Kingdom Hearts: Re: chain of Days
By: Karma's Slave
Disclaimer: I do not own the kingdom hearts franchise.
Warning: Alternate Universe
Spoilers for Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and 358/2 Days.
"Let's Keep going" Aqua, speaking to directly to Sora. Her eyes scoping out the area, searching for the two cloaked figures; which wouldn't have been hard thanks to Castle Oblivion lacking much details.
Sora nods to her and holds up the Halloween Town card to the door. It opens, and the group enters Halloween Town. Once inside they are clothed in the same outfits as from the real Halloween Town experience, while the others were checking out their new make-over; Goofy notices the scary scenery in the area
"Gawrsh! Don't like the looks of this place. I bet it's crawling' with ghosts!" said a worried Goofy. Aqua made a small frown that went unnoticed, "Another memory gone" she thought to herself. Aqua wanted to say something but she couldn't; not that she didn't have the voice but Aqua had a feeling it would go over their heads. As Aqua recalled telling Sora what Castle Oblivion really meant to her.
Aqua sighed, "Now would have been. Ven's cue to cut in and make me feel better" Aqua recalling how her 'lost' friend was commuting with her. Aqua's only regret not knowing it was truly Ventus until it was too late.
"Aw, phooey! There's nothin' to worry about. You won't be spooked if you already know what's coming! Not even real ghosts can frighten us anymore. If they take one look at us, they'd be the ones to run away!" Donald said in his own way of comforting Goofy.
"You really think so?" asked Goofy as he crossed an arm around his chest and having his index finger pointing up to his mouth.
"Trust me!" replied the talking duck. Donald walks toward the green fountain, and Jack Skellington pops out of it
"Welcome to Halloween Town!" greeted Jack spreading his skeletal arms wide out from the fountain.
Donald is frightened upon this surprise greeting! That he falls back and lands on his back. "A ghost!" he yelled. Sora and Goofy prepare for battle, as Aqua chooses not to go along with their idea.
"Wow, that was the best shriek I've heard in ages!" spoke the pumpkin King catching the Sora, Donald and Goofy off guard. "If you're THAT easy to scare, we're gonna have a great time! Sorry, I haven't even introduced myself." I'm Jack Skellington! And this is Halloween Town. People around here call me the Pumpkin King! So if you're looking' for a ghoulishly good time, you've come to the right place." Jack introducing himself to us.
Donald angrily jumping up and down "well we aren't!"
"Donald, that's enough of that" Aqua interrupted.
"Too bad, because at the moment, we've got a bit of a problem in Halloween Town. " Jack openly told aqua. "What kind of problem?" she asked the pumpkin king. Sora perking his head up to listen to Jack, while Goofy helping Donald off the dark brick ground.
Jack began. "Well..." but before he could even finish a sentence, several Shadow Heartless surrounding them "Like this!" he then yelled upon the site of the ghost heartless.
"Gyaaa!" Sora summoning his keyblade as did Aqua. It didn't take long till they had defeated the Heartless.
Weapons were dismissed as the last of heartless had faded into nothing.
Donald facing Jack, "What's the big idea? Why'd you go and call the Heartless?" the mage duck shouted over at the skeleton. Aqua gave a glaring look to the mage duck, her silent way for telling him to stop it.
"I didn't call them. I just knew when they were going to show up. In fact, I'd love to get rid of them. They actually go around attacking people, instead of just scaring them." Explained Jack.
"Why are they here, Jack?" Aqua then asked, Sora taking the chance to look for any straggling heartless.
"I was just going to go ask Dr. Finkelstein the same question. I'm heading to his laboratory right now. Follow me!" Jack said before he walked off.
"Aqua, Sora, what should we do?" asked Donald
"I guess we'd better go." Was Sora's answer.
"Sora, that isn't exactly a choice. We have to play out the world till it releases us back to the castle." Aqua said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I don't like this. What if he's leading us right to the Heartless?" asked the mummified Donald Duck.
Jack reappears from behind Donald. "Bingo! You saw right through me!" Jack proclaimed. "Waaak!" Donald falling down again, Sora chuckling at his friends' slight misfortune.
Jack laughing at us, "Ha-ha-ha, I'm just kidding! Now let's get going." Jack starts to leave again but this time for real; the foursome follows him to Dr. Finkelstein Laboratory.
Aqua, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jack enter Dr. Finkelstein's lab. Dr. Finkelstein is in his wheelchair reading a large book "Allow me to introduce Dr. Finkelstein! He's a world-famous genius!" Jack introducing the mad scientist.
"Yes! Maybe I'm TOO smart. I'm afraid I've created something horrible!" Spoke the doctor, the worriment could be easily picked up.
