A/N: The Castle Oblivion story arc begins! If there are any "Chain of Memories" fans that happen to be reading this story, I hope you enjoy my take of this mysterious location. The plans of all the factions are finally being put into motion. Enjoy, my readers!
Scene 28: Treason
Today was the day.
A tense air hung over The Castle That Never Was, and the various members shot suspicious glances at each other. Everyone *knew* that something big was going to happen today. No one wanted to be the one to say it out loud.
In the bowels of the Castle, the inner circle of the Organization was holding a final meeting before this critical mission. Saix, Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion were discussing their roles for the upcoming assignment.
"I will remain behind," Saix stated. "The Superior wants me there to delegate for the agents at Castle Oblivion."
"Obviously, I will be the leader of the team of agents at Castle Oblivion," Vexen said arrogantly. "As such, I will have full reign of the castle."
"As a reminder, Marluxia is the one that the Superior assigned as leader," Lexaeus said. "This is a nominal title, but we must pretend it matters long enough to expose Marluxia's treachery."
"Honestly, Number Five. I do not see why we should give these traitors any special treatment for trying to take over our organization," Vexen said.
"If we make them believe we underestimate them, they will be the ones to let their guard down," Zexion explained. "That's why Lexaeus and I will occupy the basement floors, to prepare our weapon against them in secret."
"Zexion. Before you do that, there is a task that the Superior has assigned to you," Saix said. "It's about the human. You are to extract all that he knows... by any means necessary."
Zexion nodded. "Understood."
It was time.
In Namine's bright white room, Jason zipped up the black cloak for what he hoped would be the last time, and mentally reviewed all that he needed to do today.
The Keyblade Wielder that every faction of the Organization wanted for one reason or another was going to enter the front doors of Castle Oblivion. Once he arrived, a representative of each faction would try to win him over.
Jason was the representative for Marluxia and his coup, or at least the first one. From one human to another, Jason would negotiate with the Keyblade Wielder. Apparently, Namine would take over after that.
Meanwhile, Larxene was planning to use more "extreme" measures in case the initial attempts failed. Jason hoped it wouldn't come to that — there was no telling what would happen if Larxene faced off against the Keyblade Wielder.
"This is it, Namine. Today is the day that you finally leave this mansion," Jason said, putting a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "Can you be a brave for a little longer?"
"I'll try," Namine said, clutching her sketchbook to her chest. "I've never seen any people besides you, Marluxia and Larxene. And yet, because of my powers, I have seen through his eyes."
Jason remembered that Namine had discussed seeing different worlds before. "Then once we get the Keyblade Wielder on our side, maybe he can take you to those worlds himself."
Namine smiled. "That would be nice."
"Hurry up, already! If you keep me waiting any longer, I am going to leave without you!" Larxene shouted from the main hall.
"That's our cue to leave." Today would likely be his toughest challenge as an intermediary yet. Everything hung in the balance: the coup that Marluxia and Larxene had spent so long planning, as well as Namine and Jason's freedom.
Jason stepped through the Dark Corridor, finally laying eyes on Castle Oblivion for the first time. It was a curious place - much like Namine's room, the walls were pure white. According to the intel that Jason received, there were thirteen floors, and twelve underground floors.
Why does a place as large as this exist? It seemed like half the Organization was inhabiting this castle for one reason or another. So there had to be something special here.
"Looks like this is where we part ways, at least for now," Larxene said, leaning towards Jason's face. "Our target is going walk through the front doors any moment now. You won't let me down, right?"
"Of course not. I can only hope that I can surpass your expectations," Jason said, leaning forward to kiss Larxene lightly on the lips.
"Come on now, little one. Let's make sure there's no way our plan will fail," Larxene said, giggling. With that, the two blondes disappeared through a Dark Corridor.
Jason gripped his bo staff. If negotiations went south, he was ready to defend himself. The moment the front doors opened, events would be set in motion that could not be stopped.
"So you're betraying the Organization."
The sound of Zexion's voice came from behind Jason. The next second, the entire room was plunged into darkness.
