Hope you all are excited for this chapter!
This chapter actually doesn't have much in the way of Roxas, Xion, and Axel, just to let you guys know.
Hope you enjoy!
Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!
Star Ocean © to Square Enix!
Final Fantasy © to Square Enix!
Chapter 3: How Does One Start Over
"How is he?"
"Stable. How in the world, did all of you manage this? It must have been painful."
"Honestly, I don't remember it, but most likely."
Was that… Even?
"Well, his vitals are stable."
Ienzo?
Light peaked through the darkness.
Too bright!
He blinked, groaning slightly with the bright lights.
"Easy, easy."
Yes, that was Ienzo.
He blinked again, looking up into an overhead light. Ienzo stood over him, smiling. "How do you feel, Isa?"
Isa gave a long blink again. "I… don't know."
"Well, that's better than 'terrible'." He held up a small light. "Follow the light."
Isa's eyes followed the light.
"Looks good. Think you can sit up?"
"Maybe."
With some help from the young scientist, Isa sat up. He felt the smooth leather of his black coat against his skin. Blinking, he could see a small room he recognized. An examination room adjacent to the castle laboratory.
The door opened, allowing a familiar old man to enter.
"Master Ansem…?"
The old ruler smiled. "It's good to see you Isa. Are you feeling well?"
"Alright."
Even entered as well, grinning. "And so, the mastermind awakens."
"I don't know if 'mastermind' is the right word?"
"Sounds like a good description to me." Ienzo laughed. "Even has regaled us with the details of your plan. Xehanort thought he was using you, but just like always, you were one step ahead." He gave a knowing look. "Some of us were aware of the little scheming you and Axel had during our old Organization days."
The young man smirked.
Ienzo would have been the one to know.
Ansem walked over to a screen. "Well, you look well. This whole process seems to be quite painful, or should be. It's quite interesting."
"Indeed," Even walked over, "your outer appearance forms first and then your organs begin to form, with your heart forming last. Now that might be because-"
Scientists.
Ienzo glanced over with a snicker as Even continued to ramble on, with Ansem chiming in ever so often.
Isa missed this.
"Think you can stand?" The young man set his clipboard down as the other two, completely wrapped up in their new hypothesis, ignored them.
"I can try."
With Ienzo's help, Isa pulled himself up to his feet. His legs wobbled as he tried to take a few steps.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Walking across the room, he released Ienzo's shoulder and took a few steps on his own. His body seemed to be stable.
"Let's get you out of this room and maybe find you some place more comfortable."
Ienzo and Isa walked out of the small room. They passed by a blank replica lying on a table… well, almost blank. the face seemed to have slight detail to it. Soft features, not fully finished.
"Is that for Naminé?"
"Yes, it is. We're not finished yet, but hopefully soon."
The two walked out the lab doors and went up a flight of stairs to a large sitting room. More of a waiting room for Ansem when he had meetings.
Isa remembered sitting here the first time he and Lea applied for apprenticeships here.
Nervous and excited.
Two boys who spent most of their time sneaking in to see that mystery girl, coming in through legitimate means for the first time in order to learn more about what happened.
They never did.
He'd have to ask Ansem about that soon.
"Excuse me." Ienzo waved his hand, hailing a young woman who stood in a corner, polishing something. "Miss Snow, would you mind getting us some tea?"
The woman, who wasn't wearing the old servant uniform Isa remembered, smiled and bowed. "I'll be right back."
"Staff back already?"
"Eh." Ienzo sat down. "Some people applied for jobs to keep this place clean. And they did offer to help. Miss Snow is really sweet. But politically, things are a bit of a mess. When the king disappears for years, and is rumored to be the one who destroyed the world, things get a little testy. Master Ansem is working with the people who took over management to figure things out. It does seem like we've been able to explain the whole rumor thing. We found Xehanort's papers under Ansem's name, and apparently, after Master Ansem disappeared and he locked the castle down, everything he did, he did under Master Ansem's name, casting the blame on him. Actually, that nice man, Terra, who remembered what Xehanort did when possessing him, was able to corroborate the story, and that helped too. But we're still figuring things out."
The girl came back with a tray of tea and set it before them.
Isa looked at her.
"Snow?"
He remembered her. The sweet girl who ran the cooking club at school.
They were lab partners one year too.
Come to think of it, he was almost certain that anonymous love letter he found in his locker in fifth grade was from her too.
She survived the fall.
Good.
She was always really nice.
The girl smiled. "I can't believe you remember me. It's good to see you, Isa. I'm glad you're alright. Many of us thought you and Lea died that night." She glanced at Ienzo. "We may have to remove some more names from the Memory Wall."
"I think so. And that's a good thing."
"Memory Wall."
"I'll show you later."
