Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Days.

Chapter 14

Karma's Slave

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Riku sees Vexen when entering the hallway as the chilly academic stepped out of the dark portal. "Riku, I presume?" spoke the blonde man.

Riku was apprehensive, taking a defensive stance ready to summon soul eater, "Who are you? Are you with Ansem?" Riku said to the man as he clenched his hand into a fist. Vexen smirked at the fifteen year old, "You are half correct. Let us say that it's not the Ansem you know. He is Ansem and he is not which is the say he is nobody.

Riku looked at Vexen as if he were a madman. Nobody, huh? Sorry, riddles aren't my thing. Try making some sense." Riku gesturing his fist to the older man.

Vexen gives Riku a smirk, "He belongs to neither the light nor the dark, but walks the twilight between. As do I. And for that matter Ha-ha, that's right. We have much in common."

"Maybe we do..." started off Riku, "But so what! Is that an invitation to join your club? Yeah, there's darkness inside me, just like you said. But darkness is my enemy! And you are, too, for making everything around here reek of it!" Soul eater appearing into Riku's hand.

"Oh ho, so it's a fight you want. Very well a fight you shall get!"

Riku didn't attack him immediately, because he'll know that enemy would try to block it with his shield. For the fight, Riku mainly used Fire and Thunder spells on Vexen, as his offensive while he only found dodge rolling to be effective in dodging Vexen's attacks.

Vexen stopped fighting with Riku, "Ha-ha... This battle has made it clear. The darkness coursing through you is a tremendous power. All you needed was the right provocation.

Riku, Soul Eater remaining in his hand, "Great." Riku said with sarcasm. "So this was a trick?" he then asked; as Riku doesn't take to being used 'lightly'

Vexen laughed as creepy laugh, "Precisely. Your fiery reaction provided just the data I needed. You have my thanks, Riku!" The younger boy lunges for the laughing mad man but alas Vexen vanishes. Riku tries to calm down after word, not letting this moment tempt the darkness that was still buried inside him.

Riku then getting calm; he pulled out a card and headed out into the next door, which lead him into Neverland.

Lexaeus had returned from his duty, "Zexion, Where did Vexen go?" asked the larger man.

Zexion was lost into his own thoughts before responding to the silent hero, "He's off using Riku's data to create some kind of replica. Similar to XIV's design but with an upgrade" Lexaeus nodded to the younger organization member, "then what of Sora? or even Xion?" he asked the cloaked schemer.

Zexion merely shrugged his shoulders "Naminé is shuffling his memories as we speak; Marluxia may well get his puppet. He's a danger to us all. Larxene's not to be trusted, either. And as for Xion, that would our superior's decision on number XIV's fate if Vexen's experiment proves successful." Zexion explained.

Lexaeus nodded, "Nor Axel should be trusted either. Who knows what that one is thinking..." added the silent Hero.

Zexion nodding his head, "Agreed, let's observe a little longer, then speak with Vexen." Reasoned the younger man.

Lexaeus looked unsure of Zexion's minor plan of the moment. "But Vexen despises Marluxia. Think of the mess it would create..." Zexion interrupting number five, " That's why Vexen must be told. Better he clean up the mess than us." He told the older man.

Aqua, Sora, Donald, and Goofy enter the Sixth Floor; Sora holds up the Wonderland card to the door and into Wonderland. They are in the Lotus Forest when Goofy stops and looks back

"So, Sora, did anything back there help ya remember your friend's name?" Goofy suddenly asked.

Sora scratched the back of his head, "Uhh... Her name's the only thing I can't seem to remember." Sora speaking with a sad tone of voice.

Donald started to scold at Sora, "You gotta try! Hurry up and remember it!" it was a rather comical scene as Sora even smiled and letting go a few chuckles at his feathered friend's behavior. "He-he..." with his smile on his face.

Aqua was glad to see some happiness on Sora's face; despite the current situation. Aqua heard some branched breaking she could tell someone or something was headed their way. "Hey, somebody's coming'" she told the others. The White Rabbit scurries past them. Donald is for some unknown reason shocked.

