Prologue

This is retribution for lying all this time. So, it can't be helped, even if we never meet again, even if youforget about me. Since I didn't have enough courage, through it all. But, Sora said it.

It's not farewell!

I didn't understand the meaning in Sora's words. I silently shook my head. He meant, when I wake up, let's meet again.

And this time it's not a lie, we'll be friends for real. Promise me.

Promises - But, he's definitely forgotten that promise as well. If Sora wakes up, he'll forget everything about me. I didn't believe in Sora's words. However, since it's Sora, he won't forget - I felt I could believe in that.

Piled up fragments of memories. Even if the chains of memory are broken, fragments remain. The memory of our promise definitely exists somewhere in his heart. Yes, I'll believe that.

Chapter 1

In his room, Jiminy had two journals in front of him, and was thinking slowly and deeply about their long adventure.

This was in Disney Castle, the world that Mickey governed. Jiminy was taking a break with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, who he'd traveled with, as well as Queen Minnie, Daisy, and Pluto. In that company, Jiminy had gone on two journeys, both to save the worlds.

The first was a journey to stop the encroachment of darkness, and the second was to bring back a separated heart. Both were difficult journeys, but in truth, Jiminy fought in neither. The role that Jiminyhad taken care of was that of recording the journey.

So at the end of the journeys what Jiminy had left were two journals which recorded their travels. Presently, he turned the pages while thinking of the children he'd traveled with. However, in the first journal, most of the pages were blank. There was nothing but one line written there.

Say thanks to Naminé.

It was probably for that one line that he'd fulfilled his role in the first journal.

Jiminy turned the pages, deep in thought. Even though probably nothing was written there, Jiminy smiled, feeling that their journeys would come up vividly.

Right then. Jiminy saw words on a page that should have been empty, and his breath caught.

To heal their pain, you must return.

It was a sentence he'd never seen before. He had no memory of writing that sentence. Jiminy closed thejournal, and flew out of the room. Heading for the king's - Mickey's study, he hopped down the stairs.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Knocking impatiently on the small door in the corner of the large door, Jiminy flew into the room, and climbed onto Mickey's, who looked very surprised, desk.

"What's the matter, Jiminy?"

"A sentence that I don't remember - in the journal!" Jiminy opened the small journal for Mickey.

"A sentence you don't remember?"

"Yes. I didn't write it, and I've always carried the journal on my person."

Mickey peered at Jiminy's journal. Jiminy's body was much smaller than Mickey's, so the journal was quite small.

"Somehow someone wrote that sometime..." Jiminy shook his head, and Mickey crossed his arms.

"Return to heal pain - perhaps someone needs us to save them. Let's investigate thoroughly."

"However... how?" said Jiminy, looking up at Mickey uneasily. "The other pages in the memo are blank..."

"Even if the letters are gone, they probably remain recorded in the memo itself..."

Mickey smiled and nodded, and stood up.

Xxx

Several hours later - two people were moving around the King's study hurriedly and noisily. They were the chipmunk brothers, Chip and Dale. They were setting up some kind of large machine in the corner of the study. It had a large monitor, and a keyboard.

And, looking at it mystified, were Donald and Goofy.

"What's starting?" Donald looked up at Goofy and asked, and Goofy shrugged, like he didn't really understand.

"Who knows..."

"It's taking out the records from inside the Jiminy Memo."

"Gua?" Donald cocked his head at Jiminy's explanation

"The memo should remember what I'd written about the worlds we visited"

"But the' insides of the memo disappeared, didn't they?" Goofy also didn't seem to understand, and cocked his head even more than Donald.

"No, the letters I wrote disappeared, but the memory should remain. That's our utmost guess. So that means that if we change it into data, we should be able to solve the mystery of the message."

Next to Donald and Goofy, who still didn't completely understand, Mickey watched over Chip and Dale with a serious expression.

"Your Majesty, we've finished the preparation!"

"Your Majesty, we've finished the preparaaa-tion!" Chip and Dale each called out to Mickey separately.Mickey nodded, and Chip pushed the switch on the device.

Jiminy's journal, which placed in the capsule-like place on the device, was hit with light. At the same time, the monitor showed the journal.

Just like they were flowing from the journal, several images sprang up. They were, beyond a doubt, the places they'd traveled to up until now. The journal did have memories remaining, after all.

In that way they could see it smoothly working to extract the data, but suddenly strange giant blocks appeared on the screen. Black cubes with red geometric patterns on the faces, emitting a strange light. The images disappeared, like the blocks were obstructing the worlds.

"What happened?" Dale tilted his head, a little lazily.

"It looks like there's some trouble happening in Jiminy's memo!" Chip said, crossing his arms and flustered.

"Trouble?" Dale said optimistically, and Chip yelled back,

"It's not the time for that!" and typed on the keyboard. However, there were countless black and red blocks on the monitor.

"I don't know the cause, but several worlds have gone strange! I can't analyze the message, either!"

Mickey sighed at Dale's words.

"H~mm... What should I do?" Just then, Goofy, who was looking up at the monitor, spoke.

"If ya don't fix the data in the worlds that have gone strange, ya won't find out anything, will ya?"

At Goofy's mutterings, Chip smiled like he'd thought of something.

"Then!" he yelled, and everyone looked at him.

"Why don't we send someone in the memo into the data on an adventure to fix things?"

"An adventure in the data from Jiminy's memo...?" At Chip's suggestion Jiminy crossed his arms and sunk into thought. At that time, something occurred to him, and Mickey stood up.

"There's only one person who can solve this mystery!" And the person everyone thought of in that moment -

"Sora!" Donald yelled, jumping up.

"But how..." Goofy tilted his head.

"It will definitely be okay. Right, Sora?" Mickey smiled up at the monitor.

Xxx

Sora fell to the deep, deep bottom of the sea - no, the bottom of the sea of data. Recorded in the journal,he was Sora, yet he was not. He was a data Sora. But Sora was Sora.

And so, Sora woke.

Can you hear me? Now, will you walk? Can you walk over here?

Sora, hearing a voice from somewhere, started walking.

The power sleeps within you - power becomes form - form gives power.

He'd heard those words somewhere before. It was the start of his journey.

Now, let's go. The adventure's begun.

xxx

"Overwriting Sora's data succeeded!" Dale yelled. Sora was shown clearly on the monitor.

"What d'ya mean?" Goofy cocked his head.

"The Sora recorded in the data has the keyblade, and he has the power to face accidents!"

"The Sora in the data?" At Chip's reply, Goofy cocked his head so much his whole body bent. Who wasthe Sora in the data?

"That is, the Sora in the records."

"Not the Sora we've met, someone else?" This time Donald asked.

"That is, a record of the Sora we've met!" Mickey answered with a smile, but it looked like Donald and Goofy didn't really understand it after all.

"And then, Sora will fix the worlds with the strange data," Chip said the moment he finally finished his work.

There was a warning sound from the monitor, and the images started corrupting.

"What's wrong," Mickey said, worried.

"Did something happen to the system?"

"We'll check the system in the other room." Chip and Dale exchanged a look, nodded, and ran out of the study. The warning sound eventually ended, and they could see Sora standing just as he was before on the monitor.

"Looks like they sorted it out somehow," said Jiminy with a sigh of relief.

Then Goofy asked Mickey, like he'd finally thought of something,

"By the way, your Majesty, why are we doing this?"

"Someone, we don't know who, wrote mysterious words in Jiminy's memo. To solve that mystery, it's necessary to do a thorough investigation of the memo's records."

"Mysterious words?" This time Donald was the one to cock his head at Mickey's explanation.

"Yeah. To heal their..." When those words left Mickey's mouth, Jiminy saw something on the monitor, and pointed from Mickey's shoulder, yelling,

"That's...!"

"What is it?" Mickey looked up at the monitor as well.

"Gua, look! There's someone else on the monitor!" Donald yelled, also looking at the unexpected person on the monitor.

Someone dressed in a black coat at Sora's back.

"Huh? Was there someone there...?" said Goofy, suspicious about the questionable person.

The person standing there... who were they?

Xxx

Sora glared at the person in the black coat. This was the world of data - you could compare it to inside Sora's dream. However Sora didn't know where here was.

"You - who're you?"

The person didn't answer Sora's question. Instead, they started walking. When they did, a path stretchedout in the direction they moved, and they started walking on that.

Can you hear me? First, chase after that person.

At the somehow nostalgic voice he could hear calling him from somewhere again, Sora started walking. Like just before, the path in front of him was lit up by light rising up from the darkness. The guy from before wasn't there. In front of Sora, who was trying to chase after, two heartless - shadows appeared.

Look out! Heartless! Use your power to fight!

"...my power?"

The instant that Sora cocked his head, not knowing what that meant, a key-shaped sword - a keyblade appeared in his hand.

"Th - this is?"

The power that you hold. That is, the power to 'fight'. So, you have to fight. The things that wantyour power.

When he heard those words, it was like power welled up in his body. Sora leveled the keyblade, and ranat the heartless. Swung the keyblade down, hitting them, and the heartless disappeared into light. At thesame time, a large door appeared in front of him.

Let's open the door.Hold out your keyblade!

As instructed, Sora held his keyblade out towards the door. When he did, light shot out of the tip, and like the door had breathed the light in, it opened.

Now, let's go!

Nodding at the words, Sora ran through the door. The instant Sora thought it was too bright, he was standing in Destiny Islands, his hometown.

"This is... our island..." he murmured, a little bored, though he was put at ease by the familiar sight.When he did, the voice came again.

Sora--

"Who is it?" Sora answered, looking around. He couldn't see the owner of the voice. He felt like the voice was above him - no, in his head.

Are you all right, Sora?

"You know me?" Sora asked back.

My name is Mickey. I've never met you in this world, but, I know you, and you also know me. We'refriends.

Not really knowing what the person called Mickey was saying, Sora crossed his arms and thought.

He hasn't met me, but I know him and we're friends... he didn't really get that. There's no way you can be friends with someone you've never met. Sora obediently gave voice to his impressions.

"I don't really get it..."

When he did, there was a small laugh.

It's because I'm in a different world from you. It's probably a little hard to understand. I can't go toyour world, either. So I want you to solve the mystery in my place.

"Solve the mystery?"

Sora thought this was getting even harder to understand. To begin with, what did a different world mean. They could speak like this, but he couldn't come here, that was, umm...

I want you to find the 'answer' that should be in this world. No one but you can do it.

"U~m... I don't really get it, but I can just have an adventure here, right?"

That's right! If there's anything you don't understand, you can always ask me!

"Got it!"

First look for something unusual!

At those words, Sora shrugged his shoulders. When he'd come here just before, he'd just thought it was the same island as ever, but now he could see the differences clearly.

The strange red and black block-like things here and there on the island... he'd never seen those before.

"Searching or not, those are unusual, right? I've never seen those blocks on the island."

Sora swung the keyblade down on a block beside him. When he did, the block disappeared without a trace. If he destroyed all the blocks he'd probably find something.

Try investigating those blocks.

"Got it! I'll try asking everyone," Sora answered, and ran over to Selphie, a little further along the coastline.

Mickey said to Sora's back, like a blessing, Sora, remember. You and I are separated, but I can helpyou. I am always with you.

Chapter 2: Destiny Islands

From there, the story - the strange event – started. There was a very good reason for that. Because everything started from there. Because there were no coincidences in stories. That's right, everything was connected. The place that someone had set out from, long ago. Did Sora think that world was small? Or that it was large? Who was the one who would solve the mystery of that world - Destiny Islands.

Sora started running along the beach, towards where a girl in a yellow dress - Selphie - was standing, surrounded by the blocks Mickey had been talking about. Sora's friend.

"Ah! Sora, it's awful," she called out in her usual dialect*. "Weird blocks have appeared all over the island."

At Selphie's call, Sora also stopped running. It looked as though she, like Sora, was surprised about the blocks.

There was a chance that she might know something. Sora crossed his arms, as he asked her,

"What are they? Those blocks."

"I dunno. Anyway, they've just kept appearing." It looked like Selphie didn't know after all. She hadn't seen these blocks before either.

"At this rate the island will be covered by blocks. Tidus and Wakka both went to check them out..."

Come to think of it, he couldn't see everyone who was usually on the island. So...

"Where are Tidus and Wakka?"

"They went towards the beach."

"I guess I'll go and ask them too."

Sora started running towards the beach. Apart from the blocks, the island seemed to be the same as always. The beautiful beach, with [the sounds of] the waves and the crunch [of sand] as he walked. Andthe blue sea.

As Sora got closer, Wakka called out.

"Oi! Sora~! [Some bad shit's been going down on the island], you okay?" Wakka was a little older than Sora and his group, and he was someone they could depend on.

"Wakka, what're all these blocks? [They're all over the island?]"

"By the time we noticed they were all over the place. An', they keep coming. If you destroy them they come back after a while."

It looked like Wakka didn't know either. That was also reasonable if you said it was reasonable. [...??

Lit. what it says, doesn't seem to be a set phrase?] They hadn't seen anything like that before.

"I'll investigate!" When Sora declared so, Wakka shrugged his shoulders as if he was a little worried.

"You okay?"

"Leave it to me!" Sora answered, heart pounding, full of self-confidence. Mickey said he'd help, he hadthat mysterious key, it would definitely be all right.

"Sora, would you go an check on Tidus first?" Wakka threw his words at Sora's back, as he ran off on the beach again.

"Where is Tidus?"

"He went to investigate the blocks, and he hasn't come back yet. He should be on the island somewhere, but I'm worried that he's pushing himself too hard."

"Got it! Leave it to me!"

"I'm counting on you!"

He started moving in that way, but in truth he didn't know what he should do. Anyway, he started to look for Tidus, and destroyed the blocks here and there. Even so, there were way too many blocks. They kept on increasing; somehow or other he had to do something.

Sora thought, as he broke the blocks here and there on the beach.

Even if I chase after him with all my strength, I can't run far with this many barriers, it's dangerous.

"Huh?" Sora noticed something, and stopped running.

The bridge that connected the island to the small island had disappeared. This was probably the same strangeness that had caused the blocks. And, he could see a shadow that looked like Tidus' on the small island.

"Anyway, I'll go and look at the bridge..." The bridge should be in a corner of the beach, stretching out in front of the hut.

Breaking the blocks in the way with the keyblade in his hand, Sora managed to make it to the small island.

The moment he did so, someone in a black coat passed by in front of him.

That's...!

The guy he'd met in that mysterious place before he'd come back to Destiny Islands. He chased after him frantically, but he'd was already out of sight.

"Huh?" He looked around while walking in a circle, but he couldn't see him anywhere.

At that time, he thought the whole world got misty. No, the whole world was reflected in Sora's eyes, and it was like it was flickering. Was something happening......?

[And then?] he could hear Mickey's voice.

That's a strange reaction, isn't it. What... is that? It's just like there's a 'door' to a connected worldhidden there.

Sora stopped walking and thought, at Mickey's words.

"A hidden door... the same strangeness as the blocks."

That's probably right. Sora, try and count on investigating that reaction. It should be a clue toundoing the strangeness.

"Got it! Look for the door and find him," he answered, and looked around. For some reason the area around the door to the hut looked suspicious. The instant he peered at roughly where he guessed it was,a hole cracked there, like space was bursting open.

"Wah! The hell's that?"

It was dark through the hole and he couldn't tell. He could see a pattern in red, like the blocks.

Sora, that world is made from data. It all moves according to a program. That program is working.If you defeat the bugs in that world, the world should right itself.

Sora thought, not understanding the words Mickey was using at all. Data? Program? Bug? But it meant that that evil guy who was interfering in the supports for the world's movements was in there, definitely.

"That means that if I go in there and defeat something inside it'll be fine, right?"

I'm counting on you, Sora!

Nodding at Mickey's voice, Sora entered the crack.

Inside, a mysterious space stretched out, with a four-cornered design motif. And, there were countless stacks of the blocks he'd seen before. In this strange space, when you saw the place which existed with that much of a sense of discomfort, there was no doubt this was the root of it all.

"Riiiight, come at me!"

Sora gripped his keyblade in hand, and started running. When he did, the monsters from when he'd firstgripped that key appeared around him. They were definitely heartless.

Sora swung his keyblade down, and at the same time destroyed a heartless. Were they the 'bugs'...?

When he defeated the heartless in the space, something like a pillar of light shot up from the center of

the room.

You should be able to return to the world you were in before from there.

Sora nodded at Mickey's words, and stepped into the center of the pillar of light.

The instant he'd thought his body was wrapped in strong light, he was back in the same old Destiny Islands.

The blocks were there unchanged, and he couldn't see any kind of special reaction.

The bridge was still gone. And, he hadn't been able to meet the person in the black coat.

When Sora took a step forward, feeling a little disappointed, the bridge appeared in front of him in a flash of light.

Was that four-cornered world what was called a 'program'? When he destroyed the 'bugs' in the 'data' world, it seemed that the strangeness in the previous world was solved.

"Right, keep on going!"

Sora ran across the bridge, and called out to Tidus on the small island.

"Tidus, you're here? Wakka's worried." Tidus looked back at Sora, wooden sword in hand.

"Yeah, besides that, did you see it? The bridge that disappeared suddenly came back!! The weird blockscame, the fuck's going on?" Tidus chattered on, swinging the wooded sword around.

"I don't really get it either. You were investigating too, right? Did you find something?"

"Well, about that," Tidus said with pride, rubbing under his nose.

"Did you find the cause of the blocks?"

"Uhh... there's no way that..." The more he questioned it the more suspicious Tidus' answer was.

"What do you mean?"

"I found a clue!"

"Really?"

"Of course!" It looked like even if he hadn't found the cause he really had found a clue. There was no way Tidus would lie, so he could believe him.

"Tell me!"

"I'll tell you if you beat me! If you beat me, I'll tell you the best information!" Tidus brandished the wooden sword. It was the same sword fight as usual.

"Right, got it!" Sora answered, and brandished his keyblade as well.

"Don't go easy on me!" Tidus closed the distance between them in a shot.

To stop him doing it, Sora continually attacked. Tidus fell down, but quickly got up, and avoiding his swing, Sora hit him on the shoulder from behind.

"Ugh...." Tidus stopped moving. "You really are strong, Sora." Tidus sat, out of strength.

"Hehe, you think? Then, tell me your best information."

"Truth is, when I was investigating the blocks I saw a suspicious dude," said Tidus, rubbing his shoulder.

"In a black coat and walking round and round the island. That guy definitely has some connection with the blocks!"

Black coat... that guy!

Sora dismissed the keyblade, and said, helping Tidus up,

"Where did you see him?"

"I saw him near the waterfall... looked away for a second and he disappeared," said Tidus, brushing sand off his pants, and Sora looked back toward the waterfall. If it was the waterfall - there was a small cave there.

"Got it, I'll go have a look."

Sora ran back over the bridge, back to the island, and keeping up his momentum entered the cave at theside of the waterfall.

The cave was filled with a cool and damp atmosphere. There were sketches they'd all drawn on the walls.

Even when he looked around, he couldn't see the guy in the coat. Is he further in this way? Sora thought, and when he reached out to the door, the ground shook.

"Uwah. Wh-what?"

This world is wounded. If you heal the wound, the path will open.

He could hear a voice from somewhere - not Mickey? Who?

The world continued to rumble and shake. At the same time, a dazzling light shot out of his keyblade. Sora was engulfed in light.

Xxx

The same strangeness occurred on the monitor in Disney Castle as well.

"Th - that's - light's coming out from the monitor!"

"Guwawawa... it's dazzling!"

The light that shot out of Sora's keyblade was [quite strong] and [everyone on Mickey's side] shut their eyes.

The light that shot out from the monitor became even brighter, just like the study had been swallowed by it.

"Gua?" Presently, Donald opened his eyes and looked around. There wasn't anything particularly strange.

"Ayhoo! Ahh, that was bright... did something happen?" Goofy also looked around after he'd covered his eyes, and the room was the same as usual.

However, Jiminy raised his voice.

"O-oh no! Everyone look at the Jiminy Memo! New words have been written in it!" At Jiminy's surprised, troubled voice, the three of them looked up at the monitor.

There were words written in the memo on the monitor.

"'This world is wounded. If you heal the wound, the path will open.'"

Behind Mickey, who read it out, Donald and Goofy exchanged a glance.

"What's that mean?" Goofy just shook his head at Donald's question. Similarly, Mickey crossed his arms, and sunk into serious thought.

"The world is wounded...?"

What did it mean by 'the world'? Was it that that world inside the monitor was wounded?

"What 'the word' means is... is...?" It seemed that Jiminy had the same question. At that time, Goofy noticed something else.

"Hey! Look at the monitor!"

Inside the monitor, was Sora, and...

xxx

"This world is connected." Inside the dim cave, the man in the black coat said his first words.

"You!"

"...and the connected world," the man in the coat said to Sora, who had raised his keyblade without thinking.

"Eh?" Sora asked back, not having listened properly. But the man repeated the words that had run though Sora's head just before.

"This world is wounded. If you heal the wound, the path will open."

"What do you mean, wounded? Does it have something to do with those weird blocks?" Sora asked the man, but it looked like he wouldn't tell Sora what he wanted to know so easily.

"If you want to heal the wound, head to the 'keyhole'." The man said only that, and started walking.

"Oi! Wait!" Something big floated up in front of Sora, who tried to chase him. The hell was that, 'head to the keyhole'?

Sora, can you hear me? Mickey called out to Sora, who had stopped moving.

"Mickey, something weird happened. It looks like the black coat guy left, but... something with a shape formed like a keyhole... is that the keyhole?"

Is there something you've particularly noticed?

Sora stared at the thing that had appeared in front of him, as he answered Mickey.

"Yeaaah, the black coat guy said head to the "keyhole". Is that this?"

Head to the keyhole... Sora, try using your keyblade. Perhaps something might happen.

"Got it! I'll try it."

As Mickey said, when Sora pointed his keyblade at the keyhole, there was a sound like a door opening, and Sora was wrapped in light.

When he came to his senses, Sora was standing in a world that was storming; raining and wind blowing.

"Uwaah! What's this?"

It was Destiny Island, his hometown island, which was being destroyed by the storm.

Sora, are you all right?

"Yeah, somehow. But, where is this place?" He answered Mickey's voice, but his palms started sweating. This - was the same island as always. But, it looked like the island was breaking...!

I don't know. But it looks like the cause of the strangeness is here.

"If I find out the cause will the island go back to normal?"

Sora, be careful. I can feel a strong power from over there.

"Right, got it."

When Sora nodded, strong blasts of wind started blowing, and the sky cracked. Appearing from out of the black sea, like you couldn't even imagine in the normal quiet island, was a giant heartless - a darkside.

"This is all your doing!" Sora readied himself, and ran towards the darkside, keyblade in hand.

At about the same time, the darkside slammed a giant fist down on the ground. The fist swung down, but were the red blocks he could see on the small island just his imagination? What the hell was going on?

Sora struck the darkside's fist with his keyblade, and the darkside stopped moving. The wind started blowing again, and Sora was blown upwards.

What the hell is going on? But, I have to defeat that guy!

Starting to move slowly, he could see that there was a sinister heart-shaped hole in the darkside's chest.

Sora stood, stifling his fear, and faced the darkside again.

The fist he'd hit had turned into blocks after all; this time he attacked them. He destroyed them in succession, then started attacking the jet black true body. After several rounds of offense and defense, roared, and was swallowed by the stormy sky. At the same time, Destiny Islands was also sucked into the sky.

Sora was also sucked up by the fierce wind. He held onto a piece of wood with all his might, but in the end, he was swallowed by the whirl in the sky, along with his scream.

Xxx

"Is Sora okay?" Mickey asked worriedly, looking at the monitor. Jiminy was impatient as he tapped at the keyboard attached to the monitor.

"I'm looking for where he is now..."

When he did, the Jiminy Memo floated up on the monitor again.

"Aah!" Jiminy yelled, seeing the memo.

"What's wrong?" Donald asked, looking up at the monitor.

"In the memo, new writing-!!"

One wound is healed.

"One wound is healed?" Goofy read the words aloud strangely, and the picture on the monitor changed.

"Look!" That image was the story Destiny Islands, where Sora had disappeared.

The one who was there was Riku. And a suspicious man in a brown hood was standing before Riku.

The man in the hood pointed at Riku, and a pitch black darkness opened behind him.

Then, the picture on the monitor broke off.

"What was that? If the data is repaired, the things recorded in the memo should be recovered - but I don't have any memory of recording what happened just now," said Jiminy in a trembling voice.

Did things Jiminy had no memory of recording appearing on the monitor mean that the contents of the memo had been overwritten? Or...

"It's showing something you don't know, Jiminy?" Donald also shook his head.

"Is something happening in the memo?" said Goofy, also uneasy. Mickey thought silently.

At that time, a green light blinked in the corner of the monitor.

"Nn? It's found Sora!" Jiminy yelled, and before long a large image came out of the green light and wasshown. It was an alley in a dim town.

Chapter 3: Traverse Town

Does it seem like it's repeating? Or does it seem like a new story? What dream are you seeing, now?

A dog was licking at Sora's face. He'd lost consciousness in the alley [he'd been thrust into by the light???].

"Uhhhnn..."

Sora slowly opened his eyes, but the view that slowly entered his vision wasn't the sea or sky of Destiny Islands, but a scene he'd never seen before, and a dog.

The world Sora had come to, blown by the winds from Destiny Islands, was Traverse Town.

It was a town where people who had lost their places to go home to due to "strangeness" lived, while thinking of their hometowns. That world, which had bright neon signs in the night, was somehow gentle.

"A dream?" Sora mumbled unconsciously, and closed his eyes again. Because there was no way this wasn't a dream. But the dog - the King's friend, Pluto - jumped on his stomach.

"Nnngh. It's - not a dream?" Sora rubbed his eyes as he stood, then looked around. This was... where exactly?

Pluto looked up at Sora, once he'd stood, and wagged his tail happily.

"Man, this sucks... do you know where this is?"

Umm... the hell had happened... In front of Sora, who was cocking his head, Pluto ran off.

Ahead, where Pluto had run off to, was a town made of bricks. For some reason it looked like this was the town square.

Sora, are you all right?

"Uwah!" Sora was reflexively scared by the voice that called out suddenly, but when he remembered that was Mickey's voice, his heart stopped racing.

He could remember a little. That's Mickey's voice, I haven't met him but he's my friend.

"Mickey, where am I? What happened to me?" Sora asked Mickey.

It looks like you've flown somewhere.

Sora crossed his arms and thought, at Mickey's answer. Eventually he remembered many things.

All those blocks appeared on my hometown island, I used the keyblade I was gifted with to destroy the blocks, the storm that had come when he'd entered the strange door, and the I was sucked by the storm,what happened after that...?

"My island? What happened to my island?" Sora asked; Mickey should know.

Thanks to your activity they seem to have all disappeared.

Then what'd that storm been? But it was good the blocks had disappeared. Everyone was definitely playing on the beach like normal, now.

"Then, here is? It looks like a town I've never been to; is there strangeness happening here too?" He hadn't seen any of those blocks when he'd been looking around.

Yeah, probably. Sora, why don't you investigate the town?

"Got it. I'll go have a look at the town," Sora answered, and looked around the square again. When he did, he saw a man standing on the stairs that went up from the square. It was middle aged man who hadgoggles on his face, and a brown haramaki. He had his arms crossed, and he was scowling. For some reason, he was probably troubled by something.

Sora ran up the stairs, and called out to the man,

"Hello!"

"Hey!" The man answered Sora's enthusiastic greeting with spirit as well. But it looked like he also realized that Sora wasn't one of the townspeople.

"...hey, haven't seen your face before."

"I'm Sora! Nice t'meetcha!"

"I'm Cid. The owner of this shop." He pointed at the building under a sign with his jaw. It looked like the shop sold accessories. Then, he stared back at Sora's face, and continued, stroking his chin,

"That's right, Sora, you haven't seen them somewhere around town, have you?"

"Them?" Sora cocked his head at Cid's question.

"Those three tiny brothers. They said they'd 'investigate the strangeness happening around town', and haven't come back.

"Strangeness... around town? What's happening?"

"These weird blocks are appearing kinda gradually. Doesn't look like there's any end to it."

Weird blocks - they're probably the same ones that appeared on my island. Looks like the strangeness ishappening on this world as well, after all. Anyway, doesn't look like there's any in this square...

"Where are those blocks?"

"'Round the town. Just lying around."

"Got it. I'll look around," Sora answered, and turned his back to Cid and ran off. There was nowhere he didn't know on Destiny Islands, but there were many places he didn't know in this town. Finding them was somehow fun.

"Sora!" Cid yelled, and Sora looked back over his shoulder.

"Would you look for those two as well, while you look around town?"

"Those three brothers you said before, right. What're their names?" Those three were also investigating the strangeness; if he asked them he'd probably find something out.

"The one in red clothes is Huey, blue clothes is Dewey, and green clothes is Louie."

"Huey, Dewey, and Louie. I'll look for them!"

"Sorry 'bout that. If there's anything you don't get, ask, even if it's about the guys in town."

"Got it. Then, I'll be off!"

And Sora started running. There were two big doors on the square. Anyway, I should investigate from adoor. He ran down the stairs to the door on the left, but it wouldn't open.

