Hello, everyone. Lilith here.

And HOLY FREAKING CRAP, this chapter took a LOT LONGER than I thought it would to write! Since we all knew that the bombshell is on the way, I tried to just get Destiny Islands over with, and just jump right into the big shocker and get that annoying cockroach lady defeated and done with. Yeah, it was that exhausting to deal with!

Also, I've written so many more words than I usually would. I'm surprised my fingers haven't broken from writing strain...

Well, regardless of how freaking long this is, I hope you enjoy all the same.

I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.

Read, leave me a review, but flames are unacceptable.

Chapter 24: Unraveling the Lies

By the time Luna, Medea and Nero had arrived up the stairs and caught up with Sora, it's quickly noticeable that Jiminy had just come out of the hood to talk. Apparently, he had heard the arguing that happened, and he must've known that Sora had said some things to Donald and Goofy that didn't sit right with him in the slightest; being the chosen conscience that the cricket is, it makes sense that Jiminy wanted to interject on the matter since he's supposed to be the voice of reason.

"Sora, that was no way to –"

"Keep it to yourself!" Sora snapped angrily.

Unfortunately, he shot down Jiminy before the cricket can chastise him for his behavior. This disappointed the poor cricket as he hopped off of Sora's hood and started to leave back the other way, where Donald and Goofy are certain to be.

Seeing the dismay of Jiminy hurt Luna greatly as she knew he was only trying to set the record straight, but Sora just wasn't acting rationally and it's putting a dent in what he treasured with his friends while obsessing over someone who they haven't known about before they even arrived in the castle to begin with. It got her worrying: would he abandon her and Medea just to keep pursuing that one girl he can't stop obsessing about?

Jiminy's sad sigh stopped her train of thought. "This is terrible…he won't even listen to me. And I've done my best as a conscience since being around Pinocchio."

Luna knelt down to his level and said in consolation, "If it helps, Jiminy, Medea and I will try to keep him out of trouble. Even then, please tell Donald and Goofy to keep following us, no matter what Sora's done. I'm sure he's just not thinking straight now, and he needs help chasing the truth before he loses sight of what's more important."

The cricket felt encouraged by her reassurance. "Well, then, I hope you know what you're doing. I'm counting on you to help him as much as you can, Luna."

As the cricket hopped away to deliver the news as quickly as he could to deliver the message to the others as soon as possible, Nero had already reached the top of the stairs and met up with the girls. He didn't even bother trying to stop Jiminy from leaving to find out what went on between him and Luna; it's like he has no interest in the little details.

However, as soon as Jiminy is gone, the gloves are off for Medea as she prepared to chew out Sora once and for all. She's been one to get into arguments, and there are others she's had to listen to until either the problem's solved naturally or someone had to intervene until a resolution is made, but this time her patience on the boy has worn itself too thin; she's just had enough of this insanity.

"Nice job kickin' out the conscience, Sora. I bet you're feelin' proud for shoving everyone else out of the way so you can chase after some girl you can't shut up about now," Medea said condescendingly.

That got Sora's attention immediately. "Excuse me? What's your problem, Medea?"

Her violet eyes glowered angrily. "What's my problem? You wanna know what my problem is, kid? My problem is YOU! You've been acting like a complete jackass after that stupid scuffle you got into with Riku over a little bauble, and that same dumb attitude made you act like a selfish brat who can't even try to listen to people with more common sense than you do when the opportunity is right in front of them."

"Are you saying that I'm an idiot for wanting to rescue Namine from –" Sora was about to argue with her, but he wasn't prepared for the bomb to explode.

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" Medea exploded furiously, silencing Sora. "Ever since you started remembering things about that girl, she's been the only thing you just won't shut the hell up about! Seriously! Nowadays it's always Namine, Namine, Namine, Namine, Namine! Well, I'M getting SICK and TIRED of listening to you ranting your ass off about that blondie that we haven't even seen yet! And I sure as hell am beyond disgusted that you're pushing your friends away just for a little blond twit! You've shoved Donald and Goofy away just because they tried to get you to freakin' STOP and THINK! So what are you gonna do now, huh? HUH? Are you gonna try and make me leave just because I'm angry at your stupid attitude or because I don't have the same feelings about someone I don't know?! Are you now gonna abandon Luna just to chase after a damn blond who you kept ranting and raving about after the pummeling that cockroach did a few floors back?! Answer the damn question!"

At first, Sora completely lost his voice as he was too stunned from Medea's volcanic wrath to give an answer to her pressing questions, let alone make any arguments to her on the important matters that needed to be addressed. It's like she had severely shot down anything he had said as his defense and proceeded to brutally tear apart any walls he could've put up to defend himself and his actions, incinerating nearly every trace of evidence for his motivations.

However, Luna certainly had a lot to worry about when her Guardian made it clear he did something wrong, and it's putting any bonds he still had with her and her protector at risk. If Namine is the only thing he can focus on just to plow through the castle at this point, then where does it leave her? She kept following Sora because she wanted to find Riku and get him back. And she thought she had, but the fights Sora and Riku were having lately made her unsure whether her man was in his right state of mind, or if he was manipulated by other forces. But after everything she's been through, now she's not so sure if Sora can still hold onto her without losing his focus on the girl he's obsessed over. Will he really abandon her, like he just did with Donald and Goofy?

"Is Medea correct on what you're thinking, Sora?" Luna asked sadly, hanging her head as she clutched her arms tightly. "Are you going to abandon me, too? After all you've done to help me – helping through my illness, searching the worlds, and defeating Ansem together?"

Her words stung badly in Sora's heart as he recognized what she was indicating to him. He couldn't believe that Luna feared being abandoned after everything they've been through together. Any anger or restlessness he had felt deflated like a balloon, and guilt quickly replaced both emotions as he realized that she was witness to the arguments that occurred earlier.

"Luna…what are you saying?" Sora asked in uncertainty.

