Disclaimer: Seriously... I'm only fourteen... would I actually be able to own Kingdom Hearts?

A/N: I'm back! With a really long chapter. It's like... eight thousand something words, the longest chapter so far. xD Anyway, sorry for taking practically a month to update, but I worked hard on this chapter, so I hope you all like it. (: It's really revealing. And... a cliffhanger at the end? Oops. Teehee, well, happy readin'!

xoxo Bianca.

Intertwined Destinies

Chapter Twenty-Four.

Merlin gave the contents in the cauldron one final stir before smirking.

"Good," he breathed. His cruel grin widened. "Have a nice nap, my dear friends."

Alexandra's eyes turned afire.

"I must stop him."

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star—"

"Shut up, Toshi."

"—how I wonder what you are."

Riku put his hands to his temples. "Your singing is giving me migraines. Be quiet for once, will you?"

Toshi crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. "Up above the world so high..." He blinked, looking as though an unknown force was suddenly overcoming him. His eyes seemed to darken. "Like a... like a diamond... in the..."

"Forgetting the words?" Riku asked scornfully. He brushed back a silver strand of hair and fastened his pace; they were walking across the dimension to look for a way out.

"In the..." Toshi stopped walking and rubbed his eyes.

"'In the sky'?" offered Sora.

"Right," Toshi mumbled inaudibly, his eyes closing, and then collapsed to the ground.

Riku, Sora, and Kairi stared with their own varying expressions. Riku looked relatively amused, Sora looked shocked, and Kairi looked uninterested.

Suddenly, Kairi brought a hand to her mouth and yawned. "Night," she whispered, and tumbled to the ground in the same manner Toshi had.

Riku and Sora exchanged estranged glances.

"What's up with them?" Riku asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Sora replied, scratching his head. "They didn't seem sleepy a moment ago."

"Who needs sleep?"

"Not me!"

Riku and Sora seemed to force out a few delirious chuckles before their eyes clamped down shut and their bodies crumpled to the ground, as they lost all sense of consciousness.

"Ow!" Riku reached up and swatted at whatever pinched him awake. He felt excruciatingly sore for some reason. Perhaps it was because he was lying on crisp, frigid pebbles. He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them, sitting up and receiving an immediate head rush. Feeling grouchy, he searched with narrow eyes for the one who had pinched him on the shoulder so stingingly.

"Well, I am sorry," said an irritable voice. "But you would not awaken."

Riku turned his gaze to his left and his eyes instantly widened. "A-Alexandra!"

The Heartless girl cast her stare downwards. "You are a deep sleeper."

"No, I'm not," Riku retorted, flicking a bang away from his eyes. "I'm usually a light sleeper, for your information. I don't know what happened... it was like I was forced to fall asleep."

"You were indeed. And you fell for it."

"Fell for what?"

Alexandra delayed her reply. Then Riku decided that he didn't care so much, and a faint smile came to his lips. "I'm glad you're okay, Alexandra."

Alexandra lifted her chin and sniffed presumptuously. "I can very well take care of myself—thank you very much. You did not have to worry."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Well, forgive me for only wanting you to be safe."

"I am never safe, Riku. Never, ever think that I will be."

In a sudden change of mood, Riku laughed, and earned a scornful glance from Alexandra. "You're safe with me, you know," he told her.

"Oh, shut up already," Alexandra retaliated. "If you think your charm will work on m—"

Alexandra was urgently cut off when Riku cupped her chin in his fingers.

Then he leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers.

"Shield your eyes!" came a whine, "Shield your eyes!"

Riku and Alexandra quickly broke the three-second kiss the moment they had heard Toshi's voice. They looked up with wide eyes to see Toshi and Sora standing over them in thunderstruck astonishment. Riku's heart was racing. Alexandra wanted to kill him. Riku, that is. She truly wanted to kill him, but then again, that kiss was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Alexandra. Are you two... all right?"

"Are you two right in the head?" demanded Toshi, pointing accusingly at them. "That was just disturbing! I'm scarred for life..."

"Grow up," Sora told his look-alike, an annoyed air about him. "If they want to kiss, then let them kiss."

In one fast movement, Alexandra swept herself to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest. "I did not say I wanted to kiss him!"

Riku smirked and stood up as well. "Liar."

"I am not a liar!"

"Yes, you are. Everyone's a liar. You're lying by saying you're not a liar. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't one, too."

"I'd like to see you say a lie," Alexandra quipped snappishly, her eyes narrowing.

"Fine. Alexandra," Riku looked her right in the eyes. "I hate you."

Alexandra's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed. Some of the ill temper within her seemed to evaporate. "Hmm." Her eyes squinted at him skeptically. Then she turned her back on him in a steamed manner, her bare feet pounding flat against the ground in slight vexation.

"I hate you, too, Riku."

A grin found its way to Riku's mouth all over again.

I don't get it, Toshi told Sora telepathically.

You're too immature, was Sora's inward reply.

Toshi snorted.

"Where are we?" asked Toshi, his eyes scanning the area around them. The only pieces of land they could see was the gray, pebbled road they were standing on. The rest was blackened... dark, clouded, empty, eerie.

"It does not matter." Alexandra's reply was fast. She bit her lower lip, turning her head a little, and that was when everyone first noticed how exhausted and worn-out she looked. It was one of the only times they had seen her look so tired. Although they saw her weariness, they did not say anything about it, for they knew it would only insult her if they questioned about her issue of being fatigued.

"What matters," Alexandra continued, "is that you all are not supposed to be here. Someone sent you here. Merlin. He caused your sudden unconsciousness. I need to get you out of here... before..." She stopped herself, as though she did not want to tell them too much.

