A/N: I started a new KH2 game and made a save file in the White Room just so I could describe the mansion interior. Time to watch the ball of emotion that is Roxas get even more angry and upset…

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2. Purgatory's Usher

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With a rumble of shifting wood, the mansion's double entrance doors give way, showing Roxas and Xion into a large, high-ceilinged foyer.

What might have once been an impressive-looking space had long since fallen into disrepair. Strewn across the dusty floor are the broken remains of several ornamental tables, and a pile of debris blocks up the door to the right. Cobwebs litter the antique furnishings that line the walls, including more than one tarnished suit of armour. In contrast, the twin stairwells that rise to the floor above appear to be in good condition. Between them lies a glass screen through which light enters, the sole source of illumination against the gloom.

Roxas finds his attention immediately drawn to this area. There's a tall, silhouetted figure leaning against a nearby winged unicorn stand. Like Xion and himself, this third person is also sporting an Organisation coat—

It's the imposter!

He opens his mouth to let out a cry of warning, but something else gives him pause. Without his hood, the imposter's youthful features and shaggy silver hair are plain for all to see. A strip of black cloth conceals his eyes, though for what reason Roxas is unable to discern.

There's something awfully familiar about that guy—

Unbidden, memories assail him. He sees lips curled in an arrogant smirk, hears a voice shouting taunts of "giving up already?" Adrenaline and determination course though him as he raises his wooden sword to fend off his opponent, their frenetic movements scattering sand everywhere. Framing their mock battle is a backdrop of palm trees and ocean and blue sky, and his nose tingles with each inhalation of the salty breeze—

A name surfaces to the forefront of Roxas' mind, takes shape on his tongue. "Riku."

Xion turns towards him, eyes wide with curiosity. "You recognise him?"

"Yeah. From my—" he draws to a mental halt, correcting himself, "—from Sora's memories."

This admission seems to intrigue Riku, for he shifts to face their direction. Roxas is certain he'd been watching them as soon as they'd stepped through the door, though.

"Xion," he calls out. There's a certain familiarity in the way he pronounces her name, and Roxas dislikes it straightaway. Then Riku's gaze falls upon Roxas. The blindfold does nothing to hide the piercing scrutiny of his eyes, eyes Roxas knows to be a brilliant shade of blue-green. "Roxas."

Feeling his pulse leap in anticipation, Roxas disentangles his hand from Xion's and makes to move forward. But Xion is already a step ahead, arm flung wide to forestall him. She gives him a small shake of her head, then begins approaching Riku. This, in turn, propels the silver-haired not-stranger to his feet, and they meet halfway across the room.

"Riku." There's also familiarity in the way Xion pronounces his name, and Roxas likes that even less. "Naminé is here, isn't she?

Riku nods. "She's waiting for you in the white room upstairs, the one furthest to your left." He gives Roxas a significant tilt of the head. "I wasn't expecting him to tag along."

Oh, is Roxas' presence unwelcome, now? But the instinctive retort dies in his throat as Xion throws him a glance over her shoulder – a silent request not to interfere. "He offered to come with me, and I'm glad to have him at my side." She folds her hands together, expression fading into sombreness. "Especially now."

There appears to be sympathy in Riku's answering wince. "Of course. How much does he know about Sora?"

"Everything I know."

"Is he also here because…?" Riku trails off, something tentative in his voice. But Xion shakes her head.

"No, he can't quite feel Sora yet."

Riku's shoulders hunch ever so slightly, and his overlong fringe falls against his blindfold. "I see."

A strange silence follows, broken by the sound of Xion clearing her throat. "Well, I'll go meet Naminé now." Lifting her right hand, she rests it against Riku's opposite elbow. "Thank you, Riku. For being patient. For giving me time to reach this decision."

In a motion so gentle that it can be construed as tender, Riku removes her hand and encloses it between his own. "No, Xion," he murmurs, his words laden with feeling. "Thank you."

Witnessing this scene – undeniable proof that his best friend and enemy hold each other with some regard – infuriates Roxas unlike anything else. His anger, having steadily grown throughout their exchange, now soars to boiling point. What right does Riku have to touch Xion like that, as though he actually cares for her? And how dare he express gratitude? It's nothing but a cruel joke, approving of her horrific choice to throw away her life—!

With jaw clenched and hands balled into fists, Roxas storms towards the duo. Seeing his approach, Riku breaks contact with Xion and steps away. Then he retreats further as Roxas interposes himself between them, expression wary.

"You're the one who convinced Xion to go back to Sora, right?" Roxas growls, glaring up at the older teenager's blindfold.

Riku meets his gaze without flinching. "Yeah."

"What have you been telling her this whole time?"

"The truth," he replies in a neutral, controlled tone. "Sora needs her in order to wake up. He needs you, too."

"Won't we just disappear if we go back to him?" Roxas insists, daring – and secretly hoping – for Riku to contradict him.

