Emotional chapter, good and bad…

Important note – I've made a minor mistake that I should be ashamed of that I didn't realize sooner, the buster sword is really Zack's sword and in Advent Children, Cloud left it as kind of a memorial spot for Zack and got a new sword of his own. His new cool sword is called First Tsurugi, courtesy of Xeno the Hedgehog, thanks for pointing that out. I'm not sure if I'll go back into my chaps just to fix that so I posted this note to give you guys a heads up on that even though I may or may not fix that.

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Chapter 15

"Squall Leonhart…"

Even at the sound of his real name coming from her lips, his body did not move. His eyes watched the figure standing before him but his heart was in denial.

The brunette woman looked just like her. Her black coffee strands of hair had grown and spilled over her shoulders, glistening in the sunlight. The garments clothing her were similar to her old ones except somehow they were transformed into a flowing blue dress dancing around her knees loosely. His ring that she had asked Zell long ago to make a duplicate of, stood hanging on the chain around her neck.

Leon's blue eyes stared at her dumbfounded and wide as ever. Fists trembled uncontrollably as he battled the things in his heart and mind along with sense and logic. He wasn't sure if he was breathing, if he was dreaming. He was like a statue frozen in time, as he stood there motionless glaring at Rinoa in front of him.

This time in the same gentle voice but slightly breaking, she raised her hands to her lips to stop the quivering as she said it again, "Squall, it's me"

It was then that his hand unconsciously released his gunblade and it hit the concrete floor with a loud clatter. Somehow his feet were beginning to stagger toward her drunkenly. Even though it made his heart rip he let himself whisper a name he had long covered in cobwebs inside his empty ribcage.

"Rinoa…"

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Rinoa quickly grabbed Tifa's hand as they ran through endless black ink. Still closing their eyes they ran aimlessly. "I can feel it Tifa. Somehow it feels so strong, like the light we're both seeking is in the same place"

"Yeah, I feel it too," Tifa responded as she linked her fingers with Rinoa's in front of her.

Cloud, I'm coming to apologize. Axel…

The image of his jester-like grin playing along his young features flashed through her mind. Tifa smiled as they ran.

You were right Axel, You've managed to burn yourself into my memory perfectly.

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Two men leaped across roofs in a matter of seconds, faster than the speed of light as they cut through floods of Dusks entangling around them. Saix's laughter rung through the air. Finally making their way outside of town the two men paused again, back to back and positioned in defense.

"There's too many of them. What the hell did you do?" questioned a frustrated Cloud as he continued to slash his sword mercilessly.

"Oh nothing at all really. Let's just say they're just angry because I didn't want to hang out with them anymore," Axel slyly replied as his chakrams simmered in his hands. He was panting hard, still getting weaker and tired as time wore on.

"Getting tired Nobody?" Cloud noticed the slumping shoulders and heaving chest of the man behind him.

"I have a name ya know! It's Axel so get it memorized already!" He spun his head around just to lash out on him but before Cloud could react to it, they split apart to dodge an incoming attack.

"I have no choice, stay out of the way," warned Cloud in a yell towards Axel. Axel's eyes widened as he watched Cloud's furious Mako filled gaze encourage him to raise his large sword up into the air. Axel quickly jumped out of the way without further question.

Just then Cloud's sword came rushing down, "Blade Beam!"

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As Leon staggered toward Rinoa, he stopped in front of her, unsure if he wanted to keep going. With all the things he had planned to say to her, planned to do when he reunited with her after all these years, it was all gone within that moment. He was speechless and didn't have a clue what to do. He was no longer the calm collected head of the Restoration Committee, he was a babbling, staggering fool.

Somehow his arms pried open slowly and cautiously, eyes still wide and watching her every movement as she slowly advanced towards him.

"Are you-" Before he could question any further if she was real or not, her warmth was enveloped in his open arms as she rushed into his embrace. Her arms wrapped around his back and she held tightly, cries muffled into his shirt. Warily he let his arms relax and rest around her. He leaned his head into her hair. Fingers shaking and eyes burning, she smelled just like her, felt just like her in his arms just like he remembered.

