Body and Soul

by Dark Slayer Reborn

When a mysterious woman with blue hair wielding a keyblade appears, Xemnas orders his Organization to capture her at all costs. But who is she? And why is Xemnas after her? Complete. Epilogue Posted.

20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen: Night of Day 318: Wind's Memories Lost, Awakening Sealed.

Under his hood, the sniper's single amber eye snaps open.

Beside him, the card player looks up, his hands pausing, the cards only halfway shuffled and stared at his partner.

The sniper steps away from the card player, smirking under his hood as he stares at the uppermost level of the dark castle across from him.

The sniper smirks, triumph and excitement etched onto his scarred features.

"It's time."

The card player chuckles, his cards sliding back up his sleeves as he moves next to his comrade.

"I thought time was my thing."

Shadows swirl around them both and they vanish from sight.

---

The glow faded gradually, easily, and this time Roxas could open his eyes without blinding them, blinking slowly and finding himself back in the long hall like room.

Roxas was still standing and when he could fully see again he did a quick check over himself. Like before with Vanitas, there was no trace of his injuries but his whole body still hurt from the wounds he had suffered. Roxas let his arms fall to his sides when he was done checking over himself, leaning his head back and letting out a long sigh. He felt like he would fall over any second now. He was exhausted.

Turning slightly, Roxas looked around the room and spotted a figure in black that lay across the floor, contrasting with the white walls and floors. Forcing his exhausted and battered body to move around just a bit longer, Roxas approached Xion's unconscious body and scooped her up into his arms, stumbling from her added weight to his own, barely supporting himself as he was but sheer force of will he kept himself standing.

Roxas moved towards the rooms corner and gently placed Xion down against the wall, leaving her in a sitting position. As Roxas placed her down, he quickly looked over her and was relieved to discover her injuries had vanished as well. She would probably be hurting in the morning but for now she was okay.

Roxas started to stand back up, wincing as did but he stopped. He had almost forgotten.

Holding his right hand out, Roxas slowly clenched his hand into a fist as a flash of light called forth Xion's keyblade, once again a Kingdom Key.

Turning back to Xion, he crouched down and slipped her keyblade into her right hand. As soon as he let go and Xion's own fingers slipped around it, the keyblade slowly vanished in a burst of light. Roxas smiled down at his friend, gently reaching out and stroking a lock of her black hair.

Roxas, "Thank you…for being here, with me."

With that, he forced himself back up, wincing from the lingering aches and pains all over his body.

But he still had to go a little farther, and couldn't let himself rest yet.

Turning and facing the doors at the end of the hallway, Roxas stared gravely at the final card.

It still floated in front of the double doors, glowing softly with white light.

Taking a deep breath, Roxas approached the card, the only sound in the room being his footsteps and a soft hum, radiating from the card.

When he stood in front of, Roxas looked down at the glowing card, studying it intently.

The first two cards had been colored blue and green but this one was silver lined with gold. And while the two before it had two symbols engraved on it, front and back, this one only had one symbol, engraved on the front side.

It was similar to the Organization symbol, as it was a heart with three needle like points jutting out at the bottom, but unlike the Organization's symbol this heart wasn't reversed and the symbol was a little smaller. Like the Organization's symbol, it was colored silver.

Roxas stared at the card for a long while, wondering if he touched it he would have to fight someone else again. He didn't think he could handle another fight so shortly after that intense duel with Ventus. But he had come this far and there was no turning back now.

Bracing himself for whatever may come, Roxas raised his right hand and slowly held it out, his fingers brushing against the glowing card, right over the heart like symbol.

The card glowed even brighter when Roxas' fingers touched it and the teen instinctively flinched back.

But the card only continued to glow brightly, becoming pure white light.

The card of light slowly moved forward, sinking into the double doors before Roxas.

The glow the card emitted spread over the doors, turning them into a wall of pure white light that flashed with such intensity Roxas was forced to avert his eyes for a moment.

When the haze of white light finally faded and Roxas could open his eyes once again, he blinked, staring at the door in confusion.

Then he blinked, realizing the doors had changed.

They were taller, thinner, like cathedral doors. Swirled, curved symbols were engraved above and around the doors, their meaning lost to Roxas. Engraved on the front of the doors themselves was the symbol that had been on the card, only now it was on both doors. A large heart like engraving, with three small needles jutting out and down from its end. Glowing blue and white chains ran under the symbols, disappearing at the bottom of the door.

Roxas blinked, noticing something else about the changed doors.

A moment ago, the doors had no visible means of being opened…

Now…

There was a large keyhole directly in between them, where the two doors met.

Without any part or will of his own, Roxas' Kingdom Key keyblade appeared in his hand in a flash of light.

The teen did a double take, staring down at his keyblade in shock.

What the- How did it appear? I didn't call it! Roxas wondered in shock.

Looking back at the door, Roxas stared in confusion.

Chamber…

Roxas blinked, looking around when he heard the word uttered by a soft voice.

Roxas, "What?'

Chamber of…

Somehow, Roxas already knew what it was going to say.

"Waking…" He finished.

Looking back at the door, Roxas stared intently at the keyhole. Then he looked back at his keyblade.

Well it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happens next, Roxas thought dryly.

Steeling himself once again and taking a deep breath, Roxas raised his Kingdom Key and extended it out its full length, lining the end of the blade with the keyhole. A beat of tense silence. Then, light gathered at the tip of his keyblade, glowing brighter and brighter as more light swirled around it, gathering at the tip and glowing more intently with each passing second. Roxas felt the power gather and suddenly, the keyblade flashed and-

"Can't let you do that, kiddo."

A loud 'ping' reverberated in the room's close quarters and Roxas screamed as his back erupted in intense and sudden burning pain. He stumbled to his knees, the glow around his keyblade fading instantly and Roxas clawed at his back, desperate to relieve the intense and burning agony centered above his back and under his shoulder. His fingers rushed something hot and diamond shaped-

Roxas' eyes widened and he looked over his shoulder, unable to hide or express his shock well enough when he saw it was a glowing violet and diamond shaped…

Arrow.

Roxas stared for a moment, completely shocked before a dry and familiar chuckle forced him to look at the end of the room. And at his attacker.

Standing at the rooms entrance at the end of the shadowy hallway was Xigbar, his scarred face set in his usual smirk of cruel amusement mixed with triumph. The Freeshooter had both o his arrowguns out, the one in his right hand hanging limply at his side while he had his left raised and cocked slightly, one arrow missing from the stock. Chuckling, Xigbar stepped further into the room, dispelling his arrowguns in a flash of violet as he did.

Xigbar, "I must admit, Roxas, I am impressed! You did in under twelve hours what countless other Organization agents couldn't do in days!" The Freeshooter spread his arms out, laughing and smiling in triumph as he stared at the doors behind Roxas. "You found the Chamber of Waking!"

Roxas was unable to respond, and could only stare at Xigbar with an expression of shock, confusion and pain mixed perfectly together, still weakly clawing at the arrow lodged in his back. As Xigbar stepped further into the room, Roxas saw he wasn't alone.

Luxord followed after Xigbar, though he remained a good few feet behind the Freeshooter and his usual amused expression was absent, instead replaced by a focused, business like look as he gazed dispassionately at Roxas. The Gambler of Fate looked from Roxas to the doors, then back to Xigbar before he suddenly began to look around the room, his cobalt eyes settling on Xion's unconscious body when he spotted her in the corner, not five feet from where the Gambler himself stood.

Luxord looked back at Xigbar, calling with a clipped tone, "Xigbar."

The Freeshooter stopped approaching Roxas and turned, looking back at Luxord in annoyance.

Luxord nodded his head towards Xion.

Xigbar looked down on Xion, his expression blank and disinterested before suddenly lighting up in a smile.

Xigbar exclaimed with false glee, "There's the little poppet! I was wondering where she wandered off too!" Xigbar then looked at Luxord, his look instantly becoming serious.

Xigbar, "Take her outside."

Luxord nodded while Roxas gasped, the Gambler quickly striding towards Xion's unconscious body and hefting her up and over his shoulder. Roxas screamed, "Don't touch her!" and forced himself up despite his body's intense agony.

Roxas started to charge at Luxord as the Gambler carried Xion back towards the shadowy hallway but his charge was met with Xigbar's boot as the Freeshooter delivered a swift roundhouse kick to Roxas' midsection, kicking him back onto the floor with a cry of pain from Roxas. Roxas tried to stand back up but cried out again as Xigbar slammed his foot down onto his chest, pushing him back down and the arrow in his back even further in, pinning Roxas in place. Xigbar sneered down at Roxas. "How cute. You're still playing hero, aren't you Roxas?"

Roxas could only watch as the shadows swirled ahead of Roxas, a Corridor of Darkness appearing. Without looking back, Luxord carried Xion off into the darkness and vanished. Roxas desperately reached out, screaming, "Xion!"

Xigbar only continued to sneer down at Roxas, removing his boot and stepping back. He turned his one eyed gaze away from the teen, smirking as he gazed at the double doors with the keyhole on its surface. Xigbar, "You know Roxas, me and the Superior have been looking for this Chamber for a long, long time." As he spoke Xigbar moved closer towards the door, allowing Roxas to push himself up onto his elbows, the teen glaring enraged up at Xigbar's back.

Roxas ignored the Freeshooter's comment and demanded, "Where did he take Xion?"

Xigbar in turn ignored Roxas, stepping right up to the doors and touching them with his gloved palm, confirming with his touch that it was indeed real.

