Chapter 7 - Amnesia

Sora looked back ahead, smiling broadly.

Guys, let's go!

Pluto was losing ground, and quickly. Sora's legs pumped, his breathing even. He was focused on catching that silly mutt bearing the letter from the King. Well, he assumed it was from the King. It had the King's seal on it, after all.

Donald and Goofy simply couldn't keep up. The duck's webbed feet weren't built for running, and the leader of the Disney Kingdom knights was, well, clumsy to say the least. Goofy had let out his silly 'wa-hoo', like a war cry, and they gave pursuit.

Sora was getting closer... closer... the tail of the dog was within his grasp...

Pluto stopped abruptly. Sora tripped over him, and went flying forward, crashing to the ground. The Keyblade Master's companions caught up. Sora groaned, holding his head. He had bumped his head pretty hard; he felt dizzy. He opened his eyes. Not for the first time, the King's dog was looking him straight in the eyes.

The boy in the red jumpsuit was then assaulted by Pluto's tongue, was given a solid bath before Donald picked up the slobbered-on letter that Pluto had dropped. Then the duck opened it.

Sora's heartwarming, belly-busting laughter was broken by a cry from Donald.

"WHAT!" exclaimed the court mage, slapping his feathery forehead. Sora found it hard to take him seriously, though. He sounded really funny when he talked. "The King wants us to leave! We can't! How could something go wrong?"

"Uh, let me see that there letter, Donald," requested Goofy, who was given the letter. His large eyes scanned over it. "Whoa! I don't quite understand it. It thought he told us to protect the Keyblade Master. And how are they going to get out...?"

Sora picked himself up, wiping the last of the saliva from his face. He moved over to Goofy, and the knight handed him the letter. He looked over it, his optimistic expression fading slowly into puzzlement as he did so.

Dear Sora and Company,

Howarya? I hope you get this, Pluto can be pretty wily. I hate to bring bad news, but I have some, and you gotta know. Wherever it is you guys ended up, something went wrong. We sealed Kingdom Hearts alright, but something was able to escape. We don't know how. I still have the other Keyblade, but I get the feeling it won't do any good over here. Plans have changed. Tell Donald and Goofy to return to Disney Kingdom. I don't know where you guys are, but they have to return as soon as possible. It may be in danger. Sora, don't stop looking for the Door! Don't lose sight of your goal! Your heart is the strongest weapon we have. I'll let Riku write now, but always keep in mind: look out for the men in the black coats! I don't know who they are or what they want, but they're bad news! I think they're linked somehow to the return of the Darkness, or its survival.

Sora's stomach churned. Something going wrong? Something escaping? And now, Donald and Goofy leaving him all alone? He read on. The handwriting had changed from the round, neat style he had attributed to the King's to Riku's sharp, jagged handwriting.

Sora- I'm coming. We'll find a way. Keep looking for the Door, and don't worry about Kairi. Do not stop looking. Take care of yourself. I'll see you again. Remember, the closer you get to the Light, the greater your shadow becomes.

It was signed "Riku", and above that was the King's seal. Sora looked gravely to his friends. Goofy looked like he was about to burst into tears. Donald was visibly angered.

"I don't want to leave Sora all alone out here. We don't even know where we are," stated Goofy.

"Phooey. If the King says we split up, we split up. Sora can handle himself," responded the duck with folded arms, though he didn't sound too sure of himself.

"Guys," began Sora, looking at the ground, in hard thought. "The King has never let us down. If he didn't think I could do it, or that you guys couldn't come back, he wouldn't have told us to do that stuff. I can take care of myself. You guys are in my heart; I won't forget you, but you have a job to do!"

The other three, Pluto included, exchanged glances. Donald dropped his arms, and nodded, smiling.

"You're right. But let's hurry, the King said our home could be in danger!"

"A-hyuk! Alright, then, let's get movin'! Sora, we'll see ya later!"

Sora waved, smiling, and watched them turn back around. They followed the path back the way they came. Pluto gave the Keyblade Master one last look, and then trotted behind Donald and Goofy.

Sora looked back down at the letter. I'm coming. The thought of Riku not being locked forever in the Kingdom Hearts, in the dark, encouraged him. He was strong enough. He had defeated Sephiroth, among the greatest warriors in existence, in a one-on-one bout. He had even held his own against-

Against what? He traced back through his memories, alarmed suddenly because he could not recall. Like the memory had literally been pulled from his head, and now there was only a gap, a hole to show for it. He frowned, took a deep breath, and calmed himself. He would deal with that later. He had to focus on his mission. Find that Door.

