Chapter 26 – Lost Memory

Southern Island – hotel

Attis was sitting on the balcony of his hotel room, relaxing in his seat. One might ask why he was there in the first place. Well, Attis had been feeling tired and weak for the past week, and while he hid it very well, it caught up to him when he suddenly collapsed in the middle of one of his shifts.

Maki grew quite concerned and gave Attis a vacation pass to a hotel on one of Japan's southern islands. He tried to argue that he was alright, but he couldn't back it up as Attis nearly fell over during their argument due to weakness. That convinced Maki to give him a number of days off until he felt better.

Now Attis was on a southern island near the end of the summer season. He had arrived a few days ago and had spent the days trying to relax and meditate from time to time, as well as enjoy the sights. That did help him a bit, but for some reason Attis thought that being tired and stressed wasn't the reason Attis had these periods of weakness.

Feeling a bit jumpy, Attis got out of his seat and headed for the lobby. As he walked by the halls he heard that there was a national surfing competition taking place, which made him think, 'Hmm, I wonder if Kaito's going to be here?'

When he reached the lobby, Attis' first instinct was to find the restaurant area, and he walked by, not noticing those around him when a trio of voices said, "…Attis?"

Attis whipped around, only to find Lucia, Hanon, and Rina standing by the entrance, as well as Hippo. Surprised by their appearances, he walked over to them saying, "Wow, now this is a surprise. What are you four doing here?"

Lucia was the one to answer that as she replied, "We won tickets at a raffle and we came here to cheer Kaito on at the competition!"

"That's mostly just you Lucia." Hanon said. Attis noticed that Rina seemed peeved about something but didn't say anything about it as Hanon asked, "What about you Attis?"

Suddenly Attis felt a bit of weakness and winced a bit before replying, "Oh, Maki-san gave me this pass to this hotel, since he thinks that I've been stressed out lately. I'm just staying here to relax for a bit."

Rina looked at him and asked, "…Are you sure that you're alright Attis? I mean, you look a bit pale there."

"Don't worry about it. I've just not been feeling myself lately…" Attis replied, waving it off. Lucia and Hanon looked at each other, wondering if he really was alright as Attis said to them, "Well, I guess I'll see you all later then…"

As they watched Attis walk away, Lucia asked, "Is Attis really alright? He's acting differently than usual…"

"I'm not sure, but at least we know where Attis is now." Rina said, "It was a bit of a surprise when he just took off like that."

The three of them nodded as Hippo just stood there and thought, 'I really wonder if Attis-san is alright. It looks like his energy is being drained from him for some reason…'

When Attis reached the restaurant, he ordered a meal and started eating while thinking, 'Okay, Kaito's here, and the three Mermaid Princesses plus Hippo are here too. I know that Lucia would really want to be here to cheer on Kaito, but the way she, Hanon, and Rina got here makes me wonder if this really is a coincidence.'

Attis' mind was lost in thought as he ate his meal. After paying for it and leaving, Attis headed straight for his room, feeling a bit tired for some reason. He thought, 'Why on earth am I feeling this way…?'

When he was in his room, he laid down on the bed and thought, 'Might as well get some sleep in. Let's see how that does…'

Gaito's castle

Mayluna was walking towards the main throne room where Noel and Coco were being held when she heard voices and thought, 'Hmm, I wonder what those four are up to now…'

She got closer and then she heard Eriru say, "Why do we keep losing to those Mermaid Princesses?" Mayluna raised an eyebrow as both Izuru and Maria thought about it. That's when Eriru said, "It's because…their allies always arrive afterwards and save them from us, especially that Keyblade warrior!"

"…You're right about that…" Izuru pondered. Eriru explained, "There are three Mermaid Princesses, and four of us. If we just organize all our powers, the Mermaid Princesses won't even be a challenge for us!"

"You have a point there, but what about the Keyblade warrior. I know firsthand that he's a tough fighting opponent, and he has quite the fighting experience. Even if we manage to trap the Mermaid Princesses, he'll just come along and beat us when our backs are turned." Maria said.

"Hmm, how do we deal with him then?" Izuru asked. Eriru suggested, "Maybe we can gang up on him when he lowers his guard?"

"But we don't even know where he is." Maria said. That's when Mayluna said, "Maybe I can help you out there Dark Lovers…"

Izuru, Eriru, and Maria jumped at the sound of Mayluna's voice, while Yuri was still too preoccupied with thoughts of Hippo to notice. Mayluna walked up to them and said, "I can keep the Keyblade warrior preoccupied with Heartless while you three handle the Mermaid Princesses."

Izuru and Eriru seemed a bit distrustful of Mayluna, but Maria assured them, "Don't worry you two, if Mayluna helps us, it will make capturing the Mermaid Princesses much easier."

