A Second Chance

Back to Basics

"That one looks like a turtle."

"Uh-uh. That's totally a chicken."

"Dude, what? Are you blind? No way."

All you can do is stare at Ven and Sora, wondering how exactly they were meant to be saviors of the worlds. For the past 20 minutes they've been arguing over which animals the constellations in the sky look like. Needless to say, the conversation was making you lose brain cells rapidly. But at the same time, it was nice seeing them get along. They had a similar joy for life and excitement that was contagious, and when they got together it was like the most pure type of brightness you've ever seen.

As the night wore on, everyone trickled outside to join you and Ven. It was nice just hanging out, a feeling of ease and serenity passing over the group as the much-anticipated victories of saving Aqua and Ven were celebrated. No one but you really knew them, and Sora was of course the nosiest of the bunch, prying into their life stories with absolutely no shame. After he was satisfied with their responses, he and Ven decided to star-gaze as Aqua and Kairi started to work on making lanyards and you, Riku, and Lea just sat on the grass and talked. You could pick up on the fact that Riku was apprehensive around the ex-Nobody, and it was your goal to make them be friends.

"So, you met Ven?" you ask Lea, breaking the silence that had briefly grown between the three of you.

"Mmmmmhm. Same day you came back and dined and dashed," Lea tells you, a playful glint to his eyes as you roll yours. "You were a couple hundred short, I thought Isa was gonna explode he was so pissed."

"Oh, whatever. You both probably owed me munny anyway," you grumble under your breath.

"How long did you two know each other?" Riku asks as he slowly rips out blades of grass one by one, watching as they blow away in the light breeze before moving onto another one.

"Since you were, what, five? We were friends with her brother, me and Isa. Little [Name] would tag along and annoy the hell out of us," Lea explains.

"Isa..." Riku mutters, his eyes narrowed in confusion at why that name sounds so strangely familiar. "You mean... you were friends with Saix too, [Name]?" he realizes, looking over at you as he puts two and two together.

The more he learns about you, the more he understands just how much of an enigma you truly are. Your life is one huge mystery to him still, even after knowing you for over a year.

"Not Saix. Isa," you correct with a nod, refusing to accept this new name just as you refuse to accept 'Axel.' "He's so smart, and funny. Cocky, but not egotistical. Reminds me of you a little bit, Riku," you tell the silver-haired male to his surprise, causing his face to soften a bit at the comparison. "Never met his Nobody version. Kinda don't want to..."

"He's a jackass now," Lea mutters grumpily, taking you by shock. This was the first time he's even somewhat opened up about Isa since the two of you reunited. "He's so far up Xemnas' ass, they practically share a body."

"That's... graphic," you reply with a little shudder at the image.

"I've only seen him a handful of times. I never met him before the change, but he's definitely not funny," Riku tells you. "He's very cold, and cruel."

You stare down at the grass as Riku speaks, feeling a wave of sadness fall over you. Of course Isa wouldn't be the same now. You had a sneaking suspicion that you were lucky that Lea was basically the same. But hearing that your, and your brother's, old friend had changed so much wasn't exactly comforting. So many people have been destroyed, and for what? One man's ego trip?

"Think we'll be able to get him back?" you ask, glancing between the two men. "I mean, if we're trying to find Roxas... why not Isa, too?"

"Mm," Lea hums, raising a hand to the back of his head as he gives his hair a vigorous scratch. "The difference there is Roxas wants to come back. I don't get the same vibe from Isa. Saix. Whatever he's going by now."