KHA: Sorry. I was supposed to update yesterday but the site refused to upload the chappie. O.o Also, it's pitifully short. And lastly, I won't be updating until Monday.
Audience: So many excuses... (ish dizzy)
KHA: Hey it's not my fault. Italy's playing today in the World Cup of Soccer. And I'm very proud to say that I am a part of their insanity for soccer. :D
Akyra: O.o Why do you torture us?
Roxas: Still no ice cream!
KHA: I just bought ice cream!
Roxas: It's gone! (sob)
KHA: (sigh)

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or COM. Or the World Cup. But I own Akyra. HA! Take THAT!

Sora, Donald, Akyra and Goofy were pacing down the pearl hallways of Castle Oblivion in silence. It was like this all the time. Donald led the group, followed by Goofy, followed by Sora and Akyra, staying silent throughout the whole trip to the next floor. But, for some reason, they stayed silent most of the time until someone raised a subject for conversation. This time, it was Sora's turn.

"Say, Akyra, who was that we remembered earlier? It was Kairi... Wasn't it?" he asked.

"Yep, I'm pretty sure it was Kairi," she concluded without thinking.

"Hmm…" Sora thought for a second, stopping in his tracks.

"Why do I always end up dragging you?" Donald said with a sigh, "Snap out of it and GET A MOVE ON! You want to find Riku and the king, don't you?"

Akyra rolled her eyes in irritation and sped off to rejoin them, Sora following closely behind.

Riku footsteps made a soft thumping noise as he proceeded through the hallway. But, no matter how soft the sound of his footsteps was, it still echoed off the drippy basement walls. Little did Riku know that he was not alone. Waiting patiently for him at the end of the hallway was none other than Vexen, the mad scientist. Vexen didn't like too much company. This is the reason why, whenever you are in his presence, you can be sure he might want something of you.

"Riku, I presume?" he asked in a sweet, yet calm voice.

"Who are you? Are you with Ansem?" Riku asked in rage.

"You are half correct. Let us say that it's not the Ansem you know. He is Ansem and he is not… which is the say he is nobody."

" Nobody, huh?" Riku asked with attitude, "Sorry, riddles aren't my thing. Try making some sense."

"He belongs to neither the light nor the dark," Vexen explained, "but walks the twilight between. As do I. And for that matter… Ha ha, that's right. We have much in common."

"Maybe we do... But so what! Is that an invitation to join your club? Yeah, there's darkness inside me, just like you said. But darkness is my enemy! And you are, too, for making everything around here reek of it!" Riku yelled in fury.

Vexen shifted his eyes slightly, pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket and said, "Oh ho, so it's a fight you want. Very well- a fight you shall get!"

Riku had spectacularly emerged the victor from this battle. Or so he thought…

"Ha ha ha... This battle has made it clear. The darkness coursing through you is a tremendous power. All you needed was the right provocation," Vexen said coolly.

"Great. So this was a trick?" Riku said, realizing what Vexen's true intentions were.

"Precisely. Your fiery reaction provided just the data I needed. You have my thanks, Riku!"

Without another word, Vexen vanished into thin air with a sinister smile on his face. Riku ended up staring blankly at the stone wall for a few minutes, trying his best to figure out what Vexen was up to. Sadly, he never had the slightest idea…

"I remember!" Sora exclaimed abruptly, causing the others to jump back in surprise.

"What is it?" Donald quacked.

"There was another girl…"

"What? Where!" Goofy shouted, scanning the area in search of another girl.

"No, no, I mean on the islands where Akyra and I used to live. Besides Kairi, Riku and Akyra, there was one other girl we were friends with. The five of us used to play together all the time…" Sora said in a dreamy voice.

"What…" Akyra muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I'll be! I think that's the first time you've ever mentioned her!" Jiminy said with joy, taking a seat on Donald's puffy hat.

"Yeah...I forgot all about her. I think she went away when I was still little. Remember, Akyra?" he asked.

"I… I…" Akyra didn't have the heart to tell him. She had absolutely no idea who he was talking about. Then again, she can't keep secrets from her best friend.

"Sora…" she started, "I don't know who you're talking about…"

"What? B-but you have to have some idea! I also remember that the both of you were almost constantly together, sharing your secrets, doing that girly stuff… I remember thinking the both of you were inseparable…"

"I… We were?" Akyra asked in awe.

