* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

Note: (Name) is now assuming your real name. You are no longer associated with your Nobody name.

=13=

"Ah, you're earlier than you usually are! How are you doing tonight, sweetheart?"

Dulling, cloudy eyes gazed out over the empty tables and chairs of the café, the only one catching her attention being the one that a lone usual was currently sitting at. The older woman smiled softly as she grabbed an already made cup of (favorite warm drink) from the countertop, carrying it across the cobblestone ground and setting it gently in front of the girl sitting within the old, wooden chair. Once she had set the cup down upon the table, she sighed softly as she slowly eased her way into the chair in front of the young woman, the same pleasant smile still plastered upon her lips.

"I'm doing alright tonight, *Ellie. Thank you for asking."

Your (color) eyes looked down at the steaming mug of liquid, and you hummed softly as you gripped the handle between your fingers and brought the mug to your lips. The warmth you received was much welcomed, seeing as how it was yet another snowy evening within Traverse Town. Once you had gulped down a bit of the contents within the mug, you placed it back upon the table with a soft thud, your eyes falling upon the gently flickering candle on the center of the table. Ellie seemed to take notice of this, and she reached across the table to gently place her hand atop your own.

"You're drifting off again, my dear. You're thinking about him again, aren't you?"

You still stared endlessly at the flickering flame atop the candle, a small smile crossing your lips as you felt your heart flutter. The mere thought of him was something that made even the coldest of nights warm, but it always seemed to end colder than it started- it had been a long time since you had arrived in Traverse Town, and your memories had been incredibly foggy back then. However, as the days grew into months, and the months turned into a year, your memories slowly began to return to you. You recalled spending your days amongst black-coated people you called your friends, but you could never remember their names. You remembered vivid worlds, the people within them, and a ship that sailed across a never-ending sea of stars. Then, there were the visions of the man you had spent countless hours beside- a young man, silvery-blue hair dangling over his right eye. You remembered how he always made you feel as though nothing else in the world mattered. And his name was the only name that you could recall for the longest time: Zexion.

"Who is he, Ellie? I remember every one of their names now, but I just can't figure out who they were, or why they had such an impact on my life. These memories are almost as though I lived a separate life."

Ellie chuckled softly, her wrinkled fingers giving your hand a tender squeeze in an attempt to comfort you. She had heard all of these stories many times before- ever since she had found you a year ago, she had given you a home within her café whenever you needed it. After all, you had no idea where you were, no family, and no place to call your own. And, if Ellie was honest, she was more than happy to have someone like you around her. It brought light into her and her husband's life, and that was more than she could ever ask for.

"What are the two of you gossiping about over here, eh?"

Ellie laughed as her husband wandered over, taking a seat beside his wife. She gently nudged his shoulder with her hand, which made a smile cross his lips.

"Carl! We aren't gossiping!"

"I know what you girls do… sittin' over here and talking about boys…"

You laughed at the joking tone the older man was giving, then gave a soft sigh as you looked at the two of them. They were a picture-perfect couple; they had spent each and every year side by side, and there was never a moment that they didn't smile or laugh at one another. They were like your grandparents, and you absolutely adored the both of them more than anything. They had made your time within Traverse Town enjoyable, and Ellie and Carl were the only ones who knew about your memories of those mysterious figures dressed in black robes… and about Zexion. You lifted your mug to your lips once more, taking a few more gulps of the warm liquid before sighing in relief and leaning back against the head of the chair.

"Well, I was asking Ellie about who those people could have been. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to remember who they were aside from their names. Everything we did together is clear as day in my mind now, but… I just… can't remember anything else about them."

"Ah, don't worry, kid. As Ellie once told me, memories are the most important thing you can ever hope to have. If those memories are clear as day as you said, then that means they were important to you."

Carl gave you a soft smile, reaching over the table and giving the top of your head a tender pat. You laughed softly, then slowly brought yourself to your feet. This caught Ellie's attention, and she tilted her head a bit as she looked up at you.

