I loved all the wonderful feedback for the last chapter. I'm really on a roll right now, so I managed to put this chapter together relatively fast. I hope that you enjoy it.

Xemnas stared coolly at the burnt husk that was once a laboratory constructed for the sole purpose of producing replicas for their plan. All the equipment was blackened and warped by the now-extinguished flames. The computer was melted beyond recognition, the data upon it beyond their reach. And the pods holding the incomplete replicas were destroyed. Nothing could be salvaged.

All that work… wasted.

"It's exactly how we found it," said Xigbar from behind him. "The lab's been torched, the replicas are toast, and our mad scientist is missing. Don't know if Vexen was annihilated in the fire or if he ran for it or…"

Stepping forward, Saïx said, "Vexen would never abandon his research. He has always viewed his studies as vitally important and puts his work above all else. Including his own heart. If he is not here trying to salvage his projects, then Vexen has most likely faded a second time."

Xemnas closed his eyes briefly. They intended to use the replicas to fill their ranks. And while the one that mimicked Riku seemed to be working out, they intended to include another. But the spares were gone. And without Vexen, there would be no more in the future. That left them with only twelve darknesses currently.

He knew that his completed self would be displeased when he heard the news.

But they had a few options. They could still achieve the destined conflict and initiate the Keyblade War. This was a minor setback. Nothing more.

"Inform Demyx that his presence is required," he said, opening his eyes once more.

There was a reason that they kept him even when the replicas made his presence redundant. He was not the ideal choice, but he was already partially influenced and would easily be converted into a chosen vessel. Perhaps with Master Xehanort's heart in him, Demyx's lack of motivation would be less of an issue.

Besides, they didn't need him to last very long or put up much of a fight against the guardians of light. He just needed to survive long enough during the conflict to serve his role so that the χ-blade could be forged.

Crossing his arms, Xigbar said, "Haven't seen him in a while. I guess he got distracted and wandered off to play his sitar."

"We can search the more familiar worlds for him," said Saïx. "It shouldn't take long to find him."

Xemnas nodded silently, turning his gaze back towards the blackened remains of the laboratory. The scent of smoke and ash still filled the air even though the flames were gone. He narrowed his eyes at the stench. Fire reminded him too much of Axel.

Whether purposefully or inadvertently, he disrupted their plans again and again. Luxord would describe him as a wild card. How many times did he behave in unpredicted ways and destroy the carefully-set plans?

Assassinating Vexen at Castle Oblivion brought the Replica Program to a standstill. Hiding the more rebellious thoughts and behaviors in the Keybearer's Nobody allowed Roxas to slip completely out of their control. Failing to retrieve or execute Roxas as ordered allowed him to rejoin the Keybearer and Sora awoke, the boy troublesome to guide and manipulate. Chasing after wild ideas of freeing Roxas and abandoning the Organization left them yet another member short just when their assassin could have been of the greatest use. Kidnapping the Princess of Heart distracted the Keybearer from their goals and delayed proceedings until they claimed possession of the girl instead. Destroying himself fighting Nobodies only to use his remaining strength to help the Keybearer reach the World That Never Was led to the destruction of the rest of the original Organization XIII. And charging in to prevent the Keybearer from becoming a vessel forced them to look to other options to fill their ranks.

Again and again, Axel's behavior disrupted and delayed their progress. Xemnas would have certainly never expected Axel, the one that he relied on to deal with problems and traitors in the past, to become the greatest traitor of them all. But apparently he was destined to bend to the will of the young Keybearer and his Nobody. In fact…

They knew that the guardians of light intended to restore their lost members in a similar manner to how the Organization were using replicas to contain time-traveling hearts. But none of them could create replicas to house the hearts within the Keybearer. Not even Zexion possessed the necessary knowledge. If the guardians of light wanted replicas, they would have very few options.

If anyone would be able to guess the location of the Organization's new research facility due to past experience within their ranks, who would risk anything to obtain a vessel for the Keybearer's Nobody, and who would cover his act of stealing a replica or two by burning everything to the ground, it would be Axel. Such actions would suit the traitor perfectly.

