Time passed, as it has a habit of doing. As Sora took more of the drug, it gained a stronger hold over him. He now firmly believed he was Alex, and that the real Sora was somewhere out there.
Sephiroth's replacement Sora, the clone of him, was nearly fully grown, and nearly ready to take the memories. After that, it would only be a matter of time until it could be awakened, and sent into the Arcology, fully loyal to him.
Mia's efforts had synthesised both the antidote and cure, but without Sora, there was no way to use it safely – and it had received no testing either. Sora was the only one they knew who had taken enough of it to show signs.
Roxas, though still a reluctant First, tried to handle things. He seldom left his part of the Arcology for the work that needed to be done, and so was unable to properly lead the search for Sora. He needed someone else who shared a link with Sora – but who?
The answer presented itself in the leader of the rogues who still worked with him. He'd never given his name – none of them had – but knew a great deal. Perhaps more than he should have. He always kept himself hidden, choosing a plain but dark robe reminiscent of the Organization ones, but without the adornments. He was tantalisingly familiar, but Roxas couldn't place why.
"The problem is your being cooped up here all day," he told Roxas. "You haven't slept properly for days now."
"Time enough to sleep when he's been found."
"But no one can find him except you, and you're stuck here. Let someone else take on the search."
"I don't have any other Nobodies here."
"Open your eyes Rox," he replied in an exasperated tone. "You'll be surprised."
"What do you mean?"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Time's dulled your edge, Roxy," he replied. "Don't you even recognise an old friend when you see one? I thought I'd give you time to see if you'd notice on your own. I guess you've been busy though," he added, pushing back the hood of the robe, revealing a wild red hairstyle. Roxas suddenly felt rather foolish for not recognising him.
"I thought..."
"I'd gone? It's a long story. Now, I got a plan. Got time to listen?"
"Always, Axel."
"It's quite simple, really. I can see the true Sora just like you can. You've got the link between him and you to locate him. So simply nick a trick from him, and share that link with me."
"It wouldn't work. You're not technically part of the Arcology."
"You're a First. Just give the mark and leave the rest to me.
"Are you sure?"
"You know me Rox. Would I be asking if I didn't think I could do it?"
"Fair point. Guess we can give it a go."
"On a condition."
"Get some sleep?"
"You're seriously short of it."
"Oh alright then. After I've finished this heap of paperwork."

"Alex. You made it just in time."
"In time for what, master?"
"To see Sora. He looks a lot like you, don't you think?"
"Almost like a twin," he answered.
"Yes, I suppose in a way he is... he's ready to take his memories back. Are you ready?"
"What do I have to do?"
"The same as last time you were here. Except this time, instead of taking a sample of DNA, it'll take Sora's memories back."
"I'm ready then."
"You know what to do."
"Is there any risk to me?"
"Not one. You may feel a little light-headed afterwards. I can't be sure. I've never seen this done before, but I'll keep close watch."
Sora nodded, safe in this knowledge, and moved to the far side of the pod his twin was in, putting his hand in the strange silvery stuff. This time there was a squat stool on the floor for him to sit on. Clearly it was going to take longer.
Sephiroth went to one of the other panels on the pod, checked on him, then set it going. For a time, it didn't seem like anything was happening, then something clamped onto his hand, and he felt like something was draining from him.
It was the memories, of course. He found them growing more and more vague until he only had a few fragments in his own memories left.
The clamp on his hand let go.
"It's done," Sephiroth confirmed. "He'll awaken soon."
"How soon?"
"Very soon. We should be patient and wait."
"Master, might I return to work lower in the Arcology? I promised the person I was working for that I would return as soon as I could."
"Of course Alex. I'll let you know if I need you. Stay out of trouble."
"Yes master."

The clone stirred. The memories had not yet taken hold, and so it was not fully aware of who it was, only that it was.
It felt itself suspended within a liquid by cables. How it knew this, it did not know.
It spat out something that was in it's mouth, and tasted an unpleasant, acidic taste. The liquid and cables seemed to react, draining and retracting, lowering it to the floor of whatever they had been inside.
For the first time ever, it opened it's eyes, and saw. It saw a smooth clear surface surrounding the top half, and an equally smooth metallic lower half, the two halves meeting to become an egg-shape. It saw it had been dressed in clothes that, like him, were now rapidly being dried.
It leaned against the side of the pod, taking in all this. The memories began to supply information. It let them, bringing them rushing to it's mind like a floodgate released.
Sora. He was Sora. The last thing he remembered was a chase. Who had he been running from? The memories were not yet clear, but it seemed like... Roxas. Who was Roxas? It seemed like he'd been a friend, but was now an enemy. Why had it happened? He didn't know.
The front of the egg-shaped pod opened, letting him stumble out. He didn't recognise where he was.
