They always forget.

Sora chose to forget her and those he faced at Castle Oblivion. It hurt, but not as much as she thought it would. She couldn't even fathom why she felt pain. But perhaps it was a promise. He did swear that when he woke up there would no lies; they would be friends for real.

He was going to forget but hope kept it aflame.

Then he went to sleep and she began re-chaining his memories together.

But something was wrong. Very wrong. Part of his memories were missing, a very important part just vanished. The memories of Kairi and Riku. They up and went somewhere else. She reached out to the threads, calling them to her. But still those missing threads were gone. How could she finish her job if she didn't have access to Sora's possibly greatest strength?

Then his Nobody arrived one day. He had jumped the tall wall of the mansion she and DiZ were hiding Sora at.

He went climbed into her room via the window. He wore the Organization's coat, his hood obscuring his hair and most of his face. but she knew, she could feel the threads of Sora's lost memories within him. This was the vessel.

"Where am I?" he asked her. "Who are you?"

"My name is Naminé," she said. "This is just a mansion. Long forgotten by many."

"Naminé..." he tested her name on his tongue. "I'm Roxas."

"You are just like me," she pointed out.

"I am?"

"You're a Nobody, right?"

He took off his hood, revealing blonde spiked hair. "Yeah, I am."

"Do you remember who you were before?"

"I...I don't. Do you?"

She didn't either.

Thus Naminé had a mission. Extract somehow the missing memories that directly went into Roxas. For weeks on end he would always finish early and come watch her draw. The memories of Sora invoked no response from him. He only watched and sometimes asked who the subjects were.

Eventually he asked her if she could draw something he saw. The sunset he watched from the top of the tower.

"I've...never seen the sunset before," she confessed.

He smiled and became excited. "Then come on, I'll show you."

"But how will I leave?" she said, looking to the door. She would be caught and possibly destroyed by DiZ if he found out.

Roxas smirked as he picked her up in his arms and leaped out of the window. She gasped in shock as she gripped his coat for dear life. He landed in the courtyard and with care set her down on the grass.

"Roxas," she giggled. "Don't hurt yourself for me."

His smile was as bright as Sora's. "Well you have to see the sunset."

Climbing over the wall, he pulled her through the entire town, sneaking past all the townsfolk. The Organization had taught him well.

Ascending the tower steps, Naminé felt as light as a feather. His hand was on hers, pulling her to exciting places.

Something within her thought this was Sora fulfilling his promise. Roxas was her blessing. He, along with Riku, treated her with an unparalleled kindness. But Roxas was willing to show her the world, the world outside her lonely room. He was her friend.

Finally getting to the top of the clock tower, Naminé was blown away. The sunset was painted across the horizon in yellows, oranges, and reds, with red being the most dominant. It was breath taking to see up high.

"Wow," she gasped.

"Number VIII-I mean Axel showed me this," Roxas said.

Axel. He was neutral to Naminé as far as she was aware. He let her go save Sora from becoming Marluxia's pawn, let her be a pawn any longer.

"It's beautiful," she said in awe. "I don't think I can capture its beauty in a drawing."

"I think you can. Believe in yourself Naminé."

So she did. She drew the sunsets to her existence's content.

But then she was sternly reminded by DiZ that time was running out. Organization XIII must be stopped. Sora's memories must be restored.

The next day when Roxas came to visit, he seemed down.

"I keep having dreams of events I've never seen. Everyone keeps calling me Sora in these dreams. I feel...pain and hurt when I wake up. What's happening to me Naminé?"

The memories were deeper in Roxas than she feared.

DiZ was pacing around the foyer when Naminé peeked out of her room.

"Sora's vital signs are weakening!" DiZ said. Riku in his cloak stood at attention.

"What could be causing him to weaken?"

"Some source is stealing away his strength! Naminé must make haste before Sora diminishes away to darkness completely."

