Hello! That wait wasn't nearly as long this time, right? I'm so happy to be writing this again.

Thank you SO much for all the kind reviews. I know I'm still not good at replying lol but I'm gonna try to get back to doing that! I appreciate every one so much, it really helped get me motivated again to keep this story going. So thank you.

Okay, this chapter makes me nervous, because it's a moment you've all been waiting for for, uh… a long time now. We're finally going to see what Sora saw in his test. I really hope you enjoy — I've had this scene planned for so long, and it was very satisfying to finally write it out.

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A GOOD AMOUNT OF BLOOD.

I guess that's all so… here we go!

"He noticed, without understanding, how the flames were visible now against the dull light. Evening was calm, not with calm beauty but with the threat of violence."

― William Golding, Lord of the Flies

Chapter 19: Sticky

Sora had been pacing practically since the ship took off, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed so deeply that Aila thought chances were getting high that he would have a permanent deep wrinkle if he ever unfurrowed it again. He had started talking a handful of times, only to lapse right back into silent pacing before getting more than a word or two out. At some point Goofy had suggested they move to the kitchen, since none of them had eaten in quite some time and hunger only compounded stress, but no matter the room, Sora still paced.

"You're making me dizzy," Donald grumbled, drumming his fingers on the table as he watched Sora through half lidded eyes.

"You're making me nervous," Aila sighed, leaning back in her chair, the toast she'd made only half eaten and abandoned on a plate before her. "Come on, just spit it out already."

"I—!" Sora began again, stopping his pacing only to run a hand heavily through his hair. "…I don't know what I should tell you."

"Hm, yer kinda actin' like how Aila acts when she knows somethin' we don't," Goofy mused, resting his chin in his palm as he leaned against the table.

"Kinda," Donald agreed with a huff.

"But I know things that haven't happened yet," Aila pointed out, getting increasingly annoyed by Sora's stalling. "The Sleeping Worlds were in the past, right? So what is there to keep secret? Just because I don't remember—"

"That's the point," Sora mumbled mutedly. He crossed his arms, staring at a spot on the kitchen floor. "Maybe some memories… are better left unremembered."

"That's not your call," Aila argued. "If you saw something important then I deserve to know what it is. I don't remember anyway, so even if it's bad, it'll just be like any other information."

Sora hesitated before finally looking up at her. "I'm worried that if I do tell you, then you might really remember, though."

Aila sighed and rolled her head back, staring at the ceiling as she thought that over. Whatever Sora had seen definitely wasn't good. But… she was starving for information about who she'd been before being sent away from these worlds. She couldn't imagine what was so bad that Sora didn't want to tell her. Maybe it had something to do with what happened to her birth parents? So far she'd found no record of them at all, like Ansem just hadn't taken notes on them or something, which seemed very unlike him. She'd thought about it a lot over the past couple months, and she kind of assumed that something bad must have happened to them. Mickey had said that Ansem had always told him she and her siblings were only visiting him when they were young, but eventually it seemed like they weren't just visiting anymore. Had he adopted them after some catastrophe?

"Maybe… you can start tellin' us what you saw," Goofy began, "an' if Aila doesn't wanna hear any more, she can tell ya to stop."

"That's a good compromise," Donald nodded. He looked at Sora. "I understand that you want to protect Aila from something painful, but she's right, she deserves to know what that something is, if she wants to."

Sora thought for a few more seconds, seeming very conflicted, before finally sighing and collapsing into his chair at the table. He ran a hand over his eyes and then along his chin, seeming to ruminate over his words very carefully. "…You aren't the only one I met there."

"Who else?" Aila asked softly, half excited and half nervous that Sora had finally stopped his incessant pacing.

"Well… there was one guy named Even, who I didn't recognize. He was with you when I first ran into you. But then…" He glanced at Aila nervously. "Xigbar showed up."

Donald and Goofy gasped, while Aila accidentally slammed her wrist into the side of the table she was so shocked. She hissed in pain before grounding out a stilted, "I'm sorry, what?!"

"He kept saying he was called something else. Braig, I think. I guess it was before he was a Nobody…"

"You're saying I knew him?"

"Yeah. You didn't seem to like him, though."

"Well obviously! I hate that guy!"

"Axel did say that Xigbar was one o' the ones that woulda woken up in Radiant Garden, so I guess it makes sense that he lived there too," Goofy pointed out. "Along with, uh, who else?"

"Axel, Saïx, Xigbar, Xaldin, Lexaeus, Vexen, and Zexion," Aila recited, recalling who Axel had said had been recompleted in the lab with him.

"Oh, yeah, I met Axel and Saïx too," Sora recalled. "I don't think you knew them, though. They seemed like they were around our age now." He paused. "I don't know some of those names, are those all Organization members?"

"Yeah, you just forgot some of them because of Naminé," Aila explained. She massaged her still stinging wrist idly, starting to feel a little nervous. "What did Axel say their non-Nobody names were…? Ummm… I think Dilan, Aeleus, and… Ienzo? And I think he said Even was Vexen." She looked at Donald and Goofy. "Was that right?" They both shrugged.

"Ienzo?" Sora repeated, the color draining from his face a little. "And if Even is Vexen, then…" His expression darkened. "The Organization knew who you were this whole time. That's why they were so interested in you…"

Aila bit the inside of her cheek, Sora's tone setting her on edge a bit more. "So, a lot of them lived in Radiant Garden too. So what? I was like, what, five? I was just some little kid. It's not like they'd have any reason to notice me way back then."

"You weren't just some little kid," Sora muttered. "They knew about Celina. I mean, half of them…" He hesitated again. "…Half of them worked for Ansem. All of his assistants, at least from what I saw, must have ended up in the Organization."

Dread began to pool in Aila's stomach. "…All of them?"

"…Yeah. Ansem was betrayed by… everyone."

"Wha… I mean, I knew that Xehanort betrayed him but—" Aila's breath caught as she realized who she'd been forgetting. "…Does this mean… I knew Xehanort, too?"

Sora seemed to be trying very hard not to look at Aila anymore. "Yes." He winced and placed a hand over his eyes. "Ah…"

"Sora!" Donald exclaimed, leaning toward his friend.

"You okay?" Goofy asked, placing a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"Sorry, I… I can't stop seeing…" He finally looked at Aila again, the sheen of moisture clinging to his lashes startling her.

