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NOTICE: I do NOT own rights to Square-Enix, it's sister companies nor have any legal rights to any of the subjects mentioned in this story. I do NOT own rights to Buena Vista Studios or its sister companies, and I own no rights to any copyrighted content in the story below.

This is for entermainment of those who read it only. It is not for sale in part or in whole, and any selling and/or claiming of this story by another person was not allowed nor permitted by the writer.

Thank you, and enjoy the story. It is generally narrated through Axel's experiance. CAUTION TO READER: May contain spoilers to the following games:
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories and Re:Chain of Memories
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Kingdom Hearts II
Read at your own spoiler risk.

Homebodies​

Soft shun the Less Lunar version Kingdom Hearts upon the Island that never was. It was a bright and sunny day in the always tropical and balmy region where the Nobodies and Heartless enjoyed the summer sun. The food was grand and the entertainment was constant for the denizens of the Island, Organization XIII. Skies were never bluer on any other world; no ocean was calmer, cooler, or less salty and painful to the senses, and Nobodies ever had to contend with the fact they couldn’t feel without having a heart.

On the shining, lukewarm to the sandaled foot, whites sand beaches, Axel was enjoying his four month long vacation from work, along with the other Organization Agents. It was another easy morning, fun afternoon and likely another relaxing evening this day, in beautiful sunshine. Wearing a red Hawaiian flame-print t-shirt, khaki shorts and brown sandals, Axel was just resting his head out on the soft sands, eyes guarded from harmful UV’s by stylish shades, when a familiar voice ran out to him.

“Axel! Hey Demyx, Xion, Luxord, I found Axel!†The voice of Jesse McCartney…err…Roxas joyously called out from somewhere on the hot sandy beach, the waves now lapping against Axel’s toes.

Axel sat up and removed his shades, a noticeable tan line making him look something similar to a tan raccoon. Unknowing and not caring of the eye-mask, Axel smiled and waved to a rag tag crew running up to him. There was Roxas, Axel’s Best Friend, Xion, Axel’s Other Best Friend, and Demyx and Luxord, other members of Organization XIII. Each one was dressed as he was.

Roxas was wearing black-and-white checkered swim shorts, barefooted, followed by Luxord, who wore a black and grey striped beach shirt and black Bermuda shorts, and Demyx, also wearing swim shorts, with an aquatic styling to them, followed closely by Xion, wearing a black one-piece bathing suit. They were all laughing as they raced each other on the beach, tackling one another until Demyx took out Roxas into a tumble into the sand, tripping Xion who tripped Luxord by mistake. Everyone on the beach had a good laugh, including Axel’s Tanning buddies Saïx, Zexion, and Larxene.

Roxas pulled himself out of the laughing dog pile and chuckled lightly. “What’s so funny?†He asked sarcastically, hardly masking the fact he knew. And everyone broke out into hard laughter, genuine laughter that was at one time looked down at and out of reach by Nobodies like them.

While Roxas lent a hand to the others fallen to get them back on their feet, Axel chortled and looked over at Saïx beside him, whose face was one Axel had not seen him wear in a long time. What Axel found funniest of all was how Saïx’s recent tan practically made the Luna Diviner’s “X†shaped scar disappear.

“Hey Saïx, it’s really good to see your having a good time, man. Been awhile since the last time you showed any sort of ghost of an emotion beside anger or hate.†Axel punched Saïx in the arm tenderly.

“Watch it, Axel. The tan.†Saïx rubbed his arm while still talking in an exuberant mood.

“Right, right, sorry man.†Axel apologized, running an ungloved, for once, hand through his red spiky locks.

“There is no need to be sorry, old friend.†Saïx said still in a joyful mood but no longer guffawing. “If you hadn’t suggested moving headquarters to this island, we would never have gotten such results! All the Organization Operatives are working harder than ever knowing they have this to come back to after work, Everyone’s happier, and Kingdom Hearts in nearly complete, even though we had to start over.†Saïx was absolutely thrilled to give the list.

“Stop, man, you’re making me blush.†Axel joked and slipped back on his shades and rested his head back onto the sand.

