Disclaimer: I in no way own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII or American McGee's Alice. Don't sue; I'm simply an E5 in the USN, therefore I have no money. Ha.

A/N: Each chapter is written from a different POV. The identity of the 'speaker' is located with the chapter's name. Just trying to avoid confusion here. :) For review replies, please see the bottom of the chapter. And that, as they say, is that.

-BEGIN FIC-

Chapter 35
The Ex-SOLDIER…? – Swap

I raced with the man I'd found myself with across the dilapidated floor of the odd building we were encased in.

I certainly hoped that he knew where he was going. I had no clue. Everything was rather unfamiliar.

Last thing I recall, I was staring down the end of a gun's barrel. Then there was a sharp crack, the explosion of a round escaping the offending weapon's muzzle. A burst of dark smoke in my eyes, the flash of bright light accompanying the detonation of gunpowder that made possible the bullet's flight. That was followed by horrible pain racing along my veins, blood flowing hotly from my body, the cruel laughter of those who had me surrounded. My vision darkened completely. My voice sounded rough to my own ears as I growled out an obscenity directed at my attackers. Upon the edge of my fading hearing, I distinctly caught the shuffling of boots in the dirt around my fallen body and the clatter caused by more guns being drawn, more barrels being pointed at my form.

I remember that I smiled even as my senses were overrun by the explosive sounds of machinegun fire, the acrid odor of gunpowder smoke racing from heated steel, the sharp thump of bullets punching into my worn and defeated body.

I smiled because I had saved him.

They'd written him off as dead and had chased me down, intent on eliminating the only threat to their employers who could still pose any ill will.

I do suppose that I'd died. I can't really be too certain. From that point, things got incredibly hazy. Faint memories of returning to Aerith and yet seeing her through eyes that had never before set their gaze upon her filled my depleted mind. Recollections of another girl with giant breasts and a hell of a punch (possibly that Tifa girl that had accompanied me in Nibelheim?). A childish teenager with a huge shuriken and a penchant for stealing every last shred of materia around (maybe she was of Wutai?). A guy with a giant spear and a foul disposition. A man with a gun for a right arm and some of the most colorful I'd ever heard. A guy in a ratty old cloak with one hell of a gun and the most despondent sob story this side of that little blond boy's I'd tried to help through SOLDIER training. A robot cat riding a robot… thing… that was actually a spy for some terrible enemy. And….

And….

And I don't freaking know anymore.

As said, everything's quite fuzzy at that point. Like I was there, but I really wasn't there.

Part of my brain says that I was running amuck with that conglomeration of fools trying to save the world. Doing the great duty of any SOLDIER, rescuing poor hapless civilians, prolonging the lives of the flora and fauna, and making the planet a brighter, happier place. Rainbows and pastel posies, dude.

But seriously. The other part doesn't agree with that first part. It says that I died a terrible death and that I never did all that crap. Instead, I was in a huge field of flowers. The afterlife. The Life Stream. Waiting, watching, wishing for the well being of everyone who'd been precious to me during my short stint in the world of the living.

Hell, that second part says that me and Aerith spent many a long day sitting in those flowers, her weaving them into necklaces to drape around my neck and me braiding them into her hair, smiles on our lips punctured only at moments by glances to the world we'd left behind. It says that the only I'd been lacking was that blond twerp I'd been a surrogate big brother to, but I didn't really want to see him – to see him would mean that he'd been slaughtered and somehow managed to reach the Life Stream like I had.

Heck if I know what happened. Of course, with the weird stuff that's been known to happen 'round my kind, I just write it off pretty easily.

I mean, come on. Sephiroth, el numero uno good General of SOLDIER and poster boy for Shinra's army, beloved of all and nice guy extraordinaire with fabulous girl hair going bat-shit crazy, burning tons of innocent people and frolicking in their blood. Then he goes and tries to kill myself and that Tifa girl that had decided to go along with myself and the boy I'd been watching over like a vulture since he'd dropped out of SOLDIER's training command. Talk about screwed up. Never saw that coming.

