Name: Roxas
Nickname:Tiger, Kiddo (both severely disliked)
Organization XIII or Dark XII Nickname: Number XIII - The Key of Destiny
Age: 2 (appears to be 16)
Gender: Male
Species:Nobody (Humanoid)
Position: Chaotic Good, formerly Number XIII of Organisation XIII
Powers: The reason for many of Roxas' abilities can be traced back to his unique birth as the Nobody of Sora, a Keyblade wielder. While not explicitly a power, Roxas' ability to experience true human emotions can be deemed unique in consideration of his nature as Nobody, who by definition should not be able to feel emotions due to the absence of a heart. In the same vein, he seems to be able to affect other Nobodies he is close to, allowing them to somewhat feel a stronger sense of what it was like to feel, almost giving them a sensation of such vivid similarity that one would seriously wonder if it really was a 'true' emotion. This can be seen through his interactions with Axel, whom he befriended during his time in the Organisation.
Being the Nobody of a Keyblade wielder, Roxas shares Sora's ability to wield the Keyblade, a legendary weapon that allows him to destroy Heartless as well as unlock and lock almost any lock in the known universe, namely the Keyholes that lead to the Hearts of the Worlds. It is primarily for this reason that he was recruited by Organisation XIII - the Keyblade being the most efficient weapon for destroying Heartless, it guaranteed the most efficient method for releasing hearts to add to their amassed Kingdom Hearts. Roxas' uniqueness is taken even further by the fact that he is potentially capable of wielding two Keyblades at once, an ability which only doubles his ferocity in battle - although he is currently capable of wielding only one. However, the ability to wield a Keyblade has the downside of Heartless using the Keyblade as a homing beacon, which means that Roxas is almost constantly under attack due to being a Wielder, even though he does not have a Heart for them to consume.
While Roxas' ability to wield the Keyblade stems from Sora, his style is more aggressive and fast-paced - compared to his other's methodical and regulated swordplay, Roxas uses overwhelming slashes and spinning manoeuvres delivered with merciless speed that aim to rack up damage and end the fight with a swift finish. The sheer speed and force of his successive attacks are relentless to the point that his defensive tactics almost completely revolve around his ability to break and counter an enemy's combo with an even stronger one of his own. This is partly due to the personality differences between Sora and Roxas - while the former maintains a more carefree attitude who bears the mantle of the hero suitably and almost willingly, Roxas' tendency to short-temperedness, restlessness and frustration causes within him a psychological tension, the release of which can be seen in his more bellicose and relentless fighting style. Currently, he covers the lack of his second Keyblade by using his remaining weapon over a wider range by moving it to cover both his flanks, while increasing his more acrobatic movements with the freedom and balance offered by his free hand. Thus, while his aptitude for defence may not be quite as well-guarded (nor as well-used) as Sora's, the speed of his combos and the intensity of his offensive techniques give his enemies little room and even less time to defend themselves in combat, particularly when combined with his superior mastery over the manipulation of light to give him an additional edge in battle.
Roxas is able to form light into useable forms to utilise in battle, namely additional weapons and projectiles which serve to give him greater range and power, particularly when facing dark-based foes such as Heartless. He can form lances to throw at enemies from afar, blades that augment his sword techniques and cover his blind spots in battle, or pillars that he can send flying outwards or descend from above to cause heavy damage to surrounding foes. At full power, he can summon as many as thirteen sword-shaped shields that allow him to form a laser array and attack with an intense arsenal of light projectiles. However, having only just been separated from Sora, his powers are severely limited particularly in this area - not only is he currently incapable of summoning even half the amount that he would be able to at his full strength, but using his light techniques drains him if used for prolonged periods of time. He also potentially has a degree of control over darkness, as seen through his previous ability to use Twilight Arts, but again, the loss of the use of one of his two Keyblades and recent severance from Sora has mainly closed this particular power to him, including the ability to summon and control lesser Nobodies, although he is still capable of creating portals to the Corridors of Darkness, if only briefly.
