Authors Note: Hey again. This time were going to take a look at how Liam is taking being back home. How he is taking the damage that he caused. And this time I will have a short Authors Note, because this is it. But yea the chapter name should say it all.
Chapter 2: The Pain Of Memories.
Liam sat on top of one of the watch towers at Radiant Garden. Everything was quiet, peaceful enough. He hung his legs over the edge, dangling them above the stone street far below. The wind blew in his face but even that was quiet, and the wind was just cool enough that it cooled him down. Body and mind.
He drew his key blade and looked at it as he swung it around.
"How much pain did I cause".
He wasn't surprised to see blood stains all over his key blade. He never thought of washing it, but the more he looked at the blood, the more his heart tormented him with memories, that he wished were not his own.
"I was me, but another me. I knew what I was doing, but my sense of right and wrong was rewritten. What kind of monstrous people do that". Liam shook his head, holding back the memories that were braking through.
He heard footsteps behind him, on reaction he jumped to his feet, holding his key blade out in front of him as he balanced on the stone ledge.
"Now put that away".
Liam shook his head and dispelled his key. "Sorry Leon".
Leon walked over and sat down beside Liam.
"Trouble adjusting?" Leon asked.
"No not really, it's just the memories that bother me. I caused so much pain, so much sorrow. And I was completely me".
Leon looked towards him. He could see fear in Liam's eyes. "You weren't you. They rewrote your past, your dreams, your reasoning. How can you say that was you?"
"Because it was. I wasn't possessed until the end. It was fighting Pure Light that broke the lies. What if fighting Total Darkness, pushes me back to what I was".
"It won't. I don't think of myself as a mentor to you, more like your older brother. I'll look after you. No matter what".
"But I even killed you. How can I say I won't go back".
"Because this time, I'll fight by your side". Leon smiled.
"Look where Ray ended up". Leon's smile disappeared. Liam just kept his eyes on the street below.
They both fell silent.
Leon stood up. "Ray's death wasn't your fault. Just the fact that you went to protect yourself shows that at no other time were you yourself. You wanted to attack the enemy, the ones who were harming you. It is just, such a painful thing to know that it was your blade that killed a friend, but it wasn't aimed at him, it was aimed at those who tried to control you".
Liam shook his head.
"But...The memories, I know it was me. And my heart won't let me forget".
Liam didn't even turn his gaze to look up at Leon, instead he kept his eyes on the the streets.
Leon was beginning to get worried.
"Liam, back away from the edge. It's getting windier".
"I'll be fine". Liam spoke very quietly.
Liam stood back up, still looking down below. He summoned his key blade, and looked at the blood stains once again.
"What are you doing?" Leon asked.
"I never want to hold this again". Liam threw his key blade with all his might towards the Great Maw. He could see it glinting as it moved through the sky.
"Okay then. Now come back down, we'll go back to my house". Leon ordered. "You look like you need some sleep".
Leon began walking down the towers steps, looking back over his shoulder. "You coming?" He asked.
Liam closed his eyes, letting his memories take over. But they were happy memories. "Yea sure". He replied.
xXx
A tall man walked down the streets of Radiant Garden. He was at least in his twenties but his age was unclear as he wore a thin grey cloak. From what people could see under his cloak, his entire body ( Or what they could see ) was covered in what looked like burn scars. He had two different colour eyes. One was a deep purple, while the other, red. He had no hair, which could be seen from the way the hood covered his head.
He moved along the street silently, coming to the stone steps that led to the castle.
Two guards stood there watching, refusing to let anyone past.
"State your name and business". One ordered the man as he walked close.
The man did not answer.
The second guard got involved next as the first seemed to get no response. "Are you deaf? Who are you?"
"My name... My name...Is of no importance. You wouldn't know me any way, and after this meeting, you shall not even remember me".
Both guards drew their swords. "What are you talking about".
The man reached into his pocket pulling out what seemed to be a vial of red smoke. The man flipped off the cap and threw it at the ground.
The guards immediately collapsed. Hitting the ground with a rather loud thud.
One guard however was still conscious and grabbed onto the man's leg as he passed over.
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?"
The man laughed. "You shall not remember so why should I waste words to a forgotten memory".
"What did you do to us?" The guard asked.
"Paralysed you. That is all. Also a bit of memory removal, I'm not just good at mixing drinks". The man laughed.
"What? Who are you".
"If you must know, my name is Graros. And before you ask, I'm here to start an organisation. But this time for the right reasons".
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, look at the time". Graros looked down at his arm, pointing at an non existent watch. "Places to be, people to free".
Graros walked over the two guards laughing as the last guard loosened his grip.
He began to walk up the steps looking around for anyone else who could possibly bother him. But luckily there was no one.
xXx
Leon and Liam sat in side Leon's house. They sat on opposite seats, both of them just staring at the carpeted floor.
Leon was the first to speak. "Even after everything, nothing changes".
"Why would you say that?" Liam asked.
"Your still as quiet, moody, you know".
"No not really". Liam began to laugh.
"Well then again, I wasn't much better when I was your age". Leon shook his head, thinking to himself.
