Too Much
Time seemed to drag on as the Magic Train moved through Twilight Town toward our new destination. Solemn, I stared out the window across from the seat I was sitting in to the sun setting on the horizon. The view was beautiful. The blending colors of orange, red, and golden yellow was just right, spanning over the town below. I wish that we could have stayed in the town longer. Just long enough for me to try and render the magnificent sky, but I had a feeling that whatever I did wouldn't give it justice. Sighing, I pulled my attention away and glanced at Kaity sitting beside me. Her faces was blank, so there was no telling what she was thinking about.
A flash of light lit up the train car and we were suddenly moving along a invisible track through a strange space. Curious, I turned to kneel on my seat and look out the window behind me. Swirling golden clouds (or mist?) flowed past us, underneath the train car. Then the car stopped abruptly and I toppled onto Kaity.
"Hey!" She exclaimed, pushing me off onto the floor. "Watch it!"
I stuck my tongue out at her and picked myself up. The five of us exited the train onto a small, grassy piece of land. I looked back over my shoulder to see the train roll away. Abandoning us on this inescapable land.
"Sam!"
I turned and saw the others at the door of a yellow brick tower that rose three or four stories above or heads. Several branches stuck out of the sides below the pointed green roof. None of the windows held a light in them. Wary, I ran up to the others waiting by the door.
"Are you sure someone's home?" I asked cautiously.
"Of course Yen Sid is here." Sora said, pushing open the huge door. "We were summoned, remember?"
I made a exasperated face at him as we all followed him into the tower. Then there were stairs. A lot of stairs. It's like someone is trying to make us work-out with all of this running and walking up and down stairs. By the time we reached the door that would lead us into Yen Sid's study, I was ready to go back to bed.
Sora hesitated outside of the door. Deciding manners were the proper way to go, he lifted his fist to the door and lightly knocked on it.
"Enter." A deep voice said, muffled by the thick wood.
The five of us filed into the small study with Sora leading the way and Roxas bringing up the rear. I stopped a few feet in and wrapped my arms around myself. I don't know why, but the place was giving me chills. My eyes roamed across the room, taking in everything. The many books carefully stacked on shelves and on the ground, small objects the shone in the light coming in from the star and moon shaped windows, and then the desk. The desk that sat in front of us with a old wizard sitting behind it, taking in all of us with his striking blue eyes. Master Yen Sid looked like a rather severe-looking old man with long, grey hair, bushy eyebrows, and a long, grey beard that parted down the middle. The famous, conical sorcerer's hat was on his head, blue and decorated with several yellow stars and a yellow crescent moon.
The old Master waited patiently for us to enter and stand before him. His gaze glided over all of us, pausing only briefly upon Kaity, Roxas, and me. I met his eyes for a moment and instantly regretted it. It felt as if he wasn't looking at me, but through me. A shiver ran up my spine and I looked away.
A moment later, he spoke, "I've been expecting you," He said deeply. "It's about time you decided to come."
Sora sheepishly scratched his neck. "Yeah... we got a little sidetracked."
Yen Sid's eyes flickered to the three of us again. "Yes, I know," He said, looking back at the other two boys. "You are here now, so let's get started."
Rising from behind his desk, Yen Sid lifted his arm to gesture at a door to the left of his desk. I blinked, startled. That hadn't been there a second ago. "I'm afraid the contents of this conversation are for Sora and Riku only. You may wait in the next room."
I scoffed silently. I'm so over the whole secret meeting thing. I turned to Sora and Riku and waved. "See you later."
Kaity must have been feeling fed up with the secret stuff too, because she looked like she was about to throw a fit. I took a hold of her hand and pulled her along behind me to the door. Roxas followed behind and the three of us went through it and up the spiral staircase on the other side.
We came out in a room that was slightly bigger than the one we just left. A fireplace was set into the wall on the left with a few chairs and a couch surround it. Tapestries hung over the stonework of the room, telling unknown stories. The room was furnished in shades of green, purple, and gold. But what really caught my attention was the huge mirror hanging above the fireplace mantle.
