[center]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220729/023912a75a8a9b16c801799640a60148.png[/img]
[h3]Nyakuza Metro -> Dystopianscape[/h3]
[@Lugubrious] | [@Archmage MC] Blazermate
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1,742 (+3 Exp)
[b]Level 3 Roxas[/b] (5+3=8/30)[/center]

[center][b]Dive Into The Heart[/b]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEkaUUtRrGE[/youtube][/center]

When Roxas awoke, he found himself at the center of a large circular platform with nothing but endless darkness in all directions. And yet, despite the unfamiliarity, he still found himself at peace. Like he was somewhere familiar, yet... not. He looked down at the floor he stood on and took in the mural that appeared to be carved out of stained glass. It depicted a white room, with Thirteen figures sitting atop a circle of thirteen Thrones. All of them were hooded, save for the one sitting upon the lowest throne... Roxas. And in the center of the thrones stood a Fourteenth Figure, seemingly being welcomed by the Thirteen... or perhaps being judged. The vagueness of the mural made it hard to say one way or the other. And then, countless framed images began to appear in the air around Roxas. Each of them showing numerous moments in time, and all of them featuring him in some way. Almost like looking at an art exhibit themed around his own life. And then, on the opposite end of the platform, a [url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EaNMA_VXQAEB5K7.png]door[/url] appeared. As if being drawn to it, Roxas instinctively walked forward and reached out a hand to open it. But it was locked, and so he instinctively drew his Keyblade to unlock it. But it wasn't either of his, instead the [url=https://media.sketchfab.com/models/2def71ee2c314b71b7710ad45a67e234/thumbnails/60ab6ca5ecab48febab73ebbbdf29638/1be64e84b887425eadf2702af25035ba.jpeg]Keyblade[/url] looked much simpler, and was one he remembered belonging to another. Still, the weapon unlocked the door just the same, and it swung open wide, releasing a blinding light from behind it.

When his vision cleared back up, Roxas found himself elsewhere. It looked like Twilight Town, specifically the clock tower. He slowly walked toward the edge to look down, when a gloved hand rested on his shoulder and turned him around. Roxas saw a [url=https://cdnen.samurai-gamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/10135457/Lea-portrait-1.png]Tall Man[/url] in a black coat just like his own, eyes green and hair red like fire, "Say... what's most important to you?" he asked with a calm voice and friendly smile.

Roxas didn't even hesitate before he answered, "You are. All of you. My friends."

"That so?" replied the red-haired man with a grin, before he seemed to fade away from view. Roxas looked around, wondering where his friend had gone, when he saw [url=https://cdnen.samurai-gamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/10171325/Xion.png]Someone Else[/url] standing nearby. She was a girl, around his own age. She had the same black coat, and short raven-black hair. When she saw Roxas she gave him a warm smile.

"What do you dream of?" she asked in her usual sweet voice. That one actually made Roxas stop and think. What [i]was[/i] his dream? The idea of a lifelong ambition had never once occurred to him before now. But he gave it a moment of thought and eventually answered her.

"I think... I wanna see more of what's out there. The town's nice and all, but a little exploration might be fun." he told her, eliciting a wider smile from her in response.

"The clock tower [i]can[/i] seem a little cramped at times, huh?" and then, just like the first, she faded away from sight. This time Roxas looked around a bit more frantically, almost as if desperate to figure out where she'd gone. That was until one more familiar voice made itself known to him.

"What is it you fear?" Roxas turned around and saw a [url=https://cdnen.samurai-gamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/09175548/Saix-Character-Info-e1548316049109.png]Blue-Haired Man[/url] with an x-shaped scar on his face, also wearing a black coat.

"Fear?" Roxas asked, but the man said nothing and simply waited for an answer to his question. There were some things Roxas could say, but only one of them kept cropping back up in his mind on a regular basis. With a bit of hesitance he finally said it aloud, "...Not being real."

The man looked away a bit, "...I see." he said, then vanished just like the first two. Upon this, the setting sun in the distance began to shine brighter, offering a blinding flash that stunned Roxas a moment. His vision soon cleared, and once again he was elsewhere.

It was another circular platform. The mural on this one appeared to split into two images. On one side was Roxas and the Red-Haired Man, weapons drawn and appearing to be ready to attack one another while surrounded by a wall of flame. And on the other side was a white, sterile room featuring a spherical white pod of some kind. Nearby it was a control console, as well as a [url=https://64.media.tumblr.com/1e3ad4f45efa9e268785f2b40a35ce12/b4ccc5dd4d7f5223-3b/s500x750/1108784d61965d38276c5a8bbdb1c38c7b345197.png]Man Wrapped in Red Robes[/url] and a [url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eUM5EpNm_Mk/maxresdefault.jpg]Girl In A White Dress[/url] appearing to observe the pod. And then, a stairway of rectangular platforms appeared and seemed to lead the way to another platform higher up. Roxas followed the path and then saw the second mural.

