Second Chance.

Note: Hi, here's chapter 5! Please enjoy and note that I do not, I repeat, do NOT, own Kingdom Hearts.


CH5: Lea and Isa.

After a moment, Axel sighed, saddened that he knew that his death is coming. Might as well get it over with. "Well, now you know the truth. I got no reason to be around anymore, so..." he paused, struggling with his own words. Why was it so hard? Why was he hesitating? Finally, he managed to blurt out, "Just finish me already."

"No." Sora shook his head.

"What?" Axel asked, surprised.

Instead, Sora smiled, admitting, "I might not be like the Roxas you know, and I wish I can make him his own person, but, out of all of the Nobodies I've seen, I think you deserve a second chance. Roxas would want you to live anyway."

The pyro was stunned at this. Why was Sora saying this? Then Axel realised that maybe Xemnas really did lie and even got others like DiZ and whoever else believe that Nobodies were doomed to vanish forever for one thing, and Xehanort is after something he truly wants, that not even Axel knew what it was. Then again, was he really capable in having a second chance? One way or another, the redhead didn't think he would ever get his heart back. He would either remain as a Nobody or he'll just disappear forever. Still, he figured that as long as Roxas would remember him inside Sora's heart, Axel was glad.

"Come with us." Sora offered.

Hesitating a little, and even he knew that Donald and Goofy were doubting if Axel could be trusted, Axel finally nods, and said, "Alright. I'll join you. Besides, I want to get answers out of Xemnas. From what I learned from Xigbar earlier, I think they both lied to the rest of us, 'cuz he mentioned something about the thirteen of us were actually destined to become one single person, and not ourselves-even our minds were to disappear."

"Thirteen nobodies into one person?" Donald asked, skeptically.

"Your minds to disappear like that?" Goofy added in confusion.

Axel shrugged, "I still don't get what he meant, but he said something about that Kingdom Hearts is actually preventing us nobodies in getting our hearts back, and I'm beginning to think that he's right. So, I gotta know the truth."

"Then let's get going!" Sora declared, "Plus, the King's waiting!"

"Yeah! Let's get going!" Donald added.

With that, the six of them followed continued on to find Xemnas and put an end to this.


Meanwhile, both Mickey and Ansem had arrived at the closest ledge to Kingdom Hearts near a ramp that continued on to the very top of the tower, as Ansem placed his device on the floor, aiming it to Kingdom Hearts.

"This spot should do." said Ansem.

Mickey glanced at the device, now getting a good look at it, wondering what it does, so he asked, "What's this gadget for?" he's seen many inventions through out his life, but this was completely new to him.

"It's a device to reclaim Kingdom Hearts and encode it as data." Ansem answered as he fiddled with it to begin.

"Not sure I get it." Mickey admitted, having a bad feeling about this.

Ansem had to agree, "I do not claim to know the outcome of this venture, either.

After all...Hearts are unpredictable." just as he turned it on, and with a beam of light, the machine shoots a steady beam at the moon, beginning to absorb it.


Axel had told Sora and the others to wait in the Proof of Existence while he went to go and handle Luxord by entering the tenth member's room area, in the Havoc's Divide. As he arrived, he noticed something unusual with the heart-shaped moon; a beam connecting to it.

"Wonder what that is." he thought to himself.

"So you survived, traitor!" a familiar voice spoke behind him.

Hearing this Axel immediately leaped out of the way to avoid becoming trapped within Luxord's cards, and came face to face with the card-wielding Nobody himself. Axel immediately summoned his chakrams, knowing that this guy was too much of a pirate-gambler to listen, and that they had to fight. Plus, Axel wanted to give this guy payback.

"Nice to see you, Luxord." Axel said, in sarcasm.

"I'd rather we just skip the formalities." Luxord replied.

Unfortunately, the fight, if that's what you would want to call it, only lasted for 2.5 seconds, as Axel had threw his chakarms at Luxord who tried to shield himself with his cards, but it didn't work as the weapons cut through the cards and slashed at the nobody who flinched in shock and horror, as Axel caught his weapons again.

"Why...why did you and Roxas...betray us?" Luxord grunted as he faded away.

