Happy @rokunamiweek! đ„ł For Day 1: Behind the Mask. Loosely inspired by Edgar Allen Poeâs âMasque of the Red Death.â ~1150 words. Canon divergence, mystery, slight horror vibes.
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Organization XIII had had its best year yet. Roxas and Xion had gathered so many hearts that Kingdom Hearts was nearly complete.
Why not throw a party, then, to celebrate. A masquerade ball at The World That Never Was. All the Organization members plus a whole bunch of Dusks were in attendance in their finest black cloaks and masks, mingling and reveling in a way that belied their heartless state.
Demyx played the sitar for some dancing Dusks, and Luxord was engrossed in a lively game of cards with Lexaeus, Xaldin, and Xigbar at a nearby table. Zexion read poetry excerpts that most everyone save for a few curious Dusks ignored. Vexen concocted colorful neon drinks of questionable flavors that mask-wearing Moogles delivered to guests, and Larxene and Marluxia made snarky comments to each other from the sidelines as Axel showed Xion and a few curious Dusks his favorite moves. SĂ€ix sulked in a corner and refused a neon blue drink from a Moogle, and Xemnas watched everything from the balcony above, his mask hiding his face completely.
Roxas, for his part, was also dressed in a black cloak and wore a black mask. He stood a little ways away from the others, tucked into an alcove of the castle surrounded by Dusks congratulating their liege on his progress. This was his first party, and he was overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds and sensations. He wanted to rejoin Axel and Xion soon, but he wasnât used to so much movement or noise happening at the same time.
Was this what it was like to be human? To have something worth celebrating? A strange sensation bloomed in his chest, almost likeâ
Something caught his attention. A girl wearing a white mask and hooded cape glided out of the shadows. Her dress was white with gold and silver filigree, and she wore matching slippers. A few blonde curls escaped her hood, and haunting blue eyes locked onto his. Roxas stiffened. She was ethereal and almost transparent, like she might fade away at any moment.
She was beautiful.
She approached him, but none of the other Organization members seemed to notice. Maybe they were too distracted by the eveningâs activities. The Dusks parted to let her through, a few of them murmuring about how she must be a lady. When she reached Roxas, she curtsied as he bowed. The urge to waltz with her like Axel had taught him and Xion the night before swept over him, and he offered his hand. She took it, and a pleasurable warmth radiated up his arm. When he placed his hand on her waist, her breath caught, and he had the urge to bring her as close as possible.
âWho are you?â he asked as they twirled around, their surroundings melting away. She was strangely familiar, like theyâd met before. But that was impossible. Right?
He led her into a spin, and she followed his lead effortlessly. âHow did you know about this place?â He thought only the Organization was aware of its existence, or maybe nonexistence was the more accurate description.
âI saw it in your dreams.â
He gave her a look. That was weird, right? He didnât know much about girls other than what Larxene and Xion had taught him, but he was pretty sure that was weirdâ
She smiled, and Roxas felt that strange warmth blooming in his chest again. âI know how strange that sounds,â she said. âBut I'm a witch with power over memories. It's why no one but you and some of the Dusks know I'm here. Iâm altering the othersâ memories as we speak.â
He stopped and raised an eyebrow. âAre you altering my memories?â
She shook her head. âI came here to warn you, Roxas. You're in danger.â
âI'm in danger? Wait, how do you know my nameââ Oh, right. If she could see his memories, then she could see the moment Xemnas gave it to him.
âYou must leave the Organization before itâs too late. Theyâre just using you for their own dark purposes, and so long as they are, someone very important canât wake up. And I don't want anything bad happening to you or to him.â
Roxas glanced at the other Organization members a little ways away. At the only family he knew. He had no reason not to trust them, right? Why would he listen to this girl he'd never met before who admitted she could alter memories?
And yet when he looked at her, he knew her. He trusted her. Something sinister lurked in the shadows of this place. It wasnât his friends and colleagues who were the source of the darkness, no, though it tried to inhabit their bodies and warp their minds. He wasnât even sure it was coming from Xemnas, though he sensed it most strongly from him.
No, it was this dark, evil, corrupt Thing that lurked in every corner and skulked around the place. Roxas pictured the red mask it wore, saw himself seizing the creature and removing its disguise. To his horror, it was empty behind the mask. Nothing was there at all.
He shuddered as a sensation like icy fingers trailed down his back. The party felt sinister and wrong now, like Death was walking among them and he was the only one who saw it for what it really was.
âWhat is it?â he asked, and a few Dusks murmured their concern for their liege.
âThe heart of a man who allowed himself to be corrupted long ago,â she said, and her eyes almost looked pained as she saw something far away. Then she looked at Roxas and smiled sadly. âThere are worse things than not having a heart, Roxas. Never forget that.â
With one last squeeze of his hands, she was gone. Vanished without a trace, like a ghost or an angel, he couldnât decide which.
Roxas was alone. The others were still here, yes, but they couldnât see what he saw. They didn't know what he knew. The surreal scene unfolding around him was like a group of doomed people who didnât even know they were dying. Or maybe they did know, and this party was just a way to distract from it all.
But Roxas didnât want a distraction. He wanted answers.
For the first time in his short existence, he wanted to leave the Organization.
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A/N: This was a lot of fun to write. I really should lean into my horror instincts more. What's funny is that I get scared so easily watching or reading horror, but I enjoy writing it (though that doesn't stop me from freaking myself out sometimes lol).
A big thank you to Liv for reading this over, and thank you for reading!
Here's my contribution to rokunami week! (ïœĄïœ„Ïïœ„ïœĄ)ïŸâĄ Totally not trying to use this as an excuse to fulfill one of my favorite headcanons nope not at all
