Second Chance.

Note: I think we can forget about my goal since it's too much. Sorry about that. Anyway, I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

One more thing, anyone ever thought that Jamieson Price, the guy who voices Reeve in Final Fantasy VII Compilation and Giovanni in the Pokemon Origins specials, could've been chosen as the new voice actor for Ansem the Wise instead of Corey Burton in Kingdom Hearts?

If you think about it, I think Jamieson and Christopher Lee sound similiar, and that Jamieson is perfect for Ansem. Well, to me, at least.


CH6: Recompletion.

When things couldn't get any worse, apparently it was about to get worse. The beam was starting to flicker, and the device began to shake, but Ansem wasn't fazed at this. Instead, more guilt and understanding dawned onto the former ruler of Radient Garden. He failed his people and his home, he failed his goals, and he failed even at this.

"Ansem?" Mickey noticed a strange expression on his friend's face, before the younger King quirked an eyebrow, feeling that something wasn't right.

Ansem just laughed, before saying, "I'm a fool. I've spent years studying the workings of the heart. Yet it seems I still haven't learned a thing!"

"What d'ya mean?" Mickey asked.

"The process of encoding hearts is incalculable. The inhabitants of my Twilight Town were data created from real hearts." Ansem explained, "I was convinced that they would think and behave the way I had envisioned-but I couldn't have been more wrong. A heart is so much more than any system. I saw it when Roxas and Kairi crossed paths."

He paused, before sharing a glance at Mickey, continuing, "I knew. But I was too stubborn to accept it. It's always the same. I try to wrap my mind around things my heart already knows, only to fail. While I was trying to bring Sora back, I had so many plans in store. But once Sora was an acting force, they fell apart. All my research amounted to nothing, compared with that one boy's heart."

Ansem then thought of something else, and added, "As for Axel, that Nobody has grown into more human than the other nobodies. Possibly because of his friendship with Roxas. I wanted to be true that the young man was speaking nonesense in order for Roxas to merge with Sora, but it seems that even some Nobodies are unquie."

That's when Mickey finally noticed that the device was acting more and more violently, and the gut feeling inside him got worse. That's when he knew it was about to explode, because of the sudden electricity beginning to show. "Ansem! The machine!" he cried out.

But Ansem didn't move. Instead, he only said, "All the more proof that hearts cannot be contained by data." before turning to Mickey and told him, "Run, my friend! It's going to self-destruct, and anything could happen!"

"But..." Mickey trailled off, not wanting to believe that Ansem, his close friend, isn't going with him. Mickey had searched for a long time to find him, other than just ask him for some help. Mickey had worried, and he had to admit, he was happy to find Ansem again. He couldn't lose him again!

"Your majesty!" his thoughts were interrupeted when Sora called out to him, as the said boy, and the others had finally arrived, and even Ansem took notice. Axel, seeing him, skid to a stop, and, recongizing the clothes DiZ wore, yet the face was also familiar.

"You?" Axel asked, shocked to see DiZ again. He remembered seeing this guy in the fake Twilight Town when he first found Roxas again, who didn't even remember who Axel was at the time. Then again, why was the older man's face more familiar? The red-haired Nobody could've sworn he'd seen him before, sometime during his childhood.

Ansem didn't knowlage of Axel's shock, instead, he muttered, "Sora, the rest is up to you. And," he paused, finally sharing a glance at Axel, then added, "Axel; I don't expect your forgiveness, but, I am sorry, to you, and to Roxas. I doubt he can hear me."

'Sorry?' Axel thought. 'Why is he apologuising? And why the hell does he look familiar?' though he was also shocked as he noticed some weird device that was going to literally explode and the old guy wasn't even moving! Was DiZ crazy?

"Ansem!" Mickey cried out in horror, trying to get his friend to get away.

But Ansem shook his head, grim and guilt, "My heart is telling me what I must do." he replied, "Please allow me to do what it says."

"No!" Mickey made a move to save him, only to have a hand grab hold of his arm. When the younger King looked, at first he thought he was confronting Xehanort's Heartless, but then remembered that the heartless was gone and only the body remained, meaning that the newcommer was Sora's best friend. "Riku!" he exclaimed. Mickey was relieved that Riku was alright, but he wanted to save Ansem.

