They all sat in the living room, except Alderyn. Faces downcast, no one spoke. Sei halfheartedly played FMA. All were worried about Fenrir. Sounds of pots and pans banging in the kitchen were the only things that pierced the silence.

"Okay, everybody, snack time," Alderyn said cheerfully, coming into the room. They just stared at her. She stared back, smiling. "Come on, it'll boost morale," she said. She set the plate down. "Strawberry tarts and milk. I may not be a great chef, but these turned out pretty good."

Sephiroth couldn't take it anymore. He snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you? After what just happened how can you act so happy? I don't think you even care about what Fenrir went through!" he shouted. Everyone jumped. Alderyn's face went from cheerful to stricken to rage in an instant.

"Someone around this place needs to take charge. You are too busy moping about what can't be changed. Fenrir is strong enough to take control again. And who are you to say I don't care? I care a whole lot more than people think," Alderyn yelled back, voice full of venom. Her eyes flashed angrily. Everyone just watched, unsure of what to say.

"I wonder why they don't see it, hmm? Would it be that you are forever beating the crap outta her?" Sephiroth's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"GODDAMMIT! I AM FED UP WITH YOU! What about how you act, Mr. Aloof? You are such a chauvinistic ass," Alderyn retorted.

"Better an ass than a BITCH!" Sephiroth bellowed.

In a flash one of Alderyn's swords was out of its sheath. The tip was pointed at Sephiroth's neck.

"If it must come to this, let's settle it now." Alderyn's voice was like ice. Sephiroth glared down at the shorter girl.

"I accept your challenge," Sephiroth said formally, yet with barely controlled anger.

Sei spoke up first.

"This isn't the time to do this. Can't you guys just work it out?" She tried to calm the two down but they ignored her. Chichiri tapped her shoulder and shook his head. He could see that Alderyn may have had two motives behind this action. Sei quieted, trusting Chichiri's judgment. Ed just sat there, clueless.

"Let's go outside," Alderyn said tersely, leading the way. Nobody answered.

They went to a clearing used for training. Alderyn and Sephiroth faced each other.

"All rules apply. Whoever forfeits or is pinned loses," Alderyn stated, her face an icy calm. Both warriors unsheathed their weapons, Sephiroth's Masamune and Alderyn's katanas. They took their ready stance. Ed yelled for the duel to begin.

Both combatants leapt into action. Immediately, Sephiroth took up the offense, smashing his sword down, trying to crush the smaller warrior's defense. Alderyn held strong, parrying every blow. When his sword slammed downward, it passed through Alderyn. Sephiroth started.

Alderyn's katana cut his arm from behind. What Sephiroth had hit was the afterimage Alderyn left behind as she moved behind him with lightning speed. He whipped around and slashed at Alderyn, who spread her wings and flapped into the air. He twisted his sword and stabbed upwards with eye-blurring speed, but Alderyn was faster. She rocketed forward and scored two cuts on Sephiroth's cheekbones.

Alderyn skidded to a halt, digging her katanas into the earth. She shoved forward, flying at Sephiroth at a speed he couldn't hope to block. Alderyn stabbed at him, hoping to catch his shoulder to incapacitate him. She sliced through thin air. Sephiroth stood several feet away, a few feathers falling to the ground from the black raven's wing that had appeared out of nowhere on his shoulder. He smirked at her, and rushed forward. She tripped him, and he sprawled on the dirt, almost losing his sword.

He leapt up. Alderyn wasted no time in attacking again. Relentlessly she attacked, first this side, then that. Her swords darted back and forth. Sephiroth was hard pressed to keep up.

Then, locking her swords on either side of his, she flung it out of his hand with a flick of her wrist. The tips of her swords flew right back to his neck. Sephiroth stared angrily into Alderyn's eyes, which had turned from their normal dark blue green to dark steel blue.

"You lose," she said simply and sheathed both swords. Two dots of red blood dripped down Sephiroth's neck. Alderyn turned on her heel and walked briskly to the forest.

Sephiroth glared at the retreating figure of Alderyn. Then he picked up his sword and stormed back to the castle. Ed turned to Sei.

"Where'd she learn to fight like that?" he asked.

Sei sighed.

"She trained for three years nonstop with two Byakko seishi, Tokaki and Subaru. They taught her both swordsmanship and martial arts. After that she continued her training on Mt. Taiykoku for another three years," she explained. She left out certain bits of info.

"Oh," Ed replied and looked towards where Alderyn had gone.

While they were talking Chichiri had followed Alderyn into the forest.

­-

Fenrir was in this same forest, trying to recall the spell used to contain her dark form and failing. The spell energy grew over her hands and faded, for the tenth time.

"No… I can't do it…" Fenrir whispered. She tried to cast the spell on her spade, but that too failed.

"What do I do? I can't be near people unless I can cast that spell!" she murmured. "What was it…? Kage… Kagenui no Jutsu!" The spell rose, then faded. "No…. No! NOOO!"

-

Alderyn stepped off the beaten path, mind in turmoil. Stepping lightly, she walked towards the sound of a creek.

When she got there she sat under a tree with a sigh. She brought her hand up to her face and rubbed her temples.

Chichiri came and sat beside her. His mask was off.

"He hates me, huh?" Alderyn asked softly. Her face was blank as she stared at the ground.