“No really Axel, thank you. Thank you for this wonderful idea and this wonderful paradise.†Saïx said almost seriously. “I only ask, though, that you leave your slumber and wake up.†Saïx said with the most definite tone of emptiness.

Axel’s eyes immediately shot open and unfortunately, he did not see the bright heart-shaped sun beating down on him through black lenses. All he saw was the white interior of his room, lying back on his uncomfortable bed. A window to left confirmed his presence back in the World that never was, surrounded by darkness and the same old gothic Nobodic architecture. He resealed his tired green eyes tightly, hoping that he might be able to travel back simply by doing so.

Eventually, very quickly, he forced himself to sit up, in full uniform, boots dangling a half an inch above the solid and cold floor. Axel gave a tired yawn and a stretch, the effects of fatigue lasting on his body though he lacked the capacity to feel the ecstasy of rejoining the world after a night’s rest. All he could feel was what his body and mind told him he felt, and that was tired. He just wanted to lie back in bed and sleep, but knowing the real Saïx, he wouldn’t be able to do that.

Standing up and doing one last stretch, touching his toes to help give the stiff board that was his spine a few bending points. Starting another tiresome and empty day, Axel left his room, performing the traditional gesture whenever he left his room, which was lifting his index finger and thumb on one hand, pointing the tip of his index finger to his temple, and then using his middle finger to pull the trigger, blew his brains out while uttering a firing sound.

Sometimes Axel really wished his pointer finger had the ability to truly end his misery so easily. But then what? Fade back into darkness and with a serious headache? Why make Roxas or Demyx have to clean up cranium bits on such an already bleak day?
*****

A heart does not control whether or not a body is hungry, or when it has to relax or even when it has to visit the little Nobody’s room. So before Axel had to turn in for work, it was the same microwave Shrimp Ramen cup for breakfast in the Mess hall kitchen. It was the same as the rest of the castle: white walls and floors, with little actual furniture. Only white counters, cupboards that erupted out of the floors and walls like mini plateaus, a white fridge, a small round table with four chairs empty around it, and a white box on a counter that barely resembled what someone may call a microwave.

Axel went through to usual steps, grabbing his Ramen cup out of the farthest left cupboard, bypassing Demyx’s Captain Hook sugar-coated sugar-based diabetic’s nightmare and Saïx’s box of imported coffee beans, his sustenance being the first one up every morning to make everyone else’s as painful as possible, Axel grabbed a the usual Styrofoam cup. He didn’t need to read the cooking instructions, he just cooked it the same way he did every morning. He lifted the plastic off the top of the cup, filled it up halfway and since Saïx made every Nobody’s existence a lecture whenever the microwave had one stain inside it, which was often very noticeable considering the common color scheme, Axel solved the problem by using a unique heating method.

Lighting up the palm of the hand opposite the one holding the Ramen cup with a fiery blaze, Axel simply held the cup over his own little handheld stove, and semi-delicious flash-dried fake vegetables and sodium-packed noodles in a steaming soup of shrimp-flavored chicken broth, Axel sipped his morning meal on his way out the archway exit, down the hall, and had finished with it by the time he had reached the Grey Area, where a few stragglers had refused to start their missions just yet, not that Axel could blame them. There was only him, Roxas, Xion, Xigbar, Saïx, Xemnas, Demyx, Xaldin and Luxord left in the whole Organization, after the catastrophe of Castle Oblivion.

Occasionally Axel thought back to his involvement in the whole matter, and almost felt guilty… or at least recalled a moment in his Somebody life when he had actually felt guilt and worked with that. It was Axel who pretty much caused the fallings of Marluxia, Zexion, Vexen, and Larxene. Lexeaus was handled by another force Axel had never found out the exact details of, just that the kid named Riku from C.O, but he set Marluxia’s and Larxene’s fate through taking the floor out from under their hostile takeover, killing Vexen in the process and getting rid of Zexion on a separate agenda. That was the Pre-Roxas-and-Xion Axel. Now the whole agenda that made I-VI obstacles was now a long gone idea.

