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

Written from Cloud's perspective.

Kairi's battle tactics swiped from the genius known as Dagas, the Fearsome Moogle herself. Bow to her uber-greatness.

Only a few moogles were harmed in the making of this chapter.

Ephemeral Blossoms

Akai Kitsune

Part 13: Crazy Sunshine

The moment Kairi's scream reached our ears, Cid and I leapt up the remainder of the First District stairs, charging into the Accessory shop within three steps. Inside, Kairi was scrambling on top of the fireplace, frantically beating on a Shadow Heartless with her shoe. Several more Heartless had appeared, floating or crawling over to where Kairi fought her own enemy.

I didn't even stop to think. Dumping the rest of the wood on the floor where I stood, I kept one log in my hand and flung it at Kairi's opponent, sending it flying. My hands free, I reached behind me and drew my sword, charging forward to destroy the rest of the Heartless.

Cid stayed with Kairi, attacking any enemies that came too close. Over the cries of battle he called out, "What the hell are they doing inside?!"

"I don't know!" Kairi answered, clutching the shoe close to her body as she watched. "They just appeared out of nowhere! But... I think they came from the gummi shop drop-off..."

Cid cursed, pinning a Darkball with his spear and slamming his fist into a whirling Soldier that drew too close. "As if we didn't have enough problems already!"

Fixed in the center of the Heartless group, I spun my sword between my fingers, a dance of death that would not allow any of the Heartless to come near. They were falling fast, though a few persistent ones still lingered near the back, wary of drawing any closer until the right moment appeared for an attack. I didn't plan on giving them a chance.

Suddenly three objects fell from the ceiling and landed on me, knocking me flat on my stomach. "Hey! Dammit-!"

"Sorry about that, kupo! It's dangerous up there, too!"

Moogles. I hated moogles!

The creatures hopped off me, darting through the mess of attackers to stand with Kairi on the fireplace. I rushed to my feet, my face burning with anger and embarrassment, and continued fighting, slicing the giant broadsword through the Heartless at the back and grasping the ladder rung to pull myself into the upper level. I wanted to be sure every Heartless was gone.

The thought of sharing a floor with the moogles was an extra incentive, as well...

As I reached the very top, Kairi's cry caught my ear.

"Mr. Cloud! Careful!"

I half-turned to see what was wrong, but something collided with the back of my head before I caught sight of her. Stars danced in front of my eyes, and I distantly heard Cid and Kairi calling my name as my fingers released the ladder, and I fell, darkness pulling me away even while the floor came up to meet me.

"Cloud? Hey, Cloud!"

....

"Are you sleeping again? Geez... you always fall asleep at the worst times."

... sorry.

"It's okay. Nothing interesting's going on, you know."

Really?

"... We got away, Cloud. We finally got out of there."

That's good...

"It took a while, but I promised you, didn't I? For once I actually kept a promise."

You're not that bad.

"So... what do you think I should do now?"

Why are you asking me?

"I mean, we can't expect Tifa to look after us. I bet she'd do it, though. The poor kid's crazy about you."

That's not funny.

"But seriously, I need to get into a new business. I can't just go back to working for Shinra, that's for sure. Once they hear about what happened to the lab... man, they'll be pissed. Heh, serves them right, eh? We got 'em good this time."

I'm glad -you're- happy.

"I can't see myself settling down. Not yet, I mean. We're the adventurous types, right? I know I am. So I need a job that'll keep me busy."

You're always too busy.

"You're not helping me here, kid! ... hey, I know!"

Ha... you never needed my help.

"I'm gonna be a mercenary! It's perfect! I'm strong, I'm smart, so why shouldn't I? Yeah... that's what I'll do. ... Hey Cloud, what do you want to do once we reach town?"

....

"Hey... hey, don't get mad. I'm just kidding. You don't really think I'd do that... we're friends, right?"

I... think so...

"You an' me, Cloud. I won't leave you hanging."

... I...

"You really are sleeping, aren't you? When... when are you going to wake up, kid...?"

...

"You're too quiet..."

"CLOUD!"

I sat up abruptly, eyes startled wide at the voice in my ear. Looking over, I saw Kairi kneeling beside me, hands fisted in her skirt. A mixed expression of concern, agitation, and relief crossed her face.

"Mr. Cloud!" Her lips broke into a smile. "You're finally awake!"

I blinked at her, baffled, then winced, feeling a sharp pain at the back of my head. I reached back and rubbed it, feeling a nasty bump where I must have taken a hit. "What happened?"

Instantly she flushed bright red, lowering her gaze. "Ah... well... I wanted to help, so... I threw my shoes at the Heartless... but I guess I missed."

I stared back at her incredulously. "Are you telling me that I was knocked out by a shoe?"

I'd never claimed to be invincible, but I thought I knew my body better than that. Was it even possible to be knocked out by a piece of footwear!?

Although looking at the clunky things Kairi was wearing...

She fidgeted. "Um... not exactly." She looked up at my expression before hastily turning away again. "I ran out of shoes, so I just grabbed the first thing I could."

