Cloud blinked open his eyes and stared straight up at the fuzzy ceiling, fuzzy for the fact that his vision was unfocused at the moment. He imagined he'd been out for quite some time now. One for being a physical wreck, and two, for the fact he hadn't slept in a while before he passed out to begin with. So needless to say, he needed the sleep.

The question remained however, 'Where the hell am I?'

Cloud managed to sit himself up on his arm, he immediately realized he was laying in a bed with white sheets, except for some red stains that he imagined were his blood. He blinked in confusion when he noticed the wing still sprouted from his shoulder, finding it a weird sight even for himself. He always figured his wing would retract automatically if he loses consciousness. Now he knew for a fact that he had to do it willingly.

After taking a few moments to ready himself, he began the excruciating task of willing the wing to retract back. Some blood escaped the gap from where the wing was, but not nearly as much as when he had it come out. He touched the wound with two fingers, which only caused him to realize that he no longer has his cloak on, or his shirt and armor for that matter.

Glancing to the side of the bed, he found his clothes and armor, along with his sword, sitting on top of a chair; his sword leaning against said chair. Despite the coolness of the room, he still felt like he was sitting in a furnace which proved his initial thought that he was sick. He grabbed his shirt, he'd rather not sit there without his shirt on, in case someone decided to come in and check on him.

Cloud took a deep breath, his throat hurting all the way down. He glanced towards a small table near his bed and found that a glass of water had been setting there, no doubt for him. He gave a sharp cough before leaning on one hand and reaching for the glass with his other. It was a bit out of reaching distance. He leaned further over the edge of his bed, his brows furrowing as he reached out with his free hand while maintaining his balance with the other.

Yuffie walked through the infirmary, the bounce back in her step. Nothing kept her down for long, not even the rather large and nasty looking bruise just above her belly button. She knew Cloud had been put up to rest here. She didn't know if he was awake or not but she couldn't wait another hour to find out.

Yuffie knocked quietly at the door she knew was his. "Cloud?"

He got the fingers on the brim of the glass when suddenly there was a few knocks at his door. Cloud fell forward, caught off guard by the interruption, his other hand successfully pulled the glass down as well to, not only soak his hair, but hit him in the back of his head while his forehead crashed into the ground.

At the loud noise, Yuffie took it upon herself to enter. She took in the scene; Cloud on the floor, the glass of water spilled everywhere, and tried unsuccessfully to disguise her laugh as a cough. She closed the door behind her, picking up the glass that had rolled close to her feet. "You look like you're having a rough morning." She observed, winking.

Cloud merely shot a glare up at her through his blond wet spikes that are now draping in his eyes. He stood up, already feeling the knock forming on his forehead from the 'rough landing.' He tossed the sheets back onto the bed and shook his head, wiping the water out of his hair.

"Let me help you with that." Yuffie offered, still grinning. As she straightened the sheets she noticed the bloodstains and the grin faded into a frown. How hurt had he been? Was he still hurt? Why hadn't they changed the sheets? She quickly smiled again, brightening. No sense in letting him see her sweat.

Cloud noticed the pause in Yuffie's work when she took notice of the bloodstains on the bed. He shook his head slightly, not bothering to worry about what she's actually thinking; it was none of his business really. He reached for his cloak, finding his muscles still a bit sore. He quickly put his cloak back in its rightful area, and strapped his sword back to his back.

He turned his gaze over to Yuffie, "What time is it? I'm hungry..." He said trying to keep his voice from cracking.

"It is-" She paused when she saw him. She looked at him in disbelief. "What do you think you're doing? You're not leaving! You're still not well!" She made a motion to grab the cloak and cringed when her stomach protested. She shook it off easily. "I know what the doctors said, you're not going anywhere. Maybe I'll sneak you in some Cafe food if you're hungry."

"I'm...fine." Cloud assured, though his attention wasn't really on the argument at hand. His gaze lowered down Yuffie's body where he noticed a darkened part of her skin creeping out of the bottom of her green tank top.

"What happened to you?" He asked as he reached out with his hand and poked the spoke gently with a finger.

Yuffie slapped his hand away, rolling her eyes. "Oooh no, you're not changing the subject. Get back in bed before I call the doctors on you." She turned back to the bed to turn the sheets down, really trying to hide the red creeping up her neck. No one ever really touched her, except Leon and Aerith. Those were the only two people she was really comfortable with. Cloud's sudden change in mood only made her uneasy.

Cloud raised a lone blonde brow, not missing Yuffie's slightly flushed face before she turned around from him. He took a few steps until he reached her side, he raised his hand until it rested on her forehead, feeling that is was warm.

