A/N: Hi everyone! Lunar Abyss here, and welcome to Forgotten, the official sequel to Take My Hand. This book in the series takes place during the Chain of Memories sequence in the Kingdom Hearts universe, covering both Sora and Riku's stories as their respective groups travel through Castle Oblivion. A quick note concerning the Heartless and boss battle sequences in the story: due to the nature of the card system in Chain of Memories, these battles will not be covered. It was a decision I took during the initial upload of the story, and one I decided to take again in the rewrite. The concept of Sora's allies transforming into cards will remain, but the actual fight scenes involving these cards will not be written out. So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy the story!

In the quiet stillness of the night, the moon hung from its highest point when Sora suddenly awoke from his slumber. He quickly shuffled into a sitting position, his breath hitched and his palms sweaty. Looking left and right, he allowed his surroundings to sink in as he brushed the sleep from his eyes, questioning what could have woken him up so suddenly. He hardly recalled dreaming of anything; then again, a proper and peaceful rest had been hard to come by these days…

The whistle of Donald and Goofy's snoring caught his attention. Goofy lay peacefully on his back with his hands behind his head while Donald used his companion's stomach as a pillow, both deep in peaceful slumber. Just a few steps away, Akira lay on her side, bathed in the tranquility of sleep amidst the grass, her breathing a silent whisper among the rattling of Donald and Goofy's snores. Sora couldn't help but smile at his silly comrades as he watched them sleep in the grassy plain without a care in the world. If only he could find that same peace…

Days ago, he felt like he could take on the world. Now… it was a struggle to find even a shred of hope.

He picked himself up off the ground, scanning his surroundings as he tiptoed off the grass and onto the dirt path they had been following for so long. They had lost sight of Pluto and his letter from the King long ago, almost as if the dog had vanished into thin air. It had been a real blow to their morale, but they couldn't simply stop following the road ahead; after all, where else could they go? There was nothing behind them but the end of the road and an empty darkness. They had no choice but to press on and hope for the best…

Sora slowly came to a stop, watching the road ahead with a curious gaze. The familiar scene of trees, shrubs, and plains of grass surrounded him but the road he had been following suddenly split in two, offering another path for him to follow. He sighed and slumped his shoulders, raising his eyes to gaze at the moon. Another decision for them to make, and still not a single clue as to where they were headed. For all he knew, they could have been going in circles…

"Along the road ahead lies something you need."

Sora almost jumped out of his skin. The voice he had just heard felt far and distant, and yet close enough to be whispering into his ear. And it certainly didn't belong to any of his companions. With a sharp intake of breath, he spun around, ready to face whatever threat that dared approach him from behind.

And yet, as he quickly scanned his surroundings from behind, he saw nothing. Not a trace of life beyond his own. Had he imagined those ominous words? Was the unbearable monotone of following the same path and seeing the same sights day in and day out finally driving him to insanity?

A frigid breeze howled through the plains, the grass and leaves dancing on the wind with the rhythm of his rising heartbeat. The nights in these interminable plains had always been chilly, but the cold in this draft was unlike what he had grown used to. Whatever ominous presence that had addressed him was not far away…

Sora whirled around again and faced the fork in the road, though his heart almost stopped when he took in the scene once more. A figure clothed in a black robe stood right at the crossroads, as if intentionally prodding Sora's indecision and uncertainty. The zipper of his long coat was open to his knees, revealing a black pair of boots matching his overall attire. The only pop of colour Sora could perceive were the silver drawstrings hanging lightly by his neck, his face covered by the shadow of his hood. Sora felt a chill run down his spine as the figure gestured towards him, taking his first steps down the rightmost path at the fork.

"However – in order to claim it, you must lose something that is dear to you."

Sora gritted his teeth and broke into a sprint, closing the distance between himself and the figure. Regardless of his intentions, this figure was the first clue they've had in days and he simply couldn't let such a valuable piece to the puzzle flee. However, as he closed in on him, the figure dissipated into the air, obviously encouraging him to follow.

Sora slowed to a halt as his eyes darted around the path, taking in the stranger's ominous words as he gazed at the road he was led to follow. Something he needs. Something that is dear to him. He was completely dumbfounded at what those foreboding lines could possibly mean. He wasn't keen on losing something precious to him. But, at this point… any sign was a good sign.

With a sharp sigh and his hand on his heart, he took to following the road, unsure if he was walking the path to his salvation or to his demise.