"All of the pods were occupied before," said Xemnas. "Do all of them hold burnt remains or are some of them empty?"

Saïx stiffened at the question, but Xigbar instantly started counting. After a few minutes, his remaining eye widened and his eyebrows shot up.

"Well, I'll be," he said. "That's a nice catch there, boss. Two little peas are missing from their pods. You thinking someone grabbed them before torching the place?"

Xemnas narrowed his eyes. One missing replica was manageable. Perhaps the guardians of light would simply include Roxas instead of Vanitas's other half. But a second replica could make it possible for them to reclaim Number XIV for their side, assuming that some fragment of that failed experiment remained within the Keybearer. And the guardians of light were less concerned about destiny and may decide to bring more members than they should. The χ-blade could not be forged with eight lights and twelve darknesses.

This situation needed to be dealt with.

"Inform Maluxia and Larxene that I have a task for them and the Nobodies under their command," said Xemnas. "The two of you will split up and search the closest worlds for any sign of Vexen or Demyx. We will operate under the assumption that they are missing rather than destroyed. We need to locate either one of our old members or retrieve at least one of the missing replicas." He ran his eyes across the destroyed room once again. "Have Luxord check Port Royal and the seas surrounding it. He is familiar with the world and Vexen spent time there recently. Perhaps he fled there to preserve his existence. That would be preferable to losing his expertise at Axel's hands a second time."

"You believe this to be the work of Axel, Lord Xemnas?" asked Saïx.

Nodding slowly, he said, "Indeed. Axel has the motivation to take our replicas, he has a history of annihilating Vexen, and he is the type who would cover his crimes with fire. This is precisely what a traitor of his level would attempt."

Saïx didn't respond and Xemnas wondered not for the first time over the years if he should be more suspicious of his loyal chosen vessel. Before the Organization, Saïx and the traitor were friends. Those bonds could be a problem.

But as always, Xemnas dismissed the thought. Saïx was meant to be one of the chosen from the start. It had been etched. Carved into his flesh right before he lost his heart, a half-grown youth fighting against the inevitable and being injured for his efforts. Destiny left nothing to chance. As soon as Xemnas realized that the teenage Nobody bore the Recusant's Sigil across his face, he knew what role Saïx was meant to fulfill and began focusing on shaping Saïx into the ideal vessel. Slowly and subtly, his influence settled on him over the years as he isolated and manipulated the Nobody's thoughts and behaviors. And when the faintest hints of a heart began to develop despite Xemnas's best efforts, jealousy and resentment filled it and gave him a firmer foothold. Other emotions were snuffed out before they could form. By the time that he truly became a vessel, Saïx couldn't resist his role even if he tried.

With the darkness and foreign heart in his body to bind him and the way his berserker state left him beyond rational thought, Saïx would be well-suited for the upcoming battle. He was the perfect chosen vessel.

Perhaps Saïx was once close to the traitor, but he would not betray the Organization. He couldn't. Not anymore. Their hold on him was too strong now. His loyalty was ironclad.

Saïx was more likely to slaughter Axel on Xemnas's order than to betray them.

"We'll get looking then," said Xigbar. "And what are you going to tell Master Xehanort? A couple missing replicas, a couple missing teammates, and one burnt-out lab? Doesn't look good."

"Yes, what are you going to tell him? That you failed to keep control of your Nobodies?"

Xemnas barely spared a glance as the armored figure walked in. Vanitas may control the Unversed and may be one of the chosen vessels, but his obsession with his other half was pitiful. After all, Xemnas did not spend his time trying to reclaim his Heartless. Vanitas's personal vendetta was bound to cause issues eventually.

"As if," said Xigbar, rolling his eye. "And if you want to talk about failures, I heard some pretty interesting rumors of what happened to you in Monstropolis. Kicked out of the entire world by the locals?"

"Enough." Crossing his arms, Xemnas said, "This is a minor setback. Nothing more. If we cannot handle this issue in a timely manner, then we will bring the problem to the others' attention. But for now, we will deal with the situation the same way that we would in the original Organization XIII."

