A/N: So, yeah, I'm not dead! Yays! Anyway, enjoy my newest fic here, one that I wanted to get started before KHIII comes on the scene and josses the hell out of it. This is going to be a slow updater, but I will see it through to its end just like all my other fics.
This fic is a direct sequel to the Heirloom Trilogy ("Heirloom", "Where We Belong", and "Will You Still Love Me?") and takes place in the same universe as "The Birth of Grace" Reading those four fics is not required, but is HIGHLY recommended.
It also adhere to "Back Cover" while ignoring many things in Kingdom Heart X. So Laurium and Ventus were not in the Keyblade War, but we still have the events with the Master of Masters, Luxu, and the other Foretellers.
Many thanks to the wonderful Lita_Snow for being a dear and fixing my screw ups.
Oh wait, I'm forgetting something important, aren't I? *clears throat* Kingdom Hearts is the joint property of Square-Enix and Disney. So needless to say, this is not mine and I'm not making any $$$ off of this fanfic.
Enjoy
1.
When I'm Gone
Dear Isa,
Two years.
It's been two years since I saw you last, that day in Where Nothing Gathers. Part of me isn't sure why I'm even writing this. You know reading and writing were never my thing. Remember all the times you had to practically force me to do my homework when we were in school? Yet here I am, writing a letter that you might never see. I really hope it doesn't come to that, but... things aren't looking good right now.
They said it was only temporary, that the Council of the Keys only wanted to keep you just long enough to lure Xehanort into a trap. It would be quick, they said.
Yeah, well, they lied.
Two damned years, Isa! Two years since they said it would be over with quickly! God, I never should have believed them! Of course, what could I have done? Chosen by the keyblade or no, I was once a Nobody, and that makes me suspect in their eyes. Terra's not having any better luck with them either. C'mon, it's not like he asked to be possessed or anything, but nope, they don't like him and said they won't acknowledge his mastery if he gets it from Master Yen Sid or Master Aqua. Possession can only take place in a heart saturated with darkness, they said. Morons.
Why do we even have them anyway? With so few keyblade masters left in the worlds, you'd think they wouldn't be so picky about who swings one.
They don't trust me because I used to be a Nobody.
They don't trust Terra because he was possessed by Xehanort.
They don't trust Master Aqua because she spent years in the Realm of Darkness.
They don't trust Ventus because he was once used to forge the X-blade.
They don't trust Master Yen Sid because he doesn't care what they think.
They don't trust Sora because he got his heart shattered and nearly possessed by Xehanort.
They don't trust Master Riku because he was possessed by Xehanort, even if it was for only a little while.
They don't trust Master Mickey because he helped teach Master Riku.
C'mon, it's not like any of those guys listed up there helped save the universe or anything. Oh wait, they did. Silly me, why would I expect the council to be logical or anything? How dare I be so pretentious...
"We just need him for bait." they said. "You'll have him home soon." they said.
Yen Sid said that the council had been a bunch of stuffed shirts even when he was an apprentice. They'd protested Master Limahl taking in a young Xehanort decades ago since the kid had darkness in his heart or some crap, and now they're using his omnicidal tendencies to push their agenda, whatever that is. They certainly haven't told anyone. Hell, Master Yen Sid admitted that he'd heard from his own master that they'd objected to Master Limahl being taken in as a kid by Master Alexia for the same reason. Apparently having any darkness in your heart means you are unworthy of the keyblade, even if the keyblades themselves think otherwise.
As I said before, morons.
So enough of that depressing stuff. Let me tell you about the interesting news. How much of this you'll already know is just something I just shrug my shoulders over. I need to write something here, since I can't talk to you in person. We didn't talk much the last few years as Nobodies, but damn, now that you're not around, I'm going insane without having you to talk at.
Yes, at. Not to. Because I don't think you were listening to me half the time anyway.
No, I'm not crying!
Anyway, on to the interesting stuff!
