I knew full well what today's mission was. Not only had I seen it, but I'd made plans for it that had neatly needed no planning since Aqua and Stiltzkin had given me what I'd need to handle what I'd seen.

The Infernal Engine, I suspect sent to attack the Beast's Castle by Xaldin, was to be my target. I already knew I'd find it crossing the bridge to the front gates. In respect to the Beast's wishes though, I appeared just outside the front gates, on the bridge right in front of it.

"You again," Beast's familiar growl came from behind me.

"Leave this to me," I told him, not turning to face him. "You protect Belle – and the rose."

Beast did not reply, slamming the gates behind him. Somehow I don't think he appreciated my butting in so abruptly like that, but in my vision he hadn't been there, so I had pointed out he had reason not to be there.

The Infernal Engine rolled down the bridge toward me slowly, the three Heartless that appear on top not yet present. While I waited, I changed over to the Crabclaw Keyblade and hoped Aqua could make good on her promise to help even from her distant point.

As you probably know, Aqua's speciality is grounded mostly in her magic, unlike her friends who go in for swiftness or strength respectively. I may not have the same kind of devastating magic Liam was seen using toward the end of his own adventure, but with Aqua's magic behind me and the creative streak I'd already displayed in combination spells and more, I can hold my own.

The first order of business was to ensure I knew how to replicate the effect I'd seen. An upward swing of Crabclaw as if making an attack, and the water on one side of the bridge shot up in a vast wave, crashing down onto the Infernal Engine. A passive effect of having Aqua's assistance, perhaps.

Whether or not that harmed it, I can't say. It apparently didn't appreciate the impromptu shower though, as it not only called not three but six Heartless to stand on top of it and fire arrows at me, but also sent a barrage of explosive barrels rolling down the bridge at me.

Gravity, I heard Aqua's voice murmur very faintly. A suggestion, perhaps? But how would the Gravity spell help here?

In order to find out, I weaved through the barrels, stuck Crabclaw into the face of the Engine and hauled myself up just far enough to cast it on the archer Heartless. The arrows they fired as I did so went upwards as expected. Then Gravity caught, dragging the Heartless together and then the arrows from their target to create a rain of pain on each of them. Those that survived, I finished off with a short shower of Thunder.

The Engine meanwhile had stopped with the barrels and had instead opened the wide mouth to reveal what appeared to be a red rocket held on chains like a battering ram. In my distraction above, it had had plenty of time to charge up the ramming attack that comes next, which caught me full on as I dropped back down to the ground again, an attack followed up by a hammer smashing at the ground almost before I had time to avoid it.

With the archers out the way I could focus on the Engine itself, though I knew that if I was going to make full use of Aqua's assistance here magical attacks would be the best course of action. The problem then however was that the Engine had now come out with a cannon that tracked my movements. If I stood still long enough to try and cast any spell, it'd shoot me and interrupt that, wasting magic as well as my health.

With a sudden inspiration that I have my suspicions about the source of, I held still long enough to let it fire, got just clear of the attack and then cast Gravity again. This time it was aimed into the Keyblade just as Aero had been.

The affinity for the water around me worked exactly as I'd intended, drawing the water out from the moat around the castle and up around the Keyblade and me. Now within the sphere of water I was protected by, the shots of the Infernal Engine were useless. It spat out a collection of crates, which splintered to reveal Soldier Heartless, but they could only reach the bottom of the sphere and had no effect on it.

Swinging Crabclaw now sent bolts of water into the Infernal Engine, each one diminishing the size of the sphere slightly, but each one also pushing it back. Several Blizzard spells froze the bolts I sent out for further damage, then I added Thundara into the mix to create frozen bolts of ice that sparked with lightning for the most damage.

More archers appeared on top of the Engine, but these were swiftly dealt with by a quick barrage of ice, then the last of the sphere's water was used up attacking the Engine again when it presented the battering ram. It took massive damage, but still it stubbornly clung on, refusing to be beaten.

Now however I had to contend with the Soldiers that I'd previously ignored. They may not be strong, but when they gang up together they're worth taking care around. And the Engine had spat out a lot of them.