Xigbar, "I never would have dreamed it Roxas. I never would have dreamed you, of all of us, would find this. Well, that's not entirely true." Xigbar turned to look back at Roxas, meeting the teen's enraged glare with an amused expression.

Old memories stirred in the Freeshooter's mind.

Xigbar chuckled dryly, reminiscing to himself. "Yep. You definitely got the angry look down."

Roxas finally forced himself to stand back up, his grip on his keyblade firm as he glared at Xigbar.

The Freeshooter turned back towards the doors, his fingers tracing the outline of the keyhole on its front.

"Guess we really did need a keyblade wielder after all…" Xigbar mused under his breath.

Roxas assumed his two handed fighter's stance, panting but sill glaring strongly at Xigbar. Roxas, "Bring Xion back!"

Xigbar sighed theatrically. Xigbar, "You heroes with your one track minds." The Freeshooter resumed smirking. Xigbar, "Tell you what Roxas. Unlock this door to the Chamber and I'll bring her back, not a hair out of place."

Roxas immediately shook his head fiercely. Roxas, "No way! I won't do anything until I know she's safe!"

Xigbar distractedly looked over his hidden fingernails, mocking Roxas by pretending to really think over his demands. Xigbar, "Mmmm-No. Here's the thing Roxas," He turned his single amber eye back at Roxas, meeting the teen's icy glare.

"If you don't unlock the Chamber for me, I'll have Luxord destroy Xion."

That made Roxas gasp, his whole body going still. Xigbar smirked at Roxas' reaction. Xigbar, "In truth I really don't need you to unlock it since any moment now Xemnas will seal the deal with Aqua and we could have her unlock it."

This statement shocked Roxas even more. Roxas, "Aqua? But-but the Superior called off the hunt for her!" Xigbar let out a dry chuckle.

Xigbar, "That was just a front kiddo. In truth he met up with her the same day you fought her and he gave her the offer to join us. And since she will join us due to her's and boss man's…shared past…" Xigbar chuckled at that while Roxas just kept staring in ever growing confusion. The Freeshooter went on. "We don't need you or Xion anymore. So,"

Xigbar indicated the Chamber doors behind himself, stepping out of the way and revealing the keyhole.

Xigbar, "I'd hurry up and do as I say. Because really Roxas, we don't need you or poppet anymore, and I'd just sooner cut our loses."

Roxas stood there, too numbed by shock and indecision.

He had no idea what was inside the Chamber of Waking but he knew, absolutely knew, he couldn't let Xigbar have its contents. But Xion's life was in the balance…

The choice was impossible.

Taking a deep and shaky breath, Roxas looked at his keyblade, the weapon hanging limply by his side.

Xion…I'm sorry…

Steeling himself, Roxas slowly raised his keyblade out. Once again, light began to gather at the tip, glowing brighter as an orb formed at the tip of the blade, lined perfectly with the keyhole.

Xigbar was unable to contain his widening smirk as he watched how years of searching was about to be paid off at last.

---

The 'scritch-scratch' of her crayons finally stopped.

Gently and carefully, Namine replaced them back in their place in the box.

She brushed her newest picture, clearing it of any stray shavings and looked over it.

It was a simple picture of a boy with golden spiky locks, sleeping on a white throne in a large room, chains of light around him, the chains colored different shades to represent them as glowing.

Namine stared at the picture, but didn't really see it.

She wondered…

She wondered if Roxas was finally there.

It was a gamble to send him these lost and sealed memories, but…

But Aqua needed help…

Even it was still soon for everything to Re-

There was a loud hum and Namine gasped, her thoughts interrupted as swirling shadows gathered into a large oval across her room. A figure in black stumbled out, clutching at his chest. Hidden eyes desperately sought hers.

"Na…mi…ne…" Riku gasped out, stumbling away from the Corridor as it vanished.

Namine gasped in horror, her hands covering her mouth as Riku staggered further in…blood trailing behind him.

The blindfolded teen weakly reached out to her, his black glove stained darker from his own blood.

Riku, "Help…me…"

With that weak plea Riku collapsed forward, slamming into the table before falling forward onto the floor.

"Riku!" The girl in white screamed, rushing over to him so fast she knocked her box of crayons onto the floor, scattering them everywhere. She crouched next to him, grunting in effort as she turned him over and stared in horror at the sight of his blood stained chest, more blood running down his mouth as he coughed wetly.

Namine, "Riku! Hang on, I'll-"

"Namine."

The pale girl froze with a soft gasp at the sound of the clipped, accented and sophisticated voice.

Looking back up at the other end of the table where she had been sitting moments ago, Namine saw DiZ was there now where he had not been moments ago. The masked researcher wasn't looking at her but something on her table. His right hand moved from behind from his back, reaching out and grasping her drawing.

Namine watched in horror, and she realized.

He knows, she thought with numb horror.

DiZ looked over the drawing for a moment. Then he looked at Namine, his orange eye narrowed.

DiZ, "You have much to explain."

His fist clenched, crumpling the drawing of Ventus sleeping in the Chamber of Waking.

---

Shadows swirled outside the giant golden castle, a second Corridor of Darkness appearing. Luxord slowly stepped out, Xion still hoisted over his shoulder. As soon as he was out of the Corridor it shrank and vanished. Luxod glanced over his other shoulder for a second before gently placing Xion on the ground.

Luxord stood back up and stepped back a little, staring at Xion with a blank and numb expression. With a deep sigh, he clenched his fist and opened it slowly, three cards sliding between his fingers. They gleamed sharply in the faint light.

Luxord, "I know you probably can't here me…but I want you to understand something, Xion."

The girl remained unconscious on the ground, her sleeping features almost peaceful.

Luxord, "…This is nothing personal. It's just the nature of the game. I don't want to be an expendable pawn…"

He pulled his hand back, tightening his hold on his cards.

Luxord, "I want to wield the power and right of a king!"

With that he thrust his arm down and released the cards, the sharp projectiles flying towards her neck-

'Fwoosh!'

Flames appeared between Luxord's card and Xion, disintegrating them instantly.

The Gambler of Fate gasped in shock, flinching back with a cry of, "What?"

His answer came from a familiar and cocky voice.

"You should know cards burn pretty easily, Luxord. And by the way…"

Luxord whirled towards the far end of the path were a tall figure with a wild mane of spiky red hair stood, flames gathering in his hands before erupting into spinning red tipped steel chakrams. Winter green eyes met Luxord's cobalt blues and the Gambler's shock with a smirk.

"Card players really shouldn't make chess references."

The Flurry of Dancing Flames spun his chakrams in his hands before crossing them over his chest. Axel smirked and asked, "Got it memorized?"

"Axel…" Luxord snarled. More cards slipped from inside his sleeve and into his hand. "Always interfering where you don't-" He swung his arm out, throwing his razor sharp cards at the red head with a scream of "BELONG!"

Axel responded by thrusting his chakrams out, twin fireballs firing and meeting Luxord's cards, igniting them into ash. Luxord took the opportunity Axel's counterattack offered and spun in place, a huge card appearing over his back and disappearing, taking Luxord with it.

Axel lowered his chakrams, gasping when he saw Luxord was gone. The Flurry of Flames looked around wildly, eyes narrowed as he searched for the Gambler. A giant version of Luxord's card appeared behind Axel, spinning and heralding Luxord's reappearance, razor sharp cards in hand.

The Gambler pulled his arm back as he readied to cut Axel's throat-

Axel chuckled. This made Luxord freeze for a split second as Axel said, "You know Lux, you are way too-"

The red head whirled, leg rising up to deliver a roundhouse kick to the Gambler of Fate's midsection.

"PREDICTABLE!"

Luxord let out a scream of pain as he was knocked back. Axel followed by throwing his chakrams out, the twin spinning blades igniting as they cut across Luxord's chest. The Gambler of Fate was further knocked back with an even louder scram of pain. Luxord slid back, falling to his knees as he clutched his bleeding and burned chest, panting in agony as his blood dripped from between his fingers.

Axel stared at Luxord, his smirk replaced by a serious expression. Axel, "Walk away. This is a fight you can't win."

Luxord raised his head, glaring fiercely at Axel. With a roar of rage he started to summon more cards to throw at Axel-

But the Flurry of Dancing Flames was still faster, throwing his right chakram, the spinning steel blades igniting once again as they cut across Luxord's chest once more. The Gambler screamed and was knocked even farther away and flat on his back. He started to rise but stopped when a flash of red appeared over his vision and multiple blade ends were held against his throat.

Luxord gazed up at Axel, shocked he had been beaten so easily.

Axel, "Give up and cut your losses. Push this any further…"

He tightened his grip on his chakram, the weapon beginning to burn hotly, the blade tips burning the skin of Luxord's throat.

Axel narrowed his eyes. "And risk the ultimate gamble."

Luxord grit his teeth, panting as blood trickled down his jaw. He looked past Axel, at the golden form of Castle Oblivion. Then, he looked back at Axel. Luxord, "To be frank Axel…" His left hand touched the ground under him.

Shadows swirled around Luxord, making Axel gasp and step back. Luxord groaned and rose to his knees, wiping the blood off his chin and glaring up at Axel. He went on. Luxord, "You're not worth that gamble. But mark my words…"

The Gambler of Fate vanished in a swirl of shadows but his last words to Axel hung in the air even after he disappeared.

"You will pay for your interference here."