With a weak and raspy voice he spoke into her hair, "Are you real?"

She lifted her tear streaked smiling face to look up at him and nodded. Her palm rose to brush against his cheek and then down to trace on the scar across his face. He closed his eyes briefly from the contact as a single tear fell from his eyes. Leon brought his fingers to lift the ring dangling on her neck and as he felt the cool metal at his fingertips, all the emotions he had hid away had finally hit him.

Leon dropped to his knees just then, helplessly hugging Rinoa at her waist as he buried his face into her abdomen. Surprised gasps and whispers were heard around them from the surrounding towns people including Yuffie, Aerith, Cid and Merlin who had come out to watch the reunion. Yuffie squeaked in happiness trying to control tears and Aerith patted her on the back consolingly.

No one had ever seen him this way. This must've been the real Leon that he hid away deep within himself. No one had ever seen this man break a tear or even shake with any emotion of any sort other than anger. Leon was always in control of things, always leading others and on top of things. Now he was on his knees, naked of pride and hugging this woman as a lost child would do to its mother.

"H-how did you get here?" Leon's quivering voice muffled into the material of her soft dress as he held her to him and she stroked the long strands of hair on his head lovingly. He felt her tears falling onto his head from above him but he didn't care.

"Well I had a little help from someone," Rinoa smiled recollecting all that happened in the realm with Tifa.

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The two running women tightened their grips on each other as they neared the source of the light they so eagerly followed through the realm.

"We're almost there!" Rinoa yelled in excitement and they quickened their pace until the darkness beneath their eyelids began to lighten.

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Axel's jaw dropped as he watched a beam of light shoot from Cloud's sword into the ground towards the numerous Dusks coiling in front of them. The Beam of light split into three as the Dusks evaporated and were defeated, vanishing into their demise. Axel was stunned, Cloud was able to clear a little over a hundred of them with that move.

"Wow, didn't think you had that in you" Axel commented over at Cloud after seeing the damage done.

"Hmmph, this is nothing" To Axel's surprise it seemed that Cloud had an arrogant flashy side of his own when he willed it. Just as Axel was beginning to think he wasn't such a stiff after all, Cloud returned to his solemn self. "Something's coming"

Axel nodded in agreement as he clung onto his weapons ready for anything, "Yeah I sense it too"

Their gazes rose to stare up into an opening black warp appearing nearby them. The realm was opening and even Saix emerged from leading in the shadows to turn his attention to the realm.

Their worried gaze changed to relief as they saw two women emerge hand in hand from the realm of darkness. Their eyes were closed and they panted as if they had been running for quite some time.

"Tifa!" Axel yelled out before Cloud could. Cloud kept his attention on the confused Saix lingering above them as he watched the scene. With the call of her name, her eyes shot open with a relieved smile. She was still in the shirt and shorts she was wearing the night before. The other woman opened her eyes as well, observing the new world around her that held a strange familiarity to it.

Just as Tifa thought Axel was running to her, he ran right past her, towards the entrance into the realm of darkness. Before she could question his motives he turned back to yell at Cloud, "Take her with you. It's me he wants"

"W-what? But-" Tifa protested as Cloud advanced towards her and the other woman.

"Understood," Tifa was about to run towards Axel until she felt Cloud's arm block her way across her chest. "What happened the last time you didn't listen to him?"

Tifa looked around helplessly and Axel gave her a wink before making his chakram vanish and turning toward the entrance. He was stopped by Cloud's voice.

"Axel…" He had called him by his name. Axel turned his face just enough to show the curve of his jaw as he listened.

"Make sure you come back or you'll have to deal with me. The only one that could make her cry is me," a smirk formed on Cloud's face.

Tifa became even more puzzled as she watched the exchange between the two men she loved. These two men had such resentment and hatred between them and from that it transformed into a mutual trust lead only by the common emotion they had for her. Axel was leaving to keep her from harm and trusting her in Cloud's hands because no matter what, Cloud would always protect her. Cloud was allowing Axel to leave because he knew that unlike him, Axel would return to her no matter the obstacles.

