Woo! Another update, ladies and gents! Sorry it took so long, but I had finals in school, so yeah. Anyway, this chapter is a tad longer than usual. Also, let me take the time to thank my reviewers. I really appreciate the time you take to read this fanfic. So, without further ado, chapter ten!

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Chapter 10: The Capture

Sora awoke to the sound of Gummi engines blasting through the sky. Already, the ship had reached the next world, which, from the looks of it, was already damaged enough by the Organization. Several auras of darkness could be seen from above, and the Gummi’s radar was bleeping like crazy. It basically read the whole area as a danger zone, which definitely wasn’t good. So, as the spiky haired teenager awoke from his sudden slumber, he found his pals Donald and Goofy staring wide eyed at the dastardly sight before them.

“Ugh… guys,” Sora grumbled, slowly getting up to his feet, “what’s going on?” Clearly, he was still rather drowsy from his little snooze, as the look planted on his mug, along with the groggy sound of his voice couldn’t mean otherwise. However, just hearing him actually say something was enough to divert his two pals’ attention from the radar, even if only briefly.

“Sora!” shouted Donald, a smirk forming upon his beak. “Thank goodness you’re awake. Goofy and I had to pilot this thing all by ourselves while you had that nap of yours. What’s the big idea, anyway? That’s the second time you’ve done that…” Brow furrowed, the poultry mage awaited his comrade’s response, as he was the impatient sort.

Shaking his head, the Keybearer explained, “Well, I had another dream about Roxas… and he was in some weird forest. I tried to say something to him, but he just ran. I don’t even know why. After that, he was… in one of my memories. It was really weird. He was freaking out too… And, well, the last thing I saw was him in this dungeon with Belle and some weird object things, and it sounds like the Beast is in trouble—and Roxas.”

Goofy gave his typical “A-hyuck!” while scratching his nose. Even though Sora’s description of this dream sounded all sinister and junk, the dopey canine was still able to find himself content, for whatever reason. “Gawrsh, Sora,” he chuckled, pointing towards the Gummi Window, “we’re nearing…uh…well, the radar says it’s ‘Beast’s Castle’. I guess we’ll get to help them after all.” Sora’s somewhat melancholy expression was quick to change. For once, it seemed as if he would actually get to meet Roxas! Finally, he could find out more about the mysterious blonde haired kid.

“Man, that’s great!” Sora exclaimed, giving his typical beaming grin. It was plain to see that he was excited about the whole notion. “Well, the whole Organization thing isn’t… or Beast being in trouble, but Roxas! I can’t believe that he’s so close by. If only Riku were this easy to find… Oh well, he’ll turn up eventually.” All this hyperactive joy the Keybearer was giving was simply insane, well, at least to Donald. Then again, after going on one adventure with the kid, he was well aware of his ecstatic emotions. Therefore, he simply sighed, turning back to the radar.

“You know,” explained the feathery ball of temperamental rage, “we’re just about to land this thing, so you should get ready. There’s a lot of heartless… and the Organization, and you can’t forget that, Sora. You too, Goofy. We’ll have to deal with this together.” Sora simply groaned at Donald’s little lecture. He already knew all this, despite the fact that a reminder didn’t hurt. The thing is, he was more interested in finding the blonde haired stranger than anything else right now… especially since he knew that he was so darn close.

“I know, I know…” sighed the over enthusiastic teenager. “I’m just a bit excited, that’s all. Plus, if we find Roxas, the whole mission will be a LOT easier. After all, he has two Keyblades. You gotta admit that he’s pretty powerful, no?” Donald just grumbled to himself. All this Roxas talk was getting on his nerves right now, especially since he was trying to land a ship.

“Yeah, sure…” he retorted, setting the Gummi to its landing settings. “Anyway, we’re just about there, so hold on tight!” With a quick flick on one of the buttons, and a slight pull on some levers, the vehicle began to spiral downwards. When the poultry mage had said to hold on tight, he was totally right. Such a spinning and insane way to land surely would make anyone with weak nerves sick, and it was already hard enough for the trio to avoid… tossing the old lunch monkey, so to speak.

Why Donald had chosen such a spectacularly insane way to land was totally beyond Sora and Goofy. Perhaps it was just a way for the fowl to get the two to shut up. Whatever the reason, though, it didn’t change the fact that the Gummi ship was twirling downwards and already nearing the ground. As it went closer and closer to the solid earth below, the ship began to slow and even itself out to avoid any damage. In short, the whole spin drive had just been for show. Luckily, the nausea had ended, leaving the threesome a tad dizzy as the Gummi gently landed on the surface of the world.

Ignoring the twirling sensation in their stomachs, Sora and co quietly exited their ship. Outside were the outskirts of a freezing forest, presumably where Roxas had fainted. The blistering temperature wasn’t any fairer to the trio of heroes either, as each of them found themselves shivering like mad. What made things worse is that it was night time, meaning even worse temperatures. It was quite fortunate that the Castle was a short distance away, otherwise they too could have ended up in Roxas’ situation. Before heading off, though, Donald quietly cast a spell on the Gummi Ship in order to conceal it.