As the other three disappeared over a hill, Sora turned on his heel and started down the path. Where was he, exactly? He hadn't even heard of a world like this before. It was lush, green, and beautiful, but it was also endless. It seemed to go on forever, as far as the eye could see and even farther. Just this one road. The one path they had walked on for so long. Where did it lead, exactly?

These were his thoughts as he walked.

And he walked.

And he walked.

He walked until that bright, amiable sun was setting over the horizon. He walked until dusk fell over the open road and the stars, all of them having been restored to their places in the sky. He walked until it was deep into the night.

He was exhausted from walking, but ahead he could see something. Something other than just path. Well, it was still path, but how he was at a crossroads. He pushed forward, approached the center of this crossroads, and stood.

No sign was posted to give directions. He couldn't see anything in any direction except for long, long roads. Four of them.

Sora looked up into the sky. None of the stars above could help him. There was only the choice: Move ahead, turn left, turn right, or turn back. He wasn't going to turn back. Never. So, he was left with three choices.

"I told you we would meet again."

Startled, the boy whipped around in the direction of the voice. Suddenly, the memory slid right back, like a puzzle piece, into its proper place. It wasn't any one voice; it was a combination of voices. He felt as though he was hearing Riku, Kairi, Leon, Donald, Goofy, and so many other people's voices, all speaking at once, perfectly synchronized. He had heard the voice before. In Hollow Bastion.

"You!"

The figure stood before him, more like a silhouette than a real person. Sora could never tell if he was truly human or not, but he was definitely masculine in stature. Gloved hands extended from the flared sleeves of the enigmatic man's raincoat. The hood was still pulled over his facial features, giving the boy no clue as to who he was or what he looked like. There was only that same nostalgic, uneasy feeling he got when he was so much as around this being.

"I know what you are looking for."

Look out for the man in the black coat!

"The Door to the Light. What is this place?"

"A crossroads."

At this, Sora's surprised expression turned into a glare. He knew this was a crossroads! He wasn't dumb! Who was this guy to condescend him!

"You stand at a crossroads, but you don't know where you are going. Or why. Only that you must find the Door, some way. Somehow."

"Well, are you going to help me or just stand there?"

"You will find what you are looking for. But in exchange, you must give something up. Something very important to you."

Then, something welled up within Sora: horror. He knew what the man was hinting at. What the man had said had confirmed something he had mulled over, a thought that had popped up on occasion but that he had never given any real thought to. The fact that he could not have both: Riku and Kairi, and the Door to the Light. That he would have to decide between his destiny and his friends.

But King Mickey had also told him not to trust the coated one. Right?

"How do you know?"

"To find the Door, that is the path you must take," spoke the voice, which originated from the man in black. He raised a finger to point down the left path. He could see a faint orange glow in the distance, a twilight glow. Then the enigmatic man pointed to the right. "To find your friends, that is the path you must take."

Sora watched the dark figure as his arm lowered, and then shook his head.

"How can I trust you?"

He received no response. Sora turned around, looked left, and then looked right. His arms folded across his chest, and he considered. But Mickey words came back to him: Look out for the man in the black coat.

He then walked straight ahead, neither turning left nor right. He had no way to trust this man, so he wouldn't. But then the black-clad figure said something that Sora would never forget.

"The more important something is to you, the deeper in your heart you keep it until eventually it becomes forgotten."

"What are you talking about?"

"This is not only the nature of Darkness."

"This is the nature of all things..."

The words that came out of his mouth had not been brought there consciously. It was just an understanding. As if the enigmatic man was telling him something he already knew. Sora turned to say something, but the figure was gone. He frowned, looked once more at the left and right paths, and then turned back around and proceeded forward.

How Sora had the energy to keep walking, he had no clue. He hadn't even been thinking. All his thoughts had fled from him, and he only trudged on, his mind a blank slate. Regardless, he walked. And walked. And walked.

He must have slept while he had walked, or maybe he had only dreamed he had been walking. Either way, the next he realized it, an eternity had passed, or at least it felt that way. The air was a little colder. The grassy fields had gone away. He was marching along a snow-lined path, an stony walkway leading to...

A castle. A huge castle. He finally stopped walking, though he didn't feel tired anymore. He looked behind him. Not far back, the path tapered off into a simple, single termination. The road was just... gone.

Sora looked back to the castle, and continued on, stangely intrigued by it. The fact that he could not go back did not bother him. He couldn't remember where he was supposed to go back to. He figured he had just awakened, and that this castle was his home. Something in the back of his head informed him, vaguely, that it was not, but even that voice had disappeared completely now.

