He leaned against the wall, just out of sight, and watched the boy. Spiky haired, goofy clothes, and the biggest damned feet he'd ever seen on a teenager. If he grew into them, like a puppy, the kid was gonna be a giant. For now, he was a skinny fourteen year old, and somehow, this...puppy...was supposed to save them all from the Darkness? How the King could believe this kid could do any such thing was beyond him. But all the same, he'd been charged with testing the boy with the keyblade, and there he was.
Leon had been following the stranger for some time; Cid had tipped him off as to the boy's arrival, and he'd picked up his tail when the kid entered second district. Now the boy was about to make his second foray out of the plaza, and Leon stepped out, speaking at last.
"They'll come at you out of nowhere." Leon began, and the boy whirled, that distinctive weapon appearing out of nowhere in his hands. The boy used it as if it was familiar, despite the oddness of the blade. "Who are you?" he demanded. Leon ignored him, and continued as if the question was unasked. "And they'll keep on coming at you, as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade. But why? Why would it choose a kid like you?" he asked, and realized, belatedly, that the last two sentences should have been internal, and he'd hurt the boy's feelings as the kid frowned.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" the boy demanded. Leon shook his head. "Never mind. Now, let me see that Keyblade." he ordered, reaching for the blade. The boy drew back. "What? There's no way you're getting this!" he declared, and Leon snorted softly. "Alright, then have it your way." he said flatly, and drew his gunblade; a separate part of his mind was amused at the strangeness of both weapons; a Key that was a Sword, and a Gun that was a sword as well. With a shout, the boy leapt at him, and Leon dodged, casting a fire spell at him. The boy staggered, and Leon dashed him, bashing him over the head with the flat of the blade. The kid's eyes rolled back, and he dropped on his face. Leon made a sound of disapproval.
"Hey, you found it! Nice going, Leon!" a cheerful voice stated, and he looked over his shoulder. Yuffie stood at the top of the stairs. "Looks like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse." he sighed. "Well, let's get that thing away from him, and take him to the Hotel. Aerith found the others and took them to the Red Room." she added, and he bent, heaving the kid over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Yuffie picked up the Keyblade, and they walked to the inn in silence.
Yuffie leaned over, and poked the boy in the cheek a couple of times. "Come on, Lazy Bum! Wake up!" she said cheerfully, and the boy groaned, eyes fluttering open. Leon wondered, for a moment, if he didn't overdo it. "You okay?" Yuffie asked, and the boy nodded, sitting up. "I guess..." he said absently, but Leon could see he was still a little out of it. He'd overdone it for sure. "Those creatures that attacked you were after the Keyblade. It's your heart they really want, because you wield the Keyblade." Yuffie explained, and the boy nodded absently. "I'm just glad you're ok, Kairi." he stated, and Yuffie looked to Leon in surprise. "Kairi? Who are you talking about? I'm the great ninja, Yuffie!" she said, and the boy stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. "I think you might've overdone it, Squall." the ninja stated, echoing his earlier thought. "That's Leon." he said flatly. He didn't even like the name. Just hearing his own name made him think about Her, about the past, about things he couldn't even really remember because the Darkness had swallowed everything nine years ago. Hell, he'd been the same age as this dumb kid back then. He wondered, for a moment, if she ever thought about him, wherever she was. Was she even alive?
"The Keyblade...Yeah, we had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures. It turns out that's how they were tracking you." Yuffie explained, ignoring his correction. "It was the only way to conceal your heart from them. But it won't work for long." Leon stated, pushing away from the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Still hard to believe that you of all people are the chosen one." he said, his inner monologue escaping again. He reached out, and picked up the keyblade in his hand.
The heft was not unlike his gunblade; for all their cosmetic differences, they were similarly odd weapons. Suddenly, the Keyblade vanished, and reappeared in the boy's grasp. "Well I guess beggars can't be choosers." he sighed, and the boy scowled. "Why don't you start making sense? What's going on here?!" he demanded, jumping to his : Why don't you start making sense! What's going on here?" the boy demanded. Leon sighed. "What's your name, kid?" he asked. The boy blinked. "Me? I'm Sora!" he stated, and Leon nodded. "So...you know there's other worlds out there, right? The one you came from, this place...tons of other worlds." he stated. "Yeah, that's what Riku believed." Sora nodded. "They were secret, before...but now they're connected, and you can travel between them. It's because of those creatures, the heartless." he stated.
Sora frowned. "The Heartless?" he asked. Yuffie nodded. "The ones who attacked you, you remember?" she prompted, and Sora nodded. Leon continued. "Those without hearts. The darkness in people's hearts-that's what attracts them. And there is darkness within every heart." he said firmly. Yuffie elbowed Sora, getting his attention. "Hey, have you heard of someone named Ansem?" she asked. Sora shook his head. "Ansem was studying the Heartless. He recorded all of his findings in a very detailed report. It's pages were scattered all over the worlds when we lost our world to the Heartless...but someone is out there, trying to recover it." Leon explained. "Only the Keyblade can truly defeat the Heartless...it, and it's chosen bearer, wield the Keyblade, a weapon of light, to defeat the Darkness. It's the key to...everything." he stated, shrugging a little.