Riku, though, seemed to understand Ansem's final choice. "His heart's decided. We can't change that."

Hearing the name Ansem gave Axel a pause. He glanced at the man who was once known as DiZ. Could he be...? He was snapped out of his thoughts as he and the others noticed an un-welcomed company appearing by teleport of darkness, and Axel's green eyes glared daggers at his former superior-Xemnas.

"I was wondering who would dare interfere with my Kingdom Hearts." said Xemnas, before he looked at Sora and the others, continuing, "And look-here you all are. How convenient for me."

He shared a glance at Axel, adding, "Including the traitor who was meant to disappear. It's quite astonding that you survived, Axel. Doesn't the desire of having a heart again no longer inquire you?"

Axel snorted, "You're the one the talk, Xemnas. I've heard from Xigbar that you weren't gonna let us have our hearts back to begin with. What's all this crap about turning all thirteen of us turning into one person that'll end up killing our minds, huh? I'd say that YOU'RE the traitor!" his anger getting the better of him, but he knew he had to control it.

"There are ways in creating clones." was Xemnas's answer. "Implanting a powerful heart into much needed and perfect vessels is the more simpiler way. It was much easier with those who no longer have hearts."

"Then why did you bring us in the first place!? You don't have a heart either!" Axel shouted. "I don't just...don't understand. You said that we Nobodies weren't meant to have feelings, but after spending time with Roxas, seeing how the kid became his own person more than being Sora, I was beginning to feel just like I was when I was a human. What about this cloning stuff?"

"That answer will come to you in time." Xemnas smirked, before turning his attention to Ansem and acknowlaged, "Ansem the Wise-you look pathetic."

That's when Axel's eyes widened at realisation. DiZ was him-he was Ansem the Wise all along, the real Ansem. More memories appeared in Axel's mind, and he remembered now, that this Ansem, was the ruler of Radient Garden, and Axel, as Lea, admired him. He and Isa had both dreamed in exploring Ansem's castle, and then he remembered that his death happened in a lab. But how, though?

"Have your laugh." Ansem muttered, "I deserve as much for failing to see you for

the fool you are."

Xemnas begged to differ. "Students do take after their teachers. Only a fool would be your apprentice. After all, none of this would have happened without you." he continued, as if addressing to an audience, "YOU are the source of all Heartless. It was your research that inspired me to go further than you ever dared."

'Research...I don't understand.' Axel thought, though he had a horrible feeling about this. In his chest, something was happening, and it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, if not extremtely painful, almost as if he was about to disappear. His eyes mentally widened in realisation that he was beginning to disappear; he can feel his insides fading, just like when he was dying before Sora saved his life.

'NO! Not now!' Axel thought to himself, trying to hold on without anyone else noticing.

"I admit," Ansem continued, not looking at anyone, "My disregard brought chaos to more worlds than one." before questioning sharply, "But what were YOU seeking? You erased me from the world, only to take my name and continue research better left forgotten... Is this the answer you've been looking for?"

"All that and more." Xemnas replied, "I'm carrying on what you yourself began, and I'm creating a brand new world, one heart at a time. I thought you'd praise me, but

all you ever do is hold me back. I understand, though. Unlike me and unlike Axel, you have a heart. And you're powerless to control it. Consumed, by the jealousy you feel toward the student who surpassed you."

The red-haired Nobody grunted, giving a glare at Xemnas. That silver-haired guy loved to talk. And Demyx called Axel a loudmouth? Xemnas would've won 1st Prize in the "The most talkative being" Contest, square flat. Axel has seen people who were chatterboxes that would never shut up, but Xemnas loved to brag about Kingdom Hearts this, Kingdom Hearts that, and he was getting sick of it.

Ansem had other thoughts. "Xehanort. Foolish apprentice of a foolish man." he commented, before stating in his final determination, "You have surpassed nothing-only proved how little we both know. We may profess to know the heart, but its essence is beyond our reach. We're both ignorant-as oblivious as when we began. I'm afraid that any world you try to create..." he turned to glare at Xemnas, continuing, "Any world of yours...would be an empire of ignorance. That is why you and your creation are destined to fall!"

