Open Interaction Post!

[chakramkeyblade]

[Permanent, open interaction post for Lea (and Axel). Let me know if you'd prefer me to do a starter, or just jump in with whatever!]

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[cageunemptied]

[For a moment, she hadn't quite been sure where she was. Radiant Garden looked so different, now, and she had the sneaking suspicion that she'd been in one of those "enchanted sleeps" Ansem the Wise had told her about - but for how long, she didn't know. All she knew was that there were a lot of unfamiliar people around the town now, and that it, frankly, looked like a storm of some kind had hit the world - and the kind that could necessitate this level of rebuilding, she didn't know.

She took to wandering the eerily empty halls of the castle that had become her home, searching for little Ienzo or any sign of the others (although she had a sick, sinking feeling in her heart about Xehanort, for some reason). She thought she saw a rather familiar spray of flaming red hair - but no, the owner of it was much too tall to be the boy who'd shouted to her wild tales from the courtyard (while a glowering Dilan and a vaguely smirking Aeleus had looked on). Still...]

Excuse me, but might you be able to tell me what's going on? I'm afraid I just woke up, and I'm not quite sure as to what happened here.

[chakramkeyblade]

[He's crossing the hall with a pitcher of water for Dilan and Even, unaware of the girl until she spoke. He startled at first. No one else was supposed to be here. Lea stares at her, eyes wide for a moment. Does he...know her? He feels a kind of deja-vu, the same kind of connection he senses with Sora, but his memory is still spotty and ragged. But a warm connection at least.

If he knew her, all he feels is a kind of memory of a memory. Lea frowned. It wasn't her fault. It was unlikely she knew. But being unable to remember her...well. Just one more thing to feel bad for.]

Just woke up, huh. You and me both. [He grins at the little joke. At least it's true.] As for what happened...well. Let's just say it's a good thing you were out for it. What are you doing here in the castle? ...what's left of it, anyway.

[cageunemptied]

[It couldn't be. The boy she'd been acquainted with had been several years younger than she - and besides that, she hadn't aged while she had been asleep. Surely only a little time had passed. But the hair, and the eyes... There was no denying that there was something familiar in them.

Cautiously, she stepped closer, squinting a little at the young man. She had always liked Lea and his stories, much as the others hadn't. And she had always been amused at his and Isa's attempts to get into the castle, even playfully helping them from time to time. It was so hard to remember what had happened, somehow...]

I live here. I've been trying to figure out what happened.

[Whatever it was, it surely wasn't good.]

I'm sorry. Do I know you?

[chakramkeyblade]

You...

[Could she have lived here, before...? Something was tugging at his memory now. A friendly face at the garden wall. There was nothing concrete, but then, he thought he'd been a kid when he knew her.]

...I think I remember you. Kinda disappointed you forgot. But fine, if you need a refresher, name's Lea. Got it memorized this time?

[Never mind that he can't remember her name, either. His grin fades when he looks down at the pitcher in his hands.] I've gotta drop this off in the next room. You coming with?

[cageunemptied]

... Lea?!

[Her eyes widen, and she unwittingly takes a few quick, faltering steps in his direction, her eyes large as she looks at him. This was not the boy she'd tossed apples to, nor the one who'd entertained her endlessly with his antics. This was not the same boy for whom she'd thrice gotten into trouble before for helping him and Isa slip inside - not anymore]

Lea, I-I can't believe it! Is it really you? How did you get so tall?

[Oh. Oh, no.]

... How long have I been asleep?

[And, more to the point, why didn't she age? But - no. There was time enough for that later. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Elizabeth looked up at the young man, who still resembled the near-child he had been, and nodded.]

Of course. I'd like to help. Is there anything I can do?

{She'd ask what happened just as soon as they got a moment.]

For Aeleus

[chakramkeyblade]

Way too much stuff to go through. Books, rubble, debris, everything useless and irrelevant. A lot of the furnishings had been broken, smashed, or looted. Kind of a bang-up job, really. Restoring a city without any kind of leadership? Not even Radiant Garden was perfect. Plenty of people were like Lea and Isa when they were growing up, too busy being jealous of what the castle had to see what they had.

Too much to think about. Too much to regret.

Lea pulled off his gloves, sick of how the stuff he grabbed would just slide right out of his hands, earning a frustrated curse. Better. More feeling. Like being anchored.

