author' s notes: I know, I know, but...better late than never, right? Haha, I tried to get this out for Christmas, but I guess a belated gift and an early Happy New Year present is just as good! I hate how they keep changing the formatting on here—I have to keep changing all my chapters so they don't look utterly horrible. And I still see some italic space issues. Grrr.

I was honestly so inspired to work on this after Dream Drop Distance came out, but then I just got bogged down by so many things. You should all know that I've basically rid myself of pretty much all distractions. I literally have nothing else to do on my computer but work on this story! So I was able to actually write the majority of this chapter in the past few days, and voila, here it is!

I haven't personally played KH3D because of my aforementioned distaste of handheld consoles, but I've spoiled myself rotten on most of the important stuff, I think. I haven't checked in for a while, though. I was actually quite surprised, because long before this came out I was mulling over the idea of something akin to dream diving in my sequel...though it has been six years since I started this thing, so...haha. My bad.

I'm not going to spoil anything, but I do have one question I would like to pose to all my readers. I'm so serious about this that I'm probably going to put up a poll on my profile for people who don't want to answer via a review or PM.

What are your thoughts on Roxas being his own person versus Roxas actually being Ventus?

I'm sort of torn between the two ideas and it's a really important aspect in terms of setting the whole tone of the sequel, and thus impacts this story because it all connected. So I am heavily imploring you all to please get your answer to me in some way! I would deeply appreciate the input.

Special thanks to KristeKanata, AbysmalOblivion, Warrior of Virtue, badkidoh, a random reader, , mariko-chan ne, Midnight Fantasia Goddess, Nova Revant, julie, cookie monster gurl and BlazeRose13 for the alerts and/or reviews! It all truly meant the world to me and it kept me motivated to finish this! I hope I haven't forgotten to mention anyone or reply to anyone's review/PM. I try to save all the emails I get and respond to them immediately.

Regarding a random reader's anonymous review that I couldn't reply to via PM, I'm glad you think so! I hope you enjoy where the story went this chapter!

And julie's anonymous review that I couldn't reply to via PM, I'm so overjoyed that you enjoy my story so much! The way he went out in KHII was horrible! I mean, before 358/2 Days came out, we only had seven, no six, days of him! I was so sad.

And without further ado, here is the next chapter! I don't own anything but my thoughts! Please enjoy and review!

Chapter XVII: A Royal Visit

Data merge program running.

Warning: Abortion unauthorized.

World connection: Stable.

Elapsed time: Four months, thirteen days.

Amalgamation complete: Twenty-two percent.

Estimated time remaining:

...Calculating...

Unknown.

xoxoxoxox

"Are you sure you'll be all right?"

Naminé looked up at Riku from her hiding spot in the garden of Disney Castle. Ever since their departure from Twilight Town all those months ago, the blonde Nobody had been shuffled between the teen before her and Axel, depending on who was 'on assignment', as she put it. Naturally, she enjoyed herself the most when she was with the silver-haired boy, but the cerulean-eyed girl noticed he was rather tense as of late.

Figuring that things were going to escalate very soon, Riku had suggested that they try to secure the safety of a certain red-headed close friend of his. However, considering his current state, the sixteen-year-old had reluctantly given the job to the former Order member. Whether it was due to not being able to relax unless he did the task himself or being unable to trust Axel to keep his end of the bargain, Naminé wasn't sure. It was the type of situation where one had to do it themselves to make sure it was done right, and the very thing that kept the Flurry on their side was the very thing that could cause him to go rogue.

The 'witch' felt a little guilty about Riku's anxiety—when the other had mentioned, just in spoken thought, about considering retrieving his other childhood friend, she had shared that she would've liked to meet her 'other' before she had to go through her own merge. Since then, the silver-haired male hadn't been able to stop thinking about it, until it was as much a reason to go through with the plan as the original reason of protection was. In an attempt to ease his worries, Naminé had suggested he could still protect his friend from a distance and watch over Axel from the shadows. Riku couldn't argue that logic, but now on the eve of his departure he felt he was abandoning his duty and leaving behind someone special to him for someone else who was just as important in his life.

"I'm sure," Naminé reassured. "You said the King had left this world a few weeks ago after Sora had saved it, right? So that rules out an enemy attack. Besides," the blonde girl paused, lifting up her right hand, where black wisps began to form, "I've been practicing."

Although she was a Nobody, Naminé had never created a portal to the Corridor of Darkness before. It wasn't even something she had thought about until Axel had asked her about it when Riku first left her with him after their meeting in Twilight Town. Considering she was first a prisoner in Castle Oblivion and then had no reason to escape while chaining back Sora's memories, it wasn't too much of a surprise. But now that she was essentially free, and on constant high alert of an attack from the Order, learning such a natural ability of a Nobody was essential.

Riku didn't seem convinced, though. Whatever had caused the disturbance earlier in Disney Castle was not caused by the Order, and he wouldn't put it past them to try and invade now that Sora had his attention elsewhere. "Naminé…"

"If something happens to her, neither of us will be able to forgive ourselves," the Nobody pleaded, grabbing onto both of Riku's gloved hands. "Please…" she whispered, squeezing the appendages in her hands in both desperation and reassurance.

A long, tense moment passed before Riku closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn't forgive himself if something happened to either of them, but he was getting nowhere arguing with her like this—he had a feeling he wasn't going to win. The faster he left, the faster he could return. "...I'll be back."

Naminé smiled faintly and nodded, releasing his hands. "I'll be waiting."

With a stiff nod, the Ansem look-a-like turned around, opened a portal and disappeared without looking back, for he knew he would lose some of his resolve if he did.

The blonde Nobody's smile faded as the portal did, and she drew her knees towards her chest, holding her hand out to practice what Riku had just done. If something happened to her, her other would be harmed, and that outcome was unacceptable, so she had to give it her all to master the portals for a quick escape if need be. Naminé couldn't help it, though, as her mind continued to wander.

Axel...I know you want to see him again, but don't do something you'll regret. You won't be able to take it back...

xoxoxoxox

Riku walked unhurriedly, though with purpose, through the Corridor of Darkness, eyes vigilant in case he were to come across someone else while inside—and the chances of it being someone other than one of the XIII Order was slim to none. Although it seemed like an inconvenience in that sense, the fastest way of travel was through portals, and it wasn't like he had access to a gummi ship, anyway. And considering he had to open a pathway to a world he hadn't seen in a long time to watch from a safe distance the meeting of two red-headed individuals, if the green-eyed male hadn't made contact already, time was of the essence.

As the silver-haired male made his way through the corridor, a tear in the veil of Nobody symbols that ran throughout the expanse of the pathway caught his eye. He froze, tense—a tear could only have meant that someone had opened a portal and hadn't closed it properly. Cautiously, Riku approached the hole, planning on closing it fully so that no one on the other side could look in and see him, or worse, walk in without knowing the dangers of entering unprotected, but his hand stopped in mid-air as he recognized the world that the portal was opened to.

The World That Never Was? the now amber-eyed teen thought to himself, now even more on guard. That world was the headquarters of the XIII Order, and he couldn't believe any of them were so careless as to not properly close their own portals. Carefully, Riku peered in to survey the surroundings, and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of a familiar dog roaming the damp streets. Wasn't that Pluto, the King's dog? What in the world is he doing here? Before he could open his mouth to call the animal, another person caught both of their eyes, and Pluto, happy to have come across another living being, chased after the trench coat-wearing person. With the hood down, Riku recognized the bright red hair anywhere.

Axel...what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be picking up her? Or have you done so already and are preparing to betray us so soon...? Hard eyes narrowed, and he watched as the older male disappeared into another portal, not noticing the dog that was left behind him as the gateway closed before Pluto could follow the other inside. With the coast now clear, Riku opened the hole into a full portal and whistled to catch the animal's attention, and he squatted and beckoned the dog towards him when it turned around to face him.

"Come here, Pluto," he said with a voice much too deep to be his, and soon his arms were filled with the warmth and weight of the King's trusted dog. "Ah, ah, I know," Riku said as Pluto barked happily, as if trying to tell him of the man the dog was trailing right before he come along. As if afraid of what the dog would think of him now that he looked like the enemy that pulled his master away from him, Riku turned his head away before the dog could look into his hood and lick his face. "Let's go."

