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Every Story Has a Beginning

The waves softly combed the shores of Atlantica, along the white sands laughing children played. They darted toward the ocean and kicked aimlessly at the offending water in vain attempts to protect their precious castles and forts. A clatter on the stones inland of the beach echoed to the laughing children, and caught their attention. They were distracted from their small war against the tides as a figure rode to the edge of the surf.

The visitor was a man, dressed in light armor and simple tunic and pants, sitting tall in the saddle of strong palomino horse. He was drenched in sweat and his stone grey eyes were hard as they stared out over the vast ocean. The expression on his face was hard, one of discontent and lingering anger from a recent battle. His face could have been beautiful, if not for the long scar that lay across it, running from his temple and across the bridge of his nose to settle under his left eye. His skin glistened with sweat, and the dark brown mop of hair was matted to his skull. He was dangerous and powerful, a man whom no one wished to cross. To the children however, he was a welcome sight.

They raced across the white sands to him. Calling him, but not by name.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" One young boy called, reaching the side of the man's mount steps ahead of his friends, "Did you win again? Are you still in the top rank?"

The man turned his gaze down to the children now surrounding his horse; a small smile ghosted his lips. There was a point to venturing to the ocean side in the evenings. "I'm sorry," he told them, voice commanding yet gentle, "I cannot stay and regale you. I must return home. If you are so curious then go look for yourselves."

For a moment, the children seemed disheartened. Arms crossed, and little lips stuck out in pouts. The man kept his gaze on them, level and undeterred. The game was lost, and the children laughed and they turned in the direction the man had come from. He watched them as they raced over the hills.

"Good-bye, King Squall!" they called, waving backwards as they raced toward the Coliseum. The King raised his hand in a brief wave and then turned his horse in the direction of home.

The ride home was short, the back grounds of Disney Castle resting on the white shores of Atlantica. Squall dismounted, and taking his mare by her lead he walked her into her stall. Shutting her gate gently, the man began to move to the wall, looking for the sack of sugar cubes to treat his mare. It was not in its usual spot, and the king found himself growing frustrated. He would admit to no one that he was quite tired, worn from a long day in the Coliseum, and intently focused on tending to his horse so that he could quickly reach his apartments in the castle.

A tired sigh escaped his lips. The stables were empty, and no servants would be out at this time of night. It was a moment to feel tired, and then recollect himself before facing his duties and family in the castle. Squall placed his hands on the railing, and lowered his head. He began a few calming breaths the Queen often encouraged.

"Welcome back, your Highness..."

The voice was low and gruff. It came from nowhere and caught the King off guard. He jumped and turned, reaching for a sword and succeeding only is smashing his arm against the rail.

A feral growl escaped his lips, "Do you insist on trying to scare me every return, Zell?" His eyes shot a hard, accusing look at the man who now stood at his side. The blonde knight had laugh on his face, and was holding the missing bag of sugar cubes arrogantly. Squall growled and reached into the bag, deftly grabbing a few treats before stepping into the stall. Behind him Zell watched his King feed the mare her treats and begin to brush her out.

Zell smirked, "I suppose I don't have to, but it's much more fun this way. And it keeps you on your toes. The muscle heads in the Coliseum would never be this sneaky. Besides, I thought you'd appreciate a warning..."

Squall turned to his friend, his expression serious, "A warning?"

"Yes, as your closest friend I feel it's in my best interest to warn you." Zell's lips twisted into a frown, "The Queen was looking for you a while ago. He seemed upset you weren't back from the Coliseum already."

Squall turned away from Zell, and caught the eye of his mare. She seemed to be berating him as well. The King turned his gaze to the floor and shook his head. He had not intended to be away so long. However, it had been awhile since he really had a challenge. When he'd been challenged by Hercules, the man knew he could not pass up the opportunity. Hercules knew how to put up a good fight. With a heavy sigh Squall turned to Zell, and found the blonde knight had vanished.

The King finished tending to his mare, and began the long walk to the family apartments. To be sure, Squall would never admit to be worried by the idle threats made by his Queen, but the he was fully aware of how dangerous he could be in a temper. The king pushed the thoughts away for a time, instead contemplating his best friend, and most loyal knight, Zell Dincht.

