Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 10
"Just as we intended," Larxene smirked as they watched the four move ever deeper into the castle.
"We'll continue with our plan. Let's see how far this group will go," Axel shrugged, arms crossed as he leant against the wall.
"You had your fun on the first floor. So this time, it's my turn," she demanded, so he tossed her a card which she kissed, giggling. He got faking emotions but did she have to be so over the top? She walked over to him, touching his face. "I'm not going to just give it to her."
"Don't break her," he warned.
"Well... Do I detect a soft spot? I'm not going to break the toy, I'm not dumb," she argued.
"Don't forget, Kairi is the key. We need her if we're going to take over the Organisation."
Larxene touched his lip, and he remained still, staring at her coolly. "I know that you're in on it, too... But keep it under your hood at least until the time is right," she warned before waving and vanishing.
Axel stared at where she'd been, smirking. "You would have been wise to have done the same, Larxene," he murmured.
The sooner it was all over, the better. Give him a babysitting mission with Kirux any day over this mess. He wondered how the kid was doing, there was something about the attention Xemnas paid him that didn't feel right. He chuckled, 'feel', as if he could feel anything. But Kirux's amnesia didn't make any sense. Demyx had blank spots sure, he'd been young and it seemed his 'death' had been very traumatic, but he did remember things, even if not everything.
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Pressing Zexion for answers would be a waste of time. I know that, but this dearth of information is hard to accept. What's happening on the upper levels? What ought we be doing down here? They hug their truths close and leave the rest of us to speculate. Zexion talks of the bond we share as an Organisation, but how could such a thing exist? Still, he remains the only one I can trust.
He set the journal aside, frowning. He would have thought that if such bonds existed, they would exist between Zexion and Vexen, considering their closeness when they had been people. He believed their own trust in each other came from that time; from the way he had protected the child.
Lexaeus didn't trust what was going on at all, there was more than they had been told. Vexen was working on his newest Replica, using the data he had collected from Sora, how much like the boy would it be? Number XIV, he knew it was the first Replica, made from data collected from Kairi and perhaps Riku while they were at Hollow Bastion. It had performed well enough, perhaps this one would be identical to the original, in which case it would not matter if Sora did not survive his time in the castle. He had apparently gained a Keyblade since his possession, if the Replica could use it too then that would give them another. The name Riku made him wonder about Kirux, could they be one and the same? Only Sora and Kairi had appeared within Castle Oblivion after all and if the x was removed from his name, the letters could be rearranged into Riku.
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"So, how was the real thing?"
"He's spineless. I'll be better than him before you know it," the Replica answered, blue eyes cold.
"In the meantime, would you be interested in meeting another who's considered a hero?" Vexen asked it.
"You mean Kairi, I heard she's somewhere in the castle. You want me to take care of her?"
"We'll see... Yes... I intend to make good use of you."
"No worries. The real Sora was nothing, Kairi won't be, either. They're no match for me," he announced, turning to leave, not seeing the smirk on Vexen's face.
"Impressive," Zexion offered, it may have Sora's memories, but that was nothing like the boy he had observed in attitude.
"Amazing what a little added Darkness can do," Vexen shrugged.
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Kairi looked up and froze in shock for a second. "Sora?" she whispered, before she was smiling. "Sora!" she yelled, and he turned to face her. She stopped, hesitating, something didn't seem right. "How did you get here?" she asked, he'd been locked behind the Door, hadn't he?
"Kairi? Who's that?" Goofy asked.
"It's Sora, but he was locked in the Realm of Darkness with the King."
"You could look happier to see me, or am I getting in your way?" Sora asked coldly.
"What?" she shook her head, that didn't sound like Sora at all.
"Spare me the excuses," he cut in before she could say anything else. "I bet that you had all but forgotten about me."
Her hands went to her hips, temper flaring. "Are you crazy? C'mon. I came all this way looking for YOU!" she yelled.
"But you're not anymore, right?" Sora shot back. "You don't care about me. Just like you never cared. You only ever cared about Riku."
"Riku? Of course I care about Riku, he's…he was my friend, but so are you! Sora what's wrong with you?"
Sora glared at her. "Oh, of course, it's all me. Go home Kairi, no one needs you."
To her shock a Keyblade appeared in his hand even as he was surrounded by Darkness, the same strange suit he'd worn in Hollow Bastion appearing. He lunged and she barely brought her own Keyblade up in time to block.
