I went all Christopher Paolini and decided to share a sneak peek with you of what is to be expected of Knick-Knack of Memories. This is about half-to-two-thirds of the first chapter.

Kingdom Farce: Knick-Knack of Memories

Preview

Sora was taking a walk through an endless field one night, enjoying the fresh air and such, when suddenly he felt a presence.

"Hmm... It feels like someone... WANTS TO SELL ME SOMETHING!" He turned on a dime, but nobody was there.

"Behind'ja," said a dark figure behind him. Sora turned around embarrassedly. "Anyway, no. I do not want to sell you anything." He was silent for a moment. "Ahead lies something you hold dear--but to claim it, you must lose something first." Then he waved his hands mysteriously and he was gone.

Kingdom Farce: Knick-Knack of Memories

Some time later...

"Hmm, looks like nobody's home," Donald said as they walked into the foyer of the ginormous and topsy-turvy castle at the Edge of the Universe. (Or at least, that's what it looked like.)

"Gawrsh, are you sure we should just barge in like this?" Goofy asked, scratching his head under his hat. "'S'kinda rude... A-hyuck."

"We have to if we want to find the King!" Donald said, looking a little frustrated. Or something.

"The King?" Goofy gasped. "The King's HERE?"

"Who knows?" Donald shrugged flamboyantly. "There was just this feeling, in the pit of my stomach, that he'd be here. And you know what that means! I'm either hungry or it's a gut feeling."

"Gawrsh! So was I!" Goofy said, looking extremely surprised.

"Wow, me too," Sora chuckled. "One look at this castle, and it's like I had some kind of foresight. I just knew, 'They're here!'"

"Great minds think alike, I guess," said Goofy. "A-hyuck."

"Guess again, Goofy!" Jiminy said, hopping out of Sora's hair. "This cannot be a mere coincidence."

"Why, Jiminy?" Donald asked as he, Sora, and Goofy crouched down to hear the cricket's speech. His water-fowl face fell. If it can... "Wait, don't tell me that you--"

"That's right," Jiminy said, nodding. He took off his hat and put on a Sherlock Holmes-ish one. "I felt it, too."

"Gawrsh, maybe it's contagious."

"Could be..." Sora said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

Donald slapped them ala Moe from the Three Stooges. "Or maybe something fishy's up! I think we should check it out."

"Owww..." groaned Sora, rubbing his face. "That hurt, Donald!" He sniffled and started to walk away.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Donald asked, jumping up.

Sora gave him a look. "I'm going to check it out, like you said! Gosh. Sometimes I think you're a moron, Donald." He smiled and crossed his arms. "What, are you scared?"

"N...not on your life," Donald said. "Come on, Goofy."

"Okay, but I think we should be good guests and close the door behind us," he said. "A-hyuck."

Suddenly, in faded that dark figure from before.

Sora gasped and pointed. "GASP! It's that guy who wanted to sell me something!"

"He must be a Farceless if he's that persistant," Donald said, then pulled out his wizardin' staff. "Let's just see how he handles my MAGIC! THUNDER!"

Nothing happened.

"That's weird. THUNDER!" He paused. "Uhh, THUNDER! ...LIGHTNING? FIRE! Blizzard... Aw, shoot. This thing must be out of batteries."

"No, magic requires no batteries," the figure said. He turned his head to Sora. "And no, I don't want to sell you anything. Anyway." He cleared his throat. "The moment you set foot in this castle, you forgot every spell and ability you knew... Including whistling and snapping your fingers."

"NOOOOOOOO!" Sora yelled, collapsing to his knees.

"Though, the forgetting does not end there," the man continued, ignoring Sora completely. He waved an arm to the scenary. "In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find. That is the way of things in Castle Oblivion."

Sora looked up from his fit. "Castle Oblivion?"

"Yes," replied the figure. "It's a nice name, isn't it? I picked it out."

"Oh... umm... Good job."

"Thanks. Anyway, here you will meet people you know. People you miss."

"People we miss... People we miss..." Sora said, thinking like Winnie the Pooh. "Umm, I'm sorry, but I don't think... OH you mean Riku."

"...Maybe."

"So he's here?"

"Do you want to find him? If you do..." He walked forward, passing through Sora as if he were not solid matter.