He wanted new clothes, too.

Lea discarded the rubble in his arms and glanced at Aeleus. The bigger man was still plodding along, saying nothing, just doing his job as quiet and methodical as Lea remembered. He smiled to himself. The energy of his new keyblade warmed his hand. Aeleus didn't know. Neither did the others.

"Hey. Aeleus. How about a break? We've been going at this how long, now?"

[abidingstoic]

Once upon a time, there had been a happy family living here. Five friends, brothers one and all, and a proud and adoring father to teach and guide them as they grew. He had watched over them all, and while he there might not have been enough time in the day for him to do all he wanted for all the people he wanted to do it for, there was always enough love in his heart to go around. Once upon a time, he had opened his doors and his heart to another, and they had all welcomed a new young man into their family in his hour of need.....

.....They had not, however, welcomed two boys into their homes, or their hearts--not the boys that had tried to sneak in, rather than ask to be invited.

Aeleus wondered, sometimes, what life would have been like if they had done so. If they had stopped to talk to them and really listen, rather than catching them and tossing them out the gate, if he'd concerned himself more with why they wanted into the castle so badly, rather than worrying only about how badly they would hurt themselves and the equipment if they managed to run wild in the laboratories..... If they had brought Lea and Isa into the fold instead of Xehanort, or perhaps in addition to him, how would things have changed? Could things have been better--for Lea and Isa, for all of them, for Radiant Garden and all the worlds as a whole? Would it have made any difference at all?

Could they have all been happy together, maybe? Maybe Lea would have worn a guard uniform with pride, and Master Ansem would have smiled just as fondly at Isa as he had at Xehanort, as the boy knotted an ascot around his neck and slipped into a crisp new lab coat for the first time. Maybe he could have taken them both under his wing, and shown them the world inside these castle walls, where they'd once had nothing to be ashamed of or hide.

It was harder these days to look at Lea without seeing double, so to speak--the child that once was, and the man that child had become. A mischievous, rambunctious, passionate boy, laughing and shouting to Isa as he raced down the hall..... And the unreadable, unpredictable, steely assassin who had looked his two best friends in the eye, cold and calm as he burned them alive and arranged to have the life strangled out of them. One, he'd owed a debt of duty and responsibility to, and failed him in the most profound way possible, in more ways than he can count. The other..... the other, if he had actually survived to witness his deeds, had murdered his strongest links to Light and humanity, the only people left he'd felt he could truly trust, (all that had truly mattered in his world anymore) without so much of a flicker of conscience.

Aeleus wasn't sure how he felt about Lea these days, let alone how he should feel, but he knew one thing for certain--t was a Herculean effort to hold onto the clarity he needed to actually see Lea as he truly was now.

For everyone's sake, though, he had to come to understand him in the here and now, if he was going to work alongside him--just like he had to make himself sleep so he could work, when nightmare-rattled and insomniac visits from Ienzo, Dilan, or even Even have been nightly occurrences. Just like he had to work just as tirelessly as he could, because there simply weren't enough hands to do all that needed to be done, in a castle this big and damaged this gravely..... and almost all the people available to do the work were just as damaged and in need of being taken care of as the castle. If nothing else, he was good at working hard, good at settling into a rhythm and not needing to think or feel, as he cleaned and sorted through the ruins of everything that had been important to him.

Aeleus kept his own gloves on for the work--and one of Braig's bandanas knotted around his neck, no matter how sick at heart it made him to have to use it. But it wouldn't be advisable not to--not when he was left to shatter the larger fallen chunks of debris by pure force so they even could be carted away, and haul away the heavier burdens that still could be carried or wheeled in carts. That was brutal work, too much to reasonably ask Lea to handle; the man simply wasn't built for it. He took a moment to just lean on Skysplitter's handle and wipe the grime of stone dust and sweat from his face, tugging his makeshift mask down as he glanced at the intact clock they'd brought in while they worked. "Almost two and a half hours. Do you need anything to drink? I can see what we have in the kitchen."

[chakramkeyblade]

"Water's good enough for me." Lea brushed at a trail of sweat running down his nose, leaving a smudge of dust in the wake of his thumb. He paused, thinking about his own words. He had to laugh. "Wow. Having to drink water and take a break. We haven't had to do that for a while."

