Sora rushes straight out into the blindingly white Castle Oblivion hallway, hardly noticing the sudden glare. Instead, his eyes are fixated on Naminé, standing in front of him but facing away. The Keybearer stops in his tracks, awaiting the sudden rush of wonderful feelings that seeing her stirs in his heart.

But nothing comes. He even tries closing his eyes and opening them again, hoping there might be some delayed reaction. But nothing comes, at least nothing like he'd felt back in the Destiny Island's illusion. Whatever feelings he'd felt for her then, they just aren't in his heart now.

"It's not you, is it?" he says softly, maybe even too quiet for her to hear. But the girl's head lifts slightly at his words, so he continues. "The person most special to me… it's not you."

"No," Naminé replies, the single word filled with sadness and regret. "It isn't. It never was." She turns to face him, eyes shining with tears but still resolute. "The person you care about most, who's always with you, your light… It's not me. It's her."

The redheaded girl's face springs to Sora's mind again, bringing along with it the rush he'd waited for upon seeing Naminé. But that's all there is to it, just a semi-familiar face and some great feeling.

"But who is she?" Sora asks, folding his arms. Strange feelings aside, how could some girl possibly be as precious to him as Naminé? "If she's so special to me, why can't I think of her name? Shouldn't I be able to at least have that?"

Naminé winces. "Yes, Sora, you should. But you don't, not anymore." The blonde takes a deep breath. "I'm afraid that's my fault. You see, I went into your memories and…"

"Don't bother wasting your breath on this loser, Naminé."

Shocked and startled, Naminé and Sora look up to see Riku coming down the stairs from the next floor. He's looking straight at Sora, with a crooked grin on his face and a look in his eyes Sora's only seen once before. A look of absolute hatred and contempt. It, combined with the sword in his hands, sends a chill straight through Sora's entire body.

"Let me explain this," the silver-haired boy continues, striding forward with an arrogant strut. He doesn't stop until he reaches Naminé, stepping aside to position himself between her and Sora. "I'll give it to you plain and simple. Your memory is a trainwreck, Sora! You've twisted yourself all up in knots, trying to convince yourself that it's you who's meant to protect Naminé. But it's not, it's always been me!"

"Riku," Sora practically growls, his hand clenching into a fist of its own volition as anger builds in the Keybearer. "Look, this isn't the time for…"

"Don't try and change the subject!" Riku barks, raising his sword into battle position. "I won't let you and your messed up memories get in the way anymore, Sora! Nothing can come between me and Naminé!"

The silver-haired boy charges forward, dark energy gathering in the palm of his hand. The Keyblade springs into Sora's hand with a flash of white light, but as the boy raises his weapon to block, he desperately wishes there was another way to settle this. But there isn't, he realizes as the blades clash. Riku is too far gone to reason with. The only choice left is to knock some sense into him.

With the need for negotiation and some measure of gentility gone, Sora grits his teeth and vows to go all out. A simple turn of the Keyblade is enough to disengage Riku's sword, leaving a ripe opening. He swings into his former friend's torso, sending the enraged young man skittering back with a hiss of pain. Sora steps forward, readying his blade for a second strike, hopefully strong enough to finish this once and for all.

But with the silver haired boy's rage comes resolve, or perhaps he simply is too incensed to focus on pain. Sora hasn't taken two steps before Riku's recovered, eyes glittering with rage and a little madness as he leaps forward with his blade extended. He's too far away to hit Sora with the sword, but that isn't his intention at all. Instead he hits the floor, and two pulsing lines of violet energy head for the Keybearer.

Sora stops in his tracks, quickly calculating whether to block or dodge the energy. In the end he decides to not take chances, sidestepping frantically as the dark power races past him. He can feel the heat coming off it as it goes by, as well as a sort of greasy feeling he's always associated with pure, primal Darkness.

But he can't dwell on it, as another cry of rage from Riku draws the Keybearer's attention back to the fight. Once again he raises the Keyblade in a high block, but this blow has far more force behind it. The combatant's blades clash for a mere second before Sora feels himself being pushed back by attack. Far back, too. His feet skid along the floor, only gaining the traction necessary to stop once he's within just a few inches of the back wall. Whatever mad power has awakened within Riku, it is not something to be taken lightly.

