Xigbar and Luxord did not stop by the Grey Area that evening, and given their missions he did not expect to see them in the mornings or evenings for some time until they'd completed their missions or were there to request aid.

Xaldin and Demyx returned, with Xaldin once again in a rare show of emotion. As soon as they were out of the corridor, Demyx almost ran to Riku, while Xaldin looked deploringly after him.

"Don't ever send me on a mission with him again, Riku!" Demyx said shrilly.

"Maybe if you did what you're told when you're told to, I wouldn't need to sent someone to watch you," Riku replied calmly. "Now, what did you find?"

"It's all quiet there. There's a route into the Underworld that recently opened, but otherwise our intel is all up to date still. I'll write up something about the Underworld and its local Heartless later."

"Before tomorrow, Demyx. I don't want you missing any details because you get distracted by tomorrow's mission."

"But Riku-" he protested.

"Tomorrow," he repeated firmly. "Do as you're told, or leave the castle – and you know what goes with that."

Xaldin's expression briefly became a grim smile as Demyx drew back shocked by that, then turned and fled.

"Nice touch," Xaldin approved. "Do you really have authority to do that though?"

"I have no idea. As far as I can tell, anything Saïx is authorised for, so am I."

"Is? You mean he's still around?" Riku just nodded. "Then where-"

"He's otherwise occupied. Information about him will be released on a need-to-know basis."

Riku realised as he said it that if he could cover Saïx's plans, goals and actions here, he could eliminate the Nobody and no one would be any wiser, providing him with a perfect excuse for passing off anything. That said, having Saïx under his control could also prove to be useful...

"I'm back," Roxas's voice cheerily announced, a corridor following. "Did anyone miss me?"

Xaldin looked from Roxas to Riku, then uncertainly asked, "Didn't... he go with you?"

"I did," Roxas answered. "But Riku needed to get back here in time to see you guys, and there was something he needed done, so he asked me to handle it for him. This is for you, by the way," he added, handing a sealed envelope to Riku.

"Good work. Get some rest – you'll be on the same duty tomorrow, only I won't be going with you this time."

"On my own then? I'm finally gonna be trusted to work on my own?"

"Roxas, you can't be serious," Xaldin interrupted. "Saïx would never approve it."

"But as I told you Xaldin, anything he can approve or disapprove, so can I. Roxas has never failed a mission yet, nor has he failed to return from even a successful mission. I believe it is about time we showed some trust in him." He paused and, more to set Xaldin at east, said to Roxas, "You do realize that if we find you've been abusing this trust, you'll stop going on any mission alone?"

"Naturally. Thanks for this Riku, you won't regret it!" and with that he rushed out.

"I hope you don't regret making that choice, Riku," Xaldin told him, then he too left.

"I won't," he murmured after Xaldin's retreating back. "But you might."

Riku took out Vexen's notes once again, but after reading through the last few pages he began to realize he wasn't going to learn any more from them, so filed them away again and decided it was time he checked in with Saïx, opening a corridor directly to his door and knocking.

He knocked a second time when there was no response. A cold feeling started to settle in. Was Saïx up and about, or at least as much as his condition allowed, or had something happened to him? He tried the door to find it was unlocked, letting himself in.

With a sigh of relief he found Saïx was only sleeping and hadn't been woken by the knocking. The table he'd been working at that morning was scrupulously tidy, with everything filed neatly in labelled folders to one side and his own notepad on the other.

There was no point in disturbing him. Given how serious his injuries were he needed his rest, so Riku scribbled down the few relevent details on the missions on Saïx's notepad, idly glanced through the labelled folders in case there was anything he felt worth glancing through, then decided to leave it as it was, heading for his own room.

Once safely there, he finally opened Kairi's letter.

'Riku,

I knew you'd make it through safely. Your friend told me you're working with Organization Thirteen, and what they want. I can only hope you're with them to stop them from the inside.

Whatever the reason though, there's something you need to know about yourself, something I don't think you've noticed yet. You're not just Riku – you're Sora too. Remember that Paopu fruit the three of us shared together on that night before the storm? That's what caused the two of you to become one person. I almost did too, but I'm special – but you know that already.

Be careful of your hearts, Sora, or Riku, or whoever you decide you are. You're one person, but both your hearts can be affected separately. You need to take care of both of them, otherwise if something happens to one of them, it could affect you – and your other heart too.

Stay safe, Riku. I'm waiting for you to come back safely.

Kairi.'

The letter was set down with a trembling hand. It explained so many things – why he'd remembered both Sora's and Riku's memories until Sora's heart had left him, and why since then his appearance had changed further. But it left the question of why he hadn't remembered anything he'd done under the name of Sora, like stealing Leon's Gunblade, or handing Alice over to Maleficent.

Unless Kairi's warning was the key – someone or something had affected Sora's heart but not Riku's, locking him out of it entirely. What then of the Sora Replica that held Sora's heart now? And the real Sora... was the real Sora with the heart, remaining within the Replica, or was it still a part of him?

And what would happen when – or even if – he retrieved Sora's heart again? Would he still be locked out of all those memories, or would he get them back with all those from the islands?

He tucked the letter safely away with Vexen's notes, absently reminding himself he needed to make a safer place to stash them than in his coat, dropping it and everything else beside the bed before he lay back, trying to make sense of it all.


Some time later, Sora finally reawakened. It was about time, he reasoned. Now Riku suspected, maybe it was time to pick a side. Like Riku, he laid on the bed thinking things through while he persuaded their body to take on his appearance again.