It was almost instantly that the appearance of the vehicle was cast under a veil of invisibility. What once was a red space ship now appeared to be nothing at all. Grinning smugly, Donald turned around and trotted with pleasure towards the castle. Not wanting to stay in the chilly forest, of course, Sora and Goofy were quick to walk the short distance towards the bizarre manor. Even then, though, they were chilled beyond belief as they trekked through the limits of the wooded area.

As the trio made their way through the vast army of trees, they found that the shape of the large castle came ever closer. Even from a distance, it was easy to see that said palace of sorts would surely be less unpleasantly cold than where they stood at the moment. Soon, they were just inches away from the entry way, and it was a good thing too. After all, as brave as Sora and the gang were, even they had their limits.

Sora stood, gazing upon the door, unsure of what to do. He wanted to enter and all, but what if an ambush was ready? Would it be worth taking any necessary risks? Stuttering slightly, he exclaimed, “S-so, do you think we should… g-go in? I mean... shouldn’t we get our weapons ready just in case?” Both Donald and Goofy scratched their chins at this notion. It was pretty sensible, to say the least.

“Gawrsh, you’re right, Sora…” Goofy alleged. “For all we know, that Organization XIII could be waitin’ for us inside. A-hyuck.” Keeping that giddy expression on his mug, the defender reached for his shield. Even then, though, he looked oddly joyful… if not a little idiotic. Shrugging, Donald followed this procedure, readying his mage staff and waddling towards the door way. Following his two friends was the Keybearer, his weapon also ready for action.

Now that they were ready, the threesome quietly pushed the door aside, not sure what to expect from the strange citadel. To their surprise, though, the inside seemed rather… well, empty. There was scarcely any light illuminating the area, spare that of torches, and not a single heartless stood waiting for the heroes. If anything, it didn’t even look like the place was invaded by the Organization. Relieved by this sight, Sora and co made their way into the main hall of Beast’s Castle.

Despite the vacant appearance of this hall, both Donald and Goofy kept their eyes peeled for any sudden surprises. Their expressions were futile attempts of seriousness that actually were very amusing to look at. Then again, with large, cartoony animals, what else could one expect? Sora, on the other hand, seemed rather relaxed. To him, this really wasn’t anything worth worrying about.

“So…” murmured the spiky haired hero, gazing upon the numerous features within the fortress, “what do you guys think we should do? I wanna find Roxas and all, but I just know Donald’s gonna go on about the mission… and I am still a little worried about Beast and stuff. You think we should look for that dungeon or find the Organization?” Raising his hand, the poultry mage was, sure enough, ready with an instant answer.

“That’s easy!” he squawked, adjusting his hat, “We should –“ Before the fowl could finish his little statement, he and the others found themselves interrupted quite abruptly.

“Well, it’s about time you got here, Sora. And here I thought I’d end up playing hero by myself.”

That voice… there was something about it that struck Sora as utterly familiar. From the cocky, yet laid back tone, to the precise wording, it seemed as if the owner of said voice could only be one person. Said individual was someone the Keybearer had almost forgot about, due to his sudden interest in Roxas… which was saying a lot, since it was his best friend. Yep, that’s right… Riku.

Hearing this welcoming sound, the fifteen year old instantly whirled around, finding his suspicions proven correct. Standing before him and his comrades was the silver haired boy known only as Riku. Everything, from his aquamarine eyes that were solemn and piercing to his yellow, sleeveless top and waders were all there. His appearance simply looked exactly like that from Sora’s memories with no visible differences. This wasn’t really a problem to Sora, of course, since he had no idea of the time span that had gone by during his slumber.

All that aside, the somewhat stubborn rushed right towards his best friend with a wide smirk planted across his face. He was about to give him a friendly hug until he found himself on the receiving end of quite a few odd stares from Donald and Goofy. Each of them seemed a little weirded out, mostly because Sora and Riku were about the same height, and the latter was supposed to be a year older. Heck, even Riku was a little bothered by this, as he had edged away from his pal slightly, brushing his silver bangs out of his eyes.

Still wearing that overly cheery smirk, Sora exclaimed, “Riku! You don’t know how happy I am to see you. Where’ve you been?” In all this giddy goodness, it was obvious that poor Sora was totally clueless about the whole situation. Either way, his naivety is what made him unique, and Riku didn’t seem to mind much. Heck, he bore a rather relaxed smile on his face as he shook his head at his stubborn comrade.

“Heh, I kinda figured you’d freak out,” chuckled Riku with a sigh. “You always were a sap like that. You know the Organization will use that to your advantage. Stupid nobodies.” He slowly made his way over to Donald and Goofy and tilted his head. “I guess you two haven’t changed a bit. It figures. You’re still the same old lackey’s for the King. Anyway, guys, we have to get going… those stupid cloaked freaks are around, and frankly, I don’t want to get on their bad side.”

