When the Light Returned, Chapter Two:

Disclaimer (again) – I own nothing but the story idea, and this is not meant for profit! Please don't sue

            Silence. It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop; the occasional sniffles coming from Aerith were the only noises in the room. Eyes darting nervously, Yuffie swallowed hard. Leon, who was clutching his flowers so hard his knuckles were yellow against his skin, was quietly trembling. He wasn't crying – not yet, at least – but he was so close that Yuffie felt like crying herself. She had never seen him betray this much emotion, and it scared her that a woman who didn't even love him could tear him apart like this.

Frowning, she turned her attention to Cloud. She hadn't seen him for years…ever since the attack on their world. He looked so different then he had after defeating Sephiroth, so aged, and weary, and…tattered. He must have been through a lot, through Hell and back, to get to Hollow Bastion and Aerith. Having abandoned his old style of SOLDIER type clothes, he wore loose blue pants and a sleeveless shirt of the same color; a long red cape wrapped around his neck and covered his mouth; he wore a shoulder skirt; and belts, and belts, and belts. Waist, chest, calves, wrists – everywhere there was at least one belt buckled to him. That Buster sword that Yuffie so fondly remembered was now covered in strips of tape-like cloth. As she tilted her head, narrowing her eyes, she realized how thin he had become. Cloud…what happened to you when our world was destroyed?

As she glanced back at Leon, she was dismayed to see a small puddle of tears on the ground to the front of him. No, Leon…don't cry, you're much too strong to cry…! In all the years she'd known him he had not once shed a tear, even when nightmares of his world being attacked would awaken him screaming in the night. Yuffie could feel her heart slowly tearing apart inside her; this was wrong! This wasn't supposed to happen. Not like this.

As if in a daze, Aerith slowly broke away from her one true love, though her hands still clutched his gloved ones and her eyes stared into his; her tears were gone, and her eyes were bright and clear, full of love, soul, passion, and energy. Never before had Yuffie seen her eyes so…alive. They had always had a sort of luminous shine to them, but it was now as if she had just started living again. Cloud's, too, seemed brighter. Yuffie could painfully recall when he believed that Aerith was dead…those green eyes of his were lifeless. But now it seemed a spirit inside of both of them had been breathed into existence…

Without a single word, seeming to communicate with those brilliantly lustrous orbs, the two walked out of the library hand in hand.

Immediately, the young ninja walked to Leon, poor Leon, who was insensitively snubbed by the one whom he thought loved him. "Leon, I…" she began, her own eyes misting over as she saw more tears drip from his down turned face, but she was interrupted by his quiet murmur.

"So, he is why my love is denied…? He is why Aerith never returned any feelings I gave? Is fate so cruel that it should first take away my home, friends, and now the only person I adore, away from me?"

"I'm so sorry, Leon," Yuffie whispered, her sympathy and pity for him almost overwhelming her. Without another word, Leon pushed her away and walked quickly down the hallway leading to his room. A single broken stem and a small puddle was the only evidence that he had ever been in the room.  

~To Be Continued

Author's Notes – Damn it, his eyes are blue! I could've sworn they were green! I'm sorry to all you guys; I haven't played Final Fantasy VII and Kingdom Hearts for about five months now, and I tend to forget tiny details like that. ^_^;;;

I know this chapter doesn't really have as much thinking as the last one, but I'll try to make it real thoughtful in the next chapter. And the writing style is different. I'm trying to change with each chapter to reflect the difference of each character's emotions and thoughts, but I don't know how long I can do it @_@

Sorry this chapter was so short. I'm thinking that the next chapter will be from Leon's point of view, and I'll try to make it longer. Yay! Finally I officially have a multi-chapter! And it's gonna get longer too! Yay!

Oh, and if you guys would like to input on where the story is going and possibly give me ideas if you review, that'll be real helpful. Thanks a lot! Expect the next chapter in a week or less! ~PP