Chapter Fourteen: Disenchanted

The ship shook. Not that a ship in space shaking was unheard of. Gummi Ships were built specifically to allow for shaking. Because of the dangerous to traveling, it was only expected that sooner or later a Gummi Ship would have to encounter volatile conflict. Ships were simply intended to shake, even simply flying through clear space. However, the shaking currently occurring on the ship was far from standard.

"Our propulsion is shot!" Leon found himself shouting as the consol near him erupted in a spray of sparks. "Engines are fried!" The man gripped the edge of the station, eyes scanning over the lines of text that informed him of the ship's state.

"Quiet," Cloud told him impatiently. "That's not important right now, Squall. Sephiroth isn't planning to destroy us."

Leon snapped, "Just destroy my ship, right?"

"Disable it more likely."

Weapons had been the first to go. They'd been traveling along at their highest speed, despite the inevitability of being caught, when the ship gave a desperate lurch that send Cloud slamming to Leon, and the both of them to the ground. That first well aimed shot had knocked most of the systems out of alignment, and their speed dropped considerably.

Pause had been given afterwards. Leon scrambled towards the bridge while Cloud sat back down on the bed. Cloud had learned long ago that there was no such thing as giving in, at least with the other man. Cloud accepted the unavoidability of their situation, but he made no attempt to stop his companion. Leon needed to be active. The man thrived under pressure, and Cloud understood well enough that there would be no stopping him from tying to get away.

Instead Cloud relaxed back on the bed, closing his eyes. Until they'd been interrupted he'd been attempting to pool what little power he had left in his body forward. He had an idea, and even if it wasn't a very good one, it was the only one he had. Cloud needed every second they had in order to begin what Leon would finish.

Concentration, however, was impossible to achieve once Sephiroth began firing on them again. The groaning of the ship seemed to cut desperately into Cloud, and he found it impossible to wait in his bunk while Leon tried frantically to save them. He'd gathered all the energy possible and found it was time to act with it.

"This would go far easier for the both of us if you would simply hold still," Cloud said, hands on Leon's shoulders jerking him back in front of him. "As you have said, our engine is now properly damaged. Shields will be the next to go, and within moments we will be boarded. That leaves me very little time to accomplish much, which you are only making harder than necessary."

Leon squirmed. "Am I supposed to be comfortable with you putting your fingers in my head?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You realize you're acting childish, right? I told you it will feel as if I'm reaching into your mind with some grasp you may feel reminded of, not that I would be doing it literally."

"You're going to be doing something in my head, right?"

"Initially, yes, but it's only a method in which to reach far more important places. Now hold still." Cloud raised cold fingers and pressed them against Leon's forehead. "Close your eyes and concentrate." Behind them a warning flashed, alerting them to the fact that the shields had completely fallen. "And for all our sakes, ignore the distractions!"

Leon held his gaze on Cloud's face, holding desperately to the softness he had never quite seen before. Not that he discounted Cloud as an admirable warrior. He had always been thankful they'd been on the same side their entire lives, only engaging in battle jokingly. Still, for all the danger contained in the man's capabilities, there was softness. Leon knew he would die to preserve that.

"Okay," Leon told him. "Do your stuff, but then we're going to have a little talk about your plan." He barely had time to notice Cloud's amused nod before there was a flash of pain in his mind and he lost awareness of his surroundings.

Like Cloud had said, Leon felt familiar sensations. With the pain gone as soon as it had appeared, he became aware of everything and nothing all at once. He felt as if he were barely in existence, and the only thing holding him in place was the gentle rubbing of his back.

He couldn't see Cloud, or anything for that matter, but he had no need for eyes. Instead he sensed his companion. He smelled the familiar scent and felt Cloud's presence just hanging over his shoulder. His hand tingled, as if it was being held, and a smile pulled at his lips. There was something just in the distance that called to him.

"Squall," a voice echoed in Leon's ears. "Don't let me lose you."

He wanted to call out that he had no intention of being lost from Cloud.

"Ah," the voice said again. "There you are."

Leon was back. He felt to his hands and knees on the cold Gummi Ship floor. His shoulders shook in an effort to keep him upright, and he gasped in air, feeling as if he had not breathed in the longest amount of time. His vision was blurry, but he could see Cloud's feet.

"Tell me how you feel," Cloud said, sounding strangely distant to Leon.

"Like I'm on fire, but freezing! What did you do to me?" He blinked up hazily. "What did you do?" He noticed Cloud's face was shaded a worrisome white, and sweat gathered on his forehead. Leon observed Cloud's body seemed to alternate between locking up and shaking, and normally bright eyes were suddenly vapid. Leon reached for him in concern.

