Chapter Twelve: I'll Be Here

Yuna ran through the ruined Zanarkand. Her sleeves tattered and torn, as was her skirt. She had several cuts and bruises from the Heartless, and she had been so lucky to be free from them. She tripped over several broken rocks, and fell into a large hole in the ground. She yelped as she hit the ground, and looked around. She saw a hunched over figure and ran over to it. Yuna's eyes widened at the sight of Rikku. "Rikku! Rikku, wake up…oh no!" she recoiled from her heartless cousin and looked around. She didn't find anyone else, and ran down the lit up hall way. She found herself in the marketplace, and sat countless of dead Heartless. Yuna continued on and let out a scream as she saw Sora on the ground, the Keyblade at his side.

Yuna ran to him and brought the small teen into her arms and looked down at him. "Sora, Sora! Sora, wake up….come on Sora…."

Sora opened his eyes and looked up at her. He blinked, seeing Yuna's round face. It hurt to see, he couldn't barely move…..he was hoping that Fire spell would have killed him. "Yuna…." He said softly.

"Sora, dear Yevon, what happened to you?!" Yuna asked. Sora pointed. Yuna turned and felt shock go up her spine. She froze as she saw her friends, Lulu, Wakka and her beloved Tidus on the ground, dead. She began shaking.

"He…he said that he loved you…." Sora said. "He….he said that he was sorry…"

"Sh, no, Sora….you have to be quiet." She looked over at his burned exposed skin and back in his face. She saw the guilt in his eyes, and knew that he had tried to kill himself. "Why did you do this Sora..?"

"I failed them…..they are all dead because of me….all of them…every single one…." Sora said, looking up at the sky. He felt his vision go dark, he was blind. "They are screaming….all of them….in my head, they won't leave….everyone of them….even those people of Zanarkand….all of them scream over and over…."

"Ssh, Sora, please be quiet….I'm sorry for asking." Yuna said. She stood and picked him up in her arms and sat down by a broken fountain, holding him in her arms. "Just concentrate on healing yourself, you'll be fine."

"No….too..late…" Sora said. He turned his head to her voice, but he could not see her. He felt each of his limbs go limp one at a time. "I can't see…..I…I can't move anymore…."

"Sora, don't go!" Yuna cried. "What about your friends? Riku and Kairi! They need you…..you can't die!"

"I let them down……I lied…I can't save Kairi…..I'm a failure….not a hero." Sora felt Yuna hold him tighter. "Don't….don't bother on me, Yuna…..I'm not worth it….."

"Anyone is worth it." Yuna said, tears running down her face now. She felt Sora go limp and his head rolled to the side, his eyes closed. Yuna bent her head down and sobbed uncontrollably. She shook in grief, every one of her friends gone. Tidus was gone again…..she didn't even get to help him with his passing…she didn't even help Sora!

~*~

Clouds came over and draped upon Traverse Town. Leon looked out of the window, his gunblade presently propped up against the wall. Yuffie sat, watching the silent man. Leon didn't move from his spot as he heard Aeris come in with some tea. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Leon?" Aeris asked. "You've been at the window all day – come and drink something."

"I'm not thirsty." Leon muttered.

Yuffie sighed. "Squall….please?"

Leon growled and faced Yuffie. "My name is Leon. It isn't Squall!"

"Stop rejecting who you are!" Yuffie shouted. "Just because the Heartless took over your world does not mean it is not your fault! You aren't the KeyMaster, you cannot hold open or close doors – you couldn't have fended off the Heartless no matter what! Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Squall! What would Ri.."

"Never say her name!" Leon hissed. "YOU don't know what it is like!!" he grabbed his Gunblade. "Sora is in trouble, I am going to have to find a way to help him – better he returns home and be with those he loves – I won't let him fail like I did."

"You didn't fail." Aeris spoke softly. "Yuffie is right – you couldn't have fended all of them by yourself, Leon. Please stop pressing it against yourself…it isn't helping."

