"Hey Leon!" Yuffie called from outside the room.
"What?" Leon asked, still reclining on his bed.
"Someone just showed up at the Entrance Hall of the castle, out of nowhere." Explained Yuffie.
"Eh, whatever." Leon closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep.
"I'd figure this person is someone you'd want to meet." Yuffie sounded infuriatingly suspicious. "He'd probably be happy to see you."
Leon's eyes snapped open and he was halfway to the door before he remembered himself. With a quick breath, he composed himself and opened the door. "So, he finally decided to show up, huh?"
The walk to the ruined castle was long, but uneventful. After the defeat of Maleficient, the Heartless seemed to have ebbed away. Maybe Sora had actually managed to defeat them once and for all. The place that Leon had once called home was in shambles, but he had vowed, along with his returning friends and comrades, to rebuild it once more. And now, it seemed as though one more old friend had come back. Probably the one Leon was looking forward to the most.
He became aware, as Yuffie and he approached the castle, that she had been talking through the entire trip. Unsure of what to do, he responded with a fairly flat "What?"
"You haven't been listening have you?" Yuffie giggled a little. "Really is like talking to a wall."
"Sorry." Leon nodded.
"I shouldn't have even bothered." Yuffie shrugged, a gesture of futility. "You're obviously somewhere else."
Aerith was waiting in the grand entrance hallway, glancing about and seeming a bit bewildered. "Oh hello you two."
"Well, where is he?" Yuffie asked impatiently.
"I don't know." Aerith frowned. "Cid's the one who called everyone."
"Dammit." Yuffie stomped. "He's probably showing him around the place, telling him all about his plans."
"Heh heh." Aerith let out a light laugh. "That would be like Cid."
"Oh come on, maybe we'll head them off somewhwere." Yuffie groaned and jogged off, Squall trailing after her and Aerith following politely behind. They traipsed halfway around the castle and back, not knowing where they might find the two missing men. By the time they arrived in the Library Yuffie had almost gone ballistic. "Urggghhh! That Cid! Next time I see him I'm going to kick his blonde-headed little-"
"Hey now little darlin'." Cid said in his smooth as honey drawl, stepping out from behind a bookshelf. "We don't need to be using such language around our guest."
"We've been searching for you for hours." Yuffie practically turned scarlet from anger. "I'll curse when I want."
"You haven't changed." The voice sent a shiver of recognition down Leon's spine. Cloud stepped into view from behind the same bookshelf Cid had been behind.
"Cloud…is that you?" Aerith strolled over and stared at him, curious.
"Yeah, it's me." Cloud nodded.
"Took you long enough." Leon heard himself say.
"Eh, met this kid at a Coliseum." Cloud shrugged. "And Sephiroth but…let's not talk about that."
"So…" Leon cast a look over Cloud's outfit. "When did you start raiding accessories from Vincent Valentine's closet?"
"About the same time you got into bondage." Cloud cocked an eyebrow at Leon's armbelts. He stifled a hearty laugh into a half condescending chuckle. It wasn't how their friendship worked after all. "So…what happened here?"
"After we lost the world to the heartless this witch called Maleficent took over." Yuffie explained. "It got all trashed."
"We're working on restoring it." Aerith nodded. "But for now, we're waiting to see who returns."
"Mmhmm" Cloud nodded. His eyes really hadn't left Leon during the entire conversation. It was hard for Leon to tell, especially with Cloud, if Cloud was looking at him, or just happened to be staring off into space in his generally direction. "Cid told me about the castle."
"Yeah, have I showed you three what I'm doing with the Cathedral?" Cid brightened up. "Not to brag, but I think it's right genius."
"Why not?" Yuffie asked. "You wanna come Leon?"
"Nah, architecture's not my thing." Leon shrugged.
"You can take Cloud back to the town while we're away." Aerith smiled. "Shall we go along with Cid, Yuffie?" Aerith kindly ushered Cid and Yuffie onward, and the sound of Cid rambling on echoed through the halls until it died down. Cloud and Leon stood in the Library for a moment, staring at each other.
"So, you met a kid named Sora?" Cloud asked, taking a step toward Leon.
"Yeah, Chosen of the Keyblade." Leon nodded. "Annoyingly cheerful. Could beat you in a spiky hair contest."
