A little review answering thing for you first, mostly because I want to steal one of Liam's lines. ZodiarkSavior – mind out of the gutter. While I'm sure it could have been um... educational had that happened, especially given how naïve I was in that sense...
Anyway. Also, no I'm not doing each and every day, mission and so on. I'm going to mention the first and significant visits to various worlds, key points and interesting days. Or at least, I think they're interesting anyway.
Though no doubt some of you will have gone to the reviews page to find out what caused my remark to ZodiarkSavior and some might also wonder on the 'what if' of it happening, fortunately that did not happen.
Being hidden in that draw under the bed might have kept me well hidden, but it left me with no view of what was going on. That was easily remedied however, simply concentrating to See outside. It didn't matter that I'd get no sound, I could hear what was going on because I was there in person.
It turned out to be Vexen who, after much fumbling, finally managed to pick the lock and get in. I was going to have to find a locksmith and get a more complex lock to keep him out. Vexen coming into my room... that's even more disturbing an idea. He's creepy enough as it is.
At first it seemed he had an almost good reason to be there, dropping off what would become my own coat and such, but he didn't leave after setting them down, instead pausing for a moment to take in the dull room, then concealing something underneath the pillows.
He said nothing more, though he gave one of those typical smiles of his before he finally left, the lock clicking back into place as he did so. I almost started to extricate myself, but I had another feeling, not good or bad, just a feeling.
It turned out to be with good reason, as a corridor opened to deposit Axel, looking a little bothered as he gave the room a cursory search, then left again muttering, "Where else can he have gone?" Clearly he was still trying to find me. Well, I had to get some fun somewhere, and you can't really blame me.
With the unexpected visitors gone for now, this time I really did get out again. For one thing I wanted to find out what Vexen had left underneath the pillows, since I highly doubt he's some kind of tooth fairy.
What I pulled out was a curious little domed device. Now normally, my visions just happen to me as I go along, but there are times when something I find can cause them too. This was one such thing.
The first vision had a definite sense of Needs To Be Changed, but it wasn't apparent why. It showed the white room, Where Nothing Gathers, but empty. Something was meant to happen here that, depending on what I did, was not going to happen.
The second vision showed me somewhere that I assume was in the castle, as it appeared to be one of Vexen's labs. I knew that since he was there in the scene holding the same device I was holding. This one felt like a Shouldn't Be Changed.
Also in the lab was a curious human-shaped... well, I don't know what exactly it was. It was larger than the average person, looking more like it was meant to contain someone within the creamy white shell it could have been.
Vexen moved behind it with the domed device, then after a few moments of doing something I couldn't see, he returned, stood in front of the odd thing and waited. After a few moments I was proven right, it was a series of interlocking parts that formed a shell for the person within. I recognised that person – after all, he had the appearance of my own Somebody. His true appearance that is, not the one he had while masquerading as Sora.
As that vision faded back to my room, I knew the two had to be related to each other, as well as this device. I began to think through the memories of the life of Sora's Roxas, finding something that would seem to link the two, and found it on his seventh day.
On the day marking one week of life, he and all other members of the Organization would go to Where Nothing Gathers to see the induction of Xion into the Organization. It could have been the event that I'd seen not happening in the first vision, but then I also realized there was a problem with that. Xion in his life resembles Kairi, while what I'd seen in the second vision looked more like Liam.
Unless something had happened because Liam had taken Sora's place, and that had caused the change of appearance. Given the feelings the two visions had given me, one Needs To and one Shouldn't... I decided it wasn't worth taking the risk, and returned Vexen's device.
Besides – who else was I going to have ice cream with? Not that Axel isn't good company of course.
With that little mystery solved for now, I changed into the coat. I might be a reluctant and somewhat rebellious member, but I was still a member. And no matter what Axel might have thought after I'd told him I was loyal then vanished, I hadn't lied to him about that. Another thing you can blame Liam for.
I had another unexpected visitor then, though not one I needed to be concerned with.
"Axel is looking for you," a voice sounded, though it seemed more like there had been no sound, the words just arrived in my head without bothering to consult the ears.
"I know," I answered, turning to confirm my suspicions. A Samurai was there behind me, stood watching impassively. Either they'd decided to place themselves under my command without asking me, or someone else had ordered them to take orders from me. This could be useful. "Where is he?" I asked it.
"The Grey Area. Saïx is being informed. We were placed under your command by him and told to locate our Commander."
Interesting. Could Saïx have actually had a good idea? And for that matter...
"Can he locate you?" I asked it.
"Only if we choose to."
