Author's Note: Oookay. So. I wrote this puppy in a matter of four hours. I went on a writing rampage one day. It was crazy. So, this chappie's a bunch more…tense…than anything else I've ever written. Questions will finally be answered, and the end is almost near. It's a saddening thought – I hate ending fics, it makes me cry. Sometimes. Anywho…just a heads up – Chapter 8 is gonna take me a while to write, since I will be writing two versions of it. That's right my friends, two versions does mean it's time to add a little bit of lemon into the recipe. .

Oh – and later on this week I'll have a new fic up, called Journey Back. I hope y'all will check it out.

Chapter Seven: Revelation

His heart felt constricted. His breathing felt shallow. No matter how much air he sucked in, it never seemed enough to soothe his lungs. Sora leaned over the ship's railing. His whirling mind took comfort in the relatively calm waters lapping at the great vessel's hull.

The warm, bright sunshine felt foreign to Sora, who was used to the calm, gentle moonlight. His head swam with confusion and the effort to adjust his eyes to the alien sun.

What in the world was wrong with Riku?

How did he get those scars on his wrist?

What did these things have to do with his, Sora's, destiny?

What the hell was his destiny?

So many things were buzzing inside his head, bouncing about, ricocheting off of his skull. He didn't want to think anymore. He wanted to know. And if he didn't know soon?

He would drive himself mad wondering.

Sora had the questions, but who had the answers? A single image flashed through his mind: clear blue eyes.

He is a fallen angel. An image of perfection surrounded with the dark aura of a tortured path.

Cloud. Sora didn't know how he knew that Cloud had the answers, but he didn't care about that. It was the only thing he truly knew at the time, and that was all that mattered.

Turning his eyes westward, Sora let out a deep breath. They should be nearing land now, and, sure enough, his sparkling blue orbs lighted on a strip of terrain no more than an hour away. He paced frantically for a little longer than that time as the ship pulled in and the crew tied it at the dock.

As soon as they had finished, Sora rushed off to where The Night Rider was docked. He waited impatiently as the crew swept past him, all the while searching the crowd for Cloud's unmistakable figure.

The crew disappearing, Sora began to worry. Cloud hadn't disembarked, and there was no sign of him on the deck. Sora needed answers. If he didn't get them he would go insane. And quickly. He looked up at the deck again. Still no sign of Cloud. It was empty.

But Cloud hadn't left! He stood head and shoulders above the motley crew, whose growth had been stunted by a few too many rounds at the pubs. And his presence was so distinct. Surely Sora would have noticed him leaving! He must be somewhere onboard.

Sora took a half step onto the boarding plank before stopping. He hadn't seen Leon disembark either. Sora was hesitant to go onboard and look for Cloud with the commodore still there. Leon was intimidating, and Sora was his competition. Plus, the boy still had no idea what the man was capable of. A run-in with him would most likely be unpleasant.

Sora backed off of the plank and let out a frustrated sigh. He would have to wait. He plopped down on the dock and allowed his head to fall back, resting it on the edge of the boarding ramp. He stared into the sky, which was a faded version of its normal self. One half of it was crowded with darkened clouds, the other was clear. It seemed so confused.

Several minutes later, Sora found himself suffering another fit of impatience and jumped up to begin pacing. Once, twice, thrice he walked back and forth in front of the ship, until he could no longer handle the questions burning in his mind. He jumped up, practically leapt onto the ship – and collided with a firm body, which sent him flying backwards.

Rubbing the back of his head, he sat up slowly. He winced as he looked up to discover the identity of his obstacle, praying to ever deity that came to mind that it wasn't Leon. His discovery, however, was delayed by the glaring sun, which caused him to look swiftly away.

"Sora?" a voice called. It was not the voice of the commodore, but that of Cloud.

Sora struggled back to his feet and looked gratefully up at Cloud. He was finally going to get some answers.

The blonde studied the boy's face, his eyes, and knew immediately why he was there. "You're here to ask questions concerning Riku's condition?"

Sora nodded.

"I thought it would be a little longer than this," he murmured, "Walk with me."

Their pair strolled through town until they came to a small strip of beach, completely devoid of the usual crowd. They sat in the sand, and were silent for a while, each trying to decide where to begin. It was Cloud who finally broke the silence.