"Before what?" urged Riku. "What'll happen to us?"

"Before they find you, and..." Alexandra sighed. She might as well. "Before you all die."

Toshi's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped. I'm too hot to die!

"How disturbing," Sora grumbled.

"We've been walking this path for hours!" Toshi complained, jutting his lower lip outwards in a sort of weird pout. He looked at the others in front of him. "You guys are too fast!"

"You are just too slow," Alexandra shot back. "Hasten yourself—we must get there quickly."

"Where were we going again?" questioned Sora.

"To see Naminé," the Heartless girl answered calmly, her dirtied feet crunching against the rugged, coarse ground. "She knows of what we must do next."

Sora turned his head and rubbed his cheek against his shoulder. He was still rather sore. "Who?"

"Naminé," Alexandra repeated.

Sora was silent.

"You do not remember her, do you?"

"I don't ever recall meeting a Naminé," Sora replied quietly, suddenly feeling guilty—for what if he really did know a Naminé before? "But there's just something..."

"It is all right," Alexandra answered, her eyes focusing only on the stretching path in front of them. "You were supposed to forget her. You exchanged your fake memories of her for your true memories."

Sora blinked once, his eyes widening afterwards. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you know of Castle Oblivion?"

"No, but it sounds... familiar..."

"Well, of course you do not. Now, do you remember of anyone named Leon?"

"No."

"Aerith?"

"No..."

Alexandra gave one nod of affirmation. "Just as I suspected. You are incomplete."

Sora rubbed his forehead. "What the... heck..."

"Your memory is unchained," Alexandra explained, not looking back at Sora, for he was still a few feet behind Riku and herself. "After being in Castle Oblivion, Naminé the witch altered your memories—changing them into something different yet similar. She made you think that you knew her since childhood. Which, clearly, is not true. She made you think that you had feelings towards her. That is untrue as well. Although, in the end, she disobeyed Marluxia and decided to give you the choice to either keep your altered memory, or regain your true memory—"

Sora stopped walking at once. His face held the emotions of an overly confused, bewildered person. And he was. "Alexandra! I don't understand all this! I don't remember... any of that. Some of it rings a bell, like the name Marluxia... but... I don't know. That's just it—I don't know! I don't know what you're talking about."

Alexandra stopped walking as well, and so did the others.

The Heartless tilted her head to the side, folding her hands in front of her. "I understand—for it has all been erased from your mind, your heart. Not completely erased, though, just being engulfed into darkness, into oblivion, so that it will seem as though those events may disappear. The links in your memory have been toyed with, yes, but they were in the process of returning to normal until... all this happened."

"This?" Sora's voice was strained. "What do you mean by 'this'?"

"All this, your whole adventure, from the beginning, when it started all at Traverse Town by meeting Trinity... was not supposed to happen."

Sora was silent.

"It was intended for you to stay at the Grasslands."

Sora ran a gloved hand over his face, shaking his head.

"Because the Grasslands were a figment of yours, Donald's, and Goofy's imagination. You three dwelled there in spirit, while you were physically in the memory restoration pods, regaining your memories... getting them linked together correctly."

Sora inhaled deeply.

"You remember things that happened quite a while ago, like Merlin teaching you to do magic... the battles you had fought, people you knew at Destiny Islands, but there were details that had not been given back to you yet. You just said you did not recall anyone by the name of Leon nor Aerith earlier—that is an example. You were meant to remember them, but something stopped the process of restoration—someone stopped it. That person damaged your pod, and your companions' pods, before you could remember everything else. That was when everything started—that was when the sky darkened in the Grasslands and brought you to Traverse Town."

Sora finally exhaled the breath he had held, and began to nod slowly. "All right. Okay." He closed his eyes, waited a few seconds, and then opened them again. "I... I need my memories back?"

"You need them revealed again, recovered," corrected Alexandra. "You have them, but there are still some that are hidden within the darkest depths of your heart. Naminé can help you bring them into the light once more—to help you remember once more."

"I want to remember," Sora told her, his heart suddenly feeling a strong, virile surge. "If I wanted to remember everything else before, like those people... Leon, Aerith, whoever they are... then I trust my past self, and still want to remember all that."

"Good," Alexandra raised an eyebrow, turned around, and began walking once more. Everyone else followed her.

Now, Sora was behind the rest of them. He reached up and rubbed an eye, sighing. Toshi was only a couple feet in front of him, and arched his neck to eye him. You okay?

Sora gave a weak smile. I'm not so sure.

Riku glanced back at Sora, who was walking with his head down, before averting his eyes back to Alexandra.

Alexandra's eyes locked with Riku's, and gave him a questioning look.

"Well," Riku crossed his arms over his chest, "did you tell him about how he...?"

"No," Alexandra replied, understanding Riku's half-question. "He should not know about that."

"Why?" Riku bit his lower lip and quickly released it. He felt pained of the thought—although he quickly hid it. Then he watched in slight awe as Alexandra's lips curved insubstantially—into a soft, meek, sympathetic sort of smile. He then instantly knew that she was aware of his pain, the thoughts of his best friend's fate.

Alexandra shook her head gently, clearly knowing his troubled thought. The least she could do was hold his hand for comfort—so she did. She reached out with her right hand and took his left.

"He should not know how it shall all end," Alexandra whispered.

"Are you sure it'd be such a good idea to just... walk in?" Toshi asked uncomfortably, eyeing the rustic appearance of the mansion before them. He looked to the upper left side of the house, at a large, musty rectangular window crossed with many panes. He shuddered slightly when he thought he saw a girl peering at them through the glass.

