DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

Author's Note:

This is, without a doubt, the darkest chapter I have written for this story. When I first started this, I honestly didn't think I'd get this far, at least not this soon. And HOLY COW! I did not see the review/message until I got ready to upload this!

Shout out to Dario Flaman for his kind words! A million times thank you! I'm so happy you are enjoying this story. And finally, someone enjoyed Locke's role! Finding a plate to include Final Fantasy characters, when there are already SO many characters to manage, has been tricky, so I'm happy that you liked his inclusion! I welcome reviews, it really made me happy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!


Chapter 26: The World of the Forgotten


Rain. The scent flowed into him, clearing the tightness in his chest. "Mickey, do you feel it too?"

Mickey stopped walking for a moment, sniffing. Then there was a chuckle.

"Light. It's close! Riku, hurry!"

Mickey jumped onto the series of platforms up ahead. Riku chased him. The light pressed on them like a bit of sunshine shining through thick storm clouds. He felt its warm breeze on his skin, but it was fading quickly. Heartless rose up from the ground, attracted to the new sensation. Raising his keyblade, Mickey sliced through them, and then tumbled through the light.

Riku rushed through a wall of sweet, clear air. The ever present stink of darkness faded, morphing from an atmosphere into concentrated points in the distance. He slammed hard onto a cold floor and breathed in the light all around him. After so long in the same, stale, dusty air, all the smells of the world hit his now overly sensitive nose at once. Marble dust, ash and gravel made him sneeze. His senses of light and dark told him that the room he had fallen into was somewhat broken.

Mickey's footsteps echoed in the large space. "Gosh, what a mess. I wonder happened here?"

Riku ran his hand over the cold, marble walls. There were groves and cracks. Whole sections of the wall and floors were dented, as though crushed by a wrecking ball. He felt a tingle of magic lingering in the dust underneath his feet.

"There was a fight here," Riku said.

"Gee. It looks like it was a tough one too."

Riku walked to the edge of the room. He felt the cool mist of rain, and wrinkled his nose at the scent of concrete. There was a city beyond the battle-scarred room he stood in. Mickey came to stand at his side.

"I sense a lot of darkness up ahead, but there's also-"

"Light," Mickey finished. "And it's a strong one too."

Nodding at each other, the two friends walked out into the storm.


The world beyond the castle was in full view when the trio entered the foyer through the dimensional door. No longer was there a door, just the three walls of Castle Oblivion and the dark, empty city beyond the missing fourth wall. The cold air gave Sora goosebumps. He stood at the border between the city and the castle and was about to take a step but a barrier of green and purple flames slithered up from the ground, obscuring the city outside and barring his path. The foyer's bright, white walls darkened to a gloomy grey.

There was clapping.

Tensing, the trio turned to see Dr. Facilier bow.

"Bravo. Fine work, gentleman."

Donald and Goofy stood with their feet apart, settling into a fighting stance. Sora crossed his arms in a challenge.

"Aren't you going to thank us for all the hard work by telling us exactly what you want?"

"I'm afraid that would ruin the suspense."

Donald banged his staff on the floor. "Enough mind games."

Goofy pointed to the flames behind him. "We know this castle is a prison and we won't let you escape it."

Dr. Facilier leaned on his cane. He flicked his free hand, and, after a pop of smoke, three tarot cards appeared between his ring and pinky fingers. The cards shuffled on their own, floating around Dr. Facilier's neck and waist.

"I'd wager that there is something y'all want much more then being stuck in this forsaken castle."

The tarot cards floated, growing till they scrapped the ceiling. They tipped forward, squashing Sora, Donald and Goofy flat.


Donald sat up in bed, feeling more energized then he had since he couldn't remember when. A plate full of steaming breakfast sat on top of a silver and gold breakfast tray next to his four poster bed. His silk pajama sleeves slid down his arms when he stretched. Morning light came in through the floor to ceiling windows, shining over the pile of gold in the middle of the room.

The coins gleamed. Donald threw off his satin bedsheets so that he can bellyflop right onto the money pile. He rolled over the coins, waving his arms and legs like he were making a snow angel. Without further ado, he started counting. He had gotten to five thousand when his stomach growled.

