Here's another update! I definitely love where this story is heading to. I don't know… messing with people's minds, hearts, emotions, feelings… all the fun of it. Really! I just enjoy myself, weaving mounds and mounds of guilt and anger into our protagonists. Anyways, I should stop stalling and let you guys read the next chapter. Enjoy the fun and emotions... while you can... Just kidding. Anyways, just go ahead and read. I do not turn poeple to Heartless just in case you're wondering.

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Narration: After being knocked out by Larxene, Sora awakens in a different room. He is still separated from both Namine and Kairi. He tries to look for them but instead finds someone else.

On the other hand, Riku opens a door in one of the castle's higher floors and gets into a fight.

Last but not the least; Xemnas has finally gotten together his plans with Vexen and Xaldin.

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Sora and Riku just finished swimming in the waters of Destiny Islands and are walking back to the area of the shore where they left their belongings.

"Riku?"

"Yes, Sora?"

"I feel hungry." Sora feels his stomach.

Riku reaches for the picnic basket and pulls out a paupu fruit.

"That for me?"

Riku hands the fruit to his lover. "Yes, Sora, my dear. It's for you… and for me."

He puts it between their mouths.

Just as when the two bite on the fruit together, Sora wakes up.

He looks around. The room looks different. It is in a shade of gray and red. He stands up.

"Namine? Kairi? Where are you?" he calls out.

His voice echoes throughout the empty room.

"Would you mind keeping your noise down?" a deep voice says.

Sora turns around. "Who are you? I never met you before. But you're… Lexaeus?"

"Correct. Roxas's memories must have integrated with your own. I'm sure he knows what I am capable of." Lexaeus lifts his tomahawk and plants it beside him.

"Let me guess. You're here because of their orders."

"Of course. I only do what must be done or what the higher-ups tell me to do so."

"The only thing you'll be doing is fading back to where you came from." Sora takes out his keyblade.

"If you must." Lexaeus lifts his tomahawk. "Larxene, Marluxia, Demyx, Zexion, watch me! I will eliminate this feint-hearted weakling like you all asked me to."

"Another mindless follower," Sora mutters as he charges to face Lexaeus.

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"All right. So when will we proceed with the plan, Superior?" Xaldin asks.

"In due time. We must make sure that no one else gets hold of what we're intending to do."

"Why? We can strike now if we want to. Saix and Luxord are both not here in the first place. The two side-switchers," Xaldin says with hatred.

"Indeed. If we prove to be successful in our endeavors, all those who have turned their back on us shall pay."

Xemnas then turns to Vexen. "What's the status of your replicas, Vexen?"

He faces his Superior and calmly states, "Two have been defeated in combat once but are not 'technically' gone yet. The other two… I have lost track of their location. They had been tailing Sora until I lost track of their whereabouts."

"And the last one?"

"Still inactive. Until the time is right, of course."

"Well-planned, my most loyal follower. Now then, let's talk about…"

Marluxia drops in.

"Where's Lexaeus? And why is Xaldin still here?" he asks.

The trio are about to say something but they remain silent as Marluxia opens his mouth once more to issue an order.

"Demyx must have sent Lexaeus by mistake. No matter. It's not a problem. Sora will have to be careful in facing Lexaeus nonetheless." He points at Xaldin. "Get ready. You're facing Sora after Lexaeus. Now, hurry up and leave."

Xaldin reluctantly departs, leaving Marluxia, Xemnas and Vexen alone in the room.

"None of us wants to be suspicious of a comrade… but you two are on to something and don't think that the rest of us know your real intentions."

This leaves both Xemnas and Vexen, wondering how to proceed on with their objectives, as Marluxia teleports out of the room.

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"Sora?" Riku opens a big purple door.

He goes in and continues to call out Sora's name.

Then, a huge weird-looking entity appears in front of him. A bodiless cloaked spirit levitating above the ground blocks his way.

It dashes at Riku and attempts to slash the boy into shreds with its claws. But Riku draws out his keyblade in the nick of time and parries all of the Heartless's strike.

He leaps out of the way. "What do you want?"

It merely ignores Riku's words and fires an energy ball at him.

Riku rolls out of the way and says, "Looks like I have not only the Nobodies up there to fight but also you too."

The Phantom then proceeds to use Doom on the boy.

"Well, I got to finish this quickly. Time is running out… literally." He charges at the Heartless.

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Roxas sits on the bed in his "new room" awarded to him by only the four members who have seized the power of the Organization from Xemnas.

"What am I going to do? If I side with Xemnas… no. I can't side with Xemnas. He'll only use me for his gains. Besides, what did I really get from joining the Organization aside from having a friend who's now imprisoned because of treason?"

His head then falls on a pillow on the bed.

"Axel… what can I do to you so that we can be friends again? I need to know why you did it."

He turns to his left.

"If I side with Marluxia, I have no idea how long I'll be surviving in this mess. They only want revenge at Sora for destroying their real world bodies."

He then looks up at the ceiling.

"What am I going to do? What… what… I need to do something. I don't want to… die here nor do I want to destroy Sora. I just want to have my own life back again. I want my vacation to begin anew."

"I need to exist once more…"

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There we go… The plot's getting a little complicated, right? I mean, aside from the obvious getting back at Sora, there seems to be something else… something far more disturbing? Maybe. Anyways, tune in for the next update. Leave a review if you want to.