Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH characters or series. Everything belongs to Nomura
Set after KH3. Don't read if you don't like spoilers
Beware they're may be a few inconsistencies in this. It's been a little while since I played 3 and lately I've been playing all the other games. I couldn't completely recall if the place Ienzo was working from in 3 was the palace or whatever in Radiant Garden, I just kinda assumed as much for this...so I deeply apologize if that's incorrect, among other things.
So you guys can't even imagine how freaking happy I was when Isa showed up with the Seasalt trio at the end of 3. I really hope we'll get to see more of him in the next game. I need more Isa. So this fic is kind of a testament to that, I guess. Enjoy!
"See you later, Lea."
"Yeah...later, Isa."
Those were the last words spoken between the two lifelong friends before Saïx vanished from Axel's arms, leaving nothing but sadness behind. Both men had been living out a never ending nightmare since the day their hearts were stolen from them. Now, that would finally end. For Axel, having reattained his heart and identity- finding the light and reformed at the end of the very dark tunnel; so too, would the organization's former second in command.
Mm...where am I? Saïx groaned as he tried to move his body, feeling out his surroundings from where he laid. Slowly but surely the stoic man opened his eyes. His vision becoming temporarily blinded when the room's lights hit him.
"Finally awake, I see." Came a man's voice.
Saïx groaned again, holding his head as he set himself upward. He attempted to open his eyes again, only to be surprised by the familiar surroundings he found himself in.
"This is...the lab." Saïx spoke in disbelief and looked around. Though it had been a long time since, he was positive this was the exact same lab that he and Lea, among others, had been in the day they lost their hearts. This could only mean one thing.
Saïx still felt a bit sluggish but ignored it before forcing his body into standing position. He glanced around once more, making completely sure his suspicions were correct.
There's no doubt. I'm back at...Radiant Garden. Saïx frowned as he tried to recall just why and how he had got there. However, just as his mind started to form the answer, the same voice from earlier called out again.
"Isa, are you all right?"
Saïx turned to the voice and once again, he was taken aback by who he saw,
"Zexion- No...rather...Ienzo?"
"It's wonderful to see you again." Ienzo smiled and tapped his former boss on the shoulder, "You were laying there for so long that I was beginning to get worried."
"I don't..." Saïx looked at Ienzo's hand resting on his shoulder, confused, "I don't recall...why I'm here. Or what I was doing. Can you explain?"
Ienzo looked at the blue haired man a moment; his eyes wide and blank. Then he let out a soft chuckle and turned towards a desk where a mirror sat. Taking hold of the mirror, Ienzo held out the reflector in front of Saïx's face, "I guess we were all a little lost after being recompleted, but here. If you look at yourself, it may all come back to you."
Saïx looked into the mirror, studying his appearance carefully. Odd, nothing seemed any different. He still wore the organization's coat. His face was still scarred with the x. He looked exactly the same.
"I don't notice anything-" Just as Saïx began to speak, a sensation that he hadn't felt it all too long suddenly pounded from within his chest.
As if to make sure he hadn't just imagined it, Saïx grabbed his chest and felt. Through his hand he could sense the rhythmical beating of his heart. Each beat began slowly filling in the blanks of his fuddled memory.
"My heart...it's back." Saïx stated, his expression unusually full of emotion.
"Correct. You appeared here some time ago. We got a call from Sora to be on the lookout for you. I'm glad he was right." Ienzo moved over to a giant computer and proceeded to tap away at the keyboard. As he did, Ienzo continued with his explanation, "How does it feel- being yourself again, Isa? Good, I hope."
"I..." Isa gripped his chest, still trying to process everything, "Yes, it feels...nice."
"Heh." Ienzo turned to look over his shoulder at Isa with a grin, "I don't think I've heard you speak so...honestly in such a long time. It's interesting, to say the least."
Isa stepped backward, feeling a bit awkward and embarrassed. It was true. The last time he and Ienzo seen each other, it was in the organization. And everyone there knew just how strict Saïx was with all its members. Such was the fate as Xemnas' number two. So suddenly regaining his self and old manners felt beyond strange to Isa.
"By the way, there's someone waiting outside for you." Ienzo tapped away at the computer, pulling up a security camera feed from outside the building. He glanced through his long bangs and spotted a small something in the corner of the feed, "There he is. Better not keep him waiting, yeah?"
Isa too, looked at the screen but could see no one. After bidding goodbye to Ienzo, Isa began his way back to the entrance. As he did, he passed by Dilan and Aeleus who both simply nodded a hello as they passed by.
So they were also recompleted. I had heard, but it's something else, seeing them in person again...Isa thought, walking down the last hallway leading to the door. With each step he took, more of Isa's final memories as Saïx surfaced. From the fight against Sora and Axel to the moment he disappeared in Axel's arms. The memories that had been fuzzy only a few minutes prior were now clear as day.
The doors to the castle opened and once more, Isa was blinded by the bright lights above him as he stepped outside. He looked around, searching for the person who had apparently been waiting for him. However, no matter where he looked, Isa seemed alone.
"Was this Ienzo's idea of a joke?" Isa clicked his tongue, "How childish."