The blond knight had always intrigued Squall. Zell was a character unto himself. They had met at the Balamb Military Academy in Kingdom Hearts, and fortune saw they shared every class. It was the profile that first drew Squall's attention; a soft, gentle face with short blond hair. The man's posture was tall and sure, but he was laughing at a joke and the sound made the young Lord Squall of Radiant Gardens smile lightly and laugh. As the blond student had turned, Squall caught a look into sparkling blue eyes that danced with mischief, and then the beautiful head turned farther and the young lord had been met with a ridiculous tattoo decorating the side of the other student's face.

In the castle corridors King Squall laughed out loud. The memory of his first moment with his closest friend helping to relieve some of the tension he felt toward returning to his apartment and upset Queen. Zell was always a character, and while he was also a bearer, Squall had never considered him for a partner.

Squall excelled with weapons, his specialty being the Gunblade. While Zell, adequate with many weapons, was trained from childhood is many forms of martial arts. This led his preference to hand to hand combat and he had bested most of the upper classmen by the end of their first year.

Zell's most important aspect was that he was a true friend. From the beginning of school Squall constantly found himself at odds with a man a year older than himself, one Seifer Almasy. For the two of them everything became a competition. Perhaps it was his own brand of arrogance, or just that he was stubborn, but Squall always felt as though he had to prove his worth around Seifer. It seemed an impossible goal. More often than not Squall lost their competitions. Still, Zell Dincht was always at his side, before and after. Zell was strong and supportive, with more than a few choice words for Seifer. He encouraged Squall, with the mantra that one day Seifer would get what was coming to him and that Squall would be the one to bring the man down. It was this loyalty, and faith that kept the two together through the Academy. After graduation, when Squall had married the Crown Prince and become King, he had brought Zell with him as personal guard, and advisor. Squall Leonhart was proud to have Zell Dincht protecting his family.

Squall's pace quickened. He schooled his face into an expression without emotion. For it would not do to have the castle gossiping about the king running through the halls like a school child. Up many flights of stairs, and down many corridors Squall made his way through Disney Castle. Guards along the hallways saluted as he passed, and every now and then he would nod at one of them. It took several minutes, but he reached a long corridor on the top story of the main castle.

The walls were white, and paintings of royal families were hung along the corridor. He stopped just before a grand arched door. On the wall to the left was a wedding portrait; King Squall with his beautiful bride, a blond haired man in an elegant white suit. Squall did not change his expression, but eyed the guards at the door before looking at a picture to the right. This was a little more recent. Squall stood with his Queen. One hand on the shoulder of toddler, while the Queen held a blanket wrapped new born in his arms. The King approached the door, and stood a moment listening.

Even through the heavy door, children's laughter echoed into the corridor. Giggles and high pitched squeals brought a smile to the king's face. His expression hardened when a "thump" shook the door, but there were no cries afterward. Chuckling quietly, King Squall cracked opened the door to the family apartments.

His heart filled with joy, and the hard expression melted from his face at the sight before him. Two small boys raced around the room; the younger one chasing the older.

"Tidi! No!" The younger boy cried, tears in his eyes, and little fists waving in the air as he ran. The older boy ran ahead, always dancing just out of his younger brother's reach.

"Demy's still a baby! Demy's slow!" The older son laughed, twisting away from his brother's wild grab. They circled the room twice more before Squall decided to intervene.

As the boys passed the door, Squall slipped into the room. In two long strides he caught up to both of his sons, and swept them into his arms. They squealed in delight, as they realized who had captured them.

"Daddy!"

The children laughed and wrapped their small arms tightly around their father's neck. His face was showered in kisses, Squall laughed, letting all the anger and heat from a day of battle wash away, and changed from a Champion of the Coliseum to a lovesick man.

As the boys' enthusiasm subsided, Squall took a steadying breath. He looked at the two boys in his arms and frowned, his eyebrows knitting together so he would appear very upset.

