Identity Crisis

By: Orika

Orika: Now were on to the mall... What's gonna happen? Well let's just find out shall we?

Vampire Orika: But you know what's gonna happen... And that's because you're the one who wrote the story... Stupid Mortal...

Orika: Sigh You would never understand.

Italic: Thoughts

Bold: Flashbacks

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts but I can dream can't I?

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Chapter 4: Crossing Paths

X 0 X

After the session with Tifa, Naminé had been depressed; it was one of those times Cloud had wished never to have arranged these sessions. But he was doing it for her own good, her mental health so to say.

Cloud thought taking Naminé to the mall would keep her out of depression. The whole trip to the mall she never said a thing. Her mind was in a distant land.

"So Naminé is there anything in particular you want to buy?" Cloud asked parking the car.

"Hmm..." Naminé said snapping out of her thoughts. "Well... I'm running out of colouring materials." She said finally smiling.

"Alright then..." Cloud said. "We'll make a stop at the book store..." He finished as he turned off the engine.

X Roxas X

"Note to self never go to the mall with Olette..."

Roxas has been walking around the mall or rather to say being dragged by Olette to every store she sees, and that he is carrying all of her shopping bags.

"Olette can we take a break..." Roxas said. "I'm getting kinda tired." He finished.

"Oh okay let's take a break for a while." Olette said.

They both sat on a bench. Roxas dropped the bags in which Olette frowned.

"Hey you should be a little more careful with those." Olette said pouting.

"Well I would've been if only they weren't weighting me down." Roxas said. "And now I'm quite hungry." He said.

"Fine for your hard work I'll award you with a sea salt ice cream..." Olette said smiling. "Wait right here I'll be right back." She said standing up and headed for the ice cream stand.

Roxas sighed saying, "I am never gonna go shopping with Olette."

Roxas then noticed the book store. He then remembered recalled, how he stared at Naminé when she was in the book store browsing at some colouring materials. He stared at the glass until he saw a blond head by the set of colouring materials.

Then the blond lifted her head. Roxas eyes widened and his mouth slightly opening. He blinked a few times. No the image wasn't disappearing. It was her.

"Naminé..." Roxas said.

It wasn't an illusion. Roxas stood up from where he was sitting and his feet began to move.

"Naminé, but how..?"

"Hey Roxas, where are you going?" Olette's voice snapped Roxas out of his daze.

"What?" Roxas said turning his head and looked at Olette.

"Are you feeling alright?" Olette asked. "It looks like you've seen a ghost..." She said.

Roxas looked back at the store, she was gone. No blond haired girl in sight. He shook his head.

"I must be imagining things..." Roxas said.

"Imagining things?" Olette wondered. "Did something happen?" She asked.

"No it's nothing." Roxas said.

And they both walked off.

X Naminé X

Naminé and Cloud went out of the book store. She was so happy carrying her new drawing materials. Just then she saw a familiar spiky blonde haired kid carrying a few shopping bags. Though she recognized the girl who was clinging to him, carrying two sea salt ice creams with her.

"That's Olette..."

And she only knows one spiky blonde haired boy who was one of Olette's friends.

"Roxas..." Naminé mumbled.

"What did you say?" Cloud asked.

"Oh nothing..." Naminé said. "Nothing at all..." She added.

"But he said he didn't have anywhere to go..."

Well what did Naminé thought? Olette was smart, pretty and popular in school. She just happens to be every boys dream girl and what was she. A Nobody that's who, there was no way someone like him will like her. No one did like her any way, not once even when she was still alive.

Cloud noticed Naminé's sudden gloominess. They were heading home. It was sudden that she asked to go home.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked.

"I'm really not that important am I?" Naminé said. "Maybe it was better that I died instead of Kairi." She said.

"Naminé!" Cloud said. "Stop saying things like that. Of course you are important." He said glancing at her then looking back at the road.

"To you..." Naminé said. "But to them I'm no one... Just a Nobody..." She said.

"School..?" Cloud said.

"But there was this boy." Naminé said. "He was very nice to me, he said he used to be a student at Destiny High..." She added.

"Does he know you?" Cloud asked paying attention to every word Naminé is saying.

"Yes... He even said he was a classmate of Kairi." Naminé said. "But you know he called me by my name." She added.

"By your name..." Cloud said. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"He said Naminé..." Naminé said. "Not Kairi's twin..." She added.

As soon as they reached the house Naminé dyed her hair auburn, said her farewell to Cloud and left. He stood by the window and watch as she went out of sight. It was at that he remembered his conversation with Tifa after her the session early that morning.

X 0 X

"So far from what she has told me, she has a deeper reason why she agreed to be Kairi." Tifa said.

"Deeper reason?" Cloud wondered.

Tifa nodded looking at the paper she was holding.

"Tell me Cloud, her parents never did pay attention to her when Kairi was still alive am I correct?" Tifa said.

"Yeah that was very obvious." Cloud said rubbing his chin.

"No one loved her except for Kairi and this mysterious boy she told me about." Tifa said.

"Mysterious boy..?" Cloud wondered.

"She told me about it. A mysterious boy was leaving her notes folded in an origami bird." Tifa said. "And now that Kairi's dead and that the boy has disappeared because he thought that she was dead, no one is there to love her, to make her feel comfortable." She finished.

"What does that has to do with anything?" Cloud asked.

"Cloud people need someone to love them. Someone to make them feel there is a meaning to their lives." Tifa said. "And how old was Naminé at that time; the fear of being alone and unloved has brought her to be what she is now. Her father even brought her to asylum had made things worst; it's suppose to be a place for healing of people's problems. " She added glaring.

Tifa composed herself she wasn't acting right.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't be taking it out on you." Tifa said. "It's just that I can't stand what he's doing to her. He has the same profession as me and he was supposed to help her, she is her daughter but what is he doing? Cloud be at her side let her feel that she's not alone and unloved it's the only way to keep her mind at the right track." She finished.

"Naminé..." Cloud said. "Why do you have to suffer like you?" He said.

X Roxas X

That night Roxas couldn't stop thinking about who he saw back at the book store. He was certain it was her. He had a good look at her for long.

"Was my mind playing tricks in me?"

"I was sure it was her. I had a good look at her. Maybe it was just someone who looks like her, that's right or maybe..."

After a few hours of thinking Roxas has decided.

"I'll ask Kairi..." Roxas said. "She'll know something about it."

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Orika: I haven't really decided what age Kairi died. Care to give me some ideas.

Vampire Orika: What are the age requirements?

Orika: Let me see... Naminé is fifteen so somewhere below that... Thanks and Review please... Review, suggestion, criticism even flames... All are welcome and will not be rejected, until then...