"…If you say so." Both Izuru and Eriru said. Mayluna nodded and she reached for her hood and took it off, revealing her face to them saying, "Don't worry, you girls can trust me on this one."

Mayluna gave them a smile and they seemed to ease up. Then Izuru shouted, "Hey Yuri, stop daydreaming and get over here! We need to start laying out our plan for the Mermaid Princesses!"

Yuri snapped out of her daydreams and put the handkerchief into one of her pockets as she said, "Sorry, I'm coming!"

As they talked about their plans, Mayluna thought to herself, 'It's too bad that these girls can't fully control the Heartless. I heard from Gaito that he's bringing in some more 'help', so I wonder if the newcomers will be able to…'

Southern Island – hotel

Later, around sunset, Attis had woken up feeling a bit better, so he headed down to the restaurant for a light dinner. He had a dreamless sleep so he thought, 'Ha…that sure made me feel better than I thought…though I still feel something's wrong.'

In the lobby he ran into Kaito so he said, "Hey Kaito, I see that you're here for the competition."

Kaito turned to him and said, "So this is where you ended up Attis. When Maki-san said you took a vacation, I didn't know this is where you would be."

"True, and I didn't hear about the National Surfing Competition until yesterday either." Attis nodded. Then Kaito took a look at Attis' face and asked, "Are you alright Attis? Your face looks a bit pale…"

"Ha ha, you sound just like Lucia and the others. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine." Attis assured him. Then he said, "I'll see you later Kaito, and hope that you'll blow away the competition tomorrow!"

"Thanks Attis." Kaito said with a smile. Attis returned it before he walked away, thought Kaito was still worried about him for a bit when he walked towards his destination.

A moment later, Attis bumped into someone sending him back a bit. He said, "Oh, I'm really sorry…Mitsuki-san?"

The person that Attis bumped into was none other than Taro in a tuxedo. He looked towards Attis and said, "Oh, Attis-san, this is a surprise, seeing you here. Though I did hear something about it a few days ago…"

"I guess I'm not the only one surprised here then." Attis smirked, "So, what brings you here Mitsuki-san?"

"I'm here to perform for a few days, since the school has given a small vacation." Taro replied. Attis nodded in understanding when Taro noticed Attis' pale face and asked, "Are you alright Attis-san? You look pale for some reason…"

"Hoh boy, I really must look bad if everyone keeps asking that. Anyway, don't worry about it; I'm just feeling slightly under the weather, that's all. It's nothing serious." Attis replied. Taro still seemed a bit concerned when he suggested, "Why don't you come with me. I'm about to do a performance and maybe some music might help you feel better."

Attis thought about it for a moment before he replied, "…Sure, why not. Maybe it will help me."

Taro nodded and Attis followed him out into the outside patio. Sitting in one of the chairs at the very front, he waited as the seats started to get filled and heard Hanon say, "Oh, look there's a few seats where Attis is!"

Looking around, he saw Hanon, Rina, and Hippo sit at the table he was at and said, "Why am I not surprised to see you here Hanon?"

"…And what is that supposed to mean Attis?" Hanon asked keenly. Attis replied, "Oh nothing, don't worry about it."

"It looks like you're looking better Attis." Rina commented.

Giving a nod, Attis said, "Yeah, though I still feel a bit off, but maybe Mitsuki-san's music might help me feel better."

"I know what you mean Attis, since Taro-chan's music is very relaxing." Hanon said, "Aah! I wonder how much longer until it starts! Taro-chan!"

Wincing at the last part, Attis turned to his left and to his surprise, saw Caren walk by. His head flashed in pain for a moment but he managed to hide it from the others, while Rina noticed Caren also and a number of thoughts flew through her mind. She got up making Hanon ask, "Rina, where are you going?"

Rina didn't reply as she walked off, making Attis think, 'That's weird…maybe it has something to do with Caren?'

That's when Taro walked onto the stage and Attis clapped with the rest of the audience, while Hanon was more than enthusiastic about it shouting Taro's name, making Hippo talking her down saying, "Hanon-san, this isn't an idol concert."

Hanon told Hippo to zip it while Taro started playing the piano. For some reason, Attis started to really relax at the sound of the piano playing, and his mind felt at peace too. He thought, 'Wow, I've never felt like this before… Is it really the music?'

After the concert, Attis went back to his room after a light dinner. Sitting on his bed, Attis' thoughts turned towards Caren and thought, 'I wonder why she's here… It doesn't make much sense, even if she is a mermaid, unless…she's actually a Mermaid Princes-!'

Suddenly, a splitting pain came across Attis' mind, and it took all of his willpower not to scream out like crazy. It lasted for a while until Attis fainted from all the pain and just collapsed there on the bed.

