Chapter Five: Resemblance

Naminé had begun her impromptu training with Ventus a little unsure how to proceed. However, over the course of a few fights, she had managed to understand the basics. When heartless appeared Ventus would call his Keyblade and either begin swinging away or casting magic. Naminé would usually take the chance to use her cards to add keyblade wielding figments to the fray, disrupting a random charge, or shutting down a sneak attack. Though on occasion, she would cast frost on any particularly vulnerable enemies. For instance, the Wyvern currently trying to divebomb Ven.

"Freeze!" She called out, and with card in hand cast a volley of ice at the draconic heartless. The cold bullets managed to stop the heartless in its attack, bringing it to the ground. But as it got up the heartless turned its attention to her. As it began charging, she held up one of her keyblade cards, but reversed. This time, the figment stood its ground rather than leaping forward, and blocked the beast from reaching her. As Ven struck down its Magician companion he rushed forward and began slashing at the draconic heartless. Drawing another card, Naminé summoned a new figment to join in the fray. The two keyblades working in tandem, the beast stood little chance.

As the last specks of darkness cleared, she managed to spot a few more memories. Dashing forward in her cloak, she snatched them up, turning them into more cards. Two more keyblades, another ice, and...a card with a leaf? What could that mean? She held it up, and saw the scratches that Ventus had gained during the fight begin to stitch shut. Looking at the magic he grinned "Hey, you got cure! That'll be really handy!"

She nodded, and the cards were added to her growing deck. "I'm just glad I can be helpful against the heartless. It's not like I'm good with a sword or any other kind of weapon."

Ventus rubbed his chin in thought, "Well, it's never too late to learn. Maybe I can teach you some of the basics?"

"Would you?" Even if it wasn't at Ventus' or Sora's abilities, having some skill with a sword might be useful. Of course, there was one small problem "I'd probably need to buy a sword first...could we stop at the weapons shop?"

Ventus grinned "Sure! I bet we've got enough money for one."

Axel knew that Xemnas had a strict set of rules when Organization members were out on assignment. Do not draw unnecessary attention. Do not interact with the inhabitants of other worlds unless necessary. And above all, do not harm the keybearer. In practice however, unless they were working with another Organization member, those were more guidelines than rules. Bendable to whatever extent a member saw fit, so long as it didn't cause problems for the group. For instance, there'd be far stricter members that would say wandering the streets in the open would be too conspicuous. He, on the other hand, knew that Traverse Town was host to people from many different worlds. What was one more oddly dressed stranger?

Honestly, he was surprised he hadn't run into Larxene while he was around here. He figured Traverse Town, being the universal refuge for all those affected by the heartless, would be one of the first spots for both of them to check. It's why he decided to start here. Maybe she had a different idea of where Naminé ran off to.

Or maybe it was something related to those meetings with Marluxia she had when everyone else was busy.

In any case, he soon found his way to the central plaza where most of the shops were. Like most worlds nowadays, it was empty. Everyone had locked themselves indoors due to the heartless. Though right now, it looked like two kids were walking out of a weapons shop, one in a cloak holding a no doubt newly purchased sword. Guess everyone was trying to keep themselves safe. Too bad it wouldn't be much help without a keybl...wait.

He rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. But no, there was no mistaking it.

"Roxas, what are you doing here?" the two kept on walking. Guess he was still a bit out of it. He walked up behind them and spoke up. "So are you going to introduce me to your new friend or what?" Roxas turned around to look at him, while the other started to turn, but stopped.

But now that Axel had a chance to really see the boy, he was...baffled. On the one hand, his face, eyes, hair, everything looked like Roxas. But on some fundamental level he couldn't quite call the person looking at him right now Roxas. It might have something to do with how the boy had an expression of visible confusion on his face, rather than accepting emptiness.

"Uh...do I know you?" The fact that he used a complete sentence right now was also a bit disorienting.

"Come on...I told you my name already. Don't tell me you forgot."

The boy thought for a moment, then his face began to light up in recognition. "Wait...Lea?"

...what…?

"How did you get so big?"

...but that was…

"What's with the tattoos, and the cloak?"

"How do you know that name?" Axel's voice had lost any semblance of cheer, right now, all he had was confusion.

The boy tilted his head. "You don't remember? It's me, Ven."

Axel murmured, "Now I remember you." It was only once, but it he remembered that boy. The only problem was, "That was ten years ago."

Ventus could only stare, nausea beginning to fill his stomach as he processed the sentence "T-ten years?" He took a step back. "But that's...impossible! I haven't grown at all! How could it be ten years?!"

A firm grip on his his arm got his attention, and he turned to Naminé. She was gripping as hard as she could, eyes wide with panic. "Ven, we need to leave. Now." she whispered.

Lea's eyes narrowed. "Hey, do ya mind? I'm having a talk with an old friend." He began to take a step forward.