The threesome eagerly nodded at this notion, or rather, Donald and Goofy bore eager expressions, while Sora’s was rather slow and uncertain. Then again, he was still clinging onto the subject of Roxas, despite his happiness and joy from reuniting with his best friend. In a bothersome tone, he complained, “But what about the prisoners? Shouldn’t we help them first?” Groaning, Riku simply shook his head.

“Look, Sora,” he explained, “we don’t have time. Just…gah, look, just come with me, so we can take care of things.” Pausing, he shot a narrow glare at the poultry mage and his rather slow minded companion, “As for you two…” he added, “why don’t you go deal with those prisoners? Maybe then you can do something productive for once.” He then concluded by saying, “by the way, the dungeon is in the west wing.”

Fury shot right through the feathery ball of anger. Even Donald’s beak had been contorted in a frustrated manor. If anything, he was willing to snap right at Riku for that little insult, had it not been for Goofy and Sora giving him that ‘NO.’ look. So, as aggravated as he was, the fowl grumbled, “Fine, sure, we’ll go and rescue those prisoners…”

Still ticked off, the loony bird turned away from the others and headed due east with Goofy following closely behind. Unlike his easily frustrated comrade, the defender seemed far less agitated by this little mission. But, then again, he wasn’t near as serious and hard headed as his partner, so that was a likely reason. Whatever the reason, he eagerly ambled towards his next destination. When the duo had vanished from sight, the Keybearer took another glance at Riku.

“So,” he pondered, leisurely twirling his unusual weapon, “what exactly are we gonna do? Is Organization XIII after us? You weren’t really that specific…” The silver haired teen crossed his arms, giving Sora that “Duh” look. Embarrassed as he was, Sora continued his questioning. “C’mon, Riku. Just tell me… where are we going? You could at least tell me that.”

Agitated, Riku resounded, “Just follow me, ok? I know what I’m doing, Sora, and you really have to learn to trust me… It’s not like last time. Ansem doesn’t have control over my body. I’m real. I’m serious.” Even Riku’s expression beamed with an air of solemn emotion. Riku clearly wasn’t the type to make up with lame excuses to get things done, and Sora knew well of this. He was just a little, well, confused and anxious, which is why his behavior was a little odd around his best friend.

Heaving a sigh, Sora decided that he was ready to go…well, wherever it was Riku was planning on leading him. He tried his very best to keep a straight face, though there was this eerie feeling inside his heart that made him contemplate over certain negativity. “Alright, Riku, I trust you,” he casually said. “I guess I’m just a little stressed and confused. Anyway, I guess we should get going, huh?” Riku’s response was nothing short of a face palm. From the looks of things, he was glad that he and Sora could FINALLY get moving.

There wasn’t really a reason for the two to say another word. Getting a move on was of utmost importance instead. Before leading Sora towards the Ball Room, though, Riku was quick to draw his Soul Eater, a sword which was dark in color and bore the shape of a demonic wing with a jeweled handle in which resembled an eye. This sword had been given to him by Maleficent, but even then, it served as a useful tool for fighting heartless. With this weapon at the ready, he headed towards the large doors that lead into the Ball Room. Sora, who had already prepared his Keyblade ahead of time, eagerly followed his comrade, ready to take on whatever foes lurked within.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Castle Dungeon

Drip. Drip. Deep in the dungeon, there was little calamity. Instead, the group of prisoners simply sat at leisure, huddled together to keep themselves warm in the musty vicinity. A constant dripping from a leak above kept the place from being silent, not to mention that, by now, the resonance was becoming horribly annoying. Roxas shook his head in dismay. He longed to escape this prison and continue his retreat, but in his current condition, such a task was neigh impossible. After all, his leg could very well have been broken, and due to the chilly blizzard out in the forest, he had become terribly ill. Luckily Mrs. Potts, the teapot from before, had been able to help him a little by serving him some tea.

“Man, what I’d do for some sea salt ice cream right now,” he murmured to himself, adjusting his position ever so slightly. “I think I officially hate castles… just like I hate Sora, and DiZ…and everyone besides my friends, who are gone.” Strangely enough, him muttering the name of Sora was enough to raise the brow of a certain Belle, who scrambled towards the teenager with a curious visage.

“You know Sora?” she inquired in much fascination. “Please, tell me…” If you were to sum up Belle’s mood, I suppose desperate would be a likely assumption. Quite possibly, this was due to being trapped in a cell for so long with little food or water, not to mention torture from the sadistic Larxene. Then, of course, you had to remember how gruesome the Beast had become, and due to her attachment to said monster, that had to be the worst. With all this negativity, one could see why she wanted to be saved from this agony. Roxas, on the other hand, wasn’t exactly thrilled.