"Argh!" Sora argh'd, stumbling backward. He turned to look at the man, with a major 'wtf' look. "What did you just do?"

"I sampled your memories," said the man. With a flick of his wrist he produced a card that had three points up top. "And with them, I made this. This is the key to reuniting with those you hold dear." He threw the card like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Sora caught it.

"What is this?" Sora asked, looking it over. "A card? ...It has a pretty picture..."

"It is a promise," the man said. "Use that card and press on. You will find your friend. Hold that card before you. The door will open, and beyond it... a new world."

"Umm, huh?"

"Go, Sora," said the man, pointing to a door behind the trio. "To lose and claim anew, or to claim anew only to lose..." He faded away.

"Umm... WOW," said Sora. "Well, let's go, I guess..."

He opened the door, and in a flash of light they found themselves in a dimly-lit, cozy-looking town.

"Wait a minute," Sora said with a 'wtf' look. "This can't be right... We're in Traverse Town?"

"It isn't reality that you see."

Sora whipped around, only to see the dark figure again.

"Whatever you're selling, I don't want any!"

"This town is an illusion conceived by your memories," said the man, "ingrained in that card."

"Did you just ignore me?" Sora asked incredulously.

"And if I did? What will you do about it?"

"I... I won't buy anything."

"I'm not selling anything."

"Whatever. Anyway... My memories?"

"Forget about that, Sora!" said Jiminy by his ear. "We're two heads short!"

Sora looked around, only to notice that Donald and Goofy were nowhere to be seen. "GASP!" he gasped. "Donald? Goofy? What did you do with them? Is it because I won't buy your traveling salesman products?"

The man sighed. "They are at the mercy of the cards now. Master the cards, and their strength will be yours again." He got into a fighting stance. "Get ready for a tutorial."

"Oh, pooh."

"The laws of this castle require that your friends be transformed into cards. Don't blame me, it was all that idiot Number II's idea. If you value your friends, you will pick them up without fail."

A card fell from the sky. On it was Donald's face. Sora picked it up.

"Cards you pick up are added to the top of the deck," the man continued. "Use them, and your friends will come to your aid."

"This is all vaguely Yu-Gi-Oh!-ish," Sora said, giving the man a confused look.

"Yeah, we thought so too, but the superior wouldn't have it," the man said, shrugging. "Ah well. You can't always get what you want. Unless it's by force." He hunched over sinisterly and went to laugh maniacally but composed himself at the last second.

"You're flamboyant, Mister."

"Yeah, I know." He cleared his throat. "The cards you use vanish, but they will reappear to aid you time and again. Cards are the farce of your friends." He spread his arms again. "Everything in this castle is ruled by cards. Whether an enemy or a door stands in your way, cards are the only way to proceed. But, you mustn't forget your own strength." He looked back at Sora. "First think for yourself. Move, then use the cards."

Sora hit him three times.

"Ow! God damn it, what was that for?"

"Umm, well, I thought that was some kind of prompt..."

"No! You fool child! I'll obliterate you off the face of the--ANYWAY!" He composed himself again, taking deep breaths. "Every move you make causes a card to disappear. If you use up all your cards, you will be unable to act. But... there is a solution. Keep using cards until you run out and I will show you." But before Sora could beat him up again, the man walked up to the boy and snatched his cards away, then threw them on the ground. "Twenty-two pick-up, bitch."

"You're horrible. I hate you. I'll never even consider buying anything you're soliciting." But he picked them up anyway, because if he just stood there pouting nothing would get done.

"The strength of your farce brought back the lost cards," the man explained though he knew it was not true. "You can recall spent cards any time you wish. But each time you do, the cards will take longer to reappear."

"What are you talking about? You--"

"The cards are by no means unlimited," the man went on. "Use them wisely. Anticipate the flow of the battle and choose correctly. You may use any card in the deck at any time. Not like that weird unpronounceable game what with the 'you can only pick as many cards as you have moves' rule. Gosh." He shook his head. "But I digress. The four types of cards you use in battle are grouped into two wider categories. The first category includes attack, magic, and item cards. The second category consists of entirely enemy cards. Cards will empower you whether you are attacking or defending." He pointed to Sora again. "But it is up to you to decide when it is time to attack and time to defend. Do not forget it."

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And, that's all the extras I have. See you next time, everybody!