Chapter Two

Naminé tried to get out of his hold but it didn't work. He stared her down with the same intense blue eyes Sora had once given him. Naminé gave up. She had been foolish to think she could convince Roxas to enjoy a day with her when such a day couldn't exist. She kicked forward with her legs until she was right up against Roxas and bowed her head in shame.

"We are the last existing nobodies. I made a deal with DiZ, or Ansem rather, a long time ago. If I were to exist after the rest of the Organization was defeated, and I had joined with Kairi, I had the option to part with Kairi for one more day as myself…before fading into darkness. I cheated, too. I wrote that you had to be free for the day, too, but you would go back to Sora afterwards. I just wanted one day…"

Roxas let go of her and felt a terrible weight in his stomach. He knew what this meant, what she was really after.

Today was their last goodbye.

To think I might not see those eyes

Makes it so hard not to cry

And as we say our long goodbye

I nearly do

Together in a slow rhythm they swam back to the shore. They were dripping wet and silent when they finally stepped up onto the land.

"I don't want to go back into Sora's heart!" Roxas said. Naminé looked up and saw his eyes glisten. "If you fade into darkness, I should too. I'm part of the Organization after all. That means we were not all defeated, so you shouldn't have to go." He looked over his shoulder, thinking that Naminé would be crying. Instead she had the corners of her mouth lifted in a small smile.

"Thank you…but it doesn't work that way."

Roxas stood still for a long time. Some gulls called at them from the sky as they flew by. By the time Roxas turned around to Naminé his hair was nearly dried. He put his hands on her shoulders and said, "I never had the chance to spend a day at the beach with Hayner, Pence, and Olette…but for you it's the least I can do."

Light up, light up

As if you have a choice

Even if you cannot hear my voice

I'll be right beside you dear

Naminé clapped her hands together. "Thank you, Roxas!"

The morning sun climbed up to the heights of noon quickly. They swam together in the ocean, played tag, and hide & seek. Roxas shed his two layers of shirts until he was running around with simply his white undershirt. Both of them ran barefoot, laughing. Eventually they climbed the palm trees to grab the paopu fruit at the top.

"What is this thing?" Roxas inquired. Naminé tilted her head sideways and examined the golden star. She weighed it in her hand and put her fingers to her chin, thinking.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. She held it with both hands and bent it until it snapped in two. She handed one half to Roxas.

"Want some?"

Roxas took his offered share of the food and they sat together in the shade of the tree nibbling on their treat. It was sweet and juicy, like a pineapple or an orange.

"I wish we could do this everyday," Naminé whispered. Roxas looked over at her, both their faces painted in longing. He held her hand and squeezed it until she lifted her head to look up at him.

"Me, too."

Louder, louder

And we'll run for our lives

I can hardly speak I understand

Why you can't raise your voice to say

Time seemed to speed up after that. They became tired and took to walking around silently, enjoying what every sense could take in. By accident they came across the hidden tunnel that Sora and Kairi had often shared as their "secret spot." The mid-afternoon sky had light pouring in the opening in the ceiling so all of the cave drawings her lit up. Naminé gasped at the chalky doodles that spanned from the floor to the rocky ground above. She put her hands over her mouth and closed her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Roxas asked. He abandoned the wall he was looking at to be near her. Naminé nodded and opened her eyes again slowly.

"This spot…this is where…I was created. This is where Kairi lost her heart."

Roxas took a step back. Before he could say anything (what could he say to something like that?) Naminé dashed passed him and fell to the ground. Roxas came behind her and saw what she was staring at: a tiny picture of Sora and Kairi, each handing over to the other what looked like a star-shaped object. Roxas and Naminé shared a glance that shared the same thought: What did the fruit have to do with anything?

"Maybe…Maybe it means they'll always be together," Naminé said. "And maybe it means somehow we can, too."

"But which way?" Roxas took a seat next to her, thinking to himself how his original self had terrible drawing skills. "Together in our somebodies, or together in darkness?"

"I don't know."

Slower, slower

We don't have time for that

All I want is to find an easier way

To get out of our little heads