Card 7: Memories
-Castle Oblivion: B10F-
Yoru was making his way through Castle Oblivion, taking on what ever challenge that was thrown at him. And with the help of King Krabs, he was able to make it 10 floors higher . Just as he was getting ready to head down up to the next floor, he was approached by someone in a black hood. The person took off the hood and revealed their face. Green skin, black sunshades and long flowing white hair. The man was smiling at Yoru rather eerily, but this did not scare Yoru once.
"Yoru, right?" Setchnux said walking towards him. Yoru folded his arms and nodded briefly. He stayed silent for a few minutes right before asking Setchnux's business.
"What do you want?" Yoru said bluntly, as he was practically in a hurry. Setchnux laughed and held out his hand.
"Please, come with me.."
-Castle Oblivion: 5F-
After charging through two other floors, revisiting two more worlds that they've been to before, everything seemed to be fine. But inside of Kioku's head, it felt like things were being added and subtracted both at the same time. "I remember!" Kioku shouted out in surprise as something had suddenly popped into his head.
Spongebob and Patrick looked at Kioku as if he had gone crazy. Spongebob voiced his concern for the boy. "What happened? Is everything all right, Kioku? You nearly freaked us out."
Kioku looked back into his hand, staring at Taiyo charm again. Memories flooding his mind, he remembered so much so suddenly. It felt like his head was going to overflow. "Right now..I.."
"Because I was thinking about Yoru and I returning back to the town to be with Taiyo." Kioku said. He gulped. "I remember..there was this other friend we used to run rampant around the town with. A girl."
Winslow hopped up to Kioku's shoulder. "Someone else besides Yoru and Taiyo? Huh, that's a first." The blue mouse took out his journal and pen and eagerly jumped back into Kioku's hooded. He had began to scribble Kioku's words down in his journal at top speed.
"Since my journal was wiped clean, Imma just write a new one. I'm gonna fix everything that was erased!"
Spongebob rolled his eyes, "Pretty obstinate."
"Say Kioku, tell me. What was this girl like?" Winslow asked.
She was a quiet kid.
Oh!
She'd always draw in her sketchpad. She'd draw anything. The scenery, things from cartoons.
Ha ha, she'd even draw us.
She loved the color black, and would always were black ribbons in her hair. She'd hate it when her mom would dress her up.
But one day, she just up and left without saying a word. She never told us she was moving anywhere. I was really sad.
Kioku sighed, smiling at the memory of it all. "It was a memory from when I was little."
"But I wonder how I remembered it. I had forgotten about up 'til now." Kioku rubbed his chin as he thought about it. It kinda reminded him of something else the man in black said beside finding and losing things. "Come to think of it, I only thought continuing into the castle would I lose my memories, but I just remembered. To find is to lose and to lose is to find."
Patrick added, "Maybe continuing ahead would bring back lost memories."
"Do you remember her name?" Spongebob smiled. Kioku tried to think about the name, but nothing was coming to him. He sighed.
"Nah..I've got nothin'.." Kioku shrugged.
Patrick patted Kioku on the back for support. "Don't worry. All we gotta do is continue through the castle and you'll remember her name in no time. Hey, and maybe me n' Spongebob will remember something, too!"
Kioku nodded. "Thanks Pat."
"Let's keep going."
-Castle Oblivion's Control Room-
"It seems like it's beginning to bud. Kioku's memories." Rembex smiled, looking at the computer screens which broadcasted various parts of the castle. "The first step is going according to plan."
She turned towards the others. "Does Freakshow know the state of "that"?"
Residexe nodded slowly. "Yes."
She stretched and flipped her hair a bit. "I'll go tease the boy for a while."
A card sped towards her way. Residexe caught it with her quick reflexes. "Oh right. We have to hand over these cards to Kioku and his companions." Rembex rolled her eyes at Residexe.
"Do you even know what to do?" Rembex sighed. "Look, just don't go too far and end up breaking him."
Residexe tittered. "Trust me, sweetie. I only want to give him what he desires." She said, looking at Kioku through the monitors. Rembex plopped down on the couch and laid across it. "I was wondering if you hadn't forgot that he's the special 'key'."
"After we accomplish our official plan, will he still be necessary?" Rembex shrugged. "Even though we'll capture the Syndicate.."