'Was Xemnas...really trying to destroy everything, even us, to create a new world in his own image?' Axel thought. 'Would he...really make clones of himself? What's going on?' he began to feel scared, and normally he wasn't scared. He was now, though, even though he could no longer feel his heart. He shook off the dizzy-spell, trying to ignore the pain. He can't disappear, not now. For one thing, this confirmed his supicions that the Organization were never getting their hearts back, even from the very beginning.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Ansem declared, "We've said enough!" before the older man glanced at Riku, saying, "Riku, you know what to do!" to which the teen nodded, before Ansem glanced at Axel, adding, "Axel...You will know the truth."

"Huh?" Axel blinked. What was Ansem talking about.

"You will get your heart back, not the way you were told. That is one of the reasons why you were meant to disappear." Ansem continued, "You'll understand."

"What are you talking about!?" Axel demanded.

Unfortunately, he was ignored, as Ansem turned to Mickey who realised, in sorrow, that this would be the last time ever they would see each other. "King Mickey, my friend." Ansem nodded, face grim in hidden sorrow, "Forgive me."

"Farewell!" Ansem exclaimed one last time, as the machine then was shining in bright light.

Seeing this, Sora, Donald and Goofy, horrified at this, tried to rush over to save Ansem, but Riku and Axel, who also knew that Ansem was sacrificing himself to at least damage Kingdom Hearts, both blocked the trio's way by standing in front of them, and Kairi grabbed onto Mickey's arm to stop him from doing something crazy. Donald ended up tripping as he tried to run over. In an massive exploding light, shooting up into the air, while Xemnas teleported away, everyone else saw that the machine was gone.

Ansem disappeared as well. Mickey gasped, before looking at the floor, trying not to cry. The pain of losing his friend hurt him so much. He almost lost Goofy, he lost three other friends eleven years ago, and now he lost a friend who like him, a King who loved his people and his kingdom. Sora and the others were horrified that Ansem was actually dead. Axel understood.

However, as he and Riku both turned to look again, to their and everyone else's horror, the light continued to grow, and it began to push them back painfully, even though they tried to block it, but it was no use. They were thrown onto the floor, and all lost consciousness.

Axel layed there on his front, and this time, he felt himself fading away, again. He was losing consciousness, and even though he wanted to keep his promise to help in stopping Xemnas, he knew that he'll never get the chance now. Weakly managing to lift his head a little to Sora's unconscious form, he muttered, "Sora...Roxas...I'm sorry...the rest...the rest is...up to you...now..."

Finally, his eyes closed and his world went black. Unknown to him, and to the others, millions of hearts fall around the Castle That Never Was and into the streets where the Nobodies, seeing this, were trying to catch the hearts, as if sensing that they would finally get their hearts back at long last. It didn't seem to work, though. The hearts then touched the floor and vanished, before Heartless were born again, and now they were crawling their way up towards the castle.

However, one heart, as if sensing something, floated down towards the fading and unconscious Axel, before it slowly absorbed itself into his body, causing the darkness to disappear and his body glowed in light, almost engulfing him. As if to complete it's work, the lines underneath his eyes also disappeared, and his skin became a bit lighter and darker, as if tanned.


Falling into darkness, Axel felt strangely at peace. He figured that he was gone already, and decided to let it be. He didn't borther in opening his eyes, and decided to allow the darkness to swallow him. All he wanted was to sleep forever.

It seemed that the darkness had other ideas, because Axel felt himself slow down, and flickering his eyes open, as if tired, he straightened himself up, and landed on his feet, looking around and became fully aware of where he was. He was on a glass platform, with a picture of himself-no, of his originalself, with Isa, Roxas, Sora, Kairi, Namine, and a girl he didn't recongise yet felt familiar to him. The girl strongly resembled Kairi, but with black hair, and the Organization Black Coat.

Who was she?

Axel's thoughts of the strange girl was quickly forgotten, as he looked up, and gasped softly, as he noticed a young figure lying on their back, unconsious. Rushing over as if he didn't control his body, Axel approached the figure and fell to his knees, gently holding the person in his arms. He recongised who this young man was.