"Got it. That's why you want Marluxia and Larxene," said Xigbar. "Just because we're down one ruthless assassin doesn't mean you don't have options." He chuckled quietly. "Those guardians of light are going to have a rough time."

Shaking his head, Vanitas said, "Whatever you say. I have more important matters to deal with."

Whenever he visited Radiant Garden, Sora was always impressed by seeing how much the place had improved since the time before. Leon, Cid, and the rest of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee (formerly known as the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee) did amazing work. He could barely recognize it as the same place as the Hollow Bastion that he first encountered. There was so much life now. There were people, flowers, repaired homes and businesses, and the automated defense mechanism to keep them safe from Heartless. And if Cid's contraption wasn't enough to handle the problem, then Leon, Cloud, and Yuffie were always ready to knock the Heartless out of Radiant Garden the old-fashioned way.

And if that still wasn't enough, Sora was only a quick trip in a Gummi Ship away.

"Look at this place," said Kairi, her voice soft as she stared at everything. She kept close to him as they walked, her expression a little uncertain. "I haven't been back since… it was Hollow Bastion."

Sora knew what she meant. She hadn't been there since he released her heart from inside him and he was turned into a Heartless in the process. Since this place was nearly drowning in darkness.

"Didn't you used to live here when you were a little girl?" asked Goofy. "Did it look more like this back then?"

Quietly, she said, "I'm not sure. Those memories are… fuzzy."

"It looks pretty close to me," said Lea.

He'd seemed slightly on edge since their arrival, though trying to hide it under a casual façade. Sora wasn't completely sure how he had recognized what he was doing, but he suspected it was from the memories that Roxas had finally shared with him during the Mark of Mastery exam. But Lea was definitely uncomfortable being back on his original home world. Maybe it was because he was old enough to actually remember living there and what caused it to fall to ruin in the first place. Which was understandable since it felt strange sometimes for Sora to be back on Destiny Islands after everything, like he didn't quite fit in the way that he once did. Or maybe Lea was stressed out and worrying that it wouldn't work and they wouldn't get Roxas back after all.

Sora wasn't worried. One way or another, Roxas was coming back. He would exist. Sora wouldn't give up until he was his own separate person.

"Almost exactly how I remembered this place," continued Lea. A slight smirk appeared. "Though I doubt we'll need to sneak by Dilan and Aeleus to get into the castle now."

"You used to sneak in?" asked Sora.

"All the time as a teenager. We got pretty good at it too. Remind me later and I'll show you some of the best shortcuts and ways around the castle."

Donald muttered, "Were you always trouble?"

The tall staircase that led to the castle added to the impressiveness of the structure. But they didn't even need to climb it. Sora remembered the path that wrapped around to a side entrance, a door on a balcony that led inside. It was there when the castle was still mostly ruins. And while it was less obvious now, Sora could easily find it and he remembered that it would be faster to reach the secret underground lab.

The place had a lot of secrets hidden inside.

Through the doorway was a set of stairs the eventually gave way to a miniature maze of wide corridors. Sora didn't even hesitate. It hadn't been that long ago that he wandered around down here the first time. He remembered the twists and turns, the hallways that branched off only to circle back the main passage again, that lay under the castle that led to an ordinary-looking door.

Someone had straightened up the study since the last time he'd been there. Everything looked organized and neat, perfectly arranged on the desk and shelves instead of scattered. The schematics and notes remained scrawled on the wall, but the portrait was gone. Maybe moved or maybe destroyed. Sora doubted that anyone wanted to keep around a picture of Xehanort. Or apparently Terra's body possessed by Xehanort. Either way, he didn't think that the former Nobodies would be eager to see his face again.

And on the far wall, the secret entrance open, was the narrow walkway that led to the main section of the lab. He never went down further, but he could glimpse mechanics and robotic things over the edge of the walkway. Things that Sora couldn't possibly name or describe. But the exposed staircase leading further down into a darker and deeper basement was new. He knew that there were other places farther down, places below the castle that were still filled with powerful Heartless, but this was something else. He didn't remember seeing this staircase last time. When did they open it?

