Second Chance Universe(Series): Behind the Scenes.
Author's Note: Suffering writer's block again, but this story is actually inspired by Desha's Final Fantasy VII series "Take Care of Reno", especially the "Interludes". Here we go through random times and places of events that are mentioned in my other stories or are not yet seen in worked on stories such as "Second Being-The Full Story", "Second Life: Strelitzia's Story" and "Kingdom Hearts III: Second War", and even canon references from the actual games and Manga from Birth By Sleep to Axel's final stand in Kingdom Hearts 2(where this series actually begins).
Please note that none of these will be in order, but I will reveal when it was revealed or will be revealed.
I don't own anything here.
Back-Scene 1-Losing a Friend: This takes place after Axel loses his second fight to Roxas before the latter merges with Sora, as shown in "Kingdom Hearts 2"...
"Axel..." Roxas mumured, remosed now that his memories had come back. He remembered how angry and betrayed he felt when Axel, his only best friend in Organization XIII, kept secrets from him.
But now remembering how Axel told him that he would miss the young blonde, he realized that combined with the redhead's hurtful expressions and anger, despite both of them not meant to have any feelings, he'd been serious.
"Let's meet again...in the next life." Axel panted, smiling sincerely.
Roxas couldn't help but smile back at his friend...his real friend. "Yeah, I'll be waiting."
A pause.
"Silly. Just because you have a next life." Axel chuckled softly, before disappearing.
Axel sighed as he gazed at the sun set from Sunset Hill. He was still recovering from his fight with Roxas who, not only remained as tough as he had been in their days together in the Organization, but managed to bring up two Keyblades which was impossible.
He'd been shocked to see the display, but it had made the battle more interesting and in the end...He was glad that he lost. But that didn't make a difference.
Roxas is gone. He wasn't coming back.
Then again, Axel might as well consider himself gone, too. He failed in his mission to dispose of his former best friend, and because of this failure, the penalty is being Dusked or destroyed. He knew it was coming, and he knew that his days in the Organization were now over.
But...he couldn't bring himself to go back to face his punishment. He had no idea why or how it was possible but...The redhead didn't want that. Not yet. Maybe not ever. He was scared. After being a human-formed Nobody for so long, Axel didn't want to even think what it would be like to be those useless and annoying Dusks.
"Why do you hesitate? You, who has been ruthless towards those who've turned their backs on the Organization? If he doesn't return, you know what you must do. Or you will face the consequences."
Xemnas's words echoed in his mind and ears, and Axel squeezed his eyes shut. It was true that Axel had been ruthless towards traitors who went against the Organization, and he never hesitated in disposing them or even those who didn't betray the Organization at all, but would suspect that something was up between him and...Saix.
Vexen, Marluxia, and Zexion were the examples, and Larxene's death was done by Sora's group in Castle Oblivion. Axel hadn't cared about them and knew that if Marluxia and Larxene had gotten what they wanted, his and Saix's plans which were similar would be thrown right out of the window.
But with Roxas, it was completely different. Since that kid arrived, Axel had been made his mentor and carer, to help him learn the ropes. Roxas...that clueless, little innocent, kind and soft kid...the more Axel spent time with him, the more the redhead began to remember his childhood when he was a human, back when he was 'Lea'.
"...Who'd've thunk that kid changed me?" Axel muttered to himself, smiling a little in saddness. Not just Roxas...but Sora as well, and he hardly knew his friend's Original self. But both of them made him laugh and he enjoyed Roxas's company and Sora's heroic side, especially back in Castle Oblivion.
When Axel freed Namine. Maybe he'd been soft back then too.
The back of his hairs prickled the back of his neck, a scent of familiar darkness, the sense of someone behind him, and a sharp sound of a weapon pointed at his back brought Axel out from his thoughts, but he remained unflinched as a familiar bat-like sword just an inch from stabbing him was right there.
