sirenspull_logs | And I'm not sleeping now the dark is too hard to beat

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And I'm not sleeping now the dark is too hard to beat

Who: Roxas and Eraqus
When: November 12, after evening siren
Where: The streets of Sector 4
Summary: In the wake of a mutual loss, two Keybearers bump into each other in the dark. Probable sadfacing ensues, also potential bonus awkward.

Roxas hadn't gotten angry when word had come that after two years, long past the point that he'd stopped worrying about losing the family he'd found, Ventus had gone from Siren's Port. Not taken by Xehanort, not felled by a monster or someone's out-of-control power. Just gone.

He'd gone numb, if anything. What else was he supposed to feel? Axel, Namine, now Ven. His brother. Maybe he should have expected another loss. The sadness didn't come right away, because he didn't really believe it.

And when it did come—he still wasn't angry. But he knew for certain that he couldn't be here or he'd come out of his skin completely. So after the siren rang out that evening, he pulled on his coat and opened a portal into the streets nearby, and began to fight. He could have asked Joe to come—he'd probably understand. Maybe he'd do that tomorrow if he still felt so restless and awful. But for the moment he preferred the solitude.

Not that he was really alone out here. There were the monsters, and the Heartless and they found him quickly enough. That was fine. Keyblades in hand, Roxas fell into the rhythm of merciless combat. He tried not to think of anything beyond the flow of the fight, beyond keeping himself alive and making sure the creatures didn't stay that way. Thinking could come later.

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Roxas, it seemed, was not alone out tonight.

There were plenty of creatures lurking in the darkness, none pleased to have their nightly territory disturbed, and each more than happy to greet the weapons raised against them, intent in striking the bearer down.

Scream-like sounds likely hit Roxas' awareness first - the screams being that of beasts and monsters, not of people. (At least, not any more..) A steady rush of movement grew louder, switftly followed by the bucking, plunging forms of three nightmares as they veered out of an alleyway. Kicking and screeching as they went and bearing down on his position with little regard for any current challengers the younger Nobody might be facing, someone paying at least some small attention might have noted that the band was rather small for a nightmare herd. Almost as though Roxas being there was an inconvenience because he was /in their way/, rather than the intended target of a hunt.

..Both facts were true, to some small degree. In no small part thanks to tonight having proven the wrong night to test such strength within the Port's native darkness against one bearing the rank of Keyblade Master.

Out of the shadows from whence the band of darkness creatures came, a heavy fist swung, followed by a second, then the chugchug charge of a bloated belly lurched out into the street. Sidestepping the dash, a tall figure slid to one side as the Heartless careered into a lampost, before dropping back into a ready position. Though the overrobe worn was dark navy, edged in white, rather than white with red lining, and the heavy hood was pulled up over his head to obscure his appearance, the Keyblade borne in one hand would make his identity unmistakeable.

Edited 2012-11-14 21:40 (UTC)

What the—

Roxas raised his Keyblades to defend himself, but only a few of the creatures noticed there was prey here and lashed out at him—their mistake, and a brief one. The rest hurtled onward, too intent on where they were going to care.

Or too scared. If denizens of the darkness could be scared.

The reason for their flight quickly became clear as their pursuer slid into view at the corner. Roxas couldn't see his face, but he didn't need to. The shape of the weapon he carried was enough. Oh.

So he wasn't the only one who needed to work of an excess of energy or emotion tonight. He should probably give the Master a hand, even if he didn't really need it; offering help was what they did since they were all on the same side, wasn't it? Maybe team up, fight two-on-everything instead of solo.

Instead, he turned away. The older wielder no doubt had things well in hand. He wasn't likely to want to see Roxas right now anyway.

No one should roam the Darkness solo. No one should be facing the Heartless on their own, not with the rise of Emblem-marked Heartless and the concerns centered around the creation of the great Beast that had stalked the Port for several weeks.

Unsurprisingly, Keybearers still ignored even their own good advice on these sorts of matters.

