Secrets of the Castle

Sora, Donald and Goofy went through a door as they came out of the memory version of Traverse Town. Now they found themselves back in another hallway, a pair of stairs on the other side. Everything was so white and steril, like all the life in this place was just sucked out every time they entered. Far from the many colors of the refugee world they were in before, even if it was just a mere memory.

It was so strange for him to see versions of his friends that didn't remember him. Sora had done so much of them and them with him. They were his team in the epic fight against Maleficent and Xehanort. He missed them so much and wanted to see them again. However, he wondered if he ever could if he was going back home. Would he ever see Donald and Goofy again as well. For most of the journey he didn't think of those sorts of questions, but now that he did, they started to fester.

Quickly though he pushed such thoughts in the back of his mind for later. He couldn't think about getting back home and the aftermath of that yet, he was still stuck in this castle. Sora needed to find Riku and quickly, if he was stuck in this place then he was in trouble .Coming out of the door, he arrived in another small white corridor hallway. By the looks of things it seemed this castle wasn't much in the ways of interior design.

"So is this the same as the last floor or what?" Sora asked, turning back to the door, he tried to open it but there was nothing.

"Not sure" Goofy responded.

Donald sighed, "Great, lost in a castle and have no idea if where moving"

"Starting our cynicism early today I see," Sora muttered as he took a look around, "Well, guess we just go up?"

Before he could even move a foot was he stopped by another hooded individual who stood before him now. However, unlike the last one, this one had an entirely different feel to him. Funny how Sora could tell the difference, but something in his heart just told him that the one from before and the one now were two distinctive individuals.

"Well, did you enjoy meeting your memories?" He said, his voice sleek and condescending.

Sora jumped back, "Hey! Don't scare us like that!"

"Yeah, that's not nice," Goofy added.

The individual chuckled, "Sorry...I'm sure you've realized by now that the world you were in was not the real deal, but an actual memory"

A moment of pause as the words hit Sora like a blow to the head.

"So Aerith was right" Sora thought looking back up at him shocked, "So, what does that mean?

"Simple, in order to see them again, and the others you have lost you must travel through the world of memories. Various illusions, perhaps era's made up of your dear companions over there. That would be interesting, seeing the lives of those who have been your companions. Yet you don't know much about them do yuh"

Sora turned to face Donald and Goofy, "I-I know them. I know their nephews and Son"

"Perhaps the details, but not the feelings" Hel snickered, "From what I heard a lot of your own quest was so much about yourself, do you even know how they met, or how many adventures they had with their king?"

Sora took a moment and paused, he was right, in the grand scheme of things he really didn't know anything about Donald and Goofy. Hopes, fears, ambitions, what was life like for them when they weren't traveling with him. Some friend he was turning out to be at the moment right now. However, this coated figure was starting to annoy him more than his fear.

"That's enough!" Sora shouted.

"You must follow your hidden memories, To find the ones you hold dear." The figure spoke with a smugness to him.

He steps forward a few feet, Sora gets ready to fight, when all of a sudden a black portal emerges and a new figure comes to the front now. A tall man, taller, gangly and skinny, his hair long and spiky bright red. His green eyes glared at him as the wide smirk on his face began to spread.

"Hey this looks fun, mind if I join in." He said looking at Sora with a smirk.

"Who are you?" Sora asked taking a step back, keeping his Keyblade on the defensive.

"Names Axel, got it memorized." He smirked, tapping his forehead sarcastically. "A-X-E-L."

"Uh, I'm not always that good with names." Goofy said, scratching his forehead. "Axel, Axel, Axel…

"I think he was being a dramatic Goofy." Donald muttered.

"Well it's good to remember anyway, it's polite" Goofy responded

"So, you're the kid who took down Xehanort huh?" Axel said in a sly tone. "Don't seem that scary to me honestly. Hard to believe you managed to shut the door on him. You seem kinda...short for one thing"

"How do you know about that!" Sora narrowed his eyes scowling. He hated being reminded of his accomplishment. He did what he had too, he didn't consider it anything special, "Also I'm not short!"

Axel must have noticed that he was getting into his head for he snickered, placing his hands on his hips as he glared back at Sora who hated that smug look. Something about it annoyed him, it had such an egotistical gaze, reminding him of Riku in a way and not in a good way.

"We know everything kid and a big take down like that, it's gonna travel fast….So let's see how fast you are."

Axel raises his arm as a surge of fire begins to spawn around them as three circular weapons appear spikes protruding from them. It spun fast as he magically controlled the flames. Sora grimaced and held his Keyblade tight, ready for a fight. He watches as the flames spin ferociously. Even from this distance he could feel their heat. One wrong move and he was going to burn

"Okay guys, ready for a fight." Sora muttered getting into a battle stance.

Donald and Goofy nod also into position, so long as he had them by his side he couldn't possibly lose this battle.

"Good."

"These little beauties are chakrams." Axel explained showing his weapons off looking at them with pride. "Don't go off and die on me now."

