[KH2] - Conversation (Xemnas, Roxas)
Title: Conversation
Author: Xanthos Samurai
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts II
Pairing/Characters: Xemnas, Roxas (Xemnas/Roxas if you squint)
Rating: PG-13
Length: 1,093 Words
Warnings: Spoilers for KH2.
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to a lot of awesome people, none of which are named Xanthos Samurai
Notes: I have no idea what inspired this, but I've come to the conclusion that I really need to write more Xemnas. Especially talking to Roxas. I think that their relationship could potentially be one of the most interesting ones in the game. I actually had a lot of other thoughts I wanted to touch on, but I'm tired, so sleep is winning out. ON THAT NOTE, THIS IS ROUGH AND HASN'T BEEN PROOFREAD.
~
The remains of the fading, rust-colored sunset was trickling through the cracked window of Roxas’ bedroom. The sun never truly set in Twilight Town, nor did it ever truly rise. As a result, the town’s inhabitants and even the town itself passed through countless days not knowing whether they should be awake or asleep. They walked through their dreams and floated through their days, unaware of time or age or birth or death.
But Roxas had been born in a world inhabited by death and raised in a world that had never come to life in the first place. He knew all about birth and death. Almost as well as the man sitting over him on his bed.
“Did you know that you intimidated all of the others? Even Xigbar. I wasn’t even aware that it was possible to intimidate Xigbar.” Xemnas brushed his hair behind his ears and looked down at Roxas. XIII’s wrists were bound by what appeared to be a glowing red rope. Another rope was gagging him, so he could neither move nor speak. All that Roxas could do was remain motionless on his bed and watch his former superior.
Xemnas propped one leg up and let the other dangle over the edge of Roxas’ bed. He rested an elbow on his knee and gazed thoughtfully into space for several moments. Gone was his customary coat and boots, replaced by simple black pants and a short-sleeved shirt. His feet were bare. He had never allowed himself to appear so relaxed in front of the others before, but this was different. Roxas was no longer a threat.
“It’s different with you gone. The others walk more freely since you aren’t around to contend with. I often think that they found you as much a threat as they find me. Although perhaps I’m giving you too much credit.” Xemnas looked down at Roxas, then leaned over him. His hair fell forward and brushed Roxas’ cheek, but he made no effort to brush it back.
“We’re alike in more ways than you imagine. Have you ever thought about that, Roxas. You know nothing about your former life and neither do I. Why do we remember nothing, but all of the other Nobodies can? Doesn’t that make you angry? Are you not filled with rage?” Xemnas’ voice dropped to a whisper as he stared into Roxas eyes, searching for an answer, a flash of light, anything.
But nothing came. Roxas continued to stare blankly at him. Xemnas bit back the disappointment that he couldn’t truly feel. Despite all his hopes… his dreams… his aspirations… Roxas was just like the rest of them.
“I’d had such high hopes for you,” he admitted to Roxas. “Hopeful is an emotion, but even heartless beings feel hope, I’d like to think. I wanted you to be my key… You should have been, but you were just as disappointing as all the rest.”
Xemnas paused then and ran an ungloved hand across Roxas’ chest. The sight of his own hideously burned hands usually revolted him, but sometimes it was necessary to feel things with his own flesh.
“Why do you get to forget, Roxas?” The question came suddenly. Xemnas tightened his fingers around Roxas shirt. “Why are you so special? Why are you permitted to forget that you don’t have a heart? Why do you find it so easy to forget that it isn’t there?” Xemnas grasped his chest in desperation. “How can you do that? It’s been so long since I felt mine…”
He fell silent for a moment, then smirked down at Roxas.
“You know… Number VIII has been quite disconsolate without you. I think he may even try to betray me in favor of coming to find you. Wouldn’t that be an amusing turn of events? He would force me to destroy him, of course. There’s no getting around it.” Xemnas ran a burned and withered thumb across Roxas lips. “Pity he hasn’t yet realized that you’re not worth it…”
Roxas finally struggled then and a string of angry-sounding noises burst forth from behind the gag. Xemnas watched this impassively, waiting until Roxas’ false anger subsided and he once again relaxed back. Blue eyes met orange and Xemnas smiled again.
