Yeah, the trip to the beach didn't go quite as planned. It is all fun and games until someone nearly drowns to death.

Axel dove out of the dark corridor, barely worrying about being spotted. It wasn't like the locals weren't used to things popping out suddenly to try scaring them. They wouldn't care about him. And Axel didn't have time to care about them.

It took him too long. Far too long. Saïx wasn't eager to answer Axel's curious questions about Roxas and Xion's missions, but years of experience made it a little easier to extract the necessary details.

Halloweentown. One of Zexion's last remaining illusions being put to use. Removing the redundancy.

Tricking Roxas and Xion into fighting unaware until only one remained.

He ran frantically, searching the world for the young Keyblade wielders. There weren't any Heartless as he passed through the main part of town. No sounds of fighting. But he couldn't stop or slow down. His best friends were in danger. He couldn't fail them.

He couldn't let them accidentally destroy each other.

Axel burst into the graveyard, half-expecting to find the pair locked in a frantic battle of Keyblades and magic. And there were signs of combat there. Scorch marks on the tombstones. Patches of melting ice on the ground. But no active fighting. The moonlight shone down on what looked like a silent and peaceful graveyard.

Until Axel spotted the two cloaked figures sprawled limply on the ground.

"Roxas!" he shouted, running towards the pair. "Xion!"

They weren't fading. They hadn't disappeared into nothingness. Axel reminded himself of that. They were Nobodies. As long as they weren't fading away, Roxas and Xion would be fine.

Another mysterious bout of unconsciousness was better than being gone.

He reached Xion first. Axel dropped to his knees, rolling her over and pushing back her hood. And immediately froze, the air driven from him. A pale, featureless, and lifeless replica. Not Xion's dark hair and familiar features. An empty shell of who she was meant to be. A body left behind, but no will left to fuel it.

Something deep inside his chest twisted sharply. His throat and ribs tightened until he struggled to breathe. His eyes burned. And some awful nameless sensation clawed and tore at him.

"Xion…," he whispered shakily.

Somehow Axel forced himself to turn away from what was left of Xion. He couldn't do anything more for her. He needed to get Roxas out of there. The boy couldn't wake up and see Xion like that. It would break him. And if the Organization was willing to make the kids fight under the illusions of being powerful Heartless, what else would they do? Axel needed to get his friend somewhere safe. Somewhere that he could protect the boy and figure out the next step.

Grab Roxas. Escape. Figure out a lie about what happened to Xion and work out an actual plan later. Organization XIII would come after them. The two of them would need to be ready for that. But getting Roxas somewhere safe was the first step.

This time, Axel rolled him over and pulled him into his arms in the same motion. But somehow it was even worse than what he found with Xion. A pale, almost bluish-gray face. Slack and lifeless. When Axel brushed his hand along his face, shaking and desperate to coax some sign of hope out of the Keybearer, Roxas felt wrong.

No pulse. No breathing.

"No," he whispered, struggling to breathe himself. "No, no, no. Roxas…"

Not Xion. Not Roxas. Not both of them. Not his half-pints. Not his friends.

He couldn't lose them. He was supposed to keep them safe. He wasn't supposed to fail them.

"Not them…"

One hand cradling the limp body to his chest and the other wrapped around Xion's wrist. Axel clung to both of them as something sharp carved jagged and invisible wounds deep in his chest. An impossible agony. He couldn't breathe.

Gone. They weren't fading, but they were gone.

Not just gone. Dead.

Nobodies can't feel. Axel knows this. He knew what he was feeling couldn't be real. All the pain, the shuddering gasps that seemed more like sobs, and the burning in his eyes from tears refusing to fall? Couldn't be real.

And yet the misery wouldn't disappear. It sat there heavily. Like the weight of his half-pints' bodies in his arms. Any spark of life extinguished.

Dead. He'd let them die. They were gone. They were gone because Axel let them die.

It was his fault.

Roxas. Xion.

They were dead, dead, dead—

Lea woke with a sob strong enough to shake his entire body, teeth instinctively clenched to keep any sound from escaping. He barely paid any attention to his surroundings, his darkened bedroom and tangled bedding, before he grabbed a pillow and pressed it to his face. Muffling the terrified and heartbroken sobs. Crying roughly into the pillow as he sat up and curled his legs close.

He couldn't banish the image from that afternoon. He couldn't forget what happened.