Dreamstate – Awakening

Aine was by herself, standing in the middle of the platform, wondering what was wrong with Attis. She had a faint connection to him, but she had felt the pain in his head and his internal scream. Aine panicked for a second before she calmed down and called out, "Aqua Regina-sama, what's wrong with Onii-chan?"

A faint outline of Aqua Regina appeared in front of Aine, and she replied, "Attis' lost memories are trying to reach him, but there's a powerful lock on them, causing him pain. Unless he can figure out how to properly unlock them, he will experience terrible pain every time he tries to reach out to them."

"Do those memories concern the current Blue and Purple Pearl Princesses?" Aine asked.

"Mostly yes, they do, and it saddens me that I cannot help him in any way in my current state. All we can hope for is that he is strong enough to break the look and regain his lost power." Aqua Regina replied.

"Solaris, Lunaria, and the Castle Key…" Aine muttered. Then she asked, "Then what about his periods of weakness? Is it related to this lock?"

"Probably, though it might have something to due with the Red Pearl I gave him. It's probably trying to adapt to him, making him its rightful owner, draining his energy in the process." Aqua Regina suggested.

Aine looked at Aqua Regina in confusion and said, "So, if Onii-chan comes through, then he'll be the proper owner of the Red Pearl, like the Mermaid Princesses?"

"Most likely, though what I just said is probably just a speculation." Aqua Regina said to Aine. All Aine could due is just sigh as Aqua Regina vanished before her and think, 'You better get out of this one alive Onii-chan…'

Southern Island – hotel

Attis woke up abruptly the next morning, after going through what was dreaming about the worst moments of his life all in one go. That disturbed him greatly as he got up, finding himself still in his day clothes. He thought to himself, 'What the heck happened last night?! All I can remember is something about Caren and this extreme pain…'

Shaking his head, Attis went to his room's bathroom and took a light shower before changing. After that he got out and started walking down the hallway, that's when he saw Lucia walking away from Kaito. Seeing the bandage around Kaito's ankle, he walked over saying, "What happened to you Kaito?"

"Hey Attis," Kaito said, looking at him, "I sprained my ankle yesterday, and I didn't notice until later today."

"But isn't the competition today?" Attis asked, "Don't tell me that you're still planning to enter?!"

"I have to, there's a very good reason that I have to enter." Kaito told him firmly.

Attis was in a bit of a dilemma until he thought of something and said, "…Why don't you come to my room for a bit? I have something that might help."

Kaito was confused by that but he followed Attis anyway, while Attis thought, 'I hope I'm doing the right thing here…'

When they reached Attis' room, he asked, "Kaito what I am to ask might surprise you but, do you believe in magic?"

"W-what?" Kaito replied, a bit confused. However Attis looked at him expecting a response and said, "Uh sure, if mermaids exist, then magic must also right?"

"Good answer." Attis replied, as Aqualis appeared in his hand. Aqualis' appearance surprised Kaito a bit and Attis explained, "This is a Keyblade, and it'll help you in just a bit."

"A…Keyblade…?" Kaito said confused, the term seemingly familiar to him, yet he had never heard of it before. That's when Attis pointed Aqualis to Kaito's ankle and said, "Cure!"

A small wave of healing energy surrounded Kaito's ankle and when it faded Attis asked, "How do you feel Kaito?"

Getting up, Kaito tested his ankle and found that it didn't hurt as badly anymore. He could stand on it but it still felt a bit sore. He replied, "It's much better, though it feels a bit sore though."

"Sorry about that," Attis apologized, "If I was feeling better then I would've been able to heal it completely, but that's all I can do for you."

Kaito put his hand on Attis' shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't worry about it. At least not I have a better chance of winning thanks to you." Attis nodded and said, "Go blow away the competition Kaito, I'll be watching from here. Oh, and please don't mention to anyone about the Keyblade and such."

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Kaito said with a grin as he left Attis' room. Going over to the balcony, Attis could see the competition quite easily from his position. Taking out a pair of binoculars, he looked around and thought, 'Hope the competition goes well…'

Watching from the balcony, he saw the various surfers go, with Kaito being the last one. After all of that, judging from the crowd applauding around him, Attis figured that Kaito won the competition and thought, 'Damn, that guy's good. Wish I could feel the same way though…'

All of a sudden, the Red Pearl started pulsing from its necklace and from what Attis could tell, he felt that it meant that at least one of the Mermaid Princesses were in danger. With that, Attis bolted out of the room, and ran all the way through the hotel until he got outside, forgetting about everything else.

