Hidden Truths...

The image of their backs, preserved in memory...

All of the pieces lie where they fell...

Where they wait for him.

Kingdom Hearts III : Beyond the Door

One, two, three… Four total. Okay, piece of cake.

Engaging four Dusks didn't seem like the hardest thing in the world to do. Kairi blinked a few times to settle her thoughts and focus on their swaying silver bodies, zippered mouths gaping open and all. Indeed, ever since she had found out about how the last of the Organization went down, there were a whole lot less Nobodies to be found. They were something of a rarity, especially the stronger ones. That was a good thing, anyway. She barely knew how to handle Dusks.

Unfortunately, Kairi had gone and lost focus again, and now only three of them extended their spindly legs towards her in an exaggerated fashion. She shot her palm forward, keyblade flashing into existence, and smirked as its presence seemed to disturb the creatures, for they rolled backwards. Admittedly, her keyblade was not intimidating by appearance. Its tip hosted a bouquet of flowers, their colors complemented by the shafts gradient from red to sandy yellow, and a hilt of crashing ocean waves. All in all it looked more like a wall decoration than a weapon, but its true potential lied in its innate magical power that was especially effective at piercing darkness.

Kairi had quickly learned during her first couple of exercises with Yen Sid that her magic was far superior to her strength, and that was what she relied on now.

Focus on the key's presence… Summon its light, and…

"Fire!" Kairi gripped the hilt with both hands and squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of energy rushed through her body and into the keyblade, erupting from the tip in the form of a fireball that rocketed towards the nearest Dusk. It disintegrated into wisps of blue light.

While the effect was mesmerizing to behold, casting magic left Kairi drained fairly quickly. Already she was acutely aware of the numbness tingling in her spine and threating to make her arms droop. She could pull off maybe two more Fire spells, but that would be it.

Speaking of which, there was another Dusk to-

Kairi flinched as a sharp pain suddenly seized her legs. She looked down just in time to see the fourth Dusk slithering away behind her. It had snuck in a solid hit, shaking Kairi's confidence with it.

She shifted to charge it, but out of the corner of her eye spotted the other two dusks fast approaching. They sensed her moment of weakness and seized on the opportunity to exploit it. Rather than dodge them and escape like she had been instructed, Kairi stood frozen to the spot. She tried to move, but her legs weren't cooperating. It was then that she felt genuine fear as they closed in around her, arms flailing wildly.

No, no, no! Move your legs, come on!

Kairi panicked, eyes widening and heart pounding. Then, her world went black and silent.

…Kairi…

…Can you hear me? Wake up! Kairi!

The voice was distant, muddled, but she instantly recognized it.

Her eyes fluttered open, light blinding her for a moment before she could adjust and find her voice to groan the discomfort away. It was Axel.

Through blurry vision she could make out his face, remarkably close to hers, close enough to make out his pupils. Axel was… concerned? His brows were furrowed, an appearance uncommon for him.

"Wha…?" Was all Kairi could manage to mumble.

"You were whimpering in your sleep," he sighed. "Having a nightmare or something, right? Had me worried for a moment there."

The recollection of her dream- it was only a dream?- trickled back to her slow as molasses, and even then, only in fragments.

It was so vivid…

"Looks like you've been over exerting yourself." Axel wagged his finger at no one in particular, back already turned to the girl. So long as Kairi was breathing and had a pulse, he rested easy. "All that magic has been getting to your head." Here he chose to tap his skull to emphasize the point, in case it hadn't been clear. "You know, I remember when I first started to cast magic and all that fun stuff. That was a really long time ago! Back then I- oh? You're up."

Axel paused to smirk at the girl and fell silent. For whatever reason, Kairi felt as if she had actually been casting magic and she was physically drained, which was kind of inconvenient because she really wanted to stand and stretch. Anything to get up from that not so comfortable bench.

"…So." Axel trailed off. "You're awfully quiet."

It wasn't that Kairi didn't have things to say. If it were Sora, or Riku, she would have already been lamenting over the strange dream and looking forward to hear their reassurances. This was different. Suffice it to say, Kairi wasn't quite sure how to feel around the former Organization member. Her hand instinctively inched up to her arm, a reassuring comfort when there was no one to embrace her. Their relationship was strained, at best, thanks mostly due to his awfully smooth talking and kidnapping of her from right in front of Hayner, Pence and Olette.

Axel blinked at her, a blank expression on his face. He had saved Sora from right under Xehanort's decrepit old nose. She supposed she should be thankful about that, especially as a forgiving Princess of Heart. There just seemed to be this… barrier, and she didn't want to cross it yet. From what she knew of Axel, he was simply without a heart, theatrics aside. Now that he did have one, it would take some getting used to… Yes, a lot of getting used to. It so happened they were paired together as a team.

Kairi finally managed to murmur a 'sorry' and darted her gaze elsewhere. Towards the sunset, actually. That seemed like the best place. His gaze, however, lingered on her. He wasn't going to make another sound until she did and they both knew it.

"What are you staring at me for?" She finally stammered when it felt like holes were being burned, literally, into the side of her skull.

