Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 8
Vexen looked around and then picked up the dropped card, well, wasn't that interesting. He glanced at Zexion who examined it, looking surprised. "Our intruder?"
"Riku," he answered. "Somehow he has escaped the Darkness."
"Well, isn't that interesting…" he smirked. "I do believe I have the perfect experiment for him to help us with."
"Oh?"
"It is time we test the next version of the Replicas." He waved the card and Zexion nodded in understanding.
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"Naminé has begun her work...Vexen has reported a complication."
"Complication?" Xemnas glanced at Saïx.
"They have detected the presence of the other boy, the one Ansem took possession of, within the basement levels of the Castle. Axel has reported that Naminé is spreading her work to him as well, as a backup plan."
"Then much hinges on Castle Oblivion," he stared out the window at Kingdom Hearts so far above them like a strange moon.
We still have no way to collect hearts ourselves. Number XIII has not gained power over the Keyblade as was intended."
"And the chamber? Have you found it?"
"No, sir. I would say progress is slow...if we had actually made any." Saïx left the room, and Xemnas watched him leave before looking back at the 'moon'.
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With every floor, every battle that wasn't how he remembered it, Sora got more and more worried. The others were forgetting their journey together and he was terrified they were going to forget him too eventually. So far, he seemed to have kept his feeding from the crazy black coat group, drinking quickly when in a memory room because they didn't seem to know exactly what happened in there. So maybe they could only watch them in the halls. What if the others forgot he was a vampire? Would they lose the ability to see passed the illusion?
He felt bad for Jiminy, finding his Journal blank, and he would happily help him re-write it once they were safely out of the castle. They just had to find Riku and the King and then they could run. If they still had their skills and memories then between the three of them they should be able to safely get everyone out even from how high up they were getting, right?
"What if...it's more things?" he spoke up, hoping to let them know what was going on without tipping off the bad guys that he wasn't being affected. If they found out, who knew what they'd do.
"Huh?" Donald looked at him.
"Goofy was telling us about another castle we'd been to... But none of us really remembers it," he hated lying to them. "Do ya think... Could it be that we don't remember because we're losing our memories?"
"Losing? Our memories?" Donald stared at him in horror.
"Hold on! Remember what that mystery fella said? "In this place to find is to lose, and to lose is to find." It musta been our memories he was talking about losing!" Jiminy announced.
"So if we keep going, we'll lose more... Guess it really is Castle Oblivion." Who would ever make such a place and why?
"So the higher we go, the more we'll forget? Does that mean everything, and everybody will be forgotten?" Donald asked, and Sora didn't know what to say.
"Riku and Kairi too..." Sora whispered, the idea he could ever forget them made him feel sick and he was very grateful for vampire memory. He would never forget them, no matter how long he lived.
"Do you want to go back?" Donald offered and it made sense, but if Riku and the King were in the Castle… what if they were being effected? Then it really would be a rescue, with only one person who remembered.
"Don't worry, fellahs! We might forget about where we've been or what things we've seen, but we won't forget who are friends are."
Sora smiled and just hoped Goofy was right; he didn't want them all to forget him.
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"Something smells...funny. What's that scent? It's so familiar..." Riku paused, looking around for the scent before gasping silently as he realised exactly what it was...and where it was coming from. "Darkness. It's the smell of Darkness. I can't believe this is happening. The Darkness even seeped into my skin..." the very idea of the Darkness having sunk so much into him made him feel ill, the King had said he didn't belong to the Darkness, and the fact he'd been stuck behind the door seemed to prove that… so why did the scent have such a hold on him?
"Don't worry, Riku."
"Your Majesty!" he called in relief.
A sphere of light floated down, and it turned into King Mickey... but transparent. They smiled at each other in relief at seeing the other but then Riku's eyes widened in alarm.
"What happened? I can see...right through you."
"Funny, huh? I can only send a bit of my power to this place. That's why I've got a request for ya."
"Request?" He asked warily, was this truly the King? Or was it a trick?
"Listen, Riku. Just because Darkness holds you, don't let go of who you are. You've got to fight the Darkness inside you! It won't be easy to do, I know. But please don't forget. Even in the Darkest Darkness, there's always a little bit of Light," the King told him, and Riku relaxed, it had to be him, somehow. Ansem would not be saying that to him.
"Light within Darkness..." he whispered.
"You and I have seen it. The far welcoming light inside the door to Darkness... The light of Kingdom Hearts…it will show you the way. Please don't give up. Believe in the Light. That's a request from my heart."
"Okay... I'll do my best." He nodded and then managed a smile.
