AN: The end is cooooomiiiiiing!
This has been edited, ergo any demented mistakes are not my fault but our gracious host's. Please let me know if you find any; I'd appreciate it!
Kingdom Hearts ain't mine. Dur.
Written from Cloud's perspective. As always.
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Ephemeral Blossoms
Akai Kitsune
Part 21: Another Day In Paradise
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That was the last time I saw her, touched her, I remembered.
When Aerith finally pulled away from me, summoned by the urgency of the situation, I had managed to regain an ounce or two of the courage and determination needed to move on. We stood up together - supporting one another, neither more than the other, something that both shamed and reassured me. She was as strong as I, but also as weak. I... was also needed, even after all my mistakes.
Even after destroying-
No. Freeing him...
She gave me a faint yet encouraging smile, hands still clasped around mine. "Come on," she murmured, "Let's go find the others."
I nodded my agreement silently, and then we were moving, our feet pounding against the ground, eclipsed by the sounds of the chaos around us. The sounds were rising in volume as we drew closer and closer to the city gates, both of us knowing what to expect, and dreading it all the same.
We turned the corner, the noises almost too loud to hear anything else. And walked straight into a literal sea of Heartless. Aerith screamed as I jerked back, pulling her hard with me and nearly knocking her right off her feet. She clung to me, breathless and shocked, staring at the creatures now fixated on us, alerted by the scream and the feel of our hearts.
There wasn't a single human in sight. They were gone, all of them. Everyone.
My heart constricted. Tifa...
And then a hand clamped onto my shoulder, spinning me around, and someone was shaking me by the collar before I could even reach for my sword.
"You idiot!" Barrett bellowed in my ear, sending my head spinning, shifting behind me and giving my back a hard shove. "What the hell're you doing just standing there! We've been waitin' for you so we can get out of here!"
My eyes widened, and I exchanged a glance with Aerith. "You were waiting for us?" I echoed.
Tifa, standing beside him, gave me a sharp grin. "Of course we were. You said you'd come, didn't you? It was the best way to find you." Her look shifted to one of slight confusion. "Where have you been? Did the Heartless hold you up?"
Again, that twist in my heart. I couldn't even bear to look at Aerith this time. "Yes," I managed to reply, my voice as quiet as I could make it with all the background noise fighting to drown it out. Change subject, change subject... "Where were you?" I shot back at them, as Barrett urged us all to start moving down the path we'd come from. "The Heartless are all over this place!"
Tifa nodded, her smile fading as she ran alongside me, Aerith on the other side. "We've had a lot of close calls... we're both pretty worn out." I looked her up and down, noticing a fair share of slight injuries that made her movement somewhat forced. A quick glance at Barrett confirmed the same of him. "But we've managed to stay alive, and now you're here... we'll be fine."
I forced myself not to look away, though I wanted to, badly. She shouldn't have trusted me that way. I was never meant to protect anyone, whatever she or Aerith tried to tell me.
Keep telling yourself that... but when it comes down to it, you're the only one who -can- protect them, now.
...Shut up.
We ran on for what seemed like ages, all the while waiting for an ambush, waiting for the sounds of what must be pursuing us. We'd drawn far too much attention to ourselves.
Idiot, a voice within me chided, They're born of pure shadow. What kind of warning do you expect?
What are we supposed to do, then!
My thoughts never found an answer, for a scant second later one of the larger Heartless materialized in front of us, its massive body blocking off the entire path, legs stomping forward to try and keep them from darting into the last alley. Its head jerked to the side abruptly, lashing out a tusk at Barrett and slamming him against the wall, holding him there, roaring in challenge. My eyes widened in horror, yanking my sword free of its sheath. A Behemoth...
"We can't!" Aerith cried, pulling on my arm anxiously as I started forward. In the background Barrett had managed to pull free his gun arm, letting loose a barrage of bullets into the creature's face and forcing it to drop him. "We're all tired, Cloud, and they're injured-!"
"It can't be helped!" I snapped back, not trying to be rude, but needing her to understand. "If it's not kept distracted it'll block off the alley! I'll stay behind - you keep going!"
"NO!"
I blinked, as both Tifa and Aerith objected to my suggestion. I glared at them in response; now wasn't the time for arguing, and who else was going to hold it off for more than a few seconds?