"Leaving so soon, sweetheart?"

You gave a nod of your head, and then Carl furrowed his brows as he slowly brought himself to his feet. He managed to hobble in front of you, and then tapped his cane into the fresh snow upon the ground.

"Now, you listen here, young lady. It's colder than death out here. So, you're going to rest in our home for tonight. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

You couldn't help the smile that the elderly man's words brought to your lips. He was trying as hard as he could to put on a serious tone, but you knew that he only cared about your wellbeing. You sighed softly as you wrapped your arms around him, giving him a hug of thanks that brought a smile to his face. Ellie, who was now by your side with your mug in hand, placed her free hand upon your lower back and gently nudged you towards the entrance of the quaint, little house near the café.

=13=

"Aeleus, have you seen Ienzo anywhere? I just got back from patrolling the outside area."

Blue eyes glanced across the room in the direction of the male voice that called for his attention- once again, the red-head had ignored his words and patrolled the outside without his permission.

"He's in his usual spot, Lea. You of all people should know where he is, and more importantly, why he's there. Also, before you go rushing off again, you directly disobeyed my words and went outside to patrol. I told you to leave such things to myself and Dilan."

"Yeah, yeah. We can deal with that later, Aeleus. Thanks for the information, though!"

Aeleus allowed a slightly-irritated sigh to pass through his lips as he watched the red-head hastily make his way down the dark hallway and round the corner out of his sight. He knew there was no sense in arguing with him- he was just like he used to be when he was a Nobody, but apparently he was even more reckless now that he was human once again. He gradually allowed the annoyance the other male had caused to drain from his system as he attempted to distract himself, his mind currently focused on cleaning up the various messes he had already found throughout the castle.

Lea, who was now focused on finding Ienzo, hurried through the winding hallways of the castle to make his way to Ansem's lab. Once he neared the entrance to the laboratory, he stopped outside the door and cleared his throat before entering without any prior warning. Thankfully, Ienzo was the only one within the lab at the time of his entry- quite frankly, Even was still rather upset with him over the events that took place in their alternate lifetimes, so he was rather glad that the older male wasn't there to give him yet another scolding on his, "barbaric" actions.

"Man oh man, Ienzo… do you ever stop working? It's been three weeks since we all woke up, and it seems like all you do is hole yourself up in here and read the same ol' things."

When the red-head received no response, he attempted to get the scientist's attention by clearing his throat yet again. He walked past the desk where the blue-haired male was scanning over a handful of documents, his emerald-colored eyes now roaming over Ansem's notes about the DTD- the Door to Darkness.

"You know that this isn't healthy, Ienzo. You should get out some more, y'know? I mean, like I said, you keep reading over the same-"

"I wish that you would silence yourself for once, Lea."

The irritated snap that Ienzo had given had taken Lea aback, and the red-head turned to see the scientist's fists gripping the now crinkled papers with a growing agitation. As much as his inner conscience screamed not to do what he was about to do, he simply couldn't stop himself from asking the one question that he knew would tweak a nerve.

"Is this about her?"

"Of course it's about her!"

The angered remark came with the papers that were once held in a vice grip now fluttering gently to the floor, and a loud slam of fists against wood as the younger male took his irritation out on the innocent desk in the center of the room. Lea noticed that, in a feeble attempt to calm himself, Ienzo was now rapidly tapping his forefinger against the wooden desk, his gaze not once wavering from the remaining notes that were strewn in front of him.

"I have continuously read every single note that Ansem left, I have thought about every possible solution to my problem, and yet I come up empty-handed each time. I have spent the last three weeks doing countless hours of research, often neglecting even the simplest of personal tasks to find a solution. My sleep has been minimal, as has my diet, so forgive me if I'm irritable."