"Don't even think about going down there," said Lea when he noticed Sora eyeing it, his tone allowing no argument.

Apparently deciding to argue anyway, Donald asked, "And why not?"

"Because I know what they used to do down there."

And that was certainly ominous.

Part of Sora practically screamed that he needed to jump off the walkway and go investigate immediately. It was in his nature. He climbed, explored, and searched anywhere that he could on every world that he visited. That was how he found the most amazing things to collect and met the most interesting people. Part of him wanted to see what he would find down there.

But Sora wasn't an idiot. He remembered what he read on those scattered sheets of paper, the reports written by both Ansem the Wise and Xehanort using the man's name. Experiments on people's hearts. The creation of the Emblem Heartless. Reading about it was bad enough.

Not to mention that Lea seemed even more on edge, keeping on the side of the walkway farthest from the exposed staircase. And Kairi was so close to Sora that her arm kept brushing against him, though he wasn't certain she noticed what she was doing. Whatever was down there, they clearly wanted nothing to do with it.

Maybe poking around down there wouldn't be the best idea. At a minimum, he would wait until this was over and they had Roxas back.

Without another word, Sora turned away from the view and hurried the rest of the way into the secret lab.

"Hey, Ienzo," called Sora. "We're here."

Looking up from the computer, Ienzo said, "I though that Dilan was going to escort you down. He and Aeleus went to wait for you near the entrance."

"We didn't exactly come in the main door," said Lea.

"Still sneaking into the castle?" he asked. "I thought you outgrew that habit."

"Sorry," said Lea, glancing to the side as he scratched his head. Then a little quieter, he added, "For everything."

"Still apologizing to everyone?" asked Kairi.

Shrugging, Lea said, "There's a lot I'm sorry for. And it turns out that guilt isn't as easy to ignore with a heart."

"Just remember we're still good, Axel. I just got you to stop apologizing to me and we don't need to go back to that."

After a moment, Ienzo said, "I won't lie and say that what happened was pleasant, but I wouldn't be here and whole if you didn't do it. We'll call us even."

"I can work with even."

While Sora let the two former Nobodies work out whatever complicated history that they needed to, he started craning his neck and examining the room. The computer and the large teleporting laser thing that he used to visit Tron still looked the same. But now the center of the room was taken up by the three weird and uncomfortable-looking chairs, the kind that could recline back until it looked more like a table, various wires running between them and the computer. On the side of room closest to the computer was a single empty chair with a weird thing attached above that looked like a light bulb, one shaped more like a ring than an orb. But even with it turned off, Sora suspected it was more than a weird lamp. And on the side of the room closer to the teleporting laser was two more chairs.

Those chairs were occupied.

He couldn't make out much detail about them. The figures wore the Organization's black coats with the hoods up, mostly blocking their faces from sight. But Sora could tell that they were close to his size. And when he tried to glimpse anything under the hoods, one looked a little familiar. Roxas. The second, however, seemed blank. Like it didn't have a face. And neither of the figures were moving or even breathing.

"Are those the replicas that everyone was talking about?" asked Goofy.

"Indeed."

Sora's head snapped around at the unexpected and yet familiar voice. One that he never expected to hear again.

With a slight groan of effort, an older man stood up from where he was kneeling out of sight on the far side of the computer. Pale blond hair and beard, a red scarf over a lab coat, and an apologetic smile, Ansem the Wise stood there as if Sora didn't see him disappear in an explosion from his self-destructing invention at the World That Never Was. He was there, alive and whole. And apparently in good enough shape to be crawling around and hooking up wires.

"It is good to see you again, Sora," he continued.

"Wait, is that… Ansem?" asked Lea, frowning in confusion. "I haven't seen you in years. Ever since you 'disappeared' and the others stopped hiding what was happening."

"Actually, we have encountered one another more recently than that. Though I don't suppose you recognized me in my disguise. Unsurprising when I barely dealt with you directly when you and your friend tried to break in as children and I spent only slightly more time around you during your short stint as an apprentice."

As Ansem spoke, Lea's eyes narrowed. Confusion shifted towards recognition before giving way to anger. His posture stiffened, making him look even taller than normal.