With that, Riku stood, and the two of them disappeared into the Corridor as the portal vanished, ready to stalk the movement of the apparent triple-crosser.

xoxoxoxox

The portal that had closed on the wall of one of the many the dead end alleys of the world opened up in one of the many staircases of The Castle That Never Was. Axel emerged from the gateway cautiously, looking around to make sure the area was completely empty. "No one is here...yet," he added, knowing his former alliance enough to know that it was only a matter of time before his appearance was well known. "I didn't want to come back at first, but I had no choice," Axel told himself as he looked down at his tattered and barely-kept together trench coat. It was, of course, ruined in his fight with Roxas in the digital Twilight Town.

"If this continues, it will get quite inconvenient to move around..." Although he was a Nobody, and was thus exempt from certain effects that came from using the Corridors of Darkness as a means of travel, the physical aspects, such as the amber eyes, was something that only the Black Coat he wore protected him from. "Though I still owe it to Naminé..." If she hadn't patched up his coat the first time 'Ansem' had left the girl in his care after their talk on the beaches of the real Twilight Town, he would surely be sporting a dark tan right then. But even that repair was reaching a limit, and Axel had no choice but to return for another coat.

Making his way to the laundry room of the Castle, Axel was pleasantly surprised to find a coat in the washing machine, still slightly damp as if it had just been put through a cycle. Unconcerned or unaware about how convenient the situation was, Axel pulled it out of the machine and held it out in front of him, using his power over fire to dry the garment without having to use the dryer. "Even though I don't who it belongs to, I'll just take it," he said with a cheeky grin, turning to face the mirrored wall across from the machines as he slipped it on. "All right, fits pretty good, too."

The very minute sound of something mechanical moving caught his attention, and Axel turned to see that a camera hanging on the ceiling from the corner was the source of it. "Is this what they call a closed-circuit camera? Man, this place has become an uncomfortable area to live in," the red-headed male muttered, turning to face the machine head on. "Or is it become of me? Really..." With a snap of his fingers, the camera, as well as drying machines below, ignited and blew up, and the smirk that settled on his face quickly disappeared as not too long after the alarm went off and the sprinkler system turned on to douse the flames.

"Oh, crap," Axel muttered, making a run for it as an automated voice came over the system.

"The camera at 15-7L has received damage. Unfortunately, there is an unknown trespasser. Please reinforce the security nearby."

Unknown trespasser, the green-eyed Nobody scoffed as he ran. Guess they really did install that thing after I left. I still can't believe this old place even has this, and with such a fast response time to boot. As he rounded a corner, he stopped short as a group of Nobodies blocked his way, and he took a step back, lifting a hand to summon a portal. "Going away is the best...tactic?" he finished in a question, surprised to find more Nobodies pouring out the portal he had created.

"Tch, detestable," Axel said under his breath, summoning his chakrams as he was surrounded. He had no choice but to fight his way through now.

"Let's meet again in the next life."

"Yeah...I'll be waiting."

He couldn't die now. He was waiting for him, and he wasn't going to disappear until then. At that time, I really...wanted to leave with you, the Nobody thought as he tore apart the Nobodies that came at him, remembering the time Roxas had deflected from the Order and he couldn't find the words to make his best friend stay.

Surrounded by dying flames and black smoke, Axel's arms hung numbly at his sides as he stood alone now, not seeing anything as he stared into space.

I...want to meet you again. For this goal... I...

xoxoxoxox

There was nothing left but the scorched floors by the time the XIII Order descended upon the area where the Flurry of Dancing Flames was last recorded seen. In light of the break in, they gathered for an 'emergency meeting' in the Round Room, as they called it. Or, as Axel had once referred to it, the place where 'nothing good ever came from being in that room' room. Amber eyes took in the ever-diminishing numbers of his group following the betrayal of the exact person that was the subject of the meeting.

"Axel, he...?" Luxard started, looking around at his fellow Nobodies.

"It seems he stole a suit from the laundry room," Xaldin answered the unfinished question in a tone that held no emotion—perhaps his mind was elsewhere, thinking of the next step to take after his apparent stale-mate at the Beast's Castle.

An almost comical cry came next, and Demyx held his hands up to his face as he sobbed. "My spare clothes went missing!" the blonde male cried out, figuring the reason why was because Axel had taken them.

A laugh from across the room caught his attention, and teary eyes fell upon an amused Xigbar. "I say he's lucky that he didn't take Xaldin's clothes instead."

Ignoring the comments made by the other members, Saïx crossed both his arms and legs and turned his head in the direction of the still silent Superior. "The situation with Axel...shall I take care of it?" he offered in the form of a question. "I know what his next move is," the Luna Diviner added as if to better his chances of receiving the mission.

Although he couldn't tell since the hood was up, Saïx felt more than saw the Superior's gaze on him. If he were to take a guess, he would've thought the other male was trying to figure out just how he knew what the red-headed traitor was going to do. Whether the brown-skinned male figured it out or merely chalked it up to Saïx and Axel being best of friends in their past life was unknown, but...

"Okay," Xemnas agreed. "I'll leave him to you, Saïx."

...Traitors were always dealt with, without fail.

xoxoxoxox

She was standing in almost the same exact spot that she had been all those months ago, when Selphie gave her a small lecture about polluting as she sent a bottle with a message off into the waters towards the one dearest to her heart. It didn't appear to be a school day, though, as instead of her school uniform, the girl was wearing her peach-coloured attire instead.

"Was the letter received...?" Kairi asked the wind, her only companion as she had gone to the shoreline alone that day. With a soft sigh, the redheaded female looked down at the sand, where she began almost shyly kicking at the ground with her foot. "Sora...I'm waiting for your reply...still waiting...but..."

Stopping her kicking motions, the fifteen-year-old returned her gaze forward, staring unwaveringly at the second island that made Destiny Islands plural, memories of all the times she spent on the other side of the ocean replying through her mind.

"Maybe...waiting isn't good enough."

"I agree," a voice suddenly said, and Kairi looked around frantically for the owner of it. Steel blue eyes soon caught sight of a man with hair a much brighter shade of red than hers as he appeared from a dark portal only a few feet away from her.

"If you got a dream, don't wait," the emerald-eyed man continued when the girl saw him. "It's one of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"

Kairi remained silent for some time afterward, eyeing the older male carefully. "...Who are you?" she eventually asked when she didn't find anything familiar about the other, taking a cautious step back as she hugged herself with one arm.

"I'm Axel," the robe-wearing male replied easily. "I happen to be an acquaintance of Sora's. Why don't we go see him?" he suggested, holding a gloved hand out in an invitation.

"...Sora?" the Princess of Heart said with a spark of hope, the arm that had went up to hug herself lowering as she dropped her guard at the familiar name. Maybe the man really did know Sora...the brunet male had travelled to so many worlds, after all...

A bark snapped Kairi back to reality, and a yellow-furred dog bounds up towards her, spinning in circles in front of her when he reached and wagged his tail. Bending down slightly, the redheaded girl smiled at the animal, noting that its nametag said 'Pluto'.

Axel frowned slightly at the interruption, knowing he was so close just a moment ago of acquiring the Princess. Snapping his fingers, he caused four Dusks to appear and surround the girl and the dog. "We've got something in common, Kairi," he said, trying to coax the teenager back on his side. "You and I both miss someone we care about. I feel like we're friends already."

"Friends?" Kairi repeated, almost laughing at the idea as she eyed the white monsters that Pluto was now growling at to keep them at bay. "Friends don't do this kind of thing!"

"This kind of thing?" Axel now echoed, looking confused before one of the Nobodies he summoned brushed up behind him, causing him to elbow it away. "Don't be afraid, they aren't bad guys," he explained with a chuckle, which slowly turned into a smirk. "It's just sometimes...they might forget things."

Like whose side they're on, the redheaded male finished in his head, though he didn't need to say it aloud for Kairi to understand for not a moment later one of the Nobodies in the circle surrounding her twitched, as if ready to launch forward and attack her.

However, it wasn't the shorter redhead that fell to the ground.

"Arf! Arf! Arf" Pluto barked, sitting on Axel's chest to keep the ex-XIII Order member down. The vicious barking slowly receded as the dog noticed he wasn't being thrown off violently, which gave him enough insight on Axel's character. Happily, Pluto switched motions, licking the male's face instead.

"Whoa!" Axel exclaimed, caught off guard by the shift in the dog's attitude towards him. "What's up with you?!" The redhead wasn't sure if it was strange to almost wish for the hostility the animal was showing him before, or that this was the most affection he had gotten since...well, since Roxas, really. It had been so long since he didn't feel hated or unwanted that he didn't know what to do with himself.

