Sora and his companions sprint back inside the safety of Castle Oblivion, the void's darkness seeming to nip at their heels. The room shakes, most likely an echo of another cry from the void.
"Close the door, close the door!" Azlyn yells, immediately running to slam one of the double doors shut. Telary, though still quivering a bit at the frightful sound, quickly does the same with the other. Sora turns back to the door, Keyblade held out. A silver beam flies from its tip, hitting the door and sealing it in a burst of white magic.
"Everybody okay?" Sora asks, turning to Naminé and the replica. They both look a little freaked out from all the tremors, but regain their composure quickly. "Naminé? Riku?"
Naminé nods, but the replica just frowns at him. "I'm not Riku, never was. I'm just some imitation. A fake. I don't remember where I was created, or why, or…" He sighs, shaking his head sadly. "All I know is the time I have with you and Naminé, and most of that isn't real. What else there is, the things I actually experienced… Well, honestly I'm not terribly proud of them."
"But, there's got to be a way you could, I don't know, get your memories back to normal," Azlyn suggests, though it's clear she's out of her league here. "Naminé, could you…?"
The girl in white shakes her head, looking away from the group in shame. "I wish, but… It doesn't work like that. All I could do is make more fake memories."
"Save it, then," the replica says, holding up a hand. "I'll be alright, don't worry about me." He gives the group one last smile, then turns to walk away.
Until Sora speaks up, stopping him in his tracks. "No, Riku, it isn't okay. You're your own person, you have your own heart. Everything that happened to you, everything you have, that's yours alone!"
"Thanks, Sora," Riku says, his grin widening and becoming more sincere. "You're a good person, you really are. Just knowing you really care about me, that you really think of me as a friend… That's good enough for me."
He begins to walk away again, and Sora can't think of anything he could say to make him stay. "I'm sorry. You deserve better than this."
"Heh," Riku's fake chuckles. "C'mon, Sora. What the hell does deserve have to do with anything?" Within a few more steps, the replica is out of sight. Off to seek his future wherever he can find it.
The mood is appropriately somber for about ten seconds, before Telary nervously turns to Naminé. "Uh, so, anyway… Can you, y'know, put us all back together the way we were? Our real memories?"
"I can," the small blonde says with certainty, a smile on her face. "The memories you had before, they aren't actually gone. You still have them."
"Uh, where?" Azlyn asks, subconsciously patting down her pockets.
"They're inside your hearts," Naminé explains. "Not really gone, but more like sleeping. And they're all connected together, like links in a chain. I haven't actually destroyed any of them, just kind of… rearranged the links a bit. Added some new ones, separated the old."
"Sounds very surgical," Jiminy comments, suppressing a shudder. It's a good thing Naminé is ultimately on their side, because as a true enemy she would be… Well terrifyingalmost seems like too mild a word. "Can they be, um, put back together?"
Naminé nods again, and every member of the trio feels a great weight lift from their hearts. "It won't be easy, and might take a long time. First I have to undo the links I made, then call up the ones I took out and scattered, and then separate real from fake and reattach them…"
"And we're right back to surgical," Azlyn comments, grimacing at the thought of someone playing around inside her heart. Even with good intentions, it's still incredibly creepy.
"But I can do it," the girl in white assures them. There's something set and determined in her expressions, eyes hardened by resolve. "No, I will do it! I'll make it work! After everything you've done for me, it'll be nice to be able to repay you. You know… atone."
Sora steps up to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know you can do it. I trust you. Every one of us does, right guys?"
"Absolutely," Telary answers immediately. Noticing that Azlyn seems to be heavily contemplating the question, he coughs loudly.
"Yes, me too," the knight blurts, jumping about a foot into the air. "Total trust, all the way. Really truly."
"Um, I have a question," Jiminy interjects, shrugging to apologize for breaking up the good vibes. "You said you had to take out the memories that you replaced our real ones with. By that, did you mean…"
"Our time in this castle," Telary interjects, surprised that the thought hadn't occurred to him earlier. "So, we won't…"
"No," Naminé replies, swallowing thickly. She attempts to keep a straight, brave face, but it's shaking with the weight of held-back sadness. "Everything that happened here, your memories of this place and, well, and me… They'll all be gone. Just like your real memories were when you came."
"Not even you?" Sora takes a step back, reeling like he'd just been punched. "But…"
"I won't do anything without your permission, Sora," the small blonde says, looking at him with her big, sad blue eyes. "You have to make the choice. Your real memories, or the ones you made in this castle. You… you can't have both."
"I don't want to lose you, Naminé," he says, tears prickling at his eyes. He blinks forcibly, attempting to drive them back, but only serves to send them falling down his cheeks. "I… choosing like this, I… I don't want to."