"What's…What's wrong with you?! We're supposed to be friends!" She struggled against him, she'd always been the physically weakest out of them and now that they both had Keyblades, she'd lost any possible advantage. "Sora stop it!" she yelled, and then gasped as Goofy's shield slammed into him, stagging him.
Sora backed away, eyeing Donald and Goofy, before turning and running.
"Sora! Please wait!" she yelled, taking off after him. By the time she'd reached the next floor though, he was long gone.
"Kairi, are you okay?" Goofy asked, worried.
"Don't worry about me," she shook her head. "Sora...what happened?" she bit her lip, not wanting to cry or scream, then nearly yelped when Jiminy popped out.
"Hmmm... Sure was strange. Almost like Ansem was back controlling Sora again."
"But we got rid of Ansem for good," she denied. He couldn't be possessed again, he couldn't be…could he?
"Then I wonder what is wrong with Sora…" Goofy frowned.
"Hold on... The king! If he's with Sora, he might be in danger!" Donald squawked.
Goofy nodded before they both looked at Kairi, who was obviously upset over Sora.
"Kairi…" Donald stared at her sadly.
Jiminy hopped down to the floor. "I know... You're thinking Sora isn't your friend... But that's just not true."
"Really?" she asked softly.
"Well, I know he said some awful things to you back there... But you gotta remember - we are in Castle Oblivion. Why, folks lose their memory here a little bit at a time. Sora's probably just forgotten that the two of you were such close friends. That's all," the cricket offered.
"So he just forgot?" was that better or worse?
"My guess is that's so. But Kairi...instead of being sad, we have to figure out a way to help Sora get his memory back. If we all work together, why, we're sure to get you through this. No need to mope."
"Jiminy's right. You shouldn't push your friends away," Goofy agreed.
She took a deep breath, nodding. "Yeah. Okay."
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"Hey you! Fake? Come on out and face me!" Sora demanded as he entered the next level.
"Fake? Oh, no... That's not exactly the right word."
Sora tensed, looking around for Ansem, and then he appeared at the other end of the room. "What are you saying? Isn't he just a copy of me?"
"More like a model. He is an example of what you should try to be. He accepts the Darkness...just like you once couldn't help but accept me. But now you are afraid. Perhaps YOU are the one who is being fake. Fake when you pretend to not fear the Dark within you."
"I'm not afraid!" Sora snapped.
"Inside of the card-worlds...you grappled desperately with the Darkness. Desperation is fear. You fight the Darkness because it is what frightens you."
"I... So what? There's nothing wrong with being scared of the Dark," he argued, that was what friends and nightlights were for. The weight of his Keyblade was already comforting and familiar, despite having it for such a short time. He dashed across the room, but Ansem caught the blow, flinging him back, Sora tucking into a roll, coming back to his feet.
"Stubborn boy," he tossed cards towards Sora. "Then continue your fight, if you must. Eventually, you will learn. You cannot resist the Darkness forever and I can be patient." With that he vanished.
Sora picked up the cards, finding four more worlds. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was getting really sick of this. He just wanted to catch up to Kairi and then go home, or anywhere but the castle anyway. He wasn't sure he could go home now, not without Riku.
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They sat quietly on top of the clock tower, eating their ice cream. Kirux found his gaze wandering to the sky over and over. For some reason the colour blue called to him, the brighter the better. It…it meant something to him, it did, but what? He'd been having strange dreams lately but he could never remember them when he woke, so he'd been holding off on sleeping, not like Nobodies really needed sleep.
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Kairi entered the next hall, seeing Sora up ahead.
He turned, hearing her running on the hard floors. "Take the hint... I told you to go home," he snapped.
"Not until I rescue you," she told him.
"I don't remember ever asking you to rescue me," Sora snarled angrily.
"Did you forget? I told you I'd find you at the Door."
"You're the one who forgot. I don't want you to find me, it's your fault Riku's dead! If not for you, Ansem never would have gone for either of us."
Kairi gasped, looking down. No, it couldn't be true.
"Give it up. I'm not going back to the islands - for anything."
"Sora I know…I miss him too. But it's not just him, what about the others?"
"You can have those losers. Already forgot 'em."
"I don't believe you!"
"What about you, Kairi? Do you actually remember what they all look like?" Sora asked, smirking slightly.
"Of course I rememb…" she blinked, horrified. She knew them, she did. Didn't she?
Sora just laughed. "Don't feel bad. That's what this castle does to you after a while. It's good. You forget all the useless stuff and remember for the first time what really matters. Soon I'll forget you too, and I'm glad."
