I floundered so badly throughout this chapter, it just isn't funny. Very, very sorry it's so ridiculously short. I'll try harder next time T-T.

Kanashii hodo hikaridashita
Shiroi yami kirisaku
Tsubasa ni nare
….
Kieyuku Fake Light
Umareyuku True Light
Kono te ni...
Theme song, D.N. Angel

Chapter Seven

Yuffie didn't know whether to cartwheel for joy or run screaming from the room in fear.

Leon was awake…

Leon was smiling in a manner reminiscent of a certain pink wearing young lady standing next to her with teary green eyes. Clearly he was more injured than previously thought, Yuffie was seriously worried that he might have taken permanent damage to the brain.

But…perhaps she should laugh; Cid was looking pretty silly with mouth hanging open after all.

Cautiously, Tifa chanced a question, unable to stop the amused grin creeping over her face even as her tone carried a worried note. "Ah Leon? You didn't hit your head did you?"

He shook his head carefully, eyeing her curiously for a moment before he gave an eye-roll and turned to face the other two girls, raising a cool eyebrow at the stunned faces that greeted him. "What?"

Yuffie gave a shriek and glomped him. "He's back! He's back! Oh thank God! His brains weren't scrambled!"

Aerith hid a giggle behind her hand as she caught the startled look on the man's face. Sometimes she had to wonder about Leon; surely he knew what Yuffie's thought process could produce by now and surely he shouldn't he shouldn't be so surprised by anything she does come out with. She smiled passively as she seated herself on the bed beside Leon, smoothing her skirt before resting her hands on her lap. "How are you feeling Leon?"

He stared at her for a long quiet moment, his eyes focusing on the worried spark darkening the emerald of her eyes before he leant forward, his arms rising to wrap around her back as he hid his face in her hair.

"Oh good god!" Yuffie whispered fearfully, suddenly clutching at Cid's shirt sleeve. "He did scramble his brains!"

Cid snorted disdainfully, clipping her around the head before ushering the small group out into the hallway.

"Leon?" Aerith called quietly, her hands fluttered to rest uncertainly on his shoulders, rubbing soothingly as he nestled closer.

There was a hesitant pause before the soft tentative phrase whispered past her ear. "I'm sorry."

Aerith sighed nostalgically at the tone of voice, memories of little Squall and his near eternal use of that tone soaking her with a soft warmth; she drew him closer as he fell silent again. Her own head bent to rest on his shoulder as she respectfully ignored the trembles shaking both of their frames.

"Me too."

-------

"I can't hear anything." Yuffie hissed in aggravation.

"S'why I brought you out here idiot." Cid muttered, crossing his arms as he watched the girl press herself tightly against the door, ears straining to hear anything.

"Leon is okay though…right?" Tifa looked up uncertainly, briefly drawing away from the whispered conversation she was having with Cloud. At Cid's curt nod she fell back into her conversation, leaving the older man to deal with the nosey ninja.

Before he could stand up and drag her away, she jumped back, scrambling for a seat and quickly arranging herself into a bored position. The door clicked open softly before Aerith slipped out, pressing a finger against her lips as she stared at them.

"He's sleeping." She murmured, pulling the door shut behind her and leaning back against it.

"What happened?" Yuffie instantly demanded.

Aerith smiled cryptically as she moved down the hallway. "We straightened a few crooked nails."

"Huh? Straightened a few…Hey!" Yuffie shouted darting after the woman. "What does carpentry have to do with Leon? Aerith? Aerith!"

Tifa watched them with amusement before turning to the two men. "I don't know about you but if Leon slept through that, I'll be surprised."

"I wouldn't." Cid muttered standing up with a wince as his joints cracked loudly. "The boy's had years experience sleeping through that girl's racket. Now get up you two. We've got a fucking wall to fix."

"Aw Cid," Tifa wheedled with a playful glance at Cloud. "Cloud can take a break can't he? He did most of the clearing."

"Fine." He grunted as he started down the hallway. "But you're not getting a break missy; now get your arse down to the Bailey."

Cloud folded his arms and eyed Tifa stoically as she jogged after the elder blonde. Subtle…he shook his head in exasperation. Tifa was as subtle as a chair to the head.

Still…he paused in his movement of standing up, eyes flickering to the closed bedroom door. Well…

Maybe a little visit couldn't hurt.

-----

Leon was staring up at the ceiling, forming patterns and shapes from the cracks in the plaster. After Yuffie's yell had jolted him out of his doze he hadn't been able to sleep again and he didn't particularly feel like getting up either. Besides, if he did get up and Aerith found out, she'd probably kill him.

Huh, that formation of cracks looks a bit like Goofy…with the buster sword above his head…and Stitch on top of the sword…chewing straw?

Yea, he was so bored and it had only been five minutes. Maybe he should've asked for a radio or something…

Oh, that group of cracks looks like a puppy…

When the door clicked open, Leon's eyes zeroed in on the noise instantly, widening a small fraction when Cloud peeked in looking a little uncertain. The blonde caught his gaze, heart jumping inside his chest. He stepped into the room, stopping by the bed to stand over the stunned man, staring down at him with a frown.

