"Sorry we're late."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy had finally arrived in Ansem's lab, rushing straight over from Arendelle.

"It's okay. You got here as fast as you could." Mickey was already waiting for them there, with Riku right next to him.

The five of them were happy to see one another again, but Sora got right down to business. "So, Ienzo. Have you been able to prepare the Replica for Ventus's heart?"

Without Aqua, the group was unable to locate his real body in the Chamber of Waking. However, if Sora found a way to recreate his heart from data, he'd have an alternate body waiting for him.

Even then spoke, his voice sounding a bit shaken. "It happened after you all left the last time. I arose and decided to walk out in the square, my first outing in some time. Yet my stroll was interrupted when a surprising visitor appeared."

"Who!?" Donald squawked.

"I believe you are familiar with Demyx."

Sora jolted. He hadn't heard that name in a while. But he definitely remembered him. He was the strange blonde-haired guy he had encountered in the Underworld. He defeated him during the assault on Hollow Bastion. "That weirdo? So, he's a member of the new Organization XIII, too!?"

"Yes, apparently so. I must say, I was surprised myself." Even then recounted their meeting.

In the plaza in Radiant Garden, two men were holding a conversation.

"Wh-what are you doing back in the organization!?"

"Oh, I see! You're jelly! It's because you got benched!" Demyx retorted indignantly.

"Quiet, you dunce!" Even snapped. "I am not jealous! I would never work for Xehanort again! So why in the world are YOU siding with him over us!?"

"Okay, man, look. Real talk? Backstabbing those guys would be stupid. If they find out, I am yesterday's toast. I mean, what's in it for me?"

"Forgiveness," Vexen answered softly.

"Huh? For what?"

"Men like us—in the pursuit of science, we sometimes make terrible mistakes. Lose sight of our mission to help people. But now I can help someone with my research. Now I can atone," Even confessed with utter sincerity, his gaze focused on some far-off point.

However, Demyx was less than interested. "I'm not a scientist," he stated matter-of-factly, then waved good-bye and made to leave.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Even put a hand on Demyx's shoulder and pulled him back.

"C'mon, dude. I'm useless; I'm chicken. We're not friends. I can count the number of times you and I have hung out on one hand—less than one hand! I didn't even know you in the old life!" And with that, Demyx disappeared into a dark corridor.

Meanwhile, in Ansem the Wise's laboratory, also in Radiant Garden, Ienzo stood deep in thought before a screen.

We already have the data, and the analysis provided by the king's servants has proven quite helpful. We simply don't have a vessel until we can locate the Chamber of Repose.

"Yeah, right. Bodies don't grow on trees, Ienzo," he muttered to himself. A living person is out of the question. "But…the backup plan isn't a true solution. Complete and perfect digitization of the heart is impossible. We could only hope to partially reconstruct it. Thus, I see no way forward but to extract the heart we so desperately need from within Sora."

Suddenly a dark portal opened behind him.

"Finally. 'Bout time."

Startled, Ienzo spun around just as Demyx stepped out of the gateway with some sort of large object slung over his shoulder. An object that looked to be human shaped.

The Replica!

"Ooh. Nice place. So, here's where the last one is being kept. It looks like Vexen was able to finish the program, after all. And best of all, I don't have to do any fighting."

"Demyx? Is that you?!" asked Ienzo. He was from the Organization; how could he have made it all the way in here…?

"Hey, Zexion! Long time!" Despite Ienzo's apprehension, Demyx cheerfully lifted a hand in greeting. "How's humanity treatin' ya? I rejoined the Nobodies, but, like… I just can't shake the feeling that I've been sweet-talked, y'know? We have sooo got to have a chat."

"Whoa, back up. What?" Ienzo was slightly confused.

Perhaps intending to confuse him even more, Demyx continued: "Oh! Sorry, sorry. I'm gettin' ahead of myself. I'm actually here on a top secret mission. Apparently, I'm so off everyone's radar that I'm just the guy to handle a special delivery. I've gotta deliver these Replicas to Xehanort now!" The dark portal behind him was still open, and Demyx gestured back toward it with a flourish. "Well, see ya!"

