By Design

Written by: Corey

Beta'd by: Ashley

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fantasy, AU
Pairings: Akuroku, RiSoKai, NamiXion, canon Disney pairings, whatever else may pop up
Warnings: alternate universe, slash/femslash content, possibly bizarre and complicated plot, playing around with canon (obviously), bit darker than canon
Rating: M overall
Note: Would likely be completely incomprehensible if not for Ashley. Thank you.

-One-

One thing the darkness hadn't changed was the sunrise. The sun rose without fail, painting the morning with energizing hues of pink and orange. Light broke through clouds and shone on Disney Castle and Town, and in the dazzling rays the buildings and streets almost looked as they used to. Upon closer inspection one would notice the paint on the sides of homes and taverns to be several shades more worn than they ought to be, peeling away to reveal termite-ridden wood underneath. The ungodly quiet that pervaded the air was a poor mask for the discord among the citizenry, too scared to leave the town but too crowded to stay. Within the castle the light danced through stained-glass windows and wove across marble floors and high mosaic ceilings coming to rest within the same bizarre silence that filled its town, disturbed only by the sounds of guards' armor clanging through the endless stone hallways, sound echoing against the morning.
The only witness to this natural tapestry was a lonely figure standing on a balcony, far above those below. He leaned against the entryway, watching the clouds part and the sun fade from orange to yellow. It wasn't unusual for him to be up early- instead, it was rare he slept at all. Across the room his twin snored lightly and shifted in his sleep.
Roxas sighed and pushed himself away from the sights, turning back into his quarters. Observing his morning ritual was often more unsettling than calming, but try as he might he couldn't break it. He had watched the town and castle for the last ten years. From the day his siblings and he had arrived to this very morning, his eyes had catalogued the kingdom's journey from 'scared, haggard, but optimistic and filled with faith' to 'scared. haggard, and utterly dejected". The Heartless army ate at the boundaries of the kingdom and pressed inward, devouring towns and choking the lifelines of the land. The only area which remained pure and untouched was Disney Castle, and its outlining city. The darkness had no place there, chased away by the light of the King and Queen. This was both a blessing and a curse, however. There was no direct assault, no screaming beasts filling the horizon, but there was also no relief in being the last refuge of the lost and hope of the damned.

Roxas idly wondered what the king would do when the people realized their fears were reality; that miracles were in short supply, and diminished every day.