The three of us dispersed into the room, checking out various things. I tossed aside my bow and bag into a empty chair and went up to the mirror. I stopped before it, crossed my arms comfortably, and stared up into it. The framework was incredible. So detailed in its vine, leaf, star, and moon pattern. My eyes then went to my reflection. My face twisted as I saw how crappy I looked. My hair was messy, like I had just gotten out of bed and there were light purple bags under my eyes. The only part of my face that didn't look too horrible were my eyes, but even they reflected the tiredness that radiated from me. But it was a different kind of tiredness. Somehow... they seemed older. Like someone who has seen all of the horrors of the world and still lived.
Mesmerized, I reached up and lightly touched the reflection of my eyes. Just to be sure that it was real. A sharp pain snapped in my eyes and I watched in horror as the increasingly familiar gold color swirled across my iris. My breath caught and I snatched my hand back as if I were burned. Shadows crept into my vision and a chill ran down my spine.
...Sam...
A sharp pain slammed into my skull. I gasped as my hands flew to my head. I couldn't pull my eyes away from my reflection. I couldn't even blink! I started to back away as the hair beneath my hands began to turn a startling white. Voices filled my head, pushing against my own panicked thoughts.
...Sam...you must...please!...
I opened my mouth in a silent scream. What's happening?! It feels like my heart I trying to jump out of my chest!
... he's... trouble...Sam...help him...Sam!...SAM!...
"Sam?"
I shut my eyes and fell to my knees. My head was pounding at the same panicked pace my heart was. Footsteps ran over to me. "Oh my God, Sam!" Kaity knelt next to me and grabbed my shoulders. Roxas stood behind her, lost on what to do. "Breath, okay?" She coached. "In...and out. Just breath. Everything's okay."
"No...pain...voices..." I mumbled incoherently. "Someone's... in trouble..." I worked to control my breathing, forcing my heart to stop trying to break free.
"What?" Kaity asked calmly before shaking her head. "Never mind, you can tell us later. Just... calm down." I made myself do what she said. It took a few moments, but I stabilized. Kaity brushed back some damp strands of hair from my eyes, and I saw relief fill her eyes when I said I was fine. I stayed kneeling there, though.
"What happened?" Roxas asked as he crouched down.
I looked up at him. He looked really worried. I looked away, into the fire. "I don't know." I mumbled. "I...I felt this really sharp pain in my head and... then I heard a voice..."
"What did they say?" Kaity asked, making it so that I looked at her.
"Um..." I said, whipping the heel of my hands across my eyes. "It was really broken up. Like a cell phone call going in and out of service." I explained. "I only caught every other word. My name... and it sounded like someone was asking for help. To help him..."
Kaity and Roxas exchanged a look. "Who's 'him'?" Kaity asked.
I shrugged and closed my eyes. "I don't know."
Why was all of this happening to me? Kaity and Roxas didn't say anything about my hair or eyes, so I guess they were back to their original color. That was really freaky, though. I felt like I was drowning. Suffocating in the darkness. My fingers unconsciously went to fiddle with my necklace. Kaity noticed and sighed, knowing that I wasn't going to talk about it anymore.
The door on the other side of the room opened and the three of us snapped our heads up to look. Riku and Sora came in with Yen Sid and King Mickey in tow. When did the king get here? The four of them saw us by the fireplace and sent us questioning looks. We stood up and I cleared my throat and hoped that I didn't look like I had just been through an episode.
"It's time for Sora and I to face the Mark of Mastery." Riku announced. "To become true Keyblade Masters." There was a new fire in his eyes... determination, maybe?
"How?" Kaity asked, moving over to them.
"We have to face a challenge to prove that the light in our hearts is true." Sora said, crossing his arms across his chest. "By facing the darkness in our hearts."
"How will you do that?" I asked, moving to stand by Kaity.
Yen Sid moved the boys, "Come," He said, opening a door on the other side of the room. The three of us followed Riku, Sora, and the king into the room. We entered a circular room about as big as Yen Sid's study. Two beds were set against a wall, across from the other. A window in the shape of a moon sat in the wall between the two beds. On the other side of the beds were bookcase's set into the walls with tons of books stacked on the shelves.
"Riku and Sora will face their challenge inside of their dreams," Yen Sid explained as he stopped in the center of the room. "To receive the Mark, they must face the darkness and find their way back to waking world on their own."
...Interesting challenge. Why not just make them fight one another? "How long will that take?" I asked glancing between the old master and the boys.
"As long as it needs too." Yen Sid rumbled.