"Don't you remember, Sora? When I was ill, you and Riku promised to take care of me," Luna reminded him, "When we lost our home to the Heartless, you promised to take care of me until we found our friends. You promised we'd get Riku back. Or did you forget about it after you started remembering Namine?" She paused, dropping her arms and turning as though to walk away. "You probably did, didn't you? No wonder Medea is angry at you…"

Horrified at hearing Luna's doubts, Sora instantly hurried over and grabbed her arm, stopping her from reaching the stairs. Surprised though she was at the interference, she quickly noticed the shock and shame on his face from hearing the painful words that came out of her mouth.

"Why would I do that, Luna?" he exclaimed, "Did you seriously think I forgot that promise made in the hospital? I still remember what Riku and I promised: we'll help you get better, and we'll take care of you. We did, and you got better, even though it took you nine years to do it. I did my best to look after you when we were separated from Riku." Once the guilt in his heart took hold, he couldn't stop pleading his case to his friend, the very one he pitched in to help years ago. "Really, how could I abandon you? When I began remembering things about Namine, I didn't want to find her just for my own sake. I wanted you to meet her, too, and maybe be friends with her. I'm sure she would've loved to meet you. I did say that when we found her, you could ask her about anything you want until you can remember more about her, didn't I?"

She nodded. "Yes, you did."

"You see? You haven't forgotten what I promised to you either," Sora pointed out, "Besides, I'm pretty sure you're just confused and lost when trying to remember things you've forgotten. But if you met Namine, maybe talking to her can help you find what you've forgotten. And I'm sure you'd get along with her once you've been around her long enough."

"So…you'll let me and Medea continue going through the castle with you?" Luna asked innocently.

Sora nodded eagerly. "Of course you can! Besides, the next card leads to a familiar place we know well. What could happen?"

Despite the dangerous temptation for things to go smoothly, at least Luna felt relieved to know that Sora hasn't thought about leaving her alone while they're still inside the castle. Truthfully, she couldn't believe that, after Medea's explosion of anger freaking him out, she successfully pulled at his heartstrings enough to convince him into allowing her to keep following him until they've found Namine. But she did promise to keep an eye on Sora on behalf of their friends since they couldn't reason with him; hopefully, Jiminy got her message to them at a reasonable amount of time so that they wouldn't feel without a purpose or a goal to achieve.

Nero, who had heard the whole conversation from the moment he caught up with them, was actually quite surprised to know that Sora accepted their company even after all the trouble he made to his other friends. It made him wonder if Luna had a way to keep the boy wrapped around her finger while she stuck around him, or if Sora's dedication to her care made it easy to prevent him from crossing particular lines that he'd regret later if prodded on.

"Did I…miss something here? Was there an argument earlier?" Nero asked, unsure how to ask the right questions.

"Nah. I was the one who exploded on him," Medea replied shamelessly. "In my defense, I was getting irritated with him, and someone had to put him in his place." Then, she muttered under her breath, "Though, I can't believe my master actually managed to guilt-trip Sora. Must've been something I said to him that made it easy for her to do it without him knowing it…"

Nero couldn't help giving a dumbstruck look when he caught what she just muttered under her breath. Did she actually admit that Luna guilt-tripped Sora into letting her and Medea stick around? Was it because of the arguments between him and Donald and Goofy that the girls had to prod at his behavior and pull some strings to convince him to keep them around? Or was it something else entirely?

"Well, what are we waiting around for? Let's get going!" Sora called from near the door.

Well, it seemed like he's still got the drive to find Namine. But at the very least, as far as the girls are concerned, it should be much easier to get through the next world without having too much tension present among the group – or so they thought.

"Alright, we've fooled around enough," Medea ordered, "Let's get this over with so we can get at those black coated bozos for the hell they gave us."

"I'm a little nervous on what we might find in there," Luna admitted, "I mean…we'll be entering a place Sora and I know well, but what else might we find? That's what I'd like to know."

"Maybe you'll know when we go in there," Nero replied.

By the time everyone assembled at the door, Sora used the card to unlock the way through. The door opened, and all four of them stepped into the bright light to their next destination…

…When the light died down, Sora and Luna found themselves standing on the sand near a vast blue ocean stretched for miles and beyond. Behind them, palm trees and shrubs and all manner of islandic flora grew around a gigantic tree that stood overshadowed by its relatives; boards of wood were meticulously put together to provide platforms and walkways, even bridges for travel around the island in the safest way possible, and docks for where boats would come for the curious visitor. The atmosphere of the sky is bright and welcoming, like the day is going to be pleasant and tame without any warnings of a possible storm; it helped that the sun above is watching warmly and gently from above the bright blue sky.

"I'm not going crazy, am I?" Sora suddenly asked out of the blue, immediately killing the mood of the scenery.

Luna looked over to Sora and giggled. "If you were going crazy, I don't think you'd be standing here right now. We should know where we are, right?"

"You're right. I know exactly where this is…" Then, he figured it out. "Yeah! This is our island! Where Namine and I used to play together!"

Medea rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Now you're telling me."

But then, it didn't take long for Luna to notice something isn't right, and it's not because of the island. When she looked around, she found that Nero is nowhere to be found. Did they lose him upon arrival, or did he wander off to look around the place?

"Sora, where's Nero?" she asked, puzzled.

He looked around, too, before replying, "I dunno. He couldn't have gone far after we got here."

"Heeeey!"

Any further conversations they would've had are interrupted by the arrival of three new faces – or rather, three young children about their age or below. One is a girl likely younger than Luna by a year or two with brown hair and green eyes wearing a yellow strapped dress. The second is a boy with a wacky red hairdo held by a blue bandanna with a creamy sleeveless shirt and orange pants with an X patterns on each leg. The third is a younger boy with dirty blond hair and blue eyes wearing a short-sleeved jacket and mismatched pants.

The redhead was the first to greet them both. "Whassup, you two!"

"So, whatcha wanna do today?" the girl asked excitedly.

"Hey, guys! Am I glad to see you, um…" Sora tried to greet them back, but ran into a hurdle.

It reminded Luna of the second encounter they had with Riku, when he asked Sora what he remembered about the islanders they had known before. She recalled how Sora ran into a stumbling block, and had trouble putting names on the table. Sure, when she was asked who she still remembered, she was able to bring up her adoptive parents, but if she had gone any further, would she have problems recalling their fellow playmates?

The blond caught on, and asked, "'Uh' what?"