“You’re the only Nobody whose Other still exists, other than Namine. I hope that you find him, Roxas. I sincerely hope you do. I hope that it kills you. You don’t deserve to get your heart back… You haven’t felt the agony that I have. The emptiness hasn’t yet consumed you. I doubt that you even care that you don’t have a heart. You had your beloved Axel in the Organization and even after you abandoned that, you eked out a nice little life here, didn’t you? Complete with friends. Oh yes, Roxas, I know all about your friends. Hayner, Pence and Olette. You’re so happy with them - who needs a heart when you have friends, right? What if I killed them? Would you feel empty then, Roxas?” Xemnas held Roxas’ chin so tightly that it would have left a bruise, had Roxas been capable of bruising. XIII stared back into Xemnas’ eyes, defiant even still.
Xemnas let go of him with a disdainful noise.
“I will never meet my Other, but I am the only Nobody who has had the privilege of meeting my Heartless. The experience was… enlightening. I can only hope that one day, I can adequately share it with you.” Xemnas traced a fingertip along the burns on his hands. Ansem had well understood that Xemnas was incapable of feeling emotion, so he had ever so generously given his brother something that he could feel. Pain.
Xemnas smiled down at Roxas again.
“Sora will wake up soon and everything will be set into motion. I hope that you enjoy everything I have in store for you, Roxas.” Darkness momentarily enveloped the superior as he stood. When it dispersed, he was once again wearing the customary coat, boots and gloves. He turned back to the bound and gagged Nobody, who was staring up at him with utter shock. It was fun to scare Roxas now that he didn’t remember what he truly was…
“Until next time, XIII…” Xemnas placed a hand upon Roxas’ forehead and replaced Roxas’ memories of the conversation with nothing. He would wake up in the morning and feel as though he had had an extremely disconcerting dream, but not remember any of it. The red ropes disappeared as Xemnas walked through a portal, leaving Roxas once again asleep and alone.
If you're interested in participating in my Dark October project, please look here.
Author: Xanthos Samurai
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts II
Pairing/Characters: Xemnas, Roxas (Xemnas/Roxas if you squint)
Rating: PG-13
Length: 1,093 Words
Warnings: Spoilers for KH2.
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to a lot of awesome people, none of which are named Xanthos Samurai
Notes: I have no idea what inspired this, but I've come to the conclusion that I really need to write more Xemnas. Especially talking to Roxas. I think that their relationship could potentially be one of the most interesting ones in the game. I actually had a lot of other thoughts I wanted to touch on, but I'm tired, so sleep is winning out. ON THAT NOTE, THIS IS ROUGH AND HASN'T BEEN PROOFREAD.
~
The remains of the fading, rust-colored sunset was trickling through the cracked window of Roxas’ bedroom. The sun never truly set in Twilight Town, nor did it ever truly rise. As a result, the town’s inhabitants and even the town itself passed through countless days not knowing whether they should be awake or asleep. They walked through their dreams and floated through their days, unaware of time or age or birth or death.
But Roxas had been born in a world inhabited by death and raised in a world that had never come to life in the first place. He knew all about birth and death. Almost as well as the man sitting over him on his bed.
“Did you know that you intimidated all of the others? Even Xigbar. I wasn’t even aware that it was possible to intimidate Xigbar.” Xemnas brushed his hair behind his ears and looked down at Roxas. XIII’s wrists were bound by what appeared to be a glowing red rope. Another rope was gagging him, so he could neither move nor speak. All that Roxas could do was remain motionless on his bed and watch his former superior.
Xemnas propped one leg up and let the other dangle over the edge of Roxas’ bed. He rested an elbow on his knee and gazed thoughtfully into space for several moments. Gone was his customary coat and boots, replaced by simple black pants and a short-sleeved shirt. His feet were bare. He had never allowed himself to appear so relaxed in front of the others before, but this was different. Roxas was no longer a threat.
