Go the Distance (Selena, invite)

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Naminé had been day dreaming and drawing. When she finally snapped out of it she realized that she drew over a dozen pictures of Roxas alone. “Gaaaaahhhh!” She yelled and flustered while trying to cover them all up before anyone would see them. Not that anyone was looking over her shoulder or anything but she still quickly stuffed them back in her sketchbook and took a sigh of relief once her task was done. “Phew!”

The pendent that Naminé was given at the coliseum started to glow gold. She took out the crest of the gods from its pouch and looked at it. It would glow to notify her that something was going on at the arena. Whether it was an event, to say that the arena was open for training, or that the people of that world need help the crest would glow.

Naminé tilted her head as she rolled the golden medallion between her fingers. She was debating on whether or not to answer the call. It could be that the world was in some kind of trouble. If that were true then there were plenty of heroes that would come to the rescue to keep the coliseum safe. She would only get in there way. If it was an event….well it wasn’t like she had anything better to do at the moment. It wouldn’t hurt to see what is going on.

Naminé’s hand rose in the air and a corridor appeared. She step through it and was immediately transported to the entrance of the great stadium. She walked between the statues of the two gladiators fighting and pushed up the enormous doors.

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In the coliseum, there wasn't any true danger that would vary by Heartless or monster attack or even an attempted raid upon the world to decide upon its alignment. Instead, it was only a tournament; a minor one compared to those of the past but it was still gathering a large crowd nonetheless.

A familiar, nightmarish competitor stood in the middle of the arena as a rather large Heartless faded in front of her. Selena appeared to be rather disappointed in the lack of challenge despite herself being in her Eblis form. Tail swishing, the woman dismissed the Heartsickness keyblade in her hand and was about to turn away when another Heartless, a Neoshadow, appeared and attempts to leap at her from behind only for its head to be grabbed by the inky-colored claws of her hand. "Nice try." mused the dark keybearer as she quickly crushed its head with her hand and carelessly tossed its quickly fading body aside. "Pathetic."

Knowing that the match was over from the enthusiastic sounds of applause and yells from the crowd, the dark keybearer shifts back to her normal appearance and began to walk away back to the lounge. The next match was up along with the next set of competitors would already be fighting each other there by the time she stepped foot out. Stretching out her arms and wings while careful not to accidentally knock anything down, Selena sat down on a bench and quickly fished her bag out from underneath it to dig out a bottle of water and a hand towel. "Phil, this is quickly becoming too boring if my opponents are just Heartless and hero wannabes." She muttered under her breath, dampening the towel with the water before wiping the sweat off her face with the now-cool towel.

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Naminé had wondered around for awhile to see what was going. “It looks like a small tournament.” She talked to herself. “Hmmmm, I wonder if I should enter too?” She decide to at least see found out what the competition was. The young girl spotted the lounge tent. There she could find out about the other contest and also check in if she was so inclined to.

As she got closer to the tent a familiar figure rushed patted her. The figure sported a purple tunic and long brown hair. “Meg!” She called out the woman that was now going into the tent. She must not have heard her since the lady continued her venture and disappeared into the then.

Naminé’s peaceful stroll turned into a brisk walk with purpose. She hurried into the tent after Meg. Her eyes blinked a few times once inside to adjust to the dim light. Her eyes finally came around but there was no sight of her target. She sighed in disappointment but still went inside. She looked around for the chart when her eyes spotted someone she hadn’t seen in forever. Her eyes widened at the lady in black with black wings.

Naminé’s mind went blank as she looked at the lady. There was so much she wanted to ask and say….and now she couldn’t think of any of it. Her feet, however, seemed to want her to get closer to Artemis because they started to move on their own. The lady was talking to the goat man, Phil.

“….ummmm….hello.” Naminé said shyly now standing with in their range. She looked at Artemis for a moment before her eyes fell to the ground. She didn’t know what else to say anymore.

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"Well maybe if ya gone easy on them then maybe ya can learn to hold back and make it appear like a challenge." huffed Phil before sighing nodding in agreement. There was little to no challenge against 'Artemis' in this tournament at the moment. "Just think of this as a warm up before the real challenge comes. Until then I got two words for you; practice until the real tournament starts!" answered the satyr before wandering off and giving the Memory Witch a brief hello in the form of a wave as he walked past her.