"We got food on our faces?" the redhead added out of jest.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Please, Wakka. Only you can be dumb enough to not notice food stuck on your face."

That got a reaction out him. "Hey, whoa! That's a low blow, ya?"

"I dunno, Wakka. I think Selphie's on the mark," the blond agreed.

"Aw, not you, too, Tidus!"

Now that they got the names of the kids, Sora and Luna finally can properly hold a conversation with them. Maybe they might be able to find out what's going on in this place while they're here.

"Oh, yeah! You're Tidus, Wakka and Selphie, that's who you are," Sora remembered.

When they heard this, the three kids turned to him in confusion, dumbstruck that he didn't recognize them as soon as they met up. If Luna could surmise a guess, the kids are possibly thinking that somebody has their head screwed on the wrong way or something.

"You hit your head?" Wakka asked, baffled.

"No, uh…just thinking aloud," Sora replied quickly.

Tidus turned to Luna and asked, "Hey, Luna, has Sora been distracted lately?"

She shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what to say. "I guess he is. Maybe it's the heat?"

"I know… He's thinking about HER again!" Selphie teased playfully.

It didn't take long for Tidus to figure out what's up. "Ohhh, I get it. Yeah, he's a total zombie when she's on his mind."

"That would explain why he's actin' all funny towards us," Wakka guessed, "Am I right, Luna?"

"I'm not sure about the whole zombie thing," Luna replied, playing along to avert suspicion, "but I guess he's on a one-track mind, and it's hard for even me to keep his head on straight."

Selphie giggled. "I bet you want us to take a hike so that you two can be ALONE, huh?"

"Um…I guess," was the best answer Sora could come up with.

"All right, all right," Selphie said playfully, "We'll disappear for a little while. You go get her, cowboy."

"We'll try to be quiet while we SPY on you!" Tidus joked.

"Hey, Sora's serious. Give the guy some room," Wakka scolded him.

"I'm only kidding!"

Throughout the conversation between the youngsters, Medea simply stayed behind Luna, listening to the banter between them, if only to keep an eye and ear open for anything out of place in this world. From what she's able to see, everything appeared to be normal; but judging from what she's hearing, she's already picking up the signs that Namine is being brought up again. As much as it irritates her now, there's not much she can do by this point. But that didn't mean she can't keep vigil for any trouble.

But then, Luna cut in when she asked the trio, "Oh, there's something I'd like to ask you three. Have either of you seen Nero anywhere?"

Curious, Selphie asked, "Who's Nero?"

"Luna's brother," Sora replied, "He was supposed to be with us. Do you know where he is?"

"Nope. If we saw anyone, we would've told ya," Wakka replied.

That's when Tidus got an idea. "I know! We can look around the island for ya. When we find him, we'll let you know. Mind telling us what he's like first?"

"Well, he's taller than Sora, with black hair, and brown eyes," Luna described in a basic manner.

"Okie-dokie! When we see someone like that walkin' around, we'll find and give you guys a shout, 'kay?" Selphie promised jovially.

Luna felt much appreciated by the help. "Thank you."

With the farewells all taken care of, the kids ran off to lend a hand in the search while Sora, Luna and Medea re left on their own. That didn't bother them too much, since they're on a search of their own.

"C'mon, let's look around. The sooner we find Namine and Nero, the better," Sora suggested.

"And when we do find them, one of us is gonna be grilling for answers," Medea added.

"I just hope we don't have too much trouble while we're here," Luna confessed worriedly.

Oddly enough, while they've been searching the island, there seemed to be a disturbingly lacking amount of Heartless to bother them. Either someone's being very lenient on them, or someone is purposefully reducing their numbers just so Sora and Luna can make their way to the intended destination. Regardless of it, it also felt rather uncanny to hear the people who played on the island about Namine as well – at least, as far as Luna and Medea are concerned. Something about it just didn't feel right.

"Sora, don't you find it strange that the Heartless here are much fewer than the last world we've been to?" Luna asked on a whim.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. But at least it'll make finding Namine and Nero much easier for us."

"If you ask me, this is all sounding way too fishy for me," Medea commented with skepticism.

Their search throughout part of the island led them toward the path to the elevated islet nestled near the island itself; its only connection is the bridge that connects both places, leading to a small haven where two palm trees grew together, one of which is bent over like it's in a relaxing position. On the other side of the bridge as well is a particular friend Sora and Luna immediately recognize on sight: Riku. As they hurried across the bridge, Riku turned to see them coming, and he didn't seem to be of any danger at all.

"Hey, you two. What's the big rush?" he asked teasingly.

"I know you…" Sora was about to speak.

"Riku!" Luna exclaimed happily as she ran over to hug him, which caught him off guard a moment as soon as she embraced him, but he reciprocated it anyway.

"Wow, Luna, what's gotten into you?" he asked her with a chuckle, "Did you miss me or something?"

"I'm just glad to see you," she answered.

After having encountered the Riku in Castle Oblivion several times and having borne witness to the hostilities against her friend, Luna just felt glad to see the version she remembers more fondly, even if this one is but a figment of memories coming from her and Sora's minds. She might as well savor this while she can before anything terrible occurs.

"Oh, right. You're Riku," Sora finally recalled.

Riku just shook his head as he joked toward Sora, "Gee, thanks for remembering me. Seriously, Luna remembered me faster than you. It's been what, a couple of hours?"

Sora had no idea how to answer that question. He felt ashamed at himself for not thinking of Riku, more so since he is a friend from boyhood that he knew of so well. But after what he's been through, he's not too sure if he's seeing the more familiar Riku, or if it's the one who's been giving him trouble since their first meeting in the castle halls. Luna seemed to be safe, but he didn't want to take chances too much.

"Um…never mind. Are you okay? Are you still under his control?" Sora asked out of caution.

Riku raised a brow at him. "What are you TALKING about?"

Medea, who was listening to the whole debacle, whispered to him. "Hey, it doesn't look like that other version of your pal we've seen earlier. Look at him! He's pretty chill having Luna close to him, and he's acting like he wouldn't hurt a damn fly. What're you gettin' suspicious about, huh?"

Sora knew the Guardian was right. If this really was the Riku who meant harm, he would've had his blade ready somewhere, especially his armor on him.

