Left Foot Over The Right

by captainbobbin

Summary:

It's been ten years since Isa could feel anything, and now he’s feeling everything all at once.

It's been ten years since Terra knew who he was, and now he's starting to figure it out.

Chapter 1: Repentance

The first two months were nonexistent.

As in, he slept, deeply and unending, until he found himself back where it all began.

Isa realized very quickly that never wanted to look at Radiant Garden again. He didn’t have it in him to linger, didn’t have the strength yet to see his old home rebuilt from rubble. Yet. Maybe someday, but it would be no day soon. He had enough on his mind - or perhaps, he didn’t.

It had taken Lea and the kids well over a month to track down his heartless and eradicate it, Even had said, and then his completion took a while, too. The first time had taken a while also - what must have been days unconscious, only to reawaken as a Nobody once more, an echo of Xehanort’s heart in the place where his own should have been. It was a relief this time to wake up and feel a heartbeat after ten long years of its absence. 

Emotions made Isa want to do terrible things. Wondrous, horrible, ridiculous things. The first few days had left him in an awful state in the lab; he was infinitely disgusted at himself, wrathful for all he had endured, devastated at what he had let himself become, and relieved at finally being free of it all. That and thankful; thankful that all that hardship was over, that all that pain and suffering was worth it, thankful that Ienzo and Even were willing - after everything - to get him on his feet, take care of him and feed him in those ongoing months. They had every right to cast his sleeping body aside in some ditch someplace, so it was good of them to keep an eye on him and his injuries.

Xion had broken three of his ribs in that final fight, and the damage had carried over into his new body, made worse by the fact that the moon around Radiant Garden was just out of his reach. His powers were weak here, and the pain was not ignorable. He had broken those same ribs before, a long time ago, and they had always been the weakest part of his body. His right arm had a tremor that seemed to spiral down his shoulder and into the tips of his fingers, and Even had given an immensely sympathetic look as he explained that it was nerve damage most likely taken from the heated blades of Lea's chakrams. He was useless for the entire month after waking up. His body was tired. 

Four months of nothing. A month of being in nonexistence, then two of just sleeping, and then one of recovery. Four months of just endless, endless nothing, of dreamless sleep and staying in bed and relearning what it meant to be a person.

Isa had forgotten what joy was like. But that first month of wakefulness was very close to it. He was complete. The purpose of his nonexistent life fulfilled, finally. 

It had been so long since he was a human, and sometimes he was positive that the trembling in his hands was his own heart trying to escape rather than the damage. He was a man with emotions now, and he kept them close inside, unwanting to let them stray too far - fearful, almost, that if he expressed too much at once that perhaps everything would be taken away again.

“How are you feeling?” Ienzo’s head appeared around the door, and the former Berserker hadn’t even sat up yet.

“Yes.” Was Isa’s blunt response, turning his head to look at the younger man, labcoat and all. The lad was trying hard to appear professional - and he was doing a good job, truth be told. Clipboard in hand, notes ready to be taken, he had even started pinning that ridiculous mop of hair out of his eyes now and then. As he watched Ienzo approach, something in Isa’s shoulder pinched - the kids had got him good, and it was a pain that he welcomed. He deserved it after everything he had done to them, and each twinge and ache and jolt on his nerves brought a wave of relief and something warm in the back of his brain. He was alive at last. “I am - feeling. I am still unused to it.”

“I mean your side,” Ienzo's lips - or at least, what Isa could see of them - quirked upwards, and he lowered himself to sit on the edge of his patient’s bed. Such things would never have happened in the Organization; the man Isa used to be did not sleep, not one night in those ten years, and his bubble of personal space had eclipsed every room he entered. “I was hoping to get another x-ray today, and if the news is good you can start to wander around without assistance.”

“That would be nice,” Isa inched himself upwards, putting his weight on his stronger arm. The cuts, bruises, burns and other superficial damage from his end had faded over his time sleeping, but some scars would carry. Not that it would matter - he would be happy to never wield Lunatic again, and he would be ecstatic to never venture anywhere close to Berserk again. Too little control - too much emptiness that came with them. Isa would not be the fighter that Saïx had been. “How... is everyone?”

He spoke hesitantly - things were... tenuous. At least in his view - he had been the one behind both Vexen and Zexion's demise, using Axel as his hands, and although the two of them seemed to be outwardly positive and acting as if Isa were the same as anyone else, the blue-haired man still couldn’t help but be on edge; he was weakened and new and raw and at their mercy. He would be unable to hold anything against them if they used that against him. Then there was Lea himself, and Roxas, and Xion. He was not sure how much they all knew, and he was not sure how much he would tell them. It was because of him that both Xion and Roxas were alive and back, but how could he even tell them after everything he had done to them, after all the times he had degraded and abused and snarled at them back then. No - he did not deserve to come back again and he did not deserve forgiveness. But it would be nice to know how they were.

Ienzo didn’t look up from his clipboard. “Even told them everything.”

“I’m going to murder him.” Isa’s voice was as stone-cold as a glacier, and he meant not a word.

Ienzo let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. “What, don’t want your good deeds being known, Sa-” He caught himself quickly. “Ah, sorry. Isa.”

“Thank you,” He muttered, looking away. New name. New person. Old memories. Old scars. Old debts to pay. “And, no. I’m... not sure. I half believe that going forward and still being known as a cruel and heartless bastard is still a potential way of living.”

Living - stars above, what a blessing.

His answer had earned him a slight snort. Something in Isa’s blood ran a little colder - a man he had had murdered was laughing at him. A spasm ran into his hands, but Ienzo did not even look at him as he continued. “Even told me everything as well, you know. It’s a little hard to believe it all. I never really took you for the caring type.”

Isa felt strange. It was hard to explain. Sat up in a bed - a thing he had not used for over half of his life - in borrowed clothes, waiting for his body to heal, having the flickering ashes of emotion start to ignite for the first time ever. It was as if an immense pressure had gone from him - all of the bitterness, the rage, the jealousy, it had trickled away like running water as he had woken up. Part of him wondered if, for all these years, that those 'emotions' were Xehanort's bitter influence polluting him from within. He supposed that when you are purposefully hollow and devoid of any emotion at all that even the smallest, faintest spark of feeling, fake or not, yours or not, would cast enormous shadows on the soul. But there he was. A reformed man to the very core. He had been a literal heartless destruction machine for almost as long as he could remember, and then after the briefest taste of humanity he had fought tooth and nail to begin putting things into place. Remembering Xion and bringing her back. Ensuring that Roxas would return to Lea and be able to be himself again. Bringing Even back and the other vessels into fruition. He had not wanted the others to know, because it would show his guilt, his desperation for repentance, his… care.

He had had his life taken from him as a child and he had become warped and destructive, mindless, a monster. He did not want any more lives to be like his. Xion and Roxas deserved better. They deserved a childhood. They deserved a life, and parents, they deserved schooling and comfortable homes and friends and structure. He had been cruel to them because he was so intensely jealous of everything they were and everything they had - Lea's attention, a future, hope. There was no more time in his Nobody life to be so envious anymore - and he had channelled that unending jealousy and darkness into treachery to ensure that they would have what he never could. Because he cared.

In the time that Xion had become a member of the new Organization, when she was brought back because of him, because of his ideas and his memory of her, his discoveries of Vexen's work, the others had left him in charge of her. It pained him now - she was empty, a hollow puppet; the thing he used to think her to be, back then. Barely able to speak, blank, empty, faceless. He was the one to watch over her in the short weeks up until their final battle. He was the one she had leached off of in that time - mimicking his powers, copying his abilities, following his guidance, keeping close. He kept her as his shadow in that time, as far away from Xemnas and his influence as possible. He needed her to reach home unscathed, and he was almost - happy - in his Nobody state to be almost... protective of her. He and Vexen and Xemnas had been the ones overseeing her original creation, and so he and Even bringing her back and keeping her safe seemed only right. Saïx was a beast driven mad by inaction and deception. Isa wanted to use what remained of his strength and ability now to protect. 

The kids deserved protection. They deserved to be kids. 

 

“...They deserved better.”

 

It was quiet, and Ienzo looked over at him. Isa did not meet his eyes, did not see the surprise on the young scientist's face.

“...I was... crucial in the destruction of their lives. And I wanted to undo that. They were children, Ienzo - just like we had been. I should have been... nicer.” It was a weak word to end on, but there was nothing else for it. The person he used to be tried to destroy them both. The person he used to be cared only for his own gain and to take control, to snarl and bite and snap at anything new and intrusive. Saïx had been a nasty piece of work. Isa did not have to be.

“I do believe that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say anything nice whatsoever.”

He met Ienzo's teasing look then, and Isa was not sure whether he smiled or just bared his teeth in a muscle-memory threat. Ienzo had always known how to push the buttons he kept hidden away.

“Shut up, Ienzo.”

A soft laugh, melodic and ridiculous, and Isa’s hard exterior withered. He had never seen eye-to-eye with Ienzo, but bygones could most certainly be bygones. A fresh start, anew and different, for everyone. 

It was sluggish but he stood, the muscles along his ribcage protesting as he inched himself to stand.

“Nhg,... I suppose I’ll just have to surprise you. You and everyone else, now that they all know.”

“No use keeping secrets anymore, Isa. It’s a brand new world out there.”

“Yes,” It was breathless, Isa drawing himself to his full height. His body protested, but he ignored it. Pain was a satisfaction his Nobody thrived on - and he was not that person anymore. “I suppose it’s about time I go and face it.”

---

“It is good to see you awake,” Ansem The Wise had barely changed, and Isa was unsure how to feel about the man. It was because of his carelessness that so many destructive forces came into play, that their friend had been lost, that their world had been destroyed - but Even had vouched for him, so…. “Two months asleep - that is perhaps the record, save for Naminé. You must have needed the rest, young man.”