His breakfast was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten in his life. What was he saying, he had breakfast like that all the time! And gourmet lunches, and desserts, private planes, yachts, mansions, anything he could want! Donald changed out of his pajamas and into one of the many tailor made suits in his walk in closet. He was ready to face another day as the richest duck in the world.

He rang for the butler. But no one came. Odd.

Walking down to the first floor, his footsteps echoed on the burgundy carpet. He called out for the servants, but no one answered.

"Huey? Dewey? Louie?" The boys' room was empty.

In the next second, he was standing outside Daisy's home. No one answered when he knocked. Then he was at the castle. King Mickey, Queen Minnie, and Goofy were no where to be found. The gummi hanger was chipmunk less. Not even Pluto ran up to greet him. Desperate, Donald found himself in front of Uncle Ludvig's lab. No one was there.

What nonsense. He was the richest duck in the world, and there was no one around to adore him for his wealth?

Donald found himself back in his lonely mansion with the most painful of headaches. As he walked around the decadent halls, more and more piles of gold and jewels popped up in his path. Donald kicked and punched the piles. All this wealth? For what? Why had ever wanted it in the first place? For respect?

Donald shook his head, the headache burning into the back of his eyeballs. Didn't he already have respect? Wasn't there someone that was his friend even when he didn't have any gold? That was silly. He was always the richest duck in the world? Wasn't he?

The questions swirled like a whirlpool in his head until Donald couldn't take it anymore. He screamed up into the high ceiling. The sounds of his own fury echoed back into his ears. None of it mattered! Not if he was alone! Donald ran through the mansion, the town, the castle, calling for his family, his sweetheart, anyone, but found himself back at his empty mansion.

"Stupid money," he seethed.

"Come on, Donald. We just had the craziest adventure together and you're still upset about the gold?"

Donald growled. "Of course I liked the adventure, Sora!" His beak opened wide. "That's right! I remember! Sora! Where are you?"

The mansion began to crumble around him, but Donald didn't care. A golden door appeared before him. It opened wide and Donald ran into the light.


It was the perfect day. After preparing a picnic basket, Goofy and Max went out to their favorite fishing spot. Max sat at the bank, his feet in the water, watching the lure float over the reflection of the cloudless sky. Goofy put his arm around his son. How much Max had grown! Why, just yesterday he was in diapers! Before he knew it Max would be fifteen and off having adventures in other worlds.

Goofy shook his head at the silly thought. There was no such thing as other worlds. It was just him and his son. That's all that mattered.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"Just daydreaming, Maxie."

"Can you show me how to do the perfect cast?"

Goody laughed. "But you've already seen it a hundred times."

"I want to see it again. Please?"

Ruffling Max's messy hair, Goofy stood. He lifted his fishing pole. Max mimicked him, holding a keyblade over his head. Goofy blinked. Max was holding a fishing pole, not an oversized key. He must have been seeing things.

"Dad? Are you going to do the perfect cast or not?"

Goofy rolled his shoulders. "Okay now. Watch Carefully. You've got to be loose. Relaxed. With your feet apart, and," Goofy swung the fishing pole over his head. "Ten o'clock!" He swung the pole to the left. "Two o'clock!" He swung the pole to the right. "Quarter to three! Tour Jete! Twist! Over! Pas de deux! I'm a little teapot! And the windup! And let 'er fly!" The lure went flying over Goofy's head, landing perfectly in the middle of the lake.

Max whooped. "Wow! So cool! I can't wait to grow up and be just like you!" "Ahyuck! What do you mean? You're already a knight. Why, King Mickey says that you're the best swordsman he's ever trained."

Max gave Goofy a funny look. "Who's King Mickey?"

Goofy scratched his head. "Don't tell me you don't remember. You begged me to let you train with him."

"Why would I do that? Aren't swords dangerous?"

"Well yeah, but you insisted. Said ya wanted to prove yourself. Then you started training with two swords, and we had a lecture about safety, and then I had to leave for some reason."

Goofy's dropped his fishing pole and covered his eyes.

"Dad! What's wrong?"

