Chapter 36: An Uphill Battle

Streams of red rocketed towards the floor, leaving black splotches and rising smoke. It felt as if he'd been caught in a torrential rain storm without an umbrella. Only instead of rain, lasers showered over him. And each time a blast rocketed his way, Sora ducked, lunged, covered his face, and sunk into the floor. All close calls. He barely even got a good look at the creeps shooting at him and only caught flashes of purple before more red beams threatened to turn him into a roast Heartless. Was the Organization really that desperate to take him out? And if those Sniper guys stood guard just past the front door, what else waited for him?

Sure, it'd probably be smarter to leave, but he'd already promised Riku answers. Riku and Ven. So, instead of darting off to save his own skin, Sora rose from the shadows, green embers creeping up his claws. When two more blasts whizzed at his chest, he threw himself behind one of the huge, floating grey shapes and just narrowly escaped getting charbroiled. But, once again, he refused to leave and instead bounded on top of the square-like mass, stuck out his tongue, and waited for the next round of laser tag. At that point, he finally got a good look at his enemies.

Floating sideways, they wore tacky purple jumpsuits with grey spikes sticking out of their thighs. Their gloves bore the same heart emblem as all the other Nobodies, and their hands clutched onto long rifles pointed straight at Sora's forehead. A purple mask covered most of their faces, with a single black spot that vaguely resembled an eye patch. And as soon as Sora took in that last detail, their rifles hummed, spewing another round of laser fire straight his way.

This time around, Sora waited until the lasers crept just inches away before he sank into darkness and emerged right behind the two Snipers. With no time to turn around, they floated helplessly as he dragged his flame-coated claws against their backs and landed a spinning kick that flung them down to the ground. Sora pursued, scrambling on all fours towards his targets with his brow tight and teeth bared. He drew back his hand for another slash and swiped his claws in an arc, but instead of ripping those Nobodies wide open, his claws grazed the air alone, nearly sending him tumbling forward.

And then something hot… no, something searing struck his back. The impact shoved him across the floor and nearly over the edge; he stopped just inches away from the endless blackness below. Snarling, his head jerked over his shoulder, and he spotted the Snipers circling around him. The dark wisps creeping off his jacket stretched further, and he dug his claws into the floor. If they wanted to play rough, then fine. No skin off his back.

Clamping his jaw shut, Sora launched himself at the Snipers, weaving between their laser barrage. He circled around them, shut his eyes tight, and thrashed his claws at lightning speed. His lashes sent the guns rolling out of their clutches, but that hardly stopped his assault. With a silent growl, he bashed his head against theirs, slammed his shoes into their chests, and placed one hand over each of their torsos, tearing them straight down the middle. Those stupid Nobodies didn't stand a chance; each one bent over backwards while their bodies melted away into a thorny, black mist.

Floating back to the floor, Sora took a few seconds to catch his breath before he started crawling up the rest of the path. He rounded a few corners and eventually caught sight of the massive doorway leading into the elevator. Grinning, he kicked up speed and tore towards the archway. Then something slammed into him, and he felt his face sliding across the floor. Wincing, he pushed himself back on his feet and scrambled forward. He didn't have time for this! The longer he wasted time with the small fry, the more likely the Organization'd catch onto him!

After swerving around one more corner, the doorway stood in plain sight. Whatever hit him before must've given up because he reared towards the next hall without interruption. Eyes wide, he leaned forward, ready to slip away. Then something crashed down in a flash of grey, sending Sora crashing into a nearby pillar. He slid to the floor and slowly opened his eyes only to find an enormous claymore bobbing up and down and charging his way. Just behind the approaching weapon, he caught two smaller figures looming by the door, each clutching onto two long swords.

Gasping, Sora dived head first below the giant weapon and just narrowly made it before it came crashing down. The two smaller Nobodies crept at a snail's pace, giving Sora a chance to catch their long sleeves and cylinder-shaped heads. He'd kept his eyes out for any surprise tricks, but if he was gonna make it out in one piece, the claymore Nobody needed to go down first. Only, when he looked back at the giant weapon, he found it in the clutches of a huge, lumbering Nobody with gigantic fists and feet and a body resembling a suit of armor. The big guy pressed all its weight into the claymore, and Sora shuddered. With a body that bulky, even a light swing risked reducing him to a stain on the floor.