The rabbit pants and checks his watch "I'm late! I'm late! I'm dreadfully, awfully late!" the rabbit panicked. "The queen will roast me for dinner! If I'm late for the trial, it'll be off with MY head next!" the rabbit worried some more.

"Great, Queen psycho lives in this world, I'd almost forgotten." Thought Aqua, as she recalled the actual trip to Wonderland in her mind's eye.

Sora looked at the white rabbit to see if he was stretching the truth "What do you mean, "off with your head"?"

White Rabbit jump up out of nerves "Oh my fur and whiskers! I'll never make it!" He runs off. Sora realized that maybe the rabbit wasn't stretching the truth, "Off with his HEAD?"

Aqua turned to her pupil, "Sora, some worlds aren't all ...kind" trying to make him understand better but Aqua had a pretty good feeling, Sora is going to do what he did the last time he was in wonderland; put his nose in where it didn't belong. Now Aqua didn't mind helping others out, but sometimes it was hard to be a keyblade master has to follow the rules of worlds and of course the rules of being a keyblade wielder, it made it hard to do this chosen duty of theirs.

Donald slumped his shoulder as he looked to the ground, "For such a peaceful-looking place, it sounds pretty dangerous!"

"Yeah, Wonderful isn't it?" Aqua replied with such sass, that keyblade master was feeling. No doubt Aqua was being antsy again. As they were being distracted with these fake interpretation of their travels. While their new foes planted memories of girl in Sora's mind but for what? That was the part of the puzzle that was confusing Aqua but Aqua did have a pretty good feeling of it involving the use of Sora's keyblade.

Aqua, Sora, Donald, and Goofy follow the White Rabbit to the courtroom. The rabbit runs up the stairs of a platform

"Gawrsh, looks like some kind of get-together. What's the occasion?" pointed out Goofy. Donald realized it before Goofy "Hey, this must be that trial the White Rabbit was talking about!"

"No doubt about it" Aqua said, noticing it was probably the only fake visit that was actually like the real thing, only Sora, Donald and Goofy couldn't remember the real encounter. . So Aqua was practically on her own here; not that was news to her.

The White Rabbit blows his trumpet "Alice! Do you understand the charges against you?" asked the white rabbit.

Alice was practically crying on stand "Of course not! I've done nothing wrong!" she cried.

The Queen of Hearts looking as mean and horrible as ever. "Feigning ignorance, dear? You are charged with aiding the creatures called Heartless who threaten my kingdom!"

Alice pleading for her innocence, "Fiddlesticks! Where's the evidence?"

"The evidence is...I forgot!" said the queen. "That's the evidence! Because you, Alice, are the one who stole my memory!" yelled the Queen of hearts.

Aqua sighed from her spot, "this queen is nonsense filled" she thought to herself, shaking her head from side to side.

White Rabbit: We can't rid the kingdom of Heartless until we get Her Majesty's memory back. This is a serious crime!

Alice crying some more, "This is so unfair! So what if you're a queen! Don't blame me just because you can't remember things!" Alice said without thinking, which was a bad move especially when in front of the mean queen herself.

"Such insolence!" screamed the queen. "You're talking to the Queen of Hearts! And to think I might have let you go, had you apologized straightaway! What a brazen thief!" she screamed eve louder.

Sora turned to his teacher. "Who's the brazen one?"

"Sora" Aqua with a warning tone. Sora runs ahead to the court. "damn it Sora!" Aqua muttered as she followed, it kinda of amazed Aqua that Sora's impulsiveness hadn't gotten them killed back when they were traveling the worlds.

Goofy tried calling out to keyblade apprentice "Uh, Sora?" Queen of Hearts about to make her unjust ruling "The court has reached a verdict! OFF WITH HER HEAD!"

"Hold it right there! This trial is a farce! You should investigate before you arrest innocent people!" screamed Sora as he disrupted the court proceeding.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the queen of hearts. "How dare you suggest Alice didn't steal my memory. I suppose you know who the real culprit is, then!" she screamed, Aqua and the others finally catching up to Sora.

