Kairi, Sora and Xion strode down the length of the absurdly large entrance hall to the strange castle.
It wasn't much to look at: just pure white, and there were these big emblems embedded in the walls, which were lined with big white pillars. And there were some little pedestals, with flowers on them, on either side of the hall, too. Others were smaller, with flower pots on them.
They were nearing the other end of the hall - the steps leading up to another door - when darkness bloomed in front of them, and someone in a black coat appeared.
They had a large frame, and their hood was up. Clearly, a man. A powerful man.
At almost the same time, Kairi heard a loud creaking noise, and she glanced back behind herself to find the big doors closing shut of their own accord.
She turned her gaze back to the man, gazing into that dark hood. Shrouded, impossible to see anything.
"Okay, who are you?" Kairi called out, setting hands on her hips.
"Someone who would be rather interested in observing your progress through Castle Oblivion," came a smooth male voice.
"Castle Oblivion? Is that what this place is called, then?" Kairi said. Playing dumb really did have its uses (especially when your enemies were arrogant tools who wanted to play the mysterious big bad guy role).
"Indeed." The man nodded. He reached into the folds of his coat, pulling out...a strange, thick blue card. "And we here in its halls would be delighted for the opportunity to play host to the Keyblade Heroine herself..."
"Don't tell me: you want to put me through tests?" Kairi groaned.
The man laughed a soft, easy laugh. "I...desire no such thing, child. It is the castle itself that will be testing you. Nay, it is your very Heart itself...that will be testing itself."
"Okay, that just made no sense, and I know you just said it to try to sound mysterious and cool!" Kairi retorted, glaring. "Well, it didn't work! You're just- dumb!"
"Well then, if you've no need for any further elaborations..." The man suddenly hurled the card at her; it sliced through the air like a projectile - Kairi's hand flew up to catch it (she was actually pretty impressed with herself for that one). He turned, raising a hand to point to the door behind him. "Enter the castle proper - proceed through the rooms within this floor - and reach the end. If you can."
"Yeah, right," Kairi scoffed at him. "I'm just going to walk my little bum through this place of strange weirdos who say strange things that make no sense...just because!"
The man shifted his stance, and that hood turned aside - his gaze moving from Kairi...to Xion. "No," he spoke softly. "I wouldn't expect you to proceed through this castle without proper motivation. For what is a heroine without a cause? A reason? A...purpose for being? I think, Keyblade Heroine, that you'll carry on through these halls for the sake of your..." He trailed off, and then, spoke again in a near whisper. "...your sister...isn't it?"
Kairi glanced at her sister - who was looking...seriously afraid. Almost...was she freezing up? Was she that- Kairi stepped forward, materializing her weapon to hand. "Don't threaten my sister!"
"Oh, but you misunderstand me - this was not a threat: it was an offer."
"An offer of what?" Kairi glared.
That man continued to gaze at Xion in silence. Then- "The truth."
"What truth?" Kairi growled at him.
Xion's hands had risen to her chest, pressing, capturing. Her head fell, and her eyes were shut tight. Her mouth was moving, but she wasn't saying anything Kairi understood...
"A truth that may be both painful and relieving; a truth that you might well be strong enough to hear - and carry on forward with, now knowing it," the man said quietly. "A truth...that may strengthen your bonds - or cause the both of you to crumble under the weight of it. Crushed...by the sheer weight of reality itself."
"Yeah, you're still just totally spouting nonsense to try to be mysterious." Kairi forced a laugh.
"Am I? You'll never know unless you see for yourself. And if this chance is not taken...it may be lost to you forever."
Kairi lowered her gaze to the blue card in her free hand, turning it over. There was a familiar image there - the metaphysical representation of a world. One she recognized: Traverse Town's? "What's this for? A keepsake?"
"Hardly. It is a sample of your memories - of that particular world. Your experiences, the places you've been within it. The people you've met. The enemies you've fought. Hold that card up to the door behind me, and you will enter a world of memories."
"And what's that supposed to prove?" Kairi asked, stowing the card away in one of her pockets (god she loved having the ability to just shove stuff in them and forget about it!).
"What do you think it will prove?"