"Ven, please, he's from the Organization!'

That snapped him out of his stupor. If he really was from the organization…

"What are you whispering? Feel like sharing, kid?"

Ventus turned and started to walk away with Naminé, a bit faster now. "That's none of your business Lea."

At this, the older man began to chuckle. "I appreciate you remembering my old name after so long. But that's not what I go by nowadays." With that, portal of darkness appeared in front of the children "My name is Axel. Got it memorized?" And through it, Axel appeared to block their path, grinning.

Then the smile faltered as he saw the two of them face to face. Both Ventus.

And Naminé.

"Well, I know you remember me, Nami-ARRGH!." Axel was interrupted with a blast of ice to the face, courtesy of Naminé's card. As Axel recovered, the Ventus and Naminétried to run in the opposite direction. Only to suddenly be blocked by a wall of fire. "Looks like you've picked up a few new tricks!" They turned back, to see that the entire square had been sealed off with flames. Axel approached them with his arms crossed. "Now, I know we've had some bad history, but I'm willing to overlook it for the better times we had. Let's try this again, give Naminé back to us, and I'll let you-"

"You're with the Organization. The one that wants to use her to control Sora." Ven had begun glaring at this point.

"Is that what she told you?" Axel smirked, "Well, I can't deny that we have plans for her involving Sora. But are you really ready to throw your life away to keep some strangers safe?"

Ven's answer was immediate, "I'd fight for any of my friends!"

"So, you're friends with Sora and Naminé." Axel raised an eyebrow, amused, "What about me then? Old friend?"

The sound of flames hung over the square, as he awaited Ventus' answer.

"Are you really the kind of person to stand aside and let Sora's mind get torn apart?"

Axel answered without skipping a beat. "Yep. Works out for me just fine."

Ventus' voice was cold. "Then there's no way I could call such a person my friend." And with that, Wayward wind appeared in Ven's hand.

Axel shook his head, "All these years, and you're still playing with swords. Let me show you a real weapon!" Flame gathered in his hands, and coalesced into two spiked chakrams. A far cry from the toy disks he once had. And with that, he lunged forward to slash at Ventus. Only to be parried by a figment blocking in front of Ventus. "What the?" Still recovering from the shock, he was open to a series of slashes from Ventus. Though he got knocked back, Axel jumped to his feet quickly. "Interesting looking sword there! You think you're some kind of keyblade master?"

"I might not be a master, but I'm good enough with my keyblade to stop you!" And with that, Ven began to attack at Axel. Keyblade struck against Chakram, as the blows were deflected. Gathering the flames to his weapons, Axel tossed them forward. While Ventus was able to deflect one of them, the other ricocheted around the square, eventually striking Ventus in the back.

"VEN!" Namine called out, then raised her hand with the card she had found moments ago, "Heal!" But as Ventus got to his feet, Axel vanished in the blink of an eye, and re-appeared in front of Naminé. Once again she held out the card of Ice, and a frozen bullet shot at her attacker. Unfortunately, Axel was ready, and he blocked the spell. Quickly she pulled out another card, and as Axel lowered his guard, a figment leaped forward to capitalize on the opening. Axel was surprised to see the figure, leaving him open to it's barrage of strikes. Meanwhile Ven had closed the distance, and continued the assault at a fever pitch. As the figment faded the strikes from Ventus increased in intensity. Until with a flash of light, Axel was knocked back.

From the ground he muttered. "Two…? Tch." Then he rose from the ground, shouting. "Alright! One more trick!" as the ground at his feet began glowing. Ventus tried to close the gap, but pillars of flame shot from the ground around Axel, blowing the boy back. Then, the pillar became a wall of fire centered on Axel, that spread forth, scorching Ventus and Naminé and knocking them down. Slowly the two got to their feet as the Assassin made his way toward the girl. Seeing Axel come closer, Naminé tried to concentrate, to recall the cards she used. Their power bagan to return to her hand. When he made it in front of her to her, she felt the power coalesce, and as fast as he could, held out two of her magic cards. Axel had no time to react to the blast of ice fired at him point blank.

As the spell knocked Axel down, the flames around the plaza vanished, and he vanished into darkness. Naminé hurried toward Ventus, "Are you alright? You're not too badly hurt, are you?"

"Me? What about you? After that wall of fire?"
She shook her head. "I've survived getting hurt before, this isn't too bad."

"Then that'll serve you well." The two spun around towards Axel, weapons in hand. "Hold on. I'm not in any position to fight you two. In fact, I shouldn't have been fighting you in the first place."

Ven's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

"You're both rough around the edges, but there's no doubt that both of you have the power of a genuine keyblade. And right now having more of those alive works for us better than taking you out."

"You...you're just letting us go?" She could only stare in disbelief

"Consider yourself on probation Naminé. If you can prove you're more valuable with that power then with Sora's memories, we might just let you off the hook for running away. Wouldn't be the worst way for a Nobody to live." She cringed a little at the end of his explanation.

