Episode 4: The White Witch
Lucille had long since finished explaining the whole story to Zen and Oswald and they were now waiting for Zero to return from scouting ahead of them.
"I hope Zero's okay. He's been gone for a long while." Quartz began to worry.
"Why do I get the horrible feeling that something bad is going to happen?" Zen spoke his concerns aloud.
"You always feel like something bad is going to happen," Gula teased.
"I'm serious, Gula!"
"I...still can't forget what Axel said earlier about Zero. Why did he call Zero a 'puppet'?"
"Oh yeah, he did say that, didn't he? He's gotta know something about Zero that we don't," Lucille recalled.
"A puppet? So you mean he's not a real person?" Oswald asked.
"We don't know. I honestly don't understand anything about this castle. It's all messed up, but I get the feeling Zero isn't a normal person like Zen or Lucille." Florian shook his head.
"It sounds like he's connected to this castle in some way. He said that he was 'born' here, after all," Lucille recalled.
"Hey, are you sure we can trust this Zero? What if he really is working along with the Organization and this whole thing was just a ruse for you to drop your guard?" Zen questioned.
"Honestly, Zen! First Riku and now Zero?" Lucille sighed loudly.
"Can you really blame me? Riku doesn't exactly have a clean record," Zen scoffed.
Lucille shook her head. "I can't argue with that, but still..."
Quartz spoke up. "Um..." Both Lucille and Zen turned their heads to look at him. "I know this isn't really my place to say anything, but I believe that Zero is truly trying to help us. I don't get the feeling that he's using us. He doesn't have the same kind of darkness that I felt from those people in the black coats. Especially the darkness inside their leader-he scares me more than any of the ones we've met in this castle."
"You mean Axel and Marluxia," Florian confirmed. "I wonder where that Marluxia went...we haven't seen him since we first arrived," he then wondered.
They heard the doors open from nearby. To their horror, it was Axel yet again.
"You know...You kids are really starting to make me angry." Axel forced a smile on his face, but his eyes were twitching in annoyance.
"You again?!" Lucille cried out.
"Did you really think I'd give up the chase that easily? Hey, what happened to your burns from our fight earlier?" Axel noted.
"None of your business! Why do you want her so much?" Zen demanded.
"Actually, this is my fault." Quartz raised his hand. "He originally came to capture me, but now he wants to capture both of us."
"He's after you too?" Oswald frowned and pondered for any possible reasons why that was the case.
"Look, I don't know either. I just follow orders. Stop trying to get answers out of me." Axel sighed loudly and placed his hands on his hips.
"It sounds like your leader doesn't trust you with the more delicate details," Oswald noted.
Axel shrugged. "Or maybe I didn't bother to ever ask. I have an idea about the little weirdo in the white coat, but Sora's sister is beyond me."
"You're mean! Why Zero seems to like you I'll never know," Quartz huffed.
"Actually, can I ask you something? What do you know about Zero? You two seem to know each other pretty well," Lucille asked.
"Why should I tell you about that? You're reading into this too deep, kid. We're not frie-" Axel was about to retort until he noticed a familiar robed figure come out from the door beyond them.
"Zero! You're back! We were beginning to worry about-" Lucille beamed at the arrival of Zero, however Quartz and Florian both seemed to come across to the same conclusion that something was wrong.
"Wait, Lucille!" Quartz gripped onto Lucille's arm.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Lucille...something's wrong with Zero...his...whole aura has shifted," Florian noted.
"His aura has shifted? What do you mean?" Lucille looked puzzled.
With a flash of quick movements, Zero's hand summoned forth a familiar scythe into his hands and unleashed a powerful wave of energy towards them.
"Look out!" Quartz ran in front and used his powers to create a crystal shield that nullified the blow.
"Quartz!" Lucille gasped and went over to check on him.
Quartz quickly reassured, "Don't worry, I'm okay. It's a barrier that nullifies magic and physical attacks."
Axel whistled. "Impressive." He then stared at 'Zero'.
"I knew he couldn't be trusted!" Zen accused
"Zero, what are you doing?! We're your friends, remember?" Chi tried to reach out, but there was no response.
"Zero...It's not true, is it? You weren't really just using us, right?" Lucille felt hurt by the thought of being betrayed.
"So, you've actually done it. You decided to brainwash the kid now, Marluxia?" Axel gritted his teeth.
"Marluxia?!" Everyone except Oswald cried out.
"Who's Marluxia again?" Oswald was the odd one out to ask that question.
"That's the psychopathic living memory of the Nobody Lady Lucille told you about," Chi reminded.
"Aw, you ruined the drama, Axel. And here I thought I could leave some emotional scars on them before I take their lives. Also-brainwashing is such a harsh word. I prefer the phrase 'correcting his memory'." Marluxia appeared before them beside Zero, who stood almost as still as a statue.
"What's going on? Why is Zero working with Marluxia?" Lucille shook her head in disbelief at what she was seeing.
"You used Vexen's fail-safe protocol on Zero, didn't you? To chain up his free will."
"It turned out quite fortunate that Vexen kept that protocol within Zero. I wouldn't have been able make Zero my puppet otherwise if he had some semblance of free will."
Axel's fists clenched tightly. "It's bad enough that Vexen made his life a mockery. Why torture him further than what you, Vexen and Larxene already did that to him. Even as a memory, you're just as sadistic as you were before."
"I'm surprised at you, Axel. Not long ago, you were calling Zero a 'thing'. Why the sudden change? Could it be that you actually feel...guilt?"
Axel didn't say anything, but glared.
"I don't know what's going on," Lucille started. "But you let go of Zero right now! He's not a puppet for you to control!"
"Oh, that's where you are wrong. Did you really think this boy was a Nobody like your friend there? He's just a simple doll with an artificial heart that was too weak for the body to handle. Now, he doesn't even have the heart to hear you out. But at least now he's obedient like a good puppet should be."
"Alright, explain, pal, what's this fail safe protocol you two keep talkin' about?" Oswald demanded from Axel.
"...Basically, it chains up their memory and locks it away. It was suppose to only be used if our robed friend here went rogue and needed to be quickly subdued, but this Memory Marluxia abused it for his own plans. In other words, Zero doesn't remember any of us now. He's no different than a mindless doll now."
"What?! What do you mean he forgot us?" Quartz panicked.
"Exactly what I said. All of his memories prior to today were fabrications of someone else's memories created as part of an elaborate plan by the Organization. I'd say the only genuine memories he had was the ones with that girl Namine and you lot. However, with that protocol now activated, even those memories have been sealed up."
"That's...so cruel!" Florian shook his head.
"Implanting memories? Fabrications of the mind? Just what the hell were you people doing to him?!" Zen felt this sounded disturbingly similar to what Xehanort did not only to him, but Ion and countless other innocents who were forced into his experiments back in Radiant Garden. It also made him feel sick at the thought of just what Zero must have gone through here.
"You should thank me. His heart shackled him to the false memories implanted in there, and they were holding him back from showing his true potential. I simply freed him from those chains."
"I don't believe for a second that Zero can't overcome whatever it is you did to him. Memories aren't something you can just lock away and throw away the key, he's stronger than that!" Lucille retorted.
"Oh, really? Let's see if he remembers—Zero, attack them," Marluxia gave a cruel smirk and ordered Zero, who was carrying a copied version of Marluxia's scythe.
"Understood, preparing for battle," Zero obeyed and started to focus energy into the weapon. There wasn't even a hint of emotion now.
"Don't actually listen to the creep!" Oswald shouted.
"He doesn't have an ounce of free will now, rabbit. He doesn't really have a choice," Axel retorted.
"Don't just stand there, get ready to defend yourselves. He's using his full power this time!" Axel warned the younger group.
"He's not lying. I can tell by the increased power Zero is showing that he must have been holding back his real strength before," Ava rang in Lucille's head.
'But-! I don't want to hurt him, Ava!' Lucille shook her head.
"You don't have to defeat him, but we need to hold him off long enough so we can escape," Ava told her.