"Tidus, Demyx," he began, making his voices very stern, "Now, what is it that you two young men seem to be fighting about?"

The boys turned away from their father, looking at the floor ashamed. The older son, Tidus, tried first to explain.

"I was playing with my toys, Daddy! And Demy kept trying to take them. I told them he couldn't play with mine because he's two and I'm three. So, he's still a baby!" The conviction in boy's voice reminded Squall very much of himself. Squall opened his mouth to speak when his younger son, Demyx, reached across and smacked his brother's arm.

"Not a baby," he cried indignantly and grabbed harder to his father, "Not a baby, Daddy!"

"No, I don't suppose you are anymore," Squall smiled down at his children, "but we do have two new babies on the way. Do you know what that means?"

Tidus and Demyx looked at each other a moment and then shook their heads. They looked up at their father with eager eyes. The boys knew only that Mommy was getting bigger because there were babies in his tummy that would come out soon.

"That means that the two of you have to show them an example," Squall began, looking to each of his sons in turn. "You have to be good big brothers and play nice. And when the babies come, you'll have to play nice with them too." His voice was stern but loving; he needed them to understand how important this was.

"Demyx and me will be the best, Daddy!" Tidus announced, looking over at his little brother. "Just watch. I am already a good big brother I can show you, okay Demy?" Tidus reached out for Demyx's arm, full of energy and eager to make his Daddy happy.

Demyx grinned and started clapping his hands, "Best, best, best," he chanted.

"Terrific," Squall said. He squeezed his boys before setting them down on the ground. No sooner had their feet touched the floor, than they raced out of his arms over to a pile of toys. Tidus began instructing Demyx on how each worked. Squall smiled at the thought of two more children playing in the room.

After his encounter with Zell, Squall should have been more aware of his surroundings. However, the scene before him encouraged his tired mind to wander, and the king lost focus on everything else. So, when a strong hand gripped his shoulder, Squall Leonhart reacted the way his training and instincts told him too.

Without thought he turned around swinging his leg beneath the offender and only at the time his legs connected with his opponent had he realized his mistake. Within a heartbeat, Squall lunged forward, his arms embracing his former opponent, stopping the fall only moments from hitting the floor. In a deft movement, he pulled back, drawing his would-be attacker's body against his and burying his face in the man's soft blond hair.

"Nice catch." The man said his tone unpleasant and laced with anger.

"Cloud, love, I didn't mean..." Squall tried to apologize, pulling away enough to look the other man in the eye.

Cloud's anger overwhelmed him and he put his hands on Squall's chest, intent on pushing away. He cut the king off in mid apology, "Didn't mean what? Didn't mean to injure me, to injure our children? Well, you didn't! Lucky you!" He tried to push away, using all his strength to free himself of Squall's grasp, but pregnancy had made him tired and Squall had months of extra training. "Hooray for the great King Squall."

Squall held tightly to his Queen, his expression once again changed to that of a love sick man. Cloud was beautiful, even when angry.

Realizing he was captive, Cloud stopped his tirade for a moment, and studied his husband. The look on Squall's face at the moment he had realized his error had been priceless. His expression now however, made Cloud wonder if should make the man sleep on the couch. He'll try to be sweet and romantic now...the Queen mused.

He turned his gaze to the toy box, where his sons were playing with their toys, oblivious to their parents. How can I stay angry after that display with Tidus and Demyx...perhaps if I let him off the hook we can overlook things...

With a sigh, Cloud leaned into Squall's chest and the king took that as a sign he was forgiven. They stayed that way for several minutes, before Squall pulled back and knelt down before his Queen. Cloud's stomach was swollen, greater than with either of his last two pregnancies. This, they understood, came from carrying twins. The king lay his head against the burgeoning belly of his lover.

Squall loved this beautiful man more than life itself. The love he felt was matched only by the love for his children. Never, would he intentionally harm them. The very fact that he nearly had injured his beloved Cloud, and worse a Cloud pregnant with Squall's children, broke the king's heart.

