Hello, all!

Well, TriforceBrave pointed out that since it's been forever, some readers might have forgotten what's going on, so lemme give you a brief run down XD

RECAP:

I'm sure you all remember Squall's world was overrun by Heartless, and he lost Rinoa in the process. The survivors found their way to Radiant Garden and Squall and his team were hired by Ansem. Lea showed up pretty early on, introducing himself to Squall and badgering him into helping Lea figure out what's going on in the labs under the castle. They discover Xehanort is up to no good, but before they can take their investigation further, Cloud goes missing. Squall figures out that he's being held under the labs and they immediately mount a rescue. Upon infiltration, they uncover a plot against Ansem, should he interfere with Xehanort's plans. The team detains several of the apprentices while Sephiroth proceeds to plant a piece of his heart inside Cloud. Squall manages to rescue Cloud, but loses Quistis, Zell and Laguna by Sephiroth's blade. Sephiroth let Squall live, for reasons unknown, and Squall loses his grasp on reality in his despair. In his dreamworld, he is visited by Laguna, Rinoa, Zell and Quistis, who give him the desire to continue.

Whew. That pathetic recap should catch you up to the last chapter :D

TriforceBrave: Good call! Hope that recap was helpful XD And I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint with its lack of action, but we do have angst! Silly Squall and Cloud can't seem to keep from angsting ^-^ Good luck with exams!

EvilStormSister: Lol glad you liked it XD Sorry to keep you waiting for so long! Unfortunately there isn't much in the way of action here, but as I just told TriforceBrave, we do have angst! :D Get excited!

Onward!

Instead of being stuck inside a Corridor of Darkness, it seemed this portal had a destination. Squall found himself sprawled in front of a doorstep in the city. The sounds of battle were far away, leaving only the whisper of the wind and the sound of voices inside.

Then Zack and Lea came crashing on top of him.

"Ouch," Zack's voice moaned.

Squall picked himself off the ground, massaging his elbow as he did. "Where are we?"

"City outskirts," Lea supplied, rising and dusting off his shirt.

"Why did we run? People are dying back there!" he hissed.

"Not our problem right now," Lea informed, as flippant as ever. "Our problem will be surviving the next couple of weeks."

"What are you talking about?" Squall demanded, glancing from Lea to Zack.

"Let's go inside," the brunet suggested after a moment's pause. "We'll explain everything." He rapped his fist against the door.

It opened before he had stopped knocking. In the doorway stood a thin, pale man. He had sharp features and long ebony hair hanging past his shoulders. He a kind of no-nonsense feel about him, as if all he needed was an excuse and he would kill without question. More disconcerting than that, though, were his eyes. They were as focused and aware as a wolf staring down prey, and as red as spilled blood.

"Hey, Vinny!" Zack greeted enthusiastically.

Red eyes squinted in irritation, then swept over the surrounding area before resting on Zack. "Come in." He stepped back, allowing them passage into the house.

It was a small home, with stone floors covered in mismatched rugs, simple wooden furniture, and two ragged sofas currently occupied by Aeris, Cloud, Irvine and Selphie. A large worktable was centered in the middle of the room, spilling over with papers and schematics. A small kitchen opened up to the side, and a hallway stretched past the far wall and turned out of sight. Squall noticed a certain detachment about the place, as if it hadn't been lived in in a long time. There were really no personal belongings to speak of and a fine layer of dust seemed to cling to every surface.

Aeris immediately left her seat by Cloud to go to Zack. Selphie and Irvine were seated on a sofa, Irvine's arm draped protectively around the girl. They both smiled and rose as Squall walked in. "Well, did everything go alright?" Irvine asked.

"I don't know," he replied, turning to Zack and Lea. "Did it?" He didn't really try to keep the accusation from his voice.

Zack's shoulders seemed to sag as he propped his Buster sword against the wall. He looked twenty years older. "Not exactly. I think I've just been framed for Ansem's murder."

"Murder?" Aeris asked, green eyes wide. "What happened?"

They listened as Zack recounted what had just taken place, Lea interjecting several times with his own observations. Afterward, the room was silent.

"Why did you run?" Selphie finally asked, perching herself on the worktable as she did.

"Because Sephiroth's in on this," Zack said, as if that answered everything. He starting to pace the floor. "Xehanort had said that they had a plan for removing Ansem if things got out of hand, right? Well, after we raided the basement, it would only be a matter of time before Ansem had them arrested."

"So this was all his doing," Irvine concluded. "Set the Heartless loose; in the confusion, dispose of the King. They could have blamed the Heartless for his disappearance."

"But the Heartless aren't really all that dangerous," Aeris said with a frown.

"They are in large numbers," Irvine said, his features immediately darkening in remembrance. "And when they take you by surprise."

"We are the only other people that knew what happened in that basement," Squall interrupted. He was not willing to go down that road right now. "We are the only ones that could still send him to prison. We would have been the next targets. Most likely, that's where the other scientists were. They were looking for us while Xehanort took care of Ansem. But when he saw you still alive, he knew you could ruin his plans. So he pinned it on you to discredit and incriminate you, just in case you survived the night."

