Authors Note: Sorry for the delay! My brother played the Hollow Bastion level on my game so I had to start a new file to get the dialogue. So many wonderful reviews! Kudos to: soraroxas365, SpringBorn, Deadly Papegoja, D M Ash, Wormo the Green Lantern, CatchingForRain, m31galaxy, and Bubbles of Ebil for reviewing. Also, thanks to again to Bubbles of Ebil for adding BoMH to Story Alert. AND, one more special thanks to J1210 for his review on K'sK. There should be another chapter out this weekend! Don't worry, I hide the game after I use it now. READ ON, MINIONS!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs

Reaching the ninth floor exit, Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked around for Riku…but he wasn't there.

"Where'd Riku go?" Donald asked

"Guess he finally got tired of fightin' with ya." Goofy said

"I sure hope so…" Sora sighed

Their attention was deterred when a dark corridor opened and spit out a girl with long, lavender colored hair who was muttering profanities as she got up off the ground.

Sora's eyes widened

"Katy?!"

Katy whipped around, grinning like a maniac

"In the flesh!"

"So you're not…" Sora trialed off, not wanting to say the word aloud.

"Nope. C'mon, it's gonna take more than a 30 inch sword through the chest to take me out!" She said, exchanging hugs with Donald and Goofy.

Her comment wasn't really wasn't that funny, but the lack of sarcasm due to her absence caused Sora to literally fall on the floor laughing, the others looking on with part concerned part amused gazes.

"Jeez…was I gone that long?" She asked herself, helping Sora up off the ground.

Sora's answer to her question was to kiss her hard on the mouth.

"Way too long." He said, pulling back and resting his forehead against hers.

They grinned stupidly at each other until Donald cleared his throat rather loudly behind them.

"Right…" Katy said, stepping back reluctantly. "So what's been going on?"

It took the trio a better part of an hour to explain their adventures in Castle Oblivion to her, which was difficult considering their memories were being stripped away floor by floor.

When they were finished, Katy stared at them blankly.

"Okay, lemme get this straight. You got here by following Pluto who showed up out of freaking nowhere with a letter from King Mickey (totally not suspicious), You got attacked by numerous people with black cloaks, one who has rose petals following him around, You're going back to worlds we've already gone to, but nobody remembers you, Riku is attacking you when you saved his life, and on top of it all, you're doing this to save a girl you remembered a few days ago. Is that everything?"

The three exchanged glances

"Yep, that pretty much hits the nail on the head."

"Okay, just one more question…ARE YOU COMPLETELY INSANE??!!"

The trio flinched

"Do you realize that this castle had TRAP written all over it in bright red sharpie! What the hell are you still DOING here?! Did you learn NOTHING from me in the past?!"

"But, Naminé--"

"Screw Naminé! She obviously doesn't want to be saved! Are you really gonna try to get yourself killed over a girl you barley know? What about the promise you made to Kairi?!"

Sora looked at her funny.

"Who's Kairi?"

Katy blinked a few times, realizing the gravity of the situation. Taking a deep breath, she decided it could be worse. He could have not remembered who she was and attacked her, which would have been really bad since she couldn't hurt him physically. She'd just have to work with what memories he had left.

"No one. She's no one. Forget I mentioned her."

Sora nodded slowly, but his face was scrunched in thought, like he was trying to remember.

"So, now that we've got all that out of the way, shall we go up the staircase of certain doom?"

The others laughed again and nodded. Finally reunited, the party ascended to the 10th floor.

Meanwhile, back with Organization XIII…

Completely unaware to Katy's appearance, Larxene, Axel, and Vexen were currently wrapped up in a dispute…

"So what's going on, Vexen? Your Riku was supposed to counter Sora. What's he waiting for? Where is he?" Larxene taunted, causing Vexen to seethe

"He's hiding somewhere to lure Sora deeper into the castle, right?" Axel asked, sarcasm apparent in his tone. He turned back to Larxene "I suppose we should just leave it at that, you know." He said with a smirk

"A-ha! Oh, I see now!" Larxene played along "I would have never guessed that! So sorry, Vexen."

"Silence!" Vexen spat

Larxene rolled her eyes

"Predictable response. Forget it. Men without hearts are so boring."

"You're one to talk. As if you have such a heart to speak of yourself." Vexen fired back

"Enough." A cold, authoritative voice echoed around the room.

