A/N: Thanks for the reviews, alerts and the favorites! I promise, this thing won't die but KillJoys might. And to InFamous Arrogant Deviant, your ideas helped me A LOT. Seriously. I think I know what's going to happen in the next few chapters.

This chapter is the shortest of all the chapters but I think there's an important piece of information included within. (Thanks IAD.)


Bad Memory

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Simples.

Chapter Six


Walk casually, find a certain redhead.

Roxas cautiously looked left and right, checking for any suspicious civilians. Nope.

Roll forward, past the flowers and check for any signs of human activity.

He crouched low, advancing towards the patch of bright red flowers and scoured through it all, checking for burnt leaves or anything related to fire. He didn't find any but he did find some act of human activity. RADIANT GARDEN was written in block capitals on the soil just in front of him. Just a kid having some fun, Roxas thought and proceeded.

If there are no signs of a human passing the area, look for the opening of an alleyway and enter.

There – he saw – was exactly the opening he needed. Summoning his twin blades, he scooted over to wall, pressing his back against it and only moving his head if he needed to see if there were any people about. This was his first official mission in The Organization and he needed to get it perfect.

Once you have entered the alley, look for a door that seems out of place.

He spotted it immediately: a wooden door in an empty square. It was the only door in the are so he assumed this must be it. But where was Axel?

If you do not have a partner for this mission, enter with caution. If you do, provide a strategic plan. If you have Axel as your partner and he is not there with you, continue the plan without him. He never does anything good anyway.

Roxas banished his keyblades once reassuring himself that there was no danger. The door was unlocked, much to his surprise. He wondered if the Against Team knew he was in the building and that got his blood pumping. He needed to be sure… What if the Against Team really knew he was here? Roxas shook his head, waving away that fact. He has to move forward no matter what.

If someone catches you, game over.

The inside of the headquarters was polished but eerily dark and quiet. Candles burned everywhere and he was beginning to think this was some kind of over ground cave of some sort. The carpet was velvet red and he wished he could remove his boots just to feel the softness against his feet. The softness also reminded him strongly of someone's hands…

So, please, try not to get caught.

He was lucky he had ditched his Organization hoodie before he set out for this mission. Otherwise, if someone did see him, he would die on the spot. The only thing distinguishable about him was his spiky blond hair and ocean blue eyes… which is…basically everything about him.

But, if you do, don't panic.

"Roxas?"

Stay calm.

"Roxas, is that you?"

He could recognize that voice anywhere. Slowly turning around, he smiled. "Took you a while, Number VIII."

Axel waved it off. "Nah, it's just Axel, XIII." He walked over to him, arms swinging by his sides. "So…what are you up to?"

Because this is basically the point when Axel becomes useful.

Roxas shrugged. "I don't know. Aren't we supposed to infiltrate this place?"

Axel rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I…uh…I actually did it already."

Roxas' jaw dropped. His eyes were wide and disbelieving. "You…You stole my FIRST mission?"

OK…maybe not…

"Yeah, sorry. It's not that special anyway but it's still fun," Axel apologized (in his own way) and continued to lead Roxas back the way he came. "Besides, I saw four seriously hot chicks. Can you believe it? Four!"

Roxas sighed. It was typical of Axel to be talking so rashly about the opposite sex. "Whatever… Let's just go home."

Axel may look like an idiot but he knows things.

"Yeah…and I also saw your doppelganger." But he whispered that part so Roxas wouldn't hear. Who would actually want to hear that they have a doppelganger?

"So what did you find out, Ax?" Roxas inquired, silently opening the door back into the outside world.

But he doesn't tell anything he knows to anyone so don't bother asking.

"There's a new recruit, I heard and basically she brought a Heartless. I heard it was important as well. Probably some kind of keyblade master turned monster."

Roxas nodded, uninterested. And he said it was going to be fun. "What else did you find out?" He extended his arm to create a portal that would lead them back to Never Was.

They stepped in, the portal instantly closing.

"Eh, nothing much. The new recruit's name is Naminé."

That sparked his attention…and his memory.

Anyways, have a happy mission (if Axel hasn't stolen it from you yet). Demyx, IX.


Vanitas chuckled darkly as he fled from the silver castle. "Idiot…What an idiot." His voice became higher, as if imitating someone. "'I want to be your friend!' Ha! Idiot."

He passed countless buildings with large colored windows and lampposts with dim yellow lights. This was the world he had been imprisoned in for so long. No wonder why. It was ugly.

Once he reached a dead end to an alleyway, he stopped and stamped on the concrete ground. The force of the stamp sent a single brick to rise, followed by several more until a huge black hole was formed on the ground. Vanitas' amber eyes lit up as he carelessly jumped into the bottomless abyss.

Time to report to Master E…and find the Witch…

But first…I'd like to visit an old friend…


So yeah. Who is this OLD FRIEND? And I forgot to add that when Vanitas first encountered Roxas, he was REALLY surprised. Sorry...a bit late but I DONT KNOW! stress is a silent killer. school + stress = murder. BIG TIME.

REview, please. Next update is next sunday. Bye!