"I don't know Kairi, I get the impression you're upset with me." He had the nerve to smile. Perhaps now wasn't exactly the best time to address the insecurities she harbored towards her partner.

"I don't… really feel like talking about it." She gave him a remorseful glance. "I'm sorry."

Axel threw his hands up in mock defeat. "Alright, have it your way." After a moment of silence passed between them, he added "So, you ready for some more training or what? Should we call it a day?"

Kairi flexed her fingers and, content she had enough strength to swing around a keyblade, nodded. "Let's go a few more rounds and leave it at that."

"Heh, you're pretty good with that thing!" Axel managed to grunt while bashing an Assassin over the head.

And to think, I used to command these things!

Kairi did actually fare well by herself, despite her dream suggesting otherwise. Within the short time between when she had first picked up a keyblade to now, her ability to wield it had improved significantly. If Sora were watching, he would have been proud.

The thought made her blush, then faded along with another dissipating Dusk.

"Thanks! You're pretty good with yours too." Unoriginal, but true.

Axel had only recently learned to summon a keyblade, a feat that surprised everyone in attendance, including Master Yen Sid. His was a beautiful orange and yellow flame that hooked at its tip, erupting from a chakram hilt that looked identical to his former dual weapons. Like its wielder, it embodied the element of blazing fire and even glowed in response to Axel's demeanor. Together they made a good novice team, but neither would be the first to admit it.

"Watch out!" Kairi sidestepped in time to avoid an Assassin's surprise jump and subsequent dash. Axel was close on its heels, already swinging. A fast combo sent the non-being sprawling into the air where it received another punishing series of slashes that spelled its end.

Their basic training usually progressed in this way.

Kairi fended off a sharp jab from a cocky Assassin, making it recoil. She brought down her keyblade, hard and fast, and it wilted into nothingness once more.

After some quiet time learning to feel out their weapon's presence under the observation of Master Sid, they would put theory to the test and practice magic casting, drawing from both their own energy and from the keyblade's. The latter, they learned, was much more difficult and required a strong bond that so far only Sora and Riku had managed to establish, granting an almost limitless supply of elemental power.

Kairi stepped back and found herself bumping against Axel. They were both staring off a handful of Dusks. With some quick thinking and teamwork, they would probably be able to wipe the floor with the Nobodies for good.

As of late, the lessons had shifted to field expeditions with real Heartless and a dwindling number of Nobodies instead of dummy copies that Master Sid conjured up. He had mentioned a 'Merlin' to expand their training, but she wasn't sure who that was and surmised he was a close friend. Donald and Goofy, on the other hand, simply chuckled and would not elaborate on his identity.

"Whew, I think I liked it better when these things were on my side," Axel snickered, his humor not lost on him.

"Feeling a little… regret?" Kairi suggested.

"Nah, I can handle these- you know, this conversation sounds familiar. Here- watch this!"

Twilight Town was notoriously infested with Nobodies as opposed to Heartless. Like Castle Oblivion and The World That Never Was, all three were located between the realms of Light and Dark, in an in-between. Nobodies would always spawn here in this void, but without the strong presence of the Organization to guide them, they were scattered and very much weakened.

The last of the enemies quivered and exploded into wisps, prompting Axel to let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and keel over for a rest.

"Well, that wasn't half bad," he intoned, rubbing his temples as Kairi plopped down next to him. "I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for some ice cream."

He may or may not have been dangling in her face a flimsy excuse to talk more; she decided it didn't matter and ventured to consider the proposal.

"Ice cream?"

Axel's face instantly lit up. Not literally. "Yeah, ice cream! Come on, who doesn't like some? Tell you what, it's on me this time." He pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his pitch black coat.

When Kairi looked up at him, Axel was offering his hand. She gingerly accepted, noting it wasn't cold and heartless like when he had grabbed her wrist and forced her through a corridor of darkness. On the contrary, it was warm, like his smile.

The view from the top of the bell tower was absolutely breathtaking. Kairi couldn't hide the glimmer in her eyes when she first stepped out onto the observation deck. Sunsets were pretty and Twilight Town had an eternal one, but it couldn't be fully appreciated until a view of the whole town, stretched out below in miniature and bathed in orange, was witnessed. A quaint train rumbled along a stone viaduct that rose gently above the houses and shops. The whole scene drifted to Kairi on a cool breeze, and when she closed her eyes to inhale deeply, her soul felt like it was sighing in relief and joy all at once.

"I can't say he looked quite as happy, but I'm sure it worked to that effect."

Axel was seated on the deck's balustrade, legs dangling precariously over the edge.

"You mean Roxas?" Cautiously, Kairi also seated herself on the balustrade, making certain to hold it tightly with at least one hand and by all means avoid looking straight down.

"That's right." Axel had been holding both of their ice creams- with Kairi settled, he handed one over.

"…Tell me more about him."

"Oh?"

Kairi took a bite of the blue bar, her face contorting at the strange combination of salt and sugar.

"It tastes salty at first… But then it becomes sweet." The revelation was not shared by Axel, whom she inferred had enjoyed the treat many times before, presumably with Roxas.

