Disclaimer: I don't own any character or reference used in this story.
Friday 10:20 pm. Somewhere onthe main highway of Radiant Garden.
Namine was driving in the dark of night. The scenery on the outward journey that had been peaceful and picturesque changed to an all grim and frightening due to the mantle of the night.
Namine was returning home in her little car. Her thin and fragile hands held the steering wheel tightly as if her life depended on it and somehow this affirmation was right.
The road was full of curves and a thick fog hampered visibility, in these cases it was advisable to go slowly but Namine wasn't a hundred percent in her five senses and what she wanted was to get home and not go out at her bed in a while if possible.
"Why always me? It's always me which ends up running away, it's not fair!" The mind of the young girl repeated over and over again. Two streams of tears went down her rosy cheeks.
Suddenly, out of nowhere something emerged from the darkness just before her startling her. She slammed on the brakes trying to stop the vehicle before it would coiling its way however the speed was excessive to stop so suddenly and caused the car to drift a few feet and crashed into a tree beside the road. Inside, Namine screamed in panic and anxiety until she lost consciousness by the impact.
Eight hours before ...
"Namine!" a certain redhead yelled throwing herself to hug her friend warmly in the hallway.
"Kairi? Hello!" Namine greeted her friend returning the gesture. Kairi let go allowing the blond to take the lab coat in her locker.
"Didn't see you in class Kai, where were you?"
"I woke up late and even though I ran I arrived twenty minutes before the end of the class"
"That's why; if you like I can give you the notes later." Namine said shutting her locker.
"Really? You are my heroine!" The blonde giggled at her friend's effusive response.
"Hey Nam..."
"Mmm"
"I wanted to know if you like, I don't know... accompany me to the amazing party that will be at Seifer's place?" Kairi asked throwing a sweet smile.
Namine winced doubting whether to go or not. She was definitely not a party girl neither a party-pooper but she didn't know if it was a good idea.
"I don't know..." the blond said walking beside Kairi.
"Oh come on don't be antisocial!" the redhead teased her.
"I... I have class, see you later!"
"Namine Evans you're not going to sneak out of this, we will continue this conversation later. Oh by the way, good luck with your cutelab partner!"
"How do you know about my partner?" Namine stopped and turn to see her friend.
"I have my ways. See you at lunch!" Kairi said skipping to her own class.
The laboratories were among some of the most spacious halls of the school. They had good illumination and the best equipment that the school could acquire.
There were 8 tables occupied by each pair and on the whiteboard the teacher wrote several formulations and equations.
"Hey Nami, you have no partner?" Yuffie asked approaching the table of the blond.
Yuffie was a petite girl with short jet black hair and dark brown eyes, she was one of those people who born with too much energy for their own good but who are likeable. Namine and she had shared classes since last semester and were good friends.
"Hey Yuff, if I have partner but he hasn't arrived yet and to be honest I prefer him not to come?" Namine rolled her eyes at the memory of her own companion.
"Why, who is?" the raven haired girl asked eagerly, nearly jumping of the excitement.
"The newcomer" the blond retorted apathetic.
"Class, the material you'll need is on your worktables, you must complete the equations that are on the board. You have two hours to do the exercise. You can start now." the teacher announced them sitting to read her book on the desk .
"Yuffie! Bring your ass here immediately!" Squal, better known as Leon, called from the table back to his companion.
"I'm coming, don't be hysteric!" she replied grinning at Namine who was restraining a laugh.
Yuffie and Leon had known each other for years so nobody, not even the teacher, was surprised at how rude they spoke to each other.
The little blonde was copying what was on the board when the classroom door opened suddenly.
"I'm glad you could join us Mr. Knight." the teacher said to the boy who was standing in the doorway trying to catch his breath.
"Sorry, may I come?" the woman simply nodded returning to her lecture.
Roxas scanned the place until he found Namine. He walked towards her, left his backpack on the floor and put on his coat before sitting on the bench.
"He came, well just ignore him Namine." she thought finishing to copy the last equation in her notebook.
Namine took her beaten lilac messenger and look for the copy of the practice but she didn't find it.
"Where I left that sheet?" she whispered, furiously scrambling the contents of her bag.