So, Sora shifts his feet once again, readying his own charge. The only way to match power in this situation is with power itself, so that's what he intends to do. Gritting his teeth once again, the Keybearer rushes forward. He chops downward with a powerful swing, only for Riku to sidestep at the last second. Without stopping, Sora turns his body and converts the attack into a horizontal slash across Riku's chest. He feels the impact, Riku once again backing up.

This time, Sora doesn't hesitate before following. Pivoting quickly on his feet, the Keybearer steps forward again, swinging hard. Riku deflects the blow, barely, and keeps moving backwards. But if the silver haired boy thinks there's respite to be found, then he's sadly mistaken. Sora just keeps on coming, swinging hard with every step.

Deflecting the third blow, Riku grunts in pain. The dark energy swirling in his left hand dissipates, and he instead brings it up to secure his grip on the Soul Eater's hilt. It gives him enough strength to block Sora's next determined swing, turning the Keyblade aside just enough to slip out of range. With Sora off balance, even in such a minor manner, Riku dives in for his own attack.

But the Keybearer's stumble is nothing but a feint, luring his opponent in for a strike. A quick circular sweep of the Keyblade knocks Soul Eater aside, then slashes up to send Riku up and back, flying several feet through the air before landing hard on the unforgiving white marble floor. Naminé flinches at the rough landing, backing away from the fallen boy.

Sora steps forward, Keyblade held at the ready. How dare Riku, he begins to think as he's striding across the hall. All Sora had wanted to do was talk, sort out what's real and fake between he and his oldest friend. But the silver haired boy would have none of it, choosing to attack instead. Well, if that's the way he thinks, then perhaps it's only right for Sora to give him a taste of his own…

And then the Keybearer is standing over his friend, looking down on him. Suddenly, all the anger and hate that had been building up evaporates away. No longer is Riku some mad dog to be put down, but rather a very confused old friend.

"Riku…" Sora breathes, almost unable to even look at him. "Look, we don't have to fight anymore. Let's just take a minute and…"

He never gets to finish his request, not before Riku suddenly springs up, madness gleaming in his eyes. Raising one hand, the silver haired boy unleashes a blast of dark purple fire. It explodes almost right in Sora's face, sending him staggering backwards. He trips, falling down hard on his butt. Looking up, the Keybearer notes with building dread that their situations are now reversed. And judging from the way Riku had looked at him, there will be no offer of mercy in this reversal.

"Looks like I win," Riku declares haughtily, stopping in front of his old friend. His eyes still gleam with something far beyond anger, hatred practically burning in his retinas. "Y'see Sora, that's why I make the better protector. Because I'm not afraid to do anything that's necessary to keep Naminé safe."

"Riku…" The girl in question steps forward, biting her lip. She looks from Riku to Sora, her body beginning to shake fearfully. "Riku, please!"

"Just a minute, Naminé," the silver haired boy replies, holding up his free hand. "We'll be together soon, with no more distractions!" He raises his other arm now, Soul Eater poised to strike. "Just as soon as Sora is finished!"

Sora is already preparing to counter, calling out to the Keyblade with his heart, just as he's done thousands of times. All it'll take is a little timing, and then….

He doesn't get the chance. Before so much as a speck of light can gather in the Keybearer's hand, Naminé cries out in anguish. "Riku, I said stop!"

And he does. Immediately, all the rage hate in Riku's eyes dies away. In fact, all traces of any emotion, or any consciousness even, are gone in a split second. Soul Eater clatters to the white floor, and Riku's body isn't far behind. All his muscles suddenly go limp, and he drops like a puppet cut off from its strings.

For a long moment, Sora can't even form words. A few tortured sounds manage to strange their way out of his throat, but actual coherence is completely lost to him. After a minute, he starts crawling close to his fallen friend, examining him from every angle. The silver haired young man appears to be breathing, but only shallowly. Other than that and the occasional twitch of his fingers, Riku is completely catatonic.

"What did you do to him?" Sora demands of Naminé, once he's finally able to tear his gaze off the fallen boy. The blonde girl flinches, taking a step back and holding her hands up defensively.

"I had to…" she whispers, almost too quietly for Sora's ears to pick up.

"Had to what?" Sora stands up, looking at Naminé in a way that he never could have imagined even just a few minutes ago. Anger, undoubtedly tinged with disgust. "What did you do to Riku?"

