Chapter Six. Revelations.

Cold green eyes observed. They wandered over the paths between worlds and scanned the main cities on every planet. Anger began to fill the icy eyes, for they didn't seem to have found what they were looking for. As his eyes snapped open, the owner of the green orbs cursed under his breath. Where was he?

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Marble stones glittered in the light of a dozen torches. The touch of ice in the air leant a slightly green shine to the torchlight, filling the stone corridors with an ethereal glow. The ghostly atmosphere was unceremoniously broken when an infuriated figure stormed out of his room into the hallway, swearing loudly.

'Bastards! Where the hell has that bloody spy gone? He can't escape our net, he's too important! For the sake of all the fucken gods that you hold dear, FIND HIM!'

The statement started out in a furious mutter, but escalated into a shout. At first glance the man seemed to be talking to himself, but seconds later, a shadow detached itself from the wall and like a ghost crept along beside him. 'Lord, that is foolishness. We cannot trace the spy without giving ourselves away. If the light caught us in pursuit…'

Rounding on his servant, the tall man fixed the cowering creature in his iron gaze. Smoothing his short blond hair out his eyes he seemed to visibly pull himself together. 'If you ever talk to me like that again, I will cut your heart out.' Said Seifer quietly. 'I know the stakes, and I know the risks. Do not ever presume to tell me what is foolish.'

While his shadow slave cowered before him Seifer's mood seemed to change in an instant and he was smiling down with a lopsided grin. 'Stand up. I know what we will do instead. We will go to the city of Agrabah. I am under the spell of concealing for another day at least, for my tracking of Sephiroth and I can use this. Neither the beings of light nor those of darkness can trace me whilst the enchantment is in effect.' Raising one eyebrow, he added almost to himself, 'It is very useful being a trusted minion of darkness and light. The world of twilight has its own rewards.'

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The sandy streets of the huge city of Agrabah glistened in the burning sun. But even though not a cloud marred the beauty of the sky, the citizens of Agrabah hurried through the tangled passages of the town with almost no chatter and no time wasted. It was like they were afraid, terribly afraid.

Standing in the shade of a canopy, a young sentry surveyed the Plaza. He was one of the many guards stationed throughout the related worlds whose job was keeping the innocent citizens safe from the ever-growing numbers of heartless. Unfortunately he had been pushed into this position with no experience and he was too young to really be aware of the dangers involving the heartless creatures. Not fully knowing what he was doing, the sentinel was utterly defenseless when Seifer dropped out of the shade and easily broke his neck. Looking into the guard's young face, Seifer felt a momentary pang of regret at the waste of such a young life, but the shadows in his head whispered to his heart, 'Leon would be grateful, you saved that boy from more pain. Life is pain, Seifer. Remember, all you do is for Leon, he will see it in the end.'

Shaking his head to dispel the lingering sadness, the cold warrior stepped over the corpse an silently beckoned to his slave. The small dark shadow slunk into step behind Seifer, staring at his back and wondering why on earth they were traveling the Related Worlds in broad daylight.

Stopping suddenly, Seifer darted into a doorway, taking his 'shadow' by surprise. The little creature barely had time to catch a glimpse of his master before the fighter was dodging again through a low passage. Running flat out to follow his master's winding trail, the servant managed to catch up with him just as Seifer stopped in the shade of a dank tunnel. The shadow hadn't realized that they had traveled so far in their route and looking around, suddenly understanding where Seifer was leading him. They were in the antechamber, just outside of the Sultan's treasure room.

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For once, since he began his service in the light, Sephiroth was unaware of the movements of the Darkland. For all of his long years undercover, the angel had kept tabs on all the high level dark subjects through a variety of trigger spells and scrying techniques; unnoticed in his quarters in the coliseum, a spell tracking one of the most dangerous unidentified Shadow followers started blinking with a blood red light.

Ignorant of the developments in his old order, Sephiroth sat, head bowed, in the now darkening living room with Yuffie and Leon. Cloud and Riku were still sleeping in the deathlike sleep of exhaustion, and Yuffie had decided to leave them to rest with Kairi while Leon was filled in on Sephiroth's information. Leon was left stunned by the news, and he couldn't believe that the fate of all the worlds rested on the lives of some of his best friends. All he could think was that this could not be happening.

Pulling everyone back from their individual reflections, Sephiroth cleared his throat to speak again. 'I know what I have told you is hard to hear.' The angel said with a furrow creasing his brow. 'But unfortunately its not everything. The plans of the Malevolence are deeper than even I know, but I did discover another small part of their ultimate scheme.

On every world lies a treasure of the Elder Age. They are known simply as the Pieces. Every world guards their treasure jealously, but the origins and meaning behind the Pieces are lost to time. As a highly placed dark servant, I knew the names of every ancient treasure, on every world, and after a time I came to realize that my superiors were hunting down the Pieces, one by one.'