"Same kid." Cloud agreed. The kiss that followed was as unexpected as it was wonderful. One moment Cloud was standing a good foot or so away from Leon, and then their lips were locked together, Cloud pushing Leon hard against the bookshelves. And then with just as much warning, Cloud was standing next to Leon as though nothing had happened. "So, the town's in the same place, right?"
"Yeah." Leon managed to effectively hide how dazed he was. It really was just like the old days.
"Well let's mosey." Cloud smiled, a very rare expression indeed. And they moseyed, right on out the castle and down the path, side by side but not holding hands. They could've though, if they had wanted.
"So, I hear you're going by Leon now." Cloud said.
"Yeah…I figured…the shame of losing our world. I couldn't keep the same name."
"Whatever. I guess you got back by Gummi Ship?"
"Yeah, the Highwind. Cid whipped it up for me. What about you?"
"I…ah…" Cloud reached at his left shoulder and winced slightly. "Can't really talk about it."
"Sure." Leon shrugged. "Whatever." His hand accidentally brushed Cloud's and he was surprised when the other swordsman's fingers entwined with his.
"Uh…I missed you…Squall" Cloud said carefully. "While I was wandering out there."
Leon squeezed Cloud's hand. "I missed you too. It's good to have you back."
"It's good to be back." Cloud turned and accepted a brief kiss from Leon. "You let your hair get long. It looks good."
"Yours is the same as it always was."
"I'm thinking of trying something new." Cloud thought aloud. "Although I can't wait to get out of these clothes. I swear I've been wearing them since I left here."
"I can't wait to get you out of those clothes." Leon said, sidling up close to Cloud.
"Oh really" Leon could practically hear Cloud's eyebrow raising in interest.
"…" If Leon's silence spoke volumes, then the kiss that followed contained an entire libray. Cloud propped himself against an outcropping, and Leon felt him soften under the the show of affection, as though he were clay that Leon could mold to his will. His hand traced a path down Cloud's shirt, wanting to tear it off, trace the same path on bare skin. A finger stopped at Cloud's waistband, traced a , before the hand slipped in to stroke the hardness that lay beneath.
A quick gasp escaped Cloud's throat, and the hand that had been resting on Leon's shirt gripped suddenly, pulling them both briefly deeper into the kiss before he pushed Leon away. "Could we wait until we get somewhere a little more comfortable?"
"Whatever." Leon nodded. "I've waited almost three years, what's another fifteen minutes?"
"So seriously…the kid has a keyblade?" Cloud said.
"Yes it's a key…and a blade" Leon chuckled.
The conversation evaporated rather quickly once the pair had made it back to Leon's place. It always was difficult to make out and talk at the same time. Cloud's tattered cloak was the first to go, and Leon's jacket followed. By the time Leon had steered Cloud toward his bedroom, Cloud's shirt was halfway off, and one of Leon's belts had been loosened.
They floated toward the bed, lips pressed together, arms entangled around each other's bodies like creeper vines. Cloud broke the connection to stare briefly into Leon's eyes before he leaned forward and softly clamped his teeth on Leon's neck. As though a button had been pressed, Leon nearly shut off, the bliss sweeping through him and blowing away his consciousness. In his limp state it was easy for Cloud to rip off his shirt and shove him onto the bed with a voraciousness quite unbecoming of the stoic warrior
Then Cloud was on top of him, mouth on his neck and moving down. Leon felt his pants loosen and fall away, and a hand move smoothly along his shaft. Delicious shivers danced down Leon's spine, and as a sigh floated from his lips he felt the mouth move ever slowly down, across his chest, past his stomach, where it paused. Leon caught a glimpse of a mischievous smile in Cloud's upturned face. Was he actually teasing?
"Cloud…" Leon whispered.
"Beg for it." Cloud's eyes glinted.
"As if." A cocky grin stole across Leon's face.
"That's my Squall." Cloud winked and moved his mouth over Leon's cock. As Cloud took it in his mouth, Leon's body rocked with a wave of intense warmth, and he spewed forth a series of moans like a mourner's wail. Fingers clutched at the sheets as Cloud worked Leon's shaft, his appreciative grunts an echo of Leon's own song. As Cloud's pace quickened, Leon was surprised to feel a familiar tickling pressure rising within himself.
"Cloud…I'm…oh…almost there." Leon panted.
"Hmmm?" Cloud replied, his hand gently keeping Leon primed.
