"Mini, stop complaining, we'll be there soon."
Naminé huffed, crossing her arms and shuffling on the spot. Even though it was the start of summer, there was an unusual chill to the air that night. It didn't help that she was dressed in a white skater dress with only thin lace sleeves to cover her arms; the heels she had been forced into were hardly keeping her feet warm either.
"Have you not seen the line? Selph you picked one of the most popular places around-"
Selphie raised a carefully-manicured hand to silence her friend. "I know people; trust me we'll be there soon."
Naminé raised an eyebrow but kept her mouth shut, following her friend like a lost dog. The music could be heard clearly from halfway down the line and she cringed when they reached the door and it hit them full blast. Of course Selphie seemed used to it. Surprised she isn't deaf yet, she grimaced as the song descended into something that sounded like squealing brakes with random drum beats thrown in.
There were two bouncers at the door, both tall and brawny with bright ginger hair. The stern expressions plastered onto their faces were keeping the students at the front of the queue in check; they were standing a good metre away from the rope they held in their tightened fists. However the taller of the two let go when he heard loud shouts and screams from somewhere in the queue and headed down to sort the situation out, a growl rumbling from his throat as he swept past the two girls.
Naminé swallowed dryly while Selphie merrily skipped to the bouncer left at the door and whispered into his ear. The bouncer's frown turned into a full grin as he beamed at Selphie, looking over at Naminé with a wink then opened the rope barrier to let them in.
"Anything for my sistas. Have fun, ya!" The bouncer said, smiling even wider.
"Thank you for the tickets, Wakka! Have a nice night!" Selphie yelled this out of the entryway as she pulled a reluctant Naminé up the staircase.
"Wait, you know him?" She noticed how full it was inside of the club, eyes watching curiously as their heels clacked against the floor.
"Wakka's in my literature class, believe it or not. But he works at a few nightclubs so he can get me in anywhere," Selphie turned to face Naminé, "If he wasn't working tonight we would never have gotten in so we were lucky."
"Mhmm, lucky." The mumble disappeared under the now painfully loud music surrounding them.
They were standing on a small balcony at the back of the huge room, short spiral stairs lead them down onto the main dancefloor which was completely covered with people moving against one another. The speakers were set in 8 columns from floor to ceiling and were visibly vibrating with each beat. But there were so many people, it made her wish she was one of the bricks in the walls. She froze on the spot and reached out to Selphie.
"Selphie you never sai-," Her hand grasped air where her friend once stood. Feeling the anxiety spin in her stomach, she grabbed the railing and scoured the crowd only to see Selphie in the middle of the dancefloor grinding with some tanned, blonde guy she recognised from some of Selphie's Facebook pictures.
"Shit," Naminé let go of the railing and looked for a place to sit and wait until the night ended, her thoughts were scattered as the panic rose.
Where's a good place to go? Is there actually anywhere else or is it just this huge room? It's so hot in here. And loud. Maybe the toilets would be a good spot. Yeah I bet they have AC in there! But where are the toilets? And if I found them I'm sure it'll be more like a sewer. I can smell sewers actually. Ugh this is gross, why do so many people want to come out to these places? I mean seriously I don't underst-
She was dragged out of her thoughts by someone dragging on her arm, the smell of body odour surrounding the two.
"Hey there," A man, 6ft6 with the figure of a pole, leered down at her with cigarette stained teeth. His bloodshot eyes were enough to indicate this man had overdone it on his drinking, but if that wasn't enough to convince her, he then promptly passed out around her feet.
Naminé who was already bright red to begin with, turned a purple colour as people looked at the stranger then back to her with confused yet amused expressions on their faces. She shuffled along the wall in her heels with her head hung low until she bashed into someone walking the opposite direction.
"Watch where the fuck you're going!" He yelled over the music, causing Naminé to look up from her shoes with wide eyes. By the time she had registered the pissed off expression on his face, the man was already past her and striding aggressively towards the stairs.
Her heart rate was alarmingly fast and it only motivated her more to find an exit or somewhere with fewer people, or faces she would recognise, until she noticed that the music had gotten significantly quieter and her toes nudged a bar stool in front of her.
She breathed a sigh of relief and perched herself on the edge of the stool, placing her head over her folded arms on the bar.
"What can I get for you?" A deep voice asked; there was a kind yet playful edge to it, and it was coming from in front of her so it was just the bartender. Naminé relaxed a bit further in the seat, kicking her legs to and fro.