"Trust me. I'll try to find a way to reach you. I'll get there, I promise." Mickey reached out his hand and Riku tried to shake it, but his hand passed right through Mickey's hand.
"You're an illusion..." Was he? Was he real? Riku didn't know, there was something about the Castle and it was getting to him, it didn't help that his heart ached from what Ansem had done too.
"Don't worry. We shook hands in our hearts, remember? We're connected, you and me."
"Guess we are," he agreed.
Mickey disappeared and Riku took a deep breath, all he could do was to keep on going. He'd find the way out and then he find Mickey and go home. Sora and Kairi and the other girl would be very worried about him, wouldn't they? If only he could remember her name!
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Naminé knew now, somehow, Sora was resisting her powers while Riku seemed to be beginning to 'remember' her. Everyone was effected as they should be, except for Sora. Why? What made him able to resist? Would he…would he still come to save her if he didn't remember her as a friend? Why could she see so much about him and yet not affect him?
They said she was Kairi's Nobody but that a part of her came from Sora too, unless…they were wrong? Was it only being Kairi's Nobody that gave her insight and power over the memories of those that the Princess of Heart called friends?
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"You seem pretty intrigued by this Sora kid."
Axel looked up from where they'd been watching. Something about the kids words and behaviour felt…off to him. "Are you telling me you're not, Larxene?"
She giggled at him before looking back at the image of the four. "Haven't decided yet... I think what intrigues me more is what you see in him."
"There was a time he must have become a Heartless. And if one becomes a Heartless…" Though, they had no proof of that, only the Superior's word that it must have happened to free the last Princess' heart from where it had taken sanctuary in the boys'.
"They lose their minds and their feelings... They're consumed by the Darkness," she recited as if bored. Why she mimicked the emotions she did in the way she did he just didn't know but it meant working with her was annoying, well as annoying as something could be to someone who couldn't feel emotions.
"Right. But not Sora. He held on to his feelings, even as a Heartless. And there's only one other man who's been able to do just that."
"It's the strength of his heart... That's what interests you. Why the Keyblade chose Sora's heart."
"To unlock the mysteries of the heart. Isn't that the Organization's mission?" he asked, wondering if she'd admit to what her mission in the Castle was, it wasn't the one she'd been given, he was sure of that. He had the feeling he'd be dealing with a lot of traitors before heading home, not that he had anything to return to. Helping to train Xion was not exactly something he looked forward to, she was creepily blank, more emotionless than the rest of them if that was possible.
They watched them take on two more floors, Axel wishing they could see what happened when they were in the memories as well. The longer it went on, the more he became suspicious that something wasn't going to plan. Shouldn't Sora be mentioning Naminé by now? If anything…he seemed to be following cues from the others. Green eyes widened slightly, was it possible Sora was somehow not being affected?
Eventually, Larxene left to have her turn taunting the boy and he continued to watch.
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"Huh?! What are you supposed to be?" Riku blinked in shock at the sight of…himself? But he wasn't in one of the rooms so how was that possible?
"Surprised? I guess you should be. After all, I look just like you. I'll tell you what I am. I'm an exact replica of you that Vexen made from your data," the other him explained, arms crossed, confident smirk in place.
"So you're a fake me." Okay, so that was maybe the creepiest thing he'd seen so far.
"Not a "fake"! I don't care if you're "real"! You're not better! We share the same body and the same talents. But there is one easy way to tell us apart, though!" it pointed at him. "Unlike you, I fear nothing."
"Are you calling me a coward?" he asked in shock, was it really?
"You're afraid of the Dark! The Darkness inside you still frightens you, no matter what you say."
Riku glared at it. He had very good reason to fear the Darkness after everything that had happened, and it had no right to call him a coward!
"But I'M different. I embrace the Darkness. I can make it do whatever I want. So... I can wipe the floor with you!" Its clothing changed, had that been what he looked like? No wonder Sora had briefly looked like he wanted to laugh. How could it have Soul Eater too though?
Riku called his own and the two began to fight, Riku surprised to find them pretty evenly matched, then again it did seem to have his memories. In the end though, he got the upper hand, and the replica was left to collapse to one knee. "Hey, Fake. I thought I heard you say you were gonna wipe the floor with me."
"Hmph. Don't forget, I'm still new. I'll get stronger and stronger. The next time we fight, you're finished!" It yelled at him and Riku glared back.
"Then let's fight now!" Riku struck the replica's head, but it released Dark energy that flung him backwards.
It laughed as Riku scrambled up. "It's nice having Darkness on my side. You are SO missing out. How could you be scared of something that can be so thrilling?"
