The room that Roxas stood in was not what Xion had prepared them for. He had thought he would find a prison of sorts that promised to hold all the people that had taken away. Instead he was at what looked to be the main room of operations with a single table in the center that had a map draped over it. Looking closer he saw that a variety of figurines were strewn about it haphazardly as if someone had swept a hand across them throwing them into disarray.
Behind that said table was an almost throne like chair that stood up with its back against the wall though the dimness of the room stopped any detail from being seen..
All that Roxas could have handled with ease, after all the things he had seen and gone through a table and a chair would have been no match to faze him. Even if they had tried to eat him he would have destroyed them without a second thought.
What he couldn't deal with seeing was his brother lounging in said throne.
"C-Cloud?"
Even from across the room Roxas could see the smirk that appeared on his brothers face as he almost disjointedly got up from the chair and stood. As his back straightened an arm reached up and grabbed the sword that was hitched to his back and pulled it out to hold it aloft and point it at the stunned blond across the room.
"No...just no." Roxas barely said this above a whisper as his vision pinpointed on seeing his older brother in such a position. Fire was lit beside him as Axel brought forth his chakrams to stand beside him seeing the same thing he was seeing.
"I'm so glad you decided to come Subject Seven." The gruff voice came from the darkness causing Roxas to turn his head quickly to the side in time to see a man that he had never hoped to again. "I was beginning to think that you didn't want your brothers back."
Roxas feeling the anger roil through his stomach summoned his blade in an instant and launched himself at Xehanort who calmly stood there. Before he could make it half the distant a giant blade he knew all too well swung towards him and it was only through sheer dexterity that his keyblade was able to swing up in time to stop it from ending his life. Roxas' body hurtled backwards from the blow and his back hit the ground hard before he skidded to a stop.
Opening his eyes he saw Cloud standing above him with the tip of the blade centimeters from his throat. For a brief second his eyes met his brothers and there he saw it. The pupils were shaking and were dilated in fear. It was his brother and Xehanort had control of his body and will.
A choked cry was heard from behind that Roxas recognized as Axel causing his heart to lurch.
Avoiding the sharp edge he craned his neck as best as he could to see Axel bent forward on his knees, chakrams gone, with the man he faintly remembered being called Xigbar pushing him further down pinning his arms to his back. A smile was on the man's face as he grinned wickedly at Roxas.
"Nice to see you again tiger." Xigbar remarked with a sardonic nod of the head.
Roxas gripped the ground and was about to push up when he noticed he no longer had the keyblade in his hand. A second later he knew why.
Xemnas entered the room slowly with the same passive face he always seemed to have and with his powers in effect Roxas had no hope of summoning forth his weapons or powers same as Axel.
"It's good to see that some things can go as planned." Xehanort remarked as he walked up to Cloud and put a hand on his shoulder and looked down at Roxas.
Roxas wanted to roll away or kick but with the sword still at his neck there was not a lot he could do except feel the hatred burn in the pit of his belly.
"Now if only this hadn't had to be so damn inconvenient I might have let you and your friends live but seeing as how you put me through a lot of trouble..." Xehanorts voice trailed off as his eyes met Roxas' once again before picking up, "I think you get the picture."
Roxas had no words as he watched Xehanort step back without hesitating snapped Clouds neck.
He dimly heard himself scream out as the world slowed down to where Cloud body seemed to hang in the air like a puppet with its strings cut before it hit the ground. The sword disappeared but Roxas would have pushed it through himself as he launched forward to pull his brothers body to him.
His whole body shook as he tried to grasp what had occurred but the situation dawned all to clearly on him. The burden of guilt fell on him like a waterfall as the notion he seemed to lack any capability of protecting someone hit him in the heart.
"Now you can feel just a little bit of what I have over these months. Such anger at what you have put me through." Xehanort remarked as he strode and knelt next to Roxas who still held onto his brothers body. "I should have gone on with the plan back when I had you cornered on the building but I thought I had to stick to procedure."
Xehanort would have continued his speech had Roxas not suddenly lunged at his throat. The boy was forced to a stop with his hands mere inches from the sought after neck as Xehanorts power gripped his entire body.
Numbly, Roxas thought how he still had his power even though Xemnas was in the room but at this point he lacked the faculty to care. All he wanted to do was to see this man in as much pain as possible. To know that this man no longer shared his air was all that mattered.
He strained against the bonds that shackled his body from the inside but everything as out of his control. Everything had always been out of his control and he had always fought. Never once stopping to think that things could have been out of his control. Even as he tried to push his body out of his paralysis a small part of him gave up.
Xehanorts face darkened, "Enough of these frivolities. Xemnas let him regain his power over the keyblade."
Roxas was at once reminded of Axel and how these horrible people held not only his life but also Axels.
Xemnas said nothing but Roxas felt the link he had lost be reformed. Xehanort walked in front of him with an almost too calm expression on his face that held so much anticipation in those golden eyes. He brought up a white gloved hand and Roxas found himself doing the same thing, albeit, involuntarily.
Without any movement on Xehanorts part, Roxas was then forced to summon his keyblade and the horrific nostalgia of the moment hit him full front. It was as if he could hear the roar of the wind and the pounding of rain around him once more. His mind was a shroud of panic at the thoughts of what was inevitably coming.
He wanted to close his eyes in a moment of weakness but even that seemed to be out of his control as the alien hand rose with the trusted weapon.
Then the gloved hand made a simple movement.
A yell from Axel resounded out from behind but everything seemed distorted to Roxas as he watched his weapon not enter his heart but was thrust forward into Xehanorts. As the world slowed down, Roxas at first thought that some great mistake had happened and he had been able to overcome the man's power. This theory was shaken though as his wrist snapped to the right and the unlocking motion was completed.
No blood was formed instead inky smoke rose out from the wound as a distorted smile wound its way out across the man's face.
Time caught up with him as a great impact of power exploded out from Xehanort. Roxas was sent tumbling back as the man that he knew as Xehanort let out a blood curdling roar. The man's spine bent back to the point of snapping as the power roiling in his body struggled for an outlet.
Roxas was brought to his feet by none other than Axel. Before Roxas could question this, he saw that Xigbar and even Xemnas have shocked expression on their faces.
The event in front of them though, had only just begun.
The ground underneath Xehanort sunk in and multiple cracks appeared outwards of it. The shadows around him surged around him as his body continued to contort but the most disconcerting part was the laugh that began to be emitted from him.
Roxas had seen enough and turned the corner with Axel pulling him along without any hesitance.
Oh hai there, I felt bad so I decided to upload what I had written. SO yep...