She had no idea what to do. Roxas was absorbing Sora's essence away. Sora's memories became his own. Roxas was becoming Sora. She knew, even without a heart that Roxas was an entity different from Sora. Roxas was a part of Sora.

But Sora had to awaken. She had seen Sora's dreams, a want and a desire to return to the island with Kairi and Riku. Forcing the burden on Sora again would prevent him from his wants. It could work, couldn't it? Perhaps however, maybe Roxas was their other chance to defeat Organization XIII.

It was selfish of her. Her one friend and comfort, a nobody who lacked memories of a past life, had to disappear. She couldn't let Sora suffer; the guilt of letting the world and him down would eat away at her.

Roxas had to know.

He returned again, feeling stronger and stronger but also feeling more hurt and pain.

"Naminé..." he said, clutching his head, "What's happening to me? Why is it, I ask everyone for answers and yet I receive none? Not even Axel will tell me why I have dreams of events that aren't even mine!"

"Roxas...You are carrying Sora's memories within you. You hold half of what he is."

"I'm...You mean…I'm the Nobody of Sora?" He stared at the drawings she had of Sora and his adventures.

"Your strength comes from him."

He looked to her as he had an epiphany. "The connection..."

"What?"

He released his head. "Who is Organization XIII, Naminé?"

She was surprised at the question. To her, they misused her, no better than DiZ who now practically keeps her captive. But they were using her to harm Sora. They nearly forced her to destroy his heart.

And what they did to Kairi, her other half, was unforgivable. "Organization XIII is after Kingdom Hearts."

"But why, Naminé? They told me it's to regain our hearts. But...What if I already have one? What if I don't need Kingdom Hearts? How else am I to feel pain and hurt like this…A desire for the open ocean and the salty sea breeze?" He looked at his hands. "They took me in and trained me. I grow stronger and stronger, I obey my commands. I collected hearts…So many hearts." He turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I have a feeling…Xemnas might be holding back on us."

"Holding back…the truth?" Naminé asked. "How do you know?"

"Xemnas seemed to always avoid the questions I had regarding hearts…And I've always had my doubts about what it means to feel. Even if I don't have a heart, what I have, what I am able to feel, that is real enough to me."

"Marluxia tried to take over the Organization in Castle Oblivion. Maybe he too was onto something," Naminé stated. "I know that they have to be stopped. Organization XIII's goals in nature are malicious. They put many in harm's way, including Sora…"

"Sora…Sora…Why is it always Sora?" Roxas muttered. He looked away to the window. "I must undo my work. I'm going to set Kingdom Hearts free."

Naminé latched onto his coat. She never anticipated Roxas would do such a thing. The Organization was strong, they would eliminate him. She feared losing him…But how could she even fear losing him in the first place? "Why set it free?"

"I was an instrumental part in building Kingdom Hearts. If I can unlock the hearts of heartless, then I can unlock Kingdom Hearts itself. Imagine if we had our own hearts Naminé, using the power of Kingdom Hearts. You and I will be free of them, of Organization XIII. I promise you Naminé, we will be free," he intertwined his fingers with hers.

Naminé almost shed a tear of happiness. Hope was rekindling. He could defeat Organization XIII and then, maybe then Sora could awaken. The power from Kingdom Hearts itself would be strong enough to allow Sora's strength to return and she and Roxas would be free to have emotions, to be able to feel.

Roxas released her hands. "I will come back for you, I promise you that Naminé."

"Right…Promise," she grinned.

Naminé went down to the basement the next day to check on Sora. Riku, who had taken on the form of Ansem stood before the pod where Sora slept.

DiZ was looking over his progress on a monitor. "His body wanes from existence. He will not last the night."

Naminé's eyes widened. No…Sora couldn't disappear. Not like this. "No!" she cried out. This wasn't supposed to happen at all. "Riku!" she pleaded to him. "The memories missing from Sora are in his Nobody! Roxas! Please you have to help me…" she fell to her knees beneath his feet. "It's my fault. I lost sight of my goal. I let this happen. Roxas is sapping away at Sora's strength. He draws more and more upon him. He's going to use whatever strength Sora has to set Kingdom Hearts free!"