"What's that?" Donald looking at Dr. Finklestien's most recent creation. "Well... Have you ever stopped to think about the power of "true memories"? The doctor switching moods as he his work was being acknowledge.
"True memories?" Sora exclaimed. Aqua merely raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "Now, what's this castle playing at" she thought to herself.
"You see me boy, our hearts are full of memories but not all of them reflect the truth. The heart isn't a recording device. Even important memories change with time. They warp or fade, leaving us with but a shadow of what we hoped to remember." Spoke the doctor.
"Well that certainly explains why, the previous memories aren't like the original encounters." Thought Aqua; Aqua's other eyebrow rose up as Dr. Finkelstein was still speaking; she wondered if her own memories will be victim to that change if not that outside force that was changing Sora's memories as well as Donald's and Goofy's memories.
This was the part Aqua didn't understand, why wasn't this outside force attempting to alter her memories? Since this force could in some way read their memories they could see clearly see that Aqua would be the biggest threat to whatever it is their planning. "Something isn't adding up" she thought, losing herself into her thoughts.
"Could that be happening to me?" Sora then asked Dr. Finkelstein as Sora looked to the ground almost expecting the doctor's answer to be bad.
"It happens to everyone. Some memories grow ugly, and some become more beautiful. If we could recover our true memories, the world would seem completely different. So, I devised a potion from forget-me-nots that brings our true memories back." Said the doctor.
"Did it work?" asked Sora.
"Well, that's the problem..." Finkelstein tried to explain. "As soon as the doctor got a whiff of the potion, Heartless started popping up!" Jack finishing the doctor's sentence.
"Sounds like a failed experiment to me." Donald said with an unintended smugness.
Dr. Finkelstein turned to Donald "No! My research is flawless! I just need another look at the potion to find out what went wrong!" he screamed at the duck. The doctor moves his wheelchair over to a tube containing green liquid. He opens the top of his head to scratch his brain. "Unfortunately...it's vanished" said Dr. Finkelstein. He closes his head.
"Maybe someone swiped it?" Suggested Sora.
Dr. Finkelstein looked as If he had a revelation. "It must've been Sally! Jack, you've got to find her and get my potion back." He snapped at Jack. "Leave it to me!" Jack taking the 'request' then heading off to the door.
"Can we tag along?" Sora volunteering the group, Aqua finally snapping out of her private thoughts. "Did I just miss something?" she muttered to herself as she noticed Sora by the door with Jack Skellington.
Jack turned to face the island boy, "What for?" "I want to know more about these "true memories" the doctor keeps talking about." Sora said to the pumpkin king. "Excellent! Then let's go find Sally together!" They all leave the laboratory.
The foursome and Jack find Sally in the cemetery of Halloween Town.
"Jack?" questioned a female voice. "What are you doing here?" she asked the pumpkin king of Halloween Town.
"Ah! There you are, Sally. I thought I'd find you here." Said Jack as he walked over to the living rag doll.
"Who are your friends, Jack?" Sally taking note of the foursome behind Jack. Aqua raising a hand, her way of saying 'hello' to Sally.
"They're interested in true memories. You have the potion don't you? Jack looking right into Sally's big doe eyes.
"Well, I do have it Jack..." She takes out the potion from her dress, showing it only Jack as the others barley had a glance of the potion.
"Could you give it back?" Jack asking Sally.
"I guess so, if you insist. But...I'm afraid" said Sally as worry was written all over her stitched up face. "All the Doctor did was smell it and the Heartless appeared. What if someone drinks it?" Sally confessing her concern to Jack.
Aqua was glad to see that the Sally in this Halloween town was as worried as the actual Sally would be. "Are you kidding? What could be more exciting?" exclaimed Jack "It's a shame Sally's worriment hasn't rubbed off on Jack" thought Aqua.
"I'm worried, Jack. Isn't there another option?" Sally now pleading with the pumpkin king.
"Any ideas, Jack?" Sora involuntary butting into the conversation. Aqua sighed at her pupil; she knew 'Tact' wasn't really one of Sora's stronger traits.
Jack takes a quick moment to think on this "I can't think of a thing." He eventually tells us as he is rubbing the back of his skull.
"Well I can! Give it here!" as Oogie Boogie appears behind Sally, attacks her, knocking her away, and grabs the potion. "Of course" Aqua pointing out the predictability of something going wrong as she went over to Sally and picking her up from the ground. "Oh, no! The potion!" cried Sora; the foursome readies their weapons. Aqua stepping out in front of Sally.
Jack pointing to Oogie Boogie "Oogie! You again!"