The castle was close. He could see the detailing on the large front gate, how... strange the castle was. Some towers were upside-down, others poked horizontally from the walls of the fortress. The oddness of it struck Sora as unnatural. Then he felt something.

This something had a tempo. He felt it in his body, the way one would feel a deep bass tone moving through one's body. A sound filled his ears; it was the sound of a heartbeat. A heartbeat that was not beating in sync with his own, but still in sync, perfectly opposite his own. He turned around, and looked up.

A star was falling.

At least, he thought so until the 'star' grew closer. He could then make out the shape of a body. Then, he could see that it really was a body- a body engulfed in white fire, like he imagined a meteor would be. The figure was traveling in a trajectory that would carry him straight into Sora.

He was not sure why (again, he wasn't thinking), but instead of diving out of the way, he opened his arms wide. Leaned forward, braced himself. Prepared to catch the shooting star.

What happened then was something he felt he had experienced before, eons and eons ago. Something that he had forgotten, that was not in his memory anymore but the connection was still there.

The figure flew through him.

An immense wave of cold burst through his body, and the heartbeats (he could only assume they were his and the new arrival's) slowed to a dull hum. The next thing he knew, he was on his back, looking up into the dark, clouded sky. He rolled over onto his stomach, picked himself up, and looked around. Had what just happened been... real?

Or not?

He turned back towards the castle, and ahead of him, in the snow, there was a boy lying on the ground. His clothes were ragged, like he had been living on the street all of his life. Was he okay? Sora intended to find out, sprinting toward the boy and skidding to a stop nearby him.

A mane of black. A pale complexion. He appeared malnourished, unhealthy. His face was covered with grime and soot. He sported no shoes, only a tattered pair of jeans and a thin tank top. The smell of smog and steel about the boy was almost overwhelming. The boy was still breathing.

In a moment, his eyes opened. Bright green eyes, eyes that simply did not match the rest of his attire. The young man on the ground would prop himself up on an elbow and place a hand to his forehead.

"Hey, are you okay?" questioned Sora, amazed that the other was not obliterated by that fall.

"I... guess?"

The boy surveyed the area around him, and stood slowly, wincing.

"I've got a major headache," stated the new boy, who was now beholding Sora. "Who are you? Where are we?"

"I'm Sora, and I don't know where we are. I think I live here... what's your name?"

"My... name?"

(I dont have a name anymore)

"Yeah. You know, what other people call you," affirmed Sora, grinning.

(one name it should be my own)

"Oh, yeah... it's..."

(I think you know)

"My name's Kydran."

"Alright! What do you say we go check out that castle? Figure out what's up?"

Kydran looked around, wondering if there was really any alternative. Finding none, he turned back to Sora and nodded.

"Sure."

"Cool!"

The snow atop the path was not very deep, two inches at most, but it did not make traversing to the castle any less precarious. He glanced over the edge of the narrow walkway, and saw only a thick gray fog.

"You said you lived here?" asked Kydran, looking back to his new traveling companion.

"I think I do. Unless I just... woke up here."

"You mean you can't remember anything? Amnesia?"

"I guess. When I try to remember something, all I come up with is a blank, at least up until remembering I was here instead of... wherever I was at. Maybe I don't live here..."

"You got me. I think we'll find some answers in that castle, though. Or at least a place to stay."

Sora was quiet. The more time that progressed, the more he thought about his situation, the more unnerved he was feeling. How could he have just suddenly forgotten where he lived, if this was where he lived? And how could he suddenly forget how he had gotten here, and everything before that? It made no sense. He remembered how to talk, and things seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't recall anything.

They stepped up to the door to the castle. The archway was huge, which was something they expected, but it was also very simple. Sora extended a gloved hand and rapped loudly upon the wooden gates. They were greeted with silence. Sora, frowning, reared a foot back.

"You know, I really don't think we should-" Kydran tried to protest.

Sora kicked the door. Hard.

This time, the pair heard something whirring, humming, clinking and clanking. The door vibrated. The humming got louder and louder, until one had to scream to make himself heard over the din- and then the door cracked open. Kydran slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Look, the next time you feel the need to kick a door that's four times our combined sizes, just... don't."

Sora only grinned lopsidedly, and sallied forth. The raven-maned young man followed behind. Gasps of awe followed.