Roxas glanced towards Namine who was erratically throwing papers over the table. He sighed, took out two neatly folded papers form his own bag and handed one to the girl beside him. Namine eyed first the paper and then him, she opened it to discover it was her copy.
"You forgot it." Roxas said as he read his own copy.
"Th... Thanks." Namine responded taken aback at the favor.
Without answering he took several flasks with colored liquids and began to mix by himself. She did the same ignoring his movements but when she reached the third equation she didn't know how to interpret it.
"Is this... it's mixed or not?" confused, the blonde checked the equation but didn't found it sense.
Beside her the boy continued his work without problem. Namine looked at him subtly trying to see what he was doing but she got distracted by him. The way his hair moved when he smoothly turned his head, the way in which his hand wrote, every blink, every breath Roxas did the artist watched it carefully.
"Selphie had a point, he's... cute." The girl thought.
"What?" the blond boy questioned her with a sour expression, meeting her gaze.
"His eyes are so blue... like the deeps of the sea or the sky at midnight." She thought saying nothing just staring at him.
"Hey..." Roxas clicked his fingers before her face taking the blonde out of her trance.
Namine blushed humiliated for having been caught staring and looked away.
"Is... this equation, how did you do it?" Namine said trying to sound casual, pointing to her notebook. Roxas gave a look.
"The sign is wrong, change it."
The boy approached his pen to the notebook to make the amendment, the sleeve of his robe got up a bit revealing the back of his hand and she could see recent scratches there.
"What happened to you?" She asked touching his hand softly.
"None of your business." He hissed pulling his hand from her grasp, chagrined.
"Sorry for the worry." She said sarcastically
"Like I said... none of your business." He retorted huffing.
"You don't have to be so rude." She glared at him
"Whatever... I finished my part of the work, I'm leaving. Just hand it over."
Roxas handed her some papers with the last equations solved and the conclusions of the experiment before leaving the classroom silently. His handwriting was neat and clear, not like some other boys she knew. He also did the front page of the work, writing her and his name at the center of the page.
"Roxas A. Knight... Why didn't he write just his initial instead of his complete name?" She wondered to herself.
"Just ten minutes more until I collect the works." The teacher announced still reading her novel.
Namine quickly finished her part and handed it to the teacher leaving the class. She walked in the deserted hallways to her locker when her mobile started to ring.
"Hello?"
"Namine honey, how are you? Are you ok? Are you eating properly?" Penelo's ecstatic voice rang through the girl's sensible ears.
"Mom? Yeah I'm doing well, there's nothing to worry about." Namine said reassuring the woman at the other side of the line.
"I'm glad to hear that dear."
The petit artist could sense the forming smile on her mother's face although she couldn't see her.
"How are you and dad? How is feeling aunt Ashe? And when are you coming back?"
"We're ok and about your aunt the doctors said that she's fine and it's possible that she'll be released from hospital in a few days but I have to stay with her until then so you'll have to stay on your own a little more."
"…I'm glad that she's ok and don't worry mom I'll be fine. Oh gotta go, love you mom." The bell rang signaling the change of classes.
"Love you sweetheart, be careful." Namine hung up downhearted by her mother's news.
"Ahh I'm not in the mood to go to the other classes or to discuss with Kairi about that party… I better go home!"
Namine left her books and took her belonging from her locker before shutting it. She stretched her sore muscles and went straight to her house.
October was a month with warm weather, rain and cold at night so it was common to find mist.
Namine walked hurriedly to get to the warmth of her home. She had her hands in her coat pockets, her heavy lilac messenger hung from her shoulder bouncing from her hasty walk. After 20 minutes of walking Namine came to her lonely home, she entered and closed the door behind her leaving her bag on the coffee table in the middle of her living room and sat on the couch turning on the television.
She watched a typical horror movie with its cliché characters and predictable situations since she didn't feel like watching something else. She took the blanket that was beside her and covered her frail body. She closed her eyes slowly, little by little drifting into a deep sleep.
A group of teens were chatting animatedly in the school cafeteria. Sora, Riku, Kairi and Xion were at their usual table, everyone eating their lunch.