"Maybe we should go," said Ven, his voice trembling. "I don't like the looks of these guys!"

Neither did Sora, but if he fled, then what stopped these Nobodies from reporting him? For all he knew, the castle was already on red alert, so by clearing the crowd, at least he'd wipe part of his trail! So, instead of running, Sora shot a glance to the wall, just past the dashing Samurai Nobody. When it drove one of its blades towards Sora's side, he sprung up from the floor, latched onto its face, and threw himself claws-first at the nearest wall. With one hand pinning him in place, he leered at the Nobodies down below. Already, that giant claymore Nobody had raised its blade, and it started to bend its knees. He needed to act fast.

Before the larger Nobody got the chance to kick off, Sora flew straight at its face and snared it in a ring of purple magic. While its body started bubbling, Sora slammed himself down onto its shoulders and ripped at its armored back. Each hit made the Nobody's body lurch, and its claymore rolled out of its grip, leaving the big guy completely unarmed. Too bad its Samurai buddies had whipped out their swords and came rushing in. Although an array of purple bolts pierced them from above, their movements only stalled for a few seconds. And in the time it took Sora to strike them down, the larger Nobody's shoulders started wobbling, and its hand snapped at its weapon.

Though Sora flung himself to the floor, he soon felt the weight of a hundred brick walls crashing into his face while stars clouded his vision. The back of his head crashed into one of the walls, and he slid down onto his rump right as the two Samurais charged in from the sides. And while he knocked one of them aside with a last minute claw swing, the other plowed him over with a bombardment of slashes that reduced him to a squirming mess.

…For a few seconds, anyway, before he seized that pesky Samurai's arm, yanked it onto its back, and tore through its torso. Its body fizzled away the next instant, and when its buddy zoomed in for retaliation, Sora snapped his fingers and watched its movements slow to a crawl. Stuck in slow-mo, the Samurai barely got a chance to bend its arm before green flames swallowed it whole, leaving ash marks and two abandoned swords in its place.

The final Nobody took a bit more effort. While its body continued to bubble and its movements became jerky, Sora found himself sliding and sinking in order to avoid its devastating swings. Sometimes the stupid thing caught him from behind and launched him back at the wall again and again. Seconds became minutes, and by the time the Nobody toppled over and started to evaporate, Sora felt as if he'd collapse at any second. His legs wobbled with each step, and his head pounded…

But he passed through the door anyway after taking a few seconds to catch his breath. Thankfully, he found the elevator completely abandoned and took the minute of silent traveling to sit down, shove a potion down his throat, and breathe. And to think that was all just a warm up; if he wanted to make it through this castle, he'd have to be more cautious. After all, those guys were just the underlings, not the real enemies.

When the elevator finally screeched to a stop, Sora sank down again and pulled himself through to the next room. There, along the glassy stairway, he caught the tail of a black coat and heard the sound of whistling. Upon further inspection, he noticed the figure's twig-like frame and wild red hair. Axel. And while his appearance sure beat the last creeps he'd encountered, he twirled a spike-coated disk of a weapon around his finger. Just looking at it made Sora shiver in his shadow, but he crept after him all the same.

On the way up the steps, Axel stopped a few times, eyes darting across the room. As his gaze shifted towards the floor, Sora scurried beneath his legs and out of sight. Still, Axel's gaze remained firmly in place, and he turned in a full circle, forcing Sora to slither after his shadow. After making it a full turn, he lowered his weapon, puffed out some air, and shook his head. A half-smile wormed across his face, and he continued his march towards the top of the stairwell.

That's what Sora thought, anyway. Yet about halfway to the top, he caught a swirling black mass sprouting up from a single step. Once he reached the very edge of the whirling portal, Axel slid to a stop and snapped his wrist. An orange flash enveloped his weapon, hissing and crackling. Half a second later, the embers shrank away, leaving him empty handed. Then, after rubbing his hands together, he slipped into the dark. And while Sora had no idea where the heck that portal'd take him, he zipped behind without a second thought. After all, it sure beat going toe-to-toe with more of those claymore creeps.