A whistle suddenly sounded, catching the attention of both humans and the one dog. Kairi let out a surprised noise when a dark portal open up not too far away from her, eyeing it with suspicious curiosity—it looked a lot like the gateway Axel had come out of earlier. Since she was waiting for someone to come out of it, the redheaded female was speechless as Pluto barked appreciatively in response to the whistle before rushing right into the gaping hole.

"Wait, do I go in there?" Kairi asked aloud, taking a few steps forward, though in hindsight she wasn't sure why—the dog was long gone, and it wasn't as if it could answer her even if it was still around.

Axel, who was shaking his head free of both sand and some of the disorientation he felt from being knocked to the ground earlier, quickly sat up as he saw the Princess edge closer towards the portal. Never mind the fact that he didn't know who opened it, something that was already ringing warning bells in his mind, without a black coat like his he wasn't sure how the Corridor of Darkness would affect her.

"Don't go!" he yelled. "I don't know what will happen there!"

A feeling of relief came over him as Kairi stopped and looked back at him, but dread settled in the pit of his stomach when the teenager merely stuck her tongue out at him. While anyone would've felt uneasy about a doorway of swirling darkness, between it and the man behind her, it actually seemed like the lesser of two evils. Besides, the dog didn't hesitate to enter it, and she trusted Pluto more than Axel.

"Wait for me, doggy!" Kairi called as she disappeared inside the portal, leaving Axel to gape after her as it closed. Any other time, the redheaded male might've chuckled at how his summoned Nobodies turned to look at him with their mouths opened dumbly, or yelled and banished them back where they came from as the Nobodies could've been laughing at him in their own way, but there was only one thought going through his mind at that moment.

'Ansem' was going to skin him alive.

xoxoxoxox

It was more...brighter than she expected. Of all the ideas that sprang to her head as she entered the black swirling mist, an endless path decorated with the same repeating symbol and no distinguishable marks to tell one place from another was not it. Kairi wrapped her arms around herself as if afraid she might touch something she shouldn't, and stayed close to Pluto, trying to take an example from the dog's calm demeanor and not freak out,

"What is this place?" she breathed out in awe, unable to help herself despite the circumstances. Although she technically visited quite a few worlds several months ago, it wasn't like she was actually awake to see any of them. On one hand it was exhilarating to be out on an adventure like what was meant to happen when they decided to build the raft ages ago, but on the other hand she felt connected to Sora and Riku, who were still on that adventure, fighting to protect each other and make it back home.

Maybe waiting truly wasn't good enough anymore.

It's my turn to bring you two back home.

"But first...how to get out of here..." Kairi scanned around the area but couldn't tell if they were going the right way...if there even was a right way.

And then she heard it. A whistle, a lot like the one she heard back on Destiny Islands when the portal opened up and brought her...wherever 'here' was. The Princess turned her head towards the sound, and sure enough, another portal was open ahead of her, a bright light shining through the hole it created in the otherwise symmetrical layout.

"An exit?" Kairi questioned aloud, and once again the dog dashed forward, seemingly answering her in his own way once again. She jogged after him, and as she was enveloped by the light, she felt someone watching her. Slowing down, the redheaded girl looked over her shoulder and saw a figure in a hooded black trench coat that covered the person right down to their shoes. They stood just outside the reach of the light, and Kairi could feel the person didn't mean her any harm—quite the opposite, actually, like they were looking out for her. It actually felt familiar, and by the time she gasped at the realization of why, the portal was already closing around her, blocking her person from view.

Before consciousness faded away completely, Kairi whispered a single word.

"Riku...?"

xoxoxoxox

It had been months and the Twilight Town trio weren't any closer to figuring out who the mysterious blonde male was in the photo or what exactly happened to them all those months ago. In fact, they were left with even more questions. They started with the only lead they had—Pence's research on the Seven Wonders of Twilight Town. Between school and family commitments, they looked into one, and Olette kept a record of everything they found or remembered in case another lapse in their memory happened once more.

The first was the Spooky Steps, and though they weren't aware of it, some things just never changed. They had each taken turns going down and back up the steps, counting each time they did, and when they compared their numbers in the end, only Hayner and Olette were confused by the results—after all, the whole Wonder was the fact that the number of steps changed going up and down. When Pence emitted a laugh and shook his head, he revealed to his friends that someone heard from Rai that the number was different.

"So the numbskull just counted wrong?" Hayner had asked, his fingers curling into a fist that he had intended to punch Pence in the arm with for making them waste all that time.

The headband-wearing teenager noticed this, though, and already started running, managing to say, "Hey, we had to make sure, didn't we? Besides, at least we got in some exercise!", in between laughs and looking over his shoulder to see how close the blonde male was to catching him.

"I'll show you exercise!" the leader of the trio yelled as he missed grabbing Pence by an inch.

Olette could only giggle and shake her head as she recorded their findings of the first rumour.

The second Wonder they investigated was the Moans from the Tunnel, and it didn't have quite the humorous end as the first. It was still actually an open case. The boys were reluctant to check it out at first because it required going into the tunnels and they were afraid it might trigger another attack in Olette. To her credit, the lone girl put aside her own reservations about going underground in favour of something 'much more important', or so she put it, though she did have a death grip on the flashlight she had brought with her when they went.

To their surprise, it wasn't too long before they did hear something that could be described as moans, and Pence gulped as Hayner took point, ready to attack the source of the sound if it turned out to be malicious—they still remembered those odd white creatures that appeared at the Station during Sora's visit.

It was somewhat anticlimactic when they turned the corner and didn't find anything or anyone, and as Hayner scratched the back of his head in disbelief, Pence looked up at the vent in the wall before them.

"Hey guys, look! It seems like the sounds are coming from up there," the dark-haired boy said as he pointed.

"Is that...the wind?" Hayner asked, going on his tippy-toes as if it would make him hear better.

Pence sighed. "I guess it's just another mistaken rumour."

"I don't think...that's the whole story," Olette murmured, and the two boys turned to look at her, noticing a distant look in her eyes.

"Olette?"

"What do you mean?"

The girl closed her eyes and seemed to sleepwalk towards the wall, placing her hand on it and letting it drag across the brick as she took a few steps sideways. For a moment, the two boys thought their lone female friend didn't hear them, but then she spoke.

"There was...someone here. They were injured, and their moans of pain caught my attention. They wouldn't leave...couldn't leave...so I think I made up at rumour to scare everyone away, so they wouldn't bother the person as they healed. I think I lucked out when not only the person disappeared when someone came to investigate, but that the vent could be blamed for the noises, too."

There was a long moment of silence in which the two boys stared blankly ahead before giving each other a look, and Pence swallowed, having a feeling that he was the one who went to check the source of the moans all those months ago.

"That person..." Hayner started, taking a step towards the brunette girl, "Was it him? The guy from the photo?"

Olette shook her head, and when she opened her eyes again, they were a clear emerald. "No. I think...it was a girl?"

The fact that it ended in a question was troubling, and the dark-haired male frowned, figuring there was really only one explanation as to why Olette seemed so uncertain.

"Tampered memories, huh?" Pence said, causing his two friends to look at him—Olette looking somber while Hayner was downright disgruntled.

"Wait 'till I get my hands on whoever's messing with our minds like this!" the blonde stated, hitting the side of his fist against the wall, and the trio promptly left before Hayner's blood pressure could skyrocket further.

Several years of yearbooks and class photos later didn't yield any results on the person Olette had helped in the tunnel, either. With nowhere left to turn until the memory returned or the (possible) girl turned up for a surprise visit, the Wonder was left on the backburner.

xoxoxoxox

That morning they were at it again, the three of them finding themselves standing at the opening of a bricked-off alleyway in Sunset Terrace where it was said a multitude of balls were found as if thrown from the wall at the end. Indeed, there were quite a lot of balls lying there, and Olette bent down to pick one up and examined it as Hayner and Pence walked over to the wall to inspect it.

"How do we know a bunch of kids didn't just leave their toys behind?" Hayner asked as he knocked on the wall, unsurprised to find it as solid as a rock.

"Well, that's certainly the logical explanation," Olette said, bouncing the ball off one of the side walls lightly so it wasn't hard for her to catch it. The ball was real and sturdy, and if thrown hard enough it could definitely harm someone. "...What if it's something not so easily explained?" she questioned back, trying her hand at being the Devil's Advocate.

