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princee-ace1 · 6 years

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CH. 004 - Forgotten Friends

They say if you dream a thing more than once, it’s sure to come true. And I’ve seen him so many times.

Title: Bringing Back the Memories Series: Kingdom Hearts Pairing: You/Roxas, You/Sora

---

Sora.

Once upon a dream, you knew a Sora … at least, you think you did. The name’s been ringing nostalgia ever since Roxas mentioned it. All morning, you’ve been sitting in front of your bookshelf, going through albums and scrapbooks, and trying to figure out who he is.

Among the pile is your memory book -- a collection of photos you’ve taken of you and your friends on your adventures. Photos slide out between the pages, and you realize you’ve never had a chance to re-arrange them after finding the memory thief. With a sigh, you pick them up from the ground, and it’s only then that you notice most of your pictures are of Roxas.

Roxas doing a trick on his skateboard. Roxas falling asleep in class. Roxas hitting a bulls-eye on the dartboard in the Usual Spot. Your favorite, however, is a picture the two of you took together.

You broke your camera one day, and you were absolutely devastated when no one in town was able to fix it. Hayner, Pence, and Olette tried cheering you up, inviting you over to watch movies or play games with them. You didn’t know they were keeping you distracted while Roxas picked up several jobs to buy you the same model camera he found at a shop.

He showed up at the Usual Spot for the first time in a while and handed you a box. “Open it.”

“Roxas…” You almost cried -- or maybe, you actually did. He only laughed as he pulled you into a hug, practically smothering your face to his chest.

“You guys should take a picture together!” Olette suggested, grinning from ear to ear.

Pence nodded his head. “Yeah! Try it out, Haruna!”

You frown, disheartened when you can’t seem to find that particular photo anywhere. You’ve turned your entire bedroom upside-down trying to look for it. By far, it’s one of your favorite memories.

Other than yesterday, of course.

And it occurs to you that you and Roxas are … something now.

Butterflies are in your stomach. You suddenly want to see him. Has he already told everyone? What would your friends think? You haven’t even thought about what their reactions would be!

From your shelf, the glimmer of a yellow star-shaped charm catches your eye. A small, neatly-bounded trinket you often carry around with you for good luck.

As you exit your home, its magic already takes effect as Hayner runs toward you with a huge grin on his face. “Haruna! Great timing! I was just looking for you!”

“Oh? What’s up?”

“Today’s the day we hit the beach!” he announces excitedly. “And don’t sweat it about the munny. I told my uncle what happened yesterday, and he gave me enough to cover what we lost.”

“Whoa! Really?”

“I left a note at the Usual Spot,” he continues, jogging in place as he waves goodbye. “Go find the others and tell them to meet me at the station! I’ll go get our tickets!”

-*-

“What’s your name, child?” an older man with black hair and white robes asks as he kneels down to your eye-level. The scar and stern look on his face is intimidating, yet there’s a gentleness in his voice when he speaks to you.

His apprentices immediately took you to him as soon as they found you. Shyly, you answer, “My name’s Haruna.”

“Haruna,” he repeats, the curiosity in his eyes unwavering. “Do you remember how you came to this world?”

You shake your head. He asks if you remember the world you came from, but you don’t know the answer to that either. All you recall is a big clock tower and pretty skies, which doesn’t tell them much. With a sigh, he stands and looks at his apprentices for insight.

“She just … fell from the sky,” a tall, muscular young man with brown hair and blue eyes states in awe, as if he can’t quite believe it himself.

“You feel it too, don’t you Master?” the blue-haired woman inquires.

He nods his head. “Yes, a great power lies within her. It’s a matter I must discuss with the other Masters. Until then, can I entrust you three to look after her?”

“Of course,” the woman answers without hesitation.

“What about our exam?” The brown-haired male crosses his arms as he looks at her. “You and I need to focus on our training.”

“Leave it to me!” the blond-haired boy pipes up. He throws you a grin and ruffles your hair. “It’ll be nice not to be treated like the baby anymore.”

The brown-haired male chuckles. “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that.”

Their Master smiles a bit. “Very well. Haruna is under your charge. Take care of her.”

But the boy is already squatting before you with a bright smile. “You hear that? From now on, you and I are gonna be best friends. Don’t forget it.”

-*-

The first people you run into are Pence and Olette. “Hey, Haruna. Olette’s dragging me to go shopping.”

“Do you want to come with us?”

“Not today. Hayner said we’re going to the beach!” You pass on the message and their eyes light up with excitement. As they ramble, their voices suddenly become … distant. Muffled. Your vision blurs, and you hear a loud piercing ringing…

“Are you okay?”