The first thing I should tell you is that everyone in the Organization is back to normal, hearts and all. Something about destroying the Heart and then the Nobody allows the original person to reform or something. At least, that's what Yen Sid said when I asked him. Not only that, but there's the added bonus of still having all our Nobody powers and control over the Darkness. So I can still set things on fire and fling my chakrams around if I feel the need. I have been warned, though, about using the Darkness, now that I have a heart that can be corrupted again.
But wait, there's more! You know all that time I spent hanging out with Roxas and Xion? It was enough for me to – get this – grow a new heart. Crazy, right? When the heart is lost, the body will try to replace it, and the more you actually try to live your life, the faster it will happen. Makes me wonder if that was why Xemnas kept sending us out on pointless missions all the damned time. Can't live a life when you're constantly doing drudge work, after all.
And speaking of Xehanort...
So yeah, that big grand plan of his to incite another keyblade war? Yeaaaaah, it hasn't happened. No one knows where the hell he's been since then, and frankly, I don't care. Maybe the old fart had a heart attack during one of his speeches or something. That would be awesome, wouldn't it?
Someone's been doing something though, let me tell you. It's been weird all the things that have been happening since Xehanort was last seen.
The first thing was Terra. Yup, possessed by Xehanort just before Xehanort landed in Radiant Garden minus his memories years ago. The memory loss was apparently caused by Xehanort himself or something, but whatever, that's not what's interesting. What's interesting is that Terra just appeared one day in town, unpossessed and in full control of himself. His memories of how he got free are pretty hazy, so he doesn't know how it happened, but Master Yen Sid confirmed that he's completely free of Xehanort's influence. Not only that, but his body appears... new, I guess you could say. All the marks caused by getting into accidents and incidents as a kid are gone, he says. It's like someone cloned him and shoved his heart into it. Even swears it wasn't him.
That leads us to the next thing: Aqua. Trapped for years in the Realm of Darkness. One day she just appeared at Yen Sid's tower, again without knowing how she got there. She said a voice called out to her through the darkness, and a hand pulled her to safety. That's all she knows. She returned to Castle Oblivion (Remember that place?), and would you believe it, it used to be completely different. Master Aqua went back there, did something fancy with that Master's Defender that she's got, and turned it back to its original form. It is a nice place; I'll have to take you there for a visit once you're home. Oh, and the thing Xemnas had been obsessed with there? Yeah, it was a kid of all things. Ventus, an apprentice under Master Eraqus along with Aqua and Terra. He'd been hidden away in there, sleeping, ever since he got his heart shattered years ago. So yup, Ven's awake, his heart's in one piece, the Land of Departure is back in action, and Master Aqua is in control of it.
Let me tell you, the Council of the Keys is pissed about it – with a capital P. Something about the Land of Departure being an important waypoint in the balance between light and dark, and how they don't believe anyone but themselves should be in control of it. There are bets going around about how long it'll be before they try and take the castle by force. Good luck, says Yen Sid. The castle is ancient and is steeped in protective wards, which are now under Aqua's control. Trying to take the castle from her might end up in some serious messes.
Lessee, what else?
Oh yeah, I've seen a few other members of the Organization floating around, former members I should say. Marluxia's actually not quite the pompous prick he was before now that he's got his heart back. He's back in his own world, ruling the place, and we actually shared a few drinks at a tavern near his castle (Does everyone own a castle except for me?). I got the impression that him losing his heart was a good thing for him, and since he still has his Nobody powers like the rest of us, he used it to cow his asshole parents into compliance and stole the throne. Maybe that's where he got that from? He can't hold his booze worth a damn though, I'm pleased to say.
And Vexen, that smug asshole. I admit I gave him a nasty death, worse than he deserved to be honest.
Okay, far, FAR worse than he deserved.
…
…
Alright, fine! He didn't deserve to die at all! There, I admitted it. But what else was I supposed to do? I was only following orders after all. Question: did that order come from you, or from Xehanort?