"Just let finish and…"
"No, let me…" Cloud replied, and moved his mouth back into position.
"But I don't want to…oh." Leon sputtered, but Cloud was sucking him off again. Leon's finger's redoubled their grip. "Oh…Cloud…yes…" Another wave of warmth crashed through Leon's body as a pulse ran through his member, and he shot off, filling Cloud's mouth with his cum. Once he had finished, he remained laying on the bed, his breath heavy as Cloud stood, wiping his mouth.
"You okay?" Cloud asked, a little concerned.
"Yeah." Leon smiled and sat up, linking his arms behind Cloud's neck and pulling him into a deep kiss. He tasted a faint saltiness that he recognized as his own, and his hands moved across Cloud's torso, feeling every curve and line of his muscular body. Repeating the motion from earlier, he traced along the waistband of Cloud's pants, but as one hand moved inside to stroke at Cloud, the other worked the button and zipper, freeing the pants. With a simple push, they were gone, and Cloud stood revealed before him.
"Cloud." Leon said, his forehead resting against Cloud's.
"Yeah."
"Top drawer, next to the bed." A quick squeeze of a hand and another kiss from Cloud and Leon was leaning back on the bed, while Cloud rifled through the drawer. He came back, a condom snugly fitted on, and climbed on top of Leon, lube in hand. He spread some on one hand, and gently pushed two fingers into Leon, who cherished the feeling. It was like an overture to the performance to come. As Cloud continued to work inside of Leon, Leon took the bottle and slathered Cloud's cock, circling his fingers and gently moving up and down the shaft. In the quiet of their own breathing, they continued this for minutes, time lost in the moments of simple pleasure.
"Careful." Cloud finally sighed and disengaged from Leon. "Don't want me to lose it too soon."
"Then hurry up." Leon smirked and suddenly quickened his pace. The motion pulled a series of primal grunts from Cloud, who frowned in concentration, and finally shoved Leon's hands away and spread his legs. As Cloud began to push, Leon closed his eyes, savoring the almost delicious pressure as Cloud gently entered him. Only now did he remember exactly why he had allowed Cloud to slip from his mind in the past years. If he hadn't, he would've missed this, and that would have driven him crazy.
The movement morphed into a slow rhythm. An untillegible sound emanated from Cloud's throat, a murmuring, whispered series of groans. Leon let out a deep grunt with each thrust inside of him and his eyes opened, slowly. Cloud's eyes locked onto Leon's gaze and he smiled, a mysterious little smile. Carefully, Cloud brought a hand to Leon's once more erect shaft, and began pumping it in time to his own thrusts. An appreciative growl hummed in Leon's chest which Cloud responded to with an almost infuriatingly smug chuckle.
Cloud picked up his pace and Leon's grunts became short and explosive. In his cock Leon could feel another climax looming, but he bit his lip, and concentrated. The waves of euphoria sweeping through him were too precious to end so soon. Cloud must've noticed as he quickened his pace further, his hand nearly moving in a blur, his cock pushing in so deep and so fast that it was almost painful. Leon's grunts were gone, replaced by a yowl that made him glad that Yuffie wasn't home. There was no longer any stopping it. His cum was rising, and he could feel that any moment he would blow his load. Gritting his teeth, he momentarily pushed it back once more, and Cloud released his grip on Leon's cock. Slowly and carefully Cloud pushed his hands upwards across Leon's body, admiring by touch the solid abs, the hard chest, the bulging biceps. Locking his hands on Leon's wrists, Cloud brought them over and pinned them behind Leon's head, shoving hard and deep into Leon at the same time. In that moment the young warrior lost all control. He let out a tremendous scream, and strings of his seed shot forth from the tip of his member, decorating the stomach and chest of his partner with streamers and gobs of white. Cloud continued his motion, a determined expression on his face. His thrusts became slower, more deliberate, and his body tensed, every muscle standing to attention. Leon was spent, but he could feel through their connection, the intense pleasure gripping his lover's body, and soon, Cloud was accelerating again, his breaths coming out in hoarse gasps, words and phrases occasionally tumbling out. As he climaxed his eyes shut, and his grip on Leon's wrists briefly tightened, but he kept moving, his low deeply satisfied moan the only other evidence that he had come inside Leon.
