Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters portrayed in this story…Disney and Square Enix (or SquareSoft) do…The plot is mine, though.

To my reviewers (and readers!): Thanks guys! Hope you like this one! Special shout-out to Cheekyte who helped me with my writer's block and inspired the opening to this chapter!


"To protect yourselves, I'm giving ya one pick from my weapon chamber. Just one. So pick wisely." Cid announced to the Olympian guests. The first shift is always the scariest…these guys have to be protected…

"I don't need anything." Zell smiled, kissing the tops of his knuckles. "My weapons are right here." His first temporary shift started in an hour and Cid was giving him and Quistis a run-through; it would be him, her and Tifa for the night shift.

"Those fists of yours are not much to brag about, Zell." Tifa raised an eyebrow, chuckling.

"Hey! I told you that I was rusty. I just need more practice."

"Really? So, would you like more meetings with the ground—?"

Before another fake argument could mount, Cid interrupted. "—Look! I don't care. You think you can fight like Tifa out there, be my guest. But don't expect another shot at picking a weapon. You only get one!"

"Yeah, yeah. I've made my choice." Zell responded. Turning, he looked at Quistis. She looked curiously at the wide range of weapons. "…So, what're you going to pick?"

Her blue eyes scanned over each weapon, and he knew she was sizing up each and every one, weighing the pros and cons… Just like Quistis would have done… "Well, I've never handled anything like this at the Gates…"

"Well," Aerith put a hand on her shoulder, "if you want, you could be part of the healing crew."

Cid shrugged when Quistis looked over to him, asking silently if that was an option. "Your choice, lady."

Her eyes returned to the selection. She had considered Aerith's offer but something was drawing her to fight. It was odd; she never had this type of inclination. Usually, I help organize the Tournaments…not fight in them…why is now so different? Thinking logically, she decided that it was the whole traveling experience that was changing her thoughts.

Something with a long-range attack will do nicely… She reasoned; again, she wasn't sure why the swords, the other close-range weapons and shields were immediately pushed aside. Maybe I don't want to get too close…? Okay, stop over-thinking…Just pick one! They don't have all day to wait for you!

Closing her eyes for a second, she stuck a pointed finger to the wall. "That one. I want that one." Cid moved quickly, removing the chain whip from its holders. It seems…right…

"You sure you know how to use something like this?"

Zell, who had been watching quietly, secretly rejoiced in Quistis' decision. There's still something inside…she still has something there… "Trust me. She knows."

Quistis turned, smiling at him. "Thank you for the vote of confidence, but I've never actually used something like this before…You know that…"

He shrugged, containing his happiness. She'll get the hang of it really quick, I'll bet…She's still Quistis…memories can't just vanish, can they? …she must have something there…even if it's just that… "I have faith in you. You'll figure it out."


By the time they had returned from the tour, the tipi was already set up. Upon their entrance, Yuffie was practically bouncing off the walls while Leon simply sat down on his 'bed.'

"Isn't this place so cool?!" She had to say it out loud; it was killing her. She had never seen a world like this. It reminded her of the Deep Jungle, but there were more people and it was more entertaining. And all the nature and scenic routes…It's just so beautiful! It was quite the change from the cold and industrial Hollow Bastion. Well, it's not like Hollow Bastion isn't awesome…

Yuffie frowned when she realized that Leon didn't answer her. "Hey! Isn't it?"

Steel eyes locked on, his voice and expression reminding her of his poker face. "It's fine."

I'm not liking his enthusiasm…She raised her eyebrow at him. "What's up with you, anyway? The entire tour you were all…" She noticed that his poker face hadn't changed. "…yeah, like that! What's wrong, Leon?"

He sighed. "It seems pointless to be here."

She was expecting more of a 'what-really-happens-when-I-get-my-headaches' response, but that would have surprised her anyway. "W—What?"

"The Heartless aren't even here. Either Sora has to lock the heart of the world to prevent them from coming in the first place or he has to stop Xenmas…whichever comes first. There's no point to us being here now to protect them because there's nothing here."

"Wait! Wait! Woah!" Yuffie moved to his bed, arms waving. "What are you talking about?"

Leon looked up at her, his mind comfortably blank. "We're here to help them. To fight off the Heartless. But they aren't here…so our duty isn't here."

What…is he talking about? It took her a few seconds to respond. "You and I both know that that isn't the reason why we're here…Well, at least one of us does." She folded her arms across her chest. "Zell gave us this Gummi Block to try and find the others, you know."