Maybe this time he'd pay a call on the King. It seemed doubtful that the message Riku had lodged in Hollow Bastion would have reached him at Castle Oblivion. He deserved to be kept abreast of the situation.

Once again he took a corridor to the outside of the Castle, pausing once inside to find everyone. The Replica was upstairs still, where there was only one Nobody left. The other three Nobodies were in the lower floors, as was the King. For the moment at least, the Nobodies were not in the same place as the King, so after a moments thought he opened a corridor down to the room the King was in. It looked identical to the white room he'd seen Axel and the Replica in on the previous visit, but in place of any of them was King Mickey, the golden blade of his Kingdom Key pointed threateningly toward him.

"Huh? Sora?" Mickey said, surprised. "But what - I mean, how-"

"It's a long story, your Majesty," Sora replied. "The Sora you came here to help is further up the Castle. I'm... well, never mind that. I've come by way of Riku to fill you in on his activities, if you can spare a few moments."

"Should be. None of the Organization around at least – unless you're with them."

"Only in the same way Riku is. Did you get the message he left at Hollow Bastion for you?"

"Haven't heard a thing. Can't reach anyone outside, and it seems 'cept for you, no one outside can reach me. What's been happening?"

"Leon and his friends from Traverse Town have returned to Hollow Bastion to try to restore it. Riku managed to speak with them without the Organization finding out. You're already here to see Sora, so there's no point in relaying that. He's got suspicions about one of their number, a Nobody named Roxas who unlike the others actually does have feelings – but he has no heart, which makes it hard for him to control them. It was suggested you try to subvert him by offering aid with that. Riku has arranged for Roxas to go on his missions unaccompanied, which should make that easier."

"Not sure what can be done about that," Mickey admitted. "But I know someone I can take him to. What else?"

"There isn't much else right now. The Organization's leader, Xemnas, has somehow acquired a Keyblade for Riku to use. They want him and Roxas to use their Keyblades to gather hearts."

"Riku said the same thing, more or less. What're they gonna do with them all?"

"They plan to make an artificial Kingdom Hearts, which they'll use to give themselves all hearts of their own. When he's playing along with them, Riku holds that he'll ask it to remove his darkness from him."

"We gotta put a stop to that! Only... I gotta get outta here first."

"And neither will the two of you, if we have anything to say about it," a voice echoed. A dark corridor appeared before the next door, depositing one of the Organization with the hood of their coat raised.

"Show yourself!" Sora snapped, bringing Soul Eater to his hand.

"Why would I want to do that?"

Sora gave an irritated growl then launched himself for the figure, Soul Eater poised to strike as he descended on them. At the last moment, the figure vanished, reappearing to one side of the room.

"Zexion!" Mickey cried. "I recognise that magic! You tried the same thing on me when I got this Keyblade!"

"Zexion," Sora murmured, watching him lower his hood to reveal his identity. "Roxas's friend. Lower your weapon, Mickey."

"What?" they both asked at the same time.

"There's a conspiracy afoot," Sora explained. "Axel and Saïx made an agreement to ensure that one way or the other, you were among the members lost here. Roxas... appears to care about you. And if we're going to lure him away, we need something as a show of good faith."

"I don't follow," Zexion admitted. "Saïx wanted me terminated? And now you... you're sparing me to try and convert Roxas? Why?"

"Because he cares. You're friends, even though you're a Nobody. I know what you told Riku when he asked you, and Roxas almost came out and told Riku something about his relation to you before he got interrupted."

"But why terminate me?"

"I don't know that. Mickey, cooperate with me here. I need a place to hide Zexion, and we need to convince the remaining members here that you destroyed him."

Mickey looked troubled however. "What about Roxas? If he gets wind of our deception and doesn't know the truth-"

"I'll have Riku tell him," Sora cut him off. "Roxas can be trusted to keep a secret."

"I could go back to Hollow Bastion," Zexion suggested. "I used to live there, after all."

"That'll be the first place they look then," Mickey shook his head. "You gotta go somewhere they'd never think to look."

"Destiny Islands," Sora said. "Kairi is there. If you tell her the right things, she'll surely help you. I can take you there with me, that way the other Nobodies here will only notice my darkness, and not yours. We'll have to move quickly – we don't want them getting curious about our gathering. Any objections anyone?"

"Wait, Sora," Mickey said. "Can't ya stay here to lend a hand?"

"I'm... needed elsewhere. I'm the only way for Riku to get word to you right now, so I have to keep watch on him. Now let's get moving!"

Zexion, seeming almost in bemusement at the sudden turn of events, had to be dragged into the corridor Sora formed. When he eventually recovered they were almost at the exit portal.

"How is it that no one is aware of your presence in the Organization's castle?" Zexion finally asked.

"I have a good hiding place," Sora replied. "Hope you'll understand if I don't tell you. Riku will tell you – if he feels it necessary. This is where I leave you," he went on, emerging on a starlit beach, briefly describing Kairi so he'd know who to look for. "Be careful about getting seen – I didn't rescue you from termination only to have the Organization find you anyway. Good luck."

Without giving the amazed Nobody time to reply, he quickly headed into another corridor, heading back to Riku's room. He'd been up for much longer this time, still long enough to fit into Riku's normal sleep cycle, but it was easier on them both if he got back soon.

Once back he took up one of Riku's spare notepads, scribbled down a short message for him, then tucked it into Kairi's letter. Hopefully his heart would make him check it, just to make sure it hadn't been a dream or something.