Fear spiked in Aila for just a moment, but it was quickly quelled by a thirst for knowledge. Sora saw something important. Something horrible, but important nonetheless. More than anything, she wanted to know where she came from, good or bad. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever he said next.

"Sora… what did you see?"

KHKHKHKHKH

Sora was puzzled.

He had been wandering around Radiant Garden for at least ten minutes now, but it was like no one was home. Literally, he'd even knocked on a few doors! There had been a few times when he'd thought he'd seen someone in the distance, but by the time he got to them, it was like they'd just… vanished.

"This is… really weird," he mused aloud, crossing his arms over the big white X on the front of his shirt. "How am I supposed to wake this world up if there's no one here to help?"

"You really are a slow one, aren't you."

Sora jumped, turning and summoning his Keyblade on instinct. "You!" he accused, glaring at the white haired stranger before him. "Quit following me around!"

The mysterious stranger lifted a brow. "Well, if you would stop straying off the path laid out before you, maybe I wouldn't need to keep giving you a helpful push."

Sora's lips tightened into a line. This guy gave him a really bad vibe. He hadn't outright attacked Sora, but he'd been showing up and spewing really cryptic stuff on every Sleeping World so far, not to mention the fact that he'd shown up with Xemnas in the last one! Sora didn't even know Xemnas was still alive, so what, was he a ghost?! And this dude was wearing an Organization coat. All bad signs. "Keep your 'help' to yourself," Sora huffed. "I can figure this test out without any pushes from someone shady like you."

"Is that so," the stranger quipped, his lips twitching up like Sora had just told some kind of joke. "Well, then what are you doing wandering around out here like some common lost child?"

Sora's glare deepened a little. This guy couldn't be that much older than he was. Though, Sora supposed, he looked about two years younger than usual right now… but still! Being called a child by someone who was maybe still a teen themselves ticked him off.

"This place has already shown you where you need to go," the stranger continued, not waiting for Sora to answer his previous question. "Why are you resisting?"

"Huh?" Sora asked, his stance relaxing a bit as confusion momentarily pushed his suspicion away. "What are you talking about?"

The stranger shook his head and sighed. "I thought you cared more about your friends than this. Are you really going to just leave that girl to fend for herself? How very heartless of you."

Sora's brow furrowed. "Are you… talking about Aila?"

The stranger smirked. "I thought you didn't want my help?"

Sora's expression hardened again and he dropped back into a fighting stance. "Whatever you're up to, leave her out of it."

"Oh, I'm not interested in involving her at all," the stranger shrugged. "But the other me's… well, they all seem to have different ideas. Funny how that happens over time. But even if I wanted to, I couldn't stop what happened here today."

What the heck was this guy going on about?! "Just say what you mean!"

"I even made sure to remember those two so they could tell you to look into it," the stranger sighed. Sora was so lost. What two? "The ones you know as Axel and Saïx," the stranger said. Sora jumped a little. That timing had been weird… this guy couldn't read his mind, could he? He didn't like the idea of this weirdo being in his head. "Come now, Sora, think. You must be at least somewhat capable of that. What did they talk to you about?"

Sora hesitated. "…About… kids at the castle. Aila and Danny."

"So? Why aren't you looking into that?"

"Because… I need to find the keyhole, I need to wake this world up and finish the test."

The stranger scoffed. "Please. Don't bother lying to me, Sora. You're avoiding the path laid out in front of you on purpose."

"Wha? No I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

Sora opened his mouth to protest again, but his voice seemed to fail him. His heart gave a nervous thud, and suddenly he knew… he was avoiding going after Aila. She was one of the only people he'd managed to find on this world, but for some reason, he just didn't want to go into the castle. But why not? Why wouldn't he go after her?

"Because you're afraid of what you might see."

And how did this guy know that before Sora himself had even realized it…?

"Can't you feel it? Something in the air… It is absolutely thick with darkness and foreboding." The stranger took a deep, savoring breath before smiling and turning away. "I'll make things simpler for you. There is no keyhole for you to find here. In fact, this place isn't sleeping at all. You've just taken a momentary detour — don't worry, you'll return to your test shortly. Quite shortly, in fact. So I suggest you hurry. You wouldn't want to miss what I went through so much trouble to show you."

Sora let his Keyblade fall to his side, his mind reeling. "Who are you, exactly?"

The stranger glanced over his shoulder, his yellow eyes twinkling with a cruel mirth that made Sora's insides churn. "You'll find out soon enough." He turned away again, lifting a hand to make a dark portal. "Because you've gone and wasted so much time, I went ahead and deleted the castle's guards for you. But still, do try not to get caught by anyone else. It would be such a shame for you not to be there for a friend in such a dire time of need. After all, if not you, then who can she count on in this lifetime?" He stepped through the portal, leaving Sora alone with that final thought.

"Aila…?" Sora whispered, glancing toward the castle's spires. His insides tightened, a cold sense of dread pooling in his stomach. Something bad was about to happen, and something in him knew it. That guy was right — Sora had avoided following Aila into the castle on purpose, whether he'd realized it or not. He mentally kicked himself. How could he not go after Aila if something bad was about to happen to her? He had to help her!

He took off at a run, his focus solely on finding Aila now. Where had that guy taken her? Aila had mentioned something about "down there" so it must be somewhere on a lower level, at least. The emptiness of the town became more and more eery as Sora neared the castle gates, which were unguarded, just like the stranger had promised they'd be. Sora quickly unlocked them and hurried inside, slipping through the castle's doors shortly after just as easily.

The silence inside was somehow even heavier than it had been outside, Sora's own breathing sounding much too loud by comparison as he took a moment to orient himself. The light in the castle was strangely dim, as if, here too, no one was home. But he'd definitely seen Even and Xigbar take Aila in here, right?

Something thumped to his left, the sound echoing eerily down the deserted hall. Grip tightening on his Keyblade, Sora carefully made his way in the direction the thump had come from, very aware of the way his own footsteps echoed on the polished floor. Another thump led him around a corner, and there, at the end of the hall, he saw the source.