"I really regret agreeing to this," She mumbled to herself, her nails grazing the leather countertop material in meaningless patterns as her heart returned to a normal speed.
"One 'Regret' cocktail coming up!" The bartender declared, followed quickly by the clanging of bottles as he fetched them from below the bar.
"But I-" Naminé raised her head and her eyes met bright crimson hair, spiked in ways she didn't think were humanly possible. He was tall and skinny but given how many bottles he was holding in his arms he was fairly strong. He turned around and placed his mixers and liquors in front of her, his vivid green eyes meeting her plain blue ones with a wicked smirk. Naminé gave a muted smile in return.
"Don't worry about it; just let Doctor Axel take care of it. Alright, kitty-cat?" 'Axel' then began pouring copious amounts of juices and spirits into a shaker, tipped it up into a long glass and shuffled it over to her hand.
"Kitty-cat?" Naminé raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of the beverage. It was surprisingly sweet, maybe he put less alcohol in it than she thought. "Is that what you call all the girls you give drinks to?"
"Ha! You caught me," Axel winked, glad to see a playful side coming out from the shy girl. "But nah, the people here... aren't my type. The nickname just fits you for some reason, and you looked like you needed cheering up. Plus since you're one of the first sane people I have encountered since I started working here you're just a little bit special."
He smiled before withdrawing a paper umbrella from his pocket, balancing it on the edge of her now nearly empty glass. "Have this as a token of my appreciation that I'm not the only one who hates this foul establishment."
Naminé giggled, feeling a lot more comfortable now she was with Axel – he reminded her of Demyx.
"So why do you work at this 'foul establishment' as you called it?" She slurped the last drops from the bottom of the glass before Axel handed her a replacement cocktail.
"It pays the bills, not to mention I normally get a substantial amount of tips; people can be very generous when they're pissed." His smile faltered. "Usually I have a friend or two come to keep me company, but something ticked him off today so he just stormed off."
Naminé hummed over her straw, feeling a little bit fuzzy in her fingers and toes. "Does he normally have anger issues?"
Axel pondered the question. "He's not an angry person, he's just been through a lot – plus this is a stressful time of year, I'm sure he didn't mean to lash out." He shook his head and replaced the frown with a smile. "Enough about me though – isn't the bartender supposed to be the shrink here?"
Laughing, Naminé told Axel about Selphie, her distaste for crowds and loud noises, about Bliss, about her artwork, even a little bit about Destiny Islands (where apparently a few of Axel's friends are from – what a small world!) and suddenly she was 5 drinks down and a little unsteady.
"I probably should go find Selphie... she worries about me – well when she isn't rubbing up on some fake-tanned, superficial dickhead." Naminé announced, pushing herself away from the barstool with a flourish.
"You are a funny one, kitty-cat," Axel replied, chuckling to himself. "Thanks for keeping me entertained."
She smiled, grabbing his hand and staring at him intensely. "We will meet again, I promise," she said, putting on the deepest voice she could, causing another round of laughter.
"On a serious note Naminé..." she picked up on him using her actual name.
"Be safe, okay?" Axel gazed down at her, concern written on his features.
Naminé nodded, flashing him a quick smile before stumbling towards the crowd.
After 10 minutes of searching the top half of the dance floor through dizzy eyes, she leant against the speakers and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.
Selphie, Selphie, Selphie... she shouldn't be that difficult to find. She was after all dressed in her trademark highlighter yellow clothing, a trend she brought to Hollow Bastion from back home.
Home. Destiny Islands. A place where the population was less than 2000 and it was always warm. Full of open spaces and white sands and bright sunlight.
Light.
The pain hit her first, as though a knife had been rammed through her skull and out the other side.
Clutching her head, she screamed as her vision was taken over by a blinding light before everything faded to black.
The first thing Naminé noticed as she returned to consciousness was the smell of damp air. Damp air and... smoke?! Her eyes flew open and she gasped at her surroundings. She was sat in a disused tunnel, the walls coated in graffiti and a slime that looked almost alien. Dimmed streetlights provided the only light source around, making everything feel eerie. The light highlighted the smoke, which was coming from a burning trash can further down the tunnel. She absent-mindedly wondered who started it since there was no-one else around. The ground was coated in litter, leaves and dirt, though she noticed a few suspicious looking needles in the mix which confirmed she was far from the safe side of town.
After giving herself a quick glance over she could tell she wasn't injured; there were a few cuts and bruises here and there, but nothing unusual. One of her shoes was missing, not that she complaining too much about ruining a pair of high heels, and her dress was covered in whatever grime had accumulated in the spot she was sat in.