But instead of a lounge packed with tables and couches, Sora emerged within a narrow hall, flanked by rigid grey walls lined with an array of rectangular doorways. Every last one of 'em bore the same design: rectangles, trapezoids and triangular shapes packed together like puzzle pieces. Briefly, Sora stopped at the foot of one of the doors, half tempted to pull his head out and press his ear right against it, but with Axel just a few yards away, he risked getting skewered. And that was discounting any other Organization members lurking in the surrounding rooms.

So, back to Axel he went, following him past two, four, and six more doors until he finally froze in a corner. That lopsided smirk of his shrank, and he rapped his knuckles against the door. Sora nearly gasped when it cracked open, revealing not some super secret meeting table or a dark hallway, but a tiny bedroom and nothing more. A simple grey cot sat up against a wall with that same splintered Heart emblem as a head board. Its box-shaped pillow and matching mattress looked more like bricks of cement than cushions, and the one grey blanket draped over the edge could've easily passed as tracing paper.

On the upside, something did stick out amidst the otherwise boring bedroom. While the walls still looked as grey as the rest of the castle, a wave of drawings grabbed Sora's focus and nearly yanked him into the room itself. At a distance, he just barely made out some sketchy greens and browns that formed palm trees, scribbled pumpkins and swarms of living cards. He caught etchings of a huge red ship with its sails unfurled, a neon lit town, and… a heart-shaped door that made a pit form in his stomach. That particular drawing contained three figures, and the tinges of silver and brown painted a picture clear as day.

I think we just hit the jackpot, Ven… D'you think—

Axel squinted, one hand sliding to his chin. He peeked at the floor for what seemed like the millionth time, and just like before, Sora darted out of sight and right behind the bed's headboard. On his way in, however, he caught one other thing—well, not really a thing. Off by the clear glass window, he spotted two sandaled feet. Looking up, he took in the figure's short white dress, reaching just a little past her thighs, and the blonde hair that curled over her shoulder. And her face… It looked just like—

"Naminé," said Axel, strutting up behind her.

Naminé… So he really had hit the jackpot! If he wasn't smooshed into a shadow on the floor, he would've thrown himself into the air and beamed. All that trouble earlier meant nothing now! As long as neither one of them caught onto his presence, he'd probably walk home with buckets full of juicy details. Already the pictures began planting seedlings of ideas in his head. If he could just get a little confirmation…

Naminé squeezed the window sill and let out a soft gasp. Wincing, she slowly turned to face Axel, revealing two bloodshot blue eyes. Puffy ones, at that, which made the almost invisible smile on her face seem really outta place. When she looked up at Axel, she even let out a trembling laugh.

"I didn't expect company."

Axel's eyebrows quirked. "That's funny coming from you. You'd think that after all that time you spend with your 'friends' that you'd be used to a few surprise visits…"

Shivering, Naminé squeezed her arms around her torso and shuffled her feet. "But neither one of them are here now. The Replica's still…" She bit her lip. "He's preoccupied, and Sora left just a bit ago. I think he wants to cheer me up somehow."

"And as usual, they're eating out of the palm of your hand." Axel sighed, leaning his weight against the wall. His arms folded over his chest, and he glanced at the window. "So, you gonna clue me in? Keep those 'feelings' bottled up, and you'll probably explode. I know wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that…"

"I can't, Axel. If I told you, Xemnas would…"

In the back of his head, Sora heard Ven whisper, "But that can't be right. If Xemnas is Terra, why would he push this poor girl around? She looks so…"

Hey, don't worry, Ven. It was too soon to draw conclusions. And besides… As soon as we finish here, we can go straight to him! Then we can give him a piece of our mind.

Axel's eyes flittered around the room again, but otherwise he stayed perfectly still. After a few seconds of looking, he glanced back to Naminé and waved his hand. "See, there's the problem. You focus on what could happen, and look at what it's come to. You've become their perfect little puppet master… or maybe you're a puppet yourself."

"I know I am. It's all I'm really good at, after all." She looked to the drawings. "I create memories and lies, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"Well, Naminé, in case you haven't noticed, it's just you, me, and an empty room. Maybe a few shadows on the side" A glint of a smirk replaced his scowl. "So, even if you were to share a few tiny details, I think I could keep them under wraps. Got it memorized?"

"What?" Her eyes widened. "But why would you do that?"

