A/N: I promise the following chapters will be longer. I just wanted to have the general storyline established.
Prologue: A deal with the Elevator Attendant
Roxas needed to lean against the wall. The fight with Axel really took it out of him. Number thirteen might have been able to surprise number 7 with his two Keyblades, but nevertheless, Axel had way more fighting experience and most likely held back, besides the "special effects". Roxas had gone on enough missions to know, when his friend wasn't giving his best.
"Nobody would miss me."
"THAT'S NOT TRUE! I would…"
The words echoed through the nobody's mind. Axel would miss him. It had sounded so genuine at the time. Yet nobodies were incapable of having any kind of feelings. They were able to mimic them, using the memories of their former lives. But was it true? Because right at this moment, Roxas felt a burning anger inside of him. He was angry at the organization for betraying, he was angry that he and Axel were forced to fight to the death, he was angry at Riku and the guy in red for trapping him in the virtual reality, for beating him, when he was about to get his revenge (in Riku's case mind you) and for...for…
"What the…?"
Something wet was running down his face. Raising his hand, he rubbed the what seemed to be water, away.
"A tear?" he asked in wonder. "But why…? Why do I feel so…...sad?"
It was like there was something missing. Something he should remember, but he wasn't able to grasp it with his mind. I felt familiar, it somehow brought joy to his mind, just thinking about...what exactly? What was missing?
"Tch, my head is probably messed up from them messing with my memories." number 13 sighed, resigned.
With an empty feeling, the boy finally resumed his way to where he would meet his counterpart for the first and most likely last time. Walking through the corridor, he found Donald and Goofy sleeping in what appeared to be closed, glass made flowers. Only a ew more steps. He could already make out the thing Sora was sleeping in. The next room was greatly illuminated. However, before the former Organization member could make his way to the final room, he could hear the sound of glass shattering from where he came from. Thinking another group of lesser nobodies made their way into the secret laboratory, he summoned his Keyblades and slowly made his way back into the previous room, expecting an ambush at any time. It never came.
At first glance, nothing in the room had changed. There actually wasn't anything inside even resembling glass in the slightest way. Looking more carefully, Roxas could make out a blue glowing door. It was hard to see, but definitely hadn't been there before.
"Huh? What's going on now?"
The boy walked in front of the door and inspected it from top to bottom.
Is this another trick from the red guy? DiZ was his name, wasn't it?
...No, can't be him. But it doesn't look like something the organization would do
Ah, who cares? What do I have to lose at this point?
Hesitating no longer, Roxas opened the door and stepped inside.
The room he found himself in, appeared to be an elevator that wasn't moving. A huge golden clock hung high above on the opposite side of him. The rest of the room was decorated in blue. Two rows of doors were lined up to the nobody's left and right. In front of him was a chair, a table with a white tablecloth and at the very end of the room was a couch, on which a woman was sitting on.
"Welcome to Velvet Room." The woman greeted him with a smiled. She wore a blue (what else) elevator attendant outfit, had short, platinum blond hair, an overall pale skin and what stuck out the most, were her yellow eyes.
"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter."
Great. Roxas thought with a deadpan. Just what I needed. A mysterious woman who speaks in riddles. Let's see where this will go.
"Please take a seat."
Following the invitation, Roxas placed himself on the empty chair, with his hands on his lap.
"My name is Elizabeth. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Roxas."
"What do you want from me?"
The woman, Elizabeth, didn't seem fazed by his outburst at all. Her smile never left her face, which caused the nobody to mentally raise an eyebrow, but from the outside he remained stoic. His entire life one guy or the other wanted something from him. So why should it be any different this time?
"I am in need of your services as a Keyblade Master." Elizabeth dropped the formalities and cut straight to the chase.
"My services, huh?" Roxas asked, not impressed.
"Indeed." the woman nodded. "I understand you are most likely less inclined to accept my request, given your life so far, but please, at the very least hear me out."
Given my life so far? Did this woman watch me from the moment I was born? Now here's a creepy thought. I guess I should gather information.
Roxas simply nodded.
"Thank you." Elizabeth smiled seemed to brighten just a little.
