KH Birth By Sleep: Roxas's Story
is a completed Kingdom Hearts time travel fic by DarkFoxKit.
The fic picks up shortly after Roxas defeats Axel at the start of Kingdom Hearts II. Before he can rejoin with Sora, a mysterious portal transports him into Ventus's bedroom at the start of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. After some initial confusion, he befriends Ventus and is introduced to Aqua and Terra. He joins them on their adventures as he experiences the events of Birth By Sleep from a new perspective.
This fanfic contains examples of the following tropes:
- Combat Pragmatist: Unlike the Wayfinder trio, Roxas was trained by Organization XIII and fights using whatever advantage he can find. This puts him at odds with Aqua and Ven, who were raised with an Honor Before Reason mentality by Eraqus.
- Delirious Misidentification: While visiting the Olympus Coliseum, Roxas hallucinates Terra as Xemnas after Vanitas uses Dark magic to affect his mind.
- Have We Met Yet?: When Lea arrives from the future to help Roxas fight Xehanort in chapter 12, a confused Master Xehanort asks if he's supposed to know him somehow.Master Xehanort: ...I suppose I know you somehow?
Lea: Heh… Nah, you don't know me… but I know everything about you, and that's all you need to know. - In Spite of a Nail: Ultimately, despite Roxas's best efforts, he is unable to spare the Wayfinder trio from their canonical fates. Terra is still possessed by Xehanort, Aqua gets lost in the Realm of Darkness, and Ventus loses his heart which takes refuge with Sora.
- Time Travel: The story's premise has Roxas travel ten years into the past and meet the Wayfinder trio.
- In Chapter 12, Lea briefly arrives in the past as part of his Mark of Mastery exam and helps Roxas fend off Master Xehanort.
- Young Xehanort also shows up in Chapter 18, where he distracts Roxas and makes sure that he is unable to prevent Eraqus's death.
- Villain Takes an Interest: Master Xehanort takes an interest in Roxas since he's a powerful Keyblade wielder who seemingly came out of nowhere and looks just like Ventus.
- Who Are You?: Vanitas asks this of Roxas the first time they meet when Roxas is keeping his face hidden under a hood and is wielding two Keyblades.
- Willfully Weak: Roxas spends a large portion of the story pretending to be much weaker than he actually is. At first he acts like he has never even seen a Keyblade before. When that lie is eventually exposed, he hides just how powerful of a Keyblade wielder he really is.