Lea shook as he continued crying into the pillow. He'd been useless. Even when he realized what was happening and that Roxas had vanished beneath the waves, Lea couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't a strong enough swimmer and he wouldn't be able to reach the boy without probably drowning himself. But Isa, who grew up with him and knew exactly how bad Lea's swimming skills were, didn't even hesitate. He'd dove off the short pier, cut through the water like a knife, and hauled Roxas back to the surface.

An arm curled around Roxas, hooked under the boy's armpits and around his chest, Isa had fought back against the current to tow him along. And while Lea had run into the shallows to help drag Roxas to shore, he'd immediately known something was still wrong because the boy wasn't fumbling around and trying to climb to his feet. Then they'd managed to lay Roxas on the sand. And there had been no denying the seriousness of the situation.

It had been exactly like what Lea had just seen in his nightmare. The pale and slack face, tinged a bluish-gray. His chest motionless. His skin cool to the touch and no pulse. In that moment, Roxas was as good as dead.

Lea squeezed the pillow tighter, holding it with the same desperation that he wanted to cling to his half-pint.

While Lea hadn't paid much attention in health class and had regretted it multiple times lately, Isa remembered enough that he had started chest compressions on the limp figure. Brow furrowed with concentration, he'd worked at forcing air into drowned lungs and making the still organ in the boy's chest continue to work. It had lasted an eternity until Roxas started coughing and vomiting up seawater. Lea couldn't breathe until Roxas had started breathing again.

The rest of the day hadn't been nearly as exciting. Kairi managed to heal Roxas's battered ribs, giving him a bit more energy to the weary teenager after the ordeal. And with everyone worked up over what happened, there was a silent agreement that they were finished with their beach trip. A quick exchange of farewells and the group piled back into the Gummi Ship. By the time that they managed to make it home to the apartment, any extra energy from the Cure spell was wearing off and Roxas crawled to bed early.

Roxas was in his room. Safe and alive. Both Roxas and Xion were alive and safe. Lea knew that. And yet part of him doubted it. A sharp and broken pain twisted and tore at his chest. He could feel that raw and ragged loss tearing away at him.

He knew what it felt like, what it looked like, to see one of his half-pints dead. And that had been worse than when he lost them before. Before, they vanished when they were out of sight. Lea never had to see them lose their lives or existences. Not in person. But now Lea would have to carry that image with him.

The sobs gradually slowed. His fingers reluctantly loosened from where they'd been digging into the pillow. The anxious energy left him still trembling though.

Lea desperately wanted to go and reassure himself that both half-pints were still safe and breathing. But the dark apartment was silent. They didn't need him to comfort them after nightmares. They were sleeping soundly. And after the day that they'd experienced, they needed all the rest that they could get. He shouldn't risk disturbing them.

He didn't need to comfort himself by risking their rest by checking on them. He didn't deserve it. Lea failed to protect Roxas from harm and then he failed to even save him. Isa managed to do it instead. He could have lost the kid. Absolutely useless.

Thankful that the pillow soaked up both the noise and the tear, Lea uncoiled and set the pillow back down on the bed. Sleep wasn't a real option. Not when closing his eyes would make him see a lifeless Roxas or Xion again. But he could at least lie down for a few more hours until Twilight Town's skies began to lighten again.

And tomorrow, Lea could work on trying to get the half-pints some swimming lessons. Or maybe he could contact Donald and see if he could take a break from searching for Sora to cast some anti-drowning spells on them.

Next time they tried something new, it would need to be something safer. For his own peace of mind, if nothing else.

It took some time for them to agree to the idea. Lea originally suggested the idea weeks ago, though he also clarified that they wouldn't try it until they felt comfortable with it. But after their trip to the beach, Roxas seemed more willing to welcome Isa beyond that bare minimal acceptance.

And while inviting Isa into their home, the safe haven that solely belonged to them and where Xion knew that nothing would ever hurt her or her friends, was a big step for them, it came with certain conditions that everyone agreed to from the beginning. Isa would stay in the main room and away from the bedrooms. Xion's room was still her space and she wasn't quite ready to welcome him in despite all the progress that they'd made. And he wouldn't stay the night. Regardless of the fact that the fourth bedroom's unspoken purpose remained the same and everyone knew who it was intended for, Isa would not be using it yet. Other than those conditions though, they would all get to enjoy what Lea had described as a classic group activity…

Game Night.

