You don't remember me?

Should I?

Yes! After everything we've been through, what happened?

I don't know, who are you, why are we speaking?

We're speaking because I'm a part of you, you're the key to awakening me, my destiny is in your hands

How can I help? I don't even know you

The time will come where you can help, and you'll know what to do, I'll eagerly await to see you once again, Arthur.

1 month later:

After the freightful last month they had, with Sora back from the Realm of Sleep, they decided to revisit Arthur and the king, to see if anything changed. Arthur had awoken and showed some improvement, he recognized names he had forgotten, but couldn't associate any memories with them, Arthurs combat skills showed little deterioration, but that could be chalked up to him being out for a month as well as the amnesia prior to his sudden loss of consciousness. As Sora, Donald and Goofy were making their way to the basement of the mansion where they themselves arose from not long ago, they heard Mickey saying "Arthur, I need you to really try and remember where you went after your clash with Master Xehanort, really try".

"You got it!" Mickey seemed eager to get an answer out of Arthur, and it was clear Arthur was trying his hardest to give him one, as Sora entered the room he saw Arthur pipe up "Wait! I think I was- Sora!" Arthur crushed Sora in a bear hug, completely having forgotten whatever was his previous task was. When Sora saw the disapproving look of King Mickey, he nervously laughed and shrugged his shoulders, Donald and Goofy would look anywhere but Arthur and Mickey. Mickey sighed

"It took me 2 days to get him to remember that… Now that hard work is all gone" Sora began to apologize but the King waved him off and said "now I've got some important news, Arthur mentioned to me that he saw Ventus shortly after the battle!" Sora was overjoyed.

"Really?! Where?!" Mickey looked down and sighed

"Well, if Arthur is actually remembering it right… He's in the realm of Darkness, you see, after the battle, Ven lost his heart, and no one has seen his other half at all, I think they were both defeated, but we can't be certain-" they were cut off with a sharp gasp.

Everyone looked to Arthur and Sora asked what was wrong, Arthur didn't respond. Arthur walked forward and said "y-your eyes! They're so familiar… Wait, I think I get it now". Sora looked shocked and tried to ask him questions, they all did, but he silenced them by getting very close to Sora and looking deep in his eyes. There, there it was, he saw it clearly, where he hadn't before, a twinkle, very minute and almost non-existent, but it was there.

"I can see you now, it all makes sense… The way you worry over me, the way you look at me, how could I have been so blind?". Goofy and Donald looked at each other in confusion and Mickey kept trying to interject, finally, he managed to say something

"Now Arthur, what are you talking about? You're kinda scaring me". Arthur smiled and said

"I see him… I can see Ven". Everyone gasped and Arthur smiled

"It all makes sense now, I finally understand why I've had this longing for you, why I worry incessantly for you, you feel it too, don't you? When I'm in danger, when you haven't been around me for so long, you feel faint, guilt, pain… I know you feel it, because I do too". Goofy put on his thinking face and finally said

"Well, that kinda makes sense, remember when Sora went all wobbly when I mentioned Arthur looked like he had no heart? And when he got all wide eyed about Arthur not responding? I guess it makes sense, but are you sure about what you're saying Arthur?" Arthur nodded

"Absolutely, I've got these memories, some of them that aren't my own, your heart, Sora, saved his at the Station of Wakening… When he was split in two, but you saved him, you shared your light with his fleeting light… And you've saved him again". Everyone stared at him like he lost his mind, no one understood him, so he continued.

