…

…

Welp, it sure has been a while, huh?

Uggghhhh, I can't begin to tell you guys…I'm sorry. Second semester shot off like a rocket, and I'm involved in some things in my school (one of which also involves writing) and it's been surprisingly difficult to keep up with things this time around. Not that my ADD has been helping much, either.

Just a heads-up for this chapter, someone from Union X makes an appearance. If you're not familiar with the foretellers, you won't know who this is.

Alright, I'm not gonna keep y'all waiting. Without further ado, the next chapter!

"Castle Oblivion?" Mickey asked. "This whole time, he's been in Castle Oblivion?"

"Yes," Aqua replied. Mickey crossed his arms, thinking. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin', really," Mickey replied. "it's just…Riku and I, and Sora too, we were there about a year ago."

"Really?" Aqua smiled mischievously, "and what happened there?"

Riku chuckled. "Whatever spell you put over that place, it definitely worked. Sora and I lost some memories trying to navigate that place. Thankfully, we had a…friend…who was able to put them back in place."

"Well," Aqua began, "I wish it was a spell that I had thought of, but actually, the principle of Castle Oblivion, as well as the Castle itself, was a failsafe set up by my master, Master Eraqus, should anything happen to the Land of Departure."

Mickey looked to his old friend in shock. "You don't mean—" Yen Sid raised his head pensively, intrigued by Aqua's revelation.

Aqua nodded, smiling patiently, albeit a little sadly. "Castle Oblivion is what is left of the Land of Departure."

"So, now we have to go get Ven to wake him up?" Kairi inquired.

"Yes," Aqua replied. "But, then we'd still have to figure out where his heart is. After his fight with Vanitas, his heart just seemed to vanish. I didn't look in the Realm of Darkness, I always figured it still resided somewhere here in the Realm of Light. But I guess you haven't found anything either, Mickey?"

"No," the mouse replied. "I'm sorry Aqua, we haven't found it yet, but I believe we're close."

With a sigh, Aqua replied, "Well, we can keep looking once we bring Ven back here, safe and sound."

"Alright, then," Lea replied, "sounds like a good plan to me."

A sudden bang made everyone look to the door, where a frazzled Nightly entered. She looked to the group of friends, gave a small wave, and began pacing.

"What in the worlds has gotten into you?" Kairi asked.

"Funny you should ask," replied Chirithy as he hopped into the room, bounce-floating onto a table to avoid Nightly's feet. "Basically, she had a strange dream last night, one I didn't give her. And now she's freaking out a little bit."

"What kind of a dream?" Riku asked.

"Um," Chirithy began, glancing at Nightly. When he got no response, he continued, "so, she dreamt of her friends, only they weren't acting correctly. They were in a dark place, and they tried to fight her. She asked where they were, and some images showed a dark Castle of Dreams and Dwarf Woodlands. I'm pretty sure…uh, well, she is, too…that the two of them are still in the Realm of Darkness."

"What? But we were just there, why didn't we see anything?" Mickey questioned.

"I'm not sure," Chirithy replied. "We must have just missed them."

Nightly abruptly stopped pacing, the crook of her finger holding her chin and her arm hugging herself. "Chirithy," she said, "why are they there?"

"Sorry?" Chirithy replied.

"How come they're in the Realm of Darkness? When I left Daybreak Town, they were still there. How come they were in those worlds when they fell to darkness?"

Chirithy hesitated, then released a pained sigh. "Remember you told me to not tell them where you went?"

"Yes," Nightly said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I gave them three places you might have gone, because I knew you needed some space, but they were trying to convince me they just wanted to help. So, I told them you were either at Castle of Dreams, Dwarf Woodlands, or Enchanted Dominion. They must have split up to try and find you faster, but both chose the wrong world, leaving Ephemer in Castle of Dreams, Skuld in Dwarf Woodlands, and you in Enchanted Dominion."

Nightly nodded, furrowing her brow. "I have to go back. I have to get them back. I can't let them stay in the Realm of Darkness."