"Am I in the right world here?" Tifa said to no one in particular.

Axel laughed loudly as he ran into the realm of darkness. With a wave he responded to Cloud, "You got that right!" and then he vanished into the pit that Tifa and Rinoa had just escaped.

Saix cringed in disgust as Axel disappeared. With a whip of his hand, more Dusks emerged from the ground and into the entrance after Axel. He looked down upon the three humans standing below him, "Foolish humans, I will deal with you later" and with that he followed into the realm before it closed.

Tifa's beating fists on Cloud's chest caused him to sheath his sword onto his back wordlessly. "How could you just let him go like that? Does it make you happy that he's walking straight into his death?"

Cloud brought his hands to hold her shoulders, "It's not a matter of how I feel towards him. He chose to leave for your sake and I would've done the same. He came to me for that reason, to do what I've always done. To protect you and he's just doing his own part"

Tifa looked up into Cloud's cerulean eyes, once full of rage and regret, now full of understanding. Her fists rested on his chest and without another thought she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. Cloud's eyes widened in surprise as he stood stiffly in her arms.

"Cloud…I'm sorry, for everything" she whispered into the black material against his firm chest. It was such a relief to feel the warmth of this safe havened embrace as he slid his arms around her in response. Rinoa smiled as she watched the two make up for their past mistakes in that moment. Maybe being in the realm wasn't completely a misshapen. Being in the realm allowed people to really be grateful for the things that lied outside of it.

Rinoa hated to interrupt but she had been standing there mute and feeble for a while now. Watching the reunion of Tifa with her childhood friend only fueled the desire in her more to find the one she loved. "Umm, so what world is this exactly?"

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Finally Leon lifted himself from his knees and cupped Rinoa's slender face into his large masculine hands. She leaned into his warmth as she reached up and did the same to him, gazes locked. Her fingers stroked his strands of now longer hair from when they were last together, glassy eyes searching as they stared deeply into one another.

"I've searched for you so long," she whispered onto his face as he leaned his forehead on hers.

He winced as tears bubbled against his lashes, trying his hardest to contain himself with all the pain he had hidden for so long. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't save anyone. I couldn't protect you" He shook his head regretfully until he felt her thumbs wipe the tears at the brink of his eyes.

"It's not your fault Squall. Everything happens for a reason," she said shooting a knowing glance over to Tifa who was standing on top of a roof next to Cloud watching the reunion between her new friend and the man that reminded her so much of Cloud. Tifa, now dressed fully in her leather outfit, gave her a quick wave and smile before Rinoa smiled back and brought her attention back to Squall. Squall also shot Tifa a smile.

Squall pulled Rinoa into him as he wrapped his strong arms around her back, nuzzling his damp cheek against her hair as she settled in his arms. "It's been so long since I last held you this way"

Rinoa laughed, "I know…Leon" she emphasized his new nickname he had given himself to hide his true identity from others.

He parted from her surprised and eyes wide before he smiled and laughed too. "I'll explain that later but there was something I wanted to ask you that I never got the chance to…" He looked down at his lover bringing his lips to graze against her earlobe as he whispered. Her lips quivered as she sobbed, now tears of joy from whatever it was that he was whispering to her in secret.

Her small voice jumped and hiccupped, "You really mean that?"

Leon brought his lips to press against her forehead before meeting her eyes again, "I did back then and now I do more than ever. Even though our world wasn't what it used to be and our friends may still be out there wandering, we have to take advantage of having each other now"

Rinoa wiped the tears of happiness from her pale cheeks "Nothing would make me happier".

This made Leon grow the widest smile anyone in the town had ever seen from him. It was a bit startling to see this shell of the man they once saw chasing after people to do their work, was now a carefree emotional man shedding tears in the middle of the town's busiest place. They laughed together as Leon lifted her body in the air, swaying her around in circles as the crowd of townspeople cheered and applauded them. It was almost as if they were dancing like they had all those years ago, swaying to the melodies in the background as they got lost in each other's arms.

