Hi there!

I think my creativity bug is slowly but surely dying; I don't like this chapter much, especially not the ending.

Hopefully the next one will be better…

…

It had been a little over two months since they had landed in Radiant Garden. Slowly but surely, they had begun to piece their lives back together; while things would never be the way they once were, and though each of them carried heavy scars from their ordeals, they had all begun to move forward again.

Cid had been amazed by the technology of the new worlds, and had begun to spend hours on the computer puzzling out the workings of various foreign objects. Since the worlds did not have airships, he had begun to work with another vehicle, which, for whatever reason, was called a 'gummi ship'. These ships could travel not only on routes within worlds, but could also pass through the connections between worlds. Cid soon had several to dismantle and rebuild, learning about each of the parts and designing his own; within a few weeks, he had flown his creations to nearby Neverland and back. He had grumbled about flying kids for a week.

Tifa continued to research the Heartless. As Cid began to go farther and farther with his 'gummi ship', she began to accompany him, looking for pages of Ansem's report, searching through foreign libraries, and talking to people about their experiences with the shadow-creatures. She and Merlin spent many late nights peering at various charts and pieces of paper on a table in the magician's study, and she would often be found early in the morning sleeping on whatever she had been reading late the night before (or earlier that morning).

Aeris had finally admitted that she preferred being called Aerith, as the people in Radiant Garden called her; as she said, a new life on a new world required a new identity, even if it only changed one letter. She had begun to study the magic of the worlds, along with the various objects that utilized it. She had quickly become an adept healer, and came to be known around Radiant Garden for her abilities and her willingness to help. She also planted her own flower garden, which flourished under her care; soon, she would once again be able to sell flowers to the townspeople.

Leon had begun to open up a little, and even told a few short stories about his life before he came to Radiant Garden. He even cracked a small smile once, when Yuffie tripped on the stairs, tumbled all the way down, did a flying somersault to her feet, then stood there looking so disoriented and disbelieving that she ended up falling over backwards anyway. He and Cloud had begun sparring, but it was soon obvious that Cloud had the upper hand, both through mako enhancements and experience. Yuffie convinced a local weaponsmith to make her several new shuriken, and after a long explanation, several diagrams, and some help from everyone to earn the munny, she once again sported a large collection of throwable weaponry. She took to teaming up with Leon against Cloud, and though Cloud still kicked their butts every time, at least they lasted longer against him together than either of them could have alone. She had also stopped crying whenever she saw the cloak Cloud wore; they had all come to see it as representing something other than their loss, though no one could say what it was.

And yet, despite the new air of contentment everyone seemed to have, each of them was hyperaware of the increasing number of Heartless in Radiant Garden. It was an unspoken fact that training was no longer purely exercise; their efforts took on renewed fervor with each new report of massing Heartless. And all of them wondered if they could save this world when they could not save their last.

…

Leon blinked sweat out of his eyes and watched as Yuffie was thrown back, the last of her no-longer-so-shiny new shuriken falling to the ground just out of her reach. He raised his gunblade as quickly as he could (which, given his exhaustion, was relatively slowly), but not quick enough; there was a flash of metal, a wrench in his arm, and his weapon flew out of his hand to be neatly caught by the blond standing in front of him, huge sword at his throat. Cloud paused a moment longer, then lowered his own blade and tossed Leon's back to him.

Yuffie heaved a huge sigh and sank to the ground, back to the wall. Leon felt his weapon as a dead weight in his hand, but he refused to let go. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes briefly. How the blond managed to fight for hours on end without tiring (or, at least, without showing it) was beyond him.

He could hear the ninja cursing loudly as she pushed herself up and began to gather her weaponry. Both of his sparring partners began to walk out of the alley they practiced in.

"Leon! Ya coming or what?" he heard Yuffie shout. He opened his eyes and followed his companions out of the alley.

Wait. When had they become his companions?

He didn't want companions. He never had. Or maybe…no. He didn't need anyone.