"I'm sorry, Sora," Telary says, letting out a breath. "But I want my memories back. I know there's someone in there that's important to me, and I want to remember them. If you won't make the choice, then I will."
"He's right, man," Azlyn adds, shaking her head. "I like Naminé as much as the next girl, but…"
"You're right," Sora says, after a long sullen silence. He turns to Naminé, forcing his expression into hardened resolve. "Put us back the way we were. I… I'm so sorry."
Naminé swallows again, then takes a deep breath through her nose. Once it's released, she's the picture of serene acceptance. "I understand completely. I mean, nobody would pick something fake over what's real. Especially… especially since it involves someone so important to you." She sighs, the last bit of grief she'll allow herself over this. "You made the right choice. Now, come on. I'll show you where you can stay until I'm done."
Waving a hand, the small blonde calls up one of the dark portals used by the Organization members. For a moment, the trio and Jiminy can't help but feel frightened. Then Sora gives the others a look, silently reminding everyone that they'd all said they trusted Naminé. It's time to prove it.
So, without a word, Sora, Azlyn, and Telary follow Naminé into the darkness.
KH-KH-KH
Somehow, the room they arrive in is brighter than the one they just left. It takes a moment for the trio and Jiminy's eyes to adjust. When they do, they all find themselves staring up at an enormous egg-shaped pod. It rests on a pedestal in the middle of the room, a small chair and computer keyboard sitting next to it.
"Tell me you aren't gonna cram us all into that thing," Azlyn comments quickly, frowning at Naminé.
The small blonde just giggles. "No, don't worry Azlyn. You and Telary have your own separate pods in the next room."
Azlyn nods. "Good." After a moment of thoughtfulness, she speaks up again. "Okay, so one more thing, just to clarify… We won't remember anything that happened in this place?"
Naminé frowns. "Um, no. Nothing."
"Our actions will, far as we're concerned, have no consequence at all?"
"Well, I don't… Uh, yes. No consequences."
"Good." Azlyn nods one more time, then immediately throws herself at Telary. The wizard is baffled for a moment, and then they're kissing and he really isn't thinking much at all.
The making out lasts several seconds, and Telary soon gets over his initial shock and starts contributing just as much to the embrace.
Sora turns to Naminé with a smug smile. "I knew it!"
"Okay!" Azlyn declares, pulling away from the still dazed Telary. "I think I'm ready now. How about you, big guy?"
"Uh, yeah…" he replies, gently running his fingers over his lips. "I feel… Yeah."
"Wait a minute!" Jiminy declares, holding his journal high into the air. "Naminé, we don't have to forget this place. I mean, I took a lot of notes for my journal."
"Yeah!" Sora agrees, his eyes lighting up. "Why didn't we think of that soon…"
"Unfortunately," Naminé interrupts, grimacing, "that isn't a very good solution."
The Keybearer deflates like a popped balloon. "What? Why not?"
"You remember what I said about memories being chained together, right?" Naminé explains, frowning. "Well, I'm afraid that anything you remember about this place would eventually lead back to the false memories I planted about your childhood. And your real childhood memories and the fake ones I made can't coexist at the same time. It's why I couldn't let you remember the other girl's name, she's too deeply embedded in your heart. Your heart would… Well, I don't know what would happen, but it would not be good. I'm afraid that you can never learn of the events that transpired here in Castle Oblivion."
"Never?" Sora repeats sadly. When did his life suddenly become so unfair? "Can't we even have something to remember you by?"
"What if I just left a simple note, hm?" Jiminy asks, pulling out his pencil and a spare square of paper. "What if it was just your name?"
"I suppose that could work," the blonde replies, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly upward. "My name wouldn't be quite as embedded in Sora's heart. Just reading it couldn't start the chain reaction, I'd imagine."
"Then that's what I'll do," Jiminy declares, scribbling a quick note on the small sheet. "You can erase the journal, but keep this around, right?"
"I believe that would be fine."
Sora leans over to read the small words the chronicler has recorded. "Huh. 'Thank Naminé'. I guess that's a pretty good little reminder."
"Glad that's all sorted then." The cricket smiles at Naminé before sticking the journal into a pocket in his jacket. With a last nod and wink, he leaps up into Sora's pocket.
"Guess it's time for us to go," Azlyn says, taking Telary's hand. He seems to be over his earlier bewilderment, gripping hers back just as strongly. "See ya on the other side, Sora?"
"Yeah," the Keybearer replies with a cheerful nod.