Sora must've been telling the truth. If he said they were the best of friends, there is a good chance they probably were. But Akyra didn't remember anyone at all. Is she really cruel enough to forget her best friends? No, never. Then why couldn't she remember this girl?

"She was my best friend, Sora?" Akyra asked with a sad look on her face.

"Yeah…"

"That's strange…" Donald muttered, deep in thought, "Why are you remembering all that now? And why doesn't Akyra remember anything?"

"I'm not sure. But it's been coming back to me in places as we go through the castle…" Sora answered.

"What's her name?" Jiminy asked.

"I don't remember. I feel kinda dumb. Here we are, saying we won't forget our friends...and I can't even remember her name!"

"Aw… Sora…" Akyra muttered softly.

"Say, you started remembering this girl in the castle, right?" Goofy asked, watching Sora nod in agreement, "And that hooded guy said we'll forget things but remember new ones, right?" Again, the rest of them nodded.

"Then that means, if we keep going through this castle, you're bound to remember it, just like the rest!"

"Yeah!" Sora said cheerfully, "And Akyra will start remembering her too!"

"Say, you're right!" Akyra agreed, a large grin spreading across her face.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's keep going!" Donald quacked, his face lighting up.

"Come on, you guys! I'll race you to the door!" Akyra cried as she darted off towards the staircase, closely followed by Sora, Donald, Goofy and their roars of laughter. Akyra couldn't wait to get to the next world. But most of all, she just couldn't wait to start remembering her long lost friend.

What possessed me to forget about her in the first place? she thought, Oh well… at least now, I'll remember…soon…

The world they had just ended up in was as simple and dull as dried broccoli. The room was a fairly big size but had nothing in it. The squishy walls were entirely purple and splattered with splotches of color that seemed to twitch occasionally when nobody looked.

"What a weird place! Everything's kinda springy and soft," Sora pointed out, poking at some of the walls.

"Nice and warm, too. I'm startin' to feel like a nap…" Goofy yawned.

"Yeah, but this place also looks like intestines…" Akyra commented, "Are we inside something?"

"Shouldn't you be a little more worried?" the soft voice of a young boy called.

"Who's there?" Donald yelped, hopping around to find the owner of that voice. "Don't you get it? You're inside the belly of Monstro the Whale!" the voice said again.

"I was right. We ARE inside something…" Akyra said.

"Why, I know that voice..." Jiminy said from the top of Akyra's head, "Pinocchio? Pinoke, it's you! Come on out!"

Emerging from the shadowy corner of the room was a little wooden boy, no older than seven years old. He scurried towards the group, a wide grin painted on his face. He seemed to know Jiminy quite well.

"Is that you, Jiminy? Gosh, I never though I'd meet you here!" he said joyfully.

"You can't get away from me, son. I'm your conscience. Your conscience should guide whatever you do. Remember?" Jiminy asked, hoping off Akyra's head and onto the floor.

"Sure, Jiminy. I've been a good boy while you were gone. I didn't tell a single lie!" Pinocchio seemed quite confident about his answer. That is, until his nose grew a couple of inches in a matter of seconds. The group was amazed by this and leaned in closer to have a better look at it.

"Well, for Pete's sake!" Jiminy said, obviously disappointed in him.

"Oops! But...how did YOU end up inside Monstro, anyway?" he asked.

"We, uh, sort of used a special way..." Sora hesitated, scratching the back of his head.

"It's so special, we don't know how we did it!" Goofy added in with a grin.

"That's too bad... I was hoping you could help me and Father get out of here…" Pinocchio sighed.

"Well, I'll be! Geppetto's here, too?" Jiminy beamed.

"Sure. Want to see him?" he asked, watching the five of them nod, "Follow me!"

With that, Pinocchio darted off towards an opening in the wall, closely followed by the rest of the group.

Roxas: That's it! I will not tolerate this! I demand ice cream!
Audience: Why don't you go on strike?
Roxas: EXCELLENT! I will call myself... RASOPATAOIC
Akyra: O.o
Roxas: It stands for "Roxas And Some Other People Against The Absence Of Ice Cream!"
Everyone: O.o
Roxas: O.o I shall go make picket signs now... The RASOPATAOIC will be back!