Currently many of his techniques are toned-down versions of the powers he had at his call when he was at full strength - having retained his memories in his second birth, he is able to in theory perform all of his previous manoeuvres (as well as, incidentally, his skateboarding skills), but his now single-wielding style along with his currently depleted power, they are not as strong as they were when he fought Sora in the Awakening. Nevertheless, he is stronger than he was when he first joined the Organisation, due to his greater knowledge of techniques and the absence of Xion, a replica formed from the memories extracted from Roxas. Therefore, his moves have been varied and altered to conserve his strength and cover the lack of two Keyblades.
Some of Roxas' techniques include:
- Blade Flurry -A Dual Flurry except using a single Keyblade, Roxas lashes out in a flurry of slashes designed to break an enemy's defence. Though not as fast and efficient as Dual Flurry, the double-handed grip Roxas uses makes each slash much stronger.
- Shockwave Thrust -Roxas dashes at the target with his Keyblade pointed forward with phenomenal speed boosted by his light manipulation, to the point that he leaves a lens flare behind him. The light energy dissipates outwards during the technique, knocking away nearby foes that stand in his way.
- Aerial Spiral -A variation of the Aerial Roll, instead of leaping into the air and somersaulting towards the enemy, Roxas spins at them with his Keyblade held out, his horizontal body acting as the axis. This is to make up for the lack of effectiveness of having only one Keyblade as opposed to two, as the force of the blow is far greater due to the distance from the edge of the weapon to the centre of the spin.
- Light Cross -A Criss-Cross with a single Keyblade, Roxas spins his Keyblade rapidly in a figure-8 fashion, unleashing a shockwave of light. Due to the lesser speed resulting from having only a single Keyblade to form the cross, it is not as powerful, but requires less magic power to execute.
- Duel Stance -A powerful manoeuvre where Roxas moves in swiftly with his weapon to deliver a a powerful slash while passing by the target. It is an effective to move to close the distance instantly while causing heavy damage. It is, however, quite predictable, and once the timing of when it will hit has been identified, it is not impossible to counter. Due to the lack of a second Keyblade, its power and range is not quite what it was, but Roxas is able to deliver the technique with a marginally higher speed.
- Zantetsuken -A move that later became Twilight Arts, Roxas now only uses the light-enforced slash with his Keyblade delivered with great force at lightning speed. Despite not being as powerful and versatile as Twilight Arts, this technique still remains one of Roxas' most powerful single-target finishers.
- Event Horizon -Formerly XIII Beams, this technique has been downgraded once again to Event Horizon, which limits the pillars to five. However, Roxas can summon them in quicker succession, with comparatively lower cost to power. He surrounds himself with five pillars of light and launches outwards, causing heavy damage to all that make contact with it. While using Event Horizon, Roxas also envelops his Keyblade in light, increasing attack speed and strength.
- Magic Hour -Forming a barrier of five light pillars to surround him, Roxas leaps into the air and begins spinning his Keyblade overhead, using it to launch balls of light at surrounding enemies for devastating damage, before launching the pillars outwards in a manner similar to Event Horizon. Since he uses only one Keyblade as opposed to two, the attack rate is slightly slower, but Roxas compensates for this by making the projectiles less powerful in return for a faster travelling speed. A variation of this technique is to summon pillars of light directly onto each enemy, but loses the defensive barrier of light shields.
Weapon:- Keyblade (Kingdom Key) -
A legend of the Worlds, the Keyblade is one of the most mysterious weapons in the known universe. Few currently living know the full extent of its power, and less know the whole tale behind its existence. The Keyblade is used in the same manner as a sword, and its main purpose as a combat weapon is to destroy Heartless and Nobodies - there are few other known weapons more effective against them in the universe. It is capable of acting as an effective medium for channelling magical attacks - this is particularly useful for Keyblade wielders, as they often use light and/or darkness to compound some of their most powerful techniques, most frequently by surrounding them with energy to extend their Keyblade's length and damage capabilities.
