Final Fantasy Spiral

Disclaimer: All characters, places, scenes belong to their respectful owners!

A/N: What? Author's Note in the beginning? Well, this is what I'm gonna call a speed chapter. Since Kuro appears for most of the end of "Through the Fireplace: Pilgrimage" there is no need to repeat it here. I hope you've enjoyed both sides of the story up until now!

Chapter 9: The Flame

-8-0-8-

After getting swallowed up by a worm, meeting Kiako, and riding a hammer out of the worm's innards, I left to meet up with my gang at the Shera. Hao was there mid-way to greet me. That red giant, his main spirit, I can never miss it.

"Hey, it looks like you made it here Hao-sama." I undid my Oversoul and Diablos reverted to his human form. "What's going on?"

"A battle it seems," he said calmly. "The WRO members here started attacking suddenly."

"Alright, let's help out Diablos."

"How come you're never as obedient with anyone else?" asked the devil.

"Last time I listened to you I ended up in Hell!" I protested.

"Well uh…" A WRO guy abruptly popped up from the sand behind the stupid devil as I casted Fire to interrupt his attack. More kept swarming in from all directions. One of them opened its mouth to reveal a gun and was about to shoot when I saw a red claw punch its face. Another was about to strike behind Hao but I merely bonked its head and knocked it out. A maniacally laughing man suddenly flew past me in a chair.

"… Let's forget we saw that…" I said, the others nodding.

"For WRO members, they seemed rather weak…" Diablos said scratching his head.

"Two other people were here before fighting off the stronger ones," said Hao. "I arrived here not too sooner than you did, Kuro."

I knew it. "White blob man."

Diablos probably knew too. "And black blob man." In other words, Ciel and Asch.

"Oh yeah," Hao remembered, "Ciel told me something about a cat and tomatoes."

"Ahem, care to elaborate?" I said.

"Your friend is being attacked by tomatoes, is what he means." Enter Jade Curtiss. "Shall I take you to her?"

"Why didn't you save her yourself?" I asked annoyed.

Jade smiled. "I was having too much fun watching."

I growled, "Damn you… Hao-sama?"

"Yes?"

"Go to the Shera and assist whoever needs help please. We'll rescue Kiako from these… tomatoes…" I said with no motivation.

"Well then I shall--"

"YOU are coming with me Mr. Fun and Lazy!" I snapped grabbing Jade's arm and dragging him off. "By the way, do you know anyone with a flying chair?"

"Ugh… It's a long story…" Jade sighed.

-8-0-8-

With the tomato mishap over, all of us were finally united at the Shera. Preparations for war against what were known to be the Akuma, the 'fake' WRO members, were underway. Other enemies also seemed to be involved.

"The stars of the desert are beautiful aren't they?" said Hao beside me. Leon and Jade seemed to be squabbling about something… "I haven't seen a sight like this in quite awhile."

"Yeah…" I said bluntly.

"It's unusual for you to be this tense. What's wrong?"

"I've been carrying this burden for so long it just might be getting to me."

"People's lives?"

"Yeah. It's tough, even more so with so many people now." I could hear myself waver. "It's pathetic of me isn't it? That I can't trust in anyone except maybe you or…"

"It can't be helped. There's just not many people you can pass of your burdens to. You have surpassed my expectations, Kuro. For a human, you really are interesting."

"Hao-sama, can you do a favour for me?"

"What is it?"

"Since everyone will be splitting into groups, I'd like you to be on a team other than mine. I know very well that you can handle taking care of the others."

He blinked for a bit and then nodded. "Alright then." As much as I would've liked to fight along side him again, for this war, it was best to split the most powerful on my side to ensure no one is killed.

"The stars really are nice tonight."

"Hm? What's this, you two are together again?" Jade said with a smirk.

"What do you want?" I said.

"Just… hanging around."

"If you were hanging around you'd be like that guy over there," I said pointing to the sleeping beauty-devil hanging off the edge of a cliff.

"Funny. In any case, Reeve would like to see you for a moment."

I walked on my own through the cool desert sands to the tent where Reeve and some of the others were residing.

"Ah, Kuro, you're here too?" said Kariudo, one of the trio of summoners that included Kiako and me.

"What's going on?" I asked.

After Kiako showed up, we discussed the change of plans. To sum it all up, the battlefield would be in the Calm Lands and we had the co-operation of Balamb from Squall. SeeDs were to join in on the so called war. The summoner trio would send the Magus Sisters at the temple there. Looks like we were all getting separated again, so Kiako decided to take group photos of everyone as a sort of final farewell. I was extremely reluctant to do this but whatever. I never could willingly smile whenever I wanted.