Just like that, everything’s back to normal. Your friends look at you worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think.” You frown, wondering what’s been going on with you these past couple of days. “Have you guys seen Roxas?”

“Not since yesterday,” Pence answers, tilting his head. Again, he asks if you’re okay, but you don’t answer him.

From the corner of your eye, you see him. A man in a black coat. He must be that pick-pocketer Roxas was telling you guys about!

“Wait, Haruna, where are you going?”

“Sorry, I have to go!” Without much of an explanation, you turn your back to your friends and chase after the hooded man.

-*-

True to his word, you and the boy with the dandelion-colored hair become quite close. Everywhere he goes, you follow; and he makes sure you’re never too far from his sight. He’s protective and playful, and gives you the same unconditional love and care the others had given him.

“I’ve never had a family before,” he confesses, plucking the grass as the two of you watch his older companions spar against each other. He picks a yellow dandelion and sticks it in your hair. “My friends are important to me, and I’d do anything to protect them. They’re my family, and now, you are too.”

More often than not, you and the boy would accompany the other two while they work hard on their training. From the sidelines, you watch in awe when the blue-haired woman gracefully casts incredible spells that color the air or when the brown-haired man swings his weapon with a force that shakes the ground.

The first time you’re able to manifest your powers was when you mimicked them during their practice, and a burst of light and darkness knocked you off your feet. It startled all of them when they discovered you’re able to summon raw energies of the two forces at command.

“I think we should teach her how to fight,” the young man brings up a couple days later. He eyes his companion’s reaction. “Do you disagree?”

“Well, no, but…” the blue-haired woman pauses. “Isn’t she too young?”

“To protect herself? You saw it yourself, Aqua. There’s something special about her. Chances are, we won’t be the only ones who sees it. Wherever she got her powers, there are people who will want it for themselves, and we won’t always be there to defend her.”

Aqua sighs. “You have a point there, Terra.”

A week later, Terra presents you with a small, wooden sword -- one he made himself. “A weapon isn’t used to harm people, but to protect yourself and those you cherish. Practice, discipline, and trust the strength of your heart. One day, you’ll be strong enough to do that.”

With wooden sword at hand, it serves as a focal point to harness those powers, which luckily only comes in seldom bursts. It scares you, knowing something so powerful comes from you; it scares the others a bit too. But it motivates them to teach you how to control and conceal them.

“The Master once told me magic is born from the heart,” Aqua tells you one night as she tucks you in bed. “When the time’s right, you just need to look inside yourself and you’ll find it there -- a ray of light, a goal, hope.“ She laughs softly and runs her fingers through your hair. “It might not make sense to you now, but one day, you’ll discover beautiful, wonderful things to hold dear. Magical and all.”

When you’re not with the trio, you’re with Master Eraqus.

After his meeting with the other Masters, it’s been decided you’ll stay under his care until they find your home. He raises you like one of his students -- kind, but firm with lessons of how the Light always overcomes the Darkness.

“A great power lies within you,” he reminds you as he finishes reading you a story in his study. “It can easily fall into the wrong hands if you’re not careful. People may come after you, but you have to be brave. And always remember, where there is Darkness, there will always be Light.”

-*-

You lose sight of him when you reach Station Heights. It feels eerie seeing the plaza completely empty; the stillness of it all makes you wonder if time is frozen again. Then, you hear the sound of footsteps approach you.

Turning around, you see the hooded man you’ve been chasing. Between the stolen photos and your hard-earned munny, you’re certain he’s the one responsible for all the theft in town.

Standing your ground, you demand, “Who are you? Why do you keep taking our stuff?”

“Me? Heh, you must have the wrong guy. I just got here.”

There’s more than one? Your frown deepens. “Then … who are you?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot already.” He shakes his head and sighs. Slowly, he pulls down his hood and reveals his face. “It’s me, Axel. Got it memorized?”

You squint. “What do you mean ‘forgot’? I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

“You sure know how to hit ‘em where it hurts, kid,” Axel mutters in disdain. “In any case, it wasn’t easy tracking you down. That guy sure hid you two well in this place. Even I have to admit, it’s impressive.”

“What’re you talking about?” you ask, clearly confused. He stops looking around and sighs again.

“You know, it doesn’t matter.” He holds his hand toward you. “Come with me, Haruna. Let’s get you out of here before they find us.”

“No, I want to know what’s going on,” you protest, refusing to cooperate with anyone until you know what’s happening to your town. “Are you the one making everything so weird?”

“I’m not. The person responsible for that is keeping you and Roxas trapped here. I’m in charge of breaking you guys out.” He peers at you curiously and asks, “Don’t tell me you haven’t realized this is all a ruse.”

A ruse? So … none of this is real?

He isn’t making any sense, but...