"Okay, that - that was definitely just stupid vagueness for the sake of it!" Kairi laughed for real this time! "You can't just turn questions around on people and think it makes you awesome and so, so deep and mysterious."
"Can't I?"
"Stop that!" Kairi snapped, shoving her Keyblade out at the man.
"Well... As you wish." The man was wrapped in darkness, and he disappeared.
Kairi pulled the card out again, staring at it.
"Hey, uh, are we really doing this?" Sora asked.
"Are you scared too?" Kairi responded, surprised.
"What? Me? No way!" Sora exclaimed, flashing a grin. "As long as we're together, we can take on anything! But...I'm worried about Xion. The things that guy was saying about her...it creeped me out."
Kairi looked to her sister again.
Xion let her hands fall, meeting her gaze.
"Do you still want to do this?" Kairi said softly. "I don't know what's even going to happen here. But, clearly, they've got some kind of plan for you too. You can still leave. You can still-"
Xion shook her head. A determined look came to her face. "No. Thank you - but I can do this. I...feel like I...have to. I can't explain it. As much as it scares me...I still want to."
"Okay." Kairi stowed away her card and let her Keyblade vanish. She took her sister's hand in her right, and then grabbed Sora's in her left. "Let's do this, then!"
The three of them approached the inner door together, interlinked.
Stepping through brought them into...familiar territory, for sure. But...
Well, it was Traverse Town, all right, but it was...square.
It...was...square?
"Guess that guy wasn't lying about them being 'rooms' at least," Sora said glibly.
"I guess not," Kairi agreed.
She strode over to the edge of the "room", touching her hand to the wall. Stone. Wood. Cold...
She moved for a nearby barrel, channeling her magic through her body to hoist it up over her head - and then she hurled it across the room! It splintered on impact, revealing a scattering of...munny?
"Look, Kairi: munny!" Sora exclaimed, rushing forward and scooping up handfuls. "Hehe...do you think the real barrels in the real Traverse Town had munny in them and we just never realized...?"
"Sora," Kairi started, giggling. "you know that's probably going to vanish from your pockets once we leave this place, right?"
"Hey, don't ruin the fantasy!" Sora responded, laughing too, as he stuffed his pockets full of munny.
Kairi shook her head at him, smiling. Her eyes were drawn to another door ahead - across the room. She took a step forward-
And suddenly dark pools rippled on the ground before her. She drew her Keyblade instantly.
Heartless!
Sora jumped up and drew his sword, racing to her side. Xion came up on her other side, her own Keyblade ready.
Kairi stared at the Shadow Heartlesses, biting at her lip.
They were Heartless, but...
They felt different to her, somehow? They felt...so strange. It was...really throwing her off...?
Kairi breathed, trying to reach out for them - to see them - but-
Her head burst with pain, and the world around her suddenly fell apart. It was twisting, it was melting, like paint dripping down walls- and then it all just snapped back to normal.
This room, this Traverse Town, it wasn't real. But even these Heartless weren't...real Heartless?
They were just illusions. Memories...
They didn't have Hearts trapped in them.
That was...a good thing, at least, right?
Kairi could tear her way through them without feeling any of the remorse she had been feeling as of late for doing so.
"They're just illusions!" Kairi cried, grinning. "Let's destroy them!"
"You sure-" Sora started.
Kairi lunged, swinging her Keyblade down to cleave a leaping Shadow in half. She looked back at Sora over her shoulder, hand going to her hip. "Don't I look sure, Sora?"
"Yup!" Sora confirmed, with a grin of his own coming on. He shrouded his sword in wind and tossed it out in a wide arc, a swirling green mini tornado swirling around it. It swept up the Heartless and slammed them into each other, then tossed them out across the room to land in uncoordinated messes.
Xion aimed a homing Blizzard blast for one, while Kairi tossed out her Keyblade to teleport right to the other and eviscerate it!
"That wasn't so hard," Kairi laughed. "Where'd you pick that move up, anyways, Sora?" she added curiously. "Ven?"
Sora nodded, flushing. "Yeah. I guess, even with him being gone now, I still picked up more from him than I thought I had!"
"I know he'd be happy about that," Kairi said lightly.
"Yeah. He would!"
Darkness burst before them, and the same man from before stood in front of them.