"I get it…you're the Riku from my memories," he murmured.

But his friend heard that. "'The Riku from my memories'? Sounds like you're stuck in the land of make-believe."

Sora shrugged playfully. "I guess I kind of am."

Riku chuckled. "You're such a kid. How are you gonna take care of HER if you act like that?"

Luna looked at him, perplexed. "You mean…you have nothing against Sora being around her?"

"Why would I? He has his girl, and I've got you," he replied in reassurance, "We're pretty much square, right?"

"Well…there's someone else we're looking for," she explained, "His name is Nero. He's…well, he's supposed to be a relative of mine, but I don't know where he is."

Riku quickly became intrigued. "Really? So you found someone from your family? You should've told me about that sooner, or I would've wanted to know where he is. I've half a mind to greet him myself."

"Hey, speaking of her and Nero –"

Sora was about to ask for his friend's help on knowing where Namine and Nero are since they still haven't found them. But that opportunity fell apart when a sudden quake shook around the islands, starling the four of them as something made the island tremble. Sora stumbled a bit before Medea caught him while Riku held on to Luna as though to protect her. Whatever was causing it must be something dangerous.

"What the hell was that?!" Medea demanded to know.

"What's happening!?" Sora didn't know what's going on.

"How should I know!?" Riku replied. "Whatever it is, it can't be good! I'm gonna go warn the others!"

"I'm gonna go –" Sora was about to speak his intention.

"I know, I know! It's your job to look after her!" Riku interrupted.

"Be careful, Riku! We don't know what's going on!" Luna warned him, worried for his safety.

He gave a confident smile to her. "Don't worry, Luna. I'll be fine." He turned to Sora. "Hey, do me a little favor. Keep Luna safe for me while you find her, okay?"

"Okay!" Sora promised.

"Then let's get a move on already!" Medea ordered to the dawdlers. "We ain't gonna get anything done just standing here!"

Medea was right: they weren't going to be able to do anything about the coming disaster or the cause of it if they don't get moving and find the source of the crisis. As they raced across the bridge, Riku ran in one direction to find the other kids and get them to safety as quickly as he can, while Sora led Luna and Medea in another direction to find Namine and Nero, and hopefully find the cause of the unrelenting earthquakes.

Their frantic search led them into the middle of a malicious storm circling around another piece of island, with debris of wood and stone swirling about in a ceaseless circular motion. From above, purple clouds blot out the radiant light in the sky, leaving only darkness in the eye of the storm, faint cries of thunder booming out into the distance. They couldn't find anything else that resembled the place they've known, but it certainly felt like an eerily familiar case of déjà vu as to the scale of the problem.

"The island!" Sora exclaimed in shock.

"I hope everybody made it out okay…" Luna worried over the children.

"Let's cross our fingers on that!" Medea agreed, "But right now, we gotta figure out what the hell we're gonna do to get off this piece of rock!"

Unfortunately for them, just before they could think of a way out, a gigantic Heartless emerged onto the crumbling island chunk, menacingly looming over them.

"Oh, look who's here: Mr. Ugly," Medea said sarcastically as she formed her claws, "And he's about due for a makeover!"

"We should know how to beat it, right?" Luna asked while summoning her Shadow Hands.

"Yeah, we should," Sora agreed as he readied his blade.

Ironically, despite how physically imposing and enormous the Darkside is to them, the fight itself wasn't anything too spectacular. Its attempts to punch them into paste was much too easy to read, and even if it unleashed its dark energy orbs to bombard them or summoned pesky little Shadows from the black dark puddles to harass them, none of these did anything more than keep the trio on their toes until they've successfully eliminated it. Before long, the fiend was no more, leaving the party to figure out what to do now.

"Okay…I have to keep her safe…" Sora said, shifting his focus back on Namine. "Namine! Can you hear me?"

"But do we have any idea where she is?" Luna asked him.

"Hey! We're over here!"

At the sound of the familiar male voice, Sora, Luna and Medea turned around to find Nero waving to them as he stood beside a young blond girl in white, seemingly happy to see them alive. When he finally saw the girl face-to-face, Sora couldn't help feeling a rush of relief flowing through him as he felt he finally found who he was looking for. On Luna's part, she could scarcely let out a breath of relief that Nero is here; she may have had her reservations with him, but he really did make her worry when he disappeared without warning like that. Medea, unknown to everyone else, already felt suspicion creeping through her system.

"Nero, where have you been? We looked everywhere for you," Luna chastised firmly, "Why did you run off on us after we arrived on the island?"

"I had to let Namine know you were all coming," Nero replied, trying to ease her worries. "She couldn't wait to see you, let alone Sora. I didn't mean to vanish like I did."

In Sora's case, he had trouble forming the words to the girl. "Namine…"

She gave a small smile. "Sora… You came for me."

He couldn't contain his excitement. "It's you… It's really you. I've been through so much just to see you. I've even brought Luna with me. She wanted to meet you, too."

"Yes. I wanted to see you, too," But then, her smile faltered. "But this isn't right. I messed up. I wanted to see you… But this isn't the right way." She shook her head sadly. "I was lonely for so long. I just couldn't bear it anymore. So I called to yours and Luna's hearts and had you both come all the way out to this place. You came for me and I'm so…so happy, but…but to your hearts I had to –"

"Don't worry. I'm here because I promised I would protect you," Sora interrupted, reassuring her.

Luna turned to the two and gave her two cents on the matter. "Namine…I was hoping we could talk once we met, like Sora promised me. Perhaps now is a good time to have questions answered? I wouldn't mind finding out what you know that I don't."

"Of course she can. She's a friend, isn't she?" Nero answered on her behalf, "Luna's just been a little slow on traveling down memory lane, if you know what I mean."

"…Thank you," Namine said in appreciation. But then, she pulled her hand away from Sora. "And I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to be in this picture."

After everything that she's been hearing within this conversation, all the suspicions Medea had regarding the situation of Namine and Nero quickly began to shoot the roof of her head. From what she's picking up, there is something that Namine knows, and Nero is not being as honest as he is supposed to be even after having accompanied them for as long as he has. And now, the evidence is coming forth from this mysterious girl's mouth.