A dark corridor appeared and a black cloaked figure stepped out.

"Marluxia!" Larxene exclaimed

Marluxia took down his hood, a flurry of rose petals falling from his pink hair.

"Vexen, the simple fact is that your project was a failure. You'd best not disappoint us again."

"Disappoint YOU? You go too far!" Vexen yelled at the younger man. "In this Organization, you're No. 11! I'm No. 4 and I will not have you--"

He was interrupted when Marluxia shoved his flower-shaped staff in his face.

"I have been entrusted this castle and Naminé by our leader. Defying mw will be seen as treason against the Organization."

"Traitors are eliminated. I believe that's what the rules say." Axel said from his spot next to Larxene

"Who needs a half-baked good-for-nothing anyway?" The blonde nymph added, hands on her hips.

"Ngg…" Vexen growled under his breath

"Vexen, you cannot win against Sora" Marluxia continued in a patronizing tone

"Pity to be so ignorant. As you're able to see the surface of things. I should not expect you to appreciate my true might." Vexen defended himself

"Oh?" Marluxia asked, his staff disappearing."Then let us watch you prove it.

"What?" Vexen asked, alarmed

"None of us wish to be suspicious of a comrade." Marluxia said, turning his back on the others in the room.

"Your insincerity is comforting." Vexen retorted as he vanished into a dark corridor.

"You give a challenge like that to Vexen and he'll seriously want to eliminate Sora." Axel pointed out.

Marluxia smirked

"That would be an unfortunate denouement."

The pink haired man strode across the room to where Naminé was sitting alone. He rested a gloved hand on her tiny shoulder, causing her to jump

"What to do? Your hero is soon to be wiped from existence. But I believe there is a certain promise that he made you. Isn't that right, Naminé?"

For the first time since she was brought to the castle, she spoke

"…Yes"

Marluxia's smirk grew wider and he left the blonde to sit by herself and continue to lose hope.

Meanwhile…

"WOW! The tenth floor…We've gotten up pretty high." Donald exclaimed

"And that must mean we've lost ten whole floors worth of our memories." Jiminy Cricket pointed out.

Katy blinked in surprise

"The cricket actually has an opinion now? I must've been gone longer than I thought…" She mumbled to herself.

"Sora, it's still not too late. Don't you think we should turn back?" Jiminy continued.

"I do, if it effects your opinion any." Katy added, waving her hand in the air.

"Can't do it…because…that would break an old promise that I made."

"An old promise? What would that be?" The cricket asked

"On the islands, I promised Naminé—that I'd keep her safe, no matter what. But I forgot it. I didn't remember until I started forgetting everything else! A promise between the two of us. That's why I can't leave. Now that I remember the promise, I have to keep it."

"Of course. We understand, Sora." Jiminy said with a smile

As Sora approached the door to the next world, Katy stopped him.

"Sora, this is really weird. From what you told me, you and Naminé were little kids when she lived on the islands. Why would you make a promise like that to a three for four year old."

For a moment, Sora looked unsure and his eyes looked a little clearer, like he knew she was onto something. Then they clouded over again and he set his jaw in a frown.

"I have to save her, Katy." He said, pulling his hand out of her grasp.

Katy watched as he advanced across the room. This wasn't right. She could feel it in her core. This whole castle was just plain wrong and she wanted nothing more than to get everyone out before it was too late; but in a way, it was. They were already too far gone, lost in their so called true memories…

Bullshit

"Sora…do you remember the promise I made you? Just before we fought Ansem?"

Sora froze.

"…No…I don't." He said, turning to face her with wide, almost scared eyes.

"I promised you that after everything was over I'd go with you to your Island." She said slowly. "I said that I'd stay with you, Riku, and Kairi."

Sora opened his mouth to speak, probably to ask who Kairi was again, but Katy stopped him.

"Don't say anything. Just remember that, for me, okay."

Sore closed his mouth and nodded

"I promise."

On that note, the party entered the door to the next "world"

As they entered the world that only Katy knew to be Hollow Bastion, the sound of garbled speech echoed around the four of them.

"I'm hearin' voices! I wonder who it is." Goofy said, tilting his head to the side to hear better.

Jiminy hopped off of Sora's shoulder and inched closer to where coming from.

"Shhh! I think something's wrong!"