And yet…he had made friends at Balamb Garden, whether he had admitted it or not, opened up to them or not.

And he had let them all die, watched them die, and hadn't been able to do anything about it.

He didn't want to go through that kind of pain again. He didn't want to let anyone get close to him because he didn't want to lose anyone else.

So how, in two months, had these strangers become his friends?

Was it their situation, so similar to his own?

Was it the way Tifa gave him a reassuring smile, though he was sure he hadn't shown any of his inner turmoil on his face?

The way Cid loudly cussed out the man who had nearly dropped that heavy box on him that day in the back alley?

The way Yuffie chattered incessantly about some random topic, then tripped down the stairs because she was too focused on her story to notice them?

The way Cloud looked at him, with the understanding that came of sharing feelings, though they were for different people?

The way Aerith had woken him from that nightmare that night two weeks back, the one where he watched as each of his friends was torn to pieces before his eyes while he stood, splattered with their blood, unable to do anything as they died? The way she dried his single tear without asking any questions, and gave him a hug that told him she understood?

She was so much like Rinoa, come to think of it.

But Rinoa was gone. He hadn't been able to save her.

Leon didn't realize he had stopped, staring into space, as his thoughts chased themselves in circles through his head, until Yuffie poked him. He blinked, and stepped back when his eyes focused to find his vision full of impatient ninja.

"Lets go! Aeris is mak…no…wait…Aerith's making dinner, and I'm hungry!"

Leon looked beyond her, to where Cloud stood with that same understanding look in his eyes, then back at the ninja staring him in the face. He nodded.

"…Yeah. Let's go."

…

Aerith walked quickly through the back alleys of Radiant Garden. Leon trailed just behind her, a silent but watchful presence. He had insisted on going with them every time they went somewhere now. She supposed it made sense, given the increasing number of Heartless; even more sense, since it was nearly midnight.

And besides, she knew he was afraid of losing his companions again.

And Cloud still hadn't come back.

Three days ago, he had been sitting with Tifa at the table in Merlin's study, listening to her explain her recent discoveries. Suddenly, he had gone pale and started staring at the opposite wall, as if he were looking beyond it. Tifa had had to call his name several times to get a reaction; he had looked at her, fear in his eyes for the first time she could remember, and said, "He's here."

Then he had walked out of the house. None of them thought anything of it; they all came and went all the time, and Cloud could take care of himself.

But, three days later, he still hadn't come back.

Almost absentmindedly, Aerith cast Fire at a hapless Shadow that had popped up in her path; it disappeared, but she didn't even notice. She could barely see Leon lowering his gunblade, having taken out two more of them.

She was so distracted as she turned into the next dark alley that she didn't see the bundle lying in her path until she had tripped over it and landed in a puddle. She raised herself up slowly, disoriented, and turned.

Leon was staring at the bundle, horrified. She looked at it confusedly, but it looked no different to her.

Wait.

"Cloud?" Her companion rushed over to the bundle, turned it over, and, to her horror, she could see that it really was her blond friend. She forced herself not to think about the 'puddle' she had just landed in; there were more important things to consider.

Like the deep puncture wounds in her friend's stomach and shoulder and leg. Or the gashes almost everywhere else. Or his broken arm. Or something.

A quick evaluation told her none of his injuries were fatal, but he was still losing blood and had lost so much already. A quick glance at Leon told him everything he needed to know; he nodded, and picked up the blond's limp form. Then they were rushing back to Merlin's through streets increasingly filled with shadows.

…

Tifa watched, worried, as Aerith put away the last of her potions and bandages and leaned back in her chair. She sighed, obviously exhausted; there was only so much Cure-ing a person could do, even one as gifted as Aerith.

They were all once again crammed into this tiny little room around a patient in a bed, although this time, the patient was Cloud. Leon leaned against the wall instead, ready to help if needed. Yuffie and Cid had agreed to go search for Cloud's sword, and, despite her protests to wait, had left immediately. She sighed inwardly, but supposed it was better than having the two of them sitting and waiting in this tiny little room…together…with nothing to do…for hours…

Yeah. It was better that they had gone out.