"DiZ," said Lea, practically hissing the word. "I know that voice. DiZ."

He nodded, his expression grave. Kairi put a hand on Lea's arm, clearly seeing the same thing that Sora did. The former Nobody's body language had turned aggressive. Like he intended to start swinging a weapon at the older man or set him on fire.

"You know, I forgave Riku for his part in things. He just wanted to help his best friend. I get it," said Lea sharply. "But you? You were worse. Look at what you did with Naminé. You used her like everyone else did. You acted friendly towards her, but only until she served her purpose. Then you tried to have her destroyed. At least Riku had enough of a conscience to let her go. And you tossed Roxas in that fake town with fake memories." His hand opened and closed into fists a few times, like he was considering summoning his Keyblade. "You took him away and made him forget everything. And you didn't care what that did to anyone. His short existence was filled with secrets and people lying to him, but you made Roxas's final days complete lies."

"And for that, I doubt that I will ever forgive myself," he said, bringing Lea up short. Ansem continued, "I let anger and revenge consume my thoughts and twist me into something that I can barely recognize. I was a blind fool. But none of that excuses my behavior or treatment towards Roxas and Naminé. I saw them as means to an end; a way to achieve vengeance against those who betrayed me. Because they were born without hearts, I didn't see how cruel that I was treating them. I didn't see how cruel I was being towards innocents. I claimed that Nobodies had no feelings even when anyone with eyes could see the truth. Naminé could feel. Roxas could feel." He shook his head. "I caused them both so much grief and pain. And I cannot take any of it back. But perhaps by helping to restore these children, I can begin to atone for some of my crimes."

"Master Ansem is helping me." Ienzo took a small step forward. "Even with my studies and research, he is still the expert when it comes to the mysteries of the heart. Bringing back Roxas is not a simple task and his knowledge has been much appreciated."

Lea didn't immediately respond to his words and Kairi kept a hand on his arm. But some of the aggression melted out of him. At least Sora didn't think he was about to attack anyone anymore.

"There's nothing wrong with a second chance," said Goofy. "People make mistakes, but they can change."

Glancing towards the small figures in black coats, Lea said, "If it gets Roxas back, I can try to move past what you did back then. But if you ever hurt the kids again, any of them, I promise that I won't feel any guilt for what I'll do to you. Got it memorized, Ansem?"

Ansem the Wise nodded solemnly and the tension in the room seemed to evaporate. Lea's posture eased and Kairi released her grip on his arm. Sora took a deep breath and tucked his hands behind his head, trying to figure out how to get things back on track. If they didn't hurry, then someone else would show up and they would end up with more awkwardness again.

"So how did you get here, Ansem?" he asked. "Does it have anything to do with where the replicas came from?"

"It is a bit of a long story, but in a way. Xehanort pulled me from the Realm of Darkness to reveal any secrets that I might yet possess. But thanks to a trio of children from Twilight Town and one of my old apprentices, I escaped."

"Hayner, Pence, and Olette," guessed Donald.

"They and Even helped me to get away. And with Demyx's assistance, Even sent me and a pair of replicas here. It seems that Xehanort's forces are not quite as united as they seem. At least a few are seeking redemption as well, offering what little help they can to repair past mistakes. A deadly risk, but a courageous and difficult one."

"Vexen and Demyx rebelling? I didn't predict that one," said Lea, crossing his arms. "So let's get to the important part. How do we do this? How are we getting Roxas out of Sora without turning the kid into a Heartless? Ienzo explained the general idea, but I think it would be helpful to hear a couple more details."

"Of course." Ienzo gestured towards the replica with some actual features. "Using the information that we had previously and the data that Even provided, we know how to adjust the replicas to be more individualized. The digital Twilight Town included thorough and detailed data on Roxas and Naminé due to their time there, however brief it might have been. One of the replicas now has the information about Roxas downloaded." He gestured absently at the other replica, the plainer one. "We're leaving the second alone until we are certain the process works. We only hooked it up to run some basic diagnostics."

"She's not an it," snapped Lea quietly before blinking and shaking his head slightly.