While every other door he'd passed had been shut, the door at the end of the hallway seemed to have been left open, almost as if inviting him to enter. Its brass doorknob bumped the wall and another thump sounded, echoing toward Sora, beckoning him toward the only sound this place seemed capable of making. He idly wondered how the door kept thumping into the wall when the air was so still, but it was just a passing thought that was quickly replaced by another: 'That's where Aila is.'

Had Sora been thinking a bit clearer, he might have asked himself how he knew that with such certainty. But he wasn't, and so he didn't, his feet carrying him to the threshold of the door without hesitation. He stopped and peered inside, a long, dark staircase leading down toward what must have been a basement there to greet him. Carefully, he made his way down, blinking against the metallic light that finally began to seep in at the stairway's base. Fluorescent lights lined the ceiling of the metal hallway Sora found himself in, their gentle buzz somewhat comforting after the strange silence of the upper floor.

Sora slowly ventured down this new hallway, glancing at a door on his right as he passed. Lab B-01 it read in dark, indented lettering on its front. Another door a bit further down on the left read Lab B-02, and yet another straight ahead read Lab B-03. Sora raised a brow. He hadn't realized the castle had more labs than the one they'd visited Tron from, though he supposed that room was kind of small… Maybe that room wasn't actually a lab at all, now that he thought about it. Hadn't the only entrance been through the wall in Ansem's office? Not very convenient for anyone else to get to.

He stopped in front of the third lab, wondering if he should be checking inside all of them. That white haired guy had told him not to get caught though, and barging into random doors seemed like a good way to get spotted. Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, he didn't have to wonder on this for long. A child's laughter caught his ear and he turned to his right, the hallway continuing down toward a forth door that Sora hadn't initially noticed. Lab B-04.

This door, unlike the others, was a bit ajar, revealing that the lights inside were on. Sora crept forward, being sure to stay hidden behind the door as he peeked inside.

"Aila, roll it back gently this time."

"Hehe, you gotta catch it, Zo!"

Sora smiled a bit as his eyes landed on little Aila, her pigtails brushing her shoulders as she laughed. She clutched a bright red ball between her hands, its sheen reflecting the many fluorescent lights lining the room's ceiling.

"How can I catch it when you haven't learned how to aim?"

Sora's attention was pulled to a teen boy standing across from Aila, his silver hair falling over his right eye in a way that seemed intentional, leaving only his left eye visible, cerulean and kind. He wore a white lab coat over a dark t-shirt and jeans, which surprised Sora a bit — was he one of Ansem's lab assistants? He was kinda young, maybe mid-teens at most.

"Celina says I'll learn faster if I practice," Aila chirped.

The boy laughed. "Are you sure Celina doesn't just like seeing me get hit in the face?"

Aila paused for a moment, her eyes unfocusing briefly before snapping back to attention. She grinned. "She said that's a 'funny bonus.'" The boy laughed.

"Can't you two keep it down?" a man hissed, and Sora shifted a little to be able to see Even examining something under a microscope at a table on the right side of the room. "Honestly, this is a workplace."

"Sorry, sir," the teen said immediately, wincing a little.

"But you said Ienzo and I could play together," Aila whined lightly, looking crestfallen.

"Well can't you do so quietly?" Even snapped, pulling his eye away from the microscope to jot down a few notes while adding under his breath, "Why are children so irritatingly noisy…"

"Here Aila, let's sit," the teen, who Sora assumed was named Ienzo, said softly, taking a seat on the floor and gesturing for Aila to do the same. "We can roll the ball like this, and it won't make as much noise."

Aila pouted, but followed his lead. "That's not as much fun…" She looked up at Ienzo sadly. "You never have time to play outside anymore."

Ienzo hesitated, and then sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. I've just been so busy, there's… there's so much to learn…" He thought for a moment before smiling. "How about we play tomorrow. We can pick flowers outside the gates if you want."

Aila's expression immediately lit up. "Really?!"

"Well, it has been a long time since I've taken any time off, so maybe if Even is okay with it…" He glanced at Even hopefully.

The man in question snorted, still quite focused on his notes. "You can add half an hour to your lunch break, if you two agree to be quiet for the rest of today."

Aila looked ecstatic. "Okay!"

Even growled. "Is that being quiet?"

Ienzo put a finger to his mouth and motioned for Aila to roll the ball to him, which she did with as quiet a giggle as she could muster. Sora could feel his shoulders relaxing as he watched her. She wasn't in any danger after all. This Even guy seemed like kind of a jerk, but Ienzo seemed nice. But that only served to further Sora's confusion. What was he supposed to do on this world? He frowned, pulling away from the door to think. Axel had mentioned Danny being in the castle too. Maybe he was supposed to find him instead of Aila…?

The sound of a door opening within the room drew Sora's attention back inside, his eyes scanning for the source of the sound. A door in the back left corner had opened, and a scowl immediately settled on Sora's face as Xigbar walked through it.

"Look, I don't wanna question you, but I just don't think it's gonna work. Are you sure you aren't rushing things?"

A second man entered the room a moment later, and Sora's heart dropped. He looked like… Xemnas. Or Xehanort's Heartless. Or both. Though rather than armor or an Organization coat, he too was wearing a white lab coat, same as Ienzo and Even. He and Even even wore matching purple ascots around their necks, like matching uniforms. So… this had to be Xehanort before he was a Heartless or Nobody! Sora's eyes narrowed, knowing that this man would eventually betray Ansem and steal his identity, if he hadn't done that already.

"He is growing… paranoid," Xehanort replied calmly, his deep voice betraying no emotion. "We might lose our chance if we wait any longer."

Xigbar huffed, placing a hand on his hip as he watched Xehanort proceed to a large computer on the left side of the room. "What, you think he's gonna take them away?"

"Precisely."

"Well there are ways to prevent that," Xigbar muttered.

"No more discussion. You know better than to talk so freely." He sent a very quick, almost indiscernible glance in Aila's direction before giving Xigbar a very pointed look.

Xigbar sighed. "Right right, understood, boss man."

Sora glanced at Aila and noticed that she seemed nervous, glancing over her shoulder at the two men every few seconds even as she continued to roll the ball back and forth to Ienzo. Ienzo also seemed to have tensed a bit, though he hid any wariness he was feeling better than the little girl across from him.

Xehanort typed a few things on the computer, the silence lingering for a few moments before he spoke again. "Are you ready for today's tests?"