The leader grunted and crossed his arms, still uncomfortable with such things that were out of his control but unable to deny that it could happen considering everything. "Okay...so let's say someone was throwing it. Who are they? How did they get it through the wall? What are they after? Was the blonde guy from the photo their target? If so, why are they still here? Are we next?"

Silence followed the tirade of questions, and Olette sighed, looking down at the ground. There were far too many questions and far too little answers. Why would anyone be interested in their little world, in the three of them, in him? There wasn't anything special about them...was there?

Is it the bad guys who took away our memories, or is it them who wants us to get it back?

Emerald eyes lifted to land on Pence, who was silent since they arrived but seemed to have a thoughtful look on his face. She tilted her head curiously, but decided out in the open wasn't the place to divulge everything. Maybe it wasn't 'safe' anymore, and the thought worried her. She couldn't deny they didn't have any more reason to be standing there, though, and she squeezed the ball in her hand, intending to keep it for 'evidence'. There was a lot more around that she didn't think one missing would be a problem if someone in the Town really did own them, though she was ready to return it if that was the case.

"C'mon guys, let's head back to the Usual Spot," Olette suggested, and the silence followed them all the way on the journey there.

As soon as they arrived they took up their regular seats, and the lone girl in the group got to work on updating the journal she kept of their findings. Pence was still deep in thought, and Hayner paced for what seemed like a millennium to him before he broke. He marched right up to the headband-wearing boy and put his hands on his hips.

"All right, spill it!" the blonde male said. "You've been suspiciously quiet this whole time. What are you thinking?"

Pence blinked in surprise from being called out, and he looked uncertain to share what he was thinking. "...It's going to sound a little out there," he confessed.

Olette, who was peeking at him from over the journal, lowered it down to her lap and gave a small smile. "Honestly, I think that's what we're going to need if we're going to continue researching this. And you're our expert on all things paranormal," she teased lightly.

It seemed to have the right affect, and Pence smiled lightly before he crossed his arms and leaned back on the crate he was sitting on. "I'm not sure on who and why, but the how I can explain...maybe. The person, the balls, came from another dimension...another world."

Hayner made a strangled sound and lowered his hands from his hips. "You mean like...aliens, or something?" he asked uncertainly, looking as if he wasn't sure if he should laugh or vomit in the corner.

"Not that out there...or maybe. I mean, there were those odd white things before at the Station..." Pence looked thoughtful again before he shook his head, not wanting to go off topic. "I actually was thinking about it because of Sora. I'm pretty sure he's not from around here, and we never saw him again once he left. Where did he come from, and where did he go? The only thing I could think of was another world."

"Hey...do you guys believe there are other worlds out there?"

"Other worlds? As in...other worlds?"

"Scientists always claim there are, don't they? That 'we're not alone in this world.' But they're never able to prove it, and it's not as if it's possible to travel outside of this world, or for others to come in. I mean, we've been surrounded by the same people since forever. I'll believe it when I see it."

"...It's a nice dream, isn't it?" Olette whispered as the brief glimpse of memory faded away, and she blinked when she realized her best friends were staring at her. She laughed, slightly embarrassed, and was surprised when she felt tears fall down her cheeks from the action. When did tears well up in her eyes? The lone female laughed again as she wiped them away, hoping to convince her friends that she was all right.

"I'm sorry, I'm fine, I just...remembered something. I think we had this conversation before, about 'other worlds'...Hayner's reaction isn't that much different, but I think he would be happy to know that Pence is a little more forthcoming this time around."

She smiled reassuringly when Pence looked upset that he would've been opposed to the idea, especially if it wasn't supportive for a friend, and she clutched the journal tighter in a silent reminder to write down the memory when she got the chance. "So, how is travel possible between worlds?"

Pence had to shake his hand and slap his cheeks lightly to get his head back on track. He could make it up to him when they found him. "The most obvious would be by some sort of ship...though I've never seen one of those. Sora left on that train, but as far as we all know the beach is as far as Twilight Town goes. There is that Wonder about a train, so we'll have to look into that." The slightly chubby male crossed his arms as he searched his brain for more ways of transportation.

"As far as this whole thing with the wall and the balls go...the only thing I can think of is some kind of portal—"

Pence was cut off as there was a sudden flash of light from a part of the wall across from them, opening up some sort of gateway where a redheaded girl and a dog suddenly flew out of before closing up shortly after. The girl was unconscious, but the dog barked happily at them, running forward to greet them before returning to the girl and licking her face to try to wake her.

"So...something like that?" Hayner finally managed to say as the scene left them all speechless. The three of them shared a look before they hurried to their feet to surround the girl and help to get her conscious again.

"Hey!" Olette called gently, leaning forward and resting the palms of her hands on her knees.

The girl began to stir and they heard a groan, and Pence squatted down as Hayner took a step forward. "Are you okay?" the leader asked as the girl pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"...What?" the redheaded girl breathed out, grabbing the side of her head before looking up at the three teens before her. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything the dog nuzzled her and resumed licking her face. The female smiled, petting the dog as she returned her gaze to the others in the room. "Where am I?"

"Twilight Town!" Pence answered, looking excited that what he and his friends were just discussing came to life right before their eyes. "You and that dog came flying out of a hole in the wall! You nearly gave us heart attacks! Did...did you come from another planet? Maybe you're from a different dimension? Ah! Can you understand us?"

Olette laughed and pulled Pence up into a standing position, hoping to rein her friend back in from treating the poor girl as some sort of science experiment and bombarding her with questions when it seemed like she might've been overwhelmed by the whole situation. "I'm Olette," she introduced herself before turning towards Pence, hoping he had calmed down a little.

The dark-haired boy was waving excitedly at the redheaded girl with both hands, having seemed to have turned his verbal energy into something physical. "I'm Pence! And this is..."

Three heads turned to look at the blonde-haired individual, who was giggling off to the side because the dog had decided to move its licking affections to him when he had bent down to pet its head. "H-Hayner," the trio leader finished Pence's sentence as he sensed all eyes were on him to respond. "Uwah, stop, that tickles!" Hayner addressed the dog, the hands that wrapped around the dog meant to push it away but only seemed to pull the dog closer to him.

His friends and the new girl laughed at the scene. "That's Pluto," she said, motioning to the dog, "And my name is Kairi." There was a pause as she looked down, thinking of her next words before she added, "I'm looking for my friends."

xoxoxoxox

There was a sort of an intermission, where Olette helped Kairi to her feet and invited her to sit on the couch beside her, and the boys ran off to grab some food and drinks. They could tell the new girl wanted to tell them her story, for both of their benefits, but they also knew she probably needed some time to gather her thoughts and emotions together. Full and refreshed, they all settled in their seats and turned to face the redhead—even Pluto rested his head on his front paws as he lounged on the floor in the middle.

"We used to be together, just the three of us, together chatting," Kairi began, clasping her hands together in her lap. "Riku, Sora and me. We thought of exploring the other side of world. We even made a wooden raft, and prepared what we needed—food, blankets. Now that I think of it, we were really childish..." she trailed off, eyes downcast and a nostalgic smile on her face.

"That's amazing!" Olette exclaimed, raising her fingers to her lips in awe. "The only places we go can are limited by where the tram runs."

"We do have a beach, though!" Hayner said, looking excited. "We could always try it out if we have free time," he joked, the Twilight Town gang laughing before it faded away as they thought of their fourth person.

Together... Olette thought wistfully, moving her hand from her mouth to run through the ends of her brown hair.

Sensing the change in mood, Pence cleared his throat and tried to steer back to Kairi's story. "So, up 'till now, Sora left the Islands and went to find Riku?"

The redheaded girl nodded, and she laughed nervously, trying not to think of the worst scenario. "I'm sure he must've hit a detour somewhere...and now I'm looking for Sora while he's searching for Riku. If I find Riku first we could go after Sora together." And I hope I didn't just miss my chance back there... she thought, remembering the cloaked individual she saw before the portal closed.

"I see," Hayner nodded before his brows furrowed in thought. "Wait a minute. It can't be the same guy...could it?"

Kairi tilted her head, confused, though Pence snapped his fingers together, able to follow his leader's train of thought. "We met a Sora during summer vacation a while back."

"Ah, it's got to be the same person! I mean, that's not a common name or anything, right?" Olette said, sounding positive.

"Huh? Really?" Kairi asked, looking at her newfound friends and feeling hope swell inside.

"Yeah! He said he would come back!" Hayner said.

Pence rubbed the bottom of his chin as he thought back to their goodbyes with Sora on the train platform. "We didn't ask him when he'd return, though...But if you wait here, I'm sure he'll come."