"You may be kind, but Ventus is behind the curtains, he's been calling for help this whole time, I may not make sense but all I know is that you are the key to awakening Ventus, I just know it". Mickey gave Sora the look that said 'keep him talking' so Sora asked

"Tell me about Ventus" Arthur smiled

"Well… We used to live at some cool place, we trained under Master… Era-Eraqus! We were friends with Terra and Ven! But M-Master X-Xehanort…" He looked away, Sora put his hand on Arthur's shoulder but he continued. "I remember now, Master Xehanort used to be my Master… He split Ven in two, he wanted… Something, I don't remember what". Arthur shook his head and continued "we fought creatures across the worlds, and we wound up at the Keyblade Graveyard…" Sora and Mickey looked at him in amazement, for remembering so much, and he didn't spaz out as much, but he looked really sad when he mentioned the Keyblade Graveyard. His hand went to his heart, and tears pricked at his eyes

"It's where I ran… I was scared, how could I forget? Was I that weak? I couldn't stand by him, so I blocked him out instead, how long have I gone without seeing his face? How did I go so long without it? I'm not worthy of being his friend, I-"

"Stop that! He does care about you, he is your friend, I feel him, in here" Sora pointed at his heart "he's always been calling out for you… I felt his happiness when I saw you for the first time, maybe it's why I always worried a little extra everytime, he… He loves you, I know he does!" Arthur blushed, but before he could put himself down, Sora grabbed his hand and guided it to his heart, and pressed down on it. Arthur gasped, like he was about to drown and was given air for the first time in a long while, he felt… Happiness, love, warmth… Peace, like two halves had been reconnected, but it became too much, it overloaded his heart and overwhelmed his body, and he gasped, but in pain, now he was feeling torment, anguish, depression, and acceptance, not the happy kind… The kind like he'd given up and accepted his fate. Now the two halves were screaming, feeling pain they had long since forgotten about. Sora dropped his hand and hugged him, but Arthur remained still, he felt a tear roll down his cheek. Arthur slumped over and passed out.

"So I take it that you remember me?"

"You're Ventus!"

"I'm happy you remember me, I never thought you'd find that out, you always had something up your sleeve"

"But why was I feeling what I did? It was happy… But then it was sad"

"That was what I felt when we last saw each other, I don't blame you for running-"

"No! I shouldn't have, I'm sorry-"

"You don't even understand why you did!"

"I still did it, and that's all that matters"

"You didn't want to hurt me, that means more to me than desertion"

…

Arthur had nothing to say, but suddenly, things began rearranging themselves around him, until he was standing on a hovering island with a beautiful tower, with two branching off wings., and white stairs, the tower was a beautiful mixture of gold and white, it was so familiar, it was sunny, it looked perfect.

"This is where we spent our days, we were happy, our pasts didn't harm us, do you remember?"

When Arthur shook his head he saw a boy materialize in front of him, he had a black cross over his chest, he looked like that Roxas boy, but he wore different clothes, a bit of green and white, he had dark grey pants, and green armoured shoes. In his hand, he held an object, and he held it out to Arthur, it was some kind of metal shoulder plate

"You left it behind, you're lucky Sora had the Gummi Ship, or you'd be out of luck, but I'll always have your back, and when we find each other again, you'll have mine!" Arthur smiled and nodded, and everything was beginning to fade and Arthur asked

"When will I see you?" Ventus said

"We'll find each other soon, until next time, goodbye for now, Arthur"

Arthur awoke to people surrounding him

"Cool! So he has some surfing board and armour? That's so sweet! Oh, hey Arthur!" Arthur smiled and greeted him, he felt his shoulder, and like Ven, he too had the armoured shoulder pad. He looked up as if to ask 'when did this get here?' Mickey answered

"We don't know how or when you got it, when we came in to check on you, you just had it on, it's been so long since I've seen it, well, I forgot all about it! It must feel nice to have it back". Arthur smiled, fidgeting with the pad, he smiled

"it feels, natural, and just". Sora smiled and said

"You're back at the tower, Master Yen Sid was really worried about you, are you okay?" Arthur nodded

"Yeah, I spoke to him, Ven, in my dream" Sora immediately asked

"What did he say?!" Arthur slightly jumped, but laughed all the same and explained that Ven said what he felt were his emotions from their last encounter, and that it was Ven who gave him back his shoulder pad. Sora smiled

"Cool! Can I have one?" Arthur couldn't help but laugh, leaving Sora confused and slightly agitated, but Arthur explained why he couldn't have one