Can I open it with my keyblade?

Sora pointed his keyblade at the door, but even so, nothing happened. No light came out of the keyblade.

He gave a little sigh, then turned to the man next to the door, and asked,

"This door, doesn't it open?"

When he did, the man answered, with an embarrassed expression,

"The door to the third district doesn't open. I'd go an investigate, but there's heartless, so it's dangerous."

"That right... then, I'll go investigate!" It seemed like the door that wouldn't open hid some kind of secret.

"That right, thank you. To get to third district, you need to pass through second. The door to second district is in the north of town."

"Which means this is first?"

"That's how it is."

"Thanks for telling me!" Sora thanked him, and went back on the route he just took, and headed north from Cid's shop. There were no blocks in the square, but he could see they were here and there. He

continued forward breaking the blocks, and there was a large wooden door at the end of the way.

He pushed softly, and this door opened properly.

He looked through the door, and a street with a completely different feel to the first district spread out from it. The first district was brick, but this looked like stone. There were also red and black blocks here and there.

How'm I going to find a good way to get to third district?

There was a large stained glass clock tower in the distance. Anyway, I should go look around, Sora started running.

"Help me~!" he could hear a young voice, and he came to the clock tower. He looked toward the voice, and there was a kid in red clothes and hat standing on top of a block.

And, in front of him were - heartless.

"Oh shit! I have to help!" Sora gripped his keyblade, and started running. It wasn't as though there werethat many of them. Separating them with his keyblade, he defeated them one after the other.

He confirmed that he'd defeated them all, then Sora ran up to the blocks, and said to the boy,

"Are you all right?" Red clothes is, I think- "Are you Huey?"

"Yeah, that's right. The three of us were searching for the reason the blocks were appearing!"

It looked like there was no doubt that this was one of the three Cid had asked him about. Weren't they acting together?

"The other two?"

"We got separated. I think they went towards the alley."

"Right, I'll go have a look in that direction." But which was was the alley...? Sora, who was about to runoff, stopped for a moment, and Huey called out to his back.

"I'll guide you!"

"Thank you!" Huey started walking, like he was leading Sora.

"Uwah!" However, Huey stopped walking as he screamed. There was a mass of heartless even stronger than the one he'd defeated before in front of them.

"Watch out! Get down!" Sora stood in front of Huey, covering him, and faced the heartless. There were so many he couldn't even compare the number!

Even so, Sora defeated the heartless one after another, and turned back to Huey, breathing fiercely.

Huey was peering from behind something, scared, checked the heartless were gone and ran at Sora withjust enough strength to cling to his legs. Like he was finally at ease with that, he looked up at Sora and said,

"You're strong."

"Okay, Huey. I'll look for Dewey and Louie, so go back to Cid's shop to wait."

"Yeah, got it." After seeing all those heartless, it looked like Huey wasn't worried about moving on his own any more.

"That's right! I'll give you this. As thanks for saving me." Huey handed Sora a sparkling shard of something.

"What's... this?"

"I found it when I was investigating the blocks! Isn't the sparkling pretty?" It was true that its glisteningdid catch your eyes, but he had no idea what it was. It was probably junk.

"Ahh, right... thanks."

"Then, I'm going to go back to Cid's. You can get into the alley from next to the water fountain!" When he looked where Huey was pointing, he could see a water fountain near to where he'd entered from firstdistrict.

He could tell there was a door there.

"Right, I'll go!"

Sora changed direction toward the water fountain, and opened the door to the alley. On one side of the narrow alley was a waterway, perhaps connected to the fountain from before.

"Heeeey, anyone here~?" At that time he could hear a voice from somewhere. But he couldn't see who it was. Was it from above...? Sora looked up, but the balconies on the building blocked his view, and hecouldn't confirm anything further up. He walked forward a little more, and he was blocked by heartless.

There were a lot of heartless here, too.

At that time, the voice from above came again.

"I'm over here! This way, this way!" Definitely from above - so was it form a balcony?

Sora dispatched the heartless with his keyblade, climbed up the blocks scattered around the alley, and landed on one of the balconies.

When he did, there was a kid in blue clothes on the next balcony over.

"Aah, you saved me! Thanks!"

"Um... you're in blue clothes so you're Dewey, right? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. There were a lot of heartless so I couldn't get down!" Hewey said in a high, relieved voice, peeking down over the balcony.

"Oh, right. Then take this chance to go back to Cid's place."

"That's right! I'll give you this in thanks." Dewey shoved his hand into his back pocket. "I found it when I was investigating the blocks... huh?! It's gone!" Sora thought he was going to jump up a bit, but Dewey started wandering around the balcony.

"What's wrong?"

"I found something good when I was investigating the blocks... I must have dropped it in second district! I've gotta go look!"

Dewey jumped down off the balcony in a hurried manner, and ran to the door to the second district.

"Wait a sec!"

Sora jumped down as well, and chased after him. When he entered the second district Dewey was on his hands and knees in front of the water fountain, searching for something.

"Nothing... I thought I dropped it around here, but..."

"Oi oi, it's dangerous alone."

"Heheh. It's fine around here!" said Dewey, smiling. But when he'd saved Louie just before, there'd been a lot of heartless around here.

"Haven't you found it yet? What're you -?"

"Wa!? Heartless!" Dewey yelled, jumping up mid sentence. It was another mob of heartless.

"Dewey, hurry up and run!" Sora [pointed?] and brandished his keyblade.

The heartless this time were tough. But even so he was able to defeat them somehow.

"That's why I said it's dangerous." He rebuked Dewey, in a slightly angry tone.

"But I have to find that no matter what... I want to give it to you as thanks for saving me." He was happy about that, but searching for something where heartless appeared was too dangerous.

"Dewey, go back to Cid's place."

"Eh~?! I can't go back until I find it..."

"......right fine."

Dewey was still on his hands and feet in front of Sora, who had given up on trying to stop him, and his white butt shook as he searched desperately.

"The hell're you looking for?"

"...found it!" Dewey yelled, and stood.

"That right, awesome." In Dewey's hand was a mysterious shining fragment.

"Isn't the light really pretty? I'll give it to you as thanks for saving me so many times!" Dewey happily held out the shining fragment. Sora felt like he'd seen it somewhere before......?

He put the shining fragment he got from Huey from his pocked. They were really similar, but the shapes were a little different.

"Huh? Cant' sticking to that fragment?" said Dewey, peering into Sora's hand.

"You're right... I'll stick the fragments to each other..." Sora combined the two fragments. They fit perfectly, but [something something bullshit I'm too tired to brain it fix it later yes].

"It was originally one thing, yeah?" said Dewey in a mystified tone.

"But it seems like it's missing something... maybe there's another fragment..." Perhaps if he put it all together he might be able to find out what it was.

"Right! Let's search for the remaining fragment!" Dewey jumped up happily and made to keep searching, but Sora caught hold of his blue clothes.

"Hey, things've just been dangerous for you right now, right? You should go back to Cid's shop."

"E~h! I want to come too!"

"I'll search for the remaining fragment, so go back to Cid's shop."

"- fi~ne..." Hewey nodded docile, and started walking with a patter, but he seems somehow strange. That said, if he was in the same position, what he'd do was obvious.

"Wait a minute!" Sora grabbed those blue clothes again, holding on to Dewey. "You're going to go look for the fragment by yourself, right?"

"N - n - no, I 'm not!" Dewey looked back in a panic.

"Suspicious... I'll take you to Cid's shop."

"Che..."

Sora started walking back to first district, dragging Dewey by the hand.

"You're strong," Dewey said, looking up at Sora as they walked.

"That's not true. I have a much stronger friend." Come to think of it, what'd happened to Riku-?

"My uncle's strong too, though not as much as you are."

"Uncle... you mean Cid?"

"No! Cid's just taking care of us. A... it's Cid!" As soon as he saw Cid, Dewey pulled out of Sora's hand,and started running.

"Hey, Dewey! You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Dewey answered with feeling. Huey was also at Cid's side.

"Geez! Where'd you go?" Huey asked, a bit angry, and Dewey replied,

"The alley behind second district."

"Louie?"

"Dunno... we got separated." Dewey shook his head when Huey asked. Louie. The last remaining of thetriplets.

"He prob'ly went over to third district..." Cid said, worried, with his arms crossed.

"Sora, sorry, but wouldya go and have a look at third district?"

"Yeah, got it. There's something I'm looking for, too." Sora nodded.

"Looking for something?"

"There's these, but..." He showed Cid the fragments he'd got from the two kids he'd saved.

"What's that? Never seen those materials before..."

"We found them!" Cid raised the fragments he'd taken up to the sky and looked through them, one eye closed.

"The last fragment's gotta be somewhere in town!" Dewey said, jumping up.

"Will something happen if you gather the fragments?" Cid was still staring at the fragments.

"I don't know, but something will definitely happen!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Huey and Dewey cheered by turns.

"So that means look for Louie, then look for that fragment." Cid returned the fragments to Sora, and crossed his arms again and nodded.

"Counting on you, Sora."

"Leave it to me!"

xxx

Sora returned to second district again.

"Huh...?" The layout of the red and black blocks was different.

Perhaps this time he'd be able to go places he couldn't before because they were blocked by blocks.

Sora quested through second district one more time, and found that he could go down a path that was blocked before. It looked like if he went through here he'd get to third district.

"Right, let's go!" Sora swung his keyblade around, and defeated the mass of heartless around him as he ran down the road to third district.

Third district also had a different feel from second district, a bright town full of neon.

"Oii~i, Louie, where are you?" he shouted, but he couldn't see Louie.

Isn't he here...?

At that time, he recognized someone who appeared before him without a sound. In a familiar black coat.

"You-!" Sora brandished his keyblade, but the man in the black coat didn't move.

"The strangeness happening in this town is your doing!" He threw even more words at him, but the man in the black coat started walking without even a sound.

"Wait!"

In that way he left to the square in the second district through the road, but there was a strange landscape there, too.

He could see a sky that wasn't a sky.

The night sky should be spread out here, but like the red and black blocks, he was running through a rolling gloomy [place] with red light in the black ground.

And, the place he could see in front of him, the first thing he could see in front of him was the clock tower, but it was wrapped in a strange green light.

"The hell is happening?" Sora murmured, and headed towards the clock tower.

"W-what's this? The buildings are all thin!" It wasn't the clock tower, but something like a drawing of the clock tower.

"Is anyone here? Ooooi!" an urgent voice flew out.

"Is that Louie? Where are you?"

"I don't really know where I am myself. I was on top of the buildings before, but.. what happened?"

It looked like the buildings going weird was hiding Louie.

Come to think of it, the bridge had disappeared on the island... this was probably also because of the strangeness.

That meant that the world was broken again, there should be another place where you can go to that weird space. Like on the island, if he defeated those bugs or whatever he should definitely be able to find Louie.

He searched about earnestly, and found a keyhole like before - a debug area opened.

"Okay, wait for me, Louie!" Sora jumped into it.

Xxx

"It's kind of nostalgic," Donald murmured, looking up at the monitor.

"It really is nostalgic," Goofy continued as well.

"That's where we first met Sora."

"Aerith and Yuffie, as well as Leon... I wonder how they are?" The two of them talked seriously.

From the things that happened in that Castle Oblivion, the travel records in Jiminy's first diary no longer remain, but those involved in the journey still had their memories.

It was probably that the records in the notebook changed to data in the computer revived their memories at the same time.

"You met Sora there, didn't you?" Mickey said seriously.

"By the way, your majesty. What you changed into data was the records remaining in the notebook, right? Then, the Pluto that woke Sora up just before is a data Pluto?" Goofy cocked his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Then, are there data uses in there too?"

"That's... I wonder... What do you think, Jiminy?" Mickey crossed his arms, and looked at Jiminy.

"I don't really understand what's going on in that world myself. And due to the blocks we're unable to see particular records. So there's also the possibility that the worlds in the data have splintered -

become fragments. It's all a mystery..."

"Yeaaah..." Mickey nodded, and thought.

"Gya! But, Sora will definitely do something!" Donald jumped up and said, just like Duey and his brothers in the data world. The data Sora born from the records of the real Sora; no matter how you looked at him, he was the same Sora. It felt like whether he was data, or real, didn't matter very much.

"That's right, Sora will definitely be able to solve the mystery.

And so, the four of them continued to watch over the monitor.

Xxx

Sora defeated all the bugs in the area, and returned to second district.

It looked like the world was back to normal.

"Ooooi, someone~!" Louie's voice appeared to be coming from above him. It looked like he was on topof the clock tower.

Sora jumped up the blocks scattered here and there, and made it to the kid in green - Louie.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah! Thank you!" Perhaps due to relief, Louie flew at Sora's knees.

"Right, let's go back to Cid's shop!" Sora picked Louie up, and jumped back down to the ground with him.

"What in the world happened?" Louie murmured uneasily, when Sora put him back down.

"I don't really get it either. Oh yeah, Louie, have you seen these shards before?" Sora showed him the shards he'd got from Huey and Dewey.

"Ah! I have one! It's this, right?" Louie answered, taking another identical shard out form his pocket.

"Ah! Perfect fit! But..." said Louie dejectedly, watching him. It looked like there was another shard left.But, somehow or other they could see the final shape.

There was probably only one shard left.

"When you combine them all... it's a keyhole, right?" Louie cocked his head, as he looked at the shards.

"...keyhole?" Now that he mentioned it, he'd seen a keyhole that glowed like that on Destiny Islands.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Right, let's go back to Cid's." Sora took Louie's hand, and started walking.

However, when he opened the door to first district, there was a single person who appeared before him.A black coat was swaying there.

"Louie, get down! Go back to Cid's place!" Sora stood in front of Louie, covering him, keyblade raised.It wasn't far to Cid's place from here.

Sora confirmed he could hear Louie running, and glared at the person in the black coat.

"It was you that caused the strangeness around town, wasn't it," Sora pressed, and the person in the black coat threw something at him.

"What?" Sora reflexively grabbed it.

"This - isn't it -" What he'd grabbed was one of those shining shards. Sora hurriedly looked back up, butin just that one moment the person in the black coat disappeared.

"Huh!?"

Sora took the shards out from his pocket, and combined all four shards.

When he did, the shards recombined almost as if they were pulled, and floated into the sky to make a keyhole.

"Really is... it's the same as when that black coat guy gave me the keyhole in Destiny Islands."

At that time, he could hear Mickey's voice. Sora asked Mickey,

"Mickey, I have something to talk about. I found something that looks a lot like the keyhole I found in Destiny Islands. When I did, there was a really strong enemy, and when I beat him the islands when back to normal, right?"

I see... It's probably the same this time. For some reason it looks like those keyholes have a closerelationship with the strangeness.

"Right? So if I beat the guy inside the keyhole, the town will go back to normal, won't it? I'm gonna give it a try!"

You're going to go into the keyhole and fight?

"Leave it to me!"

Sora pointed his keyblade at the keyhole in the sky. It swallowed the light that was shot out of the keyblade, and a door opened there with the sound of a key.

"Right, I'm going."

The moment he ran in and was swallowed, Sora fell headlong into somewhere.

"The hell's this? Isn't it Traverse Town?" yelled Sora, as he was falling almost like he was being breathed in.

Sora, look out! The enemy's response will soon be there!

Mickey's voice came at around the same time that a crashing sound of rubbing metal rang out from in front of Sora, who had touched down. And then, ground trembling, a giant armored heartless - the Guard Armour - appeared in front of Sora.

If I beat this guy the strangeness will disappear!

"Right, come at me!"

Thinking the Guard Armour would suddenly jump up, Sora ignored its landing. Avoiding it, Sora circled around behind it, and swung his keyblade at its back.

When he did, the Guard Amour stopped moving, and the head turned around like it was searching for Sora.

"Heh heh, I'm over here," Sora provoked, and the Guard Armour suddenly shot a laser beam out of its head.

He rolled to avoid it, and circled around to strike its back again.

"This's the end!" Sora jumped, and swung his keyblade down, and the Guard Armour stopped moving. When he thought the pieces were finally going to fall to the ground one by one, it turned into light and disappeared.

"Yeah!" Sora took a victory pose, and a smile floated onto his face.

Then, like he was being spat out, he rolled back into first district. Even though he'd defeated the cause, there were still blocks remaining.

"...is there another enemy?" Sora murmured without thinking, and Mickey's voice talked to him,

It looks like the enemy's influence remains. But it's all right. You defeated the cause, so your powershould be able to seal it.

"My power...?"

Sora stared at his own hands. The power only I...

That's right, the power only you have. Sora, close the keyhole with your keyblade!

He looked up, and the keyhole was still floating there. I just have to close that keyhole.

"Got it, I'll give it a try!"

Then the blocks around town should disappear. Thanks, Sora. It was able to be resolved thanks to

you.

Sora nodded, and held his keyblade up towards the keyhole. This time he could hear the sound of a door closing, and it disappeared without a trace of a door.

It'll be good if this turns the town back to normal, but I'm interested in that person in the black coat. Is he really the one doing bad things to the worlds after all...?

xxx

The instant Sora closed the keyhole, the monitor fuzzed up like a sandstorm.

"What's happening?" Donald said worriedly, and Jiminy jumped a little, clutching his silk hat.

"There's something written on the memo again!"

At Jiminy's surprised voice, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy looked at the memo inside the device - the machine that read the memo.

One wound is healed.

"For some reason it looks like when the worlds are restored the messages change." said Mickey, deep inthought.

"Then, again on the monitor..." Donald looked up at the monitor.

When it was Destiny Islands, Riku had appeared on the monitor. It had been a scene Jiminy hadn't recorded, so this time something else would probably appear.

What finally appeared on the monitor was the time when Sora, Donald, and Goofy shook hands in Traverse Town. It was something that had happened just after the thing Donald and Goofy were reminiscing about earlier.

"Ahyoo! How nostalgic."

"Does that mean that when the worlds are restored we're in the memo?" In front of Donald and Goofy, who were making their own remarks, the angle of the screen shifted just slightly.

Pluto was in somewhere that looked like an alley. He was sniffing the street as he went further in. Further in there was a darkness they'd seen many times on their second journey - a dark threshold. The monitor cut off when Pluto was running towards it.

"We didn't see Pluto back then, did we?" said Donald, mystified, and Jiminy agreed,

"I didn't write something like that in the memo."

Somehow things were appearing on the monitor that weren't written in the memo. They still didn't know if they had really happened, or if they were fake images.

"I wonder if the memo's trying' ta tell us something," said Goofy, cocking his head. What the hell was happening with the memo? At that time, a suspicious presence spread through the room.

"Guwawawawawa!!" Donald yelled.

The things that appeared before them were - heartless.

"Wh - why are heartless in this castle!" Jiminy yelled in a fluster. Mickey stood up from his chair, and jumped up, keyblade leveled

With a forceful flash of his keyblade, Mickey destroyed the heartless.

"Something must be happening in the castle!" Mickey ran to the door in a rush, Donald and Goofy following him. However -

"The door - it won't open!" They pounded on the door, but it didn't move an inch. Chip and Dale, as well as Minnie and Pluto should be through there.

"Oooi! Someone!! Is someone there!?" But there was no reply.

"What is this," Jiminy murmured.

"We're trapped in this room..." said Mickey, shoulders dropping as he turned his back to the door.

"No way! Even though there's heartless in the castle," said Donald, worriedly. Is Daisy okay?

At that time, a message alarm rang out from the computer. When they hurriedly looked up at the monitor, there was an addition to the writing.

If you heal the wounds the path will open.

"This is...!?" Jiminy held his head. That slight addition to the writing... what did it mean?

"If you heal the wounds the path will open?" Mickey read out the writing.

"'One wound is healed' appeared before, right?" said Goofy, crossing his arms in thought.

"In any case it looks like it's necessary to get the data in Jiminy's Memo back in order."

At Mickey's words, Donald and Goofy exchanged a glance. At that time, the strangeness was on the monitor again. The one that was displayed there was Sora.

"Your Majesty, it looks like Sora's traveled to a new world again," Jiminy said, looking over his shoulder at Mickey.

"I'm worried about the castle, but for now let's think about fixing the data," said Mickey, and stared at Sora in the monitor. In the same way, the rest of them stared seriously at Sora in the monitor.

Chapter 4: Wonderland

Memories are connected. Many shards of memories stretch out like chains, and connect people's hearts. My power isn't to destroy memories, but to dissolve and rebuild those connections. That's right - what's important is being connected. That's the same for both memories and bonds, Sora.

Before I realized, I was standing here. I was standing in Traverse Town just before, but in a flickering moment I was standing here. Having absolutely no idea what was going on, Sora looked around the area. For whatever reason it looked like here was a beautifully kept garden. There were clipped potted plants, and it was surrounded by a clean-cut box shaped hedge. However, there were blocks here and there in the beautiful garden.

Sora, can you hear me?

"What's happening? I was in the town just before but before I realized it I was here," asked Sora, relieved now that he's heard Mickey's voice.

Sorry, Sora. I don't really know what's happening myself. It's probably because you defeated thestrangeness - the bugs within the keyhole. "If you heal a wound the path will open." When a

wounded world goes back to normal, a new path opens up towards the next world.

Sora thought a little about the things Mickey said. Wounds meant the things the bugs did, definitely.

"So me being send flying here is because I beat that bug thing, and a new path opened? So, that those sort of blocks are here means there's bugs here too?" he said, looking around the area. At this rate the blocks were spoiling the pretty garden. He couldn't look at all of the garden because of the blocks.

That's right. To turn this world back to normal you should search for the keyhole somewhere, anddefeat the enemy inside, I think.

If he cleared up the bugs another road would open. And then perhaps he'd be sent flying to another unknown world.

"I want to see all sorts of worlds. I'll get rid of one bug after another and open a new path."

Yes, that's the spirit!

Sora gave powerful nod at Mickey's encouragement. If the road to the new path opened the amount of troubled people would definitely decrease.

"Kyaa!"

At that time a girl's scream sounded out.

He ran towards it in a hurry, keyblade in hand. From the shade of the blocks a blonde girl in a blue apron dress ran towards Sora, scared.

"Help me!"

"Wh-what?"

Heartless were chasing after the girl.

"Heartless, huh? It's dangerous, so get down!" Sora called out to the girl, and ran towards the heartless. The mass of heartless attacked Sora, but he somehow managed to destroy them with his keyblade and magic.

"You saved me." The girl smiled at Sora.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you. Um... you are...?" The girl cocked her head at Sora, who was putting his keyblade away.

"I'm called Sora. You?"

"I am..." The girl sunk into thought at Sora's question.

"What's wrong?"

"No, it's useless after all. I can't remember." The girl shook her head. What did she mean, she couldn't remember.

At that time, a cat suddenly appeared before Sora and the girl - but just the head. It was a strange, purple cat with a large mouth.

"That poor girl has lost her memories."

"Who're you? What do you mean lost her memories?" Not answering Sora's question, head still floatingin space, the cat kept speaking.

"There are bugs in this world, and many blocks. Due to the blocks everyone's memories have scattered." Along with his words, the cat's body appeared gradually. Its body was purple and pink stripes.

"Due to the blocks everyone's memories have gone weird? Then I'd better find the keyhole quick and do something for this world."

When he did, the girl looked at Sora, like she was surprised.

"Keyhole...? I have a feeling like I've seen a keyhole somewhere."

"Eh!? Where, where?" Sora asked, and the girl sunk into thought again.

"H~m~ ...I can't remember." In front of the greatly perplexed girl, the cat continued.

"If you have no memories you can't remember anything." Then the cat turned into just having its head again, repeating its strange movement. "But if you hand over the 'memory keyword'..."

The cat's tail appeared again, and pointed above a block in the corner of the garden. They could see something or other shining there.

"If you hand it over, what happens?"

"That's something to enjoy once you've handed it over. The Cheshire Cat's hints is only up until here. Think about the rest yourself." Leaving Sora with only those words the cat - which seemed to be called the Cheshire Cat - disappeared.

"Ah, oi! Wait!"

However there was no aura of the Cheshire Cat reappearing. In any case he'll try and go and pick up that 'memory keyword'.

"Wait a moment."

Sora ran to the corner of the garden, jumped onto the block, and picked up the shining thing.

"Alice" was written on a small, fragment-like thing. Perhaps that was that girl's name...?

In any case, he should try to hand it over to her.

Sora jumped back down off the block, and danced back over to the girl.

"My name... what on earth is it?"

"It's Alice." When Sora called out the keyword, saying it as he held out the shining fragment, it disappeared, perhaps breathed in by the girl. And the girl - Alice's smile returned."Alice" was written on a small, fragment-like thing. Perhaps that was that girl's name...?

In any case, he should try to hand it over to her.

Sora jumped back down off the block, and danced back over to the girl.

"My name... what on earth is it?"

"It's Alice." When Sora called out the keyword, saying it as he held out the shining fragment, it disappeared, perhaps breathed in by the girl. And the girl - Alice's smile returned.

"Ah, that's right! I'm Alice!"

"That's great! It looks like I brought back the right memory. Then, Alice, do you know anything about the keyhole?"

"Umm... I only remember a little. I definitely saw a shining keyhole." Alice sunk into thought again. If he could just find the keyhole, he should definitely be able to solve the strangeness in this world.

"That, where was it?"

"U~m, I can't remember where I saw it..." Then, the Cheshire Cat appeared before Alice who was shaking her head, and Sora again.

"If you don't hand over the memory keywords to Alice she won't remember anything." If what the Cheshire Cat was saying was right, if he gave Alice her memories back she'll remember where the keyhole is, for sure."Ah, that's right! I'm Alice!"

"That's great! It looks like I brought back the right memory. Then, Alice, do you know anything about the keyhole?"

"Umm... I only remember a little. I definitely saw a shining keyhole." Alice sunk into thought again. If he could just find the keyhole, he should definitely be able to solve the strangeness in this world.

"That, where was it?"

"U~m, I can't remember where I saw it..." Then, the Cheshire Cat appeared before Alice who was shaking her head, and Sora again.

"If you don't hand over the memory keywords to Alice she won't remember anything." If what the Cheshire Cat was saying was right, if he gave Alice her memories back she'll remember where the keyhole is, for sure.

"Where are the other memory keywords?" Sora asked, and the Cheshire Cat stood on its head. He'd never seen a cat stand on its head before. Of course, he'd never seen a cat that disappeared and reappeared before either, but.

"Here and there. They're surely inside of blocks. Why don't you take a look?" The Cheshire Cat did a roll in the air.

"Right, Alice. I'm going to go look for memory keywords. You stay here."

"Yeah..." Alice nodded a little uneasily.

"Alice's memory keywords are here and there. But it's not like all they keywords are Alice's. There are also ones with other people's memories inside." Leaving only those words, the Cheshire Cat disappeared again, like he was smoke.

That meant it wouldn't be strange if there were people other than Alice's memories, right? Even so, if he found them all, Alice's would definitely be in there.

"Then I'm gonna go."

When Sora was about to set off, the person in the black coat appeared in front of him.

"That's right. You should do that and heal the wound. This is a wounded world. If you heal the wound the path will open."

"What are you aiming for!" The person in the black coat disappeared from that place just like the

Cheshire Cat, without answering Sora's yell.

He had no idea what the person in the black coat that appeared before him ofter was aiming for. But right now he had to find Alice's memories.

Straight ahead once he left the garden was another garden. This time it was something like a hedge maze.

Anyway, Sora ran forward, but a card soldier stopped him with the tip of his spear in Sora's path.

"Oi, what're you doing?"

"What... just looking for something..."

"This is the Queen's garden. Entry is prohibited. If you hang around you'll be caught."

If he was seen from now on things would go bad. Sora turned back, to a place where the soldier couldn't see him, and changed direction, continuing forward, hidden by walls so the soldiers couldn't see him.

There were roses growing here and there in the garden, and the let out a nice smell, but when he was hitby the branches the sting of the thorns was a bit painful.

"Huh? Is that..." There was a memory keyword in the middle of the thicket of roses, like it had been dropped somewhere to hide it. "White rose" was written on it. Being very careful, he picked it up, then there was a shout from behind.

"Oi!"

"Wah! They found me!" Sora ran away, pursued by a heart card warrior from behind. When he finally gave it the slip he was in a dead end.

There was another card soldier standing here, as well. Not a heart, but a spade card warrior.

"I feel like I made a mistake somewhere... I'm covered in mud because of my job, but... but I feel like atthis rate the Queen of Hearts will have my head... hey, do you think I've made a mistake?"

For whatever reason it looked like the soldier had lost his memory. A job that covers you in mud... here that has to be a gardener And he had a single memory in hand.

"Is is... white roses?"

"That's right! I mistook white roses for red ones, and planted them. I have to paint them red... I'll give you this as thanks for remembering."

The card warrior handed over the memory keyword 'Queen of Hearts'.

It'd be good if that card warrior didn't lose his head to the Queen of Hearts, but...

Sora continued through the wicker gate that he'd stopped in front of, but the instant he stepped through he unconsciously shouted out,

"Why am I small!?"

Completely unlike the scenery where he'd just been, this place had various well organized pieces of furniture placed down; the inside of a normal room. However - the furniture in the room was all unusually large. It looked like somehow or other Sora had shrunk.