Never saw getting infused with even more Mako and Jenova cells, either. Never saw getting to see what happened to ordinary people that were stuffed to the breaking point with Mako. Never imagined seeing those monstrosities in their steel prisons, bathed in Mako's green liquid light. Never thought I'd get to run through the library with Sephiroth, learning the horrors of the JENOVA project, learning that he was nothing but an experiment, nothing but the mad dream of the professor named Hojo.

So I guess the apparent loss of time in my life wasn't too strange. Or was it the loss of time in my death? Heck if I know. And heck if I know if it makes a difference.

One minute I'm lollygagging around in that flowery field we all come to associate with the afterlife that's encased in the Life Stream – or some dark semblance of it with no sun in the sky and no stars overhead, flowers fluttering in an unseen and seemingly diabolical wind.

The next I'm in a weird little room with a trio of children dressed only in pants with their grotesquely smiling little skulls in various forms of complete disarray next to a feral-looking guy in leather and a bloodied t-shirt who was holding the weirdest sword I've ever seen.

A few words were exchanged. A few comforts were given – apparently, I guess I needed them. For some reason my mouth tasted like foodless vomit.

Oh, that'd explain it! One of those kids had the top of his head sawed off and his brain was jiggling around. Talk about demented.

Made me wonder if Hojo's around here somewhere. Got a few more little projects lined up, did he?

Anyway, he'd torn out of the room we'd been in at full speed, his heavy boots pounding on the wooden floor beneath us. I was hot on his heels – apparently he was an ally. And if I'd learned anything during my time in SOLDIER, it was that an ally is always a good thing to have. Especially if he looks somewhat competent. And especially if he seems to have any inkling as to what's going on.

I wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Some of those would-be macho bastards I used to work with would scoff at the notion of accepting help. Those would-be macho bastards never made it to First Class like I did, either. Heh.

He'd not slowed his run when we'd burst into a commons area. Instead he swung his odd sword a bit forward to lead his body, gripping the base of its gun handle with both hands. Ah hah! A two-handed weapon!

A grin marked my face even as I swung my Buster Swo… wait a second. I wasn't holding my Buster Sword.

Scowling, I glared at the spear that was in my hand instead of my trusty weapon.

What the hell!

Maybe I really did die and somehow come back. Only that could explain why I wouldn't have my favorite sword with me. Especially considering all that I'd gone through to earn that thing!

Screw it. Spear it was. After all, a SOLDIER's well trained in all weapons so that in the event that we're caught with something we're not proficient with, at least we can defend ourselves. And me being a First Class SOLDIER, I was halfway decent with just about anything I could put my hands on.

Which was a damned good thing – the moment my apparent partner in crime lashed forward with his sword, I finally got a good look at what we were going to fight.

Strange shadowy critters were scampering about, seeming to ooze from the darkness of the room itself. Bright yellow eyes peered from the blackest recesses of the area.

"Yo! You keep low, I head high! I'm not overly proficient with a spear, ya know?" I shouted to the only other human in the room. "Let loose and we should have a good time!"

I caught a flash of a surprised look on his face before he obeyed without question, ducking underneath a rickety looking staircase to slash wildly at the antennae-bearing creatures that were scampering around there.

With a leap I made it to the staircase and barreled up the steps as quickly as I could, swinging my spear wildly before me as I would my sword. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" I shouted.

I was shocked with the sharp end of my spear caught and dug into one of those shadowy things. It actually had substance! They were physical creatures!

Tearing my weapon free, watching with sheer fascination as it flung inky black stuff onto the walls and the creature I'd struck burst into thick smoke and dissipated, I blinked. "Interestin'," I mouthed. "Well, at least I know I can kill you guys! Bring it!"

And man, did they bring it.

In an instant nigh on twenty of them leapt into the air, converging on my location with sharply clawed hands held out, murder glinting in those bright yellow eyes of theirs. I let a deep war cry burst from my throat as I lashed with my spear, sweeping a good number of them from the proverbial sky before they fell upon me.

I flailed, punching with one hand as I felt them sink their claws into my flesh, tearing at my skin and spilling my blood. My fists were connecting, but they were doing nothing.