Emotions can both charge and drain you of energy, and this age-old foe was simply a convenient means of channeling that in an appropriate manner. If the Master was aware of Roxas' presence, he gave no sign. Splitting one's attention when faced with the Heartless was ill advised at the best of times, and his focus had tunneled into a somewhat singular mission over the past few days. The Large Body simply didn't stand a chance.

Only once the Heartless was dispersed was the Master Keeper flicked out to one side, and ichor from the early evening's exercise was lost to the dampness of the tarmac. Then, the older human turned, slow rotation coming to a halt as as grey gaze settled on the back of the young man a short distance away. The coat, of course, was familiar, and the build would have given him away if the keyblades had not.

Faint clouds of breath emerged from the shadows of his hood.

Lips flattened, pressed into the thinnest of lines, and Eraqus took a step forward, then another, until the rush of footsteps across asphalt ran counter to the rain. Master Keeper was hefted high, carried along with and trailing behind him, the teeth and tip seemed to blossom with red-gold energy, as the forward movement charged Eraqus towards Roxas' position.

He wasn't so much of a newcomer to the darkness that the rush caught him unawares, but he was shocked enough that he froze—for an instant. What was going on? Didn't the Master recognize him? No, he had to. And this couldn't be some twisted remnant of him, turned into a darkness monster. He would have heard about that. So what—?

All that rushed through Roxas' mind in a split second and then he was in motion, twisting out of the Master's path. A horizontal spear of light shot between them, lighting up the gloom for a moment before fading.

A warning shot, maybe. Or just his quickest means of self-defense. He'd been through a fight like this before; he had no desire to repeat it.

There was a faintly satisfied nod to see Roxas on the ball, before the Master swerved aside, allowing the warning shot to pass him by. But still he approached, pace barely checked by the action. Then his hand snapped forward, the motion drive through the arm from the shoulder, and his Keyblade was launched into the intervening space between--

--slicing past Roxas, in a whirl of metal and energy, which ignited with Fire as it collided with the first slick individual rising from the ground, flooding the street with a fireball, before it rotated back the way it came.

You were not the target, Roxas.

Seven pairs of yellow lights lit up at once, around the murky spot the Keyblade had vacated, as though staring where the Eighth once had been. And then, all seven turned towards the Keybearers, the telltale rustled hissssss of Neo-Shadows dragging smaller ink blots with them out of the dark.

Eraqus, for his part, skidded to a halt several paces past the younger wielder, the frown not hidden by his hood twisting into a grimace.

"They've been moving in from Sector 2," he said by way of greeting after a moment, not remotely apologetic. Perhaps that would be offered afterwards.

Edited 2012-11-16 16:13 (UTC)

Perhaps he should have been relieved that the 'attacking' figure was actually there to lend a hand—or a Key—but whether it was the adrenaline surge that hadn't had time to die down or an honest reaction, Roxas couldn't help but bristle in irritation.

"Yeah, I know!" he snapped. "I've been out here a while. I noticed."

This wasn't a time to argue, though. He didn't fear the Neo-Shadows, not even in groups—he'd fought larger ones. But he understood their own strength, and knew that underestimating them wa sa good way to get himself hurt or worse.

So he didn't. The Master could undoubtedly handle himself, so without waiting to see what he'd do, Roxas sprang into action, launching himself at the Heartless without hesitation, some part of him remembering when he'd fought them back-to-back with another Keybearer, on a darker, rainier night than this.

"Have you now."

There was no offense taken in his tone, he HAD given Roxas a rather unpleasant scare, after all (intentionally or otherwise). But it was curiously lacking in inflection.

Given that Roxas all but launched into attacking their actual mutual foe moments later, the Master did not bother to elaborate further. They'd have time after. Depending on how long it took them to get to 'after'.

He followed - though not right away; grip flexed along Master Keeper's hilt as he gave the dual-wielder space to move while unhindered by a second fighter. Only once he was satisfied he had gauged the distance needed for the younger Keybearer's combat style did Eraqus resume his own attacks, starting from the outside and working his way in, before swinging out again as though orbiting. Occasionally, thunder sparks spat across the paving, forcing the shadows that weren't caught up in Ramuh's Judgement to stagger into Roxas' path.

The fact the frown remains the only visible portion of his face isn't particularly warming.