Then, the Cheshire Cat appeared once again. For some reason this cat always appear and talk when something strange happened.

"Small is that everything's big. That is difficult. So, what will you do?" Saying those unclear words, it disappeared again.

"Ah, oi! Wait!"

Now, becoming small, what was the most difficult thing? The thing that appeared before Sora, who wastwisting his neck, was a giant heartless.

"Uwah! It's huge!" yelled Sora without thinking, quite loudly. The heartless was as much bigger as Sorawas smaller. Because it was so big, it would be difficult to beat it.

"But I won't lose!" Sora was somehow able to beat the heartless. But, though it was good he'd defeated one, he didn't feel like he could win if he was attacked by a mass of them.

Wrapped in uneasiness, he made his way to the table in the center of the room, and the Cheshire Cat appeared. This time it was on top of two small bottles on the table. What the hell were those bottles?

"I'll give you a memory keyword as a reward. And while you're at it, the secret medicine." Then it disappeared.

Remaining with Sora was a single memory keyword, and the two bottle the Cheshire Cat had called the'secret medicine'. "Cheshire Cat" was written on the shining fragment.

Even Alice knew that name. And, for the two bottles, a tree getting bigger was drawn on the red one, and a tree getting smaller on the blue.

"Which means..." Sora took the red one in hand, and swallowed the contents in one gulp. As imagined, his body got bigger. Now he'll be able to move around freely.

Sora investigated around the room.

When he did, he noticed a small door. However, the door was turned around.

"Why's it on its side?" Sora murmured without thinking, and the doorknob moved a little bit.

"Wah!"

"What is it? So noisy."

"I-it talked!" in front of Sora, who was shocked, the Doorknob gave a big yawn.

"I finally got to sleep, when the world suddenly turned on its side. You over there should notice. The split in space around here..."

A split in space - that was definitely a debug area.

"This is also because of the bugs... then I'll try to return this world to normal one way or another."

"I'm relying on it... I'm sleepy..."

Sora walked back to the center of the room. When he did, he noticed one of those same tears in space on the table.

"Right, I'm going." Sora entered the debug area.

Xxx

"Memory keywords..." murmured Jiminy, who was looking at the monitor.

"Has something caught your interest, Jiminy?" Mickey asked, and Jiminy shook his head.

"Perhaps I am just remembering what Naminé was called in that report."

"...the memory witch!" Donald yelled before Mickey could answer. It was the "Hidden Ansem Report" they'd got in their second journey, that is, a report written by Ansem the Wise.

Naminé is a witch who can command people's memories.

"It seems to be somehow mixed up in it." Jiminy took the other memo out of his pocket.

"That's the second memo book, isn't it?" Goofy was peering at Jiminy's hands.

"The memo book where the strangeness is occurring right now is the first one, that is, the one where "Say thanks to Naminé" is written. And the second one doesn't have the same strangeness occurring as the first one." Jiminy turned the pages of the second book. In the various records in there remained the record pertaining to Naminé.

"Jiminy, you're saying that the strangeness has some connection to Naminé?"

"It isn't as though it's certain, I just feel like there is some connection." At Jiminy's reply Mickey crossed his arms, deep in thought, but his head raised before long.

"Anyway, let's have a look at how things are." Mickey looked at the monitor again.

Xxx

The Doorknob yawned loudly, when he met Sora when he returned from the debug area.

"It's got quiet with that, right?"

"Hmm, with that I'll be able to sleep soundly. I'll give you this in thanks." The Doorknob handed over amemory keyword. "Pocket-watch" was written on it.

"And now, good night."

"Sleep well," Sora farewelled the Doorknob who had closed his eyes, and left the room from the exit next to him.

"Where's this?" It was another garden. It was neatly [arranged?] to an extend that it wouldn't lose to anyof the other gardens he'd been in up until now. And there was a large table in the middle of it.

When he looked on top of the table, there were traces of there having been someone having a party there until just recently.

Was someone here?

"He-y, is anyone...!" Sora yelled out, and the people, no, enemies he wanted absolutely least to appear, heartless appeared.

"I wasn't calling you!" As he repelled the attacking heartless, he brought his keyblade back. When he did, the repelled heartless jumped onto the table, and kicked the tableware about.

"Not there, over here!" Sora provoked, and the heartless jumped at him again.

"Right, it's the end!" Sora laughed as he destroyed the heartless in one blow.

However, there was still a suspicious presence under the table.

"Get out here!"

"Who is it? That called me..."

"Wah!" The owner of the presence that appeared suspiciously suddenly was a white rabbit wearing glasses.

"Um... h-hello... what are you doing over here?"

"[There was a suspicious shadow.] So I hid," said the rabbit, glasses riding up.

"I defeated the heartless, it's all right!" The rabbit stared at Sora, then cocked his head.

"Oh~ in any case I feel like I have urgent business, but I can't remember why." Anyway, it looked like the White Rabbit had lost his memory too. "I was hurrying someplace, but -"

The rabbit folded his arms and thought, and Sora asked,

"Hey, do you know a girl called Alice?"

"Dear me... Alice? That girl... have I seen her, not seen her..."

"You know about Alice?" It looked like [nothing but the slightest amount.??]

He'd have to look for the rabbit's memories.

"I feel like I hurried after I saw "that" but... what was it I saw and panicked about... What I saw when I hurried was..."

"Wasn't it this?" Sora remembered the memory keyword he'd received from the doorknob just before.

"That's right, that's right! I ran out of time and was late to the trial!" Whether he took the word or not, the rabbit ran off.

The remaining trace of the White Rabbit was a shining light - the memory keyword this time was "White Rabbit".

Was this Alice's lost memory? Sora ran off to Alice, to deliver the memory keyword.

Xxx

Sora called out to Alice, who was standing in the middle of the garden, looking unhappy.

"I'm back, Alice."

"Will you tell me about my memories?"

"Of course!" Sora answered, and took out the fragments he'd received.

"If I remember right I was in the flower garden.... and I saw "someone" and followed them."

Sora had three keywords in total. They were "White Rabbit", "Cheshire Cat", and "Queen of Hearts". The "Cheshire Cat" disappears suddenly so you can't chase him, and the "Queen of Hearts" is someone who chops off people's heads, so he felt like the definitely weren't in the flower garden. Which meant the one remaining was "White Rabbit".

"That's definitely the "White Rabbit"." Sora handed the "White Rabbit" keyword to Alice. When he did,Alice smiled.

"That's right, I followed the hurried White Rabbit, and I fell down a strange hole in the tunnel, and at some point I ended up here." That White Rabbit had certainly left Sora in a hurry.

"What do you remember after that, Alice."

"Then I asked "someone" about the way home, but..." "Cheshire Cat" and "Queen of Hearts" were left. If you carefully thought about the memory keywords it had to be the Cheshire Cat no matter how you

thought about it. So the answer was...

"You asked the "Cheshire Cat", right?" Sora handed over the "Cheshire Cat" keyword.

"Yes, yes, I asked the Cheshire Cat... he said I should go and ask at "someone's" castle, but..."

There was one left.

"That was the Queen of Hearts."

"That's right! I went to the Queen of Hearts' castle to ask the way back home... ah! That's where I saw the keyhole shaped thing!"

It looked like she remembered everything for some reason. Alice smiled happily.

"That's great, you remembered, Alice."

"Yes, thanks to you. What will you do? Go there?"

"Of course!"

Sora and Alice headed towards the Queen of Hearts' castle.

At that time - the person in the black coat appeared at their backs as though seeing them off.

"...the truth is within the keyhole. The true memories are also there -" the person murmured, and disappeared. Sora and Alice walked towards the castle without noticing, or turning back.

Xxx

The place called the Queen's Castle was a slightly strange place where Queen sat on a large dais and the white rabbit respectfully waited on her. It was more like a garden conference room, than a castle.

"What is it, you people!" called the Queen of Hearts, wand in hand, when she saw Sora and Alice.

"There's something I'm looking for here. Let me look around here a bit." Alice, regardless of Queen's apparent ill humor, rudely entered into the garden.

"Wait a moment! Do you think you should just suddenly come into someone's garden? Without even a greeting, what a rude girl."

"I'm sorry... I'm in a hurry." It looked like Alice was hurrying a bit too much. The Queen stared at Alice like she was appraising her, then said in a definite tone,

"Mumumu... suspicious. Right, we'll start the trial now!"

"Ehh!?" Sora yelled at the sudden proclamation. What was this trial, all of a sudden!?

"Please wait! We haven't done anything!" Alice shouted.

"Don't play innocent. There's a proper charge. You're the ones who stole my memory!" They hadn't known the Queen had lost her memory. Then he should search for more memory keywords -

Sora desperately apologized,

"That wasn't us, it was because of the bugs..."

"Mumu, you've finally showed your tail. You are the culprit after all." It looked like she didn't really understand the word bug. She pointed her want at Sora and Alice, and raised up her other hand.

"Please wait a moment! That's not a reason!"

"There's plenty of reason. I decided you were the culprit!" the Queen coldly shot back at Alice's objection. What she was saying was nonsensical. However, even without saying anything back she decided on a punishment.

"Off with their heads!" Lots of card soldiers sidled up and surrounded them.

"Oh no! Sora, let's run!"

"Alice, the keyhole? Is it somewhere around here?"

"Over there! Inside that birdcage!" Alice pointed to a small birdcage next to the Queen's dais. It was in a pretty high place, but he could see a suspicious handle next to it. If he turned it it would definitely come down again.

"Got it!"

"Sora, where are you going?" Alice called at Sora, who was about to run off. If he ran away from here, he'd probably lose the chance to get close to the keyhole. He couldn't lose this chance.

"I'm going to make it to the keyhole somehow! Alice, don't worry about me and run!"

"But..."

"I'll be all right."

"I understand. Be careful you're not caught."

He lost sight of Alice, running, and Sora headed in a straight line towards the handle. But his way was barred, and he was attacked by the card soldiers.

In the space where he was fighting several warriors, when he visited [??? wut; why is the only use of this verb apparently about visiting sick people I don't even know why it's here then], he could see the card soldiers finally stop moving.

"You lot, catch him properly!" At the Queen's side eye Sora kicked around the soldiers that kept coming and coming at him, until he finally reached the handle.

Then, he turned the handle with all his might. When he did, the birdcage dropped just like he'd imagined.

"What are you doing!? You lot!" yelled the Queen of Hearts. Beside her, Sora pulled off the cloth covering the birdcage.

It's there! The keyhole.

Like he had before, Sora pointed his keyblade at the keyhole. The light from his keyblade was sucked up by the keyhole in a flash, and a door appeared.

Disregarding whatever the Queen cried out, Sora ran through the door.

Xxx

"Uwaah! The hell is this place!?" Sora shouted without thinking at the unfamiliar scenery inside the door.

The sky and the ground were reversed. And what appeared there was a giant heartless with long arms and legs which it moved strangely to attack - the Trick Master.

In the middle of avoiding being thrown by its unreadable attacks and the fire from its club, Sora shot magic at it and somehow managed to keep damaging it.

When he did, another strangeness occurred. This time was a 90 degree turn, with the sky on the left side and the ground on the right.

His senses were confused.

That's right, in the world of rotation, the space rotated at regular intervals.

"The hell is this, fuck!"

It was best to win this fight in a single blow. If he didn't, he'd play right into the enemy's hands.

Sora, who had those second thoughts, kicked off towards the wall that was now the roof, towards the Trick Master. Then, gathering all his strength, he mowed it down, hitting its trunk with his keyblade.

He had plenty of [strength].

The pivot of those tricky attacks he'd kept worrying about in the middle of his attack, the Trick Master’s flexible cloth like arms, stopped moving...

He thought, and the Trick Master turned into light and vanished.

The constantly turning floor and ceiling finally returned to their original positions.

"With that the memories should be back to normal!"

Sora had a smile on his face, as he swung his keyblade around to rest on his shoulder.

Xxx

"With that, this worlds restoration is complete," said Mickey, as he watched Sora on the monitor.

"All right, it's just like I thought. There's new writing in Jiminy's memo; 'one wound is healed'," said Jiminy, who was looking at the words on the memo in the device, as he looked back over his shoulder at Mickey. However Donald and Goofy weren't interested in his report.

"Gua..."

"Ahyo... the door still won't open." That's right, the door to the study still gave no signs of opening. They were still shut in. Goofy tried it and failed; it wouldn't budge and inch after all. They'd thought that if the data world was repaired, the strangeness here would also go back to normal, but for some reason it looked like that wasn't the case.

"If you heal the wound a path will open.' The wounds in the memo still aren't healed..." said Mickey, regretful.

How many wounds were left in the worlds in the memo? And, how were they going to get out of this room?

"How's it with Sora? Has the path to the next world opened...?" Jiminy looked back up at the monitor. When he did, displayed there was Sora, and...

"Aah! Th-that man!"

"Gua!" Hearing Jiminy's voice, Donald let out a surprised yell when he saw the monitor.

The person standing in front of Sora like he was glaring, in the monitor, was wearing a black coat.

Xxx

"I found you!" Sora brandished the keyblade. The person in the black coat didn't move.

"Answer me! Are you the one who made the worlds weird?" At his further questioning, the person in the black coat finally opened his mouth.

"This world is connected. The world which is connected to the records and reality. The time for you to know the truth will come soon." The person opened some kind of black dark space, and slipped into it.

"Ah! Wait!!"

Sora chased after the person in the black coat, and stepped into the dark space.

Xxx

"Who on earth is that black coated -" murmured Jiminy, with a worried countenance.

"Organization XIII?" said Donald with a grim expression.

When you mentioned black coats, it was Organization XIII. But they should all be destroyed. Or is it because the worlds in the computer were memory worlds, they existed as data?

"We'll find something out if Sora catches him," said Mickey with a serious expression. At that time, there was a sound of something outside the room.

"Who is it?" Donald ran over to the door. It looked like someone was outside the room.

"Probably Chip and Dale came." Goofy happily followed Donald. At that moment, the door opened.

"Guwah!" Donald fell on his butt in surprise at the person who was standing there.

The one who was there was Sora, brandishing his keyblade.

"Why are you -" Mickey got up from his chair, and ran over to Sora.

"Huh? That voice... you're Mickey, right?" Sora made a mystified face, and put his keyblade away.

"What on earth happened?"

"Why... I was chasing that guy..." Like it was continuing Sora's sentence, a strangeness appeared on the monitor.

"Your Majesty! The picture on the monitor -" Jiminy called.

They all looked at the monitor as one.

After a second where nothing but a sandstorm was displayed, what was there was - Mickey's back. No, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy were also there.

"What's happened?" Mickey murmured doubtfully, and then looked over his shoulder, feeling a suspicious presence inside the room this time.

It was the person in the black coat - at some point he'd stood next to Sora.

"Gua!"

"Ahyo!" In front of Donald and Goofy, who yelled in surprise, the person in the black coat's hood disappeared, just like turning off the image on a screen.

The person standing there was -

"Riku!?" they all shouted his name.

That's right, the person in the black coat's identity was Riku. However, Riku silently shook his head.

"I'm not Riku. Strictly speaking, I'm data that's borrowing Riku's form, like the Sora here." Next to Riku, who was speaking slowly, Sora watched him, still surprised, with his mouth slightly open.

Then Riku tapped on the keyboard attached to the monitor, and it showed the Jiminy memo.

"Most of the records in Jiminy's memo were connected back up, but because of the bugs it wasn't completely restored. I was chosen from the records as the container with custody of the memories. The me which is Riku tried to move all the data at once, and protect it from the bugs." Not really understanding Riku's explanation, everyone cocked their heads.

The container with custody of the memories?

Looking at everyone's blank faces, Riku smiled thinly, and continued.

"That means, you could say I'm the same as the Jiminy Memo itself."

"The same as the memo!?" Jiminy raised his voice in surprise.

So it was that Riku was there, but he wasn't really Riku? He was a container which safe-kept a fragment of the memories in Jiminy's memo. But it felt like that container had "will". But the hell was that "will" Riku's "will", or the "will" of the scattered memories themselves, or possibly the "will" of someone related to the memories -

In front of Jiminy, who was sunk into thought, Riku typed more on the keyboard. When he did, the words written in the memo were shown on the monitor.

To heal their pain, you must return.

"To search for the meaning of the engraved words, you were taken."

"Taken...?" Donald didn't understand what he meant at all. He cocked his head in mystification.

"Haven't you noticed yet?" Riku was slightly astounded, and in front of him Mickey looked up at the monitor. He could see the him in the monitor looking up at the monitor.

So that meant -

"You don't mean..."

"That's right, this is the world inside the memo." Riku nodded, and tapped on the keyboard again.

Your Majesty! Your Majesty! If you can hear my please answer!

The could hear the voices of Chip and Dale.

"Is that Chip and Dale?" Mickey answered the voices from somewhere or other. That's right, just like Sora answered Mickey's voice.

Finally connected! When we came back no one was here, so we investigated the data.

Goofy listened to Chip and Dale's explanation, crossing his arms, deep in thought.

"The Sora in the data is here, and Chip and Dale are watching from outside, which means..."

"It looks like this really is inside the data world," Mickey said, nodding at Goofy. Then he turned to Riku, who silently had his arms crossed, and asked, "Won't you tell us? How to get out of -" However, his question was interrupted. An alarm rang out.

It was the same sound that Mickey and his group had first heard from the memo book analysis machine, that piercing sound.

It's a disaster! Someone is trying to enter into the data.

Hearing Chip and Dale's yell, Riku tapped on the keyboard in a panic.

A giant red and black block appeared on the monitor.

"Hacking?! At this rate it'll get into the data!" Riku tried to [fix it with the keyboard], but the block didn't disappear.

Quickly, please esca -

Chip's voice was cut off.

"Chip! Dale!" Mickey yelled, but there was no reply.

"...no use. The path connecting the memo to the real world has been stolen." Riku shook his head, and his hands on the keyboard stopped.

"Guwawawa. What're we going to..." Donald was uneasy, looking up at Riku.

"If we retrieve the circuit, we should be able to find another path. But there's bugs in the way of that." Everyone's expressions clouded over at Riku's explanation.

At that time, the voice of Sora, who'd been quiet the entire time, rang throughout the room.

"I don't really get it, but Mickey and the others can't return to the real world like this, right? So, I'll go defeat the bugs," he said brightly.

"Sora~" Donald clung to Sora's leg, happily.

"Thanks." A smile floated onto Goofy's face. And, Mickey held his hand out to Sora.

"I'm in your debt again." Sora took Mickey's, whose voice was thick with gratitude, hand.

"Saving your friends is what you do." Mickey and his group all looked at Sora's frank face, and exchanged a glance.

Sora was Sora, no matter what.

"Then, I'm going!" Sora cheerfully turned his back on everyone to leave the room, and was about to runoff - but - he looked back over his shoulder.

"...where should I go?"

"Sorry, Sora. I'll open a path to a world with bugs." Riku tapped on the keyboard.

When he did, a black darkness like he'd seen just before on the world Alice was in, opened in the corner of the room.

"Then, I'm going this time!" Sora's spirits returned, and he set off again.

Chapter 5: Olympus Coliseum

Who do you think made the special world? And what do you think is necessary to enter that special world? Sora. I want to meet Sora, and talk about many things. This is preparation for that. "Worlds" are wounded. The world's wounds - what are the real bugs, do you think?

The instant he left Mickey's study, the atmosphere, smells, colors - everything changed.Sora landed on a world he hadn't been to before. It was the same way he'd been arriving somehow or other up until now.

In front of Sora, who was standing in something that looked like a square, there was a large stone building. Was it a temple or something?

Sora.

He'd always been hearing Mickey's voice, but this time was different.

"That voice, it's Riku!" he said happily, and Riku could hear a bit of a smile. Then he asked,

How is it over there?

"Where I am now, doesn't look like anything..." Just looking around, he hadn't seen any heartless, or any strange things happening on this world. It looked like there weren't any blocks here in the first place.

Don't let your guard down. There are definitely bugs in this Olympus Coliseum. Firstly, the bugshave found the keyhole hidden here. From my investigation, the keyhole is connected to the hub of

the world. If you defeat the enemies wounding the hub, the bugs should disappear.

"Right, leave it to me! It's helping Mickey and them, too! Defeat the bugs, then the path to the next world will open before long." Sora started to walk towards the entrance of the stone building.

Yeah. Be careful as you go.

Sora put Riku's voice behind him and entered the temple. The first thing he saw in there was a short half-man half-beast - Phil - wandering around.

"What is this. The hell'm I going to do?" In front of Phil - they were here after all. The same blocks as always were stacked in the corners, and were hiding whatever was through here completely.

"What's wrong?"

"Ahh, it's horrible. The truth is the champ - oh, you're a kid. I've got no use for kids." Phil gave Sora a glance, but he went right back to wandering around.

"I'm not a kid, I'm Sora. You can talk to me, right?" Kid, what's with that. Though actually I am a kid. But I'm the only one who can solve the strangeness.

Phil stared at Sora, who'd replied kind of mysteriously.

"--hmph." He then thought for a moment, then opened his mouth. "Well, no matter what, the Coliseum’s gone strange. The champ - Hercules went in to see how things were, but..." Phil's words were vague, as he crossed his arms.

"He went in, but he hasn't come out? I have to go see how things are!" He didn't know what was happening, in this world where strangeness was occurring.

However, Phil cocked his head in front of Sora, who was impatient.

"It's a useless conversation. The door's barred by blocks. What can a kid like you who's not even a hero -" Not waiting for Phil to finish speaking, destroyed the blocks with his keyblade in one blow. "Tha's... surprising." Phil's breath caught. However, Sora was also surprised like him.

He'd found the keyhole. Usually the keyhole would appear after a lot of trouble running about here and there around the world, but it's was right there.

And, inside the keyhole were strong heartless - bugs. What the hell was happening in this world? Anyway, through here should be the Colosseum.

"I'll go and take a look."

"But - no, you probably have the makings of a hero. There's no easy way to come back if you go in. Be careful," said Phil, worriedly. Sora smiled back at him, and said,

"Got it."

"Now, I'll give you two words of advice when it comes to winning the trials. Win, win, go win!" Two words? It felt like three words.... eh, whatever.

"Thanks. Then I'll be off."

Then Sora faced the keyhole, and held out his keyblade. The light that shot out from his keyblade was swallowed by the keyhole, and a door floated up there. Sora ran through the door.

Xxx

Hercules looked up, perhaps noticing something.

He felt like there was someone's presence just now - but he must have imagined it. He couldn't [even briefly?? what is the そうそうして??] think that there would be a human who would be able to come to this place.

It was good he'd somehow been able to come in from the Colosseum, but it was an intricate maze, and unable to break the blocks he was unable to go any further. And more than that, there were a lot of monsters. This situation is even harder than Phil's training, Hercules smiled bitterly.

"I have to find the cause of the Colosseum turning into this, and somehow put it back..." Hercules murmured, and knocked down the wall of blocks in front of him with his fist. The wall was smashed

up, and a new path opened.

Now, let's move forward!

Xxx

At about the same time in the center of the maze, an evil looking man with a pale blue darkened face - the King of the Realm of the Dead, Hades - stroked his jaw as me mumbled some complaint.

"Hmph... some brat from somewhere came in..." Hades' hair was even eerily blue, and burning. It looked like Hades knew that Sora had entered the maze.

"But this is a maze that traps a hero... a brat will fail and run away crying," Hades continued complaining.

"More than that, the problem is the hero Hercules. Using this maze I'll pull him into the Realm of the Dead today. I'll enjoy the game for a little while. It shouldn't end too soon..."

Hades turned into smoke, and disappeared from that place.

Xxx

The scene that spread out in front of him after he slipped through the door was nothing like he thought of a coliseum, and Sora stopped running.

He'd passed through several small rooms here, it was just like a maze. And he knew there were heartless here and there.

It was the first time he found the keyhole, in the place he'd visited right after he arrived on this world, and it was the first time he'd been in such a complex maze.

It would be best if he found Hercules as fast as possible.

Sora, can you hear my voice?

The voice that called out to him the same as always was Mickey this time, not Riku like just before.

"I can hear you! It looks like the strangeness is particularly big this time," Sora answered, and stopped.

That's right. The bugs are that much stronger this time. It looks like the Colosseum has turned intoa maze because of it.

"I have to find the bug that's wounding this world right away!" Sora said strongly, like he was telling himself. Suddenly changing the world into a maze, how strong was the "cause" in the center

Be careful. It looks like my voice won't reach any further than this.

"Leave it to me!" Sora thumped his own chest, and replied smiling. However, a heartless attacked Sora from beside him.

"Wah!" Sora defended himself with his keyblade, and fell on his butt. It looked like the heartless that appeared in the maze were quite strong. But there was no way he'd lose easily. Sora stood, and ran at the heartless.

Xxx

Hades, stroking his beard as he watched Sora, nodded a little.

"Hmph. Quite a stubborn brat." That thing the brat had, he was interested in the power in that strange key thing. That power - the hell was he? He probably couldn't do anything by himself, but if he teamed up with Hercules it'd be a bit annoying.

What floated up into Hades' mind was a single [young man]. He didn't know why he'd been caught up in here, but it looked like he had a use for him...

"Heheh..." Hades laughed softly, and disappeared.

Xxx

"Hmmmmm.... I'm stumped..." Sora, who had gradually defeated heartless and traveled to the heart of the maze, stopped.

No matter where he searched the room, he couldn't find a new path. He'd destroyed all the blocks, and defeated all the heartless.

Even so, he couldn't find a new path forward. All that was there, in front of his eyes, was a brown wall.

If he went back down the path he'd come on he'd probably find a new path, and on the moment Sora turned on his heel to start walking back...

There was a loud sound at Sora's back.

When he looked back over his shoulder, the wall that had blocked his path was crumbling to the ground. And the figure that stood there was a [young man] with a burly body.

He was right in line with the image Sora had when he was asked about a 'hero'.

"Amazing strength! Are you Hercules?" Sora ran over to the [young man] and asked.

"I am, but... you are?" Hercules asked back, making a mysterious face.

"I'm Sora. Phil asked me to come in and see what the situation was."

"To such a dangerous place? Thanks for doing that! I'm the Coliseum’s champion, called a "hero"." Hercules smiled, showing his white teeth. "But Sora. You did well to come this far."

"Heheh, it's because I have a keyblade!" Sora answered, smiling with his hands behind his head. "Hercules, you're checking out in here too, right?"

Hercules' eyebrows furrowed at his question.

"Things suddenly became strange. I'm trying to find out the cause somehow or other," said Hercules, and he sunk into thought. Sora also looked up at Hercules with an earnest expression. It should be okayif he talks about the strangeness happening in the world, if it's Hercules.

"About that, it's probably the guy in the center of the maze, who's injuring the world."

"The guy who's injuring the world?" Hercules' expression got even more serious at Sora's explanation.

"Yeah. I think that guy is definitely the cause of the strangeness in the world."

"I see... you seem familiar with everything."

"It's a long story, and I can't explain it well..." Even if I explain to Hercules talking about "bugs" he probably won't get it. I don't understand anything more than that, and what I do understand now I'm not confident in... But I definitely feel that since it's Hercules, he should understand with just that explanation.

"Hey, isn't there some guy who seems to be wounding the world around here?" Sora asked, and Hercules crossed his arms and sunk into thought.

"The guy that comes to mind is definitely that guy..." replied Hercules, with a grim expression. "The King of the Realm of the Dead, Hades. I think that he definitely has some connection..." "The King of the Realm of the Dead", Sora got an evil feeling when he heard something like that.

"Right, then let's look for that Hades guy!"

"That's right. It's definitely the shortest part to solve this. I'm glad to see the goal. Hey, Sora. I request to allow for your power. Won't you fight with me?" Hercules' expression loosened, and he held out his right hand. When Sora gripped his hand, he gripped back strongly. Hercules' hand was big and friendly.

"Thank you!" Hercules said in gratitude. However, in the next instant, his expression turned grave. There was just one reason. Because heartless suddenly appeared before the two of them.

"Enemies finally appear. Hey, Sora. Let's make the Colosseum peaceful again together!" Hercules lunged out with his fist, towards a place where several heartless had gathered.

When he did, only one heartless remained from the wind pressure. Such power, even without a weapon.

"That's a hero! You can't lose." Sora rubbed under his nose with his forefinger, then gripped his keyblade in that hand and swung down at the heartless. His heartless also disappeared without a trace.

"You're good too! We'll be able to go back to peace quickly like this," said Hercules, looking back over his shoulder at Sora.

He hadn't fought with anyone else before this, so Sora was kind of happy.

Then, the two of them defeated heartless, as they traveled further to the heart of the maze.

Xxx

"Kukuku..." In the maze, a strange smile crossed Hades' face. That evil [aura] was to the extent that youcould see stagnant air surrounding him.

"Even though even if I'm gone the maze won't disappear, it's good that they don't know anything. Now, this is your debut."

A young man with blond hair was standing in front of Hades. He had a sword that was as long as he was tall, and was wrapped in a crimson cape. There was a black wing coming out from his back.

The young man's name was Cloud.

"If I defeat them, will a path to the next world really appear?" Cloud asked Hades.

"Yeah. You'll also know about the "eternal strength" you were hoping for."

Did he believe it or not? Cloud stayed silent.

