Memories of the Hearts

Chapter X

"Even if we don't remember each other, we can never forget the bonds we made have been carved inside our souls." ~Otanashi Yuzuru (Angel Beats!)
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I walked through the endless rooms of Castle Oblivion. How many floors are on this castle? I remembered what Ansem told me. He said that the one most special to me is at the top of the castle, but I was slowly forgetting her and everything about her. I clutched Sakura's necklace that hung around my neck. She gave it to me before she returned to the normal world from the Realm of Darkness, I wore it ever since.

But, Ansem was right about me slowly forgetting her. In my memories, she kept on flickering. One minute, she's there, and a static screen, she's gone. I remember doing something with her and then a static screen, I remember doing the same thing, only by myself. Whenever I had a memory of her talking to me, there was a static blur over her beautiful icy blue eyes and her voice was muted out. I could hear myself talking, but not her. Another static wall and I'm by myself in silence. The inconsistency of my memories was making me dizzy.

Next thing I knew, I was on my knees with my hands on my head. Sakura kept on flickering faster and the static grew louder. I was forgetting her! There was no way I could do that! "Whoever is messing with my head," I shouted. "Stop it right now! Leave my memories of my friends ALONE!!!"

Once I shouted that, the flickering static stopped. Sakura was real in my memories. I sighed with relief, got up, and walked more into Castle Oblivion.

*~*~*~*~*~

I stood here by the machine with Naminè. "So, I guess you should get started?" I told her.

"Wait, there's one more thing coming for you," She said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You'll see." She responded.

On cue, the door to this floor opened and Naminè walked to it. "Are are you Naminè?" A voice asked. It sounded like a boy.

"Yes," Naminè replied.

"I see...that was you..." He muttered.

"Huh?" She asked.

"Never mind." He shook it off.

"Please...come this way." She lead him to us and the machines.

I looked and I saw the Riku puppet run up to the machine and Naminè trying to catch up to him. He had on a different attire this time, though. He wore a yellow and black tank top with matching shoes and blue jean shorts. "Sora!" He cried, touching the glass where Sora slept behind. Then, he saw me and his eyes lit up. "Saki!" He sighed with relief. "You're safe!"

He embraced me in a tight hug. "Uh, Naminè?" I sputtered. I think the imitation of Riku has gone crazy."

"No, that's not imitation Riku," She said. "That's the real Riku."

"Yeah, it's me!" He said, pulling back from the hug. "Remember?"

I recalled that he appeared in one of my flashbacks. Other than that, I don't remember anything about him. "I'm sorry, I don't know you,'' I stared blankly.

His face fell, "No way. Maybe this necklace will help!"

He handed me a necklace. It appeared exactly like the one that I gave him in my flashback; a silver chain necklace with a blue heart that had a tiny golden crown on top."I'm sorry," I said, palming the necklace. "I don't remember anything new from this necklace."

"No..." He replied quietly, hurt at my response. I gave him back the necklace. He turned towards Naminè. "What did you do to them?" He demanded.

"Sora is asleep to get his memories back," Naminè explained. "And Sakura lost her original memories. I'll tell you what happened."

She explained everything that happened in Castle Oblivion-how she came here, how I was tricked into coming here, how Sora arrived in the castle, how she was ordered to replace all of our memories to get us to work for the Organization XIII, the name of the group that held her captive here, and how we began to remember a bit of our original memories.

"So, Sora chose to forget everything that happened that this castle...to get his old memories back," Riku repeated. "And to get Sakura to work for you guys, you erased her old memories and gave her new ones and her old memories will return when Sora's memories return to him?"

"Correct. You have a choice to make too," Naminè added.

"Why, me too?" Riku asked. "The only time my memories were messed up was when I was walking through this castle and Sakura kept in flickering from my memories."

"That was me," Naminè informed him. "I tried to erase Sakura, but you resisted, somehow. But this not about your memories. This is about your darkness. In your heart, there is darkness, and in that darkness is Ansem. He may be at bay right now-but eventually he'll wake, and he will take over you just liked he did before. But I have powers you can use. With my powers, I can put a tight lock on your heart. That way, Ansem could never come out from inside you."

"What happens to me if I let you do that?" Riku asked. "Will I forget everything like Sora and Sakura? I'll have to."

"The darkness in you will be sealed tight like your memory," Naminè explained. "You'll stop remembering the darkness. You'll go back to how you were. Riku, please choose."

Riku glanced up at Sora from the machine. "He doesn't even look worried," He stated. "Will I sleep like that, too?"

"Yes," She replied.

"Figures," Riku commented. "Sora always did as he pleased. Whatever we'd be doing together, he'd find a way to slack off. Even trying the leave the islands-I did all the work on the raft. That's it. When this slacker wakes up, I'll tell him off. I told him to take care of Kairi and Saki and here he is, taking a nap! And look what happened; Saki's memories got jacked up! But, I can't chew him out like he deserves-if I've been asleep. I don't need my heart locked. I'm ready-I'm gonna fight Ansem."

"But what if his darkness overtakes you?" I asked.

"If that happens, then the darkness will show me the way," He explained to me, holding my hand.

"Yes...that's true," Naminè replied.

"Why do I get that feeling that you knew I would say that?" Riku chuckled.

"I don't know," Naminè smile meekly. "I hoped. I wanted you to face the darkness, because you're the only who can."

"So that's the reason-that's why you came to my rescue inside that light...in the form of Kairi," Riku remarked.

"When'd you know?" Naminè asked.

"I knew when I met you," Riku replied. "You and Kairi have the same smell."

"That's a little weird how you can smell people," I commented.

"I'm still getting used to it," He said, grabbing my shoulders. He looked at me in the eye. "Listen, when I defeat Ansem, I'm going to come back for you as soon as I can. Got that?"

I nodded. He let go of my shoulders and he walked out of the room. "Look after Sora," He said. Naminè smiled and nodded.