"Sora," a voice said. Sluggishly, a memory surfaced, telling him this was Sephiroth. The Grandmaster. A person to treat with respect. "I'm glad you're awake. How do you feel?"
It took the clone a few moments to put together it's first sentence. It was all there, he knew he'd spoken before, but it was like trying it from new again.
"Feeling... fine. A little weak."
"Surprisingly good condition for someone who almost died."
"Died?" he echoed weakly. Sephiroth nodded.
"Roxas had a lot of people after you. It was only be sheer luck you were saved from a certain death because of them."
"Why would he do this?"
"I don't know. And right now, you're too weak to do anything to find out. I want you to stay with me until you regain your strength."
"A good plan," he murmured, stumbling to a chair, and falling both into it, and a natural sleep.

"That's odd," Axel muttered to himself, frowning. "Roxas, are you sure this link is working?"
"Of course I am," his voice replied. "You know we tested it carefully."
"Well why am I now sensing two Soras?"
"What? That's impossible!"
"Check for yourself, Rox."
There was a brief pause, then, "Absolutely impossible!"
"Well obviously it isn't impossible, this is proof of it."
"There's got to be some mistake."
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Of course I am," he replied irritably. "Bring me one of them. We'll figure it out from there."
"You think I wasn't going to?"
"Sorry. It's gotten to be a habit lately."
"No worries Roxy. We'll have it sorted you go back to worrying about all that paper."
"Thanks," he replied dryly.
The nearest of the two was the one he'd been following anyway, and had been heading toward him the whole time. He had made sure he'd intercept this one before the appearance of the second.
When he was certain of the route this Sora was going to take, he quite casually leaned against one wall just around the corner from him.
The person who turned the corner definitely was Sora, there was no doubting that. There was something else though, an illusion just hovering on the edge of his awareness, trying to make him see an unremarkable boy instead.
More unusual though was the look on Sora's face – it was calm, trusting, and completely out of place. It didn't look like him at all.
He caught Axel's look, and asked, "Can I help you with something master?"
"Are you busy at all?"
"Only returning to complete a task I was set."
"What task?"
"The First Sand has asked me to go to his daughter, and take something from her to master Roxas."
"Would you mind a little company? Roxas wants me to keep an eye on you."
"Whatever you wish," he replied. The voice was definitely Sora's, but like the expression, the tone and inflections were completely out of place. "May I know your name?"
"I'm Axel. Maybe you know me?"
"I don't believe so."
"I'm sure we've met before," he insisted, but Sora shook his head.
"I've no memory of you, master Axel. Perhaps it is my twin-" he broke off, looking ashamed. "Forget I mentioned that."
"But..."
"I do not think I should have said anything about it."
"Interesting," he muttered, following him into the distinctive sand-coloured areas. "Roxas," he thought to himself.
"Axel?"
"Of course it's me. I've found one of them. He matches what you were telling me, but he claims to have no memory of me, he sounds a little off, and he just slipped and mentioned something about a twin."
"A twin? Sora doesn't have a twin, unless I count."
"That's what I thought too. I'm sticking with him until he's finished what he's doing. We'll be coming to you anyway."
"Keep talking to him – see if you can make him slip again."
"I'll try Roxy, but I don't think he'll make that mistake again." Then out loud to Sora, "I don't suppose you know anything about someone named Sora?"
He looked troubled, and said nothing for some time. When he finally spoke, it was in the manner of one clearly hiding something. "I understand he is missing somewhere in the Arcology, and that there are people searching for him. I'm not permitted to say any more."
"So you know otherwise, but can't say? What if I or Rox told you to tell us?"
"Your orders cannot override the orders I'm following, and neither can his."
"The Grandmaster, I assume?"
"How do you know of him?"
Axel shrugged, "I've heard of him. Where is it you're meant to be going?"
" I'm not allowed to say. It's to be kept between mistress Miasma and master Roxas."
"You know I'm one of Roxas' people?"
"That doesn't give you an exemption," he replied patiently. "You'll have to wait here," he told Axel, coming to stop outside a guarded room. "No one without permission is allowed inside."
"That's alright. I'll wait. Just make sure you don't go sneaking off without me."
"Would I do a thing like that?" he replied, his expression the very picture of innocence. Axel couldn't help but grin at that.
When he returned, he was carrying a box with various assorted jars in, and said very little, except to ask Axel to protect him while on their way to Roxas. Axel didn't fully understand why he'd need to, until a small group of boys saw them pass.
"Look there," one called.
"It's that kid from earlier!"
"Let's get him!" another shouted.
Sora's expression was troubled. "Axel-"
"I know," he muttered. "Leave it to me."
In the middle of their running over to meet him, Axel raised one hand just slightly, and a wall of fire suddenly sprung up in front of the boys. Axel himself pretended not to have seen them at all, and continued to walk along with Sora.
