Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters still don't belong to me.

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x-x-x-x-x chapter 3 - Explanations x-x-x-x-x

Bright flowers covered the grassland to his ground. The blue sky was spotless. In the distance he saw a forest ahead. To the left there was the sea. Somehow he knew that the grassland ended at the cliffs right above the beach. On the right side he could make a mountain out. He knew that place. It was frustratingly familiar and at the same time not. It seemed as if various places from his memories were thrown together.

"Because it is"

He turned around. A graceful woman with blue skin stood behind him the ground to her feet slowly covering in snow.

"Shiva"

The ice Guardian Force smiled and nodded in greeting.

"This place was created by your heart, my little lion. At the same time it is a kind of portal - a kind of home for me."

"My heart… Shiva, what has happened? Why are we here? I thought you were gone, too. "

She smiled a little ruefully.

"Please forgive me, Squall. In the past three years, when you suddenly heard my voice. You didn't lose your mind. I have always been here, just resting and recovering after the lost of our world."

"But we're not junctioned anymore."

"Right, we're not. Our bond is stronger than that memory-eating junction system. It won't affect your memories anymore."

Her voice held a slight chill. It was even and calming.

"We're wandering off topic. What do you remember?"

"There have been a few weak monsters. They looked like grats. But it can't be. The plant creatures lived only in the environment of Balamb. They were quick down. After this… something hit me… I think…"

Unconsciously the brunet rubbed his chest, right above his heart.

"Ah, sorry about this; it would be my fault."

A deep voice chuckled. Squall turned around and eyed the newcomer warily. An old and bald man floated in the sky. He was clad in a white robe; his long beard was also white.

"You're current state of unconsciousness is probably caused by my person. But where are my manners. I'm Ramuh. An Esper of thunder, but in your world our kind was called Guardian Force. It's nice to meet you, Squall Leonhart. I apologize it's a bit straining when our kind is thrown into another heart."

"What has happened?" The warrior asked again, trying to understand the weird situation.

"The owner of my home was killed and I was thrown into your heart. I'd like to explain more, but you need to wake up now."

Squall's head swam and his surroundings became blurry.

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The first thing Leon noticed was warmth. His eyes fluttered open and he immediately regretted it. He could have really done without the headache trying to break his head. Lifting a hand to massage his aching temples, he heard a faint rustle of fabric.

"So you're awake at last."

The emotionless voice wasn't expected. Leon removed his hand and scanned the room.

"Sephiroth… I must have hit my head really badly, I'm imaging things."

The silver haired man raised an eyebrow and got up from the armchair next to the window.

"You're not afraid." He stated coldly. "As far as you know I could have kidnapped you and prepared a whole world of torture for you."

"Kidnapping is out of question, I'm in my own bed."

Leon murmured and tried to get up. In a swift movement Sephiroth was by his side and pushed him back down; almost gently.

"Stay lying."

Leon blinked confused at the gentle gesture.

"Usually I'm not given to vivid imagination. So what's going on? Why are you in my room? Where are the others? How did I get here?"

Leon fired questions, trying to ignore his splitting headache. Sephiroth eyed up the still dizzy gunblade user and reached over to the nightstand. He handed Leon two pills and a glass of water.

"Here, you look as you could need a few painkillers. Aerith told me to give them to you."

The other male took the pills and downed them with the water.

"Well… did I humor you enough? I'm still in bed and took the pills. Will you give me answers now? The last time you visited Radiant Garden, you and Cloud were on each other's throat in no time. What has changed?"

Sephiroth chuckled darkly.

"You're unusually talkative today. Firstly I've been playing your caretaker for the time you have decided to play sleeping beauty. The flower girl is grocery shopping and will be back soon. The others are working. After I sat here the whole night most of them accepted that I really didn't plan to hurt anyone anytime soon."

"And where does the change of mind come from?"

"Because I realized that's pointless to kill a part of me and someone is out there to kill summoners. I will explain later. For now how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, but I need to get up and a shower would be a start."

Leon tried to get up again and this time his silver haired male nurse let him.

"You have a surprisingly good immune system. You had lain in the rain likely for a couple of hours as I found you and didn't even catch a light fever although you have been very cold."

"As if I let you catch a cold. You're used to my coldness that little rain was nothing."

Thanks, Shiva.

The G.F. chuckled in his mind.

"Good thing you talked in your thoughts. Your nurse would become suspicious and send you back to bed if you start talking to yourself."

We talked to each other before.

"Yes, good old time. Don't space out this time."

"Thanks, Sephiroth."

Leon shrugged and disappeared into the bathroom, taking a set of clothes with him.

At the time Leon emerged from the bathroom, Sephiroth was still there where he had left him.

"You certainly don't look like someone who was buried under the debris of a ruin and then slept for nearly 24hours straight."

Leon shrugged wordlessly and was spared another strange dialogue.

"Leeeeoon!"

The cry gave him enough time to brace himself for the oncoming onslaught in form of a pouncing Yuffie.

"We were soo worried, first you were gone and then unconscious for a whole day after Mr. Meanie over there had found you."

Leon set her back down.

"It can't be that bad when you're giving him nicknames already."

Leaving a stunned girl behind him, he left the room and went downstairs.

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Everyone ended their duty for the day after they had heard of Leon. They were eager to know what had happened to their lion and Sephiroth's story had to be told yet.

Aerith decided to make coffee and a few snacks. It wasn't time for dinner but it was also too late for lunch, though she handed Leon a large bowl of soup.

Everyone settled down around the kitchen table that Merlin had customized for the new number of habitants. Maybe he had customized the whole room. Who knew what the sorcerer was up to the whole day.

"Leon, care to enlighten us how did you vanish off the face of earth?"

The healer asked with a gently smile, putting two tablets on the table – one of them right in front of Leon as a wordless demand to eat.