Himself-Lea-as a teenager. Despite looking deathly pale, Axel figured that his old-self hasn't changed a bit, and that the body felt warm, pulsing like a heart, and Axel could strangely feel it in his chest and not his arms. Realization dawned to him.

This version of Lea was his heart. Was this truly the end?

Sighing, Axel embraced his old-self like a father to a child, wishing that they could both have a second chance.

As if granting his wish, Lea's body began to glow, and when Axel looked, the body quickly grew into adulthood, in the very same body Axel's was now, but slightly different. This was when Axel realised, as a flood of memories appeared in his mind. One memory that he tried to remember finally returned to him, painfully.

He saw an image of himself as Lea, as teenager, with Isa, in the lab, seeing a young man whom Axel thought was Ansem but was actually Xehanort, with a weapon that shockingly looked like a Keyblade. Xehanort grinned evily at the two, and Isa stood in front of Lea who was about to pull him to run, and took the hit of the weapon stabbing into his chest, Lea screaming out in horror and sorrow, watching his friend die in his arms, before Lea himself was stabbed, and Xehanort chuckled, before the two boys lost conscious and died.

"Xehanort..." Axel grunted. Now he remembered. The very man whom turned himself into a Heartless and a Nobody was the same one who murdered him and Isa in the beginning. He turned back to his human-self who has now breathing, colour returning to his face.

"I guess," Axel muttered, finally understanding as his expression softened. "I guess I can only help in memories." smiling at his original who was beginning to open his eyes. The real Lea looked up to see his Nobody who smiled in sadness, "Time to go, for both of us."

Axel then closed his eyes, while his original suddenly found the strength to hold himself up on his hands, as Axel then began to disappear in light and particles, just as Roxas did with Sora, and the next thing that happened, Axel vanished completely and his particles of light drifted into Lea's body, causing the young male to flinch, then light appeared above him, and the next thing Lea knew...

He felt as if he was awakening.

Axel and Lea were finally recompleted and whole once more.


As if it seemed hours, the group finally began to regain consciousness. Sora and the others didn't notice that something happened to their red-haired companion. The youngest male lifted himself up, before noticing and softly gasping as he noticed that Riku was still unconscious.

"Riku!" Sora cried out, before getting up and rushed over to his best friend, taking notice that Riku looked completely different now. The very same purplely-silver hair, the body build only a year older, at the age of sixteen, in an Organization coat and wearing a blindfold.

Riku had returned to his original-self. The sixteen year old groaned, slowly lifting himself up as he regained consciousness.

"Riku!" Sora said happily, as Kairi and the others stood around him, also seeing the good change for once. Riku, not yet knowing, only looked, as Donald and Goofy both exclaimed in amazement.

"Riku!" Kairi echoed Sora's happiness with her own.

Finally noticing that his eyes were closed despite seeing visions, Riku then realised that he was back to his old-self. He turned to Mickey for an explanation. But before the mouse King could say anything, another groan was heard and everyone turned to see a familar red-haired man, same as ever, also beginning to wake up.

"Axel!" Sora exclaimed, now worried for who he thought was the Nobody.

The redhead also finally regained consciousness at the strange event he just experinced before losing consciousness. Twitching his hand as if to test that he's still alive, he muttered, groggily and dazed, "Where...?" blinking his eyes open, slowly and painfully lifting himself up, asking, "What happened to me?"

Every single memory returned to him, and suddenly he realised that last thing he remembered, was the blast Ansem's machine caused, and that he was supposed to disappear. Axel held a hand to his forehead, groaning and dazed. He didn't get it. He then felt a familiar thumb inside his head and suddenly felt whole.

When he looked up to look at Sora and the others, they gaped in surprise. "What? What're you guys lookin' at? Something on my face?" he asked, a bit sarcastically.

"Uh, actually, somethin' kinda disappeared from your face, Axel." Goofy answered, a bit awkwardly.

'Axel...Oh, right. But, that means...' The redhead was confused at this. Too bad there weren't any mirriors around. Thankfully, Goofy, seeing this, summoned his shield and let the redhead burrow it to look at his reflection.

Axel's eyes widened as he looked at himself. He looked just like he was, but with a bit of a difference. His skin was more tanned, like in his teenaged years, his hair remained the same, his eyes were a mixture of blue and a dark green, and those lines...they were completely gone. He touched his face and his reflection copied him.

