Distance

As I approached the top of the tower's staircase, I heard raised voices from the other side of the door. A high squeaky voice… that Mickey Mouse guy?

"Don't you think we should go and help them?" I heard Mickey shout.

"Where would we begin?" An older voice, Yen Sid, asked in exasperation.

I opened the door softly and peered through the crack. Mickey was standing determinedly before Yen Sid's desk.

"We'd follow the bonds between our hearts," The King said, holding his hand over his heart and bowing his head. He frowned and looked up in newfound determination. "A long time ago, Master Aqua taught me that."

The old wizard sighed and closed his eyes.

He's gonna say no… I thought. He won't let him help the Keyblade master.

My heart quickened and my breath caught in my throat. If he wouldn't let him, then there went my chances of saving them…

As soon as the old man opened his mouth with his final decision, I burst into the room with long confidant strides. The small mouse jumped back in surprise and Yen Sid raised his thick eyebrows.

"Axel!" the King exclaimed.

Yen Sid shook his head slowly. "No… I do believe you are mistaken, King." He looked me right in the eye. It made me feel like he was looking right through me.

I furrowed my brow and crossed my arms. "Mickey's right. The bonds between hearts are not something easily broken. As long as friends remember each other, the distance between their hearts will never grow." I smirked slightly. "You probably know why I'm here, so let's cut to the chase. I want them back."

"Them?" Mickey interrupted.

I ignored him. "Sora is the key. What's gotta be done to get them back?"

The star-cloaked Master smiled knowingly. "It's not an easy path-"

"What path is?" I asked, quickly growing irritated. "I lost my heart, joined the Organization, betrayed Roxas and I…" I clenched my jaw. "And I forgot."

Her…

With a deep breath I calmed myself. "I fought so Sora could save his friends. And now I'm here."

Mickey jumped to my defense, but I simply stared the old man down, with a determined gaze. "Axel here can do whatever needs to be done. If he was friends with Roxas, he was friends with Sora. He can help!"

"I'll say it again," the crazy looking old man said to me. "It's not an easy path."

"Yeah," I said with a nod and uncrossed my arms. "Hurry up and get on with it." I knew the price. I'd paid the ultimate price twice. I didn't think there was anything I wouldn't give up for my friends to come back.

He closed his eyes in thought. I heard Mickey gasp as if he thought he'd say no. But I saw that look in his eye.

"You are right. The bridge that covers the distance between hearts can never be breached if the bond is strong enough." The old man looked up at me. "I'll tell you how to assist Sora and Riku. You and the King will go together."

"Glad to be working with ya, partner!" the mouse called up to me, holding out his hand. "What's your name by the way? Yen Sid said you weren't Axel…"

I knelt down and held out my gloved hand. "My name is Lea. Got it memorized?"

A/N: vildtiger, no I haven't seen the whole scene, I used poetic license. ^_^ I wrote what I thought to be a plausible explanation for what they discussed between the scenes we saw. Ienzo looked like he said 'them' in one scene, so I went with that.

I hope you guys like this! This shall be the final chapter of this short lives one-shot series. ;) We'll have to wait and see what happens when Dream Drop Distance comes out!

Update 9/22/2012: Yes, I know that it isn't accurate to the game. Sorry! ^_^ I wrote this before it came out. I want to write out a more accurate version sometime soon. Hopefully. :) Please enjoy this story for what it is: a fanfiction.

In Christ,

~ Timber Wolf