When he reached an area with trees and bushes, Attis changed into his cloak and headed towards a secluded beach. He was about to dive into the water when Heartless showed up, consisting of Defenders, blocking his way. Turning around, he found Shadows, Soldiers, and a few Wizards blocking his escape. Large Bodies appeared from the sides and Attis found himself surrounded.

Summoning Aqualis to his side, he spat, "This is Mayluna's work, it's obvious that she's trying to stop me from reaching the Mermaid Princesses." Taking out the Red Pearl and fusing it to Aqualis, he shouted, "Out of the way!" and sliced through a Soldier that tried to jump him.

The Heartless were tough, and thanks to Attis' weakened state, were difficult to defeat, despite his determination. Eventually, Attis managed to defeat them, and it had left him injured and drained. Taking an Elixir out of his pocket and drinking it, Attis was about to head for the ocean when he heard a roar and said, "Oh no, that definitely didn't sound good."

Suddenly, a giant Heartless broke through the ocean surface and Attis got a really good look at it. The Heartless' eyes were the same as the others, a glowing yellow, yet the rest of it looked like a serpentine dragon, resembling the water dragons that Izuru summons, except it was black, purple and white in color. He could see the Heartless Emblem on part of it's underbelly and thought, 'God, this day just keeps getting worse!'

The Red Pearl in Aqualis started flashing again and Attis knew that the girls were still in a pinch, but he had to get through this dragon Heartless, which his Scan ability identified as Draconista. The Heartless made a dive at Attis, trying to devour him, but he got out of the way at the last second and tried striking it with Aqualis.

Soon, Attis had to use magic to strike at Draconista since its head was too far up for him to reach with his Keyblade. However, using a lot of magic drained Attis most of what energy he had and started to lose his focus. He shook it off as the Heartless went in for another charge, and it bashed Attis with the side of his head, sending him flying back.

Rolling on the ground, Attis got up painfully as he cast a Cura spell on himself thinking, 'Man, that Heartless is a monster, and being attacked in my current state isn't helping!'

Attis ran forward and attacked Draconista with Aqualis, and he managed to get up on top of it. He started striking it from there and the Heartless started screeching in pain. It swung its head around to try and get it off, and Attis had to slam Aqualis into Draconista, holding onto the Keyblade for dear life as the Heartless thrashed.

Aqualis came loose and Attis was thrown off, but luckily, he wasn't far from the ground, so all he got was a slight bruise on his side. Draconista wasn't very happy about the little rodeo performance, and it started blasting dark fireballs at him. Attis had to run around, dodging the fireballs in order to not get roasted, but he did get hit from some of the after explosions, causing a bad burn to his shoulder, going right through his cloak.

Despite the pain, Attis went on the offensive against Draconista, and soon, he managed to inflict quite the amount of damage to the Heartless. However, it still seemed like Draconista had a lot of fight left in it. The Heartless went in for another bite, and Attis dodged that one, but then it went for another one and Aqualis got caught in it's teeth.

It was only a second that Attis realized what had just happened and held on for dear life as Draconista started shaking it's head, making Attis feel sicker than usual. Suddenly, it turned towards the ocean and before Attis knew it, Draconista dove towards the ocean making him shout, "Oh shiiiiiiiii-!" before there was a huge splash and both he and the Heartless went under.

As the waves dissipated, a number of people started showing up, as others had run away claiming that they had seen a huge purple and black sea serpent rise up from the ocean. They saw someone trying to fight it, but thanks to Draconista's rampage, no one wanted to get near it.

Kaito was among the people who were looking at the area and thought, 'Why do I have this feeling that Attis was somehow involved?'

Meanwhile under the sea, Lucia, Hanon, and Rina had just been saved by Caren from the Dark Lovers, and the two sides were staring at each other. Suddenly, their pearls started flashing and Lucia asked, "What is this?"

"Wait a minute; doesn't Attis have the Red Pearl with him?" Hanon asked, "Then that means…!"

Suddenly they heard a deafening roar and the four Princesses turned to the source, only to see Draconista swimming quite fast towards them. The four Mermaid Princesses saw the Emblem on its belly and Lucia, Hanon, and Rina shouted, "Heartless?!"

"Heartless?!" Caren repeated, finding it hard to believe that it was actually a Heartless.

That's when Draconista jerked its head, and they saw something flying towards them. When it got closer the girls saw that it was actually Attis in a beaten-up state flying towards them. He was close to them when he stopped and spat, "Ugh, I think I'm starting to hate roller coasters…"

Attis looked down at the Red Pearl, and saw that it had stopped flashing. Then he turned around and saw the Mermaid Princesses staring at him with surprised looks on their faces as Draconista somehow turned itself into stone and was now resting on the sea floor. He said, "I see that everyone's alright?"