"Which would be...?"

She looked as if she wanted to melt into the floor. "There was a loose brick in the fireplace..."

"... Oh."

How embarrassing. Taken out not by a Heartless but by my own ally. I didn't even dare to hope that Cid hadn't seen it.

"He's finally awake?" As if on cue, Cid suddenly climbed down the ladder, his spear in one hand, and a bag slung across his back. "It's about time."

I scowled. "What happened?" I repeated, avoiding Cid's gaze.

I knew he was smirking as he answered. "What, Kairi didn't tell you? You got nailed by a brick, kid. If you weren't already brain-damaged I'd have been worried about you."

My scowl deepened, and I turned it on him. "I meant with the Heartless," I muttered darkly.

"You don't have to get mad," Cid's lips quirked into a grin. "I took care of the rest - you only left a couple, and the moogles panicked because one little Shadow appeared upstairs, so that was easy enough to take care of."

One of the moogles appeared in the hole in the ceiling, shaking a tiny fist down at him. "If you were this small, kupo, a Shadow would be a pretty big deal!"

Cid snickered. "And this is why I don't like dealing with temperamental midgets." The moogle dropped a wrench on his head. "Ow! Geez!"

As Cid set free a long string of curses, a red-faced Kairi pushed a plate towards me. "Here," she explained, "I made some food. Cid said you could eat while we talked."

I took the plate and began to eat, glancing up at Cid as he finally fell silent. "Is this place really safer than the other house, considering what just happened?"

It was his turn to glare at me. "You better stop harping about that house, because we're not goin' back there. A few Darkballs are nothing compared to getting bulldozed during the visits from the bigger Heartless in Third." He raised an eyebrow as I averted my gaze. "You think I'm kidding? You haven't lived here long enough to know what those things are capable of."

"I know what they're capable of," I snapped back. "I wasn't just fighting Sora at the Coliseum all this time. I've seen enough."

Cid was quiet again, leaning back against the shop counter. "I know," he finally grumbled. "I'm not trying to give you a hard time here, Cloud. But I'd rather deal with the small fries than get buried alive. We can protect Kairi just fine-"

"Hey," she objected, "I can help too!"

I coughed quietly, rubbing the back of my head again. Her face went as red as her hair and she lowered her gaze.

"I mean... if I practiced, maybe..." she mumbled.

Cid chuckled. "I don't doubt it, considering you took Cloud out in one shot." I gave him another nasty look, though he ignored it. "But I'd rather just keep you out of danger altogether. We may have to find a way to seal the ship's gate to keep the Heartless from using it again."

I shook my head. "I didn't even know they could."

The ship mechanic shrugged. "Me neither. It could be that they've been using these sort of portals this entire time and have never had much of a reason to use this one before."

"That doesn't make much sense," Kairi frowned.

Cid just laughed. "You're trying to figure out the logic of a bunch of critters who feed on darkness, girl. I don't think you're supposed to understand 'em." The laughter - as well as his smile - faded after a moment. "They could just be focusing on adding as many to their ranks as possible while they still can. I really don't know for sure."

Unless they were lured here by someone, I couldn't help but think to myself, a sharp pain appearing in my heart. The dark entity that was my wing shifted slightly beneath my skin, and a quiet whisper filtered through my mind.

Something's coming...

Old news. I silently urged the voice to shut up and turned back to my companions. "We'll probably have to keep watch for attacks, then. Cid?"

Cid nodded slowly, looking almost resigned. "Yeah, you're right. Tonight we'll do that." Kairi opened her mouth to speak, but Cid raised a hand. "I know what you're going to say, and already I'm saying no. You do enough around here to deserve a full night's sleep. Blondie and I can handle losing a few hours now and then."

My eyebrow twitched at the nickname. "Blondie yourself," I grumbled, finishing off my dinner. Cid laughed, and as soon as I had put the plate down he threw something at me, making me scramble to catch it before I got yet another bump on the head.

I looked down at the object in my hands, turning it over a few times. "What's this?"

"A gift from the good folks upstairs," Cid answered, jerking a thumb towards the synthesis shop. "Called it a Crystal Crown, and it's supposed to be the strongest armour they can synth for us." He lifted his hand, showing me the armlet he wore just above his wrist. I shrugged and equipped it to my right arm, knowing I probably wouldn't feel the difference until we got into another battle. It did look strong, though, and I was forced to admit that maybe the moogles were good for something.

Kairi suddenly yawned, and I realized how late it was getting. Rising to my feet, ignoring the slow pounding in my head from my injury, I picked up my sword and slung it around my shoulder. "I'll take first watch."

Cid grinned. "Sounds good to me. Come on, little bit," he called to Kairi before she could object again. "Grab the dishes; I'll get the blankets. Tomorrow's going to be an even longer day than today, I'm willing to bet, so we should get some sleep while we can." He looked back at me. "The moogles offered to let us use the upstairs for sleeping, since it's further away from our little Heartless portal. When you get tired, come on up and we'll switch."