"So you do know something about this the whole damn time!" Medea deduced.

"That's true. You're right on your suspicions, Medea."

Surprised at the same voice, Sora and Luna turned around to find – another Namine? But there's something slightly off about the one that appeared behind them. While one Namine has a physical form, the other is transparent, like a ghost, and yet there she is. Just what is going on right now? Neither of the teens have a clue what the deal is.

"That isn't me. I'm not there," the other Namine told them.

"I don't really exist inside your hearts," added the first Namine.

In the midst of the confusion, Nero is noticed to become a bit agitated at the anomaly present in the area.

"Namine, what are you doing?" he asked anxiously.

"I don't exist in anyone's heart."

"I never have existed anywhere."

"Namine, stop! If you tell them anything…!" Nero grew increasingly aggravated.

Luna, upon hearing this, immediately turned to Nero as her suspicion began to resurface regarding him. Does he really know something about this? So much so that he's trying to get Namine to stop talking so that the charade can continue? For that reason would he want to do that?

"Nero…are you hiding something from me?" Luna demanded to him. "Are you hiding something about you and Namine?"

"No! No, I wouldn't do that to you!" Nero pleaded insistently, "I wouldn't lie about us. I'm your brother. You know that, don't you? I've always told you that we're family, didn't I? I thought I told you all you needed to know."

"Oh, yeah? Where's your proof, Nero?" Medea had just about enough of this. "Did Luna ever say 'yes, we are brother and sister' at any time? Did Luna ever say that she's known Namine at any point in her childhood? Did she?"

Sora, shocked, looked between the two Namine and asked, "What…What are you saying? What's gotten into you? Weren't we inseparable, always together? But then you had to go away… I came here so I'd never lose you again!"

But then, Namine delivered the big question. "Was it really me you wanted to see?"

Nero, however, tried to reason with Luna one more time. "Please, Luna. You really wanted to be with your brother again, didn't you?"

"Do you know who your brother really is, Luna?" Namine questioned, overruling Nero's question.

Sora looked at Namine again, while Luna kept her gaze hard on Nero. Both of them, faced with difficult questions, tried to find the answer to what's being asked, to know what the truth is about the two people they've been getting involved with.

Sora answered his given question quickly. "Of course it was! I know I've forgotten a lot of things in this castle, but never anything about you! Look!" He pulled out the charm to show to Namine. "You gave this to me, didn't you?"

The first Namine recognized it right away. "You have it! My good luck charm."

But the other Namine put a stop to it. "No, Sora! You can't believe me!"

Silence filled the area as the first Namine turned around sadly, not wanting to face Sora out of shame. This made Nero increasingly nervous as he waited impatiently for Luna's answer on where her loyalty lies. But in her case, Luna found herself having trouble deciding what the truth is and what isn't; her muddled and fragmented memories, along with the locked memories, made it more difficult to get a grasp of what she really knew.

"Namine…you told me to find the truth," she finally spoke up, "But the thing is…I can't completely speak of what the truth is. I've lost several memories, and some of them are locked away from me. And there are still some memories I haven't regained, even after arriving in this place. But then…" She swallowed before continuing. "I've been seeing vague images…images of faces that frighten me. What's worse is that there are some among those people in the coats who meant to capture me. How can I say anything if someone won't let me remember?"

When Sora heard this, coupled with the intervention of Namine against what's being presented, he found himself at a loss. He didn't know what to think about all of this.

"What am I supposed to do…" he asked, but then corrected himself. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Think, Sora. Think, Luna. Think just one more time," she replied, "About who's most special to you. Call out to that piece of memory that glimmers faintly deep inside your hearts. No matter how far away the light gets, your heart's voices will always reach it."

Sora and Luna looked down at their trinkets as they each tried to come up with an answer, Sora at his charm and Luna at her brooch.

"Who's most special to me?" Sora answered first, "That's an easy one."

Luna hesitated on answering hers. "The person special to me… It has to be…"

"It's you, Nami-"

"Is it really my –"

Suddenly, both baubles flashed brilliantly, blinding them. However, in the middle of it all, Luna unexpectedly heard a vaguely familiar voice somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind, scoffing in annoyance like someone's bored of the drama and wants to change things up.

"Sweetie, you're so slow today. I gotta do everything myself, don't I?"

Then, an unlocking sound clicked in her ears, and within seconds, she felt all of the memories that she had gained break apart like glass and all the memories she made from her childhood to her adventures with Sora flood her head in full force. She…she remembers! Now she can piece together the people she's met, the places she's been to, the friends, the foes – all of it, she now fully remembers. But not all of it, though. She still has the gap in her memories that, although fragments have been restored, there is more that still have yet to resurface.

By the time the light died down, Sora and Luna looked down at their trinkets again and found that they've changed again. But rather than the star charm and the sunstone, they returned to being a Thalassa shell charm and a moonstone brooch. Then, both of them looked up to where Namine is – only for her to change into a familiar redheaded girl.

"Kairi!" Luna exclaimed.

"So, now you remember?" Medea said in surprise.

But…that's a problem for Sora. "Who… Who was that? I can't remember her, but she feels so…familiar."

It hurt Luna to realize that Sora's memories are still a terrible mess. But now that she had her memories back, and the lock on her mind was removed, she now can follow Namine's trail and get the answers she sorely needed since hearing her name. But there's also the matter of Nero; she always had a feeling he wasn't telling her something, but now she can confront him properly and get him to confess what lies he's been telling her once and for all.

"C'mon, we'd better bail before Sora realizes blondie ain't here," Medea suggested to her.

She nodded in agreement with her Guardian, prompting them both to make a quick getaway before Sora figures out where they've gone off to.

As Luna and Medea returned to the white halls again, they found Namine and Nero waiting for them. Neither of them spoke, but it can be seen there is a strong feeling of shame and grief coming from them. Nero tried to approach with the intent to talk, but was quickly stopped by the dangerous glare given off by the angry Guardian, forcing him to back off until it's time to speak to him. Instead, Luna made her way to Namine to have a one on one talk with her; she wanted to know the truth, and now she can get the truth with her memories restored.