Sora seemed to be the only one unsure of who Xehanort was addressing with that question, everyone else's eyes snapping to the little girl on the floor.

Aila caught the ball and stared down at it, her little brow creased. "Isn't Mister Ansem coming?"

"You know he is very busy," Xehanort replied, not bothering to look away from the computer. "He asked us to perform a few more tests without him. All very routine."

"R… routine?" Aila parroted, sounding unsure of the word.

"It means normal, ordinary." Xehanort finally turned away from the computer, staring somewhat icily into the back of Aila's tiny head. "I would've thought Celina had finished teaching you such simple words by now. Are you unable to grasp them?"

"Sir, she knows quite a lot for her age…" Ienzo defended lightly, though he quickly ducked his head when Xehanort looked his way. Aila, who now seemed quite nervous, rolled the ball to Ienzo a bit more forcefully than she had been. He wasn't ready for it this time, and before he could catch it, it bounced off his leg and rolled toward the door that Sora was hiding behind. Sora hastily pulled back and hid away from the door's opening, eyeing the ball as it rolled out into the hallway.

"Sorry, I'll get it," Ienzo breathed, and before Sora could make a run for it Ienzo was scuttling out the door. He picked up the ball, stopping to stare down at it for a few moments. Sora couldn't see his expression, but he seemed… on edge, suddenly. Taking a breath, Ienzo turned to the door, and despite Sora's best attempts to mimic wallpaper, he was spotted immediately. Ienzo's visible eye widened, and Sora was sure he was caught.

"Ienzo, is there a problem?" Even called from within the room.

Ienzo hesitated. "No, sir. I, um… the ball rolled farther than I'd expected, it took me a moment to find." He started back toward the room, pausing for just one more second when he was close to Sora. "Get out of here. Now. If you know what's good for you," he whispered hastily before disappearing into the room. Sora was both relieved and baffled by the fact that he hadn't been called out. He waited a few seconds longer before peering into the room again, to give everyone inside time to stop looking at the doorway.

Aila was standing now, Even's hand on her head as she shifted from one foot to another. "Relax, why are you so nervous today?" he asked, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

"I-I dunno, my heart feels rumbly," Aila mumbled, playing with one of her pigtails. "Are you sure Mister Ansem is too busy…?"

"He's got important shit to do," Xigbar snapped. "You get tests done every day, he doesn't need to be there for all of them."

"Someone who isn't a scientist doesn't really need to be here, either," Even sneered back. "Do you even understand what it is we're doing here, or is that insufferable bravado of yours just to mask your below average intellect?"

"What'd you say, you pompous ass?!"

"Enough," Xehanort ordered evenly. "Braig stays."

Xigbar smirked while Even's glare deepened, but he didn't say anything else.

"We don't have all day," Xehanort drawled, gesturing to a circular metal platform on the far end of the room while looking pointedly at Aila. Even tried to steer her toward it, but she resisted slightly.

"C-Celina thinks we should wait for Mister Ansem—"

"For the love of…" Xigbar grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Even glanced at Ienzo, who was stowing the ball away in a drawer on the room's right side. "Boy, come make yourself useful, will you?"

Ienzo glanced between the room's occupants before nodding and hurriedly approaching Aila. He knelt down in front of her, a kind smile on his face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I… I don't know," Aila whispered back. "I want Mister Ansem."

"We can go see him right after this. I know these tests are annoying, but they're always over before you know it, right? We have to make sure you're still on track for growing up big and strong, so you can help a lot of people. You want that, don't you?"

"Y-yeah…" Aila twisted her hands behind her back, still seeming anxious.

Ienzo put a hand on her arm. "These tests never hurt, right?"

Aila hesitated and then shook her head, but a moment later she whispered, "Can we do it without the glass…?"

Ienzo glanced at Xehanort, waiting for an answer.

Xehanort's eyes were hard. "No. It is necessary to perform these tests in a controlled space."

Ienzo's lips pursed a little as he looked back to Aila. "…He's right, it's best to keep everything contained. You don't like the glass?"

Aila shook her head. "It's scary… everything's too quiet in there."

Ienzo nodded understandingly. "I understand. But it's only for a few minutes. Can you go in for just a few minutes, Aila? I'll hold your hand until the glass closes if you want."

There were a few more moments of hesitation before Aila seemed to resign to the fact that she needed to do whatever tests they were talking about. "Okay…"

"Okay," Ienzo repeated, smiling reassuringly at her as he stood. He held out a hand and Aila hurriedly grabbed it, the two of them walking toward the platform together.

"You might want to stand back today," Xehanort breathed to Xigbar, too quiet for the kids to hear. Xigbar shuffled toward the door and Sora hurriedly hid, waiting until he heard the man's footsteps stop before peeking in again. Xigbar and Even had their backs to the door, their bodies just far enough to the right to allow Sora to see Ienzo helping Aila up onto the platform on the other side of the room.

"I don't know what you have on him, but this won't last," Even muttered.

"Whatever do you mean?" Xigbar whispered back, and Sora could hear the smirk in his voice.

"He has no reason to favor you the way he does; my mind is of much more value to this cause than yours. So what, are you blackmailing him?"

Xigbar chuckled softly. "Hey, don't be jealous. Maybe I know more than you give me credit for."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I might let you in on it, someday. Haven't decided if I like you enough yet."

Even scoffed. "You are insufferable."

"Is everyone ready?" Xehanort asked, watching Aila very closely as she finally got situated in the center of the platform. She nervously nodded, and Ienzo flashed her one more reassuring smile before pulling his hand out of hers and taking a step back.

"Take it away, boss," Xigbar crowed. Even huffed.

Xehanort nodded and turned to the computer console. "Then let us begin."

He pressed a button, and a tube of glass rose from the floor of the platform Aila was standing on, rising all the way up to a nearly identical circular metal piece above her head. Various wires and tubes blossomed up from the top of what Sora now recognized as some kind of pod, Aila seemingly trying her best to not look worried from within the tube of glass. Ienzo flashed her a thumbs up. Sora's shoulders tightened, the sense of dread in his stomach returning like a heavy stone dropped into a shallow pond.

"Beginning Test S-001," Xehanort said, pressing a few more buttons.

Ienzo's expression muddied with confusion. "S-001…? Sir, are we starting a new series?"

