Broken Masks

Chapter Eleven: The Funeral of Hearts

Authors Notes: Due to the format I'm using, page breaks just aren't showing up. I'm trying something different each chapter but nothing seems to be working yet. Be patient and I'll attempt to work out the problem and correct it. Other than that I'm happy to report this chapter is fairly long, around 4500 words.

Author Warnings: Not Beta'd. But most importantly, I feel it's my duty to warn everyone that while this chapter attempts to clear and refine the plot, it can be confusing. If anyone is truly confused to the point of frustration, drop me a line and we'll talk.

Chapter Eleven: The Funeral Of Hearts

Cloud flinched only slightly as Aerith's palm struck his cheek sharply. Hot pain accompanied the action. She looked relived at her actions, looked as if she waned to do it again. She almost looked possessed and Cloud felt a flash of recognition in his mind. He knew who often looked as she did at the very moment and that worried him. She was becoming dangerous.

"You are not the man I fell in love with."

Ah, he observed, taking a step back as her hand twitched at her side. She was still upset about his lack of feelings for her. She was … angry. A dangerous angry that he knew all too well. That type of angry made people do risky things. It impaired their judgment and clouded reality.

"I am not."

"The Cloud I knew and loved would not so easily endanger his friends as you so carelessly have." She was attempting to mask the true reason for her anger. Cloud saw right through this false veil that was so poorly constructed.

"I have not endangered them. I would never purposely do such a thing." In fact he did what was necessary to protect them, foregoing any sense of self preservation.

He and Squall had told Aerith, Cid, and Yuffie just about everything they needed to know. Some things, very personal things were kept inside, but the necessary common knowledge was laid out. They all knew about his missing soul, and heart, and Squall's miraculous ability to share his own soul. Ansem's deep and dark plan was finally given light, along with Maleficent role in it and Riku's own deception. They had touched briefly on the subject of Hades, and only enough to allow their friends to understand why they had to leave so soon.

Still, Cloud doubted they understood just everything. Even his own precognitive type knowledge confused him at times. It seemed as if Destiny and Fate were alive, and living, thinking, intelligent beings of some sort. For as close as Cloud had listened to the voices in his head and tied the many subplots together, even he couldn't account for the changing variables.

Problems and plans were layered on top of each other in such a way Cloud felt the beginnings of a headache each time he thought about it too much.

Maybe the problem in fully understanding the situation consisted in neither knowing who was on 'their side' and who was not. Everything was supposed to be preordained, plotted out thousands of years ago and set into a specific set of events. From the words he spoke, to the man he loved, it was all decided, at least until a number of unaccounted variables were thrown into the equations. Now neither good nor evil was decided or easily defined, and when it mixed it confused DestinyRiku was a fine example of this. In an attempt to fix this confusion and these unaccounted variables, new things were happening that Cloud was not aware of. Squall's soul splitting was one of many. He could distinctly feel the confusion radiating through his body, even if it was not his own.

The usually quite voices were loud on the matter of these unaccounted variables. They were nervous about so many things causing Destiny's plan to derail. Cloud had a sinking suspicion they were actually Destiny and Fate being represented somehow vocally. They were just too all-knowing to be anything else. So when he felt their panic on the matter of Hades, Riku and Squall to name a few, Cloud got the distinct feeling they were in trouble. And if they really were Fate and Destiny, he had to ask why he alone seemed to be able to hear them. What made him so special, or so damned unlucky?

When he first awoken he had been surprised by the two different tones in his mind. A soft, mother-like voice urged him to seek out help for the upcoming battles, while another rough and deep all but demanded it. It had taken him a while to figure it out, but one voice represented Destiny, and the other Fate, because they were indeed two very different things. Destiny asked of him, and showed him the proper way. Fate told him of his place and his responsibilities. Fate showed no ability to change or adapt. Destiny was what could and should happen, while Fate told him what would inevitably come to be.

Originally Hades wasn't supposed to want a person contract with him. Apparently the greedy God had run into some information from some unknown source that had a way for him to harness a huge amount of power. He had some sort of leverage against Destiny that had the voices screaming. He had too much power already and they didn't know what to do if he gained any more. They weren't sure how to solve the problem he posed. Sora was supposed to take him out eventually, but they didn't feel the young Keyblade master was capable of it at the moment.

