Lessons and Departures

It was Yamanuchi all over again. Sure, he was making progress. The first time he ever cast Thunder magic, he'd hit Cid's house and nearly destroyed it. Yet, Rufus was easily mastering the magic that Merlin was teaching them. While he struggled to make sense of the old man's studies, Rufus was breezing through them like Double Naco Night at Bueno Nacho.

Rufus was very proud of himself. At Yamanuchi, he learned quicker than Ron and here, he was learning magic at the hands of the greatest wizard ever. If only his Everlot friends could see him now. The Tunnel Lord is back better than ever, baby! Just then, Auron came into view. He rubbed his nose at the weird smell coming off of Auron. It was weird; he'd never smelt anything like it before. Of course, his only dealing with anything undead was Zombie Mayhem with Ron and zombie snowmen. Still, he would keep an eye on the weirdo, and if he was a zombie, then he'd deal, zombie mayhem style.

Leaning against the wall, Auron was impressed with the naked mole rat's magical abilities. The boy's combat skills had improved, too, and hopefully, it was enough. They would be heading out tomorrow and directly into danger. Still, he heard Yuffie's scream and cocked his head toward the sound, curious at to what caused the ninja to scream that loud.

Ron didn't hear the scream, being too focused on casting Thunder. Still, he felt Rufus climbing up his shoulders to get his attention. Merlin had halted the lesson, which was good because he was tired of causing damage to the surrounding area. Walking up to the building to get something to drink, he froze at the sight of two seemingly luminous, blue eyes staring at him. Dressed in a dark blue outfit, the right arm was sleeveless, while the left arm was covered, and at the left shoulder was a metallic wolf's head. The man also had the wildest haircut he'd ever seen.

"So you're the new Keyblade Wielder." the man spoke.

Ron's let the Power flow through him. Somehow, he didn't know why, but he sensed this was the most dangerous person he'd ever met. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Yuffie.

"Since I know how much of a talker you are, I'll introduce you two. Cloud meet Ron. Ron, Cloud." Yuffie grinned at the two of them.

Cloud nodded in his direction before taking off after Leon. He glanced at Yuffie, "So, is he usually that foreboding?"

Yuffie chuckled before answering, "Usually, he's laconic. Don't worry; Spikey is on our side."

Ron nodded. Those eyes were so cold and yet humane at the same time. He couldn't help but ask, "So, is he tough?"

Yuffie grinned at him, "Oh, yeah. You know how tough Leon is, right?" Waiting for his nod, she continued "In the eight times I've seen them fight, the score is Cloud-6 and Leon-2."

Ron whistled. He'd sparred with Leon and had the bruises to show for it. He was fixing to say something to the ninja next to him, but the words froze in his throat upon seeing this new woman. This was the most 'ahem' well-endowed woman he'd ever seen. Even Bonnie stood no chance against this woman's level of hotness. Her eyes were like pools of chocolate and her attitude reminded him of Kim. Vaguely hearing a giggle as she introduced herself as Tifa Lockhart, he tried to introduce himself, but his foot just kept leaping straight into his mouth.

Yuffie was bent over laughing at Ron's dilemma. She could tell that Tifa was hiding her amusement. Still, she felt a bit sorry for him. Since he was a fellow ninja, she bailed him out. "So, Tifa, what did you and Cloud discover?"

"That it's time for us to go." Auron interrupted. He noticed Yuffie jump at his sudden arrival. Nodding a greeting at the girl beside the ninja and ignoring the boy's flustered attempts at a greeting, he started to depart when he heard the unknown woman speak.

"Nice save. I'm Tifa, by the way." she said.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Auron." He nodded at her. "It was getting a little embarrassing for the boy. Plus, with your companion's news, it's time we started our journey."

Tifa glanced at the man in red before her. Being a fighter herself, she could tell just how dangerous people were. Judging by the man's appearance, he'd seen his fair share of strife, and she was sure she could take him, but it would be rough. Instead, all she said was "Have a safe journey."

Auron looked her over before speaking, "Thank you. Please tell your companion I said thanks for the information." He strode off, heading toward the ship and preparing for the journey ahead.

Tifa glanced at her companion, "Are you sure he's not related to Leon?"