Lucille nodded. "Right." Lucille summoned both the Lux Arma and Keyblade into her hands.
"Whoa whoa, reality check here, are we really going to fight him? I thought you of all people would be against that," Zen told Lucille.
Lucille shook her head. "We're not trying to win. We just need to be able to open that door to another memory world. I have the memory cards that Zero gave to me before he left. I really don't want to fight Zero either," Lucille explained.
"Usually I wouldn't be okay with letting my targets go, but I don't want you to end up dead either. That would look terrible on my track record and earn me a one way ticket to becoming a Dusk," Axel made a light joke. "I'll buy you the time you need to escape. If you want to find a way to help Zero, you're better off finding the old lab for answers. That's where Zero was 'born'. His late creator should still have all Zero's old records and data stored there," Axel told them.
"Where is this old lab?" Oswald pressed.
"On the eleventh floor. Think you can climb all those floors by yourself?"
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Lucille gave a confident look.
"Right, I swear you two really are alike. I guess it's true what they say about twins after all."
"What's that meant to mean?" Lucille huffed.
They didn't have time to get an answer since Zero was attacking first, charging in to deal a closed-ranged attack to the group, but Zen managed to halt the attack by summoning his heartless claw arm to hold the scythe. He was struggling against Zero's strength.
Axel really wasn't kidding, Zero was much stronger than he looked when Zen first saw him. Was it because he was no longer held back by his memories?
Zero pulled the scythe away and jumped into the air, using the weapon to unleash crescent waves at them.
The group jumped out of the way of each of the attacks, dancing around the room to avoid every attack Zero tried to launch at them. He must have copied Marluxia's entire arsenal of attacks.
Zero moved back to Marluxia's side when he got the order to return.
"So, still think Zero has the willpower to recall those memories? Those memories are buried for good. No amount of friendship speeches are going to bring them back," Marluxia teased.
"Zero...have you really forgotten about us? About your friend Namine? We're your friends, remember?" Lucille called out to Zero again.
"Don't just stand there! Get moving to the next floor!" Axel called out to them. Marluxia joined in the fray and attacked Axel, who blocked the attack himself before throwing an flamed chakram at him, causing Marluxia to jump back to dodge out of the attack as the chakram swung back towards Axel, who caught it with his free hand.
"None of you are going anywhere. Didn't I say before that I would be ready? Zero, make sure none of them leave the room. I'll take care of this infuriating spy."
"Understood," Zero complied and stood between the group and the door leading to the next floor.
"This is not good. We might actually have to try and attack him to get to the door after all." Zen gritted his teeth.
"But we don't want to hurt Zero! It's not his fault!" Florian shook his head.
"But...he looks so serious...I don't know if we can convince him." Quartz shook his head.
"By the way, that is an interesting arm you have. I wonder where you got it. Tell me, are you someone's puppet too?" Marluxia smiled coldly at the greenette.
Zen's eyes flashed dangerously, and even his claw sparked up with life.
"Zen, don't let him get to you. He's just trying to make you lash out," Gula's comforting words rang through Zen.
Zen sighed inwardly. "Let me tell you one thing-I'm no one's puppet. We're not toys for people like you to play around with our hearts as you please!"
"How ironic that we have similar views but on different sides of the battlefield," Marluxia noted.
"I'm nothing like you!"
"Oh? But I too didn't want to be used as a pawn by the same man we call our Superior in the Organization. The reason why I tried to rebel was to stop that man's true plans from coming to fruition. Of course, that girl's dear brother along with the white witch ruined that plan quickly."
"The White Witch?" Quartz repeated.
"Sora was the one who defeated you? Well, there's some good news for once," Lucille roasted.
"Ah, but by destroying only my Nobody, I had gained immortality by this castle's seraphic artes itself. Clearly this castle chose me to be its Master for that reason."
"More like it was just a really bad side effect that conveniently worked in your favor," Florian corrected.
"Hey, flower boy! Keep your attention on me-I'm your attacker, remember?" Axel chided.
"Hmph," Marluxia simply scoffed and charged into battle with Axel once again. As the two Nobodies clashed with each other, Lucille and the others faced Zero once again.
"Zero...We don't want to fight you. Can't you recognize us? We fought together against that huge Heartless in that memory world of Destiny Islands, remember? We even made sandcastles together!" Quartz tried to jog any memory that could have remained inside Zero even after Marluxia gave him that 'protocol' that they kept hearing about.
"Actually you made the sandcastles. Zero just watched you," Chi corrected.
"I'm trying to jog any memory inside Zero, Chi!" Quartz flailed his arms at the Chirithy.
"...Sandcastles?" Zen glanced at Lucille with an raised eyebrow.
"It's a long story." Lucille laughed sheepishly.
They didn't have time to relax their stance as Zero was about to attack again, but Zero soon fell to the ground, dropping the replicated scythe to the floor as he clutched a hand to where his heart would be.
"What's wrong with him?" Zen asked in confusion.
"Didn't you say that Zero seemed to be in pain whenever he tried to use his powers?" Oswald recalled something Lucille explained to them earlier while they were waiting.
"Yeah," Florian confirmed.
"...I think I understand now why he was holding back before. Using his full power against us means he's putting more strain on his body. There's only so much stress a heart or body can take before it breaks down," Oswald figured out.
"He must have been aware of that before, but now that Marluxia has sealed away his entire memory..." Chi seemed to have put the pieces together as well.
"This sounds...oddly familiar." Lucille couldn't help but think back to the days when she was still bed-ridden in her bedroom. Her mother said something very similar to her. As a child, she never understood why, but now...she understood her mother's reasoning much better now. Did that mean Zero was just how she used to be as a child? He had a frail body?
"...R-Run..." Zero's words barely came out as a whisper and sounded like he had to force them out.
"Zero?" Lucille became hopeful once more. Did Zero finally recognize them?!
"You...need to run! I don't know why...but I don't want to hurt you..."
"You don't remember who we are?" Quartz felt hurt by this.
"I remember your faces...but not the names," Zero admitted.
"...Even though the memories are gone, the heart remembers..." Zen's eyes widened in realization at the similarity of this situation to what happened to his best friend.
"I don't want to do this...but I can't disobey...that's why you have to run! Before it's too late!" Zero told them.
"But Zero, We can't leave you here with that awful man!" Lucille shook her head.
"How...do you know my name?" Zero asked.
"You might not believe this, but you've actually met these guys already. Lucille told us why you originally came to save them. It was the request of a girl named Namine," Zen reminded.
"Na..mi...ne? I...know her! I-Ahhh!" Zero's mind and heart were in complete disharmony with each other. His heart clearly knew these people and especially this girl called Namine. He knew that she had a special place in his heart. But his mind-currently under the protocol's demand to obey Marluxia-was trying to pull back control from whatever was preventing Zero from completing his order.
"Lucille, we've got to go! We might not have another chance to open the door," Ava told Lucille through their connection.
"But..."
"Don't let Zero's efforts go to waste. He's trying to help us by not stopping us," Ava reasoned.
"..." It pained Lucille but she knew Ava was right. There was nothing they could do...not right now anyway.
"Zero...we'll find a way to save you from Marluxia's control. I promise!" Lucille promised to him before she followed the others by running to the door and picking out a memory card from the pack that Zero handed to her before Marluxia caught him.
"What are you doing?! Stop them!" Marluxia barked orders at Zero.
"Zero! Don't listen to him! Do you want innocent blood on your hands?!" Axel countered.
"No...I-!" Zero honestly answered, but he felt the searing pain return, causing him to writhe in pain, curling into a fetal position while clutching his head with his hands as if trying to block out some kind of sound.
The memory card in Lucille's hand glowed and the door opened to reveal the path that would take them to that memory world. She quickly looked back and saw Zero in pain.
She almost instinctively went back to help Zero, but Zen stopped her.
"I know you want to help him, but we can't help him like this. We need to regroup."
Lucille clenched her fist. With a heavy heart, Lucille passed through the door with the others into the new memory world that awaits them. The doors sealed shut behind them. Zero felt relieved at their departure.
