Thanks to manyissues101, LiteraryMirage, Legendary Chimera, Fenrir of the Eclipsing Shadow, EndingsMatterMost, and NinjaShiek for reviews! Wow, six reviews all in one chapter. I'm feelin' the love. :D
I meant to update this before I went on vacation, but I didn't. So, uh, sorry. But HEY LOOK IT'S ROXAS
Chapter 6 - Roxas
The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, and, well, everything was pretty much idyllic. Destiny Islands were paradise, truly. Sora had seen plenty of worlds in his day, and he wouldn't trade his islands for a single one of them, no matter how much he may miss his friends. No, everything he needed was right there, close enough to reach out and touch.
"Sora? What are you thinking about?" He didn't need to open his eyes to hear Kairi's voice. Her fingers were intertwined with his, which meant she was still lying right next to him. She wasn't going anywhere. They were finally together again.
"How nice the islands are," he said sleepily. "How happy I am to be here. With you." Kairi giggled and punched him in the shoulder.
"You're such a lazy bum," she teased. He smiled. The words touched something deep inside of him. A memory.
Sora, you lazy bum.
Roxas awoke with a start. That place again. He saw it. He saw him. Sora. Who was Sora?
He looked around, taking stock of his surroundings, suddenly unfamiliar. Then he remembered- last night was his first night in the World That Never Was. These people, or Nobodies, or whatever they were, they'd collected him and brought him here. Wherever here was. He found he couldn't remember much of anything, and while some part of him insisted that he should know what was going on, that didn't have any effect at all on the indisputable fact that he didn't.
Maybe it was morning, but the World That Never Was seemed to be locked in perpetual night, just as Twilight Town was locked in perpetual, well, twilight. Roxas was still wearing the coat they'd given him- protection from the darkness, they'd said- and he apparently had been so exhausted that he'd passed out fully-clothed on his new bed. Well, that saved him the effort of getting dressed now, didn't it? He was dimly aware of being hungry, but he had no idea where the food would be. Maybe they were planning on bringing him some. He curled his knees up to his chin and waited.
Waiting didn't do any good. Now he was more hungry, no one was coming, and he felt vaguely stupid for waiting, besides. His head ached. He stood up, trotted over to the door, and snuck out into the hallway.
The castle he'd been stuck in was a ridiculous maze, and within minutes he was lost. He remembered the way that the others sort of teleported everywhere, using those pathways of darkness or whatever they were called, so maybe they didn't bother to improve the layout because they were just beaming themselves wherever they needed to go? In any case, Roxas didn't know how to do that just yet, and he was very much lost, and still hungry.
After teetering through yet another blank room with a morbidly depressing name, Roxas felt a tiny breeze. The brush was pathetic, just a tiny, choking gasp, but it had to be coming from somewhere. He saw a door that led to a balcony. Maybe from the outside of the castle, it would be easier to get his bearings. He went outside.
Despite his trek, all thoughts of hunger were promptly forgotten as soon as he saw the view from that balcony. He hadn't seen much, at least, not much that he remembered- nothing but Twilight Town and some bits of the inside of that bleary castle. But here, that dark city stretched out before him, every crumbling building pointing directly towards the massive skyscraper directly in the middle, but even that seemed tiny from up here- how high above the city was this castle, anyway?
"Hey, kid. What are you doing up there?" Roxas turned around. The man talking to him was burly, much burlier than the man who brought him here, and more frightening, as well. He was, well, grizzled. And he had an eye-patch. And a gun.
"I got lost," Roxas deadpanned. Grizzly burly dude didn't seem to buy that, but he didn't seem to want to argue, either.
"Whatever," he muttered. "Come with me." He roughly grabbed Roxas's arm and dragged him into a portal, the very kind that he'd been wondering how to make earlier. Maybe they'd teach him eventually. He was already getting used to the darkness, but the trip wasn't nearly as long this time- almost as soon as he entered the portal, he was leaving. Ironically, this new guy brought him to the kitchen, which was exactly where he'd been trying to go in the first place.
The kitchen was surprisingly small for such a castle, but it was outfitted with a fridge and a microwave, at least. He didn't see a dishwasher, and felt vaguely disappointed, before wondering how he knew what all of those things were.
"Is that the new guy?" someone asked dully. He was leaned back in one of the seats, while another member braided his hair. The hair-braider was no stranger to weird hair expressions himself, as he had all of his own hair styled to stick straight up.