The sounds of someone awakening caused him to slip out of his thoughts. Sora yawned and rolled over, staring blearily at Roxas. "Hey, Rox. You're up already?" He rubbed at his eyes and tried to grin; his hair was sticking up even more than usual and there were red lines on his face from his sheets, so the effect was terrifying. He was tempted to inform Sora that he was, in fact, sleeping and trying to trick him, but doubted his older brother would get the joke. Roxas instead merely nodded, and turned away to get dressed. Sora yawned again, and began his very slow rise from bed. "Staring out at the sun again, huh?" he asked. Roxas didn't reply, but Sora didn't seem to mind and continued talking. "I have no idea how you can get up so early. You're like Riku, he was always up and training early in the morning and didn't like to talk about it." Roxas did not exactly find this to be a favorable comparison- in his opinion, Sora's best friend Riku was obnoxious and cocky and irritating and, well, really any comparison was an insult. He scowled and slammed his clothes chest shut, making his way back to the balcony's doorway. This time he stared at Sora as his brother completed his own morning rituals: stretching, followed by getting dressed and saying his morning prayers to the Heart of Light, the goddess of Kingdom Hearts. Sora continued speaking this whole time, oblivious to Roxas' annoyance. "Speaking of Riku, I think he and Kairi are coming back today with the other scouts! I overhead-" eavesdropped, Roxas corrected mentally- "Yen Sid talking about it with the King," Sora said, clearly expecting his twin to be as overjoyed about this news as he was. His faith was not rewarded. His face fell slightly at Roxas' indifference but tried again anyway, adding, "Preliminary reports said they found something interesting this time, interesting-good not interesting-death-and-stuff." Roxas grimaced slightly at Sora's cheerful summing up of the usual reports, but had to admit he was a little intrigued. It was perhaps foolish to seize upon the hope of good news but really, who could fault him?
"Hey, the side of your mouth quirked up! That's almost a smile. Good, I thought for a minute there you might have lost all emotion," Sora teased. Roxas gave a long-suffering sigh, but didn't really mind. Sora wore his heart on his sleeve, and was all smiles and joy the vast majority of the time. If Sora's heart could be weaponized, Roxas had no doubt that it would be a shining force of justice the likes of which the world had never seen. In comparison, Roxas had all the soul of a particularly dull statue. In a way, he was slightly jealous of Sora's relationship with Riku and Kairi. The three of them were seen together whenever possible, three strands of yard woven together to form an unbreakable bond. Whenever Sora spoke of them, his eyes glowed and even his voice changed cadence, and the same was true for them. Their friendship, he would say, began ten years ago when he was but the wee age of five (I know, Roxas would interrupt, I was with you), and when his loneliness threatened to take him into its stormy arms and whisk him away (Roxas sighed). Then, Sora would continue, throwing an arm around whichever object of his tale happened to be nearby, a light descended from the heavens and took the form of a lovely silver-haired boy (At this point Riku would scowl and mutter, I'm not a girl so don't call me that, and Sora would punch him lightly) and an even lovelier redheaded girl (Kairi flutters her eyelashes and gives a giggle that would shame a baby at this point, and it never fails to get a laugh). The two presented him with the Islands' thought-lost and most precious symbol of love and friendship- a Paopu fruit, which he took with trembling hands and heart.
The real story involved Kairi and Riku being the children of merchants who lived in the palace, and their likely-pitying actions of friendship towards a lost and sniveling child. They had attempted to extend their friendship to Roxas and he and Sora's sister, Xion, as well, but was rebuffed by Roxas and tentatively accepted by the shy Xion.
Thinking of Xion, Roxas realized what was missing from his morning. He looked questioningly at Sora, who seemed to read his mind with that small, knowing grin of his. "She's probably still getting ready. She doesn't get to dress up that often, don't begrudge her fun," Sora said, sitting down on his bed and staring at his pillow as if wondering if he could fit in a bit more sleep. Roxas was once again annoyed when he realized the implications; apparently, Sora had dragged Xion along with him on his little spy game.
"Look," Roxas said through gritted teeth, and the scraping sound they made as they rubbed together made his words sound like a hiss, "I've told you not to get her into trouble." Sora never set out to cause trouble intentionally, but he and Riku (and occasionally Kairi) had something of a prior reputation of troublemaking due to their often rambunctious reign of the castle. Whenever his preferred partners-in-crime were otherwise occupied, he roped their little sister into things. Xion was far to nice to refuse him, which never failed to irritate Roxas. Sora claimed that she enjoyed exploring and spying just as much as he did and that Roxas was far too uptight to understand, but Roxas knew that was completely ridiculous. Completely.
He was about to continue his condemnation of Sora's actions when a knock on their door interrupted him. "Hello, are you up?" Xion's voice, quiet but strong, came muffled through from the other side. Sora grinned and dashed to open it for her. She entered the room with catlike footsteps, waving a greeting at Roxas and smiling at them both. As Sora had intimated, she was dressed slightly nicer than usual- breeches replaced with a flowing skirt and training shirt replaced with a feminine top. The change was not unpleasant, Roxas thought. Xion nodded in approval at the fact that they were already ready to go, and motioned towards the door. "I know Sora must be anxious, so shall we leave?" Sora beamed wildly and was already out the door before she'd finished speaking, and Xion laughed. Roxas just shook his head and allowed Xion to leave before he, as was only polite.

"So," Xion began, pacing herself slightly behind Sora's energetic half-run down the hallway, "did King Mickey tell you anything more about what's going on?" She peered curiously at Roxas through her bangs. He looked away, eyes tracing the patterns of the tapestries hanging on the wall absentmindedly. He had, in fact, but Roxas wasn't sure he wanted Xion to hear it. He could understand why she was asking. The King often spoke to them about their duty to the kingdom, how he was training them to one day lead the kingdom's armies against the forces of darkness. He never said any more than that- why he would leave such things in the hands of children, why he implied only they could do it, such things remained mysteries. It bothered them all, some more than others. Destiny was wonderful when it remained in the fantastical realms of fairy stories and fables, but when such things invaded real life it was often nothing more than troublesome.
Roxas ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "He told Sora and I that we would be allowed to take possession of the Keyblades soon. What exactly that means… I couldn't say." Xion's eyes widened slightly, and Roxas turned away again. The sacred weapons of Kingdom Hearts- the Keyblades. Supposedly the concentrated power of Light, the legends said that they were the source of the King's power, as well as the power of the heroes that had defended the kingdom in the past. They currently resided within the altar in the main temple in the castle, and could not be drawn by one who had not been 'chosen'. The King also had said in the past that these blades were their last, best defense against the Heartless.

The thought that they were to wield them was daunting. Roxas and Xion felt it acutely.