It depicted a group of Seven Lights and Thirteen Darknesses, about to fight a war in a barren world littered with hundreds of lifeless Keybladess. Roxas remembered this memory very clearly, and then followed a new stairway that led up up to a third and final platform. This time the mural featured a multitude of figures, impossible to identify, standing together on a cliff face as an [url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RqxWuStLeVw/maxresdefault.jpg]Incomprehensible Enemy[/url] loomed above them. At this point, a group of [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/kingdomhearts/images/b/ba/Dusk_KHII.png/revision/latest?cb=20101207114457]Familiar Enemies[/url] appeared around him at once and poised to strike. Roxas drew the Keyblade once more to defend himself.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHq5xmmyqmA[/youtube][/center]

He easily deflected incoming attacks, sliding around each to get in a quick attack against their backs. These enemies were nothing new to him. Defeating them would be easy for him. It didn't take Roxas long to dispatch them all. But behind him, the Enemy from the mural had made itself appear. It lashed out with unstoppable tendrils of light that Roxas had no hope of defending against. And as he was attacked, Roxas began to feel a sense of deja vu. With one final volley of tendrils, the Enemy thought to finish Roxas off. As Roxas braced himself for the worst, he realized that the attack wasn't coming. A large, floating pink heart was blocking the attack before flying forward and colliding into the Enemy and seemingly shattering it into harmless sparks that quickly burnt out and faded away. And with a final flash of blinding light, Roxas began feeling his consciousness return to him... along with a single name that became burned into his memory.

[i]Galeem[/i]

[center][b]Black Line Train[/b][/center]

Roxas's eyes fluttered opened as he was shaken, "Huh... wha-?" the first sight he saw was Blazermate standing over him, asking what had happened and if he was okay, "Invisible sniper... got the jump on me." he said, answering the first question, "And yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks Geralt, I owe you." he said to the Witcher sitting next to him. He didn't actually know that Geralt was responsible for healing him, but he had to at least have carried Roxas to the train. But he reached up a gloved hand and rubbed his temples. Sure, physically he was fine, but now he had even more questions that needed to be answered.

"It wasn't the Organization that took my friends," he said to no one in particular, "it was [i]him[/i] wasn't it? Galeem." having been Freed, Roxas now remembered everything. He and his closest friends were attacked by monsters of Light before everything became a blur. And he also now knew that the Twilight Town he had just left was not the one he knew, "And that Town... it's not the Twilight Town I call home. Just a very convincing copy that that thing created... right?" strangely enough, even [i]that[/i] was somehow not the first time Roxas had been living in a world that wasn't technically real, "First the Virtual Twilight Town and now this... I just can't seem to catch a break."

One thing was certain, he felt like he needed to talk to the Master of Masters more than ever. At first he was simply curious about the man, but now he legitimately felt like he was the only one who could give him some clarity on this whole mess of a situation.

For the rest of the train ride, Roxas asked a few questions of the others. Namely what the deal was with Galeem and how his influence apparently worked. He'd also learned that Geralt used something called a Friend Heart while Roxas was injured in order to break Galeem's hold on him. Naturally Roxas also asked how he could do that himself in case he needed to free others that he met. And he was also wondering how many back in Twilight Town were under Galeem's influence.

"If nothing else, I think..." he said, aloud to no one in particular, "...if I'm still alive after Galeem's attack, then my friends must be too, right? So all I have to do is find them and use one of those Friend Hearts to bring them back." at least his goal was clearer now. But he couldn't help but wonder how exactly the Organization fit into all this. He'd just have to see them for himself. And if they were indeed still up to no good... then he'd deal with them, just like he said he would. Besides, Roxas thought, it's what [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/kingdomhearts/images/0/00/Sora_KHIII_RM.png/revision/latest?cb=20191212180535]He[/url] would do if he were here right now.

[center][b]Gutsford[/b][/center]

After the train had finally reached its destination, Roxas joined the Seekers in disembarking. Blazermate had never left his side and in fact was practically dragging him around by the hand. This didn't really bother him at all, but his free hand did occasionally hover over the spot that was hit by Panther's shot. There was a noticeable tear there now, and that would bug him until he could fix it somehow.

"Uh, give me just a sec." he told Blazermate, freeing his hand from hers, "I've got to use the bathroom real quick, be right back." and he took off in search of a private room of some kind. It wasn't specifically a bathroom he needed, just a place to change his clothes. He didn't want to walk around in a damaged black coat, after all. And eventually he returned to others, but now dressed in his [url=https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0e9cff17-012c-4d30-98a9-7b1ff026f4a5/ddptil3-e2ffc51e-82c0-4f63-8653-53436d4ceadb.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzBlOWNmZjE3LTAxMmMtNGQzMC05OGE5LTdiMWZmMDI2ZjRhNVwvZGRwdGlsMy1lMmZmYzUxZS04MmMwLTRmNjMtODY1My01MzQzNmQ0Y2VhZGIuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.NnHcFYjU9KzRFA3SbMw7fjQ925I_kxVafFWn9o-9_Aw]Casual Attire[/url]. He held his black coat slung over one shoulder.

"Alright, that's better." he said as he waited for Blazermate to inevitably grab a hold of his hand again, "Hope there's a tailor or something here who can fix the coat for me. Not a fan of wearing it, but it's too useful to throw away."