"You've thrown away your powerless past, right? Go and steal eternal strength! Destroy them so not even their shadows remain." Hades stood, speaking quickly, like he was going to chase Cloud. However, without his expression changing, Cloud quietly shot,

"...don't get the wrong idea."

Hades' right eyebrow raised unpleasantly, at Cloud's cool-headed remark.

"It's not that I'm following you. I'm the one that's fighting. Don't get in the way."

Then, Cloud's cape fluttered, as he turned his back to Hades, and started walking.

Xxx

It's probably not good to be alone, thought Sora, looking up at Hercules. Of course I'm not going to give up, but if I was by myself I'd be really lonely.

"Heroes really are great."

"What's that, suddenly? Aren't you great, Sora?" said Hercules, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You'll definitely be stronger than me one day, Sora."

"That'd be good," said Sora, smiling, and swung his keyblade down to destroy a block.

"Anyway, you're better than me at destroying blocks."

Feeling as though they had plenty of time, the two of them thought they'd still keep on talking. However, at that time a gust of wind blew.

"Are you the hero Hercules?" Along with the wind the person who stood in their way was a blond [young man] - Cloud.

"Who're you!?" Sora brandished his keyblade right away. His opponent also brandished his giant sword, and quietly shot,

"Sorry, but give me a match. Let my try myself against that power, that's for protecting something." Suddenly, Cloud brandished his sword, without even a second's notice.

Sora covered himself and stopped it with his keyblade. At the same time, Hercules, who had good reflexes, [visited fff that word again] Cloud with his right fist.

"Ku--" Cloud jumped out of the way backwards for a moment, regained his balance, and examined the space between them.

For the next little while, their violent exchanges continued. The [young man]'s sword was furious and without any gaps. If I was by myself I'd lose, thought Sora. But there's two of us.

They crossed swords countless times, Sora and Hercules fighting smoothly together, and they saw their opponent's gap.

The next was the match.

Cloud kicked off from the ground, and attacked Hercules. But Hercules didn't step aside, took one step closer to Cloud, and hit his shoulder at full strength with both hand crossed. At the same time Sora hit him in the stomach with his keyblade.

"How about this!" Hercules yelled, and Cloud fell on his butt.

"You're not just called a hero..." Cloud murmured under his harsh breathing.

"The hell're you..."

"I'm Cloud. An enemy of heroes." Cloud stood, glaring at the two of them, and brandished his sword.

"Hey, why'd you target us...?" The instant Sora was about to ask, a light blue ball of light was shot at them from somewhere.

It was so sudden there was no time to avoid it, and Sora reflexively closed his eyes.

"Guu-!"

When he timidly opened his eyes, Cloud was bravely protecting them with his body.

"Che, missed..." The person with a distorted face who appeared along with some suspicious smoke was

- Hades.

"Hades, what're you doing? Don't interfere with my fight!" yelled Cloud, turning towards Hades and glaring.

"Hmph, your role is over," said Hades with no interest, and shrugged his shoulders.

"What was that?" Cloud asked back, in a low voice.

"I thought I'd use you for a lure to stop Hercules with, but you couldn't do that. Even though your heart is wounded by lies. [? I think?]"

Sora turned to Hades, who'd started to talk, grumbling the words, and thrust his keyblade at him.

"Oi, Hades! Were you the one who turned the Colosseum into this?"

"Sorry about your expectations, but this wasn't me," answered Hades with a small smile.

"What was that?" Hercules also surprisingly raised his voice. But his stance didn't change.

"It's a mysterious guard, who's somewhere else. Well, don't worry. I'm a fair god. I won't do anything else. Even without doing anything you lot will all drop dead in a lazy flow," said Hades, and turned his back to them.

"Where're you going?"

"I have no more use for you. Do what you want from now on!" Cloud chased after him, but Hades disappeared in a puff of smoke right before his eyes.

"He's gone..."

Next to Sora, who sighed, Cloud stared fixedly at the place where Hades disappeared with a severe expression.

"...so I was used," Cloud murmured softly, and started walking.

"Ah, wait a minute!" Hercules called after him, but Cloud left, deeper into the maze, without even looking back.

"Don't get in my way."

"What's with him..." said Sora in an unimpressed tone, as he watched him leave.

"It looks like he was deceived by Hades somehow or other," Hercules soothed Sora in a kind tone.

"Even so, his attitude was a bit bad, right?" Sora complained, mouth looking sour. Even though he'd attacked them all of a sudden, he'd disappeared as he pleased. Shouldn't he say more in the way of thanks, or an apology?

"Now, now. But that's a problem. The strangeness wasn't because of Hades?" Hercules pointed out, and Sora stored his anger at Cloud, and crossed his arms and thought.

"If we don't find the other cause, we won't be able to leave here."

"The investigation's back to square one, isn't it? Anyway, let's continue ahead."

xxx

When they continued their adventure, traveling further into the maze -

"That's...!" The two of them spied Cloud in the distance, surrounded by heartless.

Him again. Is what Sora thought, and peered at the situation without any worry.

That large sword menaced its enemies. But he was overwhelmed by a large number, and it looked like an uphill battle.

"Cloud! Are you all right?"

"Just wait! We'll be over there..." Sora and Hercules were going to go on, but Cloud yelled,

"Don't come! You go on ahead!"

"But -" Hercules hesitated, and locked eyes with Sora.

"I have no intention of involving you with this. It's my sin."

"That's reckless!" Sora yelled out without thinking, and he ran to where Cloud and the heartless where before he'd even realized it. There was no way he could leave it, after all.

"I told you. Don't meddle!"

Sora threw his keyblade at the heartless in front of Cloud, who was refusing help. In the same way, Hercules stood next to Sora, and threw the heartless that had been sent flying away.

"Why? Are you pitying me?" asked Cloud behind him, and Sora caught the keyblade flying back at him, and said with force,

"It's nothing like that. I'm helping you because I want to help you!" No sooner had he said that than, kicking of the ground this time, he ran towards the mass of heartless.

"Now, you fight too!" Hercules called, before chasing after Sora, and punching a heartless. Cloud covered the distance between himself and the other two in one go, and brought that giant sword down on the mass of heartless. Two or three heartless were destroyed all at once, and Sora and Hercules smiled at each other.

The three of them fought. They defeated more than ten heartless.

"I've made another debt..." When all the heartless were gone in one stroke, Cloud turned his back on Sora and Hercules. It looked like he was intending to go somewhere by himself again.

"Wait a minute. Won't you lend us your strength?" Hercules raised his words of request, and Cloud stopped.

"...why? I once tried to hurt you." Cloud turned his back on them again.

"That was Hades' trap. Right?" Hercules kept talking, not giving up, but it looked like Cloud had no intention of going with them.

"-even so, I have no right to lend you strength. That strength, I -"

"C'mon!" Sora hesitated for just a second, before walking closer to Cloud, and grabbing onto his cape. Sora looked up at Cloud, who looked around fast, and said,

"I don't wanna know about your right or your strength, I wanna know your feelings!"

"My - feelings?" It looked like there were many reasons for Cloud's cold expression, but that was fine. Traveling in this maze alone was totally dangerous, and even so if Cloud intended to fight Hades it wasdecidedly better for them to all go together.

"If you don't wanna no matter what, I won't as why. But if you just look for excuses, nothing will ever change, right?" He could see Cloud's breath catch. Sora continued speaking, as though pressing for an answer.

"If you get lost in a maze, you have to move forward! While you're moving, you might be able to see something!" After Sora's angry tone, Hercules said gently,

"You protected us from Hades' attack. Haven't you thought about that? I think I want to believe in that strength I felt from you then." For just a minute, Cloud's mouth warped into a troubled smile, but he quickly looked at the ground as if to hide it, and shook his head a little.

"A power of my own - what a whimsical lot...."

"Then...!" Cloud looked up, and freed his cape from Sora, whose voice rose happily while he was still gripping it, and said,

"Don't misunderstand me. It's because we need to defeat the true enemy to slip out of here. I'll just go with you until then."

Cloud had already started walking, [but the obstinateness in his back was somehow different from before.]

"Man, not tame," Sora murmured, chasing after Cloud. When he did, in the same way Hercules, walking beside him, said as he smiled,

"He's a bit awkward. It's probably because of the strength of his heart, of all things."

"Hmmmph, I don't really get it."

"It's probably still a bit difficult for you, Sora."

"Whaddya mean by that." They conversed, and Cloud looked back at them.

"Slow, you guys."

"Whose fault do you think it is we're slow!" Sora said back, and hurled himself at Cloud, who was walking in front of them.

"...ch."

"Heheh~"

"You two, it looks like we can only fool around up to here," Hercules said in a serious tone, and stopped. They could see a giant door in front of them.

"This door... the atmosphere up until now is different..." Sora's voice was a bit nervous.

"I have a bad feeling, but we've got to go." Cloud's voice was also tense. There was just that much of a sinister feeling that they hadn't felt before emitting from the door.

"Right, let's go!" Sora and Cloud nodded at Hercules' determination, and they opened the door.

When they did, it was to something like an underground room, enshrouded with a leaden atmosphere. They could see the front gate covered by iron bars. And the dark air floating around the bars was clearly strange. There was also a gross fishy smell.

"This is probably where the real cause of the strangeness is hidden..." When Hercules murmured that, the gate rose with an eerie creaking sound.

"Gururururu..." After several seconds the low voice of a beast sounded out from the darkness.

"The hell's that voice..." Sora's eyebrows furrowed, shivering reflexively.

"In any case, something's up ahead..."

"Has the true enemy appeared..."

[No longer] parted from the by the bars, Sora's group, who were continuing to walk slow and vigilantlywere, signaled by its roar, slowly able to see the outline of a monster in the darkness in front of them. Adog with three heads...

"It's the guard dog of hell, Cerberus! But it looks strange..."

Hercules braced himself. Cerberus drooled as he growled lowly.

"Cerberus, huh? I think I've heard that name before." Cloud brandished his sword.

"He's the one wounding this world!" Sora brandished his keyblade in the same way.

Cerberus' limbs kicked off the ground.

"Hey, Sora. Shall I tell you one of the secrets to being a hero? It is having a heart that believes in your comrades no matter what!"

"Comrades..."

"That's you and Cloud! Since we fought together before, you've been my precious comrades!" Now, look out! It's coming!" Thinking perhaps Cerberus would jump up suddenly, Hercules was bitten savagely by one of the heads.

"Guu-"

"Hercules!" Cloud swung his sword up at one of the heads. In the same way, Sora ran at the remaining head, and hit it with his keyblade. Jumping away from Cerberus' sharp teeth when it flinched, Hercules sat down, breathing fiercely. However, he quickly stood up, energetically brandishing his fists, and hit Cerberus in the chest. Cerberus let out an anguished cry.

"Get back a bit, you two."

"Eh?" Sora and Hercules looked back at the low call. They could see that the wing on Cloud's back wasabout to fly for a moment.

"This is the end...!" Cloud flew all of a sudden, and let off a barrage of blows down at Cerberus. It was a awesome attack, so fast you couldn't see it - a high-class god of war victory decapitation.

"Amazing..." Sora said with unthinking wonder, and in front of him Cerberus let out a loud single deathroar, facing the sky, and that large body lay down, and disappeared into light.

"You did it!" Jumping up a little with happiness, Sora flew over to Cloud.

"At last. We can finally go back without being caught in the maze..." said Cloud like he was surprised, tearing off from Sora. Watching them, Hercules burst out into a small laugh, and said to them, of coursewhile smiling,

"We can feel relieved with this. Now, let's go back to Phil's place!"

While this exchange was taking place, before the three of them wrapped in relief and happiness, a tall man suddenly appeared in smoke.

"Oi oi, did you forget me and are having some kind of happy ending?"

That languid tone of voice more than contrasted with its creepiness.

"Hades!" That wicked Lord of the Dead [was] there again. Hades bit his nails unpleasantly as he lookeddown at the three of them.

"Even though I'd finally found such a fun maze, what's with this mess! If you thought that you'd just take it on to yourselves to destroy it, then there's nothing for it... the Lord of the Dead, Hades, will just have to send you personally to the country of death!"

Hades fisted both his hands, and after he'd charged all the power in his body, raised his hands up to the heavens. His blue fire-like hair turned a deep crimson, and began burning.

"Naa, Hercules. I get one of the requirements for being a hero," said Sora like he had plenty of time, as he brandished his keyblade.

"What's that?" Hercules answered in the same way, setting up without a gap.

"Tell me, Sora," Cloud said as well.

"That's, no matter what kinda a pinch you're in, in the end you have to win!" If it was the three of them right now, there was no way they'd lose.

"Don't take me lightly, brats!" Hades produced a large fireball, and sent it towards Sora's group.

"That's why I said, we can't lose!" Sora sent the fireball back with his keyblade, and this time Cloud rantowards the fireball and [visited fff that verb] Hades with and attack from an unavoidable blind spot.

"Cheeky brats!"

"Even with just Cloud, you can't look good." Hercules charge power into both his fists, and Sora thought he was going to attack high but he punched the ground. The large shock-wave that spread out from it [made the] ground writhe, and before long it arrived to where Hades was.

"Kuu..." Hades called, send flying.

"You still wanna?"

"Don't think this is the end... Because it's not like I'll give up!" Hades left that line as he disappeared in smoke, running away.

The atmosphere immediately relaxed, and it felt brighter.

"You both really are amazing." Sora smiled at Hercules and Cloud.

"It's because we're heroes," said Hercules, smiling.

"A hero..." murmured Cloud, quietly.

"Now, let's go back to Phil's. He's definitely worried." Sora smiled and nodded at Hercules' words.

Xxx

"Ooh, you guys, it's good you came back safe!" Phil smiled at Sora and Hercules, who had come back

to the Olympus Colosseum.

"Heheh, easy win!" Sora boasted, and Hercules turned towards him and held out his right hand.

"This is also thanks to Sora. Thank you!" While he gripped Hercules' hand in reply, Sora noticed something, and looked rapidly around the area.

"Where's Cloud?"

"If you're talking about the morose-faced guy, he already left. Seemed to leave for his next journey," Phil answered Sora's question.

"Eh~! I can't even thank him..." Sora drooped, letting go of Hercules' handshake.

"Oh, that's right, I have a message for you. It's 'Thanks, hero and future hero'."

"The future hero is me!?" I'm so happy to be acknowledge as a hero by Cloud! But he was depressed again at Phil's next words.

"That is, a chirping egg."

"That's~..." Sora slumped, heartbroken, with his hands on his knees. I tried to really do my best, too...

"Sora, you can become an awesome hero. Won't you protect Olympus Colosseum with me from now on?" said Hercules, as if to console him, and put a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"Ye~ah, I'm happy you feel like that, but I've got friends who are waiting for me. If something happens again, I'll definitely lend you strength!" Sora started smiling again, as he looked up at Hercules. Hercules' hand really is big. I hope I become a hero like him someday.

"Got it. Say hi to your friends for me." Hercules said, encouraging this time, and squeezed Sora's shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Do your best to grow up into a hero soon. Well, any time's good. I'll train you," said Phil lastly in a severe, scolding tone, looking up at Sora.

"Yeah! Okay, let's meet again!" Sora shook both their hands, and flew out to the courtyard.

xxx

Mickey, is it all right like this?

Sora, looking up at the sky and speaking, was shown on the monitor in the study. They hadn't been ableto watch in this world, but it looked like the world was able to safely return to normal thanks to his two comrades, Hercules and Cloud.

"Yeah, Sora. Thanks," Mickey said to the Sora in the monitor. However, next to him, Donald puzzled

over it, with a mystified expression.

"This time, the monitor didn't show anything?" Up until now, when the world was restored, the monitorhad shown a scene they didn't remember recording. But this time they didn't see anything like that.

"Yeah. That's a scene inside my consciousness," [said Riku].

"Gua?" Donald said, cocking his head, mystified.

"When the bugs are erased, [I'm?] able to search further into the world's memory. The me you saw those times were probably shown in a line. [??]

"I see... those are the memories sleeping deep in Jiminy's memo. No one likely remembers them," said Jiminy, nodding several times.

In short, what appeared on the monitor were special memories even the data itself doesn't remember. But I've never heard of the memo having a will of its own. With Riku being the data in the memo, it's something other than the memo's. I feel that the will of the memo and the existence of Riku in the data is something else.

What on earth happened in the memo? Jiminy thought, and in front of him Goofy spoke up.

"Ahyo? Things seem a bit -"

In the monitor, a suspicious figure appeared in front of Sora.

"Ah, that's...." Recognizing who it was in the monitor, Mickey leaned forward toward it.

Gahahahahaha! Been a while!

The voice that rang out from the computer speakers was that nostalgic, hateful voice.

"Captain Pete! Why are you here!" Mickey called out his name, and Pete looked at the sky.

The same as you lot. Traveled in from outside.

For some reason Pete understood that they'd been turned into data.

This world, it's now mine!

Pete left them with, and turned his back to Sora, starting to walk off with heavy feet. Pete flew into a suspicious space, surrounded by a mysterious whirl of white light.

"It looks like he's planning something! Quick, follow him!" Mickey called out, and Sora nodded and ran into the mystery space after Pete.

Chapter 6: Agrabah

Little by little, the world woke up. Little by little, the world changed. Even the things which were wounded, even the things which were healed, both of them changed the world. There's no such thing as a world that doesn't change. And so I want to believe in a sleep which does not wake and does not exist. The me right now can't do anything but have that. There are people other than me waiting for you, Sora.

Through the mysterious space Sora had chased Pete through was a dusty town made of stone. It was like the dry, hot atmosphere was curling over his skin. He looked around here and there, but Pete was nowhere to be seen.

That Pete guy, he seemed to know Mickey, but the hell is he planning?

Sora started walking around, for the meantime. It didn't seem like a town where Pete could hide easily, but it wasn't like he could find him that easily either. Even so, it was a pretty quiet town. There were plenty of shops dotted around, but there weren't many people. It was almost like there were blocks place instead of the normal people.

Isn't there anyone I can talk to?

In front of Sora, who was walking around looking for people, heartless welled up, as usual. This world really had been wounded by someone. Traveling onward, as he kicked the heartless about, there was a large square with a giant gate in front of Sora. Next to the gate, he could see richly colored round roofs,and a large building. The palace or something? And there was a single young man standing in front of it, looking up at the gates. It looked like he was thinking about something.

"What're you doing here?" When he called out, the young man looked back over his shoulder at Sora, a little surprised.

"What, a person?" the young man murmured, feeling relieved. "Since I escaped from the cave the strange blocks and monsters have increased, so I was worried about my friend and came to see how the palace was doing. Speaking of, are you okay, outside on your own?" said the young man, who seemed like a good person, worried about Sora.

Looks like he's not a bad guy. Sora smiled, and answered, "I'm fine like this."

"Heh, that's reliable - you have good eyes, don't you?" After he cut off his words, the young man sunk into thought again, and then opened his mouth again,

"If it's all right, will you lend me your strength for a bit?" His expression was different from the good-natured friendly one up until now, and was horribly serious.

"Yeah, that's fine... what do you want me to do?"

"The truth is - I'm looking for my friend. Her name is Jasmine, and she's my - ...important person. I'm worried about her and want to see her, but it looks like we missed each other. I can look around near thecastle, if you..." Sora answered before the young man could get to the end of his sentence.

"Got it. Look for a girl named Jasmine. I'm also looking for a guy named Pete. I'll go look around town."

"Thanks, you're a great help. My name's Aladdin. Nice to meet you." Aladdin held his right hand out at Sora, a smile spreading across his face. Sora gripped it tightly, and told him his own name.

"I'm Sora! Then, Aladdin, if you find someone, come and tell me."

"Thanks, I'm counting on you, Sora."

Sora nodded strongly, and ran off to find Jasmine and Pete.

Even so, this town was intricate. The main street had become a bazaar, the stone houses of buildings were built in a complex series, the town itself was a maze. Even while lost moving ahead, Sora stoppedmoving when he entered a back street and could hear a woman's voice.

"It won't happen as you say!"

When he closed in on where the voice was, there was a girl in the shade of some blocks, and a thin manarguing. They both seemed to be nobles, and the girl seemed to be obedient with a strong will, but the man seemed to produce a strange atmosphere he couldn't conceal.

"Ku ku ku... [isn't the one irresponsibly listening to what's said you? or something?]"

"I'll say it countless times! Jafar! I won't do as you tell me."

"Mou, then..." Jafar swung the staff in is hands up.

"Wait!" said Sora, who'd forced his way in there and faced the man, the girl at his back so he could try and protect her.

"You are?" asked the girl from behind him in a low voice. Sora looked over his shoulder at her just for a second, and asked,

"Uh... I don't suppose you're Jasmine?" The girl - Jasmine - nodded slightly.

"I'm Sora. Aladdin asked me to come look for you."

"What, Aladdin?" This time Jafar reacted, to that name. He'd already been an evil-looking man, but his eyebrows raised, and the ugliness in his heart became even more obvious.

"That street rat you know, that didn't listen to my orders. I'll finish off all those who interfere with my plans at once!" His staff dipped for a second, then he raised it again.

"Jasmine get back! I'm gonna scare this guy off!" Sora called, and ran at Jafar all at once. He hit Jafar's bearded jaw with his raised keyblade.

"Gu-" However, right after that Jafar's body moved somewhere in an instant. It looked like Jafar was some kind of magician. Sora lost his target, and a large fireball dropped on his head.

"Look out!" With Jasmine's warning Sora dodged the fireball by a hair's breadth, and checked its path. He saw Jafar on a roof, and kicked off the ground again, and painting a big arc in the sky with his jump, he hit his enemy on the roof with his keyblade.

"How's that!"

"Hmph, I'll stop for now..." Jafar spat out as he flinched, then disappeared. It looked like he ran with the magic he'd used before.

"Thank you, you saved me!" Jasmine ran over to Sora from where she was hidden under cover.

"Why's that Jafar guy after you?"

"That's..." Jasmine softly started telling her story.

Xxx

Meanwhile, in the bazaar district, Jafar [breathed harshly?].

That street rat was someone he'd never seen before. Even though everything had been smoothly moving according to plan up until now, once he'd been mixed up into it his plans had come to a deadlock. When Jafar indignantly ground his teeth, the sound of laughter drifted over from somewhere.

"Gahahahaha, looks like you're havin' a hard time."

The person who appeared in front of Jafar had a chubby body, and a face with large ears and mouth; a person you could tell had an evil will just by looking. That's right, it was the bad man Sora had been chasing, Pete.

"Will I [calling himself -sama; deem to would work but it's not his vocab, hmm] help you out?"

"What's that? Talking to me -" Jafar's brow furrowed, repulsed at Pete's self-important talk, but when hesaw the thing in Pete's hand, he raised his voice.

"That lamp that you're holding, isn't it the magic lamp I've been longing for!" It was a legend in this world. According to Jafar's expectations, Pete smiled.

"Yeah, it's not the real one though. Using the strangeness in this world, I made a copy." Pete held out the lamp in front of Jafar.

"A... copy? What's that? I don't understand what you mean. But it seems to have quite a strong power kept within it... very well, would you give it to me?" Jafar took the lamp from Pete, almost as if he was stealing it.

"Hey, don't be so hasty. Well fine. Steadily sink this world into darkness," said Pete, crossing his arms and staring at Jafar. At the same time Jafar let out a high laugh.

"Fu, fufufu... wahahahahahaha! With this, all of my wishes will come true!" With that, Jafar rubbed the

lamp, and called out, "Now, [spirit?] of the lamp, the great Jafar's first wish! Give me a special power so no one can get in my way!"

A strong light shot out from the lamp, and hit Jafar.

Xxx

"Oh, I see, you're a princess, Jasmine. That Jafar guy is?" Sora was hearing about the circumstances from Jasmine.

"Jafar is this country's vizier But it looks like he's secretly planning something. I tried to consult with the people around me, but Jafar is trusted in the palace and no one believed me," said Jasmine, slumping and shaking her head sadly.

"Did something happen in the city?"

"I found strange blocks had suddenly appeared in the city. And here, Jafar's magical hand - Jafar used the confusion of the strangeness in the city, and I was captured." Jasmine sighed, a dark look on her face. Come to think of it, Aladdin had said Jasmine was a precious person to him... Sora continued, asking Jasmine,

"Did you talk to Aladdin too?"

"If Aladdin was here, I'd've wanted to talk with him..." Even now Jasmine had tears that were about to fall in her eyes, but she suddenly looked up.

"What do you know about him!?"

Sora moved slightly backwards at Jasmine, suddenly caught by forcefulness, and answered,

"I met Aladdin in front of the palace. He said he'd come after escaping from a cave."

"Aladdin's alive?! It's really great he's okay..." Jasmine clasped her hands in front of her chest, and quietly closed her eyes with a relieved expression.

It looked like that Jasmine had believed that Aladdin was gone, for some reason.

"He was worried about you, so let's go and meet him quickly!"

"Yeah, let's go." A brilliant smile floated across Jasmine's face, and she nodded strongly.

Xxx

They saw Aladdin in the plaza, and Jasmine, who had been behind Sora the entire way, started running, rushing over to him.

"Jasmine! You're all right?"

"Aladdin! You too?"

Looking at their meeting from a place a little removed, Sora was a little relieved. All he had left was to find Pete.

"The strangeness in town has become gradually worse."

"It's all right. I escaped from the cave, but I found something amazing inside it. With this, I won't let Jafar do what he likes anymore!" At the time when Aladdin said that, in front of Jasmine who had a clouded expression, a black shadow suddenly appeared before them.

"That's right, I won't let you do what you like anymore!" Standing there was Jafar.

"Jafar!" Sora ran over towards them, keyblade in hand. However, without any time to stop him, Jafar grabbed onto Jasmine's arm.

"Kyaa! Let go!"

"Jasmine!" Aladdin yelled, and tried to catch and restrain Jafar, but instead was sent flying by a mysterious power.

"Fu fu fu, this country is mine! I'll marry the princess Jasmine, and become its king!"

"Whaddya say?!"

Sora also attempted to take Jasmine back, but he was sent flying by the strange power as well.

"Unfortunately, there's no longer anyone who can oppose me. I got a "special power" from the lamp!"

"What? How did the lamp...?" Aladdin made to take the lamp out from his pocket.

"No matter what you do it's useless! There's still time until my preparations are complete... I'll have youunable to leave this town before then!" Jafar rubbed the top of the lamp.

"Uwaah!" Wrapped in a terrible light, Sora closed his eyes for a second.

When he opened his eyes again - and the scenery was unchanged from before. But Jafar and Jasmine were gone.

"Shit! He ran?! Aladdin, let's hurry up and chase him!" Sora called out to Aladdin, and quickly started running, but Aladdin was acting strangely. He was staring at a lamp that greatly resembled the one Jafarhad had.

"Aladdin?" Sora waved his hand in front of Aladdin's unblinking eyes, but he didn't so much as twitch. It was as if time had stopped.

It looks like Jafar somehow did some special magic over the town.

Sora, who was perplexed, heard Mickey's voice.

"Mickey! What do you mean, special magic?"

It's definitely a spell that stops time. He's stopped time all over town, so none of you can leave.

"A spell to stop time...? But I can move," Sora replied looking around his own body.

It's because you have the power to fight the strangeness. It looks like magic doesn't have that mucheffect. But you can't rest at ease. The spell to stop time will slowly take effect. It looks like you'll stop

moving soon.

"What the-?! Then I should leave this world before the magic takes effect? But I can't leave the strangeness like this, which means..."

At that time, there was a parrot watching Sora. For some reason it looked like the magic didn't affect the parrot, either. It was probably Jafar's companion. It flapped its brightly colored wings, and stole Aladdin's lamp in one swoop.

"Ah!" Sora called, and in front of him, the parrot - Iago - said, with both feet around the lamp,

"Too bad! I'll just help myself to this! Jafar didn't say so, but this lamp is really something special. Oh yeah! It'll soon be my era!" Just like that, Iago flew away somewhere.

Sora, get that lamp back! There's a friend that will help you in it! Mickey's voice was a littlepanicked.

"A friend in that lamp? Got it! I'll get it back!"

But be careful. There's not much time left for you. Get the lamp back before time runs out!

"Leave it to me!"

Sora ran off. Even so, he didn't know where the hell Iago was.

However, because time had stopped moving, the heartless had stopped moving as well, so he was at least saved from that.

In the middle of that, he first went to the entrance to the palace, but he couldn't see Iago around there.

"Where is he...?" Since he'd been running around so much, he was breathing hard. But if he didn't hurryhe wouldn't be able to move at all. Come to think of it, the back alley where he'd first met Jasmine, and [something] Jafar looked like a convenient place to hide. Sora started running towards there.

"There!" Sora found Iago just liked he'd imagined, and appealed, "Please! Give back that lamp!

"What's that? It's really that important... then I really won't give it back! Run away!" Iago flew off again. It looked like he'd somehow have to steal it by force. Sora chased after Iago, coming back to the bazaar, and headed towards the front gate again.

Seeing Iago on the roof of a shop, Sora first got his breathing under control.

This time he wouldn't do anything like ask "give it back". He'd suddenly grab it!

Peering at things from behind a building, the instant Iago came down, Sora pounced.

