Gomen = Sorry

Iie = No

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Experimental

The Bonds Break: Part one

A Scream of Wings

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~~ Just outside Leon's apartments

"Iie..."

~ You're giving me ~

Aerith turns to look at Anzu. "What is it?"

~ To many things, lately ~

Eyes wide with fear, Anzu shakes her head in disbelief. "Iie! It's not POSSIBLE!" Her wings flex, ready to help her flee.

~ You're all I need ~

Needless to say, Aerith is a bit puzzled. "What's not possible?"

~ You smiled at me ~

Instead of answering, Anzu runs to the wall and tugs aside a panel, leaving it hanging open as she squeezes through into the passage behind it.

~ And said ~

She does something she rarely does.

":: NEKO! ::"

~ Don't get me wrong, I love you ~

Halfway across the castle, Neko feels mental yell and bolts towards Anzu. After a minute, she reaches her sister.

~ But does that mean I have to meet your father? ~

Anzu nearly falls into Neko's arms, tears streaming down her face. She chokes out a single word.

"Heartless!"

~ When we are older you will understand ~

Neko's eyes widen, then slit- including pupils. She looks around, and sees the wide-open panel.

~ What I meant when I said ~

"Anzu, is anyone out there?"

"..."

Taking the silence as a no, Neko nods and scrambles out, pulling Anzu with her. Aerith is still standing in the hall, but now Leon's come out of his rooms and is standing next to her.

~ No, I don't think life is quite that simple ~

Neko nods in an imitation of politeness after shooting a glare at Anzu and yells "Gomen! But I need to get to Takeo!" as she barrels between them.

~ When you walk away ~

As Neko yells for Takeo, heading in the direction of his niche, Anzu desperately flaps her wings with her footsteps in an attempt to keep up. But as hard as she tries, she starts to lag behind.

~ You don't hear me say ~

Neko skids to a halt at a shrill cry from behind her, and she spins.

~ Please, oh baby, don't go ~

A pool of darkness forming around Anzu's feet drags at her, pulls her down, and her wings beat in vain. Neko leaps to Anzu, almost showering the black with ice magicks. She claws desperately at the midnight ropes around Anzu.

~ Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight ~

Anzu starts to help by beating her wings, and with each beat, sparks fly out.

But despite it all, the ties continue to creep up, and Anzu's desperate scream as she realizes they're fighting a loosing battle rings through the castle. Neko grinds her teeth and continues to fight darkness, even though shadows are springing up around them.

~ It's hard to let it go ~

"I won't give up on you!"

~ The daily things that keep us all busy are confusing me ~

Anzu looks out. The black has almost covered her. It's begun to boil up around Neko's feet.

~ That's when you came to me and said ~

"Gomen..." Anzu beats one wing out, knocking Neko away, and the darkness climbs over her head.

~ Wish I could prove I love you ~

"IIE!!" Wild eyed, Neko turns on the Heartless that formed behind her. Gesturing out to them, ice fills the hallway, flowing like water from her hand.

~ But does that mean I have to walk on water? ~

She snaps her fingers, and the ice blasts into shining dust, taking the Heartless with it.

~ When we are older you will understand ~

When Takeo reaches her, she's huddled in a corner, crying her heart out.

~ It's enough when I say so ~

In Neko's hand is clutched a single brilliant, soft feather, the color of sunset.

~ And maybe some things are that simple ~

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Aerith, Leon, Sephiroth, Cloud, and Cid look up as the door to the kitchen creaks open. All of the begin to reach for their weapons, but drop there hands as Takeo walks in, half carrying Neko.

He meets Leon's eyes, and half-smiles. "Bit pointless to keep hiding, ne? Especially with the Heartless back." He drops the smile- it wasn't very convincing- and takes Neko over to the fireplace. Coming back to the counter, he looks at Aerith for a brief moment. "You're the one who talked to them both?"

Aerith nods. "Where's..." Takeo shakes his head. Emerald eyes meet aqua, and Aerith blanches slightly. "Oh... oh."

"Could you talk to her?" he asks, looking down. "You're probably the only person who she'll talk to, beside me. And... I don't think I can talk to her. Not now."

Aerith nods silently and walks over to Neko.

"Er... What's your name?"

Takeo blinks silently at Leon, then looks away for a long time. Looks at Cloud. "You're the one I had to knock out."

Cloud looks at him. "It was you?"

Takeo nods. There's a long silence. "It's Takeo."

After another long silence, Leon looks piercingly at Takeo. "Do you know why the Heartless are back?"

"No clue."

Aerith comes back across the room. "It's shock. Survivor's guilt. Mourning. Disbelief."

Takeo looks across the kitchen at his sister, sadness and pain in his eyes. :: Poor kid, :: Aerith sighs, :: he's to young to be this old. ::

"Will she get better?"

"Truthfully, I don't know." She sighs again. "It must have hurt alot."

Cloud flinches a little. "It would have."

Neko stares into the fireplace in front of her, barely hearing them. She clutches the feather.

:: Anzu's gone. ::

"She also drained herself of magic somehow, and that's making her weaker."

:: They got her. I let them get her. ::

"She may even let herself go. And that would be bad."

"Especially with the Heartless."

:: HEARTLESS! :: Neko looks sharply away from the fire. Aerith and Takeo both jump.

"It was Oni."

"Nani?" Takeo blinks.

"Oni let the heartless back out. I'm sure of it."

Takeo looks hard at Neko, and Aerith can't help but to notice again how old he looks. "Are you sure because you hate him or sure because you know?"

"I *Know* it."

Takeo nods, understanding the full implication of the words. He turns away and walks to a counter, leaning against it and obviously thinking hard.

"Did you dream it or hear it?" he asks, tracing a design with his fingers on the cool marble.

"Mm... A bit heard, but more I just Know." She pauses. "So, what are we going to do about it?"

His aqua eyes frown down at the counter, and Aerith won't be surprised if the rock starts to smoke from the intensity of that gaze. "I hope it won't come to killing him. He's a full brother to both of us in his way, not half like you and me. But..."

The trailing 'but' shakes Aerith more than the part about killing him. :: They're seven, eight years old! They're too young! ::

But, that emotionless 'but' is still here.

"I have no problem with that. It's his slip up, even touching her. When will we start?"

TBC

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