"About that..." Olette piped up, finding it a perfect segue, "You haven't exactly decided what you're gonna do next, right? For the time being, come stay at my place. In that period, you can prepare yourself for your longer journey ahead."

Kairi turned to face the fellow female more, her face lighting and warming up at the other's kindness. "Can I?"

"A journey, of course!" Pence said, clapping his hands together in anticipation. "Whether you head out on your own or leave with Sora, you're gonna need something! I can lend you my camping equipment!"

The redhead turned her head towards the headband-wearing boy, feeling her eyes begin to water. "Thank you!"

Not wanting to be outdone, Hayner jumped to his feet, but froze when all eyes turned to him, unable to think of anything. "I'll...uhh...mmm...Lend you all my comic books!" he ended up blurting out, and no one was sure what to say to that. "It's really interesting, y'know!" he added, looking both embarrassed and disgruntled that his offer wasn't met with the same enthusiasm.

The whole room was filled with laughter then, and Kairi looked fondly at her new friends before leaning back on the couch and looking up through the rafters, pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous sunset colours in the sky and the view of the train tracks she saw.

I'm coming to see you, Sora...!

xoxoxoxox

"Are you sure it's all right?" Kairi asked as she, Pluto and Olette stood on the doorstep of the brunette's house. With the promise of meeting up, as they always did, the next day to make more plans to help the redheaded girl, they all went their separate ways home for the night.

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't," Olette assured the other female as she unlocked the door and ushered Kairi inside. "My parents are pretty easy-going, and I'm sure they'll be thrilled to know I have a friend who isn't male," she joked, laughing.

Kairi couldn't help but join in. "Between Riku and Sora, I can totally relate."

Olette smiled, and after giving a tour of the first floor, showed the way upstairs. "We could even say your house is being fumigated or something," she started as her foot hit the top landing. "That should give us like a week. Hayner and Pence aren't bad guys, so you could stay with them for a bit, and we could try camping out on Sunset Hill. It'll be a nice test run."

Once they reached Olette's room, Kairi grabbed the other's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you again, really. This means so much to me."

The brunette girl didn't say anything, but she squeezed the hand that held hers before fluttering around preparing clothes so the other could shower or change and pulling out the foam mattress to sleep on, since as the good host she was giving up her bed to Kairi. By the time to two of them were in the same room again they were settling into their beds to go to sleep.

"You guys have the longest sunset I've ever seen," Kairi commented dreamily as she stared out the window.

"Sunset?" Olette asked, looking utterly confused.

"Yeah..." the foreigner said, pointing a hesitant finger to the window. Was it called something else in that world? They hadn't hit any language snag until then. "Y'know, that thing that comes before nightfall."

Brunette locks fell over the other's shoulder as the girl tilted her head in thought before shaking her head. "It never gets dark unless you go underground...or into the Woods or something. The sky's always been like that since I was born."

Sapphire eyes gazed into emerald ones as Kairi's mouth dropped in surprise. "No way! That's amazing. Back on Destiny Islands the sun rises and sets, and at night you can see the stars."

Olette closed her eyes trying to imagine it. "It sounds beautiful. I wish I could see it... Ah!" She jumped to her feet and approached the window to close the blinds. "It'll probably take a while for you to get used to it, so I'll close them at night for you."

"Thank you," Kairi repeated for the nth time that day, and slightly frowned when the other girl stayed facing the window and didn't return to her bed. "Olette?"

Said girl laughed nervously and slowly turned to face the redheaded individual. "I just...your story really inspired me, Kairi," Olette started, worried about how the other might react to her own tale but knew it took a lot for the other to talk about her own—she wanted to draw from that power.

"The boys and I...there's someone we're searching for, too." Crossing the room to her dresser, Olette picked up the journal, flipping to the first page where she had placed the photo that started it all. Unconsciously, she thumbed it lightly before she sat down beside Kairi and handed the book over to her.

Sapphire eyes widened when she looked at the photo—the male reminded her a lot of Sora. She knew in her heart it was someone else, though, and she could almost tell how relieved Olette was that she didn't say anything about it. "...What happened?" the redheaded girl asked gently, silently questioning with her eyes if it was okay to look through the rest of the journal, which the fellow female nodded her consent. The countless notes she found on the following pages almost made her blood go cold.

'I overheard 'him' asking Hayner and Pence about girls being complicated, and I know I pretended like I didn't hear a thing to hear the boys' response, but after hearing an affirmative and then examples using me I had to intervene before they gave 'him' the wrong advice! And they had the gull to point out that that was a prime example...!'

It was written as if... Their memories... Kairi realized.

"That's where everything goes crazy—we don't have a clue. Until a few months ago, we didn't even know he existed. There are times when flashes of memory come back to us, and I can hear his voice and I know he's real, but—"

Olette's voice cut off by itself, strained by the heavy emotion it carried, and disheartened eyes looked down at Pluto, who put his head on her lap to try and cheer her up. "I don't even remember his name," she confessed, feeling disgusted with herself.

"Olette..." Kairi whispered, and she scooted closer to wrap a comforting arm around the brunette girl. "...I didn't mention this earlier, but there was a time when I didn't remember Sora. His voice that was always with me disappeared and I couldn't think of his face, or his name. I felt awful about it."

She smiled sadly when Olette finally looked up at her, and she squeezed the shoulder she held in a one-armed hug. "I even wrote a letter to him, when I didn't remember who he was. I wrote that no matter where he was...I'd find him. So just...hold on to what you do remember and keep going forward. You'll remember when the time's right, and you'll have all the time in the world to make up for everything when you're together again."

"Kairi..." Olette was speechless for a few moments before she hugged the other girl with both arms. "Thank you."

The redhead female returned the embrace. "I know it's not the greatest advice..." she said, laughing shakily.

"No... I was trying so hard to be strong in front of Hayner and Pence, and I was really just freaking out inside. I needed to hear that. Thank you," Olette repeated.

"I'll try to help in any way I can," Kairi offered, and after another hug the two separated to finally get some shut eye.

Although they were both thinking it, neither mentioned how odd it was for them to have both lost their memories regarding two boys who looked so similar physically.

It was just a coincidence...right?

xoxoxoxox

"You see, this is waterproof fabric!" Pence explained to Kairi as he held up a large piece of cloth.

It was the next day, and the last for the weekend before the three Twilight Town teens had to go back to school. They met once more in the Usual Spot, where Pence had brought a huge box full of stuff he planned to lend to their foreign friend.

"It's thin, light, and you can use it as a sleeping bag, too!" he continued as the redheaded female reached out to feel the material. "As long as you have this, you can rest easy in the fields!"

"The way he sells it makes me want to have one," Hayner muttered as he rubbed the bottom of his chin in thought.

"What is this, the Shopping Channel?" Olette teased the blonde male.

"If you have no munny, you can't stay at an inn!" the dark-haired teen pointed out, which the others agreed was a good point.

"But in the time you're getting ready for your journey, don't you think it's better to get a job and actually earn munny?" the brunette girl suggested.

There was no denying that, either.

"There are a few people who are looking to hire," Pence said.

Eager to head outdoors and walk around, Hayner jumped on the bandwagon. "Let's go have a look, then!"

It turned out job hunting doubled as a tour, as the Twilight Town natives took every opportunity to point out everything about their world that they found important—which was basically everything under the sky. Kairi didn't mind though, and she thoroughly enjoyed taking in the sights and meeting the townspeople. If adventuring was anything like what she was experiencing right then, it might not be so bad.

Before they knew it, the four teens stepped onto the Sandlot, too caught up explaining how it was the site of their annual Struggle tournament to remember it was also the unofficial headquarters of a certain Committee.

"Oh, you've brought a stranger here," a voice called out to them, and they turned to see Seifer sitting on one of the benches on the far side of the lot. Rai was standing behind him, giving the beanie-wearing male's shoulders a massage as Fuu approached her friends carrying a box of candy.

"What's up?" he greeted, when the others remained silent, though it was more directed to Olette than the other two, especially considering how tense Pence got and how Hayner practically shook with his contained rage. Taking a lollipop from the box Fuu held out, he used it to point to the redheaded female. "Is that girl a transfer student?"

Grabbing Hayner's wrist to both calm him down and rein him in, Olette shared a look with her leader before looking at the leader of their supposed enemy. "...Something like that," she answered diplomatically, knowing the other blonde's distaste for foreign people in his world. Seifer had a bad way of showing it most of the time, but it was actually rather protective of him.