"Hey, if it's a joke you want, you should know by now that I got a million of 'em."
In his chest, Isa felt the beating stop for a brief moment before resuming followed being speeding up. That voice...it was all too familiar. Painfully so. It actually hurt him to hear it now.
Isa clenched his fists, not wanting to turn around. Still, he managed to speak out one word,
"...Lea."
"Hey, what's up? You're not gonna look at me? Talk about rude."
Isa shut his eyes as he listened to the sound of Lea's footsteps approach him. Soon, the expressionless man could hear his best friend's breathing coming from right in front of him. Carefully, Isa looked at the red haired man before him, grinning like a total idiot as he always did.
"Yo!" The male formally known as Axel greeted, waving back at Isa, "'Bout time you showed up. I thought I was gonna be shown up for a minute there. Yet back in the organization, you were always so punctual. You're losing your touch, ex-boss."
Isa remained silent, unsure of how to respond. The last time he'd seen Lea, Isa had spilled his guts. Now, he had no clue what to do. Should he return the greeting, or apologize? Scold him like he'd done as Saïx? Or perhaps speak to him like he used to back when they were younger, but...just how was it that he used to speak to him again?
"Hey, you ignoring me? So not cool, man!" Lea shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. Isa stuck to his silence. Lea looked at his best friend from top to bottom before snapping his fingers. A brilliant idea had just popped into mind.
The redhead rounded Isa until he was standing right next to him. Lea then threw his arm around Isa's neck and proceeded to do something no one would have ever dared to do to Organization XIII's second leader. It was something Lea had done to Isa back when they were kids. It always seemed to snap Isa out of a bad mood whenever he did so, and Lea was sure it was work this time too. Of all things, it was...a simple headlock.
"H-Hey!" Isa shouted, grabbing hold of Lea's hands hooked around his neck.
"Come on, Isa! This should be the best day of your life, so would it kill ya to smile a little?!" Lea tightened the headlock, determined to get a rise out of his friend.
"Let me go this instant!"
"Not gonna happen!"
"Dammit, Lea, I said-"
"Nope!" Again, Lea increased his hold on poor Isa, ignoring all the pained cries and increasingly angry shouts.
Before long, Isa could take no more. Without even thinking, Isa forced his way out of the headlock, spun around and pointed a finger back at Lea. He then shouted more loudly than he ever had before,
"I knew you were an idiot, but give me a break! When I say to let me go, do it, moron!"
For a moment, all was silent. Lea stared back at Isa with wide eyes while Isa remained frozen in place. Then, the silence was swiftly replaced by the obnoxious sound of Lea's laughter. Isa leaned against a wall, with his face buried in his hand.
Dear god...what did I just...Isa peeked out at Lea who was literally on the ground, holding his sides. How utterly shameless that was of me. I haven't shouted at him like that in...years. Not since we were kids even. That dumbass...Isa clenched his teeth together, more frustrated than he had been in some time.
Meanwhile, Lea's laughing fit continued for a few more minutes. In that time, Isa progressively grew more irritated. Until finally- the usually calm male opened his mouth to shout again,
"Would you shut up already, Lea-"
"Now that's the Isa I remember!"
Said man froze again, caught off guard by not only Lea's comment but also by the kind smile staring back at him.
Isa's gorgeous turquoise orbs trembled as he watched his friend pick himself up off the ground and dust his clothes off.
Lea looked back at Isa who was still at a loss and no longer displayed even a hint of anger on his face. Lea's smile deepened and he stepped closer to Isa. Unexpectedly, Lea then wrapped both arms around Isa, pulling him into a strong embrace. The moment Isa fell against Lea, the redhead put his lips to Isa's ear and whispered warmly,
"Welcome back, Isa."
Tears welled up in the corners of Isa's eyes as his body acted without being told. Before he knew it, Isa was clinging onto Lea as tightly as he could. All the emotions that he'd kept hidden since becoming a Nobody and drifting apart from Lea when he was still Axel hit him like a tidal wave. Isa could hold back no longer, and soon, he was quietly sobbing into Lea's arms.
Lea patted Isa's back, feeling a few tears of his own threatening to spill forth. But he sniffled, holding them back. He then ran a hand down Isa's head and chuckled, "Hey now, if you don't stop, we may have to put upside down teardrops on your cheeks next!"
Isa hiccuped before forming a smile of his own through his tears, "As if...I would ever...copy you, idiot."
The two of them shared in soft laughter until soon the sun above Radiant Garden was setting.
After Isa collected himself, he and Lea found a bench to sit nearby.
"Should you tell anyone about my behavior today, know that I will-"
"What, turn me into a dusk? Sorry to tell you this, buddy, but you ain't got that power anymore. You can't do shit to me!"
"I can't do shit, you say...?" Isa growled almost like an animal, his eyes glowing a bit with fury.
"Okay, okay! I was just kidding- Stop with the devilish glare!" Lea put his hands up in a defensive position and then placed his fingertip to his temple, "I got it memorized, you know that."