A single tear slipped down his cheek, and the king focused his attention on the distant sounds of his unborn children moving in their mother's womb. He relaxed, and felt a gentle hand stroking his hair, and his mind began to wander.

Cloud Strife was the oldest son of the proud Kingdom Hearts. He was the Crown Prince, and would be the bearer of the kingdom's heirs. He had enrolled in Balamb Military Academy two years behind Squall and Zell. His parents had believed it to be important for the young man to learn military tactics, as well as self defense. When he had enrolled in the academy Squall had taken little notice, Crown Prince Cloud was really just another student.

When students from all classes swarmed the Prince, seeking his attention, favors and friendship, Squall had simply continued his studies. As the weeks wore on, and the Prince became a recluse in his dorm room rumors began spreading that the Prince was stoic and unapproachable. Still Squall had not been interested.

It was in the second term that Squall could no longer be uninterested. The Crown Prince was advancing, his solitude apparently encouraging good study habits. So it came to be that on the first day of second term, Squall's best friend Zell Dincht met Crown Prince Cloud.

How it had happened Squall didn't know. Zell was loud, and obnoxious. He was full of energy, and seemed to have an unending supply of ridiculous jokes that only he found funny. Cloud later admitted that while he found Zell highly irritating, it was simply Zell's personality and the older student had had good intentions. Zell took Cloud under his wing, and introduced the younger man to the rest of the school's idols.

It would have been inevitable. With Cloud advancing in the academy, he and Squall would have eventually shared classes together. Whether or not they would have found themselves romantically involved was another matter. As it was, Zell had brought Cloud to the training fields two weeks into the second term. Squall had been training with Seifer on the fields after school. They were practicing hand to hand combat, an event Zell never missed. It had ended as usual, with Seifer landing a final blow. Zell had crossed the field, with Cloud a step behind him.

Zell had rolled his eyes at Seifer. "You, Mr. Almasy, are a stuffed up prick who only knows how to fight using dirty tactics."

Zell had introduced Cloud then, as if Squall had no idea who the Crown Prince was. Squall had gone with it, and shook the younger man's hand, smirking as a light blush crossed his cheeks fleetingly.

It seemed that Squall noticed the Prince more after that. They actually shared one class together, and he was not sure how he had missed that fact. There were occasions when they would see each other in the halls, cafeteria, or gym. They would catch each other's eye, and then look away. There were other times, when Squall would be training and he would look up to see Cloud standing in a doorway's shadow or against the wall. If the younger man noticed he would blush and walk quickly away.

He could not fight what he could not see. Squall was slowly falling for his blond haired, blue eyed, under classmen.

It was several months down the line when Squall realized he was eager for those passing moments with Cloud. It happened about the same time he mentioned the younger classmate to Zell, and had been hit upside the head. It had been the first time he had referred the younger man by name, rather than by title.

With that realization, Squall noticed something else. Seifer had been growing quite friendly with the young prince as well. Squall knew Cloud was aware of the competition between Seifer and himself, and felt slightly hurt. Still, he could see that Cloud was eager to learn from Seifer, but was too naive to realize the thoughts in Seifer's head.

He had seen Cloud watching him train from the shadows, but made a point of not letting the young prince know it. So, when he looked up to see Seifer and Cloud leaving the gym Squall was surprised. There was a moment of doubt, concern for the younger man, and Squall stopped the training session, claiming to need a drink.

When he followed their path, he heard loud voices from a classroom down the hall. There was hard "crack" just as Squall had reached the door. He pushed the door open, and stopped at the sight of Cloud's body crumpled on the floor.

Squall had drawn his gunblade and advanced on Seifer. The older student looked surprised and furious in the same moment. He dodged Squall's first swing, before drawing his own weapon. The rest was a hazy memory. Squall's instincts had guided him, driving him to block and counter Seifer's attacks. His moves were smooth, and he found himself pushing Seifer back, across the room. Seifer became more aggressive, and swung his blade in an arc that cut across Squall's face, from the right temple, to just under his left eye. In a final attack, Squall's blade had cut creating a gash on Seifer's own face and the force of the attack sent the older student against a wall and into unconsciousness.

