An overexcited Sora decided that, one day, he very much wanted to spar with Leon. Leon agreed that a match would do him good, though he refused to fight in Hollow Bastion considering destroying things they were trying to rebuild would be a bit… moronic. Thankfully, Sora knew a great place to spar- Twilight Town's very own sandlot.

Leon had no issues with that, having previously been at Twilight Town to help Sora figure out how to put posters around the town fastest for the next struggle competition, along with giving him pointers to move bags of garbage up the slope more quickly and efficiently.

Neither expected anything to really happen, because neither had noticed the intensity of a certain gang-leader's reaction to the brunet.

Seifer had, as usual, been loitering in the sandlot with his friends, pulling off the cool act even with his sleeveless coat and exposed stomach in the frigid winter air. He smiled in that smug but disarming way at an antic of Raijin's, before the emerald spark in his eyes faded at the sight of the man and boy entering- that man that he'd been unable to forget, and somehow still unable to remember completely. 'For what was his name?'

The brunet paid no attention to him, strolling casually to the field, Sora bounding after him with two struggle clubs in tow. Seifer could not deal with the total ignorance of his presence- not from this man.

He snatched one of the blue clubs from the keyblade hero's fingers. "Hey, you!" Leon turned slowly, crossing his arms across his chest as he regarded the teenager with little interest. "I demand you fight me!"

"…Fine." Seifer barely had time to think before the older male was at him.

Leon continued to advance on the blonde, eyes cold as they bore into Seifer's bottle-glass green, making the teenager's entire body jerk back every time he smacked the practice club back. He sneered dangerously, sending the blue object flying with one last hit, slipping out of Seifer's trembling fingers.

He tumbled back, exertion showing in the light tremble of his limbs and the faint sheen of sweat covering his brow and the back of his neck. He fell back as Leon took a swing at his head, losing his balance and falling on his back.

Storm-gray narrowed, no shred of compassion showing itself if Leon's frozen gaze. "You're about ten years too young to beat me, kid."

The words felt like a punch in the gut for Seifer- like he had been stabbed with a revolver, and it made so much sense to him even though a revolver was a gun so how could he be stabbed by it? It was so darkly wrong to hear those words from the brunet, painful.

'I should be just level with him,' he thought, and it didn't make sense but it was true. 'Why aren't I?'

Raijin and Fuujin were between the fighters now, protective, giving the older man cold looks. "Seifer just hasn't been doin' so good lately, ya know?" Fuu's single visible red eye narrowed at Leon, lips tightening in a thin line. She obviously agreed.

Seifer was staring right through them, eyes wide and hurt as he watched Leon's reaction.

The brunet stood there for a moment, regarding them with little care, before sneering for a moment, tossing the toy club to the ground, and walking straight out of the sandlot. Sora watched the group for a moment, looking almost horrified, before running after the departed man.

Seifer's brows noted together, and he sat up shakily, fingers grasping at his coat weakly. He was in great pain, and yet the man had not actually hit him at any point- but his heart hurt, and he could almost feel that revolver's ice-cold blade twisting into him.

"Seifer?"

The teen looked up slowly, locking gazes with Fuujin. She cocked her head, expression showing worry if you knew her enough. He tried to say something, really he did, but nothing could come out, and he was afraid that if he forced it, he might start sobbing. He was a man, so he could never allow such a thing. He tried a weak smile and let his head drop again.

"Hey, that loser's just tryin' to take advantage of the fact that he's way older than you, ya know?"

No one bothered to remind him that Seifer had initiated the match.

It was a cold day in Twilight Town.