'I'm glad...at least they're safe for now. If you can hear me, Guardian of Castle Oblivion...keep them safe from Marluxia...and from...myself...' Zero thought in his mind before he passed out from pain.
Marluxia pulled back from his fight with Axel and picked up the unconscious body of Zero. "Tch...so those memories the girl talked about were lingering in his heart after all. I might have to possess the body myself if I can't remove those memories."
"I don't think so!" Axel charged in, but Marluxia acted quickly and dodged Axel's attack.
"Why do you care so much for a mere puppet? He's just a doll. There's nothing real about him. Not his memories, not his body-not even his heart is real. Don't tell me it's because of Sora. Or perhaps-is it Roxas that you see in Zero?" Marluxia mocked.
"...!" Axel didn't say anything, but his expression told Marluxia everything he wanted to know.
"So that's why...how interesting...perhaps Nobodies aren't so empty after all. You should really think about who is the real enemy here."
"You, of course! You're meant to be dead! And you've done enough to that kid. If you push him too far, his heart will shatter and you won't even have a toy to play with anymore afterwards," Axel shouted back.
"A doll like him can always be repaired. He just needs a new heart to replace his flawed one. That can be remedied shortly," Marluxia finished cryptically before disappearing along with Zero in tow.
Axel sighed and placed a hand over his face. "I really hate these kind of jobs...how did it get so complicated?"
Unbeknownst to the red spiky-haired Nobody, someone else was watching who saw the events unfold, but was unable to do anything without revealing themselves and putting ten years of effort into protecting this place in jeopardy.
They clenched their fists, though, at the injustice that they had just witnessed. "On my honour as the guardian of this world, I'll right the wrong that I've unknowingly allowed to flourish. I owe that much to Zero-and to Namine and Sora. "
Lucille and her friends found themselves in a familiar world that all of them save for Quartz had visited.
"We're in Traverse Town!" Chi verified.
"So this is what a memory world looks like...It looks so real. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we somehow found ourselves back in the actual world," Zen commented.
"And Zero was able to replicate this from your memory, Lucille?" Oswald turned to the brunette to confirm.
Lucille nodded. "He said in order to climb the castle, we needed enough of them to reach the thirteenth floor. Originally, Zero was going to show us a quicker way to the final floor but..."
"But we've lost our guide-so now we'll have to climb the floors one at a time, huh? Man, that's such a pain," Zen grumbled. Just then, Zen's body glowed lightly along with Lucille's. Like before on Destiny Islands, Lucille saw Ava had her physical form again. This time, Gula appeared with her.
"What the?!" Oswald jumped in shock.
"Where the hell did you come out from?!" Zen was also taken by surprise by Gula's sudden appearance.
"This is...incredible! So the seraphic artes not only can bring memories to life through the illusionary artes, it can also give people like myself and Ava a temporary physical form while within the memory world itself," Gula theorized.
"So in other words...you guys are like Marluxia? A living memory?" Quartz summarized.
Gula nodded. "Essentially yes, but unlike him, it seems we can only take form within these worlds because it has something to do with our other halves. In other words-you guys."
"I'm confused. All this talk about illusionary artes and living memories makes my head all fuzzy." Quartz felt lost.
"So you're saying because we share the same heart , you share our existence as well, so the castle allowed you to take physical form within the memory worlds. How come you can't do that in the castle itself? We're basically in the same place aren't we?"
"That's where things get confusing. I think it has something to do with presence as well. Ava and I have never been here, so I guess it doesn't consider us ever existing within Castle Oblivion. But we were with you the whole time when you traveled to these worlds. It probably made an exception for us because of that."
"Even if Marluxia can't follow us here, Zero can." Ava reminded. "And that worries me."
"Zero..."
"I never thought I'd say this, but I hope that guy is okay too. Like him or not, he did help us back there," Oswald added.
"You mean Axel? He just didn't want us dying to Marluxia before he can cart us back to his overlord," Lucille huffed.
"Hmm...I'm not so sure. That might have been true before but...he seemed really angry at Marluxia with what he did to Zero," Florian noted.
"Now that I think about it, didn't he say that the lab where Zero was 'born' was on the eleventh floor? I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe we should take him up on that advice. I want to help Zero. I don't know how we can help, but maybe we can learn more about Zero, which could give us a clue as to how to give Zero his free will back," Lucille suggested.
"That's a good idea and all, but his memories were sealed and locked up as part of that protocol. I'm not so sure if he'll be the same Zero we knew even if we remove that control Marluxia has over him," Gula reminded.
"Even if the memories disappear, the heart remembers-that was what Aster taught me," Zen spoke aloud.
"Oh, that's right! Aster lost his memories, but he managed to get them back! Even without them, his heart remembered you." Lucille understood what Zen was saying.
"I'm also saying that Marluxia might not have been telling us the whole truth," Zen added.
"I agree! I don't think for a second that Zero really forgot about us. If he truly didn't remember us, he wouldn't have hesitated and froze up like he did," Quartz added earnestly.
"We need to find out more about what this so called 'fail-safe protocol' really does. There might even be a way to reverse it-or at least remove Marluxia's control over him," Zen suggested.
"Well, this is a 360-turn. You thought Zero was a traitor before," Gula reminded.
"I did. But...I was wrong-even I can admit that. Zero's just like me, a victim of someone else's ambitions. When we don't meet their expectations, we're thrown away and left to suffer the consequences. It's hard to place doubt in someone who went through a similar situation as you."
"You speak from experience..." Quartz quietly added.
"Even you can pick that up, huh?" Zen asked the pale green-haired Nobody.
"How...can you be both observant yet so naive at the same time?" Gula questioned.
"Sounds like another air-head we know," Zen teased, glancing at Lucille.
Lucille just glared, but Zen got the clear message within it.
"But...I don't have any air in my head. How can I be air-headed?" Quartz tilted his head and questioned innocently. Quartz then noticed something in the corner of his eye. He saw a flash of white and could have sworn it was a person. "Hey, guys...I think I just saw someone just leave the area," Quartz informed the others.
"Someone else is here? Who else could it be?" Oswald asked.
"We should follow them. They could help us," Lucille suggested.
"You do realize this could be a trap, right?" Zen countered.
"Hmmm...No, I don't think it is. I didn't feel anything sinister or dark about that person," Quartz noted.
"Quartz has been accurate so far. I say that we trust him on this," Florian told Zen.
"If you say so. Don't tell me I didn't warn you if it does turn out to be a trap." Zen shrugged.
"Could you at least try to be open-minded?" Gula shook his head.
"Quartz, you saw where that person left, so we'll follow you," Lucille told Quartz.
Quartz nodded earnestly. "Yup, they went that way." Quartz went in front and guided the others in the direction of where he saw that mysterious person leave. He did wonder why they would show up in this memory world of Traverse Town, though, when they had seen no one else in this place so far.
Meanwhile, back on the thirteenth floor, Diz was reading what looked like reports that were found by Riku and King Mickey, who were in black trench coats similar to what the Organization wears.
"Is this all you can find on the failed replica?"
"All the the information we could get on paper. We couldn't access the computer," Riku answered.
"It's gotta be protected by a password that the one in charge of that lab knew," Mickey suggested.
"That Nobody no longer exists. Even so, he should have left a clue behind. Any researcher would leave a hint to the password behind in case one forgets," Diz told them.
"Were the papers helpful, though?" Mickey asked.
Diz nodded. "These reports are very detailed-this 'Vexen' was very careful to write down every moment of the prototype's development. Even the fail-safe protocol is mentioned. It even has a proper name. However, I imagine he kept all his most sensitive and important records on that computer. We will need to access the computer somehow if we want to understand this replica program better."
"Then we'll have to find the password somehow. But what could that guy have used for a password?" Riku wondered.
Mickey noticed the absence of a certain girl. "Gosh, does anyone know where Namine went? She's not here."
"What?" Diz was surprised at this and looked behind him to see that Namine was indeed nowhere to be found. "What does that witch think she's doing? If Marluxia or that failed replica finds her...Riku, Mickey, find her immediately and bring her back here right away."