“It’s different with you gone. The others walk more freely since you aren’t around to contend with. I often think that they found you as much a threat as they find me. Although perhaps I’m giving you too much credit.” Xemnas looked down at Roxas, then leaned over him. His hair fell forward and brushed Roxas’ cheek, but he made no effort to brush it back.
“We’re alike in more ways than you imagine. Have you ever thought about that, Roxas. You know nothing about your former life and neither do I. Why do we remember nothing, but all of the other Nobodies can? Doesn’t that make you angry? Are you not filled with rage?” Xemnas’ voice dropped to a whisper as he stared into Roxas eyes, searching for an answer, a flash of light, anything.
But nothing came. Roxas continued to stare blankly at him. Xemnas bit back the disappointment that he couldn’t truly feel. Despite all his hopes… his dreams… his aspirations… Roxas was just like the rest of them.
“I’d had such high hopes for you,” he admitted to Roxas. “Hopeful is an emotion, but even heartless beings feel hope, I’d like to think. I wanted you to be my key… You should have been, but you were just as disappointing as all the rest.”
Xemnas paused then and ran an ungloved hand across Roxas’ chest. The sight of his own hideously burned hands usually revolted him, but sometimes it was necessary to feel things with his own flesh.
“Why do you get to forget, Roxas?” The question came suddenly. Xemnas tightened his fingers around Roxas shirt. “Why are you so special? Why are you permitted to forget that you don’t have a heart? Why do you find it so easy to forget that it isn’t there?” Xemnas grasped his chest in desperation. “How can you do that? It’s been so long since I felt mine…”
He fell silent for a moment, then smirked down at Roxas.
“You know… Number VIII has been quite disconsolate without you. I think he may even try to betray me in favor of coming to find you. Wouldn’t that be an amusing turn of events? He would force me to destroy him, of course. There’s no getting around it.” Xemnas ran a burned and withered thumb across Roxas lips. “Pity he hasn’t yet realized that you’re not worth it…”
Roxas finally struggled then and a string of angry-sounding noises burst forth from behind the gag. Xemnas watched this impassively, waiting until Roxas’ false anger subsided and he once again relaxed back. Blue eyes met orange and Xemnas smiled again.
“You’re the only Nobody whose Other still exists, other than Namine. I hope that you find him, Roxas. I sincerely hope you do. I hope that it kills you. You don’t deserve to get your heart back… You haven’t felt the agony that I have. The emptiness hasn’t yet consumed you. I doubt that you even care that you don’t have a heart. You had your beloved Axel in the Organization and even after you abandoned that, you eked out a nice little life here, didn’t you? Complete with friends. Oh yes, Roxas, I know all about your friends. Hayner, Pence and Olette. You’re so happy with them - who needs a heart when you have friends, right? What if I killed them? Would you feel empty then, Roxas?” Xemnas held Roxas’ chin so tightly that it would have left a bruise, had Roxas been capable of bruising. XIII stared back into Xemnas’ eyes, defiant even still.
Xemnas let go of him with a disdainful noise.
“I will never meet my Other, but I am the only Nobody who has had the privilege of meeting my Heartless. The experience was… enlightening. I can only hope that one day, I can adequately share it with you.” Xemnas traced a fingertip along the burns on his hands. Ansem had well understood that Xemnas was incapable of feeling emotion, so he had ever so generously given his brother something that he could feel. Pain.
Xemnas smiled down at Roxas again.
“Sora will wake up soon and everything will be set into motion. I hope that you enjoy everything I have in store for you, Roxas.” Darkness momentarily enveloped the superior as he stood. When it dispersed, he was once again wearing the customary coat, boots and gloves. He turned back to the bound and gagged Nobody, who was staring up at him with utter shock. It was fun to scare Roxas now that he didn’t remember what he truly was…
“Until next time, XIII…” Xemnas placed a hand upon Roxas’ forehead and replaced Roxas’ memories of the conversation with nothing. He would wake up in the morning and feel as though he had had an extremely disconcerting dream, but not remember any of it. The red ropes disappeared as Xemnas walked through a portal, leaving Roxas once again asleep and alone.
If you're interested in participating in my Dark October project, please look here.