Lea could almost feel the caustic tone in his voice eating away at his ears as he listened to the man across the room speak. He could sense the repressed anger that Ienzo had kept within himself this entire time finally seeping through his lips, and he knew that there was a lingering grudge that Ienzo refused to acknowledge hanging over the room- the scientist inwardly blamed Lea for losing the person he held closest to him, and Lea knew that all too well. It was the same anger that Even had been very openly expressing for the past three weeks. The red-head gave a sigh, his gloved fingers running through his spiked hair as he began to feel guilt wash over him once again.

"Look… I know that you want to find her, okay? But wasting away in here is not the right way to do it, y'know? You keep talking to yourself about Traverse Town, right? Is that where you think she might be?"

"Even if she was, we have absolutely no means of getting there. We have no way to traverse the Lanes Between. The only feasible way to get there would be-"

Ienzo suddenly stopped, his blue eyes seeming to stare off into nothingness as silence filled the room. His gaze then turned to Lea, which was something that made the red-head feel rather uncomfortable given the current situation. He watched as the scientist walked out from behind the desk, and Lea smiled nervously as the male stopped right in front of him.

"You're still wearing the coat. Give it to me, Lea."

It was only then that Lea fully understood what Ienzo intended to do once the coat was within his possession. He hastily shook his head, using his hand to push the other male away from him.

"Hell no. I'm not letting you wear this thing, Ienzo. You're planning on opening up one of those *portals, yeah? You are in no shape to go through one of those things right now- you'd get consumed by darkness again faster than you could even form a thought. This coat only protects you so much… and you're not in the right state of mind to even try it."

This response earned a cold glare from the scientist, something that Lea had never thought he would see from someone who was typically calm and collected like Ienzo was- not to mention how reserved and non-confrontational he naturally was. Lea sighed deeply, then shook his head and began to walk towards the entrance of the lab.

"Sorry, Ienzo, but I can't let you do that. I'm not about to let you endanger yourself like that. I'm sure that Dilan, Aeleus, and Even would all agree with me on this one. Now… get something to eat, and get some rest. You really need it."

As Lea reached the entrance to the lab, he couldn't help but look over his shoulder at the distraught scientist still standing on the opposite end of the room. There wasn't much to be said that hadn't already been addressed, but he knew that there was something that would keep gnawing at the back of his mind if something wasn't done about his past mistakes soon. Though he and his Nobody were two completely different beings, each with their own consciousness and mindset, the guilt of what his past self had done to the people around him still pricked him like a thorn embedded deep into his side. He looked over the younger male one last time, then continued out of the laboratory and into the dark halls of the castle.

=13=

You awoke within the night with a jolt, your hands scrambling to feel over the center of your chest. Your heart pounded within your ears, and you clutched the fabric of your shirt when you realized that everything was alright- there was no gaping hole through your chest, and there was no blood. The nightmare that you had awoken from was something that, unknowingly, was a blessing in disguise. You remembered everything now- the Organization, finding out that Nobodies could regain their hearts, and the man who ultimately forced you and Zexion to meet your ends.

"Well, well, well. Looks like someone finally remembered what they were supposed to have memorized."

You nearly shrieked at the sound of the male voice coming from the corner of your room, but you forced yourself to remain quiet as you grabbed the small lamp from the bedside table and held it out in front of you. You scooted back until you were pressed against the head of the bed, making yourself as small as possible as you stared wide-eyed in the direction that the voice came from. You could make out a dull silhouette of a figure leaning back against the wall, but your eyes just weren't adjusted enough to the darkness to see anything yet.

"W-who are you? What the hell are you doing in this house- no, no, what are you doing in my room?"

You heard a chuckle come the same corner of the room, and you watched as whoever had previously been leaning against the wall finally walked into the light coming in through your partially open window. The first thing that caught your eye was the crimson red hair sitting atop the man's head, and you instinctively felt your heart begin to race within your chest. You knew exactly who this was, even if he now lacked the two distinct tear-shaped markings that had previously been housed upon his cheeks.