Riku simply nodded and proceeded to leave the room, with Mickey following behind him.
"One more thing, Riku," Diz spoke up again, getting Riku's attention. "If that prototype tries to interfere or endanger the lives of Lucille and her friends-as well as Namine's-you know what must be done."
"But shouldn't we try to help the fella? There might be a way to reverse what's been done to him," Mickey tried to reason.
"We have very little time for that. Even as we speak that mere memory of Marluxia is using that creature as his proxy since he cannot do anything in his current form. As flawed as the prototype is, it is still very dangerous-even more so now than before. We cannot afford to take any chances. After all, if these reports are correct...it might be best to end the replica's suffering before it's too late."
"Before it's too late? I don't think I like the sound of that." Mickey frowned.
"The prototype's heart was artificially made like all the replicas that came after it. However, they did something very risky with the prototype's heart, and now that replica is suffering the consequences of that scientist's arrogance. Believe me when I say this...it would be a mercy to let him die sooner rather than later."
Back in Traverse Town, Lucille and her friends were following Quartz's directions. It wasn't until they reached the Third District that Quartz came to a stop.
"I think this is where that person was trying to lead us," Quartz guessed.
"We're closed in, so if it is a trap we'll be at an disadvantage."
"Oh, would you stop already?" Lucille grumbled.
"Nothing wrong with being too careful," Zen countered.
"Hm? I think I see someone approaching!" Chi notified everyone as she saw a flash of a plain white dress appear in the corner of her eye.
The person walked towards them with a rather calm and gentle aura around them. Whoever it was, they were neither a threat nor an enemy.
When the person came close enough, they stopped and started to speak, "It's good to finally meet you, Lucille. As well as Florian, Zen, Oswald and Chi, of course. I...don't know who the other Nobody is or those two in the robes are."
"Oh, I'm Quartz!" Quartz introduced himself brightly.
"I am Master Ava and this my friend, Gula," Ava introduced themselves to Namine.
"You could say that we're the other half of the two you see here. Ava belongs to Lucille and I belong to Zen," Gula added.
The person who they could now identify as a girl softly smiled. "Oh, I see. It's nice to meet you as well, Quartz, Ava and Gula."
"Wait...could you be...Namine? The one Zero mentioned?" Lucille clicked.
The girl nodded. "Yes, that's my name. I am the one who is currently putting the pieces of Sora's memory back together exactly as they were before I meddled with them."
"...Sorry, I don't really understand." Lucille shook her head.
"Then Zero didn't tell you...maybe it was better you heard it from me. It was my fault after all." Namine sadly looked down. She then proceeded to confess the entire story of what happened to Sora during his time here at the castle. Once she was done, everyone looked horrified.
"Whoa, whoa, so Marluxia forced you to meddle with Sora's memory, so he could use Sora as some kind of puppet against the Organization whom he was rebelling against?" Oswald started.
Namine nodded.
"So you arranged and altered his memories to remove Kairi from the picture and replace her with you? In order for Sora to change and make him more submissive to you?"
Namine sadly nodded again. "I feel awful for what I did. The entire time...I felt sick and guilt-ridden. But...deep down...I didn't want to be alone in this castle anymore...so part of it was out of selfishness on my part too. Once I started what I had begun, though...I began to have second thoughts and regretted what I did."
"I know a Nobody like me has no right to ask forgiveness from you, Lucille. I toyed with the memories of someone very precious to you. Even in his memories, you were a vital core memory. For some reason, I couldn't alter any of his memories involving you-and secretly, I was glad that I couldn't."
Lucille felt conflicted. She should be angry at Namine for what she did to Sora, but, she thought of her childhood and how lonely she felt when she was stuck to her bed for a big chunk of her childhood.
"Well...I won't lie. I'm upset at what you did to Sora and his friends."
"Of course..." Namine nodded sadly. "I wanted to tell you above all people the truth. The reason you came to this castle was because you heard he was here and were worried for him, right? So it makes sense that you would be angry with me."
Lucille then added, "But...I forgive you."
Namine blinked. "What?"
"Normally anyone would be angry and upset at something like that. But...I understand how it feels to be isolated in a place you don't want to be. I was very sick when I was younger, so sick I couldn't move from my bed. I've been like that for years and the only people who would come and visit me were Sora and Riku. Kairi wasn't on the islands at that point yet. I still felt trapped within my room with nothing but books to pass the time. I was very lonely."
"Lucille..." Ava looked at her sadly.
"So I can understand how you and Zero feel...at least a little. Besides, I know Sora. Even if the memories you gave him were fake, the feelings he felt weren't lies. He's honest like that. Can't tell a lie even if he tried." Lucille then beamed.
"So basically, just like you. You two really are twins," Zen added teasingly, which resulted in Lucille attempting to smack him, but he dodged out of the way.
"Lucille...I really don't deserve your forgiveness, but thank you. Don't worry about Sora-he's fine along with Donald and Goofy. I'm currently putting their memories back to the way they were, but the process might take a little longer than I originally expected," Namine told them.
"At least they're not in danger like we thought when we entered this castle. That's reassuring." Florian nodded.
"I don't know how much longer that will be. Marluxia has Zero and used the 'Recall Protocol' on him. If Zero remains that way under Marluxia's control, he could indirectly do Marluxia's work for him. As you know, Marluxia is just a living memory created by the illusionary artes. Although, he can emerge on the twelve floors, he can't access the thirteenth floor in his current state."
"So that's his plan-to use Zero in order to exact his revenge. What a cowardly thing to do," Oswald scoffed.
"You called it the 'Recall Protocol'. That means you know a bit about it," Chi noted.
Namine nodded. "Only a little, but this is what Zero told me when he warned me about it. It removes all the memories the host has and locks them tightly away within their heart."
"We know that part, though." Quartz tilted his head.
"There's more to it," Namine added. "There's a flaw to the protocol. It has a limited range so the person who initiated the protocol would need to be within reach of the host. If you separate-for example, Marluxia and Zero on two different floors within the castle-Zero would be able to regain full control of his body so long as he stays away from Marluxia. But the memories would still be tightly locked away and would need outside help to restore them. "
"So that's what happened! I knew Zero hadn't truly forgotten us!" Quartz cheered.
"So, the protocol also acts as a leash on his free will huh?" Oswald noted.
"There is a way to unlock those memories from their slumber," Namine told them.
"So there is a way to help him? What can we do to help?" Lucille asked.
"I might be able to undo the protocol's effects since I have power over memories. However, we need to check Vexen's laboratory to know for sure. If I do anything reckless while Zero's heart is still in such a fragile state, I could...accidentally break it. I don't want that to happen," Namine told them.
"That Axel guy mentioned a Vexen too. So I guess we'll have to take that guy's advice after all. The password, though...that's gonna be a problem," Oswald pondered.
"Not even you could break into the computer?" Zen asked Oswald.
"I'm good with machines, but not that good, kid. A password isn't something anybody can crack on pure luck alone," Oswald sighed.
"There must be a hint or a clue to the password, though. All scientists and researchers would always leave a way to figure out the password," Gula noted.
"The only one who knows the password now is Zero. The other person who knew no longer exists." Namine shook her head.
"Well, that sucks. We'll just have to guess it." Oswald sighed, putting a hand through his rabbit ears.
"Guess it? It could be anything, rabbit! Where would we even start?" Zen argued.
"I guess we'll worry about that part once we find that lab." Lucille shrugged.
"Um...Miss Namine? I'm sorry if this sounds awful, but why are you here? Shouldn't you be on the thirteenth floor?" Florian asked.
"I know. Zero was meant to escort you all to the thirteenth floor, but now...I couldn't stand by and do nothing-not this time." Namine shook her head. "So I decided to sneak out and enter this memory world the same time that you activated it."
"You can do that?" Lucille blinked.
Namine smiled sadly. "I'm a witch with powers over memories, after all, especially the memories of Sora and everyone who is linked to him."
"A witch? You mean like Miss Moira?" Florian wondered.
"Moira?" Namine gave a quizzical look.