"You see, we, the attendances of the Velvet Room, only accept guests who have signed a contract. As you might guess, I am bending the rules a little, since you obviously never signed such a contract."
"Uhh...I don't remember ever signing anything." Roxas replied, more than a little confused. This caused Elizabeth to giggle.
"The role of the attendances, is it to guide our guests on their journey with various tasks. In a few weeks, this room is expecting yet another guest."
Suddenly the smile on Elizabeth's face dropped and she looked down on her own lap.
"However…" she hesitated a second "I am afraid this time the journey will proof itself to be...more difficult than the others."
"More difficult? You know, it would really help, if you stop speaking in riddles and just tell me what's going on." Roxas said, annoyed.
"The foe our guest will go against is one of the most powerful in the universe." Elizabeth said with a serious expression. "As much as I wish, I am not allowed to help our guest out in a more direct manner other than going after my duties in this room."
"Why not?" Wish what those duties are she's talking about. Something tells me, she's not going to say a word about them.
"It's...complicated. I have no problem leaving this room, however the others would stop me before I even have the chance to deal a single blow."
Despite Elizabeth's demeanor being controlled, the nobody could tell that this was really frustrating the woman in front of him. He briefly wondered if she and her...colleagues had some sort of argument.
"So, you want me to help him or her instead?" Roxas guessed.
And just like that Elizabeth's smile returned.
"Indeed. I wish you to watch over the guest and help our guest, whenever it is necessary."
"Okay, sounds nice and all. But why should I help you? You claim to have "watched" me. How do I know you're not going to betray me like everyone else?" Roxas asked, leaning forward in his chair.
"As for your last question, I cannot give you any guarantee. You just will have to trust me."
Uh huh.
"As for your reward, I am able to provide you with a place to live in a new world."
"Hold up." Roxas raised his arm. "You know that a lot of people have certain interests in me. They'll just follow me to any world I go, you know? Sooner or later they'll find me."
At that, Elizabeth smiled slyly. "Ah, yes. You see, you won't just travel to another world, but an entirely different dimension."
"And how is that different?" the nobody asked.
"Simple. There exist many worlds in a dimension. However, the world I plan to bring you to, exists in an entirely different dimension. As far as I know, nobody neither in this or in the other dimension has found a way to cross the barriers. Aside from the residence of this room of course."
"That sounds way too convenient." Roxas commented.
Elizabeth seemed unfazed. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. As I said, I can provide you with a residence, as well as sufficient funding for your own expenses. I will also provide you with a legal identity and enlist you to a local school."
"A school?"
"Well, you at least appear to be at the age, humans would go to school. People would start asking questions, if you don't appear to be the norm."
I guess that's one way of putting it.
"Sounds nice and all, but I still don't see any reason to help you." Roxas said, ready to go.
"Let me ask you a question then: what do you have to lose?" Elizabeth asked.
Did she…? No, must be a coincidence.
"The Organization betrayed you, your friends turned out to be nothing more than dara. If you leave this room you can either face the Organization XIII and end up overwhelmed by them or go and merge with Sora. But what do you owe this boy? You two never even met. Besides, he handled himself very well after you were born. DiZ only wants him to be the ultimate weapon against the Organization. Although I do not know his motives, it is pretty obvious he has some kind of grudge against them. And you."
Someone has done her homework. I don't really trust her, but...she's right. What was I thinking anyway? Merging with Sora, so I could...what exactly? This is still fishy and I should keep an eye on her, but yeah. She's right. Screw the Organization, screw DiZ and Riku. Sora can manage on his own.
Roxas stood up, summoning his Keyblades in both hands.
"Let me tell you one thing." He held out one of his swords. "If I find out that you betray me, I'll kill you."
Elizabeth nodded, her face serious once again.
"It is a deal."
All of the sudden, the whole room rumbled and the elevator started moving down. For a moment Roxas lost his footing, before catching himself.
"What's going on?!"
"We're travelling." Elizabeth said simply, standing up from the couch. She had a bright smile on her face yet again, only this one appeared to be the brightest as of today.
"You have my deepest thanks, Roxas."