Broken Shield
Summary: After sacrificing himself to save Sora, Axel passes into a strange realm where an old man in a bowler hat offers him a second chance at life.
Just some notes before you start reading: I'm treating this story as if Birth by Sleep and 358/2 Days don't exist. I'm going based off the KH1, CoM, and KH2 timelines only. I try to keep personalities as canon as possible, so no OOC to be found here hopefully.
Prologue:
What does it mean to die? Is death defined by the decomposition of the body combined with the definite loss of consciousness? Does one facing death forever lose the ability to live and breathe again? Or does the newly liberated heart continue its journey onto a new road?
Such are the questions they ponder and ask, but I shall write here the truth of it all for any who wish to know it.
When the heart is freed from the shell, it returns to Kingdom Hearts—the heart of all worlds—in order to rejoin the greater flow of life. Kingdom Hearts in actuality is the source of all life, whether it hails from the light or the darkness. Individual hearts searching for life break free of the core and join with shells to form a new body, and thus form a new being. These new beings are then born in one of the many worlds where the individual is free to live until their lifespan reaches its end. This end is what they define as "death", but death in itself is just another extension of life, for the end of the shell means the release of the heart back into the core where its essence melds into the whole. From here, new hearts break free to create new bodies and new beings whereby the process repeats and continues.
Such is the fate of all those hailing from both light and darkness. But what should happen when a Nobody dies? It has no heart and does not truly exist. Do Nobodies who die return to Kingdom Hearts, or do they simply vanish?
More intriguing still is the thought of a Nobody that has regained a portion of its heart prior to death. What becomes of such a being that borders existence and nonexistence? How shall the Gatekeeper judge its death and what will the repercussions be?
- Gaspar's Report #3
Chapter 1
Sora slashed his Keyblade through what seemed like the thousandth Dusk, but he didn't dare stop to rest. An endless sea of silver Nobodies horded around him and showed little sign of allowing the weary warrior a period of respite. With gritted teeth, he tightened his grip around the Keyblade's hilt and continued the attack. No matter what, Sora had to get to the other side—he had to rescue Kairi and stop Xemnas.
"I think I liked it better when they were on my side."
Swinging his chakrams through a group of Dusks, Axel jumped next to Sora. He was more worn out than the Keyblade Master, exhaling rough gasps of breath as his fatigued frame hunched over where it once stood tall and proud. The two were back-to-back now, batting away the dozen Nobodies that managed to get too close.
"Feeling a little…regret?" Sora said with smirk.
"Nah… I can handle these punks. Watch this!"
Without a second's hesitation, Axel jumped back into the fray and summoned a mighty storm of ravaging flames. Fire exploded from his body, leveling the field and leaving no Dusk alive. The blast was so intense, Sora had to shield his eyes. Once he regained his vision, he took a look around the emptied portal with awe.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed, impressed by the feat. He turned around to congratulate Axel on his performance, but the Nobody was lying flat on his back, darkness swirling out of his shell. Sora ran to his side.
"You're…fading away…"
"Well, that's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack. You know what I mean?" Axel gave a small chuckle. "Not that Nobodies actually have beings…right? Anyway, I digress. Go, find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot… Sorry for what I did to her."
"When we find her, you can tell her that yourself," Sora replied, not wanting to believe Axel was dying. Even though he was a Nobody and a member of Organization XIII, and even though he kidnapped Kairi, Sora still couldn't bear to see Axel die. The main question Sora wondered, however, was why he felt so sad to watch Axel fade away. Why did it feel like he lost one of his dearest friends?
"Think I'll pass. My heart just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one." He let out another weak chuckle.
"Axel, what were you trying to do?"
"I wanted to see Roxas. He…was the only one I liked… He made me feel…like I had a heart. It's kind of…funny…" Axel paused and looked over at Sora. "You make me feel...the same... Kairi's in the castle dungeon. Now go." Lifting up a weak, shaking hand, Axel used his remaining strength to summon a dark portal.