"Well, you kinda had me hooked with that Xemnas detail… How could I possibly resist?" He slid away from the wall, looming over her shoulder. "And besides, you're about as transparent as a sheet of glass. I know you want to let it out, but who else could you possibly turn to? I mean, unless you wanted to cut the act…"

So it really was her... What else could it mean? All this talk about her being a puppet and creating memories pretty much proved it, not to mention all the talk of lies. But when Sora imagined the Organization's memory manipulation methods, he never would've guessed that they used this poor girl to do it! She looked so small, so frail, and seeing an almost mirror image of Kairi with those puffy red eyes and an unwavering frown left him feeling as if someone bored a hole straight through his gut. If Axel wasn't standing right there, he would've gladly hopped outta his hiding spot and marched up to her himself!

Even now, he could barely hold still, shifting around against the floor.

And while Axel looked his way for what had to be the third time, he just closed his eyes and let out a hushed laugh. Naminé, in the mean time, took two steps backwards, glancing from the door to the paintings and eventually back at Axel. She breathed in, brow furrowing, and her arms straightened at her sides. Then, after a few more seconds of silence, she finally broke the ice.

"…Okay, I'll tell you, but you have to promise to keep it a secret." She paused. "That means no telling Sora or the Replica, please?"

"Hey, it's not my place. Besides, if I said one word about their memories, I'd have to deal with a face full of metal." He scratched at the back of his head. "I swear that kid's an explosion just waiting to happen…"

"Well, I sure haven't helped with that." Naminé sighed. "Because… well, Xemnas had me do something terrible, Axel. It's part of why the Replica's gone right now."

"Whoa, a mission straight from the boss? He must be getting pretty desperate."

"I don't know if I'd call him desperate, but he's noticed what's happened with the Replica lately, and I think he's trying to put a stop to it." She looked down at her hands, squeezing her eyes shut. "Ever since Riku saved his life, he's been struggling. Thanks to the memories I made, he just can't understand why Riku would act so kind, and I think he's started to doubt everything. He even protected Riku during his last mission…"

"Ha, there's a surprise. Never thought he had a conscience under all that rage."

"Well, he is Riku's Replica…" Her lips twitched, forming a tiny smile. "But he's always been that way around Sora and me. I think that's what hurts the most. Deep down, he doesn't want to fight—he just wants to go home with the two of us."

"But that obviously isn't an option. You and I both know that." He glanced at the pictures. "Sure, it's a pretty little picture, but it won't help Xemnas with his goals now, will it?"

"No… It won't. And that's why he had me create those cards… cards that would make the Replica relive his most painful memories." She shivered. "Thanks to me, he's going to have to relive Sora losing his heart, and he won't be able to do a thing to stop it. And after seeing Riku treat him so well, those memories will probably tear him apart!"

"So why'd you do it?"

It was a pretty loaded question, but Sora couldn't help but wonder the same thing. If she had power over memories, couldn't she use 'em against Xemnas himself? Maybe give him a taste of his own medicine!

At first, Naminé said nothing. She merely gazed at the floor, hands clenching and unclenching. With a tiny whimper and sunken shoulders, she then shifted to face Axel.

"Because… Because, if I refused, Axel, he would have killed Sora. That's what he told me."

"No!" Ven screamed, making Sora's head throb. "Terra, no! You wouldn't. I know you wouldn't…"

What could Sora even say? DiZ did mention Xemnas' twisted nature, and given all the villains he used to work with, a backhanded move like that didn't seem too outta place. Even if it was a bluff, it obviously got the job done. Just hearing those words made Sora want to rip his claws straight through that jerk. A part of him wanted to track him down straight away, force some real answers outta him! XIII and the Replica… this girl… what'd they even do to deserve any of this?

And how could one of Ven's friends take such a twisted turn?

While his mind raced to sort out the revelation, Axel trudged over to Naminé, arms crossed and expression stern. He stopped just a foot or two away and locked eyes with her.

"Do you really think he'd destroy such a useful tool? C'mon, he's Sora's Nobody. The Replica couldn't begin to function without him." His expression softened, and he looked to the window. "He's just tugging on those nonexistent heart strings. And I get it—those two are all you've really got. But think, Naminé. Is this really what's best for them or what's best for you?"