Sora eyes narrowed as he charged forward Donald and Goofy right behind him dodging the attacks from the flames. Dodging to the sides Axel uses all his power to spread a inferno on them. He wasn't going to die to him, if anything he was in it to win.

"Careful!" Sora jumps dodging a fireball. "Donald, do you know any magic now."

"Uh…" Donald shook his staff. "Nope."

Goofy blocks with his shield keeping the flames from hitting him back. "It's getting hot here." The power of the flames kept pressing but he held firm.

Sora felt a tinge of rage getting to him as he saw his friends in danger. He tried to unleash a wave of power against his opponent but something in his mind blocked him. So instead with all his might he leaped into the air and flung straight towards Axel only to watch him vanish and appear before him.

He kept a firm grip on his kee as the fire continued to rage towards him. Sora was agile enough to dodge the attack, but with each barrage he felt himself getting slower and slower. Not used to this kind of damage. He felt the sweat on his brow as the battle raged on

"Hey you can't do that, that's cheating!" Goofy yelled, keeping his shield to his face.

Axel snickered. "Hey if I got skills I gotta use them right, besides all fair in love and war right?"

Sora blocked as Axel tossed both charkrams at him managing to toss them both aside. As if his battle with guard armor before had taught him something, he remembered some of the skills he learned slowly came back to him as he slid down and managed to strike his opponent in the stomach knocking him back.

"Not bad kid, you haven't completely forgotten your moves after all." He smirked

Sora glared at him angrily at every word giving him a sense of annoyance. "Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it."

"Let's back him up Goofy!" Donald shouted ready to charge full steam ahead against their red headed opponent.

Goofy looked nervous. "Gawrsh are you sure to remember."

"If Sora is in danger I'll remember anything...BLIZZARD!"

Unfortunately for him nothing happened. Sora fired his blade, and a tiny sprinkle of snow was eliminated from the tip but the magic though wasn't enough. He leaped back to get back to a defensive position to avoid any counter attack.

"Uh…." Donald frowned. "Okay maybe I don't remember everything."

The battle continued with break neck speed both parties fought valiantly against one another. Sora trying to remember as much as he could yet something about this castle blocked him from using all the moves he had once used to defeat the likes of Xehanort and the Villains. However he persevered nonetheless, he wasn't about to let his friend end up being killed on his behalf. They haven't come this far only to stop themselves now. No, they were gonna fight even if they didn't have anything but the clothes on their backs.

Sora was flipped around, battered, bruised, he kept tripping over himself. Each time he got up he managed to stumble, any sense of stability loss. All the skill and momentum that he had gained during his long great adventure was gone. This Axel character was a fierce fighter, swift and agile, he was able to handle his own weight.

"Doing okay Jiminy?" Sora asked, looking down at his pocket as he got up again,

The poor cricket seemed sick. "Yeah, I'm good ...Wait…...Maybe not ...Oh dear."

"Guys! Defense!" Sora yelled, Donald and Goofy getting behind him. "I might not remember my moves but I'm learning a thing or two about tactics. Field experience."

"Which you will forget the more you are here." Axel snickered.

"Oh yeah well…..Charge!" Sora, Donald and Goofy ran up towards Axel now.

They went so fast that Goofy slipped and got beneath Sora who was now riding his back, Donald accidentally jumping and landing on Sora's shoulder. Now all three were sliding right toward him. But as if by instinct they managed to balance themselves out and head right for him with an epic charge.

Sora shouted, "Absolute friendship tobogganing!"

Axel watched as his opponent headed right for him, he was ready to strike. Only to watch his opponent head for the wall landing face flat as he rushed forward to try and strike.

Sora's body hurt as he peeled off from the wall. "Ouch ...Ouch ...Oh that hurt. Yep, that's gonna leave a mark"

"Well this has been fun, but now it's time I head off. Here...take this."Axel laughed.

Again Sora found another card heading straight towards him and looked at it, there wasn't a picture on it this time but the markings were still on the back. Jiminy, still reeling from the battle, hopped up to Sora's shoulder and took a look.

"Now I want you to do your best from here on out." Axel said acting like an overbearing parent. "You have lost sight of the light within the darkness."

"Huh what?" Sora said feeling a tingle of fear come across him.

"Are you sure the person you are looking for is the one who is truly most important to you?" Axel asked

Sora shivered. Of course Riku was important to him. However, so was Kairi, and his mother. Everyone was important to him, he played no favorites and he was certainly not going to allow himself to let this guy get inside his head. He didn't like picking sides, everyone was equal in his heart and no one was going to tell him otherwise. Just the thought of having to pick made his blood boil with anger.

"O-Of course I am!" Sora yelled feeling his anger grow inside him. "I love my friends, no, I love my family!"

"We'll see about that." With a wicked grin Axel "Want me to give you a hint. The answer is in your heart. Keep going through the castle to find it."