"Broke his heart," a cruel female voice chimes in from the stairs. Looking up, Sora sees Larxene, striding down the staircase with a pronounced grimace instead of her previous smug grin. She stops at Naminé's side, and the young girl backs away from her. "More like smashed it, really."

The Keybearer's mouth gapes open as a horrible realization hits him. "S-smashed?" he repeats in a shaky voice. "But, but that would mean that it… That he…"

Larxene rolls her eyes, chuckling. "Man, you sure are a fun guy to watch." She strides forward a few more steps, going out of her way to make it necessary to push Naminé out of the way. She stops behind Sora's fallen friend, prodding his leg with her boot. "If it's Riku you're worried about, then worry no longer, kid. No Riku here, not really. There never was."

"What are you talking about?" Sora demands, gesturing down at his unconscious friend. "He's right there, how can you say that?"

One of the blonde's eyebrows rises just slightly. "You really want me to just stand here and explain everything to you?" She scoffs, rolling her eyes like this whole scene is just one big inconvenience. "I don't know. I mean, I do so hate spoilers."

"Quit screwing around!" Sora steps forward and swings his Keyblade through the air like he means business. Of course, he doesn't dare make any more sudden movements, considering how close the sadistic blonde is standing to Naminé and Riku.

"Well, it seems someone's been properly riled up." Sneering again, she crouches down beside Riku. "Hearing this will probably just kill you, but y'know, I think I can live with that."

Reaching down, Larxene grabs Riku by the hair and forcefully yanks him off the ground. His dead eyes have rolled upward, focusing on nothing and giving Sora and absolutely sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Restrained rage mixes with vile disgust, a truly revolting combination.

"This Riku is just a puppet, made by Vexen," Larxene explains, as casually as if she's discussing a bird she's cooking for dinner. "A stupid little toy, fake in absolutely every way. Which is funny when you think about it, considering how convinced it was that your memories were all fabricated."

Sora's mouth opens and shuts in nonsense patterns, simply passing time while his brain thinks of something to say. But what possible response exists to a revelation (or very sincerely told lie) as massive as this one.

"Fake… Riku?" the Keybearer finally manages to blurt, barely hearing the words himself. "But, but…"

"Just a puppet, only finished recently in fact," Larxene continues, her eyes gleaming almost lustfully as she stares Sora down. "All the memories it had were specially created to make it want to fight you. And, in the process, you grew stronger again. That was its purpose, and now it's all over. Which means…"

She tosses the replica aside, as callously as if it were a balled up piece of trash paper. The false Riku lands with a loud thump of impact against the far wall, bouncing off to fall back into a heap on the floor.

Even with the truth revealed, seeing Riku thrown away like that sends a spike of pain stabbing into Sora's heart. Naminé whimpers at the sight as well, backing away from Larxene.

"And just where do you think you're going?" The sadistic blonde is on the young girl quick as wink, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her close. "After all, we have you to thank for all this."

"Leave her alone!"

The Keybearer charges forward like a runaway train, his blade pulled back and ready to do some damage. Larxene watches him a moment, heaves a sigh, and thrusts one hand outward. Sora pauses, ready for danger. Sparks of lightning leap from her fingertips towards him. He barely manages to stop and throw up the Keyblade in a desperate block. The blade catches most of the electricity, but its wielder is thrown back once again.

"Ooh, he really does have it bad for you, huh?" Larxene gloats, shaking her captive playfully. Naminé's eyes are closed now, desperately trying to block out what she knows is about to happen. "Too bad he doesn't know the truth, huh? You may look like a pretty little angel, sure. But underneath that cute face, you do the most awful things."

"What, are you talking about?" Sora sits up, still feeling drained from the Savage Nymph's attack. "How could Naminé…?"

"Our little girl's no ordinary kid, I should tell you."

"Sora, I…!" Naminé finally finds her voice, only to have Larxene's gloved hand force her to remain silent. Unable to offer explanation.

So, the older woman does it for her. "Y'see, Sora, this castle doesn't actually have the power to do jack shit to memories," she explains, reveling in every word. "Nope, all that messing around that went down in your mind was because of little ol' Naminé here."

Once again, Sora is dumbstruck. All he can do is repeat the name. "Naminé? Not… Naminé!"

"Don't be so stupid, Sora," Larxene snaps, once again shaking her hostage. The girl in white makes no attempt to fight back, only keeps her eyes closed to block out the scene. "All this little witch is good for is stepping into people's hearts and changing their memories. She can rearrange, delete, and even draw up entirely new memories. Give that one a second's thought."

