Day 1
The wind blows softly against my cheeks
The sound of leaves ruffling fills my ear gently
The light shines brightly into my eyes
So full of life… full of sensation
But I can feel nothing
A teenager boy, with age around 14-15 years old, stood alone in front of a big, empty mansion. He had spiky blonde hair that swayed to his right side and a pair of sky blue eyes with pale skin. His eyes were blank, focusing onto unvisible thing just above the green grass near his foot. A flat expression was on his face, innocent but also non-living, as if wanted to say that he lacked something important inside himself – something that made him feel.
Whispering and buzzing sounds reached his ear; a certain smell filled his lungs. No, not smell anybody could detect by their nose; this smell could be detected just by them who had the same smell. The smell that reeked of darkness. And true, a few creatures with bodies of jet black shadow were there, approaching the boy slowly, dangerously. The boy didn't do anything, just bowed his head, still focusing his eyes to the spot above the ground blankly.
Neither of them – the boy nor the creatures – recognized a pair of lurid orange eyes peering them behind a big tree not so far from there. The eyes just blinked when the creatures jumped toward the lone boy, ready to tear off that lean body with no mercy. But suddenly a light was appeared around the boy's right hand with loud chink sound and without a bear, one of the creatures which was the nearest to the boy was halved by something unvisible, into upper and bottom part, before turning into black dust and vanishing into nothingness. The orange orbs widened a bit.
The boy was still standing on his place, his head still drooped, nothing changed from his gesture except his right hand which was lifted to his side; a glistening white blade was on his grip, beautiful with its blend of white, light blue, and yellow color as well as its complicated shape. Time was felt as if it was stopped for a while when the orange eyes caught the sight of the white blade. But the creatures never stopped attack the boy; actually it attacked him more rapidly.
Still in blank state, the boy swung his blade fastly, successfully eliminating another two of the creatures, and gave the finishing blow to the last creature. But more creatures were appearead there; now with armors and with different shapes. Three times plentier, and a few times stronger.
'Could he cope with this…?' the owner of the sharp orange eyes – a tall figure in black hooded coat – thought. 'Yes, he is born just now, but as the Nobody of the Keyblade bearer, he is supposedly….'
With stronger and more conscious movement, the blond boy guarded himself by his blade from one of the soldier-like creature's attack and countered it by pushing the creature toward its' other cohorts powerfully, sending it back from him. While the creatures tried to get up, another light was formed on his left hand. Now, the figure in black coat widened their eyes widely – seemed surprised, but no expression on that eyes. Another blade, but it was black this time, was appeared on his left hand, mysteriously magnificent with its sky blue stone on its upper handle.
'Two Keyblades…?' the figure thought as the teenage boy readying himself, waiting the creatures attack him again. And true, the creatures stood up and attacked him again quickly. The boy whipped his white blade toward the headmost one and did the same toward other creatures behind the headmost with his black blade. His attack was very fast and powerful; even enemies kept coming, he overcomed them with expert technique and without getting any injury himself. 'Magnificent… even he is just born… so this is the true power and the real instinct of the Keyblade Hero…. Such power over the almighty weapon!'
A lot of glowing red hearts flew away from the vanishing creatures, going up to the sky. The boy – now standing alone since all of the enemies had been eliminated by him – panted lightly. His blades still on his hands, but not so long it vanished within the light on his hands. He bowed his head once again, his expression was the pained one. He raised both of his hands – trembling softly – and looked at those blankly, as if he asked himself what did he just do. The figure observed the blond boy for a while before they decided to step out and approach the lone boy.
"You seek answers," the figure said with deep, heavy voice – now clearly the figure was a man. The boy didn't respond, just dropped his hands limply. The cloaked man stood before the blond boy, staring down to the much shorter than him. "For what purpose you have that power. For what purpose you are standing here, breathing but lacking of something inside you."
The boy nodded, but he still looked down.
"I can give you purpose," the taller man said. "I can give you a life to strive for something you missing."
The boy still didn't say anything. The cloaked man raised his hand, and four luminous letters appeared and floated in front of the boy's face. The letters were S, O, R, and A. Blue orbs raised and looked at the letters without saying anything, just hazy eyes fixed on the letters. The cloaked man waved his hand, and the letter spun around the boy fastly before stopped once again in front of the boy's eyes. Now, with an addition X letter.
"Roxas," the boy finally said, mentioning the word formed from the letters.
"That is right―the new you," the cloaked man nodded. "You will live as 'Roxas' start from this day, with the same purpose along with our other friends."
"Other friends…?" the boy – Roxas – asked softly.
"Yes… the Organization XIII."
A tall, lanky man with red hair that similar with a porcupine was standing on a corner, leaning against a wall with crossed hands in front of his chest. He wore a black coat that covered his entire body – but still showing his bony-but-toned body – giving him an aura of darkness. Upside-down tear shaped tattoos were engraved on his cheeks, right below his closed eyes. It seemed he was waiting for something.
It was so peaceful and calm evening in the Twilight Town. Well, it was always evening in that sunset town, as if the town had no time. No past, no future, everything was always the same like the present. Just like the non-existent life the red-haired man lead on…. Maybe that's why he liked this town. Nothing reminded him about his non-existance like other world where everything grew normally, not like his ungrowing body….