Barrett limped back towards us, still shooting at the Behemoth which now looked absolutely enraged. "Kid's right," he shouted over the noise, "We won't get away with that thing blockin' the exit, and we can't go back! I'd stay, but..." He trailed off reluctantly, teeth clenched. "I know my limits. Least I can do it make sure the path ahead is clear."
"I'll stay as well!" Tifa spoke up, eyes narrowed in determination, fists clenched at her sides. "We should split up - this way none of us are left alone!"
Tifa... I closed my eyes briefly, wanting to argue, wanting to stay alone, but with her I knew it would take far too long. But Aerith...
I can't risk that. Never... she can't fight like Tifa can.
I promised to protect her... My grip tightened on the sword, turning to her just as she opened her mouth to speak. "No," I said firmly, shaking my head, "You go with Barrett. Tifa..." I paused, then grimaced, looking back to the Behemoth, who had recovered from the attacks and began to move forward again, snarling. "Tifa's right," I finished quickly. I was rewarded with Tifa's proud smile, clashing with Aerith's gentle disappointment.
I'm sorry... but it's for you. You know that, right...?
"If you're sure..." she murmured, and I nodded this time. Then, she forced a smile. "You'll be right behind us, won't you?"
"Of course we will," I replied without thinking. Where else was there to go?
Either we follow or we die. And... I know which would make you happy and which would not...
"Good. We'll wait for you at the airships, then." Her words were nearly eclipsed by the pounding of the Behemoth's giant feet, and she and Barrett stepped back out of the way as Tifa and I charged at the enemy, catching its attention and forcing it away from the alley to give them a clear path to freedom.
I didn't look at Aerith again; didn't watch for her last smile, in case it had faded away.
A part of me ached at the idea of letting her go on ahead, without me at her side to protect her. It screamed and railed and lashed out as I fought, my grip on the sword tightening with every dark thought of what could happen to her without me there, what I could protect her from when Barrett could not. But I pushed them aside as best as I could; she was gone, and I had Tifa to protect, now. They were all relying on me, and I couldn't let them down.
I was... the leader. I was, wasn't I?
A leader is someone who protects those who follow him, no matter what.
Even if he dies...
The Behemoth didn't wait until we were ready; as soon as it saw us begin to move, it charged forward, sides and horns grinding against the walls of the buildings surrounding us. For several minutes the fight was little more than a game of chase, as Tifa and I frantically dodged its deadly, sweeping attacks, neither of us able to strike back without taking too great a risk. It wasn't long before I noticed Tifa's movements slowing down, her wounds getting worse every time she ducked or ran or rolled, her breath heavy and forced. She backed away as I finally managed to slash at the Heartless' face and sent it reeling backwards, and I took a moment to hurry over beside her.
"We can't do this much longer," she managed, before I could speak. "I won't be able to help you at all..."
"If we push it back a little more we can follow the others," I replied, eyes narrowing. As soon as Aerith and Barrett had escaped, the Behemoth had marched forward again, intent on keeping the two of us blocked from the alley. Thus far it had done a pretty good job of it.
"How?" Tifa clenched her teeth, frustrated. "It's like trying to move a wall! Think you could just ask it nicely and hope it goes away!"
I didn't even bat an eyelash at her sarcasm. She was angry and exhausted, and she did have a poi-
... wait.
"Ask it..." I whispered to myself, ignoring Tifa's questioning look when she missed what I said altogether. "No, I can't, but..."
I had been changed, altered against my will, given a wing and a heart entwined with darkness. Meant to be a Sephiroth clone.
Sephiroth could control the Heartless.
Maybe... maybe I can...
-Idiot-!
"Get back!" I shouted to Tifa over the pained roars of the Heartless, as it tried to regain its bearings after my attack. I didn't want her to get caught in the backlash of whatever happened if I failed.
You're going to fail. You're -not- Sephiroth, you can't do this!
I -won't- be just a failure!
"Cloud," Tifa protested, "What are you doing? It's going to attack-!"
"No," I muttered, focusing as best as I could. "No, it won't..."
Not if I stop it first.
Decision made, I concentrated on the darkness around me, within me, calling it forth, reining it in and pushing it firmly with my mind. I could feel it resisting, unwilling to accept me as a master, one who had never called it before - had tried to banish it, in fact. Ironic, in a way; my loathing of the shadows forced upon me now stood in the way of our escape, just as surely as the Behemoth that had recovered, that was moving towards us again. I had to work faster...