By this point Yuffie was staring at Sephiroth like he had grown another head. She had never even heard of the Elder Age and she was sure that tales of treasure like that would have reached the ears of a materia/treasure such as herself. Leon however was staring at Sephiroth and nodding slowly. 'I know Sephiroth.' He murmured as Yuffie shot him an incredulous look. 'I know of the Pieces. They…'

Sephiroth cut him off before he could say any more. 'They are magical and well guarded. The dark Scryers are scanning the worlds for any mention of these mystical items.' He cautioned. 'I only brought them up because you had to know. We must go Elsewhere to talk further of them. Its just too dangerous for all of us here.'

Leon ignored Yuffie who was glaring at him in outrage and addressed Sephiroth, 'Elsewhere? What do you mean? I've heard that name before, I know I've heard it…'

He broke off looking confused. 'I don't know where I know that place from. I feel it in my heart that it was somewhere important, so why can't I remember?'

Sighing, Sephiroth motioned for Leon to sit down again. The dark haired soldier was pacing the room in frustration, and Sephiroth did not want to take any chance of waking up the other two yet. This needed to be kept under control. 'Leon, I need to explain something to you now that only the elite warriors in the light know about. You and Yuffie and all your friends are in this too deep to not know the whole story, I just had to make sure that you weren't under the darkspell before I told you this. Not even the highest placed dark lord knows of this secret.'

Taking a deep breath, the once fallen angel met Leon's and then Yuffie's eyes in turn. 'There are planets outside the Related Worlds.'

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Colored lights obscured Leon's vision and he had a vague sensation of falling backwards, out of the world before his sight went completely. A rushing sounded in his ears, a strong wind or even the sound of time passing…

'Squall?'

Rinoa, what? It's her! No, wait…Oh Gods it is…

'Yes Rinoa?' His mouth carried on, oblivious to what was happening in his head.

'What if there's more out there than just here? I mean, do you ever wonder if we're alone in the sky?'

The scene suddenly came into focus, and in the privacy of his mind, Leon gasped out loud. Before this moment, he had had no memory of sitting on soft grass under the stars with Rinoa. Instantaneously the full memory burst into his head.

It was after they had married. The hill they were sitting on was not in Traverse Town; nor was it on any of the Related Worlds. Before coming to Traverse Town he had lived another life!

Confusion struck him like a physical blow and sent him reeling out of himself again and into an abyss of undirected anger and uncertainty.

SLAP!

Leon's slate gray eyes fluttered open and quickly focused on Sephiroth's worried face hovering over him. He sat up rapidly and, wincing slightly at the ache that invaded his skull, grabbed the tall angel's collar, pulling him close. 'How is that fucken possible?' he gritted through clenched teeth. 'You knew of this all along, and yet you said nothing until now. How is it possible that my memories of, of my past all seem to have occurred here? Tell me!'

This time it was Yuffie's turn to nod at Sephiroth in understanding. 'It's ok Sephiroth, I can explain this one.

Leon, when your world was swallowed in darkness and you came here, you met with the leader of the resistance to the shadows. In the beginning of the invasion of Malevolence, there was a small insular group simply called The Conclave, who made sure that the refugees from the vanished planets were not in the thrall of darkness. In order to preserve secrecy and maintain the security of the Related Worlds, your memories were meddled with on your arrival, as were everyone's.

I have no idea why I remember all of this, my only guess is that my Wutai training messed with their magi enchantments. Hardly anyone could make a spell stick with me at home. I mean my real home. I can remember The Conclave Sephiroth, you should tell them that. If they made a mistake with me, it may have happened with others.'

Lowering her eyes away from Leon's steady gaze Yuffie whispered, 'I couldn't tell you Leon. You wouldn't have believed me. No, don't shake your head, you know that's true. Even I hardly believed what I remembered for the longest time.

I hope you can forgive me. Please just say something? Anything Leon, say something, for gods sake!'

'I don't know what you want me to say Yuffie. I don't know what to think anymore. Even my own mind has betrayed me. Please can you two just give me some fucken space? I need a little time.'

Yuffie leapt to her feet and hurried from the room to hide her tears. Sephiroth however made his way slowly to the door and stood just inside, out of Leon's sight. He did not want the taciturn fighter to do anything stupid, and he didn't think he could take the risk of leaving him alone. After a few seconds he saw that he didn't have to worry. Leon was sitting in the middle of the floor, almost utterly thrown reality by the stunning revelations. Leaning against the wall, Sephiroth gazed out of the glass door and watched as the sun sank behind the smoky gray roofs of Traverse Town in an ocean of golden mist.

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