"A-Axel..."

"Bingo. Your mind is still a steel trap as always, I see. However, I'd prefer to be called Lea from now on."

The longer you stared at the man standing alongside your bed, the faster your fear turned to rage. The only thing that seemed to be playing within your mind at the time was the memory of seeing Axel nearly cause the death of Zexion- and now that you remembered everything, you knew why your heart seemed to yearn for something that you could not find. Your hand let go of the lamp that was currently within it, dropping it to the bed, and then made direct contact with the crimson-haired man's left cheek. This seemed to take him by surprise, and he grimaced as he pressed his hand against his now warm, red skin.

"Damn… I guess I deserved that…"

"Deserved it?! You better not have forgotten what you did to the Organization! You killed Vexen, you nearly killed Zexion, and you betrayed everyone in Castle Oblivion!"

"I know, (Name). I've been lectured and scolded about it for the past three weeks. And those thoughts haven't left my mind since I woke up, y'know."

Your (color) eyes stared at him, your eyebrows still bent and furrowed as your heart beat rapidly within your chest. You could feel the pulses in your temples now, and your gaze continued to follow the man as he sat down upon the end of your bed. He didn't look at you, but rather allowed his emerald eyes to stare down at the wooden floor beneath his feet.

"I know that you and the others resent me for my past mistakes. Believe me- I've been beating myself up about it ever since I woke up, and that's the honest truth. I did some messed up stuff as a Nobody, and it's something that I don't like thinking about. But I'm really trying my best to right my wrongs, alright?"

As you heard the red-head speak, your expression softened slightly. It was still hard to believe anything that came out of his mouth, but for the moment, he sounded as though he was being genuine about his words. And, if you really thought about it, Lea wasn't the reason that you and Zexion were killed in your former lives- it was someone else entirely. It still bothered you that Lea played a huge part in the events that took place, alongside taking the life of Vexen, but you knew that dwelling on it now was something that shouldn't be done.

"I really hope that you're being sincere, Lea. Don't get me wrong, I'm still upset at you for what you did, but I'm not about to hold a grudge against you for the rest of my life. That isn't healthy, and quite frankly, it's more trouble than it's worth. But… I do have to ask… how did you get here? I've been here for a year, and I know for a fact I've never seen you around."

"The same way we always used to travel, (Name). Granted, it's much more dangerous now that we aren't Nobodies, but since I still had my Organization coat on, it protected me from a lot of the darkness that could corrupt you on your way through. At least… that's what Even and Ienzo have been saying about it ever since we woke up and they started going through Ansem's notes. All I cared about was whether or not I made it through and got here."

You felt your heart take a sudden leap in your chest upon hearing Lea speak about Even and Ienzo. Surely he couldn't be talking about…?

"W-wait, Lea. Hold on. Did you just say Even and Ienzo?"

"Yeah. That's… the whole reason I'm here, (Name). Even, Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo are all back at Radiant Garden, and-"

Lea stopped as he saw you quickly leap to your feet. He stared up at you in confusion, then cocked his eyebrow as he saw the beaming grin that had spread itself across your lips.

"Lea, I have to go talk to someone, okay? Please wait outside the house. I'll be out in a minute."

Although the red-head was rather confused at your sudden command, he shrugged his shoulders and slowly rose to his feet as you paced out of the room. He made his way out of the room, making his way down the set of stairs to the lower level of the home before stopping to take in the sights that were around him. The house was older, a lot of the décor consisting of paintings and pastel-colored items. Being rather curious, Lea poked his head into the living room of the house, seeing several framed photos sitting upon the table in-between two chairs. He walked over, picking one of them up to examine it: within the frame, a photo of an elderly woman, an elderly man, and sitting right in-between them was none other than you. This brought a small smile to Lea's face, and he gently set the frame down before picking up another one. This one was taken by someone outside the trio, and it showed the same trio outside in the winter making a small snowman upon the cobblestone streets.

