Takes place after Kairi's rescue; contains spoilers for the end of Kingdom Hearts.

Written from Cloud's perspective.


~*~


Ephemeral Blossoms

Part 4: A Single Joy

Akai Kitsune


~*~

The first sound that met me as I entered Traverse Town was the gentle murmur of a small gathering of people, a normal sound for a densely populated country town. I remembered the quiet atmosphere from Nibelheim, back home where our numbers were few but our sense of companionship was close. At least to the others, it was. I never did fit in well at Nibelheim, and the only one I could have considered a friend moved away several years before I made my way to Midgar.

Lights decorated several buildings, announcing their purposes to local shoppers and newcomers alike. I had no munny with me, but there was nothing really to buy at that moment, so I wandered past the stores and down the sidestreet, searching for any kind of familiar face.

I realized quickly that the sidestreet was actually an alleyway, but it didn't really matter, since I had no idea where I was going no matter which path I took. I leapt above the boxes blocking my path and continued my way down the street beyond. A few moments later, I was attacked by a group of Heartless, their claws outstretched towards my chest.

Heartless were everywhere in those days; it seemed as though any world where people could be found, the ruthless creatures multiplied and destroyed until all that was good ceased to exist. I was beginning to wonder if any world was safe by that point. Certainly not Traverse Town, a world where refugees from all the lost worlds gathered...

... maybe... maybe she would be...

I didn't dare to encourage that hope, but I couldn't completely block the thought from my mind. It had been too long since I felt any real hope at all, aside from the idea that I had a mission to fulfill, a goal to accomplish.

I made it sound so official, didn't I? Like I was still some SOLDIER, some Shinra grunt taking orders from above to seek out a certain person.

I was so... so very stupid. So ignorant of everything that lay just in front of my eyes.

After passing through the doors scrawled with the label "Second District", Heartless once again surrounded me. I dealt with them all as quickly as I could, concentrating more on the path before me. The streets were deserted; it seemed to be night, but I remembered the inconsistent daylight in Olympia, so I couldn't trust the weather. In a world mostly controlled by the Heartless that walked the streets, the skies were very likely affected by the darkness swirling within it.

My eyes narrowed, and I became even more determined to clear the way for the world's inhabitants. If the Heartless were keeping the streets bare and the people trapped within their houses, I had no reason to ignore their presence.

I was halfway through the Second District, growing a little weary from so many constant battles but nowhere near satisfied by the strength of the creatures attacking me, when I heard a sudden scream from around the corner. Slashing the Buster Sword through my last opponent, I rushed towards the sound, fists tightening on the hilt.

Was the voice... somehow familiar...?

Half a dozen Heartless lay in wait, facing away from me towards a small form huddled on the ground. Most of them were doomed by the time they noticed my arrival, and the last were unable to do more than hiss in anger as my sword ended their lives - if that was what one could call them. Sensing the presence of even more creatures, I knelt beside the figure hunched against the wall, even as whoever it was looked up in surprise.

My heart sank in disappointment, even as I felt relief that she was all right. The young girl, perhaps in her early teens, with short reddish-brown hair and fearful crystalline eyes, sat up and gaze me a questioning look, as her words broke through the silence. "Who are you?"

I blinked at her question. I was expecting fear, or perhaps a little gratitude, rather than a sudden interrogation. "I... would think I'd be a friend. Are you all right?"

She stood gingerly and brushed herself off, her injuries no worse than a few mild scratches, though her fall would probably cause bruises later. "I think so. They just surprised me... you arrived before they could really hurt me." Her face brightened with a small smile. "Um... thank you, by the way."

I merely nodded, straightening up and taking a quick glance around. "We shouldn't stay here. The Heartless are gone for the moment, but they'll return once they regain sight of our hearts. Where do you live? Is it near here?"

She pointed to the door that was just beyond us. "Yes... I live in a house in the Third District, behind those doors. It'll just take a minute to get there."