With his final act done, Axel faded into the darkness.
"What's this, I wonder? How perplexing that this should find its way here. The Gatekeeper will not be pleased."
"Ohhhh…" Axel opened his eyes. Everything was blurry at first and his spinning head did little to aid in focusing his vision. "Where am I…?" He slowly lifted himself upright and blinked to clear away the fog.
"You are in a place far from the reach of mortals."
"Huh?" Confused, Axel looked up into the wrinkled face of an old man. His eyes were hidden behind the brim of a large, brown bowler derby with his only other distinguishable feature being the pure white mustache spread out under his small nose. "Who are you?"
"No one you need to fear," replied the man. He lifted up his walking cane and tapped it against Axel's arm. "I see those muscles tightening for attack and I can assure you it isn't necessary."
"Oh really?" said Axel both amused and unconvinced. "You think I wouldn't attack an old man? I don't underestimate anyone, Pops, even a hunched-over geezer with a walking stick."
The old man let out a small laugh. "A primed warrior in your time, I see. Yes, your caution proved invaluable then, but it is virtually useless here."
"And why is that?"
"There is no threat to you here but your own belligerence. Calm yourself for you have been liberated of all the struggles that plagued you in the past."
Axel's face contorted with annoyance as he snapped, "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"
The old man leaned himself closer into Axel's face. "You, my friend, are dead."
"What?" Axel's eyes shot wide open with the realization. All his memories came flooding back—everything from his time working for the Organization to hanging out with Roxas and his last-ditch effort to save Sora from the Dusks.
"Ah, now you understand." The old man leaned back again.
"But I'm a Nobody. After fading away, I shouldn't be conscious."
"Hmm, yes. This is rather perplexing indeed," the old man replied. "In all honesty, I am quite uncertain to as how you managed to both retain your physical form and your consciousness. This occurrence is rare—even for one possessing a heart."
"Have any other Nobodies passed through here?" Axel asked, getting to his feet.
The old man shook his head. "You're the first I've seen. Since Nobodies are in the realm of nonexistence, the possibility of one arriving here is quite improbable."
"Where is 'here', anyway?" Craning his neck to look around, Axel noticed for the first time that an endless field of black surrounded the entire area. He and the old man stood on a small plot of land suspended in the midst of the endless space with the only light coming from a collection of lampposts that were scattered along the plot.
"This is the End of Time," came the reply. "This is the place where past, present, and future are nonexistent."
"That's illogical."
"It is what it is."
"It's illogical," Axel repeated with a shake of his head. "How can time not exist here? We're still moving and talking, right? Those actions require time in order to occur. I said the word 'illogical' in the past, I'm saying this very sentence in the present, and I'll likely say something else in the future. Time still exists."
"That is correct. However, the time required to act is irrelevant to the whole entity defined as the 'time stream'. The stream of time has ended here rendering all your actions meaningless. Once you leave here, it will be as though we never met or had this conversation. Your actions will not be recorded as part of the whole, you follow?"
"So in other words…" Axel began, "you're saying that although we're both here right now holding this conversation, because it's taking place in this realm, it's inconsequential since this conversation technically doesn't exist? And it doesn't exist because it won't be recorded within time's flow?"
"Precisely."
Axel hummed and folded his arms. "So what's the point of even being here?"
"This is the place where beings whose cycles have ended come to return to the Source."
"You mean this is a sort of afterlife?"
The old man rubbed his hand along his bowler hat. "In a sense. The ones who come here are inspected by me and then sent to the Gatekeeper for the Final Judgment."
"So you're an inspector? How do I pass your inspection?"
"My function is to ensure someone's lifecycle is truly at its end," the old man explained. "You know when folks claim they've seen their life flash before their eyes or they've had a near-death experience?"
"That's you inspecting them and sending them back?"
"Yes. If there is still more life force within a being who enters my realm, I return that being to its body."
"If that's the case, shouldn't there be a boatload of people here? I'm sure I'm not the only guy who got bumped off today."