Among the smaller things Cloud understood it had been his fate to give his heart up to Squall, but it had certainly not been intended for Squall's soul to split and sustain the both of them. That had been a direct attempt for destiny to fix whatever had happened with Riku. The original Keyblade master was supposed to be corrupted by the darkness and his ambition but not to such a dark degree. The moment Riku had decided to oppose Maleficent and constructed a plan to prevent Ansem from returning, Destiny and Fate had realized too little, too late how wrong things were going. Things were happening so out of control they didn't have any foreseeable long-term solutions.

Ansem seemed to be the only thing that hadn't deviated from the plan. He was sealed neatly away, threatening but lacking the ability to injure life yet. And of all things this made the voices the most nervous. They believed if everything effecting Ansem seemed to be changing without their control, he should have been as well. The fact that he remained steady was suspicious. The voices became quite on the matter of Ansem, almost as if they were hiding something from him, but Cloud was sure they thought Ansem was the problem. For all his stability they were almost certain he was using something to change his own Fate and pull it in his favor, even if Fate wasn't supposed to change. They were concerned he was in control and had essentially taken over Destiny's purpose. They just didn't know how he had managed it, and that bothered them even more than anything else.

Destin and Fate had originally determined after this final battle, Sora would triumph and Ansem would be prevented from taking over. It was supposed to go down in favor of the light's side, but nothing was certain now. The plan had been nearly squashed and this left Cloud caught in the middle. Before the deviations he had understood his purpose and part in the grand plan. He had known his job was to assist Squall and Sora and ultimately give his life for the cause. He had accepted this and actually understood the purpose of the discontinuation of his own life. His ability to know the future had assisted him in understanding and accepting how important it was that his life end in the appropriate manner. His death was intended to allow the light side to win and give it the final boost in the most efficient way.

But what now?

The voices didn't know what to do, and neither did he. They didn't know where to send him or what to have him do. They were worthless.

Cloud felt exposed in the thought that Fate and Destiny would have no part in any future actions. He and Squall were officially own their own and in control of everything that happened from that point on, and it was a scary thought. Cloud had always felt it helped to have that guiding hand, ready to set you back on course if you happened to fall off for a second. Now their actions didn't have any controlled consequences. Now every single thing they did, big or small, counted for so much more than they could imagine.

So after thinking this through, Cloud knew how little Aerith understood of the situation. She merely saw the surface, and this was effecting her opinion.

Cloud's eyebrows knitted together. Still, there was something else hidden underneath her sweet and innocent charm. So he repeated himself, "I have not endangered Squall, nor have I compromised Sora in any way."

In a segregated corner of the First District Aerith glared at him with dark fury.

"You willingly gave your heart to Leon, knowing how many people were hunting for you and it. How can you not see that as endangerment? They'll find out he has it and take him and do who knows what to get it out of him. You've sentenced him to the same Fate you suffer from."

Ha! What did she know of Fate? The pathetic little girl was making herself look even more ignorant that Cloud believed possible. Never mind that one couldn't simply rip it out of Squall's chest because he or she desired. It had to be given, not forced which was a somewhat helpful catch. If there was some way to remove it without permission, Cloud wasn't in possession of that knowledge. Of course the Heartless had many ways of persuasion, so that small catch merely delayed whatever Fate had in mind.

"You misunderstand. There have been steps taken by Fate itself to insure I remain intact and alive." He tried to find a way to explain his situation to her in a way she would understand. "I wasn't supposed to be found out so suddenlymy importance that is. I was supposed to remain hidden away in the coliseum until it was too late for Ansem to realize the necessity of me. Something changed and it didn't happen that way, so to compensate other things began to happen. I myself don't fully understand, but there is some magic protecting me and anything connected to myself. This magic helps conceal me, and when I gave my heart to Squall some of that magic was transferred over. It protects and hides the both of us to some degree."

"Then why do you have to go away?"

The burning in his face had died down but he had no doubt some sort of mark would be left. He wasn't exactly sure what he would tell Squall. He wasn't sure if he'd be sharing this conversation with him at all.

"I said to a degree. Obviously the magic is weakening, why I do not know. I believed it was safe when I ventured to this town, and that Hades would not be able to follow me so easily. Despite my decision to come here, I did not bring Hades to the town on purpose, and therefore did not endanger any of you with intent." He paused to shift slightly in his new clothing, the soft blue pants, shirt and jacket being a large change from his normal attire. The outfit wasn't what he wanted to wear, but Yuffie had picked it out with bright eyes and presented it to him with the biggest smile, he found he couldn't turn her down. At least Squall had gotten the pretty sunshine yellow outfit.