"Of course not," Aqua agreed, "but you shouldn't do it alone."

"I can't ask you to put yourselves in danger," Nightly looked to Aqua. "And you just got out of the Realm of Darkness, I don't want to ask you to go right back."

"You just got out, too," Aqua replied. "You shouldn't have to go right back, either."

Nightly hung her head. "I know I'm gonna need help with this, I just don't want to have to ask any of you."

"Maybe we can all help each other," Kairi said. "Aqua was just telling us about a friend of hers that we need to wake up. You can come with us to help her, and we can go back to the Realm of Darkness to help you."

"Oh? What friend?" Nightly questioned.

Aqua provided the same explanation she and Mickey did Lea, Riku, and Kairi. At the end of it, Nightly questioned, "So how are we going to get through Castle Oblivion, since that spell causes so much disorientation?"

"Well," Aqua answered, "since I'm the one who cast it, it shouldn't affect me. And since you all will be with me, I don't think it will affect any of you either."

"Let's hope not," Lea replied with a playful smirk. "I for one don't want to be getting lost trying to find him."

"I don't want that, either," Aqua assured him. With a sigh, she added, "It'll be so good to see him again."

Nightly smiled at the wielder, at how hopeful she was that she could help her friend. She blinked, and her smile disappeared. Just like with Riku, someone had replaced Aqua in her mind's eye. Once again, a foreteller stood before her.

Clad in a blue robe, a snake mask covering her face, Master Invi held her hands to her chest just as Aqua had been doing not a heartbeat ago. Another blink, and she was gone, replaced by her doppelganger, leaving Nightly questioning what she just saw. Just like before, her heart felt as if she had just dreamt, despite her mind being wide awake.

"Nightly?" Riku asked, noticing her expression shift. "Are you okay?"

Nightly pushed her thoughts aside, pulling a smile to her face. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about Castle Oblivion."

"Well, let's stop thinking and start going," Lea suggested with a stretch.

"Right," came Aqua's reply.

The sediment on the pathway to Castle Oblivion shifted with the wind as four engines softly landed on the scene. The Gummi Ship touched down first, followed by two Keyblade Gliders and a suit of Gummi Armor.

The engines cut, and each vessel revealed their pilots. A silver-haired teen, a mouse, and a sapphire-haired woman exited the ship, a cat-like Dream Eater hopping after them. A scooter-esque Keyblade Glider with a yellow and blue base and red and orange handles disappeared in a flash of light, revealing a young red-head Princess of Heart. A motorcycle-esque Keyblade Glider with a base like swirling fire and white and red handles in the style of chakrams flashed away to show a man with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes. The suit of blue Gummi Armor dissipated, and a brunette young girl clad in blue appeared in its place.

The party of wielders converged at the back of the Gummi Ship, facing Castle Oblivion, approaching the winding, chaotic towers of the castle before them.

As they walked, Aqua recapped, "Okay, Ven will be on the thirteenth floor. We shouldn't have too much trouble getting up there."

"Unless we run into any Organization XIII," Riku added. "They were plenty trouble when me and Sora ended up here. They might still be here."

"If they are, they're probably lost within the tower," Mickey stated optimistically.

"They should be," Aqua reassured everyone, "the spell is set up so only I will know how to get there. If we run in to anyone, it will be on the way up."

A collective nod went through the group as they stepped up to the entrance of Castle Oblivion. The doors opened to reveal the white walls and empty halls that waited within.

"Sora!"

Donald jumped, thrusting his staff into the air as a cloud of green surrounded his friend. Sora sighed, dispelling the Curaga he was about to cast on himself. 'Of all the times…' he thought to himself.

Sora leapt to the large Heartless in front of him, slamming his Keyblade down on its head, what he had discerned to be the soft spot of the enemy. Another chunk of HP turned red and disappeared. He jumped back as a round shield flew over his head, sparking off the Heartless and returning to its owner.