“Master Ansem,” Isa gave a slight nod - he did not want to call any living man - or Nobody - ‘Master’ ever again, but it slipped out before he could stop it, and Isa was a scolded sixteen year old once again. At least he didn't bow this time. He didn't trust anyone with a view of his back. It had been a long time since he had stood across from Ansem's desk, and Isa was not sure of how to act. Respectfully, he supposed. “Thank you for your patience. As you can see I can stand and walk now, albeit slowly, so I shall be out of your hair soon enough.”

“And where will you go?”

The scientists - the apprentices, his old colleagues, the people he had overseen and planned to murder - they had taken care of him well and they had connections with outside forces that had given him clothes. They were comfortable, at least, and Isa pulled at the sleeve of his new jacket a little. He had always liked his sleeves a little too long and his collar a little too high. Helps hide things. He'd lost some weight since Saïx's death - several months of atrophy and laying catatonic would do that, he supposed. Not much of his muscle mass had gone, but he felt weaker, somehow skinnier and still hollow. His new clothes were not comfortably baggy but instead awkwardly baggy. 

“I suppose I shall wait to see if Lea will return. I have no plans beyond that.”

He had no purpose, no goal in mind. It was both terrifying and liberating. 

“You could always stay, you know. Even and Ienzo and the others - they sing your praises over your work and dedication during the absent times,” An eloquent way for the man to say that Saïx had been a tyrannical ballbuster while none of them had hearts, but Isa said nothing. “Should you wish to work in the world of research, aid us in the replica program more, I am certain that arrangements could be made. You are familiar with it all already. You could stay here.”

A glimmer of purpose, and Isa looked away. It didn’t feel right, intruding upon the lives he had helped to end. It didn’t feel right staying in Radiant Garden. It didn’t feel right being at Ansem's beck and call.

“I shall... consider it.” Isa lied, already breaking the promise to himself to be an honest, good person. “Thank you.”

---

Ienzo handed him a Gummi Phone before he left the castle for the first time, already loaded with some numbers - his own, Riku, Lea, and others. Just in case. Even had given him enough pocket change to buy in a round of ice cream, and Isa could do that - he just wanted to be outside long enough to stretch his legs and get some fresh air.

Not quite a life purpose, but sometimes short-term goals are good too. It was enough to walk down a few streets, have a minor social interaction and then return. It was only once Isa got outside that he realized that he had not interacted with another non-Organization member or a hero of light in…. Stars. A decade. 

Being a human again was odd. There were subtle joys to be found in watching people walk by, in feeling sunlight on his skin, in being a face in a crowd that wasn’t made of black coats. Something in him ached, however, in seeing the dilapidated streets and destroyed districts of the place. A lot had been repaired, it seemed, but there was still much to be done and a good portion of the town was still just gone.

He could not remember which street he used to live on. He could not remember which house was his, or where Lea had lived, or which paths he used to take when exploring. 

He bought a sea-salt ice cream for each member of the research team and did not get one for himself.

---

“Isa?”

Even's voice, nasal as it was, was loud beyond the door to his room. Isa had just been starting to drift into a nap - by the moon, when had a thing such as that ever happened? - and the sound jolted him back to the waking world.

“Mm?”

“You have guests. May I let them in?”

Isa started to sit up - damn his shoulder, he had laid on it awkwardly and now it didn’t want to bend in the correct way - and the ache of it made his voice come out as half an accidental snarl. “Nng, yes, come in.”

The door opened in his peripheral vision and the shock of red hair was not a surprise. The two other little faces peering around it though, was.

“Nh-” Isa’s arm nearly gave out in his surprise, and he internally cursed at how he must have looked - messy hair, half laid out, weak arm vibrating with the now-familiar tremor. “Roxas, Xion.”

 

Isa remembered everything. Everything his Nobody had done. Both in Xemnas' Organization and then in Xehanort's; he remembered in vivid yet clinical detail the things he had said, the venom in his voice, the ways in which he had manipulated and warped and misled these children, turned their little lives inside out for his own selfish gain and twisted almost-amusement.

And he remembered Saïx, punching upwards, sinking into the shadows in order to lift these children back to where they ought to be, he remembered working with Even, and Demyx, and biting the hand that fed him, and standing before the faceless puppet with Xion's heart inside as her own personal bodyguard and shield against those who wished to do her harm. Who wanted to use her. Isa remembered, and he remembered Saïx holding her as she screamed in psuedo-Berserk's clutches, and he remembered looking up at them as death started to come for him but being unable to look at anything other than Lea and the empty sky above as his body finally gave out, their teary faces too much to bear even for a heartless man, and he remembered him giving her something to remember him by, something assuredly broken trampled and lost in that old dead world, never to be found again.

He had been a monster to these children. And now, here they were, at what should be his deathbed but instead was his cot as he was reborn. His winners, here to see him breathe again. Roxas, and Xion.

 

“And me,” Lea beamed, hands in his pocket as he approached. “What, did coming back make you forget me? I’m hurt, man.”

“Like I could forget,” Seemed that cradling the top of his arm with his opposite hand stabilized the shaking enough to let him sit up. He felt - stars above, shaken, truly. They were here? He had anticipated Lea but, the children too...? “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Pffft - jeez, Ice, you really were out of it!” Lea half-laughed, and Isa shot him a look of subtle confusion.

Xion's soft voice piped up, her hands gently clasped together. “We visited you every other day while you were asleep. We thought - maybe talking to you might help you wake up sooner. We were all worried about you, you know.”

He could not recognize the emotion that surged down into his stomach. It was awful and it was wonderful.

“You.... You visited me?” The tremor was back, supporting hand be damned. “I did not expect such a thing, I thought….”

“What, that we’d just leave you after everything?” Roxas spoke up, arms crossed. The almost-permanent scowl was there, albeit somewhat softer looking than usual. “Figured we owed you a chance at least, right?”

Isa was not sure if he liked the churn of his stomach - he felt infinitely vulnerable, noticed, seen. He could not make eye contact with any of them. Unworthy. 

Lea leaned against the wall opposite - the room they had loaned to Isa while treating his injuries was small, but there was enough space for each of them to stand comfortably without being on top of one another - despite Roxas and Xion, who seemed to be attached at the shoulder, leaning against one another. “Yeah man, we were worried about you. After last time - didn’t want you up and vanishing on us again.”

He wanted to apologize for it, and Isa bit his tongue. Ah - seemed the lasting effects of Berserk had stayed with him during his reformation; his teeth were still barbed-wire sharp.

“That and Xion wanted to say something to you, ‘specially.” Lea continued, and Isa looked up at him. All at once, he felt tired again - as if two months of continuous sleep were not enough. Well, he had ten years to catch up on, he supposed. He looked up at Xion, and that lingering feeling of being small, being visible, continued even in the presence of what would appear to be a young, harmless girl. Isa knew better.

“Yeah,”  She said softly, also unable to make eye contact for a moment. 

She seemed to be planning on how to say the right thing, and Isa tilted his head slightly before catching himself. He had never been one to do that before. He found that his facial expression had altered with the motion; concern. Since when had he been a man to show concern? Since he had become a man again, he supposed, and found himself unsure of the expression. He was concerned over Xion. He was concerned about what she would have to say to him - she could say anything to tear him down, to scrutinize him, to cripple him over his previous actions of hatred and dismissal, she could say anything - 

“I wanted to thank you. For everything,” She looked up at him then and drew in a big breath. “I know that this time, I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t me again until Lea and Roxas came and - well…. I know that I was just... a puppet again. But now, I remember.”

 

Saïx had not been allowed to venture far from Xemnas’s hold; wherever Saïx was, one of Xehanort’s... one of Xehanort had always been there to keep a close eye on him. It was a miracle that he had been able to slip away to see Lea the night before the battle. But Saïx was kept under a very close eye, the leash tight and biting at his throat, and so he had had to keep his hand close to his chest, as Luxord would say. He had to be very cautious of how he spoke to Xion, how he influenced her, how he got her prepared for battle. And Saïx could be especially cunning when he wanted to be. When he was able to train with her he was cautious, starting with the basics of using a claymore before venturing closer to the way he moved, the way he fought and, unfortunately, Berserk. He did not want her using Berserk, but times were dire. His first exposure to Berserk was forced upon him, it was agony and each time it built it still hurt. He did not like the idea of doing to her what Xemnas had done to him, all those years ago. In the short time Saïx had been in charge of Xion, he did everything he could to keep her away from the others - away from Young Xehanort, from Vanitas, from the Riku Replica, from anyone who would have the ability to influence her and potentially swaddle her in their darkness. Saïx had been... protective. Subtle and sneaky and still cold, but protective nonetheless. He had assumed that Xion would remember none of it, but Saïx had been wrong about many things before.

 

“You made sure that I was okay.... You tried to help me remember things, and you helped me get ready before the fight. I don’t remember all of it, but... you were at my side the whole time, right? Wherever I was made to go during that time you were there in front of me. Keeping me safe. Making sure using your powers wouldn’t hurt me. So I wanted to say thank you. I know you used to... be unhappy with me and Roxas being around but you looked out for me when you didn’t have to.”

“Even... told us a bunch of stuff, too,” Roxas spoke carefully, not looking at the older man. The catalyst of his life. “About you and him working on the replicas, about you and him being the reason that me and Xion are even back in the first place. Naminé too, it's cus of you that we’re even here and that we could help Sora defeat Xemnas and Xehanort. Without you - I guess I don’t know what would have happened. It's cus of you that Xion was ever made. We really owe you for that.”

“That’s Roxas’ way of saying ‘thank you’ too, you know.” Lea shot a snarky grin at the blonde, and Roxas let out something like a bashful laugh.