It doesn't even take the Keybearer that long. His entire journey through this castle has been motivated by nothing but fake memories of a friendship that's never been. A relationship for which he'd sacrificed the only bonds he could be absolutely certain of. All just a manipulation, carefully played out from the beginning. Orchestrated by the girl he'd thought he loved.

Larxene still isn't done, pushing Naminé aside and striding forward with her cruel smirk still firmly in place. "Lies, lies, all lies! Everything you experienced, all the memories that 'returned' to you, were only illusions that Naminé made to shackle your heart. Everything so carefully orchestrated to make you, the Keyblade master, her puppet."

Sora looks at Naminé. The petite blonde's bright blue eyes are tearing up, a few drops of moisture beginning a journey down her cheeks. Maybe it's the false memories talking, or perhaps his inner hero just cannot be denied, but to Sora, it hardly seems that this girl would have planned something like this herself. After all, he's seen firsthand how easy it was for Larxene to bully her around. Whatever's happening, Naminé seems to be just as much of a victim of the circumstances as he is.

"Then, of course, that stupid asshole prick Axel had to just go and ruin everything!" Larxene summons her small knives, slashing them through the air frustratedly. "I suppose it's sort of ironic, how he used Naminé to betray us. Unfortunately, I really don't find that kind of thing very funny." She begins stalking forward, electricity crackling around her. "It's a shame to let all this planning go to waste, but at least I'll have the satisfaction of killing you."

"No!" Sora yells, rising to his feet despite the weakness he feels, most of his body still numb from the electricity. "After what you did… You'll pay!"

Larxene stops for a moment, eyes going a little wider. "Well, well. I see the little witch's work on you sent some of that repressed aggression of yours to the surface. I'd be impressed, were I not in such an extremely foul mood!" Scowling even deeper, she resumes her walk to Sora.

Only to stop short once again, when Naminé runs out in front of her, arms flung wide. Looking down, Larxene sees something in the witch's eyes that she never would have guessed even existed: defiance.

"I won't let you hurt him!" Naminé declares, real gumption overriding the usual terror in her voice. "Not anymore!"

"Excuse me?" Larxene blurts, not quite sure whether this whole scene is hilarious or infuriating. "While I find your finally growing a pair just the tiniest bit impressive, it's a little late for the witch to grow herself a conscience. Especially considering it's you who put him in this mess in the first place."

Naminé falters a little bit, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "I, I know, but…"

"Whatever." The sadistic blonde callously bats the younger girl aside, sending her sprawling next to the discarded Riku replica. She regards her with a haughty glance. "Seriously, what did you think that was gonna do?"

If nothing else, it's provoked quite a reaction in a certain Keybearer. "I won't let you hurt her!" Despite his weakness, Sora charges forward. Well, to him it seems that he's charging. In actuality, he only just manages to lurch forward a few steps.

Larxene regards him curiously, lips pursed. "Oh, don't tell me… How in the hell can you still insist on playing the hero? Didn't you get the memo, shit-for-brains? Your damsel in distress was the villain the whole freaking time! You don't even know her!"

"M-maybe," Sora replies, his voice resolved but certainly wavering. He rises to his full height again, Keyblade gripped in two hands. "But, fake or not, the promise I made to her still seems real to me. I have to…"

"How are you this delusional?" Larxene barks, a thousand watts crackling around her body. "I just told you, there is no reason for you to want to protect this witch. It's all made up!"

The Keybearer shakes his head, weakly raising his blade parallel to the white floor. "There is a reason. This is my reason. The Keyblade chose me because people needed protection. As long as I'm wielding it, it's my job to protect people who can't help themselves. I've seen the way you treat her, I know that she wouldn't have messed around with me if you hadn't been threatening her. So, whether the promise I made to Naminé is real or not, I know there's a promise I've made that is. A promise that I'll always keep!"

"So, that's how it is, huh? Another hero with a big speech, dedicated in his duty to save all the pathetic little damsels." Larxene begins stalking forward again, but slowly so she'll have time enough to say what she wants to. "I've known plenty of heroes like you, with their pretty words and promises of protection. 'Come with me,' they all say, 'let me take you away from this life'. But they never do. Heroes are nothing more than a pathetic fairy tale invented by desperate losers who can't help themselves. And anyone who thinks they want to be a hero is even worse." She stops, crossing her arms in an X-shape and adjusting her stance for battle. "But if that's the way you wanna be, then fine. It doesn't do anything to change the fact that you're going down alone!"