Anyway, Vexen is back to being Even, and let me tell you, it nearly didn't end well for him. Something went wrong when his complete self reformed, and it left him cold, tired, and too weak to sit up in bed, much less get up and move around. It wasn't looking good for him, and all the people that could fix it – all the people with keyblades – were out looking for Xehanort. So it was looking like Even was going to die not long after getting his heart back, and then one morning, Ienzo (Zexion) finds Even up and wandering the castle, still looking a little tired, but fine. Mickey and Yen Sid are adamant that such a recovery would have needed the skills and magic of a keyblade wielder, but no one with one was responsible.
Probably the most interesting change is with Ansem. Yeah, I heard he got himself out of the Realm of Darkness that Xehanort had chucked him in via the Power of Hate (Did you read that with a loud, booming mental voice?) only to end up right back in it when his attempt to encode Kingdom Hearts (Seriously?) literally blew up in his face. (Do you remember that, by chance?) Well, like Aqua, he's out, and he's back in charge of Radiant Garden. The world's almost fully recovered now, another year or two and you won't be able to tell it was ever destroyed. I heard he got over his hatred of Xehanort and the others before his encoder blew up, but everyone still expected him to be pissed as a bear at Xehanort.
But he's not.
It's really weird. He seems strangely calm over the whole mess, really. He accepted Even and the others back without question, and was even worried about Even's health when he heard about the difficulties he had after reforming. Hell, the portrait of Xehanort, I've been told, is still hanging in his study. You know, the room he rules the world from? So he sees Xehanort's face everyday? I don't get it either. Everyone's confused about it. I mean, why would he want a portrait of the man who betrayed him and wrecked his world in his study, where he can see it everyday? I'd have burned the thing the instant I got a chance myself.
He also refuses to appoint a new heir. Yeah, yeah, we all know Xehanort was his adopted son and was the heir apparent, with Even the heir presumptive before that, but you'd think he would have disowned him or something. Or at least nullified the adoption. But nope, I've heard from Ienzo that Xehanort's adoption is still valid, and he's still the heir. Which is just fucked up. I dunno, maybe the old man is grieving for his kid – it's not like his kid stabbed him in the back, killed several of their people, tossed him into the Realm of Darkness, and trashed the world, oh no – but hey, he might need time to get over him! You never know!
Or maybe he's just senile. That's what I'm beginning to think.
But I have to keep my thoughts on that to myself for now. Despite everything the people of Radiant Garden are happy to have Ansem back, and he is doing a lot of good. He's got the world back in shape must faster than the Restoration Committee ever could have – especially since he won't let Yuffie near the restoration coffers, or the tax income that's filling those coffers. (Yup, if your house is fixed, your business is up and running, and you have a job? You gotta pay taxes again. Good news is, almost all of it's going to restoring the world, with the rest being put in a "just in case" fund.)
And honestly, I kinda need his help.
No one knows where the Council of the Keys took you. They have their own castle (Seriously, I'm beginning to think I'm the only one that doesn't have one!) but you're not there. I went banging on their door one day, demanding entrance, and though they pretty much threw me off the world, I was able to scan the place for hearts, (Having a keyblade has some nice perks.) and I didn't see yours. I've searched so many places, and I haven't been able to find you anywhere, and I'm running out of options. Not even Yen Sid and Mickey know where you might be. Sora and Riku want to help, but the two of them are off preparing for whenever Xehanort's schemes finally make their appearance, whenever that finally happens. The waiting really sucks, let me make that clear. Hopefully, the longer we wait, the greater the chances the old geezer will kick it first. He doesn't have Terra's body anymore, right? So maybe he's back in his old body – somehow.
I really try not to think about that. It makes my brain hurt.
Ansem is my last hope. Since you're from his world, maybe the Council bothered to tell him something. I know the chances are practically zero, but I still need to try. I don't know what else to do. If the council wants you for bait, we'll be waiting until Xehanort finally decides to make an appearance, and at the rate he's going, I might die of old age myself before that happens. (Maybe that's his plan?)
So yeah, I'm going to see Ansem tomorrow, and maybe he can tell me something, point me in the right direction, or know someone that can help. Wish me luck! I can't wait any longer.