Akira shivered as the frigid wind darted through the plains, rustling the leaves in the trees with an ominous crackle. Her eyes fluttered open as she rubbed her hands on her arms, attempting to save whatever precious warmth she could. Goodness how she missed her old feather bed on the islands…

She slowly pulled herself into a sitting position, straightening her hair with her right hand as the sudden breeze subsided, tossing a glance at Donald and Goofy. Both seemed wholly unbothered by the sudden chill and she couldn't help but snort. She almost wished she had a coat of fur or feathers of her own, if only to get a full night's sleep amidst the cold. She smirked at her slumbering friends before raising her gaze to take in the peaceful night, the rustling of the grass and leaves settling into a gentle hum as the moon bathed the plains in an ethereal glow.

But wait… something was clearly missing.

"Sora?" she murmured.

She scrambled to her feet and anxiously scanned her surroundings, searching for any glimpse of familiar brown spiky hair but to no avail. She couldn't believe it; she distinctly remembered him snoozing soundly in the grass beside her before sleep had taken her. Where could he have possibly gone? How could he have simply walked off without waking any of them up? Unless he meant to leave them behind…

She shook her head, banishing the thought from her mind. No, Sora would never do such a thing… would he?

They had been walking without direction for a long time. And he had been acting strange lately.

I wouldn't let the mind wander that far.

Akira jumped in surprise as the familiar voice filled her mind. It hadn't spoken to her in ages, and she had almost forgotten about the incorporeal voice that had taken residence in her mind. Almost.

How strange. Does my voice still surprise you so?

She shook her head. "No. I just hadn't heard from you in days."

There was… very little to say.

"You're not kidding."

Where do you suppose Sora went?

She hadn't the slightest idea how to answer. It's not like he had anywhere to go. Nowhere but down the winding path they had followed for days. And if she truly intended to find him, then this was her best bet. She released the tension in her shoulders and resolved to follow it, taking a few confident steps forward.

If only she was looking where she was going.

"WAAAK!"

Donald's shrill quack reverberated across the empty plains, almost shaking the ground beneath them. Well, wherever Sora ended up, he certainly heard that.

Akira gasped and clenched her teeth together, scrambling beside the duck as he elbowed Goofy in the ribs amidst the pandemonium. "I'm sorry, Donald, I'm really sorry!" she shouted over his incessant quacking.

Donald grabbed at his webbed foot, shooting her a death glare as Goofy jolted himself awake in a sitting position. "Watch where you're stepping!" he scolded.

"Aw, Donald, she said she was sorry," Goofy yawned, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Donald grumbled. "What are you even doing awake at this hour?"

"Sora's gone."

"Is that it? Well – wait, what?"

"Sora's gone?!" Goofy repeated.

Akira nodded quickly. "I can't find him anywhere."

Donald sighed incredulously before standing up, straightening his shirt as Goofy followed suit beside him. "Well come on. He couldn't have gone far."

The three companions stepped onto the path, scurrying rather quickly as they kept their eyes peeled for any sign of their friend. "Gawrsh, do you think he just took a walk to clear his head?" Goofy suggested.

"Clear his head how?" Donald scowled, "We've been looking at the same scenery for days now."

Akira kept her thoughts to herself as she jogged beside her friends, looking every which way for any sign of her old friend. It wasn't like him to just go off on his own and leave them behind without so much as a message. What burdens could possibly be plaguing his heart that would make him feel the need to hide from them? Didn't they promise they would lean on each other when things became difficult? She lowered her pace as her breathing became strained from exertion, fervently praying that whatever clawed at his mind and heart wasn't steeped in darkness.

"Hey look, I think I see him!" Goofy called.

He pointed towards the right past a clear fork in the road. Sure enough, Sora's distinct spiky brown hair cast a shadow on the grassy plains beside him as he paced with a slow step down the winding path. Without missing a beat, the companions broke into a sprint towards him, calling his name.

"Sora! Sora!" Donald quacked.

Sora shook his head, snapping out of his trance when he heard his name. He quickly spun around, a smile breaking across his lips when his friends closed the distance between them. "Guys! I'm so glad you're here!" he exclaimed.

"Sora! We thought we lost you," Goofy said as he and Akira skidded to a halt before him with Donald waddling behind.

"Where were you going?" Akira asked between breaths.

"I was just –"

"You scared us half to death!" Donald grumbled.

With a small shake of his head, Sora pursed his lips into a smile. "I'm sorry, I was going to come back after I got a good look at…"

Donald tapped his foot impatiently. "At what?"

"Um, you know what? Never mind. It doesn't matter. What matters is that this is definitely the right way. I just know it."

Akira and Donald exchanged confused glances, though Akira's furrowed brows begat more worry than uncertainty. What could have possibly happened for him to be so self-assured in this claim?

"Wow, Sora, you sound pretty confident," Goofy stated.

"Yup! I've never been more sure of something in my whole life!" He gestured towards the winding path ahead, his wide grin almost reaching his ears. "Well, since you're all here, how about we get a move on?"

