Rhiannon: So, here's the next chapter... With a bit of history and an intriguing butt ugly world... I mean really... They went to all nice and wonderful places in KH but what happened to the ugly color confused ones? Anyways.... here is where we meet the wonderful... SEIFER!
Chapter 3: Seeds of Light
"I was once what was called a Turk. As en Ex-Turk… I never realized what that meant. What they would do to me if I quit, at least… I think I quit." Vincent stated as he looked at the dark planet they were reaching. "That was when the experiments started. Hundreds of them, so many of them. It hurt."
"Was there anyone on your world that wasn't experimented on?" Sora asked nosily.
"Of course… Many weren't. Just me, Cloud, Zack and… him." Vincent shook his head bitterly.
"Him?" That caught Sora's interest, the contempt in his voice.
"Sephiroth." Vincent shook his head. "They brought him back to life. The near destroyer of our world because they felt that we needed him to defeat the heartless." Vincent stopped.
"It didn't work…" Sora closed his eyes in realization.
"It didn't work… Because the Cetera… the Shepherds of the Planet banished him to Traverse Town in their anger." Leon whispered knowing the story well. "Sephiroth couldn't return."
"And Cloud never forgave him for what he couldn't control. Simply because he couldn't believe that the Cetera felt differently then Aeris… Or Aerith." Vincent spoke. "But I think that Aerith… is filled with not only Aeris but the Cetera's anger."
"I think it's more then that." Leon stated softly.
"This is all speculation Sora. But…" Vincent looked away. "We can not kill Cloud at all costs."
"Because of Sephiroth?" Sora asked quietly.
"Mostly… We may be the balance… But I feel, no I know that Cloud and Sephiroth will have an important role." Leon stated.
"But you saw! You saw what he's been doing to people! That he killed Auron and Tidus and Wakka and… and…" Sora shook his head feeling empty tears fill his eyes.
Had he really known Tidus? Or Wakka? Hadn't they all failed in comparison to the friendship he had with Riku and Kairi? Hadn't he ignored them to play in his so-called exclusive club so long ago? Hadn't he failed them so long ago when he was a child on the Destiny Islands? And then when he saw Tidus in Traverse Town, hadn't he left him behind because he had wanted to be seen as Kairi and Riku's rescuer? Hadn't he?
"Cloud believed in keeping Traverse Town safe." Vincent's words were simple. "The mako enhanced abilities make him strong and faster, yes. But inhuman… No, it couldn't even do that to Sephiroth."
"But what about Aerith?" Sora asked quietly.
"It wouldn't surprise me if The Cetera want revenge against Sephiroth… And against Traverse Town surviving when their planet did not." Vincent sighed. "Enough… Land us."
This new world, was infinitely hot. There was no other way to describe it but to simply swelter and whine. Well, if whining was an option between the three men. The Ex-Turk too proud, the mercenary too reserved and cold and the boy, unable to think farther then his next step. It was steamy, like a shower that never ran out of hot water and not much blessing in the thick purple foliage. Of all colors, purple, Sora thought, a world of fucking purples. He paused a brief second to lean against a shimmering blue tree to pull in a torrent of breath. They had left the ship in the clearing, unsure of if they could find it again. Walking with out pause towards what was hopefully a village.
Vincent's metal claw pushed against his back. "We keep walking."
Sora twisted to say why, but then he heard what had set that decision, unable to believe that he had noticed it before. The dark ominous power, not of the nothings or the heartless, but an angry righteous anger, as if everything was out to get this creature, whatever it was.
Vincent made sure that he sped his steps and didn't think as he prodded him with a sharp claw when he felt necessary, luckily for Sora, was not often. Leon was ahead, a natural leader, and Sora was slightly indigent because he had been the leader, not a glorified pilot. But hubris conceded to the thought, that working together was better then dying with large amounts of ego. His thoughts were in a swirl of how the purple aggravated his eyes and the orange sun was just too much. He began to wonder why people had ever thought they had a need to see color, if there were such atrocities like this to be seen.