But there's only discomfort on other guy's face. "You'll live on in Sora's heart. But you won't be yourself anymore."

Though Roxas had guessed this outcome from Xion's explanation, having it confirmed does nothing to alleviate the bitter crush of disappointment. Why had he allowed himself to be so foolish, entertaining the wish of something better?

"How's that any different to being gone?" he demands. When this is met with the expected silence, Roxas continues, "What about Xion? Will she just—" he finds himself choking on the word, "—v-vanish, like she's never existed?"

Riku responds with a heavy sigh, which speaks as much as the verbal affirmation itself.

"I know we have his memories," Roxas goes on, his voice climbing with each word as fury and distress clash in a painful cacophony inside him. "I know they don't belong to us, and we have to give them back in the end. But it's not like we took them on purpose! We didn't choose to be like this!" He thumps his fists against his thighs. "We didn't even choose to exist!"

Riku matches his emphatic tone with his own. "I know that, Roxas."

"I don't wanna lose Xion!" The words escape him in an uncontrollable outburst, and tears squeeze out from the corners of his eyes and roll down his cheeks. He angrily wipes them away. "She's my best friend! I don't wanna lose me, either!"

The older teenager's lips are peeled back in a uneasy grimace, but he says nothing.

Taking a shuddering breath, Roxas asks in a steadier voice, "Is there no other way to wake Sora up?"

"Believe me, I don't like this anymore than you do."

This answer is so unsatisfactory that it instantly shatters what little calm Roxas had managed to restore. "You don't like this, huh?" he hisses through gritted teeth, his fingers bunching up the fabric of his coat. "Do you honestly give a damn about how we feel? What does throwing away two Nobodies matter, so long as you get your precious Sora back?"

"DiZ said that Nobodies can't feel—"

"Is that how you've justified it to yourself?" he interrupts, snarling. "That it's okay to wipe two people from existence because we supposedly can't feel?" Striding forward so that they are now bare inches apart, Roxas thrusts a belligerent chin up at his enemy. "The evidence is staring you right in the face! Does this look like I can't feel any fucking thing to you?"

To his surprise, Riku doesn't return his aggression. "It would've made everything easier if it were true," the older male sighs, heaviness in his voice. "I believed it at first. But after watching you and Xion…" He hangs his head. "All I can say is that I'm sorry."

Backing off a couple of steps, Roxas looks away. There's something a little too genuine about Riku's remorse. But it's far too little too late. "Sorry doesn't even begin to cut it."

"Roxas," Riku persists, "I won't demean you or her by claiming an apology is enough. I know you two have got the short end of the shortest stick. But I'm trying to give you a choice here, rather than taking it by force."

Snapping his head back up to meet Riku's gaze, Roxas bares his teeth rebelliously. "What if I say no?"

The other guy's lips twist in a pitying manner. "What will you do instead? Go back to the Organisation? You know you're no more than a tool to them."

"Just like I am to you," Roxas spits out. "I can... run away." Returning to his best friend's side, he loops a possessive arm around her elbow. "Take Xion with me."

But the look she gives him isn't one of agreement – quite the contrary, in fact. "I won't go with you, Roxas," Xion states, the first time she's spoken since his heated conversation with Riku began. "I've already told you that."

Her words lance through him with the severity of a mortal blow. Dropping her arm as though it had suddenly turned into a live wire, Roxas staggers back and clutches at his chest – the space his heart would be if he had one. "Xion…"

She also turns away from him, apology radiating from her slumped shoulders and downcast eyes. For the next few seconds, there is nothing but agonising silence. Fortunately, Riku's interjection prevents it from stretching on any longer, pulling their attention back to him.

"Okay Roxas, for discussion's sake, let's say you convince Xion to go with you. What then? You'll always be on the run. The Organisation won't stop until they capture you or her. Not to mention you won't be able to keep it up for long. So long as you're near Xion, you'll keep getting weaker. One day you won't be strong enough to fight back. One day you won't even wake up."

Knowing Riku's words to be true, Roxas can only resort to defiance. "Like this is any better!"

"Think about it, Roxas," the older teenager says in a reasonable manner. "Will you run away, knowing you'll eventually die or get caught? Or will you give yourself up now, something that's guaranteed to help out someone else?"

Against his better judgment, Roxas follows Riku's advice and weighs the two options. It's a lose-lose situation either way, both ending with his and Xion's demise. He lets out a defeated breath. "When you put it that way, what other choice do I have?"

"Sometimes there isn't any other choice." There's a solemn cast to Riku's face. "Doing the right thing often requires sacrifice."

Sacrifice. Hearing that term thrown around like that – as though Riku fully understands the awfulness it entails – makes Roxas' temper flare up again. "Easy for you to say, when it's someone else making the sacrifice!"