He brushed some of the dust from his black coat, tempted to shuck it to keep cool while he worked. As Axel it had been a constant comfort. As himself, it was heavy, bulky, something that clung to him like guilt. Still. It would be a shame to throw that much fabric away. A waste.

"...wonder if there's any spare munny around somewhere. I could use some less intimidating clothes."

[abidingstoic]

"No, I suppose not..... But then, human bodies have more needs than those of Nobodies. It's a lesson we'll all do well to remember." Aeleus arches an eyebrow at Lea, tone pointed; don't you go off and overextend yourself on his watch, Lea. He had enough to do preventing that with the others, he didn't want to see Lea collapse from forgetting his own needs and limits. As hard as Aeleus pushed himself, he still remembered that he was human, now--he ate and drank, he took breathers, (even if they weren't always as often as they should be) he slept. It was probably significantly less likely for the others to sleep if he didn't, to be honest--his bed hadn't been empty of someone seeking the protection and reassurance of his company since they'd awoken here at the Castle.

If he forgot to take care of himself--if even Lea found it difficult to remember they needed to stay rested and hydrated--then who would remember themselves, let alone the others? If he wasn't grounded and secure enough to sleep, how would the others feel safe? He was the strong one, the rock-solid unshakable one, the one who could endure and outlast anything. They needed him.

He was just heading for the door to go fetch them some water when Lea started musing about clothes; Aeleus half-turned to glance back at him, one hand still resting on the doorframe. He gave the younger man a quick once-over, trying to estimate his height and build, and search his memory to try and recall anyone at the castle who might have roughly shared it. "Chances are good the castle treasury has been ransacked, of course. The purser and quartermaster's offices in the barracks may have been as well, but there are better odds that they might have survived. Failing that....."

Aeleus spread his hand in an expansive gesture; it would take time and effort, scrounging around like this, but it might well pay off in the end. "it's far more likely that we would be able to find some tucked away cache of Munny a former guardsman or servant hid in their quarters, given that the bedrooms have sustained some of the least damage in the Castle. We can surely find some clothes that fit you here, too, even if they're a uniform."

For Saix

[chakramkeyblade]

It's been close to a month since Lea awakened as a whole person, along with the others that were deemed rejects by Xehanort. Sora was awake and old man free, he had his keyblade, and now it was a matter of training. Watching. Making themselves as prepared as possible. If Xehanort wanted thirteen copies of himself to fling at them, they had to be ready. And find the seven "lights" the old man was going on about.

Lea had been preparing in other ways, too. After all, he couldn't just throw everything connected to Axel out the window. Axel was him, in a way. Besides, it was a waste of good material.

Lea pulled the thread through the last stitch at the new knee-length hem of his old Organization coat. The sleeves were already cut off, the new armholes already stitched up. He'd found some yellow plaid material that matched one of his old bandannas, made a belt of it. A plain white shirt let him keep the front of the coat open to keep himself cool. The pants and boots? Perfectly fine to keep.

He bit off the lose end of thread and inspected the hem. It would do. Not perfect, but it wouldn't unravel. Lea stood up from his bed to put the coat on. He didn't need to see a mirror. Already he felt different from Axel. That was what mattered. Feeling like himself again.

Lea sighed as he tossed the needle and spool of thread onto the discarded fabric, walking out to the balcony overlooking the rebuilt Radiant Garden. He rested his back and one foot against the wall, arms folded across his chest. A hot breeze was kicking up from below, carrying the scents of freshly blooming jasmine and lotus. Summer was starting to feel like it should again. All that was missing was sea-salt ice cream.

And Isa.

Lea swallowed, his jaw tensing. Hang in there, buddy. I'll get you out of there. Just fight that monster off a little longer.

[selenesknight]

Darkness everywhere. Everything had been darkness for so long, now, Isa was beginning to wonder if the light would ever accept him again. Could it, with a fragment of that monster inside of him? As the days passed, they blurred together, and the darkness chipped away at the small remnants of hope that remained in his heart. But was that his own doubt, or was that Xehanort, doing his part to keep him broken down so he could more easily pull his strings?

There were moments of lucidity. He wasn't entirely under the cruel man's thumb, not always made to do his bidding, but if one were to ask what said bidding was, he would be unable to answer. Not out of any skewed loyalty or even direct control of his actions, but none of those memories would properly form in his mind. Indirectly, he was being guided and used, prevented from searching for any sort of help, even if he'd wanted to. The thought had occurred to him, but after what he'd done - what Saix had done - did he truly deserve to be saved?