Max's cold, hard hands patted Goofy's back. Each thump sent an image of Max through Goofy's head. Max playing hide and seek in the castle with PJ, Max practicing with a wooden sword in his first training session, Max storming off after arguing that he was old enough to be a guard captain, Max staring off dreamily while doodling a pretty girl on his homework. Then it was Max piloting the gummi ship, fighting monsters from the darkness, searching for his friends.

No. It was all wrong. Goofy's eyes burned. There was another boy. He just knew it, so why couldn't he remember? His chest burned with a loneliness he didn't understand. Why? Max, the person he loved most in the world, was right next to him.

"You have a son?"

"Yup. Ahyuck. He's a real good boy, my Max. You kind of remind me of him, Sora."

Goofy got down on his knees and pulled Max close.

"Dad?"

"Max, I love you for who you are, not who I want you to be. I can't hold on to this memory forever. Right now, my friends need me."

When Goofy opened his eyes, Max was gone. A door of light was opening on the bank of the lake. Without hesitating, Goofy ran through it.


The sand tickled his toes, the water like silk on his legs. He stared out into the clear sky, felt the warmth of the sun on his face. The smell of fresh coconut and ocean mist surrounding him, clearing away the heavy, anxious air from his lungs. There was only one problem. Where was he?

Someone giggled. "Hello? Earth to Sora? Did you fall asleep while standing? Now that takes talent."

A girl came to stand next to him, bonking him on the head.

"Wakey, wakey!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Give me a break-" He stared at the girl's glossy, red hair. "Who are you?"

The girl shook her head. "It's finally happened. Your laziness has scrambled your brains. Hey Riku! hHe's finally lost it."

"When did even have 'it' in the first place?"

Sora turned to glare at the silver haired boy standing on the beach behind him. The girl got between them, putting her hands up. "Cool it, you two."

Sora looked from the girl's bright smile, to the smug challenge in the boy's eyes. Recognition sparked in his heart.

"Of course! You're Kairi and Riku!"

His two friends looked at each other and then back at him.

"Gee, thanks for remembering us," they deadpanned.

"How did you guys get here! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"What are you talking about," said Riku. "We were just together five minutes ago."

Kairi put her hand on Sora's forehead. He started.

"Doesn't feel like you have a fever. Maybe you're hungry?"

Sora stepped back. "This can't be right. I mean, I've been looking for you two forever, and then we met again, but then we were separated and-"

Kairi put her hands on Sora's cheeks, holding him still. "We're together now, everything's fine. Relax."

Her skin was so soft, he couldn't help leaning into her hands. She closed her eyes, and the warmth in her smile melted all of his worries away. He was home.

Riku patted his shoulder. "Are you awake now, or do I have to give you a noogie?"

Sora pushed Riku playfully. "Just try it."

"Here we go again." Kairi fake sighed. She pointed to an round island that popped out of the ocean. "I'll handle this. First one to the paopu tree wins."

Sora and Riku dug their feet into the sand.

Kairi waved her arm. "GO!"

One second the race had started, the next, Sora was standing on the island, raising his fist in the air for his victory. Riku caught up to him. He leaned forward, hands on his knees, gasping. Behind him, Kairi leisurely walked across the bridge that led to the island.

"The score's one to zero," she announced. "Sora's in the lead."

"Since when are you faster then me," Riku complained.

"Since I became keyblade master and beat all kinds of monsters."

Kairi tilted her head. "Keyblade? What's that, some kind of imaginary weapon?"

"How can you not remember? It's," Sora trailed off. "What was I talking about again?"

"Whatever," Riku waved his hand. "Rematch." He picked up a toy sword that had been resting by the paopu tree.

Sora looked down. There was already a wooden sword in his hand. The next moment, he had beaten Riku in a duel. Then he won in a swimming race. Then they played with the other kids on the beach. Wakka and Tidus challenged them to a team battle. The win was effortless for Sora and Riku. Even when Selfie joined, and it was three to two, Sora and Riku won in seconds. At sundown, Wakka, Selfie and Tidus left to sail back to the main island.