Axel stared at the spot Luxord had been seconds ago. Axel, "Yeah? Well I'll be waiting then." He dispelled his chakrams in a flash of fire before turning and spotting Xion, still lying on the ground undisturbed. Axel murmured under his breath, "Xion!"

He quickly broke into a sprint, reaching the unconscious girl in moments and crouched by her. Axel did a quick check over Xion and was relieved to discover she had no injuries he could see. Grasping her by her shoulders, Axel shook her gently but quickly, trying to get her to stir.

Xion's eyes fluttered, opening a little, just enough for her to see who was shaking her. Xion, "Axel…"

Axel couldn't hide his relieved sigh, closing his eyes briefly before looking back own at Xion. Axel, "Xion, what were you and Roxas doing here? Why'd you run away?"

Xion's eyes moved a little, still barely open. Xion, "…Dreams…"

Axel blinked, confused. Axel, "What? What dreams?"

Xion took in a few soft breaths before going on. Xion, "Roxas…dreamed…Ventus…"

Axel inhaled sharply. Axel, "Ventus? Where did you learn that name?'

Xion's eyes drooped, her strength fading rapidly. Xion, "Roxas…Ven's…memories…"

With that Xion's strength faded and she went limp, her head drooping and her eyes closing. Axel started to try and shake her to wake her up again but stopped, sighing deeply and laying her back down. He touched the ground next to Xion and shadows gathered, forming a Corridor of Darkness over her. When the darkness faded, Xion was gone, teleported to a safe place for the moment.

Axel stood up, looking up at Castle Oblivion's highest tower.

Axel, "Roxas…" He knew he was inside and there wasn't a moment to lose. Sweeping his arm out, Axel summoned another Corridor and quickly raced through. He had to get to Roxas…

Axel had to know what Roxas knew about Ven.

---

DiZ dropped the crumpled drawing without another thought or any care. Namine watched it fall, frozen where she was crouched, Riku's body still and bloody beside her. The red robed researcher looked from her to Riku, his orange eye narrowing further in disgust at the sight of the beaten dark swordsmen.

DiZ, "Hmph. Strong to a point."

He turned away from the girl and teen.

"I will have to be sure and remember that."

With that, DiZ moved towards the wall behind the chair Namine normally always sat at, his single eye studying all the new pictures Namine had pinned on it. The researcher took in each image, noting they all had only one truly interesting thing about them. Namine watched silently and nervously, her left hand held to her chest while her right gently clutched at Riku's shoulder, trying to draw some kind of strength from him despite the fact he was unconscious.

Finally, DiZ slowly turned back towards Namine. DiZ, "My, my. You have certainly been busy, haven't you Namine? All these drawings as of late."

The girl in white didn't respond, only swallowed inaudibly, her grip on Riku's shoulder tightening.

DiZ looked back at one of the pictures, specifically, the one that showed three friends, a tall dark haired young man, a younger blonde and the familiar blue haired maiden, all observing a meteor shower under a starry night sky. DiZ, "I would almost be impressed by the number of memories you have re-chained together…"

DiZ's fist clenched, the leather of his glove squelching loudly. His orange eye met and burned into Namine's sky blue eyes, causing her to gasp and flinch by the sheer rage she saw in it. DiZ, "…if these were Sora's memories, and not someone else's."

DiZ turned to face Namine completely once again, no longer hiding his outrage. DiZ, "I will allow you a chance to explain yourself, Namine." His expression hardened into cruel blankness.

"But only one."

Namine took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself. Maybe, just maybe, she reason with him. It was a long shot but she had to try.

Namine, "I…I wanted to help her."

DiZ raised his single exposed brow. DiZ, "'Her'? Who is 'her'?"

Namine took another shaky breath and swallowed again before responding. "Aqua."

DiZ's eye widened then narrowed, thoughtfully. DiZ, "Ah, Aqua." He turned, looking back at some of the pictures, noticing that some of the pictures did indeed have the blue haired maiden in them. DiZ, "So I presume these are her memories then?"

Namine shook her head. DiZ scowled, glaring back down on her. DiZ, "Well then whose are they?" He demanded, his tone rising slightly, the limits of the researcher's patience fading fast. Namine hesitated, unsure.

Then, she replied quietly, "Her friend's."

DiZ's eye further narrowed into an orange spark of rage. He turned, scowling back at the memories captured in her drawings. DiZ then looked back at her and demanded, "What good are her friend's memories to her?"

Namine shook her head. Namine, "Not to Aqua…" Her eyes wandered, falling on a picture that had slipped from the wall and onto the floor. It was a picture of a brown haired boy in a red jacket holding hands with a blonde spiky haired teen in a black cloak. DiZ followed Namine's gaze, scowling at the sight of the picture.

Namine, "…to Roxas."

DiZ's eye widened, then narrowed, his rage growing hotter.

DiZ, "Roxas? Why in all the worlds would you be sending him these lost and forgotten memories? What purpose do they serve in restoring Sora?" DiZ's tone rose with every word, his fury bubbling over and on the verge of erupting.

Namine flinched in fright, crouching closer to Riku, trying to find some kind of protection, however feeble, from DiZ's fury. The masked researcher seethed and scowled down on Namine for a moment. Then, he turned back towards the wall that held all the pictures.

DiZ, "…So you have wasted precious and valuable time, sending Roxas memories he will not understand, memories that are not his, for what purpose?"

Namine lowered her eyes, thinking, trying to find the words to explain to DiZ why she had done this.

Or maybe she was trying to find the words to explain to herself why she did this.

Finally, she looked back up at the red robed man across from herself and replied quietly, "…I wanted to help them both. I thought…if Roxas understood…what happened to her…and her friends….he would…"

At first it seemed DiZ was about to snap again and demand a straight answer but his eye wandered back towards the picture of Sora and Roxas, and then back to the picture of the three friends observing the meteor shower. He didn't look back at Namine when he spoke again. DiZ, "You thought by sending Roxas these memories… he would help Aqua in her battles against the Organization?"

Namine nodded quickly, desperately, feeling a small shred of hope that DiZ would understand.

But what he did next chilled her to the bone.

DiZ began to chuckle, quietly at first, before tossing his head back and laughing, loudly and deeply, his arms crossing behind his back.

And Namine realized, he did understand.

He just didn't care.

When he could finally control his laughter again, DiZ sneered down on Namine. DiZ, "Foolish, simple little Namine. Why would Roxas turn on his own kind? Why would he betray the Nobodies? He wouldn't. You see, my dear witch in white," Namine flinched at her own 'title', cringing at being called a witch.

DiZ went on. "The simple fact these memories don't belong to Roxas means he wouldn't care about them. No doubt they have appeared to him in dreams but he simply think they're that. And nothing more. Since Aqua herself would no doubt be in at least a few of these memories, it would only strengthen Roxas' beliefs that they are dreams. He wouldn't up and betray his Nobody brethren to side with Aqua, who the Organization have been furiously trying to capture."

DiZ's sneer morphed into a cruel smirk.

DiZ, "He is a Nobody. And while he his existence is unique because of his ties to the keyblade holder, he is like the rest of them. He cannot feel, so he cannot care. Aqua and her plight mean nothing to him."

Tears welled up in the corners of Namine's eyes, his words striking her harder than a whip strike to the back.

Still smirking, DiZ faced the wall once again, raising his left hand as he did. Blue and silver flames gathered around his hand. Namine gasped, her eyes widening.

DiZ, "I saved you to restore Sora's memories. Since these memories are neither Sora's nor are they of no use to that cause-" He swept his hand out and a wall of blue and silver fire consumed the pictures in a 'fwoosh' of burning dark magic.

"Then they are best forgotten."

"NO!" Namine screamed, her whole body jumping as if to try and rush over to save the burning pictures but DiZ's flames were quick and instantaneous. The fires fell away into silver and blue sparks and all the pictures that had been on the wall were gone. And with them, the chains that Namine had weaved would soon break.

Namine stared in horror, teary eyes wide and her jaw slightly open in a silent scream.

Satisfied, but far from done, DiZ turned slowly to face Namine, crossing his arms behind his back as he did.

DiZ, "Now, my dear…"

He slowly began to step toward her, his aura of malice threatening to overwhelm Namine and drown her in his hate as he reached out for her.

"There is the still the matter of your punishment for this defiance-"

'Shink!'

DiZ came to a halt, jerking to a stop with a gasp, his eye widening as the tip of a demonic wing like sword touched the Adam's apple of his throat. Namine gasped as well, her hands moving towards her face. More blood dripped onto the floor through his gloved fingers as Riku forced himself to stand, his sword raised right at DiZ's throat.

The dark swordsmen gasped and panted, more blood running down his parted jaws. Riku glared his hidden eyes up at DiZ and snarled out, "Touch her…and it will be…the last thing…you ever do…"

DiZ glared at Riku, gritting his jaw in sheer outrage. DiZ, "You dare raise your blade at me, boy?"

Riku smirked through his blood and pain, panting out, "To be honest…I've wanted to do it…for a while…"

DiZ's fury burned hotter than ever. DiZ, "You petulant child-"

Riku poked the tip of his blade a little harder against DiZ's throat, silencing him.

DiZ glared harder down at Riku. DiZ, "Remember, boy: You need me, to restore Sora."

Riku, still panting from the mere effort of standing and raising his blade, shook his head wearily, though he never let hidden his eyes wander from DiZ's enraged orange orb.

Riku, "That's…not how I see it…"

He nodded his head back, towards Namine.