However, the Keyblade's main purpose is as a tool to arbitrate the inter-worldly barriers through the locking and unlocking of the worlds' Keyholes, preventing access to the world's heart by the Heartless, and unlocking Gates, allowing travel between the worlds. A side-effect of this feature is the Keyblade's ability to lock and unlock every single kind of lock, including doors, gates and containers, granting the wielder access to almost any area.
Roxas currently shares his Keyblade with Sora, due to the inherited nature of his wielding abilities and his existence as Sora's Nobody. The Keyblade can take many forms, altered usually by attaching various Keychains to it. Roxas keeps his Keyblade in the form of the Kingdom Key, the original form of Sora's own Keyblade, which Roxas now uses to remind himself that he is a part of Sora, and he is therefore obliged to keep him safe, as well as the fact that he has to someday return to him. The Kingdom Key looks much like an ordinary skeleton key, the blade of which is silver, ending with a set of teeth in the shape of a crown, and the black handle is built with a set of chunky brass-coloured hand-guards. The Keychain that swings from it is a Hidden Mickey symbol.
Picture:
Appearance: Roxas' appearance derives much from that of his other - he shares Sora's blue eyes and the well-built physique that came from his constant training and ever-growing strength the Keyblade's chosen acquired during his journey to stop Xenahort's Heartless. However, Roxas' eyes are a stormier blue than Sora's, and are often tempered with the sprays of aggression and even arrogance with deep ripples of melancholy and confusion flowing beneath that he often denies. He also shares the unimposing height of the youthful Sora, and despite his strength-based fighting style, his figure is only marginally stockier than his other's, if only on the outside. His golden-brown hair, although its spikiness was no doubt inspired again by Sora, is more tousled, with the spikes directly above his eyes swept into a whorl of sorts, with his hair at the back being more uniform and not quite as intent on sticking up as high as possible. His expression often holds a prevalent sense of stoicism tinged with an uncertainty repressed with a hostile sort of confidence, the look of which has been visibly refined over numerous moments of hardship and doubt.
Having left Sora's body for the second time, he has decidedly not donned the trademark black coat of the Organisation, but neither does he wear exactly the same clothes as he wore during his time in the simulated Twilight Town. This is partly due to the fact that he is now aware of Sora and his resemblance to him, and therefore wears clothes that will be able to hide his facial features, so that no-one will think that he is Sora, which in turn would make it harder for Sora to realise who he was when he is told about him, thus allowing him to be simply 'a Keyblade wielder' as opposed to 'a Keyblade wielder who is/looks like Sora'. Therefore, he wears a black, hooded zip-up top fashioned from a Black Coat with a white-striped hood and white lining, the latter of which lines either side of the zip. Over this he wears his trademark white, red-collared zip-up jacket, adorned black and white checkered strips running over and around his shoulders and across his chest, with two pockets around his navel. However, his jacket sleeves have been removed, and the sleeves of his black hooded top can be seen to come down just past the elbows, with two zips on the outside of each sleeve to tighten them, designed in a manner similar to the black zip-up leather coat of the Organisation.
On his feet he wears a pair of black and white thick-soled high-top sneakers that reach just below the midway line of his calves, with red straps instead of laces to tighten them from his ankles to the top of his shoes. Across the top of his feet are a series of grey clips that secure them. Over these he wears a pair of baggy trousers that are predominantly grey, although the grey folds end about halfway up his thighs, after which the remainder is black. The grey is separated by a band of black roughly halfway down his calves, after which the remainder is folded up just above his sneakers, showing the white inner lining. His trousers are equipped with two large pockets on either side of his lower thighs, fastened with black straps and clips, and is held up by a simple black belt with a buckle that resembles a cross made up of the spikes that are characteristic of the Nobody symbol. On his right hand he wears a long, fingerless black glove that covers most of his forearm, bound with black and white bands that end when they cross over the back of his hand - an accessory which reduces friction when fighting for long periods of time with the Keyblade in his hand. On his left wrist he wears a black and white checkered wristband with black lining, as well as two ring-like bands on two of his fingers - a black band on his index finger and a white band on his middle finger. The black and white motif in his attire represents light and darkness, as well as his existential position between them as a Nobody, an in-between creature born neither in darkness nor in light.