Xehanort ignored the boy, instead pressing a button on the console that seemed to activate a speaker inside the pod, so Aila could hear him. "Please activate power level one."

Aila lifted her hands and focused, white Light blossoming from her fingertips in delicate wisps. She smiled, her powers seeming to calm her a bit. The computer registered a few numbers that Sora didn't understand and Xehanort typed a few things.

He pressed the speaker button again. "Good. Activate power level five."

Aila hesitated. "Five?" she asked, her little voice echoing from a speaker on the computer console. "B-but five doesn't come after one…"

"We are skipping to five today," Xehanort said matter of factly. Ienzo once again seemed confused, but stayed silent.

Aila's eyes unfocused for a moment like they did when she was communicating with Celina and then she took a deep breath. Her eyes began to glow white, and the Light on her fingertips suddenly traveled all the way up her arms and down her body, pulsing like a heartbeat and casting harsh shadows throughout the room.

"Good," Xehanort said into the speaker, "but not enough."

Aila blinked, her eyes returning to normal as the glow around her faded. "Celina said that was five…"

"And five isn't good enough."

"I… I've never done anything higher than that before…"

"So I will assist you." Xehanort pulled something from his jacket pocket, and it took Sora a second to register that whatever he had produced was… glowing? Wait, that looked familiar…

"Is that… a piece of a Cornerstone?" Ienzo breathed, his eyes widening.

"Very good," Xehanort praised, typing a few things into the computer with his free hand. "Cornerstones of Light have been known to amplify the power of Spirits of Light. Braig managed to track this piece down."

Even sniffed. "I still don't see how a mere fragment is going to be able to amplify anything."

"You knew about this?" Ienzo asked him, seeming more and more wary. "I thought we were just running the usual tests today…"

"You thought wrong," Xehanort replied.

"Celina says we should stop for today!" Aila called, pressing her hands against the glass. Xehanort's finger hadn't been on the button, but it seemed like Celina had recognized the fragment anyway. "She says I'm not ready to get to close to a co-cornered stone, even just a little bit…"

"Nonsense," Xehanort replied before releasing the button to input a few more keystrokes. A tube near the computer opened, and he gently placed the Cornerstone fragment inside. He activated the speaker again. "You aren't just an ordinary host, Aila. Surely with your unique genetic makeup, you can handle this."

"C-Celina says no!" Aila insisted, sounding a bit more panicked.

"I must correct you, however," Xehanort continued, ignoring her protests. "And Even as well. This may be 'just a little bit' of a Cornerstone, a 'mere fragment' on its own. But, with my modifications to the system, I've discovered a way to amplify its power. This little piece, when filtered down into a specific density via a certain amount of pressure, can mimic the power of a fully formed Cornerstone of Light." He turned to look at Aila for the first time since the test started. "Isn't that fascinating? And if this little piece of stone can be amplified, it stands to reason that perhaps we can amplify the power you hold as well. Perhaps all you need is a little bit of pressure yourself."

Aila's demeanor shifted suddenly, her terrified expression morphing into one of anger. "Xehanort! This is not what Ansem and I agreed to. Aila's body cannot withstand a power like you're describing, it will tear her apart!"

"How would you know, Celina? Have you ever tested it?"

"Of course not!"

"Oh dear. Every hypothesis requires practical testing."

Xehanort pressed another button and the tube he'd inserted the piece of Cornerstone into began to glow. Light traveled up the tube and across the ceiling, and finally down into the pod Aila was standing in. She screamed, the sound immediately spurring Sora into action. He yanked the door open and leapt forward, only for his body to freeze mid run. What?!

He felt something pull him backwards, the mysterious white haired guy from before placing an arm around his frozen shoulder once he was back outside the door. "Oh dear, we can't have you interrupting such an important moment," he whispered. Sora tried to move, to yell out, anything, but it was like he was frozen solid. Realization hit him. This guy must have cast Stop on him…! No!

"It's hurting her!" Ienzo was shouting, rushing toward Xehanort. "Sir, stop, she can't take this!"

"Either she will, or she won't," Xehanort replied coldly, seeming entirely unconcerned as Aila continued to scream through the speaker. "At least then we will know."

"Know what?!" Ienzo shouted, glancing wildly between Aila and Xehanort.

"Do you know what always compliments light?" Xehanort asked, as calmly as if he were giving a simple science lecture. "Shadows. In fact, without light, it can be argued that shadows don't really exist. After all, if there was only darkness, what could a shadow be cast from? And so, it is reasonable to hypothesize that one would beget the other. Light can be born from shadow, and shadow can be born from light." He pressed another button, and the glow from the tube increased, as did Aila's screaming. The fluorescent lights in the room began to flicker. "So then, would it not also be reasonable to hypothesize that, were a creature capable of controlling light given enough of that light, they might also be able to control the shadows born with it? Just think. Spirits are meant to bring balance, and yet they themselves aren't balanced at all. But we have been given the perfect opportunity here — these vessels are no ordinary hosts. With their unique makeup, they may just hold the key to true balance. And if we achieve that… Imagine the world we could create together. Unweighted. Unbiased. Perfect."

Ienzo looked panicked, his wide eyes locked onto Aila's writhing form within the glass. She was pulling at her hair, screaming so wildly that her throat sounded like it was being torn apart as the Cornerstone's light was funneled directly into her. He turned back to Xehanort. "But sir—!"

"Ienzo," Even cut in, sounding very stern. "This is why we didn't tell you about today's test. That girl is an experiment, nothing more. I have warned you against growing attached, and yet you continued to do exactly that. Next you'll become attached to a worm we're dissecting, or a flower we spliced just to see how fast it would die. Now, are you going to continue making a scene? Or are you going to do what we've trained you to do, and look toward a greater purpose? There is no room in science for such silly emotional investments. Just look where that's gotten the once great Ansem the Wise."

'Don't listen to him!' Sora pleaded mentally, trying and failing once again to break free from the magic binding him. 'Help her!'

Ienzo seemed torn, dozens of emotions seeming to flash across his face in rapid succession.

"If you choose to interfere, then we will have no use left for you here," Xehanort said bluntly. "I know you are no fool. Ansem the Wise holds no power in this castle anymore. I do. And I will not have traitors living under this roof. You have nowhere else to go. So what will it be? Are you willing to give up the comfort of the only home you've ever known just to interfere with a single experiment?"

