A voice beckoned to Naminé, calling out her name, and she pried her eyes open. The sensation of floating gently engulfed her, but nothing but darkness greeted her vision. The voice called her name once more, and she swore she could recognize it. Suddenly, a pinpoint of light opened far in the distance.

"Naminé, It's time to wake up."

"To live the life you deserve." A second voice joined the first.

She blinked and repeated back, "Wake...up?"

From the light, two distinct hands reached out towards her, and the memories all came flooding back to her at once. Though she couldn't see their faces, she knew who those hands belonged to.

"Kairi, Sora," she smiled.

"Let's take you home," said the voice that Naminé now knew to be Kairi's.

Both hands outstretched towards her graciously, and she couldn't help but accept their invitation. Touching her palms to each of theirs, they then pulled her towards the light. The sensation of floating disappeared, for now she was rising, being ushered rapidly towards the surface of a deep ocean. The light grew brighter, a sudden warmth filled her chest, and her eyes were forced shut by the brilliance of it all.

When she opened her eyes again, her hands were empty at her side, but a blinding light still glowed behind her eyelids.

She blinked to adjust her focus. However, instead of being greeted by Sora's beaming smile and Kairi's kind eyes, she awoke to the equally surprised faces of Vexen and Ienzo. They donned more traditional lab coats instead of the Organization's black leather, but that didn't stop the panic from setting in.

Attempts to scurry back were blocked by her bed that propped her up at an angle. Her gaze hurriedly turned back to her welcome party.

"Oh no," Zexion's expression fell from excitement to concern. "I suppose we didn't fully think this through, did we? Should've picked friendlier faces to greet you with, huh?" He actually smiled bashfully underneath his long silver bangs. She'd never seen such an expression cross the boy's face with her own eyes before.

He set aside the tablet he'd been holding and approached her with his hands forward. "Naminé. We. Are. Friends." He spoke slowly and gestured to his chest, before Vexen bopped the back of the boy's head. "Ow!"

"She's not an alien, Ienzo. She can still understand you!"

Ienzo? A quick word scramble in her head explained the new expressiveness from the men before her. Naminé couldn't help but giggle at the display.

"Hey, a laugh!" Zex-Ienzo smiled again. "That's a good sign, right?"

"Ienzo..." Naminé confirmed before turning to the other scientist. "And what do I call you now?"

The man was frozen for a moment, but soon stepped forward and bowed. "Even, milady."

She repeated his name back as well, then took in the bright laboratory. As her senses returned, she found the strength to sit and dangle her legs over the edge.

"We're in the castle at Radiant Garden," Even said, "if that's any comfort."

It was, in a way, so long as she was anywhere but Castle Oblivion or the old mansion.

"How are you feeling?" Ienzo asked.

"A little dizzy, but otherwise…" she searched her mind, only to find a scramble of sensations she'd never experienced before. "There are many thoughts."

"That's normal," Even assured her.

Ienzo nodded. "Your heart is fully processing emotions for the first time. Just try to take it easy and not get overwhelmed."

Naminé suddenly remembered the two people who helped pull her into existence. Glancing around the small room, she asked, "Where are Sora and Kairi?"

The men's faces suddenly fell. Vexen spoke first. "Well, you see, Sora and Kairi are missing. Have been since the fight with old man Xehanort."

"Missing?" she asked. "But I just saw them. They helped me wake up."

Both men looked to each other before Ienzo scribbled notes into a pad of paper. "I see," Ienzo said, "well, there's just a few more quest-"

A deep, familiar voice interrupted them from just outside the door. "Even, Ienzo, any progress?"

No, not just a familiar voice, a voice that had dictated her life for a year, called her horrible things, scorned Roxas and obsessed over revenge. A voice that belonged to DiZ.

The sensations in Naminé's mind only got worse. Her heartbeat quickened, and breathing became more difficult. Both of her companions' eyes blew wide, and Even rushed to the door. Watching them panic only amplified each thought in her mind.

"Uh, now's really not a great time," he pleaded nervously.

"Naminé, look back at me," Ienzo called to her, and she listened. Despite the shake in his voice, his expression was still soft. "Take a deep breath. You're safe, okay?"