The tense frown remained on my face. "You shouldn't be walking in such dangerous parts of town. Especially alone, and at night when the shadows are strongest."

"It's dangerous everywhere nowadays, you know," she replied softly, her eyes downcast. "I'm tired of sitting around and doing nothing. Everyone else is fighting against the Heartless... I just felt so helpless."

Helpless... so she knew how it felt as well. The feeling that came hand-in-hand with anger and frustration, knowing you can act yet being restrained by so many immobile forces...

I wasn't able to say anything that wouldn't betray my thoughts, so I nodded again and headed for the door, listening for her footsteps to follow me.

"You never answered me," she called after me, and my hand paused on the door. "My name's Kairi. What's yours?"

It shouldn't matter to you. The words were almost upon my lips before I stopped them. What reason did I have to hide from this girl? Giving my name could even help my search. If anyone knew me, they would recognize my name.

"Cloud... Cloud Strife."

It was surprising how easily the name broke through the silence, before pride or my stubborn need for isolation could ruin the sea of logic I had found within myself. Of course I had to give my name; my reluctance to do so caused a breach in trust, and who would help a person they couldn't trust?

I looked instinctively back to Kairi, and was met with her warm smile.

"Nice to meet you, Cloud," she murmured, standing beside me. She waited patiently for me to open the door, and it took me a moment to realize it and finally push through the entrance towards the Third District.

Kairi had been right; her home lay barely ten feet away from the doorway. It wasn't surprising that she had been attacked the moment she was past the point of a safe escape; the Heartless were not only stronger and more numerous, but they also seemed to have risen to a greater level of intensity and intelligence. They were inventing battle formations much more difficult than I was used to, and I had been forced to accommodate my own style and tactics to match theirs. I was getting tired too easily in battle, and it was not a good sign.

"Hey... you've been too tired lately."

"You okay?"

"Don't worry so much."

I'm fine.

"I promise."

"Hey," Kairi's voice startled me out of my thoughts, and I turned to her as she reached the door to the house. "Do you want to come inside and rest for a while? You look like you could use some sleep, and..." she looked me up and down, her lips quirking into another smile. "A meal, maybe."

Before I could object, I felt a sudden twinge in my stomach, silent but insistent. It was true, I hadn't eaten since before my arrival at Zeus' temple, and my body recovered faster so long as it was well cared for.

"I... thank you," I managed, moving mechanically towards the now-open door. She seemed to have a knowing expression on her face, as if she was used to dealing with people like me.

Like me...?

"Make yourself at home," she said absently as she followed me inside, closing the door and moving to the cabinet against the nearest wall. "I'll start making something to eat. It'll be nice to have someone here for company," she added after a moment. "After most of my friends left Traverse Town, I've been a bit lonely."

"Your friends?" I couldn't help asking.

Kairi nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!" She studied me briefly, eyeing the sword at my back. "You look like you've been fighting the Heartless for a long time, so maybe you'd know them. Have you met Sora, and his friends Donald and Goofy?"

The irony was just too great. I did my best impression of a grin - Zack's grin - and though I must have failed miserably, her curiousity grew at my reaction.

"What?" she demanded, hands on her hips, looking quite comical with the mixing spoon she carried.

"Know Sora?" I finally answered, shaking my head. "I fought all of them in several Coliseum tournaments. He and his friends defeated me three times already." At her surprise, my grin softened into a weak smile. "No, I don't really know Sora, but as a former opponent I can acknowledge him as an equal, at the very least."

She was relieved by my apparent disinterest in fighting him again. The meal abandoned for the moment, she drew closer and sat down on the nearby bed, curving her head to the side as if sizing me up.

"So..." she said softly, "Sora really beat you? Three times?"

I nodded reluctantly. "He has exceptional skill, and his weapon is like nothing I've seen before. Even after battling him three times, I'm still not certain of his tactics..."

She giggled, her eyes completely understanding. "That's Sora. As far back as I can remember, he always rushed into things without really thinking them through... he follows his heart and trusts it to get him through any situation."

