Authors Note: Hi everyone! I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. Lemme know what you think so far. :)

Chapter Two: Chamber of Repose

Darkness greets me as I open my eyes. Though honestly I've become quite used to waking up in darkness. I've been waking in the realm of darkness for far too long. I jump, catching sight of one of the men in those black coats. I calm slightly upon noticing that it's Xemnas with a cup and plate in his hands.

"My apologizes, I didn't mean to frighten you," he says, setting both down on the table beside my bed.

I pick up the cup and sip its contents. I blink, staring into it. Green tea? I glance back up to where he's lingering by the door, his hand on the knob.

"Green tea?" I ask, it's always been my favorite.

He frowns. "Do you not like it?"

"No, I like it," I say smiling. "Thank you."

He nods. "After you're finished please meet me in the entrance. I'll explain why you've always been my friend."

Picking up a muffin I walk over to him. "I'm ready now."

He seems to accept this as he opens my door and heads off through the castle. I follow him to the front entrance, eating my muffin along the way. I feel more assured that I can return Terra to his former self, it's obvious he has at least some of his memories, even if they're buried so deeply within him that he hardly knows that's what they are.

Lifting his hand he opens up a portal of darkness, gesturing that I should enter into it. He leads me through the winding corridor and through an opening a short ways away. We step out into a familiar world. I look at the castle looming before me.

"Don't even consider running," Xemnas says, perhaps thinking the reason I was looking around was that I was looking for an escape.

He walks up the castle steps and I follow close behind. Once inside he proceeds through until we reach a room with a very advanced computer. He approaches it, sliding a disc into a slot, before typing away at the computer quickly. He takes the disc back and leads me through a couple more halls before halting in a large room. I jump as the floor in front of us separates, revealing a secret passage of sorts. A ramp is revealed just inside and we proceed down it. As soon as my feet are firmly planted on the ground below the ramp disappears. As we proceed I stare about my surroundings in wonder. This winding ramp is huge! And continues down further than I can see. Just when I begin to wonder if we're going to walk right into the center of this world we reach a door that opens as soon as we step in front of it. Yet another hall awaits us. This one has many doors along it, all chained shut. Before long this time another door looms in front of us, this one also opening when we stop in front of it. It closes immediately once I've stepped in behind him. This seems to be the final room. A throne-like chair stands in the very center. I wonder if he could be planning to lock me in here. There could be no better place, excepting perhaps where I've placed Ventus.

Xemnas is standing by the chair watching me. Upon catching my eye he points at something directly across from the chair. I gasp, walking over to the pile of armor that I've been without for over a decade. As well as my own Keyblade. I lift the Keyblade up before looking at Xemnas again. The faintest traces of a smile is on his face.

"You kept my armor safe," I say, smiling at him.

He nods. "Yes...and your armor, has been my only true friend."

I stare at him surprised. "It...has?"

"Indeed. I have often come, hoping I would regain more then just this faint sketch of memories that I have," he says, looking at his hands. "Yet I have not. Perhaps by finally being able to speak to you, I will."

I set the Keyblade back down carefully. "You must have been lonely."

"Perhaps," he says, sitting down on the throne.

I frown, leaning back against the wall. "Tell me, what do you remember Xemnas?"

He rests his chin on his hand, lost in his thoughts. "There are two times that I can remember vividly. Two very conflicting things."

"What are they?" I ask curiously.

"Both are brief, but one is a time where you and I fought...I was laughing, so seemingly we did so for fun. And Ventus watched," Xemnas says, a smile playing across his lips at the memory. "...The other is a time where a different sort of me was planning on removing the heart from humans."

"Those certainly are conflicting. They come from two very different people," I say. "I'm sure that you can figure out who you are over time."

He frowns. "I have been trying to figure that out for over a decade. And yet the only name I come up with is Xehanort."

I shake my head. "You definitely aren't Xehanort."

"If I am not him then I am certainly not this Terra that you speak of," Xemnas says.

"Well, it sounds to me like you have some of his memories," I say, watching his eyes for any hint of anger.

"Perhaps meeting Ventus as well might trigger a memory," Xemnas says slowly.

I nod. There's every chance. "It might."

He seems pleased by this answer. "Then won't you show me where he is?"

I sigh, looking down at the armor by my feet. "No, I can't go to him until I'm sure he'll be safe."

"What if you just take me to him? I am not happy following Xehanort as it is. So I can promise easily, that I won't tell him where he's at," Xemnas says.

I look up sharply. Has he been trying to trick me all this time? Does he think that by acting kindly and using pretty words he can just get his way? He stares back evenly, his eyes not betraying any emotion. I bite my lip, looking away. He reminds me so much of Terra, but apparently I can't forget even for a moment that he's also at least half-Xehanort.

"No," I say sharply.

He picks up on my changed tone quickly. His eyes turn cold. "No? Why not?"

"Because he wouldn't be safe. You aren't Terra, so how can I know what you have planned for him?" I say.

"I have nothing planned for him!" he exclaims, frustration clear from his tone. Getting up he paces over to me. "You will return Castle Oblivion to the land it once was, or I will cease protecting you from Xehanort. Perhaps after a day spent with him you will do as you are told."