A distinct crunching sound resonated around the entire tunnel, causing Naminé to jump in shock only to see a dark hooded figure silhouetted in the smoke moving slowly towards her.
On the verge of crying, she curled up into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the stranger would just pass by and leave her alone.
'Please leave me alone, please leave me alone...'
Heartbeat pounding, thoughts racing, palms slick with sweat and mud, footsteps echoing.
'Don't hurt me, don't hurt me, please...'
The person stopped nearby, and a quiet voice responded to her thoughts.
"I'm not going to hurt you, are you okay?"
Naminé peeked through her fingers at the stranger. He looked fairly tall, just over 6ft, and was wearing jeans, some awful bright yellow converse, and a dark blue hoodie.
However it wasn't just the shoes that caught her attention, but the ocean blue eyes that peered over her from under his hood. They held a certain warmth and had no hint of bad intentions.
She slowly got to her feet, cautiously watching her step as she neared the stranger. She stopped a metre or so away and opened her mouth to ask the million questions running through her head, yet no sound came out.
Sensing her nerves, the stranger made up the distance and bent to her level for eye contact.
"How come you're out here alone? This isn't the right side of town for students..." He studied her features carefully, noting her confusion and fear.
"Where...am I exactly? And who are you?" Naminé blurted out, covering her mouth when her voice echoed around the surroundings.
"Ah! She speaks!" The stranger cheered, half raising his fist at the little victory of getting her to talk. "You're in Waterway, south of the city, and I'm sure you've heard how dodgy this part is."
She nodded – every year students are warned to avoid the dark underbelly of the city, told instead to stick to areas north and west of the city.
"As for who I am, I will tell you - only if you let me take you home," He smiled, a broad grin that Naminé couldn't help but mirror.
A part of Naminé's mind was screaming stranger danger, but another part was willing her to trust this boy. That part didn't fancy walking home alone, especially somewhere unfamiliar.
"If you were in my position, would you willingly go with a stranger you met in a sketchy part of town, who won't reveal his identity, to your apartment in the middle of the night?" She looked down at her feet, nudging the ground with the toe of her remaining shoe.
He pondered over it momentarily before grinning at her again. "Of course I would, because I know me and I trust me," his smile dimmed a little. "But if you decide no, I don't think I could deal with the thought of you walking around here alone so I would tail you anyways."
Naminé sighed in resignation.
"Okay, where do we go from here?" She asked, pulling on the edges of her sleeves.
The stranger widened his eyes in surprise; he wasn't expecting her to agree to it.
"Urm, well, it depends where you wanna go I guess," He replied, scratching the back of his head nervously. His wrists made a jingling noise with the motion. "I'm guessing you live by HBU campus so I'm guessing Castlegate?"
She shook her head. "No, rent was too expensive there, so we moved to West Valley."
"Ah, I know a shortcut to there, should be safer than the main streets." He pointed vaguely in the direction of an alleyway that took them uphill before striding off.
'This is such a bad idea,' Naminé thought to herself, mentally facepalming for her stupidity. She took off her shoe and tossed it into whatever oblivion the other one went and followed the stranger's bright yellow shoes through the smoky-haze.
They didn't speak for a while, though it became obvious that both had questions for the other. The stranger was the first to break the silence.
"Sooo..." He stuffed his hands in his hoodie pocket, turning to look at the girl he had picked up quite literally from the gutter. "You never did tell me why you were down there, Miss..." He fixed her with a questioning stare.
"Naminé," The minute she said it she cringed. 'Shit, why did you go telling him your name?! Ah it's too late now, might as well just answer whatever he asks...' "My name is Naminé, and as for why I was down there I honestly have no idea."
The stranger's eyebrows rose, suddenly changing his stance. "How can you not remember anything? You didn't... take anything did you?"
Understanding what he was accusing her off, she turned red. "No, nonono, nothing like that. I rarely go out, I'm a lot more comfortable staying in with rubbish tv and a sketchbook. I don't drink much either, it's Just that Selphie dragged me out since it's after exams and she wants to celebrate." She knew she was rambling so she took a deep breath to clear her head.
"Selphie? Guessing she's your friend?" The stranger asked, relieved she hadn't ventured towards drugs. She nodded.
"Flatmate, we came here together from our homeland for university. I went looking for her in the club and that's the last thing I remember." Naminé shrugged, not knowing what else she could say.
"Hmmm, which club did you go to?"
