It warms the heart to know that people actually read this one's humble fic. You don't know how much it means to me when you said that you thought that this story was original and unique, BronzeToast. How grateful I am! Haven't I seen you for every chapter so far, Rurouni Saiyan (as well as your rants on bad name translations : ) ? And how can I forget my first reviewer, Takame Kiriku? Thanks to all of you!

... Why am I thanking everyone like it's the end? I sure hope it isn't. Chapter four holds bad memories– very bad memories– for me, so I'm more than a bit paranoid. (Yeah, I'm superstitious)

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts/ Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Resemblance to any other fanfic is purely coincidental. So no one try to sue me or anything of the sort!

Day 7

By the time I had lived for a week, Sora had reached one of the final floors of Castle Oblivion. Everyone seemed slightly more alert and tense as though they knew that something big was about to happen. On the other hand, I was as carefree as ever. If anything, I was bored sick.

But that was all going to change.

That's what I hate about my life – everything's stacked on top one another, each true memory buried by a false one until there're so many layers that I don't really know anything at all. My memory was just a big mockery, and the worst thing about it was that I never even knew.

Up until now, my memories had been scant and fairly linear, but Naminé's specialty was precisely to jumble them up. I didn't think that I would ever be one of her victims, but then, I also didn't guess that my so-called colleagues were not beyond treachery.

I heard the familiar voices of Axel, Vexen, and Larxene in their conference room as I passed by, looking for excitement. It was quite rare to hear the three of them talking nicely without arguing, and Vexen actually sounded pleased.

I immediately strolled in as I had always done instead of eavesdropping. I had always preferred the direct approach, after all.

Curiously enough, I found that Axel had given Vexen a set of cards that contained the data of the Destiny Islands, Riku and Sora's home. It meant little to me, and I saw that they were only simple cards. What I didn't know was that the Organization had other plans for me.

"But it's just a card. What good will it do?"

My question was answered by a strange reply. When I heard the phrase 'remake your heart', I was struck with a sudden sense of dread. That did not sound good.

Larxene wanted Naminé to make me think that I was Riku, to forget that I was only a replica. I may have wanted to be a 'somebody­­­­­­­' but this wasn't the way I had envisioned at all!

To my great shock­ (though frankly, I really shouldn't have been), Vexen agreed with a simple "It must be done." Just like that, they had condemned me to my fate. I had actually thought that I was one of them! But then, I saw that I would never be their equal, they would forever make me their pawn.

So when Larxene said in her mocking voice reserved specially for me, "Relax, kiddo. It won't hurt... much." I just snapped.

"I'll show you hurt!" I shouted and started to fling myself at her. But, of course, blind fury does not make for a good attack.

"Stupid little toy! What made you think you could even scratch me?" she asked with a snarl as she easily knocked me away. Another humiliating moment that I would like to forget... Apparently, Larxene had the exact same thoughts.

"But look on the bright side... Naminé will erase the memory of me knocking you flat along with everything else. She'll implant the loveliest little memories you could hope for. So what if they're lies?"

I screamed and shouted for all that I was worth. I'm sure I made a huge commotion yelling, "NOOOO!" over and over again. Really, I feel like an idiot considering that totally busting my lungs didn't make one ounce of a difference.

Eventually, I assume that Larxene finally got tired of the racket and zapped me with a lightning bolt or two, because everything went black after I felt a sharp jolt.

In some ways, I'm glad that I wasn't awake to see what Naminé would do to me. I thought that she wouldn't have done anything to hurt me. After all, it was ridiculous to think that such a meek and frail girl– no matter what sort of powers she had– could have harmed someone like me.

But even the dimness of unconsciousness wasn't enough to mute the pain. When I came to, I couldn't remember any of the previous events, you understand, but now I can tell you that the whole experience was awful.

Memories were jammed forcefully into my mind. How pleasant do you think that its? You see, since I had such a scant number of them, Naminé did more than rearrange and forming a few new chains. She had to draw and create new memories- false ones to convince me that I was indeed Riku.

Like Larxene said, Naminé remade my heart.

It worked like a charm. I believed nothing else after that.

Day 8

I was told as I woke up, that I had spent the last day unconscious. I was puzzled, never knowing just what had happened. Last thing I knew, I was in my home back in the Destiny Islands.

The changes that had occurred in me were far more serious and subtle, because now I wasn't the nameless Riku replica anymore, but something much closer to the real Riku. Such life-changing differences and I never even knew until it was far too late...

To me, nothing really remarkable had happened at all. All I knew was that I was in some strange place and very confused about why.

Vexen had been worried that I would never wake up, or at least that's what he told me. The name 'Vexen' didn't ring a bell at first, since all my true memories had been broken off. When I did meet him this time, though, I didn't like him any better than I had before.