“Why should I go with you anyway?”

He rolls his eyes, getting impatient. “Because if you come with me, it’ll make my job a whole lot easier. Wherever you go, Roxas will always find his way back to you. Got it memorized?”

Your stomach twists when you remember what Pence mentioned after you found all the photos the memory thief took. They’re after the real Roxas after all!

“You must think I’m stupid. How can I trust you?”

“Hmm, well…” he pauses, his face unreadable. “We used to be friends, right?”

Before he could say anything else, the air in the plaza begins to warp around you. Another hooded person appears from behind him. He draws out a wing-like sword and Axel curses under his breath when he realizes he’s out of time. He summons red chakrams to each hand and faces the newcomer.

“Haruna.”

A voice calls from behind you, and when you turn around, you see a girl in white. She says something and suddenly, you feel incredibly drowsy. Struggling to keep yourself awake, you try to focus on the girl before you.

“I’m happy we got to meet one more time.”

The sad smile on her lips is the last thing you see before your world turns dark.

-*-

“Whoa! A meteor shower!” the boy with the dandelion hair exclaims as he presses his hands and nose against the bedroom window. His blue eyes twinkle in awe before he faces you. “Let’s check it out!”

He carries you in his arms with ease and runs outside. The night air makes you shiver and huddle closer to him as he feet quickly takes you two to an open field. It’s not until you gaze upward when you see what’s gotten him so excited. The stars in all its dazzling brightness is shooting across the sky!

You’ve never seen anything like it. And it terrifies you.

His laughter dies down when you cling onto him tightly and bury your face against his shoulder. “What’s wrong, Haruna?”

“They’ll hit us,” you answer in a small voice.

Realization strikes him and he sets you on your feet. He pulls out his key-shaped sword and vows, “Don’t worry. As long as I have this, I’ll always protect you!”

“Really?”

“If a shooting star comes this way,” he declares, swinging it around, “I’ll hit it right back to outer space! I’ll keep you safe no matter what.”

He keeps it up until you’re not afraid, and while he doesn’t actually hit anything, it’s comforting to watch him try. After a while, he collapses on the ground and closes his eyes, catching his breath. Footsteps quietly approach you two, and you see Aqua place a finger to her lips as she sneaks up on him.

“Whoa! Gimme a break, Aqua,” he yells when she successfully scares him.

Aqua laughs and pets his head, lightly scolding that he should’ve brought a blanket if he wanted to nap outside. Terra joins you three as you all sit on a ledge, talking about dreams and stars. His gaze is upward as he states every star up there is another world, and that their light is their hearts, shining down on you all.

A light looking down on you.

“It’s like you!” you tell the dandelion-haired boy, who looks bewildered. The others laugh and agree; to you, Terra, and Aqua, he’s your light.

“Oh yeah, Terra, you and I have our Mark of Mastery exam tomorrow.” Aqua stands and pulls something from her pockets. “I made us good luck charms.”

She tosses one to each boy, who easily catches them. “I get one too?”

“Of course. One for each of us,” she says and hands you a yellow one. “Even Haruna.”

As you stare at the star-shaped charm, she tells you a story about a certain fruit that represents an unbreakable connection. So long as you and your friends carry this charm, nothing could ever drive you apart -- you’ll always find your way back to each other. No matter what.

-*-

Light. Darkness. Shooting stars. A sword, a charm, dandelions.

You slowly open your eyes and find yourself sleeping against Olette on the steps of the train station. She and Pence are sitting with you, watching over an icebox, some beach towels, and other items they wanted to bring for the trip.

“Hey, sleeping beauty’s awake,” Pence teases when he notices you stirring.

You hear the grogginess in your voice. “What … happened?”

“You told us to meet you at the station, remember?” Olette reminds you, resting her chin on her hand. “We’ve been waiting on Roxas and you fell asleep.”

“Are you sure you told him we’re meeting up?” Hayner impatiently questions, putting a pause to his pacing to stand in front you three.

Pence nods his head. “Yeah, we ran into him by the Usual Spot.”

“Then where is he?”

None of you could answer, and Olette starts to look worried. “Should we look for him?”

They look at you to decide, and you slowly nod your head, still feeling out of it. You don’t remember falling asleep … or anything that happened before you woke up.

Why does it feel like I’m forgetting something important?

Your friends take off to search for Roxas, but you linger behind. You pull out your good luck charm from your pocket, watching as the sun reflects off the yellow glass.

Ventus.

“Haruna, you coming?” Pence calls out. You tuck the charm away for now and run to catch up to him.

Once upon a dream, you knew a Ventus…

-*-

After searching around for a while, there’s still no sign of Roxas anywhere. Everyone’s starting to get worried. The last train to the beach definitely left by the time you decide to regroup at the station.