Sora glared at him, the Keyblade was still in hand. Part of him wanted to leap forward and strike him down right there. But he held back, not liking this anger that was bubbling beneath him. He held it together, glaring back at his opponent. Still he could feel a twinge in the back of his mind telling him to strike.

"Oh and a word of caution, when your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be you."

With those final words, he left, Sora just standing there with Donald and Goofy behind him. For the first time during this journey he felt truly shaken by what had happened. This Axel figure dug into his mind in a way that he the other one didn't

He was here for Riku, no one else. Kairi meant a lot to him, his mother meant a lot to him. To think Riku trumped both of them was absurd. He loved them all and no one was going to tell him otherwise.

"Come on...Let's keep going." Sora walked off the card in his hand, the more he went through the castle, the more trouble he knew he was going to run into before the end.

All the while he wondered just who these people in coats were, as well as where Riku could possibly be.

-000-

Invisible

If Namine could describe her life in one word it would be she always felt invisible. From the moment she first stepped foot into this world she felt like no one noticed her. A certain emptiness in her life was always haunting her. An emotional void that yeared to be filled with something, anything. Yet one thing returned to her mind. Sora. Whenever she felt sad, empty, alone, her mind would always go to him. It would fill her emotions up with a certain good feeling. Happiness perhaps? Whatever it was, it was what was needed.

The strangest thing though, she had never met Sora a day in her life. She honestly didn't remember

Her origins very much at all to be honest. One minute she just existed. Eyes opened and she could feel and remember things from another person she didn't even know. She didn't even remember the place where she awoke. Only moments later that a bunch of people in coats found her and offered to fill the gaping void inside her.

That void, it was something, an emptiness she had felt since her birth. Or whatever she considered birth to be.

Namine sighed as she looked down at the image she drew, an image of Sora holding his Keyblade. She was hunched over as she made sure the image was perfect

Crude as it was, she was proud of her work and was ready to put it on the wall. It was the only color the room was given considering how dull and white everything else was. Yet this was the only room she was allowed to be in most of the time in the Castle, unless she was sent to somewhere else per order of her superiors. Otherwise this was it, just a single white room, a place of pure isolation and loneliness.

It was all she knew since she was born, or more when she came into being. She didn't really have what people would consider birth. All she had was an awakening, memories that she didn't really comprehend and a strange desire to know Sora. That was the one constant when she first felt life.

It was strange to be somewhat obsessed with someone she had never met. Yet when she saw him, her feelings began to rush in strange and unusual ways. She couldn't control and them and the desire to pursue them though was quite strong.

If only...If only…

"Ugh, well that was sure something" Namine turned around as a portal of darkness opened, Axel arriving looking exhausted, "Kid's got fight on him, I'll give him that"

From the couch in the room, another black coated figure laid. This one with blonde hair, cold green eyes, and a smirk that could kill. Larxene was her name, she had been keeping an eye on Namine most of the day. Though she kept to herself and that's how she liked it. Dealing with others always caused her to get nervous or worse, of course the company she kept around didn't help her sense of self esteem either.

Her fellow companions, if she could call them that in the castle were not the nicest group of people in the world. If anything their mood ranged from either snarky to downright cruel at themes, especially where Larxene was concerned. She always tended to be the cruelest of the bunch.

"Really? Can't handle a little bitty boy," Larxene cooed smugly, "Going soft in your old age Axel, thought you had a little fight in you"

"As if" Axel smirked, leaning back against the wall, keeping that cool demeanor of his "And I don't get old remember, I've been age for...I honestly don't know how long"

"The boy is quite something isn't he. Reminds me of some of the kids I grew up with when I was a girl"

Axel just rolled his eyes, he looked at Larxene with a smug expression"I bet they enjoyed you"

"Oh believe me they did" Larxene snickered. Everyone tensed up for a moment. Her grin and expression became quite sadistic.

Namine cringed at the thought of Larxene being a child. Let alone probably a sadistic one at that "I can only imagine" she thought.

"Riiiiiight" Axel said his voice shiving, "Remind me to never look up your past"

"Eh, you aren't missing to much" Larxene said flipping her book again

"Nobody likes me then," Axel chuckled.

Larxene just gave him a sly expression, "Aren't we all" she laughed.

"I would have kicked him around some more, as far as I'm concerned you went to soft on him" Larxene said as she turned another page of her book the Marquis de Sads, one of her favorites, "You know some emotional manipulation, mental breaking, that sorta thing...He seems like such a fragile flower".

"He's not a toy, he's a pawn," Axel reminded him, glaring at Larxene with a bit of disgust on his face "And one we aren't supposed to break just...prod in the right direction. Otherwise he's just a useless kid running around our castle...Boss person won't be happy about that. ``

"Whatever, you are so careful playing with him Axel, it's like you are holding back". Larxene eyes narrowed, "Almost like he reminds you of something...Or someone, don't let your personal feelings get in the way of the mission

Axel eyes narrowed, "I don't hold back, and I don't have feelings remember"

"That's not what I see," Larxene snickered looking up from her book now, "And I don't have feelings either but I do enjoy things either way"

"Well...What can I say the kids' memories are fascinating, I mean given his situation after all, how can one not find them so".