He raised his head, revealing his emerald, cat-like eyes when footsteps were heard near him, but he just snorted when he saw three teenagers was walking past him. Two of them were boys and the one left was a girl.
'Just some town kids,' the lanky man thought annoyedly. 'Where is this new kid? Xemnas told me to wait here, but I've been standing here for fuckin' two hours! Does he think since he is my superior so he can do anything as he likes―'
Another footsteps were heard, it was more faint but for some reason was more clear for the red-haired man, cutting his silent complaint. He lifted his head once again, and this time he didn't snort, in contrary he pushed himself from the wall and started walking toward the lone figure walking from the opposite of the three teenagers came from. They – the three teenagers and the lone boy – converged in the middle of the street, but they didn't stop and only talk to each other. After the three teenagers went away, the red-haired man approached the boy and tapped his shoulder. He didn't know anything about the blonde boy, but he had the same smell with him. Darkness.
"Hey, you must be Roxas!" the red-haired man greeted, and his eyes bulged when he saw the boy's face clearly. 'This face… I knew this face since long time ago…!' "The new member of our Organization. Number XIII, right?"
The younger boy didn't answer; just looked at the taller man with that blank blue eyes. The red-haired man was sure he had seen this face before, but it was a long, long time ago and he knew the owner of the same face had might be dead for now – or at least wouldn't be have the same face for years, and he knew, that kind of person wouldn't be have a Nobody….
"Who… are you?" Roxas said softly, toneless as if he asked that question without knowing that he was asking a question. More like… an instinct. The red-haired man grinned widely.
"I'm Axel, A-X-E-L, number VIII in our Organization!" the red-haired man pointed his forehead. "Got it memorized?"
But he didn't get any answer from the silent boy but a bowed head. Axel raised an eyebrow. 'What's wrong with this kid? Xemnas said he is born just today, but his attitude is a strange one since other Nobodies aren't like this when they were first born…. Maybe he is special, since Xemnas himself went to see him. Or not 'cause now he gave him to me? Ah, who knows what that old man thinks….'
"Hmmm… Xemnas said I have to get you, bring you back to the castle, and prepare you to be nominated as our member officially, but…," Axel scrutinized the still silent boy. 'Maybe he needs a stimulus to make him act properly. If he keeps like this, he just seems like a zombie.' "Hey, the day's still high! Why don't we get something for ourselves first?"
This time, Roxas lifted his head and looked at Axel's eyes – still with that blank expression. This kinda bugged Axel; that emotionless and lifeless expression really didn't fit with that face….
"Okay, follow me, newbie!" Axel gestured to Roxas to follow him, but the boy just giving him that 'zombie look' as Axel now called it. "Roxas? Do you hear me? Follow me."
Groggily, with faint hesitant, Roxas walked toward Axel who was already a few feet distant from him. Axel grinned satisfiedly, then continued walking while kept hearing for faint footsteps behind him. 'This will do. I'm not that patient with this baby step things, but… at least he knows what to do.'
It was a warm, peaceful evening. And, for the first time in his non-existant life, Axel felt something warm in his chest, where there should be a heart which he was lacking of. That was the first time Axel felt like he had a heart; funny, it felt every time he looked at that innocent face behind him, following him like a puppy following its mother.
"Try it. It's a sea-salt ice cream."
"…it's salty… but sweet…."
"I know; that's why the name is sea-salt ice cream! It's still tasty though, right?"
"…yeah…."
"Is he ready?"
Axel turned around, his eyes lazily averted toward a blue-haired man with a rather big scar crossed on his forehead. Sharp, emerald orbs crashed with the cold, gold ones, second later the gold ones turned to a silent boy stood beside Axel.
"Saïx," Axel said with flat tone. Saïx, the blue-haired man, gazed back toward the slightly taller man in front of him. Both of them wore the same clothes; a long leather black coat with hoody, a pair of black leather gloves, and black leather boots; along with the boy.
"The meeting will be started in 15 minutes," Saïx informed coldly, and he looked at the blond boy once again. "You will accompany this boy."
"Whatever," Axel scratched his back head, not too caring.
"…so this is the special Nobody," Saïx narrowed his eyes toward the boy – while the boy didn't respond at all. He just stared at the pristine white floor below him with blank eyes. It seemed he didn't realize that the two guys talking about him. "The one who can wield the Keyblade."
"Really?" Axel raised one of his eyebrows as he looked at the blond again. Innocent face, scrawny body… this small boy was the Keyblade Hero? "Hey… why is he like this? He doesn't respond almost at everything, his face is blank… if he like this he has no different with a zombie."
"He is just born," the blue-haired man answered shortly. "He will become normal eventually."
"Hmm," Axel hummed, eyeing Roxas. If that's the reason… then was he like that too when he was first born? He couldn't remember…. Besides, it was a long time ago.
"We better go to the round room now," Saïx said as he turned away. "Superior wouldn't be too pleased if we're late."
Saïx walked away without waiting for respond, vanishing into a dark purple fog swirling thickly on the white wall of the castle, and the fog disappeared shortly. Axel sighed, and turned toward the boy – still in the same state, blank and unresponsive. It was the first day Roxas came to the Organization as the Number XIII, the Key of Destiny, completing the Organization XIII.