Renegade Hearts
Chapter Seven: Conflict

He scowled. He was thinking about the damned Heartless again. And not even worth a decent fight – they were Shadows. Didn't stop him getting killed by one, did it? Didn't stop me from nearly copping the same.

A loud sigh. The world was too ironic. That he would be living with a girl whose lover had been killed by the weakest kind of Heartless; that he would nearly end up the same way, even if he hadn't known it at the time.

Eyes watched him from the shadows, but he didn't notice them; they faded away as swiftly as they rose, following, ever following.

The cobbles, as every time, made no sound as his soft boots trod upon them. Only the soft yellow lamps throughout the town illuminated the place; otherwise it was dark. Always so dark in this accursed town... everything in the forsaken place is dark. The people, mere shadows of their former selves... the Heartless, on the other hand, are thriving. Darkness is drawn to despair.

He remembered, then, almost shamed and a little afraid, the time he had turned to darkness. And despair is drawn to darkness; it's a never-ending cycle, and a vicious one. Melancholy thoughts... Wait on. This sounds a little like Star Wars all of a sudden. Snap out of it, you idiot!

His thigh was paining him. He tried to ignore its aching stiffness, walking as naturally as he could, past the various shops in Traverse Town's Second District; they were closed for the night, an early Saturday closing time so the workers in each store could spend some quality time with their families. It wasn't as though there were ever many customers around anyway, in a town like this where most people withdrew into themselves. It was funny, he reflected, glancing at and away from his double in the glass windows, an irritating movement to the right of him, how he knew all this already and had only been in Traverse for a short while. It showed, he thought, how everything in this town was the same; shallow, small things were universal, and the deeper meanings of everything else was hidden under layers of mundane, unimportant details, so that no one would think of sifting through it all to get to the truths that really mattered.

He noticed as he turned into an alleyway that ran beneath the balconies of the Hotel and alongside the Waterway that his back between the shoulder blades ached too, and resolved to be sure he didn't waste time and make this evening too strenuous for the still-healing wounds. It was peaceful behind the main area of the District. Idle thoughts somehow led him to the realisation that since that first night that seemed so long ago now, he'd never felt pulled to something, not drawn to go somewhere like he'd been drawn – to the place where he had met Yuffie. And now it's time to wrench my thoughts away from that particular trail... he turned yet again, exiting the quiet little alleyway into the main cobbled market place.

"Ah. Well, finally." Was the silver-haired youth's impatient mutter at the sight of a slight disturbance in the brown-grey cobbles before him. Several dark shapes rose, and moved towards him in a jerky kind of way. He slowly reached over his back for the black iron hilt of his Neutral Keyblade, running his slim fingers briefly over the small heart insignia of grey and white, and heaved it over his shoulder then forward again in a downward slash as the first of his shadowy foes reached him. It disappeared with a distressed spasm, a cloud of dark over the ground that dissipated quickly as its fellows moved through the particles.

They were more eager than usual to die, he mused mirthlessly, throwing the Keyblade forward in an arc and decimating five Shadows all in a line before catching the whirling weapon to slice each side to take off two little black antennae each. Cutting methodically through disorganised ranks of Shadows, he aimed for a milling crowd of Invisibles hovering around the edges of the fray. An uppercut with his deadly Keyblade dispatched two more Shadows. Moments later, a third heart joined theirs on their journey to the heavens. He cut deeper into their ranks in a widening strip – he wasn't going to let the little buggers sink their claws into his back again.

A twang in his shoulder made him gasp for composure, and he nearly didn't block the desperate twirling lunge of a Soldier. Grunting, Riku kicked the Heartless solidly in the stomach with one black boot, forcing it backwards and giving himself time to recover. Gah... I should have waited before trying to do this...but then, Yuffie's furious now, and one of the points of this is to make sure she's not too mad at me when I get home... He cut a path of devastation through a whole throng of Shadows just rising from their haven of darkness, and a lightning swift strike horizontally across the front ofhis body got him a lucky slash across the neck of an Invisible. A ridiculous image of a cheering Moogle flashed in his adrenaline-charged mind, and he shook the image and stray strands of silver hair out of his way before attacking the Invisibles in force.

A few moments later, proof came that he was not as fully recovered from any of his recent afflictions as he had hoped as he sneezed violently and swung hard at what he thought was an Invisible, recoiling from the shock in his arm that said that he'd just managed to block the sword of one of the powerful purple-black Heartless. Still sick? So not fair...

One by one, the tall Heartless were felled by powerful, generally skilful swings of his Keyblade. He'd spent the tormented hours of last night sharpening each black iron tendril along the blade to a keen fine edge; the time-consuming work had failed to take his mind off pressing issues but he'd pursued it doggedly anyway, trying to fool himself into believing that it really did work, and that what had happened earlier wasn't as important as he'd made himself believe. I'm such a fool... the fighting was doing a better job of removing those thoughts than the preparation had ever done; adrenaline coursed through his veins and let him be as recklessly stupid and tough in battle as he wished he could always be.