You're just endangering yourself, and Tifa. You need to fight, you need to run! Stop taking risks!
This... is the only way. I can do this!
"Cloud!" Tifa's cry merely fed my determination, and I ignored her urgent pulls on my arm. I could feel them, the Heartless before us, those behind, responding to my mental prodding. I could hear the echoes of their thoughts; hearts, everything hearts, so much darkness in them, trying to search my own mind. I gave them nothing, hoarding my own darkness and offering none, only ordering: go back, go back. Look elsewhere for hearts.
I felt the Behemoth hesitate, the pounding of its feet against the ground ceasing abruptly. Victory flared to life in my mind; soon, we'd be free, chasing after the others, and I'd see her again. I'd see my light again, and there would be no more shadows-
I stopped short, the darkness still growing, but in a different way, a colder, more dangerous method that clawed at the limits of my control. I had remembered the light. I'd let go for just a second...
No... they'll find her. I can't... I can't let them...
Find her first! -Run-, Cloud!
Tifa was screaming. She was screaming my name, louder and louder as the shadows grew around me, her hand reaching out, calling me, calling...
"Cloud! Stop, you have to stop! We need to run-!"
Not... until I... find her...
"Cloud!"
Where is she!
I felt something akin to a violent tornado of darkness, as the wing tore free from my shoulder, and I cried out, my words lost in the howling wind. I had it. The power was mine now, and I was going to find her-
"CLOUD!"
My eyes snapped open - I hadn't even realized I had closed them - to find Tifa surrounded, darkness feeding the amassing army of Heartless that had appeared around us and giving them more life than ever before. She snapped and kicked out at them, her fists moving almost too quickly to be seen, but even that wasn't enough, because the Heartless only grew stronger - faster, more deadly - with each wave of darkness that washed over them.
My darkness. -Mine-...
This wasn't... supposed to happen...
I pulled back to myself, trying to draw the darkness back in. I didn't want this! To call the Heartless, to feed them - to help them, as they swallowed everyone - wasn't what I had meant to do!
I just wanted to find her...
They used me. They -used- me... just like he...
"... just a puppet..."
"No!" I yelled, but my voice disappeared in the noise, as the Heartless overwhelmed Tifa and she vanished from view, her cries dying out into silence. "Tifa!"
It was the first time I'd called to her. Tifa, who'd always chased me, who always smiled, who was... she was...
"We're friends, right?"
Tifa...
I... didn't want this anymore. Any of it.
-Tifa-...
The Heartless lifted their heads to look at me, and for a moment my whole body froze.
Yeah... fine. Take me, too. Then the darkness will be gone... I won't be the one who causes this. I won't remember anything...
"You want to protect her, don't you?"
I can't. Not... anymore...
"I'm counting on you to do what's right."
This is how it ends.
But instead of attacking, the Heartless scurried past, ignoring me completely. I was a source of power now, after all... I was feeding them. I'd be the last.
"Don't leave me-"
I couldn't. I couldn't just-
"Are you going to leave her?"
No, no, no...
I won't let you hurt her!
Not when it's me... it's me who's...
"Idiot! MOVE!"
Determination fueled by my newly remembered fears, I struggled against the darkness, trying to push it back, send it away, banish it into whatever hole in my heart in which I had found it, but it did little more than laugh at me. It laughed, those shadows in my heart, my soul, for Zack was gone, and Tifa was gone, and Aerith was out of reach, and Sephiroth had won-
I screamed. Couldn't help it, couldn't do anything else. The darkness had me in its grasp, swirling around my body, fueling and draining and consuming me all at once. It was so cold...
"It's okay. You're going to be okay. Just relax, ride it out. It can't hurt you anymore."
It can! Yes it can! It's cold and it's hurting and I just want it to stop-!
"Relax... let go. You can't die yet, right? You have a promise to keep."
My eyes widened, jaw agape, body slackening even as the chills in the air rose to a new height entirely. A promise... Aerith...
"You'll find her..."
The words frightened me, but at the same time it gave me hope. She was safe... she'd escaped, after all. She'd been protected, though not by me. I couldn't let it hurt me. I couldn't focus on the pain, the cold, the thought of being separated from her.
