So this chapter amuses me. I'm sorta getting in the swing of things. I really like this fic so…I hope you are all enjoying it as well.

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Chapter 7

First Kiss

For a moment, Seifer's mind was blank. He stared mindlessly at the two golden spheres, watching them move side to side in a bizarre little dance. They moved slightly closer and he felt clammy fingers caress his arm. They were sharp.

In a flash, Seifer pushed himself backwards and fell with a thump out of his cot. When he hit the ground, he heard something squeal and felt something struggle underneath his back and then scurry away. Seifer's heart was pounding with fear and panic as he struggled to find his sword in the darkness. He stumbled to his feet and crashed painfully into a nearby table, sending it crashing to the ground. The only thing he could see was the constantly shifting number of yellow eyes that skittered around the room.

With a scream, he felt something bite into his ankle and he fell to one knee, reaching back and swiping at the offending creature. He could feel warm blood begin to flow from the wound and he could not tell how deep it was. Blinded by darkness and absolute terror, Seifer staggered across the room, throwing his arms out and falling over heartless and furniture. He tripped over a chair and crashed headlong into the door. His hand whipped out, found the light switch, and flicked it upwards.

The room lit up with light and Seifer felt whatever color left in his face drain away. Shadows scampered around the fallen furniture, some leaping to avoid it and others simply flowed over them like normal shadows would. Seifer's frightened eyes scanned the room and found his sword lying next to his feet. He dove for it and picked it up, rolling to his feet and unsheathing it in a single movement.

Grasping the hilt of his sword, he felt more relaxed. He could feel his blood start to pump and his fear begin to mix with adrenaline. A small, bug-like heartless jumped up and over an overturned table. It's tiny, deadly looking claws extended and whipped downwards at Seifer. Without thinking, Seifer slid out from under the attack and whipped his own weapon upwards, cleaving the creature in half. It disappeared in a puff of smoke.

For a second, he though he heard someone calling his name. His eyes flicked over the room. Several of the smaller heartless swayed in front of him, but most of them were crowded around the large four post bed in the other corner of the room. For a split second, Seifer's blood ran cold. Kairi was sitting up with her back flattened against the wall, kicking out at the heartless as they moved toward her.

In a second, Seifer was barreling across the room. Sheathing his sword, he took a flying leap over the cot he had been sleeping in only minutes ago. The crowd of heartless turned to look back at him as he flew through the air and landed with a thud amongst the shadows. They squealed and scattered as he rolled and grabbed onto a startled Kairi.

"What the-!?"

Without pausing to answer, Seifer found his feet and pushed off from the mattress. He turned in the air and felt the window shatter beneath his back.

"SEIFER!"

Splinters of glass shimmered in the moonlight as Seifer and Kairi fell down to the alley below. As they hurtled downwards, Seifer flipped himself around as best he could so he was between the ground and Kairi. Though he couldn't see behind him, he knew he was drawing closer to the earth below. He felt himself tense up and he closed his eyes, squinting them and readying himself for the pain.

With a splash, they landed in water. Seifer felt the breath drove out from his lungs and panic fill his brain. He was drowning. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think straight. Seifer realized with a chill that he had dragged Kairi from the hotel with her blanket still wrapped around her. The large cloth began to soak and stick to his skin, binding him under the water as his lungs began to burn with the need for air.

He felt something grab his hand and pull him out from his wet confines. The soaked blanket was pulled from his face and he gasped loudly, taking in deep gulps of precious oxygen. When he looked up, he saw Kairi standing over him, looking down worriedly, the wet blanket in her hand. Seifer coughed up the last bit of water he had swallowed and stood up straight.

"Thanks," he said hoarsely.

Behind him, Seifer heard loud clanking. He whirled around and saw with despair that more heartless had appeared. These ones bore armor, much like the ones he had encountered back in Twilight Town. Exactly alike, in fact. They took clanking steps forward. Menacing in their movements. "Shit," Seifer cursed under his breath. He pushed Kairi behind him and reached for his sword.

