The next morning, Sora was still aware he was Sora and not Roxas. Still, he continued detailing his stupid fake life as he combed his hair back into place and got ready for the day.
The Grey Room, the meeting place in this huge prison, was empty, only filled with Saïx and Axel. Saïx looked over Sora's sudden change with mild interest, then said coldly "Today you will be working with Axel, and you are to meet the Superior as soon as possible afterwards." He walked away "That is all."
Axel glanced down at Sora and asked "Say, um, Sor-"
"It's Roxas." Sora said bitterly. His voice had changed slightly "Call me Roxas now."
Axel then rubbed the back of his neck "Um, okay Roxas... What's up with the hair-"
"It's always been like this." 'Roxas' said while he opened up a dark corridor. He glared at Axel "Ive been living here for a year, okay?"
"You trying to forget-"
"I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE." Sora hissed, but a few tears sprung up. His fist was by his side, clenched so hard nails were digging into his palm.
Axel followed, deciding to play along "Sorry Roxas, don't know what's wrong with me."
Kairi and Belle had nursed Belle's father, Maurice, all night long. They talked about things, but mostly it was spent in silence.
After a long time, Kairi asked "Belle, have you seen anyone going by the name of Sora?"
Belle sighed as she rubbed a cool cloth on her fathers forehead "No, I haven't seen anyone besides you and whoever you were traveling with since I returned..." She trailed off sadly.
"Belle, is everything-"
She cut Kairi off "I miss Beast." Kairi tilted her head in question "He sounded so sad when I left too-"
"That monster-"
"He's not a monster!" Belle snapped at her "He's kind and gentle, and caring and- and if you got to know him he- oh you wouldn't understand just from me explaining." She slumped against a nightstand, morosely staring into space.
Kairi leaned back in her chair, staring outside "Heh, Sora was a lot like that. Acted like a complete jerk before..." She felt herself tear up "Before stuff happened..."
"What kinda stuff?" Kairi jumped at the childish voice, and Belle quickly opened her satchel, Kairi noting a glint of silver "Chip?!"
A small teacup plopped out, asking Kairi "What stuff happened? I wanna know!" as Belle picked him up in her palm. She sighed "Chip! Mrs. Potts is going to be so worried-"
The teacup imitated someone thrusting out their chest in pride "Mama doesn't even know I snuck off-"
"Exactly you troublesome little thing." Belle set Chip down, wagging her finger "Besides, if Kairi doesn't want to say she won't tell us."
As they argued Kairi resumed gazing outside.
Chip pouted "Aw come on-"
"No Chip. Now, how am I going to get you back home-"
Kairi suddenly bolted up, chair clattering to the floor and gripping the windowsill in alarm. She quickly shut the window, and Belle asked "Kairi what's-"
"Angry mob!"
Riku had listened to the castles servants, deciding stick around for the night then leaving. But when he woke up bright and early, he made sure that no one could follow him to the library. He wasn't going to miss any chance.
He creaked the door open, blinking to try and adjust to the slightly brighter room. The curtains were cracked open, massive windows letting light into the dim castle. But what excited Riku was the sheer number of books. He could definitely find something here.
He took a step, but froze when a massive form- one he thought was a pile of books -shifted.
It looked something like a cross between a wolf- no, gorilla - mandril perhaps - boar maybe? -whatever it was, it wasn't human. It was a beast, and- despite Riku's height -was even taller than he was. The most unnerving thing was the human blue eyes that rested among the shaggy fur.
The thing groaned a little upon seeing Riku, and sank back to whatever it s previously doing. Moping, perhaps.
"Please, leave me alone..."
Riku cleared his throat "Um..." He trailed off, not sure how to address the apparent master of the castle "S-sir, I'm just looking for information. Could I search your lovely collection here?"
"... Go ahead." He then added cryptically "It's what Belle would want."
Riku then skimmed the books as fast as he could, the beast making him nervous "So," he tried starting a light conversation "Belle, you know her?" Riku remembered the Princess of Heart through blurry memories when he was being controlled by Ansem, Maleficent, and the darkness. She was comatose like the rest, but she seemed to be just as sweet in personality as the rest.
