---Sora53: Oh, great. Another chapter.
Corita: Next chappie is up!
Sora53: Duh.
Fans: BE NICE OR I WILL BLAST YOU INTO OBLIVION!
Joe: ...Naminé, what did you do?
Naminé: I thought it would be fun to switch around their memories!
Corita: My memories are switched around? Well, at least I'm not the one who turns into a card!
Fans: You're mean, Corita.---

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Heartss, but I own Corita. Muahaha feel my power.

"Well, we survived the first floor of Castle Oblivion." Sora said happily as the four of them climbed the stairs to the next hallway. It looked identical to the entrance hall; smooth white walls.
"Well, Sora? Did you enjoy meeting your memories?" asked the unknown figure. The group was about halfway up the hallway when he appeared before them.
"It was good to see everyone again." Sora answered truthfully. "But why show me an illusion? What do you want from me?"
"That depends on what you have to give." said the figure after a moment. He started to take a step towards Sora.
Suddenly, another figure appeared in front of the hooded figure. He wore the same black trenchcoat and had red hair, spiky enough to put Sora's hair to shame.

"Boo"
"What do you want?" The hooded figure sighed.
"I got bored, what with you hogging the hero." The new figure said lazily. They were both silent for a few moments as Sora, Corita, Goofy and Donald watched them. Finally, the hooded figure threw the new figure some cards.
"Perhaps YOU'D like to test him." The hooded figure said calmly.
"Perhaps I would"
After the new figure had spoken, the hooded figure vanished in the same manner that he had appeared. He gripped the cards and turned around to face the four of them.
"Looks like it's my show now, Keyblade master." The red-haired figure said, putting the cards away. "My name is Axel. Commit it to memory."
"Um...sure." Sora said nervously. Next to him, Corita glared up at Axel with an emotion unfamiliar to her eyes: hate.
"Good, you learn quick." Axel chortled, surveying them from where he stood. "So, Sora, now that we're on a first-name basis..." He said slowly. He then lifted his arms to his sides, and a bright flash surrounded his hands. In an instant, two ring-like weapons, bright red with spikes on them, appeared in his hands. "...don't go dying on me!"

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"Why do you shun the dark?" Echoed the voice through the pearl-white walls of Castle Oblivion. Riku stopped walking and crossed his arms.
"Oh, come on. I know you heard every word I said to Maleficent." Riku said coolly.
"Darkness is your weapon. I need you to accept it." The voice growled, a tense edge to it now.
Riku gave a short laugh. "Why do you care?"
"Stop resisting and accept the darkness. You must...if you are to serve me again!"

Within 8 feet of where Riku stood, an orb of darkness came floating down from the ceiling of Castle Oblivion. It floated down until it reached the floor, where it erupted in a bolt of darkness. Riku closed his eyes until the darkness ceased, and when he opened them, he gave a weak chuckle.
"Ansem... Just as I thought." Riku muttered as he stared up at Ansem. The self-proclaimed King of Darkness looked down at his former host with mixed emotions.
"You don't seem surprised." Ansem said, his voice booming through the hallway.
"You always were chatty when it came to darkness." Riku explained, staring fiercly at him. "So, let me guess...you want to pull me back into the darkness and play puppet master again... right?"
"Clever boy. You'll make a fine host. Now, surrender to me again and..." Ansem started, but Riku cut him off.
"You're insane! There won't be an 'again'!" Riku roared. In his rage, he took out his sword and dashed towards Ansem. Ansem eyed him lazily as the silver-haired boy ran towards him. When Riku was 2 feet from him, however, he was pushed violently backwards by a barrier of energy. Riku flew backwards and landed on his front 15 feet away.
"Did you really think you could harm me? A weakling like you couldn't even defeat Sora...and you had darkness on your side." Ansem taunted as he walked towards Riku.
"Excuse me for...being weak..." Riku muttered painfully as he struggled to stand after the blow.
"You need the darkness. Submit! Bow to the darkness, and bow to me." Ansem roared as Riku's arms gave out under him.

After a few moments, Riku spoke again. "Not a...chance..."
"Only darkness can help you now." Ansem answered, and he took a few more steps towards Riku.
"You're wrong!" called a voice from above. Similar to when Ansem had appeared, an orb floated down from the ceiling. However, this one wasn't filled with the power of darkness, but the power of light.
"That voice...! Your Majesty, is that you?!" Riku called as he knelt on the ground.
"You betcha!" called Mickey's voice. "Riku, you're not alone. Listen careful now, Riku. The light'll never give up on you. You'll always find it, even in the deepest darkness! But you have to believe!"
"I will." Riku said to the orb, and he stood up. "Hear that? I'm not losing to the darkness today, Ansem." Riku muttered, his back still to him.
"You think some feeble light can save you from the darkness I command? Fool!" Ansem cried, and Riku grabbed his sword from the ground and turned to face him, ready to battle.

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"Is he gone?" Corita growled as the light surrounding her faded.
"I think so..." Sora said to her, looking around the room.
"Good." She muttered, turning away from her brother.
"Sora, what are those?" Donald asked, pointing to something on the ground. Sora turned away from him and looked to where he was pointing. Lying on the ground were more cards.
"Hmm... They look kind of like the card that made Traverse Town." Jiminy said as Sora picked them up.
"Then we need these to go on..." Sora mumbled, looking up at the doorway.