Lea sighed quietly as he set the frame down, his emerald eyes gazing around the rest of the living room. It was obvious that these people cared about you, as there were many more picture frames scattered about the living area that resembled the ones he had already seen. He heard some muffled talking coming from the back of the house, presumably where you had gone to speak with the owners of the home, and he decided that it might be best to take his leave to the outside of the house. He turned on his heel, walking to the front door and turning the knob in order to get outside. He shuddered as the icy chill of winter hit him square in the face, but wandered out onto the lamplit streets nonetheless.

Whilst he waited, Lea watched as the small snowflakes drifted past his eyes and onto the icy cobblestone beneath his feet. He blinked as one happened to land right upon the end of his nose, and he quickly brushed it away with his hand- it was rather cold, after all. His attention was drawn away from the snow when he heard the front door of the older house open, and saw none other than the older couple from the photographs hobble their way out into the snow. You were helping them along, each of them whispering words of thanks as you did so. Upon stopping a few feet away from the crimson-haired man, he stooped down at his waist and gave a bow of respect.

"So… you must be the rascal that (Name) keeps thinkin' about, huh?"

"O-oh no, sir. You have me mistaken for someone else. My name is Lea- but, I am going to take her to see the person she has been thinking about."

Carl gave a soft scoff, his bushy eyebrow cocking as he stepped forward with the help of his cane. He stared up at the taller male, his face stern, yet soon softening as he continued to look over him.

"I can tell you're a good one. Now, you listen here. My Ellie and I love (Name) very much, and we don't want anything happening to her once she's gone. You tell that other boy that, as long as he promises to take care of her and keep her safe…"

Carl looked back at his wife, who was currently giving him a sad smile. He returned it, giving you a quick glance before allowing a soft sigh to pass his lips and letting his gaze fall back upon the red-haired male.

"…that he has our blessing. We may not be direct family to (Name), but she sure feels like it to us. And, from what she's told us about this boy, Ellie and I both feel like he really does care about her. We probably won't ever be able to meet him face to face, but I ask that you pass on the message that Ellie and I give him our blessing. It might not mean much to you, but it means a lot to us- (Name) is the only family we have."

"I will be sure to tell him, sir. You have my word."

You felt a gentle tug on your arm, and you glanced over to see Ellie, tears brimming up in the corners of her gentle eyes as she looked at you. She brought her wrinkled hand up, tenderly brushing aside some stray (color) hairs from your face before cupping your cheek in her hand.

"Carl and I always dreamed of adventure, sweetheart… and as it turned out, one of the biggest ones that we dreamed of we could never have. That is… until you showed up here a year ago. You've been like the child that we were never fortunate enough to have- but having you within our lives was far more of a blessing than we could ever hope for."

You could hear her voice crack slightly as she continued to speak, but you shook your head and wrapped your arms around her. If you were honest, Carl and Ellie were the only people you could really call your family now. You had no idea where your original parents were, or if they were still around, for that matter. In the year that you had been in Traverse Town, these two had been the only people that you had grown fond of- the only people that you really cared about. And it pained you that you had to say goodbye to them, but you knew that the two of them wouldn't be able to accompany you through the portal back to Radiant Garden.

"Now listen to me, sweetie. You go back there and you find this man, okay? I want you to experience the world with him, and I want you to grow old together just like Carl and I have."

You nodded your head, feeling Ellie tenderly caress your cheek with her thumb before finally moving away from you. You felt a calloused hand be placed upon your shoulder, and you looked down to see the soft expression upon Carl's face. Without saying anything more, he tenderly gave your shoulder a few pats before nudging you in the direction of Lea. You walked over beside him, then glanced over your shoulder to see the old couple giving you a small wave goodbye. You ran your hand along your eyes, quickly ridding them of the tears that had formed there, then allowed yourself to give a tiny wave goodbye in their direction.