Crap!

Moments later, a flash of neon blue filled my eyes. The black shadow things scampered before reorganizing and lunging at me once more.

Gathering my wits, I snatched my spear solidly in both hands and leapt towards them. Something flapped at my left, propelling me with inhuman speed to my target.

I barreled straight through the conglomeration of shadow-beasts, spearing a goodly number of them on my way. Planting my feet down, some deranged instinct caused that thing that flapped earlier to spread and slow me down to a nearly instantaneous halt, I turned.

My partner in crime had arrived on the top walkway, his weird weapon slashing through those things I'd burst through with beautiful ease.

"Neh, what about the ground level?" I asked, arching a brow even as I planted the butt of my spear on the ground and leaned against it lazily.

"Being taken care of. They finally made it into the schoolhouse. Found them in the next room over when the Neo-Shadows called a Large Body and it punched the door down."

"They?" I asked, arching my other brow. I wasn't aware that we had other companions in this place! Cool! The more the merrier, I always say. And yes, that's in all occasions. Though I doubt Aerith would agree with me. Always was a little prudish in that respect. Insert snide grin here.

The man in front of me narrowed his eyes slightly. Oh. Guess I let my mental snide grin slip onto my lips. Oopsie.

"So anyway, cool sword," I started off. Congeniality, of course, is my middle name. And there's no more congenial way to kick off a conversation with an apparent ally you know nothing about than to compliment his weapon. "Never seen one like that. How the hell does it work? Shoot bullets like a gun, slash like a sword?"

His eyes sprang wide. "Why are you asking me that?"

"I've never seen one, as previously stated." Huh. Obviously this guy was a little slow on the uptake.

"Yes you have. You've been seeing it since we met at the Coliseum."

I helplessly blinked even as the person who was taking care of the crap downstairs marched up to our level, cursing and grumbling all the while.

I noticed the moving shadow at his side.

"Hey, watch it! There's one of those things!" I blurted, readying my weapon and making to strike it down.

It yelped and ducked into the floor, becoming nothing more than a stain on the wood.

My spear was knocked clean out of my hands by that neon-colored weapon held by the cranky-looking guy with the scar on his face. Left my hands shaking uncontrollably and pain shooting through my wrists and up my arms, too. That hurt! Bad! Like I'd just smashed my spear down onto an electrified wire or something!

"Oh, I get it! The trigger fires a round, but it stays internal to the weapon," I commented, my eyes quickly taking in the sight of small licks of flame dying on the combination weapon in the scar-faced guy's hands. Lazy smoke drifted from the revolving ammunition chamber of the weapon even as the shell from the expended round clattered on the ground and he busied himself with loading in a replacement for the bullet. "The bullet slams into that pin-thing that connects with the blade and vibrates the ever-livid shit out of it! Cool design. Must really up the power of a hit, neh?"

He rolled those silver eyes at my observations. "Congratulations, Cloud. You've effectively paraphrased exactly what I told you the first time you asked me how my gunblade works."

Cloud…?

"Neh, you hit your head or somethin', Spiky?" the old guy who'd been walking with that shadowy thing at his heels asked, his brow furrowing as he gritted his teeth tightly, mashing the filter to his smoldering cigarette further. Whoa, did he look like something out of a Saturday night horror flick! All wrinkly and prune-like. Nasty.

Gathering my wits, I flashed an easy grin and shrugged. "Not that I know of."

"Well, Leon, nice t'see you again," the blond snorted at the guy I'd been running after. "Me an' the Shadow here had a helluva time trying to get in this fuckin' place, lemme tell you."

"I'm not interested in hearing your sob story, Cid," 'Leon' growled. "We've got a way to find. The Neo-Shadows and their comrades in this schoolhouse are eradicated for now. We need to move on."

I watched them carefully. Something flapped lazily behind me.

"Aren't ya gonna put that fuckin' thing up, Cloud? Givin' me the willies to stare at you with it flappin' away. Bad enough you look like a damned corpse. That just heightens the creepiness," the older man, 'Cid,' snarled.