"Trust me on this, you don't want to know. She's a crazy and annoying witch with powers over Dream Eaters," Zen warned.
"She's not that bad. Maybe a little eccentric and nutty sometimes, but she's a good person when it comes down to it," Lucille lightly scolded.
"She did also help us get here, Zen. You can't run from that fact," Oswald reminded.
"That reminds me...Zen...there is something I can do for you, but I want you to choose for yourself," Namine told him.
Zen blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Your Heartless claw arm..." Namine started, glancing at the bandaged arm. "I know what happened to you. My powers allow me to be able to peer into other people's memories too, but I can't alter or arrange them like I could with Sora," Namine told him.
"Well, that's just creepy."
"I know. I'm sorry for doing so, but I couldn't help but notice how similar it was to Riku's problem, so I thought that perhaps I could offer the same choice to you."
"Riku's here?!" Lucille gasped.
Namine nodded. "He made his way to the top of this castle too. I believe Diz summoned him back here along with the mouse king to help with our...well...dilemma."
"Oh, joy..." Zen sarcastically noted.
"Mickey's here too? Well, thank the stars for that! I dunno how I would be able to face Minnie and tell her that her husband is still in the world of darkness. Although, I'm not sure if being here is any better considering the psycho ghost, the pyromaniac and now a literally memory-washed replica on the loose," Oswald summarized.
"Now that you put it that way, that does sound chaotic, doesn't it?" Gula nodded.
"Anyway, getting back on topic-what's this offer of yours?" Zen crossed his arms.
"Well...There might be a way for me to revert your arm back to the way it used to be. But...it would come with a heavy price," Namine warned.
Zen became alert at this. Namine then continued, "I could lock away the darkness within your heart along with the memories attached to it, tightly enough that it can't ever be undone. By doing so, your arm would be changed back to the way you remembered it before it was transformed."
"What's the catch?" Oswald frowned.
Namine closed her eyes. "It would mean sacrificing all the memories you have made ever since you received that claw. You see, locking away the memories connected to your claw also means sealing away all the memories you've made until now. You would revert back to how you used to be."
"So what you're saying is...I would have the mind of a five year old again and I would have to lose all my memories of the past ten years in order for my arm to return to normal?"
Namine nodded.
"But that's crazy. Zen wouldn't-" Lucille started to speak, but Zen stopped her.
"That's why I want Zen to choose. These are his memories. It's up to him now since only he can decide what's more important," Namine reasoned.
Everyone waited in bated breath of what Zen was going to answer.
"Okay, you want my answer, I'll give it to you." Zen started,
"Zen, are you sure about this?" Gula already knew Zen's answer but wanted to confirm with him.
Zen nodded. "I'm certain of it." He then took a few steps forward towards Namine. "I appreciate your offer, Namine, but I'm gonna have to decline."
Everyone sighed in relief at this.
"You had me worried for a minute there!" Oswald huffed.
"Did you guys really think I'm that desperate to be rid of this claw that I'd throw away all my memories that I made until now? Give me a little credit." Zen glared.
Lucille shook her head. "I knew you'd say no. I mean, how would we explain this to Aster and Ion?" Lucille teased. "But seriously...I believed you wouldn't accept the offer."
Namine smiled. "I already knew you'd say no too, but it wouldn't feel right if I didn't give you a choice first."
Zen looked at his bandaged arm. "I don't need any lock on my heart to keep this thing from hurting the people I care about. The reason I managed to control this dark power is because of the memories I have. Those memories made me into the person I am today. To throw them away now just to get rid of this thing would be disgracing the memory of every person I knew and met along the way. If Aster could live ten years with amnesia and still consider me his best friend, then I can live with this claw arm of mine."
"Besides, if Riku didn't accept the offer then there's no way I'm going to even if there was no drawback," Zen then bluntly answered.
"Please tell me that was a joke," Lucille groaned.
"You were doing so well too..." Gula face-palmed.
"What? There's no way I'd let that loser get the better of me by taking the easy way out! How would I face him?!"
"I can't believe I'm hearing this. Are you two going to be bitter rivals forever?" Lucille shook her head in disbelief.
"The guy was formerly possessed by a heartless of all things, island girl. How could you easily trust someone who was corrupted once?" Zen argued.
"He's my best friend! I've known him since we were babies. I think I know him a lot better than you!"
The two then proceeded to get into a heated debate over it.
"Oh my...I think I started something by accident." Namine sweat-dropped.
"Um...Sorry about this, Miss Namine...You see...Riku and Zen seem to have this kind of unspoken rivalry between them. It must be because they both are fighting against the darkness in their hearts in their own way," Florian whispered.
"Hmmm, that actually makes sense when you think about it. Riku grew overconfident and the power of darkness overtook him, allowing that Heartless imposter to take control of him. Zen was forced into having that claw arm through an experiment by a researcher who was also drenched in darkness and tried to draw me out. It failed, though, thankfully." Gula nodded in agreement.
"I think there's another reason as well why they don't get along," Chi hinted by pointing to Lucille, who was busy bickering with Zen while Quartz was flailing around trying to calm them down. Oswald was also trying to help Quartz.
Namine gave a small nod. "That's true. They both hold Lucille in a special place in their hearts. I'm a little jealous." She smiled sadly.
"Well, what about Zero? He's your first friend, right? Zero seems to hold you in an important place in his heart too from the way he talks about you." Florian smiled.
Namine blushed lightly. "R-really? Zero does?"
Ava nodded. "It doesn't matter if he has an artificial heart or not. He cares about you very much-Even Florian and I can see it. Besides, even with his memories locked away, his heart still remembered you. Although, I don't quite think Lucille or Quartz have picked up on it yet," Ava told her.
Namine felt a twinge of guilt. 'Zero...'
It took some time, but Zen and Lucille finally stopped their argument. They had their arms crossed and looking away from each other.
"Sorry about that, Namine. I think we've quelled the storm," Oswald apologized.
"Do you think they'll make up?" Quartz asked with a worried look.
"Oh, don't worry, those two will get over it soon. If there's one thing those two have in common, it's that they are both strong-willed, but Lucille doesn't hold a grudge for long," Ava reassured.
"Zen on the other hand sure loves to hold grudges," Gula sighed.
"Anyway, I say we better start lookin' for a way out of this memory world and into the next floor, which I'll bet my lucky foot is the fifth floor. So that just leaves..." Oswald tried to calculate the number of floors they would have to climb after reaching the fifth floor.
"That would be eight floors remaining to reach the very top. Six floors to reach the lab that Axel said it would be," Florian answered easily.
"Sounds about right." Oswald nodded.
"Well, we have enough cards to reach the top, but I don't even know what order we should do them in." Lucille pulled out the deck of cards that Zero gave to her.
They then heard a loud stomping noise not far from them.
"Uhhh...please tell me that's not something trying to kill us again..." Quartz panicked.
As if on cue, jumping down from above was a giant knight-like Heartless, very similar to the one they encountered back in Traverse Town.
"Hate to destroy your hope, but I think that's something that is going to try and kil us," Zen bluntly answered.
"The memory cards replicate not only the memory worlds but also the enemies you fought in the past within those worlds," Namine informed them.
"So this is a memory of the Heartless we fought back in Traverse Town? But we don't have Sora, Donald and Goofy with us this time," Florian noted.
Lucille pulled Namine back to shield her. "Don't worry, Namine, we'll protect you. Just stay behind us. We've beaten this thing once-we can do it again." Lucille summoned the Lux Arma and got ready to fight.
"This time, Ava and I will be able to help fight." Gula called forth his keyblade while Ava also summoned her own.
"But-" Namine started.
"Quartz, can you keep her safe?" Lucille asked.
Quartz saluted. "Leave it to me, ma'am. This way, Miss Namine." With that, Quartz gently took hold of Namine's arm and moved her away from the battle that would start at any moment.
The giant knight-like Heartless reeled up on its limbs and attempted to smash it down on the group, but they managed to jump out of the way. However, it left a powerful dent in the previously undamaged ground of the Third District.