"...Good." Isa mumbled, turning away. Just then, a rush of his final memories as Saïx came flooding back. Particularly the moment when he and Lea bid farewell as he vanished to be recompleted. Isa's mood turned sour again. He looked to the ground, his heart aching a bit, "Listen, Lea...I..."
"So now that you're back, we gotta do it!" Lea jumped out of his seat with his eyes shimmering with excitement.
"D-Do it?" Isa rose a brow, feeling quite...uncomfortable all of a sudden, "What do you mean?"
Lea shot a dorky grin at Isa before pointing towards two other figures that were approaching them from a distance.
"Heyyy, Axel! We finally found you two!"
Isa's pupils slowly grew in size the more the two people came into view. A boy with blond hair, walking next to a smiling girl with short black locks. They were two people Isa never expected to see again, yet alone...felt any right to.
"We got the ice cream like you asked! Come get it before it melts!" Xion shouted happily as she and Roxas came to a stop, the two of them waving for Lea and Isa to join them.
"Ice cream?" Isa questioned, looking up to Lea with a look of regret on his face, "But isn't that...the thing you three did together? I don't think I..."
Lea then placed a finger over Isa's lips, "Uh-uh, not another word!" He then removed his finger and tapped away at his temple again, "Come on, man! Friends celebrate when good things happen to each other right? And we're celebrating you're recompletion!"
"But..." Isa felt his eyes burning again. His chest ached with an unimaginable pain, and he unconsciously began gripping at it. How could Lea say such things? After everything that had happened in the Organization. The things he had down as Saïx to the Seasalt trio. Though he had done them at the time with no regrets, now, Isa held nothing but overwhelming guilt. Surely, he had no right to join them. It was too late.
As if reading his friend's mind, Lea then spoke out in a uncharacteristically stern tone, "Isa." He got down on his knees so he and Isa could look right into each other's eyes, "You're my best friend. And so are they. Know what that means?"
"...?"
Lea grinned from ear to ear, stood back up and then extended a hand to Isa, "That means they're your friends too! Got it memorized?"
For just a moment, Lea and the sun setting in the background almost seemed to merge together. Isa's vision blurred and he covered his face with a hand. His lips trembled as his heart beat rapidly.
Unbelievable. Even after everything...Isa removed his hand from his face, seeing Roxas and Xion walking up to then. Both of them simply smiled at him, neither of them showing any sign of ill feelings.
"...Here you go." Xion shyly held out an ice cream to Isa.
When he looked up at the former puppet, her smile grew kinder. Isa then slowly reached out for the cold treat. Taking it in hand, he put the ice cream to his lips.
"Well?" Roxas asked, holding up his own ice cream, "It's good, isn't it?"
Isa then let out a chuckle, flashing a rare smile back at the other three, "It's salty...but also sweet."
"Just like you, Isa!"
"Shut up, Lea!"
Roxas and Xion looked at Lea and Isa before they began laughing loudly just as Lea had done earlier. Meanwhile the adults looked at them, before turning back to each other. Lea and Isa then shared a grin and soon joined in the laughter.
Afterwards, Isa and the other three began walking through other areas of Radiant Garden. As the four finally came together as friends, Isa watched the beautiful sky overhead with nothing but pure light in his heart.
"Hey Isa, shake a leg or we'll leave you behind!" Lea suddenly shouted as he, Roxas, and Xion stood in place awaiting him.
The corners of Isa's lips curled upward as a gentle breeze grazed his face. Through his long blowing locks, Isa peered back at the three with the happiest look than even Lea had ever seen him wear.
"Don't rush me, Lea."
"Last one there has to buy the next set of ice cream!" Lea shouted, as Isa blended into their group as their walk continued.
"Then you'll obviously be the one purchasing." Isa spoke, suddenly sharing a look with Roxas and Xion. The two cocked their heads, a bit confused. However, when Isa smirked at them, they suddenly understood.
"...Got it." Roxas mumbled before he and Xion suddenly started running. Isa then followed suit.
"WHA-" Lea's mouth fell to the ground before he began chasing after them, "Wait, wait, wait- That's so not fair, you guys!"
"Hey, it was your rule! So don't complain if you lose!" Roxas shouted over his shoulder as he picked up his speed.
"Better 'shake a leg', Axel!" Xion chimed in, catching up with Roxas.
"You're also not as young as you used to be, Lea. Better put in the extra work..." Isa turned around, pressing his fingertip to his head and grinning, "Got it memorized?"
Lea paused a moment, his face turning a bit pink. Then, he laughed and proceeded with his chase.
As the four ran off into the sunset, Isa continued to smile, happier than ever that his heart had returned.
Author's Comments: Well, hopefully this wasn't too awful. I'm sure there's tons of punctuation mistakes and probably some OOC-ness. This was just something I wrote on a whim. Suddenly got his with AkuSai feels the day before yesterday and boom. This is the result. I also apologize for any inconsties regarding like Radiant Garden's layout, or where Ienzo and Isa were at the start. It's been a little while since I saw that world back in BBS so I forgot some things...
Yeah, unlike Axel, I don't got it memorized *bows thousand times*
Please leave a review if you enjoyed. Thanks so much for reading