At long last! An update! It´s not my fault though; my computer went on bugs and stuff. Plus, I´ve been playing FF8 which to my shame was a FF I didn´t finish the first time I had it. And my final exams are coming soon. And I have to make a story about nature for monday. Hell, am I busy. Nevertheless, a long time. Now the reviews´ answers!
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DemonSurfer: The worst thing about Omega is his name. Too long. Oh, and by the way, your "It´s funnier the second time" inspired/related/based on this story? If so...Thank you.
spazwriter14: Thanks, I just hope I keep up with the plot. I am specially worried for this and the next chapter.
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Disclaimers: I don´t own any of the characters. They are all copyrighted by Square-Enix and/or Disney.
Current Goal: Try a character death(Dum dum dum), and use Leon in an angsty way.
Notes: "Leave a review" for talking, "Leave a Review" for thinking.
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Rebirth Again Chapter 4: The one who had nothing
By: The guy who never was
The ceilings of Radiant Garden crumbled and exploded with the sounds of battle.
"How did we get in this, again?" Demyx asked rethorically as he blocked a sharp spear "It´s all YOUR fault Zexion!"
"..." Was Zexion´s reply.
A mixture of a gun and a sword shined as it approached Zexion´s face. Zexion tried to escape but it proved useless.
"Zexy!" Demyx tried to apart the man-and his weapon- from Zexion, but this man skillfully evaded the water and pierced Demyx´s shoulder.
"Way to go, Leon!" Said the blonde airship driver.
"...Whatever" responded Leon, not even caring to look at Cid. His eyes, as sharp as as knives, dived into Demyx´s. "Lionheart!" cried Leon loudly, though as emotionless as usual.
17 attacks, 17 painful screams. Demyx fell over at the edge of the building in which the fight had been going for several minutes. His clothes torn up, and his face of cuts from where a dark cloud escaped, though a relieved face. Leon ran towards him.
"Hehehe..." Demyx started laughing "And they called US heartless. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! To be able to do this to ANYONE, without even flinching? Without anything? HA! Are, are you supposed to be a good guy? HAHA-" Demyx would have gone on, but he reached his limit. He coughed dark gas and laid on the ground with eyes closed.
Leon ignored all he said, and walked slowly towards him to deal the finishing blow.
"You must have nothing left" Whispered Demyx, though Leon with his SeeD training was perceptive enough to hear it.
Leon stopped in his tracks.
"Nothing left..."
"Shut up" Said Leon in a different way. With little, but nevertheless with anger. He held up his gunblade. The weapon precipitated towards its prey. Then there was a loud sound, as it hit the roof of the house.
"What?" Leon cried, but he quickly saw Zexion holding Demyx three stories below.
"Where do you think you´re goin´? Asked Yuffie, blocking his way. Before Zexion was able to do anything, he was surrounded by the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee"
"There is no option, is there?" Zexion spoked as he moved his hair from his face, revealing the weirdest eye ever to not-exist. It seemed inverted basicly; the parts supposed to be white were black, and vice-versa.
"What the..." Was all Yuffie managed to say.
"Oh..." Aerith felt pity for him. The flower girl was about the only who really cared about everyone.
"Weird" Cid accussed.
"Interesting" Merlin thought
"..."
There was a blinding light, followed by an ear-piercing sound.
"Don´t expect me to thank you. I mean, it was YOUR fault to begin with!"
"I don´t expect it" Zexion and Demyx hid in the first place they found. "And Demyx, don´t call me Zexy ever again"
"Where are them? Up? Down?" akwardly asked Yuffie
"Gone" Interrupted Leon
"WHAT? They can´t be gone! What will we tell Sora?
"We five fell for a trick, and they escaped"
"...sounds kind of pathetic..." Yuffie looked at Leon dissappointed
"And do you...think I care?" Leon looked away
"Are you feeling specially grumpy today? Grumpy people end up with nothing!"
Leon looked at Yuffie. His mere look made the air thicker, and Yuffie was left speechless
"I...have nothing already" Leon with a heavy step moved away and faded in the distance.
"Leon..." Yuffie stared at the ground like a scolded girl.
"This place it´s not my home. Reality, is that I have no home. But...that is the reality I have to face" Leon thought.
"It´s pointless. In the end, I´m nothing more than a stranger" Leon continued.