Cloud frowned as he saw another dark look cross her face. Goodness, something about her bothered him. She was making him more nervous than the voices, and that was saying a lot.

"This magic is strained, and the already thinning ability to hide me has been stretched even further by the transfer of my heart. The magic is attempting to hide the both of us, and ultimately exposing us. We have to go far away or risk bring insurmountable danger to the few people left. We have to do this to ensure the safety of the majority of the town's population."

"Then go," Aerith said, waving her hand flippantly. "Take Leon and run away from the people who need you."

He braced his arms across his stomach, lines creasing in his forehead. "You foolish girl!" He snapped. "This town is insignificant without myself and Squall present. Yes, there will always be the few, lecherous heartless that reside in the second that third districts. They will remain until all major threats are gone no matter if we stay or go. The difference counts with the Gods and the larger Heartless. They will have no need to come here without incentive, and if you stick to the first district you should be safe. By leaving Squall and I expose ourselves almost fully, and walk into danger, while alleviating it from you. Now tell me how this is cowardice behavior."

Vile and vulgar words were on the tip of her tongue when suddenly she froze, mouth snapping closed. Her eyes locked somewhere over Cloud's shoulder and she took a step backwards.

"What's going on?" Leon's deep voice came from behind Cloud and the man allowed the tension in his muscles to dissipate. His tightly bunched shoulders sagged as Leon's hands settled on them from behind. "You okay?" He asked, leaning in to press a kiss on the shell of Cloud's ear.

Cloud nodded feeling the warmth of the man he loved. He leaned back against Leon's solid chest, deciding he liked being held, even if it was in the presence of another.

"Cid could use your help on the ship," Leon told Aerith, pulling Cloud back away from her. The defense in his voice had her rushing past the pair, arms folded over her chest.

"What was that all about?" He demanded, pulling his lover away from the dark corner and toward the brightly lit center of the first district. "Something's been off with her since we got back from our little adventure."

Cloud shrugged, rubbing the back of Leon's neck. "Stress, I'm sure." Even though he was even more it wasn't. "Is Cid still upset we're borrowing the ship? We are stranding him."

Leon rolled his eyes in a juvenile fashion and Cloud was hit with a rare memory. It was one of his own, seen through his own eyes as a small child. He smiled at the flash into his childhood. Sephiroth had stolen his memories and both Fate and Destiny made it clear he was easier to work with without them. He felt cheated on both fronts, but he assured himself his memories couldn't be hidden away forever. He'd recover them no matter what. It was only a matter of time.

"He said something about Journey swinging by with a few others to help defend what's left of the town. I know it isn't a target anymore, but I don't want to risk Yuffie and the others."

"It isn't this town we need to worry about."

"Hey hey," He interrupted. "We'll be fine. Nothing going to happen."

Cryptically Cloud replied, "That's what you think."

"Now you know I hate it when you do that." His arms crossed. "I really hate it."

"Do what?" Cloud asked genuinely confused.

Leon waved a hand. "You know, that foreboding, foreshadowing stuff. Your eyes get all cloudy and I swear you know more than you let on, which by the way if you do, I'd kindly appreciate it if you shared."

"What are you implying? That I can see the future?" Leon looked on and Cloud chuckled, turning to the side. "That would be impossible, Squall."

"Improbable, maybe, but certainly not impossible. Nothing is impossible now."

Cloud nodded. "How right you are."

The lapsed into silence, Cloud enjoying how Leon's hand strayed to his shoulder and rubbed softly.

"You're learning to be affectionate," Cloud observed. "I was under the impression you didn't like to express it in public."

In defense Leon withdrew his hands and gave Cloud a sour look. After a few seconds of uneasy tension Leon shrugged. "I almost lost you," He admitted softly. "So maybe I've got my priorities in order. Swallowed a little pride while I was at it."

"Sora has to be your first priority."

"No."