"Enough! I know exactly what the Darkness would do to me and I won't let it, not again!"
"Hmph. So now the coward is playing tough. So long, Real Thing. Hope you don't miss me." It turned and ran for the next floor and Riku ran after it.
"Come back!" he looked around, but it was gone. "No way. I'm not a coward..." he wasn't, using the Darkness would let Ansem back in, and even if it didn't…he'd been messed up when just with Maleficent, he'd forgotten what his friends meant to him, let the Darkness twist his feelings for them. Never again, he just wanted to go home to Kairi, Sora, and Naminé.
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Vexen, Zexion, and Lexaeus waited in the Basement meeting room for the Replica to return. As soon as it entered Vexen turned to it. "So, how was the real thing?"
It sneered, obviously unimpressed. "He's spineless. In no time at all, I'll be better than him."
"In the meantime, would you be interested in meeting another who's considered a hero?" Vexen suggested, and the Replica regarded him coolly before sneering again.
"You mean Sora. I hear he's somewhere in the castle. You want me to take care of him?" it asked.
"We'll see... Yes... I intend to make good use of you."
"No worries. The real Riku was nothing. Sora won't be, either. They're no match for me," it shrugged as if it was obvious.
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"Whew... Throwing that battle wore me out."
"Really? It looked to me like you just plain lost," Axel taunted her.
"How dare you! You don't appreciate the nuances of…"
"An ungainly effort." A Dark Corridor opened.
"Huh?" She turned to look. "Vexen!"
"How could you be humbled by someone of such limited significance? You shame the Organization," he sneered.
"Grr..." she growled.
"How can we help you, Vexen? It's not very often we see you topside," Axel cut in before they could start fighting.
"I came to lend you a hand. You obviously believe this Sora has much potential, but I remain unconvinced he is truly worth such coddling. I think an experiment would show if he really is of any value to us," Vexen explained.
"Hmph. Well, here we go again. It's just an excuse so you can carry out your little experiments. That's all," Larxene scoffed.
"I'm a scientist. Experiments are what I do, yes." Vexen practically rolled his eyes at her.
"Whatever. You can do what you want. But you know, I think testing Sora is just a cover for testing your valet," Axel waved a hand at him, why not? Saved them dealing with the boy, and let him observe more. He was now becoming positive that Sora was not losing his true memories at all.
"Valet? He's the product of pure research."
"What he actually is, is a toy," she taunted.
"Hmph. You should just learn to be quiet," Vexen glared, and she looked away.
Axel held out the card of Destiny Islands. "A humble gift to my elder. I hope you use it to put on a very good show for us."
Vexen took the card and smiled as the Replica walked in.
"That card holds the memories of Sora and Riku's home," Axel explained.
"It's just a card. What good is that?" the Replica asked.
"With a little help from Naminé, you'll have all the real Riku's memories. Maybe we can get her to make you forget you're nothing but a fake. In other words, we'll remake your heart so you can be exactly the same as the real Riku, 'kay?" Larxene explained happily, not that she was anymore capable of feeling emotion then Axel was.
The Replica gasped, looking between them in apparent shock. It really was very realistic. "You want to remake my heart?! The real Riku is a wimp who's afraid of the Dark! What do I want with the heart of a loser?!"
"Any objections, Vexen? After all, you do want to test Sora, don't you?" She looked at the scientist who shrugged slightly, examining the card.
"It must be done," he agreed.
"How can you? Are you betraying me?!" it asked, and it genuinely sounded betrayed. They could mimic emotion because they remembered what it was like, were the real Riku's memories that realistic for it?
"I told you I would make good use of you, didn't I?" Vexen smirked.
"No…" It backed away.
"Relax, kiddo. I don't think it's going to hurt that much!" Larxene laughed and Axel smirked, not the best way to get it to cooperate.
"I'll hurt YOU!" It yelled, summoning its weapon to attack her but she knocked it away with a blast of electricity, laughing as it collapsed.
"Stupid little toy! Think you could defeat me? Where would you ever get a thought like that?" She taunted, and they could all see the fear on its face as it struggled to get up. It was near the door, if it could get up then it was possible it could run, but where could it run to in the Castle they controlled?
Axel saw Naminé watching in horror from her chair at the far end of the room. How was she so emotional without a heart?
"But…look on the bright side. Along with everything else in your head, Naminé will erase the memory of me knocking you flat. Instead, she will implant the loveliest little memories you could ever hope for! It's no big deal if they're all lies," she was still going on even as the Replica cowered before her, the electricity obviously having messed it up enough to keep it on the ground.