Personality:Roxas is possibly the most emotionally complex Nobody there has ever been - a trait that can mostly be explained as being due to the very fact that he is a Nobody, which in definition should make him emotionless. Yet, despite being born with no memory of his life as a Somebody, and with barely two years of existence to learn how to simulate such sensations through recollections of past moments of emotion, Roxas is a Nobody that has an unprecedented capacity to feel. This is at odds with his views on his identity as a Nobody, a being without a heart, and there are frequent clashes within him between the seemingly irrevocable fact that he is an emotionless being and the insuppressibly driving urges to act upon internal forces other than his logic. This results in him being deliberately less impulsive than his other, although his collected exterior is far easier to crack and thus allowing his simmering frustration and anger to burst through. This is made even worse by the ensuing conflict between his existential stoicism and the awareness that he is growing angrier, a sensation he should not be able to feel. More often than not, his reason is usually suppressed in the argument and Roxas can lose himself to his rage, as seen when he destroyed the computers in the virtual Twilight Town when discovering DiZ’s plot and what he did to him. However, despite Roxas' affinity for anger, there is a constant underlying current of melancholy and a feeling of not quite belonging, strongly affected by the perceived abnormality of his lack of emotional detachment, but mostly from his relationship with Sora, his other, and the consequent confusion that surrounds his sense of identity.
Having lived for almost a year without explicitly conscious awareness of Sora's existence, Roxas was easily angered by the idea that he was not his own person. However, having seen through Sora's eyes, lived with Sora's breath and felt with Sora's heart, his view of Sora changed through the understanding that he and Sora were mutual existences, who both wanted to protect their precious friends. Therefore, Roxas has no grudge against Sora, and the emptiness caused by his loss of identity was made fully whole when he fought Sora in his Awakening. However, now that he has been separated from Sora again, the question of 'why' has brought his uncertainty back. Having fought for so long with the idea of wanting his own existence but truly wishing to meet Sora and finally having found a resolution to his dilemma, to be found in his previous predicament for a second time makes him wonder if this is a gift given to him, a second chance for him to lead his own, separate existence from Sora, or the machinations of something darker and more ominous, calling him to arms against the Light once more. His wish to be able to establish himself as an independent entity is actively suppressed by his fierce loyalty and protectiveness of Sora, which now results in him being more sorrowful than angry, as he knows that he will eventually return to Sora willingly, but is nevertheless unable to stop himself for searching for ways to affirm his identity as something other than 'Sora's Nobody'.
Another source of his identity conflict is his reluctant role as a Keyblade wielder. Unlike Sora, who bears the mantle of a hero with comparative ease, even willingly at times in an effort to help others, Roxas often feels indisposed to deal with the responsibilities and burdens laid on by the Keyblade, and more than once yearns for a life unchained to it - a sentiment not eased by the knowledge that his ability to wield the Keyblade was used to the dark ends of the Organisation. The ordeal of losing the 'friends' he had as part of his life in the simulated Twilight Town has only made him more painfully aware of the gap between his own existence and the life Hayner, Pence and Olette share - the life of people with hearts. His longing for such an existence and his knowledge that he can never live an independent life (as that would mean Sora would never be complete) means that he often views his current predicament and emotions - as a separate being from Sora, moving, thinking and feeling independently - with scepticism and confusion. He therefore roots himself in the mindset of a person on a mission to help Sora and not remake his past mistakes as a member of the Organisation - and thus giving himself a purpose, direction and reason to be while keeping his doubts at bay. This results in him having an even more calculating, prudent and ultimately more distrustful exterior than he had before, making his contrast to Sora's more carefree and gullible persona starker still.