Toshi had begun to feel uncomfortable since they ended up in this town—a town Alexandra told them was called Twilight Town. Although the weather was pleasant and the scenery was of lovely afternoon shades, something didn't feel right. It was almost as if... they weren't supposed to be here. Then again, when they entered Twilight Town, Alexandra had ordered them at once to make sure no one would see them and to be as discreet as possible, so perhaps they were not meant to be in this town after all.

"Do not worry," Alexandra replied airily, taking hold of the knob and pushing the door open.

"Isn't there a doorbell or a knocker or something?" Toshi whined; but it was too late. They already had begun walking into the mansion.

Everyone cautiously followed Alexandra up a series of steps.

A few minutes later, they all stared at the room they found themselves in.

"It's all so white," Toshi breathed, his right eye twitching. "And bright."

There was a low creeaak behind them as a door opened and softly closed. Toshi screamed and jumped behind Riku and Alexandra. Sora looked at Toshi, disturbed.

"Thank you, Alexandra, for bringing them here," a light voice said. Everyone slowly turned around to face a small, pale blonde girl. There was a tiny smile on her face.

Sora swallowed hard. "Who are—"

Naminé stepped forward and waved a hand in front of his face to silence him. When Sora did not say anything, she lowered her hand to clasp it with her opposite one in front of her. "Hello, Sora."

"Naminé, right?" Sora muttered, glancing at Alexandra.

Naminé nodded. "Alexandra must have told you about me. I'm sure you're very confused."

"Pretty much," Sora replied, as positive as he possibly could. "I never knew there was something wrong with my memory..."

"Neither did we," came familiar voices.

Sora whirled around and was overjoyed to see Donald and Goofy approaching him. "You guys! You're all right! You were here the whole time?"

Goofy nodded. "A-hyuck, we sure were. And dun worry, Naminé'll explain everythin' to ya. She's mighty nice."

Donald quacked in agreement. "It almost makes sense now, heh."

Naminé smiled again. "You might need to sit down for this."

Sora was gawking.

"It's true," Naminé said gloomily, her fingers curling in her lap.

"Who caused the memory pods to malfunction?" questioned Sora, leaning forward in his chair anxiously. "Why did they want to stop the process of regaining my memories?"

Naminé looked down, her bangs falling over her eyes. Her voice was quiet. "They must have been plotting against you... to destroy you—the Keyblade Master. But the thing is, I don't know who did it."

Sora sighed. "Oh."

"Although... I know someone who may know."

"Who?"

"Alexandra."

Sora's eyebrows rose. "Well, why didn't she tell you? Why didn't you ask her who did it?"

Naminé looked up, her eyes staring to the other side of the room, where the others were sitting, minding their own business. "It's not that simple, Sora. You should know by now that Alexandra can't just say certain things. It's hard for her. She wasn't meant to be good. In other words, she won't tell me."

"I can get Riku to—"

Naminé smiled and shook her head. "We shouldn't result to manipulation."

Sora thought about this for a while. Then, a remarkable thought struck him. "If Alexandra knew who did it... then she must have a sort of connection to that person. It could be," he paused, glancing at Alexandra without her noticing, "her master."

"You may be right," Naminé replied. "But we can't be completely sure until we're told otherwise. Until then..."

"Naminé," Sora interjected, "do I have to go back into the pod so that my memory will be complete?"

"Yes," Naminé told him. "Absolutely. Having an incomplete, unchained memory can be dangerous. You know some of the things you should, but not all of it."

"How long have I been in that pod, before it was messed with?"

Naminé looked up thoughtfully. "Nine months."

"Nine?" Sora blinked in disbelief. "How can that be possible? It's been almost two years since—"

"Wait," Naminé stopped him, eyeing Sora suspiciously. "Two years? What are you talking about?"

"I thought it'd been one year, ten months—something, something..." Sora rubbed his aching forehead. "I thought... it was nearly two years..."

"Two years is a bit too much," Naminé said, shaking her head. "Where did you get that from?"

Sora looked back at Naminé silently. He shrugged slowly.

"It's only been nine months," Naminé told him calmly. "Whoever that time span had originated from was either a liar, or created by an overly imaginative person."

Sora rested his forehead flat on the surface of the cold, white table. "Ugh... I don't know anything anymore."

"Sure you do," Naminé said lightheartedly. "You're merely confused. At least you weren't as confused as before... right?"

Not removing his head from the table, Sora murmured, "I guess..." He sighed. "When do I have to go back? To the pod, I mean."

"Soon," Naminé assured him. "But you know what you have to do first."

Sora lifted his head. "Actually, I don't."

"You don't? You don't feel obligated to finish what you started?"

"What did I start?"

"So many things, Sora," Naminé replied quietly. "And you can't come back to the pod until they are all completed."

Sora looked down. "I need help."

"It's okay," Naminé said comfortingly. "I'll tell you what you need to know."

Sora smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem." Naminé then lifted her chin. "First off, you do need to help Trinity."

"Right. Of course." Sora knew that he had to find Trinity's brother. All he needed was to reunite the two siblings for Traverse Town to regain life again.

"You must convert Merlin to good once more."

"But... he... um, okay." Being a little troubled by the idea of having to face the corrupt wizard again, Sora felt hesitation. But that hesitation was soon covered up by something he had a lot of: determination.

"And whoever brought havoc to the restoration chambers is obviously up to no good, therefore you must track that person down and stop them from doing the dark wishes they desire."

"I will." Sora gave one nod of perseverance.

"There's one last thing." Naminé stood up, as if bracing herself to tell him truly troublesome news. "It may be hard to believe, but this one is the hardest of all..."