"I finally caught you! I won't forgive you!" Holding Iago firmly in both hands, Sora glared at him.

"Hiii, 'm sorry! It was just an impulse, so give me a break!" He probably thought that he was about to suffer from Sora's anger. Iago let the lamp go, and desperately bowed his head in Sora's hands.

"No choice, I guess. If you do it again I won't forgive you."

"Hyaa~!" Sora let his hands go, and with a scream that didn't sound like a parrot, Iago flew off somewhere.

Sora picked the lamp up from the ground, and peered at it.

"All right!" The lamp was fairly old, and a sluggish light shot out of it.

Anyway, why did Aladdin have something like this? Was the amazing thing he found in the cave this?

Close in front of Sora's face, as he puzzled over what was up with the lamp, it suddenly wriggled.

"Wh-what?!" The lamp moved all on its own, and smoke poured out, with a sound like bursting laughter.

"Uwah!" What appeared from the lamp was -

"Are you troubled? That's right, isn't it? ...wait huh? You're not Al!?" A blue person, floating in mid air, looked down on Sora. When he looked closely, they had no legs. That's right, they had no legs, but was floating in the air.

But he couldn't just be surprised. There was no more time.

Al probably means Aladdin! Right, I'll ask!

"Jafar stopped time in the city so Aladdin can't move. And you are...?" Sora asked, and the blue person turned around in the air, and pointed a finger.

"Troubles, annoyances, worries! No matter what, they're quickly solved! If you call the genie in the lamp wanting to help your problems, no matter what your wish is, it can come true!" He talked very fast all in one breath, and winked at Sora.

"Genie in the lamp? Wishes can come true?" Sora muttered back what he'd heard without thinking, and genie brought his face closer and held out three fingers.

"How-ev-er! You only get three wishes! The [world?] decided that asking for as many wishes as you want would be too easy!" Even above Genie's enthusiasm, Sora sunk into thought, not believing so quickly that any wish could be granted.

"What's this? You don't believe me?" said Genie, as though worried. Is there any way that something asstory-like as any dream coming true can happen? Well, anyway he doesn't look like a bad guy, and he knows Aladdin, so I should be able to go with him for a while longer.

"Ye-aah... then, turn the strange parts of this world back to normal!"

"Ri-ght, [leave it to me?]" Genie danced circles up into the sky, and clearly winked. When he did, the world rumbled just a little.

"Now, how's that? With that those strange blocks have disappeared from the town."

"Awesome! Thank you! Can you turn Aladdin, who's been frozen in time, back to normal, too?"

"Eh? Sorry, that I can't yet." Genie shook his head from side to side. "That's something the one that castthe magic has to do something about. [I think?]"

"Ehh~ No way..." Sora slumped, crestfallen.

"Something like "turn the world back to normal" is a vague request, so... oh my, did I jump to a wrong conclusion?" Genie slumped, looking down. Sora, who was feeling quite let down, was able to come to his senses.

"It's not your fault, Genie. I shouldn't've panicked and made such a weird wish."

"No, no, if I can't grant a half-baked wish, my reputation as a genie would drop into the gutter. How about I don't count it! And how about this as an apology! Time's stopped, but I can feel someone running about senselessly! How about it? There's plenty of after-sale support, too!" Genie folded his arms, embracing Sora.

"That Jafar guy... he can't run any more! This time it's my first wish! Take me there!"

"Uho----u! Roger, Master! And now, let's go-!" Genie stretched out his arms, and started spinning, and air wrapped around them.

Sucked up by the strong wind, the place Sora and Genie traveled to was a suspicious place in the middle of the desert, with a tiger head statue.

However, the tiger's head was closed. And Jafar was standing in front of it.

"I found you, Jafar!"

"What's that? How did you get here!? Hahaa, I see... you got the real lamp, did you? And it seems that unknown weapon has some kind of connection with it." Jafar showed off his opinion, stroking his beard, as if he had plenty of time. [nonchalantly a better fit?]

"Rather than that, where'd you put Jasmine!?"

"I let my future bride sleep "inside the cave"."

"Inside the cave?" Sora repeated, and Jafar grinned.

"You won't find her. It's a place only I know."

"Then I'll ask you directly!"

"Unfortunately... this is the end of our conversation. I have to steal Jasmine's heart now. Those who try and follow me will be caught in a trap!" Jafar raised his arms overhead, and an ominous mist dropped down and surrounded them.

"Shi - what is it this time?" Sora watched his surroundings for a while, but nothing happened. The mist eventually cleared, and Jafar disappeared at the same time, in his usual fashion.

"...it doesn't look like anything much has changed, Sora," said Genie, floating around here and there to confirm it.

"Where'd that Jafar guy go?"

"Usually this tiger's mouth is opened, but..." said Genie, twisting his neck.

"It's usually open!? Which means, around here.... found it!" On the side of the tiger's head Sora found the same tear in space as normal.

"Genie, wait here for me!" Sora entered the bug area.

Xxx

"Genie's the same as always, isn't he?" said Goofy happy somewhere as he peered at the monitor.

"I want to see Aladdin and Jasmine, too." Donald screwed his eyes up as though nostalgic. The world reflected in the monitor was a world they'd been to on their journeys. Of course they were nostalgic. Looking at the worlds they'd been to with Sora, and the people they'd connected with there, they wanted to set out together again.

"In any case, where did Pete go?" Mickey cocked his head.

"[It doesn't look like he existed in the data world to begin with.]" Jiminy also crossed his arms and sunkinto thought.

"There's no doubt that Pete infiltrated using some method," said Riku, as though answering the two of them.

"So does that mean there's some other way to infiltrate this world from the read world other than with this machine?"

"No way, the memo is only here," Mickey immediately denied Jiminy's question. If they didn't borrow Sora's strength they'd never understand what on earth was going on with the memo and the data world.

"Sora'll definitely be able to do something."

"But I'm worried about Pete. [I can't help but think about?] times things have happened [??]"

The Sora in the data world, and the Sora in the real world, they were both Sora. Mickey answered so to Donald, who utterly believed in Sora, and watched Sora wielding his keyblade in the monitor.

"When something happened... there's a method for that." Riku softly opened his mouth, and everyone's gazes gathered on him.

Xxx

In front of Sora, coming out of the debug area, the tiger's giant mouth was opened. Genie was peering into that mouth, arms wrapped around himself and shivering.

"Mumumu... it's dangerous in there. There's the auras of many traps! It looks like it's being greatly supported by three times as many traps than usual."

"Is it because of the lamp Jafar has?... But coming this far means that Jasmine should be inside, right?" Sora answered, peering into the tiger's mouth like Genie.

Increasing the traps was the same as expressly saying there was treasure inside.

"It has that atmosphere, doesn't it? Thanks to that, it also reeks of Jafar."

"I'll definitely find him! Just wait! Jafar!" Sora ran into the tiger's mouth. As he went further into it - into the Cave of Wonders - it gradually got darker. It was brightened by torches here and there, but theyalone weren't enough to light the road ahead.

Many heartless appeared, and a strange sound started as they were slipping through the narrow paths.

"What's that? Uwaah!" The instant Sora saw what the cause was, he stopped in his traps. It was a giant rolling ball trap. If you were hit with that you'd be helpless.

[With his own timing???], when he was about to be hit by the rock, Sora ran into a narrow street with all his might.

"Fuu......" Seeing an exit that looked like it would lead to the next room, Sora took a deep breath. Whenhe did, Genie suddenly appeared behind him.

"It smells, it smells, doesn't it? It reeks of a suspi~cious presence."

"Does that mean Jafar's close... hey, Genie, if I defeat Jafar will Aladdin go back to normal?" Sora asked the opinion of Genie, who was wandering in mid air, as he looked up at him.

"Yeah, definitely. [Free him from the stopped time?], and he'll be free! So nice, so nice, I'm jealous~ This genie wants to be free too, but without being ordered so by my master, I have this bitterness of being unable to be free!" said Genie, shaking his head sadly.

"Oh right, your wish is "to be free"." Always trapped in the lamp - it must be sad, and painful.

"In exchange for a genie's powers, you can't be free. Oh, come to think of it, I had the same conversation with Al in the next room when I first met him. He comforted me, who has no freedom." Genie's eyes narrowed, as he reminisced.

"Oh right, is this where Aladdin came and got the lamp? Worrying about you even when he was in danger himself, Aladdin's a kind guy. Hey, Genie. Let's do our best for Aladdin too."

"Yeah, of course!" Genie smiled at Sora's encouragement 。 Then, he turned a circle in the air, and returned to the lamp.

"Now, let's go!" And the place that they came to next was the Lamp Room - the large place where the lamp Genie lived in had once been stored.

There ,Jafar was standing on top of the tallest altar-like place.

I've definitely gotta defeat him, and save Jasmine and Aladdin!

"Prepare yourself! You can't run any more!" Sora thrust his keyblade at his enemy.

"You passed through all the traps? [There's no profit in admitting it??]... you're not an ordinary rat. Do you not want to be of use to me? If you have a wish, I'll grant anything," said Jafar in a coaxing voice.

"You'll grant anything. Then, I guess..." Sora grinned. "If Aladdin becomes the king, you should help him out!"

"Him become king, you say!? Ku, don't kid me! Well, fine... since it's become this I'll show you my power! Have you really been able to recognize it?"

Jafar suddenly split into three, and Sora braced himself for their attacks. A proud expression floated up on all of the Jafars' faces.

However, not at all lost, Sora closed in on one of them, and swung his keyblade down.

"Gu- How did you know!"

"The other ones are see through, so they have to be fake! Give up and give Jasmine back! Put the town back to normal too!" While he was amazed, Sora kept thrusting his keyblade at Jafar.

"Kuu, as my last wish, I thought I'd have Jasmine’s heart stolen, but with this there's no choice," Jafar groaned, and rose his staff.

"Until I can take the country and Jasmine with brute force! Now, genie of the lamp, for my last wish, make me the invincible genie Jafar!" It seemed Jafar was quite stubborn this time.

With his wish, Jafar was wrapped in light, and Sora couldn't confirm his form.

"Where'd he go!?" Jafar's form, and his aura, it was like they'd both disappeared from the world.

"Fuhahahahahaha! I said it, didn't I? A place only I know! Someone like you can't find it. It's the proof of my invincible power! From this place the world is wounded, and as with memories controlled. I'll crush you filthy rat from here!"

The cave itself started rumbling. If it continues like this the world will be Jafar's. I have to do something. But I don't know where to go from here - what should I do?

Don't panic, Sora. Jafar's definitely close.

He could hear a voice drop down. A feeling of relief spread through him, and Sora smiled and answered,

"Mickey! Is that true?" That's right, I'm not alone. Mickey, and Genie are here.

Yeah, the "inside the door" Jafar was talking about is definitely a world inside a keyhole! And if so,there should be a keyhole to enter through around here.

"Got it! I'll look around!" Sora answered, and looked around the room straight away. There was only one suspicious place. It was behind the same red and black blocks as usual. Sora faced them, and swung his keyblade down.

According to plan, the destroyed blocks revealed a keyhole.

"Right...!" Sora [swung??] his keyblade at the keyhole, and entered "inside the door".

It was a red-hot room with boiling lava. Jafar, who had turned into a genie so large he was beyond recognition, glared at Sora.

"Hou, you found this room, that means... with that power, you're not anyone ordinary after all. However that won't change your fate... I, who have become invincible, will crush you!" Genie Jafar shot a giant ball of lava at Sora. Sora covered himself and avoided it, and murmured,

"Ku, what incredible power. The hell should I..." It was so hot he couldn't breathe well.

This is Genie. Sora, do you read me?

"Genie!" The voice he suddenly heard this time was Genie's, which didn't lose any of its brightness even now.

Jafar right now is invincible. None of your attacks will work! But genies have a weak point! StealJafar's lamp!

Sora looked around, having calmed down, and saw a parrot flying around the roof, the lamp in his claws - Iago.

"That! Got it, Genie! I'll give it a go!" Sora answered Genie shortly, and climbed up the blocks here andthere, chasing Iago.

"Whatever you're planning is useless! I'll stop you here!" Jafar shot delay beams from his eyes. Sora managed to just barely avoid them, but in that gap Iago flew far away.

"[onomatopoeia for breathing hard here; the fuck do we even have in English? 'Huff puff' or whatever sounds ridiculous, and Japanese also uses haa... haa..., which this isn't. =/]... I've got a bit tired." However, Iago seemed a bit exhausted. It was natural. He was running away with the lamp, which was heavy for him.

During that gap Sora climbed up the blocks, and hit the lamp Iago held with his keyblade.

"Hiii, I got it, I got it! Give me a break already~!" Iago flew away with a fluttering of wings, but Sora ignored him, chasing after the lamp that fell to the ground.

"Ku, damn it! My magic lamp!" Genie Jafar thrust his arms out, impatient for the first time Sora had seen, but Sora was a step faster.

Genie called out again to Sora, who had picked up the lamp.

Sora, now! Seal Jafar in the lamp!

Without a moment's delay Sora help up the lamp, and called,

"Genie Jafar! With this you're finished!" The lamp shone, and Genie Jafar was swallowed into it with terrible force. Everything was swallowed in, and in Sora's hands as though resisting that the lamp madea small clattering sound, then the sound became smaller, and finally the lamp itself disappeared.

"Is that... the end?" said Sora, oozing tiredness [after it having developed into a fierce chase??].

However, from somewhere likely having been watching the situation came,

"Kuuu! The hell's this! The world was almost about to be wrapped in darkness..." Pete appeared along with his loud words to himself, and ran off somewhere.

"Ah, wait!" He'd unexpectedly found the person he was looking for. Genie appeared beside Sora, who was about to chase after him, and pulled him back.

"[Hey?], Sora, going already?"

"Yeah. Looks like we're parting here. You save Jasmine and take the lamp back to Aladdin, okay?" Sorastopped, and looked at Genie, who was a bit sad.

"Leave it to me. That's the second!" That's right, that's a wish - which means I have one left.

"Give me your third wish~!" Genie invited him. The third wish was decided. But there's someone betterthat me to say it.

"I'll give the third wish to Aladdin." Genie's eyes opened wide at Sora's words.

"I was able to meet you since Aladdin found the lamp. And I believe... that Aladdin really understands you, who has no freedom. Since it's Aladdin, he'll definitely make a wish for your sake."

"Sora..." Genie hid his crying eyes with his arm - he thought, but Genie spun in the air in happiness, like when they met.

"Right, got it! I'll reliably tell Al your feelings! Thanks, Sora!"

"No, it's me who's thankful for all your help! Right, say hi to everyone!" Then, Sora hurried after Pete. He shouldn't have gone that far already.

He ran through the cave, and flew out of the tiger's mouth.

Pete was standing there, just as if he was waiting for Sora.

"You can't run any more!" But Pete grinned [at] Sora, who was brandishing his keyblade.

"Fu fu fu, which of us can't run?" He acted as though he had plenty of time. What does he mean?

"She'll soon be showing herself. Right..... Maleficent!" The person who appeared with Pete's call was a witch dressed in black - Maleficent.

"You are!?"

"I will not allow anyone to interfere with my plans. It's sudden, but as an alternative to a greeting. Take this!" Maleficent suddenly lifted the staff in her hand. The green fire that shot out of her staff hit Sora.

"Guah!" Sora was sent flying, keyblade flying out of his hand and sticking into the ground.

"A keyblade..." Maleficent murmured, and floated the keyblade into the air. Sora tried to take it back with his next movement. However, right in front of his eyes Maleficent promptly swung her staff, and his keyblade was easily smashed.

"...!" Glancing at Sora, whose breath hitched as he watched events unfold out of the corner of her eye, Maleficent let out a high laugh.

"It's this, after all. With this, this world is mine!"

What should I do - without the keyblade, I can't fight. But I have to do it.

"Now, heartless... sink everything into darkness!" Maleficent summoned a mass of heartless in front of Sora, who was about to stand. The heartless gradually closed Sora in, and hunted him down.

"Ku....!" At this rate I'll lose to the darkness.

[I'm not sure what this 思わず is doing here] when his body was [about it?] break, the heartless chasinghim were destroyed in an instant, in front of his eyes.

"Are you all right?" Sora looked up at the voice that called out. Right there was Riku. And also Mickey.

The two of them looked back at Sora, showing him unchanging smiles.

"Maleficent, you also came to the data world?" Mickey asked Maleficent with a sharp look.

"Data world? I don't care about that." Maleficent's mouth warped into a smile.

"It's all because of my great efforts," said Pete boasting.

"I heard you lot were starting something. I was spying in the castle on Maleficent's orders. I [saw] you get wrapped in light in the room I was peeking into, and I was also caught by the strange light. When I came to my senses I was alone in a weird place. After that, I went around investigating stuff. I found out that it was a different world connected to your castle," Pete said in one breath, rubbing at his nose then folding his arms. "Oh, right. I forgot to say, I've gotta monopoly on the road to the outside world." Sora finally stood, and braced himself for Pete, who was grinning as he [spoke].

"It was you who stole the road!" But instead of Pete, the one who opened their mouth was Maleficent.

"There's no need to worry. At any rate this world will too fall into darkness. First, I'll stain the world with darkness, then send heartless to the outside world." Maleficent smiled easily as she stared at Mickey.

"To our castle?!" Maleficent continued quietly, to Mickey ['s surprise? the surprised Mickey sounds dumb, Mickey who was surprised is getting old and also is bluh to begin with fff].

"The time of sleep is over, this time I will get all worlds. But really, it's your fault the worlds are too bright. So this time I'll send you to sleep." Maleficent swung her hand beckoningly.

"I won't let you do what you want with the worlds!" Riku kicked off the ground, headed for Maleficent.However -

"Riku! It's useless!" Green fire flew from Maleficent's staff, and hit Riku.

"Guaaaaa!" Pete picked up Riku, as he screamed and lost consciousness.

"Riku!" Mickey called his name, but Riku didn't even twitch.

"After all, you too are a being of darkness... darkness is fated to sink into darkness. I'll take this one. It looks like he should be of various uses to me." Maleficent disappeared with a graceful laugh.

"Too bad! With this you won't be able to do anything! Ga- ha ha ha ha!" Pete continued, laughing [loudly], Riku in his arms, [and] started to disappear.

"Riku!" In front of Sora, who chased after him in an instant, Pete disappeared.

"Ku, this is..." murmured Mickey sadly, slumping.

Chapter 7: Hollow Bastion

There is no coincidence in all of destiny. Everything was plotted. There is still no answer now to who plotted it. But hey, Sora. Since we're friends. Since we're friends for ever and ever. Riku too, Mickey too, Donald too, Goofy too, When they met you, a lot of people are all Sora's friends. Don't forget that.

Riku is gone. Maleficent and Pete carried him away. It's because I let my guard down, for sure. Sora, who had returned to Disney Castle with Mickey, was slumped in a corner of the room by himself.

"What is this... Riku being carried away." Jiminy, who had received an explanation from Mickey, shookhis head.

"The memo's data is hidden inside Riku, isn't it...?"

Goofy also crossed his arms, sunk into thought.

"At this rate, all of the data will be dyed with darkness..." Donald also grimaced uneasily. Riku being carried away meant no less than the data itself falling into Maleficent's hands. They still didn't know what the lost memories meant, but they could think they could be misused.

"Hey Jiminy, how many more worlds wounded by the bugs are left?" Mickey asked, and Jiminy climbed on top of the keyboard and pressed several keys with his foot.

"Uhh... there's one remaining. Even though we were so close to fixing all the bugs..." Jiminy shook his head. There really was only a little left. Even so, Riku was gone.

"If all the bugs were destroyed [you guys] wanted to go home too..." Sora said in a vanishing voice. "I'm sorry... it's my fault. If I'd had more power..." Even though if I'd been stronger, it wouldn't have turned out like this. To Sora, there was no connection to Riku being the container of the data. Riku was Riku - Sora's best friend.

"No, it's not your fault. [And] we can do something, so it's all right!" A smile floated across Mickey's face, and a keyblade appeared in his hand.

"What?! Your majesty has-" Jiminy jumped up [in shock].

"I'll search for a clue to the last bug, and also take Riku back," Mickey clearly informed them, standing in front of Sora.

"Mickey, I'll help too." Sora tried to summon his keyblade into his hand, but it didn't come out.

"...nn? Huh? Shi, the keyblade's not coming out..." Maleficent had definitely broken his keyblade But ifhe'd wished strongly the keyblade would appear in his hand countless times. If it's broken it doesn't appear any more?

"Sora... unfortunately, your keyblade is completely broken," Mickey said sadly.

"No way...!"

"The truth is... that keyblade was something we transcribed into data on the outside, and gave over to you. If we go back to the real world we should be able to transcribe it to data and give it over to you again. But Maleficent has stolen the route to the outside, hasn't she... at the moment there's no way to get your keyblade back."

"Then, what should I...!" Sora slumped. Not being able to do anything, that was - that [sucked].

"Don't worry. This time it's my turn to help you," Mickey said strongly again. "Everyone, wait here."

Leaving them with those words, Mickey steadily opened the door with light steps, and left.

"...the king, is he okay?" said Donald, watching him leave with worry.

"He's definitely okay. Because he's "the king", right?" Goofy answered, and Donald folded his arms, and for just a little bit thought big.

"Yeah. There's no reason to worry if the enemies are just heartless, but..."

To one side of Donald and Goofy's conversation, Sora was fixedly in thought.

"Pete and Maleficent were able to come to this world." Jiminy sighed, and rolled his shoulders.

"Ye~ah, and there's the bugs, so I really am a little worried..."

"But he said to wait here..." Next to Donald and Goofy's conversation, Sora softly started to walk.

I won't wait in a place like this.

"What do you think we should do, Sora?" Donald asked, but Sora was nowhere to be seen.

"...huh, what's this?" Donald ran around the study. Sora wasn't anywhere, not even under the desk, or behind the bookshelves.

"The hell has Sora gone?" Jiminy sighed again, as though to emphasize the question.

"Sora, did you..." Goofy looked back at the study door.

Xxx

The place that Sora came to was a world where bugs remained - Hollow Bastion. Sora looked around the world, where mysterious machines were moving.

Even without his keyblade there should be something he can do. He had to somehow help even if it wasjust Riku, and protect him from [that person? lit. that person's hand(s), but yeah].

Crossing in front of Sora was someone he'd seen before.

"Pete!" Sora yelled, running over.

"Nn? You are... what, good for nothing. What do you want?" he said, in a haughty tone as if to say that without his keyblade Sora was no enemy.

"Answer me! Where did you take Riku!?"

"Hmph, if you want to know you'll have to catch me!" Pete grinned, and ran right away.

"Wait! I won't let you run!"

"Later~" Pete ran to a large building, and escaped through an open door. Sora ran after him in pursuit. Inside was a hall, with stairs leading up to the second floor on the left and right.

"Come out! Pete!" When Sora called out, the red and black blocks suddenly appeared on all four sides, walling Sora in.

"Wah! I'm closed in? Is this Pete's doing too?"

"Ga ha ha! Even though you can't do anything, [you're really quite nonchalant?]" Pete looked down at Sora from on top of the blocks, laughing loudly.

"Catching you'll be easy!"

"[Oh, do you think so??] Come out! Heartless!" Heartless appeared along with Pete's command. What should I do - if I don't have the keyblade I can't fight.

"Right now, I'm busy preparing a "marionette". You go play with them!"

"Wait!" Sora yelled, but Pete jumped off the blocks and he couldn't see him. All that was left was Sora and many heartless. [They gradually shortened the distance between them?] Before long a heartless jumped at him, and scratched Sora's cheek.

"Ow!" If I had the keyblade they wouldn't even be enemies...!

At that time he heard a voice he knew along with the sound of heavy feet.

"It's dangerous~! Out of the way, out of the way!" The person that appeared, spinning round and round,shield in hand, while he destroyed the blocks, was Goofy.

"...Goofy!" Goofy stood in front of Sora as though to protect him from the heartless, and ran into the group and destroyed them in one hit. Then he looked back over his shoulder at Sora, smiled, and said,

"Oh, Sora! You can't go by yourself! His Majesty said wait in the castle. I thought you'd done something like this."

Goofy's words, as though he gave up, were like an answer [to Sora].

Ignoring his majesty, flying out, getting closed in, if Goofy hadn't come I don't know what I'd do.

"Yeah... sorry for being selfish..." I have to leave everything to his majesty and stay still in [that] room.

I don't have a keyblade any more.

"Now, let's go."

"...yeah." At Goofy's prompting Sora started walking [with heavy? feet] out of the building.

"Ahyo, where are you going?" Goofy said mysteriously, looking at Sora's back.

"Eh? We're not going back?" Sora asked, looking over his shoulder at Goofy. But, I can't fight or anything...

"You were chasing after Pete, right? Look, I'll come with you."

"Is it all right... to come with me?" Goofy's mysterious face became even more mysterious. Then, he smiled,

"Of course! You're the one that said it, right. [If you're friends, of course you help them. Quote, look up prev. use later]"

"Goofy... thank you!" Sora ran over to Goofy, smiling. He felt like he wanted to hug Goofy, if he could.

My weapon isn't a keyblade. Even without one, I have my friends.

"By the way, have you seen Donald?" Goofy asked Sora, who'd started walking.

"Eh? Donald came too?"

"We were together, but he disappeared midway," said Goofy uneasily.

"Donald, are you all right... We have to look for him as we chase after Pete."

"Really, where did he go...?" Sora and Goofy first stated to climb up a staircase to the second floor.

"Pete escaped through this way, right?"

"Yeah, he should have, but..." The blocks were getting in the way, so I couldn't see well. But, I definitely think inside here is suspicious.

[When] they climbed to the second floor, [they could see a large door that looked like the front door from the entrance hall???].

"This won't open, huh..." Goofy shook his head as he knocked on the door. Sora also looked at the door.There was a strange hollow mark engraved next to the door.

"Is this shape the heartless crest, [you think]..." Sora murmured. When he looked closely the hollow that mark was engraved on the heartless' bodies.

"You're right! What a weird hollow."

"[Maybe if you fill the crest hollow up with something the door opens...?]"

"That's definitely right, Sora. Let's go look for shards that fit into this crest!" Sora nodded at Goofy's suggestion.

"But I wonder where it is...?"

"We've just gotta look." When they started walking, leaving the door as they talked,

"Ahyo!"

"Donald!?" They could see a white butt in familiar blue clothes enter the castle. Sora and Goofy hurriedly ran down the stairs, and chased after Donald into the castle.

However, they couldn't see Donald anywhere.

"There!"

"Where?" Goofy pointed to a road lined with many blocks. But even though they'd come running right after, Sora couldn't see Donald at all.

"Let's hurry!" They started running again, but heartless and blocks got in their way.

"Sora, hide behind me!"

"Sorry, Goofy." Being protected by Goofy with his shield, Sora continued forwards. He was irritated at not being able to use his keyblade.

They passed through the block-ridden path, and came to a cage-like gondola. It looked like the had to continue underground for some reason.

"Do we ride this...?"

"Looks like it." Sora and Goofy got on, and the gondola started moving down. The place they traveled to was a dark underground road.

"Where did Donald go?"

"I can't sense him around here."

In front of them was something that looked like an iron fence. It didn't look like they could continue forward easily.

"That's Donald, isn't it?' Goofy said and when they looked closely they could see someone who looked like Donald through the fence.

"Donald!" Sora yelled, and Donald looked back over his shoulder.

"Finally found you!" Goofy smiled, and Donald ran back in front of the fence.

"Sora! Goofy! Damn, where did you go? You can't go get lost!" said Donald, smiling from the other side of the fence.

"You're the one that got..."

"That doesn't matter! I was worried about the both of you, whether you got hurt or not!" Donald shot back, interrupting with a further cry, But it's natural for Donald to be worried about me, without a keyblade.

"Donald... sorry... this happened because I let my guard down and my keyblade was broken. Sorry [to put you through such?] trouble." Sora hung his head, and met the eyes of Donald, through the cage, andGoofy.

"Whattya talking about. This isn't anything like trouble," said Donald, looking up at Sora.

"Eh?" He didn't understand the feeling with which Donald was saying that.

"Fufu, it's true, we're a bit happy," Goofy laughed.

"Happy? Why?"

"All we've been doing all along is watching you. Really, we wanted to go on another adventure with you soon."

Going on an adventure together and for some reason - happy. I've been alone up until now, but since everyone's been looking out for me I'm not alone. And from now on I'll really be not alone.

"Even without the keyblade, we'll be your power." Goofy clapped Sora on the shoulder.

"Donald... Goofy... heheh, thanks." Sora conveyed his gratitude, feeling embarrassed, and Donald swung his staff around and said,

"If you leave it to me, the heartless are a piece of cake. No, how should I get out of here?" Come to think of it, there was still a fence made of iron between Sora and Donald.

"How'd you get in?"

"When I got the heartless with magic, it fell down," Donald answered Goofy's question.

"Like this!" Donald waved his staff around and a fireball shot out the end. When he did, the lamp-like ornament beside him lit up.

At the same time, the separating wall between Sora and Donald lifted up.

"It looks like that gadget works with Donald's magic."

"O, of course? I knew that from the start!" As they listened to Donald's faltering, Sora and Goofy burst out laughing.