"I think someone else should be in bed too. Getting sick are.. "Cloud pulled his hand back and slouched over as he coughed sharply into his fist several times.

Yuffie forgot all about her emarrassment as Cloud doubled over in a coughing fit. She looked on in concern. "No, you're the sick one. I'm just so sure you're fine." She said quietly, awkwardly patting his back.

Cloud waved her off, "It's just a cold. I've had alot of them before."

He straightened himself back up, and pulled out his Buster Sword. He held it up a moment before walking over to the wall and leaning it again it. He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. "..."

Yuffie took the silent moment to really look at him. Sick, exhuasted, beaten, halfway soaked, and still handsome. He definitely wasn't the teenager she remembered anymore. He'd grown up as well. That's right Yuffie, far too old for you. Stop oogling him. You know his heart belonged to Aerith.

She smiled despite everything. "So you're hungry." She said, her fists resting on her hips. "You have any idea what you what? Should I sneak you in some Froot Loops?" She asked, laughing.

Cloud shook his head in slight amusement. As appealing as fruit loops sounded at the moment, he needed something soft that wouldn't feel like it was tearing up the inside of his throat when he was swallowing it. Than again, he did have a strange craving for something he hadn't had in a very long time. Something that he hadn't been the fondest of. But now thinking about it, the golden sweet crispy taste seemed appealing after such a rough first few days in Traverse Town. "I think I want…waffles."

Yuffie's eyes lit up. "Yes!" She posed briefly, letting her almost-guard down and being her old silly self. "Waffles! With syrup? And powdered sugar. And chocolate chips?"

He has a cute smile.

Stop it. What are you doing? Don't do it, not after all your other hopeless crushes.

Cloud scratched the back of his head, wondering if he made the right decision, "Actually... Blueberry waffles... and uh.. sure on both other accounts."

"Got it. I'll be back soon, waffles in tow!" She announced cheerfully, turning and heading for the door. Just before she closed it again, she stopped and glanced at him. "It's good to see you again..." She told him seriously. The door clicked shut.

Cloud frowned a bit as he was left alone once again in the room, "Yeah... you too." He glanced around the room again for a bit, after deciding that there's nothing better to do, he climbed under the covers and tried going back to sleep. A little more sleep couldn't harm him, lord knows he needs it. Unfortunately, insomnia set in.

He debated whether or not he should try and sneak out now that Yuffie is gone. No one would be there to stop him, and he really couldn't get back to sleep. He'd had enough sleep to begin with.

'I should head back to the Coliseum.' At least there, he would be able to compete in tournaments with free meals and a place to sleep as long as he lives.

Cloud pushed the covers off of him, grabbed his sword, and headed towards the door.

VvVvVvVvVvVvV

Aerith heard the shuffle of footsteps outside her door, causing her to pull the covers over her head. She had locked herself up in a spare room of the hotel right after Yuffie had told her that Cloud was back. She didn't want to see him right now.

'No,' she thought to herself. 'It's not that I don't want to see him. I CAN'T see him. Why did he have to come back now? When everything was going so well?'

"Ugh," Aerith groaned, clutching her stomach. Just thinking about the situation was giving her an ulcer. She tried to fall asleep, being that she hadn't gotten one wink the previous night.

'What am I going to do?' she thought miserably as a smell similar to that of waffles drifted through the cracks of her doorway. Aerith tossed and turned, trying to get back to sleep. Giving up, she threw back the thin covers and walked over to the door. 'Maybe I'll get a glass of water or something,' she thought, and swung the door open.

And there, right in front of her, was none other then a beat-up, tired looking Cloud.

VvVvVvVv

It wasn't what he was expecting, really. He hadn't even known that she was in town, he didn't see her before, and he doesn't recall Yuffie or Leon ever mentioning her being here. When he thought about it, he really should've figured it out himself, the three had escaped Hollow Bastion together on Cid's gummi ship. Yuffie and Leon were here, so Aerith obviously was too.

Cloud felt like a deer caught in a pair of headlights as he stood there under Aerith's gaze. He tried thinking of something to say, but the words wouldn't come out, he doesn't he known what he wants to say to begin with, nor does he think he should. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, he cleared his throat some and nodded his head to her, "...Aerith."

That was it? All she got was a small acknowledgment? A nod of the head? After all this time she had worried about him, wondering if he was alive or dead, wondering if he ever wondered the same about her?

'Fine,' Aerith thought. 'If he wants to be that way, then fine. What was I expecting anyways? A big hug? Because it isn't going to happen any time soon. Especially from a person like Cloud.'