DiZ stood up. "Enough outburst Naminé. Riku, bring to me Roxas. I can reverse this process of power imbalance immediately."

Riku looked to the sobbing girl. If what she said was true, then he would do what it took to bring back Sora. Without a word, Riku took out his blindfold and put it over his eyes, forcing him to appear that of a teenager. "I'll bring him back, don't worry Naminé."

"The Organization will surely destroy Roxas; you must find him and stop him at once!" DiZ added. Riku nodded as he walked into the corridor of darkness.

"He will be forced to return to where he belongs," DiZ said to Naminé, turning back to his computer screen.

Her nerves felt cold. No…this wasn't what she wanted. Roxas was intent on his goal, but so was Riku. Roxas was angry at the organization for using him. He would go after all of them to reverse the damage he caused. But Riku was also determined to save Sora.

She had to stop Roxas before it was too late. Once the two clashed there would be no going back. Maybe if she could talk to him, get him to listen to reason before Riku came to collect…He wouldn't have to fade.

Naminé ran out of the room. She had to get to the World That Never Was, where the Organization ran their operations. She snapped her fingers, willing for a corridor of darkness to appear. Only black wisps appeared. She tried again. And again and again. Eventually a corridor opened before her and she blindly ran in, determined to find Roxas.

And she did find him, in the alley way in-between. Rain poured down from the bleak skies. Roxas' hair was getting damp. He looked at the heart shaped moon.

"Roxas!" she cried out.

"Naminé! Why are you here?"

She shook her head at him. "I'm here to stop you Roxas."

"What? Don't be silly Naminé. I'm doing this for you."

"Don't do this. You'll lose yourself, becoming something you're not! The Organization will eliminate you Roxas! Force you to fade back to the darkness!"

"I made my promise, Naminé. I promise, everything will be okay. I will find Sora, free Kingdom Hearts, and you and I…and Axel will all one day sit on that tower and watch that sunset together."

With that, he ran off into the storm. Naminé felt not the rain, but a tear on her cheek. Riku would be the only one stopping Roxas' foolish conquest now. She didn't tell him where Sora was; now she was paying the price. She thought she could live in a world where she didn't have to lose her friend, the only one who understood her, and stop Organization XIII. But it was cruel, it wasn't fair.

It hurt.

"Roxas…please don't go…" she whispered. She collapsed to her knees in a puddle of rain. "I don't want to be alone," she sobbed.

The threads of Sora's memories suddenly became lose again. The chance to seize these threads was within her grasp. She ran, and ran down the alleyways, running past all the neo-shadows.

When she arrived at Memory's Skyscraper, Roxas laid upon the ground, passed out. He had lost to Riku, who looked at him in solemn guilt. "I had no choice Naminé…"

She sniffled. "It's alright Riku. You…Had to stop him before he was destroyed and our last chance to save Sora was gone." She got on her knees before Roxas' peaceful body. He was out cold.

She brushed aside his hair. "I'm so sorry Roxas…I failed you…I failed." She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "It will be okay. You…" She choked. "You promised remember? You…promised me it would okay. I'm…holding you to that."

And then DiZ wiped his memory of his life before that fateful night by the skyscraper.

She looked upon him in the simulation of Twilight Town, interacting with new friends. The pain of losing a friend like him was like a punch to the chest. It hurt. It hurt too much.

He forgot about her. Just like Sora.

He forgot his promise to her. Just like Sora.

She never existed to him. She wasn't even supposed to exist. But he existed to her.

Naminé knew it was too good to be true.

They always forget her.

It was better to have faded and be forgotten, than be forgotten and be there to feel the pain.

They always forget.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a review if you like. :)