"So you figured it out, Zexion," Jason said, not even turning around.
"It's not as if you were that intelligent in the first place," Zexion said, his voice echoing everywhere in the room. "Still, if you have knowledge of the coup, I will learn it."
Zexion's power, as far as Jason knew, was centered around illusions. So there was no point in trying to move or do anything; Jason couldn't trust his eyes anymore.
So instead, Jason sat down, cross-legged, and closed his eyes. "You do what you must do, Zexion. I hope you won't begrudge me for doing what I must, too."
"I can't begrudge you, Jason. After all, I am a Nobody - I do not feel emotions at all," Zexion said. "I have my mission, to make sure the traitors are stopped here and now, and I will accomplish it."
Jason didn't respond. At the moment, he was sinking deep into his mind, syncing up with the center of his being…
On the different floors of Castle Oblivion, there were rooms that the Organization was using to monitor the situation. Larxene, Marluxia, and Namine were in one such room, keeping an eye on a crystal ball.
So Larxene saw when Zexion showed up, and used his illusion powers to seal Jason inside of a book. Larxene clenched her fists, lightning crackling around them.
"That stupid bookworm did not just decide to meddle right in the middle of our plans! I am going to personally show him a world of pain!" Larxene shouted, already opening a portal.
"Hold on, Larxene," Marluxia said, as Namine recoiled in fear. "We cannot afford to miss the entrance of the Keyblade Wielder."
"But if we don't get Jason out of that book, he won't be able to talk to the brat!" Larxene yelled.
"I will be the one to talk to him," Marluxia said, opening a portal. "And as for the human… he wants to fight the Organization himself. If he cannot escape Zexion, then he deserves his fate."
With that, Marluxia walked through the portal, leaving Larxene and Namine alone in the room.
"I can't believe this. Why am I not surprised that annoying people are crawling out of nowhere at the last possible minute!" Larxene ranted, firing bolts of lightning at the walls.
Namine made a small noise. "I don't know if I should say anything," she said from her chair. "But Jason is safe. He's trapped in a pocket dimension, but he's come to no harm."
"And what good is he going to do inside of a pocket dimension?" Larxene asked, raising an eyebrow at Namine.
"Well, I think... you should believe in Jason," Namine said softly, doodling in her sketchbook. "Believe he'll be able to escape on his own."
"You don't know what you're talking about, little one," Larxene scoffed. "We're Nobodies. And even if I could, I wouldn't do something as stupid as 'believe'."
Namine didn't have a response to that. Larxene despised just standing around, so she opened a portal again and walked through it.
When Jason opened his eyes, he was inside of the Station of Delusion. The area was in a worse state than ever. Purple darkness was swarming around the glass pane, and Shadow Jason was standing in the center of it all.
"What is going on here?" Jason asked, horrified at the darkness grabbing at his legs.
"In case you're wondering, Zexion is not responsible for this," Shadow Jason said. "This is happening because of this castle."
"So Castle Oblivion does have special properties. What is it doing to me?" The darkness was rising in pillars, but none touched Dark Jason.
"This place affects memories. And your true memories are fighting to break out." Dark Jason's yellow eyes flashed. "Even as you fight to repress your memories."
"I'm not fighting to repress my memories!" Jason shouted, but as soon as he said that, the darkness gripped onto his legs.
"Of course you would be stubborn. Then again, that's why I'm here." Dark Jason paced circles around Jason. "After all, I am all your repressed memories. I only exist because you refuse to acknowledge me."
"So that's what you are?" From the beginning, this apparition had knowledge of Jason that no one else should know, but its exact nature eluded him.
Now that Jason learned the true nature of this other half, he had a feeling he knew what to do. Taking a deep breath, green energy poured forth from Jason. The darkness receded away from him, and Dark Jason's eyes narrowed.
"I think I know what memories I'm repressing," Jason said. He started to walk towards his doppelganger. "The only things I know I've forgotten recently are about Selena."
"And do you even know who that is?" Dark Jason asked. He sent waves of darkness at Jason. The boy responded by spinning his bo staff in front of him, deflecting the darkness right back.