There was no reply from Roxas, but he doubted the Master expected one. He didn't appear to pay attention to Eraqus as he fought, but though he was constantly in motion, he never came close enough to prompt the fear of an imminent clash. And when the Heartless fled the Master's magic and stumbled into Roxas' path, he was quick to take them down without mercy.

It didn't take long. Speed was his forte, and even Neo-Shadows weren't powerful enough to truly endanger a master of the Keyblade.

And then they were alone. Roxas watched Eraqus out of the corner of his eye as he lowered his Keyblades, but said nothing.

Speed and skill and steadfast resolve soon clear the streets of the Heartless infestation. It does not take long. But the fact it took time at all should be cause enough for concern.

Only once all that remained of the last of the Shadows lay splattered across the pathing, reformation an impossibility, did both Keyblade wielders halt. The Master maintained a highly defensive stance only for as long as it took to assess the area; that Roxas too remained on edge was not unexpected, given the cause for heightened tension stood but perhaps a key and a half's length away from him.

Beyond the faint hum of dulled street lamps, the clink of keychains and the slowing puffs of breath, silence prevailed.

When words came, they weren't quite as unapologetic as the night was dark. They just didn't sound much like anything at all.

"My apologies," said Eraqus, eventually. "I was following their number for most of this evening." Gold energy spun, digital dapples and rectangular light carrying away the dismissed Keyblade from the Master's hand with a gentle chime, quite at odds with the night around them. He did not move, certainly not towards the blond, seemingly content to stare out from under his hood into the alleyways over yonder. "In my haste, I simply acted. It should have occurred to me to warn you." If his hands curled into loose fists, the long sleeves of his robes made it difficult to tell. "It was not my intent to cause you alarm."

Deliberately frighten you? Naaaaah. Just unintentionally, apparently.

Roxas scowled, his displeasure hidden by the shadow of his hood. What had the master been thinking? He was the one who distracted Roxas from the Heartless that he would've noticed and taken out on his own; he was the one who didn't have the best track record with not assaulting Roxas.

He felt the indignation bubble up within him, opened his mouth to say something—and closed it as he let his frustrated emotions drain away. Maybe Eraqus had acted too hastily, but he apparently hadn't meant harm.

And he wasn't why Roxas' heart was so full of negative feelings. Maybe the numbness was finally fading away to reveal what lay beneath it.

"It's fine," he said, looking down. "Forget about it."

What did he do next? Maybe nothing.

"Don't let me get in your way," he said, and made a motion down the block. "I'll head this way. Cover more ground."

"No," was the measured reply, and the Master's hood shook slightly. "I will not forget." Fists curled tight a moment, before hands finally fell loose at his sides.

He turned then to regard the hooded dual-keybearer when he gestured; watched the shift in tone and body language. "You are not in my way." (Save for that attack, but lets try and move on past yet another unfortunate event in the life and times of Roxas, shall we?) His voice held a faint tinge of something, perhaps surprise?, that Roxas would believe himself to be.

The boy had already shown himself fully capable and very swift, and technically patrols were meant to consist of two for safety, whatever their prowess level. "I would walk part of the way with you, if you have no objections? I had intended to head in that direction as it was."

And, truthfully, Eraqus would not object to company, however long or short it would end up lasting. The past two days had proven achingly empty as it was.

That caught Roxas off-guard nearly as much as the "attack" had. If he was right, they were both motivated to be out here for the same reason. But that same reason would make Eraqus want to be anywhere else but around someone who looked like his lost student, wouldn't it?

Maybe it was the hood.

"If you want to, sure," he said. "Might as well."

If he said it was because you were so much like the 'brother' his apprentice had explained you to be (if only to those who weren't in-the-know), would that make things better? Or worse?

..Never mind that it would only be partially true.

The quiet drip of rain filled the space between them, as Eraqus waited for the other's answer. Two hooded heads, making it difficult to read expressions in the dark.
Roxas would no doubt learn soon enough that Terra did not get his avoidance streak from his Master.