"But Belle, I don't understand!" A…Beast in a purple cape and ragged blue pants exclaimed to a girl in a fancy yellow dress. "I came here to rescue you!"

"Beast…" Belle sighed. "I did not ask you to come. And it doesn't matter anyway. I'm not going back with you, so you're wasting your time.

"Belle? Do you know what you're saying? How can you stay here with that witch?"

"I've nothing more to say. Now leave before she finds you."

And with that, she left.

"Belle…why?" Beast asked himself, sadly

"I'm not sure what's going on, but…is everything okay?" Sora asked tentatively

"Don't feel bad. There must be a reason she said those things." Donald added

The Beast whirled around and glared at them.

"Keep your sympathy. No one could ever care for a beast like me." He muttered, sulking away

"Poor guy. Sure wish there was something we could do for him." Goofy said, sympathetically.

After a few moments of processing, the four ran further unto the area they were in, Donald and Goofy disappearing as usual. Katy however stayed, just like she had when she was in The Nothing. Sora grinned at her and she returned it

"Let's do this" She exclaimed, drawing her blades and running ahead of the other teen.

Sora had never been happier to have another person fight with him. The Heartless were EVERYWHERE. The pair finally got a break when they entered a library. Donald and Goofy reappeared and as they looked around they found Belle.

"Who are you? Were you kidnapped too?" She asked, glumly

"Uh…not exactly. It's a long story.

"A long and painful story. You wouldn't like it." Katy added, throwing herself down on the floor panting

"Wait!" Sora exclaimed. "You've been kidnapped? You don't want to be here?"

"Yes…No I don't really want to be here. That witch forced me to come here. I have no one to talk to. Books are all I have to ease my loneliness. And then there's him…Oh, I've missed him so much."

"You mean the Beast?" Goofy asked

"The guy whose heart you totally ripped out back there?" Katy added, lifting her head off the ground to squint over at Belle

"You really hurt his feelings." Sora said

"I had to…I couldn't tell him how I really feel." Belle explained

Katy let her head fall back to the cool tile floor with a dull thud, mumbling something about ungrateful damsel in distresses

"Why not?" Sora asked

"It's just that--" Belle stopped abruptly and gasped "Oh no, she's coming! Hide, quickly!"

Donald and Goofy ran off behind some bookshelves and Sora literally dragged Katy's still prone form over to a secluded corner.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." She groaned, leaning on Sora's leg instead of laying on the floor.

So, my wonderful readers, who do YOU think it is?

If you said Maleficent, hoo-ray for you! You get a cookie!

"Oh…hello. To what do I owe this visit?" Belle asked with forced politeness.

"He was here—yes?" Maleficent asked. "He risked his life to come and save you. Why do you reject him?"

"I won't ask for his help."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"You know very well why." Belle said with hatred. "I'm not going to fall into your trap!"

"Then I have no choice but to make you BEG for his help!" Maleficent exclaimed

Then, with a wave of her staff her and Belle disappeared in a rush of green flames

"No! She got away!" Sora sighed, kicking the bookshelf nearest to him

"What should we do?" Goofy asked

"Risk out lives some more, obviously! What else?" Katy said cheerfully, pulling Sora out of the library.

And once again, they were off!

The party followed Belle and Maleficent to a large room with a fountain in the middle.

"What are you waiting for? Call to him!" Maleficent ordered as she backed Belle up against the fountain's stone basin.

"No! I won't let you hurt him!" Belle exclaimed

"Then I shall make you scream! The fool will come running the moment he hears your cries." The sadistic witch cried.

"Enough!" Sora shouted, the word echoing around the vast interior. "The Beast isn't the only one you have to deal with."

"Be gone, boy. You have no business here." Maleficent hissed

"That's where you're wrong, lady. Us distressed damsels have to stick together." Katy said, nodding over at Belle.

"No need to intervene." Beast's voice said from the balcony above. He dropped down and landed a few feet shy of Belle.

"You're here!" Belle exclaimed. "No! You mustn't! I told you to leave this place! Leave me alone! I never want to see your face again!"

"Belle…" Beast said, sadness creeping into his voice. "All right. If that's how you feel, I understand. My hideousness is punishment for being selfish and unable to love. I was made into a monster, loved by no one…and I only became more selfish. That is…until I met you, Belle. You're the only person who accepted me. Little by little you warmed my cold, selfish heart. The memories of our days together are my most precious. I won't cast them aside. So I'm sorry, but I can't leave you here…even if you hate me for it. Consider it my final selfish act."

