Chapter 2

(Scene 1)

Dusk ended and night fell, quite sobs floating on the air. With the light faded the physical pain, but Sora's soul still burned within him. The tears had fallen until there were none left to cry, his body heaving with grief. An uneasy silence filled the little clearing, the teen's friends worriedly watching him from the corners of their eyes as they began to prepare for the night. A fire was soon blazing before them, its flickering light casting deep shadows on Sora's already darkened face. He sighed heavily, finally raising his head to look at the two with tired, blood-shot eyes.

"I'm sorry, guys," he said quietly, trying to smile but choking instead on a racking sob. His companions walked over and sat by Sora on the ground.

"We'll be alright; you just make sure you get better, okay?"

Goofy put a comforting arm on his shoulder, and his kind face inched closer to Sora's until he grinned weakly.

"Yeah, alright."

The three settled in and soon succumbed to sleep. The tousle-haired teen turned, tossing fitfully in unrest, scattering the leaves beneath him. He moaned softly in his slumber, and a hand reached out to clasp on a frail blue charm whose secrets still pulsed warmly in his palm, a voice whispering sweetly in his mind.

(Scene 2)

The Crimson Sorceress sat in her cold stone lair, lounging in her marble throne, a bored expression masking her features. Her long legs were crossed, red-slippered feet twitching and tapping out a rhythm. In a sudden, frustrated movement, Sashiro rose, blood-red robes streaming out behind her as she stalked through the drafty halls of her domain, pacing feverishly. Her scarlet lips were a thin line of annoyance and her silver eyes flashed, angry and narrowed.

"Why isn't he broken!" she screamed. The outburst caused Rumor to raise his head from where he lay, perched atop a high ledge with paws hanging down. His golden, lamp-like eyes followed Sashiro as she crossed the room again and again, his head swinging right and left to watch.

"Why? Those were his most treasured memories, bound in his strongest emotions. The Keyblade Master's heart should be overrun, swept away in the tide by the overflow of feelings. He should be lifeless and pliable to my every whim!" She paused in her pacing, and her face slowly cracked into a wicked smirk. Silently, Rumor jumped down to her side, and Sashiro cupped the panther's face in her white hands.

"It seems the Keyblade Master draws on other emotions, Rumor, my love." Her eyes sparkled dangerously, and she rubbed the cat's head gently, a loud purr rising from his throat.

"What do you suppose these hold?" she posed, holding one hand out, the beautiful, glowing mass of memories appearing between her spidery fingers. Its shimmering light illuminated her pale face as she held it close to stare avidly into its depths as she would her scrying orb. Her hand moved back, and the globe hovered before her.

"I must know what secrets they contain!" Sashiro proclaimed, her voice bordering on the edge of possession. She reached out again, both hands creeping longingly towards the ball of memories, fingers trembling in anticipation. After a few excruciating seconds, her fists closed around it.

In an instant, the globe shone with an intense, vivid light, and the hands clutched possessively around it jerked tight, Sashiro's body convulsing where she stood. Rumor backed up, frightened as she shrieked in pain. The mass of memories flared once more, and her scarlet form was sent flying. She flailed wildy, landing with a heavy thud at the base of the far wall. A soft curse issued from her lips as she rose unsteadily.

"Such power,... I never knew,..." she said weakly, adjusting her robes, placing them back on her shoulders. "It appears, Rumor, that even I, the Crimson Sorceress, have much to learn. But the heart of the Keyblade Master will be mine, my pet; let there be no mistake."

She approached the mass of memories, now shining a gentle white and twinkling innocently. Her hands flicked spitefully, and the ball vanished once more. Ash-grey hair fell in her face, and she swept across the room, back to her scrying orb. Silver eyes beheld their depths for a second, and she smiled ruefully.

"Come, my sweet, there is still much we have yet to do. His heart is not in our hands, and we must make preparations for that time."

Her voice was cold and cruel, echoing across the empty hall. Her long white fingers snapped loudly, and the large black panther inched slowly and cautiously from the shadowy corner in which he had been cowering, tentatively approaching his master's side. She whispered softly in his ear, and Rumor bounded off into the darkness amidst her laughter.

(Scene 3)

Sora woke with a start, his eyes snapping open to search wildly through the predawn. The pendant on his neck shone brightly, and he had a mental image of an attractive young girl with short red hair. Just as quickly, the image faded, and he could not recall who she was, or even bring her picture back into his mind. Sora sat up quickly, glancing at his slumbering companions. It was useless to try to sleep again; his mind was working overtime. He sat down on the fallen log he had slumped on the previous day, deciding to keep guard until the others awoke.

The sun finally rose above the horizon, streaking the sky with golds, reds and oranges. In the silence, he tried to remember the girl. What was her name? his thought desperately to himself. If she is so special to me, why can't I at least remember that?