"Hey guys do you have something to do tonight?" Kairi asked them before taking another of her grapes.
"I don't." Xion answered without much interest sipping her juice.
"Have something on mind?" Sora asked quiet interested.
"Weeeeell there will be a party today so I thought we could go together."
"Where is it?"
"At Seifer's place"
"That's not a party; it's more like a suicide. Seifer's parties are famous for being wild." The raven haired girl said in distressed putting special emphasis on the wild part.
"Ohhh are little Xion afraid?" Riku teased her poking at her rosy cheek.
"Of course not!"
"Then will you go?" Kairi asked in a peppy tone.
"Well I... it depends on who's going." Xion said before sipping on her juice.
"Who else apart from us did you invited Kai?" Sora said with the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth.
"Invite Olette, Hayner, Pence, you and Namine."
"Now that mention it, where is Nam?" Xion asked looking around the cafeteria.
"I thought you'd know. I haven't seen her since the class before lunch." Kairi said confused.
"It is unusual for her to skip classes, better call her don't you think?" Riku suggested.
The redhead took out her mobile from her pocket and dialed Namine's number. She waited until the blond responded.
"Hello?" Namine's drowsy voice came out.
"Where are you?" Kairi asked in a so motherly way.
"Who is?" Namine's still drowsy voice murmured.
"Uhmm Kairi" She said matter of fact.
"What happen Kai?" Namine asked sitting up in her sofa rubbing her eyes.
"Where are you?" Kairi asked again popping another grape in her mouth.
"In my home."
"And why?"
"I'm not in mood to stay in school."
"You ok, that's not common in you." Now Kairi was preoccupied.
"I'm fine just a little tired"
"If that's the case... have you thought of what I told you earlier?"
"What?" Namine asked disconcerted.
"The party!" Kairi's eager voice exclaimed.
"Oh that... I'll not go." the blond said nonchalantly.
"Give me one good reason why you don't want to go?" A frown formed on Kairi's face although her blond friend couldn't see it.
"I just don't want to, I don't see the interesting thing in wearing an outfit in which I'll probably feel uncomfortable and go to a party where surely everyone, including us, will end drunk." Namine huffed at her own mobile.
"Oh come on don't make it sound that bad, it'll be fun! Olette, Selphie and even Xion said so they're going!" Kairi tried to reason with her stubborn friend.
"Me? When did I say that I will go?" Xion's voice could be heard on the background with the laughs of her other friends.
"That doesn't mean anything! Kai, I don't wanna go, I have no one to go and I don't want be left alone there. Also my parents aren't here." The blond replied looking outside her window
"Nam your parents won't find out and everyone will be there. I promise you won't be alone."
"You know what I mean." Namine mumbled.
"…"
Hearing no reply from the other side of the blonde face palmed when she realized what her words implied.
"Namine-" Kairi began but was soon interrupted.
"What should I wear?" The artist said surrendering.
"Eh?"
"For the party, what should I wear?"
"I'll go to your home as soon as school is over to get you ready, until then."
"Bye"
Namine dropped her mobile on the sofa and let out the breath she doesn't knew was holding until then. She knew that the only way in what Kairi wouldn't touch that topic, and with that topic she refers to "Everyone has boyfriend/girlfriend or someone she/he likes except me" was distracting her with other thing in this case the party.
Everybody loved Seifer's parties as they were known as the best. Seifer's parents were busy people with a lot of money and that were rarely at home that's why no one was bothered by the excessive noise or the liters of alcohol that were there.
Namine had gone to several parties with friends but this would be the first one she would go without her parents' knowledge, which was why she felt insecure. The blonde looked at the clock on her phone, 1:30 pm, yet still missing a little more than an hour for Kairi's arrival so she returned to her peaceful sleep.
What appeared a few minutes to Namine were actually one and half hour, now when she opened the front door of her house to see who had called at it Kairi's eager face was what she found.
"Ready!" Kairi said, showing her a small pink bag.
Namine sighed heavily as she pulled away allowing her friend to enter. "Indeed, no."
"Your room or bathroom, you choose."