Residexe smirked at the younger girl. "Well until that time comes. You should keep that cute little mouth of yours shut."
Rembex giggled, sprawling across the couch even more. "I know."
"You're pretty light-headed too, Residexe."
-Castle Oblivion: 6F-
The three made it through yet another floor, making pretty good progress through the castle. They decided to stop and rest for a minute, as their last trip had exhausted them. Spongebob decided to check in with Kioku to see if he remembered anything.
"So what's new? Did you remember her name yet?" The sponge asked, with Patrick sitting next to him cheesing. As much as Kioku thought about it, he still wasn't able to remember the girl's name. He shook his head.
"Nope.."
Patrick sighed sadly. "So much for that.."
Spongebob scratched his head, frowning. "This is irritating."
Soon, another figure in a black coat appeared in front of them. They saw the curves, and immediately identified it as a woman. The woman had green skin with long black hair with some of her bangs draping over her left eye.
"Well, well," She purred. "That child would be very sad if she found out that you forgot her name.."
Kioku quickly studied her. He drew his Keyblade in a flash of light and got into a stance. "A black coat. You're one of them."
The woman winked at Kioku. "My name is Residexe. Worthless memories are vanquished while memories sleeping deep your heart are brought back. Not bad, right?"
Kioku lowered his Keyblade. "You said 'that child'. Do you know her?" He asked abruptly, wanting a straight answer.
Residexe scoffed. "If that the kind of tone you use when you ask a person something?"
Kioku, fed up with the nonsense, raised his voice in anger. "Look! If you know something, then tell me!"
Residexe tittered and shook her head. "Do you not get it at all?"
Kioku stopped for a minute, thinking carefully about Residexe's words from before. His heart raced. "Is she..here?"
Residexe winked at the boy again, making him blush and look away. "You catch on quick, boy." She cracked her knuckles and got into a defensive stance, as if she were looking to fight. "But because us villains are keeping her deep within the castle. You, the Hero, must try to do you best to save her, yes?"
Kioku got into a stance with his Keyblade. "Wha-?"
Residexe quickly shot a few blasts of ectoplasm at them. "But since I'm the villain, I must try and stop you!"
Kioku swatted some of the blasts of ectoplasm away, trying to protect him and his friends. Spongebob retaliated by using Thunder to strike her down, but she dodged the bolt of lightning with swift movement. Kioku ran towards Residexe and started to swing his Keyblade at her in an attempt to hit her. She teleported out of the way, and soon appeared behind him and kicked him in the back with enough force to send him to the ground. A small, yellow starfish connected to a chain flew out of Kioku's pocket, when he fell the the ground.
"Kioku!" Spongebob cried out and him and Patrick quickly ran to his aid. Residexe shrugged. "He tried to attack me, all I did was defend myself."
Kioku sat up, pain ringing in his back from the kick he received. Tears started to well up in his eye. "You friggin' punk!" He screamed in anger. Residexe then pointed over to the thing Kioku had dropped.
"Hey, is this yours?" She asked, bending over to pick it up. Kioku tilted his head in confusion, as he didn't remember carrying a small starfish with him. Residexe playfully twirled it around.
"Oh my, you've even forgotten what you've been carrying around as well? The memory of this is supposed to be etched into your heart." Residexe teased. She tossed it up and caught it, holding it by the chain so that Kioku can get a good look at it. "Have a look, and try your best to remember."
Kioku tried to dig deep to find out where the charm came from. Soon, his eyes grew big and his jaw dropped as a named popped into his head. Residexe gasped and smiled slyly. She twirled the charm around again. "What is it, Kioku? Did you get it from somebody?" She asked.
Kioku lips started to move on their own. "Z..Zaa..."
Residexe encouraged Kioku further to release the memory from within him. "Go on, child! Release the memory from your heart!"
"Za..fir..
"Za.."
"Fir.."
"a..?
"Zafira..?" Kioku muttered. He didn't know how, but he remembered the girl's name. It was so sudden that it was surprising. It's like it just popped up into his head. Residexe nodded, still playing with Zafira's charm.