She nodded silently and did as he asked, but not a moment later was the door opened anyways. The man who stepped in was not the DiZ she remembered. A head wrapped in cloth had been replaced with a clean, unobscured face and long blonde hair flowing down his neck. Where there had been dark robes and a red cape, there was now a white lab coat, more decorated than the others' with a scarf draping loosely over his shoulders. He resembled almost an entirely different person, but she remembered those eyes well.

Now, when that orange gaze found her, they weren't narrow and cold. They were wide with surprise and...soft?

"Naminé," his deep voice uttered her name in that unique way he always had, emphasizing a long 'e' in the middle of her name instead of a short one.

She opened her mouth to speak, but found her throat completely dry. She'd forgotten the advice to breathe amidst her panic, and Even and Ienzo intervened.

"She just woke up a minute ago."

"We were about to go tell you."

But before any more words could be spoken, their voices faded, and Naminé's vision went dark.

She came back slowly, with Ienzo's friendly voice encouraging her returning consciousness. Her environment hadn't changed, but DiZ - no, she recalled he went by Ansem again - was gone.

"Are you alright?" the young scientist asked.

"Yes, I think so," she rubbed her head. "Sorry for fainting."

"Don't be," Even said. "We should've been better prepared. Let's say we try that again, shall we? No interruptions this time, we promise."

Naminé smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."

They proceeded to ask her a multitude of questions about her memories, her emotions, and what words she associated with each memory. Some were more difficult to answer than others. While her time with Kairi only brought up feelings of sisterhood and harmony, she couldn't just name one emotion for her time in the mansion of Twilight Town. Of course, thoughts of Ansem brought up the words "trapped" and "helpless", but she couldn't say she felt the same whenever the mansion's third resident was around.

So they narrowed it down and asked her how she'd felt around Riku. "Not alone," was the first phrase out of her mouth. "Understood, comforting from a distance."

Their questioning went on for what felt like hours, but Naminé didn't find the experience tiring at all. If anything, she felt eager to share each new emotion that swelled within her heart, both the good and the bad. And if she couldn't find an answer, they just made a note and moved on.

Suddenly, a device on Ienzo's clipboard buzzed. If her hazy memories while within Kairi were reliable, this was a device they'd used to communicate with one another. A gummiphone, they'd called it.

Ienzo's eyes lit up as he scrolled through the device. "Good news, Naminé, you're free to go."

"I-I am?" she asked. "But where will I go?"

"That's up to you," he smiled, "but I just received word that a friend will be here shortly to help you."

"A friend…" she repeated. How many friends had she made during her short existence? Did anyone in the old Organization consider her one? Would Roxas?

"Plus, you deserve some time away from a lab or an exam room for once," Even gestured for her to stand. "Come, I'll walk you out of the castle."

He led her to the main entry hall and no further. When she went to push the doors open, she found little resistance as two familiar guards opened them from the outside. By then, she knew most of the old Organization had returned to their former selves, so she greeted the new Lexaeus and Xaldin with a nod and a smile.

They returned the expression and gestured ahead, down the stairs to the open courtyard. The more her eyes adjusted to bright sunlight, the more beautiful Radiant Garden appeared. The colors of the rooftops were warm and welcoming, the surge of water fountains and the distant rising falls rocked her as she descended the stairs, and the sweet scent of flowers greeted her nose with the gentle breeze.

When she approached the open, empty courtyard, she wondered who had been so thoughtful to come and see her. Even was right. How long had it been since she'd been able to truly exist freely outside of some kind of lab or imprisonment?

The rushing water was soon drowned out by the roar of an engine above her head. Her eyes followed the sound while her hand blocked out the bright sun. What descended was a brightly colored gummi ship, the one she knew Sora, Donald, and Goofy had used during their adventures.

But if Sora was missing, then who was piloting it?

A young man who wasn't Sora emerged from around the side, but the sight made her new heart flutter all the same. His silver hair was shorter, revealing more of his face and his aquamarine eyes. He walked toward her with purpose, and a small smile ticked at his mouth.

Riku came back for her.