The wall, however, was only a single short piece, so the boys attempted to go around it. The wall appeared to have other ideas, extending apparently on it's own. They didn't even notice it's slight angle inwards until it had completely encircled them.
"Having fun?" Axel asked pleasantly, now leaning on a nearby tree. "You look a little hot under the collar."
"Let us go!"
"And let you attack a harmless boy merely running an errand? I think you need a lesson in humility."
"He's a first rank – who cares about them?"
"Would you care about him more if you knew he was carrying a medicine to save the life of a First?"
"Who?"
"Sora, naturally."
"Sora's been missing for months."
"True. But Roxas believes he's found a way to locate him in short order, and I trust him on that. Now think – what if Sora came back, and found out what you'd done to one of his first ranked people?"
Their eyes grew faintly afraid. One of them tried to hide it. "I'm not afraid of Sora," he stated.
"Oh no? You should be. I promise you whatever I do to you is very gentle in comparison to what he'll do." He paused. "Well... as gentle as fire can be, of course," he amended. "Do you like fire? I've always had a thing for it myself... some people call me a pyromaniac, do you know that?" Axel grinned broadly, making certain the fire he'd created was reflected in his eyes, and removing some of the fire behind them, giving them an escape route.
One of them caught on, tugging on the arm of another. "Come on. Before he starts on us. It's not worth staying."
Axel watched them leave, putting out the fire and humming tunelessly to himself as he and Sora continued.
"Thanks," Sora said eventually, after a long silence.
"I don't like people who try to attack the weak or helpless. Besides, it was fun."
"Why didn't the fire set anything else on fire?"
"It was never really there. It just looked, sounded and felt like it was."
"What would have happened if they had tried to walk through it?"
"Oh, I'd have made certain they'd get burnt just as if it was a real fire. Can't have people just ignoring my illusions now, can I? This looks like the place we're meant to be."
"Do you know where he'll be right now?"
"Probably in the gardens. I don't see why he insists on working there myself."
"Perhaps he likes it?"
"More like Sora did it, so I'm going to," Roxas replied, opening the door.
"You've got good timing Roxy."
"I felt you coming. Come on in, both of you."

The cloned Sora woke up. Again. He felt better this time, as if he'd needed the sleep. His memories seemed clearer to him as well, but he still couldn't explain why Roxas had turned on him. Or why he remembered having something against Sephiroth. The latter could wait until he'd seen to Roxas.
He was in Sephiroth's quarters again, and found Sephiroth sat writing at his desk.
He glanced up, hearing Sora sitting up. "Ah, you're awake."
"I should go."
"So soon?"
"I'm missing, remember? I have to get back."
"That's true, but you're not back at full strength yet."
"Let me leave. I have to see Roxas."
"Ah, I rather thought it might be that. Very well. But watch yourself – he may try to lie to you. Informants suspect he's got some kind of plan to claim there's another Sora that's the real one."
"I'll get to the bottom of it."
"I'm sure I can count on you to do what's right."
"So I can go?"
"Go on. I'll expect to find out exactly what happens direct from you afterwards."
"I'll remember."

"But that doesn't match!" Sora protested. "He told me I wasn't the real Sora."
"He was lying to you. I can tell for certain you're Sora."
"I don't believe you."
Roxas sighed. He had a feeling this would happen. He took one of the carefully labelled jars Sora had brought from Miasma, and poured it into a glass, adding water.
"Here. Drink it."
"Why?"
"Because it'll sort your belief problem. And because I'll order you to if you don't."
They watched in silence. Roxas took Axel aside.
"Did Miasma tell you how long it'd take before it took effect?"
"They wouldn't let me into the room at all. He went in, then a bit later, came out with that tray. What did you give him?"
"The cure." On the other side of the room, Sora slumped into sleep. "I think I'm going to have to poke about in what he thinks are his memories and see what I can find."
"Be careful Roxas. The mind's a fragile place to be messing around."
"I know, don't lecture me. It's not like I have much choice though."
Axel grinned slyly at him. "Sure you wouldn't like to keep him the way he is, and keep the position for yourself?"
Roxas shuddered. "I have no idea how he managed it. There's too much to worry about. He's welcome to having it back."
"Well, soon you'll be able to-" he broke off, looking up sharply.
"What?"
"The other Sora just ported down to this floor. He's on the far side, but heading this way. I'm getting a strongly malevolent feeling from him, Roxy."
"Keep an eye on him for me... I don't want to be disturbed until I'm done."
"I'll see to it."
It took Roxas only a few moments to realise what had happened. The memories he had were his, but his real memories were missing – taken from him, it seemed. Even if he erased these new memories, it wouldn't solve the problem.
Presumably, the 'twin' he'd mentioned to Axel had them. And that twin was on the way here, and if Axel was right, he wasn't happy. Who knew what Sephiroth had put into his mind?
