Auron – Hollow Bastion

The corner of the ronin's mouth curled up into a half-smile. His work was done here, the key was through the door and the Keybearer was safe. He had not failed his duties as a guardian.

He was far from finished with remaining as an Unsent, however. Auron heard the voices return, coaxing him to return to the farplane. His body began to disappear as he ran down the stairs and he gritted his teeth against the pain.

NO! he screamed inside his mind. I'm not done yet! There won't be a farplane for me to return to unless I pave the road to the Tower!

The voices settled and then they were gone. Auron doubled over, dropping his sword, and began to breathe deeply. His hands, which had started to become translucent only moments ago, were refilling with color. With every breath he began to feel more whole.

After he could see the world without streaks of fluorescent color banding across his vision, he picked up his sword and summoned a portal to the hallways of darkness. The ronin refused to even wince as he entered the place that would make regular men's hearts falter and surrender themselves totally and completely to darkness.

Then again, Auron wasn't a regular man. He wasn't even alive, technically speaking. He did, however, possess something of a heart. Unsent were somewhere between normal beings and Nobodys, possessing heart and shell but only partially in both cases.

He strode down the halls of darkness, the path between worlds, with his sword rested across his shoulders and his free arm in the haori. Screams of monsters that few should ever see, let alone hear, echoed in the darkness. If the gunslinger were there, he would have had a name for this darkness for the people in Mid-World were aware of these places. Some spoke of it in quiet places under their breath, some brayed lunatic chants to it at the moon while sacrificing small animals or children, and some pretended it simply did not exist at all.

Auron walked through the Todash darkness towards the sister castle where Roland's ka-tet was attempting to pull Cloud back to reality. He exited the halls in the twin room to the one he had entered in. A short climb up the stairs brought him before a broken door and a broken ka-tet. Nanaki sat in the corner, his tail making slow swipes across the floor. Roland leaned against the broken computer banks, their fires now extinguished, and Alucard approached the boy standing over Cloud. Link held Riku's keyblade in his hand, unable to bring himself to do the task necessary to revive Cloud.

Alucard placed one hand upon Link's shoulder and nodded to him. Auron did the same, setting down his sword and taking the other shoulder. Link looked up at the ronin and a single tear rolled down his face.

"You can do it, have courage," said Auron.

Auron and Alucard stepped away. Link closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The others in the room let out small gasps as a strong yellow light began to eminate from Link's hand.

The triforce markings he bore as an adult now appeared on the back of his left hand, the same one holding the keyblade. Three golden triangles shone brightly, illuminating the faces of those who bared witness to the power of courage. Link opened his eyes and brought the keyblade down onto Cloud's heart.

Link stepped back as Cloud's body began to thrash about. His mako eyes opened and the room filled with the echoes of his memory. The ka-tet and the ronin heard the screams of slain beasts, the clashing of swords between Cloud and the One Winged Angel that sought to bring Midgar to ruin. But the memory that echoed loudest was the voice of Tifa. "Come back to me alive, and be ready to raise your child," she had said.

The keyblade disintegrated and Cloud sat upright. His vision slurred and he shook his head to clear it. The room came into focus, his ka-tet standing around him in a circle. Cloud scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes.

"Kept you waiting, huh?"

Link, unable to control himself any longer, ran forward and hugged Cloud. "You were only gone for a month but it felt like years," he sobbed into Cloud's shoulder. Roland sat down on his haunches and offered Cloud a cigarette. "Need a smoke?"

Cloud gently pushed it away and returned to petting the back of Link's head. "No thanks, you know I don't smoke."

Alucard waved his hand in small circles, as if to say, "And there you have it, he has returned!" He looked to the hole in the ceiling and was not surprised to see the full moon rising above them. You have a way of provoking strong emotions, don't you? Keep us safe tonight, let the struggle stay at bay for now.

Nanaki nudged his nose against Cloud's back and curled up against him. Cloud, feeling colder than he had in his entire life, appreciated the warmth as much as the affection.

Auron smiled. All was well. Another chapter of the story was complete. The ronin turned and left without saying a word. The ka-tet was only vaguely aware of his presence and took no notice when he left.

A now visibly-pregnant Tifa tended flowers in a certain church in Sector 5 of Midgar. Reno and Rude stood at the doors, keeping watch for new ShinRa troops.

"Don't you find it the least bit ironic that we're keeping watch for ShinRa troops? This all seems backwards to me, still," said Reno. He adjusted the goggles on his head and punched Rude in the arm. "You look so serious all the time, lighten up! We'll be heroes once we off the guy that offed Rufus and heroes can't look like they're having trouble using the bathroom."

Rude cracked his neck and stretched his arms out in front of him. "I prefer to think of us as mercenaries operating on IOU's. This hero crap, I don't care about it. As for Richard Sayre…" he punched the wall next to him, hard. "I'll break every bone he has, twice. Once for the boss and once for fun."

Tifa came to the last flower. A beautiful rose as red as blood sitting alone in the center of the flower patch. No other flower dared grow near, for no flower could even think to compare its beauty with this rose and any attempt would mar the very image of the rose itself.

Tifa gently poured the last of the jug's water around the rose. The church was filled with the sound of singing angels, despite Tifa being the only person in the building. Even the Turks standing outside the door could hear the choir swelling up in their ears. Their witty banter stopped and they could do nothing but listen to the sweet sounds of the rose. The voices sang beautiful high notes in supernatural keys and it invigorated the spirits and the minds of those who stopped to listen.

Tifa forced herself to pull away from the rose after a while. She left the church and looked at the two Turks. "That is why we have to protect that rose. Auron said it was the key to everything, and if you can't believe his words alone, just listen to the sound it makes. You two heard it too, I know you did. If you ever forget what you're fighting for, remember the rose."

The Turks and Tifa locked the doors of the Sector 5 church and began their long walk home.