I guess these things don't change, especially since he was the same pathetic person, and I was still the type to look down on his kind.

I found him standing over me as I lay on the same metal table from before. Aghast, I shoved him away and jumped off the operating table. What in the world was he doing staring at me like I was some sort of experiment? How ironic, come to think of it.

The scientist did not seemed fazed or even surprised. He simply asked me the most ridiculous question that any child could answer easily. "Who are you?"

"Hn, I don't know who you are or why I'm even speaking to you, but of course I'm Riku." I answered scornfully, shrugging. I was sure that he was making a fool of me. "Who are you, and where am I?"

The strange man smiled broadly, as if more than happy that I had asked him that. "So, you can't remember me... Excellent. She did her work well," he murmured.

I'll take this time to say that Vexen frequently spoke to himself when there was no one to listen. In fact, his opinion of his creations was so low that he always talked as though I weren't in the room. Being full of pride, I was quite indignant that he treated me like an insignificant being. As far as I knew, I had absolutely no reason to be inferior.

"Are you going to answer me or not?" I asked, tapping my foot on the tiled floor. "If you're not going to tell me anything useful, I'll just show myself the door."

"No, no. I'll be quite happy to answer any questions that you might have, Riku," he said, amused. "My name is Vexen, and you are currently in my lab, part of Castle Oblivion."

Up went my eyebrows. "Castle Oblivion?"

That was the first time I had heard of this particular castle in my false memories. I was reluctant to believe him since, as a rule, I didn't trust suspicious characters. I'd have looked around frantically to try see the truth if I hadn't been the perpetually cool person that I am. I settled for, "Where are the Destiny Islands?"

Vexen had expected that one. "No reason for alarm. Your home is safe. You see, you've been brought here for a special purpose. I trust that you remember your childhood friend, Naminé?" Vexen asked, slyly.

I did remember her. Until several years back, she had lived on the Destiny Islands along with Sora and me. Quiet and tending to keep to herself, Naminé had spent most of her time drawing instead of running about on the beaches like the rest of the kids. Then, one day, she had just left and I hadn't seen her since.

There was one special memory that I shared with her too. It was a promise to keep her safe, and I had intended on keeping it for as long as I could. But when she just left so abruptly... Well, to hear her name mentioned after so long... It was a surprise, to say the least.

"What?" I gaped, mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"So you haven't forgotten." Vexen said, rewarding me with a smirk. "She'll be very happy to hear that when I tell her. Though, of course, you can go tell her yourself."

"Enough of your games, Vexen." I said in a threatening voice. When it came to those that I wanted to protect, I had little tolerance for riddles. "What do you know about Naminé?"

Vexen gestured to the open door in a sweeping motion. "Why, your Naminé is right here- in Castle Oblivion! She's been waiting for you to come, and I'm afraid she's grown so lonely of late that she hardly talks anymore."

With a critical eye, I took his in shady appearance again. From what I could saw, Vexen looked remarkably like a cult member. What would Naminé be doing with people like him? I ignored him disdainfully while trying to understand if he was telling the truth.

Vexen, however, was quite eager to resolve any doubt that I had. Almost too eager. "When Naminé left your home a few years ago, she was unfortunately separated from her parents. She wandered here and came to live here, hoping that someday someone would come." It was not becoming of him to feign pity (Vexen could never act convincingly), but I played along anyway.

"But what about her parents? Why doesn't she go find them?"

"She's tried." Vexen told me a matter-of-factly, "But leaving Castle Oblivion is quite impossible. She's always mentioned you so we-"

"Me?" I interrupted. I had hoped that Naminé hadn't forgotten about me, and this was certainly pleasing news. "She talks about me?"

Nodding, Vexen grinned just slightly. It looked rather evil to me. "Yes, very often," he said. "She's so depressed that we had to find a way for you to come here. As a scientist, I developed something that would bring you here. Perhaps it's selfish, but it might be good for you to stay here to keep poor Naminé company."

"So, what you're saying is that I'm trapped here." Flat tone.

"Don't make it sound like this is a prison."

"Isn't it?" I countered. "Far as I know, you've captured Naminé and now me too."

Vexen shrugged, unafraid. "So young, so cynical... You don't have to take my word for it, Riku. You're free to go see her yourself. Besides, I'm sure that Castle Oblivion has many things to offer you if you care to look."

"Take me to her, now."

"You're a guest here. Don't push your luck." Vexen hissed suddenly before turning away. I guessed that hospitality didn't come naturally to him. He ascended the stairs leading out of his metallic lab, and I followed him closely.

The next room was large and empty. It was the ever-repeating hall of Castle Oblivion. No matter which floor you were on, the hall was always the same.

Made of white marble, the atmosphere was cold and not welcoming, though the tall columns decorated with roses had their own beauty. The glare of the lights on the smooth surfaces irritated my eyes and I unconsciously became aware that Vexen's and my dark colored clothes contrasted with the surroundings.

