This is my brand new story, and is therefore the un-edited version of the one being posted on other sites. There will be more blood, gore, adult themes, swearing, and little things in this story that won't be in my other ones. This one doesn't have much in it, but the next ones will. Sorry for those of you who don't like that type of stuff but the story just wasn't right without them. And no, this isn't a yaoi story. Nothing more than Roxas's life in and out of the Organization, as well as trying to avoid being killed by them. I hope you like it.

Kingdom Hearts doesn't belong to me and probably never will.

IIIXxXxXIII

A Nobody is a conscious creature that exists for few purposes, a creation born of ignorance. In fact, the reason why it even exists is a mystery in itself. There are lesser Nobodies and there are higher Nobodies. Following the correct chain of command, the lesser ones are under the control of the higher. These higher Nobodies have taken human form through sheer force of will. Thus, in order to maintain their physical purpose, they have banded together against the race of humans in order to steal the one thing they lack: their emotions, their feelings, and their hearts. A Nobody cannot truly exist until they regain their personal heart. This is a reality for all Nobodies. But, there are a few exceptions…

IIIXxXxXIII

The light blinded his aqua blue eyes as he stared at the never ending twilight. Holding his gloved hand up to shield himself, he continued to look at the sun carefully. This could easily be his last time to see it so he wanted to consume every detail that the setting sun had to offer. The bright red clouds that encircled it held the power of pure water within their boughs; the midnight sky that lay above entrusted the humans below with its starry gazes; the ocean beneath rippled with the splashes of color in its midst; and the moon, trapped within its coal-black jail of a universe, awaited its turn at glorifying the night sky.

He sifted through his tan hair with his other hand and sighed a heavy sigh. A chance like this only came once, maybe twice in a lifetime. If he got another chance, he'd live it like there was no tomorrow. After all, this was like a second home to him. He redirected his gaze from the evening dusk to the journey that lay just ahead of him. Behind him sprouted hundreds of readily used buildings with interlaced paths and walkways. But leaning on one of the structures with a half-hearted smile on his face was another person who enjoyed the twilight just as much as he did.

"You ready?" asked the man. A mass of crimson red hair stuck out from underneath his blackened hood. His lithe figure adjusted to the dark cloak well. Beneath his hidden eyes were two distinct markings that resembled tear drops.

With a final expression of good-bye, the younger of the two men turned his somber head towards the evening sun.

"Yeah."

Strolling through the town brought back hundreds of forgotten and unforgotten memories. The two men remained in silence on their trip back to their original home. They never referred to it as a literal home; it was just a place where they could rest their heads at night. There was always that slight chance of an attack or a summons that conflicted with their so-called sleep. No, that place wasn't home. It was just another cage.

"Why did he send me here?" The younger suppressed the silence with his ominous words. The older flipped the hood off of his ruby head to address him like a normal friend would: without an obstruction.

"He wanted you to relive your memories."

"I've done that so many times it's hard to think straight. I have no clue which ones are really mine."

"That's the whole point. He wants you to be able to distinguish between the two sets. You have yours and he has his."

"I'm sick of it. I don't want to remember anything unless I have to. His memories are his alone; not mine. I don't want anything to do with him."

The auburn haired boy kept the expression of withdrawal fixed upon his face while the other tried desperately to think of something lively to say. His friend was always like this nowadays. There was sometimes no friend to speak of; just an empty shell who walked the halls and reminisced to himself.

"There's not much I can do about that," replied the redhead truthfully. "But we do need to get back."

Anger flitted through the teen's eyes so quickly that neither were sure if it had even been there. Going back to that place that their leader called home was somewhat of a nightmare. All it meant was that their true meaning was being thrust into their faces all over again. Out here, in the real world, they could experience life the way they were supposed to. But back at their jail cell, validity and honesty were rarely found. A symbol haunted them everywhere they went within that domicile. It reminded them time and time again of who they were and what their goal was. It reminded them every time they woke up, every time they went to sleep, every time their padded boots echoed through the hallways, and every time they spoke with the other occupants of their humble abode. There was no real reason to live in such a desolate place, but they had no choice.

"I know, I know." The boy's attitude now reflected sadness. His eyes drifted to the ground as he tried to clear his thoughts of his myriads of difficulties. The man put his light arm around the boy's shoulders with a friendly squeeze.

"You'll get through this. And I'll be there whenever you need me, okay? Well, 'cept when I'm drunk."

The teen was silent again through the older man's easy laughter. The recognition of his friend's comedic reply was meant to cheer him up, but it didn't. There was too much roaming around for his mind to handle. Focusing on the conversation was the least of his problems at the moment.

IIIXxXxXIII

"And that is the plight of this Organization. A mere boy has succumbed to the power of Light and is using his weapon against us. All we wish is to hold our hearts in the palm of our hands, and cherish that moment when we can be whole again. But he believes that his way is the only way of doing things. Therefore, I ask of you this: What shall we do with him?"

"I say we string him up!"

"Just let him try to come up against us!"

"Kill him."

The majority of the chaired figures nodded their heads in agreement to the later of the suggestions. Circling a small round room was thirteen all-white chairs of varying heights. Each one held a different person, but all of them bore the traditional midnight black cloak of their group.

"Leave him alone."

Twelve heads perked their ears towards the speaker of the redundant comment. The one who had spoken out was none other than the youngest one among them. He was currently staring at the marble floor below, a distant look in his eyes. He had obviously been trying to lecture to no one other than himself. The fact that anyone had even heard him was a surprise. Usually no one paid any attention to the new guy.

"You want to run that by us again Number XIII?"

The sapphire eyes of the boy remained still, unflinching towards the members who were staring him down.

What the hell is he thinking?! The boy's jade-eyed friend sat with his arms crossed. If he had tried to speak out against the higher members of the Organization, the punishment would have been almost instantaneous. Unfortunately, that was what his young comrade had just done.

"I said, why don't we just leave him alone? It's not like he can hurt us or anything."

"Hmm, true," retorted the high pitched voice of a female. Her blond hair spiked back in two sections, making it seem like she could impale any of her male companions in an instant.

"That gives you no right to speak over the Superior!"

"Patience Vexen, he has his personal opinion just as the rest of us do." The ever-deepening tone of the group's leader clanged against the other's ears. His chair was elevated much higher than that of the rest, making it evident of his authority. "There may be some wisdom in the child's comment. But, do not let overconfidence be our downfall. We still have work to do if we are to gain our objective. We are still an Organization, an Order of sorts, if you will." The superior stood high in his chair to address the remainder of his seated disciples. "We are Organization XIII."

IIIXxXxXIII

Yes, nothing more than a prologue to what's coming.