She winced. "No, but what else can I do?"

"Well, that's really up to you. I can toss around ideas all day, but in the end, it's your call." Turning the other way, Axel wandered towards the door. About halfway through the room, he stopped just long enough to cast one more glance her way. "Just remember what I said before. Time's running out, and sooner or later you'll have to make up your mind."

Soon, Axel slipped through the door and outta sight, leaving Naminé speechless on her bed. With the Nobody gone, she shifted sideways and resumed looking out the window without another word. At that point, Sora thought about leaving, too. After everything he heard from Naminé and Axel, he felt fire racing through his veins, egging him to get out there and find that jerk himself, but… He lifted his head out of the shadows, eying Naminé.

Once again, she wore a humungous frown, and her head drooped like a wilting flower. Everything about her reeked of downright depression. Was it really fair to leave her behind?

Whether it was or not, Sora yanked his clawed hands outta his hiding spot, pressing them flat against the floor. He arched his back, shut his eyes, and ripped himself free, tumbling head-first towards Naminé's feet. She still didn't bother to look. And while Sora's eyes spun around in his head a little, he pushed up again, dusted off the front of his clothes, and inched a little bit closer. He even stood up straight rather than crawling around on all fours. After all, he needed to look presentable if he wanted to cheer her up.

At first he brought a hand to his mouth and tried clearing his throat, but… well, no sound came out, and a sheepish grin soon worked its way across his face. Without words or any kinda sounds, he'd have to jump through some hoops to cheer her up. So, while one of his hands reached for her shoulder, the other dug its way into his pocket to scoop out his notepad. Taking a deep breath, he gave her a light tap with the back side of one of his claws and waited for her reaction.

In retrospect, maybe he should've taken a different approach.

The moment he touched her, Naminé's head whipped around, and her eyes nearly bulged from her head. Shrieking, she leaped off her bed and tumbled into one of the walls. There she stayed, practically glued there while her knees trembled like crazy. In an attempt to calm her down, Sora held out his hands and cracked a tiny smile. Unfortunately, she must've missed the message because her shaking only got worse. Was he really that scary? And did he just make things worse?

Well, it was too late to turn back now.

"You… you shouldn't be here," said Naminé, pulling her arms close to her chest. "Why did you…?"

"Hey, Sora, maybe you should take it slow. I don't think she was expecting a Heartless to pop outta her floor."

…Oops. I guess I could've been a bit more subtle. He chuckled silently, scratching at the back of his head. When Naminé continued to stare, Sora fidgeted in place before lifting his notepad and scribbling a brief message.

'It's okay! I won't hurt you.' To nail in that point, he doodled a smiley face with below his message. And the best part? When she saw his little note, she finally inched away from the wall, and he could've sworn he heard a quiet laugh from her.

"But why are you here?" she said. "And how long have you been watching me?"

Well, she sure knew how to get to the point, huh? 'Course, if he really went into all the whys, they'd be there for hours sifting through slips of paper. To save himself the risk of wrist pain later, Sora scrawled out another brief note.

'Aw, this isn't about me! You looked sad, and I wanna fix that. Isn't that what counts?'

Bringing a hand to her mouth, Naminé crept closer to Sora, right up to the end of her bed. She looked him over for a few seconds and then lowered her hand to her side. Her lips drooped down into a frown again, and she shook her head.

"I don't understand. All I've done is make things worse for everyone, including Riku. Why would you want to help someone like me?"

Sora puffed up his cheeks, tapping his fingers against his hips. It was true that she did make things tougher, but it sure didn't sound like she wanted to. If anything, the Organization kept bullying her around. So why stress it? Giving a light shrug, Sora flashed her a great big grin. Hopefully she wouldn't mind the slightly jagged teeth.

If nothing else, she stayed put, responding with a slow blink and a tilt of her head. "You mean you don't mind?"

'Course he didn't, and rather than use words to prove it, Sora pressed his pen to the page and began doodling. Compared to the images on the walls, his picture looked more like crude stick figures, but given the spiky hair on one of the figures and the dress scribbled onto the other, he hoped she'd at least get a basic idea. After adding two smiling faces onto each of them, he held up his notebook in one hand and gave her a thumbs up with the other. Sure he barely knew her, but why couldn't they be friends? She sure looked like she needed one.