Riku, "She's the one…doing all the work…you're just taking the credit…"

DiZ let out an enraged snarl but could say nothing else as Riku poked his sword a little harder to keep him quiet.

Riku, "And…without me…the Organization…would have…found you by now…"

Riku smirked at DiZ as the red robed researcher's whole form shook with fury.

Riku, "So the way…I see it…old man…we don't need you…"

Riku smirked as DiZ froze in shock.

"You need…us."

Namine allowed herself her own small smile, nodding a little. DiZ could only stand there and seethe with fury as he was forced to back away from an injured teen who still held more power then the researcher ever would. DiZ suddenly stiffened his posture, re-composing himself and hardening his outraged look back into a focused and emotionless gaze. DiZ, "Believe what you want. But as long as I continue to shelter Sora and his friends in their time of vulnerability…"

Green streams of ones and zeroes surrounded DiZ, slowly expanding over his body. Riku didn't lower his sword even as DiZ began to teleport away. But before he vanished, the researcher spoke one last time.

"I am the only hope you have of your friend ever re-awakening."

With that, the data collapsed over DiZ, causing him form to vanish before the data condensed into a sphere and disappeared in a burst of light.

As soon as DiZ's red robes were gone from sight, Riku once again fell to his knees, his sword' tip jamming into the floor as Riku impaled it there, a fit of coughing erupting from his mouth that Riku tried to stifle with his hand but small spots of blood still seeped from between his fingers. Namine crouched back next to the blinded swordsmen, her small pale hand touching his shoulder. Namine, "Riku…"

He lowered his hand after wiping some more blood away. Riku, "I'm fine…Namine…Been hurt a lot worse then this…"

Namine, and Riku himself, remained unconvinced.

Riku turned his hidden gaze to Namine for a few moments, then back up to the wall where her pictures had been moments ago.

Riku spoke up, though he didn't look back at Namine as he asked, "Namine. Those memories…why were you sending them to Roxas?"

Namine lowered her gaze slightly, her expression becoming sad, so sad.

Namine, "…I hoped…I hoped if Roxas understood, all the terrible things that had happened to Aqua and her friend…" The pale girl looked back up at the wall, noting there were some slight scorched marks where the pictures had once been.

Namine, "He would help her."

Riku shook his head. Riku, "Aqua's strong…stronger then any one I've ever fou-" He stopped, catching himself. Then, he slowly and carefully resumed. "Faced, before. She can handle herself, and doesn't help from anyone. Her heart…her heart is filled with the purest light I've ever seen. No darkness, no matter how foul and deep, could ever defeat her."

Namine shook her head. Namine, "It doesn't matter how strong you are." She stood up, slowly walking towards the scorched wall. She looked down, her light blue eyes spotting something. Riku's hidden eyes followed her movements, watching the girl bend over to pick up something.

Namine went on. "You can have the strongest, purest heart of light in all the worlds…you can wield the most powerful weapon in the world…you can face monsters from the darkest depths…"

Namine stared at the rumpled and burnt paper, the only survivor of DiZ's flames.

It was burnt around the edges but oddly, it hadn't touched the picture itself.

It was a young man, standing atop a canyon. If any of Namine's other pictures had survived, you would have recognized the man in the drawing by his clothes as Aqua and Ven's older friend. But this picture was different.

Hair that should have been the brown of fresh earth…

Was tainted a snowy white.

Namine stared at the picture a long moment.

Then, she finally spoke again, her voice quiet.

"But someone can come…someone you think is a friend…someone who offers you their trust, their guidance…and gives you hope." Namine lowered her hands, the picture falling from her fingers and slowly gliding back down onto the floor. It landed without a sound.

Namine, "And they take your hopes and your trust…and they use it to corrupt you…bring you to their level…and then you are tainted with a darkness fouler than any the worlds have ever seen. You are tainted by the darkness of betrayal. And this darkness runs deep. Too deep to ever be erased from your heart."

Riku listened silently.

Her words were all too familiar.

Slowly, he stood back up, dispelling his sword in a flash of purple fire. He walked over to the scorched wall, standing by Namine. The pale girl almost blended perfectly against her room's white surface, while Riku was a harsher contrast of solid black and silver.

Riku looked up at the wall, then back down to Namine. The girl held her hands to her chest. Where her heart should have been.

Riku, "Namine. The memories…of Aqua's friend…are they gone for good?"

The blonde shook her head, closing her eyes and not responding for a second. Then, she opened her eyes, her crystal blue orbs deep in thought. Namine, "No…I undid the chains that bound them and placed them inside the chains of Roxas' own memories…but because they weren't Roxas memories, some of the images he saw would have been out of place or completely different…changed by Roxas' own thoughts and feelings…"

Riku stared down at Namine, confused. Riku, "The memories were changed?"

Namine nodded.

Namine looked down again at the large pile of silver ashes left over by DiZ's spell and her destroyed drawings. She crouched down, running a hand through the ashes, feeling them slip between her fingers like sand. Slowly, she stood back up, her hands hanging by her sides.

Namine, "But…that doesn't matter. Because…"

She held her hands to her chest again, turning her head to look at the window, watching a curtain move gently to an unseen breeze.

Namine, "Because now that DiZ has destroyed my pictures…the chains binding Ventus' memories to Roxas will soon unravel. They'll go back to Ventus…and Roxas will lose them…"

Namine bowed her head, eyes closing in anguish. Riku stared down on her, his look one of sad pity. He gently placed a comforting hand on Namine's shoulder.

Namine took in a shaking breath, slowly opening her eyes.

Namine, "Roxas will forget everything he saw…"

Riku blinked behind his blindfold, his expression becoming thoughtful. Riku, "Just like Sora did…at Castle Oblivion."

Namine nodded, her eyes still downcast. Then, she whispered something else, something Riku almost didn't hear.

"And…the Way will be lost…"

Riku looked down at Namine, his expression quizzical. Riku, "The 'Way'? What way?'

Namine didn't reply immediately. Instead, she turned and faced the opposite wall, looking at some more of her own pictures. Her eyes wandered from one to another, looking for one in particular. Then, she saw it, and stared intently at it.

Namine, "The Way to the Awakening…I thought…I thought Roxas could find it…I hoped…he would find it…"

She slowly walked over to the wall, her hand reaching out to the touch the picture she stared so intently at.

Riku followed her gaze, his gloved and bloody hand reaching up to his blindfold and raising it slightly. A single winter blue orb was exposed. Riku quickly looked over the wall, searching fort the picture Namine was staring at.

Then he spotted it.

It was a darkly colored picture, almost entirely black. The buildings were black, some golden lights on inside their windows but the sky was starless. The only thing the sky held…

Was a massive lunar gold moon…

Shaped exactly like a heart.

Riku stared at that for a moment. Then, he looked at the main part of the picture.

Directly in the center of the dark city…

Was a woman with blue hair.

Riku stared at the picture for a long moment. Then, he closed his eye and lowered the blindfold back over it. He returned his hidden gaze to Namine, the girl in white still staring up at the picture.

Namine, "…Even…even if I could re-chain all those memories back together…inside Roxas'…"

She bowed her head, looking away from the picture.

She was silent for a long time. Riku said nothing, only waited. When Namine finally spoke again, her voice was so quiet and soft…

He almost missed the deep sadness in her words.

"She has already made her choice…and sealed her fate."

Riku remained silent, carefully thinking over Namine's words.

Then, he finally asked, in a tone just as quiet as Namine's, "And what fate is that?"

Namine did not reply, only bowed her head and clutched her hands to her chest.

That was all that needed to be said for Riku to understand.

---

Something was wrong.

The glow around Roxas' Kingdom Key suddenly flashed and fizzled out.

Xigbar, who had been looking down at the lock on the double doors, heard the sound of sparks fizzling and turned, scowling when he saw Roxas' keyblade was no longer glowing and that the teen was slowly lowering his blade to his side. Xigbar scowled, his patience wearing thin.

Xigbar, "Yo! Roxas? I don't have all night!" His scowl slowly morphed into a smirk.

"And neither does Xion."

The Freeshooter hoped to get a rise out of Roxas, and guile the teen back into raising his keyblade. But something wasn't right, Xigbar noticed a second later, his smirk fading into a confused look. Something was wrong…with Roxas.

The teen was slowly raising his left hand up towards his face, his look one of confusion, his blue eyes filled with pain. Roxas' left hand was shaking, quivering fiercely, wracked by some strange convulsion. So fierce were these convulsions that they spread to Roxas' other arm, literally shaking his keyblade free from his grip. The blade clattered onto the floor loudly, glowing brightly before disappearing in a burst of sparks.

Xigbar gasped, then scowled. Xigbar snapped impatiently, "Hey! I didn't say you could do that! Now open these doors! Right now!"

But Roxas still didn't respond. His hands moved slowly towards his head, clutching at his temples as his eyes widened to some horror only he was experiencing. Xigbar's brow twitched, beads of sweat slowly running down his forehead and side of his face.

Something was very wrong and the Freeshooter had no idea what to do.

Roxas' eyes widened…

The sound of a chain snapping echoed in the small confines of the room.

And Roxas screamed.

---

He was surrounded by darkness…

And memories.

The walls around him were pitch black, illuminated by flickering images.

Roxas recognized them.

His dreams.