Namine couldn't disagree. As long as she remembered her mind had been drawn to Sora, as if he was the one thing that she was sure about. A strange feeling to have for someone she has never met. But the more she heard about him from her superiors the more fascinated she became. The mysterious Keyblade Master in all his glory.

Oh the stories she heard that she knew. From his galavanting across the universe, defeating an evil Keyblade Master named Xehanort, an army of Heartless led by a witch named Maleficent, even having to battle his own friend for the greater good. Some of it sounded almost unreal, yet it was, it was all real. Though the part that struck him most was the part that struck everyone in this castle the most, the strength of his heart against the darkness from within.

Larxene laughed! "Whatever, besides we need him alive for their plan to work. Personally I say we just skin him now and be done with it, but hey that's just me".

"Yeah, too bad boss wouldn't appreciate it...This boss of course not the BIG BAD boss" Axel snickered as he leaned up against the wall, "But in all honesty, it's fascinating how we can be all worked up by one kid".

"It's not the kid, it's the blade, if he didn't have it, then he would just be another human being like everyone else...a true nobody with no purpose then to be nothing but just another civilian running around the world, being one in a million instead of standing out ." Larxene snickered as she sat up, "The fact the blade chose him at all is a mystery to pretty much everyone. Doesn't seem like a kid who really is the hero type".

"And what happened at Hollow Bastion"

"Ugh don't remind me" Larxene stuck out her tongue, "Sounds like something out of a fairy tale...The boy sacrifices himself to save the princess...Only to then be revived. Not everyone is lucky like that, some people don't get that satisfaction".

"To sacrifice themselves to the darkness?"

"To come back from it".

Now that too was something Namine was interested in learning as well. She had overheard what had happened to Sora at Maleficent fortress. How he sacrificed his heart for the person he loved and turned into a Heartless, letting the darkness consume him in the process. Through some miracle though not only was he able to overcome the darkness, but he was able to maintain some sort of consciousness while a Heartless, something that had never been done before ever in the history of hearts. That among from being the Keyblade Master was why her superiors were so interested in him.

As for her, she just thought the story was romantic as it was fascinating. It sounded like something straight out of a fairytale. Like an ancient story of a hero from so long ago. She wanted to meet him, to understand him, just to get it. That is why she was here with the rest of them.

When she first heard of it, it made Namine feel almost so euphoric. The idea of a friend sacrificing himself for another, while a third friend had even fallen to darkness lik Riku had. It was all so mythological. Like it made Sora almost unreal. But that was the thing, he was real, he was more real than even she was. To know that someone like that existed made her soul want to burst with a warmth that filled a growing void inside her. It made her want him, it made her want him more than anything now. To be the person that she saved, if only he even knew her name.

Though that would change.

Soon there might be a chance to meet Sora

"It would be nice to know what sleeps in that heart" Axel muttered, "Only one other person has been able to do what Sora has done...and he's gone"

"Searching for the secrets of the Heart ...That is the purpose of organization"

Namine shivered, a dark portal emerged as a new hooded figure emerged and removed their hood, revealing a long flow of pink hair. Neither man nor woman, they stood in the center of the room, a smirk on their face looking quite flamboyant. They were Marluxia, the leader of this little group of individuals, and master of Castle Oblivion. It was they who had Namine here, and it was they who wanted Sora to be here.

For what though, she wasn't entirely sure, all she knew was that his intent was not good, though she went along with it, if it meant she could meet Sora...Or more.

"Ah Marluxia, still enjoying being Ruler of Castle Oblivion I see…" Larxene snickered, "Never knew you were power mad"

"You've known me long enough to know what I am" Marluxia smirked, "Mad has never been one of them"

Larxene just rolled her eyes, "Perhaps...But still a annoyance"

"Harsh"

"Yes, yes, history aside, we have a Keyboy running around our Castle Oblivion and yet he is aware he is entering a world of memory" Axel reminded them, "I thought we were hoping for something a bit more...Immersive"

"We are," Marluxia replied, "And Namine is going to give us that, aren't you Namine"

Namine flinched at the sound of her name, she stood up and gave them all a small bow, "Yes, it will take time, the first memory was a mere test, something to see if it would work. I assure you the further along we go the more I will be able to make the perfect immersive world that Sora will think is completely real"

"Excellent" Marluxia clapped gleefully, "See Namine, those powers of yours are coming to good use after all"

Namine gave a slight forced smile, "I'm happy I can be of assistance...Anything to help the Organization, makes me very happy" she sighed, it was a lie but a lie she had to endure for now.

Larxene walked up to her and smirked "I wonder when Sora will finally...remember"

The way Larxene said that was sensual that Namine could feel her breath.