Axel shook his head as he de-summoned his weapons, muttering, "So sorry, Lux'. I guess I was saving you from Xemnas's true agenda." before walking away to rejoin Sora and the others. When he returned to the Proof of Existence, the others gathered around him.

"You okay?" Sora asked.

"What, you think the others would finish me?" Axel smirked, knowing that this time he caught Luxord off-guard. "No way, I'm tough."

They then turned their attention to another doorway, and Axel furrowed his brows, while Riku muttered, "I can sense Saïx. He's using something to boost his power."

"Go figure." Axel muttered. 'He's not the guy I knew in the past anymore.'

"Let's all go." Sora suggested, "I bet he'll be twice as hard."

"But I'll fight him." Axel said, determined, before turning to face the others, saying, "If I don't make it out alive, I want you guys to continue on without me. Got it memorized?"

Despite wanting to protest that Axel shouldn't die, Sora and the others hesitatedly agreed, before they all entered the last door and into Addled Impasse and find Saïx who is looking up through a large window at Kingdom Hearts. Hearing movements behind him, Saïx turned and smiled, though it was a cold one as far as Axel's concerned. Axel knew, now and then, that his old friend was completely gone forever.

"It seems that you and Roxas had made it this far, Axel." Saïx said, summoning his claymore.

Axel responded, "Sticks and stones, man. Too bad that neither of us will ever get our hearts back." while summoning his chakrams in his hands.

Saïx smirked, before he willed his claymore to become sharper, much to Axel's dismay as the redhead groaned to the blue-haired nobody, "C'mon, that's just unfair."

Next thing he knew, a barrier appeared, trapping both nobodies, just as Sora, Riku and the others were about to join in the fight, but now all they could do was watch in horror. Axel sighed. They shouldn't worry about him. This was his choice to fight the nobody of his childhood friend.

"The Isa I knew...died on the same day as I did when I was Lea." Axel muttered, "You're just a...a body of guy I knew." fury growing inside his body.

"Hard to believe that you still remember my old name."

Sora glanced at the others, asking, "Saïx's real name is Isa?"

That's when Axel glared at that blue-haired nobody, saying which was quickly becoming a shout, "Unlike you, I get my close friends' names memorized!" and rushed forward and attacked.

Saïx dodged and blocked Axel's every attack, and slashed at him in return. Normally Axel would've enjoyed in fighting, but this was different. It was more brutal and deadly. Axel threw his chakrams at his Saïx who easily knocked them away as if they were frisbees, but as he did, he felt something jerk in his head, and right before his eyes, a memory entered his mind as he fought against Axel.

"You seriously want these?" a twelve year old blue haired boy named Isa asked, as his best friend Lea, a boy at his age with bright red hair stared at the two creepy-looking frisbees through the window at a store.

"Why not?" Lea asked, pouting.

Isa looked at the objects again, seeing the strange looking balls of flame with evil cackle expressions on them, before muttering, "They're the creepiest things I've ever seen."

Lea glanced at him, pointing out, "They're awesome! They'd be perfect for weapons if I get into trouble."

"Weapons?" Isa asked, with an expression that said, 'Seriously?', before saying, "Please, if it were me, I'd easily knock them away like flies."

"I'm gonna go and get them, and just you watch, Isa. They're gonna be perfect." Lea said as he walked into the store to buy them. Deciding that just in case, Isa followed friend inside.

Blinking in confusion, Saïx shook his head, while Axel caught the weapons. The blue-haired Nobody then launched forward and powered up his attack Moon Shine Down. Axel was knocked back violently and skid across the floor before he was slammed against the wall, creating a large wall-crater on it. Sora and the others screamed out to him. But the pyro wasn't going to surrender easily. Instead, he waited until Saïx got up closer enough and wrapped out of the way just in time as the claymore stabs into the wall, missing it's target.

Cursing, Saïx turned just as Axel shot out fire at him, but the blue-haired Nobody blocked it, before sending a powerful shockwave at him. The redhead held up his chakrams to block the attack, struggling to stand his ground. He knew he had to end this, right here, right now. But he was still too weak to his finishing attack like he had against the dusks that could've taken his life.