Unpleased as he was about Belle’s desperation for his other, Roxas knew he would have to come off as polite. Ignoring the girl wouldn’t do, nor would having a Sora rant. If anything, he would have to give some lousy excuse to divert her attention. Ready for the worst, he responded to Belle, “Uhm… I don’t think I know any Sora. You must have misheard me. Uh… I’m sorry?” Saying such a lie almost made Roxas feel bad deep down in his hollow area without a heart. Only his developing revulsion for Sora kept himself from truly feeling sympathetic. The irony of it all was that, for someone who was against revenge and disgust from the start, he was sure starting to have a change of heart, or lack thereof.

The response clearly was not something Belle had expected nor desired. Her hopes of a possible rescue had been crushed by this last notation, and now she would have to continue wallowing in her sorrows until the moment came where everything would return to its normal state. Seeing her expression shift from something of joy to a poor, hopeless expression nearly hurt Roxas, but he knew it was the only way to keep his identity secret. Unable to tolerate this sadness any longer, he turned himself towards the wall, trying not to cause any more pain in his injured limb.

All of the sudden, a faint creak could be heard, as cold footsteps echoed within the dungeon walls. A sinister snicker caught the attention of the prisoners, Roxas included, who gazed upwards only to see Larxene, kunai in hands. She was clearly prepared to torment the poor unfortunate souls, which wouldn’t exactly be an enjoyable experience, to say the least. Her eyes shone with a piercing glow, and mercy was impossible to spot. If anything, she was going to make this little torture session a living heck.

“Well, well, well,” purred the Savage Nymph with mock pleasure. Her glare shot through the group of prisoners, phasing every single one, Roxas aside. “I’ve been given these nasty orders to torture you all… unless you tell me exactly what the boss wants. And by the boss, I mean Zexion. Now, he says that he wants me to keep you alive, but don’t think that means I’m going to go easy on you.” For a brief moment, she took the time to scan through each prisoner. A majority of them had terrified expressions, likely due to previous torture sessions, but Roxas… well, he was just sitting there, looking like he couldn’t care less. To Larxene, he would be the perfect little nobody to squeeze all sorts of juicy information out of. Plus, he’d make a lovely target for her kunai.

Casually, the sadistic member of Organization XIII trekked towards Roxas, her gaze not escaping his eyes even once. She tossed her dangerously sharp weapons in the air a few times, catching each one with relative easy. “Well, Roxas, I think you’d just love to play with me… Don’t you like games?” her voice was falsely sympathetic when she spoke to XIII, who merely turned away from the cruel vixen. The sight of Roxas remaining unphased aroused her savage nature even more so, as she suddenly reached out at the fifteen year old, snarling in supposed annoyance. “Look, squirt, I don’t have time for your snobby little attitude, so I guess I’ll have to give you the worst possible, non- lethal punishment I can dish up.”

Again, Roxas said nothing. It was as if he were trying to get on Larxene’s bad side. Then again, he was in a bitter and perplexing mood as it was, so who was to say he wasn’t trying to do so? Either way, within moments, he found himself being flung towards a wall, kunai pinning him in one place. Once Larxene was satisfied with Roxas’ position, she backed off ever so slightly, only to send a surge of electricity towards the teenager’s body. Agony and misery filled Roxas’ body, which twitched as the constant surges shot through him. Cackling, she increased the voltage, while chucking two kunai at his already injured leg. Sure, it didn’t seem like much, but hey, she was just warming up.

The only thing the other prisoners could do at this time was watch from a safe distance, as Roxas got this horrid treatment. Rebelling would only lead to their own suffering. Even with that thought in mind, though, the display of sparks and kunai wasn’t very pleasant to watch. Enduring it would clearly be an even worse concept, and Roxas was barely able to avoid screaming in anguish. Larxene was actually going relatively easy on the boy, despite her threat in which she had said that she’d give him her worst. Perhaps this was because she didn’t want any accidents. No matter, at least Roxas was having the worst time of his life.

As the voltage continued to increase, a faint creak could be heard coming from the door. Of course, Larxene had been far too occupied with this meager torture to pay attention to the audible footsteps coming from behind. Nah, he was busy tormenting poor Roxas, which had caused Donald and Goofy to get an upper hand as far as the element of surprise went. Yes, the two oversized animals slowly approached the nobody, awestruck by the way she was tormenting the blonde haired teenager.

This display of electricity was very unnerving, at least for Goofy. As he stood there, he couldn’t help but twitch every time Roxas squirmed and/or groaned. To the canine, it was like something from one of those creepy movies involving the electric chair and execution. Donald, on the other hand, was just plain annoyed. Maybe it was because none of the other prisoners were doing a thing, or maybe he just wanted to snap at that nobody and her electric powers. In fact, he sniggered before aiming his little staff right towards XII and sending a jolt of his own Thunder spell towards her. But… that wasn’t exactly a bright move on his part.