Riku and Sora walked over to either bed and stood beside them. Sora looked up to us and half smiled. "See you later," he smiled, laying down on the bed. Yen Sid lightly touched Sora's forehead and drew a line down to touch his heart. I blinked as a sudden weight fell upon my head and heart as Sora's eyes closed and he drifted off into sleep. Strange... I feel all dizzy. Like I was the one that was supposed to be sleeping.
Yen Sid moved over to Riku, who was lying down already and staring at the ceiling. "Goodnight," I said quietly. Riku shifted his eyes to me and smirked as Yen Sid sent him to sleep as well. I groaned as the weight doubled, making it hard to keep my eyes open. I lifted a hand to my temples. Yen Sid turned and saw me struggling with the weight and a strange look came over his face.
"Sam... I would like to speak to you." He said, turning to the others. "Privately." There was a bit of an edge to his voice. A brief flutter of fear flew up my spine. What did I do?
A look of protest over came Kaity's face and she opened her mouth to say something, but Roxas took her wrist and pulled her out of the room. She shouted in surprise and the king followed. I opened my mouth to protest for Kaity, but sighed in defeat as the door closed. Reluctant, I turned to look at the retired Keyblade Master and wizard. What would he want to talk to me about?
I watched him warily, waiting for him to speak, but he just walked over to the window and stared out to the universe. Impatient now, I went to the bed Sora was sleeping on and sat down. I was so tired. I watched Sora's chest rise and fall as he breathed. I wonder what he's dreaming about...
"History," Yen Sid finally said. "Keeps her secrets longer than most of us. But she has one secret that I will reveal to you tonight in the greatest confidence. Sometimes there are no winners at all." He turned to face me, a brightness in his eyes. "And sometimes nobody needs to lose."
I didn't say anything. I hope that he didn't expect me too. Deciding to just keep my eyes down, I folded my hands in my lap and waited for whatever he was going to unleash upon me. I didn't want to accidently tick off one of the most powerful wizards in the universe. That would really suck.
"The moment you entered this tower, I felt your heart. Even through the shield that has been cast around it. I sensed the light...and the darkness..." I tightened my folded hands into fists. I didn't like other people talking about my darkness problem. "It has been a long, long time since I have felt such power."
A bit of his blue robe fluttered into my vision as he turned back to the window. "Everything is connected. That will never change, however...everything else will never be the same.
"From what I am told, you and your friend are from another universe. The original source of all power." I looked up at the old wizard. "I know much about the histories of this universe. I know how close it resides to yours. However, I never thought that the two might pull the other across the line." His hand lifted and brushed down his long beard, as if in thought. "This troubles me deeply. To cross that line means that there is more to this story then I expected. That times have become far worse than I have seen."
Worse? "Master Yen Sid," I said quietly. "I don't understand what is happening to Kaity and me. I know our place and what has happened to create such a divided between our universe's, but why are we here? What help are we? I'm an artist, Kaity sings and acts! How can we save anyone if we can't even save ourselves?" I blurted out.
Yen Sid was silent, thinking. "Twelve years ago," He began, "There were three young Keyblade Masters who lost themselves in the darkness. Master Xehanort made sure of that. He has condemned many for the success of his own ambitions. Using their lives for his own goal. Manipulating them...
"We have searched all these years for the whereabouts of these poor hearts. Every trail we have followed has ended in disappointment. It wasn't until the journeys of these two young men here that we received any signs. I never thought that it would come to this though..."
"To what?" I asked when he didn't continue.
He turned to me. "It is not yet time to reveal everything. You will learn only what you need to know now.
"The three Masters names were Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. They were trained together under the guidance of Master Eraqus, one of the most powerful Masters in time. He knew many of the mysteries of this universe and sought to keep them just that. Secret.
"We have located the whereabouts of Ven and Aqua's hearts." He admitted. "We need only locate Terra now. But I fear that this goal will be even more difficult than before... with what has recently happened."
"What has happened?" I asked carefully.
"An old enemy has returned to corrupt this universe once again." He said gravely.
"Who is it?" I asked exasperated.
"It is Master Xehanort."
"What?" I gasped, jumping up from the bed. "How's that possible? Sora defeated his heartless and his nobody! He should be gone forever!"