-8-0-8-

We hitched a ride on one of Cid's ships with the ToA gang after Jade knocked me out and dragged me into it. Arriving at Remiem Temple, we discovered a barrier that would only let summoners (and summons) through leaving behind the others. The three of us managed to get through the place in one piece after discovering some Chocobos and a walking TV robot thing. Black Chocobo yay!

Reaching an intersection, we went our separate ways. The room started warping into a medieval-like area with burning houses and dead people everywhere. "The trial huh?" The Chocobo I was riding on started to squeal and dodged a flame from some crazy dragon up above in the night sky. "Damn that was close… Thanks."

"No problem…" it said. Last time I checked, Chocobos don't talk. Then I realized…

"Diablos!" I bawled. He showed himself in human form out from behind a busted door.

"What's up?" he greeted; his eyes were glowing. I looked at the Chocobo and they were glowing too.

"Possession huh?"

"Exactly," Diablos smiled throwing something to me as I fumbled and nearly dropped it.

"WHAT KIND OF IDIOT THROWS A KNIFE AT SOMEONE?" I screamed.

"It's fun! Come on!" Controlling my ride, that fiend led me to the midst of the battle that was apparently going on. "Use this, kill that." He held up a knife and chucked it at the ogre looking creature. It clanked off its head as it turned around looking quite angry.

I sighed. "Lemme show you how it's done." Dismounting the Chocobo, I snatched the throwing knives and started on a rampage of death, literally. I was soaked in the monsters' blood as I tossed the last of my knives at my final victim. Standing beside me was a fear-struck devil holding a lone knife.

"Note to self… Keep throwing weapons away from Kuro…" he said meekly tossing the knife away. The room reverted back to the temple only… "Hm? The floor seems to be missing. I sense your friends somewhere down there."

"That pit leads to oblivion… I can imagine Kiako winding up there, but not Kariudo-kun," I said meekly.

"One way to find out!" Without warning, he shoved me into the pitch black hole.

"You bastard!" I screamed at him, echoing as I fell through the darkness.

-8-0-8-

Joining up with Kiako and Kariudo once again, we faced off against the Magus Sisters and sent them to the Farplane after a great deal of fighting. I accidentally broke Kiako's pet TV, Canti or whatever it was called. Not like there was anything I could do about that, my Indignation spell ROCKS! Exiting the dungeon, we found ourselves meeting up with Jade and his gang. The casualties from the war were beyond substantial… I couldn't believe so many died… but…somehow… I don't feel sad or anything.

'I'm sick of this…' I thought to myself back on the airship inside one of the bedrooms. 'How much more do I have keep fighting? As much as I want to stay and protect these people, another side of me is telling me that it's just pointless; this isn't even my world…'

"That's quite a dilemma you have…" said Hao softly at the door.

"I keep forgetting that you know everything…" I muttered under my breath.

"For others' sake, you're willing to do just about anything, even if it means to suffer yourself. That's the kind of person you are… But that will soon lead to self-destruction someday."

'It already has before…' I looked down at the cold metal floor. "I can endure this. If there are others who want me to live, then I'll live for them. Everyone else's flame keeps me bound here. Until those flames die, I won't either."

"Even if it's for those from another world?"

"A life is a life. You can only have one--" I thought about that for a moment because Hao was on his third life… "Well, unless you're a crazy old shaman."

Hao laughed at my statement. "True indeed. You'll just have to bear with this crazy old shaman for a bit longer. In any case, if you're done sorting with your thoughts, shall we go meet with the others?"

I sighed with content. "Yeah, let's go then." 'Thanks to you, I can always keep my own flame burning. Otherwise… I might have given up long ago…'

"I can hear every word…" he said smirking and walked away.

"…Dammit!" I cursed slapping my head. Even now, I'm still not used to that mind reading power.

-8-0-8-

"AHHHH!"

"Get them!"

"Kiako!"

"Those Deep Ground bastards… DIE!"

"Who cares!"

"Dammit…Miu?!"

"She leaked info to the enemy!"

"LEMME GO! I'LL KILL THAT TRAITOR!"

"Kuro! Calm down!"

"I can't hold her back for long!"

"Kuro-sama, if you kill her we can't interrogate her."

"Don't you go dying on me like that again! … Welcome back, Kiako."

"Let's go… to send the final aeon!"

-8-0-8-

A/N: What? Author's Note again? I know this is an abrupt ending… very abrupt… but there's really nothing more for me to add on Kuro's side of Through the Fireplace. Everything is explained on Kiako's side in chapters 32 and on, so be sure to give it a read. A new arc will be starting with Kuro (finally) in high school. Lots of new, crazy randomness will take place with Bleach's Soul Society running the school!

Edit: One more chapter to complete this incompleteness! Sorry to those who were disappointed at my laziness! Next chapter will truly complete this fic Please wait patiently until then. Thank you!