The antechamber was magnificent. Kydran had found it very strange that no light had escaped the cracked doorway, and yet as he stepped over the threshold, he realized the entire room was lit brightly. The chamber was circular, with a magnificent marble design in the floor. High above them the ceiling domed, forming a complex and immense mural. Sora moved a little further in, examining the pair of curved staircases on either side of them. Straight ahead, there was another pair of huge doors. This door was overhanged by a balcony, and this balcony led to another, smaller doorway and two hallway entries on either side.

Kydran looked upward, taking in the mural. Sora immediately began traipsing along the ivory-railed stairs, ignoring it entirely.

In the center of the mural, what everything in it seemed to revolve around, was a large heart. It was beautiful and crystalline, splashes of white flowing about it. All around it were various scenes: A metropolitan cityscape, from the center of which rose a silver spire; a beautiful beach, upon which children played; a cozy-looking town in the depth of night, loomed over by a massive, terrifying shadow; a gargantuan doorway, surrounded by a black heart-shape molded by fog. The number of little pictures was astounding, and the detail was incredible.

Sora was already up on the balcony, and stood before the doorway on the second floor. Kydran bounded up the stairway, to catch up, and moved to Sora's side, his expression still one of awe.

"I wonder who lives here? Castles don't just exist for nothing," observed Kydran, who had moved away from Sora and was now looking down the right hallway. He couldn't see anything except darkness beyond where the light could no longer illuminate. He proceeded to the other hallway.

"Something tells me it's just us, Kydran," replied Sora. His arms were folded, and he was clearly mulling their situation over. "Man, you smell bad! I hope they have a bath here."

The other boy shrugged, and looked down the second hallway. The same thing, except he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched, as if something terrible was waiting for him further down that hall. He turned back to Sora.

"Can't help it if I stink. I say we go down the right hallway, this one gives me the creeps."

"If you say so. Let's go."

The hallway was not very wide, so Kydran had to follow behind Sora. The both of them were beginning to notice a theme; when they entered one area, all the others darkened. Suddenly the hallway was illuminated, while the antechamber's light was extinguished.

They now stood in a bright corridor, the walls of which were ramshackle and wooden. From between the cracks of the boards, they could see bright blue sky and rolling blue waves. The smell of a sea breeze reached Kydran's ears. While this soothed Sora, it was entirely unfamiliar to the ragamuffin, who was yet intrigued by it.

"That is really weird," said Kydran, who had moved to one of the spaces in between boards to peek through. He could see a beach and palm trees below; the sun was shining brightly.

"Weird, but I like it. Let's keep going," urged Sora, and so they continued forward.

The boards beneath their feet creaked. Although this kind of place was new to Kydran, he found that he enjoyed it. He felt safe, that nothing could go wrong. The two of them reached the end of the corridor, and it terminated into a simple, makeshift doorway, like one that you would see on a childrens' treehouse.

Sora pushed the door open, and entered. This was followed by a cry of "Kydran! Where'd you go?", to which the other boy responded by entering the room.

"There you are. It's gonna take me a little while to get used to that... disappearing thing when you leave a room. This is a really strange place. But look! It's a room!"

Kydran couldn't argue that. It was, indeed, a room. Neither of them realized it, but the room they were standing in was a perfect copy of the one Sora had left behind on Destiny Islands.

The smell of the sea was replaced by the smell of Sora. The boy in the red jumpsuit bounded toward the bed, his bed, and threw himself onto it, bouncing up and down a couple times. Kydran leaned in the doorway; the breeze was gone. The noise of the beach was muffled, but out the window Kydran could still see the sky.

"Wow! I got dibs on the bed!" called Sora, and the other boy shook his head.

"No way. My bed. If anything, the stupid bed's big enough for both of us."

"Like I'm gonna share with you! My mom told me never to sleep with strangers. I think."

"Gimme a break. It's not like I have chicken pox or anything."

"Yeah, but you smell."

"I take offense to that!"

"Good! My bed!"

At this, Kydran reached down and picked up a large teddy bear which had been dropped on the ground and chucked it across the room, targeting Sora's head. At this, Sora dodged expertly and snatched up one of the pillows at the head of the bed and returned fire.

The black-haired boy scooped up the thrown pillow and charged.

"No! Get your greasy hands off my pillow you- MMPH!"

Sora's protest had been interrupted by a solid blow from the pillow. Not to be outdone, Sora grabbed the only other pillow on the bed and launched himself at Kydran.

The figure in the black hooded raincoat stood at the end of the hall, in the black realm that was the true material the castle had been constructed from. The sound of the boys' laughter rung in his ears. If one could see his face, he would have been smiling.

They were irrevocably trapped.