It then tried to charge at Lucille and deliver a strong blow, but Lucille managed to block it with the Lux Arma and Ava countered it with her keyblade, causing the arm to rebound back towards the Heartless.
"Is it just me or is this Heartless tougher and quicker than the real one we fought?" Zen noted.
"Could it be that it's because we're in a memory world?" Oswald asked while casting a barrage of magic attacks at the Heartless. While the attacks were direct hits, it didn't seem to faze the Heartless. "Even my magic isn't doing much than it did before."
"Could it be...? Did Zero alter the memory of this Heartless and made it stronger?" Namine's eyes widened.
"He did what?! Why would he do that?! Does he want us dead or something?" Zen snapped.
"She didn't technically say that he did," Chi corrected.
"Zero told us, though, that all he can do is copy other people's abilities. He doesn't have powers of his own," Lucille remembered.
"...Actually..." Namine started, but she noticed the Heartless was attempting another attack. "Luclle, watch out!" Namine shouted to warn the brunette.
Lucille reacted and managed to stop the attack in time, but it did throw Lucille a far distance to the other side of the district.
"Are you okay?" Namine called out in worry.
"I'm fine! Thanks for that, Namine. That was way too close," Lucille reassured as she quickly got back up.
Ava and Gula were working with precise teamwork when battling the Heartless. Using their strengths to their advantage and defending each other's weaknesses when the Heartless tried to exploit them.
Zen used his claw arm and allowed it to grow as large as one of the Heartless's own limbs. He used it to keep one of its arms locked and pinned down to prevent it from moving around.
"Florian, think you can use your seraphic artes to help Zen?" Lucille ran back into the fight, stopping right where Florian stood.
Florian nodded. "It worked before, it should work again."
"Hurry up! This thing is getting restless! I can't keep this Heartless still forever," Zen warned them, noticing that his claw arm was starting to flare out of control.
Wasting no time, Florian used his magic paper charms and threw them towards the Heartless. The paper charms started to swirl around the Heartless like a small tornado of paper, and he started the incantation for the seraphic arte.
Seeming to sense this, the Heartless lifted its free arm that wasn't being locked by Zen's claw arm and fired out its fist like a missile, targeting the seraph.
"No!" Namine gasped.
Thankfully, Oswald jumped in front of Florian, who was still focused on his casting, and fired his own spell towards the incoming fist. "Stopga!" Like the spell intended, the fist was frozen in midair as if trapped in time.
"Binding Chains!" Florian finished, allowing the seraphic arte to take form. The tornado of paper charms transformed into blinding white chains and wrapped themselves around the Heartless, binding it tightly within its bonds.
"Now's our chance!" Oswald called out.
Not wasting their chance, Gula and Ava used their keyblades and struck at the same time, delivering a final blow to the Heartless which released a heart from its fallen corpse-although they all knew that heart wasn't a real one, just a memory like the Heartless itself.
"Whew. See? Cakewalk." Oswald fell onto his rear in relief.
"Yeah, right. For a memory, I definitely don't remember that thing being so tough last time," Zen scoffed. He allowed the Heartless claw to grow back down to its normal size and once again Merlin's bandages reappeared over his arm, taming the dark power and keeping it under control.
"Are you okay, Zen?" Lucille came over to ask her friend as she dismissed the Lux Arma. "It looked a little dicey with your arm back there."
"Yeah. It wasn't serious, but still...that was the first time I couldn't draw darkness into the claw. Could it be because that Heartless was just a memory?" Zen looked at his arm.
Namine nodded. "Correct. Everything here is just a memory given form because of the memory world that was created from Lucille's memories. So none of the Heartless here carry any real darkness."
"I'll have to be more careful then in the future. I usually quell this thing with the darkness I absorb into it. If I can't do that, that makes it more risky to use," Zen noted.
"Oh, so that's how it works," Florian clicked.
"It's not the most ideal solution, but it stops my arm from going on a murderous rampage," Zen added sarcastically.
"But doesn't that put your own heart at risk?" Lucille frowned.
"...Perhaps. Don't worry about me. I've managed this way for ten years. I'll be fine."
"Even so, from now on, don't use it so recklessly like before. At least not until we get out of this castle," Lucille told him.
Zen rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mom." That rewarded him a punch from Lucille.
"You don't need to be sarcastic about it!"
"Um...guys...I don't mean to interrupt, but..." Quartz managed to squeeze into the conversation. "That heart your friends released is still floating there." Quartz pointed to the heart that Ava and Gula released with their keyblades.
But unlike most hearts that would float up skyward, this one just floated in mid-air.
"...This is quite unusual. If we weren't in such a hurry, I would have liked to analyze this some more," Gula noted.
Namine walked closer to the heart and it glowed a bright light. The heart began to take form, changing into a human-like shape. It wasn't until the light faded and the heart finished transforming that they could see who it was taking the form of. Zen recognized him almost immediately.
"Aster?! What the-?! How are you-?"
'Aster' simply shook his head. "I'm not the real Aster. Just a memory of him recreated from Lucille's memories."
"...So...you're Aster as I remember him?" Lucille asked to confirm.
"Exactly. This is where we first met, remember? You washed up here shortly after your world was devoured by the heartless. Zen and Oswald found you and Florian and brought you back to Cid's place to recover," memory Aster recalled in full detail.
"Oh, yeah...Man, that takes me back." Lucille softly smiled at the memory.
"Zero created me using your memory of the real Aster as a template, so I could protect two things he wanted to preserve for you-a message and a special item that will aid you once you reach the eleventh floor."
"...What? Wait, I'm confused. What do you mean Zero created you?" Quartz blinked.
"Zero didn't tell you the whole truth. While it's true that nearly the majority of his powers are copy abilities that allow him to replicate other people's abilities or even their memories. There's one ability that is unique to him, but it wasn't the one the Organization wanted him to have. So he was deemed a failure," Namine answered.
"So...Zero did have a unique power other than being a copycat? Then what was this 'ability'?" Chi pressed.
Namine sighed. "This is going to be hard to accept but...Zero has power over your memories, Lucille."
Lucille blinked a few times. "...Huh?" Once it actually sunk in, Lucille jumped back in shock. "WHAAAAAT? You mean he has the same power as you?! Except, instead of Sora's memories, he can change mine?!"
"Yes. That is probably why I was unable to change any of Sora's memories involving you to begin with. If he wanted to...he could have repeated my own mistake-but he didn't." Namine smiled sadly.
"But...why would Zero keep something that important from us?" Ava wondered.
"Maybe he felt ashamed. I mean, he essentially could have altered Lucille's memories exactly the same way Namine arranged and altered Sora's memories. I mean, he didn't, but there is a chance that he might have thought about it at least once," Oswald guessed.
Namine nodded. "Only myself, the leader of the Organization, Axel, another Nobody called Saix, and Vexen knew about Zero's hidden ability, but it wasn't what they wanted from him so they decided to throw him away and create a new one in his stead.
"That's awful!"
"But wait a minute...if you and those guys were the only ones that knew...that means Marluxia doesn't know, right?" Zen asked.
"Yes, that's why you have to keep this a secret. If that Memory Marluxia learns about this while he still has Zero under his control..."
"Lady Lucille will end up just like young Master Sora! We can't let that happen, right, Master Ava?" Chi panicked.
Ava nodded.
"That would explain why the Heartless we fought just now was much stronger that the real one we fought. Zero must have altered the memory of it," Gula theorized.
"But why would he do that knowing we would be in here?" Zen crossed his arms.
"Hey, I'm still here, you know," Memory Aster huffed and placed his hands on his hips.
"Oh, right! Heh heh, sorry." Lucille laughed sheepishly.
"So what Axel and that Memory Marluxia were saying was true. To their eyes, Zero really was just a puppet to them. Poor Zero, it must have been awful to be reminded of that constantly and then just thrown away as if his feelings didn't matter." Florian's heart hurt for Zero.
"They probably didn't think he had any. They're just as bad as the Heartless themselves," Zen spat.