Before the black-cloaked sadist can make another move, something goes spinning past Sora's shoulder. The unidentified flying object makes a sharp upward curve, forcing Larxene to take a step back to avoid being hit. It curves around, heading back behind the slouching Keybearer. Not a moment later, a green glow surrounds him. Within a few seconds, the light has faded and he feels restored. The Keybearer stands, his heart soaring. There can only be one explanation for these events.

"He ain't alone, bitch!" Azlyn's familiar voice declares, the knight rushing past Sora and settling into a combat-ready position.

Telary joins her a second later, staff in hand. "And if you want to get to him, then you're gonna have to go through us!"

"Azlyn, Telary!" Sora exclaims, a wide smile spreading across his face. "You guys, you… You came back for me!"

"Well, duh," Azlyn replies with an exaggerated eye roll.

"What Azlyn means by that," Telary says, briefly looking at his counterpart fondly before turning his attention to the Keybearer, "is that we would never abandon you, Sora. Even when you're being a jerk, you're still our friend. It's always been the three of us, and it's always going to be."

Larxene snaps. "Oh, I could just puke watching this nonsense! You want it to be the three of you? Fine then, I'll just have to dish out three times the pain!"

The sadistic blonde charges forward so fast she leaves a trail of etheric afterimages, lightning crackling in her wake. But even at that speed she isn't faster than thought, so Telary's Reflect spell is up and ready by the time she rams into it.

As the reflected force propels the Organization member back, Azlyn leaps forward. The knight gets in a good punch to the jaw, but by the time she's got her shield swinging for a low blow, her opponent has danced away. Larxene flicks a trio of knives, but Azlyn's shield is ready to intercept them.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Azlyn jumps to the side to give Sora room to maneuver. He swings the Keyblade down across Larxene's middle, a move she dodges. At the bottom of his swing, its a simple matter to turn the blade immediately into his next move, an upward diagonal slash. It hits the blonde in her shoulder. Not a crippling blow, but a serviceable reminder of who she's dealing with here.

Which just spurs her on to remind her opponents the same thing. Even as she moves back, Larxene snaps up a kick that hits Sora just above the knee. The meat of his thigh serves as somewhat of a cushion from the blow, but it still robs him of all feeling in the area for almost a full two seconds. In the heat of battle, that might as well be an hour. By the time he's feeling the pain inflicted on his leg, three knives are coming straight for his face.

The Keybearer feels something skim the top of his hair, and the with a loud clang Azlyn's shield scores a direct hit on Larxene's hand. Just as the black-cloaked woman is pulling back with a hiss of pain, a fist-sized fireball slams into her chest.

The black coats of Castle Oblivion's custodians are magically protected, saving Larxene from the embarrassment of being caught on fire. Instead, it just feels like she's been punched hard in the chest. She stumbles back, electricity already gathering around the knives she hold between her fingers. With a delighted giggle, she sends lightning shooting back at the enemy spellcaster.

Telary, a bit weary from casting a Curaga, Reflect, and Fire spell so close together, has almost no chance of lessening to coming blow. He just barely manages to position his staff across his chest, the magical wood absorbing perhaps half of the energy. It saves him from keeling over, but the pain all over his body is absolutely outstanding.

Equally outstanding is the rage that the sight of her counterpart in distress releases inside Azlyn. Reaching up to grab her returning shield out of the air, she makes her way toward Larxene with determined strides.

Larxene dodges a vertical swing from Sora, driving her knives at the boy's briefly exposed neck. He manages to step forward and dodge, turning around with a momentous wide swing. The Keyblade collides with Larxene's back, sending her stumbling to the side. As she moves, the sadistic blonde makes sure to lash out with a kick that hits the Keybearer in his stomach. Then her elbow comes down for a blow to the spine that sends him down to the floor.

She doesn't get to enjoy the sight of the boy sprawled in pain for long, as she feels Azlyn tackle her from behind. The two women hit the floor hard, Larxene barely managing to turn enough so that Azlyn makes contact as well. They quickly roll off each other, then drive punches at each other's faces. With their free hands, both combatants block the blow. Still struggling against each other, they manage to get to their feet.