“Hah, yeah, I guess. Thanks, S-... Isa.”

“Thank you,” Xion repeated, eyes soft and voice gentle. “Isa.”

 

Lea was going to tease him relentlessly. Tears were running down to Isa’s chin in the time it took to blink, immediately pouring from him, and after a second of stunned silence at both the forgiveness and his own instability he buried his face in his (shaking) hands. Overwhelming - it was the only word for it. His pride crumbled to ash as he hunched, teeth gritting as the tears just kept coming. At least he was a silent crier - if he had started sobbing then there would truly be no going back to the proud creature he once was.

 

“...You need to leave,” He choked out. “I’m - not accustomed to - this.”

Lea gave a soft, sympathetic chuckle from beyond his hands and it did not help Isa to stop crying - stars, how pathetic, but he couldn’t stop, it just kept coming, wet spilling between his fingers. “Oh, man, I’m sorry. Are you okay, Isa?” A weight came and sat by him on the bed but didn’t make physical contact. Lea was not the best when it came to boundaries, but he knew Isa far too well and for far too long.

“I’m sorry-” Spilt out of Isa before he could stop it. “I’m so sorry, fff- stars, I-” He scrubbed at his eyes with the heel of his palm - it made his scar ache, a familiar and dull throb deep inside his skull. So much for keeping his newfound feelings close to his chest. “I did such terrible things. I ruined... everything. I want - I want to make things right, I... I was awful. To all of you. I’m sorry. I'm so sorry. Forgive me.”

“It’s okay, Isa,” Xion gave a soft frown, coming closer. She knelt by the bed, at an angle by his knees. Close enough to not be too close. Looking up at him. “You made everything right already - we’re here because of you. It’s okay.”

He blinked through the tears, jaw clenched, shoulders tight. “It’s not-” It was nearly a snarl, and he bit it back with a rough swallow. No, that wasn’t him anymore. “It is not okay. It is not enough. I am sorry. Please - believe me. I am so, so sorry. Forgive me. And I… I will keep trying. I am going to be better. I will be better. I will do everything I can to make things right again.”

“...Come on, man,” Roxas sounded uncomfortable, taking in a slow breath at the display. “It’s not like you to be….”

“Emotional?” Isa could have laughed - what a treat, when was the last time that had happened? - and looked up at the boy. Everything was blurred through his tears, but somehow, he found himself smiling. He could feel everything. He was devastatingly happy and equally torn open - and even as more tears fell he found himself letting out a slight chuckle. His ribs hurt immensely, the beating of his erratic, panicking heart sending pulses of sensation up his ruined side. “It’s certainly new, isn’t it. Hah....”

Xion gave him a slight smile, and Lea started to lean on his good shoulder. Isa could only rub away the tears more, but it did not do him much good. They kept coming, and the edge of his cheeks felt soft and tender. The jagged edge of his scar tingled unpleasantly with all the motion of his face - it had always ached, always been an awkward weight in his skin, but now it was no longer ignorable, the steel mask of indifference crumbling away. A worn-down tiredness prickled at the back of his eyes and his chest felt somehow both tight and fluttery.

 

“Stars... look at me. You would almost think I have a heart again.”

 

“...How are you feeling, Isa?” Lea's arm slid up the length of his back and seated itself on his other shoulder, keeping him stable. His voice belied a soft excitement, the slightest urgency and sparkle of fond happiness there - things were about to be good once more. Lea's friends were finally complete and all united again. 

“...I am, most certainly, feeling.” Isa smiled, snuffling slightly. He shook his head, trying to regain his composure. “Thank you. For visiting. And for checking in, and - all of it. I know that I did... unspeakable things but I promise. I swear, to all of you. I am not the person that I used to be. My heart is my own once more, and... I shall never be that person again. And I shall prove my worth to all of you, every day. I shall ensure it that you won’t regret bringing me back again. I will be better than I ever was.”

“You can just say we’re friends,” Xion’s hand came to his knee, smiling and just edging on playful. “You don’t have to do all that, Isa. You can just say we’re friends.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t go that far,” Roxas teased, smile wide and almost predatory. Isa matched it with his own. He could feel his sharpened canines against his lip - another new sensation, having not grinned like that in years. “I’d say like, work colleagues at best.”

“Roxas!” Xion scolded, but her smile didn’t falter. 

Isa shook his head and rubbed at his eyes one more time, ignoring the ache that radiated from his scar and lingered. Emotions were certainly messy business, and he had missed them deeply. 

---

“...Did you really visit me every other day?”

 

The conversation had grown gentle and lighthearted - talk of the other Keyblade wielders and their whereabouts, of plans for everyone to get together once able, of the reconstruction of Radiant Garden and the strangeness that their temporary serenity had brought. Life could also be gentle and lighthearted now - at least, they all hoped so.

Isa had pushed himself to sit against the headboard of his borrowed bed, weight resting on his better shoulder. It didn’t take long for the others to get comfortable - Lea lounging over Isa's extended legs, Xion sat atop the covers with them, Roxas leaning heavily on the mattress while sat on the floor. Isa made a note of all of them - Roxas was having the hardest time reconciling, which was more than to be expected. Saïx had been a manipulative and downright bastardly piece of work towards the poor child, but the blonde seemed to be more than willing to try and be civil and friendly. Perhaps for Lea and Xion's sake more than anything but it was still very much appreciated. Lea just seemed content - the cat who had gotten the cream, eager to extend as much physical contact as possible, as if any one of them could vanish into smoke if he didn't keep a hand or a part of his side against them. Xion was close by Isa's side, sat happily on his right - his weaker side. Perhaps it was a habit formed in that turbulent time when she couldn’t remember herself; he had told her to stay close by him, always, and she had never strayed far out of his elbow room. 

For all the cruel things he had said to her, all the nasty little names and scathing remarks he had said to her when she first became part of the Organization, she appeared to be the most willing to reconcile. It was almost as if she almost considered him a friend already, and Isa could not entirely get his head around it yet.

“Well yeah, Ice, we didn’t want you to just up and vanish, like I said.” Lea picked at the frayed edge of his thumbnail, not looking at his friend. “Last time you were just gone, and I mean - couldn’t have that happen again.”

“Third times the charm,” Isa noted, scootching up a little - as much as he could with Lea half on him and Xion almost leaning on him. “You could have just been rid of me, you know. I bet Roxas must have been foaming at the bit to do me in while I was out and unable to fight back.”

“I thought about it,” Roxas’ deadpan voice would have sounded harsh to anyone else, but Isa knew that tone - it was a joke, and the former Berserker gave a slight snort at its bluntness. “But there’d be no fun in that, you know. I’ve beaten you twice now, and you were awake for both. If we go another round sometime then I wanna make sure it’s fair and you’re top of your game again.” He peered up over the edge of the bed, something sharp and devious in his blue eyes.

“Third times the charm,” Isa repeated, and internally he realized that his face felt both soft and sharp - a smile, but a playful one, a teasing one, a nice one. It was nice to be bantering with the boy, and it was nice to have been beaten. “That’s if I ever fight again. I dare say the three of you may have knocked the urge to ever fight again out of me.”

He laid back a little as he said it, pulling a pillow behind his head. It was true - Lunatic and all of his abilities had been thrust upon him and it had taken years to adapt and control them. He had never asked for it, any of it, and the thought of a life without such things was more than appealing. No more internal brawls against the ravenous hunger for blood, no more scratching, debilitating urge to destroy everything in sight, no more mindless violence barely contained by steely restraint. No more hurting anyone. No more hurting himself. Hopefully.

“What, really?” Lea glanced over. 

“Really. I’ve spent more than enough time as a tool of violence. I think I’ve had my fill of it.”

“You’re just sore because I’m a better Berserker than you.” Xion beamed, her voice identical to Roxas’ teasing tone. Something odd fluttered near Isa's ribs - affection, maybe. He felt something towards Xion as he did towards Lea, back when they were kids. The urge to protect, the urge to nurture, the urge to keep an eye on them.

“I can’t argue with that. The extensive damage to my arm and side says that you well and truly took me out. I bet it was satisfying.”

He would be satisfied if he were in their shoes. If he had been the one to do such damage to, say, his former Superior… it would have parted some very heavy clouds around his heart indeed. 

“It was sad,” Xion said quietly, her lips doing a thing. Pouting, maybe, Isa guessed. A sad little frown that looked deeply concerned. “We didn’t want to hurt you but we had to. And,... It’s a shame that you couldn’t... stay around, for the fights after. Master Xehanort was tough to get to, we could have used you on our side.”

“I’m not so sure,” Lea frowned, leaning back moreso on Isa’s legs, and Isa adjusted them so that a knee wasn’t centred on the lean man’s bony back. Becoming a Keyblade Wielder had not aided in Lea gaining any bulk or padding. “Kingdom Hearts got all messed up and corrupt. I dunno what would have happened.”

“Good call. It was already playing havoc with my powers, being so close to the real thing.” Being in The World That Never Was for so long had addled his powers. For the first few years, there was no moon, and so his abilities were wildly fluctuating and slippery to grasp and understand. And then Xemnas’ mock Kingdom Hearts started to form, and it was something different, something new. It had given Saïx fuel but it was hard to comprehend and only ever grew stronger and richer as time went on and more hearts were sunken into the thing. It was power and it exhilarated him, but it wasn’t pure, it wasn’t true moonlight. And then in that wasteland, under the heavy pressure of the real Kingdom Hearts, it was entirely amplified - Berserk had reached new depths and put additional strain on his body, left him blind to anything but his borrowed rage. It was overwhelming and destructive and the longer he was there the less control he had. It would be good to see a real moon again sometime, to find a world with a moon close by that didn’t make the Berserk build so sharply and make his scar burn. A comfortable median was needed. He could sense a moon there, in Radiant Garden, but it was too far away to really draw any energy from. Not that it mattered - Isa had no plans to stay there. “It would be nice to find a world with a moon that won’t damage me. Someplace balanced.”