He went on, as if he didn't hear her. He did, of course, but he chose to ignore it. "We shouldn't stay here much longer. Before they suspect something…We need to tell Sora, so that he can lock the heart…"

"What are you talking about, Squall?!" Yuffie exclaimed; she didn't get it. "This isn't a mission for the Heartless! Sure, we can help them if there is an attack, but I thought we were here to keep looking!"

He stood suddenly, making her step back. He kept ignoring her, because it was the only way to keep his headache from coming back. Separate fact from fiction. Get in. Get the job done. Don't over-think; just aim and fire… "I'll go out and do a patrol…then we'll decide what to do…"

You're so good at lies, aren't you?

Is he even listening to me? "Hey! Wait! Leon!" She stood at the opening of the tipi but could only watch his back get farther and farther away. Yuffie sighed. What's up with him? We're here to look for his friends and he thinks…he thinks we're here to do a job…

She took a deep breath. Maybe he isn't ready to accept that yet…Maybe his mind hasn't caught up with the times yet…Ugh! Why are you so stubborn for?! Deciding quickly, she figured it would be best if she left him alone for a while, as much as she didn't want to. Seven years believing they were gone…and then, all of this… She decided to play along until he figured himself out. "LEON! BE BACK IN TIME FOR DINNER, OKAY?!"

Leon followed the same path Pocahontas and Nakoma had shown them, knowing that he would be able to get back to the camp that way. Lionheart swung proudly at his side with every step, ready to be used. His eyes scanned the shadows of trees and any passing animals for the yellow-eyed creatures. His heart pounded and he relished the feeling; this was how he always got when out on patrols. It was familiar and it felt right.

This is…for their protection…He kept repeating. It is nothing more than that…

Whatever you say doesn't change the fact that Zell and Quistis are waiting for you. They aren't going anywhere, you know.

He turned right, remembering the purple rock formation from their tour as a landmark. There is nothing else to find…Deep steady breaths and his footsteps were the only other sounds in the forested area. Keep an eye open for the shadows…Leaves crunched under his feet as he kept walking, turning left at the next landmark. His eyes continued to scan, ignoring everything else and keeping his mind on track.

Good for you, Commander Squall Leonhart…Keep looking for the things you couldn't find the first time around…

When Leon heard the sound of rushing water and knew that his walk was almost over. The river that appeared after the tree that was shaped like a 'Y' marked the end of the tour. His walk seemed very short compared to the tour…Yuffie kept asking so many questions, so we had to keep stopping…He rolled his eyes and continued forward; maybe the walk seemed shorter because he was walking faster. Whatever…He kept his pace and finally pulled back the branch that exposed the river to his eyes.

The water was moving fast, splashing against the bank that stood a few feet above it. The land was sloped, and he remembered Pocahontas saying that if he moved back in the direction where he came, he would find that the bank became level with the water and that there would be a canoe there.

At this point in the tour, he remembered, Yuffie asked another question. "Why?"

"Across the river lives another healer…" Pocahontas had responded. She had told them about Kekata, the healer that lived at their camp. He was the one who tended to most of their wounds and advised the Chief in war matters.

"Another one?"

"Yes…We go to them when our wounds are especially dire." Nakoma had said. "We go over on a canoe and stay at the other bank until the healer comes to us. They've been very helpful."

Yuffie had nodded at this; he could tell at the time, by the look on her face, that she was intrigued by the mystery. "What's this healer's name?"

"We do not know." Pocahontas had mumbled. Just like she had done half an hour earlier, Leon found himself staring out at the vast river that separated him from the second healer. When Pocahontas had turned back to the group, she had stared at him, gauging his eyes for something. Her stare had been intense and he had blinked first, quickly interrupting Yuffie for the umpteenth time before she could start another barrage of questions.

"Can we keep going?"

He knew that he shouldn't be standing in that one spot. It was a wide-open space, no obstructions to shield him or protect him…an easy hit…But Leon couldn't keep his eyes off the water. It should have bothered him that he was an easy target, that he hadn't sought refuge behind a tree or rock, but he couldn't stop looking at the water and at the tiny spot of land a hundred meters away. The healer…

His heart suddenly sped up and he could feel the blood pounding his ears. There was a flash, a buzz in his head, and before he could stop it, he saw her. He was sure of it. She was there, with her blue sleeveless jacket flapping in the wind, back to him as always. She began to turn towards him, and his eyes, with every blink, zoomed in to see her face and then zoomed out. …Wait…Rinoa…

His headache returned full-force, but he couldn't care less right now. She blipped and fuzzed out, repeating the motion of looking over her shoulder over and over and over again. Finally, he could see her, as if they were in the ballroom, and she was slowly walking towards him. He could hear the sound of her shoes clacking against the polished tiles. And her smile was there, he was sure of it, even if it her face was blurry and underwater.