"... Just carry on and leave."
Riku noted the sadness that lined the beast's voice, having known Sora to be caught in the same depression for years. He chuckled softly at how much he had improved, but the boy still had a long way to go. The chuckle faded as he softly wondered if the change from bitter and hateful to depressed and submissive had a bigger change, one on their friendship. His hand dropped down as it clenched at the thought of Sora deciding that they weren't friends anymore. After all, he had been more and more inclined towards Kairi since he met her...
He sighed as he moved on through the shelves, and noted bitterly "Nothing here on curses, huh?"
"Is that what you're looking for? You're cursed as well?" The beast shifted a little.
Riku nodded "Although it was more of my fault I got this way." He shook his head and stepped away from the shelf "Thank you for allowing me to search, but all I'm finding is stories." He couldn't stop the dissapointment in his voice.
The beast only shrugged "It was what she loved."
Riku walked out of the library.
"Now what do they want?" Belle snapped at no one in particular. Maurice sat up "A what now? A-and what are you doing here Belle? T-the beast, he-"
"Let me go to take care of you, now get back in bed while we handle this." Belle said firmly as she went to answer the now thumping door.
"Yes?- oh, it's you." Belle sighed upon the rugged young man in front of her "Gaston, I am not going to-"
"Actually Belle, I'm here for your father." He said, stepping aside to reveal he had brought along a carriage for the insane asylum "See, he's been rambling and raving about some... Oh what was it-"
"A beast! Bigger than you are with horrid claws!" The old man stumbled over frantically. Kairi held him back "Hey, now, you need to rest-"
Gaston goaded him on with a glint in his eye "Ah yes, tell us more."
"He's hairy and horrible! A-and I swear he's going to come out and kill us all at some point-"
"Papa that is enough!" Belle then pushed him back "The beast is not going to hurt anyone." She glared at Gaston and harshly pointed a finger at him "And my father is NOT crazy! He is not going anywhere!"
"Then prove it! Boys! Round up the lunatic!"
Kairi tried fending off the men that came to take Belle's father away, but she was roughly shoved aside through the window and into the accompanying snow bank. Belle started panicking "Please! he's not insane! He's not qualified for-"
"Well, maybe I can persuade some people." Gaston casually leaned against the doorframe as Maurice was being dragged off "If you'd marry me."
Belle shove him away "Never! Now let my father go!"
"He's sick!" Kairi rushed up the steps. "Don't you have the heart to-" she cut off when she felt the jealousy and greed Gaston emitted. Belle then said frantically "Kairi! In my bag! A mirror!"
Kairi nodded and grabbed a silver mirror. She blinked when she thought she saw something besides herself in it, but tossed it to Belle "CATCH!"
Belle caught it, saying "Show me the beast!"
It sparked, and Kairi couldn't quite see what was within the glass. It must have been terrifying judging by the screams and gasps.
Kairi and Belle felt their hearts sink in unison.
Gaston ripped the mirror from her hands and held it to the crowd "Forget the loon! we need this thing mounted on my wall!"
Belle reached for her mirror "Please! He won't hurt you I swear-"
"Lock 'em up!"
Next thing Kairi and Belle knew, they and Maurice were tossed into the cellar with the doors slammed shut and locked tight.
After a mostly uneventful mission, Axel led Sora atop the clock tower in Twilight Town.
"What'chya think?" He asked, sitting down.
Sora only glared into the sunset "I've seen the view before-"
"Not with these and a friend." Axel simply pulled out some sea salt ice creams "Welcome to the Organization, Sor-"
"Roxas." He cut Axel off, but grabbed one of the salty sweet bars and joined his senior member "Thanks."
"You're not gonna forget that easily." Axel rolled his eyes while taking a bite of his treat.
Sora only sucked on his but soon stopped doing so with a shudder.
"What? Brain freeze? Too salty-"
"Bad memory." Sora said bluntly. He then asked "So why are you doing this?"