He knew the answer, and his teeth gritted together in his mouth. He pulled the chain of the Keyblade out of his pocket, the Kingdom Keychain now dangling from it, and he swung it through the air, summoning the gleaming weapon. Sora twirled it around deftly, beginning again the workout he had done before. As the morning wore on, his friends began to stir, and eventually the clearing was alive with the sounds of their voices.

"So, where do you think we should start looking for that Sashiro lady?" Donald asked earnestly, his face a mirror of perfect seriousness. Sora stared at him, then turned away.

"I don't know."

"Then why don't we ask for directions?" chimed Goofy, serious as well. Donald sighed exasperatedly, but Sora looked hopeful.

"It couldn't hurt."

The three set off at midday, walking along the forest path, soon leaving the little clearing well behind them. As they journeyed, Sora's thoughts stayed on his lost memories.

"Hey guys, could you remind me of her name? Maybe if I knew that..." he trailed off, his blue eyes begging for an answer.

"Oh, no; not the puppy-dog look!" Donald joked, but stopped when he saw Sora's expression.

"Her name's Kairi; don't you remember that?"

"Kairi," Sora said. "Kairi. Kairi. Kai-" He suddenly stopped, his face falling. "What was her name?"

"Kairi!"

"Oh."

Sora stopped walking, his mood turning glum. Donald and Goofy could see the loss eating away at his heart, and could only watch as he slowly slipped into the depths of forgetfulness.

"Don't worry, Sora! We'll help you remember the important stuff. Her name's Kairi, and we'll just keep saying that until it sticks, okay?"

Goofy grinned at him, and Sora's face broke into a wide smile as well.

"Okay!"

His heart a bit lighter now, he began to run down the path, hurtling along the winding road. Passing into a dense patch of trees, he brought the Keyblade out, whacking out at the branches and undergrowth. In the murky haze, two golden lights blazed out at him, winking out in an instant. Sora kept up a steady pace through the brush, and soon stopped to rest. His breathing was hardly labored for such work, and he turned to look back at his companions, catching sight of the two golden pinpricks as they glowed to his left.

"It's that panther!" he yelled angrily, and charged off in its direction, the glowing eyes once again disappearing from sight. Sora raced recklessly after the cat, his clothes catching on brambles, his feet tripping on exposed roots. Donald and Goofy called after him, doing their best to keep up.

Somehow, the feline managed to stay always one step ahead of him, his eyes shining from behind a bush only to vanish a second later, his glossy fur streaking past like a phantom, ghost-like and ethereal. Sora's nerves were on edge, and he grew hot with anger.

"Sora, wait!"

"I'll get you, Sashiro; you and your stupid cat!"

Sora ran through the dimly lit depths of the forest, and it grew almost impossible to see. He slowed, and the panther appeared before him tauntingly.

"I've got you now," he said, pulling the Keyblade into position for an attack. The shadows around the teen began to ripple, and dark creatures emerged from their depths. In a heartbeat, Sora had the Ultima keychain swinging from his blade, and Donald and Goofy ran up behind him.

Within moments, a battle began to blaze. It was a melee, the three comrades fighting fiercely and feverishly against the creatures, who fought back just as violently. In the confusion, Sora lost sight of the panther, and he tried vainly to push his way through the attacking hoard to catch a glimpse of it. Instead, he had to battle his way through the legions, and was soon winded, along with his friends. As the last of the fiends vanished into a wisp of smoke, he saw it. The panther was slinking through the undergrowth, winding its way away from them to-

"Sashiro." Sora spat the words out like venom. His body was cut, bleeding and bruised from the fight, and he fought for breath in the humid air of the dense forest. The sorceress grinned at him through the gloom.

"So, you thought that a batch of Heartless could stop me?" Sora yelled, his voice shaking with anger.

"Heartless? No, Keyblade Master, I would not stoop so low. You insult me by placing me in the same category as that idiot Ansem. These are my own creations. Besides, why would I send Heartless after you to take your heart when I want if for myself?"

"My heart!" Sora dropped his guard in surprise. "Why do you want my heart?"

Sashiro merely laughed at his question.

"Fine; have it your way. I will get my memories back!"

He rushed the scarlet figure, blue eyes blazing. The Keyblade glittered even in the near-dark, and he swung it forwards in a blur of gold and silver. The Crimson Sorceress thrust her hand forward, and a jet of dark magic sent Sora into air.

"I don't think so, Keyblade Master. You see, you are too weak physically to defend against my magic after that spat with my minions;" she watched as Sora landed hard on the dirt of the forest floor, rolling a bit in an effort to soften the blow, "And thanks to my little theft, your heart is not strong enough, either."