Selena sighed and looked down at the towel she was holding. The satyr was correct in his observation; she doesn't hold back against the Heartless where she shouldn't have to and the newer players were simply not in her level of fighting experience. This tournament was too quiet for her and she may have to wait too long for whatever next tournament for more challenging opponents. "There's always that world..." She muttered under her breath, remembering that the End of the World had stronger Heartless that existed in its colder depths that didn't here in the warmth of the Coliseum.

The timid voice startled the dark keybearer, causing her to look up at the familiar face. Her eyes slightly widened in recognition as the last time Selena had seen the girl was back at Kingdom Hearts fighting alongside her and several others where she had fallen into a dark vortex during the fight with Stroud and disappeared. It wasn't until during one of the previous tournaments that Sora successfully passed the Memory Witch's message to her that the woman learned that she survived the battle.

"Namine?" 'Artemis' asked, standing up and tossing the damp towel on the bench. However, Selena mentally caught herself instinctively reacting to the sudden reunion and seeing her alive through her own eyes so she held back her urge to hug the girl from sheer relief. Instead, the dark keybearer ran a hand through her black hair with a frown and skeptically glanced down at her. "What brings you here?"

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Naminé moved over for the goat man a few inches so he could get by, though there was no real reason to do so since there was plenty of room. She nodded to his wave and returned to staring back at the floor when Selena spoke her name.

She winced and backed up a step as the lady arose from her seat. She always had this “feeling” that when someone would come near her that she would be abused in some way. It became a natural reaction for the Nobody to back away or even brace herself for abuse.

The young girl realized that what she had done and did her best to stay put if Selena had come any closer to her. She gripped the bottom of her dress and started to pull at it nervously. This was the woman she has admired ever since that battle. She had only caught glimpses of her in the tournaments and in stories from people that Naminé had passed by. This lady kept the two of them alive and even through herself in harm’s way for her…Naminé….someone who was nothing more than a Nobody…..for someone she didn’t even know.

“I…ummm…well….I..” Naminé couldn’t find the words to answer the lady’s question. She sighed in defeat and frustration with herself. “I-I’m sorry.” She finally said. “That is what I wanted to tell you. That and…Thank you. I had been searching for you all this time to say that, and now I came here because I was bored and I finally found you.” A nervous laugh escaped her lips.

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Selena’s frown stayed as she carefully observed Namine’s seemingly involuntary actions. Did she intimidate the girl? The dark keybearer had hoped that their impromptu team-up at the battle with Stroud would eliminate any reason that the girl couldn’t trust her. Namine certainly appeared to be nervous but why? There shouldn’t be any reason that she should be timid around her unless she was afraid of her power. If Namine had watched her in any of the recent tournaments, then perhaps the Nightmare shouldn’t be so surprised that someone was intimidated by her abilities.

Then again…Not everyone is used to the idea of wielding magick or the idea of jumping into unknown itself. silently mused the dark keybearer, recalling the fear the people of her Hope Village were under. They had been afraid of and despised anyone who was born with magickal ability, even the true Nightmares of her world’s myth who were rumored to have been cast out to the mountains. Selena had hoped that they would learn to put aside the fear to maybe, if the true Nightmares should exist, work together against the Heartless. She had learned long ago that physical might alone isn’t enough to take out the Heartless.

The apology, the ‘thank you’ and the reason behind it that the girl stammered certainly surprised and even confused her. Namine had been an invaluable comrade during the fight and if anything, Selena should be apologizing for being unable to protect her from Stroud’s attacks. “What are you apologizing to and thanking me for? I should be the one saying sorry for being unable to protect you during the fight with the Horsemen.” answered ‘Artemis’ as she tilted her head to the right with a raised brow. The dark keybearer walked back to the bench and sat back down then asked, “Were you really searching for me all of this time just to apologize?”

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Naminé was both intimidate and in awe at the other girl. Her Intimidation was from nothing that the winged lady ever did. More from the Nobody having a fear of people. Even though the young girl could read hearts and memories, her power was still unperfected and limited. She was unable to read what people would do all the time and that scared her. People she thought were her friends had quickly turned on her before claiming it was because of what and who Naminé was and she had grown weary of pretty much everyone. All the memory witch wanted was to be seen as a Somebody. She wanted to have a right to live, a right to fight, and a right to protect. She didn't understand that she already had all those things it was just no one ever has ever taught her how to utilize those things. She had no morals or philosophies of her own. She didn't know how to find them.