"Here."

Your attention was turned to Lea, who was now holding out his Organization coat to you. You blinked, seeing that he was now clothed in nothing more than a simple white tee-shirt and baggy pants, complete with the black shoes upon his feet.

"Wait, Lea. Without the coat, you could be-"

"Don't worry about me, okay? I'm not gonna succumb to the darkness that easily… it's gonna have to put up a hell of a fight if it wants to drag me down again."

You sighed softly as you unzipped the coat, slipping your arms into the sleeves and then allowing it to simply hang- you didn't bother zipping it back up again, since you figured you wouldn't be wearing it all that long. You heard an elongated sigh pass Lea's lips, and he waved his hand in front of him to summon a corridor for the two of you to traverse through. It seemed to already be taking a toll on him, but he urged you to go through it by gently pushing you forward. He followed suit, and moments later you were engulfed in the darkness of the void you had entered.

=13=

"Ienzo."

The young scientist felt a large hand come to rest upon his shoulder, and he sighed deeply as he put down the papers he had currently been reading over for the umpteenth time. He felt as though there was no time for meaningless conversation- he had already taken Lea's advice and managed to eat a bit, and had also found time to rest a bit in-between his readings of Ansem's notes. However, he felt as though he was finally getting close to a solution to his problem, and that only encouraged him to continue his work.

"Yes? Can't you see that I'm rather busy at the moment?"

"Easy- I just wanted to ask if you happened to know where Lea ran off to. I haven't seen him since he asked me where you were. Dilan and I have already checked the castle grounds, and we cannot find him anywhere."

Ienzo gave a shake of his head, his gaze dropping back down to the papers that were strewn across the desk in front of him. Even if Aeleus was his friend, there was something that was much more important to him right now- he made a mental note to apologize to him later. It was only then that the sound of footsteps fluttered into his ears, but he disregarded it as something unimportant. The footsteps then stopped, and the grip on his shoulder tightened slightly.

"Lea, there you are. What on earth are you doing in that attire? Where is your coat?"

Aeleus's words caught Ienzo's attention slightly, but did not draw his attention away from the notes that were still within his sight. There had to be something that he was missing, and he was hellbent on figuring out what it was.

"Ah, that ol' thing? Don't worry, I still have it. But uh… I had to use it to run a quick errand. Ienzo, maybe you could spare two seconds to look on over here for me?"

Aeleus watched as Lea brought something out from behind him, and his eyes widened when he realized just what it was. Once again, his grip tightened on Ienzo's shoulder, and he attempted to draw him out of his trance from the papers in front of him. The scientist tossed the papers aside with a slight agitation, and began to rub his temples in with his thumb and forefinger.

"What? What in the name of all that is light could be so important that you-"

Ienzo's visible eye widened and he felt his heart lurch within the confines of his chest- had it not been for his free hand that was currently holding on to the side of the table, he most certainly would have ended up on the floor in one way or another. There, standing beside Lea, was the one thing that he had been hellbent on finding ever since he woke up here in Radiant Garden: you.

"I-Impossible… this is some form of trickery… a cruel and heartless joke…"

You couldn't help the smile that formed on your lips as you wandered across the lab, your hands coming to rest upon Ienzo's cheeks. This made him shudder a bit, but it felt as though he was beginning to melt into your very palms- there was nothing more that could be said from him. You were here, and you were real. You suddenly felt his arms wrap around you in a tight embrace, his head burying into the crook of your neck. The made you laugh a bit, but you eagerly returned the embrace- it had been so long since you had seen him, but you still felt the same way towards him that you had in your previous life. And, judging by how he was acting right now, the feelings were more than mutual.

