Author's comments: Hehe, thanks Kim, your comment was extremely helpful:) (Or will be when I am not to lazy to go back and edit).

Kinda a shortish chapter, but here goes...

Chapter Six: The Sepulchral City

"I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other, to devour their infamous cookery, to gulp their unwholesome beer, to dream their insignificant and silly dreams. Their bearing, which was simply the bearing of commonplace individuals going about their business in the assurance of perfect safety, was offensive to me like the outrageous flauntings of folly in the face of a danger it is unable to comprehend."

-Joseph Conrad

Cocytus... not its original name, but the one it had grown into. The sepulchral city, a dying world, succumbing to fate with open, but apathetic eyes; not the swift descent like so many of the others, but a painful, lethargic decay. Once brilliant, it was now dirty, worn, and miserable; merely waiting for the day its dull existence would fade forever. Ironically, despite the assurance of its eventual death, the city itself kept growing. A crossworld, it became home to the vagabonds, the stragglers, the lost; all of those who were "lucky" enough to have escaped their worlds before the fall. For those who had the means it was but a stop along the way, but most were trapped, the light dying from their eyes as it died from the planet.

The people called themselves the Letha, the forgotten ones, waiting for the day their number was called. They all knew the illusion for what it was. It was hard to ignore the random searches, the frequent examples that were made of its citizens, the disappearances in the night. The days grew darker still. It was difficult to distinguish between those victims of the shadow legions and those of the crimes they inflicted on one another.

Values had declined in the once fair city. Death and stress make people do strange things and ultimately all they can do is perpetuate the cycle and much of the population consisted of opportunists and murderers. Exotic artifacts from lost worlds mysteriously appeared in the black markets of Cocytus and those daring enough to cross into the ninth district can find any number of people willing to slit a throat for a few paltry gil. Most though were just trying to get by, prolonging existence, blind to the plight of the new refugees for they fared no better. It was not so much that the numbers of those who survived were great, but that that many worlds had been destroyed.

Though hope was frail, it had not been destroyed. Despite everything, Cocytus was a haven of safety. It was a physical impossibility to keep track of all the inhabitants, the ideal place to hide someone.

Riku stepped through the portal and into one of the dingy alleys of the third district. It had been a rich area once and Riku still remembered the look of the white marble, barely graying from the shadowy taint, the world had just begun to die. The high walls of the old fountain area were now a sooty gray, and the bells in the tower that looked out over the city had long since broken. Casting his glance to the sky, he immediately began to look for the one that was flickering in with the final throes of death. Finally finding the weak light, he watched as it flashed once then blinked out. A terrifying sight, but one he was used to. Riku glanced down at the girl he held in his arms. Despite everything she looked almost peaceful, but then he supposed sleep did that to people. He was just relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with the hysterics that would have followed if she had seen and understood the event.

Readjusting his grip, he began to wind his way down the alley, seriously hoping that no one would be stupid enough to bother him as he walked towards the fourth district. He wasn't in the mood to deal with it and the less people that saw him and the girl, the better. Riku didn't want word getting back to her. Instead of walking into the main square, he kept to the back streets, entering the fourth district from an old aqueduct instead of one of the four main gates. Two short turns later and just as he was beginning to tire a bit from carrying the girl so far, Riku arrived at his destination.

The house didn't look like much. Though it was the largest on the street, it was also the most rundown; the places in which the paint had once been a vibrant red had turned a musky brown. In Cocytrus, things were made to spoil. Riku walked up to the large wooden door and gently set the girl down as he turned to knock on the door. He needed his arms free in case he had to fight. After a minute or two, the door opened and a girl of about nine with long black chair and large brown eyes stood staring out at him. A startled expression crossed the girl's face and she slammed the door shut. He could hear the sound of her running off and he sighed, waiting a moment before knocking again. This time when the door opened, a man stood there with the look of someone hardened by battle, and cool blue eyes which hardened at the sight of Riku. The girl who had answered the door hid behind the man, peering at Riku with her large owlish eyes. Before saying anything to Riku, the man turned to the girl.

"Rinoa, go see your mother, now." The girl looked as if she wanted to protest, but seeing the look on her father's face she scampered away and the man turned to Riku again, placing his arms across his chest.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Riku smirked. Not exactly a warm welcome, but better then he expected.

"Hello to you to, Leon." Shaking his head, Leon began to close the door and Riku decided he might as well cut to the chase. "I need you to do something for me."

Leon didn't like that and he glared fiercely at Riku. "Yeah right, why would I do anything for you? You're nothing, but a—"

Riku held up his hand, a faint smile still playing along his face.

"Stop, before you say something you regret."

Walking over Riku picked up the girl bringing her over, watching as Leon's eyes widened. "I need you to take her. Give her a place to say. Keep her safe." Leon cast Riku a startled look which quickly turned into suspicion.

"Why, who is she? What happened to her?" Riku shook his head impatiently.

"Look if you won't do it for me, do it for him... I don't have time for this now and to be honest, I am not entirely sure... That's partly where you come in. Her world was just consumed."

There was no misunderstanding in who the he was that Riku referred to, though Riku had mostly just thrown it in to remind Leon of the way things were. When Leon looked as if he was going to refuse, Riku continued.

"Just consider her to be another one of your refugees, oh yes I know about them." Very casually Riku drew a symbol into the air, a symbol for fire, and the one on the door that guarded the place where Riku knew that Squall was hiding the ones who were wanted. Riku didn't give a damn about them so he hadn't reported it. The leverage was infinitely more valuable.

"It would be a shame if it were discovered, all your efforts to waste. I'm sure they'd be very interested to meet the man who had arranged it all also. Not a good position for a man with a family... exactly how old is your daughter now anyway?" Riku smiled faintly. He wouldn't actually do any of the things he threatened, had every reason not to actually, but Leon didn't know that and he tight expression on his face confirmed it. Leon sighed looking down at the girl again.

"You really are a bastard... bring her in." Leon moved out of the way so Riku could carry her into the house. Gesturing him to follow, Leon led Riku through the main hall and into a living room. A fire was crackling in the fire place and assorted people of varying ages sat around all turning to look at Riku with suspicion and some with hatred. Leon gestured to the couch.

"You can put her here for now." Riku nodded and set her down, staring down for a moment at her, an inscrutable expression in his pale eyes as he once again tried to figure it out, to put the pieces together.

Looking up to find Leon watching him, he nodded then went to the door withthe other man following him out. Riku walked through the hall and opened the front door,pausing to look Leon.

"Keep an eye on her for anything... out of the ordinary. I'll try to come back some time soon."

Riku began to walk away and Leon started to shut the door when Riku paused turning back to face him.

"None of your people were there tonight, right?" Riku gave the other man a hard look and Leon appeared to be struggling with whether to answer or not. Finally the man shook his head and spoke in a slightly exasperated tone.

"No... that all?" Riku smiled faintly in response.

"Yeah that's it... and Leon, thanks." Riku turned and began to walk down the darkened streets.

If they weren't there, then what caused the interference?

With his mind thus occupied. Riku walked towards the eighth district and the portal to Hollow Bastion. He still had to report and only then could rest...