"I ran away from home one night, about a year before this whole mess started. My father came home one night and just killed my mother. It was so sudden; I didn't know what to do. So, I ran, and joined a crew on a ship called The Chaser.

To my surprise, there was a woman in the crew. No one knew her real name, so they called her Lady Moonshine, for she never came out of her cabin unless it was night. That and her heart was as cold as moonlight.

Over the next year I somehow managed to break through the ice and find a place in her heart. But, I didn't want it. I saw her only as a good friend. She, however, didn't think of our relationship as merely friendship. One night she came up to me, and told me she loved me, and, before I could respond…" Cloud paused and slowly removed his mantle. There on his neck were two pearly scars. "…she bit me.. After she had drained a bit of my blood, she explained that she was a vampire."

"So that means that you're a-"

"Yes. I am a vampire as well. As are Leon and Riku. Now, contrary to popular belief, vampires are not always vulnerable to sunlight. Once they drink the blood of the one they love, they become immune. However, until then, not even the darkest room can help them to escape the pain. That's why Lady Moonshine only came out at night. Even after she drank my blood she never did happily see daylight, however.

I didn't love her. I couldn't. I never was capable of loving a woman. And so, I refused to drink her blood. She was heartbroken and…killed herself."

"But I thought vampires were immortal!" Sora interjected.

"Yes, but even immortality can be overcome when one despairs enough to take their own life."

"Then, what happened to you? You go out in daylight."

"Yes, but I didn't for three hundred years after I'd been bitten."

"Three hundred years!"

Cloud nodded. He suddenly looked very sad. "The first time I came back to the light was twelve years ago, after I met Leon."

"You were the one who bit him?"

"Yes. We were lovers at the time, but Leon was drifting away. I thought maybe if I gave him immortality, I wouldn't lose him. But only a week after I bit him he had turned around and bitten Riku. We were in the port where you come from that day."

Sora started. Twelve years ago? Was it….? Yes, it was then that he'd first felt that Touch of Fate. He was only five at the time, but he suddenly remembered it clearly; the brilliant sunset over the ocean, the beauty of the silver-haired sailor he had seen that day.

Cloud saw Sora's face form and expression of reminiscence, but ignored it as the boy spoke.

"So that's why Riku was in so much pain this morning." Sora was shivering, and recognition twisted into fear. "Which means he hasn't…and Oriel said he loves me, so Riku is going to…bite me." The boy looked absolutely terrified now. Cloud silently regretted telling him everything he had.

Sora suddenly jumped up and began to run off. "Tell Riku I'm sorry," he called over his shoulder.

The blonde jumped up as well. No. Sora had to help Riku. This vicious cycle had to end. Cloud's strong arms threw Sora to the ground and pinned him there as light blue eyes pierced the boy with their sudden chill.

"You can't run from this!" Cloud shouted. "Riku needs you to save him. If you run away now, he will never be cured of the pain you'll cause him. He'll go insane."

"He can find someone else!" Sora spat.

"No he can't! He loves you Sora. Do you hear me? You! He'll never be able to love anyone else. You have to save him!"

Sora averted his gaze, but Cloud could still see that tears were forming in his eyes. "I can't," the boy whispered.

"Fine." Cloud released the boy. "But you have to tell him so yourself." He stood and walked back to town.

For the next few hours Sora wandered aimlessly before returning to The Mistress. The sun was still high as he stood outside of Riku's door, trying to think of what exactly to say. He stood there for hours, still thinking.

But he couldn't do this, not now anyway. And so he ran. He ran down into the hull and shut himself in the brig. Sora fell in a heap on the damp floor and cried himself to sleep.

He once again found himself in Dreamland. Oriel was there, as usual, but Sora's hawk was missing. The beautiful angel turned her face towards Sora, tears streaming forth from her maple eyes. She glared at him, half sorrowful, half in a rage.

"What have you done?!"

- - - - - - - - -

In the bridge of The Night Rider, Cloud sat alone, replaying the scene at the beach. He sighed. He'd really thought that Sora would set things right. But the boy had become afraid, and how can you love the things you fear?

His contemplations were broken as Leon entered the room. It was the first time they had been alone in twelve years.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Cloud murmured.

"What does?" came the gruff reply.