"Yeah, this is the new guy," Grizzly Eye-Patch confirmed. He dropped Roxas's arm and went to forage for provisions, or something. Roxas was hungry too, but for now, he felt the need to stay still and return the stares that the other members were giving him.
"Why don't you all just take a frickin' picture?" he finally snarled. That didn't at all have the effect he desired. The man with the braids just smiled, kind of creepily, and the one with the crazy hair just looked confused.
"I don't have a camera," he said.
"I like him, he's feisty," said the other. "I'm Xaldin," he finally introduced himself. About time.
"Roxas," said Roxas. "Who is he?" He indicated the man who had brought him there, who was now microwaving himself some questionable-smelling possible-food.
"That's Xigbar, and I'm Demyx." So, the one with the hair that stuck straight up was Demyx, the one with the braids was Xaldin, and the one with the gray hair and the eyepatch was Xigbar. Hopefully the rest of the people in the castle would have unusual hairstyles, too, or Roxas would never be able to keep all of them straight.
"Oh. That's nice, I guess." The kitchen settled into awkward silence, except the beeps from the microwave. Roxas was beginning to miss Twilight Town. The people there did more than sit around, at least, and they had natural light.
He was still hungry, so he went over and opened the fridge just like Xigbar had done. He didn't really recognize anything, and nothing in there looked edible at all. Asking what food he should eat seemed like maybe the wrong thing to do, so he slowly closed the fridge again, hoping that no one noticed.
"Is there nothing in there that you like? We can find you something else," the spiky-haired one, Demyx, said helpfully. The helpful spirit didn't seem genuine, though, like something was missing. His eyes were drifty.
"Oh, he's fine. Here, kid. Eat mine and I'll make a new one." The patchy one, Xigbar, dumped a tray on the counter in front of Roxas and went back to the refrigerator to get something new for himself. Roxas was left staring down at the uncomfortable meal and the odd smells therein. No way was this food- absolutely no way. They were trying to trick him. He had to ask what it was.
"What is this?" he asked. Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. All three of his fellow members stopped whatever they were doing and stared, much more intensely than last time. A sad, half-finished braid dangled from Demyx's hand, the refrigerator stood open as Xigbar forgot about it, and Xaldin thoughtfully thumbed a sideburn. "What?" Roxas asked again, more sharply. "I won't eat it if I don't know what it is," he threatened. His stomach pleaded with him, begging him to be reasonable, more hungry than ever before, but he forcefully ignored it.
"It's chicken," Xaldin finally answered. "You don't know what chicken is?" Xigbar slammed the refrigerator shut, and stormed over to the other two. He whispered something hurriedly, too softly for Roxas to hear. Then he summoned a portal and disappeared, leaving Xaldin and Demyx still staring at him. Xaldin composed himself, but Demyx kept right on staring.
"It's just chicken. It won't hurt you," Xaldin said dismissively. He snapped his fingers, and Demyx jumped back to braiding. Roxas was barely able to open his mouth to argue when another portal opened, stunning him into silence. Honestly, how did they maintain any sort of calm around here, with people portalling around all willy-nilly? His disdain was short-lived, however, and quickly replaced by the comfortable familiarity of a face that he recognized.
The man who had brought him to the World That Never Was in the first place. Xemnas. He would have some answers.
"Roxas," he boomed. His voice was deep and authoritative, a good accompaniment to his tall, muscular frame and piercing eyes. Yes, Xemnas was the one who had found him in Twilight Town and asked him to come here. "I trust you slept well?"
"Yes, sir," Roxas said formally. It seemed wrong not to address him as sir- he was that sort of person.
"Very good. Come with me." He extended a hand, inviting Roxas to come with him on another journey through the realm of darkness. Roxas didn't bother to say goodbye to his new acquaintances. He noted that Xemnas didn't, either, and the man raised a few grades in his esteem. He took Xemnas's hand and followed him through another portal.
The realm of darkness was becoming familiar now, almost comfortable. The coat protected him from the darkness, so he had no reason to fear it.
"You met some of the others," Xemnas said. A statement, not a question or a conversation starter. Roxas simply nodded. "You'll meet the rest soon. Our numbers have thinned recently, but you'll find our Organization more than adequate, I'm sure." Roxas nodded again. Better not to talk, it seemed.
