Ah! I know, I know, it's been forever! Life started getting in the way of my writing, but school's out! Whoohoo! Now I can write! More on that later . . .

TriforceBrave: I'll have to go look for spelling errors . . .sometimes I forget to use my spell check XD Lol poor Squall, I know. He is far too abused in my fics.

Axel'sChakrams8: Thanks! Lol yeah, I know, updates have kind of been erratic. I'm reeeally hoping to smooth that out, though. I'm glad you're still sticking around, though!

KMSaum: Glad you're still around! Hope to hear from you soon :)

Evil Stormsister: Lol, well, I haven't updated since February, so not like I can possibly hold that against you XD I'm really glad you liked the chapter, because I was thinking it was almost boring and it almost felt rushed to me at the same time. You're right, there probably could have been more Zell and Quistis. And I'm a sympathetic crier as well ;) I'm hard core until someone else starts crying. Then I'm a pansy lol XD And, as promised, the fight chapter!

Please enjoy!

"Get up! Get up, Squall!" Aeris was shrieking in his face.

Squall snapped into focus, eyes taking in everything as he sat up. He recognized the room as Zack and Aeris' suite, though it was now dark. There were no lights on in the place except what filtered in through the window from the security lights outside. Zack was nowhere to be found, though Aeris was off to the other side of the room now, disappearing through an open doorway.

Squall heard the screams again, coming in along with gunfire from somewhere outside. He got unsteadily to his feet. His body was swathed in bandages, some stained red with blood. He couldn't remember what that was all about, but dismissed it for now. He saw Lionheart by the front door and hurried to get it. He was tempted to go out in the hallway and have a look around, but Aeris had returned, this time with Cloud leaning heavily against her. The boy was deathly pale, his face a stark contrast to the wing that protruded from his back. It dragged the floor behind him, trailing Cloud like a shadow.

"Come on, Squall, we have to leave!" Aeris said, taking Cloud not to the door, but to the kitchen.

Squall shook his head. Why was he getting so distracted? "What's going on?" He demanded, following her and putting one of Cloud's arms around his neck.

Aeris relinquished her load to him entirely, running to a cabinet in the corner. Squall took a moment to look out the window. He could see the grounds outside all the way to the gates. People were running around like mad, soldiers shouting and cutting at the swarms of Heartless that were invading the grounds.

"Heartless," Aeris said breathlessly, grabbing a pack from underneath a cabinet and securing it to her back. "They're everywhere. Zack and Lea are trying to hold them off the building until everyone's awake, and I'm supposed to get you two out of here." She pulled out a long staff from inside the cabinet and looked at Squall. "If I hold off the Heartless, can you carry Cloud? I don't think we'll have much of a problem until we get out of the building."

Squall nodded, sheathing Lionheart at his side in order to fully support Cloud. They would move faster if Squall had a better hold on him. "Where are. . . Where are Irvine and Selphie?"

"Zack said he would wake them up for you on his way out. They should be here any minute now, but we should be ready, just in case . . . Squall, move!"

Squall didn't think twice. He wasn't even sure he thought once. His body moved, spinning both he and Cloud to the side and on to the ground, just as a black shadow raked a claw in their wake. Aeris' staff came down on the creature's head, causing its mouth to part in a silent shriek. She beat it again and again until it fell over and disappeared in a puff of Darkness.

"Maybe we should go," Cloud murmured quietly from the tiled floor beside Squall.

Aeris blinked at the blond. Squall couldn't tell if it was in surprise or confusion, but she offered a weak smile. "Good idea. I don't think we're safe in here anymore."

Squall picked himself and Cloud off the floor and followed Aeris to the door. She opened it quickly and they moved into the hallway. People were rushing around like mad, most of them still in their nightwear. Squall could see a shadow spring up from the floor every once in a while down the wide length of the corridor, but it was obviously not a hot spot for Heartless.

"Where are we going?" Squall asked. Outside was sheer mayhem, and the easiest way to get themselves killed.

Aeris led them down the hallway, joining the stream of humans that were scrambling down the side exit. "Zack has a friend in town. We're going to meet them at his house until Zack comes to get us."

"Aeris! Squall!"

Squall turned against the crowd and craned his neck to see over it. He saw a familiar cowboy hat making its way to them. Irvine soon caught up to them, Selphie in tow. "We were just coming to get you," he said.