"If you're wondering what happened just now...well...like you guessed, he altered this world to make sure what he left behind didn't fall into the wrong hands."
"The wrong hands?" Lucille blinked. "I'm lost. Just what was Zero doing with those memory cards? I thought he just replicated them!"
"He did...but let's just say Zero didn't have a lot of time left, so in case the worst happened, he left behind the deck of cards he gave to you, Lucille. He trusted that you would do the right thing when the time came to decide."
"...What do you mean 'Zero doesn't have a lot of time left'? Doing the right thing when the time came to decide? Decide what?" Lucille shook her head in confusion.
"I'm sorry. That's something that even I can't tell you or even Namine. That's a truth you have to learn on your own. You will find that truth in the lab where Zero was first created. The question is...once you learn the truth...would you still want to save him?"
"That's a dumb question! Of course we want save him. He's our friend. Sure, maybe we haven't know him that long but...I don't know why...but the thought of having him being controlled against his will like that pains me."
"...Memories are powerful tools, you know. They can be our best asset or our worst foe depending on how you see them. You know this better than anyone, don't you, Namine?" Memory Aster answered cryptically.
"..." Namine remained quiet.
"Either way, the reason why that Heartless appeared was to test you. To see how far you will go to learn the truth and what needs to be done to save your friend."
"So he didn't want whatever he left here to fall into someone's hands like Marluxia or that Axel guy so he gave it to you to guard it?" Oswald guessed.
"Pretty much." Memory Aster nodded.
"He couldn't have thought of an easier test," Zen groaned.
"Aw, that's no fun, Zen~" Memory Aster teased. "I have to clear up one little thing. It was my idea to use the Heartless you guys fought before. I mean, what better way to test your teamwork than in the heat of battle?" Memory Aster admitted.
"I see...so the Heartless was you in disguise," Namine realized.
Memory Aster nodded. "Guilty as charged. Was I convincing~?"
"...Even as a memory, you're still as infuriating as I remember." Zen glared.
"While its true that Zero has power over your memories, he didn't do anything to put your life in danger. That was all my idea to use the Heartless as an illusion. So in other words, it was me you were fighting just moments ago. The only thing he altered in this world was to implant something that originally doesn't exist in your memory."
"Something that didn't exist in my memory before?" Lucille repeated.
"He chose certain people from your memory and gave us something important to keep safe from the bad people-aka, those guys in the black coats. He also left us to decide how we would test you sooo...he gave us full reign to do as we please to test if you were worthy," Memory Aster explained.
"Well, that was reckless and stupid. What would have happened if one of these living memories decided they wanted to actually kill us?" Zen asked.
"Duh, why do you think he selected someone like me?" Aster winked. He then grew serious again. "He knew the dangers of giving figments like us power over these worlds, so he only chose the memories of people that Lucille had formed friendships with-people that he knew wouldn't betray you guys."
"You sure fooled me with that disguise of yours. You could have gone a little easier on us." Lucille smiled.
"Hey, had to make it convincing, otherwise you guys would have figured out it was all just an elaborate illusion, and that would ruin the whole test. Oh, by the way, there's only six of us. So there will be some worlds in that deck that will be empty and you can easily mosey on by without resistance. Would you like me to give you a hint which cards that Zero altered?" Memory Aster offered.
Lucille shook her head. "No, thanks. We'll figure it out on our own."
Memory Aster nodded and smiled. "Well good, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. Oh! That's right, since you passed my little trial with that Heartless, I should give you the thing that Zero gave to me," Memory Aster recalled and dug out from one of his pockets the very thing that Zero gave to him to guard and protect.
It looked like a small star fragment. It glowed faintly in Aster's hand as he exchanged it into Lucille's hand.
"Is this...a fragment of a star?" Lucille wondered. Namine's eyes widened suddenly, but she didn't say anything about it.
"One of the six pieces you need to find. When you get all the pieces from the remaining five, it will provide you with the key you need to reveal the truth you want to find."
"The key?"
"You mean the password?" Florian asked.
"You got it." Memory Aster nodded.
"Zero left behind the password for us...so that means he must have known something would have happened to him." Lucille's eyes widened in realization.
"There's something you should know. It's very important." Memory Aster sounded grave. It gave everyone the impression that it was indeed important to commit to their memories.
"Normally, I wouldn't be this self-aware that I am just a living memory brought to life. Same goes for the other five. From here on, you will most likely encounter people you have met in your past but they will not realize they are illusions. All they will see are the walls of their world when, in truth, they are inside the castle's walls."
"Ever heard the saying 'ignorance is bliss'? Well, that saying holds very true for this castle. Zero warned you before, didn't he? About not getting carried away within the memory worlds?"
Lucille nodded. "He said don't get lost within your memories. Stick to the truth that you already know in your heart and don't stray."
Memory Aster nodded. "And he's right. You must remember, the seraphic artes woven into this castle's walls are very potent and they have one simple task: To keep those who would intrude on this sacred ground trapped within its walls and lost to oblivion."
"...I'm beginning to see why they call this place Castle Oblivion." Quartz sweat-dropped.
"You call this place sacred ground? Is that because there's a seraph guardian here?" Florian asked.
"I dunno about any Seraphim. I do know one thing, though... if you are not careful...you could be trapped here forever until you die. This castle will even use your own memories against you to trick you. Just pass through the worlds as fast as possible, find the other five star fragments, and don't get distracted," Memory Aster told them.
"Got it. We'll remember that." Zen nodded.
"You know...even though I know you're only a memory of the real Aster, I'm glad we got to meet you." Lucille smiled to Memory Aster.
"Heh, feels weird to be treated as if I'm the real one...but it's not at all unpleasant."
"Memory or not, you're still my best friend. After all, that never stopped you before when you had amnesia." Zen smirked.
"Heh, some things never change, huh?" Memory Aster smirked back and saw that his body was beginning to fade.
"Hey, what's happening to you?" Lucille gasped.
"He fulfilled his purpose. The star fragment was the only thing that kept him anchored here..." Ava sadly realized.
Memory Aster nodded and smiled sadly. "The lovely lady in pink hit it right on the nail. I just said not long ago that I shouldn't be this self-aware of my existence. That star fragment was not only something to keep safe from bad people but it was also what gave me my...special status within this world. Now that I've given it to you, I have to go back to being an oblivious memory now, just like everyone else."
"But..."
Namine gently placed a hand on Lucille's shoulder. "This is how Castle Oblivion works...there's nothing we can do to change it."
"Namine's right. It's okay, this is just the world correcting itself. I was an anomaly to begin with. Besides, even if I revert back to being a normal memory, you'll still remember that I existed, even if only a moment in time. That alone is enough," Memory Aster reassured them as his body began to fade to a point where he was now transparent and they could even see through him. "Give my regards to the real me!" Memory Aster winked just before he vanished completely.
"..." Lucille felt a pang in her heart. Even though she knew he was just a memory of their real friend, he didn't feel any different from the real one.
"Even as just a memory, he's as stupidly selfless as the real one," Zen spoke Lucille's words out-loud.
"I wonder who the other five from Lucille's memory are...if this is what awaits us every time we pass one of these tests..." Florian frowned. He wasn't sure if he was okay with seeing these living memories vanish in front of them as soon as they gave the remaining star fragments to them.
"This must be what Zero wanted us to prove-if we can overcome the pain and discover the truth he didn't want us to know about him," Ava guessed.
"Zero...Hang in there. We'll find a way to save you." Lucille looked at the star fragment in her hand and held it tightly yet securely.
"I'll put it in my pouch until we get the last five," Oswald offered.
Lucille nodded. "Yeah, last thing we need is either Memory Marluxia or one of the other guys in the black coats figuring out what we're up to." She handed the fragment to Oswald, who placed it in his pouch securely and tightened up the latch with a satisfied tap. Oswald gave her a thumbs up.
"Right, we better get out of here if we want to get to this eleventh floor sooner rather than later," Oswald told everyone.
Namine nodded. "I know where the exit is. Please follow me." Namine guided them knowing where the exit to this world was.