His retort causes a shift in Riku's demeanour, cool rationality giving way to something hard and unyielding. "Roxas," he declares, blindfolded gaze boring into his, "I will wake Sora up at all costs. I'd rather not fight you for it. But if worse comes to worst, I will do everything in my power to ensure it happens, even if it means taking you back to him against your will."

Having grown tenser and tenser over the course of Riku's less-than-friendly speech, Roxas finally gives in to instinct, calling the Keyblade to his fingertips. Riku reacts in similar fashion, leaping back as a dark, wing-like blade materialises in his hand.

Both assume a ready stance: Roxas with a double-handed grip, Riku with his ever-so-familiar weapon poised above his head. For a brief, charged moment, they size each other up—

But Xion intervenes before either of them can so much as lunge forward. In a black blur, she rushes past Roxas, throwing herself between him and Riku with arms spread wide.

"Guys, don't!" she yells. "There's no point in fighting!"

Feeling bewildered – and not a little betrayed – by her actions, Roxas stares at his best friend's back. "Xion, why are you defending him?"

"I'm defending you," she corrects, looking over her shoulder to fix insistent eyes upon his. "Please don't fight him, Roxas. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Her words cut through his adrenaline haze like a Keyblade through Heartless, pulling back reason in its place.

One of the better lessons the Organisation had drilled into him is the importance of going into battle prepared. This brings him to the realisation that he doesn't know anything about Riku's combat skills, Sora's sketchy memories notwithstanding. Xion does however, having engaged Riku before. Roxas recalls, days and days ago, how she had returned from her mission distraught, reporting that her opponent was too strong.

Combine that with the fact that he's becoming weaker and weaker recently, the odds are slim that he'd emerge the winner. Even now – riled up as he is – Roxas can feel the fatigue in his limbs, the inadvertent drain Xion's nearness has on him.

Moreover, there's something underlying Riku's claim to victory: an absolute, unshakable resolve. Roxas has no doubt that he would go to every imaginable length to achieve his goal. If needed, he'd pit himself against Roxas over and over until he finally beats him into submission. But where is this resolve coming from? What could motivate Riku so strongly?

Then the answer hits him.

"You'd do anything for Sora, wouldn't you?" Roxas calls out, more statement than question. You'd even tear apart people's lives just for a chance to save him. I know, because—

—I'd do the same for Xion.

Behind Xion's shoulder, Riku's expression transforms into one of surprise. "Yeah."

That simple answer is enough for him. With a decisive wave, Roxas banishes his weapon, watching as Riku does likewise. Xion, on the other hand, continues to observe them with wary eyes. It is only until several seconds have passed that she steps away to the side, satisfied that the tension between them had dissolved.

"I get it," Roxas admits quietly. Then, driven by the need to justify himself – because there's no way he'd voluntarily reach a point of understanding with his enemy, of all people – he continues, "But I'm not saying I agree to this straightaway. You're sorely mistaken if you think I'm gonna walk to my death just like that. It's just—" he pauses, letting out a tired sigh, "I can see where you're coming from."

Riku acknowledges his compromise with a tight, not-quite-smile. "Glad to hear it."

Glancing over at his best friend, who returns his sombre gaze, Roxas announces, "I'm going with Xion to see Naminé. I wanna hear what she has to say with my own ears."

Riku doesn't object. "Go ahead. She's been wanting to meet you both for a long time."

"She does, huh?" Roxas raises an skeptical eyebrow. "We'll see how that goes."

Now that their emotionally charged conversation has reached its end, he turns away from the other guy, beckoning for Xion to join him. She does, leaving Riku behind, who resumes his slouch against the winged unicorn stand. Silence descends upon them as they ascend the left stairwell and proceed to the leftmost room at the end of the landing. It is not until they are standing before the white door that Roxas musters the courage to speak up:

"Xion?"

She turns towards him, unease plain across her face. "Roxas, about earlier, I—"

He shakes his head, forestalling what he knows to be an upcoming apology. "You did make it clear to me. I just didn't wanna accept it."

Xion lowers her gaze. "It's… not easy, I understand."

"If you won't come with me, I'll just go with you instead." Reaching for her hands, he cups them tenderly within his own. Truth be told, it's a gesture for his benefit as much as hers, if only to overwrite the affront of Riku's earlier demonstration. Roxas is the one who truly cares for Xion, after all. "No matter what, I'll always stand by you."

There's a breathtaking mix of gratitude and affection in her indigo eyes. "Roxas, you're the best friend anyone can ever want," she says with a small, sad smile. "But I'm not asking you to make the same sacrifice—"

"That's my choice, isn't it?" he interrupts, not unkindly. "Don't count on it, though; I haven't made up my mind yet." With the same tenderness as before, he sets down her hands. "Like I said, I'll hear out Naminé first."

She nods. "Fair enough."

Drawing a deep breath, Roxas steps forward – towards the white doors of their imminent doom – and pushes them open.