As long as she was alive, I could find her. I would find her.
So I made a new promise, within that darkness, that all-consuming mist of shadows that slowly drew me inwards, devouring my body and taking me away from that place. I fell into it, unresisting, though my hand was still stretched out towards the blackened sky...
I'll find you...
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I woke up in another world. Another time.
Suppressing a groan, I lifted myself out of bed and glanced around me. Kairi was still sleeping, unsurprisingly; a quick glance out the window told me it was far too early for the night to be over, but at the same time I knew I wouldn't be sleeping any longer that night.
I never did, after that dream.
It always ended the same, of course; I had fallen into the darkest of worlds, lost and separated from all I knew - and, though I never admitted it, loved - and awakened on a world I didn't know. That was my reality; wandering for years in a strange place, eventually making my way to the Coliseum, meeting with Hades... signing a contract I should never have considered.
People grow desperate when they are offered no alternatives, I mused. But an alternative was found when I sought help in the right places... it was almost amusing. Might have been, had I done it sooner and met with Aerith here, in Traverse Town, instead of waiting, hoping she'd return before everything ended.
Or was restored, though I didn't dare to hope. Things were... looking bleak.
I didn't really feel like facing the day just yet, but knowing it was unavoidable, I got up and headed downstairs. Cid was there, still on watch, lounging on top of the fireplace, working away at something. He glanced over as I approached.
"You'll be tired in the morning," he muttered, turning back to his project. "You just got off watch a couple hours ago."
My gaze followed his, seeing it was a small, rough sketch for a new ship. I shrugged aside his concern. "Couldn't sleep. Aren't you supposed to be paying attention when you're on watch?"
He smirked faintly, scribbling down a note beside the ship's left wing. "I noticed you, didn't I? The Heartless are pretty noisy, so I just listen for 'em." His smirk broadened. "At least I don't fall asleep."
I bristled, but didn't bother retorting. I'd learned over time that Cid was incredibly difficult to beat in that sort of argument. Instead, I stepped away to stand by the window, glancing out uneasily. "It's been quiet lately."
Cid nodded, sitting back to fold up the sheet and tuck it into his pocket. He dangled his legs over the side, one hand curling around the spear that was rested against it. "Noticed that, eh? Yeah... even outside, it's not as bad as it used to be. Much as I'd like to say they've given up, there's no chance of that. It's more like..."
"They're waiting," I finished, eyes narrowing, focusing on the sky. "Waiting for the end."
Whatever that is.
Cid seemed to share my sentiments, but not my silence; he pushed off the ledge, propping the spear against the fireplace and brushing his hands together. "C'mon," he jerked a thumb towards the shop's counter, "It's almost dawn - Kairi won't be up to make breakfast for another few hours."
"So?"
He smirked again, then headed over, rifling through a drawer and emerging with a deck of cards. "Let me kick your butt a few times."
"..." I gave him a guarded look, but followed him regardless, resting against the counter as Cid dealt the cards.
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Cid proposed we play War. I was thankful, though reluctant; I needed a distraction that didn't require thinking, simply because I didn't feel like letting my mind wander anymore. If my thoughts were left on their own I could focus on the impending danger waiting restlessly at our doorstep. Only a matter of time...
"Why'd you get up so early?" Cid asked abruptly, sliding out a hand to take the cards I'd just lost. I opened my mouth to answer, but he added, "Yeah, yeah, you can't sleep. Most people have a reason for that, though."
There was a pause as I mulled that one over, trying to decide whether or not Cid deserved an answer. I knew he wouldn't stop bothering me about it if I didn't respond, though. He didn't often let people evade things like that.
"I had a dream," I murmured, pulling another card from my deck. A queen. I watched as Cid's king stole her away.
He raised an eyebrow. "Dream, huh? Gonna share any details?"
"No."
Cid scowled. "Don't be a drama queen, kid. It's obviously bugging you."
"I - it's not-!" I stopped, mouth open, unable to find the right words to deny it. There was no denying it - it was written across my face, in my eyes, waiting on the edge of my tongue.
Why hide it? He was there. He knows what happened that day...
But neither of us know the whole story.
"That day..." I started faintly, eyes lowered to the table. I fingered the next card on the pile, but didn't lift it; was almost afraid to. "That last day on the Bastion... I dreamed about it. When... we all got separated."