"Wait! The Replica—!"

But the portal disappeared in front of his eyes.

"The dark corridors…" muttered Mickey, half to himself.

"…are beyond Even's faculties and mine now," Ienzo softly added.

"Demyx..." Sora clenched his fist. "It's because of HIM that we don't have a body for Ventus now!"

So, it was back to the original plan. Free Ventus's heart from Sora and reunite it with his own flesh and blood body.

Riku showed no visible reaction. He tried to remain focused on their mission. "In any case, another member of the old Organization has been confirmed to be part of the new one."

Goofy then realized something. "We've run into organization members in the other worlds, too."

"Also, they might have all thirteen members now," Donald added nervously.

Riku, Mickey, Ienzo, and Even all seemed taken aback by that declaration.

Sora got right down to business, recalling Larxene's words in the last world. "The Organization claims to have their thirteen darknesses."

"Do we believe it's true?" Mickey asked thoughtfully.

"Umm…I don't know. But we might know who most of the members are now."

Riku folded his arms. "Let's see. From the Mark of Mastery exam, we already know who several of the members are. And now Demyx. Do you know of any others?"

Sora recalled his journey throughout the worlds. "We ran into Luxord in the Caribbean."

He told everyone about the chest Luxord was looking for.

"It be a chest…" Tia Dalma said, "where Davy Jones lock away the part of him that hurt. The pain it cause him was too much to live with… but not enough to cause him to die."

"And…what part of him is that?" Sora asked.

"Him heart," Tia Dalma answered with a smile.

"A creature absent a heart and yet somehow able to keep existing… Not even my finest Replica could claim that achievement," Even mused. "No wonder Xehanort was after that box and the secret it held."

"Luxord, huh?" Riku didn't know much about him and had no idea what his motives were.

Riku tallied the members up in his head. So far, we've run into Ansem, Xemnas, Xigbar, Young Xehanort, Luxord, and...myself. Six. Adding Demyx would make seven. We encountered Saïx in the Sleeping Worlds. Eight. And the newly recompleted Master Xehanort is the leader.

"So, that makes nine."

Goofy nodded. "Uh-huh. We ran into Young Xehanort again at the toy store."

"There's a darkness we are missing and must reclaim. The way hearts connect in this world can provide us with a clue."

"Oh, yeah," said Sora. "He said he was looking for a clue in that world to 'reclaim' one of the thirteen darknesses."

"Reclaim? Whaddaya mean?" asked Mickey.

Sora swiveled his head. "I'm not sure."

"So, even empty puppets can be given strong hearts. I am going to have to remember that." Young Xehanort turned to face Woody and Buzz.

The two toys were unfazed by his condescending tone. "Remember this—our hearts will always be connected to Andy's. No matter what you do!"

"And that's something you'll never understand, because you're hollower than any toy."

Young Xehanort laughed. "But now I know a heart can be placed in the vessel of our choosing. For that, let me give you a parting gift to play with."

"But ya know? It was weird. He seemed like he only just learned how to create a vessel there."

"Hmm." Mickey scratched his chin. "Well, if it was the youngest version of Xehanort, then he was probably from the past, travelling through time."

Sora's mind wandered back to his encounter with Young Xehanort. "Oh! The stuff Young Xehanort learned in Woody's world carried over into the Replica Program!"

Even looked down at the floor.

But Sora wasn't finished. "In the Kingdom of Corona, we ran into one of the new seven hearts. A princess named Rapunzel. And an Organization member named Marluxia was after her."

"Marluxia!?" Ienzo recoiled at the name.

"Why am I not surprised?" Even sounded rather disgusted. He never did like Marluxia.

"I remember that name," said Riku. "He was the leader of Castle Oblivion that you defeated, Sora."

"Wait. I defeated him?"

"Yeah. Though you wouldn't remember. When you went to sleep, you had to forget your time in Castle Oblivion."