"Yes, shredding through illusionary foes conjured up by powerful magic might well put your Heart at ease - but never lose sight of the fact that they can do you real harm, just as much as you do them harm. Lest you lose a member of your party to them."
"Oh, it's you again," Kairi said, trying to sound unconcerned. "Hi, uncool and not-mysterious black coat guy. If you're here to creep on my sister some more-"
"Fear not; I am only here to offer you one more piece of advice."
"Geez, thanks, but I don't need to hear anything else out of you."
"I rather think that you do," the man said, almost amicably. Politely.
"Fine - you're not going to leave us alone until you've said it anyways, are you...?" Kairi muttered, annoyed. It wasn't like bad guys had any sense of personal space, or privacy, or- or basic manners to buzz off when someone told you to leave them alone!
"Please, forgive me - this will be the last time that I intrude upon you," the man's smooth voice came again.
"Whatever. Just spit it out," Kairi snorted.
"Very well." The man nodded. "While that display of abilities was an impressive enough one for children such as yourselves, from here on out, while you are here in these rooms you will be forced to abide by the rules of said rooms..."
"What rules? You can't force me to do anything!" Kairi said hotly.
"I'm afraid I can." The man raised a hand, snapping his fingers.
Kairi felt a thrill go through her, and a red light flashed from her insides. "Okay, what did you just do to- us?" She turned, gasping as she found neither Sora or Xion were by her side anymore! "Where are they?!" she shouted, furious as she was panicked.
The man showed his palm to her, and two, spinning, glowing cards floated out to her.
Kairi snatched them up, staring at the images on their faces. It was...the faces of Sora and Xion! "What- is this...? What did you do?"
"Rest assured, this condition is only temporary - one imposed on you by the castle whilst you move through each floor. Once you reach the end, the entry hall to the next, they will be by your side again, safe and sound."
"What- what condition - the condition of being trading cards?!" Kairi shrieked.
"Precisely. The powers of your friends are still yours to wield; if you value them, you won't fail to pick them up in battle."
"What do you mean pick them up-" Kairi choked as the two cards vanished from her hand! "No, no - Sora, Xion!"
"Focus, girl." The man reached into his cloak, producing a thick, bound stack of even more cards. Dozens? He tossed it out to her, right at her feet.
Kairi bent down to retrieve it. She shuffled through them, taking in the image of her Keyblade on the face of them - and the different numbers on the bottom right. "What is this, some kind of game?"
"That is exactly what it is," the man said, sounding pleased with her. "It is all merely a game...so why not play along?"
Right...a game...to play along with... She had promised Xikira that she would... She had to investigate this place, investigate the possibility of some- form of Ansem being around still, and...
Kairi breathed, calming herself. She raised her head, gazing into that dark hood. "Fine. I'll play your stupid games. But I'll win!"
"Not without knowing the rules, you won't. If you would allow me to explain it to you..."
"Tell me," Kairi said simply.
And he did. He told her about the number system, about cards of higher numbers breaking lower cards, about magic cards, about item cards, how her deck was finite, how she could call it back with her power...
He even put her through a mock battle, himself as her opponent. Kairi kept herself in check, dedicating herself to truly learning all he had to teach her. If she was going to win, she had to know these things!
But...she had never exactly fought on her own before. Not like this. All these rooms, enemies...by herself...?
No! She had to be confident in herself. She couldn't let herself get too down! She could do this!
Kairi was glad to see the man disappear again - hopefully for the last time. Unless he was an evil liar...
She sat down on another barrel and began sorting through her deck of cards now, recalling all the rules. Luckily, she had five big, free pockets to fill with cards! She even separated them by type!
Kairi tried not to let her spirits fall, just by...well, thinking of it as a game. Like the ones back home.
This was definitely a test. One big test.
Kairi wasn't going to fail it!
She was going to play, win, and-
Light, racing footsteps caught her attention. Her head whipped up, and her eyes went wide.
"Aerith?! What are you- doing here?!" Kairi jumped off her barrel, racing forward.
"I thought I sensed something strange going on around here!" the woman exclaimed happily, stalking forward with hands on her hips. "Of course you'd have something to do with it, wouldn't you, sweetie? So, what's my little miracle worker up to this time?"
