Who would’ve thought a tiny rodent could cook? The fruit tart looked delicious; maybe they could eat it when they needed a little extra energy. “Hey! Guys!” “Hayner! Olette!” Their two friends from Twilight Town came running up to join them. “Hey, boss. Done with the posters,” Hayner reported to Scrooge. Apparently, their part-time job was putting up ads around town. Olette showed Sora, Donald, and Goofy one of the posters. “Mr. McDuck’s hosting an open-air film festival in the courtyard. Cool, huh?” Sora had no idea they did things like that here in town. Leave it to Scrooge to find a business opportunity anywhere. “Provide a bit of entertainment, and then give folks a nice, cozy place to relax. Like me bistro here. They’ll all be happy, an’ hungry, an’ ready to spend their money,” Scrooge said with an avaricious grin. “Gawrsh, he sure is canny. I always wondered how he keeps customers comin’ into his businesses over and over.” “Oh yeah, I’m no business guy, but I sure wouldn’t wanna be one of Uncle Scrooge’s competitors.” They all shared a chuckle at Goofy’s and Sora’s open admiration, but then Sora turned serious again. “Oh! Right. I need to warn you guys.” “Why?” Hayner asked meekly. “Well, those creepy-crawly things might come back for more, so stay on your toes.” “Sure, but don’t we have you guys to take care of ’em for us?” Hayner was laughing, but Olette seemed worried. “You have to leave again?” “Yeah,” Sora said with a nod. We have to go—but we’ll be back. “Sorry. Just do me a favor…” “Well, what is it? Don’t make it too tough,” Hayner warned him with a shrug. “I know how Roxas feels. To be lost. But Donald and Goofy…Kairi…brought me back by wishing with all their hearts. So…I was hoping the three of you would do the same and wish for Roxas.” “What? That’s it? That’s no favor. We’ll all wish. I’m wishin’.” Hayner grinned, and Olette bobbed her head. “Yeah! Me and Pence, too.” “Thanks,” Sora said with a soft smile. That’s right. If you want to wish someone back, one person isn’t enough. You need everyone to want it with everything they have. I’m sure we can bring Roxas back. Positive. Meanwhile—two shadowy figures were coldly observing Sora and his friends with hardened stares from the roof of a building overlooking the bistro: Ansem and Xemnas. Shortly after, Xigbar emerged from a Corridor of Darkness behind them. “Aren’t you making it a little too obvious?” he said. “We were instructed to guide him,” Xemnas replied. “Yes… Just look at them,” Ansem agreed, still watching the scene. “They wouldn’t get far if we did not spell it out.” “Fair enough. But let’s not forget how many times Sora still managed to rain on our parade.” Xigbar still had his doubts; they couldn’t be too careful. Ansem’s mouth twisted into a smirk. “If he wavers from the path we lay, we destroy him.” “But in that case…we’ll have to find ourselves another vessel.” Xigbar barked a laugh. Another vessel…, he says, as if it’s nothing. Just one piece of their grand, far-reaching plan. “That is why we never have just one iron in the fire,” Xemnas replied matter-of-factly. The three of them returned to watching the smiling group down below.
✦ ✦ ✦
INTERMISSION Letter I’m sorry I left without saying good-bye. Did Master Yen Sid tell you? I’m training to become a Keyblade wielder like you. That’s right. No more waiting for you to come back from your adventures. I want to get out there and do my part to help. Merlin has used his magic to bring us to a place where time doesn’t matter. We can take as long as we need to complete our training. He’s an amazing wizard. Oh, and by “us,” I mean me and Lea. He’s really sorry for all the trouble he caused. I told him it’s fine, but he won’t stop apologizing. I’ll admit I was a little scared of him at first, but I’ve gotten to know him better. All he ever wanted was to help his friend. Honestly, it’s hard not to like him. Every now and then, I catch him staring at me. When I ask what’s wrong, he says, “I’m not sure. I think I’m forgetting something. Don’t know what.” Sora, I think it may have something to do with you. Your journey is all about helping people: some that you’ve never met before, and some like Lea that you have. They’re all counting on you. It won’t be easy, but I hope you’ll remain the happy and cheerful Sora that I know. There’s no heart your smile can’t reach. Kairi was writing a letter to Sora. She always came to the hill here to watch the sun set after she finished training for the day. Sometimes Axel—Lea—joined her, and sometimes he didn’t. Today, she sensed someone coming behind her, and she turned around. “What’s wrong?” Lea looked a little out of it and scratched his head. “Nothin’, sorry.” “Lea… You’re doing it again.” He was always saying he was sorry; by now it was almost habit. She’d told him he didn’t need to so many times, but he kept doing it. The thought had crossed her mind that he was apologizing for more than just what he’d done to her as Axel in the past. Sometimes—I wonder if some of those apologies aren’t meant for someone else. “Ack, sorry.” Kairi couldn’t help but smile, even as he did it again. Lea sat down on a stone a short ways away from her as she went back to writing. “A letter?” he asked. “Yup.” “To Sora?” “Mmm, technically yes. But I won’t send it. It’s more for me.” A letter she didn’t plan to send— This wasn’t the first. She hadn’t really expected him to get that other letter, either. Thinking of you, wherever you are… “Ask Merlin. He’ll deliver it for you.” “Yeah, but it’s okay. I just like talking to Sora, even if it’s on paper.” “Okay,” Lea said, observing Kairi’s face the entire time. He always did that. Lea didn’t seem like the type of person to stare at others, but when they were together, he couldn’t take his eyes off her for some reason. Somehow, Kairi knew he needed to—that it was part of helping him recover an important memory. “Oh.” Lea gasped before pulling out two sticks of blue ice cream. Sea-salt ice cream, to be exact. He offered one to Kairi. “Here.” “Ice cream? Really?” “Yeah, I asked Merlin to pick these up. Ya know, we both did summon Keyblades. Gotta celebrate.” “You’re sweet, Lea.” He had gone back to staring at Kairi once she started eating her ice cream, only this time he seemed a little happier. “What?” she asked him, puzzled. Lea averted his eyes awkwardly. “N-nothing, I just…” “You’re trying to remember what you forgot?” “Well, I, uh… Yeah… Yeah.” Flustered, he turned back toward the sunset, perhaps recalling something. Something deeply meaningful to him. “So, tomorrow—you and me in the ring. You ready?” Kairi asked, waving her stick of sea-salt ice cream around like a Keyblade, but Lea still had his eyes on the sun. There was no telling what was on his mind. There was a hint of melancholy in his voice when he answered. “’Course.” “Don’t hold back, Lea. Promise?” Kairi said. She had no doubt that Lea—Axel—was the better fighter between them. Lea spun toward her and froze, eyes wide. The sea-salt ice cream slipped from his hand, and then silent tears suddenly spilled down his cheeks. “Huh? Are you okay? Lea!” Startled, Kairi hurried over to him. She had never seen a man older than her cry like this before. Not this hard, certainly. “Yeah… Sorry…” “You’re crying. What’s wrong?” Lea wiped his eyes and got to his feet, the barest trace of a bashful smile on his lips. “Something in my eyes.” “Lea…” He shrugged. “I’m…gonna go. Sorry.” “’Kay, but stop apologizing.” Lea had already started to leave, but he stopped and looked back at Kairi. “Fine… On one condition.” “What?” He smiled, a little bigger this time, and pointed a finger at his temple. “Call me Axel from now on. Got it memorized?” “Yeah. Okay, Axel,” Kairi replied with a grin. Axel it was, then. At Kairi’s feet, the fallen bar of sea-salt ice cream was resting among the four-leaf clovers at Kairi’s feet.