"We won't make it Leon." Vincent's voice quietly hissed.
"We will." The stormy eyes looked in to blood red sharply.
"Have either of you been to this planet before?" Sora asked confused at the way their eyes seemed to communicate.
"No. But a guardian is a guardian. If we destroy it, this world will be defenseless against Ansem!" Leon shouted.
"I know that! But there is nothing, nothing we can do if the guardian kills us first." The Ex-Turk yelled as they continued to walk.
"Then we need to run." Leon turned and unsheathed Lionheart and began to cut at the purple and blue flora, the beginning of the race against time.
Sora looked at Vincent for a split second but at the look on his face began to move as well, he did not need that claw poking him harder.
Leon had stopped so suddenly that the only thing keeping Sora from running head on into his back was the look of pure shook on his face. A large hulking metallic thing was sticking at of the ground, nothing seemed to inhabit it. But it was enough to make Leon drop to his knees digging Lionheart sharply into the ground. There was a lack of life around the large object; it probably must have just crashed. Leon through his head back and screamed.
"What is it?" Sora didn't realize he'd even opened his mouth.
"Galbadia Garden… From my world… If it flew through space… then the people are dead… They're dead." He turned to look at Sora and then at Vincent just behind them.
"Was this your home?" Sora asked quietly.
"No… But… I remember, I remember so much of this place." He shuddered and Vincent looked at him.
"Memories might be the death of you young lion."
Sora rolled his eyes. "This might not be the best place to stay, with the guardian coming and all."
"Don't be a snot." It sounded weird coming from Vincent. "The guardian is afraid can't you tell he's not coming anymore."
"Maybe only darkness can sense darkness." Sora bit back, he didn't really like the vampire.
"Look… It took us four months to reach this planet. And six before that to reach and explore the planet that Edea was on. We're planet hopping trying to find in important piece… Something that Ansem wants just as much as us. And we have to find it! We've got to! And you two have got to work together or we will fail! We are the last hope! You might not like it but deal!" It was the most that either had heard Leon say with such emotion if he'd ever shown emotion to Sora at all, because the Ex-Turk had seen very clearly what he'd been hiding.
"Sora… Remember that you are still young. And that though your planet was restored, many were not and many have and will be destroyed again in the time that it takes us to get to Ansem. Remember that no pain is little, no matter how old." He nodded to Leon. "And no sacrifice is with out doubt or weariness or rage. But is what we must do to save us all." The wisdom was great in those dark red eyes, eyes that had lived too long and seen much, too much.
"We've to push ahead. To the village." Sora's voice creaked as his anger left him and the unrelenting wet heat of the jungle forced it's weight down on him again.
He swayed gently, heat filling his vision. He was so hot, he wondered if the others were as hot. Where he had shed and left his winter coat. Vincent still wore his long red cape and Leon his jean jacket. Maybe, just maybe, the traitorous thought filled his head. That he wasn't made of the same caliber as these heroes. They made it past the Garden; it's huge hulking red mass taking up miles of land and just beyond that was a village. Small tan people that invited them kindly. It had been a long time since someone had been kind.
"What brings you here?" The leader asked quietly, it never amazed him that some how, he was sure it was the keyblade that no matter who he talked to, understood what he was saying.
"We are looking for someone." Leon whispered softly.
"From this world?" The leader asked quite sage-like very much expecting the answer to be no.
"I'm afraid not, he is much taller then you, and has a scar perpendicular to mine." Leon explained quietly as Vincent looked out to see a glimpse of what they had been running from, only a huge hulking green shadow.
"There is one such as that here."
"And where might we find him?" Leon asked quietly.
"Right here Squally-boy." A tall man spoke.
The man Sora noted was very tall, with bright blonde hair, slicked back except for two strands. His clothes were slightly hidden by a long white trench coat, but he could clear see jeans and a dark tee-shirt, his feet covered in boots. But a question was stuck in his mind. Who the hell was Squall?
"Seifer." Leon nodded. "Sora and Vincent wait here."