He slowed his motions and finally stopped. While their breathing was labored, and sweat plastered their bodies, they both still smiled similar vague smiles. Letting go of Leon's hands, Cloud disengaged and quickly dispensed of the spent condom before collapsing, his head resting on Leon's chest, his body wrapped in Leon's arms.
"Good?" Cloud asked.
"Whatever." Leon replied, which elicited a chuckle out of Cloud.
"Ass." Cloud teased.
"You like it." Leon responded
"Well…yeah." Cloud closed his eyes, and prepared to doze off. "Seriously though…it's good to be back."
"Yeah, I'm glad you're home." Leon whispered, and left a sweet kiss on the forehead of his beloved.
"Great, more Heartless." Cloud sheathed his enormous blade and dusted off his hands. "Didn't you say Sora destroyed them?"
"Eh." Leon easily swept a blade through a couple of Shadows, easily dissipating them. "One day, they just started showing up again. Same with the Nobodies."
"Creepy things." Cloud stared off the balcony. "At least there aren't as many of them."
"Feel like some sea-salt ice cream?" Leon suggested, his own sword vanished with a gesture and a flash of light.
"Sure." Cloud eyed the hand Leon's sword had been in. "You keep telling me you're going to teach me that trick."
"Maybe if you didn't distract me every time I offered private lessons." Leon continued down the path, tossing a smirk back at Cloud.
"Whatever." Cloud followed, taking his time in catching up. For a portion of the walk back, he slipped his hand into Leon's, as they strolled along the outskirts of the town, discussing the Heartless invasion, the Hollow Bastion Restoration, whatever came to mind. As they hit the town proper, their hands separated, although they still walked close together. Scrooge McDuck gave them a hearty greeting as they approached his shop.
"How are ye boys today? What'll it be?"
"Two sea-salt ice creams." Cloud requested. "What'll it cost?"
"It'll be on the house today lads." Scrooge smiled. " 'Tis a special day."
"Oh really?" Leon accepted his frozen treat. "What?"
"I'd think ya lads would know." The old duck winked.
"Hey guys!" Yuffie popped out of nowhere, nearly frightening the trio. It was a habit that no amount of complaining could get rid of.
"Stop that." Cloud muttered.
"No." Yuffie playfully tweaked his nose. "Hey old man, can I get some ice-cream?"
"That'll be five munny dear."
"What, they didn't have to pay!" Yuffie groaned.
"Special occasion." Scrooge reminded her.
"Oh right!" She nodded. "So, you two have anything planned for the night?"
"Planned?" Leon raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I guess…maybe training?"
"Something like that." Cloud shrugged.
"Oh come on guys." Yuffie shook her head in disappointment. "If it were me I'd be celebrating. Even with the Heartless and the Nobodies around."
"Celebrate what?" Cloud asked.
"Wow, how dense can you be." Yuffie frowned. "You'll hurt Leon's feelings. Seriously, if a year had gone by for me…"
"Yuffie what the h-" Leon's curse was cut short by the thunderous peal of the cloister bell. The defense system roared to life, spheres of light shooting up from the ground. "That can't be good."
"There's a huge army of heartless converging on the town." Aerith ran down from the battlements, staff in hand. "Where is Sora?"
"Last I saw him he was in the castle with King Mickey." Leon recalled.
"Aerith, you and Leon go grab Sora." Yuffie commanded. "Cloud, you come with me. We'll try and head off the invasion."
"I'll try to leave some for you Leon." Cloud called back as he and Yuffie ran off.
"Come on Aerith." Leon summoned his sword and nodded. "Better fetch the kid."
It was easy enough to find the kid, although by that time Heartless and Nobodies were already swarming across the land. Once the information had been passed along, Leon and Aerith headed back upstream into the maw of the invasion.
"We need to regroup with everyone else." Leon suggested, plowing through Heartless with ease, not that it made a dent in the numbers.
"Die you Heartless scum!" Aerith screamed, her stave carving wide swaths through the horde. "What was that?" It always impressed everyone that the normally demure Aerith really flipped the fuck out in the presence of a battle.
"Regroup." Leon repeated.
"Yes, let's" Aerith nodded, and then took a flying leap at an escaping squad of Soldiers.