"I don't think so. He's just frustrated," Chichiri answered. Alderyn nodded, still unsure. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Was I wrong?" Alderyn asked, breaking the silence.

"For what?" Chichiri asked.

"For being cheerful then fighting Sephiroth." A lost look crossed Alderyn's face.

Chichiri put his arm around her and pulled her close. She tensed then relaxed into him.

"No. You were doing what you thought was best. That's all you can do in times like this." He squeezed her slightly. She smiled lightly up at him, then cuddled against him. They sat like that for a while, not talking.

A mischievous smile crossed Chichiri's face.

"Did you see Ed and Sephiroth's face when you beat him, no da? Ed was so shocked you could insult his height and you wouldn't know it." Alderyn laughed at this. She beamed up at Chichiri. He returned the smile.

"I showed them, didn't I?" Alderyn said, still laughing.

"Yep, no da. I think Sephiroth underestimated you in the beginning, no da."

The two talked for the rest of the afternoon. Chichiri was happy he had gotten Alderyn's mind off the day's events.

Dusk came and both got up to go. Alderyn gave Chichiri a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered. Then she took off towards the castle. "Catch me if you can!" she yelled behind her. Chichiri followed in pursuit.

-Later that night-

After hours of pacing around the castle, Sephiroth was thrown outside by Sei.

Grumbling about idiotic dog demons, he made his way into the forest. It was getting dark, but Sephiroth paid no mind. He looked up when a flash of light caught his attention.

He raised an eyebrow and made his way towards it.

"Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" Sephiroth stopped. That was Fenrir's voice. Under all the anger in it Sephiroth could hear the desperation. He peeked into the clearing. Before him Fenrir stood, dark energies swirling around her. She looked exhausted.

Anger at Ansem welled up in him. How dare he do something like this to Fenrir! He had no right! The anger then turned to himself for not being able to protect her. (Typical male ego- Alderyn. Stupid male ego- Fenrir.)

Her back was to him. "I felt that," she said.

"Huh?"

"Snappy comeback. I don't need anyone to protect me."

Sephiroth moved towards her. She moved away. She turned to him and shook her head.

"No. Don't come near me," she said. "Don't touch me, either."

"Why?" Sephiroth asked.

"If you touch me, you'll die. There's nothing of me but darkness and a spell to help me retain this form," Fenrir said softly. "But that spell is fading. I must renew it, but I can't."

Sephiroth moved forward again. Fenrir tried to back away, but Sephiroth was too fast. He grabbed her shoulders. Almost instantly, darkness began to envelop his hands.

"Let go! You'll die!" Fenrir cried, twisting around. But Sephiroth only tightened his grip.

"You are coming back to Urquhart was me," he said, the strain of holding her evident in his voice. "We will return to Urquhart, and you will play with Hikage and Nessie. We will play 'Soul Calibur 2.' We will torture Alderyn and Chichiri. We will do everything we always have!"

"How? No one can be near me!" Fenrir said scornfully.

"I will be near you!"

"No!"

Sephiroth grinned. "Kagenui no Jutsu!" he said. Immediately a light forced the darkness on his hands back. The light travelled over Fenrir's body, sealing her spade, shrinking her wings back to their normal size, and returning her eyes to their normal color. Sephiroth released her.

Fenrir fell to her knees with relief. "How… how the hell?"

Sephiroth only smiled.

"Why couldn't I?"

"I'm guessing your battles against Hikage and Ansem exhausted your magic energies," Sephiroth explained.

Fenrir smiled back. Then she fell forward onto Sephiroth, tightly embracing him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Sephiroth looked alarmed, then wrapped his arms around her. Soon Fenrir had fallen asleep. Sephiroth picked her up, and carried her back to the castle.

-

Pacing the ramparts, Sei continually glanced at the forest. Then she noticed a bobbing light.

"?"

The light reached the fringes, and Sei saw that it was Sephiroth, carrying the unconscious Fenrir.

"Ed! They're back! And Seph's got Fenrir!" she bellowed. She and Ed raced out to meet them.

"What's wrong with her?" Ed asked.

"Exhausted," Sephiroth explained. "Where're Alderyn and Chichiri?"

"MIA, at the moment."

Out of the forest, and out of breath, the pair walked. Both Alderyn and Chichiri trudged, exhausted, towards the others. When Alderyn saw Sephiroth holding Fenrir, she ran up to them.

"She's okay." Alderyn let out a sigh, avoiding meeting Sephiroth's gaze.

The two stood silently, unsure what to say. Then Sei broke the silence.

"Are we gonna stand around all night, or are we gonna take a leaf outta Fenrir's book and sleep?"

-

A few days later, Fenrir paused while eating breakfast, her spoon of Cinnamon Toast Crunch halfway to her mouth.

"What?" Sephiroth asked.

"I get the feeling we forgot something."

Down in the oubliette, Ansem was pounding on the door.

"Hello! What about me? I'm hungry!" he bellowed.

-end part 6-

Fenrir: Wow! That was long! I would have split it, but I couldn't find any good parts to split it at… And "Kagenui no Jutsu" comes from the Naruto manga, but I forget what it means. Oops.

Ansem: You left me in an oubliette!

Fenrir: Oops! Gomen Nasai! (Latches onto him. Ansem's eye twitches)

Sephiroth: Well, you do put people in oubliettes to forget about them.

Alderyn: Why are you still here?