"Hmm," was all the reply Roxas' agreement received, before the older keybearer moved on ahead, in the direction Roxas had previously indicated. The pace was hardly ground eating, but it was not safe to stay rooted to one spot in the Port's darkness. And no effort spared to carry on further conversation.

The intervening ~awkward~ silence, punctuated by wary scans of their surroundings, lasted no more than two minutes or so.

"How is Xion doing?"

He stopped for an instant, his gait halted by the question that he should have expected. But then he moved again before it could be remarked upon, though it was a few more seconds before he could think of how to reply.

"She's all right," Roxas said eventually, which was both true and untrue. "She still has us. And we knew this could happen. It could happen to any of us."

Another true and untrue thing. Of course they had known it could happen; but knowing and understanding, believing, are two very different things.

Edited 2012-11-21 23:04 (UTC)

Eraqus continued forwards, the break in Roxas' stride having earned no comment; why bother pointing out the obvious?

Knowing and believing. Being prepared and actually coping with the unwanted circumstances.

Grey eyes, faintly gleaming, shifted. Fixing on the shadows that played across Roxas' chin beneath the black coat's hood. If it was bad enough for Eraqus, on the first occasion he has ever experienced it.. "It is good, that you have each other," he said, after a little while, the first hints of genuine emotion touching his voice as he maintained pace. "Loss is one of the hardest lessons learned by the heart."

"I know," he said, his tone flat, although not out of any conscious attempt to shut down the topic of discussion. "It was one of the first ones I learned."

Roxas didn't lack self-awareness to the point that he didn't know how self-pitying that could send. Not that it was intended to be. But it was the truth. He'd come into the world ignorant about friendship, learned its ways, and then lost it all. This as just losing again.

"But Joe and I will look out for her, and she'll look out for us. That's how it works."

"It never gets easier," was the only comment made in reply, mild and without a trace of reproach. Everyone is allowed some measure of self-pity, after all. And far be it for Eraqus to chide someone for mourning the loss of ties so close to the heart. Between the loss of two apprentices, and now the very tangible absence of Terra,

'Terra, where are you?'

the trials set by the Port bordered enough on nightmare for someone close to his sixth decade. How much harder still was it on hearts as young as theirs, to weather such losses?

Ahead, the street split three ways; his own path began to veer left, to continue the journey away from the heart of Sector 4 whether Roxas accompanied him or not. Then, he stopped. He closed his eyes, allowing several heartbeats to pass, before his head turned towards Roxas. "By all accounts, I do not have the best track record of remaining in the Port," was this his longest stay thus far? He honestly had no clue, "but for as long as I am here, should you need anything..." plural and singular, though he did not place any emphasis on one word over another.

And so long as we're being truthful.. He lingered for a moment, before taking a step, then another, to move on and away.

"I miss him, too."

And Aqua too, of course. Unstated, but an absence that remained a painful fact all the same.

Edited 2012-11-22 12:37 (UTC)

Roxas was pointedly not looking at the Master, but he too came to a stop when his companion offered his condolences. That was harder to bear than any insensitive ignoring of the most recent disappearance. When he could no longer pretend there was nothing wrong, the pain grew so much sharper.

"Yeah," he said quietly, his voice faintly choked up. "I know. We all miss him."

He didn't follow Eraqus when he began to move again. It was as if he could only concentrate on one thing at a time—where they were going or these painful emotions. Not both.

"It'll be different from you if he comes back, though." He clenched his fists. "He'll remember you."

Edited 2012-11-22 20:06 (UTC)

Yes. They all missed him. The foot steps stopped, caught by the knot of emotions behind him. Whether Roxas, locked in that surge of feelings, noticed that he was no longer leaving was unclear.

The faintest hint of agreement was audible in his words. "If he comes back." It was likely. He would seek Terra and Aqua first, tight as that bond was, but he would know him.

But, what would he remember about Eraqus? The concerned teacher who had wished only to protect him, or the untractable guardian who's ill-thought actions done in haste cost him both trust, his apprentices and, ultimately, his life? It mattered not that he had followed his beliefs, had acted for what he saw as the greater good - he had been wrong.

..Yet, here, Ventus had forgiven him.