Axel didn’t care Saïx hated him. Axel knew Saïx didn’t even have the thought of pretending to feel anything, including hatred, and while he appeared angry very often, it was only because Axel’s old friend Isa was a completely hollowed out shell of what he used to be. Unlike himself and the others, Axel knew Saïx saw emotions in general totally beyond their power, and a waste of time to even try to feign personality.

Not that Isa never had a personality just that he hated what he became so much, he currently was on a self-destructive meltdown. Giving a sigh for his dearly departed friend, Axel walked up to Roxas first, still holding the mostly empty Ramen cup.

“Good morning, Roxas. Know if we’re teamed up today? Or just if I’m teamed up with anyone?†Axel asked his much shorter comrade with spiky brownish-orange hair, looking down into the pair of bluer than blue eyes that looked back up at his. Axel really did regret killing Vexen and Zexion directly at least. With half of the Organization dead and quite literally gone, that left teaming up a rare occurrence in the current mission set-ups. The two-man teams made it easier work and by that, more time to eat ice cream with Roxas and Xion and more time to sleep until the next day.

“Saïx hasn’t said yet. But I heard Xigbar and Xaldin talking, and they say there’s something going on today that’s “Unheard of†and “A waste on effort.†Roxas replied changing his voice towards the end to his best version of Xigbar then Xaldin. Axel couldn’t help but give a laugh for the effort.

“Thanks anyway, man. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.†Axel responded, looking next over towards Saïx, standing in the same old boring spot right in the frame of the tall window smack-dab in the middle of the room at the opposite end of the door.

Saïx looked like he was in a mood today. Just like every day and only one thought came to mind: shell. Axel walked over and gave a mock salute.

“What’ve you got for me today, sir?†Axel thought he’d play with Xemnas’s right hand Nobody this morning, pushing a few buttons on the Berserker’s control panel.

Saïx gave a chilling glare in response to the jab, and then just shrugged the notion off, keeping eye contact with Axel as he did so. “You are teamed up today. It is an important mission the Superior says will finish Kingdom Hearts ahead of schedule.â€

“You don’t say.†Axel forced himself not to roll his eyes. Xemnas the Superior of the In-between was hell-bent on finished the giant Heart shaped moon Axel could see through the window over Saïx’s shoulder. But this was good news because if the mission was to Collect Hearts that meant his partner would be Roxas for the day. Possibly even Xion as well.

“Due to the bulk of your mission, you will be away from Headquarters for close to a year.†Saïx calmly and effortlessly dropped the bombshell that made Axel become alert.

“Whoa, so how big is this mission?†Axel gave almost genuine surprise and enthusiasm in his voice.

“Colossal. And it will not just be you and Roxas. We have also assigned Luxord and Demyx to accompany you both.â€

“What about Xion?†Axel figured he’d try to squeeze Xion in, since she’d probably be left alone with Roxas, Axel or even Luxord and Demyx around.

“That creature is not fit to be given rite to see the city where you will be going. It is almost a privilege for you four to be going, and as though I would let it have such a royalty.†Saïx said with the usual subtext he spoke whenever Xion was brought up. He despised Xion, though mostly no one knew exactly why.

“I dunno. Thinking only Four Organization Members and only one Keyblade will get such a colossal job done in a year? Sounds like a possible two year trip to me. That if Roxas doesn’t just fade away into darkness halfway through from the overload.†Axel set the bait. Saïx was the Bass and to Axel, a word that rhymed with the fishy metaphor.

Saïx appeared to give the notion some thought. “Fine then. If you must have it with you, I cannot complain if my eyes are not bothered by that waste of precious time.†Saïx gave a sweep of an arm motioning the end of the discussion and closed his eyes as though a migraine were coming up in the mind that remained of the original Isa.

“Saïx you’re a Saint.†Axel gave an encore mock salute and left the chatter box to sit on a nearby couch, in order to sort out what he’d need for a year-long trip. In the meantime, he’d also try to figure out what kind of city he’d be going to that needed the presence of four Organization Agents. He also thought of the times he Roxas and Xion could have in such a place, with company like Demyx and Luxord.