"It might as well be the same if I had died back then" Leon concluded.
"With them"
"So, if I get it right, when I turnded to Wisdom form, I absorbed part of the king´s power which was later transferred to Riku who thanks to that fused all his powers -Twilight, Darkness, and Light thanks to the king- in his keyblade which he decided to rename Way to Oblivion, right?
"You got it just perfect, Sora" King Mickey encouraged.
"Tsk. After an hour" The mocking voice sounded from afar.
"C´mon Riku!" Sora exclaimed "Give me a break!"
"I see you two still are the same, ya" Wakka stated.
"Anyways, all we need to do now, is go and finish Organization XIII!" Sora deduced "I´m sure it´s funnier the second time"
"I´m sorry to break your bubble folks, but knowing Organization XIII, we may need some help"
"Don´t worry. I know someone who can help us. Someone really cool." Sora told them.
"...Cool?" Riku wondered. "Sora, you sounded like a 12 years old boy"
"WHAT?"
"Nevermind" Riku nevermind-ed him. "Let´s go already"
"Yeah!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Any of you brought a Gummi Ship?"
"Dork"
"Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock" The seconds slowly formed minutes, which slowly formed hours. Leon did not know how long had he been walking, nor did he care. All he cared about now, where those words.
"You must have nothing left"
"Nothing Left"
"Nothing"
He stopped.
"Are you going to follow me all day long," A shadow appeared behind him "Yuffie?"
"When did you notice"
"Some time now. Who cares?"
"My ninja skills may not be all that awesome" Yuffie mocked, trying her best to smile
"Whatever"
"Squall"
"That´s not my name"
"Why not?"
"Because Squall had a home. Because Squall had friends. Because Squall had a purpose. Because Squall ,deep down, was happy. I´m not Squall, not anymore"
"I don´t know. The name just doesn´t suit me" Leon summarized
"Please Leon, why don´t tell people what you feel"
Leon took out his gunblade.
"Hey Leon, what are you doing?" She took a step back "C´mon, there´s no need to go that far" Another step back "I mean-" another step, and she found herself leaning on a wall, or so she thought.
Leon stroke, and the huge heartless behind Yuffie was gone, making her fall to the ground.
"Let´s just say I don´t like people worrying" He told her "I don´t want to lose anything else" He told himself.
"Hey wait" Yuffie tried to stop him.
"I´ll see you tomorrow" Was his last sentence.
Squall´s house was specially fitting for him; It was painted in a depressing, gray color on the exterior. The interior was very simple. It had only the basic things for survival. The whole house was hollow, but Squall´s room was specially empty; a bed and his clothes. The only other thing the house had, was guest room, dusty as dusty can get for never being used. Furthermore, the house was in the loneliest place of Radiant Garden, with nothing more than a few heartless and maybe a troublesome ninja coming to visit.
Leon headed directly to his room. His house had no clocks, but it was at the very least midnight. He hated being in his house, doing nothing more than thinking and thinking. He didn´t like the idea of thinking too much, he´d rather be doing something else. Nevertheless, he preferred thinking than sleeping. The haunts of his nightmares, the ghosts of his past could run freely in his mind during those times. Therefore, he hardly slept, and he was used to the darkness of his room.
But that day was different. He couldn´t stand it. He couldn´t stand hearing those words over and over again. He was sick of reality. All he could do about it, was sleep and sleep and hope reality was the dream and the dream was reality. Convince himself when he´d wake, he´d have Zell asking him gil to buy a hot dog. All he could do, but Leon wasn´t the type of person who escapes reality. He was by far too realistic too have any dreams that supprassed the level of "Ambitions".
But he did sleep.
Leon saw the light crept through the window. He didn´t have any curtains, so the light freely filled his room. He stayed there, in the bed, for nearly an hour, before finally going out of his room.
It was a cold morning.
"Hey Leon!"
"Yuffie, what are you doing at my door at these hours"
"Oh well you see...We have visitors! Get changed and come quickly to the base, Ok?" If there was one person who could just ignore anything from the past, even last day, was Yuffie.
"I´ll take awhile" Leon just wanted her to leave "You go ahead."
Yuffie shook her head "I´ll wait here"
"I will bath"
"I will wait"
"I am having breakfast"
"I will wait" Ignore anything, but what had happended yesterday.