"We had to leave. Heartless were in our kitchen," Aeris explained. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Irvine took Cloud's weight off of Squall's aching shoulders and they all proceeded outside. Hundreds of soldiers were running, darting this way and that to engage a Heartless, but all were headed in the general direction of the castle to do their duty and protect their king.

It was like swimming upstream against the tide of soldiers and shadows. Selphie and Aeris dispatched as many of the Heartless as they could around Irvine and his load, while Squall cut a path ahead of them, pushing through soldiers and destroying Heartless. It felt like hours before they made it to the gate. There were fewer Heartless here, which meant in Squall's mind that this was an organized attack, specifically targeting the castle grounds.

But for what? Was this simply an accident? Had the Heartless escaped from the labs below? Or was this something much more sinister? Like a direct attack by Xehanort? He had said something in the labs, something about having a way to get rid of Ansem, if the need arose. That had to have been what this was; an attack on the King.

Squall stopped.

"Squall?" Aeris asked. They all faltered in their steps and stopped, turning their eyes on him.

"They're after Ansem," Squall concluded. "I have to get back to the castle."

"Squall, I don't think that's such a good idea," Selphie protested.

"I signed a contract," he stated. "I have a duty to protect the king."

Irvine frowned. "We signed the same contract. We should go with you, then."

"No," Squall shook his head. "As you're commanding officer, I'm ordering you to take Cloud and Aeris somewhere safe and wait this out."

"How will we find you?" There was still a note of argument in Selphie's voice, and something else. Panic, maybe?

Aeris spoke suddenly, "Just find Zack and Lea when it's over, okay? They know where to go."

Squall nodded, briefly wondering if he would be able to find them when it was all over. He turned on his heel and ran back inside the compound, heading for the center of all the mayhem.

The whole situation reminded him eerily of the events a few short months ago.

Zack whipped his sword in a tight arc, dissipating two Heartless and severing the limb off a third. The shadows were thick in the hall, springing from the ground in alarming numbers. This sea of yellow eyes and twitching limbs was all that was standing between him and his duty to protect the king, and it was annoying him to no end.

"We'll never get to the King at this rate!" he snarled in frustration as he cut down the two more Heartless that rose where the others had died. They had traveled no more than halfway down the hall in the past fifteen minutes!

"Want me to take care of it?" Lea offered for the fifth time, an amused tone spread thinly over exhaustion.

Zack had been hesitant to let him unleash his flaming fury in the confined space of the hall, but now, feeling the ache of prolonged combat in his bones and the urgency to get to Ansem, he wasn't feeling so opposed to a little fire. "Can you do it without burning the whole castle down?" he asked, dodging a jumping Heartless and slicing it in half on its way by.

Lea let out a short, strangled laugh. Actually, it sounded pained to Zack's sensitive ears, and he felt a twinge of guilt for allowing the still-injured man to accompany him. "Depends on if I'm having a good day," he announced. He twirled a chakram expertly, clearing the space in front of him of several shadows. "You may wanna stand back, General," he cackled, his clothing beginning to smolder.

Zack could feel the heat radiating from Lea's body. He immediately slid in to stand behind the redhead, covering Lea's back and staying out of the way.

The blast almost knocked Zack on his face, despite not being on the receiving end. The room heated up remarkably, drawing sweat down his brow and making the Heartless before him shy away, golden eyes glittering in the flaming light.

Zack turned around in time to see the firestorm die down, flames receding across the stone floor and drawing back to Lea like golden waves back into the ocean. It was an awesome sight to behold, the stone glowing red in the flames' wake, the once-ornate rugs disintegrating into ash, Lea's green eyes shining like a cat's with unnatural power.

Then, the fire was gone and Lea collapsed to his knees. Zack looked around. There were no Heartless to be found anywhere in the room. Even those that hadn't been caught in the surge had decided it was in their best interests to disappear.

"See?" Lea gasped. "Still standing." He gestured vaguely to the surrounding walls before grabbing at his chest.

"You alright?"

"Just give me a minute. Catch my breath," he panted. The definite sounds of a scuffle drifted out from the room down the hallway. "Better go have a look," Lea nodded to the doorway.

As much as Zack didn't want to leave Lea alone in the hallway, he had to protect Ansem. He moved quickly across the hot floor to the door and pressed an ear against the thick oak. He couldn't make out specific words, but he could hear the voice of Ansem. And the voice of Xehanort.

Well, there wasn't much choice. He lifted his weapon in one hand and threw the doors open.