Leon eyed the plate skeptically, asking himself how he should manage to eat everything.

"There's nothing much to tell. I was attacked by two plant creatures, finished them off effortlessly, got hit by an unknown force and crashed into the wall of the old factory. End of story."

He put down the bowl and started on a sandwich. Actually he wasn't that hungry, but he knew Aerith long enough to know that she wouldn't get off his case if he didn't eat properly.

"Nonsense, you were gone for nearly two days. You can't tell us that has been all. On your birthday you simply vanished. Tron hasn't seen you. Your paperwork in the office was untouched. You didn't check on the building yards."

Cloud stated angrily. He didn't like the shortness of Leon's story at all and Sephiroth's presence didn't improve his mood. Leon chewed on his sandwich and swallowed before answering.

"Tron didn't see me, because I was there while he did his maintenance. I checked on the building yards and left notes. The builders were too busy to notice me. Have you checked the paperwork? I had done it before I made a long, nice break in silence and peace. In other words I had started early so I could take the rest of the day off, fell asleep in my hiding place – no Yuffie I won't tell you where – woke up the next morning and wanted to investigate some strange noises when I was attacked. Better?" He asked and took another bite.

"Aww. Why won't you tell us where the hiding place is? I wanna know!"

"No."

"Do you know what did attack you?"

Leon shook his head. The truth was Ramuh had been his unintentional attacker but he wouldn't explain anything that he didn't understand himself.

"The plant creatures looked like grats – weak plant monsters with twines. But I think Sephiroth has a more interesting story to tell."

"I'll make it short. I met a creature of darkness in another world and had an interesting talk. It called himself Diablos and reminded me of an oversized humanoid bat. I won't repeat the details. As you know skills of monsters had been enclosed in our materia before our world disappeared."

"Ah! I remember. They were red and called a monster for one powerful attack. Right?"

Sephiroth nodded at the energetic girl.

"Indeed. Diablos was the same kind. It explained they are called espers or bestias depending of the world. No matter what happen no esper would ever dare to hurt or even kill their summoner intentionally, because they're their portal between our dimension and theirs. When a summoner dies, they wander aimlessly around until the next summoner bonds with them."

"Nice story, Mr. Maniac. What does it matter?" Cid commented gruffly.

"Someone is out to kill all summoners. If he succeeded the espers would be stuck either in their dimension or in our and this would destroy the balance between them. I've been on a world where the last present summoner was killed. The espers' powers were out of control and destroyed a great part of the world till they could connect with another summoner in a different world."

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"Sorry about this but we can't do anything to prevent. We're connected to the elements. If our chosen one dies, we're losing hold of the elements and disasters happen."

Ramuh? Does he mean you?

"Unfortunately, yes. Ifrit and Leviathan, too. You didn't feel the impact with them because you have been bonded before."

Wait! How many of you are in my mind?

"Heart, little one. It's still your heart not mind. You didn't go nuts." Shiva interjected.

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"Wait! Sephiroth, you enjoy chaos. Why would you want to prevent disasters?"

Cloud's voice forced his attention back to the discussion in front of him… away from the one inside of him.

"Let's say I learnt my lesson. It doesn't add up if I try to destroy the light or a part of me."

"Yay Sephy is on our side now. Welcome to the bright side of life!" Yuffie cheered, earning several raised eyebrows.

"So… we have a truce then?" Cloud asked the silver haired man uneasily. He nodded.

"O.k. you won't try to kill Cloud anymore. You want to find the unknown summoners. But I don't get it why you're here"

Leon summed up the conversation.

"Well… first, I hoped you could provide new information. Our knowledge of espers is very marginal. You in contrast didn't come from our world. Second, I've traveled around a lot. I don't know how many summoners are still alive but their numbers has been decimated. This world was the first one where haven't been any disasters yet. I assume that at least one summoner still lives here."

"He's a clever one. I knew at once when I met him. He only had to let go of his unhealthy obsession."

The dark and smoky voice was not unfamiliar.

Hyne! Diablos, you too? Do you all want me to go insane?

"Calm down, little lion. Everything will be ok."

Whatever.

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Leon rubbed the scar on his forehead, feeling the oncoming headache.

"It's safe to assume you will stay with us? But every room is occupied you will have to share a room with someone else."

Aerith stated and eyed the others warily. Leon sighed.

"Put another bed in my room, it's the biggest one and I don't harbor any bad blood. That should be the best solution."

Aerith cheered up immediately and ushered them out of her kitchen back to work except for Leon. She dragged him into the cozy living room and handed him another cup of coffee.

The gunblade user sat down and sipped at his cup. Sephiroth watched him silently.

"Well, you said you're a part of Cloud. How far does this connection go? Will he die when you die? Does he feel your feelings?"

Leon looked at the ex-general expecting an answer. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"You're observant. I don't think the others made the same conclusion. You're right. In order to kill one of us you also have to kill the other. I'm his darkness. His light will be my light and I will be the darkness of his light."

"I don't even want to imagine how a relationship will work out with such a connection."

Leon took another gulp of his warm beverage. Sephiroth smirked.

"I hope he's up to a threesome."

Leon couldn't help it. He choked on his coffee.

x-x-x-x-x chapter 3 end x-x-x-x-x

A.N: Hi everyone

Rebirth-flame and SomeOneOnTheNet thank you very much for your kind reviews. *gives cookies*

Right now I'm still hovering between Cleon and the threesome. I'm hinting the later but it's still undecided… I don't know if I can write a working threesome.

In addition I somehow lost contact to my friend and beta because his internet isn't working at the moment. Usually I discuss the plot with him and I'm missing this. So I'm the only one who proofread this chapter and the last one. Please, review.

Till the next time, yours

Lythanie