“You don’t wanna stay here?” Roxas peered up at him. “You guys grew up here, right? Thought maybe you’d wanna hang around.”

“Absolutely not.” Isa kept his voice low, the urge to keep his feelings close to his chest actually working as he kept them under control. No. Radiant Garden was the last place he wanted to be. He had died here - twice. It was a ruin that left a tender bruise inside his heart somewhere unreachable. It was difficult enough being in the Castle to heal - three rooms away from the place Xehanort had ripped his heart out - twice. Let alone the fact that he had allowed such darkness to spread here, had commanded heartless to swarm and consume the ruins and lay waste to what little surviving structure there had been. Life began anew but scars were plenty - not just of flesh and psyche but of the land itself. The sooner he could get away from the world, the better. He could not bear to be here, he could not stomach the concept of living here whilst it was still half-ruined, his inadequacy and platitude on display. It was because of him failing to stop Xehanort that had caused this place to fall, and he had returned here since and had simply toyed with Sora and been a ghost in the canyons of his graveyard hometown. It disturbed him now, in his heart he could feel it, distinguishable and while fresh it was not entirely new; repulsion. Isa was disgusted, with himself more than anything else imaginable, and had nowhere to put that feeling.

“There’s always Twilight Town,” Xion broke him out of his thoughts. “That place is balanced, right? Its not day or dark. I don’t know about the moon there, but it’ll still be a nice place to go and relax sometime.”

“You three always snuck off there after your missions, I recall.” Isa raised an eyebrow at them and Roxas glanced away quickly. 

Xion looked surprised. “How did you know that?”

“Sharp ears,” Isa felt the corner of his mouth curl upwards. “The three of you were not exactly subtle about your plans, I overheard you talking about your little ice cream breaks more than once.”

“Not so sharp anymore though, huh?” Lea grinned at him, and Isa looked at him blankly for a second before Lea indicated to his own ears. “Physically, I mean.”

Isa mimicked him, his left hand coming up to touch the tips of his own ears - oh. They were indeed no longer pointed. Xehanort well and truly had been taken from his body, and Isa let out a sharp breath in both surprise and relief. He had changed. He had... been that way for so long. And now he just. Wasn't.

"Oh." 

Roxas gave a slight chuckle, watching from below. "What, you hadn't noticed that yet? Getting your heart back has made you all different. You didn't know 'til just now?" 

"I haven't looked in the mirror yet." Isa wasn't sure if he wanted to, either. He had never been fond of looking at them and seeing a beast glare back. 

"Your eyes are different too," Xion smiled, tilting her head to look at them, and Isa looked away, undeserving. Old habits, too. Eye-contact was beyond hard to receive and only easy to be given in threat. He did not want to threaten anyone ever again. "I don't feel as frightened now when you look at me. When you do look at me. I'm not going to bite, you know."

"You have every right to," He gave a little shrug in return, not meeting her inquisitive and playful look at all. It was a simple statement but it left a barb in Isa’s chest - he had frightened her. "If I were you I would find forgiveness a terribly difficult feat." 

"Yeah, but we're nice." Roxas beamed, teasing yet again, and Xion let out a little laugh. 

"Isa's nice too, Roxas! You just haven't seen it yet. Things are gonna be way better from now on." 

"Very much so," He agreed, a slight twitch running into the ring finger of his weaker hand. "I shall just have to work very hard and be very focused on doing something nice every day. And I am sure that I do not have to remind any of you how focused and determined I can be once I have a job to do." 

"Oough, yeah, don't remind me of how strict you can be, bud. You're a new guy, let's not, uh, go back to what you used to be like." 

“I suppose you’ll just have to keep being nice, then.” He playfully nudged Lea with his foot and it earned him a slight laugh. “Though I suppose now I can actually sleep and function and be a person - I suppose that would make anyone a little kinder. Given a little time I may be as nice as you three.”

"Even contacted us when you were awake, by the way. As soon as you were up - we thought it best to give you some time to actually wake up and, you know, heal. Figured you wouldn't want us under your feet." Xion’s voice was gentle, and Isa felt more regret at his old actions. She did not deserve cruelty and he did not deserve her kindness. 

"That and you wouldn't want us seeing you all fragile like this, " Lea teased. "You'd never forgive us if we showed up the minute you woke up while you were still all banged up and exhausted." 

"Or if you wanted to see us at all," Roxas added. "We did kind of kill you, after all." 

"Easy recompense for all I did to you. As I said - I'm sure it was cathartic. I shan't hold my death against you if you don't." Isa’s smile came easy, and that was nice. “It gave me my heart back, after all. I should thank you all for it.”

“Are you going to?” Lea teased.

“No.” Isa teased back, and the weight on his shoulders felt infinitely lighter. 

---

He must have been about to drift off again - a decade without rest and with a power source hovering over his head would do that, he supposed. The last few days he had had strange dreams that he had forgotten by the time he was fully awake, but perhaps it was just a part of being recompleted. He may have been relaxed and drifting but Isa was still aware of all that was going on around him. Of Xion and Roxas joking quietly, of Lea’s phone making soft sounds as he played with it, of the quiet beyond that. It had to be nearly nightfall by now, and Isa half-laid half-sat with his eyes closed. His friends would be leaving soon, he guessed, and he felt extraordinarily lonely at the thought. It was a comforting sensation to just be sat and relaxed and have trusting people against him. He had laid one of his hands along that aching side once comfortable, and his fingertips chased the new sensation nearby.

His heartbeat reverberated in his chest. He was still unused to it. The rhythmic thrum that sent a ripple up the tender part of his ribcage, the slow pulse that spiralled down into his hands, the gentle thunder that echoed in the back of his head. A relaxed symphony, slow and winding. He could spend hours there, half-asleep, following its tempo in silence.

“...It’s… like a drum beat.” He said quietly, not opening his eyes, and Roxas stopped talking.

After a few seconds of silence he cracked an eye open, then lightly and repetitively drummed his fingers where they were. A mimicry of the real thing, inches away from his true heart. So strange that such a precious part of a person was just there. 

Lea looked up from his phone and gave a slight smile. “Still not used to it, huh?”

“It’ll take some time,” Roxas added. He too seemed to have relaxed over the course of the evening, his eyes a little brighter and more forgiving, his smile a little less goading. “But it’ll probably still play tricks on you. Hearts do that - it's probably going to take a few months for things to even out. I mean, since Lea got his heart all he’s done is cry like a baby.”

“Have not.”

“Have too.”

“Have too,” Isa added, voice tired. “I didn’t need to be there to know that, you enormous clod. You bawl at the drop of a hat, you always have.”

Lea shot him an offended pout, but it quickly turned into a smile. “Hey, what can I say? This big ol’ heart of mine, it’s just too full! Gotta let it all out some way otherwise I’d go crazy. And I bet that you’ll find similar stuff happening to you now, too.”

“Will not.”

“Already have!” Lea laughed, elbowing at Isa’s legs and the former Berserker playfully kicked back. “You’ve already busted out crying once, I give it like a week before you do it again. Or fly into a rage. Or laugh so hard it hurts.”

“Or all three, all at once.” Xion chimed in, and Roxas laughed.

“That’d be a sight.”

“I don’t think I want to imagine myself in full Berserk form, tears streaming down my face while laughing maniacally. I’d rather live without more nightmares.” A wry grin caught his lips - it was nice to have the others joking and laughing with him and something inside his chest shone brightly; maybe Lea was right, maybe it would not take a lot for his emotions to overflow once more.

“Ugh, yeah. You’re ugly enough as is.” Roxas laughed.

“Brat.” Isa scoffed. At some point they would find a limit to the teasing, but it was only fair to test the waters. Things would calm down, in time.

“Don't be mean, Rox.” Xion pouted down at him. “Or else once Isa is better he’ll kick your butt.”

“And I’ll be crying and laughing and Berserk the whole time.”

“Shut up,” Lea chuckled. “Come on, settle down. It's getting late and we should let Ice sleep while he can. You look like you could do with some shut-eye, bud.”

“I have for the last ten years.” Isa gave a slight smile. “But yes. I think it's time to sleep, before I start dozing off on all of you."

“Sorry we kept you up, man.” Roxas gave a sheepish smile as he stood and stretched. “I forgot how draining coming back to life was.”

“No no, it was good to see you all. I’m glad that we’re on all good terms.”

“For now.” Roxas teased, voice flat but smile evident.

“For now.” Isa mimicked his deadpan delivery.

“Hey, so, Riku just messaged me,” Lea looked up from his phone, changing the tone of the room. “He wants to arrange a day where we can all meet up now that everyone is kind of okay and back together - Sora aside. A day at the beach where we can just. Hang out, eat garbage food, play some music, that kind of thing. Just a day to be friends chilling out before we do whatever we’re gonna do and go wherever we’re all gonna go.”

“That sounds fun!” Xion beamed, eyes wide and excited. “The beach! Think of all the seashells we can see there!”

“On the seashore? Xion seeking seashells on the seashore? Xion seeking seashells on the seashore,” Roxas laughed and gave her a playful nudge and it quickly turned into batting at one another, an unserious playfight and joyful roughhousing. Roxas called out between light slaps - “Lea, you go, your turn!”

“Xion seeking seashells on the seashore, Xion seeking seashells on the seashore, Xion seeking seashells on the seashore.” He snorted, almost tripping up over the tongue-twister. “Don’t make Isa do it, he's got a mouthful of fangs. The sentence will come out sounding like it’s gone through a cheese grater.”