It was just Ansem and Xehanort, but it was clear who had the advantage here. The young apprentice was pinned to the floor, Ansem's rapier at his throat. It looked like the king was ready to dispatch him at any moment.

"Surrender now, Xehanort. You know I don't want to kill you." Ansem's voice was steady, despite how his blade shook.

A smile spread across Xehanort's face. It was the smile of a man not yet defeated. "I told you your weakness would be your undoing. You think the people will bow down to a spineless sap like you forever? You have grown delusional in your old age. Now is the time to pay for your fantasy."

There was no way Ansem could have seen it coming, and after the fact, Zack tried to tell himself that there was no way he could have stopped it. Xehanort threw his hand to the side and, with what looked like no small effort, opened a rip in the air. What rested beyond was a spinning, twisting tunnel of darkness.

And in a heartbeat, it had completely engulfed Ansem.

That was it. There was no look of surprise, no final realization on the king's face. There wasn't a sound or even a flash of light. One minute he was there, the next he was gone. The rip sealed itself immediately, leaving no sign Ansem had been there at all.

"What have you done?" Zack snarled in alarm and rage.

The apprentice was already back on his feet, a long dagger in his hand. He regarded Zack with cold yellow eyes. It reminded Zack of meeting the gaze of a Heartless. "Ah, General," he said. Zack could hear hurried footsteps outside the side door, and it seemed Xehanort noticed too. He cut his eyes to the door behind him and smiled. "It seems you've arrived just in time."

Before Zack could question him, he twisted the dagger in his hand and stabbed himself in the shoulder.

Zack blinked in surprise, just as the door opened. Four of the king's personal guard charged in, all of them looking miffed and armed to the teeth. Zack recognized them as some of Sephiroth's soldiers. He was about to melt in relief when Xehanort shrieked, "He stabbed me! He stabbed me!" he pointed at Zack with the hand not clutching his wounded arm. "What did you do with Ansem?"

That was all it took for the guard make up their minds. "Drop your weapon," the Captain ordered in a gruff voice.

"Xehanort took Ansem! He shoved him into some kind of portal and stabbed himself!" The words had tumbled from his lips before checking in with his brain. On second thought, that sounded really stupid . . .

Suddenly a wall of flame erupted from the floor, effectively cutting off their advance.

"Do you realize how stupid that sounded?"

Zack turned around to see Lea staggering in. "Lea! He- Xehanort took Ansem!"

Lea's face twisted, but Zack couldn't tell if it was with anger or pain. "I saw. We have to get out of here. I can't hold that wall for long."

Zack hesitated. Should he turn himself in? He could prove his innocence. Upon close inspection, there was no way Xehanort's wound could have come from a broadsword such as his. Maybe he could use that to clear his name.

But no, not if Sephiroth was playing this game. Zack had been working with him for too long to go up against him when the deck was already stacked against him. Who knew how long Sephiroth had been planning on this? No, best to run now and figure it out later.

Gunfire jarred him from his thoughts.

"Come on!" Lea shoved him forward.

They started running, flames and bullets biting at their heels.

It didn't take near as long to get back in as it had to get out. All the Heartless were heading the same direction, mostly, so it wasn't difficult to stab them in the back as he made his way to the castle.

He was quickly tiring, though. It felt like his body was responding slower and slower to his commands, though he wasn't sure if it was due to physical exhaustion or mental. Things just didn't feel right in his body.

Before he made it to the top, however, Lea and Zack came flying down the castle stairs, flames trailing behind them and panic on their faces. "Get out of here!" Zack shouted madly as they charged toward him.

"What's happening in there?" Squall demanded, gazing up at the castle. It was definitely the focus of the Heartless attack, and Squall had to get to Ansem before something happened to their leader. Why were they running away? "Where's Ansem?"

"Ansem's gone, Squall!" Zack said, stopping mere inches from him.

"There's no time to explain, just go!" With that, Lea threw out an arm, opening up one of his strange portals and shoved Squall inside.

Well, things are certainly falling apart fast D: What's going on here? Where are the other apprentices? Has Cloud's angst-fest ended?

So, as I said, summer has begun! That means more updates! In a somewhat timely fashion! Yay!

I have great aspirations to finish this fic this summer. Maybe that's slightly ambitious of me, but it's my goal XD Already have half of the next chapter written out, so keep your eyes open. Should be up soon ;)

Please review, and have yourselves a great week!

God Bless,

-RainFlame