"I see them! They're here! They're here!" Sora's excited shouting drew their attention, and they hustled to catch up. Sure enough, the quiet strains of Riku's voice as he related the scouts' reports to the King echoed throughout the Great Hall as they entered. The Hall was quite impressive even compared to the rest of the castle. Most of the walls were consumed by larger-than-life stained glass portraits of princess in dressed of various hues; pink, blue, and yellow with trim of pearl-white, decorated with motifs of roses and slippers. The ceiling was a precious stone mosaic of their stories, delicate girls being rescued and rescuing in turn. The gems shone like moonlight, and were reflected off the marble floor leading to the throne. All in all, it was a dazzling effect.
"…and in conclusion, Traverse Town was completely destroyed, though there were survivors who will theoretically be arriving in one week," Riku finished as Sora, Xion, and Roxas neared the meeting. The King sighed and leaned forward, tenting his fingers as Queen Minnie placed a hand on his arm. She smiled gently at him, encouragement in her eyes. He gave her a thankful look, then returned his attention to Riku.
"I see," King Mickey said, then paused. Roxas didn't think there was much else that could be said to that. "And," the King continued, "what of the other matter you spoke of?" He inclined his head towards a hooded figure standing slightly to the side, and Riku and Kairi exchanged a look. The other scouts behind them began to mutter, looking disgruntled, and Riku hesitated before beginning again.
"I believe he would prefer to explain it himself, milord, in private." The figure nodded, and the King thought for a moment before acquiescing.
"Very well," he said, and straightened. "You all are dismissed. Allow us to be alone for a moment." The scouts disassembled haphazardly, some walking past Roxas and his siblings with a brief bow and others leaving through the main entrance from whence they came. Sora waved and caught Kairi's eye, who nudged Riku with her elbow- they returned his smile and came to his side. The five of them left the hall and stood back inside the hallway, huddled against a wall.
"So what's this news you brought?" Sora asked after enveloping them both in a bear hug. Riku smirked, and gave a "who knows" shrug.
"The King will probably tell you after he's done talking with the mage," Kairi said reassuringly. "We probably shouldn't talk about it."
Sora pouted, and whined "But I'm your best friend!" Roxas thought he was being a bit dense. Kairi wasn't good at keeping secrets.
"Sora, she just said 'the mage'. She already spoke of it. Use your ears," he said. Kairi blinked, then looked embarrassed as Riku rolled his eyes. Sora looked surprised, then turned back to Kairi with interest blazing.
"Mage? From outside the scholars? Who? Where? Why? How?" He got closer with every question, and Kairi had to take a step back. Riku rolled his eyes once more, and pushed Sora back a step.
"The King will tell you, idiot. Calm down," he said with exaggerated patience. He looked at Kairi, barely hiding his amusement. "You're not allowed to talk to him anymore; you always give things away." She pouted and looked appropriately penitent, to which he sighed. "Oh, fine, but if it's something important the rule stands," he relented, and she laughed. Sora looked a bit annoyed at how the subject had changed so quickly, but didn't say anything.
"What's this about Traverse Town?" Xion asked. The air of happiness faded away, and Riku and Kairi's faces fell.
"While we were trying to gauge how many Heartless had massed in the East, they attacked Traverse. It was almost completely undefended. We hadn't realized they'd moved that far, you see, so the army hadn't gotten there yet. The town guards were no match. It started as dawn broke, and was over before the sun had risen in the sky." Riku's voice was somber. Kairi was staring at her feet, and Xion and Sora's expressions were mirrored looks of horror.
"Why didn't you fight them?" Roxas asked before he could stop himself. Kairi glared at him, and Riku scowled.
"We weren't exactly armed for battle. We're recon, not soldiers. There were only six of us. You do the math, Roxas- you're many things, but not stupid," Riku snapped, and Roxas felt his hackles rise. Xion placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, but he brushed her off.
"So instead you let them all die," he said disdainfully. Sora looked at him in shock, as if he wanted to ask what are you doing? but was too surprised to even do that. Riku took a step forward, fists clenched.
"You have no idea what you're talking about, so don't even start. You're safe in the castle, all three of you. You might think you know what it's like out there but you have no idea. You think it's fun, to watch people die and be unable to do anything about it? Don't you dare act like I did something wrong," Riku snarled, and the silence his words brought seemed to stretch forever. Xion looked back and forth between the two, eyes wide enough to dwarf her face.
"What just happened?" she finally whispered to Kairi.
Kairi looked at her, eyebrows nearly reaching her hairline. "I'm not sure," she replied quietly. "He was acting a little odd on the journey back, but he didn't snap like this." Riku wasn't the calmest sort, but outbursts were rare. The group's discomfort was tangible. Roxas still felt unexplainably irritable, stresses upon stresses weighing themselves upon his face. Sora seemed to be thinking about doing damage control, opening his mouth to speak before falling silent again. Riku was still staring daggers at Roxas, though as the moments passed his anger seemed to dissipate and he looked merely confused, as if uncertain what he had been doing.
"…Sorry," Roxas muttered, "I'm just frustrated." Xion looked relieved and nodded, and Kairi and Sora followed suit.
"We all are," Sora said. "We shouldn't fight each other. How's that going to help things, huh?" He glared at Roxas and Riku, and Roxas felt incredibly small.
"I know," Riku and Roxas chorused, then frowned at each other. Kairi smiled at them with encouragement in her features, and Roxas felt like he was expected to say something else.