"Mmm my room. Where are Selphie, Olette and Xion? I thought you would torture them, I mean dress them too!" The blond replied closing the door.
"Haha very funny! They'll not come. Xion told me she had something to do but she'll go with us to the party and Olette told me she was busy so she will meet with us there."
Both girls went upstairs to Namine's room. Placed Kairi her bag over the dressing table while her friend sat on the bench of this.
"Well?"
"Well..."
"Why did you leave early?" Kairi asked taking out her make up from the bag.
"..."
"Does it has something to do with your lab partner?" The redhead inquired smug.
"Of course not!" Namine huffed.
"Well well, then?"
"My mom called. She told me that she won't come back in a few more days."
"I see, how's your aunt?"
"According to what she said, she's recovering but will stay a few more days to make sure that everything is ok."
"Close your eyes loosely." Namine did what she was told.
Two nearly three hours later both girls were ready to parting.
Kairi had her beautiful red tresses straightened and was clad in a short pink skirt, white shirt with a black belt tied at her slim waist and high heels while Namine had her flaxen hair curled and was wearing a baby blue dress that hugged her petit figure nicely and to Namine's relief the hem reached a little over her knees.
Shortly after they had finished dressing Sora arrived with Riku and Xion to pick them up. Although Namine offered to take her own car to not be uncomfortable so Sora and Kairi were together while the others were in the blonde's car.
Music boomed through the huge house in the suburbs on the outskirts of Radiant Garden and you could see people coming and going without rest.
Within the site you could see a sea of bodies "dancing", drinking or chatting on the chairs and couches and in one of them was a girl holding between her thin hands a red paper cup containing a beverage that could be fruit's juice if it didn't smell so much of alcohol.
"I knew, I knew they would let me alone!" Namine said to herself annoyed.
"Hey Naaaamiiiineee!" Yuffie's tipsy voice startled the blond.
The raven haired girl strolled to the blonds' side and sat beside her grinning silly.
"Awesome party, don't you think?"
"Yeah... awesome!"
"What's up? You're not enjoying?"
"It's not like I hate parties but...it's uncomfortable to be well alone"
"what do you mean? Look around; there are plenty of persons here!"
"Well yeah but I don't even know half these people! What am I supposed to do, come and say hey my name is Namine dance with me."
"Hell yeah! You know what? We´re going to do it right now." Yuffie said as she pulled Namine by her arm to lift her.
"Hey Yuffie I wasn't serious you know? I'm fine here!" Namine replied trying to calm her overactive and now semi drunk friend, a funny smile on her lips was formed.
"Oh come on don't be shy-" The black haired girl couldn't finish because she was interrupted by an unpleasant person.
"Look what we have here, Namine Evans in person. I didn't think you were the type of girls who did it?" A girl with short caramel hair and heterochromatic eyes exclaimed.
"Do what Yuna?" Namine asked confused.
"Show in public." Nina snickered.
"Yuna, what are you doing here without your boyfriend?" The blond asked feigning interest.
"I don't need to be with him all day. By the way where is yours? Oh forget it, Kairi has him." Yuna said in a condescending tone that made the artist's blood boil.
Yuna Heron was one of Yuffie and Namine's classmate and once friend but since the beginning of this semester she began to be a completely different person. She was kind, emphatic and nice girl but now she was spoiled, rude and cocky brat that was awful with everyone in the school except when she needed something.
Kairi once said that she would have a reason to be that way but Namine felt a little disappointed for Yuna's behavior even when she was rude with her like this time.
"Shut up Yuna!" Yuffie snarled.
"Stay out of it Yuffie" The caramel haired girl said depictive.
"I can handle her Yuff. What the hell did you know eh?" Namine said harshly frowning to Yuna.
"Just what everyone knows, you liked Carter but he preferred your friend and now you are behind him with your sad puppy eyes. That's pathetic!"
"I, he's not... How can you say that?"
"It's only the truth and you knowing it."
"Get lost yuna! Come on Nam we don't have to listen crap from a spoiled brat."
Yuffie took the arm of the blonde pulling her away from Yuna who's had a triumphant smile on her face.
Both girls made their way through the crowd until they reached the back that garden that was also full of people.