It should be the first time I've been with them this long, but for some reason it feels like they're friends I've been with for a long time.

"Come to think of it, I found this inside." Donald showed them a mysterious glittering fragment.

"This is..."

"Isn't it a fragment of the crest?" Sora and Goofy looked at each other.

"Gua? What's that?" Donald cocked his head.

"Let's hurry back to that door!"

"Guaa?" With Donald still with his head cocked, Sora and Goofy ran towards the gondola.

"If you don't hurry we'll leave you here, Donald!"

"Mean, Sora!"

Donald ran after them, waving his staff.

And so, the three of them rode the gondola and alighted to the surface.

They [traveled back down the path there], entered the castle once again, and when there Sora called to Donald and Goofy, over his shoulder,

"Hurry, hurry! It's a race to the crest door!"

"Ahyo?"

"Gua! I wasn't listening! Cheater!"

Having run up the first story, Sora turned back to Donald and Goofy as he breathed hard.

"First!"

"...mou... it's because you ran suddenly..." Goofy caught his breath, a hand on the wall.

"You can't just make a race when you please!" Donald also leaned on the wall, and retracted his legs, sitting.

"Isn't it because you two [aren't fit enough?]?"

"It's not that!" Donald argued, getting to his feet forcefully.

"Hurry, try and fit the fragment, Sora. It'd be good if it opened with that." Goofy moved away from the wall, and hurried Sora, standing by the door.

Sora placed the fragment Donald found in the slot in the door. When he did, it fit perfectly. A bright light shot out from the fragment, and the door opened.

"Got it!"

"We can chase Pete through here, right?"

Donald peered through the door from the corner on the other side uneasily. He could tell the wind was howling. It looked like the door probably connected to the outside?

"He said something about preparing a doll," murmured Sora uneasily. What the hell does "doll" mean? Why am I felling so hugely uneasy?

"We don't know what's gonna happen, but we've gotta be careful," said Goofy, and nodded; Sora fixed his eyes ahead. There's no helping being uneasy. Anyway we've gotta go forward and save Riku!

"Right! You wait, Pete!"

Sora stepped through the door - Donald and Goofy both came after him, they all passed through the door, and - after a while the floor started rising quickly.

But the time they realized, they were going at quite a speed. That's right, they finally realized they weretraveling in a giant gondola.

"Amazing, huh, I wonder where it's taking us?" Goofy said lazily, looking up into the sky.

"Watch out!" Donald yelled right then, pushing Sora. The ones that had suddenly got on partway were heartless.

"Sora, get down!"

Donald shot magic as he jumped. The lighting damaged the heartless severely.

"Let's go!" As if to give the final blow, Goofy injured the heartless with his shield, whirling around at high speed.

What's important for me is all I can do run away. Feeling the harshness of that, Sora moved around, to at least not get in the way.

Donald and Goofy, who had somehow defeated all the heartless, sat down, seeming a little [tired?].

That competition I did before, that was a bit mean.

"...It looks like I [really can't do anything], sorry."

"Hey, that's not like you!" Donald stood, and lightly hit Sora in the chest with his staff.

"This isn't the first time you lost your keyblade!"

"Eh?" In front of Sora, with a fierce expression, Donald swung his staff around even more. Seeing that, Goofy said,

"That's not something about the Sora in this world, is it?"

"I forgot!" Donald had finally noticed, but remembering it, he looked up at Sora.

"But, Sora is Sora!"

Donald had a quite serious face on. Sora was really happy at that, and smiled.

"Donald, Goofy, thanks."

"What happened all of a sudden, Sora?" Goofy cocked his head.

"I feel like if you two're here we can do anything. Like I don't remember, but we've gone on adventuresbefore like this... I know that's [something that happened in the other world?], but." That world and thisworld, data and bugs - even now he didn't really get it, but as long as those two were here, inside his chest was a little warmer.

"That's definitely proof that we're your friends." Donald crossed his arms, nodding as he spoke. And then Goofy also said,

"No matter how many times we become friends, it's somehow fun," [as if he really was happy about Sora or something??]

I don't know what kind of guy the Sora in the other world is, but becoming friends with Donald and Goofy like this is thanks to that Sora. I'm me, not me, me but what kind of guy is that other Sora?

"But, from now on it's for real," said Donald with a serious expression.

"Yeah, catch Pete, and quickly save Riku from being captured," Goofy also continued.

"Right, let's go!" Sora answered, and at about the same time the gondola stopped. The place they were at had strong winds, and seemed to be the castle's upper levels.

"It looks like there's an entrance over there." They destroyed the heartless and blocks in their way, and climbed up the path. They seemed to be traveling smoothly for a while, but,

"Umm, isn't this a dead end?"

"Isn't it suspicious underneath here?" Sora peered down from where the floor was raised slightly.

"Eh? Where?" Donald's head popped out from behind Sora.

"Should we jump down?" The instant Goofy also peered down, Sora lost his balance from the strain of the both of them.

"Uwa-h!"

"Guwawawawawa!"

"Ahyo-!" [Sora narrowly landed, and first Donald butt, then Goofy's head landed on top of him.]

"Why... dammit~" Squished under them, Sora's voice was miserable.

"Sorry, sorry."

"Hurry up and get off!" said Donald, [as he pushed his butt at Goofy who was apologizing????]. When the three of them finally got up, there was an entrance that continued into a dark room in front of them.

"It's a room with an icky feeling somehow..." Goofy peered inside.

"Isn't Pete definitely here?" Donald also peered into the room from behind Goofy.

"You prepared, you two?"

"Of course!"

"Leave it to us!" The two of them looked back at Sora, and nodded strongly. The three of them entered the darkness with poor visibility.

"Wahahahahahaha!" Just then, Pete's loud laugh sounded out.

"Pete!" Sora strained his eyes in the darkness he wasn't used to, and he could see that Pete was standingright in the middle of the large hall, like he was waiting for them.

"Oh, you'd lose on your own so you cried to your friends to bring you? But that ends here," said Pete, as though he had plenty of time, bringing his arms together, then raised his arms. When he did, heartless appeared all at once.

"Heartless!"

"Gua! [You think we'll] lose to this?" Donald and Goofy ran to fight the heartless.

"And, now!" Pete raised his arms once again, and large blocks dropped down on Sora, from what should have been empty air.

"Sora!"

"Watch out!" Goofy pushed Sora down, and Donald destroyed the blocks right above Sora with his magic.

But, in exchange, Donald and Goofy were surrounded by blocks. Donald and Goofy were closed in by blocks like a wall around a tight-packed area with no room to move.

"U~hh~ Looks like I can't move..." said Goofy in a troubled voice.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora called both of their names, but he couldn't destroy the blocks, or attack Pete. What should I - what can I -

"Gahahaha! Why'd you cover this guy, you two? I know [that] this guy, same as that keyblade, is fake, right?" Pete ridiculed Donald and Goofy, who couldn't get free.

"He's not fake! No matter what world, Sora is Sora!" Donald yelled, as he used the slim space between his body and the wall to hit on the blocks with his staff. However, the wall didn't do a thing.

"Donald..." I'm so happy, that Donald said that. But right now I really can't do anything.

"Hmph. He's only data. He doesn't have a heart or anything," Pete continued further. Heart - what does he mean by heart?

"That's not true! We can feel Sora's heart!" Goofy yelled this time.

"...what's that?" The smile vanished from Pete's face.

"We've always been watching him. Sora... no matter how hard he has it, no matter how [dangerous it is], Sora fights for everyone," Donald continued, head poking out just slightly from a gap in the blocks.

"You said you fight for us too! That feeling, it made us really really happy. So... I'm just gonna say this clearly. Sora's heart is in us!" And so Goofy, too. With unwavering trust, it was like the three of their hearts had become one.

Even as they faced a wall they could do nothing against, Donald and Goofy combined their voices to encourage Sora.

"Connected hearts are our power!" A warmth like light spread in Sora's chest. Connected hearts - that's our power.

"Shut up! Shut up! Give it a rest! What can that friendship do here!" Pete screamed, stamping his feet. "All you guys, disappear!" The blocks started moving, to crush Donald and Goofy.

"Guwawawawa"

"Ahyo...!"

"Donald! Goofy!" What should I, what can I - I want to help them.

"This is the end!" Pete flew out of there. That can't happen. I won't let it be the end.

"Stop... please stop... stop it!" Sora unthinkingly made a fist. In that instant, a fierce light surrounded it.

"...eh?" Sora let out the sound, not believing what was in front of his eyes; that gripped in his hand was his keyblade. At the same time, the blocks surrounding Donald and Goofy disappeared.

"What's that?! Didn't Maleficent destroy -" Flustered, Pete started running around the area. Then a voice they knew sounded out across the hall.

"It looks like your new power has sprouted." The one who ran over was Mickey.

"Mickey! What do you mean? My new power?" Sora asked Mickey.

"I don't know in detail, but something has definitely woken up inside you. Keyblades are bound by strong "ties of the heart". However my old friend said "hearts can't change into data"." Mickey gazed atSora with an honest expression.

"We changed the keyblade to data, and transferred it to you. However the true power of the keyblade couldn't be changed into data. I think it was a fake without true power, so Maleficent was able to destroy it."

Sora stared fixedly at the keyblade in his hands.

"But traveling with us so far, we've been tied by "bonds". Ties of connection between heart and heart... you gained "power of the heart", which can't be changed into data. So you were able to call back your keyblade. That's what I believe. That's definitely a power just for you."

A smile floated across Mickey's face.

"A power just for me..."

"That's right, a power just for you. Though you have no clues to solve the bugs, even though you've been searching around this world, it looks like it's all right now." And so, the four of them glared at Pete.

"This is the end! Pete!" Mickey pointed his keyblade at Pete.

"Damn, a new power is outside the plan... first I have to run, huh..."

"No, you can't run any more! Now, Pete, give Riku back!" Sora also pointed his keyblade at him.

"Ugugu. At this rate..." Pete was steadily driven down the side of the wall. But at that time, the world rumbled.

"Wh- what's that?" The ground at Sora's feet quivered, and the world blinked.

"Chance! Right now!" He could hear Pete shouting that. Sora hurriedly tried to follow Pete, but the world was in bad shape and kept quivering without calming down, and he couldn't do anything but walk. He finally managed to make it to where Pete was, but,

"Shit! Did he get away?"

He was a few seconds too late. But there was just one clue as to where Pete was.

"Look, a keyhole!" Goofy pointed at it floating above Sora's head.

"Let's try to go in!" Donald swung his staff as if to say [no waiting?]. However Sora pursed his lips

together, put one foot forward, and said quietly,

"Wait. Let me go."

"Eh? Why?" Donald asked back.

"Donald, and Goofy, and Mickey, you all fought believing in me. I want to answer that feeling. I want to slice open a path for you using this new power!"

Donald crossed his arms, tapped his foot on the ground, and gave Sora a side-eye.

"Wh-what, Donald?"

"You said it all cool like, but you want to try out fighting all-out with your new power, right?"

"Eh!? Well maybe a little..." Sora scratched his head. That was right, he wanted to test the new power Mickey called "bonds"... Since he should be even stronger than before.

"[If you talk about it, it doesn't really work well? {sink in, maybe?}, for Sora," Goofy smiled, [resigned??].

"But Sora, don't push yourself too hard. Your pain is our pain. When you're hurt, we're all sad," Mickeytold him gently.

"Got it. I'll definitely come back, I promise. I'm going!"

"Have a nice time!"

In front of Mickey's group, who were seeing him off, Sora held his keyblade at the keyhole. The light shot out the keyblade was swallowed by the keyhole, and there was the click of a door unlocking. Before long the door appeared.

Sora ran through it with enthusiasm.

Inside was a place like a chapel, with stained glass windows. It shouldn't be much further, Sora thought,and readily caught sight of his intended target, who possibly thought he'd gotten away safely.

"Pete, I found you!"

"Ku~! This far?"

"Now, you can't run any more."

"Hmph... you get in my way time and time again! With this, I'll show you my great true strength!" Pete suddenly started running noisily, and swung his arm down. Sora stopped the shock-wave that looked like it should send him flying with his keyblade.

"Gugu...."

It was a contest of strength between Pete, who'd forcibly dropped his arm down, and Sora, who'd stopped it with his keyblade.

"Do you think you can match me in strength?!"

"I can't win in strength, so..." Sora intentionally let the strength go from his arms, and when Pete lost his balance shot him with magic from a slight distance.

"Hmph... you're not bad. But I'll stop you with this!"

"That's my line!" Sora [crossed the gap] in one shot, and hit Pete in the stomach with his keyblade.

"Gumuu... what's this..." Pete was overcome.

"Hurry up and give up, Pete!"

"Hmph... I have a final hand left. Come out! It's your debut!" The form that appeared with Pete's voice was...

"Riku!" Riku, not wearing the black coat but a black and purple suit with eerie patterns on it, was almost like a different person.

"Sora, don't come! Guuu...!" Sora, who was about to run over, restrained himself with Riku's words. Riku's expression was wavering with pain.

"Riku? What's wrong?!"

"This guy, I'm using him as my puppet! Data guys are convenient to tamper with. I implanted this guy with a thing called a bug, and he became my follower. Now, this is an order from your master. Do this guy in!" Pete said, grinning broadly.

"Ku, who'd [listen to] your..." Riku groaned, resisting.

"Oh? Failure? Not enough power?" Pete picked a block up from the floor, and threw it at Riku; when it hit it was easily sucked in by his body, and disappeared. Sora remembered that the blocks were bugs themselves. If the blocks were causing the strangeness in the worlds, then it should be easy to cause strangeness in the body of Riku, who was the data of the worlds themselves.

"Guaaa-!" Riku's body crumbled to the ground.

"Stop it!" Sora yelled, and ran over to Riku, to save him.

"Well, I wonder how that is. Later. It's playtime for just the two of you now." Pete disappeared yet again. But this time, there was nowhere to chase Pete to. Riku... I have to do something for Riku!

"Riku! Are you okay?" Sora called out, but there was no reaction from Riku on the ground.

I heard your scream. What's wrong, Sora?

He could hear Mickey's worried voice. Sora looked up to the heavens, and pleaded desperately.

"Mickey, it's terrible, the bugs have, to Riku...!" I can't do anything with just me. I'm not owed Mickey'shelp... but what should I do!

What's that!? Riku, can you hear my voice? Riku!

Perhaps hearing Mickey's thoughts, Riku opened his eyes wide.

"Riku!" But, like he was trying to run away from Sora, Riku swiftly moved away, and nimbly jumped back. Sora looked at Riku, surprised at what he did in that moment, and Riku looked fixedly at the ground, repressing something or other.

"Shi-.... get down..."

"Eh!?" There was no time to question Riku's words, he shot magic from his hand.

"Riku!" Sora dodged it right away, but like he could read Sora's normal evasive moves, Riku moved in close in all at once, and repeated the attack.

"Stop it, Riku!"

He'll get me at this rate! I've gotta do something to stop his movements!

Sora brushed aside Riku's attack, and repeated a series of blows, damaging Riku a little.

"Sorry, Riku!" And then, he mowed him down with [a large keyblade?? that doesn't make sense; probably more 'a large keyblade attack', only it doesn't say attack, bluh]. Riku's body was hit into the air, then hit the ground.

"...Riku!" Here and there on Riku's prone body, those black and red blocks - bugs floated up. How should I remove the bugs?

A strong light shone behind Sora, who sat on the ground in exhaustion from the fight.

"Sora! Riku!" The ones that appeared wrapped in light were Mickey and his group.

"Riku's body has been taken over by the bugs. Which means - if we don't erase the bugs, Riku won't wake up..." said Mickey, looking at Riku's body worriedly.

"So if you erase the bugs inside Riku, he'll wake up... I'll try and jump into Riku's data." Sora mouthed his decision without puzzlement, and sat next to Riku's body.

"Guwawa, it's dangerous."

"Even though we don't know what it's like inside..." But Donald and Goofy both tried to stop Sora in concern.

"No matter how dangerous, you can't leave your friends alone!" Sora looked Mickey, Donald, Goofy

and Jiminy in the face. "I want to help, all of you." Their faces relaxed in tenderness.

"Sora is Sora, after all," said Jiminy, in a tone like he gave up [!resigned?], mixed with happiness.

"If he says it, you can't stop him, can you?" Donald also smiled as he shook his head.

"Ahyo. If there's something I can do, I'll help." Goofy slapped Sora on the back good and hard.

"Guys..." A smile floated over Sora's face, and he gathered his strength and stood. "I'm going."

They all nodded at his words. Then Sora pointed his keyblade at Riku's chest. A keyhole floated up from Riku's body. Then a door which opened.

"Sora, don't forget. You're not alone. Since there's always comrades fighting together with you here."

Light wrapped around Sora's body, smiling in answer to Mickey's words, and he disappeared.

Chapter 8: Reverse/Rebirth

Riku's inner world - you could call that the container called Riku which was in safekeeping of the world in Jiminy's memo - was dark [when? trying to make the sentence less convoluted in English. More lit. Riku's inner world - blah - which Sora stepped into was dark, but passiiiiive.] Sora stepped into it. There was some light [lit.; maybe glowing better, so doesn't seem like opposite of heavy?] wiring run in the gloom.

"There's nothing..." Sora murmured, uneasy, and looked at his feet. When he did, there was a shock-wave like something heavy was riding on his shoulders.

"Uwah!" A light flew out of Sora, who yelled reflexively. The sensation of a heavy weight remained on his shoulders. It was a feeling like his legs were going to go out.

"What's going on...? There's no strength in my body..." It was like the strength had been sucked out of him. The hell's going on?

"Sora! Are you okay?" Riku ran over to him.

"Riku! You're not injured?" With a body that was about to crumble from the knees, Sora was worried about Riku. Riku nodded to Sora in that position, and said, "...there's only a little time left. I'm being steadily invaded by bugs. Right now I'm somehow holding the bugs back... but I can't do it for long. The bugs are trying to control this data space itself." Bugs controlling space itself - the hell would happen if they controlled it?

"Your power being stolen is probably also the work of the bugs. If you're here, you'll also be got by the bugs. They're waiting to break out soon." Riku picked up a shining mysterious fragment.

"What's that?" Sora peered at the fragment in Riku's palm. In the dim light, he could find several more even stronger flickering lights. But he had no idea what those fragments were.

"There is data that wasn't recorded in the original Jiminy memo. It seems somebody added it afterward." Sora picked the fragment up, and held it up over his head as if to look through it, but he couldn't see anything special. The hell was hidden in the added data?

"Someone... who is it that hid the memo data in your body?"

"Not even I know who it is," said Riku. "So, please investigate the data so their identity can be traced. You've mended most of the bugs. After, if the mystery of the added data is solved, the memo's data can be completely recovered. If you do that, you'll probably be able to find a path home for Mickey's group." So in other words, I should leave Riku and go? I can't do that.

"At this rate you'll..."

"I'll be finished off by the bugs. I'll fall into the darkness [along with?] the bugs. Come to think of it, the harm done by the bugs will disappear too..." Riku gave his decision, interrupting Sora, and smiled alittle.

But - I don't want to do something [stupid] like leaving Riku. Sora slumped.

"Now, leave while I still have my senses. I'll be held back by the bugs before too long. If that happens, you won't be able to leave here. Go! Right now... you can still make it."

"Riku... I got it. Right now I can still make it." Why is Riku always like this? Sora peered at Riku.

"Ahh." Riku nodded a little, and Sora smiled.

"So, there's still time to save you [by] destroying all the bugs inside you?"

"What are you saying?!" Riku faltered at the answer Sora derived.

"Think about it properly. At a time like this, there's no way I'm gonna go home meekly." said Sora, smiling, and Riku heaved a sigh at him.

"Sora... I forgot. You, you're this kind of guy." A smile floated over Riku's face as well. That's right, I'malways this kind of guy.

"That's right. What should I do, to save you?"

"Right now the bugs have stolen your power. Take that back." Riku pointed his palm at midair, and something like an entrance that seemed to be connected to something appeared there. Since the place he was in now was wrapped in darkness, it felt like the other side was a world of dazzling light.

"You should be able to enter deep into my data through there. There's a world made from my memoriesspread out in there."

"Your memories...?"

"Yeah, that's right. The memories of the me in the data. Search for your data in there. If you get the databack, your power will come back for sure. The bugs are invading everywhere, so be careful."

"Got it! So I'm gonna go." Sora nodded, and ran into the light.

"Sora, I'm counting on you."

"Leave it to me!" Sora left his smile, and passed through the door flooding in with unwavering light.

The place that strutted out before Sora was Destiny Islands. But Sora unthinking called out at that sight.

"Uwaah!" His hometown island was covered in bug blocks. On top of that, he could feel a strange windcoming from the sea, which was usually comfortable. It was the sensation of each step being exhausting.

First if he didn't do something and get his power back, it would be hard to continue.

Sora swung his keyblade at a block in front of him. The block disappeared like normal, but at that time it felt like he was full to the brim with power in an instant. It looked like if he destroyed the blocks, his power would come back.

"Right, let's go!" Sora destroyed all the block around the area in one fell swoop. His body was still heavy, but but he felt his power returning bit by bit. He destroyed the blocks on the beach, and ran towards the bridge to the small island. Once he destroyed the blocks left on the small island he was done.

"This is the end!" Sora had tidied up all the blocks on Destiny Islands. What should I do next?

When he did and stopped, Riku appeared in front of Sora.

"Riku!"

"It looks like I can come here because the bugs influence weakened. It's nostalgic, huh..." Riku squinted, looking out over Destiny Island's sea.

"Now that you mention it you were [taken through the keyhole??] in the Secret Place." It felt like a story from long ago, [something something story bluh it wasn't that long ago?].

"Yeah, I wanted to quickly be able to use a keyblade [??? rly?] I had a need to learn how to practice being strong in this world." Riku looked back at Sora.

"There's a huge enemy inside the keyhole... did you know it was there?"

"Sorry. There was no time to train it. Like the unseen wall separating the worlds was broken by the appearance of the heartless, the wall dividing the data world and reality started to break with the bugs. So to use that against them [I?] took Mickey and his group from the real world. I knew it was a dangerous move, but I had no other options." Riku hid his eyes a little. In contrast, Sora said relaxingly,

"It's just, to investigate the mysterious messages written in the memo. If there's a connection that's another mystery..." Sora thought. He'd [taken out] bugs from a lot of worlds, but there were still mysteries in mysteries.

"I'm sorry for wrapping [you? them?] up in it with no explanation."

"If Mickey and his group can go back to their world, then it's okay," Sora said while smiling at Riku, who was apologizing from the bottom of his heart, and shrugged his shoulders.

"For that, I first have to get my power back!"

"That's right... let's go to the next world," Riku answered, and their bodies were wrapped in light and disappeared.

Xxx

The next place Sora was at was Traverse Town. Just like Destiny Islands, it was covered in blocks. Soradestroyed the blocks in front of him one after the other. He could feel the sensation of his power returning as he destroyed the blocks. Sora ran around the town, and destroyed all the blocks.

When he did, really just like Destiny Islands, Riku appeared.

"Somehow or other, it looks like the bugs lost their momentum here."

"Riku!"

"Sora, you saved me. Here I was... [running?] around saving the three brothers," said Riku, deep in memory.

"The third... you mean Huey, Dewey, and Louie?" Sora remembered the three boisterous kids [quite] well.

"Yeah, since those kids had picked up the shards of the keyhole. Since the enemies were aiming for them, I looked over them from the shadows." I didn't know that at all. Sora pouted in dissatisfaction, and appealed to Riku,

"What's with that, when you met me you shoulda said that."

"I wanted you to learn how to be strong and fight even if you were on your own. Since you have a important role only you can play. When the time comes I intend to fight alone." Sora let out a big sigh at Riku's speech, while he was still looking down. He really hasn't changed, Riku is still Riku.

"Riku... hey Riku, you try and do too much on your own," Sora said, and Riku raised his head. "Before,you know, when I lost my power, this is what Donald and Goofy said to me. "We're happy if we can be our comrade's strength.", that."

"...Sora."

"So don't say "by myself"." It's true that Riku has probably been through various situations alone. But he's not alone any more. So, to say something like "by myself", that's sad. It's like I'm the only one that thinks of Riku as my friend.

"...that's true, I'm sorry."

"It's not something to apologize about. Now, let's hurry up and get my power back." Sora smiled, but Riku's expression was still dark. They headed to the next world.

Xxx

Wonderland was also covered in blocks [after all? IDK how to work the やっぱり in in English, bluh.] Riku appearing after he destroyed all the blocks was also the same.

"Sora...... sorry......." Even after they'd come this far Riku still had a depressed expression.

"Damn, I said you're apologizing too much."

"I'll [try not to apologize? won't apologize again?]. The bugs invaded easily here as well. I wonder if I'dbe able to stand it if [I?] had an even stronger power," said Riku, staring at his palm. I know that Riku's uneasy. But this isn't like Riku. Sora [said] to Riku,

"...hey, Riku. We traveled to all sorts of worlds."

"Yeah." He fisted the hand he was staring at.

"Just a bit before, we didn't know anything about the worlds. We just knew we yearned for it, but now that we've been here and there we're full to the breast with the memories of all those worlds. A whole lot of worlds spread out in our hearts... I feel it's like that." Sora remembered about the worlds he'd visited. There were so many worlds, and definitely ones he hadn't been to yet, so many in this [world, but a different kanji, more the universe sense. Mebe just that would be okay.]. "That's definitely something amazing."

"...that's true."

Riku nodded, and Sora continued further,

"But no mater where we are, no matter if we're separated, you're you. From now on, no matter what strong power you're swallowed by, there's no way you'll lose. You can get the power to do anything at all."

"Sora..." Riku finally looked up, and stared at Sora.

"Heheh, did I say something good? It's cause I've also grown a bit." Sora smiled like he was lighting up, and was finally able to see Riku's smile.

"I'm still taller than you though."

"I'll quickly catch up on your height, and I'll look down at you!" Sora argued, speaking with a sudden fervor When he did, Riku laughed like he was so amused he couldn't stand it. Sora, hooked in, laughed too.

"{This is?] definitely a natural scene." Riku stopped laughing, and looked at Sora once more.

"...na, Sora."

"Mm?" Riku was about to say something. But he shook his head slightly.

"...nah, I'll [ask? just says する but] when this is all over."

"Got it. I'll ask once [they're back? you're back to normal?]! Next one's last?"

"Yeah." Riku nodded, and at about the same time they disappeared from Wonderland.

Xxx

The last place Sora came to was inside the cave in Agrabah. Sora moved through the cave which was filled with blocks, and moreover also filled with traps. It looked like he had to make it from the inner part of the cave to the exit. Feeling like much of his power had returned, Sora ran cannily through the cave. It wasn't like all of his power had returned, but there was a world of difference compared to whenhe was destroying bugs in Destiny Islands.

He came out of the cave, and destroyed all the blocks in front of the tiger's head.

"Riku!" Sora ran over to Riku, who had appeared like before.

"Come to think of it... wasn't this about where I came in to save you?" said Riku, just a little nostalgic.

"Aah! When Maleficent appeared! You really saved me then." If Riku and Mickey hadn't saved me, what would have happened?

"There was an awful feeling. I ran over with Mickey." Back then Maleficent broke my keyblade.

"Back then, I lost the power of the keyblade all at once..." said Sora under his breath, then suddenly smiled.

"So, Riku will be fine too!"

"Fine, what do you mean?" asked Riku, mystified.

"That if you get interested you can take back anything at all. You body that's being invaded by the bugs,we're gonna take back right now!" said Sora energetically, and Riku shook his head a little, smiling likehe gave up.

"Sometimes I'm envious of your character..."

"...is that praise?" Sora asked back, objecting.

"I'm also envious of your character that thinks that."

"Ah, meaaan." Riku snickered, and the discontent in Sora's mouth sharpened.

"Hahaha. Then let's go back [there?]."

"Ah, wait!" Riku, still smiling, disappeared first, and Sora chased after him in a rush.

Xxx

In front of them, when they returned to that dark space again, a shining door had appeared.

"[To?] heal wounds, a path opened to the deepest place of all." Riku pointed to that entrance. "But be careful. That's the root of all the bugs in me. Even now I don't know the bugs' true identity. Where they're from, for what purpose..."

"If I defeat that, then all the bugs in the worlds will disappear." Sora glared at the entrance.

"Yeah, everything should go back to how it was," said Riku, also staring at the shining door. Sora looked back over his shoulder at Riku.

"...thanks for everything. I came here since I was going through your memories. I think it's thanks to

you I became strong."

"I didn't do anything." Riku shook his head at Sora's words of gratitude.

"That's not true. I came here since you were showin' the way." It's true, come to think of it the first timeI woke up Riku was by my side. I want to say thanks for then.

"Na, you were with me when I first woke up on this world, and the first time I had my keyblade in my hands, you were there too, right?" But Riku made a mysterious face, and said,

"...what's that? The first time I met you was on the island."

"Eh? But there was definitely someone in a black coat..." If he remembered correctly he met someone in a black coat there too. Did I think someone else wearing the same coat as Riku was him too?

"More than that, have you prepared for your fight? To me it's an inner part I can't enter, but there's one thing I can say." So said Riku, and Sora looked up. "No matter what your enemy looks like, don't hold back."