"Yea but you were different back then. And really in the eyes of Radiant Garden, you weren't alive. There never was no Leon".
Leon fell silent for a moment.
And Liam realised what he had said. "Oh sorry".
"Don't worry. Your not the only one with bad memories". Leon shook his head. "But that time was a long time ago. Now I fight like I should of".
"You know. Since you've been reborn again, you could pick a new name". Liam started to laugh again.
Leon shook his head, in disbelief at what he was realising. "No I think I prefer my name".
"That doesn't make sense". Liam smiled. "Come on Leon".
"Leonhart you mean".
"What?" Liam was confused.
Leon lifted up his gun blade looking down it, making sure it was perfect. "Why am I dwelling in the past, when I've told you to move on from yours. That makes me a hypocrite. It's time to move on, or better accept that I couldn't of done anything".
"Now your confusing me, Leon".
"My name is not Leon. I am Squall Leonhart. I have no regrets on what I failed to do all those years ago. The times gone and it's time to move on". Leon smiled. "Just like you should".
Both Leon and Liam started to laugh. Even though it was serious they both knew a good chuckle was the best way to pass an awkward moment. And for some reason, Liam was best at it.
"So Squall. Food?" Liam pointed towards the smoke coming from the kitchen.
Both of them shot up and ran towards it, trying to figure out what had burnt.
xXx
Graros walked around the castle. It was completely empty since Ansem had died, and no one dared pass the doors. No one except Graros.
It was quiet, even with him running around the place.
"Where is it?" He asked himself.
He ran into the study. "Hmmm, maybe I'm not thinking right here. This was built again after Ansem came back. So I want to head down to the lowest point of the castle".
And so that is what he did, after walking through multiple rooms, and walking down thousands of stair cases he came to what seemed like a divide in the castle. One half looked reasonably new, the other, ancient.
Graros smiled. "Bingo".
Looking around he came to a distorted wall. It seemed out of place, and just plain odd. It had a small key hole at the bottom.
"What I would do to have a key blade at this point". He laughed, pulling out another vial from his cloak. Pouring the contents on the ground, he took a step backwards. "3...2...1. Boom". And just on that the wall crumbled into nothing but rubble.
Graros looked behind the smoke, not surprised to see a huge room, hidden away from sight.
"Xehanort, this is quite extraordinary". He walked around admiring Xehanorts hidden study and lab. "Looks like you tried a couple of things here, what's this?" As Graros bent down to touch it, it fazed away.
"Hmm whatever it was, it's gone now".
He walked further down the long room, admiring all of Xehanort's work. "Where are they?" He asked himself many times.
Finally he came to another staircase. He walked down into a large circular room. It was pitch black.
"Really?" Graros was getting annoyed now. Reaching into his cloak once again he pulled out another vial. This time he just flipped off the lid and a burst of light lit up the room. "Thank you"
He had found what he had come for. Cryogenic freezing tanks. Or what seemed to be them. He walked across to the nearest one. Rubbing the tank he looked at the face of a strange man. He had fire red hair and red marks beneath his eyes. His eyes were a deep green and his hair was all spiked up, even in the tank.
Graros looked down at a note stuck to the door.
No: VIII. Lea. Organisation member under the name Axel. Flurry of Dancing Flames as stated by my Nobody. Controls Fire and wields Chakrams. Has a strong link with Roxas. Met his end saving Sora and his friends while they entered the World That Never Was, betrayed the organisation. Reformed into a somebody in Radiant Garden. Captured and frozen to reduce knowledge of my return. Not to be killed. May be of some use.
Graros put down the note. "Well, well, well. Axel, or should I say Lea. Good to see you again. Now how about we get you out of there so we can get you out of this hell hole".
Graros shook his head as he looked around at the eleven tanks around him. "Roxas was with Sora and Xemnas was with Xehanort. Therefore there are eleven members". Graros shook his head. "Twelve counting myself, so we need Roxas to reform the thirteen".
Graros walked over to a computer table that sat in the middle of the room. Entering a few commands, suddenly the entire room lit up.
A computer began to speak. "Waking subjects. Checking bodily functions. Draining fluids. Opening tanks".
Graros stepped back as eleven people fell out of the tanks around him.
"So now then, here we go again".
Authors Note: So anyone else realise that I've basically just added another eleven characters. I'm killing myself with the amount of story arcs I have. But their all necessary. And I still have many more characters to go. Also any characters you want to see I will take anyone. Spoilers but I know for a fact that Cloud, Zack and Sephiroth will be making a large appearance. Why? Because they are. Also I have planned out a side story as to how Cloud and Zack fit into this and how their past differs from the Kingdom Hearts Universe and the Final Fantasy 7 Universe. I'll be taking idea's from Crisis Core, Kingdom Hearts (Obviously) and FF7. So if you interested keep an eye on my profile, but I may mention when its up on here as it may be slightly important. Not too important but will save me going into to much detail here, especially if they are only side characters. Sorry for the ramble and random advertisement. But yea tell me what you think if you have the time, and I do hope you have enjoyed. Thanks for reading.