"No, I don't remember who that is, just yet. But if her Nobody was anything to go by…" Jason closed his eyes. "Then she is someone special to me. So I am done running from this!"
"Then face me! Reclaim the memories you rejected, once and for all!" Dark Jason walked towards its other half, the darkness swirling around intensifying. At the same time, Jason did not stop his own advance, green energy purifying any darkness it came in contact with.
When they met in the center, Jason looked right into his doppelganger's yellow eyes. Their respective energies danced in spirals towards the infinite sky above them. For a moment, neither of them said anything.
"...It's my fault, isn't it? That's the only reason I can think of why I would repress my memories of what happened to Selena," Jason finally said. "Whatever made her disappear, it was because of me."
"Yes. You've been running from this reality for so long now," Dark Jason said. "Haven't you wondered why you started to poke your nose into business outside of Twilight Town? How Xigbar came to track down your family in the first place?"
"No. But if I'm going to find Selena… if I'm going to face Xigbar… I am going to face this truth, without flinching," Jason said, his eyes filled with determination. "I am ready to learn what I did!"
"Then we will have our first, and final battle. Either you embrace every part of yourself… or you will break utterly!" Dark Jason closed his eyes, and his body began to unravel. Then, Dark Jason merged with Jason, which caused the latter to scream.
The darkness going inside of him was causing Jason more pain than he ever felt in his life. He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. Even still, Jason did his best to hold on.
The darkness that had obscured the stained glass pane was now rushing towards Jason, and as it consumed him, more of his body was being stained. And when the last of the darkness had reached him —
"Jason, what do you think is inside of the abandoned mansion?" Selena asked.
"I don't know. I tried to talk with my parents about it, but apparently they didn't have an idea. They told me it's been empty since they were kids," Jason answered.
"But it must have been built by someone. There must have been people inside of it at some point," Selena said, looking in the direction of the crack in the town wall. "I want to meet them! I want to know what they're like."
"But Selena, everyone knows each other in Twilight Town," Jason pointed out. "If anyone lived in the mansion, we would have met them by now."
"Then that means if I find anyone suspicious looking, then they'll be the ones that live in there!" Selena exclaimed, grinning. "I'm going to be the one to finally solve this mystery."
"You can go ahead and do that. And I'll be waiting when you need to give up and go home," Jason said, getting ready to go home himself.
"You aren't coming with me, Jason?" Selena asked, looking over at her friend.
"I'm tired. If you want to go on an adventure with me, then I can go with you tomorrow," Jason said.
"You don't need to wait up on me! I'm going to make a preliminary investigation, and tell you all about it tomorrow," Selena said. "So see you then, Jason!"
Selena ran off. Sighing at the sight of her retreating, Jason headed back home. It was only a matter of time until Selena would come back home and need to be patched up from her latest reckless endeavor.
"Except… that was the last time I saw her. Selena never came back after that."
Jason opened his eyes, then looked around. All the darkness had finally disappeared, revealing the glass pane in full: the stained glass depicted Jason on a light green background, with Twilight Town's clock tower behind him.
The stained glass was no longer cracked, either, showing six whole circles on the perimeter of the glass. Three of them were filled: One with Eileen, one with Larxene, and now one with Selena.
"Now I remember everything. When Selena disappeared, I started looking into why it happened. I went to the old mansion more often, I asked Eileen for help," Jason muttered to himself. "That's when she began to train me in magic. A few months after that, Xigbar attacked."
At a glance, these events seemed like a series of unfortunate coincidences. Knowing what he knew, however, Jason knew they were all connected. That day, when he didn't accompany Selena… he set all these events in motion.
"And now, I am going to put an end to this. Once I topple the Organization, I will find Selena and take her back home!" Now, the entire stained glass started shining, blinding Jason…
"Hello there, Larxene. I assume you are here for this?" Zexion asked, floating a black book above his head.
"That's where you're wrong. I am here to make you pay for making me angry," Larxene said, scowling. "And I'm going to do it nice and slow."