"When the embodiment of the heart and vessel have been destroyed, the original body will be incarnated," He explained. "And I fear that he is not alone this time..."
"What do you mean?" Not alone? Who else could he have with him?
"Even I am not quite sure." He said, looking over the two sleeping boys. "You and your friend's appearance is not a coincidence. Somehow, you are tied into this. Sora and Riku informed me of the recent happenings and what they interpret them to mean. The king has voiced his theories as well. Now..." He trailed off, turning to stare at me with hard eyes. "I would like to know what you have been hiding."
Hiding? I stared blankly at Yen Sid. I still couldn't get past the fact that Master Xehanort had returned. And there were more than just him? My legs finally gave out and I was sitting on the floor with my knees pulled up close. How could this have happened? All that trouble everyone went through to make sure he was gone and now he's back? This is just perfect. We're in some seriously deep crap.
"I don't understand," I said hollowly. "I'm not hiding anything."
"Oh, but you are," He said matter-of-fact. "Your heart says differently. Why don't you start with the happenings at Castle Oblivion? For us to know how to play the game, we must first know what we are up against."
The game? I looked up at him. "Uh...well, at Castle Oblivion, Kaity and I were ambushed by four human formed heartless. All being the other half's of Nobodies Sora had defeated in the past." I shook my head. "God knows how many more there are. Divan wasn't to inclined to tell me." A strange feeling went through me at the thought of the dark haired boy. "And then there is the master the Divan talks about. I don't know who it is though..."
"This master..." He mused. "It must be Xehanort. Already, he has attained another apprentice..."
"How do you know that Xehanort is the 'master'?" I asked.
"History..." He rumbled, turning away. "Has a way of repeating itself..."
Vague much? I groaned and dropped my head into my knees. This was so much worse than I thought.
Divan is working for a crazy Keyblade Master that wants to use me to conquer this universe and probably mine as well. Just perfect. To go with everything, I have to help save some lost hearts, stop a coming war that, by the way, is a war over me, and fight the darkness in my heart that every second grows stronger? I just had a panic attack not five minutes ago when the darkness attacked me! I am in way over my head. God, I thought all of this was Sora's job.
I looked over to Sora as he slept soundly. It is his job. All of it. Not mine. But... I'm a part of it. For some reason, through whatever connection I have to him, I was brought here for him. "I'm here for Sora," I said softly. "I don't know how or why, but to win this war... he can't do it alone." There is a reason I'm here. I can do something that Sora can't. "I guess... that's what friend are for."
"Yes," Yen Sid admitted. "Sora is the only one who can truly free them all. Now, how do know about a war?"
Um," I mumbled, turning away from his accusing stare. My fingers found my necklace and began to fiddle with it. "I-I had a... vision about... a, uh, war." I muttered quietly.
"No one has mentioned this," He stated hollowly.
"Well, I hav-haven't really told anyone... yet." I stuttered.
It was quiet. Suddenly, a wave of power rolled over and past me. I gasped and looked up to the old wizard. He was angry. My breath caught in my throat and I scrambled to my feet, taking a step back around Sora's bed. Better to put some distance between us.
"You had a vision of a war," He said, his voice hard. "And you decided not to tell anyone? Why?"
"I had the vision in Castle Oblivion," I explained hurriedly. "In a strange room called the Room of Reflection. I saw a war between us and them. It... it was horrifying." A chill went down my spine as the memory of said vision came to mind.
His expression changed to one of comprehension. Like he knew what I was talking about. Did he know about the room? "Do you know what was being fought over? Specifically?" He demanded.
"Uh, yeah," I said, not meeting his gaze. "Its... uh, the war is a fight for... um, me..." I finished quietly.
"You?"
I looked at him. He seemed confused. "I don't know why, but that's what I saw." I said, brushing my hair out of my eyes. "At first, I thought that the bad guys wanted me for my relation to Namine and my ability to manipulate her powers. Now... I'm not so sure. I think that there's more to it than that."
"What would make you think that?" He asked deeply.
"I don't know," I muttered, pressing a had to my head. I was getting a headache. "I don't know anything. I just feel like I'm being played."
The silence stretched on for a few moments. It made me wonder what he was thinking about. I didn't dare look up though. Intimidation and shame kept me looking at my shoes and my hand pressed to my forehead.