I'm going to find you, Isa! I don't care what it takes! I WILL bring you home!
So hopefully, I'll see you soon!
Love (but not that way!),
Lea
OOOOOO
Lea sat slumped down in the chair outside of Ansem's study, tapping one of his booted feet against the polished stone floor. Getting into the castle was a lot easier these days, with the help of a weapon that no lock could stop, but since he'd come seeking Ansem's help, he'd figured that simply walking in without an invitation would be a bad idea. So he'd done the adult thing (Ugh...) and asked Aeleus to request an audience for him with Radiant Garden's lord.
He smiled faintly; all those times he and Isa had snuck into the castle, and all they'd needed to do was simply ask. Isa would never believe it.
Actually, yeah he would. It had always been Lea's idea to try and sneak in after all.
Then again, the reason he'd been granted the audience was probably because of that aforementioned weapon that couldn't be stopped by any lock. Best to see him and get it done with, so he didn't just waltz in later.
Lea groaned as he tilted his head back to lean against the wall behind the chair and mentally ran through the speech he had prepared. Things had gotten so complicated since he'd summoned a keyblade. Get a keyblade, help save the universe; it had all seemed so easy then. Master Yen Sid had done the Inheritance Ceremony with him, and then the others had warped time to allow him to summon it quicker.
Step one: get keyblade. Check.
Step two: save the universe... Yeah, that didn't appear to be happening any time soon. Right now, he didn't really care about that anyway. Xehanort hadn't been seen in two years, at least one of his vessels had freed himself somehow, and a third was in the keeping of the Council of the Keys. His schemes couldn't go forward without them, right? Besides, Lea had Isa to worry about now; Xehanort could wait.
He broke from his thoughts and sat up when the door to the study opened, spilling warm yellow light into the cold hallway.
"Come in, Lea." came Ansem's voice from just on the other side, and Lea scrambled to his feet and had to force himself to not run in. He needed to be an adult (Ugh...) here and act politely. Use those manners that his parents had spent so long drilling into his head.
He walked into the study just in time for Ansem to seat himself behind his desk. The study door shut behind him as he was gestured to take a seat in front of the desk. He sat down, but before he could begin his carefully prepared speech, Ansem began speaking.
"I know why you came here, Lea." the man said, and Lea felt his heart sink at his tone. "No, I do not know where Isa is. The Council has not shared that information with me. I know why they have him: to use him as bait for Heir Xehanort, as he can track his vessels, but I do not know where they have taken him."
Lea sighed as he slumped down in the chair. "I... see." He dragged himself to his feet. "I'm sorry for bothering you, Lord Ansem. I'll see myself out."
"However," Ansem's words froze him in mid turn towards the door, "I do know someone who can help."
Lea slowly looked over his shoulder at him. "You do? Who?"
Ansem stood up to look him in the eye. "If you are serious about finding Isa, come back here later tonight, after 11pm. By then the castle will have only a skeleton staff up and about, and I know you'll be able to sneak down here without being seen. You must come alone, Lea, this is very important." Ansem looked straight into his eyes, orange meeting green. "If you are not alone, the person will leave without offering any assistance. Do not tell anyone that you are coming here, and pack for an extended journey."
Lea's mind caught up with him then, and he turned to fully face Ansem. "What? What are you talking about? Who can help? I don't -"
Ansem cut him off. "Do you want Isa back?"
"I do."
"What are you willing to do to see him safely home?"
"Anything."
"Even if it means going against your other friends? The other wielders of the keyblade? The Council of the Keys itself?"
"What is that supposed to mean? I want my best friend back!"
"Then pack for an extended journey, tell no one that you're leaving, and be back here after eleven."
Ansem sat back down and turned his attention to the piles of paperwork that covered the surface of the desk.
Lea stood there for a moment, his mouth working but making no sound. What the hell was that all about?
"You are dismissed, Lea." Ansem said evenly. "You might want to try getting a few hours sleep before you come back here, so you ought to go back home."