He suddenly found himself facing the almost-vanished body of a Defender Heartless; about them was silence. It was unnerving- only a few moments ago he'd felt surrounded by energy and bodies, now there was nothing but him, a slight mist, and a lifeless District. A few yellow balls of munny remained that he had not collected during his dance of death – he now picked those up from around the square, grinning when he found some even as far as the steps. He'd had fun.

Wearied and yet strangely exhilarated after his refreshing battle with those he considered evil, he found a path amongst the melted snow littering the ground – the impromptu battleground had been clear of the muddy stuff – and started for home. Yuffie's home, at least, or even just Yuffie's house – she certainly didn't appear to have any attachment to the place. Again, his thoughts went back to the petite dark-haired girl he'd been living with lately. A memory of the quiet blond Cloud rose; the warrior's face was contorted in rage.

"What do you think you're saying?" He yelled at Riku. "If you say one more word to upset Yuffie, I swear I'll thrash you within an inch of the life you don't seem to care about, you selfish arrogant bastard! You don't give a shit for her feelings, do you? You don't care about what she's been through, what she's gone through for two whole years!"

He winced in remembrance of that time; he'd almost never felt so guilt-ridden as then, particularly thinking back on it without the haze of anger that had been upon him then. The only other time had been when he'd gone to the dark side, believing that the destruction of the Destiny Islands had been all his fault; a selfish wish for power and excitement to visit the mundane place of his childhood. A selfish desire to possess the power himself. Hmph. Look where that had got him; in the city of lost souls. This fails.

"But maybe, when I get back, she won't be angry with me... I don't even get why she wanted to fight yesterday. Why?" He asked the midnight air. "I just don't get her." A sigh was made visible by the chill of the night. Grimacing at cold fingers – they were beginning to get stiff after the battle – he pulled off both black leather gloves and massaged them together, his Keyblade slung over his back again. He stepped into the First District and headed for the tiny house, tucked away in a nondescript corner of the District; he barely noticed that all his wounds were beginning to stiffen up again, and he was getting a headache. What's she going to say to me?

There was no response from the silent house when he walked into the hall. The fire ahead was burning low, so he quietly built it up again, adding three logs and draping his cloak and gloves over a kitchen chair. He heard no noise from Yuffie and assumed she must already be in bed, although she seemed to be the type to stay up; it was only eleven p.m.

Quiet down the hall and past his bedroom too; Riku decided to check on his carer before turning in for the night. There was the gentle flicker of candlelight from beneath he partially closed door and he pushed it open carefully, peering in. What he saw made him stand stock still, amazed and – something else, that he couldn't quite describe.

In front of a small antique mirror and desk, Yuffie had her hands behind her neck. The soft light of the tiny candle flame bathed her features in warmth, removing any negative emotion. Her short ebony hair was pushed back behind her ears and she was just fixing the clasp of an old amethyst and silver necklace behind her white neck; twin purple lights danced at her earlobes, matching the little fire at the base of her throat.

Riku's emotions were completely haywire at this new side of Yuffie. He'd never realised that she might like something as simple as jewellery, or that she might be the type to just put it on for fun and be a different person when no one else was around. She mouthed a word into her mirror; he read her reflected lips and saw that she had said "Squall." He must have given the necklace to her... For some reason, the word made his throat constrict, and he swallowed to rid himself of the feeling.

The girl spun, amethysts flashing and glinting in the candlelight; her dark eyes narrowed at the sight of her tenant standing in the doorway. "Get out." Yuffie's voice was icy; her dark eyes smouldered.

His gentle mood dissipated even as hers had done. "Make me." Two can play at this game, Riku thought with a concealed smirk as he leaned back against the door frame noncholantly, his face carefully composed.

The tiny ninja was moving in a flash, and swung hard for his right cheek. Only the tough training brutal physical rigours he'd pushed his body through enabled him to catch her wrist before the blow landed. In an instant he'd twisted her left arm up painfully against her back, keeping his body against hers and a firm hand on her shoulder to keep the lock in place; his warm fingers brushed the bare skin of her neck, careful of the delicate chain.

Yuffie's breath caught at the tinges of pain that shot through her shoulder each time her captor shifted, and she strained to hold herself up on tiptoe to make it harder for the silver-haired youth to keep her in that position.

They froze in that stance for a long moment, neither willing to say anything first. Yuffie's dark head nestled just in under Riku's chin – "You do realise that my position right now is absolutely perfect for headbutting you in the chin, do you not?" – he remembered suddenly, from an earlier bickering session. Although he didn't admit it, Riku was feeling the strain from his earlier battle and old wounds, and didn't want to keep it up too long.

Just as she was about to speak, she felt him shift position. A warm breath of air ghosted along her neck as his lips brushed her ear and he whispered, "I don't like people trying to make me do things." He held the lock a moment more, then released it and stalked away.