Then electricity surges in Larxene's hand, burning the exposed skin of Azlyn's fingers. The knight thrusts a knee into her opponent's stomach, then uses the brief reprieve to backpedal, wincing at the pain in her hand. She barely has time to do more than shake it a bit, letting the airflow cool her burn. Telary will be able to heal it up properly later, but for now she just has to deal.

Larxene rushes forward, though Azlyn notes she's only going about half the speed she was at the fight's beginning. She's slow enough that the knight has enough time to transfer her shield into her non-injured hand, deflecting a quick flurry of knife attacks.

At the millisecond between slashes, she pushes her shield just slightly forward. The metal disc slams into Larxene's fingers, momentarily numbing the digits and sending three knives to the floor. Then Azlyn steps forward, using the elbow of her unarmed hand to knock the other set from her opponent's hand.

Larxene snarls, reaching out to snatch the edge of Azlyn's shield. She gives the disc a firm tug, and since it's in the knight's off-hand, manages to snatch it away. Hurling it away, the Organization member thrusts a fist into Azlyn's face.

The younger blonde stumbles back, head momentarily scrambled from the blow. She manages to reorient herself in time to dodge another punch, retaliating without thinking. She feels a spark of pain in her right hand as it balls into a fist, but by the time she's really registering it, Larxene has already taken the blow. Right to the face. Eye-for-an-eye.

Gloved hands thrust out and wrap themselves around Azlyn's throat, squeezing it hard. The knight only lets herself choke for a moment, before smacking the open palms of her hands into either side of Larxene's head. The older woman growls and relents a bit in her pressure, giving Azlyn a chance to catch a breath. Using the respiration's energy, the knight stomps down on her opponent's foot.

That gets Larxene to release her prey entirely. Azlyn steps back, then thrusts forward with her left fist. Larxene catches that attack, then the one that follows from the right hand as well. The two women lean against each other, locked in a struggle of pure strength.

A cruel idea sparks in the Savage Nymph's mind. Suddenly electricity is sparking from her fingertips, heading straight into Azlyn's palms. The pain is incredible, and for a moment the knight can't even think. Then, somehow through the haze of pain, she manages to form an idea of her own.

With a loud grunt that threatens to heighten into a scream at any second, Azlyn slams her forehead directly into Larxene's nose.

The blonde sadist yelps, releasing Azlyn's hands and stepping back. Her nose is bleeding, blood a few shades paler than is normal leaking in a straight line down her chin. Her one consolation is the fact that Azlyn is absolutely spent, laying on the ground moaning. Glancing to the side, she sees that the wizard is looking rather woozy as well. That just leaves one more opponent.

Unfortunately for her, that opponent is the Keyblade master. She hears him approaching, just barely leaping away from his wide slash. In a spark of lightning, she summons her knives back to her hands.

"Just you and me, Hero," she taunts, shifting from foot to foot to keep his eyes moving and unsure of where to focus. "Let's see where your big talk gets ya now, huh?"

Larxene leaps forward, knives thrusting out at the boy's face. He sidesteps, almost lazily, and brings the Keyblade around to smack into her stomach. With her keeled over from the blow, it's easy to shift his feet and plant the next blow in her spine. A little payback.

Somehow, the black-coated woman manages to turn her dive into a somersault, quickly coming up, pivoting, and tossing all six knives at Sora. He quickly swirls the Keyblade in a fan-like motion, knocking away four knives. Two slip past the defense, one slashing a cut through his arm, the other embedding itself in his stomach. Not very far, but it still hurts.

Pain or no, though, the battle isn't over. Sora closes his eyes for just a brief moment, remembering the look of fear on Naminé's face while Larxene had her in her clutches. That thought alone gives him enough resolve to press on.

He swings at Larxene with all he's got, the woman barely managing to step away from the blow. Once again, he gets her on the upswing. It's enough to unbalance her, make the next hit guaranteed. That leads into the next one, and the next. With every impact, Naminé's fear comes to mind, driving the force of the next blow.

Larxene manages to return the favor, her hand chopping right into Sora's next. He barely registers, too focused on making her pay for what she's done. The next swing of the Keyblade goes in low, knocking the sadistic blonde's feet out from under her. His knee comes up, another blow to her already bruised face.