"Ienzo! Ienzo! Have you found the data that I asked fo-"

The all-too-recognizable voice that had come from the connecting hallway suddenly stopped, and you turned your head to see the older man's jaw nearly drop to the floor. He seemed to be trying to find his words, but it was simply an impossible feat for him at the moment. Instead, he decided to make his way into the center of the room and give your side a gentle prod with his forefinger- apparently everyone thought that you being here was nothing more than a cruel joke. Finally, the blonde scientist managed to find his words.

"(Name). I… I simply cannot believe that you're here. How on earth did you manage to find your way to the Gardens?"

You gave a small smile, and at this point, you had the attention of Even, Ienzo, and even Aeleus. They were all wondering the same thing, especially since traveling here should have been near impossible now that they were no longer Nobodies.

"Well… Lea brought me here. He used the Corridors, even though he knew that it was more than dangerous. He… even led me back here without his coat on. He let me use it so that I was sure to get through safely, even though that could have cost him everything."

This information seemed to come as a major surprise, and all attention was suddenly turned to the red-head leaning against the wall on the opposite end of the laboratory. He smiled sheepishly, his hand running through his spiked hair in slight embarrassment.

"I knew that you all probably missed her. Hell, Ienzo was literally wasting away trying to find her, so I thought that I would go ahead and find her for you. It… it's my first step in trying to amend my wrongs. Oh yeah, Ienzo- the people that (Name) was living with when I found her asked me to give you a message. They told me to tell you that you have their blessing."

These words brought a dust of pink to the scientist's cheeks, and he cleared his throat before glancing away in a feeble attempt to hide his rather obvious embarrassment. You gave a quiet laugh at this, and then felt a hand drop down upon your shoulder. You turned your head, seeing none other than the blonde scientist now gazing down at you. You watched as he gave a sigh, his eyes closing slowly before he turned his attention to Lea.

"Well… I suppose this has begun to mend your mistakes, Lea. What you did was reckless, but still courageous nonetheless. Traversing the corridor without a coat is something that few people can withstand, but somehow you did it. I would, however, like to check up on you. I don't need you collapsing or passing out. So, come along."

Lea followed Even's orders with no hesitation. At least he wasn't upset at him like he had been the past three weeks, and that was proof that what he had done was already beginning to make proper mends. After the two had left, Aeleus soon followed, believing that both you and Ienzo needed some time alone now that the two of you were finally reunited. Soon, the room was vacant of all but you and the person you cared about most.

"I still find it difficult to believe that you're really here, (Name). I've spent so many hours trying to find a way to reach you. I planned on doing exactly what Lea did, but I'm thankful he stopped me. I truly was in no state of mind to go through the corridors."

You sighed softly, your fingers tenderly running through the long strands of blue hair that dangled over Ienzo's right eye. You knew that there was so much that he wished to know, and that you yourself wished to know, but right now you simply wished to enjoy his company. Even if that meant sitting in silence, you just wished to be within his presence.

=13=

Since the night was still young, Ienzo had decided to take you outside of the castle and to a place with a much better view. Granted, you couldn't go very far since the risk of running into Heartless was far too great, but that wasn't something that mattered much to you right now. He took you just outside the castle to the postern, where the two of you sat on the railing to look out at the stars. It was still freezing outside, since apparently the seasons of Radiant Garden and Traverse Town happened to be the same at the moment, but Ienzo remedied this by gently draping his lab coat over your shoulders.

"So… who were these people that Lea mentioned earlier, hm? The ones who gave me their blessing?"

"O-oh! Well, believe it or not, I was in Traverse Town for over a year. When I first arrived there, I had no idea where I was, and my memory was shot. So… I found my way into a café there, and that's when I met Carl and Ellie. They were the most adorable elderly couple I have ever seen in my life, and honestly… they were like my parents in a way. I don't remember anything about my real parents, so they were the closest thing I could get. I spent nearly all of my time with them, and I told them all about the memories that I had of the Organization, and about you. You were… the only person who I remembered right from the very beginning."