"Yeah Leon! Time to take some time off from work!" Yuffie yelled out from the crowd enthusiastically and everyone laughed along with Leon and Rinoa in the midst of them.

Leon set Rinoa back on her feet before leaning in and pressing his lips against hers passionately. Her arms swung around his neck as he held her to him, letting all the emotions he thought he had lost, come back and sweeten his life once again. This encouraged the townspeople to gasp in awe and cheer even louder.

"I wonder what Leon asked her that made her so happy," Yuffie pondered with her finger innocently resting on her pouted lips.

Aerith shook her head and patted Yuffie on the shoulder consolingly once again, "You're so silly Yuffie"

"W-what? I don't get it?" Yuffie furrowed her brows as the heat rushed to her blushing cheeks. She was a bit naïve at some things; after all she was still a young girl.

Aerith turned around, "Come on, let's go get some ice cream" Her comment was met with a bubbling excited thrust of her fist in the air as she frolicked after Aerith heading toward Scrooge's ice cream shop. Aerith shot a glance up at Cloud and Tifa standing on the roof and they both nodded and shared a knowing glance with her.

"I'm happy for her," Tifa commented as she watched the couple below. She clasped her hands behind her back as she swayed her body back and forth on her heels. She almost fell forward in surprise when she felt Cloud's arm encircle around her shoulders and pull her into his embrace.

"I will always be here to protect you. Don't worry about the children at the orphanage. I will make up for all the time I haven't spent with them by going back" His husky voice above her head tickled her hair before he released her without meeting her gaze. She didn't even get the chance to hug him back.

Tifa reached out to touch him as he was walking away but he raised his hand to motion for her to stop. "No regrets Tifa" was all he said before he kept going and jumped down from the ledge of the roof.

Tifa smiled as she finally realized that Cloud was letting her go to find her own happiness, even if that happiness didn't lie with him. He really did love her all those years in his own way and he loved her enough to let her be happy with someone else.

I'll always love you Cloud…Thank you.

"No regrets," she murmured under her breath before she turned and set towards the darkening sky, cloaking itself into night.

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Her eyes fluttered open sleepily as she was awakened by a rustling sound nearby her. The cold concrete slabs that her head had rested and fell asleep upon now made her head ache. Pins and needles pricked her arms. The breezes brushed aside the messy strands of hair stuck to her sticky cheek as she looked around for the source of the sound. It wasn't the heartless below her.

Just then a black figure emerged from the shadows, staggering towards her and breathing heavily. She squinted her eyes, unsure if she was fully awake and if the black figure walking toward her was whom she was expecting or someone else. The hood that fell from his messy spikes of fiery hair sent relief to cool the jittering nerves in her body.

She caught his body before he could fall forward from exhaustion and held him up with one arm draped over her shoulders. A look of concern swept over her face as she sat down carefully with him beside her, settling in.

"Axel…I knew you'd come here. Are you alright?" She strung her fingers to place some loose hair behind his ear before he turned to her and smiled feebly, yet still mischievously as always.

"Just fine babe, couldn't be better than this"

His comment was met by a rough punch in his shoulder and he groaned in pain. "This is no time to joke around Axel!"

Axel laughed as he rubbed the shoulder she had punched. "That's what you waited here for? To use me as your punching bag? And what did I tell you about the realm of darkness. You scared the blazes out of me," he teased and scolded her but she didn't seem to be in a playful mood.

She crossed her arms and turned away in offense before feeling his hand pull her chin to him. His lips shut out any words that may have come from her as he pressed them on her, making her will and worries melt by its warmth. She tried to pull away so that she could pry him with questions of concern but the moment her lips pulled from his, his forearm wrapped around her waist pulled her back to him as he dived his lips into hers. Her body arched slightly as he held her so firm against him, his fingers tickling through her dark hair as they sat in the Bailey.