"You don't mean that, I know you don't," she shook her head. He just didn't remember; he must only have memories from when Maleficent was trying to turn them against each other. She looked down at her Keyblade and then up at him, decision made. "Then I guess I'll have to jog your memory."
Sora snickered but lifted his own. She didn't know if it'd work, it had been Riku he mostly sparred against, but he did work with the others too. "Go ahead and try."
To her shock, the fight ended with Sora on the ground, having to use his Keyblade to get up. "Hmph. Too bad, Kairi. You can fight me all you want, but I still won't remember a thing."
"Come on, Sora... Let's quit fighting - let's find the King and go home."
"Together - right. So like you…Kairi…you're always trying to worm your way into my heart!" he snapped at her, and suddenly his Keyblade was at her throat.
"Hold on! When did I ever do that?"
"Hmph, you forgot that, too? You never cared. It never mattered to you! You just had to get between us, force yourself into our friendship." And with that he was gone.
Kairi collapsed against the wall, worn out. "You won't push me away." She'd prove to him that they really were friends, that she would help him.
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Xion followed Kirux back to where they would RTC. She was glad they did their missions together, the others…she didn't know what to think of most of them but the way some of them looked at her… she felt safe with Kirux though, like she just knew he would protect her. Had they known each other before becoming Nobodies?
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Kairi knew they had a point, ten floors of memory were gone, how much more could they afford to lose? But how could they turn back without Sora and the King? She paused as she spotted a figure wearing the familiar black coat. "Who are you?"
He pushed back the hood to reveal long blond hair. "I am Vexen. I have come to collect your debt, Kairi."
"A debt? Kairi, do you owe somethin' to this guy?" Goofy asked, and she shook her head.
"Of course not." She'd never met him before…had she?
"Oh, but you do. You owe me for reuniting you with your former friend," Vexen smirked.
"You don't mean…" her eyes went wide as she stared at him.
"Indeed, I do. I'm the one who brought Sora to you."
"Then...you're the one... You're the one who's been controlling him! What have you done to him?" she demanded.
"I see no need to give you information about where Sora is. After all," he summoned a large blue shield, "why trouble you in your final hour?"
She summoned her Keyblade and they began to fight, Donald and Goofy backing her up. His liking for ice was annoying but not enough to take her down. Hits from his shield hurt though.
"As I expected, you weren't one to die very easily," he was panting slightly, releasing his shield.
"As if I'd ever lose to you!" she snapped.
"I wouldn't be so sure. Did you even notice? I was delving deep into your memory as we fought. And here... Look what I found." He held up a world card. "A card crafted from all the memories that are locked in the other side of your Heart." He tossed it to her before vanishing.
"Wait!" she yelled but he was gone. She looked down at the card. It looked like a pretty world, lots of flowers, stone buildings, and light in the air. "Memories...in the other side?" Could it be? She knew she'd never remembered her life before the Islands, could...could this be her home world?
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Zexion leant against the wall in their meeting room, thinking, only to gasp as he realised something. He turned to Lexaeus as the older Nobody appeared.
"Vexen is no more," he said before Zexion could.
"Yes, his scent is gone. Axel struck him down...something I find deplorable - Agents of the Organisation striking each other down."
"Our problem is Kairi. Vexen proved to be no match for her, yet she's still under Marluxia's control."
"Is she?" he sighed. "But we cannot eliminate Kairi, can we?"
"Correct. For our Superior…he is in dire need of the hero of Light. When Light loses sight of its path, we may find use for the Dark. What we must do…is obtain the Darkness."
"Sora... Of course," Zexion nodded.
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Sora left the room and headed up to the next level only to pause as he spotted a tall figure dressed in black. "That scent... You're another one of those 'nobodies'." He eyed him warily.
"You've done well thus far. But to possess your powers, and yet fear Darkness... What a waste," the redheaded man shook his head.
"I do not...fear it!" he didn't, he just had a healthy respect for what it could like, like corrupting the Heart.
"I sense that you do. You're also capable of controlling the Darkness. Cast away your useless fear. Open your heart. Embrace the Darkness."
"And if I say no?" Sora demanded, stance shifting to be ready.
"Then you lose both Light and Darkness…and disappear!" he was surrounded by a red and black aura, leaving Sora to struggle against the pressure it released, summoning his Keyblade. "I, Lexaeus, will not yield to the frail Heart…of an infantile coward! Now, stop resisting - and let the Darkness in!" he demanded as he attacked.
