Chapter 2, Masks. Dedicated to the lovely person who reviewed. This made me write faster.

Written by INSANITY half of 330INSANITY.

No one in this belongs to me. And these chapter titles were all drabbles for a different community- can't remember which one.
-Thinking of the past.-
Thinking in the present and close past.

It's a mask. It's all a mask to keep others from seeing in. A mask of stoic uncaring. But what is it hiding? Why do I care? ...I guess I don't. Stop being a hypocrite, King of Freeze. It's his business. Let him deal with it. It's not my problem.

The newcomer, Cloud Strife, straightened from his work, watching his greeter- Leon, the apparent leader of Hollow Bastion- at work. The brown haired man was showing some of the locals the basics of stonemasonry. It was a puzzle where the man had gained the range of skills required to repair the Bastion and bring it back to it's former glory. Noone really knew him. He never spoke about his past, or his homeworld, Aerith had said with a sad little sigh.

Aerith. Sweet Minerva, Aerith!

"Well Cloud... You obviously know what had happened, before the Heartless came?" The ex-flowergirl shifted in her position, nerveously playing with the pink ribbon in her hair.

"Zack died. You died. I fought Sephiroth-twice. But why are you back? And Sephiroth?"

-Why not Zack?-

"That's a pretty short description..." The girl sighed.

"It's accurate. Why are you back? How?"

"Zack... We were watching the Planet get overrun by the Heartless, and all of you were fighting..."

-Barret had stood infront of Marlene, gun arm blazing. Cid, Red XII and Cait Sith were fighting in Loveless Avenue. Denzel- that floolish/brave boy- was with Vincent, quickly learning marksmanship- from the best. Tifa and Yuffie were causing their own havoc amongst the Heartless. And I was-

--I was on the cliff, grabbing the Buster sword as I fell into Darkness.-

"Zack saw you fall, and somehow shoved me back into life."

-Zack sent me Aerith.-

"I woke up at Hollow Bastion, a kid. I found Yuffie, Tifa and Cid. Cid was back in his late teens, Yuffie was barely out of diapers and Tifa was my age. Cid raised us, and he took in another boy, who called himself Leon..."

-Leonhart.-

Cloud shook his head again. Pointless to think and remember.
Don't look back.

Leon wiped the sweat from his brow. Teaching others the basics was hard enough work, coupled with constantly watching them, in case the screwed up or Heartless attacked took even more out of him. Looking up, he just managed to glimpse Strife looking at him before going back to whatever he was doing.
It's a mask. A mask of chalent uncaring. It keeps other's from looking in. Why do I care? ...Hypocrite, Ice Prince.

Ice Prince. That's what SHE use to call me.

Rinoa...

So, Leon decided to keep his past to himself.
All reviews are appreciated, even if only to gripe at us. Anyway, now we have to wait for 330 to get off her rear and write the next chapter. Ja ne, readers.