Just in front of her, Cloud stirred, drawing her out of her reverie. He was staring blankly at the ceiling, expression unreadable.

It was silent for a few more moments. Then Leon stood up.

"What happened?"

Tifa and Aerith blinked. Of course he wouldn't know. But they knew; or guessed, at least. As if to confirm her suspicions, she could see Cloud's eyes glaze over a little as memories of fire and death and terror and pain came rushing back.

She had only seen wounds like that after one fight, and that fight had been with…

"Sephiroth."

Leon blinked, confused. Of course he was confused. He had never met the general, had never been involved with him. Couldn't possibly know what that name meant for all of them who had been fighting him for weeks, if not months, in an attempt to protect the planet.

Which, in the end, they had failed to do anyway.

Leon looked like he was going to ask another question, but just about then, Yuffie burst through the door, looking frantic. Cid came in several steps behind her, complaining loudly about having to carry 'brat's damn heavy sword', but no one paid any attention to him. They were all trying to get a comprehensible explanation from Yuffie. However, she just kept saying, "It's terrible! You gotta get out there!"

Finally, Leon picked up his gunblade and ran out of the room. Cloud made as if to follow, but Aerith pushed him back down and glared at him. Cid and Yuffie dashed out; Tifa followed them. As she sprinted through the halls and down the stairs, one thought played over and over again in her mind: please don't let us loose this home, too.

…

Yuffie sighed as she threw another of her shuriken at another black shadow. Déjà vu. Dimly, she wondered if they were going to lose this world to the darkness, just like Gaia.

Gaia.

She would have been blinking back tears had the situation been any different. Of course, had the situation been different, she wouldn't need to be blinking back tears. So maybe she was just too tired…no, she wasn't tired! She was too…um…focused! Focus was good. Everyone was always telling her to focus.

Like the time she'd been cooking with Tifa and broken the plates and put in salt instead of sugar. Tifa had told her to focus.

Aerith had told her to focus while they looked through endlessly boring books about worlds and Heartless and worlds with Heartless and worlds without Heartless and a bazillion other boring topics.

When she'd been walking with Leon and tripped down the stairs, he'd…well…he hadn't actually told her to focus, but he'd been thinking it.

Anyway. Focus.

She could hear people screaming all around her. It was worse than Midgar. At least in Midgar, they'd had some warning, and the people had been training, and she'd been far away when they all died.

Here, she had to listen to the continuous screams of terrified children and desperate adults.

Sounds of a battle slowly and brutally lost.

She sighed again as a Shadow popped up again and she threw her shuriken at it. Again.

Maybe focus wasn't always a good thing.

…

Leon looked around frantically, feeling unwanted terror beginning to close up his throat, and forcing it back down. All of them had scattered, trying to help where they could, but it was immediately obvious that nothing any of them did would make any difference.

He swore loudly. Why was he always so helpless?

He could hear people scream, hear their death cries, their shouts of agony as dark claws tore apart their chests and stole their hearts. Old, young, men, women, children…he turned away from the sight of the remains of an infant, wrapped in shredded, bloodied cloth. The woman he assumed was its mother lay a few feet away. It looked like something had tried to eat…

No. This was not happening. Why was this happening? Why did he have to lose every place he learned to call home, every person he called companion?

He unsuccessfully tried to force these thoughts down as he swung his gunblade at some large snake-looking thing. Which promptly grabbed it and yanked it from his hands.

He swore, an endless stream of useless words, as he watched the snake toss his blade behind it, far out of his reach. The thing's beady, glowing eyes focused on him hungrily, and he wondered dimly if he was going to die. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved.

He wasn't given time to make his choice. The monster swung its head down, fangs ready to tear him apart. He closed his eyes.