Leon sighed. "I promised her…" he sat in a chair, slumping over. "I promised her that she would find me…..if I stayed were I had…but, I never saw her again after that."

"After what?" Aeris asked.

"After I was sent on a mission for SeeD, I don't know why I stuck around them. I came back….and the Heartless had already come." Leon stood again, shifting. "Now is not the time. Sora is in danger, I know it."

"You don't know where he is…..how can you possibly plan to save him?" Yuffie huffed. "He could be anywhere!"

"Process of elimination." Leon said. "Get your things, Yuffie." He walked up to Aeris, patting her shoulder. "I'll tell him where you are – if I find him, Aeris." She smiled at him, and nodded. Leon sighed. "Now….we have to find out how to track Sora….we don't have a Gummi Ship."

"Ask Cid." Aeris suggested. "He knows almost everything about that kind of things."

~*~

Yuna opened her eyes. She found the still Sora in her arms, and felt her chest pounding again. She looked around, finding Zanarkand – but yet it was rebuilt! The buildings, people – everything! Yuna stood, and walked through the streets, wondering what was going on. She heard someone stomp their foot, and Yuna turned. A little boy stood there…but he looked like Sora! His hair was less spiky, and he had on a large white shirt with sandals, small red shorts. Yuna stared down at the little boy who looked like the dead boy in her arms. "Who are you?"

"Why are you here?" The boy asked. "Why are you in my head?"

"Y-your mind?!" Yuna asked.

The boy nodded. "Yes….in my head…." He looked around nervously. "Why are all these people in my head?! Why won't you all leave me alone?!" he turned and began to run away. Yuna followed him, pushing past residents of the Zanarkand memory in this young boy's head. Sora's body was jerked around in her hands, but she refused to let the boy get away – or to drop Sora. Finally she stopped. Yuna found that Zanarkand was now forming into what seemed an Island. There were little children running around, and Yuna gasped. In the corner there were two that seemed like Tidus and Wakka! Yuna turned, and saw that Zanarkand was still behind her.

The little boy turned and looked up at Yuna. "Why are you following me?!"

"I just want to know why I am here…." Yuna said softly. "I don't know why I am here, so I cannot answer your question…tell me, what is your name?"

"Sora." The little boy answered. "I'm seven….and I live on Destiny Island." He pointed all around him. "But….for some reason the people over there…" he pointed to Zanarkand. "Won't leave….they stay in my head….and they won't go away."

Yuna looked down at the little Sora sadly. "Do they scare you?"

"S-sometimes…." Little Sora looked at the ground. "B-but there is a lady there…..and she helps me…but, but I can't find her anymore." He looked up at Yuna. "I dunno where I am sometimes….or who I am…..sometimes I feel like me…sometimes I feel like someone else…."

Yuna placed a freehand on Little Sora's head. "It's alright, Sora. I'll help you the best I can….." she thought for a moment….she had to be in the collective thoughts of the dead boy in her arms – but the question was, how to deal with it? She sighed and looked down in her arms at Sora's pale face, dried blood coming from the corner of it. "What is her name?"

"I dunno…" Little Sora said. "But I think she said Yuna-something….."

Yuna thought and nodded. "I think I know who she is…." Yuna held out her hand, and Little Sora took it. "We'll need to go back to Zanarkand….but, I promise, I'll protect you."

"You will?"

Yuna looked down at Sora's body begun to turn into pysflies. She caught her breath, watching as the colored lights swarmed around her until nothing was left. She gulped and looked down at Little Sora, and placed her hand over his head. "I'll be here."

"Why..?" Little Sora asked.

"I'll be waiting here." Yuna smiled. "I'll be waiting for you…so…if you come looking for me, I'll be here." She squeezed Little Sora's hand. "I'll be here, waiting to guide you when you are lost…"

Little Sora smiled.