Snow smiled. "Want me to ask someone to set up another room for Isa?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"No problem." She walked off.
Isa sipped the warm tea. His chest lit up with the soft warmth. It felt good.
"What happened to everyone in the end?"
Ienzo smiled, sipping his own tea. "Well, Xehanort fell, but he apparently struck down Kairi. So, Sora is currently out searching for a way to restore her. We don't know when they will return, so we all figured it was best to just keep moving while we wait. No use just sitting around doing nothing."
Kairi fell?
He remembered that possibility being thrown out by Vanitas. Xehanort did say he'd take it into consideration, but she was one of the seven hearts. They did need her alive.
Guess he went through with the idea.
Poor Sora.
"What about the others?"
"Terra, Aqua, and Ventus went home. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as well. I think Riku went back to the islands, but I'm not sure; he seemed reluctant to return without Sora and Kairi."
"Don't blame him."
"Me neither." Taking another sip, the young man smiled. "Lea, or Axel, took Roxas and Xion to Twilight Town. Ansem gave them the old mansion."
Twilight Town.
Of course they'd go there.
"How are they doing?"
"We haven't checked in yet. If you'd like, I can give them a call."
Did he want that?
"Go ahead, but don't tell them I'm here just yet."
"Why?"
Why?
"I'm not ready for them to see me yet."
"Very well."
Pulling out his own gummi phone, Ienzo pressed a few buttons as Isa scooted away. The phone rang for a moment before Axel's face appeared on the screen. From his seat, Isa could see the red hair of his best friend.
He couldn't help but smile.
"Hey, Ienzo! What's up?"
"Just wanted to check in and see how you were settling in."
"We're doing alright. There's a lot of work that needs to get done, but we're working on it. We do have some help. Hayner, Pence, Olette, and their parents have been helping us out a lot."
"That's wonderful."
"Is that Ienzo?"
Roxas?
"Yeah, wanna show him your new outfits?" Axel turned his eyes back to the phone. "Pence, Olette, and her mom took these two shopping today."
Isa leaned in as the camera flipped on the phone.
He could see Roxas wearing some tan and black pants with a black shirt under a white jacket that had checkered patterns and a red collar. It suited him.
Xion wore a black dress with white ruffles. It suited her as well.
"You both look great." Ienzo smiled. "I'm glad you're settling in."
Roxas shoved his hands in his pocket. "We'll probably be cleaning up the mansion for a while. It's pretty big, but at least we have some help."
Xion nodded. "Yeah. People have been so nice to us."
"I'm glad." Ienzo smiled. "Well, if you all have so much work to do, I'll leave you to it. Let us know if there's anything you need."
"We will!"
"Later, Ienzo."
"Bye!"
The call shut off, Ienzo turning to Isa. "Sounds like things are going well."
"They look happy." Isa smiled.
"So, what are you going to do?" Ienzo took another sip of his tea. "Are you going to go join them?"
Join them?
Shaking his head, Isa took another sip. "I don't know. I hurt those two kids a lot, and Axel as well. But Roxas and Xion deserve to have a good life without memories of my hurtful words and actions hanging over them."
"Or this could be an opportunity to start over. To mend bridges and change. That's what Master Ansem said this was, at least for us. It could be the same for you."
"I guess."
Where else did he have to go?
He could stay here.
But, what was left for him here?
Was anything left for him here?
"Ienzo, I'm going to go take a walk. I want to see the town."
The young man smiled, a knowing look in his eye. Ienzo stood up. "I'd recommend stopping by the Memory Wall. It's outside the main city gates. It's a wall that has the names of all the people who never returned after the world came back together. We need to have your name and Lea's name removed from the wall. That may help you figure out your next move."
The Memory Wall.
"Ok."
Finishing off his tea in one swig, Isa walked out. He remembered the way.
The castle seemed to be mostly repaired of damage, but there seemed to be a few places that still needed repairs.
But the world was healing.
His feet carried him out the front gates and into the warmth of the setting sun.
Almost night, his favorite time of day.
He could see the little light motes falling from the sky, like flakes of snow.
He'd missed this.
This place.
Walking down the castle steps, he saw people outside the open gates. Children playing.
People laughing.
Life.
As he walked, a few people stopped, smiling and waving at him.
Old friends, neighbors, classmates.
All happy to see him once more.
Stopping in the shopping district, he found a store and switched out his old coat for something a little more him. His days of wearing that dusty coat were behind him.
Though he did take it with him.
Maybe for sentimental reasons.
Maybe because it could be useful for something one day.
He didn't really know, but he kept it with him anyway.
He felt a surge of energy as the moon finally peaked in the sky. His parents never really explained why the moon gave him so much energy. Something about his parents not being fully human due to some experiments they volunteered for, or something like that.