"You sure we're the only ones?" Irvine asked. "If anyone else knows, they could get killed."

"Wait, what about Highwind?" Zack suddenly asked, panic on his face.

"He didn't know what happened, did he?" Aeris asked. "He just knew the scientists were persons of interest and weren't allowed to leave."

"But what if he opens his big mouth? They'll kill him!"

Lea put a halting hand to the brunet's chest before he could charge out the door. "Highwind is mouthy, certainly, but he's not an idiot. Once he sees who's in charge, he'll keep his trap shut."

"But how does Sephiroth fit into all of this?" Irvine asked.

Zack scowled at the floor. "If there's one thing I know about Sephiroth, he's got his own ambitions. He's not in it for the same reasons as Xehanort and the others. He's in it for himself. I'm not sure what he stands to gain by any of this."

"Puppets."

Everyone turned to look at Cloud. He was still seated on the sofa, unfocused eyes staring at his hands. "He just wants puppets," he said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Zack pressed. Squall could hear the concern in his voice.

Cloud took his time in answering. "All he seemed interested in was control. He . . . he put a piece of his heart inside of me. He was trying to take over my mind."

Thick silence enveloped the room.

"How?" Aeris finally whispered, tears leaking down her face. "How is that possible?"

"It's not the worst they've done," Lea murmured. "But it's certainly a first. I've never heard of something like this."

"But why? Why does he need . . . puppets?" Selphie asked. "He's some kind of super soldier, right? He could take down fifty men by himself. Why does he need their help? Anyone's help?"

Zack shook his head. "I couldn't begin to tell you. Sephiroth is a genius, so whatever his motives, he's our main threat. He'll figure out we're all alive, and if he still needs Xehanort, he'll come after us to ensure their cover isn't blown."

"Maybe this would be a good time to disappear."

The deep voice startled everyone in the room. The pale man was regarding them all with a crimson stare from his chair in the far corner. He had been so quiet, Squall had forgotten he was there. That, in itself, was scary.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Lea asked, his voice tense. He probably felt about the same way as Squall did. This man was exceedingly dangerous.

The pale man didn't look the least offended. "Vincent Valentine."

Lea noticeably blanched. "Vincent Valentine?" he repeated. It wasn't every day that Lea was without words.

"You know him?" Zack asked with a grin. "Vinny's been a family friend for years!"

Vincent just stared, almost as if he were sizing Lea up, though there was nothing threatening about his posture. Squall wondered what he was looking for.

Lea seemed to choke out his next sentence. "You . . . feeling better?"

"Much."

"Where'd you guys meet?" Zack asked, looking between the two.

"Xehanort's lab," Lea replied, a scowl fixed firmly on his face. "Except the last I saw you, it was in a body bag." Squall glanced at Zack and Aeris. Neither of them seemed all that surprised. Lea continued, "How'd you get so much better?"

Vincent blinked owlishly. "Diet and exercise."

Zack did a double take, staring at Vincent with wide eyes. "Was that a joke?"

He ignored that. "If they're out to kill you, maybe you should leave the city."

"We can't just leave while Xehanort's running this place. He'll use the whole city in one of his twisted heart experiments." Zack frowned. "We need a plan."

"But first you need to know their plans," Lea said. "I think I can sneak in there and do some eavesdropping, but that's not going to exactly be a walk in the park."

"I've got contacts in the castle," Zack said. "I could try to send them a message."

"Not tonight."

Everyone turned to look at Squall, as if surprised by the authority in his voice. Squall continued, quieter this time. "We're all tired. It's been a long day. We should get some sleep and figure out what to do in the morning."

Zack nodded. "Good idea. Hey, Vinny, do you still have those futons stashed in the closet?"

Everyone dispersed to find a place to bed down for the night. Vincent had two bedrooms, one of which he took, and the other, by vote, went to Aeris and Selphie. Cloud got the sofa, and both Zack and Irvine insisted that Squall take the other. They both settled on the floor, while Lea propped himself up in a chair by the window.

Squall was half asleep when he heard a voice.

"Squall?"

His eyes shot open by reflex. He turned his head to see Cloud's eyes, glowing a brilliant blue in the dimness, much like Zack's. They hadn't been like that before. "What?" he asked softly.

"Sephiroth said you wouldn't come for me," he whispered. "But you did."

"Yes," Squall responded, confused. Where was he going with this?

"Why did you?"

Squall blinked. "Because."

"That's not a reason."

Squall frowned, a hint of irritation seeping into his voice. "Why wouldn't I come? I wasn't going to just leave you there with those madmen."

Cloud averted his gaze. "Oh."

When he didn't say anything else, Squall rolled over. What was that about? He didn't have much time to dwell, though, before his mind drifted into sleep.

Despite his exhaustion, Squall woke up with the sun. He wasn't sure if it was the light, or the scent of coffee that awakened him, but he was unable to go back to sleep. He sat up, wiping a hand over his face as he did. Everyone around him was still asleep, but he could hear someone moving in the kitchen. He got up, careful to step around Zack and Irvine, and made his way into the kitchen.