Yes, the spell DID work on Larxene fairly well, but, the thing is, since it was her element, she didn’t come out harmed. In actuality, the only thing Donald’s little spark did was catch her attention. Yes, from the moment those white hot sparks jolted the Savage Nymph; she instantly whirled around, coming face to face with the king’s lackeys. This hadn’t surprised her much at all, since Zexion had mentioned how he had picked up their scent just a few minutes prior to this little get together of sorts. In actuality, the poultry mage and his semi idiotic comrade were the ones in shock, pun definitely intended.

“Well,” Larxene cooed, approaching her attackers, “if it isn’t the King’s stooges. I remember you two… though, I guess the feeling isn’t mutual. You poor things don’t even remember that thunder is my element. Pathetic.” Both Donald and Goofy could see that this Organization member was going to be a threat. The way she had been shocking Roxas while throwing kunai at him was the perfect example of her merciless attitude. Even the way she taunted the two proved that Larxene was anything but friendly.

Admittedly, Donald realized that his little spell hadn’t proven useful in the least. This itself was a shame, as his Thunder spell was one of his most powerful techniques. Simply seeing Larxene shrug it off just proved how powerful Organization XIII could be, and he and Goofy had yet to even fight a member yet! However, due to the circumstances, it seemed that a brawl of sorts was intimate.

“What, are you two too scared to speak to little old me?” continued the sadist in her taunting manner. “I would have expected something more entertaining from you freaks, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers.” Slowly advancing towards the two flunkies of the King, Larxene’s visage grew more and more vicious. Soon enough, one could expect her to lash out, just so she could see more suffering. “It’s bad enough that you idiots had to crash our little party here at the castle… but no, you had to interrupt my fun too? Now you’ve done it… I’m sorry, but it looks like I’m going to have to destroy you.”

That was the final proof that Larxene’s fuse had been lit. Her saying that she was going to destroy Donald and Goofy was so blatant, that even one with a low brain capacity could understand. Heck, the brutally injured Roxas couldn’t even help but come to his senses. His eyes widened when he finally realized what Larxene was up to. Had he not been pinned to the wall or badly beaten, the thirteenth member would have surely done something simply because of his extreme dislike for Larxene and her methods. As for the two lackeys of King Mickey, well, they were quick to ready their weapons once more, backing up ever so slightly. Though they would never admit, the duo was indeed fearful of this new enemy. This fear simply would give XII more pleasure in the long run, though.

Roxas tried his best to budge from his place against the cold, brick wall, but there was no avail. With each movement, he was treated with more agony, namely in his wounded leg. Despite his horrid condition, though, he actually WANTED to help Donald and Goofy, strange as it sounds. If he could just catch their attention, then maybe he would be able to lend a hand before things started to heat up. After all, the only thing anyone was doing at the moment was pacing around the room. Seeing as he couldn’t really move, and screaming would only tire him, he decided it was best to try one last thing. Summoning the Keyblade and simply flinging it wouldn’t be too hard, and maybe it would serve as a decent distraction. Plus, it was a not-so-painful tactic, as neither of his arms had been damaged.

WHOOSH! Luckily, the Keyblade had been thrown with enough force to knock Larxene off her feet. Said weapon had collided with her legs, causing her to topple over. The Savage Nymph was clearly surprised, as she had all but forgotten about Roxas. Not only had the sudden force of the blade caught Larxene’s attention, but it seemed that even Donald and Goofy became aware of the injured teen. Upon this realization, the fowl began to realize that Roxas could prove a good help in fighting this strange member of the Organization.

“Hey, you!” beamed Donald, waving his staff around. “Sora told us all about you because of these so called dreams, so maybe you can give us a hand! Here…” Cordially, he aimed his mage’s staff towards Roxas, quickly muttering to himself. A bight beam of light was emitted, flowing into the teen’s very being. The prisoners within the cell stared with awe at this pleasant display of light. Within mere moments, what was once an assortment of injuries was now replaced by a perfectly healed state of being. Why, Donald’s cure spell had undone even the sickness that Roxas had gained from being out in the storm. Talk about magic!

As for Larxene, one could say that she wasn’t as entranced. Heck, if anything, she was as close to furious as her kind could get. First she had to be intruded by two “wimps”, and now she was “rudely” knocked down by some “runt’s” Keyblade. This was all but more fuel for the fire, and she was beginning to lose patience. Snarling, she exclaimed, “That’s it… now you’ve got me in a FOUL mood. No more games, kiddies, it looks like I’m going to turn things up a notch. Go ahead and have the little twerp, though, you’ll need him.”

Snapping her fingers, Larxene was able to gather all her Kunai with little effort. One must remember that nobodies such as herself could simply summon their weapons much like a Keybearer calls upon the Keyblade. Doing this caused Roxas to fall right onto the solid ground. At least he had been cured via Donald’s magic, or else fighting would have been near impossible. Anyway, upon being reunited with solid ground, the teen rushed over to Donald and Goofy, who were already in battle positions prior to this situation.