"Seifer, this is Kairi," the brunette girl introduced, holding out her free hand to gesture between the two. "Kairi, this is Seifer, leader of Twilight Town's Disciplinary Committee." She, of course, didn't point out the bad blood between the two groups, but the foreigner could tell just from Hayner's and Pence's reactions that there was probably some bad blood between them.

Not wanting to be the cause of more trouble, Kairi stepped forward slightly and bowed. "Hi, I'm looking for my friends," she said as politely as she could, hoping that if she stated her business for being in their world that Seifer might not be as hostile. "Please be kind to me, Seifer."

Said teen looked speechless for a second—even Rai had stopped his motions and Fuu...well, Seifer could tell she was pretty shocked by how kind the other girl was being. Crossing his arms, the blonde male got to his feet and mumbled, "What kind of friends?"

"Eh?" Kairi responded less intelligently as she straightened from her bow, taken aback by the question.

"If I saw them around, I could tell you," Seifer repeated more clearly, though he look irritated that he had to say that much.

Hayner opened his mouth then, ready to say, 'The one who kicked your butt at the End-of-Summer Fair,' but Olette slapped her hand over his lips so it only came out as a muffled mess. Both he and Pence gave her incredulous looks, but as soon as she said, "This is for Kairi," they relented—though they didn't look very happy about it.

In the end, Kairi explained Riku and Sora to Seifer, who said he might keep a look out and possibly spread the word if he was in the mood for it. Hayner managed to mutter, "Which is never," before Olette could stop him and the girls decided it was best to clear out before a total meltdown occurred.

They managed to fit in one odd job that required clearing the junk from the back of shop before the Town natives realized they didn't finish their homework, and while they scrambled to do that and Kairi did her best to help, she realized that maybe there was something that she wouldn't miss that much about being away from home.

xoxoxoxox

"Found you."

Axel didn't expect it to take him as long as it did to track down the runaway Princess, even if it was just the second day. He had skipped out, of course, on the meet up he was supposed to have with 'Ansem' since he was a party member short, and managed to avoid meeting the other in the Corridor of Darkness as he searched worlds looking for the trouble-making redhead.

In fact, the fact that he even caught sight of her in Twilight Town was unexpected, as he was only there for a break from the search and unofficial check in to Roxas' other friends, the latter of which he would've denied if asked. The redheaded male was just about to step out from the opening he had made when he saw Kairi step out from a shop carrying a box, followed by that blasted dog. Although it was only a second that he hesitated from shock in reaching out and pulling the girl in, it was all the time he needed to catch sight of her and her two male friends as they came out of the same store, also carrying containers.

And he found himself hesitating for another reason entirely.

A part of him wondered why he was surprised that Kairi would be in that world with those kids—it honestly should've been the first place he searched. After all, wasn't it natural for those two girls to gravitate towards one another? Their destinies were certainly intertwined now.

It made him rethink everything. Maybe there was a reason it turned out that way. What if the universe was telling him that he was chasing after the wrong girl—that history had to be repeated? Axel watched as the trio went to school, watched as his countless opportunities to snatch the Princess as she was left alone in the Usual Spot slip by as the Twilight Town natives returned once school was out, watched how easy it would be for him to capture her while she slept.

Before he knew it, a week had gone by, and any longer than that and even he couldn't talk his way through the whole 'sight-seeing' excuse he planned on feeding 'Ansem' and Naminé.

It was time he made his move.

xoxoxoxox

"Let's start our welcome party!" Hayner yelled as he held up his sea salt popsicle in the air, accompanied by cheers from Pence, Olette and Kairi as they, too, raised their iced treats.

"Sorry it's a week late," Olette apologized, clasping her hands around the stick of her popsicle as she bowed her head.

"And that we have walls to paint after this," Pence added, chuckling.

"It's all right, guys!" Kairi assured them before taking a lick of her treat. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me!"

Suddenly, slow clapping filled the Usual Spot, and all eyes turned towards the wall across from them as a black portal opened up and dark wisps seemed to crawl out from the edges, revealing a tall redheaded-male donning a long black trench coat. He lowered the hands he had clapped with, though a fake smile remained plastered on his face.

"Wh-what is this?" Hayner stuttered as he and Pence jumped to their feet, readying to protect the girls if they had to.

The man ignored them, though, and kept his eyes trained on the two girls who remained seated on the couch. "I tell ya, Kairi, you've got a lot of guts, jumping right into the darkness like that."

"Why...why did you come?!" the redheaded female asked him bitterly, clenching her free hand into a fist in an attempt to hide her fear.

Instead of responding, the older male began slowly walking forward towards them.

"Hey, what do you want?" Hayner demanded angrily, dropping his popsicle and rushing the guy with a fist, only to find himself going right through him.

Surprised but ready to back his leader up, Pence also abandoned his treat and ran forward with a less steady fist, but an attack all the same, only to phase through the guy and end up in a heap beside Hayner.

Olette's popsicle had long since slipped through her fingers and into the floor, but she wasn't aware of it. Ever since she laid eyes on the redheaded male her body had gone numb and her heart raced so fast she was afraid it would give out. Her body wanted to move, to run, for an entirely different reason than the warning bells her brain was frantically sending.

For a reason she couldn't remember.

Before she realized it, he was in front of them, a gloved hand reaching out, hovering over her wrist, and for one long second that seemed like eternity two sets of emerald eyes locked together.

And they both knew it was her he wanted to take a hold of.

But then he averted his eyes, and the moment passed, and it was Kairi he was dragging back toward the open portal.

"Let go of me! Let go!" Kairi cried as she tried to pull her wrist free from the man's grasp.

Pulled back to the present by her friend's cry, Olette let out a sharp breath she didn't know she was holding before she willed her body to move. Running for the baseball bat littered with rusty nails that was leaning on a crate a few steps away, one of the many assorted items the Gang never cleaned out from the Spot, the brunette girl cut off the man near the portal, almost blocking the path.

"Let go of Kairi," she hissed through teeth clenched in fear, holding the bat out in front of her.

The man stared at her silently, as if mulling something through his mind, before he said, "No unnecessary resistance would be better for you."

Don't make me change my mind, in other words.

The bat wavered now as Olette's hand began to shake, though she managed to allow it to follow the older male as he continued forward.

"Olette!" Kairi called as they reached the portal, wanting to tell the other female not to fight but already feeling the gateway suck her in.

"W-w-wait!" No matter what, she wasn't going to let someone else be kidnapped in her place. The brunette girl stepped into the outer portion of the portal, reaching in hoping to grab hold on Kairi but found that the darkness had a hold of her instead. It swirled around her, inching up her body almost sensually, as if it wasn't going to let her get away this time—

"Tch," the man muttered, unsure of whether to be amazed or annoyed by Olette's determination, and he used his power to push her out of the portal and away from the prying hold of the darkness.

"Ah!" Olette cried as she hit the floor, and she curled away from the gateway, shaking hard like a leaf. "What is this...?" she breathed out as she watched the darkness blindly reach out as if looking for her. Behind her Hayner was clutching his right knee as Pence held onto his head with both hands, looking as if it was about to explode.

Pluto suddenly bounded down the room, barking angrily, and dashed right into the diminishing portal before it disappeared completely.

Not a moment later, the nothingness of unconsciousness claimed the three of them.

xoxoxoxox

"–—–'s late as usual," Hayner sighed as he paced around the Usual Spot.

"But this is too much, even for him," Pence pointed out with an uneasy laugh as his gaze fell upon the troubled lone female of the group as she sat upon the large couch.

"Can we look for him now, please?" Olette all but begged, speaking against her clasped hands that she held up to her lips as if praying for her friend's safe return. Maybe he forgot to set his alarm and was still snoring away in his bed—that's what she hoped from the deepest reaches of her heart, because thinking of the alternative that was trying to claw its way into her mind was slowly driving her insane.

After all, it was a tough night for him yesterday... the brunette girl recalled—she could still feel his tears on her shoulder.

The leader rubbed a hand down his face as he stopped walking before he ran a hole through the ground. He honestly didn't want them splitting up any further—what if they found him as soon as they did? Or what if another one of us goes missing? But even he couldn't deny that if he couldn't let another minute go by without doing something.

"Okay...okay, how about this," Hayner conceded as he gestured his two friends to gather around. "We'll search the main island and meet up at the center of Tram Common in an hour. If we don't find him by then we'll head over to Sunset Terrace together, all right?"

