A ripple effect cascaded over the group as they passed through Aqua's portal; from Lea's raised brow, to the others gasps of shock, down to Riku exclaiming, "Castle Oblivion!?"
Aqua twisted slightly at the hip to look sidelong at them. "Is that the name this place was given in my absence?"
Lea strolled up to her side, hands to his hips as he gazed upon the castle with disdain. "Xemnas called this place his second castle. He stationed members here who he thought would betray him to be eliminated."
"You were here," Riku pointed out curiously.
Lea tossed his hands up. "Someone had to do the eliminating."
Meanwhile Sora was mystified, starting unabashed at the place.
Lea turned to pat Sora on the back. "This brings back memories. It's where you and I first met."
"Memories?" Sora's eyebrow jumped. "I've never been here before."
Riku ruffled Sora's hair. "It's also where you met Naminé."
Sora's mouth opened and his eyebrows lifted. "Ohh."
Lea spoke behind his hand at Donald and Goofy, "did I miss something?"
"Well, we were told Naminé scrambled Sora's memories," Donald said.
Goofy nodded, then added, "and to fix them, she had to erase that they'd ever met."
"Whaat?" Lea crossed his hands over his heart, trying to be dramatic. "So you forgot about meeting me too!?"
Riku wasn't having it, and began walking off, but Sora scratched his chin and looked away.
"I didn't mean to," Sora offered.
Tiredly, Riku called, "Sora.."
Lea stood up straight, chuckling, "I was wondering how that whole memory scheme would fix. So you really don't remember anything about this castle?"
Sora shook his head.
"Guess I shouldn't tell you then."
Sora swayed forward. "Tell me what?"
Aqua pushed the doors open.
Lea stepped in, closely followed by Sora asking, "hey, tell me what?"
"Hmmm." Lea crossed his arms contemplatively.
"What?" Riku asked.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Sora, meanwhile, nagged from a distance during their conversation, "Leeaa, what aren't you telling me?"
"Well," Lea said to Riku, ignoring Sora, "Once, I came here with Roxas, and it was like his head was splitting in two by simply being here."
Sora had since tuned them out, walking behind to complain to Donald and Goofy of their behavior.
"I remember that," Riku crossed his arms, and looked Lea up and down. "Naminé was concerned, she said Roxas was trying to pick up the links she had been trying to reconnect of Sora's chain of memories. Roxas' mind couldn't handle the jumbled fragments."
"And he passed out," Lea finished.
"Besides-" Riku observed Sora from a few feet away as they walked, and shrugged. "-I don't think he has a head to split."
Sora shouted over Lea's laughter, "I heard that!" And he shoved between the two, surprising Aqua as Lea swung around to her other side, putting her between them.
Riku laughed. "You don't even know if it was you we were talking about."
"Yeah, well," Sora retorted, all bravado. "You threw an insult, and I was in the room, so who else would it be?"
Riku smirked. "That's not enough evidence."
Mickey shook his head with a smile. "You two never change."
Lea turned his attention to the walls down the hallways that Aqua had been leading them through. Still devoid of color, the scenery changed here and there. Probably. False windows shaped like stars. Furniture differing from what he can remember from the rest of the castle. Although, nothing changed any real discernable way that he could point and say, I haven't seen that before. Mostly just a feeling.
"How are you navigating this castle?" Lea asked.
Aqua nodded at a circular table in the center of the hall like it meant something. "I left myself clues no one else would see."
He stared at the table, the empty picture frames, the diamond patterns on the tile floor. Nothing gave him a pull to go any specific way like it did for her. Which was a neat trick. Still. He hasn't seen any locks on the doors they've passed through. Anyone could come in. And, anyone did. Organization Thirteen, DiZ, Sora and his buddies.
"Why leave Ventus here of all places?" He knows heartless roam these halls, not to mention the lingering nobodies Organization Thirteen more than likely left behind. "It's not the safest location."
"It is," Aqua countered. "I created it to be."
"You...?" Lea halted in place, gaping all around. He recalled the endless hours he spent in these halls, the vast spaces that defied logic by going on for miles. "How...?"
She hugged an arm across her body, holding her upper arm. "As the keyblade master it is my duty to protect this neutral ground. I had to lock away its original state once we could no longer protect it. Create a maze no one could maneuver but me." Aqua pressed a featherlight touch to the wall. He saw memories swimming in her eyes of a time he couldn't even fathom. "This place used to be my home. "
How many times has the Organization barged in here, with no regard for what this place was? Himself included. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Once this is over, I'll restore The Land of Departure back to its former glory."
"You know," Lea began, unsure of if he should even mention it.
Aqua hadn't diverted her keen gaze on their surroundings. "Yes?"
Lea stretched his neck back and forth, prolonging his decision.
Aqua watched his actions, bemused. He hardly broke face, and being around these newcomers has brought out a different side of him. She offered a small smile. "Lea?"
"When I was with the Organization." Noticing her hopeful smile, he regretted the words anyway. "My- uh- friend at the time, Saïx, wanted to get the upper hand on our leader. He said there would be a chamber here that would have the answers. So he sent me to find it as our secret side mission. He called it the Chamber of Waking."
The color drained from her face, and he was vividly reminded of how she was when they first met. "He never- you never found anything, did you?"
He felt like a kid who held scissors to someone else's art project, but was caught and blamed before the crime took place. "No," he admitted. Then played it off with a shrug. "Wasn't even sure what we were looking for."
Her relief felt palpable, like a breeze against his chest.
"Thank goodness." A question curled her brow. "Why would there be anything here concerning his weakness?"
"Probably just a hunch Saïx had."
"Y'all go on ahead," Mickey said in passing. He came to the opening of an adjoining hall. "Last time I was here, there were a few things I never got to look into." He cupped a thoughtful hand to his chin. "Research they had of a duplication project; I want to know how far it went. I know they recreated Riku, but I feel like there's more than that."
"It's not safe here," Goofy ducked behind his shield.
Donald swiped his staff through the air. "We'll go with you." Yet he hesitated.
Sora understood Donald's concern with a grateful smile. "Don't you worry. We'll all keep each other safe."
Accepting that answer, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey darted off.
"Wait." Sora rounded on Riku. "They cloned you!?"
"That's all done with." Riku held a halting hand before Sora's face, hoping to end the conversation before it started.
"But what was he like?" Sora's eyes glittered.
"They used him against you," Riku exasperated, trying to dissuade him. Then relented when Sora didn't, "he was like me, but..." He waved his hand in a circle. "Angrier."
"Wow," Sora breathed with a tinge of fear. "Sounds intense."
Riku crossed his arms. "What is that suppose to mean?"
A/N
Oooohhh, man am I pushing it. Here I was, this naive writer back in October who knew better than to set deadlines. AND HERE WE ARE. I'm gonna write these suckers out like my life depends on it. Gotta at least finish some of this story before the game breaks all my expectations, and shatters my soul.
Thanks Guest! My hearts flutters to hear that this is considered to be a thing of beauty~
lmao Superwin, you're right. They don't die, they just dissolve into a thousand lights or take a light nap for thirteen years.
Heyy, YumeTakato, Happy belated New Year to you too! The next national holiday is the release of the new Kingdom Hearts game, so be sure to celebrate that as well xD