"No," Cloud nearly yelled, managing to move back in time. "Don't touch me." He sighed, and then offered Leon a half smile. "You have to get up on your own. I know it feels strange, like it's not your body. Or maybe you just don't know what you feel. Either way, you can't touch me, and Sephiroth's ship is moments away from docking with ours. The time to act is now."

With far more effort than Leon ever expected, he climbed to his feet. "I don't feel the heat anymore. I'm just cold now. I've never been this cold before. What did you do?"

"I have no doubt Sephiroth would be able to sense you the moment he got within a certain range. He'd seek out your mind, corrupt it, and then take it over. It's safe to say he naturally assumes that you're here with me, but I want to throw him off guard. I want him to be completely unaware of you."

Leon glanced down at his hand, feeling very strangely that he did not know himself.

"It will not pass," Cloud told him. "You should become accustomed to it."

"What did you do to me?" Leon asked a final time. He trusted nothing irreversible or damaging had occurred. He knew he would never be betrayed by Cloud, but the sensation he was currently experiencing was otherworldly.

"In order to hide you from Sephiroth, I had to hide you from yourself."

Leon blinked at him, hardly comprehending the words. "From myself?"

"Yes, from yourself. As I said, Sephiroth would seek your mind out. If you can't find yourself, he won't be able to find you."

Leon leaned on his knees, palms digging into the caps. "Did it have to hurt so much?"

Cloud nodded. "I effectively severed a link. I told you pain would be involved."

"You said pain, not excruciating agony followed a really distorted feeling."

The ship shook again, however much different than before. It was the final indication that Sephiroth's ship had joined with theirs.

"We don't have time to discuss what you're feeling, Squall. I promise that to you afterwards. What you do need to know is that even if Sephiroth can't sense you, he has eyes and will see you. You have to keep out of sight at all times. You'll be able to move freely through his ship without setting off any alarms, but that will be gone the moment he sees you."

Cloud barely dared to move closer to Leon.

"Squall, because you're in a sense disconnected from yourself, you won't be affected by Sephiroth's deception. Whatever illusion he forces me into, you won't be affected. You'll be able to see through it."

"What do I do?" Leon asked frankly. "You just said you had a plan that might combat Sephiroth. You never said anything about it just being me. What about you?"

"I don't have nearly enough power for the both of us, and I don't think I could hide myself anyway. I chose to give the last of my power to hide you because you're the only one who can make a difference here. I don't know how you're going to deal with Sephiroth, but this will give you the edge to do it."

"You're not even sure if he can be killed!" Leon spat out, reaching once more for Cloud.

"Don't! Don't touch me! You'll undo everything if we make contact. My power will return and you'll be resorted to your previous state. Everything will be for nothing if you touch me. Everything is ridding on this. He didn't use his illusions the first time because he thought his tampering with my memory was successful, at least to some degree. I was lucky, but he won't make that same mistake twice."

Cloud suddenly stilled, eyes going wide. Leon was sure that Cloud might have turned a shade whiter, if at all possible. "He's here," he breathed out. "Squall, please, leave now. Get out through the access shaft. The only way you'll have any chance of beating him is if you have the element of surprise. Don't lose our one advantage."

Cloud's knees felt weak. He lunged for his chair, seeking out any stability he could. After a moment he felt more than merely weak. He felt seriously ill.

"Cloud?"

Vision blurry, Cloud glanced up at the familiar voice. "Squall?"

For a split second Cloud felt split in two. He saw himself, braced against a Gummi Ship seat, and then he believed the sight to be deceitful. He wasn't in space, traveling on a Gummi Ship. He didn't even know what a Gummi Ship was. No, he was at home, with Squall, exactly where he was supposed to be.

"What happened?" Cloud asked, feeling hazy. He pushed himself up off the grass. The wind push through his hair, disrupting it, but Cloud made no move to prevent the occurrence. He glanced about the scenery, placing himself atop the highest hill on the outskirts of town, the one with the large, bent tree.

"Nothing," Leon told him. "You just fell asleep. You must have been dreaming. I came to get you." Leon held out his hand. "Come with me?"

Cloud smiled and nodded, reaching out to grasp warm fingers. "Okay."

From the bridge of The Artemis Sora had a complete view of his surroundings. While on the observation deck he'd only been allowed a glimpse in one direction, the bridge offered a three hundred and sixty degree view. He could not only see the burnt remnants of the Cathedral, but he also took notice that the fire had been allowed to spread to the homes and buildings surrounding it.

"We had to," Journey said from behind Sora, sensing the male's mood. "In order to set that place on fire we had to break the dark bonds, which let that dark energy spill out into the surrounding area. It all has to be destroyed. We wouldn't want any remnants would we?"