Despite the numerous negative outcomes of his past experiences, Roxas' emotional growth has not been exclusively adverse. Despite his friends in the virtual Twilight Town being not real, his time with them nevertheless gave him the space to allow his positive emotions of friendship and loyalty to grow into some of the strongest driving forces behind his actions, consolidating the very human ability create strong bonds with others - something which had begun with his companionship with Axel. He is not unknown to present shows of confidence in his abilities and sarcastic remarks, the latter of which was often made at one of his best friends, Hayner. The memories formed while travelling within Sora after their reunion allowed him to form an intense sense of fellowship with his other, and the importance of protecting one's friends - though he had known friendship before, he had never had to fight for them, since Hayner, Pence and Olette never got into any real danger while Axel could generally take care of himself. This makes his feeling of obligation to protect Sora - the only real, true friend he has left - even stronger, and it would not be over-exaggerating to say that this is currently the most fundamental basis for almost all his actions.
Original World: Twilight Town
Current World: Twilight Town
Video Game:Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts coded (cameo)
History:t h e · b i r t h
'Do you remember your true name?'
In the moment that the Keyblade wielder Sora stabbed himself with the Keyblade of People's Hearts in an effort to free Kairi's heart from the recesses of his body, he also released his own, thus becoming a Heartless. However, this act was to have an even greater consequence than he had ever imagined, as in doing so, his Nobody was created - one who would co-exist with its other, and the first of its kind.
Discovered wandering around by Xemnas, the leader of a group of powerful Nobodies called the Organisation, the naive, blank, aimless existence was given a name, a number and a purpose - things imposed on him in order to give his life a sense of direction, an identity of sorts to go by while he searched for answers to his reason for being. And thus, the Nobody of the Keyblade wielder became Roxas, Number XIII of the Organisation, and the Key of Destiny who would feed the magnificent Kingdom Hearts that was being so carefully cultivated under the care of Xemnas, the Superior.
t h e · o r g a n i s a t i o n
'I couldn't have told you who the people in black coats were, or what they wanted with me.'
Roxas was sent on missions by the Organisation, fighting Heartless and in the process releasing hearts which were collected by the Organisation's synthetic Kingdom Hearts. However, instead of finding answers, he only racked up more and more questions. Why did he own a Keyblade? What made it so unique that only he could wield it? What was the purpose of Kingdom Hearts? What was laughter and how did they make friends? With each mission and each world, he felt that he was learning only how to learn, but not actually gaining anything substantial - a fact which frustrated his natural impatience.
However, he found some form of strange solace in Number VII of the Organisation, the red-haired Axel. Once he had passed his numb, silent phase, he began to appreciate the effort the senior member put into making him at ease through their breaks at the Clock Tower and the sea salt ice-cream, and calmed many of his dilemmas concerning being friends - even if what he and Axel shared wasn't really friendship, he almost felt that he didn't mind all that much. It was therefore with some peculiar regret that he took the news that Axel would not be able to make their usual meetings at the top of the tower due to his assignment to Castle Oblivion (whatever that was). However, it did result in his first real interaction with the mysterious new recruit - Number XIV, Xion.
t h e · f o u r t e e n t h
'Your... friend? Roxas, do you think I could be a friend?'
Although Xion remained silent and faceless throughout the initial missions, it did not last long and her obvious attachment to Roxas became clearer. In the absence of Axel, their frequent interaction and similar age allowed them to become close friends. However, Roxas soon fell into a mysterious coma for several weeks, and was unable to spend time with her during this time - though Xion compensated for this by visiting Roxas every day with a seashell from other worlds. However, the dreams which he experienced while sleeping began to cause the doubts repressed by the missions and his friends to resurface. Why were the dreams so familiar when he could remember nothing? What was he really doing here?
These doubts could not be eased completely as before, even by the return of Axel from Castle Oblivion and thus the completion of the trio of friends. They were further thrown into relief as Xion began to act stranger and more distant from him, an action which made Roxas feel strangely hurt and confused - feelings he didn't quite appreciate getting, especially when he was a Nobody. He was slowly confronted with fear - fears of losing what he had in the present, especially when he had no past, and fears of losing either of his most precious friends. This fear became real when Xion left the Organisation - an act that catalysed the series of events and questions which eventually drove Roxas to follow her.
t h e · d e f e c t i o n
'Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know.'