So, with a nearly identical nod to the one delivered only moments before by the distant man still standing before her, she uttered the words, "Hello, Cloud." And she brushed past him, headed towards the kitchen.

Cloud lowered his gaze to the ground as if he were just belittled. As Aerith brushed pass him, he reached out and grabbed her upper arm to stop her from leaving, "I'm sorry I had to leave." He said quietly before releasing her arm.

Aerith could feel heat rushing to her face. Had Cloud done what she thought he did? Had he actually apologized to her? Aerith took a deep, shaky breath, and nodded. "It's alright, Cloud." And she walked into the kitchen.

Cloud ran his hand through his blonde spikes before leaning his back against the wall, his sword pressing into his back. Okay, so it took a lot out of him to actually apologize. Really, he doesn't apologize often for things he doesn't believe need an apology. He slip down into a sitting position and crossed his arms over his knees. He shook his head before resting his head on his arms, hiding his face from the world.

'Okay... So it's been longer than I realized.'

Aerith sighed once she got into the kitchen. She was now thuroughly confused. Why had Cloud decided to apologize in the first place? She knew that she would probably never find out.

But then something struck her. Cloud had been carrying his sword. Did that mean he was going somewhere? Was he leaving again?

"Oh, no," Aerith whispered, and before she knew what she was doing, she burst back out through the kitchen door. "CL-"

But there he was, sitting up against the wall. Aerith clenched her teeth, her cheeks reddening from embarrassment. "Ehe...I was just...leaving..." she said, and ran out the front door. "Aerith, you idiot!" she muttered, her head in her hands as heading towards the First District.

Cloud lifted up his head and blinked in confusion, wondering what Aerith had wanted to say. One moment she was calling out to him, the next, she was walking away. 'That was... interesting...' He really couldn't describe it any other way. He rested his head back against the wall and stretched his legs out, 'I'm still hungry.'

VvVvVvVvV

"Here ya go, Yuffie." The waitress handed her the to-go box full of blueberry waffles. Yuffie thanked her, paid the bill, and hurried out of the Cafe. She walked toward the Hotel, zigzaging her steps and trying to avoid cracks in the road, humming to herself.

When she arrived, she straightened. That's when she saw Cloud sitting in the hallway, looking confused...and ready to go. "...Cloud? Does the phrase 'you're not going anywhere, you're sick' mean anything to you?"

Cloud seemed to snap out his trance at the sound of Yuffie's voice. He turned his head to the side, and tilted it, "Um... no?" He answers, not sure what he is answering to considering he didn't really hear the question.

Yuffie groaned. "No. Of course not. Get back in bed, I've got your waffles." She hurried the unwilling, yet still odd-acting man back into his room, oblivous to the people he'd just encountered. After getting him situated (threatening him within an inch of his life if he sneaked out) she heard movement in the kitchen and went to investigate.

VvVvVvV

Leon woke up with a slight pressure building behind his eyes. He groaned and rubbed his face. First thing in the morning and he was already getting one of his headaches. He looked to the bed across the room and saw it empty but rumpled and remembered the happenings of last night.

Frankly, he was surprised Cloud was up before him after what the guy went through.

He got out of bed and pulled on a white t-shirt and black pants, grabbing his Gunblade and opening the door into the hall. He closed it behind him and walked down the hall towards the kitchen, surprised when he saw Aerith bustling through the doors outside and Cloud by the wall. He nodded toward Cloud and headed into the kitchen, glancing around for something to eat.

Leon rummaged through the cupboards, looking for some kind of cereal or bread. He found a nearly full loaf of bread and pulled out a piece to put in the toaster. He put it in and turned it on, then opened the fridgerator and pulled out a banana.

He pulled out a plate from the dishwasher and waited by the toaster.

Yuffie walked into the kitchen. "Oh Leon, just you." She grinned, pulling herself up onto the countertop. She let her feet swing back and forth, knocking the cabinet beneath her. "How'd ya sleep?

Just as Yuffie sat on the counter, his toast popped up. He grabbed it and took a bite out of it, without butter. Screw the plate, he didn't need it.

"Fine," he said, leaving the plate and carrying his banana and toast over to the table where he sat down. He took another bite of his toast and studied her. What did she want with him? His Gunblade was resting close to where Yuffie was swinging her legs. He could already see the scene playing out in his mind, his beloved Gunblade hit by her dirty boots, clattering in slow motion to the ground...

"You touch it, I swear..." he growled, actually putting down his piece of toast to watch her feet.