Only one thing left to do.

Axel waited, seemingly surrending, much to Sora and the others' horror. Saïx saw this as his chance to eliminate him, as he charged forward.

"AXEL!" Sora screamed.

Just as Saïx was about to give a finishing blow, at the last second, Axel drew his hands together with his chakrams and Saïx, horrified, realised this too late as he suddenly impaled himself through the chakrams, right into his chest. Axel's eyes were shut closed, and he was shaking, seemingly in regret.

At this, another memory entered the blue-haired Nobody's mind.

Seeing Lea walk out of the store, disappointed that he couldn't afford to get the frisbees, Isa sighed and turned towards the clerk of the store, saying, "I have 400 munny for the frisbees. Can I buy them?"

"Of course." the owner nodded and handed him the items in the bag as the boy handed him the money, before Isa thanked the owner and then walked out.

Isa found Lea sitting near the water-fall fountains in the centre of town, looking miserable. The blue-haired boy shook his head, then approached his red-haired best friend, saying, "Lea. Here." handing him the bag.

Puzzled, Lea looked into the bag, and his eyes widened in surprise as he pulled out the frisbees. "Isa...how did-why did-?" the redhaired boy stuttered, unable to believe that his friend actually did this, just for him. He looked back up at Isa who smiled.

"I wanted to tell you to wait and that I had enough to get them, but you already walked out the door." Isa replied, "And just so you know, because you're my friend."

Grinning happily, Lea stood up and hugged his best friend, saying, "Thank you, Isa! You're the coolest friend in the universe! I love you!"

Instead of asking to be let go, Isa smirked, knowing how such a big kid his best friend was, but that was the best part of being friends with him. It's thanks to Lea that he didn't feel so lonely. Plus, he knew that Lea would do something similiar for him. He felt that they would always be together forever.

But why did they die and end up like this? Saïx was asking himself as he remembered almost everything now. Fighting against Axel, the nobody of his childhood friend, somehow triggered his most happiest memories. In shock at this, Saïx dropped his claymore, which crashes to the floor, and falls limp into Axel's arms, causing the redhead to caught him, dismissing his chakrams, but it was far too late to save Saïx now.

Both of them collasped onto their knees, with Axel holding his former friend in his arms, feeling emotional like he had with Roxas, except this was different. He couldn't believe that it had come to this. Axel remembered how, becoming a nobody, that he and Saïx wanted their hearts back so badly, yet not trusting Xemnas, they secretly plotted to defeat him and take over the Organization in order to get their hearts back.

However, Axel began to think that he gave what Xemnas wanted instead; he gave up on his childhood friend for orders and something more horrible. He lost Roxas because of Axel's own selfishness.

Saïx only turned his head to glance at the moon, whispering in shock and despair, "Why... Kingdom Hearts... Where is my heart?"

"Saïx..." Axel whispered to get his old friend's attention, clinging onto him to make him stay alive a bit longer for him to know the truth. When Saïx glanced at Axel again, the redhead muttered, "Kingdom Hearts wasn't going to give our hearts back. Xemnas lied to everyone, to all of us. Xigbar was his double-agent, even from the very beginning."

"W-What was you saying?" Saïx inquired, feeling betrayed.

Axel sighed, "I learned it from Xigbar before I got rid of him." he explained, "Kingdom Hearts was actually holding several hearts to prevent us getting our hearts back. Xemnas-no, Xehanort, he had a different idea. Something about making all thirteen of us turn into one single person, that would also destroy our minds."

After a pause, Axel concluded, "I believe that was Xemnas' true agenda."

"...We were never...going to get our hearts back...from the very beginning." Saïx muttered, realising how long it took, and why Xemnas never said anything, why he was supicious on the whole thing. Even Xigbar as well. Still..."But even so...you...went over to Roxas."

"I'm sorry." Axel muttered, "I'm really sorry. I didn't want to abandon you, but you changed so much, that you weren't the best friend I had when we were kids anymore. Becoming a nobody changed you...Isa."