At the doorway, he stopped and looked back. The small ninja had raised one hand to the ear he'd whispered into, and was looking at him. Her big dark eyes were filled with unreadable emotions; the only one he could decipher was curiosity. The candlelight still illuminated her features; it turned the amethyst into velvet gems.

Don't worry, he tried to tell her, with his gaze locked on hers and with his thoughts; you're a mystery to me, too. He left.

Yuffie stared at the place where he'd been standing a moment before, lost in a world of dreams and thoughts. Her lip was trembling.

Traverse Town was in the middle of a large storm. Sheets of rain lashed again and again at the town; no sane person would be out in the downpour.

Nevertheless, a whirr of a shuriken above his head alerted him to the fact that he was not alone; brunet strands whipped about his eyes as he rose quickly, the storm drenching his plain white tee to his skin. "Yuffie." He said simply.

A giggle sounded. "Did I scare ya, Squallie?"

"It's Leon." He sighed. "And no, it didn't scare me."

"Hey, Squall, can I ask you something?" The girl popped into view, jumping easily from a roof to the bell platform and bending to pick up the shuriken.

"Only if you stop calling me Squall."

"Mmm… why are you always out here when a storm starts up? A squall, if you will, Leon."

He grimaced at her pun in distaste. "Very clever."

She glanced at him as he made to sit down again – he apparently didn't care if those nice leather pants were ruined by the water, or maybe it was just that they were waterproof already? – and plomped herself down beside him, gangly legs dangling over the edge. "You didn't answer my question."

"…"

"Don't say it!" The girl dramatically clapped her hands over her ears, grimacing when it caused droplets of rain to fly into her eyes.

"…Don't say what?" His tone was neutral.

"Don't say 'whatever'. You always do it, Squall!"

"…You're not getting your answer now."

"Leon! I meant 'Leeeeon'!"

He nearly smiled at her sudden despair, but kept himself in check. "Fine." He conceded. Yuffie squealed with glee. "It's just because I always did it back home."

Dark eyes blinked. "Back at Radiant Garden?"

"Hnn. With one of my friends. We fought a lot, but we both liked the rain."

"Who was it?"

He fought the urge to curl his lip at her incessant questions. "His name was Seifer." He said shortly.

The girl's mouth was hanging open. "Not Cloud?" She said at last.

"No. We didn't really hang out in those days."

Yuffie was silent for a moment, busy little mind processing the information he had given her. "So, who did you hang out with then?"

Leon bit back the annoyance. "I just told you. Seifer."

"Not just him. There had to be others, right? Who were they? What were they like?"

He sighed, staring out – one could barely see the cobblestones below, the rain was so thick and fast.

"Leon–"

"I'm answering, okay? There was Zell. He was pretty okay. Too young, too bubbly, too bouncy, too cocky, but he was still okay. And Irvine. Irvine was okay. Always flirting with Rinoa–"

"Rinoa?"

"I was getting to that."

"Oh. Okay."

"…Well, yeah. Rinoa. She always said I was prettier than she was –"

Yuffie struggled to hold her tongue, wanting so desperately to tell him it was true; he was prettier than any other girl she'd met.

"–and she was really nice. Sweet, funny sometimes, quiet but loud at the weirdest times…"

Yuffie's jaw nearly hit the ground. "Squall, you're smiling."

"What? No, I'm not!"

"You are, you are! Some pretty girl's making you smile!"

Leon huffed, completely forgetting about the misuse of his name. He crossed his arms and ignored the little girl – monkey, he thought irritably, she's actually a monkey disguised as a human – sitting beside him until she fell silent.

The rain abated a little.

"Hey, Leon?" Yuffie eventually asked, hesitantly.

"…"

"Are we friends?"

"…Yeah."

"Okay. Good."

More silence. Except for the storm, of course. And Yuffie's humming. One could never forget the humming that always started up at the strangest times.

"Hey, Leon?"

"…What?"

"Do you like me?"

He sighed in exasperation. Young teenage girls were so much difficulty to handle. "Of course we are, Yuffie. Didn't I just say we were friends?"

"Oh."

Once again, there was more silence, and when a small body attached itself to his arm, Squall found himself smiling, just slightly.

"…Hey, Squall?"

"What?"

"You're really pretty, like that Rinoa girl said. Have you ever read 'Loveless'?"

"What?!"

Confrontations galore, indeed. Poor, poor Riku. I think this one needs a name change… so I'll call it 'Conflict' or something, methinks. Again, edited, and hopefully longer than it was, because this was one piddly little chapter. Indeed, this chapter is now completely different; the original content is still there, but I thought I'd add some stuff on the end. Hope it's liked. Ahm, yes, indeed. That last part is a flashback. A random memory of where the relationship between Squall and Yuffie really started; when he started accepting her. And Squall knows about Loveless. Yuffie's got the collection in her room, how could he not? This one's much better than the last, if I do say so myself.

Annie, do I even need to say it? For you. I heart you.

--------------------------------------------Tally gets an even longer line of dashes before her name this time.