And again, an almost inaudible laugh escaped her, and she clasped her hands together. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You're Sora. In all the memories I've seen, you always seemed so happy and carefree…"

Sora scratched at his cheek, belting out another silent chuckle. Happy and carefree… Well, he tried to be, but these days it sure wasn't easy. Not with himself in mind. But for others? Of course he'd put on a smile. So far, it seemed to help. After all that self blame, it felt good hearing her laughter. It meant he was on the right track. Hopefully his next question wouldn't send them tumbling backwards.

'So, how come you haven't fought back? If you've got power over memories, I bet there's loads you can do!'

"It's not that simple," said Naminé. "Even if I could change their memories, I'd have to take it one step at a time. The others would catch on, and then…" She gulped. "Well, they don't take betrayal lightly."

…Great. So she was stuck in this position? Sora shook his fist and scowled. There had to be some other option. Something better than hurting others, especially her friends.

'So, why don't you just run away? If you took your friends with you, I think it'd be okay.'

"Run away?" She took a step back, cringing. "No, I couldn't. They'd know from the start, and they'd stop at nothing to bring us back here. They might even force me to rewrite their memories all over again, and I couldn't…"

She trailed off, and her eyes fell upon the floor. What could Sora even do now? Hearing her words made Sora wilt. Either the Organization really had planned ahead, or they'd shoved enough warnings at her that she'd lost any courage to fight back. But that wasn't fair! Naminé, XIII, the Replica… none of 'em deserved this. It was no wonder Riku wanted to get them on his side, if the whole Organization treated 'em like prisoners and toys.

Well, he wouldn't stand for that! Puffing out his chest, Sora strutted straight up to Naminé with his pen pressed into another blank page. He started off by doodling another stick figure Naminé, complete with a super hero cape and began writing a message to go with it. The entire time, she stood like a statue, still gazing at her feet. In order to grab her attention, Sora reached out for her, once again tapping on her shoulder.

But then he heard a low swish from behind, and his back stiffened. He slowly looked away from her, back towards a corner, and when he saw black curls rising from the floor, he leaped backwards, nearly losing his notepad in the process. If Sora failed to pull her back to reality, the rising dark corridor sure didn't, as Naminé's eyes flew wide open, and she backed against the wall.

"You'd better leave, Sora! Before he sees you."

She was right, regardless of who waited on the other side of that portal. With shaky breath, Sora's eyes shot between the rising portal to his message, and soon he latched onto the page and ripped it from its binding. The corridor now stood around his height, now taking on a familiar domed shape. With time running short, Sora flung the little piece of paper her way, flattened himself, and shot back into the hall.

During his mad dash, he passed beneath a squad of stubby little Nobodies with long skinny arms and hands shaped like feet. At least one must've noticed the moving shadow, as a handful turned his way, forcing him to retaliate with claws and blasts of fire. When lances struck the floor and sent ripples of energy at his feet, Sora latched onto the nearest wall and incinerated those dragon-like pests. And when one of those huge, bulky claymore Nobodies formed a roadblock between him and the next hallway, Sora eventually latched onto one of its discarded weapons and hammered it flat in the face… once he managed to pull it off the floor, anyway.

After passing through one last hall, he soon caught sight of a winged balcony hanging high above him and a glass ceiling that revealed a dim yellow glow behind the clouds. He knew this place, and when he found no more Nobodies creeping out of the woodworks, Sora heaved a great big sigh and brushed his hand against his forehead.

I think we lost 'em, Ven. You doing okay?

"Well, I guess it could be worse." He sighed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you got a chance to talk to Naminé, but…"

The corners of Sora's mouth sagged. You're worried about your friend, aren't you?

"Wouldn't you be too? You've gotta understand, Sora. When I went to sleep, I thought my friends would be safe. If I could just destroy the χ-blade, then they'd make it out okay, even if I… well, didn't."

Huh? Sora blinked. Wait, you were trying to destroy a Keyblade?

"…It's kinda complicated. And I guess I'm just worried that Terra really did become a different person like Vanitas said he would."