A sudden impact threw him backwards, and he landed hard on the concrete. He opened his eyes quickly; somehow, Cloud had escaped Aerith's notice, and was now standing in front of him, huge sword held slackly in both hands at his side. The snake-thing was gone.

Cloud extended a hand; Leon went to grab it, remembered his companion's condition, and, thinking better of it, heaved himself to his feet. He looked around him, and asked the nagging question.

"Where is everyone?"

Cloud turned. "Cid's getting the gummi ship ready. For when…"

He trailed off, but Leon understood. It was a last resort, for when their new home finally fell.

Who knows how much time passed after that, before he found himself at the edge of what had been Radiant Garden with his companions, fighting their way toward Cid and his gummi ship. It felt like days, but for all they knew, it could have been less than an hour.

They had all had enough of Heartless to last a lifetime.

They finally fought their way free of the Heartless, if only for a moment. But a moment was long enough, as Cid opened the hatch and Aerith and Yuffie leapt on. Leon went to board as well, but turned around suddenly.

"Where's Tifa?"

Cloud looked up from where he leaned against the ship, stricken; they didn't have long to wonder, though. They could all hear a deep laugh, though none of them could see its owner. A voice followed.

"I am your darkness, Cloud Strife. I will take all that is precious to you."

"Sephiroth," the blond murmured. Then he was gone, rushing back toward the ruins of the town.

Leon went to follow him; there was no way Cloud was in any condition to fight. He turned to Cid.

"Take off, but stay close. If we're not back in 15 minutes…"

Yuffie gasped, but Cid nodded. Leon jumped back, and watched for a brief moment as the ship rose to hover in the sky, several dozen feet above the battleground. Then he was fighting his way back through the hordes of shadow-creatures.

He caught up to Cloud at the edge of town. The blond was breathing hard and clutching at his stomach; blood seeped through the bandages. Leon stopped briefly to wait for him, searching what was left of the houses for any sign of life. Mercifully, the screaming had stopped.

There was no one left to scream.

Cloud began to run again, dashing down side streets and alleyways seemingly at random. Leon easily kept up with him. He looked around, surprised that nothing more powerful than Shadows had attacked them yet. They were going to have to leave soon, or they would never make it to the gummi ship.

They rounded another corner, and found both Tifa and the powerful Heartless at the same time.

She was collapsed against a wall down the street, surrounded by Shadows. Invisibles and Dark Balls ranged up and down the street, but, interestingly, they weren't attacking. They floated past the living person as if completely oblivious. At the next street corner, a large bull-looking creature stood among the wreckage of a building.

Tifa saw them, and tried to stand, but her leg was broken, and she fell back again. Leon ran toward her, quickly outpacing his injured companion, but, as if her movement was the signal, she was suddenly swarmed with Shadows. She fought back for a minute, but even so, there was no way he was going to make it on time. She gave him a last small smile before she disappeared under the rush of shadow-monsters.

He was vaguely aware that Cloud was yelling something, and there was a clash of metal-on-metal behind him, but when he turned, he only caught a flash of silver and black before it was gone. Cloud was frozen, staring at where his friend had been. Leon rushed up to him, forcing his own thoughts to the back of his mind, and shook him, but the blond just stared ahead, looking lost. Leon sighed.

"You have a job to do, don't you?" he growled. He knew it was harsh, but he had to say something to snap him out of his shock. He wasn't a mercenary commander for nothing.

Cloud looked at him dully. He hesitated, but nodded.

Then they were running again, fleeing the stronger Heartless that had suddenly congregated, as if given permission to attack them. Leon cut down the ones that blocked their path; Cloud ran as if in a dream, completely unaware of their situation.

They barely made it to the gummi ship in time; in fact, Leon thought for sure it had been longer than 15 minutes, but Cid claimed the clock still read 10. There was no time to argue; he jumped in, dragging Cloud after him, as Cid took them away from their second home.

And their second world lost.

…

Reviews are welcome, and if anyone can point out what's wrong with this, I'd appreciate it.

Sayonara!