Alternate Summary:

Without warning she crashed into my life from a whole other world I could never understand. That's how I met her and despite knowing her I still can't wrap my head around the complicated feline woman known as Larxene.

Chapter 1: Prologue

"Axel? Axel? Are you even listening to me?" Sora yells in the red haired man's ear. Lea acknowledges the young teen but continues to stare at the knives lying abandoned on the ground, he doesn't even bother correcting the boy's use of his old name. "You don't have to yell in my ear to hear you, get it memorized already kid," Lea mutters with a frown but his emerald irises are still analyzing the knives and scratch marks around the room along with serious amounts of blood staining the floors. They haven't discovered who's blood it is as of yet. Lea's sure that Even could take a sample and maybe discover who it may be - but it's doubtful it would help uncover anything at all. Sora and Lea were currently investigating a possible attack in Radiant Garden - Yen Sid thinking it may be Xehanort's doing.

"What's wrong Axel, it's just some knives, nothing special. I don't know why we're even here! It's not like Xehanort's even around!" Sora fumes slightly, and he roughly plops onto one of the chairs in the room. Lea rolls his eyes at the boy, "That attitude won't get us anywhere kid - and by the way the name's Lea. When the hell are all of you going to get it memorized already?!"

Sora sighs, "I've always called you Axel - it's not easy to change your name just like that. Also, the name Axel just suits you more!" Sora grins at Lea, who frowns at him in response, "what's that supposed to mean?! - you know my name was originally Lea - my Mom wouldn't be to keen on you being picky about the name she chose, you know you're exactly like," Lea stops his sentence, his eyes narrowing. Sora sits upright, his head turning behind him saying, "What's wrong?" Sora's eyes search the room but nothing seems to be there, he turns back to Lea who's beside one of the knives' marks, his gloved hands lightly touching the ripping wood of the door-frame. Lea despite not being a part of the organization anymore hasn't changed out of the organization's trademark ensemble, Sora wonders why since he's always complaining about everyone calling him by his old name. Sora stares at Lea's face for awhile but no matter how hard he looks Sora still doesn't recognize the emotion hidden in his eyes.

After touching the wood one last time Lea abruptly says, "I got to get going." Lea's body turns from where he was staring, and shoves past Sora nearly knocking the poor boy over. "Wait Axel - I mean Lea, where are you," -

Lea stops walking and Sora closes his mouth, his sentence being interrupted by Lea's uncannily serious eyes piercing into his own ocean orbs. Lea's eyes don't stray from Sora's stating with no emotion, "Tell Yen Sid I'll handle this case alone. Sorry for dragging you into this. Just head back home." Lea sounds almost tired and desperate towards the end of his sentence, and Sora still isn't quite sure what's going on until he realizes that Lea's already left.

He walks outside the abandoned house, and searches around the town for Lea, even stopping by at Even's lab in hopes of finding the redhead. When no one seems to have seen the fire wielding man, Sora decides to head home since it's pretty late. He has school tomorrow and Mickey and Yen Sid don't want him falling even more behind in his studies than he already is. It's only thanks to Kairi's tutoring that he's actually passing his courses.

Sora is unaware of the redhead sitting high on one of the castle's roofs, his green eyes not straying from the clear starry sky the full moon illuminating the dark town.

"It's her - it has to be her," Lea states while lying back down, placing his hands behind his spiky red locks. He closes his eyes briefly remembering her name slowly forming on his tongue - he didn't remember it immediately, it never occurred to him until now - his past life in this world Radiant Garden as a human; it was all a big blur. But now he remembers it all, it's crystal clear in his memories, the memories he was sure he'd lost when he was a member of Organization Thirteen.

"Arlene."

It's been a very long time since Lea's said that name, and it seems almost foreign on his tongue but also strangely familiar. It felt like he was home for a moment - sitting on a rooftop and staring at the same starry sky he remembered from back in those days.

Remembering it all almost made him want to cry - but he knows crying wouldn't solve anything; it wouldn't mean going back and changing what had occurred. He couldn't undo what had happened in the past; all he can do is hope that she'll meet with him. He wonders who's side she's on, even back then he wasn't sure whether she even considered him to be an ally. She was always confusing like that.

And that's what he's always loved about her.

Writer's Note:

Even is Vexen from organization thirteen - just a reminder.

This fic I kind of did on a whim - I know the idea I had was to explain the past of Lea, in relation to Larxene's past as Arlene. (both as humans) before either of them were members of the organization. this takes place after dream drop distance (I haven't played the game, i played re:coded but not dream drop. I've seen cutscenes though - and I'm pretty sure axel is now lea, and so are some of the other members of the organization. so I thought what if Lea finally remembered his past human life (since I think they may have forgotten) and maybe he remembers a certain blonde woman he secretly cares for. hopefully i can continue this!