It sounded fun. Everyone gathered around the table and playing a boardgame, eating snacks, and spending the evening teasing each other when they made a poor move. The way that Lea described it made Xion excited to experience it.

And while she knew he would enjoy playing with her, Roxas, and Isa, Xion had planned an extra surprise. One that she thought Lea would like.

"Okay," said Lea, giving the main room a final look over. "Everything is straightened up and looks good to go. Snacks are in the bowls. Do you two want tea or apple juice?"

"Juice," said Roxas, putting away the broom. "What kind of boardgames are we playing? Do we even have any?"

Shrugging, Lea said, "Xion told me that she wanted to find one. I left her in charge of that part."

The closest thing to a boardgame that they ever played back in the Organization was when Luxord snatched someone to join him in a few rounds of cards. Xion managed to pick up a few rules, but not enough to have a chance of winning. And once they moved to Twilight Town, she and Roxas played a few games with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Mostly physical games, though they'd tried various games on the Gummiphones. And their teach sometimes gave the class trivia-based competition games with everyone on teams in order to see how well they retained the lessons. But they didn't actually own any boardgames. It hadn't come up yet. Which was why Xion decided to call for assistance and to invite him over to join them.

A light and rapid knock pulled Lea's attention toward the front door. There was a slight frown of confusion on his face as he headed over to answer it.

"Doesn't sound like Isa," he muttered, opening the door.

Grinning brightly like a particularly sunny day, Ventus stepped in. Lea laughed in startled delight and clapped his shoulder. Xion's special surprise was apparently going over well. Though Roxas did shuffle awkwardly as he moved closer to greet the person sharing his face. Another good reason to invite Ventus. They needed to get used to him and get past any lingering discomfort. Otherwise things would never improve.

"What are you doing here, Ven?" asked Lea, still smiling broadly.

"Xion invited me to Game Night. It sounded fun and I haven't spent much time with you since returning."

"Did you tell Aqua and Terra that you were coming to visit or did you run away from home like the first time?"

Looking a little embarrassed, Ven said, "I told them, Lea. Didn't want them to worry and chase after me again. But it did feel nice breaking out the glider again."

"We still can't do that," complained Roxas.

"Remind me again sometime and I'll teach all of you to use your Keyblades to travel. It's not easy and it takes a while to learn, but it's a lot of fun." Tucking his hands behind his tilted head, Ventus said, "But this evening, I'll teach you how to play Command Board. We might need to make some minor adjustments though. Xion said we'd be playing with five people, right? I've only ever tried it with up to four players. Me, Aqua, Terra, and… Master Eraqus," he said, some of the cheer melting out of his voice towards the end. Then Ventus managed to shake it off and added, "But just because you're new at the game doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

A firm knock on the doorframe and a cautious voice called, "Lea?"

Right. They should have closed the door when Ventus arrived. But at least it made it easier to drag Isa inside. Xion grabbed his arm and tugged him into the apartment."

"Welcome to Game Night," she said.

"I'm grateful for the invitation," said Isa. "Both to play a game this evening and into your home. It is quite lovely."

Waving at his friend briefly, Lea asked, "And how are the renovations to the Old Mansion going?"

"Slowly. Carpentry and wiring are not skills that I honed during our time in Organization XIII. There has been a learning curve involved." Pausing for a moment, he said, "Though Pence has proven to be a valuable source of assistance, especially in regards to the more technological projects."

"Well, when you get to the painting part of the job, remember to open some windows. Those fumes can really mess with you."

"I feel like there's a story there, Lea."

"Not much of one."

"Hey, sorry to interrupt," said Ventus, "but where do you want to set up the game?"

Snagging his doppelganger's sleeve, Roxas tugged at him and said, "Since we don't have enough chairs around the kitchen table, let's drag over the chair from next to the couch. The one you pull a switch and it lays back."

"I claim the recliner. Sorry, Isa," said Lea, slipping his arm around his friend to push him along.

Xion expected it to feel strange to have Isa there. In their home. Or at least, she expected it to feel stranger than it actually did. Especially after Lea's discussions about boundaries and comfort zones, not wanting to push them too fast if they weren't ready. She thought it would bother her more to have Isa there. Like he was invading their space a little. She thought it would remind her more of being back in the Organization. Back when Saïx was at his worst and she was at her most miserable.

But having Isa in the apartment didn't actually bother her. Maybe if he came over sooner, when she hadn't had as much time to get used to Isa instead of Saïx, things would have been different. Maybe it would have stirred up too many unpleasant memories. But now all she could think about was the stories that Lea told them about Isa's disastrous skills at fair games and wondering if he was any better at boardgames.

