Rain...The only thing I can really remember about my former life was the rain. It rained when I was born, it rained when I died, hell it even rained when I was reborn as a Nobody. It felt like I could never get away from the rain or the endless cold that came with it. It always rained in that city, so it didn't surprise me when I returned to it to see that it was raining. It didn't surprise me to feel the cold air against my skin. It didn't surprise me to see her walking across the bridge home like she did when I was still alive.
She hadn't changed in this dying city. She still had her long, black hair that poured down her back to her slim waist. Those sparkling blue stars that could stop any man in his tracks and stare into his very heart, her ivory skin that glowed eerily in the harsh glow of a street lamp, everything about her was the same. Everything about her was almost perfection; something I wish had changed since I've been gone. That was the reason behind my homecoming if that's what you call it.
"She'd make the perfect addition to our organization. Don't you agree, Axel?" Saiix whispered in his ear. Axel's acid green eyes grew wide as Saiix smirked. "Don't you touch her, Saiix!" Axel growled. Fire danced in his eyes as his rage grew. "Oh, don't worry, Axel, I won'ttouch her." Saiix laughed. "Saiix!" Axel yelled, throwing flames at the blue-haired berserker as he disappeared into a portal of darkness, his cackling ringing loudly through the gleaming white hallways of Castle Oblivion.
It wasn't what he said that got to me that night before he disappeared. It was the way he said it that got my goat. I couldn't let him take her. She didn't belong with us. No one deserves to be a Nobody, especially her. It seemed to me that the only reasons why Xemnas would want her to be in the Organization were either for her to join the ranks as Number XIIII or to use her as bait for Diz and his companions. Either way, I couldn't let him do it. That was why I returned to the City of Rain. To watch over her and to make sure the other members of the Organization didn't try to pull anything. I decided to go incognito so she wouldn't worry herself over the situation. But when she came closer I couldn't help but steal a glance.
She stopped and looked back at me. Her hair was plastered to her head and hung beautifully down her back, soaked with the icy rain that plagued this city for eternities. She shivered silently and then walked closer to me. I said the only thing that came to mind. "It's gonna be a cold one tonight." She looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise. I prayed she didn't recognize my voice. Y-yeah," she stuttered,"It gets this way this time of year." She shivered in the cold as the rain rolled down my hood. "A lady like you shouldn't be wandering alone at night," I said, looking straight into her eyes. She shook her head. "It's been this way for a long time," she said. "I've gotten used to the lack of company." I nodded slightly and looked back down at the river below us. She continued walking across the bridge. I sighed relieved that nothing happened to her. Saiix and Xemnas were no where to be found. She was safe. Or at least I thought she was until there was the rumbling. She fell and was holding onto the edge of the bridge, dangling over the half frozen river. I grabbed her hand as fast as I possibly could, urging her to give me her other one so I could pull her to safety. She obeyed, but only touched my own, slipping further out of my reach. Her other hand was slipping out of my grip. "Don't let me go...please...I don't want to die tonight," she sobbed. I didn't plan on letting her die. I never let my eyes stray from her, not for a second. She shut hers as our hands broke apart. Trying to catch her again I reached farther but missed her. "RIN!" I screamed after her, but she couldn't have heard me, because the second I said her name she was gone...
She was gone...Disappeared into the darkness before she even hit the water. She was always special...I guess I never really knew how special until that night on the bridge. Puzzled, I warped back to Castle Oblivion and what I found waiting for me was the biggest surprise I had had all night.
"And just where were you?" I was met at the door to my room by a pair of very big, bright blue eyes and flash of platinum blonde hair. "Sorry, Roxas. I had to take care of something." He gave me his trademark glare and rolled his eyes. "Right and it was so important that you couldn't even let me know so I could cover your sorry ass?" he scolded. I hated it when Roxas snapped at me for not telling him about Rin, but I kept telling myself it was for the best. "Geeze, Roxas, I said I was sorry. Now could you move so I can get to bed? It's been a long night."
I remember it took him a while to move out of the way. I remember he came into my room later that night and asked me again what was going on with me and why I was so anxious around Saiix and Xemnas. But I don't remember telling him anything, or even why I let him stay with me for the rest of the night.
It must have been his eyes and how they reminded me of her when I still had a heart. I think that's why I felt whole when Roxas was around...because of how much he reminded me of Rin. Why was it so hard for me to accept the fact that Roxas could never be or replace Rin I'll never understand. But as I held Roxas that night and told him countless times that everything will reveal itself soon enough, I couldn't help but feel like I was leaving something out. It didn't take Roxas long to figure out what it was.
"You were attached to this Rin person, weren't you?" he asked. I stared at him wondering how the hell he knew that. "When did I ever tell you about Rin? And how did you even know her name? I never told you about her!" Roxas blinked a few times and grinned. "Namine told me. She said that you knew her in your previous life in the city." For once I was the quiet one. I knew that Namine knew about all of the Organization members, but what I didn't know was how much she knew about all the Organization members. "Yeah, and what about Rin, Roxas? Did Namine tell you about how Xemnas wants her to be in the Organization? Did she tell you about how Saiix was going to turn her into Dusk before anyone could save her?" I rambled on for well over an hour, telling him what had happened earlier. Roxas didn't seem to mind. He was getting exactly what he wanted from me.
"So, why did you go back there if you hated the place when you still had your heart?" Roxas asked sleepily. "Has anyone told you that you ask too many questions?" Axel ruffled the boy's hair. Roxas shook his hand off and frowned. "That still doesn't tell me why you went away, Axel. The red-head sighed and glanced at the door. Footsteps; loud ones that seemed to shake the foundations of the castle. Roxas was silent until the thunderous footsteps stopped. "Saiix?" he asked quietly. Axel nodded. "Probably pissed since his little attempt earlier failed." Roxas looked at Axel bewildered. "Failed? I don't think he failed, Axel. I think he has her right where he wants her," he said. "Rin," Axel whispered. "What do you mean, Roxas?" "You said that she disappeared when you called her name when she fell, right?" Axel nodded. "Yeah, and? You think Saiix has her somewhere?" "Yeah...I mean who else would even bother? Xemnas never handles his own dirty work, so he sent Saiix or Xigbar to capture her while Larexene created a distraction," Roxas explained. Axel raised an eyebrow and ruffled his hair affectionately again. "That's some theory, Key-boy," the redhead laughed. "Well, it could happen," the keyblader pouted defensively as he rested against Axel. "I just hope she's okay..." the flame master thought to himself, wrapping his arms around Roxas's small frame.
Roxas was fast asleep in Axel's arms while Axel wasn't far behind. "Tomorrow," he sighed, "I'm going to see Namine...maybe...she can tell me...what's...going on." And with that, he closed his violent green eyes and drifted to sleep.