"And you're sure there are no people left?"

Journey shook his head. "I told you, Sora, this world was one of the first to be wholly consumed by the Heartless. This world was gone before you ever knew what a Keyblade was. All the people are gone. None escaped, and none are going to rebuild. This is essentially a barren wasteland, perfect for Maleficent's use."

Sora sighed. "I know you're convinced this is Maleficent's work, but I'm just as convinced it's not. Yes, I feel the power that she left. I'm not arguing with you that she was once here, but I also know what Riku feels like, and I feel him much more than her."

"I don't doubt you, Sora. Please, don't mistake my skepticism on the issue for being personal. I simply think that if anyone knows Maleficent better than you, or equally, it's Robyn. She's the one who showed us this place. Before her guidance we had only suspected this place to be a hub of power for Maleficent, and hunches are not something we can afford to waste time on."

The bridge was fairly deserted, only a few people at various stations. Sora felt confident that they were spaced far enough for him to carry on a conversation on the subject with Journey in their company. He trusted Journey because Cid trusted him, but Sora could not speak for any of the people who worked with Journey. They were drifters, and he'd heard stories from just about everyone. He'd been told on several occasions to stay away from them, because they were violent, war hardened and they would use him if at all possible. Before Sora had met Journey he'd been quite convinced that they were all unfriendly and brash.

"Who's Robyn?" Sora asked.

Journey clapped Sora on the shoulder. "You met her earlier."

Ah, Sora realized, the woman who had given him a very uneasy feeling. There was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on. All he knew was something about her caused him to feel very uneasy.

"How would she know about Maleficent's holdings?"

"Let's just say," Journey offered, "That she's got access to inside information. She knows things even you as the Keyblade master won't until the very end."

Sora chuckled nervously. "You didn't tell everyone that I'm the wielder, did you?"

"Don't worry Sora," Journey told him. "You're among friends here."

Sora said nothing, sneaking glances at the other occupants of the bridge. They were watching him now.

"You're free to leave at any time," Journey said. "We all know you're the Keyblade master, but we're under no impressions that you're here to do anything for us, and we won't ask. Contrary to popular belief, we aren't all power hungry and ruthless. We don't force or coerce people to do things they find morally offensive."

"Well," Sora said, laughing a little bit. "You are kind of intimidating."

Journey added, "But if you leave now you won't get to talk to your friends." He gave a small flick of the wrist and across the bridge a blonde woman nodded, fingers flying over a pad in front of her.

The clear glass at the front of the bridge flickered for a moment before becoming a projector of sorts. Static was visible for a moment before the picture cleared and Sora was looking at his friends.

"Goofy! Donald!" Sora raced forward to stand in front of them. "I've missed you guys!"

"Where've you been?" Donald demanded, even as Goofy offered his own greetings.

Sora's shoulders fell. "Somewhere dark, but I'm not there anymore. I'm ready to meet back up with you guys. We have to keep going!"

"To find the King!" Goofy volunteered.

"And Riku," Sora added. "We're going to find him and I'm going to give him one more chance."

"Sora?" Donald questioned.

"He's my best friend, and our hearts know each other so well, but some things are just inexcusable. He's going to challenge Maleficent soon, and he'll win. We have to stop him before that, even if it means the end of him."

Donald and Goofy shared a sober look, understanding how much Riku meant to Sora, and the strength it had taken to make that decision.

"Sure you wouldn't rather go to Traverse Town?" Journey asked, stepping next to Sora so the King's aids could see him.

Sora shook his head. "No, I don't want to risk the town anymore. The people there sheltered us, and fought for their home, and we can't chance bringing another wave of Heartless on them."

"Hey!" In the projected picture Donald and Goofy took a quick step back as Cid slid into the picture on a rolling chair. "What's going on over there?" he demanded.

Journey seemed to grow younger in the presence of his adoptive father. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know where you are, or what you think you're doing, but you've probably just drawn every Heartless to your location."

"What?" Sora demanded, eyes flying to the section of the windows that gave him a view of the outside.

Cid stood up. "I was deadest on not getting involved with anything Drifter associated, but whatever you're doing is all effecting everyone. Just a short while ago all the Heartless became incredibly violent, more so than ever before, and got stronger. It's like you just unleashed a big power surge that made them tougher than ever. After destroying everything in sigh, the Heartless took off together, more coordinated then we ever believed they could be."

"But we destroyed the stronghold. We didn't release any power."

"And the Heartless couldn't enter the Cathedral," Sora added.

Cid growled lowly. "Tell me you're not where I think you are."