"My-my Jack, where are your manners? I'm just helping you put the potion to good use!" The foursome plus Jack were all mutually glaring at Oogie "You should thank me! Well, well. Just one sniff and the Heartless appeared. What would happen if I chugged the whole thing?" Supposed Oogie
"THAT would be scary! Poor Jack! You can't hold a candle to Oogie Boogie. Time for Halloween Town to taste pain and despair beyond any nightmare!" ranted the living sac of bugs.
"Pain and despair? Oogie, you monster!" Jack screamed out to the outcast of Halloween Town.
Oogie runs away, "C'mon, Jack! We've gotta go after him!" Sora taking the lead.
They chase after Oogie Boogie
Sora and company chase Oogie Boogie into his lair. As they enter, the gates close behind them "Oogie! Hand over the potion!" Jack yelling to the shadow of the moon at night.
"You fools don't know when to quit! Say...all this running around is making me thirsty!" taunted Oogie.
"Oogie! No!" Jack screaming even more, the situation now beginning to feel hopeless.
"Yes!" Oogie takes out the potion, uncorks it with his mouth, and drinks the entire thing
Aqua watching as Oogie putting the vile to his mouth, muttering "Son of..." "Oh, no..." Sora cried out.
"Ahh! Lip-smacking good!" Oogie's body starts shaking "Agh! What's this? What... Something's wrong! Something deep inside me. Something...scary!"
"Oogie! What's going on?" Jack getting closer to Oogie; Oogie Boogie taking on a more cowardly persona "No! Get back! Stay away from me!" he screamed with agony. The foursome and Jack weren't sure what to do. As they continued to watch Oogie shake and convulse.
That was when Aqua began to notice, what has going to happen to Oogie Boogie. "He's about to explode" she said aloud, running past the group. Summoning her master's keyblade ready to perform one of her most powerful spells.
"Transcendence." She spoke hoping that the spell could somewhat contain the explosion. Colorful energy began to fill the casino themed lair was it swirled around Aqua and Oogie Boogie. They could hear the explosion begin to go off.
"Aqua!" Sora screamed for his master.
The spell finally finished and Aqua was the one left standing, while Oogie Boogie had become a card like everything else. Aqua was panting as that spell began to take a lot out of her, "been a long time for that one, huh" Aqua speaking to herself. She held the card in her hand.
"Master Aqua, are you alright?" Sora said to her has he and the others came over.
"I'm fine Sora, It's just I hadn't used this spell in a long time, is all and it takes a lot out of ya. Oh and I do believe this belongs to you," Aqua handing him the Oogie card.
"Why did Oogie explode?" Goofy asked out of nowhere. Aqua only shrugged her shoulders, "who knows what did it. Let's just get the rest of the potion to Finkelstein." She said as the group began to leave Oogie's place.
At Dr. Finkelstein's laboratory, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack, and Sally meet with the Doctor
"Confound that Oogie Boogie! He drank nearly my entire precious potion! There are only a few drops left!" complained the mad scientist.
"Sora, why don't you ask the doc if you can drink the rest?" Goofy sort of changing the topic.
"After what happened to Oogie. No I'd better not." Sora said to Goofy.
"Wise Choice" Aqua told Sora with a small smile on her face.
" What, don't you want it?" Sora nodding yes to the mad scientist "Too bad. It would've been a great experiment." He added.
"Now, Doctor..." Sally scolded.
Jack directly asking Sora, "don't you want to find out about your true memories?"
"Of course, now more than ever. But there's this guy Axel I promised him I'd find the truth on my own." responded Sora; Aqua quirked an eyebrow at Sora, "Oh Now, he conveniently remembers that" the keyblade master thought sarcastically.
"I just don't understand. When I inhaled the potion, Heartless appeared ...and when Oogie drank it, he was overcome with fear and from what I was told he...exploded? What could that mean? Pondered Dr. Finkelstein.
"It means the potion was a failure."
Dr. Finkelstein cried out "No! I can't be wrong! Oogie MUST have found his true memories!" Everyone looked at the doctor as of her were mad...err. "Hmm... True memories must unbalance the heart...and cause unpredictable changes within!" rationalized Finkelstein.
The doctor's theory really had Sora thinking "Then...what about me? What happens when my true memories awaken?"
"Perhaps something even more terrifying... But this is all just a hypothesis. I can't be sure without further research." As Finkelstein took a moment to open his head and rub at his brain.
"What's wrong, Sora? Does the doctor's theory scare you?" teased the pumpkin king.
"Well yeah, a little actually" admitted Sora.
"That's good to hear! Fear and doubt are signs of a strong heart. They push your heart, strike out in new directions, and take chances! Without them, your zest for life might fade as would your taste for fear. And believe me that would really ruin my fun."