Squall…

She walked over the water, shoes still clacking, and this should have tipped him off that she wasn't really there but then, she was right in front of him, wearing the champagne-coloured dress that hung gracefully off her curves. By now, his head was splitting because she was right in front of him, but he couldn't look away, even though he was an easy hit.

"You're th—…here…" Her lips were moving and he could barely hear her over the rushing waters and the sound of her clacking shoes on the polished tiles. She was right in front of him, smiling shyly, asking him a question, over and over and over again. Her voice changed between different volumes and even though it wasn't helping his headache, he forced himself to hear her. "Dance with me…?"

"…Leon?"

At the even louder question, his body jolted and spun, whipping out Lionheart on impulse, slicing through the image of her in his head. He could barely see straight because his headache was back, but he recognized that voice, and the blurred colours. There was a pause, as a startled Pocahontas looked between the bluish blade and Leon's frowning face several times. "L—Leon?"

He snapped out of it, and his body relaxed. Noticing his stance, he looked away from her and brought Lionheart back to his side. His heart was pounding hard and the pressure was back in his head. Whatever relief he had moments earlier was gone. The silence was still there and he mumbled out an apology for startling her.

"No, no…I apologize for startling you…" She smiled a little, her nervousness disappearing. A warrior, no doubt… Her and Nakoma had discussed the newcomers extensively after the tour, both of which had their suspicions about Leon being a medicine-man. It made her wonder why a warrior would come if it was just about an illness. It was immediate, his battle response… Yes…a strong warrior indeed…

And she smiled a little more because of where she found him. She had seen him leave the tent after hearing Yuffie's declaration of dinner-time and followed him. There was something about him and her and the healer…There has to be…And now that she found him here, at the banks, breathing hard and in a trance…She only wished she could have seen his eyes at that moment. "…Are you okay?"

His answer was immediate. "I'm fine."

"…Out for a walk?" She tried again, hoping to coax him into speaking. There has to be some connection that my dreams keep telling me about…

He looked up at her for a second before averting his eyes to any spot other than the river. "Yes. I am."

The two of them stood there for a moment, the rushing water being the only sound that he wished he could shut off. Because the sound made him want to look again, but he knew he couldn't because this wasn't about that and it never would be because there was nothing else to find. It was only his overactive imagination, that's it.

And you can keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better…

Giving into the pressure, Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, willing it to subside. His head was silent again, so he knew it would go away shortly. But Pocahontas' voice was still too loud.

"Dinner will be served shortly, if you are hungry." She tried again, trying to see something, anything, in his eyes. She hadn't seen anything when they first came by the river, and it was frustrating that she still couldn't see the emotion. Always thinking, thinking, thinking behind those eyes of yours… "Will you be joining us?"

He hadn't really thought about food; all he really wanted right now was a place to sleep. To sleep everything off and to finally wake up while the relief was still there. He knew that it wouldn't last…it never did. Leon shrugged at her. "Whatever."

Her dark eyes looked at him in a way he didn't understand. In a flash, it was gone and she had nodded to him, turning back to the camp without another word.

Then, it was only him and the sound of the river he couldn't look at anymore. He took several more deep breaths, forcing his feet to move and forcing his eyes to stay straight ahead. He reminded himself never to come back here. The sound of the rushing water and the clacking of her shoes and the violins and the flutes and the clarinets was making his eardrums pound, keeping the headache alive.

Yes, sleep sounded very good right now.


The tipi gave them good protection from the winds and the other noises from outside, but Leon still couldn't sleep. Even though his headache had gone away, all he could do was stare quietly at the vertex of their tipi, listening to Yuffie breathe.

Why…can't I sleep now? He closed his eyes, rolling onto his side. I've slept on less comfortable beds…I've slept outdoors before… He kept avoiding it, but he reasoned that the only difference between his other sleeping places and this one was the river. And them. And her. All of which would not stop running around in his head. He didn't want to dream of them. Not now.

He sat up. This wasn't going anywhere. Forget this. Moving as silently as he could, he left Yuffie and exited the tipi, intending to get tired. She said that the left engine needed fixing…

The camp at night was just as serene as it was in the daylight. Instead of the sun providing the illumination, tiny fires and the bright blue moon brought the camp to life. He didn't look up at the sky because he knew there would be no stars. He didn't want to be reminded that his world burned out a long time ago.

And whose fault is that?

