brain freeze, dummy…!"

Diary Entry

Today was my first mission. Larxene looked after me and taught me a lot of things. I'm very grateful to her.

I follow Larxene up to the clocktower before I RTC'd (Returned to the Castle) She almost threw me off the clock tower but I think she felt bad (or whatever we Nobodies have besides emotions.) because she gave me sea-salt ice cream… It's tasty.

Sketchbook

Day 8 was a picture of sea-salt ice cream. Naminé wanted to remember the bittersweet taste forever.