“The sentence that sounds like Xion seeking seashells on the seashore, surely you don’t mean that sentence?” Isa leaned on his elbow, grinning. Stars, he had friends and he was smiling and having fun. It was good to be human once more. “You doubt my power, Lea. Xion seeking seashells on the seashore surrounded by sand in the shunshi- fhsh- sunshine, agh, damn it.”

Ah, he probably shouldn't curse in front of the kids. A habit to start, perhaps.

“Pffft,” Roxas laughed louder, grasping Xion's wrist to finish the fight. He shot a look at Isa, still laughing. “Oh, so close! That's what you get for trying to show off.”

“Forgive me for being an overachiever.” Isa was still grinning. It hadn’t faltered. “But, I agree - a day away from the world sounds like a good time. Though, I will admit I am concerned - I doubt Riku and I are exactly on good terms. I do not want any of your friends to attack me on sight after everything I put them through.”

“Like they would,” Lea shook his head and quickly typed a response on his phone. “I mean, half of us there are gonna be either ex-Organization or having been close to the darkness before. Us, Riku, Terra, even Aqua - we’ve all been on different sides of the horizon, you know? It’ll be fine. We’re all friends. You’re included in that now.”

“Thank you. So long as you all want to go, I will follow.”

“Sounds good,” Xion agreed, shaking Roxas off and batting him away as she slid off the bed. “It’ll be nice to see everyone. Put names and faces together and everything.”

“Alright, sent a reply. We’ll be there.” Lea nodded and slipped his phone away. “Couple days and we’ll all meet up at their place. Think you’ll be good to walk around and move by then?”

“Likely. The tremor is getting better and the ache in my side is healing quickly. Being outdoors will do me no harm.”

“Nice. Alright, come on guys. Let's give Isa some space, you’ve been climbing on him for hours. Guy needs his rest.” Lea pat Isa's legs - that he was still leaning on - twice before standing, twisting to stretch out his back a little. “You can climb on him more at the beach.”

“If you do, I shall toss you both into the ocean.” Isa sat up, hoping that the tone of his voice belayed that he was joking. 

“After I find seashells.” Xion beamed and lightly bobbed on the spot, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Lea lightly ruffled her hair, smiling at her excitement as she spoke. “Once I’ve got some pretty ones you guys can do what you like.”

“I’ll hold you to that, y’know.” Roxas was smiling too - it was good to see him smile, Isa thought. He didn’t do it enough. “As soon as you get some that you like in a safe place, then I’m pushing you in the sea.”

“Okay.” She shrugged. “I’ll pull you in with me.”

“I know.”

“I’d jump in after you two, but uh. You know. My hair.” Lea nudged the kids towards the door. He turned to Isa as they got there. “We’ll see you the day after tomorrow, and then we’ll pick you up for the beach on the day of, okay?”

“Sounds good.” Isa nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

“See you later, Isa,” Roxas smiled back as he opened the door and slid out. “We’ll say bye to Ienzo and the guys before we go and we’ll tell them you’re gonna sleep.”

“Thank you, Roxas.”

“Bye, Ice,” Lea gave a little wave as he followed suit. “Sleep well, bud.”

“Bye-bye, Isa,” Xion's smile was wide, genuine and gentle - and Isa returned it as nicely as he could without showing the barbed points of his canine teeth. “See you later!”

“Goodnight, Xion.”

 

And then the door was closed. And then Isa felt lonely.

 

Surprising how much laughter could fit into one room from just three people - Isa laid back on the bed, slowly easing his arm up to stretch out his aching side - though he supposed that he had never had three friends before. The room felt much bigger and emptier without them, and even though the lazy afternoon of just chatting and joking and relaxing with them had been short, it was new and exciting and it felt right. It felt human.

 

...it felt nice.

---

Isa was not sure about the kids in Twilight Town. They seemed nice to his face, but upon heading down from the clocktower and heading to the store for the second round of ice cream, he heard one of them whisper to Roxas. He and Lea were a little ahead of the group of younger kids, and that was fine - but Isa supposed that his ears were still as sharp as ever, Xehanort influenced or otherwise.

“So, the red-haired guy, he’s okay now?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, Lea. He's fine, why?”

“Last time we saw him he was trying to come after Kairi, is all. But... he seems nicer than he was.”

“Oh, right - yeah, he was just trying to find me, that's all. He thought Kairi would know, and he was just really worried about me. Those two are good friends now.”

“And the other guy?”

“Isa’s cool too.” 

“What's wrong with his face?”

 

The toe of Isa's boot caught the floor midstep and he stumbled, catching himself before he fell outright. His blood felt cold, his throat a little tight. While he had anticipated difficulty in acclimatising to new people, he had not expected Roxas’ friends to be so blunt. The passing people of Twilight Town each cast a glance at their group as they went by but no one had said anything - if the taller boy in their friend group was speaking the truth, the yearly Struggle tournament was an event that brought in fighters and it was not uncommon for the youths engaging in that to come away with scuffs and scars. However none were as precise and deep as Isa's, none in such a delicate location and none with such a precise meaning and instinctively Isa lowered his gaze and watched where he stepped. This place was peaceful, and the last thing he wanted was to stir up trouble.

 

“Uh -” Roxas seemed at a loss for words - perhaps he saw Isa stumble at the question, because Isa could feel eyes on his back. “He uh… fought a monster. He won. Don’t mess with Isa, he’s a good guy. He just doesn't look it.”

Well. Not entirely false, Isa supposed, depending on your personal view of the one who scarred him. There were far worse answers, and he decided for that moment of charity on Roxas’ part that he’d buy the boy a larger ice cream. 

“You good, Ice?” Lea must have sensed his disconnect from the world, because a gentle elbow came to his side. 

“Hm? Oh. Yes. I’m fine.” He tried to say it as coolly as possible but he still tugged the edge of his collar up a little. Best just distract himself from the conversion behind him. “This last round and then to the Destiny Islands, yes?”

“Yep, Riku says he’ll pick us up soon. Man, I gotta learn to fly a Gummi Ship already. It seems pretty handy.”

“Not as convenient as a corridor of darkness, perhaps, but more acceptable socially, I suppose.”

They reached the stall and Isa paid for another round of sea-salt. He handed them out carefully, trying his best to make eye contact with Roxas’ friends as he gave them theirs. They each looked away as soon as he tried, but he tried not to dwell on it. He was intimidating - Xion had said so and eye colour be damned Isa knew it was still the case. It would do no good to frighten away Roxas’ friends, especially if they were all going to the beach together. Starting afresh, he reminded himself, means just going along with things. 

He handed Xion her ice cream last, and as he turned he let his hand brush the top of her head - a familiar ruffle, something he had seen both Lea and Roxas do to both her and each other. A sign of affection, perhaps. Either way, she accepted it, shooting a smile up at him and playfully neatening her hair back to how it was after.

“See?” He heard Roxas say quietly.

“Alright, alright.” One of his friends relented.

 

Isa pretended not to hear and just bit into his own ice cream.

---

“Oh man, look at this place!” Lea seemed excited, walking ahead of their group and spreading his arms wide - the kids immediately ran off past him, eager to meet up with the others and get to the very serious business of playing and being kids. “The beach looks exactly the same as last time I came - though, much better circumstances, for sure.”

“Oh?” Isa approached, hands in his pockets. They were the last to arrive - the others already starting to get things out and ready, chatting amongst themselves, laughing. “I was unaware you had been here before.”

“Uh- well.” Lea cleared his throat. “When we caught Kairi, you know…. Had to grab her from somewhere.”

“Ah - I remember.” Isa wished he didn’t. “Here’s hoping that she does not attack either of us on sight. Her or Naminé.”

“What? No way - me and Kairi are like best buds now. We did a bunch of Keyblade training together, she’s great. There’s no hard feelings at all.”

“And Naminé?”

“Well... I guess she seems okay -” Lea pointed her out, and Isa could see her further along the beach; Riku had caught up with her, one of his hands coming to her back as they walked along together, talking quietly. “Though, I guess if she was really mad at us, she could just rearrange our memories or get rid of ‘em or something to get back at us.”

“I would be remarkably alright with that.”

“Pfft. Sourpuss. You can’t be bitter anymore, I won’t let you be - look how cool this place is! You can’t be sad here.” Lea bounced on the balls of his feet a little, smile wide. Yes, he certainly seemed at home in a world of bright sunlight and dry heat.

“I’m not sad,” Isa noted - and it was the truth. He was anything but. “Merely cautious. The last thing I would want is to disturb the peace we seem to have found ourselves amongst. But, yes. This is a very beautiful place.”

“...You know, that's the first time I think I’ve ever heard you call anything beautiful that isn’t Kingdom Hearts.”

“I am a difficult man to impress.” Isa snorted, shooting a wry smile at Lea. “You know this.”

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Oh - hey look, there's Ven!" Lea was suddenly excitable again and Isa followed his gaze as the taller man waved widely. "Hey, Ven! Over here!" 

From a distance away, Isa watched as a young lad turned away from his group of friends to look over at them, wave back happily and then immediately jog over - Isa remembered all at once. Ventus - they had met before, a lifetime ago, and he blinked his surprise away as the young Keyblade wielder approached. 

"Hey Lea, good to see you!" He beamed. His face was identical to Roxas', save for a smile that shone like the sun. After grinning widely at Lea his attention turned to Isa, and he seemed to recognize the older man, shock coming to his features. "Oh, man. Isa, is that you?" 

"Ah - hello, Ventus." Isa didn't know what else to say. In their brief meeting Lea had become fast friends with Ventus while he had stood aside and watched them play. He was surprised the blonde remembered him at all. 