At that moment, however, the King called from inside the hall. "Sora, Roxas, Xion? I would like to speak with you for a moment." Sora looked impressed, and turned to Roxas with an eyebrow raised.
"How'd he know we were here?" he asked.
Kairi giggled. "He's the King, silly," she said playfully. "He knows everything. Also, you're very predictable. The same thing happens every time we've been gone a while and come back suddenly." Sora looked confused at the accusation of predictability, but Riku smirked at him and Xion grinned.
"We shouldn't keep him waiting," Xion noted, and Sora nodded.
"We'll talk later, okay?" Kairi hugged Sora again and Riku waved them off as Sora, Roxas and Xion reentered the Great Hall.

The man had removed his hood, and stood in front of the King. He noticed the siblings and gave a rather irritating grin.
"Here they are. Well, I'll let you get to it," he said in a somewhat lazy voice, and gave a short, almost sarcastic bow. The King frowned but allowed him to leave. The redhead had long, swaggering strides. He smirked at the group as he passed, brushing past them airily as if they weren't even there. Roxas scowled at his back. Something about him was incredibly irritating. No, more than irritating- loathsome. It was likely the fact that he had the aura of someone who considered himself his own law and society. Sora poked him in the back and he continued making his way to the King, scowl still in place.
Xion curtsied and Sora bowed, and after a moment Roxas remembered to do the same. The King motioned for them to stand, and smiled wearily at them. "I trust your reunion went pleasantly?" he asked.
"Er, mostly," Sora said, and Roxas dropped his eyes. Xion gave him a disapproving look, then returned her attention to the King.
"We must keep our friends close in such troubling times," he said, and shook his head. "Unfortunately, I do not need to speak with you about such nice things. I must ask something of each of you." Here it comes, Roxas thought, and cringed slightly.
"We'll do whatever you ask of us, sir," Xion said, and Sora agreed. Roxas nodded halfheartedly.
"Something new has arisen, and I must ask for your cooperation. The scouts found an… ally, of sorts. It is unusual, yes, but we must take any help that is offered. The man you just saw is a representative of a group, a guild so to speak, of mages and scholars. He has come to offer his assistance in finding ways to destroy the Heartless horde. At the moment the only way we know for certain is, of course, the Keyblades- which is somewhat limiting. If a new way can be found, it could turn the tide in our favor." King Mickey paused to ensure that they were still listening before continuing. "I need each of you to assist us. Sora, you are the most adept at swordplay. Therefore, I would like you to continue your practice, in hopes that one day soon you will be skilled enough to take to the front lines."
Sora grinned and thumped his chest. "No problem!" Xion looked a bit nervous that the easiest task seemed to have been taken already.
"Xion," the King said as he turned to look at her, "I need you to begin preparations for the new arrivals of refugees. Once that is done, I have further instructions for you. I will tell you at that time." Xion looked a bit mystified, but curtsied again and remained silent.
"Roxas," and the King looked at him contemplatively as he said this, "You have the most intellectual knowledge of the properties of the Light and the Keyblades. You will assist the mage, Axel, and the scholars he is working with. Report to the Library today and begin to familiarize yourself with their research. Every other day, you will practice with Sora."
It felt like Roxas' voice wouldn't work, as he mouthed soundlessly several times before he was able to speak.

"What?"

Absolutely not. This was ridiculous. He would not work with that man. It had only taken a moment to realize that he was worse that even Riku- it was impossible. He wouldn't do it. "I'm not-" Roxas began, but the King silenced him with a surprisingly terrifying glare.
"Everyone must do their part. This includes you, Roxas. I can allow no disagreement." Roxas stared at the King mutely once again, then returned his gaze to the floor.
He said, "Yes, sir," but it sounded more like "I hate you."
The King rubbed his head for a moment, and briefly seemed to regret his life immensely. "Very well. You all are dismissed."