He saw Hercules, Phil and Zack pulling the trainer and his student into a big group hug, Zack's smile huge and happy as was Hercules while Phil looked as uncomfortable as ever…

Peter Pan and the Lost Boys looking over a wooden chest filled with toys and other valuable items, chief among them the wooden keyblade, broken no longer…

And others…

A cruel, tall woman with green skin dressed in black, holding a scepter in one hand and a glowing orb of light in the other…

He saw three old women with wings, fairies, one in red, one in blue and the last in green, each hovering over a beautiful girl who slept on a canopy bed, their kindly old faces concerned and heartbroken as they gazed down on the sleeping girl…

He saw another girl, with hair fair and black and skin pale as snow, sitting on her knees, her hands covering her face to hide her tears as she was surrounded by old and bent trees that seemed to sprout hideous faces, jaws open to devour her…

A smiling mouse in red clothes grinned as he was held in the hand of another beautiful girl in servant clothes, the girl smiling back down at the mouse as she looked from him to a beautiful pink dress and then out a window towards a shining marble castle, fireworks lighting around its tallest point…

Then he saw a strange four armed creature wearing a red suit, long antennas rising from its back, its big black eyes sad and its fluffy ears droopy as it stared down on a broken toy that looked like a shattered charm fashioned in the shape of a star…

And then the smiling faces of the blue haired maiden Aqua as she held up three charms shaped like stars, one colored orange, one green and the last blue…

Then the tall and strong Terra, smiling slightly as he held the wooden keyblade out by its hilt in offer…

Then, the image of the old teacher in the robes and armor of a warrior, his scarred and tired face smiling as well, a smile of pride that was rarely seen…

And then the light faded into shadows…

Vanitas leaned against nothing, his mere form tainting the white black. He looked at Roxas, then gave that single chuckle before vanishing once more…

And then…

Roxas blinked.

Ahead of all these images, surrounded by the thickest darkness, but still somehow visible…

An old man hunched over, his gloved hands crossed behind his back, the white gloves contrasting against his black coat. Very slowly, the old man turned his wrinkled face to gaze at Roxas, his cruel yellow eyes narrowing, a smirk of amusement etched on his ancient features. The old man turned completely to face Roxas.

Very slowly, he moved his right arm from his back, holding his hand out in front of himself, palm up. Roxas watched in confused fascination as golden magic gathered in the old man's palm before it flashed suddenly-

And a capital 'X' now floated above his palm in a flow of blue and white air.

"'X'."

Roxas flinched at the sound of the voice, so old and cracked, a rasping sound like burning leaves rustling over each other. A cruel, unkind voice.

"A most ancient letter… Some say 'kye', but the meaning is the same…"

Roxas blinked.

'Chi'? What was-

"Death."

Roxas flinched again as the old man smirked, his burning yellow eyes meeting Roxas' crystal blue orbs and burning themselves into his.

"A letter that spells endings."

The old man's smile widened into an insane leer-

As his old features morphed into younger ones.

Roxas gasped.

Wait, he thought.

I've seen this man before-

Crack.

The screen next to Roxas suddenly cracked, a large shard of glass falling down its surface, splitting Hercules' face in two and obscuring Zack.

Roxas gasped, looking at the crack, wondering what was-

CRACK!

Roxas whirled around, watching two more cracks appear across two more screens.

As Roxas stared at them, more cracks appeared across more screens, shattering the images of the memories with them. Roxas could only watched in confusion. And then, as the black glass of the screens fell away…

He saw chains.

Roxas stared at them, his confusion growing more and more with each passing second.

Then…

One of the chains snapped, splitting in two an vanishing into the darkness.

And there was a sudden intense pain in Roxas' head.

The teen gasped loudly, his eyes widening as his brain suddenly seemed to light on fire. His hands shot up, clutching at his temples. Beside him, another chain snapped, breaking in two and vanishing into the darkness. The pain intensified.

All around him, the chains began to snap and break apart, vanishing into the shadows as if they had never been there…

The pain in his head became so bad; Roxas forced his eyes shut, desperate to find some form of relief.

And as soon as his eyes closed, Roxas' dreams replayed in his mind's eye, flashing over him in fast forward without a sound. They replayed, again and again, in an infinite loop. But as they did…

Something was happening to them.

As more and more chains snapped, the images began to fizzle out in bursts of static and green numbers. The static and numbers soon overlapped over the images until finally-

They faded out into black.

Within moments, every image the dreams had ever showed him, every one of Ventus' lost memories…

Faded entirely to black.

And were gone.

Soon, only one chain remained, and the pain in Roxas' head was rapidly overwhelming him, forcing him to fall to his knees.

As Roxas fought back the blinding pain, his eyes suddenly opened on their accord, slowly, painfully.

A small amount of light glowed up ahead.

It hurt to stare right at it, the light only adding to the pain in his head, but Roxas was unable to look away.

As the teen stared into the light, it gradually began to fade into more bearable levels, allowing him to see past it.

Roxas blinked.

Someone was standing in the light, right next to one of those chains.

The teen stared at the person.

Roxas had to squint his eyes, trying to get them to focus despite the blinding pain in his head.

The person looked familiar, more and more as Roxas was able to get his eyes to focus and see past the light and pain-

Roxas' eyes widened, his pain forgotten.

It was impossible, he thought, staring at the figure in open mouthed awe.

The person standing next to the chain in the center of the light…

He looked exactly like Roxas.

They both had the same crystal blue eyes and the same spiky blonde locks. It would have been like looking in a mirror if not for the fact Roxas was wearing a black cloak and the twin was wearing a strange black and white jacket with matching pants and weird armored sneakers, a pauldron resting on his left arm, a black and white checkered wrist band on the wrist of his left arm.

Roxas stared up at his twin in shock.

The doppelganger stood next to one final chain.

Strangely, he was smiling sadly at Roxas.

Roxas stared up at him in shock, gasping.

"Who…"

Roxas felt a strange frustration…

Like he was forgetting something really important.

"Who are you?"

The twin closed his eyes, bowing his head.

He made no sound as the chain next to him slowly began to crack and splinter in the center. And something strange happened. As the chain began to crack apart, piece by piece…

Roxas twin began to glow brightly, sparks of light emitting from his body. Roxas himself could only watch, the pain in his head flaring up to unbearable levels.

Roxas' twin opened his eyes as the chain began to break apart even faster, his body slowly becoming solid light.

"It was nice meeting you, Roxas…"

Roxas blinked. They even sounded alike, but he was confused by his twin's sad tone.

Had they met before?

The chain snapped, splitting in two.

And as it faded away, the look alike closed his eyes, his whole form turning into pure white light. Then his body broke apart into hundreds and hundreds of glowing white sparks, those sparks drifting to a unseen breeze of gentle wind…

And then the darkness swallowed them all.

Roxas stared at the spot the look alike had been standing on moments ago-

And then his head jerked back, one final chain snapping inside his mind, shards of light flying from around his face.

And the darkness took Roxas consciousness, forcing him to collapse.

And forget everything he had ever dreamed about or knew of a boy named Ventus.

---

Xigbar watched in stunned silence as Roxas abruptly stopped screaming and fell forward, his arms flailing out in front of him, his head turning slightly, his opened eyes a dull, faded blue, mouth agape in a shock only Roxas had seen and experienced. For a moment Xigbar just stood there, staring numbly at Roxas' still body. Then, he quickly strode over to his fallen form. Scowling, Xigbar nudged Roxas' body with the tip of his black boot, pushing the teen over onto his back. Roxas just stared up back up at him blankly, his blue eyes dull.

Xigbar, "Huh. Guess you stayed here too long." The Freeshooter remembered something Axel had reported, about Roxas having some kind of attack while inside the castle for the first time. Scowling in annoyance, Xigbar considered trying to head back outside through a Corridor and see if Luxord had already finished the job. It was unlikely, but if Xion was still alive he could wake her up and make her open the door instead.

But since the Replica was most likely destroyed, Xigbar would just have to wait for Xemnas to bring Aqua here. And since he had no idea how long the two would take to…catch up…He was probably going to be waiting a while.

Xigbar let out a disgusted groan before sighing and crossing his arms, raising his right hand under his chin in a thoughtful pose. Xigbar, "Meh. I guess it's not too bad. Not like the Chamber's going anywhere or anything."

Xigbar started to turn back towards the Chamber doors when he heard a weird humming sound. Blinking his one eye and frowning, the Freeshooter first turned towards the room's only other door, the shadowed hallway that led back into the castle's thirteenth floor. But the sound wasn't coming from there. It was coming from behind-

Xigbar's eye widened and he whirled around, facing the Chamber doors.

To his shock, the humming noise was indeed coming from its direction.

As was a strange white glow that emitted from the symbols and chains on the door's surface, sparks of light rising in front of the doors as they continued to glow brighter and brighter, the white becoming a bright blue.

Xigbar, "What in the…"

The glow continued to grow brighter and as it did, a strange see through affect began to occur, making the doors shimmer with the ever growing glow until finally-

Both doors flashed over, consumed in glowing blue light so bright Xigbar had no choice but to shut his eye and raise his hand over his face to block the intensity of the flash.

Quickly lowering his hand, Xigbar rapidly blinked his one eye, squinting and trying to force himself to see past the white haze that blinded him. As the haze dissipated, Xigbar looked back towards the double doors-

The Freeshooter froze where he stood, his single eye widening. He took a single shaky step towards the door, then another, his footsteps echoing in the sudden intense silence. His right hand slowly raised up, reaching towards the doors.

Xigbar, "No…No!"

He stopped walking when he reached the doors.