True to her word, Namine opened the way for them to exit the memory world of Traverse Town and they found themselves on the next floor. Like before, Ava and Gula had returned back within Lucille and Zen once they left the memory world.
"So what floor are we on now?" Quartz questioned.
"If we counted right, I bet we're on the fifth floor," Oswald answered.
"I need to return to the thirteenth floor. Sora, Donald and Goofy are depending on me." Namine smiled sadly.
"We understand. You took a big risk to come and find us, thanks," Lucille thanked. "We'll see you on the thirteenth floor once we've done what we needed to do in the lab."
Namine nodded and smiled. "Okay, I'll be waiting."
Lucille offered her little finger to Namine for the blonde girl to hook her own little finger around Lucille's. "That's a promise. Keep Sora safe till we get there. I'll have some choice words for that dummy brother of mine once he wakes up." Lucille grinned.
"I will. Oh, say goodbye to Ava and Gula for me when you see them in the next memory world," Namine told her.
"Sure, but I think they already know." Lucille winked.
With that, Namine made her way back to the thirteenth floor using a card that she had on her, passing through the door before it closed behind her.
"I hope she'll be able to get back up there okay...Maybe we should have brought her with us..." Quartz wondered.
"She's a tough cookie. She'll be okay," Oswald reassured the Nobody in the white coat.
"Well...you know what they say-onward and upwards." Lucille took out what looked like the memory card to Wonderland.
"Ooh, do you think we'll see Miss Alice in this memory world?" Florian asked.
"Hm...it's possible. I bet she's one of the remaining five that has those fragments we need, too. I remember we got a Lux fragment from her back then." Lucille nodded.
"Is that so..." Oswald rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe yer on to somethin' here, kid." He then nodded.
"Wonderland, huh? Sounds...Wonderful!" Quartz excitedly stated.
Everyone just gave him a deadpanned look.
"...What?" Quartz was innocently oblivious.
"That was just...horrible." Chi shivered.
"Let's just go before our living paradox here decides to throw another stupid pun that makes me want to hit my head against a wall." Zen grabbed Quartz's coat by his hood and dragged him along.
"Grrkk! Z-Zen, don't do that! You choke people that way!" Quartz scolded.
"Sounds tempting." Zen smirked. Quartz's horrified look to that response spoke a thousand words.
"He didn't mean it, Quartz! Zen, don't tease him like that, he takes things literally!" Lucille panicked and started to chase after them just in case Quartz went into panic mode.
Oswald simply sighed and shrugged his shoulders at the others as they followed.
Meanwhile, as Namine was heading her way back to the top floor, she encountered Riku and King Mickey. Diz must have sent them when they realized she was missing.
"There she is!" Mickey spotted her instantly.
"Are you alright, Namine? What were you thinking going alone like that?" Riku ran over and checked on the blonde Nobody.
"I'm alright, Riku. Thanks to Lucille and her friends, they kept me safe," Namine answered.
"So...she really is in this castle after all...I'm glad she's out of the Realm of Darkness." Riku sighed. "She could have at least not ended up in the same castle as her brother. Sora would never forgive me if I let anything happen to her," Riku then groaned.
"The important thing is that she's doin' okay! I knew she'd be alright. She's just like her brother." Mickey smiled.
"Oh, I also met your brother and his friend, your Majesty-Zen, I believe. When I mentioned the same offer that I gave to Riku, he turned it down as well. Um...he also tends to be a little hostile when I mention you."
"Oh gee, I wonder why..." Riku drawled with sarcasm.
"C'mon, Riku, Zen isn't all that bad. I met him while we were in the Realm of Darkness. If Oswald can trust him then he's gotta be a good person."
'Just the thought of that guy being there with Lucille makes my blood boil,' Riku thought darkly.
"Mickey, can you take Namine back to Diz? I'm going to keep an eye on Lucille and the others. Just in case that Memory Marluxia shows up along with Zero."
"You sure it's just for that reason?" Namine teased lightly.
Riku gave an annoyed look but sighed, "Okay, so maybe I'm worried about Lucille too. You know what she's like. She'll trust anything that has a pulse. That is going to backfire on her one of these days, I just know it. Besides...I still remember my promise to her. I intend to keep it."
"Be careful, Riku. Don't try to fight Marluxia or Zero on yer own. Don't forget I'm here to help ya out," Mickey told him.
Riku nodded and smiled at the Mouse King. "Of course, your Maj-I mean, Mickey." Riku caught himself from calling Mickey by his title again.
"Riku...Diz...told you to exterminate Zero if he becomes too much of a problem...didn't he?"
"..." Riku just silently nodded. "Don't worry. I won't resort to attacking Zero if there's a way we can help him. I can't guarantee how long I can avoid that conflict from happening, though. If he does end up becoming a threat to both Lucille and Sora..."
Namine nodded. "I...understand..."
With that, Riku went down the hallway in order to descend down the castle to the floor where Lucille and her friends were currently.
Wheee, this chapter took longer than intended, but it's finally done!
I'll probably be skipping a few worlds like Atlantica or any world that Lucille and the others really didn't do much in. One of the worlds, though, is going to be a special surprise, like how Twilight Town was a world Sora didn't know about but it was still a memory in his heart. =3
But it's not Twilight Town (although that is one of the memory worlds that's going to be visited. XD). Let's say it's a world that Lucille and her friends haven't seen before ,but Chi knows it along with two others. =3 I think you guys already know what world I'm talking about, so its not much of a secret. =P
But moogle brownie points to anyone who figures it out regardless. =D
Anyway, on to the review corner.
~:Review Corner:~
Ctran03931: Yup, all Lucille wanted to do was save her brother and his friends, but now things have gotten more complicated. XD At least Namine cleared things up for Lucille so she knows her brother isn't in as much danger as she thought originally. =3
Mysterygirl145: As this chapter showed, Marluxia is still an insensitive jerk even as a memory. =P And yup, I had thought about leaving them out till KH2 but a lot of readers were wondering when they were going to show up again so I decided to squeeze them in. =3 I'm glad that the previous chapter went smoother than I thought with the reintroduction of Zen and Oswald. =D
Yeah, we know Axel becomes a better person throughout the Days Arc. =3 Since this is still Chain of Memories arc, and these events happened quite early during the Days storyline, I wanted Axel's change to be gradual. Don't worry, though. As Axel showed in this chapter, he's slowly starting to humanize and he still resents Marluxia, especially more so after what he did to Zero.
Poor Zero, he just can't catch a break. =(
Chirithy564: lol I'm glad you think so fondly of Zero. =3 Don't worry, Zero's not dead. XD But what does Marluxia plan to do with him? Maybe the next chapter will tell? =3 Thank you for your review though. =D
Visitor: They could work as worlds that can be explored but we'll worry about that when we get to KH2. XD But I will keep these ideas in mind. Thank you for your suggestion. =3
Guest: Hmm...If Memory Marluxia could be brought back through the illusionary seraphic artes, who can say if others can't be as well. Maybe we'll see on the later floors, who knows, they might even aid our heroes somehow. =3
Heart: Ooh, I do like that idea for a scenario and I might be able to weave it into the narrative for that world. I'll definately keep this idea in mind for KH2. =3 Thank you for your suggestion. =D If I did decide to add Cecil and Kain, I wonder if I should make use of a certain thing with Kain that happened during FF4 and use it for Olympus Colloseum? =3 We'll see~ =3
Gry22: Again, this is an interesting idea that could help flesh out the story more. I'll keep this in mind when we get to Birth By Sleep but that could be some time away yet. XD But I do like this idea. Thank you for your suggestion. =3
Haxorus knight: Ask and thou shall receive. XD Thank you for reading my story and favorited them. =3 I hope that you continue to enjoy the story as it progresses.
~:End of Review Corner:~
Might be some time before I finish the next chapter since I've recently been playing through Dragon Quest 11 and my god it is amazing. XD
So I could be distracted by that game for some time. Rest assured though, I will come back to update. =3
So until next episode, happy reading, everyone! Moogle Empress, out!
Moogle: Kupo!