Most of that went over Sora's head, but he still got the gist of Ven's words. That kinda warning would've definitely stuck with Sora if he were in Ven's shoes. A friend becoming someone else… Was it even possible? As he mulled it over, Sora pushed himself up on his feet and crossed his arms.

I don't know who this Vanitas guy is, Ven, but we'll never know for sure unless we talk to him ourselves. All we've gotta do is figure out where he's hiding and—

A low chuckle from behind sent Sora's thoughts grinding to a halt, while his back bent forward and he clenched his jaw tight.

"Ven? How intriguing… After all, we're the only ones here."

That voice nearly made his eyes pop out of his skull. He squeezed his fists so tight that his claws dug into his palms, and when he saw the fringe of grayish hair behind him, he catapulted himself across the room and towards the nearest doorway. Teeth chattering, he darted as fast as his limbs could carry him, not even sparing Zexion another glance. The fact that he understood Sora just barely registered. And did it really matter right now? Any time he wasted gave that wannabe bloodhound another chance to…

Zexion's fingers snapped, and Sora felt his head drift off like a hot air balloon. The blues and greys surrounding him melted together, and he skidded to a complete stop, yanked by what felt like strings. It all felt too familiar to a point where his stomach twisted and a coldness spread throughout his body. Teeth gnashing, he managed to lift his hands up from the floor and take two slow, heavy steps closer to the doorway, even though he felt as if somebody or something had seized him by the hood of his jacket.

"Persistent as ever, I see." Zexion smirked, strolling out in front of him. He brought a hand to his chin, eyes locked on Sora's. "Unfortunately, you will find that I'm equally tenacious. Moreover, given your assistance in the Keybearer's plight, I imagine you hold quite a bit of information regarding his whereabouts, among other things…" His smirk broadened. "Information that may very well benefit the Organization."

No. No! Sora pulled his hands to his head, claws pressing into his scalp. There was no way he'd tell that creep a single word about Riku! Even if, maybe, it wouldn't be so bad… right? No, wait. Of course it'd be bad! Yet despite knowing the risks, he could already hear the words formulating in his head, all the details about Twilight Town, the mansion, Riku's plans to join forces with the Replica. A part of him wanted to give it all away. To submit. He felt the strength practically radiating from Zexion as he towered over him.

But one peep could ruin everything. How could he risk failing Riku all over again?

Whipping his head from side to side, Sora thrashed his claws through the air and jerked towards Zexion with a scowl. The dark wisps rising from his arms and back shot up like a newly lit flame, and he bent his knees, half tempted to charge straight through him.

Forget it. I'm not telling you a thing!

"Oh?" Zexion raised an eyebrow. "How unfortunate. After all, it would be far simpler if you cooperated."

Sora huffed. Too bad for you. I'd never turn on Riku like that.

"Never? That's quite a bold claim." He flung his arm outward, pointing at Sora's chest. "As I recall, you had no trouble betraying him before. You foolishly aligned yourself with a witch in the selfish pursuit of heroism. You doubtlessly led to countless worlds' demise by fueling Riku's uncertainty and allowing him to leave the door to darkness open…"

A breeze whipped through Sora's hair. The lights in the room dimmed, while a cloud cover concealed the moon. Everything from the floor to the balcony and even the ceiling shifted into solid black. Even Zexion vanished, though Sora could still hear his chilling laugh. His eyes searched the room, following the sound, but no matter where he turned, only yellow eyes greeted him, each one bulging out of the ground. Massive clawed hands hoisted Neoshadows into plain sight. A swarm of them circled in on Sora, staring blankly at him. Twitching.

"Perhaps the form of a Heartless truly does suit you best. Like them, you helplessly obeyed Maleficent's commands. And like them, you've caused nothing but prolonged suffering…"

Maybe he had before, but he'd learned since then! He'd changed. Bristling, Sora spun around, slicing each and every Neoshadow in half. They all collapsed and sank into the surrounding darkness, but more yellow eyes blinked open. More Neoshadows approached, raising their claws. Hissing, Sora bombarded them with green flames, but that hardly held them back for long. More and more emerged, pushing him back. Swarming him. All the while, Zexion continued to speak.

"Deep down, I'm certain you still feel the pull towards the Keyblade and hunger for freshly beating hearts. Even with your mind, you are still a mere creature of darkness. Why fight what is only natural? Your friends would never accept you as you are."