"Namine…I've regained most of my memories now. I remember what I used to know as a child, and what I've experienced before we got here," Luna told her, "I always wondered why we've been losing memories and gaining new ones afterwards. I never understood why Sora became obsessed over you, why Nero kept telling me he's my brother, and why Riku was being hostile to other people while he was still gentle to me. But when you spoke to us…" She paused. "Were you the real reason why our memories were being lost and then found so differently?"

Namine nodded. "That's correct. That's exactly what happened since you all came here."

"And yet, I've noticed that my memories were lost more slowly than Sora's," Luna continued, "Is there a reason for that?"

There was a bit of hesitation before Namine finally answered, "There is. Even though I was told to meddle with your memories, I…found it hard to mess with yours. I was afraid that, if I meddled too much, you or someone close to you would suspect something."

"So that explains why my master's been able to retain her memories longer than the boys," Medea couldn't deny her intrigue. "And I almost thought they were being idiots…"

When it seemed like there's a window of opportunity, Nero finally gained the courage to speak to Luna, hoping to appeal to her again. "Luna, let me explain myself –"

But she wasn't having any of it. "What do you want to explain to me, Nero? That you are my brother? No. You're not my brother. My brother's name is Terra. He was the greatest brother I could ever ask for. He had his conflicts, but I remember fondly the love he gave to me while I was in the care of him and his friends. But then…I lost each of them. It still haunts me to this day." When he tried to speak up again, she stopped him when she proceeded to call him out on all he had done to her. "You lied to me, Nero. You lied about everything. You told me that you're my brother, and that you had been traveling before you found yourself here. That was all a lie, wasn't it? You tried to convince me that Riku is not trustworthy. Were you trying to demonize him to me? And just what were you trying to prove, asking me about what I valued most? If you really did have some kind of connection with me, you would've even known the name of my mama. I know who my mama is. Do you know what her name is?"

Before he could answer her question (or attempt to), the doors opened as Sora arrived on the scene. The distress on his face is evident as he made his way over to Namine, who wouldn't even look at him. He must've realized that Namine wasn't in sight, so he followed Luna and Meda's trail since they left before he did; that's why he got out there so he could get answers. He doesn't know what to think, and he doesn't even know how to handle the sudden reveal that brought the façade undone.

"Namine! It isn't you," he said, distraught, "The person most special to me – it's not you… Right?"

"No… The girl you really care about…" Namine replied sadly, "The one who was always with you… It's not me. It's her."

"But then who…who is she?" he asked in distress, "Cuz I can't…think of her name. If she's so special to me, then why can't I remember?"

"Because I went into your memories and –" Namine was about to tell him the truth when…

"Let ME explain this."

Everyone jolted in surprise, and quickly turned around to find Riku there to meet them, and this time, he is not intent on playing around with them; this time, he has a score to settle once and for all. He put himself in front of Namine and pulled Luna close to him again, all the while blocking Sora, Nero and Medea from approaching them as he made it clear what his answer is for the whole mess.

"Plain and simple," he answered bitterly, "Your memory is a train wreck. You're not the one who's meant to protect Namine and Luna. It's supposed to me! But you and your messed up memories are always in the way, Sora!"

"Stop it! It's not Sora's fault he lost his memories!" Luna implored, trying to hold him back. "Please, stop fighting!"

"Don't try to stop me, Luna," Riku refused to back down, breaking free from her as he drew his blade. "Sora is in our way. Once he's done, then Nero is next!"

Almost immediately, Riku charged right toward Sora, forcing him to stand his ground against his opponent. In the midst of the ferocious clash, Medea and Nero quickly moved in to rescue their respective partners; Medea retrieved Luna and hurried her over to one side of the hall while Nero picked up Namine and carried her to the safety of the other side. This time around, it can be seen that this fight is much more intense and focused than the last few encounters they had with him, with Sora no longer holding back against his friend, who became much more aggressive in his combat approach than he was before. However, after the last battles that ensued, it can be seen that Sora has gained better footing against him, and with enough persistence, he is finally able to muster the strength to incapacitate him, sending him to his knees.

Now, one would assume that the fight would be over. Sora thought so, too, as he hurried over to Riku the moment he is down so that he could try and reason with him. But it wasn't the case.

"Want some more?" Riku hissed.

Suddenly, a burst of dark flame let loose, sending Sora careening backwards to the floor. Everyone else gasped in shock at the cheap shot taken when things should've simmered down between the opposing parties. As Sora struggled to get up, Riku get back up and moved in, ready to finish the job for real.

"Riku…" Sora groaned.

"Looks like I win," Riku said smugly.

"Riku, stop!" Namine pleaded, squirming out of Nero's grasp.

"You are through!" Riku raised his blade, ready to finish Sora off.

"Don't do it, Riku!" Luna implored as she hurried to Sora's aid.

But when it seemed like Sora is done for, Namine could no longer contain the storm of emotions and let it loose in just three words.
"I said STOP!" she cried out loudly.

Suddenly, a flash blinked at Riku's head, causing him to abruptly stop in his tracks. In the midst of it all, he dropped his blade, stumbling a little ways before he collapsed to the floor like a puppet that lost its strings. When that happened, Luna bolted to him to find out what's wrong with Medea trailing along from behind her. Not long after, Nero hurried over to Sora to make sure he's alright; all the while looking on in shock at what happened to the boy they've been getting in fights with. Nobody had the faintest idea whether the interference was helpful – or hurtful.

"Riku…" Sora called to him. "Riku! RIKU!" He looked at Namine. "What did you do? What did you do to him?"

"What I wanna know is what the hell happened here," Medea insisted as she watched her master frantically check the cataleptic boy.

That was when a familiar face arrived on the scene from the wisps of darkness: Larxene. Had she been observing the whole thing from somewhere else? It would seem so, as her smug face spoke volumes on why she's here, and it's not for what happened between them last time. No, this time it's for a far different reason.

"Broke his heart. I'd say more like she smashed it, really," Larxene told them.

Sora was shocked at this. "Smashed…his heart?! Then what's gonna…What's gonna happen to Riku?"

Larxene laughed at this, and replied mockingly, "Oh, you're so much fun to watch. If it's Riku you're worried about, then don't. Because Riku was never really there."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora demanded.