Isa found these thoughts plaguing him as he stepped out of a dark corridor, nostalgia leading him... home. Why had he come here? To revisit the life he once had? Will never have again? Maybe it was time to bid it farewell forever. In all likelihood there was no coming back from this.

Maybe... one last ice cream would be okay.

If only he could ignore the laughing in his heart, sick to his stomach that he couldn't tell if it was Xehanort's or his own.

[chakramkeyblade]

Lea heaved a sigh, scratching at the back of his head. What was he supposed to do? Every bit of him, goaded by the newfound light inside of him, wanted to go out there right now and take Isa back by whatever means necessary. Xehanort didn't deserve to have him. But he wasn't Sora. He had enough common sense to recognize that there was no way he was ready to face down the old codger. You'd think the kid would have picked up a little of that from Roxas...

He straightened to go back inside when he saw it. Passing one of the lamps by the castle gate, a figure in all black, hair pale in the moonlight. The build, the way he walked...but he had to be sure. He stepped up to the edge of the balcony, staring down at the man as he made his way into the city. Lea felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, a cold shiver accompanying his heart dropping into the pit of his stomach. He'd know the man anywhere. After all, he'd known him forever.

Isa.

Lea swallowed. What was he doing here, in Radiant Garden? Did Xehanort send him out for something? Was the plan to wreck havoc on a barely recovering, paranoid populace just for kicks? His own emotions flipped as quickly as his thoughts. Fear, anger, a twinge of sorrow, a tiny fleeting hope that was gone almost too fast for him to notice. He had to hope it was still Isa. That was enough to hold onto. Hope, he found, was the best thing to get a keyblade to manifest. And if Isa really were sent here to stir up trouble, then he would need it. He didn't linger any longer, not risking a corridor of darkness for such a short distance. He ran all the way to the lower level of the castle, already panting for breath by the time he reached the castle courtyard.

Sometimes he actually missed not being human. He wore out less easily. He slowed to a quick walk, enough to catch up to Isa while regaining his breath. It didn't take long. Isa took his time with everything. Including a walk down the street. He slowed to keep a safe distance between them.

"Hey. Long time no see." He was careful to keep his tone level. He knew just how dangerous Saix could be if someone made him angry. He didn't exactly feel like being caught on the wrong side of that unprepared. "Nice night for a walk. But I don't imagine it was the flowers that brought you here."

[selenesknight]

Isa could hear the footsteps, though to him they sounded much further away than they were. As he continued walking, it was almost as though everything was faintly blurred at the edges, just enough to make him question reality. Was this his doing? How could he be sure it wasn't a dream?

It took an extra second for the voice to register. He'd recognized it right away, of course, but everything took a bit longer to sink in than it should. Coming to a stop, Isa merely stood there, staring off somewhat blankly into the distance, trying to recall just where the ice cream stand was, until he remembered that he was still there. Lea had addressed him. What... had he said?

​​
Turning to look behind him, his expression stayed even, more shades of Saix in him than Isa. When you had a shard of someone else's heart wedged into your own, calling emotions to the surface was that much more difficult. "Lea." He managed, head canting slightly as though in curiosity. Why was he here? Shouldn't he have been off with his new comrades? Training and, hopefully preparing. He knew well whose hand may deliver his inevitable demise in all of this.

He... wanted to know why he was here? That made sense. Of course he'd be suspicious, given the circumstances.

"I wanted ice cream." The truth, simple and sweet and the easiest answer for him to give.

[brokenallthelaws]

[Xigbar isn't sure what to make of Radiant Garden, these days. Even when it had been home, he'd always longed to see what else was out there; too curious by half and not entirely at ease in such a small world, especially after he'd started picked up the magic he still wields. That and he's gotten entirely too used to Never Was, with one thing and another.

But there are interesting whispers coming out of the once-fallen Garden, and Xigbar knows the city better than nearly anyone. Or nearly anyone else who would be sent out on reconnaissance anyway, and that, in turn has him coming out to the city he'd once called home.

He doesn't dare go to the castle. Too much risk and the less he sees of the other apprentices, the better. Instead he lurks elsewhere, a darker spot in the bright colors of the city, both literally and figuratively. And if he should happen to run into someone he knows while he lurks and listens, well. He'll cross that bridge when he gts there.]

