A/N: I have no idea what the prompt for this one was, but I definitely wrote it for a meme on LJ. Um. It reads like it's part of a much longer story, but I have no plans to continue this.
Warnings: One whole curse word. I'm a terrible, terrible person.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual.
A Darker Soul
Roxas tugged at his tie as he walked through the crowded hallways of the strange castle Xemnas had sent him to. He didn't like being surrounded by so many whole people, especially not ones that were the same age he looked (which was why he had been sent to take this world—he was the only one that fit in without being a teacher). He felt awkward here, too dark and angry to be a part of this magical community where everybody seemed to feel at home.
And the biggest problem with this place, he reflected with a scowl, was this one particular teacher—Dumbledore. Xemnas had assured him that they had a way of making everybody in the castle believe that he'd been there for the whole six years he was supposed to have been there, had made it so they wouldn't even notice that he never actually went to class and, when he did, that they wouldn't notice he could do exactly none of their silly spells. But this one teacher seemed completely immune to whatever Xemnas had done, and that was the reason he found himself dashing down a few hallways, the red and gold striped cloth annoying him as it flapped against his chest. But finally, deep down in the dungeons that he was almost never in, he ducked into a dark room that he thought was empty and lost the teacher completely.
"Well, what have we here?" a pleasant voice said from somewhere inside, and Roxas jumped, feeling like an idiot as he pulled out his wand (that damn puny stick that he could so easily cut in half with his keyblades) and aimed it at the other person approaching from the shadows. "The last thing I expected was a Gryffindor to come popping in on me."
"Oh, stuff it," Roxas said irritably, already dismissing his unwanted companion. He was so sick of this place, and was starting to think that Dumbledore's Nobody wasn't worth all the trouble they were going to to get it.
"What were you running from Dumbledore for?" the other boy asked, and Roxas tore his gaze from the empty hallway to finally take a moment to ponder the other boy, wondering how he'd known who it was he was hiding from. The boy drew closer as Roxas stared silently at him, and the blond rubbed at the place on his chest where his heart ought to be. For some reason, this guy made him feel even emptier than usual, as if whatever his soul was it took the light right out of other people.
"None of your damn business," Roxas snarled, turning his face away to stare out again and try his hardest to ignore the dark person in front of him. He wished this kid would just go away already, so he could return to The World That Never Was and report to Xemnas about this Dumbledore man, explain his difficulties with his mission and hope there was some way to fix them.
"Ah well. I ought to be going anyway," the boy said suddenly, almost as if in response to his thoughts. "You have fun hiding here—Dumbledore's not stupid. He'll be wandering around here for a while."
"Great. Thanks." Roxas watched with cold eyes as the other walked down the hallway, and then he moved farther into the room and called a portal to take him back. It looked like he had more than one thing to report on now.