"What...?" Sora asked, his tone questioning; his breathing slowed. He looked up at Naminé from his seat.

"You need to get Kairi her heart back."

Sora blinked once.

He swallowed with much difficulty.

His voice was weak.

"Who?"

"How completely fantastic," jeered the majestically vile voice. "Finally. The spell has made him forget her, Merlin."

"I do hope I pleased you, Master."

"You have indeed. Now that the boy cannot recall her, he has become more vulnerable." Her yellow eyes flickered in the dark, a low, diabolical chuckle emitting from her throat.

"But Naminé might—"

"She will," the voice snapped back, though it held a glum tone. "The godforsaken blonde will help him remember her once more, but you must remember what I told you."

"Yes, Master. It is to weaken the Keyblade Master's heart."

"Not just for our own amusement," the voice added coldly. Then the eyes swerved towards a redhead sleeping in the darkened cell next to them. "We have held her long enough."

Merlin looked at his master curiously.

"Release her; she will soon summon him," the yellow eyes hissed.

Naminé turned away, a slightly pained look upon her face. "I knew it. The spell Merlin cast upon you has made you forget her."

Sora stood up, his chair making a soft squeaking sound behind him. "Who are you talking about?"

Naminé whirled around, her white-gold strands of hair whipping against her face and falling across her shoulders. "The girl you love!"

Backing away, Sora shook his head. "I... don't..."

"You still remember her, Sora," Naminé said, her voice steady, yet on the brink of trembling, "she returned to the dark part of your heart again, and I know you can bring her back, just like you did before. You can't completely forget her, ever, no matter what."

Sora stared at Naminé.

Naminé bit her lower lip, bringing a clenched hand to her chin, and let out a worried breath. "Sora... show me your Keyblade."

"Why?"

"Just... do it."

Sora looked at his right hand, and after his fingers glowed a warm, golden color, the Keyblade appeared in his hand. He lifted it up and showed it to Naminé.

"Look at the key chain," Naminé ordered, pointing at the curved, star-shaped charm.

Remember, Sora...

With shaking fingers, Sora reached out with his free hand and took the charm into his palm.

I'm always...

He drew in a strangled breath.

... with you...

Sora's fingers curled around the charm, exhaling deeply. "Kairi..."

Naminé smiled gently. "You remember now?"

Sora looked up. "... I'm going to get her heart back—whatever it takes... no matter what."

"No matter what?"

"No matter what."

"If two people share a paopu fruit, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives... no matter what."

"He's remembering already?" Merlin grouched. He was upset over the fact that Sora was regaining his memories of Kairi so rapidly.

"Silence, wizard. Of course he is remembering her quickly; the spell was not that strong. You must admit that you cannot do tasks equivalent to Naminé's—you do not have the power to rearrange links. You must keep in mind the strength of his heart. He loves her. Quite disgusting, do you not think so? But do not dwell on the matter—we have had enough time."

"They took her," Naminé told Sora miserably. "They took Kairi while you forgot her, and made sure the others wouldn't notice. The others—were too distracted by other things to notice. Riku's attention was caught by Alexandra, and vice versa, while Toshi is simply empty-headed."

"I need to get her back," Sora said urgently. "Where is she?"

"I don't know everything, Sora," Naminé answered, her voice torn. "But what I do know is that you have to... to..."

Sora waited in apprehension as Naminé struggled with her wording. "Naminé..."

Naminé wrung her hands. "Sora, you... have to fight for her! You're going to be in a battle, a huge battle, a violent one, a bloody—"

"Whoa, whoa," Sora reached out and put a hand on Naminé's cold shoulder as she choked in overwhelmed breaths. "Naminé, calm down."

Stepping back, Naminé nodded, putting her fingers to her temples. "Fine, I know, I will, it's just—" she sighed. "Do you know what you're up against?"

"No." Sora forced a smile.

Naminé stomped a foot on the marble floor. "Then listen up."

"I'm all-ears."

"You're going to die." Toshi glared at Sora.

Sora sniffed in exasperation. "You're such a pessimist."

Toshi shook his head. "No, you don't get it, I mean—I saw—"

Sora turned his back on Toshi. "Just stop already, okay? I'm tired of you bringing me down like this. It's not helping at all." He looked down. "I have to do this... it's the only way, Toshi."

Toshi opened his mouth but nothing came out. Well, fine, be that way.

Fine, I will, Sora shot back.

Goofy and Donald's faces were struck with dejected expressions as they trotted over to Sora. Goofy honked his nose on a tissue while Donald did not remove his eyes from his flat, orange-yellow feet.

"Naminé told us," Goofy mourned.

Sora looked at them, pained by their sadness, his eyes almost tearing up. "She also told you that you guys can't help me... right?"

Donald's eyes darkened, and afterwards sharpened. "It's too dangerous, Sora."

Sora looked up, having to force another fake smile on his face. "Hey, I've at least got to try!"

Goofy and Donald tried reasoning with Sora, but only received optimistic replies in return. They knew Sora's mind was fixed on the battle. And it was no ordinary battle—it would be most likely the most challenging one he'd yet to encounter. Goofy looked at Sora, sadly.

"Okay, Sora," Goofy mumbled sorrowfully.

"If you won't change your mind..." Donald sighed, finally looking up at Sora. It was then that the duck realized—as well as Goofy—how much more mature Sora looked... when they had first met him, he was just a happy-go-lucky boy, but now... he was more dignified, more confident... stronger, wiser, braver. They quickly recognized the newfound valor within him, and knew: Sora was practically worthy enough to be a man.