Now he knew that he felt something inside his chest; it was his heart. HIS heart. Lowering the shield, he looked at Sora and the others, saying, "I'm...I'm a person again." though in his tone, he couldn't believe it himself. Finally he took notice that Riku was different and blinked in surprise, "Whoa, Riku! You're..." he trailled off.

Both of the older males looked at Mickey who smiled, understanding how these good events happened, as he explained, "Ansem did say "anything could happen"."

"So you're saying that explosion not only managed to damage Xemnas's Kingdom Hearts, but it also turned Riku back to normal and had me get my heart back?" Axel summed up as he gave Goofy back his shield, before crossing his arms against his chest. He then remembered what Ansem told him.

'Did you know all along, Ansem?' He thought. 'Was Nobodies and Heartless destined to disappear the only way to return to normal? How does that make sense?'

"I guess that means we can't call you Axel anymore." Goofy realised as he turned to the red-haired recompleted man, who snapped back to reality and then realised that what the knight said was true, and, for the first time in ages, he smiled.

"It's good to be Lea again." Axel-now once again known as Lea-agreed.

Everyone was silent, even Lea, who knew that, despite being whole again, knew that he was still Axel in body and spirit, because Axel is Lea and Lea is Axel. Both were the same person. As far as Lea's concerned, he still went through a lot as a Nobody. Now it was a matter in beating Xemnas.

"Riku, you gonna take that off?" Sora asked to his friend who went, "Oh." and Riku took off the blindfold, expecting to turn into Xehanort's Heartless again. But to his surprise and relief, Riku remained the same, and he opened his sea-blue eyes.

Lea seemed to sense this, because he approached and asked, "So, what's with the blindfold and all that?" before Mickey went up to the two of them and Sora.

"His eyes couldn't lie." was Mickey's answer.

"Oh, that explains it." Lea smiled, seeing the point.

"And And just who were you trying to fool? Huh? Huhhh?" Sora asked to his friend in a teasing way.

"Myself." Riku answered.

Lea rolled his eyes, "Good grief, that's the lamest excuse I've ever heard." smirking.

Even Sora agreed to this, "Yeah, c'mon, man! Why did you try to do so much on your own?" before pointing out, "You've got friends, like us!" gesturing at himself and Kairi, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy who all nodded in agreement. Despite though he had his heart back, Lea still felt uncomfortable. Even though he was human again, he didn't know what he'd do after Xemnas is defeated. Would he be able to finally go home? Nothing would be the same, and he found himself frowning in sadness. Isa was gone. Roxas was inside Sora. His parents were most likely dead. Namine would return to Kairi.

'I'll figure that out later.' Lea decided to himself.

Riku was thankful for having his friends around, though he did know one thing. So he said this to Sora, "Have you forgotten? I'll do you why." before smirking, trying to hide his laughter, admitting teasingly, "'Cause I'm not a total sap like you."

Lea tried to hide his own laughter, while Sora pouted, "Say that again!" but the teasing moment was shattered as they heard a bad noise and all of them glanced up to see hearts floating back up to the ruined Kingdom Hearts.

"Uh-oooh!" Donald shivered, as he and the others rushed over to the ledge and saw millions of heartless crawling up towards them, which was bad. Lea was just lucky that his heart decided to float down towards him as Axel and recompleted him.

"What should we do?" Sora asked.

"For one thing, beating Xemnas is the only way to solve this problem." Lea answered, his determination returning to his expression.

Riku nodded in agreement, "He's the Organization last survivor."

Knowing that both of them were right, Sora nodded in agreement, "Right!"

As all of them turned to head up towards their final destination, Riku paused and ripped off his Organization cloak, seeing the no more need for it, before he followed the others to defeat Xemnas. Lea also knew, that the final battle was approaching quick and he wasn't going to let Xemnas-Xehanort, have his way anymore now that he remembered how he died in the first place.

It was going to be tough, but Lea/Axel wasn't going to give in again.


Axel got his heart back and has been revived as Lea! But he's not out of the woods yet. If you all have time, continue those reviews and I'll see you in the next chapter.