Lea blinked and shook his head. Ansem didn't say anything, and Lea slowly turned around and walked out of the study. What had just happened? He made his way out of the castle and through the town without thinking about it, and it wasn't until he'd walked through the door of his childhood home that his thought process restarted.
He sank down into the nearest chair in the silent room, still half expecting, despite all the years that had passed, for his father to appear and tell him to go sit in his own chair, but of course that hadn't happened. His parents hadn't survived once the world had come apart. Isa's had, and they'd begun to give up hope of ever seeing their only child again.
He had to do something... Ansem had said that there was someone that could help...
He stood up from the chair and wandered back to his bedroom, the same one he'd occupied before the world's fall. Twelve years since the fall, two years since he'd learned that his mother and father hadn't made it, and he still couldn't bear to take over the master bedroom that had once been theirs. He absently began pulling clothes out of drawers and piling them in the middle of his bed. Isa's parents had refused to return to their old home, claiming that it was haunted by the memories of their missing son. Lea had gone over there once, and even with the damage to the house: roof caved in, collapsing floors, peeling paint, broken windows, debris piled up everywhere, he'd been able to easily see the house as it had once been. Neat as a pin and ringing with the laughter of two boys planning their next adventure.
He hadn't stayed long, and he hadn't been back since. He'd also been secretly relieved when the dilapidated building had been demolished not long afterward.
He hauled a backpack out of the closet and tossed it on the bed next to his clothes. It wasn't right. No one knew how the Council had even gotten their hands on Isa. They'd just announced that they had him one day and had allowed Mickey to see for himself but had refused to let anyone try and help him. Mickey's description of Isa sitting slumped against the wall in an empty room, head lolled to the side, eyes staring blankly ahead, drool dripping from his chin had sent Lea to their castle, demanding entrance. They'd laughed at him and tossed him not only out of the castle, but off of the world itself. It had been two years, and no one had seen Isa since.
For that matter, except for Terra, none of Xehanort's vessels – Lea winced at thinking of Isa as one of them – had been seen since the confrontation in Where Nothing Gathers. Sora and the others had scoured the worlds for them, but they seemed to have vanished. What was Xehanort planning? Why was he waiting?
"Well, it doesn't matter." Lea said to himself in the otherwise silent room. "I don't care about Xehanort anymore. I'm going to find Isa, and I'm going to bring him home." With that he tossed one last thing, a blue hardcover writing journal, into the backpack and zipped it shut. He then left it sitting on his bed, while he went off to the kitchen to make himself something for lunch.
OOOOOO
A few hours after sunset, Lea slipped quietly through town towards the castle. His black coat was on with the hood up, and he used it to the fullest to better blend in with the shadows of trees and houses cast by the bright moonlight. He'd thought about using the Corridors of Darkness to get in quicker, but he'd discarded that after a moment of thought. He'd already been warned by Master Mickey about the dangers of continued use of the Darkness, and he had no desire to lose his heart again or worse, end up like Xehanort, corrupted beyond any hope of redemption. To complicate things, years of being Nobodies had given the former Organization members a heightened sensitivity to Darkness, and he didn't want to risk Even or one of the others sensing it and coming to investigate. Ansem had said to come alone, and that's what he was going to do.
He summoned Proud Flame as he ascended the steps to the castle's main entrance, and a quick tap to the doors released the massive locks that kept them shut. From there, it was easy enough to open one of the doors just enough to slip inside, close it behind him, and relock it. It was a simple matter to make his way through the dimly lit castle to the study, and Ansem's voice bade him enter before he could even raise his hand to knock.
Unlike the rest of the castle, all the lights were on in Ansem's study, and he was sitting at his desk, working on some kind of paperwork. Once Lea had stepped in and closed the door behind him, he looked up at him.
"Are you ready?" he asked in a serious tone.
Lea nodded as he lowered his hood. "Yes, who is it that's going to help?"
Ansem stood up and looked him in the eye again. "Before he comes out, you must swear to me to keep your head when you see him. Do not leave this room, and do not raise your voice."
"Why?"