The awe that the memory witch felt was from that fact that she so admired the women named Artemis. She had fought along side Naminé and actually protected her and saved her....not once taking Naminé's species into account. She felt human around the other girl. Naminé had also admired the lady's fighting style and how she seemed to embody both dark and light. The Nobody couldn't explain it but Artemis seemed to be what Naminé wished she was.

Naminé bowed her head and looked back down at the floor. "The sorry was for how useless I was during that time. I ran away when I felt I should have stayed and protected the people around me. But I took that man's invitation to retreat because I thought with how weak I was....I would have only gotten in the way." She couldn't remember the man that knocked her in the corridor of darkness to well. Much of that day was nothing more the piece of memory that would flicker to mind here and there. Much like a project showing an old movie that had been so badly damaged. Maybe it was the fact that Naminé didn't want to remember what she had done but forced herself to face it by searching for Artemis.

Naminé shook her lowered head at Artemis's question. She stood there for a moment thinking of how to word what she wanted to ask. She had relived what happened that day on the World That Never Was over and over again in her nightmares. The memory witch fell to her knees before Artemis. "I-I want to be allowed to live the way I want. I don't want to be her shadow anymore. I-I am tired of running away in order to live because I am weak. So...." Namine was shaking and tears started to shed from her eyes. "So will you please be my Master? Will you please teach me to use this power that I have obtained?" The flower covered Keyblade had appeared in her hand and laid acrossed her lap. "I' am not seeking to be a hero. I just want to be able to have a fair chance of fighting for my life...and for the chance to protect those I care about and that protect me for what ever reason. So please..." She squeezed the handle. "Please teach me what it means to live and to have to fight for it."

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During that particular event against the Heartless Horsemen, ‘Artemis’ who had long relied on her own abilities to survive needed to force herself to rely on the allies that had come to battle against them. Before their final stand with Stroud, it had become even more difficult as those began to disappear until it was just her, Namine and Kadaj against Maurelle and Ferser. Selena had a tougher time being able to rely on Kadaj whom she had previously encounter in several instances and he was unpredictable in all of those encounters. The dark keybearer had seen his power firsthand, and was disturbed that he was possibly both unstable and dangerous to boot.

Namine on the other hand she had found easier to trust perhaps for her blissful unawareness that the girl was a Nobody and the nature of the girl’s power. Even if Selena was aware of either, Namine had not caused any reason for her to attack or kill her on the spot such as murdering citizens in other worlds and gathering their hearts for their own plan. Or perhaps because the dark keybearer had found a reflection of a younger self in her, scared and unable to fully use her own power to defend herself. Maybe for that reason was the why she did not hesitate to take Namine’s place when Ferser attempted to attack her. But still, this girl was able to help her during their battle with Maurelle and Ferser and able to utilize the information against them that Selena was not even sure that could be true because it was not only based on observation of their interaction with each other. For that, she was grateful.

‘Artemis’ listened to the girl, concerned that she was not looking up at her face when she spoke as it seemed it was customary when holding a conversation. When Namine had disappeared from the battle against Stroud, it had given the dark keybearer quite a scare. The experience was enough for her to believe that the girl had died in that dark vortex she was sucked into and she is mentally kicking herself for not even think of the possibility that Namine could have survived that. Her words and tears astounded her and the flowery keyblade that came to her hand surprised her. She had no idea what to do or how to comfort the poor girl.

“Namine, look at me.” answered the dark keybearer gently and crouched down to her level. She waited a few moments before talking again, “What happened back there was not your fault. There are events that are beyond our control and cannot be helped.” The dark keybearer forced a gentle smile but her eyes reinforced the sincerity behind it. “I’ll be your teacher and help you learn how to use your keyblade. However, I can’t teach you the meaning of living and fighting for it. That’s something one learn along the way.”

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Namine did as she was told and looked up at the women that was now down next to her. The Nobody's face was stained with tears and it may have been a trick of the light, but the tear drops that had fallen on the the flower petals of her blade seemed to make the flowers bloom even more. She was slightly ashamed to be in this state in front of someone she admired. This wasn't how a Nobody was suppose to act. Whatever linger emotions that Kairi had left in her seemed to brim to the surface more often then not. They were always stronger when Namine was left alone or lost. Being alone.....being left behind....not be allowed to live....this is what scared the Nobody the most, and by connection, these things probably scared her Others as well.