The One-Winged Angel

Sephiroth looked at the sky, realizing for the first time in his life that he had clarity. No more Shinra yelling orders, no more Jenova screaming in his head, and no Heartless weighing down upon his soul. He looked down at the Masamune and saw the reflection of his glowing green eyes, something that used to fascinate him, now only offered a reflection of all the pain he'd caused.

"That's not going to help." It was that voice again. He'd heard that voice ever since Cloud defeated him at Radiant Garden. A voice that he would never forget; the voice of the Keyblade Master, Sora. "All your life, you've been nothing but a puppet. For Shinra, Jenova, and now the Heartless! Cloud told me you were strong and were once a hero, and now, you're nothing but a puppet. Even Pinocchio has more heart than you."

Sensing that he was no longer alone, he looked up from his misery. "Majesty." he said, bowing before the Mouse-King.

"Out here, it's Mickey." the mouse-king spoke. "It's time, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth closed his eyes as he heard Mickey speak. "I'm not worthy of this. The Guardian is a much better choice than me."

Mickey sighed, "Auron is tired, and his time is coming to an end. I've already asked too much of him." Steeling himself for next part, "You've been here for a thousand years, wallowing in misery and your memories. If you want redemption, then you're going to have to earn it. It will not come to you if you just keep lying here, remembering what you've done and wishing for oblivion."

For a long while, there was silence in the cave. The only sound was the breathing of the two beings here. Mickey watched silently as the silver-haired man in front of him was struggling with something internally. Finally, the One-Winged Angel bowed his head and spoke, "Where am I to go?"

Mickey spoke only two words, "The Coliseum."

Shego watched as the gladiators fought. Despite what Phil said, to her, they were gladiators. Phil, the little satyr, made her angry. Who did he think he was, telling her she couldn't compete because she was unproven? She felt her hands flaring up, but there wasn't anything to smash.

"You know, it's quite unfair that you can't compete here being unproven." a mysterious figure said.

Shego arched an eyebrow at the stranger before her. She never even heard him approach; not even 'Princess' could do that. Still, the stranger did bear a certain resemblance to her former boss, Dr. Drakken. This guy had the pale blue skin and his hair was aflame, which was new to her.

"The name is Hades. I know I've got a bad rap, but hey, nobody's perfect." he waited, listening to Shego's stomach growl. "No way to earn food here, and 'Jercules' will be all over you if you steal anything. But hey, you're a fighter, right?"

Shego nodded at him, wishing her stomach hadn't picked this moment to growl. "I get by." she said.

Hades grinned inwardly; he'd seen her take a centaur apart for trying to waylay her. "I'll tell you what; I'll sponsor you for the tournament…"

Shego cut him off, "What do you get out of this?"

"Wow, you're a sharp one! I get the satisfaction of sponsoring a sure-fire winner, and there's someone I want you to take care off. He's got a Keyblade…"

"A what?"

"It's this sword that looks like a giant key; look, we ain't got time for Twenty Questions. You want some grub or don'tcha?"

Shego just nodded dumbly.

"Anyway, like I was saying, this new Keyblade Wielder will definitely be in the tournament for sure. You fight him and make sure you win. Once you do, we're square. Deal?" he offered his hand to her.

Shego stared at his hand; she was a thief, not an assassin, but he wasn't asking her to kill somebody, only defeat him. Oh, what the heck. She was evil, and this is what evil does. "I'm in." she said, shaking his hand.

"Great! Now, go show this to the little moron and go help yourself to some chow. After all, can't have my star fighter being weak from hunger." Hades watched as the green-skinned woman approached the hero-trainer. 'She'll do nicely. Ol' Herc might have to face her, and with her advantages, she just might take 'Jercules' down for good.

Auron watched as the boy boarded the ship. There was a spring to his step that was missing before. The flower girl had definitely filled him with hope. Something that he couldn't do, not being much of a talker, and more of a doer. Walking to the pilot's seat, he sat down heavily, waiting until he heard the boy yell, "Everything is a go." He started the ship on its course to the Coliseum. Hades would be there, probably looking for some payback. 'It didn't matter,' Auron thought to himself, 'he'd played at living for too long, anyway.'

Authors note: Here's a big shout out to daywalkr82 for all the help in proof-reading. Thanks!