Roxas - Protection Stone

[the_last]

[As soon as Roxas chomps on the fruit, he will experience sudden disorientation, as if suddenly unfamiliar with being inside his body, perhaps not even knowing why he is there or who he is. It lasts for but a moment and then slowly fades... He will suddenly find himself in a place that seems unusually quiet and gray, as though the color were stolen but there remains just enough to suggest that things have been greatly subdued. There are also about three spots in the distance that seem to almost glow with gentle hues of color, soft and welcoming. Too bad, they seem much too far away to reach.

Within the gray is an expansive forest of every tree imaginable and dry, brittle grass that extends to mid-calf. Here and there, one might even spot some faded prints left upon the ground. The sky is equally gray, although not one cloud can be seen. But a dark mist seems to swirl around the forest, not too thick but clearly present.]

Comments

[unionoftheheart]

[after a few long moments, you might start hearing someone breathing nearby...]

[twilight_boy]

[keeping as quiet as he can, himself, trying to track that sound]

[unionoftheheart]

[doesn't seem to be moving]

[deep slow calm breaths]

[twilight_boy]

[Moving toward that sound, fast but cautious]

[unionoftheheart]

[it's Ven, he's sitting cross-legged with his keyblade across his lap, a distant and sad expression on his face]

[twilight_boy]

Ven? What are you doing here?

[unionoftheheart]

I--wanted to find somewhere quiet...

[twilight_boy]

Okay, I guess that makes sense.

You okay? You seem kind of...

[unionoftheheart]

[quiet for a long, long moment]

...Roxas, I...I know you...and Josh and everyone else...want to protect me, I-I know you're not going to believe this, but...there's no point anymore...

[twilight_boy]

What? Ven, what happened?

[unionoftheheart]

The darkness Vanitas left inside me...hasn't been destroyed. Not completely. I failed. And now it's growing. When it's strong enough to be my equal...I won't be me anymore. I won't even be a person. So I have to...

[twilight_boy]

[just. freezing.] We should try again, if Dream will let us. Or maybe it'd be better to go through Beauty or Maleficent.

[unionoftheheart]

[shaking his head, he is kind of horribly calm about this even as he's deeply sad]

...it's too late. I waited and tried to pretend nothing was wrong for too long, I didn't want to worry you...

I'm sorry.

[twilight_boy]

It's not too late. You've beat him before - you're still here, right now - you can beat him for good, this time.

[unionoftheheart]

[just. shaking his head]

Roxas...I know what's happening in my own heart. I know what my chances are, and I'm not going to risk the lives of all my friends on them. All the people I love. They're too slim.

[swallows] Could you...tell Josh I'm sorry? I'm not...I've been a coward about facing him with this...

[twilight_boy]

Ven. ...You realize we have marbles, right? And Personae. I'm pretty sure any one of them could kick Vanitas's butt.

[unionoftheheart]

[okay the calm might be starting to splinter a bit]

Roxas of course I realize that, I'm not stupid--do you think I haven't taken all that into consideration? [this is just kind of a rush, he's clearly not angry at Roxas at all] I know what I need to do. This isn't even about fighting Vanitas, I killed his body and his spirit. But his darkness is still inside me, and in this realm it's been getting much, much worse--

[taking a breath] I've got minutes, Roxas, minutes. I don't know what'll happen when I get brought back, I can only hope it'll buy me some time, because I don't--I don't want to be the X-blade, even if it isn't terrible for Aather and I'm pretty sure it will be, I don't want to live on that way--

[twilight_boy]

...Wait a second. I'll buy you not wanting to mention it.

But I would have felt it, if Vanitas was rearing his ugly head.

...Or if you were upset and not telling me. That's what the stupid bond is for. You said it's been getting worse since we got here. [shaking his head]

Something's not right here.

[unionoftheheart]

It isn't Vanitas himself, I just said that...

[shuddering and stumbling to his feet, still holding his keyblade]

I'm sorry. You shouldn't have found me, I didn't want you to find me. Our bond--your bond is with what I was. Ven with the heart all of light. The closer I get to becoming the X-blade, the less you can feel of what's going on deep down inside me. I thought at first that you would notice, but when you didn't...I knew that's what it had to be. You can't share your heart with a weapon, and that's what I'm going to become if I don't stop it.

[twilight_boy]

[keeps shaking his head] Sorry, not buying it. Light and darkness have nothing to do with who you are. With your personality, and with how you feel. Light, darkness, whatever - if you were in pain, I would have felt it.

[unionoftheheart]

[just. shrinking away from him with a sort of betrayed and hurt look] It's not who I am, it's what I am...

I...I knew nobody would believe me...

[> VENTUS? attempts FLEE]

[twilight_boy]

[following] You are not a what.

You still haven't said anything about the fact that I can think of four Personae off the top of my head who could probably help deal with this, if not fix it altogether. And all four would.

[unionoftheheart]

There's not time--

[wheeling on him]

--Roxas let me go you don't want to see this--

[twilight_boy]

[Yelling, louder than most people would have ever heard him before] Maleficent!

[not that it works, but still...]

And if you think I'd just leave you, you don't know me at all.

[unionoftheheart]

[desperate, voice kind of ragged]

Roxas...

[shrinking back, backing away from him] I didn't...I didn't want it to be like this...I'm sorry...

[he's been holding his keyblade all this time. now he's raising it, holding it with both hands, white-knuckled, teeth turned in towards his heart]