Two heads nodded in agreement to the plan and waved goodbye to each other outside of the Usual Spot before going their separate ways.

Olette made a habit of checking every nook and cranny of every alley she passed by, just in case. She had lost track of time, and had long since stopped counting how many pathways she checked, but as she headed back to the open end of the current alleyway she walked to the end of, she saw him.

Elated, relieved, and a multitude of other emotions welled up inside of her, and the brunette girl couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she lifted a hand and waved it to get his attention.

"–—–!" the brunette girl yelled, trying to get his attention as she began jogging down the passage, unable to run at full speed because of some of the abandoned crates and assorted other garbage that lined it. When the blonde teen didn't even bat an eyelash Olette figured he didn't hear him, but just as she opened her mouth to call his name again she saw her—the other person he was with.

The girl who held onto his arm tightly, giggling at whatever her friend had said as they continued right past the alley she was in. She didn't miss the genuine smile that graced his lips before she lost sight of them completely.

Olette slowed to a stop and lowered her hand, letting it hang limply at her side. Was that...Luna, from school? She didn't even know they knew each other. I didn't know they were—

"I didn't know he had a girlfriend. I guess you really do learn something every day."

Gasping, Olette turned to see where the voice came from that spoke almost exactly what she was thinking, and found a tall redheaded male standing a few feet behind her, his hands in the pockets of his long black trench coat. Where did he come from? Who is he? He wasn't there before...

"Axel," the man self-introduced himself when he saw the girl was staring at him with more curiosity than suspicion than he expected. Was it because the goodness of her heart or ignorance, he wasn't sure, but the 'Heartless' in him was tempted to find out—though maybe that was the stress from the downhill spiral his life was taking doing the talking. "Got it memorized?"

Olette smiled politely, her manners running on auto-pilot as she replied, "O-Olette. Do...do you know him?" she asked tentatively, remembering the other's earlier comment. If the older male was a friend of –—–, then she wouldn't have to feel so awkward.

Something akin to pain flashed through the Axel's emerald eyes before they turned emotionless. "Who really knows anyone?" he answered with a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders. "But isn't that a kicker. Here you were, searching all this time for him, and he didn't have the decency to tell you he's ditching you to make kissy faces with some girl?"

Something jolted through Olette, and she felt her breath catch in her throat the longer she stared into the other's eyes—something about them suddenly felt invasive. The eyes were the window to one's soul, after all, and coupled with the words the redhead spoke to her, it was like he was diving deep within her in an attempt to awaken something that was dormant.

How did he even know I was looking for –—–... Planted to her spot, unable to move even if she could gather the willpower to do so, Olette could feel herself begin to shake as Axel began to leisurely stroll towards her like he was floating through air—all throughout her body a numbness was growing. What's going on? What is he doing to me?

"What about how you feel?" Axel continued as if unperturbed or unsurprised by the sudden change in the girl. Darkness was beginning to fill her senses, the mysterious man's words grasping for her heart. Her eyes glazed over—seeing, yet not seeing. "You must be a little angry about it, right? Don't feel bad to admit it. I would be, too."

Crying out, Olette fell to her knees as Axel stopped before her, her left hand propping her body up as she clutched at her heart with her right hand. Yeah...all she had to do was be angry at –—–, let it grow into hatred and surrender her heart to the endless darkness. It was all his fault that she was going through this pain while he was having fun with a girl he never bothered to mention to any of them!

...But then his smiling image appeared in her mind and a blinding light overtook her, banishing the invading darkness. The brunette girl coughed as she caught her breath, fingers curling upon the cobble stone, and as she closed her eyes she missed the utter shock that was plastered on Axel's face as he stared down at her.

Her heart...is strong, was the thought that ran through his mind. Much stronger than I thought...or ever seen.

When she opened her eyes again, they were back to normal, and the man steeled himself once more. "No..." Olette whispered, coughing a bit more before she repeated the word, stronger this time. "No." Slowly but surely, she sat up straighter and raised her head to look at the redhead straight in the eye, emerald orbs clashing together.

"I'm not mad at him. I have no right to be." Since I never told him I may...that I... "I admit that I'm a little upset that he didn't tell me...tell all of us, that he had...someone," because really, weren't they jumping the gun there? Or is that a hope that just won't die? "...But I'm not angry at him. It hurts, but at the same time, I'm happy for him. It's nice to see him smile again..."

Olette smiled at the thought before she covered her mouth with both hands and blushed a deep red. What did she just confess to a man she just met and had tried to do...something to her?

A soft chuckle broke her out of her thoughts, and she leaned back instinctively as Axel squatted down in front of her, leaning an elbow on one bended knee and resting his chin on that hand, regarding her with something close to mirth in his eyes. "–—– sure knows how to pick 'em," he said with another laugh, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I wish we all met under different circumstances but...I have to do this. Sleep," he commanded as he lifted the hand he was resting on and held it out in front of her face. "It'll all be over when you awake."

Olette opened her mouth, whether to scream or ask him, 'Why,' Axel wasn't sure, as her eyes slid close and she began to fall forward into him. Summoning a trench coat much like his own, the redheaded male was unexpectedly gentle as he eased the sleeping girl into it, even lifting the hood, and with an arm supporting her head and another behind her knees, the eighth member of the Order cradled the girl to him as he stood to his feet.

The next moment, he opened a portal, and the he disappeared with his charge inside the waiting darkness.

xoxoxoxox

This is exactly what he was afraid of having happen when the thought of splitting up came to mind. Hayner tapped a foot in nervous impatience as he scanned one half of the Tram Common as Pence looked at the other side. One hour passed and only one of his quartet of friends showed up at the appointed meeting spot. –—– was one thing—if worst came to worst he was sure he could handle himself to a degree. But Olette... The dark-haired male suddenly grabbed his arm and Hayner was one second away from blowing his top.

"If your idea is to split up again, Pence, I will—"

"Isn't that –—–?" Pence interrupted, pointing with his free hand to the diner on the far side from where they were standing.

Chocolate brown eyes squinted across the distance and then widened when he realized his friend was right. "Well I'll be damned! But...was he here the whole time? What in the name of sea salt ice cream is he doing?"

"Let's go peek!" Pence suggested, excited to do some 'super sleuthing', and he scampered across the Common before the taller made could say anything in response. Said boy could only roll his eyes and hurry after him. They crouched beneath the large main window of the eating establishment before slowly poking their heads up to look inside.

"How can he eat at a time like this!" the headband-wearing male exclaimed, adding, "Without us!"

"Hey, he's with someone! Is that...oh my god, it's a girl!" Hayner whispered loudly.

"You act as if Olette isn't one," Pence teased, always amused by his leader's reactions to the opposite sex.

"She's...she's...different," the blonde male mumbled before inhaling loudly. "Crap, he saw us!"

Needlessly, they ducked out of sight, and moments later heard a loud crash from inside, prompting them both to the feet to see what happened. There was a huge mess on the floor, and a commotion seemed to be brewing between –—– and the waiter. Hayner was about to suggest they go inside when he caught sight of a certain someone from the corner of his eye.

"Pence, you go inside and help –—–. I have things to handle out here."

Noticing the strain in Hayner's voice, Pence turned his head to look at him and froze when his eyes landed on Seifer and his gang. Swallowing audibly, Pence gave the other male a pat on the back in a silent, 'Good luck.' "We'll be out to help in a jiffy!" he said before hurrying inside.

With that done, Hayner walked forward as he realized his arch nemesis was planning on heading into the same diner to eat and cut him off before the other blonde could get anywhere near the door. "Diner's closed," he said with a sneer as the taller blonde locked gazes with him.

"Lies!" Fuu said, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Costing a business some money is a crime, lamer," Seifer scowled back, eager to have just cause to punish his former friend.

"You'll have to go through me to get in!"

The beanie-wearing teen barked with laughter at the invitation. "With pleasure!" He took a step forward, but Rai, apparently eager to do or prove something, got to Hayner first. The tanned male grabbed a fistful of the other's vest and pulled his other arm back, ready to punch, but was caught off-guard when something pushed him away, and all eyes turned to look at the interruption.

"What, so you thought you could mess with Hayner simply because I wasn't around? You had the nerve to try and lay a finger on my best friend?"

"–—–!" Hayner exclaimed, standing up from the fighting stance he was in to stare at –—–'s back in utter surprise in awe. He turned back to the diner when the doors were open again, though more softly than when –—– plowed through them, and Pence walked out and came up to stand by his side. "Pence!" Grinning widely now, he looked back at Seifer and his gang, feeling stronger now that his friends were by his side. "Now all we need to do is find Olette," Hayner said, though to no one in particular—he was just happy.