Walking out the main city gates, he saw a large wall of white marble.
Names, carved and inlaid with gold, glimmered in the moonlight.
At least a few hundred names.
His heart sank.
He'd been a part of this.
As a Nobody, he dismissed anything that even made him think about feelings. Now, he felt it all.
Sorrow.
Pain.
Guilt.
The names on the wall, all laid out in alphabetical order, were a reminder. A reminder of what people lost, and what people did.
Carved on a small plaque at the foot of the wall, he saw the words: "We may never meet again, but we will never forget each other."
A wall of memory.
To never forget.
Names…
Isa looked down the list. It went by last names…
Skipping down to the letter L, he read slowly.
…
Leingod.
Three names.
His own name with two others.
Fayt Leingod. Isa Leingod. Maria Traydor-Leingod(1).
So his parents were missing.
If they turned into Heartless, would he ever see them again?
Doubtful.
Biting his lip, tears threatened to well in his eyes.
How many years did he spend calloused, not even giving those he loved a second thought?
How long did he lie to himself and say he didn't care?
He let Xemnas… Xehanort deceive him!
Now.
Now it was too late to undo some things.
Wiping his eyes, he looked down at the letter M.
Mills.
Cissnei Mills. Lea Mills. Reno Mills(2).
Lea's family too.
Maybe another reason he started going by Axel.
He had nothing left as Lea. But as Axel, he had something.
Isa sat in front of the wall, letting the moonlight cascade over him.
He had nothing left…
Nothing left here but memories and regret.
Ienzo's words came back to his mind.
A chance to start over.
A chance to make things right.
How do you start over?
How do you push past the terrible things you'd done to begin to create something new?
Leaning against the stone wall, Isa let memories flood over him.
Memories of his family. His parents.
Memories of them going to dinners with other city guards, like Lea's parents. That's where he and Lea met after all.
Memories of good and bad times.
How simple life felt back then.
How could he go back to those simple times?
As a mote of light settled on his nose before twinkling out, he sat up.
Forgive.
Forgive…
But not to wait on others to forgive you first.
Glancing back at the wall, he remembered his mother telling him that… That sometimes, he needed to forgive himself.
Forgive himself.
Not forget.
He'd never forget.
But he could forgive. Even if Roxas and Xion never forgave him, he could find a way to start over.
To change himself.
Standing up, he glanced back at the wall once more before turning back around and walking back to the castle.
…
"Isa, forgiveness is not easy, but it is essential. Without it, anger and hate will rot you from the inside. You have to let it go. I know you messed up, and you're angry at yourself. But you have to forgive yourself. Only then, can you make things right."
…
It wouldn't be easy, but without it, he couldn't move on.
And he wanted to move on.
To start over.
Be the friend he should have been the whole time.
He had to.
Nothing remained for him here.
But in Twilight Town…
His best friend.
And a chance to start over.
Soft grass crunched under his feet.
The gummi ship dropped him off not too far from the mansion.
He'd left Radiant Garden as soon as they could find a pilot. And Cid was not willing to fly until he'd gotten a full night's rest.
So, now, in the warm sun of the late afternoon, Isa stood.
Twilight Town always did feel so warm and comforting.
He could hear the town bustling on the other side of the wall as he walked through the woods toward the mansion.
He saw the building as he approached; the front gate wide open.
His steps faltered.
Was this the right call?
Would they be happy to see him?
Would they welcome him?
Would they turn him away?
There was no way of knowing.
But he had to try.
Walking through the gates, he approached the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
On the other side, he heard voices.
"Is that the pizza guy?"
"I hope so! I'm starving!"
"I'll get the door."
The door swung open.
There stood Lea… Axel. His red hair tied into a ponytail as he held the door open with one hand, and the other hand held a dripping mop.
Behind him, Roxas stood carrying a bucket of clean water. Xion stood not far away with a cloth in her hand.
They seemed busy.
Axel didn't even register who stood before him. "About time, we're starv-"
Then it clicked.
"Wait! Isa!?"
"Hey."
They all stopped, staring at him.
"Um… may I come in?"
Footnotes:
(1) When looking for parents for Isa, I wanted some Square Enix characters that looked similar to him. And I found Maria Traydor and Fayt Leingod from Star Ocean.
(2) I've always really liked the idea of Reno and Cissnei being Lea's parents, due to the similar appearance they share. Also, Reno and Lea sharing a VA for forever helps. And Cissnei's weapon is similar to Lea's. And Mills is the last name of Cissnei's new VA in the Crisis Core remake.
VAs:
Maria Traydor-Leingod- Dorothy Fahn (Maria Traydor, Konan, Rinea, Mercedes von Martritz)