"7th Heaven I think it was called," She flinched when the stranger grabbed her by the wrist, but didn't pull away. He was staring at her with concerned eyes, his hand radiating warmth up her arm.
"I don't understand how you ended up so far away from your friend," He looked upset about this, but he let go of her wrist. She already missed the warmth. "I'm glad I found you before someone else did."
"Speaking of which, why were you down there?" Naminé asked, looking up at him with questioning eyes as they continued their stroll uphill.
He barked out a laugh which was empty of any humour. "It's where I belong now. It's a great place to live if you don't want to be found."
That struck a chord inside her heart, and she found herself wanting to comfort this stranger she had only met half an hour earlier.
"Why don't you want to be found?" She enquired, speaking in a soft manner to convey he didn't have to answer if he didn't want to.
"There are many reasons why, Naminé, but they all lead back to me wanting to protect people." His carefree expression hardened. "There are things I have to do, some good, some bad, but I have to do it in order to keep those connected to me safe."
He glanced over at the girl; she was tiny, fragile like butterfly wings, but underneath he could sense a small fire in her which showed she was stronger than she appeared. Something she could definitely use to her advantage in the city.
Naminé gave a small nod, not fully understanding but knowing she didn't have to. She imagined in his position, she would do the same.
The walk continued in more comfortable silence, the only noises for miles were their footsteps until they hit recognisable ground.
"The park! I know where we are!" Naminé breathed a heavy sigh of relief now she was somewhere familiar.
"Phew! I thought we had taken a wrong turn back there but no, I am the Street King!" The stranger threw a poor attempt of a gang hand gesture up in the air before stuffing his hands back in his pocket.
Giggling, Naminé followed the familiar pathway through the park, gravel sticking between her bare toes like the sand used to back home.
She turned around to face the stranger, his eyes shining even brighter under the park streetlights. "Thanks for everything - I think I can handle myself from here."
The stranger smiled and shook his head vigorously, walking up to her side.
"I promised you I would get you home, so I'm walking you home, not ¾ of the way!" He said, spikes bouncing with his head movements.
"Okay." Naminé continued down the path. Deep down she was thankful he was still with her, the amnesia really shook her up and she was feeling out of sorts, and the added safety of him helped calm her considerably.
The next 20 minutes were spent listening to the stranger hum along with the birds that were waking for dawn. Was it that early already? Naminé couldn't remember what time it was, she didn't know how long she had been unconscious for or how long they had been walking.
They arrived at the apartment complex and Naminé hesitated at the door.
"What are you waiting for?" The stranger asked, picking up on her nervous behaviour.
"I don't want to deal with Selphie, and I know when I go up there I will be pestered and I don't know if I can handle that right now," she shook her head to dispel the thoughts.
"Well, why not use the trusty ol' fire escape?" The stranger pointed a thumb over the side of the building where the steps and railings lead up to her flat.
"Why have I never thought of that?! The amount of times I have needed that route!" She smiled with the new-found escape route and hopped the gate at the first flight of steps, the stranger following like a loyal pet. She decided not to question it.
Her bedroom window was open just a crack. Perfect. She slid her arm through and pushed it up just enough to fit herself through it, hauling herself in legs first and landing neatly on her desk.
"So I guess this is where I bid you adieu?" The stranger asked, once again smiling so wide his teeth shone in the darkness. He sent a half-wave her way then turned away from the window.
"Wait!" the stranger stopped and looked at her expectantly.
"You promised..." Naminé felt her face start to heat up. She was eager to know who the kind stranger was.
"So I did..." The stranger sighed, pulling his hood away from his head to reveal a mess of chocolate coloured spikes identical to the ones on his fringe; his features were delicate but had a strength that couldn't be placed.
"My name is Sora." He smiled warmly, and then suddenly there was a loud noise beneath them, spooking him enough to put his hood back up.
Sora looked over at Naminé one last time, putting his finger to his lips in a 'shh' gesture. She nodded in understanding and he was gone in a blink.
Sora...
Naminé smiled to herself before she closed the window on the weirdest night of her life so far.
A/N: Well this has been a long time coming. My laptop originally crashed and I thought I had lost all of my chapters/plot details for this story so I left it, but alas I have managed to find it all again! Yay! I'm aware it's a bit choppy but I'm happy enough with it to publish it. I reckon this story will only have about 15 chapters and I have no idea how long that will take so I wouldn't have high expectations for fast updates. However I will be updating as often as I can so I hope you enjoy it! :)