Cid fell silent, studying me, though I still wouldn't raise my eyes. Finally, he nodded. "Makes sense. It feels like it's happening again sometimes... like things are ending again, and not the way we want 'em to. It's hard to take in." He waited a moment. "So what happened?"
I felt the anger rise then, the sleeping fury I never wanted to release break like a string stretched too far for too long. "What the hell do you think happened!" I snapped, eyes blazing, voice raised. He was unruffled, still watching. "Everything happened! Everything's gone! All of it, everything we set out to do! We were so confident, so strong, but we couldn't do it. Aerith left, Sephiroth won, I lost and Tifa..." I halted there, my words trailing off, quieting once more. "Tifa..."
I couldn't say it.
But Cid could. "I figured that's what happened to you," he murmured, averting his eyes. "Barrett and Aerith got to us, y'know. But Barrett said you two were still out there, so he took off to bring you back as well. We had to fight to keep Aerith from going with him; she was scared stiff for you." He shook his head. "I'm glad we stopped her, though. None of you came back, and we had to take off before the Heartless got a hold of the ship. We lost a lot of people in the process." He paused, catching my gaze again. "I'm sorry, kid. We didn't want to leave anyone behind."
I almost flinched. Don't apologize to me."You didn't," I shrugged it aside. "We were already gone."
He didn't answer me, lifting a card. I forced myself to pick up my own, laying it flat. A joker. How appropriate.
Then suddenly, out of the blue, Cid grinned, pushing the cards over in my direction. I blinked in surprise, giving him an inquiring look. "What?"
His grin broadened, slapping a palm on the table, right on the joker. "Ain't it strange how a card like that is the strongest?"
I raised an eyebrow. The hell...? "It's a rare card, so of course it is."
Cid nodded absently, leaning back and pointing a finger at me. "You, my friend," he said slowly, "Are a joker. You and that Sora kid. One of a kind, your own masters. You can change things." He smirked, his expression a mask of utter confidence, a pillar of strength in a world about to crumble. Cid Highwind was not a man to be led around by the nose, world-destroying powers be damned. "You're going to win."
There was little I could do but stare, faced with those words. How could he believe that so easily? So little we could do here, in this place, surrounded by our enemies with someone to protect.
Appropriate, and ironic, as well.
We couldn't afford to fail this time.
"We'll see," I whispered, reaching for another card, aching for the return of the silence it brought. Cid granted it to me this time, though I could tell it was reluctant.
"You're going to win."
I hoped so. It was an uncertainty, another joker in the deck full of losses, waiting to be grasped and lifted to the forefront.
A single joker couldn't ensure the victory of the game.
"But sometimes a joker is enough to hold the fort until the other can reveal itself."
Sometimes.
Another uncertainty. But a gamble I would bet my life on, when the time came.
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AN: So there it is, the conclusion of the Bastion flashbacks. Believe it or not the conclusion of the story itself is coming up; next chapter will likely be the last, aside from the epilogue. It's been a long trip guys, but we're getting there!
Special thanks to Koorino Megumi who helped me choose a card game, since I am a spazz who never plays. It worked out wonderfully!
Next chapter: The conclusion. Bet you didn't see that one coming. Bet you also know it isn't going to be just a walk in the park.
Reviewer Responses:
Koorino Megumi: Thanks again for War! Uh... that sounds wrong. But y'know. And I'm still not dead yet, P
Rem-chan: Er... you know that Maleficent was the epitome of evilness before Voldemort was even thought up in Rowlings' brain, eh? But no, Sephy's doing his own thing, as always. I honestly can't see him working with Maleficent, even if they did have somewhat similar goals. And yes, that was based on shadow!Sora. I always liked him. He deserves a fanfic. (Was gonna do a post-game thing featuring him once upon a time, but thaaaat time is past...)
link no miko: I love you. Love, love, love. There is so much love. I'm totally giggling here.
Ari Powwel: I tend to focus on what's happening mentally rather than physically, especially in first person when Cloud knows all the details when it's going on, so it seems weird to write it all out. Fight scenes are really not my forte, and neither are detailed descriptions, so I've always preferred dialogue and thoughts. It's just my writing style.
Seishin Kibou: Yep, saw the tech demo. It was looooovely and I want a remake of that game liek wow.
Everyone: Thank you for reading! Next chapter coming soon.