AN/ just in case it's not obvious, Namine can use dark corridors because she's a replica

Chapter 20: Just Out of Reach

Namine was currently examining one of her more recent drawings. Pictures of Sora and Kairi had interrupted her nearly constant drawings of Riku. And although she was slightly relieved at the change, some of the pictures she had drawn worried her. As crazy as it would sound, her pictures had a nasty habit of predicting what was to come.

She had drawn Sora, falling, into darkness. Kairi stood in the light, reaching out to him, trying to grab a hold of his outstretched hand.

I sure hope Kairi's alright… Namine thought. She had been worried about the two of them since they had run into each other in Twilight Town. Sora's behavior was off, and she wasn't sure how well Kairi was handling the difference.

I wish I could go talk to her, Namine thought, and then laughed. I don't even know where Kairi is, let alone how to get there.

She flipped to a different picture that she had drawn a couple of hours ago. It was a castle. And as she looked at the picture, the name of the castle drifted into her head.

Hollow Bastion.

How she knew that, she did not know. But she had a feeling that she needed to go there.

"How does Riku do it?" she wondered, slowly reaching out with the intent of opening a dark corridor. A bit of darkness sparked at her fingertips and she gasped, pulling back. She tried again, but got no farther. She grimaced, and slightly flustered, tried one last time. The dark corridor opened this time, shocking her.

"Cool," she said after a moment, grinning.

xxx

"Kairi!"

She looked up, and was surprised to find Namine stepping out of a dark corridor. "Namine?"

Namine laughed, closing the dark corridor. "I'm so glad that worked!" she muttered, mainly to herself. She had originally been worried that she would step out into the wrong world, and at a bad time. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and then glanced over at Kairi.

"You're okay!" Kairi said. The last time she had seen Namine, Namine had not been okay. "What happened back there, anyways?"

Namine made a face, thinking hard. She still hadn't figured out how to describe the memory meltdown. "Umm… I don't know how to describe it exactly… but it's like I'm being attacked by memories."

"Hmm, I think a similar thing happened to Riku…"

"Really?"

Kairi nodded, clearly remembering the first month Riku spent on the islands. "However," she muttered, "I don't think it was ever as serious as what happened to you."

"He never mentioned…" Namine mused, finding a place to sit down.

"He probably didn't feel he needed to," Kairi said with a shrug. "He has a nasty habit of not mentioning things unless he has to."

Namine laughed. "Yeah, I suppose he does. He failed to mention that I was a replica until I asked."

"You're a replica?" Kairi asked, sounding rather shocked. "I mean, I suppose it makes sense… but still, Riku never-"

"Never said," Namine finished, smiling. "He mentioned something about not wanting to hurt me, but I don't quite get why."

"He took remembering the fact he was a replica very harshly," Kairi explained. "I guess he thought maybe you would take it the same way."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Namine laughed. "Riku tends to do things like that."

"But-" Kairi began, a bit unsure, but continued nevertheless. "Don't you think Riku's, I don't know, a tad-"

"Overprotective?" Namine finished, laughing. "He totally is."

"And you don't mind?"

Namine shook her head. "Nah, not really. I think it's kind of sweet. Besides, I think I'd break his heart if I said that I minded…" She grimaced, not liking that thought at all.

Kairi eyed her, and then shrugged.

"Anyway!" Namine said, brightly. "What about you? How are things here…?" She trailed off, as Kairi's face scrunched up.

"They're fine, I guess?" Kairi answered. "Sora's just being. Ugh! I don't know what's gotten into him. He's steps away from falling into darkness, and he doesn't even realize it."

"Have you tried talking to him about it?" Namine asked.

"Yeah," Kairi replied, bitterly. "He just pushes the matter aside every time I ask him what's wrong."

Namine bit her lip, thinking about it. "Maybe you need to try and ask him something else. He may not realize that anything's wrong."

"Maybe…"

"Where is he now, anyways?"

Kairi shrugged. "Off in some world."

"Well, try and talk to him when he gets back."

"I don't know…" Kairi muttered.

"Kairi, you've gotta try!" Namine said. "You need to stop trying to talk to his darkness, and try and get through to his light. His light will listen to you, if you call to it loud enough."

"You think so?" Kairi asked, lightening up a bit.

Namine nodded, even though she really had no idea. The words had just popped out of her mouth, but she was going to go with them.

"Alright," Kairi said. "I'll talk to him when he gets back."

"Okay, cool," Namine said, standing up. "I should get going. Riku'll probably be back in Traverse Town soon…" She chuckled, and then reached out to open a dark corridor. It didn't quite work, and she scowled. Kairi laughed.

"I'm new to this," Namine muttered, and tried again. She got results this time. "See ya!" she called, stepping through.

xxx

She knocked nervously on his door. "Sora, are you in there?"

"Yeah," came the slightly muffled response.

"Can I come in?" Kairi asked, slowly opening the door. Sora sat in total darkness. "Sora? Why are you in the dark? Maybe you should turn on the light-" Kairi paused, for as soon as she turned on the light, Sora winced and retreated farther back into the corner he was sitting in.

"Sora…"

"Hey," he muttered. His voice cracked slightly as he said it. Kairi bit her lip. After a moment of thinking, she walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"How'd it go?" she asked quietly.

"Fine, I guess," he muttered. He refused to make eye contact with her. The darkness inside of him was restless with Kairi here. He gasped, a sudden wave of pain shooting through him.

"Sora!" Kairi gasped.

"I'm fine," Sora wheezed, clutching his chest.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, quickly managing to recover. "Yeah, it was nothing" he said.

"It- didn't…" Kairi sighed. She had no idea what to say. Namine had told her to call out to his light, but she wasn't quite sure how to do that. Suddenly, almost on impulse, she reached out and grabbed his hand. He looked up at her, and his eyes softened.

"Are you scared?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he managed to reply, his light for once in control. "Kairi, I-" He gasped and turned away, his darkness threatening to take control again.

She squeezed his hand. "Sora," she whispered. "You know you don't have to do this, right?"

"I know- I just-" He winced, another wave of pain shooting through him as his darkness took control again. He shuddered, and Kairi watched worriedly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"No, I'm fine," he said, rather quickly.

Kairi sighed. For a second she had gotten through to him. But his darkness was too strong. His light was still there, she knew it, but it was out of reach. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'm fine! Stop worrying about me!"

Kairi was taken aback. She stared at him in shock for a second, and then turned away. "Okay…" she whispered, standing up and letting go of his hand. "But if you do want to talk about it, I'll listen."

He nodded roughly, looking anywhere but at her.

"See ya," she muttered, leaving.