The swell of emotions lurched her legs towards him, but she stopped short a few feet. She was unsure of what to do with this many emotions and hesitated. Luckily, he gave her an answer as he wordlessly extended an open hand towards her. His appearance wasn't all that had changed, for his eyes were free of any remorse or self-judgment.

What else could she do but meet him halfway? All-too-easily, she stepped forward and placed her hand within his.

"Welcome back, Naminé."

Riku, it turned out, wasn't the only friend who'd come to greet her, for the moment he opened the ramp to board the gummi ship, she was met with seven more familiar faces: Roxas, Xion, Axel, Saix, Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

All but Saix had been pressed up against the window facing where Riku had greeted her, but quickly scattered the moment the hatch lowered. Naminé suddenly became very aware of the fact that her hand still rested within Riku's as he'd guided her to the ship. Swiftly, she retracted her hand, and Riku crossed his arms at the group.

"What? We weren't spying!" Axel threw his hands up.

"They were spying," Saix said from the corner with a lowered head and a suppressed smile. Of all the people aboard, he was the most surprising to see, but if Xion was willing to be in the same room with him, then that had to mean something, right?

But maybe she'd thought too soon, for Xion griped, "Hey, you know what they say about snitches."

However, all bickering ceased the moment Naminé stepped out from behind Riku's tall form.

"Naminé!" Roxas shouted.

He pushed past all the others and enveloped her in an unexpected hug. Xion quickly followed, squeezing her other side, before Axel came and lifted all three of them off the ground. It was so much all at once. Naminé wasn't even sure she remembered the last time someone had hugged her. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped from her when they finally released her.

"Um, hello everyone," she said with folded hands.

Roxas gestured back to the trio of friends behind him. "Time for you to officially meet Hayner, Pence, and Olette."

She opened her mouth to greet them, but Pence approached her first. "Hey." he eyed her closely and tapped his chin. "I know you! You were that girl from the window of the mansion! No one else would believe me, I can't believe you're real!"

Naminé giggled again. "Yep, that was me."

Olette jabbed his shoulder. "Pence, don't be rude." She turned and gave Naminé a warm smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, Naminé."

"Hayner," the brown-eyed boy waved from his seat, one of only three in the whole gummi ship.

Naminé returned the wave and stepped inside.

"And what name do you prefer now?" she asked the blue-haired man. He reluctantly met her eyes, and she could recognize that look of hesitance anywhere, like he was trying to ascertain whether or not she hated him. She only knew because she herself had given that same look.

Before he could answer, Axel jumped in and slung an arm around his shoulder. "He goes by Isa! You can still call me Axel, though."

Isa's face turned pink, and he wrestled the redhead off of him. "Call me whatever you like."

Naminé smiled, "Isa it is, then."

Riku cleared his throat from the driver's seat at the front of the ship. "If no one objects, I'd like to get us to Destiny Islands before the sun goes down."

Naminé glanced around the ship for a place to settle down. Space would be tight, to say the least, and there were fewer seats than there were people. Riku needed one to drive, and Hayner had already claimed one of the others, which only left one more empty.

"Is this safe?"

"Normally no," Riku answered, "but the pathways between worlds have been cleared of Heartless, so it's atleast a smooth ride." The answer was good enough, so Naminé moved to sit at the back of the ship with the others. Until Riku interrupted her. "You get a chair."

She stopped and gauged everyone's faces. No one objected, and Roxas even gestured forward to the seat. So she retraced her steps and strapped herself in. "Lead the way, Riku."

Naminé had seen the white beaches of Destiny Islands through Kairi's eyes before, but it was a completely different experience to feel the sand beneath her very own feet.

"Take your sandals off," Riku said. "It'll be easier to walk."

Sure enough, Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette had all thrown off their shoes before stepping off the ship. She followed suit, and her feet immediately sank a couple of inches into the squishy soft sand. A laugh escaped her as she wiggled her toes in the sand.

"Come on!" Xion pulled her along by the hand and ran along the gentle tides.

Terra, Aqua, and Ventus were already waiting for them on the beach, with sandcastles already halfway finished. Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey arrived shortly after and quickly started a sandcastle-building competition.