Out of the rest of the remaining Organization, Luxord and Demyx weren’t so bad. Demyx was lazy and not exactly a workaholic and Luxord spoke in Poker Jargon and rhetoric all the time, but at least they had well performed personalities. Xigbar was the only other that even came close to that point. Xaldin was half-empty, and Saïx and Xemnas were the like two peas in a pod as flash frozen as the single bean pod left at the bottom of the Ramen cup had been at the lid opening ceremony.

Axel gave the remaining contents a swirl and gulped them down before he got up to leave and get packing. He’d need quite a few things before going away from home for a whole year. The truth was he didn’t want a reason to come back to the Fun that never was even for a moment.
*****

Later, back in his room and Ramen-less, having disposed of the cup by placing it stomped and left in front of Vexen’s old room for Saïx to find, Axel was filling a bulky black duffel bag to the gills with multiple gears when Eternal Flames and Ashes wouldn’t help much, potions, Hi-potions, Mega-potions (He’d need them working with four others so he even spent quite a bit stocking up on more from the Moogle in the Grey area), Ethers, Elixirs, and the works, including a few extra cloaks and on a hunch, civilian clothing. Putting the revelry of rings into the side pockets, Axel finally zipped the whole kit and caboodle tightly up.

Then after only a few hours of gathering, Axel suddenly realized he had no way to kill time before the bus arrived. And by bus Axel mentally referred to the Corridor to Darkness that would be opened and closed for him, but held open only so long as it suited Saïx. If one were to force his Cosmic-ness to concentrate on the portal for too long, he had been known to close them while a Member had been stepping through simply because he had wasted Saïx’s time.

That episode had caused Axel to lose half his day looking for Demyx’s severed leg that could have been anywhere in Twilight Town. Luckily there was no blood, but the whole fact the leg was still moving because technically it was still connected to its owner (Vexen would later explain the specifics of Corridors to Darkness and teleportation dismemberment), and Zexion sure wasn’t happy to have to reconnect Demyx to his leg from the knee down.

Axel still couldn’t figure out Demyx’s position in that little happening. Axel guessed Demyx was either partially happy to have the day off, or was true to his drama by freaking out on everybody in the closest comparison to actual emotion Axel had ever seen since joining the Organization. Thank Lexeaus for his “Sedation method†which involved giving Demyx a good bonk to the scalp or else the Castle that never was would have been comparable to a Saw movie scene with Demyx’s screams and shouts almost being heard from Twilight Town through betwixt and between.

When having nothing to do but relax or go out and about before time, Axel usually picked sleeping over walking. So lying back on his sheet-less bed, Axel rested his head on the pillow and took a detour trip to Snoozeville. If he didn’t have to go just yet, he wouldn’t.
*****

“Axel, wake up.†A commanding and disdainful voice ordered Axel in slumber. In the midst of sleep, Axel could see the owner of the voice, whose yellow eyes stared him down, standing across the way, surrounded by darkness.

“If you will not heed my orders, I shall enforce them myself.†Saïx said coldly, his voice lowering to a hiss, and his yellow irises spread like a poison to fill out the rest of his eyes with the venomous shade. His normally neat long blue hair became ragged and messy while his facial scar deepened and his face became incredibly feral. The Lunatic had come out once more, Claymore summoned and ready to drive Axel into the ground.

Axel readied himself to fight, a ring of fire encircling them both, firewalls blazing and giving off heat, yet no light in the darkness. Axel summoned his own weapons, the two wheels formally known as Chakrams, and he prepped his inner-energy for the battle.
Saïx continued to hiss and spit in Axel’s general direction, barely even resembling Saïx at all, being in his berserker state. It would be a challenge to fight him, but Axel knew he would have to to survive. The battle began with a heavy blow from the Lunatic Claymore, Axel having to block the attack with his left Chakram wheel. But the Momentum was too great, and though he blocked himself from most of the fierce lunge, Axel was sent flying backwards and into the flame.

This was an advantage. Hiding in the flames, Axel confused his animalistic foe and just when he last expected it, Axel flew out from behind him and sent a deadly spike right into the empty space where a heart had once been housed. To a Somebody, this attack was an instant kill. To a Nobody, it was mortal.