Sora blocked, grimacing at how strong he was. Still, he wasn't going to just lay down and die, not when Kairi was in danger. They clashed again and again and Sora knew he needed to end the fight before he collapsed from exhaustion. He hadn't slept or eaten in days, he was reaching the end of his endurance and he knew it. Lexaeus staggered back, looking tired, and Sora gathered everything he had.
"You're finished!" he yelled, attacking.
"Don't mock me!"
Sora gasped as he was knocked into the ceiling before falling back to the floor, lying there, barely conscious.
"You were too much trouble."
He could hear boots on the ground, approaching, and reached desperately for any strength to move, he couldn't die!
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Lexaeus walked slowly towards the boy, knowing he would be unable to fight back, but then stopped as Sora was enveloped in Darkness, his clothing changing to a suit like the Replica wore. Lexaeus gasped at the sight, he had not expected that from the boy!
Sora summoned his Keyblade and vanished from his sight. Lexaeus tried to track him only to freeze, dropping his weapon, because Sora had slashed right through him.
To his further shock, Sora's voice melds with one that was all too familiar.
"Too slow," the boy stated, turning to face him, blue eyes cold.
"You are the Superior's…" he could feel himself fading away. "Forgive me, Zexion. This was a fight I should not have started," he whispered with his last breath.
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"Heh..." Sora scoffed before collapsing.
Sora floated in the middle of a dark void, apparently unconscious.
"I see you now...clearly," Ansem murmured.
Sora blinked, startling awake, looking around only to find a void. "Huh? Lexaeus?!" had the Nobody done this?
"Sora... I can see your heart..." a familiar voice called, and Sora's eyes went wide even as he paled slightly, not again.
"No...it's not. This Darkness could only...only be…"
"That's it, remember me... Let me drift into your heart..."
"Ansem!" Sora yelled, looking around wildly even as Ansem laughed.
"You called out my name. You have been thinking about me... You're afraid of the Darkness I command. Good... The more you think of me, the closer my return draws. And when I have awoken, I will take hold..." Ansem appeared floating in the void before him, to Sora's horror. "Your Heart will be mine!" he held out his hand, trying to grab Sora, but Sora managed to avoid him.
Ansem was strong but Sora was small and fast, not to mention utterly determined not to let him take his body again. Sora had never consented to his presence and that gave him a small advantage, not that he knew that.
There was a flash of light, and Mickey's sphere appeared floating between them. "Sora, fight! Don't let him win!" the King called before the sphere vanished.
"Your Majesty!" Sora yelled but then blinked as he saw the King floating before him, still transparent, but guarding him from Ansem.
"You meddlesome king!"
Sora gasped as he woke up on the hard, cold, white floor of the castle basement. "The king... He protected me... Your Majesty, where are you? Please answer!" he called, but there was no answer. He pressed a hand over his Heart, swallowing hard, he was okay, he wasn't going to cry or anything. "You're with me, aren't you..." he whispered before getting to his feet, a look of determination on his face. He was going to find Kairi and no one, not even Ansem, was going to stop him.
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Kirux put his journal aside and sat staring out his window at the strange moon. He leant against the windowsill and then opened his hand, staring down at the bright blue stone. He didn't understand why he had taken it, why the colour blue drew him in. It had to be something to do with his missing memories, but what? It seemed more than a favourite colour, it meant more…a person? He'd been looking for someone, before, hadn't he? Did that person have something to do with the colour?
Why didn't he remember anything? He'd asked but no one had any answers. Demyx had told him he had gaps in his memory from before becoming a Nobody, but he wasn't missing everything. Just him…and Xion. Maybe it was better that he didn't remember? He still wanted to, no matter what.
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Xemnas watched Kirux train with Xion, they were doing well. Things were progressing nicely, even if the reports coming from Castle Oblivion seemed to prove there had been reason to send Axel. Kingdom Hearts was becoming more complete thanks to Xion and her Keyblade. A pity Kirux only had that cursed weapon and not a true Keyblade, still, he did wonder where Maleficent had found it.
Sora was free of the Realm of Darkness, but not the Heartless that had possessed his body. Could they use him? A report from Vexen had mentions the boy somehow now had a Keyblade. Once Kairi's memory was gone she would be easy to manipulate into aiding them, just like Kirux, but Sora would be tempted by the Darkness, if he gave in…they may soon have three Keyblades to continue their work with.
TBC…