Yuffie frowned. "Touch what?" She asked, following his eyes. Oh. The beloved gunblade. "Oh please. Like I'd kick it, Squallie. I happen to value my life, shockingly enough." The smile returned, but the conversation didn't. She didn't have anything to say really...maybe she was sick.

She stared blankly at one of the table legs, thinking about Aerith. So Aerith knew Cloud was back. Was she okay? Why had she run off when she mentioned him? Had they met up yet? What would happen when they did? She groaned, shaking her head.

Leon was very tempted to ask what was wrong with her after she groaned. But he didn't want to blow his reputation as uncaring, stoic bastard. He'd grown to enjoy the role. Oh well, he really did want to know...

"What's wrong with you? Don't say nothing." he finally said gruffly, taking the final bite of toast an unpeeling his banana. He looked at her for a few seconds, taking in her appearance. She looked...sad? Defeated? Like an abandoned puppy?

Yuffie looked up. "Nothin'! Just...sore I guess. That heartless kicked my ass. Nothing compared to whatshisface though. Have you seen Aerith by chance?" She asked, being cautios not to kick his gunblade. She pulled her shirt down a little further to keep it from riding up.

Leon glared at her suspiciously. "Yeah I saw her. Well." He finished his banana and walked over to his Gunblade, picking it up. "I'll be around."

He walked towards the door, telling himself he'd clean up his mess later. He really was a slob.

Aerith took a bite of her muffin as she headed back to the hotel. Her mind felt jumbled; thoughts and questions were popping up uncontrollably, making her more tired then usual.

She poked her head inside the door to the hotel, checking to see if Cloud was still out in the hallway, but the coast was clear. Sighing in relief, she walked down the hallway and into the kitchen, where Yuffie was sitting on the counter, looking as though she had a headache.

"Hey, Yuf," Aerith said, getting herself a glass of water. "Are you alright? You look stressed."

Yuffie smiled at her friend grandly. "Feels like I haven't seen you in forever. I could say the same about you though. Something bothering you?"

Aerith paused after Yuffie's question, debating on whether to answer truthfully. Finally, deciding that she didn't want to worry Yuffie, she smiled softly and said, "No, I'm fine. Just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night. But what about you?"

Liar.

"I'm doin good actually! Just thinking about going to look for some trouble. You interested? It's been boring around here lately, except for...ya know." Yuffie grinned.

Aerith bit her lip, not looking at her energetic friend. "N-no, frankly I don't know," she said, gobbling down the rest of her muffin. "But say, where's Leon?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Yuffie hopped off the cabinet. "Probably training - as usual. I think I might go hunt him down, kick some heartless around, ect. You up for it?" She asked hopefully. She missed the days when the three of them would go out and battle.

Aerith smiled. "Yeah, that sounds like fun, actually. Let me just get my staff, okay?" And she rushed to her room, glad to have something to rid her mind of that morning.

While Aerith did her thing, Yuffie gathered her own weapons. She started wondering if she should check on Cloud before she left. "He's a big boy." She talked herself out of it. She couldn't play mommy all the time; after all, he was a grown man. If he chose to move around or leave and caught something worse, then that was his own fault.

She waited for Aerith to come out...for a few seconds. Yuffie decided to go ahead. "Aerith, I'll be in the waterway! Just come meet me!" With that she walked out the back door and down the alleyway

VvVvVvVvV

Leon was already near the door to First District, but soon realized that's not where he wanted to be. He turned on his heel and headed towards Third District, his heart already racing with adrenaline. It was nearly the only thing that could get Leon' s heart pumping. He loved the feel of his blade in his hands, slicing it through the Heartless, knowing he could die with the wrong move or lucky shot of the Heartless, just riding the heels of Death...

It was more of a therapy than anything else for him. Something to take his pent up worry and anger out on. Plus, it helped to reduce the Heartless numbers. It wasn't many who would go out looking for trouble.

Leon neared the Third District door but once again turned around and instead walked to the alley where he knew the Waterway led to the Cave.

Silently thankful his boots were waterproof, he waded through the murky water and pushed through the jail like bars that kept you from the Cave and slushed even further inside until the water was halfway up his calfs, the cold water sending goosebumps down his arms. He reached the island of pebbles and shook the water off him, then positioned his blade in front of him.

"Come and get some..." he muttered through gritted teeth.

He glanced off towards the Waterway, his eyes darkening as he heard splashing of the water. He steadied his sword, ready to slash whatever Heartless was heading his way. He waited anxiously, hoping it was a big one. He was ready. As a Shadow surfaced, he slashed it, wishing it had been a Defender or something.

She splashed through the water as she passed the cave entrance, hoping to attract heartless.