The door opened. That is to say, the door burst, flinging bits of it over the floor, including Axel and a second rank, and Sora came through the wrecked remains.
"There you are." Roxas kept calm. "I was wondering when you'd show up."
"Why did you do it?"
"That depends on what you think I've done."
"You set those people after me."
"Did I now? As I recall, I was trying to save your life."
"Lies."
"No, Sora. The truth. Plain and unchanged. Which is more than I can say for you."
"What's that meant to mean?"
"I think you'll find that your memories have been altered. What I don't know, is how you came to exist, since I think you'll find that boy in the chair there, is the real Sora. I'd know, I can tell you're both Sora – but he has something you don't have."
"What's that?"
"The mark of a Keyblade Master. Try it – you can't summon your keyblade, because it's not yours."
A part of his apparent anger faded slightly when he realised Roxas was right, but it soon flared back.
"I don't need it to take my place back from you."
"You never held any place here until you were created." He pointed at the still comatose Sora. "He did, and he will again."
His reply was lost in a flare of fire. It never reached Roxas, instead curling into a ball, and fading out. They both glanced over at Axel, who was leaning against a tree, bouncing a small fireball on one hand.
"Don't mind me. I'm just stealing all the fire before you burn anything. Wouldn't want you to set the entire room on fire, would we?"
Roxas took the distraction as an opportunity, delivering a stunning blow to the side of the twin's head with one fist. It wasn't enough to knock him out, but it got them started. He didn't really want to fight, but it was the quickest way to sort it, and probably the best too, he reasoned.
The twin knew Roxas as well as Sora did, however, matching blow for blow, move for move. They were too evenly matched.
At one point, they paused, breathing hard for a brief break. A voice got their attention.
"Um, excuse me?" It was Sora. "I don't suppose either of you know who I am? Or why I'm here?"
"I'm working on it," Roxas replied, once again using the distraction to launch another attack. This time, the twin succumbed to unconsciousness. "I hate doing that to people," he muttered.
"You mean you meant to do that?"
"Of course I did. He wasn't going to listen to me, and I can't work with him if he won't cooperate. Give me a hand dragging him to that chair."
Sora watched them pull him over with faint curiosity, until Roxas sighed, then put him back to sleep with a few thoughts.
"Was that really necessary?" Axel asked.
"Think about it. He has no memories, now I took away the ones 'Alex' had. He has no idea what anything is at all. Do you really want him sitting around asking questions about everything?"
"I thought you just wanted an excuse to knock him out again."
"Maybe there's a few times he might have needed it before. Let me work on this."
"What are you going to do with the twin?"
"I think I'm going to give him all the Alex ones, and transfer all of the things to do with Alex to him."
"Why?"
"I've got a plan."
"Oh dear."
"What?"
"Your plans here haven't exactly gone... well, to plan, Rox."
"This one will."
Several hours later, Roxas finally left the two twins, and slumped into a chair, obviously weary.
"Well?" Axel asked.
"It's sorted. I managed to remove most of Sephiroth's alterations as well. I don't know what'll happen next. I'm hoping Sora wakes up realising he's who he really is, so I can confront Sephiroth."
"You're as bad as Sora for doing that."
"Maybe he had the right idea. I don't like some of the things that have happened here since he came to power."
"How did you find out about them?"
"Seifer. Somehow, he's been able to find out more than anyone else about the Upper Management without getting found out."
"That's my department," someone else said, stepping from the shadows.
"I know you," Roxas said. "Sora mentioned me to you. You're one of the Council-"
"Please," she held up a hand. "Don't talk about it. You've no idea how much trouble I could get in for being down here right now. Sephiroth doesn't know what you've done yet, but he'll catch on the moment he sees the clone of Sora."
"That's alright. I don't need him to see him."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Oh, that's quite simple," Roxas replied with an evil looking smirk. "Sephiroth left a loophole – if Sora is found, he gets his place as First back. Like all Nobodies, I can see Sora for who he really is."
"So since you've found him, you'll be able to get that place back for him, and he won't even be able to do anything about it, or he'll expose himself."
"No doubt as soon as Sora gets out of being a first rank, he'll do that himself anyway."
"And what of the clone?"
"I left him everything that Sora had when he thought he was Alex, and made him a first rank. I needed another one around anyway."
"It seems I came down all this way only to find I didn't need to," she said wryly. "You've got it all planned already."
"What were you thinking of doing?"
"Oh, never mind that. You plan works far better than mine. You'll need this though," she added, handing him a key. "It unlocks the panel for the four hidden floors – the ones normal people aren't allowed access to. You want button three. It'll take you to the topmost floor, where the Council chambers and the Grandmaster's Quarters are."
"Thanks. I didn't know I'd need it."
"Don't mention it. I mean that. Good luck with your plan," she told them, then vanished again.