"Are you okay?" Yuffie asked her friend who has a blank expression. "I will go for a drink for you, wait here."
Five minutes later Yuffie arrived with two red plastic cups in her hands. She handed one two Namine who absently took it.
"What is it?" the blond asked eyeing the beverage.
"I don't know, but it's sweet and I think you need it!"
Without hesitation Namine swallowed the content quickly.
"H-Hey don't drink it that fast!"
"Are you going to take yours?" Namine asked but before Yuffie could answer she took the cup from her hands and drank it the same way as the first.
"Tell me Yuff, Am I really after Sora as a puppy?" The artist said downcast.
"You're not! Don't let what Yuna said affect you!"
"But she may be right. It was a bad idea to believe that I could still be his friend feeling what I feel for him."
"And what do you plan to do? Would you leave them? Namine, they are your friends."
"I know! But... I need to think and this is not the right place to do it. I'm going home."
"You will not! Not like this!"
"I didn't drink that much besides Sora brought his car."
"But Nam-" Yuffie tried to stop her friend. She was worried she didn't arrive to her house safe and sound.
"Thank you for worry for me Yuffie but I really need to go." Namine said with a sad smile on her lips.
At seeing the hurtful expression plastered in Namine's face Yuffie sighed and let her go just advising her to don't be reckless and drive carefully to her home.
The petit blond did her way through the mass of persons to her little car. With some difficulty she got inside of her little car and started it. Yuna's words still sounding in her mind.
Back to Present, eleven o´clock p.m.
Namine regained consciousness minutes after the accident, her head ached and when she touched her forehead she felt something liquid dripping from it. She looked at her hand, her fingers were covered with blood.
"What happened?" She thought moving in the seat until she felt a sharp pain in her side and left leg making her gasp in pain.
She moved her hand to her side and saw blood; she did the same with her leg and found the same. Namine started to panic at the amount of blood that was losing her body.
"Namine calm down okay, if you get desperate you'll not arrange anything. Now the first thing to do is get out of here and get help." She thought taking deep steady breaths trying to focus her mind.
When she got sufficiently calmed she opened the driver's door and try to get out but her left foot was stuck between the pedals. She tried to move it out but it hurts terribly.
"Damn it!" Namine exclaimed frustrated striking her little fists against the steering wheel.
She tried again to loosen her foot taking off her shoe and this time she succeeded. Namine carefully got out and crawled into a sitting position near the rear wheel of the car.
"I must call someone to come for me." Namine thought looking into the pocket of her sweater for her mobile. She took the small device in her trembling hands and dialed Kairi.
"Pick it up, pick it up Kai please." She silently pleaded shutting her eyes.
She heard the dial tone sounded again and again until she couldn't hear it anymore. Namine looked troubled at the screen of her phone.
"No... No signal!" Her eyes widened in shock at the idea that no one came to her aid.
Suddenly from the fog a figure slowly began to approach to the little blonde. The sound of footsteps was growing increasingly closer until it was just a few steps away and that's when she saw it. A pitch-black creature, humanoid shaped, its spherical head had two intimidating yellow eyes. From its head came two long crooked antennas, its hands had three sharp claws and its feet were long and fingerless.
Namine's eyes widened and gleamed with terror; she held her breath and tried not to make any move.
"What the… hell is that?" She thought, never in her life seen anything like that even in her wildest dreams.
The creature was moving erratically and when it noticed the blonde just a few feet from him he lunged at full speed toward her with its claws extended, ready to rip everything in its path. Namine gasped in horror and shut her eyes tightly waiting for the Impact of those claws coiling with her skin but it never came.
"So that sweet smell came from you. Who would have thought that a girl like you had a scent like this? With the help of your scent I was able to find to this last heartless." A sardonic voice said from the darkness across from where the girl was letting out a small chuckle.
Slowly Namine opened her eyes. "Who's there?" she exclaimed, terrified of what else might appear out of nowhere.
Smooth footsteps were approaching to the light and thus her until she could see him. His skin looked pale and ghostly in the light of the headlights contrasting perfectly with the gold of his hair and his eye color sharply emphasized only this time they seemed just a little more... human. Roxas was holding in his right hand an object like a giant white key with a beautiful and intricate design.