She saw Leon right off and grinned. "Howdy battle partner." She said, flashing a ninja star at him.

Leon glanced over at Yuffie, then stared at the remains of the shadow Heartless. He held his Gunblade harder in his hands and acknowledged her with the flash of his eyebrows.

A clapping sound came from the other end of the cavern, and he figured it was one of those Heartless shadows with armor on, what were their names? he wondered. "Be ready," he said under his breath. They were fairly easy and he knew they weren't much of a problem for he or Yuffie unless they ganged up on them. And that was exactly why he was warning.

"Ha, I'm always ready, Squallie." She replied confidently, also aware of the approaching heartless. Sure it was great fun fighting them alone, but it was even better to have Leon around. The Cave did wonders to improve your senses during a battle, being as dark as it was and as slippery as it was. It made it all the more fun. Yuffie cleared her mind of everything...and prepared for the fight.

Leon gave her a hard look, not even beginning to repeat the name she had called him. "It's Leo--," he hissed, just as a Heartless spotted him and rammed into him, breaking his sentence and making him fly backwards about two feet. He lost his holding on his Gunblade because he had relaxed it while talking to Yuffie and as it fell with him it shot off.

"Damn it," he groaned, gingerly touching the back of his head. He watched more of the soldiers appear and he jumped up, grabbing his Gunblade, ignoring the throbbing pain in his side where a stone had jabbed him.

Yuffie gasped when Leon was hit. "Are you okay..." She asked. She didn't expect an answer as the heartless began to swarm. She flashed back to the other day, in Third District, but didn't panic. They could take them. They'd been fighting for who knew how long...this would be cake. Yuffie began to fight.

Leon didn't feel he need to say anything, he had gotten back up hadn't he? He had been stupid to get worked up about the nickname when the enemy was approaching and it was his fault.

He felt the excitement rush through his veins and he slashed at another soldier, striked it over the head, and it fell to the ground. He smirked a bit. He hated the Heartless and their slinking ways, for taking away everything...one more kill was another triumph for him.

Name after name, heartless after heartless, internal victory cheer after cheer, it went on seemingly forever. She was drenched in sweat and the caves gross water, her adrenaline rushing and her heart pumping. This was what it was about. This was what made her feel alive. This is what she lived for.

Killing.

Yeah that's right. Eat metal, you heart sucking freak.

Who's your daddy. Another kill, I am so good.

Remember my name, bitches!

The Great Ninja Yuffie strikes again!

She slipped on a rock, her feet coming right out from under her. She landed with a jolt on her butt, letting out a cry of pain. She glared up at the Soldier Heartless staring down at her. "Auuuugh!" She kicked her leg up, her foot finding itself lodged against the symbol on its chest. It fell back and she got up, stumbling a bit.

Leon killed another Soldier and turned for a brief moment to make sure Yuffie was okay. She seemed disoriented, but still alive at least. He blocked an oncoming Soldier with his sword and gritted his teeth as it pushed him back two inches. "Okay?" he asked, his voice strained as he parried another attack.

"I'm - FINE!" She threw a star at a shadow that was threatening Leon, hitting it square between the eyes. It shrieked and scurried back for a moment. Yuffie quickly retrieved her star, backing up so that her back was against Leon's. "Now might be a good time to power up, ya know." She said, eyeing the approaching heartless. She began throwing star after star, completely lost for the minute as she concentrated on hitting and catching.

Leon hated taking anyone's advice, but begrudgingly followed and focused all his energy into his Gunblade, harnassing his excitement, nerves, anger, and stress into pure, blinding energy. His blade started glowing hot, and the Heartless in front of him backed off for a moment. He grinned and slashed at it. As the searing heat of the blade hit its skin it made an inhuman shrieking sound and fell back.

"We're getting close..." he mumbled to no one in particular. Three Heartless ran at him and he easily made a long cutting slash, stopping them all at once. It was true, the Heartless were fewer and he had a feeling the Cave would be empty in a few minutes if they kept fighting so hard.

Yuffie finally allowed herself to smile when the cave was left with only one small, cowering shadow heartless. She laughed when it realized it was alone and melted into the ground, disappearing. "Now that's what I call fun." She said, her voice chipper, as she wiped off her forehead with her scarf.

Leon pushed his Gunblade into the pebbles so it stood upright and sunk down onto the ground, breathing hard, but satisfied all the same. "What a workout..." he said, running a hand through his hair. It stuck up slightly from sweat and he scowled.