Ventus' expression crinkled a little, something like confusion and hurt and distrust - things Isa almost expected when being interacted with, especially by a hero of light. However he did not expect the question that followed, and so bluntly. 

 

"What happened to your face?" 

 

Lea made a startled noise, covering it with an awkward cough. "Woah, Ven, ease up, that's a way to break the ice." 

"Looks scary," Ventus frowned, staring a little at the prominent scar. Isa looked away. "It makes you look really intimidating, Isa." 

Seems one of his friends had heard the question also, as a voice carried over the small distance of sand. "Ven!" 

A young woman, blue hair, fierce eyes. She rounded on Ventus instantly and Isa remained quiet as she approached. 

"Aw, Aqua-" 

"You don't just blurt stuff like that out, you dummy. Say ‘sorry’." Her hands found her hips and she shot a scolding look down at Ventus. 

"It's alright," Isa murmured, looking away. "It is quite the… off-putting marking. And I should expect it. I've changed a lot since we last met, after all." 

"Oh?" Aqua looked up at him then, undeterred by his face and the mark and all of him, awkward and out of place. "You know Ven?" 

"Lea and I met him a long time ago." 

"Oh, right. Ven had been talking about Lea, about knowing him from before it all. It's good to meet you." Aqua gave a polite smile. Ven took the opportunity to scurry away, fearful of another scolding and of being bored by conversation.

"Good to see you again, Aqua." Lea gave an uncomfortable smile. 

"Lea," She nodded. "Have you been well?" 

“Yeah, I’m great. Got Isa back, and the kids are good, so - you know.” Lea seemed sheepish, Isa noticed. Unusual. But the redhead flashed a wide grin at Aqua in any case. “Can’t get much better! Just need an ice cream and a stiff drink and I think I’m all set.”

“Well, there's no drinking here today - not with most of us here being underage. We don’t want to be irresponsible.” 

“Uh, yeah. Right.”

“Later though, perhaps. I’m sure there are a couple of us that could do with some time away from kids. Anyway. Have you been practicing with your Keyblade since I last saw you? It's been a few months.”

“Uh, well. Mostly I’ve been trying to make sure Isa was -” Lea glanced over, his usual confidence somewhat shaken in Aqua's presence. 

“I’ve only just come back - Lea and the kids’ focus was on ensuring that I would not die again. Blame me if Lea’s fortitude in Keyblade baring is lacking.”

“We did take down your heartless,” Lea perked up, looking at Aqua but gesturing at Isa. “Trust me it was a bi- uh. Pain. Huge pain. Yep. So, that was good practice, and it was for a good cause.”

“That's good,” Aqua gave a slight smile. “I hope you keep at it. You’re the newest wielder that we know of and I know it may be daunting, but you’ve made good progress so far. You should keep it up - strive to be the best you can be.”

“Newest so far! Isa’s next.”

Isa snorted, the thought of him being a Keyblade bearer was beyond ridiculous. Him? After everything he had done, all the ways in which he had used and abused those chosen by fate? Such a gift would be - wasted, and he truly did not want to fight anymore. He had seen enough battles, had been hurt to last him several lifetimes. Even if the idea of inclusion was pleasant, overall, the idea of having a weapon capable of so much change and destruction and power bound to him eternally - again - was... stress-inducing. Lunatic already burned a hole in the bottom of his soul, acidic and cruel thing that it was. To add another blade to sit by its side would sever Isa in two. Cut him messily into criss-cross pieces. He had caused enough harm in his many lives; he wanted to put the blades away, sheathe his claws, hide his teeth. Not be a weapon holding a weapon for a single moment longer.

“Absolutely not. I don’t intend offense, but, no. That will not be happening.”

“Whaaat? C’mon, man. I know you said you don’t wanna fight anymore but this is totally different.”

“No.”

“Isaaaa,” Lea frowned, hands on his hips. “C’mon, don’t leave me hanging here. I got to do it, and the kids are both wielders. Makes sense for you to join in. You’d be real good at it too, you’re all about the control and order and stuff, that's like all Aqua talks about when we talk about Keyblade stuff!”

“I said no, Lea.”

“Lea, you can’t force someone to be a Keyblade wielder, especially if they don’t want it.” Aqua shook her head, that lofty, near-scolding tone edging her voice. “You should know better - being a Keyblade wielder is all about responsibility. It isn’t very responsible to just thrust it onto someone else.”

“I know, but... aw, man. It’d be so cool.” Lea gave a slight tut, shaking his head. “Ah well. A guy can dream.”

“Maybe you should keep dreaming,” Aqua’s smile was subtle but she seemed to relax a little more. “Either way - keep up the good work, Lea. Make sure you’re careful out there.”

“Yeah, I will be,” Lea muttered, pouting. “I’ll get back to training and sparring with Roxas and Xion after today. Today's to celebrate, right? We can train later.”

“That's right. We can relax today, and then we’ll be doing the same tomorrow, Terra, Ven and I. We’ll have to trade training regimes sometime. Maybe have some sparring matches between us.”

“Heh, you just wanna see my butt get kicked.” Lea rubbed the back of his neck. “But, sure. We’ve got no major plans, so… it’d be good to meet up again. Keep in touch and all that.”

“Yes, of course. Well - I should go make sure Ven isn’t causing trouble. He’s rummaging in a bag over there and I just know he’s planning something. We can talk more later.” Aqua gave a little wave to the pair before moving past them, towards the direction Ventus ran to. 

“Hoo, boy-” Lea breathed once Aqua was out of earshot. “Jeez. You know I love a woman that can kick my ass, but dang. She can be ice cold when she wants to be. Always feels like she's trying not to tell me off as soon as she sees me.”

"...Aqua certainly does seem... somewhat stern towards you. Usually that's my job." Isa noted. In the corner of his eye he saw someone move closer - the other of Ventus’ friends, maybe, but he paid him no mind. The man seemed to look around a little as he walked along the beach. He didn't seem entirely comfortable either. There was much movement on the beach, and someone just slightly closer than the others should not be anything to pay attention to. That being said, he seemed to be aiming this way....

"Yeah, she doesn't really care for my whole loose cannon, devil-may-care, agent of chaos thing." 

"Surprising. Those are the aspects of you that make you so terribly endearing." 

"Says my best friend, who is one-hundred percent charmed by all of that." 

"Shut it," Isa shot him a smirk. "People will get ideas that I may just like you or something, you pest." 

It earned him a soft laugh, paired with a light punch to his shoulder - Lea had always been one for physical gestures of affection - and Isa shot a playful sneer at Lea in return - the edge of his scar stretching and the faintest sliver of his teeth on show as his gentle glare met its mark. 

"Oh-" Interrupted: that man who had been wandering over seemed startled as he finally came over, looking at Isa’s face intently, and Isa noticed immediately. He masked the show of emotion with his familiar neutral state, looking away from the brown-haired man. He was tall and looked powerful, but Isa had already made people uncomfortable with his face alone, regardless of their strength and status. Eye contact was hard, and so was being seen.

"Sorry-" Isa said quickly as the other man came close, close enough to speak to somewhat comfortably to. Isa tugged at the collar of his jacket a little, pulling it upwards. It didn't cover anything, but it made him feel better. He did not want to cause a fuss by being here. "The scar - startles people. Forgive me, I didn't mean to surprise you." 

"What? Oh no -" The man held his hands up defensively, before breaking into a wide smile and pointing at his own face. Isa glanced up at him, and found a strange feeling pulling at his stomach. He was.... tall, dark, and handsome, that old classic idiom. But also familiar somehow, and his smile was warm abiet fake for the sake of conversation. "Those just caught me off guard. They're impressive." 

"Hm?" Isa tilted his head somewhat, confused, before the taller man continued. 

"The - the fangs? I bet those come in handy, huh? Are they natural?" 

"Oh-" Isa didn't know what to say. He looked aside as he subconsciously ran his tongue over his teeth. His canines were far sharper and longer than a natural humans and the teeth behind them equally so. Even his molars had jagged ridges. All of his teeth had grown sharper and stronger with each passing Berserk state - in which all of them came to sharpened, interlocking points. He had grown accustomed to them over the years - even a little proud. A sign of his no longer really needed power, even if he kept them hidden away. "Ah, yes. Sorry, again. I didn't mean to frighten you." 

"No way, I was just surprised is all. They're ...cool." 

 

Isa didn't want to look at the newcomer's face, especially not directly - something about it stirred something awful in the pit of his stomach, something that rolled loud and unsettled, but he couldn't place it. He was sightly, with bright eyes and a look of extreme interest, but something about his presence made something distant in Isa’s heart stir awkwardly. Had they met? They... must have.

 

"Thank you," was all he could mutter out. His throat felt too tight to say anything else. Why was this new heart of his beating so off-rhythm? He felt queasy, misplaced, as if something were about to occur; but this man was just stood here, calm and pleasant. And surreally intimidating.

Lea must have sensed his discomfort, as he quickly snuck into the conversation, leaning on Isa's good side and giving a little wave at the Keyblade Wielder. 

"Yo, Terra, right? Whenever I've spoken to Ven he talks all about you." 

"He does? Ha, sorry. That must bore your ear off." 

“It’s all good. He's a good kid - it's nice to hang out with him again. He hasn’t changed much.”

 

It was hard to describe - there was something uncanny about Ventus and Roxas being entirely identical but after a moment in either of their presence, it was clear that they were absolutely separate and different kids. Being around this Terra made Isa uncomfortably uneasy - as if he had met his twin a long time ago and this was that person's brother. New and blank and ignorant of who Isa was, but still with a sensation that there should have been some kind of connection somewhere. As if this man was an echo that had found its way back to its source. Someone from long ago, like Ventus, a memory of another life that had happened before this life and before the last life and before the one before that life, even. Had he known Terra when he had been Isa before, over a decade ago? Surely not, but... it felt as if something within his mind was keeping him from the answer, that it was staring him in the face as openly as Terra was, but there was, again, a missing connection. Isa just kept himself disengaged from the conversation - discomfort was familiar now in his new heart, but this was something entirely different. Something unnatural. Terra looked so… something. Something he couldn’t place. Were Isa a little less patient he would have found that uncertainty annoying. And he had never been a patient Nobody. That fact had not changed, even if he had. 

