Cloud and Leon slumped down on a bench that Merlin had conjured forth; their bare torso's glistening with sweat as they drank the water offered to them by Kairi.

"Is that enough Merlin?" Leon panted, whipping sweat from his brow.

Merlin chuckled. "Oh yes, I think a full hour of castings is enough to give them an idea."

Sora and Roxas simply stood in silence, their eyes wide as they looked at their older siblings. The past hour had been spent watching Cloud and Leon turn assorted articles of flying furniture into kindling using various spells. The most comical incident had been when Leon's concentration had flagged for a moment and he'd gotten abducted by Merlin's bed, Cloud had then cast some kind of gravity spell and sent the offending bed spiraling to the floor with Leon in tow.

Merlin turned to Sora and Roxas. "So are you ready to try it?"

Sora nodded eagerly. "Yeah I'm going to beat their time too!"

Cloud snorted, "fat chance."

Leon was kinder about it. "You can't."

Sora frowned. "What do you mean I can't? You did."

Merlin chuckled. "Yes, they went for an entire hour of casting and look at them, they're exhausted. Magic draws energy from your body; it takes months of training to be able to do what your brothers did and survive."

Cloud managed a smile. "If you think what we do is impressive Sora, you should see Zack or Sephiroth, they're both in an entirely different league when it comes to tactical magic."

"Wait, so if we can't do what they did, what do you expect us to do instead?" Roxas asked as he watched the splintered and shattered furniture reassemble itself out on the floor.

"Oh I hardly expect you to do anything of the caliber of your brothers' performance. However you should be able to manage a few minor elemental spells."

"You still haven't explained how any of this works." Roxas grumbled.

"Oh it's quite simple really. Visualize what you want to happen and speak a word you associate with the action. Your energy will do the rest." Merlin supplied, waving his hand dismissively.

"Magic can't be that simple." Roxas said.

"Oh and why not?"

"Because if all it takes is someone thinking of something happening and giving it voice then anyone could make lightening strike their neighbor at whim."

Merlin's beard lifted in a smile. "Oh you are a clever lad. Do you want to know the secret?"

Roxas and Sora waited, Roxas had no idea what to expect but it had to be something special to enable someone to call forth ice or fire from thin air.

"Belief," Merlin stated simply.

"What?" Roxas said, blinking in confusion.

Merlin chuckled. "To put it simply, the reason why people don't go around electrocuting their neighbor's everyday is because people believe they can't."

"So you're saying all it takes is my mind saying I can do it and then vocalizing it and that's it?"

Merlin nodded. "Of course there are those like Yen Sid, Maleficent, and myself who have much more practice and can simply think of a spell and it happens. But that's hardly everyone."

Sora looked thoughtfully at a floating armchair; he pointed his hands at it. "Ice."

There was a crackling and the chair fell to the ground, shattering into thousands of frozen shards.

Sora stared dumbstruck, then turned to another piece of furniture. "Fire."

This next piece of furniture burst into flames and quickly disintegrated into ash and cinders.

Merlin clapped his hands appreciatively. "There we go, he's getting the idea. Now you try lad."

Roxas swallowed and held out his hand to the same bed that had scooped up Leon earlier. "Fire."

Nothing happened, Roxas frowned and tried again, once more nothing happened. He looked back at Merlin with a frown to find the old wizard smiling.

"I told you that you have to believe, I'm afraid it won't work otherwise."

"Come on Roxas, you can do it." Sora said, urging him on.

"Hmph, pin feathers," supplied Archimedes from atop Merlin's hat. "The boy simply doesn't believe in any of this. The only way he will perform magic is if someone gives him a caster and even then I doubt it."

"Oh come now Archimedes you're not to insult my pupils." Merlin said, poking the owl with his walking stick.

Archimedes puffed up indignantly. "Pin feathers and gully fluff!"

Namine smiled gently and walked up besides Roxas, taking his hand in hers. "I believe you can do it. Here," she took his hand, lacing her fingers with his and pointing them at a large mirror. "Just imagine your spell striking it."

Roxas swallowed nervously as Namine stood besides him, his face reddened slightly as he tried to concentrate on the spell and not the warmth she filled him with.

"Thunder."

For a moment there was nothing, then with a crackling hiss the mirror was alight with electricity, the glass shattered and the wood charred. Sora cheered, clapping Roxas on the back as Leon and Cloud congratulated him as well. He wasn't paying attention to any of it though; his eyes were focused on Namine's face as his heart climbed into his throat.

"Excellent!" Merlin said cheerily, "now again!"

They'd reassembled outside of the local ice cream parlor, and their group had grown now to include Rikku and Yuna as well as Sora, Roxas, Namine, Kairi, Leon, and Cloud with Big Red as ever in tow though the big bird had taken the lull to nap a short distance away from them with his head ducked under a wing.

"So you guys spent all that time casting? It must be exhausting." Yuna said, licking her ice cream as she spoke.

"Yeah, it was really intense. I never realized that magic could be so simple though. I always thought it took years of practice and studying." Sora said, Kairi was leaning on his shoulder and he had an arm around her despite the redness of his face.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You're just doing the basic tactical spells. Anyone can master those. There are much more advanced castings that require years of training and study. You couldn't manage the thought casting that mages like Maleficent or Merlin can perform. This is all basic, even Roxas can manage it."

Roxas glared at his brother. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Cloud smirked. "It means even someone who can barely accept that magic works can manage a few jolts of electricity."

Roxas turned bright red and focused on his ice cream, Rikku wrapped her arms around him, thankfully today she was wearing a full jumpsuit instead of just a bikini and shorts, granted it was form fitting which wasn't much better in Roxas' mind.