The Organization rests on her knees before him, looking up at Sora with pure hatred and contempt, practically crackling like the actual lightning she controls. Even with all that rage, he can tell she's spent.

"Well, I guess you are the big hero after all," she practically spits, weary but still defiant. She looks briefly over at Naminé, who's watched the entire fight with interest. "Got the bad guy sittin' right here at your feet. So go ahead, Hero. Finish me off."

And he should. After all she's put him through, everything she put Naminé through, she definitely deserves to taste his blade, one more time. One swing is all it'll take.

"Sora." Naminé's voice immediately cuts through the Keybearer's thoughts. He turns to look at her, sees the expression on her face. "Sora, don't listen to her. I know it seems tempting, but it's not you talking. It's… Me."

"What are you talking about?" Azlyn asks, sitting up with a pained expression. Telary had used the last of his magic to cast Cure on her, but the spell hadn't been half as potent as she needed it to be.

"I manipulated your memories, just like Larxene said," the small blonde explains. This time, though, she doesn't look away. She faces those she's hurt head-on. "But doing that, it messed you up a little. The dissonance between what was real and fake. It's probably why you had that fight with your friends. But don't let it do this, okay? Don't become something you're not."

Sora looks down at Larxene once again. The woman has one eyebrow raised, like a challenge to cut her down. But he can't. Not like this.

"You're right, Naminé," he says, lowering his blade. He turns to his false-love. "I can't just…"

"Oh, you stupid little bitch!"

With a loud yelp of rage, Larxene leaps forward, knives between the fingers of her right hand once more. She dives straight for Sora's back, aiming for his heart. The Keybearer simply reacts, swinging the Keyblade. It hits the sadistic blonde square in the neck, sending her flying back. A loud crack echoes through the hall.

"N-no!" Larxene gasps, trying desperately to get air into her lungs. She can't, not enough, it's not enough. She coughs, choking on what little oxygen she can get. The air around her becomes hazy, a dark mist encompassing her form as black particles drift off her body and into the air. "No, it can't end this way! This isn't how I… I, I won't allow…!"

Finally, she can say no more. Within moments, even the black smoke that was once her body is gone. Sora, Azlyn, and Telary can only stare at the spot where she once was, dumbstruck.

"What happened to her?" Azlyn asks, letting Telary lean against her. The wizard is terribly shaky. "I mean, she wasn't human, right?"

"No, she wasn't," Naminé says, a surprising lack of compassion in her usually gentle voice. "She was a monster, hurting people to feel whatever pleasure she could." The sudden venom in the small girl's voice is rather off-putting. Azlyn and Telary exchange wide-eyed glances.

"I gave her a chance to surrender, and she attacked me," Sora says, apparently not noticing Naminé's abrupt tone switch. "I didn't want to, but…" He shakes his head. What's done is done best not dwell on it. Especially the small part of him that's glad the sadist got what she deserved.

Jiminy Cricket suddenly pops out of Telary's pocket, surprising pretty much everyone. Without even a glance at his companions, the small conscience walks up to Naminé, smiling widely. "Hello," he says, cheerful as ever. "You must be Naminé. So nice to meet ya!"

"Uh, yeah," Azlyn says, making sure Telary can stand on his own before walking forward. "Wanna tell us what all is going on here? Why'd you make that weird memory replay of Disney Castle? Who was the red-haired girl?"

"You saw her too?" Sora asks. "Do you two know her name, because I just can't remember it."

Jiminy sees the look on Naminé's face, sad and regretful. "Sorry miss, we didn't mean to upset ya."

"Oh no," the small blonde girl says, shrugging weakly. "You all deserve an explanation. After all, it was me who took the memories in your hearts and messed them all up. Little by little, I replaced them with completely false memories. Ones that I made up."

"I guess you were right then, Tel," Sora says, giving the older man a sad smile. "Something was up. That promise I made to Naminé was…"

"Fake." The girl in question shakes her head. "I didn't know you back on Destiny Islands either, Sora. It was someone else, someone I replaced. I was never your friend."

For the Keybearer, it feels like all of his hopes and fantasies have just died a sudden death. "I guess, that means you were never anything more than that either, huh?"

Naminé shakes her head once, biting her lip. "What I did to Azlyn and Telary might have been worse, though. I made you two forget someone completely, without even putting in anything to replace them. It was easier, since there was already an existing spell in place. I, I'm afraid it may have caused you some discomfort."