"Almost got 'im!" Goofy shouted as he plucked his returned shield from the air.

"Thunder!" Sora and Donald shouted, each casting Thundara at the waning Heartless. The Heartless staggered, and Sora took advantage of its recovery. He rushed the Heartless, striking a final aerial combo to its head.

With a final roar, the Heartless disintegrated in a cloud of Darkness. Its leftover heart floated upward before it too disappeared.

Sora huffed for a moment before taking in a deep breath, sending away Kingdom Key and looking to his allies. "That was great!" he said with a smile.

The Coliseum erupted in cheer, and confetti fluttered down from the sky. The three heroes smiled up at the Satyr who was applauding them with a satisfied look on his face.

"Nice work out there," Hercules said from behind the three. He waved them back when they caught sight of him, and they followed him back to the entrance hall of the Coliseum.

"The champs got a point," Phil stated gruffly. "All your training has really paid off these past competitions. I'd say you three are just about ready to take on anything."

"Just about?" Sora playfully asked, pulling a fake disappointed face. "Don't you mean we are?"

"Nope," Phil said bluntly. "Just about. You may have defeated the boss of each Cup, but that doesn't mean you won't have trouble every now and then. Don't let your victory get to your heads, you hear?"

"Yep, we hear you, Phil," Sora replied.

"That being said," Phil continued, "I think you three have learned all you can. I hereby pronounce your training: over."

Donald erupted in an "Oh boy!" followed by a signature "A-Hyuck!" from Goofy and an accomplished laugh from Sora.

"So, now that your training is over, what will you do next?" Hercules asked.

"Well," Sora said, "I think we'll be heading back to Yen Sid. I've got an Exam to take."

Hercules and Phil nodded knowingly. "Well, we'll see you next time," Hercules said.

Phil piped up, "Before you go, I got two words of advice for you three: Don't. Get. Cocky."

Sora chuckled. "We won't, Phil."

The three friends left the Coliseum, boarding the Gummi Ship parked just outside the gate. The Gummi Ship's engines flamed to life before rocketing into the Lanes Between.

"So, Mysterious Tower?" Sora asked, throwing a look over his shoulder at his two companions.

"Yup," replied Donald.

"Uh-huh," Goofy agreed.

"Okay," Sora finished. Just as he gripped the controls to take off, a red light flashed on the monitor in front of him.

"Huh?" he asked no one in particular, pulling up the message. Instead of being from Chip and Dale or Mickey, like he expected, the true sender shocked him.

"It's from Yen Sid," Sora said to Donald and Goofy.

"What does it say?" Goofy inquired.

Sora took a moment to read it, a sound of surprise escaping his lips.

"He says we're needed at…um…Castle Oblivion?"

"Castle Oblivion?" Donald asked. "What's that?" He exchanged a glance with Goofy.

"Beats me," Goofy replied. "Did he send coordinates?"

"Yeah," Sora replied, "but why would we be needed there?"

After a short moment of thought, Donald said, "Well, we won't know 'til we get there."

"Right," Sora replied happily. "Okay, Castle Oblivion it is."

Plugging in the coordinates into the Gummi Ship, Sora propelled the ship forward, headed to wherever their adventure was taking them next.

And enter Sora and Company!

Whew! Finally! Again, sorry it took me so long. College has been a pain in the butt this entire second semester. Since I'm on Break, I have much more time to write than I did before. I'm hoping to have another chapter out before I go back to school, but I'm not gonna make any promises.

That being said, this chapter is not my best work. I have the hardest time writing transition scenes, and getting people from one place to the next is not my forte. This chapter was no different, and I'm sorry if there are a lot of awkward moments in here. I'm getting better with each new chapter, and that's what matters the most!

*whispers* Did anyone get the joke about Donald healing you right as you heal yourself?

No? Yes? Kinda, not really? It's fine if you didn't. :D

Anyways, I'll see you guys next time. I'll be working on the next chapter over the next couple of days, so stay tuned!