Time seemed to slip for a moment as Aerith and Leon searched for their friends and comrades. An hour, maybe two, later Leon lost sight of Aerith amidst a sea of Shadows, Soldiers and Dusks. He was alone, standing against a seemingly endless flow of foes, all hellbent on tearing Hollow Bastion down, one stone at a time. It pissed Leon off, to think of that. Which was good. Without that righteous anger, the flood of enemies would've bored him to death. That was the threat. They were easy enough to dispatch, but there were so many that you could fall into a rhythm, and that's when something could sneak up on you and…
He was at a cliff's edge, and down one path a horde of Morning Stars had already gathered. "Damn." Leon began backing away towards the direction he had come from. When he back right into Cloud, he almost jumped out of his skin.
"There's a group this way too." Cloud said. "Got careless."
"You think you can handle them?" Leon asked, eyeing his group.
"Unless another one shows up." Cloud shrugged.
"Then that'll be the one I take care of."
"You fighting too?" Cloud's smirk was audible. Leon said nothing, and with the honed senses that can only come from fighting together for far too long, they leapt forward in tandem. The Heartless never stood a chance, and before long, the eldritch horrors were retreating to safer passages.
"35." Leon said. "What'd you get Cloud?"
"32." Cloud listed. Leon hadn't noticed it, but he sounded shaken.
"What's up?" Leon asked, turning to face Cloud, now that the threat had mostly been dealt with.
"Saw Sephiroth." Cloud was grimacing, and Leon flinched. Sephiroth was always bad news. Then again, could a manifestation of inner darkness possibly ever be good news?
"You okay?"
"Fine." Cloud lied. It was weird seeing Cloud so on edge.
"Heh, he's like a bad ex." Leon quipped. "Just can't get rid of him."
Cloud stared at Leon for five seconds that went on for far too long, before a slight chuckle slid from his throat and a grin cracked the façade. "Yeah, that's Sephiroth all right."
"Let's go." Leon hoisted his sword. "Sora's going to need our help."
It was ages later, or maybe minutes. Sora was down near the Maw, fighting what had to be nearly a thousand Heartless, while the Hollow Bastion townies were cleaning up the remnants.
"Maleficient's going to be so miffed." Yuffie squeaked with glee. "All her Heartless, crushed. This is our castle ya bitch!"
"She can't hear you." Leon kept an eye out. The Heartless were back to levels manageable by the defense system, but the Nobodies had a habit of sneaking up on you.
"Did you see King Mickey?" Aerith asked. "He fights so gracefully."
"He fights like you do." Yuffie grinned. "He just flips out and starts attacking everything."
"I do not flip out and start…DIE HEARTLESS SCUM!" Aerith leapt less than gracefully at a retreating group of Morning Stars. "…attacking everything in sight."
"Yeah, and I'm Princess Aurora." Yuffie rolled her eyes.
"We'd best get back to town." Cid warned. "I saw a big herd of Heartless sneaking by, and I'd like it if all my work didn't get trashed."
"No problem." Leon agreed. "Let's just finish up here. Anyone seen Cloud?"
"I think he wandered off." Yuffie thought aloud. "Said something about the Depths."
"What?" Leon went cold, and bolted down the trail.
"What's wrong Leon?" Aerith asked.
"Why do you think he'd go down there?" Leon called back. "Sephiroth!"
Finding Cloud was thankfully easy. With a sword as large as his, stealth wasn't easy. Getting him to stop wasn't, and Leon chased halfway through the mountainous region outside the town before Cloud finally gave up.
"You're harder to shake off than he is." Cloud quipped to Leon.
"It's part of my charm." Leon grinned and then turned serious. "What are you doing Cloud?"
"I'm finishing this." Cloud said. "Once and for all."
"And what do you think will happen?" Leon asked. "You've been fighting Heartless all day, you're in no shape to fight him."
"I can't let him get away this time." Cloud drew his sword. "I've got this one chance to finally face my darkness. I'm not losing it."
"Allright then." Leon snapped a finger and his Gunblade flashed into hand. "You'll have to go through me then. If you're going to take down Sephiroth, then I should be a cakewalk." Locked in place, the warriors stood, a face-off practically inevitable. Luckily, inevitability is never certain. Cloud cracked a grin, and lowered his blade.
"Heh, you're probably right." Cloud chuckled.
"Damn straight." Leon nodded, and walked over to clap a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Come on, we got Heartless to take care of." In response Cloud pulled Leon into a rather unexpected kiss.
"That's for keeping me from getting myself killed." Cloud smiled.