He had grown up; he truly had.

Sora took a step nearer to his companions, his mouth parting slightly, appalled, that they... Donald and Goofy... were beginning to shed a few tears.

"No..." he breathed. This was worse than he had thought... Naminé was right; he didn't know what he was up against. And even after she had explained to him the throes of his future challengingly immense feud... a practical war... Sora tried his hardest not to doubt himself.

But he couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry, you two." Sora gulped, his eyes closing. His eyes reopened when he heard their next words.

"G-good luck," his two friends choked out in struggled unison.

He saw both Goofy and Donald extend towards him a hand, a wing. He shook his head at the offered handshakes. Sora closed the gap between his long-time companions and hugged them tightly.

"Same 'ol Sora," Goofy sniveled, feeling the jagged brown hair flick lightly against his snout.

"Always will be," Sora grinned, letting go of the two. "Don't worry, really! I'll be fine."

Goofy and Donald just stared at him wistfully.

Sora's smile weakened a bit, but was still noticeable. "Okay? I'll see you two soon—believe it. Trust me, I'm not going to... to... you know."

Nodding, Donald and Goofy each delivered him a thumbs-up. Sora's eyes brightened. "You two'll be safe here with Naminé."

As if called upon, Naminé approached them from behind. "That's right." She chimed, "Donald and Goofy, you both will have to return to your memory pods in a few moments."

"But," Donald began, "won't that mean our memories'll be finished before Sora's?"

"Yes," Naminé replied. "Don't worry, though. It will all work out—in the end. You'll see."

Donald and Goofy nodded, and then took one more look at Sora before departing to their chambers. They were filled to the rim with worry, though they hid it.

All for one, and one for all, Sora thought solemnly.

This time, Alexandra and Riku walked up to Sora.

"We're coming," Riku told his best friend.

Sora smiled again, a true one this time. "But you know you can't help me."

"We know, we are both aware of that," Alexandra answered promptly. "Just in case—we shall be there. Plus, I can take you there in a quicker way."

"By teleporting?" Riku asked her.

"Yes."

"But you're too tired... you might—"

"I have enough strength to do one, mere teleportation. It will only be the four of us, anyway, including Toshi."

"I'm coming?" Toshi gawked, pointing at himself, practically stabbing himself in the chest with his index finger.

"Why, of course," Alexandra remarked. "Your visions are vital to these types of matters."

Toshi knew he had no choice—especially by the look the Heartless girl gave him. And it wasn't like he wanted to get bitten by her again. Realizing this, Toshi noticed how long ago that felt. Being in the alleyway, meeting Alexandra, meeting Sora, and then Riku. He had met a lot of people along the way here... and for that, he was, well, slightly glad.

It was almost like he had friends.

"We shall be departing soon enough," Alexandra informed him, and she took a firm grip on Riku's arm as the two walked away.

"Sora."

Sora turned around to face Naminé again, and smiled at her. "Naminé, I want to thank you. It's a big shame that I can't remember you, though. But thanks, really, for helping me with my memories. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, it's the least I could do." Naminé looked away, but quickly jerked her eyes in the direction of Sora again, giving him a strong look. "Sora—mirai wa, doko made mo kagayaiteta."

Sora took a moment to ponder the phrase over. "The future's shining endlessly...?"

"Something like that," Naminé giggled softly.

Sora cast his gaze downwards, a smile beginning to form on his face—one that showed remembrance. "Your laugh sounds just like Kairi's."

"There's an explanation for that," the blonde replied kindly. "One day, in the future... you'll see."

Sora's smile widened, and then he heard Alexandra clear her throat behind him. Then he knew; it was time to go. He stepped back from Naminé.

"Thank you—so much." Sora turned around. "I'll see you after the battle."

Naminé did not reply, and at first Sora failed to understand why, completely oblivious to the fact that Naminé was clear to the results of his fate. And so, he refrained from questioning her.

Alexandra was impatiently tapping a foot on the floor. "Ready? Of course you are ready. Let us go. Toshi—get over here."

"Damn my psychic powers."

Everyone was staring at Sora in horror.

Riku knelt down, giving his friend several firm pats on the back. "Man, are you... okay?"

"Does he look okay?" demanded Toshi, a disgruntled expression on his face as he turned away from the scene before him. "He's coughing up blood, for Pete's sake!"

Riku glared daggers at Toshi before averting his eyes to Sora once more. "You've been losing a lot of blood lately. Like that nosebleed—"

Sora wiped his mouth with his wrist. "It's no big deal." He looked as though he were about to hack up some more blood, but forced himself not to. He wrinkled his nose. "I'm fine."

"It is a warning," Alexandra explained, watching Riku help Sora up. "Your earlier nosebleed was a warning, and you have just received another warning. That nosebleed Kairi had underwent a while ago in the Stained Glass Realm was a warning for her as well."

"Warning?" Sora swallowed hard, his mouth filled with a bitter taste. His shirt was splattered with blood—then he remembered, it was not actually his shirt. But rather, belonged to Akuji, Trinity's brother. His whole outfit had belonged to Akuji. He also remembered how uncomfortable he had felt at the thought of wearing a seemingly deceased person's clothes, but now he didn't care for that matter anymore.

Sora's somber eyes swept over their surroundings, the place that Alexandra had teleported them to. In a sudden wave of realization, he saw that this was the same path they were walking on before ending up in Twilight Town. It was the path they had awoken upon before they were forced to fall asleep earlier. At first, everything seemed unclear, but then more dawned upon him.

This was the Path of Twilight.