 

“Well, I guess none of us have really changed much - time kind of... forgot about us, I guess.” Terra gave a nervous little laugh. Isa didn’t look at him - choosing instead to watch Xion as she strolled up and down the edge of the water, searching for shells with Naminé - but every few seconds he could feel eyes on him. Terra trying to keep him in the conversation. Watching. Was he trying to remember him too? Heat crawled unpleasantly up Isa's neck. This was unpleasant. Saïx's unshakable impassiveness had died with him, and despite Isa's desire to remain aloof and cool, that coolness was melting into a prickling, aggravating heat up against the scars of his back.

“Man, if only I could be so lucky! Gotta keep my boyish charm for as long as possible. Being immortal has always sounded like a fun idea - you guys’ve already got a good headstart on me.” 

“I dunno - being someplace else for ten years makes you feel awfully behind - especially when looking at you and Ven, and then Riku, and….Well. You guys have all grown up without us, ahaha.” Terra gave a soft laugh and it sent an odd ripple into Isa’s chest. It sounded right for Terra and his gentle voice to laugh, but that something was there. Whoever Terra reminded him of never laughed. Never like that, soft and warm. Never genuine. “Catching up with everyone is going to take some time.”

“Hey man, us too, don’t worry about it. We’ve not exactly been normal people for that whole time. We’ve all got a learning curve to get in on.” Isa didn’t need to look to know that Lea was indicating to them both with a thumb and a slight grin. Isa just kept watching the others. Roxas and Riku seemed to be playfighting - they’d dug up some fake wooden swords from somewhere and were sparring, hopping around one another and lightly clacking the swords together. At least they were on good terms - Isa had worried that those two and Xion would loathe each other, but… he had also expected them to loathe him, so… times definitely were changing.

“Yeah? You’ll have to tell the story sometime.”

“Pfft, nah, it's way too long and boring. Gotta focus on the here and now, now that we’re all back together and good and all that, right, Ice?”

An elbow had nudged his good side, and Isa looked back at Lea. “Hm? Oh, yes. That's right. No need to...dwell on the past anymore.”

 

Don’t look at Terra don’t look at Terra don’t look at Terra. It was some odd, innate fear that if he met Terra’s eyes then something awful would swallow him up - fear, maybe. Isa had not felt fear since - …since he lost his heart the first time. Since Apprentice Xehanort….

 

"Lea, Isa! Look what I found!" 

 

The voice broke Isa from his thoughts, memory scattered, as it should be. The pair turned in time to see Ventus raise a frisbee aloft in victory, having wrangled it out of his bag. Ah - and Lea was already charging over with a "Woah, really? Oh man, let's go!" 

Isa watched him run, aware of the fond smile catching the corner of his mouth. The two - Ven and Lea - eagerly chattered and Isa could see the other Keyblade wielder shift in his peripheral vision. Terra.

"Heh. It's good to see Ven so happy." Seemed he had the same fondness for seeing their charges be happy... Isa should not be impolite. He levelled his breathing and tried to be personable.

"Yes - it's about time we all had a reason to smile again." Isa agreed, voice low. It was alright to smile. Scar and fangs and permanent glower aside. It was good to see the other people in his life find joy in the simple things, and hopefully, in time, he would too. Terra made a positive noise low in the back of his throat. It sounded familiar - as if Isa had known it was coming, as if he had heard it before. And the way they were stood together, almost side by side, Terra taller than he and broad and unshakable.... Hmm. Isa tried to keep him in the edge of his vision to quell that odd familiarity.

"C'mon, you too, bud!" Lea’s voice shouted over, and Isa looked up. "Let's go, one on one on one!" 

Oh - he was invited to the game. He stood a little awkwardly for a moment, unsure of how to disengage from Terra, being so near by. He seemed to have no comprehension that Isa’s perimeter of personal space was far larger than the others and he was gravitating close, almost shoulder to shoulder. Strange. It felt... so familiar, having him close. But Isa didn’t like it either way, and didn’t want to ignore Ventus and Lea. 

"Uh," Isa half-turned, raising a hand in somewhat of a farewell gesture. Don't look at Terra’s face, don't do it. Don't meet his eyes. "Bye - gotta go." 

'Idiot,' he scolded himself internally as he jogged towards the waiting duo. Though, what else could he possibly say? Most of his conversations with any of the heroes of light tended to end with him slinking backwards into an awaiting corridor of darkness with some kind of scathing remark or a taunt to follow. It's not like he could conjure those up anymore - not that he wanted to nor wanted to try, but... internally, he couldn't quite feel the depth of darkness within him that had once been there. Perhaps the return of his heart had pushed it away. He was not barren, but he was certainly... less. Less dark. Less bad. Less. And more. That thought stuck with him as he caught up to Lea. Perhaps the darkness was out of his reach now, and maybe he was unable to use it whatsoever. The idea was…. Freeing. 'Let's see if that feeling lasts. We can enjoy ourselves now, all of us. It's okay to be free of it all. It's okay to experience new things .' 

“Alriiiiight,” Ventus’ grin was wide. “You ready? Let’s go!”

And so the frisbee was tossed, and Isa was playing.

---

The sun was setting, and most of their group had decided to sit in the sand around a little campfire Lea had built up. A wide semi-circle of people, different conversations dotted around, a few bags of snacks open and the first few stars starting to come out. 

Lea was half-leaning on Isa’s side, Roxas on the other side of the red-haired man. Ventus had started to doze off, lying back in the sand, his older friends nearby and Isa tried his best not to look in that direction. Terra seemed to glance over at him every so often - as if checking that he was still there. 

It had been a good day. The sunlight had been comfortably warm and they had ran and thrown the frisbee, listened to other members of the heroes share stories and just relaxed. There was no pressure, no urge to rush anything, no innate fear of some looming, destructive presence. 

Isa leaned back, legs extended in front of him and Lea shuffled to remain glued to his side. It was fine - while Isa had never been comfortable with physical contact, Lea had always been the exception, and he was doing no harm by having part of his back against Isa's side. He was playing with some game on his phone again, the soft beeps repetitive and low light from the screen almost pleasant. It seemed that Roxas and Xion had quickly picked up on Lea’s way of showing comfort and affection - physical displays of friendship were frequent, whether it was guiding hands on each other's backs, play-fighting, teasing punches and playing footsie or just leaning on one another wherever possible. They had not yet tried to initiate such things with Isa yet, but perhaps Lea making a silent show of the fact that he was permitted to do such things would, in time, encourage the younger two to relax and test those boundaries too.

The air was starting to grow cooler, and the moon was low and quiet enough to be pleasant but not distracting. It was distant - Isa could feel it feeding into his strength but subtly; like a very low buzz of caffeine from weak, milky coffee. Enough to keep him alert, not enough to make him feel energetic. It was growing dark, the sunlight starting to fade below the horizon. Aqua was talking, sat across from them, voice soft and gentle. Every so often Terra made a noise to show he was listening. Roxas' friends and Sora's sidekicks seemed to be sharing jokes and laughing softly, drawing shapes in the sand. Now and then Riku glanced over at the ocean and hummed in thought. 

He had not really been listening to any of the conversations nearby, and had not been thinking of anything in particular, but Isa broke himself out of his thoughts and glanced up - Xion was not sitting with their group, instead stood on the short pier extending out into the sea, the lapping waves rolling beneath her she watched the water in the distance move and glimmer under the fading sun. The former Berserker watched for a moment - she seemed… peaceful. Relaxed. There was no urgency here, no pressure, no need to worry. Xion was just enjoying the water in silence.

 

Isa purposefully met Roxas' eyes.

 

He then looked at Xion again. When he glanced back at Roxas, the blonde met his look, grinning wide as he held back a slight laugh. Quietly, Roxas nodded, eyes glinting with withheld excitement.

“Let's do it.”

Isa gave a slight snort, smiling back. Well, they did say that it was inevitable. He carefully stood, nudging Lea aside and trying not to make much sound. 

Terra looked up from his quiet conversation with Aqua as he moved, offering a concerned - “You okay?”

Isa simply pressed a finger to his own lips as he moved, sparing a very quick glance down at Terra as he moved out of the circle of people. He kept his attention on Xion, but could hear Roxas get up and follow him and then a slight, affectionate scoffing sound from Lea. Isa had learned to move quietly a long time ago, and even on sand it was no different. He moved quickly, aware of Roxas by his side. 

He paused, not too far from the pier, cautious of any audible sounds of movement. Isa kept his voice low, making sure it would not carry further than to Roxas’ waiting ears. As he did so he bent, tugging his boots off carefully and making sure they were out of the way. He was closer to Roxas like this - perhaps the closest they'd been minus halfway through a fight when their weapons were clashing and they were near enough to bite each other's faces off. The younger boy crouched somewhat too - a low huddle as they made plans.

“I can pick her up and throw her in.”

“I’m going in after her. I wanna splash her as soon as she surfaces. Maybe pull her down after. But yeah, you throw her, far as you can, I’ll do the rest.”

“Deal.” Isa nodded and Roxas held out his fist, eyes locked on Xion. Ah - he’d seen Lea do a similar motion, along with Terra to Ventus and a few others. He lightly bumped his knuckles against Roxas’. The boy seemed to like that, giving a slight grin. “Okay. ...Go.”