"I'm trying to- get through this castle. Castle Oblivion. I have to play this stupid card game to- but how did you even get here-?"
"Castle Oblivion? We're in Traverse Town, sweetie."
Kairi froze, staring. The woman looked as confused as she felt. "Traverse...Town? No, this is just- an illusion."
"Huh?" The woman tilted her head at her. "Are you alright, Kairi? This is very real, I can say that with confidence! We're definitely in Traverse Town. Where else would we be?"
Kairi bit her lip and looked away as it fully set in...what this was. What it had to be. What the man had said... Not just enemies, but...people she knew? From her memories...? So was this- did that mean...? Oh...oh no.
Not again...I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!
Kairi blew a breath and pushed back her hair, gazing back at Aerith. She raised her hands to her chest. "Okay, um, Aerith...listen, do you remember how I told you about...how I dreamed about...meeting versions of Sora and Riku, and how I went on that big adventure in that 'Realm of Sleep' that Fairy Godmother mentioned to us?"
Aerith eyed her a moment. Then she nodded. "Yep! Why do you ask?"
"Um...well..." Kairi sighed. "I'm really sorry to have to do this to you, but you deserve the truth. So...this is a memory. This- whole place- is from my memories. Even...you, I think. You're- a memory. It's this castle, Castle Oblivion, that we're inside of. It makes memories real. Tangible. And...I guess...it kind of also created sentient life out of nothing as well, which is really disturbing to think about, I know, especially when you're one of those lives and I'm really, really sorry to-"
Aerith raised a hand, frowning at her. "Slow down, sweetie. Castle Oblivion? You said you think that's where we are?"
"Yes..."
"It turns your memories into...physical places?" She gestured around herself.
"Yes."
"And it also...recreates the people from those memories?"
"I'm sorry..."
"Are you sure we aren't in Traverse Town?"
Kairi shook her head. "I remember walking in here. I remember the door. What do you remember last?"
Aerith frowned suddenly. Deeply. "Hmmm...strange, I can't...even recall...what I last recall?"
They stared at one another for a solid minute.
"Okay, I think I'm starting to see your point," Aerith said casually. "So...I'm not exactly the 'real' Aerith, then, am I? I'm a memory of her...in some strange memory-manipulating castle?"
"I- yes...But- but that doesn't make you any less real! I mean, you're- here, you're talking, right? You think and feel?"
"Mhm. That's true too." Aerith nodded thoughtfully. "I am standing here, aware and alive, aren't I? And that power I sensed, along with this feeling inside me that just tells me you're telling the truth..." She let out a long woosh of air and shrugged. "Well, isn't this just a big existential crisis to go through today?"
"I'm sorry!" Kairi pleaded, covering her face.
Aerith laughed musically, then strode forward and wrapped Kairi up in a hug. "Well then, if I'm a memory of 'her', at least I can be a good one, right? Lucky you didn't conjure up one of those times I got all yelly and angry!"
"Um...I- um..." Kairi whispered, struggling. Then she relaxed into the woman's arms and hugged her back. "Y-yeah...lucky I didn't do...t-that..."
"There we go, sweetheart - don't even worry about it! I'm not worried..."
"But...you just started existing a few minutes ago! And- that probably means you'll have to stop existing when I...leave this floor. I can't kill you, Aerith, I won't!"
"If it's unavoidable, then what's the sense in getting into a big tiffy about it?" Aerith told her lightly. "Besides, it isn't the first time I've faced down my impending death. Every time, I've done my best to accept it when it might happen. If it's going to happen for sure this time, then I'll be all right with that. And if I can disappear knowing I've helped you again, even in some small way, that's going to make it even easier on me!"
"Please...maybe we could- put you into a card, take you out of these rooms with us-"
"Maybe. But I think we both know you have no idea how any of this actually works," Aerith said flatly. "I don't think...that this is one of those times where there's a clever way out, Kairi. You just have to accept it, this time. Like...with Geppetto. And...with Merron - wasn't that her name? You know this, sweetie; some things you just can't beat. But you know who you can beat?"
"Who?"
"The black coat cultist weirdos who run this place," Aerith said cheerily.
