Yay! A new one-shot! I'm running late so no chit-chat today. Enjoy and leave a review!
Disclaimer: I don't own KH or any of the characters in that story~
update : lots of love to Taliax who corrected my English! Go check her stories, they are really good!
"Remind me what we are doing here ?"
"Getting revenge."
"That's what you are doing here. What am I doing here?"
"Being my best friend and being ready to die by my side if needed to."
Hidden in the shadows, the two boys were spying on a corridor. They couldn't look less alike: Lea was a red-head, spiky hair and fiery azur eyes, looking all dynamic and hot-blooded, while Isa gave much of a cooler aura, with his blue hair and his bored cerulean eyes.
They had infiltrated the castle of their hometown, Radiant Garden, after one of the guards took Lea's favourite saucers away. Lea was really determined to get them back and Isa had followed him without really complaining.
"However, Lea... Don't you think it's too simple?"
"Waddya mean?"
"We managed to get in without meeting any guard. Where are they all? Dilan, Aeleus, Braig? How come we did not see any of them?"
"Meh, who cares! Perhaps they have to do something really important, like stopping an intruder or stuff! Means the way is open for us!"
"You do realize we are the intruders, right?"
Lea simply grinned at his best friend and started running in the corridor, soon followed by Isa who was also half-grinning.
"Look out, Isa! The door is open!" whispered Lea in a hurry. But it was too late as Isa was already in front of the laboratory door, and whatever was in that room, he got as pale as death.
"Isa?" Lea slowly walked towards him and saw what obviously frightened his friend.
No wonder there wasn't a single guard around. That was where they were. Their bodies where lying on the floor. Not only the three guards, but also...
"Even! And... Ienzo?"
They were now really terrified. The only explanation was that somebody broke into the castle and attacked everyone. Someone strong enough to defeat people as strong as Aeleus. Clever enough to defeat people as adaptative Braig. Fast enough to defeat people as tough as Dilan. But also determined enough to kill a mere scientist as Even. And cruel enough to defeat Ienzo, who was not even nine.
"Who in the world...?"
"Well, it appears we have some unexpected company."
They looked back to see a massive man looking somewhat familiar glaring at them with orange, mesmerizing eyes. Then Lea noticed the blade in the man's hand, blade he was moving towards Isa.
Lea thrust his best friend away and felt the contact of the blade with his own chest.
Then he stopped feeling anything.
When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was that he wasn't feeling any kind of pain. He felt a little groggy, but was pretty sure he should have been in pain, and yet he was not.
That was when memories of what happened rushed back to his head, making him jolt.
"Isa! Isa, you there?"
He looked all around, but there was no sign of the blue-haired boy. He did not know where he was. The room was all white. And all empty.
"You seek answers."
The voice made him start. Was this guy there before? Dark skin, silver hair. Orange eyes.
"I can give you purpose."
Purpose? He couldn't care less about a purpose.
"Where's Isa?"
"Something important was taken from you."
He did his best not to swear between his teeth.
"I can see that. Where is he? Where's Isa?"
The man's face stayed neutral, but one of his eyebrows raised a bit. Apparently, he was not expecting that reaction.
"You have questions. This is normal."
"I don't have questions. I have one. Isa. I want to know where he is. Then we both get the hell outta here and go back to our ice-cream-eating lives."
Was that the hint of a smirk on that man's face? He could not be sure.
"The boy you once knew as Isa is safe. You will meet him really soon. Just like you, he needed time to emerge."
"Emerge? What have you done to him? Wait, actually, what have you done to us? Are you the one who killed Dilan and the others? Why am I still alive?"
"Are you angry? Scared perhaps?"
The question surprised him. He did not really expect direct answers, but that wasn't one of the possibilities he had thought of. He actually had every reason to be furious at this man, or to be terrified. He was probably facing a murderer. And even if he had survived for mysterious reasons, that did not mean his life would last much longer – especially with this attitude.
And yet, he was not really angry – annoyed at most. Nor was he scared – barely wary. He wasn't even really worried for Isa, he just knew he had to find him, to be by his side, as he always had and always will.
"You are not, are you? You are probably wondering why is that."
Actually, all he wanted was to make sure Isa was okay and then go back home, but he felt it might not be the most clever thing to point out.
"You see, the town you knew is gone."
One thing was for sure: that man knew was good at getting the audience attention. All his thoughts about Isa ceased right away.
"Beg your pardon?"
"Darkness have claimed this land. Every living soul there has gone, consumed by darkness. By using my blade, I have saved you both from that fate – you, and the others you saw on that day. Only people with strong will could survive this ; I take you have an incredible potential. However, as my blade saved your body and mind, your heart was taken away. That is why you cannot feel anything anymore. You have become a Nobody."
The man's words echoed in his mind. If he was telling the truth, then his family was probably gone. No more mother to scold him or hug him. No more father to yell at him or to cook him the best stew in town. That was sad news. Yet he could not really feel sad. The man might be right – perhaps his heart was indeed gone.
"Why did you save us then? All of us? Kindness? No offense, but you don't exactly look like you'd win a Kindness Award."
"I want to open the doors to Kingdom Hearts, and that cannot be done without your help."