That was a [phrase?] with deep meaning. Perhaps Riku knew what the enemy looked like.

"Y-yeah. Then, I'm going." Sora faced the entrance and took a step in. Riku faced his back, and said again,

"Don't forget. Whatever your enemy looks like don't hold back."

"Got it." Sora answered, and entered.

"...Sora, don't be careless..." Riku murmured softly.

Xxx

Inside the shining doorway was the chapel in Hollow Bastion. The form that appeared there was...

"Riku......!" Sora called that name. Riku stood there, wearing the black and purple suit like when he was being controlled by Pete.

"That's.... no, no way!" But, Sora quickly realized The one standing there was someone who was Riku, but not Riku - that's right, a bug. The bug just had had hold of Riku's power, and was imitating his form.

"That's what Riku meant, but don't hold back..." Sora murmured, and readied his keyblade. He wasn't scared of the fake Riku - the bug. Sora kicked off the ground, and narrowed the distance between them in one [movement]. The bug, which was just standing there idly up until then, blocked Sora's blow. Then when he thought he'd [get some distance], it let out a barrage of shining white fireballs.

"Ku-" He tried to reflect all of the attacking fireballs, but in time Sora [was hit by one], and was sent flying back. [too passive?]

Most of his strength was back, but he still wasn't at 100%. Exposed to the bug's fierce attacks, Sora desperately endured. But, there was no way he could lose here. Sora [got to his feet] and shot magic, aiming at a gap in the bug, and it was decided in a single series of blows.

The enemy stopped, and its form disappeared. And at the same time, Sora could feel the last of his power returning to him. Does this mean I've really destroyed all the bugs?!

When Sora, who'd unconsciously taken a victory pose, came back to himself he'd returned to the dim space.

"You did it, Sora!" Riku met Sora with a smile.

"Riku! Thank you!" Sora held out his hand, and Riku answered with a high-five.

"That bug, it took my strength right?"

"Yeah. How did you know?" Sora asked back, and Riku's expression darkened slightly.

"I [couldn't?] feel it. When it was using me, there was no 'darkness' inside me." Riku kept silent for a moment, then smiled a little sadly. "I was always kinda jealous of you, surrounded by friends that trusted you." But, to that Riku, Sora answered,

"What're you saying? I trust you, Riku. And you're friends with everyone. See."

O~i, Riku, Sora~! Are you both okay?

The first thing they heard was Mickey's voice.

Guwawawa, they won't lose to something like bugs!

Then there was Donald.Ahyo. If it's dangerous, call out soon.

And last was Goofy. The three of them were Sora and Riku, the both of them', important friends.

"Friends, huh... you're right." Riku nodded, and smiled, looking down.

"Then, let's go back. To the world where everyone's waiting!" The instant that Sora proclaimed thus, a strange oscillating noise sounded out. The lights running here and there in the space flickered violently,and the world shook.

"Wh, what?"

"This is...!?" Riku peered around.

"Shit, Sora! Quickly, escape! Someone's interfering with the path connecting me and the world!" The ground shook more, so much that you couldn't stand on it.

"Hurry! At this rate you'll be shut inside! [Right now?] you should be able to get out!" Riku [stretched

his hands out?] in front of him, and a black space appeared.

"Hurry go!" said Riku, taking hold of Sora's arm and guiding him towards that space.

"Got it!" [Sora answered Riku, running inside.]

"Thanks. Next time we meet, it'll be in the world you're headed towards."

"Yeah, it's a promise!" Waving behind him, Sora ran forward. Inside the black space was a strange world. Countless blocks were moving around, blocking Sora's way. But it looked like if he didn't use the blocks he couldn't continue forward.

Sora continued forward, climbing blocks and defeating heartless.

However, there was someone standing there, blocking his way.

"Maleficent!"

"Hmph. You came after all... even though I thought I'd caught you with eternal sleep..."

"That was your doing?!" said Sora, brandishing his keyblade.

"Our plans haven't ended yet. And also... you misunderstand the darkness. The worlds stained with darkness is happier."

Maleficent swung the staff in her hand a little.

"There's no way that stained with darkness is happier!"

But Maleficent continued in an enchanting tone,

"The darkness hides things. Painful things, sad things, they cannot be seen when covered in darkness. Ifeverything is covered in darkness, then you cannot be bothered by wishes that cannot come true."

"In return, you can't see fun or happy things! Undesirable people sinking into darkness, isn't that just a world for your own satisfaction?" A world like that is definitely gross. Some world where fun things are hidden.

"What's wrong with making a world that satisfies yourself? I have the qualification - the power!" Maleficent gave her staff a big swing. Maleficent's body was wrapped in a suspicious green fire.

"Maleficent! You're really not gonna give up!" Sora declared as he swung his keyblade once [something something 負けじ??? why is the WWJDIC offline...]. "Hmph... it looks like talking is useless. I'm gonna make it so that even you can't move a muscle!"

The green fire that was wrapped around Maleficent glowed brightly once, then Maleficent changed intoa giant black dragon. She spat green fire at Sora from her mouth.

"...ku!" Sora rolled on the ground, skilfully putting out the fire, and rolling under his enemy. Then he

pushed up with his keyblade. Maleficent Dragon let out a cry, and started to move. However, Sora climbed up onto her back, and ran across her neck in one go, and swung his keyblade down onto her head.

"Gyaoooooo!" An awful cry was raised, and his enemy's movements stopped.

"I won't give the worlds to you!" Sora yelled, and jumped up high and swung his keyblade down to hit Maleficent Dragon on the head again. The dragon's body was surrounded by green fire, and finally turned back into Maleficent.

"All the worlds are mine...! I'll never give up!" Even as she wavered Maleficent shot out that line, and then she disappeared without a trace.

And, in the place where Maleficent disappeared, floated a large door.

Right, it's finally over. On the other side of the door was Hollow Bastion. Sora banished his own keyblade, he was in that courtyard where he'd opened the keyhole to save Riku.

"Sora! Sora's come back!" Goofy threw his arms around Sora.

"Guwaa.... thank goodness..." Next was Donald.

"Wah, what're you two doing?" Mickey walked in front of Sora, who was flattened by the pair of them, smiling.

"Welcome back, Sora. Yes, it looks like you're not hurt. Thanks to you efforts, the bugs in the data world have been blocked. Thank you so much."

"That's right! Riku's...?! What happened to Riku?!" Sora called out, on his hands and knees and he pushed Donald and Goofy off. There was no meaning to any of it, if Riku wasn't back to normal.

In front of Sora, Riku [finally appeared].

"Sorry about that. I got you caught up in things."

"Riku!" Riku held a hand out to Sora, and helped him up.

"Together, we were able to carry out our promise. I really want to have a good talk with you, but there'sno time for Mickey's group. Now, this way." A large door appeared in the direction Riku indicated.

"That's the path to the real world... we're finally leaving the data world," Mickey said seriously, lookingup at the door.

"The world that restored the records I wrote... I feel a little sad to leave it..." said Jiminy, heavy with emotion on Mickey's shoulder.

"If you get lonely, come visit again!" Sora said from behind where they were looking at the door.

"That's true. Next time should we bring everyone?"

"Guwa! That'd probably be a bit fun." Donald and Goofy were both happy. Looking at them, Riku quietly opened his mouth, "...na, everyone. There's something important I have to tell you. Actually..." he said, then shut his mouth.

"What's wrong, Riku?"

"...no, I'll tell you when you're on the other side," Riku answered, shaking his head. That's right, he wanted to say something before, too; what is it Riku wants to say?

"Got it. Thanks for everything. Then, Sora, Riku, be well," said Mickey in parting, and they looked at each other and nodded.

"Yeah, later!"

"Later!" Starting with Mickey, he, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy entered the door. When they'd all entered,the door disappeared in a burst of light in front of the remaining pair.

Xxx

"All right! Everyone's back!"

"Welcome back, everyone!" Chip and Dale jumped up and down on the large desk.

"Guaa! Chip and Dale are in his majesty's room!"

"Which means-!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed.

"All right! We're really back! To the castle in the real world!" Jiminy said, also jumping up and down.

Can you hear me, everyone? It looks like you got home safely.

The could hear the voice from the monitor, and they looked up at it as one.

"That's Riku's voice, isn't it? It's all due to Sora and Riku. Thanks," Mickey replied to the monitor.

Now, with this, our role has ended, Riku said quietly.

"Eh? What do you mean, ended?" Donald ran over to the monitor to ask.

Since the bugs have disappeared, the memo world is back to normal. It's in a state like [when] it wasrecorded. You understand so far?

"It's returned to its fundamental form as a record of our first journey. Since the bugs have disappeared, just the contents that I wrote remain," Jiminy said, expanding on Riku's explanation.

Yeah. Just the records of your first journey remain. The other recordings will reset. So the records offighting the bugs... The Sora who fought in the data world and I will disappear.

"So that means... you'll forget meeting us, talking to us like this!?" Donald rose his voice, saddened.

Since we're data. There's nothing we can do.

Hearing the truth in Riku's answer, Goofy's knees went weak, and he sat right down.

"No way..."

Mickey, can you hear me?

They could hear Sora's voice next.

I heard about it from Riku. It's definitely something to be happy about. If the worlds over here havebeen set right...

"That's true, but..." Donald said, hanging his head in [sadness?].

"Sora, didn't you do your very best, in the data?! To forget that completely is -" Jiminy said sadly, clutching his top hat to his breast.

Thanks. But I said it's fine. Even if I lose my memories, you're here. Riku and me in the data willforget everything when the data's reset, but won't our memories remain in the hearts of you in thereal world? Even if the recording disappears, the memory doesn't. If you all remember us for our

share too, then definitely, one day...

Jiminy sniffled at Sora's words. At about the same time, Donald and Goofy both called,

"Sora..."

Communication will be cut off soon... it's goodbye. Bye! Say hi to the other me for me, too!

The instant Sora said goodbye, the strangeness alarm on the analysis machine rang out.

"Wh, what?" Donald looked around the place with unease. The monitor went black for a second, and a mysterious message floated up over there.

Data collection completion... 100% recovered.

"The hell is this!?" Mickey looked up at the monitor with a severe expression.

The strangeness that fell into darkness... the time for [you?] to awaken has come. Erase everythingin the data world... Repeat... Erase everything in the data world!

Xxx

Sora and Riku were in the large courtyard in Hollow Bastion, while there was a terrible earthquake. There was a creaking sound, like the entire world was screaming.

"Wh, what, this power is... it doesn't compare to anything up until now! Are the bugs running wild?"

What do you mean!? Didn't you destroy all the bugs? Goofy's voice rang out.

It was true that all the bugs should have been destroyed. No, didn't it mean that some bugs remained somewhere?

"I don't know either... did I overlook something?" said Riku in a nervous tone.

What'll happen at this rate? He could hear that Donald's voice was also panicked.

"It said to erase everything in the data world... that power, if it goes there it'll be a giant mess. I have to hurry and lock the data," Riku said, facing Mickey in the real world.

But! At this rate Sora, and Riku, and the real records of our journey will all be destroyed! Talkingover Mickey, Jiminy called, I remembered something awful! Maleficent and Pete are still in the

data! At this rate they'll both be destroyed too!

He'd completely forgotten that they both existed. It was true that both of them should still be in this world. If things were locked, they'd both be destroyed.

They're trying to do some evil thing, but I can't let those guys from the real world stay in the data!

Riku bit his lip at Mickey's words, and groaned,

"Shi- the hell's this, I can't lock the data can I! But if I don't lock it the damage to the real world...!"

Next to him, Sora was staring right ahead. At this rate, everything will go to shit. So, I've gotta go.

"Guys... sorry! Please buy me a bit of time!

"Hey, Sora! Where're you going! Sora!" Riku grabbed Sora's arm as he was running off.

"This space doesn't have long to wait...! Wait, Sora!" But Sora had no intention of listening to Riku. "Sora, what are you going to do?" he asked, still holding on tight to Sora's arm.

"I can't leave it like this. It's like Mickey said, right? I'm going to go rescue Maleficent!"

"Do you even know where they are?"

"If I don't know I just have to look!" said Sora, with anger, and Riku held him by both shoulders, and looked him in the face to explain. Sora looked back at him in the same way, and Riku opened his mouthsoftly,

"Aren't you afraid? It's not just your memories. Your data itself will disappear along with the data world."

"...really, I'm scared. But you were the same too, right?

"Eh?"

Sora gently pulled Riku's hands off, and kept talking.

"Didn't you try and fight to save everyone? I definitely get it. I'm more scared of quietly disappearing without doing anything." Being scared is doing nothing. [Not using your anger.] Disappearing without doing nothing. "Riku, you said it [before]. What's important is "what can I do?". I don't know what's ahead. But, for sure... now's the time for it!"

" - you really wouldn't listen to anything I said, Sora." Riku smiled just a bit.

"Right back at you! Leave at to me!"

Bodies [easily torn?] in a fight... sacrifice those bodies, revive the will of darkness.

The mysterious voice rang out again. But Sora had a feeling like he'd heard it somewhere before. At thesame time, a door made of light appeared before his eyes.

"I'll leave it to you, Sora."

Sora ran off, with Riku's words at his back.

Inside the door was a mysterious path that went everywhere. Defeating the many heartless that appeared in his way, Sora ran forward.

He could see light up ahead. Dazzling, he thought and in that instant Sora was standing in a strange space.

"Oi oi, Maleficent... even if we attack this guy it won't work."

"Hmph. An opponent with this much spirit is just what I wanted." Pete and Maleficent were continuallyattacking a giant heartless in front of them, but there was no sense that it was having any effect. And that heartless greatly resembled the giant heartless he'd first fought on Destiny Islands - Darkside.

They probably hadn't disappeared from being swallowed by the darkness at the same time, back then.

Sora ran in front of Maleficent and Pete.

"Hey! You two quickly run away!" said Sora, brandishing his keyblade.

"What's that? I have no memory of being ordered about by you!"

"But Maleficent. Let's just do as we’re told here."

"Silence! You be quiet!" said Maleficent disagreeably, and swung her staff. The green fire shooting out of her staff hit the revived heartless - Neo-Darkside - but they couldn't see any damage. Neo-Darkside swung its giant fist down, and hit the ground.

"Shit!" Were Pete and Maleficent hit - I can't see them. "Pete! Maleficent!" Neo-Darkside looked down at Sora, as he called. [Feeling] that strong aura like an electric shock, Sora flinched for an instant. There

was no comparison with the first time they fought, a frightening sense of menace. It was better to think of it as something else entirely.

Rage... hatred... if you just change that to power, you can swallow everything up...!

It felt like he could hear that voice from Neo-Darkside. Wonder what it means by change it to power.

Oh, it's that. It's also gained new power in the data world!

Hearing Riku's voice, Sora looked up.

"Riku? Did you get something?" The fact that Riku was contacting him was, to Sora, something he couldn't believe. [...really? I. I really think it's the text that doesn't make sense, but mebe it's me. Get a second opinion!]

Yeah. The bug's real form. It's [the existence of] your shadow... that is, your heartless.

"My heartless?!" Sora exclaimed. I became a heartless!?

You probably don't remember, but after the first journey, the memories in the memo, along with Soraand his group's, disappeared and were restored. The scattered memories were linked back together,

but the writing in the memo... stayed gone.

"That was done by my heartless?" Sora couldn't exactly understand the words Riku was saying. But I can kinda get that it was because of my heartless.

Probably. That memo was written following Sora's [journey]. Sora is at the heart of all the data...you are. You adventured through the data worlds, and as the dark side of the power that you alone

gained, the data of your heartless absorbed other data, and changed its form, becoming stronger.

"But I protected everyone in the other worlds, it couldn't absorb their data, right? So I'll defeat it easily!" Sora faced Neo-Darkside again, keyblade in hand.

No, I should have noticed it more quickly... The hearts you unleashed when you defeated heartless,returned to their original place, and regained their original form... But the heartless you defeated on

this journey, didn't have real hearts - hearts can't be transformed into data... It's likely what youdefeated were the destroyed heartless' wills....

"The will of the heartless!? So, that disappeared somewhere? Went back to somewhere?" Sora didn't get the mechanics of hearts and heartless like Riku did. The hell had happened? Was there a difference between a heartless' heart and its will?

No. It ate them! It drew in the wills dyed in darkness of the heartless you defeated. It ate that darkdata, and became a new being. Just like you gained new power on this journey.

My heartless became a new being - if it flew out into the world ahead, I don't know what would happento Mickey, no, the people of that world.

"I'll protect them. With this power everyone gave me!"

As if in reaction to Sora's words, Neo-Darkside looked at Sora. It let out a roaring battle cry, and shot out light from its chest into the sky. It shot upwards, but then rained back down in an arc.

"Ku-!" Sora avoided the light, and tried to draw closer, but then Neo-Darkside hit the ground with a fist.

Stepping back, Sora swung his keyblade down at the fist.

Just when he thought Neo-Darkside had stopped moving, this time it raised its hands to the sky. At the same time, a shock-wave of light shot out of its entire body.

[Blocking?] the shock-wave with his keyblade, Sora ran up to Neo-Darkside's chest in one burst and hitit continually, until it finally stopped moving.

"I got it!?" When he unthinkingly made a victory pose, that voice rang in Sora's head again.

Rage... hatred... [if you just ?? did I do this wrong last time?] change that to power, devour every heart!

"No way! You're going to change into a new form again? No, a new existence...!?"

Then, standing in front of Sora was a heartless just like him - no, the silhouette and size were the same, but it was dyed jet black - Sora•Heartless.

Sora•Heartless raised his keyblade overhead, and three more keyblades revolved around him. All of them were dyed with darkness, and looked dangerous.

"What the hell!?" The three keyblades continually attacked Sora. Evading them, Sora closed the distance and somehow managed to hit Sora•Heartless.

After several [waves of? offense and defense], he thought he'd hit a series of blows with all his might. When he did, it felt like the eyes that shine in the dark were smiling. [???] Then, Sora•Heartless [flew into the air?].

And, this time an even greater number of dark keyblades appeared around him.

"The hell!?" They keyblades rained down on Sora in one burst. Sora•Heartless also raised his golden keyblade above his head. That golden keyblade drove in a straight line at Sora.

However, using his own keyblade, Sora skillfully threw [it? his blade?] back at Sora•Heartless instead.

It hit him perfectly. Sora•Heartless used up the last of his strength - and changed into a shadow. Shadows were a weak heartless that Sora had defeated countless of before. The heartless he'd first encountered on Destiny Islands were also shadows. Sora faced the shadow, and swung his keyblade

down.

"I got it!?"

But the instant he slowed down it turned back into Sora•Heartless. Three of them.

Sora fought them desperately in the same way, and defeated them. But another three appeared. [Feelinghopeless?], Sora kept fighting, and when thought he'd finally defeated Sora•Heartless - this time Neo-Darkside reappeared.

"How fucking long is this gonna go on!?" He gave up on everything. And really, there was no strength left in him. He had no idea how long he'd been fighting. Sora crumbled to his knees. He could feel his consciousness fading.

The hell am I going to do? Fade, into the darkness...?

"You can't give up, Sora!" Hearing that strong voice, Sora looked up. Mickey was standing there!

"Mickey! Why're you-?" New power erupted in Sora's crumbled-down body.

"I said, didn't I? We're friends. Remember that - you aren't fighting alone!"

Sora stood up slowly. That's right, I'm not alone. Everyone's here.

"In every darkness, there's a light that never goes out - you have it already!" A light shot out of Mickey's keyblade. It was sucked into the gaping heart-shaped hole in Neo-Darkside's chest. The stronglight wrapped around Darkside, and as he watched, it turned into a single shadow.

"Right, Sora! Now!" Sora swung his keyblade down on the shadow. It disappeared without a trace fromthe attack.

"All right!" The world was wrapped in light around Sora's happy form. It looked like all the bugs were destroyed with this.

Sora and Mickey were also both wrapped in light - by the time they noticed the were back in Hollow Bastion's square. Maleficent and Pete were standing in the corner. And of course Riku too.

"Pete, Maleficent! All right! You guys okay?"

When he did, Riku said to Sora, while smiling,

"I've found the place tearing a rip in the data." Maleficent watched Riku shrug his shoulders, and said in an unpleasant tone,

"Hmph, I won't thank you. The debt is returned."

"Not staying here no more. Later. We're going home first." Pete started walking with heavy steps, but did he even know how to get back? Maleficent followed after him.

"Now, looks like you're going home quietly, I'll come see you off," Riku prompted the two of them.

"I'll remember this for next time!" Pete spat from up ahead. Watching him, Sora and Mickey exchangeda look.

"Haha, Pete never changes, huh?"

"Yeah." And then, the two of them grinned at each other.

"Now, the data will start returning to its original form. The true form of the memo, from before the bugs invaded."

"This time it's really goodbye." Sora quietly took [in?] Mickey's words, clutching at his chest with his left hand.

"...huh? What is it? It hurts, in my chest... I wonder if there's another bug left." I feel sad for some reason. What is it, that I -

"It's not that, Sora. It's the feeling of parting."It's not that, Sora. It's the feeling of parting." Hand still holding on, Sora listened to Mickey. "I met you in this world, and I have many memories. The first time I went on an adventure, that day I made my first friend. So many [?] memories fly around."

Many memories - there must be something packed in with Mickey's memories. "And then, I understood. What was recorded in the memo isn't just what was done. In there, the "heart" that we felt together was recorded."

A "heart", which shouldn't be able to be changed into data was recorded...?

"I promise. I'll tell Riku and Sora what happened here. If I do that, they'll come to share the memory of this journey. Memories are connected to the heart, and become the bonds between us."

That's right! When hearts are connected and become bonds, even if the memories disappear the bonds remain steady.

"So from now on we'll always be friends." Mickey extended his right hand out to Sora.

"Yeah! I promise... your majesty." Then, Sora took the outstretched hand, and they exchanged a firm handshake.

"Then, I'll be going." Mickey started walking ahead, to the door made of light.

Sora made sure Mickey passed through the door, like he was being wrapped in light, then pointed his keyblade at the door.

Light shot out of the keyblade, and the door closed.

And then -

xxx

Returned to Disney Castle, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy met up with Chip and Dale.

"That's!" Jiminy pointed to the monitor. There was a message from Sora displayed there.

Thanks, everyone.

Chapter 9: Castle Oblivion

Hey, do you remember?

A feeling like exhaustion, like spacing out, floated around in the study of Disney Castle. The adventure was over, and the records of Sora's journey in the data world were lost. Only the memo was displayed by the computer analyzing it.

"In the end, we couldn't solve the mysterious message," sighed Goofy. Donald, on the other side of Mickey, as they flanked him as he sat in his chair, gave a large sigh as well. The bugs certainly had disappeared, but they still hadn't fulfilled their real objective.

In the midst of that, nerves ran rampant again. The first one to notice the strangeness on the monitor was Donald.

"Gwah!"

Riku was showing on the monitor.

Listen, everyone. A new world has appeared in the memo.

"What do you mean?" Goofy asked, mystified.

Due to the data's restoration, a door to additional data that someone inserted has been found.

"If we investigate that world..."

The mystery of the remaining messages should be solved, Riku finished Mickey's sentence.

You must return to heal their pain.

And, that mysterious message displayed on the monitor again. Who were 'they', what was 'their pain'?

"Then, get Sora right..."

"The data was repaired, and the memo returned to its original state, so..." Goofy said a little sadly, next to Mickey, who was about to get up from his chair. Donald, next to him, sighed.

"Sora's memories of traveling in the data have vanished. The one who's there now is the Sora before he met us, huh," Jiminy murmured, as though confirming. Now that his memo was completely restored, Sora's memories were from before he set off - Sora had returned to having memories of nowhere but Destiny Island.

I exist through backup data I'd partitioned off. I'd prepared so I could recover it even if there was aproblem. But for Sora, who has currently lost all his memory, it's impossible to go alone.

Riku seemed worried on the monitor. Then, Mickey thought for a while, before finally opening his mouth. "Hey. Can I... go back to the data world one more time?" Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy stared at Mickey.

Xxx

Pluto licked Sora's face. Sora was unconscious in a dimly-lit back alley.

"Uughh..." Sora slowly opened his eyes, and the world he was dazedly was a scene without the waves, or the sky, of Destiny Islands, and one dog. He murmured without thinking, and closed his eyes again. However, Pluto jumped on Sora's stomach.

"Nngh- not a dream?" Sora stood up, rubbing at his eyes, and looked around. Where am I...?

Pluto looked up at Sora happily, and wagged his tail.

"Well shit... do you know where I am?" Um.... the hell happened... Sora stretched his neck, and Pluto ran off. In front of Pluto's escape [path], a town made out of brick - Twilight Town - spread out. And, a mysterious figure with large round black ears appeared in front of Sora.

"This is the day your journey started. And, on that day, I was here too. [I speak the truth.?]" I don't understand what he's saying. And this town I've never seen before. The hell is happening?

"This is? What was I doing up until now? And, the hell're...?" Sora bombarded the person in front of him with all the questions in his mind.

"I'm Mickey. I came from a world different to this one." He said to Sora, giving his name as Mickey.

But Sora didn't understand his explanation very well. He asked further, "A world different to this one?"

"I came to ask your help in solving the mystery of the message 'to heal their pain you have to return'."

"My... help? [fff 力 I guess I use help but differing contexts and bluh.]" Sora cocked his head, and a large key - the keyblade - appeared in front of him in a burst of light.

"The hell!?" Sora shouted, [when] it appeared immediately in his hand. It was the first time he'd seen it,but it felt like he was well used it it, that it had always been there. Yeah, it was somehow familiar.

"A keyblade. Even without your memories you strength [ffff 力 again, try and find a way to work all three together, I think this is an important repetition, particularly given the rest of KH canon] remains," said Mickey, slightly relieved.

"I want to borrow your strength [""]. To find the truth..." Something stirred in Sora's heart at his words.

"...I don't really know anything about you. But something's strange. I feel nostalgic for some reason. Am I somehow connected to that truth you want to find?" Sora said what he was thinking straightforwardly, and Mickey smiled kindly.

"That, I still don't know. But there's definitely something important that you have to know. [find out here too?]"

"Something important that I have to know[""], huh..." For some reason I feel like... there's a heap of

things I have to do.

"Got it, Mickey. Let's go together." I should go with him to [deal with] this sad feeling in my heart, too,definitely.

"Thank you! Then, hold out your keyblade." Sora followed Mickey's instructions, and held it out. A similar keyblade appeared in Mickey's hands, and he hoisted it into the sky. Light shot out of both of the keyblades, and a door appeared. Then, the two of them entered the door.

Xxx

They passed through the door into [a place] with a large floor made of something like white marble.

Something here gives a cold impression, is this really the place where the truth sleeps? Sora looked around, but he couldn't seen Mickey anywhere. Did he go ahead without me?

With nothing else to do, Sora started walking, and a man appeared in front of him from somewhere. Hewas covered in a black coat and hood.

"Who're you!?" Sora reflexively drew his keyblade. I can't see his expression or even his face. But - he's somehow familiar?

The man started speaking. "I am... someone that doesn't exist. And, this is the place where you lose what you have, and gain what you've lost. That's right... 'Castle Oblivion'."

"Castle Oblivion?" Sora repeated the name, and the man nodded slightly, and continued,

"Here, you can meet familiar people, and precious people." The man in the black coat handed Sora a card. There was a picture on the card. An island floating in a blue sea - no way, was that...?

"Use the card, move forward. The truth is sleeping here..." The man in the black coat said, and disappeared.

Use the card and move, I wonder what that means. Sora looked the room over again, and there was justa front door, up several steps. Sora gave holding the card up a try, in front of the door. When he did, it opened with a burst of light.

Ahead was a room that was also white. However, there were blocks he'd never seen before spread aboutthe room here and there. The hell's this? Sora cocked his head, and the man in the black coat appeared in front of him.

"The card shows an illusion you created. If you use one an illusion appears. Things created from the original data of Jiminy's Memo, which you restored."

"I... restored a memo? What're you talking about?" I don't really get what he's saying. When it comes tothings I don't get, there's what Mickey said too, but - this is more than that.

"...that's right. Right now you're in that just left the island state, so you memories have disappeared. Even so, you should remember the group you'll meet now."

"What's with that? And. So what should I do if I meet people in an illusion?" I definitely have to do something. But the man in the black coat said only one thing back.

"Whatever you like."

"Eh?" Sora asked reflexively.

"You can move forward freely. As a result, things that didn't happen in your memories may occur, but that's no problem. After all, everyone you meet in this castle is an illusion." Does that really happen, things that happen and people you meet all being illusions?

"So... do whatever I want?"

"Yeah. However, what you get will change depending on your actions." Then, the man in the black coatdisappeared again.

"Ah, wait! He left..." When he [started? walk doesn't seem appropriate here] to investigate the area, he found a girl standing in front of him.

She was - "Selphie! What're you doing here?" Sora called out to the girl wearing a yellow dress. UnlikeMickey and the man in the black coat, Sora knew Selphie well. She was a young girl who lived on the same island as him.

"What're ya doing, isn't this our play spot?" [mebe using 'ya' instead of 'you' would be good for Kansai-ben? Has more country/uneducated connotations, though, rather than the more sophisticated (also comedic, since Osaka in particular is famed for its comedy apparently?) ones you get in Japanese, though. =/ Guess I'll give it a try, think about it later.]