[chakramkeyblade]

[Whispers and bangs, more like. The people that once trusted a young Braig to protect them against people like Xehanort are celebrating the restoration of their city. One of the more heavily damaged areas has been converted into a peace garden, still pools filled with lotuses, walkways of crushed stone leading underneath grown willow trees imported from elsewhere, plenty of lanterns gleaming with magical fire. It's far enough away from the fireworks and the crowds to be quiet and boring. Hence why Lea is making his way through it as quickly as possible while he patrols.

He's chopped off a good half of the bottom of his old Organization coat and cut off the sleeves, fashioning it into something that's not only far more practical but more suiting his own tastes. Also a far more vocal statement without saying much. He doesn't intend to use the pathways of darkness again. Ever. He's done with being Axel, done with Xehanort still lurking over their heads like a buzzard, and he knows that if he wants to stand a chance of getting Isa back, he'd better be damn ready.

Speaking of bridges though, it's only after he crosses the small footbridge leading out of the garden that Lea starts to feel like he's not exactly alone tonight. He narrows his eyes, not altering his pace until he has a good view of the street and the fireworks in the main square. It's the flashes of illumination that he's waiting for, using their light to search the rooftops and alleyways with his eyes. He hopes it's his imagination. He really does. Lea doesn't exactly feel like an encounter with something that requires a little more effort than the rather paltry security system can handle.]

Sorry about taking forever to get back to this, orz

[brokenallthelaws]

[Xigbar would have been honestly surprised if the residents of Radiant Garden hadn't been making their repairs. Not, of course, that he has any interest in helping, but he's not going to sabotage their work either. He hasn't got orders to, and it would kind of go against the idea of reconnaissance besides.

(And he's very grateful that Cid's security isn't better than it is. If it were being here would be more of a pain than it already is - fortunately he's not exactly a Heartless and can manage to avoid tripping it if he moves carefully.)

On the other hand, either he's not expecting anyone to look up, or he's well aware that Axel - that Lea - is there and is deliberately letting himself be spotted. It's a brief thing though, either way - a single flash of light catches a gangly figure in a coat that is likely all too familiar up on one of the roofs. And then he's gone again, the next firework to light up the area showing nothing but the average roof. Either he's moved on to another roof, or he's hopped down to somewhere where the fireworks won't show off his silhouette to all and sundry.]

No worries!

[chakramkeyblade]

]He recognized the coat for what it was, even in the brief flash the fireworks provided. Lea's heart sank. His first thought was of Isa, and the light hadn't been enough to see any other distinguishing details, like the build of the Nobody wearing it.

But even if it was Isa, he couldn't leave it alone. Radiant Garden was his responsibility now. There were no other keyblade wielders on this world. Besides, he owed it to everyone here, to Sora. To Roxas.

No way. Not here. Not now, not ever.

Lea made his way to higher ground as quickly as he could, fingers trickling with heat as he called his chakrams to him. Whoever it was out there, he didn't want Xehanort catching wind of him actually having a keyblade. Not only out of a sense of safety but wanting to see the look on that monster's face when Lea brought it down on his big bald wrinkled head.

Lea walked the rooftops quickly, his eyes constantly moving, on the lookout for any kind of movement or a glimpse of black coat in the light of the street lamps.]

I know you're out there, genius. [His voice carries down the empty street, the pops of the fireworks distant enough not to drown him out.] Come out where I can see you!

[melodiouspacifist]

[There's no real reason for him to be there, it isn't like he's been burning to head back towards the Organization, that's not it at all, it's just that he's in need of a distraction and it seems like world hopping is a thing he can do that causes the minimum amount of disruption.

He isn't sure where he is going or why, or even if he wants to avoid people he knows. He hasn't decided. Long gone is the black coat, instead exchanged for baggy jeans, a pulled over blue hoodie with the hood up and his quiet weaving in and out of crowds through the centre of Radiant Garden. There's a lot of traffic and maybe, just maybe, he could make some change playing sitar. It might make for a good afternoon.]

[chakramkeyblade]

[Lea's patrol cycles usually take him into the market area. Aeleus and Dilan are still wary of mingling with Radiant Garden's populace. Worried about being attacked by people who might recognize them and know what they did, who they helped. Lea was never involved. Neither was Isa. With the two of them, it was wrong place, wrong time.

Except he's here. Isa isn't.