Head buzzing, Cloud mentally pulled back, trying to separate his own thoughts from the other voices. It was often easy for his mental voice and the others to mix, and he felt that might be how he was so easily influenced in the beginning, before he understood. At least now he knew why they were screaming about Squall falling even further off track of his original Destiny. They were worried if Squall wasn't fully dedicated to Sora first and foremost, he might not make the right choice in the end. Smirking, Cloud wanted to scream right back it didn't matter what Fate had originally intended, because it obviously wasn't going to happen exactly that way. He and Squall were making their own choices and creating their own Destiny, a previously unimagined concept.

"He should at least be one of your top priorities."

"He is, just not the top." Leon tipped his head back to watch the starry sky, dimming as the minutes ticked by. "I know it's selfish, but I'm going to put you first no matter what. Our childhood was not what it should have been. I didn't quite recognize how important you were and how much you ought to have meant to me. Now I feel like I'm getting a second chance, and I'll be damned if I let anyone take that away from me, Sora included. I want you more than I want to win this blasted war."

His hand caught the back of Cloud's neck and he tugged the younger male forward. "No matter what you believe or might have been told, you're allowed to live your life to the fullest extent. You deserve to be cared for and loved and cherished, and I want to do it all. I'm willing to fight for that right, even if it means sacrificing everything else." He dipped forward, brushing his lips against Cloud's, pulling back only when he felt heat radiate from the man he loved. The cherry lips and rouge blush made Leon dive back in, this time his other hand came to the back of Cloud's head, fingers tangling in blonde locks.

"If you want an us," Cloud said breathlessly, still tasting the taller man. "Then fight with Sora, for Sora. You won't fight with him today, but in the future you must be ready to." He sniffed lightly, a sad smile on his face. "I'm taken care of already. I'm a big boy and I've got big things looking out for me. This is something Sora doesn't have. He's young and impressionable and not quite ready for how much this is going to take out of him. If you want to be here for me, you be there for him. Make me proud and give us a chance for a future."

Cloud watched with darkened eyes as Leon snapped back viciously, his face pinched. "You're lying."

Cloud shook his head. "No, I'm not. Sora needs you far more than I do."

"Not that part."

The blonde reached out for him but Leon shied away. "Then what part?"

"The part about us." Leon's fears were confirmed when Cloud looked away, guilt written over his features. "You don't intend for there to be an us."

Cloud simply said, "There can't be. They won't let there be an us. I've already disobeyed so much"

"Who?" Leon's hands locked on Cloud's shoulders and he shook him roughly. "Who won't let us? You've been hinting at something for a very long time and I want to know what it is, right now."

No, Squall couldn't ever know. Destiny … the voices, it or them, or whatever they preferred to be referred to, wouldn't react well to Squall knowing. The more he knew, the more it jeopardized his survival. As it stood Squall would survive, that much was sure, but not if anything else took a drastic turn. The screaming indicated they'd be most upset if Cloud told.

"No one."

"It isn't no one, so stop lying."

Cloud chuckled. "Technically is isn't any one at all." Exhaling he countered, "Trust me. You don't want to know." The vacant expression on his face said that much. "It comes down to Destiny, Squall. You have your part and I have mine, and as bad as things might be going at the moment, other things don't change at all. You aren't privy to all the information in the universe for a reason, and why you ask me to divulge my secrets is confounding to me."

"I've got your heart in me, and you've got half my soul, so I think that qualifies me to know why the man I love gets this morbid look on his face every time I talk about the future. No use in trying to fool me into thinking you don't know anything."

"You really should drop this," Cloud warned.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"

"It wouldn't be safe for you to know what I do, and if you love me as you say you do, you'll accept this. I keep what I do from you for the sake of your sanity and your life."

"My life is already in danger," He spat. "Tell me."

"Don't make me," Cloud begged. "Please."

Only the absolute terror in Cloud's eyes had him backing down. "Alright, you win for now. We're leaving in fifteen minutes, don't be late." He stalked away towards the Gummi Port, his body language telling Cloud the man wouldn't be talking to him for a while.

"I am sorry," He told the retreating back. But the voices weren't, they were almost smug something had finally gone their way. Cloud vowed no matter what they said, he'd tell before the end was near.

Riku decided the only proper way to vent his frustration was to totally trash absolutely everything near him. That included his current living quarters, a personal possession or two and at least a dozen heartless that he happened to come upon in his fit of rage. He happened to think it made perfect sense to vent physically, especially with others in his near vicinity. He asserted his ability to rip into anything and everything around him, all for the sake of his temper.