"Swear to me, Lea, or you will turn around and walk right back out that door."
Lea paused and growled slightly in frustration as he raked his hand back through his hair. "Fine, I swear to not flip out. Happy?"
Ansem gave him a long, searching look before he nodded once. "Lock the door."
Lea growled again as he spun around, summoned Proud Flame, and fired off a beam of light at the door's keyhole. The lock clicking into place echoed loudly in the room, and Lea spun back around to face Ansem as he dismissed his keyblade. "Are you done now? I'd like to get on with finding my best friend."
"Mind your tone." came a voice from the left, a voice that made Lea's heart freeze for a moment. "You do not speak to Lord Ansem that way."
Lea stood there, frozen in place, staring at Ansem, for a moment, before he turned to face the voice. Proud Flame appeared without him thinking about it.
"Xehanort!"
Lord Ansem's adopted son, the heir still to Radiant Garden's throne, the man responsible for so much destruction and countless deaths, the one who had taken Isa from him, stood there in front of the door to the lab, calmly looking back at Lea like he had not a care in the world. Like he didn't have a near universe wide manhunt looking for him. Lea absently took in the paler skin, the bright gold eyes, the shoulders that weren't quite as broad as they had been as Xemnas, the longer hair that was white as it had been before the Fall instead of Xemnas' silvery gray, and the aura of power that rolled around him like a tightly constrained thunderstorm about to break free. A black Organization coat swept down to his ankles as he casually crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame.
Lea shook his head; Xehanort's looks weren't the important thing here. "What the hell are you doing here, Xehanort!"
"Do not address Heir Xehanort so informally." Ansem said in a firm tone, and Lea turned to look at him.
"What! 'Heir' Xehanort? Are you serious? Are you out of your mind! After everything he did, he's still Heir Xehanort!" He looked back at Xehanort, who was still regarding him with a bored expression. "He throws you into the Realm of Darkness, destroys the world, and you still treat him as your son! He should be hanging from a gallows somewhere, not standing here like nothing's wrong! Why in the hell -"
"Enough!" Xehanort straightened up, and Lea flinched despite himself as the man's power pressed down upon him. "I just told you that you do not speak to Lord Ansem in such a way."
"It is fine, Xehanort." Ansem said from his desk. "I expected this reaction."
Xehanort stared at Lea for a moment, and then he Hmph'd and leaned back against the door frame again. "I suppose so, but I believe that my coming here may have been a waste of my time."
"You're the only one that can help, Xehanort." Ansem replied, and Lea whipped around to stare at him. "Isa and Braig are the only ones left to find."
Lea couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "Xehanort? Xehanort is the one you said would help me?" Ansem nodded, and Lea just stared at him while his mouth moved but no words came out.
"I think you broke him, Papa." Xehanort said, the amusement in his tone coming through clearly.
"You find this funny!" Lea snapped as he turned to look at him. "I should walk right out that door, find any member of the guard, hell, anyone would work, and tell them you're here! I'm sure the people would love to hear that you had the gall to come back here!"
Xehanort simply looked at him, one elegant white eyebrow raised. "Fine then. I see that I am not needed here." He turned to look at Ansem. "I shall endeavor to return Isa safely home as soon as possible, though I have no idea when that will be."
"What you mean 'return him safely home'?" Lea demanded, but he was ignored.
"And Braig?" Ansem asked.
"He was the only one willing in this entire scheme. I cannot say."
"Aside from you." Lea growled, but again, he was ignored.
"I still think you should take Lea with you." Ansem said. "He could benefit from your experience, and he won't be climbing the walls here about Isa if he's actively helping to find him."
"That is true." Xehanort frowned in thought, and Lea scowled about being spoken of as though he wasn't in the room. "He also can't go running to anyone who will listen about my appearance here if I have him with me."
Ansem and Xehanort looked at him then, and Lea scowled again.
"You have two options, Lea." Xehanort said. "Stay here and do nothing, or come with me, help me track down Isa, and learn how to handle that keyblade properly while you're at it."