It was strange, how contagious her smile was. As if she herself was light, never to be extinguished no matter what the situation was...

"I'm searching too."

"For your light?"

"Sora... mentioned you, the first time we met," I told her, my expression thoughtful. "He said he was looking for someone, just like I was. Afterwards, I had this strange feeling, like I didn't want to fight him again."

But I didn't have a choice.

Delight shone in her eyes. "Really? Sora said that?" She smiled wistfully, turning back to the food cupboard. "He must have been trying very hard to find Riku and me, even though he had the responsibility of being the Keyblade master. That still surprises me, even after all I've seen."

"Same here," I admitted. "In my home, when Ansem was studying the Heartless and spoke of the 'key' that would either save or destroy worlds, I didn't expect someone like him to carry it."

"It's hard to imagine Sora doing either of those," Kairi murmured. "He was always so cheerful... so casual about everything on my island. He's changed a lot since then... but he's still Sora." She blinked in sudden surprise. "Wait - did you say Ansem? You lived on his world?"

I watched her curiously. So, she knew of Ansem as well... the name had slipped without my realizing it. I hadn't thought of my world's former ruler in years, yet his name simply appeared in the conversation. "I did, yes, before it was destroyed."

Kairi's excitement grew by this statement. "Then you might know my other friends! They're from that world, too!"

My eyes widened. Was... was it possible? Other people from my world survived the Heartless attack and made their way here?

Before either of us could speak further, the doorknob suddenly jiggled before opening. My sword was half-drawn before a very familiar voice broke through our stunned silence.

"I'm back!"

Life's little ironies, once again throwing me completely off my guard.

The tall, dirty-blond haired man turned and closed the door behind him, scratching his head and fiddling with the cigarette in his mouth. "Business was good today," he announced, reaching into his pocket for a lighter. "I had a lot of customers asking for - Cloud?!"

The cigarette fell to the floor, already half-lit, as his gaze rose and he recognized me standing beside Kairi. My hand fell from my sword, dropping to my side, while I was left as speechless at his abrupt appearance as he was mine.

We stared at each other for a long time, until Kairi timidly broke through the silence. "You guys know each other, then?"

"Cid," I finally spoke, answering her question with a single word. I wasn't able to explain further, because at that very moment Cid rushed across the room and grabbed me in a giant bear hug.

"Cloud!" he yelled again, a wide grin on his face as he pulled me off the ground in his enthusiasm. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Hey," I choked, "Put me down! Cid!"

He obliged, a little sheepish, and recovered his cigarette, his eyes wide and full of mirth. "Geez, kid, you sure surprised me! How'd you get here?"

"It's a long story..."

Cid whistled, shaking his head. "It seems like everyone has a long story these days, and there's never enough time to hear 'em all. Whatever happened, I'm glad you're okay now!"

"Me too, Cid..."

You have NO idea.

"Have you met anyone else?" Cid continued anxiously. "How long have you been here?"

I pursed my lips, pulling the Buster Sword from around my shoulders and resting it against the table, sighing silently as the weight was lifted momentarily. The dark pulsing in my left shoulder had grown during the battles with the Heartless, but it was decreasing with every passing moment away from the creatures. "I just arrived in town a few hours ago. I... haven't seen anyone I know since the Heartless first came to our world."

Cid's expression hardened, a scowl appearing on his face. "Geez, kid, that's... well, it's a good thing you're here now. Things are going to get a lot worse for a while, and we'll need your help."

"We?" I repeated, glancing at Kairi as she continued to make the meal. "Who else are you staying with?"

A small smile broke through the frown on my friend's face. "Oh, a few people you might know."

My eyes narrowed. "Cid," I said warningly, hands tightening on the back of a chair by the table. I didn't have the patience for playing around; not after nine years.

Still... it was impossible to describe how good it felt, seeing an old friend, having to deal with his teasing nature. Somehow I wasn't angry at all.