Berserk Saïx gave a long mournful howl and Lunatic evaporated into nothing as a white stream of light. Reverting back into his normal form, Saïx clutched his chest, the spike removed from his back. He broke and fell to his knees, shaking and shivering, the beginnings of his fading back into darkness. Slowly, Saïx turned his head and yet again only his Iris’s were yellow, the two other colors returning to his now very sad, defeated looking eyes.

Axel felt no grief in the takedown. It had to be done, and nothing more about it. He de-summoned Eternal Flames and stood like a statue before the dying Saïx. Then the whole firewall collapsed in a quick dying of flames until nothing was left of the pyre ring, and as did the darkness surrounding the two.

Axel lost all thought he had from before as he looked around in shock of where they were: Radiant Gardens, Saïx and his own home world, before they were Nobodies… when they were Isa and Lea. Axel couldn’t take it, being back in such a familiar courtyard, he simply broke down and also dropped to his knees, dazed and at eye level with the defeated Saïx.

At eye level, Axel could see clearly as next Saïx’s irises changed coloration, becoming a familiar turquoise color instead. Blue locks receded until what was left was a shorter version on the hairstyle Saïx wore. Lastly, Saïx was no longer Number VII of the Organization, as years flew by in reverse, and Saïx became Isa in a black coat with a hole in the back. The look of sadness was stronger than ever as the teenager looked back at the current Axel.

The sadness and pain had reached the rest of the young face, making his lips tremble and his knees shake. All Isa did was stare back at Axel, confused and betrayed, emotions Axel could read were real.

“I’m sorry you know. I didn’t mean to become what I did. I don’t hate you. I hated me.†Isa was able to choke out in short sentences in his voice from ages before, a voice Axel hadn’t heard in a long time.

Axel’s jaw was hanging open, unsure of what to say to this dying friend. The worst confusing thing was Isa was wearing the black coat and wasn’t fading like Vexen or Zexion had. He was just still there.

“I was hoping as soon as Kingdom Hearts was finished, I’d go back to the way I was before. We could be friends again. We could have hearts again and maybe you me and Roxas could be friends together.†Isa admitted. He then bowed and shook his head. “I’m forgetting Xion. I’d be friends with Xion too. But I guess now it’s too late.†Tears were forming in Isa’s eyes and he fought to force them back and he sniffed and grunted in the overlapping of emotions and pain. “Tell her that I’m sorry for how I treated. Okay, Lea?†He finally couldn’t control the tears and began sobbing, gasping for breath that would not reach him, as if the air before him wasn’t there.

“Isa!†Axel finally gained the nerve to get up and dash to the dying boy’s side, catching him as he began to fall forward and cradling the much more human Saïx tenderly as if there was hope. “Don’t die, man! I’m sorry too! I didn’t give you a break, always hating the hollowed out shell you became. You just acted so different and it was like I didn’t know you anymore! Just don’t die Isa, please!†Axel yelled in a state of grief and sorrow he didn’t know he felt.

Isa was still staring back up to him, looking him dead in the eye though as weakly as he was. “Tell Xion I am sorry for the way I treated… her…, Lea…†Isa’s final word in the request had been one that was guttural and not a word of the English language at all. It had been the last breath from Isa’s lungs releasing itself from Isa’s body, as his entire body had shut down.

Axel shook the body and it wiggled like a ragdoll, the head hanging back like his neck lacked a functioning spine, and his feet and limbs lay and hung in odd positions. There was no mistaking it, that Isa had just died in Axel’s arms. Axel had killed his best friend for his own survival, and now the proof was dead in his hold. Axel laid the corpse on its back, fixing the arms and feet so that they didn’t just drop from an absence of nerve system control. Closing the hauntingly half-closed eyes fully, Axel simply sat on his knees, staring down at his fallen friend who he had murdered.

Now it was Axel who was the hollowed out shell, the one without a heart or any feeling. The tears Isa had fought back proved that he died feeling the pain and egression. And Axel couldn’t even serve up a single tear for his dead friend, asking himself what would be the point if he did. It was pointless. He didn’t have a heart, so why bother pretending like he did. Axel just bowed his head and closed his eyes.

