Chapter Text
Roxas growled as DIZ vanished in a swirl of code. The coward couldn't even face him himself. He turned around as if to spot the bastard but nothing had changed about the room. The sounds of machines whirling behind him almost made him turn but something in his gut, his heart, told him to look away.
“AHHH!” A mixture of anger and pain flew out of his jaws as Roxas fell to the floor. His head hurt as memories came back to him. A few became crystal clear before vanishing altogether and others fading till they were just out of reach.
He needed to live. He was Roxas not Sora. He was XII, Key of Destiny, the Flickering Light of Dust. And he needs to escape.
The pain increased as more specific memories flooded his mind. Dodging, strafing, gliding, reversal (Since when did he forget that?), Dark Corridors, and… That Idea. It was a stray thought that he came up with when Xemnas told him how Nobodies were denied by both the light and dark. Yet Roxas could still use light to a great extent. And all nobodies still used the dark.
Roxas stood up despite the pain and focused on those memories of escaping, of moving just out of reach. Of opening the Dark Corridors and his own experimenting of a Light Corridor. DIZ’s entitled voices sounded across the room, “I’ve already told you that I’ve cut off your ability to use the Dark Corridors. Resistance is futile.”
Roxas grit his teeth and grinned as a flash of light went off and a Dark Corridor stood in front of him. Ignoring DIZ’s shouts of fury and astonishment Roxas dived through the portal.
In his haste he forgot to think of a destination. Then again. Where did he think he could go?
Aqua had been traveling for so long. The wispy remains of heartless clung to her like a stench that she couldn't wash off. The strange valleys that she had been traversing for what had seemed like days or weeks seemed to be cut from both wind and monstrous claws.
Despite the relative safety of the strange beach, Aqua’s heart had called her to this strange maze of mesa. Suddenly a light flashed in the distance for a second, brief and dull but in the realm of darkness it may as well have been a beacon to someone from the realm of light.
With lightning at her fingertips Aqua surged towards the light. And when she got there a boy was silent on the ground, “Ventus?! No, how is he here? He should have been safe!” Aqua took a deep breath. “That doesn't matter. I need to find shelter, I can't defend myself and Ventus at the same time.” She paused for a second before looking around, “At least until he’s awake.”
Roxas’s head hurt , it felt like that time he was imitating the other members of the organization, Larxene found out and attacked him because she thought he was making fun of her. Wait, he remembers that. Eh, could have lived without that memory.
Why did everything hurt so much again? Oh right, you're not supposed to travel in a dark corridor unprotected.
Against his wish to try and go back to unconsciousness Roxas slowly opened his eyes and was surprised that no light made him wish to close them again. He slowly sat up and saw a woman nearby looking out of the small cave they were in. “Hello?” As he called out Roxas sat up and pulled himself into a position where he could run at a moment's notice.
The woman turned around swiftly, “Ven!”
‘Who the hell did she think she was talking to!’ Roxas seethed, “My name's Roxas, get it memorized.” First Sora and now someone named Ven?
Aqua looked crestfallen, “Ventus, it's me Aqua.”
“MY NAME IS ROXAS! I’M ME NOBODY ELSE!” Roxas roared at Aqua, in two flashes of both light and dark his keyblades shone brightly in his hands and he was in a proper fighting stance.
Aqua looked shocked before she took control of herself. “I’m sorry Roxas,” he froze in his tracks, “I’ve been alone for so long I mistook you for a friend. It’s nice to meet another Keyblade wielder.”
Roxas’s form and weapons disappeared as curiosity replaced rage. “You're a keyblade wielder! Please tell me, why did it have to pick me!”
“You were chosen by the keyblade?! Someone didn't pass it on to you?”
“No! Wait. Maybe?” Roxas muttered, “I can't remember how I got it. And Even if I did… I don't know if I could trust those memories.”
Aqua looked puzzled, “Roxas, could you sit down and tell me why you can't trust your memories? I promise on my title of Keyblade Master that I will do my best to help you.” She sat down and Roxas followed.
He frowned for a moment before sighing, “I guess I should tell you this. Apparently I was a part of someone else before. A man named DIZ wanted to restore him to his full power and kidnaped me. In order to keep me from running away he took away what little memories I have and gave me fake ones to keep me busy.” Roxas looked down at his hands as they curled into fist. “I. I can barely tell what's real.”
Aqua looked down, “That must be terrifying. I can't imagine losing my memories of my friends. Let alone having those memories and not trusting them. It must be very hard for you.”
Roxas looked uneasy, “Um, thank you? I’ve been getting some memories back but, there are still a lot of fuzzy spots.” There was silence between the two for a moment, “You said you were a Keyblade Master right?”
“Yes, I trained with my Master, Eraqus. My friends Terra and Ventus trained with me.” Aqua answered. “Do you have other questions for me?”
Roxas was quiet for a minute before reaching out a hand and summoning Oblivion. He gazed at it for a little longer before desumoning it. “Can you teach me everything you know.”
“Of course I can do that Roxas.” Aqua said smiling, “But I would like to know, why do you want to learn?”
Roxas once again went quiet, “I want to know. I have the Keyblades but not how to use them. I have this strength but not the knowledge to use it.” He looked Aqua in the eyes, “I never want to have that happen to me again.”
Aqua grinned at Roxas, “In that case, I’m glad to have you as my apprentice, Roxas.”