Clearly not paying attention to the interruption, Ienzo continued, "First, we'll get those new scans on the hearts. Deep and thorough scans. That could take about half an hour or so, depending on how smoothly things proceed. We can't exactly stop the process in the middle. Then, depending on what we find, we'll try to isolate Roxas's heart from the others. That should make his heart easier to separate from Sora. At that point, we'll have Lea attempt to spark a reaction from Roxas's heart. That part may take a little improvising, but an emotional connection should help guide him out of its current state. In theory, if the reaction is strong enough, his heart will instinctively be drawn towards the more compatible and empty body."

"In theory. Keep in mind that this is something beyond anything that we have encountered before," said Ansem the Wise. "Roxas and Naminé were rather unique and few people could shelter another's heart, let alone so many. We are in unexplored territory."

Eyeing the man suspiciously, Donald asked, "This isn't going to hurt Sora, is it?"

Sora couldn't hide the small smile caused by the protective tone. No matter how much he and Donald butted heads, half their conversations consisting of teasing and good-natured arguments, Sora knew that Donald and Goofy would always have his back. They were friends and they watched out for each other. They stood together against even the worst odds, united no matter what happened or who they faced.

All for one and one for all.

But Donald and Goofy definitely had moments when they would get especially protective of him, worrying about Sora more than normal. He couldn't quite explain it, but those moments reminded him that the pair were actually older than him without making Sora feel like a dumb kid. It was… nice.

Even if it also reminded him how little he'd seen his parents the last couple years.

"We have no intention of harming Sora," said Ienzo. "We will be closely monitoring his condition the entire time. And to minimize stress during the procedure, he will be unconscious."

"So the sleepyhead get to spend his time snoozing while someone else does the hard work." Kairi smiled at him as she gently teased Sora. "That sounds about right."

As Lea, Donald, and Goofy smother their laughter, Ienzo said, "If everything goes smoothly, then we can repeat the process with Kairi to retrieve Naminé afterwards."

"Do you have any questions, Sora?" asked Ansem the Wise.

Yes, he had a few. Like what they were going to do about the third heart inside him. One was Roxas, one was Ventus, but no one knew who the third might be. No one except maybe Sora. He'd glimpsed a black-haired girl who looked like a younger Kairi, both in his dreams and in the confusing rush of memories that Roxas shared. The memories surrounding her seemed faded and fragile, disconnected from everything like shattered links of a chain, but Sora could make out that his Nobody cared about her. Whoever she might be, Sora suspected that she was the unknown heart. And she deserved a life of her own too.

But they only had two replicas. They didn't have enough vessels for everyone yet. And until they did, Sora didn't want to remind everyone and make them feel guilty about not being able to help her. They didn't have any choice other than to wait.

It would be nice at least to know her name though.

Sora shook his head, not asking the questions buzzing around his head. None of the questions were vitally important for the moment. And he didn't want to make Roxas wait any longer than necessary. He wanted to meet his Nobody for real, face to face.

Ansem the Wise gestured towards the empty chair. This was it. Kairi smiled reassuringly as Sora sat down.

The small expression warmed him, like a bright light inside him. But she'd always been a shining light for him even before he found out about her being a Princess of Heart. Even growing up, she was bright, warm, and happy to share her affection with those around her. He'd missed seeing Kairi and her smile. He'd missed being around her and Riku, each of them pulled in separate directions for months at a time. They were meant to be together, the three of them. Even as Sora made new friends, they couldn't replace Riku and Kairi.

Thankfully his heart had enough space for everyone that he cared about.

Sora shifted slightly. He was right. From the moment he saw it, he knew. The chair wasn't even slightly comfortable. Couldn't they have put a cushion or something on it?

"Just try and relax," said Ienzo, adjusting the attached overhead light while Ansem the Wise started typing on the computer. "There's nothing to worry about. Worst case scenario, nothing happens and we'll have to try again after some minor changes to the plan."

"We'll see you when you wake up." Donald smiled. "Sleep good, Sora."

Grinning, Goofy added, "Sweet dreams."