Larxene had a way of being that way with Namine, calm at some moments but other times her rage would get the better of her that...Well it would definitely make poor Namine flinch having to check her cheeks to see if it wasn't scratched. Hence why it was always best to keep one's head down whenever Larxene was around.

"Well perhaps a friendly introduction will trigger his ...memories," Marluxia stated, remaining calm as he watched the entire ordeal "What do you say Namine, are you ready to meet him, at least...In a way"

Namine took a deep breath and nodded, "It would be an honor" she said stoically.

"Good"

Namine just crouched in even more nervous. She had to go along with this plan, or else. It would be worth it in the end, she'd finally get to meet him. Perhaps then the feelings of emptiness will finally go away, and she can fill that empty hole in her heart that was gnawing at her since the day she was borne.

She'd finally get to meet the hero himself.

"Oh Namine" Marluxia interrupted, "Vexen requires your presence in the basement, immediately"

Namine sighed, "Of course, happy to comply"

It would all be worth it...When she got part of the story.

-000-

The undercurrents of the castle were just the same as the regular part of the Castle. White, dull and boring, the only real difference was the private room that made Vexen's laboratory. A mess of a place, with all sorts of tools rummaging around. A computer in the main area displaying all sorts of data and other weird experiments, and a few viles and potions of things Namine had know idea what to make of.

"Ugh, idiots all of them! Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who gets things done around here, I mean really!" Vexen screeched loudly, being as overly bombastic as he was angry as possible, "Why can't anything be done right"

Vexen was a brilliant scientist but in terms of having any bedside manners he was completely inept. Though he could not feel that way when he felt like everyone else did not understand his genius. His mind was one of the most brilliant in the entire Organization. It was going to be his research, his inventions, his science that would lead them all to there ultimate victory. However despite all that genius and all that importance, he found himself here, his lab in the basement of a outpost castle, instead of back in headquarters with the rest of the leadership.

Here he was stuck with the dregs and the rejects of his Organization.

Vexen continued to monitor the computer for the time being. Various calculations appear on screen. Everything needed to be perfect. This experiment was not only going to put him in the limelight of his superiors but also be the key to securing the Organization's victory in all things. Thirdly, this would be the next step in the evolution of the heart.

The Heart.

Ever since he was young he was obsessed with knowing everything he could about the heart. Vexen had gotten himself involved with various scientists over the years just to learn about it. How it worked, why it seemed to derive actual power in some cases. Even more importantly, why the mysterious weapon, simply known as the Keyblade, seemed to have a connection with the essence of one's heart.

Why was a magical weapon of apparent power connected to the heart. More interested why was the one who wielded it nothing more than a mere child.

As Vexen focused on typing on his computer his two other companions in the Organization, the dull eyed blue haired Zexion and the large behemoth Lexaus stood behind him, both sitting by the coffee table on the couch eating Rahman noodles and steamed broccoli. Why in the world would they enjoy that stuff he didn't know, he preferred far more comforting foods...Like Viel.

"What's Vexen up to now?" Lexaus muttered to Zexion as the two watched the wily scientist rush himself rampant throughout his lab.

Zexion merely shrugged as he leaned against a wall, "Who knows? Vexen mention something about some sort of patron giving him a breakthrough in his research"

"What sort of patron?" Lexaus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not sure, he won't mention him, happened a few weeks ago. But whatever it is is, it seemed important"

"Well whatever, so you said earlier you sensed someone in the Castle?" Leaxuas asked Zexion who just nodded back at them.

"You sensed something in the Castle?" Vexen replied finally taking notice of them, "I'm sure whatever it was, it was probably just Sora"

"No, this was different, beyond the dichotomy of light and dark" Zexion responded.

Vexen rolled his eyes, "You and your feelings, we don't even have them remember, otherwise none of us would be here. It's going to be our intellectual prowess that will enable our ultimate victory in the end. And, since I have the most intellect out of everyone here I will be the most victorious out of all of you ".

"I brought pickle vegetables" Lexaus said putting down the steamy food, Namine could smell it even from here, "Steamed them myself and everything, took a while though, you have to get them just the right temperature in order to-"

"No one cares!" Vexen snapped at him, silencing him mid sentence "Those three so called leaders spend their time doing whatever with Sora, and I'm stuck down here when I should be the one in command of this castle. They don't care about the Organization's unity at all".

"Unity is a myth" Zexion muttered, "Especially with our organization at the moment"

This was true, the Organization despite trying their best to put up a unifying front was always in some sort of disarray. It's members always had some sort of agenda. Be it personal glory, revenge, or perhaps just gaining power for powers sake. It's leadership remained firm though, and while they all had the same goal, it was always easy to betray one another or at least undermine various members' missions just to get a promotion or so. Vexen himself had undermined some of his more idiotic colleagues from time to time.

Vexen sighed leaning back down on the couch rubbing his head, "Anything else of interest"

"Not really" Lexaus responded leaning up against the couch, "Sora is here in the Castle as you know, but that's about it, Marluxia is dealing with him so we're pretty much not needed at this point"

"Too bad oRiku isn't here," Zexion replied.