"Sora...is the key." Yen Sid finally said. "There is a energy that surrounds you that is close to the same frequency as his. However... it is dim. As though it is not yet your time to assist this universe."
"Then why am I here?" I sighed, looking up at him.
"You are not yet ready to help." He stated. "Sora and Riku have had to mature rapidly over these past few years. They understand now what has to be done and will make it happen to achieve their goals. You do not yet understand this."
Yeah...I sighed in my thoughts. I winced and put my hand back to my temples as another sharp pain sliced through my head. God, it really hurt. I shut my eyes closed tight and put my other hand to the wall to steady myself. A slight burn washed over my eyes. What's happening? Why am I suddenly being pelted with these pains?
I didn't notice him approach me, but I felt the light weight of his hand touch the top of my head. At once, the pain vanished and the burning went away. Yen Sid backed away as I lifted my head, bewildered. "How..." I breathed, confused.
"Something has been trying to contact you," He explained thoughtfully. "Desperately, I might add. That charm," He said looking to my necklace. "Is a shield. A magical object that protects your heart by hiding its true power behind an illusion of an average heart." His hand slid down his long gray beard thoughtfully. "I suspected that when I saw it, but wasn't sure. Someone... is making sure that you are protected."
I watched as he went into a thoughtful silence and turned back to stare out the window. My fingers twirled the pendent around. So, it's a protection charm. How interesting. I traced the intricate design that was set into the moon. Kaity's must be protecting her heart as well. Now that I think about it, Ienzo had said something about not being able to sense the energy in our hearts. That they were being blocked by something.
A bolt of shock ran up my spine as a thought struck me. When I went to Castle Oblivion, I wasn't wearing the necklace. I had left it with Riku in Radiant Garden. That's why Ienzo could read my heart when I entered the castle. There was no shield protecting my heart.
Then, out of nowhere, Yen Sid turned and headed for the door. "Take this time to reflect and decide who you must be and what you must do. Perhaps you will learn something."
And he was gone, leaving behind more questions than answers.
I ran a hand down my face and sunk to the floor, pulling my knees close and resting my forehead on them. Closing my eyes, I listened to the breathing of Riku and Sora. At moments, ones breath would pick up, slow down, and hitch. It was like they were fighting. When they finally wake up, what new horrors will they bring with them?
Light footsteps walked slowly into the room. A few seconds later, someone sat next to me with a sigh. Another set of steps came in and hesitated before moving to Sora's bed. I took a deep breath and moved to rest my head on Kaity's shoulder. I spared Roxas a glance and saw him sit down at the foot of Sora's bed. Kaity leaned her head against mine in an attempt to comfort me. "You okay?" she asked softly.
"No," I mumbled.
Roxas looked over at me when I said that and a strange emotion washed over his face. I looked away. I felt like I was intruding on a private thought. "What are we going to do, Kai?" I whispered.
Kaity took a deep breath, "About all of this free time we suddenly have or about the whole you being the bad guys most wanted?"
"Both."
"I don't know, Nami," she sighed. "I don't know."
Silver moonlight washed across the blankets of my bed. I laid wide awake, staring out the star shaped window in the wall. How many hours have I been lying here? Unable to sleep? Every time I closed my eyes, darkness would consume me and a evil laugh would echo through my mind. It scared me. A lot.
Turning over onto my other side, I watched Kaity sleep peacefully. A wave of envy washed over me. What I would give to sleep right now instead of being forced to remain awake and think. Huffing, I kicked the blankets off of me and sat up. Brushing my fingers through my hair and straightening my borrowed tank-top and sleep pants, I slipped off the bed to my feet. With a last look at Kaity, I quietly snatched up my bag and slipped out of the room.
The fireplace here never seemed to dim or go out. How convenient. I flopped down into the chair that faced away from our temporary bedrooms and dug through my bag. Pulling out my sketchbook and pencils, I criss-crossed my legs in the chair and flipped to my work-in-progress. Right now, the picture just showed the outline of two eyes and a nose. I picked out a pretty golden colored pencil and set to work. They were my eyes. The alien eyes that appeared whenever the darkness got to close to my heart.
I must have been working on that picture for an hour. With every stroke of my pencils, the strange image of that other me came alive. Why am I changing into this image? What does it mean? The white hair...the gold eyes... was I turning into some kind of monster?