I give him my best glare, before diving for my Keyblade. Just as my fingers brush it Xemnas grabs me from behind and pushes me into a portal. He follows directly behind pulling me along with him into Castle Oblivion. I stumble into another coated man. This one with long blue hair.

"Ah Isa, perfect timing," Xemnas says. "Lock her in her room. I am going to speak with Xehanort."

Isa nods. "Follow me."

It would be pointless not to obey at this point. I purposefully don't glance at Xemnas even though I feel his eyes following me until I'm out of his sight.

I watch the dark clouds from my too-small-to-fit-through window. Lifting my wayfinder, I stare into its depths. I've been turning it over in my hands for what seems like hours now. What am I suppose to do now? How can I even begin to help either one of my friends? It's times like these that I hardly feel like a qualified Keyblade Master. I blink, fighting back the tears that rise into my eyes. Crying won't solve anything.

The jingling of a key in my doorknob catches my attention. I watch, vision blurred as my door is opened and Xemnas walks in. I glare at him before turning away.

"Aqua," he says, his footfalls growing closer as he crosses the room, "I lost my temper earlier and I am very sorry. I have been waiting so long to officially meet you and yet I've been so cruel."

I look up at him. He honestly baffles me. I am not sure if I should hate him, or be treating him as a friend. It's just so complicated. It would help if I knew exactly how much he's Terra, and how much he's Xehanort. My eyes widen as he reaches down towards my face. Before I can leap back he's wiped away a tear that had escaped from my eye and rolled down my cheek. I gaze up at him, feeling more confused then ever while his fingers linger on my cheek.

"Help me to remember," he says. "Help me to remember the part of my heart that perhaps did once belong to this Terra person."

"I'm not sure I can help with that," I say.

"Please?" he asks. "...By the way, you're still safe from Xehanort's methods of torture. I couldn't bring myself to let him hurt you like that."

I clutch the wayfinder tightly in my hand. I can't give up so easily. I'll just have to be more cautious in the future. "Fine."

He smiles kindly. "Good."

"Am I still locked in this room?" I ask, walking around him to the door. He shakes his head. And I at last find myself smiling a tiny bit. "Then lets go outside."

Granted there isn't much of an outside here now, and you can't often see stars. But still, it sounds like fun. He doesn't seem fazed by this. But his expression is one as if he's wondering why I'd want to. A hooded figure watches us walk to the doors. He seems to debate stopping us until Xemnas waves him away.

I step out under the dark clouds, leading Xemnas around the building to a corner on the edge of the small stretch of land that is around the castle. I sit down on the very edge and stare out at the nothingness before me. Xemnas walks up beside me, he peers down cautiously at the dark depths below before sitting down as well. He leans back on his palms, staring up at the fast moving clouds.

"Back when this place was still called The Land of Departure, Terra and I used to sit out here and watch the clouds often after training. Ven started joining us after he arrived," I tell him, keeping my tone light.

"Oh?" he says. "I bet that was enjoyable."

I nod. "It was."

"I brought something for you," Xemnas says. "I figured it was high time that you got it back."

He lifts his hand and summons my Keyblade, before holding it out to me. I take it with a smile. Holding it out in front of me before making it disappear.

"Thank you," I say.

He nods, watching me. "I couldn't bring your armor. Xehanort wouldn't allow it. But it will be returned to you in good time."

I'm honestly surprised he even managed to bring this. Unless Xehanort wasn't aware, which is quite likely now that I think about it.

"Tell me, how come over half of the people are more loyal to you?" I ask. Something I've been wondering about since he first said it.

"I used to be a leader to some, while a couple others simply find me more trustworthy," he says simply.

"What was your plan? I mean why were you their leader?" I ask.

He opens his mouth to speak before looking away. I watch him, waiting for him to tell me. When he meets my eyes again he seems torn about it.

"That is a story for another time," he says, sounding as though he's choosing his words carefully.

"Okay," I say. I decide not to press him for further information.

"Tell me some things about my other friend," he says.

I smile. "Well, you and he were kinda like brothers. You trained together, argued of course. He was really sweet, came to The Land of Departure not remembering anything. He is very kind and gentle. When you left he went after you. He always believed in you. Do you remember what he looks like?"

He nods. "Yes, just like Roxas...who you wouldn't know. Tell me more, about both of you."

"Hmm...I'll tell you about when you, or Terra, and I first met Ven," I say with a smile. "You and I were training when he arrived with Master Xehanort. He and Master Eraqus left him in the hall while they went to discuss some things. And you went down first to say hello. I remember you were relieved when he responded. He had looked so sad just staring into the distance. But then—"

My words are drowned out by the sound of a portal opening and closing. A man stumbles through before collapsing. As his face hits the ground his hood falls back, revealing long messy pink hair. Xemnas makes a sound of annoyance in his throat as he walks briskly over to him. As I get to my feet a hooded blur rushes out of the shadows and over to him as well.

"What happened?" Xemnas asks.

"Sora and his goons, what else do you think?" the man spits out, anger evident in his tone.

"Sora?" I gasp, bending down beside Xemnas.

The man looks up at me, squinting briefly. "Who are you?"

"Mariaul? Sora there?" the other man asks.

"Where were you?" Xemnas demands.

However the guy, Mariaul doesn't respond to him. He lets out a faint moan before turning to the other man.

"Yes Braig, and he took 'it'."