From then on, things changed. Instead of just standing there, Larxene instantly gave another snap, causing sparks to suddenly fill the area. Walls became lined with white hot electricity, as did the ceiling. Even the floor had sparks pop up every now and then. However, this was just a warm up. As Donald whirred up a nice fire spell, charging head on, he found that the Savage Nymph had suddenly warped out of sight. A faint buzz filled the air, and in mere seconds, the rump of the poultry mage was met by kunai. That wasn’t the end, though. Right as Goofy and Roxas ran up to counter Larx’s moves, the nobody warped, grabbing Donald by the leg. Upon reappearing, she flung the bag of feathers towards the surging wall, causing him much pain.

Goofy made a valiant attempt to stun her by flinging his shield at her waist, but due to quick reflexes, XI was able to warp past this as well. Oh, yes, she was in a fighting mood alright. In such a state, she was a terrible force of swiftness and power. Roxas tried a head on attack, but Larx ended up sticking out a leg, tripping the teen. When the defender known only as Goofy came charging up from behind, she kicked him in the shin and sent a stream of electricity up his spine. Wincing in agony still, Donald darted towards XI once more, firing his flames a second time. Yawning, Larxene warped behind him again, kicking him in the back.

This time, instead of simply hitting the wall, Donald managed to fly right towards Goofy, who was charging at the Nymph with no avail at that moment. Of course, due to the extreme speed of the fowl, he sent Goofy towards the electric wall as well. Several volts made way in the two partners’ bodies, each one causing severe soreness among other things. All the while, Larxene was giggling to herself. Roxas, however, was being quite a bit more intelligent after that tripping stunt. Instead of charging again, he merely paced in circles, eyeing his adversary’s movements with keen precision. She warped from place to place, anticipating the next offensive maneuver, a sadistic smirk beaming across her very face. Her swift warping would make attacking difficult, and when she started shooting her kunai again, things would only get worse.

Donald and Goofy once again pulled themselves away from the electric wall, darting right up to Roxas, who was still just moving about, eyes wide, watching Larx’s little taunt. Neither of the trio spoke to one another, as they simply maneuvered about. It was only when a sudden whirr in the air could be heard that this sudden calmness was broken. Instantly, Roxas about-faced, coming face-to-face with his opponent, just narrowly managing to land a hit on her gut. Instantly, Larxene flew backwards, landing against the wall, though she was immune to the voltage. This bought Donald enough time to use that flame spell from before, sending blazing flames up the sadist’s cloak right before she broke away from the barrier and vanished once more.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Ballroom

WHAM! A small cloud of darkness erupted, as a captive heart broke free from the savage beast that could only be described as a heartless. Riku heaved a sigh, lifting up his soul eater once more to strike another foe. He and Sora had been fighting several heartless and nobodies for the past few moments. It had started out with mere shadows and dusks, but, as of now, larger enemies filled the vicinity, such as Large Bodies and Assassins. Luckily, between the two of them, they were able to withstand their attackers this whole time. By now, there weren’t so many heartless left. Each dark denizen had been slaughtered prior to this via Keyblade or sword. Only a few soldiers, with their armor that looked so obscure, and their claws blood red, and some dusks, still as contorted as ever, remained.

First came the dusks, sliding across the dance floor in their strange way. If you were to count the pests, three would be an accurate number. Still, dusks were strange little buggers, and, typical of their fighting style, they made an attempt to surround Sora and Riku and knock them down. Luckily, the duo knew better, as they both performed the reversal technique, right before digging their weapons into the hollow shells. Upon defeating the remaining dusks, the duo approached the soldiers, who were hopping about mindlessly with their claws at the ready. Number wise, there were approximately two of these fellows, making this little match totally even. The duo charged forth, coming head on with their heartless opponents, claws met Keyblade, as they faced off. However, being the weak heartless that they were, the soldiers were no match for Sora and Riku, and thus, they were easily defeated.

Once the ballroom was clear, the two came to an abrupt halt. Beads of sweat ran down their faces from the sheer exhaustion of the fight. With the lack of fiends, the ballroom had a more pleasant appearance, with its smooth floor, that shone with cleanliness, and the bright lights up above. It really was a relaxing and tranquil place, and it was nice that all the heartless were gone. Slicking back his chocolate hair, Sora said in a rugged tone, “Well, Riku, I guess that’s that… but where’s the Organization? I thought you said they were here…”

Riku stood facing the opposite direction of Sora. His shoulders rose and fell suddenly, and he lifted his head backwards, beginning to cackle with sheer madness. This was so peculiar, that Sora felt plainly uneasy. Nevertheless, Riku continued his freakish laughter, a dark aura forming at his feet. “Sora, Sora, Sora,” he hissed, his body being overtaken by the strange shadows surrounding his being, “you are one foolish child…” Suddenly, during all this madness, Riku’s clothes began to take a new shape. What was once a pair of waders and a yellow top became a black cloak, dark as night. Simple sneakers became leather boots, and his half gloves changed as well. Soon, Riku was clad in Organization XIII attire, but the transformation did not end there. His silver locks reshaped, now growing shorter in the back, but with incredibly long bangs covering half of his face. His once aquamarine eyes were now stained yellow, and his flesh pale and scarred. In a matter of moments, Riku had revealed himself as Zexion.