His head bowed, unnoticed thanks to the hood, before greys eyes lifted back to regard the skyline. It had occurred to Eraqus that he might be faced with that again - and that such forgiveness would not be so quick to follow.

('Was that why you left, then...?')

"No one knows what the Core might do to his memories." Quiet words sounded far too awkward and loud in the darkened city street. The stiff metal of his boots clicked against the asphalt, accenting the shoe shuffle until he was once again at the edge of the younger keybearer's personal space. "He may yet remember you. We can but hope."

If. Roxas knew without asking that they both wanted it to be when. But as often as familiar faces had come back, they'd left just as unexpectedly. It would be easy to hope for a reunion, and harder to face it when it didn't come.

"Maybe." He shrugged, the gesture faintly visible in the gloom. "I'm not trying to—to make it sound like a contest, or anything."

After all, Eraqus had even more reason to mourn the loss of Ventus than Roxas did—if something like that could even be quantified. But though he'd never had a parent, he knew the master had been the closest thing for all three of his students. Now two of them were gone.

"It's just that I never had a brother. I never had any kind of family, until here." He swallowed hard. "Even if he does come back, if he doesn't remember, that's gone now."

A 'when' they had no control or influence over. And given circumstances of the past and the present, hope could hurt fragile hearts.

His lips parted in surprise. Then sympathy furrowed his brow. "I know," said Eraqus, and his head shook slightly to indicate that no apology was needed. Loss was loss, after all.

The sense of family might have been different in both their cases, but that was all it was - different.

And he knew about brothers, at least a little. In all the ways that counted, he had lost his, too.

"It will never be truly gone, Roxas," he said finally, after some consideration. "When he first came to me, he no longer had any memories of his past. No family, until he became part of ours." His fingers flexed slightly as he shifted his weight, not moving closer, but perhaps leaning into the bond's space. Just a bit. "Knowing you here, and knowing Xion, and the rest of you -- I know that he was happy here."

He lifted his hand to settle his index finger over where the younger wielder's heart rested. "The feelings gained and the memories you made together, will always reside here. Both the good and the bad. Ventus may no longer be here, but no one can take those from you."

Edited 2012-11-29 19:46 (UTC)

Roxas opened his mouth to offer a perfunctory thank-you for kind words that changed little and found, to his surprise, that he felt better. Not a lot—there was still only so much that words could do when his own words had been true, too. Ven had been his brother, and now he was gone, and things wouldn't be like they were before.

But even if things had changed, things he wouldn't have wanted to change, not everything had. Eraqus was right; in his own heart, Ven was still his brother. That would stay the same.

"Thanks," he said at last. "Really."

He wasn't sure what else to say—words seemed to have failed him just when the master was wielding them perfectly—but he meant it all the same.

It might have only been a small thing in which to take some semblence of solace, but it was enough, for now.

It would have to be.

The Master did not reply aloud to the thanks given. Instead, hooded head inclined in a nod, acknowledging Roxas' reply; the upward twitch of the corners of his mouth were visible even with the shadows.

He turned then, allowing them both a moment to regather some composure. Then, Eraqus glanced back.

"Have you heard from Terra at all?"

Roxas wavered then, torn between staying to answer the question in thanks for the support he'd just received and avoiding a topic that was only marginally less unhappy to think about than Ven's disappearance.

Finding some more monsters to fight was suddenly awfully tempting.

But he stayed. "No," he said. "I know he's around. His NV's working. But he just doesn't want to talk to anyone, I guess."

Truthfully, Roxas couldn't blame him. They'd all faced hardships, every one of them from their world; but Terra perhaps had faced more than anyone else, and certainly far more than he deserved. No matter what he believed.

Slaying monsters was unquestioningly therapeutic. Especially in the face of, and the wake of uncomfortable questions.

The Master's shoulders slumped, the flash of disappointment plain in body language where it wasn't visible on his face. He had hoped.. But it would seem hope was not enough. "No, I suppose he does not." The resignation in his voice was unexpected, even to himself. Eraqus drew himself a little straighter with an effort.