After a few moments they parted breathlessly as his jade eyes intense and sharp studied hers. His warm breath only made her mouth water as it had done the night before as she felt him speak onto her damp lips.

"I can't stay Tifa…" He held her face to his as he awaited her reaction in which he expected not to be a good one.

"What? What do you mean?" Tifa tried to pull away again but he held her face firmly against his. He didn't want his eyes to leave hers. Suddenly she felt a pang of fear send a tremor through her body. Her fingers shook while she gripped his arms on her face.

"There's…another purpose that I need to fulfill" She tried to say something but he hushed her. "I don't want to tell you because then you won't let me go even though I have to. I need to do this in order to put my mind at ease. You'll just have to trust in me"

She quickly clutched onto the black material on his neck, fear gripping her heart. She didn't know why but she felt like this was the last time she was going to see him. She felt like he wasn't coming back after this. She couldn't let that happen. Not after all they had been through, not after all she thought about in the realm. She wouldn't allow herself to be hurt again, not this way.

His eyes showed sympathy for her although his body was void of it. He brushed the bangs from her eyes with his fingers before leaning in to kiss her again, with so much passion, with so much of him in it. Her fingers roughly clutched onto him as he tasted and savored her essence. His lips crossed over to her cheeks, her chin and back to her parted lips as she desperately held his collar in her clenching fists. She refused to let him go but her fingers were unwillingly pried open by his hands once he broke away.

He gave her one last long stare that seemed to last an eternity before he stood up. A determined look was on his face as he opened his palm to open the realm. Tifa stared blankly for a moment, not being able to register what was happening. Almost like it hit her like a rock at her head would, she scrambled up and grabbed onto the back of his shoulders, leaning her head in the middle of his shoulder blades.

"You can't leave me Axel. You said you wouldn't…" her words were muffled in sobs and Axel felt the darkness beginning to throb in her heart. What made it worst was he knew this time he was the cause of it although he had always promised to be her light.

Tightened fists and trembling eyes closed, it took all his will not to turn around and take her in his embrace. It took all the will in him not to just grab her and run away with her, hide away together for the rest of their lives. As much as he wanted to do that, he had known for some time ago that he couldn't. Fate wouldn't allow it and if it did, it wouldn't allow it yet. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he didn't do what he was about to do.

"I'm not leaving you Tifa. Remember, I have your heart and I exist as long as you believe in me" Those were his last lingering words to her before he walked forward into the entrance of darkness. Just as his body was enveloped into it he heard her cry out but he let his ears be deaf to her. He couldn't let her words make him stay as much as he wanted to. If the worst happened, he knew Cloud would still be there to look after her.

"Thank you…Tifa," he whispered as he turned partially. His back still facing her in the realm, she saw the curve of his jaw line as he smiled sadly. Tifa ran towards him but before her hands even got close to the entrance he closed it quickly. She leaped forward only to slide roughly and painfully chest first onto the concrete.

Her tear streaming brown eyes looked up and around frantically. He was gone and there was nothing she could do about it. She shook her head in denial.

"No, no he can't leave. I never- never," she hiccupped her cracking sobs, "got to tell him that I loved him even if he couldn't love me back…"

Her voice was heard screeching towards the moon. The Flurry of Dancing Flames had left her alone without explanation, left her with a burn in her heart that would haunt her for all time.

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Axel also yelled into the nothingness of the realm to release all that troubled him. After he seemed a bit relieved, he walked forward, "Sorry Cloud, but I couldn't stay true to my word"

With that the black figure vanished into the kaleidoscope walls in search for the one person he needed to speak to most. The one person that also held the key to his existence.

He needed to find Sora.

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I know I know, you guys are ready to kill me! Don't worry, my stories are never known to have disappointing endings and I did tell some people that I was pondering alternate endings. Right now I could think of like 3-4 endings for this story but I'll only do 2. Maybe I'll include the extra on my Live Journal. Yes so this story will be coming to an end within the next 2-3 chapters. :tears and sobs:

Also what's with all the Rinoa haters? Is she that bad Lol? I like her.