His hand reached out, confirming the reality his mind refused to accept.

The symbols had vanished, the shape of the doors had returned to normal. And the keyhole that locked it was gone.

The doors to the Chamber of Waking had vanished.

Taking the Chamber and its contents with it.

Xigbar's hand shook fiercely as he touched the doors. Xigbar hook his head slowly at first, then faster, his hand clenching into a fist. His eye widened in a fierce rage.

Xigbar, "NOOOOOO!"

He slammed his fist against the door with such enraged fury that he left a dent on its surface.

Behind him, Roxas remained lying on his back, his eyes glazed over and unfocused, his ears deaf to Xigbar's enraged curses and the sound of his fist slamming on the doors again and again. Roxas' eyes moved slowly, barely able to see through the haze as a shadow loomed over him…

Roxas blinked.

Weird shadow, it was red near the top…

Axel stepped through the Corridor, ignoring it as it vanished. The Flurry of Flames quickly stepped into the long white hallway, ignoring the memories that stirred from being in the castle once again. He heard Xigbar's enraged screams and curses and the unending 'thump' of his fist pounding again and again against the doors at the end of the hallway. Axel watched the Freeshooter throw his little enraged tantrum before he saw a lump of black and blonde on the floor.

Axel's winter green eyes widened in shock when he saw Roxas lying on the floor, unmoving, eyes opened and glazed over darkly. Gasping, but remaining quiet to not alert Xigbar to his presence, Axel quickly moved next to Roxas' still body and crouched next to him, gripping his young friend by his shoulders and shook him.

Axel hissed, "Roxas! Roxas!"

The teen lolled limply in his grip but then, after several shakes, Roxas' eyes suddenly blinked slowly then rapidly. Axel let go of his friend as Roxas pushed himself up, his right hand gripping his forehead and the teen groaned lowly. Axel let out a sigh of relief.

Axel, "Phew, oh man, Roxas, don't scare me like that."

Roxas blinked, looking up at Axel through hazy pained eyes. Roxas, "I thought…Nobodies couldn't…feel anything?"

Axel grinned good naturedly. Axel, "You know what I mean you smart aleck."

Roxas tried to smile back but he grimaced instead, rubbing his head and groaning. Roxas, "Man…my head feels like a drum…all this pounding…"

Axel chuckled, perhaps a bit too loudly. Axel, "Not all of it's in…" He stopped, eyes narrowing, mouth set in a frown. Axel, "…your head."

Roxas blinked, looking up at Axel. Roxas, "Axel? What's wrong?"

Axel shook his head. Axel, "Don't know. Sounds like it…" His eyes widened in a sudden realization. Axel, "…got quieter."

The red-head looked over and past Roxas, confusing the blonde although he was relieved a little because that weird pounding noise in his ears had stopped. But there was still a weird ache in his head, like he was trying to remember something real important. Then, Roxas gasped, remembering where he was-

And who else was there with him and Axel.

Roxas turned his head and body around, still sitting on the floor as he followed Axel's gaze.

Xigbar was no longer venting his fury out on the doors, having left several dents on its surface, the knuckles of his gloves torn and bloody. He glared at the two, his amber eye set in an outraged glare. The Freeshooter raised his right hand, pointing a bloody finger at Roxas.

Xigbar, "What did you do, Roxas?"

Roxas blinked. Roxas, "What?"

Xigbar's glare morphed into an outraged and annoyed scowl. Xigbar snapped out and screamed, "Exactly! 'What' did you do? Where did the doors go? How did you make them disappear?"

Roxas just stared at Xigbar, confused and very lost. Roxas, "Make what disappear? What are you talking about?"

Axel rose up and stepped forward. Axel, "The kid's obviously confused, Xigbar. Whatever you think he found or led you too obviously isn't here."

Xigbar turned his angry one-eyed gaze away from Roxas to sneer at Axel. Xigbar, "You should be more outraged then I am, Axel."

Axel allowed himself a smirk. Axel crossed his arms and said mockingly, "Don't pretend you're actually upset by your loss Xigbar. None of us feel anything." He sneered up a Xigbar, the Freeshooter glowering even more angrily then before as Axel mocked him with his own words.

"No matter how hard we pretend too." He finished, his smirk widening.

Xigbar clenched his bloody hands into shaking fists at his sides.

Then, his arms stopped shaking and his outraged glare vanished into a cool smirk.

Xigbar, "Heh." He looked at his fingers before smirking back at Axel. Xigbar, "Thanks pyro. You reminded me not to lose my cool."

Axel found himself frowning. Something wasn't right. Xigbar only pulled an emotional 360 when he was about to play his trump card.

Or attack.

Xigbar looked back at the doors, his smirk reappearing. Then, he looked back at Axel. Xigbar, "It would be more your style to lose your cool over this. After all, it was your mission."

Axel blinked. Axel, "My mission? What are rambling about?"

Xigbar scoffed. "Rambling? As if! Here's what I'm saying Axel. I found what you couldn't find no matter how hard you looked, or how many days you spent looking. Your performance was so bad, the Superior decided to put me on the job."

Axel didn't respond, still looking very confused. Then his eyes widened. Axel, "No…No you couldn't have found it."

Xigbar held up his hand, index finger raised. Xigbar, "Ah, but I did. Thanks to some help from our friend Roxas over there."

Roxas scowled at Xigbar forcing himself up with a wince, stumbling slightly. Roxas righted himself and shouted at Xigbar, "I'm not your friend!" Xigbar chuckled at Roxas' reaction before settling his gaze back on Axel. Xigbar, "He led me right to it. Roxas somehow made it appear. And then…"

The Freeshooter's smirk vanished.

Xigbar, "He made it disappear. "

Axel looked between Roxas and Xigbar, then back to Roxas. Axel, "Roxas, is he telling the truth?"

Roxas let out a frustrated groan, helplessly shrugging. Roxas, "I don't even know what he's talking about!"

Axel lowered his head in thought for a moment. Then he remembered something Xion said, and he moved closer to Roxas, taking him aside. Axel, "Roxas," he whispered, his tone urgent.

"Does the name 'Ventus', mean anything to you?"

Roxas blinked, frowning thoughtfully. Then he shook his head. Roxas looked back up at Axel and said, "No. Should it?"

Axel stared sadly down at Roxas, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

Just like Sora. He's forgotten everything, Axel realized, opening his eyes.

The Flurry of Flames looked back at Xigbar. Axel, "It's over, Xigbar. You're not going to find the Chamber today."

Xigbar's face was an expressionless mask. "And how do you figure that?" He asked slowly, calmly.

Axel swallowed, feeling the tension rising in the air. Axel, "Because whatever led Roxas this far is gone now. The opportunity's gone with it."

Roxas looked at Axel in confusion. Whatever had 'led' him here? Now that Roxas thought about it…

Why was he here?

Xigbar let out a slow and dry chuckle. He turned his one eye back towards the door. Xigbar, "Well, this mission's a bust. 'Namine aides us still'. Ha!"

Axel frowned at that. Namine? How is she involved in all this- Wait. Dreams. Memories. That's how-

But Xigbar interrupted his thoughts with a sudden laugh.

Xigbar sneered at Axel and Roxas. "I lost the Chamber, and something tells me Luxord failed to eliminate Xion." Roxas gasped. He looked up at Axel and spoke quickly, desperately, "Axel! Luxord took Xion-"

Axel's hand swept up, silencing Roxas. Axel, "She's fine Roxas. She's safe."

Roxas blinked in surprise before letting out a relieved sigh.

But his relief faded fast as he looked back at Xigbar.

The Freeshooter was smirking dangerously, his one eye glinting.

Xigbar, "But there's still one part of this mission I won't fail."

Horror and realization were in Axel's eyes as he looked from Xigbar…

To Roxas.

Xigbar chuckled.

He looked at Axel and Roxas with a dangerous smirk on his face. Xigbar, "There's only room for one Keyblade Master in Organization XIII…Roxas!" With that, Xigbar crouched slightly, his whole body tensing. Then he charged forward with a burst of speed-

And vanished.

Axel's eyes widened and without a word he turned and shoved Roxas away, propelling himself back as Roxas slid back with a surprised cry-

And Xigbar reappeared in a flash of violet, his arm thrust out to impale itself through Roxas' chest. Axel swung his arm out, summoning one of his chakrams and raising it-

But Xigbar's arm shot out, grabbing Axel's wrist and forcing it up while his other hand thrust out, slamming his fist into the Flurry of Flames side several times before the Freeshooter shoved his open palm under Axel's chin, forcing a cry of pain from the Flurry of Flames. Xigbar twisted Axel's arm, spinning around him and swinging his leg up, kicking Axel across his back and letting go, sending Axel tumbling down.

In the same spin of his kick, Xigbar swung his arm out, summoning one of his arrowguns and fixing his gaze on Roxas before opening fire.

Roxas gasped and ran, narrowly dodging Xigbar's shots before summoning his Kingdom Key and swinging it out to deflect Xigbar's shots.

Axel righted himself, crouching and summoning his other chakram.

Xigbar sneered at Axel, not even looking at Roxas as he kept firing, staring at Axel. Xigbar, "You really think this delays anything?" Axel growled, his chakrams spinning in his hands and lighting on fire. Axel let out an enraged cry and threw his chakrams out, both lethal steel and fire projectiles shooting towards Xigbar.