With one more swipe of his claws, all the Heartless toppled over, leaving Sora alone again. He half expected more yellow eyes to sprout up from the shadows, but instead, he heard two sets of approaching footsteps. The first figure's puffy, blue waders and yellow top with its overlapping straps stood out like a sore thumb. The same could be said for his shoulder-length silver hair. A shell good luck charm swayed with each step, and one of his gloved hands squeezed the handle of his Keyblade. Just about a foot behind him, Sora spotted Kairi's red hair, and white tank top.

Gasping, Sora pushed himself into an upright stance and stared at his approaching friends. But while a part of him wanted to dash straight up to him, he stopped, bristling. This wasn't right. Why would either of his friends show up here of all places? Plus, neither one of 'em smiled as they saw him. As Riku drew closer, his expression tensed into a grimace, and the Keyblade shook in his grip. About two feet away, he stopped, sneered, and pointed the Keyblade's tip at Sora's chest, while Kairi shuddered and averted her eyes. Just watching their reactions made Sora shrink back, cringing.

"Look at what you've become," said Riku. "You're not my friend anymore! You're just a pawn of the darkness."

"Do something, Riku! Before he tears out both our hearts!"

The words stung, and he backed away without meaning to. It didn't matter if it was fake. Their faces, their voices… What if they really felt that way when their paths finally met again? H looked down at his clawed hands, ran his tongue across the tips of his teeth… Both reminders of how much he'd changed. Even worse, both Riku and Kairi seemed to loom over him now, standing like skyscrapers, while he felt like a puny mouse. Raising his Keyblade with one sweep of his arms, Riku bolted his way, ready to attack!

But there was another flaw in this illusion, one that became crystal clear as the image of Riku drew nearer. Sure, Kairi's charm shook with each pounding footstep, but what the heck happened to the necklace Sora gave him? Grinning, Sora hopped back to his feet, flexed his claws, and tore toward the approaching 'Riku'.

If Zexion had actually done his homework, maybe his little trick would've worked. Instead, he created a glaring opening in his mirage, an opening that Sora dove into head first. Once he reached the phony Riku he formed an X with both his arms before slamming his eyes shut and clawing straight through him. A sharp gasp in an entirely different voice proved his suspicions, and when he turned around he found himself standing right below the balcony again with Zexion hunched over on his knees.

"How… could this be?"

Panting like a helpless mutt, he gripped at the front of his cloak. His visible eye twitched, and he sluggishly stood back up. Breathing in and out, he dusted off the front of his coat before straightening his back.

"So even my illusions failed to dissuade you."

Sora threw back his shoulders and lifted his chin. Well, they were pretty lousy. You didn't even get your facts straight!

"So I see." His fists tightened. "Unfortunately for you, my patience has grown thin…"

He raised one of his arms, palm facing Sora. A crooked smirk worked its way across his face, while a thorny mist wrapped around his finger tips. As his weapon started to form, Sora's back arched, and he raised his claws, bracing himself for the inevitable fight. However, as the mist took on the shape of a humungous rectangle. With his eyes glued to Zexion's hand, he watched the smog subside. Then he caught what looked like a huge stack of pages pinned together by a solid black cover. At that moment, all his anxieties fluttered away, and he muffled his laughter with one of his hands. Zexion really gonna fight him with a book? What was he gonna do, lecture him to death?

As if to answer that internal question, Zexion flicked his wrist, and the book hovered out in front of him and flipped wide open. The pages started flipping at lightning speed, and Sora felt his feet dragging across the floor, pulled by a tremendous pulling force. It snapped him outta his laughing fit, and he flipped around, picking up speed. Yet no matter how fast he moved his legs, he continued to accelerate backwards.

Even the spikes of his hair bent back towards the book. Teeth chattering, he slammed his claws into the ground and tried pinning himself in place, but he soon felt his feet leave the floor. Then his claws. Flailing his arms, he jerked his body forward, then sideways. Nothing worked. Soon his surroundings all blurred. The rapid page flipping now sounded like a wasp's buzzing. The pages enclosed on him from the sides. In a last-ditch escape effort, he spewed flames out of his palms.

Then the book slammed shut.

TO BE CONTINUED