I made a face as he turned away, and Kairi giggled. I glared at her, but she just kept smiling. Damn...

I leaned back against the fireplace as they busied themselves with cleaning up, finally climbing up the ladder and leaving me alone in the shop. I was a little unsettled by the sudden quiet, a thought which concerned me... I couldn't have been getting used to the constant noise and irritation my companions caused, right? I'd learned to distance myself from a familiar life a long time ago. I couldn't just jump right back into that kind of mentality.

Nine years is a long time to be alone.

But you weren't really alone, were you?

Not the whole time...

No.

I closed my eyes. There had always been two people in the world who had always been able to pull me out of my shell. But one was gone forever, and the other... well, I was beginning to wonder.

When can I see you? Too long... it's been so long...

"You miss her, don't you?"

Shut up.

"Heh."

I'm not the only one...

A night watch - I hadn't done that in a long time. Brought back memories... Zack had been right. We couldn't have gone back to Shinra, and the life of a mercenary was perfect for us. Even when I thought back to all that had happened, I was still grateful he'd decided for us.

Not that I had been coherent enough to decide for myself at that point...

Those days... they were the best I can ever remember.

"... you're finally awake."

"You're a strange one, Cloud Strife..."

"Oh... you too?"

"It almost seems like we were meant to meet, here."

"Shall we go together?"

Yeah...

That's how it should have been. We should have gone together... and we would have, if I hadn't been such a fool. I thought I could save her alone... I thought I could protect her without needing anyone's help.

Not even...

"Does it still hurt?"

Yeah.

"You ever wonder why?"

Because it meant something to me... because...

"We're friends, right?"

... I know...

"Cloud!"

My eyes opened. I looked to my right and noticed Cid standing beside me, leaning down with a smirk. "... What is it?"

"I was going to ask you if anything happened while I was sleeping," Cid snickered, "But it looks like you were busy in dreamland, yourself."

I scowled, my face reddening. "I wasn't sleeping," I objected quietly. Internally I was kicking myself for not noticing him earlier. So much for trying to find ways to avoid being embarrassed by him. I hadn't even noticed how much time had passed while I had been waiting, and I wondered what had made Cid finally get up.

He grinned, slapping my shoulder and shaking his head. "Well it looks like nothing happened anyway, so I'll forgive you this time. It's my turn, so now you can get some real sleep. Unless of course you don't need it anymore..."

"I wasn't sleeping!" I repeated, thoroughly irritated now.

"Sure you weren't, kid. Now get your butt upstairs before I have to drag you there myself - and you don't want that."

Reluctantly I straightened up and left my post, climbing to the upper level and hunting for the empty bed Kairi had set up for me. I was none too pleased when I found it, though.

The three moogles were fixed around my bed, all snoring quietly in their own piles of blankets.

Kairi... I steamed in silence and shot the sleeping girl a fierce glare, laying my sword out on the floor beside my bed and climbing in. I was determined not to look sullen about it while I slept, if only to avoid giving her the satisfaction of seeing her success.

I'll get her for this.

"Kupopo..."

A moogle rolled over, the red ball attached to it's head falling right in front of my face. Eyes narrowed, I batted it out of the way. I wasn't in the mood to deal with-

"KU-PO!"

"OW!"

"Don't touch the pom-pom, kupo."

Hate. Moogles. So. Much.

Eyes clenching shut, I rolled over, pulled a blanket over my head. As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't wait for morning to arrive.



AN: This chapter was so much fun I can barely contain my amusement. I have no idea why I wrote it this way... probably because this fic was in desperate need of some attempted comedy. I hope I did alright.

The chapter title is swiped from FLCL and is appropriate in some ways, but that's kinda unintentional. I picked it mostly because it was the song playing at the time, and I fell in love with it.

Cloud's thoughts - I know they're confusing. I know they're scattered. There is a point to all this, I swear! And I'll explain it all... eventually. Heh.

Next chapter: You Zack fangirls can stop spazzing on me - he's back in the next chapter, and it's gonna be LONG. With Zack.

Oh yeah, and some other stuff happens. But Zack's there. So HA.

To everyone else - flashbacks galore! Heh.

Reviewer Responses:

Koorino Megumi: You accomplished your goal! Kudos to you! You know, I'm beginning to think it's just Zack who makes you utterly incoherent. Hehe...

Seishin Kibou: Yeah, it's amusing (yet pathetic) how the main plot has short chapters and the flashbacks are huge...

link no miko: American Maid! TIIIIIICK! LOVE. YOU. FOREVER. XD Oh by the way, you can probably guess that I'm being vague about Zack for a very good reason... but I can't say what that is quite yet. Heh.

music nimf: Wow, so many questions, indeed. I'll answer them as honestly as I can:
1) You'll find out soon.
2) Beats me.
3) Next chapter! XD (No, wait, that's a lie. Hahaha...)

Jade-Jaganashi: Because we do so love being evil and yelling at each other for it, you know.

starhealer: I was amused that you liked 'little bit' so I decided to use it again. I'm glad it was well-received! No idea where it came from, though...