Riku, yawning, got in his boat next. "Got to rest up. Tomorrow, I'm going to win."

"Sure you are," Sora drawled.

"Enjoy it while you can!"

Standing on the pier, Sora watched Riku's boat drift away. The farther the boat got, the more Sora imagined a door. A door that was slowly closing with Riku trapped on the other side. Without thinking, Sora dived into the water and began swimming after Riku's boat. A call from the pier made him stop.

Kairi sat at the pier, her legs dangling over the water.

"You're not seriously thinking about swimming back, are you?"

Sora whipped the sea salt off his face. "No." "Then get out of the water, you doof."

She extended her hand pulled him up onto the peir.

"You've been acting weird all day," she said as Sora sat down. "Are you sure you're not sick?"

Sora stared out into the golden and white hues of the sunset on the sea. "I've been having these weird thoughts lately," he said. "Like, is any of this for real, or not?"

Kairi leaned put her cheek on Sora's shoulder. Every muscle in Sora's body tensed, like the rush before a battle. The sun must have been shining directly on his face, because his cheeks blazed. Turning his head slowly, to make sure he wasn't dreaming, he looked at Kairi's face. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was deep.

"You think too hard, Sora."

"W-what do you mean?"

She tilted her head, looking up at him. "Why would any of this be fake? Isn't this what you always wanted?"

"Kairi," Sora swallowed, "I-"

She leaned upward. "Yes?"

Sora dug into his pocket. "I promised you something."

Kairi grabbed his hand. "Forget about that. What were you going to say?"

Her nose was almost touching his.

Sora leaned back. "Wait. This isn't right. It's too perfect."

The sun dropped beneath the horizon and the island was cast in shadows of grey and brown. Up above, the stars were swallowed by the blanket of darkness. The wind slammed into Sora's chest, throwing him back, his shoulder scrapping the wood of the pier. He pushed himself to his feet, shielding his face from glass shards in the wind.

Kairi was not on the pier. She was standing on the beach, in front of a white door. Sora heard her empty voice over the storm.

"This world has been connected."

Kairi vanished.

Sora raced to the door. The wind sliced into his arms and legs, forcing him down onto his knees. Dark arms reached out from under the sand, crushing Sora's angles in their fists. His legs sank into the beach. Someone stood before him. Looking up, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of Riku. His skin was charred black, his eyes were a cruel yellow.

Riku held out his hand. "Tied to the darkness. Is this what you truly want? You couldn't be happy with this gift?"

Riku faded into ashes. Sora fought the dark hands that reached up to grab his hips and waist. He tried to drag his body toward the door, his hands digging into the sand in a hopeless attempt to pull himself forward. The white door drifted further down the beach. At the shore, the water pulled back. A dark wave rose up from deep within the ocean. The wave grew, taller then the palm trees on the island. It stampeded toward the beach.

Light cut through the storm, shining into Sora's eyes. The door had opened. Donald and Goofy appeared on the other side. They reached out. The tidal wave right over Sora's head. With the last of his strength, he lunged. Donald and Goofy grabbed his wrists and pulled him through the door. The wave swallowed the entire island.


The tarot cards ripped and Sora, Donald and Goofy tumbled out, collapsing onto Castle Oblivion's floor. Still holding hands, the three friends helped each other stand, panting as their memories snapped back into place.

"Impressive. Not even a full minute, and you escaped from the prison of desire."

A grey blob appeared below Sora's feet. Dr. Facilier's shadow laughing silently beneath him. Sora summoned his keyblade and slammed it into the floor, cracking the marble. The shadow slithered away to linger on the wall behind Dr. Facilier.

Pushing himself to his feet, Sora pointed his key at the shadow man. "You think what I want is more important then every one of my friends? Think again! You'll never defeat us."

"Not while we have each other," Goofy added.

Donald rolled up his sleeve. "And together, we will take you down!"

"Oh it's already too late for that. The boundary between Castle Oblivion and the realm of darkness is almost broken. Soon, my friends from the other side will break free, and I will have all the power I could ever want."

"Not if I lock this castle up again. All we need to do is get rid of you."

Dr. Facilier chuckled. "You're welcome to try."