"Should you hear from him, or, see him before I do," he began, then hesitated. He was not about to cease his own search, not at all. The fact Terra had several years of familiarity as an advantage did not help matters. And perhaps he had not the right to ask this, but..

"..Be kind." What more can one ask from one's friends, really?

For a moment, Roxas thought he shouldn't be surprised—why would Terra speak to Roxas if he was avoiding his master, the person who'd raised him and trained him? The person who shared his loss?

And then he shook his head and mentally cursed himself. That was why Terra was avoiding him.

"I will," he said, as earnestly as he could. "He's my friend. And he's helped me when I needed him."

Roxas just wished he could do more. But he couldn't think of any way he could truly make things better for Terra. Maybe that was why he hadn't tried harder to find him.

Sometimes, knowing someone was there was enough. But perhaps that wasn't enough this time.

The absolute silence in the wake of Terra's departure was nothing less than what the Master deserved, no doubt. But he was determined to keep searching regardless. "Thank you," he said, honestly grateful, even if Roxas had no notion of where to find Terra either.

He turned back to the dark streets, mindful of the way they had come, and eyed the roads before them.

Now did not seem an appropriate time to mention Xemnas.

Maybe it wasn't. But Roxas, unfortunately (in this case), was not a mind reader, and his own mind, there was only one subject that was logical to touch upon as long as they were discussing uncomfortable things.

"I got your voicemail," he said.

He'd debated on whether to return it right away. Instead, he'd taken what might have been the cowardly option. But heck, Eraqus had sounded really mad in it—almost like a monster himself.

You got his--Oh.

Oh. "...Ah."

An oddly awkward response, that.

Eraqus really hadn't planned on mentioning it, never mind that until he had encountered Roxas out here, he'd actually forgotten about it. Other matters, arguably more important, had taken priority after that message had been left..

The Master cleared his throat. Were he still ~~Worgen~~ wolf-like, tail and ears might well have drooped.

"I met Xemnas."

"I figured," he said, just as awkward. For once, master and non-apprentice were equally matched.

He waited for Eraqus to say something more, and was kind of disappointed when he didn't. That meant it was up to him to steer this conversation, and that would have been easier if he'd had any idea where it should go.

"How?" he ventured after a moment.

"I received an invitation," said the Master. "It seemed rude to decline, and so I attended a rather colourful event." Including Xehanort dressed as Yen Sid. The retired old master wouldn't have approved.

(The Lightside Brigade in general would not have approved of Eraqus and his once-apprentice-brother being on some semblence of speaking terms - so, for the moment, he was not going to speak of it.)

All the while, he kept his eyes fixed ahead. On the shadows down the street. Particularly the large one emerging from the side of the building; it seemed to roll forward, then rock in place, shape indistinct in the broken light and not yet headed in their direction.

Yet.

A flash of light, and the Master Keeper reappeared, the ripple of energy punctuating the night as the Keyblade returned to his grasp. "Tell me," he asked, thoughtfully, "Do Nobodies generally use Heartless in all of their halloween decorating?"

Roxas made a quiet scoffing noise. They were still sending out invitations to their parties, huh? Not even bothering to try and trick any of their group into coming, just flat-out asking.

Of course, it had worked more than once.

"Not really," he said, quietly summoning his own Keyblades and shifting his grip on them. "I mean...we didn't do Halloween back home. Or any holiday. Every day in the castle was the same."

"Apparently someone called 'Julian' was in charge of distribution." Accidental distribution, by all accounts, but it meant no one refused Eraqus at the door.

The fact he looked like a werewolf certainly helped too. One with a top hat.

There was a flicker of surprise to hear no holiday celebrations were had - but it was gone as quick as it arrived. No hearts, no emotional ties. No reason to be scared of Halloween. No reason to enjoy season's cheer and good will at Christmas.. "They had plenty," he said, shaking his head. "The numbers dispersed before evening's end, but how much of that was due to them following the guests out, I know not."

"So what did those others do, if every day was the same?" He knew that Roxas sought out hearts for Kingdom Hearts and oh hey, is this a subtle topic change? ...Mebbe. Mebbe.