I wondered vaguely who the castle belonged to, mentally imagining a menacing master with a taste for elegant white roses. Somehow, those too contrasted strangely.

There wasn't much time for pondering. The set of double doors at the end of the long hallway suddenly creaked open to reveal a man with reddish hair standing in wild spikes. I surveyed his entrance with interest after noticing that Vexen's face had contorted into a pained grimace at his arrival.

This was no ordinary person. I felt it right off, even if I couldn't remember meeting him before.

With a mildly startled expression, the man, who was wearing a similar black cloak as Vexen, approached us. He stood back, looking at me briefly with an amused glance before addressing my guide in a voice that seemed to be amicable and yet mocking at the same time, "Who's your new friend, Vexen?"

"You know very well who he is, Axel." Vexen said, chillingly. While the newcomer's behavior was laid back and casual, Vexen was quite the opposite. "I'm bringing him to Naminé."

Axel's eyebrows raised about a fraction of an inch and his grin broadened. He stared down at me, calculating. "So I see," he murmured, "Pleased to meet you, ...?" Strange that his eyes seemed to flicker to Vexen, questioningly, for just a split second before coming back to me.

"Riku." I filled in, fighting the urge to move away. Will you believe me if I said that some people just had a natural repellent? Axel was one of those people. Even so, I stood my ground, unwilling to back away like a scared puppy. Fear has never really been my style.

"Pleased to meet you, Riku," he said, extending a gloved hand for a handshake. I took it after a moment's hesitation. As I shook his hand, I sensed a shade of ill intent and cunning behind Axel's show of friendliness. Things were not as innocent as they seemed.

When I looked up into his eyes, they twinkled maliciously. I pulled my hand away abruptly.

"In any case, we must be going." Vexen said, cutting in rudely. For once, I was thankful for his intervention.

Axel pretended not to have noticed his hostility and clapped Vexen on the shoulder, laughing as he said, "So eager to leave?" Vexen's eyes sent daggers in his direction. "Oh fine, hurry over to Naminé. But she's working on something now, so be careful not to disturb her too much." I suspected that there was a hidden meaning to his words that Vexen could understand while I was kept in the dark.

"And where're you going?" I asked on impulse, not quite knowing why.

"Nothing much." Axel said with an indifferent shrug, though he did seemed rather excited. "There's a test that I must conduct, so I suppose I should be going. But I'll probably see you again soon, Vexen- Come on, don't look so glum! - And you too, Riku, so don't go missing me."

Winking at me, much to my astonishment, Axel said frivolously, "Bye." He walked off in the opposite direction, waving once without looking back. The doors closed behind him.

Now that he was out of earshot, I asked Vexen, "One of your friends?" It seemed that both of us were still recovering from Axel's fierce burst of energy.

"Ha!" Vexen scoffed in reply, continuing to walk down the hallway. "Not really, I could see less of him. But be watchful of Axel, he isn't quite as harmless as he tries to appear." He stepped up to the doors with me standing only a step behind, but he didn't push them open.

Instead, from the folds of his cloak, he pulled out a curious looking card- it was blank. Vexen held it out towards the entrance for a moment and suddenly the card started to glow a bright white. I watched with amazed fascination.

Almost immediately, the heavy wooden doors swung open to reveal a vortex that Vexen stepped into. Skeptically, I followed his example, wondering if it would really lead me to Naminé.

Passing through the swirling energies wasn't an unpleasant feeling. Actually, it felt almost like walking through a door with a screen formed of beads rather than being pulled violently into a whirlpool.

Instantly, I arrived at the other side of the door and discovered myself to be in a chamber similar in design to that of the grand hall, only smaller and perhaps less elaborate.

Towards the side of the cold room stood a single chair, and on that chair, a girl was seated. Since her head was bent down deep in thought, I couldn't see her eyes, but I could tell it was her from the long blond hair hanging past her shoulders. Naminé wore the white dress that I had expected- she had always liked simple clothes- and her feet dangled several inches above the ground.

"Naminé!" I started towards her, but was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I turned back with angry eyes. Vexen only shook his head warningly. I glared back at him, but did not move any closer. I had a feeling that this was one of the rules that were not to be broken.

The minutes went on without any of us saying a word, until Naminé finally lifted her head and realized that she wasn't alone. Her mouth became a round O as she saw the two of us. Surprisingly she didn't show the joy that I had expected at our reunion. She didn't even smile.

Vexen spoke to her first. "It's done?" He asked, business-like.

"Yes..." she replied, looking away as if... ashamed. Why? I still wish that I had not forgotten what she could do, then I could know just why she was imprisoned in Castle Oblivion and why they had fooled me into believing that I was Riku.