Ventus asked, "Axel...what are you after, really?"

He crossed his arms. "I thought you said we weren't friends anymore." And with that, Axel conjured a portal to leave. "But since you asked nicely...I want to see how this all plays out. So don't disappoint me." And with that he vanished into the darkness.

Silence hung over the scorched plaza until Naminé spoke, "We should probably leave."

"Yeah" Ventus nodded, "We should. Let's go back and get your drawings and then head out. We need to get some answers." and with that the two began to run back to the Hotel.

"You see! That's why we can't just leave!"

Kairi winced at Cid's words after the brawl outside that had just turned the square into an inferno. "Alright, I get it. It's really dangerous. It's just..." she could only sigh.

Cid grimaced, "Geez. Listen kid, I know you're worried about them, but without Aerith, Leon, or at least Yuffie, I can't let you go after your friends in one of my ships. It'd just cause problems."

"Well, where are they now?"

"Back at their home, Hollow Bastion. I'd go with, but I need to hold down the fort in case Sora heads back here for anything."

She sighed. "Kinda wish I told them that was my home too…maybe they could have taken me with them."
Cid stared at the girl, jaw agape. "You were from Hollow Bastion?" He grimaced, "Ugh, probably would have been better if you got a ride there. Let me see if I can get a signal out to them, hopefully the transmitter I built still works. Maybe we can get you a ride kid."

The girl smiled. "Thanks. I really appreciate it." But as soon as the man went back into his workshop, her small cheer evaporated into anxious tension. When she planned on leaving the Destiny Islands with Sora and Riku, she was just looking forward to a small adventure with her best friends. Instead, she left the islands taking refuge in Sora's heart, and though unseen, was with him every step of his journey. The downside was that she could only infrequently talk to Sora.

Maybe if she could say something to Riku. Get him to realize that he was making a mistake, that Sora hadn't forgotten his oldest friends. That Riku didn't need to drown himself in darkness to save her. Instead, she could only watch as he became twisted into a puppet for that...seeker of darkness, or whatever he called himself.

Ansem, the former king of Hollow Bastion. Technically, her former king, but after trying to kill her and her friends she was more inclined to kick him in the shin than bow down. But there was something else that bothered her. She remembered bits and pieces of her childhood before the Destiny Islands. But as she looked back on the memory she showed Sora, of the children rebuilding the world, she realized she had seen that Library during her time in Sora.

The same library in Hollow Bastion's Castle.

How far did her connection to her homeworld go? If she grew up in the castle, was Ansem…

It didn't matter. Besides, a lot of people could have lived in the castle that she was related to. But still, one day, she wanted to go back to that castle, and learn the truth. It was part of why she wanted to leave in the first place after all.

But right now, all she could do was wait. Wait, and trust Sora that he'd find a way to stop the Heartless and save Riku. Then they might be able to actually go on their journey together.

In the nearly abandoned halls of Hollow Bastion, a corridor of darkness appeared. The Superior of Organization XIII strode through carrying a body wrapped in cloth. Wasting no time, he soon stood in front of the Door To Darkness, the path opened to The End Of The World. Soon, a voice spoke. "Your presence is not unexpected. What is however, is the fact that you have approached me." Emerging from the multi-colored portal, was the Heartless that called themselves Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. His face was troubled, "What complications have arisen to drive you to seek me out so openly?"

Calmly as ever, Xemnas replied "Our former apprentice has awoken. What's more, he has taken Naminé and vanished to the lanes between." He lied the body down on the ground. "Since we cannot use the initial plan for Subject i, we require the services of our remaining keyblade wielder."

The Usuper shook his head. "I cannot part with more darkness than I already have. I have spent enough to ensure I an avenue of survival." Then he smiled, "But there is one heart bound to me that might be usable."

The superior raised an eyebrow, "Do you require him to claim the Kingdom Hearts gathered-"

"The world hearts at the End Of The World are only a simulacrum. Though beneficial to possess, it is but a small stepping stone to our true objective."

Xemnas nodded, "Understood. Is it safe to utilize the bound heart so freely?"

Ansem smirked, "The strength of his bindings is actually quite minimal. It would seem that whatever trauma he has endured has caused him to lose memory of who I truly am. I merely ensure he cannot call his blade, lest the Heartless turn on me."

Xemnas nodded "If he cannot react to your darkness when he is that close, then we nothings need not fear. You may proceed."

The Seeker of Darkness nodded, and called out. "Guardian!" At his command, the spectral being appeared behind him. "It seems you shall at last have your freedom." And at that, Ansem rammed his hand into the Heartless spectre. It struggled, trying to pry the appendage from its chest. "A shame you cannot remember what to do with that freedom. Now! SUBMIT!" and then he TORE.