Edited 2013-01-04 03:49 (UTC)

Julian? Huh. Must've been some mook they hired at Xino E. Mao. Roxas didn't understand how that company even functioned, but he supposed some people would do anything for a job.

"Whatever they wanted." He shrugged. "We had missions, like I told you about. Some of them came right back to the castle, some...I don't really know. Demyx liked to play his sitar a lot."

It sounded stale and boring when he said it like that. And looking back, maybe it had been. Except it wasn't that way in his memory. Even if a lot of the daily work had been the same, every evening was spent with his friends, and those were never boring. If the times on the clock tower had always been the same, Roxas hadn't ever wanted them to change.

"We didn't see much of Xemnas, except when he gathered us for meetings," Roxas said after a moment. "I didn't know who he was, back then."

A little too subtle, apparently.

"Not a very organised Organization." Except for those missions, it sounded like. "How long did it -the Organization- exist before you joined them, do you know?"

Didn't see much of him, eh. "Is that so." That certainly matched what he read from the man. One who walked through the motions of mingling at that party, save for when he saw something of interest. Or someone. "Did they not talk much about themselves? The other members, that is."

He took several steps forward, then paused.

"Care to take the first shot?"

Only fair to offer.

Yeah, he'd heard that before. Roxas shrugged. It was true, after all.

More or less, anyway.

Instead of giving Eraqus a visual answer, he strode forward, Keyblades in hand, as the shape in the darkness grew more defined. He could already tell what it was, though. Darkballs could be irritating, deadly if you underestimated them, but he had no intention of doing that and so didn't worry for himself at all.

He wasn't showing off. He didn't need to. But he still dispatched the thing with deadly efficiency. There were more creatures there in the gloom; there always would be. No reason to hold back against any that might threaten them.

"Some of them did," he said a few moments later. "But no one talked about their pasts. I didn't know how old the Organization was then—didn't have much of a sense of time yet—but I heard later it had been about ten years."

A meaningful span of time.

To hold back would be to invite disaster to one's door. Blade in hand, the Master remained under the fractured lamplight, ignoring how it spluttered and struggled to maintain ill-tinged luminescence. Roxas was given space, space enough to observe him at full fight rather than full flight, Eraqus was ready to intervene if further Heartless felt the need to join their party.

Or Darkness monsters of the local, native brand. Some of those were worse than the Heartless, after a fashion, given their origins.

"Ten years," Eraqus muttered, allowing himself to approach only once the Darkball had imploded in on itself. Was that also how long it took for worlds to begin to tumble like dominoes? "Hmm. I suppose they would not. If there was nothing left of their old life worth remembering." And if they had 'no hearts', then there would be no attachment to nostalgia.

"Nothing they could feel nostalgic for, at least." Roxas fell into step beside the master, as if nothing had interrupted them. "But then, I don't think most of them could feel very much at all, even if they could grow their hearts back."

To do that, there was more than just wanting to, he was sure. And some of them had probably figured they were just fine without hearts, no matter what the stated goal of the Organization was. Vexen? Larxene? He couldn't imagine that either of them had been dissatisfied with who they'd become.

"They didn't tell me anything about Sora, either. Or Ventus. And I didn't know to ask."

"They did not speak of theirs, and you did not remember yours." Was 10 years significant? Or simple coincidence. They would likely never know.

"Ventus, too, did not remember his life before he came to me as an apprentice. Though at least I knew some of the cause behind that." He grimaced slightly, before continuing. If something slithered behind them in the dark, he showed no sign of acknowledging it. "There were a great many grey creatures at the party, along with more heartless than I care to think about - and none of them attacking the guests." Literal creeping scenery. They may have waited until the party was done to have a midnight heart snack, though.

"Is such control typical of Nobodies? Or something that has only occurred since arriving here?"

"I guess that's something we had in common." Had. Not have. The pang of loss struck him again then. Would he and Ventus ever get the chance to compare lives again?

"It's typical. We can all do it," he confirmed. "That's why those creatures were at the party. They were Dusks—lesser Nobodies. They listen to those of us that are stronger." He shrugged. "They turned on me when I left, but I can still get the ones here to obey."