His shadow widened, its arms and fingers lengthening like spider's legs, covering the walls. Sora, Donald and Goofy stood back to back, raising their weapons so that they touched overhead. Red courage, green loyalty and blue passion gathered around their weapons, combining into a fiery white, beam of energy.

"Trinity limit!"

The three friends aimed the beam of light at the shadow. Their attack cracked the walls, making pieces of blackened marble crumble to the floor. The shadow writhed, melting down to a tiny spec. The white beam faded, and Sora flashed forward, right at Dr. Facilier. His keyblade blurred as he delivered several precise slashes in midair.

Dr. Facilier tap-danced out of the way of each attack, his slim figure making it easy for him to slip away, but Sora was not done. At the end of his combo, a twister of colorful lights gathered around the end of his keyblade.

"Ragnarok!"

The twister spiraled out of control. A dozen deadly lights showered on Dr. Facilier, bursting as they hit him one by one. Sora jumped back, watching as his attack completely obscured Dr. Facilier. Behind him, Donald and Goofy smashed the walls by ramming it with a series of ice spells and Goofy's shield. The shadow had no smooth surface to move over, and soon it was trapped on the floor. Goofy jumped on his shield, using it as a sled. Goofy slid over the floor, chasing after the shadow as it moved helplessly around the room.

He pushed it to a corner, where Donald completely obliterated the walls around it by shooting out ten firaga spells at once. Gasping, the friends gathered up, ready for round two. Donald and Sora downed a pair of ethers from Goofy and waited. The smoke cleared from Sora's attack. Dr. Facilier was gone.

The shadow, trembling, reached out toward the trio. They watched as it bucked and thrashed over the floor, raising their weapons when it reached out toward them. Then the shadow collapsed, completely still.

"Now if only it were that easy."

Sora felt the sting of something being plucked from the top of his head. Behind him. Donald and Goofy yelped. He turned to see his friends rubbing their temples. Then he spotted Dr. Facilier by the dimensional door. He removed a necklace from under his purple vest. Sora dashed forward but then his stomach twisted as he was jerked backwards and held up in the air by the ceiling. Donald and Goofy dangled next to him, held up by the shadow's long, thin fingers.

Down below, Dr. Faciliar held up the necklace. A voodoo mask talisman hung off the chain. The mask's mouth open wide, and Dr. Facilier dropped a white feather, a brown hair, and piece of black fur into it. The mask swallowed the items, glowing blood red. The shadow dropped Sora, Donald and Goofy. The moment they hit the floor, they found themselves laying between an enormous pair of suede shoes.

The shoe reeled back and kicked Donald and Goofy. They slammed like a pair of flies onto a jagged piece of marble rubble. Before Sora could run to his friends, a cage of fingers appeared around him. The fingers tightened, and Sora only had enough time to wiggle his head and keyblade arm free. He was lifted up in front of Dr. Facilier's massive, dark eyes. The shadow man's lips spread out in a thin smile. He squeezed.

Hot spikes of pain stabbed into every inch of Sora's body. His mouth opened wide in a silent scream. Every muscle and bone in his body blazed, fighting against the inevitable crack and fracture that was seconds away from leaving Sora as nothing more then a piece of mush. Something flew over Sora's shoulder.

Above him, Dr. Facilier growled, blinking as Goofy's shield fell off his face. Down below, Donald threw fire spells at the shadow man's legs. Goofy was climbing up his vest. Dr. Facilier scooped up the duck and dog and held them next to Sora. Donald wriggled, managing to cast a healing spell over Sora before he too was squeezed.

The spell eased Sora's pain, clearing his mind for only a second. Donald and Goofy's eyes were moments away from popping out of their heads. Raising his keyblade, Sora chanted a healing spell on his friends. Dr. Facilier crushed them harder in response.

Sora could barely breathe. All he could do was stare at the talisman swinging from Dr. Facilier's neck. The cure spell was moments away from fading. One more second and the pain would crush Sora. With nothing left to do, and with all the strength he had, Sora hurled his keyblade at the voodoo mask. The keyblade ripped through the talisman, shattering it.