He leaned against the cool rock wall and closed his eyes a bit, then opened them again. He lifted up his shirt to look at his side. He could see a bruise forming, but he wasn't hurt anywhere else and his head ache had disappeared. All there was now was dirt on his face and arms and a few scratches.

"Good work," he said, rolling his neck from side to side and draping an arm on his knee, which he drew up.

Yuffie raised an eyebrow, her head cocking to the side just slightly. Her typical Yuffie-grin growing bigger. "Thanks, Leon! You did good too...took a bad hit, I see. Hey, we're like twinkies!" She giggled when she saw his 'wound', pulling up her shirt enough to reveal her own purple and green bruise. "We make a good team." She said, sinking down to the ground beside him. "Not even you can deny it. We totally kick ass together."

Leon looked at her then away. "I work better alone..."

Yuffie snorted, knocking his shoulder with hers. "Whatever." She ripped off his saying.

He breathed deeply and immersed himself into his thoughts. It was true of course, he had done everything alone, all his life. When you were an orphan, you tended to be like that. You have to learn to fend for yourself. The world was a cruel place, and more likely than not, Fate would take you away from your loved ones. That was why he would always be alone. That way...no attachments. No pain.

Aerith ran up to Leon and Yuffie at that moment, staff in hand. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "I'm too late! I'm sorry!" Sighing, she sat down besides the pair. "I couldn't find my staff. I forgot I put stupid thing in between my mattresses again."

Yuffie grinned at Aerith. "Hey! Oh it's okay, we took care of it. Stick around though, I'm sure a whole 'nother batch will pop up before long. That is, if Leon doesn't mind not working alone." She winked.

"I don't appreciate people poking fun at me," he said, stiffening. Yuffie didn't understand, of course she didn't. And neither would Aerith. They were too trusting. They hadn't seen the horrors of the world, the cruelty of people. He stood up, a hand on his Gunblade. "Glad you could come, Aerith," he said in a very nonchalant voice and ignoring Yuffie on purpose. He was growing into an annoyed mood and the glow of success was slowly wearing off.

"Tsk, you know I love ya." Yuffie rolled her eyes at him. Sometimes he was too serious for his own good. If only he'd lighten up once in a while. Grumpy old fart.

Leon turned around to her angrily, his eyes flashing, trying with all his control to hold himself back. She was purposefully poking at him, trying to get under his skin. Well, it was working.

"Shut...up," he said, finally pulling out his Gunblade. He had the wild idea to put it to her throat but it didn't last long. Oddly, he felt like laughing. But laughing would be like laughing at him, and he wasn't about to do that.

Aerith sighed, deliberately staying out of the pair's bickering. She had grown used to it, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Suddenly, Aerith heard a noise. Looking to her side, she saw several black puddles moving towards them. She quickly stood up. "Ugh, guys? They're here."

Leon forced himself to forget about it. With some difficulty, he readied himself again and breathed in and out, ready for another battle.

Yuffie couldn't seem to quit grinning. She loved pissing him off. It was far too easy to piss him off. It wasn't even a challenge anymore these days. She sighed at the heartless and slowly got to her feet, ready again for another battle.

One stupid one came charging foreward at Lone, and maybe with a little too much enthusiasm, he raised his Gunblade over his head and brought it down in a powerful arc. It was cut clean in two, and the Gunblade had even buried itself under the rock. He pulled at it. "Damn it..." he muttered. It was stuck, really stuck. But if he could get it IN, couldn't he get it OUT?

Yuffie began to laugh, not bothering to hide it or disguise it. But she didn't dare say anything, just fending off any threatening heartless that looked at him crossly. She gave him time enough to pull out his sword. "Having trouble?"

Aerith readied herself as a heartless jumped at her. She swung at it with all of her might. It flew against the wall, making a sick sound as it faded away. Aerith smiled in self-satisfaction, but the smile disappeared when she heard a crash. She turned to see Leon struggling to get his Gunblade out of the cement. "You alright over there, Leon?" she asked, smashing another heartless.

He pulled hard, and it moved two inches. This was a laugh. Karma really WAS a bitch. Crap.

He pulled once more, heaving, and it came out. He fell backwards as it toppled onto him, and he sighed. This meant two hours of rubbing down his Gunblade. Who knew how many scratches were on it now.

"There ya go!" Yuffie snickered, still fighting. She was loving this.

Aerith sighed, defeating the last heartless that came her way. She looked over to Leon and Yuffie. "Are you guys...OUCH!" Aerith was cut off as she felt a claw dig into her leg. Looking down, she saw a small heartless, one she had obviously not seen. Angrily, she bashed it in the head, then sat against the wall once it had faded, her leg throbbing. How could she have been so easily distracted? It was an unwritten rule that you should always pay attention until every last heartless is defeated.