The light came on and a warm pale glow washed over him. It moved down him in weaves, like the ocean lapping against the beach. And it felt warm. Soothing. Sora smiled at the sensation. It reminded him so much of lying on the beach back home, napping in the sun. The drowsy feeling was already pulling at him gently, coaxing him to drift off.

He didn't resist the impulse. He embraced it. Sora let it pull him under, the boy focusing his thoughts on Roxas in case it might help. Sleep swallowed him, Sora falling deeper within himself.

It was a familiar experience.

Riku walked slightly behind Aqua on the path, keeping even with Mickey. While the two of them had grown fairly adept at using corridors of darkness over the last couple years, they couldn't try it with her. The fairies hadn't finished any protective clothing for her yet and her heart shouldn't be exposed to that much darkness. Not after her time trapped in the Realm of Darkness and the way it tried to consume her. But Mickey had a couple extra Gummi Ships at his disposal and Sora had collected enough gummi blocks in his travels to build a whole fleet, which he was happy to share while commenting that he'd love to see what kind of Gummi Ship that Riku would design. They had plenty of options on travel and they chose one that would be more comfortable for her.

Not to mention that it would be easier to bring back Ventus's sleeping body in a vehicle rather than carrying him.

The path through the gloomy and unnerving place, a world balanced on the edge between darkness and light in a way that so few did, was a familiar one to Riku. The twisted and strange castle ahead of them was equally familiar. During the year that Sora slept and Naminé rebuilt his memories, link by link, he'd returned to Castle Oblivion repeatedly. At least until DiZ moved everything to the old mansion in Twilight Town. Riku suspected that he still had those cards buried in the pocket of his old black coat, the only way that he could reach the right room and bypass the problems of the other floors. Sora, Donald, and Goofy may not remember what happened inside, but Riku would never forget Castle Oblivion.

This was the place where he took his first few steps towards accepting his inner darkness instead of fighting against it or letting it control him.

"Golly, I can't believe that Ven has been here the whole time," said Mickey. "We must have visited almost every floor at some point. And I don't know how much Organization XIII might have explored. But no one ever found a hint of where Ven was."

"Then the transformation of our home served its purpose." Aqua summoned her Keyblade to her hand as Riku came up beside her. "I wish that it didn't have to last this long. I promised to be back soon, but I'm not even close." She shook her head with a rueful smile. "Ven is never going to let me hear the end of this."

Smiling slightly, Riku said, "He'll forgive you for the wait. He slept through most of it. But once we get his body and free his heart from Sora, nap time is over."

Aqua took a deep breath, closing her eyes. For a moment, she didn't move. Aqua was as still as a statue, her free hand pressed against her chest. Then she breathed out slowly and brought her Keyblade up.

Her motions smooth and practiced, Aqua spun and twisted the Keyblade in a complicated pattern. Light shone. Then Riku glimpsed a forming Keyhole as the sound of something unlocking echoed through the air, through his body, and through his heart. He was left blinking as she lowered her arms, the light fading away.

A shape composed of light and color, like the ghost of an image, ran up the building. Riku barely had time to see a picture of another building overlaying the existing one before Castle Oblivion began to shift. Clicks, creaks, and grinding sounds filled the air as the structure moved in unnatural ways. The turrets that poked out at right angles turned. Walls lengthened and shrank as the new dimensions settled into place. Everything moved like clockwork pieces to fit the projected image.

Then a blinding light flared out, nearly blinding. Riku recovered his vision first while the others still shielded their eyes. And he couldn't help staring at the transformation.

Warm sunlight streamed down on grass and the stonework under his feet. Distant grassy mountains surrounded them while he glimpsed flowing water at lower elevations. And the bright castle barely resembled the dark and foreboding thing from before.

The change was as amazing as seeing Radiant Garden after witnessing the ruins of Hollow Bastion.

"The Land of Departure," said Aqua, the words whispered in relief and joy. "A place to learn. A place to grow and heal. A place of safety. The home, sanctuary, and training grounds for any Keybearer who needs it. Our home."

"You learned about the Keyblade here?" Riku paused, trying to remember what Mickey told him. "From Master Eraqus?"