"And may yet again." A distant hope. But Eraqus had not meant to cause further anguish with his words. Still. Some of the coincidence was..staggering. And how did Sora factor into all of this?

Another time.

There followed a hrrrrrrm in his throat. (Not at all like the heavy growled message left on the voicemail, lacking the gutteral overtones. Thank goodness.) "It's not right," he muttered, more to himself than Roxas, not that any of this situation was. It wasn't a happy noise, but a nod still followed, nose dipping beneath his hood even as shadows were maintained. "Let us hope you won't have need to in the future."

A brief crackle of energy arched down from the hilt to the tip of the Master Keeper. "Does Xion also possess that ability?" he asked, before the Thunder spell was cast to his direct left, disintergrating a Shadow that had emerged from the road mid-leap towards them.

Not at all like the voicemail that had left Roxas more than a little on edge, but he still glanced sidelong at the master, wondering what his response would be. Thankfully, it was nothing bad.

"No," he said after the spell faded. "She's not really a Nobody, even though we all thought she was when we were both members. Maybe we should have noticed back then." He shrugged. "But I could say that about a lot of things."

Peering into the darkness ahead at a hint of movement, he spotted a Neoshadow edging forward, as if following up on its lesser relation's failure. Not that the Heartless cooperated that way. Roxas dashed forward before Eraqus could; a few seconds' worth of clashing blades later, and it, too, was gone.

"Like I said, I didn't ask," he said. "There were a lot of things I didn't realize. Like who Terra was, after I finally met him here." He looked back at Eraqus. "It took me a while to recognize him."

Eraqus paused, before lowering his Keyblade and letting Roxas handle the shadow rising to follow its lesser kin. Only once it had been spattered across the pavement, with no hope of reforming. If there was a skittering hRisssss in the corners of the dark, it was a noise made very much in retreat. Though whether from the Keybearers or from something other -- something larger and more dangerous in the Darkness -- was unclear.

Grey eyes narrowed warily, staring off into the night. "You could say that. But here, at least, you have those memories to fall back on. We cannot change the past, only learn from it."

When Roxas turned back to him, Eraqus' brows furrowed. Then his head shook. "You were 'born' long after our time, by all accounts." The Master's tone remained carefully neutral, ignoring the pang caused by acknowledging what had happened. Another thing that could not be changed.. "But I take it you mean, who he became later. Or who became him, I suppose."

"That's right." Roxas didn't know the proper order of it, either. Perhaps a little of both. "They look the same, but...not really. Not exactly. There are differences."

Beyond skin tone and hair color. The way they moved, the way they spoke. It wasn't a matter of light versus darkness, either. Terra and the man who'd stolen his body were simply as different as they could be, despite their fundamental connection.

Xemnas, after all, would never know how to be a friend.

"I didn't get the story all at once. But Terra told me a lot about what happened to him. And more importantly, he made me promise not to," He shrugged. "That was a long time ago, but I took it seriously. What happened to him...it wasn't my story to tell."

Not even to Eraqus.

Differences. The cause of which stemmed from a single source, and a critical unknown moment.

"I understand." There was an odd catch to the elder keybearer's voice, before his head shook slightly, shoulders bowed suddenly by emotions he hadn't expected to pass his guard. What was the distant past for Roxas was all too recent to Eraqus, even these few months down the line.

No, it was not a story he deserved to hear. Not unless Terra wanted to talk to him. And the stark absence of the young man in question in the past few days had made it clear that wasn't the case.

The weight of his failures as both Master and parent-figure pressed down from all sides.

He walked on.

"Nor would I ask you to violate a trust given." A broken promise could never be made whole once more, after all.

"I will remember to keep an close eye on that man, should I see him again."

"You will." He was sure of that. Not because of any special ex-Organization information, or because of anything he'd said. It was just that it was unlikely any of them would be lucky enough to have it otherwise.

"There is one thing I can tell you about Terra, though." He spoke quietly, only a faint strain in his voice betraying the sorrow and worry he felt for his friend.

"He never lost faith in you, or what you taught him."

Only in himself. And Roxas still hoped that could change one day.

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And I'm not sleeping now the dark is too hard to beat

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