"Then don't. You don't take orders from anyone but me, no matter what my own allegiance is from now on."
"Understood."
"But go back to him and tell them I'm waiting for them, will you?" I added with a sudden idea. "You needn't stick around once you've told them – I wouldn't want you to do their work for them."
"Understood," it repeated, then disappeared.
This should be interesting to watch. If Axel was busily telling Saïx I'd run off on him and remembered to tell him he'd already checked my room, then Saïx should be against the idea of checking it again.
So I tuned in on them, this time working harder so I'd pick up what was being said too. I had a bad feeling I'd regret doing it later, but I had to hear this.
The Samurai – or at least a Samurai interrupted Axel and Saïx.
"We have found Roxas," it told them. "He asks us to inform you his is waiting for you." Then before they could ask it any questions, it disappeared again – just as I'd suggested to it.
"I thought you said they'd tell you where?" Axel demanded of Saïx.
"I did," Saïx replied in us habitual monotone. "Apparently Roxas is capable of adapting more readily than we suspected. Come with me."
Axel seemed puzzled still, but hurried after him.
"Where to?"
"Roxas's room."
"I told you, I already checked there!"
"And what will stop him from arriving there before we do?"
Axel chose not to reply to that.
I tuned out, trying to ignore the headache I could already feel settling in. It happens every time though, so at least I know what to expect.
Since it isn't far from my room to the Grey Area, I didn't have long to wait before I heard two sets of footsteps approaching while I listened at the door. As soon as I started to hear them, I left my room, closing the door behind me.
"Roxas!" Axel exclaimed. "But you... on the tower..."
"I got impatient," I just shrugged. "Thanks for the Samurais, Saïx," I added, pretending it was just an absent afterthought.
"You were meant to wait," Saïx told me.
"Too bad. I'll do what I want to, and that meant coming here."
"Where were you then, when I checked your room?" Axel asked me.
"You checked my room?" I said flatly. "Most people ask permission before going in someone else's room."
"Well how else was I meant to find out if you were there?"
"You could knock like other people do," I answered reproachfully.
"Enough of that," Saïx cut off Axel's response. "You will remain with Axel now. Axel, you know where to take him."
Axel nodded, still looking slightly annoyed after finding out why I'd given him the slip, but pushed past Saïx to guide me away from him.
"You could have told me what you were up to," he said after a time.
"So I'm impulsive," I replied. "I'll do what I want when I want. Saïx will learn that before long."
"Just don't let it get in the way of your missions."
"As if I would. If anything I'll just get them done and out the way so I can go back to whatever I want to do. Where are we going?"
"A place called Proof of Existence," he answered, seeming to be happy to change the subject. "We've got to get you a gravestone." I had a feeling of Deja Vu. I'd seen this happen.
"What's the point?" I replied, my voice clearly implying I didn't like this.
"Everyone's got one, Roxas. You can't be the only one without."
"Well, I don't care," I told him bluntly. "I don't want one. It's depressing, and suggests something's gonna happen to me."
"There's always the chance something will," he pointed out.
"Not on my watch there won't be. I can survive anything anyone can throw at me," I asserted forcefully, knowing I could See my way out of most trouble.
"Overconfidence will prove you wrong."
Like Liam, I sometimes get irritated easily. This was one of those times, that sudden irritable flare causing me to snap back, "Oh yeah? Well I've got a future-seeing mind here that'll prove me right!" Then I stopped, realizing that I'd revealed something I probably should have kept to myself. "Bugger," I muttered, facepalming just as I had in the vision. "I shouldn't have said that."
Axel had stopped, looking intrigued. "Why not?" he asked. "If you're telling the truth, sounds like you could be even more valuable to us than we first thought."
"Forget it. I don't see on demand, and I won't let others take advantage of anything I do see. I don't even want to be here in the Organization; its very goal goes against the ethics I inherited from my Somebody, but it's necessary. I'm not going to help it any more than I have to."
Axel was unmoved. "You realize of course, I'm going to have to tell the boss about this."
"Do whatever you want," I shrugged. "I won't use my visions to benefit the Organization, only myself."
"You're a strange kid, Roxas," Axel shook his head, clapping a hand on one shoulder to persuade me back into walking with him. "I mean, we knew you were pretty unique when we got wind you were a Keyblade wielder, but this..."
The rest of course happened as I'd Seen, these events being something that couldn't be changed. Against my better judgement, I let Axel hand me over to Vexen. No doubt the real reasons he wanted to examine me was to supplement the small device he'd snuck into my room. Both would relate to Xion's creation, and that I wanted to happen – despite knowing how that would have to end.