A Heartless that had went unseen slid under the ground, right beneath Leon. His eyes widened and he tried to get up, but he could already feel it from behind. His jaw dropped open as he felt a sucking sensation, then an empty feeling from his chest. Was it... stealing his heart? He struggled to stand up, but he could feel himself weakening. So...was this...the end?

Already he felt regrets washing over him from his childhood all the way to the present, like his being mean to Yuffie and wanting to kill her, as the most recent.

Yuffie saw the heartless attatched to Leon's back, watching as Leon paled, watching as the heartless slowly began drawing out his heart. Time stopped for a moment...and then rushed into fast forward. Her heart pounding extremely dangerous, she didn't even think about what she was doing. She ran forward, wrapping her arms around the cold little creature and jerking it away from Leon.

She threw the squeaking thing on the ground and stomped on it repeatedly as hard as she possibly could, every ounce of her rage converting to strength. She cursed at it as it gave a last squeak and faded away. She continued cursing, using practically every word she knew, and walking around to calm down.

Leon, who during the attack had risen slightly off the ground as it sucked his heart, collapsed back onto the ground, his eyes open but unseeing. It was as if he had died. This time, he had pushed the edge. Always he had managed to stay on the right side of Death, but he had crossed that line, this time. All because of some stupid...stupid...anger. What was wrong with him? Couldn't he do one thing right?

The empty that had hollowed his chest had been filled, but now it felt like a cold chill had surrounded his heart. He felt like he was immersed under water. Every breath he took felt one hundred times magnified while his hearts pounds sounded barely there. So this was what it was like to have your heart taken, and live.

Maybe it would have been better to die.

Aerith felt the color drain from her face as she watched the color in Leon's drain from his own. As Yuffie pulled the heartless away, Aerith sighed with relief. "Are you okay, Leon?"

Yuffie cleared her throat, looking over at Leon. He was still breathing, his chest rising and falling. So he was fine. Kinda. "Is...is everyone okay..." She asked, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. Her hands were shaking. Too much at once. Too much. Aerith had been hurt, then suddenly Leon was having his heart sucked out. It was what she asked for, excitement-wise. She wouldn't ever wish for it again.

Leon willed his vision to return to him, willed his body to move. But it felt like it was on auto drive. He was trying to thrash around, but only his fingers were moving. He could feel the chill run from his chest down to his arms, legs, and face...like dry ice.

His vision slowly cleared and he blinked rapidly, urging it on. Oh God, would he never move again? But of course he would, his fingers were moving. They almost looked like dying birds.

He heard words, but again, they sounded underwater. He wanted to be slapped.

"You okay, Yuffie?" Aerith asked, forcing herself up and using the wall for support. "You're looking a little pale yourself." Though she couldn't blame her. A lot had just happened. Aerith looked at Leon. He looked incredibly pale. She had a bad feeling about this. "Yuffie...Yuffie, I think you should go get Cloud." She looked up at her friend. "And hurry."

Yuffie nodded, realizing Leon wasn't really fine at all. She ran out of the cavern, sloshing water everywhere.

Aerith got onto her knees and crawled over to Leon, who was still breathing heavily. "Just hang in there, Leon," she said. "Yuffie and Cloud are going to be here soon, okay?" Though deep down she knew that she was probably saying that more for her sake then Leon's.

VvVvVvV

Cloud slowly opened his eyes, 'I fell asleep?'

He didn't even recall laying down to try to sleep, he remembered eating the waffles and waiting to make sure the coast is clear so he could leave the room. 'Guess I waited too long. Well, I've been stuck in this room for long enough.'

With that thought going through his mind, Cloud stood up from his bed and grabbed his sword. He wandered over to the door and pushed it open. He peeked out the crack to see if anyone was around, seeing that no one was anywhere in sight. He stepped out of the room and made his way down the hallway.

He took the opportunity to glance around the place, checking out each of the rooms. Currently, he was standing in a bathroom, he wandered over to the closet and found a stack of clean towels. 'How long has it been since I last showered?' It was sad that he couldn't answer such a simple question. Cloud turned the shower on and closed the bathroom, not taking the time to lock it. He rested his sword against the wall next to the shower, just in case. He striped down and put his clothes down onto the toilet seat before stepping into the shower.

He stared at his reflecting in the bathroom mirror, his blond spikes dripping water. He examined the spot where his wing comes out, noticing that it was already scaring over again. It always scars over quickly for some strange reason. He also had to wonder where his wing went exactly. His hand went to his side where an oddly shaped scar rested.