Cid smirked and lit the cigarette, breathing in deeply and falling into silence for a moment. I was about to demand an explanation again when he finally murmured, "Yuffie an' me came to this town on my ship about seven years ago, when we escaped our world. Pretty soon, a fellow named Leon showed up, apparently from some world where he'd been helping this king in learning about the Heartless. You might remember the king mentioned in the rumours about Ansem's reports."

I nodded, surprised by what he was telling me. Leon...? And the king Ansem had met after the meteor shower all those years ago? They were both connected?

Cid shuffled his feet, pulling out a chair and slouching down across the table from where I stood. He looked up at me, eyes unreadable, and I met his gaze.

"Cloud," he said quietly, "Aerith was with him."

My eyes widened. Aerith... Aerith... she was...

"She's here?" I gasped, resting both my hands on the table and leaning towards him. Behind me, Kairi halted her movements to watch. "She-she's alive?"

Cid grinned. "That's right, Cloud. Aerith's been alive all this time, and she's been workin' hard with us to stop the Heartless from destroying everything."

Slowly I sank into the other chair, brushing my hand through my impossibly unruly hair. Aerith was alive. Aerith was safe.

I felt as if whatever giant weight had been crushing me all this time was suddenly lifted.

Alive.

My light was alive.

"Is... is she here?" I whispered, glancing back at Cid.

He shook his head. "You just missed her by a few days. She went with Leon and Yuffie to Hollow Bastion to meet up with Sora. Chances are she'll either stay there until everything's over, or come back after Leon and Yuffie are done in the final Coliseum tournament."

"Yuffie was in the tournament?" I blinked, hands clenched tightly.

Cid nodded. "What, were you there too?"

"Yeah... I fought with Leon against Sora and his friends." I rested my head against my palm, feeling an oncoming headache. If I had paid more attention to the competitors...

Cid laughed. "And that kid beat both of you? Man, that must've been embarrassing."

"Shut up," I muttered irritably. "The kid's unbelievable."

"No," Kairi interrupted with a grin, "He's just Sora."

As if those words alone were reason enough. I shrugged, unwilling to argue any further. "Cid... is there any way for me to go there? If the others could go-"

"They used my ship," the former airship pilot smiled grimly, pulling a small, coloured block from his pocket and tossing it to me. "I wish I could say I had another, but right now I don't have enough parts."

I stood abruptly, my eyes narrowed intensely. "You must be kidding me."

"Afraid not," Cid lowered his gaze. "Until Leon returns with the ship - or Sora with his - we're all stuck here."

"No," I whispered, my eyes wide in disbelief. I suddenly spun around and slammed my fist against the wall, startling both my hosts.

"Dammit," I whispered, my head hanging low against my chest, "I was so close."

Kairi stepped towards me, her hand reaching for my shoulder. "Cloud-"

"I'm going for a walk," I cut her off, grasping the hilt of my sword and storming outside, shutting the door behind me. I heard a soft murmur of voices within; Cid telling Kairi not to follow me, no doubt. I'd only met her briefly and I already knew all too well what she'd do.

She was light, after all. She had the sort of kindness all light possessed.

I hadn't felt very close to light at that moment. Gripping the sword nearer to my body, I walked forward into the shadows and waited for my enemies to come.

They came. They always did.

~*~

Abrupt ending? Too much of one? Sorry, ^_^ It seemed like a good enough spot to leave off.

Writing "munny" spelled like that just seems wrong... it's hard to avoid correcting it!

Cid's cigarette: Yeah, I know he wasn't smoking in Kingdom Hearts. But I really can't imagine Cid without it... *shrug* It's a fanfic, what else can I say.

As mentioned in the previous chapter, the title came from a Chinese proverb, "One joy scatters a hundred griefs." I really liked the sound of it, so I used it here.

Next chapter will contain my own interpretation of the Final Fantasy world in Kingdom Hearts... and that means flashbacks galore, ^_^ Please look forward to it.

~Akai Kitsune