"Cloud…." I breathed quietly. I knew that name!

I knew….

"Cid, look," I heard a voice whisper, oozing from the darkest patches of shadow near the other people I was with. Focusing, I found myself looking at a pair of bright aquamarine eyes with no pupils.

"What at?" the old guy gruffly growled.

"Look at the amount of battle damage they've taken."

Cid paled. "Hot damn…."

"Nothing a potion won't cure!" I proclaimed, my voice chipper and bright as I thrust a fist into the air. "now don't tell me I left those potions back with my Buster Sword."

"You haven't wielded Buster Sword in months," the silver-eyed guy with the 'gunblade' snorted. "You've had First Tsurugi for awhile now. Got it special-ordered from the weapons shop. Watz bitched you out for such a strange order, if you'll recall."

"I don't know what you're talking about…" I mouthed.

It was all so fuzzy.

Why didn't I understand?

Why were they calling me Cloud!

Why….

Closing my eyes, blocking the image of what I was viewing before me, I growled quietly.

Why were these people….

Why were my friends….

They were my friends, right?

Cid… Leon… and….

The Heartless.

They were calling me that name because….

Frowning, I shook my head, rubbing my temple slightly. "The hell…?"

I blinked, staring at Cid. His lips curled in a frown as his gritted teeth pulverized the filter of his now almost completely depleted cigarette. "You sure you're alright there, Cloud?" he asked, his voice genuinely concerned.

Slowly closing my eyes once more, I scowled.

What had just happened?

Why was I here?

Wasn't I just in that auditorium with those insane, mutilated children and Leon?

"Cloud."

I opened my eyes, setting my gaze squarely on Leon's face, focusing on those silver eyes that peered from beneath the heavy liquid splattered across his lids by exploding Heartless. "I… I'm alright," I muttered, slowly folding my arms across myself and gripping my biceps tightly, letting my spear clatter noisily to the ground.

My body shuddered involuntarily as the grin of the Cheshire Cat appeared, menacing and violent as it hovered in empty space. Moments later, it parted, words pouring from the invisible cat's mouth through its shining teeth. "Metaessence is the lifeblood of Wonderland. That of your enemies is especially potent. Find all you can. Use it wisely."

A quick glance to a small ledge put the vision of a floating glowing red light encased in a delicate crystal pyramid in my sight. "Is that it?" I quietly questioned.

Receiving no answer, I meandered to it and lightly rested my fingertips atop the hovering phenomenon. It flashed, the crystal case bursting open.

I dropped onto my rear as the red light that pyramid-shaped case had held flowed over my body. A gasp of shock escaped my lungs.

Then I noticed that some of the gashes that had appeared on my arms during my apparent journey from the auditorium to the walkway we now inhabited had vanished.

"Ha! They are like potions! Thought so," Cid professed as he jabbed his fist into the air.

The Shadow Heartless walked right past me, hopping with delicate ease onto another ledge. Reaching forth with prying fingers, he lightly placed his hand on a hovering….

Was that a crochet mallet?

Sure enough, the Cheshire Cat affirmed my suspicions, his voice floating playfully through the air as it snarled out, "Here's a riddle. When is a crochet mallet like a billy club? I'll tell you – when you want it to be."

I slowly pried myself up from the ground, only to have First Tsurugi shoved into my hands by a disgruntled Cid who growled about the damned thing being way too heavy. The pilot tightened his sash a bit more, glancing down at the Heartless. "I take it you'll be wanting me to hold on to your butcher knife for awhile."

"If you could, I'd be much obliged. I don't have much of a sheath for the Vorpal Blade," his voice sighed as it floated to our ears.

"Not a problem." Turning his gaze to Leon, Cid wrinkled his nose. "So, glorious leader, where to now?"

Leon glared coldly at us all, his eyes glowing fiercely.

The Cheshire Cat's grin finally settled down, its mad floating stopping as the entire creature formed at Leon's side. Looking at us with gleaming slit eyes, tail lashing furiously, the Cat chuckled. "Only a few find the way; some don't recognize it when they do; some don't ever want to."