Just looking at the scar reminded him of the long blade that had gotten him, directly behind him, he had a similar scar where the sword had cut through. He was lucky that none of his vital organs were hit that day. He shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts and grabbed his cloak and shirt. He took a moment to sniff his shirt and realized how foul it smelt.

'I wonder if there's somewhere I can clean these...' He rested his white towel around his neck, and picked his boots up off the ground. He tucked his cloak and shirt under his arm as he grabbed his sword. He kept his baggy pants on, figuring people wouldn't appreciate the fact if he walked around in his underwear. With all his things collected, he went to leave the bathroom.

His feet made it so his stride was silent, he wasn't able to find anywhere to clean his clothes, so he dropped them off at his room and went off towards the kitchen to find something worth eating. Though he didn't have any armor, he still kept his sword, carrying it around and leaning against the wall within reaching distance. It was out of habit rather than neccesity. He ran a hand through the wet mop on his head he calls hair as he browsed the shelves of the fridge. He grabbed a bundle of grapes and began plucking them off one by one and eating them while he continued to scan the fridge.

VvVvVvVvV

Yuffie ran in the hotel, the water dripping all over the carpet, her breathing labored. She rushed toward the room she knew was Cloud's but stopped when she saw someone in the kitchen. He was wearing only baggy pants and white towel around his neck. Cloud. "Cloud!" She exclaimed, leaning against the doorframe.

Cloud flinched visibly, dropping the grapes in the process. He cursed under his breath before bending down to pick them up and put them into the refridgerator. He closed the door and turned around, anything he was about to say halted when he took notice of Yuffie's dripping wet form, "What were you doing? Swimming?"

"It's Leon, we were fighting in the waterway..." She swallowed, trying to catch her breath. "Heartless got him, nearly killed him. Can't get up, won't move, need help. Come on." She finished, slipping backward and already heading back down the hall.

"Can I get dressed first? Or at least shoes for that matter?" Cloud called out, not sure whether the young ninja would hear him or not. He shook his head and quickly headed towards his room once more after grabbing his sword. He quickly slipped his boots on, threw his shirt on, and left the room, not bothering to grab hold of his cloak, figuring it would only waste time.

No you can't get dressed. Ever. Yuffie thought, then shuddered. Yuffie! Good grief, Leon could be dead and you're picturing him- ACK! NO! STOP!. She waited impatiently at the door, hoping everything was okay. If he died, and the last thing she had done was make fun of him...she didn't even want to think about it. "Come on hurry!" She yelled.

Cloud shook his head and raced out of the place, dashing passed Yuffie. It was only after a moment that he realized that he doesn't know exactly where he's going. He quickly turned around, scratched the back of his head and said, "Yeah.. you lead, I'll follow."

Yuffie led him quickly down to the cave. "Aerith! Leon! We're back!"

Aerith looked up as Yuffie and Cloud came running towards her. She now had Leon's head propped up on her knee, as his breathing had gotten even heavier then before.

"Oh, good, you're here!" Aerith said in relief. "We need to get him back to the hotel, and fast. I might know some magic that could help him."

Leon blacked out for a few seconds, then woke up again, blacked out, woke up. This was sincerely the oddest sensation he had ever had. He hoped when he died it wouldn't be like this. Cold and deep and loud and scary.

His fingers were still moving, but he gave them up and let them go still.

"..." Cloud glanced around the dark cave for a moment to make sure there were no Heartless around, seeing how there were none around, he figured it was safe to keep his sword away. Without questioning what happened, he silently walked over to Leon and hefted him up over his shoulder.

He raised his hand and coughed a few times before turning back to Yuffie, "You help Aerith if she needs it." He said, having noticed the blood on her leg, he had no clue how serious it was, it could be a little scratch for all he knew.

Yuffie just nodded, turning to Aerith. "Come on.." She held out her hand to her friend, helping her up.

Aerith grabbed onto her friend's hand gratefully, and, after a moment, stood. Thinking it wasn't too serious, she tried putting a little weight on her leg, but immediately yet out another yelp. She looked up at Yuffie and smiled lopsidedly. "Can you give me a hand?" she asked, motioning to put her arm around Yuffie's shoulders for support.

Cloud exited the waterway, and immediately headed back towards the hotel, luckily, the hotel isn't far away since the waterway is just in the back of it. He stepped into the hotel and headed over to the room he's sharing with Leon, he dropped Leon on his own bed, not wanting to get his all wet, and waited for Aerith to do her 'magic' on Leon.

-x-x-x-x-

TBC