Sora was beginning to catch on. Alexandra had not simply teleported everyone to Twilight Town and made them walk instead because she was saving her wavering strength for this certain teleportation. She knew it all along. She knew everything all along.

Things were not always what they seemed.

Sora's thoughts were cut off when he thought he'd heard something echoing in the distance. It sounded like a light, low hum. It was fluid, yet chopped. The sounds grew louder, and Sora felt familiarity—but what was it? Along with that familiarity came more confusion, mixed in with jumbled memories.

His unchained memories.

Toshi began to whimper. "Is it just me, or... do I hear... laughing?"

Riku stepped back, closer to Alexandra and Sora and Toshi. "No, it's not just you," then he added, "for once." Riku felt Alexandra tense up next to him. He heard her draw in a deep breath; he felt her shoulder rise slightly as she did so. Then, he knew, that everything he had predicted was true: Alexandra was very much aware of what was going to happen.

The cackles grew louder, villainous chuckles that would instantly weaken one's heart and damage one's pride. They were laughs that could intimidate the bravest of the brave, and the most fearless beings of all. It was a sound so loathsome, so full of sin, that you would immediately receive that feeling in your gut sensing that something was terribly, terribly wrong. It was simply morbid.

And it was simply, female.

Riku then understood, and at the same time the laughing faded away—for now. He turned slowly, facing Alexandra. He didn't think it was possible for someone to get so pale—but he now stood corrected. Just like earlier, when he had kissed her, his heart began its marathon. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a steady look in the eyes. He made sure the gaze was locked before speaking. "Alexandra," he said, his voice holding a sincere tone, "I need you to tell me who your master is."

Alexandra found it hard to even blink once. "F-forbidden—"

"No," Riku interjected, "it's not forbidden. Not anymore. You want to be your own person, right? Come on, you don't have to do this. You don't have to be a slave, a puppet. You can break free. But you have to tell the truth first. We have to stop being liars for now."

"I..." Alexandra tried to move her shoulders, but Riku showed no signs of backing down, or withdrawing his hands. "I... cannot!" She shut her eyes, being rid of Riku's icy aquamarine gaze. "R-Riku, I am not supposed to—I just—you should not—it is not safe—"

"I told you before," Riku said softly—so softly, in fact, that it led Alexandra to reopening her eyes. "You're safe with me."

Alexandra lowered her gaze, sighing shakily.

"Alexandra..." Riku dropped his hands from her shoulders. At that moment, Alexandra lost her balance and weakly fell to the pebbled ground. Riku rushed to bend down in front of her and take her hands. "Please..."

Sora's mouth almost dropped open. He had never seen Riku like this before. Never. Not with any girls he'd ever encountered. But then again, Alexandra wasn't just a girl.

She was a Heartless.

Alexandra's eyes shifted upwards, meeting Riku's. This time, his eyes did not seem so frosty. Now, they were much more like glimmering pools of warm, island water. She felt an unfamiliar sensation within her, seeing how close Riku held his face to hers. Riku clasped her hands in his tighter, his breathing now tranquil. Her own face inched towards his, but suddenly she remembered the words Merlin told her not too long ago.

Romance is futile.

She turned away.

But then there were the words that mattered more to her.

You can be your own person.

Alexandra quickly moved her head towards Riku again, fixing her eyes with his again, feeling an almost-warmth inside of her again. She approached his lips with her own.

Sora reached over and covered Toshi's eyes with a hand.

Alexandra broke away from the kiss to murmur something.

"What?" Riku breathed, still catching his breath and still overcome with surprise.

"Mew," Alexandra whispered, looking around cautiously.

"Mew?" Riku echoed, his voice loud, but toning it down at the last second. "She is your master?"

Alexandra diverted her gaze. Riku took this silence as affirmation.

"Well, this is ironic," Sora said, trying not to fall into the crevice of awkward silence.

"WHAT?" Toshi raged, pulling Sora's hand away from his eyes. "That stinkin' jaguar is your master? You take orders from a feline?"

"No," Alexandra hissed, scrambling to her feet, trembling awfully. "She—"

BOOM.

Everyone jumped in staggering panic at the ear-piercing, echoing jolt.

Everything turned pitch-black.

Sora held his breath as the wraithlike laughing returned.

"... Is here," came a voice, in the same feminine tone as the chuckles.

Sora could not see anything. He felt his eyes strain, searching for any source of light within the dark. His throat tightened, but he forced oxygen into his lungs to keep himself as calm as possible.

About twenty feet away, blazing yellow eyes flashed in the blackness.

Those eyes... Sora recognized them from somewhere, but he could not recall...

"It's Mew," Riku murmured.

The air was filled with thick presentiment.

Sora blinked hard, his eyes soon adjusting to the dark a bit. He noticed the faint silhouette of a large, charcoal feline. He knew it was Mew, but where else had he seen those eyes? Those unforgiving, malicious pupils... somewhere... months ago...

CLACK.

Something similar to a bolt of thunder—only neon green—struck against the ground and left a fairly sized, illuminated circle... much like a spotlight. There was a shape lying in the middle of that glowing circle... something...

Sora inhaled heavily, holding the air in his lungs. No. Someone.

There was another bone-chilling chuckle. "Ah... it may seem, my dear Sora, that I have something precious towards you." There was an eerie pause. "Why don't you come and check?"

Sora stared at the circular radiance on the ground. He exhaled. He took a step forward.

"Be careful," Riku said in a low voice.

Sora took another step, and then another. In his caution, his right fingers flushed with rays and his Keyblade appeared in his hand. He stopped for a moment, hesitating, squeezing his weapon tightly. Then he resumed his slow walk towards the circle. Sora lifted his Keyblade, resting the metal against his collarbone, feeling its contour resting at the back of his neck.