Naminé turned to Xion. "What's all this for?"

"We all needed a little vacation, a fresh start. As soon as Riku heard you were awake, we all knew it was the perfect time to get everyone together."

"But Sora and Kairi…" her new heart sank remembering them. There was no doubt in her mind that they'd been the ones to wake her, but she could only hope that they'd make it back home as well.

Xion shared her unfinished sentiment. "Me too, but they'll be okay."

The evening of Naminé's first real vacation came all too quickly. While running, shouting, frisbee-throwing, and playful banter played out behind her, she'd been drawn to the water. Xion had felt the same, so they dipped their feet in, mindful to keep the water from reaching their skirts. They waded through the shallow shores, and she showed Naminé where she'd collected seashells for Roxas so long ago.

Suddenly, the beach became quiet. Naminé turned to find that all the action had stopped, as everyone stared towards the smaller island.

When she followed their gaze, her breath hitched. There, out of thin air, Sora and Kairi appeared sitting on the paopu tree. No words spoken between them could be interpreted, but their eyes were only on each other with tender affection. Naminé stood and stepped forward, hesitant to go any further and intrude on the moment.

I knew I felt them.

A smile sat plastered on Naminé's face until the sun disappeared over the horizon, along with Sora's fading form. Kairi remained whole, alone, but her expression fell. Her knees landed in the sand beneath the tree, out of sight from where Naminé stood. Sorrow lurched Naminé's heart too many times to count, and her first day wasn't even over.

It had all happened so suddenly, and before she knew it Riku was running across the wooden bridge to her.

Emotions, Naminé realized, were like sitting attached to a spinning wheel, with a peak and a base. The transition between a high point and a low point could feel slow, and other times it occurred too quickly to process. And once in a while, no matter what happened, a high point for one person meant a low point for another.

In that case, the joy of Naminé regaining her heart coincided with the tragedy of Kairi and Sora's limited time together.

"I thought we'd have more time," Kairi had cried. "I didn't think fate would be this cruel."

Their kindness in helping Naminé and many others during their precious time stung heavily, but Kairi never implied that she wished they'd spent it differently. When Naminé met her with an embrace, Kairi clung to her former Nobody like she feared she'd slip away too. Naminé had hoped that her first embrace with the girl who'd kept her safe would have been a happy one, but even through the tears, Kairi held a look of stubborn determination - a look that Riku shared in his own way.

"We'll bring him back," Riku said, and the two old friends would've been ready to depart that instant if it weren't for Aqua.

"Kairi, you're exhausted, in more ways than one." The mage held her shoulders gently. "You need rest. I promise we'll do everything we can in the morning."

Mickey echoed the sentiment, and slowly every head present nodded in agreement.

So they set up camp on the beach that night like they'd planned, but the evening was somber. Groups huddled together protectively, positioning themselves as if sleeping close would prevent losing one another to fate. Terra and Aqua linked their arms over Ventus, who slept between them. Axel did the same over Roxas and Xion, and even the touch-averse Isa lay close by on the other side of the group, facing inward.

Naminé couldn't bring herself to leave Kairi's side, so she remained there for the night. She lay on her back and silently mapped out the night sky, taking in the vast beauty for the first time until the breathing beside her steadied. When she glanced to her side to make sure Kairi had fallen asleep, she caught Riku's gaze from her other side.

A familiar sadness had returned to his eyes, and she already missed their gleam when he'd first found her in Radiant Garden. A small smile pulled at him before he mouthed a silent 'Thank you.'

She had no clue what he was thanking her for, but she returned his smile and simply nodded before turning over to sleep. As she drifted off, a prickling sensation caught in the back of her throat.

A/N: Thank you for reading! I wrote a Rikunami one-shot kiss prompt a few months ago, and I've been craving more content of these two ever since. This is a Hanahaki AU I promise, haha. I just wanted to get some setup done first before the ~good~ stuff happened. I hope you enjoy!

*The canon KH3 ending except after Riku takes Naminé's hand, the camera pans up to the gummi ship, where several...inquisitive...faces are pressed flat into one side of the glass dome.*