Saïx sighed, beginning to fade away, admitting, "Perhaps you're right...Lea. I...pushed you too far away. I couldn't even save you."

Axel chuckled despite the pain in his throat, and the tears that began to fall. "Guess we're still both those boneheaded kids we were back then." he thought.

"At least you still have memories of us." Saïx chuckled, not the evil chuckle, but the chuckle of agreement, happiness and...sadness.

"I'd never forget my friends." Axel replied. "I just wish...I could've saved you."

Saïx sighed, "Perhaps...it's for the best..." before he faded completely, he muttered, "Lea...I'm sorry." and before Axel could say anything else, the blue-haired nobody was gone completely, and his arms were now empty in the air.

Saddened and hurt that he just lost another friend, Axel didn't borther in holding back his tears, as he softly cried, lowering his head and having his eyes shut. Now he could seriously no longer hide the fact that he had emotions all this time-all of them in the Organization did. He didn't notice that the barrier Saïx created disappeared, as Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald and Goofy approached him, and, seeing him cry, and shed tears, made them all realise the similiar thing. Even Donald was stunned yet saddened at this.

None of them knew why, but they felt that Axel and Saïx, as Lea and Isa, had history together before becoming Nobodies. To think that Axel forced himself to kill Saïx who obviously wasn't the same as Axel knew him in the past, it was so hard. Sora would know, because he had to go through the similiar way with Riku who was feeling guilty for his own actions towards his best friend a year ago.

"Axel?" Kairi asked gently.

Hearing this, Axel sighed, trying to calm down, as he stood up, wiping away his tears with his sleeve, and muttered in a bit of a shaky tone, "I-I'm fine. I mean...I think I will be."

"It's okay if don't want to talk about it." Sora said, "I know how you feel."

Axel looked at him, and shook his head, saying, "I'd better tell you, even though Roxas probably won't hear me. Back when Saïx and I were kids, his real name was Isa and my real name was Lea." he then explained, "We grew up together, and were best friends. We got into a lot of trouble, but managed to get away. But one day, ten years ago, everything changed. I don't remember how, but...Isa and I got killed and lost our hearts. He sacrificed himself to try and protect me, but I got killed too. I remember as a Nobody that we both woke up in Twilight Town, and Xemnas approached us, changing our names."

He paused to sigh, and then continued, "We didn't really trust him back then. So, the two of us planned on over-taking the Organization to get our hearts back a lot quicker. In order to do so, I was assigned to find clues on Xemnas's true aganda. But instead, I messed up, because Saïx changed completely into a stranger in my eyes. He wasn't the Isa I knew anymore. Soon enough, I was more into hanging out with Roxas, and gave up on getting my heart back."

Feeling tears again, Axel shut his eyes to stop them, before he continued, "All I want now is...to have my friends back. It's all my fault that I lost Isa and Roxas, and that I got Kairi and you into this mess, Sora."

"It's not your fault, Axel." Sora pointed out, causing the redhaired nobody to look at him, as the teen continued, "Xehanort's the one who started all of this from the beginning, and we're gonna stop his other half, just like we stopped his Heartless!"

The others agreed with Sora on this one, and Axel, realising that he was right, sighed and nodded in agreement, and after a moment, said, "You're right. I'm gonna help you in stopping Xemnas, after I get answers out of him." now determinded to find those answers before he can disappear. He promised himself this and to Saïx and Roxas.

With that, the six of them began to walk away, as Axel decided, even if he was to disappear as well, he would do his best to hold onto his most precious memories. He owed his friends that.

However, he was unaware that his fate was going to go through a drastic change, along with Riku's body.


I literally cried when I wrote the part of Saïx's departure. It was so sad. It was like I was placing my own emotions with Axel's and Lea's. I had to pause to get a tissue for my eyes and I might need another one. *Sniffle, sniffle*.

Okay, I confess, I cry at the top of a hat at every emotional things. Alright, enough of me crying, please review, and I hope to reach 20 reviews for this story before the ending. I'll see you all in the next chapter. (Mumbles: Just wish Kingdom Hearts 3 would come out next year, but I don't see that happening, unfortunately. T_T)