"Indeed. But as I have been explaining to you, this place does not exist within the time stream; it is the End of Time. As such, I can examine multiple beings simultaneously without time ever recording their existence. In simpler terms, you can regard this reality of yours as one universe and the reality of another being facing my inspection as a second universe. In this sense, you and the other being occupy the same space but not in the same reality, and are therefore in parallel universes."
"I see. Heh. Who would've thought it?" Axel uttered. He cast his eyes down, furrowing his brows in deep thought. Several seconds went by when a sudden idea sprang into his mind. "Hey, Pops. Can you send me back? You said it yourself—I'm a Nobody and I don't really belong here."
Behind his bowler derby, the old man's face contorted in curiosity. "A Nobody that wants to return to the Realm of Light? Why would you desire such an outcome?"
"Because…" Axel looked to the side and let out a resigned breath. "I have a friend back there and I want to see him again."
"Ho, ho! A friend?" The old man thumped his cane against the ground in amusement. "How does a Nobody befriend another being, I wonder? Curious—most curious!"
Clutching his fist in irritation, Axel snapped back at the old man. "Hey, I'm not here to entertain you with my 'curious' oddities! Can you send me back or can't you?"
"My apologies," said the old man. "I did not mean to offend you. Although, I am also sorry to say that I cannot return you."
"What, why?"
"Because you are a Nobody, it is within your very definition that you do not exist. You do not exist and therefore have no body to return to or life energy to monitor. You never had life energy, for if you did, you would have, in your Nobody state, existed. It is this same reason in which I find your presence here most extraordinary."
"But I am here, so that has to mean I need inspection, right?" Axel pressed. The possibility of regaining his life was slim, but it did exist. He kept the heat on, putting his wit to optimal use. If it meant seeing Sora and Roxas again, he would find a loophole and exploit it no matter what. "If I need to be inspected, that means I have the option of returning, otherwise I would've been sent to see your Gatekeeper from the start!"
The old man rubbed his bowler hat. "Erm… I suppose…"
"You said it yourself—there's a reason why I'm here, and it's for you to send me back!"
"Now, now. Let's not—"
"Gaspar, what is the problem here?"
"Huh?" Both Axel and the old man turned their gazes to the newcomer—a tall, muscular man clad in azure and gold armor. Axel recognized the gold insignia along his chest as a crown matching the pendant Sora always wore.
"Ah, Gatekeeper. You have come to offer us resolution, I hope," said Gaspar, the old man.
The Gatekeeper's armor clanked as he neared. "A Nobody…?" Coming to a stop, the Gatekeeper turned his sights on Axel and inspected the Nobody from behind his helmet's visor. "You…you have…"
"What do you sense?" asked Gaspar.
Keeping his cool, Axel waited for the Gatekeeper's reply. No matter what the verdict, he would continue to push for a resurrection. "A second chance with my best friend is too much to pass up," he thought to himself. "I'll do it right this time, and with Sora taking care of Xemnas, I'll have less to worry about it."
Looking back at Gaspar, the Gatekeeper raised his arm and pointed straight at Axel's chest. "This man…he has a heart."
"What?" Both Axel and Gaspar jumped, with Gaspar's bowler nearly slipping clear off his head.
"I sense no such thing!" contended Gaspar.
"It is not whole, but there is indeed a heart present within this man's shell." The Gatekeeper turned to Axel again, his arm still outstretched. "There is a small fragment of light inside this shell. With this knowledge in hand, it is decided that he must undergo judgment."
"But if it's a fragment," Gaspar began, rubbing his bowler back into place, "that means the other pieces are missing." He craned his head to look at Axel, who had raised his own hand to his chest and cupped it over his heart in astonishment. "If that's the case, this man cannot be inspected or judged until his heart is whole. If we send but a fragment back to the Source, the other pieces will be lost and the cycle will endure an imbalance."
Returning his hand to his side, the Gatekeeper considered Gaspar's reasoning before offering a reply. "What you say is true. The probability of forging a similar fragment is too little. We must use this fragment to attract and connect to the others."