"You... What are you doing here?" Namine asked hesitantly.
"I? Nothing in particular, I just happened to be passing by here. I heard a scream and the scent led me here." His answer was casual even amusing despite the situation in which they were.
"What do you mean by that? What was that creature and what you have in your hand?" She said frantically clutching her leg trying to stop the bleeding.
He didn't answer, his vivid blue eyes watching every inch of her wounded body as if trying to analyze it to the smallest detail. He walked around quietly, like a sculptor does with his work, with a sudden movement of his hand the key disappeared and then he sat next to her, he approached his lips to her ear and whispered softly.
"Hey tell me... Does it hurt?" There was something bizarre about the way he pronounced that simple question. His right hand pressed the right side of Namine´s body and a terrible pain shot throughout her body making her scream. Roxas saw her breathing heavily and that she didn't respond he continued.
"Sounds like it. To be honest I didn't expect to find anyone around here, especially you. By the way I was surprised by your reflexes, I didn't think you could stop that fast."
"I didn't think someone will jump in front of my car in the middle of the dark." She said sarcastically gritting her teeth.
"Technically it wasn't me the one who jump in front of your car." Roxas surcharge on the side of the car, watching the night sky.
"So who was...?"
"I have no need to explain anything, unless..."
"Unless what?" She asked her curiously taking over.
"Mmm I offer you a deal... I will help you with your... precarious situation if you help me." Roxas stated looking straight into her eyes.
"You... would help me?" She was completely dumbfounded.
Roxas looked at her and said. "The wound in your leg and side are not serious but if you keep losing blood at that pace is sure you're going to die."
"What a way of saying things..." It was more and more hard to talk as she began to feel dizzy and numb.
"Sweeten the truth is not my thing. Namine, you decide?"
She tried to focus her mind to give coherence to what Roxas speak and be able to respond, that's why she didn't notice when he said her name for the very first time.
"Why you want my help? What can I do for you?" She stammered confused.
"I will not say that, not unless you accept."
Namine had a bad feeling about this besides there was something in him; she didn't know what, that made her hesitant.
"I understand you need time to consider it but if I were you I would decide quicker because it's possible that in less than five minutes you´ll pass out." Roxas said to the girl, calmly looking how she slowly fell unconscious.
"Why you… want to help me? You dislike... me."
"It doesn't matter, answered at once or you prefer to die?" He said a little exasperated.
"I... agree." The lack of blood made her lose consciousness in less than Roxas had predicted.
"I said five minutes or less, it was apparently less."
Roxas stood up and looked at the pale face of the girl lying unconscious on the pavement, her hands still holding her small leg and tresses of flaxen hair were stuck on her forehead with sweat and blood. Her dress was completely ruined with shreds in all sides and was covered with large spots of blood and dirt. She looked like a broken and hollow porcelain doll waiting to be either discarded or repaired.
Roxas leaned over the girl and put his hand on the wound on her leg and his right hand on the wound of the torso. Her skin was freezing both for blood loss and the low night temperature. A faint white glow covered his hands as he was slowly healing the girl's wounds. When he finished that he drew a cross like symbol with the girl's blood that reminded on his index finger of his right hand on the place where her heart is. A gray glow appeared on this site. From Namine's lips escaped a soft moan escaped as the light vanished from her chest.
"With this is enough..." Roxas let exhausted sigh leave his mouth. He pointed his hand towards an empty space in front him and a dark portal appeared. He looked one last time the blonde's face, blame could be read in his azure orbs before lifting her small form in his arms and going through the portal as it disappeared into nothingness.
I finally finished this! :D
I was planning to update this since February 14 but school work, family and the awesome anime Guilty Crown (That I really recommend. Shu I love you :3) got in the way.
I rewrite this like a thousand times literally and I was planning all this in two chapters but once I started writing I couldn't stop so it finished with 17 pages of Word o.O!
Ok enough of my unnecessary babbling, what do you guys think? Did you like it, Did you hate it? Please review and I just wanted you to know that English is not my born language so if you found grammar mistakes please tell me. That's all, until next chapter!