"The information was good!" Journey argued with Cid. "If we get good information we act on it, no matter where it takes us."

Yuffie appeared at Cid's shoulder. "Did you ever think it might be a trap?" She wasn't taunting him, but instead was generally concerned.

There was a stiring in Sora's chest that he interpreted as a feeling of foreshadowing at the same time as Journey said, "You've been looking for a reason to catch Robyn doing something traitorous. The most you could do is pin something actual on her."

Cid recognized the confused look on Sora's face and supplied. "I'm not surprised he neglected to tell you her parentage."

"That is not an issue," Journey bit out.

Cid countered, "You know it is." The older man turned to Sora and told him simply, "You've been in the company of Maleficent's only child."

Sora couldn't help himself as he jumped away from Journey. "What?" he shrieked.

"She's on our side and that's all that matters."

"This certainly makes her look suspicious, though," Yuffie said.

"I still fail to see that," Journey said.

"She led you there," Cid said angrily. "She told you about the place and made you think you'd be getting rid of a strategic point, when really you were just helping to more thoroughly distribute the darkness with more power than she could supply at the time."

"But I'm telling you," Sora said, loathed to defend anyone with ties to Maleficent. "I sense Riku's power definitely overpowering Maleficent's. It's his place not hers."

"So he set you up?" Yuffie inquired.

"He would never give the Heartless a power boost like that," Sora said. "He manipulates them easily enough, but he made it clear to me that he wants them gone with Maleficent, especially since she had primary control over them."

"This doesn't make sense—"

Journey was cut off the ground under his feet shook, alarms blaring in his ears.

Sora hadn't been lucky enough to keep his balance, and from his position on the floor he could see just the edge of an explosion that had occurred above the bridge on a higher deck.

"We're under attack!" a voice called out.

"Get out of there!" Cid yelled, eyes wide with fear.

"Send out a call!" Journey commanded of one of the Drifters. "Get everyone on the ship." He turned to another person. "Get those engines powered up right now and prepare to jump to Gummi space." He caught Sora's gaze. "I don't intend to leave anyone behind, but this ship is big, and it takes a long time to move."

Another explosion echoed and the link to Traverse Town, and all of Sora's friends was cut off.

Teeth rattling, Sora climbed to his feet and managed a look out the window. "I thought you were getting rid of all the Heartless!" He jabbed a finger out to the army massing towards them. With a deep breathe Sora tried calling for the Keyblade. He tried not to let his disappointment show when nothing happened. Since he had appeared in the Cathedral he'd been unable to call it to him. He could feel it and its power, but it was simply unreachable. With the coming Heartless he had never wanted it more. It was no cure to bear when your life depended upon it.

"What're we going to do?" Sora called out desperately, hearing the cries of the other Drifters as they reported troops cut off and the first Heartless attacks that had caught some of the groups of people unaware.

"There's another ship out there!" Journey said, leaning against the glass with Sora. "Can you get a fix on it?" He called over.

"No, sir! Everything is being jammed!"

The explosion that occurred did not catch Sora unaware, but he was frightened by its proximity. He had almost felt the heat.

"Can you get us out of here?" Journey demanded.

Sora caught his shoulder and demanded, "You can't leave all those people still out there!"

"We can't get them up here!" Journey shot back. "Transporters are down. And if we stay here we'll die."

"And if we go they'll die!"

"I cannot condemn all the people on this ship to the same fate that everyone outside is undoubtedly meeting at this very moment!"

Sora lost all breath in his body as he was thrown against the nearest terminal the next time the ship shuddered.

"Engines are offline! We're going to lose the ship!"

Sora reached a hand up to his forehead, feeling pain radiate from the area. He pulled back red coated fingers and gazed at them almost in a daze. There was a cracking that he barely registered, and then a heavy form was over Sora, blocking him from falling glasslike material.

As the air departed the room for the atmosphere Sora felt himself slide across the bridge, despite Journey being his anchor.

"Still not convinced she set the trap!" Journey called and even then Sora understood the hold love had over people.

"Can we argue about this later, like when the ship isn't blowing up!"

"Yeah," Journey hastily agreed, "Okay, we can do that."

They'd argue later, if they survived.

Author's Notes: I am very much aware that it has been … over a year since I updated. However, after finally getting my hands on KH2 and beating it in twenty hours, I'm back into the fandom more than ever before. I'm hard at work on another fic involving the KH2 characters, but in good faith I can't post it until this is finished. That said I'm buckling down and finishing it as fast as possible. This will not affect the quality of work, but it will be fast than I've ever put chapters out before.

Also, my fic has never really followed the KH timeline, but with KH2 out it's really different now, and that's why we're ignoring everything canon.