Squall had carried Cloud to the infirmary himself, and sat beside the man until he awoke. From that afternoon, their destiny had been intertwined. At least this is how Zell put it, in a drunken speech at their wedding.

Squall's reverie was broken by Cloud's voice, firm with a touch of anger, "You know, it would be nice if my husband was around more often. Help me with paperwork that is the wonder of bureaucracy, listen to citizens, ministers and generals...Help With Our Children!" The last words were spoken in just under a yell, and Squall jumped to his feet. He tried to give Cloud a loving smile, a vain attempt to ease the impending lecture.

"Squall!" Cloud continued, his voice becoming a shout, "Do you realize how hard it is for me? If I am not dealing with the grown up children who help run our country, then I'm left with a two and three year old to help me keep my sanity!"

"And where is my husband?" Cloud stepped forward, pushing Squall back, "Off playing make believe hero in the Coliseum!"

Squall placed his hands on Cloud's shoulders, trying to look away in embarrassment and be concerned at the same time. "Cloud, love..." he tried to interject.

Cloud would not be deterred, but his expression softened as quickly as his anger had risen, "Perhaps he has to play hero, because he is ashamed to be married to someone as weak as I am...maybe he doesn't have the strength to support his lover...and so he must go to challenge the greatest warriors in the kingdom to escape..." Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes. Squall wavered; Cloud could be emotional during pregnancy, but never like this. He reached for the pregnant man, wanting to wipe away tears and apologize for his childishness.

"How I wish," and here Cloud turned away, pulling from Squall's attempted embrace, and as he did so he smiled secretly, but kept his voice sad, "that my husband would long to spend more time with his family..."

Squall was about to stop him, to apologize and beg forgiveness when another voice broke in.

"He's right, Squall."

The King and Queen turned toward the voice, to see Zell leaning on the door. He had the smirk on his face that had caught Cloud's attention years ago. It was obvious he was up to no good, and Cloud scowled at him.

Squall reached out, placing a hand on the Queen's shoulder while he was distracted, and addressed Zell, "He's right?"

The smirk grew wider, "That you should be home more..." and his sentence trailed off. Cloud was glaring daggers, his look warning Zell that he would meet a very painful end if the tale continued. Zell looked Cloud in the eye, but seemed to miss the message as he carried on, "to keep Prego here in line. Would you like to know what the Queen was doing in your absence my liege?" And here he offered an overly formal bow.

Squall tightened his grip on Cloud's shoulder, and simply nodded. Zell straightened, and looked at Cloud as he spoke, "His majesty rearranged the nursery. He moved the furniture all around the room, and whenever someone offered to help, he about bit their head off!"

Zell's serious streak came to an end and he started to giggle.

The pain Squall had felt at Cloud's tearful lecture moments before was replaced with an angry, but calm concern. Deftly, he turned the younger man toward him. With one hand he took Cloud's chin and forced him to look into his eyes. "Cloud, is that true? What were you thinking! You can't be moving furniture right now! You shouldn't even be on your feet! You need to be lying down, resting..."

The anger came solely from concern, and Cloud could see a hint of terror mixed into the concern in Squall's eyes. He nearly melted, but his resolve was strong and Squall seemed to not have heard a word of the earlier pleas.

Squall watched Cloud's eyes soften for a moment, and he thought the man would cry. The tears came, but instead of pain and remorse, they were angry.

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have done it if my husband was home!" Cloud had shouted the words. Squall and Zell were both startled, but it was the sudden cries of the children that brought Cloud to his senses.

"Mommy!" The toys were abandoned and they raced for their mother. Cloud look down at them with tears in his eyes, he pushed Squall's arms away and knelt down.

"Why you crying, Mommy?" Tidus asked with big eyes full of worry. Cloud dashed the tears away from his eyes and pulled his oldest son into a hug. Demyx looked from Cloud to Squall and then joined his mother and Tidus' embrace.

"Daddy did it!" The two year old announced proudly. Squall groaned. He watched then, as Cloud placed a son on each hip and started to stand.