"Unrequited love. To place so much passion, trust, need in someone else's hands and have them fling it away. It's even worse than the pain daylight brings us. I spent three hundred years in that pain, searching for my solace. I found it in you. You didn't even spend a month looking for your escape. I still doubt you've truly found it.

Leon glared at Cloud and began to protest, but the blonde stopped him.

"No. Don't say anything." His eyes were fierce. "You're going to tell me you know how I feel. But you don't. The years I spent searching for you were hell to me. But when I found you and gave you my heart and watched you toss it aside, they seemed like the Garden of Eden compared to the pain that has filled the last twelve years of my life. And don't you dare say you know that pain. You're too stubborn to admit that Riku doesn't love you.

But I can accept the fact that you don't love me – as long as you are happy. But you're not happy, Leon, because this boy does not love you, nor you him for that matter. You've simply convinced yourself that you love him, and it's causing you more pain than if you admitted the truth.

I know I may not seem in position to tell love apart from other emotions, me, who went without it for so very long. But that is precisely why I can recognize love when I see it. Because those three hundred years of longing for it made it more precious to me than anything else. Because loving you has made it even more precious.

Riku and Sora love each other. You don't fit into that; not even as a one sided love; not even if Sora leaves, as he is most likely about to do. And I won't believe otherwise, unless you can look me in the eyes, right now, and tell me you love Riku, which, if anything I just said means anything at all, you won't be able to do."

Leon was silent for a long while before he stepped out of the room and into the sunlight. His head began to throb, more so than could pass as a normal headache. Perhaps Cloud was right, but there was only one way to be sure.

The commodore strode up to Riku's cabin door and opened it. The inside was in shambles, and Riku lay on the floor, panting and practically seizing in pain.

And Leon found his answer. He had never loved Riku. He had merely become frightened by the deterioration of his emotional walls as he truly fell in love. He had run from the one he loved. But then he had endured the pain that is a vampire's fate and had run from that. In order to escape, however, he had to convince himself he was in love. That was safer than really being in love, wasn't it? But his fear had destroyed the true path of Destiny.

He only wished he had realized this sooner, for it was too late as the silver-haired captain launched himself at the commodore and his teeth sunk into the brunette's neck.

- - - - - - - -

Sora woke abruptly as Cloud pulled him off the ground.

"Do you love Riku?" the blonde asked.

Sora hesitated.

Did he?

He could feel Riku's touch. He squirmed under the memory of Riku's gaze. He could taste the sweetness of Riku's kiss. He felt safe again.

"Yes," he whispered.

"Then go to him. Leon is with him, and Riku is about to hit the breaking point. I can tell. I've been there. He's dangerously close."

Sora's eyes widened and he sat, stunned.

"Go!" Cloud yelled.

The boy leapt up and ran to the deck.

How could he have doubted his love so? How could he have been so afraid of Riku? Riku had saved him, now it was his turn to save Riku.

He came to Riku's door and, panting, reached for the knob. . .

- - - - - - - -

Riku threw himself away from Leon. His bright, emerald eyes were wide with shock, bright with fear and regret. He looked at his handiwork upon Leon's neck and scrambled backward.

"What have I done?" he whispered. "What have I done?!"

Leon looked at the silver-haired boy, who was obviously still anguished. Only now, half of it was from the full realization of what his previous actions had been.

The commodore turned and walked out the door, thankful that his blood has not soothed the boy.

- - - - - - - -

…but before Sora could open the door, the commodore had. He stepped into the daylight, swaying slightly from its effects on his no-longer immune body.

Sora glanced up at him. From two puncture wounds in Leon's neck flowed a thin, slow trickle of blood.

"No." Sora whispered.

No! Riku hadn't! He couldn't have!

But the evidence was there.

Sora's heart sank. What was he supposed to do now?

Leon glanced at the boy. His eyes had softened and were now sympathetic.

Sora began to cry again. His stomach knotted in rage. His hands curled into fists. His nails dug into his palm. His jaw clenched tight, and he burst through the door.

And then his rage melted into sorrow.

Riku looked up at him, eyes hazed with the immense pain he had endured all day. "I'm so sorry Sora."

But Sora paid him no heed. He dropped to his knees in front of Riku, and pulled the older boy upright.

Riku braced himself. He was sure that Sora would strike him now.

But he didn't.

The brunette took Riku's face between his hands.

And kissed him.