Sora couldn't think of what to say, considering since he impulsively barged in. "Huh? I, err..." The queen of hearts was getting agitated by the second. "Speak! Or it's off with all of your heads! Now, out with it! Who's the thief?" she demanded.

Sora strutted as he was dumbstruck, "Um...uh... ... I'm the thief!" he looked over to his master. Sora could have sworn she was ready to kill him with the look she had on her face.

"Sora...you idiot" Aqua's mind screamed. "What the hell are you doing?" she yelled at her student.

the Queen of Hearts actually flabbergasted actually everyone in the room was actually a bit jaw dropped. "Say that again?"

"Gawrsh, really Sora?" asked Goofy, Aqua wanted to smack her forehead the moment Goofy said those words.

"Of course not! But what else am I supposed to say?" panicked Sora, "how about something that doesn't get you convicted?" Aqua asked him in a scolding tone that he was prone too over the years.

"I'm sorry" he muttered to Aqua.

Donald shook her feathered head. "This is really screwy, Sora!"

The Queen of Hearts roared "Cards! Seize them all!" The Card Soldiers attack. Aqua fights them off with her firga burst. and defeats them in quick instant.

" Whew..." went Sora, as he was nervous.

"Wak! Where's Alice?" Donald was the only one who seemed to notice. Everything stopped, Aqua took a gander around the outside courtroom, the princess of heart was missing. Goofy being the first to speak. "Looks like she escaped."

Queen of Hearts redirecting her attention back to the foursome. "Perhaps she did. But YOU won't!" she shouted. More Card Soldiers appear; "this 'lady' is really being to make me mad," thought Aqua as she took her stance.

"I think we've been trumped!" said Donald as he held his mage staff.

Sora waving his arms about, "then lets Run for it now please!" pleased the browned haired boy. They run out of the courtroom with the cards chasing them.

Aqua, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy find Alice in the forest. Aqua made the choice of not ripping Sora a new one as she walked ahead of the group towards the princess of heart; instead the master opted to give Sora the cold shoulder for now.

Sora was the first one to speak up, "Things got a little crazy back there, but at least you're okay." Sora said to Alice.

Alice taking a few steps back "I don't mean to be ungrateful, but...was that true, what you said? Are you the thief?"

Sora's eyebrows shot up. "What? Of course not! Why would I steal the queen's memory?" he said to the princess of heart.

Goofy nodded, "Yep, Sora only said that 'cause he wanted to save.." "To show off!" butted in Donald, cutting off Goofy. Goofy looks at Donald. Sora thinks for a second. Aqua glared at the talking duck for a moment, basically telling him to 'zip it'

Alice seemed to be at ease, "Is that right? Well, you saved me all the same. Thank you." She thanked the foursome. The Cheshire Cat's head appears on a mushroom. His body appears on top of it. He puts his head on his body; Alice gasping in surprise "It's the Cheshire Cat!" Cheshire Cat smiled it's infamous smile "Feeling better after that mad dash, are we? Oh, but you're not out of the woods yet!" He disappears and reappears on a closed flower bud.

Cheshire Cat looking right to Sora then Alice and lastly Aqua. "The queen's a stickler for justice! She won't forget you till she remembers! She won't stop hounding you till you get her memory back! Did she forget because she remembers? Does she remember that she forgot? Doesn't matter, I suppose." Said the Pink and purple striped cat.

The Cheshire cat fading away; it's smile being the last to be seen.

Sora shrugging his shoulders before he put them behind his head, "I don't know. I think we ought a just stay away from her."

"We can't Sora," Aqua breaking her silent treatment, "when you decided to play public enemy of Wonderland." She added. "and another thing Sora, what about Alice? If the queen catches her again, it's off with her head" Aqua finished.

Sora knew that Aqua wasn't being mean on purpose but he had to admit he did act foolhardy about it. "Then I guess we'd better do something about the queen."

The Cheshire Cat reappears on a tree branch, "You should do something. But you don't have to do anything."