"Ven? Isa? We've got apple juice or tea, if you two want some," said Lea.

"What kind of tea?" asked Isa.

"Ginger, raspberry, peppermint, and chamomile."

"Peppermint."

"Juice for me," said Ventus. "Just give me a few minutes to get everything set up for the game. I need to warn you guys though. People can get a little intense and competitive when they play."

Tilting his head slightly, Roxas asked, "Why? It's just a game."

"Oh, come on!" yelled Roxas as Xion practically cackled in victory.

Smiling, Ventus said, "That's a perfectly legal move."

"One that's destroying the chances for the rest of us."

"What are you complaining about?" laughed Lea. "I'm the one that's in last place."

Command Board turned out to be more complicated than expected. The layout could be adjusted to different versions, creating different pathways for each game. There were dice and cards and blocks that needed to be taken into account. There were tricks to gain advantage or send the other players crashing down. They needed to claim various spaces on the board and collect the different colors. But mostly the purpose of the game seemed to be to pit various loved ones against each other, creating conflict to rival the Keyblade Wars.

The competitiveness between the various people ensured that, despite the lack of physical actions like a Struggle match, they were all working hard to win. Each move was carefully considered. Every gain and loss celebrated or mourned. Cheers and groans erupted in equal measure. And when things grew seriously heated, popcorn was thrown.

While Ventus had dominated the first few games due to experience, Xion quickly picked it up. And now she and Ventus were competing for first place while Roxas did his best to catch up. It was like Xion and math. Something just clicked with her.

"That's it," said Roxas, burying his face in his hands. "We should just give up now."

Smiling faintly, Isa said, "But it is still my turn."

He laid down several cards at once, stealing points form both Ventus and Xion to their horrified shock. Then he rolled the dice. The elaborate path that he chose allowed him to hit a panel that sent him across the board to the finish. Then he leaned back in his kitchen chair with a look that could only be described as smug.

"And I believe that would be game over," he said. "I win."

His calm declaration was met with yells of complaint and more aerial popcorn.

"Thanks for inviting me," said Ventus as he finished picking up the rest of the game pieces, grinning at Xion. "It was fun."

Fighting back a yawn, she said, 'We had fun too. You should come by again sometime. You can meet the rest of our friends. Olette wou—" She broke of briefly as the yawn escaped. "Olette would love this game."

Lea smiled as he ruffled her hair. Both of the half-pints looked a little drowsy. Game Night had run later than expected and everyone was getting tired. Most of the time, they'd already be crawling off to bed.

"It's still weird that you're grown up, Lea," said Ventus. "Not to mention how tall you ended up."

"Not my fault almost all of the Keyblade wielders ended up short," he said.

"But it doesn't feel like that long ago when you were my age."

"Do you need a ride back to your world?" asked Isa. "Or you could stay the night at the Old Mansion. You shouldn't risk traveling alone while tired."

"I'm fine. It isn't quite as late back in the Land of Departure." Ventus grinned and said, "I'm not that sleepy. I can make it home fine."

Smiling, Lea said, "Well, I enjoyed seeing you again, Ven. Let me walk you and Isa out." He paused a moment to glance over his shoulder. "Roxas, could you get started on the chamomile tea?"

"Of course. It shouldn't take too long."

It was never fully dark in Twilight Town. But the sun had long since set below the horizon and both the stars and the moon shone above them. Brightly enough that Lea had to keep reaching for Isa's elbow to guide him when his friend grew distracted. He was used to Isa's fascination with the moon after years of friendship. They walked through the darkened streets, enjoying the peace and quiet for a little while.

"How have you been since coming back, Ven?" asked Lea gently. "I mean, how are you really doing?"

It took a moment before the teenager let some of the cheer fade from his smile. Ventus scuffed his foot against the cobblestone as they walked. His gaze remained down as he considered the question.

"Haven't been sleeping much," he admitted. "I guess it reminds me too much of… I slept a long time in Sora's heart. And while it was nice there, protected and safe in his light, I don't really want to go back to that. That's probably why I don't like sleeping anymore." Kicking at nothing, Ventus added, "I don't think Aqua or Terra are sleeping much either. But I think they're trying to hide it."