Dr. Facilier dropped Sora and his friends. Hitting the floor hadn't hurt too much as they grew back to their normal size, but the trio were too bruised to stand. Sora reached for his friends. Trembling, Goofy pulled out a vial of galaxy colored liquid from his pocket. An elixir. Sora was barely able to lift his arm to drink it.

His muscles and bones popped with energy. He was back on his feet. On the other side of the room, Dr. Facilier was helplessly trying to piece the talisman back together, his guard down. Sora dug his feet into the ground, gathering up all of his newfound energy. The power amalgamated in his core. His fists and knees burned with the need to move.

Sora flashed forward, sonic power gathering around his keyblade, sharpening it into a spear of light. He sliced through the room, stopping right behind Dr. Facilier, his keyblade still glowing.

A puddle of darkness appeared below the shadow man. Oily, black vines looped around Dr. Facilier's arms, shoulders, and chest, dragging him down into the dark depths below. His shadow stretched like a noodle, trying to escape, but it too sunk into the darkness along with its master. Only Dr. Faciler's top hat remained.

Sora collapsed onto his hands and knees. He crawled back to his friends and used the last of his energy to cast a healing spell. Donald and Goofy rolled over, their breathing easing. They lay on the floor, gasping, barely awake. Out of magic, out of supplies, the only they could do now was rest.

"Did we win?" Donald groaned.

Sora leaned up to look around the foyer. The dark puddle was gone. The once pure, white interior of Castle Oblivion was completely trashed. A hooded man stood over Dr. Facilier's hat. Though his face was hidden under the shadows of his hood, Sora knew his smooth and low voice.

"So, the darkness came to collect its debt."

"What debt?"

"The shadow man wanted power. So he turned to the darkness and was granted more power then he could ever handle." The hooded man picked up the hat. "And in the end, he paid the price for the deal he struck."

The top hat burned into cinders.

"Of course, that is what happens when someone leaves their world in search of power. Darkness loves greed."

"I don't understand. Dr. Facilier made a deal with you?"

"I do not make deals with those that are consumed with darkness." The man pulled back his hood. "The shadow man was nothing more then a means to an end."

Sora's stomach turned at the man's face. He must have been handsome once, but now his rose gold hair was faded, like a flower that had long since wilted and died. The fine bones of his face appeared through his thin, chalky complexion. His skin was like cracked wax, the lines of his face scarred by dark purple, touched by darkness. His eyes had sunken into their sockets, the once bright, blue irises now a dim purple.

"Who are you?"

"Ah yes. Now that you've almost freed me, the least I can is offer my name. You may call me, Marluxia. I am the true prisoner of Castle Oblivion."

Sora's stomach bubbled with dread. "And just why were you sealed away?"

Marluxia smiled. He blinked out of existence. Then Sora heard the metal swoosh of a weapon ringing in his ears. He turned. A curved, silver and pink blade hovered over Donald and Goofy's heads. Marluxia lifted the scythe.

"Don't you worry about the cause of my imprisonment. You will come with me, or..."

The scythe flashed downward.

"No! I'll go with you! Just don't hurt them, please!"

The blade stopped.

"Wise choice."

Donald and Goofy tried to stand.

"Wait! Sora!"

"Don't go with 'im!"

But it was too late. The world around Sora completely melted and Donald and Goofy, along with the rest of the castle, went with it. Sora knelt on a rooftop overlooking the dark city below. Though the windows and neon signs were lit with an eerie, murky white, the city was nothing more then a forsaken wasteland of sharp buildings and empty streets. Spikes, dripping with darkness like poisonous briars, jutted out of the black sky beyond surrounding the city.

"What is this place?"

Marluxia floated above the rooftop. "This is The World of the Forgotten. Once, this city was a vibrant garden of warmth and light, its people happy and prosperous, until the darkness ate away at it, turning into an unnatural realm of nothing."

Marluxia flew over Sora's head. He hovered next to a vortex of darkness. At the center, was a keyhole.