"Huh?" shared by all.

The smiling Cheshire Cat, "If you can't remember something, it's like it never happened. Likewise, if something never happened, you can't remember it. Try too hard to remember, and your memory might lie to you."

"Lie?" Sora asked the two toned feline.

The Cheshire cat gave one last smile has he began to fade again, "That's all I'll say. The rest is for you to figure out." He disappears completely

Aqua sighed, "Why must this world be so aggravating?" the bluenette muttered to herself.

The foursome plus Alice enter the Bizarre Room. "Gawrsh, what's with the sudden change of scenery?" asked Goofy as he never failed to point out the obvious.

"let's look around" suggested the princess of heart, the foursome obliged, seeing how they were put into a tight spot. Alice walks ahead, Several Card Soldiers stop Alice and the Queen of Hearts is behind them. "Oh Dear!" a worried Alice spoke out.

"uh-oh"

The Queen of Hearts opened her large mouth, "Thought you'd seen the last of me, did you?" she said to them "Game's up, scoundrels! For stealing my memory, I sentence you to... I sentence you to..".There is a flash of light "... I...sentence... ... Oh? What's going on? Where am I?"

Another mutual "Huh" was shared.

"What in the world am I doing? Confound it, I can't remember!" said the red queen of wonderland.

Turning to his master. "What's wrong with her, Master Aqua?" asked Sora. Aqua wasn't even sure herself, "Perhaps something swiped her memory again?" While in the commotion, Alice hearing a strange noise coming from above Sora, Aqua, watch out! Something's coming!" A Trick master Heartless falls down from the sky; Student and Master summon their keyblades.

"So this is what stole the queen's memory!" Sora figured out. Aqua and Sora destroys the Heartless.

Queen of Hearts was looking dumbfounded more so then before "You there! All of you! What is the meaning of this? Where did that creature come from?"

Sora turning to the queen, "How would WE know?" and that was when he felt it, a hand hitting him upside the head, "Big mouth Sora, big mouth" Aqua said to him. Memory or no, the red queen was as violate as ever. Sora looked apologetic to his master as he rubbed the back of his head.

" So, you refuse to answer? You're hiding something!" said the queen. To her Card Soldiers, "They're plotting against me! Seize them immediately!" the queen demanded.

Alice spoke out to the queen, which surprised everyone. "Please, Your Majesty, wait! It was you who commanded us to destroy those creatures."

The foursome didn't see that coming, "Your Majesty, in her prudence, didn't completely trust us at first. And so, at Your Majesty's command, we fought them to prove ourselves. Isn't that right, Sora?"

"Nice one, Alice" thought an almost smirking Aqua. Sora with an raised brow, "We did? I mean, we did! Your, uh, Majesty."

The Queen of Hearts certainly confused but then again who isn't when in Wonderland. " I...told you...to do that?" she said rather calmly which was a rare site. "But Your Majesty, don't you remember?" added Alice.

The red queen looked offended, "Don't be ridiculous! I never forget anything!" regaining some composure "Of course I gave the command. You did splendidly." She complimented. Then the queen and the Card Soldiers leave and everyone is relived

"I can't believe that worked" said Aqua. "You can't?" questioned Sora.

Alice gave a smile. "Well, that was close."

Sora giving the blonde girl a smile, "Way to improvise! I never would've thought of that."

"But the Cheshire Cat said as much. "Try too hard to remember, and your memory might lie to you." The queen would never admit she forgot. So instead, she remembered something... ...that didn't happen! She ended up fooling herself." explained Alice.

It was something about those words that struck at Sora's heart. Aqua noticed this, "Sora, what's wrong?"

Sora's concentration now broken. "Hm? Nothing." He said to his master before focusing on Alice. "Well, I guess you'll be safe now."

"And the queen won't give us any more trouble! After all, we got rid of the Heartless, just like she commanded!" said a proud Goofy. "Don't tell me you've been fooled, too!" Donald said to his companion.

Aqua, Sora, Donald, and Goofy leave Wonderland.