Leon let out a sigh and admitted defeat. "Alright. Come in." Yuffie merely smiled and passed. The ex-SeeD went upstairs to the bathroom, while the ex-materia hunter waited at the living room. The living room, to her disgrace, was also an empty, dusty room.
"What are we going to eat?" asked Yuffie.
"We?" Leon raised an eyebrow.
"Owww don´t be bad! I´ve been wating for you to wake up for hours lazy bum!" Yuffie protested "It´s the least you could do!"
"..." Leon didn´t react, as if she had said nothing, but when he saw she was going to keep on insisting, he interrupted "The kitchen´s here" Leon showed her. He took a random cereal box and dishes.
"Cereal? That´s so gray" If Yuffie indeed had the intention of cheering up Leon, she was really clumsy.
"Whatever" Leon answered as she expected.
After breakfast, they both went on their way to the town.
"You´ll definitely like the surprise waiting there!"
"..." "A surprise visitor? Could it be...Rinoa?"
"He is someone you know well"
"..." "He...someone I know well? Could it be...Zell?"
They arrived to Merlin´s house pretty fast, mainly because Yuffie was dragging Leon while running as fast as she could. In fact, they both stopped for a few seconds before entering to catch their breath.
"Hi Leon"
"Sora" Leon said "Of course it´s not Rinoa or Zell. Because that would only be a dream. Because I have...nothing"
"So, he is Leon" Riku´s voice sounded from behind
"So, what is so important to send Yuffie to my house?" Leon inquired
"Send her?" Sora sounded confused "She told us last night she was going her house"
"Hmm...I see" Leon looked at the young ninja, who forced a smile "Nevermind"
"Well folks, we may need some more help" The king started "That´s why we will go to other worlds and look for people who will help us" "Sora you-"
There was a loud noise outside, like something falling, so everyone went to check it out.
A man dressed in black, with blonde spiky hair, who was covered in blood and all kind of wounds, laid unconsicous on the floor.
"Cloud!" Sora exclaimed worried, but not as much as Aerith, who was at the edge of dismaying.
The man opened his eyes "Sora..."
"What happened?"
"I´d...rather...not...talk about...it" Cloud was talking slowly because of a cut on his throat. The blonde closed his eyes again.
"Aerith, heal him" Leon ordered coldly.
"Y-yes" The flower girl crouched to attend the wounds with magic.
"That should take care of him for now, but I need more time to treat his wounds"
"Take him inside, then" Leon agreed.
Everyone waited outside from half an hour, hardly saying anything. Yuffie tried to break the silence every now and then, but it was in vane.
"He will recover fully soon" Aerith comforted as she went out, followed by a now covered in bandages Cloud.
"As I was saying," the king took on where he left "some of us will go for some of our friends"
"Come on! I, you, Riku, Leon, Cloud, Aerith, Kairi, Cid, Merlin, and Yuffie are not enough? Sora proclaimed.
"And just when did I agree on going with you?" The gunblade wielder said.
"Come on, you can´t leave us alone now!"
The lion shook his head "It has nothing to do with me"
"Sora, let me finish, we only have the possibilities of going to two worlds and returning, so we have to choose thoroughtly" The king finally concluded.
"Okay, but first," Sora turned to Cloud "Cloud, are you helping us?" asked Sora.
"...I still have to look for my light" Cloud answered.
"Too bad. He could have flown to the other worlds" Leon mocked.
"What do you mean" Cloud asked irritated.
"You are a Cloud, right?" Cloud seemed even more irritated.
"More grunty than usual don´t you think?" Sora whispered to Yuffie.
"Just let him be for now" She whispered back.
"Anyways I´m going" Cloud walked to the door
"No you are not" A woman, also dressed in black, blocked his way.
"Tifa"
"Do you have a clue on where to find your light?"
"..."
"Then, where are you going?"
"..."
"Perhaps your light is in helping others. What do you have to lose?"
"...Okay..."
"Great!" Sora exclaimed
"So, what two worlds will you choose, Sora?" Asked Kairi.
"Leave that to me. As long as I can enter those dark portals this time."
Riku smiled at the image if Sora rolling back a few meters and hitting a rock "I hope you can´t"
"So, I have to look for an underworld warrior who´s named Auron."