Sora, Xion, Kingdom Hearts, the Keyblade. A long list of unanswered questions that the Organisation had failed to answer and an even longer list of secrets that they had kept from him was going to be resolved by his hand, one way or another. These were the thoughts on Roxas' mind as he searched for Xion. After fruitless searching, he decided to try the Clock Tower, just for the sake of past memories. To his surprise, Xion came to him while he sat watching the sunset, and for a moment, it was almost as if everything was going to be alright - but then, Xion threw back her hood, uncovering the face of 'Sora', as well as her confusing intention to absorb him. She revealed that she was an incomplete replica made to absorb Roxas' memories and strength, and become the new 'Sora'. There was little time to contemplate it - with a flash of darkness, his body moving against an armoured foe, Roxas eventually found himself with a dark-haired girl in a black coat lying in his arms, looking up at him with damaged, clear blue eyes and a sad, relieved smile. Unnatural tears and moments of oblivious confusion later, a fleeting memory was caught and Roxas had time to call out Xion's name before she faded into nothingness - his greatest fear had come to pass.
On Xion's final wishes, Roxas headed to Memory's Skyscraper to free Kingdom Hearts, yearning to have his friends, his life back. However, he was stopped by a silver-haired figure in a blindfold, who offered words advising against his intentions, that he needed to return to Sora - words he had neither the time nor patience for. He struck him down, again and again, fully intent on seizing his friends back by force. But in the end, his foe rose to the challenge once more in a wave of darkness, and incredibly, Roxas felt the invasion of unconsciousness envelop him as he clung to the rapidly fading memories of Xion and Axel and the terrible regret that came with the feeling that he had failed them...
t h e · v a c a t i o n
'Maybe... today we'll finally hit the beach!'
Roxas was an ordinary boy in an ordinary town, with ordinary friends and an ordinary life. His summer had been... good. He didn't really think through much of it. Most of it had probably been spent with Hayner, Pence and Olette anyway. On the first day of the final week of summer vacation, Roxas discovered that they were being accused of being photograph thieves. However, upon the retrieval of the items, he noticed something strange - this photo heist wasn't the only mysterious happenings in Twilight Town, but strange white creatures seemed to be appearing around him, things that seemed fully intent on bringing him down. And then there was the peculiar appearance of a huge, awkward key that just happened to flash into existence whenever he was in a tight spot. And yet the feeling of familiarity was hard to shake off.
Then there was her. That girl in a white dress, mysteriously appearing before him while he was just on the street, who seemed to know about (and stranger still, actually understand) the strange dreams and headaches he had been having - about other worlds, odd creatures, and 'Sora'. About how he was the missing half of this Sora, and he wasn't actually supposed to exist and other equally improbable information... though it still made him wonder if he really knew himself as well as he thought he did. But then again, even though he wanted to know about the reason behind all the weird images, but he didn't want it infringing on his summer. All he wanted was to get enough money to go to the beach with his friends in the last week of vacation while leaving just enough time to finish his homework assignment - even to him, it didn't sound like much to ask. And yet, the strange events continued to keep happening - in a Struggle tournament he entered, he faced off against a possessed opponent, and then there was the appearance of a red-haired man in a black coat who seemed hell-bent on convincing him that he was his friend (taking out those two round bladed things wasn't a great starting point, though), leading to a chain of events that had him fall off Station Tower and call out the girl in the white dress for help - her name was Naminé... or was it Kairi?
t h e · r e u n i o n
'What's gonna happen to me now? Just tell me that. Nothing else really matters anymore.'