Kairi pulled away, staring at the woman. "Wait, how do you even know-"
"Well, if I had to guess, I'd say that, as a memory created by your Heart, your Heart is telling me a bit more about what's going on here by the second," Aerith said with a grin. "I can almost see it, you know...that white hall...and I can almost hear the words of that man you faced before stepping into this place..."
"My Heart is...giving you memories of mine?" Kairi supposed that...kind of made sense actually. If this Aerith really was...made out of her memories...
"Uh-huh." Aerith grasped her hands, swinging them back and forth between them. Kairi giggled. "So, sweetie, how about you stop worrying about me, and start worrying about what you have to do here to help...Xikira?"
"You think I should help her? That it's- the right thing to do?"
"Well, I think stopping some evil-er counterpart of Ansem's from trying to get to Kingdom Hearts again is the right thing to do," Aerith considered. "And if the way to do that is by also helping out this...Nobody of yours...then I say go for it, sweetie!"
"Do you think she was telling the truth, then?"
"Hmm..." Aerith glanced away briefly, eyebrows furrowed. "From what I can see in your Heart of that encounter...I'd have to say, yes, I believe she was being genuine. But that doesn't mean she's not still a stranger - daughter or not!" she went on cheekily, with another grin.
Kairi blushed, looking down at her feet. She pulled away from Aerith, out of her grasp. "Right. I still don't know anything about her. Not really."
"Right. So just keep your guard up, alright? But...keep trusting your instincts, as well. Your Heart knows what's right and true, even if your head doesn't."
"Okay. Thank you, Aerith."
"No problem! Now, get going! Go on, shoo!" Aerith spun her around and pushed at her - then gave her a light smack right on her rear end!
"H-hey! The real you never would have done that!" Kairi exclaimed, flushing hard as her hand went to her behind.
"Well, I suppose that's what you get for conjuring up an incomplete memory version of me based only on your own memories of me, isn't it?" Aerith said, sticking out her tongue.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kairi said.
"It means you don't truly, honestly know whether or not that is actually something I would do to you!"
"Yeah, okay, I'm leaving now for sure! Goodbye!" Kairi said, turning on a heel and racing off for the door across the room.
"Buh-bye, sweetie! Stay on your toes out there, make smart choices!"
"I'm probably going to make stupid, stubborn, impulsive ones - but thanks!" Kairi called back.
After Kairi had disappeared through that strange, shimmering door of light, Aerith looked around herself and blew a breath of relief.
She just knew that slap on the butt would get Kairi moving - leaving.
Alone now, Aerith knelt down in the middle of the room, bowing her head and bringing her hands to her chest.
A memory, huh...?
Her mind flashed through all her favorite flowers collected over her lifetime - or, well, the stories of collecting them that her "real self" had told to Kairi before...
Said flowers suddenly appeared in her hands in a flash of light. In a bouquet.
Aerith clutched them tight, raising them up to her face. Pushing her nose into them to inhale their scents.
Somehow, they did have scents. Scents that were...so familiar, and felt right.
Weird... she thought vaguely.
Now how could she have pulled something like that out of Kairi's Heart?
Unless it wasn't from Kairi's...?
Aerith closed her eyes, and a smile came to her lips.
Wherever the "real" Aerith was out there, and whatever she was doing...
After a long time - many minutes on end - Aerith finally raised her head and opened her eyes anew, lowering the bouquet to her chest again.
"You keep her safe, alright? She really is like a daughter to me," she spoke firmly to the World. To magic itself. To the glinting, familiar light she could feel at the end of a needle-thin thread stretching out from her own core. A light that felt strikingly similar to herself...
Aerith felt that light respond, pulsing briefly, a foreign sense of confusion and wonder seeping into her chest-
And then the entire world around her flashed a blinding white, and all sensation and thought was wiped away.
AN: Kingdom Hearts. Is. AN EXISTENTIAL FUCKIN' NIGHTMARE WORLD. That is all. xD
And I will NEVER stop pointing it out. :D Seriously...it's goddamn horrifying! The shit Nomura comes up with would make Stephen King and fuckin Lovecraft blush! Like holy mother of crusted crackers! xD And this is all CANON implications! I didn't make this shit up lol.
Like I'm legit replaying Re:CoM as we speak so I can make the worlds and shit lol. I also replayed KH1 while writing the first book! :D