"Riku?" Vexen raised an eyebrow.

Zexion nodded, "Yes, he's far more fascinating, a boy who fell to darkness, and yet perhaps still lives, how could one not be interested in that. The Keyblade Wielders natural ally, and from what I hard, perhaps something more"

"Heh, young teenage love" Lexaus snickered.

"Ugh, never had time for that myself when I was there age, always found it far more interesting matters"

Vexen went back to his computer to continue his research. Despite the slow progress at first he was finally making strides in his project. Soon, he will prove to his superiors that he was the greatest scientist in all the worlds. His genius will finally be recognized and his work will change the course of history as they knew it.

"Soon, all shall know the name...Vexen." He turned to the others "Come! We need to make preparations, the next phase of my experiment is about ot begin"

-000-

Sora was still in pain, the battle with Axel had left him completely depleted of any stamina. His bones hurt, muscles ached, that battle was a complete disaster. What's worse is that his ego had been severely bruised, everything he had learned, all his skill had completely fallen by the wayside. His companions weren't faring any better. Donald was limping his feet along the wall while Goofy had to hold onto his shield for support as he stood.

They were all glad that they had been able to get out of there alive though, even though they might not be saying it right now. All of them were too tired to talk, instead they just moaned and groaned as they limped their way forward again finding themselves in a white hallway.

"My legs hurt," Donald said, stretching his webbed legs.

"I'm doing okay….I think." Goofy stretched his arms only to feel a twinge. "Haven't felt this bad since I kept slipping on Max's skateboard."

Sora rubbed his forehead. "I hate not being able to do anything. This stinks!"

All three of them dragged their way to the center of the hall before resting on the ground, Sora using his Keyblade as support.

All three are unable to move another muscle. Bones aching, muscles spasming, they just needed to sit down and rest for a bit. The battle against Axel had taken quite a lot out of them. Sora especially had been greatly affected physically but also mentality.

When they arrived on the next floor again like before they saw a door standing there waiting before them. It was still though another white hallway with only a narrow view.

Sora paused to look at the card Axel had handed him, he didn't necessarily trust what he said but something told him that if he was going to get through this castle in one piece this card would have to be done. He wondered what memories it would take him too, what illusions. Would be made from his own, perhaps some dark secrets he didn't remember, or perhaps something of his fellow companions. He did think it would be somewhat interesting if he was able to learn more about his companions more.

"He said to use this to move forward" Sora muttered holding the card to his face.

"Well that's at least nice of him to give yuh some advice," Goofy said, trying to stay positive.

Donald groaned and rolled his eyes, "I don't think it was because he's nice"

"Still it was helpful"

"I wonder where will go this time" Sora thought, "Hopefully somewhere we can find the king, if we're even leaving this dumb castle"

Slowly Sora could feel a ruffling sensation behind his neck as he saw Jiminy leap from the back of his jacket's hood popping his head. He looked worried as he tapped his chin and pondered to himself for a moment.

"What's wrong Jiminy?" Sora asked.

Jiminy sighed, "Well I feel like we haven't picked on the most important part of what Axel said remember, he said that when our memories awaken we might no longer be ourselves"

"Eh, I doubt it, he was probably messing with us" Sora scoffed, "Like when Riku used to tease me. Just say something mysterious and make it sound spooky"

"Hmm, i don't think so Sora"

Goofy interjected, "But they can make towns out of our memories, so strange things have happened to us so far. Reminds me of that last big castle we went too with all the strange contraptions and what not"

"What castle?" Donald asked.

"Yeah, when was that" Sora asked,

Goofy gasped, "You forgot"

"We've been to a lot of places Goofy, it's easy to forget"

"Well I remember it clear is day" Goofy said, "Something really bad happened, too".

Sora looked worried, "What?"

"Remember, that were you stabbed yourself with the Keyblade in order to unlock your heart, and then ...Then you disappeared for a while"

Goofy frowned , as the atmosphere turned morbid, like someone had died.

"When I turned into a Heartless" Sora realized, "I-I remember"

It was still a vague memory but he remembered the basics. How his body had been completely consumed by darkness. Like completely losing one self. However unlike other Heartless who did lose themselves to the darkness, becoming nothing but empty beings who acted on pure instincts, Sora somehow was able to keep a bit of himself in tact. Apparently it was something that had never happened before.

"How could you forget?" Donald looked shocked.

"But what happened in that castle" Sora thought to himself, "what was it even called"? The name was on the tip of his tongue but he was unable to recall it.

"I uh…" Goofy paused to think, "I don't remember"

Jiminy hopped out of his corner of Sora's hood, "Well all this circling isn't helping at all, what we need is my journal, that'll help us"

"Oh yeah," Donald said, "We have Jiminy notes"

Jiminy hopped onto the ground and took out his journal "Okay, now let's see here and…" He froze, eyes bugging out

"What's wrong?" Goofy asked.