"...You gonna finish me off behind my back, huh?" Axel inquired in a way of greeting at the unsuspected but not surprising visitor.
The figure behind him was a tall hooded figure in the same coat Axel wore, his hood covering his face. Yet this was Riku in his Ansem form, and behind him was a shocked and horrified Namine, not to mention that she looked stunned.
"Why are you here?" 'Ansem' demanded darkly.
"Oh, I dunno. Just enjoying the view while the Organization is plotting my demise since I failed to get rid of Roxas who's probably with Sora by now. That good enough to sastify you?" Axel grumbled in a tone of sarcasm.
"..."
Axel sighed. "I'm on the edge of being Dusked...That...is not somethin' I would want but...I can't exactly go back and hope for the best. There is no hope for Nobodies...especially not for me."
'Ansem' hesitated a little, wondering if Axel was telling the truth or not. He shared a glance with Namine who felt a little uneasy given how she was being threatened to be harmed just to get to Marluxia despite that Axel let her go to see Sora, so that she could tell him the truth.
Still, she caught glimpse of Axel and Roxas' friendship and it hurt her that they were forced to separate. It hurt just as much as it hurt her to rearrange Sora's memories and then being forced to hasten her progress under DiZ's orders.
"You gave me hope, Axel." Namine finally spoke up, taking a seat on the bench nearby.
"Was wonderin' where you've been." Axel greeted, having also sensed Namine there and, in a weird way, he was glad that she was okay. He then answered her statement, "I didn't do anything."
"You let me go so I can talk to Sora." Namine pointed out, opening her sketch book and found what she was looking for; a picture she drew of Sora and Roxas holding hands.
"You really can't return to the Organization?" 'Ansem' questioned, suspicion in his voice, and Axel couldn't blame him for that.
The redhead shrugged hopelessly, "If I do, they'll just destroy me for not being able to destroy Roxas. Or another case scenario, I'm turned into a dusk, just like I said. As far as that goes, they kicked me out of the job and the only place I was able to live in. So...there's nothing left."
He then breathed shakily and gazed at the figure, "Just in case, though...is Roxas...?"
'Ansem' nodded, somewhat grimly. Nobody or not, Axel's friendship with Roxas was close, just like his(Riku's) friendship with Sora. Yet both betrayed the two halves of the same person, and they were paying the hurting price for it.
"Sora's awake, but...not the way DiZ would want." 'Ansem' informed. "He doesn't even know who Roxas is."
"They merged, but because Sora turned back into a human and Roxas developed his own memories, Sora doesn't have those memories. He only remembers of everything before reaching Castle Oblivion. Because his heart is strongly connected to Kairi's." Namine confirmed, lowering her head in sadness and guilt.
"Not the way DiZ would want, huh?" Axel asked, sensing a suspicion rising. "Sounds to me that he wanted to use Sora for his own purpose, right?"
A long tensed pause of silence followed, before 'Ansem' finally replied, "He wants...revenge. Against the Organization, I think. He wants Sora to take them down, and called Roxas a tool."
Axel grunted angrily, cletching his fists that shook while he tried to calm that anger down. He didn't want a repeat of the fight against his own best friend.
"Sounds more like he's treatin' Sora as a tool just to get what he wants. That guy's no better than Xemnas and Marluxia...!" The redhead grunted, furiously.
"...Revenge won't solve anything." 'Ansem' agreed.
The trio heard the bells of a train and when Axel turned to look, he approached the wooden railing and leaned against it as down below, a real ghost train came into view before disappearing into a flash of light. That was when Axel knew the truth;
Roxas was gone; back inside Sora, where he belonged.
"Guess that's that." Axel muttered, sadly.
KINGDOM HEARTS II
&
SECOND CHANCE.
A/N: Making this chapter made me shed tears as I wrote Axel's part before 'Ansem' and Namine's arrival. See you in the next random scene and hopefully it'll be a happier one. This will be a mixture of happiness, sadness, fear, anger, confusion, ect.