Another swing of Crabclaw used the last of the additional magic Aqua had sent me, along with most of my own, but also washed most of them off the bridge, or at least to one side. Thunder was sent through the ranks of the soaked Soldiers to finish them off, however my own inattentiveness cost me – the Thunder conducted through the remaining water on the bridge, even going far enough to catch me as well.

Ahead of me, I saw the Infernal Engine bring out the cannon again and take aim. With the effect of Thunder having shocked me literally, and occasional sparks still disrupting me, I was a sitting duck now.

Beast came to my rescue however, bursting through the front gates, bounding over the bridge and then crashing into the Infernal Engine with such force that it shattered, bits of it going flying everywhere, landing on the bridge, in the moat, and beyond the gates on the far side of the bridge.

"You should have let me help you in the first place," he told me reproachfully. "Sora taught me that. Believe in your friends, and they'll support you when you need them most."

"I guess I'm just used to working on my own," I replied. "Thanks for your help anyway."

Beast gave a grateful growl then stalked back through the gates.

"Your friend was here again yesterday," he threw back as he entered the courtyard. "The one who left you that necklace. He didn't come inside, but he did catch Belle while she was putting out feed for the birds."

"What did he do?"

"Nothing. Belle says he merely watched her. She told me she had the distinct impression he was looking for something."

"I wonder what," I murmured. "See you around, Beast. Thanks again."


Xaldin was waiting for me instead of Saïx when I returned to the Grey Area. The various decorations were still in place, even the tree, but Saïx had evidently had the snow swept up.

"Roxas," he said as I arrived. "You were not meant to befriend the Beast."

"What's it to you?" I replied. "I'll befriend whoever I want."

"The Beast possesses a heart, and thus cannot be trusted. Furthermore, I have been tasked with... certain activities regarding him. Your friendship could disrupt that."

"Let it," I shrugged. "See if I care."

"This uncooperative attitude will not-" he paused as I held up one hand. "What is it?"

"Vision," I answered shortly, feeling the familiar pressure. I had time enough to sit down before it hit me.

The first of these visions, small as always, showed a curious scene in Wonderland where Riku, Luxord and I were present. It appeared almost as if Luxord and I were attacking, or at least perusing him. Whatever was going on, it held the feeling of something that could not be changed. It'd happen no matter what I did.

The second was unusual for me, in that rather than being of the future, it had the clear feeling of something happening right now. Naminé and DiZ were in front of the pod containing Liam.

"You seem to be struggling," DiZ noted.

"Something is interfering," Naminé sighed.

"Interfering how?"

"Pieces keep disappearing," she explained. "Even parts I've set in place. I can't finish his memory without them."

"Oh, I think he can do without a memory or two."

"What if he needs those memories to wake up?" Naminé asked him. "What if they're the key?"

"Naminé... you know what you are... are you seeing something I cannot?"

"There's another one involved. If he can't keep his curiosity under control, if he keeps seeking more about Liam... then I fear for Roxas's safety. Every bit of Liam that goes to him, is one less bit that Roxas protects. He may become too much for Roxas to handle alone."

DiZ glanced down to Naminé, seeming almost surprised. "He?" he asked sternly. "He, who?"

I never heard the answer.

"Well?" Xaldin demanded, noticing me emerge from the unresponsive state I was always in during a vision.

"Tomorrow... on my mission, there'll be... someone there. I don't know who he is," I lied. "But he'll be wearing our coat. And... there are two other people I don't know who are trying to awaken Liam, but there was something about Xion too... I don't know what they were doing, or what the significance is." That was as much as I felt safe to share with them.

"There have been rumours of an imposter lately," Xaldin mused to himself. "Get some rest. It appears you will be dispatching him tomorrow."

Xion had been the cause of Riku taking on Ansem's form. If Sora's Nobody couldn't stand up to that, what chance did I have? But perhaps Riku would figure out what was going on and be able to come up with a convincing enough act. There was no way to get word to him soon enough. I hoped I wasn't actually going to have to do anything to him, or him to me.

And then there was Naminé's explanation to DiZ to worry about. The implications were clearer than I had made out. Xion was finding out everything he could about Liam because each fact, each memory made him that much more stronger than I was.

Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to turn down Riku's offer of help on the day.