"You're supposed to be resting."

"Yuffie." Leon offered as an explanation. When Cloud raised an eyebrow he squirmed sheepishly, turning his head to look out the window. "I couldn't get back to sleep."

Cloud gave an understanding murmur as he sat himself on the edge of the bed. He stared quietly down at the brunet for a moment before reaching over and brushing the bangs away from his face. "You should sleep." He said quietly when Leon transferred his surprised gaze from the window to the blonde. He offered a small smile that Leon found to be soothing as he rubbed one of Leon's shoulders; the soft pressure slowly lulling the brunet to sleep.

------

Aerith sighed as she sank down onto one of the old wooden chairs surrounding the kitchen table. Wearily she raised her eyes to look up at Tifa and a surprisingly sombre Yuffie. "Aright." She conceded tearfully. "It's complicated but I'll tell you as best I can. Can this please be the end of it until Cid has a chance to speak with Leon?"

The pair nodded as they quickly slid into the chairs sitting opposite Aerith, eyeing her apprehensively as they clasped their hands on the table top.

"Okay." Aerith said softly, turning her head a fraction to give Tifa most of her attention. "As Yuffie already knows, Leon's parents died when he was six; when that happened he was taken to the castle by a relation to live there." She paused, inhaling and exhaling sharply.

Outside of the room, at the door leading to the back of the castle; Leon had just returned from a short walk and on hearing his name, paused in his movement of opening the door, his hand trembling violently on the bronzed handle. At the door leading down the castle corridor, Cloud stood silently just to the side of the door, out of the girls' sight, blue eyes widening in disbelief.

"Something happened there didn't it?" Tifa pressed gently.

"Well, he came out all emo but according to Aerith and Cid he was a sweet little kiddie in his pre-castle days so…chyea, duh, something bad happened." Yuffie muttered.

"Yuffie." Aerith admonished quietly. "Now that report you found, detailing an experiment…the child was…that child was…" her head fell down to rest on her arms

"It was Leon, wasn't it?" Tifa asked grimly. Aerith's head shot up, eyes as wide as dinner plates as her mouth hung open in shock.

"You knew?" she whispered timidly.

Yuffie paled, jumping up from her seat and clapping a hand over her mouth. Her eyes turned glazy as she stared disbelievingly at the shaky brunet.

"Oh god…" Pressing her hand tighter, Yuffie darted over to the sink, retching violently.

"The experiment." Tifa said, interrupting Aerith's action of hurrying to Yuffie's side. "It said that Xehanort was intending to instil his darkness in a child's heart. It mentioned the old creation story and how a child's heart was where the light existed after darkness overwhelmed the original world. Xehanort seems to have thought that-"

"A child's heart with his darkness would allow him the ability to open the world doors and gain ultimate knowledge." Aerith recited dully. She gave a low snort as she sat herself back down. "Even in the early days of his experiments, Xehanort wasn't entirely sane…no one knows where he got that notion. A child's heart does not open the door. Only the keyblade and a great need for the road to be open can. A child's heart with darkness would most assuredly not open the door. However, at the time when Xehanort came up with that hypothesis he was still in the early days of his experiments; at that point in time, anything was possible, the heart's capabilities limitless."

"So what happened?" Yuffie gasped, wiping her mouth.

Aerith raised haunted green eyes, staring up at the ceiling. "Xehanort attempted to remove Leon's heart."

Three voices answered her angrily. "WHAT?"

Aerith shot away from the table in fright, a hand clutching her chest tightly. "Cloud!"

The blonde stood in the doorway clutching the frame so tightly that it creaked under the strain. Yuffie turned pale once more, moving to cling to Aerith as she caught sight of the murderous light in Cloud's eyes.

Tifa, however, approached the blonde, eying him carefully as she came to a stop just outside of his reach. "Cloud…"

"That's what happened to Leon?" He demanded, eyes focused on Aerith.

"Yes, but Cloud-" she broke off with a mall jump of fright as the kitchen door gave a loud bang. As they turned to face the noise, the door swung on its hinges, revealing a brief glimpse of the brunet running away from the castle before slamming shut again.

"Oh gods…" Aerith moaned burying her face in her hands. "Leon."

"Leon!" There was a yellow and black blur as Cloud took off out the door after the brunet.

"Cloud, wait!" Aerith shouted, half hanging out the doorway. She sighed despairingly as the courtyard echoed with her voice before falling silent again.

"Shouldn't we go after Leon too?"

"Not yet." Aerith muttered grimly. "You haven't heard all of it yet."

"There's more?" Yuffie wailed.

"Unfortunately. Xehanort learned quickly how wrong his initial hypothesis was. If you had read to the end of that report you'd have known."

"Known what?"

------

Leon suddenly found himself in the old stables, panting heavily as he clutched at his chest and fought back stinging tears. He turned away from the stable doors, walking to the middle of the building before stopping and staring up at the heavy beams running along the roof.

They knew.

The thought didn't instil the same terror it used to. He suddenly felt empty, unable to feel anything.

------

"Xehanort lied."