"No, oh no, oh no" Jiminy began flipping through the pages far more rapidly, "My notes, everything...It, it's gone"

"What?"

"EVERYTHING IS GONE!"

Taking the tiny book in his hand Sora began running through the pages, one by one they were empty. All the pictures, little notes, the logs, everything, everything from there first journey was completely gone. Nothing but empty blank pages.

Sora looked shocked, "What? How? You wrote in that thing like a hawk".

"Everything" Jiminy sighed in defeat, "All my hard work...Gone ...Gone like that"

Despite not being the one to write it Sora, felt a pain in his gut. It was like everything he had accomplished truly had been erased. It was a strange feeling to feel such a connection to a book, but it was still stinging. He had worked so hard, made so many good memories. Now though, now it felt like a pat of his life was being slowly taken away from him. His accomplishments, his heroism. His journey from child of a Island to great Keyblade Hero.

Sora stood there thinking as Jiminy continued to press through his journal, a horrible realization coming over him, "Are my...Are my memories vanishing, what kind of castle is this". All his magic, skill, agility, gone, all that was left was a rookie fighting against a pro. Both in the memory of Traverse Town as well as against Axel his inability to move the way he wanted. Use his magic, his special moves, everything, all of it was gone.

And he hated it.

His previous journey had taught him so much, showed him so much. Learning magical abilities like Blizzaga, Ragnarok, and moves such as the unique type of dodge roll and combo maneuver that allowed him to hit his enemies with multiple swings at once. Not even his healing abilities were working. otherwise he would have had the Keyblade heal all of them. His mind could still remember the names of the techniques and spells, what to say, how to move his Keyblade, yet he couldn't seem to translate to his movement in real time. Already he could feel things begin to fade, names, people, places. All of it felt like it was fading. Not even the images of their faces could appear in his head now.

Sora felt very empty inside.

It was like he had been stripped of everything that had been making him, him for the past few months.

All of it ...in a single second, gone.

"This is so unfair, after everything I learned everything I trained gone in an instant. I feel like everything we did was for nothing!"

Sora tossed his Keyblade in a huff causing it to land on the ground for a brief moment before it vanished in a flash of light.

"Sora…" Goofy shook his head, "Ah don't think like that Sora, it wasn't for nothin! We saved the world, that doesn't sound like nothing to me. We just forgot a little bit, that's all."

"I guess…" Sora sighed and nodded, taking a look at the card and glaring at it, as if it had insulted him. "He said use this card to go forward. Forward where? Why can't we just climb the stairs?"

"Well, at least it was nice of him." Goofy pointed out.

"This castle is clearly magical, so it must operate on cards." Sora asked gazing again at the grand halls While nothing seemed out of place, there was definitely a cold atmosphere that oozed from something being out of place.

"I still think something fishy is going on." Jiminy said, popping his head from Sora's pocket. "He said, 'when your sleeping memories awaken you may no longer be you.'"

"Hmm…" Sora folded his arms, "Well, that seems odd, how can I be anyone but me? I can't be anyone else, right?"

Sora tried to look for some reassurance from his friends.

"Not unless you think you're someone else." Goofy interjected. "Like uh...uh a pirate...or a sailor...or um uh…."

"Okay, okay I get it." Sora cut him off rubbing his head in exasperation. "I think they'll turn me into something far more sinister if they get into my head."

"Sorry."

Sora realized what Goofy said thought as he started to feel a tinge of fear growing inside of him. Various scenarios playing inside his head at the thought of being transformed into something by these people. A parody or a shell of his former self. When he was a child, Riku used to show him horror movies about people getting mind control, it freaked him out so much he'd always have to go to his mother to make sure that he was still himself. He looked at his hands to make sure he was still able to move them normally. However, the worry continued to build in his mind.

He couldn't allow himself to be taken over by these weird cloaked thugs if that was their mission. Sora knew what position was like because of what Xehanort had done to Riku and it looked painful. He didn't want to experience that pain.

"You okay Sora." Goofy asked putting a hand on his shoulder in order to comfort him

"No." Sora sighed bending his knees in exhaustion. "I'm thinking about what would happen if they turn me evil or make me a puppet or…."

Sora started to breath heavily now, hyperventilating almost.

"Calm down, Sora." Goofy said, getting a tight grip on him. "Even if that were the case, we won't let that happen."

"Yeah, we'd stop ya." Donald said

Sora smiled, thankful for such great friends. "Thanks guys."

While calming, he still felt a bit nervous about the idea of being controlled. His Keyblade was powerful, and he knew that if something like that were to get into the wrong hands, well, he didn't want to think about it.

"No worries fella's, we'll get through it together! We've explored one castle before, remember the one with all those contraptions?" Goofy said catching Sora's attention. "So it's not like this is the worst thing that's happened to us."

"Huh, what was that?" Sora asked something Goofy said sounded familiar. "What other castle?"