She nodded and said, "I spent most of my life here. We always knew that we intended to be Keybearers someday. Terra and I spent hours in the library, reading about the history of other Keyblade masters, the remaining records about the Keyblade War, descriptions of different worlds, various techniques with Keyblades, obscure and complicated magics, and of course tomes and tomes about light and darkness." She gestured towards a path. "And down there we would spar and practice the different fighting styles, honing our skills so that we could defend the light against any threat. It… was a good life. Eventually, Ven joined the two of us. And he fit perfectly with us. Like it was always meant to be the three of us." Aqua shook her head slowly. "I miss them so much."

"Ven will be back with us soon," assured Mickey. "Then we can start working on a plan to rescue Terra."

Still looking at the transformed landscape, Riku said, "Must have been nice having someone teaching you all of this."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Didn't Master Yen Sid…?"

"He'd already retired form being an active Keyblade master when Mickey got his Keyblade," said Riku. "And other than the two of them, there weren't a lot of other Keybearers around at the time. Sora got a Keyblade a couple years or so back and I got my own after that. And most of what we know is self-taught or stuff that we picked up from the people that we met in our travels. Master Yen Sid tried to give us a more structured foundation by making us relearn things during the Mark of Mastery exam, but it went wrong almost immediately."

Smiling, Mickey said, "At least Kairi and Lea got some actual training. Merlin is really smart and knows his stuff when it comes to magic. He originally taught Donald. And I know that he helped Sora a little when he started out."

"But Merlin isn't a Keyblade master," she said.

Riku shrugged and said, "You work with what you have. And it's better than dumping the pair in the middle of a Heartless swarm and hoping that they figure it out. At least they'll learn some spells and can practice against each other first."

Aqua stared at him, her expression a mixture of shock, pity, and something else. Then she shook the worst of it off and turned back towards the castle.

"Come on," she said quietly. "Ven's waiting. And he's been waiting long enough."

She started heading inside, leaving Riku and Mickey with no option except to follow. But as he reached the door, something began to prickle against the edges of his awareness. Something that put Riku on guard. The closest way that he'd ever been to describe it was a smell, though it also resembled a feeling like the hairs rising on the back of his neck. He'd been especially sensitive to it since he lost possession of his body to Ansem a couple years ago.

Darkness.

Riku inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent. There was a strong source of darkness close to them. Pure and concentrated. And while darkness wasn't inherently evil, that much outside the Realm of Darkness did not bode well. It wasn't a Heartless. It was different.

Pure, powerful, and aggressive darkness.

Riku met Mickey's eyes. And, thanks to a strong friendship forged by adversity and loyalty, they didn't need to say a single word. Riku passed the warning along silently and the pair allowed themselves to fall back from Aqua. She was focused on returning to her friend and didn't notice that they were following at a distance now.

He called his new Keyblade to his hand, a flatter and broader weapon that his heart had identified as Braveheart the moment it became his. Mickey did the same with his own Keyblade. They followed Aqua down the bright and beautiful corridor, but they were on guard. They knew that they weren't alone.

Bringing Ventus back wasn't going to be easy. There was going to be a fight. The only question was who their opponent would be and when they would strike.

I read a lot of Secret Reports and such from the games in order to work out the mad science of how "Operation: Get Roxas Out of Sora" was probably meant to go. I hope that you appreciate my research.

Also, I am still upset about how Ansem the Wise treated Roxas, Naminé, and even Xion when he was in his DiZ state. The guy dehumanized them quite a lot and he didn't even have the excuse of literally missing a heart like some of the characters did. But he was kind of sliding towards darkness, blinded by anger and vengeance. Empathy goes out the window when you start down that path.

And he turned it around, nearly dying trying to stop Xemnas' plan. He's also showing some signs of regret and guilt for his actions in "Kingdom Hearts 3," so I can give the guy a second chance. If he truly wishes to atone for past mistakes and takes active steps to fix them, then Ansem the Wise doesn't get set on fire by Lea in this story.

But that doesn't mean I've forgotten.

On a more pleasant note, the next chapter will have a fight scene. I know that all of you are looking forward to that.