She stared up at the women named Artemis. It may have only been a few moments her the winged Keyblader spoken again but to Namine it felt like hours. Part of her thought for sure she would be turned away. The other part of her just wished the lady would say something, anything. When Artemis did speak again it took Namine by surprise.

"W-Wait....It wasn't my fault?" Namine stuttered in her own thoughts.

She had never been told that before. When she was with the Organization...with DiZ...and even on her own...Everything was her fault. Had she done her job properly, Roxas wouldn't have had to suffer. Had she been paying closer attention, Sora's memories would have become a being of their own and Xion wouldn't have had to suffer. Had she never existed as it was meant to be...Replica Riku.....None of them would have to suffer. Her power would have been unknown and not able to be used. She had suffered so much physical and mental abuse because of her existence and powers under so many hands; Larxene, Marluxia, Xigbar, Vexen, Xemnas, even DiZ, all of them. It was always her fault. So how is it now....someone she had unintentional wronged....could say that it wasn't her fault.

A kind of warmth washed over Namine's body at hearing those words. A great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her crying had stopped but hiccups had still lingered around. Her eyes had widened.

"Really?!" Namine hiccuped as Artemis agreed to teach her. Something in her seemed to skip a beat. Was this for real. "But....."Namine paused as something just occurred to her. "You would teach me even though I'm a No....." She paused again and looked down. ".....Not a normal human. You do know that, right?" She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. She didn't know if anyone else was listen. She could probably fend of at least one person and get away if they attack, but if they were hell bent on killing or capturing her....Namine knew she didn't stand much of a chance.

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Artemis shook her head in response. "No. What happened back there could have happened to anyone, even me." She answered, completely sure. The winged keybearer watched the smaller keybearer cry and internally resisting herself from trying to hug her with both arms and wings. She needed to remain composed and act like the pillar. There was no need for her to break down her barriers just for one girl who happened to look up to her and she wouldn't even know how to comfort her anyway. It had simply been too long since she had forgotten any semblance of what is socially acceptable in situations like this.

The dark keybearer didn't know her backstory and she didn't intend to learn it. That was up to Namine to decide if she trusted 'Artemis' enough to share it. Then again, trusting complete strangers were usually a horrible idea that will end badly which was why Selena never stayed on one world long enough for connections to link to her and her own trust issues remained that will also prevent such connections from happening. However, this girl had asked for her help in regards to defending herself and that was something that Selena could say 'no' to. Not when no one else had even offered to teach her how to use her keyblade on the very first alien world she encountered and she had to learn everything by herself. She was still going to keep her distance from Namine despite accepting her request for guidance. 

The ebony feathers of her wings gleamed in the sunlight as the wind sways them. She rose a brow at the sudden inquiry of teaching a human who wasn't normal. "Namine, I am human and I have wings. I'm just as normal as you are." answered 'Artemis', calmly and meant to reassure her that it was okay to not be normal. The winged woman didn't understand the meaning of Namine's question nor catch the pause to really understand her situation. 

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Namine looked at the ebony wings glittering in the Sun. The sight of them did not strike fear into the Nobody, on the contrary, the sight of them soothed her and dried her tears. Where others may have seen the darkness and cold in them, she saw the warmth. To her the appendages represented freedom something herself seemed to be lacking.

"The problem really isn't that I'm not a normal human. It is that I'm not too sure that I'm human at all, that I will ever become close anything human no matter how much I'm a yarn for it." Namine said. "My very existence seems to be a curse to me. Nothing more than someone else's shadow and reassurance to her friends and family that she will always return. But I want to keep living not for her..but because I want a life that is just my own. The power to write my own story instead of just being a fleeting memory in someone else's. I know that it is selfish. I was never to exist in the first place...But I do now. I just can't fade back into her. Not sure if its out of stubbornness or fear that I want to stay alive. Both are things that I am said not to have."

The nobody looked down. "This must all seem very boring to you." Namine shook her head then looked back up with one of her signature fake smiles. "Sorry. It isn't important. So when can we start!?" She asked enthusiastically. She clapped her hands together and that smile did not fade from her face. She got the subtle hint that it made Artemis a bit uncomfortable when she was crying, and that was the last thing Namine every wanted to do to anyone. And so the Memory Witch would do what she did best. Mimic emotions. Mimic that she was happy all the time.