He can change his clothes all he wants, that red hair of his is recognizable from a mile away. But he has the added bonus of being far more observant than his fellow former Nobody. He has to be, if he wants to keep an eye out for Heartless or Xehanorts.

He looks up from the shop he's browsing to see an extremely familiar weapon...instrument...strapped to the back of a familiar silhouette. ...what, is the whole Demyx an idiot? He steps behind him, follows him almost to the main courtyard. Once there's far less crowd around he speaks up.]

Y'know...when you're human, the darkness is too dangerous to just go flinging yourself around to different worlds. You need a ship that bad, I can put in a good word for you.

[melodiouspacifist]

[Myde isn't surprised he's being followed, in fact, he's had that feeling for awhile now that someone is following him. He hasn't looked back, but he's felt like maybe someone is there. His instincts are pretty good, despite the casual demeanor.

He tilts his head in acknowledgement and stops walking. He seems to take a deep breath, of course, he isn't ready to meet anyone yet but he responds by turning around with a bright grin in place.]

Hey Axel! [Of course he'd recognize that voice anywhere. It's expected that he'd be cheerful, bubbly and friendly and he can play the part. It doesn't matter how he feels, does it?]

Nah, don't trouble yourself over me. [A sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck idly.] I was just doing some sightseeing!

[chakramkeyblade]

"Nah, I don't use that name anymore. It's Lea. Got it memorized?"

He's friendlier, too. More open with himself. No longer the trickster flitting around the shadows like a will o'the wisp, luring others to their doom. Sure, he's still got a mischievous streak. But he's not malicious about it at all.

"What about you? So long as we're doing actual introductions..."

[heartismyown]

Sora was a master of surprise sometimes. Roxas couldn't be sure of all the details as to how he managed it, but more interestingly enough he'd been popped out of his Somebody in a convenient, familiar place.

The clock tower in Twilight Town.

The deed done, the brunette promised him a surprise and so he waited in his Organization uniform coat, seated not on the ledge but behind it, just soaking in the sun. He had his eyes closed, head tilted back.

He was full of feelings and emotions and just freedom. What he did't know was that Sora had in store for him only the best kind of reunion there was.

[chakramkeyblade]

Now why would Sora want him to come all the way up here? Sure, he said he had Roxas's memories, and it checked out. He knew things that only he and Roxas would know. A few offhand comments, some of the things they liked to do. It takes him a while to get up there, lost in thought as he is. He blinks once into the light, steppin out onto their old meeting spot. He's a bit tired, to be honest. Between practicing with his keyblade and patrols, he finally has enough physical activity to keep him occupied.

"Okay, you win. You dragged me out here. Now what did you want to..."

Then he saw him. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Looking like Sora and Ventus both at the same time. Lea's eyes widened, and a tiny sound knotted in his throat as he backed up towards the tower's stairs again. No. No. Not again. "You're...supposed to be... how?" He brings his hands up, scrubs at his face, his eyes, making sure it's not a hallucination. It doesn't look like one...

Lea collects himself, taking a deep breath as his confusion and surprise is quickly replaced with anger. He bares his teeth for all of a fraction of a second, green eyes narrowing. "Who did it...? Was it Xemnas? I can't believe it, he..."

[heartismyown]

Sora had had Roxas' memories but how many could he possibly have now that Roxas had them back? It would be an interesting question to explore at some other time.

Roxas had been lost in just enjoying the breeze in his hair and the sun on his face when Lea's voice interrupted his thoughts. That wasn't the reaction he would have expected from him, backing away...although the anger wasn't a total surprise.

With his arm trembling a little from the effort, Roxas got to his feet. "Axel!" He protested, clearing his throat a little. He was the one who should be freaking out, he'd been incorporeal for a long time. Of course, if Lea was going to react like this, he might go out and do something foolish.

"Just think for a minute. Why would Sora tell you to come here if Xemnas did this?" His lips quirked a little bit. His heart swelled, he had missed his best friend. He wanted to hug him, but not while he was freaking out.

[chakramkeyblade]

He was right. Of course he was right. It was Sora that had asked him to come here. But if Roxas was here, then...

Lea swallowed, slumping his back against the wall, trying to make sense of this. Any of it. But in the end, it was the one thing nagging him that broke him out of his stunned silence. "It's Lea," he breathed finally. "My real name. It's Lea."