He and the man took off; Sora wanted to say something, anything to let both men know that he didn't agree with this once bit. But, before he could open his mouth, both Leon and the other man were gone.
"What makes you think I want to fight for the good guys again Leonheartless?" Seifer asked once they were alone in the meeting hall, the only place Seifer could fit inside.
"It's Leon." He growled back at the large blond.
"How unoriginal. I would have thought with new friends you would have changed… Or at least wore a few less belts." Seifer sneered leering up and down at him.
"Would you really turn your back on your romantic dream." Leon's own comment cut deeply as well.
"I gave that up with the Second War. You know that." The blond growled, his green eyes glinting dangerously.
"Then did you give up on me as well?" Leon was Squall again for a brief moment.
"Goddamnit Squall!" It seemed like the first time he'd that ever been called his first name from this man.
"The nothings simply kill and mock the dead. Your powers are needed!" He yelled loudly.
"Then give me Ifrit, Diabolos and Odin." He ordered quietly.
"You'll help?" He was a fool to let his voice sound hopeful, to even utter those words.
"On one condition." The blond's smirk broadened with power.
"What?"
"One last duel." And that was when Leon cursed himself, for never letting Seifer know what he felt.
Sora glared at the blond man as he approached where he sat on the outskirts of the village. He stood and put his hand out, to be polite.
"Sora."
"Seifer." The blond man shook his head.
"Vincent." The man with ebony hair hissed from his vantagepoint against a near building.
"Goddamn Leonheart… Still sending kids to fight." He growled turning back to the man behind him.
"I didn't choose him."
"He tried to stop it from choosing me. He tried to get it to choose him." Sora spoke drawing Seifer's attention back to him.
"What the hell is 'it' kiddies?" Seifer's tone was beyond condescending.
"This." Sora held out his keyblade.
Seifer snatched the blade from him and examined it carefully. After giving it a few test swings he handed it back.
"Where are you from?" He asked looking the cinnamon haired fighter up and down assessing his build.
"Destiny Islands."
"And you?"
"Ceter."
"Hyne help me, another Leonheart." The blond rolled his eyes to the orange sky.
"Have you been here all this time?" Leon asked quietly.
"Pretty much. The Garden was absorbed by… I don't know. Many warps like the one that took you all so took several students. Quistis and I tried to keep things running. Nida could barely stop it from crashing into the village.
"Where's Irvine, and Quistis?" Leon asked urgently.
"Quistis is on the other BG organizing the night guards of the village. Xu died two nights ago. It was horrible."
"Xu's dead?"
"She tried to save a younger SeeD… The monster stabbed her though the chest and decapitated her. The younger SeeD never had a chance." Seifer looked away bitterly. "What the hell's doing this?"
"An entity know as Ansem." Vincent stated.
"We should go to Balamb… It's been fortified for space travel… Maybe you could send them somewhere better?" He asked quietly.
"Traverse Town."
"But Cloud?" Sora stared at him.
"Cloud most likely isn't there anymore. And it would be a while before the Garden would make its presence know as a protector. The only other place is Hallow Bastion."
"Hallow Bastion is a hell of a lot safer then Traverse Town and you know the Garden is way to fucking big to fit in a district." Sora muttered annoyed.
"You obviously don't know what were trained for kid. We don't expect to live very long, we're mercenaries, not civilians." Seifer pointed out highly sarcastic.
"What?! You didn't tell me that!" Sora turned angered eyes on Leon.
"At the time you were on a need to know basis Sora. You didn't need to know." Leon explained as they began to walk through the dense purple foliage.
AN: So... those of you particularly the lovely ones that read and review... I hope you are enjoying this... smiles big there aren't really any surprises coming up... I think, and I will include much loved FF worlds and maybe a few other things... And don't worry... NO Kairi bashing, and there will be chapters devoted to ALL the important characters as it plays out... Thanks for coming along. Oh.. and I for got to mention...
DISCLAMIER: I OWN NOTHING... THAT IS WHY I'M USING oh and I'm in college, cry for me.