Axel laughed bitterly "Eh, Xemnas's welcoming for you must have been rough and a little trial-by-fire, but I figured you'd like one that's a little calmer. I was around your age when I became a Nobody, so I kinda know what's going on."
Sora bit off some ice cream, closing his eyes and indulging in the salty sweet taste. How long ago was it when Riku had offered the very same treat? At least a week, maybe a little longer than that. He stared at it, not believing how fast time had turned.
"You look like you're seeing ghosts or something, you okay?" Axel looked at Sora worriedly while continuing to eat his ice cream.
Sora only shook his head "I miss them." He took a thoughtful bite "Maybe forgetting will take away the pain-"
"You're not gonna forget your friends, okay? That's just ridiculous, get it memorized." Axel sighed.
"I can try-"
Axel tossed away his stick "And it's gonna fail. Just accept life as its been dealt to you, got it memorized?"
Sora choked on a piece of ice cream momentarily, then snapped "Quit saying that, it's annoying."
"I can say what I want to say." Axel flopped against the walkway with his legs crossed on the railing "I'm older, and my number outranks yours- not that I've ever cared about that much."
Sora rolled his eyes and continued munching on his ice cream.
Axel then asked very flippantly "So, how was your special time with Xemnas?"
Sora jerked so much his ice cream stick got stuck in his throat.
He quickly held up his hands to his throat as he began choking and gagging, both from the stick and the memory of him and Xemnas yesterday.
Axel bolted up "Oh jeez! Sorry! Sorry!" He then pounded Sora's back to aid the boy. Sora coughed out the stick, but Axel sent one last pound, and Sora ended up tumbling off the tower.
"AXEL!"
Axel quickly reached after Sora, but cursed as he was seconds too late. He quickly summoned a dark corridor "I'M COMING!"
Sora didn't know what to think as he flipped himself around during his free fall. Fear, elation, survival. They were a blended mix that made his head buzz in excitement. He quickly opened his cloak more to let air get caught in it as a makeshift parachute, but the ground was already getting too close for his taste. A strong gust blew him up, then remained with him to slow his descent. Wind? Here? Wh-What-
There was a firm, sickening crack as Sora's head collided with the pavement below.
At first there was a ringing in his ears and a horribly sharp pain in his skull that made him groan involuntarily, but slowly he slipped into the bitter darkness of unconsciousness.
He heard Vanitas laughing, but for the first time it was strained: Better wake up idiot!
"SORA-" Axel stopped himself from yelling the name again, since the boy didn't stir "ROXAS! ROXAS!"
He scooped him up, examining the wound that was bleeding freely into the boy's face. Axel tried waking him up as he searched for a potion "Come on Sora- Roxas- whoever you wanna be! Come on get up!"
The boy coughed a little "Axel...?" His voice had changed a little more than it had this morning.
Axel laughed "I am SO sorry! I mean, I panicked! You were choking-"
"Don't worry, this is only the first time." He giggled with a weak smile "I'm not dead, a updraft slowed me down."
"Aw thank goodness Sora-"
"Who's... Who's Sora? You've never called me that before..."
Axel stopped and stared at his companion, who in turn was looking up at him in confusion "I'm Roxas, remember?"
Axel helped him sit up, and handed him a potion "Yeah... Don't know what's... What's wrong with me."
He stared as Roxas downed the contents "So, gotta make sure you're not severely hurt... Um, how long have you been with us?"
"A year." Roxas yawned as his head healed. He laughed, pointing up to where they were "So many times up there and this is the first time I fall off!"
He stood, completely ignoring Axel's shocked expression "We gotta RTC anyways-"
"RTC?"
"Yeah, Return To Castle." Roxas tilted his head "You sure you're okay today?"
Axel nodded, then shakily stood "You can RTC without me... I'll, um... I'll clean things up here." Roxas left, and Axel bent over to pick up what apparently was Sora's ice cream stick.
WINNER was printed on it in large, cheery letters.
Whew, got more than half of that typed up today! Also, apparently suppression isn't as easy as saying it didn't happen, you gotta have something traumatic. Meh. And it's about time someone fell off of that tower for realsies ;)