No. No, I wasn't becoming a monster. I was just...
I set down my pencils and looked over the picture. How could Namine do this? Draw all of this and be okay with not knowing what it means. Just knowing that somehow it's important.
"Can't sleep?"
I gasped and whipped around to see Roxas walking over in his sleep pants and shirt. "God, Roxas," I hissed. "What are you? Part ninja?"
He smirked, making my heart skip a few beats. "I spoke this time, didn't I?" He stood over my chair, resting his arms on the top and peering down at my book. "That's... interesting."
I looked down. "It's a monstrosity. " I muttered bitterly, shutting the sketchbook with more force than necessary.
"What inspired it?"
I didn't answer. What would I have said? That it's me when I am being infected by the darkness?
Roxas sensed my hesitation and despair. He moved around the chair and knelt down until he was eyelevel with me. I turned my head away, not willing to meet his eyes. Afraid of what he would find there. I was a really easy person to read. Besides, what if my eyes suddenly decided to change color again? I closed them for good measure. I felt his hand try to turn my face toward him, but I turned further away. "Roxas... there's something wrong with me."
"What makes you say that?"
I opened my eyes and looked at him, confused. "Uh, have you not noticed?"
He didn't say anything this time. Scoffing, I pushed past him to stand up. My pencils and sketchbook fell carelessly to the ground. I walked over to stand in front of the fire, refusing to look up past the mantel to the mirror above. "I can't sleep because every time I close my eyes, I see golden ones staring back at me." I whispered to the crackling flames. It was a struggle to keep from breaking completely down. "It feels like someone is trying to tear me apart from the inside out. Like a battle is raging inside..." I shook my head slightly. "Something is happening... I can feel it."
Silence followed for a moment before Roxas let out a frustrated groan behind me. I turned to see him rubbing his eyes in aggravation. "Ugh...this is maddening."
Okay...what?, I thought confused.
He dropped his hand and looked at me. "Ever since the day I met you and Kaity, there has been this weird pull in me." He admitted, running a hand through his tangled hair. "Like..."
"Like what?" I asked when he didn't continue.
"Nothing."
Roxas sat down on the left side of the couch and stared past me into the fire. There was a strange expression on his face, like he was struggling with something in his thoughts. He almost seemed wretched. "'Nothing can come of nothing.'" I quoted, sitting next to him, turned somewhat with my knees on the cushion. "It's okay, you know..." I said quietly. "You can trust me. That is... if you ever want to talk..."
He turned his eyes to mine. "I know."
I was lost again. Lost inside the endless depth of his eyes. But... instead of the usual content light hidden in them, melancholy was all I saw. A wave of shock hit me. "Roxas?" I whispered, concerned. I reached out to try and comfort him, but froze with my hand in mid-air. I bit my lip and adverted my eyes, pulling my hand back into my lap. It's not my place.
Roxas saw my hesitation and, surprisingly, grinned softly back. He lifted his own hand and brushed away some loose hairs out of my face, tucking them behind my ear. "You like me, don't you?"
A tremor of something that felt like a mixture of fear and shock flooded my mind. What? Did he really just ask that? I felt my cheeks warm immensely. "That is not a question that you ask a girl." I snapped back sharply.
He looked a little taken aback by my response. "I only asked because... I think I like you, too." He confessed, a light pink dusting his cheeks.
So many thoughts and emotions ran through my mind and heart in that one moment of silence. Then another thought hit me, freezing everything and turning it into a rolling sadness. Of course... why hadn't I seen it before? It was so obvious.
"It's Namine, " I said, closing my eyes. "There's a part of her in me. That's why you feel a pull toward me." And probably why I feel a pull toward you..., I thought bitterly. God I'm so stupid. A foolish high school girl.
Roxas was silent. "No," He said after a moment. "I don't think it's that."
I opened my eyes, confused. "What do you mean? How could it not?"
"I know how I feel about Namine," He said, softly. "This feels different. My feelings for Namine come from my heart. But this... it feels like it's coming from another place. A deeper and stronger place."
I small smile pulled at my lips. I pulled my legs up onto the couch and crossed them under me. "Yeah...me, too." He was right. These feelings were coming from a deeper place as well as my heart.
"Here," He said, shifting a bit to reach into a pocket. He pulled back his hand with something silvery dangling from it. "This is for you."
