Disclaimer: dood, fanfiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act.


Metal collided violently and repeatedly in a meticulously orchestrated altercation; the resulting din reverberated against the shallow water and rough, rocky walls of the cavern and echoed sharply in the two warriors' ears. Leon deflected a swift thrust aimed at his side and stepped forward in one smooth motion to pin both the blond and his weapon against the wall.

"Do you concede?" Leon asked through gritted teeth, using the weight of his body and blade combined to still the other's struggle.

Their breaths mingled for a moment, shallow and volatile, and cold blue eyes bored deeply into narrowed steel blue ones. A growl built low in Cloud's throat, and he roughly shoved the gunblader back and spun behind him with a battle cry, twisting the hilt in his hand and flinging it out and back in a steep upward arc.

"Do you?" he challenged. The very edge of his blade trembled slightly against Leon's throat as the man carefully swallowed. Cloud kept his back to the brunet and held his arm steady, the sword perfectly horizontal in his rigid grip.

"I haven't given up yet," Leon countered quietly, flexing his wrist.

Cloud looked down as the movement caused the weapon hovering at his waist to fray a few threads of blue knit fabric. He grimaced. Leon had predicted his retaliation, naturally, and had already been in motion by the time Cloud ducked away. "You know, I think we do this too often."

Still back to back, each of them smirked.

Nah.

They broke apart simultaneously and prepared to attack anew.