"No!" He reached out and took Tidus from Cloud's arms. His family stared at him, and Tidus looked ready to cry. Realizing his mistake, Squall tussled the boy's hair. "Daddy wants to hold you, Tidus."

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Nice save." Squall looked at Cloud a moment, then Demyx, then Zell. The knight took the hint and he walked up beside the Queen.

"Hey Demy, want come see Uncle Zell?" He reached out, hoping the toddler would come willingly. Demyx looked at Zell for a moment, and then buried his face in Cloud's neck. The Queen laughed quietly, but stopped when he saw the concern on the faces of the other men.

They do mean well...he mused...and Squall does try hard. I suppose I should let him off the hook this once. Zell on the other hand...well he can think he's been forgiven for tattling.

Cloud smiled, "Come on baby." And he disentangled Demyx from his neck, "Mommy is tired, and needs to take a nap. Do you want to take a nap with me, or play with Uncle Zell?"

The word nap seemed to be the catalyst. Demyx all but launched himself at Zell. Tidus, not to be left behind, squirmed until his father set him down. Squall gave Zell a pleading look, and the knight just shook his head.

"The King's knight is a glorified baby-sitter." He placed Demyx on his hip and took Tidus by the hand. "Come on kids. Uncle Zell wants to introduce you to the armory."

"Zell..." Squall warned.

"Kidding, Squall." With that, Zell and the children left the family apartments and Squall found himself alone with a still, very emotional Queen.

Cloud watched the door for a moment, until he felt Squall's hands come to rest on his waist. The king pulled him against his chest, and buried his face in Cloud's thick blond hair.

"Squall, I mean every word. I really need you home." His voice was barely more than a whisper. He felt Squall shake his head, and sighed. "I didn't rearrange the nursery to make you angry."

Squall leaned down, resting his head on Cloud's shoulder, so his voice whispered in the man's ear, "I know. I should be home..."

"I do love you..." Cloud murmured, and turned to face his husband. Squall looked into his lover's deep blue eyes, and gave up.

"I shall make you a deal my Queen. If I agree to stay close to the castle, and not run off to the Coliseum for the rest of your pregnancy, will you agree to stay off your feet?"

"I have two children and a kingdom to run; I have to do some walking..." Cloud mused, his hands coming to rest on Squall's strong shoulders.

"Let the King run the kingdom, give in and allow the nursemaid to do her job." He leaned down then, closing the distance between himself and his husband. His arms slipped around the Queen's back, pulling him more tightly to his body.

"The king run the kingdom," Cloud whispered.

"And a nursemaid..." Squall whispered, his lips a breath away from Clouds. He watched as his Queen's blue eyes closed.

"A nursemaid…" and Cloud's voice was more a soft breath, he leaned in, brushing his lips lightly against his husband's. "Uncle Cid is coming..."

Cloud's arms wrapped around Squall's neck as the words registered in the King's mind. His last thought, before surrendering to his beautiful wife was, "Oh no..."


Loud steps echoed through the empty corridors of Castle Oblivion. A tall, large, cloaked man strode down the stone hallway with determined steps. His dark presence was an echo of the dreary castle.

He arrived at a room on the far side of the castle. The door was solid, and intricately carved. The man paid no heed to the decoration, and instead grasped the handle with a large hand. He pulled the door open, with much more force than necessary, and took heavy step inside, shutting the door hard behind him.

Two men, in similar black cloaks with silver hair, turned to face the intruder. They were smaller than he, and there was a moment of uncertainty, before the new arrival pushed back his cowl revealing his own silver locks. One the two men "humphed" and shook his head.

The arrival held out a piece of parchment toward the other men, "This is it! This is the news we have been waiting for!"

One of the men, the taller with blue eyes and pale skin, approached him and took the parchment. He looked it over quickly, then passed it to the other. The smaller man read it more carefully, his expression doubtful, "Are you sure Ansem? This is possible? It would not be your first plan that failed to be successful for us."

"Quiet!" Ansem barked, looking at the smaller man with contempt and ridicule. "If I had wanted input from a female I would go ask for it. The opinions of my useless, bearer of a little brother are unimportant. Be thankful I allow you to these meetings at all Xemnas, now be silent and pay attention!"