"No wonder he seemed to remember you," said Donald.

Goofy continued. "And there were two princesses in Arendelle, Elsa and Anna."

"And a woman named Larxene was after them!" Donald yelped.

Riku interjected, "She was Maluxia's accomplice in Castle Oblivion."

"Eleven members." Mickey's voice was a bit solemn.

"And don't forget we ran into Vanitas in Monstropolis!"

Mickey gasped at Goofy. "Vanitas!?"

"Vanitas?" Riku didn't recall anyone by that name. "Who's that?"

"He always wore a mask, so I'm not sure of his real identity. But he was Master Xehanort's accomplice ten years ago. And he controlled the Unversed!"

Sora recalled his meeting with Vanitas.

"My heart is made of just one thing. And the Unversed collected enough screams and sadness from those children to reconstruct it. But, even with all this negative emotion, my heart is still incomplete. I need something else. The half of me…that sleeps on inside your heart."

"Vanitas!" As the name left Sora's mouth, he felt the presence of someone within him. "Huh?"

"Ventus…what a strange place to slither off to…you insignificant speck." Vanitas reached out toward him, but Sora swatted away his hand and took a few steps back.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you wouldn't remember. Before you were born…you formed a special bond, with a boy named Ventus who joined your heart."

Before I was born... Who WAS that guy? And what's his connection to Ventus?

But Riku only had one thing on his mind. He looked over at his best friend friend. "Sora! That's twelve members we know of so far!"

"Then...who's the thirteenth dark vessel?" Goofy asked.

While Sora was thinking to himself, Donald spoke up apologetically. "We haven't found Terra yet."

Mickey knew it. "Then, if what Master Xehanort said was true, he must be their thirteenth."

Riku felt his heart sink. "Then...we're really too late?"

Goofy shook his head. "Hey, remember what Vanitas said? His heart's not complete without Ventus's."

Sora finally spoke up again, albeit slightly dazed. "Yeah, you're right. He did say that."

He remembered what both Xigbar and Young Xehanort said to him:

"Find the hearts joined to yours."

Suddenly, it all made sense. "Oh! They're trying to wake Ventus, too!"

Donald squawked, "Yeah! It's so that Vanitas can complete his heart and be one of the seekers of darkness!"

Riku's voice sounded relieved. "So, the Organization probably does have all thirteen now. But one of those members isn't quite usable until we get Ventus back."

"That seems to be the case," said Mickey.

"So the organization was after the Replicas," Sora said. "But what are they gonna do with them, exactly?"

Even explained. "In my original work on the Replica Program, I produced some twenty vessels. Most of the early results were failures, not one of them granted a number. Those twelve were merely puppets, barely human. The first success to emerge from that early lot was the Riku Replica."

"Which was destroyed in Castle Oblivion," Riku said, as if to himself.

Even nodded, then continued. "Subsequently, the second prototype was created, No. i. Strangely, I have no memory of its existence, though it remains in my records."

Everyone raised a skeptical eyebrow at that. Of course, memory was a very fragile thing, as they all learned in Castle Oblivion.

"No. i was essentially indistinguishable from a natural human, and was granted number status."

"Wait, really?" Riku pressed.

"Yes. Number Fourteen."

"But there was no fourteenth member," Riku argued. "I'm sure of it."

"No. i was among the initial lot, which naturally raised questions about its capabilities. I'm not surprised it didn't survive long, especially since I was no longer around to maintain it. However, if it could be granted number status, then I suspect Xehanort aims to use the rest of the initial lot."

Mickey didn't like the sound of that. "Use them? How so?"

"We all lost our hearts together that day. Now, we're the same as we were before; only our bodies have aged. Braig elected to become a vessel and has discarded his humanity. And Isa's body was taken away. However, they both exist in this time, in the flesh. But not Xemnas."

Goofy remembered running into Xemnas in Twilight Town. "Whaddaya mean?"