Isa was behind Xion in an instant and before she could even start to turn to see he had her - Isa lifted her high over his head, hands at her waist as he hefted her upwards, completely off of the wooden floor. Stars, she weighed nothing. But with the motion she let out a squeal, kicking and laughing as soon as she realized what was going on. She squirmed in his grip as he held her up high, the water looming below.

 

“Isa! Isa - no no no no-!”

 

He threw her. The water got deep quickly and she was tossed as easily as Lunatic used to be, albeit with much more caution. Immediately, the second she left his hands, Roxas darted past, throwing himself off the end of the pier and into the water after her. Not quite an elegant dive but a curled-up bomb right into the waves.

As soon as Xion surfaced she blew her hair out of her eyes, coughing and laughing, and she slapped the water roughly - aiming to splash Isa with it. It didn't reach, but Isa took a half-step back to at least pretend he was vaguely caught by the action.

“You jerk! Get in here so I can get you ba-” 

She was cut off by being pulled under in one quick, smooth swoop, Roxas beneath the surface and, stars, Isa was laughing. How long had it been since he had laughed, truly and unashamed? It wouldn’t do, it wasn’t enough - he quickly peeled his jacket off and dove in after them. He wanted to chase the high of laughter, to spend more time being joyous with the pair.

Keeping his emotions close to his chest indeed. But, perhaps, now that the door had opened it was hard to shut it again.

The water was warm, heated by the island sun all day, and Isa swam quickly - the ache in his side felt warm and pleasant; the overworked muscles relaxing from the warm water and gentle motion. Beneath the surface of the water, he felt movement nearby, and through the rumble of waves he could hear Xion surface again, quickly followed by Roxas.

He swam until he was beneath them - even in the quickly diminishing sunlight he could make out their silhouettes, and he needed to surface for air. He wondered if they knew he was down there - and he got his answer as he surfaced between them, gasping for air. Xion gave a slight noise of surprise, a yelp of shock at his sudden appearance and Roxas laughed, grin wide and welcoming. As soon as Xion realized it was the two of them she splashed at them relentlessly, aiming to soak them both as much as possible and the pair shielded themselves - not that any of it would do much good. All three of them were completely soaked and there was no harm to be done. 

As soon as she stopped, Xion gave Isa’s better shoulder a shove, and then did the same to Roxas.

“You jerks! Both of you!”

Isa snorted, still grinning, and shook his head, whipping his hair from his eyes. He must have looked terrible, wet hair drooping down his face, but what did it matter anymore. He was a man with a heart and friends and he could laugh and look ridiculous. He could have fun with his kids without ridicule, and he tried not to think so hard on the fact that mentally he saw them as his kids. Not just kids. His. 

He disregarded the thought, but fed into it with his actions. In one quick motion Isa had them, and they were captured - between them both, one arm around each, close to his side, and Isa kicked back to the shore as they laughed at being suddenly picked up; he trudged out of the water, lifting both Roxas and Xion, one wrapped under each arm, seawater dripping from him. Neither of them were heavy, and they were completely pliant in his hold, laughing and playfully kicking at each other as he walked out of the clinging seawater. They were practically sideways, lugged out of the water, and Leas’s laughter at the sight rang out loudly.

 

 

 

“Are you guys good over there?!” His laughter was loud and catching, and Isa peered through his annoying hair and water as he approached - the rest of the group were in various states of laughter - soft chuckling from Aqua and full-body laughs from Roxas’ friends at the sight of the trio. He must have looked a state indeed, and while Isa had never enjoyed the sensation of looking like a fool, this was...different. This was acceptable.

Slowly, he came back over to the space around the campfire and unceremoniously opened his arms to drop the kids in the sand. They landed with soft thuds, tittering and peering up at him and each other.

“I told you we’d get you.” Roxas wheezed from his prone spot on the floor, still chuckling.

"You're still jerks!" Xion laughed and quickly scooped up a handful of sand, half-sitting up and tossing it at Isa. It splattered dryly up against his wet clothes and he simply leaned over and shook it back down over them, a joyous back-and-forth of needless teasing. Xion lightly kicked out at him. "I'll get you back, you know! I'm gonna push you in, next time, you just wait." 

"I look forward to it." Isa chuckled, brushing himself down one last time before moving back to his spot - his clothes were soaked through and he pulled at his shirt to dislodge it from his wet skin - it was only a black tank top but the sensation of it clinging to him was claustrophobic. He resisted the urge to shake his hair down like a wet dog by smoothing it back as much as possible before he sat back in the sand, wet clothes squishing with the movement - at least by the fire he would dry off quickly. 

Isa ignored Terra’s rich eyes as they followed his movements back to his seat. What was not ignorable, however, was the way Lea immediately wrapped an arm around Isa’s shoulders and began playfully rocking him to and fro as soon as he was sat in range. 

"You giant baby," Lea muttered so only Isa could hear. "Here I was worrying that you'd hate the kids and never get along with them." 

Isa let out a breath, a smile catching the edge of it. "Well, I suppose you worried for nothing." 

"I always worry - didn't want you and Rox tearing each other apart. I'm glad you guys are getting along okay." 

Isa lowered his voice further, ensuring that only Lea could hear and turning to face him ever so slightly.

"...It's because of me that they're here. As in, alive. In Xion's case if nothing else, at least. I oversaw the process of her creation. I helped to create her. And I got them both bodies to come back to you in. I want to prove that I'm trustworthy. I may have been cruel before, but…. I have a heart now. I'm… me, finally. I can be the kind of person they need instead of the person they hated…. I’m... happy. It feels good to be someone they can laugh with."

"...Hearts, you are such a dad. When did that happen, dude?"

"Shut up," Isa snorted and lightly shoved him away. "...Truthfully, I've thought about it since the moment I woke up. They have both had it rough, and no small part of that was because of me. They deserve to be kids, and to be happy - I want to make sure they get what we couldn't have." 

"...Well," Lea tilted his head, looking over at the two. They hadn't moved much; Xion had rolled over to lie on her belly, carefully making a little mound of sand into a sandcastle while Roxas stayed on his back, lazily chatting with Riku nearby. "...You're making a real good start, Ice. It's nice to see all three of you be happy. Feels like I've been waiting for this for a real long time."

"Here's hoping I can stay consistent for both them and you, then." 

"Hey. You're the most organized and straight-forward thinking guy I've ever met. I mean - the entire time in the Organization, you were the backbone of the place, keeping it going. If anybody can be consistent, it's you." 

"Ugh." Isa wrinkled his nose. "Please - you mustn't remind me." 

"Aw, you know what I meant." Lea gave him a playful nudge with his shoulder. "I just mean, like - I don't know where we're gonna after this, or where we'll live or what the plan is, but I know one hundred percent that you're the one who's gonna make sure the kids do their homework and go to bed on time and eat their greens and all'a that." 

"Lea," A soft voice called from beyond the fire, and the duo looked up - Aqua was looking at them. "Did I just hear that you guys don't have somewhere to go after today?" 

"Uh," Lea retracted himself from Isa, sitting up straight. "Well, yeah. We'd been crashing near the apprentices while Isa got better, but that was just temporary and we don't really wanna stay there, since it's not really… stable. I guess we hadn't really talked about what to do next." 

Aqua looked up at Terra - who looked back at her and tilted his head, seemingly unsure of what she was thinking. After a moment, she looked back at Lea. 

"...Well, you, Roxas and Xion are all Keyblade wielders, and all three of you are a little lacking in formal training, right? I know you all have experience from being out in the field, but… our home world is quite empty. It's a place for Keyblade wielders to learn and study and grow. There's a lot of room there, you could all come and stay with us, if you like. It would be good to have you. If you have nowhere else in mind, that is. Plus it would save me worrying about you all out there."

Isa watched Leas’s eyes widen a little. It certainly seemed like an excellent solution - a stable roof over their heads, an education for the kids, familiar faces, stability. It could be perfect. 

"That - sounds great! But-" Lea pointed at Isa, but looked at Aqua. "- no Keyblade wielding here. He can come too, right? Can't leave him out in the cold, that's not fair."

"You, too, of course." She smiled. "Sometimes having a non-wielder to bounce ideas off of and train with is really helpful! Should we ever need to fight seriously again, it may not be against other Keyblade wielders, so you’d be an asset, too. You'd all be welcome. We'd be glad for the company, right?" 

Aqua glanced up at Terra, who seemed a little dumbstruck at the prospect. He swallowed and gave a nod, melting into a smile at Isa and Lea. Mainly Isa. Isa didn't trust it. 

"Y-Yeah! You guys being around is gonna make Ven real happy at least! And - it'd be nice to have some more life around in the Land Of Departure. It'd be good to have you guys around." 

"So long as we aren't intruding," Isa did his best to keep his eyes mainly on Aqua. Terra seemed so nice but there was something about his face, about his voice, about the way he looked at Isa. Maybe it was just jitters over being around strangers, but it was enough to make the former Berserker want to avoid eye contact. "I really appreciate the offer, Aqua. It would be good to see the kids somewhere secure. I am…. Looking forward to it. Truly. And I bet Ventus will also, as soon as he wakes up." 

Aqua gave a gentle smile, looking over at Ven’s sprawled, snoring form. "He'd sleep through anything, you know. But yes - he'll be very excited when he wakes up." 

"Well, that's that, then! That's a lot of pressure off, for sure," Lea smiled before following Ventus' lead and laying back in the sand. "Tomorrow, life starts, Ice." 

"So it shall," Isa glanced down at his friend and met his smile. "I am glad to be here for it." 

 

 

Notes:

Kudos/comments/bookmarks are very much appreciated - I'd love to hear feedback from you guys c:

I'm @captainbobbin on twitter/tumblr and you can find all of the art for the series as well as fanart right here! :)