“R-Riku…?” Sora muttered, approaching his so called ‘friend’ with caution. “Are you ok… you look kinda…different.” Different was an understatement. Zexion was a totally different being than Riku. Despite the fact that he was about the same height that Riku had been a year ago, and the similarity in their hair color, he was scarcely the same. His initial response to Sora’s questioning was really just more snickering and a shake of his head. Once that was all done, he turned around, glaring right at Sora.

“You idiot,” snapped the Cloaked Schemer, tugging on the sleeves of his cloak. “I think it should be obvious by now that I’m not Riku…No, my name is Zexion… and you had best keep that in mind when the time comes…” He crossed his arms and shifted his expression from a grimace to a toothy smirk, as Sora stared in awe at VI.

Puzzled, Sora asked in a squeaky tone, “Are you…are you a member of Organization XIII?” Naïve is a perfect way to describe Sora. It was as if the black cloak hadn’t given away Zexion’s identity…or rather, his pseudo identity. No matter, the Schemer simply groaned and decided to answer the boy’s little question to some extent either way.

“Yes, yes, I should think it could be assumed by now that I’m…a member,” he growled, brushing back his bangs, “I’m actually quite surprised by your foolishness… You’re nothing but a pawn to Organization XIII… Xemnas, their leader… why, he is only using you as a tool. I won’t reveal why… I still need their trust for the time being, but do be aware of this…” Once again, his expression changed, from a solemn gaze back to a contorted grin. “Playing with them like puppets… it brings me much joy…something they could never truly comprehend… being so…empty.”

“Wait,” blundered Sora in confusion, “you’re with the Organization…so that makes you a nobody, right?”

“Yes, yes, I should think that was obvious…heh…” responded the Cloaked Schemer with much annoyance. To him, Sora was an insolent child who went around playing hero for a worthless cause. He proved strong in heart, though it seemed that he was still a tad childish in many ways. Plus, an Organization XIII member would have to be a nobody, right? Anyone with eyes could see that. Yes, but the fact remained that Zexion was a very skillful manipulator… everyone was a pawn to him.

“You’re really weird,” mocked the Keybearer in a cocky tone, rolling his eyes. “That, and I never thought the Organization would recruit someone, well, so…young? I mean, you’re barely older than me, and you’re out doing their bidding? What’s up with that?” Zexion simply scowled at that comment, aggravated. Too many people as of late seemed to insult him for his physical age, which, to him, was rather pathetic. Roxas aside, he could indeed be considered the youngest member, as could Demyx, but that’s beside the point.

“By the way, Sora,” VI added, lifting his hand into the air, “I know someone who is just dying to meet you… heh, the sheer irony of it all…” Snapping his fingers, the Cloaked Schemer gave the signal to a certain nobody known only as Marluxia, who instantly appeared from behind, completely hidden by his dark, mysterious cloak. “He’s all yours… but remember, Vexen wanted him in one piece, so don’t do anything you’d regret…” With that, he backed away from the utterly confused Keybearer and his ally, vanishing in a cloud of darkness. Now, only two beings remained in the ballroom.

Marluxia, hidden by his hood, stepped forward, twirling a strange, blue rose between his gloved fingers. His voice was filled with the sheer sound of pseudo pleasure, as he snickered. Nervous, Sora skid backwards, a little unnerved by this stranger. The Keyblade appeared in his hand due to this potential threat. Fearful, the teenager exclaimed, “Who-Who are you?! And…what do you want?!”

“You don’t remember me?” cooed the Graceful assassin in a seemingly upset tone. “Why, I am shocked! Though, perhaps I could refresh your memory…” Calmly, he crossed his arms and came to a stop, huffing ever so slightly. He inhaled before saying, “To find is to lose, and to lose is to find… I should think that will prove enough to enlighten you.” Those words echoed through Sora’s mind… he knew them from something, but he wasn’t quite sure. Earlier, on the Gummi, he had muttered said phrase to himself with no recollection of its origin.

Sora backed off some more, still unnerved by this ‘stranger’ in black. A strange throbbing could be felt in his heart, as the phrase “To find is to lose and to lose is to find” echoed within his deep, mystifying thoughts. Images of a strange, white castle flashed within his inner eye, as foreign memories bounced through the bowels of his mind. All this time, Marluxia impatiently stood, eyeing Sora in much annoyance. The teenager hadn’t done a single offensive maneuver, which was far too boring for the Graceful Assassin. More or less, the fifteen year old was utterly puzzled by his presence. Such was no good, and so, the eleventh member of Organization XIII casually reached for the hood of his cloak, slowly removing it from his face. From the moment those unruly locks of pink hair were revealed, the Keybearer plummeted to the ground, clutching his head vigorously.