Resting a hand on Ventus's shoulder, Lea said, "I wish I knew how to help. I have better advice for nightmares than I do insomnia. Only thing I can suggest is some chamomile tea before bed. And you can call me any time, for any reason. That's what friends are for, right? If you need me, I'm not that far away."

"Thanks, Lea," he said, ducking his head with a slight grin.

"And thanks for coming by for Game Night, Ven."

"It was fun visiting with you guys," said Ventus. "This wasn't as exciting as when we first met, but definitely fun."

Grinning, Lea asked, "You mean when I tried fighting a Keyblade wielder with a couple of frisbees?"

"I wasn't using a Keyblade back then. I used Terra's old practice toy to make it fair."

"And yet Ven beat you anyway," said Isa.

Lea shoved him lightly, which only made Ventus laugh and Isa give him a smug look. Then Ventus tucked his hands behind his head and tilted it slightly. The gesture seemed extremely reminiscent of Sora. All those kids had rubbed off on each other.

"Well," said Ventus slowly, "I should get going."

His hand went to the pauldron on his left shoulder. Armor surrounded him in a flash. A practical and durable form of protection against darkness, though Lea would always prefer the mobility and flexibility of his black coat or his new clothes from the three fairies.

He pointed his Keyblade and opened a passage to the Lanes Between. Ventus tossed his Keyblade in the air, letting it transform into a new shape. A board-like vehicle that he rode through the gate, vanishing without a trace.

"Okay, that looks like a lot more fun than traveling through dark corridors," said Lea.

"Considering how those skateboarding lessons went," remarked Isa dryly, "it might be safer to just use a Gummi Ship."

Another playful shove made Isa chuckle. Then he gave Lea a thoughtful look. The kind that always suggested that Isa was trying to see something below the surface.

"Have you been getting enough sleep, Lea?" asked Isa. "You look tired. I noticed it at the start of the evening."

Grinning sheepishly while scratching the back of his head, he said, "I guess work has been making it hard to get a decent nap and I've been falling behind on my rest a little."

Technically true. Fighting Heartless to collect munny kept him busy. He couldn't curl up on the sofa for an afternoon nap if he wanted to keep up with everything.

But Lea knew that the real reason that he looked tired was the nightmares that kept haunting him. Ripping him out of his sleep with increasing frequency and intensity. Roxas and Xion rarely had issues anymore, but Lea's subconscious seemed determined to make up the difference. Mostly he endured a variety of ways where he lost the two of them, one way or another. Sometimes Isa was included as well. Lea watched them disappear, abandon him, get stolen away, die in his arms…

It made a restful sleep difficult to achieve.

His nightmares might be worse than they were a few months ago, but he could handle it. Lea could handle it. He didn't need to disturb Roxas and Xion. Not when they were finally settling down. Getting plenty of rest, going to school, making friends, and having normal lives. He needed to focus on taking care of them, even if they didn't really need him much anymore. He couldn't afford to be selfish because that's how he lost everyone the first time. Even his attempts to help and protect them back in the Organization was done in the worst and most selfish ways possible. Being selfish would make one of his nightmares come true. Lea's problem wasn't worth worrying about. Keeping the half-pints safe and happy the right way was much more important.

Nightmares would pass. He would get over it after a while. Then he could catch up on his sleep.

While not looking completely certain, Isa seemed willing to let the matter drop. He instead turned his gaze back to the purple of the late twilight skies, where the moon and a scattering of stars shone. The sight seemed to sooth and relax him.

"I think Game Night went well," said Lea. "Sorry that you can't just crash on the couch for the night."

Nodding distractedly, Isa said, "I understand. After everything that I did to them, it will take time for the Keybearers to fully trust me. But we are making progress. Allowing my presence in even part of their home is a step in the right direction. I appreciate that small amount of trust from them and I would not wish to overstep."

"We'll have to do it again sometime. I think Roxas wants a rematch after that trick you pulled."

"You're just jealous that you didn't do the same thing to win." When his words managed to coax out a brief laugh, Isa gave him a slight smile and said, "Try and get some sleep, Lea."

Smiling as his friend turned to go, he said, "See you, Isa."

I imagine that Command Board is both a in-universe game within the "Kingdom Hearts" universe and is a lot like Monopoly. Including the part when it'll pit everyone against each other in a ruthless battle for supremacy. Monopoly is like the second worst game for making loved ones want to commit violent acts upon each other (the worst game is Uno because of the dreaded "Draw Four" card that definitely activates the murder impulse in people).