Ienzo's expression settled on fear, and he bowed his head. "…I'm sorry, sir. I… will not interfere."

Xehanort nodded. "Good choice." He pressed another button and the glow increased once again, Ailas screams so piercing that the speaker started to blow out.

"Stop, -ease! -elp! Anse-! Danny! Help m-!" Aila's cries were almost indiscernible through the failing speaker, but the pain in her voice still cut through as sharp as ever. The glow within the cylinder was so bright that it had completely obscured her now, only one tiny fist banging desperately on the glass visible every time it connected. "Xeha- stop! You— lling her! STOP!" The lights in the room were sputtering wildly now, blinking in and out like a chorus of rapid, panicked heartbeats.

Sora could feel his heart shattering, his entire body ice cold as Aila's cries sliced deep into him. He should have jumped in sooner! He should have been keeping an eye on the hall, to make sure this stranger didn't sneak up on him! He should have walked in right when he'd gotten here and dragged Aila away, just to be safe! He should have done something, anything! Why had he just stood there, waiting for something to unfold?! And now he was completely helpless! He could have protected her, he should have protected her!

Crackling erupted from the far side of the room as fissures started forming in the tube's glass, the pressure pouring into Aila too great to be withstood.

"The pod is going to fail," Even voiced over Aila's screams.

"I told ya we should've waited til she was older," Xigbar crowed.

"This is my favorite part," the mysterious man next to Sora whispered.

"There," Xehanort said, taking an eager step toward Aila, his eyes focused on the air just outside the tube. At first Sora thought that Aila's power was just seeping out, but then he recognized the way the air was shifting, pooling. It started with sparks of Light that quickly morphed into Darkness, floating white Heartless emerging from the pools. Silver Rocks.

"Is that…?" Even gasped.

"A new breed," Xigbar whistled. "Well what do you know, the old coot was right…"

"I knew it," Xehanort breathed, a smile snaking across his face.

"Sir, the glass isn't going to hold—!" Ienzo tried, reaching toward Xehanort, but no sooner had the words left his mouth did an earsplitting crack echo throughout the room. Everyone recoiled, shielding their faces from any flying glass, but after a few moments they realized it hadn't been necessary. The tube had shattered, but the glass hadn't flown outward, like one would expect from such a strong buildup of pressure. No — something about the power within the tube had pulled it inward, every shattered piece colliding into the center of the tube.

Into Aila.

Had Sora not already been frozen in time, he was sure it would have felt like he was at that moment. The fluorescent lights sparked and shuddered, some only half hanging now, all of them just barely flickering. An alarm was wailing, a flashing red light cascading across the room, but it did nothing to mask the amount of crimson spilling over the edges of the platform and pooling under the crumpled little girl that had stood atop it. Aila had been hit by dozens of shards of razor sharp glass, each piece slicing into her skin and through her clothes, stains blossoming alarmingly quickly on the fabric.

It took Sora a few seconds to realize that Aila had stopped screaming, the wail of the alarm having replaced the sound. But, unfathomably, he almost wished she would start again, because the alternative coming from her was silence.

Deathly still silence.

Footsteps, wild and fast, echoed in the hallway behind Sora, growing louder as they approached. "Let's skip forward a few seconds," the stranger whispered, his arm still around Sora's shoulders. "We wouldn't want to get in his way."

The world blinked, and suddenly someone new was in the room.

Ansem the Wise.

"—ave you done?!" he was bellowing, his eyes wild with anger and fear as he cradled the broken form of Aila in his arms. Sora's heart skipped a few times as he noticed how pale her skin looked…

"Just a test," Xehanort replied calmly. "You should be happy to know that it was mildly successful."

"Happy?!" Ansem bellowed, completely enraged. He turned to Xigbar. "You! Guard! Arrest this man at once!"

"Hmm. No, I don't think I will," Xigbar replied casually.

Ansem's eyes widened and darted to Even. "Even!"

But Even only shrugged. "Sorry, Ansem. But I could no longer work under your constraints. Xehanort has offered a more… flexible arrangement. After all, science can and should not be limited by the confines of society, don't you agree?"

The fear in Ansem's eyes was growing now as he turned to the final occupant of the room. "Ienzo…!"

"I… I'm sorry, Ansem," Ienzo breathed, looking away.

"Well, it appears the people have spoken," Xehanort drawled, smirking down at Ansem. "I think it's time for some new management around here. You have become too attached to these experiments — I will be happy to take them off your hands. So please… hand them over."

Ansem's face morphed into a snarl. "Never! You can have my castle, my work, but I will never hand these children over to someone as… heartless as you!"

"Oh, I think you will," Xehanort retorted calmly. "One way or another."

"Tron!" Ansem shouted, his words rapid fire. "Execute Blackout Protocol passkey 329571!"

The computer blipped and Tron's familiar voice echoed from the speakers. "Affirmative, User Ansem. Beginning Blackout Protocol."

"No!" Xehanort hissed, turning to the computer and rapidly typing a few things.

"Override code incorrect."

"You, fix this!" Xehanort shouted to Ienzo, who seemed panicked by the older man's rage. "Before it erases everything!"

"But I don't know if I—"

"NOW!"

"Yes sir!" Ienzo squeaked, hurrying to the console. Meanwhile, Ansem had started to make a run for it, Aila's bloody and battered form cradled in one arm.

"Oh no you don't!" Xigbar began, taking out his twin guns, but before he could make a move Ansem had pulled a round glass bottle from his pocket and thrown it at Xigbar's feet. Orange liquid exploded from the bottle as the glass shattered, splattering all over Xigbar's legs and shoes.

"What the hell?" Xigbar asked, stepping back in surprise. His pants and boots began smoking and he took another panicked step back. "What the hell?!"

"That must be a combustion jelly prototype!" Even exclaimed, seeming fascinated. "It becomes reactive and mimic the properties of acid upon impact but can remain otherwise harmless — fascinating, you really got this to work?!" Xigbar, who was still panicking as the apparently acid-like substance continued to eat through his clothes and toward his skin, stumbled into Even. "Ow! Watch it, you useless cretin!"

"Shut the hell up, I was sprayed with acid you moron!"

"Combustion jelly—"

"DO I LOOK LIKE I CARE ABOUT SEMANTICS?!"