"Do you really think I'm just gonna say it?" the sadistic blond asked, "That's too easy! Oh, what to do?"

"Quit the games!" Sora snapped as he charged towards her.

"My thoughts exactly!" Medea growled as she joined in.

When both Keyblade wielder and Shadow Guardian tried to get at the blond, she just kicked Sora back a few yards and then proceeded to backhand Medea away from her.

Seeing the impatience, Larxene decided to play along. "All right, have it your way, then. I know it'll kill you all to hear about this, but I think I can live with that. That thing lying there is just a puppet that Vexen made as an experiment. No more than a toy. It's laughable, really. It called you a fake, but IT was a fabrication all along."

Sora was stunned about this. "Not Riku? A fake?!"

When Luna heard this, her horror turned into anger at Larxene's words. This whole time that she and Sora had moved halfway up the castle, they were fooled by a replica of their friend? They've been duped! She had always thought something wasn't right whenever she was around him, but to know that she was being pursued by a copycat just made her sick to her stomach. Now she really wanted someone to pay for the wrong they've done, messing with her emotions and hurting Sora's friendship as they did – and since Larxene is here, it made sense that she would want to dole out some payback as soon as she gets her chance.

"Fake in every possible way," the blond continued with glee, "It was only finished recently. How could it remember anything?" She proceeded to pick up the body, playing with it before throwing it across the room like a ragdoll. "You get it? Its memories with Namine are planted, not real. Yup. That means, all this time, it's been picking a fight with you over memories that were counterfeit, trumped up, and completely bogus. Isn't that the truth, Namine? Nero?"

Namine gave no answer, but Nero gave a hard glare at Larxene as he stood near her, trying hard not to rashly attack despite his wish to do so.

"Oh, so cute…but behind this little face and that strong man, you both do awful things," Larxene taunted the two.

Luna glared at Larxene as she hissed, "How dare you…"

"Namine…"

Larxene rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You're so stupid. Don't you get it now? That's what Namine's and Nero's powers are about! She can enter, rearrange, and even create new memories – of anything, even things that never happened. On the flipside, Nero can get into Luna's head and lock up any memory she still has, all the while allowing Namine to do the rest. The girl you've been trying to protect – and the boy who pined for his lost sister – are really a manipulative witch and an altered doppelganger who shackle people's hearts!"

"Yeah, and for what? To make us look like blithering idiots and empty dolls?" Meda retorted angrily.

"Then…my – our memories…are all…" Sora started to piece together what it means for them.

"They were never ours from the start," Luna figured it out quickly.

"Oh, you do get it! Lies, lies, all lies!" Larxene applauded mockingly. "Just Namine's illusions and Nero's trickery, nothing more. Binding you in the chains of your own memories was central to our trap. It makes me tingle to think how easily you were duped. Though, it's a little disappointing that the fragile child didn't completely bite her bait. So close to it – we were almost there." Her smile turned into a frown as her eyes moved to Namine and Nero. "This was our only chance to turn the Keybalde master into our puppet and break the Shadow Mage into a doll. That jerk, Axel – he used Namine to betray us and expose Nero as an imposter!"

Luna and Medea abruptly looked at each other when they heard that last bit. Is it correct that Namine's interference against her own machinations and Nero's impersonation were all orchestrated by Axel? No wonder Larxene felt really pissed off that things have gone horribly wrong for their posse. Perhaps the group isn't as inclined to teamwork as they thought they were; they've seen one case of backstabbing firsthand, after all. If they can get that annoying woman out the way, then they'd better consider finding Axel and grilling him for information at the earliest opportunity.

"So now, I'm left with no choice to eliminate both of you!" the blond growled as she formed her knives between her fingers.

"Come and try!" Luna dared her.

"You'll pay…" Sora groaned.

But then, Namine stepped in the way, holding her arms out. "Don't!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Huh? It's a little late for the witch to grow a conscience. Last time I checked – YOU'RE the one who fooled around their memories creating this mess."

"I know, but –"

"I should let you know that I'm in an EXTREMELY foul mood," Larxene growled, "Thanks to you, all our plans are ruined!"

She slapped Namine aside, sending the poor girl crashing to the floor next to the unmoving replica. But this served to spark Nero's anger at the woman's violence, and he proceeded to pounce on her; this made the both of them get in a brief struggle before Larxene mustered the strength to throw Nero to the side, where he slammed against the wall.

"Namine! Nero!" Sora and Luna both cried out in alarm.

The woman raised a brow at them. "What's this? Are you both upset? And you don't even actually know them!"

"Maybe not," Sora replied defiantly, "But still…I made…a promise. A promise I made to Namine to keep her safe. Maybe my memories are fake. But the promise is real to me. That's why – I'll keep it."

"Whether we know them or no, it's no excuse for you to be violent," Luna agreed. "You can't stop Sora from fighting against you, and you can't make me bend to you. I have my memories back, and you can't do anything to keep it away from me again."

"And you can bet your ass that I'm gonna help 'em take out the trash," Medea seconded.

It didn't sit well for Larxene as she let out an irritated 'hmph'. "You're such an idiot. There is no promise, there never was! You're just delusional." She then glared at the girls. "And you two – you just have to make things more difficult, do you? Must you three insist on playing the heroes? Whatever. If that's the way you want it…You're all going down alone!"

As she readied her knives and prepared to finish them off, a familiar little shield suddenly flew right towards her, forcing her to stop and step back before she got her face smashed in. Then, Sora and Luna found themselves all being healed of their injuries, Medea and Nero included. Imagine their joy when they saw who came back to help them when they needed it most: Donald and Goofy! Not only that, but Jiminy arrived right behind them. It seemed, to Luna's delight, that the cricket succeeded in delivering her message to them, and they did follow them as she instructed. And boy, did they pick a good time to be the cavalry!

"Not if we can stop you!" Donald swore.

Sora felt a lot happier to see their friends again. "Donald! Goofy! You came back for us!"

"Of course we did, Sora," Goofy answered jovially, "We were so worried about you guys!"

"We made a promise!" Donald added, "We promised that we protect you both!"

"You won't ever be alone. It's always been the five of us and we stick together…" the knight promised.