I shot him a look and took the object from his hand, letting it sprawl in my hand. It was a necklace. Very simple looking. A delicate silver chain looped across my skin while a light weight silver pendent rested in the middle of my palm. It was half of a broken heart. I turned the pendent over and saw golden letters inscribed into the silver. From top to bottom, it read: 'Not ev...can...ap...'
My eyes brows scrunched together in confusion. What is it supposed to say? "Roxas..."
"I saw it in a shop in Radiant Garden," He went on, nervously rubbing his neck. "I thought it was nice and then this feeling just came over me." He shrugged, sheepish. "I felt like you should have it."
"Where's the other half?" I asked as I traced the broken edge.
"It wasn't there."
Strange, I thought, looking down at the object. To buy one half and leave the other...
"If you don't like it," Roxas said hastily. "I'm sure you could return it or something. Or you could-"
"Roxas," I said, silencing his rambles by pressing a finger to his lips. I pulled away, smiling softly. "I think it's sweet," I assured him. I held out the necklace. "Can you put it on me?"
He took it from me and I turned around, giving him my back. I pulled off my other necklace and threw it over to my bag. I would be fine without it for one night. I pulled my hair up so it wouldn't get caught and Roxas pulled the piece of jewelry around my neck, clipping it securely. I dropped my hair and let my hand fall to the new piece of silver. I closed my eyes and noticed that a slight pulse of energy seemed to circle the pendent. It was comforting... like a little heart beat...
I turned around to say something, but a huge yawn burst from me. It left a huge cloud of drowsiness over my thoughts and made it difficult to keep my eyes open.
"Okay, bed time."
Then I was suddenly being pulled backwards by a set of hands. I yelped as I landed comfortably on my side, lying next to Roxas on the couch. My face warmed. "Uh...Roxas?"
He hummed tiredly in response.
"Uh..."I didn't know what to say. He wants to sleep out here? With me lying next to him?, I thought as my face tried to resemble a cherry.
Roxas lifted his head. "Are you okay with this?" He asked. "I figured that you probably wouldn't get much sleep if you were alone. I've noticed that you think way to much when you're on your own."
As easy to read as a book. That's me. "No... this is fine." I murmured, tucking my chin against my chest and closing my eyes. Kaity is going to get a kick out of this.
Roxas laid down his head, tucking one arm under his head and draping another over my side. A moment later, his breathing slowed into a deep sleep.
My blush followed me into sleep as I synced my breathing with his. I fell into sleep, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, before remembering that he shouldn't have one.
My dreams took me to an empty, white space. Dimly aware of what was happening, I wondered around aimlessly. A invisible breeze lifted my hair and caressed my skin. It was a soft breeze. Warm.
A figure appeared in the distance. I noticed and turned to the shape. As I approached, I saw spiky blonde hair. I stopped in surprise. "Roxas?"
The figure lifted his head and turned to look at me, but before I could speak again, my vision became blurry and darkness washed over me.
"Sam."
I turned in the darkness and saw Namine standing a few feet away, smiling. "Namine?" I said, walking over to her. "What just happened?"
"Something that a lot of people have been waiting on for a very long time," She smiled brightly. "However, now is not the time for you to learn what it was. I've come to speak with you."
"Okay," I said, brushing some hair out of my eyes. "Shoot."
"My time to leave this universe is coming," she said, tucking her hands behind her back. "It's time for me to tell you everything I can."
"Your time?" I questioned. Then I gasped in understanding, "No, Namine! You can't leave!"
She smile sadly. "I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time, " She told me. "The only way for Sora to help me is by finally obtaining the part of himself that I still hold inside of me." She lifted a hand to her heart. "With it, he will come to learn everything I know, everything he had forgotten, and everything that he will need to know to win this war. It all won't come to him at once, but in time it will."
"If that's all you needed to do to be free, why haven't you joined with Sora already?" I asked.
"Because I needed to wait for you. To tell you of what you need to know to help him."
I looked at her, sadly. "What will happen to you?"
She smiled softly. "I don't know."
I closed my eyes and a tear shed down my cheek. I felt Namine brush it away and grab my hand. "Come, there is much to talk about."