Vincent was standing against the counter, looking out of place amongst the bowls and cookware he had lined up on the countertop, like weapons to be cleaned. He was intently glaring at the back of a box of pancake mix when Squall walked in. "Good morning," he said without sparing Squall a glance.

"Good morning," he replied. He watched a moment more before he said, "Can I help?"

Vincent looked up this time, a glint of hope in his eyes. "Can you cook?"

Squall gave an affirmative. Rinoa had taught him to know his way around a kitchen. He was no master chef, but he could follow a recipe. Vincent gratefully shoved the mix into his hands. "What is a tsp, anyway?" he muttered as he moved to the sink to peel oranges.

Squall busied himself with the preparation of breakfast, quickly discovering that Vincent was the typical bachelor. His pantry consisted of dehydrated and canned foods, and his refrigerator only contained the minimum of necessities.

Vincent pulled a carton of milk from a grocery bag, along with a flier. "As I was leaving the market, I saw royal messengers posting these." He handed the paper to Squall.

Squall skimmed it over. "There's going to be an address in the main plaza regarding the 'recent acts of terrorism?'" Squall asked with a frown, reading it over more carefully this time. It was scheduled for the next morning.

"It might be a good idea to go," Vincent said, his attention back on his oranges. "If you insist on staying in town."

Squall nodded. "In the meantime, we need to be gathering reinforcements."

"For what?" Zack yawned, entering the kitchen. His bleary eyes immediately zeroed in on the coffee and he helped himself to a cup.

"Xehanort needs to be taken care of. You said so yourself."

Zack blinked sleep out of his eyes. It was becoming apparent to Squall that he was no early riser. "Eh?"

Squall sighed. "I'll explain at breakfast."

It wasn't much longer before he had the pancakes finished and stacked on a paper plate. Slowly the group assembled, shuffling in and helping themselves to breakfast. Selphie was the last to arrive, skipping the food altogether and heading straight for the coffee.

"There is going to be an address tomorrow in the main plaza," Squall announced when everyone had sat down throughout the living room. "I'm going to be there."

"What for?" Lea demanded. "I can already tell you what it's going to be about."

"I'm going to be sure," Squall said, ignoring Irvine and Selphie's disapproving looks. "But today, we need to tap every resource available to us. This is going to get a lot worse before it's over, and we'll need all the help we can get."

"I have already taken the liberty of contacting AVALANCHE." Vincent informed.

"AVALANCHE?" Irvine repeated.

"They're a small antigovernment group we've been hunting for years," Zack said with a frown. "They're led by some hothead miner with a chip on his shoulder. They're not much of a threat, really. Only a few incidents of property damage under their belts. Still a nuisance, though. Why would they help us?"

"Guess who's antigovernment now?" Lea smirked.

"I'm not antigovernment!" Zack insisted.

Lea shrugged. "You're against this government. That counts." He turned his attention to Squall. "I know someone that might prove useful."

Squall nodded. "We'll need them. And anyone you and Aeris know might help," he said to Zack.

The brunet rubbed the back of his neck. "Sephiroth's always had more sway over the men than I have. But I'll see who I can come up with."

"So," Lea said. "First plan of action is assemble our army. Then we take the castle back?"

Squall nodded. "Exactly."

He tried to pay attention to what was going on, but his mind was too busy wondering back to what had happened in the lab. It had only been yesterday, right? Or was it the day before? It all seemed like a blur. He hadn't really slept since. Every time he closed his eyes he could still see the writhing mass of Sephiroth's heart. The image was burned in the back of his eyelids.

Even more terrifying was the question that had nagged him since he had awakened: Why was he here? He was worthless as a soldier. He couldn't seem to do anything right, but Squall had come back for him, and they even took him here, to the heart of their rebellion. Why, though? Every time Cloud was harassed, Squall had intervened, but with a look on his face that said he'd rather be doing the harassing. He never joked with him, never confided in him. As far as Cloud could tell, Squall didn't care if Cloud were alive or dead.

He's got to have some ulterior motive, then.

Maybe he had to prove something to Zack. Maybe Zack had insisted he save Cloud. That seemed to make the most sense. But Squall didn't seem particularly close to Zack, either.

As a matter of fact, the only ones Squall seemed to willingly associate with were those from his world. Was that significant?

He can't be trusted.

The sudden thought surprised him with its intensity. But it was true, wasn't it? Squall couldn't be trusted. He had given Cloud no reason to trust him.

So he would watch, then. Watch and wait for Squall to prove what he was really after. And, if necessary, Cloud would intervene.

He wasn't going to be taken advantage of again. He was tired of being picked on and ridiculed. He was tired of being weak.

Starting now, things were going to change.

Our lil' Cloudy is growing up into the angst prince we know and love! And now we have just doubled our angst content by adding Vincent Valentine to the scene :D

Geez, I must be sleep deprived or something . . .

Did you catch the Sleeping Beauty reference? ;) Sorry for the lack of action, folks, but all in good time! Next chapter, we rally our troops! Have an amazing week!

God Bless,

-RainFlame