"That's right. The girl gave you this cheap, worthless charm." Residexe smirked. "But you've forgotten. To forget her name is something too cruel! Heartless even." She held the charm, letting the chain dangle under it. She had began to tighten her grip on it.
"As punishment, I'll just have to crush this thing into pieces!" She laughed sinisterly. Kioku exclaimed and dashed over to her. He swung with his Keyblade and knocked the charm out of her hand, catching her off guard. Kioku caught the charm and held it with care.
"You're right," Kioku nodded. "Zafira gave this to me..it's a precious memory."
He gently held it to his heart. "I remember."
Residexe clenched her fists, electric charges crackling around them. "Precious..memory?"
The teasing, playful look that used to be present on her face, had changed into an anger glare. She sneered at the three of them. "Ten seconds ago, you didn't even know what it was!"
(Battle Theme: 13th Dilemma)
Residexe, now fuelled with anger, became far more agressive. She fired large blasts of ectoplasm at the three of them, making them scatter around frantically in order to avoid being hit by them. Kioku swung his Keyblade at Residexe, who caught it and pushed against with force.
"I hate looking at people like you!" Residexe growled. "The truth is.."
"..You don't understand a thing!" She cocked back and struck Kioku in the face with her fist. Kioku flew back towards the ground, but quickly recovered with a roll. Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth, he panted lightly.
Spongebob and Patrick ran towards Residexe with their weapons in hand. "We'll help you, Kioku!" The sponge swung at Residexe with his Spatula staff a few times, while Patrick swung his Shields around to try and sweep her from under her feet. Residexe spun around and kicked Patrick into a wall and quickly used Spongebob as a stool and hopped into the air to get to Kioku.
The teen stood up and flipped away as Residexe tried to attack from above. He hit her in the side with his Keyblade, but she quickly countered with another punch to the face. Next thing Kioku knew, he was on the floor with Residexe standing over him. She raised her foot in an attempt to stomp him in the chest, but he quickly held up his Keyblade and blocked it.
"Residexe! There's somethin' you're not telling me!" Kioku grunted, trying to push his force against the woman's boot. Residexe mercilessly looked down at Kioku. She sighed and dropped a card on his chest, backing away from him.
"What a smart child you are." Residexe said flipping her hair. "You can use that card to continue on. Clouds of smoke started to develop from under her, soon consuming her whole body. "To be certain of your memories."
Kioku sat up quickly, "Wait Residexe!" He stood up and ran towards the smoke, as he tried to catch her. She was already gone. Spongebob and Patrick brushed themselves off and walked up to Kioku, who hung his head down in shame. "Are you okay, Kioku?" Patrick asked. The boy remained quiet.
Spongebob moved closer to boy and uttered his name. "Kioku.."
Kioku looked at Zafira's charm. "That woman. I was able to remember because of a person like that. What's up with that..." He sighed as he continued to stare at the charm, ashamed that he wasn't able to remember by himself. But rather with the help of a sadistic villain.
"Zafira.."
-Castle Oblivion's Control Room-
Rembex was reclined on the couch, tuning her guitar while laughing at Residexe, who was fuming with anger. "Children are very much annoying! I had almost forgot how angry they made me!"
The fiery teen giggled. "That's something cruel. Heartless even." The girl teased, mocking Residexe's words to Kioku. Residexe turned around and yelled at her. "Quiet, wench! Maybe next time you can go and deal with that brat!"
Coming in from a Corridor of Darkness, was a chuckling Setchnux who had overheard their banter. "And what are you so irritated about?"
Residexe folded her arms and turned away from her elder. "An imbecile that pisses me off even more just came to visit!"
Setchnux was set off immediately in response. "You punk! Is this how you treat your superiors?" he sqawked .
Rembex sat up and rested her guitar on her lap. "What do you want, Setchnux? Aren't you suppose to be in the basement?" Setchnux smiled and cleared his throat as he was about to present something.
"We have some extra help. I think the expensive hero you're chasing after won't be needed any longer." Setchnux called after someone. "Yoru! Come here!"
Then, a blank-faced Yoru, donning his dark suit heeded his order and walked over to Setchnux. His expression was lifeless, as if he were some sort of puppet. Setchnux placed a hand on Yoru's shoulder.
"Whether he truly will have value to us... it'll require a test." He smirked.