He took two more steps. The grainy rocks crunched under his shoes.

Sora's eyes began to sting. "Kairi..."

Another laugh from Mew echoed, but the jaguar made no move.

Knowing the chances he was taking, Sora made the Keyblade disappear, and went to his knees, putting a hand on Kairi's shoulder. She was still so unbelievably cold. "Is she...?" No, Sora thought, his heart racing, she's not dead. As long as I'm here—

"Why must you bother, anyway?" Mew mocked, beginning to purr. "She does not return your feelings."

Sora shook his head. He gently ran his hand from Kairi's shoulder, down her arm, finding her hand. "I just want her to be safe."

"There we go." Mew's yellow eyes sparked. "Now, that is a reason why she resents you. You never let her do what she wants. You just want her to stay in one place, waiting for... let's see? Hmm. Precisely: you."

Mew then hissed, sending hair-raising vibrations through the air.

Sora's eyes widened, turning his head to see Kairi again, feeling her hand in his move. "Kai—"

"Ugh..." The redhead that had been sleeping shifted her head to the side, her crystalline blue eyes slowly blinking open, her pupils dilating. Her eyes met Sora's.

Sora did not say a word. He helped her up instead, grasping both her hands.

In a rather daring moment, Riku, Alexandra, and Toshi all ran up to the two.

"We don't have much time," Riku said under his breath.

"My true master will arrive soon," Alexandra murmured, her green eye darkening and her yellow eye flickering.

"What?" Riku, Toshi, and Sora warbled in unison.

Alexandra looked away. "You will see."

Kairi reached up and rubbed an eye with her wrist. "Where am I?"

"The Path of Twilight," Sora informed her. "But, everything will be fine."

"Oh yeah," Toshi said sarcastically. "Everything will be fine, sure. Sora's about to fight one hell of a bloody battle—but yeah, everything's fine."

"This isn't really the time for sarcasm," Riku snapped. "Pipe down, idiot."

"Whatever," Toshi retorted, his snide attitude arising. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned on his heel. "Humph."

BOOM.

"Waah!" Toshi's hands went over his eyes. "What was that?"

Everyone turned to the opposite end of the path, seeing that yet another green bolt had left yet another spot of light on the ground. There, looking vulgar... was the once-great wizard.

"Merlin," Sora whispered.

"Well, well, well," mused Mew, padding over to Merlin and joining him in the spotlight. "Now, isn't this lovely? We would both like to thank you—Riku, Alexandra."

"We wish to thank you two wholeheartedly," Merlin jeered, a smirk twisting across his face.

Sora whirled around, facing an equally shocked Alexandra and Riku. "What are they talking about?"

Riku opened his mouth, and then shut it, not knowing how to explain. He tried again. "No, wait, it's not—"

Alexandra reached out a hand. "We are not against—"

"Against them?" Mew quipped, her lip curling. "Of course you two are against them. Why else would you obey me, Alexandra? Riku, why else would you obey Merlin?"

In confusion, Sora shook his head again, his gaze switching from Mew, to Alexandra, to Riku. "It can't be true," Sora said, staring at Riku. "You wouldn't..."

"No, I wouldn't," Riku interjected, his eyes wide. "Don't listen to her! Don't listen to them."

Sora stepped back, his shoulder brushing against Kairi's.

"Sora!" Riku shouted, "Do you really think I'd betray you two?"

"Oh, but you did before," Mew's voice taunted. "Nine months ago. Don't you remember? You opened your heart to the Darkness, Riku. And forever the dark shall stay."

There was a thick, difficult silence as everyone was suddenly filled with doubt. Mew and Merlin eyed the group nefariously.

Merlin's dirty grin widened in satisfaction. "There is another matter we must thank them for, Master."

"True," Mew replied haughtily, her eyes like slicing glaciers.

"What now?" growled Riku. "What more could you want?"

"Ah, no, you see, Riku... you have already given us what we want." Mew's mouth lifted revoltingly in a vain snarl. "Both you and Alexandra have given us... exactly what we want."

"What?" whispered Alexandra in disbelief. "No, we have not—"

"My dear! You do not have to act any more!" Mew exclaimed smugly. She brought a large paw crashing to the tiny stones underneath her, almost causing everyone to lose their balance. "Come. Here."

Alexandra shook her head, backing away.

"I said... come here," Mew spat demandingly, her eyes widening.

"No," Alexandra muttered. Then, she raised her voice. "No! I will not!"

Mew reclined on her haunches, her long tail waving behind her. "Fine. If you shall not come here yourself..." Her eyes were burning in fury. "Then I must make you come here... by force."

Alexandra began shivering, squeezing her eyes shut tight. She squirmed in place a little, before grunting lightly and straining as she took a step forwards. "No..." Her feet would not listen. Her body would not function to her own will now. "I cannot..."

"Resistance is useless," Merlin hooted.

"Alexandra!" Riku reached out, trying to catch up with Alexandra, but something stopped him. His hand brushed against something glassy in front of him—like a wall. Glossy, watery substances, standing vertically in front of them. Like some sort of... force field, a barrier. Riku let out an anguished shout, slamming his fist against the seemingly invulnerable wall, his eyes fixing on the Heartless girl, who was being forced to walk towards Mew and Merlin against her will.

"Don't be so foolish," Mew scoffed. She bared her shiny white teeth as Alexandra approached her side, looking dejected. "You, as well as Sora, should not bother. The girls you hold feelings for no longer have hearts."

So it's true, Riku thought, Alexandra truly used to have a heart.