Although Hayner didn't want to have to do it again, they didn't have much of a choice with the Disciplinary Committee in the picture. As much as he would've loved to have a throw down against them, he had much bigger fish to fry and they all couldn't spend it wasting time dealing with the nitwits. At least one of them had to break away and search for Olette. The lighter blonde male relayed his plan to his two friends, and he wasn't surprised when –—– took the lead in dealing with Seifer.

It even seems like he thinks Seifer had something to do with Olette's disappearance...

Suddenly, something caught his attention, and both he and Pence snapped their heads up to the sky, where they eyes met with a singular white...thing—monster was the only word that came to mind. It looked like it had something in its mouth, but it was hard to tell from the altitude.

The only thing Hayner was sure of was that the monster was falling fast...and headed straight for –—–. Time seemed to freeze for a moment before it sped up. Hayner rushed forward, making his way towards his best friend, who was too caught up with Seifer to notice that something was free-falling straight towards him. Jumping off his right foot, he held out his hands to push –—– out of the way—and if the feeling of sharpened claws slashing across his back was any indication, he made it just in time. A second later and the creature would've made contact with –—– for sure.

"Hayner!" Pence yelled as he watched his friend roll to a stop and then cease all movement. His breath caught in his throat as the sight of something crimson began to colour the wound on Hayner's back—blood. There was no way that thing was on Seifer's side...was there? It didn't seem to be the case, as said boy and his gang looked as spooked about the sudden appearance of the monster as they were.

Knowing his leader needed medical attention immediately, the dark-haired male made a slight movement towards his friend but froze as the monster twitched in his direction. Pence stopped breathing for a second, but he knew he couldn't stand by forever—Hayner would never make it that long. Swallowing quietly, he began to try to circle around the creature, though he could tell the thing was watching him even though he now realized it didn't have any eyes.

"Hayner!" Pence yelled again, trying to keep the other conscious, and he thought for a moment before adding, " –—–!" as he hadn't heard from his other blonde friend in quite some time. "Are you guys okay?" he asked before his mouth dropped open, chestnut brown eyes finally falling upon the item that was held between the monster's teeth.

"Pe-Pence...?" –—– shakily called out, and when he had heard no answer he pulled his gaze from Hayner onto Pence, who looked as if he had been turned to stone. Wondering what more could have gone wrong, –—– followed his friend's gaze and soon found himself petrified as well.

The twilight rays hit the turquoise beaded bracelet just right, causing it to glow rather beautifully as it was held in the mouth of lone Nobody. It suddenly released its hold on the piece of jewelry, and the bracelet made a clanging sound as it met with the stone ground below. The noise seemed to echo repeatedly in his ears as he lowered his head, it ringing with the terrible thought of knowing what had happened to Olette.

"–—–!" Pence yelled out desperately, holding out a hand towards –—– despite being way too far away to be able to reach him.

By then, –—– was already aware that the Nobody was advancing towards him. But it didn't matter—he was more than ready for it. The beating of his heart now pounded within the confines of his mind. Lifting his head up, the look on –—–'s face was beyond description—it was a fusion of melancholy and vengeance, among many other emotions.

–—–let out a battle cry and the onlookers watching covered their eyes as a flash of light blinded them. When they returned their gaze to the scene, they saw two large key-shaped weapons in the hands of the blonde teen—one the purest of blacks and the other the purest of whites. If any of them blinked, they would've missed it, as in one moment the monster was there and the next it had disappeared.

Dismissing the Oathkeeper and Oblivion, –—– bent down and retrieved Olette's bracelet, curling his fingers around the item tightly as his whole body shook. "Pence, take Hayner to the hospital."

And with that, he, too, disappeared into a portal of darkness.

xoxoxoxox

It didn't take him long to find Axel. With all his emotions fueling him and tunnel vision for one person and one person only, he couldn't propel himself out of the Corridor of Darkness fast enough when he found the abandoned room in Twilight Town where his former partner was keeping Olette. The other jumped at his sudden appearance and stood to face him, trying to block the girl from sight, but he wasn't looking at Axel's face. He couldn't bear to, not after what the other had done, and his sapphire gaze was too busy staring at the brown hair that he could see fanning out from the figure lying on the floor behind the redheaded male.

But what he could see from the corner of his eye of the other's expression showed that Axel wasn't too pleased of what he had done, either, if the thin line of his mouth was anything to go by. No amount of Axel's regret could appease the outrage that was building inside of him, though.

"You came," the Flurry of Dancing Flames whispered, though he scratched the back of his head as he laughed uneasily. "Of course you did. I know how much Olette means to you."

He jerked violently at the sound of her name coming out of Axel's lips, clenching the bracelet so tightly in his hand that his fingernails created crescents in his palm. He didn't need to ask why the redhead did what he did—he knew all too well the reason behind it all, and it sickened him. He had taken too long to end things, and she was dragged into the crossfire, now a target on the Order's radar.

"Let her go," was all he said instead.

"Come back, –—–, and we'll set her free!" Axel tried to bargain, taking a step forward and holding out his hand. "The Superior will never know she exists, she'll be safe—" He cut himself off as he found himself staring down at the Keyblade pointed at his throat.

"She stopped being safe the moment I met her," he bit out, sapphire eyes shining from the unshed tears that welled up in his eyes. It hurt to admit, to know that he was selfish...to think that he, as a Nobody, was worth it. If he was, he'd never be able to find out now. "I asked once nicely, Axel. I won't do it again."

A gargle of surprise was all the Order member was able to get out before the Key of Destiny came at him and the other crumpled to the ground without so much as a fight. Empty eyes stared down at his former friend before he dismissed the Keyblade and sprinted towards where Olette lay, gathering her up in his arms with all the tenderness he could muster.

He brushed the hair out of her eyes and felt his heart clench when she didn't stir at all. Gingerly, he placed the jade bracelet on the correct wrist it called home before lifting Olette, slightly appeased that he could at least feel warmth from her body where it touched his.

Not willing to risk a trip through the portal, he made his way to the hospital on foot, staying close by her side as the professionals took her from his arms and wheeled her away for tests he was sure wouldn't reveal the cause of her comatose state. He waited through all of it, slipping into her room when they were finally done.

For a long while, he stood there, silent—what could one say to someone in their final goodbye? Eventually he moved, dipping his hand into his pocket, fingers wrapping around something inside. Grasping a limp hand with his free one, he told her with his heart everything his mouth couldn't, and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't stay with her until she awoke.

Pulling the seashell from his pocket, he placed it by Olette's pillow softly and backed away, disappearing for the last time.

author' s notes: Please do take note of how much time has elapsed from the previous chapter and this one. Since a year happened between the start of the game and the final credits, I have taken that all into account and have tried to space all the visits accordingly. Twilight Town is currently still off the map and can't be visited via normal travel, but is, as shown in this chapter, able to be accessed through the Corridor of Darkness (aka that portal Nobodies use to go between Worlds).

Twilight Town is currently still off the map and can't be visited via normal travel, but is, as shown in this chapter, able to be accessed through the Corridor of Darkness (aka that portal Nobodies use to go between Worlds).

I wasn't sure if I alluded to it enough, so to clarify, yes, it is Xion that Olette was referring to when the Twilight Town gang investigated the moans in the tunnel. There is a reason, of course, as to why I have allowed the two of them to meet, and it all points to just how huge Olette's role will be in the future.

And though I only briefly described one of Olette's entries in that journal she's keeping of their returning memories (that offhandedly refers to some events from Day 152 from 358/2 Days), I've been seriously considering making a side-story to go more in detail with it and all the other memories I can't find a way to sneak in here. Since the gang and Axel/Roxas have come in contact a lot in that came, I've come up with a number of meetings that could've happen that I would love to share. We'll see, haha. If you guys are interested, I'll definitely take a crack at it!

And as promised, I put in the full scene of the day of Olette's kidnapping, flushing out the full scene I only touched on in Roxas's memory in Chapter 14, minus some of the overlapping that I've already went into detail with in Chapter 7. Roxas's name is not mentioned in this memory because the Twilight Town gang has yet to remember his name. Any of you who have played 358/2 Days will know the significance of the seashell and thus should be able to figure out where in the timeline this memory falls in.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Until next time!

Please don't forget to review and answer my question regarding Roxas~!