Ansem bolted past them, nearing the door.

"Stop him!" Xehanort demanded, getting Xigbar and Even's attention again.

But Ansem, who had already pulled another bottle out of his pocket, had other plans. He turned and threw the bottle directly at one of the already damaged fluorescent lights, the orange liquid inside exploding over the top of it and immediately severing the cables fastening the light to the ceiling. It came down with a crash, sparking dangerously and nearly crushing both Xigbar and Even upon landing. Ansem had already turned to keep running before the light had hit the floor, barreling over the threshold with as much speed as he could muster.

Up close, Sora felt his heart nearly stop at the sight of Aila in Ansem's arms. She was drenched in blood, and the parts of her skin that weren't covered in crimson looked extremely pale, way too pale. She looked like… was she even breathing?!

Sora closed his eyes, half to try and brace for Ansem's inevitable collision with him (for Sora was standing, frozen, just outside the doorway) and half to try and block out that image of Aila. But it was burned into his mind, and strangely, a collision didn't come. Wait, if he could close his eyes, did that mean the spell had worn off?!

He gasped as his eyes shot open, stumbling to his knees as his brain tried to register what had just happened. He was inside the room now, alarm still blaring, glass still shattered, blood still dripping from the platform to the floor, but all of the room's previous occupants were gone. Only the white haired stranger remained, smiling down at Sora.

"Well? Did you find that illuminating?" He chuckled. "Pardon the pun. Unintentional, I assure you."

Sora glanced wildly toward the door. "Aila—!"

"Don't bother going after her, she's gone," the stranger interrupted. "The memory I wanted to share with you ends here."

"M-memory?" Sora gasped, his mind still reeling.

"Yes. I told you, there is no keyhole here, because this is not a Sleeping World. We took a slight detour, into a memory I picked out just for you."

"But… you…!" Sora took a shuddering breath. "You were here?!"

"Of course I was," the stranger chuckled. "Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet?" He bowed lightly. "I am Xehanort."

"Wh-what?!" Sora choked. "But you're…!"

"A bit younger than the me you just saw, yes," Young Xehanort said, straightening up and dusting at one of his sleeves. "I am from a time a bit before this one. Quite a bit before, actually. Practically an entire lifetime, though my future self was smart enough to find a way to buy even more time. But, after doing quite a lot of research across time thanks to my future self, I was able to locate this memory from one of my other selves, namely the one you saw here today. Though, I suppose that last part is obvious," he chuckled.

"You… did this?!"

"A version of me, yes. Please try to keep up."

Sora yelped as the room gave a violent shake, a massive colorful Nightmare in the form of a wolf breaking through the far wall. It was nearly as tall as the room itself, its red eyes narrowed and yellow fangs bared.

"It seems the land of dreams is calling you back," Young Xehanort mused, seeming entirely unperturbed by the giant creature. He turned to the wolf. "Give him just a moment, and he'll be on his way back with you. Poor thing seems to have had quite a fright." He turned to Sora and grinned. "How much longer would you like? A minute? Maybe two?"

Sora slammed a fist into the ground, so hard that he felt all the bones in his hand shudder in protest. His face was wet, but that didn't matter right now. He looked up, fury in his eyes as they landed on the man before him. The Nightmare wolf crouched next Young Xehanort, its tail twitching menacingly as it seemed to try and decide what to do next.

"You're a monster!" Sora cried, forcing himself to his feet and gripping his Keyblade furiously at his side.

"Am I?" Young Xehanort asked, an innocent air coloring his words. "Come now, Sora. You seem upset. Are you angry? Angry to discover the truth about your little friend? You did see what she created, didn't you?"

"She did NOTHING WRONG!" Sora bellowed, his anger spiking. "You're the one who did this, you did this! Not her!" Sora shook his head wildly. "She was just a little kid!" He stopped, gritting his teeth as he set the man with another scalding glare. "How dare you! You had no right!"

Young Xehanort scoffed. "A little 'kid'? Even after this, you still understand so little, don't you… If anyone is a monster here, it's Ansem. Without him, none of this would have been possible. How many innocent hearts have fallen to his misguided research?"

"There's no way he wanted this!" Sora retorted.

Xemnas spoke up from Sora's other side, startling him. Of course he would show up now too. "And how would you know what Ansem wanted? He used those 'children' in ways you yourself should find despicable. They were nothing but pawns to him, a means to an end. What you saw was only the natural progression of an experiment like this one."

"STOP, stop calling her an experiment, she's not! Stop!" Sora demanded, feeling his whole body shaking with how enraged he was feeling.

The Nightmare wolf howled and lunged, Sora dodging swiftly to the left. But the wolf, it seemed, hadn't really been going for him, its massive claws ripping through the air and somehow seeming to tear a hole in reality itself. Sora gasped, his body suddenly feeling like it was being sucked toward the hole, along with all the color in the room. He planted his Keyblade in the floor and did his best to hold on, but it was clear this was a losing battle – the suction was just too intense.

"My apologies for the delay," Young Xehanort called over the rush of air that sounded as everything, other than Young Xehanort and Xemnas, was sucked toward the opening. "But I believe you have a test to be getting back to."

Sora's Keyblade loosed itself from the floor and he screamed, tumbling into the opening that the Nightmare had made, his body spinning wildly out of control until his instincts kicked in and he was able to right himself. A Keyhole glittered beneath him and his Keyblade unlocked it practically on its own, light engulfing Sora as he tried, desperately, to get ahold of himself, to stop feeling so angry, and lost, and afraid, and like he just wanted to get through this test as fast as possible now so he could see Aila with his own eyes, to make sure she was really okay, because even though he knew she had to be, when Ansem had grabbed her, had run off with her cradled in his arms, she'd looked…!

KHKHKHKH

The silence was suffocating after Sora finished talking. Aila's mouth was completely dry. She had no real memory of what Sora had described, but somehow that made it feel… worse, in a way. It was unsettling to hear such a story about herself that she couldn't even sort of remember. It felt… unreal, but extremely unsettling. Like a ghost story.

Goofy had his hands over his ears, his eyes shut tight. Donald was just staring at the table, his eyes wide and worried. No one seemed to want to break the silence, as if someone else speaking might make what they'd just heard real.