"Correct." came Axel's voice from the darkness. He reappeared in front of the door to the next floor of the castle.
"Axel!" Corita cried, leaping back from the stairwell.
"That's right, my dear Princess. After an introduction like that, you don't think I'd just give up the ghost?" Axel said, looking down at her as she clenched her fists.
"So you were just testing our strength." Sora said, stepping in front of his sister.
"Congratulations, Sora. You passed!" Axel said to him. "You're ready to take on Castle Oblivion. Follow your memories. Trust what you remember, seek what you forget...and you will find someone very special."
"You mean Riku and the king?" Goofy asked.
"Well, I don't know. You'll just have to give some more thought to who's most important to you. Our most precious memories lie deep in our hearts, out of reach. But you can find yours, Sora."
"Where? How?" Sora wondered.
"The light within the darkness. You've lost sight of it, Sora. You've forgotten forgetting." "Light? I don't understand..." Sora muttered.
"Would you like a hint?" Axel asked, an edge of taunt in his voice's tone.
"Well, Sora?" Jiminy asked.
"No, I want to figure it out for myself. And if you get in my way..." Sora growled, summoning the Keyblade into his hands.
"There's no way he'd dare try that." Corita growled.
"He won't! We won't let him!" Donald cried.
"Heh, that's my kind of answer." Axel said. "Just what I'd expect from the Keyblade master. But be forewarned...when your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be you."
With that, Axel vanished.

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"That all you've got?" Riku panted, sword still in hand.
"It seems you are intent on resisting the darkness. Very well. See with your own eyes." Ansem said, holding up several cards.
"What are those?" Riku asked, lowering his sword.
"They are cards crafted from your memory. Advance through the worlds they beget, and you will come to understand... Chasing the light will not distance you from the dark. You cannot run." Ansem boomed.
"Who's running?" Riku asked. "Give me the cards. I'll enter those worlds. And in the end, if I haven't given up...I win."

Ansem smiled and tossed the cards to Riku, who reached up and catched them effortlessly. Riku looked down at the cards he'd just revieved.
"I have one more gift for you." Ansem said as Riku continued to look at the cards. Ansem lifted his hand, and a strange aura surrounded the silver-haired teenager. Jerking his head away from the cards, Riku felt a strange presence enter his body...flow into his heart.
"What did you do?!" Riku cried as the aura faded away.
"I tempered the darkness that remains in your heart." Ansem answered calmly.
"What, you still think that I'd rely on darkness?" Riku yelled angrily.
"Whether or not you use it is your choice." After these words, Ansem vanished. Riku ran forward in his rage, weapon held in the air, but nothing remained behind.
"I'll be waiting, Riku...for you to come to your senses and yield to the darkness!"

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"Corita, are you okay?" Donald asked gingerly as they climbed the stairs to the next pearl-white hallway. "Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Corita asked, looking down at the duck that was walking next to her.
"Well, it's just you seem to get so...angry when those black-caped guys are around..." Goofy said. Corita looked over Sora's shoulder at him.
"I just...I can't stand them." Corita said honestly. "The first one we met was bad enough, but there are more."
"Why? They kinda annoy me, too, but...you just go crazy." Sora stated.
"The way they call me 'Princess', the way they talk in riddles..." Corita muttered, closing her eyes.
"Now that you mention their riddles..." Jiminy chirped. "What Axel said's been bothering me... What could he have meant by 'you may no longer be you'?"
"Come on. How can I be anyone besides me?" Sora asked.
"I know, I know. Still, it always pays to be careful." Jiminy said simply.
"Yeah, just about anything could happen here in Castle Oblibbity...uh, Oblostemy..." Goofy struggled for the right word.
"Oblivion!" His three friends yelled.
"Right, what you guys said." Goofy chortled.
"We'll be fine. Whatever they're cooking up, together we can handle it." Sora confidently said.

"Hey, remember that other castle we explored together? With all the contraptions?" Goofy asked.
"When was that?" Sora asked, suprised.
"Contraptions? I don't remember any castle like that. What was it called?" Donald wondered.
"C'mon, you guys are kidding, right?" Corita asked. They looked at her and shook their heads.
"Gawrsh, what was it again? Holla... Holler... I forget." Goofy mumbled sadly.
"HOLLOW BASTION! The castle I was kidnapped in TWICE! The castle where Riku and Kairi were!" Corita roared. Her friends leapt backwards in suprise. "Hollow...Bastion?" Sora thought. "I don't remember any castle called Hollow Bastion..." Corita blinked and stared at him. "You...really don't remember?"
"Are you sure you and Goofy didn't invent it?" Donald squawked.
"N...never mind." Corita muttered, staring at the ground.

In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find. That is the way of things in Castle Oblivion.

---Corita: Yes, finally a bit of original ficciness at the end!
Sora53: Meh. It's just going to get worse, isn't it?
Joe: ...this is kind of painful to watch.
Fans: -sob- MEAN AXEL!
Sora53: Oh, be quiet.
Naminé: ...should I put them back to normal?
Joe: Please. The fans make a bad Corita, and Corita is a pretty pathetic Sora53.
Naminé: I'll put them back to normal...after pizza! -pizza delivery car arrives-
Joe: Ooh, pizza! .---