"No..." it pleaded as she walked towards it. "NOOO!"
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Sora stopped, wondering who it would be this time since almost every time they finished with a memory visit they were met by one of the black coat people, but then his eyes widened. "You're... Riku?! What are YOU doing here?" How was it even possible? They'd sealed the door!
"Not happy to see me? Lemme know if I'm getting in the way…ya know, of something that's more important," Riku snapped, arms crossed, and Sora blinked.
"Huh? I didn't mean that..." he denied, he'd just been completely shocked to find Riku had somehow escaped the Darkness.
"Hmph. Spare the excuses. I bet that you had all but forgotten about me," Riku sneered angrily and Sora swallowed, hard. He sounded a lot like…he had in Traverse Town and Monstro…
"Are you crazy? C'mon. I came all this way looking for YOU!" Sora told him. Something… something wasn't right.
"But you're not anymore, right? Now it's only Naminé that you're looking for. You don't care about me. Just like you never cared...at all about her feelings.
"Naminé's...?" Who was Naminé? What was going on with Riku, or…not Riku? Unless his scent had changed since he'd seen him at the door? Was that even possible? He could practically feel Axel and friends watching them, so he'd have to try and fake it.
"Hmph. I knew it. Never even gave it a thought, did you? Just cuz you want to see Naminé… sorry… doesn't go both ways. Tell ya the truth, Naminé doesn't even want to look at your face," Riku growled at him.
"Why not?!" What did Riku think had happened?
"You should ask your memories...why Naminé disappeared from the Islands. Remember that, and you'd know."
"Did I... Did I do something? Is it my fault? Riku..." he pushed, hoping Riku would realise the memories were off or something only to stare in horror as he was cloaked in Darkness, the odd outfit forming once again. No…not this again.
"Go home, Sora. I'll care for Naminé. Anyone who goes near her..." he summoned Soul Eater, which meant this really was Riku despite his changed scent. "...goes through me!"
Riku attacked Sora, who blocked the attack with his Keyblade. Their blades clashed
together. "What's…what's wrong with you?! We're supposed to be friends!" he yelled as he moved back, breaking the lock, trying to snap him out of it.
"Please, Sora. Since when have you ever cared about me? Naminé's not the only one who's sick of looking at you. So am I!" Riku jumped backward.
"Riku, stop it!" he begged. Wake up! He couldn't do this again. He did his best to defend himself, unable to try and hurt Riku, not after watching him fade away, seeing the door close between them. He'd find some way to bring him back to himself, he would!
Riku slipped and Sora couldn't pull the blow in time, the hilt of his Keyblade hitting Riku in the temple, sending him staggering back. Riku stared at him and then turned, running deeper into the Castle.
"Riku! Please wait!" Sora chased Riku into the Eighth Floor but by the time he entered, Riku was gone. "Riku! Where are you?" there was no sign of him, his scent trail gone cold. It was like he'd just vanished.
"Sora, are you okay?" Goofy called as they caught up.
"Don't worry about me," he shook his head. "Riku...what happened?" he whispered.
"Hmmm... Sure was strange. Almost like Ansem was back controlling Riku again."
"But we got rid of Ansem for good." And he didn't smell like Ansem this time. No, someone had messed his memory up and was using him. His hand clenched into a fist, he would stop them and get Riku back.
"Then I wonder what is wrong with Riku..."
"Hold on... The king! If he's with Riku, he might be in danger!" Donald looked at Goofy who nodded before both looking to Sora. "Sora..."
"I know... You're thinking Riku isn't your friend... But that's just not true."
"Ya sure?" Sora whispered.
"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. Riku's probably just forgotten that the two of you were such close friends. That's all."
Sora took a deep breath and nodded, Jiminy was right. Riku had forgotten, somehow focusing on some girl named Naminé.
"But Sora...instead of being sad, we have to figure out a way to help Riku get his memory back. If we all work together, why, we're sure to get you through this. No need to mope," Jiminy finished.
"Jiminy's right. You shouldn't push your friends away," Goofy smiled at him, and Sora nodded.
"Yeah. Okay."
"Sora, do you remember our very first promise?" Donald asked, and Sora looked at him.
"Huh?" the change of subject confusing him.
"Always smile!" Donald and Goofy said in unison, making him smile.
"That was the promise we made to each other the first time we met!" Goofy grinned and Sora nodded. "We promised to never forget to keep smiling!"
"You're right," Sora agreed and turned to face the next memory. The sooner they got through them, the better. He was just getting sick of no one ever recognising him.
TBC…