Goofy jumped back, shocked "What you forgot?!"

"Goofy, your just making stuff up." Donald accused.

"Am not, remember fella's!"

The trio took a moment to pause and think about what Goofy said. They thought, and thought they couldn't think of anything in particular. Sora tapped his chin trying to think back, it seemed familiar yet it didn't ring a bell.

Such a strange memory to focus on a Castle of all things. He had remembered a few images in castles popping in his mind, but he assumed many of them were probably just castles he had made up when he was a child playing knights and dragons back on the island. Though, by the way Goofy was describing this it seemed this castle had great significance and that something really bad must have happened to him, something almost tragic by the quiver in his voice.

Sora shrugged. "Sorry, don't ring a bell. Come on, let's keep going."

"But how could you forget Sora? That's where probably the scariest thing ever happened! I remember the feeling...like losing my own son."

"Goofy, I…" Sora didn't know what to say

This definitely was causing Goofy some amount of grief.

"Never felt that worried in my life."

Sora still was unsure what exactly Goofy was talking about, a lot had happened during his first adventure. What made this event so special. But by the looks on his friend's face this must have been something quite traumatic. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and smiled

"Goofy, what happened?" Sora asked now, worrying about his friend. "Come on tell us, it's okay."

Goofy seemed hesitant to speak at first, it was as if the pain of the event was a bit much for him to bare. Donald as well as began to form a sad face, though also one of confusion. Sora just watched as his two friends seemed conflicted.

"Remember? It was when you turned into a Heartless to save your girlfriend."

"Kairi is not my….," Sora frooze, the memory coming back to him, "Girl-friend….Oh, y-your right."

Suddenly it started to sink into him now, the realization of what he did at that castle. Although the name escape's him, the events were as clear as day.

"Yeah, I was so worried." Goofy said, the memory flowing back to him and Sora. "When that happened, it was like...Well, it was as if I had lost my own son."

Sora remembered now, it was where he used the Dark Keyblade to free his Kairi's heart, which had been hidden safely inside his own heart after the destruction of the island. It was the revelation that shocked him the most during his entire first journey. That whole time Kairi was inside his heart, protected and safe. But the price was high and he was willing to pay. So he struck himself with the Keyblade, became a Heartless, and for a brief moment learned what it was like to be part of the darkness that he fought so long against.

True love triumphed that day.

"Feels like a lifetime ago." Sora said, even though it was only a few weeks to a few months at the most.

He gently put his hand over his chest to wear the blade pierced his chest. Amazed that he didn't form a scar or something. Though it's legacy still lived on in his memories. Sora could only hope that this castle wouldn't take that away from him too.

"Still what was the castle called?" Donald asked.

Jiminy stepped in now. "Don't worry fella's I got this one covered." He took his journal and began to flip through the pages. "It was a castle…."

He stopped and became distraught.

"What's wrong Jiminy?" Donald asked

"Everything," he spoke with a hushed whisper, "It's gone, everything in my journal is gone."

"WHAT!" Sora yelled, taking the tiny journal to look over it. As Jiminy said it was completely blank, all the adventures he and his friends went on erased. It was like losing a large chunk of one's life.

Jiminy was on the brink of tears. "All that hard work, gone! What am I going to tell the Queen?"

"Now, now calm down Jiminy." Goofy said, trying to comfort his friend. "I'm sure that there's a good reason why all your hard work is gone. Did you use invisible ink?"

"No!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "I bet it was this castle, it seems to be taking everything."

"I bet if we keep going through this castle, we'll keep forgetting things." Donald pointed out, starting to look nervous. "We should go back."

Sora thought about it for a moment, part of him did want to go back but the drive to find his friend Riku here was strong. If there was a chance then he needed to take it no matter what, mind control and all.

"Oh no, you don't!." Sora tugged on Donald's shoulder before he could head back. "We started this, we're gonna see this through."

Donald shook his head sighing "I don't like this. What if we forget who we are, or why were here, and what if we forget who we were looking for? What if we forget the king?"

"Okay first off, I only understood half of that." Sora said, causing Donald to groan. "And second, we need to do this, Riku could be here, I'm not going to leave only to find out we could have found Riku way earlier, if we didn't turn back in the first place."

"Sora's right." Goofy interjected. "No point in turning back now, I say we press forward...Onward."

Despite the bravado, Sora himself was worried. Leon and the others already forgot him, would he forget Kairi and Riku? No, no he couldn't let himself believe that. He had a mission to find him, that sort of bond was too strong to easily be broken.

Sora looked at the card Axel had given him and wondered what it would lead him too. There was only one way to find out.

Like Goofy said...Onward.

"Also fella's there is still one good thing." Sora said looking at his companions with a smile. "I might have lost some of my moves, but at least I can still summon the Keyblade. I'm still a Keyblade Master and that's never changing."

"Well…" Goofy sighed, "I hope we don't forget those who are important to us too"

"Like the boys"

"Like Max"