Entering the 6th floor Exit Hall. Once there they are greeted by Larxene. Sora gasps. Sora, Donald and Goofy run toward the blonde, weapons at the ready.

"Hold it," Aqua screamed to the trio, they stopped. "Let me guess, your one of Axel's little friends" Aqua said to the woman. feeling the darkness radiating off this woman.

Larxene smirks "Too clever. I'm Larxene." She spoke looking directly at Aqua, Sora not really being on Larxene's agenda for the moment, "So...are you enjoying your stay at the castle? I bet it's nice to peel away all the worthless memories and awaken the true memories." Larxene releasing a few giggles "that lie deep in your heart."

Aqua glared at Larxene, her fingers twitching as they ached to form a fist. Sora looking at the new enemy, "True memories?"

Larxene redirecting her attention to Sora, as is should have been. "Although...it seems that you're still forgetting the most important thing here. When that poor girl hears that you've forgotten her name, why... it'll just...it'll break her heart." Said the savage nymph.

"Poor girl?" Sora needed the moment to think while Aqua figured it was them who were planting this 'girl' into his mind; and she wanted to know how after all Aqua is the rue master of castle oblivion. "Do you know her?" Sora then asked with the kingdom key in his hand. Larxene laughs at the keyblade apprentice.

"Is she...here?" he asked the sneering blonde.

"Yes, she is. You see, the villains are holding her captive somewhere deep inside the castle. And you obviously are the hero, so you have to go save her. Although..." Larxene runs up to Sora and punches him twice. Sora dodges the punches but Larxene kicks him, knocking him away and causing a star pendant to fall out onto the floor.

"Sora!" Aqua calling to him, summoning her keyblade as she glared at the female. Larxene moved like lightening it was hard for Aqua to spot her when she attacked Sora.

"I'M a villain and so you'll have to go through me!" she smiled evilly to the island boy. This time Aqua keeping a her eyes close on the blonde.

Sora picks his head up and notices the star pendant, "What's that? Is that thing mine?"

"Oh, What a shame" said Larxene as feigned sadness, "You've been wearing it all this time and forgot? No... That's not possible. The memory has to be engraved somewhere deep inside your heart. Sora, you think carefully, now. What oh what could it be? And who gave it to you?"

Aqua shifting her blue eyes. to the charm, inwardly she gasped the appearance of the charm had change some one was erasing Kairi or rather painting over Kairi from Sora's mind.

Sora still on the ground as he tried to think of that girl haunting his mind, "Na... Na...mi...?" "Sora... Sora... You're getting it now! Release the memory from within your heart!" Larxene urging Sora to 'remember'; Sora starts to get up "Nami... Naminé." Aqua watched her every move, seeing if Larxene had any magical object that was affecting Sora's mind.

"There has to be way to stop it" thought Aqua, still scoping out her enemy.

Larxene giving another one of her smirks. "Well, it's about time. That's right...Naminé. Yes, she's the one that gave you that tacky little good luck charm." She picks up the pendant, Aqua locking her blue eyes on Larxene waiting for a move as she couldn't find any form of magical object.

Larxene turned letting the others face her back, "Not that you even bothered to remember." No surprise," Larxene starting to sound upset "seeing as you also couldn't remember her NAME. Talk about heartless! I can't believe you! It'd serve you right if I decided to smash this piece of junk!" Larxene raising her arm into the air,

"Let it go!" Sora screamed as he leapt up from the floor and taking his keyblade swipes her hand, knocking the charm out of her hand. Sora catches it. "Naminé gave me this. It's very important to me!"

Aqua watching the attack made on Sora, "Hm, she relies on her upper body strength as opposed to her legs" thought Aqua.

"Oh, it's important to you, is it? Ten seconds ago, you didn't even know what it was!" Larxene yelled to the boy, Larxene lowered the arm the Sora swiped. Larxene charges with lightning and she summons several knives in her fingers; She swipes her hand down and a charge of lightning strikes. Larxene throws her knives at Sora. He deflects them with his Keyblade and jump slashes at Larxene, but she dodges.