Sora feeling content with what Jack was telling him. "Thanks, Jack. I'll remember that."
"Then good luck, Gentlemen and Lady! May you always enjoy being frightened!"
And with that Aqua, Sora, Donald and Goofy, said their goodbyes to Jack, Sally and Even Dr. Finklestien. The foursome left lab. They then leave Halloween Town.
As they Now entered the 3rd Floor Exit Hall
"Aw... I hope the king is gonna be okay..." Donald spoke randomly bringing up King Mickey.
"Why bring that up?" questioned Sora.
"I had to be sure that I hadn't forgotten him." Donald answered honestly.
"How'd that go for ya?" Goofy then asked his feathered friend. "Good! I remembered, we're on a quest to find the king" Replied Donald.
"I remember that too. The king helped save everything by staying on the other side of the door to darkness. I think..." Said Goofy
Donald looking to his companion, "You got it, Goofy!" he said.
"And Master Aqua and I are looking for Riku. He was with the king when the door closed." Sora added putting his hands behind his head "Hm. I guess there's no way we'll forget the most important memories."
"They're right, I was going about it. all wrong. I'll never lose them ( any of them) as long as a part of them is in my heart" thought Aqua as she placed a hand over her charms.
"That's good. 'Cause I don't want to forget..." spoke Donald.
And soon they left the exit hall.
Meanwhile, Axel and a woman wearing a similar black cloak are standing near a large crystal ball that was placed in the center of the room.
"You seem pretty intrigued by this Sora kid." The blonde with the nearly slicked back blonde hair speaking to her red headed comrade.
"Are you telling me you're not, Larxene?" Asked Axel his tone of voice had a almost charm to it. Larxene giggles "Haven't decided yet... I think what intrigues me more is what you see in him." she told him.
"There was a time he became a Heartless. And if one becomes a Heartless" Axel telling Larxene something she already knew of. "They lose their minds and their feelings... They're consumed by the darkness." She finished Axel's sentence as she gave him a sadistic smirk.
"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." Axel said to her, with the leader of the organization in his mind.
Larxene knew who he meant without a doubt; she crossed her arms over her chest and her right hand almost over her mouth before pulling it away. "It's the strength of his heart that's what interests you. Why the Keyblade chose Sora's heart." She replied.
"To unlock the mysteries of the heart. Isn't that the Organization's mission?" Axel said in that same charmed tone of voice but this time with subtly of mock.
Larxene giggles.
Aqua, Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who enter the Fourth Floor
"Hey, I wonder if there's anything we've forgotten?" Donald suddenly asked.
"Rather vague isn't it. I mean it's not like we be able to feel the memories change." Aqua only said to keep up the her naive act. Aqua wasn't sure but she had a distinct feeling someone was watching them from a kept distance.
"Hmm... If we did, what would it have been? Goofy asked Donald. They all stop to think for a moment, Goofy was the first one to speak up. "I can't think of anything, so maybe that means that I really am losing my memories."
Donald looks sad, "But whatever they were, they couldn't have been very important memories, right?" Goofy then said.
"Right, or else I don't think you would have forgotten it." Sora commented.
Aqua looked to them in disbelief, " and what if they were? From what I've noticed, we're already losing them. When we were talking about hollow bastion; we barely remember it and that was a very critical time for us." Said Aqua. "There's no limit to what this castle can do" she added. To be honest for a minute, Aqua wasn't really sure if Castle Oblivion could do anything else from its visitors excluding the disorientation.
The foursome stops for a few moments to think and rest. Sora takes out a star made out of seashells; he holds it showing it to Aqua "Look" said Sora.
Aqua looking at the sea-shell star, "What is it?" she asked her pupil. "Wait a second, that looks like a Wayfinder? " Aqua thought as she got a better look at the sea-shell charm.
"A good luck charm Kairi gave me. It's special to her, so I promised that I would return it. I'll never forget making that promise. It's why I could never forget Kairi." exclaimed Sora.
Sora then says "Am I right, Kairi?" as if she were here. Sora sees an image of Kairi in his head. They smile at each other. Then a girl with blonde hair wearing a white dress appears behind him. "Huh?" Sora looks back and the girl disappears. "Oh... Do I know...that girl?"
"Aw, Shit" Aqua thought to herself as she heard what Sora said. "is it his memories of Kairi? are they being altered in some way?" Aqua thinking to herself.
"Hey, Sora. Where did you go?" Donald noticing Sora's zoning out.
Sora shook his head, "Sorry. Never mind."
Goofy then telling the others "We better keep going'"
Sora holds up the Monstro card at the door, and they enter Monstro.
End Chapter 12.