Donald shrugged. "If you say so."

Sora let out an enthusiastic laugh before breaking into a sprint down the path, with Donald and Goofy scurrying behind him as they tried to keep up. Akira never dropped her perturbed gaze as she watched them dash on ahead, Sora's sudden gusto evoking hesitation within her. She used to always be so happy to hear Sora's laughter, especially in times of trouble such as these. But something in his voice just didn't sit right. It wasn't a laugh of excitement and wonder; it was heavily exaggerated, unnatural, and Akira simply couldn't erase the sound from her mind.

She willed her feet to move in a rhythmic stride, glancing behind her one final time. What made him so sure that this was the right path? From what she could see, they both seemed identical… what proof did they have that the path on the left wouldn't lead them to where they wished to go?

What troubles you?

Too many things. Way more than she could count. But, for the sake of her staff and her own sanity, she settled on one response.

"Fork in the road," she muttered.

White walls. White furniture. White curtains.

She sometimes wondered if her surroundings simply matched her strapped, white lace dress or the vast ocean that was her mind. She barely remembered how she got here and had no recollection of anything prior to when she had awakened a few days ago. She was simply given a name, a purpose… and no choice. Perhaps the surroundings did match her mind; that adorable doll in a white cage suspended from her ceiling looked a lot like her. No wonder she hated looking at it.

At least the rest of the room was pretty.

She ran a finger through her blonde hair, tucking it behind her ear as her blue eyes danced upon her creation. She twirled her crayon in her fingers as she lightly dusted any stray eraser shavings from her sketchbook, taking a final look at her artistic masterpiece before declaring it complete. This was the first of many drawings she'd have to make when they finally arrived, but she hoped she'd never have to draw such a horrid and disturbing castle again in her life. She remembered how terrified she was when she had first seen it. Little did she know of the loneliness its empty white rooms and hallways held.

At least she enjoyed drawing. Though that minor comfort did little to settle her perturbed heart.

The brown, dirt road melted into the shimmering white sand they had been running from days ago, and the verdant trees, shrubs, and grassy plains all but vanished into the darkness once more. The path had finally come to an end, leading them to a sprawling castle beyond their wildest dreams. Brown bricks lined the walls, covered in turquoise roofing and lined with stained-glass windows. Jagged extensions protruded every which way, pointing in all directions and yet perfectly balanced on the main structure. It was a wonder this architectural marvel didn't sink into itself given its impossible design. A pair of sparkling golden doors completed the building, with matching round handles simply begging to be pulled. Sora, Akira, Donald, and Goofy marvelled at the sight with mouths agape, each at a complete loss for words.

End of the road. This was exactly what they had been looking for. Though they never imagined something like this would be waiting for them.

"A… castle?" Donald mumbled, taking in the majesty of the structure.

"Looks like it," Goofy answered, "Do you think this is where the King wanted us to go?"

Donald looked left and right before responding. "Well… it's not like this road even goes anywhere else."

The two of them continued their chatter, muttering theories as to why – and if – the King intended to lead them here, or if Pluto had taken the other path back at the fork. Sora remained silent with Akira doing the same at his side, both teens taking in the sheer magnificence – and monstrosity – of the castle. Its eerie design and terrifying air sent a shiver down Akira's spine despite the inviting nature of its doors and entryway. Yet, Sora remained unfazed.

"Ahead lies something we need…" he whispered.

Akira quickly shifted her gaze to him, surprised by his strange declaration. Something they needed? What could this castle possibly hide within its walls that they would need? She was about to ask him as much, but Sora had already begun to walk with a confident stride towards the door, pressing his lips into a line as he stared at his destination. Donald and Goofy quickly ended their conversation as they watched him walk towards the entrance, their expressions filled with worry as they glanced between him and Akira. Yet, all she could do was shrug.

They elected to follow him, scurrying to his side as he took the massive handles into his hands and pulled the double doors open while Akira softly paced towards the intimidating castle. Sora showed no fear as he took his first steps into the castle's entrance, with Donald and Goofy poking their heads apprehensively through the door before following suit. She watched them disappear into the castle with unease in her eyes, slowing to a stop before the golden doors they had left ajar for her.

Something buried deep within pleaded with her not to go in, and she just couldn't shake it from her mind.

"Hey, do you remember when you told me for my heart to be my guiding key?" she asked quietly.

Yes.

She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. "I really don't like where it's taking us."

She sharply exhaled and took her first steps into the castle, turning once more to face the road that held nothing for her. With a stern look in her eye, she took the door's handles in her hands and pushed them shut, their deafening clank becoming nothing more than an echo in the darkness beyond.