"Who asked you" shouted Sora. Aqua took this moment to use her teleportation technique.

"Hmph. You're not as bad as I thought. You really are a hero. A heartless hero" Before Larxene could say anything else, Aqua's elbow hit the blonde square in the face as blonde had no choice but to drop her guard, Aqua grabbing the arm with the kunai, twisting It to a degree of pain, where Aqua could break the arm or dislocate the shoulder.

"Who Invited you" as Larxene was struggling in Aqua's grip. "I crashed" Aqua responded who then raised her leg, bending the knee and then taking that knee into Larxene's back. Larxene let out a scream of pain. The blonde looked to Sora, "Gee, you really are a heartless hero, not mention you can't even fight your own battles." Larxene mocked. Aqua twisting that arm even more till a crack was heard and then a scream.

"This is my fight, Master Aqua!" shouted Sora. that outburst distracted Aqua, which had given Larxene a chance to break out of Aqua's grip.

Larxene ran to the corner to the room "Oh, does it hurt because it's the truth? You are just a baby. And if you're gonna be a baby, then here ya go". Larxene tosses a card to Sora "I created another card from your memories, you know. Be a good boy and say "thanks." Ta-ta!"

Larxene disappears "Wait, Larxene!" Sora slashes the air in anger "Where are you? Don't you dare hide from me! Show yourself!" He keeps slashing the air. Donald and Goofy exchange worried looks. Aqua grabs onto Sora's hood pulling him to her while Sora looks around for Larxene angrily and slashing the air.

"Sora, calm down! She's not coming back. Not with that broken arm, anyway." Aqua told him as she held him back. He calms down.

"Sora?" Aqua said to him as she saw the clear upset expression on his face.

"I hate this... Why'd I need someone like that to bring back...Namine's memory?"

Axel's in the crystal ball room in the castle. Larxene appears; "Whew... Throwing that battle wore me out." Not letting her comrade know o her still broken arm, as Larxene hadn't taken to potion or a cure spell.

"Really Larxy? It looked to me like you just plain lost." Axel mocked her as well as a gesture with his arm.

Larxene realized he was watching, so he had to have known about her arm, "Fuck you, Axel. Fuck you" she told him twice.

"We've already played that game Larxy!" Axel grinned to her like a Cheshire cat.

Larxene sneered. "How dare you! You don't appreciate..."

"An ungainly effort." Entered a male voice.

"Huh?" went Larxene

A man with dirty blond hair and wearing a black cloak appears in the room, "Vexen!" spoke Larxene.

Vexen looking directly at the female nobody. "How could you be humbled by not one but two some bodies of such limited significance? You shame the Organization."

Larxene glared at the elder organization member. "How can we help you, Vexen? It's not very often we see you topside." Axel interrupting the private conversation.

Vexen shifting over to Axel, "I came to lend you a hand. You obviously believe this Sora has much potential, but I remain unconvinced he is truly worth such coddling, unlike the companion he is traveling with; she would make a worthy choice none the less I think an experiment would show if he really is of any value to us." Vexen quite aware of the superior nobody's order to manipulate Sora and Sora only.

Larxene putting a hand on her hip, "Hmph. Well, here we go again. It's just an excuse so you can carry out your little experiments. That's all." Though right now Larxene wouldn't have minded to see the bluenette on Vexen's examining table, with her torso cut open.

"I'm a scientist. Experiments are what I do, yes." Boasted Vexen.

Axel dead-panned for second "Whatever. You can do what you want. But you know, I think testing Sora is just a cover for testing your valet."

Vexen raised a brow, "Valet? He's the product of pure research."

Larxene interrupted "What he actually is a toy."

"Hmph. You should just learn to be quiet." Larxene looks away from him.

"Anyway... Since you came all this way, you're gonna need this." Axel holds out a card of Destiny Islands. "A humble gift to my elder. I hope you use it to put on a very good show for us."

Vexen takes the card. An unknown figure walks in with blue boots.

End Chapter.