"You see, it's not just the pad itself, but it's also my keyblade, these were specialized for me and my use in traveling in the lanes in-between, the armour is not only a good defense against enemies, but it's a special kind of armour that protects me from the darkness around the worlds, though, I suppose if you had the shoulder pad and this keyblade, the armour would recognize you as its new owner, so maybe one day you'll get the chance, but don't get your hopes up". Sora beamed him a smile but Mickey quickly cut their conversation short

"Listen fellas, as much as I like talking like this, Master Yen Sid did ask to see Arthur the instant he woke up". Sora sighed and nodded, and they led Arthur to a room he could recall vividly, he was here with Ventus, then it set in, he was there because Yen Sid and Master Eraqus were old friends that kept up occasional contact with one another, in a sense, he was the reason he ultimately lost Ven how he did, but he supposed it wasn't fair to squarely blame him. He walked into the room and everyone looked relieved to see him up and around.

"Well, well, well, look who the cat dragged in" Arthur shot his eyes to a particular redheaded teen and he smirked. It came back naturally to him, Arthur could remember battling him and his other friend, alongside Ventus, and he boasted in his head about him and Ven winning each time.

"well I'll be, Axel? Or, should I call you Lea this time around?" This caught Axel off guard

"Wait, you remember me?" Arthur chuckled and nodded, grinning like a mad man

"Who could forget someone like you?" Axel smiled a genuine one, but Sora asked

"Arthur, you know Axel? Err… Lea?" Arthur smiled and nodded

"yeah, we met a long time ago, Lea was small back then, but just as dense, Ven and I dueled Lea and his friend Isa, say, where is he?" Axel looked down and sighed

"He's in the organization, the new one, but I'll get him back" Arthur smiled and nodded. Before he could ask any more questions Yen Sid spoke

"Ah, it was as I hoped, it seems you have regained some memory, correct?" Arthur turned his attention to the old man sitting in the chair, and nodded.

"But only bits and pieces, I don't remember where Ventus is, in fact… I'm not even sure I ever knew…" Master Yen Sid was genuinely surprised and asked him for an explanation, Arthur looked to Sora for help, and Sora nodded.

"Well, Master Yen Sid, Arthur wasn't there in the end, he was… Away" Yen Sid understood and did not ask further, but Arthur spoke

"But… Every now and then I get these dreams of him, like he's speaking to me, visions, I think that may be the key to finding him, I also feel this tugging towards him, perhaps it's leading me to his body, I can't be sure though". Yen Sid nodded and turned to Riku and Mickey "Riku, Mickey, in case Arthur is misremembering, or is wrong, we should find Aqua, not only may she also know where Ventus is, but she is an invaluable Keyblade Master, in the final confrontation with Xehanort, Sora, Donald, Goofy, you all need to regain your strength you lost, Kairi, Lea, you both need to begin your training as soon as possible, Arthur". He stopped at Arthur and Arthur immediately felt small and looked to hide behind Sora, but Yen Sid spoke "Your true power is shackled behind your amnesia, you should do your best to regain your memories, perhaps, like your conversation with Lea, your memories can be completed when you see familiar people of your past, that is your mission, if you learn anything crucial, you must let me know immediately, is this clear?" Arthur confidently nodded, and they were all dismissed for their duties. Sora caught up to Arthur on his way out

"So Arthur, where are you going to go first?" Arthur thought about it, he smiled

"I'm going to try and find a friend called Zack, he was a pipsqueak long ago, wonder what he's like now… Anyways, gotta go, good luck Sora, maybe we'll see each other before the final confrontation". Sora nodded, and like they both stepped outside, Arthur hit the button, and he suddenly his armor surrounded him, with a neat little visor to see out of, his armor was white and red, sometimes forming pink when they meshed together. Arthur summoned his keyblade and threw it out ahead of him, arching it so it could come back, and when it did, were Sora and his pals amazed at what they saw, A flat board with a steel grip protruding out at an acute angle, Arthur leaped on it, crouched down, and held on tight to the grip, before blasting off out of that world.