The Freeshooter however wasn't deterred and actually strode towards Axel's spinning blades. And right before the first one hit him, Xigbar teleported a few spaces ahead and moved to the left, directly in the path of Axel's next chakram-

Only to vanish once again, dodging Axel's other chakram as both rebounded, Axel spun them in his hands, preparing to throw them again-

Only for Xigbar to vanish again and reappear, this time right in front of Axel's crouched form, the Freeshooter's arrowgun drawn, held in his right hand, and pointed right at Axel's forward, his second one appearing in his left hand and aimed at Roxas. Axel glared up at Xigbar, ignoring the pointed arrow digging into his forehead while Xigbar simply sneered down on him.

Xigbar, "The orders in this place still stand, Axel."

Axel didn't respond, just tightened his grip on his weapons. Roxas stood dead still, trying to move slowly but finding that even though Xigbar wasn't looking at him, his arrowgun followed Roxas' slightest and smallest of movements.

Xigbar's sneer widened into a smirk, his finger beginning to squeeze around the trigger.

"All traitors against Organization XIII will be eliminated."

Axel's eyes widened as the arrow digging into his forehead began to glow-

A loud cry of rage interrupted both Axel's thoughts and Xigbar's concentration.

The Freeshooter's head snapped left, seeing Roxas charging at him. Scowling and snarling, Xigbar pulled the trigger of his left arrowgun, opening fire on Roxas, only for the teen to swing his keyblade out and deflect the shots back at Xigbar. The Freeshooter crouched and leapt up, back flipping and dodging all of his deflected shots before leaping high into the air, stopping as his feet touched the ceiling and he appeared to be crouching, his pose almost lizard like. He aimed his arrowguns back down on Axel and Roxas, fingers tightening on the triggers-

But having no chance to open fire as Axel threw both of his chakrams up at the Freeshooter, the twin spinning blades igniting as they cut into Xigbar's arms, forcing him to drop his weapons in a small splash of blood. Xigbar glared down on the two, before he crouched, his legs tensing and then Xigbar jumped back down, landing on his hands while his right leg shout, kicking Axel across the face before Xigbar flipped, his left leg flying out and nailing Axel right in the chest and sent the Flurry of Flames careening all the way across the room. Xigbar righted himself quickly but wasn't fast enough to dodge Roxas, the teen charging forward and spinning his keyblade before swinging it out.

Xigbar quickly raised his left arm out, blocking the blow but stumbled slightly. Xigbar glared at Roxas before grabbing the blade of Roxas' Kingdom Key, swinging it under his own arm, allowing his right hand to reach out and grab Roxas firmly by the neck in a strangle.

Roxas choked, dropping his keyblade and clawed at Xigbar's iron grip on his throat, the Freeshooter lifting the teen up with one hand. Xigbar sneered at Roxas, watching the teen's face redden from lack of air, his amber eye amused-

But suddenly Roxas' foot kicked out, digging into Xigbar's chest for leverage as his other leg shot up and out, slamming into Xigbar's neck and forcing the Freeshooter to let him go as they both tumbled onto the floor. Xigbar shook his head, trying to reorient himself-

Only for a hot hand to grip his shoulder and force him up in a kneeling position.

"I have had enough-"

Axel's voice cut through the air, mixed in with the sound of a spinning blade.

"OF YOU!" The Flurry of Dancing Flames screamed, slashing his chakram down in a powerful arc, cutting Xigbar from his upper shoulder down to his lower back in a burst of blood and smoke.

Xigbar's eye widened as Axel's chakram completed it's descent. Axel stepped back while Xigbar remained where he knelt, his right hand slowly reaching for where the cut began on his back. Then, the Freeshooter fell forward without a word, collapsing unconscious.

Axel stood there, panting slightly, blood running down his chin from a cut on his lip. Roxas stumbled over, clutching at his neck where bruises were already beginning to form. Axel looked down on his young friend, offering Roxas a pained grimace like smile. Roxas tried to return the look but found his neck hurt too much. Axel gently grasped Roxas by the shoulder. Axel, "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Roxas nodded, slowly, finding even that hurt to do as well. Axel led Roxas back towards the shadowy hallway, waving his left arm out and calling a Corridor of Darkness up. As the two stepped through it, Axel was heard saying, "I'll bet some sea-salt ice cream would be great right now."

The Corridor swelled as it took the two, then shrank, melting into a puddle and vanishing.

Only Xigbar remained in Castle Oblivion's final room…

Asleep to the world…

Like the castle's other occupant.

---

A second swirling Corridor appeared atop the clocktower in Twilight Town, Axel and Roxas stepping out and into the cool night air. Roxas blinked, slightly surprised. He had never Twilight Town at night. Axel let go of the younger boy's shoulder, wiping the small line of blood off his chin as he did.

Axel, "Pretty late but I'm sure there's a convenience store open somewhere that sells ice cream." Roxas nodded, wincing and still clutching at his throat. Then his eyes spotted a dark form lying limp against the clocktower's surface. Roxas recognized her instantly.

"Xion!" The teen croaked out, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

Roxas stumbled over to his friend's side, looking at her sleeping face. Axel followed after him. Axel, "It's alright, she's unharmed. Luxord didn't get a chance to even nick her with a paper cut with one of those cards of his."

Roxas breathed a sigh of relief. Looking back at Xion, he smiled at the sleeping girl, his left hand reaching to stroke a lock of her hair, gently brushing her forehead-

Random images, bursts of static and dots of numbers flashed over Roxas' eyes.

With a gasp, Roxas stumbled back, nearly falling over. In her sleep, Xion winced and whimpered.

Axel gasped, quickly moving towards his friends. Axel crouched next to Roxas, asking breathlessly, "Roxas, what happened? What's wrong?"

Roxas looked at his hand, feeling like he had been shocked. Axel's persisting voice broke his thoughts. Axel, "Roxas!"

Roxas shook his head, wincing in slight pain but forced him self out of his daze. Roxas, "Don't know." He croaked out. Hesitantly, Roxas reached out, touching Xion's face again.

This time, no shock, no random images.

Roxas let out a small breath. Axel looked between his friends before standing back up, looking at Roxas' bruised neck. Axel, "Looks like that ice cream will have to wait." The Flurry of Flames turned and moved towards the corner of the clocktower roof. Before he turned completely he looked back at Roxas and said, "I'll find some potions for you two. You both really need 'em by the looks of it."

Roxas nodded slowly, finding less pain in doing that. But before Axel could leave, the young teen called, "Axel."

The red-head looked back at his friend.

Roxas' eyes wandered, trying to find the right words. Then, he said quietly and slowly to not strain his voice, "What Xigbar…said…back there…"

Axel turned, facing Roxas.

Roxas went on. "Was it…true? About you…looking for something?'

Axel nodded. Axel, "The Superior had me look for a certain room in Castle Oblivion. But trying to find something in there is like trying to find the right grain of sand in a mile long beach. It's almost impossible. So that's what I reported back. I couldn't find it."

Roxas' eyes narrowed, confused. Roxas, "But…those doors…"

Axel shrugged. Axel, "I never saw the doors you and Xigbar saw. So I don't know what they were, or where they led too."

Roxas didn't respond for a moment. Then, he nodded slowly. Axel smiled and started to head off but Roxas once again spoke up.

"Hey Axel."

Axel looked back at Roxas.

Roxas looked up at his older friend, his blue eyes lost and hesitant.

Roxas, "Does…does…that name…Ven…have anything to do with why I was there…at Castle Oblivion?"

Axel hesitated for only the briefest of moments. Then, he smiled that familiar cocky smile and replied easily, "I haven't the slightest idea Roxas. Xion just mentioned that name and I decided to ask. But you must have hit your head or something while you were there, because you told me you had no idea what the name meant."

Roxas stared up at Axel, and the Flurry of Flames wondered if Roxas thought he was lying. Then, Roxas smiled slightly and nodded, accepting Axel's answer.

Smiling back, Axel said, "Now just wait here. I'll be back with some potions in a few, alright?"

Roxas nodded, sitting against the clocktower, right next to Xion.

Axel disappeared around the corner and as soon as he was out of Roxas' sight, his smile faded into a sad expression.

He had a sinking feeling he knew why Roxas couldn't remember…

But Axel decided it was for the best.

Roxas was almost killed for simply knowing the name 'Ventus'…

So it was safer if he just forgot everything.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames headed off, although another thing disturbed him.

Part of Xigbar's mission involved eliminating Roxas and Xion.

But if he did that, the Organization would lose their only means of gathering hearts-

Axel froze where he stood.

The realization struck him harder then anything else ever had.

"Aqua…"

The Organization didn't need Roxas or Xion if…

If Aqua joined them.

Axel stood there for the longest time, feeling something icy cold slithering around in his chest.

It was something he hadn't truly felt in years.

Fear.

---

A blue blur descended from the darkened sky, moving closer and closer towards the crumbling castle of pipes and gears.

The blur shot towards a section hidden behind the castle, where a portion of the ceiling had crumble in mysteriously. The blur blue accelerated, moving towards the crumbled ceiling-

And a flash of light made the blur vanish as something jumped from where the blur had been-

A loud clang reverberated in the empty circular chamber filled with huge, dead vines.

A figure was crouched on the floor, having leapt from her rider but kept her blue and gray armor on, the black visor of her helm silently searching through the chamber.

The visor stopped searching when it spotted a puddle of smoking shadows.

The armored maiden rose up, slowly moving towards the puddle. As she approached it, the puddle swelled, rising up into an oval shaped portal of swirling miasma. The maiden stopped where she stood when it did this.

