Squall Leonhart, preferably known as Leon, ran a gloved hand through his rather long brown hair as he looked over the destruction of his beloved home world. He had previously arrived with his partner, Yuffie, in Cid's gummi ship to help Sora. Ever since the boy's disappearance after heading off to defeat Ansem, the corrupt leader who started all of this, the paths had remained open.
Now, standing on the highest balcony of the old castle, solemnly looking over the ruins with his companions, he was hit with the realization of the horrid state his home was left in.
He could remember the day everything fell into darkness very clearly, the blood curdling screams that could still be heard clearly in his deepest nightmares, the lifeless bodies pilled under mounds of rubble on every street in almost every block. What gets him almost every night is the picture of her eyes, dead and cold, when he found her among the others. He had lost her here.
Of course he knew it would be in a bad state when he finally returned, but it never dawned on him how terrible it could really get until now. It was almost like nothing had been touched since the day he left.
If I would have fought harder, this wouldn't have happened. His fists clenched tighter and tighter together as the thought kept on repeating itself in his head. Guilt and remorse welled inside his chest that it was almost too overwhelming.
He took in a sharp breath when he felt a gloved hand rest on his shoulder. He turned to see none other but Cloud Strife, his childhood rival and best friend, standing there. He stared at the blond blankly for a moment, and as if reading the scarred man's mind, Cloud spoke.
"It sucks doesn't it? Losing someone close to you." The blue eyed man was now starring at the city, one spot in particular.
A bubble of rage passed through Leon, who narrowed his eyes, and shot a glare towards the man's hand.
"You have no idea." He replied in monotone, he turned to send a look in his direction, but found that he was focusing on something.
The gunblade wielder turned to see what the other man was looking at, and saw the ruins of the children's orphanage, and at once understood.
"I think I do." With that, he turned swiftly and left the brunette to contemplate over his words, perhaps catch the hidden message.
You're not alone. Registered in his mind, and for once in a very long time, the faintest evidence of a smile could be argued to have ghosted over his features for a moment.
Sweeping his gaze over the remains of the town, he figured he needs to let go of the past in order to move on. Although he personally knew it was near to impossible to be completely healed, he would try. He would try to hold himself together for all of the people he lost that day, for her, and for his friends that are still standing beside him. If they were going to restore this world, their home, they would need reassurance of the future.
The other refugees and survivors should be turning up soon. He reminded himself. What would they come back to if he didn't start working on the city soon? He realized that if he felt personally responsible for the events all those years ago, then he should be stepping up and taking responsibility, not moping around.
Taking one last look at the ruins of his home, he turned back and entered the library, where the rest of his friends were waiting.
"Well, what do you think?" Aerith prompted gently, her hands folded on the table where she sat across from a pile of dusty books.
Leon glanced at all of them, arranged along the round table. Aerith was currently marking the page of a book she was reading with her finger, waiting for his response. Yuffie was rocking impatiently on her heels right next to the woman, eager to get started. Cid was sitting across from them, muttering something about his gummi ship's damage from the heartless, while Cloud leaned up against a bookshelf keeping a neutral expression.
"We've got a lot of work to do, starting with clearing everything out." He began, taking a seat next Cid.
"Well what are we waiting for then?" Yuffie nearly shouted, "Let's get to it!"
Maybe we really can restore Radiant Garden to its former glory, and maybe something even better.
A/N: Sorry! I haven't updated in forever! BIIIIGG shoutout to KH-Akyra who is my super amaaaazing Beta Reader :D I'll try to update more! I have the next chapter written! It's about Aqua, so I warn you if you haven't played BBS. This is a rushed A/N! Sorry! Bye!