"Xemnas cannot exist in the present because there is already a Xehanort here: the old man in charge. The old man's humanity prevents his Heartless and Nobody, others vanquished in the past, and his younger self from being denizens of this time. To circumvent this, Xehanort is using the prototype Replicas I created in the past as containers, plucking his other selves' hearts from the time they existed."

Mickey raised his head. "Of course! The Organization could also use the Replicas!"

"To fill out their ranks," Riku finished for him. "They would have a need for vessels to house the hearts that are travelling from the past."

Sora recalled what Young Xehanort told him in the Sleeping Worlds.

"There are restrictions to movement through time. First, you must leave your body behind to do it."

"I get it. So, their hearts needed bodies in order to exist in this time."

"Yes. That is correct," said Even.

Riku was putting all the pieces together. "So, you said you started with twenty replicas. Twelve were useless. And the Riku Replica and No. i were destroyed."

"Indeed," answered Even. "That left us with six Replicas. Most of them were left behind in the old organization's castle; I'm sure the New Organization XIII has taken them already. And Demyx recently made off with the only one that was left here."

Mickey jumped at the realization. "Six vessels. Enough Ansem, Xemnas, Vanitas, Young Riku, and Young Xehanort's hearts!"

Sora recalled how Xemnas taunted him before back in Twilight Town.

"Nothing would please us more than Roxas's return, of course."

"Five vessels. One left. Was the sixth Replica they stole for Roxas?" he mused.

"We'd better go tell Master Yen Sid all of this."

Riku nodded at Mickey's suggestion.

The group made their way back to Yen Sid's tower.

The old wizard closed his eyes as he spoke. "So. When we awaken Ventus, the Organization will have all thirteen members."

Mickey nodded along. "By the time all seven guardians are united, the organization will be ready, too."

"Right. Except we can't use the Replicas anymore. Aqua's the only one who knows where Ventus's body is hidden," Riku reminded them gravely. "We still have to find her first."

Sora opened his mouth. "I'll go," he declared firmly.

"What!?" Donald and Goofy shared a worried glance.

I'll go. I have to save Aqua. But this feeling—does it come from Ventus?

"Is that wise?" Mickey asked uncertainly, but Yen Sid had the real question.

"The power of waking, Sora. Have you found it?"

"Uh…no? Probably not." Sora looked at the floor, confused by his own heart.

"Without that power, you are not ready to face the realm of darkness," the sorcerer told him sternly with a shake of his head.

"C'mon…" Sora refused to back down. He may not have the power back, but he was well aware of how dangerous the realm of darkness was. Plus, his heart was calling out to him, telling him he had to help Aqua.

And then Riku let out a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Sora asked him, visibly annoyed.

"Sorry. Master Yen Sid knows you a little too well. He said you'd try to stage a half-baked rescue," Riku explained, still grinning.

Donald, Goofy, Jiminy, and Mickey all started laughing, too. Everyone knew how Sora was.

"Yeah! Laugh it up!"

Sora's face fell, but then Riku continued, gentler this time. "Sora, I know you're volunteering because you're worried about me and Mickey."

"Yeah…"

Riku laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Well, thanks. Well, thanks. But the power of waking's important. You can come to the rescue once you've got that. Sound fair?"

"Yeah. All right," Sora replied, finally accepting what Riku was trying to say. I'm sure Ventus will understand, too. This just isn't the right time. "But be safe. No reckless stunts," he said, looking up at him.

Riku answered with a firm nod. "Yes, sir."

The other three had been watching this exchange from a little bit away and started whispering among themselves.

"Sora's the reckless one."

"No, not exactly. He just doesn't think."

"If only he listened to Master Yen Sid the way he listens to Riku. That would be a good start."

As Sora's constant companions on his adventures, Donald, Jiminy, and Goofy knew him all too well.

"I'm listening now!" Sora warned them, turning around.

After everyone had a good laugh, Yen Sid looked over the assembled team and issued instructions. "Very good. Sora will continue his journey to build his powers, while Mickey and Riku will focus on the search for Aqua."

"Yes, sir!" they all answered, their hearts and voices as one.