Deciding to cut through the Sandlot, you’re nearly run into Hayner. When you look over his shoulder, you see what caused him to stop in his tracks.

Roxas is there. While you were all worrying about him, it looks like he’s been sparring with Seifer and his gang.

“Hey, it’s you guys!” Seifer jeers when he spots you. “Come to play?”

From across the Sandlot, Roxas meets your gaze and your name falls from his lips. However, Hayner grabs your arm and pulls you away. “Let’s go.”

Pence and Olette exchange glances with each other and follow after you two as Roxas tries to catch up.

Wherever you go, Roxas will always find his way back to you.

Somehow, those words echo in your head. Where have you heard that before?

Hayner doesn’t let you go until you’re at the Usual Spot. He immediately digs through the icebox you planned to bring to the beach and pulls out a sea-salt ice cream. Pence and Olette take theirs too as Roxas enters, but Hayner pretends not to see him.

Pence sits in the corner and addresses the white elephant in the room. “So, you hung out with Seifer’s gang today?”

“N-No, it’s not like that. I just happened to run into them,” he assures you guys, but no one is buying it. He’s hiding something, but he redirects the question. “Oh yeah! How was the beach? Wasn’t that today?”

“We didn’t go,” Olette tells him. “It wouldn’t be the same without you, right?”

“Sorry…” He hangs his head, knowing he messed up. Hayner still wouldn’t even look at him, so he tries again. “Hey, what if we go tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” you echo.

Roxas nods his head. “Yeah! We could get those pretzels and--”

“I promise I’d be somewhere,” Hayner bluntly cuts in. It’s then Roxas remembers that the Struggle Tournament is tomorrow and you’re all going to compete. Having enough, Hayner jumps off the pipes and heads toward the exit. “I’m outta here.”

However, Roxas stands in front of him and clenches his fist. “What’s your problem? I … I really--”

“Roxas…?” you call out to him, but he doesn’t hear you.

“My head hurts,” he says after a minute and as he turns away, you catch a glimpse of sadness on his face. “I’m going home.”

Heavy silence follows after him, and for a moment, you could’ve sworn you saw him in a black coat.

-*-

The view from Station Height’s clock tower is one of the most magical, breathtaking things you’ve ever seen. As the setting sun warms your skin, a wave of nostalgia and tranquility fills you. And somehow, you knew you’d find Roxas here too.

Without a word, you take a seat next to him on the tower’s ledge and hand him the ice cream you grabbed from the icebox on your way to find him. He gauges your face for a moment, and when he realizes you’re not there to scold him, he takes your offering and mutters a barely audible thank you. A comfortable silence falls between you two before the breathtaking twilight.

“I’m sorry. I’m so stupid,” he says after a while, balancing the stick between his teeth. “I can’t believe I forgot that promise.”

“Hayner will get over it. He never stays mad for long,” you assure him, but it doesn’t stop him from beating himself up for ruining the day. You try to lighten the mood a bit. “Besides, if Hayner comes after you, I’ll protect you.”

He finally smiles a bit. “Yeah?”

“Hayner, Seifer, everyone else,” you list on and laugh. “Wouldn’t that be something to put in my memory book?”

“That reminds me,” he pulls something from his jacket and hands it to you, “I forgot to give this back to you.”

“Oh! I’ve been looking for this!” you exclaim, staring at the photo in surprise. It’s the very one the two of you took together after he bought your camera. “It’s my favorite picture of us.”

In the photo, your eyes are a bit watery and your face is a bit flushed, but there’s no doubt you’re genuinely happy. Roxas had his arm around you, still holding you close as he presses his cheek on top of your head.

He really does look happy.

Even now, there’s a fondness in his smile as he looks down at the picture. “It’s my favorite, too.”

As you look at him, seeing the way the dusk glows against his skin and colors his blond hair brown, you realize this is the first time you’ve really talked to him today. You feel your heart skipping a bit as you hand it back to him. “Then keep it. So that you’ll always have something to remember me by.”

He looks surprised. “Are you sure?”

“I made a promise, didn’t I? That I won’t forget.” You feel like you’ve heard these words before as you continue, “Nothing can drive us apart. We’ll always find our way back to each other. No matter what.”

“I doubt I’d forget you, Haruna. You’re too pretty not to remember,” Roxas suddenly says, catching you off guard. You realize that he’s been quietly admiring you too.

“I can’t tell if you’re teasing me.”

“I’m not. I mean it.”

“Flatter me all you want, Roxas. Just because I told you I like you doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you tomorrow.”

You can’t help but smile at his laughter.

To be continued… ⇷ prev | luna ✩ tip jar ✩ ao3 | next ⇸

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