"Sea-salt ice cream. My favorite. Roxas's too." Axel gave it a lick, but it was half-hearted. It wasn't that he had grown used to the taste; there was just something missing to go along with it.

"What was he like?"

"Who, Roxas?"

Yeah, who else?" Kairi giggled. That seemed to catch him off guard, if the subtle rustle of a coat was anything to go by.

"He was a lot like Sora." Axel mused, reaching up to scratch his mess of spiked hair. It was a go-to when he wasn't sure of what to say next. Or maybe his head really did just itch.

"So, clumsy and a little simple-minded?"

"Wha-? Nah, come on." The two shared a laugh, but Axel secretly acknowledged there were no other ways to describe Roxas during his first week, except maybe "zombie." That one was apt.

"What can I say? The kid was special." He took a sizable bite, rolling the chunk around on his tongue. "Took some time to really come out of his shell, but when he did, it was like he had a heart."

"A heart, huh?"

"Yeah." Axel's grip tightened around the popsicle stick. "Made me feel like… Like I had one, too."

"Maybe you did." Axel looked up to check if Kairi was teasing him, but she was serious. Her sky blue eyes were just as clear and vibrant as Roxas's, and for a moment, he remembered what it was like sitting up there with his best friend, eating ice cream after missions. The memory was bittersweet, just like their favorite snack.

"We both know Nobodies don't have hearts." Axel responded.

"Maybe not. But whoever said you were a Nobody? To Roxas," Kairi turned to him, "you were a somebody."

Her words burned. Axel couldn't bear looking at a face so innocent anymore. Not when he had hurt her, and Sora. He gazed away.

"You tryna tear me up over here…?"

Kairi shook her head. "He's still with you, you know. Roxas. He's with Sora now, so he's not really gone."

"Maybe so. It's not exactly the same, is it?"

"Of course it is. He's in your heart, too."

Axel raised a hand to his chest, reveling in the knowledge that he did actually have a heart again after so long.

"You have yours again, remember?"

"How could I forget?"

"It's easy to lose track of some of the things we take for granted, isn't it?" Kairi playfully swung her legs back and forth.

"Like a heart."

"Mhm. Or a friend."

By then, the two had finished their ice cream and only the little sticks remained. Axel grimaced; his was blank. But Kairi-

"It says winner?" There, stamped sideways with a little crown, were the six letters.

"Way to go, winner! It's pretty hard to get one of those." Axel was craning his neck to get a better view.

"But what do I win?"

"Beats me." Axel shrugged. "Never won any of them."

"In that case-" Kairi shifted over to Axel, pressing the stick into his hand before he could protest, "consider this your first win."

He was flabbergasted, just short of having a gaping mouth, but quickly regained his composure.

"W-Wait a sec, that's not right. You don't have to do that-"

The protest fell on deaf ears.

"I think Roxas would have wanted you to win." She smiled. That was all it took to break his inhibitions and hesitation.

"Listen, Kairi, I'm really sorry about before." Axel stammered, growing more flustered by the second. "About the kidnapping, and…"

"It's alright." Kairi raised a finger to shush him, and he groaned quietly. "I already knew you were sorry. You just had trouble putting it into words."

"How did you-"

"When you woke me up and told me you were worried."

It had been a simple, automatic response. It was true, he was worried. She had been sleeping peacefully when he hiked over to the hill to see if her break was over, so he decided to leave her be until she woke up. But then, she cried out and started shaking. Likely to be a nightmare, so why make her suffer through it? Axel did the only thing he could and woke her up to comfort her.

"Aw, man, that's your line of reasoning?" Axel scratched his head again, suppressing a blush.

"I'm sorry, too."

"For what, exactly?"

"For the way I treated you earlier."

"You've gotta be kiddin'. Am I missing somethin' here?"

"I acted coldly towards you." Kairi appeared genuinely distraught over it, something Axel really didn't want.

"Well, I am a pretty hot guy…" He chuckled, hoping to illicit the same response from Kairi. It did, much to his relief.

"I was conflicted over how to react to you. We started off under the wrong conditions, so originally I was pretty mad… But then you risked yourself to save Sora, and I'm really grateful for that." Kairi reached over and gave Axel a quick hug, to which he could only respond by patting her back rather awkwardly.

"…Thank you."

"No need to thank me just yet." Axel rose to his feet, momentarily invigorated with visions of battling Xehanort's new Organization. "We've still got a few loose ends to tie up with the new Organization, am I right?"

She nodded. "We'll face them together, Lea."

Axel shot her a dubious look. "You said my name."

"That's your real name, isn't it?" Kairi extended out her hand.

He eyed it for a moment, then broke out into a grin and grasped her hand.

"Teammates?"

"Teammates."

Author's Notes:

PieroXVII17: Finally, we've gotten this thing off the ground! Hi everyone, I'm PieroXVII17, and I'm one of the two authors who is collaborating on this story. My partner is my good friend and fellow author Red-Dream.

This is something I've personally wanted to do for quite some time. Anywho, this first chapter here was written by Red-Dream, so if you like what you see, keep an eye on us! I'll be bringing you the next chapter, so until next time!