His current destructive path took him towards Maleficent and the current holding area of the princess' of hearts. There he planed to destroy each and every princess if necessary to gain her attention. She seemed happy enough to let him do whatever he pleased, neither aiding nor obstructing his warpath. When Maleficent was neutral bad things tended to happen, and it usually meant she was plotting.

While he loathed needing help, his predicament called for it. There were obviously outside factors preventing him from keeping Sora in his grasp, and now full out denying him. As much as he was growing to detest the woman that had helped him come into his power, he knew she had a nearly unlimited amount of knowledge stored. If anyone in touch with the heartless could help him, she could. He didn't think she would so easily, but he was prepared to force her to cooperate. If she knew anything about Sora he'd be sure to get it out of her.

"I told you to leave the boy alone." Her deep and sinister voice carried through the open chamber, bouncing into his ears as strong as ever.

"He's mine," Riku hissed, hands balling at his side. "I told you to leave my business alone." Then a thought crossed his mind. "If you've had anything to do with"

She snapped around at him, furry blazing. "Watch your thoughts, boy!" She commanded, losing her usual resolve. "I have no interest in the boy and you will do well to remember this. I saw him as no threat and felt no need to interfere with his actions."

"Never mind he's sealing worlds at an alarming rate?" He questioned. "Seems to me you might be a little interested in that."

"He would never have gained enough power to oppose us."

"Would?" He raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean will?"

Riku watched her fold bony fingers. "The heartless tell me he is no longer a nuisance."

"Where is he?"

"Lost."

Riku chucked. "Like your angel."

She assured him confidently, "He will be found in the necessary time."

"Don't be foolish," He snapped. "If he could be found it would have already happened. He's being well hidden, far away from you, Ansem and anyone else who might seek to use him, and I'd be willing to bet Sora had some part in his protection. Our dear little Sora is more a threat than you realize, and when your time runs out, you'll fully realize that."

"You stand to profit from this rather well," She observed, eyes closing to slits.

"I do," Riku confirmed.

Oh, Riku could just feel the hate pulsing from her essence. She wanted to hurt him, possibly even kill, but the woman was just intelligent enough to realize how much she still needed him. She was very much aware of his ulterior motives and his backdoor plans, but there was little she could do for the moment.

"A side deal might be profitable for the both of us."

"A trade?"

"I will present the Keyblade master to you, and you will expose the angel and his location."

"Do you thinks I'm an idiot?" Riku ran a hand through his hair, an arrogant tone fitting nicely into his words. "You have no idea where Sora is, let alone how to give him to me. If the Heartless are telling you he's lost, then you can't pinpoint his location, ergo, you can't deliver him to me. And even if you happened to know where he was, the magic protecting him wouldn't allow you within five feet of him. It was one instance when he waltzed in here, surrounded by the Heartless when that magic was being diverted, but on his grounds it would repel you almost immediately. You can't touch him, and you weren't counting on me knowing that."

Feeling the situation shift in his favor Riku skirted round her, towards the center of the room.

"Time is almost up and you're getting desperate. You're worried you won't find Cloud in time and you're exerting all Heartless in a wasted effort. Surely you must understand you probably won't find him in time. So whatcha planning on doing?"

"If that should come to be," She snapped back, "A suitable substitute is waiting if need be."

"How? I thought Cloud was the only one that could sustain Ansem."

"Indefinitely, but for a short period of time he would be transferred into the temporary candidate. It would insure a small buffer time, if you will, and with the release of Ansem, his own magic will spread through every world, canceling out any other magic."

"Effectively flushing out Cloud and anyone helping him. Brilliant. So what's the problem?" At her glare he continued. "If it were that simple you'd be more than willing to wait it out, but instead you're frantically pushing forward, hoping to acquire Cloud before that becomes necessary." That was it. Something sparked and her only weakness made itself known. "If you have to transfer him more than once it'll significantly weaken him, won't it?" Bingo. Her power was tied to his, and she was worried about fracturing that fragile symbiotic circle. And ouch, it stung her something awful that he knew.

Riku made to retreat. He had gained nothing of Sora's whereabouts but at least Maleficent didn't know either. And of course he had also stumbled upon golden knowledge that would help him exploit his rival's weakness. Now he could pour his own being into finding Sora, and then he could launch his final plan.