A/N: Whoohoo! My 25th Fanfiction! Oh yeah! 8D

Well... man, for once, I don't know what to say in an author's note. Maybe because it's midnight? But usually I think even more clearly during the night... I dunno, lol. Perhaps I really am just tired. :P

But yeah, I developed this at the same time as Indignation, which is my first Terqua fic, coming soon. I really, really hope to complete this one, and because it's my 25th one, that could be a bit of motivation to finish this, right? Plus it's RokuShi, my favorite pairing... so... yeah...

Oh, and in this chapter, Roxas and Xion are both ten years old and Axel is thirteen, btw.

Turns out I do know what to say...

Anyways. I need to shut up now. Enjoy!

The Promise

Prologue

"Catch me if you can!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"I believe it is, slowpoke!"

"You're on!"

With that, Roxas picked up the pace, unwilling to let that red-haired brother of his get away. Axel's head turned around, containing a flash of panic when he saw Roxas quickly gaining on him. His look gave Roxas a nice sense of satisfaction- now he'd be happy even if he didn't win the race.

The steep slope of the hill no longer perturbed Roxas- the one and only thing on his mind was making sure that he was ahead of him. He narrowed his eyes, the light green grass below him now rushing like a river.

Before he knew it, he was neck and neck with Axel. Threatened, Axel pumped his legs harder, but it was no use. Within a matter of milliseconds Roxas had caught up.

The tree that Roxas and Axel had both declared as the finish line was just a few feet away from them…

"Ha! I win again!"

By some miraculous stroke of luck, Axel had crossed the finish line just before Roxas. Now the younger brother had his hands on his knees, panting. "Dang it, Axe…"

Axel crossed his arms triumphantly. "Looks like I win. Again."

Roxas waved off his remark. "Oh, shut up! I've beaten you before and you know it." He erected himself, wiped sweat off his forehead, ten looked around absently. After a few seconds of looking his azure pools rested on a faint black speck in the distance.

"Wait…" he refocused his eyes and took a step forward, trying to get a better look. "Is that Xion?" A grin immediately broke on his face.

Xion was the neighbor of Roxas and Axel. She always hung out with them, especially Roxas, since they were in the same grade. But lately she couldn't be found anywhere- she hadn't been showing up for the trio's daily meet-ups by the lake.

Sure enough, the black speck had been her. She was sitting on the shoreline of the lake, knees to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. Her short black hair wreathed her face, ocean blue eyes fixed on something.

Roxas soon found what exactly she was looking at. The sunset displayed a variety of tame reds and bright oranges, all melding together to make its own kind of rainbow. The smooth water of the lake reflected the colors, bending them and displaying them at precise angles.

He raised his eyebrows, marveled.

Suddenly Xion spoke. "I will never forget today's sunset," she vowed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Even if you do, I won't."

"Xion…" Roxas walked next to her. "Something wrong?"

For the longest time, she said nothing, simply burying her face into her knees. Her body shivered as if she were trying to survive the freezing cold. Just as he was going to ask her if she was okay, she said in a clear voice that was obviously much stronger than she felt, "Roxas… I'm moving."

Roxas jumped to his feet and took a step back. His heart skipped over many beats it should have made. The news was so heavy that it nearly caused the world around him to tilt in various directions.

"You're… you're moving?" he blinked a few times, trying to make sense of everything.

Xion shrunk at his accusation.

No. It was impossible. It wasn't right. There was absolutely no way that his best friend could be moving. This had to be some sort of trick.

But Xion wasn't one to pull pranks.

"The news was sudden to me too," she continued. "My dad got a very good opportunity to expand his business in Twilight Town. It could make us tons of money."

Roxas gaped. "Twilight Town…" he trailed off. Twilight Town had to be at least a thousand miles away.

"What's up?"

Both of the ten year olds turned around to see Axel walking toward them.

"Oh, hey Xion," Axel said. Then his head rotated to Roxas. "Dude, you just ran off like nobody's business! W hat's up with that?"

Roxas ignored his comment. "Axel, it's terrible! Xion's moving!" He gestured furiously at her, exaggerating his point.

Axel dropped his easygoing nature right then and there. His arms slacked and raised his eyebrows, his understanding slowly dawning on his face. Finally, his arm reached behind his neck, eyes refusing to meet either of them.

"Man, that's…" he was at a loss for words, "th… that's surprising." He hesitated for a moment, afraid to ask, then decided to blurt it out before he could have any second thoughts. "When are you going?"

Xion sunk even lower. "Tomorrow."

The brothers exchanged looks, white overtaking their faces.

"I'm sorry for not telling you earlier," Xion continued. "I just… I found out barely a week ago myself, and I didn't want to see you guys saddened. But today I absolutely had to tell you."

A week ago… everything made sense now, about why she had been avoiding them and all.

She lowered her knees, now hugging her stomach. "And now…" she found the idea too unbearable to voice aloud, so she straightened her spin and squared her shoulders as reaffirmation.

"Once I'm gone, everyone will forget me." Cracks wove their way into her voice. "It always happens- when someone moves, their friends will be sad at first, but the memories will eventually fade, and it'll be as if I never existed. I don't want to be forgotten."

Xion had no idea where this fear had initially seeded, but the thought of no one remembering her nearly paralyzed her. The small muscles throughout her fingers tightened, her insides being ripped apart slowly and painfully. Finally tears cascaded down her face.

Roxas didn't know a whole lot on comforting people. Axel frequently said that he sucked at it when the subject came up, and truth be told, he was right.

But it tore at him to see his friend hurt this bad. The fact that she had to move tomorrow bit at his gut, but at least he wasn't leaving everything behind.

"Hey, don't worry." Roxas sat down next to Xion and took one of her hands in his. "I will not forget you." That alone didn't seem to be giving her much reassurance…

Roxas turned his waist around and beckoned Axel to come over and help him out. He nodded and lowered himself on one knee next to Roxas.

"Not only that, but nothing will drive us apart, not even this," he continued. "We'll all be there for one another." He swept his hand around the cluster, including himself, Xion and Axel. "I promise."

Xion opened her eyes, her crying slowing until they came to a stop. She looked to Roxas, then to Axel, then back to Roxas. "Really?" her eyes glistened with a light that seemed to have been lost forever just a mere seconds ago.

"Best friends are inseparable, even when they're apart," Axel pointed out.

Roxas nodded, encouraged. Looks like the comfort actually worked this time.

For the longest time, she said nothing, simply staring at the two of them. Finally she turned away, inhaled a deep gust of air and let it out tenderly. Her eyes fluttered skyward, a smile slowly appearing and serenity trickling onto her face.

"Thank you," she finally said. Her eyes darted to Roxas and Axel yet again. "Now I really won't forget this night."

Roxas nodded, which allowed her to look back. Soon he followed Xion's lead, as did Axel, and together the three of them looked out to the sunset.

That would be the last time the three of them would be together. At least for a while.