Aila gripped the edge of the table and took a shaky breath. If someone was going to say something, she figured it should be her. "Are you… sure that was a real memory?" she managed to say, her voice tight and choppy.

Sora wiped at his eyes. "I… don't know. Would Xehanort be able to make something up like that?"

"He's a liar! He could make up anything!" Donald insisted angrily, his feathers bristling on his arms.

"A lie is one thing, but a whole world I could walk around and interact with? I talked to people, opened doors… It felt… real…"

Donald shut his beak and groaned, his eyes filled with worry once again.

"But I… I can't have really made… a whole breed of Heartless, right?" Aila asked, searching for someone to reassure her. "That's just… that's crazy! I mean, we fought those things in Agrabah and—!" He stopped mid sentence, her eyes widening as she remembered something from one of her earlier Heartless battles.

"What is it?" Donald asked.

"I… When we fought them, I remember thinking it was strange… they seemed like they didn't want to attack me…" Her grip on the table tightened. "I kinda forgot all about it, but now…"

"It doesn't matter," Sora said firmly. "Even if they did come from you, that doesn't mean anything."

"Sora's right," Goofy said, finally putting his hands down. "It don't matter one bit."

Aila stared very hard at her long forgotten toast. "But Heartless hurt people… I'm sure some of those ones have—"

"It was Xehanort's fault, not yours!" Donald insisted, standing and slamming his hands on the table. "You didn't agree to any kind of experiment like that or anything! You were a little kid!"

"You almost died, Aila," Sora choked out. "I mean, I know that you didn't. You're right here. But it really looked like… I-I've never seen something so…" He put a hand over his eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't know why Xehanort showed that to me. If he wanted me to blame you for anything, that's obviously not happening. He's the one who—!" He slammed a fist on the table before taking another shaky breath. "But if it was to get in my head… I think it worked." He lifted his gaze to Aila's, the pain in his eyes twisting her heart. "Every time I've seen you close to getting hurt today, I just… I see that lab, and I see you… screaming. And dying. And I feel completely frozen and helpless all over again. And I know you're okay now, I know that, and if that memory really was real, it was a long time ago. But to me it only just happened, and I can't…" He buried his face in his hands and let out a sharp, frustrated sigh.

"Oh," was all Aila could think to say, understanding blossoming in her heart as she thought back on the events of the day. Every time Sora had gotten weird, it had been when an enemy had gotten close. It didn't matter if she didn't actually get hurt — just the possibility had been enough to trigger that memory of her.

"I should have been able to protect you," he whispered.

Aila frowned. "If it was a memory, then would it even have mattered? I mean, you weren't really there… You couldn't actually… change anything, right?"

Sora seemed to consider that for a moment. "You don't remember, do you?" he asked, his voice soft and nervous as he removed his hands from his face.

Aila dropped her gaze and shook her head. "…No. I don't."

"Good," Sora sighed. He ran a hand through his bangs for the millionth time. "I don't ever want you to remember that…"

Aila nodded. That was probably best. "Some memories are stickier than others," she whispered. "There's no shame in walking away from some of the sticky ones… right?"

"Gawrsh, I'd say that's exactly right," Goofy agreed with a nod.

Aila blinked. "Someone told me that, once."

"Who?" Donald asked.

"I… can't remember." Aila looked up and let out a humorless laugh. "That's ironic, huh?"

Goofy smiled softly. "Well whoever it is, they sound real smart ta me."

Aila hummed an affirmation, thinking for another few moments about who could have told her such a thing. Maybe she'd heard it from a teacher one time or… something? Though that didn't feel quite right…

"Well," Donald said, crossing his arms and taking charge. "Now that we have all that out in the open, we can start moving forward." He wagged a finger at Sora. "You gotta remember that Aila is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She's helped us fight all kinds of bad guys! So whenever you see that memory of her, just remind yourself that that isn't who she is now, and you don't always need to jump in to protect her." He glared at the boy. "Also, no more keeping secrets! You got really mad at Aila for doing exactly that, so it isn't fair for you to do the same thing!"

Sora dropped his head. "I know. I'm really sorry, Aila." He glanced nervously up at her. "You can give me the silent treatment for a couple weeks, if you want…"

Aila breathed out a laugh. "That would only be fair… but I'm not a huge fan of silence right now, so I'll let you off the hook this time. But I agree with Donald, no more secrets. Let's tell each other everything from now on, even if it's something scary."

Goofy nodded. "I agree too!" He shot Sora an understanding smile. "It was nice o' ya to want to keep Aila from rememberin' somethin' painful, but then ya had to keep that pain all to yerself. Next time, let's talk things out together."

Sora thought on that for a few moments before slowly nodding. "Okay. Yeah I guess… I guess I'd also want to know about something that I forgot. Even… even if it's scary."

Goofy beamed. "Then it's settled! No more secrets."

"Yeah!" Donald agreed. "This ship runs on smiles and honesty, now!"

Aila put a hand to her chin, her brow furrowing. "Hmm… well in that case… I wonder if I should tell you what you guys forgot, too?"

"Us?" Sora asked, perking up a little. "We forgot something?"

"Yeah, with Naminé."

The boys let out a collective 'oh' and shared a glance.

"Well, you aren't supposed to talk about knowledge from your world…" Donald began slowly.

"But it's something that already happened, so that's okay then, isn't it?" Sora asked, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"An' we did jus' say no more secrets," Goofy added. The boys shared another look and nodded.

"Okay, spill!" Donald instructed, pointing at Aila. "Tell us everything!"

Aila felt the air in the room immediately lighten, everyone clearly eager to leave talk of what Sora had seen during his test behind. So, happy to provide the distraction, Aila dove into the plot of Chain of Memories, doing her best to recall as much as she could. She had a lot to think about after Sora's story, but after the day they'd had… she decided it could wait. After all, the past was the past, and Donald was right — whatever Sora had seen, that wasn't who she was now. She was capable, and could fight, and was part of a great team. So she was going to keep looking forward, and not dwell on something that happened a super long time ago.

Things in the past should stay there.

KHKHKHKH

So there we have it. I was planning for more to actually happen in the present in this chapter, but the flashback was much longer than I'd anticipated so… I felt like here was a good stopping point. Next time our group will continue on their journey!

Until next time, be well and be safe!

~Fade