"As long as the realm of darkness exists, every world will meet the same fate. I have waited here, trapped between the boundary of Castle Oblivion and the realm of darkness. Once you unlock this world, I will be free to finish what I couldn't all those years ago. I shall gather all the heroes in the realm of light, and destroy the realm of darkness for eternity. Now," he gestured to the keyhole, "unlock it."

Sora didn't move. "This world sits on the boundary of the realm of darkness, right? So by unlocking this world, and allowing you to go out into the others, I will unlock the realm of darkness too, won't I?"

"A temporary price to pay until the realm of darkness is destroyed."

Sora took a step back, closer to the edge of the building. "I won't flood the worlds in darkness again. You can't force me to unlock it."

"Brave and meaningless words."

Marluxia snapped his fingers.

A needle of ice jammed into Sora's heart. Holding his chest, he bent forward. The keyblade materialized in his hand.

"In all my years of being bound to this place, I had a choice: wait, or learn how to channel the darkness. Which do you think I chose?"

Invisible puppet strings pulled Sora's arms and legs forward. He fought against his own body, pulling back, but each time he took a step back, Marluxia pulled him two paces forward.

"How can you talk about destroying the darkness and use it at the same time?"

"Fighting fire with fire."

Three more steps and the keyblade would enter the lock. "You're so obsessed with destroying the darkness for good, that you don't even realized that you've been tainted by it."

"Every greater good requires sacrifice. I shall my price after the dead is done. You should join me. After all, we fight for the same cause."

"You're wrong."

Two more steps.

One more step.

"I won't be the key bearer that brings ruin." Sora fought against the invisible wires digging into his skin.

Marluxia appeared behind him.

"Heroes must make difficult choices."

He pushed Sora.

The keyblade entered the lock.

Sora felt a surge of darkness, his body weakening like it had back on Treasure Planet. Marluxia turned to look at the lock, and, in that split second, Sora pulled the keyblade back. He aimed a light into the keyhole, locking it up again. Grunting against his invisible shackles, Sora held the keyblade out in front of him.

"You're right. Heroes have to make hard choices. This is my choice!"

He gripped the keyblade's handle with one hand, and the shaft with the other. With all of his willpower, Sora brought the keyblade down on his knee. There was a sickening crunsh and the keyblade snapped in half. Marluxia roared. The strings holding Sora in place came undone and he fell to his hands and knees, the two halves of the keyblade clattering to the floor beneath him.

Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Riku and Kairi flashed through Sora's thoughts. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Kairi's good luck charm. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can keep my promise."

The charm and the two halves of the keyblade vanished, leaving behind only sparkling dust.

Marluxia curled his fingers around Sora's neck. "Destroying your greatest weapon? Foolish."

"I haven't lost my greatest weapon. It's right here." Sora pointed to his chest. "You can't force me to open the realm of darkness without a key. And now you'll never find it."

"I've plotted for thousands of years to escape this world, I can wait several more. You will sleep in darkness until I see fit to wake you to complete your final task."

Dried rose petals fluttered down over Sora's eyelids.

A wave of darkness appeared in Sora's thoughts. It thundered toward him.

Only the bonds you have forged can protect you now.

Sora fell into nothingness.


Queen Minnie stood alone in the castle's audience hall, staring sadly at the king's empty throne. She looked up at the red banner that hung overhead.

"I hope you're safe."

Something twinkled above. A silver star glittered, floating down from the ceiling. Minnie, palms up, moved to catch the star, her heart pounding. A shining letter fluttered down to rest perfectly in her palms. Turning the smooth paper over, Minnie covered her mouth. There was a blue, triangle shaped, wax seal. The seal had yellow stars, resembling a wizard's hat.

Minnie picked up her skirts and raced out of the throne room. In the colonnade outside, she nearly crashed into Daisy. Her beak hung open at sight of Minnie's wide eyes and short breaths.

Daisy spotted the letter. "Oh my. I'll summon Kairi."

Minnie moved to the castle library, where she paced back and forth. Pluto rose from his bed and rubbed the top of his head under Minnie's glove, as if to say everything would be all right. Yet Minnie's hands trembled. Several times her fingers moved to break the wax seal and look inside the letter. Then Kairi, her face looking much like Minnie's had mere moments earlier, barged into the room. Before the girl could ask any questions, Minnie raised her hand, asking for silence.