But as it was, I was ignorant and only knew that I was glad to see her. I felt relieved, pure joy bubbling in my chest, as I saw that she was safe.

"Good," Vexen was speaking again. "Then I'll be leaving now. I'm sure that Naminé is very eager to speak to you. After all, you and Riku were very good friends, weren't you?" Vexen said meaningfully to Naminé. She looked down again. It was the second time that day that I felt left out.

Then, he threw me a blank card identical to the one that he had used on the door. He pointed at it and told me, "Use it to travel through Castle Oblivion. It'll take you to where you'll sleep, as well as the library and several other common areas."

Vexen left, and the chamber was silent. I assumed that Naminé was either too stunned or just being her quiet self, so I thought little of it. Hoping to lighten the mood, I put on a bright grin and said, "Come on, we haven't seen each other in years, don't you have anything to say to me, Naminé?"

Though my cheerfulness didn't rub off onto her, at least she answered softly. "Hello, Riku..." But she didn't meet my eyes.

I dropped my pretense and sank down on my knees in front of her, trying to see just what expression she was wearing. Was it disappointment? "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?" I asked her.

"I'm sorry... That I don't smile or be nicer to you, But-"

"You're being kept prisoner here, aren't you?" I realized with a start, and my suspicious were confirmed. All that Vexen had been saying... Lies! I leapt to my feet furiously, marching to the shut door. "I'll get you out of here!"

"No!" Naminé cried as she jumped from her chair and grabbed hold of my arm tightly, pulling me back. Her thin arms were hardly enough to stop me from leaving, but I was startled by the violence of her voice. The sudden movement surprised me, though the fear in her blue eyes calmed me and I gradually relaxed.

Naminé finally released me, but didn't shy away this time. "I'm not being kept here against my will," she said, choking a little on the final word. "Honest."

Confused, I tilted my head and caught her gaze, making sure that she wasn't lying. "Really? Then why're you so unhappy and scared?" I questioned.

Naminé let out a small sigh, and said, "I miss my... home, and my parents. I- I like it here, but I can't help but think about them. So please, don't try to help me escape. Nothing will come out of it." Was that resignation I heard in her sad little voice?

I drew a star-shaped charm from thin air and held it out to her. "This is the charm you gave me before you left, Naminé." She looked at it mutely and looked even more upset.

"I made a promise to you back on the islands." I told her. "I don't know if you remember, but I said that I would protect you and bring you good luck. I want to keep that promise, so if you don't like it here, just say the word and we'll find some way to leave." I grinned broadly to reassure her, but it was in vain.

"I'm fine, really," she repeated, trying to convince me. For all her efforts, she only managed a small watery smile. Even if I wasn't Mr. Sensitive, I could tell that Naminé was faking it.

I didn't reply. I couldn't believe her. No one in his right mind would, but there wasn't much I could do short of dragging her away. Even if I did so for her own good, I was certain that no one would allow us to leave. I was probably right.

"All right, if you sure..." I relented and tried to play along as if we weren't really prisoners.

I must have spent at least three hours with Naminé, talking to her about what the others on the islands had done after she left, if she recalled Sora and all the things that we did together. To all this, she just nodded each time, mind only half there.

Then, I asked about her life, and she gave only vague answers. It was a very one-sided conversation. Awkwardly, I babbled on and on.

When I had exhausted all possible topics, I simply watched her. Naminé as nearly the way I remembered her, and yet there was something fishy about the whole thing. She knew me, but why was she reluctant to speak to me? Was my purpose at being in Castle Oblivion solely to be her companion or was it something else? What was hers?

There were too many questions and no answers. But I have come to realize that sometimes no answers are needed, and that pursuing them wouldn't necessarily help especially if the truth wasn't pleasant.

I thought about all that as I leaned against the wall, watching. I was sure that Naminé would never say anything unless I asked her a question, so she surprised me by suddenly speaking up and asking tentatively, as if unsure of herself, "Riku?"

"Yes?" I came towards her, careful not to scare her away. I had discovered her to be a lot like someone who had been hurt and must be treated with patience and kindness.

"I know that this must be awfully boring for you, having come here and sitting with me in the quiet..." she said miserably, but then her voice strengthened hopefully. "Do you think- Could we maybe go to the library? You still have the card, don't you? I would like to go there."

"Of course." I told her, taken aback.

For the first time since I had entered this room, Naminé turned her face up to me and smiled. That one true smile was enough to make me feel content, and my face glowed warmly. "C'mon, let's go now." I said, gently, offering her a hand.

She stared at it for a while, before taking it hesitantly.

Whew, this one was longer than I thought! I half thought of splitting it, but it didn't work... I doubt that there'll be much romance since I really stink at them, in case anyone's wondering. Please tell me I'm not boring you! (Actually, tell me if I am...)