"Right, Riku. Tell him Sora asks the favor. He´ll refuse at first of course." Riku and Sora both entered their portals at the same time.
"I hope they can do it fine" Aerith shyly spoke.
"If you are not coming, then why are you still here?" The wolf asked
"Why do you care Strife?" The lion answered.
The minutes passed by. Yuffie and Merlin talking about experience in life, Cid thinking on ships, Aerith worrying, Tifa calming her, and Leon and Cloud lying on a wall with eyes closed.
"Why am I still here? I don´t know. I just am. The only place I´d like to be, was with Zell, or Rinoa, or Irvine or even..."
"These are the lamers we are supposed to save?"
"Seifer!" For the first time since any of them had seen, Leon was left speechless.
"Am I dreaming...?"
Zexion and Demyx walked through the dark corridors. After a good time of analyzing (Zexion) and thinking out loud (Demyx) they both decided ti would be better to report back to Xenmas.
"I don´t want to be the one to tell the Superior we were owned by the Sora kid again" Demyx warned
"Nor do I want you to, if you´re going to tell him that way." Demyx let out a small laugh.
"I will be the one to tell him that" the creepy voice of number 4 sounded from behind.
"Vexen! What happened?"
"My precious invention failed, because you turned against me" Said Vexen as stoic as always.
"We didn´t!"
"So you are planning to destroy us here, and tell Xenmas we sided with Sora" Zexion deduced "And I thought you, Lexaeus and I were a group. But I guess Demyx is right; in the end, all the organization members care only for themselves"
"Don´t lie. You as well, care only for yourselves. That´s why you ran. Everyone is the same. Animals kill to survive. In certain worlds, they kill hundreds of innocent civilians to end up with one guilty person. And they call themselves as heroes. In this world, many people kill for many different reasons. You yourselves were trying to kill Riku and Sora, but they killed you first.
"So you´re planning to make us look like we screwed up? Screw YOU!"
"Demyx, out of all the neophytes, you are the one I hate the most with the exception of Marluxia" Neoshadows and Dusks started to cover the whole place "I dunno why Zexion even cares about you but," His weapon appeared "it does not matter"
This was it. The end. In hands of another one of them merely trying to save himself. Or maybe not.
The creatures all over Demyx and Zexion dissolved under flames and bolts
"What!" A shadow appeared behind Vexen, and sliced through him with chakrams.
"Deja-vu" The red haired man gave a smirk. "It´s over Vexen"
"It´s not over" Vexen fell to the ground "I won´t go back to the darkness" Vexen insisted "I will know everything there is to be known" But it was too late "That is why..." He was already fading away "I CAN´T DIE!"
"Just die already" Axel told him. Vexen crewled to Zexion.
"I have a dream...I must fullfill..." Vexen grabbed Zexion´s cloak "Not yet, I´m not ready yet!" Zexion tried to ignore him "Please Zexion...help me...I need to live...I have to live...that darkness...no more...
"..."
"Zexion I don´t want to die! Is there no place...for me...in this world?"
"..."
"I want to exist...Zexion...at least I want to know..." Zexion noticed Vexen´s grip was now almost gone.
"Why?"
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There it is. A character death! Yay! Although he isn´t popular, and he was already dead before, but, nevertheless, a character death! Now I know Vexen sounded OOC, but not when you make sense. Vexen, a man absorbed in his research. He wanted to know everything, and he wanted a heart. And he wanted them strongly. It is but natural that a man with such ambitions fears death, more after experiencing it once. If you recall, Vexen died almost instantly in CoM, so we didn´t see his reaction for his death.
There were also two hidden references in the story; one when Sora says "I´m sure it´s funnier the second time", as a reference to one of Demonsurfer´s fiction(The least I could do for him) and other when Leon says "You are a Cloud, right?" which is a reference to FF Mixed in Balamb from newgrounds. Although there he says "Aren´t you" instead of "rigth".
My apologies if the story skipped too much for you without even having the weird line between skips. I just like skipping.
This and the next chapter were suppossed to be one, but then it would have been a hellish long chapter. At least twice the size of this one!
Preview of the next chapter:
Time froze. At one side, he had the one he loved, at the other one, the one who had been his rival. He could have one, or he could be left with nothing. He made the wrong choice. But in the end, he had something. Then why who he had, had forgotten him?