"Oh," Telary says, thinking back on all his headaches throughout the castle. They had been uncomfortable. "Well, I suppose I can forgive you. I mean, it seems that you were under considerable, y'know, duress."

"I'm really not happy about it," Azlyn admits, glaring at the smaller girl. But then she sees her flinch, and the knight's expression softens. "But, hey, I guess I can find a way to forgive. If you can put everything back the way it was, that is."

"I can," Naminé replies, smiling just a bit at the trio and Jiminy's quite visible relief. "Unfortunately, it isn't a very fast process, and I don't can't do it right here. We'd have to go to the thirteenth floor where…" She shudders. "Where Marluxia is."

"He's the head honcho around here, I take it?" Jiminy says, looking thoughtful. "The one who made you do those things to our memories."

Once again, Naminé is obviously miserable. The sight of it is like a clamp on Sora's heart. False memories or not, the feelings he has for her certainly feel real enough.

"He said he would keep me here, locked away in this castle forever," she explains, voice shaking hard enough to make even Azlyn a little concerned. "I was scared, and so lonely…" The small blonde's voice finally gives out, leaving her just barely able to stutter out, "I'm so sorry…"

Sora steps forward, taking her hand in his. She looks at their point of contact for a lingering moment, then up into the Keybearer's face. There she sees something she never would have expected: compassion.

"Please don't cry," he says, practically pleading. "Look, I'm pretty unhappy about you messing with my mind and stuff, but… But, I really can't get mad at you about it either. After all, even if these memories I have of you are fake, they still feel very real. Especially that promise, to protect you. Now, what kind of protector would I be if I made you cry, right?" With an almost involuntary tug of his arm, he pulls her closer. "So please, until my memories are back to normal, try to smile? It would certainly make me feel a lot better!"

For a long moment Naminé just stares into his eyes, wishing that the way he felt about her was in any way real. It must be nice, she thinks, being Kairi. Finally, she allows a small smile on her face. Sora responds with a wide grin of his own.

"Ugh, gag me!" Azlyn declares, very loudly. "You sure love to just lay it on thick, don't you? If I remember anything, it's that."

"Look," Sora turns to the knight, giving her his best glare, "could you maybe just leave me alone for once? It's not like I point out every time you're making lovey eyes at Telary!"

Both of the Disney Castle residents blush, resolutely not looking at each other, lovey or otherwise. Naminé giggles at the display, demurely hiding her mouth behind a hand. Sora turns back to her, eyes lighting up at hearing the sound.

"Now that is more like it!" the Keybearer declares. "That's the Naminé I remember. Er, well, or the one I don't remember, I guess. But it feels like I do, which makes me happy. Unless I think about it too much, because then…"

Telary puts a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "Let's not overdo yourself there, huh Sora?"

He nods. "Good thinking, Tel. Anyway, what I'm feeling right now definitely isn't fake. Nope, real as can be!"

"That's a very sweet thing to say, Sora," Naminé replies. If only things like that could last forever…

"Aaaaand, we're back to the mushy stuff," Azlyn interjects, rolling her eyes. "Look, we've got memories to go and get back, so let's move on to this thirteenth floor, huh?"

"Maybe it would be better if you stay here, Naminé," Telary suggests, nervously patting the girl's shoulder. "I mean, it'll probably dangerous up there, with that Marluxia guy and everything."

"Keep an eye on Riku, huh?" Sora asks, briefly glancing down at the hollow-eyed replica. Only for a moment though, any more than that and… Well, it wouldn't be pleasant. "We'll come and get you when everything's over."

"Okay," the small blonde replies with a resolute nod. For a brief moment, Sora swears it reminds him of someone else. "Be careful, Sora?"

"Don't worry," he says, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze. "I'll come back to you, I promise."

She touches his hand, smiling softly. "I know you will."

Really loved writing that Larxene fight. It went through a few stages, until I settled on what I wanted. Plus the after-fight explanation time was a bit harder to get right, which is why this took a day or two longer than I expected. Still, the end is drawing ever closer. The next chapter should be very short, so hopefully it will come out soon.

Another (probably annoying at this point) reminder that the KttK III poll is still open, and will be until I finish this story.

Shoutout to Spiderfan626 for you review of the last chapter. Until next time, guys!