"None of that." Leon grinned back. "We have to stay on guard." Leon glanced around, and his ears pricked at a weird sliding sort of sound. It was reminiscent of a sort of distorted whispering. To anyone who had been protecting Hollow Bastion for so long it meant only one thing. "Nobodies, coming at as!"
"Where?"
"I don't know." Checking around Leon thought he saw a quick flash of pink. Another snatch of movement caught the corner of his eye, and he stepped backwards and slashed down. The Dancer screamed, an earsplitting sound, and discorporated. "Gotta hate those things, huh Cloud?"
"Ugh." Cloud grunted, and once again Leon's blood ran cold. Cloud was on the ground, the dancer's sharpened leg skewered through his chest, its face staring blankly into his pained expression. Like lightning, Leon slashed through the Nobody, and it vanished, the leg splintering off before dissolving in a swarm of orbs. "You're fine, you're fine, I got it."
"I can't feel anything. It's all cold."
"Listen, I'm going to pick you up, and we're gonna walk back to town." Leon put Cloud's arm around his shoulders and tried to lift him.
"Don't." Cloud said quickly. "Don't move me…"
"We need to get you out of here." Leon frowned.
"I'm barely holding on to my heart." Cloud grimaced. "You move me, I'll dissolve."
"Then…" Leon scanned the area. "That cave. Can you hold on that far?"
"I guess." Cloud nodded, and allowed Leon to pick him up and nearly drag him the few feet necessary. It was a small cave, more a hollowed out bit of rock than a true cave, but it could offer a choke point against monsters. By the time Leon set Cloud down Cloud was sweating profusely, and chill to the touch.
"Here." Leon took off his jacket and draped it over Cloud's body.
"Thanks." Cloud nodded. "I'll be fine, you go get some help."
"Okay." Leon nodded and left the cave. Throwing his hand towards the sky, he sent a Firaga ball into the air that exploded like an elaborate roman candle. Then he came back into the cave and sat next to Cloud.
"What are you doing?' Cloud asked.
"Someone'll see the signal and they'll come and find us." Leon nodded. "I'm not leaving you. Someone has to keep the shadows away."
"I'm just not thinking straight today." Cloud chuckled weakly.
"Why does Sephiroth bug you so much?" Leon asked.
"Long story." Cloud mumbled. "I'll tell you someday, but not today…not when I'm like this."
"Heh, yeah, not today." Leon smiled. "I figured it out…what Scrooge and Yuffie were going on about. Today is our one-year anniversary."
"Since I came back?" Cloud asked.
"Yeah." Something struck Leon as funny and he let out a guffaw. "Figures…We would forget the anniversary."
"We would." Cloud nodded, and grew eerily silent. Moments passed and Leon worried that his boyfriend had passed out, or worse, begun to pass on. He shook Cloud gently and the warrior blinked. "Sorry, I was just thinking."
"About what?"
"Squall, I love you." Cloud said. "I don't know that I ever say it. I love you."
"No kidding." Leon smirked, and gently caressed Cloud's forehead. "I guess I win the pool then."
"Bastard, I'm trying to be sweet." If he weren't nearly paralyzed Cloud would've clocked Leon. In a friendly way, of course.
"I…love you too Cloud." Leon leaned down to give him a kiss, and snuggled up close to him, adding his warmth to Cloud's body. "So do a favor, and please don't die on me."
"I'll try my best." Cloud smiled, and slowly drifted off. Not into death, Leon gladly noted, just into an exhausted sort of sleep. Ten long minutes passed, each minute sending Cloud further toward the edge. Leon could sense Cloud's heart yearning to free itself of the body, but he wouldn't allow it. If he had to find some way of blocking the heart, he would. Luckily, he did not have to resort to such futile measures.
"Leon, Cloud, are you in here?" It was Aerith, calling into the cave.
"Yeah, and Cloud's hurt." Leon called back. "Hurry!"
Gracefully, Aerith flipped off of the top of the entrance, and ran into the cave. Without a glance to Leon she knelt down, placed her hands on Cloud's chest, and whispered the word, "Curaga." A beautiful burst of petals swirled through the cave as a glowing bunch of yellow flowers appeared over Cloud's body, sprinkling him with healing magic. He groaned and sat up, checking his chest to see that the wound had completely healed.
"Will you be allright?" Aerith asked. Cloud looked to Leon and smiled, warmly.
"I think I will." He said.