Enough. Not now. He walked past the fires and the few people who were standing guard without a word. He moved through the trees, back to their crash-landing site. He strode with purpose, not letting them or her get a word in edge-wise. This is only for work. There is nothing else to find here. I have to get that engine fixed so we can leave and tell Sora about this place…so that way he can fix it.

Leon took a deep breath in when he came to the Gummi Ship. He immediately surveyed the damage and knew what he had to do. Nothing major, thankfully… Although he was in no rush to get back to bed, where they were waiting for him, he moved quickly to get the onboard tool-kit.

Picking up the appropriate tool, he began to work. His mind pushed out everything that didn't have anything to do with the task-at-hand. Because that didn't matter now. Thinking about it now wouldn't do him any good because this wasn't about that. It never was. And it never would be because he had already looked and looked and Yuffie bringing back Zell and Quistis didn't mean anything and—…Why…can't it all…just go away…?

While he was rummaging around the tool-kit for the correct bolt size that would bring the engine back where it should be, he stopped. He swore that he heard something; a twig snapping or something. Or maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him because he hadn't been sleeping well over the last couple of days because all he could think about was—

—Stop it. Enough. You've been through these lapses before…Just. Stop. Pursing his lips together to bring his mind to a halt, he dropped the bolt back into the tool-kit and turned to the sound of the noise he was sure he heard. He waited, and saw a slight rustle of the leaves. There was silence now, but he sighed aloud and called out anyway. "Come out. I know you're there."

He waited, keeping a blank expression, until Pocahontas moved away from the trees. The moonlight outlined her features and the branches she had been hiding behind. She was staring at him again, with that intense stare…Leon let out a sigh. Might as well get this over with… "You seem quite good at following me around."

She smiled shyly at him and walked forward. He heard her feet crunch the leaves that they stepped on and he heard the echo of her clacking shoes. When he focused back, he realized that she was standing in front of him. "I saw you leave Yuffie again…and…I…I just wanted to see where you were going."

Leon folded his arms over his chest, trying to push out the other sounds. "…Why?"

She shrugged, and when she looked back at him, he saw the moon, and the starless sky, reflected in her dark irises. "You are very interesting to me."

"Interesting?" He repeated, eyebrow raised. He wasn't expecting that adjective.

"Yes…you and Yuffie…and…" Pocahontas made a motion to encompass the machine behind him. "…the giant bird of yours…"

Giant…? Oh… He caught on to her misunderstood analogy. "Yes, well, you and your people are quite interesting as well."

"Thank you."

There was a silence, and Leon turned back to the Gummi Ship. Before he could pick up his tools again, she asked him another question. "…What's wrong with it?"

He took another deep breath, and keeping with her 'giant bird' analogy, he explained. "Its wing is broken."

"I'm sure Kekata can help mend—"

"—It's fine. I can handle it." He gave her one last look before starting to attach the bolt he was going to add before she came. He thought he had given a clear signal for the end of the conversation, but after a few twists, he could still feel her behind him. Turning, his eyes proved his suspicions correct. She has something to say… Sighing again, he gave in. "…Is there anything else?"

"Is it normal for your people to work under the light of the moon? It is not good for your eyes."

"It's fine. I can't sleep. So I might as well be doing something other than staring at the wall."

Pocahontas looked at him with that stare again. "Why hasn't sleep come to you?"

His heart pounded loudly in his chest and he wasn't sure why. Why…Why is she looking at me like that…? Taking a moment to gather himself, Leon responded quickly with a vague answer that he hoped would get her to go away. "My mind doesn't shut off sometimes."

The stare was broken and she smiled again at him. There! There was something there! "Always thinking, thinking, thinking…aren't you, Leon?"

"Yes." He looked away from her and tried to find something else to look at. "Sometimes I wish it would stop. And let me sleep. But I have a lot to think about."

—Maybe they have that perfect potion…to make it all go away…to make everything fade away…isn't that what you want? To start over? To wake up, finally, after all these years of dreaming foolishly? Of dreaming lies?

Pocahontas nodded at him. "Kekata can give you something to relax you, if you wish."

"Thank you, but it's alright." He picked up his wrench and turned back to the Gummi Ship's engine. "I can deal with it."

"…Are you sure?"

There was a pause and he closed his eyes. "Yes."


^^ I liked this chapter! Just want to thank Cheekyte again for busting my writer's block open and getting me back onto my angst-horse. lol

Just wanted to put some 'what's going on at Hollow Bastion' in this chapter…For those of you who haven't played FFVIII, Quistis' weapon in the game are whips. Quite kick-ass.

Anyway,

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