When he opened them, blinding light filled his eyes. And he was no longer on his knees either, because he was looking up at the same familiar ceiling above his head. He awoke with a startled convulsion, hearing a voice speak to him that he had heard just before; convinced he had just murdered the maker of the voice. “Isa I’ll tell her for you!†Axel promised without thinking about his words.

“Tell who what? What are you babbling about, Axel?†A cold and demanding voice asked with a slight note of exasperation. “I have been ordering you to wake up for nearly thirty minutes. If it were anyone but you I would have already sent Roxas, Luxord, Demyx, and the abomination along without your pathetic hide.â€

Axel sat up and looked to his bedside. Indeed, there was the fully grown Saïx standing before him, a disappointed glare in his once again yellow eyes. Axel replied by sighing deeply, not sure which emotion would have gone with this situation. Relief that Saïx was alive? Embarrassment that what he had just seen was all a fake? Longing to see Isa again?

“Take your things and report to the Grey Area at once. If I do not see you there as soon as I take my usual position, I’m cancelling your mission altogether. Kingdom Hearts be damned until we can finish it in the way planned, taking longer but surer.†And Saïx left radiating Anger, Hate, and Disappointment.

Axel just stared blankly at the ceiling. “I could try stabbing him in the back again. If he doesn’t turn into Isa again then at least he’d be out of my hair…†Axel weighed the options out loud once Saïx was surely out of earshot.
*****

“It’s about time you got back. We were starting to worry we’d be forced to leave without you.†Roxas put his emotions on the table, forgetting once again that he lacked the ability to actually worry. Still Axel knew what his friend meant.

The other four were packed for the trip as well. Roxas and Xion were sharing the load of a black duffel bag the same size as Axel’s, Demyx was carrying a guitar case on his back holding onto a strap that went over and under his left shoulder while his right hand held a small navy blue bag that likely carried clothes, and Luxord had packed light, simply a metallic briefcase and a small bag like Demyx’s. They were the only ones in the Grey Area besides Saïx in the same old spot where he always stood, eyeing down Axel especially.

Axelored the sneering gaze and lifted his duffel bag higher onto his shoulder and walked up to the mission director. “I’m ready.†He affirmed.

“As it appears you all are, I am allowing you passage. Good luck in your mission, and try to keep to it.†It wasn’t a request, it was an order. “Keep an eye on that thing once your there.†Saïx gave a nod to Xion, who was thankfully too distracted by Demyx, Luxord and Roxas to have noticed the allusion. Then with a flourish, Saïx opened a dark, swirling portal of purple, black and periwinkle mixing in a dark vortex.

Axel called back to the others and they heard him, noticed the Corridor and followed in suite. As Axel was about to travel through to the other side, Saïx uttered one last notion, “Your mission is to Collect Hearts in Sunam City. Do not fail. That goes double for the puppet.â€

It would appear that in Birth by Sleep Pete catches something a bit like scitzophrania, being two different enigmas "Captain Justice" and "Captain Dark". The hero who also plays the villain, and it's an actor like Pete... Five bucks says he can't pull it off.

Truth betold, it's actually a popularity contest that pushes Pete into having two more personas. He apparently wants the most votes to attain the Million Dreams award, and is cheating to do so. As the game goes however, one can probably figure out who are the three who win the prize at the end.

This also gives the reason King Mickey Banished Pete in the First place, after he jumps on stage, having not won, and causing a yet-to-be described uproar. Who knew it would be that simple a reason.

Anyways, the questions this thread asks are:

Thoughts on Pete's pathetic playing of two, possibly three personalities?

What is the Million Dreams award?

Also, it would appear Pete "dies" somewhere after KH II in Coded. Thoughts on this as well, as the discussion is after all, Pete?

In 365/2 Days, you perform recon mission to different worlds to assest what happens there and how the denizens live out their daily lives. Alot of these same things you examine in the story of 365/2 Days you can see in KH and KH II. So by making these recon missions where you try to use some manner of brain power to figure out why they designed things out of the oridinary inton the game, does anyone think Square-enix has some animators feeling under appreciated?

Who else pretty much figured things out in KH II and KH before they ever did 365/2 Days? That's another point I'd like to make. So, what does anyone think?