"And that's how it will stay!" the duck finished, glaring at their enemy.

Seeing that their allies have returned, and now everyone has their weapons primed and ready to beat her down, Larxene recognized that she's about to get into a fight with several fighters of different sorts. She gave her sadistic grin, like she always did; but this time, she makes it clear that she's not planning on showing any mercy to them whatsoever.

"Okay…have it your way," she said menacingly, "More pain for you means more fun for me!"

That's when Nero joined in with the band, broadsword on hand. "There will be pain, alright. But the pain will be coming from those who you used and abused!"

Just like the last time they fought her, Larxene's speed and her relentless array of knives and thunder spells kept the whole party on their toes at all times, mostly just to keep themselves alive long enough to wear her down. But she certainly didn't make it any easier for them, since she can teleport around just so she can attempt to strike at them from anywhere in the room; but given her character, it's safest to say that she's one of those people who isn't shy about taking pot shots at anyone just to be a bigger jerk than they already are.

As far as the teams are concerned, Sora, Goofy and Nero stood in as the more direct fighters as they fought to keep their quick-footed nemesis from darting away from them too much, lest they put the rest of their teammates at risk for a merciless beat-down. At the very least, Sora improved upon his agile footwork so that he can prevent Larxene from kicking him around too much, and he made sure to mix up his techniques with a few spells – particularly fire spells to keep her busy and the occasional ice spells to trap in one place long enough for someone else to seize the chance to knock her around a bit before she breaks loose. Nero, on the other hand, offered up no signs of hesitation as he made a relentless assault on the sadistic blond; after whatever hell he's been through, his battle positions made it clear that he's had enough of being played for a fool by this parasitic witch.

That didn't stop Larxene from trying to get under his skin, though. "You're such a troublesome thing, are you? We promised you a sister to play with, and this is how you thank us now! You turn against us just because your prey was too wary of you!"

"It's precisely because of my dishonesty I lost her trust," Nero rebuked, "I lied too much, and the lies I've been told to use were too weak to convince her to come along."

"So much for family reunion," the blond spat spitefully.

With the other team, Luna and Medea pressed their specializing offensive abilities to help give their comrades the edge they need while Donald provided the support from afar, bombarding the area with magic spells aplenty to trip up their adversary and throwing some healing should someone be off their game. Knives clashed with claws as Medea put the pressure on Larxene, flying all over the place just to whittle down the erratic movements of their elusive enemy; all the while, Luna gave chase with her Shadow Hands, sending them all around the place to catch their annoying bully.

Though, there did come a point where Larxene caught wind as to how they were trying to trap her so that they can pound on her all at once; acting posthaste so as to not get caught in a corner, she used her teleportation skills to make quick work of the primary offensive party. It didn't completely diminish them, but it allowed her to seize the chance to get after the girls for their trouble supporting them. Luna acted as fast as she could to block away Larxene from taking any chances to tear through her, but even she knew her Hands could only hold up for so long against a ruthless woman like her.

"To think everything would've gone smoother if you hadn't been asking too many questions to everyone," Larxene growled bitterly, "I don't see why Marluxia wants to break something the boss wants so bad."

The mention of someone being the leader reminded Luna of what she knew from Zexion; he had mentioned to her that his superior has been searching for her for nine years. But then what does Marluxia have to do with all this? Unless if what she's witnessed from first entering the castle, and what information Vexen spilled before his murder, there is something she almost missed the entire time…

"Are you saying it was Marluxia we met at the start?" Luna demanded for answers. "What does he want so bad that he toyed with Sora's heart and used Nero to lure me in as well?"

"Not telling! That's what you get for misbehaving," Larxene taunted, "and anyone who misbehaves gets punished for their trouble!"

By that point, Larxene became increasingly aggressive to the point where she managed to breach the Shadow Hands, allowing her to swipe at Luna before giving her a hard kick to the stomach, forcing her to collide with the wall. Medea, recognizing her master is in trouble, immediately turned back to protect her master from further harm – and just in the nick of time, too. For a moment, she found a chance to jump back into Luna's shadow and move in to knock back Larxene just enough to ensure no further harm came to her.

This only served to irritate this woman greatly. "Pesky little trickster!"

Just as Larxene prepared to make another charge at her targets, something strange happened that most of the other party didn't realize was going on. Despite knowing the enemy is coming close, Medea just calmly emerged from the shadow of her master, reforming her Black Claws onto her hands whilst reestablishing her footing on solid ground; her violet eyes stared hard and dangerously at the savage nymph, drilling into her being as though to give a warning to her imminent doom. Time seemed to slow down between the two of them as – for just a slight moment – Larxene could've sworn that she heard the faint sound of invisible chains snapping apart, even though there are no chains to be seen.

But then, Medea gave a predatory glare to her as she said menacingly, "My turn."

Without warning, the Guardian suddenly rushed through the air as she swiped her claws at the stunned enemy, sending her crashing down to the floor. Larxene, who had just witnessed firsthand just how badly the tides have turned against her, gave a frustrated growl as she reset her knives to prepare to get back in the game. But by the time she recovered herself, she was much too late; Medea already proceeded to cut loose and come after the enemy in full force. Knives feverishly clashed against claws as both full-frontal female fighters lashed against each other until the Guardian finally broke through the fragile defenses, allowing her to tear her down until she could barely keep herself from completely falling to the floor.

By the time the violence died down, Larxene felt like she was on her last legs; but she certainly refused to give in to her defeat.

"No…No! I refuse to lose to such a bunch of losers!" she gasped in fatigue. But then, she noticed herself starting to disappear from existence. "I think I'm…I'm fading?! No, this isn't…the way I… I won't…ALLOW…"

But it is too late for her, as she vanished into nothing, never to be seen. Though the ordeal here is finished, there are still other pressing matters that needed to be taken care of right away.

However, at the very least, it gave the party enough breathing room to rest and regroup, which Sora especially took advantage of to make sure Luna's okay. Forunately, she is, if only a little dizzy from having lost consciousness from being knocked back.

"Sora…is that horrible woman gone?" she asked.

He nodded in reassurance. "Yeah…she is. Though…we have a lot to talk to our friends about now that the dust has settled down…"