Larxene immediately fired off lightning bolts at Zexion, but they phased right through him. Then Zexion vanished, before multiple duplicates of him appeared around the room.
"How hopelessly rash of you. You should know my powers by now, Larxene," the many Zexions said. "And yet you attack the first thing you see."
"Cute trick. But I can do it too!" Larxene split up into after images of herself, and each of them went after a different Zexion. They all vanished, one by one, but none of them were the real Zexion.
"You can't keep that up forever! When I find you, you are going to regret it," Larxene said, fury burning on her face.
"Your words are as empty as we are. Of course, it does not matter what you do," Zexion said. "I am already fulfilling my role here."
This battle was going nowhere fast. And Larxene wasn't stupid- she noticed that Zexion never once tried to attack her back. "You… you're just wasting my time!"
"About time you noticed. Yes, we won't allow you to get your hands on our Keyblade Wielder." The scorn in Zexion's voice was clear. "Instead, your treason will be rewarded as you deserve."
As long as Zexion was using his powers, there was no way to know if Larxene's attacks were doing anything. If she had the smallest sign of which Zexion was the real one...
At that moment, a green light started shining. And not near any of the illusion Zexions. Instead, it was near a corner of the room, separated from everything else.
"There you are!" Without hesitating a second, Larxene dashed towards the green light, stabbing out with her knives.
And they sank straight into Zexion's gut. The rest of the illusion copies vanished, and Zexion's body went limp. Larxene quickly sent more knives at the black book floating above Zexion.
The book exploded, dumping Jason on the ground. "About time you showed up," Larxene said. "Couldn't you have done your light show at the start of the fight?"
"I suppose that was the friendliest reaction that I could have expected." Jason turned towards Zexion. "Is he dead?"
"No, he's not dead. You've seen a Nobody die before- Organization members die like that too, or at least that's what I've been told."
Jason hadn't actually seen Selena's Nobody die, but he did remember Vexen saying that it had been destroyed. So it seemed Nobodies vanished completely when they died. As Jason was mentally making note of that, Larxene sent electricity through her knives, jolting Zexion into consciousness. "Start talking, and I may finish you off quickly."
"You don't get it. The moment that you stepped into Castle Oblivion, you already fell into our trap. You aren't leaving this place alive... any of you."
"That's not acceptable!" Larxene shocked Zexion again, but the only reaction was a small smirk appearing on Zexion's face. He turned towards Jason.
"Do you remember our mission to Olympus Coliseum? I believe you expressed shock that I would throw my life away so casually," Zexion said.
"I do remember that. But why are you bringing that up now?" Jason asked.
"Because Nobodies are not really alive. We do not really exist. So I've always been ready to face my end at any given moment." With that, darkness suddenly burst forth from Zexion, and in the next instant his body started to fade away.
"You're not going to get away so easily! Jason, do something!" Larxene yelled.
Jason pointed his staff at Zexion, and showered him with healing energy, but it didn't have any effect. Zexion closed his eyes, and his body faded and left nothing in its place.
"I can't believe it. This is how the Organization operates- even the top members see themselves as disposable," Jason said, horrified.
"Hmph. He even robbed us of the satisfaction of beating him ourselves. How annoying," Larxene scoffed. She opened a Dark Corridor. "Still, we're going to prove him wrong. Get in there, and meet the Keyblade Wielder!"
"Got it." Jason couldn't afford to linger on what just happened, so he walked through the portal.
It led back to the entrance hall, and as soon as Jason stepped out of the portal, the front doors opened. Walking inside was an unusual trio- a short duck, a dog-like person, and a small, brown-haired kid holding what was undeniably a Keyblade.
"Who are you?" the brown-haired kid asked.
"My name is Jason Darnell. You must be this 'Keyblade Wielder' I've been hearing so much about," Jason said.
"Sure am! My name is Sora."
A/N: Sora has entered the scene! The Keyblade Wielder has now met Jason, human of the Organization. I hope everyone looks forward to how events unfold from here. See you next time! Please review.