A Paopu Fruit for Two

If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what.

Naminé couldn't recall where she heard those lines from, but for some reason, the words felt as if they were imbedded into her mind. They constantly reverberated, but it wasn't a pounding sensation that drilled into her consciousness; it was almost like a faint and lyrical melody that played soothingly. For a moment, the young blonde simply closed her blue orbs and allowed her other senses to take over. The sea breeze felt wonderful against her pale bare skin as her blonde locks gently whipped back and forth in light waves. She could feel the warm sun beaming on her face and smiled with content as she pushed her back against a rooted palm tree. Her white sandals sank into the soft sand as she drew her knees up to her chest, securing her beloved sketchbook in between. The vast beach was quiet save for the sounds of the waves hitting the shores and seagulls taking flight.

"Hey, whacha doing?"

Naminé's eyes snapped open. Someone who she was more than delighted to see interrupted her momentary tranquil state.

"I'm sorry. Were you sleeping? Did I wake you up?"

"Hehe…no Roxas. Please, have a seat." Naminé shifted over to make room for the boy. She extended her legs, allowing the fresh sheet from her sketchpad to be exposed. However, to Roxas' surprise, it was completely empty. Not a single trace or hint of initiation was evident on the blank canvas.

"Hmm…no inspiration or idea today?"

"No…it'll come to me. Actually, there's something else that's been on my mind."

Roxas looked at her with slight concern, unsure of whether or not he should pry into her personal business. "Nothing is wrong, right?"

Naminé shook her head. She didn't mean to startle her friend, but Roxas' personality was incapable of being changed. When it came to her, he was always very protective, making sure her happiness and safety was put before anything else…even his own life. For that, Naminé would always be grateful that she was blessed enough to have him in her life. She couldn't ask for anything more other than for him to never leave her. "No no, it's not that. Roxas, lately I've been hearing a voice in my head. Have you heard anything?"

"Voice? What voice?" His blue eyes widened and the immediate conclusion he made was that the Organization might be plotting something.

As his arm briefly brushed against hers, she felt his muscles tense. When she turned to face him, she saw the same worried expression he had when they were first torn apart by the Organization. With a smile, she lightly looped an arm under his, drawing herself closer against his body to reassure him that she would not fade away. "It sounds so sweet, pure, innocent…" When she said those words, she felt his form relax a bit. "Roxas, have you ever heard the line: If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what. The 'one' refers to something called…a paopu fruit. I have no idea how I know this…but I just do…"

"Paopu fruit? What's that?" For some strange reason, he was sure that he heard that term before, but at this point, he didn't even know what was real and what was a dream anymore. Naminé was the only thing he was sure of. "I think I've heard of it too…"

"I honestly don't know what it is…but my mind can conjure an image of it."

"How does it look like?"

"I think it's better to show you than to tell you."

She picked up the blue pencil beside her and created a light sphere on the white sheet. Her brows furrowed sharply as she concentrated on extracting the image from her mind and portraying it on the pad. After the basic outline, she started shading the sphere, giving the item a rich texture that appeared so real and tangible that one would think the object could actually be touched. Roxas' eyes never left the pad. Watching the pencil making contact with the paper felt like magic bringing something ethereal to life. In a flash, a burst of colors splashed on the fruit. Streaks of green, purple, and pink sparkled and snaked its way towards its respective destination. Naminé had an innate ability to create beauty in the world and the current picture in her hands was no different from the many miracles she brought to reality. When she finished, she set the pencil down and gave the sketchpad to Roxas. "What do you think?"

"It's…" Just as he spoke, a bright white aura formed around the drawing. Roxas had to shield his eyes slightly from the binding light, but when it dispersed, he was surprised to find Naminé's creation materializing in his hand. He could feel the sweet juice flowing inside the fruit as he ran his fingers over the velvety surface. "It's absolutely breathtaking…" he finished.

Naminé blushed slightly and took the fruit into her own hands. "I guess this is a paopu fruit."

If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what.

She heard the voice ringing in her head again and for a moment, she could've sworn the feminine voice resembled that of Kairi's. Was her soul sister communicating with her?

"If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what. Roxas, would you like to…share this with me?" Her cheeks grew hotter from asking, but there was no one else she wanted to share the fruit with, share her destiny with.

"Of course…" At that point, Roxas had forgotten how to breathe. Her very presence mesmerized him and the only thing he could do was watch her split the fruit apart with her slender fingers. When she created two perfect halves, she handed one slice to him and kept the other for herself.

"Roxas…may our destinies become intertwined and may you remain a part of me no matter what…"

Roxas nodded and the two simultaneously exchanged a huge smile before taking a bite from the paopu fruit.

-Fin