"Kingdom Hearts? Never heard of it."
"Kingdom Hearts is the way for us to get our hearts back. If we help Xemnas, we will take back what was taken from us."
He turned his head to see a familiar face behind the man – Xemnas was it? Although he couldn't feel much, as is his feelings were blurred, he could still feel a sparkle of relief to see the boy he grew up with safe and sound.
"Isa! Are you okay?" He ran to his side, ignoring Xemnas. However, once he was closer to the other boy, he noticed a change – the cerulean eyes had turned an unusual shade of yellow. Were his own eyes yellow as well? "Can't we just go back..."
"Go back where? We don't have a home anymore. Xemnas told me everything. Monsters born from Darkness have invaded the streets, stolen people's heart. But if we destroy these monsters, if we collect those hearts – then Kingdom Hearts will open, and we will get those hearts back."
"Isa..."
"You can feel it as well, can't you? I'm not Isa anymore, just as you are not Lea anymore. Without our hearts, we are just different from who we used to be."
He was right. Something had changed. He felt the boy he was a few days ago was somehow gone, replaced by who he was now.
"What do you say? You and me, along with others, following Xemnas and opening the doors to Kingdom Hearts?"
It did not feel right. He knew that there was something he wasn't told, something fishy, tricky, the small lines at the bottom of a contract you did not bother to read. But there was someone he had always protected until then, someone he would never betray. He looked at Xemnas.
"Fine. Whatever the plan, we're in."
"Very well. You are more than welcome in my Organization. To celebrate your new identities, I think it would be fair to give you some new names."
Out of thin air, the letters of their names appeared in front of them, and started shuffling, an X appearing among them.
He took time to repeat the name in front of him in his head half a dozen times before deciding he did not dislike it. Axel. Sounded cool.
Then he looked next to him. And smirked at the other boy's name.
"Saïx? Sounds like how we'd name a dog, in my opinion! But you'd better call me Axel now. Got it memorized?"
Saïx did not answer. Axel furrowed his brows. Usually, he would have received a comment such as 'funny given you are the one acting like a dog' or any spiritual and insulting comment.
"One last thing. You will also receive numbers. Please note that it is not a ranking, nor it is to show one's supremacy over another. Axel, as you turned first, you will be number seven, and Saïx number eight."
"Wait a minute", interrupted Axel, "can we switch? You see, I'm this guy's right hand. He's the brain and I'm the muscles. Wouldn't seem fair to me to get closer to the first rank than him."
If Xemnas was irritated by how Axel obviously did not listen to the ranking part, his expression did not show it. "Agreed", he simply said before leaving, giving the boys some room to talk.
"So. Crazy stuff happening, uh?"
Saïx did not react. Axel glared at him, but the blue-haired boy's face was really showing no sign of expression.
He really looks different... Well, I guess I changed as well, though, didn't I? Lea would probably be freaking out right now. His own thoughts surprised him, as he was quite easily accepting his fate and the loss of his heart. As if it was no big deal.
"So we have to fight monsters? Man, if only Dilan had not stolen my saucers, they would have been such a great help."
"Are you still bitter for that after losing your heart? Should I remind you he took them away because you threw them at his face?"
"So you do remember! You were acting all brainwashed and stuff. Anyway, I don't mind slaying monsters. Seems fun. However -" he lowered his voice, suddenly deadly serious, "don't you go putting yourself in danger or anything. Leave the icky jobs to me. It's as I said: you're the brain, I'm the muscles."
Saïx looked at him with a deadpan look. Was he glad? Annoyed? Axel couldn't tell, and yet no one could read Isa's expressions better than him... well, better than Lea.
"It's only a matter of time. Once Kingdom Hearts is complete, the world will become a safe place again. And we will too be complete. Stronger. Powerful. All we need to do is trust Xemnas to lead us on this path."
"Y'know, I don't trust the guy that much. But I trust you, and that's enough for me. Want to follow a weird guy who stabbed us for obscure reasons? I'll be right behind you. Want to open the doors of a world we never heard of? Be sure I'll be by your sides. That's what friends do."
Saïx tilted his head, as if processing Axel's words. As if not understanding them. And he walked towards the door, stopping only as he stepped out of the room, briefly turning his head to Axel.
"Friends? I believe friendship is a privilege to those who have a heart. I am not sure we can still be friends, not when we cannot feel anything." And he left.
These were the words that eventually stopped for good what might have been a remain of a beating heart. Cold, insensitive words destroying the only thing he was still holding to.
These were the words that turned a twelve-years-old boy into a real Nobody.
And then, the hole in his chest started filling up with something new. Dancing flames burning inside his ribcage, feeling warm and wild.
Feeling that fire, feeding that fire, he swore to himself that he would indeed get stronger. Slay any monster on his way. Open a clear path to Saïx, making sure nothing would ever taint him.
Complete Kingdom Hearts, at any cost, to get Isa back.
Get even stronger. Then slay the biggest monster of them all – the one with amber eyes who took his friend's heart away.
So that perhaps one day, Isa and Lea could be once again found eating sea-salt ice-cream while watching the sun set red.
The End.
Man, will they ever be able to eat ice-creams together? I seriously doubt it. Poor Lea ;A;