-Sora53: Fwee! I updated!
Corita: GAH!
Fans: Corita's upset again. Ugh.
Joe: Corita's GAHing! You know what that means.
Corita: GAH!
Naminé: We do?
Corita: GAH!-

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or CoM! I own Corita...and the eternal realm of darkness MUAHAHA! Erm...never mind.

"I have to keep her safe..." Sora cried, running from where he'd just defeated Darkside to the opposite side of the raised island. The area appeared now as it had that night...the night he was taken away from his island and found himself in Traverse Town.

"Naminé! Can you hear me?" Sora called out, his voice nearly drowned out by the wind. Turning again, he saw someone standing on the opposite side of the island.

"Naminé..." He said softly as he ran to her. As he ran, the blonde-haired girl turned around to face Sora, a look of gratitude on her face.

"Sora...you came for me." She said in barely a whisper. Sora stopped in front of hers, meeting his eyes with her own deep blue eyes.

"Naminé...it's really you..." Sora said with relief. "I've been through so much to see you..."

"I could say the same." Naminé responded. "I really wanted to see you...but not like this. Sora, I really messed up."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked in shock, backing away from her.

Naminé hung her head in shame, looking away from the Keyblade Master's confused expression. "I was alone for so long. I couldn't bear it anymore... So I beckoned your heart to lead you here. And I'm so glad you found me. But your heart, I had to —"

"No, don't worry about it." Sora interrupted calmly. "I came because I promised I'd protect you."

"Thank you." Naminé said softly, looking at Sora again. "Oh, Sora...forgive me...I'm not supposed to be in this picture."

"She's right." rang out a new voice, but in a way it was the same. On the opposite side of the area, another Naminé appeared, identical to the one Sora had been talking to. They were the same, yet in a way...different...

...and Sora was in between them.

"Naminé!" Sora cried, turning his head to look at the Naminé who'd just appeared.

"That's not me." The newer Naminé said. "I'm not in anybody's heart. I never have been."

"Naminé...wha...what's wrong with you?" Sora stammered. "We were inseparable! But then I lost you... I came here so I'd
never lose you again!"

"Was it really me you came for?" the second Naminé asked softly.

"Of course!" Sora cried. His hand reached into his pocket, searching for his charm. After digging around for a few moments, he pulled it out triumphantly.

"See! I may have forgotten things in this castle, but I haven't forgotten you!" Sora cried.

"My good luck charm!" The first Naminé said happily. "You still have it..."

"No, Sora! Don't believe me!" The second Naminé cried over the howling winds.

"What am I supposed to do...?" Sora wondered as he looked back in forth from Naminé to Naminé.

"Think, Sora. Think of the person who's most special to you." The second Naminé cried as Sora stared down at the good luck charm. "See that faint glimmer way in the back of your heart? That's a piece of your memory, Sora. Call out to it! No matter how far away the light gets, your heart's voice will always reach it!"

"But I already know who's most special to me." Sora responded. "It's you, Na—"

Sora blinked. Was it just him, or was Naminé's charm changing? Everything around him was going white as well...no longer did it resemble a paupu fruit...now it was a small star-shaped figure with a little smiling face on one of its arms...Sora blinked again and Naminé grinned at him. Naminé's hair...it was short and a deep red color...her outfit had changed from a small white dress to a white tank top and a purple skirt.

Suddenly, everything around him returned to normal. Seagulls flew overhead and the ocean breeze ruffled his spiky hair backwards.

"Who... Who was that?" Sora cried, looking around. No one appeared - not Naminé, not the girl he'd just seen. "I can't remember her, but she feels so...familiar."

Suddenly, Sora realized that someone was missing. "Wait, what about Naminé? Where did she go?" He cried. He ran off down the bridge, sprinting as fast as he could towards the world exit. Surely there...


Corita stared blandly at Riku and Lexaeus as their battle came to a fast close. Gifted with darkness, Riku struck faster and more powerfully. Lexaeus soon kneeled from exhaustion, and Riku stood in front of him, glaring down. Riku's clothes transformed back to normal, and Corita blinked a few times to make sure she'd really seen what she'd just seen.

"Such...such power!" Lexaeus cried.

"What's...wrong...Lexaeus?" Riku panted. "Is that all...darkness can do?"

"Well...It seems...I am beaten..." Lexaeus said slowly. "But the Organization shall triumph! I may perish, but all the darkness within me will billow forth and devour you!"

Corita lept up and ran towards Riku, who was stepping away from Lexaeus. Lexaeus began to fade away, but with his last breath, he shot a blast of darkness at the two.

It was a direct hit.

Riku and Corita felt themselves being pulled away, pulled into the darkness...the bright lights of Castle Oblivion's hallways began to fade away, and Lexaeus vanished entirely.

They were trapped in the darkness, isolated in its depths.


"Naminé!" Sora cried as he ran up the hallway's stairs. Ahead of him, Naminé stood in the middle of the hallway, watching him approach. Sora ran to her, but slowed down as he approached her. He surveyed her for a moment, then remembered what had just happened.

"...it's not you." Sora said. "The person who's most special to me...it isn't you."

Naminé nodded. "Right. The girl you care about... the one who was always with you... It's not me. It's her."

"But...who is she? If she's so special to me, why can't I remember her name?" Sora thought aloud.

Naminé sighed woefully. "It's because I went into your memories and..."