In the final day of summer vacation, he woke up to find the glitches he'd been noticing all week finally culminating into a Twilight Town that moved without him - Hayner, Pence, Olette... he was invisible to all of them. In a bid to find answers, Roxas followed Naminé's directions to the Old Mansion, where she seemed about to tell him what was going on, when a figure in red (whom he would later discover was DiZ) stopped her and dragged her through a dark portal. Roxas made his way through the floors of the mansion to find her again, and reaches the basement, surrounded by monitors and machinery. In one last painful headache, his memory finally made a complete return - and with it, the anger of being caged and tortured in a world and life he had always longed for but was in the end never truly to be his own. He made sure there was little left of the machines which had created his prison - whether they be real or fake.
In the hall, Roxas was reunited with Axel only briefly - Axel finally succumbed to his orders and attacked his friend, only to be beaten back by a Roxas who had regained his former powers. He regretfully sank back into the darkness, while Roxas moved on to confront his jailer in the room where three capsules lay. The red figure explained that he was merely a tool to complete Sora, and that his whole purpose was to reunite with him. Roxas struck, screaming that his heart was is own... but in vain. He turned to finally come face to face his other - Sora, sleeping peacefully in the now open capsule, the boy he'd been connected to his whole life and his other half. The one who everybody was waiting for. With a sad, relieved smile, Roxas closed his eyes, allowing himself to rejoin Sora - and with their reunion, the summer vacation came to an end.
t h e · a w a k e n i n g
'I'm sure Sora'll find the answer. Because, he's me.'
Roxas resided in Sora throughout his journey, watching his progress as if through a dream. The entire experience was a mix of images, sensations, feelings that were shared between him and Sora, often crossing over each other within him, causing the brown-haired wielder to refer to him throughout his journey - an occurrence which, despite himself, Roxas found endearing and strangely grateful for. While his residence in Sora was passive with almost no intervention at all, the willing self-sacrifice of Axel in order to save him rather than turn him into a Heartless to rejuvenate his best friend sparked emotions strong enough to completely awaken Roxas from his repose within Sora. And thus, at Memory's Skyscraper, Roxas gathered his strength and confronted Sora in his Awakening - the first time the boys had faced each other while both were conscious.
Roxas clashed with Sora, the pain of losing his only remaining friend giving his attacks a despairing edge. However, he came to understand once he saw Sora's Station of Serenity - the bond of friends gave Sora the strength not only to wield the Keyblade, but to carry out the duties as its wielder not simply out of a sense of higher responsibility, but because of his will to protect the connections between his friends. Satisfied, Roxas returned to his repose, knowing that Sora would be able to find the answer to reconnecting his heart with those of his friends, and create a full, wholesome circle of friends for the both of them. He lent his strength to Sora in the final battle to defeat his former Superior, and joyfully made good on the promise that he made with Naminé, looking at her within Kairi through Sora's eyes and knowing that they would be alright. However, that particular promise seemed destined to go awry...
t h e · r e b i r t h
'What are you talking about? I am me. Nobody else!'
Roxas woke from his repose once again, but this time not due to an emotional upheaval, nor did it result in another mental struggle within Sora's mind. But instead, Roxas found himself waking
up, as in, rising with his legs, arms, and waking with his own eyes and mouth, in a place he was quite sure was not Destiny Islands. He did not feel through Sora's heart, and he did not see through Sora's clear blue gaze. Roxas was of a separate entity once more. Struck with the fear that perhaps something had happened to Sora, he was unable to feel any joy at being able to breathe his own air again, and ran to discover where he was and whether Sora was nearby - only a few steps were necessary for him to recognise the woods of Twilight Town. He was a Nobody again.
But how? Why was he here? Why could he remember everything now when before he could remember nothing? If his memory was intact, why could he recall nothing on how this had come to be? For what purpose had his separation been executed? And why, when he had just accepted his fate and coexistence within his other, was he given the chance to doubt, fear and even hope again? Filled with questions once more, Roxas clung desperately to the single gift he had been left with - he had retained his memories of his time in the Organisation and with Sora. He could only guess that the reason he was allowed to remember was to make sure that he was able to know of his past mistakes and maintain the connections he had forged with his other. He would not make the same errors again. If he did not know the reason for his rebirth, he would make one - he would assume that Sora was in danger again (he tended to throw himself into it without thought, that idiot) so it was up to him he didn't mess up to badly. This time, he would not be the aimlessly wandering tool of the Organisation - this time, he would make sure he got it right from the get go.