"I can teach myself!" Lea snarled. "If Sora could learn by himself, then so can I."
"Don't make me laugh. The only thing Sora has taught himself is how to destroy his knees from not carrying the keyblade properly. Why Master Yen Sid allows him to go on without teaching him anything is beyond me."
"Says the one who has lost to Sora twice."
Xehanort didn't move or change expression. "A Heartless and a Nobody. Powerful, but not the full extent of what I am capable of, not at all. Now, choose."
"You honestly expect me to just follow you after everything you've done?"
"What other option do you have? I am your only hope for getting Isa back."
"The council said they would return him once they had found you. I'd rather take my chances -"
Xehanort let out a snort. "Do you honestly think that they're telling the truth? They need him to lead me into whatever trap they have planned. Once I'm gone, they'll have no more use for him."
"And they'll let him come home, so what's the problem?"
"They won't let him come home. He has a fragment of my heart within his own. Once they have no need of him, they'll simply destroy him to destroy the fragment."
Once again Lea found his mouth working with no sound coming out. "What?" he finally managed to croak after a minute or so had passed. "But they said -"
"I am the only one who can free Isa's heart without severely damaging or outright destroying it. Killing him is the far easier option for ensuring that no part of me survives. Once I am gone, they will not hesitate. One way or another, Isa will never come home if you rely on them."
The room fell silent then, and Lea stared at Xehanort as the latter's words ran though his head over and over.
"Make your choice, Lea." Ansem said quietly once a few minutes had passed. "Heir Xehanort cannot stay here much longer."
"Can't I take a day to think on it?" Lea asked as he finally forced his voice to work.
Xehanort glanced up at the clock above the door to the rest of the castle. "You have 30 seconds."
Lea looked over at Ansem." Why?" he asked. "Why do you want me to do this?"
"Because I trust him." Ansem said with a faint smile. "So should you, if you want Isa back."
"But, everything he's done... I..."
"Twenty seconds."
"I know, I know it's hard to believe that he's not that way anymore, but I need you to trust me, Lea. Heir Xehanort only wants to set right what he did wrong."
"How do you know though? How do we know that this isn't some trick of his?"
"Ten seconds."
"Because he proved it to me. That is my son standing there, not the monster he became. I trust him, and I need you to do the same if you want to bring Isa home safely."
"I dunno..." Lea flicked his eyes over at Xehanort, who was still watching the clock with a bored expression. "Are you sure. I mean, really sure?"
"Yes, I am certain."
"Time's up."
Lea paused, took a deep breath, and then he turned to face Xehanort.
"Have you made your choice?" the Keyblade Master asked, and Lea stared at him. His heart hammered away in his chest, and he clenched his fists at his sides as his thoughts seemed to freeze. He couldn't just go along with him.. what if it was all a trap... but if he was telling the truth about Isa...
"Well?"
The man who had destroyed Radiant Garden... who had stolen so many lives... had taken Isa from him... had tried to possess Sora...
"I am waiting."
...was swearing to bring Isa back, to break the possession.
Xehanort let out an aggravated sigh, pushed himself off of the door frame, and began to walk away, back through the door that led into the lab.
"Wait!" The word was out of Lea's mouth before he could think about it, and Xehanort paused and looked over his shoulder. "You really are going to bring him home?"
"Yes."
"Why? You have a death sentence on your head. Why are you risking so much?"
"Because," Xehanort rolled his eyes, "it's the right thing to do. Now are you coming or not? I don't have all night."
Lea ignored the question. "And how can we trust you to judge what is right after everything you've done?"
"Lea..." Ansem said warningly, but Xehanort waved him off and turned to face Lea once more.
"You're just going to have to trust me then, aren't you?"
"I..."
"Do you want Isa back or not, Lea? Come with me, help me find him, and by the time I am through, you will be more than capable of defending him from anyone else."
"Why would I need to do worry about that?"