"So...this is the key?" Sora mused, looking the weapon over. Yuffie nodded, smiling brightly. "Exactly!" she stated, and Leon spoke again, drawing Sora's attention away from the Ninja Girl. "The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade. That's why they'll
keep coming after you no matter what." Leon warned. Sora sighed. "Well, I didn't ask for this." he said grumpily. Yuffie smiled a little. "The Keyblade chooses its master. And it chose you." she reminded him. Leon snorted. "So tough luck." he shrugged. Sora shook his head.
"How did all this happen? I remember being in my room..." he began, then gasped. "Wait a minute! What happened to my home? My island? Riku! Kairi!" he asked, worry etched deeply on his face. Leon shrugged, more annoyed than he had been earlier. "You know what? I really don't know." he stated, shaking his head. "But Leon..." the kid began, and he cut him off. "Sooner or later, the Heartless will find you. You'd best prepare yourself." he said firmly. "Prepare myself? the boy asked. "To fight for your life. Are you ready?" Leon asked, eyes narrowed. Sora nodded. "I'm ready!" he said energetically, and Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, an old habit to prevent headaches caused by mental stress. Then he looked up at Yuffie. "Yuffie, let's go join Aerith. She should be there by now with the other visitors." he stated, and reached for the door as she gasped his name. "Leon!" she cried out, and he turned, watching a Heartless Soldier materialize in the room. "Yuffie, go!" he ordered, and Leon drew his gunblade as Sora readied his keyblade. "Sora, let's go!" he ordered.
The Heartless Soldier jumped out of the window and Leon followed it out with a crash of glass in their wake. Sora battled the ones still in the room, then joined Leon outside, fighting back to back with him. "Don't bother with the small fry. Find the leader! Let's go!" he encouraged, and Sora nodded. "Right!" he agreed, and they took off in opposite directions. Leon could only trust the boy not to get killed, but the Heartless just seemed to keep coming. "I'll take first district! You find their boss, and destroy him!" Leon stated. "Gotcha!" Sora agreed, and disappeared through a door that led to second district. Leon fought his way to the gates of First district, and slipped through, letting Cid and Yuffie close the gates behind him. "That was too close for comfort." he muttered, and Yuffie smirked. "You made it, right? I'd call that a win!" she added. "You would." Leon muttered.
Leon stood just inside the door, watching Sora, Donald, and Goofy fight the giant armored Heartless that had appeared. They didn't do too badly; the boy had determination, that was certain. They were victorious, so he figured that was a win, as Yuffie would have said. He approached as Sora began to question the others.
"So, you were looking for me?" the kid asked, and the others nodded. "They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade." Leon stated, joining them in the center of the plaza. Goofy's face lit up, and he looked at Sora. "Hey, why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel!" he suggested. Sora frowned, looking upset for a moment. "I wonder if I could find Riku and Kairi..." he began slowly, and Donald piped in immediately. "Of course." he stated. Goofy looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure?" he asked the duck sorcerer. Donald dragged him aside, and whispered something to him. Leon sighed. "Sora, go with them. Especially if you want to find your friends." he said firmly. He would have jumped at the chance to leave Traverse Town, to seek through other worlds. For Her. Them. Everyone. His home world had faded into the Darkness, lost to the depravities of Ansem and his wicked assistants. "Yeah, I guess." Sora said, and still didn't look happy about it. It made Leon want to kick him, just to change the look on his face. "But you can't come along looking like that understand? No frowning. No sad face. Okay?" Donald lectured the boy. Goofy got in on it. "Yeah, ya gotta look funny, like us!" he laughed, and Donald gave him a shove out of the way. "This boat runs on happy faces." he added firmly. Sora sighed. "Happy?" he repeated, then mustered up his biggest, goofiest smile, making the other travelers laugh. "That's one funny face!" Goofy laughed, and Sora finally laughed. "Okay, why not? I'll go with you guys." he agreed.
Leon watched with a ghost of a smile as the boy introduced himself, exchanging names with his new friends. They waved goodbye, and turned, walking towards wherever Donald and Goofy had parked their ship. Leon turned, and walked back to the Accessory shop, where the Moogles were working on their new Synthesist Shop. Somehow, those moogles could get everywhere, in every world, without much effort. The King had requested a notification when the Chosen One had been found.
"Was it him?" Cid asked, and Leon nodded. "He just left with the King's Guardsman and Sorcerer. I think they'll be okay." he sighed, taking the paper Cid offered, picking up a pen lying on the counter as he scribbled a quick note. "So now what?" Cid demanded. "We send the message...and we wait. See what happens. If the King is right, if Sora really is the one we've been waiting for...maybe we'll get to go home soon." he stated. Cid stared at him. "That sounds optimistic for you." he stated. "Yeah, that's all the enthusiasm I can muster right now, sorry." Leon sighed, and Cid snorted. "Right now? Try 'Ever'." he stated, but took the message, and grabbed a broom, rapping twice on the trap door in the ceiling. It opened, and he wordlessly handed the message to the moogle. Cid sighed, and looked at Leon. "And now...we wait."