"I am sorry," Alexandra choked out, not opening her eyes, not lifting her bowed head.

"She really isn't," Mew said to them scornfully. "I thought you all might have found out by now—she has been betraying everyone all along. All she has been doing was precisely what I wanted her to do: following my orders." Mew's nose twitched. "It has all been an act."

"No," Alexandra said, her eyes finally opening, although she did not remove her eyes from her feet. "Not all has been an act."

"So you admit," Mew hissed, getting up on all fours and lifting a paw in her slave's direction. "You have been acting." Mew turned her massive head towards Riku. "I have my proof—and she has just admitted it."

"Wait—" Alexandra looked up, staring right at Riku. "It only started out as an act—"

"But..." Riku gazed at her in disbelief. "It was still... an act..."

"You do not understand," Alexandra pleaded, "I did not mean—"

"You meant everything," Mew snapped, inching towards Alexandra. "You meant to fool everyone that you are just some unfortunate Heartless girl who yearns only for love and 'to be her own self.' You meant to bring everyone to your so-called 'heart' rain forest to 'hide away' and build their trust in you. You meant to lead them to Twilight Town. You meant to bring them here." Mew's eyes narrowed, bringing up a paw and examining her fatal, glimmering claws. "... And you meant to poison Kairi."

Alexandra's hands clenched into fists.

Every eye was on the Heartless girl.

"You..." Sora stared fixedly at Alexandra, "did it? It was because of you all along?"

"Alexandra," Riku whispered. He glanced from his two best friends to the girl he felt affection for. "Why...?"

"You took Kairi's heart?" Sora's voice was filled with anxiety and dismay. "You made her like this?" He took a step forward, his eyes wide with torment. "You made her emotionless?"

"It is her fault," Toshi grumbled, thrusting his hands deep in his pockets. "I knew it."

Mew and Merlin smirked at each other.

"It seems as though Riku and Alexandra have both fulfilled their duty," Mew drawled, running her pointed claws across the rough ground.

Alexandra and Riku exchanged pained glances before looking at the jaguar. "What are you talking about?" they asked in unison, both their voices showing confusion.

"Alexandra... What's your duty?"

"... My duty is to find that person..."

"Who?"

"The brother of the young woman whose name I believe is Trinity..."

"Oh, this just isn't fair. That was my job."

"What?"

"Merlin sent me to look for, not only Trinity, but for the possibility of her brother being around. But most likely Trinity..."

"Trinity's brother...?" Riku's voice was barely audible. He knit his eyebrows together.

Alexandra looked down. "She..."

"Yes," Mew stated simply. "Trinity's brother."

BOOM.

About ten feet from her right, Mew caused another pool of light to take residence in the path. Everyone stared at the blonde-haired woman who dozed unconsciously in the middle of the bright circle.

"Her brother," uttered Mew.

"Trinity!" shouted Riku and Sora. They both put their hands flat on the transparent, liquid-like glass, wishing to get through, but having no result except for the ripples they sent wiggling through the towering, wide wall that separated them from the other side.

"But," Alexandra began; her eyebrows rose, "we did not find her b—"

"You really think so?" Mew droned disdainfully. "Look around. Her brother is indeed here."

Silence.

"Akuji is in your midst."

More silence.

Mew's eyes scanned everyone in dissatisfaction. "Are you all complete morons?" She growled. "It is not complicated, truly. He has simply taken another shape... and another personality. With some side effects."

Side effects... Sora bit his lip.

"You see," Mew declared, padding over to Trinity's spotlight, "when her brother died and she tried to revive him with a magical spell—it did not work properly. But he still came to life—in one certain way... loaded with flaws and side effects. He remembered nothing of his past when he came back to life, but instead found himself washed up on a shore. What shore? Ah, the shore of an island... an island no other than Destiny Islands."

No one said anything.

Mew beamed foully and brutally. "And what shape did he take, might you ask? Quite easy, my darlings... he took the shape of the one most longed for. You see... Trinity longed for the return of her dead brother with all of her heart. But somewhere, out there, was another girl... who longed for the return of the one she cared about most with all of her heart. Her pure heart. Everyday, she would stand at the shores, waiting... waiting... and did he ever come? No. Nine months passed... was there any sign of him? No. Was her memory faltering? Perhaps. Was her heart? No. But what she did not know was that her special someone was stuck in a town, in a mansion, in a pod... remembering her. Regaining memories. I thought it would be rather fun to toy with his and his companions' restoration chambers... I left quite a mess. That had resulted an unchained memory. Back to that longing girl and those nine months—she encounters a boy. And just whom does he resemble?"

Sora felt his heart being wrenched at. He felt his lungs fail.

Kairi looked at Sora... expressionless.

"Two girls," Mew's voice rang fiendishly, circling the sleeping Trinity, "longing, waiting, and unwavering faith with some doubt mixed in. When Akuji was reborn... he looked like him." Her yellow eyes swerved towards Sora. "Our precious little Keyblade Master."

Everyone looked at Sora.

Then, soon enough...

All eyes were on Toshi.

"So thank you," Mew announced, eyes flickering, "Alexandra, Riku. For bringing Trinity's brother to me."

SPECIAL THANKS TO...

Yume-Yume, carbuncle X3, kingdom219, Shelly, No Wonder, KairiGurlPaupo, paopu, Sorasgirl333, daaku, Mysterious Prophetess, Cherdafred, Ravey13, KatarasHomegirl, crazycutie2, Sora's GuardianAngel, Shirozora, the angel ninja, Iridaceae, Heavenly Demon, Sakura Kamiya101, Raiie, & Aiko Moonchild.