"Now what the fuck did he mean by that shit?" Cid snarled.

"Those doors," Leon shrugged casually. "The ones next to those that are banging wildly. They're our destination."

"How do you surmise that?" I softly questioned, still rubbing my head to ward off the headache that was thundering in my skull.

Something was still there. Something was still pestering me. Something was still calling for me to step back and let it handle everything….

Weird.

I was drawn out of my reflections, my startled state at Leon's sudden profession reflected in the sudden spread and draw of my wing.

"Because that's where he nodded towards. The Cat's guiding us. He's seen our dedication to obliterating the Heartless, so he's trying to lead us to the White Rabbit." Turning on his heel, he tightened his grip on his gunblade, slow red blood sliding along its pommel to play in its revolving bullet chamber as it leaked from the gashes that littered his arms. "Now walk. We don't have forever."

The Heartless stood at my side, his newest weapon clutched to his chest as his aquamarine eyes stared with bright concern first at myself, then at Leon. "You two are hurt. We should really hunt down that Metaessence first."

"Fuck that. We'll deal with it later," Leon bit, shooting a glare that promised a tormented death over his shoulder. "Now walk before I give in to the urge to turn you into a stain on the ground."

The Shadow gulped audibly as he took a shaky step forward. Reaching down, I put a hand on his stooped back to gently help him along.

"We'll be fine," I muttered reassuringly to him.

"That's what you think," the Shadow responded, a hiss marking his proclamation. "You'll be fine if you don't lose yourselves completely."

-tbc-

Ah, the fun of playing with someone's head.

Kudos to you who caught the obvious impact of that last chapter. I like it when he comes out to play. If you didn't get it at all, then… eh… I'd say go play FF7. Experience the wonder of the black-haired porcupine-headed freakily chipper guy! Huzzah! I heart him. Especially with Aerith. But that's my bias and me. LexZex, CloudLeon (hm. We could call that Cleon. But that sounds like bad Star Trek fanfiction), Sqinoa, and Zaerith (ai ya! Huge spoiler right there! D'oh. Insert the slapping of the forehead)! Yippee! (continues grinning even as she's plastered with a gigantic label professing her to be the freak she is)

And if I got the characterization completely wrong, tell me. I sent it through three FF7 fanboys before posting it and they all professed it was good, but we could all be entirely off our rockers.

Review replies:

Angl: Oh craptastic. I hate it when I give other people good ideas for ficstalking weapons. (sheepish laugh) Argh. First, thanks for reviewing! Second, yeeeeessssss, my precious. The good Doctor Reinhardt isn't exactly one of the chipper happy 'good' people. Like him all you want. He's coming straight out of the movie, so I'm not going to do anything to him that wasn't done there. Neh heh heh. I'm updating as fast as real life will let me! And I'm trying to keep you people happy! No flinging wet noodles! (runs away)

DarkStarPhoenix: Ah, the fun of crappy public access and school computers. Huzzah! What I get to experience at work every day. (gag, die) There actually was some plot development in that last chapter… (bows head) It was all Sora-centric and Black Hole based, but there was some. Guess I didn't make it obvious enough. That scene and the dinner scene that Sora's going to go through soon enough are some of the most revealing in the movie. I'll take more care with my sentences – I do get long-winded from time to time, don't I? (blush) Anyway, thanks much for the review! (humble bow)

scarlettHuntress: Ai ya! Does no one love Sora? (takes a moment to cuddle the sobbing Keyblade Master that everyone disregards for Cloud and Leon) Aw, poor little goob in clown shoes! All anyone else sees is another step towards CL. At least I love him. (sniff sniff) Anyway. Neh heh heh. I liked the 'Are you thinking he's thinking what I'm thinking he's thinking?' line as well. Just seemed like a very… Sora thing to be said. I would have loved Goofy to be there to attempt to reply to that. (snicker) Thanks for reviewing!

(punts the plushie clear of Super-Sei's claws and snickers as he splats face first into the 'submit review' menu option with a groan of 'SUBMIT!') Ah. That felt good.