Then, she resumed her approach, albeit slowly, more carefully.

When she stood before the portal, the maiden just stared at it.

Then, her arm rose, her hand reaching to touch the swirling darkness.

A small tendril of shadow wrapped around her finger when it ventured too close.

Almost instantly, she jerked her finger back, clenching her hand into a fist.

The shadows were cold.

Ice cold.

The armored maiden stared at the portal, her black visor betraying nothing.

Then, without any further hesitation or delay, she stepped into the portal, letting the shadows engulf and devour her form.

As soon as the maiden's armored form disappeared completely into the darkness, the Corridor of Darkness swelled and collapsed in on itself.

The chamber was devoid of nothing, save the remains of the vines.

---

Thunder rumbled overhead, the black sky hidden uselessly behind the dark clouds.

In an alleyway, deep in the back of the identical black buildings and yellow windows, a second Corridor of darkness appeared.

The spike heeled boots clanked noiselessly as the maiden stepped out of the Corridor.

As she did, her armor glowed brightly, a golden light quickly casting the shadows of the Corridor into nothingness. Golden sparks radiated off the maiden and as they did, her armor vanished.

The revealed maiden stood there, her ocean blue eyes surveying the buildings, noting each was exactly the same, right down to the glowing windows. Slowly and silently, she moved out of the alley way and onto a street path. As she stepped onto the street, she noted something else.

The air was stale, odorless.

Her head tipped back, looking up, causing a few locks of her blue hair to fall over her eyes. Carefully, she brushed them aside to resume staring at what caught her attention.

A massive castle of pure white steel, a steep contrast to these black bricked buildings, strange yet familiar symbols engraved on the castle surface and towers, visible even from the distance she was from it.

But she only glanced at the castle for a moment.

What had truly captured her attention…

Floated above the castle itself.

It was as beautiful as it was strange.

It was a golden moon with a blue outline…

Shaped exactly into the form of a heart.

The maiden's memories stirred.

Above her, thunder rumbled and boomed.

Then, a few drops of water landed on her face.

Then, more fell around her.

Soon, a downpour of rain began to fall over the dark city.

The maiden continued to stare at the massive moon of hearts.

Then, she slowly began to follow the street path.

And Aqua approached the castle, silently, unwavering.

Determined to see her decision through.

---

High atop his castle's tallest tower, he stood as always.

But unlike before, he no longer stood under the radiant glow of the moon of hearts.

Instead, he moved to a better position to look down on the darkened city.

His flaming orange eyes studied every corner.

When the thunder rumbled its loudest and strongest, he did not move back under the glowing moon, the only spot in the black sky the clouds had not touched, even when it began to rain and the icy cold water ran down his face and skin, plastering his silver locks to his skull.

No, he seemed to revel in it.

He tipped his head back, closing his eyes, letting the cool water caress his cold skin.

Slowly, he looked back down into the city, and smiled.

A cruel smile.

A triumphant smile.

Slowly, he raised his arm, holding his hand out to the person he knew was in the city below.

Still smiling his cruel smile of ruination and domination, Xemnas whispered three words:

"Come to me."

And he waited.

---

REVIEW RESPONSES!: (I've gotten so many and allowed them to build up without responding I'm a little confused. So if I miss anyone, please know i'm sorry):

Dark Maiden95: 1: Barney? (Shudder.) 2: The end draws near.

AquaStormXIV: 1: Your most welcome! Shame, I like Hades. (Catches and slips on.) I wouldn't worry about Xemnas. He'll be too busy with Aqua to care about us. Ha, plant puns, those are always required. Terra rules period. 2: Hope no one else was around you when you screamed. Kinda. Just a little different. Light against darkness. you'll learn soon. 3: Long doesn't begin to describe this chapter. I still haven' beaten that annoying black and white ghost. One day, I'm trying with Aqua. i'm hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrying as fast as I can.

NinjaSheik: 1: Went back and fixed as many as I could. 2: Trying.

Twilight Cardmistress: 1: Take as many as you want. 2: Ha! I loved this comment.

UnVeRsEd: (Joins you in a jiff) It's almost over. Fading will soon be the focus of my attention...along with a few other secret KH related fics.

AmethystFeather: Lying and misunderstand are two different things. I leave it to the readers to figure out the meaning behind Xemnas' words.

Jimbob5536: 1: Indeed. 2: Indeed. Good, as am i.

Fenrir of the Shadows: 1: A poetic style? really? 2: Indeed.

Cori Shadowfang: 1: Hey, at least you're reviewing now. Mind pointing those mistakes out so I can fix 'em? 2: Somehow eh? You'd be surprised. 3: Sad...I like sad. more believable.

Yue Twili: 1: If you want Deymx plushies, then you shall have as many as you want! As did I. i'm not good at music either. 2: Poor them...and the greatest sadness has not even occured yet.

DarkNekoGirl92: am i? Schoolgirl, eh?

Xorconr-Number 0: Well it has been revealed. Was it what you thought?

kirabook: 1: I think I found them all and got them, but more and more always sneak up on me. 2: He did...after he recovered.

The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika: 1: Ah! fangirl squeal! They burns us... Meh, not everyone likes the same pairings. I prefer Vanitas x Xion...Don't know why really. 2: I promised to finish this and by god i will. The better writers are the ones who can put a lot but a little in their chapters. 3: My bad. I guess he was out of chaarcter but how can one act when they've been sleeping for close to ten years? 'I' would be sad to know how much time as flown by me.

ShadowYashi: Nothing Xiggy ever does is good.

sailorjupiterhater: Well here they are.

CrimsinDarkness0013: 1: Nope. coincedence. Sigh, a dream I long for as well. 2: (Watches the press raise your jaw.) Have I ever told you you're one of my favorite reviewers? your comments always make me smile. 3: Yeah, I kinda do. ;) Don't bow, i enjoy hearing your comments face to face...methaporically speaking.

Elizabeth: 1: there are no pairings in this story. 2: Probably knock Riku out if he felt his plans were being threatened.

iceandfire66: 1: Bashing Unversed...FUN. I don't subscribe to most KH theories. What I see and hear in the games usually influence my beliefs about the games. 2: What a twist! (Shot) Ow. It never does. 3: Thank you.

Riku Uzumaki: 1: Pretty much. 2: To torture you.

TonberryBlue: Indeed. Oi, college. Strangely, I'm still looking forward to it. Roxas is badass period. Enjoy these moments.

Flightfoot: 1: I caught that and fixed it. 2: They learn...they're just unconscious afterwards. 3: Thanks for the update. Explained some things. 4: I never said Ven would wake up. You all assumed he would.

OathkeeperRoxasXNamine09: Thank you.

Faeiri: Not the first to tell me that. as the fic continued I feel my writing got much better.

fictionalcharacterwish: I was just messing with you.

organizationkhII: 1: Indeed. 2: Sad...so sad. And the true tragedy hasn't occured yet. 3: He's actually pretty fast at full power. Watch the boss fight from KH2FM and you'll see what I mean. And Ven was pretty powerful near the end of BBS. Every attack I described him using was what he was capable of doing in the game.

Taeniaea: Thank you.

mysteriousguy898: 1: ...enjoy the cookie. 2: Well, technically three now. 3: Thanks. That's like telling me I just wasted my time and my readers. Really encouraging.

ReplikaRiku'sgirl: How could I forget my favorite Kh girl? (gives you a happy face)

Kittygirl1998:1: Winning idea. 2: Good. 3: Hear? Don't you mean read?

Artic-Moon: Thank you.

WindyRainbow580: Thank you.

Spiritual Wolf: 1: Ah I love new readers and their reviews. yours are especially fun to read, because your excitement tends to rub off on me. 2: They're much better now. I'm trying to divide my time now. 3: I couldn't put the Sentiment in this story, sadly. He wasn't really Ven, just a Memory of how Ven preceived himself. nope, NEXT chapter's the last. Keep guessing. You never know if your right or wrong.

VirgilTheart: 1: Hey, been a while. Luxord's without a doubt my favorite Organization member. I had to give him as much screentime as I could in this. 2: eerie? How so? There are other ways to find it... if one knows the Way.

Marluxia Sasaki: Indeed.

Saiyakupo: This...is offcially...my favorite review. EVER. You inspired me to finish chapter 17 with this review. I didn't mind the critiscm at all and all that lub and hugs made me smile when I read this. (Hands you a brand new Xemnas plushie.) a lemon eh? We'll see.

Sora Tayuya: I saw your earlier reviews. Freakin amazing, huh? well, I look forward to anymore comments you have to share.

(Too everyone who commented on my little flashdrive crisis I sincerely thank you all. Bad time for me.)

Apprentice Writer: Thank you.

Berander: Several pages actually.

DarkMoonPrincessAzara: (Smirks) I love putting characters in strange situations. But then again, don't we all?

Archivist: Thank you.

Chie Uchia: I thank you for your comment and compliments, but I strongly decline. Please do not translate my story.

Trey Cooper: I can't stress this enough Trey: VEN. IS A. ROXAS. RIPOFF!

Fan of Fanficss21: Thank you.

KingdomHeartsDragon: Veeeeeeery long. Your Aqua fix will come soon.

tailsfan54321: Thank you. I'm aware of that problem, has it been resolved yet?

shloop: 1: Probably as well as she took it the first time. 2: They could happen, one way or another. Why does it suck to be Roxas?