Xemnas' voice froze under his brother's own golden gaze, and he glowered back, crumpling the paper in his hand. He watched Ansem turn to face their middle brother.

"Sephiroth," Ansem spoke, firmly calling the man to attention, "Kingdom Hearts will soon be adding another royal brat to their lineage."

"And what does that mean to us," Sephiroth replied in a bored tone, disregarding his older brother's attempt at authority.

The older man now looked at Sephiroth as though he were a fool. "What that means dear brother," he hissed, "is that we will have a perfect opportunity to begin reclaiming out family's honor. The Queen of Radiant Gardens is the cousin of the King of Kingdom Hearts. They are very close, and have not yet missed a birth. It will be a family affair, and Radiant Gardens will be left in the hands of advisors and stewards." Ansem stepped toward Xemnas, and reached out, taking the crumpled paper from his brother's hand. He opened it, holding it close to Sephiroth's still bored face. "This is a written order to have a carriage made ready. The birth is scheduled in a fortnight, but it would not be the first time a child came into the world early. Now all we must do is prepare our forces to move as soon as word comes. Then we shall move into Radiant Gardens. You will take the territory, and I will continue on to Kingdom Hearts!"

Ansem's eyes sparkled with his enthusiasm. Xemnas scowled, "What will you do when Kingdom Hearts arms their border when they learn of our conquest in Radiant Gardens?"

Ansem chose to disregard his youngest sibling, and instead watched Sephiroth for a sign of agreement.

"It's seems you have a workable plan Ansem," Sephiroth mused. "With Kingdom Hearts unaware, and a royal brat on the way, they won't have time to react when news reaches them." He smiled then, an expression that could make all but his brothers tremble with fear. "Xemnas, you will stay behind. I have heirs that need to be assisted; I need you to make sure at least one makes it to my new country...perhaps Kadaj..."

Frustrated, Xemnas stalked from the room, his brothers appearing to not notice his departure. He slammed the door behind him and stomped down the stone corridor. Xemnas was infuriated. Being the youngest son had nothing to with his treatment. Simply because he was born with the gift to bear children he was consider weak, and inferior. Like his brothers, he had been raised in the same hell as his forefathers. He suffered the same injustices brought against the rulers of World's End as his brothers did. Xemnas knew he deserved this retribution as much as they.

Blinded by his anger, he did not realize he had reached the hallway leading to his chambers. Cursing his brothers, he nearly ran over a tall man with long blue hair that was coming out one of the doors. Strong hands gripped his shoulders, pressing him against the wall. Xemnas looked up to the beautiful, but tired golden eyes of his lover.

The anger became controlled, and Xemnas gave a frustrated sigh. His eyes taking in the man who stood a head taller than him, with the magnificent eyes, set between a giant x-shaped scar. He looked like a beast of a man, and Xemnas did love him for it.

Xemnas' voice settled, and filled with concern, "Where are you going, Saïx?"

Saïx looked down into Xemnas' eyes. He sighed, "He won't stop crying...I've tried everything..." It was the voice of man who felt defeated.

A small smile graced Xemnas' lips, "Come with me."

Taking Saïx's arm, he led the man back into the room from which he had just escaped. Xemnas crossed the nursery quickly, coming to stand beside a crib that held the crying baby. The small smile he had given Saïx became softer, and Xemnas reached down, letting his fingers brush the infant's lavender hair.

Shushing the baby softly, he picked up the small bundle and cradled him a moment. Then lifted the distraught babe to his chest "Hush little Zexion, Mommy has you."

Xemnas looked toward Saïx, "He doesn't cry just because he's hungry or needs to be changed. When he's upset just put him on your chest like this, and pat his bottom." Xemnas demonstrated, cooing softly to his infant son. "It's alright Zexion, Mommy's got you..."

Saïx watched in amazement as the baby calmed, and fell back asleep. Xemnas stepped closer to his lover, and moved to hand the infant to him. "Here, you try."