"Oh, Beast…" Belle said, defeated

"Well, well." Maleficent droned, stepping forward. "I never dreamed such ugliness could hide such a beautiful heart. This calls for a change of plan. Beast, I shall claim your heart instead of Belle's!"

The witch raised her staff again and Belle screamed running towards Beast so that the blast that would have took his heart took hers instead.

"Well, so much for the change of plan." Maleficent sighed. "Belle's heart it is after all. It seems her cold words spoke little of her true feelings. She loves you, Beast. I can feel it shining in her heart!"

"You fiend! Release Belle's heart at once!"

"Yes, because asking the bad guys totally works." Katy mumbled

Maleficent simply smirked and disappeared in green flames.

"She went this way! The way the shadows fled! Let's go get Belle's heart back!" Sora exclaimed

"You'd help me?" The Beast asked, surprised.

"It's what we do, dude. Solve other peoples problems and make the worlds better places." Katy sadi, chasing after Sora before he got himself killed

Following the fleeing shadows, the five followed Maleficent to a dimly lit chamber.

"You've done well to make it this far, Beast. As your reward, I'll tell you why Belle rejected you. My dark magic requires hearts of utmost beauty. Belle was perfect. Deep in her heart, her love for you shone with uncommon radiance. But she guessed my plans. By denying her love for you, she put her heart beyond my reach."

"But she saved me! She protected me!" Beast exclaimed.

"She couldn't hide how she really felt." Sora realized

""I've heard enough! Release her heart NOW!" Beast demanded.

"Don't you realize why I'm telling you all this? Did you think it was out of kindness? I did it to erase your doubts. Now your heart is beginning to shine with your love for Belle. I shall have your heart too, monster!"

"Not if we stop you!" Sora shouted

"You dare challenge me? Pitiful fools!" Maleficent cackled before attacking.

The battle ended epically and with few injuries (thankfully). Katy found it much easier to fight without the talking animals, specifically Donald, breathing down her neck. As they all caught their breath, Belle's heart was released and she materialized in front of them.

"Belle! Thank goodness." Beast exclaimed

"Please forgive me. I had to be cruel to you."

"I'm the one who needs to be forgiven…for doubting you. I never want to remember feeling that way…so angry, so alone."

"The don't. Let's replace the sad memories with happy ones. Starting now."

"There they go with the mushy stuff" Goofy said

"Yeah, I think it's time to be on our way." Sora said

The four left the two lovers alone to their own devices and continued back to Castle Oblivion

They hadn't been back in the castle one minute when a dark corridor opened and a man in a black cloak whom none of them had ever seen before walked out of it.

"Who are you?!" Sora exclaimed

The man's eyes widened when he saw Katy, but other than that he didn't seem phased.

"I am Vexen. I have come to collect your debt, Sora."

"A debt? Sora, do you owe somethin' to this guy?"

"Come on. Of course not." Sora answered

"Oh, but you do." Vexen continued "You owe me for reuniting you with your former friend."

"You mean the jerky, egotistical, and pig-headed one?" Katy asked, innocently

"Shut up, girl! Bur yes, I'm the one who brought Riku to you."

"Then…you're the one…" Sora stuttered "You're the one who's been controlling him. What have you done to him?" Sora demanded.

Vexen smirked

"I see no need to give you information about where Riku is. After all—why trouble you in your final hour?"

In a millisecond, Donald and Goofy vanished and Sora and Katy had their weapons drawn, ready to strike.

And so, yet another epic battle commenced.

"As I expected, you weren't one to die very easily." Vexen panted after losing to Sora and Katy

"Been there, done that. Not planning on trying it again any time soon." Katy bit back

"Yeah, as if we'd ever lose to you!" Sora exclaimed

"I wouldn't be so sure. Didn't you even notice? I was delving deep into your memory as we fought. And here, look what I found." Vexen held up a card with a picture of an unfamiliar world. "A card crafted from all the memories that are locked in the other side of your heart."

As soon as the words left his mouth her disappeared into a dark corridor, despite Sora's protests.

" Memories…from the other side?" Sora asked aloud, looking over at the others, who all shrugged. Deciding to puzzle through it after a small break, the continues up to the 11th floor.

A/N: 5 reviews please! I'll try to get another chapter out by Sunday!