Xehanort rolled his eyes again. "Use that intelligence that I know you have, Lea! Think for a moment! He may be possessed by a fragment of my heart right now, but the fact remains that he willingly became Xemnas' second-in-command all those years ago. And there will always be people that will distrust him and wish him harm because of said possession. Never mind that it happened against his will, he was once part of me, so there will be those that seek to end him because of it." Xehanort straightened up and stared him down. "Now, I will not waste any more time. Are you coming with me or not?"
Lea didn't answer. His vocal chords felt frozen as his mind and heart warred with each other. Xehanort huffed again and turned to Ansem.
"I will be in touch, Papa." he said, and then he spun on his heel and began to walk through the door that led into the lab.
"Wait," Lea croaked, but Xehanort did not pause in his stride. Lea nearly ran to the door and put his hands on the frame. "Wait!"
Xehanort paused, and Lea ran up to stand beside him. "Yes, I'll come with you!"
"Took you long enough. I hope you're not always this slow at decision making." Xehanort said as he continued walking down the corridor. The door to the study shut behind them as Lea hurried to keep up.
"What the hell did you expect? You just show up wanting me to follow you? The last time I followed you, I lost my heart if you remember."
"As I said before, what other option do you have?"
They stepped into the silent computer room that overlooked the main lab. "Yeah, whatever you say, Norty." Lea muttered to himself.
He felt his feet abruptly leave the floor, and before he could put in any thought as to why that was happening, he felt his back slam into the wall with enough force that it punched most of the air out of his lungs. He was up against the wall, several feet above the floor. Xehanort stood in the middle of the room, with one arm raised and one hand pointing at Lea.
"Let me make something very clear here." Xehanort said in a low tone that made the hair on Lea's arms stand up. "You do not like me, and you do not trust me. Fine, you have your reasons, and frankly, I do not care. However, I am still a Keyblade Master, while you are just barely an apprentice, and I will not be disrespected. From here on, I am Master Xehanort to you. You do not address me by name without my title, and I will not tolerate any cutesy nickname from you. That includes Norty, Xeh-xeh, or any other variation of my name that you can come up with. Am I clear?"
Lea didn't answer, still trying to get his breath back.
"I am waiting for an answer, Lea!"
"Yes," he wheezed.
"Yes, what?"
Lea coughed and was finally able to suck in some air. "Yes, Master Xehanort."
"Good." Xehanort dropped his arm, and Lea felt whatever force that was holding him against the wall release. He dropped bonelessly to the floor, coughing. Xehanort stood there and watched him until he'd caught his breath.
"Now, get up. We have to be gone before anyone notices that I'm here."
Lea staggered to his feet, winching as his back muscles protested the movement.
"Heal." came Xehanort's voice, and Lea felt the green magic of a Cure spell wash over him then. The ache in his back abruptly vanished. "Now summon your glider; we have places to be."
Lea shook his head as he brought his breathing under control and called Proud Flame to him, suddenly glad that Master Yen Sid had at least explained that much to him. He didn't want to think of how Xehanort would react if he didn't know how to summon the glider form.
In a flare of light, the keyblade changed shape, and Xehanort spent a moment looking it over, before he looked up at Lea.
"This reminds me of a motorcycle." he commented as a sly smile touched his lips. "Or perhaps a bicycle might be more appropriate. With training wheels."
"Oh, come on." Lea grumbled. He didn't know what a motorcycle was, but he knew he'd just been insulted.
With nary a gesture, Xehanort summoned his own keyblade, and Lea shivered at the sight of the weapon that had, years ago, torn his heart from his chest. He blinked in surprise when it turned into a pair of wings that attached themselves to Xehanort's back; it made him think of these things called angels he'd once heard about while visiting Neverland for the Organization years ago.
Xehanort opened the Lanes Between. "Follow right behind me, do not wander off, and -" A smirk twisted his mouth as he looked at Lea's glider. "- try not to fall off."
Lea gave him an indignant look, but Xehanort ignored it as he flew easily through the gateway into the Lanes. Lea mounted his own glider, took a deep breath, and then he followed, wondering as he went if he was going to end up regretting it later.