After listening to your long explanation, Ienzo sighed softly and placed his hand gently over your own. Your skin was cold because of the air, but it felt nice to have some heat between the two of you.

"You were there for over a year? Myself and the others only awoke three weeks ago. I truly had no idea you were stranded there for such a long period of time, (Name). But, I'm truly glad that you found people like them whilst you were there."

There was a moment of silence between the two of you, and then it was broke by the sound of Ienzo clearing his throat.

"(Name)… I'd like to impose a question unto you."

You blinked, turning your head so that you could look up at him. Even in the darkness, you could make out the slight tint of pink that had once again returned to his cheeks. But, then again, it could have just been a side effect of the cold. You were rather unsure. Once Ienzo knew that he had your attention, he gulped and gathered the courage to speak his next words.

"I know that I am… inexperienced in many fields of intimacy. And I know that I have much to learn about love, but I feel as though I could spend the rest of eternity by your side. I wish to experience everything with you, (Name). I wish to learn about love and everything that comes with it by your side, and your side alone. Whatever comes of our future is unknown, but that is what makes it so exciting."

Ienzo's words brought both a blush to your cheeks and a smile to your lips. He was so adorably innocent that it was rather hard not to say anything about it. But, that was certainly an offer that you couldn't refuse. After everything that you two had been together within the Organization, there was no reason why you would ever want to reject such an offer from the man. With a nod of your head, you leaned up and tenderly pressed your lips against his own, which sent a warm feeling all throughout your body. Upon moving away from him, you scooted a bit closer to him, gently resting your head upon his arm as you gazed out to look upon the stars in the night sky.

You heard what sounded like a piece of paper drop to the ground, and you blinked as you began to look around. Ienzo took notice of this, and then noticed a small, folded piece of paper resting within the small blanket of snow that covered the ground. He reached down and picked it up, holding it out to you for you to take.

"Where did this come from?"

You mumbled these words to yourself softly as you took the piece of paper from his fingers, your own digits working as best they could within the cold to unfold the paper. However, once you finally managed to complete this task, you immediately felt tears well up in your eyes. Within your hands was a small photo, one of a smiling Carl and Ellie. You couldn't help but smile, your free hand being drawn up over your mouth for a moment before rubbing away the stray tears that were running along your chilled skin.

"L-look, Ienzo… this is who I was talking about. Ellie must have put this in my pocket before I left…"

You leaned over, showing the blue-haired man the photo you held within your fingers. He looked over it for a moment, and then pressed his finger lightly against the bottom right corner of the paper. With a small smile upon his lips, he began to read the cursive writing that had been lovingly scrawled upon the corner of the photograph.

"Thanks for the adventure – now go have a new one!"

~Fin~

Author's Note (1): The elderly couple presented all throughout this chapter is none other than the adorable Ellie and Carl from the movie Up.

Author's Note (2): Corridors of Darkness, often seen being used by the Nobodies of Organization XIII, are very dangerous to people using them. The coats worn by Organization XIII were to protect them from being corrupted by darkness as they passed through these corridors. Any normal person, such as Lea in this case, is at great risk of being corrupted by darkness by traversing through them without a coat to protect them from the darkness.

Author's Note (3): I am a huge sucker for Up. It my all-time favorite Disney/Pixar movie aside from Treasure Planet, and I felt like I needed to include Ellie's signature line in here somewhere. Where better than the final line of the story?

Author's Note (4): The Nobodies are now addressed by their former, human names. Aeleus is Lexaeus, Even is Vexen, Ienzo is Zexion, and Lea is Axel.

Author's Note (5): To all of those who have supported this story and made it to the end, thank you. Truly- it means a great deal to me whenever people both read and enjoy my work, and it brings light into my life. I am so glad to be a part of the writing world, and the happiness my works bring people provide me with more joy than I can express. Again, thank you all so much for bearing with me on this adventure, and as Ellie says, "now go have a new one!"