"Ah, be nice to him Cloud, he'll get the hang of it."

"Yes, I'm sure he will. He just has to accept that he can do it despite how bizarre it might seem."

Roxas managed a smile at Namine, Rikku leaned over him towards her, giggling. "Hey no fair, I saw him first."

Namine smiled coyly. "It's okay, he'll figure it out."

Everyone paused and looked between the two girls, Leon and Cloud exchanged amused glances. Then Cloud's face sank.

"Oh god, I'd been doing so well too."

Leon snorted and patted Cloud on the back. "So she wants to have your children what's the big deal?"

If looks could kill Leon would have dropped dead right then and there, as it was Cloud's death seemed far more imminent from the expression that was slowly forming on his face.

"Cloud, what are you doing here? I've been looking for you! No one at the barracks knew where you'd run off to."

Cloud sighed and looked up at the woman approaching them.

Roxas leaned forwards and whispered to make sure he recognized the right person.

"Tifa?"

"Tifa," Cloud affirmed with a nod.

Tifa stood in front of Cloud and leaned over him scowling. "I swear you're hopeless don't you remember what we're supposed to be doing tonight?"

Cloud looked at her blankly, besides him Leon's eyes widened. "Shit, the dinner."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Well I'm glad one of you blockheads remembered, Rinoa's waiting for you at the house Leon."

Cloud sighed. "Our little brother's just got into town Tifa you know that, can't we have a rain check for another night?"

Tifa looked at Sora, Roxas, Namine, Kairi, Rikku, and Yuna with a smile. "I think we can manage to fit them all in too. What do you say guys, want to come to dinner?"

"You know it!" Rikku chimed in.

Yuna smiled nervously. "If you're sure it's alright."

Tifa waved her hand. "Dad and Mom aren't going to mind having more company. What about you four?"

Sora looked over at Cloud uncertainly, Kairi nudged him. "Yeah sure, we'll come."

Cloud looked rather miserable as everyone agreed to go to the dinner and Tifa dragged him to his feet.

She smiled at him. "One of these days you're going to stop being such a baby about this."

He didn't say anything, just allowed her to drag him along as the rest of the group followed her.

Roxas caught up with Leon. "What's the deal with those two?"

Leon smiled. "She's madly in love with Cloud, and Cloud won't admit that he likes her too so instead he acts like she annoys him." He leaned down and whispered. "He's so used to being laconic that he has no idea what he's supposed to do with a girl."

Roxas snorted, yeah that sounded like Cloud alright, then Rikku latched onto his arm and he turned bright red, maybe it was like him too.

Yuffie answered the door and grinned up at Tifa as she spied the small parade following in her wake.

"Sis, you were supposed to bring Cloud 'n' Leon, not an entire party."

Tifa returned the smile. "Yeah well they forgot about the dinner and wouldn't come without the entire entourage."

"Is that Tifa?" A man's voice called from inside the house.

"Yeah Dad," Yuffie called back, "she brought Leon and Cloud and half of Hollow Bastion."

There was no response, and then a man with long black hair and wearing a cooking apron stepped out into the hallway and glanced curiously towards the doorway.

"What on earth is all this Tifa?"

Tifa ran up to him and kissed Laguna on the cheek as he continued to eye the group curiously.

"Sorry sir," Cloud said with a salute. "She insisted we bring everyone."

"At ease, we're not on duty. Well since you're all here, come on in."

Tifa frowned at Cloud. "You were the one who said you wouldn't go without your brothers."

Laguna raised a hand to quell the oncoming fight. "Alright that's enough, Tifa Yuffie, drag Cloud into the kitchen and help your mother, Leon Rinoa's upstairs."

He eyed the remainder of the group as Cloud was dragged off as ordered and Leon went off another side passage. Laguna began to open his mouth again then paused as Red chirped curiously from outside.

He raised an eyebrow. "You brought a chocobo?"

"Well he kind of follows us all over the place." Sora explained.

Laguna nodded with a knowing smile and an amused glint in his eyes. "Yes they'll do that, my black Baast does the same thing if I don't stick him in the stables."

He walked past the five of them and stepped up to Red.

"You don't keep him bridled?" He observed with a frown.

Sora shook his head. "I don't like having him tied up."

Laguna nodded thoughtfully and walked around Red who turned his head to follow Laguna's movements, chirping curiously.

Laguna knelt down and examined Red's legs and feet. "This is a well bred bird; I imagine he's a pretty powerful bird in a scrape."

"Yeah, he helped us fight Heartless in the forest; they seemed pretty frightened of him."

Laguna nodded absently. "Yes, I heard about it in the barracks. The two bearers and their chocobo; is it true you also let him hunt?"

"Well yeah, we didn't have any other way of feeding him." Sora said, recalling what Cid had said about Laguna needing to talk to him about that.

Laguna's mouth stretched in a pleased smile. "That's impressive, it's near impossible to control them once they're allowed to hunt. Their instincts kick in and they tend to realize that they're supposed to be on the top of the food chain."

Before Laguna could continue another brunette stepped into the doorway with her arms crossed. "Dear I don't mind you bringing work home with you but stop boring the children with it."

Laguna snorted and stepped up to her, kissing her before she could say anything. She pushed him away and scowled. "Get in there and help your daughters and poor Cloud with dinner before they break him."

"Yes ma'am." Laguna teased.

Julia turned to face them rolling her eyes. "I swear he's impossible. Come on, I might be a disaster in the kitchen but we can at least set the table."