Role Playing Sample: Of course. Where else would his footsteps take him? Was he really surprised that he had found himself here? What other place had he been expected to end up? These thoughts lingered on Roxas' mind as he looked out at the eternal twilit sky at the top of the Clock Tower. This place, this most precious place, where he had created so many simple, treasured memories with Axel, then lost them, only to find them again. Despite the joy he felt on recalling the times he had spent with his friend in this very spot, there was an irrepressible sense of loss that hung heavily in the air about him - he just couldn't place what exactly. It was like trying to recall the details of a dream he'd had back when he was still part of the Organisation - the dream turned out to be a memory and reality turned out to be a dream. He wondered if he still hated DiZ for what he had done to him, even after coming to realise that Riku's darkness, DiZ's cruelty and Roxas' own desires had all led up to his reunion with Sora. Maybe he didn't have it in him to hate DiZ anymore - he was long gone anyway, and if he had learnt anything, it was that there was no point harbouring hatred for past memories. But with that said, Roxas probably wouldn't miss a chance to whack him if he ever came back, as impossible as it may be.
But then, come to think of it, was it really that impossible? After all, he himself had returned, even after all that he'd gone through, all that had been done to him in order to reconnect with Sora. He couldn't help but feel almost betrayed, as if his entire experience had been undermined. A childish word was about to slip off his tongue, and he bit his lip to stop it, but it still rang guiltily through his mind.
Unfair.Sora had it so easy. He was the Keyblade Master, he had a heart, he had friends, he had a life. And he loved every moment of it. He used the Keyblade to help others while Roxas only knew how to use it to collect Hearts. He used his heart to care and feel while for Roxas, it was only another chaotic indeterminable in the confusing equation of his reason to be. He had friends who loved and supported him, while the few Roxas had were either dead or imaginary. He had a life knowing exactly what to do while the single consistency about the existence Roxas led were the unanswered questions that mounted up to maddening heights. In this light, could they really be more different? Could anyone really believe that the spiky-haired over-excited youth was the original self of the moody zombie that leant against the wall of the Clock Tower, brooding about why he was even here?
Yes, they could, because that was the way it was. Sora wielded the Keyblade because he was capable of bearing all its burdens, and his strength came from the faith of his friends, the tenacity of his heart and his incorrigible love for life. Roxas had felt as much during his time within Sora - feeling it, living it, loving it. It was because it was Sora that it was easy - no-one else would have been able to handle it.
'But unfortunately, you're not really too smart, are you, Sora?' Roxas murmured into the sunset. 'You let me out again, and you're probably leaping headfirst into a suicidal danger zone to save a rabbit or something. What're you going to do without me?'
Roxas allowed himself to sit on the ledge, where he had often looked out at the town below with a familiar salty-sweet bar of ice cream dangling easily from his hand. He recalled he'd promised to eat with Axel soon - yeah, that one fell through. It was tough making promises you couldn't keep. As Roxas watched the people beneath him go about their lives, he wondered how much Sora had gone through to protect the lifestyle of a single baker's morning, an ice-cream vendor's cart, and each star in the night sky. They didn't know, and Sora didn't care - whether they knew him as a cute kid, a great hero or didn't know him at all, he was fine with it as long as he was doing the right thing, and they were safe.
Raising his hood, Roxas' features became veiled in shadow. This time, he would be the one helping Sora. Whatever danger it was that forced him back out of Sora, he would make sure that it wouldn't even touch him. After all, he was also a Keyblade wielder, and to be frank, he considered himself just a tad better than his other. With an unseen smile, Roxas leapt off the top of the tower and fell into the sunlit air.
Hold on, Sora - this time, I'm gonna take care of everything. You won't even see me coming.Questions/Comments/Suggestions? Addressed in PM to Ellie.