"Huh, this castle is?"

"What castle're ya talking about? You're tired of playing on the island, you wanna start playing castle?" said Selphie, mystified. It looked like Selphie thought she was on their island for some reason. The manin the black coat had said it was a "card that shows illusions", but he didn't know if Selphie was seeing an illusion or if she was an illusion herself.

"Anyway forget about that, it's awful. All these weird blocks appeared around the place!" He knew that.But he felt like he'd heard those words before. Where did I hear that?

"At this rate we won't be able to play. Won't ya investigate the cause of the blocks?"

"Okay!" he accepted cheerfully, and Selphie laughed.

"Then I'm counting on ya! Investigate re~ally well!" Sora nodded to Selphie, and started walking. He continued forward, destroying the blocks, and this time he saw Wakka standing there. He had a blitzballin his hand, completely the same as always.

"Yo, Sora! Looks like blocks have appeared, are you okay?"

"Ah... yeah..." It felt like he'd had this exchange before too, and Sora cocked his head.

"That's right, Tidus said he'd gone to investigate the blocks, but he's not back yet. Sorry, would you mind looking for him?" Looks like Tidus has disappeared somewhere.

"Of course!" Sora answered cheerfully this time too, and started walking again.

"Right, counting on you. It's Tidus, so he shouldn't've gone too far," Wakka called, and started walking somewhere. In exchange, the one that appeared in front of Sora was - the man in the black coat.

"It's all right to not just follow your memories, but grope around for new possibilities. If you do, you might find some different conversations than before," was all he said, and disappeared. What's that mean? Different conversations than before... I shouldn't go look for Tidus?

Sora suddenly became interested in a mountain of blocks in front of him, and ran over, destroying themwith his keyblade.

"You did well to notice me [??]" The man in the black coat quickly disappeared from in front of Sora, who was puzzled, and in exchange a strange creatures - heartless - appeared.

"What, the hell's going on?" Sora somehow or other finished fighting the heartless, and then started running at the blocks on the opposite wall. And he really did appear. The man in the black coat.

"You're quite good at noticing me. However... do you only have the ability to follow me?" he said, and disappeared, and again heartless appeared. Sora desperately defeated the heartless. And - how many times had it been, that the man in the black coat appeared...

"As expected... Sora." That voice wasn't the usual voice of the man in the black coat.

"That voice... Riku? Why're you here?" Riku gave a small smile inside his hood at Sora's surprise.

"There's something I want to show you, so you can move on from here."

"Something you want to show me?" he asked, mystified, and Riku continued,

"The hidden truth that doesn't exist in your memories. I want you to know it. And... to feel it." The hidden truth that didn't exist in his memories - he didn't really get that. But.

"If you're the one saying so it must be a big deal. Okay." An honest smile floated over Sora's face.

"Thanks, Sora - close your eyes." Following Riku's instruction, Sora quietly closed his eyes. He thought he could see points of light on behind his eyelids, and a large moon floated up there. He didn't know where the place was. Riku faced the moon and held out a hand. Even as he made to catch it, he couldn't catch it. Riku looked back over his shoulder, and behind him was... Kairi.

Sora's eyes shot open.

"That's... Riku... Kairi too... that's right, I set off looking for them." He remembered. But he didn't get why he remembered clearly.

"My heart was surrounded by darkness, Kairi lost her heart. In your real journey you were able to save Kairi and I. What do you think the two of us have in common? Did you feel something from the vision this time?" Riku asked quietly.

"In common..."

"It's 'pain'. A heart enclosed, you no longer are yourself. The pain of losing yourself. Now, Sora. What would you do?" A question like that - the answer was obvious.

"That's obvious. I'd save you. I'd do something about both of your pain." It felt like Riku was smiling a little happily inside his hood.

"That's the answer I expected. That's right, [in the future? after that? not sure what referent is], you'll save us. [tense depending gah]."

"Is that right... na, why'd you show me that?" Riku took a step towards Sora, who had his head cocked and his arms crossed. Sora could see into his mysterious hood, but he didn't really understand his expression.

"No matter what happens, you're the same. I wanted you to understand that. From now on you'll [find out?] various truths. You'll forget important things, lose them, be deceived, lose sight of yourself, probably be surrounded by 'pain'. But Sora, you'll be all right. No matter what pain, you can take it in, overcome it - heal it. No matter what happens you should follow your heart. If you go forward as you listen to your heart, you can save a lot of people. It's nothing special. You should just keep doing what'sobvious to you." Riku spoke a bit more complicatedly than usual. But I get what he's saying. If I keep going valuing what I feel like I have been and never lose, I'll definitely be okay.

"...got it."

"I'm counting on you, Sora." Sora gave a firm nod, and Riku disappeared. At the same time, the world wavered.

Xxx

When he came to, Sora was standing in that pure white square again. And this time a guy in a black coat - it wasn't Riku this time - appeared, like he was waiting for Sora.

"How was it, Sora. Did you enjoy reuniting in the illusion made from data?"

"Don't call it illusion. It was a bit weird, but those were my friends," he said a little angrily, and the man in the black coat shrugged his shoulders.

"...friends? Then, do you remember meeting anyone here now?"

"Of course I do... huh? No way! Why don't I... remember anything..." No, he didn't remember anything.He had no idea who he'd met, or what he'd done, in the room he was just in.

"I told you before. Everything that happens in this castle is illusion... which is why there are time when

things that weren't recorded in Jiminy's memo happen, and the results turn into cards. And when the illusionary meetings are done, you quickly forget it."

"The hell!?" That's horrible. If I'm forgetting because of him, I won't forgive him.

"It's not bad, isn't it? You don't remember who you met, so to you, it doesn't matter what you do to them."

"Get fucked! It's not like friends don't matter! Like you said, anything could've happened, and I forgot who I met. But I'll definitely remember [soon?]!"

"Hmph... is that right," said the person in the black coat, and laughed scornfully as he took out cards. There were five, this time.

"More cards..." Sora looked at the five cards. The first was a card with a drawing of a city at night. It felt like he'd seen it somewhere before. The second had a picture of a garden maze. He had no idea where that was. The third a Colosseum where strong warriors fought - but it meant nothing to him. Fourth, a palace in the desert. He really didn't remember. And in the fifth soared an eerie castle. He wasonly looking at the card, but he felt uneasy.

"They're made from the memo's data. If you use them an illusion like before will appear. But not of your friends this time. They're people who you, who has only just left his island, haven't met yet. I thought of something good. You can do something horrible you want, to these people."

"Eh!?" There's no way I can do something horrible to them.

But the person in the black coat continued, "Appearing before you are people you have no memory of...and furthermore they're data illusions. They're illusions, so they won't notice in reality. You can see it asif in their view this castle is the world they were born and raised in. Illusions, nothing like complete realities. They are... true existences which don't exist. There's no need to be decent to them. For example even if they're sad, the memory will quickly disappear. If you have no heart, then you feel no pain."

"...that's not true," Sora denied bluntly.

"What was that?" the person in the black coat asked back, and Sora bluntly declared,

"I might not know anyone I meet from now on, but there's no way I'd do something horrible! If they were sad, I'd definitely regret it! Even if I forgot right after, that regret would probably remain, and thatwould definitely injure my heart. I don't want that. Even though there's no memory, just the pain remaining, that's definitely tough."

And, it felt like the person in the black coat smiled a bit, inside his hood. "...you've started to comprehend pain," he whispered, and disappeared.

"Eh?" I have no fucking clue what he wants. But -

Sora stared at the five cards still in his hand. If he used them, he'd get to meet people from other worlds... he was a little uneasy - but also excited. With one card in hand - the city at night - Sora

walked towards the door.

Xxx

Through the door - in Traverse Town - Sora successfully searched for three kids.

However.

The instant he returned, Sora couldn't remember anything about who he'd met, or what he'd done just previously.

"...the hell's this, this feeling..." In the square, Sora pressed on his chest. For some reason it hurt.

"Oh right, I'm sad." He was sad, so his chest - his heart was in pain. But, if he'd forgotten everything about who he'd met, there shouldn't be any feelings left. So did that mean that some memory remained?No, even without memory, some of the feelings remained.

So, he felt like he'd remember everything, if he had some chance. It gave him some kind of courage.

"Right, let's go!" Sora held the second card - the maze garden, Wonderland - up to the door.

Xxx

In Wonderland he met many people, answered several questions, and was finally put on trial by a queen.

And then, when he finally returned, the person in the black coat appeared in front of Sora.

"Now, Sora. Do you remember who you were talking to."

"...if you're asking you know. I forgot, I don't remember anything," said Sora, somehow carefree. Even if I forget it's okay. I'll be able to remember again.

However, the person in the black coat said meanly, "You're surprisingly calm. [I guess?] It doesn't matter who you're talking to, so you're not worried if you forget."

"The opposite! Like you said, I don't remember who I met, but I feel it. The regret of not remembering, the sadness of forgetting, those feelings combine - into pain in my heart." It felt like the person in the black coat was staring at him from inside his hood.

"Even when memories disappear, the feelings remain. Those feelings become pain in my heart. That pain definitely becomes a key. One day I'll take advantage of that pain, and remember everything."

"-as planned." [he sighed in reply to no one??], and the person in the black coat disappeared again.

And then, Sora held the third card - the arena, Olympus Colosseum - up to the door.

Xxx

There, he took part in many fights. Sora felt that the comrades he met were all strong. However, when he returned to the hall, he forgot everything.

And that feeling of "intense sadness" was etched deep in his heart.

The person in the black coat came to meet him again.

"Memory lost, the sadness of being unable to remember who you met... but if you throw away the pain in your heart, the lost memories will one day return... that's what you believe, isn't it, Sora."

"Yeah," Sora said strongly, and the person in the black coat in front of him laughed wholeheartedly [should I leave it as a ironic pun, or change it to something different? Hmm].

"What's so funny?"

"You're really tricked easily."

"What'd you say!?" Sora was irritated, but the man in the black coat quietly continued,

"It was the first thing I said. This is a place where the things you've gained you lose, and the things you lost you gain. Here, you lose your memory, and in exchange get pain in your heart. If you think that thepain in your heart will become a key to your memories, then you wouldn't be able to throw away your pain!"

Pain in my heart - there's no way I'd have to throw it away. That's obvious. If the sadness goes away, I really will have forgotten.

However, the person in the black coat warned, "I get it, Sora. You're obsessed with pain. Pain is by no means healing. From now on it will gradually well up, and your heart will fall into darkness." Sadness, loneliness, all of the heart's pains, they all probably lead to darkness.

"No way, you mean you planned to pull me into darkness from the start!?"

"All the illusionary people made of data pull on the pain in your heart. It's that sort of plan."

"What'd you say!?" Sora made to question him again, but the person in the black coat disappeared.

Sora's unease grew. Was this pain really a dark emotion? But, he had to continue on, to find out for sure.

Sora held out the fourth card - the palace standing in the desert, Agrabah - up to the door.

Xxx

In Agrabah he searched for the parrot hidden by the blocks, Iago.

And when he returned, he forgot everything again.

" - even now you can still run."

"Eh?" The person in the black coat appeared as always, and said those baffling words.

"If you throw away the pain you can be saved. There's nothing wrong with shaking off people you can'tremember anyway. If you do that - you won't feel sad any more. The pain in your heart will disappear."

Sora clenched his fist, squeezing over his heart. The pain inside his heart - if the pain went, he wouldn'tbe sad any more...?

"Sora... there's one of two [possibilities?]. Will you obsess over the memories you can't recall, and captured by pain fall into darkness? Or will you forget them, and not worry about it and be happy? Which will you choose?" and he disappeared, leaving that.

"Wait!"

He chased after the person in the black coat, but as always he didn't make it.

I have no idea what I should do. I've got one card left. If I use it, I'll meet someone again, then forget, then since I can't remember I'll get sad. If I'm sad my heart will hurt. If my heart hurts, I'll finally be taken by that pain, and fall into darkness. Should I save myself by throwing away my pain?

Sora! Can you hear me, Sora?

Frozen with worry, Sora heard Mickey's voice.

"Mickey! Where are you?"

Sorry... I'm still in the middle of traveling to you, so sending my voice to you is the best I can do.

"Huh, okay... hey, Mickey. I'm lost. From what the black coat guy is saying, if I'm always obsessing over what I can't remember, pain will well up in my heart, and it'll be dangerous." Sora threw the thoughts he was having right at Mickey.

If that's so, will you throw everything you can't remember away?

When Mickey said that, two figures gradually appeared in front of Sora. But he had no memory of them. He couldn't remember.

Those two, they aren't in your memories. But even though you don't remember, to them you're afriend.

Sora could hear a characteristic voice, as if it were overlaying Mickey's.

Guwa! Right right! I went on an adventure with Sora!And then a laid back, relieved voice.

Even if you don't know us, we think of you as precious.

Hearing their voices, the space in his chest warmed.

"What do you mean?"

Try to ask your heart. What do you feel?

"...even though I don't remember, even though I haven't really met them... it feels warm and familiar." Really, hugely familiar. It felt like there was courage and strength gushing up from it.

Even with your memories gone, the emotions remain. Even though your data was reset, I think inthis world of Jiminy's memo, the thoughts of your friends you did your best with remain in yourheart. And like that, the people you meet in the card rooms also definitely remain in your heart.

Sora thought. This pain in his heart, and the warmth he felt just before were the same...?

As he thought, the two people in front of Sora disappeared.

Oh no!? Looks like I used a bit too much power. Sora, I'll definitely make it to you. There's just a bitleft, do your best!

"Mickey!?" he called, but there was no answer. And so he was alone - and incredibly sad. This feeling is probably also pain in my heart. One day this pain will pull me down into darkness...?

And, he had one more card left. The eerily soaring castle - Hollow Bastion.

He had nothing left, but to go onwards.

Xxx

Sora fought two enemies in Hollow Bastion, and gained victory. Then, the instant he returned, he forgotit all.

The person in the black coat greeted Sora, like he'd been waiting.

"You've used all the cards. I want to ask you about your impressions of meeting illusions - but you've forgotten everything, so you shouldn't feel anything."

"I can feel it. Even without the memory of meeting them, I can definitely feel that I met some people. But not being able to remember is - lonely." Sora softly put his hand on his heart. He slumped slightly. Why can't I remember?

"Pain, is it. I did say so. If you obsess over "pain", then one day your heart will fall into darkness. All you can do is erase all of your pain."

"...that's not true. Even without my memories, thanks to this pain, I've understood something - just that there's something important I forgot. So, I'm not going to run away from pain. Not until I somehow remember the important thing I forgot." That's right, I can't throw my pain away. Just as much as I havepain, somewhere in my heart I remember.

"You'll fall to darkness before then."

protected Day 194 - 1.1 pages"Like I said, if I throw away my pain the clues to my important memories will also disappear. That's decided. Even if I'll probably fall into darkness... my pain, it's fine like this. If I get back the memories Ilost then the pain will definitely heal. I'll hold onto it until that time comes." Sora's hand on his heart fisted. Yeah, because - "This pain is my only connection to those memories I lost... it's a bond."

"Your pain is a bond...?" He could see the person in the black coat's shoulders move up and down like he was taking a deep breath.

"Don't laugh! If you do I'll show you! The person who's in real pain!"

The world was wrapped in pure white -

xxx

And then Sora was standing in a new world he'd never seen before. In the dark space, which felt unpleasantly chilly, all there was was a cold white floor.

In front of him was the person in the black coat. And in each hand, he held a keyblade.

The person in the black coat covered the distance between them in one fell swoop, and attacked him with his keyblades. He dashed stubbornly. In that instant there was pain - not of the body, but in his heart. The hell is...?

The person in the black coat let out a war cry as several pillars of light shot out around him, damaging Sora who continued to stand there.

The pain I've felt on this journey - is this by some chance someone's pain? Over and above the pain of the body, what was sent was the pain in the heart? It hurts. But it's also somehow familiar. It's a specialtype of pain, that can do something, like my lost memories. I want to run from this pain. But I can't run away.

Sora swung his keyblade back strongly.

"Uooooo!" He moved closer in an instant, and his attack hit, full of his feelings. Threw up in the air. Shot magic.

Even so, the person in the black coat got up, softly floated in midair, and continuously rained down white light.

Sora avoided that, and got close to the person in the black coat again, and thrust his keyblade up.

"-ff...." The person in the black coat suddenly fell to his knees.

"What's wrong, Sora... hurry up and destroy me..." said the person in the black coat, under his labored breaths. However, Sora dismissed his keyblade, and held out a hand towards him.

"What're you doing!?" The person in the black coat rejected Sora's hand, and stood by himself.

"...right, I finally worked it out. Noticed, that this me is also just a data illusion. I'm an illusion, so there's no value in defeating me. I didn't exist from the start, so there's no point in specifically destroying me... that's it."

But Sora shrugged his shoulders a little, worried, and smiled.

"That's wrong, what's an illusion. Your attacks really hurt." Yeah, the extent of that pain from the attacks - "You taught me what that "true pain" stuff is."

The person in the black coat said nothing to Sora, who continued to smile. Of course. Sora's face turnedback into something a bit more serious, and he continued.

"But... the pain that I felt, it wasn't just that. It wasn't just the pain of my body. It was transferred to me, as you attacked. Your pain." Sora remembered that pain he'd felt, in the battle. It was a special pain. He didn't really know how it was special, but it was. Yeah, it was a pain where he could feel a connection. "It was a sharp, violent pain... but it was familiar somehow, too. Just like it was my own. I have the [sense? in this context, given feeeeelings] that I'm connected to your feelings, that we share pain. Then,if there's a chance I'm connected to your heart - then it's not bad, to want to stop taking in pain." And then, Sora smiled at him again.

"It's not bad, huh? You, you don't understand."

The person in the black coat gave Sora a card. There was a weirdly-shaped building that he'd never seen before drawn on it.

"You pass, Sora. You understand pain. That card will take you to the truth."

"What do you mean?"

Sora shrugged his shoulders.

"To check if you have the requirements to stop taking in pain - that's my role. That role is over. All I can do now is disappear."

"...where're you going back to?" He didn't really understand what he meant by disappear. Even for illusions, what was disappearing.

"I probably don't have anywhere to return to. But... there's somewhere I want to go." It was the first time Sora had heard him speak with a kind voice.

"That's where, exactly...?" Without answering Sora's reflexive question, the person in the black coat walked up to Sora, and stepped through him.

"Uwah!?" Like Sora had breathed him in in surprise, the person in the black coat was gone. What he felt the instant they overlapped was - sadness. It was probably someone's - the person in the black coat'smemory.

It was the place he wanted to go back to - the place he had wanted to go back to, the place he hadn't

been able to go back to. A sunset town, from start to finish -

That summer holiday.

What he could hear was the young man who wore the black coat's voice. His - Roxas' - smiling face popped into Sora's head.

"Your pain... I'll stop it." Sora murmured as he stared at the final card. Right, gotta go.

"Sora!" At the voice that called out to him, Sora lifted his head. The person running towards him was -

"Mickey!"

"I finally made it to you. Sorry for being late. Even though I intended to confirm the truth with you, I've given you trouble all alone..."

"It's fine, it's fine. Anyway Mickey, look!" Sora showed Mickey the final card.

"Seems like if you use this card you can learn the truth."

"I see - the mystery of the 'you must return to heal their pain' message will be solved as well?"

"Let's check together." When he held the card up to the door, a beam of light shot out, and surrounded Mickey and Sora with light.

Xxx

And so, there was a blonde girl standing in front of them. In the middle of the room was a giant capsuleshaped like a flower.

"You are...?" Sora cocked his head, feeling a mysterious familiarity. It was the same as when he'd met Mickey. Even though he shouldn't know them at all, they were somehow familiar.

"It's nice to meet you, Sora. My name is Naminé. You don't know me... but I know Sora."

"Um... I don't really get it, but...?" Sora cocked his head, and Mickey said to him,

"Sora, I'll explain. At one time, you lost all of your memories. The one who saved you from that was this girl here."

"Then, you're my savior, Naminé. I've gotta thank you."

"That's not true. I was the one that connected your memories, but before that I was also the one who sent them scattering. And as well, bugs being born in Jiminy's memo was my fault too." Naminé slumped.

"What do you mean!?" Not answering Mickey's question, Naminé held her right hand out into space. And, something sparkling slightly floated up.

"The start of everything is... a distant shard of memory, sleeping in Sora's heart.

"That's... my memory?" said Sora, looking up at the "shard of memory" Naminé showed. Even after she dropped her hand, it stayed floating, and continued to glow. The glow was so dazzling it felt like it was too strong.

"No. This isn't your memory. It's a memory of someone Sora is connected to."

"Eh? Wouldn't it be weird, if there's someone else's memories inside me?" Shouldn't I just have memories of stuff that's happened to me?

"Yeah, usually it'd be unthinkable. I found it when I was fixing Sora's memories, but I thought something was strange from the start. But you know, I investigated and I get it. This memory is definitely in Sora's heart. A memory that's always been sleeping in Sora's heart, and that one day he'll have to remember it... an important memory... and a dangerous one." He didn't really get the meaning of what Naminé said. In front of Sora, who was baffled, Mickey asked Naminé,

"Dangerous? What's wrong?"

"This memory is a strong mass of 'pain'. If it comes out recklessly, it will injure Sora's heart, and break. So I wanted everyone to find a way not to lose to pain, and left the message in the memo."

You must return to heal their pain.

The message left in the memo had definitely said that.

" - that was a message from you?"

This time Naminé nodded at Mickey.

"When I unwound Sora and his friends' memories, the writing in the memo disappeared as well. That memo was deeply connected to everyone's [recollections? 思い出, and dammit how do you contrast thetwo in English naturally? Also: have to go back and do that for the other bits, if they're going to be specifically contrasted]... memories of traveling, so it had that effect. But everyone's memories were scatted, but they didn't disappear. In the same way, though the words had disappeared, the records of the memories in Jiminy's memo remained, so you'd probably be able to get that back through data?"

Sora completely didn't get what Naminé was saying, as he watched Mickey, who listed with a serious expression next to him.

"But when we analyzed the data, it was devastated by bugs in neither the memories or the records," said Mickey.

"That was... me. The case was the memories - the 'pain' I'd added into the memo. I thought that if you faced the bugs that rose from the 'pain' living in those memories, a method that would not lose to pain would be found..." Naminé slumped again, like she was slightly pained.

"Is that how it was... You wanted us to investigate, so you had that message appear."

"I'm sorry." Naminé hung her head. "I wanted to tell you myself if I could... but the real me isn't anywhere anymore." The real me? Then where'd the real Naminé go? Ummm, this is the data world in the first place, so - huh? Then who and where was the real me? I'm Sora, Sora's me, but this is a world made from memories, so...?

Sora heaved a big sigh, smiled, and said, "Um, I'm - no good at what you're talking about but..."

When he did, Naminé laughed.

"You don't have to understand. Since you found the method to stand up to pain."

"I did?" Sora cocked his head. He had decided not to throw away pain when he was fighting that guy inthe black coat, but he still didn't really know anything about a method of standing up to pain. He'd just decided not to throw it away.

"That thing called pain would probably be healed if you destroyed it. But there's pain that can't be destroyed. So you have to just take in and stop that pain without looking away from it." Is taking in andstopping the same as not throwing away?

Naminé continued further, "Even with a strong pain you can't take in and stop alone, if you know you're connected to someone's heart..."

"...the pain turns into a bond, and we can stop it together, right?" Sora nodded, taking in Naminé's words, and looked at the light that'd been floating in front of his eyes the entire time.

"Then, I'll give it a try!" Naminé looked at Sora, who said that, strangely.

"Naminé found and investigated these memories. I'll try and take in and stop this bundle of pain."

"Sora..." Naminé nodded to Sora suddenly. When she did, Mickey ran over to Sora as he was about to stretch his hand out.

"Wait! You're not the only one who'll take in and stop it. I'm going too."

"Okay!" Sora faced Mickey, and nodded. He'd probably be okay if it was just him, but with the both of them it'd definitely be fine.

"...thank you." Naminé looked up at the 'shard of memory' as well.

"I'll try'n touch it. 'Cause if I do that, the feelings someone hid will flow into our hearts." Sora linked hands with Mickey, and held their linked hands out to the light. An incredibly strong light shot out of the 'shard of memory'. Pain flowed out of it the instant they touched. It hurt, and breathing became difficult. His heart clenched.

"Sora, hang in there!" At Mickey's encouragement, Sora squeezed his eyes shut, and clenched his teeth.Finally, someone's back was vaguely visible, through the light.

"That's...?" There were two people wearing black coats standing there. One was that guy - someone

with the same face as the guy he'd defeated just before. And the second one was someone he didn't know with red hair. Roxas and Axel.

"They are!?"

"Hidden truths... are sealed in the midst of Sora's heart. Memories of people connected to Sora, not memories of his own," Naminé answered quietly to Mickey's shocked voice. Then, the two of them disappeared, and some other people floated up. One was Naminé. The other was a black-haired girl wearing the same black coat as before. She looked a lot like Naminé. That's right, her name's Xion.

And, even though he shouldn't know any of the four of them, it was familiar, it hurt. His heart clenched painfully.

This is pain...?

"Everyone's waiting for Sora. Since you're the only one who can heal this pain. Even so, in the year youwere sleeping DiZ hid something in your heart. I asked what it was, and he answered 'atonement'... so there's definitely a way to save everyone in Sora's heart." Naminé finished speaking, and in the white light she and the black haired girl disappeared, and this time three people he didn't know floated up. One was a young man, the other a girl, and the third... was a boy who a lot like that guy. Terra, Aqua, and - Ven."

"And so they too..."

"Them!?" Mickey shouted again.

"Since it's you, you should be able to understand their pain." Sora opened his eyes, and Naminé was quietly looking over at them.

"They are a key - to the truth of the keyblade's existence. And that existence is, even now, connected inside you, Sora."

"I... have a feeling like I've met them," Sora murmured. But he couldn't remember.

"Yeah. You've met two of them. But it looks like the other is connected in some very special way I couldn't understand. I don't get it, but I can feel we're connected.

"Now is the time where [you/we/I?] really have to remember, could it be..." Mickey said something, then shut his mouth. Mickey probably knew something more about them.

"I don't know. But the time when it's necessary for them to awaken will come sometime soon. And, Sora is the only one who can help them." Naminé looked at Sora, and smiled. "That is to say you'll be the key to their bonds."

Mickey let go of Sora's hand in surprise, and looked up at Naminé.

"I understand, Naminé. I'll certainly tell the Sora that is in the outside world about this."

"Yeah, please do." Mickey gave Naminé a big nod.

"Then...."

"Wait a moment." Sora interrupted Naminé, who had her head slightly bent as she said her thanks.

"Eh?" Naminé asked back, mystified.

"Naminé, you're keeping a promise to the me I don't know, right?" said Sora, and Naminé looked far away into the distance.

"Even if I disappear, the promise I made to Sora won't. That's my atonement. I injured many people..." Naminé cocked her head, sadly.

"What's the you that's here going to do from now on?"

"I'm data that exists to convey a message. I don't exist in the original data. My records will disappear now, but together with the message, the things felt and seen on the journey will dissolve into the other Sora. With that, the other me will heal." The other Naminé, who she said was no longer around the other Sora. And, connected, to many people.

"I get it, Naminé, it's for all the people Sora's connected to."

"Yeah." She gave a smile to Sora, who'd seen the truth.

"That, and, there's one more thing I want to tell you." Sora looked at Naminé. He felt like he had to say this, no matter what.

"Thanks."

Naminé was surprised, as she took in that word. However, her expression soon changed to a smile.

And then, still smiling, Naminé quietly disappeared.

"The journey with two connected memories, closed in this way."

Epilogue: To Next Stage

I had to tell you quickly. The memories that sleep within you, And the shards of memory which connect to the future. Sora, Riku, Kairi, The truth that surrounds the 'keyblade', Through the usual connections,Is in your hearts. Sora - everyone you're connected to, they're waiting for you. You're the only one who can heal their pain. Perhaps, the journeys up until now, Were preparations for the journey which will begin now. Things we have thought were coincidences, they were all connected. The door to a new journey, is already opening.

"Yen Sid-sama. We have finally located the place of Ven's heart."

"Is that so, then last is Terra."

"Yes, I will definitely save all three of them."

"I wonder if Xehanort will appear next..."

"Xehanort?"

"Ansem, the heartless separated from him he commanded, and Xemnas, the nobody he commanded, they were both destroyed by Sora, yes?"

"Those to were certainly destroyed. The two of them disappearing means that Xemnas, the original, will revive. If a heart stolen by the heartless is released, and the body which became a nobody is destroyed, the two of them become one again. That is, Master Xehanort will returned."

"Then, he'll start moving in some way again?"

"Xehanort is a man who makes countless plans."

"But even if another danger visits, there's me, Sora, and also Riku."

"They are certainly strong. But you are the only Master, king. If Xehanort is not alone...?"

"Eh? What do you mean!?"

"King, you must call Sora here. Riku too."

"For what!?"

"The Acknowledgment of Mastery Exam will commence.”