"Let ME explain this." called a familiar voice. Both Sora and Naminé turned to it, and they saw Riku moving towards them.
"Plain and simple." Riku said lazily as he approached them. "Your memories are all wrong. You're not the one who's meant to protect Naminé. I AM."

"Riku...wha?"

"You and your twisted memories keep getting in the way!" Riku roared, whisking out his sword and leaping at Sora.


"Riku, stop!" Sora cried after blocking another attack. He and Riku had been battling for some time, with Naminé watching fearfully on the sidelines.

"Want some more?" Riku growled, knocking Sora away with his sword. Sora hit the wall and fell to the ground.

"Sora!" Naminé cried as Riku moved towards the Keyblade Master.

"Looks like I win." Riku said with a grin.

"Stop! Riku, no!" Naminé cried as Riku raised his sword.

"You're through, you fake!" Riku growled.

"I said, STOP!" Naminé roared angrily.

Sora covered his head, preparing for the blow, but nothing came. Instead, Riku's arm dropped to his side, and his face suddenly turned emotionless.

"R-Riku?" Sora stammered as he looked up.

Riku didn't answer. Instead, he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Sora's face turned to shock, and he lept off of the ground.

"Riku! RIKU! What did you do? What did you do to Riku?" Sora cried to Naminé.

"She broke his heart. More like smashed it, really." Larxene said lazily. Sora and Naminé turned looked away from the form of Riku, and saw that the blonde-haired robed figure was watching them with delight.

"Smashed!" Sora cried desperately. "But that means he's...he's..."

"Ahaha, you're so funny to watch." Larxene taunted as Sora ran to face her. "If you're worried about you're little friend, then worry no more. Riku was never here."

"What are you talking about?" Sora snarled.

"You want me to tell you?" Larxene asked. "Gee...I dunno...I just HATE spoiling things..."

"Quit playing around!" Sora growled.

Larxene let out a short laugh, a taunting laugh that made Sora clench his fists in fury. "All right, have it your way. It'll kill you to hear this...but I can live with that. That thing lying there..." Larxene said, pointing to Riku's crumpled form lying against the wall near Naminé, "...is nothing more than a puppet Vexen made. Funny, really. He called you a fake, but he's nothing more than a toy!"

"Fake? A FAKE Riku?" Sora cried.

Larxene nodded merrily. "Fake in every single way. Vexie finished it only recently. Its memories with Naminé were planted, not real. All this time it's been picking fights with you over bogus memories. Isn't that right Naminé? Behind that cute little face you do some awful things."

"No...not Naminé..." Sora muttered.

"You are so STUPID!" Larxene said. "Don't you get it? Just about all she's good for is stepping into people's hearts and rearranging their memories. She can change them, eliminate them...or even create memories of events that never happened!"

"Then my memory... Everything I remember...it's..."

"Lies, lies. All lies! An illusion Naminé made." Larxene explained coldly. "Binding you in the chains of your own memory was central to our trap. You were so easily duped...it's funny, really. We nearly had you...but that jerk Axel used Naminé to wreck everything! The Keyblade Master could've been our puppet! He betrayed us!"

"You'll pay..." Sora growled with quiet fury.

Naminé couldn't take it anymore. She ran to where the two stood, standing in front of Sora and turning towards Larxene
angrily. "I won't let you lay a finger on him!"

Sora blinked a few times. Hadn't something like this...happened before? Someone...protecting him from Larxene...

"Excuse me?" Larxene growled. "It's a little late to grow a conscience, witch. Last I checked, YOU'RE the one who got him into this mess!"

"I know, but..."

"I'm not in the mood." Larxene said angrily. "Thanks to you, all our efforts in getting the Keyblade Master are toast!"

Larxene lifted her hand and knocked Naminé away, causing Sora to cry out.

"Naminé!" He yelled as she lay on the floor.

Larxene looked at him in surprise. "Wha-wha-what!" She stuttered. "Distress? You don't even KNOW her!"

"Maybe not. But I still made a promise." Sora said. I promised Naminé I'd keep her safe. Maybe my memories are fake. But they're still mine, and I'm gonna be true to them!"

Sora stared at Larxene with fierceness in his eyes, and Larxene stared back. They stood in silence for a few moments. The silence (and staring contest) was ended when Larxene let out a long, cruel laugh.

"What an IDIOT!" She laughed. "There is no promise, there never was! YOU ARE DELUSIONAL. Must you insist on playing the hero?"

Sora didn't answer. He merely watched her closely, not blinking. Larxene grinned.

"Well, whatever. It's your funeral." Within an instant, Larxene's razor-sharp knives appeared, and she prepared to strike Sora with them.

"Look at it this way..." Larxene said softly as the air was charged with electricity. "In a minute, you won't have to worry about memories, your friends...anything!"

Sora53: When the Corita GAHs, the Larxene will appear. It's natural.
Sora/Riku Fangirls: Ooh -takes notes-
Corita: Larxene hurt Sora AND Naminé! Wait...I'm mad at both of them O.o
Joe: Really?
Corita: Kinda.
Joe: Corita, I'm sorry you're busy being...what was it...isolated in the darkness's depths, but can I have a cookie?
Naminé: I'll give you a cookie! -gives Joe a cookie-
Corita: HEY! That's MY fanboy! Get your own!
Sora: Hi Naminé...
Naminé/Corita/Joe: THINK OF KAIRI!
Sora: Oh yeah!