After a moment's thought, Azlyn goes in to peck him on the lips too. It''s short and sweet, nowhere near as passionate as the smooch she'd laid on her counterpart. Sora gives her a funny look, but she just shrugs. "Hey, why let an opportunity go to waste?"
"Bye, Sora," Telary says. When the Keybearer raises an eyebrow at him, he just sighs, "No, I'm not going to kiss you too."
"Like I told you before," Naminé informs the Disney Castle pair, smiling, "I wish I could have been part of your story for real. The girl who is… she's really lucky to have a family like you."
Their last goodbyes said, Azlyn and Telary walk hand-in-hand out of the chamber. Naminé watches them until the door closes, then turns back to Sora. For a long moment, they just stare each other down. Neither of them are anticipating this last goodbye.
Eventually, it's Naminé who speaks up first. "I'm really glad to have met you, Sora. It may have started out as a lie but… But I'm still glad."
Sora nods. "I am too. Really, I… When I found you, and even when I just remembered your name, it made me really happy. Trust me, those feelings were no lie."
Naminé says nothing, just keeps her head down and crosses over to the instrument panel. Pressing a keys in rapid succession, she commands the pod to open. It does, several sections of its white face unfolding like a blooming flower.
Looking inside, Sora sees that the interior is small, with probably only enough room to just stand up. Black lines cover its walls, occasional blue pulses of electricity running through them. It's a little scary, he has to admit. But, once again, he just remembers that he can trust Naminé.
"I guess this is goodbye," the small blonde says, looking into Sora's eyes. Tinges of regret color her gaze, but she holds it steady.
The Keybearer grins, shaking his head emphatically. "I don't think so, actually. I'm going to find you again, after I wake up. We'll be friends for real then, I promise!"
Naminé laughs, the light sound weighed down some with bitterness. "You're going to forget, making that promise. We might as well just…"
"You said the memories you take away stay in the heart," he interrupts, stepping closer to her. After a moment of indecision, he gently takes her hand. "That's what happened to my real memories, and that's what will happen to these too. They'll never be gone, but always inside me. And so what if I never recall exactly what happened here? Believe me Naminé, you're the kind of person I would be friends with anyway."
"Okay then," the girl in white replies, looking up into the Keybearer's eyes. "I suppose that's a promise."
"I'm going to see you again, Naminé," Sora says. Their forwards are pressed together, lips just inches apart. "Have faith in that for me, alright? In our promise, and the light?"
She steps back, the moment becoming too heated, too uncomfortable. Still, she holds eye contact with him. "I will. Always."
Satisfied, Sora turns to his pod. It takes a moment to gather his courage, but after a deep breath he jumps right up. He quickly turns back to Naminé, settling into a comfortable standing position. Looking down at her, he smiles broadly.
"One last thing, Sora, and this is crucial," Naminé says seriously. "The links I took off your chain of memories, the most important ones, I had to hide very deep in your heart. They're in the shadows, and I won't be able to find them easily. But you can help bring them out. Just remember the other promise you made. The one you made to her, the person you could never replace. She's your light in the darkness, and remembering her is the key. Once you've found her again, all the hidden links will reappear where I can restore them."
Sora frowns, Naminé's words resonate powerfully within him, but he's not sure why. "Other promise?"
"Look at the good luck charm," she suggests. The separated sections of the pod begin to close, making their slow ascent. "I changed it's shape as part of tricking you, but once you thought of her, even just once, it changed back."
Sora reaches into his pockets as the pod closes up, easily finding the star-shaped charm. In the last moments of light coming in from the other room, he looks it over thoroughly. Despite its crude materials and construction, he knows that it's the most valuable thing he owns. Because it represents her, because she gave it to him. Because it was made by…
The pod closes, and for a moment all is dark. Sora feels his body sway, as if suddenly he's floating in the open ocean. Lights flash before him, growing larger and more distinct until they finally form the shapes of people. People he knows. A man in black leather, a thin scar running diagonally down his serious face. A woman in pink, brow hair held up with a matching bow. A shorter woman, closer to his age, her colorful clothing quite revealing. Another man, this one blond and grizzled with age. Three children, two boys and a girl.
"I… I know them!" he exclaims, heart leaping with joy. "They're my friends! All of my… Riku!"
Indeed, the silver-haired boy, his oldest and best friend in all the universe, appears in another white flash. He looks down at Sora with a thin smile, cocky but sincere. For a moment, he's all the Keybearer can focus on, before… Before she appears.
She smiles at him, bright blue eyes alight with some inner glow. Her skin is soft and delicate, red hair cut short for play. She's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. His pure light, illuminating the darkness no matter what. His…
"Kairi!"