It wasn't there.

"Shit!" he said more loudly.

"What is it?" Kairi asked in a panicked voice.

"My sword!" Seifer stepped back, his head moving side to side, scanning for where his sword had gone. "It must have fallen in the water!" He looked at the heartless again. They had the unmistakable aura of being very hungry. "Shit."

He ran his eyes around the alleyway. Behind him, the way was clear up until a bend in the alley. He couldn't tell what was beyond there. But it was the best chance they had for surviving.

"Kairi," he whispered sharply. "I want you to run down the alley, get away from these guys." Kairi looked up at him. "Don't worry about me, ok? Just go. I'll find my sword and meet up with you later. I promise, ok?"

"Seifer that's crazy!" Kairi began.

"Shut up and go!" Seifer turned and shoved Kairi down the alley as the heartless leapt forward. He didn't watch to see if Kairi kept going. Rolling to the side, Seifer fell back into the water, hands reaching out wildly, grasping for his sword in the murky water. There was a flash of silver and he rolled again, narrowly avoiding a metallic helmet as it flew by him. A shadowy claw flew out and caught his shoulder, ripping bright red lines in his skin.

He fell to the side as his arm gave out on him. The water filled his mouth and nostrils as he scrambled to his feet and clutched at the bleeding wound. It stung, and the water, which he assumed now to be sewer water, certainly didn't help it feel any better. Another shadowy limb flew out toward him and grazed his chest.

He tried to jump to the side, but fell instead, submerging himself entirely in the grimy water. He heard distorted clanging from the armored heartless through the water. He tried to push himself up, but an armored foot came crashing down on his back, pushing him further under. His hands were flailing now, desperately grabbing for anything to help him to his feet.

His fingers closed around something. The hilt of his sword, he realized. On his back, the foot pressed down harder, pushing the remaining air from his lungs. He tried to scream but only choked. The edges of his vision started to blur and darken. He felt the pressure on his back disappear. Was he dying? He couldn't move.

With a jolt, something grabbed him by the back of his coat, pulling him roughly out of the water and throwing him to the ground outside. He landed with a wet thump, coughing loudly.

"Push down on his chest! Get the water out of his lungs!"

A voice that Seifer didn't recognize pounded through his head.

"Alright!"

Kairi. He felt something press down lightly on his chest.

"Harder!"

The force increased and he felt water surge through his throat and explode out, splashing over his face and dribbling down past his ears. There was another push on his chest and the water exploded out again. He felt empty. The force on his chest increased again, but this time nothing came out.

"What now?" yelled Kairi.

"CPR! Quick!"

"What?!"

"He needs air! Mouth to mouth!"

"Are you serio-"

"Just stand back."

He felt strong fingers pry his mouth open slightly. He felt something warm on his face and then something press against his lips. Air rushed down his throat and into his lungs. His muscles tightened and he jerked upwards. His body convulsed with violent coughing.

"He's gonna be ok."

Seifer's eyes were burning. His throat felt raw. Finally he managed to catch his breath and he sat up, straining against gravity and weak arms. He looked up and saw Kairi looking down at him. Her face was awash with concern.

"Are you alright?" she knelt down in front of him and laid a hand on his ankle.

"I feel like shit."

Seifer smiled painfully and looked past Kairi. A tall man with long brown hair stood with arms crossed staring down at him. A large sword hung at his waist. The handle looked like a revolver. Seifer straightened up painfully and leaned toward Kairi.

"So…I was drowning, right?"

Kairi nodded.

"So…CPR?"

Kairi nodded, confused.

"And it wasn't you…"

Kairi nodded, smiling slightly as she began to understand.

"So…" Seifer looked at the other man. He paused for a moment, letting his water logged brain do the awful math. "Shit."

"I'm Leon," Leon said gruffly. "Nice to meet you"