Daisy and Mary entered. Mary closed the door, gracefully folding her hands in front of her waist, waiting. She inclined her head toward Minnie, silently sending support. Daisy came to stand by Minnie's side.

Taking a deep breathe, Minnie lifted the letter, tapping the blue, wax seal.

"Master Yen Sid has replied."

She gave the letter to Kairi. Not wasting any time, Kairi popped the wax seal and looked inside. She read for one second and then lowered the letter, a look of complete confusion on her face.

"Well," Daisy prompted impatiently.

"There's only one sentence."

"What?" Daisy snatched the letter from Kairi and lifted it so that it was level with her beak. There was indeed only one sentence.

To find the answers you seek, you must go back to where your journey began.

"What? That can't be all? What about the heartless machine? What about finding Donald, Goofy and His Majesty?"

Queen Minnie closed her eyes, pressing her hands over her chest. "King Mickey's teacher has always been a little cryptic. Truth be told, I wasn't sure if he would respond at all."

Mary Poppins came to Minnie's side. She took the mouse's hand and guided her to sit down at the king's desk.

"I'm sorry dear."

Minnie smoothed her hands over her forehead, the sadness dropping from her face to be replaced by a soft smile. "Thank you. But we have more important things to be doing, do we not?"

Was that a hint of pride in Mary's smile? Minnie wasn't sure. Mary Poppins could be just as mysterious as Master Yen Sid himself.

"Now then, we must decipher Master Yen Sid's message. What do you think he means by 'where your journey began?'"

Daisy cleared her throat, placing the letter on the desk. "Perhaps it began right here. His Majesty left the castle when he saw the stars blinking out one by one."

"If that were true," Mary said, "then wouldn't we have already found some answers."

"Perhaps there is something we missed?" Minnie suggested. "We still have many mysteries to solve."

Kairi moved toward the desk and stared at the letter. Where her journey began, she thought. Destiny Islands? No, Kairi shook her head. That was where Sora's journey began. Then where, or when, had Kairi's journey began?

Images flashed in her thoughts. A dark, stormy night, a library full of secret passageways, ancient tombs about the heart, her grandmother's soothing bedtime stories. Kairi's chest felt tight. She bit her lip.

"Hollow Bastion. I think, no, I'm sure that's what the letter means. Go back to the start of my journey, my original world, where the heartless first appeared, ten years ago."

Daisy drummed her fingers on the desk. "That's going to be quite a journey. Has the gummi ship been finished?"

Minnie reached out and took Kairi's hand. "Is something the matter, dear?"

Kairi's face stretched into a smile, but her eyes didn't shine. She pulled her hand back.

"I'm fine."

"Now Kairi, it's best to be honest with your feelings," said Mary. "I know exactly what ails you."

Kairi froze. "You do?"

"Yes. You believe that you are have not yet mastered enough magic to handle yourself out there."

Kairi opened her mouth and then closed it. "Well, that's kind of it, but-"

"Not to worry," Mary said, pushing Kairi toward the library doors. "You've more then proved your capability to me, and I'm sure Max will agree that your sword skills are enough to at least defend yourself. Now go find Professor Von Drake and Mr. McDuck would you?"

"But-"

"Spit spot, we have no time for dilly dally."

Kairi, her brows drawn together, stumbled out of the library. Once the sound of her footsteps had faded, Mary turned back around to face the Queen and Daisy.

Minnie traced the writing on the letter with her finger. "Mary dear, I think she may have been afraid."

"You are correct, Majesty."

Daisy put her hand on her hips. "Then shouldn't we comfort her?"

"Do you truly believe that will help?"

Queen Minnie folded the letter back into it's envelope. "No. Sometimes, the only way to conquer a fear is to face it."


Jiminy's Journal

Marluxia (First Appeared in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, 2004) The true prisoner of Castle Oblivion. A powerful man that once tried to destroy the realm of darkness. Years of being alone with his obsession has warped him, turning him into the very thing he despises. It was his scheme that lured Sora, Donald, Goofy and Dr. Facilier to Castle Oblivion.