Axel's ears perked at this. He continued to listen, waiting for the right moment to interject.
"What do you propose?" Gaspar asked.
Taking another look at Axel, the Gatekeeper raised his arm again, this time grabbing the Nobody's head.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Axel tried to pry the giant gauntlet off his head to no avail.
"I see…" uttered the Gatekeeper. "So this is your life. Axel… You are one from the darkness who stands in the light." With this, he let go of Axel's head and carefully lifted his gauntlet away so as not to yank any of his red hair in the process.
"What the heck was that all about?" Axel demanded.
"In order to judge you, it was necessary for me to understand the life you have lived prior to your arrival to this realm."
"Is that right? So what have you judged? Can I go back?"
"Back? To what or whom would you return to, I wonder? To Sora in order to aid him in his quest, or perhaps to liberate Roxas? Or will you seek asylum until your pursuers have all been vanquished? Tell me, what life do you desire?" The Gatekeeper leaned in closer to Axel, towering over the Nobody with his tremendous, overpowering presence. But Axel stood his ground and looked straight up at the Gatekeeper's visor.
"I want a second chance," Axel replied in a tone both firm and resolute. "What Sora said…before the end—he was right." He let out a small chuckle. "I felt regret, but not because I switched sides. I regret not having done more to help my best friend." Pausing, Axel looked up to the vast, black sky encompassing the End of Time. "It's funny. I didn't realize the truth until it was too late."
"What truth?"
Axel tilted his head at the Gatekeeper and smiled a small, self-reflective smile. "If I had left with him that day, things would've been different. The Organization wound up hunting us both anyway, so from hindsight, it would've made more sense for me to leave too. At least then, I could've helped him understand his ultimate truth and he wouldn't have felt so antagonized." He paused again. "And maybe…we could've accepted the truth together—the truth…that Roxas is Sora."
"I see." The Gatekeeper walked passed Axel to the edge of where the ground met the endless sea of black. "Then your judgment is decided." He turned around, facing both Axel and Gaspar as he delivered his verdict. "You, Axel, are to be returned to the Realm of Light in order to restore your heart. Once you have done this, you will be returned here for your Final Judgment. Gaspar will act as your guide through the process. Is that understood?"
"Does this make me immortal?" The thought occurred to him that if he couldn't be judged until he had a real heart, then that meant he would never die.
"No. If you are killed, you will be returned here and whatever fragments of your heart exist within you will be returned to the Source."
"But I thought you couldn't return me to this Source of yours while my heart's incomplete?"
"At the same time, we cannot afford to allow you anymore extensions on your life than this one last chance. Doing so will prove more detrimental to the balance of the flow than your missing fragments."
"I see. Fine then." Axel stuffed his hands into his pockets and let out a sigh. "Would've been cool to be immortal, but oh well. I don't think it'll be a major issue."
"With your cautious attitude? You'll be just fine. Don't you worry," Gaspar added. He turned to the Gatekeeper and nodded. "I'll handle things here. You can return to your post now."
"Yes, I will. Farewell, Axel. Until we meet again." With those final words, the Gatekeeper vanished.
"Nice trick," Axel mused. "So, Pops—when are you going to send me back?"
"Axel, come closer," Gaspar beckoned.
Raising an eyebrow, Axel roamed towards Gaspar until he was face-to-face with the old man. "I don't like that tone, Pops. What's up?"
"I can tell by your enthusiasm that you are prepared to be returned to the same space that you initially occupied…"
"Well, yeah. Isn't that how it works? I flunked your inspection so you send me back." There was a pregnant pause and Axel's eyes narrowed. "Where are you sending me?"
"In much the same way that there exist parallel entities of this realm, so too do parallel entities exist of the Realm of Light."
"Meaning…?"
"Axel, you can never return to your reality," Gaspar stated. "I will be sending you to a new reality—that is, a new universe where the history you have come to know and understand will vary from the new one you will be placed into."
Those were not the words Axel wanted to hear.