As soon as it had begun, the trip was over. They were in yet another stark white room, but Roxas had no idea how this one related to the rest of the stark white rooms in the castle. The décor left something to be desired. Maybe that was the idea.
Xigbar was waiting for them in this room, and Roxas took a careful look around. No, he had not been in here before. Chairs were placed in a circular pattern, at varying heights. The whole arrangement looked rather uncomfortable. For the first time, Roxas began to wonder what exactly he'd gotten himself into.
"Thank you for informing me, Xigbar," Xemnas said smoothly. Xigbar nodded. Apparently that was the appropriate response to anything Xemnas said. "Now, Roxas. I'm sure you have questions?"
Of course he had questions. Why did they live in a castle? Who lived in that city? Where were all the women? How far were they from Twilight Town? What exactly were they an Organization of? But one question pressed on his mind more strongly than any other, and that was the one he chose to ask.
"Why don't I remember anything?"
"Because you are a Nobody," Xemnas answered smoothly. Tonelessly. Without missing a single beat, as if he'd known exactly what Roxas was going to ask. "And now you would like to know, what is a Nobody?" Roxas blinked, and nodded. "A Nobody is a being without a heart. The Organization is comprised entirely of Nobodies. You are a Nobody, as well." Roxas looked from Xemnas, to Xigbar, and back again. They were both completely serious.
"Are you saying I don't have a heart?"
"Yes," Xemnas said. Roxas thought for a moment. He placed a hand over his chest.
"I don't believe you," he said simply. Xemnas smiled, the tiniest wisp of a smile, the only emotion Roxas had ever seen him show.
"Believe what you will," he said, amused. "Tonight is our first meeting. You'll be able to-"
And at that moment, Roxas witnessed something that no other member of the Organization, save him and Xigbar, present on that day, had ever witnessed.
Xemnas was interrupted.
The interruption came in the form of an opening portal, much more, well, sloppy than the other portals Roxas had seen. The doorway was rough around the edges and turbulent, as if it were struggling to stay open. And then three bodies, though it seemed like more at first with all the tangled limbs, came tumbling out. Roxas regarded them quite curiously, since they were the most interesting thing he could remember ever seeing.
The first one to right himself had flaming red hair- good to know that the pattern of distinctive hairstyles was continuing- and seemed unnaturally thin, as if he had some sort of degenerative sickness. He was sturdy enough, however, to grab the second person, a boy with sleek purple hair who looked to be about Roxas's age, and pull him up to his feet. The one with the purple hair immediately locked eyes with Xemnas and refused to budge, but the red-head, he looked around. He saw Roxas, and regarded him curiously. Unfortunately for him, Roxas's attention had already been stolen away.
The third boy had long silver hair and teal eyes. He had stood up all by himself, and was standing quietly off to the side. Roxas stared at him. The boy didn't notice. Roxas could feel something stirring inside of him, twitching a bit, as if struggling to break the surface. He was back on the beach again, the one that he saw in his dreams.
The winner gets to share a paopu fruit with Kairi.
He stared.
"Xigbar," Xemnas snapped, breaking the silence.
"Yes, Superior," Xigbar said quickly, and he grabbed Roxas's arm. The red-head was still looking at him, though he never released his hold on the short, angry guy with the purple hair. Roxas desperately wanted the one he recognized, sort of, to turn and look at him. If only he could remember hi s name. It started with an R, he remembered, like Roxas but different. R-something. R…
And suddenly, Roxas was back in his bedroom.
"What was that for?" he shouted, as soon as he recovered from the trip.
"Relax, kid. We'll come get you when we need you," was all he said before he disappeared. This Xigbar person was really beginning to get on his nerves. He had no business stealing him away just as he was starting to get his memory back. Though what good was a memory without a heart? Roxas placed a palm on his chest, and once again felt a comforting heartbeat. He refused to believe what Xemnas had told him, about Nobodies and hearts. Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea after all.
And on top of that, he still hadn't gotten anything to eat.
Aw, poor Roxas, not eating the chicken. ... Or something. And so, all the major players have been introduced- Riku, Zexion, Namine, Axel, the Replica, and Roxas. What sort of wacky and comical tomfoolery will they get up to next?
Speaking of which, I can't decide whether to put the next chapter in Riku or Zexion's POV. You know what that means? OPINION POLL!
NEXT CHAPTER: RIKU OR ZEXION? YOU DECIDE! AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS FUN! :D