Her panther made a coughing noise, and Sora could have sworn it was laughing at him. It began to circle him, but Donald shot it away with a blast of lightning, causing the cat to turn on his two companions once again. Sashiro gazed unhurriedly at this, nodding in approval before turning back to face Sora again. He rose, muscles screaming after his fall, pulling the Keyblade around between them, but it rose and fell unsteadily. A white hand shot out, and he was trapped in dark magic, unable to move.

He struggled against the magic, and Donald and Goofy, try as they might, couldn't get past the woman's pet. They kept trying, knowing she would try something on Sora soon.

Sashiro slowly walked towards the teen, and her face held that same mocking smile as before. When she spoke, her voice dripped with contempt.

"And so it ends, Keyblade Master. I gain your heart, along with the unknown powers it holds."

He thrashed around, but was still held firmly in place. She reached out, placing her hand on his heaving chest. Her long grey fingernails began to dig into his skin, her hand glowing a deep, poisonous blue.

"No!" Sora screamed.

Someone help me! he thought, praying for a miraculous rescue. Suddenly, the blue pendant on his neck began to glow as well, a bright purple light emanating from it. Sora was shocked, and so, it seemed, was Sashiro.

"What the-?"

The purple light spread around Sora, and the blue around Sashiro's hand began to fade, relenting against the tide of the pendant's glow.

"This cannot be!" shrieked the Crimson Sorceress. "What have you done, Keyblade Master?"

She backed up, fear evident in her eyes, and her hand began to glow again, but now in the vivid purple light of the pendant. Her hand jerked forward, as if pulled against her will. The shimmering mass of memories started to form there between her fingers, and Sora gasped at what he saw.

There, before him, stood the dim outline of a young girl, and he recognized her in the back of his mind. He called out, and the girl smiled at him. In a flash, she was gone, but his heart now burned with a burst of strength. Sora turned to the frightened Sashiro.

"Give them back. Now."

"No!" she shrieked. "Your heart will yet be mine, Keyblade Master!"

Sashiro recovered quickly from her shock, and waved her hands to banish the glowing memories, but they wouldn't disappear. She looked up to find Sora's hand reaching out to grasp them, fighting against the dark magic that bound him. His fingers inched closer and closer, second by second he neared his memories.

"I won't give them to you!"

Sashiro focused all her magic on the shimmering globe, trying to keep them away from Sora. The dark magic around him evaporated, but Sora's whole concentration was on reaching his goal. The battle went on for minutes, neither gaining any ground.

The memories pulsed violently, and Sora feared he would lose them. He fought even harder, and Sashiro answered back with equal force. The pulsing increased, and the light throbbed before them. Then, with a horrible cracking sound, the mass of memories split into a dozen or so pieces. The tiny lights zoomed off in all directions. One of the larger shards flew past the Crimson Sorceress, and she smiled malevolently. The large light braked to a stop, shuddered, then zipped in her direction, fading back into her hand. In response, another, slightly smaller shard came flying at Sora.

His eyes flew open, the pendant glowing bright again in gentle blue, and his face contorted in a grimace as the light sunk into his chest. He exhaled, deep and shudderingly, falling to his knees weakly, but Sashiro was already fading into the darkness around him, her wicked scarlet smile vivid against the black.

"Well, well, this was unexpected, but it shall not be a complete loss. I still have your most treasured memory, Keyblade Master, and I will yet gain your heart!"

She snapped her fingers, and the panther limped off after her rapidly disappearing figure, slightly injured from the multitude of spells Donald had cast at him. Once again, her cold, high laugh echoed in Sora's ears. The two friends ran up to him as he lay there, exhausted.

"I...I remember!" he exclaimed, looking up at them from the ground.

"You remember something?"

"Yeah, I remember... I remember that she gave this to me, her good luck charm," he grasped the intricate pendant once more, the glow gone now. "She gave it to me to keep me safe."

His two friends exchanged glances, and looked back at him.

"That's all?"

"Yep," Sora said glumly, but his face soon brightened again. "But it's better than nothing, right?"

Donald and Goofy smiled along with him, sharing in his moment of happiness.

"Hey, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Her name's Kairi."

Sora laughed out loud.

"Thanks, Goofy."

(Scene 4)

Back in her lair, Sashiro sat morosely stroking her panther's black ears. She looked into her scrying orb, watching as the shards of memories drifted down to land in scattered locales. Huffing noisily, she summoned the one memory she had retained, the largest piece of them all.

"The Keyblade Master's most treasured memory," she mused, staring at it wishfully. "The memory that fuels his strongest emotions, empowers his heart to near perfection. What do you suppose it is, Rumor?"

The large panther lifted his head to gaze sleepily at her, tilting it so as to appear almost questioning.

"Yes, we may never know, my love. But as long as we have this one single memory, he can gather the rest to his heart's content. We will still be stronger."

Sashiro continued to stare at the glowing shard, watching out of the corner of her eye as the scrying orb showed the location of the memory shard closest to the Keyblade Master.