ｒｅｕｎｉｏｎ．

[otherness]

It feels like I'm falling.

It's so familiar.

I feel like I'm forgetting something... something important.

[Roxas awakens with a gasp. He doesn't remember when he dozed off and he doesn't know how long he's been here. But every time he wakes up, he leaves a little mark on the wall, and there are... quite a few of those. His collection has a couple of strikes through it already. It'll probably earn a few more before he stops existing.

Wouldn't that be a blessing?

Even though Riku had hauled him in to wake Sora up and supposedly DiZ was satisfied with this... Roxas had been tossed into the cell where he is now. Soulless were just leftover garbage to DiZ, remnants of failed experiments-- the offal of his research, he'd said, and then refused to elaborate. And that was the last time Roxas had seen anyone.

Deprived of way out and still nursing his injuries from the duel, he can't say he's in any shape to break out. At first he'd spent all his energy whacking the Keyblade against the bars of the cell, but it was the magical barrier that threw him back, bodily, every time. And every time he'd gotten right back up again. He fought until his gloves split and the skin beneath began to blister; he fought until his wounds reopened and he had to stem the bleeding with what was left of his shirt. He fought until he was exhausted and crying and spent, prostrated on the floor. Still, no one came.

He's sure that no one will come tonight, either. Or the next night, or the night after that. Roxas has been forgotten. He's an inferior clone of Sora-- and that's all he'll ever be.

Roxas closes his eyes. His fingertips ghost over the still-healing wounds along his stomach and side. After a moment, they move upward to his chest. To his heart. For some reason, he can still feel it thump-thump-thumping in his chest.]

Stupid Heart, [he mutters in a raspy voice unaccustomed to speech after so long.] You should've gone to be with him, too.

[He idly wonders what would happen if a Soulless with a heart drove a Keyblade through it. Maybe he'd make Sora a third problem. Maybe it'd bring Xion back... Maybe it would end this, once and for all. He's just so tired. What's he even good for? He can't keep his promise to Xion. He can't do anything right. He can't even stop existing properly-- who knows if he won't make problems for Sora down the road?

Roxas tilts his head back and closes his eyes again. Maybe next time he'll wake up as someone else.]

Comments

[darkercalling]

[ Riku has put up with DiZ's schemes, done all that he's been asked to do - anything to wake Sora up. To bring his best friend back. To try and atone in the only way he thinks is possible. He brought Naminé here. Brought Roxas here. He did what he really thought he had to do. And now that it's done, now that Sora's awake, Riku's no closer to laying his sins to rest. But worse than that...

Destroy her, DiZ had said. And for Roxas? Just let him wither away. There was no need for them anymore. ... Like hell would Riku let any of that happen.

Riku is absolutely aware that he has no room to call anyone out of any state of moral compass or lack thereof. But this is far past the point of too much.

He's returned from seeing Naminé to safety, guilt still weighing heavily in his heart even though he knows she'll be safe, at least for now. He doesn't have much time, there are only so many opportunities for him to move about so freely without inviting any suspicion or undue attention. He heads straight for the dungeon, down the rows, only slowing his pace as he approaches the very cell that holds the Soulless boy he dragged here in the first place.

And Roxas looks... terrible. Riku expected he might, but not nearly like this. He's sure the only thing keeping the boy from being entirely broken is his ridiculous determination and stubborn will - something he shares with his other. But that only makes Riku's heart hurt even more. This is his fault, after all. He shoves all of that down, buries it under a cool mask, a sense of duty. There will be time to talk later. Maybe.

He finds the lock - punch-card activated - and inserts the card key he swiped from the upper levels. Gears turn, clicking into place, pistons pulling the lock free so that Riku can begin prying open the door. If Roxas is sleeping, he won't be for long, the mechanical whirrs and pops are loud enough on their own, but their echo through the stone dungeon is even more distracting.

He says nothing. He figures what he's doing is obvious, after all. ]