She pulled my foreword. When I opened my eyes, I didn't see the darkness around us. No, somehow we were transported to Namine's white room at the mansion in Twilight Town. She released my hand and we both sat in the only two available chairs in the room, set across from one another at the ends of a long white table. I settled on the cold seat and watched patiently as Namine gathered her thoughts. "I need to tell you more about Dierdra and your connection to her." She began. I nodded and she took a deep breath.
"When the shadows descended upon Radiant Garden, Dierdra was saved by a warrior and sent with a group with a group of refugees to another world, Traverse Town, to be exact." She began. "She was one of the few children that made it to that world. As she grew older, she learned to fight the darkness and was a cherished warrior. However...when the king was sent out to find her and bring her back to begin her training to become a Keyblade Master, she went missing. The only witness of her disappearance was a fourteen-year-old boy. Not long after, this boy went missing as well.
"I fear that Dierdra is truly gone from this universe. I believe that her heart and soul have completely joined together with yours." She admitted softly. "The only way for that to happen is if she was completely destroyed by the darkness and willingly went through the link you both share. I think this is the reason why your eyes shift to another color. The subconscious part of your mind that is Dierdra surface's and allows a easier path for the darkness to connect to you because she is mostly darkness."
It took me a moment to take in what Namine was saying, but it all made sense. It would explain so much. The weird pull from the shadows... why there is more darkness in my heart then average. "Okay," I breathed, "I understand."
"The thing is... I'm afraid that this connection is only going to make it harder to face down Master Xehanort." Namine said somberly. "He will use the darkness in that connection to hold you. Use it against you and manipulate you with it. If you are to help Sora, then there can be nothing holding you."
Everything was just becoming more and more difficult. "What can you tell me about Master Xehanort?"
Namine hesitated at my question. "Xehanort..." She seemed to be struggling to find the right words. "He has become far more than a simple Keyblade Master. Far more than just being human..."
"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.
"Xehanort is the first to ever come back from the darkness. His heart... it's infected by the darkness, allowing him to perform abilities unlike anything ever seen. This power has given him the strength to call on and divide his heart and soul. To create versions of himself."
"What?" I gasped, rising from my chair. "You mean that there's more than one of him?!"
"Yes," She confirmed fearfully.
This information ran through me like a freight train. More than one monster was after us. After the universe. My knees gave out and I fell back heavily into my chair.
"He's so strong," Namine said, shutting her eyes tight. "His power has been multiplied by the darkness. He still wants to take over everything. Including all of the other universe's. But he can't. No matter what power he has, it's not enough. He needs to possess a even stronger power to control so many hearts. To be able to create a whole new world in his image.
"That's why he wants you, Sam," She said, meeting my eyes. "He found out about your strange abilities... the rare connection you hold. With you, he can accomplish his goals. To defeat him, it will take more than Riku, Sora, and the king. That's the reason why you need to find Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. To win this war, every keyblade wielder has to fight."
My mind was taking way to much information today. I swear, it feels like my brain is going to melt down and start leaking out of my ears. "But can't Xehanort find and use you too?"
She smiled guiltily. "That is another reason why I am leaving. By my rejoining with Sora, it will give Sora more strength, but will also leave no loop holes for Xehanort to find." Her smile vanished. "Yes, this act is extremely selfish, but it is what must be done. As much as I hate to admit it, he needs to go after you. It's the way this story unfolds."
I leaned my elbows on the table and held my head in my hands. Everything is so messed up.
"Sora will know all of this when we wakes up," She stated. "Right now, he's beginning to discover what it will take to bring this darkened time to a end." She stood and walked over to me. I looked up as she approached."There is so much more for you to know, but we've run out of time."
"Namine..." I said warily, standing up as well.
"Please...take care of Roxas." She said with a small smile. With our eyes locked, Namine lifted a hand to my forehead and laid a single finger on my skin.
At once, a severe pain burst in my head and flashes of light passed over my eyes. I cried out and fell to my knees. Bright images slide in through my eyes to my mind. The visions kept coming faster and faster. I couldn't tell what they were. But I saw something...
White hair...and golden eyes. Lea standing under a heart shaped moon. Divan hiding in the shadows, weapon in hand. A dark haired boy, walking through a heavy rain. I saw a kingdom. A kingdom filled with a stunning light that slowly turned gray and disappeared into the darkness...
I see a light... it's so warm...