So many strange images were coming into place. A castle, the strange white one from before… Sora, Donald, and Goofy had been there before, somehow. There was something about cards and memories, but it was incredibly faint and dodgy. Still, seeing Marluxia’s face had somehow triggered some form of reaction within his heart, releasing fragments of the Oblivion memories. In the process, the boy was fully vulnerable and an easy target. Though XI had desired a little revenge, a simple whack of the scythe would have to suffice. Organization XIII wanted him in one piece, anyway. With little effort, he summoned his pink weapon, its blade gleaming from the light above… though, in order to knock the child out, he would have to use the blunt end.

WHACK! Scythe met the head of the quivering teen, rendering him unconscious in a matter of seconds. For someone who had saved countless worlds, taken on hordes of heartless, and survived Castle Oblivion, this was horrendously pathetic, to say the least. Still, the job had been done, despite the lack of any real challenge, so Marluxia, muttering with displeasure, lifted up the boy, flinging him upon his shoulder, and stepped into a portal, slowly vanishing from sight. The ball room was now vacant, not a being in sight. Sora had been captured.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The Dungeon

The battle had been going on for quite some time now. Larxene had indeed proven a formidable opponent with her brisk speed and vicious fighting style. This whole time, the trio of heroes had to keep themselves on their toes if they were to even hope to compete with the savage Nymph. Several times, Donald had been thrown against the wall of high voltage electricity, while Goofy had to continuously hold up his shield against incoming kunai. As for Roxas, he had to dart around several times, keeping his eyes peeled for his foe before striking her with his weapon. As of now, the fight was slowing down quite a bit, as all four fighters were equally exhausted. Yes, even Larxene had grown incredibly tired of this fiasco.

“I’m… I’m just warming up!” panted the Savage Nymph, slowly falling towards the ground. Her normally perky, antennae-like hair was now drooping ever so slightly from all her fatigue. Seeing this, Roxas released his Keyblade and sat towards the floor, stroking his sweat covered face with his equally clammy hands. Even though he had been completely cured from all of his injuries, the boy was still somewhat weaker than the norm, to say the least. Donald and Goofy also slowed down their pace, nearly falling face down on the floor, as they had endured quite a shocking brawl, quite literally, in fact.

Suddenly, the dungeon door flung open, as an all too familiar figure emerged from the hall, bearing a pleased smirk. True enough, Zexion appeared quite content, as he stepped down towards the group below. “Larxene, Sora has been detained by Marluxia,” exclaimed the Cloaked Schemer, resting a hand on his ally’s shoulder, sniggering all at once. “There’s no need to continue toying with these fools any longer. Come, we have better things to do…” He helped his fellow member up to her feet, walking her towards the entry/exit of said dungeon. Larx herself wasn’t exactly comforted by this, though she didn’t really react much. She was far too tired to do much, anyway. Before the two were out of sight, however, they made sure the door was locked tight…just to prevent any escapes. Now, the prisoners, Donald, Goofy, and Roxas were all kept tight inside a cell.

“Gawrsh!” Goofy shouted, his eyes filled with fright. “Sora’s been kidnapped! What’re we gonna do, Donald?” His face sagged, and it was plain to see that the canine was incredibly worried. The fowl filled with temper also bared the same fears and doubts as his comrade, as it just seemed unbelievable that someone as strong as Sora could get captured that easily. The prisoners simply whispered to themselves, while Roxas stood, back facing D and G. He didn’t seem to care about Sora.

“Goofy…” sighed Donald, adjusting his hat, “looks like we’ll have to rescue him. We do owe a lot to Sora, and he’s our friend… but, we’re going to have to figure our way out.” Both pals took a brief moment to contemplate. Clearly, they were locked in a cell with a bunch of prisoners. Busting down the door would prove difficult, and digging would be dangerous. That left one clearly obvious choice: Roxas. Being a Keybearer, he would be able to remove the lock… how oddly perfect.

Pleased by the thought, Goofy exclaimed, “Hey, why don’t we as Roxas for help?” Roxas instantly shook from his position, his eyes wide in surprise. True, it was predictable that they would want his assistance, but he wasn’t expecting it so quickly. Next thing you know, they’d be forcing him to tag along with them!

End of Chapter

AN: So, there you have it… Sora has been captured! I have quite the plans ahead for the next few chapters, and, yes, Roxas will be forced to come with Donald and Goofy. Chapter 11 is in progress, though it is on the school computer.

Oh, and I am going to revive a fic project with my friend and start a side fanfic staring the Riku Replica, so the next update may take a week or so. Just letting you know ahead of time if I take a while to update. ‘Tis all.

As usual, reviews are encouraged, as I appreciate thoughts and constructive critique!