Saïx's eyes widened in terror and he took a step back. Xemnas growled, "Saïx! Take him you fool! He's your son after all."

Saïx hesitated, but Xemnas' growl had startled the infant. Not wishing to upset his lover, and hoping to keep the child asleep, he held out his arms. The babe began to wail but Saïx did as Xemnas' instructed. He relaxed when the babe calmed, and was soon sound asleep on his father's chest.

Xemnas smirked, "There you are. Now, I need to attend to the others."

He left the nursery, walking as softly as possible to not wake Zexion. A few doors down the hall, he found the nursery for his brother's children. He entered with quiet steps, and approached the crib. Riku, Sephiroth's one year old son, slept peacefully in his crib. The woven blanket, a gift from Riku's unknown bearer, had bunched to the side. Xemnas pulled it back over the child, and patted the little one's back.

With one child attended to, Xemnas walked to the far side of the large nursery, where the Sephiroth clones sat reading. The four-year-old triplets sat unnaturally still, reading books that would have given many adults a migraine. It was times like these that the triplets made him nervous

"Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz..." Xemnas began, working to keep his voice quiet but firm. The triplets responded as one, setting their large books on little laps and looking up at him with expectant eyes. They said nothing, waiting to be addressed. "Are you alright? Are you keeping out of trouble?"

They responded as one, three little voices sounding like they were spoken with the same tongue, "Yes Auntie."

Then, again as one, they raised their books and continued to read.

Xemnas walked quickly from the room, striving to keep his nerves under control. Just outside the door he took a long, deep breath. The triplets were unnerving, but their habit of referring to him at "Auntie" was infuriating. "Auntie" was a term used with females. It was degrading to use it with man, even a bearer.

Perhaps the most aggravating part was that he could never be sure if his brothers had taught the children the phrase, or if they had learned it on their own.

Xemnas returned to his chambers, through the nursery. He took a moment to marvel at his son before crossing into the bedchamber. He found Saïx sitting on the bed, seemingly waiting for him. Xemnas slowed his steps and came to sit beside his lover.

Saïx reached for Xemnas' hand, and the silver haired man allowed the contact. He did not lean into an embrace, and Saïx knew it best to keep his distance for the moment. They were silent for several minutes, before Xemnas was ready to speak.

"My brothers are ready to make their move," he began, waiting for a moment to allow Saïx to fully absorb the importance of the statement. Saïx simply nodded.

"And?" Saïx prompted, turning to look more directly at Xemnas.

"And I am to stay behind. They do not feel that a bearer is competent enough to aid them in this mission. You, however, will be going. You haven't forgotten our plans, have you?" Xemnas looked Saïx in the eye, watching him for his reaction and understanding. To his benefit, the other man simply met Xemnas' gaze with his own and smirked.

"Of course not."

Xemnas smiled then, not a loving smile, but one that sent chills down his lover's spine. He felt Saïx's arm tremble. "Good. When you go, look for strong children. Children and teenagers that come from strong families will do well. Young ones are fine, we can mold them. Remember to gather some older children though. I cannot be running a nursery; I have my own son to raise." He paused a moment, letting his gaze drift to the nursery door. "They will make a strong army. Small, but efficient and my brothers will never see what is coming."

Xemnas let out a short evil laugh, his eyes holding a malicious gleam. "Once my wretched brothers are out of the way, I can finally lead this country properly. It is time that females learn their place in our new society. Outside of war, our female members will have no other purpose than hard labor and to satisfy those men who still seek their pleasures. With World's End under my control, we can begin the extermination of the last remaining reproductive females..."

Saïx took Xemnas' hand, raising it to his lips. "As you wish, my Superior," he said just above a whisper and kissed the back of his hand.


A/N: First of all Thank you to Hot Crimson Passionfor Beta-ing this chapter while my lovely Frosty is temporarily out of commission. Secondly Thank you guys for being so patient and waiting for us to upload this first chapter!

Please bear with us when it comes to producing chapters, atleast for the time being. Hopefully we'll even it out so we get the chapters out once a week, posting on either Friday or Saturday.

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